#dimitri listens to r&b | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

nicolewrites · 5 years

Text

We Stand, Fate-Tested - III

Social distancing? More like stay up super late and write more. Stay safe and take the necessary steps to help out your community everyone.

Rating: T+ Genre: Mystery, Friendship, Romance Characters: [Byleth/My Unit, Dimitri B.], [Byleth/My Unit, Claude R.] Words: 5,488

Claude likes Almyran Pine / A familiar face pays the monastery a visit

AO3 | FFN

III - Tea and Conversation

Garreg Mach University - 16 Horsebow Moon, 732 AU

Byleth arrived before Claude did. She ordered a cup of tea and sat at one of the tables in the corner of the café. She sipped at her tea silently and observed the bustle around her. As the café on campus, Anna’s was busy from its opening hour right up until when it closed. The time Byleth had chosen, 4pm, was right in the middle of lecture slots, but the place still had a line to the door and barely any open seats.

At five minutes past the hour, Byleth checked her watch. Claude had been so interested in meeting with her, but he was late. She wondered if he was standing her up for some reason. She would give him another five minutes before she left, she reasoned. While she waited, she pulled out her laptop and looked at the form on the screen in front of her.

She was currently working at forming the application questions for the undergraduate application to Seteth’s research team. She had the general points hammered out that she wanted to include, but the specifics were bugging her a little. Seteth was supposed to reply to the draft he had sent him that morning, but there was no email in her inbox yet, so Byleth felt stuck.

“Hi Teach,” Claude greeted and Byleth snapped her head up. Claude stood in front of her table, grinning and sounding just the tiniest bit out of breath.

Byleth raised an eyebrow. “You’re late,” she pointed out.

Claude shrugged. “Practice ran long, I’m sorry. I made it though.” He glanced at the teacup on the table in front of her. “Ah, darn, I was going to pay to thank you for doing this.”

Byleth waved him off. “It’s only a few coins, I can handle it.”

Claude sat down and Byleth closed her laptop, sliding it off the table. “Even so, I wanted to be polite. I did ask you here.”

“To talk about archaeology,” Byleth said. “It’s not a date.”

Claude laughed and the corners of his eyes wrinkled. Byleth stared for a moment before she dropped her gaze to the table. Claude was pretty, but he was also her student so she didn’t really want anything to do with his charming face.

“So you just really want to talk about archaeology, do you?” he questioned.

Byleth glanced back up at him and studied him for a moment. He was wearing a yellow t-shirt with the emblem of a deer on it. The shirt stretched across his chest as he reclined in the chair, stretching his arms over his head leisurely. He wrapped his hands behind his head and smirked at her. The action caused his forearms to flex, showing off the wiry, toned muscles in them.

Byleth rolled her eyes. “That’s what you said you wanted to discuss,” she noted, raising an eyebrow.

Claude chuckled. “Alright, I guess I can start then. Why study the Guardian? You could have picked any discipline, so why focus on the Unification Era?”

“It’s the single biggest archaeological field in Fódlan. It has the most funding,” Byleth said shortly.

Claude clicked his tongue. “See, I might have believed that if I didn’t know you weren’t lying. In tutorial, you could have had us categorize any artifact and you chose the Guardian’s Blade. That, to me, indicates a specific interest in her. Plus, your thesis is specifically on her disappearance isn’t it?”

Byleth sighed. “Fine, you’re right. When I started learning about the Unification Era, I looked into the leaders of the time, as most people would. Notably, there was the Saviour King and the Guardian of Order. There were almost no records that survived the Scorch of Garreg Mach in 101 AU, but some of the documentation was preserved after the riots in Fhirdiad the following year. The King’s disappearance is explained a little there: he was killed in battle, presumed to have been in the Sreng region fighting off an invasion. The Guardian, on the other hand, was much more ambiguous. She outlived him, that much is clear, but it doesn’t make sense why she would just up and vanish like she did with very little explanation.”

Claude’s eyes gleamed as he listened to her explain. “You think she left for a reason,” he supplied.

Byleth nodded. “I do. I don’t know if archaeology is the way to prove that, but I’ve been digging into the Royal Collection and the artifacts of that era as much as I can to try and figure out why she would leave so suddenly.”

Claude nodded. “Makes sense to me.” He paused and ran a thumb over his lower lip, thinking, for a moment before he looked Byleth in the eye. “I think you’re looking in all the wrong places though.”

“Excuse me?”

“If you’re so interested in the Guardian, you should know that she was supposedly the Archbishop of the Church of Seiros at the time. Why look in the remains of the Royal Collection when you could look into the Old Church records and such?”

“She was married to the King,” Byleth said simply. “That, and the fact that many of her personal effects were found as a part of the Royal Collection.” She glanced out the café window at the university’s main building. “Plus, the Old Church has never made looking into their records after the Scorch easy to do.”

Claude considered her words. “I suppose so. Still, the GMU used to be the central monastery of the Church, didn’t it? Wouldn’t there be more answers there?”

Byleth shrugged. “Honestly, I hope so, but, as I said, there’s never been a full excavation of the old monastery.”

“But there was an excavation,” Claude said. He tilted his head and the green of his eyes was cuttingly perceptive and Byleth bit her lip. “Everyone tries to keep it all hush-hush, but there was an excavation, wasn’t there? You’ll have to excuse me as I’m not entirely caught up on archaeological news.”

Byleth took a sip of her tea. She had ordered Chamomile because it was her favourite decaf tea and it was too late in the day for caffeine now. Claude clearly knew something about the failed excavation. It felt like he was testing her to see how much she would tell him or how much she knew herself.

“It was supposed to be a full-year endeavour,” Byleth said finally. “It was a professor from the University who received private funding from a benefactor to lead a team below the old monastery. The security coordinator pulled himself from the project and it ended up falling through just shortly after it began. That was five years ago and no one has had approval from the Old Church and the government to be down there since.”

“Privately funded?” Claude questioned. “For an expedition to a historical site of religious and political importance, I’m surprised it was allowed to happen at all.”

Byleth paused. She had never actually considered that point herself, but it explained why Seteth had been jumping through so many hoops with the museum’s board as well as with the university to secure permission and funding.

“What do you think you’d find down there if you went looking?” Claude continued, watching her curiously.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I don’t know the whole story with the last team, so I can only wonder if they really articled everything they found down there, or if something else happened.” She sipped her tea. “Who knows, maybe there’s some kind of written record of the Guardian. That would certainly make my life interesting.”

“You know, Teach, for someone who was so hesitant to meet me, you’ve sure told me an awful lot of stuff,” Claude said teasingly.

Byleth rolled her eyes. “Most of it is common information for someone in our departments. You could have learned all of that yourself, so why did you want to hear it from me?”

“You’re interesting,” Claude admitted. “You have this air of cool and collected around you, but that first day, when I mentioned that you bore a resemblance to the Almyran depictions of her, you got uncomfortable. Then, when I placed the Guardian’s Blade as a Relic without background information, I startled you.”

He was right, of course, and Byleth hated it. “My physical resemblance to an unproven depiction has nothing to do with my studies,” she replied sharply.

Claude held up his hands. “Woah, I didn’t mean that it did. Besides, you’re my TA, so am I not allowed to just be genuinely interested in you as a person?”

“You haven’t asked me anything personal.”

Claude leaned forward onto his elbows and smiled challengingly. “I wasn’t aware I was allowed to.”

Byleth bit down a retort. “You mentioned a practice earlier as the reason why you were late,” she commented instead, swinging the topic to a different place.

He raised an eyebrow. “So you get personal questions and I don’t?” Byleth held his gaze and waited for him to answer the question. Finally, after a good three seconds of eye contact, Claude gave in. “Archery,” he replied. “I’m the team captain.”

She gestured to his shirt. “Does the deer have anything to do with that? It has the university crest on the sleeve.” It wasn’t a detail she had seen immediately, but on the right arm right above the hem on his bicep was the logo for Garreg Mach University.

“You don’t know about the Houses?” Claude asked. He sounded genuinely surprised.

Byleth shrugged. “I guess not.”

“You did your undergrad here, so how did you not know about them?” he asked.

Byleth shrugged again. “I wasn’t the most social person. Especially in my first year.”

“Ah,” Claude noted. “Well, in first year, students can pledge one of the three Houses at the University. You get an upper-year buddy and get invited to specific social events and it’s an integration assistant basically. I’m a part of the Golden Deer House.”

“That explains the deer. And the yellow.”

Claude laughed. “It does, yeah. Some of my best friends are from the Golden Deer, so I can’t really say anything negative about the House system.”

“Are Edelgard and Dimitri in the Golden Deer?”

“Nah. Edel is part of the Black Eagles and Dimitri is part of the Blue Lions. They both followed in their parents’ footsteps in that regard and I just decided to be contrary to them since I didn’t have any previous connections here at the university.”

Byleth nodded and sipped her tea again. It was almost cold now, so she placed the mug down on the counter and spun the teabag through it, studying the ripples it left with interest. Claude didn’t say anything for a moment and Byleth let the silence hang over them.

“I’m going to grab a cup if you’d like a refill,” he offered after a moment.

Byleth blinked and noticed that he had extended his hand to take her cup. She slid it over the table to him. “Thank you,” she said softly.

Claude just picked up the mug and headed for the line in the café. She watched him stand in line and pull out his phone to check something as he waited for a till to free up so he could place his own order. It only took him a few minutes to get a refill of hot water for Byleth as well as his own mug and he made his way back over to her, placing the two steaming mugs between them.

“Thank you,” Byleth said again.

Claude smiled again. “No worries.” He paused to stir his own teabag through the hot water before taking a tiny sip. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed Byleth was staring at him. “Teach?” he questioned.

“What kind of tea?” she asked before she could stop herself. There was something itching in her brain and she felt like it hinged on the type of tea that Claude preferred.

He looked a little surprised at the bluntness of her question. “Almyran Pine,” he answered. “It’s an old favourite of mine.”

“Bitter and very caffeinated,” Byleth supplied.

Claude nodded. “Almost as much caffeine as green tea.” He glanced at her own cup. “It sounds like you’re speaking from experience. Do you usually drink caffeinated teas?”

Byleth curled her hands around her own mug and felt the hot porcelain sting against the sensitive skin of her palms. “I’ve never actually had Almyran Pine,” she admitted. She knew it’s flavour profile, but she’d never actually tried it. She was more partial to the softer floral teas or a black tea like Bergamot.

Claude looked almost offended. “Everyone here seems to be like that. Edelgard and Dimitri think I’m strange for liking this blend. Honestly, Anna’s doesn’t even have a particularly good blend of it.”

“Can I try it?” Byleth asked.

Claude shrugged. “Sure.” He slid the cup across the table to her and she could already smell the fresh, earthy aroma wafting up to her.

She lifted the mug and blew gently across the liquid to cool it. She took a small sip and was instantly struck by the sharpness of the tea. It was bright on her tongue, tasting quite similarly to how she imagined biting a pine needle would taste.

“So?” Claude prompted as she placed the mug down and slid it back to him.

Byleth furrowed her brow, trying to process. “It tastes familiar,” she murmured. It was a strange admission to make, especially since she couldn’t remember ever tasting it before. She had never really been a big tea drinker before university, and she knew that she had definitely never ordered the Almyran Pine blend from Anna’s in the 5 years she had been studying at Garreg Mach.

“I thought you said you’d never had it before,” Claude commented, furrowing his brow.

Byleth bit her lip and took a drink from her own tea, trying to push away her discomfort. “I haven’t.”

Claude was definitely caught off guard by this, as evidenced by his silence. He sipped his tea himself and just watched Byleth curiously. She kept her gaze firmly either on the table or at the bottom of her own mug.

“Dr. Cichol is putting together a team for a dig below Garreg Mach in the new year,” Byleth confessed after the silence had lingered for too long.

Claude’s eyebrows shot up and he almost choked on his tea. “I thought you were saying it was hard to get approval for that.”

“Hard, but not impossible,” she corrected. “Seteth has been working at this for four years now and he’s finally got the clearance. He’s taking on everyone in his lab, including me, and a group of undergraduates.”

Claude straightened. “Wait, this is only the second major expedition to the old monastery ruins below the university and he’s taking undergraduates instead of a full team of professionals? Which students?”

Byleth nodded. “The idea came from the Board of the Fhirdiad National Museum of Unification who is funding him. They want it to be an educational experience too to give students some practical hands-on training.” She paused, pursing her lips. “I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone about this until the application is finalized.”

“Application?” Claude inquired, a gleam in his green eyes that was equal parts interest and mischief.

Byleth sighed. “Students in Archaeology 356 class will have the opportunity to apply for the eight spots as student researchers.” She lifted a finger and jabbed it towards Claude. “You are not supposed to know this information yet, so you are absolutely not allowed to say anything to anyone until the application is released.”

Claude grinned. “Won’t tell a soul,” he promised. “Why did you tell me, if I can ask?”

Byleth honestly didn’t know. “You’re passionate,” she said. “You’re interested in history and archaeology and I know you’ll be applying anyways.” She studied his face before adding, “and you remind me of myself when I was in undergrad. I wanted to learn everything that I could and I was just so damn curious that Seteth finally sat down with me and just handed me a brochure for the graduate program and didn’t let me leave until I committed to applying to it. I see the same spark in you.”

Claude’s lips twitched into a half-smirk. “The graduate program, hm? Is this a recruitment speech now?”

Byleth rolled her eyes. “No. This is me answering questions you had about my research and having a conversation with a peer that I share interests with.”

Claude nodded. “Fair enough, although, I will admit, I haven’t asked many questions today.”

Byleth frowned. “You still have questions?”

“Sure, plenty,” Claude answered. He glanced at the watch on his wrist and gave a faint smile. “More than I have time to ask, unfortunately.”

Byleth sighed. “Well, honestly, this wasn’t entirely unpleasant. I’m usually here Wednesdays and Thursdays after 4 doing reading or work.”

“Is that an invitation?”

“It’s an open comment,” she refuted. “I’m still your TA.”

Claude shrugged. “Peers with similar interest,” he parroted her earlier phrase. He drank the last of his tea and set his empty mug on the table. “It’s been a pleasure, Teach. I’ll see you next week.”

Byleth watched him lift his backpack up and walk out of Anna’s, pulling his phone out to make a call as he went. He left her with no context for his farewell. She had no idea whether he meant he would see her Monday in lecture, Tuesday in tutorial, or Wednesday or Thursday in the café. It was a fitting ‘Claude’ reply and Byleth now understood Edelgard and Dimitri’s warnings and apologies about their friend.

Byleth sipped at her tea again, but the chamomile tasted more bitter than it had previously. She could still taste the lingering, strangely-familiar Almyran Pine when she swallowed and she frowned, looking at the door to the café.

- ~ - ~ - ~ -

Garreg Mach Monastery - 7 Ethereal Moon, Unification Year

Byleth was in the garden on the third floor of the monastery when Seteth found her. She heard him coming and turned around as he approached. She gave him a small smile as he bowed respectfully.

“Your Grace, I was hoping I might have a moment of your time,” Seteth said. He gave a cursory glance toward the entrance back to the monastery where Cyril was standing guard.

Byleth gestured for Cyril to head inside. “Give us a few minutes, would you?”

“Of course, Lady Byleth,” he said, immediately turning and heading inside, leaving Byleth and Seteth alone under the moonlight.

“What can I help you with Seteth?” Byleth asked curiously, turning her full attention back to her advisor.

“You have grown into your role beautifully, Your Grace,” Seteth said instead, seemingly disregarding the question.

Byleth pressed her lips together and nodded. Many of the Archbishop’s duties she had already been carrying out before her official ascension to the position, so in reality, she hadn’t really taken upon that much more in the last few weeks. Most notably, it just seemed to limit the amount of time she was able to spend training.

“You’re not here to compliment me on the role I have been groomed for, Seteth,” Byleth pointed out.

He paused, but then he nodded. “Fair enough.” Seteth looked up, squinting at the moon where it hung in the sky. “I assume you remember what I told you that day, back at the monastery.”

Byleth’s eyebrows rose and she bit her tongue. This had not been the direction she had expected Seteth to take this conversation. “I do,” she agreed.

Seteth looked back at her and gestured to one of the benches on the terrace. “I did not tell you everything, nor did I explain the things I did tell you well enough. I gather you have figured out that I am one of the Nabateans, and that Flayn, despite her mortal mother, has taken after me.”

Seteth paused to let her process and things started to slide more concretely into place in her mind. Seteth and Flayn had Nabatean heritage and since Rhea herself was supposedly Seiros–her brain short-circuited. “Seteth,” she breathed. “How old are you?”

He chuckled lightly. “Don’t you know you should never ask people their age?” Byleth levelled him with a stare and she watched his eyes take on a far-off look. “I am from the old era,” Seteth finally admitted. “Flayn and I had been with Rhea for a very long time.”

He fell silent together and Byleth studied his profile. Something clicked in the back of her mind and Byleth put it together. “Cichol. You’re Cichol.”

“And Flayn is Cethleann, yes. Macuil grew disgusted with humans and conflict and he isolated himself away from it all. Indech hid away as well, taking on the mythos of a great protector. Flayn and I changed our names and moved around. After the fire at Garreg Mach where your father left with you when you were a baby, Rhea called us to the monastery. She always believed you were alive, even when Jeralt said you had perished. I supposed she could feel the Crest Stone inside you.”

Byleth held up a hand to get him to stop. “If she knew all this time, why did she let Jeralt take me in the first place. Wasn’t I her means to an end?”

“At first, Rhea searched for you and your father, but Jeralt knew Rhea well enough by this point and he knew how to hide from her. I suppose then that she knew she couldn’t keep looking for your without tipping Jeralt off and causing him to go deeper underground, so she waited for the right opportunity.”

“In Remire Village, when I first met Dimitri and Edelgard and Claude, did she have anything to do with that?”

Seteth shook his head. “As far as I have discovered, the bandit attack that drove them to Remire Village was actually orchestrated by Edelgard in an attempt to remove the heads of the other houses. Your mercenary group being there was probably a happy accident and a massive wrench in her plan.”

Byleth nodded. It made sense. As twisted as it was for Edelgard to attempt to assassinate Dimitri and Claude, it unfortunately aligned with the in-depth plan that Edelgard had created in order to orchestrate the war against the church. “So you and Flayn are Nabateans by blood and Rhea is Seiros, the last surviving child of Sothis. I don’t understand why you’re telling me all of this right now,” Byleth confessed. She touched her engagement ring and bit her lip.

Seteth sighed. “Byleth, I have to admit, Flayn and I have been looking into all of this for some time and I didn’t know when it would be important for you to have this information. Everything that happened with you and merging with Sothis, surely you have noticed something about yourself?”

Byleth touched her hair as Seteth spoke. Sometimes when she woke up in the morning, the green of it was still startling to her. The changes that Sothis’s power had bestowed on her body had made her different, obviously, but the changes had all been sudden: her hair, her eyes, and the spiking power that had coursed through her veins. “What do you mean?” she asked quietly.

“We are unsure of anything right now,” Seteth admitted, “but there is a good chance that your merging with the goddess has changed you, Byleth, from a mortal with a Crest Stone for a heart, to something else entirely.”

Byleth leaned away from Seteth, recoiling in surprise. “Are you saying I am immortal?”

“I have no idea,” Seteth confessed. “It is a possibility. Flayn and I have established two possibilities for what happened to you: either your body accepted Sothis’s power cleanly thanks to the Crest Stone and you will take on her immortality, or,” he paused, grimacing slightly.

“Or what, Seteth,” Byleth prompted, feeling a cold fear creep through her veins.

“Or the Crest Stone has acted as a conduit to Sothis’s power, allowing you to wield it as long as you have strength. There is a chance that the goddess’s power has corrupted your mortality entirely and,” he trailed off, looking almost ill.

Byleth stood up from the bench and took a few steps away, her head spinning. “And it’s consuming me from the inside,” she murmured, completing Seteth’s explanation. She turned to face him and saw the pain in his eyes. “You’re saying that the power could either make me immortal or kill me and we have no way of knowing which one until one or the other happens.”

Byleth buried her face in her hands and shook her head. “I’m getting married tomorrow!” She snapped her head up and glared at Seteth. “Why did you tell me this now?”

Seteth sighed and Byleth noted that for the first time since she’d known him, he looked defeated and completely bone-tired. “Because you deserved to know all of this the moment I discovered it and because your life no longer affects only you now. I wanted you to have this information so that you could make the decision to tell Dimitri. I am sorry, Byleth. I wish I had more answers for you.”

Tears stung in her eyes and she wiped them away angrily. “So I am supposed to just tell my fiancé that I might either die suddenly or outlive him by thousands of years right before we pledge ourselves to each other and expect him to just accept that?”

“You are supposed to decide when and if you tell him,” Seteth corrected gently. “The information is yours now and I promise you that Flayn and I will continue to work on this to try and find more answers.”

Byleth’s shoulders trembled. “I don’t want answers, I just want all of this to stop!” she cried out. Her knees felt dangerously weak and she lowered herself to the stone floor of the terrace and stared up at the sky.

The moon and the stars blurred behind her tears. Byleth twisted her hands together and felt them warm up with white magic. The healing power didn’t sink into her because, of course, she had no physical injuries, so she let the Recover spell fizzle into nothingness. Even after the magic had physically dispelled, Byleth could still feel the lingering warmth of its power in her veins, a feeling similar to that invoked by the Sublime Creator Sword when she wielded it.

“Where is Rhea?” Byleth asked. She wiped away the lingering tears in her eyes and stood back to her feet. She turned back to face Seteth and lifted her chin up with what confidence she could muster. “Would she know?”

“Rhea did not see fit to tell any of us where she would be going once she left the monastery,” Seteth began.

“Seteth,” Byleth cut off sharply. “Would she know?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Rhea spent a long time trying to,” he winced, “create you, but I don’t think anything about how it happened was according to her plan. Implanting the Crest Stone in you was clearly not something she had intended to do, but I don’t know if she knew what it would lead to.”

Byleth nodded slowly and rubbed at her arms nervously. “Okay,” she said softly. The information was still whirring in her brain and she had no idea how she was supposed to be feeling or how she was supposed to react. Mostly, she was still afraid to tell Dimitri. They were supposed to wed tomorrow and she hadn’t the slightest idea what to tell him, if anything at all.

“I am sorry to spring this on you, Byleth,” Seteth said again.

Byleth exhaled slowly. “I know.”

She didn’t know what she would have done next, but Cyril reappeared in the doorway of the monastery and she instead wiped her face quickly and straightened up. This was not the time for the leader of the church to come across as weak or divided on anything.

“Cyril?” she called to him. Seteth turned, noticing their visitor.

“Your Grace, Seteth, there is important news,” Cyril said.

“News?” Byleth frowned, walking towards her friend. “What happened?”

Cyril looked like he was trying to hide a smile. “There’s someone here to see you, Your Grace.”

Now Byleth knew she looked as confused as she felt. “Wait, what? Everyone who was coming to the wedding should have been here yesterday or earlier. Who’s here?”

“You ought to come see for yourself. They’re in the main hall with Dimitri and the others.”

Byleth sighed and stepped past Cyril. She would take up this conversation with Seteth again later, but for now, she was just incredibly curious about who was showing up at the monastery the night before her wedding to the King of Fódlan. She made her way quickly down to the first floor. Seteth followed her a few paces back and Byleth led the charge through the reception hall towards the entrance hall.

She entered the hall and walked towards the main monastery gates. She could hear familiar voices–Flayn, Dimitri, Ingrid, Annette–and she hurried forward so she could see down the stairs. The first person she saw was, of course, the large frame of Dimitri, but then she saw who was beside him and her jaw dropped.

Claude von Riegan stood next to Dimitri, arms folded and a smirk on his face. He was wearing the armour of a wyvern rider and he seemed to have lost all of the regalia he had previously adorned as the leader of the Alliance.

Seteth had stopped next to her at the top of the stairs and Byleth could feel the ripples of surprise coming off of him that were similar to her own shock. Byleth stepped down one stair and then another, still looking between Dimitri and Claude. The last time she had seen Claude had been in Derdriu when he had ceded the Alliance to Dimitri and announced his intentions to leave Fódlan. She had no idea what he was doing here.

Though she hadn’t led the Golden Deer during their time at the Academy, Byleth had always enjoyed Claude’s company. He had been clever and snarky and just distrusting of the church enough that her father had liked him too. He was an excellent shot with a bow and he was a brilliant tactician, skills Byleth definitely commended. She felt almost affronted that he would choose the day before her wedding to miraculously drop out of the sky.

Her shock faded and her annoyance and anger replaced it and she descended the rest of the stairs quickly. She approached the group of her friends and Annette barely had time to notice her before Byleth was cutting in front of Dimitri and grabbing Claude by the collar of his armour.

“Claude von Riegan, what in the goddess’s name are you doing here?” Byleth demanded.

Claude had tensed as soon as she had grabbed him, but he relaxed when he noted that it was Byleth who had assaulted him and that she didn’t truly look angry, more annoyed. Dimitri stepped closer to Byleth and gently tugged her hand away from Claude’s neck. Byleth resisted for a moment before she dropped her hand with a huff. Dimitri let his hand curl around hers, partially out of affection and partially to make sure she didn’t accost Claude again.

Claude chuckled lightly and straightened his armour. “Hey, Teach, it’s a pleasure to see you again.”

Byleth narrowed her eyes. “What are you doing here?” she repeated.

Claude smirked. “Well, when I heard that the King of Fódlan was getting married to the Archbishop of the Church of Seiros, I knew that I couldn’t miss my chance to stop by and give you my best wishes. Surely you’ll be able to find a seat for me at the ceremony tomorrow?”

Byleth pursed her lips. There was something fishy about his explanation–some edge to the words that hid their real meaning. It was a tone of voice she was familiar with from Claude’s time as her student. The wedding was only an excuse for him because he definitely had some sort of ulterior motive.

Dimitri didn’t seem to share her observation because he laughed. “Don’t worry Claude, we won’t turn you back out into the cold. We’ll find you a seat if you tell us where you’ve been this past half-year.”

Claude’s lips twitched. “It’s kind of a long explanation for the night before such a big day.”

Byleth folded her arms and levelled an even stare at the former Alliance leader. “You’re not weaselling out of this one.”

Claude held up his hands. “Alright, alright, but surely we can find somewhere to sit first?”

16 notes · View notes

non-fantasy · 5 years

Text

holy shit.

okay.

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

hilda just tends to drag dimitri around whenever she thinks he needs a break and do whatever. everything from shopping trips to eating out to just sitting and chatting together. she’s taken to trying to teach him how to make jewelry recently

dimitri goes along with hilda’s decision because honestly? he’s just happy spending time with her? but on the times he does decide what they’re doing, it’s either something to make her happy like a meal at a restaurant she likes or taking a walk or training together lol

B eauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

hilda actually is secretly a huge romantic under her “lol” attitude! she would get really embarrassed if she ever had to admit it but she just really likes... dimitri... how he’s so nice and knightly and sweet and cute???? like she admires that attitude but sometimes it scares her because oh no, he might self-sacrifice...

dimitri admires how hilda is so loyal to her friends and really kind and brave despite her worries but he just!! really wants her to realize how incredible she is!!!!

(does this question mean physical appearance too? oh whoops.)

C omfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

hilda reminds dimitri that she’s there and she will listen! on really bad days she will just be hugging him as he’s crying.

hilda has a bad habit of framing her insecurities really casually? she says this thing about how she might disappoint everyone but she doesn’t seem all that upset about it. dimitri is really awkward but he reminds her that he thinks the world of her and that he’s also there for her. one time he hugged her to comfort her and hilda just completely forgot that she was upset because goddess her boyfriend is cute

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

lol neither of them want to imagine a future together at first because of their insecurities?

but then as they actually get better at that, hilda’s view is most just that they still relax together, but they’re also... completely mushy and in love... we’re talking birthday bouquets... casual kisses... everything...

meanwhile dimitri’s view? is like. he cares less about hilda reciprocating and more about doing things that will make her happy. his future is just sometimes giving her gifts and seeing her smile and telling her earnestly that she’s wonderful. he doesn’t even realize it’s possible for her to like him back until after they get together.

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

dimitri is mostly passive because uh, insecurities. he’s honestly baffled hilda likes him back at all in the beginning, so he tries not to be too selfish because that might make her hate him :c hilda is more dominant but then she tells him to be more selfish with his desires and tell her what he wants

they become more equal but hilda still has an edge over him, but it’s because she’s the one dragging him to sleep and not letting him overwork himself.

F ight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

i’m legitimately trying to come up with scenarios where they fight and the only one i can come up with is “dimitri!!! STOP ALMOST DYING TO PROTECT ME” and that ends with hilda bursting into tears and begging him not to sacrifice himself for her. he apologizes and she tells him that she will only forgive him if he promises not to do that

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

dimitri is so fucking grateful??? all the time????? every time she does anything.... every time hilda helps him or smiles at him.... he’s so fucking grateful.........

hilda is also grateful for how dimitri keeps trying to make her feel happy and she expresses her gratitude by helping him but this makes him feel grateful and try and repay her and this is an endless loop

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

dimitri tries to hide just how badly he’s been traumatized and depressed at first but slowly starts trusting hilda with that information. hilda doesn’t really hide much? one of the biggest secrets she’s hid from him is that she accidentally broke one of his lances and immediately tried to fix it but ruined it even more so she just had to say that it got lost

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

lol that’s the entire thing with them? hilda helping dimitri out of depression and trauma with friendship and love.

obviously not just that. she helps him sleep better and make more friends and stop overworking himself, which contributes greatly to it.

on hilda’s side, dimitri helps her stop being so scared of disappointing people and believe in herself more!

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

listen... dimitri is a prince.... he’s strong and hot and smart.... he’s probably had more than a few admirers.... so hilda just hugging his arm to his chest and being cute is just hilda reminding them that he’s off-limits, okay?

meanwhile hilda has a fuckton of admirers and also is friends with claude “casually flirts with my teacher” von riegan. at first dimitri was insecure because “i don’t even know why she likes me in the first place” but as he starts having the self-esteem? he’s just going to be hugging hilda and resting his head on top of hers as she’s talking to people. angrily hugging her.

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

dIMITRI IS SUCH AN AWKWARD KISSER AT FIRST GOD

hilda went to kiss him on the cheek but then he turned and she accidentally kissed his lips. that was their first kiss.

but seriously it takes so long for dimitri to warm up. he’s awkward and has trouble initiating and he’s doing his best and hilda loves him for it.

after they got more used to it? hilda is more casual with her kisses, but also, she’s tiny. she compensates for the sheer difficulty of kissing dimitri on the lips most of the time by kissing him on the hand, neck, back, all the more easily accessible places. she has attempted to kiss all of his scars before.

dimitri on the other hand does it less often but he almost always goes for the lips. either real slow and tender or uh. super aggressively, lol.

L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

it’s either dramatic blood-covered dimitri screaming that “you can’t die! i love you!” or just. they’re just sitting together, relaxing, and then hilda quietly says “i love you” and dimitri? is surprised by how calm he is when it happens. he takes her hand and says he loves her too.

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

it’s fire emblem, they’re bound to get married. and they really wanted to, too.

dimitri managed to be very nervous but pull out a ring anyways, which makes hilda pause. he panics and thinks she’s trying to reject him but then she just pulls out the ring she got for him.

their marriage is just like. hilda as queen? yeah she’s doing her part but there are days she just stays in bed. they aren’t that common because she has learned that dimitri can and will work all day if she’s not there. she works to keep dimitri from being crushed by the workload alone and also so she can drag him to bed when they’ve done enough.

N icknames - What do they call their s/o?

they just use their names for each other. hilda’s probably one of the only people to call dimitri by his name at all.

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

their mutual pining has been obvious to the entire school for so fucking long.

dimitri is even more shy and awkward than usual. he tries to give hilda a gift and winds up asking her to a sparring match because that’s just what his mouth blurted out.

hilda! is trying so hard to act casual but sometimes her mouth slips and she flirts by accident. she is so quick to dismiss it as a joke.

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

at first? they’re actually kinda shy because “holy shit you like me back?”

hilda is braver tho and starts holding hands more easily. sometimes hugs. dimitri gets more and more brave over time and then eventually gets to the point where he thinks nothing of bridal carrying hilda whenever she jokingly complains about being too tired to walk. in front of everyone. even hilda got embarrassed by that.

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

hilda remembers a lot of lullabies since she needed them a lot when she was younger. it’s useful because dimitri likes her singing voice and maybe for after..?

dimitri is surprisingly good at massaging. only hilda, tho. one time he tried to massage sylvain’s wrist and wound up breaking it.

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

dimitri is very cliche but he’s doing his best!!!!!! he gives her flowers (because she said she liked them) and loves her a lot!

hilda is more creative. she accidentally shaped jewellery-makers for generations with her gifts to dimitri

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

hilda is on the fence because on one hand yeah she does love and support dimitri but on the other hand, dimitri? please don’t destroy yourself for revenge. don’t do that. please?

dimitri absolutely supports and believes in hilda. without a fucking doubt. he would die for her (hilda voice: STOP)

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

they like the peaceful routine of working and relaxing and hanging out with friends. the things they do to spice it up are usually just trying a new place to eat.

U nderstanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

they’re both the type to try and learn what they can about their partner, i think. they’re also good at reading each other.

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

hilda has to tackle dimitri to stop him from dying for her because of this question. hilda loves him dearly but please for the love of everything dimitri have some fucking self-preservation.

W ild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

after they got married dimitri accidentally invented valentines day because he tried to send her all the chocolate he could. hilda screamed that there was literally no way she could ever eat all of that in twelve lifetimes. she had to start a chocolate festival to get rid of them all.

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

oh hell yeah.

Y earning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

sometimes theyre separated because of kingly and queenly duties...

hilda dealt with dimitri being gone by wrapping a one of his cloaks around her shoulders. he was so embarrassed when he came back

dimitri writes letters but will they ever be sent to her? when they’re so embarrassing? who knows?

(someone stole them and sent them. this thief has never been identified but is suspected to be someone close to the royal couple.)

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

haven’t we had enough of dimitri almost dying. can’t we have dimitri in love. gosh.

#hildimitri #hilda valentin goneril #dimitri alexandre blaiddyd #fe3h #alphabet thing

58 notes · View notes

huberts-private-counsel-archive · 5 years

Note

can i request hcs for a guilty rarepair of mine? specifically angst headcanons for hubert/dimitri?

Anon, I do hope you realize what you’ve done here. You just asked me for angst for a ship...and did not give me any hard limits. And the last time that happened, Ferdibert got completely destroyed. Time to do the same to this ship I say, since you didn’t give me any limits :)

As for the route...let’s go with Verdant Wind, shall we?

Edit: putting this under a read more because this is like...almost 2k words dfjhsdjh i went OFF

Truth be told, the news of Dimitri’s execution hit Hubert much harder than he thought it would. After all, he had made the choice to abandon him in order to serve Lady Edelgard. No matter their relations at the Academy, Hubert thought he would’ve been able to shrug off his attachments easily. Yet when it was made public that Dimitri had been executed - for a crime Hubert knew he didn’t commit, no less - he still found himself mourning the prince. No, not just mourning. Grieving.

It was absolutely ridiculous, Hubert told himself each time he found himself thinking back to what had once been (and what could have been, had he chosen to stay with his heart than follow his duty). Yet time and time again, he’d find his thoughts caught on Dimitri before said thoughts sent him down a spiral of “what-ifs”.

And then came the battle at Grondor.

Admittedly, Hubert had felt his heart soaring when he realized that it truly was Dimitri across the field they had fought on five years ago. He couldn’t deny the ghost of a smile that wanted to appear on his face realizing Dimitri had survived. Of course, he chased it away before Lady Edelgard could see

Then he actually encountered Dimitri, and any levity that had been left in his heart completely vanished. Because even if the being before him looked and sounded like Dimitri, even shared his name...it just couldn’t be him.

The Dimitri of the Academy had been kind. Even if there had been blood staining his hands, even if there had been ghosts following him, he had at least been attempting to wash it off and keep pressing forward (unlike Hubert, who merely let his hands grow more and more stained, allowed more and more ghosts to join his ranks, anything for Lady Edelgard’s cause). The Dimitri of the Academy often had a soft smile on his face, his blue eyes somehow radiating warmth whenever he spoke. It was enough that Hubert had found himself being drawn in five years ago, a moment of weakness that Hubert was selfish enough to indulge himself in.

The Dimitri in front of him could not be the Dimitri he had known five years ago.

The Dimitri in front of him was missing an eye, the missing one covered by an eyepatch while the one remaining was an icy blue, missing all of the warmth of their school days. The Dimitri in front of him was drenched in blood, ghosts practically nipping at his heels. The Dimitri in front of him did not smile, a hate-filled snarl instead marring his face.

The Dimitri in front of him did not recognize who he was. All the Dimitri in front of him cared about was revenge.

Idly, Hubert wondered if he could have prevented Dimitri from falling to this fate. If, just if, he had chosen to remain by Dimitri’s side, could he have prevented Dimitri from falling so far? Kept him from being consumed by his ghosts until they were all that drove him?

He heard the call for them all to retreat. Perhaps he should have stayed closer to Lady Edelgard, but he had to see Dimitri - this is not Dimitri, his mind tried to remind him, but Hubert found himself ignoring it - for himself, perhaps try and convince him to stand down.

Instead, now he was the one retreating. The heavy armored steps behind him told him that Dimitri was following. No, no Dimitri was already injured as is, if he tried to follow, he would just get himself killed (and even if that would be better for Lady Edelgard’s cause, a stupidly selfish part of Hubert still wanted to save what was left of the man he had fallen in love with all those years ago).

So he stopped where he stood, whirling around to face Dimitri as the former prince (would he have been a king by now? Hubert can’t help but wonder) staggers up, Hero’s Relic clutched tightly in his hand.

“Wretched rat,” Dimitri (not Dimitri, not Dimitri, his mind continues to say, perhaps trying to save his heart any more pain) nearly growls out, “get out of my way. Unless you want me to tear the head from your shoulders as well?”

Hubert wasn’t sure if Dimitri truly didn’t recognize him, or if the hate clouding his thoughts had been enough to completely change his view of Hubert. He wasn’t sure which one he’d rather have be the truth.

“Dimitri, you’re injured. If you stand down and retreat, I will allow you to go with your life.” What was he doing? Hubert knew, knew he should be killing Dimitri now while he had the chance, but...

But Hubert was only human. And every human had a weakness. Hubert’s happened to go by the name of Dimitri. He prayed that Dimitri would listen to reason, that he would simply retreat and Hubert wouldn’t have to end the life of the man he loved (and still does, damn his pathetically weak heart).

Unfortunately, Dimitri didn’t. And he lunged towards Hubert, a roar erupting from his throat as he raised his Hero’s Relic and Hubert readied a spell, but he wasn’t even sure if he could cast it in time (that was a lie, Hubert knew perfectly well he had only gotten faster in spell-casting since their days at the Academy, he would be able to hit Dimitri before Dimitri could ever hit him)-

And suddenly Dimitri let out a gasp of pain, suddenly pausing in his charge as he winced. Hubert felt confused, until he saw the shaft of a lance sticking out of the back of Dimitri.

Ambush.

Considering he hadn’t been skewered through yet, while lances and arrows alike continued to pierce through Dimitri’s armor (not Dimitri, not Dimitri) as the man tried to keep himself standing by using his Relic, Hubert could only conclude that these were Imperial soldiers. His legs eventually buckled beneath him, and Dimitri fell to the floor.

There was a cold weight in Hubert’s stomach.

Imperial soldiers did come out of hiding, some cheering about having taken down Dimitri. One of them even pats Hubert on the shoulder, thanking him for being there as bait for him. Hubert barely feels himself nodding. His whole body feels numb, his mind a complete and utter storm.

Quietly, he hears himself tell the soldiers that he will take care of the body. And none of the soldiers are eager to stick around - not even a minute later, all of them are gone. Hubert approaches Dimitri’s - not Dimitri’s - body, intending to at least give him a proper burial, when suddenly he moves.

Hubert startles, his eye widening as Dimitri lifts his head up from the dirt, a heavy haze present in his gaze as he weakly calls out -

“H...Hubert...?”

Dimitri.

Hubert knelt down in the dirt beside him, carefully lifting Dimitri up so that they could face each other. Dimitri shouldn’t even be alive right now, it was impossible, no one could survive that many lances and arrows piercing their body (and Hubert knew he wouldn’t, he would succumb to them soon, sooner if Hubert tried to remove any of them). And yet Dimitri was staring at him, Hubert feeling something in his heart stir at the familiarity of his gaze.

The Dimitri from the Academy wasn’t gone after all.

“D-Dimitri, I-” Hubert wasn’t even sure what he had been about to say, maybe an apology or even questioning if it really is him when Dimitri began speaking again, effectively silencing him.

“I-I...I’m sorry..I couldn’t r-recognize..you..” Dimitri said quietly, and Hubert had to force down the hysterical laughter. Of course the first thing he said was an apology.

“You shouldn’t be apologizing, where’s your base, I-”

“H-Hubert...y-you of all p-people...should know...” a weak laugh came from Dimitri, one that pulled at Hubert’s heart and had him blinking back tears.

Hubert couldn’t find it in him to speak. A surprising amount of his effort was going into trying to keep his tears at bay.

“I-I’m...’m so s-sorry beloved...” and there it was, that damned pet name that Dimitri had used back at the Academy, the one that never failed to set Hubert’s heart on fire - not until now, where the only thing it did was weigh it down, “...that I-I have...have to l-leave you l-like this...”

Hubert opens his mouth, intending to tell Dimitri he is indeed a fool for allowing himself to die like this (and how Hubert was an even bigger fool for allowing this to happen). All that comes out is a choked sob.

“P-Please...” Hubert feels Dimitri’s hand raise up to his cheek, and Hubert can’t stop himself from clutching at it like a lifeline. Dimitri coughs, one wet with blood that Hubert wished he could erase from his mind as soon as he hears it. “P-Promise me...something..”

“What is it?”

“Don’t...don’t let me h-haunt you...y-you don’t...” Another cough. “You don’t d-deserve to b-be...be haunted, like t-this...”

“I...I promise.” The lie tastes bitter on his tongue, but the grateful smile Dimitri gives him only makes it more bitter.

“T-Thank you...I...love you...”

The words are almost whispered, then Dimitri is slumping against Hubert, finally going still. Hubert can only stare at where Dimitri had been just moments ago, before a hysterical sob claws its way out of his throat.

“I-I love you too, y-you fool,” he chokes out, but really, aren’t they both fools for letting this happen to them? And he stays there for as long as he dares, holding Dimitri’s rapidly cooling body before creating a makeshift grave, marking the grave with some stones and a wildflower before heading back to Lady Edelgard, trying not to think about the fact that Dimitri’s blood is now staining his hands as well.

(Later, when Hilda returns to Claude and the professor to report that Dimitri has died, she chooses to leave out the more private parts of their conversation. It was clearly a moment meant for the two of them to be alone, and she was intruding enough as it was. She did admit that Dimitri regained his mind in his final moments, but that was all she would say.)

Later, when Lady Edelgard asks about what took him so long, Hubert simply tells her that he had to take care of unfinished business, but the former king of Faerghus is dead and buried. He tries to ignore the sinking feeling when Lady Edelgard smiles and tells him that she’s grateful to him for what he’s done.

He goes to his office, trying to ignore how Dimitri's blood is staining his hands now. Trying to ignore how Dimitri has joined the legion of ghosts that haunt him, except his ghost is the loudest in its cries for justice and how could you.

Later, when he’s felled in Enbarr, he finds himself staring up at the sky. He almost wants to laugh. Perhaps - no, this is what he deserves for allowing Dimitri to die like he did. This is his karma. He closes his eye, choking on his own blood as he wonders if Dimitri will continue to haunt and berate him even in the afterlife.

It isn’t as though he doesn’t deserve it. Not for what he’s done.

(When Hubert opens his eye again, it’s face-to-face with Dimitri. He waits, expecting Dimitri to ask him again why he let him die, or why he hadn’t stayed with him to begin with, when Dimitri - a surprisingly weak smile where Hubert expected anger if not hatred - suddenly pulls him into a tight hug, To say Hubert is startled would be an understatement - even still, he waits for Dimitri to say something, anything to break this illusion of a remotely pleasant reunion.

Dimitri doesn’t say anything Hubert predicted him to.

All Dimitri says - with warmth and guilt and even more so love present in his voice - is, “Welcome home love.”

And Hubert can’t stop himself from hugging back, trying not to choke on his sobs as he thinks about how he’ll never let Dimitri go again - he refuses to repeat his past mistakes. Not now, not ever again.)

17 notes · View notes

omegaplus · 5 years

Text

# 3,187

Dramatics “Hey You! Get Off My Mountain” b/w “In The Rain” German 7″ (1973)

It had to be when I was in Stony Brook when the late Sixties and early Seventies were somehow back in style once again. Classic heads big-upped Mass Appeal magazine because they repped that feel. They reached for their Seventies sitcoms in Sanford & Son (1972-1977) and Good Times (1974-1979) because it signified an era of good old-fashioned classic soul and R&B. And only the most respectable hip-hop artists and producers continued referring back to Philadelphia, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Harlem soul as well as Stax to make a rep- for themselves. In my eyes, Dramatics’ “Hey You! Get Off My Mountain” fits into the grand scheme of things and I constantly dove into them and other related artists after I started crate-digging on a regular basis, as I still continued listening to hip-hop well after the now-legendary golden era of 1988-1995.

Germany features The Dramatics and a nice dash of Dimitri font possibly made famous by Shaft.

#omega #music #mixtapes #reviews #playlists #Dramatics #soul #funk #R&B #Mass Appeal #Long Island #personal #Sanford & Son #Good Times #Stax

6 notes · View notes

three-houses-text-files · 5 years

Note

hey! I was wondering, do you have the text files for the unique dialogue that can occur when two specific people dine with each other? If you do, would it be possible for you to send me the files? I've been trying to collect some quotes for the wiki, and it'd really be appreciated. If not, that's fine ! Thank you.

there aren’t any text files for unique dialogue (be it eating together or doing group tasks), but i did take some time to go through all possible support pairs and found a nice 28 pairs of unique dialogue in my save files! i typed them all up below c:

i’ve heard some pairs change dialogue once they reach certain support levels (e.g. annette/mercedes has different lines for c/no rank vs. b rank), but i can’t really confirm that. if it also makes any difference, all of these lines are from before the timeskip

(i’m also assuming that the same 28 pairs would have unique dialogue for tasks, but again, i can’t confirm at the moment. i’ll look at it later!)

edelgard/hubert

H: All I look for in a meal is a full stomach. You seem to be after something more than that, Lady Edelgard.E: True. I feel that sharing a table with people you’re close to is a precious opportunity that should never be taken for granted.

edelgard/ferdinand

F: I know why you sat us next to each other. You want to see who can eat more quickly.E: Ferdinand. Please stop making everything a competition against me.

edelgard/petra

E: Do you miss the food of your homeland, Petra? I wish there was a way to get some for you.P: I have gratitude for your kindness. But it is OK. I am liking the food of Fódlan.

ferdinand/hubert

F: Why are we seated beside each other? I cannot enjoy my food with you sitting here.H: Just shut up and eat.

dorothea/ferdinand

F: Food tastes best when you are sharing it with others. Do you not think so, Dorothea?D: Yes. Present company excluded, of course.

ferdinand/lorenz

L: Pristine manners are essential, even if the quality of the food is poor. Wouldn’t you agree, Ferdinand?F: Indeed. We may not care for the meal, but we must show our respect for the person who cooked it.

linhardt/marianne

M: Um, I find it difficult to eat when you stare...L: My apologies. You and the professor are both so fascinating...I simply cannot help myself.

caspar/linhardt

C: Yeah! It’s eating time! Come on, let’s dig in!L: Caspar, do develop table manners. Begin by chewing with your mouth closed, especially when I’m around.

ashe/caspar

A: Caspar! Your stomach will burst if you eat all of that!C: Haha! Don’t worry about me, I’ve got a stomach of steel! Professor knows what I’m talking about!

alois/bernadetta

B: There’s no one I’d rather eat with than the professor and Alois!A: Hear, hear... Hm. This old chair keeps creaking. I fear it’s on its last legs. Hah!

dorothea/manuela

M: Look at how fancy the professor is! Dining with two stars of the stage. You must be flattered, no?D: We can’t sing and dance our way through the meal, but do you like the opera, Professor?

dedue/dimitri

De: Mmm.Dim: Remember this, Professor. That look on Dedue’s face means he thinks the food is pretty tasty.

dimitri/felix

F: Is something wrong? You’re eating like you hate the food.D: Oh? That was not my intention, but I apologize if I hurt your feelings.

dimitri/sylvain

S: You know what, Professor? His Highness here is the most stubborn guy I know.D: Now, Sylvain, why not go ahead and eat? If you do not, I may help myself to it.

dimitri/gilbert

G: This is quite delicious.D: So you say, but you do not seem to be eating. Are you feeling all right, Gilbert?

annette/mercedes

A: Today’s dish was so good! Oh, but not as good as your homemade sweets, Mercie!M: You’re too kind. Maybe I’ll bake some for you next time, Professor.

claude/lorenz

L: If you wanted to invite someone else to dine with us, Professor, I would have preferred you choose a lady.C: Eh. I don’t mind a straitlaced noble joining us. I’m happy just to share a meal with Teach.

claude/hilda

C: This meager meal isn’t enough to fill me up. I’d really prefer a daily, lavish feast!H: Feasts are special because they’re kinda rare. If you had a feast every day, you’d start to be sick of ‘em.

lorenz/raphael

R: Mmm...delicious! Don’t worry about finishing your portion. I’ll gladly clean it up after you!L: Could you eat a little more quietly, please? Your manners are disgraceful...

hilda/lorenz

H: Nothing like a tasty meal after some grueling work. Lorenz, you’ve hardly eaten anything.L: There is no need to rush. I prefer to take my time.

leonie/lorenz

Lor: Could I at least persuade you to eat with utensils?Leo: Eyes on your own plate. Don’t you know it’s disrespectful to waste food?

ignatz/raphael

I: There’s more food than I can eat. Professor, Raphael, you’re welcome to have some of mine.R: Don’t listen to him, Professor! Ignatz gets all dizzy if he doesn’t eat enough!

hanneman/lysithea

H: Lysithea, do you like this kind of food? How is the seasoning? Is it hot enough?L: Hey. The professor is right here. Can you please stop paying me so much attention? Thanks.

hilda/marianne

M: Food tastes better when I get to share it with you.H: I feel the same! Let’s fill up so that we feel good and energized.

flayn/seteth

F: Ah, meals always taste best when it is a company of three or more at the table.S: Do you not enjoy eating when it’s just the two of us? You wound me, Flayn...

hanneman/manuela

H: This is lovely. I welcome an opportunity for us three to get together and enjoy one another’s company.M: I wouldn’t normally want you around for dinner, Hanneman. But it’s kinda nice once in a while.

catherine/shamir

C: It’s too rare that we get a chance to kick back and stuff our faces. C’mon Shamir, time to gorge!S: I apologize for my partner, Professor.

cyril/shamir

C: Having a meal together with Shamir... I’m happy and more than a bit nervous.S: Hah. It’s rude to ignore the professor like that.

#fire emblem three houses spoilers #fe16 spoilers #fe3h spoilers

25 notes · View notes

jhupaig · 5 years

Text

K_Renbo: mhm,,, kinda caught between just raising an eyebrow at her and squinting at her thecyberflame: don't,, need to do either K_Renbo: well she seems to want to be very clingy which is a problem thecyberflame: Not a problem at all,, K_Renbo: mmmhm just checking you wouldn't like, cry or anything if he punched her in the face would you thecyberflame: Depends how hecked his brain is K_Renbo: could say super hecked for fun thecyberflame: For fun, of course. Uhhh then yeah he gonna cry K_Renbo: well dang. he's not a fan but yeah he's gonna have to fight her cuz that's just how it be sometimes thecyberflame: Have fun trying to fight with a boy clinging to her K_Renbo: aww,, she's gonna kiss your head tho, you stay safe while she takes care of this creep, okay? thecyberflame: Clings to her,, so much,, K_Renbo: oh, baby,,, holds,,, hamon's just gonna si g h thecyberflame: Don't sigh at him,,, he's gonna cry mo re K_Renbo: :/... He's gonna try to kick her one way and pull you the other. Release, thecyberflame: That's rude and not nice Mama please don't let go of hi m His little weak hands can only cling so much,, K_Renbo: She won't!! she's gonna try so ha r d, and even if he pulls them apart she'll just try to get you ba ck but his look has graduated from squint to glare so that's cool thecyberflame: Yaaay fun,, K_Renbo: very fun thecyberflame: Those hands are gonna reach for her,, K_Renbo: Sig h s. He's gonna try to pull you far away from her tho got the image of her grabbing a palette knife and trying to get him so,,,, enjoy watching your mama stab your papa~ thecyberflame: This,, hecks with his head too much for him to be okay with it,,Yell a no but look surprised that he did,, reach out a hand but he doesn't know wh o he's reaching to,,, Life is ha r d K_Renbo: she's sorry you have to see this baby,,,, but this man is trying to take you away from her-!! thecyberflame: But,, But he- he's not.. He's good,,He thinks..,, K_Renbo: Baby, no! He wants to take you-! pulls him back into he r a rm s thecyberflame: Mm,,, He'll.. He'll look at Hamon K_Renbo: He's just trying to collect himself and decide what to do hi don't mind this pained glance at you thecyberflame: As long as you don't mind his pained and confused face looking at you K_Renbo: Well, he does mind that. He's just gonna sigh at it and close his eyes for a hot second thecyberflame: Why do you mind that si r K_Renbo: Ah e m your mama's just gonna pull you way over there, come along,,, thecyberflame: But mama he's hurt..,, K_Renbo: Good. thecyberflame: Maaammmaaaa. Just killed a maaann That's not,, good,, K_Renbo: He wants to take you away, baby-- He's gonna try to take you so far away-- She had to thecyberflame: He doesn't want to be taken away but.. he- he's hurt.. K_Renbo: Don't look at it, baby. She'll hold you to her chest thecyberflame: Mama- K_Renbo: Shh, shh now, she's got you,, thecyberflame: But- Mama can't you help him.. K_Renbo: Baby... thecyberflame: Please.. K_Renbo: He- He's dangerous... He'd just take advantage of her kindness.. thecyberflame: Please Mama... K_Renbo: She'll give you such a sad look...You're so sweet, to worry about him, and she'll kiss your head for that-- but baby, no, no... thecyberflame: B.. But Mama- He's good.. He's- I know him.. Even if his brain is being kinda hecky on h o w he knows him,, It's,, there K_Renbo: How do you know him-? When did you ever meet him without me knowing? thecyberflame: I.. I don't know I just- I know him... Enjoy that Ham man K_Renbo: Baby, your mind's being silly... She'll kiss it again, but...... Hamon's going to push himself back up though, and look over at you thecyberflame: Mm.. He's been looking at him K_Renbo: .... internal sigh, but, "We're family." thecyberflame: Awww Hamon He'll- look a little more confused K_Renbo: shut,, Your mama's gonna hold you closer, and spin around to glare at him, like how dare you -- But he doesn't care about her opinions, so? "You were adopted by my fiancé. Dimitri. You remember him, don't you?" She'sgonnagetso m u ch mo r e offended th o thecyberflame: "Dimi.. tri..?" K_Renbo: "... Or how about Dri? Adriane? Your 'brother', as you've been calling each other." A lady is gonna keeping insisting this is all bullshit thecyberflame: You can keep insisting that all you want but brains do what they do. He's gonna look down at the ground and be silent for a moment. "That.. I know that name-" K_Renbo: "... Blond hair, covers his eye... He calls you Blondie." thecyberflame: "I..." His face will get all scrunched up as he thinks really hard. ".. Yellow.. eye?" K_Renbo: ... A bit of relief will cross his face, almost a smile, too. He'll nod. "That's right." "Baby! Baby, no, enough with this nonsense! Your family is here-" thecyberflame: .. He'll look at her- K_Renbo: She'll give you a pleading sort of look,,"He's just trying to trick you, please-" thecyberflame: "But.. But I remember-" K_Renbo: "You don't, baby, that's silly," she'll lay a hand on your cheek and brush her thumb over it. "You've only been with me, where would these made up people fit in?" thecyberflame: Mm.. He'll look down again and close his eyes. "I don't.. I don't know but-" He'll look over at Hamon. "I remember him.." K_Renbo: "... My name is Hamon," he'll cut back in before she starts up her rudeness again, and start coming closer, little as she likes it. "I spend most of the time on the couch, but sometimes you kids come along and try to play. You and Cecilia mostly, you surely remember her." "But as for me," .... he'll bring a hand up, a bent finger brushing some of his own bangs a little. "I wear a cowboy hat sometimes for a chuckle. You steal it from time to time." thecyberflame: Hm- He'll.. He'll start to smile a little, though his confusion still showing through. Though some tears might start to line his eyes. K_Renbo: ... He'll smile back, more than a little. And he'll try to reach over-- But, the woman will slap his hand away, and try to pull you further from him. "Leave my baby alone!" thecyberflame: Oh, that'll surprise him. Might jump,,, As much as he can. "Ma- Mama, it's good..!" K_Renbo: "No! Listen to it, what sort of nonsense is he putting in your head!?" thecyberflame: "Non.. ? No, it- it's good..!" K_Renbo: "You're not going to go with him, are you!?" thecyberflame: "Ca.. Can't you go with?" K_Renbo: "We're not going along with some strange kidnapper-!" thecyberflame: "No, but I know him-!" K_Renbo: "You don't!" thecyberflame: "I-I do!" K_Renbo: ... Hamon's going to look over some vines, and make his way over to them. "No! How would you know him!?" thecyberflame: "I- I don't know, but I do-!" "So, we can go with him, Mama.. Please?" K_Renbo: "Why do you want to!? Am I not good enough??" thecyberflame: "No, Mama! O- Of course you are-" K_Renbo: "Then why do you want to leave me...!" totally not starting to cry or anything thecyberflame: You raising your voice was already making him hhhh but like if you start cryinG. He's gonna hug her and shake his head. "I want you to come with, Mama.." K_Renbo: "W-Why do you want to leave--" She's gonna hug he r s e lf and cry more. 'Wasn't I a good mother? I gave you everything-" thecyberflame: "You're the best Mama- I don't want to leave you-!" "I want you to come with- I.. Is that okay?" K_Renbo: "You want to leave our home, our everything-- F-For some random-" Ah, but. Hamon's going to curiously snap some of these vines, causing her to flinch and spin her head around to glare at him. thecyberflame: He'll look up at her and then over to him,, K_Renbo: ... He'll look her over for a second, then turn to the boy. "... She isn't real." thecyberflame: He- He'll blink Also Mother Knows Best feels fitting to this fake,, K_Renbo: hhhhhhhh y es,,, very fitting,,, thecyberflame: Crying in the club,,Gotta listen to it now K_Renbo: Waving off her how dare you type yells, he'll break a few more vines to demonstrate the pain that hits her. thecyberflame: See, logically, that makes sense. His brain isn't really a place for logic right now and he's gonna grab her hands and ask if she's okay,, K_Renbo: She's just going to cry, and use this as proof of how awful he is and please don't go He'll sigh a bit, though. "The gallery made her to trick you, Hotaka. It tried to do the same kind of thing to me." thecyberflame: He- He's very confused and those tears are back. "Wh- What are you talking about?" K_Renbo: ... He'll come over and grab her arm. She'll fight, of course, but all he's looking for is to snatch her knife and slice her arm a bit. show off how not right it looks. thecyberflame: Hhhh y eah he sees how not right that is and it’s not matching what’s supposed to be there in his head and that’s not,, cool. He’s gonna try to hold his head,, if he can move his arms that much K_Renbo: he probably can, she's a little busy trying to get him away from her. definitely screaming too, so have fun with that thecyberflame: HhhhhhhH this is not fun and he feels like he’s gonna be sick His head is also splitting and it’s,, not fun K_Renbo: Would it help if he plops a hand over his mouth? cuz her noises aren't doin great for his head either but also if you want a ref for how real blood looks that hand's got a good amount on it now, from trying to hold shut that stab wound, that's definitely going to bite him in the butt sooner or later thecyberflame: Yeeaaaah you know what he is gonna be sick and thats gonna be real fun cause he has nothing on his stomach K_Renbo: sorry son thecyberflame: Aww calling him son K_Renbo: <3 do you believe him well enough though? can he get this woman away and can we leave? thecyberflame: Whooo knows,, His brain is shit so you’re just better off doing what ya gotta do K_Renbo: Well, that works for him. Cue a little fighting montage with her I guess, but he'd prefer to win, and that's all that matters thecyberflame: Believe in that rat so much,, K_Renbo: .... He'll go over to pick the boy up. thecyberflame: Sorry if he looks very spacey and just,, out of it. His brain is,, so so stupid and is just kinda shutting in on itself,, It’s fine K_Renbo: That happens. He'll just hold you and work on getting out despite his body being pretty upset now. May have to sit for a minute somewhere? but she seemed like the biggest threat, so that's probably fine to do now Congrats though, you'd get to sit in his lap thecyberflame: Mm... He’ll look at Hamon’s stomach and really without even thinking or realizing why, he’ll lift his arm to Hamon’s mouth K_Renbo: Ah- He'll blink at him?... A hand will go up to nudge his arm back down, shaking his head. thecyberflame: He’ll push it towards him more K_Renbo: Sighs. "You're much worse off than me, schlange." thecyberflame: “...You’re hurt-“ K_Renbo: "And you?" thecyberflame: “...” He’ll push his arm to him more K_Renbo: He'll just shut his eyes and lean his head back. thecyberflame: Mm... He’ll move his sleeve a bit to show one of those wounds from the vines and work it closer. “.. Please?” K_Renbo: He'll open them again, and look him over. Maybe his brows will furrow a little bit.. thecyberflame: “Please..” K_Renbo: ... He'll just kind of bring his hand to your head, and nudge it down into his shoulder with some light pats. thecyberflame: Oh... He’ll lean down into that K_Renbo: His chest will just do a large up and down thecyberflame: He’ll look up at him K_Renbo: He'd shut his eyes again briefly, but when they open again he'd just look across to the other wall. "... How are you holding up?" thecyberflame: Is a nod an answer? Cause it’s the one he’ll give as he stares off into space K_Renbo: That's fine. He'll pat a little more. thecyberflame: “..We’re family..?” K_Renbo: ... A short nod. thecyberflame: “Okay..” K_Renbo: ... thecyberflame: He’s sorry he’s so,, This K_Renbo: no, he's fine thecyberflame: Is he though,,Sure you don’t wanna just leave him here? K_Renbo: Eh, thought about it, but nah~ He may... almost fall asleep for a moment, though. But, catching himself, he'll shake his head and try to push himself back up. A little sway maybe, possiblyalightbumpintowalls, but they'll get going again thecyberflame: A little hand might come up to cling to your shirt on those bumps but it’s gonna stay there,, K_Renbo: Sorry if they spooked you~ Should be fine after one or two, though. Forthemostpart,atleast thecyberflame: Mm it’s fine,,, He’ll keep his head leaned against his shoulder K_Renbo: Heee's just gonna do his best to get you out safely now. Just rest up and ignore whatever little obstacles try to pop up Despite their efforts, he's getting you home.. thecyberflame: Okay,, He’ll probably pass out at some point,, But aww Hamon you love your son K_Renbo: mmmmmmmmmmhm, he's just gonna pass out once he finally gets back to his couch thecyberflame: Mhm of course,,Let the boy crash next to you K_Renbo: that's fine with him, have fun boy,,,

#|| Ibau #|| log #here goes hamon bein a dad

3 notes · View notes

independentartistbuzz · 2 years

Text

DIMITRI VEGAS TEAMS WITH DAVID GUETTA, NICOLE SCHERZINGER, & AZTECK FOR HIS SECOND SOLO SINGLE “THE DROP”

Dance music legends Dimitri Vegas & David Guetta are teaming up with American singer & actress Nicole Scherzinger and DJ/Producer Azteck to release the addictive house single, “The Drop,” available today on all digital streaming platforms HERE. The new track is the second official solo single from Dimitri Vegas and is an addictive and uplifting song for the Summer which will take fans on a journey to chase “The Drop”. An animated music video will also be released soon, and show the four artists all transformed to an adventurous fantasy world, appearing as comic book superhero versions of themselves in a race to catch “The Drop.”

Discover the single via

https://open.spotify.com/album/3R69AWht6e2vZq7Cg3XGPH

Collaborating for the first time all together, the artists also gave fans a surprise when they all recently appeared on stage together in Ibiza, at Ushuaïa outdoor club, to give a special live performance during David Guetta’s show. The artists performed “The Drop” live to a sold out crowd who danced excitedly to the new song on the moonlit sands of Spain. The artists all spent some time there together afterwards as well. Please see link to photos HERE of them all together in Ibiza.

Dimitri Vegas, David Guetta, Nicole Scherzinger, and Azteck have released hit songs in the past; however, it's the first time all four are collaborating together to shake up the music industry. It mixes legendary dance music artists Dimitri Vegas and David Guetta with Pop superstar Nicole Scherzinger and new age DJ Azteck to make the ideal song to please their fans, both young and old. “The Drop,'' starts with a solid electro drum beat and hits the soul with engaging lyrics by Scherzinger’s distinctly harmonious vocals as it draws listeners into a break that heads into the climax and high percussive beats. The addictive tune will keep fans fully immersed in its house music vibes as it ends, leaving fans wanting more.

“I’m very excited to release “The Drop,” a track we have worked on for quite a long time to try and bring the perfect balance between radio and club sounds. We really wanted the vocals to sound like an old skool 90s R&B sample, so we asked Nicole Scherzinger to record her amazing vocals on a much slower beat. We then reprocessed everything to a higher tempo and different key so we could create this pseudo-sampling feel. Very happy to collaborate on this with my good friends David Guetta and Azteck and can't wait to share it with the world.” - Dimitri Vegas

Electronic music lovers and fans all over the world know Dimitri "Vegas" Thivaios as half of the monolithic brotherly duo Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike and as ambassador of the worldwide phenomenon, Tomorrowland. He has been voted #1 DJ in the world two times and has previous collaborations with global superstars Daddy Yankee, Natti Natasha, David Guetta, Sebastian Yatra, Armin van Buuren and many more. “The Drop” is Dimitri’s second official solo single, following “Pull Me Closer,” which was released in March of 2021.

French DJ and producer David Guetta has over 50 million record sales globally, with more than 14 billion streams, and he was voted as the number one DJ in the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs poll several times! David has been active for many years in the music industry, where he built himself a name and an image as a dance music pioneer and icon, but still continues to evolve his sound and work with the hottest artists of the moment. The most recent artists David has worked with include Becky Hill, Joel Corry, Robin Schulz, MORTEN, and more. Guetta has won two Grammy Awards, an American Music Award and a Billboard Music Award for his work.

Nicole Scherzinger is a multiple award-winning, multi-platinum selling performer, singer, actress, dancer and television personality, selling over 37 million singles worldwide and 16 million records as a solo artist. Formerly a member of one of the worlds best-selling music groups of all time, selling over 55 million record worldwide, she has graced the stages of London’s West End, performed at Madison Square Garden, voiced the character Sina in Disney’s animated blockbuster ‘Moana,’ starred in ABC's remake of 'Dirty Dancing,’ and most recently was the resident panelist on the runaway TV phenomenon, The Masked Singer on FOX. Producer/DJ Azteck has had a rapid ascent to success in a short space of time, having contributed writing and producer credits of hit songs with some of the biggest names in music. He closed 2020 with the bilingual anthem 'Do It!' alongside No 1 Dj's Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and Mexican singer and influencer Kimberly Loaiza, which received over 40 million views on TikTok in the first 24 hours of its release.

#dimitri vegas

0 notes

livesets-dj-mixes-edm-podcasts · 3 years

Photo

Download Brennan Heart - WE R Hardstyle 093 for free now!

Artist: Brennan Heart Show: Brennan Heart – WE R Hardstyle 093 Quality: 320 Kbps 48000 Khz Genre: Hardstyle Source: RSS

Discover more Brennan Heart live sets & radioshows HERE | Listen or download more WE R Hardstyle episodes HERE

Brennan Heart – WE R Hardstyle 093 Tracklist

Episode 93 is here! Enjoy the April 2021 edition of including the my latest Blademasterz tracks and the Journey EP.

01. Blademasterz – Shape Of The Heart [I AM HARDSTYLE] 02. Toneshifterz – We Will Meet Again [I AM HARDSTYLE] 03. Audiotricz & Jay Reeve – Illuminate The Way 04. ID – ID 05. Adrenalize ft. ADN Lewis – Astronauts [SCANTRAXX] 06. Brennan Heart & Jonathan Mendelsohn – Journey (Clockartz Remix) [I AM HARDSTYLE] 07. Brennan Heart & Jonathan Mendelsohn – Journey (Thyron Remix) [I AM HARDSTYLE] 08. System Of Loudness – Problems 09. ANDY SVGE & Hardstyle Pianist – Moonshine 10. Devin Wild – Broken [Q-DANCE] 11. Toneshifterz – Gonna Be Okay 12. The Pitcher ft. Nathalie Blue – Limitless [I AM HARDSTYLE] 13. Sephyx – Devil In The Eyes (Diabolus) [ART OF CREATION] 14. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike vs. Vini Vici – Get In Trouble (So What) (Audiotricz Remix) [SMASH THE HOUSE] 15. Primeshock – Power Up 16. Blademasterz & Dana – Oldschool & Acid [I AM HARDSTYLE] 17. Code Black & Sickddellz – Fade Away [I AM HARDSTYLE] 18. The Prophet – Creatures Of The Night 19. Antergy – In The Future 20. Thyron – ID 21. D-Sturb – Partystarter [END OF LINE] 22. Sub Sonik ft. KIMM – Break The Silence [DIRTY WORKZ] 23. B-Front & Deluzion – Unfold Me [ROUGHSTATE] 24. Rejecta – Never Give Up [ROUGHSTATE]

The podcast Brennan Heart – WE R Hardstyle is embedded on this page from an open RSS feed. All files, descriptions, artwork and other metadata from the RSS-feed is the property of the podcast owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by EDMliveset.com.

#WE R Hardstyle #Podcasts &amp; Radio Shows

0 notes

nicolewrites · 5 years

Text

i apologize for my divinity (it is never enough) - v

wrote too much, guess there’s a part 6 to this now. anyways here’s part 5 and i’m sorry in advance.

Rating: T+ Genre: Angst, Friendship, Family Characters: Byleth/My Unit, Claude R., Dimitri B., the Blue Lions, the Golden Deer Words: 7,090

AO3 | FFN

pt i | pt ii | pt iii | pt iv

v - azure wind

- ~ -

/ great tree moon /

"Bernadetta!" Byleth yells. She doesn't dare climb the hill in the centre because she can smell the oily scent of Edelgard's explosive trap.

Thankfully, Claude has actually listened to her and has directed the rest of the Alliance troops around the sides of the hill, focusing mostly on Empire troops over the Kingdom army. Byleth has cut her own path to the centre of the field and is desperately trying to get the attention of her former student.

Her last shout seems to have done the trick as Bernadetta swings the ballista in her direction and freezes as she realizes that Byleth is the one calling out to her. Previously, Bernie had expressed some interest in transferring to the Golden Deer house, but the transfer hadn't actually occurred before everything went down.

"Professor?" she yelps.

Byleth climbs the first few steps tentatively, holding up her hands so that Bernadetta can see she's not a threat. "This whole platform is rigged to explode. Did you know that?" Bernadetta frowns and her hands tighten on the winch of the weapon. Byleth continues her slow, methodical approach. "As soon as troops get close enough to the centre to put you in danger, Edelgard will give the order and this whole structure will go up in flames."

"She wouldn't!" Bernadetta argues defensively.

Byleth frowns. "Wouldn't she?"

The simple deflection seems to be enough that Bernie realizes exactly what kind of situation she has found herself in. Her grey-hazel eyes widen as she looks around. True to Byleth's words, the Empire troops seem to be avoiding the centre hill and Alliance troops are doing the same thing. The Kingdom, however, is pressing forward toward both the hill and the southern part of the field in a direct path towards the Empire.

Byleth holds a hand out. "Bernie?" she asks. The offer to swap sides is unspoken but definitely received as Bernadetta pulls a lever on the side of the ballista that has it groaning as it jams and becomes unusable.

Bernie gets most of the way across the hill towards Byleth when the explosion happens. There's a loud boom and a crash of flames. Byleth is thrown back, hitting the ground hard and rolling. Her cloak is smouldering faintly, parts of her skin are screaming with pain, and her ears are ringing. She groans and pushes herself up onto her hands and knees.

The hill is in flames before her. Byleth forces herself to her feet, ignoring her screaming burns and muscle pain. Her ears slowly stop ringing as the cacophony of battle returns. Byleth pumps a healing spell into herself and forces herself to approach the hill again.

"Bernadetta!" she screams.

It doesn't take her long to find Bernie as the archer had been thrown clear of the hill in a similar manner to Byleth. Bernie's eyes are closed, but she's breathing. She's badly burned and hurt and Byleth presses her hands to her former student's chest and casts Heal. It is soon enough clear that Bernadetta needs help beyond what Byleth can provide so Byleth stands, looking around wildly.

She presses two fingers against her bottom lip and whistles sharply, hoping that Marianne is near enough to hear her. Thankfully, it only takes a moment for Marianne to break through the fighting to reach her. The Holy Knight doesn't hesitate before giving Bernie a stronger Heal spell.

"Professor?" Marianne looks up after she casts the spell.

Byleth bites her lip and looks around the fighting. "Get her to our medical tent and then get back out there if you can. I need," she trails off as a flash of brown across the sky catches her eye.

Claude, you idiot! she yells internally as his wyvern darts across the still flaming hill into the ranks of the Kingdom soldiers.

"Go," Marianne says firmly. There's a conviction in her voice that Byleth isn't used to hearing from the soft-spoken noble. "If you can save him, do it."

Neither of them are talking about Claude in that moment. Byleth draws her blade and pushes her way into the fray, moving toward where she saw Claude fly.

- ~ -

It's easy enough to follow the trail of yellow-feathered arrows and savage lance wounds through the chaos around her. Byleth avoids Kingdom soldiers where she can and disarms and wounds them when she can't. The Sublime Creator Sword is burning in her palm again and she's breathing heavily. She has to find them before they kill each other.

The wounded cry of a wyvern has her head snapping up. She finally spies Claude's mount just as it flails from a javelin wound in its side. She's too far to hear him from here, but she can see the way Claude thrashes to try to stay mounted, but it's not enough. He slides from the saddle in a horrible mirror of when Byleth herself had struck him down.

Byleth doesn't hesitate as she breaks for where he fell. The javelin shot had been nearly perfect and Byleth knows very few soldiers capable of landing that attack on any wyvern, much less on a talented flyer like Claude. She knows who threw the javelin.

Byleth kicks aside a Kingdom soldier and breaks into what has turned into a small ring around two fighters. Claude is on the ground, his hair half-stuck to his face and his battle attire is ripped and dirty. Dimitri stands three feet away from him with his strong shoulders hunched and his good eye narrowed sharply. Areadbhar is in his hand, pointed towards Claude's chest. Failnaught is a foot from Byleth and nearly 8 feet away from Claude whose only remaining defense is a small ornate hunting knife.

Dimitri turns his hand on the lance and prepares to strike. Byleth screams and lashes out with her blade. It cracks along the spine and snaps around the shaft of Dimitri's relic. She pulls as hard as she can and pulls his aim off just enough the Claude can roll to the left. The head of the weapon sinks into the earth instead of the Alliance leader and Claude springs back to his feet.

"Stop!" Byleth shouts. Her voice breaks on the word and she sprints forward, snapping her sword back as she places herself between her two former students. "Dimitri, stand down," she orders.

He snarls at her. "What kind of monster wears the face of the dead?" He turns Areadbhar in his grip and focuses his attention back on Claude over Byleth's shoulder. Dimitri steps right to move around her and Byleth mirrors him, staying firmly in his way.

"No monster could wear my face," she replies firmly. "Stand down."

There's a moment where a dark guilt flicks across his expression and Byleth thinks she might have a chance, but then there's a whistle over her shoulder as an arrow sails toward Dimitri. He growls and twists, knocking it aside with his lance.

Byleth's head snaps back and she sees Claude has reached Failnaught. The relic glows in his hand as he aims at Dimitri again. Byleth glares at him and steps to her left again so that Claude does not have a clear shot.

"You are not each other's enemies!" she says urgently. "Stop acting like children!"

"If we're not enemies, why did he take me down?" Claude snaps in reply.

Byleth narrows her eyes at him. There's something stiff about Claude's posture that makes his words come out decidedly petty. "He shouldn't have." She directs those words at Dimitri. "And you shouldn't be here. I told you to go after Edelgard."

Claude doesn't reply, but he knocks another arrow. "He's a danger to his soldiers and to ours, Teach. Let me take the shot."

Dimitri growls, low and angry, behind her. "One arrow will not take me down faster than I can take your head off."

"You used to be friends!" Byleth yells, frustrated. She keeps herself anchored firmly between the two of them, even as they circle, trying to get a clear shot. Claude is annoying her, so she turns her gaze back to Dimitri.

He has moved close enough to her that she can smell the musk of the leather of his armour as he towers over her. Byleth steels herself and extends her hand until her palm lies flat against Dimitri's chest. His eye drops to stare into her face. He is warm to the touch and Byleth can feel his heart beat and his chest rise and fall as he breathes.

"Dimitri," she says, much gentler. "The Blue Lions are here. They fight with us against the Empire. Can't we join in that cause and fight together?"

Surprise breaks his stoic expression as she says the Lions are here. His gaze flicks to the sky and Byleth sees what has caught his attention: Ingrid is leading her Alliance Pegasus Corps nearby. Over the clash of battle, when she listens for it, she can hear Annette and Mercedes calling commands for their spells and for Sylvain giving orders to his mounted units.

Dimitri tenses and she knows that he has realized all his old classmates are here and that he has led an army into battle to oppose them. Unfortunately, in her attempts to appeal to Dimitri, she has momentarily forgotten about Claude, but Claude hasn't forgotten about them.

An arrow sinks into Dimitri's left shoulder. The Kingdom Prince snarls and rips it out. Byleth's moment is shattered and Dimitri is back to rage and fury as he turns to face down Claude again. Byleth wants to scream in frustration.

"I told you that you would not be able to take me down so easily," Dimitri says. His voice is low and dangerous and a promise of retaliation.

Byleth looks at Claude. He looks surprisingly smug as he tilts his head to the left, spinning another arrow across his knuckles. "Are you sure?" he taunts.

Dimitri steps toward Claude and falters. His body seizes and buckles. Byleth lunges and catches him around the chest. Dimitri is broad and heavy and the weight of him drags her down into the mud. With trembling hands, Byleth rolls Dimitri onto his back and tries to search for a pulse. She lifts him so his upper body rests against her legs.

"I didn't kill him," Claude says. The Alliance leader looks down at Byleth and Dimitri, his expression mostly neutral, but a little displeased. He holds up an empty vial so Byleth can see. "It's a mild neurotoxin that is designed to shut his system down just enough to knock him out for a couple hours. It'll be like waking up with a hangover," Claude explains.

Byleth sighs slowly and brushes aside a few strands of Dimitri's hair. "I could have handled him," she says. "I could have gotten through to him."

Claude's wyvern screeches above him as it finally returns to its rider. Claude kneels on Dimitri's other side, across from her. His gloved hand comes up to cup her face. Byleth sees the worry and guilt in his expression as he holds her gaze for a moment before he leans away, taking his gentle touch with him.

"I couldn't risk that he would hurt you."

Before Byleth can respond, the low wail of an Empire war horn catches both of their attention as the Empire calls for a full retreat. Claude's lips twitch into a smirk.

"I guess Hilda, Ashe, and Lorenz did their job and took down Her Imperial Highness in my stead."

"Is she dead then?" Byleth asks hesitantly.

Claude shakes his head. He glances down at Dimitri's unmoving form. "I suspect just injured enough that she knows this is a battle she won't win. She'll retreat to Enbarr to recover."

"Your Highness!" a gruff voice calls.

Byleth's head snaps up and she turns to see Dedue in his full plate armour pushing through soldiers to reach them. He stalls several feet back when he recognizes Byleth and Claude kneeling over Dimitri's body. Dedue's hand reaches for the axe draped across his back, but Byleth holds a hand up.

"Dedue, wait! We do not need to be enemies here. Come back to Garreg Mach with us and let us unite against the Empire."

Dimitri's vassal looks troubled as his gaze fixes on Dimitri. "He is alive?"

"Yes," Claude affirms.

Dedue drops his hand away from his axe. "I have seen many of the other Blue Lions here," he admits. "Do they fight with you?"

Byleth smiles and nods. "The whole class."

"Professor!" another voice calls.

Byleth turns and sees Sylvain and Felix pushing through the mix of confused Kingdom and Alliance soldiers surrounding them. Sylvain's horse is nowhere to be seen, but both Kingdom natives seem wholly fixed on the fact that Dimitri is lying in the mud. Another figure pushes through behind them and Byleth is happy to see Rodrigue Fraldarius emerge from behind his son.

He eyes Claude suspiciously, but Byleth gathers that Felix and Sylvain have given him enough information to halt the fighting. "Shall we head somewhere where it is more appropriate for us to speak?" he asks.

- ~ -

/ harpstring moon /

After she meets with Rodrigue, Gilbert, Seteth, Claude and the others, Byleth goes looking for Dimitri. Dedue directs her towards the cathedral and Byleth isn't surprised by this. The cathedral was where he used to sequester himself.

In the aftermath of Gronder, Rodrigue has assumed temporary leadership of the Kingdom forces, especially since many of them come from Fraldarius territory in the first place. Most of the Kingdom has had no quarrel in joining with the Alliance and the Church. Byleth credits much of this assimilation to the former Blue Lions students. They have been instrumental in ensuring both groups get along.

As she walks to the cathedral, Byleth ponders the differences she has already seen this time. Felix tolerates his father's presence, Annette seems less inclined to forgive her father, Rodrigue has lived through the Battle at Gronder Field, Dedue was never gone for five years, and Claude's schemes seem to be working in Byleth's favour as the joint armies plan the next stages of their assault on Imperial territory.

The cathedral is almost completely empty at this time in the evening since most people are either in the dining hall or have retired to their rooms. Byleth's shoes click on the marble floor as she crosses the room. Dimitri is easy enough to spot as soon as she enters. He stands as a lone, looming figure before the rubble where the statue of the goddess used to stand.

"Dimitri," Byleth says quietly as she approaches him.

"Leave," he grunts in response.

She frowns. "I am not going to do that." She expects him to ignore her presence and keep staring blankly like a haunted man.

Instead, he turns toward her, his face grave and troubled. "Then perhaps you'll tell me, Professor, why I keep dreaming of slaughtered men and someone taking a knife that was meant for me."

Surprise washes over Byleth like a wave. Rodrigue had taken the blade for Dimitri last time, but this time there had been no angry Fleche to make an attempt on Dimitri's life. "What?" she asks.

Dimitri clicks his tongue against his teeth and turns away from her. "You've haunted me for five years and yet here you are, aligned with someone else."

"Dimitri, who takes the knife for you?" Byleth presses.

He pauses as if he's unsure if he truly wishes to share his dreams with her. "Rodrigue," he admits.

Byleth inhales sharply. "Is Dedue dead too? Or gone, or whatever. The Lions are fighting with you against the Empire and the Alliance. And I am fighting with you."

Dimitri turns back to her. His gaze is sharper and more defensive now. "Get out of my head," he growls.

How can he remember something that never happened? Byleth murmurs to the hollow part of her chest. Sothis, please! I need you.

As always, the goddess is silent and absent. Dimitri is still staring at her like he's about to reach out and snap half the bones in her body. Byleth grounds herself and reaches up to grasp his face. He tries to flinch away from her touch, but Byleth forces him to look at her.

"Dimitri, listen to me. You are not a vessel for the dead." She swallows roughly and looks him in the eye, trying to steel her expression. "You cannot live only to avenge and carry the wishes of people who are no longer with us."

Dimitri frowns, but he doesn't attempt to pull away from her again. "What do you know of the dead and their purpose in my life?"

Byleth closes her eyes. Sothis, if I have done anything to deserve to borrow your power, let it be for this. Let me show him.

She conjures the image of Rodrigue in Dimitri's arms at Gronder Field. She thinks of Dimitri breaking down in the stables and the words they exchanged that night. She thinks of watching him as a king as he stared out at his people in Fhirdiad. She thinks of Dedue and the other Blue Lions celebrating in the dining hall as she and Dimitri made timid eye contact across the table the night after they took Fort Merceus. She projects the image of the two of them facing down what was left of Edelgard in Enbarr.

Dimitri shudders against her light touch and Byleth feels warm all over. She opens her eyes and sees that she is glowing from the inside out. Her veins are singing with power and she feels a connection to the other life sizzling inside her memories. Dimitri lowers his head until his forehead presses against hers. He breathes deeply and slowly, his good eye closing as he processes.

"What are these images? How can you see this?"

Byleth doesn't know how to respond. She closes her eyes and breathes deeply. Neither of them dares to move. They stand together in the cathedral, Byleth's hands on his face and their foreheads angled together. The position must cause his shoulders to ache, but he utters no protests.

"I am a blood-stained monster. How can there be forgiveness for me in this life?" he asks quietly.

Byleth opens her eyes to find him watching her. "Our forgiveness is not what you need. You must forgive yourself."

"I cannot do that."

"Why?"

His brow creases. "You saw me cut down those soldiers without an ounce of regret. I am a beast that has been leading good men to the slaughter for five years, Professor."

"Those men were not following a beast into battle. They were following the man they want to be their king. You need to live for yourself, Dimitri, not those ghosts that cling to you."

There's a ringing clang through the cathedral as Areadbhar drops to the floor, leaving Dimitri weaponless. He shifts his hands up and touches hers where they sit on his face. "Those images you showed me, are they real?"

Byleth wets her lips nervously. "Not all of them," she says. "But we can change that."

"Your hands are warm, Professor." The admission is startling similar to the words he spoke to her last time. They come as a low, quiet rumble from his chest.

The warmth and power coursing through her body have faded so it is not the divine power he feels, but rather the warmth of the touch of another person.

"Come back to me," she whispers. She slides her hands from his face to his shoulders and applies the lightest pressure that she can.

Dimitri buckles under her touch, shifting so that his arms slide to her waist and his face presses against her shoulder. Byleth holds him and says nothing more.

- ~ -

After his apologies are made, Dimitri asserts his desire to march for Fhirdiad. Rodrigue, Gilbert, and the Kingdom lords seem pleased with this decision, but Claude frowns and Seteth looks nonplussed.

"Fhirdiad?" Claude asks. He leans forward, pressing his hands against the table where the maps of Fort Merceus and Imperial territories are spread. "If we turn and head back now then by the time we attempt to take Merceus, Edelgard will have had time to recover from Gronder. Our only shot at the fortress is if we take it as soon as possible."

Dimitri squares his shoulders. "Claude, you and I have brought my friends and my subjects into this war. I intend to retake my capital with or without your support. The uniting of our troops at Gronder will have damaged the Empire more than you think. She will need more than just a month to refortify her front line. Taking Fhirdiad back removes her power over the Kingdom, further cuts down her forces, and gives us a moral advantage we desperately need."

Dimitri's words seem to resonate with most of the people at the table as there are nods and murmurs of assent to the plan. Claude and Dimitri stare each other down for a long moment before Claude gives a frustrated sigh.

"Fine," he mutters. "But, I'm not planning this assault. I don't know your capital and I am going to be busy revising our plans for Merceus."

With that, Claude pivots sharply and walks out of the Cardinals' Room. Hilda rises from her seat to head after him, but Byleth holds up a hand.

"Stay and talk about Fhirdiad, I'll deal with Claude."

"Shouldn't you be present to discuss command chains, Professor?" Sylvain asks, tipping his head.

Byleth looks at Dimitri who is starting to look more and more at ease the longer he stands in the room. "No," she says. "I trust you all."

- ~ -

Claude is in the library when she catches up to him. Byleth raps her knuckles against the doorframe and he looks up from where he's sitting pouring over a book. He raises an eyebrow at her and says nothing.

"He has a point about taking the Kingdom's support away from Edelgard," Byleth says.

Claude sighs. "I know, and that's why I'm frustrated. It is a good plan, but something I couldn't have done myself. It has to be him."

Byleth sits across from Claude. "What changes with Merceus now?" she changes the subject smoothly.

Claude frowns again. "Well, since we're giving her an extra month to prepare for us, there will be more fortification. She'll be more on edge and expecting a unified assault so there is almost no way that we'll be able to storm the front gates."

Byleth tips her head and smiles. "I guess you'll have to come up with a new scheme, won't you?"

Claude's lips twitch. "I guess so."

He returns his gaze to the book in front of him and Byleth takes a moment to study him. He is tense and there's a layer of exhaustion hidden behind his polished exterior. His hair looks messier than usual today and even the natural tan of his skin doesn't hide the dark circles under his eyes.

"Claude, you need to rest," she says.

He sighs and rubs a hand along his face. "I know, I know, but I can't do that right now."

Byleth reaches over and shuts the book he's reading. She looks at him sternly. "I'm not saying this as your friend. I'm saying this as your fellow commander. If you're tired you'll slip up and we can't afford that." She slides the book towards herself and out of his reach. "Go take a nap or something."

"Friend, huh?" he asks, tilting his head. There's a twinkle in his eyes that has been missing for the last week.

Byleth's ears grow warm, but she doesn't have time to think about the complications of her relationship with Claude–or with Dimitri–right now because they're in the middle of a war. She looks down at the book in front of her and blinks in surprise. It's a text that carries historical accounts of clashes at Fódlan's Throat.

Claude reaches over the pluck the book out of her grasp as he stands. "I'll rest if you do, Teach. You look dead on your feet as well." He walks around the table and pauses to lean down and press a light kiss to the top of her head. "People worry about you."

- ~ -

They take Fhirdiad with relative ease and Dimitri stands before his people with square shoulders. Pride and warmth floods through Byleth as she stands behind him. She embraces him after and her head presses against his chest.

She hears his heart thrum a little faster when she's close and she closes her eyes as some of the weight on her shoulders lifts. Alive, alive, alive, her mind whispers. Alive and beautiful.

- ~ -

/ garland moon /

Since Fhirdiad, Byleth feels as if every war meeting they have is a chess match between Claude and Dimitri. They challenge each other at every decision and it both works in their favour and against them. Dimitri can point out a flaw in Claude's plans, but Claude comes up with some secretive reason to ignore or disprove Dimitri's points. Byleth leaves every meeting exhausted and feeling like a horrible referee.

Finally, five days before they march for Merceus, Seteth pulls her aside and tells her that either Claude has to share the rest of his plan or Dimitri must place enough trust in him that he doesn't need to or the whole thing will fall apart. Their forces' opinions are split between the two leaders and everyone is looking at Byleth to be the mediator. She knows he's right, but she wishes he wasn't.

The next evening, she calls both of them to stay as the rest of her former students leave. They take up positions on opposite sides of the table and Byleth feels like a mediator again. Dimitri folds his arms and waits patiently. Claude's foot taps against the floor and he quirks an eyebrow at Byleth.

She sighs. "Get along or we're all going to die," she says bluntly. "Claude, you need to give us more information than 'we're going to sneak in as Imperial troops'. Dimitri, you need to trust Claude–and me–because, provided we understand all the nuances of it, the plan is solid and there is no storming Merceus head on."

Dimitri's stubborn exterior softens much more quickly than Claude's. "Fine. I admit that the plan has merit, but I do want to know how you're planning on appearing as Imperial reinforcements if we've been marching under the Crest of Flames."

Claude sighs heavily. "Look, I want to tell you everything, but if everyone knows then it ruins the effect and it won't succeed."

Byleth bites her lip. "Then just tell Dimitri. If you two can agree on it, the rest will unite behind you." Both Lords look surprised at her willingness to be left out of the plan. She straightens and nods. "We don't have much time left so this had better work in our favour."

Before she can see herself out of the room, Claude steps toward her. He touches her arm gently and his eyes are warm with pride and affection. The touch is comforting, but it comes across as almost possessive. Skittish from the touch and the intent behind it, Byleth's eyes flick to Dimitri. His expression is neutral, but there's the tiniest bit of surprise evident in his good eye.

Claude notices her unease and instantly retracts his hand. He looks a bit guilty–like he had regretted the action as soon as he had done it–and Byleth steps back hurriedly. She swallows and looks between her two former students.

"Put your heads together," she instructs before she turns sharply and sees herself out of the room.

- ~ -

Almyran forces come to their aid as they storm Fort Merceus. Claude is wearing his trickster smile and Dimitri leads the charge on the front lines without a shred of doubt. Byleth knows that whatever they discussed has united them together and she is proud.

She directs Dimitri and Claude towards the Death Knight and tells them to make sure he has no escape. The rest of her students fight, unified, and Fort Merceus, the impregnable fortress, teeters on the edge of collapse. Byleth has other plans for herself.

She heads straight towards Linhardt. As expected, Caspar heads her off the moment she gets close. Her sword barely manages to deflect his axe aside as he swings against her.

"Professor," Caspar grunts in greeting as he swings at her again.

Byleth ducks under the slow, heavy blow and skirts around him, heading again for Linhardt. "Is this what you want, Linhardt?" she calls to the mage.

Linhardt frowns and sends a cutting burst of Wind in her direction. Byleth rolls to dodge it and then immediately has to deal with Caspar's attack again. She faces him down and tightens her grip on her sword.

"This isn't how this has to end," she says.

Caspar shakes his head and raises his axe. "I've got nothing left to lose, Professor."

"Join us, then. Both of you. You don't have to kill your friends today. You won't ever have to raise arms against a friend ever again."

Her words resonate and Linhardt's next attack knocks the axe out of Caspar's grip. "We're with you," he says and despite his consistently neutral tone of voice, Byleth doesn't doubt him for a moment.

- ~ -

"RUN!" Byleth screams. Her voice breaks on the word, but her voice carries. The troops, Alliance and Kingdom alike, flee desperately from the fortress.

The Death Knight's warning, no matter how strange it was, rings true in her ears as she hastily orders a retreat. Smoke plumes rise from the fort where the first mysterious explosion detonated. Soldiers sprint past her, getting lifts from cavalry and flying units wherever possible. Almyran flyers are even helping Fódlan troops where they can as they make a rapid retreat.

A mage trips in front of her and Byleth grabs the woman by the arm and hauls her back to her feet. She sends the woman off running and looks up desperately. The streak of bright light in the sky is getting brighter and larger and the pit in Byleth's stomach is growing deeper and darker. The retreat seems to be going well enough, but she's terrified there won't be enough time.

A group of foot soldiers are stumbling through a crumbled part of a wall towards her while trying to lift an injured soldier on a stretcher as they go. Byleth runs to them and helps two men through while bearing some of the weight of the stretcher as they move past her. Hooves clip on pavement behind her and Byleth glances back to see Rodrigue dismounting his horse to offer it to more injured soldiers. Rodrigue and Byleth quickly usher the rest of the troops through the rubble together.

"Professor, we must go!" Rodrigue says urgently.

Byleth nods and shoves the last soldier along. Before she can even take another step there is a low, terrible rumbling sound. Hands plant firmly against her side and shove her away from the fort right as there's a blinding flash of light and a deafening boom. She falls to the ground as her vision goes dark and her ears ring from the aftermath of an explosion.

- ~ -

Her whole body aches. Her eyes are closed and her eyelids feel impossibly heavy. There's a dull ringing echoing through her skull and she wants it to stop. She gasps in a breath and tries to get the ringing to stop.

Dimly, in the distance, she thinks she hears someone shouting her name. Her mind stirs as she tries to wake up. A voice calls again, closer this time, and Byleth finally pries her eyes open with a shuttering gasp.

She's lying on a ledge of crumbled stone from one of the bridges around the fort that's precariously broken and nearly crumbling down into the gorge. She lifts a hand slowly to her temple and it comes away red and sticky with her own blood. Byleth swallows and tries to push herself up. She only manages to shift so she's sitting instead of lying before her muscles cry out in protest.

"Byleth!"

This time the shout of her name is much closer and she hears it clearly. She tries to shout back, but her voice comes out a rasp and her head spins. It had been Dimitri's voice that she'd heard and she had wanted to cry out for him, but all she can manage is another strangled gasp and a mangled cough.

There's a rustle of wings above her and a string of curses in a language she doesn't understand. Her neck hurts too much to look up, but she knows that voice too. Byleth slumps against the half-crumbled railing next to her and closes her eyes.

Claude has seen her and Dimitri is close by. She keeps her eyes shut and lets blackness overtake her.

- ~ -

/ blue sea moon /

Byleth spends half of the month before the attack on Enbarr on bed rest. Mercedes and Marianne fuss over her daily, but Byleth itches to be out of her room and walking around freely. Her injuries have healed and the dutiful care of her medics has finally brought her hearing back to full capacity and now she's going stir crazy.

Despite her protests, Marianne and Mercedes refuse to let her out unaccompanied. During one of his visits, Claude had offered to break her out, but Byleth had made a promise that she wouldn't do anything stupid so she had refused. The only thing she enjoys about being confined to her room is that it gives her former students a multitude of excuses to come to visit with her for tea.

Annette and Hilda are two of her most frequent visitors, but she has seen all of her students at least once. Even Felix had come by, though that conversation had been much sadder. Guilt still gnaws at Byleth's stomach when she thinks of the swordsman because Rodrigue had shoved her clear of the blast, but he had not been so fortunate himself. Though Felix and his father had not been particularly close, he still grieved.

Finally, twelve days before the march for Enbarr, Mercedes allows Byleth to go, unaccompanied, to the Training Hall after she promises not to overdo it. Byleth works through all her low-levelled sword drills and then most of her moderate-difficulty ones before her muscles finally start to ache. She drops the training sword back into the weapon's rack and starts stretching where she's sore.

She is just pulling her arms over her head when she sees him standing in the entrance to the hall. Byleth drops her arms abruptly and folds her arms, frowning.

"How long have you been watching?"

"Not long," Dimitri replies. "Mercedes told me I would probably find you here."

Byleth runs a hand through her sweaty hair. "Can I help you with something?"

"I was actually hoping you wanted to spar," Dimitri admits. He walks further into the training hall and unhooks his heavy cloak, draping it along the raised edge of the pit.

Byleth folds her arms. "So you can kick my injured butt?"

Dimitri shrugs. "I've never beaten you before, I don't see why that would change."

Byleth makes a face. "This is my first training day in over two weeks, Dimitri."

Dimitri picks a training lance from the rack. "I'll go easy on you."

That's as much warning as he gives her before he's coming at her, lance levelled at her head. Byleth drops instinctively and darts around him, breaking for the weapon rack. She kicks a sword into her hand and turns to face Dimitri. He has already turned toward her and he tests a light, slashing blow in her direction. Byleth blocks him and spins the sword in her grip, pushing his lance up at an uncomfortable angle.

Dimitri backs off and adjusts his grip to avoid her trap before aiming a jab toward her midsection. Byleth slashes down and hits along the shaft of the lance to drive it toward the ground. She presses a foot along the top of it and leans forward, flicking her sword toward Dimitri's face.

The blade stops just inches before his throat and Byleth smirks. "Easy on me, huh?"

Mischief glimmers in Dimitri's good eye. The lance under Byleth's foot shifts suddenly and she's knocked just off-balance enough that she starts to tumble to the ground. Dimitri curses, clearly not intending to have knocked her straight to the ground. He lunges forward and manages to grab at Byleth, but her momentum is enough to take them both down in a tangle of limbs.

She coughs and rolls onto her back on the stone. Dimitri's body is a heavy weight pressing her against the floor and she pushes at his shoulders until he lifts himself up. He kneels, awkwardly straddling one of her legs, and looks down at her with concern on his face.

"Are you alright, Professor?"

Byleth feels sore, but the heat rolling over her body at Dimitri's closeness has nothing to do with pain. He flushes a moment later and quickly scrambles back, embarrassed at the close quarters interaction. Byleth stays seated on the ground for a moment and pushes her hair back as she catches her breath. She stands and stretches her neck briefly, working out a twinge of pain.

"Still sharp, I guess," she says teasingly.

Dimitri laughs. He picks up his lance and her sword and returns them to the rack. "Still sharp," he consents.

- ~ -

Enbarr is a beautiful city. It is hundreds of old stone buildings in a beautiful scenic location and entirely unfitting for the violent siege that takes it. It is a gruelling last stand taken by the Empire. Petra guards the main gate, Dorothea and the Death Knight are stationed in the city, and Hubert guards the palace gates.

Felix goes toe-to-toe with Petra in a blindingly fast sword duel that eventually results with them both losing their blades and Felix pinning the Brigid Princess to the ground with a quick brawling move. Byleth worries only for a moment before Felix releases her and offers her a hand up and an apparent chance to change sides. Ignatz quickly supplies Petra with a new sword and then the Alliance-Kingdom army gains a new ally in their fight.

Once they're through the gate it is clear how outmatched Edelgard's defensive forces are against the combined might of the Alliance and Kingdom and the strategic minds of Claude, Dimitri, and Byleth. Dimitri doesn't leave her side as they press forward into the city and it feels good to fight alongside him now that he's clear-headed.

Even so, Byleth feels partially responsible for the lack of parlay between Dimitri, Edelgard, and Claude before combat since everyone had been so scattered looking after her and all of the wounded soldiers from the destruction of Fort Merceus. She has an inkling, however, that it wouldn't have gone any better than the conversation in the tomb from back at the academy, so she doesn't feel too guilty.

The final push has Lysithea leading a battalion to rain dark magic down upon the Death Knight, backed up by Leonie and Lorenz while Ashe and Ignatz call a rain of arrows down on Hubert's battalion, leaving the mage himself to be dealt with by the horribly deadly combination of Claude and Dimitri. Dimitri is the one who shows more remorse as Hubert goes down protecting his emperor.

- ~ -

The battle inside the palace is much more a test of their army as dark mages bombard their troops and the giant demonic beasts attack the structure of the palace as much as the troops themselves. When Annette goes down in one hit from one of the massive creatures, Byleth's hands shake terribly as she calls upon her Divine Pulse.

She rearranges her strategy and sends her defensive units first while having her archers pick at the magic corps. The Blue Lions congregate around the demonic beast on the left side while the Golden Deer take on the one on the right. Caspar, Linhardt, Petra, Bernadetta, and Dorothea–who had easily flipped sides when she had recognized her former classmates–take on what soldiers get around the troops.

"Well, shall we?" Claude asks. He gestures towards the final door that separates them from Edelgard and Byleth exhales slowly.

"Professor?" Dimitri inquires.

Byleth straightens and turns the Sublime Creator Sword over in her palm. It's burning with energy and she lets the burn soak into her veins as she welcomes its holy power.

"We face her together," Byleth says.

- ~ -

Edelgard falls and it should be over. The Emperor is kneeling on the floor of her own throne room in front of Byleth who is flanked by Dimitri on her left and Claude on her right. Byleth stares down at Edelgard for a long moment.

"I once thought I could save you from this," Byleth says quietly.

Edelgard doesn't respond. Dimitri is tense at her side and Claude stands motionless but with a hand wrapped around Failnaught. Byleth sheathes the Sublime Creator Sword and kneels in front of Edelgard.

Edelgard's wrist flicks out quickly and the pain is sharp in her stomach, but not unexpected. Byleth doesn't flinch and draws her own dagger. She leans in close enough that Edelgard can hear her whisper, but neither of the Lords behind her can.

"This is for my father and for every person that died in this pointless crusade."

Jeralt's prized hunting dagger sinks into the Emperor's chest and Edelgard draws a last, rushed and pained breath before she tips to the side and collapses. Byleth remains kneeling for a moment longer, her hand still curled around the hilt of her father's now bloody dagger. The pain in her stomach flares around where Edelgard's own weapon had struck.

"Teach?" Claude inquires, stepping forward.

"Professor?" Dimitri echoes.

Byleth inhales deeply and closes her eyes. I did it, Sothis, she whispers to the void in her head. The thought takes the last of the strength she can muster and she feels her body give out and she tips towards the stone floor herself in a terrible reflection of every nightmare she has had about this chamber.

Claude and Dimitri both let out startled cries, but the world goes quiet much too quickly after that.

10 notes · View notes