SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER TEST DRIVE MEME

[indigo_events]

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Comments

Sylvain Gautier | Fire Emblem 2 house 5 me

[ruinedsky]

Network

[The video opens up on the image of a man that may be familiar to some people in the world of Pokemon. Redheaded, dressed in old fashioned collared shirt and looking a little rumpled and confused is Sylvain. He has to adjust his hold on the 'gear, making his face move around a little at first.]

So uhhhhh this lovely woman whose house I just woke up in his definitely not my mother, this crazy little thing I have is nothing like I've ever seen before, and apparently I'm responsible for this flaming filly?

[He turns the camera and a ponyta comes into view, pawing at the earth and looking at him with reproach. He holds up his burned hand to illustrate how well his previous attempts at touching her went.]

Someone wanna tell me what the hell I got dosed with and how to reverse it? Thanks.

Route 29

Even more baffling than the fact that this weird horse doesn't seem to like him at all is the fact that it keeps following him anyway. Some trainers along the road taught him about "starter" monsters and pokeballs. He does manage to recall the ponyta to the ball, but she pops right back out, lowering her head menacingly at him.

"Woah, hey, all right, no more ball, got it!" He holds his hands up in the universal sign of surrender.

Cherrygrove City

So he lets her follow him around like the most tsundere lady he's ever met. He gets the lay of the land of Cherrygrove and decides to take a rest on the beach. He's got his shoes off and his pants rolled up, sitting in the sand and watching the light play on the water. Ponyta is nearby, nosing through the sand and watching him warily. Whenever he turns to look at her, she snorts derisively or kicks sand at him.

Network - private

[bestswordmaster]

[The first thing Sylvain sees on the screen with this reply is a shiny Tsareena with huge wide eyes that are filling with tears - though they seem to be glad tears, as she's wearing a broad smile, too. She makes a few trilling noises that seem like happy ones and then the view is dizzying as she clearly grabs the Gear and starts running full-speed.

Felix is mid-training with Assal and Andre when Inda careens over to him and urgently holds his Gear up for him to take; Sylvain can hear the clash of steel on steel until Felix pauses to look down. She wouldn't be acting like this unless it was an emergency, so he doesn't bother wasting time with asking questions. He just takes it and peers at the screen with a concerned frown, slightly red-faced and sweaty from exertion, hair mussed and falling a bit out of its tie.

What he sees makes his eyes go wide, too. He feels like his heart has stopped and he's forgotten how to breathe. He can't make any words come out before he sinks down to sit in the grass, not bothering to try to seem cool or collected. He just lets go of the Doublade in his hand, which floats up to hover behind Felix so it can look down at the screen, too.

His voice is tight with barely leashed hope. He can't...assume anything.]

...Sylvain. Where...where are you?

[ruinedsky]

[Sylvain has no fucking idea what he's looking at. The cute creature on screen has big tearful eyes but its smiling? And she trills? He's very confused and unsure what to make if what he sees and then it all blurs into incomprehensible images. He makes a questioning sound in the back of his throat, but doesn't really expect the fairy or whatever it is to answer him.

He also doesn't expect to only have more questions as the camera jostles around until Felix comes into view. Sweaty and fresh from a spar, it seems, and the cavalier has not a clue what to make of the face his normally stoic friend is wearing. Is he... sitting down?

Something heavy and cold settles into Sylvain's stomach, like a premonition he's about to get some horrible news, or that he missed something very important. He swallows down a metallic taste. and puts on a brave face.]

You know, that's an outstanding question, I have no idea. Oh!

[He seems to notice something and turns the 'gear so that the sign for route 29 comes into view.]

I guess I'm on route 29.

[Sylvain's voice is clear from above, the camera still looking at the sign.]

[bestswordmaster]

[An enormous weight comes crashing down to crush Felix. At least, that's what it feels like.

It's not the same Sylvain. He doesn't remember.

What the fuck is Felix supposed to do now?]

Stop.

[It comes out much more urgently than he meant it to.]

Stop walking. Stop moving. Don't do anything. I'm coming to get you. Do not move, do you hear me, Sylvain?

[ruinedsky]

[Yeah that basically cinches it: Sylvain is definitely missing something. His stomach twists itself into knots. The camera turns back around to Sylvain's very concerned face. Normally he would do everything in his power to hide his concern from the other Lions, but in this case his eyebrows are firmly knit, and he's frowning unhandsomely.]

Yeah, okay, whatever you say Felix. Can you at least give me a hint of what's wrong? I'm starting to think someone died.

[Or this place is secretly some kind of horrible trap or something. He eyes the Ponyta warily, but she just tosses her firey mane and turns away.]

[bestswordmaster]

[That first flippant comment feels a little like a knife in Felix's gut. It's been a long time since Sylvain just dismissed him like that. He can feel his blood start to boil with desperation and he clenches his jaw in an attempt not to look angry.]

I...sorry. No one died. Everything is fine. It's...ugh, I don't know how I'm supposed to explain any of this.

[But no one said he couldn't explain and move at the same time. He pushes himself to his feet and starts walking briskly, even though he can't pull his eyes away from the screen. Inda hurries alongside him.]

What's the last thing you remember from home?

[This is the easiest place to start. He'll at least have something to work with if he knows how much of a difference there is in their starting points.

He's just not going to think about what he'll do if Sylvain says he's from after the war.]

network

[thequeensrules]

If you happen to get an answer to that, would you be so kind as to pass it along?

[The teenager responding looks fairly unamused (and maybe just bordering on the edge of pouty), contrasting greatly to the Morpeko happily clinging to his shoulder.

The background, however, makes it clear that Riddle's in the same town, though.]

[ruinedsky]

Yeah, sure thing.

[He rubs the back of his neck.]

I'm not holding my breath for any answers that make sense, though.

[thequeensrules]

[Sighing.]

That would make the two of us, I'm afraid. And I don't have much hope for reversing it to be so easy, I must admit.

[ruinedsky]

It was easy to get here, so there should be an easy way to leave, right?

[Especially since he still thinks he's hallucinating or something.]

[thequeensrules]

Not necessarily...

[Honestly, when he thought he wanted to understand Yuu better, this isn't what he meant!]

While the situation is by no means identical, something... similar happened to an underclassman of mine back home, and they've had no luck throughout the better part of a school year.

video - not private because it's dimitri

[nastyboy]

[Usually, when Gremlin starts squealing at him, Dimitri knows it means something important. More important than his Rattata's usual dramatics as he flails over some video game, or makes demands in battle.]

[So of course he comes over, latest little woodworking project abandoned. Of course he looks around at the Gear, to see the latest video playing.]

[Of course his heart freezes in his chest, and drops down into some terrible abyss.]

[Sylvain wouldn't make a post on the network like this. Sylvain would come home to them - find them in Olivine, in Vermillion, call up Felix's Gear.]

[Sylvain would know what a ponyta is.]

[Dimitri has always been an open book in a lot of cases, with anything else carefully smothered when it's needed to be. But for the things that truly strike at his core? It's impossible for him to hide. It's impossible for him to hide anything here as he starts up his own video feed, one good eye wide and pained.]

I.... Sylvain.

[There were things, questions, plans he had thought he would ask... but in the end, that's all he can say.]

[ruinedsky]

[Felix's weirdly floored reaction was bad enough. It compounds when Sylvain sees the video from Dimitri, making that strange cold dread in his stomach worse. Who died? Why are both of them here?

Probably even worse for Dimitri than the obvious amnesia or whatever it is, is the fact that Sylvain seems to regress years in the way he treats his king.]

Boss. [Not "Dimitri". At least it isn't "Your Majesty", but the old pseudo nickname does nearly stutter on his lips.] Are... you okay? Where are we?

[nastyboy]

[Boss... Dimitri feels unmoored, unsteady, like the ground rolling beneath him. How long has it been since Sylvain used such casual little nicknames for him? It feels like forever. It's probably just been as long as he's been in this place, this land.]

[It's Dedue, all over again... and how much had Dimitri had to tell him, before the two of them could just lay there together, in the shade of the garden? With Sylvain...]

[Dimitri takes in a deep breath, and it rattles all the way down to his lungs. Calm. He has to be... the king he should have given Sylvain a long time ago. Even before he was his lover. Which... They may not necessarily be anymore.]

I... I am fine. I apologize. [For everything, really, but, for the right now and immediate present, his own reaction.] This is a land called Johto. I promise it is a good land, peaceful. There is no war here. You.... You will like it.

[And it's the start of fall... Good weather. Dimitri tries to find such positives.]

It will take some time for us to go back and reach you - we are in another land, as of current, but it is Johto's neighbor, and we have fast fliers. Until then.... I will endeavor to answer whatever questions you have.

I... It must be overwhelming.

[Do they tell him? Dimitri feels sick to his stomach. He doesn't know what to say, here. How to explain. He thinks of the wedding, and....]

[Traveling in such a state is a terrible idea, but the camera clearly shows Dimitri already pushing himself up, a little unsteadily.]

[ruinedsky]

[He is very clearly not fine, and Sylvain is buying none of what Dimitri is selling in that regard. His eyebrows are pulled in, slightly, and while he doesn't frown exactly, his usual smile isn't there either.]

Hey... slow down. It's okay. Claude... Claude sent me a message that sort of explains things. I have been here before, or was here already, but now I don't remember I guess. And how sometimes weird stuff with time and where we come from happens. I don't really get it entirely but...

[He does frown properly, wishing he could reach out and touch Dimitri on the arm or something.]

I get that I disappeared on you all and now I'm back with no memories. That has to be hard. And kind of creepy, probably.

[It explains why Dimitri looked at him like he'd seen a ghost at first, but Sylvain won't say that out loud.]

I admit I'm pretty confused but I'm sure it'll sink in eventually. I'm... more worried about all of you. I can't imagine how much of a mess I'd be if you or Felix suddenly didn't remember a bunch of stuff that happened.

[vrdantwind]

[When Grant frantically calls the household's attention to Sylvain's network post, Claude has his Gear open in seconds. He watches the video, and struggles to breathe.

There's...so much to process.

It's Sylvain. The same red hair, the same warm eyes, the same warm voice. Right there in the world with them again, and Claude's wanted nothing more than that since he left. It's enough to bring tears to his eyes - for himself, for Dimitri, for Grant, for Chip, but especially for Felix. To have him back isn't just more than he'd ever really dared to hope for; it's everything.

But Claude's not stupid, and not so dazed at seeing Sylvain that he misses Sylvain's words - or the meaning behind him.

His memories of his prior time in this place...they've gone the way of Dedue's. They're lost.

That'll be hard for all of them, in a number of ways. Felix is bound to ache over Sylvain's losing his memory of their wedding. Dimitri had a lot of love and memories with Sylvain here that it'll be wrenching to have be so one-sided. But, ultimately...building up those memories again, creating new ones - having the opportunity to make new ones - is still hopeful. Like losing precious things in a fire, but the people make it out okay. There will always be other opportunities. Even if things have burned down to the foundations, those foundations are still strong, still there.

But for Grant, and Chip, and Claude himself...it's harder. Sylvain didn't know Claude all that well before coming to this world...and he didn't know Grant or Chip at all. They don't have foundations. They're starting almost from nothing...and there's no guarantee that things will happen the same way this time that they did last time.

Claude still loves Sylvain...but this Sylvain doesn't love him. And may never love him again. Grant must be feeling the same way...and Chip's lost their buddy that they warmed up to so slowly. And none of them - none of them can greet Sylvain the way they want to, can even hug him, because to Sylvain they're all just strangers. (Or, in Claude's case, almost strangers.) They can't even fill him in right away, because that's just...way too much to dump on Sylvain's plate. None of this is his fault, and they can't just overwhelm him trying to get him back up to speed. (No point, anyway. It's not as though being told about the relationships Sylvain had with them will make him feel the same way his past self did.)

Claude's never been more grateful that he can see someone through a screen without their seeing him. The effort of keeping it together right now...well, it's a lot. There's no way Claude could even fake composure if Sylvain was right there in front of him, and then how would he explain that?

It takes several long minutes for Claude to figure out what to even say.]

Hey, Sylvain, this is Claude von Riegan. You've figured out these devices pretty quick.

The explanation for where we are and what's going on is long and pretty unbelievable, but probably no more unbelievable than waking up in a strange house in a strange land with a colt that's on fire hanging out with you, right? So hopefully you'll believe me when I fill you in.

This is a whole different world from ours. People from all kinds of different worlds get randomly brought here. No one's really sure how or why, although it tends to get chalked up to a god they've got here just pulling weird tricks for who knows what reason.

There's a few of us from Fodlan here already. Dimitri, Felix, Ashe, and Annette, for example. I'm the only one not from the Blue Lions here.

[ruinedsky]

[Bless your thoughtfulness, Claude, but it's a little damn late for that unfortunately. Sylvain's plopped his ass into the grass next to the route 29 sign and is trying to not feel totally sick to his stomach when he gets the message. His insides are still in knots, but the cool, measured message is somewhat reassuring. Possibly Claude knows whatever it is that has Felix and Dimitri so out of sorts as well, but at least he isn't falling apart right in front of him, too. Sylvain isn't sure he could handle one more person looking at him like... that. Whatever that is.]

I got help from a kid wandering around with a strangely large bird.

Thanks for the heads up, I really appreciate it. I've talked to Felix and Dimitri already. They seem... I guess upset? I feel like I'm missing something. Is something wrong? Is everyone okay? Maybe you can't tell me over this little trinket.

You know, somehow "god pranks" just makes perfect sense, doesn't it?

[Same shit, different day.]

Claude is switching this to Private to hide certain things from Chip if they view this thread

[vrdantwind]

[OH BOY

Claude downright winces at the thought of...whatever passed between Sylvain, Felix, and Dimitri. He can't imagine the other two are keeping their composure even as well as Claude is keeping his, which is...not well, but that's what texting is for. So you can hide the fact that you're currently a disaster!

Not that he can blame Dimitri and Felix, really. Claude can hardly claim Sylvain means more to him than he does to them...and he certainly can't claim to have lost as much as either of them. To have Sylvain back, but in this strange half-measure of his having lost his memories from before...of course they're not keeping it together.

But Claude hasn't spent most of his life incredibly observant of others and working out their feelings, thoughts, and motives to not be hyper-aware of how this whole situation must be for Sylvain. And he loves the man - memories or no memories. The least he can do is try to cushion the shock of his arrival and filling him in on things as best he can - and if he can do that better than the others(not much of a debate there), then he practically has a responsibility to.]

It's kind of a complicated situation that's tied into how being dumped into this place works.

The thing is, when people get pulled here from their own worlds, we're kind of - snatched out of time, if that makes sense. Time isn't passing in Fodlan while you're here, so you don't have to worry about missing things, or about other people noticing you've vanished. Whenever we get sent home from this place, we're sent back right to the minute we left, as though we were never gone - no matter how much time passes here. Follow me so far?

But when we go back, we lose our memories of this place and anything that happened here. Which is pretty rough, especially if you've been here for a long time and made a lot of memories here, but...that's how it works.

But arriving here, and being sent back...it's at the whims of the power behind this place. And sometimes the same person leaves, and then gets brought back here again. It happened to Dedue, who I somehow forgot to mention as someone else being here. [There's too many Lions, and also Claude is kind of distraught.] And, well...now it's happened to you. This isn't the first time you've been here, but obviously you don't remember anything about the last time. Dedue doesn't remember his last time, either.

Or maybe you're a completely different Sylvain Gautier than was here last time! Because that's another weird thing about this world - it can bring people here from the same world, but from different points in time...or from different versions of events. Teach is here - but they're from a timeline where they chose the Golden Deer house to teach. I'm from a timeline where Teach chose your house. So that's weird. The upshot is that you could be from a timeline that had a very different version of events than other people from our world remember - and from any point in time within those events.

In retrospect, 'complicated' was probably an understatement.

Anyway, Dimitri and Felix...they've been missing you a lot since you left, obviously. And they're undoubtedly sad that you don't remember anything from your last time being here. That's why they're upset.

Having to explain all that is a lot to dump on a guy who just got here, but I figure you're better off knowing the basics than being left in the dark about the weird reactions you're getting. And, well...without all the context, I couldn't really have made their reactions make any sense.

Hopefully people let you settle in before they dump any fine details on you. Just the broad strokes is already a lot to swallow, I know. So you can ask them to confirm what I've told you if you don't want to take my word for it, but unless you're ready to open some floodgates, I wouldn't ask for too much in the way of particulars until you're feeling - not overwhelmed.

Don't worry about what other people's expectations for you are here, though, or what people might be disappointed about. None of it's your fault, and we're glad you're here. (Is that weird to say, when you're probably not even glad you're here right now? Well, you know what I mean.) Dimitri and Felix might be disappointed about the memories, but you're the important thing to them. They're just, you know...caught way off guard. We weren't sure any of us would see you again until whenever this place chooses to send us back to Fodlan ourselves. And that can take awhile.

[ruinedsky]

[He can't go entirely on the face journey that he wants to because he's on call with Felix, but Sylvain has to sit the hell down in the middle of reading all of this. And then read it again. He feels a little like he's looking down at himself, sitting in the grass, staring at a tiny light box.]

Oh, boy that is. That's a doozy right there.

Thank you. For explaining all of this. It makes a lot of things make sense and no offense to my main man Felix but you make it make more sense than he probably would have. Don't get me wrong, it still doesn't make much damn sense, but I can fake that it does.

Might amuse you to know that the last thing I remember is eating myself into a coma at a feast you planned.

[Goddess they need that levity. Please. There's... something about that last paragraph that feels important. It's uncomfortable, but not in a wholly unpleasant way. Claude clearly knows Sylvain much better than Sylvain knows him, which makes sense given they apparently were here together before!]

How long was I here before I left and forgot everything?

And. Um. Thanks, for the reassurance. I'd deny that I need it, but something tells me that you know better by now, or that I gave something away, before I forgot everything. That's a weird feeling.

[But if he trusted Claude before, then it's probably okay. Right? Not that he mistrusts Claude as he is now, he just didn't think they were close. They aren't close. Weren't, back home. Ugh, his head hurts.]

Network

[fearinahandfulof]

[Cassandra has lost a lot of people over the last few months. Sylvain had been one of them, and frankly she's still... grieving, she guesses is the word. They hadn't gotten off to the best start, but they'd understood each other, and through that they'd managed to become friends. So suddenly seeing him again like this is... startling.]

Syl—

[But then his words sink in, as does his location. If this was the Sylvain she remembered, he wouldn't be asking about the woman in New Bark Town. He'd know what the PokéGear is. And she's reasonably certain she remembers he'd started with an entirely different Pokémon. Which means that this is an entirely different Sylvain. And that... hurts.

Which doesn't mean she's not going to make the best of it, and try to course-correct while she's at it.]

Are you all right?

[ruinedsky]

[Ah, good, he was wondering when someone who remembered him that he doesn't remember but isn't someone from home would contact him. This will be awkward. He braces himself for it before he replies, plastering his usual smile to his face. Good enough to fool most people, but maybe not enough to fool a friend.]

Hello there! Let me guess: You know me already. Or rather, you knew me before I disappeared. Sorry to be the messenger of bad news, sweetheart: I don't remember anything.

[fearinahandfulof]

[He'd called her "sweetheart" back then, too.]

I know.

[She's not completely stupid, unlike what certain former colleagues/murderers of her acquaintance had told her.]

Would you rather I didn't talk to you, then? I don't want to make this... [she pauses before she blurts out "awkward" - it's obviously too late for that - and amends it to:] more difficult. Waking up here is a lot already as it is.

[That woman in New Bark Town certainly doesn't make things any easier.]

[ruinedsky]

[Sylvain is many things, but unpredictable is not one of them.]

No, no, I didn't mean that! I'm not trying to brush you off, promise. Just... didn't want to get your hopes up or anything. I'm disappointing everyone enough without building it up first, you know?

[He shakes his head, a smile on his face that still doesn't quite reach his eyes.] It's weird for me to be here at all and it's weird for you to have to start over with me, so we're even, right?

Network

[freckledarcher]

[Ashe had his hands deep in dough when Ky walked over and chirped with the gear in his hand. Ashe looked over to see Sylvain on the screen. Wait, Sylvain!? Did he come back? Was this a Sylvain from a different timeline? He would have to ask those questions a little later, right now he could talk to Sylvain again!]

Hey Sylvain! Sorry about not being able to hold the gear right now, I'm making some buns since Marshmallow wanted some. [It's a ghost pokemon, don't worry about it.] Oh, about your hand you can go get it checked out at the pokecenter. It shouldn't be too far from where you're at. The mom inside can help.

[ruinedsky]

[Ashe's pure and genuine self is such a balm on all of Sylvain's fretting. At least someone here doesn't look at him like they've seen a ghost. Bless you, Ashe. He grins.]

You do realize how insane some of what you just said sounded, right? [He teases good-naturedly.] Of course you named one of your creatures Marshmallow... [He starts looking around for the pokécenter, so he isn't looking at his 'gear.]

How many moms are there, anyway??