abraxaslogs | [ CLOSED ] the dawn is opening

So I should've used the books in my room as an obstacle course for you? Interesting. I bet you could still find your way around them with a blindfold on, and I wouldn't say no to you trying to impress me that way when we get back.

[ He doesn't need to look at Sylvain's face to know which expression is there, or which of a potential handful it is, and that's half the reason for the amusement in his voice as he continues on without a glance. ]

I'd say don't move your eyebrows too much or you'll knock the blindfold loose, but that'd be slandering my extreme skill with knots. Call it another test of your patience.

[ Time to start walking again though Claude slows to step behind the other man and place a hand on his shoulder to maneuver him around a stack of crates begging for someone's shins to collide with them. One more turn down another sidewalk and then they're in sight of the Sarstina. ]

Does it make it better or worse if I tell you we're almost there?

Forget around them, I’ll just go through them. [ A pause, as he reconsiders the veritable mountain of books in Claude’s room at any given moment. ] Or over them, more likely. Besides. Is there even an ‘around’ them in the first place? Somehow I doubt it.

[ Will he never not torment Claude over the disastrous state of his room? Unlikely. Especially when it exasperates him so. ]

I can’t decide, honestly. But if you want to distract me more, you can tell me all about this expertise with knots you’ve been hiding from me. How could you? Think of all the fun ways we could have been using that knowledge all this time!

Of course there is. I do have some spare space left, you know. Especially since you told me before I was supposed to be using the bookcases, whatever that meant.

[ Or some such vaguely put out equivalent huffed while shutting his door, no matter which one of them was shutting it. Probably Sylvain since that'd involve more complaining since the state of his own room is just fine, if you ask Claude, and all of those books have a purpose for being there. So does the deliberate mention of knots and their uses, which gets a grin from him as they close in on the final block. ]

Wouldn't you rather have a live demonstration? I find that's more effective than words for just about everything.

[ A lie, even if it's a teasing one: there's plenty he likes about words and far more of that which Sylvain's been subject to when it comes to the believability of that statement. No matter; they've reached the inn door and Claude reaches with his free hand to open it. ]

Now, take a guess where you are. If you're right I might even consider taking the blindfold off of you.

You do realize that bookcases exist for the sole purpose of storing books, right?

[ His tone remains utterly dry and deadpan as one hand comes out to grip at Claude’s arm in a moment of unbalanced wobbling when the paving under his foot proved to be a little uneven.

But he’s grinning despite the goodnatured ribbing. Especially when Claude retorts about the knots with that intriguing offer. ]

Oh, I am all for live demonstrations. You know I prefer a very hands-on approach, after all. Although I never thought I’d see the day where you wanted to do something without talking about it for hours first. I’m not complaining, mind. Well, no, that’s not true, I’m still complaining that I’m only finding out about this skill now. You’ve been holding out on me. I’m hurt.

[ Which is when he hears a familiar creak to a door and catches a familiar, nostalgic scent that has him blinking behind the blindfold but grinning wider. ]

Well. I didn’t feel a portal, so I gotta say, we’re in Cadens.

[ He knows exactly where they are, but he’s not giving Claude that just yet. Although he is a little confused about why Claude felt the need to blindfold him to bring him here. They were often in and out of this place at least once or twice a week, despite living in the Loft now. They could have just met here or something, but clearly the other man still has more up his sleeve. ]

[ Not that Sylvain can see it, but there's a firm roll of his eyes in response to the true purpose of bookshelves. Normally now would be the time he might petulantly remind the other man of any number of things in redirection, but the confirmation of wanting a demonstration - and then all those complaints - get a laugh from him. ]

Now I know we've spent too much time together since all of that sounds like something that'd come out of my mouth rather than yours.

[ Said dramatically, naturally, and like he can't decide if this is a good thing or not and any statements following might tip it one direction or the other. Though - it'd be a mistake to assume Claude wasn't taking notes on that quietly regardless, or that it'll come without a bunch of talk to go with it which Sylvain likely knows well by now. No further comment on that comes beyond a light elbow to the other's side at that guess. ]

You don't get the lose the blindfold for being technically correct just because you picked something broad. Staying on it is.

[ The tavern's at its usual level of business from the regular customers normally here and whatever Summoned might be around, and none of them raise an eyebrow for longer than a second at Sylvain being led in without being able to see where he's going. Claude shifts to step in front with his back to where they're going as he takes both of Sylvain's hands now to lead him towards one particular table.

It's not decorated like it could've been, though that it's still empty has Claude flashing a wink to Mag from where she watches from behind the bar with a smile before turning to serve another patron now that the plan's been somewhat pulled off. There's a reason for this specific table rather than just any one of the others around, and part of that's about to become apparent as he manuevers Sylvain into standing in front of it like memory demands. Next comes letting go of the hands in his to take a seat in another specific seat and to lean forward to prop his chin on the back of one hand, fully smiling to himself. ]

Alright, time for guess number two. I think you can get a little closer this time around.

What can I say? You must’ve rubbed off on me.

[ He manages to deliver that line completely deadpan, with only the faintest twitch at one corner of his lips to give away his impish humor at the innuendo-laden statement.

Still, Claude leads him somewhere inside the familiar tavern, although he’s still a little confused as to why. Especially when he feels the other man step away, although from the sound of the voice, it wasn’t to go far.

His mind is racing as he tries to figure out what Claude is up to, and still coming up blank.

But he does at least have a less-broad guess this time around. ]

If this was your clever way of setting me up on a blind date with Mags, I hate to break it to you, but she’s turned me down. Repeatedly. With great enthusiasm, even. I swear I’m gonna wear her down one day, but I don’t think hiding half my face is gonna do me many favors here. In fact, if you wanted me to make a good impression, you probably shoulda gagged me instead.

[ He is not dignifying anything about rubbing with a response, not even if his mouth twitches in a telltale sign of laughter begging to be let loose. Yet another reason to be glad the blindfold's still in place.

Sylvain's next guess, though now it does get a short bit of laughter from him, is truly no closer than the first despite the added detail. Not that Claude minds; both of them know how to loop around something whether it calls for that or not. If that just makes it a game inside a game? All the more reason to continue it. ]

Telling me something I already know about don't count as a guess, Gautier. You think I missed out on any of those attempts with Mags? [ He's grinning, too entertained by everything about this even if he can practically see the wheels turning in Sylvain's mind both before and after speaking. ] Tackle one thing at a time there before you get ahead of yourself with gags since before you get to any wish lists you still have to guess what's going on, blindingly handsome as that half of your face is or otherwise.

[ Where does Claude's opinion fall into that? On the blindingly handsome side of the scale, naturally, but it's more fun to tease while he offers Sylvain next to no other details. He knows where they are, at least, so that's a start. Not that it narrows anything down considering the year and then some they lived here before that arrival that nearly equal amount of time ago when there's so many nights to include or to choose from, but - on second thought.

Help arrives, somewhat, in the form of a couple of mugs of ale dropped off at their table, and Claude reaches for one of Sylvain's hands to place it upon the nearest mug. ]

Here, this'll help set the scene a little better since you had this with you where you are right now. Now all I'm missing is a plate of something else, though you'll have to figure out what.

[ As far as clues go, at least that one is useful, since apparently knowing where they were wasn’t so much the surprise as why they were here. Which he’d had no idea on until Claude places his hand around a tankard and mentions a time he had this right here.

Which, normally, wouldn’t narrow things down very much. They’d spent countless nights down here when they lived in the rooms above. Sharing stories and jokes and the day’s misadventures over an ale and a plate of dinner. Hilda had been here for many of them and Petra and…

He pauses, head cocked slightly to the side as he interrupts that train of thought, thinking of something. His fingers tighten about the tankard as he starts counting back and then he has to fight to keep his smile hidden and not immediately giving him away. ]

Are you going to start complaining that I haven’t been flirting with you hard enough again? Honestly, Riegan, you’re so hard to please. And here I thought all that rubbing would have been more than adequate.

[ He’d been thinking about this a few days ago - not their first evening here in particular, but about how it had to be close to the day he’d first been dragged through the pool. How a year had come and gone already, feeling both far shorter and far longer at the same time. ]

[ This is where it gets interesting for Claude since the blindfold being in the way means he does get to appreciate what he can see of that handsome face, what with that part not being any kind of exaggeration. It starts when there's those familiar crinkles which appear only when Sylvain's holding back a smile as he's learned from watching this up close in a way the him from a year ago couldn't have bargained upon happening. There's the head tilt which gives away Sylvain's onto something which happened before it, the same one Claude's witnessed when there was something particularly puzzling or of great interest in front of the other man when it came to a book, a new recipe, something puzzled over in balancing the blends of teas he's been working on.

All small details Claude hoards close like the precious things they are to him; that's something he can admit to himself after having made peace with himself over what he could no longer call anything but fact. All things in the greater list of what's made him entirely too fond, even if there's surely another word for that feeling beyond fondness which doesn't run deep enough for it. ]

That depends. Are you planning on flirting with me now?

[ Asked very seriously, like perhaps this is something equating to a topic of Great Importance that would've crossed the Roundtable when he was still in charge of it and as though he's going to have to put deep consideration into whatever it is. And as if, of course, Sylvain's answer might tip the scales on his decision one way or another even as he takes a completely relaxed sip of ale. ]

I'm sure you've spent your time carefully crafting new ones you could try out. See if they're any more impressive than the first ones you laid on me. Go on, I'll just wait right here.

I’m pretty sure I haven’t actually stopped flirting with you at any point in the past year.

[ He counters with a smirk, biting back a snicker. He lifts the tankard to take a testing sip, finding that Claude even remembered what he’d been drinking that night. Because of course he did. ]

Even when we were with the crazy mushroom monsters, now that I think about it. I think it would be more impressive if I had any lines left I hadn’t already used on you by now.

You did have some particularly inspired pit lines. If only I'd known growing the most out of control beard of my life would be what would really do it for you, we could've gotten to this a lot sooner.

[ Or not; Sylvain already knows the reasons for that and Claude's not interested in going over them again in anything besides joking around. And if there's no lines forthcoming, well - he can hardly leave the other man just standing there, so he slides out of his seat to stand.

Next is reaching up to loosen the blindfold's knot as he works it free with deft fingers in to reveal the rest of Sylvain, though not without resting both of his hands on the sides of the other's face in none-too-subtle admiration first before tossing the fabric onto the table as he turns back to sit again. ]

I suppose I'll have to accept that answer since you're not willing to flatter my far too small ego by breaking any of them out this time around. Maybe I'll have to surprise you by reversing our time honored tradition here and breaking out a few on you when you least expect it.

Yeah. [ His voice is completely deadpan as he feels Claude’s fingers lift to loosen the knot of the blindfold. ] It was totally the beard that did it.

[ He blinks when the fabric is tugged away, focusing on Claude’s face as his vision adjusts, and there’s still amusemnt dancing in their dark depths, visible now to the man at the source. Claude’s hands are cool against his cheeks and he can’t help the cheeky grin that slips across his lips as he arches an eyebrow, wondering what the man thinks he’s looking for.

Not that he can leave that comment untouched. Claude should be able to guess by the way his cheeky grin doubles in size that he should brace for whatevever words come next. ]

Oh, come now. You’re not that small.

[ The cheeky grin is indeed something he's become fond of for how it always lights up Sylvain's face. Now is the same as always when it comes to observing it plus the eyebrow raised in a look he's become so very familiar with and makes it impossible to not feel fond over all over again.

Until, that is, what follows. Claude immediately reaches for the blindfold to pick it up and toss at the other man playfully since that's a better use than letting it sit idle upon the tabletop. ]

You'd know all about that, wouldn't you? Next you'll be trying to talk about impaling or whatever it was again.

[ He knows exactly what it was, just as he knows Mag would roll her eyes endlessly if she overheard it from wherever she is thanks to being familiar with their brand of teasing. Rather than focus on that, Claude stretches out a leg to nudge the chair across from him using the toe of his boot to move it out further from the table in invitation. ]

Take a seat unless you really are planning to reenact all your flirting in all of its aspects tonight. It might be a little early to use all of those moves right away, though.

Well, I guess we’ve already skipped the part where you interrupted the other conquest I was working on and bought me a drink instead.

[ Sylvain’s cheeky grin isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. But he does sink down in the chair Claude nudges out for him, settling into a comfortable slouch and letting his own long leg stretch out beneath the table between the man’s own.

They’ve got an entirely different brand of flirting going on these days, after all.

And if someone would have told him a year ago where he’d end up with Claude von Riegan, he woulda laughed them out of the Inn. ]

And I don’t really have a bucketload of questions to ply you with at the moment. Pity we didn’t start the night with a naked dip in the pool, though. I suppose we can save it for later and do that part backwards.

[ Here Claude might be tempted to offer a roll of his eyes but considering he's not yet fully withdrawn his leg yet, instead he gives Sylvain's chair a light playful shove with his foot like there's any chance he could actually push it over. If anything it's more of a warning tap, both from amusement and a lack of any actual malice behind the action. ]

No? No questions at all, huh. I'm surprised you didn't invent some just for the sake of it.

[ Because that sounds like a very Sylvain to do (not to mention, a very Claude thing to do) for the sake of being difficult and/or entertainment's sake. As he sits back in his own chair it's then he notices the leg extended in return, something he eases around comfortably in another continuation of the various ways they've spent tangled up around each other over the past year. It's fitting, he thinks, though he discards the thought there to raise an eyebrow while reaching to bring his ale towards him. ]

And wait a minute, are you saying I missed out on that a year ago? And you just let me sleep on the floor instead? I see how it is.

Technically, the whole ‘naked-dip-in-the-pool’ bit came before I ran into you here. But I don’t see anyone saying we can’t do it differently this time around. Besides. I think my version has way more promise of a fun time. As is typically the case.

Besides. [ He adds as he nudges Claude’s knee with his own, his leg still snugly tucked in place between the man’s thighs. He lifts the tankard to take another swallow before continuing. ] I seem to recall offering to share the bed. You were the one who insisted on being a gentleman. Pffft.

[ Oh - right. The Summoning pool gets a brief wrinkling of his nose considering he was happier forgetting that ever existed even with the reminders of it every time there's a new face around the inn. Now that he's thinking about it - other than one of the spas, it's hard to picture a pool of water hanging out around the desert when it's in the hottest part of the year like now.

Claude offers a hum of acknowledgement while taking another drink though whether it's for how fun Sylvain would've made any dip in a pool (something he doesn't doubt) or the nudge is hard to say. Nothing further comes to clarify it save idling tucking one leg back without dislodging Sylvain's leg to hook a foot around the other man's ankle for the added contact. ]

I can't believe you just passed up an opportunity to make fun of me for not sleeping. [ That's his first proclamation as he puts the tankard down given that Sylvain knows it wasn't for reasons involving any kind of gentlemanly behavior. He's not interested in going over that yet again, so humor's the right option as a redirection. ] Besides, maybe I did that just because I thought I'd be kicking you out of my room the next night. Little did I know that it'd turn out you'd never leave.

[ Far from a real complaint despite as pained as he makes it sound, though maybe it's also useful for hiding what Claude knows would be far too much affection otherwise. ]

I’m sure you will give me plenty of opportunities to make fun of you before the night’s out.

[ Said cheerfully enough, even though he’s always careful about teasing Claude too much about his insomniac habits. Never wanted him to look too closely at why that bothered him less on some nights than others. Far easier to pick one of the myriad of other quirks and foibles to poke at. Like his mountain of books or the state of his room or his obsessive collection of things that could kill people slowly and painfully. You know, harmless fun like that.

But he takes a moment to play at mock hurt, his lips tugging down in a pout at the insinuation. ]

Are you saying you haven’t enjoyed my company all this time? Who else would have stuck around so long to make sure you didn’t trip over a mountain of books and break your neck in the middle of the night. Or starve. Or do laundry on any sort of a regular schedule. Honestly, I’m a little concerned about how you even survived until I got here.

[ The urge to roll his eyes is strong, but Claude manages to persevere and resist it. It surfaces again when Sylvain plays at being mortally wounded by any of that even if it's also part of their routine of never quite saying the truth in what they mean. Something that's nice to joke about considering they're both well aware the other is doing it at just about any time, and something which means it's all the easier to continue on with it at any given moment. ]

Hm. That makes it sound a little more like you're my retainer than I'm pretty sure you meant it to be.

[ Not that it counts for much, considering while he's sure some might consider Hilda his retainer, it's not like he'd ever expected her to do any of that even as he'll willingly give her the credit she well deserves for making sure he'd eaten, slept, any number of things during the war. Saying as much would complicate this when it's another way to tease and one he intends to prod at for as long as he can. ]

Or some sort of devoted knight at the least since I think there's plenty of books about just that. I'll have you know I made it through just fine while I was all by my lonesome, though it would've been an entirely different experience without you here.

[ There’s a momentary pause as something flickers briefly through his gaze, but then he’s grinning again, offering the man a playful shrug and spreading his hands wide, as if to protest his innocence here. ]

Well. I have had a lot of practice at that, being Faerghan and all that. Both at the retainer and the devoted knight role, in fact.

[ But he just nods along to the latter part, as if that statement was obvious. ]

I know, I know, your life would be utterly empty and boring without me. You’re welcome.

[ Though he'd reached again for his drink to turn it in place to burn off a bit of restlessness, Claude stops to pause afterwards to add some other nonsense line about something or other. What that really means is he catches that shadow passing over Sylvain's face even though it's artfully swept away like it was never there at all and a grin's tugged into place over top of it. Maybe it'd fool most people, but he's had several months to absorb the ways Sylvain conceals something. Well - over a year now, since that's the point of being here.

It's possible he's poked at something he didn't mean to when Fodlan feels so distant even in the ways it continues to place weight over all of them. It's yet another thread in the tapestry comprising everything that makes up the man sitting across from him, but one he'll trace through the bigger picture some other time. That next proclamation which has one corner of his mouth twitching in a suppressed amused smile. ]

Is this the part where I'm supposed to say thank you?

[ Even if Sylvain had already prompted past that, it's close enough. Enough for Claude to sit up from his chair to lean forward like he's contemplating leaning across the table in slow motion. He could, but instead he stops where he is when halfway there. ]

I suppose you might have a point about it in there. Something along the lines of what you said, since I can't argue with that. For now, since we'll see if that holds out over the night.

[ One might almost think he was simply trying to wind Sylvain up a bit from how casually that's said. Maybe that's all it would be, if it wasn't for also being a convenient way to hide a truth within the words. ]

I’m sure you’ll think of some way to argue about it.

[ It’s one of Claude’s best skillsets, after all. Even if the other man wouldn’t agree with him. Maybe. Nah, he would do whatever the opposite of what Sylvain expected of him, just to be difficult anyway.

He doesn’t know how that became Their Thing, but it’s totally Their Thing.

…they should really work on getting a better Thing. ]

But that still won’t make me wrong.

[ That's enough to illicit a laugh from Claude as he sits back again, whatever moment of a supposed standoff there over nearly in the same instant it started since it's too difficult to keep up. Too easy to slide back into amusement, too easy to be cheerful instead - and genuinely so in ways which haven't escaped his notice even in the name of being difficult to make Sylvain work for whatever it was spawning the difficulty.

Keeping that up when they're sitting here in the inn after what'd taken place a year ago - well. That makes it even more nonsensical even if sentimentality's been hidden throughout all those words rather than said openly since their arrival. ]

That's a bold proclamation. [ As if it's not one Claude's made before himself, as if it's only he wouldn't make now if the right moment came up for it - ] Hm. I'll consider it if you want to give some more reasons for why you aren't. Or maybe they'll come to you over the night since I won't give you a time limit of until we leave the inn or anything... this time.

[ Is he kidding? Who knows, but Claude merely grins and goes back to turning his glass in place like he'd meant to before. ]

I don't mind being bold when I know I'm right.

[ Sylvain's grin is plenty self-assured as he keeps his gaze on Claude's, amused and fond as he props his arms on the table and leans forward on them a bit. It makes his arms strain a bit around the snug sleeves of his shirt, but he's too busy pursuing his next avenue of teasing - the verbal kind - to realize it. ]

I'm not sure which part you expect me to deny at this point. Being your glorified housemaid and babysitter, or the fact that you'd be utterly bereft without me. Because I'm pretty sure both of those are true. One would think you'd be trying to think up reasons for why I'm not. Unless you're just surrendering to the inevitable from the start.

[ Well. He's mostly resisted enough that giving into an eye roll where Sylvain can now see it feels correct, even if it also feels a bit like giving into that teasing. Claude's not trying all that hard to resist it regardless which is likely apparent in the appreciative flick of his gaze over those arms. Whether Sylvain intended for that to happen or not, it certainly worked, though it'll take more than that alone to distract him. ]

Please, I never surrender to anything. Maybe I'm simply waiting for the right opportunity to strike to throw you off. Is it working?

[ Though it wouldn't be properly teasing if it wasn't for a follow up to that even if he might be slightly losing the point of whatever he'd started here, and so - ]

It must be. Otherwise you wouldn't be trying to use your arms against me right now.

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