[ Yuri can't be entirely too sure whether Shez is being metaphorical here, though he suspects it. That sword was just one more oddity about him, a power he simply had and couldn't (or didn't) explain. It hadn't been for Yuri to question, not when he had his own plethora of less flashy secrets he kept to his little self. Besides, what had there been to glean if he was curious?
And he had been curious. Still is, for that matter. Yet it's something he still doesn't think it his place to touch. Not without invitation, at any rate. So he mentally sets it aside, settling more comfortably where he sits, following Shez's line of sight out to sea. ]
You mean that time you went bonkers and we had to chase you all around that goddess-forsaken battlefield to get you to stop whacking at Byleth?
[ He says it all too blithely, belying just what an ordeal that was, even as one of the people trying desperately to intervene. It had to be so many times worse for Shez and for Byleth.
Poor Byleth. Yuri knew precious little of him then, but his appraisal of the man had shifted dramatically when he'd refused to do more than the bare minimum to defend himself. He didn't retaliate when Shez attacked him — or whatever it was that had compelled Shez. The other mercenary clearly wasn't himself, and that was enough to stay Byleth's hand. Enough to send them all scurrying to make it stop.
At the risk of death, Yuri wonders whether he could've shown the same level of restraint. He fancies he'd try to knock out his attacker instead... But he'd sooner never find out. The shadows were bad enough, but at least in that case he was certain the only part that was real was the shard. ]
None of us considered that an option, so don't go getting any funny ideas about luck. Like you said, you weren't yourself... Everyone wanted to stop you from doing something you'd regret. Something I don't fancy you'd have chosen of your own accord.
[ That's what compelled them. Stopping one comrade, one friend, from hurting another when something was clearly wrong. Without even knowing what that was, they rushed to intervene. Whatever had driven Shez then — whatever had seized him — didn't make it easy. Neither did those dark mages who seemed to capitalize on the confusion.
There were too many shouts flying for him to have picked up just why they did what they did on that occasion. It doesn't much matter anymore. ]
If you're worried about that happening again... I'll knock you unconscious. Or drug you. Whichever's more convenient at the time. [ An idle flap of a hand, the air of a shrug. Yuri means it sincerely: he would do his utmost to stop Shez if something seemed to rob him of his autonomy again. ] I'm not letting this place do that to you again.
[ Again, because it already had, in some new and twisted way. As firmly Yuri says it, he knows this. He doubts he'll ever forget that he couldn't prevent Byleth from being felled by those shadows and he couldn't spare Shez from having to put down the thing that wore his guise.
Yuri doesn't know what it will take to protect them from such horrors in the future, but he means to find it. Somehow. Not that he'll declare such a fool thing to them — he knows how absurd it sounds. But being powerless to look out for them will never sit right with him. ]
Faerghans hold to their commitments, you know.
[ He knows he can only do so much. He knows. But it won't stop him from trying for his friends' sakes. ]
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And he had been curious. Still is, for that matter. Yet it's something he still doesn't think it his place to touch. Not without invitation, at any rate. So he mentally sets it aside, settling more comfortably where he sits, following Shez's line of sight out to sea. ]
You mean that time you went bonkers and we had to chase you all around that goddess-forsaken battlefield to get you to stop whacking at Byleth?
[ He says it all too blithely, belying just what an ordeal that was, even as one of the people trying desperately to intervene. It had to be so many times worse for Shez and for Byleth.
Poor Byleth. Yuri knew precious little of him then, but his appraisal of the man had shifted dramatically when he'd refused to do more than the bare minimum to defend himself. He didn't retaliate when Shez attacked him — or whatever it was that had compelled Shez. The other mercenary clearly wasn't himself, and that was enough to stay Byleth's hand. Enough to send them all scurrying to make it stop.
At the risk of death, Yuri wonders whether he could've shown the same level of restraint. He fancies he'd try to knock out his attacker instead... But he'd sooner never find out. The shadows were bad enough, but at least in that case he was certain the only part that was real was the shard. ]
None of us considered that an option, so don't go getting any funny ideas about luck. Like you said, you weren't yourself... Everyone wanted to stop you from doing something you'd regret. Something I don't fancy you'd have chosen of your own accord.
[ That's what compelled them. Stopping one comrade, one friend, from hurting another when something was clearly wrong. Without even knowing what that was, they rushed to intervene. Whatever had driven Shez then — whatever had seized him — didn't make it easy. Neither did those dark mages who seemed to capitalize on the confusion.
There were too many shouts flying for him to have picked up just why they did what they did on that occasion. It doesn't much matter anymore. ]
If you're worried about that happening again... I'll knock you unconscious. Or drug you. Whichever's more convenient at the time. [ An idle flap of a hand, the air of a shrug. Yuri means it sincerely: he would do his utmost to stop Shez if something seemed to rob him of his autonomy again. ] I'm not letting this place do that to you again.
[ Again, because it already had, in some new and twisted way. As firmly Yuri says it, he knows this. He doubts he'll ever forget that he couldn't prevent Byleth from being felled by those shadows and he couldn't spare Shez from having to put down the thing that wore his guise.
Yuri doesn't know what it will take to protect them from such horrors in the future, but he means to find it. Somehow. Not that he'll declare such a fool thing to them — he knows how absurd it sounds. But being powerless to look out for them will never sit right with him. ]
Faerghans hold to their commitments, you know.
[ He knows he can only do so much. He knows. But it won't stop him from trying for his friends' sakes. ]