"We swore our blades to the service of Eternia, and pledged to fight for her future."
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[[Independent RP blog for Einheria Venus.]]
Sidebar Image: pixiv
Icon: Official Art
"Who would ask this...? A-at any rate, there is not, and never should be, a notion of preference in my heart regarding Commander Khint or Master Kamiizumi. I owe, not merely my life, but the knowledge of the battlefield, to both men, and I am eternally grateful for the fact. They are... they are both wonderful teachers, and that is all there is to be said on the matter."
"Oh… All right." Elincia smiled, understanding Einheria’s meaning. Of course she wouldn’t let a stranger cook for her, especially one who was still, in technical terms, her prisoner. "Very well then. Please tell me if there is anything I can do to help, however…"
Quickly following the valkyrie, the Queen shook her head. “Not particularly… I lack any known allergies, and spent a great deal of my life in places where we hunted more meat than we bought, so I am accustomed to a varied diet. I am certain this will be wonderful.”
The kitchen was much colder without a fire, and Einheria immediately hastened to the stove, attempting to light it as she continued to speak. "If you have no objections, I'll make meat and vegetable stew," she said, as the tinder finally caught, filling the stove with a small but warm glow, "It would do us well to have something warm and filling on such a cold night."
Pulling out a pot, about to fill it with water, the valkyrie turned her head, giving a nod towards the pantry. "I believe my sister has put in some dried meat only a few days prior. Would you take some out?" Though she still kept a watchful gaze on the queen's actions, Einheria's tone had returned to a more casual one as she placed the half-filled pot on the burning stove, letting it heat up as she began reaching for the vegetables to add.
Victoria just nodded in response to Einheria’s question about having a nightmare and concentrated on the feeling of the Valkyrie stroking her back. When Victor calmed her, he usually stroked her hair, but it was similiar enough to have the same effect and yet still so different that it didn’t remind her of the doctor too much. It helped Victoria to focus a bit more and she tried her best to at least stop crying. She hated looking weak so much.
When Einheria offered to take her to Victor, though, Victoria’s hard-fought, little progress almost shattered instantly again. “N-No!” She gripped the clothes of the Valkyrie harder, tugging on them. “Not Victor! Not this time! …O-only if I…have a seizure…” The thought was horrible. Not only would the seizure bring what all of them did - the pain, the terror, the feeling that she was close to death - there was also the rather large chance that it would turn out even worse since she was so stressed now, Victor would then take care of her and also bring her to the lab. The lab had long had a complete overhaul since the death of Victor’s father, but it was still the same room and all the examination and surgery tables looked the same anyway… No, the last thing she wanted was being helpless with Victor in the lab right now.
However, every sane person would probably get the same idea as the Valkyrie. If she wanted to stop Einheria, Victoria needed to offer at least some explanation. She frantically tried to find words without giving anything away. “P-Please. I… normally go to V-Victor when I have nightmares. B-But not this t-time. I-It would make things w-worse… too much stress…”
"A-alright, alright..." Einheria wasn't sure why Victoria had had such a strong negative reaction to the proposition, or why going to Victor would make things worse when, for all she knew, he was the only one usually taking care of the Arcanist's health, but she eased back down into the bed obligingly, keeping her tone soothing as she continued the soft stroking, "Shh... you'll be fine..." Einheria remembered saying such things to her younger sisters, first to Mephilia, during her younger days when she had truly believed them to be true, and then to Artemia, later on, when some part of her had, herself, always yearned to hear those words once more. She pulled Victoria a little closer, holding her as she had held the tiny child Artemia all those years ago.
At the same time, however, she reminded herself that Victoria was not such a small child, that there was probably a reason behind these tears, one that can be explained if she could get the girl to calm down. "What happened...?" She began in a slow, gentle voice, trying not to rush a response before the Arcanist had calmed sufficiently, "Will you... tell me what the nightmare was about?"
Ventus could tell through her expression that she was a bit surprised. He soon realized that he used her name, and never heard her introduce herself as well. He did hear about her from other soldiers…and probably figured that he used her name too casually. ”I-Im sorry…I should probably stick to mam..mam!” Ventus found himself trying to take back what he said, as he was bowing to her.
Thinking about it, he wondered how it would be to join in the ranks of the Eternian army. He was a class of his own, as no one knew of him being a capable of magic as well, but he didnt want to flaunt his strength too much.
Then again…he had an urge to do something…and turned his gaze over to Einheria.
"Ah, no..." Einheria raised a hand briefly in an attempt to dismiss his concerns, "You are free to address me by name if you wish." As long as the soldiers held respect in their attitude, title had never mattered too much, especially in a faction like the Bloodrose Legion where the hierarchy was so clearly distinguished. Besides, this boy certainly seemed to be a respectful type. Which reminded her... "Incidentally, what is your name? I do not remember seeing you last I arrived in Eternia." Granted, it had been a few months prior, but she had at least an inkling of recollection for most of the trainees who had already entered training at that time.
Oh wow, Einheria had no idea at all. Victoria frowned, feeling the unhappiness she had felt when Artemia had shown her the stories flare up again.
[4:43PM]
I don’t even know where to start. How about one of the ‘best’ ones? Frosti Big-Brother makes me a pie, we kiss and he wants to marry me. So he hunts some food and makes me clothes and puts Victor into a dress(!) and I agree to the proposal. So we have a happy family with lots of babies and Victor as our pet(!!) and we also become leaders of the tribe. Artemia’s currently writing the next, thrilling chapter.
Oh, and about who read those besides the two of us so far? Guess who. Yes, it’s at least Frosti Big-Brother. Artemia reads all her stories to him and discusses the pairings with him. I don’t know if you have ever seen a Frosti-penis - I haven’t and I would prefer if it would stay that way.
…Do you know a guy called ‘Jakkal’ (=Artemia’s spelling), by the way?
Well, that had been some text. Victoria wondered how Einheria would take this. Hopefully, the Valkyrie wouldn’t double over with laughter.
Far from laughing, Einheria gave another long sigh at the description given. So she really does do this kind of thing with her Frosti family too. At least, it seemed, Artemia's imagination was still rather tame when it came to details... If the 'Frosti-penis' was Victoria's own contribution, that is. The valkyrie certainly hoped so.
[4:47PM]
I... apologize for my sister's creations. If you ever require me to have a word with her to stop writing about you or Victor or the others, I'll do what I can.
She wasn't sure exactly how to do so without disappointing her sister, but if this was getting out of hand... She was spared from having to think of a way to possibly break the news to Artemia by her phone's buzzing once more. Jakkal?
If you mean Jackal, he is a boy from Anchiem who now serves under Commander Khint.
What exactly does he have to do with this?
Of course, she would prefer if he, along with most of the other asterisk-holders in the army, had no further part in Artemia's... creative romantic endeavors, but it seemed her sister's diary was just filled with slightly uncomfortable surprises for everyone.
Edea did not know how to feel about Einheria’s choice of topic. Was she prepared to scold her, even now?
"…I did," she said idly. "Several times, in fact."
You have no idea what I’ve been through. Had Alternis informed Einheria of her travels between parallel worlds? Either way, an explanation alone would never suffice.
She closed her eyes and looked away herself. “The result was always the same. More or less.”
The conversation died then, and the room suddenly felt that much colder. Edea sighed and forced herself to look at Einheria again. She had to cease this nonsense. She was the Grand Marshal, even if she didn’t feel like it.
"What have you been up to all these years?"
She wanted to send her away, and she was certain Einheria felt the same. But for the sake of courtesy — and pride — they both persisted. It was like slowly driving a knife into the base of her skull.
Several times? And yet, the result still ended as this... Einheria couldn't help but feel doubt for the sincerity of Edea's words brewing in her heart, and kept her gaze on the stone floor, enduring the icy silence while unable to find the words to break it. At the younger girl's question, however, she looked up, feeling her jaw clench as she let out a long, slow breath. Is she trying to mock me...? She didn't want to believe the younger girl would do such a thing, but... Einheria squared her shoulders, her expression almost defiant as she looked up to meet Edea's gaze.
"I remained in Florem... until Alternis Dim discovered my whereabouts," she replied, "With the severity of the wounds inflicted upon me, I had expected that I would join my sisters before too long... It is a testament to the power of Eternia's healing magic, even when no longer augmented by the cables, that I... that I was able to survive." She swallowed, turning her eyes away once more as she fell silent. Had she said too much? After all her self-reassurance that she would not blame Edea fully for what had happened, still... The valkyrie couldn't help her fingers curling into fists, even as she determinedly tried to hide all other traces of her building unease with this conversation. If nothing else, she was still standing before the Grand Marshal, after all.
((Mermaid, Banshee, and Witch. ;w; Mun and muse as well!))
[[RM'd because it's a little long. And because both muse and mun ended up being kind of depressing. You have been warned ;w;]]
How far would you go to keep the one you love?
"I would disobey any command in order to save my sisters' lives.
...Though I know... that is not enough. Perhaps... I have never been able to do quite enough, to show how I care about them."
[[I'm not too sure. Anything within my power and... most moral constraints, probably. If I CAN do anything I'd probably want to.]]
If you knew one of your loved ones/best friends had only one day left to live, how would you spend that last day with them?
"...Whatever they wished. I would go anywhere, do anything, if they wanted it. And I would help them stay strong in their last moments. It is... the least I could do for someone important to me."
[[I guess, if they're still conscious and able to walk around on their last day, we'd go somewhere nice, just to. you know. leave nice memories behind and all. I'll try to stay happy so they don't worry. and make sure to tell them how much I love them and how much I'll miss them. Make sure as best I can that they leave with no regrets, that kind of thing.]]
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
"I would find a means to abolish Crystalism in a peaceful manner. The duchy's goals will be furthered, but... without the suffering that we are causing now."
[[Well... after all the depressing stuff from before, all I can currently think of is 'find a cure for cancer.' There's probably an idea that's less sad, but nothing comes to mind now XD]]
"...On the battlefield, misplacing my spear would almost certainly spell death for me. If this is meant metaphorically, however... my sisters are more important to me than anything else."
[[Hmm, hmm. I guess I'd say friends and family too, though it's not exactly... I mean, not being able to live without something sounds really extreme, and people have a way of working through losing things anyway, I suppose.]]
Someone offers you a chance at immortality. Do you take it, and why or why not?
"I... don't think I would, especially seeing what you must have endured. The pain of having to see your loved ones perish would not be worth eternal life."
[[Me neither, for basically the same reason, I think. Immortality is rarely ever worth it.]]
psa. i am an agonizingly slow roleplayer — my muses are fickle and some days all i can manage is chat threads or shenanigans. other days i can pump out longer threads like no one’s business. if it takes me awhile on your thread it has nothing to do with you as a writer or me losing my muse for the thread. never hesitate to ask for my skype for in between threads for chatting and plotting and fun.
Also, I took a questionnaire IC for Einheria today XD Here's the results I got! Some of the questions were hard to make a choice for (I'd have probably preferred to answer 'neither') but overall I think it fits. There are also individual descriptions for the results, under the cut.]]
Adapt
Respect for Authority: 10 - "You think that it is important to comply with the rules of authority, sometimes to the detriment of your independence."
Patience: 6 - "You like to swiftly obtain concrete results. You are able, however, to be patient and look ahead to the future."
Responsiveness: 4 - "You like to analyze situations and give yourself the time to make a decision. You may sometimes lack spontaneity."
Stress Management: 4 - "You prefer to avoid stressful situations, you may find it hard to manage pressure."
Manage
Taking Responsibility: 10 - "You like to take and assume responsibilities. You feel the need to be involved."
Organization: 8 - "You like to plan and methodically organize your time. You want to have total control over your timetable."
Leading: 6 - "Leading a team does not come naturally to you but you can accept the group's decision."
Vision: 5 - "You are able to focus on details and address situations objectively to be more efficient."
Excel
Work Ethic: 8 - "You are comfortable during periods of intense activity, you are able to get through a large amount of work."
Competitive Spirit: 6 - "You are not scared of rivalry but you prefer to cooperate rather than compete with others."
Determination: 6 - "You are able to stay on track and power on to meet your objectives while adapting to any difficulties encountered."
Ambition: 4 - "You wish to progress at your own pace. You do not attempt to climb the professional ladder at all costs."
Communicate
Persuasion: 6 - "You do not necessarily like to argue, but do not hesitate to defend your points of view when necessary."
Diplomacy: 5 - "You are able to tactfully express your ideas.You are not taken aback by situations of conflict when they arise."
Ease in Public: 4 - "Not always at ease in public, you do not spontaneously open up to people that you do not know." - [[Ehh, I wouldn't say so. She is the second-in-command, after all, so she has to be comfortable in public to a large extent. The opening up thing is quite true though.]]
Opening up to Others: 3 - "You favor your opinions and generally pay moderate attention to new ideas." - [[More like 'the duchy's opinions which she'd internalized as her own' but yeah]]
Dare
Autonomy: 6 - "You like to develop independently even if you like sharing your achievements."
Creativity: 3 - "You stick to established procedures, you are not afraid of being conventional."
Independent Mind: 3 - "You think that the opinion of the group is very important, you are sensitive to criticism."
Self-confidence: 3 - "You sometimes question yourself and may tend to doubt your potential."
[[Aaaa, sorry for the lack of any activity at all over the past few days! I've been unexpectedly hit with an important responsibility to take care of, which is why I haven't had a chance to do much of anything XD I'll be back, if not tomorrow evening, then on Monday! Until then, sorry for the delays, everyone, and I hope you're all having a great weekend! ♥♥♥]]
"Oh… to think, that I should have appeared by accident in a land that no accident should ever bring people to… how very strange. Though I suppose I now understand why you are so wary of travelers, since such things must surely not be widely available, if conventional sea travel yet remains in use…"
She brightened considerably at the mention of flying to the Sage. “Truly? Well, then, of course I should like to leave as soon as possible! I have always loved flying, though I’ve only ever done it on a Pegasus…” She sighed. “But it seems for now, we are grounded.” It was at that that her stomach growled. “And I am very hungry… I hate to trouble you, but… have you already had your own dinner? I could cook, as payment for food…”
"...I have not had dinner either," she answered, looking up from her own pondering of Luxendarc's modes of travel, at the question. She had been thinking of relaxing a little longer by the fire before heading to the kitchen, when the queen's knock had come at the door, and then she had been distracted... But now that it was mentioned, the valkyrie could feel her own hunger resurfacing. "But there is no need for such an offer. I will cook." Not only did she doubt a queen would have much in the ways of cooking ability, but allowing a stranger, no matter how cleared of immediate suspicion, to prepare food for her in her own house seemed a recipe for nothing but trouble.
She stood up, indicating for Elincia to follow as she headed towards the kitchen. "Do you have specific food preferences?" she asked almost automatically. Having dealt with Artemia's taste for raw meat, Einheria had, at the back of her mind, grown accustomed to expecting odd requests. Especially justified, in this case, given that Elincia was, apparently, from a world which named their mode of aerial transport after fictitious flying horses. Or perhaps a world in which such horses were not fictitious at all.
Elincia cocked her head, confused. “A… A skystone? I… I do not even know what that is… and you say it somehow can lift an ordinary vessel into the air?” That sounded fascinating… if she was stuck in this world, then she would certainly have to ride one of these ‘airships’. “I only know of ships of the seafaring variety…”
The gaze lingered for only a moment longer before Einheria closed her eyes, giving an affirming nod. "There are ships designed solely for sea travel, but given Eternia's geography, all vessels created within borders must be equipped with the enchanted ore that powers flight," she said, before a light pause, "...You will board one when we leave for the Sage's woods." Using her own airship, it shouldn't take too long to reach Yulyana Woods, just a small ways past her usual post in Florem. "I assume you will wish to depart as soon as the rain ceases." Which probably wouldn't happen until next morning, as the pitch-black sky visible through the window indicated.
"Oh, I see…" Elincia’s eyes widened in amazement. There had been some attempts in her home country to create an item that would let the user change their physical abilities to fit different combat roles, but those had never succeeded, and even the theory didn’t allow any person to take on more than a few possible classes. "He must truly be an incredible mage, then. What fascinating technology… I think you had it backwards earlier. Your world has reached levels of magic mine could only dream of… that makes me wonder, though… are the ‘airships’ you mentioned another magical creation?"
Einheria almost gave a guilty start at the word 'backwards' - Does she know the truth of the pillar of light...? - but gave a sigh of relief as the queen continued. "Airships are our main mode of transportation across continents," she answered, "A vessel of the sea, equipped with a skystone that allows it to take to the air. You... have truly never seen one before?" She fixed Elincia with a wondering gaze. It was completely impossible to enter Eternia without a high-powered airship, and given the woman's tone, the question sounded sincere. This, then, could prove her story...
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