#eisbyl

"My father knew yours," Faye says, like that's a normal place to start, our dead fathers were friends. Hawke can't empathize — Hawke is so broken — Hawke knows that there's not a damn thing she could possibly say that would do any good, because nothing anyone said after Malcolm died felt like it counted for more than the ash he left when they burned the body. Nothing anyone said after Bethany or Carver counted, even, for that.

She's trying. Hawke knows well how little trying counts for.

     at any rate - it really seems like byleth’s popularity knows no limits. she’s always in high demand. it’s a wonder how axel’s even able to catch her alone like this. he supposes the hour helps. most people’re asleep by now. and yet, for all it has taken from him, axel still finds a certain solace in the darkness. “just seein’ how they all crowd around you exhausts me. it’s like they’re all fighting for your attention constantly. all the time.” he can’t say he’s jealous. but he is curious.  

     “what’s keepin’ you here? it’s gotta be somethin’ good.” 

talk about hawkebyle-*i am sniped from the heavens*

ok

when they first met, he thought she was a little strange but he wasn’t exactly one to judge. so, eventually, that becomes a little endearing and a reason he genuinely tries to befriend her. 

remember when i said he tells her she should get out before things get worse bc i’m thinking about it now and yeah. following his mom’s death he’s too emotionally drained to fully process her leaving, but once he’s better (mostly .. post arishok fight) he genuinely feels her absence and misses her.

he tried to write her a few times while recovering from his injuries but could never brought himself to send anything. he doesn’t know why. he just couldn’t.

he thought of her every now and then afterwards. any time he saw a snail in the gardens he thought of her. :) but also the brightest start in the sky. no i do not have the brain to elaborate right now.

it almost feels surreal when they meet again. like they weren’t meant to, and it’s going to slip away at any moment. he didn’t mean to wind up in fodland or.. even really notice when he did. but he’s happy they do and it, if only a little, pulls him out of the nearly fugue state he’s been in.

he notices the differences in her but at the same time she feels like the person he knew before. or maybe he felt like he always knew the person she would become. but he doesn’t think different of her in any way and he feels like he still knows her. she’s who she always was, to him. wait im editing this to say it’s like when you haven’t talked to a friend in years, but when you’re catching up and everything new they tell you still feels familiar? yeah

he also notices the little things about her. the way she never smiles showing her teeth, etc. 

if she wasn’t there, he wouldn’t stick around. he would’ve bailed so fast. he doesn’t want to talk about what happened after she left and he won’t ask her about it either.