[ There are a lot of arguments she can make. Sure, Ange also thinks Claude is highly competent - she got to witness as much for herself when he's made attempts at teaching her archery, not to mention the time they went together to try and help solve the mystery of that weird stuff going on in town. Claude can defend himself better than most people here.
But he's not invincible. No one is invincible. It's a lesson Ange had to learn so young, and it was such a painful one. She doesn't want to have to face it again.
Indeed, Claude is right.
Ange is not being strategic. She's just.. worried.
It's a fact that shines through even in her expression when he says that last part, and when she speaks up to ask him about it: ]
.. How do you know for sure?
[ There's no pretense here. No huffiness, no emotionlessness. Ange isn't putting on any sort of mask. It's just her asking it to him, face to face, her tone both tired and worried at the same time. ]
Well... we never know anything for sure. I could disappear tomorrow, and that would be that. I couldn't make those promises anywhere.
[ Thanks, Claude! How reassuring!!
He cocks one hip, planting his hand on it, wondering how best to reassure Ange as he glances out the window and down to the deserted streets below. Everyone is frightened, nervous, cloistered away inside if they're not roaming the streets looking for more targets. ]
But what I can tell you is that I'm a professional survivor. There have been attempts on my life since I was just a little kid, and I never let them get the upper-hand. Valuing my own neck is what I'm best at.
[ He smiles at her. As much as he's just trying to reassure her, he's also speaking with the utmost confidence -- and why wouldn't he? There hasn't been a year of his life where nobody has tried to kill him in all sorts of ways, and he's always prided himself on his ability to wriggle out of more or less anything. ]
I'm not too proud or too noble to run. Maybe you can't count on this place to be consistent. But you can at least count on me to do the smart thing.
[ It's clear the story doesn't fully reassure her. Maybe it's because he just had to start out with that - watch it, Claude, you're hitting her right in the abandonment complex that's only gotten worse by being stuck in a place where people indeed disappear on the regular! - or maybe it's just because there's no guarantee he could give her. No guarantee anyone could give her, and Ange knows it.
But even though she still looks a little troubled, the girl biting her lower lip in worried thought for a moment, she then slowly nods.
This is the best reassurance she's going to get when it comes to this, probably. Especially since she doubts that she could convince Claude to use the power for himself after all. Stubborn idiot, so sure of himself. ]
Well.. Make sure you do that then. The smart thing. [ The complicated expression on her face is reflected in her tone. It makes her sound kind of pouty, like a kid that's sulking but also giving in at the same time. ] I really value your neck, you know? And the rest of you. I'm never going to forgive you if anything happens to you.
Okay, okay, I get it. I'll be careful, I promise. I happen to value your neck too, you know. My protection will only guard you from the Gnosia's special powers -- I'm still going to need you to be careful for the rest of it.
[ He smiles sunnily at her, all easy confidence and reassurance, as though he can convince her through attitude alone that they'll both get through this in the end. They will. They always have before, no matter what perils they've faced.
He claps her on the shoulder, giving her a fond little shake. ]
And I'll be holding you to it too! Don't make me face down this place without you. I'll never survive, surrounded by the rest of them.
[ Yes, he has Ethlyn, and Jim and Spock, and Marianne, and Caitlyn and Vi -- but none of them seem to feel the idiocy of this place as keenly as Ange does. He needs her on his side! And if he feels as fond of her as he thinks he'd feel of a little sister, if he'd ever been blessed with one, well, he doesn't need to say that part out loud. ]
You know, in Almyra, they say that your most important possession is your life. Whatever you have to do to keep it is well worth doing, even if you have to flee to do it. That's just what we'll do.
[ .. not that that is the reason Claude is so worried about her. And it's not even like Ange doesn't know about her own recklessness either - look, you can only jump off so many buildings before realizing that you may be a little less careless with your own life than most people - but she's not taking it into consideration here right now.
Likely because she won't start thinking of reckless actions until she's shoved in the situation itself, and thankfully it seems like the Gnosia have been staying away from her until this point.
But in this moment? Well, if Claude says he wants her around, then she'll do her best to stick around.
.. even though he's just joking about that, surely. Look at the way he's saying it. Look at the smile on his face. It's clearly got to be some joke, or some exaggeration, right. Ange isn't sure how to explain it in any other way. ]
This doesn't mean you're going to try to babysit me or something like that, right?
Trying to babysit you would be a surefire way of getting you in more trouble. I imagine you'd stop at nothing to get out of my overbearing grasp if I even tried to do that, [ Claude says with a chuckle, shaking his head. He won't say that it's not tempting just to lock the girl away so she can stay well out of trouble, but it's not in her nature, the same as it's not in his own nature. ]
Instead, I'll just have to put my trust that you'll keep your word. [ His smile softens. ] But... if you want to take shelter here, there's a place for you. What d'you say?
[ Claude somehow managed to stumble across the most valid of call outs. Indeed, the more someone tries to keep Ange there, the wilder her escape attempts get.. It wouldn't be the first time she would have jumped from two stories up just to get away.
Not that she's validating him by pointing out that he's right about that. Claude's ego is big enough - surely it doesn't need yet another push. ]
...
[ There's no immediate answer to his question either, though it doesn't take too long before Ange, half-pouting, says: ]
I guess I should accept that offer. If not just because you're probably going to stupidly worry if I don't stay here, word or no word.
[ N-Not like she wants to stay here or anything, baka!!
I'd be such a thorn in your side you'll wonder why you were ever stupid enough to leave me to my own devices, [ Claude says with a laugh, reaching out to ruffle Ange's hair which he's almost certain is going to get his hand bitten off, but he's going to go on ahead and do it anyway. How could he possibly resist if she's going to be so cute about it?
He's the youngest sibling himself, and that's something he'd always been grateful for. He didn't want to have to deal with having to take care of another, and no other children should be brought into the absolute mess that is Almyra's royal family. Still. He has to wonder if this is how Holst feels about Hilda, sometimes. ]
Besides, what more could you want? I've got plenty of food, plenty of drink, and the finest company in all of Aldrip. [ A beat. ] Even if she's big, fanged, and covered in scales.
Oh, and I'm here too. [ He winks at her, all seriousness apparently fleeing from his countenance. ] C'mon, I'll get you all set up. Just don't drink anything that looks funny, all right?
[ Indeed, it seems that ruffling her hair is getting him into trouble.
.. if you can call Ange batting at his hands like a huffy cat 'trouble', anyway. It's not even like she's got the claws to be at the same level of threat as a cat.. The strength she's doing it with doesn't even make it hurt.. It's more like some desperate attempt to get his hands away from her head before she gets even more flustered. ]
Maybe I should be asking you to not do anything weird!
[ But even as she huffs those words out, she's following him anyway - ready to let him actually help her settle in, if she's going to be staying here. ]
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expiationlogs2024-07-15 08:13 am
no subject
But he's not invincible. No one is invincible. It's a lesson Ange had to learn so young, and it was such a painful one. She doesn't want to have to face it again.
Indeed, Claude is right.
Ange is not being strategic. She's just.. worried.
It's a fact that shines through even in her expression when he says that last part, and when she speaks up to ask him about it: ]
.. How do you know for sure?
[ There's no pretense here. No huffiness, no emotionlessness. Ange isn't putting on any sort of mask. It's just her asking it to him, face to face, her tone both tired and worried at the same time. ]
no subject
[ Thanks, Claude! How reassuring!!
He cocks one hip, planting his hand on it, wondering how best to reassure Ange as he glances out the window and down to the deserted streets below. Everyone is frightened, nervous, cloistered away inside if they're not roaming the streets looking for more targets. ]
But what I can tell you is that I'm a professional survivor. There have been attempts on my life since I was just a little kid, and I never let them get the upper-hand. Valuing my own neck is what I'm best at.
[ He smiles at her. As much as he's just trying to reassure her, he's also speaking with the utmost confidence -- and why wouldn't he? There hasn't been a year of his life where nobody has tried to kill him in all sorts of ways, and he's always prided himself on his ability to wriggle out of more or less anything. ]
I'm not too proud or too noble to run. Maybe you can't count on this place to be consistent. But you can at least count on me to do the smart thing.
no subject
But even though she still looks a little troubled, the girl biting her lower lip in worried thought for a moment, she then slowly nods.
This is the best reassurance she's going to get when it comes to this, probably. Especially since she doubts that she could convince Claude to use the power for himself after all. Stubborn idiot, so sure of himself. ]
Well.. Make sure you do that then. The smart thing. [ The complicated expression on her face is reflected in her tone. It makes her sound kind of pouty, like a kid that's sulking but also giving in at the same time. ] I really value your neck, you know? And the rest of you. I'm never going to forgive you if anything happens to you.
no subject
[ He smiles sunnily at her, all easy confidence and reassurance, as though he can convince her through attitude alone that they'll both get through this in the end. They will. They always have before, no matter what perils they've faced.
He claps her on the shoulder, giving her a fond little shake. ]
And I'll be holding you to it too! Don't make me face down this place without you. I'll never survive, surrounded by the rest of them.
[ Yes, he has Ethlyn, and Jim and Spock, and Marianne, and Caitlyn and Vi -- but none of them seem to feel the idiocy of this place as keenly as Ange does. He needs her on his side! And if he feels as fond of her as he thinks he'd feel of a little sister, if he'd ever been blessed with one, well, he doesn't need to say that part out loud. ]
You know, in Almyra, they say that your most important possession is your life. Whatever you have to do to keep it is well worth doing, even if you have to flee to do it. That's just what we'll do.
no subject
[ .. not that that is the reason Claude is so worried about her. And it's not even like Ange doesn't know about her own recklessness either - look, you can only jump off so many buildings before realizing that you may be a little less careless with your own life than most people - but she's not taking it into consideration here right now.
Likely because she won't start thinking of reckless actions until she's shoved in the situation itself, and thankfully it seems like the Gnosia have been staying away from her until this point.
But in this moment? Well, if Claude says he wants her around, then she'll do her best to stick around.
.. even though he's just joking about that, surely. Look at the way he's saying it. Look at the smile on his face. It's clearly got to be some joke, or some exaggeration, right. Ange isn't sure how to explain it in any other way. ]
This doesn't mean you're going to try to babysit me or something like that, right?
no subject
Instead, I'll just have to put my trust that you'll keep your word. [ His smile softens. ] But... if you want to take shelter here, there's a place for you. What d'you say?
no subject
Not that she's validating him by pointing out that he's right about that. Claude's ego is big enough - surely it doesn't need yet another push. ]
...
[ There's no immediate answer to his question either, though it doesn't take too long before Ange, half-pouting, says: ]
I guess I should accept that offer. If not just because you're probably going to stupidly worry if I don't stay here, word or no word.
[ N-Not like she wants to stay here or anything, baka!!
It's just for this reason! Nothing else! ]
no subject
He's the youngest sibling himself, and that's something he'd always been grateful for. He didn't want to have to deal with having to take care of another, and no other children should be brought into the absolute mess that is Almyra's royal family. Still. He has to wonder if this is how Holst feels about Hilda, sometimes. ]
Besides, what more could you want? I've got plenty of food, plenty of drink, and the finest company in all of Aldrip. [ A beat. ] Even if she's big, fanged, and covered in scales.
Oh, and I'm here too. [ He winks at her, all seriousness apparently fleeing from his countenance. ] C'mon, I'll get you all set up. Just don't drink anything that looks funny, all right?
probably a good wrapping point for this one! c:
.. if you can call Ange batting at his hands like a huffy cat 'trouble', anyway. It's not even like she's got the claws to be at the same level of threat as a cat.. The strength she's doing it with doesn't even make it hurt.. It's more like some desperate attempt to get his hands away from her head before she gets even more flustered. ]
Maybe I should be asking you to not do anything weird!
[ But even as she huffs those words out, she's following him anyway - ready to let him actually help her settle in, if she's going to be staying here. ]