Fire Emblem On Forums: Mortal Transgressions (IC)

[RedMageCole]

Arthur listened intently to Justine, though his expression didn't seem to change much as he was lost in thought. In fact, his pain didn't seem to go away.

 

"No... no, you're right. It just gets so difficult, it makes me so angry that things had to turn out the way they did... and then if it weren't for the rest of you, I would have been stuck in prison, I don't even know how I was found out in the first place..." Arthur grumbled, before his grumbling turned into a light sigh. "Sometimes it feels like everything that happened was just a burden rather than a blessing... and then to even think about that thought feels like an insult to her memory."

[Chevaleresse]

Justine placed a hand on Arthur's shoulder.

"Memories are a more complicated thing than some people think. I can't tell you what to do with all of yours, although I wish I could." She thought for a moment. "I think it's natural to wonder about what could have been. How things might have gone if we'd met someone earlier, or never met them at all. Especially when it's something as complicated and painful as this. All I can really say is. . . try to find the good in it all. It wouldn't hurt this badly if there wasn't just as much joy in it to start. Let yourself feel that pain, and then try to turn it back into the happy memory it once was."

[Swordstar]

"I love you too, Lucy. Now just keep on relaxing. Things will be ok."

 

She turned towards Baldur and sighed.

 

"She'll be ok. But you really should have warned her. Even if she is old enough to drink it, you still shouldn't have let her do it without knowing. As for you having alcohol right now at all... We'll talk about that later. Alone."

 

There was a promise there. A very worrying, threatening promise, but a promise.

[RedMageCole]

Arthur listened, and once Justine had finished he finally caught a hold of himself. His eyes at least opened again to face the ocean.

 

"...mh... I'm glad I ran into you. You know how to manage emotions much better than I. I wouldn't even know where to start with my memories..."

 

———

 

Lucy was immediately softened up by Mim's words, sinking into the chair.

 

"No one'sh... ever shaid it back to me..."

 

With a little bit more blubbering and tearing up, she seemed to finally doze off.

[ElfCollaborator]

Lenore sighs at Kane.

"You know, I'll be real with you, boss. Someimtes, you just gotta let things play out. You got a good head on your shoulders, but  sometimes, feels like you're not using it right when it comes to leading."

[Aurorix]

Baldur sighed,  "Yea sure..." Baldur said dismissively to Mim before taking another swing from his drink,  "I'll stay by Lucy, you go enjoy the beach. I'd feel worse if I ruined two people's day off." Glancing back at his drink and over to Shin he holds it out for him,  "Well, now that the cat is out of the bag do you still want a drink Shin?"

[Shauntaro]

Shin had mostly been day dreaming during Mim's scolding. He somehow zoned out right as they were discussing what Baldur had but into his drink.


"Huh? Oh, sure.. anything to help beat the heat.." Shin takes it and without a second thought, downs the whole glass in one go.


"Ah.. thanks. I've.. never had anything like this before, it's.. really good!" He says as he hands the glass back to Baldur. "Did you make this all by yourself?"

[Aurorix]

Baldur was in awe of witnessing Shin throw caution to the wind, "Shin... What the FUCK! Were you paying attention at all to what was going on?!" Furiously snatching the glass from his hands and inspecting it one more time to make sure he wasn't imagining.  "We're going to need a second chair at this rate..." He pinches the bridge of his nose to try and help quell his fury.

[Shauntaro]

"What..? Why are you yelling? Is there something wrong?" Shin says, confusedly to Baldur. Not feeling the least bit different.

[RedMageCole]

A very light sigh escaped Kane as he continued to stare up at the sky.

 

"...Don't I already know that..." Though his words sounded defeated, he still had driving force behind them. "Even so, I cannot allow mistakes to inhibit my motivation. But I have at least been thinking on plans, knowing when to get my limits back in order... I've also been trying to get more sleep, convincing myself that the Icons of Sin aren't tracking Lucy at five in the morning was one battle I won with myself lately."

[Aurorix]

"Juuuuust give it a bit Shin." The man uttered disappointing while going off and dragging another chair underneath the umbrella. It shouldn't take too long for it to kick in if Lucy was anything to go by.

[Shauntaro]

A bit happens.


"Is something supposed to happen?" Shin says, still unfazed.

[Aurorix]

Baldur raised his right eye brow,  "Really? You don't feel anything right now?"

[Shauntaro]

"Aside from discomfort from all this heat..? No.. nothing much." Shin replies, scratching his head a little.

[Aurorix]

"I... I don't know whether I should be impressed or concerned..." Crossing his arms and taking a deep breath in,  "Maybe a bit of both?" Why does Shin of all people have high tolerance? Nothing about his build suggests that he would, unless he somehow drinks a lot behind closed doors.

[RedMageCole]

Some time passes...

 

"Alright. We've had enough leisure, it's getting late... Come on, I'll cook dinner."

 

...

 

 

 

—————

 

A week goes by. A week without further incident, until there is a knock on the door just as breakfast is finished. Kane gets as far as unlocking the door before— Albert comes barreling in, panting as hard as he can.

 

"Ria and Perus... They have gone to war!"

 

"Hmph... It was only a matter of time..."

 

"Of fucking course." Arthur rolled his eyes. "Shocked he didn't do it sooner, asshole."

 

"...Brother..."

 

"I apologize, but we cannot allow for further delay— Ria's military might is strong, but no match for Perus— your best and perhaps only chance of obtaining that Relic thing is now before it falls into Perusian hands or worse... However, all of the borders are shut down and heavily fortified, even when Ceda and Perus's borders were once lax. However, Her Majesty has arranged for a ship to pass through the center lake so that you can all get to Ria without interference from Perus. As long as we fly Ceda colors, they will assume we are there for diplomatic relations. You have a plan, yes?... Please tell me you have a-"

 

"Albert, calm down. I have a plan— and it just so happens that the best case scenario involved a skirmish."

 

"You have!? I mean, you have! Good! We'll need to prepare the ship, so please get ready and be there in... er... well, just get there sometime today! Please!"

 

With a salute, Albert hurried back to his horse and rushed off at a blinding speed. Kane put a fist over his mouth, turning to the group.

 

"Well, then... Showtime, everyone. We cannot allow this war to go on for long— Lucy, do you have any idea of why Perus...?"

 

Lucy opened her mouth to speak, shaking. Arthur decided to spare her.

 

"It wouldn't have been Perus that started it— fucking Ruslan's had a hate hard-on for Perus for years. I bet the second Ria fucks off, Perus will also most likely fuck off."

 

Lucy opted to nod, relieved that Arthur interjected for her no matter how crude he may have been.

 

"Alright. Get your bearings, everyone..."

 

"And talk te me if ye need weapons, got a nice batch 'a silver I cooked up—" Just as Simeon came upstairs, so did Sid, excitedly holding a... what looked to be a tree branch with a spearhead on it.

 

"Mim! Mim! I did it, I tell ya! And get this, the old man said I improved the efficiency of a regular iron lance! Here ya go!"

 

"His craftsmanship is the worst I've ever seen, don't even look like an iron lance... but I'm afraid he's right, he managed to somehow improve the accuracy of an iron lance with no drawbacks... other than it looking like the worst thing I've ever seen in me days... Well? Ye gonna give 'er a name or what?"

 

"...Mim...?"

 

"Her as in the weapon, ye dolt."

 

"Oh, uh... how about... uh... Pokedeath?... or... Poking Death?... Uh... We can do Poking Stick maybe?... Cause it kinda looks like a stick kinda?"

 

"...Well, it fits the craftsmanship, I suppose... Mim, feel free to give it a better name if ye'd like, give this boy an actual lesson in namin' weapons."

 

"Hey!"

 

Mim obtained Poking Stick!

[Aurorix]

"Dammit! I was too idle and now war is upon us..." Baldur tightly gripped his sleeve as he mulled over this information. Well at least they were going to solve this issue ASAP, he'll just have to make up for his sloth in this next mission.  "I promised this world will know not of war and I intend to keep it!"

 

"Oh Shin! If I could bother you for a moment," Baldur approached the archer with a familiar green fabric neatly folded by his side.  "This was the best I could manage, it may not be brand new and still has some imperfections but I did fix your... weird... cloak... thing. Try it on to make sure I don't need to make adjustments." Contrary to what Baldur was saying, Shin would find no signs of imperfections by inspection. Maybe if he had the knowledge of a seamster it would become more apparent, but from the looks and most importantly the smell it almost seemed completely brand new. Did the butler do more than what said he'd originally do?

[Swordstar]

Mim couldn't help the small giggle that escaped as Sid named the lance but quickly smoothed her face into a more serious look.

 

"Thank you Sid, it's very nice. And I'm sure it will do a great job in combat. I appreciate all the work that you put into this."

 

She gave him a pat on his shoulder and then slung the spear into a holder she had attached to her backpack. Giving him a smile, she wandered over to Crimson and gently tugged his jacket sleeve.

 

"We'll be ok, right? We're going home but... It's not for a fun reunion. I wish I could take you to meet my family, but I know that's not why we're going. We've... We've got a job to do. Even if we also both have emotions bundled up in all of this. Right?"

[RedMageCole]

Sid's normally bandit-like face was turned into one of genuine pride and accomplishment. He couldn't even think of anything to say, but his face pretty much said it all.
 

"Heh, keep yer enthusiasm like that and ye'll be a fine blacksmith indeed..."

 

...

 

Arthur was thinking to himself, but was knocked out of it by Mim's tugging, turning his attention to her.

 

"...Yes. I won't deny it will be a... difficult mission, both physically and mentally. But we have to get through it... we need to stop Ruslan's ambition." Arthur rubbed his sleeve. Even though he had been enthusiastic to kill his father before, something was nagging at him. "...I would like to meet your family, though. Even if we don't have time, it can be something to look forward to when we go home after all of this is done... as much as I don't want to go home, I know I can't keep running away from it."

[Swordstar]

"Yeah... Unless we completely change how our government works, there will be a power vacancy if you don't come home eventually. Which will lead to all the nobles fighting to try and take the throne..."

 

She knew that there was no point in trying to argue about killing his father. Realistically, if he thought it was for the best, she wouldn't be able to dissuade him of it. But she could at least try and make him face his destiny face on.

 

"I'm sure my parents would love to meet you though. They might fall over themselves if they find out that you're a prince, but you would get some amazing cooking from my mom either way."

[RedMageCole]

Arthur sighed a little bit at being reminded of his inevitable fate.

 

"...I do... hate that fact. Even if it is the truth... I don't think I'm ready to leave Virtuous... I've been somewhat... fond of being here, actually. Like I can breathe for once. If I take the throne, then it's back to suffocating... but..." He took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind. "...You really think they'd be fine with it? I'm no stranger to how Rian people often fear my father more than anything... I do not wish to scare your parents either." There was genuine sadness, even some fear sprinkled in.

[Swordstar]

"Well, I mean, you aren't your father, are you? You have to understand, the people don't know you at all. So while there will be the whole scared of royalty thing as a general practice thing... I don't think they'll hold your father against you. I mean, I didn't. I don't see why they would either. You're different from your father. They'll be able to see that. Just like the rest of the people will. Maybe the throne doesn't have to be suffocating... You'll be different from your father, so maybe it won't weigh so heavy on you then."

[RedMageCole]

"...I... hope they don't." Arthur was very obviously stinging himself— Mim's words would comfort him, but he didn't seem to be allowing himself to feel better. "I'm very lucky that I have... better control over my temper than my father, but even then it sometimes slips out still. I don't want to give people a reason to fear me— but I am sometimes afraid of myself. I don't know when I'll next explode at someone for something stupid..."

[Swordstar]

"I mean... Same. We both have that side of us. But you aren't scared of me, right? And I'm not scared of your temper... It's something people in our country struggle with. The fact that you know that and don't want to let it control you makes you heaps better than your dad already as far as I'm concerned."

[RedMageCole]

"...You're right..." Arthur said with a little understanding sigh, the last of his self-loathing finally giving up and calling it quits. "I... hope that I can keep to that standard. Especially if I do have to take over..."