Always Striving

This is a blog for the closed Fire Emblem RP group The Officers Academy. The icon picture is taken from boomsnk.

[tobenobility]

Pianissimo meets Fortissimo

[tobenobility]

razurite‌:

♪ —       he reminds them of selkie. and of soleil, though they must admit that his voice is blessedly better than that of the latter. ( though, they’d never say this to her face. ) talking a mile a minute, happy to prompt what seemed like almost everyone and anyone in conversation. as with all those that approach, shigure only nods and smiles and listens because it’s easier than trying to piece the conversation together in its great many leaps and bounds. though, they must admit that at least this fellow is well-versed even if they can’t get a word in inch-wise. “i, hm —” it is easier, at least, to follow his train of thought than it was to follow selkie’s. maybe they should just settle with acknowledgement.

      “oh?” they reply, brows raising in question. their mother had mentioned such a name in passing once before in their daily meals. two names, actually, though one is said much quieter than the other as if she was afraid they might hear. neither of them were particularly fond of conversation where it was not needed. songbirds were the chattier sort, with them the exception. “i’ve never met her, but to be in such a capacity,” there’s a sort of pride that bleeds into his voice and shigure cannot help but wonder if they he knows her well. “she must be very skilled.” at the compliment, cheeks flush and shigure shakes their head ’ NO ’ with a dismissive wave of the hand.

      “no, i’m not so —” and, they’re already off to the next topic, quickly enough that it makes their head spin. “i suppose you’re right,” they reply. at least one of their aunts had come from a place like this. a pasture by a small village that no one knew the name of, except for the people who lived there. away from the sprawling cities that formed the capitols of the kingdoms they claimed home and away from the castles that felt more cage than luxury. “it is very pretty out here.” a pause. “nicer than the ones of my home.” fields were no longer riddled with bodies or scorch marks or weapons, but there were still signs of the places laid to waste. shigure is comforted only by the fact they would not be like that again soon.

      “i don’t suppose you came out here to admire them though, did you?”

Finally having reached a pause in his only-nearly-endless prattle of thoughts and comments, Ferdinand took a bit of time to proffer replies to what Shigure had managed to get in past his endless dialogue. Except, of course... he was replying to everything at once. “Ah, yes, she is famous all over Fodlan -- and not just the Adrestian Empire, for that matter! And, well... I do not mean to compare your homeland and mine, for I am sure that where you come from has its fair share of beauty as well! I simply must take pride in places like this here in those moments where I find myself standing in them.”

“...oh, but, no, I admit that I had been merely passing through, on my way to an errand. I was going to go check in with a farmer I’ve been working with in order to better understand management of land.” He waved away any potential unspoken concern, though. “Do not worry about my time, though! While I am typically punctual, he will not mind my coming just a few minutes into the vague range of time he specified for my meeting -- farmers often do not work on quite the same kind of schedule nobles and us students do, hah! It would be wasting an opportunity to meet somebody new if I were to just traipse off, and I do want to meet new people from abroad, most certainly!”

It was only then, though, that Ferdinand realized something completely obvious and basic that he had not got around to. “...oh! My apologies, speaking of meeting people -- I believe that I forgot to ask your name! May I have the pleasure of learning the name of whom I am speaking to? Hmm... perhaps your homeland, as well, assuming it would not be overstepping my bounds? I am always eager to learn more about the world!”

[tobenobility]

rudlm‌:

The pads of Alm’s digits press into dirtied stone as he searches for unusual lumps or ridges that could be hiding secrets the previous owners had hoped to keep away from the world for as long as humanly possible. When he finds nothing but dust particles, Alm wipes his hand off on his pants and repeats the process, this time pulling open the cabinet and rummaging through drawers. Rocks and torn cloth; nothing of interest for him, anyway, so he closes the drawer, eyes already searching for the next point of interest.

The corner, maybe.

He checks one of the corners, palms brushing away rubble and pebbles until he finds a piece of flint, certainly used and about the size of his palm. Then Alm returns to the fire place and crouches down, removing the dagger from his waist. No tinder, he thinks, taking one of the piece of wood from the chair that Lord Ferdinand from the pile. He starts carving into the wood, creating tinder shavings. Perfect for starting a fire. (He applauds himself for his pun by letting out a small chortle.)

Dagger meets flint then, striking again and again until sparks land on the wood shavings. He blows, gently, and the flames grow, licking at the wood. Alm sits back on his haunches. A job well done, if he does say so himself.

The two children behind the youngest are most reserved, keeping to themselves, hands clenched in small fists, and an arm on their forearms. One of the children’s arms, the young girl’s, is dirty and wrapped in a soaked and crimson-stained bandage.

An eyebrow quirks. The cloth from before could have another usage. He stands, removes the strip of cloth from the drawer, before holding his hand outside the door for several seconds. When he brings it back inside, the cloth is now damp.

Alm moves closer to the young girl—he had carried her on his back, and he hopes that she will be receptive to him. Fingers twitch, beckoning the young girl a bit closer. He holds up the strip of cloth and points to her bandage with his other hand, all the while brandishing a warm smile for her. The young girl understands, and though she hesitates, she eventually holds out her arm for him.

Unwrapping the bandage and cleaning her arm with the damp strip, Alm peers over at Lord Ferdinand as he converses with the youngest.

“Frederick!” The youngest chirps back, matching the same amount of energy as Ferdinand. He waddles over excitedly to Alm, watching intently as Alm removes dirt around the small cut on his sister’s arm. Wide eyes turn to look at the young king, as if expecting some sort of monologue.

Alm gives Frederick a friendly smile, murmuring, “Your sister’s cut is injured. I’m just cleaning it up.”

Frederick nods several times too many, before rushing to his older brother and slapping his knee. His brother yelps out in pain, before growling at his sibling for being careless. “My brother’s leg is hurt! Can you help, Ferdnan!?” Frederick exclaims, eyes still wide with awe.

“Well, Frederick, it is most certainly nice to meet you!” Ferdinand laughed, heartened by the small boy’s enthusiasm. Of course, the situation was still a very serious one -- multiple of the children were injured (though to Ferdinand’s relief, it seemed Alm was at least somewhat familiar with the arts of battlefield first aid), but the fact that --even among all of this-- such a young child could be so unwaveringly energetic was quite refreshing to Ferdinand. 

However, Frederick’s joyous innocence was quite possibly about to be Ferdinand’s downfall: when he toddled up to the oldest of the three present children, and asked Ferdinand to help out with his leg, Ferdinand froze up with an expression that was, initially, extremely awkward. (”Ferdnan”, oh, by the Goddess, how could Ferdinand say no?) Ferdinand’s life had been one of galas, balls, and learning to chart his path through life... but learning to chart his path through life when he could still always rely on his resources and upon skilled magical healers whenever he DID get hurt. He had only ever done any actual fighting for the Academy! In short, he had no idea what he was doing.

Still, though, Ferdinand began moving in the direction of the wounded child. It was slow at first, but gained speed and smoothness as Ferdinand drew upon his typical stores of gumption and managed a little confidence. “Well, while I have not... typically... served as a healer,” he admitted as he moved, “I believe that I should be able to help out to the best of my ability.” Finally, Ferdinand reached the oldest child, and crouched to be at his eye level, with his knee right nearby. “So...” Ferdinand began, a little awkwardly, “Could you show me your injury?”

[irroche]

✦ — A PITY, REMEMBRANCE.

[tobenobility]

irroche‌:

Such clumsiness would be her downfall. Though, it is with great confidence that she should assert that it is atypical. Dusting off her skirts, Constance lifts her hand to rest against the counter so she could guide herself back to her feet. But digits only catch the edge, her breath halting when a familiar face returns before her. A vision of what once was, of a far-flung future that can no longer exist—he looks different now. Older, now. It was her fourteenth spring when she had seen him last. His jaw, not sharp, but refined, still barely more than what it had been then. But, years wore away at the roundness of his cheeks and his voice is deeper than she remembers. Still, she would know him in the dark and in the miserable silence.

How could she not?

“Ferdinand von Aegir,” she replies, laughing as he continues. So, it was him. But, worry, he says—such a bold assertion. Worry! Constance turns away, picking up the now-dented tea tin before placing it in his outstretched hand instead. Her hands fall back to the ground and Constance pushes herself back to her feet, steadying herself with a hand on the counter. Her heels drawn together, her shoulders back and for a moment, she is in Enbarr. No gowns to speak of, no ballrooms, no courtyards. She is a child again, her eyes sparkling with interest at his first hello and the cheerfully exchanged bow and curtsy. 

But, concord purple grows darker, her amusement faltering. They are not. They are in a kitchen at the Officers’ Academy, housed within the time-loved walls of Garreg Mach, five years later and without a word exchanged in-between. “I cannot say it is a surprise to find you here, Ferdinand,” She replies, gloved hands folding in front of her once more. There is some relief in knowing that little else appears to have changed about him. “It was no easy task for my attending of classes here, of that I can assure you. Luck would have it be so that we should cross paths here so far away from home, non?”

“Ha-ha, luck indeed!” Ferdinand’s first reply to Constance was instinctual and full of delight, but he seemed to stop himself just a little short after that, briefly pensive. “Ah, but perhaps it is more than just luck, yes?” He gestured vaguely with the hand that was now containing a tin of tea (which he stared at for a moment before gently placing it on the shelf). Then evidently not satisfied with his vague attempt at communication, he continued more verbally. “The Officer’s Academy is a place that contains the best of the best that Fodlan and abroad have to offer, yes? It is no wonder that you and I would both find our way here then, easy task or no! Skill, I say, not just luck.”

Ferdinand once again paused somewhat awkwardly... and then he made what was quite probably a mistake. “Ah, so... please forgive my impropriety, but...” Ferdinand had been quite close with Constance, once -- and childhood friendships had a way of coming back to the mind in quiet moments. Even with his whirlwind rivalry with that damned Hubert (and his other whirlwind rivalry with that much-less-damned Edelgard) to keep him plenty occupied, he had often found himself wondering what had become of Constance von Nuvelle. “How have you been doing in these past few years?”

[tobenobility]

Cross-Country Cooperation Countering a Con

[tobenobility]

brigidspride‌:

The way of the blade is not unfamiliar to Petra. Days even as a child in Brigid had been spent with nothing but a sword and willingness to improve her skill. Perhaps what she wielded then was a faux, a child’s plaything to become acquainted with the feel of a hilt in her hands, but it was effective. She learned the swings, the motions, and through hard work, attained the prowess of Brigid’s warriors. With that experience she was allowed to wield new blades, some of which came from places faraway. Steel from the lands of Dagda and Adrestia alike are familiar to the royal’s hands, though the former is far less common in the lands which she stands upon today. It has shame, she thinks. Are there not more learnings to be had with differing weapons? 

So when word reaches her of a merchant claiming to sell rare weapons, Petra’s attention had been grabbed. It’s a hope she chooses not to invest too much of her faith in, yet refuses to dismiss the possibility. Perhaps the marketplace’s reaches were expanding— an occurrence as frequent as when the the hue of the moon’s glow reflects the ocean’s.

She is among the first wave of people to arrive, though it seemed the vendor was popular. A small crowd surrounds the stall already, people mumble the those who stand besides them. She hears “Zoltan” tossed around by several people, though she cannot catch much else. Amber hues attempt to peer over heads of those far taller than she. Instead, strands of ginger catch the corner of her eye, and she turns to face her classmate. It isn’t surprising that the noble takes interest in the merchant’s wares, and Petra is glad to have a friend more versed in Fódlan’s currency than she nearby. 

“Ah, Ferdinand,” she greets with a smile. “Are you doing the shopping for swords as well?”

Upon hearing the sound of Petra’s voice, Ferdinand’s face broke into a smile, the noble turning around and offering Petra a slight bow along with said smile. “Hello, Petra! I am indeed looking to find myself some fine weaponry, although I have little intent to limit myself to swords. Whether they be those, axes, lances, gauntlets, or perhaps bows... I would like to sample the weaponry of faraway lands! From the sounds of it, this vendor is selling weapons that go all the way over to many of the faraway lands the Academy has been receiving students from, and perhaps beyond!” Ferdinand wondered for a moment if he should further clarify that he wasn’t referring to Brigid, but decided that Petra probably understood what he was saying. “I have always been quite interested in the martial history of other lands, so I must say that this is quite the fascinating opportunity! Surely you would agree, yes?”

Ferdinand at this point stood on his tiptoes, trying to peer over the crowd much in the same way that the princess of Brigid had -- to tell the truth, it was not an easy task even for Ferdinand, as he was... not actually terribly tall, relative to the other men of Adrestia. He was not short, but... he did not tower over his compatriots. Still, though, perhaps the vendor spotted him and could make him out from the crowd as a student and noble, because the merchant’s booming voice was directed Ferdinand’s way. “You there! You look like a promising customer -- discerning, no doubt! Why don’t you come up to the stall and take a look?”

This caused Ferdinand to look back at Petra with a grin. “Ohoh, well it looks my talent with weaponry has been spotted! I cannot discard this opportunity...” He paused, thinking for a moment. “You are also a noble student of this academy, and also talented -- you could follow me up to the stand! I am sure that this kind man would not mind having two discerning customers up to appraise his goods, no?” Gesturing for Petra to follow him, Ferdinand then made his way through the crowd with a mixture of confidence and patience, waiting for people to get out of the way as needed (albeit assisted by the crowd parting of its own volition) but rather conspicuously without actively moving out of their ways.

[tobenobility]

vonvestra‌:

The headbutt had come with such surprise that Hubert doubled over and stumbled back from Ferdinand, coughing to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him. Surprise replaced the scowl and allowed Ferdinand his freedom before he could even notice.

“Boys, that’s quite enough,” someone in the crowd tried to intervene, but Hubert - still bent forward with one arm wrapped around his middle - barely even acknowledged him. Furious eyes were locked on Ferdinand, posture and disheveled hair both giving the impression of a wild animal ready to strike.

Then, abruptly, he began to laugh. A sharp, vicious laugh. A knife point made into sound.

“Friends? Is that what you think they are?” Another burst of laughter. “My father is not friends with yours. Your father manipulated mine. Your father manipulated the whole Empire! All so he could hold power and pocket our gold. And kidnap the princes and princesses to do who-knows-what with them!”

“That’s enough.” This time two guards broke through the crowd that had come to encircle the boys. Once again, Hubert ignored the order to lunge for Ferdinand, but he was caught by the upper arm and dragged back. The other restrained Ferdinand by his shoulder.

Hubert fought against the grip, jabbing an accusing finger at Ferdinand with his free hand.

“He’s the real traitor to the Empire! Him and all the Aegir filth!”

“Enough.”

Ferdinand had been standing in an aggressive (but very much still confused) posture, about to leap bodily at Hubert, when the first cry of ‘Boys, that’s enough.’ rang out, much of that posture deflated, leaving Ferdinand standing there looking a little bit forlorn and more than a little bit afraid of Hubert -- with the other boy laughing like he was, it was no surprise that the younger child was rather scared. But now the adults were coming in, so Ferdinand guessed that that was that.

But apparently, it wasn’t. Sharp laughter transformed into sharper speech, and Ferdinand was so awash in thoughts and questions and emotions that he couldn’t really do much of anything but just stare at Hubert as he launched into his accusations. Ferdinand didn’t fight the restraining hand on his shoulder... he couldn’t have, really. His world was busy having its top removed and having darkness injected into it -- a sea of conspiracies and crimes and charges that he did not have the capacity to understand, much less answer for.

“I...” the young boy paused, and his voice caught in his throat as he was forced to make a very frank admission, “I don’t get... what’s going on...” He didn’t get what all of this talk about betrayal was, or manipulation, or those kidnappings that Hubert was talking about... but now they were all he could think about.

Ferdinand von Aegir had a lot to learn.

[irroche]

✦ — A PITY, REMEMBRANCE.

[tobenobility]

irroche‌:

@tobenobility!

It is much too much to ask for a decent cup of tea in Abyss.

Such frivolous activities were reserved for those with access to the highest eschelons of society, as it turns out. She’d never given much thought to it in all her youth and glory. Tea parties had been an archaic means to an end—to greet, to be known by those greater than her if such a thing could have been thought to be true. It is only with her fall from grace that she learned how much she yearned for those briefest moments spent in the rose gardens of House Bartels. But, ‘twas as they said!

You only learned to appreciate things once they were lost to you. And lost, it has been.

For even in spite of returning to the surface in tandem with the rest of the Ashen Wolves, she’s yet to be entertained or invited to a tea party. Though, she thinks bitterly as deft hands rummage through the boxes and shelves of the dining hall’s supplies, she has no doubts that likely folly derives from that of her unfortunate visage every waking moment that the sun visits its cruel rays upon her. Not a soul cared to enjoy her company in those moments. She could hardly blame them. It was just as well. “Hm, well, no—that’s not it.”

With that in mind, Constance deigns to make herself a cup of tea before she absconds to her dormitory where she could be shut away from the morning light. Concord purple lifts to the highest shelves, eying a tin labeled in roses. Ah! “So, there it is you have been hiding from me!” Hmph. Must they put everything so high? It was impossible to reach such heights, even for the likes of Constance von Nuvelle!

( Nevermind the fact that her height had precious little to do with who she was. )

There’s the sound of the shuffling of tins and ceramic bowls as she strains against the counter. Her knee, tucked into her skirts, as she rests it against the edge, her opposite leg pushing her up onto her does. “Oh, won’t you make this easier and come here?” And then, there’s the sound of something slipping, a shrill scream and heavy clatters to the floor.

Many a time, Ferdinand had stumbled across some other student of the monastery while on some errand, whether it be in the monastery, down in the markets, or even far outside of the monastery in the hills around it. After all, he made every effort that he could to be diligent at nearly all times, and that meant that he was out and about the whole day. His once again meeting Constance von Nuvelle, however, was not brought on by one of these errands. Instead, Ferdinand had been allowing himself a rare moment of leisure, partaking in what was his very favorite hobby: tea.

He had been humming very softly to himself, actually, as he approached the dining hall’s supplies -- not to retrieve tea, since he had quite the collection (there was a box of Southern Fruit Blend under his arm), but to get a teacup, after he had accidentally broken his previous ones with the haft of one of about three weapons he had been carrying at the same time. (He had been organizing what was practically a miniature armory in his room, and he turned just a bit too quickly... tragic.)

The sound of somebody falling to the ground got his attention, though, and after quickly putting the box of tea safely down on a shelf, Ferdinand dashed in the direction of whoever the poor girl was that had fallen. It was only after Ferdinand had made it all the way over there and halfway extended an arm that he actually noticed who it was. “Wh...” He stared at her for multiple seconds, looking something like a deer in the headlights. “C... Constance von Nuvelle? I had worried that I would never see you again! It is a fantastic pleasure to see you at this Academy!” (Then part of Ferdinand’s brain seemed to reengage and he finished extending his arm towards her to help her up.)

[tobenobility]

"Ferdinand!" Caspar clapped him on the back once as he approached, all smiles as usual. He offered his card first before settling in beside him. "Gotten any good dances in yet?" he asked, glancing up at the taller male and grinning almost mischievously. "I hear you're second to none on the dance floor."

Ferdinand sighed a touch playfully and shrugged ever so slightly at Caspar’s questions. “I am afraid that I simply have not found the time yet! I have filled my schedule with quite a bit of training, and all of the tasks that I normally take it upon myself to complete... but who knows, perhaps I will have some time indeed to demonstrate my ample talents to the academy.” Here he placed a hand at the side of his mouth in a mock-conspiratorial way, though the effect was a little ruined by the way his posture remained as rigid as ever. “In fact... I may have signed up for the White Heron Cup. You and all of the other students will be able to witness my profound dancing skills.”

(Ferdinand would, of course, then go on to be completely crushed in the contest.)

[tobenobility]

"Ferdinand?" Nino said, sheepishly going up to him with her notebook clutched closely to her chest. She looks up at him with slightly pleading eyes, as if she were a bit nervous to ask. "Um... I was hoping if it was okay if I could have a stamp? I'll stamp your notebook too!" She said, trying to perk herself up. "I-If I've been doing well enough to deserve a stamp, of course!"

Ferdinand laughed fondly at Nino’s last statement, and reached down to ruffle her hair (if just a little). “Surely, Nino, if there is anybody that has been doing well enough to deserve a stamp, it is you.” He pulled a small case that he had set his stamps in, and carefully applied one to Nino’s notebook, smiling down at her. Then, having placed the stamp back in the case, he produced his own notebook with a little bit of a flourish. “To tell the truth, we are subverting the spirit of this event a little... but that is fine. Now, it is your turn to stamp my notebook -- and you are indeed the first!” Ferdinand had not cleared much time in his busy schedule for the ball until now, to his regret, but at the least he would not be walking out of it empty.

[drawing-stuff678]

Weird Noble Guy?

[tobenobility]

sleepiestbutler‌:

“And how is this?” 

His tone was laced with sugary sweet falsehoods, a tone he had picked up from watching father long ago. Of course, Dwyer knew he didn’t really have the face to pull that off… he did go through the trouble of brushing his hair in the morning, however. Which was a whole ordeal, and the brush got stuck in his hair and he ended up going to first period with it on the side of his head and… eventually some nice lady brought in scissors and cut it off… so…

So maybe he wasn’t cut out for all this, but whatever. He can’t stop now. He already made all these cookies. Would someone like Ferdinand even like cookies? Maybe he should just dump them out. Scones would’ve probably been a better idea. 

He set them down on the table anyway. He tried to give a smile but his expression was unnerving, at best. If only he could do it like father did… what was he even doing here? Useless. Why can’t you do anything right? Focus, focus!

“More tea?” At least he can make tea. Probably? That noble boy across from him… they were in the same house. He had heard plenty of uncomfortable rumors about him from the others, but right now his focus was getting on his good side. Imagine how jealous father would be if he could get a noble of the empire on his side… maybe he would send him some money after he gets rich, just to rub it in. 

@tobenobility

Admittedly, Ferdinand still wasn’t quite sure why this other fellow had approached him and offered to serve him tea. Still, it was hardly as if he could have refused... for one, it would be appallingly rude to refuse such an altruistic and polite act for no reason. Secondly, of course... it was terribly enjoyable! Ferdinand could never say no to a good cup of tea, it would run counter to his very being!

So he found himself at a table, with a now-empty cup of tea in his hand, and cookies being set upon the table. The other man, Ferdinand noticed, seemed to be somewhat ill-at-ease, but surely that was something that Ferdinand could solve! “So... Dwyer, yes?” Ferdinand lifted his cup off of the table and showed the butler the empty cup, so as to indicate his having finished it -- and perhaps quickly enough to be unseemly for a noble. “I must offer my profuse thanks... not only is this of course a pleasant experience, but your tea is simply exquisite. I consider myself something of a connoisseur in the arts of tea... and I can say with confidence that you rank well in the practitioners of that craft!” Ferdinand grinned. “I would indeed enjoy more of your tea very much.” 

Ferdinand then tilted his head just a little at Dwyer. “I do not mean this to sound wary, but do you mind if I ask what I owe this to? If this is simply your way of greeting nobility, I suppose that I must simply count myself as fortunate to be one of those that experience it!” Ferdinand laughed a little. “But if there is any other reason, please do not hesitate to tell me! I would be happy to hear out any requests that you have of me... even if you had not spoiled me so well with this wonderful tea, ha ha!”

[tobenobility]

vonvestra‌:

Words hit their mark. Perceptive eyes caught the shimmer of restrained tears. Yes, cry, thought Hubert. Let this ballroom see how pathetic you truly are. Let your ugly emotions stain House Aegir.

But Hubert overestimated the other boy’s restraint. Surely he wouldn’t actually attack. Surely he was more noble than that.

And so the sudden lunge elicited a surprised yelp, a desperate back-pedal to regain balance while small fists swung at his chest. The momentum behind Ferdinand’s weight would have sent them both to the ground were it not for the pillar that Hubert slammed his back into instead.

“What are you–” He gasped as a second fist found his jaw. Surprise quickly gave way to a scowl far more ferocious than before and Hubert grabbed for Ferdinand’s wrists in desperation to make them stop.

“So this is the true nature of the Aegir bloodline.” Cool-headedness escaped him now, each word instead pushed out between gritted teeth. Anger smoldered behind his eyes. His thumbs pressed deeply into the tendons below Ferdinand’s wrists. The crowd was loud with whispers and worried glances. Before long the host of the ball would send their guards to break up the fight, but Hubert would not let Ferdinand best him in the meantime.

“You take things and shut others up by force.” A hard shove to knock Ferdinand away. A push-off from the column to follow, leveraging height for intimidation.

“And you don’t even know my name.” Another shove. “Hubert von Vestra. Son of the man your father manipulated into betraying His Majesty the Emperor.”

Ferdinand had kind of been surprised by his own power, initially; he really hadn’t expected to be able to knock the much larger boy right into a pillar, and honestly it was shocking too that he’d managed to connect the second blow. He’d started to let his own triumphant energy get the best of him when suddenly he felt his arms get grasped -- and then fingers dug painfully into the undersides of his arms, drawing a pained yelp and a couple of attempts to withdraw his arms which for now proved futile.

The other boy evidently wasn’t done with that though, because Ferdinand found himself shoved-- and shoved again-- the other boy was above him, and in front of him, and pressing in, and the still-bewildered boy found himself with little room to breathe, think, or speak. A few moments of this continued, with Ferdinand having little choice but to listen to the continual insults that came out of Hubert’s mouth and struggle to keep any space for himself. Then, however, Ferdinand grew desperate enough to take wild action to free himself from Hubert... which took the form of suddenly launching himself forwards and headbutting Hubert as hard as he could in the stomach.

He then stepped backwards, still a little dazedly, and struggled to formulate a response to Hubert’s words. “You... you started it!” He clenched his fists by his sides as he began to get into his furious reply, anger and youth and lack of training making him forget important things like ‘he is going to keep attacking you and your fists really shouldn’t be by your side’. “You insulted me! I think that’s probably a thing that is bad enough for DUELS, because you did it a lot!!” Ferdinand’s frown now took on a confused bent. “Besides... isn’t your father friends with my father??” Things such as ‘the Insurrection of the Seven’ were still quite beyond him, but he did understand that they worked together and met sometimes, at least.

[flowerofiris]

Honor and Glory, At What Cost? (Ferdinand & Nino)

[tobenobility]

flowerofiris‌:

A celebration! Nino had heard a lot about Faerghus; she knew it was where Felix, Sylvain and Mercedes came from! Holding an anniversary party for their home country was wonderful! After all that had been happening this month, Nino really needed a break and a way to let loose and have fun. She had a nice lunch where she ate her fill, and went out to take a look at all of the festivities. One was something called a joust; she didn’t know exactly what a joust was, but there were a lot of pictures of horses around and she really wanted to get some more experience riding a horse!

Once she had signed up (using very permanent ink) for the tournament taking place in twenty minutes, only then did it occur to Nino to actually ask what a joust actually was. Thinking she’d seem a little silly if she asked the people at the sign-ups, she decided to ask a nearby student what it was all about. There, she had learned the truth; it wasn’t just about riding horses— it was trying to knock each other off of their horses with lances.

A chill ran up her spine. This was definitely a silly anxiety compared to everything she was going through and everything she had been through, but it still shook her to her very core considering she didn’t have much practice with weapons on horseback. The idea of going up into the fields in front of a cheering crowd, probably looking really silly in front of some tall, strong and probably beefed up knight. The idea of the crowd laughing at her— not exactly the worst feeling in the world, but it certainly wasn’t one she wanted to experience, especially not in front of some of the more notable horseback riders of the monastery. Oh no— what if she did go up against one of them? She didn’t wanna have to knock her friends off of their horses!

Sitting down on a nearby bench, Nino anxiously waited for her demise as the clock slowly ticked down…

@tobenobility

Ferdinand von Aegir, scion of House Aegir and future prime minister of the Adrestian Empire, was having a much better time of things. Although the festivities might have been based around Faerghus, that was no impediment to Ferdinand’s participation -- he greatly enjoyed sampling the cultures of other nations, whether they be the Empire’s fellows in Fodlan, those outside of Fodlan but still close to home, such as Brigid, or those very far away continents that many of his new compatriots here at the Academy seemed to hail from! Thusly, Ferdinand enjoyed the food, watched the horse shows... and he most certainly signed up for the houst.

To tell the truth, it wasn’t that Ferdinand lacked any anxiety at all over the concept -- the man was often ridden with more worries and insecurities than he would ever like to admit. It was true that he was still quite rusty with riding, even if he had been recently practicing... he’d been found in stables and with equestrian merchants more often in recent months as he’d started to take his old passion back up, but it had always been something of a secondary priority. Still, he’d learned to be harder to knock around from the battles he’d been in, mock or otherwise, and he felt that he was quite sound with a lance! Perhaps this wasn’t a situation for switching around his weapons, but the lance had been a mainstay since the very start for Ferdinand, and so the noble felt that he could be reasonably confident in his chances.

Besides, he was Ferdinand von Aegir, was he not? He could tackle anything, so of course he could tackle a simple jousting competition! He had surpassed nearly every Black Eagle in the mock battle (especially Hubert), and he had held off a wave of the minions of the monster Sophrosyne! He had slain bandits in lethal warfare! He had plenty of experience with combat! Ferdinand allowed this knowledge to provide him with confidence as he approached the benches to wait for the tournament, and his posture soon reached the rather upright and confident posture that most probably expected from him.

However, once he reached the benches, Ferdinand found himself encountering somebody who was very much not Ferdinand von Aegir... who was in fact the polar opposite of him in quite a few ways. “...Nino?” The petite mage was not who Ferdinand had expected to find among the benches, and his eyebrows raised by a significant degree. “I have to say, it is a surprise seeing you here of all places. Have you... perhaps been learning the lance?” Ferdinand really hadn’t believed her to have the upper body strength for that sort of thing... then again, recalling a certain pie incident, it wasn’t as if he hadn’t experienced it for himself...

[tobenobility]

۞

o k a y last one

Pros:

-Well, Robin is certainly already used to dealing with dumbass highborn leadership figures hahahaha

-In all seriousness, I imagine that Robin’s experiences with Chrom would probably go a long way to allowing him some insight into Ferdinand’s thought process since him and Chrom are alike in a lot of ways; both of them are exceptionally straightforward people who are often quite dense and at the same time very on-the-ground and hardworking people, even if Ferdinand has... something of a different attitude about it than does Chrom.

-I think Ferdinand would probably surprise Robin positively, though. Not to say that Chrom is stupid, despite the memes, but I think Ferdinand has a sort of personal administrative acumen that Chrom doesn’t, and a lot of introspective ability -- we see the former from his lost items including land management paperwork and his endings, and of course the latter is all over his supports. Ferdinand’s actually a very smart guy, which Robin might appreciate as somebody very tactically minded, he really just takes time to get going and has to be jarred to think outside of the box.

Cons:

-Honestly, thinking about it, I really just can’t think of any reason for them to take interest in each other like that. While I could see, say, Chrom and Ferdinand ending up working together on some task, Robin really isn’t as hands-on of a person as either of them are, penchant for bear meat or no. They both do peruse the library, sure, but it’s for different interests: Ferdinand is interested in history and weaponry, whereas Robin is primarily interested in, of course, tactics. There’s just not a whole lot of common ground, especially since Ferdinand is a much more open person than Robin.

-Well, uh, the whole Grima thing is a problem, especially since Robin as you write him has a lot of difficulties with it. Like I noted with Constance, Ferdinand is perfectly capable of being sensitive and changing his demeanor, but it’s not really something that he’s capable of doing very quickly, so if Grima presents a consistent but unstable threat to Robin, it’s not something that Ferdinand would really have much of a meaningful way to deal with, especially since he’d be evry thoroughly over his head.

Verdict:

Methinks that this is honestly kind of just a “ships passing in the night” scenario, to take some tvtropes terminology; there’s not a whole lot that would draw them together as a couple, even if the similarities that Ferdinand and Chrom have are honestly pretty funny on the whole. But I imagine that’s not really much of a surprise, haha.

[tobenobility]

۞

Pros:

-I was actually pretty excited to think about this one because the warmth of their interactions in the paralogue that they share, especially at its end, is really astounding... it kind of blew me away, honestly. Here is somebody that Lysithea has every reason to distrust, dealing with the death of a man that deeply, horrifically scarred Lysithea... and she is just shockingly nice to him about the whole thing. It was really something I enjoyed watching, and it does make me think that Lysithea really wouldn’t bear a grudge at all towards him.

-Relatedly, I feel like a relationship between the two would be exceptionally warm... honestly, I think it would be really lovely. Her soft and warm side comes out at its best with him in their paralogue, and as she really can be a very affectionate person to her loved ones, I think that it’s something that he would continue to benefit from. Ferdinand is also very affectionate in his own way; he’s not really a mushy person, but what he does do is constantly make gestures to express that he does care about people he cares about, from the grandiose (giant statue of Marianne, what were you THINKING Ferdinand lol) to the mundane (starting to drink and even appreciate coffee when befriending Hubert), so I think they’d actually be pretty lovely together. 

-They’re both extremely hard workers, and this is something that I think they could really admire in each other. This isn’t so much me going “POWER COUPLE” for the millionth time, since Lysithea isn’t as forward and out there with the things she works hard at as Ferdinand is, but nonetheless the fact that they’re both quite diligent probably means a lot considering how much they each make it clear that this is something that they value.

-This is of course pure speculation, and it’s a big deal, but I think that their theoretical ending would be one of the endings where Lysithea ultimately survives. This isn’t because of any personal capacity on Ferdinand’s part to remove her crests, as he doesn’t have that kind of specialty, but rather I think it would be something like her support with Edelgard -- I think Ferdinand could secure help from outside sources like Hanneman or Linhardt or others through unceasingly pursuing the removal of her Crests really god damned hard, to a very uniquely Ferdinand degree, even, combined with the massive resources he has at his disposal.

Cons:

-Well, as far as personalities go, I feel like their differing views of nobility would definitely cause some tension. This is a pretty obvious con: Ferdinand’s obsession with nobility and the way that he structures his entire life around it don’t really go away even when he matures post-timeskip, and Lysithea’s resolve to distance herself from nobility only intensifies with that timeskip. This is what I think the biggest personal tension between them would be, although I do think an understanding could be reached.

-Ordelia territory... THIS would be a problem, and a big one. If they get together, Lysithea probably still withdraws from politics and noble life, but handing Ordelia territory off to Ferdinand (despite his probable willingness to govern it) probably is a very bad idea, ESPECIALLY if it involves Hrym as well, seeing as the people of Hrym literally killed Ferdinand’s father out of hatred for what they thought he’d done to them. But even otherwise, the political snarl that has been House Ordelia is enough to ensure that Lysithea would have to find another place to give the territory up to be governed, which could end up pretty difficult.

-Lysithea’s parents probably don’t much like Ferdinand at all, even if Lysithea herself doesn’t hold his father’s actions against him at all, and considering that Lysithea loves her parents very, very dearly that really isn’t something that can just be brushed aside -- I imagine that it would add a tangle to a relationship between them even at the same time as the Ordelia/Hrym territory would be very difficult. Still, if you accept my speculation that Ferdinand could ultimately get someone to help remove her crests, this is probably seriously softened, as I find it hard to imagine that they’d continue to begrudge him after he ensures that their only remaining child’s lifespan greatly gets extended.

Verdict:

Honestly, I really like this one... it’s not one that I’d really considered much until I saw the ask, but I loved their paralogue and I feel like going off of what I saw there and the major personality traits that they actually do share, they would have potential for a really warm and lovely relationship. Of course, the shared history between their families would make it damn difficult to pull off at first, but these are for the most part external factors... in terms of their personal chemistry, which I think matters the most in my analysis of character relationships, I really like the way I think they would go together.

[tobenobility]

۞ admittedly sending this because i'm just curious :0)

i-- i think that’s why everyone sends these lilly

Pros:

-I think that they would probably both enjoy the parts of their relationship built on ambition, at least when Constance isn’t in her more subdued state. There’s a sort of friendly rapport of simultaneous competition and cooperation that I feel like their supports build up towards the end, and that could honestly be a pretty fun dynamic, especially considering that both people (at least at their best) have a focus on improving themselves. I think Ferdinand especially would really enjoy this sort of thing!

-Ferdinand probably provides one of the best ways for Constance to get back on her feet out of anybody in the game -- from a pragmatic perspective, the resources that she gains access to through House Aegir are very abundant, and if anything and anyone can help her achieve her dream of recreating House Nuvelle, it’s this and Ferdinand himself. Plus he would probably be pretty unwavering in doing his best to support her personally, as Ferdinand is rather wont to do, and that would probably be pretty nice.

-Yet another Ferdinand power couple -- when these two are at their most sharpened levels and given reason to push something, that thing is sure as shit getting a pushing. From their endings, we can see that they actually turn very constructive when they do so as well, either helping create the new social order in Crimson Flower or making serious magical progress in Ashen Wolves. I suspect that this is one of the most constructive turns that Constance can end up taking.

Cons:

-Oh dear God is Constance capable of ripping into Ferdinand... in their C support it is really just brutal. With how unstable Constance is, I think it’s probably inevitable that she would hit him with this on more than one occasion, and it would probably get pretty ugly when they get into fights... I cringe a bit just imagining the tongue-lashings Constance might deal, especially because I don’t think Ferdinand would be inclined to defend himself much.

-She’s honestly kind of inconsiderate sometimes... as we see, in their A support, Ferdinand is pouring his heart out to her after having experienced a lot of hardships of his own, and she does laugh at him for it. Now, this isn’t to say that she isn’t a lot more thoughtful in her more subdued form, but I think that this is probably also a sort of scenario that would pop up a lot between them... I think it would have to be fixed, too. I think Ferdinand would feel really seriously hurt by that being a consistent thing.

-Ferdinand, as we see in supports like the ones that he has with Bernadetta, is actually very much capable of adjusting to people and changing his approach... but the thing is that he’s pretty darned slow at it. He has to run face-first into a wall, back off, take a while to reconsider how he’s doing things, and then do it again. With the way Constance works, she changes the way that she needs to be approached very quickly, and I’m not really sure that Ferdinand could keep up.

Verdict:

Ehhh... leaning negative on this one, I think, if not necessarily too strongly. They do have pros that ended up more compelling than I expected as I wrote them, and their ending shows that in a lot of respects things go very well indeed for them if they do get together, but I think there are some cons that would lead to some pretty difficult daily troubles to deal with... Ferdinand just isn’t quick enough on his feet to deal with a lot of aspects of Constance’s instabilities well.

[tobenobility]

The couple meme?

eventually, yes

Pros:

-Well... I think Hilda would most certainly end up happy in a lot of the ways that she wants to be happy. There isn’t anything that Hilda would want for with Ferdinand working without halt by her side and for her, and he’d of course lavish her with affection just like he does anybody else he’s with -- she’d be spoiled rotten, hahaha, and I’m sure that on a lot of levels she’d be quite delighted by this. We do at least see that some of her talents are given room to be explored through how thoroughly she is cared for, as well.

-I have to admit that Ferdinand enrolling in her artisan academy and taking on accessory-making as a hobby is pretty cute. I think it might do him some good, too -- post-skip, Ferdinand is pretty well eclipsed by very serious and grim tasks, and I think his days of going around doing charming little errands to fill his time are probably gone even after the war, when he’s got a prime minister position to attend to and he’ll make himself worry and fuss over that position. Having something harmless to expend some of his energy on would actually probably be pretty good.

Cons:

-The foundation of their relationship as seen in their supports is honestly terrible; it’s a series of manipulations where Hilda tricks Ferdinand into doing things for her and then... eventually Ferdinand pulls a 180 and decides that he likes it? Honestly, it seems to me to be pretty well counter to the rest of his established character, where he’s already established that using noble status to help people and perseverance are key traits to him. That in and of itself bothers me a lot when I consider their supports, but this is more OOC complaining than strict IC consideration, hahaha.

-What ISN’T just OOC complaining is the fact that their support chain really is terribly one-sided. Like, it’s kind of awful -- she’s tricking him constantly, and all of the work that goes between them in that support chain pretty much comes from him to her. If their supports are at all indicative of how their later relationship would go, I would suspect it to have a nasty case of “all take and no give” where Ferdinand is pouring his time and energy into her and really not receiving all that much in return. And I think that could damage both of their perspectives of each other: Ferdinand could become frustrated and just short of resentful, whereas Hilda could come to discount a lot of his intelligence and the real philosophy behind his drive because of how easily directed he is.

-It’s not like Hilda isn’t capable of better -- she throws herself to her death defending Claude because she’s capable of profound acts of determination and even sacrifice, even though she claims the very opposite to be the case. She’s capable of being truly wonderfully caring and thoughtful, as we see in some of her other supports... but with the dynamic that their supports set up, she doesn’t get challenged at all, and a lot of this probably never rises to prominence (at least in regards to Ferdinand) because of that, meaning that she herself is probably denied some character development should she come to live with him for the rest of their lives.

Verdict:

Yeah, I... really don’t like this one. Honestly, of all of the support chains that Ferdinand has, this one is probably my least favorite. This relationship, aside from working off of what I feel to be a fairly character-breaking support, highlights their bad qualities and fits them together rather than highlighting and sharpening their good qualities. Hilda’s laziness is exacerbated by Ferdinand bending over backwards for her, and Ferdinand just plays dutifully into his overly straightforward side and denies his beliefs and complexities. They each bloom a lot better with different people.

[tobenobility]

۞ (time for this dumpster fire)

(For reference, this is an answer to that “send ۞ to get pros and cons to a relationship with my muse” question from a while back, it’s just been FOUR MILLION YEARS because March has been a bit rough)

Pros:

-There should be no doubt that Ferdinand would be very loyal to Edelgard -- while he may have his moments of ego (to say the least), and while her actions do throw him into a lot of internal turmoil, when he’s not recruited, he stays with the Empire even when she’s taken everything from the family and noble lineage that he holds very, very dear. I have to imagine this would translate to him being very faithful in a romantic context.

-The two have a long history to work off of, and while this history certainly hasn’t been always positive, by the time that they’re in a position to be in a relationship, they would have to have worked through a lot of that history and come to better understand it, at least in the Crimson Flower route. While I have to imagine that Edelgard would take a long time to reveal everything to Ferdinand, if she would ever, the two would most definitely know how to work around each other fairly intimately. I also like to think of their A support, where Edelgard says she’s always considered him a friend -- even if they’ve had their negative moments, there’s a lot of things to like about each other to draw off of as well, which I think they’d be capable of doing when they’ve both matured.

-Ferdinand is actually more flexible than he might often seem long-term, and he’s very affectionate as well, which I think means that in the circumstances when they work he would be a lot more tolerable than one might think as a partner, and willing to provide Edelgard with quite a bit of affection at that, something I think she might appreciate -- I get the feeling that given her past and her position, and especially after having really listened to Edge of Dawn, bonds and affection are something that she desperately desires but had assumed she’d lose (which becomes pretty true outside of Crimson Flower).

-Holy hell, talk about a power couple. With their forces combined, I’m pretty sure that there’s absolutely no obstacle that can stand in their way. These two would (well, in Crimson Flower at least) together change the world for the better, far better -- you’d probably be hard-pressed to find as consistent a combination of ambition and the hard work and drive to put that ambition together in any other Three Houses couple, since I think maybe only Claude compares there. Edelgard’s vision would probably take front seat, but I have to imagine as well that Ferdinand would alter it for the better, considering his very consistent dedication to working with Edelgard and honestly (and, as he matures, constructively) criticizing and presenting alternatives to the worse things she comes up with. (Also, They Who Slither in the Dark are super going to get their asses kicked.)

Cons

-Ohhh, boy. Okay, so here’s one that has to be addressed right off, a healthy relationship between the two is only possible at all in the Crimson Flower route, as I’ve repeatedly alluded to here. In any other route, Edelgard is growing increasingly unhinged without any real moderating influence, and Ferdinand is extra lost and confused and conflicted about the situation of his family plus the gaping inferiority complex he has about her. These two instabilities would, when paired, make any relationship between the two inherently horrifically inequal, and I suspect that it would potentially become downright abusive from Edelgard to Ferdinand when you factor in how much agony and heartbreak Ferdinand’s father has caused her, which she’s probably not going to be inclined to forgive on most routes given how vengeful she becomes.

-Taking these other cons from the perspective of Crimson Flower where this is a more palatable concept, I think there would still be some level of issues with secrecy and trust for a long time in the relationship. Edelgard, of course, has some very deep-seated and extraordinarily painful issues she’s been sitting on, and with Ferdinand’s father so prominent a figure in these issues, it’s to be expected that she would be very hesitant to divulge them to him. Now, I do think that the Crimson Flower route ameliorates this -- it involves Ferdinand sacrificing what he’s always known to stick hard by her side and fight for and alongside her for the entirety of the route, and that process pretty much has to build trust between them, but even though it does set them up to fix the most critical points of distrust, there will probably always be at least be some mysteriousness from Edelgard.

-This is a lot more minor than the other two, but I have to imagine that even in the ideal scenario where they’ve really come to adapt to each other and break down the barriers that do exist between them, Ferdinand would still annoy the hell out of Edelgard from time to time, hahaha. I did say that he’d be more tolerable than he might seem, and I’m sure that he’d apologize later, but he’s still Ferdinand, so moments of too much bombast are to be expected, especially because I think he would still want to go out of his way to impress her even after having gotten over some of his insecurities.

Verdict:

I really do like the idea of a Ferdinand/Edelgard couple, and I really do love their A support, but the couple has to be in a VERY specific context -- anything outside of the Crimson Eagles post-skip period is doomed to absolutely nosedive terribly. But in that context I think they really can work out beautifully, since the issues that normally become huge problems have been sanded down and dealt with as each character has matured, leaving their more positive aspects to work together not only for each other’s own good (I had some trouble wording this longform, but I think they could also help reinforce each other in the situations where each would waver) but for everyone’s. It just, uh, it really, really does have to be in that context.

[tobenobility]

۞ [ // >:3c ]

Pros (they ARE genuinely there haha):

- As their ending and their first couple of supports make just blindingly clear, they have the potential to moderate each other’s worldviews in serious ways -- Hubert could probably get Ferdinand to be more flexible in his problem-solving and with his own experiences he could probably shake some of Ferdinand’s noble arrogance. Ferdinand, on the other hand, would really force Hubert to think with shockingly frequent insight about just why he does some of the things he does, and if he really should be doing them, as well as bringing out his surprisingly charitable side further.

- They’re both devoted to Edelgard (even if Hubert moreso) and as such they have common goals and a common duty that would bring them together... and both being in Edelgard’s court and being around each other all the time with them as Edelgard’s advisors mean that they avoid the problem I mentioned with Caspar of having very little to do together, and leads to the fun little situation in their ending.

- They’re both extraordinarily diligent people, but they approach their diligence in different ways which means that they actually not only are going to get just about everything that needs to get done and will be on top of life’s problems as they come, but they also will avoid the problem of reinforcing each other’s bad habits about the usage of their time. In particular, Hubert can probably convince Ferdinand to be a lot smarter about the way he uses his time instead of just doing things because he’s terrified of sitting idle.

- If they’re in a position where they’re at all in a relationship, it is completely impossible for them to not have figured out a way to healthily discuss and work through their problems with each other. It’s for this reason that I’m not actually thinking abuse would be a potential problem in a relationship like it is to a concerning degree in a lot of these “formerly hated” types of relationships. They HAVE to have healthy mechanisms to even have reached this point in the first place, and a Ferdinand Hubert relationship is actually probably Ferdinand’s best overall for dealing with and moving past problems in relationships.

Cons:

- Full disclosure, I’m not really a fan of the hate-to-love types of ships, if it isn’t already apparent, haha. But even though Hubert and Ferdinand would avoid some of the problems inherent to these after the relationship has become a thing, the fact that they despise each other is a serious obstacle that they have to surmount. It takes a lot of maturity to be able to move past a grudge like this, and neither one is guaranteed to reach that level of maturity.

- This goes DOUBLE for TOA, like holy hell. They have a longer and more acrid history here than is ever stated in the game, since we did elect to think about their past, and they also hate each other even more here than in the game. This isn’t actually to say that I think they’ll never move past it, as I’m definitely trying to leave hooks for them to have to face up to the consequences of the enormity of their feud, haha, but I do think that there will probably be a limit to how friendly they get.

- Their moral dispositions DO genuinely conflict. They might moderate each other, sure, but I don’t think Ferdinand ever becomes fully okay with Hubert’s brand of scheming and threatening and assault and, uh, well, the murder. The murder is definitely a downside. (Although I’m curious if you think he’s ACTUALLY done the kind of direct homicide he exudes the aura of pre-skip. He’s got his knives and chloroform, but I don’t know if it’s explicitly stated anywhere or not if he actually not only kills people but murders the,.) Introducing the timeskip into the formula affects this directly: in post-skip routes outside of Crimson Flower, Edelgard goes off of the deep end and so does Hubert -- this becomes insurmountable. In Crimson Flower or, probably, a hypothetical post-TOA route, Edelgard has moderating influences, and Hubert in turn is probably a lot more open to moderation.

Verdict: 

This, I think, is actually a shockingly stable and healthy relationship in the event that it comes to be, since they learn to intelligently criticize each other, moderate each other, and to even advance each other and themselves significantly as human beings when they do come together. Fan portrayals show them as very goopy, but I think the reality would be that they’d be in a couple of ways goopy but mostly very intelligent and serious about a relationship. The problem is that the initial gulf between them is wide enough that reaching that point takes a lot of maturity and a LOT of effort from the both of them -- and in TOA especially, the divide is so violent that I never see them crossing over to being this kind of intimate with each other. It’s also limited route-wise.