abraxaslogs | [ OPEN ] hide your love, don't be shy

Are you saying you created squirrels in there just because you could?

[ Aimed at Sylvain since... are they about to walk into some kind of squirrel calamity? All he can picture is all the many cats roaming around Garreg Mach but replaced with animals that generally aren't content to just roll around in the sun for their own entertainment. It's the Horizon and anything's possible, and though he's trying to look like that's a concerning proposition it's mostly just amusement, especially when Petra adds rabbits are a better option and even he has to laugh at that. ]

And here I would've thought the best option would be birds. I'll have you both know I'm also keeping back an Alois-level joke about birds to go along with that, so, you're welcome.

[ Claude stretches both arms overhead for a minute like it'll prevent him from getting too stiff during their trip in, then rests his hands on his knees and shuts his eyes. ]

Off we go, then.

[ Easy enough, right? One last slow inhale, and on the exhale the switchover to the Horizon happens. He opens his eyes to find himself standing on the ledge running alongside the canal as usual and turns his face up towards the faux sun briefly. No bird needed, it turns out, as his wyvern chirps from behind him and with a smile he holds out a gloved arm for her to perch on. That's one way of locating Sylvain and Petra, if needed. ]

What, are you saying you didn't? [ Sylvain's just grinning, taking the banter easily. But he does pretend for a moment to give Petra's suggestion some serious thought. ] Nah, rabbits are too shy. I think I'd have much better luck with the squirrels.

[ Antsy to get on with this himself, Sylvain closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, focusing on the meditation Claude had shown them last time when they first left for Horizon. It feels like it comes a little easier this time, even though it's strange to be doing this by himself.

There's a moment of dizziness and then he opens his eyes to... a lush field of green, a familiar stable set nearby, although it faces away from him for the moment towards... ]

Well, I'll be damned.

[ He supposes he shouldn't be surprised to see the looming shape of the Monastery beyond that, but he still sort of is. He pauses, glancing around but there's no one else in sight beyond the paddock he's currently standing in, just a thick lush forest somewhere beyond the far fence. ]

[For a moment, Petra considers continuing on with the teasing— but once they have shifted, any such jests die on her lips. She, too, finds herself alone, but her surroundings are all too familiar, open and lush and green, beautifully warm and full of more trees than even she could ever imagine climbing. There is nothing manmade in sight, not until she turns— and somewhere along the horizon, she sees the outline of what looks like the faint skyline of a port town.

How their domains are connected, she does not know, but while she did not remember what she had done in this place following her previous visit, coming here now sets her heart at ease. It looks, feels, smells like home, and she approaches the nearest tree to pluck a bright, ripe fruit from one of its lowest branches, then pauses only for a moment before picking two more. She's to be seeking out her friends, after all.

Fruit in hand, she begins to make her way towards what she can only assume is Derdriu, though her pace is steady and even, intent on enjoying the scenery.

It has been far, far too long since she had been in Brigid for any length of time, and she does not want to rush it.]

[ Claude waits for a few minutes, but no one appears. At least that's not totally unexpected what with how arriving in the Horizon works but it does mean added exploring his on his horizon (in more ways than one). ]

We might be on our own here. What do you think? [ Said to the wyvern, who merely shuffles her wings a bit in what he's always considered a shrug from her real life counterpart. ] Well, no time like the present, or whatever the saying is.

[ Either way, time to locate his friends. That idea about having the wyvern scout comes to mind again so he lifts his arm to send her out soaring and in the meantime, Claude wanders down the canal. Maybe it'll still connect to a river from someone else's domain, maybe it won't, but it feels like his best option.

Before long, the wyvern returns with a strip of greenery in his mouth and when he retrieves it, he recognizes it as some of the ivy that used to grow on Garreg Mach's walls. That's certainly a positive sign, can really only be one of two people, given that he didn't create the monastery himself, so Claude lets the wyvern lead the way in what ends up being towards Sylvain standing in a paddock. ]

Huh, I guess this answers my question of who was responsible. [ Called out with a wave of the ivy still in his hands as he approaches, opting to hop the short fence just like he had many times as a student. Now it's Claude's turn to turn in place to take it all in - the stables, the greenery, the forest he remembers, the monastery looming above - before casting a glance Sylvain's direction. ] Nice to see it again without any of the... you know.

[ Damage. So much damage. ]

[ Sylvain's head comes up at the sound of the familiar voice and he glances over his shoulder in time to see Claude hop the fence. He catches sight of a shadow and glances up against the sunlight to spot the shape of a small wyvern circling overhead. It makes a fond smile quirk about his lips as he watches the familiar shape - he hadn't realized how much he was already missing the familiarity of home until just now. Being in Cadens was both exciting and frustrating - for a variety of different reasons - but there was certainly something comforting in being surrounded by the familiar once more.

He waits as Claude takes it all in before nodding and agreeing, his hands propped on his hips. ]

Yeah, it... hasn't looked this good in years. We worked on it a little before we left to meet up with Rodrigue, but even then... [ He grimaces, because the damage had been extensive. There were parts of the Monastary that were still inhabitable, but many places had collapsed or had the roof caved in. Or just the damage from being neglected and uninhabited for five years. ]

This place is crazy. It even smells like I remember it. I didn't even realize that was a thing I could miss.

[As Petra grows closer to what looks like the skyline of Derdriu, the path branches, and now she can see something else familiar beyond the lush trees of home— the towers and ivy of the monastery, a place that she had come to consider home in its own right, largely in thanks to the people there.

She pauses at the fork— Claude had mentioned to look for Derdriu if they got lost, but it has been too long since she has seen Garreg Mach as it ought to be, before it had become a war camp, and nostalgia tugs her heart away from the port town and towards the monastery itself. If Claude was responsible for Derdriu, then Sylvain had to be responsible for this place.

The transition between them is almost seamless. The humid warmth of Brigid's forests ebbs away as she emerges from the treeline and finds herself in the milder weather she remembered from Fodlan. Though it's a brief distance to the main hall of the monastery, she does spot something familiar as she leaves the forest behind— the stables are a welcome sight, as are the two young men standing within their bounds. She takes off at a run to cover distance more quickly, holding an arm up to wave as she makes her way towards them.]

Claude! Sylvain!

[ That grimace says it all, doesn't it? Claude finds his gaze going back to the sprawling buildings, ones now without rubble littering the walkways, broken stained glass, scaffolding set up but with no progress done at all. Odd how this is Sylvain's memory, ostensibly, and yet it aligns with so much of his own before the world as they know it imploded. And in different ways, he's reminded, thanks to that mention of Rodrigue.

He's got a question about that since Sylvain decided to mention something Claude doesn't know at the other's own peril - Sylvain should know better, as if there's ever going to be a chance where he doesn't take advantage of that. Fortunately, the redhead is spared by the call of another voice familiar to them. He turns to see Petra approaching and raises a hand in greeting. ]

So you were drawn in by Garreg Mach too, were you? I guess now we know which place ranks higher than any of the others for us.

[ That's called out to Petra as she comes closer though it applies to them both. Or all of them, this nice reminder of what the monastery looked like in better days. Sylvain's recreation of it is, at this point, better than the real version. ]

I'm not sure I'll ever recover from you guys deciding to ditch Derdriu in favor of this. But I'll get over it somehow. Someday.

[ More like in five minutes or less. Claude glances back towards the direction he'd arrived from and then looks back at Petra's route, and raises both of his eyebrows. ]

I take it all of our domains aren't too far from each other's?

[ Sylvain glances back over his shoulder at the sound of her voice with a grin, and then turns to wait for her to join them. Although Claude's observation gets a snicker from him. ]

Please. You ditched Derdriu for this even faster than she did! [ But he casts a curious glance at the thick vegetation behind the paddock now, curious. ] Wait, your domain is in there?

....Damn, I really am gonna have to learn how to speak squirrel, aren't I?

[She comes to a pause beside them, flushed but not out of breath, and braces both hands against her hips.]

I was heading for Derdriu first, but when I saw the monastery, I was thinking that perhaps the two of you might have been drawn here— and it looks like I was being correct.

[As Sylvain had mentioned, Claude had made it here even before her, and she gives the archer a knowing smile before addressing Sylvain's question.]

It is appearing our domains are connected. I will say, I did not see any squirrels on my way through. I think you are being safe for now.

[ When it's pointed out - twice - that even he ditched Derdriu, Claude just lets out something between a huff and a scoff at being proven wrong. Which, fine. He'll live, dramatically or not. He follows Sylvain's line of sight back to the vegetation and realizes it isn't what he remembers from Garreg Mach. What with all the memories this pulled forth for him he'd simply assumed it was, and he casts a curious glance at Petra next before immediately shifting his expression to something Serious. ]

If not squirrels, then what about the rabbits? Don't leave us hanging, Petra.

[ He's got more jokes to go with that until a wyvern screech from overhead catches his attention and Claude looks up to see his wyvern veering into the monastery grounds proper and out of sight. It's not unlike a move her real-life counterpart would also make, so that gets him to smile while looking back to Sylvain next. ]

Well, since she's invited herself in, do Petra and I get to do the same? Or... is there an inside? Maybe I should start with that.

[ Sylvain's gaze is drawn upwards at the wyvern's screech and he can't help but smile at the sight. One hand lifts, shading his eyes from the sun's glare, before he nods and gestures towards the monastery. ]

Well, now there's a wyvern so it will really feel like home. Let's go see. I know at least the marketplace is here besides the stables. But who knows how active my imagination was when I was here last? That's how these work you said, right?

[ And he'll start the trek across the paddock towards the towering buildings ahead. ]

[She'll get back to you both on the rabbits— Claude's wyvern commands everyone's attention at once as she sails in overhead and calls out, and Petra's expression brightens as she looks upwards. She's never ridden a wyvern herself, but she'd spent enough time watching the riders doing training drills that she has a certain fondness for them. They're as much a part of Garreg Mach as any of the staff or students, just like all the other animals.]

There is only one way to be finding out, yes?

[She looks between the both of them and smiles before launching into motion, following closely behind Sylvain.]

Shall we see if the Officer's Academy is being where we remember?

It's something like memories from what I know. That was how it was explained to me, anyway, and it seems to be pretty consistent with what I ended up creating, though I think you've both outdone me.

[ While they walk Claude can't help but marvel over the sheer amount of detail. It helps this is somewhere they all know since the same can likely be said for his cross section of Derdriu given that he's become used to looking at all of it, and that this is still new. When they reach the juncture to the marketplace, Claude glances down the stretch of stone pathway leading to it. ]

If the same loose tile I used to trip on every time on my way to the marketplace made it in here too, I'm gonna laugh. I've lost track of how many times I nearly fell on my face because I forgot it was there until I'd hit it at just the right angle. Surely I'm not the only one that's happened to?

[ Then again, it was also when he tended to be running from one place to the next - or running to avoid Seteth - which might've factored into that experience. Something he can investigate later since Petra's idea of finding the academy and what it would've looked like while they were attending is more intriguing and so Claude once more catches up with his friends to where they've gone. ]

Academy it is so lead the way, Petra. I bet we can even make sure the fireplaces are going for maximum memories of sitting in there, just as long as it doesn't start snowing next.

[ He's looking at you, Gautier. ]

[ Sylvain, at least, can be reliable in having a very vivid imagination. Not everything is absolutely perfect and he's sure there are others who have memories of certain places that differ than what he had, or just never paid much attention to. But for the front sections of the Monastery seem eerily spot on, hinting at just how much time Sylvain used to spend out here. Possibly far more than anywhere else on school grounds.

And Claude? You'll definitely want to watch your step. Sylvain absolutely tripped over that tile more than a few times himself and even if he didn't consciously put it here, his memory certainly remembers it being there and probably filled in the blanks accordingly. ]

No, I remember it. I once watched one of the merchants go flying with an entire bushel of cabbages. They were everywhere. Pretty sure one hit the gate guard in the head. Helmet. You know what I mean.

[ Stretching his arms back behind his head, he flashes an amused grin as he wanders in from the direction of the stables, heading down and around towards the front entrance to see what they could find. Although Claude's comment has him laughing, mischief in his gaze. ]

What was that? You wanted snow, Riegan? I'm sure I have plenty of memories to choose from for that. [ A smirk, but he casts a wink in Petra's direction. ] Although Petra's really not dressed for it. So I'll hold off for now.

I am remembering the cabbages!

[In fact, she's certain she's seen a number of people trip on that same loose tile herself, and she cannot help but smile as she thinks about how funny it is that they all share various memories of this one thing, something that most would deem insignificant— but it certainly wasn't, not if they remembered it so well.

She leads them towards the Officer's Academy with ease; Sylvain's domain is much more complex and detailed than her own at the moment, but given that they've all spent so much time in the original Garreg Mach, she has a feeling all three of them will be able to navigate it with their eyes closed, should they ever need to.]

I am thanking you for no snow— I have been to Faerghus, and that was being more than enough snow for me.

[She hugs herself as she leads them around a corner, giving a shiver at the very thought of it.]

I do not know how anyone can be living like that year-round!

[ See, that's all the confirmation Claude needs to hear that snow is a terrible idea. He holds out a hand to gesture both a thanks and to point out Petra's support in the form of that shiver in case Sylvain missed it. ]

Look, you're outnumbered on this snow thing. Far be it from me to tell you what to put in your domain, but I think I can safely say that we both appreciate not freezing while walking around here.

[ Faerghus being cold is, maybe, the extent of his knowledge about the weather there. The war had given the Alliance no reasons to go there. Unlike Petra and the Empire, which is something Claude makes note of as yet another possible difference, but he remembers the Lions talking about Faerghus winters enough to have collected what he feels are the important points about it: Long, cold, bleak if you're an Alliance resident who doesn't like blizzards. No thanks.

(He is, however, under no illusions that Sylvain won't make it snow the next time he stops by all because he can.) ]

All the more reason I'm glad Derdriu was just northern enough to be pretty mild during summers and also not have rough winters. The seas would get pretty cold, but--

[ Hold that thought. They turn a corner, and the academy and its courtyard stretches out before them. All in one piece, all once again exactly as he remembers; all the more reason for Claude to not continue running his mouth so they can appreciate it. ]

It doesn't snow in Faerghus all year round. [ Sylvain rolls his eyes at that, but he's still chuckling as he shakes his head at both of them. ] We have summer there, too, you know. [ A pause, before he just decides hell, why not? and joins in the teasing. ] It lasts a whole three weeks sometimes even!

[ Claude's suspicious assumption is probably spot on, however.

But as they turn the corner into the Courtyard, Sylvain has to stop, too. Taking in the familiar scene he hasn't seen look this way in so long. He gets hit with a pang of homesickness but hides it behind a crooked grin as he stretches his arms behind his head to take everything in.

The guard at the gate even spots them and gives them a friendly wave in greeting. A cat comes up to wind around first Petra and then Claude's ankles, purring loudly. ]

Well, damn.

[Petra stops short as they reach the courtyard, idly dropping to one knee to pet the cat that winds around her ankles before moving onto Claude’s, her gaze remaining fixed on the courtyard itself.

It’s just as she remembers it from their school days, long before it had been reduced to rubble and was in need of repair, and it makes something in her chest ache, bittersweet.]

Even though it is mostly empty, it is being the same…

[And truly, she’s missed it. She’s sure they all have.]

Animals and guards… I did not realize that people could be in domains, as well.

[Maybe the guard can get away with it because he never has anything to report.]

[ After the cat visits Petra it comes to see him next, and - everything about this is uncanny. But he doesn't feel unsettled like he could, and whether that's due to having witnessed the other capabilities of the Horizon or not he doesn't particularly care to sort through those details. Much easier to first pet the cat himself before bending down to pick it up to bring with as their furry tour guide. Or just another member of their tour; the cat keeps purring happily. ]

Well, Sylvain. I don't think either of us can ever doubt your imagination ever again after this.

[ Not that there was a reason to, but as they keep walking - Claude now with the cat putting its front feet on his shoulder to have a full view of everything as it cranes its head this way and that - he can't help but stop in front of the Golden Deer classroom first though he pauses before actually looking into it. How much of a time capsule is he about to witness, exactly? ]

I'm halfway expecting to look in here and see Lysithea writing out formulas on our old chalkboard while we annoy her by asking whether they're right or not. And by we I mean me, [ a clarification not likely needed, but anyway, ] as if I knew the first thing about magic back then or now.

[ Sylvain rubs a hand against the back of his neck as he wanders with them, looking about as surprised as they do with how realistic this all turned out. ]

Apparently, I have a better memory for details than I thought.

[ He'd known he had a good one, to an extent. He'd needed to, to keep so much straight for so many years and besides, no one paid much attention to that skill of his, so he hadn't really thought about what that meant.

It was different when it stared you in the face.

He lifted a hand to wave back at the gate guard before they turned down the courtyard that connected the classrooms. He chuckles as he pauses with Claude, peeking into the Golden Deer classroom. He doesn't actually know if he got this room right or not - the Black Eagles room either. Those two he had barely spent much time in, but maybe his memory had just replicated the missing details from how well he knew the Blue Lions classroom. ]

Maybe we shoulda just shut her and Annette up in a room together. [ He pauses and casts a wink at Petra. ] Lindhardt could nap in the background.

I am being very impressed by how much you have remembered— it is very like the real thing.

[She almost says 'home,' but all things considered, Garreg Mach hasn't felt like that for some time— and she would rather not touch on their divergent memories at the moment. Here, they are quite literally a world away from all of that. They should have the chance to enjoy being so awhile longer before they must touch on reality again.

Petra bites back another smile, shaking her head.]

Linhardt would be waking up if he thought he could be telling either of them how to do something more efficiently. He is not even a physical fighter, and he would be critiquing my form every chance he got.

[On its surface, it's a complaint, but there's warmth to it, as well. Those were simpler times for them all.]

The Officer's Academy is being as I remembered.

Linhardt would critique all of us over anything if only given the chance. It's a good thing he's not here, or else he'd be telling Sylvain how he didn't get the heights of the outer walls right among whatever else comes to mind.

[ He's kidding, kind of, since after bringing up Lysithea: she would do the same thing. Or really, most of the Deer would given how bluntly honest they are. Yet another thing Claude misses, but at least Sylvain and Petra can be counted on for that in their own ways.

Don't think he's forgotten his half-hearted attempt to get some Derdriu sympathy being shut down. (Claude will, however, conveniently forget that was his own doing.) ]

Though... I wonder what would happen if someone else from Fodlan showed up here. [ This is probably not a door he should open, but too late for that now. ] Elsewhere, specifically, so then they show up in the Horizon and surprise, here's Garreg Mach. Kind of like how we showed up here, but maybe even more confusing.

[ The cat starts to squirm so Claude leans to set it down gently onto the ground, and it runs off with a trill. ]

In search of something from the dining hall, maybe?

[ Sylvain shudders in horror at the very idea. Yeah, he's been on the end of Lindhardt's critiques before. He'll pass, thanks. ] No offense, Petra, but I'm really grateful we got you here instead of Lindhardt.

[ Claude's ponder gets a quiet hum from him, however, as he lets his gaze drift over the familiar structure. Stretching his arms behind his head, he makes a face. ]

Well. Maybe that will be a good thing. We'll be easy to find, even if they get pulled somewhere else. Hopefully it's someone we want to be found by.

[ There are Options there that maybe they'd rather not be. However, it's probably wiser to stick together, even if it does complicate things. Although that does have another issue popping up in his mind as he glances between the two of them. ]

What do we do if someone does end up in one of the other cities instead?

I will be taking that as a compliment.

[She beams for just a moment as they continue on together; fond as she is of Lindhardt, she thinks she is probably the better choice when it comes to easy company. Their resident crest scholar is quite shrewd, and though he can be very pleasant sometimes, it can take a bit of patience that not everyone has.]

If we do end up finding more friends, and they end up in other cities... this would be good neutral territory to meet in, yes?

[Getting them there would be tricky, though.]

They might not find it without being shown, though... if someone were to be arriving in another city, we might not even be knowing about it for ages. It was luck that you were finding us when you did, Claude.

Maybe.

[ That's a placeholder of a reaction because Claude needs to buy himself a little bit more time to formulate an answer. It's not an easy one to find as he glances at the classrooms once more. Or rather, the one he wants to say perhaps isn't the realistic one in the end.

Still, there's only so long he can stay silent before they'll both give him strange looks for that being out of character, so with a sigh only to himself Claude shrugs and smiles. ]

It was a long few months of looking around here in hopes I'd find anyone I knew, even if I didn't want to find anyone. Not that I don't like you guys, but - you know what I mean. If whoever it is doesn't also end up in the Free Cities, I don't envy them that same searching experience.

[ There are, in fact, several people he would not like to find in Abraxas. He's not about to say that since that'd be tipping his hand far too much, wouldn't it? The smile stays in place. ]

I suppose we'll find out if luck is on our side soon enough. Rumors about more arrivals made their way into Cadens which is how I knew to look for you. I'd assume we'll hear the same again when the time comes, so that's one way we can check.

[ OPEN ] hide your love, don't be shy

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