I saw this earlier on twitter and nearly died so I’d like to add some more evidence to Ferdiegg von Eggir.zip 

“Hmmmm, I didn't pick up a sword to be a warrior, I wanted to be like the pretty lady I admire so much. I wonder if that means anything...”

(Even without that hc this support is so cute and probably one lots have missed please watch it its so good) 

Hey look I fixed three houses 

Me before Three Houses released, full of hubris: God, Revelation was terribly written and cheapened any dramatic value Fates still had in it, I’m glad it looks like this new game isn’t going to have some cheesy forced golden route shit

Me, 240+ hours into playing Three Houses, clanging pots and pans together loudly: YES HELLO My name is Byleth Eisner-Hresvelg-Blaiddyd-Riegan-Whatever the fuck Rhea’s last name would be and I’m pleased to announce that after a long talk about our feelings and trauma and dreams over tea the leaders of the Empire, the Alliance, the Kingdom, the Church and I have agreed to a five-way bisexual polyamorous marriage. We are all very happy together. We’re going to beat up the magic UN and nothing will ever hurt again--

This post contains spoilers for Fire Emblem: Three Houses; namely, some character endings and plot of the Black Eagle route

I haven’t kept up with much fandom discussion of this game since it released, outside of my small circle of friends and lovers. I haven’t read any reviews, don’t know how well or poorly received certain aspects are. But yesterday afternoon, I finished the Black Eagle campaign, and I have so much emotion, I can’t not let it out. 

I’m likely caught in the thrall of recency bias, among other things, and perhaps my feelings will cool over time. But right now, I know how I feel: 

This game is a miracle. 

I have never played a game with two female leads, taking resolve from their traumatized pasts and using that together to undertake a revolution, out to level class structure and liberate humanity from the subjugation of religion, not only succeeding but finding a deep love blooming for one another, spending their lives together in queer romance and happiness. 

I’ve known about Byleth and Edelgard’s gay S support since it was first leaked. But to see it in practice is beyond anything I could have dreamed. I could write lengthy posts about how I adore each of these two characters in their own right--Edelgard is likely one of if not my absolute favorite protagonists in a video game ever--but right now, I feel a powerful need to reflect on the game’s queerness. 

I knew about Byleth and Edelgard, but nothing could have prepared me for the rollercoaster of emotions I felt watching the character endings proceed afterwards. Having gotten very many A ranks for each character during the campaign, I assumed they were a cute way to leave shipping and such open for the player to imagine what they may like. I was extremely content with this, especially since both same and opposite gender A ranks seemed to be treated with the same weight and variety, the game not afraid to make things queer and romantic or try to hide that.

But then I saw the first paired ending appear on my screen and realized I was so, so wrong. 

When I saw Mercedes and Annette appear on my screen together, read how they maintained passion for one another even apart and eventually did live and grow old together, even if they never explicitly said the words “they are lovers,” I just thought, wow, they’ve gotten so much bolder since the days of Florina and Lyn. When I saw Hubert and Ferdinand together, my heart felt warm and I chuckled, remembering the clear pining for one another in their A and A+ supports and being glad that was not without any substance behind it. 

Yet when I saw Dorothea and Petra appear together on my screen, I nearly cried.

“It is said that [Dorothea] became the person whom Petra loved the most.” 

Never in my wildest dreams could I have expected that. Petra was not even an S Support option for my protagonist! Yet there she was, bringing home this out and proud queer woman home, living with her, loving her. Dorothea is a special woman, who brought out a side of her, desire to spend her life with another woman, that no other woman, not even the player character who is usually the end-all-be-all of romance in these games, can access as she does. 

After watching the credits roll, I did poking around to find out all the endings there were, and was even more blown away that this was not the only instance of that. Edelgard alone had four deep, lifelong bonds with other woman she could achieve besides with the protagonist, with fellow out queer woman Dorothea, and with more people like Petra, a side the protagonist could not access but exists nonetheless. None quite as explicit, but knowing what did exist, the light they take on is powerful. 

It’s hard to think that this is a real game, a Fire Emblem even--how in the world did this come to exist? Especially after my experiences creating the gay mods for Awakening and Fates....that this could exist really is nothing short of a miracle. My expectations were blown out of the water. I am so, so, so happy and satisfied and delighted and moved. Even if those projects are no longer my work now, I am so so so grateful I can have a Fire Emblem with queerness even more meaningful to me. 

I’m going to play the three other routes as well, but I know already that being with Edelgard will always be my truest experience, the ending I always think back to, the powerful queer love between her and Byleth forming the backbone of the story, Edelgard’s red rose looking towards her sun and leading people to a better tomorrow. Being engulfed in that sun, now an Empress of Flame, held aloft by her dear Byleth’s wings. A cleansing flame to reshape society into a place where, hopefully, no one will be hurt like them again.

oh no

all of the Three Houses leads grow up to be really hot

even Dmitri

New Home for the Gay Awakening/Fates hacks

Hey all,

As you might know by now, I’ve ceased my work on these projects and passed the torch on to my dear friend @dunkhazard. She is ready to start releasing more material again, and has decided that to make things easier she’d be using this twitter feed as something of a new home.

If you’re curious to see where this project may go, please follow @gayFEhack on Twitter! 

I may still use this blog in a personal capacity or to post some other random projects I get the inspiration to do, but you should go to Merrill for any questions or ideas for these projects!