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[she's still kind of terrified at the prospect of this whole venture? because she'd rather fight dragons than do this?? but.

but Owain's here. and he's never led her astray. no, in fact, he's always been a kind of strength beyond her strength -- giving her greater reach, the means to pull through the most dire of straits...

and in this, too, he's vowed to lend his strength again. to a cause so unlike the ending of the world.

she truly doesn't deserve him.

choked up:] Owain... Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you, always supporting me...

I'm going to put my fate in your hands. You're the general of this campaign, full-stop. I'm ready to fight!

[ Owain - Owain feels teary. He needs a second. ]

We'll get through this together. We'll save Darin from the horrible clutches of those who, while intelligent enough to appreciate you for the true vision of power and nobility that you are, have proven themselves to be misguided in how they express themselves.

[ but now's not the time to encourage each other. now's not the time to find their strength, now's the time to draw from it. now's the time to act. owain gets to work. ]

Okay, so - first thing's first. We need to give this person a core. See, on one hand, nobody would ever believe that you're in a relationship with someone who isn't truly, deeply special - but on the other hand, there's nobody in this world, imaginary or otherwise, who is truly and deeply special enough to date you. We need to give Monsoir or Mistress Glass something that only they can give you, because then it will make sense to all your perceptive and intelligent fans that you're lowering yourself to their level. And so, my proposition is this:

[ DEEP BREATH. ]

You're courting the Prince of Canada. As a representative of Ylisse, you've come to try and forge a bond between our home nation and theirs. You're pledging Ylisse's allegiance with Canada, should the porter ever allow us home with our memories. A political relationship makes far more sense than the idea that there's someone actually good enough for you out there.

[there's some hesitation on this end, some fidgeting -- should she find pen and paper? take notes??

she stops short.]

A...a political arrangement? That's... [...] That's not bad at all. It makes sense, right? I'd offer the same good will regardless, but this makes it much more...formal, yes?

[wait.]

...Canada has a prince?

[ there's no need to take notes. the wild scritching and scratching from the other end of the line shows that owain's writing all of this down. and more. wow, a lot more. write, write, write. ]

I'm sure it...

[ he stops writing. does it? does canada have... hm. Hm. ]

I mean, everywhere has a prince. Or a princess. That's what the Ambassadors are, right? Rooty's the Deputy Princess of Maurtia Falls.

[a long beat.

his logic is pretty sound, she thinks? princesses and princes often act as ambassadors in their liege parent's stead -- that's what her father did for Aunt Emmeryn!]

...No, you're right. You're right. That makes sense. Titles are a bit strange here, but they still exist. We'll go with that.

[yes. good.

wait.]

...But if I'm making this public statement, and the actual Prince of Canada gets wind of it, what then? M-maybe we should concoct pure fiction, as opposed to tying it so closely to a real person, otherwise this becomes an even thicker web of falsehoods!

[ This is an incredibly excellent point from Lucina. Owain nods. Makes a few scholarly sounds. Hm hm hm hm. ]

We... could...

[ okay, hold on, get ready to be blown away. ]

Make up... a country?

From a made-up world. [it's starting to get clearer for her in her head, and she has...dare she think it? a spark of hope.]

Owain, I think it has to be an imaginary imPort. Being crazy about imPorts is what got these people stirred up in the first place, right? And it'll keep harm from falling upon the heads of unsuspecting, real civilians.

[she sounds more and more confident about this now.]

You need to harness your true strengths for this. You've always been good at telling stories and making me or the others seem larger than life itself! [sparkles?? in background?? of phone call????] If anyone can come up with a convincing new stranger from another world...it's you.

[ truthfully, owain thought he could never get any more emotional around Lucina than he already has been before, but spoilers, you stupid idiot! you stupid, stupid idiot who believed he'd maxed out on his Cousin Tears (TM). you dumb fool. of course he can!

his true strengths. his true strengths. his cousin believes in him, and that means so much more than anything else ever could. owain sniffles into the receiver, feeling those phone-background-sparkles in more than his imaginary fake-sight, but in his very real soul. this is love. this is what love feels like. ]

Then...

[ DEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BREATH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ]

Then - let's go back to basics! Let's make a person so incredibly heroic, so fascinatingly powerful, that even the most noble of heroes would dedicate their lives to studying them! To learn of all their accomplishments, of all their feats! A valiant king with a sacred sword, just like our glorious ancestor, Marth - blindly devoted to the woman he loves, just like my father, and always forging ahead to make the world a better place, just like yours! The kind of man people sing songs about. Someone worthy of your hand!

[ he'd take another deep breath here, but his lungs hurt, so he breathes normally, like a human adult. ]

Natives love Imports for the same reason that I love Ylissean history. There are these men and women all around us full of hope and inspiration and power, who commit good deeds as easily as you and I breathe.

[ DEEP, RASPY, HYPERVENTILATING BREATH. ]

We need someone who'll really play into that. What if... what if you dress up in a way that would hide your identity - a mask, a new set of clothes - and you solve crimes without ever showing your face? You could do a few good, heroic deeds over the next day or two, and then you could say that this mysterious new hero is the love of your life. That only you know who they are, and that, as they're royalty from a mysterious country, it's imperative that you don't reveal their identity. Just in case they get assassinated.

[ normal breath. oh, good, he remembered how breathing works. wait, didn't he just breathe normally, like, a second ago? by the gods, what a garbage human being. ]

Maybe?

[gods, she really should've just tracked him down directly instead of calling in a fuss; she wants to see how much of this story is being woven just by his face and hands, because she knows it is.

he's truly incredible, isn't he? in his element, moving so fast even his own breath can't keep up. flashes of brilliance, like lightning! he can get so easily caught up in it at the wrong times, which is why she can still empathize when others get exasperated with him, but she still thinks he's great.

and this idea? this time? it's...]

...

[she holds her breath a beat after his anxious conclusion, and then stays quiet for a beat longer.]

Owain, this is... It's perfect. Unbelievable, even! Why didn't I think of it? If it's myself in disguise, no others will get ensnared in this nonsense.

[amazed and delighted:] You're brilliant! This is absolutely the way to go!

[ his jazz hands don't need to be seen to be felt. or heard, actually, given that Lucina's response makes him so excited that he jumps and punches his hand up in the air, grazes his knuckles on a spinning ceiling fan and hissing painfully through his teeth. hold on, give him a minute. there are a few ow ow ows and a couple of hand shakes, but then he's back on his game like nothing ever happened. ]

Yeah, exactly! And I figure, you know - if you're fighting crime, you've already done that in disguise once before, waaaaaay back in my timeline when you were saving Lady Emmeryn from her final and grizzly demise. You were very, very cool while you were doing it, so if you channel that energy, you won't even need to think about coming up with another character! Just stop a few robberies, save a few kittens from trees, and then make an announcement when you've had time to plan it out.

[ CHUCKLING ARROGANTLY, OWAIN, THE GENIUS, CRADLES HIS BRUISED AND BATTERED HAND. ]

There is absolutely nothing in this plan that could go wrong. Our next immediate plan is to design your disguise.

[she hears that bonk and those pain sounds, herself recoiling and wincing as he recovers. he's done something silly in his excitement again, hasn't he...?]

R-right! And in no time flat, all this hullabaloo will blow over and these..."Blue...Believers..." [ehgsughsdgjsfgds] Can fixate on a mystery they'll never solve!

Right, then. A disguise. It can't be just tying my hair back and putting on a mask... [it'll be easier in the Ylisse of the past, where none know her face. here, though? with THIS much media attention???]

Right.

[ dot dot dot. ]

Can I offer an alternative, though? A secret alternative. A levelled up alternative.

[UH................

is this the part where Owain gets very...Owain......??]

Ah...what sort of alternative?

[ no, this is the part where owain gets very clever, because he is a clever clever genius. ]

[ d e e p

b r e a t h.

here we go. ]

Why don't you just ask him out on a date?

Eh-?

[??? ? ? ? ??]

My...George Glass?

No, there's no need to ask Sir Glass on a date. As you and I both know, he's already deeply and heavily devoted to you. You're basically already married.

I mean Darin! Sweet, sweet Darin.

No, Owain. Absolutely not.

But you're already getting so much attention! That's, like, 30% of why people get into relationships in the first place! Well, that and the warmth and security that comes from loving a human being you admire and respect. Attention definitely plays a role in it, though.

[ h m . ]

I really wanna know Darin's secret secrets.

[U UUUGHHHhhh please NO. of all people to even consider...]

He's at least seven years my SENIOR, Owain! [exasperated.] And I promise, there's no interest beyond friendship between us, and that's how it will ever remain. Any secrets he has you'll have to ask for directly; you know I wouldn't dishonor a friend's trust.

Oh.

[ well, that is outrageous news he hadn't considered. something in odin's head switches, and now he kind of wants to beat darin up? he'll file that impulse away for later.

he loves and values and admires lucina's sense of righteous honour, but he also loves gossip, so he's still disappointed he doesn't know why they're doing this. but then, also, that doesn't matter? any reason to dress his cousin up as a sparkleprince megahero is a good reason for him. ]

Okay, well.

OKAY, WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ OKAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ]

Let's talk disguises. We need to go deep if we're going to sell this, so even though I recommend getting you a mask, I also recommend putting a beard or a moustache on that mask, just so there'll be no doubt you're a tough and brawny prince under there.

[COOL GREAT let's both beat him up! because this is stupid!!!

except it still must happen. for Allura's sake. for everyone's sakes, honestly.

Lucina sighs, partly listening as he muses, but is reeled right back in at facial hair because huh??]

A...a moustache...?

A moustache.

[ that's his answer. that's the end of it. just kidding: if he's asked to extrapolate on something bullshit, he's obviously going to go on and on and on until literally everybody dies of starvation, tethered to chains of enraptured attention he refuses to let break. ]

I mean, okay. Think about it. You're well-known! Not just as an import, but as a very strong, very powerful import. An avatar of knightlihood itself. The zephyr within which blows a will capable of changing time itself. Aegis Force! This whole Darin mess! Being my cousin, when I'm the most famous and awe-inspiring import America has ever dared dream of!

[ this is False, but. continuing on ]

There's just - you've got so much going for you. You need accoutrements, or else you'll be exposed. A moustache bushy enough to hide your fame, your secrets, plastered delicately and with great care upon a mask sturdy enough to hold in the face of probing questions about your identity. A cape, within which hides even more of your secrets, but also, even more of your swords? We should definitely get you some more swords. Not that Falchion isn't enough, but. The more swords you have, the better.

[ dot dot dot. ]

Also, I want to push Darin over.

You'd probably feel bad if you did, though. You tend to. [impulse control and Owain aren't...exactly close friends, after all.

in any case, he's made a pretty strong argument about the mustache thing; she can't really deny the sensibility of it. her face is too soft on its own, and even masked she'd be liable to give away something if there wasn't something else to distract from her familiar features!

and swords--gods. yes. Falchion. she...she can't part with her father's sword for even a moment without becoming anxious. and even know, worry creeps into her voice:]

Falchion... Owain, your sorcery -- would it be enough to mask Falchion's visage from those who would recognize it? I doubt even simply changing the hilt would be enough...

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