EVENT #12: INVOCATION - IC EVENT LOG (PART 2)

[abraxasmods]

Event #12 - Invocation ( 2 )

Go to the:
OOC plotting post | Event coordination post

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As Week 3 approaches around March 6th, faction officials will begin to reach out to characters for information they've uncovered that hasn't been reported. Although Thorne, the Free Cities, and Solvunn have traditionally been at odds, the three nations have come together under these unique circumstances,, and will continue to cooperate until the Lost have been recovered. With Nocwich open as a base of operations, the Spared will have a neutral location to meet in person without border restrictions.

How events proceed will depend in part on your actions. If you're one of the Spared, you can join a team or stay back to prepare and coordinate. If you're one of the Lost, you can escape or remain behind to help others break free.

NOTES

1. For a rough TIMELINE, the Lost's breaking free and the Spared's coordination efforts will take place 2-3 days into Week 3. Leading into Week 4, the Spared will send out their teams to retrieve the Escape and Holdout Groups. Though there's some narrative wiggle room for who returns and when, characters should only participate in one team or group to keep things organized.
   
   
2. A Coordination Post will be used for communications between mods and players both. You can request dice rolls, start investigations, submit or review notable incidents, and begin in-person network-style threads with each other to quickly play out IC interactions. Review the post for forms and other details to fully participate in this event.


3. The Network will function properly again for the Lost who have escaped. The ones who remain captured will continue to experience disruptions similar to Part 1.

Please don't hesitate to ask us questions or clarification, even if you feel it might be a minor detail. This event contains a lot of information to go over, so we're happy to guide you through anything that requires further explanation. We'd much prefer you ask to avoid any misunderstandings or confusion!

Week 3

By now, several discoveries have been made. You've explored nearly every angle you can. It's time to take what you've learned and do something about the situation, whether you're trapped inside the dark cave or trying to bring your friends home.

Escape | The Lost

CW: Disturbing imagery (text and visual), death, dark and horror-based themes.

The past two weeks have been a harrowing experience, but you're still alive. Though the situation's worsened in some aspects, you've gained advantages in others. You might've formed unexpected allies from the other side, discovered hidden clues, or retrieved weapons and tools.

Moreover, the Acolytes don't seem quite so sure of themselves anymore, do they? Ever since the ritual, they've been watching nervously, as though they aren't confident in what's coming next. Some of you even managed to reveal one of their faces, exposing a weakness.

As you listen to the rattle of chains and scraping of metal on stone, you fear something much worse awaits you. Is it time to strike? Do you work on your own or rally the others? That's up to you, but one thing's evident: you can't sit around much longer.

Players can narrate the commotion and escape how they like, using the details described below. The Acolytes will retaliate and try to stop escape attempts. Killing and attacking them is possible with no need to request a roll, but enough will survive to subdue anyone left behind.

Characters don't need to willingly sacrifice themselves to remain captured. They can also be too injured to leave or fail to make it in time.

The First Domino (Breaking Out)

When the final shrine was unlocked late in Week 2, fleshy pillars rooted themselves into the cavern floor. As your third week in the cave crawls along, the trunk-like pillars begin to move.

A low groan shakes the ceiling above. Rocks fall along with bits and pieces of the bulbous organic prisons attached to the high walls. Chunks of melted flesh from decomposing bodies within the plantlike traps splatter below. Were it not obvious before, it is now: the pillars are legs belonging to a creature. A very large creature.

◎ Unleashed

The creature is not interested in fighting. Instead, it begins to leave. As it does, it takes portions of the ceiling with it, tearing holes above and below. People scurry beneath its feet and are crushed like ants. It does not discriminate between the Acolytes and the natives who are captured.

But it does avoid you and the other Summoned. Either it can't see anyone except you, or it recognizes you and associates you with those who freed it. Regardless, you are spared its destructive path. It lumbers off, dragging thorny vines that whip behind it. Crumpled pieces of the shrines and mangled bodies stick to its massive feet. You can't see where the creature is going, but later you might realize it has vanished into the ocean.

The brief chaos has left you with several openings:

• Seawater spills from unseen crevices above, flowing down the walls. Several Acolytes are dead, reducing their numbers.


• The already weakened cracked wall crumbles further, granting you an easier path to the webbing behind it.


• Equally weakened is the sealed opening where a smaller but deadly creature was previously trapped. A couple of determined hands could free it for a distraction. Beware - it's hungry.


• If the boulder hasn't already been pushed out of the way, the rumbling ground and smashed walls might help you finish the job.

Do you grab a weapon and attack the Acolytes while they're disoriented? Do you help save the injured natives? Are you focused on what lies behind the boulder and cracked wall? Do you free the trapped beast? Decide quickly - this could be your only chance.

◎ Opening the Door

Although the ceiling's been torn open, no open sky is revealed. Climbing up is difficult. You'll have to look elsewhere to escape. Once the boulder is removed and the cracked wall is torn down, you'll notice orange sparks that run between the strange bulb behind the boulder and the dense webbing across the cave.

Are you brave enough to reach into the pulsing bulb? If you do, you'll find thick vines connected to its beating heart. Each time a vine is forcibly pulled away and disconnected, the webbing begins to loosen, forming a small opening - but letting go will close the webbing right up again.

The more vines are disconnected, the larger the opening. It'll take 2-3 of you to make an opening large enough for people to go through... and from how quickly it closes, anyone who volunteers understands that they won't be escaping with the rest.

◎ Escape Routes

Do you trust what lies beyond the webbing? Looking through reveals only the dark abyss. You have no idea what's out there, but it can't be worse than what's in here. Can it?

If you don't trust the webbing and have the strength, you can swim down through an opening in the floor, left behind by the giant earlier. It's filled with cold ocean water. If you make it, you'll see a standard portal hidden in the depths.

Choose your path. Each one will spit you out somewhere a little different, but you'll have the chance to look for and meet up with others who took the other route.

If you're one of the Lost keeping the webbing open, you could try to dive for the underwater portal, but you won't make it. The portal will shatter quickly once the vines are released.

◎ Josselyn Creed | Interact

Josselyn Creed is difficult to spot in the commotion but not impossible. A few of her most faithful protect her. She wears a unique robe compared to the others. Her hood is lowered, revealing her brown hair tied in a bun that may be recognizable to some. Her mask is in place.

While she'll escape in the end, she isn't immune to harm. You can try to stop her and, in the process, perhaps contribute to what happens to her as she flees or afterwards.

◎ The Mysterious Acolyte | Interact

Along with the natives who might need your assistance escaping, there's also the strange pair whom a few interacted with. The Mysterious Acolyte and the Unknown Stranger will appear lost and uncertain in the pandemonium.

Some of you promised to help them escape, but saving them comes with a cost: at least one of you must exchange your place in the Escape Group for both of them. She will not leave without her brother, the Unknown Stranger. Her refusal will cost one of the Summoned their place.

Players can decide how the scenario plays out. At least one character must their place in the Escape Group so that the Unknown Stranger makes it through first. Only then will the Mysterious Acolyte follow.

Characters holding open the webbing and vines are not eligible. A sacrifice can only count for one outcome.

Into the Cold (Escape Group)

The first thing you notice is the biting cold. The sky is beginning to lighten. For once, you can breathe in the fresh air. But where are you, really?

◎ Gathering Your Bearings

Though spring is on its way, the mountains are a tundra. Temperatures are cold, though not as terrible as they'd have been in the dead of winter. Maybe you've stolen some warm clothes off the dead before the escape? Or, if you've been kind to the Abraxan natives who shared the ordeal with you, they'll offer supplies and equipment in return. It isn't much, but it could make all the difference if you're in dire straits.

• If you swam through the WATER PORTAL, it'll spit you up in an open cave. Wet and cold as you are, at least you've found shelter. Keen eyes might spot an unusual trail of glitter. Follow it to a tiny hidden hot spring. Soaking in the shimmering water are a few mischievous but harmless creatures. One was accidentally set loose at the Peace Summit many months ago, showering multiple attendants in a shimmery sheen. Large beast-like prints are nearby, though, so best not to stay long. Still, it's a nice reprieve while you can get it...as long as you don't mind being coated in glitter.


• If you went through the DENSE WEBBING, it'll spit you up on a frozen lake. Cracks will begin to form as more and more land on the surface. You'll need to find solid ground quickly. Take care - a large shadow lurks beneath the thinning ice. If there's too much commotion or excessive movement, it'll realize there's prey above and begin to thrash, disturbing the delicate ice further.

◎ Temporary Relief

Though some healing abilities and magic have returned, the wounds caused by the ritual don't seem to recover properly. They aren't getting worse, but it's troubling. Your mind could remain confused or disturbed. Even those who were successfully cured will discover the lesions heal much slower than other injuries.

As the days wear on, you might feel a strong pull from the Singularity that leads you into the Horizon. This is especially so if you remain under the ritual's influence. If you give in to the urge and find a safe moment to enter, you can go in without as much difficulty as before.

You won't land where you intend, but you might find one of the Spared within. Somehow, the Singularity has brought you together. Something compels you to reach out and make contact. When you do, you'll feel a gentle warmth. You might not know what's happening, but it feels right.

When you depart from the Horizon, effects from the ritual have lessened by a noticeable degree. They'll stay that way for the next day or so, giving you the strength to keep going.

◎ Preparing for the Night

What you do next is entirely up to you. You can organize with your fellow escapees, go off on your own, or try to bring the two groups together. Boars, rabbits, and foxes can be hunted. The surrounding snow can be boiled for safe drinking water.

Even more fortunate, your powers will return - to a degree. Stronger abilities might take longer to return fully, but elemental spells, modest healing, and enhanced senses or traits can be accessed. And you might find that messages on the Network are no longer distorted.

Not all is safe and well: though the first few days are quiet, the mountains aren't without the usual predators. Wolves howl, and large gryphons soar the sky. They're wary of people and are unlikely to attack, but that doesn't mean you should let your guard down. In the wild, you never know. As you enter Week 4, more formidable threats could arise.

Sacrifice (Holdout Group)

Maybe you're one of the unlucky souls, or maybe you chose to sacrifice your place for others. However it came about, both escape paths close, and the Acolytes inside the cavern overwhelm you and the rest once more. Those left behind are a mixture of native Abraxans and the Summoned. The ground is sticky with blood and viscera.

Forcibly, violently, you're led or dragged deeper and deeper down the stone paths to the altar room where the rituals took place. The Acolytes push as many of you in there as they can and seal the door - and if a few limbs are caught in the way, that's just too bad. Someone with you, perhaps one of the natives, ends up with a crushed finger or hand as the doors slam shut.

Not everyone is pushed inside in the end. In the Acolytes' rush to contain the Summoned, a few Abraxan natives are left outside the doors with the remaining Acolytes. When you hear their cries through the sealed barrier, you have to ask yourself if you're truly the lucky ones.

◎ The Altar Room

The altar is built of bone. The husks of now-empty bodies are piled into a macabre amalgamation. It's not meant to house anyone for long. Supplies are limited. Water trickles into a small pond used for the Acolytes' rituals. There are bowls of hardened bread. Sealed crates contain more mushrooms. They're edible, but some might carry psychedelic side effects. If you've succumbed to the ritual, though, you might not consider that a downside.

While not as open or large as the cavern you came from, you can explore the altar room for any potential answers to where you are and how to escape. The entrance is sealed tight. Outside, you can hear the Acolytes - and that might be important for later.

Since the door is magically sealed, nothing can come in or out...except the Bone Serpent, whose legs continue to slink down from above to snatch unsuspecting victims. Blood drips from above, possibly from one of its missing legs.

Now and then, something bangs on the door. Is it the creatures you unleashed before? The beasts that were never contained? You can try to follow the Bone Serpent to see where it leads or maybe even glimpse the creature beyond its thorny limbs, but that's a high risk. The consequences could be dire.

◎ Slow Flood

The destruction seems to have broken what prevented you from using the Network. You can now communicate with the Spared and the Escape Group uninterruped.

Unfortunately, the chaos has also dislodged the structure of the entire cavern. Husks of limbs crumble to the floor. The ground grows moist. Bit by bit, water begins to collect in small puddles. More drips through cracks in the walls and ceilings. The rocky floors offer higher ground, but that'll only last for so long.

As slow as it is, there's no denying the dread that washes over you: the cavern is flooding, and it's seeping through into the altar room. Some of the captured natives look uneasy. Others are too injured to help themselves. You can try to plug the leaks. Though the idea might strike you as morbid, the bodies of the dead can be used to keep some of the water at bay.

◎ Temporary Relief

Wounds caused by the ritual don't seem to recover properly. Your mind could remain confused or disturbed. Even those who were successfully cured will discover the lesions heal much slower than other injuries.

As the days wear on, you might feel a strong pull from the Singularity that leads you into the Horizon. This is especially so if you remain under the ritual's influence. If you give in to the urge and manage to find a safe moment to enter, you can go inside without as much difficulty as before.

You won't land where you intend, but you might find one of the Spared within nonetheless if you wander through. Somehow, the Singularity has brought you together. Something compels you to reach out and make contact. When you do, you'll feel a gentle warmth. You might not know what's happening, exactly, but it feels right.

When you depart from the Horizon, effects from the ritual have lessened by a noticeable degree. They'll stay that way for the next day or so, giving you the strength to keep going.

Coordination | The Spared

You might have compromised a few morals to get what you want - if you had any in the first place - but regardless of how you got here, you and the other Summoned have gathered enough information to proceed. Of course, there are still a few details to iron out. How will you approach the island without compromising the Lost? What spells and resources are required? What needs to be done so that survivors have a safe place to rest and recover once they're home? And what about the ritual inflicted upon them?

Players are encouraged to organize teams, rescue efforts, and tactics with each other. The details outlined below are to provide a starting point and some guidance but are by no means the only options available.

Nocwich

Thanks to a request by one of the Summoned in the Free Cities, Nocwich's doors are opened as a neutral meeting ground for the Spared from all three major nations. Some officials will also be arriving to monitor the situation.

◎ Ritual Details (Sten) | Interact

Sten, one of the Nocwich ambassadors for the Lunae, received a request to help find a cure for the ritual. To do so, he wants to first learn as much about the ritual as he can. Anyone with information can come forward either in person or with a note - anonymous or not. While he'd prefer to put a name to the face, Nocwich won't interfere with the Summoned's desire to protect themselves and their secrets.

Sten will be available in Oleuni Square, in one of the many tents. Pale-haired and scarred, he's warm and friendly to everyone. Due to Luna's connection to Solvunn, he has some knowledge of High Magic, although the traditions of the werewolves are different. While he can't hold long meetings, he'll make time to see everyone who has something important to tell him about the ritual - and if you need a little extra reassurance, he'll offer that, too.

◎ Oleuni Square

Normally a thriving marketplace, Oleuni Square has been repurposed. In the northeastern corner, a collection of tents have been set up. Most are utilitarian but others are covered with homemade blankets to help cover imperfections. The Lunae have come to lend their aid. Volunteers help set up tables and supplies. Others guard the area and the portals. A communal cooking area is available to provide hot meals.

You can make use of the tents for talking strategy, organizing supplies, and other meetings. Nearby inns are available for sleeping free of charge, although one of the inns is closed so that it can be converted into a temporary infirmary. Faction officials and employees are available, as well. You can consult them on tactical advice, resources, and the lay of the land.

Early in Week 3, a few representatives from Ikorr arrive with a supply of their sacred sap. With the sap and the metal ore from the Lunae, you can fashion supplies and potions from raw materials.

The mood around the makeshift camp is somber but hopeful. As one of the Summoned, you'll have control of the situation and can work with a variety of officials and locals to arrange what you need.

Reevaluating Plans

Shortly into Week 3, you'll receive word that some of the Lost have escaped. As details come in bits and pieces, you realize the situation's taken a dramatic turn. More than that, messages from the Lost are no longer disrupted as before. You can read the words clearly again.

Who makes contact first and how the news spreads depends on you. Regardless of how it comes about, your focus can't be solely on breaching the discovered island. Now you also have another group to retrieve - and you don't know where they are, though they at least have some helpful information: the Singularity, the snowy mountains, and a view of the ocean.

Take advantage of the Network's return to reevaluate your plans. You'll need to determine the situation in the island cave as well as the mountains, split into teams, and bring everyone home.

Assigning Roles

Under the circumstances, officials will recommend the Summoned divide into at least two groups: one to search the mountains and one to retrieve the Lost remaining on the island. If you're not the type to rush to the front lines, you can also stay back and help out at home. There's plenty to do here between finding a cure, delegating tasks, and preparing for survivors to return.

◎ Search Team

Reports from the Escape Group tell of snow-capped mountains, Acolytes in pursuit, and other creatures that lurk. Many are injured, though fortunately, abilities have started to return. The area isn't guarded, but the terrain is difficult and temperatures are harsh. Officials will suggest using portals to arrive at the nearest safe point on the mountains before traveling on foot to find the Lost. Others can choose to hunt down the Acolytes who are chasing their friends. Anyone with strong tracking skills would be key, but the team could also use medical assistance in case anyone needs treatment on the spot.

◎ Retrieval Team

Word has it that some of the Acolytes remain on the island along with the trapped captives. The area is tightly guarded and possibly infested with some unknown creatures or those not in their right minds. Officials will suggest negotiating to prevent unwanted casualties but will caution that having a team for infiltration and force is necessary, too. Some distraction could also be helpful, and it would be wise to have some medical assistance in case anyone needs treatment on the spot.

◎ Home Team

Having hands on deck at base is equally vital. Officials will recommend a cure for the ritual be found while the teams are out searching, and standard healing supplies will need preparation, too. Outbound teams could use someone to help bring together lines of communication, updating officials and the Summoned alike about what's going on. And of course, with the Horizon as a place of respite, anyone who can go in to help the Lost seeking healing would be of value.

Week 4

The days have been taxing, but you're beginning to feel a change in the air. Now that resources and information have been pooled, things are moving quickly. Soon, you'll be reunited.

Once you find one another, you'll still need to return home safely - but at least you'll have each other now.

Although players have been divided up until now between Lost and Spared, Week 4 will bring the Spared in contact with the Lost's environments. We'll provide relevant information or redirect each group accordingly so that you don't need to review the entire post for the correct details. If there's anything you're uncertain about from the other group, please ask!

Survival | The Lost

CW: Disturbing imagery (text and imagery), mild gore, body horror, dark and horror-based themes

By now, you've undoubtedly heard from the Spared back home. You're relieved to know rescue is coming, but you probably don't want to sit and wait. With threats to contend with and a dangerous environment, you can take steps to be sure the Spared have help from the other side.

Escape Group

Surviving the elements is only half of it. As the days turn to nights, you realize you're not alone. More than wolves and bears prowl. Something sinister comes...as well as the Acolytes who want their captives back at all cost.

◎ Pursuing Acolytes | Interact

Loyal to the cause, some Acolytes chase the fleeing Lost into the mountains. You might be lulled into safety the first few days, but by Week 4, you sense their presence. The evergreen trees wither, winter shrubs rot, and unexplained husks of wildlife are found. The winds carry a stench in the air that you now identify with the fungal cavern you were held in.

They hunt in pairs or small groups. Their powers seem weaker for reasons unknown, but they remain formidable opponents. You can run, protect others, or go on the offensive.

◎ Hydnellia & Esmond | Interact

If they successfully escape in Week 3, the Mysterious Acolyte and the Unknown Stranger will travel with their rescuers. They'll introduce themselves as Hydnellia & Esmond. Though nervous, Hydnellia is more trusting of anyone who helped them. She's skilled in healing and foraging, while Esmond carries a draught for warmth that could prove useful. Depending on where you stand, you could find their addition helpful or contentious.

◎ Revenant | Interact

Something else stalks the night, scaring even the Acolytes. A hoarfrost revenant has lived on these peaks for centuries. With the sudden arrival of the Lost and Acolytes, he prowls the snow, searching for who's disturbed his sleep.

He cannot be killed. You can only run or chase him away, but he'll soon return. Take care not to stay in one place too long. A rattling chain and blue-flamed lantern announces his coming. His touch brings instant death, made clear by the frozen carcasses of animals left in his path. Best not to fight him.

◎ Rescue

Landmarks such as lakes, cliffs, the Singularity, and more can be used to direct the Search Team to your location.

You might want to warn the Spared about the dangers they'll face when they reach the mountains. Unable to portal to you directly, they'll reach you on foot. You'll need to brave the dangers together one last time to reach the waiting portals below. The trek isn't far, but making that final stretch might feel like an eternity. In the distance, the ground trembles, and the snow begins to form an avalanche.

Players can arrange how the Search Team and the Escape Group meet and decide what threats they'll encounter as they return to the portal.

Details on the avalanche and what characters will face when traveling to the portal will be provided under the Search & Rescue - Search Team section.

Holdout Group

As you huddle in the altar room, you can only hope your sacrifice, intentional or not, was worth it. At least you've been able to communicate with the outside world. The Acolytes are beginning to show signs of unease and budding dissent. At some point, you have to ask, why haven't the unhappy ones left or fled themselves?

Maybe you aren't the only ones trapped anymore. Maybe you're all trapped together now.

◎ The Altar | Interact

Now that you can approach the altar and examine it closely, you see the terrible remnants of twisted figures sunken into the ground beneath it, as though they've fused with the altar itself.

If prodding at the shrines worked, perhaps doing the same with the altar will reveal some answers. A strange energy emanates from its open maw when those afflicted by the ritual come near.

◎ A Promise | Interact

In the final hour, some Acolytes desperately try to resume the rituals on the few remaining Abraxan natives left outside the altar room - many in poor condition. You hear it, though you can only glimpse it through a gap in the sealed doors. Their bodies quickly succumb and sprout more fungal growths while long, spine-like tendrils protrude from their orifices.

You can plead with them to stop, or you can join them in hopes that you will find your divine emancipation. The Acolytes will release anyone who wants to join the ritual from the altar room...but what you step into could carry horrific consequences.

◎ Dissenting Acolytes | Interact

More arguments beyond the sealed doors erupt as water fills the cave and altar room. They accuse each other of being faithless or too blindly loyal. Some say Hydnellia betrayed them. Others say the High Priestess did, perhaps referring to Josselyn.

Toward the middle of Week 4, it grows quiet outside. The arguments stop. One Acolyte approaches the door. She promises to free you and the others and help you find a way out of the cavern together, including overwhelming Josselyn's faithful.

This could be what turns the tide, but things might also go very wrong. You and the others trapped with you must decide if you'll accept the olive branch. Of course, agreeing to trust them doesn't mean you have to follow through. The Acolytes sound desperate and might be a bit too trusting themselves.

◎ Rescue

Unlike the Escape Group, the Spared know where the Holdout Group is. Getting to them will take effort, but you can help by providing information from the inside. After all, the Acolytes won't know when you're using the network. You can even coordinate with each other in secret despite being in the same room.

You might want to warn the Spared about the dangers they face when they reach the cavern areas. The Bone Serpent could pose a problem, along with any crumbling walls and obstacles. A creature might still be trapped in one of the tunnels if no one freed it. As the team approaches, severe quakes shake the entire place. Water flows in faster. It appears ready to collapse at any moment.

You'll need to get off the island to reach the portal on the Thornean peninsula. That'll pose a problem when the boats break from the collapsing island, but an unexpected friend might arrive.

Details on the quake and what characters face when getting off the island will be provided under the Search & Rescue - Retrieval Team section.

Search & Rescue | The Spared

CW: Disturbing imagery (text and visual), dark themes.

After an exhausting month, it finally seems as though things are coming together. By now, you've made decided on your plans, gathered your resources, and chosen the role that suits you best. Not everyone may agree with what you're doing, or maybe there's someone you don't agree with. Nevertheless, your friends are waiting, and you'll push forward with or without support.

Search Team

As part of the Search Team, your goal is to portal from Nocwich to the mountains and locate members of the Escape Group.

You'll need to determine the best place to portal in - close enough to the Lost that the trek is reasonable but safe enough that the portals won't be at risk. Considering the terrain and the condition of many of the Lost, it's likely the distance will be about one day's travel on foot.

◎ Resources & Support

Thorne will send their military for support since their soldiers are used to winter conditions, unlike the Free Cities. The Free Cities will provide portal stones so that mages won't be required to maintain an open portal. The Lunae will offer guides to help navigate the wilderness.

Solvunn's aid is limited to healing supplies, as their efforts are focused on the island due to the heavy use of High Magic there.

You are not limited to only what the factions offer upfront. If there's more you think they can do, you can make a request.

◎ The Acolytes (Escape) | Interact

Though rescuing the Lost is the top priority, you might feel justice or vengeance is long overdue. Some Acolytes are pursuing the captives while others might try to pass as one of the survivors. Those most faithful to the cause will attack you, but not all of them are that steadfast. Some prefer to flee. Others still may surrender, under the right circumstances.

Officials have requested that the Acolytes be brought in alive if possible, but no one will be counting the bodies if you decide to take out a few on your own.

Players can write out attacking, capturing, or killing the Acolytes without using the interaction. However, if you want to take a more specific action in terms of identifying any Acolytes pretending to pass as one of the captured Abraxan natives, negotiating a surrender, or interrogating them on the spot, you can submit an interaction.

◎ Getting to Safety

During the search, you'll encounter the same dangers the Escape Group has faced over the past week. Common predators include wolves, gryphons, and wild boars. Most significantly, a revenant must be avoided or else death is certain. Detailed under the Survival - Escape Group section, the revenant can be interacted with by the Spared once on the mountains.

Keep your friends safe after you meet up with them. You'll have to guide them back to the portals and make sure they can keep up with their injuries. Though you hope the journey is smooth, you know better.

And sure enough, a rumble draws your attention. When you look up, you see it coming down: an avalanche pouring down one of the mountain slopes. Get out of the way quickly or risk being swept up in the landslide. If you're lucky enough to dodge the avalanche, you can help anyone caught in its path.

Retrieval Team

As part of the Retrieval Team, your goal is to infiltrate the island and safely retrieve the members of the Holdout Group. A portal from Nocwich can only take you as far as the peninsula on Thorne's coast, near the island. The rest is on you.

Your team's likely already decided the best method to breach the island and you may have done your best to account for every last detail, but that doesn't mean everything will go as planned. The flooding hasn't stopped. Frequent, violent quakes are now shaking the island, and the structure beneath is rapidly crumbling. Time is of the essence.

◎ Resources & Support

Thorne mages and Solvunn Elders will accompany your team to focus on dispelling the enchantments, while the Free Cities will send some of its soldiers. They'll also provide boats powered with New Magic. Though normally quite noisy, Thorne has stepped in to enchant them to be much more discreet.

You are not limited to only what the factions offer upfront. If there's more you think they can do, you can make a request.

◎ Dispelling Protections | Interact

The illusions that once held the island together are corrupted from the escape. Navigating the constantly shifting landscape is dizzying and confusing. You might experience strange visions brought on by your imagination - terrifying images from home you know shouldn't be there.

Fight through it to find a warded tunnel. You'll need to find a way to break the wards to enter. Should you feel the urge to rush in heedlessly, you might want to observe the pile of dead bats and birds all around you. Their bodies are mangled and crushed. You can only imagine what might happen to you.

◎ The Collapse

Whether you make contact with the Acolytes or the Holdout Group first depends on your approach. You can apprehend what Acolytes you can, negotiate their surrender, or kill them. Whichever tactics you use, once the Holdout Group is released from the altar room, you'll end up in the same situation: the way out is blocked from falling debris. Seawater rapidly fills the cavern.

Your best bet is to follow the water flow into the open ocean. As you do, the cavern begins to collapse in on itself in a swirling whirlpool as the magic which kept the water at bay falters. You'll have to struggle to swim against the current, and a few Acolytes are sucked into the vortex. The boats splinter and break apart, leaving you and many wounded stranded in the ocean.

◎ An Old Friend

Deep waters aren't safe. When a deep rumbling sounds and a massive shadow looms below, you might wonder if this is the end. Instead, the shadow takes on a warm moon-like glow. A familiar figure to some of you from Thorne surfaces. The giant sea turtle waits calmly for you to climb on its shell. You can save any captured Acolytes, or you can let the sea swallow them.

How did the turtle find you? If you have strong psychic abilities or an affinity for communicating with animals, you might sense a connection to a much smaller turtle: Admiral Chuck from The Arcanis. Perhaps a friend is looking out for you from afar after you were kind enough to spend time with him.

The moonlit turtle will carry everyone to shore, where the portal to Nocwich awaits. Then it vanishes into the depths once more.

Home Team

As part of the Home Team, your goal is to support the others and prepare for the return of many survivors.

Two important tasks are healing in the Horizon to aid any of the Lost who are struggling, and finding a cure for the effects of the ritual. You can also assign tasks, transform the inn into an infirmary, and make sure supplies are available.

◎ Ritual Cure | Interact

The answer to a cure is likely found in the contents of Josselyn's house, the mushroom rings, and the odd black substance painted around the abduction sites. Solvunn's Elders and the Lunae, including Sten, will be there to help and provide any information they can.

If you're not the experimental type, you can still help in one of two ways: you can go to Ikorr to retrieve a bloom from their sacred flower located in the Nightbloom or you can go to Luna to collect moon-blessed water from the Lunar Pond. You'll be accompanied through a direct portal by the vampires to Ikorr or the werewolves to Luna.

Researchers and mages from the major nations will also work on the task using the information they've learned - but they'd be grateful for any assistance.

◎ Horizon Healing

As discovered in Week 3, you can continue to use the Horizon to offer to heal those who need it. In moments of calm, anyone connected to the Singularity will feel a familiar pull. The urge to enter the Horizon itches at the back of your mind as the hours go by, even if you're not usually inclined to do so.

If you give in, you could find one of the Lost there. You sense they need your help, or you feel compelled to reach out and touch. A warmth flows between you. Though you may not realize what you've done until afterwards, you'll know it's something unique and powerful.

Forging a stronger link to the Horizon can subtly strengthen the gifts and magic you receive from the Singularity - and a deep healing connection with another Summoned is a part of that.

Return

For the next week or so, Nocwich is the place of refuge. Concerned that the ritual and other unknown effects may have a widespread impact, everyone must remain in Nocwich. This includes the abducted Abraxan natives, the soldiers, mages, and Elders who arrived to help.

Captured Acolytes will be held in the prisons in Nocwich. Their fate is yet to be determined.

Should the Mysterious Acolyte and her brother make it to safety, they'll also be held in Nocwich for now. Nocwich will recognize that they were rescued by some of you, however, and will make sure they're placed in a comfortable - but still guarded - home.

Recovery & Cures

The Square's largest inn serves as a temporary infirmary. The Lost will be brought here to recover and receive the cure for the ritual. Any of the Spared who were injured during the rescue will also be treated.

Healing & Care

Although a few healers and doctors from the factions are in Nocwich, most have stayed home to prepare for when the Summoned and their citizens return. Instead, healers from Luna and Ikorr will look after you with a combination of salves, healing magic, and potions. Ikorr's powerful sap is used in healing concoctions, reserved for the most severe injuries. Overdoing it can cause unwanted side effects, so healers are careful.

If you're lucky, you can get a room to yourself. If not, you might have a roommate. The infirmary is hectic, though you'll receive the best care possible. Visitors are allowed. Nurses caution against overtaxing yourself, but you can finally reunite with everyone you've been separated from over the past four weeks.

Receiving the Cure

After such a harrowing ordeal, you'll be relieved to learn that the cure is effective and painless. It consists of a spoonful of a thick mixture. The aftertaste is bitter and a little sour but not terrible. After a day or two, the psychological effects will fade completely. Physical afflictions will begin to heal again.

If any growths remain, they must be removed. Thankfully, potent sleeping draughts means you won't feel a thing - a blessing that those who sought a cure in the caverns didn't have.

Returning Home

After a week, officials determine that the ritual effects are cured and request that you return home. Their doctors and healers will look after you once you're back. Eventually, they'd like to know the details, but you won't need to talk about it just yet.

◎ Thorne

Your return to Thorne is greeted with a show of fanfare. For many, the castle staff has grown familiar with your presence. They're heartened to see you return. A few may have get-well gifts if they've come to know you.

If you still require significant healing, you'll be taken care of in the Castle's infirmary. Otherwise, you'll be assigned a healer who'll check in on you in your room.

◎ Free Cities

Your return to Cadens is greeted with a buzz in the air. With a city so populated, reactions vary from relief to curiosity to a much less welcome invasion of privacy from local writers. City guards will do their best to make sure you return home or arrive at the hospital with minimal fuss.

If you were injured, doctors will insist you remain overnight at the hospital. If you were severely wounded and remain so, they won't clear you for release until you're fully recovered. Of course, no one can stop you from leaving, but you may want to listen to the doctors.

◎ Solvunn

Your return to Solvunn is greeted with a somber air. Many in the settlement are in the midst of prayer, having devoted themselves to seeking your safe return. Your friends and neighbors are relieved to see you, but they're troubled by the perversion of their traditions, the close involvement of one of their Council members, and the terrible suffering you endured.

Healers and Elders will see you in your home as needed. Offerings will be made to shrines on your behalf, and you won't run out of home-cooked meals for a while. Many will lend a sympathetic ear if you want someone to talk to.

Comments

[godshattering]

Yeah, I think that's about as clear as a sign as we could ever get. Almost like the gods or whatever else know it was meant to be.

[ Claude's also trying for their usual lightheartedness and missing it by miles even as she leans into his hand and closes her eyes. There's something he's not seeing here, he's sure of it, but it's too hard to focus on what it might be when she's right here in front of him. Here, in one piece on the outside which is more than can be said for him, and neither of them are without fissures on the inside.

Maybe if it hadn't been still so soon he might be able to voice some of them to her. Might be able to find a way to wipe away some of the details that'd make her dissolve into tears again when she's past the brink of them. And maybe, if he stops to think about it, wanting to protect her from this when they've already been through so much - she's already been through so much - is yet another convenient reason to keep a wall up between them that he shouldn't.

He's about to keep joking ("joking") when Hilda takes his hand in hers to press kisses to it, and the tenderness of that action sends his heart into the back of his throat. It's unfair, Claude thinks weakly, that something should affect him so much and entirely because of who it's from. Still as meaningful as all the other times on other nights where it'd happened and even more so now as he studies that face he treasures so much. Something else to file away under the what ifs of sometime where small things like this could be commonplace. As easy as breathing. If only. ]

You can always wake me, Hilda. [ One more slow shift to make sure it doesn't seem like he's pulling away when that's the last thing on his mind and to not pull at too many bandages. The latter is less successful but he ignores it, gaze still on her face as that movement meant he's freed up his other hand to run his fingers through her hair, to tuck loose strands behind her ear, any excuse to touch her more like there's not enough contact between them already. ] No matter what it's for, or why, or when. Even if it's just because you need an accomplice for a midnight snack like all those times at the academy.

[ One last attempt to make her smile given that he'd been every bit as guilty (and far more than her) when came to wanting to roam around in the middle of the night, but even if it's part of their routine it doesn't feel right. It's a strange feeling to be scrambling for words when so often he has them at the ready. Hilda has always been the reason so many of them feel like they don't measure up to what she deserves to hear. Something that's entirely his fault, he's certain, but here's one more tentative and partially obfuscated attempt. ]

I don't want you to apologize for it, either. I'll always be here for you.

[theidlemaiden]

Since when did you start believing in gods?

[ Her question is asked teasingly this time, but for some reason it sounds sadder than she'd like it to. She doesn't care if he's suddenly had a turn of belief. The sadness stems from a deeper seeded worry that there's more that she doesn't know about the person that she should arguably know the most about. Hilda's confidence is normally ironclad in an effort to conceal her anxities, but she's rarely had so much of a guard up around Claude. Realizing that she even has a guard up in the first place comes as an uncomfortable surprise. It's unlike her to look at her feelings so intensely. Looking inwards doesn't fit with the carefree, surface-level picture of herself that she's created for her to believe and for the world to perceive.

Claude's reassurance makes that difficult. So many times in the past, they've sufficed in being a balm for her insecurities and worries. She fondly remembers those nights vividly. Most of the time her coaxing demands had simply been that: company because she was bored and didn't want to sleep, choosing instead to procrastinate whatever the next day would bring with gorgeous, curious, Claude. But there were rare moments where there had been other worries plaguing her, refusing to let her find the blissful ignorance and peace that sleep usually brought. The memories bring about a pang of longing for bygone days when they didn't have to worry about anything and she was so sure about things. About them.

A small laugh leaves her lips at the sweet sentiment. She offers her own half-hearted attempt at smile in return. ]

I don't think Lorenz is going to be thrilled with me when he hears that the reason Mr. Leader Man isn't at a roundtable meeting is because I demanded you come to Goneril for a midnight snack.

[ Images of them now and then overlap in her minds eye. They've been in this position so many times before, curled up in bed, blurring plenty of lines that had eventually gone noticed by some of their more perceptive housemates. It'd be easy, she thinks absently as his fingers run through her hair, to gently push it down a path they're used to walking so that she doesn't have to think more about how or why she feels the way she does. The brush of his bandaged hand against her ear still manages to send a tingle down her spine and she draws in a breath and a small voice asks, what was stopping her? For a moment she falls back into old habits wanting to cling however briefly to those days and that feeling. Her hands move without thinking, gently cupping either side of his face to pull him closer.

There's a hair's breadth between them now, one that she's had no problem closing in the past because it hadn't meant anything to her then (at least that's what she tells herself). A kiss is just a kiss if you don't assign any meaning to it which they had never done, resolutely claiming it was for fun and convivence sake. He'd never think of her in any other light outside of that. A delicate flower had no place beside a man that shattered expectations. What could she give him that he couldn't find in someone else? Or two someone else's rather. Images of Petra and Sylvain appear in her mind causing her to halt. She can't continue to cross these lines with him when she can't see any room for her in his future.

There had been no mention of a promise in his words, but she hears it, earnest and caring, all the same. Quietly, her gaze searches his. ]

You shouldn't promise things like that, Claude.

[godshattering]

[ Lorenz's potential (definite) tantrum over such a situation occurring brings a smile to his face though it nearly as quickly dims into something wan. It wouldn't be the Roundtable he'd be skipping out on, would it, when someday he won't be in Fodlan at all? Something Hilda doesn't know - something no one knew then on that morning of Gronder and he'd yet to fully say even in his time. It seemed easier, in some ways, to simply disappear and send letters later. His desk back in Derdriu holds a few he would've passed on to couriers on his way so they could go to their intended destinations and he could go on to his.

That desk drawer also keeps every revision he'd made to Hilda's letter, each parchment written deliberately before being scrawled out as if those attempts would somehow make it easier. They didn't. Where they always stuttered out was the same point: avoiding a truth he knows he holds for her to where it's sealed away even if it could never be forgotten. Claude doesn't want to think about the fact that the locked drawer in his desk in the Horizon still contains all of those letters. Or, with every bit as much weight behind it, that they've been there for even longer than Hilda's been in Abraxas as just one of his memory's many calls for someone who wasn't here.

Her hands on his face are a comfort and something to draw him back to reality to fall into a familiar pattern he's only been waiting for the chance to find again. But then it stops there, and she says something which makes him forget to breathe. The instant reaction he wants to have is to ask why not? and it nearly makes it out of his mouth, something almost too uncontrollable to prevent from happening, and then Claude catches himself. If he asks that question then that means he has to know the answer. That Hilda's said this is worrisome enough; what if it gets worse? There was always going to be a point, he knows, where they'd have to define something that's become so much more to him than what it started out as or put an end to it. Now that it could be here he doesn't want it to be the latter.

It's likely only a couple seconds go by, but it feels like years to him. At some point he remembers to exhale though there's still nothing to say that comes to him as easily as it might any other time. Nothing but why not and the fear of hearing in no uncertain terms the reasoning behind it. Even indecision feels better than what he's built up the possible reasons to be behind this equation he's never managed to solve on any of their past nights.

But where Claude doesn't waver: in closing that distance to kiss her with one hand sliding back into her hair to gently pull her the rest of the way in. Maybe it's selfish of him to want this reassurance for them both when he should be finding something to offer to her, but he doesn't want to believe it's only for himself when Hilda had nearly done the same thing. Almost. Sometimes an action can serve better than words alone, when it's this easy - when it still feels like coming home just as it always has. ]

[theidlemaiden]

[ The thing about knowing someone so well means knowing the telltale sign that they're about to protest something. The slightest intake of breath that could border on a scoff or a laugh, the barely there furrow between his brows - it may be dark in the room, but Hilda knows they're there. For as long as she's known Claude, defying naysayers has been engrained in his bones. The exasperation she felt towards that quality had been short lived. She had quickly warmed to it, admired it, envied it, quietly deciding in the early years of their friendship that she would do whatever she could to support him in his endeavours even if it was as something a silly as a prank.

But support, she's learned, doesn't always have to look like agreement. As quick as she is to cheer him on, she's just as skilled at poking holes in his sometimes grandiose plans. Reasons are poised on the tip of her tongue as to why he can't and shouldn't in this one instance: What if she returned to Fodlan tomorrow? What if her future - his present - weren't the same? What if Petra's reality came to pass? Doing so would reveal the other awful truth she's been hiding from him, the one that she couldn't tell him in Aquila for fear of ruining his date with Sylvain. For fear of what it would dislodge in her.

Seconds stretch and she's ready to bury her face into the crook of his shoulder again and feign fatigue. Instead, her dismissal is muffled by the familiar warmth of his lips and the feel of his fingers in her hair. Her mind is overrun with surprise and a hint of exasperation (because closing the space is the most Claude response ever) but her body seizes the opportunity, deciding it doesn't care what logic or reasoning have to say in this moment. Right now? This is home, and she has missed it.

She melts into his touch like a long held back sigh. Hands slide down the gentle slope of his neck, fingers curling into the hair that has grown long during his time in the pit. Gently and quietly, she urges him to come closer as if that will somehow make up for the unforgivable space and time wedged between them even if it's just in this isolated moment. The romantic in her imagines their heart beats fall in sync with one another's.

When it comes to him, her resolve has never been as strong as she makes it out to be; her affection for Claude runs as deep as defiance and stubbornness does for him. It likely always would. But as she deepens the kiss, she steels her resolve, assigning a meaning to their kiss in her mind: this will be the last. ]

[godshattering]

[ There's a split second where it occurs to Claude too late that this isn't the best choice. For a lot of reasons, the largest of which is it being months where he could have initiated this and hadn't. Not for a lack of want or wanting to, or even chances to, but because doing so felt like adding another tangle to all the knots tied between them lacing so much together. It's a silly thought now and one he would take back if he could, he thinks vaguely, though he can't do anything about that now.

Maybe it's best to not think at all. Far less complicated to lean into something they know well and nothing he's ever forgotten, something he couldn't have ever managed that even if he'd wanted to try, when her hands find their way into his hair. Easy to follow the invitation of space to be eliminated - of the physical kind to begin with with a silent request for the rest to follow - by letting his hand trail down Hilda's back until he can wrap an arm around her waist.

The kiss deepens and Claude chases it further, wills it to somehow transfer over all the words always strangling themselves in his throat. I missed you. I care about you so much. You've always been important to me. I don't know what I'd do with you. I didn't know what to do when you weren't here. All things he should have said without them being wrapped up in anything else or layered in fifty different disguises. All things he should have said years ago when they were only the weight of a feather, of a pebble, instead of the boulders they've become now. But it's thoughtless to ask for something not reciprocated when there'd been all those years where it could have been; where for all that this had become soothing in its consistency, it never had changed, had it?

Things could be different here. Claude pulls Hilda closer to cradle her against him like it'll block the rest of the world out, like there's not a hallway where anyone might walk by, like it'll absolve him of his past wrongs as an alternative to asking for forgiveness. It's not so insurmountable when it comes to the two of them - it can't be. Nothing is. This is proof. ]

[theidlemaiden]

[ Romance, surprisingly had been the last thing on Hilda's mind when they were facing down the barrel of a gun in Fodlan. Living in the moment and fighting to live another day had become paramount, making her avoidance of it easy; it had nothing to do with confronting the fact that there was more to their friendship for her than just losing the comfort of his body — why would it? Easier to keep believing the story that she had been telling herself all these years, the one where she didn't care for him as deeply as she did. She would never admit it out loud, but suddenly war seems like child's play in comparison to the feelings she's grappling with now.

Now that there is no war (or rather, a war that isn't theirs), where did that leave her? She's exposed, left without a convenient excuse to continue avoiding feelings she's denied for years. They're laid bare in front of her, daring her to look at them now that there have been developments in Claude's life. Almost as if they're forcing her to reevaluate and question where she stands. She doesn't want to admit the hurt she felt hearing about Sylvain and Petra — not to him, not to anyone, especially not to herself. Because as happy as she is for them, the seed of hurt sown in the equivalent of radio silence from him (she has yet to forget that he reached out to Petra and not her, and reason has had a hard time convincing her that it had to be the fault of muddled communication lines and not because he didn't care) had since grown. Traitorously, it now thrives on her haze of stress and worry.

But Claude's arms are a safe harbour for her; those feelings have no place here. Even the addition of new scars and wounds cannot diminish the familiarity his warmth provides. It's here that she can forget about everything else, much like she had at home. This is easy. This is what she knows. Roiling emotions are shoved roughly down as her teeth nip at his bottom lip, grasping him like he's the only thing keeping her afloat.

Her body yearns for more, devoid of him for so long, but she's mindful of where they are, his condition, and her resolve. That doesn't stop the soft, longing sound that she sighs into his mouth that hide her own thoughts. You make me feel like I can do more than I'll ever able to do to. I know I might just disappoint you, but I'll stay by your side as long as you'll let me. You don't have to care about me, just please don't forget me. She breaks apart just long enough to take a breath, pressing tender kisses to the hollow of his throat before capturing his lips in hers again. ]

[godshattering]

[ That longing noise ignites something in him like it always has. A call to be answered, one Claude forgets the reasons behind ignoring it for this long. They seem so inconsequential now to where he can't believe they mattered at all. Even less so when she breaks the kiss and it's his turn to sigh, eyes closed as she moves along his throat before their mouths find each other's again.

Eagerness has him moving, this time to lay Hilda back carefully against the mattress beneath them as he moves to balance his weight over her without interrupting anything. Something not yet healed yet twinges somewhere as he moves with another smaller one following, reminders to not stress whatever injuries are hidden away too much but he ignores it. It's not enough to pull his focus away from pressing his lips to one corner of her mouth before trailing more kisses along her jaw. The hand at her waist he slides up beneath the hem of her shirt to rest at her hip as the trail leads her down the side of her neck as he starts to shift to continue on further.

Claude means to continue but this time it's the still healing gash running along his back which sends a sharp warning through him when he moves the wrong way, and that has him letting out a negative noise not tied to anything else going on. The flash of pain can't be disregarded when it's as clear of a sign as any to stop before something worse occurs, and this time around Claude heeds the warning as he leans down to put his forehead on her shoulder with a mildly frustrated huff. ]

Hopefully I get points for trying.

[ Claude hasn't forgotten Hilda's warning to tell her if cuddling up together brought on too much discomfort, and he's assuming stopping abruptly told on him enough without needing to specify further. And joking about it is what's best, right? Right. So: with a kiss to her collarbone he sits up again and withdraws his hand from her side to reach up and run it through her hair once more with a faux thinking expression on. ]

Maybe minus a few for pushing it too far, since I think you might be ready to take those back anyway.

[ It's not the best segue he's ever made. Not by far, but the alternative is still why not being whispered in one corner of his mind, and he's not about to address that. ]

[theidlemaiden]

[ How is it possible to miss something so much, even when you had no right to do so? Riding the high of Claude's sigh, she allows herself to be guided back onto the bed. In the brief moment that his lips leave hers, a yearning void opens up as if any absence of him is an affront to her. The void is short lived, and soon she's lost to the feeling of his lips against her jaw and his hand sliding under her shirt.

It's impossible not to shiver at his touch, ignorant to the small warnings his body is giving him. Her head presses back into the pillow as her back arches to be closer to him. With her head tilted back, her neck is exposed to him, offering an expanse of skin to kiss, to have. Although his kisses are gentle, there's a searing heat to them, lighting her up from head to toe just like they had so many times before. She's part way to untangling her arms from around his neck to guide his hand south but any thoughts of that fly from her mind at the sound of his discomfort.

Immediately she's brought back to reality. In any other scenario where she's been denied something she wants, she'd pout and whine but she knows that this isn't his fault. Hilda tries to stifle her own frustrated sigh as she stares up at the ceiling. Unlike Claude's however, hers has more to do with the realization that she had almost let it get too far. Maybe this was the better outcome. Eyes flutter closed as if that will somehow help still her rapidly beating heart. It doesn't, unfortunately, no thanks to the kiss Claude places to her collarbone. The brief, innocence of it sets the butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

Thankfully playing things off like everything is fine is easy. It's something they've done plenty of times before. She takes a cue to readjust herself, slipping back into normalcy and ignoring the butterflies with a roll of her eyes. ]

I think it's safe to say you're in the negative. [ Just because she's resolved to start redefining lines again doesn't diminish her concern. Her hand reaches out to gently cup his cheek. Her thumb rubs tenderly along the skin that isn't covered by beard. ] Where does it hurt? Do I need to call a nurse?

[godshattering]

[ To be foiled by his own enthusiasm and needing to heal is a vexing combination. It's not what he wants, not by a longshot, but with his back still smarting as he ignores it there's nothing else to do but stop. Well - stop with larger, grander gestures beyond keeping his hand going through her hair, anyway, as Claude attempts tamping down need by labeling it want without much success on either front. Likely because in truth it's both in a potent combination he's always been weak to when it comes to her.

But there's time, even if patience in this regard isn't his specialty as Hilda looks back at him. He'll just have to wait. If he'd made it through the better part of a war before they were together again - well. This is nothing in comparison. ]

In the negative? That's harsh. Don't think I'm above trying to get back into your good graces.

[ There's a second where Claude tries to follow this up with a pout - shamelessly borrowing a page out of Hilda's own playbook - though it doesn't last long before he realizes the full (or any) effect of it will be lost with his beard in the way. Instead he closes his eyes for a second when her hand finds his face, then turns to kiss her palm before looking back at her. ]

I think I've lost track of where things hurt at this point. [ It's not a very good joke despite the blithe tone considering the truth never is all that humorous, and too late he realizes that plays into Hilda's second question. When his eyes widen slightly in apprehension a second later in recognition of that it's genuine. ] And please don't. I'm sure someone will be by to prod me in the morning and I'd like to limit it from happening until then.

[ Nothing worse than a battlefield scratch, he almost adds, but that's a line he's offered up one too many times for Hilda to fall for when he'd also used that to hide injuries of a different variety. There's no concealing these this time around much as he wishes that was the case, but he can give her another bit of honesty. ]

Selfishly, I'd rather stay in just your company for now.

[theidlemaiden]

[ Hilda knows that Claude isn't a mind reader but there's a moment where she hesitates. Surely there's no magic that can do that, right? And even if there were, he wouldn't use that against her, would he? If he could, she isn't certain what he'd find — but the thought makes her flush slightly in time with the kiss to her palm all the same. Silently she shakes herself from her stupor with a huff. Better to be firm and act as if moments ago hadn't happened in the first place.

Her tone teeters on the edge of withering, but it never quite gets there. Claude's pout, even with the beard, dispels any hope of that and it takes all of her will power not to laugh. The compromise is a small smile hidden at the corner of her lips. ]

Oh, I know you aren't. But I'll give you a hint on how to get back into them anyway. [ Her hand slides to cup his chin with her fingers, tone somehow light and playful in spite of everything she's feeling. ] Concentrate on getting better first.

[ There's other things in there that are left unsaid. Like a warning not to try and escape the confines of his room sending nurses on a wild goose chase. Or doing other activities that could pull open a wound before it had been fully healed. She makes a note to bring him as many books as he can stomach and then some tomorrow when she returns to their room.

There's a brief moment of triumph that she feels when she sees him widen his eyes. It's immediately stifled however by what he says next. She can feel her heart melting all over again and she knows that she has to train it to become a hardened heart instead. ]

...Fine. [ But maybe not tonight. That feels like an item for her to attend to tomorrow. Something that was easier to tackle in the light of day when she isn't wrapped up in his arms and can still smell him lingering on her skin. ] But first — [ Her hands slide down his chest to rest there, letting warmth flow from her palms to him. Her healing magic has never been as proficient as her friend's had, but it's a compromise instead of waking a nurse at this hour. ] does that feel a little better?

[godshattering]

I suppose.

[ Heavy emphasis on the suppose with a dramatic sigh behind it even as she cradles his chin in a way a little too close to being scolded. Because it is, that's the whole point, but he's still going to take it in stride like all those times of being told to stay right where he was in the infirmary before immediately slipping out at the first opportunity.

There's no war waiting for him here, though. No maps to study over and over, no figures to move around them to figure out where to place battalions to keep loved ones safe. No regrets to contemplate late at night, or - that's not entirely true. Plenty of things from the pit threaten to trespass where he doesn't want them to be when Hilda's here in front of him looking right back at him. Those can also wait until later for as long as he can keep them shelved.

Some random ache flares again and warns him to lay back down before he keeps himself upright for too long, but before he can move her hands find his chest. There's a second where he glances down at them, ready for a quip that'll absolutely make her roll her eyes, but before he can there's a familiar warmth flooding him which isn't from her touch alone. Despite his ribbing from moments ago Claude stays obediently still. ]

Much better. Who needs healers when I have you here?

[ It's partially teasing, partially truth with things still sunk murkily into it where they can't be seen. The magic's cleared up that ache and then some as it traces over other pains to fade them away and Claude takes advantage of that to lean down to continue pressing slow kisses to her neck like there'd never been any interruptions at all. ]

Now if you feel like keeping your hands right there, we might be onto something.

[theidlemaiden]

[ It should come as no surprise to Claude that he's on the receiving end of yet another exasperated eye roll. If she means to come across as serious about it, that's a near impossible task thanks to the smile that has begun to blossom from the corner of her lips outwards towards the rest of her mouth.

They both know that he won't stay put. That the moment a window of opportunity appears, he'll take it. The habit is so ingrained in him that if he hasn't grown out of it now, it's unlikely ever to leave. It's hard for her to recall a time when she wasn't an accomplice to his antics, encouraging him and helping him to seize as much of the opportunity as she could. Help could still come in the form of dragging him back to his hospital bed which feels inevitable at this rate. She's become so used to playing that role that she wonders if she can really do that while separating it from this.

Her gaze is alert, intent on searching for signs of more pain that she's caught off guard by kisses that come next. The reaction is instantaneous. Each kiss he lays against her neck spreads warmth up the length of her body. Her body forgetting her mind's resolve from seconds ago, arches towards him like some sort of flower searching for the sun. She attempts a noise of protest but it comes out as a breathy laugh instead. ]

I'm an awful healer, Claude. There's a reason we left that kind of thing to Marianne.

[ Her fingers dig lightly into his chest and before she can stop herself, she peppers kisses just behind his ear. Her teeth catch on his lobe, dragging down lightly with the faintest hint of yearning before she pushes gently against his chest to chide him. There's a clear reluctance to separate his lips from her neck as her mind and body battle against their respective wills. It's not entirely clear even to herself what she wants. But what she does know is that feeling wanted by him has never failed to make her heart full.

Could she live with that absence? ]

Are you sure you're trying to get back into my good graces?

[godshattering]

What else would I be doing?

[ Hilda's not going to buy the entirely put upon tone of innocence in his voice for a second like he's wounded she's questioning it and Claude hides a grin against her neck because he knows it. That's not going to stop him from trying this out anyway like it's a viable way to escape her chiding, even if he's careful not to overstep whatever line it is which earned that chiding push. Mostly. Hilda's no exception to his desire to be difficult even if it's of a far softer variety now than what most people encounter from him on any given day.

There's also still the feeling ghosting along his skin of where her lips had touched - something he's also now realizing he can't quantify how long it's been since that's happened. Does he include the time only since they've been in Abraxas? Should it also encapsulate the time before back in Derdriu where the war's ended and all the horizons seem bright, and where he was no closer to knowing where the two of them stand. Or maybe, even more confusingly, it includes his time here and away from that which adds up - startingly - to a year. Or more like two which is even more troubling. It's so much time.

Too much, he thinks guiltily even while moving his mouth along the underside of her jaw as though that will make up for it without having to speak it aloud. It's all that time and distance he's been carrying with him unfairly, but how to resolve it is a question mark. The old doubts begin to creep in like unwelcome ghosts: it's not the first time one of them has had a far too close brush with death. That if that was all it would take to clarify things - then wouldn't it have happened any number of those times before? Claude can't pretend like he knows that answer for himself given he's also avoided it, but just as quickly decides as he has every time before that this can be enough. It's enough to have her here, and maybe that's more than he's ever deserved past or present.

With one hand still wound into her hair and fingers trailing down to cradle the back of her neck, Claude presses his lips to a spot beneath her ear in an mirroring of what she's done, humming as he does so like something's just occurred to him. ]

Maybe a better question I should be asking is if it's working.

[theidlemaiden]

Oh, I don't know, resting?

[ Even with the best intent, Hilda's protest has just as much of a smile in it as Claude's faux innocence does. It's difficult to stay serious as she absently tracks the feeling of his lips along her jawline, making her heartbeat jump to her throat. The exhale she lets out has similar qualities to a sigh even though one doesn't pass from her lips in that moment and she's met with conflicting feelings about how well he's able to elicit that from her. Her hands are still splayed there against his chest with little force. Her fingers twitch, as if they have half a mind to fist the fabric of his tunic so that she can pull him up to where she'd much rather have his lips. The fact that she doesn't is astounding in and of itself. ]

No.

[ Yes.

Hilda loses herself again to the feeling of his fingers curled in her hair then on the back of her neck, cradling her like she's some sort of precious thing. If only, a wistful voice thinks. There's nothing proving that he does or doesn't think that. But perhaps, in the absence of said proof, that was everything she needed to draw a conclusion. Her heart sinks. Maybe she's the one who's been in denial of what had been in front of her all this time. It's frustrating to think that her feelings had somehow shifted without her realizing. It's surprising to think that she cared enough to feel this strongly about it and that she can't just let this go when there's never been anything more between them anyway.

This familiar push and pull had often ended in the latter back home. Whether it was late into the night, or hours before dawn broke, Hilda would be the one more often than not telling him that more sleep was better than less before losing that battle. Was it really losing though if it meant tangled sheets and his skin on hers? Or rather, was it losing when she was able to see sides of him that she had faintly, embarrassingly, claimed as her own?

Ugh, focus, Hilda. She tries again, caught between a battle of what her mind and body want. A hand rises to gently caress his cheek, voice firm but with an undertone of tenderness. ]

I'm not the one that just spent four weeks down in a pit. For once in my life, I think I'm admitting that you need more rest than I do.

[godshattering]

[ The pointed answer right back gets a laugh from him that he muffles against her neck, followed by a none too subtle snicker at no which he doesn't believe. Mostly because to him it sounds like their usual game of never easily answering any questions, and he leaves another kiss beneath her ear before moving slowly to her throat, intent on leaving more and more affection behind.

But the mention of the pit, how long it'd been, that she's admitting he needs rest more has Claude pausing with lips still against her skin. Maybe he could've played it off as faux shock over the 'admission' regarding rest, if only it wasn't for that he'd frozen at the mention of where they'd been kept.

Because this isn't any other night, he thinks faintly even while trying to shove that thought away, ignoring that similar ones had been on his mind not long before it. As if it's different somehow when Hilda points it out - but it is, because then there's no real way around that avoiding all of it or pretending there's some other reason he's here in a makeshift infirmary bed. Claude closes his eyes like it'll help him imagine there's another reason her hand is on his cheek, but exhales the smallest sigh against the base of her throat when it doesn't work. ]

It must be pretty dire if you're saying I need the beauty sleep, huh.

[ He's aiming for teasing since his cuticles are probably the least awful part on him at the moment, but it doesn't quite make it there with the words warped at the edges. It's enough for Claude to lay back on his side as he lets his hand fall out of her hair to lightly wrap an arm around her waist again to settle in once more, half-smile fixed into place. Said smile might be on the forced side at first, but it quickly softens into something far less automatic as he studies her face.

It should be so easy to just open his mouth and say something not meant to rile her up - something genuine, something he finds himself reminded of as he looks back at her when it's impossible to keep away. Selfish, he reminds himself, and twists his mouth to the side for a second in thought as if he's contemplating the not so subtle hint to sleep. ]

I suppose you have a point we could both use some rest. [ Because he's still going to make sure Hilda gets some too, especially after her sleep was interrupted. The temptation's there to lean in to kiss her teasingly again like it's a goodnight kiss of some kind they've jokingly traded before, but instead he hesitates for a reason he can't name and lightly squeezes her side where his hand rests. ] See you in the morning, then?

[theidlemaiden]

[ In the time it takes Claude to respond, Hilda waits, half expecting him to protest or find a way to prolong the inevitable and much needed rest that they both needed. When he continues to leave a trail of kisses in his wake, a part of her wants him to keep dodging it because childishly, selfishly, she wants this moment to last.

She doesn’t want the morning to come because it means grappling with the things she’s put off. It means beginning to examine the twisted knot that her feelings had become and try to untangle them. Or ignore them. The latter seems like the more likely outcome if she’s being honest with herself. What’s the point in untangling them when there wasn’t a use for them anymore? Why expend the effort if it would only result in damaging her relationship with Claude and hurting herself?

Unfortunately he listens to her in the end and her annoyance flares. It isn’t Claude she’s annoyed with though. It’s herself. She’s annoyed for wishing for something so practical into existence and then for feeling that way at all. This isn’t how you laid feelings to rest. This isn’t how you moved on.

But as soon as his arm wraps around her waist, she moves a little bit closer to him, body instinctively wanting to be close. Her hand lingers, unable to remove it from the features of his face that she knows so well. In the same way Claude is studying her face, so too is she studying his. In that brief hesitation as pink eyes meet green, she thinks that he’ll reach in to kiss her again. In the next heartbeat, she knows that she’d let him.

A kiss doesn’t come though. Not every instance of ending up in bed with him was meant to end in a good night kiss and it shouldn't after tonight. She shouldn’t feel so disappointed. She has no right to and she knows that. A brief look of, “Of course I have a point,” flickers to her expression, involving a halfhearted eyeroll and a smile. Her fingers trace the line of his cheekbone, down the shape of his jaw (or maybe beard was more accurate) before they ghost his lips. I can do this, she thinks. How difficult would it be to put her feelings away into a little box and support Claude from afar? She can’t do much but she knows she can at least accomplish that much; she has to.

Finally Hilda offers her own smile in return hoping that it doesn’t look as sad as it feels. ]

I’ll be here.

[godshattering]

Good.

[ Gets murmured back after he opens his eyes from where they'd fallen shut when her hand traces over his face, unintentionally memorizing the feeling to keep it with all the other times. Something else to hold dear, something to stoke all those what ifs just as much as why not even as he wills it away without much luck. He could still add more. He could.

Instead he leans in to kiss her forehead in an echo of earlier even if he's the only one who knows it and lets his lips linger again. It'll have to be enough. There's been so much time, certainly, but there's also still time to figure it out in favor of letting it go for now to settle in for the night.

This time Claude doesn't remember falling asleep. He does, and time passes, and days pass, until there's a stay in the hospital which has him finding even more ways to escape.

But when the time comes, finally being out and back home isn't exactly the relief he'd hoped it would be. That's something he'd half-expected: familiar faces and a secure place to be helps when everything about moving from one location to yet another was jarring, including standing in his room at the inn looking at things he hadn't touched in weeks. Maybe that makes it even easier to step back into a routine to keep himself moving to grab onto some semblance of normalcy.

Of course, that also means being around less at night when he takes back to roaming Cadens between stopping at libraries to find new books, stopping in at places he'd volunteered to see how things have been and browsing stores, and going for walks just to enjoy being outside. There's a chance he should invite others to come with him, but it's easier - he tells himself - to take the time to be alone for a bit.

On this particular evening, though, Claude returns back to the inn roughly around dinnertime and when he lets himself into their apartment, at first he thinks no one's there based on how quiet it is. He kicks his boots off at the door while taking off his satchel and starts to head to his room before he catches a glimpse of familiar pink hair in the sitting area and changes course. ]

Oh, hey. [ Said as he comes around the side of the couch to drop down into the seat next to Hilda with a smile. ] Hope you weren't enjoying being all by yourself since I'm here to disrupt it for you.

[theidlemaiden]

[ The days seem to blur into one another after that night. Her dedication to ensuring that everyone is taken for doesn't falter, and somehow, neither does her resolve that had failed her that night with Claude.

Being busy means that Hilda doesn't have a moment to think or dwell on anything unpleasant — how can she when there's so many other things to do? There's no room for thoughts about the avalanche, nor the nightmare she'd had (and has had since). And there certainly isn't room for the feelings that knotted so tightly in her stomach that she could very well cry if she kept thinking about it (it's mostly dramatics. Mostly.) So she had chosen the coward's way out: not thinking about it. Instead she fills her mind with things like lists about everything that her recovering friends needed and then some while they were at the hospital.

It's only when Sylvain and Claude are allowed to return to their apartment that she starts to run into difficulty. There's one less thing to fuss meaning she needed to fill it with other things. But it's as if she had been waiting her whole life for this moment - or at least moments like it. What else was avoiding work (and by extension things she didn't want to think about or do) good for if she couldn't fill her time with things she enjoyed?

If Claude is absent, Hilda claims she doesn't notice. With three sets of eyes now to watch over him, surely hers aren't needed. Most of her time is also spent out of their living quarters, throwing herself into the projects she hadn't touched since their kidnapping. A local jeweler she had befriended had offered her a space in their studio to work on her whimsical little crafts. It had been perfect because it meant that her friends were likely none the wiser to what she was working on and leaving Hilda free of any pesky expectations.

Today however, with everyone out, a plethora of books are laid out in front of her along with a necklace. She's been puzzling over a particular enchantment with little success. A frustrated whine is part way out of her lips when she hears the door unlock and she's quick to shove books under some pillows and a rather bulky one under the couch. It's only when Claude rounds the corner and sits himself down next to her does she realize that she's forgotten about the necklace lying out on the coffee table in front of her. Shit.

She stretches, faking a yawn that probably won't fool Claude. ]

I was actually. I was just about to lie down for a little nap but I guess I'll have to put it off now. [ She can feel the tension in her shoulders and she loathes it. ] Where have you been?

[godshattering]

[ The yawn doesn't fool him whatsoever. But it's enough to bring a fond look to his face as he leans back in his seat to stretch an arm along the back of it just to get more comfortable, since both parts of that feel like a familiar enough routine between them. Including that Hilda's threatening him with being abandoned for a nap, though the idea doesn't sound half bad even if he'd also resurfaced from the day initially in hopes of finding someone to drag along for a meal.

That can wait since teasing her is obviously infinitely more important than anything else. ]

Will it change your mind if I beg and plead for your attention? Because I'm absolutely not above it, especially after I had such a long day of balancing books. You'd think my merchant friend had forgotten how to do it himself since I took over some time ago, but getting it all ironed back out's been a fun project.

[ Not that the merchant had exactly planned for his currently complaining assistant to up and disappear for weeks, but that's besides the point. It's still been a tiring project, though today's added weariness might also be because his sleep last night had been even more suspect than usual. That might've been his own fault since he was lost in a novel he'd regretted not having enough time to finish, but at least it's something for later. He's about to continue teasing her about the nap situation, and then something vaguely shiny on the coffee table gets his attention since it's not something usually there. ]

Hey, what's this?

[ Claude's learned from years of watching Hilda work that by now, he shouldn't touch whatever it is in progress lest something delicate get disturbed no matter how carefully he handles it - he's not about to accidentally undo what she's created. That means he leans forward to peer at it instead to take in what he can see. She's clearly been hard at work and though it doesn't reveal its secrets (if it even has any) to his curious eyes-only investigation, he next looks to Hilda with a grin from his viewpoint. ]

A new project in the works?

[theidlemaiden]

I'm sure there are other people that can pay attention to you, Claude.

[ There's no bite to her words as she rolls her eyes. It's all joking and lightness because why would there be any sharp edges? Except when he reaches his arms out over the back of the seat close enough to brush her shoulder, she finds that she doesn't lean back immediately. There's a hesitation in her body language as Hilda pauses to think about it. As if leaning back into his shoulder runs the risk of ruining the resolve that she's stubbornly built since they had kissed. Eventually she does though, crossing her arms across her chest to pass him a sidelong glance. ]

I think one of the others might be back soon. [ A broad guess. She assumes that their friends will be coming back whenever it suits them; she hasn't exactly been keeping tabs on anyone seriously even though the residual panic from the kidnappings still makes her fret needlessly from time to time. She hadn't before and there's a desire in her for things to return back to the way they were. A doubtful voice asks if that's possible when things had clearly shifted in her in regards to Claude. ] Or you could spend some time with Claude and Sylvain Jr. Or one of the Leosylphs you brought back?

[ She says the last bit a little bit chidingly. It's inevitable that they'll have to return them at some point but even Hilda would be hard pressed to admit that she had grown used to having the feline creatures around. Before she can offer another suggestion it's apparent that Claude has noticed the dainty lantern lying on the table. Inwardly she groans. What else did she expect? It was out in the open after all. Any larger of a reaction to snatch it from his grasp or cover it up would definitely arouse suspicion. After a beat of quick thinking she opts for the cool, calm, collected half truth Hilda response instead. A hum preambles her response as she motions for him that it's okay to pick it up. ]

It's less project and more silly crafting. Anything that looks gold is just gold plated brass because I'm not sure about some parts of the design yet and I didn't want to splurge on the more expensive materials. The crystal is real though.

[ If Claude takes a closer look however there's some chalk etchings on the head of the lantern that look designs she has yet to add. In reality they're enchantment runes with her own flair - a detail she's purposefully left out. ]

[godshattering]

[ There's a scoff in regards to other people and paying attention, one he lets speak for the unsaid portion that it's her attention he wants as he just trusts that'll come through anyway. The others probably will be back soon enough given that's another familiar routine that's been simple enough to slide back into along with teasing her.

He's not going to let the necklace go either but it can wait for a second, since at the mention of the Leosylphs there is, maybe, the barest flicker of a(n actually) guilty look over their surprise invasion into the apartment before it turns into a faux one for the sake of being dramatic. Of course. ]

Hey now, I've been taking care of them! And now that I think about it, I don't recall you protesting the other day when they decided to take a nap with you.

[ Still - he does at least look up towards the tall storage cabinet nearby where he'd fashioned a makeshift bed out of a pillow and some spare blankets, and isn't surprised to see a couple of furry faces blinking sleepily back at them from over the edges of their bed for daring to disturb their slumber. The disruption might prevent them from knocking things over in the middle of the night thanks to sleepiness, so he'll take it. One more glance around proves the lizards, however, are nowhere to be seen at the moment as far as he can tell. Maybe they're curled up with the Leosylphs for some added warmth.

All the more reason to turn back to the necklace now that she's gestured to it, and Claude fully abandons leaning back on the couch to retrieve it by gingerly scooping it up in both hands. Hilda's description of it being silly crafting doesn't get a reaction from him like she might've hoped since he's too busy inspecting it while listening - and immediately disregarding her downplaying of... what it is. Because what exactly it's for is lost on him at the moment even as he gently balances the lantern on a fingertip to tilt it this way and that, noting how the crystal catches the light in the room. ]

It's a good design, even if you're planning on telling me it's just silly crafting again instead of accepting the compliment. [ Does he cut his gaze to her with a mischievous smirk of amusement there for a second? He does, then it's back to looking at the lantern again. ] Does the crystal do something? There's markings on here I don't recognize aside from them sort of resembling something I saw in a library book once.

[theidlemaiden]

[ Hilda would be lying if she said she didn't hear the implication in his voice. Along a similar vein she would be lying if she said a small part of her enjoyed hearing it. Even though she had resigned herself to her plan, had already begun to put the steps in place to create a separation so miniscule that it would be like nothing had changed between them, feelings so rarely evaporated overnight. This was more than that though. Knowing that she still mattered to him, or at the very least hearing it, sent a rush of warmth through her. The tips of her ears may be covered by her hair but that doesn't stop them from turning a pleasant pink.

Her cheeks puff up at the accusation that isn't actually one. Now it's her turn to protest. ]

I didn't say I didn't like them! They're nice bed warmers. [ There's a pause as her gaze flits to the Leosylph's lounging atop the cabinet in their makeshift bed. The faint clockwork tick she's had to become attuned to (the lizards proved to be grand, mischevious escape artists) over the last several weeks is a giveaway that Veliki, and by extension, Mali, are there too. ] But I guess they're cute.

[ As Claude begins his examination of her creation, Hilda feels the familiar creep of anxiety. This feeling never seemed to dim, no matter who it was looking at it. She had felt it when Alucard had helped her test her bracers, when Viktor had looked at her preliminary sketches. Hilda had even felt it when Raphael looked at the necklace had made for his sister. Praise — praise related to anything but her looks — always made her uncomfortable. As it stood, Claude should have been the person she felt the most comfortable around and therefore the person that she shouldn't feel any sort of trepidation with. And yet.

Of course he sees the etchings. And of course he asks along with a trademark smirk to tie it all together. Goddess she hated that smirk. There's a muttered comment about how there's plenty of necklaces that look like lanterns, it's nothing earth shattering just like how florals for a spring fashion line isn't groundbreaking. The comment is really just a mechanism for her to mull over whether or not to tell him since he had seen them. She could easily dismiss it as a design feature and nothing more — but for some reason outright lying about it didn't sit well with her. More of the truth is pulled reluctantly from her as she flops against the pillow to her right. It's less a flop of despair and more her trying to hide the book that was stuffed behind the cushion. ]

Maybe. I just haven't decided what yet. Or how. Mostly they're just designs I thought might be cute.

[godshattering]

[ The muttered comment gets another fond hmph from him that he leaves there since it's not something he's buying and it likely doesn't need to be said aloud for that to resonate regardless - not when Hilda knows him well enough from hours upon hours of time spent together in various capacities. He can wait for what she'll add past that while studying the markings and trying (without much luck) to place them in which book he'd seen them in before.

But what's said when it finally is feels like being walled out of something, enough to toe the line between implying it and doing so outright, and it catches him off-guard. Claude's motions still as he looks at the necklace for a long moment, and then up at Hilda for yet another stretch of time without saying anything. There's the urge to ask in all teasing what it is she's hiding. Maybe he should. Maybe it'd be easy enough. Or maybe, just maybe, he should pay closer attention to what feels like a small shift and see whether it's part of his imagination. There's multiple ways to feel it out, and it could just as easily be nothing at all. Perhaps it's a side effect of an even more inconsistent sleep schedule.

In the end, he peers at the necklace for a couple seconds longer before setting it down with great care upon the coffee table once more to make sure nothing about it gets jostled out of place. ]

Alright then, keep your plans secret. I see how it is.

[ Said lightly enough in a familiar teasing tone as he sits back against the couch again with a smile to offset the mock scolding way it's said to further the joke silently meant to prod along that minor resistance, though that plant doesn't last long before Claude tilts his head after another moment when another thought crosses his mind. ]

Have you been to the night markets here lately? Some new stalls have popped up over the last few days and ones I didn't recognize from... ah, before. Anyway, some of them have new materials that I've heard are from Libertas thanks to the portal though I'm not sure if that's the case. There's some new paints and metals in different forms which made me think of the artists there and such along with some hand-painted beads and stones.

[ Because he had, on one of those many late nights and early mornings, studied the stocked tables and chatted with a stallkeeper here and there to find out more about them. Not entirely so out of curiosity alone given since her birthday Claude's been quietly looking for more supplies Hilda might like, and if she's now moving into working on more projects: what better time to offer those up? ]

[theidlemaiden]

[ Watching Claude try to puzzle out the enchantment she’s sketched out, there’s a part of her that thinks he’ll solve it (because if there’s anyone who can, it’s him). Like he’ll somehow read her mind because as good as she’s gotten at hiding what she’s thinking, someone who could read minds — or just because it’s Claude and he knows her as well as she thought she knew him — wouldn’t have any trouble figuring out what she’s trying to do and why she’s trying to hide it from him in the first place.

But instead he’s putting the necklace down and moving onto something else.

When a brief frown graces her features, Hilda realizes a split second later how hypocritical and bratty of a reaction it is. She had purposefully been vague. This is what she had decided. Claude not prodding, Claude respecting the half truth she had given him is what she wanted. So why did it bother her that he wasn’t needling her for more details? Is it because this isn’t the script they’ve followed for years? Or is it because she had hoped that he’d figure it out and offer a suggestion on how to make her idea better in the ways just like he had in the past? His light, joking tone doesn’t betray anything which really only serves to agitate her further, and that certainly doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that she’s got a book corner prodding her in the side.

There’s a knee jerk reaction that is tempting to see through to the end — one where she childishly asks why he’s just giving up so easily. Instead, some combination of anxiety, stubbornness, and a topic change has her swallowing it before it can potentially make the situation worse.

Absently, she twirls a piece of her hair around her finger trying to read between the lines for a question Claude didn’t ask. ]

Are you offering to take me shopping? Because if you are…I could probably skip out on my nap for that. [ Hilda’s eyes glint teasingly, the lilt in her voice one of genuine interest that she doesn’t have to feign. Shopping — particularly when it isn’t her own money — never fails to cheer her up. ] Or are you trying to commission something from me? Because you know I’d never accept your money that way.

[godshattering]

[ Shopping is a good deal to offer. He knows it, Hilda knows it, and all that remains to be seen is whether she accepts it. Though it comes with the benefit of being out of the apartment some more since he'd thought he wanted to be home for the evening he would've rather not, the offer's still genuine and more so because it includes spending time with Hilda. Something that seems like a given to him so he doesn't bother to voice it aloud. It's implied enough, right? Right.

As he watches her twirl her hair, Claude keeps the smile on his face since while he's anticipating one particular answer to this that doesn't mean it'll happen. But when it does and extinguishes some of the remaining questions in his mind, that smile immediately splits into a grin. ]

See, I had a feeling that might outrank a nap any day of the week. But, Hilda.

[ Because there's no time like the present to be dramatic, and he's absolutely going to take that opportunity now to press a hand to his chest even as keeping an arm stretched out across the back of the couch casually undermines him a bit. That won't stop him from putting a wounded expression on to double down on it. ]

How could you ever think I'd be capable of such a thing? Obviously I'm doing this purely out of the goodness of my own heart!

[ There's a (not) small chance Claude's channeling some of Lorenz's blustering in here. If it wasn't apparent before, it'll be very much so when he stands up from the couch with a too familiar scoff. It's one he's imitated far too many times before in their times together discussing classmates turned friends - and one Claude's also imitated to the face of the man in question himself. That's half the fun of it, anyway.

It hasn't - to Claude - lost any of that entertainment value even if there's no Gloucester heir to offer an offended huff in return like at war councils. Instead there's only Claude holding a hand out to her now with yet another grin. ]

C'mon. I did actually mean it about there being some things you'll really like for potential projects.