abraxaslogs | [ OPEN ] split tomorrow from today

Beats me.

[ He's back to nonchalance about any potential danger, if only because 1) Claude has a feeling that particular answer isn't going to reassure Sylvain and 2) he's invested in pretending like he's unconcerned about the possibility because he has a feeling anything otherwise isn't going to go over well. Not that the glance he'd caught was reassuring the latter isn't happening already, so he's just not going to mention there's a mild but unpleasant tingling sensation starting to radiate from the puncture.

Still - not on his list of things to deal with immediately. It's his turn to kick a scorpion out off to one side to deal with in a second since he doesn't quite follow Sylvain's answer and where it involves Crests thanks to their collective distractions. ]

No, I didn't mean risking your weapon right now. I meant more of--

[ Claude doesn't get to finish that thought either before Sylvain calls out, and now it's his turn to glance in the other man's direction. There's a familiar glow he recognizes from Leonie's own magic and he immediately puts dexterity to work to dodge a couple feet away from whatever's incoming. That turns out to be a good choice when the ground shifts beneath them and cracks open where it was targeted and the fire he'd hoped for appears. It'll have to be effective, won't it?

Better to make sure it is so he extends a hand to cast Cutting Gale, sending a blade of wind to shove another portion of the scorpions towards it and to fan the flames. For good measure, even if it kicks up dust from the sand around them in the process. ]

[ Sylvain has to lift an arm to shield his eyes from the flying sands for a moment but fortunately Claude's wind spell knocked the scorpions back from his immediate vicinity. There's the hissing pop and crackle of flames as he keeps his distance and he peers from behind his arm to see their combined magics have managed to take care of roughly half the remaining scorpions.

That's better odds. He can work with this. ]

Thanks. [ A whirl of his spear has two more biting the dust (literally) in quick succession. ] Do you need to sit down? Isn't there something about not moving around? Or am I thinking of something else?

I've survived worse, Sylvain. I'll be fine. Besides, imagine how boring of a cause of death 'stabbed by a scorpion' would be when it's not even a horse-sized one to make it worthwhile, so I'm definitely not claiming that as my own.

[ Time to joke, of course, mostly because that's better than focusing on what 'worse' might consist of or any further mentions of death what with that whole war thing Claude's content to go right back to ignoring. Some of it might also be due to giddiness from the magic actually working to take out their angry bug friends who were just enjoying their scorpion lives before they showed up. Even if he has to stop to sneeze thanks to the sand before going right back to scorpion-wrangling, it was still well worth it. ]

Besides, it's a little late for the not moving part considering these guys won't leave us alone. I'll take my chances, mostly because I'm also counting on your healing magic if it's a bad gamble.

[ This is his idea of reassuring. Enjoy, Sylvain. ]

I swear to the goddess, Riegan, if you just jinxed us by summoning a horse-sized scorpion, I'm going to stab you myself. Murdered by me isn't going to get you much more renown, you know.

[ The words are huffed as he kicks away a half-charred scorpion that is somehow still moving - creepily so, they shouldn't be allowed to do that. He lops off its stinger in the process because at least that makes it slightly less threatening. ]

And who's to say my healing magic isn't the bad gamble? Do I look like Mercy to you?

[ Even if he did learn what little he knows from her.

Also, that is not in the least bit reassuring, Claude. At all. ]

[ Claude's sure there's a genuine threat in there somewhere beneath Sylvain's grumbling, but all it gets is a loud laugh from him since he's not bothered by this potential danger looming over them, because - ]

I'm pretty sure you just cursed us by speaking that aloud. There's power in words, or so they say, so if that happens? That was all you, Gautier.

[ He's still going to cast a quick glance back over his shoulder to confirm there's no scorpion of farm animal proportions scuttling towards them. Just for good measure. But the mention of Mercedes makes his smile slip ever so slightly since it doesn't take much to recall the woman in question or all of her kind ministrations. Claude doesn't let himself think any farther than that in favor of cutting through one of the few scorpions still alive - hopefully - with a shake of his head. ]

Because I'm also willing to gamble that if you didn't know decent healing magic, you would've said as much on our way out here.

[ He means to continue needling Sylvain all in good fun since there's no actual danger here in his mind. But when he turns to look there's one (cat-sized) scorpion ready to strike the man in question in what almost looks to be a surprise attack, and Claude's already scrambling for his bow in case there's enough time to fire off an arrow before it strikes. ]

Behind you!

Define “decent”.

[ He ignores that first part because it was totally you who’d brought that up, Claude, and therefore the blame still rests solely on your shoulders.

But that warning has him spinning in alarm, half-expecting the large beast in question to be lurking just behind him. It’s not, it’s just another smaller (but still far too big) scorpion just coming within range, it’s stinger raised threateningly.

Letting out a curse, because he’s off-balance and his spear range is off from having just stabbed another one from the other direction, he does the only thing he can at this range - spins the spear a half-turn in his hand and brings the blunt end smashing down right in the middle of the thing’s body.

It doesn’t kill it, but it does pin it in place and that stinger ineffectively strikes at the lance’s shaft instead of his leg as he keeps it trapped there. ]

Thanks. Care to give me a hand here? [ He does not want to let this thing loose again, it looks really pissed at him. ]

[ Hold that thought on what's decent or not: it takes a bit of haphazard shuffling but Claude intentionally drops the sword to worry about it in a second and to free up his hands to fire an arrow with no hesitation. It might possibly cut rather close to Sylvain's leg on its way there, but fortunately it finds a home only in the scorpion's body where he'd intended it to go. That's the end of that scorpion. ]

Don't worry, I'm here to be the knight in shining armor for the knight himself.

[ What else is there to do but joke at this point? Because after Claude shoots Sylvain a purposefully annoying grin, he stops to peer around their surroundings. There's a swath of veritable scorpion carnage around them between ones they'd stabbed and that the brief fire had scorched. No longer constantly being on the move means when he goes to take a step it comes with a slight wince since now he's very aware of his souvenir wound. Just annoying more than anything else, so it doesn't stop him from wandering over to where Sylvain is to continue surveying the aftermath. ]

Well. I think we're the decisive winners today, unless that horse-sized one really is showing up next.

I hate you.

[ The retort is stated with more exasperation than any actual heat. And Claude knows him well enough by now to know that he's lying through his teeth anyway.

His gaze searches their surroundings but there's no more movement from what he can see, and well over a dozen scorpion corpses now littering the ground between them. Well. At least that will make for a nice bounty to return, especially if they can salvage all the stingers.

But the immediate threat dealt with, he turns to fix Claude with a stern look. ]

Sit your ass down so I can look at where you got stung.

[ The nearest scorpion gets nudged with the toe of his boot, just as a cautious check to make sure it's really dead. It is considering the fire damaged this one rather well and its shell crumbles a bit, which convinces Claude to stop poking at them to ensure there's enough for them to return.

What's less a suggestion than a not so thinly veiled command, however, earns Sylvain a flat look in return for the scolding one he gets himself. Even if he takes no actual offense to either, of course he won't comply right away with other things to be done. ]

I said I was the knight here, not a damsel in distress. I'd rather organize these guys first and then we can take a break. Better to do it now before it warms up any further.

[ Whether the temperature will actually rise today or not, Claude's more than willing to play upon any Faerghan distress over weather not suited for a tundra as motivation. Besides, there's a tree nearby - even if it's a sad and sparse one - they can sit under in a bit, so with that in mind? Time to retrieve his gloves to put them on to avoid touching any scorpion stingers accidentally while piling them up. ]

[ Why must everyone around him always be so difficult about everything when they inadvertently get holes poked in them? Claude seems to be in the same vein as Dimitri, Felix, and Ingrid in being a terrible patient and Sylvain doesn't have even half of Mercy's patience for it.

Which is why he drops his lance to the sand so he can have both hands free... and then he turns to heft Claude unceremoniously over one shoulder to cart him over to the shade of that nearby tree. ]

Sure thing, Sir Claude, but you forget you're here with a fellow knight and not a healer. So the sooner I can get this treated means the less the poison or whatever it is has time to spread. Meaning less time and magical energy I have to spend healing you. Because still not a healer, so that's definitely not as much as it could be. We could wait, sure, and then your wound would be worse and I wouldn't be able to heal all of it, so you'd have to limp back to Cadens toting all the scorpion carcasses and my unconscious drained ass.

[ Distracted as he is by ignoring Sylvain's supposed request to continue doing exactly what it is he plans to be doing, Claude doesn't notice Sylvain's approach. When he does, there's a half step he takes away like it'll help him escape his impending fate. It certainly doesn't, so there's nothing to do but let out a startled yelp when he's suddenly hoisted into the air. ]

You have got to be kidding me-- [ That attempt at a protest is drowned out by the lecture he gets for being stubborn. It's not long before Claude rolls his eyes rather soundly, even if Sylvain can't see it and the effect is completely lost. Probably for the best or he might be rightfully called dramatic again, but he'll have to settle for using words for that. ]

If you sounded a lot crankier and were like a foot shorter, this would almost feel like being bullied into something by Lysithea. You've got a long way to go to catch up to her though since she's seen worse injuries on me than whatever the scorpion did considering I don't think my leg's in danger of falling off, or whatever it is you're imagining. This hurts a lot less than getting getting hit with magic.

[ And, rather pettily, for good measure: ] You could at least act like I weigh something.

Well, if we're doing comparisons, you're halfway to Felix when his leg is halfway falling off and I hate that I know what he sounds like in that particular scenario, so you're not winning any points here for making me extra cranky on purpose.

[ Although that petty complaint just gets a snicker from him. Before he delivers a sharp smack to Claude's backside. ] Your ass is obscene, I'm making you run twenty laps around the Inn yard when we get back. Naked. Happy?

[ Which is when he bends slightly and deposits said ass on a rock under that tree he'd been carrying him to. ]

[ Sylvain gets a scoff, if only because he has his doubts about even making it halfway to Felix's asperity from what he remembers. And that's before including any injuries into that since no one (Claude included) is particularly pleasant when dealing with one. He could protest he's not even remotely that injured since a scorpion still doesn't match a weapon or magic related injury, but when he's provided with another way to be ornery by warping that even farther past what Sylvain's chosen?

Well. ]

It'd better be. I didn't spend all those years riding things to not have an obscene ass.

[ He's set down just in time for a smirk, quite pleased with his payback for that smack, though the effect is ruined ever so slightly when he winces when pulling his knee up to roll up his pant leg. There's a definite puncture mark with some redness around it - and some swelling as it turns out, when Claude decides to test it with a couple fingertips - but: he stands by that it could be worse and glances up at Sylvain. ]

I still think the scorpions got the bad end of the deal, what with you blasting them with fire and all.

They had it coming.

[ Sylvain's reply is flippant, but he's frowning slightly as he crouches down beside Claude's perch and reaches out to slide the other man's hand away so he can take a look at the injury. This is not something he's ever had to heal before and he's not even sure he needs to do it differently than one would a regular injury from a weapon or something. Does he have to do something special if this thing's sting really had carried some type of poison?

Uneasy, he shifts to rest on the balls of his feet before huffing out a quiet sigh and flicking an apologetic glance at Claude. ] Sorry about this. I'll do what I can.

[ And with that, he rests his hand over the puncture and calls on his white magic, his hand glowing faintly as he calls it and directs it with his will. His black magic definitely came easier to him than this - almost effortlessly at times, in fact - but after the attack on Libertas, his white magic had been getting considerable exercise and training, even if it was on the fly half the time ]

[ There's an eyebrow raised from Claude when his hand's moved away, followed by raising both eyebrows when Sylvain's expression reads an awful lot like something that doesn't make sense. Like this wasn't his own fault for not paying attention and allowing a scorpion to stab him in the leg, and here they are now where Claude sits with his eyebrows knit in concern while the other's not watching and busy with his next task.

The magic's nice. He's not going to audibly heave a sigh of relief but there's absolutely a mental one happening. ]

I think if it'd actually poisoned me I would've felt it beyond it, uh, whatever it did right after the sting. [ Maybe he shouldn't tell Sylvain that it felt unpleasant in the exact way some poisons do. That's not likely to be comforting at this point. ] Felt a little like getting stung by a giant bee, mostly, which is why I'm pretty sure I'll remain in one piece.

[ He's about to run with that, but then Claude remembers Petra telling him about things around her wilting in that strange week they'd all had and changes his mind. Instead, he'll shift his expression back to something neutral and just watch Sylvain work. But not quietly, because he thinks he might've hit upon what that look was earlier. ]

If my leg somehow does fall off from this - and hear me out here, because it's not going to, but even if it did you're not responsible for that. I probably should've suggested getting some greaves first, if they even exist here.

Claude? [ He doesn't look up from where he's bent over the other man's leg, his hand resting lightly over the wound as he channels white magic into the injury and hopefully cleansing any poison lingering in Claude's bloodstream at the same time. He hates that he doesn't know enough to make sure. ] Shut up.

[ The words are muttered with dry humor, but really, he doesn't want even the mental image of Claude's leg falling off adding to his guilt right now. That's not reassuring in the least, especially when he's not so certain his healing abilities are up to this task. It's one thing closing up wounds enough to hold over until a real healer could look the patient over, but they're out here in the middle of nowhere and they still have a whole trek back to Cadens after this.

He's never regretted not pursuing some of these classes back in school more than since he'd arrived here in this world. ]

I wonder if Jayce knows anything about crafting armor?

[ It's more idle talk than anything else as he keeps his focus, still channelling white magic into the wound. Although he can feel a trickle of sweat trail down the side of his face from the mixture of desert heat and the exertion of his focus and magical reserves. ]

[ There is, of course, a heavy eyeroll which gets paired with being told to shut up. Some silence results - not courtesy of that suggestion - while Claude contemplates something, and only offers a hmm in response to Jayce and armor. The blacksmith almost certainly does create it, or would potentially be happy to learn it as a new project, but armor can't protect them from everything. Something the two of them know well, Claude suspects.

It's warm out here, but it's not warm enough for Sylvain to look quite so worn out even with the Great Scorpion Murder of whatever-Abraxan-year-it-is immediately proceeding it. Given that only one of them is used to hot weather, factoring in that distance from Cadens, and that there really is nothing to worry about in what looks to be (or feels) mostly healed beneath Sylvain's palm, what to do next seems simple enough.

So Claude reaches out, and the obvious choice here would be to grab Sylvain's wrist. Or his hand, maybe, since it's already on him and wouldn't be potentially crossing some unknown line, if there is one. He opts for neither and instead tilts the other's chin up with a couple fingers beneath it to make him stop focusing for - a second, sure. That's what he's going with considering he's still wearing gloves so that makes this normal. ]

Stop looking like I'm about to wither away in front of you. I wasn't kidding when I said I've survived worse and you look like you're about to make yourself pass out, which would be far more terrible. Who's gonna set any scorpions on fire then if that happens?

[ Totally a joke, all very funny, super casual. Never mind the actual concern in there about overdoing it over an insect sting beneath it all. ]

[ The magic sputters out with the first brush of leather against his jaw and Sylvain blinks in surprise as Claude tips his head up towards him, jolted out of his focus at the unexpected touch. It takes him a moment to focus on what Claude's saying, rather than the fact that he'd chosen that particular method of interruption.

Dark eyes search Claude's face a moment before he huffs out a quiet breath. Not pulling away. but he does let his eyes slide closed for a moment as he lets his fingers still rest against Claude's leg, even though he's not actively healing him anymore. ]

Please tell me you don't plan on going to hunt more of the damn things.

[ Easier to focus on complaining about that rather than the fact that this is a surprisingly intimate touch from the other man he hadn't anticipated. Nah, he's sure Claude doesn't mean it like that. ]

Maybe I want to find the horse-sized one out there after all.

[ 'One' since it probably won't be a scorpion and would be something far worse if he were serious about it and made the even worse decision to disregard all of Ciri's stern warnings. For as much as Claude enjoys adventure or risk disguised as it, there's some risks he's not willing to take.

He says that lightly, still teasing, because some part of him can't resist the urge to stress Sylvain out a little more while simultaneously saying knock it off. Which - it occurs to Claude he doesn't actually know Sylvain well enough to know whether it's worked even if the other's ceased his ministrations, not beyond the outline he's been diligently piecing together over the past few moons.

And with that reminder, he should move his hand away, right? Sylvain's the only one with a reason to be touching someone here, so... right. Time to move it. (He doesn't.) ]

I'll spare you this time because I think you really would pass out then, and because greaves would be better first. Don't get any ideas about wearing a full suit of armor out here, though.

[ Claude, you are officially the worst. ]

No, we're not going to hunt down some elusive horse-sized scorpion in the middle of the desert. [ He's putting his foot down. Firmly.

He's also not moving away from the grip of those gloved fingers against his jaw, peering up at Claude from where he still kneels at his feet. ]

How does it feel? Does it still sting?

[ He's not content to just take Claude's word for it, though. He's tentatively reaching out with that magic he's been working on mastering over these past few weeks. Skimming over the emotions he can pick up from Claude on top of whatever answer the man gives him. ]

I didn't say anything about scorpions this time. Sheesh.

[ An important clarification! Easier to think about continuing to be difficult than the look Sylvain's giving him right now with his chin still in his hand, even if there's nothing behind it. All clinical, that concern, those questions. None of it tied to bets, massages, banter. All things he shouldn't be thinking about in the middle of a desert so Claude shoves them away to glance at his leg since it's the actual topic. ]

It's fine, Sylvain. It'll take a lot more than a scorpion of any size to keep me from being in one piece.

[ This, at least, is genuine and not an act since his leg does feel fine. There'll probably be some residual pain appearing later on if this poison's anything like other ones he's dealt with but it's nothing worse than, say, being hit with Thoron. He'll take this over that any day.

It's finally enough for him to let go of Sylvain's chin - with some reluctance - as he sits up, leans back on his perch on the rock, and shifts his gaze back to the scorpion carnage around them. If Sylvain reads that as sliding a veil back into place, he wouldn't be wrong. ]

We're certainly going to be paid well for this, so that's doubly worth it.

[ Claude's emotions don't actually offer him much clarification here, because they seem to be as confusing a jumble as the one Sylvain so often feels when it comes to the other man.

But he does note that hint of reluctance as Claude finally pulls away from him, those walls between them going up to secure him behind them once more. Which he finds interesting, and he mentally notes that to poke at later when they're not in the middle of the desert. ]

I'm not in the mood to fight a horse-sized anything right now, those things were more than enough. [ Sighing, he pushes to his feet and surveys the carnage they'd left behind. ] We just need their stingers for the extra pay, right? Stay there, I'll collect them and then we can head back to the city.

[ As Sylvain stands Claude goes about rolling his trouser leg back into place, pulling his boot back on, and then standing up like he hasn't been told to do the opposite. Sitting there might mean continuing to dwell on everything he's valiantly trying to ignore. Considering all of it, what little he tells himself there is of it, is better left for later. There's also a wave of a hand to dismiss it and/or any incoming protest once it's noticed prior to securing his bow on his back, considering he's not about to just comply all because he was asked. Kind of. ]

I know, I know. I'm difficult or whatever it was you called me earlier, but this'll go a lot faster with both of us working on it.

[ Claude's not going to leave room for any argument, at least not in the sense that any argument's going to keep him from from tackling their next project. He retrieves a dagger meant to double as a knife for this stinger removal step from his satchel then stops to consider something. Sylvain's lance might double well enough as a makeshift knife, sure, but on second thought Claude pulls the dagger tucked in his sash out to hold it out to Sylvain hilt first with a slight smile. ]

Even if most of them are burned to a crisp, this might come in handy. And thanks for the healing too, by the way.

[ He's pretty sure you're so far beyond the point of 'difficult' that he's not sure what the next level of exasperating you've actually arrived at by now.

But Sylvain just sighs and sets his focus to the tact of gathering what they need to collect their bounty. ]

Fine, but if your leg does fall off half way home, you're on your own taming your horse-scorpion for a mount and making it the rest of the way back yourself.

[ Which is a blatant lie, because Sylvain would never leave anyone behind. Especially if they were hurt. Doesn't mean he can't gripe at the other man anyway, however. ]

Is that a dare or a threat? I can't tell.

[ Is this something he should launch into teasing about? Nope. But when one finds themselves dutifully removing scorpion tails to shove into a bag to haul back with them, sometimes it's better to think about anything else even if it's still nightmare material bug-adjacent.

That does give Claude another thought, however. It's one that's arguably more important than winding up (irritating) Sylvain a bit more. ]

Now that I think about it, we probably should've taken some horses - actual ones - from the stables. Or maybe look into getting our own to keep there if any of us are going to be out here more often, since I know a couple other Summoned have managed that.

[ OPEN ] split tomorrow from today

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

want to start wrapping this?

it's a wrap!