indigo_events (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
indigo_events) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
ohmyarceus2021-09-01 08:06 am
indigo_events) wrote in ohmyarceus2021-09-01 08:06 am
Entry tags:
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER TEST DRIVE MEME
➞ Post with a character you wish to test drive in this game's setting.
➞ Tag other people's starters and thread out shenanigans!
➞ Invite your friends! Try out new characters! Come play with us!
➞ Have fun!
CHECK OUT ALL THE LOCATIONS WE HAVE AVAILABLE IN:
✭ ✭ ✭
OTHER USEFUL LINKS:
NAVIGATION | RESERVES | APPLICATIONS
no subject
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.
no subject
[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
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.
no subject
[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.]
no subject
As for how long you were here...it was awhile. Counting back...I think about eight moons. You disappeared about two moons ago.
I won't pretend I don't know you better than you know me, thanks to this weird memory mix-up. But to be fair, we were always pretty similar - enough that I used to come under fire from Ingrid for it sometimes. So there are some things I can infer with or without any unfair advantages. And even if I knew next to nothing about you at all, I'd know enough to be aware that you care about Dimitri and Felix a lot, and that you'd never want to seriously upset them. So of course you'd feel awkward and upset about their being upset over something to do with you, even if it's something totally beyond your control, right?
But yeah, this is a lot from any angle. I can't blame Felix or anyone else for not knowing how to handle this, or not being able to make any kind of sense while they're dealing with it. I just happen to be good at looking at things from a broader perspective, and knowing how weird and jarring this has to be for you...well, I might be the only one who's in any state to appreciate that right now. But you definitely deserve to have people thinking of that and helping you with it, so I'll do what I can until the others have their feet back under them enough to do the same.
no subject
You know, I can't decide which I'm more disappointed about not remembering: being your friend or watching you and Felix and Dimitri become friends. I remember how easily you'd knock his Majesty for a loop back at the academy.
[And seeing Felix make new friends is a terribly rare and wonderful treat.]
That's the one! Goddess, we all needed that celebration, though. I hadn't felt that rejuvenated in years. They should call you master feast planner, not master tactician ;)
[Is he deflecting his discomfort about feeling perceived? Probably.]
If I may turn the table around though, don't pretend like this isn't weird for you too, pal. Two can play the inference game and obviously we bonded in the 8 moons I was here so don't act like you're the impartial third party in the equation. Not that I don't appreciate your level head right now, but I'm going to be bugging you for stories about the shit I forgot once I'm done being accosted by Felix.
He has ordered me in no uncertain terms to sit my happy ass right down and not move until he gets here.
no subject
I wouldn't say this Dimitri's recovered to the same level as the Dimitri I met at Derdriu, but he's come a long way and he's worked hard to get there.
As for how Felix and I became friends...that's a whole story in itself. Which involves you, which I'm sure isn't surprising news, considering how close you two are. But it's too much to tell right now when your head's got to be spinning already, and it's a story that can keep.
And hey, what do you mean they don't call me the master feast planner now? My shoulders might not be as broad as yours. Mr. Knight In Shining Armor, but they're wide enough to hold up under two fancy titles. Clearly my not already having both is an oversight.
[Sylvain's not the only one eager to take some refuge behind a lighthearted tone.]
Well...I'm not going to outright lie to you and pretend this isn't affecting me even a little. Even if I was willing to deceive a guy who played a part in my still breathing after Derdriu, someone who I've made friends with besides, when the guy in question is already at a massive intel disadvantage through no fault of his own...well, it'd just be insulting your intelligence, and I don't want to do that either. But I think it's fair to say you're the one who's dealing with a bigger shock to the system right now...and that you're already bearing up under the weight of other people's reactions. Mine doesn't have to be worked out right now, and definitely doesn't have to be worked out right now by you while you're already overwhelmed. There's no rush.
I'd be happy to fill you in on things you want to know when you're ready, though. But like I said - this isn't a race. The feast already showed you've got a bad habit of overloading your plate, but information isn't like food - it won't go bad if you don't stuff your face right away. And you know you'll hear it from Felix if you go so overboard you incapacitate yourself.
Felix is right to have you wait until he can come get you, though...although it might be a bit, so you may want to find somewhere comfortable to do the waiting. It's kind of a cute reversal - you were the one who dropped everything to go find him when he first arrived last time.
no subject
Goddess, of course he thought he'd died...
[It would be funny if it wasn't also so sad. At least there's some other things that get a smile out of Sylvain here, but oof.]
That does explain a lot about Dimitri's... reception of me. Why he looks... I'm not really sure how to describe it, but he's clearly not in the same place he was when I saw him last, at the feast.
[Claude seems to know Dimitri rather well, after all the months here. Not necessarily a surprise, knowing what he does now, but it's still strange to see the rival house leader talking about Sylvain's childhood friend like they're old pals. A very strange mixture of jealousy and warmth rise in his chest, twined together like battling snakes.]
I'll forgive you for withholding the gossip if you keep calling me "Mr. Knight In Shining Armor" sound fair? Anyway I'm just... it's sort of really exciting, to be told that we've had the chance to bond. I've wondered what being your friend for real would be like, since I got a tiny taste of it at the academy. Hilda told me once we're too alike and I've never known her to be wrong about such things.
[Probably that's part of why he never really pursued getting to know Claude better. He knew that would be turned back around on him and he was not ready to be seen so thoroughly back then.]
I wish to clarify that I do not overload myself, thank you very much, I just let myself indulge to excess sometimes! It's very purposeful!
[He will Not say anything about cuteness or fretting over Felix. Nope. Maybe he's still not ready to be perceived...]
no subject
He hasn't really learned the costs vengeance and violence can carry in the same brutally direct way, and actively chosen against them. It's been a more gradual change due to persuasion - persuasion that might not have worked if he hadn't been removed from his chance to keep pursuing his vengeance anyway. So it's a more fragile thing. But I know that your understanding how it stands will be more than enough for you to know how to handle him. You're one of his oldest friends, after all; the only thing you're missing is some recent context.
[Claude's...more than a little flattered, to be told that getting to know him is something Sylvain's excited about. It really highlights how much of a different place Sylvain himself was in mentally between the beginning of the war - being on edge, thinking one of his oldest friends had been executed, not having seen Claude in years or knowing where he (or his kingdom) stood in relation to Claude and the Alliance - and after the battle of Derdriu. And Claude's heart, aching for Sylvain, can't not warm at the feeling that, on some level, even this Sylvain with no memories wants to be with him.]
I have to say, that's a way warmer reception than I got from you the last time you were here. But you were from a very different period of time back then...and definitely had more reason to be depressed and suspicious and jaded about the war, and about a guy who hadn't proven to be an ally yet. So this is definitely a better reception than I got last time.
But yeah, I don't think Hilda was wrong. Ingrid's comparisons were, shall we say, less flattering. But I can confirm that we got along great last time. For instance, without you, there's been so many jokes that, even if I'd been in the mood to make them or anyone else had been in the mood to laugh at them, no one else would truly understand or appreciate...and there's been no one to play chess with except Gremlin. Who is a rat. And who's still way better at chess than Dimitri or Felix.
no subject
[You vastly overestimate my skill at handling Dimitri's emotions he almost says but doesn't. Sylvain gnaws at the inside of his cheek as he processes what he's reading, and what he's being told over video.]
So you're saying the last time I was here with you all, the last thing I remembered was right at the beginning of the war?
[He considers saying something snarky about Claude telling him he gave a colder reception that time, but once he thinks on it, remembering where his mind was back then, he decides against it.]
I'm sorry if I was suspicious or accusatory back then. Sounds like it didn't get in the way of us getting along, eventually, or if it did you're doing a wonderful job of hiding your grudge. I suppose that's what I would suspect from a guy as politically savvy as you, but that isn't the point.
I am... assuming Gremlin the rat is not a normal rat. For one thing I haven't seen a normal blessed animal since I got here.
no subject
It just came as kind of a shock at the time, because I was from after Derdriu, so I'd definitely left the version of you I'd last seen on friendly terms. But once I worked out his circumstances, I couldn't hold it against him.
You've got nothing to apologize for, since you're not really him except in some very brain-twisty ways, but you especially don't have to apologize for him because he wasn't out of line either. And you're right - I won him over all over again, in the end. How could I not? We're probably the only two people from our world here with real senses of humor. And who else could possibly keep up with you in the innuendo and banter department? I think any versions of us are primed to get along just fine, one way or another.
And yeah, Gremlin is a pokémon. There are basically pokémon versions of a lot of animals we know from our own worlds. So he's a rat pokémon, which is only superficially similar to rats as we know them back home. They're purple, for one thing. And pokémon versions of animals are way smarter than their counterparts we're familiar with.
Not that it'd necessarily take a smart rat to be better at chess than Felix and Dimitri...