IC Inbox - Isle of Avalon

[asaviorshand]

[For now, you just get the default automated message. Dimitri will need some time to figure this out.]

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[leicesters]

[Claude arrives not long after Dimitri, spotting him and waving cheerily before taking a seat at the table. His tolerance for the winter cold is considerably less than Dimitri's, so he pulls off his thick scarf and coat as he settles.]

Hey, Dimitri! Thanks for the invite. How've you been?

[asaviorshand]

[Dimitri smiles, and raises his hand in response. Once Claude draws closer, he lowers the hand and folds both of them in front of him on the table.]

And thank you for introducing me to such a nice place. I've been getting by well enough -- especially now that we've left that magical disease outbreak behind us.

How about you? Aside from refreshed, I'd imagine.

[leicesters]

Right, right, I'd almost forgotten about that. You didn't catch it, I hope.

[He rubs the back of his neck and gives a wan smile.]

I'm good... Though a little disappointed. Flayn had the nerve to bail on us after I woke up, and so I can only assume she's gone back to Fódlan. It's all fine, though -- I'll see her again someday.

[asaviorshand]

[Dimitri shakes his head.]

No. I had how to avoid spreading disease drilled into me as a child. So I knew what to do to avoid getting sick.

[Dimitri had been a baby when an epidemic had swept through Faerghus, and it claimed his birth mother. After that, there was no way he would go uneducated on disease prevention.

Regardless, upon hearing the news about Flayn, he frowned. She had so valued the ability to talk to friends she once had who were no more, and now that was gone to her... It seemed cruel.]

She has? I'm sorry to hear that. I will miss her presence.

[At least it makes for a fairly easy segue into what he wants to discuss.]

She told me here that she had been enrolled into the Golden Deer house after her kidnapping. It sounds as though she was assigned to whatever house Professor Byleth taught, as she was enrolled in my house in the version of history I know. I must assume she ended up in the Black Eagle house in the world where the professor taught it, as well...though that would have been harder on her.

Did Flayn ever talk about her past with you?

[leicesters]

Kinda crazy that so much hinges on Teach, isn't it?

[He doesn't want to think too much about what became of Flayn in a world where Byleth joined Edelgard, so he'll just offer that relatively noncommittal comment. He already misses her enough even without thinking about how she might've suffered in other, parallel worlds.

To the question, he nods.] Yeah, I know about her past. Towards the end of the war, Rhea confessed a lot of things she'd kept a lid on for so long, and Flayn and I have talked about it a lot too. Why do you ask?

[asaviorshand]

Indeed. Perhaps that's due to their unique situation, but...

[Dimitri pauses. The whole "Sothis reincarnation" thing is still something he has a hard time wrapping his head around.]

...but all the same, it's hard to believe a single person and their choice is what changes history so much.

As for why I ask...well, I spoke to the professor some time ago. She told me things I wasn't aware of about Fódlan and its history. However, given her attitude toward the Church in general and Rhea in particular, I was concerned about...about whether or not she was letting her emotions cloud her judgment. I was hoping I could get another perspective.

I'm also willing to tell you what I know, and how events played out in my version of history. I realize I haven't spoken much of it, and I'm sure you have plenty of questions.

[leicesters]

Right. To be honest, I'd wanted to talk about this stuff with you since you got here, but I know the past isn't a happy subject for you. So I'm glad you reached out. Oh-- but first!

[He gets the attention of a waiter so they can both place their orders, Claude asking for a black coffee. Once she's taken their orders and leaves, he resumes their conversation, turning his attention back to Dimitri.]

Anyway, I'll go ahead and summarise my own experiences in Fódlan. Once the war broke out and I inherited leadership of the Alliance, I bided my time and waited for Teach to return. When she did, we retook Garreg Mach, and persuaded the Church to join forces with us under one banner -- the Crest of Flames. After that, we rallied the Alliance lords who had been swayed by the Empire back to our side, and fought many difficult battles on our way to Enbarr. I don't suppose you heard about Gronder Field...?

[He trails off, apprehensive. This was the main thing he didn't want to talk about with Dimitri, but there's no avoiding it forever, no matter how much Claude prefers to keep things lighthearted.]

[asaviorshand]

[Dimitri orders a chamomile tea for himself. When Claude starts talking, he listens intently. He nods at several points, and when Claude brings up Gronder Field, he takes a deep breath before answering.]

An all-out battle among three different armies -- mine, yours, and Edelgard's. I remember a battle at Gronder Field, too. With Professor Byleth's help, we were able to win, but it was a harsh and confusing fight.

[Another deep breath, then he continues.]

Up to that point, I had a somewhat similar experience. Cornelia usurped the rule of the Kingdom and pledged loyalty to the Empire, and framed me for my uncle's murder. I spent five years on the run...and ran into the professor at Garreg Mach, same as you. We used his return to rally the Church forces and the rest of the former Blue Lions, and petitioned the lords still loyal to the throne of Faerghus for aid. Lord Rodrigue himself brought the aid to us, and we began our advance toward Enbarr -- up until Gronder Field.

[leicesters]

Right... Honestly, as I recall, it was a bloodbath. I would have liked to team up with you to take down Edelgard, but you wouldn't listen to reason. You just wanted to fight anything in your path. As a result, the remnants of the old Kingdom forces were completely decimated... and you lost your life in your desperation to kill her as she retreated.

[He runs a hand through his hair, looking away. It's hard to talk about, even now, when the wounds of war are less fresh.]

Dedue survived, though. He wouldn't join my army, but he did help us infiltrate Enbarr and take down Edelgard. I couldn't say where he is now... but he insisted on carrying out your wishes to the end. [Hopefully it's a little consolation, at least. Claude knew how much Dedue always meant to him.]

[asaviorshand]

[Dimitri nods. As he recalls what happened in Gronder Field, a look of sorrow forms on his face. He doesn't comment on Dedue's fate; but he is at least somewhat relieved that he managed to continue living even when he himself didn't.]

Yes... Suffice it to say I was in a rather...twisted state of mind at the time. Professor Byleth and Gilbert wanted to join forces with the Alliance, as well, but the messenger we sent there was murdered and his body left for us to find. It put us into a difficult position, because we couldn't trust the Alliance after that -- and after we seized the Great Bridge, as we came into direct conflict with Gloucester troops there.

It was after that battle that everything changed. Before the battle at Gronder, we picked up a young woman who begged to take part in the war effort to avenge her brother. It was a trick -- she blamed me for her brother's death. But she tried to murder me while my back was turned. If it weren't for Lord Rodrigue...

[Dimitri takes a deep breath. He has to calm himself when thinking about what happened to Rodrigue.]

Lord Rodrigue threw himself between my assailant and me. He was mortally wounded. Professor Byleth cut down the would-be assassin, and Lord Rodrigue...bled out in my arms. I blamed myself for his death, even though he told me with his dying words not to. That night I was prepared to depart for Enbarr alone and fight the Empire until I died from exhaustion.

Professor Byleth stopped me. He reached out to me, and told me that I should live for myself -- act according to my own wishes, rather than chain myself to the dead. I was finally able to listen. Truth be told, I...I never wanted to exact revenge. I felt I was obligated to, as someone who lived while the people he loved died around him. But I felt that by doing so I would become an irredeemable monster. That conflict between my duty and my morals -- that was what drove me to the edge of reason.

[leicesters]

Dimitri...

[Even when he survived Gronder, he suffered a great deal, didn't he? Claude's expression isn't pitying, exactly -- he won't insult him with that -- but remorseful, more than anything.]

I'm sorry for your loss. But, I'm glad Teach had your back. It sounds like he gave you some very good advice.

[Then, a thought occurs to him, and he offers a small smile.] You know... The Teach you remember might not be here, but don't forget if you ever feel trapped like that again, you can reach out to me. I still consider us old friends, no matter how much the war tore everyone apart.

[asaviorshand]

Claude...

[Going by the look on his face, Dimitri is surprised to hear Claude say that. Thankfully, it's a pleasant sort of surprise, as is evident when his expression softens and he manages a smile.]

Thank you. That means a lot to me that you'd offer. Between this and what you did for us in the events I know, I really need to find some way to pay you back for your kindness.

[It's at this point that their drinks arrive. Dimitri thanks their server, then resumes his story when the server leaves their table.]

Also, you're right -- it was exactly the kind of advice I needed to hear. And the first thing I did once I made the decision to listen to the professor and Rodrigue was to turn around and reclaim Fhirdiad from the clutches of Cornelia and her Dukedom forces. I wanted to liberate my people, and so I did.

After that...actually, after that, we received a messenger from the Alliance informing us that Deirdriu was under attack and was requesting our assistance. When we reached Deirdriu, we saw that you had deliberately allowed the imperial battalion into the city while your forces withdrew to the harbor. That meant we caught them from behind and they were trapped between our two forces.

[Here he takes a sip of his tea.]

You had bet on our ability to retake Fhirdiad and that we would aid you. It was a massive gamble, but it was one I couldn't help but respect.

[leicesters]

[Claude takes his own drink and thanks the server, before continuing to listen to Dimitri's story. His expression seems to freeze for a second, as if he can't quite believe what he's hearing, before he laughs.]

I see! I think I have an idea of why I took that gamble. [Why he of all people would take such a gamble, putting his life in their hands when he had introduced himself to Byleth as 'the embodiment of distrust'. It wasn't a decision he would have made lightly.]

Remember that time we got attacked by bandits, and I ran away to save my own skin? [He grins. How could any of them forget, really.] You thought the opposite, that I was being selfless and using myself a decoy. That stuck with me, because it taught me a lot about how you think.

So... If you'd regained enough of yourself to focus on saving the Kingdom over getting revenge, that's why I would have felt I could trust you. You wouldn't turn away the Alliance if we were in trouble, especially if the Empire taking the bait gave you such a perfect opening. Right?

[Of course, it still could have backfired disastrously, but it seems like with his back against the wall like that, he wouldn't have much choice except to believe they'd pull through.]

[asaviorshand]

[Dimitri listens to Claude's theory, taking the chance to drink some of his tea. He raises his eyebrows at the mention of their first meeting with Byleth -- he's still a tad embarrassed about that thanks to Edelgard chiding him immediately after -- but otherwise maintains a thoughtful expression. At the end he nods, indicating that he follows Claude's logic.]

Very true. Even before we knew what your strategy was, I decided we should come to your aid. I felt it was the right thing to do, but doing so also paid dividends for us. You see, the battalion that invaded the Alliance was commanded by Lord Arundel, and he perished along with his men in the fighting. So the Empire was left without one of its strongest leaders. Furthermore, you told us where Rhea was, so we had the extra motivation to resume our march toward Enbarr once the battle ended. That also gave a morale boost to the Knights of Seiros.

But what really took me by surprise was when you told us you were handing rule of the Alliance over to me, and that you got all of the nobles on board with the idea -- and that you were leaving Fódlan completely. I don't think any of us, even Professor Byleth, expected that. But it allowed us to integrate the Alliance forces into our own, and to storm Fort Merceus.

[Dimitri continues his story, though his face grows more somber as he moves onto the last leg of the war. The final outcome, while favorable, was not as favorable as he had hoped for.]

After that, I offered parley to Edelgard before marching into Enbarr. I wanted to give her a chance to resolve the conflict peacefully. It...did not go as I had hoped. I gained a better understanding of her thought processes, and she mine. But our goals, our beliefs...they were just too different. It left us at an impasse. In the end, we launched an assault on Enbarr, made our way into the imperial palace, and fought the last battle of the war there.

That last battle, though...it was the strangest I'd ever fought. But you also fought Edelgard in Enbarr, yes? When you did, were there by any chance a group of robed, hooded soldiers alongside the imperial regulars? And did Edelgard...take any drastic measures during her last battle?

[leicesters]

[Claude sips his tea and listens. He isn't surprised when Dimitri mentions he left Fódlan and the Alliance in his hands, but he can address that in due course. For now--] Hooded guys? Yeah. Them and their demonic beasts were there, if that's what you mean by drastic.

[The kind of experiments they must have done to create those things would have surely involved human lives, probably sacrificing Adrestian citizens by changing them into mindless beasts for the war effort.]

Lysithea recognised them in the Empire's ranks long before we reached Enbarr. They're part of a group who... hurt her when she was younger. Blood experiments. [Long story, and not his to tell when it's something so personal to her, so he moves it along.] We defeated Edelgard in Enbarr, and once it was done, a messenger came with a letter from Hubert.

Those hooded people are part of a group he called "Those Who Slither in the Dark", a secret group pulling the strings behind many of Fódlan's conflicts. It seems Edelgard's cooperation with them was just a front, and Hubert had been investigating how to destroy them in secret the whole time.

[asaviorshand]

[Dimitri frowns, a troubled expression on his face. He has mixed emotions regarding Claude's response -- it means that what Byleth told him is correct, which has its own implications given what else she said to him. And then there's what Claude didn't say, which troubles him, as well.]

Professor Byleth -- the one here, I mean -- told me about them, as well. According to her, they had been pulling the strings behind the scenes in Fódlan for a long time -- perhaps even dating back to the War of the Eagle and Lion.

As for Edelgard's drastic measures...

[He takes a deep breath. This was going to be hard to explain, especially since he is himself not sure of all the details.]

She went even further against my army. Those who slither in the dark, and the Demonic Beasts, were there, yes...but Edelgard had altered herself. Her own body. I was still waiting for details of the investigation back home before I was brought here, so I don't know everything. But apparently she used some kind of forbidden magic that affected her Crest. It transformed her, but not into a Demonic Beast. It was almost like...

[He pauses here, as he tries to figure out a proper way to explain what Edelgard had done to herself. He manages to figure it out, and continues on:]

It was like a combination of human and Demonic Beast. Her form was twisted, but still humanoid. She still retained her mental faculties. And her power...her power was immense. She was launching attacks at us from clear across the castle the entire time we fought our way to the throne room.

And when we did overcome her, she didn't die like a Demonic Beast does. She reverted back to her normal self. And even then, she was defiant to the end -- she attacked me one last time with her dagger, forcing me to finish her off.

[leicesters]

That's... definitely different to when we fought her. For us, it was just regular old Edelgard shutting herself away in the throne room, guarded by some of her generals. She didn't want to hand Fódlan over to an outsider like me, she said, even though we shared many ideals.

[He looks down at the coffee in his hands for a moment before he continues.]

But maybe because she felt our differences weren't so irreconcilable, she didn't feel the need to go to such lengths. In the end, we defeated her, and even though we wanted to show her mercy, she asked Teach to kill her. So... That was that.

[He takes a drink, before looking at Dimitri, expression grim.]

It seems like no matter which Fódlan we talk about, you and her just aren't able to coexist. But I never would have guessed she'd fight you to such extremes.

[asaviorshand]

[Dimitri's expression turns melancholy as he listens to what Claude experienced. He's curious about what he means by saying his and Edelgard's ideals were shared, but he's not sure how to ask him about it. But, at any rate, hearing about Edelgard's death in another world still wasn't easy.]

It does seem that way. It's unfortunate. I can't help but wonder if she saw me as a representative of the status quo, and perhaps that's why she resisted me harder than she did you. Or perhaps it was because I put our advance on hold, thus giving her more time to prepare.

I suppose I could ask Edelgard here and see if she would give me her input, but even she would only be able to theorize. Not to mention that asking her about the death of a counterpart of hers would be...well, callous at best. And it's all in the past now -- I don't think getting an answer to that question would change anything.

[He pauses a moment to take another sip of tea. He then looks back up toward Claude, making eye contact with resolve in his gaze.]

There was a time when I gave little thought to the future, but that time is behind me, as well. I want to make sure that the Fódlan I know stays peaceful. Professor Byleth told me some things about those who slither in the dark -- and about the Church of Seiros -- that I wasn't privy to prior to talking to her. While I don't doubt her story, I do worry that, especially regarding the Church and her feelings toward it, her perspective may be slanted.

[That may be do to his own view of the Church, though, and he knows it. While he is very aware of its flaws, he also sees the positive aspects that it has, and is more reform-minded in how to approach it. Plus anything he learns could be used to help the Byleth he knows, since he's succeeded Rhea as archbishop.]

Will you tell me what you have learned? I would greatly appreciate your perspective based on what you know.

[leicesters]

Honestly, don't you think your own perspective is a little skewed, Dimitri? You grew up with the Church's teachings, and you were told that if the Church was threatened, you should fight to protect it without question. But when Teach got to the Academy, she didn't know a thing. She was an outsider, like me, and she made up her own mind based on everything she learned and experienced firsthand.

[Of course, there's no such thing as an unbiased perspective, but with Byleth it's less pronounced. It was the main reason he grew to trust her so much when she was his own teacher for the Golden Deer class.]

Anyway, I'm happy to answer any questions you have, so go ahead and ask away. Where should I start?

[asaviorshand]

[Dimitri takes a deep breath. Claude makes a very good point, and one he can't claim is entirely untrue. However, he has his own line of thinking regarding bias.]

I know I have my own biases. I would be a fool to assume otherwise. However, I also believe that, just as Professor Byleth influenced each of us, we also similarly influenced them. I noticed that when I spoke with the version of the professor here -- she was remarkably different from the man I know back home. I wish to get any perspectives I can get so as to make the best possible decision I can -- both for myself, and for Fódlan as a whole.

[Dimitri ponders for a moment. There's the obvious place to start for him, but in general...good question. Might as well pick the obvious starting point, then.]

Have you learned anything about what truly happened regarding the Tragedy of Duscur?

[No matter what he did, no matter what he chose to leave in the past, it was undeniable that the event would always have some degree of influence on him.]

[leicesters]

[Claude will admit, he's certainly curious to meet a Byleth who is not only a guy, but who was in turn influenced by Dimitri while teaching and guiding him. But that's a thought for another time, as the conversation turns to Duscur.]

Not much. If Dedue knew anything, he didn't exactly stick around to chat after we fought together.

[Something he still regrets, even now -- he wishes he could have persuaded him to stay. He frowns and sips his drink, mulling it over.] Though I can easily guess that it was another conspiracy set into motion by Those Who Slither in the Dark. They're probably behind the so-called "accident" that got my uncle, too. Everything they did was to sow the seeds of unrest in Fódlan, and eventually drive it into war... Faerghus just made for the easiest target.

[asaviorshand]

[Dimitri nods. He can only imagine how distraught Dedue would be with his liege dead. After getting his revenge, he would have felt directionless.

As for everything else...]

It wasn't just our two nations, either. They were involved in the Insurrection of the Seven in the Empire, as I learned from speaking with Professor Byleth and Edelgard here. They played all sides against one another, and to what end, I can only speculate.

[Dimitri places his hand on his cup's handle, but doesn't lift it yet.]

Perhaps I'll be able to learn more when my men find the location of their stronghold. I'm told I killed their leader already, but maybe there will be other evidence.

[But since he had Claude here...]

Would you happen to know where their base of operations is?

[leicesters]

Sure. This is a bit crude, but...

[He grabs a napkin from the table and a pen from his pocket (so much more convenient than quills and parchment!) and makes a quick doodle. It soon becomes apparent that he's drawing mountains and the territories around them, labelled 'Hrym' and to the north of it, separated by the Airmid River, 'Ordelia'.]

You want to look in Hrym territory, in the eastern mountains over here. [He circles the mountains in question. It's not to scale exactly, but he's no cartographer, so it's the best he can do from memory. And, you know, on a napkin.] Or rather, you want to look under them. The base is deep underground... but you need to be prepared, too. Their technology isn't like anything you ever faced in Fódlan. Don't just rush in there thinking Teach will be the ace up your sleeve like always, or you'll be crushed.

[asaviorshand]

[Dimitri carefully studies the basic map that Claude had drawn out for him. It's recognizable enough to figure out where he's referring to. He'll just have to make a note for himself as a reminder on where specifically to look when the time comes.]

Underground...that would certainly explain a few things. Their ghastly pale skin, for starters.

[He listens to Claude's warning, as well, and nods in response. He's really likely just to bring as much of his army as he can manage...but then a realization comes to him. Byleth had mentioned that Cornelia was among their number. So, then...]

This technology you speak of...it wouldn't happen to include massive suits of armor, would it? Like giant humanoid beasts made entirely of metal? Because if so, I at least have some experience. When I led my army into Fhirdiad, Cornelia's forces deployed such constructs against us as a part of their defense.

I can't say I enjoyed fighting those.