[ He's furrows his brows, gaze distance as though trying to piece together. Remembering something. ]
He doesn't know? But—
[ The next word on his tongue vanishes before he can finish, taken over by the sound of soldiers and horses. Cavalry, and the sound of water.
The first thing that comes into focus is the smell of smoke, and the bright red banners that hang in the wind, emblazoned with a gold two-headed eagle.
Derdriu isn't your city, but it still aches to see it under siege. Even with the citizens evacuated, with each contingency plan that you've put into place, it aches; its streets bloodied and burnt with magic, men and women dead, blissfully unaware that they'd lost their lives in vain.
Behind your old teacher and Edelgard, the bodies of the only people to ever believe in you grow cold. Your mind is racing—always thinking, always planning—how do you recover them? How do you do this entire thing again, better, smarter, so that they're standing by your side instead?
"If you're as smart as you seem," you start, smiling even as a chill spreads through your chest. You're going to lie. If you're being honest, part of you doesn't even want to carry this weight back to your birth place. Part of you truly believes that dying here would be the only right choice you'll ever make.
But it's too ingrained in you. Survive, find a way, think smarter, and win. Don't give the trials of your childhood validation.
Your wyvern growls, tense and unhappy. She's smart enough to know the severity of the situation she's in.
"I bet you've figured out why I was able to summon Almyran reinforcements. Wouldn't it be better to let me go and have me in your debt?"
But Byleth has always been impeccable at routing her enemies, hidden or otherwise.
The only answer you get is the Sword of the Creator burning as it runs through your chest, precise and deadly, even with the distance afforded to you by sitting atop your wyvern. It's jagged and destructive like this, and you can feel how it tears through flesh and bone, your blood staining the fabric of your uniform, but hardly enough to dampen the Sword's glow. You think the pain ought to make you cry, but it doesn't.
"I see…" It's paralyzing, both the pain and the realization no matter how hard you think or how hard you try to weasel away, this is it. You failed. "Right until the very end, I've read this whole thing terribly wrong..."
It grows cold and dark, until they're back there, on school grounds, Claude's expression silently furious. ]
... Not quite as you know her. [ His own hand goes to his chest. ] But now that you know, do you think that this place raised me and Molly from the dead?
[ Hello, he would much rather talk about this than Byleth. ]
Because he's a fucking idiot who throws himself into danger. Yeah. [but she says it the way that you do when you really love someone and you can't bring yourself to admit it. he died once, and she refuses to let it happen again.] Kind of makes sense why he's in the same dorm as you, as I see it.
I wouldn't say that I "rushed into trouble". Actually, I rarely ever enter a fight without several...
[ He trails off, wondering what exactly it is that he's doing. Defending a plan that failed? There's obviously a reason that Edelgard succeeded where he didn't. ]
... In any case. I'd prefer if you didn't mention this to Dimitri or Byleth.
That's right. It's... not quite that I'm from a earlier time or they're from a later time. But somewhere, our timelines shifted in two different directions.
To be honest, I haven't asked them what's become of me where they are. Too worried they'll figure out I'm from someplace entirely different.
[a beat.] Other things on his plate is an understatement. The dude would have to climb out from under the six tons of bullshit he's under in order to see what's going on with you.
Yeah, he's been through... Actually, I have no idea what he's been through. He's not like that in the world I came from. [ CF Dimitri is sane! ... On the outside. ] But I think he'll be all right. He's got support.
[i just looked up CF Dimitri because i've only ever played...... verdant wind??? and i need to share with you this line: the eye patch is a symbol of having had a painful experience because it's hysterical to me]
He does, yeah. He's a little batshit crazy but all the Winters are in various ways, so at least he's not alone.
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He doesn't know? But—
[ The next word on his tongue vanishes before he can finish, taken over by the sound of soldiers and horses. Cavalry, and the sound of water.
Derdriu isn't your city, but it still aches to see it under siege. Even with the citizens evacuated, with each contingency plan that you've put into place, it aches; its streets bloodied and burnt with magic, men and women dead, blissfully unaware that they'd lost their lives in vain.
Behind your old teacher and Edelgard, the bodies of the only people to ever believe in you grow cold. Your mind is racing—always thinking, always planning—how do you recover them? How do you do this entire thing again, better, smarter, so that they're standing by your side instead?
"If you're as smart as you seem," you start, smiling even as a chill spreads through your chest. You're going to lie. If you're being honest, part of you doesn't even want to carry this weight back to your birth place. Part of you truly believes that dying here would be the only right choice you'll ever make.
But it's too ingrained in you. Survive, find a way, think smarter, and win. Don't give the trials of your childhood validation.
Your wyvern growls, tense and unhappy. She's smart enough to know the severity of the situation she's in.
"I bet you've figured out why I was able to summon Almyran reinforcements. Wouldn't it be better to let me go and have me in your debt?"
But Byleth has always been impeccable at routing her enemies, hidden or otherwise.
The only answer you get is the Sword of the Creator burning as it runs through your chest, precise and deadly, even with the distance afforded to you by sitting atop your wyvern. It's jagged and destructive like this, and you can feel how it tears through flesh and bone, your blood staining the fabric of your uniform, but hardly enough to dampen the Sword's glow. You think the pain ought to make you cry, but it doesn't.
"I see…" It's paralyzing, both the pain and the realization no matter how hard you think or how hard you try to weasel away, this is it. You failed. "Right until the very end, I've read this whole thing terribly wrong..."
It grows cold and dark, until they're back there, on school grounds, Claude's expression silently furious. ]
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Fuck. [beau spits, immediately, hand coming up to her chest. she gasps just a little, and then:] What the fuck -- that was Byleth?
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[ Hello, he would much rather talk about this than Byleth. ]
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... Maybe? You remember dying. Molly didn't. [past tense.] I figured it brought people here right before the brink, but.
Shit. Maybe it does bring people back from the dead.
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... But if they did bring us back, then that's something.
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It is. And it kind of works towards that theory that we could bring people back, huh.
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[ ... ]
But... he knows now? That he was killed?
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Yeah. He was trying to avoid asking, but it's fucking rough when your friends know what happened and they're, I don't know, nine months ahead of you.
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[ The tattoo doesn't escape him, and he goes quiet for a moment. ]
It makes sense now, why you're so protective of him.
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Because he's a fucking idiot who throws himself into danger. Yeah. [but she says it the way that you do when you really love someone and you can't bring yourself to admit it. he died once, and she refuses to let it happen again.] Kind of makes sense why he's in the same dorm as you, as I see it.
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Because we're both dead?
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Because you both apparently rushed into trouble, thinking your mouth was gonna save you, and died for it.
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[ He trails off, wondering what exactly it is that he's doing. Defending a plan that failed? There's obviously a reason that Edelgard succeeded where he didn't. ]
... In any case. I'd prefer if you didn't mention this to Dimitri or Byleth.
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[she mutters.]
-- What, they don't know? [oh that's awkward] Okay?
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No, and I'd rather keep it that way. It would be awkward otherwise, you know?
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I'm not gonna tell them. I am curious to know what they think about you, though. You said that Byleth isn't like this one.
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To be honest, I haven't asked them what's become of me where they are. Too worried they'll figure out I'm from someplace entirely different.
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Fair. I wouldn't want to deal with that either. [...] You're a better liar than I am, then, apparently. If they haven't caught on.
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[ He grins, not minding that. ]
Byleth might've figured it out, but not the details, and Dimitri... has other things on his plate.
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[a beat.] Other things on his plate is an understatement. The dude would have to climb out from under the six tons of bullshit he's under in order to see what's going on with you.
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Yeah, he's been through... Actually, I have no idea what he's been through. He's not like that in the world I came from. [ CF Dimitri is sane! ... On the outside. ] But I think he'll be all right. He's got support.
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He does, yeah. He's a little batshit crazy but all the Winters are in various ways, so at least he's not alone.
What about you? You got support?
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Anyway, he snorts at her description of him but doesn't contest it. Though her question is... awkward. ]
Maya definitely thinks she needs to babysit me. She might be young, but that's a lot of spunk.
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She's been doing the same to me. It's cute. I think she needs babysitting more than you do, though.
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[ ... ]
She has a tendency to spread herself thin and take on a lot. I hope you look out for her if you ever see it.
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