abraxaslogs | inside my quiet heart

[ Even if they didn't have the full morning off from rescuing jellyfish, it's not hard to steer Hilda's attention in a different direction. She looks up from the sparkly pendant in her hand up at Sylvain knowing that drawn out tone all too well already. ]

Is it a life threatening emergency or something that can wait until after I'm done shopping? Because you look like you're in perfect health.

Oh, I am. [ His exuberance doesn't dim in the least. ] In fact, you're just the person I need, because it happens to be a shopping emergency.

Shopping?

[ Her eyes light up, clearly far more interested than she had been seconds before. Immediately she begins to pepper him with questions. She needs details. ]

What are you looking for specifically? Is it for you? For someone else?

Claude needs a dress. He's got a date tonight.

[ He's not giving her details yet. Just enough to possibly break her brain a little first. ]

[ It's not the fact that Claude needs a dress that makes her miss a beat - it has to do with the other thing that Sylvain says. Her eyebrow arches as she puts the trinket that she's been looking at down.

It's hard for her not to continue on with the line of questioning. ]

He has a date? With who?

[ He just smirks and gives a nonchalant shrug. ]

Me.

[ Another flicker of surprise blows her eyes wide but to her credit she doesn't hesitate and instead gives him a good ol' punch right into the arm. There's no outrage there - if anything there's the sound of laughter in her voice. ]

You!? If you want me to help you, you better tell me how all of this happened!

[ Although she has a distinct feeling that at least one part of this has to do with a dare. ]

Ow! [ He laughingly rubs his arm where she'd punched him, giving her a dismayed pout. ] You didn't need to beat me up over it!

[ But the sulk quickly melts away into a mischievous grin. ] And he may have lost a bet.

I do when you only tell me bits and pieces of very important information, Sylvain!

[ A knowing sound comes immediately after the truth is revealed. She wants to ask more - in fact the question is on the tip of her tongue but she stills it for the time being. Dress shopping could easily take several hours so there's plenty of time to grill him.

It's scary how quickly she can become laser focused when she wants to be. She loops her arms through Sylvain's and marches him away from the stalls towards the glossy high street she's traversed several times over since their arrival. ]

Alright then. What sort of dress are we thinking? Something in Abraxas' style? Something stylish or something ridiculous?

I was getting there! Man, you're more impatient than he is. That's impressive.

[ But he just grins as she loops her arm with his and drags him off towards another section of town. he follows, assuming she knows where she's going. ]

That's what I was hoping you could help me with. Probably something stylish, I guess? Let's not make him hate me even more, we can lessen the level of humiliation here, right?

[ Is it clear he hadn't thought this far yet? ]

[ Hilda rolls her eyes at the comment, purposefully choosing not to comment or retort back. She's used to getting what she wanted when she wants it; it's hard to break that habit even now when she's had to work a little harder than she's ever had to in her life.

Luckily for him she likes a blank slate. ]

I mean that really depends on Claude and how comfortable he is wearing a dress. Are we thinking any particular colour palette? He does look really good in blacks and yellows.

Oh, no. That was the bet he lost.

[ Sylvain grins, stretching his hands behind his head as he gives a cheerful little whistle. ]

He told me there was no way I'd find a piece of clothing in Faerghus Blue here. That somehow ended up becoming a dare that if I did, he'd even wear a dress in it. So of course, I had to find exactly that. Who would pass up a wager like that?

[ She'd sigh about Claude losing yet another bet were it not for the fact that the thing he has to do is incredibly funny to her. ]

I've been all over the shops and there's nothing that looks remotely like Faerghus blue unless -

[ She trails off perhaps realizing what this probably means. Dare she say that a small part of her is even impressed that Sylvain had come up with something like that? She didn't want his ego to get too big, but the smile that begins to curl on her face is equivalent to that of a proud mother. ]

You found a way to dye a dress that colour.

[ His smile is so so smug. ]

There's dyemakers in this city. Not that surprising, since they have a lot of fashion here, it seems. But I found one that imbues magic in it so the dye will take on any hue the user wants it to be. And I might have gotten my hands on a vial of it.

Any colour?

[ It's as if for a moment like Hilda's forgotten why she's helping Sylvain at all as her eyes go wide - hell, they'd sparkle if they could. A dye that could dye anything any colour that she wanted? They may have been pulled into a completely different world but even she had to admit that the technology and magical capabilities here were leaps and bounds ahead of anything they had at home.

And then a thought formulates in her mind as she stops and turns to him, all fluttery eyelashes and doe eyes. ]

Any chance you could get me a vial or two for helping you out? You know I'll find you the best dress to put Claude in.

[ Sylvain makes a face. ] I think I can scrounge up enough for another bottle. Although I might have used a chunk of my week's tips on this one. But after this coming weekend, I definitely could. I can owe you for a few days?

[ He takes paying his debts very seriously. ]

Mr. Gautier, you have yourself a deal.

[ Hilda's smile is nothing short of brilliant as she enthusiastically loops her arm through his again all but dragging him back towards the shops. ]

We can get you something to wear too while we're at it. [ She leads him into one of the first shops, already looking very much at home. She's flipping through some of the racks, not even bothering with some of them and handing other prospective ones to Sylvain without even passing a glance towards him. ] So is there a reason you tied this directly to a date?

[ He busies himself juggling the growing handful of clothing she's attempting to bury him under, if only to buy himself a moment to figure out how to answer that. ]

If I'm going to humiliate the guy, I might as well add something enjoyable to sweeten the deal.

[ What's more enjoyable than an evening with him? The words are flippant and playful, which makes it hard to guess if he's actually serious about that or not. ]

I expected nothing less.

[ To anyone that might overhear them, she sounds like she completely buys his explanation. Not that she thinks Sylvain is lying. But Hilda would be surprised if certain details were being withheld. ]

But you know, there's other ways to humiliate people that doesn't involve a date. In fact, you don't have to humiliate them at all! [ She bats her eyelashes as she holds onto the dress that she holds out towards him. ] Are you sure you don't have a little crush on our dear ol' Claude?

[ He stares at her, utterly scandalized. Or at least, playing that up for all its worth. ]

Don’t be ridiculous.

[ Whether or not it's a real reaction, Hilda's pleasure in making Sylvain expend the effort to react like that is all genuine. She hums, tossing the dress onto his pile with glee because that isn't a no before sweeping off to another rack. Some of these don't look like they're just for Claude, but it's fine. ]

Sylvain, it's just an innocent, loving question! I feel like if we're all sharing a space we should at least be honest with one another.

[ He just follows her, rolling his eyes. ]

You never ask innocent questions, try again. And who said I wasn't being honest? He's very fun to tease. And it always feels like an accomplishment when I manage to render him speechless.

[ Which it should, it's a lot harder than it looks. ]

[ Now it's Hilda's turn to look both scandalized topped off with a hint of a glare. ]

Are you really saying that to someone who's doing you a favour, Sylvain? And for the record, that wasn't an innocent question but that's only because you asked a rude one.

You aren't wrong though. It's not often Claude is speechless.

[ And that's when she spots the dress that will probably be the winner. The bottom half of the voluminous skirt is a deep burgundy red, but with Sylvain's magic dye that wouldn't be a problem. Letting out a delighted breath, she drags Sylvain over by the elbow to the dress in question. ]

I think this one could be it. I'll see if I can get an attendant to help us with getting this one off the mannequin but just to be sure - [ Something else gleams in her eyes as she turns her gaze to Sylvain. ] you'll have to model the other ones.

[ Not that he and Claude are the same heights of builds, but she wants to see how far she can possibly push this. ]

[ He just arches an eyebrow at her, because really Hilda, who do you think you're shopping with here? Although she probably could have convinced Felix or Dimitri to try that just because she asked. Well. At one time, anyway. ]

I think that one will work just fine, even without me modelling the ones that have just been rendered unnecessary. [ But he playfully bends down and drops a chaste kiss on her cheek, grinning as he does so. ] Sorry for asking a very rude - if completely true - question when you're being so generous and helping me. And thank you for being a fashion genius. I couldn't have done this without you.

[ Ah well, it was worth a try. It's hard to even act grumpy when Sylvain provides her with a kiss on her cheek for the trouble.

As tempting as the urge is to return it, she rolls her eyes along with a dramatic sigh. ]

Just remember that I'd like a bottle of that dye too for all the trouble you put me through. [ She grins, the grumpiness dispelling in a heartbeat as she slowly heads towards the dressing rooms. ] But while we're here, I'm going to try on some of the dresses and then we can find something for you after. I can't have Claude outdoing you in the wardrobe department.

[ They both are her boys after all. ]

inside my quiet heart

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fin!