Byleth

[katzepaw]

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[divineimpulse]

He is.

[softly.]

He saved my life.

[katzepaw]

Mine, too. All of ours.

[divineimpulse]

There's no clarity, no meaning.

Just more questions.

[katzepaw]

I know. Nothing I'm hearing helps make any sense of it.

[divineimpulse]

Maybe there's no sense to be made.

[the fingers on her hand not in a sling twitch slightly on the edge of the table, then tense.]

I would trade with him.

[katzepaw]

I'm sure you would. You are brave. But sometimes that isn't our choice to make.

[He. . . reaches out, a little hesitantly, and touches her hand on the table.]

I. . . maybe it is silly to say so now. But I. . . I lost my parents, too.

[divineimpulse]

[...

she curls her fingers around his, silently, line of sight very much elsewhere, voice dropping low.]

I'm sorry I acted how I did.

[katzepaw]

It's alright.

[His voice is soft, understanding. He won't say there's nothing to be sorry for, but. . . ]

I get it. I do.

[divineimpulse]

[...]

Do you remember what happened? Before we all fought.

[katzepaw]

Ja. I do.

[Scratching at his arm a little.]

You saw me - they drove me a little crazy with all of that.

[divineimpulse]

I remember.

[...]

But I don't remember anything happening before that.

[katzepaw]

. . . No? [Hmm.] I thought it was the same for all of us.

[divineimpulse]

[...]

Who did you fight.

Rupert said he faced someone he knew.

[katzepaw]

Ah. Beauregard, at first. And then, when I tried to just ignore her because she was an illusion . . . my old teacher. [Grimacing a little at that.] A very disgusting person. It had me deciding fake Beauregard was better.

At the end, too, that pink-haired person . . . he changed to look like my mother.

[divineimpulse]

...It was all people you knew.

I'm sorry.

[katzepaw]

It is what it is. Ugly, but all of it lies and illusions.

[divineimpulse]

[...]

I regret that I couldn't save his life.

[katzepaw]

Your father. . . ?

[divineimpulse]

Him. [it was about him, wasn't it? but the lines are blurring.] Rupert.

Everyone.

[katzepaw]

Can't save everyone.

[But he says that gently, too.]

[divineimpulse]

No. [she says, quietly.] I can't.

[...

a little part of her expression crumbles, heartbreak peeking through.]

[katzepaw]

[Squeezing her hand.]

It isn't all on your shoulders, either.

[divineimpulse]

It...

[she looks like she's about to say something—then stops, and shakes her head, eyes flicking downward.

instead, she simply squeezes his hand back, mutely wrapping her fingers around a little tighter.]

[katzepaw]

Something wrong with that?

[He'll sit here with her, though and just let her do that.]

[divineimpulse]

[she shakes her head again, and lets the silence stretch out between them.]

No. You're right.

I don't have any power here.