abraxaslogs | [ OPEN ] where the wind blows now

[ When he's not in the room he shares with Cid and Dion, Claude will be out learning as much as he can about his new home. Being in the castle is an odd return to what he'd left behind, in some ways, and without the whole being the ruler instead of a 'guest' in this particular castle. It's familiar enough that he strides through whatever hallways they're allowed in like he's meant to be there - and maybe even the ones they aren't if the doors aren't locked to keep those who are particularly nosy out of them taking in all the details - ready to flash a smile to get out of trouble should he stumble (or purposefully walk) into it. During the first few days, his hallway wandering is a predictable pattern someone doing the same might notice, especially once he's been at it long enough to be able to volunteer directions if they're lost. However, it's also the restless sort of behavior from being somewhere he doesn't trust if someone else might recognize that, too.

Soon enough, the gardens become a particular favorite of his when there's grounds to cover there and it feels like they're out of the castle's looming shadow despite being in them still. Every now and then he'll crouch down by a plant or a flower to reach out to it with a carefully gloved hand - just in case - while leafing through a journal with all kinds of scribbles with his other to compare it to some sketched pictures. ]

Huh. I don't think I've seen anything like this before around the desert.

[ Is Claude talking to himself? Probably, but if someone answers he'll strike up a conversation.

Also in the gardens: he's learned to not pet the calico cat via the difficult way, but this hasn't dissuaded him from sitting near her while eating a late night snack (but out of teeth and claw range) while she pointedly ignores him with a tail swishing in annoyance even as he leaves small pieces of meat or cheese by her attempting to make friends. A fellow animal lover might overhear him telling the still disinterested cat about the baby wyvern, lizards, and leosylphs that make up part of his family back in Cadens.

The library is also a reliable place to find him as it's been everywhere he goes, though it's the historical topics in particular he focuses on. He has no particular research topic in mind beyond comparing what he's read in books in the Free Cities to what's here. Paying more attention to what's on the shelves means there's a good chance he'll reach for a title at the same time as someone else only to grin sheepishly for not paying attention to his surroundings. ]

Looking up the same things, are we? I have another book I could trade you for this one.

[ He's still keeping a hand on this book in the meantime, but there really is a whole stack of books he has to bargain with. ]

Edited 2025-01-06 02:26 (UTC)

[ The mention of repairs being needed is all Claude needs to volunteer where he can to put restless energy to good use. While he might not like being here, it's certainly no reason to avoid helping out where he can when that's been a theme of being in Cadens and the Free Cities, too.

The infirmary is one of his first stops having done the very same during all of the upheavals within the Free Cities both recent and not. His healing magic's slowly become stronger thanks to all that practice (and perhaps having also finally studied it decently while in Abraxas, unlike at the academy) though he's still best suited for minor injuries. When not with a patient and concentrating on a spell - one which he'll gladly offer lessons on or answer questions about if someone's curious - Claude will be restocking supplies for the main healers. If something has to be retrieved from storage and there's another Summoned nearby: guess who he's asking to come with him? Teamwork!

The same goes for delivering meals since working together means the same: double the (or more) capacity to bring with them to the soldiers and guards, each of whom he'll greet with a short nod before handing over the meal. This certainly reminds him plenty of the various rebuilding efforts he's helped in - Libertas in particular - and also of efforts during the war that'd ended back in Fodlan, both of which Claude might be liable to mention as idle(?) chatter while on their route.

Pulling boats to shore to keep them safe is also something he's invested in. While strong thanks to years of combat training and keeping up with it, this is absolutely something he'll do in a group when it comes to the larger boats since no need to take chances. There'll be plenty of encouragement coming from Claude during this, hinting that perhaps he's used to being the one in charge if someone doesn't know that about him already. Of course, a couple successful boat pullings means smaller ones like rowboats are things he can (he thinks) handle by himself.

This proves to be less successful when the rowboat he currently has by one rope gets caught in a wave. While there's no danger of being pulled off the pier Claude's bracing his feet against, it does mean that the boat fights back as he debates tying it back up. Unless someone walks by, in which case there'll be a quick shout. ]

Hey! Grab that other rope for me, would you?

[ Aside from the prompts above, Claude will also be:

Shopping in the castle city since why miss out on new places to browse? Bookstores in particular will draw him in and finding him contemplating a book in hand either for the subject matter (your choice of what it is) or as though how difficult it might be to smuggle back to Cadens with him won't be uncommon sights.

Exploring Borrel for a little sightseeing. The seashore is a draw and so is looking for sea glass, though the markets here also hold most of his attention. Market stalls with jewelry are his particular haunts here for some items in particular to bring back with him, both as gifts and for the fashion of it.

In Nott's taverns once he figures out they're a good place to relax away from the castle. A convenient place to bring his new books, too, since he'll be at a table by himself with either an ale or tea in front of him and with an extra chair for someone to sit in and join him.

In the Horizon, especially near the beginning of the portal disruption. A note can be found on the gate doors to his Horizon explaining he's rather abruptly found himself in Thorne for anyone stopping by if he's not there. If he is, the gate will be open and he can be found inside either practicing archery, setting up any number of elaborate chess games, in his laboratory that's Absolutely Not for creating poisons, or simply waiting for someone to arrive if they've set up a meeting.

Or go for something of your choice! ]

He said it was this way, I think.

[ In how Claude's interpreted the directions Dion gave him, that is, for as clear as they were there's still having to learn getting around a castle. A concept he knows well having grown up in one and then moved to a different one, but this one is at least without everything attached. Instead it's a monarchy he distrusts, but he's trying to not think of that more than every few seconds since it'd registered he hadn't made it home.

The expanded thoughts on that can be saved for later since for now he's focusing on wandering down this next corridor with Cid. One huge benefit of an unplanned trip through the portals is familiar faces, both in Dion having made it back to Thorne and in finding Cid had come through to the castle instead of ending up back in Cadens. Seeing other Summoned he knows well was a further bonus since that'll make the shift to being here less jarring. Or so he hopes, anyway.

Still: better to focus on task number one which is finding Dion's room for somewhere more private for all of them to talk. Which involves peering into the doorway of the first room they pass, and - ]

Not that one, but it's gotta be around here somewhere.

Edited 2025-01-12 22:02 (UTC)

[ Cid has been... adjusting. It's been a while since he's found himself under the monarchy's thumb, and he can't say that he's missed much of the experience. He feels a bit of a fool for not learning more of the details of the situation here in Thorne, but it isn't as if he could have expected this.

Even orienting himself in the castle has been a chore, so it's an unfortunate mercy to find that at least a few familiar faces haunt the castle walls. He's glad of Claude's company, and likely Dion's as well. Their last encounter ended pleasantly enough...

Cid pokes his head into another doorway, to no avail. Plenty of Summoned from Thorne have gone elsewhere, it seems. They could keep searching around, but considering the instructions and the fact that Dion must be nearby... Cid cups a hand against the side of his face and yells down the hallway: ] Oi, Dion! Where are you?!

[ He flashes Claude a brief grin and inclines his head. It's expedient, no? ]

[To say the prince did some amount of scrambling the moment he contacted Claude among all these portal misfirings to confirm he was, indeed, in Dion's stomping grounds... well, the word is not entirely inaccurate. Especially considering he made such confirmation during one of this trips to the baths. So there he is drying and dressing, sending a quick message to his roommate -- who has disappeared himself, but is safely in Solvunn -- who graces him with permission to share their space (and his leftover rations), at least in the mean time. He can at least provide Claude a comfortable place to stay.

As for Cid... well, he can mostly find his own way, but Dion is generous enough to offer him some time in navigating the castle rather than being on his own, entirely. After certain -- moments -- he can find it in himself to be graceful.

What he's not entirely sure of is that he might meet them. Together. Which --

Cid's voice ricocheting down the halls is enough to pull him from his room, where he had been making hasty preparations for Claude's arrival, only to stand there, stock still, as he sees Cid and Claude are arriving together. In a certain level of -- it seems, not as strangers.

Dion's eyes jump from Claude's face to Cid's, before he smooths a hand over his chest, settling down the collar of his shirt, and clearing his throat.] I would appreciate you show some modicum of decorum. If you are so able. [And as he turns to Claude, there is a shift that Dion does not feel but is easily perceivable; a softness in the brown of his eyes, and a hint of a smile as he reaches for his arm.] I did not think I should be blessed to see you again so soon. [He gestures to his room with his other arm.] You are both welcome.

[Even if he has this slightly taught pull in the base of his spine, having them here. Both. Together.]

[ Just as Claude turns away from yet another empty room where it looks like there'd been someone there recently - really bringing home the point of how many Summoned were shuffled around thanks to the portals simply while looking for where Dion might be - Cid lets out a shout which reverberates down the hallway. It's all of a second where he blinks as an initial reaction, but surprise doesn't last long when he immediately ends up in genuine laughter. ]

I think you might've just found us a better loophole than the whole mind messaging thing I was going to try again next. A much better one.

[ He's still chuckling with that underscoring of the point at the end, but: it works, because there's Dion. Though he'd returned Cid's grin before, it's a far wider one of absolute amusement he flashes back to Cid again as the prince first smoothes out what might be an invisible wrinkle somewhere before all but rebuking the man in question. It's entirely from Dion's response since that's a very princely reaction even with the little bit of tension he'd spotted - let alone that pause before speaking as its own accent - surely fueling it.

A puzzle for later since now there's the matching softening in Claude's own expression as he reaches to cover Dion's hand on his arm with his own and to squeeze it gently for a reason to linger. ]

I didn't either though if there's something to be glad for in all this, it's certainly that. [ One last smile for Dion, and then it's back to Cid with a nod. ] Time to get settled in before he has a chance to tell us to go back to wandering the castle since that might be next.

[ He gives Claude a friendly nudge in the side just before a door opens. He'd meant to ask Claude more of how he and Dion knew each other, but had decided that he might as well save the small talk for when the three of them managed to meet up. Even without the context of their relationship, Cid knows them both well enough to know what he's seeing the moment they lay eyes on each other.

He really ought to have guessed.

Cid returns Claude's grin, the two of them not unlike a pair of sharks scenting blood. ]

Claude liked it. [ Cid says, by way of reply to that scolding. He thumbs the corner of his mouth, trying to suppress some of his own amusement. ] Some of us are more welcome than others, seems like.

[ He sidles past Dion and Claude, letting himself into the room while affording the two of them some modicum of privacy for their lingering moment. He assesses the room quickly and invites himself to sit — on a chair, if he can find one, and what he assumes is Dion's bed, if not. He nods at Claude. ] Aye. Let's have a moment to get acquainted before we're off wandering again.

[ Cid digs a cigar out of his jacket, apparently keen to make himself comfortable and annoy Dion all at once. ] Claude and I are friends. It was our good fortune to run into each other while looking for you.

[He has faced far more dangerous monsters than two men coming to visit him that he should call friends, yet Dion has no explanation for the sweat he feels at the small of his back, nor the heated undercurrent of his skin. Even Claude's return touch shakes neither feeling, but gives him a certain quiver in his heart.] I would do no such thing.

[Though the pointed look he gives to Cid behind Claude's back might indicate that isn't entirely true. Cid has the right of it, if only because --

This is complicated. And he did not anticipate his life ever being complicated in this very specific way.

He closes the door and the air feels even tighter somehow. Claude, he had wished to have in his room much prior, had fantasized of that very thing. And Cid has become something of a tangle in Dion's mind; the fact of the matter is that he would be far simpler an enemy than... what it is he has become.

Dion clears his throat for a second time, realizes it's the second time he's done it, and stands even stiffer, awkwardly by the door. It says plenty that he does not immediately snipe at Cid for thinking to smoke in his private rooms -- though the smell of the smoke certainly attracts the attention of Dion's familiar, a small, white dragon who begins crawling out from under his bed to sniff at Cid's boot.] Whose good fortune...? [He mutters to himself.] I had no idea you two were already formally acquainted. I suppose that... makes things easier.

[No, it doesn't. Oh, Great Gregor.] The others are gone, and I remain, so I might ask how it is you found yourselves here in the first place. Simply through a portal?

[ Even if he wasn't rather adept at reading what someone might be saying without saying it aloud - and even if he hadn't become familiar with reading Dion's actions from their time together - Claude thinks that tension might be seen from across the castle. It certainly seems to increase as Cid makes himself comfortable and he's tempted to raise an eyebrow.

Something he might've given into if there wasn't a better opportunity presented to him to grin yet again at what sounds like Dion trying to convince himself of... something. Maybe he won't be putting that puzzle aside for long after all, but first - ]

Well, when I think of formal things, I absolutely think of me and Cid together and not.

[ He knows exactly what it is Dion really meant, but that's too good of an opportunity to pass up since formal isn't a word he'd ever associate with the two of them. Not that he minds; it's one of the reasons Claude enjoys Cid's company so much. Dion, on the other hand: the prince is doing his best impression of formality with no reprieve. All the more reason for the joke to attempt loosening it with a bit of levity before he squeezes Dion's hand one last time before walking over with the intent of sitting by Cid with a gesture to beckon Dion into his own room rather than continuing to stand. He's distracted by the small dragon's appearance before taking a seat since he instead he crouches down to offer her a hand to investigate. ]

Something like that. The portal was supposed to take us back to Cadens though it seems only some made it back there. Others were sent to Solvunn, and I'm assuming the same happened to the Thorne Summoned, too. I suppose we were overdue for yet another strange occurrence here.

[ He's doing his best to make that last part sound entirely light-hearted but it might have a detectable air of tiredness in there, too. ]

We're casually acquainted as well. [ Cid adds, absolutely not helping.

Poor Dion is going to turn to stone well ahead of the curse if he tries to stand any more stiffly than he already does. He's overthinking it all once again, as is his way. Even in the early morning hours, half-asleep, that line seemed to persist between his brows... granted, Cid's presence in his bed had had something to do with that.

The little dragon distracts him as well. Cid glances down at it, then turns away to exhale smoke. With a sigh, he crushes the cigar in his hand, a brief spark of levin reducing it to ash. The smoke isn't good for the little ones — human or dragon. (That brief spark is telling enough about just how casually he's acquainted with Claude. Even after all this time, Cid is careful about when and how he uses magic.)

He produces a strip of dried meat from somewhere in his jacket and tosses it for the dragon. It's one of Nir's treats, but she'll hardly mind — she's out hunting gleefully in the woods as they speak. ]

Aye. We can only hope a bit of shuffling about is the worst of it for now. [ Cid adds, leaning back in the chair. He gestures tiredly. ] I'd wager it's got something to do with the Singularity waking up.

[ He props his chin up on his fist. ] We ought to keep a lookout for one another while we're here. We're being accommodated for now, but I wouldn't put it past them to misplace a Summoned from another territory, if they might get something useful out of us... and that's just if some new nonsense doesn't blindside the lot of us.

[ It would likely be wise for the three of them to share the room, but Cid hesitates to suggest it. As much as he might enjoy teasing Dion and chatting with Claude, he has no real desire to get in the way of the two of them having some quality time together. ]

Edited 2025-03-03 18:13 (UTC)

[ It's not long after finding himself in Thorne that Claude equally finds himself needing to be on the move around where they're allowed to go. Part of it is to familiarize himself with a place he's never been on supposedly idle walks around the castle and its grounds and what absolutely isn't at all a chance to survey... well, everything. Risks, potential openings for something if they need it, any number of things cross his mind as he compares everything he's seeing to what he's heard over his time in being in Abraxas.

On a day with slightly more sunshine and with a potential destination in mind to browse for some supplies to organize something close to what he'd (unintentionally) left behind in Cadens, Claude decides a trip through the markets is in order. Aside from wandering about for the benefit of mentally mapping out physical locations, there's also all sorts of new things to brose. With it brings a certain wistfulness for what he's become used to, but that's no distraction as he walks and then catches sight of someone he knows. The bookstore he was in search of can wait until later since he changes paths to head towards Geralt. ]

Anything interesting over here? [ By way of a greeting since he slides into place next to Geralt to check out whatever this particular stall has to offer. ] I'm taking suggestions on where to shop next before I have to go warm up with a drink somewhere.

Edited 2025-01-13 00:35 (UTC)

[ It's a little strange to feel uprooted; Geralt has never been rooted to any one place to begin with. Not for years. Since he allowed himself to settle in Cadens, however, it's become home. Now that he's no longer there, he's not sure where he should be going. He hasn't much want for anything; the clothes on his back are fine, he has a sword with him, and there is no point in getting a horse when this is meant to be temporary.

Besides. Roach is still back in the Free Cities. He'd hate to abandon her for good.

Eventually, though, he decides he's in need of some elixirs now that Nadine is no longer around to provide. He's been away from the cold for a long time. As much as he dislikes the extreme heat, the warmer winters means his leg hasn't really given him too much trouble. But Thorne's frosty winters are a different matter.

He's peering at the array of potions, wondering if he will need to dig out some extra coin for a more potent concoction, when he hears footsteps behind him. He sets the bottle back down on the table. ]

Not unless you've also some ancient joints.

[ As Jaskier likes to make fun of him. ]

Does it count if the cold makes them feel ancient?

[ That's something he hadn't accounted for with the winter chill, long as it's been since he's existed in anything close both since arriving in Abraxas and the mild winters of the Alliance before that. As Geralt sets the bottle down Claude leans forward to see if he can identify much else about it besides the label proclaiming its contents. The answer is no so he straightens up and then with a mittened hand picks up another flask to turn it carefully in his hands as the liquid inside sloshes. ]

Unfortunately I never learned any warming spells back when I studied magic though perhaps now is the time for that while we're here if I can find the right book in the library. I can offer a bit of healing magic to take some of the sharpness out of it if that'd help.

[ The same he'd once used to heal one of Geralt's wounds from the Pit though it's been refined since through practice - thanks to an unfortunate number of opportunities to use it. Finally skimming over the potion's ingredients in his hands so that it registers as something that might help with joints, Claude holds it out to Geralt next. ]

[ Geralt raises an eyebrow. Claude doesn't look a day over thirty. He supposes human bodies are simply like that. Unless one is a mage. ]

Mm. A pain relief should do.

[ He likes the cold, truthfully; doesn't much feel it in his blood. But his bones are different, between the dampness and the frost, and he knows that that is just the cost of...all that's happened. Of surviving, perhaps.

Could be worse.

He accepts Claude's offering, turning it over in his hand. He's starting to consider if he'll have better luck in the Black Markets he's heard of. Jaskier tells him the Draconae merchants often trade there, and their physiology is much closer to his. Besides, it's not as though he can be easily poisoned. ]

Have you made new friends yet?

[ Pain relief - one of those spells he probably should've paid more attention to when Marianne used them on him to heal a variety of wounds from the war, but he never had. His mind always too busy going over everything else left little space for it and not even being in Abraxas changed that much with... well, a different variety of 'everything else' going on.

As Geralt considers the potion Claude picks up another one to read the label - this one something about hair growth which he sets back since while helpful in ga general sense, not exactly so for this situation - then looks up with an easy grin. ]

Always since I never turn down a chance to get to know someone new as I'm sure will surprise you. Finding ourselves shuffled around has provided plenty of opportunities for it.

[ To say the least. Though there's also multiple ways that question can go beyond just the Summoned and more to their surroundings: like to the merchants of these stalls and the shops around he's also spent time around and then the rest of the castle residents. Claude tilts his head in consideration again before glancing back to the potions briefly. ]

How about you, anyone still here from before?

[ Summoned or otherwise there, too. ]

[ His expression grows amused. Of course Claude has already made friends. Geralt, on the other hand, despite his tendency to prefer solitude, has also found himself surrounded by...not friends, precisely, but acquaintances. The nature of his work, he supposes. He ends up speaking to people even when he'd prefer not to.

Geralt settles on the potion, pulling out a few coins to pay for it. He was at least fortunate enough to be sent here with a fairly full coin purse. Not much he bothered to buy in the Nether. ]

Dion. [ He isn't sure if Claude knows the man. ] Other than that...no one of note.

[ Lucifer, yes, but Lucifer is not exactly an ally in Thorne. ]

Ah, so you've met my roommate.

[ Said with a none too subtle smile which suggests roommate might not be the right term even if it's also a true description at the moment. The smile grows wider still picturing two Summoned he's fond of together, an opportunity for more now that they're here. Despite the uncertainty of when they'll return to Cadens, there's certainly still benefits to being here. ]

Cid and I were invited to take up residence in Dion's room and he's been a good host. [ And certainly tolerated their antics - ] I've seen a few other Summoned I recognize from Nocwich, or at least I'm assuming I do, but I'll have to follow up with them later.

[ The seller's now looking to him expectantly, Claude realizes, given that he'd absently picked up yet another vial while talking without intending to... actually do anything with it. Instead he places it back with a vaguely apologetic smile and turns back to Geralt, ignoring the unimpressed look now fixed on him by the seller. ]

Care for a drink to wash that down? My treat since I was about to head to a tavern I've found I enjoy.

Roommate?

[ He wasn't aware of that. Geralt tilts his head, eyebrow raised, but he asks no further. It should not surprise him Claude and Dion would have become fast friends. Between the wyverns and their disposition, they could've practically originated from the same sphere.

He nods, turning away from the table of wares with Claude. ]

I could hardly turn down an ale. You've been exploring already?

[ He's easily bribed by free food and drink. Besides, he isn't anywhere near as familiar with Thorne. His previous stays did not include a guided tour of the kingdom. ]

[ Geralt gets a deliberate wink in response which is both an answer and not, though on second thought Claude decides to not leave it quite at that as he motions in the direction of the tavern he has in mind so they can head there. ]

And a rather charming prince at that. [ Of which Geralt might've made his own assessment of the man in question given they've met and Dion was who he volunteered as someone known here. Onto the next question, of which Claude offers a too casual shrug of one shoulder he knows won't be convincing. ] I might've done some looking around. Both for the slight change in scenery and to see if there were places we could go with a little less obvious observation.

[ He'll leave it there considering said observation probably is going on at this moment. A change from the Free Cities in that it's more obvious instead of from a (relative) distance when in Cadens, and something which reminds him more than a little of home. The tavern's not a far walk but is conveniently down a side street or two to be removed enough, and there's tables in quieter corners. ]

Found anything of interest yourself? Aside from the potions, that is.

[ Uh-huh. Claude's assessment brings a small curl to his lips. Charming is, funny enough, not the word he would use to describe Dion; the man had always struck him as awkward and stiff. As though uncertain of his place in any given conversation. But Geralt can acknowledge he is not the easiest man to speak to, either.

He hums. Being watched does not bother him overmuch; furtiveness is not his expertise, anyhow, but it's certainly not ideal on principle.

He sits across from Claude. The dress here is different, closer to what he might encounter in Redania or Temeria. After so many years in Cadens, it almost feels foreign now.

His gaze returns to Claude. He shrugs. ] The dungeons are empty. I caught a glimpse. And...it would seem their garrison is short on men after the attack.

[ The latter, he was curious about, after what he knows of John's experience. ]

Empty?

[ Claude doesn't exactly meant to echo that, but as the raise of one eyebrow suggests... that's intriguing. For a variety of reasons, some more obvious and others likely ones they won't find out unless they really are to stay here for some time - though that latter thought isn't one he dwells on often. For now, anyway, since there's plenty to consider for the present; the future can wait. ]

Huh. Can't say that's entirely reassuring for either one, much as I'd like to believe perhaps the monarchy isn't planning on doing something.

[ Like filling the dungeons or being busy with recruiting more soldiers. That's as far as he'll go with it when a server approaches with a couple of mugs and a pitcher of ale to set them down on the table wordlessly. Before Claude can ask about whatever might be on the menu, the server's already heading back to another table farther away. Instead he's left to grin slightly before reaching for a mug to fill with ale before sliding it across to Geralt and then getting his own. ]

I can't imagine the Free Cities aren't looking for some way to take advantage of this either if they've not yet already found one.

Mm. If there's one thing you can trust a monarchy to do, it's to scheme.

[ He is not entirely certain of what lies in the future, either, though he is at least the only one in Thorne. Makes things less complicated than if Ciri had been here, too. He supposes it was sheer luck that did not have her drawn into this side of the kingdom.

As for Yen...he imagines she'll handle herself fine in the Free Cities. Still. He dislikes being apart from his family. And it concerns him, the thought that these nations may not be keen on letting them go where they wish after the dust has cleared.

He considers. ] Ambrose Rhett confessed Thorne targeted specific individuals to summon. I've often suspected others did the same, or at least tried to. I imagine if that's the case...they may want what they consider their rightful property back while hoping to deny their enemies the same.

[ But it remains in question how much more conflict any of the kingdoms can withstand. Much blood has already spilt. ]

[ A wry smile appears on Claude's face fleetingly, one of understanding considering he's been the schemer just as much as he's been on the other side of it, too. Even then there wasn't the matter of being completely at someone else's whims what with having the resources which came along with being in charge; needless to say, he'd quickly had to learn to adjust to that not being true in Abraxas.

Claude idly taps a finger against his mug in front of him rather than answering immediately as he considers the rest of what Geralt's said when it aligns very closely with his own thoughts. ]

I'd considered the same. I'd be surprised if that didn't end up being one more point of contention to go with all the rest in the supposed peace.

[ That last part might be grumbled ever so slightly into his mug under the cover of finally taking a drink, mostly to muffle it so that it doesn't carry too loudly even if there's plenty of ambient noise in the tavern to cover up their conversation. As fond as he might be of pushing a boundary to test it, that applies far less in Thorne, he's found. If he were here by himself then he'd test more, but not at the risk of the others here. Peace is relative, anyway, since he's also seen the signs of conflict enough to read these for what they are: time to scheme, just as Geralt's said. And - ]

I give it a few more days until one of them accuses the others of orchestrating it since they each brought us in specifically. [ That leads to yet another thought as he studies Geralt for a moment longer. Because while he's felt the shift to a new location enough, that's not the same as arriving somewhere once left permanently. ] Is it strange being back here?

[ Settling into Thorne has been... an adjustment, to say the least, especially after being relatively left alone in the Free Cities. Skeptical as he is of those in charge, at least there isn't the constant feeling of surveillance like there is in the castle. A feeling that's put him on edge for how all too familiar it is several times over, but having equally familiar faces around helps. It doesn't quite lessen the persistent ache of two beloved people in particular being out of reach.

And now he waits in the grassy steppe he'd recreated from the years he remembers as gods when his current domain hadn't been here but this fragment of home worked its way in with all the rest he'd wound together to create his domain. Something which makes him miss home in all senses of the word as he trails a hand over wildflowers growing tall and blooming like it's rained recently near where he's decided to wait in the open space. If only this could be a day where he'd flown somewhere new for the sight of it like the memory he'd recreated this from, though perhaps there'll be a chance to fly through the Horizon in just a few moments.

Sahar waits nearby twitching her tail impatiently with the occasional grumble, clearly picking up on his own agitation for which he feels slightly guilty about just as much as it's comforting given the same would be true if they were standing in Fodlan or Almyra instead. Being her adult size for some time now since he'd also come back to change her to the wyvern he remembers instead of the baby one he'd all but grown up with means Claude's standing a careful distance away while he waits with arms folded across his chest as he scans the skies above. It might be the Horizon where nothing is entirely real, but getting hit with a sweep of her tail? It'll still hurt. ]

Edited 2025-01-12 17:39 (UTC)

[ Hilda has (begrudingly) become used to the people in her life trying to instill her with more confidence than she is willing to give herself - including surviving in a new place. Their faith isn't misplaced however. Solvunn, despite its distinct lack of technological advances, gives the Summoned just as much freedom as the Free Cities does which means she's adjusted back into a way of life that isn't so dissimilar to the one that she had lived in Fodlan.

Being happy about it however is another thing altogether.

Even if the bond that tethers her to the both of them didn't exist Hilda would have felt the familiar ache of distance all the same. How could she not when they had become a facet in her life that was more important than the physical possessions she had or the comforts that Cadens provides? She buries the ache, along with the worry about their wellbeing and whisps of other emotions (jealousy with them being with their other respective lovers, doubt that they'll be returned to where they have begun to call home) in a flurry of activity and a smile. Worry, after all, only causes wrinkles and sadness stinks akin to a bad perfume that permeates off of her.

It's this brave face she wears for him as she rushes across the meadow towards him atop Waffle's back. The mask nearly slips however the moment her breath catches in her throat at the sight of him. The way she practically leaps off her wyvern's back and rushes towards him to hold him close betrays that no matter what the teasing smile on her lips says as she looks up at him. ]

Keeping out of trouble?

[ A familiar flap of wings that don't belong to the wyvern behind him has Claude turning to look from where he'd focused on the skies towards it with his heart catching in his throat. Hard for it to not when part of it steps off of her wyvern and rushes towards him to complete the same motion he's making towards her to wrap his arms around her with an exhale which wipes away the tension in him to replace it with only relief. ]

Never in my life.

[ Even if it's been relatively quiet in Thorne by Claude's standards, anyway, thanks to being preoccupied with figuring everything out as he goes - that's the answer Hilda will expect and there's some comfort to be had in giving it. Especially so as he closes his eyes to focus on nothing but the feel of her against him while tightening his arms around her like it'll translate this feeling to outside of the Horizon, much as he wishes it could be done. This is still something; more than that, it's certainly better than the absolute nothing they'd have without it.

Claude opens his eyes to look down at her again and this time it's to study her face carefully. Much as they both excel at hiding what they want to show, it's not difficult to tell what she's feeling even before the bonds come into play. ]

Have you irrevocably changed the course of fashion in Solvunn as they knew it yet? [ A teasing question in return for the one he was given. To start with, anyway, since he does slightly mean it for all that he's seen Hilda do both here and at home, though the sincerity of it could be undermined by winding a couple of locks of pink hair around his fingers to tug on lightly. ] I expect all of the goats to be just as accessorized as Waffle always is while you're at it.

Liar.

[ Though there's nothing there but affection even as she tweaks his nose slightly with her finger. Even on his best behaviour Claude has never been able to resist the siren call of trouble. The word may as well have been synonymous with him just like "mischief" and "secrets" were. But even if he were stirring up trouble, and even if she would inevitably give him a huge scolding for making Sylvain fret, she knows that they'd both be proud of him for causing trouble for a monarchy that is all too familiar to the three of them.

Though it would still be vastly preferred if he stayed out of trouble - and Thorne's dungeons.

Immediately she rolls his eyes at his teasing. ]

Please. I haven't been there that long. And it's not like I've changed the trends of fashion in the Free Cities either. [ The goats however - ] Funny you should mention the goats though. I did manage to persuade some of them to wear ribbons around their horns but they just don't look as cute as Waffle or Khurshid.

[ Though the latter hadn't tolerated her ribbons for very long. Being the escape artist he is, he'd somehow managed to squirm out of them before shredding them to ribbons seconds later. Good thing they had just been scraps. ]

[ For once Claude doesn't follow that up with the mock offended gasp he might usually offer along with something ludicrous in supposed defense against something they both know to be true. Instead he's too busy with looking down at her with an intent gaze to file this away for when they're no longer in the Horizon when there's no knowing how long it'll be for a moment like this in person. Something he hopes isn't as long as his increasing worries are insisting it might be the longer they each stay somewhere that isn't the Free Cities and isn't home with Sylvain, though that part he chooses to keep to himself. Why say aloud something they're likely both thinking?

Instead it's easier to crack a grin at her eye roll as if he's said something ridiculous, and yet - ]

Who said anything about needing to be there for long to get it done? It not taking long at all is just a sign of how influential you are since you have impacted the Free Cities. [ Something Claude wholeheartedly believes in each of those statements. It might merit him another eye roll but he'll take it cheerfully. ] The goats might just need a different accessory if they can't pull off the ribbons since maybe those are better meant for wyverns.

[ It'd be easy to keep that going and slide right back into their usual teasing when it's something he's missed so much. What feels like dozens of other quips slip away the longer he looks at her until there's really only one thing to say left. ] I miss you so much, you know.

[ Hilda can feel his gaze on her, silently cataloguing her in a way that she's doing in kind. It's more than just pressing all of his features between pages of a book in her mind however. The Horizon, being inherently magical, means that all of the Summoned can similarly magic away the things they don't want anyone to see. They can weave clothing, buildings, mimicries of beloved creatures from home – so covering any blemishes, scars, or physical signs of lost sleep – isn't a feat. But she'd like to think she would know if he were hiding something. Though she'd also like to think that they're past hiding things like that from one another too.

Instead of an eye roll, Hilda's nose wrinkles in protest as she shoves lightly against his chest in a way that isn't really a shove at all. ]

I'm not influential.

[ Noticed, perhaps because of her strange to Abraxas colouring. But then the feeling of stares has mellowed after two years here (the looks from the people of Solvunn not withstanding). There is still little in her mind that she has done to really make an impact to Abraxas; not in the way others have. And she mostly prefers it that way. Ready to prove that she nearly launches right into her own defense. Only to be cut short by something unexpectedly tender that makes her heart tighten. The mirth that colours all of their teasing banter dims, replaced with her trying to wrestle her expression into place. Inadvertently her grip on him tightens. ]

I miss you too. Sharing a bed with Wanda from time to time just isn't quite the same.

[ There's a distinct Look which crosses Claude's face at Hilda denying any influence. That's the entirety of his rebuttal for right now since there's far further important things to dwell on no matter how much he wants to lightly argue that point. It can be saved for another day when it's better suited to a conversation where he's not still trying to memorize as much of her as he can on top of what he'd already memorized long ago and again and again over the years.

It's part of why going back to being flippant so soon doesn't feel right even if many other times he wouldn't have questioned doing so right before carrying on with whatever thought might cross his mind next. But not now; now it feels right to wait and hear what she says following that proclamation when those words have a smile coming back to his face. ]

I think that's possibly a compliment to Wanda since I doubt she has quite as many books for you to roll across in bed.

[ Well. It was a brief halt to teasing though this will be an equally fleeting about of joking since Claude's expression shifts back to something slightly more solemn a mere moment later. This time he leans down to press his lips to her forehead and to let them linger there as if willing the feeling to stay even once they leave here, whenever that may be. ]

But that just means we'll have to make the most of being here now while we have it, thankfully.

[ It's late. Normally not the sort of thing which matters to Claude given his sleep schedule these days is mainly sleep late and rise early thanks to wanting to tackle any number of things - or far less complicated, being lost in a good book while Hilda and Sylvain either work on their own things or are fast asleep until they lull him into rest. This room in the castle, comfortable as it is, is not the loft he's come to think of as home.

It's not that he would describe the feeling as having taken it for granted. The time in the pit and the tumult following was enough to make it certain that could never be the case. But admittedly, Claude thinks, time's passed since then; it was easy to believe that even with war looming every closer there was still this easy comfort to be found. That even if they did some ascend to that future of divinity, they'd remain together.

Now they aren't, and as he blinks out of his thoughts he realizes he's been staring at the same page for too long and closes the book with a sigh. Onto the nightstand it goes as he leans over to blow out the candle he'd been reading by, but sleep doesn't find him. Instead it's a message he reaches for first and then the Horizon where it waits to offer something he'll take gratefully when it's something they can still have.

Without much of a backwards glance towards his own domain upon realizing he hadn't specified where they were going to meet, it seems logical enough to start heading along the canal which might be something from Derdriu but leads towards the monastery's pond through what they've created. ]

Edited 2025-01-12 20:16 (UTC)

[ Sylvain wasn't sleeping anyway.

To be honest, he hadn't been sleeping that much in general. He'd gotten used to not sleeping alone, in their months together. The three of them. Jesper had been keeping him company when he could, but he also had another displaced boyfriend to look after right now too and Sylvain... hadn't really voiced how badly the empty loft was beginning to get to him.

So when the message from Claude comes, he's quick to respond. And whenever Claude finally wanders into the courtyard of the Monastary, he'll find Sylvain already there.

Perched on the edge of the dock, bare feet dangling in the water as he stared down into the dark depths. Lost in thoughts that didn't look all that happy right now. ]

[ The paths are familiar so that he walks them almost without thinking about it as he crosses to where the Horizon's blurred the edges of the city into the stone surroundings of the monastery. Ones that if they'd somehow been in Garreg Mach in person instead of here they would've been ones with equally worried footsteps he'd taken on many a late night during the war on those walks meant to clear his mind just as much as they'd focused it.

It's with nearly the same focus now that Claude follows the stairs by the dormitories he remembers just as well to where he'd once joked he could find Teach more often than not with a look of deep concentration. Or, well - what they'd come to recognize as concentration in those different looks Teach often had on, which was close enough. It's not Byleth who he sees out there on the dock now but the figure of someone else he could recognize anywhere and knows even better. ]

Add anything interesting to the pond lately?

[ An easy question to start with to announce his presence even before the steps he takes onto the dock will do so regardless. Something to start with, too, since what he has to ask certainly won't stop there as he takes a seat next to Sylvain and studies the other man's face very carefully while reaching for one of his hands to take in his. ]

[ He startles out of his thoughts - something unusual, since he's pretty typically attentive to whatever's around him. Old habits from years at war never quite fade away entirely. But it's clear he hadn't been paying attention until Claude's voice broke the silence.

He twines their fingers together, tugging his lover closer as he exhales a deep breath, leaning in against him. ]

Yeah, there's a sea monster in there with a taste for venison. Fair warning.

Well, it's a good thing I became a wyvern rather than a deer.

[ For the future that was and wasn't since he distinctly remembers scales and horns featuring more than antlers, though he offers Sylvain a smile with that extremely light teasing in return. Without waiting to see what the reaction will actually be (since there's probably an equal chance of an eye roll in there too) Claude moves again.

Instead of merely sitting side by side even as his partner holds onto his hand, he turns to partially face Sylvain so that with his other arm he can pull the other man even closer still and further into him. Instead of just leaning against him it's more of an embrace as he tucks his chin over the other's shoulder to rest it there while trailing a hand up and down Sylvain's back. It's not to hide concern since that's openly there and likely felt just like the shadows he thought he saw in the other man's face, but for just as much comfort for both of them. ]

If I ask you how you're doing, are you gonna tell me?

There's still time to change your mind, I bet.

[ There's no resistance in him as he lets himself be pulled closer. Despite their height difference, he finds a way to curl in close, burying his face against against Claude's throat. He doesn't know if it's just his imagination or the Horizon's magic, but Claude's scent is as clear as ever, and comforting in a way he's missed these past few days. His own arms wind about the man's lower back, almost clinging to him. ]

If I tell you I'm fine, does that count?

[ You didn't say it had to be a believable answer. ]

You know it doesn't.

[ And there's no changing his mind on that, either. Sylvain's answer is indicator enough of what the actual answer to his question will be, though knowing that and knowing each other so well isn't reason enough to not press more.

It can wait a few moments, though. As familiar arms wind around him Claude all but sags into an equally familiar embrace as he closes his eyes as if to etch it to memory with every other time to hold onto now that they're apart. Something he hadn't ever planned for since even the separation brought about by the Pit feels like a distant enough memory, and maybe he was a fool for letting his guard down about ending up in different places ever happening again.

He holds back a sigh as he opens his eyes and brings a hand up to run through Sylvain's hair when it's not lost on him that they're both as wrapped up in each other as they can be. ]

I'm doing a little better after seeing you here since I don't want to imagine what this would be like without the Horizon.

[ His hand strokes soothingly against Claude's spine, holding him close and trying to offer as much comfort as Claude himself offers. Embodies. He'd missed this, but feeling it now makes that ache even more profound. ]

Yeah, me either. I probably would have ended up arrested, because I wouldn't have given up on trying to get back through that portal to find you.

[ That's not an idle threat, either. in fact, he's contemplated it a lot over the past few days. ]

No getting arrested for anyone unless that suddenly takes on a different meaning than what we know it as.

[ Like a sudden shift to something positive, somehow, though a small sigh leaves him afterward when even he's willing to admit that's not a particularly funny joke. Or one much at all since it's impossible to not agree with what Sylvain's said when the thought of launching himself right back through the portal like this time it'd take him to where he was supposed to be had crossed his own mind when he'd stepped out into Thorne. It wasn't ideal - and it certainly was far from being all bad to be there when there's plenty of familiar faces, but there's not this.

A thought Claude ruminates on yet again for what feels like the hundredth time in a matter of minutes while he keeps his hand moving through Sylvain's hair. ]

I think, [ he finally begins after a pause, ] I'd taken... I don't want to say for granted even though that's probably close enough, but something between that and assumed we'd never get separated. Not again, anyway, since even the trickier situations as of late still ended up with us going home.

What different meaning could that possibly have?

[ He shakes off his brooding long enough to shoot Claude a bewildered look. Was that meant to be some kind of strange roleplay innuendo?

But his lover's quiet confession has him wrapping his arms around him once more, tugging him close. he presses a kiss to his temple, giving a soft, understanding hum. ]

I think we all probably have. I'd honestly been more concerned about the Singularity sending me back home at some point. I didn't think it would pull something like this. So it could be worse, I guess. But this isn't exactly ideal either.

[ That kiss has his eyes closing as Claude works to commit it to memory when that's what he'll have once they leave the Horizon - this one along with the rest with no knowledge of how long it might be until they won't have to rely on meeting like this alone.

It's another comfort, a small one, to hear at least he hasn't been the only one also quietly thinking the same thoughts Sylvain says aloud now in confirmation to his own. ]

You'd think that with everything that's happened we would've learned to predict the unpredictable by now with considerable accuracy.

[ It doesn't quite hit the testing mark of lightness Claude had been going for, half-heartedly as he was trying for it in the first place. Rather than attempting to salvage it like he'd be tempted to do (or would already be doing) any other time, Claude pulls back enough to look at Sylvain. ]

But we're still here through it all, aren't we? [ Said while placing a hand on the other man's face to cradle it while running a thumb along his cheek. ] And we'll do whatever we can get home to the one we've made here.

[ Sylvain gives him what he hopes is a reassuring smile - even if it ends up halfhearted at best. ]

I'll keep it ready for you both, either way.

[ Still, he leans into that touch, pulling Claude close once again. ]

Hopefully they'll get... whatever this is, sorted out swiftly.

I hope so. I can't imagine Hilda's enjoying Solvunn all that much even with friends there.

[ That certainly counts for something - none of them are alone where they are, and not even Claude's interested in imagining what it'd be like otherwise as he rests his cheek on Sylvain's shoulder with an inaudible sigh. Even if that's a comfort, it doesn't take away the ache of not having the two of them physically with him or being where they are.

Such thoughts loop right back into what he'd just offered Sylvain reassurance on mere moments ago, so he puts those away and contemplates something else related instead. ]

I also can't imagine Thorne and the Free Cities won't both see this as some sort of opportunity after everything that's happened with the new monarchy. Possibly even Solvunn too unless they're going to pretend to still be neutral in their own way, but it's too convenient we've been mostly sent elsewhere by someone or something's doing.

[ OPEN ] where the wind blows now

OPEN / around the castle

OPEN / keeping busy elsewhere

OPEN / wildcard

— cid + dion

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places hand over the date

i'm doing the same, what is time

time's not real

— geralt

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— hilda

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— sylvain

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