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

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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