[ Despite the sheer volume of things revealed, there's been a deliberate way in which he's gone about it, or tried to. No, he isn't merely just royalty waiting to step in to claim a title. There will be far more to it than that; there's truth in what he'd told Teach about using those connections to start a struggle all over again to bring about change in Almyra even as Teach had looked at him with that eerily too-seeing gaze. Does he feel any guilt over leaving their one time professor in place as the new ruler? No - it was necessary.
All of that is from months after what Hilda's lived, Claude reminds himself again. Maybe he can add more in what's more specific to them both, but in the same instant he opens his mouth Hilda's (rightfully offered) profanity bursts forth instead, and a second goes by here all Claude can do is blink. Then blink again as she adds one question after another, and the corners of his mouth twitch with restrained amusement again. It's not restrained for long, though - not when it's that last question which finally gets an honest chuckle out of him before it turns into actual laughter for a few seconds. ]
If Shahid wants to kill me, then he can wait his turn to try. And intend is the right word, and I meant that when succession works a little differently in Almyra than it does in Fodlan where it follows a set line without much deviation. My father could pick any of us to succeed him or none of us at all.
[ He probably wouldn't do the latter, Claude thinks, though - that doesn't mean it's impossible no matter how much Nader's always insisted he was his father's favorite and he'd shrugged that off. That only goes so far when there's still an entire court to face, and having more than that to come back with would go a long way towards making the rest of his plans a reality. There's some silence while he considers the rest of what Hilda's asked, and finally does reach for one of her hands to take in his own. ]
I came to Fodlan looking for something I didn't find. I ended up wanting to change it and to open its doors to the rest of the world. That's going to happen with Teach in charge, and now it's time for me to do the same at home. [ Another pause, because it occurs to him there's something else he should add to that - something to state again, clearly, as many times as it takes. ] But going home never meant the end of this to me. Not once.
[ This being - whatever it is he's reluctant to put a label on before Hilda makes her decision, but: them. Us, if she still considers it to be so like he does. Distance would have been difficult, could still be someday, but it would never dim or dull how he feels. ]
no subject
All of that is from months after what Hilda's lived, Claude reminds himself again. Maybe he can add more in what's more specific to them both, but in the same instant he opens his mouth Hilda's (rightfully offered) profanity bursts forth instead, and a second goes by here all Claude can do is blink. Then blink again as she adds one question after another, and the corners of his mouth twitch with restrained amusement again. It's not restrained for long, though - not when it's that last question which finally gets an honest chuckle out of him before it turns into actual laughter for a few seconds. ]
If Shahid wants to kill me, then he can wait his turn to try. And intend is the right word, and I meant that when succession works a little differently in Almyra than it does in Fodlan where it follows a set line without much deviation. My father could pick any of us to succeed him or none of us at all.
[ He probably wouldn't do the latter, Claude thinks, though - that doesn't mean it's impossible no matter how much Nader's always insisted he was his father's favorite and he'd shrugged that off. That only goes so far when there's still an entire court to face, and having more than that to come back with would go a long way towards making the rest of his plans a reality. There's some silence while he considers the rest of what Hilda's asked, and finally does reach for one of her hands to take in his own. ]
I came to Fodlan looking for something I didn't find. I ended up wanting to change it and to open its doors to the rest of the world. That's going to happen with Teach in charge, and now it's time for me to do the same at home. [ Another pause, because it occurs to him there's something else he should add to that - something to state again, clearly, as many times as it takes. ] But going home never meant the end of this to me. Not once.
[ This being - whatever it is he's reluctant to put a label on before Hilda makes her decision, but: them. Us, if she still considers it to be so like he does. Distance would have been difficult, could still be someday, but it would never dim or dull how he feels. ]