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inbox (abraxas)
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[ It's a cute story, though Steve has to wonder if it's fabricated just to get him on board with this whole eyebrow tinting thing.
Nonetheless, it's kind of interesting to hear about another friend of theirs from home. ]
Did he also fight alongside you, then? During the war?
Nonetheless, it's kind of interesting to hear about another friend of theirs from home. ]
Did he also fight alongside you, then? During the war?
𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘦'𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵!
[ An exaggeration. Sort of. And hey! He might have gotten her off the subject of - oh, nope. Never mind. ]
𝘈𝘯𝘺𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘐? 𝘖𝘩 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵! 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘙𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘴𝘰 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰𝘰. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴.
[ An exaggeration. Sort of. And hey! He might have gotten her off the subject of - oh, nope. Never mind. ]
𝘈𝘯𝘺𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘐? 𝘖𝘩 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵! 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘙𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘴𝘰 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰𝘰. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴.
He did. Raphael's possibly the most genuine person I've ever met, though it took me far too long to appreciate that at first. He never does anything less than 100% and with great enthusiasm, including overdoing it on training now and then.
[ It's that last part which makes something tangential click. It's unfortunate Steve can't hear him chuckling in genuine amusement, though maybe it'll come through anyway. ]
Wait a minute. Hilda said you remind her of Raphael, didn't she?
[ It's that last part which makes something tangential click. It's unfortunate Steve can't hear him chuckling in genuine amusement, though maybe it'll come through anyway. ]
Wait a minute. Hilda said you remind her of Raphael, didn't she?
Oh, yeah, she tends to do that. She won't tell you this part, but Raphael wouldn't let her get out of training either so you can just remind her you have that in common, too.
[ Sorry, Hilda! ]
Unless you're going to do what Raphael once did by trying to emulate the training routine of someone else we once knew and start running laps in heavy armor, in which case I'll have to side with Hilda on that one.
[ On second thought: maybe it's really Dimitri they should be comparing Steve to when it comes to training. ]
[ Sorry, Hilda! ]
Unless you're going to do what Raphael once did by trying to emulate the training routine of someone else we once knew and start running laps in heavy armor, in which case I'll have to side with Hilda on that one.
[ On second thought: maybe it's really Dimitri they should be comparing Steve to when it comes to training. ]
I'm not sure that will make her feel any better about it, but at this point I don't know what would.
[ The fact that Steve will put up with certain aspects of Hilda's interests in return, maybe, like letting her bedazzle him or... potentially tint his eyebrows. ]
In heavy armor, huh? I can see how that might add a level of difficulty, but armor isn't really my style. Too hard to move around in.
[ The fact that Steve will put up with certain aspects of Hilda's interests in return, maybe, like letting her bedazzle him or... potentially tint his eyebrows. ]
In heavy armor, huh? I can see how that might add a level of difficulty, but armor isn't really my style. Too hard to move around in.
Nothing, probably, but if it makes you feel better you're not actually tormenting her. Plus that really just goes back to the whole finding ways to relax afterwards, including with all the spa things she's been working on.
[ Just in case it'd been too long since the last mention of Eyebrow Treatments. ]
Well, it would've been difficult for me to try to run around in armor, though I'm not so sure it was anything but like wearing a shirt to Dimitri given how strong he was. Raphael also told me there was something about lifting a wagon in there as part of the training, but this was after he asked me to carry a desk for him so I might've just tuned out the rest.
[ Just in case it'd been too long since the last mention of Eyebrow Treatments. ]
Well, it would've been difficult for me to try to run around in armor, though I'm not so sure it was anything but like wearing a shirt to Dimitri given how strong he was. Raphael also told me there was something about lifting a wagon in there as part of the training, but this was after he asked me to carry a desk for him so I might've just tuned out the rest.
[ Insert throat clearing noises here. ]
𝘐'𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦...𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸. 𝘈 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘣𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘭𝘥-𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥.
𝘐𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘐'𝘮 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘸!
𝘐'𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦...𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸. 𝘈 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘣𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘭𝘥-𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥.
𝘐𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘐'𝘮 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘸!
Edited 2024-03-04 02:51 (UTC)
So you're saying I should incorporate an after-training spa session to make sure that she doesn't try to weasel out of it again?
[ It's not the worst idea, frankly, even if Steve has never been one to pamper himself. ]
How was this Dimitri so strong? It doesn't sound like that's the sort of thing even a regular, highly-trained soldier could do.
[ It's not the worst idea, frankly, even if Steve has never been one to pamper himself. ]
How was this Dimitri so strong? It doesn't sound like that's the sort of thing even a regular, highly-trained soldier could do.
𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵.
[ In other words: yes, she's incredibly stubborn. ]
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵! 𝘚𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘵?
[ In other words: yes, she's incredibly stubborn. ]
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵! 𝘚𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘵?
Well, you didn't hear it from me, but that'd be a pretty good idea. Nothing more motivating than something to look forward to afterwards whenever there's a task to be done, right?
[ He'll never tell on if he's also done this before. (He has.) ]
I'm pretty sure it had to do with his Crest. Since they all grant different abilities, his was strength like I've never seen before or since then. There were times that I knew if I wanted to go to the training grounds back at the academy, I'd better get there first before Dimitri picked up the weapon I wanted to use and accidentally snapped it in half because he sneezed. Or exhaled too hard. Or blinked. You get the idea.
[ He'll never tell on if he's also done this before. (He has.) ]
I'm pretty sure it had to do with his Crest. Since they all grant different abilities, his was strength like I've never seen before or since then. There were times that I knew if I wanted to go to the training grounds back at the academy, I'd better get there first before Dimitri picked up the weapon I wanted to use and accidentally snapped it in half because he sneezed. Or exhaled too hard. Or blinked. You get the idea.
Yeah, I probably should have thought about something like this before. Thanks for the advice, Claude, which definitely didn't come from you.
[ wink wink nudge nudge ]
I get the idea. It reminds me of how it was for me right after I got the serum.
You and Sylvain have mentioned these crests before, but are they basically just magical enhancements that you're born with, or do you earn them?
[ wink wink nudge nudge ]
I get the idea. It reminds me of how it was for me right after I got the serum.
You and Sylvain have mentioned these crests before, but are they basically just magical enhancements that you're born with, or do you earn them?
𝘖𝘬𝘢𝘺! 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦. 𝘖𝘰, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰.
[ Are you really going to break a girl's hopes and dreams, Steve? ]
[ Are you really going to break a girl's hopes and dreams, Steve? ]
Someone would be born with one since they pass down through bloodlines. For generations, at that, since they originated from supposed blessings from the goddess and Fodlan's nobility used that to keep their control and select heirs. The same system which I used to accomplish what I did, it's worth mentioning, and something hopefully to be a thing of the past soon.
[ That's barely touching upon what Steve's likely already heard from Sylvain considering House Gautier's one time heir would have shared his thoughts on those crests openly. Claude also considers mentioning the Agarthans, but - that part might be best for a conversation another time. ]
But the experience of growing up with one varies, and not just because each Crest does something different.
[ That's barely touching upon what Steve's likely already heard from Sylvain considering House Gautier's one time heir would have shared his thoughts on those crests openly. Claude also considers mentioning the Agarthans, but - that part might be best for a conversation another time. ]
But the experience of growing up with one varies, and not just because each Crest does something different.
Consolidate all the power, not just politically, but magically, among the nobility. Yeah, that doesn't surprise me.
What was your experience like?
[ Steve doesn't know for a fact that Claude has one, he's just assuming based on what he knows of his background. ]
What was your experience like?
[ Steve doesn't know for a fact that Claude has one, he's just assuming based on what he knows of his background. ]
And to make sure that they stayed in power, since it also benefitted the Church to make sure they had others to do their bidding. That part being a cause of Fodlan's war was something I could hardly argue with if it meant allowing for changes to be made.
[ But - Steve's question following is a logical thing to ask, and yet it gives Claude some pause while he considers how to answer it and to not share things which aren't his to if that assumption Sylvain or even Hilda has talked about their experiences. Or Lysithea's when she's not here, but she's been on his mind so often since the pit and then even more since returning to the island. ]
Not much of one, really. My Crest made itself known when I was young since it offers some healing when it feels like it which was helpful a few important times, but besides that it mostly factored in my grandfather naming me heir since it made me part of House Riegan.
Others' experiences are often far bleaker, what with Crests having so much power and becoming weaker and weaker over generations. Some of the things done were... detestable, though even that's far too light of a word for it.
[ But - Steve's question following is a logical thing to ask, and yet it gives Claude some pause while he considers how to answer it and to not share things which aren't his to if that assumption Sylvain or even Hilda has talked about their experiences. Or Lysithea's when she's not here, but she's been on his mind so often since the pit and then even more since returning to the island. ]
Not much of one, really. My Crest made itself known when I was young since it offers some healing when it feels like it which was helpful a few important times, but besides that it mostly factored in my grandfather naming me heir since it made me part of House Riegan.
Others' experiences are often far bleaker, what with Crests having so much power and becoming weaker and weaker over generations. Some of the things done were... detestable, though even that's far too light of a word for it.
[ Neither Sylvain nor Hilda have gone too deeply into it, to be honest, so it's fair for Claude to be cautious with what he speaks about, referring mainly to himself but also making it clear that his experience wasn't necessarily the norm. ]
Healing, huh?
Does that mean you used it when we were fighting that monster on the beach?
[ When Steve had barely been in his right mind? ]
I wish I was surprised that these Crests were used to mistreat people, even the people who had them. At least you're all free of that for now, though I know the way we Summoned are treated might not be so different at times.
Healing, huh?
Does that mean you used it when we were fighting that monster on the beach?
[ When Steve had barely been in his right mind? ]
I wish I was surprised that these Crests were used to mistreat people, even the people who had them. At least you're all free of that for now, though I know the way we Summoned are treated might not be so different at times.
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