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[starfelled]

A mist settles in over the monastery.

Is it morning? Night? Who can say? Today, the day feels endless. The sun is nowhere to be seen — or had it been at all? Instead, a curious green glow engulfs Garreg Mach, like an eternal twilight settling in. Time seems to be paused almost, though the wildlife in and around the area continues to act as though nothing is wrong. As though this is perfectly normal. As though it is natural for the skies to be dark, with not a single star in sight, and for the sun to be forgotten in the mist that lingers. The paths are at least lit by small orbs of light, fireflies flitting about.

However, should one come into contact with one of those fireflies, a memory of the past will be projected for all in the close vicinity to see. Joyous occasions, tragic events — they don't seem to discern one way or another. Perhaps it would be best to watch your step for now, though.

Of course, after lingering for about a day, the strange ambience will fade into what appears to be a normal night at Garreg Mach. It's as if nothing had happened at all. Did it? Or was it all simply a shared hallucination?

[ ● MEMSHARE POST. Coming into contact with the fireflies will share a memory of your character's with those around them. You can top-level with a memory to start out or have people tag you and determine it then, whatever. I don't make the rules (except I do and I say yolo). Have fun with it!
● Open posts like this one are flipping to a two week schedule instead of a weekly one.
● Because of the above, the last bit is there for people who'd maybe like to play out aftermath threads later on but don't want to wait for a new post or make a new one.
● Settings have been slightly updated. ]

Comments

[azuremoon]

[How unexpectedly sweet. Sweet in that way that Edelgard and Felix both are: gentle, but afraid of having that perceived weakness exploited.]

You need not do it for my sake. He would find such a thing to be deeply unsettling. That being said, I am glad the two of you are getting along. You do not like to sit idle, do you? He does not, either. Having someone to let off a little steam with is beneficial for both of you.

[That isn't all there is to it, of course, but it's likely all she'll acknowledge.]

[crimsonflower]

You need such a partner too, do you not? After all just running drills cannot be satisfying. There are some iron weapons at the training grounds now that people have collected what had been left at the market.

[And here she is. Offering her time and energy to an enemy. Though should she truly think of him as that in this place? When they are returned... will they remember?]

[azuremoon]

There is still enough to do around here that I will be able to occupy myself, but if you are offering, I will not deny that I am interested. That was an unfortunate moment for the match to be interrupted.

[It was just about to turn in his favor! ...probably. No, it definitely was unless Edelgard decided to start countering with magic.]

I think I will have to pass on using the weapons, though. If we end up needing them for hunting or any other purpose, I would feel terrible for breaking them.

[crimsonflower]

No weapons? Sounds like you are giving yourself the advantage from the start.

[She hasn't forgotten how he yanked her around so easy. Or how he said he snapped the lance.

...Or the fact he could possibly be the same boy that RIPPED OPEN IRON BARS WHEN THEY WERE CHILDREN.]

[azuremoon]

[Exactly, iron bars! Like the iron weapons!]

I suppose that would give me the advantage.

[He hums thoughtfully.]

Well then, you can use an axe or a lance if you like. The blades can be separated from the weapon as a whole without permanently ruining them. It would be best to avoid swords, though.

[crimsonflower]

I suppose that would level the field. I am agreeable to those terms.

[Edelgard sits up a little straighter. Hunching over less now that she feels... more in balance.]

[azuremoon]

We still should not use the training grounds, though. There is a small clearing in the forest if you like? I will want to get some more wood soon, anyway.

[They'll have an axe at the ready and Edelgard is plenty strong, he'll probably be able to get enough for a good long while between the two of them.]

[crimsonflower]

Ah, yes. Bernadetta did mention wanting to bring you along if we went out to collect some wood. I suppose you two have mad fast friends.

[There's a little jealousy there. To think Bernadetta remembers her as someone who abandoned her in a time of need, and here Dimitri is playing nice. At this rate she'll be all alone...

Which is fine. That's fine.]

[azuremoon]

[Is that a hint of jealousy? Well, Dimitri's feeling it too, so he'll be kind and refrain from poking fun at her over it.]

I would like to think so, yes. Very few people have ever treated me simply as "a friend", and I appreciate those who do all the more for it.

[He laughs a little to himself, grasping the tips of his overgrown bangs.]

I am still surprised this dreadful appearance does not frighten her.

[crimsonflower]

Mm, yes it seems what does and does not frighten her always shifts. I would not be able to piece it together if I tried. Anyway I said I would be amenable to it, so we should at least leave some for when we go with her.

[After all she'd not want to distress poor Bernadetta with their sparring. It is something they should probably do alone, away from watchful eyes. Mostly because everyone else is so sensitive to them being at each other's throats more literally.]

[azuremoon]

Perhaps in a couple of days, then. Just to be certain the weather is back to normal for now. I would not want to get stuck in the woods and have everything suddenly go dark. Unless you think she would appreciate the distraction?

[Dimitri folds his arms tightly, wearing an ugly sneer.]

That father of hers is a piece of work.

[crimsonflower]

He is certainly... something. I immediately put that man on house arrest the moment I declared my rule over the Empire absolute with my intentions to expunge all the corrupt nobles. So many important positions held by such terrible people. Men like him should be locked away, or even sent to hang.

I wouldn't want to throw her into hysterics, however. I did what I could without upsetting her.

[But her hands ball into fists clutching the fabric of the quilt around her shoulders. Now more than even does she want to purge such corruption from Fodlan.]

[azuremoon]

[Ah, he should have watched his tongue. Now she's getting a little worked up again — though, he supposes being angry for someone else's sake is better than feeling violated due to people seeing her memories... still, he'll try to shift the subject.]

That is probably for the best. Parental relationships can be... complicated. At any rate, she need not deal with that man while we are all here, so there's no use making her think about it. Better to be productive. Do you know how much wood she was wanting to bring back? We could fill one of the carts we brought back from the mountains. The forest terrain is not a concern, I can pull the cart as efficiently as a horse.

[crimsonflower]

She says she wants to stock up before threat of snow. She lives closer to the mountains than I, and further north, but the cold is not kind to us who live in the south as you have noticed. If you are willing to be our beast of burden then I suppose she would like to take back a sizable haul.

[Which then would probably leave them with no excuse to venture out again and spar under such pretenses. Though should they really even need an excuse?

Others would probably want one, but to be able to vent frustration in a physical manner would probably prove helpful.]

[azuremoon]

Beast of burden...

[Dimitri hangs his head for a second, but then he laughs. It's a soft laugh, but it's genuine.]

If you start calling me a beast as well, I worry that I may come to regret you and Felix speaking with each other.

[Yet it doesn't sound like he regrets it at all. He even sounds kind of happy about it.]

[crimsonflower]

He... he calls you... How odd! You like that?

[She cannot see such behavior being allowed if he did not like that, so perhaps the question needs no answer. Especially considering the fond look on his face and the warmth in his voice. She doesn't understand it at all.]

[azuremoon]

Like it? I would not say that I like it, but it is preferable to having him call me by my title. "Your Majesty" has a lot of distance built in.

[He peeks up at her through his bangs.]

...but yes, he does call me that. Usually, he just calls me "boar". If you have seen the drawing on the board in our old classroom, I am fairly certain it must have been drawn by some version of Felix.

[crimsonflower]

[Why is he looking at her like that? He just gave her ammo, don't look at her like that! Now whenever she wants to hurt him with perceived distance between them she will call him by his title. She never did so unless the setting was overly formal, or she was angry, because as their status is generally on equal grounds anyway.

Is he trying to say he likes it when she calls him by Dimitri? Because that's something she doesn't really think about, and now she has to think about it. Goodness.]

Version?

[Yes she saw the small Dimitri around once, but that most certainly was a time issue and not... a version issue? Can there be duplicates? Her brain is going to overload with too much information.]

[azuremoon]

[That gets him to sit up, mildly surprised. Does Edelgard avoid speaking with people to the extent that she doesn't know...?]

There are three versions of Felix, here. One comes from a timeline where I survive, and he wears an ornament in his hair to identify him by. The other two come from timelines where I die.

[crimsonflower]

Three.

[She echoes in disbelief. The mystery of this Garreg Mach has taken an even stranger turn now that this knowledge is given to her. Wild! To be here so long and yet not notice that. She wonders how many times she has seen Felix around and it not be the Felix she knows. How odd would it be to strike up a conversation with someone who has the same face as a "friend," but have them not know you.

It must be rough on Dimitri too. Especially considering the "dead" part. And if her inferences are correct the other two, despite being both from universes where he dies, are separate as well? Very strange.]

I suppose I should consider myself fortunate to find out in this way.

[azuremoon]

Indeed.

[Felix does not like being mistaken for other people.]

Three makes sense, though, when you think about it. I suspect the professor's choices determine our fates to some extent, and there were three houses to choose from. Claude has similar suspicions.

[crimsonflower]

So, theoretically, there could be other versions of us as well. Your Edelgard might show up here, and the Dimitri who harbored Rhea as well. I wonder if this place even has the resources to sustain us all.

[Maybe a Bernadetta that doesn't die... Either way she has yet to see another version of herself, or even another version of Dimitri at this age. Or at least she thinks that's the case. It is really hard to tell when some of the paths share similarities.]

So if the theory of the professor being at the crux of it all is correct, then everything before them meeting us should all be the same.

[azuremoon]

["Your Edelgard"... Dimitri has to shake his head rapidly to clear it, focusing on her talking about other versions of himself instead.]

Ah, yes. So far, that holds true.

[He pauses for a moment as he considers how to word this.]

I have stopped wearing my armor here for the most part. If you happen to see me wearing it, chances are that it is a Dimitri who would happily kill you on sight. Please go and find someone, preferably me. I will take care of it.

1/2

[crimsonflower]

I will take care of my troubles how I see fit.

[Is her immediate response that's dripping with offense.]

[crimsonflower]

—However, in the interest of the others that reside here, I shall take your offer into consideration.

[Meanwhile Edelgard herself is too stubborn and set in her ways to have an immediate identifier of "what version" she is. Everyone will just have to keep doing what they're doing — avoiding her until they feel brave enough to approach.]