Everyone who's anyone in Aldrip (and outside of it) knows Claude von Riegan. The golden child of a respected councilman, Claude has spent the entirety of his life doing precisely what has been expected of him; near-perfect grades in school, skill in archery and horseback riding and rubbing elbows with the elite, impeccable manners and dancing prowess, and often leaving Aldrip for political visits with other towns.
Up until, on the cusp of his eighteenth birthday, it was revealed that Claude's mother was not the esteemed councilman's wife, but was one of the women that his father had fabricated trips to go see in a nearby town, and everything went to shit. Disgraced and cut off from his family's connection and wealth, he was cast out by high society and family alike, and sent off to find his own fortune, at which point Claude embraced all of the rebellion that he had stymied in his youth.
These days, you can find him canoodling with whatever person he fancies, working at the bar and casino tables and dealing in classified information to ne'er-do-wells (only plausibly legal), and living a life of general hedonism and nonsense. His life isn't what he expected it to be, but he's content. ]
i. bar man & a gambling man
[ Need a friendly ear to listen to your troubles, or someone safe to show that weird thing you found? You'll find Claude behind the bar, leaning over the counter, shirt artfully unbuttoned just enough show a glimpse of his chest. He's known for being a better listener than he is necessarily a mixologist as he waves you down with a gleaming smile. ] Hey, welcome! What can I get for you?
[ Or, perhaps you're here later at night, when people start making more dangerous gambles, to meet with Claude behind one of the tables, shuffling cards. Maybe you're new to this, or maybe you're old hat at it, aware that Claude's as good for a gamble as he is for trading a secret or two. ] Come on down! The first game's on the house.
ii. lost & found
[ When Claude first gets a strange vision, he thinks that maybe he's hallucinating. Maybe one of his cigarettes was spiked with some sort of hallucinogenic, or somebody slipped something in his drink. But the more it keeps happening, the less certain he is of anything. He pauses where he's stood, frowning down at the stall he had just found a strange banner in, swaying on his feet. ]
That's... that's odd. [ He begins flipping through the fabrics, a little frantically. ] Did you see what I was just holding? That banner, with a deer on it? Where did it go?
[ And why would he hallucinate about a fight like that? Claude's never been in more than a brief scuffle or two in his entire life. He pinches at the bridge of the nose. ]
I swear I'm losing my mind.
iii. groundhog day.
[ One day, Claude wakes up and realizes that his quiet little life, every day much like the last, is beginning to feel... strange. When he steps out early in the morning, the birds are no longer chirping. His horse in the stable seems oddly unsettled, stamping her hooves and snorting at him, turning her nose up to the feed he pours for her. When he goes to say hello to the neighbour woman he's had a dalliance or two with before (when she's on break with her beau, which happens delightfully frequently), he stops, stock still.
The shop she runs is still there. But the apartment she lives in above it is gone. ]
What the hell... [ He just stands there, still in his pajamas and slippers, staring dumbfoundedly up at it. He's noticed things going missing, of course. But this? An entire home? ] That's... where's Joann?
[ Or maybe you run into him on the last day. In a coffeeshop, looking up from the newspaper as the clock rings precisely noon. He sets down the newspaper and looks at you, across the counter, something grimly frightened in his expression. Across the paper is a large: SEVEN. It's followed by an article explaining it, but it's as flimsy as every other justification he's been able to come up with. ]
...what happens when we reach zero?
[ Maybe you'll stay with him, until then. If it's the end of the world, nobody deserves to be alone. Not even a cad like him. ]
iv. wildcard.
[ Shoot for the stars! If you'd like me to rustle up a custom starter, or to plot with me about assumed AU backstory, feel free to contact me on my plotting comment here, on the discord, or hit me up on plurk @ wisdombitch!
[ Claude shouldn't be surprised when he turns and sees posted up Aldrip's local delivery boy and fetcher of all things improbable, posted up on a barstool he gravitates to every night he's in town and not travelling. It's part of the bar that has a good line of sight to the stage (hmm...), and the blonde-haired man offers an easy grin. ]
C'mon, Claude, cut the service-with-a-smile tone. [ A friendly barb to the man behind the counter, before following. ] But if you have to ask, you got any good ciders in recently? Kind of want something light, tonight.
[ He rolls his shoulders a bit as he gets settled in. ] Let's turn the tables for a change — how've you been?
Considerate and handsome? Some men really do have it all, [ Claude says, shooting Cloud a quick wink before he turns to peruse the refrigerator for the best ciders in the fridge. Flirting with Cloud isn't exactly a new thing for him, but no man alive could accuse him of lying; anyone with eyes knows that Cloud's a handsome man.
And that he's incredibly smitten with someone else, but that's neither here nor there. Flirtin's free, until Aerith and Cloud finally get together and Aerith tells him to buzz off. Or tells him to keep going because it's entertaining. Either one.
He grabs a bottle and flicks off the top before sliding it towards Cloud. ]
This one's new, from Ketsora. A rhubarb apple cider. It's refreshing -- I had one last night. As for how I'm doing... [ He shrugs. ] I certainly can't complain. Work's been steady, and Aerith's been drawing a big enough crowd to keep me busy these days. Tips have been good.
And flattery will get you everywhere. [ He laughs easily. It's nothing new, to be sure, and Cloud has at least learned how to respond in kind — though that's not to say a bit of red doesn't tint the ears not-quite-hiding under that wild head of chocobo feathers he calls hair. ]
[ He grabs the bottle of cider, taking a small sip, the corners of his mouth twitching as he sets it down. ] You're right, though, this is good. Might have to help you make a trip to Ketsora to get some more when you run low.
[ His smile does fall a little bit, not entirely, but a little. ] Well, when I can, anyway — I'm stuck in town for at least a few weeks. Zachariah took a bit of a tumble last time we were out. Got back to town alright but apparently he pulled something while trying to keep us both upright. I've already shrugged off the nicks and bruises but I've been told to let him rest up for a few weeks, so no out-of-town jobs for me.
[ But then it's back as he looks up. ] Can't say I mind it too much, though. You certainly know how to keep the nights lively, Claude.
Everywhere but where I'd like to go, huh? [ It's said with a saucy sort of wink, but he eases off shortly thereafter. He likes Cloud; he's easy company, and less uptight than so many of the others who spend their days in this poky little town, more consumed with what their neighbours are doing than what's happening under their nose. If Cloud responded in kind to any of his flirtations, he'd jump on him in a second...
But alas, Cloud has never shown any sign of returning his affections. No matter. He's got other takers in the meantime. ]
Sorry to hear about Zachariah, though. Give him some time to rest up and he'll be right as rain in no time. But speaking of excitement... [ He leans forward, a conspiratorial air to him. He doesn't mind gossiping with Cloud for free. Not everything can be an exchange. ]
There's more newcomers here than ever before. Everyone's a bit shaken up by it. Especially since things have been going missing here and there. At first, I thought it was just wives unaware that their lazy husbands have been gambling away their house and home every time they come here - [ that's because you've been fleecing them, Claude ] - but now I'm not so sure. You watch your back out there. The gossips might turn on you next.
[ It's with Aerith at his side that Claude finds himself swaying awkwardly on his feet, beneath the ghostly banner of something that should not exist. Though she is certainly not an adequate enough build to lean against him to act as a beam of support, she tries anyway. She'd abandoned conversation to rush up to him the moment she spotted him— her touch is gentle but firm enough to speak true to the sheer amount of robust energy in her. If nothing else, she is committed to supporting him.
Adjusting her weight so she might act as a better balancing support, Aerith listens to him speak. With a chipper tone, she squeaks, ] You could be.
[ It's never easy to tell how serious she is. She'll call you a date and abandon you in the same breath, after all. ] Would it... make you feel any better if I said... I think I am, too, Claude?
[ It doesn't take much to support Claude. He's always been oddly resilient, no matter what's come his way; what he's been missing most of his life is the lightest touch against his arm, more a reminder that he's not left to reel alone than he needs the physical support. ]
I'm not sure if that's better or worse, [ he says, a frisson of humour still laced through his weak voice. The images he'd seen are like none he's ever seen before. There's no reason for him to be thinking about anything like that, let alone let his mind conjure up such an odd fantasy. ] Did you see something too?
[ Silence visits them both as Aerith holds him tight. Whether it's for her own benefit or his, at this juncture, is surely a secret for them both to hold on. In complete truthfulness, her expression is peppered suddenly with worry, disorientation coming through easily. Resilience is something they have in common, but: ]
Better together than alone... I think! [ She does not sounds particularly sure of this as she says it, looking up at him and trying to hide away all the parts of her expression that can read as anything less than confident. ]
Hey, don't leave me hanging. I've got your arm, I'll support you through it, so... What'd you feel? And see?
You look almost as taken aback as I am, [ Claude says, something gently accusatory in his voice as he reaches up to pat her hand fondly. He can't quite read her expression, but there's something else there, isn't there?
He knows things have been strange recently. Eerie, almost, as though they're teetering on the precipice of something new. Perhaps a scant month ago, he would rejoice at the idea; this place has been stagnant for so long that all he's wanted was something new. But now that it seems to be happening, he's not so certain.
Claude tugs her along so that they're away from prying eyes and ears, though he makes no effort to extract her arm from his. ]
You have to tell me what you saw too, okay? Tit for tat. [ That's the way it's always been. A story for a song, right? ] I saw...
[ He closes his eyes. ]
Some sort of battle, I think. I was right there in the middle of it, with... a bow? And a sword? A bunch of armed soldiers were attacking what -- must have been some sort of academy? There were a bunch of people in uniform, all trying to run before they were struck down. They were just kids. [ He shakes his head. ] It all seemed so archaic.
[Ethlyn is walking about Aldrip too, staring intently at every building, every face, trying to convince herself that everything is right and nothing is different.
It's more difficult than it should be. The fact that she's doing it at all is raising questions she doesn't want to have to try and articulate, much less answer.
She frowns when she sees Claude staring at a building with what is probably a similar expression to her own. And in his pajamas. Really trying to plumb the depths of his reputation, here, isn't he.]
...I'm not sure you should be visiting ladies without getting dressed first.
Why should it matter how I'm dressed if it's all going to be coming off anyway? [ Claude shoots back, that quick wit of his he used to use towards languages and politics and mathematics still as alive as ever... just pointed in the wrong direction, perhaps. But even in that barb, there's a weakness in it. He deflates. ]
For your information, I was feeding Sapphire. Her appetite has been off lately, and I wanted to make sure to get some food in her before the day begun.
[ She's started eating meat. It's off-putting. He hasn't told anyone that yet, worried that someone will fear that his beloved horse has contracted some sort of awful disease and is to be put down. ]
And while I was out, I couldn't help but notice... [ He shakes his head. ] You can't tell me that's not concerning.
[Ethlyn's response to that observation is a sneer, but a genteel one.]
If anyone asks me why so many of the town's young people can't stay out of trouble, I'll know who they should point their finger at.
[When he mentions that his horse has been feeling off, however, Ethlyn can't help but take a little more notice. She's not particularly interested in horses, so she's not sure why... and then he points out the little problem with the building.]
That's--[There was a second story to that building yesterday. Right? No, of course there was; she's not sure why she would think there wasn't.] There was an apartment over that shop, wasn't there? Or am I mistaken?
[A silly remark, perhaps, that Claude is pointing out its very absence. But it seems impossible that someone could just lift it away like it was never there--there would be broken drywall and roof tiles and things, surely?]
[ Though Marianne had certainly observed unusual happenings around town, the head priestess had gathered them for prayer and assured them not to worry. With the gods watching over the land, this too was by design and all she must do is have faith. Her faith is being tested as she takes a morning stroll through the crumbling town, where on the way she runs into one Claude von Riegan bewildered over the disappearance of his...paramour. A frown crosses her expression. ]
If I may, perhaps this is a sign you should cease your dalliances.
[ He had been such an upstanding young man. She sympathizes that he had his life turned upside down, but as the years went on and he showed no sign of straightening out, well, the priestess had warned her of associating with such people, but Marianne hadn't given up on him, not yet. ]
Someone's entire home disappearing overnight happened is a sign for my dalliances? [ Claude says incredulously, whirling around. Marianne had always been such a nice girl, but as she grew older and more involved in that religion of hers... she had gone a bit funny. He feels bad for her. He gets the funny feeling that she feels bad for him from time to time too, so they're square on that front.
He brings a hand up to rub at his forehead. ]
Marianne, if that sort of thing actually happened, enough people would need signs that the whole town would be gone by morning. I'm hardly the only cad around here.
[ There's another one right there! Next door! Where she was supposed to be! ]
[ Did there used to be someone's home here? There's the slightest furrow of her eyebrows as Marianne considers his words, but she closes her eyes as if to clear her mind before opening them again. ]
Are you sure she didn't stand you up because she's come to her senses?
[ Like water off a polished stone, she remains unaffected by his skepticism. Setting aside the vanishing town, this was the simplest explanation. She tries not to think of the visions she'd been having. Flashes to an unfamiliar monastery around her. The interior of an unknown church. Statues of foreign saints. Most puzzling of all, she was sure that she'd glimpsed Claude von Riegan in her nonsense visions. Marianne's gaze lingers on him as she studies the man before him. Why him of all people? ]
[ Ange blinks a little bit when she hears him speak up.
There's perhaps just a touch of a side eye in her expression. Mostly because she doesn't know Claude - or rather, she knows of him, sure, but she doesn't know him personally, there's no way her brother would let her hang around with people who practice that sort of lifestyle too much without throwing a fit about it - and that just makes his current behaviour even more weird. A stranger suddenly speaking up like that?
Yeah, that really does sound like he's going crazy.
The redhead looks like she's considering whether or not she should just straight up leave and not get involved in this, but then she does slowly speak up. ]
Why? What's so important about a banner with a deer?
[ Apparently she's just a little bit too curious to do the right thing of walking away.. ]
[ It felt important. But why would it have been? Claude likes the finer things in life as much as the next guy, but some sort of archaic banner like that isn't his style. He likes nice clothes, good food, expensive booze, comfortable furniture, plush rugs beneath his toes and fine silks against his skin. Some gaudy piece of fabric isn't something he'd even dream of hanging in his home.
Thinking that it's related to whatever hallucination he'd just experienced is stupid. Isn't it? He looks over at Ange, recognizing her as one of the many town's youths, most of which wisely steer well clear of him. He doesn't mind. He has no reason to talk to them anyway.
But right now? He's happy to talk to anyone who will listen. ]
But it was right here. And now it isn't. You've noticed things going missing around town too, haven't you?
Is it that strange for things to go missing? [ She can't help but point out.
Maybe she's being a little bit of a smartass here, but Ange can't help it. She is a teenager, after all. There's not even anything really deadpan about it, it's definitely leaning way more towards being a smartass on purpose. ]
People misplace stuff. People steal stuff. It happens. [ A slight pause, and then she adds: ] Sometimes people get old and they forget stuff.
[ Ange.. Please, Claude isn't even that much older than you?! Don't talk about the poor guy like he's in his 70s.. ]
What, do you think it's some sort of big conspiracy instead? That the entire town is in on?
[The casino isn't exactly Caitlyn's favorite place to hang out. Her fiancée, Vi, enjoys it a bit more, and while she can enjoy herself too, tonight she's here on business.
Okay, unofficial business.
Very unofficial business.
She's not even been accepted into the police academy yet, but she's been snooping around, even since she caught wind of something shady going down at the casino.
She's just here to sight see and people watch, and where better than to start at the bar? She can get a good line of sight on most of what is happening, plus, maybe the bartender has seen a few sketchy things. She'll have to play it careful, who knows if the staff is already paid off for the silence. So, for now, she's just trying to blend in.]
[ Vi, Claude is familiar with. In this town that feels as though it's built of happily-ever-afters, she's one of the few people around here that feels a little more like him. Her fiancee? He's a little less familiar with, only having seen her in glimpses here and there. But clearly Vi sees something in her, so he greets her with a warm smile. ]
A glass of champagne coming right up, Miss, [ he says, turning to pop a bottle open and pour her a lovely flute of bubbly. He has a generous pour. That's by design; the more people drink, the more they gamble. ]
[Caitlyn recognized Claude, of course. Even if she didn't know Vi's friend to the same degree, she felt a little safer coming to him at the bar rather than someone else. She didn't know if he was involved in what ever shady business was happening here, and she wasn't about to ask Vi or drag her into it, so she's just running off the hope that he's trustworthy.]
Sort of? I'm taking an entrance exam soon, so I suppose it's more a case of wishful thinking.
[there sure were a lot of people kind of freaking out lately, weren't there? she's not sure why... maybe there's some sort of drug that's going around.
but when she sees that Claude is the next one to freak out as she passes by him, she stops and slaps him on the back.]
Can't tell if you haven't had enough alcohol or had too much. Which is it?
I'll have you know I haven't had a drop to drink today! [ He actually has to stop and think about it. ] For a given value of today. Anything that happens before I sleep is fair game.
[ He's been having nightcaps pretty frequently, these days. But even if he has a sip or two at 3 AM, it doesn't count so long as he's up and at 'em the next day, right? ]
So we'll say it's the former. [ He's maintaining his composure well enough, but he's still clearly spooked; it shows in the tense way his shoulders are hunched, the way he looks as though he's ready to bolt at any second, hands curled into fists at his side. ] Care to accompany me to amend that?
[ After what he just saw? He could use that drink. ]
[Ever since the opening of Casino Juri wasted no time with familiarizing herself with the new establishment. She's walking around the place with her head held high, confident smile on lips, chatting up the other patrons and staff. She's really carrying herself she owns the place.
It's all important part of networking, after all.
As the evening goes on, she eventually makes her way to the bar area and settles down to sit on the stool in front of the counter. She's just about to gesture at the bartender before her teal eyes widen when she sees just who it is that's standing behind the counter.]
Well, I'll be. So this is what the prodigal son of Aldrip is up to these days.
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expiationlogs2024-03-09 08:37 am
claude von riegan | fire emblem: three houses
Everyone who's anyone in Aldrip (and outside of it) knows Claude von Riegan. The golden child of a respected councilman, Claude has spent the entirety of his life doing precisely what has been expected of him; near-perfect grades in school, skill in archery and horseback riding and rubbing elbows with the elite, impeccable manners and dancing prowess, and often leaving Aldrip for political visits with other towns.
Up until, on the cusp of his eighteenth birthday, it was revealed that Claude's mother was not the esteemed councilman's wife, but was one of the women that his father had fabricated trips to go see in a nearby town, and everything went to shit. Disgraced and cut off from his family's connection and wealth, he was cast out by high society and family alike, and sent off to find his own fortune, at which point Claude embraced all of the rebellion that he had stymied in his youth.
These days, you can find him canoodling with whatever person he fancies, working at the bar and casino tables and dealing in classified information to ne'er-do-wells (only plausibly legal), and living a life of general hedonism and nonsense. His life isn't what he expected it to be, but he's content. ]
i. bar man & a gambling man
[ Need a friendly ear to listen to your troubles, or someone safe to show that weird thing you found? You'll find Claude behind the bar, leaning over the counter, shirt artfully unbuttoned just enough show a glimpse of his chest. He's known for being a better listener than he is necessarily a mixologist as he waves you down with a gleaming smile. ] Hey, welcome! What can I get for you?
[ Or, perhaps you're here later at night, when people start making more dangerous gambles, to meet with Claude behind one of the tables, shuffling cards. Maybe you're new to this, or maybe you're old hat at it, aware that Claude's as good for a gamble as he is for trading a secret or two. ] Come on down! The first game's on the house.
ii. lost & found
[ When Claude first gets a strange vision, he thinks that maybe he's hallucinating. Maybe one of his cigarettes was spiked with some sort of hallucinogenic, or somebody slipped something in his drink. But the more it keeps happening, the less certain he is of anything. He pauses where he's stood, frowning down at the stall he had just found a strange banner in, swaying on his feet. ]
That's... that's odd. [ He begins flipping through the fabrics, a little frantically. ] Did you see what I was just holding? That banner, with a deer on it? Where did it go?
[ And why would he hallucinate about a fight like that? Claude's never been in more than a brief scuffle or two in his entire life. He pinches at the bridge of the nose. ]
I swear I'm losing my mind.
iii. groundhog day.
[ One day, Claude wakes up and realizes that his quiet little life, every day much like the last, is beginning to feel... strange. When he steps out early in the morning, the birds are no longer chirping. His horse in the stable seems oddly unsettled, stamping her hooves and snorting at him, turning her nose up to the feed he pours for her. When he goes to say hello to the neighbour woman he's had a dalliance or two with before (when she's on break with her beau, which happens delightfully frequently), he stops, stock still.
The shop she runs is still there. But the apartment she lives in above it is gone. ]
What the hell... [ He just stands there, still in his pajamas and slippers, staring dumbfoundedly up at it. He's noticed things going missing, of course. But this? An entire home? ] That's... where's Joann?
[ Or maybe you run into him on the last day. In a coffeeshop, looking up from the newspaper as the clock rings precisely noon. He sets down the newspaper and looks at you, across the counter, something grimly frightened in his expression. Across the paper is a large: SEVEN. It's followed by an article explaining it, but it's as flimsy as every other justification he's been able to come up with. ]
...what happens when we reach zero?
[ Maybe you'll stay with him, until then. If it's the end of the world, nobody deserves to be alone. Not even a cad like him. ]
iv. wildcard.
[ Shoot for the stars! If you'd like me to rustle up a custom starter, or to plot with me about assumed AU backstory, feel free to contact me on my plotting comment here, on the discord, or hit me up on plurk @ wisdombitch!
i.
C'mon, Claude, cut the service-with-a-smile tone. [ A friendly barb to the man behind the counter, before following. ] But if you have to ask, you got any good ciders in recently? Kind of want something light, tonight.
[ He rolls his shoulders a bit as he gets settled in. ] Let's turn the tables for a change — how've you been?
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And that he's incredibly smitten with someone else, but that's neither here nor there. Flirtin's free, until Aerith and Cloud finally get together and Aerith tells him to buzz off. Or tells him to keep going because it's entertaining. Either one.
He grabs a bottle and flicks off the top before sliding it towards Cloud. ]
This one's new, from Ketsora. A rhubarb apple cider. It's refreshing -- I had one last night. As for how I'm doing... [ He shrugs. ] I certainly can't complain. Work's been steady, and Aerith's been drawing a big enough crowd to keep me busy these days. Tips have been good.
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[ He grabs the bottle of cider, taking a small sip, the corners of his mouth twitching as he sets it down. ] You're right, though, this is good. Might have to help you make a trip to Ketsora to get some more when you run low.
[ His smile does fall a little bit, not entirely, but a little. ] Well, when I can, anyway — I'm stuck in town for at least a few weeks. Zachariah took a bit of a tumble last time we were out. Got back to town alright but apparently he pulled something while trying to keep us both upright. I've already shrugged off the nicks and bruises but I've been told to let him rest up for a few weeks, so no out-of-town jobs for me.
[ But then it's back as he looks up. ] Can't say I mind it too much, though. You certainly know how to keep the nights lively, Claude.
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But alas, Cloud has never shown any sign of returning his affections. No matter. He's got other takers in the meantime. ]
Sorry to hear about Zachariah, though. Give him some time to rest up and he'll be right as rain in no time. But speaking of excitement... [ He leans forward, a conspiratorial air to him. He doesn't mind gossiping with Cloud for free. Not everything can be an exchange. ]
There's more newcomers here than ever before. Everyone's a bit shaken up by it. Especially since things have been going missing here and there. At first, I thought it was just wives unaware that their lazy husbands have been gambling away their house and home every time they come here - [ that's because you've been fleecing them, Claude ] - but now I'm not so sure. You watch your back out there. The gossips might turn on you next.
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ii
Adjusting her weight so she might act as a better balancing support, Aerith listens to him speak. With a chipper tone, she squeaks, ] You could be.
[ It's never easy to tell how serious she is. She'll call you a date and abandon you in the same breath, after all. ] Would it... make you feel any better if I said... I think I am, too, Claude?
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[ It doesn't take much to support Claude. He's always been oddly resilient, no matter what's come his way; what he's been missing most of his life is the lightest touch against his arm, more a reminder that he's not left to reel alone than he needs the physical support. ]
I'm not sure if that's better or worse, [ he says, a frisson of humour still laced through his weak voice. The images he'd seen are like none he's ever seen before. There's no reason for him to be thinking about anything like that, let alone let his mind conjure up such an odd fantasy. ] Did you see something too?
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[ Silence visits them both as Aerith holds him tight. Whether it's for her own benefit or his, at this juncture, is surely a secret for them both to hold on. In complete truthfulness, her expression is peppered suddenly with worry, disorientation coming through easily. Resilience is something they have in common, but: ]
Better together than alone... I think! [ She does not sounds particularly sure of this as she says it, looking up at him and trying to hide away all the parts of her expression that can read as anything less than confident. ]
Hey, don't leave me hanging. I've got your arm, I'll support you through it, so... What'd you feel? And see?
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He knows things have been strange recently. Eerie, almost, as though they're teetering on the precipice of something new. Perhaps a scant month ago, he would rejoice at the idea; this place has been stagnant for so long that all he's wanted was something new. But now that it seems to be happening, he's not so certain.
Claude tugs her along so that they're away from prying eyes and ears, though he makes no effort to extract her arm from his. ]
You have to tell me what you saw too, okay? Tit for tat. [ That's the way it's always been. A story for a song, right? ] I saw...
[ He closes his eyes. ]
Some sort of battle, I think. I was right there in the middle of it, with... a bow? And a sword? A bunch of armed soldiers were attacking what -- must have been some sort of academy? There were a bunch of people in uniform, all trying to run before they were struck down. They were just kids. [ He shakes his head. ] It all seemed so archaic.
Is that anything like what you saw?
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iii
It's more difficult than it should be. The fact that she's doing it at all is raising questions she doesn't want to have to try and articulate, much less answer.
She frowns when she sees Claude staring at a building with what is probably a similar expression to her own. And in his pajamas. Really trying to plumb the depths of his reputation, here, isn't he.]
...I'm not sure you should be visiting ladies without getting dressed first.
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For your information, I was feeding Sapphire. Her appetite has been off lately, and I wanted to make sure to get some food in her before the day begun.
[ She's started eating meat. It's off-putting. He hasn't told anyone that yet, worried that someone will fear that his beloved horse has contracted some sort of awful disease and is to be put down. ]
And while I was out, I couldn't help but notice... [ He shakes his head. ] You can't tell me that's not concerning.
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If anyone asks me why so many of the town's young people can't stay out of trouble, I'll know who they should point their finger at.
[When he mentions that his horse has been feeling off, however, Ethlyn can't help but take a little more notice. She's not particularly interested in horses, so she's not sure why... and then he points out the little problem with the building.]
That's--[There was a second story to that building yesterday. Right? No, of course there was; she's not sure why she would think there wasn't.] There was an apartment over that shop, wasn't there? Or am I mistaken?
[A silly remark, perhaps, that Claude is pointing out its very absence. But it seems impossible that someone could just lift it away like it was never there--there would be broken drywall and roof tiles and things, surely?]
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iii.
If I may, perhaps this is a sign you should cease your dalliances.
[ He had been such an upstanding young man. She sympathizes that he had his life turned upside down, but as the years went on and he showed no sign of straightening out, well, the priestess had warned her of associating with such people, but Marianne hadn't given up on him, not yet. ]
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He brings a hand up to rub at his forehead. ]
Marianne, if that sort of thing actually happened, enough people would need signs that the whole town would be gone by morning. I'm hardly the only cad around here.
[ There's another one right there! Next door! Where she was supposed to be! ]
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Are you sure she didn't stand you up because she's come to her senses?
[ Like water off a polished stone, she remains unaffected by his skepticism. Setting aside the vanishing town, this was the simplest explanation. She tries not to think of the visions she'd been having. Flashes to an unfamiliar monastery around her. The interior of an unknown church. Statues of foreign saints. Most puzzling of all, she was sure that she'd glimpsed Claude von Riegan in her nonsense visions. Marianne's gaze lingers on him as she studies the man before him. Why him of all people? ]
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ii
There's perhaps just a touch of a side eye in her expression. Mostly because she doesn't know Claude - or rather, she knows of him, sure, but she doesn't know him personally, there's no way her brother would let her hang around with people who practice that sort of lifestyle too much without throwing a fit about it - and that just makes his current behaviour even more weird. A stranger suddenly speaking up like that?
Yeah, that really does sound like he's going crazy.
The redhead looks like she's considering whether or not she should just straight up leave and not get involved in this, but then she does slowly speak up. ]
Why? What's so important about a banner with a deer?
[ Apparently she's just a little bit too curious to do the right thing of walking away.. ]
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[ It felt important. But why would it have been? Claude likes the finer things in life as much as the next guy, but some sort of archaic banner like that isn't his style. He likes nice clothes, good food, expensive booze, comfortable furniture, plush rugs beneath his toes and fine silks against his skin. Some gaudy piece of fabric isn't something he'd even dream of hanging in his home.
Thinking that it's related to whatever hallucination he'd just experienced is stupid. Isn't it? He looks over at Ange, recognizing her as one of the many town's youths, most of which wisely steer well clear of him. He doesn't mind. He has no reason to talk to them anyway.
But right now? He's happy to talk to anyone who will listen. ]
But it was right here. And now it isn't. You've noticed things going missing around town too, haven't you?
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Maybe she's being a little bit of a smartass here, but Ange can't help it. She is a teenager, after all. There's not even anything really deadpan about it, it's definitely leaning way more towards being a smartass on purpose. ]
People misplace stuff. People steal stuff. It happens. [ A slight pause, and then she adds: ] Sometimes people get old and they forget stuff.
[ Ange.. Please, Claude isn't even that much older than you?! Don't talk about the poor guy like he's in his 70s.. ]
What, do you think it's some sort of big conspiracy instead? That the entire town is in on?
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bar man
Okay, unofficial business.
Very unofficial business.
She's not even been accepted into the police academy yet, but she's been snooping around, even since she caught wind of something shady going down at the casino.
She's just here to sight see and people watch, and where better than to start at the bar? She can get a good line of sight on most of what is happening, plus, maybe the bartender has seen a few sketchy things. She'll have to play it careful, who knows if the staff is already paid off for the silence. So, for now, she's just trying to blend in.]
A glass of champagne, please.
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A glass of champagne coming right up, Miss, [ he says, turning to pop a bottle open and pour her a lovely flute of bubbly. He has a generous pour. That's by design; the more people drink, the more they gamble. ]
Are you celebrating something?
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[Caitlyn recognized Claude, of course. Even if she didn't know Vi's friend to the same degree, she felt a little safer coming to him at the bar rather than someone else. She didn't know if he was involved in what ever shady business was happening here, and she wasn't about to ask Vi or drag her into it, so she's just running off the hope that he's trustworthy.]
Sort of? I'm taking an entrance exam soon, so I suppose it's more a case of wishful thinking.
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ii
but when she sees that Claude is the next one to freak out as she passes by him, she stops and slaps him on the back.]
Can't tell if you haven't had enough alcohol or had too much. Which is it?
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[ He's been having nightcaps pretty frequently, these days. But even if he has a sip or two at 3 AM, it doesn't count so long as he's up and at 'em the next day, right? ]
So we'll say it's the former. [ He's maintaining his composure well enough, but he's still clearly spooked; it shows in the tense way his shoulders are hunched, the way he looks as though he's ready to bolt at any second, hands curled into fists at his side. ] Care to accompany me to amend that?
[ After what he just saw? He could use that drink. ]
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Of course. Gotta make sure that you get there in one piece and all that.
[she grins.]
Surely you'll find it in your heart to buy me a drink for your safe passage.
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1 - latest tag-in ever
It's all important part of networking, after all.
As the evening goes on, she eventually makes her way to the bar area and settles down to sit on the stool in front of the counter. She's just about to gesture at the bartender before her teal eyes widen when she sees just who it is that's standing behind the counter.]
Well, I'll be. So this is what the prodigal son of Aldrip is up to these days.