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[vrdantwind]

"Hey, this is Claude! Pretty sure I'm doing this correctly. You can leave me a message here, and I'll get to it as soon as I can. Talk to you soon~."

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[vrdantwind]

[Claude laughs.] I guess you're so vocal about not paying attention to anything else that annoys or bores you that I just assumed you did the same with politics. My bad.

As for my secrets...I suppose you wouldn't really care about them, so I guess they can't get on your nerves too much. [Claude looks amused.] But what do you mean, the way I talk? Going to tell me I get extra annoying, I'm guessing?

And Dimitri will make an incredible king. I expect they'll be taking about him long after Loog has faded into the mists of time. [Loog, after all, didn't rule a united Fodlan, but Dimitri will...provided everything goes as Claude trusts it will.] I expect they'll be talking about his advisors, too...Gautier and Fraldarius, his left and right hands.

[bestswordmaster]

Pff. I'm still paying attention to you, aren't I? [He smirks.]

And yes, extra annoying. You get weird and coy, like you want people to ask you what you're hiding just so you can not answer them. I don't get it.

[He blinks then, scowling slightly.] Shut up. If anyone deserves mockery for thinking they're more important than they are, it's you, with all your showing off in battle. You're a skilled archer, but you make things more difficult for yourself with your unnecessary flashy nonsense.

[vrdantwind]

[Claude winks at Felix.] I'm just glad I'm annoying rather than boring.

That said, mostly it's to maintain an air of romance and mystery~. That can be very appealing, you know. [He grins for a moment before his face falls, ever so briefly.] But maybe a bit of it right now is wishing I could spill my secrets, I guess. It was nice to be past all that, you know? Not having to lie or hide anything from my friends anymore. I don't keep secrets just because I think it's fun to be anything but myself, you know.

[He shrugs then, a smile finding its way back to his face. In this moment, how similar he and Sylvain can be is in particularly sharp relief...but unlike Sylvain, the smile doesn't seem to be just some fake mask. (Or, if it is, he's so good at faking that it looks genuine enough.) More, it seems to be the smile of someone who's making the best of a bad situation.] But there's no point whining about it. Needs must, right? I just wanted to say that if I ever seem to be teasing secrets, it's not just to aggravate people. Sometimes it's just...dancing around the edges of things I wish I could say.

[He's a bit startled by the glower and snapping.] I...wasn't mocking you guys, Felix. I seriously believe - and hope - that's how it'll be. [He smiles then, eyes glinting.] That 'unnecessary flashy nonsense', I'll have you know, takes a lot of skill to pull off. Especially in combat. The whole point of that is basically extra training, extra challenge. I would've figured you'd appreciate something like that.

[bestswordmaster]

[Please Goddess let Felix not be blushing right now at that wink...sadly, the Goddess isn't in this world, and he is blushing. Just a little.

But he frowns thoughtfully as Claude goes on.] Sometimes you're a lot like Sylvain. I hate the way he pretends to be someone he isn't. [Although he does sort of like that he's one of the few who know the real Sylvain. Still, it's awful for Sylvain's self-esteem, and Felix suddenly wants to punch Margrave Gautier in the face all over again.] It never made any sense to me. I always had to fight to get people to see me as myself.

[He gives Claude a confused look.] Why would you hope that? I don't want to be some...fanciful legend. I doubt Kyphon and the others were anything like the way the stories paint them. And I don't want people thinking they know me from some fairy tale when they have no idea who I really am.

[He tilts his head again, studying Claude.] Huh. I wouldn't have guessed that was your reason. It's inefficient in a real fight, a waste of energy. But as a personal challenge, I can see why you'd do it. We've never sparred together, have we? I bet I could learn a lot from you.

[vrdantwind]

Well, I'm not going to speculate on Sylvain's reasons for hiding his real self; I'd need to know more about him than I do to have any idea why. But for me, there's always been an element of...requirement to it. After all, as I mentioned, the real me is someone people never liked or even got to know, because they didn't think I had the right kind of blood in my veins... [He shrugs.]

And it's not that I want you to be some fanciful legend. It's that I think people only become legends like that because of the incredible things they accomplish. [He smiles.] I want to see you and Sylvain and Dimitri leave such bright, indelible marks on history with the incredible things you do for Faerghus, if not all of Fodlan, that people can't help but talk about you for centuries to come.

And yes, maybe to a degree that means people will lose sight of who you really were after you're gone, and built up some legendary, fictional version of you instead. But I think that's probably the fate of anyone whose records of glorious accomplishment outlive them, and it's a small price to pay. You won't have to be around to get annoyed at it, for one thing. [He gives Felix another wink, raking a hand through his hair. This makes it more tousled rather than less so, honestly. He must dry it in a certain way to make it lay as smoothly as it does these days, because it's not so obvious now.]

That said, rather than giving you a false impression...the personal challenge and heightened demands of my skill are admittedly only part of it. Part of the point is actually the show itself. It has a psychological effect, you know. [He taps his temple.] Demonstrating how unconcerned you are to your enemies, bolstering your allies with your confidence, drawing attention to yourself at critical moments as a distraction...and, oh, yes, inflating your reputation against people who might try to usurp your position. Can Count Gloucester shoot someone with an arrow upside down on a wyvern? I'd love to see him try.

You can fight on so many different levels besides the purely physical, Felix. Someday you'll appreciate the multifaceted levels of my genius. [A beat.] It probably won't be the day you beat me into the dirt, though. I'm more skilled with axes than swords, and even then I'm an archer first.

[bestswordmaster]

Tch. Another symptom of the glorification of king and country--everyone else becomes the enemy even when there is no war. Senseless.

{Felix shrugs.] I don't have that kind of big picture vision. I can tell Dimitri when he's being foolish and how to improve an idea and when he needs to stop being so damn nice, but other than that there's not much of a place for someone like me in peacetime. Certainly not for so-called 'glorious accomplishments.'

[Oh...Claude is being ridiculously attractive again. Felix can't keep his gaze from following Claude's hand through his hair, watching soft curls fall from his fingers with a will of their own...his ears are definitely burning now. He'd be grateful that he left his hair down to cover them, but his face is the same color, and those keen eyes of Claude's see everything. ...maybe he'll have some mercy. But Felix doubts it.

It takes him a few seconds to tune back in to whatever Claude is saying.] Do you think about everything this much? It gives me a headache just trying to follow all of that. Obviously I get feinting and predicting your opponent, leading them to do something rash or stupid, but you overthink it to the point of absurdity.

[He scoffs.] Beating you that way isn't worth my time. You fight your best and I'll fight mine. Bring your bow. I'll still beat you into the dirt.

[vrdantwind]

[Claude wonders, idly, if Felix would still blame his treatment back home on 'glorification of king and country' if he knew Claude actually is the king there now. It's an amusing thought.]

First of all, you're vastly underrating your importance to Dimitri. [Claude holds up a finger.] Second, the Tragedy happened during a time of peace. The king's shield will always have an important role to play, and your actions could easily shape history even without a war. Third, you're underestimating yourself and the good you can do for Faerghus as its duke. You've got the next highest position and the most influence next to the king himself. Even your more mundane actions and decisions will help shape the kind of country Dimitri will be leading - and that's just what you do alone. Your efforts, united with those of everyone else in Dimitri's court? They can and will have a huge impact. You're good for a lot more than fighting and you always have been, Felix. Don't undermine your own contributions before you've even had the chance to make any.

[Finally, Claude notices the fact that Felix is blushing, primarily because it's gotten too bad to be overlooked. It's honestly taken Claude a bit longer than usual, mostly because he knows Felix is easily made awkward and grumpy and thus it can be hard to tell what his blushing actually means. And isn't Felix lucky that Claude just thoroughly complimented him, so he has something innocuous to blame it on?

Nonetheless, Claude's looking at him with definite curiosity - maybe even interest. Gauging his reactions now, looking for tells. Does Claude know what's there yet? No. But he knows something is there now, and with Claude von Riegan that's almost as dangerous.]

Does that mean I should bring my wyvern, too? [He's smiling now, eyes dancing.] Although I guess this is all a moot point, since apparently you can't carry weapons around here and I obviously don't have Mori, either.

[bestswordmaster]

Between incursions into Sreng, increasing bandit activity, and active rebellions, the Kingdom hasn't been at peace since before Dimitri's father was king. We're fighting to change all of that. And you don't have any idea what I 'always have been.' I wasn't raised to be Duke Fraldarius. My brother was. I don't have the faintest idea how to run a territory and I don't want to. I'm not undermining my contributions, I'm being realistic.

[Felix arches an eyebrow.] Bring your wyvern, I'll still beat you. I'll find a way to get my hands on a sword here sooner or later. In the meantime, we should spar with our pokemon instead. Training together is the best way to test our teams against varying strategies and type matchups.

[Felix can't put his finger on what it is about Claude's gaze that has somehow shifted, but he knows something's different suddenly.] What are you doing? Don't look at me like that.

[vrdantwind]

Ah, yes, fighting to bring a golden age of peace and harmony to Fodlan. Yes, I'm sure your minor insufficiencies at running a territory will completely wipe that one from the history books.

C'mon, Felix, you're surrounded by people who were raised to manage territories. You'll learn. Even if you don't want to, because I know you wouldn't let the Fraldarius lands go to ruin and have people suffer for your indifference. If I know to give you that much credit, then you should know it, too.

I wouldn't mind training our pokémon together at all, though. I need to get my team stronger to take on Falkner, and I'm guessing you're the same there. But I'm at a definite disadvantage, since I've only got seven pokémon and two of of my main team are weak to flying types...

[At Felix's request, he grins outright.] Oh? What am I looking at you like, exactly?

[bestswordmaster]

Ugh, I don't know how you manage to be so condescending while you're flattering someone. [Also, all these compliments aren't helping Felix want to kiss him again any less.

He shrugs.] I only have four so far, but I've heard we can warp back to places we've been once we move on. I don't plan to challenge this gym until my team is ready. Dimitri did give me one of those blue lions with thunder magic, though, so I already have one advantage over this gym master's birds.

[Felix's eyes narrow, even as his blush doesn't go anywhere, thanks to that grin that is way more attractive than it should be for what it is.] I don't know. Like you're...opening me up and dissecting me with your eyes.

[vrdantwind]

It's really easy when all your arguments against yourself are stupid, what can I say?

But yeah, I'm nowhere near ready either. I don't know if we'll be in town long enough for me to be ready, but...as you said, we can always come back. Maybe we can challenge him on the same day, if we get strong enough around the same time.

[He bats his eyelashes innocently at Felix.] Dissecting you with my eyes? Most people would use the phrase 'undressing'. [It's a completely innocuous, factual comment. That is the phrase people use. So how does Claude make it sound like flirting? Purely by implication?

The fact is, Claude is testing the waters a little. He has no intention whatsoever of sabotaging Sylvain and Felix's relationship - never mind all the work he did trying to repair that - by seducing Felix. Mostly, he's just...working a hypothesis. Is Felix's blush related to being attracted to him? The easiest way to determine that is to try to provoke some kind of further reaction and see what happens.]

[bestswordmaster]

My arguments are stupid? You're the one making grand, sweeping declarations about things you know nothing about. [Maybe surprisingly, there's no real venom in this.

Then he nods.] If we train together, we can keep up with each other easily. I'll catch as many as I can on the way to Goldenrod, though I'll need more pokeballs before we leave.

[Oh...that catches Felix off-guard. And Claude gets to see his hypothesis in action, because the red in his cheeks deepens as he pushes away from the surface he was leaning on to stand up straight and unfold his arms, as if somehow that might help.] You--you know what I meant! And it wasn't that. [Except it kind of was. Doesn't help that Claude's eyes do that sparkling thing whenever he gets that look.] You do it all the time, look at people like you can read their minds or something. I have no idea what you see when you do that.

[vrdantwind]

I mean, if you don't come up with the idea first, how can anyone make it happen? [Claude's voice is mild.]

I need a few more myself...I'm trying to be sparing with them since I've got next to no income, but even so I've had to buy more already. [He sighs.] I know it's kind of shameful to admit, all things considered, but it's weird having to worry about money and jobs here. I know that's the day-to-day reality for a lot of people, and my position's sheltered me from it, but...well, I'm not used to it. I doubt any of us are...not even Dimitri. I know he's been roughing it, but I don't know if he ever actually bought things while he was roaming around Faerghus...

[But his mood can't help but brighten when he gets that reaction out of Felix. He's not sure whether Felix has a genuine interest in him or whether he's just very aware and self-conscious of the fact that they kissed not so many hours ago; it could be either, and his logical mind cautions him against just deciding it's the most flattering option without harder proof. But...he still likes seeing it.] Oh, everything I can, sunshine. [His words are a deliberate drawl.

He's not going to go further than this - both because he doesn't know if he can get away with it without Felix tackling him, and because he doesn't want to cause any further issues for Sylvain and Felix. But it's a genuine shame he can't follow this up, because he has a keen interest in how Felix is reacting to him and what further reactions he could provoke.]

[bestswordmaster]

Bold of you to assume anyone wants to make your ideas happen.

Hmph. I know what you mean. It's not something I'm used to worrying about either. ...in retrospect, it was stupid of me to turn down sharing a room with Sylvain. We could have saved money that way. [And maybe the whole mistletoe thing could have been avoided...but there's no sense dwelling on the past.

Then Felix's face contorts into an expression that's somehow confused, annoyed, and flustered all at the same time.] I...told you not to make fun of me. [Because what else could this be? Claude can't actually be...sincerely flirting, right?] You're as bad as Sylvain.

[...that didn't help.]

[vrdantwind]

Ah, isn't that a familiar tune. [Claude sighs dramatically, lending a lightness to the fact that he's being perfectly honest. It's not as though anyone's going to cooperate with him to implement his other dreams. He's never really planned on relying on anyone's help.] But, see, since what I'm suggesting would be incredibly good for Faerghus and the people you love, I kind of assumed you might be willing.

It's probably better you didn't share with him when you were both a confused mess. Maybe if you get to a better place with him, though, it might not be a bad idea to double up.

And I'm not making fun of you - that's just the honest truth. [He smiles.] When I look at people like that, I'm trying to see everything I can about them. Posture, expressions, the flicker of their eyes...I can't actually see thoughts, but if you can find enough clues and you know how to draw conclusions from them, what you can see can tell you about what you can't.

Considering how you feel about Sylvain, though...I guess I should take that as a compliment?

[bestswordmaster]

Hmph. I suppose you did prove that you earned your 'master tactician' title. I wouldn't be surprised at this point if you said you could see the future, too.

[He frowns.] When. Not if. But Sylvain and I have been sharing rooms and tents our whole lives, I just...overreacted.

[Felix lifts a brow and sets a hand on one hip, idly tossing his hair back from his face where it's fallen into his eyes a little.] You expect me to believe that you'd call me 'sunshine' sincerely?

[And then the flush returns, as he mutters.] It's obviously not a compliment to say you're as irritating as he is when he does something puerile.

[vrdantwind]

The trick to seeing the future is just to tell people what's going to happen and then make it happen yourself. [He winks.] And then suddenly, you're a miracle worker. So tell yourself and everyone else how incredible Faerghus is going to be under the three of you, and see how many people you can con into believing you're prophets with your success.

[He shakes his head, smiling slightly.] Sorry. I mostly meant not to assume that you guys are going to get that comfortable being that intimate, not that things won't get better between you...but even then, I agree, it's not an if but a when.

[At Felix's positively sassy and quite attractive pose, Claude bursts out laughing.] I mean, it's teasing in the sense we're having fun and it's not like it's some intimate term of endearment, but...I do like that nickname for you. It's a little ironic, but not so much as to be insulting. And just fun enough that no one's going to read anything inappropriate into it when I call you that. [He grins.] So it's serious enough. I put genuine thought into it, and I'm genuinely calling you that! It wasn't just a joke for joke's sake.

Anyway, puerile or not, he still means the world to you, so I still don't think I'm doing too badly.

[bestswordmaster]

I have to admit, that's...not as inane as I was expecting. Although I don't see the point in pretending in the first place.

[Felix's initial instinct is to feel offended that Claude is laughing at him, but...it doesn't really feel like Claude is laughing at him, and...there's something weirdly nice about Claude's laugh. Almost contagious, if Felix were prone to laughing; sort of relaxing, at the very least. (And, okay, cute.)

But he's really not sure what to do with the rest of that.] When you call me that? I take that to mean I should expect to endure it again. You're incorrigible. [And it seems ridiculous, but Felix is--yes, blushing faintly again. The only person other than Glenn ever to call him by a nickname has been Sylvain, and even that's just...a shortening of his name. I'm beginning to think you never do anything for its own sake.

[Then he rolls his eyes.] I realize this is a tall order for you, but don't overthink it.

[vrdantwind]

The pretending can serve its own purpose. Some of it's psychological - if you tell people, including yourself, that something is going to happen, you'd be surprised at how it subtly shifts things in favor of it happening. If you make people believe, on some level, that there's going to be a flood, then people will buy boats. It's not a great metaphor, but you get what I mean - influencing people's thinking on a subtle level can have effects that add up cumulatively. And if you can predict those potential effects, you can even turn them more actively in your favor, which also adds to your chances.

It's also good for you on a personal level. The confidence you get from believing a plan is going to work, from not even entertaining the possibility of failure, can help you execute the steps to make it happen better. And when you're confident, the people around you are more confident, too. It all adds up. Every little domino falling, every odd you can stack in your favor, every last ounce of advantage you can squeak out - it's all precious. And when you succeed, maybe you'll never even know by just how narrow a margin it was...but that's why you can't pass up on anything that'll push you that much further. It might be the one fraction of difference between success and failure.

[He grins at Felix.] Hey, just because I thought it over before giving you a nickname doesn't mean it's not entirely for its own sake that I did. It doesn't serve any real purpose. I didn't need something else to call you. I just wanted to. [He winks.] And you know, me being able to do something just because I want to and it makes me happy, no other reason...that's pretty rare. Take it for the honor it is, sunshine.

[bestswordmaster]

[It's pretty surprising to Felix that Claude's babbling is interesting enough that he doesn't end up tuning him out.]

Some of that sounds like nonsense. But taking every advantage you can get and doing anything you can to win, that much I agree with. Skill is important, but what you said earlier about removing your enemy's options--that's good advice. As long as it doesn't harm any innocent people in the process.

[He makes a face at hearing the nickname again, but doesn't protest.] Why does that make you happy? You're so strange.

[vrdantwind]

All of my advice is good advice. [Claude grins.] It's just that some of it isn't all that relevant to you, because you don't have to worry so much about being a leader. I have, though.

As for why it makes me happy...it's just fun. And it's a little fragment of something shared and personal between people - a shared memory, an injoke, something like that. We've been basically strangers up until now, but now we've got at least one thing that's between us and no one else.

[bestswordmaster]

Hmph. I'll gladly leave the leading to you.

[One thing that's between us and no one else... It shouldn't feel as...personal, almost intimate, as it does. But Felix has noticed this about Claude: somehow, talking to him always feels like you're the only person in the room even if you're not. Or maybe the only person in the world. Felix is used to putting himself firmly in the background and staying there, but Claude has a way of drawing people out that's...strangely not unpleasant.

On the other hand, Sylvain does too, and 99% of the time it's all empty gestures and means absolutely nothing. Claude...seems genuine, but how would Felix ever know for sure?]

Is that... [How does he ask this without sounding pathetic? Why is he even asking in the first place?] You must have a lot of those. With everyone you know.

[vrdantwind]

Nah. Only with the people I really like. [Claude smiles at him.] Granted, with those people I don't usually have to come up with something to share with them, because we already share things. Memories, usually, like my friends back in the Alliance. [He folds his hands together.] But with you, we've gotten friendly really quickly, so we've got nothing to share yet. So I just made something up.

I have to admit, I never thought I'd like spending time with you like this from what little I saw of you back at Garreg Mach. Or, at least, not as much as I have been. I don't know if that's because you've changed since then, or because I never looked deeply enough. I mean, it's not like you seemed to want anyone to bother you back then anyway, so I just didn't. [He rubs the back of his neck.] But even if you're prickly, you're a lot easier to get along with than I ever expected. It would've been nice to get to know you without all the mess, but I'm glad something got us talking.

[bestswordmaster]

[Felix can't help thinking that they did share one thing before this... He's starting to feel a little tired, but he doesn't particularly want to leave. He sits down on the floor instead, drawing his knees up a bit and resting his arms loosely atop them.]

Is all of that supposed to be a compliment? [He lifts a brow, but there's no venom here.] But I think I know what you mean. I always thought you were irresponsible and never took anything seriously. You're not like that now, though. You're easy to talk to, but not in a fake way. At least, as far as I can tell. And you're good at everything, which is baffling.

[Felix shrugs.] I didn't want anyone to bother me back then. I don't want anyone to bother me now, either. But you don't bother me.

[vrdantwind]

[Claude chuckles.] If you want to sit, at least sit on the bed. I won't bite. Or do anything inappropriate. [He winks.] I mean, mind you, with how tonight's gone, I should be the one worrying about you ravishing me without warning...