abraxaslogs | ( closed ) even when the sky falls and i've lost it all

[ He can't believe they made him get up with the sun on his birthday. This is torture in it's purest form.

So of course he's crawled in the back of the wagon and promptly turned Claude's lap into his pillow. And went right back to sleep.

He's not asleep now, but he's not fully awake either. The wagon isn't exactly comfortable, but he's slept in worse places. And Claude's thigh does make a decent enough pillow. When he's not poking at him.

He swats that nudge away while making a face, rolling over towards the other man as he squints up at the too-bright sky. ]

So I'm going to spend this camping trip dying from food poisoning, am I? Great, thanks for the warning. That's infinitely better than drowning in a bath of mud.

[ Claude's good natured teasing is met with a very loud roll of her eyes. An over-prepared over-packer always has to be prepared for any situation that could arise. And being the seasoned shopper she is all the stuff she had bought had more to do with that than being conned into it by a merchant. She feels good about her purchases and no amount of teasing was going to dissuade her from that.

All the same, she replies sweetly - ]

If you don't want to eat the ingredients that have five-star meal potential then you're welcome to eat cactus and sand, Claude. That's the one thing I didn't pack since there's so much of it.

[ Is she serious? Maybe. ]

And if you get food poisoning that means I'm going to get food poisoning. Do you really think that I'd do that to us?

[ In other words she had (reluctantly) decided that she'd be doing the cook between her and Claude. She was lazy but she at hadn't ever poisoned anyone. Yet. ]

Hey, there's more than just that out here. [ That's fired back immediately with a wide grin in his voice as he arches his back for the purpose of peering over the wagon's side like there's something to be immediately sighted out in the sands around them. ] We would get even fancier in the plating of it all and find some flowers to decorate the plates with. Luckily for both of you I already know which ones are poisonous so no one gets something they shouldn't accidentally.

[ Because it goes without saying that if someone does get poisoned, it'd be on purpose and in the more traditional sense. Not that he'd ever do that to them nor would it cross his mind to, of course, since Sylvain's hand swatting at him just gets an equally immediate swat back in what would probably be a familiar round of scuffling back and forth between any of them in any pairing or even between all three of them. ]

Besides, another one of us has been not at all subtly hinting around this trip for some time. What better time than to celebrate a birthday? We could probably invent some spa treatments to do out here if you're missing the mud that much.

[ No comment on the rest of what'd occurred, though. This year will be far better. ]

[ He doesn't want to try and imagine how this year could possibly be worse. Not that he's speaking that possibility into existence because he knows better than to tempt the fates like that.

Instead of scuffling - although that's tempting in itself - he pushes himself up into a sitting position to glance around at the... okay, no, it still looks like endless stretches of desert around them. Not exactly his idea of camping, when he's used to the forested northlands of Gautier. But he's also happy to adapt.

He's still a little surprised that either Claude or Hilda agreed to "rough it" long enough to squeeze in a camping trip. Both of them were far more the resort-and-spa sort. ]

Oh were those hints subtle? I'll be more obvious about it next time. [ He casts a wink at Claude before giving Hilda a bemused look, gratitude in his gaze but also understanding. ] You know I don't mind cooking, right?

[ They're only halfway through the year. Surely things can only go up from here, right? And a camping trip, despite it being something that Hilda would heartily admit is not on her top five favourite activities to do, is a great way to do that. Hopefully.

With her eyes on the road she doesn't see the look Sylvain gives her, but that doesn't stop her from feeling the warmth in his voice. ]

We know you don't mind it because you love it. But it's your birthday week and Claude and I both agreed that you'd do as little cooking as possible so you can relax.

[ It's here that she casts a fond glance over her shoulder. There's sincerity in her expression that brings a brief pause to their dramatics and banter. ]

You take care of us all the time, so why can't we take care of you?

[ A beat later however she turns her gaze back towards the path, her voice brightening. Before she's even off the horse, a slight breeze signals Perry's presence along with the several bags being lifted out and off the wagon. ]

We're here! Claude - start getting the bags out, please. The tent is the one with the red ribbons on the handles. Sylvain, can you get the horse watered so we can start setting up camp?

[ That just earns Sylvain something he's employed against Claude and Hilda both - quick as anything, Claude reaches out to flick the birthday celebrant straight on the forehead before he's out of reach and the wagon comes to a halt. It might be a special occasion, but that doesn't mean everything gets to be withheld as he moves to slide out of the wagon and drop down the short distance to the ground. ]

What Hilda said. Plus, I think we're at, what, you cooking about 500 meals to every one that we've done? And I know 'we' is an exaggeration, [ for Hilda's benefit and every bit as teasing as he holds a hand out to help her off the horse before helping himself to kissing the back of her hand and then finally complying with bag retrieval, ] but: my point stands. Mostly. Just don't think about it too much and it's accurate.

[ Mostly. If Sylvain's not out of the wagon himself yet then Claude will also extend a hand to help him down before reaching to grab the tent and yank it out of the back to (mostly) carry over to the campsite. ]

But more importantly than any of that. Perry's gonna assemble this tent for us, right?

[ Hilda gives him a task and he glances at the horse, then the desert around them, then very pointedly at the massive pile of bags and boxes piled in the wagon. Full of supplies, he's assuming. ]

Did you happen to pack the kitchen sink in there somewhere?

[ he's teasing her. He's been out patrolling the deserts long enough now that he knows how to survive here almost as well as he had in the wilds back home. Although the desert is a harsher terrain in its own way, he can honestly admit.

But he lets Claude gallantly help him down from the wagon before moving around front to unharness the horse and tend to it so it would be comfortable while they camped. Although Claude's question does have his head poking back up over the back of the horses as his gaze flits between both of them. ]

...Do either of you even know how to put up a tent?

[ Wasn't that covered in Army Life 101 in the Alliance too? ]

[ As Claude helps her off the horse she shoots him a brief smile along with a flutter of lashes, before it quickly turns into a pout in the birthday boy's direction. ]

Why would I pack a sink? It wouldn't work. And I didn't think you'd be very pleased with me taking it from the kitchen in the first place. [ She points towards one of the crates clearly labelled 'SUPPLIES' in her bubbly handwriting. ] There should be some water in there.

[ As they all disperse to do their separate duties - Claude to the tent, Sylvain to the horse, and she to prepping the food and stove - she glances up as she pulls their whole tea set from the confines of a crate. ]

Claude always had more important things to do than put a tent up.

[ And so had she. Which is to say that neither Deer have. But while she may not have much experience pitching a tent, what Hilda does have going for her is that she's watched plenty of people put them up on her behalf. Sometimes being a visual learner paid off. Her reply doesn't really answer Sylvain's question, but then again, it isn't really her problem (yet) since she hadn't assigned herself to putting up the tent. ]

But he's Mister Leader Man so I'm sure he knows. He's got other useful things in his brain aside from being able to tell which plant is poisonous and how to play chess.

[ In other words: no, Perry was not going to set up the tent. Not when they're preoccupied with unpacking food supplies. ]

[ Busy as he is hauling the tent to where it'll have to go in the clearing meant for it to be as comfortable as sleeping on the ground can be, there's still time for Claude to poorly stifle a laugh at the kitchen sink being somewhere in the wagon. It's a valid question, as is whether anyone here (besides Sylvain) knows how to assemble the tent. Hilda beats him to answering, but that last part - that has him stopping in his tracks to arch an eyebrow her direction. ]

I'm pretty sure tents require some actual studying first to put them up. [ He has only the vaguest idea of how to assemble a tent. ] Or at least to a level where one won't fall on our faces in the middle of the night, which seems kinda important.

[ Look: they'd discussed who was going to put up the tent (not Sylvain) and how to go about it (the instructions also packed away, just in case), but - just because he's slept in tents before, assembly was never on his list of projects. A furrow of Concern that's half teasing and also somewhat real appears between his brows. ]

I think this is where you find out anything wilderness related is a Faerghan noble thing only, Sylvain. [ Dryly, though he's absolutely grinning at the same time while unceremoniously dropping the tent pack onto the ground before turning back to Hilda to attempt some bargaining as he goes to retrieve one of the crates from the wagon. ] Look, I'll take over for Perry. It'll go faster that way and then we can have some shade.

Edited 2024-06-08 17:13 (UTC)

[ Oh, Goddess, if this birthday blows up over tents, he's quitting and moving to Solvunn for real.

He rolls his eyes heavenward for a long moment, possibly praying for patience, or asking the gods why he must deal with this (even if he knows the answer to that, and yet still doesn't deserve either of them, as much as they exasperated him).

Patting the horse's flank as he leaves it to cool down (as much as is possible in this temperature), he heads directly for the pile of a tent on the sands. ]

I have a better suggestion. Claude, why don't you put those pretty muscles of yours to unloading the wagon - don't give me that look, I know you have them, I've seen them and more on many occasions. Hilda can continue to deal with the food. And I can make sure we have a tent that won't collapse on us at the first hint of breeze.

[ Hilda can sense a Claude excuse from a mile away. For a moment she doesn't say anything as he slowly edges away from the tent back towards the wagon. There's no hint of her stating an arugment quite yet, but there is a quizzical look about her that has plenty of attitude. ]

Why would you have taken the instructions if you weren't going to read them? You love reading things.

[ She had even taken the liberty of packing a couple of books for him that she knew he was in the middle of. What she apparently neglected to account for was Claude's complete disinterest in studying even if it was academic. Before she can launch into something probably a little more sassy than before Sylvain makes his way over to the tent.

It has her bolting towards the bags with a startling amount of speed. Throwing her arms out, she's quick to station herself between Sylvain and the bags. ]

No, no, no! Claude has to learn how to put up a tent. I packed the extra set of instructions and we both know he can read. You're supposed to be relaxing this week! [ Her somewhat desperate plea to Sylvain melts as she shoots a pointed look at Claude. ] You better stay put, mister. You can only ask Sylvain for help if it's really dire.

[ In her hasty protest she doesn't hear the jostle of something from within one of the crates behind her holding all the bedding. It's probably nothing. Right? ]

[ With the crate in hand and after a suspicious squint at it being labeled 'bedding' when it feels far heavier, he's about to set it down next to the tent bag when he spots Sylvain's advance. There's no time to react to Hilda's dash or the one woman barricade she creates, mostly because instinct also has him stepping forward as backup. ]

Absolutely not.

[ That's to Sylvain's offer which is quickly denied by Hilda as well and there's a firm nod from Claude as if to underscore it. Unfortunately, it's an accidental self-sabotage considering she turns at that exact same moment to warn him to stay where he is and his expression quickly morphs into shock which might not be entirely feigned. That won't do at all.

Behind them, and out of sight behind the tent's casings, the crate rustles around some more on the ground, but it's lost in what follows. ]

I wasn't going to ask Sylvain for help at all, that's why I was asking Perry!

[ This is complete with throwing his hands up in the air with nothing but very poorly suppressed laughter behind it when exasperation's not anywhere in the picture. Being difficult's one of his favorite pastimes, after all. But - fine. He can probably take care of the tent. Surely it's not that complicated even if he has serious doubts about its structural integrity. However, he's also going to 'warn' Sylvain against being helpful before making any attempts. ]

No unpacking the wagon for you, either. We've got this under control.

[ Probably. ]

I have never been less confident in that reassurance.

[ His tone is completely deadpan as he glances back and forth between them and their very vehement protests. ]

It's really not a hardship, guys. Putting up a tent isn't even something I'd consider work. It's fun. Surely you'd let me have fun on my birthday.

[ Is he wheedling? He's absolutely wheedling. But that's mostly because while he's perfectly fine spending a night or three out under the stars, he doubts they'd feel the same. Which he suspects is the outcome here if he leaves them to their own devices. ]

[ Claude's continued banter only earns a snip from her. ]

If you ask Perry, you're basically asking me to do it!

[ As much as she liked to pretend that Perry was their own ghost, she's long since come to understand that they can't do a thing unless she directs them to. And if she helped Claude with the tent that would mean she'd have to put up the tent. Which, she could totally do. She'd just rather not.

Really, she should be given an aware for how quickly she switches between glaring (at Claude) and pleading (towards Sylvain). ]

Of course it's not a hardship for you. But there's going to be plenty of fun that doesn't also have to count as work once we get everything set up. And besides, don't you want Claude to learn how to be self-sufficient? What if he ends up on some trip to the desert without Perry or you and he has to do this on his own?

[ Her plea ends just as some of the rustling in the crate that Claude had just put down continues - along with some very odd chirps. Her head whips around to the crate where there's a point pause. ]

...Did you hear that?

Perry unpacking seems kind of like the same thing as assembling the tent, you know.

[ Just pointing that out even as he's reaching for the straps around the tent's various parts to start lining them up. Organizing is probably the best way to go about this before finding the instructions - never mind that whatever system he's using to organize this pole or that fastener is one that absolutely only makes sense to Claude's mind, much like the books, papers, and whatever else piled around his room. This is also the tiny bit of bargaining he's using to avoid another glare even if he'd grinned slightly at the last one.

The rest of what Sylvain said gets a wave of his hand because Hilda's more than covered it - right up until the end. ]

Also, hold on a minute. What do you two know about me ending up in the desert with only a tent for company sometime in the future that I don't?

[ Because Claude's going to let that whirl out into something ridiculous as he so often does, and particularly so on this when now he's wondering what the situation would be. Fortunately, they're all spared further silliness - at least of that variety - when he hears the same noise and looks at the crate. Maybe some form of self-preservation should have him opening it cautiously considering a crate full of actual bedding shouldn't make any noise. But he recognizes that chirp and lifts the top off, both not surprised and very surprised when Khurshid's head pops up to look at the three of them with a trill. A second goes by in which he stares back at the baby wyvern, and then, well. He has to laugh, doesn't he? ]

Find a new place for a nap, did you?

Aww, did you get me a wyvern for my birthday?

[ Sylvain snickers, watching the baby pop its head out and look around curiously. his expression fond as he crosses over and crouches down to brush fingers against its head. he still isn't sure what the little creature thinks of him - he'd never had as much luck befriending wyverns as he did horses - but at least the little one appreciated that Sylvain was the one most likely to sneak him food when he came begging. ]

If I had known you wanted a wyvern for your birthday I wouldn't have gone to all the trouble of planning this.

[ It's not out of fear that she pauses because she recognized the familiar chirp despite its muffled quality. Rather she's having a, "This can't be happening right now," moment which ends up quickly turning into an exasperated cry.

That being said she's quick to join Sylvain by the crate to join in on petting the baby wyvern. ]

What - Khurshid! You weren't on the packing list. [ She sighs as the wyvern trills with a hint of pride. He was picking up bad habits from the boys. ] We're too far from Cadens to drop you back at the loft so I guess you're staying here with us. You're lucky I packed food you can eat.

[ Her gaze swings up towards Claude with a warning. ]

Don't even think about asking Khurshid to do work for you. He's still a baby and therefore shouldn't do any work.

Not even if he wants to help?

[ Neither of them should buy the innocent look on his face. Claude knows they won't, either, but that doesn't stop him from offering it up anyway for a few seconds before he leans down to scratch behind one of Khurshid's horns and gets a trill of approval in return. ]

See, he's happy to do it!

[ Probably; it's debatable considering Khurshid's just thrilled to have their undivided attention completely focused on him for a change, if he had to guess. Still, in the spirit of (sort of) behaving, Claude reaches down for a tent pole with a structural element on it and sticks it into the sand. Assembly: 1% complete. ]

Here, he can perch on this while he supervises. And while Sylvain absolutely doesn't help with putting up the tent whatsoever.

What, I can't help supervise, too?

[ Claude. That pole is upside down. Assembly: -1% complete.

Not that he's going to tell him that, of course. He's been banned from "helping" apparently.

He's laughing as he scoops up the wyvern in his arms and heads for the wagon instead. ]

Come on, Khurshid. Lets see if your mom packed popcorn. We're going to need it for this show.

[ Claude's smart remark earns him a backhanded smack against his arm and a furious glare. To Sylvain's retreating form she says in protest - ]

Hey! The only acceptable thing you're allowed to do is supervise. And if you really want popcorn there should be kernels in one of the food bags.

[ Shockingly, perhaps even to her own surprise, she had picked up a guide to packing for camping book. While it had helped ensure that she packed the essentials, she clearly ignored the section on packing as lightly as possible when it came to what the book referred to as "non-essentials". Whatever that means.

With that out of the way she shoots one more warning look towards Claude before getting back to making breakfast. Thankfully throughout all of this Perry had been continuing to unpack. ]

Breakfast should be ready soon! ...Once I start the fire that is.

[ Which she could totally do. ]

[ The swat only makes him grin, familiar as he is both with the reaction and receiving many of them over the years, and he's not dissuaded at all. Not even when Sylvain threatens to kick back with a snack to enjoy the entertainment and Claude offers him one giant eye roll for the sake of dramatics. ]

Don't spoil yourself for breakfast in the meantime.

[ Called out cheerfully, of course, as they all return to whatever it is they need to be doing. Claude has faith there's something to start a fire somewhere in everything packed which leaves him the unfortunate task of tent assembly. Surprisingly, it becomes less unfortunate as if the universe is scolding him for even jokingly protesting this task when it feels like this is just another giant puzzle.

His organizational system really comes in helpful since sure, it isn't at all how the instructions helpfully suggest to go about things, but it works. The steps seem mostly simple for someone who's never assembled a tent even once in his life and while shuffling the parts around a bit - just correcting the organization to something better and putting together a pole here or there to be able to lift up the frame shortly - an idea occurs to him. He's got the instructions pretty well memorized so it's only a matter of time before there's a tent after he unrolls the canvas covering to place it all together.

A few quick folds of the sheet of instructions because Hilda mentioned they're the extra set anyway, and then - ]

Hey, Khurshid. Want to show off the newest thing you've learned?

[ Wherever the wyvern is, Claude's certain there's eyes on him as he holds up the paper airplane in one hand long enough for attention before launching it. Khurshid can't fly particularly fast or far since he's still small, but they've worked so hard on fetch it has to work now. ]

[ Is she aware that Sylvain has fire starting powers? Yes. Does that mean she's going to ask him to use them here? No. Not unless it becomes disgustingly obvious that her own fire-starting skills are a loss cause.

(She may or may not have been practicing starting one in Cyprian's courtyard so that she didn't look like a total idiot. But as they say, practice makes perfect and more importantly, if no one saw her fail at starting the fires then were they really failures?)

Thankfully the fire starter kit she'd purchased made it easier so she wasn't just rubbing a pair of sticks together in vain hoping that it would work. By the time it's roaring happily and she's got a couple of eggs and bacon going in the skillet she can't help but think it's starting to go to plan. At least until she hears Claude call to Khurshid from across the way.

Her head snaps up because she knows exactly what trick he's referring to. ]

Claude what are you doing? [ And then to the chirping wyvern who's already launched itself at the paper airplane - ] Khurshid, don't you dare! Sylvain, grab him!

[ But it's too late. The instructions are in the wyvern's mouth and the wyvern? He's flown off to a tree. A very tall tree where he begins to gnaw and tear at the instructions turned paper airplane.

Well, fuck. ]

[ Sylvain had been subtly trying to unload the wagon with Perry, having let the little wyvern perch atop one of the crates so he could survey everything going on around him.

He's very pointedly trying to avoid looking at the disaster that is Claude assembling the tent because he might have a fit if he did. So he's only half-paying attention when Claude calls out to the wyvern, but he snaps to attention when Hilda's sharper voice follows it. Of course, it's still just a little too slow a reaction to be able to catch Khurshid before he launches himself in the air after the paper airplane. And then retreats with his captured prey to the upper branches of a nearby tree.

Sylvain blinks from the little wyvern, to Claude, and then Hilda, blinking in confusion, because he has no idea what just happened. ]

Uhh...? Hope that wasn't... important?

[ because they sure aren't getting it back. ]

[ Khurshid evades capture, and he doesn't think he's imagining the toothy grin on the wyvern's face as he makes it to the tree. Probably in his one big flight of the day without napping to follow, but Claude's grinning as he watches. It's also not quite successful considering the point of fetch is to bring whatever was caught back and the sheet of paper is on its way to becoming confetti as pieces of it flutter down to decorate their campsite, but - ]

Well, we'll work on the return part some other time. You have fun with that.

[ As if that was a toy and not the instructions, but still! That's what memorizing them first was for. Or something like that, since that's the logic Claude's sticking to as he also grins at his non-wyvern companions next before reaching to pick up one of the tent poles. ]

Don't worry, I've got a handle on this since, [ as he taps one of his temples with whatever tent part it is in his hands - don't ask him to name it, he just knows where it goes next into the other miscellaneous part he's reaching to pick up now - ] I've got it all up here.

[ There's a barely restrained noise of protest from Hilda before her gaze whips back around incredulously on Claude. If her hair could raise like a Ghibli poof, it absolutely would. But as it stands, the boy will have to imagine ]

If the tent collapses in the middle of the night you're sleeping out on the balcony for a week.

[ Not to mention he'd be relegated to sleeping on whatever rocks are out here instead of the wagon. Without anything else she returns back to her cooking only to realize with some dismay that in the very short time she had been looking away some of the food was beginning to burn. A little cry of despair leaves her as panic begins to fill her. ]

Sylvain - what do I do!

[ It's not necessarily an ask for him to fix it but in the face of a potentially ruined breakfast (which somehow equates to a completely ruined trip), she finds herself at a loss. ]

[ He hops over the edge of the wagon and is at her side in a moment, carefully reaching out to lift the pan off the heat of the direct fire, sliding it a little further to the side. It's far from ruined, the bacon will just be a little extra crispy and he tends to prefer it that way anyway.

But hearing that note of panic in her voice and knowing she's quickly getting stressed out between handling tasks she's not used to - and also trying to babysit Claude and a baby dragon, apparently - he wraps an arm around her waist and tucks her in against his side, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. ]

It's okay. Breathe, sweetheart. It will still be delicious, you're doing just fine. And if Claude destroys the tent- [ Because he's not ruling that out yet, but also he's going to give Claude a hard time regardless ] -it's still nice enough out that we can sleep under the stars together.

Hey, no tents are getting destroyed here! I wouldn't say no to the stars, though only because we're doing that on purpose. You both know I'm looking forward to that later since we'll get a good view out here.

[ Claude's ignoring the supposed balcony threat entirely since it's not like he hasn't (voluntarily) slept out there a few times, and besides that, he meant it about the tent being fine. It's totally fine! At least enough so that by the time Hilda calls out Claude has the canvas framing over a couple of the supports. Just a little bit more and it'll stand up - enough to get the rest figured out, anyway. Memorizing those instructions that Khurshid's occupied with happily shredding away based on the occasional noise of crunching paper coming from the tree overhead was absolutely the right plan.

From where he is Claude peers towards the fire and the pan Sylvain's rescued since he agrees with that assessment based on what he can see: it looks as delicious as ever. ]

Breakfast looks great, Hilda, and it will be because you've made it. Just like always.

[ The only reason she squirms in Sylvain's arm is not because she wants to get out but because she's fuelled by the mounting panic that she's somehow managed to completely mess this up.

Common sense tells her that not all is lost. A little burnt bacon has never ruined something or denotes a complete failure of an attempt at breakfast. But so much planning had gone into this fuelled by the determination that this birthday would be leaps and bounds better than the last.

Her lips twist as she attempts to do as Sylvain asks but they do little to dispel the concerned expression from her face or calm the pink patches of colour dotting her cheeks. ]

I didn't overcook them? Are you sure? You both don't have to stomach it if it's bad - I brought extra. If it's that bad we can feed them to Khurshid as a little treat.

[ But then again, maybe they shouldn't be rewarding the wyrmling after what he did. Not that it was really his fault in the first place. ]

You've cooked them perfectly, in fact. [ He's a little surprised she's so worried about it, but she did occasionally become a perfectionist about the strangest things. Not that he's one to talk. ] Trust me, it looks - and smells - delicious. Do you have a platter ready to put these on?

[ Giving her another task to distract her will help - he hopes? - so he focuses on checking on the rest of breakfast, all of which looks about done. And none of it is at all burned, so hopefully she'll be happy with the outcome when they actually sit down to eat. ]

Where are we eating? And should we start taking wagers now over how long that tent will remain upright?

[ If the task doesn't distract Hilda from fretting, surely giving Claude a hard time will do the trick. ]

The tent is fine! Forget about the tent.

[ Breezily as he puts together the final touches before grabbing the stakes. On second thought: Claude also reaches out to shake it gently for a little structural testing. Some part of him expects it to wobble beyond what a tent usually does, but to his surprise it doesn't. Claude opts to not comment on that - just in case - since the denial of it being anything but an Extra Tent Assembly will have to stand. ]

Also, I think you've just made it so we're going to have to feed something to Khurshid no matter what.

[ As he kneels down to take care of the stakes, it comes with pointing up with the mallet in his hand to where the paper shredding above has paused. Not because Khurshid's run out of paper given that it's still clutched in the claws of one foot, but because the baby wyvern's peering down to the fire with great interest. ]

He might be even more food motivated than the cats. That's saying something because their main hobbies are napping and then waking up for snacks.

[ The thought that she's failed still lingers on the top of her consciousness like a film she can't feel but can't quite ignore. She's been with Sylvain long enough to know a distraction, a merciful exit, from the current conversation at hand. Without hesitation she takes it, determined not to wallow in a little bump for too long. ]

I packed little camping stools. They should be in there.

[ She gestures, pointing to a shape rolled up in canvas.

It's the only reason she reluctantly extracts herself from Sylvain's arms knowing that he'll be more than capable of doling out the food. As she pulls out the chairs she gives Claude a noise little click of her tongue. ]

We can't keep feeding him food like this he's going to get a little pudgy and then we're going to have to put him on a diet! Also - [ One chair is placed down with a huff. ] You've done more than enough damage already today, mister.

[ As she turns to set up the other two chairs she says - ]

I bet the tent will last about ten minutes once we climb inside.

Edited 2024-07-09 05:52 (UTC)

That's optimistic of you.

[ he calls this back to Hilda with a laugh as he starts portioning out their breakfast onto plates, figuring that was easier.

But he softens his words by casting a wink in Claude's direction. ]

Don't worry, babe, I like sleeping out under the stars.

And I'm sure Khurshid will be fine sharing some of our breakfast with us. He's a growing boy, after all. And when he starts flying around more, he's gonna be burning way more energy, right? [ He's never actually raised a wyvern before - they weren't typically native to Faerghus, not liking the colder weather up there. It's why horses and pegasus were far more common. So he was still learning this as he goes.

And if he wiggles a piece of bacon to the baby wyvern to lure him out of the tree, well...

Hilda can't yell at him, it's his birthday. ]

[ Claude throws his hands up in the air, still feigning anything resembling exasperation when it's anything but. The tent is fine! Most likely. It's secure, at any rate, which is really like half of the battle, isn't it? Either way, he's not worrying about it as he approaches where Hilda's setting up and Sylvain's now waving a piece of bacon in Khurshid's direction. ]

Look, I'm not going to protest the stars either. They might happen to be one of my favorite things, after all.

[ He's also absolutely going to take this moment to cheerfully wrap an arm around Hilda's shoulders for the sake of leaning down to leave an obnoxious kiss on her cheek while reaching with the other hand to take the chairs from her. After releasing her he waves a hand to the chair set up for Sylvain to take a seat - birthday boy privileges, after all, and that comes with a kiss on the cheek for the other man, too - and busies himself with the rest of the chairs. One for Hilda next, of course.

Khurshid, meanwhile, stopped his goal of confetti-ing the desert to keep a careful watch on that bacon and swoops down from the tree to perch on Sylvain's shoulder. There's an expectant trill afterwards for that snack, though a small crease of thought appears between his brows. ]

I dunno about a diet since he's eating just fine, but - I would've thought he'd be a little bigger by now since it's been a year. He's still about the same size as when we found him, though now he can flap around short distances.

I'm hoping it'll encourage him to try and set up the tent in a way that it will last longer than that.

[ She knows that Claude is referencing his nickname for her but she presses a palm to his face with a mock expression of disgust all the same. That doesn't stop the telltale sign of her lips twitching into a smile. That mock expression of disgust turns into horror when she realizes what Sylvain is doing. ]

Sylvain - don't feed him too much bacon!

[ What was that about not yelling at him because he's the birthday boy?

With the chairs set up she sits herself down into one rather unceremoniously and watches Khrushid happily much away on the bacon with a thoughtful look on her face. ]

He would have grown by now. It's been months. You don't think being pulled here by the portal did something to him, do you?

Oops.

[ He doesn't sound all that remorseful, even as he slips the baby wyvern another piece of bacon. he's pretty sure their friendship is entirely based on bribery and food at this point, since he has no idea what he's doing with the wyvern half the time. But he just casts Hilda a wink as he moves to settle down with a plate of food.

Although her pondering aloud has him thinking of something else he'd been wondering over in the days since that strange event that had flung them so far into the future. ]

What if being pulled here did something to all of us? [ He munched on a piece of bacon himself as he glanced between them, unsure if he should be bringing this up right now. ] Birthdays aside, how do we know if any of us are aging, or if time is somehow... stopped for us? Last I checked, none of us were immortal, and I know arguments can be made that we were all just hallucinating whatever happened, but... That was a whole lot of years we were essentially just the same, if not more powerful.

[ A snort of laughter leaves him at Sylvain's entirely unrepentant response as he leans back in his own chair and continues to study Khurshid thoughtfully. The portals and those rifts affecting the baby wyvern is a good theory what with how he's really not grown like Claude would have expected. Not that it's stopping their wyvern friend from enjoying all kinds of food like the bacon greedily chewed down as a favored snack - not that Claude would know anything about spoiling the baby either, of course - and he tilts his head to the side.

Before he can share anything resembling a theory, what Sylvain says gets his attention and his gaze falls on the other man in an instant. ]

I've thought about that before myself. Especially since from what I've heard from other Summoned about those who've left and come back... when you return home it's apparently like you were never here at all. [ Concerning enough as he presses his lips into a line for a second before continuing with the rest of that thought. ] And without aging, I'd presume, even if you're us and have been here for years now. But I don't think we have to look any farther than the magic we suddenly have that we didn't before to know we're being affected by something about being here.

[ Not comforting, but: he agrees with them both when it comes to both the baby wyvern and themselves. ]

[ If it's possible for her to be more exasperated, the two men will see it now as she sets her food down before marching over to snatch Khurshid from his branch. A shrill sound of protest chirps from the wyvern as he squirms from his place tucked against her side, but after a moment he gives up realizing that it's probably a moot point while in his mother's firm grasp.

...At least he's still working away on that bacon that Uncle Sylvain gave him.

It takes her a minute to respond as she settles back into her seat, precariously balancing the plate of food in her lap. That has less to do with ensuring the food is just out of Khrushid's reach and more to do with pondering the thing Sylvain had brought up. ]

Well speak for yourself, Claude. I thought I saw a grey hair on your head when I was washing it.

[ The teasing tone fades, a little furrow left behind in its wake. ]

I'd still like to think that those years as gods didn't actually happen. [ Some for obvious reasons that she'd rather not dwell on. ] But magic never affected us like this at home. At least not in a semi-positive way.

It's not like I'm rushing to age and get wrinkles any time soon but there have been physical changes to some of the Summoned. Alucard had me make a ring for him that would cover up some of his exposed bone on his finger. And if the magic can do that then I guess stopping physical aging isn't out of the question.

Edited 2024-08-01 04:51 (UTC)

[ Sylvain needs a moment here, staring at Hilda with a slow, careful blink. ]

...Do I want to know why Alucard has exposed bone on his finger? That sounds... painful? Maybe you should have sent him to a healer rather than making him a pretty trinket to hide it?

[ he's probably gonna get smacked for that suggestion, but he's honestly a little grossed out right now. Bones are supposed to be on the inside, after all, and he knows how bad it is when they are not. ]

Anyway, we know this place somehow has a way of messing with time - our own memories of home are proof enough of that. But yeah, the reports of those who've left and returned aside... maybe we're just somehow outside of time here? I mean, if we're returned to the moment we left, that would be pretty weird if we showed back up like, twenty years older than when we left.

[ Claude's openly grinning at Khurshid's struggle - not that it ends up being much of one when the wyvern surrenders to being held as he usually does with or without the bacon bribery involved - but much like Sylvain his expression changes at the mention of exposed bone. ]

Is... that something new?

[ Something else the changes here are responsible for? It's been a minute since he's stopped to talk to Alucard, but he's pretty sure he would've noticed any exposed bone before. Still, Sylvain's (mostly) asked what else he wanted to know so he chews the inside of his cheek and watches the wyvern before continuing. ]

I suppose what comes to mind most is that if we had any memories of being here, then surely Hilda would have mentioned it to me since technically she's arrived first if we think about it from what we left behind. The same for you, Sylvain, since you would've told Felix and he wouldn't have been surprised to hear about other timelines to be in Cadens. Maybe that's stretching it a bit, but. [ On second thought, he doesn't actually have a thought to complete that other than a barely audible sigh. ] I suppose now we have to hope those changes actually are positive and not something else.

[ A faint flush appears when she realizes belatedly that maybe that little known fact is something she shouldn't have blurted out. Seeing the exposed bone on Alucard's finger had been something she'll never forget, so she can just imagine - or knows rather - that being on the receiving end of that can be just as shocking to hear. ]

It definitely wasn't there before we got kicked into that crater.

[ And then to Sylvain's point - ]

That was my first thought but he didn't want to make a big deal about it because it didn't hurt. So I made a ring that could act as a case for it instead.

[ Khurshid, sensing that she was distracted attempts to snap at the bacon but she sees it just in time leaving him snapping at air. If a wyvern could pout, Khurshid would be the poster child. She gives him a reprimanding boop on the nose before continuing. ]

I guess if you consider potentially turning into gods a positive thing that's one possibility. We've already all gotten some kind of power and most of them seem harmless but I'd just rather they leave our memories - and us - alone. We've already been through so much to get to this point. And if anything tried to take that away...

[ Her brow furrows as her voice trails off as her eyes darken at the thought of losing either of them again. ]

[ Sylvain rubs a hand over his face, because he's pretty sure he really wants to make a bigger deal about this, but he lets it go for now. Sort of. ] Look, if he needs someone to stay discreet about it, I can offer my services? I may not be the best healer but I could probably handle something like that. Let him know, next time you talk to him?

[ He watches poor Khurshid's struggles and is tempted to toss him another bite of bacon, but he has a feeling Hilda would do a lot worse than boop his nose. So he eats it himself instead, listening as they debate the complicated tangle that is their lack of knowledge when it comes to how this place is connected to their own differing times. ]

I think the turning into gods is more a neutral thing, honestly - the good or bad comes with what we do with it, right? [ Although he's not sure they'll agree with him. They'd both had a far more complicated experience than he had with all those centuries of godhood. ] Although it would be really nice if the other so-called gods in this place actually had some answers for us. Or maybe the Singularity started to feel chatty with us, since we're supposed to be so "special" here. I feel like, no matter how long we've been here, we're still no closer to understanding the how and why of it.

[ There's some Massive Wyvern Sulking as if the wyvern in question has been absolutely crushed by life: wings drooping, discontented expression, and sagging against Hilda with a deep sigh that can be heard all the way across their seating area. It's also complete with watching Sylvain eat that piece of bacon rather mournfully like their flying reptilian friend hadn't just been fed mere moments ago.

Claude's about to remind Khurshid not to be so dramatic - not that he'd know anything about being that himself, of course - but the conversation successfully distracts him away from wyvern antics. All of it is too much of a puzzle they've never come any closer to answering in their time here just as they've all said in varying ways. Time that's only stretching on longer with each day, week, and month, and yet. ]

I suppose, but I can't say the gods that've visited us have been exactly helpful even if there were other circumstances going on when the three of them showed up to be our supposed friends. Maybe if something else happens I'll shift my opinion to neutral but right now it's something decidedly less favorable.

[ A pause, just in case said gods are listening and decide to smite him for that and to not ruin their timing, but when nothing happens he continues. ]

I've seen others mention - [ with a wave in front of his face meant to encompass the mind writing - ] visiting the Singularity in the Horizon before. I wandered by it not long after arriving and nothing much happened, but maybe it'd be worth trying again. Especially if we happen to get different reactions, for whatever that might tell us.

[ Sylvain's offer immediately brings a soft smile to her face as she reaches over to give his hand a squeeze of appreciation. ]

I'll let him know.

[ The concern Sylvain shows is sweet but not all together unsurprising. It's just another reason why she feels the way she does for him.

Sulking wyvern of the year aside, she keeps her hold firmly around the creature's belly. And to show that she really wasn't all that upset with him, she offers his belly a little rub. Soon enough the denial of bacon seems to be forgiven and forgotten if the purring from the back of Khurshi'd throat is any indication.

It's a soothing sound for a not very easy to digest topic. ]

You're not wrong about us potentially becoming gods some day being a neutral thing. But I still don't want to become a god.

[ Of course she wanted to live, but she didn't want to live forever even if forever meant a fraction of the future that they'd seen. The furrow between her brow deepens. ]

Do you really think we should walk by the Singularity? I mean, I guess at the end of the day that's the thing that really brought all of us here but I don't know it'll give us any kind of straight answer. And speaking of the Singularity - have either of you felt this weird compulsion to spend more time in the Horizon since coming back?

( closed ) even when the sky falls and i've lost it all

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