Court of Dusk

[sword-mlm]

WHO is going to have a subtextually homoerotic swordfight with me that stems from our major unresolved sexual tension

[met-armsarmor]

Partisan of Wolfgang Wilhelm of Bavaria, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Arms and Armor

Medium: Steel, wood, textile

Gift of William H. Riggs, 1913 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/26734

[lindateaa]

doodling maid xander *sweats*

[rpmemes-galore]

Send me    “ what happened to you? “    for your muse to find mine bandaging up a wound. 

[deceptive-fox]

Headcanons list! (Add more if you wish)

½ = How the character feels about people taller or shorter than them

± = The character and what they think about math

† = How the character feels about murder

@ = How the character appears online

¥ = How the character handles money or spends it

° = The character’s temperature preferences 

æ = The character and languages (Known or Want to Learn)

↔ = The character’s ability to read directions

♥ = Character’s preference for relationships (sexuality, type of person, etc.)

zzz= What time the character enjoys sleep or being awake

☂ = Weather the character enjoys

♪ = What music the character likes

( =①ω①=) = What animals the character likes and if they have a pet/pets

(・∀・ ) = The character’s emotional state most of the time

☆～（ゝ。∂）= How the character greets people

⊙﹏☉ = What flusters the character

(≧∇≦) = What makes the character happy

(/□＼*)・゜ = What makes the character blush

(;╹⌓╹) = What scares the character

（；へ：） = What makes the character cry

(´ q ` ” ) = The character’s “guilty” pleasure

（・□・；） = What makes the character uncomfortable

(*^◇^)_旦 = What the character likes to eat and drink

｡ﾟ(TヮT)ﾟ｡ = What makes the character laugh

(´；Д；｀) = What worries the character

(⑅ ‘﹃’ ) = What the character daydreams or thinks about

( ⌒o⌒)人(⌒-⌒ ) = Friends the character has or would like to make

[roleplaymemesforyou]

Affection meme

Send one for a gentle gesture. When possible, send “reverse” to invert the roles.

👫- To hold my muse’s hand

💕- To give them a kiss on the cheek

💋- To give them a kiss on the lips.

❦- To hug them.

🍓- To share a sweet together. 

🌙- To put a blanket on them as they sleep. 

✿- To give them a gift. ( Feel free to specify ) 

🍴- To invite them over for dinner.

☆- To give them a massage. 

⇨ - To see a movie together

[galdr-of-bliss]

Of Dust | Leanne & Xander

[galdr-of-bliss]

thornedregalia

She really is a bird… Xander thinks to himself as he watches her tip her head this way and that at him, trying to understand what Xander wanted her to do. Clearly she doesn’t know what he means but ah well… most of the dust is gone now anyhow. And she looks a lot more comfortable now without it clouding her vision.

“Yes, right.” It would… probably be more appropriate to insist on titles, but well it’s not as if this was an official meeting, He can be ‘Sandere’ for a bit, it’s not going to hurt anything.

He follows her gaze to the window outside, focusing hard to understand what she was talking about, before- “Oh, you wanted to know more about the skies of Nohr? I can’t claim to be an authority on the subject, that’s far more my sister Camilla’s field of expertise. But I do know enough to tell you that it’d be helpful to take a ride on wyvern-back to get a feel for the area before you try flying yourself.” He walks with her through the castle halls, leading her slowly back out of the nearly abandoned wing and towards the heart of the castle.

“The winds around the crater that makes up our castle grounds are always changing. That’s just one of the reasons castle Krakenburg is so easily defensible-” He pauses, looking back to her. “You said Nohr is not like… Serenes?” He speaks carefully. “Is that the name of your home?”

“Winds…changing. Much.” The heron repeated with a thoughtful expression, processing as much of the information Xander had given her as possible, given her limited understanding of the language. Thinking back to when she arrived, she did notice that the wind seemed rather unpredictable. At one moment, it would be calm and gentle. Then the next, it whipped at her furiously, causing her to clutch at her dress to prevent any embarrassing mishaps. It seems that winds must always be that way, then. It almost feels…unfriendly. I wonder what the trees would say, if I asked them about it. She paused. Wait. Did I pass any trees during my travel here? I don’t remember seeing many…

Then, a curious word struck her attention: wyvern. Judging by Xander’s sentence structure, it seemed that it was a creature of sorts, one that Leanne had never once heard of. A creature strong enough to fly with harsh winds… She mused, imagining a featured, laguz-like creature with powerful wings. Perhaps Tibarn could navigate them. She smiled at the thought.

“Wyvern…strong. To fly. With winds…I no. I have not….see wyvern. I don’t…know what wyvern be.” She admitted to the best of her ability, wearing an apologetic smile, before the conversation shifted to that of Serenes. At the mention of the name alone, her face brightened, and she nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes! Home. Serenes Forest,” She replied, images of its lush greenery, colorful flowers, and warm sunlight flooding her vision, “full of life. Forest’s…voice. I hear it.”

[thorned-regalia]

Xander watches as Leanne’s expression seems to light up at the mention of wyverns. Already he can imagine how excited Camilla would be at the prospect of their visiting princess being interested in wyverns as well. And it’s been a while since he’s practiced with any mount but a horse, but he surely isn’t so rusty that he can’t show Leanne a thing or two. Especially if she’s never seen the beasts before. “If you like, I could show you to the wyvern stables? Ah- they aren’t far from this side of the castle, actually.” He glaces outside to where the snow is still falling. He knows that Nohr is most likely far colder than Leanne’s home based on the way she’s dressed, but it won’t be all that long of a trip should she take him up on the offer. 

Perhaps she could borrow his cape... He looks back to Leanne as she goes on about the Serenes Forest, smiling at her enthusiasm. Now he’s got a good place to start his research about her home. Though he does feel bad he didn’t have the time to do this kind of research before hand... if only to make sure his guests feel comfortable during their stay. “You hear the voice of the Forest? To be so closely connected to your home... your love for your forest must truly be deep.” And to have come to somewhere so different as well... “I’m afraid Nohr isn’t quite so full of greenery, but there is a different sort of life here. It is my hope that we will be able to learn something from each other, Princess Leanne.” 

[nohrianlance]

burn the midnight oil

[nohrianlance]

thornedregalia‌: 

It’s exactly the kind of response he’d expect from Silas, his straight posture and immediate reply that of course he’s happy to do his job. And Xander has seen enough of him that he knows Silas is being completely genuine too. Taking on the job without Xander even realizing the switch had been made until Silas approached him instead of his usual personal guardsmen. Likely, Fritz didn’t even have to ask for the favor.

Xander allows himself a smile. “After a journey like that, it’s good to remind oneself of his own legs.” Even with the fact that Nohr now has a new nearest neighbor, it still took days to reach Valla and just as long to return. After that long on horseback, Xander knows well that immediately going to rest is a bad idea and will only leave him sore come morning.

He walks further into the garden with him down a meandering path that come summer, would be blooming in rich, dark roses. Now though, everything is softened by a covering of snow, Xander’s breath leaving him in wisps. Silas’ decision to stay serving Nohr rather than Corrin personally in Valla after the war ended surprised him in the moment, but perhaps Xander just misunderstood Silas.  

“It was kind of you to take on that second shift.” He says it because it’s true but also because they’re alone. There’s no one else to hear the praise but Silas. And as much as Xander tries to surround himself with people he can trust, he knows it’s not wise to openly show favor to someone who’s rank alone cannot protect them. Silas is strong, surely, but that only counts for so much in Nohr’s court.  

Xander keeps walking and, after a moment’s hesitation, Silas follows after him. The other guards told him to stay in his section of the path to make sure that no one would follow behind Xander. They never mentioned anything about what to do if Xander wanted to talk with him. Staying with him would still involve protecting him–in fact, Silas minds interjects, having a knight by his side would be even more effective than staying behind. Maybe. Hopefully.

The crunch of snow underfoot is the only thing that breaks Silas’ respectful silence. No one seems to be around as far as he can tell. He stops walking when Xander speaks again, giving the king his full attention. Xander’s praise catches him off guard. “Ah, well–” Silas scratches his jaw awkwardly, a nervous laugh escaping him. “Thank you, your Majesty. This will likely only be for tonight, however. Most likely there will be another replacement in the morning, and they’ll be the one to take Fritz’s place until he’s feeling well again. The other knights say I’m much too young to be among your guard… a sentiment I agree with, if I may be honest. The main reason why I was allowed to be here was because, well, I still have energy left from the trip.” A pinch of pride finds its way into Silas’ voice. “I can be here all night if you need me to, your Majesty.”

[thorned-regalia]

There is only a moment’s pause before he hears Silas’ hurried step, catching up and falling into place beside him in the next moment. For the most part, Xander is looking for a quiet moment to collect his thoughts when he goes on walks like these. But he doesn’t think he minds the exception this time when the form his company takes is so pleasant. Xander knows Silas to be a just knight, loyal to his cause and steadfast in the face of danger. It’s good to know he’s a decent person even outside of his duty. Or maybe that’s just the effect Corrin has on those who serve under them long enough.

Silas stops when he answers, looking for all the world like a soldier giving his report. A salute after that wouldn’t have looked out of place even with the fidgeting and nervous laughter. Xander keeps himself from smiling to keep Silas from thinking he’s being mocked, but the look on his face is far from hard. “I see. Even if it is only for the evening then, it was good of you to step in.” He starts up walking again, turns to look over at him and this time, he does smile. “I’m not about to keep you out here all night, though the gesture is appreciated.” He’s very sure Silas means it as well. But he’ll be going back inside soon and allow both himself and his guard a bit of warmth. Brew a strong tea for himself to keep awake while he works at his desk.

[thorned-regalia]

😘?

Honestly, Xander already likes Silas! He’s a hard working person, which Xander respects, and in a place like Nohr under rule by king Garon, it stands out when someone doesn’t bend to corruption. He is impressed by Silas’ loyalty to Nohr, and if he knew Silas better, he’d be impressed by his loyalty to his family as well. Xander just isn’t very keen on showing favor freely because he doesn’t want it to look as though Silas’ accomplishments due to Xander liking him. He also wouldn’t want to be the reason for Silas making any new enemies…If Silas were to get Xander to like him more than just as a soldier and a good man, it would probably be through doing some small kindness for him that doesn’t have anything to do with his duty. Xander works as hard as he can to give off an air of imperviousness, so he’s not used to others helping him because they believe he, personally needs or would even want help. Doing something as simple as saving him a meal when he arrives back at camp late, or checking in with him would mean a lot to Xander. 

[thorned-regalia]

⚡ + Leanne: How would they get your muse angry at them?

I’ll approach this question from the standpoint of Leanne and Xander’s current relationship, somewhere near the beginning of the the thread ‘Of Dust’. Xander doesn’t know Leanne very well yet, but he does know her to be a gentle person. If she did something hurtful or ignorant, he’s likely to think it was a mistake on her part, done without malice. Xander is a patient person (and is pretty much a father figure to his younger siblings) so he would take the time to explain to Leanne why what she did was wrong. However… if Leanne overstepped her bounds in regards to decisions he or the rest of the Nohr royalty should be making, even if she had good intentions, he’d start to see her as a threat and act coolly towards her. He knows Leanne isn’t royalty in the same way as the Nohr siblings are, but he wouldn’t be willing to risk a foreign princess undermining his authority. 

[make-a-meme]

relationship headcanons!

💕 + a character: Under which circumstance would your muse fall in love with them?

😘 + a character: How could they get your muse to like them more than they already do?

💔 + a character: What must they do to ruin their relationship?

⚡ + a character: How would they get your muse angry at them?

🍃 + a character: What would they have to do to get your muse to be more trusting towards them?

✨ + a character: What must happen for that character to get involved with mine?

[thorned-regalia]

What if you weren't the crown prince of Nohr? Would you see your duties as a lesser prince differently?

Xander’s expression is unreadable but hard. “I would have a different view of my role if I weren’t heir to the throne because in that case, my duty itself would be different. The crown is my responsibility, I don’t wield this power for the sake of power alone. If I didn’t have the title I do now, I would still do everything I could to support whichever of my kin had a right to the throne.” There has already been far too much bloodshed over that crown, after all. 

(( Just because Xander doesn’t really have the means to explain himself any further than that, mun will go ahead and do so for him! A lot of Xander’s identity was shaped under the pressure of someday becoming king. If he never had that pressure in the first place, he would probably wouldn’t wear so much of a mask all the time. He might be a shyer, more outwardly gentle person. In general, I think he’d be much happier. However, if I interpret this the way that Xander did in his answer… If Xander lost his right to the throne because of some mistake, he would see himself as a failure. He would still serve the crown and be there to support whoever would rule Nohr; it’s not like him to run away. But after working so hard to protect other people from the responsibility of ruling Nohr and after all the work he put into being a good prince, he’d be pretty devastated if that were taken away! Not to mention he’d feel very lost… 

[thorned-regalia]

An Unfolding Heart

Across from him on the garden bridge stands the crown prince of Hoshido. Out of his armor and instead dressed in intricate robes with embroidered sparrows flying along the sleeves. What Xander can see of his profile is calm as he leans against the bridge railing- his steady gaze and steady breath, the relaxed slope of his broad shoulders. It’s the same aura of tranquility Ryoma carries about him after one of their meditation sessions. And though it’s familiar, seeing him like this has never stopped feeling intimate.

For any other leader in Xander’s position, this peaceful moment alone would be a miracle. And it is; Xander is aware of exactly how hard they had to fight to draw up an alliance between Hoshido and Nohr. After wars spanning generations, having the crown princes of both nations go so far as to call each other a friend... is more than Xander could have hoped for. Hoshido will be a powerful ally and Xander should be satisfied.  

But as it happens, Xander’s heart is rather against listening to reason.  

Living in a land drenched in sunlight must have gifted Ryoma with a warmth of his own, Xander thinks. It’s all but evident in the fullness of his laugh, the softness of his rosewood brown eyes, even the fire of his anger on the battle field. Maybe, that bright heart of his is the reason he looks so at home among the flowers here. Backdropped against blooming cherry tree branches.  

Xander loves him. He knows it’s true like he knows the sun will rise, simple and unavoidable, and Xander was a fool for ever thinking he could hide it from himself.  

Of course being with him is impossible. The both of them have duties to fulfill and Xander would never insult Ryoma with even the implication that he should give up his right to the Hoshidan throne just because Xander happens to have feelings for him. He can never confess to him, but just because Ryoma isn’t aware of it, doesn’t mean Xander’s heart belongs to him any less. That broken thing in his chest; Xander never meant to give something so unpresentable away. Instead, he ignored it so thoroughly that it left without him even noticing. He can’t blame Ryoma for that.  

Looking at him, Xander is sure many other hearts have broken themselves to pieces over a man so noble. For the sake of his duty, and for his dearly held friendship with Ryoma, Xander cannot allow himself to break like that. He knows, intrinsically that even if Ryoma takes a husband, even if there is another man at his side, some part of Xander’s heart will always be his. Tomorrow will be Ryoma’s coronation, he will be king and fully out of Xander’s reach. If there ever was some selfish, impossible way for Xander to have him, it will be gone then. And it hurts, but it hurts like something survivable. Measurable.  

It hurts like the distance between Hoshido and Nohr.  

It hurts like measuring time relative to Spring, when Xander will return to Hoshido for their annual peace summit. When once again, Xander will see him among the flowering cherry trees and wisteria. King Ryoma dressed in gold and sunlight will look to him and smile that slow, dimpling smile of his, and call him ‘old friend.’ And once more, Xander’s heart will be whole.  

[absoluterpmemetrash]

Send me ‘What If’ scenarios for my muse to answer.

[hustlerose]

the-gentleman-who-wants 

[incrediblysincere]

the-gentleman-who-yearns

[hustlerose]

the-gentleman-who-craves-what-he-can-never-have

[hustlerose]

[thorned-regalia]

A Recipe for Disaster ||Open Starter||

[excalibursage]

thornedregalia‌:

Keep reading

“Bread, huh…?“ Luthier steals a quick glance into the murky bowl of water. It looked more like sludge the more he stared at it. He looks away, pushing away his (even more judgmental) thoughts. He looks and towards the knife display, and nods. “Thank you.“

He pushes some utensils aside, locating the knife he needed. He picks one op, and starts to peel his fruit. Briefly, he wonders if he should intervene, before the meal goes even more wrong then it already is. He slices his peach neatly and pushes a slice into his mouth, watching the other man struggle.

It would be rude to not offer help. And, if anyone asks, he could say that he offered help. Luthier quickly finishes his peach, rinsing his hands in a nearby sink. “Would you like some help?”

[thorned-regalia]

The glance as well as the dubious look on his guest’s face does not at all go unnoticed. Xander can endure a great many things but he has to admit this blow to his pride isn’t easy... Somewhere between despair and relief, he hears the other man leave, going to the drawers Xander pointed out. 

Xander takes this opportunity to contemplate the mystery that is an egg. Carefully he picks one up with the tips of his fingers, holding it gently. Perhaps if he were to carve out the top of the shell... the contents would slip right out and he wouldn’t have to worry about cracking the whole thing open and destroying the shell. His brow furrows as he picks up a knife, trying to slice only the shell and... cracks the whole thing open against his palm. 

“Er...” Xander looks down to the sticky mess between his fingers and then to Luthier. “Yes, help would be appreciated.” Appreciated.. and necessary. 

[galdr-of-bliss]

Of Dust | Leanne & Xander

[galdr-of-bliss]

thornedregalia

She fusses with the handkerchief for a few moments, Xander allowing her to hang off of him with her free arm in the meanwhile. And he’s very much relieved when she looks up to him, a bit frazzled but otherwise unharmed. Two wide green eyes peering back to him. Xander’s own red ones are soft for the moment. “Princess? I’m very glad the situation wasn’t as dire as I feared.” No foul play here, just a wing of the castle that got neglected when it came to cleaning… He’d alert the staff later, but for now, he’s only glad that Leanne is alright.

“Yes, I did notice the window was open- and ah, there’s still a bit of dust on your cheek there, Princess Leanne.” He mirrors the motion on his own face so she knows where, brushing at his cheek as if to clean up the dust. “I’ll make sure staff is aware of the issue. I’m very glad you’re alright even so…”

He trails off a bit, noticing the keen way Leanne was looking at him, as if trying to pick something out of his expression, or remember something she’d forgotten long ago and… Oh. Well then.

Xander can’t help his smile at that, “Yes, that’s right. I am Xander, of Nohr.” Foreigner’s often had a difficult time with that hard X at the beginning of his name and he wasn’t going to fault Leanne for stumbling around such a staunchly Nohrian name. She was close enough to the correct pronunciation and her making the effort to communicate with him while in a strange country was enough for Xander to redouble his intentions to meet Leanne halfway and attempt to learn something of her own language. Perhaps that would even make her feel more comfortable here, as well.

Puzzled, Leanne tilted her head slightly as Xander attempted to communicate to her the dust that had taken residence on her cheek. Having not understood what he had explained, she raised a hand to her cheek, but rested it awkwardly against her face, looking to him for approval once more. Though her ability to sense the what lies in the hearts of others offered her a great deal of information as she navigated a world that spoke an alternative language, it certainly wasn’t a flawless translator. I have no idea what he’s saying. Leanne thought to herself, I’ll just smile and nod. He seems friendly! Her head bobbed up and down in acknowledgement, before she allowed her arms to fall to her sides.

“Sandere.” She repeated, giving a small nod as if to approve of his name. He’s tall. Didn’t they say he was the oldest of his siblings? He must be very busy…like brother Rafiel. She mused, before she directed his attention to the window once more.

“There….out…there. Dark. Not like…home. Serenes,” She explained, her expression curious, “To see. I wanted to.” Rather than ridicule Nohr for being extremely contrast to that of her home, she was instead fascinated. While it lacked the flowers she adored, she found the sky majestic, in some sense. She wondered what the soil grew in such lands…if the bounty was anything at all like she had grown accustomed to in Tellius.

[thorned-regalia]

She really is a bird... Xander thinks to himself as he watches her tip her head this way and that at him, trying to understand what Xander wanted her to do. Clearly she doesn’t know what he means but ah well... most of the dust is gone now anyhow. And she looks a lot more comfortable now without it clouding her vision. 

“Yes, right.” It would... probably be more appropriate to insist on titles, but well it’s not as if this was an official meeting, He can be ‘Sandere’ for a bit, it’s not going to hurt anything. 

He follows her gaze to the window outside, focusing hard to understand what she was talking about, before- “Oh, you wanted to know more about the skies of Nohr? I can’t claim to be an authority on the subject, that’s far more my sister Camilla’s field of expertise. But I do know enough to tell you that it’d be helpful to take a ride on wyvern-back to get a feel for the area before you try flying yourself.” He walks with her through the castle halls, leading her slowly back out of the nearly abandoned wing and towards the heart of the castle. 

“The winds around the crater that makes up our castle grounds are always changing. That’s just one of the reasons castle Krakenburg is so easily defensible-” He pauses, looking back to her. “You said Nohr is not like... Serenes?” He speaks carefully. “Is that the name of your home?”