FE_Contest Time Again!

[mark_asphodel]

 I wasn't going to enter this time, despite the wonderful "woman king" prompt from xirysa ,  because a) 500-word limit?  Moi? and b) the one idea I had dealt with a very obscure character about whom I already wrote back for Challenge 002!

Oh well.  Have some more Yumina anyway.  It's not like anyone else is writing about her, and I love her to bits.

Yumina and her brother Yubello are twins, but don't go thinking they're Eirika and Ephraim with golden hair.  Yubello is a sweet little squishy mage (sickeningly cute in the reboot, too) while Yumina is a staff chick made out of steel.  You know how healers tend to fall into two camps-- the gracious, gentle Lena/Ellen/Natasha types, and the, er, somewhat daft Melissa/Clarine/Serra/L'Arachel types?  

Yumina is neither.  She may be a princess, but the overriding vibe I get out of her is anger and frustration.  Being orphaned, horrifically abused, kidnapped and sentenced to execution before your fourteenth birthday will do that to you.  In the first chapter we encounter her, she's threatening to commit suicide... which, given that her guardian has just fallen on his own sword, is less a melodramatic threat and more an expression of intent.

The Grust kiddies, as I call them, are kind of problematic in FE3.  It never says that Yubello actually is allowed to become King of Grust when he grows up... but it never says he gives up his birthright the way everyone else just hands their kingdom to Marth.  The issue is left hanging, and I've played with it in various ways across various 'fics ("Another Piece of Blue," "A Dark-Adapted Eye," "The Golden Age").  I often portray Yubello as a pushover because... well, he is!

Yumina, on the other hand, is one hot little handful.  And, given that the kiddies never, ever, bond with Marth (who failed to save them) and are eventually deprived of all their protectors (Lorenz, Ogma, Sirius), that leaves some very interesting political avenues to explore.

[I kind of crackship adult!Yumina with Ellerean because they'd have amazing destructive potential.  Elly would actually be the more moderate of the two, IMO.  Also, Marth/Yumina would be the political marriage from hell.  Like, operatically awful.]

Anyway, this little 'fic doesn't get into all that.  But I think I managed to say what I wanted to say in the word limit, which was nice. 

Comments

[sarajayechan.livejournal.com]

Yumina and her brother Yubello are twins, but don't go thinking they're Eirika and Ephraim with golden hair.

Ahahaha >_>;; Hopefully my comparison didn't come off as that! Their characters are nothing like the Renais twins, but I could see the SITUATION with their birthright being similar. Yumina's a ruler, Yubello supports her, etc.

[myaru.livejournal.com]

I kind of crackship adult!Yumina with Ellerean because they'd have amazing destructive potential. Elly would actually be the more moderate of the two, IMO.

This would be really cool, actually. Crack, maybe, but cool.

[shimizu-hitomi.livejournal.com]

Not gonna lie, Yumina is easily my favorite FE staff chick.

(Well okay, Serra comes close though.)

And Yumina/Ellerean would be kind of amazing. Terrifying, but amazing. XD

And, given that the kiddies never, ever, bond with Marth (who failed to save them) and are eventually deprived of all their protectors (Lorenz, Ogma, Sirius), that leaves some very interesting political avenues to explore.

I've always found this striking. Marth is much closer to Melissa, even. (For certain values of "closer".) We never really do see Yumina reconciling with Marth as the one who killed/defeated Lorenz; they join up only because of Ogma. And one of the weirder things FE12 does (well, maybe not so weird in context), is that it REALLY emphasizes the twins' attachment to Sirius. (Despite not actually showing Sirius interacting with them on screen, which still pisses me off....) I think this does actually have some basis in the designers' notes -- I think I remember them pointing out that Camus was good with kids or something like that, so the implication presumably is that he'd been on good terms with the twins before they were sent off as hostages. So that alongside with Sirius's weird exchange with Belf seems to be pointing at something...

All of which is to say, moar Yumina is always a plus in my book. :D

[samuraiter.livejournal.com]

Operatically awful, you say?

....

Where's that U.S. release, Nintendo?!

*evil*

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

Something on the order of "You don't touch me, I don't set you on FIRE" as a best-case scenario... worst-case scenario, Yumina starts researching into the Darksphere and its uses.

Basically, their one face-to-face interaction is 110% negative, and IS never bothers to show any resolution (in 3 or 12), leaving open the possibility that there wasn't any.

[sailorvfan10.livejournal.com]

I was going to enter fe_contest, but the word limit made me shrink away into anonmity. I didn't even really know what to write anyway, but I don't do good with word limits.

Hahaha, Yumina. I wouldn't mess with that one if I wanted all of my limbs in tact.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't mess with that one if I wanted all of my limbs in tact.

Yeah no. She's a firecracker.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

Oh, no, I didn't mean that. Just because they're obscure and they're twins I thought people might view them through archetype goggles. And while Fire Emblem has its share of darling little boys, I can't really think offhand of another Yumina "type" in any of the games I've played.

[sarajayechan.livejournal.com]

Ah, that's good. XD Part of me figured you didn't but I'm...well, weird. And overcritical of myself. XD

Yeah, if I were going to compare Yumina to anyone...wow, I really can't think of anyone to compare her with. XD She may have the distinction of being the only FE character not to fall into any "type"!

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

(Well okay, Serra comes close though)

Serra, in spite of her surface persona, really does seem to have a depth and poignancy that the other "flaky" staff chicks don't quite match (as much as I like dipstick Melissa), and to be honest the "gracious" staff chicks bore the hell out of me. Not sure where Jenny falls on the continuum, but I do like Jenny. Silk, OTOH, barely registers.

But Yumina raises more questions than canon wants to answer, and I like that. Also, unlike with Maria, she actually appears to show the effects of truly atrocious treatment.

We never really do see Yumina reconciling with Marth as the one who killed/defeated Lorenz

I'd figured that was one of the things FE12 would "fix" and I have to wonder what, if anything, is meant by the fact that they didn't-- by playing up the Sirius angle, they actually emphasized the utter lack of positive interaction between Mr. Game Hero and the twins. And it really is weird. I dunno; it seems like FE12 was happy to show us all kinds of pointless fluffy details, but it left all of the big unanswered questions from FE3 yet unanswered. And the Grust kiddies in particular have a haze of questions hanging over them like a mushroom cloud.

[I wonder now if Marth separated them because he figured he'd have a better chance making nice with Yubello if Yumina wasn't around. And I still bet Yumina doesn't see that arrangement in a positive light.]

Despite not actually showing Sirius interacting with them on screen, which still pisses me off....

Heheh. Ah, FE12...

So that alongside with Sirius's weird exchange with Belf seems to be pointing at something...

The one about fomenting revolution?

All of which is to say, moar Yumina is always a plus in my book. :D

Well, good, 'cause I'm on a Grust kiddies kick again!

[shimizu-hitomi.livejournal.com]

Serra, in spite of her surface persona, really does seem to have a depth and poignancy that the other "flaky" staff chicks don't quite match

Yeah, Melissa is... heh, pretty straightforward. And L'Arachel also amuses me, and I do feel for her in her supports with Eirika, but well. Like Melissa, I wouldn't say she's a flat character, but she's not the "hidden depths" sort of character either. XD

Jenny's definitely a gracious chick imo, but I think what sets her apart for me is her implied relationship with Mr. Drunk Pirate Dude and her ability to handle him with sheer politeness. (I mean, it's a veryyyy different dynamic than the usual thief or merc/healer pairing.) That and her loyalty to Cellica. It strikes me that she takes on a more active role in her relationships than the other gentle healers do. Silk's the one where I'm less sure... she reminds me of a much less outrageous Melissa, but there's not much else that stands out about her other than maybe her ending (I think hers is the one where she goes around helping people in Rigel?)

And oh. Yeah. Maria. I assume she's around the same age as the twins but she really comes across as much younger. Or something.

I wonder now if Marth separated them because he figured he'd have a better chance making nice with Yubello if Yumina wasn't around. And I still bet Yumina doesn't see that arrangement in a positive light.

Yeah... that would definitely make sense. Come to think of it, when I was trawling through Japanese fansites a few years ago there was a theme that kept emerging -- well, it felt like a theme because so few sites even touched on the twins in the first place -- but apparently at least some people were picking up on Yumina-->Yubello as yet another instance of (dysfunctional) "FE incest". Whatever the psychological reasons behind it, I can't see Yumina taking the separation very well. At all.

The one about fomenting revolution?

Yeah. The fact that he even brought it up seems to imply that the sentiment was out there already. I just can't figure out if he was trying to protect the kids from further political intrigue, or if he knew/thought either kid on the throne would be a Bad Idea, or maybe both, or... something. Otherwise it's so strange, it almost seems to come out of nowhere. It's a bit frustrating because with this additional spin it feels like he just goes off and leaves EVEN MORE unfinished business behind. I mean, did he really think it would be a good idea to leave them in Marth's hands? Did he just not care about anything other than Nyna? The whole mess just makes my head hurt.

Well, good, 'cause I'm on a Grust kiddies kick again!

Yay!

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

but she's not the "hidden depths" sort of character either.

Well, I think there's something there, but there's less underneath than what Serra has and it's covered up with more varnish and bubbles.

(I mean, it's a veryyyy different dynamic than the usual thief or merc/healer pairing

Yeah. And I like Saber/Jenny, whereas thieves/healers and mercs/healers as a rule... snooze.

It strikes me that she takes on a more active role in her relationships than the other gentle healers do.

That might be why she's more likable, yeah.

but apparently at least some people were picking up on Yumina-->Yubello as yet another instance of (dysfunctional) "FE incest".

:/

I don't like that interpretation. Not everything in the world boils down to wanting to make with your brother. Minerva and Michalis, yeah I can totally see that. Marth and Elice? I think (I hope) that's barking up with wrong dysfunction tree. Grust twins? Ewwww.

And let's not even get into Lena and Matthis

The fact that he even brought it up seems to imply that the sentiment was out there already

Yeah, I wondered about that. But the context didn't make it clear (to me) as to who or what they were rebelling against. I mean, Lang is already dead, they're engaged in a war with the intention of dealing with Hardin, so either Marth is included in the list of Do Not Want (and Belf has figured out the writing on the proverbial wall) or the Grustian loyalists just don't want anything that's not Yubello/Yumina and they want to rebel out of... general principle?

I dunno. It didn't totally make sense to me, but the way FE12 handles Sheema and Minerva politically doesn't make sense to me either. Like Sara Jaye said, some of this feels like half-baked darkfic. Half-baked darkfic pie topped with fluff meringue.

he just goes off and leaves EVEN MORE unfinished business behind.

Yeah. It did not lift my opinion of Camus/Zeke/Sirius, that's for sure.

I mean, did he really think it would be a good idea to leave them in Marth's hands?

Well, to be fair, Marth has no inclination to actively do them harm, which is a step up from, oh, just about everyone else they've ever encountered bar Lorenz (who, it could be argued, exposed them to danger by making a stand) and Ogma. Whether he's able to do right by the kids is another thing altogether...

IDK. Everything about that setup STILL looks very, very sketchy. And that "revolution" line kind of seemed to me like yeah, the sketch is intentional. Something ain't right, people like Belf have figured out that it ain't right, and they want to do something drastic about it.

Did he just not care about anything other than Nyna?

The man has a funny way of showing it.

[shimizu-hitomi.livejournal.com]

I don't like that interpretation. Not everything in the world boils down to wanting to make with your brother

Yep, I'm not fond of it myself (to say the least), but can't say I was surprised to see it out there either. I suspect the people with that interpretation were picking up on some sort of obsessive/co-dependent vibe between the two and spinning it into a sexual context... serious DNW for me, but it stuck with me because I wasn't seeing it out there just once or twice.

but the way FE12 handles Sheema and Minerva politically doesn't make sense to me either.

Well, to be fair, Marth has no inclination to actively do them harm, which is a step up from, oh, just about everyone else they've ever encountered bar Lorenz

True. Mostly I find it puzzling from Camus/Sirius/Zeke's viewpoint; before FE12 I could at least muddle out some semblance of consistency to his motivations, but FE12 throws completely new wrenches into everything what with all the dialogue tweaks. But like you said, the Grust situation is hardly the only one that got screwed over.

And for the record, the context wasn't really clear to me either. Unless there had been some faction who'd wanted Camus on the throne? (Like say, maybe as a second coming of Ordwin, since the games are so intent on making the Cartas/Artemis/Anri parallels elsewhere...) Because that was the most straightforward interpretation I could come up with for that line. o_O But even then, uhhhhhhh.

(I'm half curious to see how NOA will attempt to localize all this -- I feel sorry for whoever gets saddled with the translation!)

The man has a funny way of showing it.

LOL. Seriously. I like him as a character but he is one really frustrating individual. AND THEN FE12 CAME ALONG AND MADE IT WORSE.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

Unless there had been some faction who'd wanted Camus on the throne? (Like say, maybe as a second coming of Ordwin

Whoa.

since the games are so intent on making the Cartas/Artemis/Anri parallels elsewhere...

Through some crazy-ass mirror. At this point, I'm not sure who's supposed to be what (and clearly, neither are they!) in the Nyna Love/Hate Polygon of Doom. Those new CGs of Nyna-Marth-and-Hardin did not help matters.

[r-amythest.livejournal.com]

Don't forget the chipper kid sister Ethlin/Mist/Laura types.

Your piece is one I really wish I knew more canon for.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes! Maria would be the first in that line. I do tend to overlook her.

FE3 is worth the detective work. Obviously I'm biased, but I do love that storyline and its characters.

[r-amythest.livejournal.com]

I had a suspicion Maria fit in that line, but I wasn't totally sure. Couldn't remember.

I hear FE3 does some interesting things with its hero's morality but I'm not sure I can sit through the eyeburn and interface.

I tried to play FE2 yesterday and I put it down after two encounters in the first chapter because it reminded me of everything I don't like about most SRPGs.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

The FE2 script (translation at Serenes Forest) is a good quick read and gives a great sense of the characters. But, yes... it's clear enough why that is the black sheep of Fire Emblem.

I hear FE3 does some interesting things with its hero's morality

Well, I don't know about that. On the one hand, the script is very, very unwilling to let Marth make any actual mistakes (unlike Leaf, or Eliwood wrt Ninian, or Eirika wrt giving Lyon the Stone). Any time Marth blames himself for something (in at least one case with damned good reason) another character kind of pats him on the head and tells him how wonderful he is and how his apparent faults are actually virtues.

On the other hand, the opening chapter alone is quite interesting in displaying the limitations of a dutiful hero who tries to follow the rules. The best of intentions leave a good man dead, the bad guys in charge, and two children in mortal peril... and Marth isn't actually the one to bail said kids out of peril in the end.

FE3's world and its morality is definitely worth the exploration.

[r-amythest.livejournal.com]

Yes, I started to just read the script instead, but the script isn't the most compelling thing either. Still, I feel like I should, for completion.

Regarding morality... Eliwood wrt Ninian, and Eirika wrt Lyon/stone are both mistakes that were made with the best of intentions. In a sense, it brings to mind the argument regarding whether it is possible to sin in ignorance and whatnot. Personally I've always thought well of Micaiah in this regard, because to my knowledge, she's the only FE lord who does something that she knows is wrong. (The English version plays up her decision to do so, actually, and this is one change I can get behind.) Yes, her hands are somewhat tied in the matter and the world makes the aftermath remarkably convenient (probably part of the reason some people call her a Sue), but it's a good small step and I'll take it.

So I was kind of hoping that Marth did something that he personally felt was somehow wrong in FE3, but now that you explain it I'm less excited. I'd cite FE4 as being full of good intentions that ended poorly.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

So I was kind of hoping that Marth did something that he personally felt was somehow wrong in FE3,

Mm, he has to kill an enemy he was hoping to save for the entire duration of the war (Marth's relationship with Hardin gave rise to the FE8 twins and Lyon, IMO).

Also, at one point in the game he's advised by the tactician to kill his own sister (which causes him to flip out) and if certain game conditions are not met, you'd BETTER kill Elice and the three other priestesses. However, if you do this, there are no consequences that I'm aware of in terms of the script or the character endings (other than dead characters stay dead).