[All Hilda's bitterness receives in response is a raised eyebrow and a mildly confused expression.]
Why would being friends mean he wouldn't lie or have secrets? I have secrets from Edelgard, Edelgard has secrets from Ferdinand and likely Hubert, Hubert has secrets from Edelgard and Ferdinand...
[Linhardt trails off as he realizes at just that moment that maybe that isn't How Things Are Everywhere. It's normal to him. His eyebrows furrow.]
Is that not right?
[It's an oddly childish question in that Linhardt asks it out of genuine confusion about a basic social idea he wants to understand: 'Wait, are we fucked up? You are a Socially Mature person. Please answer.'
The moment passes, and Linhardt's eyes sharpen with ideas as they delve deeper into areas that he does understand (unlike what social relationships should be like): Hilda is right that she may not remember.]
You're right. I'll need to investigate and ensure that there is some way to transmit information with us when we go back to Fodlan.
[Linhardt isn't going to push. He can figure out something else - some other way to get the information he wants to the places it should be. It isn't as though Hilda is refusing anything truly important, like studying her Crest or her Arcana. She's not wrong: there are people in her Fodlan who could do a better job.]
Thank you for reminding me: There is no point in giving you a headache over something that might not matter and isn't even your responsibility.
[If Hilda wants to spend her time in Fodlan lounging around, Linhardt thinks she should. She's right: If Claude and Lorenz want to deal with all that nonsense, she might as well let them. Linhardt would absolutely cease to have any concern about Fodlan if Edelgard, Hubert, or Ferdinand showed up.
He's somewhat reminded of Ferdinand, actually: Both he and Hilda are very, very social. Get to know each other better?]
Why?
[Linhardt doesn't have anything against Sylvain. He doesn't know Sylvain.]
Doesn't he mostly like attractive women, eating all the sweet buns so nobody else can have any, and pretending to be stupid?
[Anxiety flashes across Linhardt's face and the healer breaks eye contact with Hilda, instead fidgeting with his hands with his lap and then looking around the tea shop. Then he traces a finger around the outside of his tea cup. Then he takes one sip, puts the tea cup down, and immediately picks it up again for another drink.]
I don't imagine I'm very interesting to him. You know I like magic and Crests. What else is there to know? I'm boring.
[The anxiety has been shoved away in favor of flippancy.]
I could hardly subject someone so keen on following her heart to boredom.
I don't know how long you have been here, and you are a very social and charming person. You might have other friends and allies.
[Linhardt sighs when Hilda makes a very valid point. It's still one he doesn't want to hear.]
sorry he's actually kind of f'ed up (like the rest of them lol)
Why would being friends mean he wouldn't lie or have secrets? I have secrets from Edelgard, Edelgard has secrets from Ferdinand and likely Hubert, Hubert has secrets from Edelgard and Ferdinand...
[Linhardt trails off as he realizes at just that moment that maybe that isn't How Things Are Everywhere. It's normal to him. His eyebrows furrow.]
Is that not right?
[It's an oddly childish question in that Linhardt asks it out of genuine confusion about a basic social idea he wants to understand: 'Wait, are we fucked up? You are a Socially Mature person. Please answer.'
The moment passes, and Linhardt's eyes sharpen with ideas as they delve deeper into areas that he does understand (unlike what social relationships should be like): Hilda is right that she may not remember.]
You're right. I'll need to investigate and ensure that there is some way to transmit information with us when we go back to Fodlan.
[Linhardt isn't going to push. He can figure out something else - some other way to get the information he wants to the places it should be. It isn't as though Hilda is refusing anything truly important, like studying her Crest or her Arcana. She's not wrong: there are people in her Fodlan who could do a better job.]
Thank you for reminding me: There is no point in giving you a headache over something that might not matter and isn't even your responsibility.
[If Hilda wants to spend her time in Fodlan lounging around, Linhardt thinks she should. She's right: If Claude and Lorenz want to deal with all that nonsense, she might as well let them. Linhardt would absolutely cease to have any concern about Fodlan if Edelgard, Hubert, or Ferdinand showed up.
He's somewhat reminded of Ferdinand, actually: Both he and Hilda are very, very social. Get to know each other better?]
Why?
[Linhardt doesn't have anything against Sylvain. He doesn't know Sylvain.]
Doesn't he mostly like attractive women, eating all the sweet buns so nobody else can have any, and pretending to be stupid?
[Anxiety flashes across Linhardt's face and the healer breaks eye contact with Hilda, instead fidgeting with his hands with his lap and then looking around the tea shop. Then he traces a finger around the outside of his tea cup. Then he takes one sip, puts the tea cup down, and immediately picks it up again for another drink.]
I don't imagine I'm very interesting to him. You know I like magic and Crests. What else is there to know? I'm boring.
[The anxiety has been shoved away in favor of flippancy.]
I could hardly subject someone so keen on following her heart to boredom.
[Linhardt sighs when Hilda makes a very valid point. It's still one he doesn't want to hear.]