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[pauldron]

INBOX text / audio / video / action This is Lightning. Leave a message and I'll get back to you. code credit

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[flame_emperor]

There's a moment of confusion on Edelgard's face as Lightning makes her demand. There's a slight widening of the eyes, a tightening of her jaw at the names. A look of...resignation, almost sets in.

"Yes, I know them." She admits. "They're not exiled, but they have both been imprisoned, from what I understand. I believe Mercedes was charged with—" Realization sets in as Edelgard connects the dots. "—providing healing to several wounded Moon soldiers, and Dimitri acted as her protection in doing so. You were one of the ones they helped?"

There's an uncomfortable pause for a moment before Edelgard speaks again. "I take it they know it was me who injured you."

[pauldron]

"Yeah. They do."

Lightning pulls her hand back, crossing her arms over her chest and tilting her head. That play of emotions across her face...it's no match for the anger that stole over Dimitri, but it's just as telling. There's history there. Deep, dark, and something that Edelgard maybe...regrets? Hard to say. Still, it's a minor relief to know that they're just locked up and not lost out there. Still out of her reach, but...well. Probably better off locked up than out in the cold.

"And Dimitri wasn't happy about it. Something big happened between you two back in your world, didn't it?"

It's phrased as a question, though it's barely one at all. She's not going to be caught between two sides in this debacle; Dimitri is her friend, Edelgard an ally. Whatever's between them is between them. She just wants to know where the mines are to avoid stepping on any of them.

[flame_emperor]

"No, I don't imagine he was." Edelgard replies tiredly, sitting back in the bench. He'll probably have something to say to her about it too, when he's out of his cell, so she has that to look forward to.

She wonders briefly how to respond to the second part of that question. Their history, that they are technically family, the fact that they come from different Fódlans, that she has already killed her world's version of Dimitri...it's too much to get into. And far more than Lightning is actually interested in knowing.

"Yes. We're at war with each other." Is what she settles for. "But circumstances being what they are, we have agreed to try and put that aside for now." She turns to look back at Lightning. "Aside from you, Dimitri is the only other person I have discussed my plans with so far, and he has already agreed to take whatever secrets I uncover from the Emperor." She can imagine the conflict of emotions that must have arose within him when he and Mercedes found Lightning where Edelgard had left her, and that Lightning saying he "wasn't happy about it" was a clear understatement.

Mercedes though...this may complicate matters with her attempts to befriend the other woman, if she was also perturbed by Edelgard's handiwork. Best to steer clear for now, even after she's released from her cell. If Mercedes wishes to contact her, she'll be willing, but otherwise it might seem self-serving and duplicitous. Best to let the Lady von Martritz make up her own mind about how to proceed.

"We are allies in this, if nothing else. Dimitri will accept the two of us working together as well I think, but it would probably be best to keep your talk of me to a minimum." She turns to look back out over the square. "He has good reason to feel the way he does about me."

[pauldron]

Well. That explains a lot.

Sitting back against the wall, Lightnig tips her head back and contemplates Edelgard's words. At war with one another. Probably attended the same academy, maybe they were even friends. She likens it to having to actually fight Fang and. Well, that kind of thing is something she'd only wish on her worst enemies.

But if they can set it aside, if they can put their pasts behind them long enough to make this work? She's not going to drag open old wounds. That's not why she asked to begin with, so she nods. From Edelgard's tone alone, not happy about it was probably an understatement. People can be so complicated sometimes...

"I'm not going to ask. Whatever history you two have is your own. If you can set it aside and work together, that's enough for me." There's a but in there. There is definitely a but in there! "But if he asks where I'm getting my intel, I'm going to lie to him. Can you deal with that?"

Can you two really get along long enough to sort this mess out? There's enough to deal with already.

[flame_emperor]

"So far we have." Edelgard replies. It's been easier for her; her conflict with Dimitri had never been personal the way his vendetta against her had been. The red-hot anger that had driven the Tempest King forward had never been reciprocated by the Flame Emperor who saw him only as an obstacle standing between her and her true enemy, the Immaculate One. There was regret tied up in killing him, but it was done and she had to keep moving forward. She could not let his death be for nothing.

Dimitri...did not have the same luxury afforded him. His Edelgard was still quite alive, though backed into a corner, and had already rebuffed his attempts at brokering peace. And there would always be the anger roiling under the surface, every time he so much as looked at her, that he was capable of keeping in check for the most part, but it seemed some times were harder.

Lightning's but does make sense, however. "I understand." She nods. Given Dimitri's complicated feelings towards her, there's a certain practicality in keeping this new alliance under wraps for the time being. "He is unaware you were one of the potential allies I was considering so he has no reason to suspect. I will keep the secret as well, though you know there will most likely come a time when a gathering of us will become inevitable." It will depend on what she digs up on the Emperor. "You may wish to inform him before then, but I leave that decision to you."

[pauldron]

"Right."

All of this depends on keeping secrets. On making sure they keep their heads down, that they're careful, because if they're not there is no doubt in her mind they'll all end up no better off than Korra. Even so, there's something about this that causes a knee-jerk reaction. She turns it over in her head for a second, pressing at the tender point, before it finally sinks in. Her eyes flick to Edelgard, a shadow flickering through her expression.

"We're going to have to be careful how we do this. We start keeping too many secrets, start telling too many lies..." She trails off with a sigh. "All that does is make problems. Makes us no better than the Gods we're supposed to be stopping."

Okay, that's a little bit of an overstatement. She doubts any of them are really capable of being as bad as a fal'Cie, a Pantheon member, but the implications and connotations leave a sour taste in her mouth.

"Once we go down that road, there's no going back."

[flame_emperor]

"It's a delicate balance we have to keep." Edelgard agrees. "We cannot risk everything becoming undone if one of us is uncovered, yet at the same time, without trust the group we wish to build will not be able to function properly when the time comes to take action. Right now however, I think we must air on the side of caution; we have nothing concrete, no evidence that supports our belief. Until we have something actionable on either the Emperor or Priestess, I fear secrets must be kept for now." It's the unfortunate reality of their situation, and it rubs Edelgard the wrong way, but they're not going to be able to get anywhere if the plot is discovered too soon.

Lightning's warning sends a chill down Edelgard's spine, though the l'Cie could not have any idea why. But it makes her think of her other self, in an Enbarr about to be besieged by an invading army, her plans in ruins and yet unable to conceive of any other way forward but to keep walking down the path she set herself on. And how but for a quirk of fate, that could have been her. No turning back, indeed.

"We have each other to remind ourselves of that." Edelgard replies. "And we must not hesitate to do so. The only way this succeeds is if we remember what it is we're fighting for, and to hold onto our humanity. I will remind you of this if need be, and I ask you do the same for me. Agreed?"

[pauldron]

Secrets and lies meant to keep people where they want them, tools in the belt ready to be used at a moment's notice, pets on a leash. Weapons on a chain.

She gets it. To play their hand too soon would undo them all, and then who will protect their worlds and the people left behind? No one. She gets that, she understands it, she accepts it. There's no other way, and yet. And yet, some part of her will always be bothered by this. With a deep breath, she purposefully shuts that part away into a box in the back of her mind as best as she can. Do what it takes to survive and get home, whatever that may be.

Even if it means becoming that which she still hates. Hold onto their humanity, huh? Funny. These days, she's really not sure she qualifies as human anymore. But for the point as it was meant...

"Agreed." A firm nod, and this time Lightning is the one to offer her hand first. "Don't go trying to take over the world and we'll be fine."

[flame_emperor]

Edelgard returns the handshake when offered. "Not to worry. One empire is enough." She chuckles, then looks around as the hands are withdrawn. "We should end it here." She decides. After all, she has to scout out this place by the docks Lightning recommended. "It may be some time before we see each other again in person. If you need to get in touch during an emergency, it may be necessary to use the network." She looks back to Lightning. "'Dancing lessons' seems as good a code to use as any, does it not? That will be the sign to meet here in Kyst if need be, and vague enough not to arouse much suspicion."

With the minutia of their secret meetings worked out, Edelgard rises. "Thank you once again, Lightning. I know you had plenty of reason to distrust my reaching out to, and I am glad you did so." Allies, that's the key. She must be more proactive in seeking them out; people who are trustworthy and can be counted on to act. Bigby, perhaps, and Master Midoriya the young Hero in training are promising candidates so far.

Even a world away, Byleth is still teaching her.

"If I hear anything about Korra, I shall include that in my report as well." She offers. Lightning at least knows her and her whereabouts are a concern. If they can find Korra, they should. Edelgard knows about Temperance and her rebellion the reason for Korra's exile, and that they were active during the battle. And making sure to be seen to be active too, building up good-will and public support. It's just possible that Temperance's actions truly are motivated by altruism, and yet the cynic in Edelgard wonders.

"Wait a few minutes after I leave to make your own exit. Farewell for now, Lightning."