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[unyieldingmarch]

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[arturiarex]

[ Saber waits politely for Edelgard to finish with the tea and then picks up her cup with a nod. ]

I agree and I'm glad that I meet with your approval. [ She takes a slow sip of her tea, considering. ]

I think I understand why she thought we should meet. [ Despite her general coolness, Saber can see some of the similarities between them in terms of demeanor - and possibly even appearance. ]

[unyieldingmarch]

As do I.

[Edelgard allows herself a smile around her cup, considering the statement, the similarities. And maybe that little slip of Leslie's. Saber was some sort of knight, possibly a ruler, which was hardly a strike against her. Just...interesting.]

What is it you do at home, Saber? Given your name, it makes me think of a mercenary, or some nickname.

[arturiarex]

[ Saber takes a long, slow sip of her tea. She's a little more prepared to answer this question. She's been making a bit more peace with her own history. And so she answers. ]

I was king. And a knight.

[unyieldingmarch]

[Edelgard smiles then, she had suspected as such. (thanks Leslie) but hadn't really wanted to risk being wrong.]

I see. That is good to know. I suppose Leslie has told you that I am a ruler as well?

[She's heard how Leslie talks about her when she introduces herself as Edelgard's ward.]

[arturiarex]

Something like that, although I had not heard any specifics...

[ Well, not shock or surprise. She'll take that, honestly. ]

I've met several other such rulers here - I wonder if this place has a taste for that sort of thing. [ Sort of a joke. Sort of not. ]

[unyieldingmarch]

I'm the Emperor of the Adrestian Empire, yes. And...I suppose that's true.

[Edelgard's fingers tick up numbers.]

I count...you and I. Princesses Azura, Corrin, Zelda, Zelda. Queens Daenerys and Marie, and several male kings. Ozymandius being the only one I know personally, though I'm aware of others by reputation. And...seemingly a number of our knights and personal retainers.

A curious observation, you are right.

[arturiarex]

Interesting.

[ Saber takes a slow sip of her tea, thinking. How much does she admit? She is trying to move beyond her role as merely a tool for others. To try and live. But it's s till difficult for her to think in those terms. ]

I should correct myself. My proper name and title is Arturia Pendragon, King of the Britons. But I generally prefer to go by Saber.

[unyieldingmarch]

I see. I will continue to refer to you as Saber, then.

[She isn't really too fussy about any of that, after all.]

Have you been her long?

[arturiarex]

Almost two months, if I recall correctly.

[ Saber nods, happy to move on to another subject. ]

Yourself?

[unyieldingmarch]

Six? Roughly. I arrived in the early fall.

[And it's been a hard time.]

[arturiarex]

Ah. I understand that you've also been affected by the changes here.

[unyieldingmarch]

Correct.

[Edelgard reaches into a basket beside her chair and plucks out a small vial of reddish liquid that she unstoppers and begins pouring into her tea. Stirring it idly with a finger, she looks up at the other woman.]

I am a vampire, Saber. I subsist entirely on blood, though I prefer to mix it into things rather than drink it straight. The economy is set up to include people like me, so, I've a very steady supply.

You...appear to be a turnskin, by your tail. Is that correct?

[arturiarex]

I am unsure, but that certainly seems to be the case.

[ She lifts her hand to show off the talons or claws she's grown. ]

I suppose I have to wait and see. The blood-drinking sounds... unpleasant.

[unyieldingmarch]

There are worse things. I, frankly, count my blessings that my body isn't growing eight spider-y limbs like an arachne. Perhaps it's shallow, but...I like my body the way it is.

[She'd rather not slither or scuttle, thank you.]

[arturiarex]

I would prefer mine remain unchanged as well, but it seems not to be.

[ Saber sighs. ]

At least it has only been a tail and claws so far.

[unyieldingmarch]

Hopefully it remains manageable for you.

[Edelgard shakes her head, smiling sadly.]

Do...take care to discard any silver you have around the house. Better to be safe than sorry.

[arturiarex]

Oh? Are turnskins badly affected by it?

[ Saber arches a brow. ]

I do not have any silver, as it happens. But I'll keep it in mind.

[unyieldingmarch]

Yes. It's a physical allergy. It will make a turnskin break out, and wounds with silver are particularly grievous and heal slowly. Also, some vampires are affected similarly, though I'm not among them.

[Thank goodness for small favors.]

Fae are affected badly by iron, so if you find yourself becoming more fae-like then consider avoiding that too. Though I've not known any such beings that have tails and claws as of yet.

[arturiarex]

I haven't noticed anything like that, but I'll keep the potential allergic reaction in mind...

[ Saber frowns and considers this for a moment. ]

I doubt that I'm fae, though. They seem... much more insect-like than I seem to be. I mostly hope that the changes will stop soon. I would prefer to have it over and done with.

[unyieldingmarch]

This is true. You seem more mammalian.

[So, probably Turnskin. Maybe Chimera.]

I wish I could offer any reassurance there. My own changes dragged on for months, till early last month. It's...different for vampires though, as the final change is a temporary death.

[arturiarex]

Temporary death...?

[ Saber seems a little startled. ]

Vampires are undead, aren't they? So I suppose that makes sense. Still... it seems as if it might be difficult to deal with.

[unyieldingmarch]

I was dead, and then I wasn't.

[She shrugs, now that she's had a month to adjust to the fact.]

Life goes on, only I won't age. Though, I don't recommend dying. It was a dreadful experience.

[arturiarex]

I have not died. But... I have come close.

[ And the only reason she didn't technically die was because she cut a deal with the World. ]

I was dying, before. [ She mentions this a bit off-handedly. Or maybe just quietly, as if she's trying to get the words out properly. ]

[unyieldingmarch]

I'm sorry to hear that.

[She sounds sympathetic, at least. It's genuine. But there's a lot to unpack in a statement like that.]

I hope that you find this place something of a reprieve.

[arturiarex]

I did not wish for one.

[ A reprieve, that is. ]

...it is a long story to recount. And not one I enjoy telling.

[ The guilt is still a little crushing, honestly. ]

What was your home like? [ Just gonna. Change the subject. ]