strawberry shortcake / development

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    ❝ YOU SHOULD SEE ME IN A CROWN ❞ Things had been relatively quiet since he and Byleth had joined. He was slowly integrating into Solarian life, which for him meant living not as a prince, but as a member of the Kingdom. Though now he was a Trailblazer, he still felt like a commoner amongst his fellow groupmates. Everything he had been taught was now gone to the wind, but he supposed he could put his fighting techniques and abilities to good use. The Solaris Kingdom did not seem to be in a state of war, but if things did come to that, he would be ready to fight alongside the Solarians, Byleth and Ashe. This was his home now, and it would remain as such. He hoped, at least.


    Dimitri had taken it upon himself to patrol the territory, which meant strolling leisurely along the borders in search of stragglers or strangers. Anyone that seemed suspicious would be approached by himself, even if that meant no one else was nearby. He was still rather young, but his body had grown, filled out to make him tall and slim. He still had a presence despite being a domestic feline. With a yawn, Dimi began to walk a bit faster, picking up a brisk walk rather than a slow trudge. He blinked his eyes rapidly as to wake himself up and then shook his head. This wasn't the time to meander about, and he was well aware of that fact. Still, the day was growing long, and there hadn't been a person in sight, not even from his own group. He was a bit surprised, as there were quite a few people in the Solaris Kingdom. The tom remained quiet as he padded along the sandy border, icy optics narrowed upon the horizon. When there was nothing to see, he settled his gaze back onto the makeshift path before him, feeling content in the moment.


    In the next moment, though, things seemed to go awry. With his next step, ice shot out from the ground beneath his left paw, a large shard now jutting out from the sand. A look of surprise crossed his features as he stopped to observe the new structure, which was already beginning to melt under the intense heat of the sun. Droplets of water cascaded down from the shard onto the sandy ground beneath it, drying within seconds. As Dimi set down his other paw, another icicle burst from the ground. He recoiled from the structure, stepping back with his left paw. A third shard of ice erupted from the sand causing his ears to pin back against his skull and fear to appear in his eyes. He began to turn, but as he did, each step caused a new icicle to explode from the ground, eventually trapping him in a circle of ice.


    As Dimitri stood there, breathing fast and heart racing, he merely stared at the newly formed structures, puzzled and taken aback. Had he done that? He looked down at his paws, almost warily. He was afraid to take another step, let alone move a muscle. For the time being, he was trapped within his wall of ice, a bit frightened at his newfound power.

    It was a confusing time for Solaris, but maybe it'd always been that way. They always bordered with full out war and though they kept their borders defended and did do away with most threats and sent out raids they to always had new troubles popping up, always made enemies quicker than allies. Most of it could be pinned on their Queen who'd loyalities conflicted heavily with the Kingdom's own she'd noticed it more and more lately had looked at the Solarians and their ways compared to her own and figured that she was never truly one of them. Never could be one of them after all. She's raised the Kingdom up brought it back into prosperity but with all the good things she'd done she'd been paid back with captures, tortures and of course a barrage of raids to meet their own constant rallies and spats with their enemies.


    She has little time anymore here to have fun and lounge around to get to know the newer folks better or even fix the relationships she has with those she's known for months and months. Yet sometimes she does notice things, does spot new events or occasions her clanmates are going through. Today was one of those days when she felt an unexpected chill run down her pelt from nearby wind, the temperature drops even when the sun is high and blazing. She thinks she's deathly sick for a second before her head turns and she spots Dimitri not far out from where she stands in the territory along with what looked spires of ice close to his paws. Which eventully goes to cover his body


    She hasn't seen many who bore the element, mostly it was fire she was used to or the electricity she once harnessed but had sapped away. She flies in his direction landing and kicking up a gust of sand as she does, eyes pricked to the icicles that surround him. Her head tilts and she would approach to sniff the structure before barking loud enough so he can hear ”Having some trouble I see?” she backs up horns pointing but she doesn't yet try to ram into the circle quite yet. ”Need any help getting out?”


    ”speech” ♛ tags

    Claes knew a bit of the history of Solaris from before his own staying here. He knew of a few of the big names of what was formerly Sunclan, he knew of the previous war with the Sanguine Ruins by the tales that had been written down at the time, transferred into the new world. He knew a few other things, though not much. Some details were left out in writings, some were illegible. But from what Claes had read out of mere curiosity was something that had intrigued him and concerned him all the same. Reading up on history -- reading up on the past -- took him to a time that he could not live, but a time that he could feel, could know. In a way, reading of the tales and the history was exhilarating and interesting, but when the fact that it was more than just a made-up story, and that it was real hit him once again, it was something that.. worried him, truthfully. To know that the battles with the Ruins were bloody and horrid, and that even though he didn't know the ones involved, to know that they suffered at the hands of war..


    But nevertheless, it did seem that the Kingdom had been locked in to an eternal state of conflict, whether it was wanted or not. The reason for that... Well, he couldn't really tell that, quite yet. Was it because when they grew, others wanted them down? Was it simply for the fun of it (though was war fun on either side, ever? not to him..)? Or maybe it was just... feuds long going and others were just following? Claes had no idea, truthfully, though he did wish to find out. Hopefully then there would be a better way to stop it.. though, he could only hope.


    The sun was bright and blaring as per usual, and Claes found himself falling into the normal routine of things during the day. However, while there were many things that the Kingdom experienced, one thing that was quite unfamiliar was the cold, that seemed to be drifting among the breeze. It was sudden. Unsettling, almost. And so, feeling a chill upon his back instead of the warmth of the sun, the vulpine decided to turn upon his heel. Surely, there had to be something that the cold was coming from? It wasn't just him going crazy? With an intrigued hum, Claes began taking a strides over, and it wasn't long before the large pillars of ice caught his attention.


    "Oh?" the words of surprise left him before he could stop them, his eyes wide and his gaze holding a great deal of confusion as he approached the structure -- and Dimitri stuck within it -- and took a place besides Ver. He gave the leader a small smile and a nod in greeting, eyes blinking, before he strayed from his side as she motioned with her horns towards the structure. Is she going to try and ram it? Helios, no.. She could get hurt doing that, certainly. And Dimi might as well, if they weren't careful. Head tilting as he walked along the structure, pausing as moving his paw along the ice curiously, Claes would look the ice enclosure up and down, eyes narrowing slightly in thought. "Are you okay in there?" Claes would call towards him, ears swiveling and perking as he listened for a response. He hoped so, but nevertheless, they needed to figure a way out of this, didn't they? "Does anyone have fire elementals?" Claes would call towards anyone else. He was sure if Ver had them, she would have used them already... But melting it away would probably be the safest way to get the wayward prince out, wouldn't it? He would see, he guessed. Who here even has fire elementals? That was a good question, and one that he wasn't quite sure of.. Amatus had a kind of fire, right? Maybe? Or, maybe not... but he hoped someone knew, nevertheless.


    — "speech." & tags