philancer | Inbox: Abraxas

[ That. That is - huh. He expected a joke or some other variety of teasing back instead of what he gets, and Claude stares at the handwriting until it disappears. Certainly something to think about, but maybe later. ]

In that case, don't get into too much trouble in Libertas. Actual trouble. You'll be useful, that I don't doubt. But that means don't burn yourself out there either.

Otherwise Cadens will be out of luck for any trouble from either of us once I'm back, and then what?

They might actually like that, you know.

[ There is the sense of playful teasing that Claude was no doubt expecting. ]

But either way, I make no promises. Trouble DOES love to find me, after all. I can't help how attractive I am.

[ It's expected, but now he's going to (mostly) ignore it. ]

To be clear, which part: the lack of trouble or us teaming up to cause it?

[ Come on, Claude, you know it's true. You can't even deny it. ]

Probably the former. But that's okay, we'll grow on them enough that it will be the latter eventually.

[ Where's the option to not incriminate himself?? ]

Maybe if we're lucky eventually will be sooner rather than later. Somewhere Seteth's getting a headache and has no idea why, but Teach would support us if he knew. Or join in, which might be even better.

[ As if he'd ever give you an out like that. It's like you don't know him at all. ]

Yeah from what I could tell, she did delight in annoying him too, so I definitely think she'd be in on it.

One day we should probably sit down and figure out the weirdness that is the Professor. I haven't even thought to ask Petra about it. Have you?

[ LOOK - ]

No, I haven't. But that's only because she volunteered that information first, and also remembers Teach as 'she' so it seems I'm the odd one out.

[ And there's more. Gods, he doesn't want to talk about this, but this is his own fault, isn't it? Claude takes a minute to sort through what he can share and what might be better coming from Petra herself. There's one part he can. ]

Besides that, Petra told me the Empire marched to Derdriu, we fought, and I surrendered. She thought I'd also... come from there, for lack of a better way to put it.

They... what.

[ Okay but what the actual hell? As if the weird thing with the Professor weren't confusing enough. ]

That sounds... unlike you. Unless things really went to shit THAT badly. Although considering they likely would have had to go through us to get to you...

Maybe. Depending on what the situation was, it wouldn't be that difficult to catch the Alliance off guard, so that could've been part of it.

[ Probably not a secret, he thinks, given how the Alliance is organized so pointedly differently than either the Empire or the Kingdom. That's even before the struggle of getting the Roundtable to align without arguing for hours upon hours first. Sylvain has a point, though - where does the Kingdom factor into this? ]

I didn't ask about Faerghus. But if we're being realistic in what that means from a strategy standpoint: wouldn't you rather take out the weaker nation first?

[ He pauses to think about that, but then shakes his head, even if Claude can't see it. ]

Not if it would come with the high risk of being flanked by the stronger one and having your army caught between two enemies. There's no way Dimitri would have let an opportunity like that pass. [ He's pretty single-minded in his goals, even if they are all focused on vengeance. ]

Of course, that's assuming Dimitri isn't different, too. I think? [ This makes his head hurt. ]

Assuming the Kingdom would've come to our aid, which - without knowing what happened, might've been a big ask. Or bigger than usual, anyway. [ Or had he even asked at all? And is Sylvain implying the Kingdom would have responded to such a request? Curious, all of it. ] Because as you said, why take the risk otherwise?

Maybe - just to make it even more fun - none of us are the same. Except that can't be true, since I think the... [ the handwriting trails off for a moment, because what's even the best way to put this - ] Dimitri we know is... similar.

Look, I have a feeling Edelgarde's idea of 'risk' is very different from what Dimitri would have considered risk. If he'd known? He would have come. It wouldn't have been that big an ask. [ Which makes him hesitate a moment, recalling something else, something he'd wanted to ask before but hadn't. ]

We sent messengers, you know. Before Gronder. To meet with you, to discuss an alliance on that field to stop the Empire from moving any further. The messengers were found the morning of the battle with their throats slit. Dimitri said your answer was pretty clear but the Professor was more inclined to believe the Empire might have stopped them from reaching you at all. I'm more inclined to believe her, considering you never struck me as the slitting throats kind of person, but... WOULD you have considered it?

[ He wondered how differently that day would play out, if the Alliance and Kingdom could stand united against the Empire's conquest? Wishful thinking on his part, he knows, but he can't help but wonder.

There's a lot of telling information in that pause and if this messenger can figure out how to convey Sylvain's deep, deep sigh, Claude sure will get that reaction. ] You mean 'fucked up and obsessed with vengeance beyond all reason'?

That's one way of describing him, yes.

[ He'll let that go by with that equivocal response as Sylvain knows Dimitri far better than he does. Claude can't exactly contradict that from what he saw of Dimitri at Gronder, but agreeing beyond that feels like stepping onto treacherous ground of what he hasn't shared.

Far easier to respond to that first than the rest of what Sylvain's said. Something startling, not only because of the idea of the Kingdom reaching out after all but somehow the Alliance - or rather him, specifically - blamed for the demise of those messengers. Then there's the matter of being asked if that's something he would do, and for a fleeting moment Claude can't help being affronted. But the feeling passes as quickly as it came with a bitter truth left in its wake: it was war. What reason did they have to believe he wouldn't? ]

As far as I knew, the Kingdom fell when Cornelia claimed power after Dimitri's execution. None of us knew he was alive until he appeared at Gronder. And I never received any messengers, so I haven't the slightest what happened to them.

You're right, though. If anything, I would've used poison though that would've been a gamble of whether they made it back to you first since not even I'm omniscient enough to predict travel delays.

[ Sylvain's no stranger to treading dubious ground when it comes to Dimitri. Although Felix has always been much worse. The hazard of growing up as childhood friends, rather than the enforced roles of liege and vassal. ]

Yeah, Cornelia is a whole different issue, I suppose. Although I think the rest of the Kingdom would argue that any of us fell. Just disagreed strongly over whose head should hold the crown. I'd think the Alliance, at least, would understand such arguments - even if not over the same topic.

[ He might not know as much about Alliance politics as he does his own, but the impression he's always gotten was that there was little they ever agreed on. Or if they did, only after a great deal of yelling. And the occasional bloodshed. Honestly, Sylvain's not sure how anyone kept any of them in line. He doesn't envy Claude in the least.

He can't help but scoff at Claude's confirmation over killing methods, at least. Yeah, poison does seem far more likely. Or, if he were trying to make a statement, something very public and pointed where there could be no room for guessing or assumptions in his answer.

...He should probably be a little concerned over the fact that he can guess at this in the first place. ]

I meant confirmation on whether you would have been open to the possibility joining us on that field, instead of facing against us both.

[ There's a lot to unpack in that first block of handwriting that appears - but most of all that Sylvain thinks the Kingdom disagrees about it falling. Does that mean things are different from what he knows? Were things not as they seemed with Cornelia in charge? Did the surveillance reports he'd received now and then not tell the full story of what happened in Faerghus?

Interesting. ]

You mean like the lords being led by someone at least a couple of decades younger than basically all of them? Don't worry, they loved it.

[ The sarcasm is real. They'd cooperated enough in the end and that's what Claude tries to remind himself of whenever thinking about the lords. Well, minus Holst. They've always gotten along and that helped.

But that still leaves Sylvain's next comment, and that is something Claude wants to avoid. The thought of there being three sides all along instead of just the Alliance, the Empire, and the sudden appearance and equally abrupt end of the Kingdom's continent at Gronder: it's enough to give him a headache if he thinks about it for too long. There's just no end to the what ifs. ]

I wouldn't have necessarily said no to an alliance. [ That handwriiting is sent slowly, less to draw out an answer than to choose each word very, very carefully. ] It would've all depended on how it was asked and what it would've meant, I suppose.

[ It's amazing how much sarcasm can be conveyed in a message like this. Or maybe he's just coming to know Claude very well. ]

I guess that's fair. I was mostly thinking it meant that it might keep the Empire from traipsing their feet all over both our territories, but I know there's more to it than that.

[ Does that mean the Kingdom was the Empire's target more so than the Alliance in what Sylvain knows to be true compared to what he does? That's even more interesting as he considers it. Not something for right now, however; it's not the kind of thing he'd write in a letter so this is no different. And when in doubt, yank the subject back from the brink of being far too serious instead. ]

Well, you know. If things really became bleak, there was always the option of stationing Lorenz at the bridge of Myrddin and he would've blustered them back into submission. I'm a little sad I didn't think of that earlier, actually. That could've been a far more effective defense than just about any other strategy I had.

[ Sylvain just scoffs at that. ]

Just so Edelgarde didn't take inspiration from that and send Ferdinand out with a similar strategy. Then again, that wouldn't work the same at all. He was far easier to distract than Lorenz.

[ They've gotten wildly off-topic now, but at least it's been nicely distracting in the meantime. Sylvain's grateful for anything to keep his mind off of what they might find in Libertas upon arrival. But he can already see the smoke rising over the horizon and suspects they'll arrive before sundown. ]

Will you be heading back to Cadens or Libertas on your return trip?

Well, maybe they could've had a stalemate. They would've been too busy scolding each other about the decorum of nobility and how it should be best applied, or whatever else their tea conversations used to be about.

[ Among other things. He might've overheard this a time or two while eavesdropping which resulted in his eyes nearly rolling out of his head. Still entertaining, and so is the opportunity to be flippant once more. ]

This specific portal's supposed to bringing us to Cadens so most likely there. Unless you're suffering deeply from the deprivation of my delightful company, and then it could be Libertas.

You cannot conceive the depths of my suffering right now, Claude.

[ Dramatic much? ]

You're right, I absolutely can't fathom what a void that must be. If only there was a colorful enough description or two for it.

I'd regale you with many a verbose description but honestly I've been in the saddle enough days now that my ass hurts too much and I just don't give a damn.

[ That response, at least, is the first thing that gets him to laugh in what feels like days. And it's relatable, because - ]

You know, fair, since we're both suffering from that. Can't say I missed this about traveling by horseback, including the days on end of it part, but flying's rather out of the equation these days. Hopefully you'll make it to Libertas soon enough and be cured of it.

Inbox: Abraxas

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