middaeg | I've made my choice...

Entry tags:

I've made my choice...

Who: Corrin and various. Open prompts in main post, closed prompts beneath it.
When: During the memeshare event.
Where: Dreams!
What: A brief walk through Corrin's memories.
Warnings: Some violence, some death, talk of executions.

A. Foolish Innocence

[...When the image fades into view, it reveals the dark inner throne room of a large stone castle. An elderly king sits on the throne, with his five children standing before him. Corrin is in the center, looking up at the throne. Her expression is clearly one of nervous excitement, and she's fidgeting faintly in place.]

Garon: I see you made it here safely, Corrin.
Corrin: Yes, Father. Long have I wished to see you and visit Castle Krakenburg again. I feel like I’m dreaming…
Garon: It is only thanks to your diligence that you are here. I am told you are now a warrior almost on par with Xander. You finally possess the strength to be an instrument of Nohr’s power in the world.
Elise: But, Father, will she be all right outside of the fortress?
Camilla: I worry about that as well. Isn’t it dangerous for Corrin to live outside the fortress’s magical barrier?
Corrin: I appreciate your concern, but I earned my way here and I’m ready to fight.
Garon: Corrin, as you know, Nohr is at war with the eastern kingdom of Hoshido.
Corrin: Yes, Father. I have heard as much.
Garon: We of the royal family are descendants of the ancient gods, the First Dragons. As inheritors of that divine strength, we conquer those who oppose us with ease. One who learns to wield that power can destroy an entire army of common troops. Xander, Camilla, and Leo have already shown that they possess this power. I expect no less from you.
Corrin: I am aware of your expectations, Father. And I have trained every day to become more like my siblings.
Garon: Hmm…you show promise. But you will need a suitable weapon in order to serve Nohr.

[The king gestures, and a servant steps forward carrying a twisted, black-bladed sword. Corrin reaches out to accept it eagerly, tossing it from one hand to another as she learns it's balance.]

Corrin: Wow…
Garon: This is Ganglari, a sword infused with magic from another world. With this sword at your side, you will crush the Hoshidan army with ease.
Corrin: Thank you for this generous gift, Father.
Xander: Hmm… Generous indeed.
Garon: Now, let us see you put that sword to its proper use… Bring out the prisoners!
Nohrian: Yes, sire!
Corrin: Prisoners?

[The visitor to this memory would suddenly feel a presence next to them, and turn to find the current Corrin standing there. Her expression is distant, watching the scene.]

I was so excited that he finally trusted me. If only I knew...

[It was hard to tell if she was talking to the visitor, or herself.]

B. Mikoto

[...When the image faded into view, it revealed the brightly lit street of an airy, open city. People are walking around, selling and buying at the various market stalls, laughing and happy. Hushed conversations talk about the 'lost princess' who had returned to them.]

[Corrin was walking along the center of the street, in her black armor, being led by her three Hoshidan siblings and Azura...]

Corrin: Everyone really is friendly here. And it’s so…bright…and open. It’s quite a contrast from the fortress I grew up in.
Azura: I’m glad you like it. Like I said, I’ve always been happy here.
Takumi: Just don’t get too comfortable…sister.
Corrin: Pardon me?
Takumi: I don’t trust you. Shouldn’t you be heading back to Nohr soon?
Azura: Takumi…
Takumi: Hey, who said you could call me by name? You haven’t earned that privilege either.
Corrin: That doesn’t even make sense.
Takumi: Excuse me?
Corrin: Azura has been in Hoshido for as long as I’ve been gone. Shouldn’t that be enough to consider her part of the family?
Takumi: I don’t care. I don’t trust either of you. I just wanted to tell you that to your face.
Sakura: I apologize for Takumi’s rudeness. He’s a bit of a hothead. Anyway, how’d you like to try a sweet rice dumpling? It’s a Hoshidan specialty!
Corrin: I’d love to. Thanks, Sakura!
Sakura: You’re welcome!
Corrin: You know, I’m very close with a girl in Nohr who’s around your age.
Sakura: Oh? What's she like?
Corrin: Well, she's generous and kind. Always putting the need of others first...
Hinoka: All right, everyone. The ceremony is starting. Let’s head to the plaza!

[The real Corrin stood nearby, seemingly unaware of the visitor to her memory, as she stared at the scene unfolding before her. Her hands are clenched together, pressed into her stomach, and her red eyes are wide, nearly on the brink of tears...]

Please, no...

[But the memory was unwilling to heed her words and continued on...]

C. One Giant Step

[...When the image faded into view, it revealed a small army standing on a long stretch of lightly forested plains. Scattered around them are the remnants of a battle that had just ended, some medics moved from person to person healing the wounded while the dead enemies were left where they lay.]

[Most of the army was turned towards a deep, bottomless chasm that stretches in both directions as far as the eye could see. An old wooden bridge hung across it, swaying slightly in the breeze. Corrin stood at one end of the bridge, dressed in the black armor she rarely wore anymore. She held a glowing sword loosely in her left hand, her fingers unconsciously tightening and loosening around the hilt. ]

[Azura stood next to her, the blue haired woman resting her spear on the ground as she and Corrin spoke quietly.]

Azura: Isn't this wonderful, Corrin? You've managed to win over your family, blood related and not! Because of the choice you made, all of this became possible.
Corrin: Thanks, Azura... And thank you all. It means more than I can say for everyone to trust me.
Azura: ... We'd better get going, Corrin. Now that we've secured so many allies, we should do what we came here to do. Once we reach our destination, we can tell everyone what we know.

[Before Corrin could say anything else, they sky above them began to darken, and a hush fell over the army, all eyes turned up towards the approaching clouds. From the army, two men stepped forward, one dressed all in black, the other in a mix of red and white armor. Both had their eyes turned towards Corrin.]

Ryoma: The skies above Hoshido and Nohr are changing...
Xander: It seems the time has come. Corrin, what do we do now?

[The observer would suddenly feel a more concrete presence stepping up next to them, the real Corrin, dressed in more casual clothing. She offered the visitor a small smile.]

I can’t say I was expecting anyone to see this…

[OOC: Closed prompts will follow in the comments. If anyone would like one, or a different memory, just let me know!]

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It was hard to tell precisely what time it was in the dim light of the northern fortress. It was snowing, because it was almost always snowing, and the fortress was covered in the hushed quiet that snow always seemed to bring. The only movement, at the moment, was a girl of perhaps nine making her way quietly through one of the hallways, wrapped up in a heavy cloak, her bare feet silent on the stone floor.

The girl came to a stop before a large wooden door, and she glanced behind her several times before reaching up to turn the ring that held it closed, trying to quickly push it open. Unfortunately, it made a loud, deep groaning noise as she did so, and she winced.

"Shhhhhh." She said to the door even as she kept pushing it. Behind her came the sudden sound of footsteps...

If there's one thing to move Leslie's heart immediately, it's children trying not to get caught. There currently isn't a definitive sign that this child in particular is being abused, but a combination of Leslie's own experience and having already seen one definitely abused child in this dream means she doesn't assume that a kid is trying to sneak outside a castle barefoot into the snow for general mischief reasons. So she's immediately so invested in this child getting to freedom(?) that she doesn't notice the real Corrin (if she's around) and she ends up trying to move quietly herself.

But there are those footsteps. "No, you're going to get caught. You have to find another way!" she whispers fervantly at the memory that can't hear her.

The younger Corrin was unaware of Leslie's urgings, but she did manage to push the door open regardless! Open enough for her to squeeze through the space, at least. As she did so, a door opened at the far end of the hall, spilling light out and silhouetting a young man four or five years older than Corrin herself.

"Princess Corrin?" He turned just in time to see the child squeezing through the door and let out a groan. "Princess, don't you dare-"

Whatever he had been going to say, Corrin didn't stop to listen, squeezing the rest of the way through the door and outside. The door didn't lead completely out of the fortress, of course, just into the large courtyard that framed the front of the monolithic black building. It was covered in a few inches of snow, and Corrin's bare feet slid as she ran into it, nearly falling.

"Princess!" The young man called from inside, hurried footsteps carrying him after her, but tiny Corrin turned back and threw her weight against the door to push it closed. A quick search turned up a shovel, and she turned and jammed the handle into a space in the stones, then pressed the wide base up against the door handle. It wouldn't hold for long, but it would be enough to deter the young man, at least.

She had a grin on her face as she turned from the door and started across the courtyard, blanket waving behind her like a cape. Beneath it she was just in her pajamas. Whoops.

When Leslie followed the younger Corrin through the door, she'd find the older one seated on a pile of logs nearby, watching her former self. She offered the girl a small smile and a wave, gesturing for her to come over.

Now she realizes who this is. Once it's pointed out to her, she does see the resemblance -- even if she still thinks it's weird to see child versions of the adults she knows.

Still, that didn't seem like the reaction of an abusive figure, so Leslie begins to wonder if maybe she was reading too much into the situation. Maybe this is just some child wanting to play in the snow when she should be sleeping. Even so, as she squeezes out behind the young Corrin herself (it seems to be an easier fit for her, she thinks, not knowing that as someone not truly in this memory she could just phase through the door if she so desired, which makes things so much easier), she giggles to see little Corrin outwit her pursuer, no matter how well-intentioned he seems.

When Leslie sees the older Corrin that she's used to, she initially stops in her tracks. There are...two of them? (She's early on in her memory experiences.) It's still not difficult to guess that this is a case of Leslie not being the only one to stumble in here, so after that moment of surprise and confusion, she comes over and finds her own seat on the logs.

"Did you like to go out after your bedtime a lot?"

Corrin shifted her cloak a bit so Leslie would up sitting on that instead of the wood, which was pointless in a dream but oh well, she was still here. The question made her hesitate, turning to look out at the younger version of herself as she ran across the courtyard.

"Not...usually. This had been a rough winter, they hadn't let me outside in..." She trailed off. "At least four months, I think?"

Ten years ago was a bit blurry, after all.

The younger Corrin reached the gate, sliding to a stop in the snow as she peered up at it. She hadn't been this close to it in years, especially not at night, but she knew there was a pulley people spun to open it. So she ran over to the edge of the gate, finding the large metal pulley, and reached up to grab it, tugging it to the side.

Nothing happened, of course. The pulley probably weighed twice as much as she did. She had as much hope of moving it as she did the gate itself. But she still tried several times, her small feet leaving the ground from her last attempt. Finally she dropped back down into the snow with a frustrated noise, and nearly kicked the gear before catching herself. That would've hurt!

Back at the door, there was the sudden sound of someone trying to push it open. Once, twice, then the hard clatter of weight against the door. The shovel strained, but held. Inside a frustrated voice could be heard, muffled through the wood.

"Oh honestly. Princess Corrin, open this at once!" It was definitely the young man again.

Tiny Corrin spun around to stare at the door, and then stuck her tongue out at it, and instead of moving that way, moved along the fortress wall to a set of stairs that led her up towards the top.

The older Corrin made a sound that might have been subdued laughter as she watched this.

Whether or not it is needed, Leslie appreciates the gesture and smiles at Corrin.

“Four months is a long time to keep a child cooped up?” She doesn’t mean this to be a question, but her uncertainty makes her voice rise slightly at the end of the statement. She didn’t have a lot of experience with the outdoors as a child, and by the time she arrived in Æfenglōm (no longer a child), she no longer has a lot of experience with being cooped up for more than a few days at a time.

Leslie fries to manage subdued laughter, but she doesn’t manage to be nearly as subtle about it. “I’m not sure he agrees. Where does that gate you were trying to open go?”

"Well it was his job to keep an eye on me so he didn't appreciate me making that harder," Corrin said, glancing towards the door, then back to the younger version of herself. "In my defense, I behaved most of the time."

The younger Corrin scampered up the stairs and onto the top of the wall, hurrying down the stonework above the gate.

"Four months without being allowed even into the courtyard felt like forever. I was never allowed of the fortress, of course, but this was much worse." She trailed off and smiled faintly again.

"The gate leads out into the woods. I knew it would be locked, but I had to try."

Leslie is still smiling as she watches memory Corrin climbing up the wall, but it fades by the end of real Corrin's comments.

"Of course? I don't think that's -- something that should be expected. Unless it was really dangerous out there." She's realizing that she might have relaxed too early because it seemed so lighthearted right now.

Corrin paused, because Leslie was right, but she hadn't really thought about it that way. "No, you're right. But it was what I expected, I was...something of a state secret, I guess? King Garon had me locked away to protect me from his enemies until I was old enough and strong enough to protect myself. Or that's what I was told."

She shrugged. At the time, she'd had no reason to suspect it wasn't true. It would be nearly a decade before she learned how much of her life had been wrong...

Her gaze was dark and distant for a few moments, long enough for the memory Corrin to have passed up along the wall above them, before she shook the thoughts away.

"This was one of the few times I made it outside the walls." She said as she stood up, offering Leslie her hand before leading the girl up the stairs that her younger self had scampered up earlier.

Leslie takes the offered hand — gratefully, but that doesn’t show on her face. By now, her expression is very serious.

“It wasn’t the truth, though, was it?” She follows Corrin up the stairs, her pace relatively quick for someone her height walking so that they don’t lose the memory Corrin. “How badly were you punished for getting out?”

"Mm. I suppose that's a matter of perspective, really." Corrin said as they reached the top of the wall. "None of my siblings were allowed to visit me for two months afterwards. That was...my usual punishment, really."

For some people it would seem minor. For Corrin it had been torture.

Ahead of them, Tiny Corrin had come to a stop at the far end of the wall, and had climbed up onto one of the ramparts, peering down at the ground below it. Beneath it was a large build-up of snow, a drift nearly ten feet high where the wind had been piling up the snow for weeks.

Leslie isn't sure if she knows what that would feel like, but, while they aren't really her brothers (they'd disagree), she does miss them after two months without them even with all of the friends she's made here.

"You must love your siblings a lot."

Leslie's contemplative mood does end up disappearing for a moment when she sees the memory of Corrin up on the ramparts. With a complete lack of self-awareness, she startles and would probably have run after her in concern were she not holding the real Corrin's hand. (Sure, she climbed up on the ramparts last month herself, but she'd argue that her goal wasn't to get to the other side.)

"Hey! Isn't that really dangerous?"

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I've made my choice...

Leslie

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