[Felix trails after Dimitri closely, still not the most at ease, but definitely less tightly wound compared to earlier. His exchange with Byleth and Sothis isn't something that's easy to forget, especially when walking down the path back to the dormitories is familiar enough...
...At least until the point where Dimitri stops, looking like he's sensed something. Felix blinks, a little confused as he gives a casual look around, not really sensing anything off.]
[Dimitri can't take it. At the very least, he has to see what they're up to. After flexing his fists a few times he starts walking, swift steps heading toward the market.]
[With that prompting, Felix stills, sorrowful as he eyes Dimitri. It's too similar to the way he almost lost himself earlier, bringing to mind the beast who could no longer hear Felix's voice. But he is starting to see what Dimitri means, given the air that makes his hair stand on end as they near the castle walls.
[Kronya, Thales, and the Flame Emperor himself — herself, but Dimitri doesn't know that yet.
He'll wish he didn't all too soon.
"Is she offending you? Unfortunately, we cannot take our eyes off her, so there is nothing to be done. You are our greatest creation. We used the defiled beast's blood as the fuel to your flame, that you may burn even the gods. Now is the time to cleanse Fódlan of that power, and bring forth our salvation," Thales says.
"There will be no salvation for you and your kind. Those responsible for such gruesome deeds in Duscur and Enbarr," the emperor replies.
That's all it takes. Though Dimitri manages to stay where he is out of fear that whatever overcame Felix will happen again if they come to blows here, he can't stop his crest from activating as fury roars through his veins. He takes a shuddering breath, looking every bit as unhinged as he did that night on the bridge.
Unfortunately, he's not the only one with keen senses. The Flame Emperor turns in their general direction and starts to pull a dagger, only for Thales to stop him.
"Even if someone overheard us, there is nothing they can do. There have always been rats in the walls, and there always will be." Before the Flame Emperor can change his mind and investigate, Thales teleports them all away.
The Flame Emperor doesn't notice the dropped dagger. Dimitri does, though. He rushes over to pick it up, hoping that the make of it might hold some clue, even the smallest of hints —
But what he finds is painfully clear. He stares down at the dagger in his hands in disbelief, mixed nausea and impotent rage locking his throat up.]
[Felix watches Dimitri with a troubled gaze as the exchange goes on, his hand hovering over Dimitri's when he looks like he's about to jump in. But Dimitri restrains himself, and Felix is left hanging as Dimitri rushes over and picks up something one of them drops.
The expression on Dimitri's face now is a different kind of frightful. While it has chills running down Felix's spine the way it had with the manner Dimitri looked earlier at the mention of Duscur, there's a level of betrayal to it that just breaks Felix's heart as he takes it in from the side, as his eyes fall upon the dagger and everything starts to click into place with regard to what Felix knows from before, and what Dimitri knows now.]
...You know something, [Felix whispers from the side, solemn as he keeps his eyes on the dagger held by Dimitri.]
[Dimitri shakes his head slowly. It can't be. It can't — but why else would the Flame Emperor have this dagger? He knows Edelgard still had it, he saw her draw it that first night the professor saved them. Bile rises in his throat, burning strongly enough that he almost feels like he can taste it.
But he promised not to pretend with Felix, didn't he? Dimitri swallows it down, though his voice still sounds rough when he speaks.]
[Felix leaves it at that, leading the way back to the dormitories as they travel back in silence. From the corner of his eye, he could see Dimitri trembling slightly, and much as Felix longs to hold his hand to reassure him, he feels it's an act that would have trouble getting through him that moment.
He skips his room in favor of Dimitri's, closing the door behind them once they're both inside. That said, he'll be waiting for Dimitri to be ready to speak, bracing himself for the truth that he already knows.]
[Dimitri thunks down on his bed, unable to find the words to start explaining the tumultuous mess of emotion churning inside him. It'll take him nearly a full minute before he turns the dagger over in his hands and holds it out to Felix, speaking softly.]
[Despite wanting to relax slightly, Felix is cautious when he sinks next to Dimitri on the bed, a little guilty at the way he's on edge with the aura emanating from him. As if he's a beast waiting to pounce--not on Felix, but something that feels just as close.
Felix takes the dagger from Dimitri, and his pensive expression is not at all faked when he gazes upon it, considering the same turmoil churning his stomach once another puzzle piece falls into place.]
...Yes. It's the same one you gave to that girl in the kingdom before she left.
That's right. She was being forced to return to the empire by her uncle — I could tell that she did not want to go. That she was afraid of him. We were both children, powerless... so I gave her that dagger, hoping it would give her the strength to cut her own path.
[Bitterly, he laughs. He'd hoped that path would lead back to him, but not like this. Goddess, not like this...]
That's not all. The woman you all knew as my mother was actually my stepmother. Giving birth to a child with the crest of Blaiddyd when you do not have one yourself is difficult. My birth mother died when I was still an infant. It was kept quiet, though, because my stepmother was born in the empire.
[Felix listens through the revelation in silence, a confirmation of some things he knew and not. He lowers his gaze at the mention of cutting through, not exactly the same meaning he wished to ascribe to the gift he gave Dimitri just yesterday, but it's still a feeling he recognizes, sympathizes with. It's what has his heart twisting in momentary jealousy before he squashes that feeling, moving to lay a hand over Dimitri's.]
...I see. So you think... the Flame Emperor has something to do with her.
[Dimitri briefly squeezes his hand, but he draws back and turns to his nightstand afterward, opening the drawer up. Among the things he kept of Patricia's is a locket, one that he carefully opens and holds out to Felix. Though the portrait inside is of a toddler, those big, pale violet eyes are unmistakable.]
I found out later that my mother was the birth mother of the imperial crown princess. And... as soon as I saw her face in this locket after she passed on, I knew that the girl I gave that dagger to was one and the same.
[Felix takes a peek, and while the girl in the picture should look unfamiliar by all means, he has been the recipient of that piercing gaze enough times not to mistake it.]
Isn't that... Edelgard?
[The surprise in Felix's tone is not at all faked, this discovery all too new to him. Is this why Dimitri took everything so personally back in the day...?]
[Dimitri starts to squeeze his hand around the locket, only to think better of it. Whatever else happens, this was still his mother's.]
She doesn't know who I am. But as of the beginning of this year, she still had that dagger. She drew it to defend herself that night the professor saved us. If she kept it all that time, then surely, she wouldn't just lose it now —
[His voice cracks slightly.]
But how could she? There's no way she could work with those monsters, much less become their leader!
[Back then, Dimitri's eyes had seemed far away. Oftentimes Felix found himself wondering why that was the case, and now, seeing that look on Dimitri again makes everything click, in a manner that twists a knife into his chest as he sucks in a breath.
Dimitri's heart has been with Edelgard first. It's foolish to be jealous of that fact, but Felix finds himself dwelling on that ugly emotion a little more than is necessary, even if his present reality suggests this isn't a worry, especially with bigger threats looming in the horizon.
He swallows, taking in another breath before speaking.]
There... must be more to the story than we're seeing.
[It's all he's able to say, with any honest elaborations far off his reach unless Dimitri could make sense of them on his own.]
Didn't she say there wouldn't be any salvation for those who did such things in Duscur?
[Dimitri had been starting to get himself wound up, but what Felix says gives him pause. Is that what she said? He just heard "Duscur" and snapped, shameful as that is. But now that he's thinking back on it, that's true...]
Then... you think she may be trying to do something from within? That isn't impossible, but even so... I suppose the Flame Emperor has never directly lifted a blade against any of us...
[If that's the case, she's playing a very dangerous game.]
[Because he's watched her, of course. Quite a bit those first few months, wondering if she remembered, if she would ever say anything. But she never did, and ultimately he decided that was for the best. After all, if even Felix could push him away, then she undoubtedly would too.
But now, Felix is here, and Edelgard...
No. He still can't do it. Dimitri lifts that dagger again, passing it to Felix.]
Would you mind giving that to Professor Byleth so that he can return it to her? He saw it that night, too.
[Taking out a handkerchief, he begins to wrap it around the blade and sets it aside on the nightstand for now. Byleth'll know what to do with it. Better than anyone.
Once that's done, he shifts to lean on Dimitri's shoulder, a little shy as he hides his face.]
[Finally, the rigidly straight line of his spine softens up. Dimitri exhales slowly, shifting to wrap his arm around Felix and hold him close. He nuzzles his face into Felix's hair, trying to get himself to calm enough to consider sleep.]
...I wanted to spend these last few months with you, [he says softly, unable to keep the heartbreak out of his tone.]
But I think... that would be inadvisable considering the Flame Emperor's identity. I will send out for the financial records for the past few years and our current trade deals. Strengthening our position cannot wait. So... until they get here...
[Dimitri pulls Felix onto his lap, circling both arms around him instead.]
Stay with me as much as you can whenever we aren't in class. Please.
[There's no point when Cornelia's about to stage a coup. Again, the words are locked in his throat, a painful lump that Felix forces himself to swallow down as he straddles Dimitri's lap, meeting Dimitri's equally sorrowful gaze.]
...I will.
[It's the most he could do now, given the side he truly belongs to, and always did.]
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amewsbox2020-01-09 12:53 pm
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...At least until the point where Dimitri stops, looking like he's sensed something. Felix blinks, a little confused as he gives a casual look around, not really sensing anything off.]
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Can't you feel it? They're so close...
[Dimitri can't take it. At the very least, he has to see what they're up to. After flexing his fists a few times he starts walking, swift steps heading toward the market.]
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Those voices... are those Kronya and Thales?]
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He'll wish he didn't all too soon.
"Is she offending you? Unfortunately, we cannot take our eyes off her, so there is nothing to be done. You are our greatest creation. We used the defiled beast's blood as the fuel to your flame, that you may burn even the gods. Now is the time to cleanse Fódlan of that power, and bring forth our salvation," Thales says.
"There will be no salvation for you and your kind. Those responsible for such gruesome deeds in Duscur and Enbarr," the emperor replies.
That's all it takes. Though Dimitri manages to stay where he is out of fear that whatever overcame Felix will happen again if they come to blows here, he can't stop his crest from activating as fury roars through his veins. He takes a shuddering breath, looking every bit as unhinged as he did that night on the bridge.
Unfortunately, he's not the only one with keen senses. The Flame Emperor turns in their general direction and starts to pull a dagger, only for Thales to stop him.
"Even if someone overheard us, there is nothing they can do. There have always been rats in the walls, and there always will be." Before the Flame Emperor can change his mind and investigate, Thales teleports them all away.
The Flame Emperor doesn't notice the dropped dagger. Dimitri does, though. He rushes over to pick it up, hoping that the make of it might hold some clue, even the smallest of hints —
But what he finds is painfully clear. He stares down at the dagger in his hands in disbelief, mixed nausea and impotent rage locking his throat up.]
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The expression on Dimitri's face now is a different kind of frightful. While it has chills running down Felix's spine the way it had with the manner Dimitri looked earlier at the mention of Duscur, there's a level of betrayal to it that just breaks Felix's heart as he takes it in from the side, as his eyes fall upon the dagger and everything starts to click into place with regard to what Felix knows from before, and what Dimitri knows now.]
...You know something, [Felix whispers from the side, solemn as he keeps his eyes on the dagger held by Dimitri.]
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But he promised not to pretend with Felix, didn't he? Dimitri swallows it down, though his voice still sounds rough when he speaks.]
...maybe. Let's — let's get back to the dorms.
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[Felix leaves it at that, leading the way back to the dormitories as they travel back in silence. From the corner of his eye, he could see Dimitri trembling slightly, and much as Felix longs to hold his hand to reassure him, he feels it's an act that would have trouble getting through him that moment.
He skips his room in favor of Dimitri's, closing the door behind them once they're both inside. That said, he'll be waiting for Dimitri to be ready to speak, bracing himself for the truth that he already knows.]
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Do you remember this dagger, Felix?
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Felix takes the dagger from Dimitri, and his pensive expression is not at all faked when he gazes upon it, considering the same turmoil churning his stomach once another puzzle piece falls into place.]
...Yes. It's the same one you gave to that girl in the kingdom before she left.
[The same one Felix helped pick out, in fact.]
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[Bitterly, he laughs. He'd hoped that path would lead back to him, but not like this. Goddess, not like this...]
That's not all. The woman you all knew as my mother was actually my stepmother. Giving birth to a child with the crest of Blaiddyd when you do not have one yourself is difficult. My birth mother died when I was still an infant. It was kept quiet, though, because my stepmother was born in the empire.
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...I see. So you think... the Flame Emperor has something to do with her.
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I found out later that my mother was the birth mother of the imperial crown princess. And... as soon as I saw her face in this locket after she passed on, I knew that the girl I gave that dagger to was one and the same.
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Isn't that... Edelgard?
[The surprise in Felix's tone is not at all faked, this discovery all too new to him. Is this why Dimitri took everything so personally back in the day...?]
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[Dimitri starts to squeeze his hand around the locket, only to think better of it. Whatever else happens, this was still his mother's.]
She doesn't know who I am. But as of the beginning of this year, she still had that dagger. She drew it to defend herself that night the professor saved us. If she kept it all that time, then surely, she wouldn't just lose it now —
[His voice cracks slightly.]
But how could she? There's no way she could work with those monsters, much less become their leader!
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Dimitri's heart has been with Edelgard first. It's foolish to be jealous of that fact, but Felix finds himself dwelling on that ugly emotion a little more than is necessary, even if his present reality suggests this isn't a worry, especially with bigger threats looming in the horizon.
He swallows, taking in another breath before speaking.]
There... must be more to the story than we're seeing.
[It's all he's able to say, with any honest elaborations far off his reach unless Dimitri could make sense of them on his own.]
Didn't she say there wouldn't be any salvation for those who did such things in Duscur?
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Then... you think she may be trying to do something from within? That isn't impossible, but even so... I suppose the Flame Emperor has never directly lifted a blade against any of us...
[If that's the case, she's playing a very dangerous game.]
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[Alone. That's what it sounded like back then, though perhaps with the professor by her side, maybe, just maybe...]
Sometimes... I also catch her having this look on her face. As if she were carrying the world's burden upon her shoulders. It may be related to that.
[No, it definitely is.]
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[Because he's watched her, of course. Quite a bit those first few months, wondering if she remembered, if she would ever say anything. But she never did, and ultimately he decided that was for the best. After all, if even Felix could push him away, then she undoubtedly would too.
But now, Felix is here, and Edelgard...
No. He still can't do it. Dimitri lifts that dagger again, passing it to Felix.]
Would you mind giving that to Professor Byleth so that he can return it to her? He saw it that night, too.
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I will.
[Taking out a handkerchief, he begins to wrap it around the blade and sets it aside on the nightstand for now. Byleth'll know what to do with it. Better than anyone.
Once that's done, he shifts to lean on Dimitri's shoulder, a little shy as he hides his face.]
...For now, let's get some rest.
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...I wanted to spend these last few months with you, [he says softly, unable to keep the heartbreak out of his tone.]
But I think... that would be inadvisable considering the Flame Emperor's identity. I will send out for the financial records for the past few years and our current trade deals. Strengthening our position cannot wait. So... until they get here...
[Dimitri pulls Felix onto his lap, circling both arms around him instead.]
Stay with me as much as you can whenever we aren't in class. Please.
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...I will.
[It's the most he could do now, given the side he truly belongs to, and always did.]