shaft | school: maya

One of the neighbouring countries has decided to take over the continent.

As you can imagine, we're not keen on being conquered.

[ a few things click here ]

So you're all fighting..? In the war?

That's right. Me, Dimitri and Byleth.

Oh..... that's horrible...

[ in the words of knuckles the echidna, war is bad ]

It is. We're all carrying the weight of a nation on our shoulders.

But it's worse for the people in our lands, who have no power to change what happens to them or what decisions their leaders make on their behalf.

So we can't complain too much. It's our responsibility as nobles.

[ nobles, huh...... byleth certainly looks the part, but she wouldn't have pegged dimitri for a noble. ]

[ or claude, actually. in her mind, nobles are stuffy people who just sit in their castles or whatever. ]

I had no idea it was like that where you were from...

Mm. [ Reaches over to flick her forehead so she doesn't look too sad. ]

It's a heavy burden feeling responsible for so many lives. But here... I guess at the very least we have people to share that weight with.

[ even the flick doesn't snap her out of it.... she still looks pretty troubled.... seems like she's absorbing this new info ]

... I guess.... you guys do all have each other.

[ byleth obviously cares a lot about claude, and dimitri is tsun but.... ]

But why poison? Isn't that kind of... sneaky?

[ Claude looks a little amused at the thought that they "have each other", but he doesn't say anything. ]

It sure is. I'm not the kind of guy that like to raise a fuss, you know.

[ listen dimitri dered on him and byleth is a dere machine so ]

I don't know if I could count poisoning people as not raising a fuss....

[ sounds fake ]

It's less of a fuss than leading hundreds of men and women into a battle, don't you think?

[ does it ]

... I guess so ...

[ hmmm maya no likey ]

So, you were practicing here in case you need to kill someone...?

Yeah.

[ a beat. and then: ]

No, I'm just kidding. I've actually never made a poison capable of killing someone. I mostly just make poisons that... cause a little stomach trouble.