NPCs for The Officers Academy

Her eyes widen at Sepp's remark, Carina visibly prickling at his accusation. "EXCUSE you?" She steps forward before she can even think, fist clenched at her side. "Look, I'm just TRYING to hel—"

But it's the timely intervention of Seliph that stops her, and though Carina very much wanted to punch something, she refrains and takes a breath. It was important that she stay in control and not give into her worst vices. Not with that harrowing vision looming over their heads, or with beasts like Skoll around...

Staying calm would be so much easier if Alberta or Prince Kurt were here.

The knight crosses her arms, tail swishing irritably as she swallows her words and listens to the rest of the conversation with a frown.

@toa-npcs

#bullsrush #virtuoustyrfing #toanmi2026

Sepp stands his ground defiantly, chin lifted to give him even more height on Carina. He's by no means a brick house, but a lifetime hauling nets of fish in over the side of a boat has given him a respectable physique. If not confidence to take a charging bull head-on.

"Are you?" he snaps, but Seliph is quick to distract them. Sepp shoots him a look with the indignant fury that had been intended for Carina, but it dissolves when met with sympathy.

"Yeah," he answers. "There's still that part in my head that says things will get better if I just stick it out. Cut back fishing here, try to make money somewhere else for a little bit, and let the sea repopulate." A pointed look to Carina. "I'm not just sitting on my hands 'cause I want to. But the thing is..."

He sighs and shrugs helplessly. "This is what everyone was saying five years ago. Ten years ago, even. We had enough to live on, but it's never really gotten better. At what point is refusing to give up just a sign that we're all blind idiots?"

Luck be a Landlord

District 3: Boarding house

The door is thrown open rather expediently, and Roy heaves a silent sigh of relief. Though he was prepared to have the full talk through the door, he would prefer talking face-to-face; it seems the tenant feels the same way, despite their obvious irritation.

"Has something happened? My apologies," he starts cautiously. Roy knits his eyebrows. "Dying? This island? Why is that?"

He wants to throw Forde a look to check but he imagines there is similar concern in his companion. This land needed their aid, he knew, which indicated some sort of problem they could help to solve. But this is the first Roy's hearing of the land being in decay... or whatever the woman meant by her words.

Forde gives Roy a small thumbs up when the woman emerges, before looking at the woman. She calls them fools, well tell him something he doesn’t know.

“Not enjoying the festival?” He asks with a wry grin, studying her expression. “I’ll admit it isn’t the island holiday I’d been hoping for, but it’s not that bad.” She could just be a haughty guest not getting the luxury she wanted. He doesn’t think she is, but it’s possible.

He’s aware the island has issues, but they haven’t seemed so bad that the place would collapse. He glances over to Roy, who isn’t hiding his concerns as well. He hopes whatever she’s about to say isn’t too terrible.

#renaisguy #roysourblog #toanmi2026

The woman huffs and looks away, almost resembling a cat twitching its tail in the two beats it takes for her to decide that she'll entertain the questions for a little longer.

"I suppose you wouldn't know," she resigns to answer Roy first, and then throws a glance toward Forde before retreating into her room again. She leaves the door open but doesn't offer a verbal invitation.

Her room is a sizeable suite with huge bay windows overlooking the river toward the heart of town. It's well furnished, with a four-poster queen-sized against one wall, a beautiful mahogany desk, and other cherished furniture of polished wood. More than likely, this is Ms. Maeve's room when the house is not full, but has been given to this "important guest" precisely for her reputation. Despite the banging from earlier, the room is only overturned, nothing broken. She kicks one of the chairs out of the way with enough force to send it crashing into the wall, and then resumes her pacing in the middle of the room.

"The festival's all wrong. The town's all wrong," she says, burying her face in her hands. She's still wearing her riding attire, and a meager pack sits on the bed alongside a sword in its scabbard.

"I don't know why I'm even here. I don't know why you're here." She pulls one hand away from her face to gesture at Forde and Roy, but then sweeps it wider to imply that she knows there are more. "Foreign guests? For some backwater festival?" She scoffs. "But, fine, pretend nothing's wrong. Be content to play in someone else's game. You're already playing Maeve's."

lobeiro

guys love to be assigned tasks

Nos Mutamur In Illis | Day 1 | District 11: Remote Housing, Day

areadboar

He wondered what sort of rumours his companion had heard regarding their current location. Dimitri had a smattering of knowledge but there hadn’t been a chance to question anyone further before finding himself in this forest and now scrubbing clothes.

“I guess it depends how many are taking part” he muses. “ no need for a grand affair if it’s just Agatha and the siblings celebrating. Or maybe there is more grandiose in the main town or similar”

The limited knowledge he did have of the island made him curious what the other districts were like. The woods appeared similar to ones back in Fodlan. Not particularly useful for cultivating rare crops.

“ my friend Dedue also despairs at how much I take on sometimes” he says in sympathy with Kurt. “I’m sure once we finish up these chores there will be some time to explore before tonight’s outing”

lobeiro

"With the amount of provisions they requested we bring along with us, I imagined the festival would be a rather large affair." Kurt shakes his head. "But you could be right, too. It was still early when we passed through on our way here, so preparations might have progressed further."

Deep in the woods, they are far removed from the imagined excitement of what the center of the town must be like at the moment. Maybe the mayor had sent his daughter off with the intention of keeping her busy while he works on getting her gift ready. His own parents had done that to him a few times when he was younger. Of course, he had been much younger than Holly when they had stopped intentionally sending him out to play, trusting him instead to wait patiently.

...All that being said, Holly herself seemed content enough spending the time leading up to her birthday doing chores. Maybe he can consider it an early gift to her that she doesn't have to get her fingers all pruny.

"Right. We should still have time," he says, allowing himself to relax a little bit. "We'll probably even have time left over to help Holly and Basil cook dinner when they come back from hunting. What do you think they'll catch out there? A rabbit, maybe?"

#areadboar #lobeiro #TOANMI2026

"You're probably right about that."

Agatha comes up from behind the two, leaning on her cane as she watches them do their work.

"Holly and Basil often go for rabbits when they get me food. Holly's not much of a huntress, so she has to make Basil do that work, but she always insists on following him, so he makes sure they don't go for something big so as not to get her in danger.

"For as long as I've known those two to visit the people of the forest, Holly's always pulled him around. But with the two of you helping, perhaps they'll have an easier time catching a breath."

ulircursed

what did we ever do to fódlan alfred hitchcock to incur his ire truly

⤷ nos mutamur in illis | day 1 | district 11: tree of the goddess [night]

ulircursed

Focused on the battle, Andrei realizes a second too late that Tamamo had been speaking to him. A second is enough, as the zap of static courses though him in no time, jolting up along his spine in an unpleasant tingle.

It hadn't hurt, not really, merely startled, but before he could even turn to demand an explanation, the wisps of blond floating at the edge of his vision tells him this gesture had been more than a momentary nuisance.

"...What is the meaning of this."

For a moment, he contemplates the merits of a returning attack, his dagger powerful enough to be tossed even at such a range. But there is no way to reduce the lethality of his weapon, unlike with the spell, and this is a member of the monastery's staff. He could not strike out against her in earnest, even in a place like this.

With no other appropriate target before him, the lumbering beast suffers the full consequences of Andrei's ire, the dagger tossed with as much force as he could muster, burying itself with a sickening crunch into the space between the bear's eyes. Its next growl dying in its throat, it falls.

Movements still tight with anger, Andrei strides over, yanking the dagger out harshly with a glare in Tamamo's direction.

(He still feels his hair fanned out, defying gravity behind him, and does not think about how ridiculous this must look.)

"If you do not wish to meet your demise in the same way as this beast," he growls, "I suggest—"

More company, Kurt's warning is preceded by another roar and a flurry of feathers, and Andrei's potential suggestion is drowned out as yet another flock rushes towards them. Basil's wind magic rips through the air, keeping a few of the birds at bay, but one of them swoops down upon Andrei, who slashes out harshly with his dagger once more, tearing the foe out of the sky and watching it drop at his feet.

The violence does nothing to curb his anger, though it does quicken his breathing to the point where any additional words would be impractical. Instead, he turns away, swiping a forced-careless hand along the back of his hair as he does so.

It's sticking everywhere.

(If she repeats this 'prank', it will not matter how poisoned his dagger is when he turns it upon a deserving target.)

#ulircursed #areadboar #itsuwaru #lobeiro #TOANMI2026

And at the height of frenetic energy within the party, with one individual glaring at another and the appearance of even more animals all determined to get to the tree, it all suddenly dissipates. The final notes of Holly's song ends, and with it, a return to serenity to this scene, at least amongst the wildlife.

The birds fly away and the bear stands down before trudging away. After a few moments of further silence to test things, Holly releases a grand exhale, slumping onto the ground then and there.

"Thank you, everyone…" her voice maintains some outer level of strength even as her legs have clearly been reduced to jelly. Basil, greatly wounded, still trudges to the tree you've all been protecting at last. He brings a hand to its bark, slumped over himself and breathing heavily, as he mutters some sort of prayer with fierce eyes. The Tree of the Goddess pulses slightly, a slight shimmer of vitality glowing within it as its fruit grow slightly plumper, but it is still far from radiant in its current state.

"Agatha… the wildlife…" Holly begins to ask Agatha, but the older woman answers before the young girl can even finish.

"The earth's reached a point where even the wildlife is getting desperate for anything. They've lost their mind to be striking for the Tree of the Goddess however." Her tone is sharp, and the two other Baile natives' expressions harden for it.

"Sorry for the trouble, everyone," Basil addresses you all. "Holly and I came to investigate the Tree of the Goddess. It is directly connected to this island's health, so protecting it is more important than anything. Even if it's against our own and unexpectedly..."

Heedless of his wounds, he bows to you all, even as he audibly winces in pain as he does so.

"Hngh… Thank… you."

carefreemonk

green thumb, brown thumb

nos mutamur in illis - day 1, district 12 // kris, linhardt, &azama

carefreemonk

He nods to Kris. Both look better now than their cheekbones at the end of their venture to Ruthalia would have suggested, no doubt about it. But... Looking around at the greenery - the lack thereof - puts Azama back in mind of their shared time in the pit of hunger, and he wonders, idly, what scavenging there is to be done on the so-called fertile isle of Oleander.

"Definitely not just you," Azama chimes in third. "All of it, the outside included, was meant to be greener, I thought. How long has it been like this, I wonder?" Where else might the bulk of the monastery's imported fruit have come from, then? Because the students and staff at Garreg Mach are ravenous at the best of times, and this land does not look as though it could have supported their eating habits so handily.

He sniffs. Dumps one bucket into the well after tying it up. At least, one supposes, there is still water. But with the too-distant-splash (in his opinion), for how long will that hold true? He hoists rope and bucket quietly, pensively.

For Azama's part, he isn't wholly concerned about the nun overhearing their conversation. He isn't yelling - but he isn't making a concerted effort to speak in a conspiratorial hush, either.

"... It makes you think, does it not? What purpose would a town possibly have in inviting a surplus of bodies over in a time when its lands barely look to accommodate its own~?"

Another bucket into the deep. Sploosh! As ever, he smiles.

warpaway

kris offers to cover the fertilizer and azama handles the water. serendipity for linhardt - he needs not bother with either, or with getting his hands dirty! he can just investigate.

it seems he's not the only one with that in mind, too. azama speaks loudly of things linhardt would have lowered his voice for. maybe its his way of covertly interviewing the nun. it's silly, linhardt thinks. why go out of his way to do it in a way that might upset her? people don't like a gossip.

it is a fair question, though.

linhardt rubs the palms of his hands on his thighs, as though they'd dirtied them at all, and begins stepping over to interview the nun more directly.

“is it normal for this to happen?” he asks her even before she's turned to face him. “is that why no one seems to be talking about the wilting plants?”

then, he realizes he has another question too, and asks it before she has a chance to answer the first, “do you think that water magic might work best in coincidence with say, a wind spell?”

#carefreemonk #warpaway #unsungblade #TOANMI2026

The nun turns at Linhardt's question, perhaps sensing his gaze on her or after finding it to be the most direct of the questions being posed between the triad of them. Before she can answer, however, a priest comes into the greenhouse.

"Sister Antoinette, there is—" He looks to the three assembled. "Oh, guests." But that flat acknowledgement doesn't deter him from resuming his initial statement, so it would seem, turned right back to her. "There is news the shipment from Garreg Mach is enough to cover for the festival alongside what the Saunders and Ellises have produced, so we can redistribute our share to somewhere else in the island."

"Is that so? I'm not convinced Mayor Callaghan won't still ask for us if we can produce anything in time though even if everyone else's efforts are enough..." The nun glances back to the three guests in the greenhouse with her warily before she states, "...I'll speak with you and Father Rome more about this later."

The priest nods, swiftly leaving, as the nun turns back towards Linhardt and Azama primarily.

"I barely understand why Callaghan invited you all here other than his repeated insistence that this be the biggest celebration it can be no matter what," her frown is tight in the moments she pauses between responses. "Things have not always been this poor... but they have been steadily declining with each year, yes. It's hardly worth speaking about now except to get depressed over such things. But we must be strong and have faith."

She conjures water as a sprinkling over the plants in the back. She takes a beat before she entertains Linhardt's last string of thoughts. Her last comment comes quieter but still audibly: "...Even if wind with water might be good, I don't have wind magic."

Luck be a Landlord

District 3: Boarding house

"Leave me alone, I said." It's a young woman's voice on the other side of the door, rising just above a growl. The crashing and sounds of destruction, however, have ceased for this single moment in time, giving way instead to the sound of boots pacing back and forth.

The door is unlocked, as all doors in this boarding house are.

Roy wishes he could share in Forde's confidence. The moment he knocks on the door, a harsh voice growls a warning, and Roy is just a little bit lost for words. At least, his plan of being amicable seems to be fading by the second...

He takes the initiative, though, stepping forward to the door. "Hello ma'am, I am Roy. We're staying in the inn in lower rooms. I'd like to meet you."

The earnesty in his voice is just and proud. There is no attempt to force his way in. It's a far cry to call Roy naive, now, but there is a certain trust in his words that he hopes the woman will pick up on, even through the door. As for the obstacle itself, he is content to talk through it, for the time being.

"We're from a foreign land ourselves," he adds, hoping to pique her interest. "Can you tell us about yourself?"

#roysourblog #renaisguy #toanmi2026

There's a silent pause, like the person on the other side of the door didn't expect any of what Roy just said.

"Meet me?" A scoff, footsteps drawing closer to the door, but they stop before they reach it. "What in the goddess' name for?"

While still sharp, curiosity has softened the edge in her voice just slightly, and after a brief moment the door finally opens - is thrown open, really - to a young woman in her twenties. She wears a ferocious scowl, her chestnut hair half falling from its bun or whatever she had tied it up into and cascading down one shoulder. Her grey eyes flick over Roy from head to toe. Then Forde.

"I'm not exactly in the mood for visitors. Or asinine smalltalk. You're fools for making the journey out to this dying island." Each word from her mouth drips with vitriol. "... We all are."

these sacks are pretty sad

nos mutamur in illis - district 15, week 1 (shack, daytime) | carina & seliph

She frowns defiantly when Sepp rears up at her, nose wrinkling at the stench of alcohol, but doesn't make a move otherwise. The guy was already three sheets to the wind—he didn't need any help being knocked on his butt. Fortunately, Seliph provides a much calmer perspective, which serves to calm the knight down as well.

"So it just... started happening?" She asks, "Well, there's got to be a cause. Maybe something's poisoned the soil, or a new animal or beast has been introduced to the ecosystem? Could be scaring off the fish, or..."

Carina hums. Maybe they already thought of all this. They were the ones who had to live with it, after all.

Still...

"Why don't you leave, then? If the situation's gotten this dire, why don't you just pack up and find a place that's more bountiful? At least you'll have food that way. You'll survive. What's keeping you here?"

@virtuoustyrfing, @toa-npcs

#virtuoustyrfing #bullsrush #toanmi2026

Sepp begins to laugh. Not darkly, not deliriously, just ambiguous laughter, and he tosses his bottle into the basin. It's empty anyway.

"I've been thinkin' about it, trust me. Maybe stow away on your ship when it shoves back off after the festival's through. Wouldn't be surprised if you take home a few extra rats in your stowage."

Although Seliph's presence as made him release his defensiveness a little more than if he hadn't been there, he's still prickly with Carina, turning on her again with a condescending look.

"You think we haven't tried already to solve our own problems? We of Baile don't just give up like that. Maybe where you're from. Not us though."

What heroes do

Toaanmi2026 - District 9 week 1 - Tina & Ashe

stealstaff

Tina isn't so sure how she feels about the attention that's suddenly foisted on her. It's one thing to seek it out herself but it's different when it's not expected. It's at least positive attention but that still makes her memorable and noticeable. Memorable and noticeable aren't don't always mesh positively with her...hobbies.

"Oh uh, yeah. We do. I'm, uh, Tina." She isn't sure how much of this praise should be directed at her. It isn't like she had anything to do with bringing any of this or whatever. "You're, um, welcome."

She bristles slightly when he refers to them as children. She's like totally mature and grown up now! But she refrains from making a big stink about it. "So like...has your harvest really been like that bad or whatever? That's like pretty sudden, right? You guys must really be cooked." She doesn't know about growing fruit or harvesting fruit but she knows that Thracia has always had poor soil.

@lunaestice

“The soil’s been bad recently?” Being from Faerghus, poor soil quality isn’t exactly an unfamiliar concept. (Even if western Faerghus tends to fare better than its sibling territories in the northeast.) But before he can discuss it any further, the well dressed man spots them and even draws attention on them.

Looking like a deer caught in front of a carriage, with wide doe eyes, Ashe tenses slightly at all the eyes suddenly on him and Tina. “Oh! No- yes, we’re from Garreg Mach, but I’m only a student.” He cringes inwardly. It’s hard to accept gratitude already when you actually worked for it. But when you had nothing to do with it? It feels like someone shoved a lemon in his mouth and forced him to suck. “I’ll be sure to pass your gratitude on to the church, though. They’re the ones that actually put in the work getting these provisions delivered.”

Thankfully Tina brings the topic back where he’s previously been cut off. It’s a much better thing to focus on than unwarranted gratitude. “I’ve been wondering about that too.. has it always been this way or is this a recent development?” He asks. Back home in Faerghus, poor crops are relatively expected. So resources have been put into developing better agriculture that supports the region’s harsher climate. But if faced with an unexpected poor harvest, the consequences tend to be much worse.

#lunaestice #stealstaff #toanmi2026

"Miss Tina," Ketil smiles gently. "And Mr. Ashe. A pleasure. We certainly haven't been cooking much of anything lately."

That had been what Tina had meant, of course, as perplexing a word choice as it was. Ketil sweeps right over it without skipping a beat.

"Indeed, our harvests have been bad, if you can even call them harvests. Our people have been on the brink of starvation. Look around you and see the faces of the hungry that you - your church has so generously helped."

It's clear that these people gathered around Ketil, while not significantly different from those who bustle around the square to prepare for the festival, bear the marks of longterm hardship, from dirty, ragged clothing to sunken cheeks and hungry eyes. Despite Ashe's protests that he had not been among those who helped deliver the provisions, the townspeople still regard him with appreciation. For now. A few shift the weight on their feet, beginning to grow impatient.

"The people of Baile are strong and resilient. We are not a people willing to lie down and roll over at the slightest hint of hardship. The farmers have toiled and worked the land for as long as they've been able, so we have managed to get by until now. But none can deny that the decline has reached the point that it cannot sustain the whole town anymo--"

"Mr. Ketil!" a young girl around six or seven years old interrupts, stumbling clumsily through the crowd with a pot in her hands. "Mr. Ketil!"

With an apologetic flash of his eyes to Tina and Ashe, Ketil turns away from them to drop down to one knee before the girl. "What is it, Wenny?"

"Can you fix my flower? I wanted to give it to Holly for her birthday..." In the pot in her hands sits a withered, dry stem of something that had died long ago. Ketil regards it thoughtfully.

"Has your father not been using the gifts I've given him?"

"He has," the girl mumbles, "but it keeps doing this..."

"Fret not, I'll fix it right up for you." Taking the pot from her, Ketil stands as if to give the gathered crowd a better view of what he's about to do. He cups one gloved hand beneath the pot and suddenly the stem begins to move, unfurl, and spread out verdant leaves again. Its head raises and not one, but three bulbs expand and open into big, bright orange pompom-like flowers. Wenny squeals with delight at his feet and claps her hands while the crowd murmurs approvingly.

"Here you are, darling." Ketil hands the newly revived flower back and the girl hugs its protectively to her chest as if it were a stuffed bear.

"I apologize for the interruption, esteemed guests," Ketil says to Tina and Ashe again. "I'm afraid I'm rather busy today, and my time here is short, so if there is anything else I can do for you, please say so."

Luck be a Landlord

District 3: Boarding house

"Certainly, I can try. With any luck, we'll be back quickly."

Before he can think, Roy has already uttered this acceptance. An unruly tenant is bothersome, but not an insurmountable obstacle, even if the woman in question is some sort of public figure. The sort of person that might be a guest of honor is usually of that sort; and so, they must be of rational mind.

And if not, negotiations aren't exactly foreign to the young marquess. There is urgency and vexation to Ms. Maeve's request, but Roy still only see it as a small problem.

He looks to Forde, mostly to steel his own minor nerves. "This should be no trouble at all."

Forde nods at Roy’s words, giving Ms Maeve a small wave before heading for the stairs. The guest of honour, was it? They’d have to be careful with their approach, but Forde wasn’t that worried. Keep it friendly rather than confrontational, and trust that Roy would be sensible as well.

“No trouble at all!” He reassures Roy. “And if it is trouble, Ms Maeve had nothing to do with it.” Forde was hardly a stranger to sleeping in strange places. He’d be able to find something if worst came to worst.

The room isn’t hard to find. Between crashes, Forde raps loudly on the door, before calling out. “Excuse me, could I have a moment of your time?”

#renaisguy #roysourblog #toanmi2026

The door is unlocked, as all doors in this boarding house are.

these sacks are pretty sad

nos mutamur in illis - district 15, week 1 (shack, daytime) | carina & seliph

Calling your accommodations modest is generous. Sepp, as young as he may look, is in charge of a dormitory that sailors and fishermen bunk in on the regular... except there really aren't that many of them left, so there's plenty of room for you. Sepp, though, doesn't seem to have been taking much care of the rooms. Nor has he been taking much care of himself either. It's the middle of the day, and instead of trying his luck out at sea, he's slumped over the table in the community kitchen.

The Bull glowers. "You know nothing's going to change if you just drown yourself in a bottle all day, right?"

Carina stares down at the slumped over Sepp with a frown, trying not to project too much of her disappointment in her expression. Alberta always told her she was terrible at hiding her emotions, and even if his hospitality left a lot—and she meant A LOT—to be desired... he was still their host. A certain level of respect was supposed to come with that.

Supposed to.

"Those fishermen are working their butts off out there, and you're just here, giving up? I get that things are rough, but..."

She sighs and turns her frown to Seliph, forcing herself to stop before she said too much.

@virtuoustyrfing

virtuoustyrfing

It isn't as though Carina is saying anything wrong, per se, in Seliph's opinion. The change doesn't come about by doing nothing. But maybe, just maybe, they need a more delicate approach than harsh words and disappointing stares.

Their host is drowning his sorrows in alcohol. That means he might have already tried and failed too many times.

"How long have things been like this, Sepp?" Seliph's eyes and voice aren't unkind. "Aside from other people and us, everything around here seems dead and wilted. I doubt that suddenly happened overnight..."

A glance at Carina.

He is undoubtedly thinking about that bone. However, information on the local situation comes first and foremost. That's assuming Sepp is in the mood to tell them anything.

@toa-npcs

#virtuoustyrfing #bullsrush #toanmi2026

Sepp picks himself up off the table and out of a puddle of his own drool that he'd been half-dozing in, wiping a big hand across the back of his mouth and righting his cap when Carina and Seliph come marching into the room. It doesn't take long for him to blink away the sleep to make room for indignation though, and he rises clumsily to his feet like he might just fight this bullish woman for the accusations.

"You think I wanna be like this?" Thankfully, Seliph cuts in to let out some of the hot air, and Sepp looks to him with a sigh. All in all, he's not that much older than they are, but weathered skin and five o' clock shadow puts a few more years on him.

Running his hands through his hair and then down his face, he turns away from them both and wanders to the water basin.

"It's been like this for years now. Definitely wasn't this bad when I was a young squirt, that's for sure. First the fields all dried up, so we made up for it with fish, then the fish all disappeared."

He shakes his head and then grips the edge of the basin, shoulders hunching up toward his ears.

"Just a waste of time goin' out there now. At least I'm still on this dump of an island. Half our fishermen already gave up and abandoned this place."

Luck be a Landlord

District 3: Boarding house

Forde can guess what’s bothering Ms Maeve. Something thumps upstairs, and the closer they get to the receiving room the louder it gets. You’d think people would be more thoughtful towards the people they were living with. Or did they think no one would be trying to sleep during the day?

Ms Maeve is pacing about when they find her, Forde’s not even sure she notices their arrival. Still, he approaches her with a wave and a smile. “I’m surprised you can think over all this noise.”

He glances up at the ceiling, rubbing the back of his head with a sigh. “Who lives up there? We can have a word with them if you want.”

@roysourblog

Roy beelines for Ms. Maeve, prepared for all that entails the woes of an older lady. Certainly, she seems to be no Niime, which should help in his dissipating her troubles. Well, not just him— Forde's greeting reaches her first, and Roy's pace places him in the room at only the same time. Rather than adding to the list of questions Forde has introduced them with, Roy opts to spread some calm.

"We'd like to help you with this, Ms. Maeve," he says gently. "Will you tell us what's going on?"

His eyes lock with Forde's, and he sends a silent communication: let's take this slow, okay?

#roysourblog #renaisguy #toanmi2026

Forde and Roy's arrival pauses the woman's pacing only long enough for her to shoot them a look. Despite its sharpness, which is certainly lent mostly by the severity of her face, its appreciative, somewhat relieved by the offer of help. Then something rumbles overhead again and she shuts her eyes, breathes in deeply, and lets it out slowly.

"Aren't you two kind," she says when she opens her eyes again. There is hardly any gentleness to her, so it's hard to believe that she'd be at a loss against an unruly tenent. "Yes, actually, I would quite like your help. As you can tell, another guest has been making a racket on the third floor all morning. A rather special guest, let me be clear. One who I might guess could be the guest of honor at the festival." She stairs wistfully at the stairs. "I've been trying to decide how I might speak with her without risking the shutdown of boarding house."

Perhaps an exaggeration, perhaps not. Either way, Ms. Maeve seems to be out of ideas. She turns to Roy and Forde again.

"You two have none of the same stakes, being foreign guests. Perhaps you could speak with her instead?"

What heroes do

Toaanmi2026 - District 9 week 1 - Tina & Ashe

“Hat man?” Ashe repeats with a slightly puzzled tone, before his eyes look in the direction Tina waves towards. There is a man there with a very distinct and dapper looking hat. Looking a little closer at what he’s doing reveals what seems to be charity work of some sort. “Oh! It looks like he’s handing out food baskets to people!” He notes with awe.

It’s heartening to see, that no matter where you go there are good people who help those in need. At the same time, witnessing these people suffering from poverty whilst he just came from a luxurious house left an icky feeling in the pit of his stomach. It’s a reminder that he should always be grateful for the life he gets to live now.

“I think those are provisions given by the church too. Let’s go see if we can help!” Not waiting for an answer from the girl beside him, he quickly walks over to where the man with the nice hat stands.

stealstaff

He sure is eager. It adds to the puppy vibes Tina thinks. She's surprised though when he doesn't give her a chance to answer and rushes ahead. That's. That's normally her thing. It takes her a minute to really process it and she kind of just stands there for a moment before heading off in that direction, too.

She drags her feet a little, making sure that he does get over to the crowd first. He's the one that really does want to get his hands involved, not her. She'd rather get a little more information about what she'd be helping with before diving right in. It's probably better if she lets this guy initiate the conversation so she doesn't automatically get roped in.

Had he given her his name? Would she have remembered it if he did? That's a later problem.

"Soooo..." She gives her fellow student a little elbow nudge.

“Excuse me!” He tries to get a better look at the man in the fancy hat, but it proves more difficult than expected. From the elevated perspective he and Tina were on it was easy enough to pick him out, but being in the middle of the crowd of adults makes it a little harder for a boy of slightly below average height to see past them.

Trying to push through probably isn’t a good either, Ashe thinks to himself. Considering people are lining up for food, trying to force himself through would only give the wrong impression. When Tina catches up with him, he still hasn’t made much progress.

“No good, I can’t really get through.” He sighs. “I do kinda wonder who that man is, and how he got access to the church’s provisions.” That question brings along the realization that he really should be asking for more information in the first place. It’s not like him to be so hasty… perhaps it was that unsettling dream he had before arriving. It only made him more eager to see things going well.

The best thing to do for now is to ask around. “Pardon me.” He turns to one of the people standing in line, making sure to smile kindly. “Could I ask what people are gathering here for?”

#lunaestice #stealstaff #toanmi2026

The person Ashe addresses - an exhausted looking woman in her 30s - turns to him with a curious look, eyebrows furrowed over the question. But he looks young, so she won't hold it against him.

"We're here to collect our rations. Many of us aren't lucky enough to put food on the table these days, what with the fields the way they are."

The man in the middle's eyes are sharp though. As he hands out another basket of food, they glimpse Ashe and Tina through the crowd with a bright flash of recognition.

"Ah, esteemed guests!" he calls, and with the flick of one gloved hand, parts the crowd as if by magic. "This fine young man and woman come from Garreg Mach, no?"

The woman beside Ashe gasps and glances to him apologetically. "You should have said something sooner! Thank you for your generous donations. I-I don't know what I would do without them..."

The man bustles closer. He's elegantly dressed, although not expensively, and he's clean-shaven, with faint wrinkles around his eyes and mouth - new and not yet deep, as it would seem, placing him somewhere in his late thirties. His hair is ash-blond, beginning to grey, and curtains in waves around his bright, amicable face, but the eyes within the shadow of his hat's brim are dark, sharp, and intelligent.

He holds his hand out to Ashe and Tina, and the crowd turns as if a spotlight has been called upon the three of them now, then he removes his hat and bows in respect.

"Ketil von Gottselig," he introduces, and then rights himself again. "What fine children you are. Lifesavers, truly! I speak what all in this modest town of ours think of you."

@lunaestice @stealstaff

　the lone eagle's flight.

　　　　　　　　　 ❪　⠀boel 2026: round 3　/　battle twenty　⠀❫

viridescent-lance

Forsyth's words fall on deaf ears, and his feet move too slow to prevent his fears from coming true--the student hits Leif square in the chest, and no amount of immediate healing will return him to this battle. Forsyth is on his own, now.

"Nothing to do about it, then." The student isn't wrong, per se, but could he not see the value of sportsmanship in a mock battle? Though, Forsyth can't help but see the irony, given it was initially him and Leif with such an advantage. He sighs, readying his lance. The battle isn't over until it's over. "Face me!"

A strange glow emanates from Forsyth's person, the magic he'd been lent coming forward all at once. Partially a last gambit, partially a straightforward enforcement of his declaration.

@venalier

LEIF FALLS SO ABRUPTLY, OUT OF NOWHERE,　𑣲　that for a stunned moment, she isn't sure what just happened. eyes blink, mouth agape——and then of course it all falls into place, the only way that it can. he—! fauntleroy! she whirls around on her feet after leif disappears in a flash of warping magic and stamps her way across the damp and torn-up grasses, spear in tow.

face me, the remaining deer calls to her ' teammate '. oh, they'll face him all right, but not——before!

"i've. . . HAD IT!" in a declaration of frustration, she throws her spear to the ground at fauntleroy's feet with enough force that it clatters in the dirt, then storms up to his face with a jabbing finger. "what's wrong with you?? do you think this is how an eagle should act? or a self-respecting student of this academy??" she throws both arms wide, glancing down at herself as if to say ' look at me '. "i'm exhausted, i've been on my feet all day, out here fighting——dragon's teeth, the places i was hit by that war fire thirty minutes ago still smart like crazy, but i've gone back out on this dragons-forsaken field to keep fighting because this once-a-year event should be taken seriously. it's a chance to prove our strength, not goof around and show up if and only when we feel like it. if you have to do that with your classes, and you think it makes you so much better than us who care about the time and money we spent to be here, then fine. but i can't——stand it! when you all show up like you want to show off how little you care, then demand to be the main character and ruin it for everybody else!"

in perhaps a declaration of outrage equal to that of her frustration, she swipes her spear back up before giving fauntleroy a terse shove to one shoulder. "we're teammates, so let's finish this. but shape up. think of someone else besides yourself for once."

"Urk!" Fauntleroy flinches; the physical damage of Caeldori's shove is minimal, but the emotional is nearly enough to send anyone packing. For him, especially, because as far as he is concerned he has been taking this seriously. He'd shown up, even if it had been late. He'd done his best to adapt to the circumstances, even feeling at times out of his league. He'd seen Caeldori looking worse for wear, and doing his best to put into practice what he felt important, he'd stepped in to protect her.

So, trying to figure out where he's gone wrong, he's left a little lost!

He finds himself deferring to her regardless with a "yes, ma'am,"—the honorific slipping from him seamlessly. Entirely despite his confusion—has he been acting the main character?—it is easy here to recognize the difference between the two of them. Even in the midst of obvious righteous fury, she commands such respect.

There really always is someone else from which to learn something new.

"You're right. I should treat this with more severity." If not the main character, maybe he is still acting the child. He pulls what remains of his baguette from his bag, exterior hard as a rock, but inside still... not quite soft and fluffy, but tender. She had taken issue with this, hadn't she? And why wouldn't she—come to think of it, it was something of a crutch. And so, furrowing his brow with determination and shutting his eyes, he pulls back his arm,

and pitches it. As hard as he can.

#TOABOEL2026

　the lone eagle's flight.

　　　　　　　　　 ❪　⠀boel 2026: round 3　/　battle twenty　⠀❫

viridescent-lance

Leif and Caeldori circle each other, clearly familiar in some way. Caeldori gets confident, cocky, and dives in...there! Electricity and metal mix poorly, and for a moment he's sure Caeldori will be knocked cold.

No such luck, unfortunately. And the other student remains, taking a jab at Forsyth that catches him offguard. It's a blow he should have dodged, but his attention is divided.

"You think to interrupt a duel?" The deed is already done, to an extent, positions scattered and weapons askew. "Show some respect!"

(Forsyth does believe the words he speaks, but with Leif and Caeldori on their last legs, putting his trust in Leif's strength feels the right thing to do--granted he gets a fair match.)

THE LAST TIME SHE'D WORKED ALONGSIDE LEIF ,　𑣲　it'd been as partners. now she faces him on the battlefield, even if only a mock one. as he charges, she strengthens her stance, braces herself for the strike——father, will you be proud to hear of this?

but she doesn't expect him to stop short, slamming the axe head-down into the ground ; eyes only have a split-second to widen as her vision is overtaken by a shockwave of surging white-gold.

like with most seismic blows, she feels only impact, little pain. she's flying through the air, hits the ground, air rushing from her lungs, but training kicks in and she thrusts out an arm, letting the momentum carry her until she's back on her feet again, stumbling backwards breathlessly as she struggles for footing.

miraculously, there are no major injuries. he'd shown her all the power but spared her from serious harm. this, more than anything else, strikes her as awe-inspiring. "ha. . . ha. . . wow!" she's winded, muscles twitching where her hands return to her spear in the aftermath of the thunder's shock. her legs wobble, threatening to give out.

but they won't.

as a spear of heaven, on her honor to be worthy to fight now alongside her father in the fullness of her birthright, she refuses to buckle! in her single-minded focus, she doesn't even hear her teammate's calls, nor his skirmish with the green-haired deer not far away. "now, my turn!" without hesitation, she lifts her weapon back and high, poised to throw——

——and soaring through the air instead comes that unmistakable Wishblade, so true its path that it is as though it exists to bring about preemptive ends.

Snatched with ardor from where it had embedded itself in the ground and pitched without hesitation despite Forsyth’s admonition. In fact, it is only after he acts that he even seems to register what has been said and respond in turn: “…a duel? This is a team match!”

What else was he to do, watching the way she wobbled on her feet as the dust cleared? What kind of knight or member of the Black would he be to leave an ally in the lurch?!

“We’ll only be able to succeed if we work together. As will you!”He states it so obviously; it is, by this point, entirely clear that any mood that might be in the air misses him entirely.

(Still, is it him, or has the temperature dropped a couple of degrees?)

#toaboel2026

　the lone eagle's flight.

　　　　　　　　　 ❪　⠀boel 2026: round 3　/　battle twenty　⠀❫

A FEW THINGS HAPPEN AT ONCE.　𑣲　at the cry of the brown-haired student's name, she has a sudden moment of recognition. "oh, leif." or, really, she should probably also be saying ' lord ' leif, but it didn't exactly feel right calling anyone that but hoshido's royalty, or corrin, or those around the likes of her father. she hopes he doesn't mind——he'd never seemed like it when they knew each other before. "i didn't realize. . . you look a little different."

but a battle isn't the place for conversation ; she'd thought as much when the blond boy had tried to chat up a storm before too. she's quickly reminded of this when fauntleroy shouts something and runs off just as suddenly as he'd rushed in——fortunately, not completely away from the battlefield like her last teammate, but that doesn't mean she has any idea what he's trying to do. and she doubts he does either.

"wait——!"

put some distance? why?? when their opponent clearly has a bow——and an axe, which her attention is only drawn to at the green-haired deer's mention of it, noticing that it sparks with electricity. so not just an ordinary axe, but liable to punch right through her chainmail as the man helpfully pointed out.

there's not much she can do to stop that but keep an eye on it most likely, but she still regards the now-running green-haired man with a brow-arched smile. "careful what you say out loud for your opponents to hear!" and, to leif, hands closing more tightly around her spear as she stands her ground⠀(⠀whatever fauntleroy's doing elsewhere⠀) : "let's see your best hit!"

diadic

The notion that he might look different to someone since the last time they saw him years ago hadn't occurred to Leif. It is in being around oneself all the time, in looking outward as a measure to define oneself rather than at one's actual reflection that perhaps Leif feeling himself stuck in constancy.

Constancy, stagnation— whichever word one uses for it, this perception warps a little by a simple comment. He comes to school and training exercises like this in search of progress, yet he finds himself struck by an indirect acknowledgement that he has somehow captured it.

Leif shakes his thoughts out of this. It's not the time to reflect, not when every moment counts and Forsyth has preoccupied one of their opponents, giving Leif the moment to breathe.

Caeldori stands direct from him with an open challenge. Not a dour expression, not a mocking word, but instead an invitation.

(He sees summer, he sees ocean waves, he sees adolescent days where training, whilst it still had a purpose, felt lighter than it does most times.)

And for it, he crooks a small grin on his face too, taking his axe in hand.

“Got it!! This is between you and me!” he cries out in turn and rushes forward, hefting the weapon in hand before he swings it down with all his might. The axe carves into the earth, not skin, as Leif stops short in his pursuit, but for it, a wave of lightning surges from his weapon, finishing his dash for him to smack into Caeldori all the same.

NEXT: @toa-npcs or @viridescent-lance !!

Fauntleroy winces watching Leif brings the full weight of his axe down into the earth, sending shoots of lightning out with an impact that he's not sure he — no, he shouldn't think that way, he would bear it if he had to! (But he hopes that he doesn't.)"Caeldori, are you alright?!" He calls out, squinting through the smoke brought about by singed grass.

...this field really has seen better days. Even last year, he is not sure it looked—or smelled—as bad as this. By how quiet it is... they couldn't be the only ones left fighting, could they?

His head pivots as he assesses the situation as a whole, and away the baguette goes when he spies an opening—not in Leif's defenses, but in that of his companion. Wishblade once again in hand, Fauntleroy knows that he doesn't have what it takes to cast that magical strike he did earlier, but... that doesn't render it entirely ineffective, does it?!

And so with as most force as he can muster and a grunt befitting of the effort, he pitches it at Forsyth. "Hang in there! I'll be done here in a moment, and then I'll join you to help!"

@viridescent-lance

#TOABOEL2026

　the lone eagle's flight.

　　　　　　　　　 ❪　⠀boel 2026: round 3　/　battle twenty　⠀❫

IF SHE HAD A COIN FOR EVERY TIME　𑣲　today that someone had either: 1) arrived late to the battle of the eagle and lion with food in hand or 2) come in to join her in battle when she'd thought she'd be facing unfavorable odds alone, she'd have two coins for both. which isn't that many, but it is strange that both have happened twice.

and like with the blond lion they'd defeated at the start, she casts her fellow eagle a disapproving look as he charges into the frontline with lance drawn to steal her thunder. were they still allowed to participate, arriving so late?? that seemed unfair, not to mention messing up all the planning and strategy.

but she doesn't have the heart to admonish him when he's yelling rallying cries like that, at least not for now, damaging morale on the battlefield and everything. but she'd certainly let him know about his tardiness afterwards. the eagles had a name for being disciplined, exemplars of the school——she doubted edelgard would be glad to know about this.

breaking her cover beside the barrels, she rushes out across the grass to join him, their two adversaries coming now into clearer view. "don't talk like that with food in your mouth——you'll choke!" it's still admonishment that comes out of her anyway though as she levels a sweeping swipe with another spear she'd grabbed from the small camp at the same brown-haired boy to push him back. "finish your bread first."

having to perform resuscitative measures on someone else after everything else today would be just her luck.

diadic

“I didn't know you could heal,” Leif observes, giving a quick nod after an equally brisk appraisal of the man's spellwork. “You have my thanks.”

But thanks only go so far. The shouting of the Eagles lets them know there's two of them to contend with (he'd feared three, as tended to be his run-ins during this mock battle), and the two of them reveal themselves fully, one chasing the other into the full fray. Caeldori, he recognizes, and the other, Fauntleroy, the birthday boy everyone's eyes had been on.

But knowing either does not mean he knows either's capabilities in combat— something he has to learn on the fly with a brutal lance swipe to teach him.

“Forsyth, in front! There's no one behind you, is there?!” In the time it's taken to get the Eagles out, if they had a pincer attack prepared, Leif expects it to have happened by now. Leif runs in accordance to his order, trying to position himself well. Despite his injuries, he merely grits through them and bears them, no stranger to fighting in dire straits.

“We're not getting through Caeldori head-on! Watch for Lord Fauntleroy's spear from afar!”

NEXT: @toa-npcs or @viridescent-lance !!

"It's... it's not that big a deal, is it?" He asks, somewhat wondering why he is being admonished given his contributions and nevertheless hurriedly tearing a piece off of his baguette and taking a bite anyway. "It never hurts to be prepared! A pinch of prevention and all?"

It'd served him well enough last year. ...is what he might say if he hadn't been soundly eliminated from the tournament in round 1.

While the two of them quarrel, the Golden Deer rally, the sound of their strategizing bringing the young man back to the circumstances at hand. Provisions or no, if they stand around like this, the two of them are going to make themselves sitting ducks. "From afar!" He echoes aloud, as though the idea has only just now occurred to him. "That's a good idea, isn't it? Let's keep some distance!"

He doesn't wait for a response—he's already begun his dash across the scorched earth beneath his feet. His speed, at least, he does have going for him. Surprisingly keenly he mirrors his opponents' movements, forcing them into a position where they cannot evade.

#toaboel2026

　the lone eagle's flight.

　　　　　　　　　 ❪　⠀boel 2026: round 3　/　battle twenty　⠀❫

BY THE TIME EVERYTHING HAD CALMED DOWN　𑣲　after that fiasco with the sea fire spells, she'd thought that the battle had to be over. she could hardly see anyone else left on gronder field——it was empty, a collage by a giant hand left half-finished, places and patches torn up and scuffled between the floodplains to the north and the great, flat grasslands to the south, each isolated spot clearly the aftermath of a skirmish between house, a mark of one side's failing or the other ; it was impossible to tell which.

yet, she hadn't heard the last horns blow, so was it still going? maybe she'd just missed it in all the commotion.

no, surely she would've heard it. they were loud, long, impossible to miss.

maybe she should head back to the heart of the eagles encampment and find out, just to be sure ; she wouldn't want to look silly still running around out here when everyone else was already winding down for the day and leaving her behind. but as she passes by a stretch of empty barrels staked with a slightly charred scarlet flag, there's movement in the distance coming her way. staff, coming to find her?

. . . no, as they drew closer, they looked too young. well, one of them did. and they were armed, both wearing the yellow blazons of the deer.

drawing in a stiff breath, the sky knight's hand tightens on the spear she'd salvaged a little ways away, intending to help clean up the battlefield, not anticipating she'd still be using it in battle.

was it just her, against these two? it couldn't be, right? had the deer already won? the last time she'd thought she was alone, forrest had come to her aid. . . but she really hasn't seen anyone else in red for at least a quarter of an hour. was she all that was left?? the thought fills her with a bittersweetness, weary and bold. it meant that the eagles had lost their hope of winning the battle this year, even with all the preparations she'd made. it also meant that she didn't really have anything to lose.

might as well give it her all.

eyes set on the smaller of the two targets, she hefts the spear up into her hand, taking only a moment to call to her opponent —— "heads up!" —— before letting the polearm fly. swift and precise, it cuts a line straight to its target like the eagle's hunting dive.

　´ ✱ ‾‾‾‾　@diadic , @viridescent-lance ・

diadic

The spear soars, and from the heavens, it comes down to split Leif in twain. The boy does not break to halves, but he curses as it strikes him and tears through cloth and skin alike. He'd left the forested edges of the field and come to open field, hunting, wondering where else to go in a field left so empty.

“Damn it... that came from the barrels over there, didn't it??” Leif asks Forsyth, marked as an ally by the golden hue of his house's faction. “I'll try to flush them out. You watch my back, Forsyth,” he orders, knowing it is in having someone, anyone, there that has brought him this far.

Njörun's zeal takes him, guides him through her blood in his. Even with no earth lance in hand, his hands find his bow and his arrows, straining himself to fire a few projectiles in rapid succession. The arrows take to those skies, form that arc to match the spear that struck him, and rain down onto the other side of the empty barrels, hoping to find at least one target even if he shoots in the metaphorical dark.

NEXT: @toa-npcs or @viridescent-lance !!

viridescent-lance

The Battle of Eagle and Lion is nearing its conclusion, with few students remaining on all sides. Forsyth has found it difficult to find an ally, much less an enemy--happening upon Leif is a great stroke of luck, especially given their recent experience in battle together.

"On it!" The enemy has found them, it seems. A Black Eagle, clad in armor Forsyth quickly recognizes will be a problem. His lance surely will be unable to pierce bar a miracle, and he doubts his axe will fair better. "So, then. One last battle, for the honor of our houses!"

With the advantage in numbers, they can likely wear her down. There's a figure approaching Leif, though, and it does not bear the golden colors that would mark them an ally.

"Leif, behind you!" The warning comes too late. The figure's weapon glows, and suddenly Forsyth is stumbling backward as if he'd born the brunt of the impact himself. "Damnation..."

Leif still stands, his determination and grit carrying him through. It looks like they're in for a grueling battle, but it's nothing they haven't weathered before. Forsyth nods, letting a healing spell wash over his ally before turning to face their foes.

"It'll take more than that to bring us down!"

@toa-npcs