ohmyarceus | NOVEMBER - DECEMBER TEST DRIVE MEME

There's a startled yelp out of Jules, because what the hell was that, and oh geez, what if they're hurt, oh geez, he doesn't want to be going into a disaster, he's not good with disasters, but Rust is reaching for the door anyway because she wants to see, and oh man now he's got to do something, and so the door finds itself flung open with a too-tall man sticking his head in there yelling, "ARE YOU OKAY?"

[Felix scowls. Yes, something is deeply wrong. Did Dimitri somehow just...forget? Regress, somehow? Or...that can't be right. Not after a victory like that, not after the prince almost wept to see the people of the city welcome him home.]

We were at Gronder months ago. You-- [He looks away.] We won the battle, but my father took a blade meant for you. Then we marched to Fhirdiad and liberated it. ...and you don't remember any of that.

[Somehow, this isn't Dimitri. Or at least, it isn't the Dimitri he was celebrating with last night. The thought turns his stomach. So the boar has returned, has he?...but maybe this is a second chance. Maybe this time, Felix can do something. Help, somehow.]

Forget it. It doesn't matter right now. You said Sylvain was here, where is he?

This is the point where, looking back on everything later, Beau might start to feel a little bit bad. A tad. A smidge.

Because he bursts in yelling in concern, and she uncoils like a particularly ill-tempered spring, lunging at him to grab at his collar and lash out with a palm strike at the bridge of his nose in hopes of stunning him and dragging him inside before there can be any more yelling.

Or thudding. Even if, in all fairness, that part is completely on her.

[Felix may want to push what he said aside, but... It isn't that easy, for Dimitri. All he can do is stare as Felix's words stick in his head - as the idea those words describe sticks.]

No... [A small guttural sound almost more than it is a word. Dimitri steps forward, almost a stagger.] That - Felix. Please. Rodrigue is...?

[His voice cracks, anguish breaking through it like a knife, and his Pignite reaches up to help steady him.]

"Unfortunately not," the man standing nearby says. "For whatever reason, the powers that be have decreed that this year we're 'stealing Christmas' and the first part of that is to disguise ourselves as part of the holiday festivities in order to infiltrate and case all the major department stores and shopping districts, as well as the Goldenrod Christmas market, in preparation for 'the big night' where we're robbing them all simultaneously."

He's a large man, six foot tall and broad, and fairly pleasant-looking, with wire-rim spectacles perched on his nose and little touches of grey at the temples of his short black hair. His voice is a light tenor without a hint of accent and he's probably somewhere in his mid-forties. He wouldn't seem like he could hurt a fly, except perhaps for the way he holds himself, as if he's the biggest cat in the jungle and knows it.

"New recruit?" he asks sympathetically.

[Felix rolls his eyes.] Don't flatter yourself, Riegan. You're literally the only person I've spoken to here besides whoever that woman is in the kitchen.

[It is reassuring to know that the war isn't going on without them. Particularly since it would mean that the prince and his two highest ranking remaining generals would be missing right when Faerghus needs them most. And when the Alliance needs them, too, although apparently Claude is fine, so...]

[He almost demands that Claude go fetch the others anyway, but the thought flies out of his head at the word 'publicly,' and then that thought flies out of his head at the rest. He scowls, but Claude's sharp enough at reading people to see that he's not actually angry; he's worried.]

Yes, obviously I remember. Better than you, you're not the one who found him that way and then had to deal with him for months like that. I've known Dimitri my whole life, don't presume to tell me how to talk to him.

[It's unfair, he knows, to take it out on Claude. But the words just come out of their own accord. He glances away from the screen, away from knowing green eyes that always made Felix feel exposed.]

...anyway. Guess you survived Derdriu, huh?

[Felix instantly realizes the error he's made, but he can't bring himself to look the prince in the eye. Still, the look on his face tells Dimitri everything he needs to know, and the Purrloin perched on his shoulder, tail curling loosely around his neck, makes the eye contact for him. It stares, unblinking.]

You should forget I said anything. Maybe it won't even happen when you go back, I don't know. [He folds his arms.] ...I shouldn't have brought it up.

Hey! [Sylvain huffs but his words like any amount of bite. It had only been a few weeks, yet he'd found himself missing Felix. That was especially true now that he was face to "face" with the man.]

Right. Just... don't talk to anyone, okay? The last thing we need is you looking at someone sideways and upsetting the locals.

[He ends the video call abruptly, switching over to another window. A few taps and he has himself a ride to New Bark Town. It'll be a few hours before he gets there, he'll just have to hope Felix doesn't cause too much trouble while they're separated.

... The reversal was almost funny.

He pulls the device back out and taps Felix's name. After snapping a quick picture of himself in the little cart, he sends it off.]

I will be there in a few hours. Bet you miss me already.

[Felix spots the kid--and his apple? what?--but keeps running. Eventually, they manage to corner the cat, although Felix knows from experience with cats that if they're not careful, it could dash past them and slip away anyway.]

Listen, furrball, if you're going to be following me around everywhere and stealing things, at least steal useful things. What does either of us need with a book like that?

[The Purrloin seems to consider it, then drops the book from its mouth unceremoniously and saunters over to Felix as though none of this ever happened. He frowns down at it for a moment, then picks it up, trying to look grudging about it.]

Sorry, kid. He--she? She. Just does this all the time, I guess. [He pets her idly, hardly seeming to realize he's doing it here in front of someone.]

"New conscript. Recruits usually agree, even if they, you know, don't have any real idea what they're agreeing to."

She picks up one of the fake elf ears, holding it by the point as she eyes it with bone-deep skepticism, then turns a similar, if slightly more assessing, look on him. "Look, I get disguising yourself to get shit done. I've passed myself off as something else before. But I'm pretty sure every elf I've ever met is about five seconds away from teleporting in here and stabbing us all on principle."

I wasn't telling you how to talk to him, so much as giving you forewarning. You've seen him climb out of that hole too, right? I just wanted to warn you he's back in it. [He sighs.] To a slightly different degree than before, actually. He thinks we're all dead and this is the afterlife. I've tried to argue that with him, but...well, it hasn't really gotten me anywhere other than on his bad side. He really doesn't want to hear it.

[He smiles a little.] But despite what he says, yes, I survived Derdriu just fine thanks to you guys. That's actually a big part of why I've been tangling with him. Between you all coming to help me and my knowing perfectly well he can get back into a healthier mindset, I've been doing my best to help Dimitri back out of that pit he's in as the least I can do to repay him...but like I said, it's not going well.

You're right about one thing, though - I never got to see much of him while he was like this. It was just that brief moment at Gronder Field. So hopefully you and Sylvain will be better at managing him than I've been.

Go to the Pokémon Centre, that big building with a pokéball looking sign. With what the weird woman gave you, you should be able to get a couple of things.

"Oh," he says, suddenly interested. "That usually means you were brought here from another world, before being immediately press-ganged." He takes a step or two forward, offering her his hand to shake. "So was I. Steven Durante. I'm one of the Beta-rankers of our little crew of conscripts."

He glances at the fake ear. "And yes, you're probably right," he admits. "Lydia would have thrown an absolute fit if she were still with us."

Edited 2020-12-05 06:10 (UTC)

Tch. You say that like I have any inclination to talk to any of these people.

[Then suddenly, Sylvain is just...gone. Felix almost worries, but then he notices that the other man's name is now listed there in the device. Huh. He supposes he'll have to get the hang of this thing, much as it sounds tedious and he doesn't want to.

He and the Purrloin stare at each other over the now-inert device. Felix refuses to blink first--he has to establish dominance in this relationship. Show the cat he won't put up with all this nonsense. When the animal--he? no, she--when she glances away, pretending not to have noticed any kind of competition at all, he smirks.]

Good. Now come on, we'll find the way out of this place and wait for Sylvain on the road.

[The device pings after a minute or two, and he narrows his eyes at it. What now?...it's showing a picture of Sylvain, and a message. How did he do that? This kind of thing has never been Felix's forte, but remembering Annette's tutoring and how meticulous and careful she was, he muddles through until he figures out how to send a message back, with a small smile.]

You wish. Hurry up.

[When Sylvain makes his way into town, Felix and the Purrloin--he really ought to name her, he thinks, but he has no ideas yet--are waiting at the side of the main road; Felix is busy jabbing at the device, trying to get it to cooperate, and making a frustrated face at it.]

[Boy and grass-type come to a stop once the Purrloin is cornered, and whatever words the boy may have die in his throat as Felix talks.

With the book dropped, Epel finally leans down and picks up his Applin, just as Felix is picking up the stolen Trainer Handbook.

He clears his throat and glances away.]

Ah... it's alright. I really ought to take this as a lesson to not let my guard down in strange places like this, anyway, probably.

[... Well, that's sure a turnaround from his attitude during the chase.]

Tell that to the angry bird that is giving me a ride.

[It doesn't take horribly long for Sylvain to get there -- though certainly enough to bore him to tears. It also eats into his carefully amassed funds, though he can work that debt off soon enough, he'd like to think. Even if it did take awhile, if anyone is worth the expenditure, it's Felix.

The second the bird sets down, Sylvain is jumping off. He hands off a few extra bills to the birdmaster, before jogging off toward the edge of town.

The moment Felix comes into sight, Sylvain lets out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He'd told himself that it had only been a few weeks, but after years of war and close to decades of friendship, that was plenty of time for anything to happen.

Knowing that Felix wouldn't let him live down a stupid grin, he manages to keep his smile to a mere quirk of the lips. Nevertheless, it becomes a more toothy smile by the time he draws even with Felix.

He can't help himself, it seems.]

You know, I would say that if you kept scowling like that, your face might get stuck but... [And there's that wide, beaming grin.] I think that might have already happened.

[For a moment... Dimitri doesn't know what to say. What on earth is there to say? He's yet to run into Rodrigue here, in this place, but... he's not haunted him like a reminder of all his past mistakes, either.]

[And yet... Felix isn't like Claude. Felix is one of the only people who Dimitri ever felt truly saw him for what he was, the monster that carved a bloody path in Sreng and dragged the skin of a man over its revolting maw to hide amongst good people. And to say that of Rodrigue...]

...I... I am sorry... It should have...

[Dimitri doesn't know. He feels he knows nothing at all.]

[Felix puts his face in his hands briefly.]

Goddess. Of course he thinks this is the afterlife. And of course he doesn't want to hear it.

[He sighs, looking tired for just a second.] I don't know. The first time around, we just...worked around him, until-- [The briefest pause.] Until he got over himself. I'm not one for regrets, but I always wonder whether we could have done more, sooner. I guess this is our chance.

[Then Felix's frown grows deeper, and more thoughtful.] You said people who go back don't lose any time. So if we do get him to abandon this foolish idea that we're all dead, do you think it could change the future? His future. Our past.

[Angry bird...? Like a wyvern, maybe. Felix feels significantly less uncomfortable here knowing Sylvain's on his way, although he certainly doesn't let his guard down. Just in case.

He looks up at the approaching footsteps, his own lips curving slightly upward and a bit of tension going out of his shoulders when he spots Sylvain.]

Better that than grinning like an idiot all the time. Which one is this, the 'I've done something stupid and I don't want Felix to know about it' grin?

[The alternative is that it's an 'I'm genuinely really happy to see you' grin, and Felix isn't sure what to...do, with a thought like that.]

Stop. Stop talking.

[Felix meets his gaze now, firmly and sharply.]

I don't want your apologies and I don't want to hear that it should have been you. It wasn't, and that's all there is to say. It's in the past and I'm moving forward. So are you, where I come from, for once. So don't drag me back to dwell on it here. If you're really sorry, then you'll stop it from happening when you go back there.

[The torrent of words ends abruptly in a swift intake of breath and a slow exhale.]

Now tell me about this place. You said you've been here for months. What have you been doing all that time?

You're right, you should.

[It isn't a chastisement, just a matter of fact, as far as Felix is concerned.]

I take that to mean you don't live here, either?

[He hands the book back to the kid, but not before glancing at its cover to read the title.]

Trainer's Handbook. One of these was in the room I woke up in, too. I assume this 'training' has something to do with these strange animals all over the place. [He phrases it as a statement, but it's really more of a question.]

Hah. Close enough. [He reaches out, clapping a hand over Felix's shoulder. Despite the chill in the air, he feels warmer, lighter even. Despite being fewer than ever, his burdens have always been easier to carry with Felix around.]

Though, personally I think it's a bit closer to the 'I haven't seen my best friend in weeks' look, myself.

Since I can rest assured that at any given time you've probably done something stupid, I suppose it's always 'close enough.'[Felix smirks at him and returns the gesture, if a little more awkwardly. But then he blinks.]

Weeks? What are you talking about, Sylvain? We were just in Fhirdiad together last night.

...how like you...

[Dimitri isn't sure how he manages to choke the words out, but... there's some strange comfort in Felix's ways. That bluntness, that desire to only look forward, even the sharpness of his words is just somehow reassuring. Like the light sting of winter's first snowfall upon one's face.]

[Not bad. Not necessarily.

[Dimitri keeps his head bowed for a moment, mind going in circles for a long moment on the idea that he's heard... and gnawing just as much on what Felix has proposed, what he seems to believe. There is a lot of information there to turn over in his head, and, well... Right in the middle of a conversation like this isn't a suitable time for it. It takes Dimitri a moment to answer Felix's demanding questions.]

...I have been traveling with a parent and his child. Working... and learning the ways of this place.

[Remembering himself, Dimitri turns his attention down to Dean, and places a tentative hand upon the pig's head.]

They... are welcome to strangers. There is no war here. Any conflict is decided between these creatures, and they spar with one another for fun... and to stay healthy. They all hold particular affinities... This one is of fire.

[Dean nods and holds his small hooved hands in front of his face, and just... spits out a small glowing ember, one that blazes quite brightly even in the daylight.]

[Sylvain is quick to shake his head. Was this how Dimitri had felt, when he'd been the one to explain it all?]

Not by my count. I got here... must have been middle of the last moon. I haven't been in Fhirdiad since --

[That's when finally processes Felix's words. Fhirdiad. The last he had heard, the capitol was still deep within Cornelia's clutches. Gautier and Fraldarius were doing their best to put up a united front within their own territories, but they were losing ground.

Briefly, he thinks of Claude, of the apparent alliance they'd formed against the Empire. It wasn't the first time things had seemed so different.]

-- Years, Felix. [His voice is a touch quieter, a little slower. The smile is almost gone.] I haven't seen Fhirdiad in years.

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER TEST DRIVE MEME

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felix: /speedruns dimitri's mental health

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Felix: WHOOPS

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