philancer | Inbox: Abraxas

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.

There's still a trip back at some ominous point in my future, but hopefully I've recovered enough to be optimistic about it again by then.

Look, just keep in touch, okay? Then I can at least not worry about the ground literally opening up and eating you.

Careful, if you leave it open-ended like that I might just take it as free rein to bother you whenever I feel like it.

In all seriousness, I will as long as you do the same while in Libertas. Don't think I'm above annoying you from afar, as mentioned, because I'm absolutely not.

And if that's exactly what I'd like?

Don't worry, I'd never doubt something like that.

Have I got some good news for you then. Still contingent on you staying in one piece, however, so keep that in mind. I'll do the same.

You'd better. I'm not the one out there tempting things to eat me.

Well. Not at the moment, anyway.

[ If there's such a thing as a read receipt for the mind writing or a facepalm emoji - not that either one of them know what those are - it'd be a good time for one or the other. Maybe both.

But even the mental eye roll and deep sigh for now won't keep him from still bothering Sylvain now and then over the rest of the travel time, though. A promise is a promise. ]

Inbox: Abraxas

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