[ The problem with treating everything and everyone like a puzzle is that inevitably, there comes a time when it goes too far.
This is it in real time. He barely has time to register the flinch or think made a mistake before Sylvain's abruptly on his feet and steps back in intentional distance. Claude doesn't look at anyone else around, doesn't acknowledge if anyone reacts to this, and just keeps his gaze on Sylvain's face with no expression showing on his own. Miscalculation, and not a good one, he thinks to himself. Normally it'd be the kind of thing he could toss aside unbothered and move on; here in this case and because of who it is, that's not possible. ]
Alright. [ He says this in a measured tone. Not because he thinks Sylvain is fragile, but because he'd found a crack in that armor and by tugging on it loosened something he doesn't have the right to see without permission. He can't put it back, but he can help cover it up again. ] You have a point, there might be a few things highly out of the ordinary about all of this. Or more than a few, really.
[ It's not his place to decide for Sylvain whether that pivot back is accepted. But given that he doesn't know what's wrong beyond the very obvious and only has what's said to go upon - and is only going to factor that in - where he might've otherwise included a joke there's nothing but the implication that if Sylvain's hiding something else beneath it? He's not going to ask again. ]
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This is it in real time. He barely has time to register the flinch or think made a mistake before Sylvain's abruptly on his feet and steps back in intentional distance. Claude doesn't look at anyone else around, doesn't acknowledge if anyone reacts to this, and just keeps his gaze on Sylvain's face with no expression showing on his own. Miscalculation, and not a good one, he thinks to himself. Normally it'd be the kind of thing he could toss aside unbothered and move on; here in this case and because of who it is, that's not possible. ]
Alright. [ He says this in a measured tone. Not because he thinks Sylvain is fragile, but because he'd found a crack in that armor and by tugging on it loosened something he doesn't have the right to see without permission. He can't put it back, but he can help cover it up again. ] You have a point, there might be a few things highly out of the ordinary about all of this. Or more than a few, really.
[ It's not his place to decide for Sylvain whether that pivot back is accepted. But given that he doesn't know what's wrong beyond the very obvious and only has what's said to go upon - and is only going to factor that in - where he might've otherwise included a joke there's nothing but the implication that if Sylvain's hiding something else beneath it? He's not going to ask again. ]