[ he really doesn't understand. byleth takes a breath, fingers tensing on her own teacup. to distract herself, she plucks a macaron from the center of the table and takes a bite out of it. she forces down the slightly ridiculous impulse to reach across the table and shake him by his shoulders.
if they were talking about almost anything else, dimitri's answer would be perfectly reasonable. it's honorable, while leaving room for the realities of a situation. the fact he's using that answer, however, indicates she hasn't made the severity of any of this sufficiently clear. finally, after a moment, she speaks up. ]
Dimitri. These are not common criminals, or nobles with a hidden agenda. They kill highly placed subjects and replace them by taking on their appearances. They have technology beyond anything Fódlan or its neighbors can muster, and destructive might beyond our understanding. They wield the same weapons that created the Valley of Torment, and do not hesitate to use them if they think it necessary. Javelins of light from the sky.
[ she looks levelly at him, wanting to be sure that what she has to say sinks in. byleth doesn't need him to agree to handle it her way—at the end of the day, it's his world, not hers, and it doesn't affect her. but he needs to know what he's dealing with. ]
In my own memory of the war, they destroyed Arianrhod after we defied them and captured it. In Claude's, it was Fort Merceus. [ she huffs out a soft breath. ] For all their power, they're arrogant, and prone to underestimating humanity. But you've already backed them into a corner by defeating the Empire, and nothing is more dangerous than a cornered beast. If you give them any reason to see you as a continued threat before you can cripple their forces, they won't hesitate to destroy all of Fódlan. You must be decisive and careful, or all may be lost.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2021-08-22 04:55 am (UTC)if they were talking about almost anything else, dimitri's answer would be perfectly reasonable. it's honorable, while leaving room for the realities of a situation. the fact he's using that answer, however, indicates she hasn't made the severity of any of this sufficiently clear. finally, after a moment, she speaks up. ]
Dimitri. These are not common criminals, or nobles with a hidden agenda. They kill highly placed subjects and replace them by taking on their appearances. They have technology beyond anything Fódlan or its neighbors can muster, and destructive might beyond our understanding. They wield the same weapons that created the Valley of Torment, and do not hesitate to use them if they think it necessary. Javelins of light from the sky.
[ she looks levelly at him, wanting to be sure that what she has to say sinks in. byleth doesn't need him to agree to handle it her way—at the end of the day, it's his world, not hers, and it doesn't affect her. but he needs to know what he's dealing with. ]
In my own memory of the war, they destroyed Arianrhod after we defied them and captured it. In Claude's, it was Fort Merceus. [ she huffs out a soft breath. ] For all their power, they're arrogant, and prone to underestimating humanity. But you've already backed them into a corner by defeating the Empire, and nothing is more dangerous than a cornered beast. If you give them any reason to see you as a continued threat before you can cripple their forces, they won't hesitate to destroy all of Fódlan. You must be decisive and careful, or all may be lost.