Call Me Out - Once Upon Post-Game Threads!

[vogelfrei]

McGillis will spend the majority of his time with Hamelin, Jack and Yuri - they will establish a real household in the Beldam dimension as soon as they are capable of using those powers properly. Come visit! Or plot something else out with me under AppleBlossoms!

Comments

[vogelfrei]

.... oh.

[ Well, that's awkward. McGillis' expression makes very clear that Edelgard has his condolences for... whatever is going on there. It could be convenient enough to pull some strings via their sort-of relation, but... McGillis shudders to think what panic might have even lead to this reveal in the first place. ]

It would be only natural for him to seek out your entourage in an attempt to understand you better. Frankly, I doubt I could reveal anything concerning about your person to him. For weeks on end I was convinced your idealism would prevent you from taking necessary if also more shady measures.

[ KIND OF EMBARRASSING, REALLY... ]

[crimson_flamel]

[Probably a good idea to keep the fact that she and Hubert were actively undertaking a plan to kill said step-brother. She smiles slightly, amused.]

I'll do my best not to shatter that image then, shall I?

[She's almost a little offended, but it's not like she can blame McGillis for that presumption.] I wouldn't describe myself as an idealist. I find the idea of preconceived lines or absolute rules to be hypocritical at best and actively destructive at worst. Alexei is a good example of a man who wishes to change the world clinging to his ideals even as they actively harm his goals. I respect his intentions and everything I know about his empire's political structure suggests the worst, but I personally do not think he will succeed in the end.

If anything, I'd say chasing the more cynical avenues has been what has shot me in the foot thus far. You and your Piper taught me a lot about that in the game, honestly. [You're not entirely useless, McGillis. You can be used as a bad example.]

[vogelfrei]

[ McGillis smiles faintly at the pessimistic assessment of Alexei's goals - Edelgard really is merciless to the likeminded but that is also exactly what makes her effective. It's laughable how similar the three of them are in many regards and how much time they've all spent judging each other on the details of their convictions. ]

"My Piper", really now? Yuri will take offense.

[ He's joking, of course. ]

What kind of personality is your step-brother as opposed to you? How honest we can be to him from the get-go depends a lot on his baseline disposition.

[crimson_flamel]

[She lets out a short laugh at that.]

I'm sure she and Huaisang would be willing to talk terms. [Do Hamelin and McGillis get a say? Nope.

And then he gets to her... brother and she frowns, clearly a bit apprehensive.] He's... painfully honest. Honourable, righteous and very easily manipulated. He doesn't have the means to change the world on his own. I'm not even sure if he wants to, he's a follower of the church after-all.

Faerghus is a lot different from Adrestia or even Leicester. Following the doctrine of the church is unquestioned there, there's no room for heretics or dissidents against the system of nobility. They raise their children on poisonous ideals of chivalry, on how noble dying to serve your liege really is, on how honorable unquestioning loyalty is. We've spoken a few times about it, and he agrees that it got Glenn Royland Fraldarius killed, as well as countless other knights. But... still. He's young and idealistic, believing that everything can be solved if everyone just talked it out.

That's all what I thought, anyway. Supposedly he is... well, Hubert described him as mad with a thirst for blood. Hubert draws pictures of his father's mangled corpse in the corners of his workbooks, so understand that's not coming lightly. Dimitri apparently seeks vengeance against those who killed his father and my mother, and then pinned the crime on a neighbouring allied people, who were then subsequently annexed and had a genocide committed against them. [Her lip curls in disgust.] He believes it was my uncle, the man who murdered my siblings. He's right. And my uncle has made it so that I am culpable of everything he has done while we're "allied."

Lucky for everyone involved, I have no interest in keeping that man alive any longer. Between everything I've gained from the Beldam's little game, and the possibility of an alliance with the Alliance and the prince of Faerghus... I have no need of him. So, I imagine his head will be a valuable bargaining chip for winning the prince over to our side.

Whether that means an alliance with all of Faerghus is possible, however, is another matter. I doubt it. They love Dimitri because he is a return to tradition after an era of upheaval. Most of his vassals will rebel if he declares on my side of the war. But his classmates are at least loyal to him, so we'll see.