Byleth

[katzepaw]

Comments

[divineimpulse]

[oh

oh boy]

You know it can't be changed?

[katzepaw]

[He just. Laughs at that, suddenly.]

Oh, that's right. You had time travel on your profile, didn't you? I noticed that. I noticed that. [He scratches at his arms a little, finding this funny for reasons he doesn't seem like he's going to explain.]

Other than reversing the flow of time, I don't think it can be changed. So let's put that option aside for the moment.

[divineimpulse]

[Oh No, Somebody Noticed That. she shifts slightly, looking to the side—then back.]

Is there any chance you might reveal what you know to them? In behavior or otherwise?

[katzepaw]

[It's alright. She doesn't seem to want to answer, so he'll drop it. It's dangerous, after all.]

Probably. One thing in particular is more likely to come to light, and is a little more out of my control. The rest, the things only I know . . . I can probably keep a lid on it. I'm good at keeping secrets.

[divineimpulse]

[she nods, eating pizza thoughtfully. as you do.]

Is it something physical you can't hide?

[katzepaw]

[He's quiet again, but - ]

In for a copper. I can hide it so long as I keep wearing this coat everywhere.

[divineimpulse]

[...]

If they see it, will your friends become stressed, and worry about what else you're hiding from them?

[katzepaw]

[He smiles a little bit to himself.]

If Beauregard sees, she will put it all together. She is a sharp cookie. But, uhm, maybe it doesn't make me sound good to say, but I don't think she'll be surprised to learn I was keeping things from her.

[divineimpulse]

It does sound a bit shady...

[she takes another bite of pizza.]

[katzepaw]

I'm a shady person. No big surprises there. [Scratching at his forearms a little, absently.] Maybe they'll figure it out, but until then. . . I don't know. Maybe I just wanted to get it off my chest somehow, as bad an idea as that is. [There's a slight belated chuckle, like he just thought of a joke he hadn't intended.] You could immediately go and tell her I am a liar, if you wanted to, but all it will do is force her to worry about all of the things I'm worrying about now.

[divineimpulse]

[she shakes her head silently—no plans to run off and narc to beauregard—and she doesn't even know the other person. besides, she was good at keeping secrets, too.

but she does give him a careful, appraising look.]

Is the physical difference on your chest?

[katzepaw]

[He's less worried about her narcing to Molly because Molly ain't that smart. He can just lie his way out of that one.]

Something like that.

[divineimpulse]

[she nods. it was probably a very good joke. then:]

Thank you for sharing with me, Caleb.

It won't leave the three of us.

[katzepaw]

Danke schön.

[He sighs a little, still unsure, but - ]

Then can I ask you, if it isn't intrusive. . . the people who matter most to you?

[divineimpulse]

[...]

Some of them are here with me.

[two friends and two friends. peas in a pod.]

[katzepaw]

Ah. Lucky us, then?

[divineimpulse]

[her eyes drift.]

One I'm not worried for. One I am.

[...]

I'll trade you a secret.

[katzepaw]

Be my guest. No one will hear a word of it from me.

[In fact, he's a little relieved to get a secret back from his secret.]

[divineimpulse]

[she pauses, hands folded in front of her, pizza finished.]

I have a somewhat similar situation with one of my two—his name is Claude.

I'm a little ahead of him. Except...

[...]

Things are... different.

[she's genuinely not sure how else to put it in context at the moment]

[katzepaw]

Ah - I spoke to him a little. Different how? Bad?

[divineimpulse]

I think he might not be from... [she racks the concepts they'd reviewed in theoretical physics for a moment.]

He may be from an "alternative timeline".

[katzepaw]

Huh.

[He leans back in his chain, his hand in his chin. Uncertain, but evidently fascinated. It's probably not hard to tell, after two instances of it, that anything related to the concept of time very obviously piques his interest, even if he tries to play it a little cool.]

. . . I'll admit, I don't know very much about that sort of thing. His memories are of something different than what you remember?

[divineimpulse]

He said something that makes me suspect it.

[and even if she's somehow misread the situation, she's concerned.]

But there's still the issue of being behind me in time.

[katzepaw]

So we're dealing with a similar situation. I suppose it's a relief to know alternate timelines are possible.

[Things don't have to go quite as badly.]

Your friends here are Claude and. . . ?

[divineimpulse]

I don't know. Theoretical physics is just... theoretical. [from what she understands the class as!?!]

Dimitri.

Who was your friend besides Beauregard?