[ Whatever the draught was that he doesn't remember drinking in the midst of everything: it was certainly potent enough to still be affecting his sleep. When he drifts off, Claude doesn't stir. There's no fluttering back to consciousness now and then throughout the night as usual, no hours of pondering the ceiling with thoughts that won't shut off or with a book while Hilda sleeps. It could also be a side effect of not sleeping for about a month, descending into various levels of illness, any number of things - but what it leads to is actual rest with Hilda at his side.
Until someone cries out, and he's awake in the same instant like he'd never been asleep past dozing in the first place. It's an echo of something from the pit, some anguish ricocheting out from suffering with so much of it around. He hasn't left. He's still there. Half-awake, Claude jolts himself at the next sensation which is someone close to him, far closer than he would've allowed. With his mind forgetting where he is and what's actually going on, it activates his instinct to flee built from years long before this.
But when his eyes open, it's not the cavern which greets him like he expected. It's a room it takes him another moment to place as somewhere safe, and that he recognizes pink hair still strewn across his arm. Who it was that'd made that noise. ]
What--
[ He doesn't get to finish that question as in something familiar from past nights, some part of Hilda's arm clips him in the jaw as she flails to escape whatever must be chasing her. A small startled exhale escapes him at the light impact before that action finally and thoroughly wakes him up enough to understand what's going on. There are no other priorities then but helping her. ]
Hilda, hey. [ It takes him a second to catch her hands to hold in his in hopes of calming her down little by little as he squeezes them reassuringly. Initial adrenaline fades a bit when it's clear there's no danger - not physically in the room with them, that is - Claude props himself up on an elbow to look at her. One squint in the darkness towards where the lantern on a side table is no longer burning reveals it's too far away to reach from where he is. There's enough dim light for them to see each other; that'll more than do when he returns his gaze back to Hilda again while trying to keep worry away. ] Take a deep breath for me, okay? It's alright. You're alright.
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Until someone cries out, and he's awake in the same instant like he'd never been asleep past dozing in the first place. It's an echo of something from the pit, some anguish ricocheting out from suffering with so much of it around. He hasn't left. He's still there. Half-awake, Claude jolts himself at the next sensation which is someone close to him, far closer than he would've allowed. With his mind forgetting where he is and what's actually going on, it activates his instinct to flee built from years long before this.
But when his eyes open, it's not the cavern which greets him like he expected. It's a room it takes him another moment to place as somewhere safe, and that he recognizes pink hair still strewn across his arm. Who it was that'd made that noise. ]
What--
[ He doesn't get to finish that question as in something familiar from past nights, some part of Hilda's arm clips him in the jaw as she flails to escape whatever must be chasing her. A small startled exhale escapes him at the light impact before that action finally and thoroughly wakes him up enough to understand what's going on. There are no other priorities then but helping her. ]
Hilda, hey. [ It takes him a second to catch her hands to hold in his in hopes of calming her down little by little as he squeezes them reassuringly. Initial adrenaline fades a bit when it's clear there's no danger - not physically in the room with them, that is - Claude props himself up on an elbow to look at her. One squint in the darkness towards where the lantern on a side table is no longer burning reveals it's too far away to reach from where he is. There's enough dim light for them to see each other; that'll more than do when he returns his gaze back to Hilda again while trying to keep worry away. ] Take a deep breath for me, okay? It's alright. You're alright.