Jan 23, 2025
Day 135925 of begging Intsys for a villain arc
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Singapore
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from Russia
seen from United States
seen from Portugal
seen from China
seen from Italy
seen from United States
seen from Türkiye
seen from Türkiye
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from Australia
seen from China
seen from United States
Day 135925 of begging Intsys for a villain arc
Thoughts on Byleth (or perhaps Siyn in your case?) being a dragon?
One of my personal favorite AU concepts. I have yet to find a way to fit them into the main body of my work, but I do try to keep some Dragon!Byleth head cannons tucked away for a rainy day. Watching the daily goings-on of the students and villagers from the monastery roof, for example.
I tend to write Byleth as being incredibly watchful over her students, so writing her as being a dragon fits right in for me.
We were robbed.
As someone who has Nabatean blood and who was meant to be the reincarnation of the Goddess herself, any and all flavor of Byleth deserve to have their draconic form. To me, this is due to their very nature: they are both human and Nabatean, both mortal and divine. They are what I affectionately call Byleth interminatum. And philosophical matters aside, it makes sense that they'd at least have a partially draconic form due to genetics, much like Corrin in FE: Fates. To me the question is, when and how would it first manifest ?
First off, I don't think it'd depend on Byleth being fused with Sothis, because whether they might have:
given up their divine powers by rejecting the identity they feel is pushed on them in Crimson Flower, ie being Sothis
not fused with her yet
They are still just as Nabatean! I don't discriminate between Byleth-s, and they are equally beautiful in each and every route. So if Byleth's draconic form doesn't depend on Sothis fusing with them, how does it work ?
My guess is, while they would have always had something going on (let's say, for instance, pupils that look a little too much like reptilian slits or weird acne butons that just won't go away but are really just sparse scales), they would need to experience some big emotional shock, or to be stuck in a seemingly hopeless situation, in order to have that first thing that would make them transform. In which case, they would not have had any time to prepare nor process whatever the fuck is going on. I'm thinking of a few things that could trigger their inner dragon to come out:
Jeralt dying. Byleth just loses it and transforms. They are completely out of control and confused and need their respective house leader, and perhaps their fellow students, to calm them down. Can make for a very emotional bonding moment where they can share their own experiences of grief- for instance, Ashe, who has just lost Lonato. Basically help them through the shock.
A joyous circumstance. The emotional shock they go through doesn't have to stem from a negative emotion ! Since their character development is made through their ability to love, it'd make sense that a feeling of connection and happiness would help them unlock that part of themself. For instance, winning the mock battle of the Eagle and Lion with their newfound family; getting Seteth to open up to them; or simply meeting up with their favorite student at the Goddess' Tower.
Fusing with Sothis. As I said before, I don't think it would be a requirement, but in case they had truly never transformed before, the immense shock to their organism would be preeeeeetty sure to turn the scales on.
So, basically, my guess is their first transformation would be likely to happen pre-timeskip, and since they wouldn't have seen anything coming, they would not know what to do with themself.
That's when Rhea comes in. I think she would have suspected that this was a possibility, albeit a slim one before Sothis took over if her efforts bore fruits. But Byleth isn't Sothis, and this would be their first draconic rodeo: as such, she would be of capital help for them to get the hang of it. I'm not sure how she'd be able to justify how knowledgeable on turning into a giant dragon she is, but she'd probably find a way. She would be the one to help Byleth wind down enough that they can transform back into their human body (if they can turn back) and to start discreetly teaching them how to use this newfound side of themself to the best of their abilities. That would also definitely get her hopes up regarding Sothis' revival.
This means that Byleth would greatly benefit from their fellow Nabateans' guidance in order to get the gist of their draconic form. In SS, AM and VW, Seteth and Flayn's guidance, and later Rhea's, would help them ease into it- and let's be honest here, Flayn would absolutely love to teach her professor stuff. In CF however ? Things would be more complicated (this is going to allow me to talk about Siyn, who is my own version of CF!Byleth, my Bylethsona if you will !).
In CF, Byleth would lose contact with the people most adequate to teach them what they need to know. They would have to essentially figure it out by themself, which would... not always be pretty. There would be a lot of trial and error involved. However. Byleth being a dragon would grant Edelgard the Most Amazing Marketing Opportunity™ (thought of you @ninadove): that of making the people doubt whether Sothis really is on the side of the Church. Sure, the Immaculate One appeared in the battle of Garreg Mach but, isn't this other big *ss dragon a sign that the Goddess favors the Empire ? They would literally become the Wings of the Hegemon.
In the other routes, of course, Byleth being a dragon would definitely sway the religious people of Fodlan over to their respective army's side.
I am now going to make a quick tangent here and talk about Siyn, whom I'm really glad you mentioned ! ^^ When I developed her, I really wanted to dive a little more into what it meant for Byleth to reject the role that Rhea wanted to impose on them in CF. In particular, Siyn struggles a lot with her sense of bodily autonomy: this starts when her physical appearance is altered by Sothis fusing with her and only goes crescendo with what follows. Basically, she doesn't really know how much of her really is her and how much of her is someone else- as such, she starts out by refusing to use her divine powers which she feels might chip away at her individuality. Her character arc revolves around accepting and using all parts of herself equally- stepping into both her mortal and individual self. I kind of feel that if she were a dragon, she would have a psychological block and wouldn't be able to transform until she made peace with herself. This might happen to CF! Byleth in general, although I did dive more into that precise aspect of things than the game does.
As for their physical appearance, I do think that it'd be incredibly cool that after their first transformation, Byleth keeps some draconic characteristics. For instance, white scales on their weak zones like their necks on something. Their nails grow sharper now. Their eyes most definitely look reptilian. If they're fancy, maybe one or two baby horns. Maybe said horns grow bigger as their power grows. Also, you are absolutely right, Byleth as a dragon goes incredibly well with their being protective of their students. They would most definitely keep an eye out for them from the roof of Garreg Mach. Their treasure has always been their class, after all.
I also have a feeling that Byleth being a dragon would drastically help Marianne feel better about her own "curse" ! They would also, obviously, occasionally take Claude on a ride. Just imagine a Claudeleth wedding where Claude rolls in on a giant dragon and then said dragon turns into their spouse-to-be. The ultimate power move. In SS, Byleth displaying their draconic form as the new archbishop would most definitely help Rhea show herself as the Immaculate One a lot more, instead of hiding that part of herself. There would be chivalrous legends of the mystical dragon which lent its support to the Savior King in AM. In Crimson Flower, the tale of the sinner Emperor who convinced the Goddess to come to her aid would help tremendously in pacifying Fodlan, discrediting the central Church, scaring the fuck out of TWSTID and laying the groundwork for the reforms to come.
So, yeah ! Sorry if my answer isn't as complete as it should or if it's just incoherent ramblings- the idea is incredibly cool but I had never dived into it that deep before ! =) Also:
i accidentally clicked on the poll button so i'm asking you this: which byleth should i make a dragon!portrait of ?
f! byleth who slays
byleth is byleth and they have never seen a gender in their life
m! byleth who is oh so gender
Hresvelg family shenanigans
Edelgard isn't big on physical affection in my stuff, due to her trauma. The list of people she'd comfortably accept even a hug or shoulder pat from is very limited. Just Hubert at first, then adding Dorothea (I ship them so hard), then adding Byleth after that. Ana and the kids are on that list too of course, but they don't come into play until after the war. Lysithea and possibly Hapi are in there somewhere, but I haven't figured out where. Beyond that it would be tentative at best.
Your thoughts?
Thanks for asking !! ^^ I agree, it'd take a lot for her to be comfortable with physical affection, even more so public displays of affection. She would accept it in some measure of capacity from her closest allies in my opinion, her partner (any flavor of Edeleth is still my favorite personally) and her family. I also do agree that she'd be more open to being physically affectionate with people who have gone through the same thing as her- they would understand on a deeper level. But how would that affection look like, especially between siblings ?
I think an underrated form of physical affection for Edelgard is hand holding, both romantically (with her partner) and platonically. And this is of particular significance regarding Loki, her younger brother.
See, growing up with TWSITD, Loki never got a lot of physical affection. But suddenly finding himself in a safe environment with people he could trust not to hurt him, his siblings, allowed him to become more and more physically affective. Although he was once touch-starved, he is now incredibly big on getting hugs or any other firm of physical affection, no matter the reason. With Aline and Adel, this isn't a problem. He can go up to them and whine about how he wants to be carried bridal style and he will be, especially if he asks Adel.
But then... that makes it all the more complicated in regards to El's trauma. A good compromise they found is Edelgard holding Loki's right hand. This is very emotionally significant to them because Loki's right arm is burnt and that's definitely his weak spot, which he takes great care of (and which he amputates after the war in favor of a prosthetic arm). As such, he's always incredibly wary of people touching it. I don't picture Thales as being physically abusive often (since he "raised" him) but that's definitely been a pressure point in the past- so Loki only lets people he deeply trusts hold his right hand. As such, he literally places his trust and love in Edelgard's hands. The first time he allowed her to take his right hand was actually when he accepted to walk her path with her, when she reached her hand out to him while he was having a mental breakdown over everything he had been told having been lies.
Another form of affection they both have is Edelgard giving her cape to Loki when he feels down so he can burrow himself in it.
Aline and Adel themselves have pretty heavy trauma regarding the experiments. Aline has done a tremendous work to reclaim her own body and accept her scars, especially by changing her vestimentary style and discovering that she loves wearing short dresses instead of the most covering and conservative ones that the Imperial etiquette advocates for- and she has also needed to be physically available to comfort her younger surviving siblings. For instance, she often holds her brothers or runs her hand through their hair while they wait to fall back asleep after a nightmare. However, although she is okay with physical affection, she hates being taken by surprise- if you touch her shoulder when she's not expecting it, you would trigger her fight or flight response- and she will punch you in the face out of pure instinct. And she will rarely be the one seeking physical comfort.
I have to say though, I am NOT impartial to Aline softly taking her sister's face between her hands and kissing her on the forehead in Edelgard's darkest moments. Or gently holding both of her hands in hers while their foreheads touch.
Adel meanwhile would be the one most prone to hugging Edelgard, but he makes a big effort not to. They're the two siblings most uneasy about their scars and they both cover up a lot to hide it- a way he would show Edelgard physical affection is by holding her by the arm while they walk around, trusting her with where they're going (since he is blind).
And finally, Siyn. Siyn struggles a lot with bodily autonomy for quite some time, and with the way she sees and treats her own body. But after the war finally comes a time where she can start treating it as something other than just a tool for fighting. This is also at this point that she becomes Edelgard's partner. I have a feeling they would take it very slow, and slowly become more physically comfortable with each other- and while Siyn would absolutely respect El not wanting too many physical displays of affection, I'd love for them to get to a point where they can proudly walk out holding each other's hand for comfort. Maybe even kiss in public. In private, they would take to cuddling more often. No matter the romantic partner El ends up with (if she does end up with someone), they would still have to take it extra slow regarding any form of physical affection.
What's really interesting is that I'm pretty sure that while she would allow Hubert to hug her or something, he probably wouldn't feel the need to. xD Ferdinand would probably be more inclined to hug the both of them out of the blues and while they'd feel uncomfortable, they'd appreciate the gesture. They'd need to set some boundaries, too. I do agree that Edelthea would also do pretty amazing in that particular domain. I have a feeling that early on at the Academy, Dorothea would have understood that Edelgard wasn't comfortable with physical affection, and Edelgard slowly opening up to her would make for some incredibly sweet moments between the two partners. I'd love to see it !!!
I'll share more thoughts if my brain stops being jelly at some point=)
Slay
I was thinking about Dorothea singing Edelgard back to sleep after a nightmare and now I'm curious about what your Edelgard's relationship with Siyn looks like
Thanks so much for the ask !! ^^ I have to note that I'll have to elaborate more on Siyn to answer that to the best of my abilities. Here we go:
First off, one important thing about Siyn is that like all Byleth-s, she has always been motivated by love and her desire to connect with others. At the same time, she has never really had the occasion to connect with her own emotions and learn what they meant before the Academy- first off because they were a bit tuned down from the start (what's with Sothis and all that), but also because she grew up pretty isolated with a father who definitely didn't know how to care for an autistic child (sorry Jeralt xD). So, she's kind of always wanted to get the occasion to develop meaningful relationships before she knew she did, although she's always struggled with analyzing her own feelings in the first place. She was actually a bit miserable and numb alone.
So, when she finally got the chance to be around new people, people whose safety and lives she was entrusted with, this new responsibility gave her wings (of the hegemon, lol). Her students were people her own age, who didn't judge her because she was aloof or ignorant of fodlanese history; and they confided in her because they trusted that they could rely on her. She felt true happiness for the first time and immediately fell head-over-heels for them. And within them… was Edelgard, of course. Edelgard, who slowly started to think of Byleth as one of the rare people she could possibly rely on later on- as she felt safe enough to start sharing her past trauma with her.
Their bound grew a lot stronger during their year at the Academy, due to the trust they both developed in each other and the obvious care Siyn has for her students. She was never afraid to give Edelgard responsibilities in battle, and they still often function as battling partners (with Siyn delegating to her): but most of all, she always went out of her way to meet with her students whenever she had the time. One of my funny little headcanons about her is that Siyn always has a few owl feathers in her pocket in case someone needs it- which makes for the funny sight of the professor collecting anything she sees in the dirt and keeping it as a potential gift. And the second she found out Edelgard liked teddy bears, it was over. She buys Edelgard a different teddy bear at least once a month, without fail: an habit that she developed during White Clouds and keeps going throughout their relationship. On another funny note, Siyn is a BIG tea lover, and actually starts learning fire magic as a way to heat up her cold cups of tea. Since she goes out to drink tea with Edelgard at any possible occasion, bergamot quickly became her default blend, which Edelgard took to mean that it was also the professor's favorite. But… Siyn doesn't even really like the taste of bergamot tea. When asked, however, she is adamant that it is her favorite, because she has so many good memories and emotions affiliated with her teatimes with El. And she doesn't understand why Edelgard is (affectionately) mad at her when she finds out Siyn dislikes the taste of bergamot well after the war, nor why she starts making her try every tea under the sun to find her real favorite.
A pretty weird point in their relationship would be when Siyn straight out says yes to joining the Flame Emperor, because so far she isn't a big fan of the Church which admittedly likes to kill people a bit too easily for her taste. She doesn't yet know what that mysterious figure wants, however she figures that they might have a point. This makes for a pretty interesting exchange when Edelgard not so subtly asks her if she was serious, and she flat-out tells her that yes, and why would she lie. El is left confused by the whole situation, but a little more hopeful. In the meantime, she is more than happy to let herself relax a little and hang out with her professor as she gives out scrapes of her unfinished meals to the monastery animals.
I might also be one of the rare people who loved Edelgard's little wake-up speech at Jeralt's death, and I believe it helped Siyn a lot : a mix between hearing about how it was possible to keep going from a person who had lost so much, but also realizing that if she wasn't there to protect her kids, she might lose them as well. It was a little bit of clarity at a time where she was experiencing extremely strong and unfamiliar emotions due to grief that she didn't know how to process or even express verbally. Maybe she could find solace in her sense of purpose (and then, spend as much time as possible with her student and dear friend before she leaves the Academy to rule in Enbarr).
The real drama in Siyn's character development comes after she fuses with Sothis, whose powers she accepted with the sole aim of going back to her students as fast as possible. She doesn't have a lot of time to think about it on the spot, but… then there's Rhea. Personally speaking, the scene where she sings to a barely conscious Byleth has always sent shivers down my spine (though I totally understand that's not the case for other players ofc!). And that overt change in the Archbishop's behavior (like the first time she engages in physical contact without asking for Siyn's permission, which makes her feel very uncomfortable) hammers it in that something within her has changed. At the precise moment where Siyn had become a person she really did like being. Her hair changing colors and Rhea's whole plan to put her in the prophet outfit and make her have a "divine revelation" worsen Siyn's state : is she really herself anymore ? was she ever meant to be her own person ? The wave of relief when she feels nothing happen on the throne is cut short by Edelgard going full Revolution™, and she finds it so hard to wrap her head around the whole situation that she follows the movement and defeats her in combat.
And then… Rhea asks her to kill Edelgard.
Edelgard, the brave girl who bared her heart to Siyn in her darkest moments. The brave girl who, even though she herself struggled with control issues, always trusted her to protect the Black Eagles and trusted in her decisions. The same Black Eagles who had become her family, who had given her the chance to truly exist as herself for the first time.
It was never a choice.
Siyn protects Edelgard.
Rhea breaks down. Admits that she was just another failure. That she will take back her heart herself, no matter the cost. The class manages to get away.
And then, all of a sudden, it's them against the world.
Edelgard is in absolute disbelief over Siyn caring enough to choose to walk her crimson path, but her teacher won't hear any of it. I think it's the first time El realizes how much she means to Siyn… and that she won't ever give her up. At that moment, she starts, slowly, to truly fall for her: although she doesn't realize it fully on the spot.
All the while, Rhea's words gnaw at the corners of Siyn's minds, but she can't dwell on them. She must protect Edelgard. She's been ready to die for her - for any of them, really- for a long time now.
And then, she falls.
Absence makes the heart fonder, they say. That certainly is the case for Edelgard: during those five years, she realizes that the way she feels about Siyn might be romantic. Siyn falls for Edelgard almost immediately after coming back: seeing how much Edelgard has changed, how much she missed her, how courageous and brave she still is after all this time- it makes her feel a way she's never felt before. There's pride, affection, but something else she can't understand. Something she doesn't feel for anyone else. Something that makes her melt and hug back when Edelgard holds her, instead of making her uncomfortable. Reunited, the both of them turn their focus towards the war at hand.
Siyn struggles a lot during this time period with her sense of self and her self-esteem starts plummeting. She starts resenting her divine powers and stops using the Sword of the Creator. Starts wondering if Sothis is gonna completely take over at some point. Starts wondering if it would be better this way; after all, didn't her failure to protect her students put them through five years of unneeded suffering ? It's only after she ends up breaking down again, and has to at least try to communicate her feelings because everyone is getting worried about her, that she starts realizing that… her and her students' relationship isn't a one-way street. They're here for her, too. Edelgard is here for her. And though it's complicated, she starts slowly getting better and trying to convey her feelings to people more, as well as understand them. Slowly, that leads her to accept her divine part, starts being more sure of herself and starts to think about the future- about her future.
She's still pretty clueless about the nature of her attraction to Edelgard. But she knows that no matter how, she wants to spend every day in her company, and make her laugh, and give her the leisurely sweets-filled days she deserves. People kind of have to lay it out for her that what she feels is most definitely romantic love. The feeling and concept still feel a bit foreign to her, especially since she's basically got no relationship experience, but she's ready to give it a try. She realizes she literally wants to be Edelgard's- El's- life partner. She makes up her mind to propose, and she does. However, she doesn't do it with Jeralt's ring: that one she keeps for herself, because she finally loves herself fully. She engraves a little bergamot flower on El's engagement ring, though.
And now, they can have all the fluff they need. I'm pretty sure Siyn would take it extremely overboard at first: she'd read any and all romantic book she would get her hands on for research and apply them to real life. She'd lay so many petals on so many beds and floors on date nights. She'd do super corny stuff and Edelgard wouldn't even have the heart to tell her it's too much. She'd also have some time to spend focusing on herself, which would slowly lead her to the realization that, well… gender's never really been her thing ? and she's never really felt like she had any. She's always just gone with the flow and whatever people called her. So… yeah basically El walks her partner through her agender awakening. xD Siyn does keep she/her pronouns though, because she's most used to them- they tried others but she just never got used to them.
This post is getting very long, but here's an ask I answered about the disagreements Edeleth would face that also totally work for the both of them and this one about them having kids that completes it pretty neatly !!! Thanks again, hope you enjoyed =)
Them
Hresvelg family portrait post CF edition ♥️♥️♥️
here. have some loki and siyn bonding over an agarthan stars festival