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[imperializes]

« edelgardvonhresvelg » TEXT ✧ AUDIO ✧ VIDEO ✧ ACTION edelgard von hresvelg ✦ fire emblem: three houses
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Re: audio;

[idratherbeasleep]

I hadn't thought about it, but given how many more books there are here than in Fodlan, are there more novels as well?

Yes, I would like some tea, thank you.

[He's walking through the street and seems to be weaving in and out of people as they talk. It doesn't take long for him to end up at Edelgard's front door. Linhardt presses the button to ring the doorbell, then stares at his phone.

Huh.

When the door finally opens, does Linhardt say hello? Of course not.]

Did you know that you can order live ladybugs online?

[imperializes]

There seem to be an abundance of novels of all types - more than what I can say of Fodlan.

[and almost just as soon as she says that, her doorbell rings. she blinks and answers it, and there is lindhardt asking her another question.

she blinks again to process.]

Why ever would you want to buy live ladybugs? [she shuts off the call.] I suppose to be rid of pests in gardens but... it seems that will only invite more pests.

[idratherbeasleep]

At least you'll have a lot of novels to choose from.

[He's even doing his best to be polite by not asking if she's reading a war novel.]

Actually, ladybugs don't attract more pests, the predators that eat them don't usually hurt the plants.

[Some of those boring lessons from the elder Lord Hevring were agricultural in nature. Goddess, they really do have the most boring job of all the nobles, don't they?]

Also because you can send them to other people's houses. Or if you wanted to study ladybugs.

[imperializes]

[she does actually find that fascinating and makes a note of it in her phone.]

Why ever- wait, nevermind. You didn't come here to discuss ladybugs, did you?

[she steps aside to allow him in, gesturing to the pot of tea on the dining room tale.]

[idratherbeasleep]

No, I just discovered that they were purchasable. You can buy anything here.

[To prove his point, Linhardt pulls up Noctium's version of Amazon and shows Edelgard a listing for an umbrella hat.

Still, he does actually put the phone away and move inside, helping himself to a seat at the table.]

But you've never been very distractable.

[If nothing else, Edelgard's focus makes Linhardt's look like a toddler's.]

[imperializes]

No, I haven't.

[she shakes her head, moving to pour some tea for him. it spills over the edge a little and it may have brewed a little too long but she can't fuck up tea too badly. she sits on a chair next to him after pouring her own cup as well, hands in her lap.]

I hope it's to your liking. I'm afraid I don't quite remember your favorite tea...

[idratherbeasleep]

At least your teachers must have appreciated it. I drove my tutors quite mad with how distractable I was.

[To say the least. A lesson on Adrestian history? NO. Linhardt is eight and has decided to learn about birds today. Sorry.

And given his own poor attempts at making tea on a stovetop... Linhardt can't judge her efforts. Besides, most tea is good tea. He nods his thanks and takes a sip.]

It's Angelica Tea, though I also like Almyran Pine Needles.

Would you like to hold hands or would you prefer some other method of physical contact?

[If she wants to get to the point, he's not going to stop her.]

[imperializes]

[she nods and commits it to memory. for now, though, she unfortunately only has bergamot.]

I suppose- we can hold hands. [that seems like the most efficient way?? it's not like he wants to do this because he likes her. he just wants to know if he can trust her.]

When you're done with your tea, then.

[idratherbeasleep]

[Bergamot's fine. It's caffeinated, which is all that Linhardt cares about. He takes a drink; he's not hurrying, but he's not drinking slowly either.]

Did you know that they've identified the substance in some teas that's responsible for their wakefulness-inducing properties? It's called caffeine. Coffee has it too, in greater quantities.

[Even trips to the grocery store often end with Linhardt sitting in the middle of an aisle and frantically searching for things on his phone. He wants to understand what he's buying.]

[imperializes]

Oh, is that so? I'd wondered why I always felt more rejuvenated after drinking a cup. [she seems genuinely interested, leaning forward in interest.]

That explains why Hubert prefers coffee. I don't think he sleeps much.

[a fond little shake of her head.]

Have you tried coffee? Do you like it as well?

[idratherbeasleep]

Mmmhmmm. It turns out that the brain uses small messengers to learn what's going on in the body. Caffeine acts like a guard that doesn't allow the messengers carrying tidings of tiredness inside, so it tricks you into feeling awake.

[That's how he understands it, anyway, and Linhardt doubts she wants to get into proteins and receptors, even if Linhardt finds that fascinating. How do humans - conscious beings - synthesize information from inert proteins? Proteins are things! Like rocks! Rocks can't 'talk!'

Don't even get him started on DNA encoding its information in proteins.

He shakes his head; he's not a fan of coffee.]

I have. I don't mind the taste, but it makes my heart beat too quickly and my hands shake. I assume this isn't an issue for Hubert as he doesn't have a heart.

[Joking, obviously, even if he's rather deadpan in his delivery. He cares enough about Hubert to check on his wellbeing even if Hubert would be displeased about it, which says enough.]

[imperializes]

[she laughs, getting the joke for once.]

No, I assume it isn't an issue for him at all if that's the case.

['his heart is much too dedicated to me to be distracted, as much as i'd like him to find a hobby' is what she wants to say... but likely linhardt already knows of hubert's...dedication.]

Speaking of Hubert- have you been spending time with him at all?

[idratherbeasleep]

If I'm honest, I'm just glad I don't have to listen to any more of Ferdinand and Hubert's bickering over which is the superior beverage.

[Whether that happened in this Edelgard's timeline, Linhardt doesn't know, but he isn't going to avoid mentioning anything about his life or the lives of his comrades. The last thing Edelgard is is delicate.

He does raise an eyebrow at the question. It's unexpected.]

Some. Not a great deal. I'm trying to respect his time.

[Neither Linhardt nor Hubert were the 'drop by to chat' sort.]

Since you're here and Manna generation is mutual, I don't need to worry about finding a crystalized Hubert in his living room if I let him be.

[Which had been Linhardt's initial concern: Hubert detests emotional vulnerability. The only thing which could override that would be his loyalty to Edelgard (any Edelgard, apparently, despite how insane Linhardt thinks that is).]

[imperializes]

Yes, you can assure that I will keep Hubert from crystalizing, and he with me. [awwww linhardt cares... she's touched on hubert's behalf. the man doesn't easily make friends, it's nice to hear that his old classmates still care for him as a person.]

So-- do you have a preferred method of synching?

[idratherbeasleep]

Exactly. The only aspect of Hubert's wellbeing that I don't trust him to be suitably paranoid about is you. Rather like how you're perfectly reasonable until your goals are involved.

[Linhardt certainly isn't stubborn. Or willing to do stupid things out of passion. Never.]

I do, but it's inappropriate for this encounter.

[Completely deadpan. Instead, he takes a last sip of his tea and sets it aside, then places one soft, delicate hand palm up on the table.

The feelings that Edelgard receives from Linhardt are... complicated. He's angry, yes, but that's faded to a small flame intertwined with understanding and some compassion. His primary motivation is clearly concern for his friends- in his own way, he does take his work seriously, and he's responsible for their wellbeing.

The last feeling is hard to even identify, because Linhardt isn't sure he should be feeling it, but it's gratefulness and appreciation. It bubbles up and Linhardt immediately quashes it, but not before Edelgard gets a strong sense of disapproval that Linhardt directs at himself. He's grateful to her for some reason but also feels like he shouldn't be.]

[imperializes]

Oh-! I see...

[she hadn't expected his preferred method to be, er, inappropriate honestly! she would have thought he preferred like... sitting next to each other during a nap or reading about crests or something.

when he takes her hand, she closes her eyes to better feel his emotions. she expected the anger - but not the gratefulness and appreciation. she mentally pokes at it, curious, before the disapproval sets in.

what he feels is just what's expected of her, honestly: the strongest, most stubborn conviction known to man, a curiosity about him, a sense of understanding of his anger towards her.]

omg sorry long tag

[idratherbeasleep]

[Linhardt can't help himself, he smiles. His answer was completely honest, but he's aware that it's unexpected (versus if he were, say, Sylvain). He enjoys surprising his friends (and yes, she does still count, even if he doesn't trust her. He doesn't fully trust Hubert, either).

He sighs. Of course she notices. Edelgard is nothing if not perceptive, which is what makes her blind spots so frustrating.]

I am missing many pieces of the puzzle, such as what happened when you were in the Kingdom...

[Linhardt nods at her.]

But I know enough to know that war would have come to Fodlan eventually. Back at the Academy, I spent quite a bit of time in Abyss. Enough to understand how badly Rhea was crippling Fodlan, and I would be lying if I said I weren't personally angry by what she'd done to my peers.

[And indeed, Edelgard feels a flash of anger magnitudes greater than Linhardt's towards her. Linhardt is angry at Edelgard, but in proportion to what was actually within her control. His anger at Rhea, on the other hand, isn't wholly rational.

A lot of it is personal hurt: He's spent his entire life thinking he was this freak of nature. An oddity. To learn that there had been other scientists and the Church - Rhea personally had snuffed them out of history and prevented them from fostering a community? Of course he's angry.]

And the Empire's archives that my family administers go back to the founding of Adrestia, so I've always known the Church is somewhat less than truthful about certain aspects of history.

[That there are villages hidden away. That the Four Apostles exist. That Saints Indech and Macuil are alive and could still be found. That the Crest of the Beast exists. That it's possible to have two Crests. All possibilities that would have been hidden from him if he'd been reliant on the Church's information sources. Which is likely why they censored information to begin with.]

By acting as you did, you saved us, including me, from possibly having to do so in the future. If in 20 years Rhea demanded I stop doing something that I thought would help the people of Adrestia or Hevring, I wouldn't stop. I wouldn't have stopped at the Academy; I just wasn't worth her attention.

At any rate, by acting as decisively as you did, you also took the burden of acting in an absurd situation. Thus sparing the rest of us. We were allowed choices and we sleep more easily at night because of what you and Hubert have done.

That I am grateful for that is rather cowardly. I'm not particularly proud of that aspect of my nature.