Of course I do things for fun. Just nothing like this.
[Or like much of anything, if he were to be truly honest. Felix's hobbies, if they're even dared to be referred to as such, revolve primarily around training and self-improvement. He doesn't consider anything strictly for fun, believing if he's going to do something to past the time, it might as well go toward his goal of becoming a better swordsman.
He glances toward Claude out the corner of his eye, almost suspicious of the other young man although he has no outward reason to be. Felix may be an awful conversationalist himself but he at least can recognize why someone would want to make idle chatter during a time like this.]
If I do go on a hike, then it's because I want to go somewhere in particular or just improve myself. Unwinding comes later, when I sleep.
[He turns his head fully now, to better look at him. One could even squint and catch the tiniest glimpse of a grin there on his lips.]
Let me guess -- is wandering aimlessly and talking non-stop one of your hobbies?
[ Eh, Felix doesn't really need an outward reason to be suspicious of Claude. Most people are without having one. Or, without having a good one.
But Claude holds onto the question: what do you do for fun? He suspects the answer, or that Felix might struggle to land upon one that doesn't in some way center on the sword. Holding proves both amusing and dangerous, because when Felix says that he unwinds when he sleeps, it takes much of Claude's considerable self-control to keep from laughing.
And he's glad he fights it, unsure of whether that barest suggestion of humor in Felix's expression, his line of his mouth less rigid and straight, would have survived it.
Safe enough to laugh at himself, right? He does. ]
Good guess! I'm not sure that counts as a hobby, but close enough. As it happens, I wander more than I talk. You're just lucky.
[ Or unlucky. Or, because Claude generally meanders about on his own, all his non-stop talking is restricted to his skull.]
So this hike... did you invite me to improve your patience, or did you want to go somewhere in particular?
[And despite his better judgment, Felix's grin slides into something wider, more obvious, yet still teasing. A smirk, if you will.]
Hm, so it's not a hobby. Just second nature for you. I see.
[As if in response to their current topic of discussion, the landscape seemingly shifts. Flat, grassy paths are now rockier and becoming steep. Less trees and bushes surround them. They're not climbing just yet but it's undoubtedly a less straightforward path for them now.]
We're on this walk because I mentioned not wanting to ride. Which, in turn, was brought up because you had asked my opinions on riding. Remember?
[And that was only mentioned because Felix was being dodgy about his poor life choices and Claude was being his usual curious self.]
[ Wait. Waiiit a minute. That expression. That quip.
Felix is teasing him.
With him, it might be a fine line between his customary brusque disregard, and this sort of mockery, but it's a nuance Claude can appreciate. He isn't a bit sensitive, able to comfortably take aim at himself, and besides... a smirk like that looks good on Felix.
So Claude grins back, shrugs. ]
You got me. Hey, that means you can't blame me, right?
[ With the terrain breaking into rock, there's more care to take in where they step. But after months here, he's able to do so without paying much attention. At least at this juncture, before the incline really sets in. ]
I do.
[ Remember, and he's still amused. And he hasn't forgotten about the taste of Felix's mouth. (Uh. There might be better ways to put that.) ]
Instead of rejecting me outright, you challenged me to a hike. I was very flattered. But, didn't you say, "the sooner we get to where we're going"?
[Felix shrugs, not too keen on the details at the moment to remember if he did, or didn't, challenge Claude. He likely did, hence why he doesn't argue and accepts the other's word.]
Is that your way of telling me to hurry it up, Claude? Or that my hiking pace is too slow for your liking?
[And, yes, Felix is still smirking and teasing him.]
[ Claude might have taken this opportunity to remind Felix that he had been the one in favor of taking their time. Remember~?
But, given that lasting smirk, he suspects Felix remembers well. ]
That's right. I thought you were supposed to be quick?
[ Playing along. And maybe he shouldn't, before he plays himself right into a race while overburdened with those excessive supplies.
But what, is he not supposed to tease him back?
Another thing he maybe shouldn't do: accelerate his pace enough to get head, then spin around, walking backwards while facing Felix. Even with the rocky ground, even with the gradual start of an incline, he keeps sure-footed. For now. As if this little display is effortless, he swings his arms back up behind his head, the spread of his grin broad. ]
I get it, though. You just enjoy my company that much.
[Not even rolling his eyes at Claude or sighing out his supposed exasperation diminishes Felix's smirk. If anything, it widens -- he reckons he would have chuckled too, if he didn't gnaw at the inside of his cheek and turned his head to glance away, ostensibly to regard the paths and hills around them. And not, you know, to conceal the fact that he'd been thisclose to chuckling in the presence of someone he didn't know.]
Yeah, that's it. I enjoy being around you so much, I'm willing to risk being in shitty weather just to spend more time with you.
[Another eyeroll-that's-not-really-an-eyeroll.
He looks back over to Claude, his gaze sinking down to the other young man's feet and noting the unreliable terrain he's being so cavalier with.]
You might want to be more careful, yeah? I don't want to have to carry you anywhere if you fall and hurt yourself.
[ True enough: Claude talks a big game. In fact, he talks multiple big games, one of which pertains to his general greatness. Oh so talented, oh so charming, truly delightful rogue, and so on, and so forth. Putting aside the question of whether, and to what extent if so, he actually believes any of it -- he doesn't really think anyone else buys in.
Especially not someone like Felix, unfamiliar but known enough that Claude expects the truth in the most curt, unfriendly way possible. The last person who would choose to go on a hike with Claude von Riegan because he enjoys his company, right?
Thing is. Claude's also not blind. Over-attentive despite his pretense at otherwise, he can see well enough that Felix is still amused, such that his glance away is simply too timely to be believed as anything but the suppression it is.
After all -- one way or another, he is risking the weather to walk with Claude. Which Claude would observe, pressing the point past politeness, but for a tiny problem: it's mutual, isn't it? He would've gone out here regardless, but he had sought Felix's company. ]
Yeah, I'm enjoying myself, too.
[ Pressing further risks his own exposure, now shrouded in the flippancy of his remark, but really, he shouldn't punctuate that with a wink.
He does it anyway.
Now dropping his arms to press one hand over his heart. ]
Why, Felix -- you don't want to, but reading between the lines, you would. My hero.
[Ironic, isn't it? In an effort to simply warn the other young man of potential danger, Felix damn near trips over himself -- both literally and verbally -- and recovers by the skin of his teeth on both fronts. He keeps marching forth and looks on ahead, his face about as red as a certain Gautier's hair, lips drawn into a tight line.
And while he's very much aware Claude was just teasing him -- and was well within his rights to, considering Felix's behavior -- he can't shake it off or riposte with something of his own.
A hero? Him?
Ugh.]
...whatever. Just come on.
Edited (the link didn't work! ahh!!) 2020-01-01 04:48 (UTC)
[ If Claude believed in jinxes, or any supernatural force compelling a result due to happenstance or deliberate phrase or action, he'd jest that Felix had jinxed himself. He doesn't (which doesn't forestall jest), so irony suits, and regardless, he wouldn't have in the moment.
In the moment, surprise flickers over his features, and his stance shifts enough that if Felix is unable to recover, he'd be able to quickly stop his fall.
But Felix keeps from falling without assistance, which Claude had expected (or he'd have really moved to help).
Giving Claude the liberty to resume his grin. In a gesture of good will, he pivots to jog forward and resume walking beside Felix, rather than in front and facing, so as to have less of that red face to admire. ]
Nicely done. It's much less of a given that I'd carry you.
[ but breezing right along ]
Sooo, where are we going? Unless you'd rather talk about your mouth.
[And Felix, on the other hand, is quite convinced some supernatural force is to blame for the irony that just transpired. It was too coincidental, too perfect for it to not have been the result of some cackling god looking to get a scheme in at Felix's expense.
He grumbles under his breath and keeps marching forth without considering Claude's pace alongside his. Figures if it's a so-called "given" that Claude would carry him, then he could easily keep up without trouble.
He waves a hand dismissively.]
A cave.
[How exciting.]
Found one out this way while on a scouting mission with the others.
[While he had ventured on ahead without them, to be more precise. Not that he'd care if Claude knew of those particulars or not. They were on a hike, not going through a detailed account of recent activities.]
[ Fair enough -- less of a given is still something of a given. And yeah, don't tell, but he isn't the kind of guy to leave someone in that position.
At least not under these circumstances.
Embarrassment seems to have quickened Felix's pace. (He'd be further generous and attribute it to aggravation, but that's kind of his baseline, isn't it?) Claude can keep up, though he's beginning to feel the weight of those excessive supplies. Weight that's still easy to ignore, with Felix so entertaining at his side.
Just why it is he gets such a kick out of Felix's grumpiness, may merit consideration he won't give it. Maybe because of what it does and doesn't say. Maybe because he "puts up" with Claude, anyway.
Meanwhile, the answer: a cave. Hey, it could prove exciting. Claude nods. ]
Got it. Yeah, a cave would make a good landmark.
[ A good turning point, since Felix wasn't bound to stick around. Sooner they get there, sooner they can leave, right? As for Claude... ]
[Few would argue against aggravation being Felix's baseline -- except, perhaps ironically, Felix himself. He'd insist he's impatient, at the most. Hence why he feels it's necessary to pick up the pace yet again, barely offering Claude a sideglance.]
No.
[Shrugging and walking at the same time puts less emphasis on the shrugging part, but Felix's flippant response conveys his feelings on the matter just fine, he thinks. It's a damn cave and they're on a day-hike. Why is Claude so curious about how far back it goes?
Felix, more or less, already knows the answer.]
Don't get worked up about it -- it's just a cave I stumbled across. I haven't gone too far in, and I don't intend to, but I figure it's worth having a look inside for a bit. If only to get shelter for a bit and see the spring...
[ If Felix picks up the pace any faster, they'll be proceeding at a light jog. Claude can still keep up, still match it, but it's almost enough to make him wonder whether he'd overestimated just how much Felix (secretly) enjoys his company. Notwithstanding his general approach to hiking and, at least as he described it, most activities.
Almost. If in large part because Claude left the part of himself that concerned himself with that question, whether someone likes him beyond the utility of a favorable opinion, far east and far in the past.
He does get the feeling that any suggestion Felix slow down, take a deep breath, and enjoy the scenery would get at best scoffing dismissal, so just this once, he keeps it to himself.
After all, there's a cave to get worked up about. ]
Too late, you've sold me. I'll just have to compensate for your cold disinterest by dedicating myself to its study.
[Claude's right in that any suggestions -- about anything, really -- would be swiped aside in his usual grumbly fashion. But now that they've made it over a short hill, and there's an impressive expanse of foothills, not very far from where they currently are. A cluster of young trees and trails lay on both sides and Felix, more or less, steers them both towards the thicker patch. No more jogging, though, so there's that.]
It's just a cave, Claude...
[And though he's more preoccupied with their semi-climbing and keeping balance, Felix realizes it's perhaps the first time he's ever said the other's name out loud and in his presence. It sounds weird in his own ears and tastes different on his tongue. Not necessarily bad -- just jarring enough to make him pause as he's stepping up onto a shelf of gravel and rock.]
...nothing there worth more than ten minutes' time, at best.
[ Huh. That sure is his name. It might be that it feels like the first time, that there is something of a first in it.
There's excuse enough for Claude's distraction, at least: unlike Felix, he does like to stop and enjoy the view. The span of foothills is outright picturesque, and though the air is thinner at this altitude, the smattering of green from the hills and trees lends an earthy freshness to the air.
So while Felix pauses, Claude takes that moment to appreciate what surrounds them, and for once in his life not overthink something. That something of a first.
Then glancing to their feet, confirming the soundest step amidst the slanting gravel.
A breezy observation: ]
If you haven't gone too far in... how do you know, Felix?
[ Not his first time speaking his name, of course. Nothing to it, right? ]
It could open onto winding passages into the mountains or have the remains of a hapless traveler from the past. Until we check it out, our little cave of mystery could have anything.
[ Our, though by all rights, it should have just been your. ]
Figured if it was too far or too dark in for me to see, then it wasn't meant for my eyes.
[Our earns Claude a narrow look, though Felix (wisely?) refrains from commenting on that particular word choice. If Claude wants to think of it as something of theirs, no matter how preposterous Felix wants to say it is, then who is he to stop him? Harmless naming shouldn't take up this much awareness.
(Even if he's thinking about it a lot more than he perhaps should.)]
But you'll see and then you'll be disappointed. Soon enough.
[What awaits them on the other side of this easternmost hill is a scree slope, down which leads into a thicket and a cluster of trees and, eventually, the cave in question. Not easy to see from where they currently are but Felix's memory hasn't failed him yet.
At the very least, they're no longer moving upwards so this portion of the trip shouldn't put too much strain on their bodies. And good -- Felix is getting a little tired and hangry.]
Then it wasn't meant for your eyes? I didn't take you for the type.
[ Go ahead, ask what type.
If he doesn't: it skirts the edge of the devout, doesn't it? Accepting limitation imposed by nature (or, to the typical Fodlan noble, the goddess). Believing that man's inability to act unassisted means he should not do. As though a sword was not itself a tool, as though they could not fly on the backs of wyverns.
Really, though, he's teasing. More likely, it's simply that Felix hasn't got a surplus of curiosity about the backs of mundane caves, and that isn't a bit surprising. ]
Well, thanks for considering my feelings and warning me.
[ Against disappointment. Humor rich in his voice, rippling at the notion that Felix would mind his feelings. ]
Until then, I've got curiosity enough for six cats.
[ Also not a bit surprising: Claude doesn't believe there's anything that wasn't meant for his eyes.
Despite the agility of his tongue, he isn't impervious. Given how much he'd weighed himself down with, he's feeling it, his steps more cautious down the loose slope. He might be long talented at not showing what he doesn't want to show, but he can't control his sweat glands, and even in the growing chill his forehead beads with it. Soon enough is more welcome than he'll admit. ]
[And even though Felix just means a lack of curiosity, he wisely (??) avoids inquiring further, if only to avoid having Claude turn this into a discussion equivalent to an opened can of worms. The guy is too clever and mischievous for his own good. Golden Deer? More like Golden Fox...
The trip down the slope should be easier compared to the rest of their hike, considering it's mostly gravity propelling them down. Once or twice Felix had to skid on the gravel to keep from breaking into a sprint but he's otherwise in good shape. At least enough to feel smug about it when he glances over to Claude and notes the state he's in.
[ Agreed with easy cheer. With that, Claude lets the subject drop, and his willingness to press less might have as much to do with his state, so to speak, as Felix's determined indifference.
If only said indifference extended to said state. The slope should be easier, and mostly it is. But gravity works as much against as with him, a relentless pull against the additional weight. He'd have fair skipped down less burdened, but now must pick his steps, and lags behind Felix toward the end.
But such a smirk and barb can hardly go unanswered. Claude grins back, tossing up a parchment-thin mask of surprised denial. ]
Tired? Me? Why--
[ Making no attempt to hide, as they reach the bottom, the hand wiping across his brow-- ]
Yeah, I'm feeling it.
[ Blunt admission and no shame in it. Hey, he's not a horse. ]
But it's a good tired, you know?
[ Nothing like working up a sweat in the great outdoors, like the invigorating effect of brisk movement through fresh air. ]
[Despite his earlier teasing, Felix nods in acknowledgement. He respects Claude's honesty more than the bit of satisfaction he got from observing his struggle with hiking.]
We're just about there, anyway.
[And he's not kidding. There, several dozen feet down and tucked at the bottom of aslope and surrounded by few patches of shrubbery is the crooked mouth to a cave. And if not for the small pool of crystalline water at its opening, it could easily avoid the untrained eye.
Like the finish line to a race, seeing the cave puts a spring into Felix's step and though he doesn't break out into a jog or anything, he's moving considerably faster. Claude'll catch up, he tells himself. It's fine.
He glances over a shoulder, the ghost of a grin lingering there for too long for it to be considered anything but, then fixes his gaze ahead.]
C'mon. Don't get left behind.
Edited (wanted to add more!) 2020-02-03 06:25 (UTC)
[ At that indication of proximity, Claude perks up, encroaching weariness forgotten. While he hasn't got an eye particularly trained for caves, or this cave, his eyes are good and there is that pool. ]
Ah, our disappointing just-a-cave. I can't wait.
[ Neither, it seems, can Felix, who just about takes off. If Claude didn't know better, he might misread that phantom expression for mischief or, dare he be so absurd, fun. And he might just choose not to know better. An expression like mischief and words as much invitation as challenge, together more than the sum of their parts. Together, it approximates a sense of camaraderie.
Just a sense, fleeting and foolish. Felix isn't the type, his childhood attachments singular exceptions, and Claude hasn't the experience to recognize the feeling.
But he smiles at Felix's back, eyes strange in it, before he shrugs more from habit than to communicate and follows.
Much as he'd have liked to take a moment to bask in the view, that picturesque opening and its glittering base, there's logic to Felix's rush. Rest too long here, so near to their destination, and they would lose momentum. Better to have a proper rest there.
Still, that speed's a real pain when Claude's overpacked to the extent he has. He is catching up, but at risk of being winded when they arrive. Not his best look, to be sure. It's beginning to creep into his voice, conversational though his tone. ]
You know, at this juncture, you can't really leave me behind.
[The cave's right there, true, and leaving his travel partner by himself would be the ultimate dick move -- one that even Felix would avoid -- but that doesn't mean he's above giving Claude a thin smirk that just borders on mischievous, suggesting that he might. One could argue it's challenging, maybe?]
Try me.
[It's too late for that, though, because they're down at the bottom of the hill, just at the mouth of the cave. There's a dirt and gravel path leading into the cave along the edge of the pond, which would help them avoid having to swim their way in. And it's just as Felix remembers, mossy and with a damp smell. Not the best setting but anything's better than getting stuck outdoors in the middle of a rainstorm.
There's some light pouring in sunlight in through the mouth and from cracks in the rock formations surrounding it, but not a lot. Certainly not enough for them to go exploring too far into the cave. Well, not enough for Felix. Claude, who can really say for sure.]
See? It's just a cave. Nothing worth getting so excited for.
[ Geeze, if Felix keeps looking at him with that genre of expression, Claude might get the wrong idea and resume with that wild notion that Felix likes (let's not get ahead of ourselves -- doesn't hate) being around him. Even if said expression is accompanied by a pointed threat to ditch him.
Claude laughs, brisk and breezy. ]
Maybe next time.
[ Because they have arrived, and his attention shifts to the water, the path that skirts it, the sheltered scent and fading light. Claude looks with interest, his gaze sweeping and thorough, stepping just to the last sliver of light before he begins to remove the bulk of that weight, setting down the bag with relief.
Unburdened, he begins to stretch, rolling back his head on his neck, arching his back, and reaching above his head before crossing his arms behind it. ]
Felix, [ with a sigh ] you lack a sense of adventure. And so Claude, intrepid amateur spelunker, must go alone. Be right back. Maybe?
[ Well, that's one way to try him. Claude winks, then walks into the shadows. At the very least, he'd like to get a sense of how far back the cave goes. ]
[The drawstring bag Felix brought with him is dropped to the ground next to Claude's things and though it's considerably less bulky, he still mirrors Claude, welcomes the relief of not having to haul it around for much longer now that they're finally here.
He leans his neck to one side until he's rewarded with a crack, then pushing at his own chin, he practically twists to the other direction where the crack's significantly louder. Ingrid once described this habit as disconcerting; Sylvain called it gross.]
Don't be stupid. You're not going in there by yourself.
[Not realizing he's being had, Felix starts for the inkier portions of the cave's interior, cracking his neck and knuckles and back all the while.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[Or like much of anything, if he were to be truly honest. Felix's hobbies, if they're even dared to be referred to as such, revolve primarily around training and self-improvement. He doesn't consider anything strictly for fun, believing if he's going to do something to past the time, it might as well go toward his goal of becoming a better swordsman.
He glances toward Claude out the corner of his eye, almost suspicious of the other young man although he has no outward reason to be. Felix may be an awful conversationalist himself but he at least can recognize why someone would want to make idle chatter during a time like this.]
If I do go on a hike, then it's because I want to go somewhere in particular or just improve myself. Unwinding comes later, when I sleep.
[He turns his head fully now, to better look at him. One could even squint and catch the tiniest glimpse of a grin there on his lips.]
Let me guess -- is wandering aimlessly and talking non-stop one of your hobbies?
no subject
But Claude holds onto the question: what do you do for fun? He suspects the answer, or that Felix might struggle to land upon one that doesn't in some way center on the sword. Holding proves both amusing and dangerous, because when Felix says that he unwinds when he sleeps, it takes much of Claude's considerable self-control to keep from laughing.
And he's glad he fights it, unsure of whether that barest suggestion of humor in Felix's expression, his line of his mouth less rigid and straight, would have survived it.
Safe enough to laugh at himself, right? He does. ]
Good guess! I'm not sure that counts as a hobby, but close enough. As it happens, I wander more than I talk. You're just lucky.
[ Or unlucky. Or, because Claude generally meanders about on his own, all his non-stop talking is restricted to his skull.]
So this hike... did you invite me to improve your patience, or did you want to go somewhere in particular?
no subject
Hm, so it's not a hobby. Just second nature for you. I see.
[As if in response to their current topic of discussion, the landscape seemingly shifts. Flat, grassy paths are now rockier and becoming steep. Less trees and bushes surround them. They're not climbing just yet but it's undoubtedly a less straightforward path for them now.]
We're on this walk because I mentioned not wanting to ride. Which, in turn, was brought up because you had asked my opinions on riding. Remember?
[And that was only mentioned because Felix was being dodgy about his poor life choices and Claude was being his usual curious self.]
no subject
Felix is teasing him.
With him, it might be a fine line between his customary brusque disregard, and this sort of mockery, but it's a nuance Claude can appreciate. He isn't a bit sensitive, able to comfortably take aim at himself, and besides... a smirk like that looks good on Felix.
So Claude grins back, shrugs. ]
You got me. Hey, that means you can't blame me, right?
[ With the terrain breaking into rock, there's more care to take in where they step. But after months here, he's able to do so without paying much attention. At least at this juncture, before the incline really sets in. ]
I do.
[ Remember, and he's still amused. And he hasn't forgotten about the taste of Felix's mouth. (Uh. There might be better ways to put that.) ]
Instead of rejecting me outright, you challenged me to a hike. I was very flattered. But, didn't you say, "the sooner we get to where we're going"?
no subject
I may have said that, yes...
[Felix shrugs, not too keen on the details at the moment to remember if he did, or didn't, challenge Claude. He likely did, hence why he doesn't argue and accepts the other's word.]
Is that your way of telling me to hurry it up, Claude? Or that my hiking pace is too slow for your liking?
[And, yes, Felix is still smirking and teasing him.]
no subject
But, given that lasting smirk, he suspects Felix remembers well. ]
That's right. I thought you were supposed to be quick?
[ Playing along. And maybe he shouldn't, before he plays himself right into a race while overburdened with those excessive supplies.
But what, is he not supposed to tease him back?
Another thing he maybe shouldn't do: accelerate his pace enough to get head, then spin around, walking backwards while facing Felix. Even with the rocky ground, even with the gradual start of an incline, he keeps sure-footed. For now. As if this little display is effortless, he swings his arms back up behind his head, the spread of his grin broad. ]
I get it, though. You just enjoy my company that much.
[ So he is, so to speak, taking his time. ]
no subject
Yeah, that's it. I enjoy being around you so much, I'm willing to risk being in shitty weather just to spend more time with you.
[Another eyeroll-that's-not-really-an-eyeroll.
He looks back over to Claude, his gaze sinking down to the other young man's feet and noting the unreliable terrain he's being so cavalier with.]
You might want to be more careful, yeah? I don't want to have to carry you anywhere if you fall and hurt yourself.
no subject
Especially not someone like Felix, unfamiliar but known enough that Claude expects the truth in the most curt, unfriendly way possible. The last person who would choose to go on a hike with Claude von Riegan because he enjoys his company, right?
Thing is. Claude's also not blind. Over-attentive despite his pretense at otherwise, he can see well enough that Felix is still amused, such that his glance away is simply too timely to be believed as anything but the suppression it is.
After all -- one way or another, he is risking the weather to walk with Claude. Which Claude would observe, pressing the point past politeness, but for a tiny problem: it's mutual, isn't it? He would've gone out here regardless, but he had sought Felix's company. ]
Yeah, I'm enjoying myself, too.
[ Pressing further risks his own exposure, now shrouded in the flippancy of his remark, but really, he shouldn't punctuate that with a wink.
He does it anyway.
Now dropping his arms to press one hand over his heart. ]
Why, Felix -- you don't want to, but reading between the lines, you would. My hero.
no subject
[Ironic, isn't it? In an effort to simply warn the other young man of potential danger, Felix damn near trips over himself -- both literally and verbally -- and recovers by the skin of his teeth on both fronts. He keeps marching forth and looks on ahead, his face about as red as a certain Gautier's hair, lips drawn into a tight line.
And while he's very much aware Claude was just teasing him -- and was well within his rights to, considering Felix's behavior -- he can't shake it off or riposte with something of his own.
A hero? Him?
Ugh.]
...whatever. Just come on.
no subject
[ If Claude believed in jinxes, or any supernatural force compelling a result due to happenstance or deliberate phrase or action, he'd jest that Felix had jinxed himself. He doesn't (which doesn't forestall jest), so irony suits, and regardless, he wouldn't have in the moment.
In the moment, surprise flickers over his features, and his stance shifts enough that if Felix is unable to recover, he'd be able to quickly stop his fall.
But Felix keeps from falling without assistance, which Claude had expected (or he'd have really moved to help).
Giving Claude the liberty to resume his grin. In a gesture of good will, he pivots to jog forward and resume walking beside Felix, rather than in front and facing, so as to have less of that red face to admire. ]
Nicely done. It's much less of a given that I'd carry you.
[ but breezing right along ]
Sooo, where are we going? Unless you'd rather talk about your mouth.
[ See? He hadn't forgotten. ]
no subject
He grumbles under his breath and keeps marching forth without considering Claude's pace alongside his. Figures if it's a so-called "given" that Claude would carry him, then he could easily keep up without trouble.
He waves a hand dismissively.]
A cave.
[How exciting.]
Found one out this way while on a scouting mission with the others.
[While he had ventured on ahead without them, to be more precise. Not that he'd care if Claude knew of those particulars or not. They were on a hike, not going through a detailed account of recent activities.]
no subject
At least not under these circumstances.
Embarrassment seems to have quickened Felix's pace. (He'd be further generous and attribute it to aggravation, but that's kind of his baseline, isn't it?) Claude can keep up, though he's beginning to feel the weight of those excessive supplies. Weight that's still easy to ignore, with Felix so entertaining at his side.
Just why it is he gets such a kick out of Felix's grumpiness, may merit consideration he won't give it. Maybe because of what it does and doesn't say. Maybe because he "puts up" with Claude, anyway.
Meanwhile, the answer: a cave. Hey, it could prove exciting. Claude nods. ]
Got it. Yeah, a cave would make a good landmark.
[ A good turning point, since Felix wasn't bound to stick around. Sooner they get there, sooner they can leave, right? As for Claude... ]
Did you check out how far back it goes?
no subject
No.
[Shrugging and walking at the same time puts less emphasis on the shrugging part, but Felix's flippant response conveys his feelings on the matter just fine, he thinks. It's a damn cave and they're on a day-hike. Why is Claude so curious about how far back it goes?
Felix, more or less, already knows the answer.]
Don't get worked up about it -- it's just a cave I stumbled across. I haven't gone too far in, and I don't intend to, but I figure it's worth having a look inside for a bit. If only to get shelter for a bit and see the spring...
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Almost. If in large part because Claude left the part of himself that concerned himself with that question, whether someone likes him beyond the utility of a favorable opinion, far east and far in the past.
He does get the feeling that any suggestion Felix slow down, take a deep breath, and enjoy the scenery would get at best scoffing dismissal, so just this once, he keeps it to himself.
After all, there's a cave to get worked up about. ]
Too late, you've sold me. I'll just have to compensate for your cold disinterest by dedicating myself to its study.
So, you've gone in far enough to find a spring?
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It's just a cave, Claude...
[And though he's more preoccupied with their semi-climbing and keeping balance, Felix realizes it's perhaps the first time he's ever said the other's name out loud and in his presence. It sounds weird in his own ears and tastes different on his tongue. Not necessarily bad -- just jarring enough to make him pause as he's stepping up onto a shelf of gravel and rock.]
...nothing there worth more than ten minutes' time, at best.
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There's excuse enough for Claude's distraction, at least: unlike Felix, he does like to stop and enjoy the view. The span of foothills is outright picturesque, and though the air is thinner at this altitude, the smattering of green from the hills and trees lends an earthy freshness to the air.
So while Felix pauses, Claude takes that moment to appreciate what surrounds them, and for once in his life not overthink something. That something of a first.
Then glancing to their feet, confirming the soundest step amidst the slanting gravel.
A breezy observation: ]
If you haven't gone too far in... how do you know, Felix?
[ Not his first time speaking his name, of course. Nothing to it, right? ]
It could open onto winding passages into the mountains or have the remains of a hapless traveler from the past. Until we check it out, our little cave of mystery could have anything.
[ Our, though by all rights, it should have just been your. ]
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[Our earns Claude a narrow look, though Felix (wisely?) refrains from commenting on that particular word choice. If Claude wants to think of it as something of theirs, no matter how preposterous Felix wants to say it is, then who is he to stop him? Harmless naming shouldn't take up this much awareness.
(Even if he's thinking about it a lot more than he perhaps should.)]
But you'll see and then you'll be disappointed. Soon enough.
[What awaits them on the other side of this easternmost hill is a scree slope, down which leads into a thicket and a cluster of trees and, eventually, the cave in question. Not easy to see from where they currently are but Felix's memory hasn't failed him yet.
At the very least, they're no longer moving upwards so this portion of the trip shouldn't put too much strain on their bodies. And good -- Felix is getting a little tired and hangry.]
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Then it wasn't meant for your eyes? I didn't take you for the type.
[ Go ahead, ask what type.
If he doesn't: it skirts the edge of the devout, doesn't it? Accepting limitation imposed by nature (or, to the typical Fodlan noble, the goddess). Believing that man's inability to act unassisted means he should not do. As though a sword was not itself a tool, as though they could not fly on the backs of wyverns.
Really, though, he's teasing. More likely, it's simply that Felix hasn't got a surplus of curiosity about the backs of mundane caves, and that isn't a bit surprising. ]
Well, thanks for considering my feelings and warning me.
[ Against disappointment. Humor rich in his voice, rippling at the notion that Felix would mind his feelings. ]
Until then, I've got curiosity enough for six cats.
[ Also not a bit surprising: Claude doesn't believe there's anything that wasn't meant for his eyes.
Despite the agility of his tongue, he isn't impervious. Given how much he'd weighed himself down with, he's feeling it, his steps more cautious down the loose slope. He might be long talented at not showing what he doesn't want to show, but he can't control his sweat glands, and even in the growing chill his forehead beads with it. Soon enough is more welcome than he'll admit. ]
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...you know what I meant.
[And even though Felix just means a lack of curiosity, he wisely (??) avoids inquiring further, if only to avoid having Claude turn this into a discussion equivalent to an opened can of worms. The guy is too clever and mischievous for his own good. Golden Deer? More like Golden Fox...
The trip down the slope should be easier compared to the rest of their hike, considering it's mostly gravity propelling them down. Once or twice Felix had to skid on the gravel to keep from breaking into a sprint but he's otherwise in good shape. At least enough to feel smug about it when he glances over to Claude and notes the state he's in.
A smirk tugs at his mouth, then.]
Tired, are we?
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[ Agreed with easy cheer. With that, Claude lets the subject drop, and his willingness to press less might have as much to do with his state, so to speak, as Felix's determined indifference.
If only said indifference extended to said state. The slope should be easier, and mostly it is. But gravity works as much against as with him, a relentless pull against the additional weight. He'd have fair skipped down less burdened, but now must pick his steps, and lags behind Felix toward the end.
But such a smirk and barb can hardly go unanswered. Claude grins back, tossing up a parchment-thin mask of surprised denial. ]
Tired? Me? Why--
[ Making no attempt to hide, as they reach the bottom, the hand wiping across his brow-- ]
Yeah, I'm feeling it.
[ Blunt admission and no shame in it. Hey, he's not a horse. ]
But it's a good tired, you know?
[ Nothing like working up a sweat in the great outdoors, like the invigorating effect of brisk movement through fresh air. ]
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We're just about there, anyway.
[And he's not kidding. There, several dozen feet down and tucked at the bottom of aslope and surrounded by few patches of shrubbery is the crooked mouth to a cave. And if not for the small pool of crystalline water at its opening, it could easily avoid the untrained eye.
Like the finish line to a race, seeing the cave puts a spring into Felix's step and though he doesn't break out into a jog or anything, he's moving considerably faster. Claude'll catch up, he tells himself. It's fine.
He glances over a shoulder, the ghost of a grin lingering there for too long for it to be considered anything but, then fixes his gaze ahead.]
C'mon. Don't get left behind.
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Ah, our disappointing just-a-cave. I can't wait.
[ Neither, it seems, can Felix, who just about takes off. If Claude didn't know better, he might misread that phantom expression for mischief or, dare he be so absurd, fun. And he might just choose not to know better. An expression like mischief and words as much invitation as challenge, together more than the sum of their parts. Together, it approximates a sense of camaraderie.
Just a sense, fleeting and foolish. Felix isn't the type, his childhood attachments singular exceptions, and Claude hasn't the experience to recognize the feeling.
But he smiles at Felix's back, eyes strange in it, before he shrugs more from habit than to communicate and follows.
Much as he'd have liked to take a moment to bask in the view, that picturesque opening and its glittering base, there's logic to Felix's rush. Rest too long here, so near to their destination, and they would lose momentum. Better to have a proper rest there.
Still, that speed's a real pain when Claude's overpacked to the extent he has. He is catching up, but at risk of being winded when they arrive. Not his best look, to be sure. It's beginning to creep into his voice, conversational though his tone. ]
You know, at this juncture, you can't really leave me behind.
[ After all, the cave's right there. ]
ah the link stopped working
Try me.
[It's too late for that, though, because they're down at the bottom of the hill, just at the mouth of the cave. There's a dirt and gravel path leading into the cave along the edge of the pond, which would help them avoid having to swim their way in. And it's just as Felix remembers, mossy and with a damp smell. Not the best setting but anything's better than getting stuck outdoors in the middle of a rainstorm.
There's some light pouring in sunlight in through the mouth and from cracks in the rock formations surrounding it, but not a lot. Certainly not enough for them to go exploring too far into the cave. Well, not enough for Felix. Claude, who can really say for sure.]
See? It's just a cave. Nothing worth getting so excited for.
i googled it and think i found it!
Claude laughs, brisk and breezy. ]
Maybe next time.
[ Because they have arrived, and his attention shifts to the water, the path that skirts it, the sheltered scent and fading light. Claude looks with interest, his gaze sweeping and thorough, stepping just to the last sliver of light before he begins to remove the bulk of that weight, setting down the bag with relief.
Unburdened, he begins to stretch, rolling back his head on his neck, arching his back, and reaching above his head before crossing his arms behind it. ]
Felix, [ with a sigh ] you lack a sense of adventure. And so Claude, intrepid amateur spelunker, must go alone. Be right back. Maybe?
[ Well, that's one way to try him. Claude winks, then walks into the shadows. At the very least, he'd like to get a sense of how far back the cave goes. ]
praise be to google-sama
He leans his neck to one side until he's rewarded with a crack, then pushing at his own chin, he practically twists to the other direction where the crack's significantly louder. Ingrid once described this habit as disconcerting; Sylvain called it gross.]
Don't be stupid. You're not going in there by yourself.
[Not realizing he's being had, Felix starts for the inkier portions of the cave's interior, cracking his neck and knuckles and back all the while.]
If something happens to you, you'd haunt me.
[And goddess, wouldn't that be torture.]
our search engine, who art all-knowing, hallowed be thy name
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