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quietsun5268 · 1 year

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Fire Emblem Three Houses: Which Ending is a Happy (or most Fulfilled) Ending(s) for Bernadetta in Fire Emblem Three Houses? (ALL ENDINGS INCLUDED)

Not all character endings are happy ones. Some don't accomplish their goals, there are those who don't completely heal from trauma, or they're overshadowed by someone they're paired with. However, There are also those who accomplish their goals no matter what (Ex: Ignatz being a painter) or seem content with how things went for them.

I'm mostly not going to discuss supports (meaning compatibility between characters or the most romantic) since that's not what this is about. It's about which endings would be the happiest for a specific character or what makes them more fulfilled (you can choose more than one).

Recap: Dedue

Ingrid

So right now, we are going to discuss Bernadetta. Due to the abuse she suffered from her father in attempts to make her a "perfect wife", she developed a fear of people to the point she'd rather stay in her room all day. Some endings she'll heal from her trauma and grow as a person but in other endings she'll still remain a shut-in.

Before you read the endings, I should bring this up. After Edelgard ascended the Adrestian throne, Bernadetta's father was placed under house arrest and was stripped of his title, remaining in this situation during the Crimson Flower. In the Verdant Wind and Silver Snow routes, Count Varley is released from his arrest after Edelgard's death and resumes control of House Varley, though if Byleth talks to Bernadetta, they are given the option to either restore his house arrest or exile him. So he gets screwed either way.

Bernadetta

Endings

Bernadetta - Eternal Loner

"As soon as Bernadetta inherited House Varley from her father, she withdrew from all political discourse and focused solely on the management of her own territory. Because of this and her penchant for spending long periods of time in "hibernation," she became known throughout the house's history as the "Bear of Varley.""

Is Bernadetta able to recover from her trauma?: I don't think so. I think "long periods of time in "hibernation"" is another way to say that she's still a shut-in.

Is this a happy ending for Bernadetta, no, or so-so?: On one hand, she doesn't grow in confidence but on the other hand, her father gets no benefits if she remains single.

Bernadetta and Byleth (Crimson Flower)

"Almost as soon as Byleth and Bernadetta were finally wed, the battle against those who slither in the dark began in earnest. Many were concerned that the new leader of House Varley would do little more than hide, but she fell in alongside her husband and followed him everywhere, fighting to bring lasting peace to Fódlan. Forced to throw herself into one terrifying battle after another, Bernadetta developed such a tough character, it is said that absolutely nothing could frighten her."

Is Bernadetta able to recover from her trauma?: Yes.

Is it a happy ending for only Bernadetta, only Byleth, both, neither, or ehhh… (like it's too complicated to decide)?: Both, Bernadetta managed to get past her fear and be more courageous thanks to her accompanying Byleth on his many expeditions to stamp out those who slither in the dark. Byleth gets a partner who fights beside him against Those who Slither in the Dark and might have a place to settle After the war.

Bernadetta and Byleth (Azure Moon)

"After taking on the role of archbishop of the Church of Seiros, Byleth announced his marriage to Bernadetta. Many were concerned that the new leader of House Varley would do little more than hide, but she in fact followed the archbishop wherever he went and provided him with constant counsel. She never did overcome her shyness, however, and it is said that aspiring advisers who frightened her were quickly turned away. Because the ones she liked performed well in their service to the church, Bernadetta was widely believed to have a discerning eye."

Is Bernadetta able to recover from her trauma?: ??? (She's still shy but not a total shut-in.)

Is it a happy ending for only Bernadetta, only Byleth, both, neither, or ehhh… (like it's too complicated to decide)?: Maybe Both. Bernadetta might still be shy but she might have room to grow, especially since her father isn't around. Plus she's able to assist Byleth in a way.

Bernadetta and Byleth (Verdant Wind / Silver Snow)

"After ascending the throne as the first leader of the United Kingdom of Fódlan, Byleth announced his marriage to Bernadetta. Many were concerned that the new leader of House Varley would do little more than hide, but she in fact followed the new king wherever he went and provided him with constant counsel. She never did overcome her shyness, however, and it is said that aspiring advisers who frightened her were quickly turned away. Because the ones she liked performed well in their service to the people, Bernadetta was widely believed to have a discerning eye."

Is Bernadetta able to recover from her trauma?: ??? (She's still shy but not a total shut-in.)

Bernadetta and Edelgard

"When Bernadetta inherited House Varley from her father, she tried to withdraw from politics and remain within the bounds of her territory, but Edelgard, the new Adrestian emperor, would not allow it. Instead, she demanded that Bernadetta counsel her in governing Fódlan. It is said that the emperor made this choice to keep herself from being too detached, and that Bernadetta was all too happy to provide a more emotional perspective now and again. The people of Enbarr could always tell when the two were meeting by the sound of Bernadetta’s panicked voice ringing out from the palace."

Is Bernadetta able to recover from her trauma?: ??? (It didn't say she grew confident but it also didn't say she's a total shut-in)

Is it a happy ending for only Bernadetta, only Edelgard, both, neither, or ehhh… (like it's too complicated to decide)?: Both. While Bernadetta didn't grow confident and tried to remain secluded, Edelgard instead gave Bernadetta a place within her Empire. Thanks to Bernadetta, Edelgard might not fall back to a too ruthless/detached mindset. Also, remember Edelgard placed Bernadetta's father under house arrest and was stripped of his title. So I'd like to think that there's another motive for Edelgard having Bernadetta give her counsel. Not only to keep Edelgard from getting too detached but to protect Bernadetta from her father, if he's still in house arrest.

Bernadetta and Hubert

"The marriage between Hubert, Minister of the Imperial Household, and Bernadetta, leader of House Varley, was so surprising to the public that it was much talked about even outside of political circles in the capital. Bernadetta took the opportunity to survey the far reaches of the new Adrestian Empire, and in her absence, Hubert took well to the management of Varley territory. They proved to be an astonishingly good match, working together to protect Fódlan from the shadows. It is said that they showed their affection for one another by wearing matching embroidered flowers."

Is Bernadetta able to recover from her trauma?: Maybe Yes (While it didn't say she grew confident, it also didn't say she remained shy nor is she a complete shut-in.) (Read the next paragraph for more info)

Is it a happy ending for only Bernadetta, only Hubert, both, neither, or ehhh… (like it's too complicated to decide)?: Both. Again, while it didn't say she grew confident, she didn't remain a shut-in either. It said that "Bernadetta took the opportunity to survey the far reaches of the new Adrestian Empire, and in her absence, Hubert took well to the management of Varley territory." Which means she's able to get out of the house and grow to have some independence (it might imply growth in confidence and as a person.), while Hubert watches over her territory for her (plus, if Bernadetta's father is still in house arrest, Hubert might scare him to the point he leaves Bernadetta alone. Haha.). Also Hubert might've moved on from his feelings for Edelgard.

Bernadetta and Ferdinand (Crimson Flower)

"After the war, Bernadetta renounced her claim to House Varley. She married Ferdinand, the new Duke Aegir, and the two contributed to relief efforts by instituting reforms across their Dukedom. Due to the success of those policies, Ferdinand was offered the position of Prime Minister by the emperor. He accepted, leaving the management of Aegir territory to his wife, while he worked to apply their ideas to the Empire at large. Since Bernadetta did not like to leave home, Ferdinand's life involved a lot of travel to and from the capital, but it is said he always embarked on his return home with a smile on his face."

Is Bernadetta able to recover from her trauma?: No

Is it a happy ending for only Bernadetta, only Ferdinand, both, neither, or ehhh… (like it's too complicated to decide)?: For Ferdinand, yes. Ferdinand aspires to be the next Imperial Prime Minister as the head of his family is traditionally one. But he also wants to make up for his father being a corrupt one. He succeeds in being a good one here. As for Bernadetta, it depends on the viewpoint. She doesn't like to leave home, which implies that she hasn't healed from her trauma, the only good part in this is that she renounced her claim to House Varley meaning her father doesn't get any benefits from her marriage.

Bernadetta and Ferdinand (Other routes)

"After the war, Bernadetta renounced her claim to House Varley. She married Ferdinand, the new Duke Aegir, and the two contributed to relief efforts by instituting reforms across their Dukedom. Due to the success of those policies, Ferdinand was offered the opportunity to help govern all Fódlan. He accepted, leaving the management of Aegir territory to his wife, while he worked to apply their ideas to the world at large. Since Bernadetta did not like to leave home, Ferdinand's life involved a lot of travel, but it is said he always embarked on his return home with a smile."

Is Bernadetta able to recover from her trauma?: No

Is it a happy ending for only Bernadetta, only Ferdinand, both, neither, or ehhh… (like it's too complicated to decide)?: For Ferdinand, yes. Ferdinand's belief is that it's nobles' duty to protect and elevate the commoners they are supposed to be shepherding. While he doesn't get to be the Imperial Prime Minister in this, he gets to be in a position where he can help. As for Bernadetta, it depends on the viewpoint. She doesn't like to leave home, which implies that she hasn't healed from her trauma, the only good part in this is that she renounced her claim to House Varley meaning her father doesn't get any benefits from her marriage.

Bernadetta and Linhardt (Crimson Flower)

"Linhardt and Bernadetta caused quite the stir after the war when they abandoned their inherited titles and eloped to Garreg Mach. Returning to the monastery, where they were always most comfortable, the couple lived peaceful lives away from the hassle of politics. When the Empire's efforts to restore the church were complete, the officers Academy reopened, and two eccentric individuals took up professorships there. One was perpetually asleep, or absorbed in absentminded study; the other refused to show herself at all unless it was time to give a lecture."

Is Bernadetta able to recover from her trauma?: No

Is it a happy ending for only Bernadetta, only Linhardt, both, neither, or ehhh… (like it's too complicated to decide)?: For Linhardt, yes. One of the things about him is that he loves freedom, another is that he has an interest in researching crests. Without the pressure of being an heir/lord and him being able to have access to special artifacts in Garreg Mach if he's a professor, he might study crests as long as he wants. For Bernadetta, it depends on how you look at it. On one hand she is far away from her father, but on the other hand she still hides away. (I wonder if the future students will learn anything with those two has professors)

Bernadetta and Linhardt (Other routes)

"Linhardt and Bernadetta caused quite the stir after the war when they abandoned their inherited titles and eloped to Garreg Mach. Returning to the monastery, where they were always most comfortable, the couple lived peaceful lives away from the hassle of politics. When the church was fully restored, the officers Academy reopened, and two eccentric individuals took up professorships there. One was perpetually asleep, or absorbed in absentminded study; the other refused to show herself at all unless it was time to give a lecture."

Is Bernadetta able to recover from her trauma?: No

Is it a happy ending for only Bernadetta, only Linhardt, both, neither, or ehhh… (like it's too complicated to decide)?: (same thing as their Crimson Flower route)

Bernadetta and Caspar

"After some uncertainty about the details, it was decided that Caspar would marry into Bernadetta's family, seeing as she had claim to House Varley. The two had a chaotic reign and a marriage to match. Each time Caspar caused some incident, Bernadetta would demand promises as recompense. Over time, their oaths accumulated to such a great number that it became necessary to compile them, and the resulting document came to be known as the "47 Articles of Bernie." Among these Articles was the provision that, when counting their large quantity of children, Caspar was not to accidentally count his wife among them."

Is Bernadetta able to recover from her trauma?: ???

Is it a happy ending for only Bernadetta, only Casper, both, neither, or ehhh… (like it's too complicated to decide)?: Ehhh… it's a little complicated. For Bernadetta, it makes no mention of her being recluse or growing confident. For Casper, it depends. As a crestless second son, he's often overshadowed by his older brother and a little ignored by the rest of his family but at the same time he is grateful that he is not the one to succeed House Bergliez as he can live a life he desires unbound from the trappings of nobility. Because of the circumstances he decided to make a name for himself through martial ability. In some Crimson Flower routes he becomes Minister of Military Affairs, while in some non-Crimson Flower he travels the world. In here, it makes no mention he does either of them (The Crimson Flower, part you can only assume), but he doesn't seem to mind.

Bernadetta and Felix (Azure Moon)

"After the war, Felix inherited the title of Duke Fraldarius from his late father, Rodrigue. He married Bernadetta, who abandoned claim to House Varley in order to start a life with him. After they had finished restoring Fraldarius territory, Felix traveled across Fódlan as the king's right hand. While he was away, Bernadetta handled local affairs while holed up in her room in the castle. The frigid air of northern Faerghus caused her to hide away even more than usual, but whenever her beloved husband returned, she would rush out to greet him."

Is Bernadetta able to recover from her trauma?: ??? (Read the next paragraph)

Is it a happy ending for only Bernadetta, only Felix, both, neither, or ehhh… (like it's too complicated to decide)?: It depends. While this ending doesn't say she grew confident and it says she holed up in her room, it can be excused due to her not being adapted to Faerghus's cold land. Plus, It's says that she always rushes out to greet Felix when he returns home, which can be taken as she's somewhat healed if you want. Bonus points is that even when she married a high ranking noble like her father wanted, he gets no benefits since she cuts ties with him. Felix wants to become the best swordsman, but it often leads him to neglect other things. In this ending, he grew up a bit. There doesn't seem to be a problem for Felix in this ending.

Bernadetta and Felix (Other routes)

"After the war, Felix attempted to set out on his own, but was waylaid by Bernadetta, who begged him not to go. Persuaded to stay, Felix ended up marrying into House Varley, the title of which Bernadetta had inherited. The couple got along smoothly, although it was rumored that in the early years of their marriage, she once had to restrain him physically to prevent him taking a trip to the Oghma Mountains to train. As the years wore on, Bernadetta became more reclusive, and Felix took over many of the day-to-day duties of running the house. Documents from their later years were increasingly signed with the name Felix, Count Varley."

Is Bernadetta able to recover from her trauma?: No

Is it a happy ending for only Bernadetta, only Felix, both, neither, or ehhh… (like it's too complicated to decide)?: It depends on how you see it. Bernadetta becomes more reclusive in this. But Felix doesn't end up wandering mercenary, throwing himself in battle with a death wish. He ends up having a place to stay with a new family. Plus, he didn't "vanish from recorded history" meaning he might still have ties with his friends/classmates

Bernadetta and Raphael

"When Bernadetta first inherited control of House Varley, she hid away and would not involve herself in political or administrative affairs. During this time, it was Raphael who came to her aid, encouraging her to work through her fear of people. The training period was difficult-"humiliating," according to the journals Bernadetta left behind—but in the end, it had its desired effect. The leader of House Varley became an outgoing and authoritative individual, taking part in public policy. She even took on a very muscular husband."

Is Bernadetta able to recover from her trauma?: Yes

Is it a happy ending for only Bernadetta, only Raphael, both, neither, or ehhh… (like it's too complicated to decide)?: Is it a happy ending for Bernadetta? Yes, because thanks to Raphael she didn't become more recluse, got over her fears, and became active as a leader of her house. Plus, her father wants her to marry another noble, so marrying a commoner Is like giving him a middle finger. Is it a happy ending for Raphael? It depends. He wants to become a knight, but this ending makes no mention if he did. However, this ending also didn't mention his life before he arrived in Varley territory, so we can only assume if he became a knight during that time or if he became a knight in service of House Varley instead.

Bernadetta and Seteth

"After the war, Seteth remained at the monastery and dedicated himself to the restoration of the church. He was soon joined by Bernadetta, who abandoned her inheritance to House Varley and took up residence at Garreg Mach to commit to a life as a recluse. As the years wore on, Seteth wrote many fables, first in his spare time, and then later as his main preoccupation. His stories became famous among children throughout Fódlan. As he gained renown, many began to inquire about the wonderful illustrations that accompanied the writing. In response to these questions, Seteth was known to shrug and say, "Ask my wife... if you can find her.""

Is Bernadetta able to recover from her trauma?: No

Is it a happy ending for only Bernadetta, only Seteth, both, neither, or ehhh… (like it's too complicated to decide)?: I think Only Seteth, because while the only positive thing about this for Bernadetta is her cutting ties with her father, she still hides away from everyone. Seteth does seem content write stories and restoring the church, plus he moves on from his first wife.

Bernadetta and Jeritza

"After the war for Fódlan, Jeritza threw himself fully into the struggle against those who slither in the dark. Visage masked by the likeness of death itself, he laid waste to his enemies with a scythe that terrified friend and foe alike. When it was all over, he stole away in secret and vanished. At the same time, a mysterious guest arrived in Varley territory, which Bernadetta had inherited from her father. On that day, the reclusive noble and her guest were seen walking the grounds pleasantly together. A rendition of that scene, said to be painted by Bernadetta herself, remains at the estate to this day."

Is Bernadetta able to recover from her trauma?: ???

Is it a happy ending for only Bernadetta, only Jeritza, both, neither, or ehhh… (like it's too complicated to decide)?: Bernadetta's case is ambiguous since it makes no mention whether she's a recluse or grew confident. But she does gain a partner in Jeritza (I say partner because it's unknown if they have a platonic or romantic relationship. I'm also imagining him scaring Bernadetta's father if he's still in house arrest and not in exile). In Jeritza's case, yes it's a happy ending for him because it seems like he manages to control his Death Knight persona and move beyond his blood-soaked past.

Bernadetta and Yuri

"Bernadetta’s struggle with anxiety made it difficult for her to take over as the head of House Varley. She became so overwhelmed that when Yuri chanced to visit her domain, she literally grabbed hold of his arm and refused to let go. Baffling as it was for Yuri at the time, this peculiar state of affairs eventually led to marriage. The commonfolk were initially perplexed, but over the years they became grateful for Count Varley’s surprising husband. His presence kept her calm and allowed her to deal with her people more frequently and easily. As a result, her talent for governance blossomed and her rule was widely celebrated."

Is Bernadetta able to recover from her trauma?: Yes (Read next paragraph)

Is it a happy ending for only Bernadetta, only Yuri, both, neither, or ehhh… (like it's too complicated to decide)?: It's a happy ending for Bernadetta since Yuri also helps her out of her shell in this. Plus, her father wants her to marry another noble, so marrying a commoner Is like giving him a middle finger. As for Yuri it depends, he wants to help the less fortunate and he's a fairly dedicated follower of the Church of Seiros. First Adrestian Empire history, 120 years before the start of the game The Southern Church instigated an insurrection that spread throughout the empire and was subsequently quelled. Following this incident, the Adrestian Emperor exiled the Bishop of the Southern Church and forced the Southern Church itself to shutter. A Ministry of Religious Affairs was established to replace it with command under House Varley; they're primarily tasked with maintaining relations with the Church of Seiros. Take it for what you will, thought I'd bring related info up, it really depends on the route they're on (like if they can keep the Religious Affairs position or not.). Although, some might say it is not good since she basically forced him to stay. But I guess Yuri is able to help the commonfolk in Varley by helping their lord. I'm also imagining him scaring Bernadetta's father if he's still in house arrest and not in exile (The only complaint I have is their A-Support where Yuri mentions that Bernadetta is lucky to have a father that cares enough to save her, which gives an impression that he doesn't know about the abuse she suffered from her father.)

Which of these endings is her most happy endings (you can choose more than one)? What do you rank these endings? You can even discuss Bernadetta's supports as a reason in comment.

Voting is optional - Fire Emblem Three Houses: Which Ending(s) is a Happy Ending (or most Fulfilled Ending) For Bernadetta?: https://strawpoll.com/polls/e6Z285NXwnN

Reddit (you can click here if you want to see what other people think in the comments but know that the polls aren't in Reddit)

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sunstone-smiles · 2 years

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The Great Golden Deer Tickle Fight

In honor of me completing the Golden Wildfire route in Three Hopes recently, I have written a fun fic for the Golden Deer characters! In the game, Shez’s profile says they like making their friends smile so I thought this would be a cute idea that I just had to do. I had a lot of fun with this one (as you can probably tell by the word count), so I hope you all enjoy!

Series: Fire Emblem Three Hopes

Characters: Shez, Claude, Lorenz, Raphael, Ignatz, Leonie, Hilda, Lysithea, and Marianne

Word count: 3,574

Summary: When Shez sees Claude feeling a bit down, she comes up with a strategy to help him smile, but the plan soon escalates when the rest of the Golden Deers start joining in. (Note: There are no spoilers that are mentioned, so please enjoy!)

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With the war raging on across Fódlan, the Leicester territory has their hands full trying to protect their land. Battle after battle, decision after decision—It leaves very little time for rest and relaxation. However, those residing at camp today fortunately have a few days to spare before they head off for their next fight.

One of the commanders of the Leicester army and highly skilled mercenary, Shez, sits outside in front of her private quarters organizing equipment, such as plates of armor and bladed weapons they may need for the road ahead. She places them into small piles near the tent of her quarters, so that no one will trip on them if they’re passing by.

“Hey Shez,” a familiar voice greets her from behind. She lifts her head up from her work and turns around to see her friend.

“Hey Claude,” Shez returns a greeting to the Golden Deer leader and dusts herself off of any grains of dirt that may have caught onto her legs while she was kneeling down on the ground. Since the day isn’t as busy as usual, she’s not wearing all of her regular armored mercenary attire, but still has on her black undershirt and shorts. Similar to Shez, Claude is also out of his usual armor, and is wearing his long sleeved undershirt with his ruffled cravat around his neck. “What are you doing?” Shez asks with a friendly smile.

“Oh just roaming around camp. Taking care of the wyverns, managing supplies, preparing for our next battle that could greatly affect the tides of the war. You know, the little things.”

“Seems like you got your hands full,” Shez returns a lighthearted quip. “You doing alright?” she asks in a more serious manner.

Claude shrugs. “Yeah, I’m alright. Just got a lot on my mind, you know?”

Shez lets out a short sigh when she hears those words. Over the course of this war, Claude has been able to communicate some of his concerns to her so he could have someone to talk to. Around camp, he seems to handle it well and always puts on a brave face, but Shez knows that on the inside—there’s a lot of worries that are going through his mind. She wants to help him out in any way that she can, and right now, Claude needs to genuinely smile. She takes a moment to think up a plan that could help—jokes, an expedition, or maybe a meal—but one other idea sticks into her head that may just be the strategy she’s looking for. Now all she has to do is to put it into action.

“You know,” Shez attempts to hide the mischievous grin in her voice, “I actually know a perfect remedy that can help you get your mind off things.”

“Really?” the leader responds with interest, yet still a bit skeptical.

“Yeah, there’s a special method to it, but it seems to always do the trick.”

Claude thinks it over for a moment. “Alright, I’ll bite. How does it work?”

Perfect, he fell for the trap. “So first, close your eyes and think about a relaxing place. A mountainside, open plain, waterside area, anything that makes you comfortable.”

Claude follows Shez’s instructions and closes his eyes. “Done.”

“Great, now just keep them closed.” The mercenary walks over behind her friend. “Now lift your arms up just a little bit,” she slightly moves his arms away from his body. “Perfect. And now for the final step…” Shez smirks and positions her hands below Claude’s arms. Knowing that the leader is completely unaware of her actual plan, she quickly starts wiggling her fingers under his arms to tickle him.

“Hehey!” Claude darts his arms down and starts giggling from Shez’s sneak attack, “Hahaha! I shohould have seen thihihis cohoming!”

“I’m surprised that you didn’t,” Shez grins and keeps a hold on the leader trying to squirm away. “Actually, I’m surprised that this is working so well. I didn’t expect you to be this ticklish.”

“Well, yohohou got mehehe!” Claude admits and arches his back with a yelp when Shez moves her hands to wiggle into his ribs. He slides to the ground and collapses into giggles, while Shez follows him down to continue her plan. She switches from his ribs to his sides and belly, scribbling into the fabric of his undershirt that offers little protection from her attack. Claude wriggles around as he’s reduced to a giggling puddle, trying to playfully shove Shez away while also attempting to defend his ticklish spots. He probably wishes that he was wearing his armor now, but if he was, Shez wouldn’t be able to see the genuine smile currently glowing on his face.

“Ahem. What is going on here?” a refined male says across from them, snapping Shez out of her thoughts. She momentarily glances over at the source of the voice and notices a few of their teammates, Lorenz, Raphael, Ignatz, and Leonie watching them. Like Shez and Claude, they also have on more comfortable wear that corresponds to their usual fashion color, rather than their armor.

“Oh, hey Lorenz!” Shez casually greets him as she continues to tickle Claude.

Lorenz pinches the bridge of his nose, unamused with what he’s seeing. “What, may I ask, are you doing?”

“Well, Claude needed some cheering up, and what better way to do that with some good ol’ tickling,” Shez punctuates her sentence by scribbling her fingers into Claude’s belly, causing the leader to jump with more giggles.

Ignatz chuckles. “At least now the reasoning for the laughter we heard makes much more sense.”

“And you can’t argue with that logic,” Raphael agrees.

“Do not encourage them!” Lorenz exclaims. He turns to the purple-haired mercenary. “Shez, this is inappropriate. Claude is our leader and should be respected as such. Plus, what if there is an enemy spy lurking nearby that can use this information against us?”

“Aww, come on Lorenz. They’re just having a bit of fun,” Leonie chimes in. “Besides, the perimeters were checked this morning for any spy activity, and nothing was suspicious.”

“Yeah, maybe you should loosen up a bit Lorenz,” Raphael says with a mischievous tone behind his words.

Lorenz scoffs. “Oh please, I do not need to loosen up—AH!” The purple-haired noble suddenly yelps and clamps his arms down when Raphael sneaks behind him to tickle his underarms. Lorenz closes his mouth shut with a wobbly smile and poorly attempts to keep in his laughter, but his efforts to hold it in soon falter when he can’t help but burst into giggles. “Hahaha! Rahaphael!

“See Lorenz? It’s fun!” Raphael grins at the squirming noble.

Leonie giggles, “Here, let me help!”

“No! Noho! Leohohonie!” Lorenz flails his arms to stop her, but his giggles only increase when Leonie starts scribbling into his sides. “Hahaha! Ignahatz! Sahave mehehe!”

Ignatz chuckles again, “Alright, alright. I’m coming.” He moves over behind Raphael and peaks around the burly man, then darts his hands forward to tickle his friend’s sides. Raphael jumps with loud bouts of giggles and slightly bends his body forward, all while still trying to keep a hold on Lorenz.

“Leohohonie!” Raphael calls to his friend, “Dohon’t let Lorehehenz escahahape!”

“I’m on it!” she nods and dashes behind Raphael. When she sees his attacker, she mischievously smirks at Ignatz and wiggles her fingers in the air. The green-haired knight’s eyes go wide and he backs up while putting his hands up in defense.

“L-Leonie!” Ignatz panics when she takes a few steps closer, “Wait!” He turns to run, but Leonie quickly catches him by wrapping an arm around his torso and wiggling her other hand into his side. “AH! Nohoho! I’m reheheheally ticklish! Hahaha!”

“Works for me then,” Leonie teases the wriggling Ignatz. The knight crumbles to the ground in a giggling mess as the mercenary keeps up her attack, preventing Ignatz from escaping so he can’t help Lorenz.

Shez giggles as she watches her other friends join in on the lighthearted fight, but while she is distracted, Claude takes the upper hand and shoves Shez onto her back. She gasps when she looks up at a smirking Claude, and before she can escape, the leader starts scribbling into the mercenary’s sides.

“AH! Ahahaha! Clahahaude!” Shez bursts into bubbly giggles.

“You can’t out scheme the schemer, friend,” Claude smiles, “I was just waiting for the perfect chance to strike back!” He scribbles into her belly, causing even more bubbly laughter to be released from the mercenary.

Just then, the rest of the Golden Deers in their comfortable attire, Hilda, Lysithea, and Marianne, stumble onto the silly scene.

Hilda puts a hand up to the side of her face to think. “You know, when I heard all this laughter, this is not the sight I expected to see.”

“Yes, quite immature if you ask me,” Lysithea remarks.

“Blahame Shehez and Clahahaude! Thehehey started ihihit!” Lorenz exclaims through his laughter.

“In my defense, Shez tickled me first,” Claude states over his shoulder.

The purple-haired mercenary playfully tries to push the leader away from her. Knowing that her plan has backfired, she’s going to need some assistance to get out of this mess. “Hildahaha! Hehehelp mehehe!”

“What? Me?” Hilda then shrugs, “Alright, why not.” She turns to the other girls beside her. “Want to join me?”

Lysithea crosses her arms. “Absolutely not. There is no way I am getting involved in such childish behavior.”

“Suit yourself,” Hilda grins. Before leaving, she gives a playful squeeze to Lysithea’s side, causing the white-haired girl to let out an unexpected, high-pitched squeak. Lysithea slaps her hands over her mouth and shoots daggers in Hilda’s direction as the pink-haired woman walks away. While Lysithea is still in her flustered state, Marianne quietly laughs beside her, using a hand to cover her own smile.

Lysithea narrows her eyes at the blue-haired girl. “What are you laughing at?”

“I’m sorry. It’s just that—hehehe!” Marianne can’t help but giggle after witnessing Lysithea’s squeaky reaction.

Lysithea growls at her. “Oh, you think that’s funny, do you? I’ll give you something to laugh about!” With that, Lysithea lunges forward and starts clawing into Marianne’s sides, immediately causing the other girl to break out into adorable squeaky giggles.

“Eep! Lysitheahaha!” Marianne squeaks, and soon slides down to the ground to curl herself into a giggling ball.

Meanwhile, Hilda attempts to tickle Claude from behind, but he braces himself when he sees her coming by squeezing his arms to his sides so that she can't find an opening. Hilda huffs and puts her hands on her hips. “Ugg, you’re making me work harder now? Well let’s see how you like this!”

“Huh?! Hilda!” Claude exclaims when she grabs both of his wrists from the front, pulling his arms above his head and yanking him backwards onto the ground. Shez quickly scoots away now that she’s free, while Hilda scribbles into Claude’s ribs before he can defend himself, sending the leader into a fit of laughter once again.

“Thanks for the assist, Hilda,” Shez says while she catches her breath.

“No problem. It’s not every day I get to see our ‘oh so great’ leader loosen up like this. He gets so tense when he’s stressed out.”

“Hildahaha!” Claude tries to squirm away from her wiggling fingers, “Cuhuhut it ohohout with the teheasing!”

“Aww, but I can’t help it. It’s just too hard not to.”

Now that Hilda’s taking care of Claude, Shez looks over at Lysithea and Marianne, who are still currently in their own tickle fight. The mercenary grins, then picks herself up to sneak up behind the white-haired noble, making sure Lysithea doesn’t sense her presence. When she’s right behind her, Shez shoots her hands forward and squeezes Lysithea’s sides, causing the girl to let out another uncharacteristic high-pitched shriek. Lysithea stops tickling Marianne and whips around to snarl at a smiling Shez. With a chuckle, the mercenary starts running away, knowing that Lysithea would want revenge, which proves correct when the white-haired noble immediately gives chase.

The two dash around the area, circling around their other friends. Lysithea throws her arms forward to catch Shez, but she misses the speedy mercenary and stomps her foot on the ground in frustration. She prepares to take off after Shez again, however, while she’s stopped, Lysithea realizes that their chase led her right behind her original attacker. Lysithea smirks and switches her target over to Hilda, quickly scribbling into the pink-haired woman’s sides.

“AH! Lysitheahaha!” Hilda shrieks. She holds herself up with one arm while Lysithea enacts her revenge, allowing Claude to slip away and join the white-haired noble in her quest for payback. Hilda tries to turn around and playfully push the two away, but she plops onto her back when they both work together to go after her sides and belly.

In the background, Shez leans over on the pole of her tent, now that she’s not being chased anymore, and enjoys herself as she watches this play out.

“Thanks for the help, Lysithea,” Claude looks over at his teammate. “But what ever happened to not joining in since it was childish?” he purposely teases to rile her up. Lysithea freezes and narrows her eyes at Claude with another growl.

“I’ll show you!” she exclaims, then lunges herself at Claude.

“Whoa!” The leader quickly dodges out of the way. “Not this time!” Claude counter-attacks by digging into Lysithea’s sides, making the girl break out into bubbly laughter and flop onto her back.

“Clahahaude! Youhou are gohoing to regret thihihis!” Lysithea giggles and tries to wriggle away.

“Well then, I’ll deal with that when the time comes,” he grins.

On the ground close by, Marianne finally lifts herself upright, only to see that all the attackers have switched. Although Lysithea is the one that tickled her first, Marianne dashes over to try and help the white-haired noble. She kneels herself down behind Claude and holds her hands up to get him, momentarily hesitating before she does since she’s still a bit shy, but she’s only able to get one squeeze in on his sides before she’s quickly snatched backwards into Hilda’s arms.

Marianne looks over her shoulder with big eyes. “Hilda, what are you—Eek! Ahahaha!” Marianne explodes into high-pitched giggles again when Hilda wiggles her fingers into her ribs.

“Sorry Marianne, but I can’t have you helping the person who’s trying to go after me,” Hilda says to the squirming girl in her lap. “Besides, I want to see that adorable smile of yours again.” Marianne attempts to respond, but anything she tries to say gets flooded by the airy, uncontrollable giggles pouring out of her.

While this little squabble is going on, Shez can’t help but smile at the heart warming sight of all her friends like this—giggling, smiling, loosening up and just letting their guard down while they have fun with one another. These moments are more sparse ever since the war started, but it’s uplifting to see this side of them come out after everything they’ve been through.

But enough standing around, Shez wants to get back into the fight. She looks over at the other half of the group—Lorenz, Raphael, Ignatz, and Leonie—that have been dueling it out since the beginning, and decides to join them. Lorenz hasn’t escaped once since this whole ordeal started, so Shez’s assists him by dashing behind Raphael and swiftly ticking his sides. Raphael clamps his arms down from the unexpected attack while still trying to hold on to the noble attempting to escape, but as Shez’s continues wiggling her fingers up to his ribs, Raphael’s grip weakens and Lorenz finally wriggles free.

Lorenz clutches his torso while he catches his breath, gesturing a silent ‘thank you’ to Shez. After he takes a few moments to recover, he growls at Raphael and thrusts himself towards his friend to join Shez on the offensive.

“This behavior might not be fitting for a noble such as myself, but I will make an exception for this!” Lorenz playfully remarks as he wiggles his fingers into Raphael’s right side, while Shez moves over to his left.

“Ahack! Leheheonie! I need hehehelp again!” Raphael giggles as he tries to wrap his big arms around himself for protection.

Leonie lifts her head up, still with Ignatz squirming below her fingers, and notices Raphael’s situation. “I’m coming!” she calls out and leaves a breathless Ignatz on the ground to dash towards Shez.

“Oh, no you don’t!” Shez whips around to quickly retaliate and scribbles into the front of Leonie’s sides, catching the orange-haired mercenary off guard.

“Gahack! I’ve been hihihit! Hahaha!” Leonie hugs her torso and folds herself forward. She twists around to squirm away, but she ends up losing her balance and flopping onto her stomach, allowing Shez to kneel down and keep tickling her unguarded sides. After finally recovering from his previous attack, Ignatz sits up nearby and observes from the sidelines, watching Leonie kick and pound her fists in the dirt with streams of giggles as she tries to escape.

Claude looks over at the other group and chuckles at the entire situation. He also notices that Shez is once again distracted, which gives him one last sneaky idea to use in this fight. “Looks like it’s time to end this!” he states and gently releases Lysithea from his hold, leaving her in a breathless giggly pile. He then calls out to some of the members of the other group, “Lorenz! Let go of Raphael! I have a plan!” Once he hears Claude’s words, Lorenz stops tickling Raphael to allow the burly man to catch his breath.

“I don’t know where this is going, but I shall go along for now,” Lorenz responds while Raphael and him wait for the leader’s next move.

“Perfect,” Claude says and gets up to advance over to the middle area, “Now Raphael, grab Shez and bring her out in the open!”

“You got it Claude!” Raphael answers and turns towards the purple-haired mercenary.

“What!?” Shez exclaims and immediately releases Leonie. She tries to run, but Raphael grabs her from around her waist and lifts her into the air. She gleefully squeals when her legs leave the safety of the ground, flailing them around to try and get away.

“Raphael! Let me go!” Shez giggles as she’s carried a few steps to the less crowded area. With his arms still wrapped around her, Raphael places her back down in front of a smirking Claude.

“Now then!” Claude exclaims, “Everyone, get Shez!” Upon hearing their leader's mischievous plan, all the Golden Deers perk their heads up and look towards the purple-haired mercenary.

“No! No!” Shez gasps with a playful smile and tries to wriggle away from her friend’s hold, but she erupts into hysterics when Raphael and Claude start tickling her from behind. She slides down to the ground to escape, but soon after, Hilda and Lysithea join in on her right, while Leonie and Lorenz join in on her left. The other two remaining Golden Deers, Marianne and Ignatz, sit themselves besides Shez’s legs to just watch the rest of their friends, but they participate a little by adding a few light scribbles into Shez’s knees. The mercenary shrieks with joyful laughter while she, unsuccessfully, tries to squirm away from all her friends.

“Okahahay! Mercy! Mehehercy! Hahaha!” Shez puts her hands up in defense to surrender. Immediately, the Golden Deers all move their fingers away from her, leaving a winded Shez sprawled out on the ground as she lets out residual giggles. Claude carefully helps her sit up and face the rest of her friends circled around her.

“You alright?” Claude asks the exhausted mercenary.

“Totally fine,” Shez turns her head to him with a big grin. “How are you holding up?”

Claude returns a warm smile, “Better thanks to your method.”

Shez nods. “I’m glad. Although, it definitely escalated to a point I wasn’t expecting.”

Lorenz crosses his arms. “Yes, I don’t think any of us were.”

“But we had fun though, right?” Raphael gives Lorenz a friendly nudge.

“Of course we did,” Hilda answers for the stubborn noble. “Usually I wouldn’t get involved, but this was an opportunity I just couldn’t pass up.”

“I will admit that as childish it may be, it was quite amusing,” Lysithea agrees.

“It was nice to see everyone so happy,” Marianne cheerfully mentions.

“Yeah, I don’t think we’ve laughed like that in a long time together,” Ignatz reminisces.

Leonie chuckles. “I don’t know about you all, but my favorite part was seeing Lorenz flailing.”

“I was not flailing!” Lorenz exclaims. “I was simply protecting myself.”

“I don’t know Lorenz, it looked like flailing to me,” Claude pokes a little fun at him.

Lorenz glares daggers at the leader. “That’s coming from someone who was clearly squirming when I first walked over here!”

“Hey, I didn’t say that I wasn’t!”

Everyone laughs and all the Golden Deers join in on the playful discussion about their favorite moments during the tickle fight. Although the original plan was intended for Claude, the heartwarming play they all had also allows Shez to feel like a weight has been lifted from her chest. It may be only temporary, but this little method of hers really did help to get her mind off of things. She looks around at her friends' smiling faces. Her strategy seemed to help all of them too.

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