why am i doing this

[connie_connike]

CONNIE'S POST OF DELICIOUS AND DELECTABLE SELFCESTING
because there are just too many OCs in my head that won't go away otherwise

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CANON: FIRE EMBLEM FOREVER

[connie_connike]

(but connie-- shush)

a year gone by - the time in between

[connie_connike]

(August 2010 - December 2011)

Alihi Kaua

[connie_connike]

[ Fight or flight. That was Alihi's choice that day in the face of battle, in the face of her village, her home, being destroyed once again. It happened once before, it was happening once again, but regardless she made a firm and decisive decision.

She flew. She ran away. "To ensure her daughter's safety" she insisted, but at what price? Shame? Disappointment? Unease and uncertainty about whether she could ever make herself present in Learania again? Her friends? Abel? She didn't want to lose him, nor did she want to feel those things... but she couldn't turn back the clock now. It was far too late to change the way things were. She went with what she thought was right, which others probably would never understand. Regardless, Alihi had to move forward with her life in the only way that she knew how

Akihi Kaua

[connie_connike]

Alihi. [ His voice is soft as he folds his hands in front of himself. While his sister hid away, Akihi had been proactive, combating his shyness and really trying to let himself be known by people. He took little odd-jobs here and there, generating an income and studying or socializing in between. Just through that alone he managed to become a sage. Not a very strong one yet, but one nevertheless. He's becoming somebody!

... Sure, he hasn't gotten much farther than "Akihi, Alihi's brother" in some cases, but it's a start... right? ] Can... can I come in? Or is this a bad time...? [ He tries to peek around her to judge if Amara's awake or not. She's six now, right? Ahh, she's his only niece and even then he isn't 100% certain... ]

Alihi Kaua || Amara Kaua-Aelfgar

[connie_connike]

Aki? [ She stares at him, more than a little bit dumbfounded. How did he... what was he... what? ]

[ Luckily, Alihi didn't have to find words, because a certain little girl knew just what to say. ] Uncle Aki!! [ She ran full-speed at him, slamming into his legs and squeezing tight. ] I missed you, uncle Aki! I made you a birthday card and a Christmas card and another birthday card and-- [ ... Yep, she has just as much energy as before. That extra year made Amara smarter, but certainly not wiser or self-contained. She keeps babbling on and on and on, and Alihi doesn't have the heart to cut her off. ]

Akihi Kaua

[connie_connike]

Th-that sounds good! I'll look at them later. I actually want to talk to your mother first, though, if that's okay... [ Though his words imply that she has a choice in the matter, something in his expression says that he's not going to take "no" for an answer. Amara disappears just as quickly as she arrived, leaving him and his sister standing awkwardly in the doorway to her little house.

He clears his throat awkwardly, trying to break the ice. He is the one who came all this way to find her, after all... ] ... You covered your tracks well. I'm lucky I found you...

Alihi Kaua

[connie_connike]

[ She's quiet for a moment, shrugging her shoulders slightly. ] The less that people know, the less likely it is to spread around. ... I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, Aki.

[ Alihi looks down before stepping to the side and letting her brother in. She leads him to the kitchen table, letting him sit down while she got some water boiling for tea. ] Why are you here, anyway? I'm sure it's not because you feel guilty for not getting me a Christmas present last year.

Akihi Kaua

[connie_connike]

[ He chuckles lightheartedly. It is a little relieving for him to hear her say that; it means she hasn't really changed that much. ] Of course not. It's just, ah... [ Akihi laces his fingers together, looking down at the table. ] ... people are really worried about you, Alihi. They want to know that you're okay. They keep asking me if I know anything, which I didn't...

Alihi Kaua

[connie_connike]

... I figured that would be the case. After all, I did disappear without even saying anything... and I'm a tactician. They need me for that. [ And not a lot else outside of that. Alihi sighs heavily, watching the bubbles rise steadily in the water. ] Do you ever find yourself wishing that things weren't the way that they are? Not to say that anything in my life is terrible, because it really is not. It's just that sometimes I wish I could be a different person. I wish I hadn't been built up to be Learania's tactician like I had been.

[ a glance over her shoulder. ] ... Do you know what I mean, Aki?

Akihi Kaua

[connie_connike]

[ People claim that his sister knows all, but Akihi knows that is nothing but a lie. Of course he knows how it feels to want to be a different person; he's struggled with his sexuality for as long as he can remember, and even today he still does. How can he admit that he's liked Ryuu since day one and can't move that far past it? How can he tell her that he's been thinking of people in that light? He knows she'd accept it because that's the person she is, but it doesn't make the words come out any easier.

He's never liked being timid, withdrawn, unnoticed... the opposite of her... but that's just the way he is. ] ... I-I know what you mean. [ He looks up to meet her eyes. ] But I also think you owe it to them to go to Eyris? I mean, if you're really not going to be their tactician anymore, you should probably tell them to their face... I don't think I could tell them for you.

Alihi Kaua

[connie_connike]

I didn't say that I didn't-- [ She cuts herself off right there. Though she never said the words, she implied it more than enough with her actions. ] ... It's not that I don't want to. It's just that Amara is my first priority. I've constantly been putting her in second place, and as a mother that isn't the thing I should be doing. My child's well-being needs to be put before my own.

[ Alihi pauses to grab two mugs, carefully filling them with hot water before handing one with a little tea bag to Akihi. ] I've been too selfish. I've been living my own dream without even thinking about her... or Ryuu.

Akihi Kaua

[connie_connike]

... So you're going to forget about everyone else? [ He dunks the tea bag into his water, watching it soak. ] You... you've made more of an impact than you realize. H-how can you just forget that? People depend on you because you're the best. They could find other tacticians... but they trust you. They want you back, and for more that that, too! Y-you've saved lives!

[ He watches Alihi's expression to see if it changes at all. When it doesn't, Akihi can't do anything but sigh heavier than before, his voice softer and more withdrawn, just as it was a few years ago. ] ... Just a few days. Please. They really want to know you're okay.

Alihi Kaua

[connie_connike]

[ His words hit harder than Alihi could have ever anticipated. She knew all of these things, yes, but to hear it come out of her brother's mouth was an entirely different story.

But still... there is Amara. ] I... I really don't know, Akihi. If I go back, they won't take "no" for an answer. Why would they, in this case? They wouldn't just let me leave without trying to convince me to be their tactical adviser. [ She sits down across from him, the troubled expression clear on her face. ] And I... I don't know if I could turn down the position this time. But Amara has only one parent, and that's me. Even if I got someone to take care of her, it isn't the same.