abraxaslogs | [ OPEN ] split tomorrow from today

[The easy detail in his assessment makes it clear that Claude knows what he's doing when it comes to fletching. Not all that surprising that this might be one of his skills, though, given what Altaïr already knows of him.]

Passably so. [He waggles his hand halfway in the air to indicate his self-assessment.] I can hit a target regularly enough, but there are those who can be relied on more for their accuracy.

[He also hasn't felt moved to become a true expert. There's something much more satisfying in dispatching a target close up. A blade is required to ensure a man's death.]

It's been a while since I've wielded a bow, actually. I've only touched a crossbow in recent months.

'Passably' is still a lot more than what I've seen others have, so that still puts you ahead of them.

[ Lightly and with zero judgment attached, since he's pretty sure the reason for the lack of archery is most Summoned seem to be from a world far more modern than what he knows. Shepard's assortment of guns from that shooting range in the Horizon hasn't really left his mind, and - if he's recalling things correctly - he remembers thinking Altaïr's world sounded similar in more ways than one.

Except for an important one if the other man knows what a crossbow is, and Claude's interest in that will be quite apparent as the wonky arrow's now quite forgotten. ]

Are crossbows common where you're from? They aren't in Fodlan, for... well, a lot of reasons too dull to explain, so most bows I've used before arriving here looked like, [ holding up the one in his hand as an example, ] this one. The hunting grounds in Nocwich were the first time I had a chance to use a crossbow and saying they're impressive is an understatement. If you have one here, I'd be willing to trade lessons or something like it on them.

As common as the use of bows. Which one is chosen depends on what one needs a range weapon for.

[To guard a fortress, archers. To kill a single man, a crossbow.]

I wouldn't call myself an expert at the crossbow either, but I know enough that sounds like a fair trade.

[He is curious why they're uncommon in Claude's homeland, though, even if the reasons are purportedly boring. A crossbow is useful and uncontroversial in his experience.]

I kinda think you're defaulted into being the expert here by virtue of being the only one who's used a crossbow more than once.

[ Though his tone isn't on the particularly serious side - he does kind of mean it since the bow he currently possesses is the one he knows best. The same could be said, Claude thinks, for him with other weapons though he's yet to get his hands on an axe here. They're slightly out of his price range for now. ]

Either way, my point was mostly that you'll be a far better teacher of sorts for them rather than if it was the other way around. I'm happy to teach you what I know about standard bows since they're what I've used for most of my life. But... I take it bows aren't your specialty either way.

[ The last sentence's not phrased like one, though it is a question. Sort of. He's curious - can't even pretend like he's not - but. He's noticed Altaïr often measures his responses carefully, and Claude enjoys his company based on their previous talks far too much to press harder like he might with anyone else. No need to when he can always ask again later if there's no answer now. ]

[That's a fair point.]

My talents lie more in hand-to-hand combat, when it becomes necessary.

[Or when he initiates it — if his opponent survives to turn the encounter into a fight rather than an immediate kill. Altaïr can feel the slight weight of the hidden blade strapped to his arm, mostly concealed beneath the leather of his bracer, but there's no need to unsheathe and demonstrate how he fights up close.]

That doesn't mean I don't welcome the opportunity to learn more from one with greater skills. How often did you use a bow in your homeland?

Hand-to-hand? Like grappling of some kind?

[ That's the reference he has: one of his classmates holding onto spiked gauntlets and cutting their way across a training field - or, as it'd turned out, actual battles. Nothing he'd particularly thought about trying himself what with preferring the range of arrows better matched with being on a horse or wyvern, but all that means is he's rather curious about how others would approach that from what they know. Or any kind of fighting, really, since there's so many varied backgrounds here.

Still, the question about his own skills has Claude glancing at his bow again. ]

Frequently. I've trained on them since I was old enough to hold one. Archery's something of a tradition where I grew up. [ With a slight smile, more of an inside joke with himself in some ways, but it's there and gone in an instant as he shifts to looking thoughtful. ] It wasn't all training, though. A bow's been my weapon of choice for a long time, and it was my go-to throughout Fodlan's war. There's an ancient bow called a relic that's tied to my bloodline. After I inherited it, it was what I used most rather than one like what I have now. I can show you it in the Horizon sometime, if you'd like.

If I have to resort to grappling, that means something's gone wrong. I'm more comfortable with a blade — a dagger or a sword.

[Or a hidden blade. Or throwing knives, which are technically long-range weapons, but not the way he uses them.

He gives Claude a considering look. There's no obvious sign that he's an archer, but he has a good build for it — strong arms, not too much bulk.]

I'd like that. Though we may need to imagine up a suitable shooting range, unless you've got one already.

[ Something's gone wrong. That gets Claude to raise an eyebrow since, well. That's hardly the response he anticipated but it's an intriguing one - especially if blades are involved. More specifically, the dagger part since that would be significantly hand-to-hand relative to swords. Not the kind of thing a swordsman would usually specialize in, or not the ones he knows. Maybe that doesn't mean anything, or maybe it's something to consider later.

Easier to grin and shift the subject to something he knows well. ]

I do have a shooting range there, fortunately enough. Came in handy before I could afford this bow, and it was nice to see that Relic from home again for a bit.

But I was also thinking - [ with a gesture towards a good-sized cactus conveniently nearby - ] that guy over there might make a decent target in the meantime, if you're also interested in that.

[The quirk of Claude's brow doesn't go unnoticed, but Altaïr will neither question the reaction nor volunteer further information. Discussing the specifics of his hand-to-hand combat experience is not something he intends to do.]

As long as you promise not to judge too much if you outshoot me with every arrow, I'd be very interested.

[And even if he does. Altaïr has finally, painfully, learned that the judgment of others isn't something to fear.]

Oh no, I can't do that. The judging's the fun part. [ Claude's grinning because while he sounds serious, it's hard to be that considering that they're about to shoot a bunch of arrows into an unsuspecting cactus. And also: ] Besides, you already witnessed me missing a shot I should've made with my eyes closed so I think you've more than earned some judgment of me there.

[ No reason to procrastinate any longer, so he nods back over his shoulder in the direction of their target. Realizing the arrow he needs to remake is still in his hand - and in order to make sure Altaïr's not doomed to the same fate Claude tucks it into his sash for something like safekeeping.

That just leaves one last important decision to make as they walk. ]

Would you like to shoot first, or should I?

[The poor, poor cactus.]

I would never.

[Well, he might. If he thought Claude deserved it.]

I think it's fair that you give me an opportunity to show how well I can do. And then quite likely, you can do better.

[ I would never gets a snort of laughter from him as they walk, since: if Claude does something else foolish, he'll be laughing right along with the other man. Sure, part of him is still hoping to avoid a repeat of his earlier performance, but that's also something that comes along with training.

Altaïr gets a nod since the request to go first is far enough. For many reasons, but not least of all that it'll give Claude a good idea of where to start with whatever follows. Easy enough to first hand over the bow so the other man can get acquainted with it and then shift his quiver so it's hanging at his side for both of them to use the arrows. ]

Alright, then. Show me what you've got whenever you're ready to go.

[Altaïr takes a moment to examine the bow and the tightness of its string, mainly to get a feel for the weapon; he doesn't doubt it's overall quality, the previous errant arrow aside.

It's been a while since he's shot with a bow — some months before the mission in Solomon's Temple, he's sure — so he's equally unhurried when he nocks an arrow and takes his stance, but if he's not an expert bowman, his training was at least thorough enough that the feeling of how it should go comes back to him quickly.

If Claude has never noticed it before, Altaïr's grip on the bow makes it obvious that he has only nine fingers and the remnant of a tenth, but it doesn't seem to hinder his aim. He fires a good but unspectacular shot — though it's not as if either of them know where the bullseye would be.]

[ The grip is noticed - not outright, since there's several checks Claude goes through to assess the other man's form as part of that figuring out where they're starting in training. Familiarity with a bow is spoken for in Altaïr's investigation of it like he's also going through a known routine, so it's not until the shot's lined up that Claude notices Altaïr's fingers.

And while he's somewhat curious about that, he's seen enough wounds from war and otherwise and remembers war factoring into their talks that he has the common sense to not ask about it. Or not immediately. The arrow flies forth and distracts him as he nods when it sinks into the cactus. ]

Nice shot. See if you can hit that flower dead in the center next.

[ There's one large bloom that's the target Claude has in mind, both because it's easy to see from their distance and rather than mere target practice alone it'll provide something specific to aim for. While Altaïr does what he needs to, he twirls an arrow using a couple fingers in an old habit. ]

I know you've said you favor other methods, but it's pretty clear you know what you're doing.

[~~The missing finger is absolutely a casualty of war and not at all a willing amputation done for ritual and practical purposes.~~]

I'm not too humble to say I'm competent with a bow. But I know men who can shoot far more impressively every time.

[Which would have bothered him more had his other skills not outpaced theirs. He'd told himself at the time that a real Assassin would not need to rely on a bow — an early sign of arrogance.

He readies the second arrow, aims, and does hit the bloom, but only at the edge.]

See? You may yet do better.

[ Claude just hums in response to that first part considering it's true enough. An honest statement, he thinks, and one that could be voiced by archers everywhere. Or not just archers at that since Altaïr's other skills are curious on their own and individually, and more so when put together. ]

I may, or fate might decide that the arrow I draw ends up being as curved as the one in need of repair. Or maybe even if it's curved it'll be on my side this time around.

[ Laidback enough; Claude's not in any rush to prove his skills and not only from unvoiced confidence alone. He's content to continue studying Altaïr as long as the other man sees fit to continue with his turn, and in the meantime? Some gears have been turning in the back of his mind. ]

Mapmaking must be a much more treacherous occupation than what I'm used to in Fodlan. I can't imagine having to be armed so well since I think not even our traveling merchants are, unless you count their hiring of mercenaries.

[ There's a question in there, maybe. ]

[He picks up on the question immediately, quiet as it is. He's perceptive, and getting to know Claude more — better than most of the other Summoned, if he thinks about it. It's possible that it would make no difference at all if he were to offer even a shortened version of his true background, given the man's amiability and his lack of context for Altaïr's world.

But he's not accustomed to revealing much of himself or taking chances.]

I mentioned that my homeland is plagued by war, I think? And has been for quite some time, unfortunately.

[This part he absolutely means. The Crusaders, Saladin's armies, all of them have contributed to the violence. He has hope for the future, but men aren't easily swayed from the paths they set for themselves.

Even the most peaceful would be foolish not to learn how to protect themselves. And their people. When one's home rests in the mountains, arrows make an excellence defense.

Yes, you did mention that.

[ Just a confirmation and one said in an ever so slightly distracted way, as if there's other thoughts crowding in behind that short response. Which - there are, but Claude's letting that show through intentionally now. It's not exactly a way of saying he doesn't believe Altaïr, especially given he has absolutely no way of ever proving whether that statement is true or false or somewhere in between. Just a way of slipping in another question beneath it. ]

Something likely to be true in Fodlan as well these days. The war might be over, but there's still going to be unrest for some time. All the more reason I think those mercenaries might have a reliable source of coin, and possibly a reason I should worry about my former professor going back to it himself.

[ Claude's kidding about Teach abandoning his responsibilities for another set with a sword the man in question once upheld, but if Altaïr might wonder if it's another careful test for a response? He wouldn't be wrong. ]

[He hears this question as well. He won't acknowledge it or answer it. Not directly.]

I can't imagine any aftermath of war lacking unrest. [And he'd be deeply suspicious of such a scenario.] I expect your people will need to be vigilant for quite some time.

[To give himself something to do, he nocks another arrow and takes another shot. This one is closer to a bullseye, if they had one.]

Mercenaries aren't the greatest danger in the world. They tend to be predictable. If they're employed by those in pursuit of a cause, that's a greater danger.

I'd expect the same. The changes that happened were... abrupt, and they'll continue to be. That's the sort of thing which makes everyone restless.

[ Even those in on the plan, or close enough to being so. But it helps that he trusts everyone set up left to be in charge before his intended departure to elsewhere before the Free Cities changed his destination to somewhere else entirely.

Not something he wants to share immediately, and not in favor of letting out an appreciative whistle at Altaïr's clean shot before a slight shift in topic. A very slight one since it's all interwoven. ]

Another true statement for where I'm from as mercenaries aren't invested in the job beyond the coin aside from very specific cases. But those who have an axe to grind either literally or metaphorically? A rather dangerous combination. The main church of Fodlan tends to use their knights in the same way as they were often sent to punish those who stood against the former archbishop. Something I'd rather also never see repeated again.

[He's fairly pleased with the shot. He may have shed his arrogance, but a man can still take pride in his skills.]

Sometimes it's hard to believe we come from different worlds. The Templars that plague my homeland and the knights from yours would agree on a great deal, I think.

[Which is why he's glad they will never have the opportunity to meet. Unless some of them are summoned here, he supposes.]

[ There are a number of similarities. An almost alarming number of ones, and nothing Claude could have predicted. Almyra was not the same as Fodlan when it came to that level of religion seeping into everything. And sure, his disbelief and scoffing at the Almyran gods was looked down upon and earned him a certain level of disdain, but he'd never had to worry about being executed for it.

Rhea, however, did not have that same tolerance. Something which made slightly more sense in the end in the face of everything with more history revealed, but she and the Church still have his scorn for their actions. Fodlan might be changing, but that part never will. ]

The Templars you mentioned. Are they also the extension of a church or their own organization meant to bend others to what they feel is right and nothing else?

[That's a question that gives Altaïr pause, and not because he doesn't want to answer it. Are the Templars more one than the other? Were they ever? The presence of the woman he'd fought, Robert's steward and decoy, suggests that they have their own ideas about what's acceptable even in day to day affairs, but she'd worn the cross like the rest of them.]

They're both, I think. They do their duties and fight for what they claim their God wants. But that's not all they are. Control is what matters, more than who they call master.

[ Claude considers that for a long moment in which he says nothing, stays silent, and lets Altaïr do what he wishes with the bow while he considers. It takes a bit of time to come to an answer as he loops the different bits of information he's gleaned through his mind in comparison to Fodlan. ]

Control is exactly what the Church of Seiros wanted and what they had for centuries. They were involved in so much around Fodlan from start to finish, and used the knights as a holy order supposedly to mediate situations but what it ended up being was a way to enforce their beliefs and those alone under the guise of guidance. If there were challenges to the mass amount of authority they had before the Empire started the war to overthrow them, they were stamped out quickly before they truly started.

[ And, rather dryly, ] we do have much in common after all.

[Mostly he fiddles with it, testing the tension of the string and such. Nothing's changed since his last shot, but speaking of the Templars takes away some of the enjoyment of testing himself.]

So it seems. I'm glad the Church you know and the Templars never had the opportunity to meet. It seems likely they'd only encourage the worst tendencies of one another.

[Or go to war again for control of the Apple of Eden — but it's best not to think about that.]

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godshattering - 2023-01-08 03:52 (UTC) - Expand