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rye 🎃🍞

@dorovain.bsky.social

440 followers 170 following 5.6K posts

rye | 30s | she/they | bi | no items, dorovain only, final destination

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rye 🎃🍞

@dorovain.bsky.social

who knows if I'll ever get the very involved continuation of my post-AM vampire AU off the ground... but I'm quite attached to this scene I wrote between Sylvain and Leif :')

Sylvain watched Dorothea fly off, eyes tearing up as the harsh wind cut across his face. He didn’t look away until she disappeared into the fog, taking a slow breath to steady himself; it was out of his hands now. He had to trust her.

“Is this one of those times when you might pray to your goddess?” Leif asked, sauntering up behind him.

“I’m not big on praying,” Sylvain replied with a shake of his head. “And even if I was, Dorothea would never want me to pray for her.”

Curiosity glinted in Leif’s strange, dark eyes. “Oh? And here I thought everyone in Fódlan was expected to be pious.”

“You’ve only seen Faerghus. We’re a little over the top.”

Leif hummed. “You weren’t always. We all got along, once… Until one of your kings decided we had something he wanted.”

Sylvain knew this history, though he’d had to go out of his way to seek it out. Gautier—and Itha, as well as sections of northern Fraldarius, for that matter—used to be part of Sreng; it was only after the newly-independent Kingdom lost the Leicester region that they sought to expand, desperate for more resources. And the teachings of Seiros gave them the perfect excuse to chase the heathens out.

On the surface, it looked like the Church and its devoted followers had managed to scrub out any evidence of Gautier’s former inhabitants. But their mark on the land remained, for those who knew where to look: in old but well-loved folktales, in co-opted customs, in eroding monuments enshrined and forgotten in the deepest corners of the forest, hidden away from the cruel hands of conquest. Sylvain had listened for those echoes all his life, each one stirring up a slew of questions he didn’t dare ask aloud.

And that stolen land was his home, a place where he’d never felt like an invader—but maybe that’s what he ultimately was.

In Srengi, he murmured: “You have every right to hate me.”

Leif answered back in his mother tongue, the corners of his mouth twitching upward. “I did, when we were young. I hated everything about Gautier. The people, the language, the food…”

“Everyone hates the food,” Sylvain pointed out.

“Mm. I hated my father, too, for sending me there.” His tone grew more solemn. “For using me as a bargaining chip. It wasn’t like I had any say in the fact that we were at war; I wasn’t even old enough to fight. Why did I have to face the consequences of a conflict I had no part in?”

It was unfair; or maybe it was perfectly fair, the price of privilege—the price of being born to a great family and bearing future responsibility. Sylvain would never act like he’d suffered in the same way Leif did, in that short time they spent together. But the situation had been as much a lesson for him, a stark reminder that he was never truly safe; that one unlucky battle was all it would take to turn him into a hostage of a conflict he wanted no part in.

“How’s your father now?” he asked.

Leif took a deep breath. “Still kicking. We’re on better terms these days. In fact, he was very pleased with everything I was able to learn as a prisoner—so in a strange way, I have you and your family to thank for our improved relationship.”

“I’m glad at least one of us is making our parents proud.” What must his father be thinking right now? Surely he’d gotten word that Sylvain lost the northern fortress. Surely he was disappointed, even more than he already was—when Sylvain let an Afflicted imprint on his blood, when he refused to let her become a lab experiment, when he defended one of the monsters they’d been fighting for months.

“If your father is anything like I remember,” Leif began, pinching his chin between his fingers, “then even if you were the perfect son and did everything right, he would find something to criticize.”

Sylvain snorted. “Yeah, you’re spot on. But I’m causing a lot of trouble for him at the moment.”

“How? You lost one fortress, but you could be doing far worse. You’ve swayed two enemies to your side and gathered vital intelligence to help protect your people. You’re out here in the freezing cold, fighting. That must count for something.”

Sylvain studied Leif’s face, considering each word carefully. Was he really on their side? Who could say how long this truce would hold? Sylvain was an easy target right now. Maybe it wouldn’t be rational for Leif to kill him—but it was often a mistake, counting on people to be rational.

“What do you think peace looks like?” he finally asked. “Between Fódlan and Sreng. Had you ever even thought about it before you saw me out here?” Or had he just told Sylvain what he wanted to hear?

Leif’s eyes widened. “That is a heavy question, Sylvain. Not one I should be answering without thought. And I don’t know about you, but it’s a bit dark and cold out here for me to think.”

Another gust blew over them, the torches lining the walkway flickering.

“Let’s go inside and warm up,” Leif said, motioning Sylvain back towards his tent. “We can have a drink, play some chess... and see if this topic comes up again.”

“That’s a solid idea,” Sylvain replied with a hum. But he couldn’t help turning back to the clouded night sky, a moon-kissed curtain over the great Srengi tundra. He couldn’t help thinking of Dorothea flying through the cold, alone, completely unaware of what might be lurking in the shadows. So many things could go wrong, and he wanted to trust she was strong enough to be alright, but…

Leif placed a hand on his shoulder.
“There’s nothing you can do for her now but wait. May as well do it someplace where you won’t get frostbite, yes?”

Sylvain swallowed, tearing his gaze away and nodding to Leif. He could relax, even if just for a little bit. Think of it as diplomacy. “You make an excellent point. And I admit I’ve been curious which of us can hold his liquor better.”

“That’s the spirit,” Leif said. “There’s hope for us yet.”

November 24, 2025 at 1:48 AM

rye 🎃🍞

@dorovain.bsky.social

it's a music metaphors kinda day :)

This wasn’t just a deal to him anymore, no longer a matter of simple convenience or circumstance. It wasn’t that he’d fallen for her, either, nothing so clichéd as that. He knew her music by heart, knew not to take her at face value—but somehow she’d sung something to him that he’d never heard before, a melody without notes or words. The rhythm of a person, he now realized, could catch like fire.

November 19, 2025 at 8:26 PM

rye 🎃🍞

@dorovain.bsky.social

since it's wip wednesday during fe femslash week, I wanted to share some mercedes/ingrid crumbs from my bang fic :)

“Is that a record player?” the hunter asked; Mercedes followed her gaze across the room, to the contraption sitting against the east wall. It had been here when Mercedes inherited the space, one of the few things she hadn’t yet replaced or renovated. It was playing a twangy folk song that Mercedes had heard hundreds of times at this point, though she still had no idea who the artist was or where the album had come from.

“It is,” she answered, noting her guest’s pensive face.

“A bit old-fashioned,” the hunter remarked with a low hum.

“Everything here is a bit old-fashioned,” Mercedes pointed out.

The hunter’s eyes widened as she turned back to Mercedes, cheeks reddening. “Ah—I didn’t mean it as a bad thing! I like it.” She chewed her lip, stealing another brief glance at the player. “We had one at home when I was growing up. One of my brothers found it in a junkyard, tossed it in the back of his truck and fixed it up in our garage. It sat unused in the living room for a year before we found an old vinyl at a flea market—Manuela Casagranda’s Greatest Hits.” She paused, letting out a wistful sigh. “It wasn’t my thing, personally, but it was all we had for a while. I still know all the lyrics to Adrestian Girl.”

She grew quiet, lashes fluttering. “Sorry. I’m rambling.”

“Not at all,” Mercedes reassured her. “I’m here to listen.”

That only seemed to make the hunter more uncertain—as though the mere act of being perceived had left her tongue-tied. Her gaze settled on the drink in front of her; she reached out and brought it to her lips, taking a tentative sip. Her nose scrunched, mouth twisting as she swallowed it down.

“How is it?” Mercedes asked, almost teasingly. She couldn’t say she was surprised by the reaction.

Her customer was being a good sport, trying to mask her opinion with a shaky smile. “It’s…” She drank a little more, her expression more subdued as she adjusted to the flavor. “Definitely unique,” she finished.

So polite, Mercedes thought to herself, keeping her own amusement in check. “I can get you something else if you’d like.”

“No, no! I actually enjoy it,” the hunter insisted, shaking her head. “It, um… reminds me of home, a bit. This whole place does, really.”

Mercedes shouldn’t have been surprised that there were other planets like Zanado, though the thought seeded a pang of sympathy in her stomach. She didn’t want to judge—it wasn’t like she came from wealth or opulence, despite her brief brushes with it. And what was home to her, anyway, after all the wandering she’d done? She’d been on Zanado for almost two years, but she still felt like a visitor herself. “Can I ask where home is, for you?”

“Galatea,” the hunter replied. “Which is also my name—Ingrid Galatea. Apologies for not introducing myself earlier.”

“Ingrid Galatea…” There was something familiar about the surname, but Mercedes’s memory was failing her. She shook her head, banishing the distracting thought. “I’m Mercedes. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

November 12, 2025 at 7:40 PM

rye 🎃🍞

@dorovain.bsky.social

happy birthday kk!! 🎈 hope it's a great one :)

November 12, 2025 at 6:50 PM

rye 🎃🍞

@dorovain.bsky.social

okay there he is ♥️ #fe3h

colored artwork of sylvain gautier from fire emblem three houses, inspired by a recent meme that’s going around. he’s lying on his stomach, propped up on his elbows. his knees are bent with feet sticking upward. he’s wearing black lace tights and crimson heels, one of which is getting caught on the tights. he’s smiling and waving.

November 12, 2025 at 6:09 AM

rye 🎃🍞

@dorovain.bsky.social

that would be wi—hang on what’s that. enhance. oh my god ruu is the pocky

zoomed in section of the above art where everything is the same except ruu’s icon has been edited onto the shape of the pocky

November 11, 2025 at 8:53 PM

rye 🎃🍞

@dorovain.bsky.social

after years of seeing pocky day art and going “I will participate next year!!” I finally remembered to do it. + it’s #fe3hrarepairweek2025 and guess what’s still a rarepair ♥️
#fe3h #dorovain

colored artwork of sylvain and dorothea from fire emblem: three houses. dorothea is sitting in sylvain’s lap; sylvain has a pocky stick in his mouth and is looking up at her expectantly. dorothea’s fingers are resting on his chin as a gentle deterrent and she’s glancing away, looking flustered.

November 11, 2025 at 5:20 PM

rye 🎃🍞

@dorovain.bsky.social

last-minute unexpected entry for day 1 of #fefemslashweek2025 bc I do not control when the yuri inspiration stick hits me and suddenly wanted to draw. loosely following the “secrets” prompt bc it fits my beloved #citrinnaka so well ♥️
#feengage

a drawing of citrinne and yunaka from fire emblem: engage. they are facing each other; yunaka is grinning with her eyes closed, hands behind her back as she leans forward slightly. citrinne gazes up at her with a thoughtful expression, cradling her cheek with one hand. the back of yunaka’s head and her cape (the places citrinne can’t see) are splattered red, evoking blood and her background as an assassin

November 11, 2025 at 3:01 AM

rye 🎃🍞

@dorovain.bsky.social

these mechanical keyboard clicker charms were everywhere at the con and I'm kinda digging the trend

photo of a mechanical keyboard fidget charm I got over the weekend. the key covers feature chibi art of zoey, rumi and mira from k-pop demon hunters

November 6, 2025 at 6:57 AM

rye 🎃🍞

@dorovain.bsky.social

I spent too much time on this

edit of annette’s timeskip portrait to include cat ears

November 6, 2025 at 6:29 AM

rye 🎃🍞

@dorovain.bsky.social

“shez and shez” 😭

November 6, 2025 at 2:52 AM

rye 🎃🍞

@dorovain.bsky.social

y'all get two wips today. there are 12 instances of the word "pain" in this fic so far and more than half of them involve sylvain. god's favorite chewtoy ❤️

Heat coursed through him, manageable for a scant few seconds before it ignited into a scorching fire. Sylvain grit his teeth against the pain, the steep price he paid for unfathomable power. It was too much for his fragile human body—strength meant for a behemoth the size of a galaxy, not a mortal man who happened to inherit the genetics of one. Any coherent thought was swept away by the vastness of Ruin’s ageless soul, frying his nerves until he went numb. His vision blurred, the Core chamber warping into a kaleidoscope of nonsensical shapes and flashing lights.

November 6, 2025 at 1:02 AM

rye 🎃🍞

@dorovain.bsky.social

wip from my blbb piece… dorothea and sylvain’s first meeting in this au :)

Dorothea’s lower lip stuck out in an unamused pout. “I’m not a spy.”

He cracked a knowing grin. “That’s exactly what a spy would say.”

She turned away, cheeks flushed a pale pink, which certainly didn’t help convince him otherwise. “Full disclosure,” she began, “I’ve heard a few rumors about you. So my first impressions are a little bit biased.”

“Me? Really?”

“Yes. Surely you aren’t surprised? Sylvain Gautier, ace Relic pilot, has quite the reputation for being a heartbreaker.”

She was correct, of course; he was hardly surprised that people talked. He just hadn’t expected it to come up this soon, if at all. There was something odd—and oddly flattering—about a woman as famous as Dorothea knowing about someone as inconsequential, relatively speaking, as him. “Mm. Right.”

“Do you deny the rumors?” she asked, resting her chin against her knuckles.

Was there any point? The stories had truth to them, however much he regretted some of his past actions—however much he’d tired of that behavior in recent years, especially with how aggressive the Agarthans had gotten. Besides—if he wanted to coax Dorothea into being honest, he may as well set an example to follow. “No. I’m a flirt,” he admitted. “A slut, if you want to get aggressive about it.” He paused, observing the way Dorothea’s expression shifted. She was difficult to read, but she seemed to be considering his choice of words carefully.

“And I’ve been known to break a few hearts,” he continued. “It’s bound to happen when everyone has their eyes on you. Maybe you can relate?”

Sylvain didn’t try to read all the trashy gossip columns that popped up on his newsfeed, but sometimes he couldn’t resist a juicy headline or enticing photograph. Dorothea Arnault breaks off her third engagement in two years. Dorothea Arnault spotted carousing with high rollers in Derdriu’s Upper Quarter. Dorothea Arnault makes public statement regarding rowdy fan caught violating restraining order.

“Maybe I can,” she said.

There was an odd resignation in her tone, hints of what might’ve been guilt or regret. He’d asked the question playfully, but now he couldn’t help wondering what else they might have in common. “Don’t worry, though,” he started, almost sincere, unsure how to feel about the way the tension in her shoulders eased just the tiniest bit in the wake of those three little words. “I would never break your heart, Dorothea.” For once, he entertained the idea of actually meaning it.

She scrunched her nose in disbelief, her bright green eyes crinkling as her lips curled into a wry smile. “That’s exactly what a heartbreaker would say.”

November 6, 2025 at 12:17 AM

rye 🎃🍞

@dorovain.bsky.social

inspired by yunaka and edelgard's A-rank bond convo where edelgard directly compares yunaka to dorothea 🥰

a series of screenshots from the edelgard/yunaka A-rank bond conversation in Fire Emblem: Engage.

Edelgard: You remind me of a classmate. She was also very observant and incredibly talented. She was gifted in battle, but equally so as a songstress in the opera. A remarkable person.
Yunaka: I really remind you of someone like that, huh? Thanks, Edelgard That's really encouraging. If I'm gonna live up to that kind of praise, I'd better work even harder to put my skills to use!

November 5, 2025 at 4:03 AM

rye 🎃🍞

@dorovain.bsky.social

before the halloween hype completely dies down, here’s the werewolf sylvain/witch dorothea duo that I also comm’d from @/dux-draws.bsky.social!
#fe3h #dorovain

art of a hypothetical halloween-themed feh duo unit. dorothea is dressed as a witch and sylvain is dressed as a werewolf

November 5, 2025 at 3:48 AM

rye 🎃🍞

@dorovain.bsky.social

rip to the harmonic that we can never get now… we were cooking with this one though (comm’d from @/dux-draws.bsky.social back in 2023!)
#fe3h #feengage