abraxaslogs | [ OPEN ] split tomorrow from today

Entry tags:

[ OPEN ] split tomorrow from today

Who: Claude and various
When: November + December
Where: Nocwich, Cadens, TBA
What: Catch all for both months
Warnings: None currently, will add/mark as needed

( Open and closed starters in the comments! Also good with prose or brackets and please feel free to wildcard into the open prompts with something else. If you'd prefer plotting first, you can find me at

indech, arboria#1862, or by PM at any time! )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Maybe we should hang them at every entrance so someone's adequately warned before they get in here. Or leave buckets like these as a little added bribery since snacks tend to work on just about everyone.

[ Claude included, of course. Buri's reaction to being menaced with said treats that aren't in his reach (yet) gets a grin from him, though that grin freezes on his face at Hilda's follow up question. Where to start in answering that. For a moment he's in a labyrinth holding an axe that doesn't belong to him, and then he blinks and he's back watching Buri's impatience getting the better of him and snag what's on the skewer Claude's holding out.

In reality probably only a couple of seconds go by, but that's still too long to let that question hang out there. ]

Are you saying you wouldn't even try to create a new arm for me? That hurts, Hilda. [ Claude looks pained while saying this, as if he's well and truly hurt by the very notion, though he busies himself with finding another chunk of meat. ] I guess I'll do my best to keep my arm attached where it belongs since you can get hurt in here. On the plus side you can just leave the Horizon and come back to get rid of it, so that's a benefit over, say, stubbing your toe while walking somewhere around Cadens and just having to suffer through it.

[ Because it's totally a minor injury he's avoiding talking about. Nothing to see here. ]

[ Her nose wrinkles at the thought of (imaginary) buckets of meat placed around the Garreg Mach. That was the downside to the realism in the Horizon, she supposed: everything felt real which meant real - and sometimes unpleasant - smells. ]

This place might not be the real monastery, but there's no way I'm letting you leave buckets of raw meat everywhere!

[ That and she highly doubted that Sylvain, Felix, or Petra would be enthusiastic about it either. The thought of Felix chewing Claude out for it meant that she'd probably be on the receiving end of it too simply by association and for using the aerie the most out of the rest of them. Although if she thought about it, leaving something smelly in the training ground out of sight from Felix would probably be funny. She'd mention it to Claude later when she wasn't scolding him for quite literally the exact same idea.

The skewer of meat she's holding stops inches from Buri's toothy maw, eliciting an angry huff. His jaw had snapped expecting her to feed him but had been met with air. Instead of giving into the wvyern's growl, she ignores him for a moment longer to scrutinize Claude. There had been something in his smile that made her pause - she just couldn't put her finger on what it was. She knew his smiles and that one meant that she had struck a chord with her question.

After a moment she holds the skewer back out, rewarding Buri for the minor inconvenience of having to wait several more seconds to be fed. ]

We'll just make a lot of signs instead. Some really big ones with, "Warning: Angry Wyvern. Possibility of losing a limb: High." I'd like to avoid reattaching anyone's arm. It sounds like a lot of work. Not to mention messy. [ Also never mind that she couldn't string together a healing spell without feeling faint herself.

Casting a sidelong glance at Claude, her voice sounds as air and light as ever. ] So you stubbed your toe, huh?

Oh c'mon, I didn't say we wouldn't put lids on the buckets after putting them all around. They'll be totally fine then and not even noticeable.

[ There's a struggle to not laugh as he says this because he's well aware of what utter nonsense it is, but if there's a chance it'll make Hilda laugh rather than scold him? Well worth it. If only he could apply that to what he just knows is Hilda's careful noting of whatever that small glitch he'd had was. Or rather: he absolutely knows she's seen something he let slip when he didn't mean to, considering there's no reason to explain everything that the Horizon might have happen to it. There's no reason to think it'll happen again, so why mention it?

With that logic he finds faultless in mind, it's what has Claude groaning like she's touched upon some deeply raw nerve over the toe stubbing incidents. ]

Yes, and your lack of sympathy for my struggles is noted, thank you very much. Some of the roads here are rough if you're not paying attention to where you're walking, which I most certainly didn't do after arriving here when I was too busy looking at everything. I nearly even fell on my face a couple times and that would've been a real shame to recover from.

[ As Buri chows down on what Hilda's offered, Claude decides to take advantage of the wyvern's distraction to reach a hand forward to pet the scales along his neck. There's a growl that seems more automatic than anything and Claude hushes him which earns a glare. Not enough to dissuade him from abandoning his mission of getting Buri to adjust to attention once again even with attempting to remind himself that none of this is real. Sometimes the illusions in here feel far too much like it and now's one of those times as he glances back over his shoulder at the empty stalls around this one. ]

You know, if we want anyone else to visit without these bribery buckets, we should probably bring one of Buri's old friends to live here, too.

[ Hilda rolls her eyes - both at the buckets of meat and then at the theatrics over his supposed stubbed toe.

Not that she can really chastise too much. She and Claude may as well have been two sides of the same coin; they both had a secret love and penchant for being dramatic whether it served them or not. If the tables were turned she would have been the one acting incredibly hurt that Claude wasn't babying her and sympathizing with her stubbed toe. But the difference here was that Hilda was certain he was trying to hide something from her. If there was one thing she was quickly learning in Abraxas however, it was that if Claude didn't tell her, she might be able to find people who would.

None of that betrays on her face as she gives him a sympathetic pat on the arm and giving him her best, over the top, doe-eyed look. ]

Your face? That's your best feature after your hair. Tell you what, I'll give Sylvain a real stern talking to and he can even out the pathways for you so that doesn't happen again.

[ She can't help but giggle silently when Buri sounds off a warning growl at Claude attempting to touch him. That doesn't do anything to deter her either and sure enough her own attempt is met with a similar reaction which she ignores. Her hand traces a scarred over section on his cheek. ]

Who wouldn't want to feed raw meat to a grumpy old wyvern? [ Buri's eyes flicker towards her as he continues to chew nosily. ] Which one did you have in mind? [ Her voice turns teasing as she watches for Buri's reaction. It's not like she expects him to understand but who knows. Maybe he would. ] Maybe his girlfriend?

[ Buri had been easier than she had anticipated, but she still wasn't sure if she was ready to take on recreating her own wyvern just yet. ]

Trust me, I know. It'd be a shame if I damaged my roguishly beautiful face all over a loose brick or two.

[ Said with great gravitas as though some calamity was narrowly avoided and like it's not more theatrics with a different spin to them now just to play up Hilda's offer to have Sylvain repave the entirety of Cadens with his own two hands. Not a bad offer, actually. Still better to go along with that than deal with anything else he's intentionally glossing over despite being well aware Hilda can sense some of it (or a lot of it) these days.

It's not enough to make him share this voluntarily - for now - so he breaks out into a grin fully at Buri's expense now that the wyvern is doing his best to look like he doesn't enjoy this attention every much as his real life counterpart would do the same. ]

The answer to that is no one. Even if our friend here lacks some of the usual social charms, he has plenty of others to make up for that. It'd be hard for anyone to not be won over by him even at his grouchiest.

[ Claude might also be biased what with being enamored with every wyvern he's ever come across, but if it's brought up he'll brush that aside too. What he doesn't totally expect is for Hilda to offer to create another wyvern that isn't her own and that has him pausing with a hand on Buri to send a sideways glance her direction. ]

Sure, that could always work. Or I was thinking he might like to be friends with your wyvern again, too. [ Now he appraises Hilda beneath the smile he turns on her, curious enough to prod around as he's wont to do. ] Maybe another one's in order first, though. Buri's girlfriend isn't a bad choice at all. You wanna try together again or give this one a shot on your own?

[ Or Claude could always do it himself as a third option, but he'll let Hilda choose her preference. ]

All of Cadens would go into mourning. I might even shed a tear or two for you until we got you all patched up.

[ There was no way Sylvain would ever pave the entirety of Cadens with his own two hands but the thought was funny and that's all that really mattered to her in the end.

She knew she was partially at fault for dodging topics that neither of them wanted to talk about. There was no denying she was excellent at pretending things away especially as of late, but she wasn't certain if it would eventually catch up to them resulting in some kind of consequence. Hilda hoped it would never come to that.

Why couldn't they just stay joking and laughing the rest of their lives?

At the suggestion about the wyvern not in the room (Waffle, not Buri) her gaze drifts to Claude's for a brief moment. There was the push to her pull. It was a natural nudge of the topic away from Claude and back to Hilda or rather, Hilda-adjacent, but she would let it slide. A part of her was annoyed at herself for being so hesitant about recreating Waffle. Buri had come out just fine, hadn't he? But the little voice in her head worried in the way it had for the last two decades of her life. Claude had helped her with it. It had been Claude's efforts not hers. ]

Are you sure you don't want to do it? [ She gives him a cheeky smile. ] If I remember correctly, she did like you a lot more than anyone else at the academy. But I guess if you really needed someone else to do it with you I could because I'm such a good friend.

[ There's a hum from him, a short note which says he might be considering Hilda's offer ("offer") to do this himself. Claude's still considering her while she talks with an easy smile of his own on his face that she meets with her own. ]

If you're saying it's because I charmed her with my utterly delightful ways, you'd be absolutely right. That was my first goal back then, befriending all of them. [ He pauses again to look thoughtful, this time with it mostly not being an act while recalling memories which feel like they were in a completely different life between the war and being here in Abraxas now. ] That was a great plan, honestly, so no wonder sky watch always went so well for us.

[ Now Claude's absolutely patting himself on the back for Hilda's entertainment given that he's absolutely inflating his own ego as part of that, and the grin appearing on his face afterwards says as much. But - he thinks he hears the request in there well enough, so with one last pat to Buri's neck for now (and a tiny growl to match it as Buri's further commentary) he steps back and walks to the stall that's waiting.

There's another few moments where he considers what he remembers of Adelheid as he shuts his eyes: her stature and long wingspan, lighter brown scales compared to Buri's, and a missing toe from scrappier, younger days. Then there's that she would trill happily to anyone coming to say hello, was particularly fond of snacks, and could find an instant friend in anyone offering to scratch her chin. And, maybe most importantly of all that he remembers at the last second: her love of expressing happiness through headbutting and forgetting people aren't as sturdy as wyverns.

Which is why he lets out an oof when there's a familiar weight bumped solidly against his chest, and Claude opens his eyes with a grin to see Adelheid herself peering back at him. ]

Hello again, my friend. You've missed us both, have you?

So that's what it was. We were starting to think that you preferred wyverns over the rest of us. Not a great way to make a first impression, by the way. Lorenz was ready to throw a fit at one point. [ She's teasing, but somewhere wrapped in there is a gentle reminder to him that his friends were always looking out for him. Granted, they hadn't quite been friends then; they had been trying to figure one another out, all against a backdrop of learning about warfare. And maybe at that point, it had also been self serving to care about the future head of the Riegan house - but that had thankfully changed over time too.

She can't deny however that Claude's persistence with the wyverns had certainly helped, especially since she had been so reluctant to get onto a wyvern in the first place. Her first ride hadn't gone particularly well resulting in almost getting bucked off while they were in the air. Her thighs had been bruised for weeks after that and she had resolutely refused to get back on and probably wouldn't have had it not been for Byleth and Cladue's encouragement.

Her teasing fades from her lips as Claude begins to work. Up until this moment she realizes that she hasn't seen anyone create something in the Horizon yet. If she was being honest, she thought it would probably be relatively underwhelming. After all she had just closed her eyes and thought really hard until she had felt a tug of something materialize. And sure, Claude did close his eyes, but there was more. There was the slight tug of the wind in his hair, the faint sparkle of something being weaved and pulled from his memories. A nebulous form began building itself before her eyes and as much as she wanted to watch that, her eyes stayed trained on Claude. Like many other things he did, Hilda thought it looked effortless.

If she didn't know what magic was, had never experienced it, she would have been a full believer after this. Another delighted laugh leaves her mouth as she steps forward to meet Adelheid with a soft headbutt to the forehead. Buri is quick to vie for his girlfriend's attention though and Hilda steps back with a chuckle. ]

He looks so much happier now. Imagine being jealous of a wyvern in love.

[ There's a grin at the mention of Lorenz being ready to throw a fit, since honestly - and something they both know, which is why he leaves it unsaid - is that that described Lorenz so frequently in those days. Less so in current times from what he remembers, though there's never a time in which Claude feels the chance of a lecture, haranguing, or something otherwise punctuated by Scoffs™ is zero. Or was, since maybe he should be thinking about that in past tense.

That's not something he cares to do, however, since it skirts too close to thinking about the realities of being here and the amount of time between the both of them. The latter is something Claude would rather not think about at all even if life in Abraxas lately seems determined to remind him of it more than ever.

Far better to step out of the way of Adelheid and Buri's reunion like they'd truly been parted to watch with a smile. ]

Aww, Hilda. If you're that jealous then you know there's a way to fix that. You too could have your very own reunion in just mere moments from now!

[ For good measure, he throws an arm loosely around her shoulders while turning them both to a stall waiting for yet another occupant. ]

I wish I could say it'll get less intimidating the longer you think about it, but. Would I ever lie to you? [ Wait. Don't answer that. Moving right along - ] My real point in there is I know you can do it, especially since you created the entire aerie around us right now. That takes way more effort, if you ask me.

[ She can’t stop herself from laughing as she’s pulled into his side as they face Waffle’s empty stall. His tone had a similar quality as merchants who boasted about their wares in an attempt to make a sale. ]

Claude, I don’t want to fall in love with a wyvern. Although if Waffle is the only person aside from Hoslt who loves me then maybe it isn’t so bad.

[ An eyebrow arches briefly at what she knows is meant to be a rhetorical question. They both knew that he lied. It wasn’t meant to be malicious and she knew that — Claude, at least as well as she knew him — didn’t have a malicious bone in his body. He just liked his secrets because she supposed it formed a layer around whatever it was he was trying to protect. But because it’s rhetorical she lets her mildly judging look pass between them without saying much of anything else. ]

The aerie definitely took a lot of effort. I had to take the longest nap afterwards. [ Despite none of this being real, she contemplates the stall and Waffle’s saddle hanging there. If she even remotely wants this to be a place of reprieve it won't be without Waffenzahn. It's silly and childish in many ways, but she didn't think Claude would judge her for it. ] If I mess it up somehow, you can’t laugh or tell anyone, okay?

[ With or without Claude’s confirmation Hilda closes her eyes, drawing on the memories of her wyvern. Waffenzahn had been a relatively young thing when she had been introduced to him; he was rambunctious, mischievous and full of energy to the point where he had almost flung her from the saddle once. Despite her shocked anger Hilda had been as quick to forgive when he sensed he had done something wrong and given her the biggest doe eyes she had ever seen on a creature.

He wasn’t as lithe and long as Adelheid, but he was stocky and strong under some of the young wyvern pudge he had yet to lose. His dislike of men had been apparent early on, but they had gotten to a point where men he was acquainted with were met with a certain air of disdain that rivaled even Lorenz’s scoff. For all his sass and wyvern-esque scoffing though, Waffenzahn adored Hilda, taking on the demeanor of a dog that was reunited with its owner any time she appeared in the aerie.

Just as she’s about to ask if she’s done it, she feels a force knock her backwards from Claude’s reach. And there Waffenzahn is, absolutely overjoyed to see her and pointedly putting himself between her and Claude. Her surprise overrides any triumph she might feel and she gazes up at her wyvern and his pink bows around his horns in all his glory in wonder. ]

I did it.

We could always take a nap after this too. There's probably a corner of the Horizon with nice weather somewhere even if it's not in the monastery proper.

[ That's not really Hilda's point and Claude knows that quite well. Even the demonstrations of what could be done hadn't helped his own particular anxiety about creating things upon those subsequent visits into the Horizon where he'd shaped those creations further and the worry of whether they'd turn out right. Most of those were plants or rooms, and both are things Claude can admit hold infinitely less stress than a wyvern. Or multiple wyverns. Or one particular wyvern.

So he offers Hilda a slight smile but no verbal confirmation as it goes without saying (he assumes, anyway) there won't be a word of this spoken to anyone. Anyone besides the two of them since there might be some light teasing from him if something somehow goes sideways, but Claude also honestly can't picture that happening. It's not something he's preparing for even as he steps back to let Hilda have her personal space back for Waffenzahn.

Not enough space as it turns out, since when the wyvern in question appears and immediately pushes his face in to create more space Claude can't do anything but laugh. ]

Now there's something beyond familiar. I think if Waffle could just casually push me right on outta here he absolutely would. I'd better start bringing extra snacks to win him over all over again along with the other two. Or - maybe more than the other two.

[ In Hilda’s mind, any hard work should definitely be rewarded with something. Food was always nice, a pretty little trinket or something she could use to make herself a trinket – even better. But a nap definitely ranked up there with the number of things she wouldn’t mind getting in return for something she probably hadn’t enjoyed doing.

There had been plenty of days when they had done exactly what Claude had described. There was no particular pattern to which they sought out midday cat naps either. Whether it was after a particularly gruelling training session, a lecture that got a little stale, or a belly full of food – a nap was a great addition to any event.

Her surprised stupor is broken as her wyvern’s wet tongue draws a long streak across her cheek, eliciting a strangled “gross” that instantly morphs into a laugh. Gently, less of a reprimand and more of an affectionate hello, she boops Waffenzahn’s snoot who only throws his head back in glee knowing this dance well as he obediently moves backwards so she can get up.

When she’s upright, Hilda immediately moves to wrap her arms around Waffle’s neck, giving him an affectionate nuzzle, before lightly scolding Claude. ]

Hey! He’d never do that, he doesn’t have a malicious bone in his body. [ There’s nothing but mirth and lightness to her now though that the daunting task is complete, almost as if her worries had never held water in the first place. She glances back towards Waffle who gives her an affectionate chirp of agreement to her next statement. ] But snacks couldn’t hurt – he’s just like me in that way. [ Her next breath betrays the wonder she still feels at how not only real Waffle is but how she had done it. ] Have you tried flying in the Horizon? How far can we go?

[ Too easy to tease, as always, and Hilda's scolding merely gets yet another wide grin from him while Waffenzahn soaks up the attention. He has half a mind to go pick up the bucket of snacks they've brought with them - assuming Buri hasn't managed to eat all of it himself while their backs were metaphorically and literally turned - but Hilda's question gives him some pause. ]

No, I haven't. Mostly because my wyvern is - [ with a couple gestures meant to indicate roughly her small size and shape currently due to being present here as her much younger self than her current age either one of them would remember from present day - ] and I've never tried to bring in an adult wyvern. Well, until now, when someone just so happened to twist my arm into doing it.

[ Complete with a heavy sigh, like he's really been put upon here and as if that's actually how things happened. Only for a second or two, though, because then Claude's walking away. Not far; just back to Adelheid's stall where she'd perked up at the mention of flying and to open the door to let her out into the aerie proper. (Buri, on the other hand, is nowhere to be seen and possibly taking up the nap suggestion even if it was meant for the two humans.) ]

I'm willing to give it a shot, though. I've seen some others riding around on... things from home, I suppose would be the easiest way to sum it up. There seems to be a sky here so hopefully it'll be like the real thing.

[ Something which has clear excitement creeping into Claude's voice just like it might before some kind of scheme from back in the day. This one benefits them both, at least. ]

[ Claude’s exaggeration and complete retelling of the situation is met with a roll of her eyes but that’s short lived too as Waffle nudges her, deciding that she’s spent far too much time already preoccupied on Claude as opposed to him. She presses a light feathery kiss to his nose before turning her attention back to Claude. ]

Yeah, but can’t you, you know – [ She motions with her hands, moving them away from one another to indicate growth. Hilda isn’t certain if that’s actually how it works, but Claude had said as much when she had worried about giving Waffle a snaggle tooth. ] if you wanted her to be smaller again, couldn’t you do that?

[ It’s neither here nor there though when Claude seems to be on the same wavelength she is and they have two wyverns more than eager to spread their wings. Well. One. But that was on brand for Buri.

With the doors to the aerie open, Waffenzahn seems to get the idea too. The fresh air rouses him as he begins to stretch and crane his neck, restlessness appearing in the flutter of his wings. There’s a pep in Hilda’s step as she quickly rushes for his harness and saddle. Claude’s excitement is infectious, urging her to get out into the vast blue sky as quickly as they can. In a matter of minutes he’s equipped and ready to go, muscle memory taking over like she’s done this hundreds of times. When she’s done she turns to Adelheid’s stall to help Claude with the remaining straps and ties for her.

Curiosity sparks in her tone and gaze. ]

Things like what exactly? Pegasi?

Maybe. I guess I probably could.

[ As an answer to Hilda's (valid) question about changing his wyvern back to her current form after any chances, and answered evasively in a way she might be far too familiar with. Claude doesn't elaborate, mostly because he has a feeling the fact that he's averse to doing the exact thing he just walked Hilda through doing is, in a word, hypocritical.

So he follows that up with a sweeping gesture to Adelheid's clear enthusiasm since it seems to be catching between all of them, and adds - ] But look at how thrilled she is about flying! I can't take that away from her now.

[ Time to focus on the equipment needed since it also comes as easily to him as anything that could be done in his sleep and Hilda's assistance only makes it happen that much faster to let him reach for the saddle to swing himself up into it. Or start to because he stops when it comes time to have to describe what he's seen - words fail him a bit there. ]

I, uh. Don't actually know how to describe what I've seen, [ with a short laugh since he's also surprised by this, ] but nothing like anything we have in Fodlan, that's for sure. I've only met one other person who even knows wyverns exist, since everyone else told me they're fiction where they're from.

[ A frown is paired with that as he finally gets into the saddle and waits for Hilda to do the same, grin now firmly back in place. ]

There's some snowy mountains someone created in the distance. Wanna race there and back?

[ Hilda senses the reluctance, the deliberate sidestep away from the topic. It’s a curious one though; despite knowing how much Claude cared for his wyvern, she can’t pinpoint exactly if it’s for the same reason that she had her reservations about Waffle.

Despite that she’s become somewhat versed in knowing which loose threads to pick, particularly when it came to Claude and this wasn’t one of them. After all, the stretch of blue sky outside the window beckoned to them. ]

When have you had a problem describing anything, Claude? [ His admission surprises her too, but she seems more amused than confused at his inability to do so. ] Is it a living creature? Is it something like, I don’t know… [ She pauses, searching for something that they’re familiar with but sounds absurd at the same time. ] A flying wagon?

[ But she’s quick to mimic him, hoisting herself gracefully up onto Waffle’s saddle and urging him up beside Adelheid. ]

What do we get if we win? [ Because of course she wouldn’t leave out her own wyvern out of this one. He will be doing most of the work after all. ]

I don't think they are? At least, some of them move like they could be, but I don't know if that's because of what the Horizon can do if someone tells it to or if that's really what it's like in their home world.

[ Answered with a shrug because there's many mysteries here - something which might become apparent with them about to get an aerial view of buildings he couldn't imagine in his wildest dreams, and that was only from standing on the ground. But Hilda's question about the wagon does remind him of something else he actually can provide some information on, even as Adelheid sidesteps impatiently while ready to get a move on with this flying thing. ]

Some of them have been animals, I think, since one resembled a sort of giant chicken - [ if only Claude knew what a chocobo is - ] and another was some kind of machinery that look like something Jayce and Viktor might create, though I don't think they did. But! There was someone summoned to Thorne who's no longer here, but he had a farm not far from where I stumbled across one day. He had something on it he called a truck. Apparently it would be as if you put something like a hundred horses on the same wagon since it could go that fast. Imagine if we'd had those on our travels.

[ A slightly wry smile is paired with that since the traveling about from one battlefield to another isn't something Claude wants to dwell on as he nudges Adelheid forward to where the doorway to outside awaits them. Better to think about a prize here. ]

I suppose if I say you get my undying and eternal admiration that won't work well here, will it? Maybe I'll live dangerously and say you can pick the prize if you win, for both you and Waffle.

Well if wyverns don’t exist in their worlds but they do in ours then I don’t see why not.

[ Hilda loves a good story as much as the next person and she’s already seen firsthand what someone can create in the Horizon as long as they put their mind to it. She isn’t quite expecting a giant chicken though mostly because…well, what she has in mind is a big fat hen. Her eyes widen in surprise and maybe a little in disbelief as she cocks her head to the side trying to process what Claude’s describing but just getting caught on the farm animal. ]

A giant chicken? You’re kidding me. I thought they couldn’t fly very far. Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose? [ She shakes her head.] You know what, you’re just going to have to show me next time.

[ She does, after all, have a bet to win and Waffle is becoming nothing but restless, nipping playfully at Adelheid. ]

I already have that – unless you’ve decided to give it to someone else while you’ve been here?

[ It’s a playful poke, just another part of the dance that they’ve constructed and learned over the years just like how these bets have woven themselves into the fabric of their relationship. She hums to herself, mulling over what would be a satisfying reward that will decide how much work she puts in.

True to his word (and Sylvain’s), Claude had provided for her since her arrival, getting her a simple set of clothing that she could mix and match as needed until she could come into her own steady flow of cash. Could she use more things? Sure. But she’s aware of the scarcity of resources and the work that her friends do in order to earn it. It’s hard to be blissfully ignorant when she’s the one without a penny to her name. ]

Waffle is pretty easy – he’d get a big bucket of treats from you and a talon clipping. And for me – [ Finally she settles on something and turns to him, the look in her eyes both sharp and sweet. ] I get to ask you three questions and you have to answer them truthfully.

Edited 2023-01-04 22:02 (UTC)

[ There's a moment in there where he looks contemplative, as though he really has something to tell Hilda about some unnamed person he's become utterly attached to in the months since arriving, but it's all for show. Another way to tease pulled off the endless list of ways they meddle (affectionately) with each other, and as Adelheid shifts impatiently he reaches down to pat her neck reassuringly out of habit as he's done to many a wyvern.

A grimace crosses Claude's face over the idea of talon clipping, what's admittedly his least favorite wyvern grooming task even over anything related to teeth, but that's a fair enough prize for winning. As for Hilda's: Claude shifts his gaze to look at her sidelong at that particular proposal.

It's a good wager. A very clever one. He raises an eyebrow. ]

You certainly know how to raise the stakes. [ But is he going to say no to that? Absolutely not. ] I suppose that's fair enough to ask as a prize, too. In that case, if I win, we're gonna go find our more about the new metal that's coming into Cadens from Nocwich. I've seen it here and there in shops, but mostly in jewelry so far. It might be good for some projects of your own.

[ It's far from the sort of gloating prize one might expect to claim in a competition, and not really something Claude could claim as a traditional trophy. Rather, it's more that he remembers his own first month here where he'd been looking to grab onto anything and everything he could to find something to do. And he's not about to outright suggest a job, not while Hilda's still getting her bearings here, even if it is fun to tease her about it now and again. Maybe this will land somewhere in the middle like he hopes it will. ]

If that's not enticing enough, does it help if I say I'll also wear whatever is you make?

[ Had they never arrived in Abraxas, Hilda might have been able to tell immediately and confidently that Claude was teasing her. Since the start, teasing had been very much the tone of their relationship. Serious moments were there of course, but neither of them enjoyed talking about the serious if they could avoid it. She’s fairly certain in her assumption that he is teasing her, but for the first time in a while, she finds herself doubting that normally unshakeable confidence.

She’s more invested in his reaction to her wager however. Her lips quirk mischievously at the reaction to the talon clipping (never mind that they’re in the Horizon and Waffle’s talons may never grow if she didn’t want them to). His easy acceptance of both parts of her wager comes as a surprise and it’s met with her own raised eyebrow. Hilda really didn’t enjoy backing him into a corner like this. It felt like it cheapened their friendship, but she isn’t certain what else to do. ]

That’s it? You just want me to accompany you and make you something? [ Because that’s what it sounds like. A beat later she finally shrugs as if she didn’t have a care in the world that her prize is more threatening than Claude’s. ] If that’s what you want, Claude.

[ Her body language changes, thighs tightening against the saddle and Waffle immediately noting the change. It wouldn’t be long until they took flight and Hilda was taking his agreement as final. ] Ready when you are!

Huh, I really should've tried bargaining you into that sooner. [ Though he'd meant to sound mildly teasing before, now it's all out into blatant teasing as though she'd walked into one of his master plans of some kind and not something he'd cobbled together on the spot. Overconfidence means Claude's operating under the assumption he'll win this bet even if his history of bets in Abraxas have, in fact, not been in his favor whatsoever. He'll still flash Hilda a wide grin now, secure in not having to answer any questions but the possibility of finding a truthful enough loophole to get out of them someday. Maybe. ] One more caveat to add to that is I'd like to at least request what it is I'll be wearing, if I can, but I can tell you that piece later when I win.

[ Can being the operative wording in there since technically he could probably just request whatever it was as the theoretical winner, but since Hilda's going to be the one making it then it might as well be something she hopefully enjoy making. Never mind that the phrasing he chooses makes it sound like he's about to request something entirely too complicated, something he'd be far more willing to do if it was going to be a task assigned to say, Lorenz.

Nothing to dwell on now since when Hilda readies her stance Claude does the same automatically and Adelheid shifts too, muscles tensing in that ready for takeoff feeling all wyverns seem to have. He squints out of the aerie as whatever approximation of sunlight they've created (or was already here) beams right into his eyes while he's trying to get his bearings, then he points towards the mountains in question. ]

Alright, it's to those off in the distance and back here, and whoever's back first gets to claim victory and their prize.

[ And with that, since they're both ready and eager for the race, to fly, all of it - nothing left to do but to countdown to take off and take flight. ]

[ And here she thought she had been clever, putting the master schemer into a corner that he couldn't wiggle from. Claude's sidestepping is a possibility of course, but then again, she doesn’t plan on giving him time to think about his answers. She never said when she had to ask after all. Her confidence, for once, is bolstered by her stubborn nature.

A put on an offended look ripples across her features. ]

Do you really think I’d put you in something that you wouldn’t look good in?

[ She wouldn’t, for the record, but what he looks good in versus what he might be comfortable in are two different things. Hilda loves teasing people (case in point Sylvain), but it was always with good intent. And besides, there's a certain level of pride she takes in ensuring that Claude looked his best.

Hilda counts them down, being honest in not launching before she’s done. Everything in the Horizon so far has felt real, so Hilda has no reason to think that flying will be any different – but she still manages to feel a swoop in her stomach, as Waffenzahn takes flight. Her stomach drops as they leave solid ground and the wind from the beat of wyvern wings whips her hair around her face. A younger her had complained that it messed up her hair, but she had since grown to secretly love it because of what it stood for.

Waffenzahn’s youth shows as he bursts forth alongside Adelheid, craning his neck forward and propelling them from the tower just a little ways ahead of the female wyvern. Hilda leans down against him, clutching the reins and urging him forward, unable to stop the grin from spreading onto her face as they race towards the peaks. ]

[ There's a look sent Hilda's way quickly which says - yes, he absolutely thinks there's a sliver of a chance she'd put him in something for her own entertainment, and that this reaction is 100% also for the same reason. Of course, it's not like Claude wouldn't wear it simply in the name of amusing them both. No matter what it is Hilda might have in mind, she has a willing participant here in the form of one with a near nonexistent sense of shame to top off any antics.

Now's not that time for that as they get ready to take off. The countdown is something Adelheid can sense even before he leans forward in the saddle as Hilda counts, and he barely even has to give the command to take off before she is already. For a second, a fraction of one, Claude worries it won't feel like the actual sensation of flying. What if it's totally different and if this is the time memory somehow betrays them?

No such thing happens; the air rushes by in the exact same sense of freedom which always washes over him each time of taking flight. And this time it might not be on his wyvern, but this finally fills in a void of something he knew he was missing but not precisely how much until now. It's a good thing Adelheid's taking care of the hard part since Claude's a little too distracted for his own good by taking in the sights around them, until his next glance up reveals they're in second place.

Not by much, but enough for him to finally focus and lean forward in the saddle himself as one giant flap of leathery wings has them pulling even, at which point he can't resist flashing a grin Hilda's direction. ]

Don't think we're not gonna make you work for it, you know!

[ Even as the wind whistles past her ears, Hilda still manages to catch his words. She’d throw her head back in a laugh if it weren’t for the fact that the pressure of the airflow blowing against her wasn’t preventing her from doing so. ]

But I hate work!

[ Her words are less protest, more joyous laughter. If all work were like this, she wouldn't complain half as much as she does now. This is fun. This feels like freedom.

Apart from her glance towards Claude she doesn’t dare look down as the world falls away from beneath them. Hilda’s heart thrums in her chest in time with the beating of the wyvern’s wings. It’s easy to forget for a moment the point in time she’s come from, like there’s no war at home or looming threat of it in Abraxas and that there isn’t a looming stretch of time between herself and Claude.

She loses herself in that feeling, not noticing that Waffenzahn’s speed has slowed down giving Claude the lead. Determination fills her once again, and Hilda leans further down, pressing herself almost flat against his scales urging him to keep up with the older wyvern ahead of him. ]

[ That familiar protest gets nothing but answering laughter from him in return. And then it hits him: it's not only that he's missed flying, but that he's missed this, specifically. This easiness to everything, less of having to feel on guard for what might come next (even if that feeling's solely one of his own creation), Hilda's retorts keeping him on his toes in a different, far more welcome way. In this moment all those things he's withholding feel like they don't weigh so much, feel much farther away than something hanging over them.

If he had the words for it - if mentioning it wouldn't complicate things even more because of how much else is attached to it beyond just being here - Claude might shout them across to Hilda and hope the wind wouldn't carry them away like everything else. Maybe it's enough to have this small bit of relief for now.

Of course, it also helps when Adelheid gives one giant swoop of her wings to advance ever so slightly in front. At first, because when the wyvern realizes she's taken the lead she seems to double down on it to continue their advance as the mountain draws ever closer. The temperature changes slightly and now he has to shiver. Whoever created this snow sure did a great job of making it realistic.

Adelheid must not care for it either, or maybe it's just Claude's dislike of cold coming through even if he doesn't know her feelings on weather, since when they loop around the peak to return Waffle's pulled into first place. Now it's his turn to lean down even if Adelheid's already working to catch up, and the grin he flashes Hilda if she looks over towards him is all too real in its exhilaration. ]

[ OPEN ] split tomorrow from today

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i rolled dice for this one IT'S CLAUDE DESTRUCTION TIME

SORRY CLAUDE THE DICE SAID WHAT THEY SAID!

THEY SURE DID and it's a wrap!