abraxaslogs | tragedy has a hold of my mind [closed]

[ When the door bumps into something she casts a quick glance downwards in dismay. Has she been petty and bratty enough in the past to forcefully shove someone's foot out of the way so she could close a door? Absolutely. But she wasn't going to do that to Steve of all people. Or would she? She really hadn't woken up today expecting to do any kind of physical training and suddenly she's got a streak of vindictiveness coursing through her thanks to the betrayal of people who she thought were friends.

As for the meeting - Hilda did in fact have a meeting with Alucard. It just wasn't going to happen until tomorrow but she knew she'd be found out in seconds the moment Steve mentioned it to him. Up until this point Hilda had thought that the network had been convenient. Turns out she had found the one scenario where instant mind messages weren't that great.

His golden retriever-esque stare loosens her resolve, but it doesn't outweigh her laziness. She gives him something of snort, not admitting to being caught in a fib although it's obvious that she had been. ]

That's what Natasha said and that was in the Horizon! The only way you're going to get me to go training is if you carried me out and you've already got a big pack over your shoulder.

[ It's not much of a surprise that Steve's echoed Natasha's wording, given that the two of them had often conducting training sessions with the Avengers side-by-side, making sure that everyone was up to snuff. This is all par for the course for him and while it's been a while since he's had a new recruit, he isn't going to be so easily dissuaded.

If Hilda thinks she's stubborn, she may have just met someone who's even worse.

As soon as she lets out that snort he can see that he's going to have to take drastic measures here, though ironically, she then gives him the answer to their current dilemma. Big pack or not, it doesn't matter; she's going to weigh practically nothing to him.

So with that, he bends down just slightly so that he can set one arm at the back of her knees and tilt her off balance so that her upper body falls into his other waiting arm, effortlessly pulling her into his grip. When he straightens, he's carrying her in his arms not unlike a princess, her legs dangling. ]

I'm not sure if this is the first time I've mentioned this, but I kind of have super strength. [ Which means that carrying her and his pack is not a strain whatsoever. He backs up a few steps and then nods to her. ] Can you shut the door? My arms are a little full.

[ Har har. ]

[ While Hilda had drawn comparisons between Raphael and Steve in the past, she's certain that Rapahel would never betray her like this. She's taking it back, immediately revoking Steve's Gentle Giant card and giving him a Betrayer of the Highest Order card instead.

She lets out a yelp that is both surprise and protest as she's suddenly swept off her feet into Steve's arms.

Unfortunately because of the circumstances of this particular scenario, it's lost on her how nice it would normally feel nice to be cradled against Steve's well defined chest. Well, not completely. The flush on her cheeks might have to do with some of that. But it mostly has to do with the fact that he's literally had the guts to just do what she'd said! And she hadn't been serious!

When she finally finds her voice again, she sounds as unimpressed as she looks. ]

If you had, I probably wouldn't have suggested it. [ But for what it's worth, she does nudge the door closed until it clicks definitively. ] Are you sure I can't just interest you in using me as a weight for your training? I used to sit on my brother's back all the time when I was younger so I have some experience already.

Edited 2023-05-26 21:30 (UTC)

[ The fact that Hilda does in fact shut the door as Steve requested must mean that she's finally accepted her fate, at least to some degree. She's still trying to bargain with him, even now, so he suspects that he'll have to wear her down some more when they reach their final destination.

He's prepared to do whatever it takes to fulfill the task that Natasha assigned him, so off they go. He heads down the cobbled street.

He should probably put her down, but for now he doesn't, half-worried she's just going to take off back toward the house the second he does. ]

Your brother, huh? It sounds like he was good about training, at least. That didn't rub off of on you?

[ To be honest, Steve can tell (especially now that he's got Hilda so close to him) that she must do some sort of training. She's got some muscles in her arms particularly. ]

You fought in a war, didn't you? I would have thought training would be second nature...

Nope. Not one bit.

[ There's clearly evidence refuting Hilda's claims that some of Holst's habits rubbed off on Hilda. Her arms are a give away, and so are the callouses on her hands from holding weapons (gloves, aggressive skincare and magic can only do so much). Unfortunately she's heading to the grave saying that that isn't the case. Pointedly she folds her arms over her chest and looks away pouting.

The sight of Steve carrying her probably draws a few stares but Hilda doesn't seem to pay any mind. She's far too focused on parrying any mention of her being competent down. ]

Holst is the head of our family and a famous general. I'm neither of those things so why would I have to train as hard? And most of what I did in the war was cheer people on from the sidelines - that didn't take training at all.

[ So rather than aiming to follow in her brother's footsteps, that of a great general, Hilda had decided that all of the hard work was already done and she therefore didn't need to worry about it. Steve's an only child, but he figures it goes one of two ways when someone has a famous older sibling.

Hilda's taken it as an excuse to slack off. Supposedly. ]

The sidelines, huh? Those calluses on your hands tell a different story. I'm guessing you weren't just on the sidelines when you went to find Claude and Sylvain in the mountains, either.

[ Steve continues along down a busy Cadens street, and while they're earning some looks, most people seem to either find the fact that he's carrying Hilda either baffling, amusing, or something in between. Maybe rumors will spread at this rate, but he's not really worried about that. ]

Why don't you tell me what you know how to do already? It'll give me a better idea of where to start.

[ Steve got it right on the nose, that's exactly why she's slacking off. No other reason to see here so long as you don't look too closely or question it further.

Speaking of looking at things too closely though — at the mention of her hands, she immediately burrows them a little further under her armpits. If you think that it has the effect of making her look even more like a pouting child bundled in Steve's arms, then you'd be right. The downside to being ambushed before she's left the loft is that she didn't have a chance to pull on gloves. Did he have super sight along with being super buff? ]

I totally was! I went along with Petra for moral support. I couldn't just leave her to go out there on her own - what kind of friend would I be then?

[ Hopefully he can't call her out on that front at least not right now. Her cheeks puff up in protest. ]

I was taught to fight with some weapons but I'm not great at any of them. Nat's also been trying to teach me hand-to-hand combat.

[ It felt like some kind of updated grappling in some respects, but had she bothered to put it into practice outside of the Horizon? Not quite. ]

[ Steve does have enhanced senses, so the answer to that question is pretty much yes. Noting the way that she tucks her hands away, though, he does wonder if Hilda has some sort of complex about her rough hands, or if she just doesn't want to dispel the aesthetic she tries to put forth.

He briefly frowns at the mention of Petra, aware that she'd vanished shortly after everyone was recovered, but he doesn't want to put salt in a wound there. ]

Well, it was good of you to go with her, but what if something else like that happens? Don't you want to have the strength needed to save your friends?

[ Whether she's lying about her skill level or not, this is helpful information. He already knew that Natasha was working through stuff with her in the Horizon, so he nods in response. ]

This will be to supplement that foundation she's been giving you. And hey, we're here.

[ There are a lot of outdoor training grounds in Cadens given the strong military presence, but some of them are in fact open to the public. This one has some primitive workout equipment, a decently sized obstacle course, and some cleared out areas for hand-to-hand sparring.

Finally, he sets her down. ]

[ Steve's questions are all sound. Of course she wants to protect her friends, that seems a like a bit of a no brainer because who wouldn't? But her resolve never to die for someone still remains. She's been steadfast in her mantra ever since her Academy years when Byleth had asked her why she didn't want to at least try. War hadn't changed that tune - even if her actions have suggested otherwise. ]

You've met my friends. All of them are stronger than I'll ever be.

[ And smarter. It was the combined efforts of the other Summoned that had led to the kidnapped Summoned being found; what she had done to contribute was beyond her.

She breezes through the subject, preoccupied with the fact that Steve was, unfortunately, that serious about the training. Once her feet are firmly on the ground she casts a glance around the training area, nose wrinkling at the sight of the gigantic tires off to the side. ]

Do you come and train here often?

[ The more that Steve hears from Hilda, the more that her protests sound less like pure laziness and more like a lack of believing in herself. You won't fail at something if you never even try — is that the mantra she's living by?

Well, it's wildly opposed to how Steve lives his life, so he's going to continue to be stubborn about this, much as Natasha had been. ]

Sure, they're strong, but I also saw what they went through down there. [ His expression darkens for a moment before he heaves out a sigh, as if expelling the unpleasant memories. ] We've got plenty of proof now that there may be a time when they need you — or when you need to have the strength to save yourself.

[ So, here they are. The training grounds. Steve scans the area, trying to figure out where they should start, when Hilda asks that question. He turns back to her and nods. ]

Pretty often, yeah. You'll probably think this sounds nuts, but training and exercising is good stress relief for me, so...

[ Ever since he got back from that island, he's been coming here a lot. ]

[ Steve's guess isn't totally far off. The principle is there, even if her version sounds far more selfish than he's giving her credit for.

His persistence and reminder of what happened to not only him but Sylvain and Claude settles uncomfortably on her skin and she has to keep her gaze steady on the training course in case her eyes begin to water. Guilt creeps under her skin along with the unmistakable feeling that all of her shortcomings had been laid out on display several months ago.

Of course she wanted to protect her friends. But protecting herself meant she didn't have any responsibility to take care of others. There were less people to disappoint when it was just her.

Eventually her eyes flit back towards Steve as he trails off. At a glance, he had handled the island more gracefully than she felt some of the others had. But maybe that was all a bit of a front too. When she pipes up again her voice sounds light and airy, with something of a laugh mixed in there too. ]

You're right, I do think that sounds nuts. But I can't say I'm surprised. [ She lets out a dramatic sigh. ] I can't say either of those things have worked for me, but I guess since I'm here I could give it a try.

[ Hilda's eyes go doe eyed again, her lips twitching, ever persistent. ]

But maybe you could show me first and then I could try?

[ There's a brief moment there where it seems like Hilda is somewhere else entirely. She's staring out at the obstacle course, but it doesn't seem like she's really looking at that. Steve frowns, about to ask if everything's all right, but that's when she turns to him as if the moment never happened.

Well, he's given her a hard enough time already today. He'll leave it for now.

Finally, she verbally agrees. He shoots her a genuine smile, even if there's also a hint of something triumphant in it as he gathers that he finally got her to cave. ]

Good. Once you get into a routine, you'd be surprised at how it'll help you work through things that are stressing you out. [ To the point that she might even look forward to these sessions. That's his goal, anyway.

When she asks for a demonstration, Steve laughs briefly but concedes, his arms planting on his hips as he nods. ]

Sure, so long as you promise not to run off while I'm running through the course.

[ With that, he sets down his pack on a nearby bench and then starts to swing his arms to either side. It's always a good idea to stretch and limber up! ]

tragedy has a hold of my mind [closed]

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