[Claude looks utterly nonplussed, voice deadpan and just side-eyeing Byleth for a moment. Then he sighs again, weary and strained, fingers squeezing the professor's lightly.
There's a little needling doubt and uncertainty that bleeds through their contact but the overwhelming feeling, even stronger than the background hum of fear and caution is just... exhaustion. Sure, physically he's fine, hell even mentally he's pretty okay but he was already strained to a breaking point and then Those Who Slither were added on top of everything and the months dragged on and he had finally, finally gotten to go home and-
He'd been so relieved to lay down all those masks and, sure, politically things were still shit at home but he could be himself... mostly? More, anyway. Then being here? different timelines? All of this madness. It was more than he could bear some days. The kind of bone deep exhaustion from being utterly overwhelmed for so long that being asked for just one more thing, no matter how simple it is, is enough to make the mask crack. He hasn't cried in years but in that moment, for just a breath, all he wanted to do is just lay down and-
What?
Grieve all the things he could have done and lives he could have saved and the person he could have been if he was just able to set all of this down for one godsforsaken moment.]
Teach... she's a lot more than just a dragon. She- She's Seiros, she's millennia old, she's a liar, a manipulator, willing to do anything to get what she wants. She's absolutely insane...
[Gods forgive him, he should be trying to lay this all out so much more gently than this but he just doesn't have it in him, not again, not after the layers and layers of horrifying lies they'd uncovered over months and months and everything just constantly went deeper, got worse. A wound in Fodlan that the 4 saints had allowed to fester while Seiros itched and scratched and clawed at it again and again so it would never heal.]
You said you know what was done to you? What do you think she did?
[ Well. There it is. Claude has no reason to lie to him, and as clever and scheming as he was, Byleth trusted him. After his massive gamble on Dimitri turning an army around to come to his rescue, he really couldn't afford not to trust him.
He passes a thumb over Claude's fingers thoughtfully. ]
Ah. That... makes a lot of sense, actually. It accounts for a lot of- of everything.
[ He takes a deep breath. ]
My father said that she did something to me at birth. That I didn't cry or laugh, and I have come to realize that much of my life I have been... abnormal. Then there were the dreams, about Sothis. The Goddess, Sothis.
I don't really know how else to explain it other than that we shared a body, and that we still do, to some extent. She merged with me.
If what you said about Rhea is correct, then it stands to reason she had intended it to be that way.
You really don't know anything beyond what was in your dad's journal?
[Byleth... that was years ago. How have you not asked even once what else... Claude slumps forward against the table a little, shaking his head then propping it up with his hand on his cheek like carrying the weight of it all is too much.
Isn't it?]
... If you didn't even know who they are- [Because clearly Seteth and Flayn are included in the "being dragons" thing.] how in the hells did she explain Those Who Slither? Or Nemesis... or even the relics in general?
[ Byleth sags a little. He's not a terribly apt detective, but when Claude lays it out like that, he does feel pretty foolish for not pressing more. ]
She-
Ah. She didn't. [ And he had been so caught up in everything he simply put the conversation off, over and over again. Maybe she intended it that way. ]
It sounds like perhaps there's a lot you could tell me.
[He remembers snapping at her that the time for lies and secrets was passed but he never imagined that Teach wouldn't have pushed if he hadn't been there, if he hadn't already put together so many pieces.
Surely he wouldn't have just.......
but he did.]
Oh... [Claude sighs again, glances up, brightens when he sees the waitress finally coming with an absolutely ridiculous amount of food on the tray.] Oh thank gods.
Thank you~ [Warm and cheerful and helping the waitress arrange baskets and plates and just stealing one of those cheese sticks from Byleth right now and-] Actually, Miss, could we get a couple of drinks too? A South Side and...
[He glances at Byleth, gaze flicking up to his seafoam hair and shaking his head a little.] A Long Island.
[ Why does he get the feeling that Claude is disappointed in him? It's kind of a weird feeling actually, but it really is a glaring mistake now that he's really sat down to think about it.
The waitress arrives and Claude orders something for him. Odd sounding, but he trusts.
The vaguely distant anxiety doesn't really stop him from eating, despite the hint of worry on his face. When food comes, he doesn't waste time. ]
I admit, it was foolish of me. [ He finally says, taking a brief moment. ] To allow myself to get swept up in everything and not pressing. I can make no excuses for myself.
[Claude tries to push a little bit of reassurance through the bond before he finally breaks it because... well. Food. And all of this is finger foods. Sandwiches and fried goodies and he has a mouthful of onion tangles when Byleth says his piece.
He shakes his head a little, wiping greasy fingers off before touching Byleth's arm again. Not his hand, no reason to interrupt his ability to shovel food in his face.]
Okay... I'm gonna try to make this as concise as possible. Which is still gonna be... a lot.
[A pause, drinks slid onto the table and he grins at the waitress before sliding Byleth's over to him. On heavy swig of his to fortify himself against the sheer magnitude of all of this bullshit again.]
Right. So. Sothis created her children, a race of dragons. Nabateans, they're- killable but maybe they'll never actually die of old age? Who knows at this point. The point was to help guide humans, y'know back when we were uneducated and uncivilized. Problem is you make people smart and then they get greedy.
The Agarthans started rebelling. I think they were human once? But Hubert would be more likely to know that information. They created the Javelins of Light, destroyed just about everything, Sothis essentially hit the reset button and she blew so much power doing that she had to go into hibernation, right? That's kind of what Nabateans do? Which makes you sleeping at the bottom of a ravine for 5 years make a lot more sense.
The Agarthans were able to kill her while she was asleep. That's... how they made the Sword of the Creator. It's... her. Judging by how it looks and works? Uh... [A hesitation until he's sure Byleth doesn't have anything in his mouth to choke on.] It's probably her spine.
For someone to be able to wield it without going all Black Beast they had to share her blood. But giving a human her blood sort of killed a lot of them. Probably a huge amount of them considering how much death they caused doing experiments on the Hresvelg children. Which is how Nemesis -not a king, just a bandit and an asshole- got the crest of Flames. So they have this jerk using the Goddess' power to go around murdering more Nabateans. And they repeat the process.
What? 10- er 12? Times. -The Elites, Maurice, and Ernest.- They were bandits mostly, a bunch of thugs and idiots like Pallardo or Miklan but they suddenly had the power of gods, or close enough, Of course they were power hungry. The Agarthans -Those Who Slither in the Dark if you hadn't realized that yet- only encouraged that. So they raised a damn army and Seiros managed to put them down but not before the Red Canyon, not before they slaughtered most of her family.
With her mother.
I still can't get my head around how sick that is.
So pretty much the Church's story was all bullshit. They probably couldn't hunt down all of the Elites' children and make sure the bloodlines were wiped out or bring themselves to kill a bunch of innocent kids because their families were awful. So they gave Nemesis and the Elites a little bit of a heroic spin and carried on as best they could. Rhea built the Church, Seteth and Flayn helped her bring everyone to peace again. I mean Indech and Macuil too but they're both disgusted with us now so who knows when they abandoned humanity.
Somewhere along the way, after Flayn went into hibernation and her mom was killed and stuff... I don't think she'd have started this much crazy if she hadn't been alone surrounded by us short lived humans. But she was so desperate to bring her mom back that she started doing the same damn thing the Agarthans had done. Weird blood experiments to try to create a new vessel for Sothis. She took the crest stone out of the Sword and started stuffing it in some random clerics and shit?
After a few centuries she lucked out and the last failed attempt at a vessel fell in love with a powerful warrior that had Nabatean blood. Remember that whole, Jeralt took a hit for her, saved her life and almost died in the process? Yeah she gave him her blood.
I think... I'm pretty sure your dad was a lot older than anyone suspected. So you were born with almost half Nabatean blood? And she took the crest stone out of your mom and put it in you. To save you. Because that's what your mom wanted, supposedly.
And it finally worked. You were a real vessel alright. But you merged with Sothis and you were still you and Rhea was hoping Mom was gonna be the dominant personality there, I promise you that. That's why that whole Revelation thing even happened. Meanwhile she's over here so hung up on getting mommy back that she never once looked deeper into some of the strings the Agarthans were pulling to prep the whole damned continent for war.
If anything she played into their hands. Letting them get involved in the Western Church and assassinating Lambert and experimenting on Edelgard and Lysithea and driving Edelgard so damned crazy that she'd work with them. It worked out, in the long run. It let Hubert determine Shambhala's location. I'm... not sure how you guys got that information? But that's why the Empire was so unstoppable. I mean, you've seen what the Javelins of Light can do. Never mind that they'd been planning and setting up for this for centuries.
Why the hells Edelgard thought she was going to be able to turn on them and actually accomplish anything I have no idea. Especially not after decimating her army fighting everyone under the sun.
[And that's the part that infuriates him, the part that makes him thunk his head down into his hands. It was so reckless and stupid and Edelgard had just talked to someone they could have saved so much heartache.]
Hopefully that... uh... clears up some of the gaps on your end?
[So that sort of devolved more into a rant towards the end there and he looks a little embarrassed about just how long he's been talking but uh... there you go Teach. Have fun processing that.]
[ Beyond a certain point, Byleth can only listen. There's no way Claude would simply make all of this up, and he wouldn't joke about it either. He just. It's a lot. A lot. So much.
When he gets to the parts about Sothis's spine, he feels sick. Actually sick. Pressing the ball of his hand against his forehead as Claude continues and he tries to parse everything.
Halfway through he turned his hand over to hold Claude's, without even noticing, and he was probably squeezing all the blood out of it by the end. Slowly, as Claude wraps up, he takes a deep, shuddering breath. Clearly he's shaken. It takes a lot to do that.
He reaches for the drink that had been left for him and simply chugs it down before setting the glass back down with a soft clack. ]
Thank you. Claude. That...
[ Ah. It's a Bright Spot he feels... anxiety. ]
That explains quite a bit. I'm afraid I don't think I'll be finishing the food, so you should take it.
[Claude returns that grip on his hand, untroubled by the tingling in his fingers from the pressure. As much as synchrony makes him nervous seeing Teach so visibly affected by it all is strange and makes him scoot a little closer to the other man. His fingers stroke the back of the professor's hand and Claude looks up to catch the waitress' eye, gesturing for another round.
It'll take a few of these to really impact him, if his calculations are correct.]
Teach... [Worried, anxious, eager to help but not knowing how, not knowing how much had already happened. So he gives Byleth's hand another squeeze, trying to reassure him.] I know, it's a mess. But we did it. We defeated Those Who Slither and Nemesis and Fodlan is united now... Your Sovereign Majesty~
[The title is a little nudge, another attempt at softening the weight of it all.]
[ He sighs, appreciating the contact. He never used to crave it before the monastery, before teaching and starting to care. Now it feels comforting. He never really even needed comfort much before, either.
The title does manage a soft smile from him, a little chuff of amusement. ]
Thank you. I know that's a lot to go through, even just learning about it is trying. I can't imagine living through it in real time.
You no longer have to bear the weight of this alone, though.
Huhm. Very like Hubert to be that thorough. At least he had a backup plan.
Still, I'm sorry that all of that fell on your shoulders. I hope I was- rather. I hope the Byleth you knew was supportive at least.
[ The next round of drinks comes, and he wastes no time in downing the second one. It's sweet, it tastes good. He doesn't really consider the alcohol content. How much could there really be? ]
[He very much does not expect Teach to chug the second glass but he does and Claude makes a point to drink his own a little faster. Not that... it's nearly as impressive as what Byleth has. One shot of gin and some lemonade is nothing compared to a long island iced tea.
He shifts in the booth a little, still clinging to Byleth's hand but reaching up to put a hand on his shoulder as well, worried that all that liquor is going to catch up with him abruptly.]
He was. No less supportive than I'm sure you've been for Dimitri... and he needed you more than me. I'm glad you were able to bring him back.
Things... didn't work out well for him, for any of them, without you.
[ So far, impressively, Byleth seems starkly lucid. Like he hasn't had a single drink. He does fix Claude with a rather grim look. ]
Yes I... I heard. I honestly hate the thought of any of you- [ Dying. But he's waving the waitress over and ordering another one of those "long land" drinks, as he calls it. ]
It's... Long Island Iced Tea. There's not actually any tea in it, I don't get it either.
[He actually releases Byleth's hand, shifting instead to link their arms together and trail his fingers soothingly over the back of his hand. Concern evident through the sync, worry he shouldn't have said so much, sorrow that he's caused Byleth pain, a quiet little heartache of longing and loneliness that he does his best to smother.]
And there's three shots in each glass, Teach. I know you're sort of a god but... you might want to pace yourself.
They shouldn't call it tea if it's not tea. That's misleading.
[ Good to see Claude shares his sentiments on that. The contact is appreciated, and he makes it evident, pressing into it faintly. Despite everything, he still radiates comfort, the idea that he always was, always will be, right there. ]
Three shots, huh? [ He's already working on his third now, and while he does slow down, it still doesn't last long. ]
I suppose that is a lot, but I'm sure I'll be fine.
[ He looks fine certainly, he even sounds fine.
Until he's abruptly, without warning, face down on the table. ]
[Claude shrugs a little and lets Byleth carry on. Surely Teach knows his own.... lim...its....
..........
Oh dear.
It takes a few moments, Claude has to flag down the waitress, ask for containers to take all the food home and for the bill. While he waits he makes a point of arranging Byleth so he won't be uncomfortable, shrugging out of his jacket and folding it gently beneath his head. And if he lingers a moment, watching his professor, carefully brushing mint strands out of his face, maybe even brushing his knuckles across one flushed cheek, no one needs to know.
In the end he needs the waitress' assistance, able to scoop Byleth up in his arms easily enough, keeping his head nestled on his shoulder, but carrying the food? That will be delivered back to his apartment later this evening. He has to steal Byleth's phone for a minute to check his address but it's not too far from the entrance to the Underground and Claude has the speed and agility of Amethyst to assist him. Still it takes some time to get there, unwilling to move too quickly lest he wake Byleth.]
I... probably shouldn't have told you all of that in one go, huh Teach? [Tilting his head briefly, leaning his cheek against the other man's hair, an affectionate little nuzzle.] It's not fair, putting all of that on you. I know that. You... you probably have all your own issues to deal with from the Lions...
Gods, Teach, I just... missed you so much. [A heavy sigh before he falls quiet again until they get to Byleth's apartment. It's a bit of a struggle, getting in without disrupting Byleth, but he manages without too much jostling. The door he kicks shut behind them, heading straight for the bedroom to lay his professor down.]
[ He's not completely out. Words and feelings drift through his head, Claude is speaking kindly to him. He feels himself be carried, and he feels the dip of the bed under him as he's laid down. ]
Hmmmnnn. [ The soft sound is all he can manage in response to Claude for the first moment, but as he's deposited, his hand stays on the man's wrist, intent to keep him there, at least for now. ]
Uhhhh? [ The room spins when he opens his eyes, so he just closes them again. ] Stay.
[He blinks down at the professor, startled when he actually responds. Oh shit, was he awake???
But he barely blinks, mumbles and clings and Claude sighs a little, fond exasperation this time. Gently he scoots Byleth over toward the middle of the bed, carefully extracting his wrist so he can at least pull Byleth's boots off.]
Okay, Teach... alright... Just lemme get these-
[He doesn't expect the other man to really hear the words, just does his best to keep his tone soothing and reassuring. He kicks his own shoes off and then settles on the edge of the bed, stiff and uncertain but keeping a hand on Byleth's, thumb stroking over his knuckles lightly.]
[ The contact is nice, it seems to quiet him down enough that he lays still for the next several minutes while Claude settles. He's still half-awake at least though, as he pulls Claude closer, shockingly strong actually, his arms circle around the man's waist. ]
[Claude gasps a little when Byleth drags him closer, surprised by the action, not at all by his strength. This is Teach after all. But with the other man wrapped around him there's not much he can do but lean into it so it's not too uncomfortable. To find a way to nestle against him.
And hopefully the hammering of his heart will not be too obvious or the way his insides turn to jelly at the closeness or the hopeful, painful little spike of want that echoes across the sync that Claude most certainly does not have the wherewithal to deny.
One arm drapes over Byleth in return and the fingers of the other, tucked up under them, toy with the longer strands of his hair absently, voice barely a murmur.]
[ Ahh this is nice. Cozy. Claude is soft and warm, and after the acute amount of alcohol Byleth has consumed, it's nice to have someone there. He presses into him, tucking his face against Claude's neck. ]
You'd be okay. [ He mumbles in reply, hazily rubbing his forehead against his rough beard. ]
[Would he? Was he? Didn't the very fact that he'd come here equipped with half a dozen weapons while simply basking in the desert sun on his own damn balcony say a lot about how okay he was not. Leaving Byleth had easily been the hardest thing he's ever had to do...
How would he possibly have the strength to do it again?
Worries for when he wasn't curled up in the professor's bed, wasn't holding him, didn't have to listen to him be so certain of his abilities. How could Byleth trust in him like that? Especially this Byleth...
But he burrows against him, insists and rubs against him and Claude may not have the excuse of nearly as much alcohol but he did slam three shots of his own back to back. (Like hell he was wasting the other two glasses. No he'd downed those before they left.) It's no wonder, then, that Byleth mumbles that assurance and a moment later Claude has pulled him in tight against him, lifted him up a little, tangled his fingers in Byleth's hair and captured his lips in a firm kiss.]
[ It's a surprise, and it does well to wake Byleth up a bit more thoroughly. He's still hazy, but he's certainly at least aware of what's happening. So that's how it is, then...
He wonders what kind of relationship Claude had with his own professor. Still, he melts into it, pressing back, happy to enjoy the contact and affection. He hums against Claude's lips, parting his own for the man should he so desire. He's too inebriated to care about the consequences of this- it simply feels good, and Claude is certainly attractive in more ways than one. ]
[Consequences are something of Claude's forte and yet in the moment he doesn't have the presence of mind to stop this, scold himself for being reckless, for doing precisely what he said he wasn't going to do. It wasn't fair to Byleth, not when he didn't know who he was or what he'd be getting into. He couldn't tell him and still walk away... but suddenly, here, there was nowhere left for him to run to.
And Byleth was so warm against him, even if he knew some of it was the drink.
For possibly the first time in his life, consequences be damned, Claude simply... allows himself to have something he wants. The one thing he's wanted for so long. He chases that offering, tongue eager to chase the lingering sweetness of the drink on Byleth's own. Fingers curve into pale hair to hold him close, a soft, needy sound escaping against his mouth, something that might have sounded broken if not for the way he clutches at Byleth, pressing into him enough to threaten to spill the professor onto his back with Claude above him. Threatening much, much worse ideas than a reckless and magnificent kiss.]
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no subject
Date: 2021-03-10 03:31 am (UTC)[Claude looks utterly nonplussed, voice deadpan and just side-eyeing Byleth for a moment. Then he sighs again, weary and strained, fingers squeezing the professor's lightly.
There's a little needling doubt and uncertainty that bleeds through their contact but the overwhelming feeling, even stronger than the background hum of fear and caution is just... exhaustion. Sure, physically he's fine, hell even mentally he's pretty okay but he was already strained to a breaking point and then Those Who Slither were added on top of everything and the months dragged on and he had finally, finally gotten to go home and-
He'd been so relieved to lay down all those masks and, sure, politically things were still shit at home but he could be himself... mostly? More, anyway. Then being here? different timelines? All of this madness. It was more than he could bear some days. The kind of bone deep exhaustion from being utterly overwhelmed for so long that being asked for just one more thing, no matter how simple it is, is enough to make the mask crack. He hasn't cried in years but in that moment, for just a breath, all he wanted to do is just lay down and-
What?
Grieve all the things he could have done and lives he could have saved and the person he could have been if he was just able to set all of this down for one godsforsaken moment.]
Teach... she's a lot more than just a dragon. She- She's Seiros, she's millennia old, she's a liar, a manipulator, willing to do anything to get what she wants. She's absolutely insane...
[Gods forgive him, he should be trying to lay this all out so much more gently than this but he just doesn't have it in him, not again, not after the layers and layers of horrifying lies they'd uncovered over months and months and everything just constantly went deeper, got worse. A wound in Fodlan that the 4 saints had allowed to fester while Seiros itched and scratched and clawed at it again and again so it would never heal.]
You said you know what was done to you? What do you think she did?
no subject
Date: 2021-03-10 04:22 am (UTC)He passes a thumb over Claude's fingers thoughtfully. ]
Ah. That... makes a lot of sense, actually. It accounts for a lot of- of everything.
[ He takes a deep breath. ]
My father said that she did something to me at birth. That I didn't cry or laugh, and I have come to realize that much of my life I have been... abnormal. Then there were the dreams, about Sothis. The Goddess, Sothis.
I don't really know how else to explain it other than that we shared a body, and that we still do, to some extent. She merged with me.
If what you said about Rhea is correct, then it stands to reason she had intended it to be that way.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-11 12:14 am (UTC)[Byleth... that was years ago. How have you not asked even once what else... Claude slumps forward against the table a little, shaking his head then propping it up with his hand on his cheek like carrying the weight of it all is too much.
Isn't it?]
... If you didn't even know who they are- [Because clearly Seteth and Flayn are included in the "being dragons" thing.] how in the hells did she explain Those Who Slither? Or Nemesis... or even the relics in general?
no subject
Date: 2021-03-11 12:44 am (UTC)She-
Ah. She didn't. [ And he had been so caught up in everything he simply put the conversation off, over and over again. Maybe she intended it that way. ]
It sounds like perhaps there's a lot you could tell me.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-12 01:46 am (UTC)[He remembers snapping at her that the time for lies and secrets was passed but he never imagined that Teach wouldn't have pushed if he hadn't been there, if he hadn't already put together so many pieces.
Surely he wouldn't have just.......
but he did.]
Oh... [Claude sighs again, glances up, brightens when he sees the waitress finally coming with an absolutely ridiculous amount of food on the tray.] Oh thank gods.
Thank you~ [Warm and cheerful and helping the waitress arrange baskets and plates and just stealing one of those cheese sticks from Byleth right now and-] Actually, Miss, could we get a couple of drinks too? A South Side and...
[He glances at Byleth, gaze flicking up to his seafoam hair and shaking his head a little.] A Long Island.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-13 07:59 am (UTC)The waitress arrives and Claude orders something for him. Odd sounding, but he trusts.
The vaguely distant anxiety doesn't really stop him from eating, despite the hint of worry on his face. When food comes, he doesn't waste time. ]
I admit, it was foolish of me. [ He finally says, taking a brief moment. ] To allow myself to get swept up in everything and not pressing. I can make no excuses for myself.
Y'all keep me honest here he has so many pieces from so many places.
Date: 2021-03-14 01:40 am (UTC)He shakes his head a little, wiping greasy fingers off before touching Byleth's arm again. Not his hand, no reason to interrupt his ability to shovel food in his face.]
Okay... I'm gonna try to make this as concise as possible. Which is still gonna be... a lot.
[A pause, drinks slid onto the table and he grins at the waitress before sliding Byleth's over to him. On heavy swig of his to fortify himself against the sheer magnitude of all of this bullshit again.]
Right. So. Sothis created her children, a race of dragons. Nabateans, they're- killable but maybe they'll never actually die of old age? Who knows at this point. The point was to help guide humans, y'know back when we were uneducated and uncivilized. Problem is you make people smart and then they get greedy.
The Agarthans started rebelling. I think they were human once? But Hubert would be more likely to know that information. They created the Javelins of Light, destroyed just about everything, Sothis essentially hit the reset button and she blew so much power doing that she had to go into hibernation, right? That's kind of what Nabateans do? Which makes you sleeping at the bottom of a ravine for 5 years make a lot more sense.
The Agarthans were able to kill her while she was asleep. That's... how they made the Sword of the Creator. It's... her. Judging by how it looks and works? Uh... [A hesitation until he's sure Byleth doesn't have anything in his mouth to choke on.] It's probably her spine.
For someone to be able to wield it without going all Black Beast they had to share her blood. But giving a human her blood sort of killed a lot of them. Probably a huge amount of them considering how much death they caused doing experiments on the Hresvelg children. Which is how Nemesis -not a king, just a bandit and an asshole- got the crest of Flames. So they have this jerk using the Goddess' power to go around murdering more Nabateans. And they repeat the process.
What? 10- er 12? Times. -The Elites, Maurice, and Ernest.- They were bandits mostly, a bunch of thugs and idiots like Pallardo or Miklan but they suddenly had the power of gods, or close enough, Of course they were power hungry. The Agarthans -Those Who Slither in the Dark if you hadn't realized that yet- only encouraged that. So they raised a damn army and Seiros managed to put them down but not before the Red Canyon, not before they slaughtered most of her family.
With her mother.
I still can't get my head around how sick that is.
So pretty much the Church's story was all bullshit. They probably couldn't hunt down all of the Elites' children and make sure the bloodlines were wiped out or bring themselves to kill a bunch of innocent kids because their families were awful. So they gave Nemesis and the Elites a little bit of a heroic spin and carried on as best they could. Rhea built the Church, Seteth and Flayn helped her bring everyone to peace again. I mean Indech and Macuil too but they're both disgusted with us now so who knows when they abandoned humanity.
Somewhere along the way, after Flayn went into hibernation and her mom was killed and stuff... I don't think she'd have started this much crazy if she hadn't been alone surrounded by us short lived humans. But she was so desperate to bring her mom back that she started doing the same damn thing the Agarthans had done. Weird blood experiments to try to create a new vessel for Sothis. She took the crest stone out of the Sword and started stuffing it in some random clerics and shit?
After a few centuries she lucked out and the last failed attempt at a vessel fell in love with a powerful warrior that had Nabatean blood. Remember that whole, Jeralt took a hit for her, saved her life and almost died in the process? Yeah she gave him her blood.
I think... I'm pretty sure your dad was a lot older than anyone suspected. So you were born with almost half Nabatean blood? And she took the crest stone out of your mom and put it in you. To save you. Because that's what your mom wanted, supposedly.
And it finally worked. You were a real vessel alright. But you merged with Sothis and you were still you and Rhea was hoping Mom was gonna be the dominant personality there, I promise you that. That's why that whole Revelation thing even happened. Meanwhile she's over here so hung up on getting mommy back that she never once looked deeper into some of the strings the Agarthans were pulling to prep the whole damned continent for war.
If anything she played into their hands. Letting them get involved in the Western Church and assassinating Lambert and experimenting on Edelgard and Lysithea and driving Edelgard so damned crazy that she'd work with them. It worked out, in the long run. It let Hubert determine Shambhala's location. I'm... not sure how you guys got that information? But that's why the Empire was so unstoppable. I mean, you've seen what the Javelins of Light can do. Never mind that they'd been planning and setting up for this for centuries.
Why the hells Edelgard thought she was going to be able to turn on them and actually accomplish anything I have no idea. Especially not after decimating her army fighting everyone under the sun.
[And that's the part that infuriates him, the part that makes him thunk his head down into his hands. It was so reckless and stupid and Edelgard had just talked to someone they could have saved so much heartache.]
Hopefully that... uh... clears up some of the gaps on your end?
[So that sort of devolved more into a rant towards the end there and he looks a little embarrassed about just how long he's been talking but uh... there you go Teach. Have fun processing that.]
I have to applaud you for this because holy shit wow
Date: 2021-03-14 11:13 pm (UTC)When he gets to the parts about Sothis's spine, he feels sick. Actually sick. Pressing the ball of his hand against his forehead as Claude continues and he tries to parse everything.
Halfway through he turned his hand over to hold Claude's, without even noticing, and he was probably squeezing all the blood out of it by the end. Slowly, as Claude wraps up, he takes a deep, shuddering breath. Clearly he's shaken. It takes a lot to do that.
He reaches for the drink that had been left for him and simply chugs it down before setting the glass back down with a soft clack. ]
Thank you. Claude. That...
[ Ah. It's a Bright Spot he feels... anxiety. ]
That explains quite a bit. I'm afraid I don't think I'll be finishing the food, so you should take it.
He has many biases so I didn't want to just handwave it >>;;;
Date: 2021-03-15 07:06 pm (UTC)It'll take a few of these to really impact him, if his calculations are correct.]
Teach... [Worried, anxious, eager to help but not knowing how, not knowing how much had already happened. So he gives Byleth's hand another squeeze, trying to reassure him.] I know, it's a mess. But we did it. We defeated Those Who Slither and Nemesis and Fodlan is united now... Your Sovereign Majesty~
[The title is a little nudge, another attempt at softening the weight of it all.]
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Date: 2021-03-16 02:24 am (UTC)The title does manage a soft smile from him, a little chuff of amusement. ]
Thank you. I know that's a lot to go through, even just learning about it is trying. I can't imagine living through it in real time.
You no longer have to bear the weight of this alone, though.
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Date: 2021-03-16 03:43 am (UTC)Believe it or not... most of that was all dropped on us after we took Enbarr.
[His own huff of amusement, a strange little twist of respect and affection that might surprise Byleth.]
Hubert left us the location of Shambhala in a letter... y'know, just in case we won.
It was a rough month.
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Date: 2021-03-17 02:59 am (UTC)Still, I'm sorry that all of that fell on your shoulders. I hope I was- rather. I hope the Byleth you knew was supportive at least.
[ The next round of drinks comes, and he wastes no time in downing the second one. It's sweet, it tastes good. He doesn't really consider the alcohol content. How much could there really be? ]
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Date: 2021-03-17 03:58 am (UTC)He shifts in the booth a little, still clinging to Byleth's hand but reaching up to put a hand on his shoulder as well, worried that all that liquor is going to catch up with him abruptly.]
He was. No less supportive than I'm sure you've been for Dimitri... and he needed you more than me. I'm glad you were able to bring him back.
Things... didn't work out well for him, for any of them, without you.
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Date: 2021-03-17 11:59 pm (UTC)Yes I... I heard. I honestly hate the thought of any of you- [ Dying. But he's waving the waitress over and ordering another one of those "long land" drinks, as he calls it. ]
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Date: 2021-03-18 03:51 am (UTC)[He actually releases Byleth's hand, shifting instead to link their arms together and trail his fingers soothingly over the back of his hand. Concern evident through the sync, worry he shouldn't have said so much, sorrow that he's caused Byleth pain, a quiet little heartache of longing and loneliness that he does his best to smother.]
And there's three shots in each glass, Teach. I know you're sort of a god but... you might want to pace yourself.
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Date: 2021-03-19 12:44 am (UTC)[ Good to see Claude shares his sentiments on that. The contact is appreciated, and he makes it evident, pressing into it faintly. Despite everything, he still radiates comfort, the idea that he always was, always will be, right there. ]
Three shots, huh? [ He's already working on his third now, and while he does slow down, it still doesn't last long. ]
I suppose that is a lot, but I'm sure I'll be fine.
[ He looks fine certainly, he even sounds fine.
Until he's abruptly, without warning, face down on the table. ]
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Date: 2021-03-20 03:01 pm (UTC)..........
Oh dear.
It takes a few moments, Claude has to flag down the waitress, ask for containers to take all the food home and for the bill. While he waits he makes a point of arranging Byleth so he won't be uncomfortable, shrugging out of his jacket and folding it gently beneath his head. And if he lingers a moment, watching his professor, carefully brushing mint strands out of his face, maybe even brushing his knuckles across one flushed cheek, no one needs to know.
In the end he needs the waitress' assistance, able to scoop Byleth up in his arms easily enough, keeping his head nestled on his shoulder, but carrying the food? That will be delivered back to his apartment later this evening. He has to steal Byleth's phone for a minute to check his address but it's not too far from the entrance to the Underground and Claude has the speed and agility of Amethyst to assist him. Still it takes some time to get there, unwilling to move too quickly lest he wake Byleth.]
I... probably shouldn't have told you all of that in one go, huh Teach? [Tilting his head briefly, leaning his cheek against the other man's hair, an affectionate little nuzzle.] It's not fair, putting all of that on you. I know that. You... you probably have all your own issues to deal with from the Lions...
Gods, Teach, I just... missed you so much. [A heavy sigh before he falls quiet again until they get to Byleth's apartment. It's a bit of a struggle, getting in without disrupting Byleth, but he manages without too much jostling. The door he kicks shut behind them, heading straight for the bedroom to lay his professor down.]
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Date: 2021-03-21 01:05 am (UTC)Hmmmnnn. [ The soft sound is all he can manage in response to Claude for the first moment, but as he's deposited, his hand stays on the man's wrist, intent to keep him there, at least for now. ]
Uhhhh? [ The room spins when he opens his eyes, so he just closes them again. ] Stay.
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Date: 2021-03-21 04:03 am (UTC)But he barely blinks, mumbles and clings and Claude sighs a little, fond exasperation this time. Gently he scoots Byleth over toward the middle of the bed, carefully extracting his wrist so he can at least pull Byleth's boots off.]
Okay, Teach... alright... Just lemme get these-
[He doesn't expect the other man to really hear the words, just does his best to keep his tone soothing and reassuring. He kicks his own shoes off and then settles on the edge of the bed, stiff and uncertain but keeping a hand on Byleth's, thumb stroking over his knuckles lightly.]
You just rest.
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Date: 2021-03-21 10:25 pm (UTC)Hnnhhh. Stay.
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Date: 2021-03-21 11:34 pm (UTC)And hopefully the hammering of his heart will not be too obvious or the way his insides turn to jelly at the closeness or the hopeful, painful little spike of want that echoes across the sync that Claude most certainly does not have the wherewithal to deny.
One arm drapes over Byleth in return and the fingers of the other, tucked up under them, toy with the longer strands of his hair absently, voice barely a murmur.]
What am I supposed to do without you?
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Date: 2021-03-22 05:55 pm (UTC)You'd be okay. [ He mumbles in reply, hazily rubbing his forehead against his rough beard. ]
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Date: 2021-03-23 06:21 pm (UTC)How would he possibly have the strength to do it again?
Worries for when he wasn't curled up in the professor's bed, wasn't holding him, didn't have to listen to him be so certain of his abilities. How could Byleth trust in him like that? Especially this Byleth...
But he burrows against him, insists and rubs against him and Claude may not have the excuse of nearly as much alcohol but he did slam three shots of his own back to back. (Like hell he was wasting the other two glasses. No he'd downed those before they left.) It's no wonder, then, that Byleth mumbles that assurance and a moment later Claude has pulled him in tight against him, lifted him up a little, tangled his fingers in Byleth's hair and captured his lips in a firm kiss.]
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Date: 2021-03-23 11:14 pm (UTC)He wonders what kind of relationship Claude had with his own professor. Still, he melts into it, pressing back, happy to enjoy the contact and affection. He hums against Claude's lips, parting his own for the man should he so desire. He's too inebriated to care about the consequences of this- it simply feels good, and Claude is certainly attractive in more ways than one. ]
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Date: 2021-03-24 12:29 am (UTC)And Byleth was so warm against him, even if he knew some of it was the drink.
For possibly the first time in his life, consequences be damned, Claude simply... allows himself to have something he wants. The one thing he's wanted for so long. He chases that offering, tongue eager to chase the lingering sweetness of the drink on Byleth's own. Fingers curve into pale hair to hold him close, a soft, needy sound escaping against his mouth, something that might have sounded broken if not for the way he clutches at Byleth, pressing into him enough to threaten to spill the professor onto his back with Claude above him. Threatening much, much worse ideas than a reckless and magnificent kiss.]
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