There's a difference between askin' questions to learn and askin' them to try and trip up the person you're learing from. [Sir.
Anyway, that's right, he didn't get around to showing Claude. He pulls that weird blade out from the depths of his coat (how? Don't ask questions. It's fine, JRPG logic.) and he seems to hit some sort of trigger on the handle, at which it shifts and expands with a mechanical twang, the blade does transform... into a bow.]
Y'see why it's called that... [He seems to hesitate, before deciding it's fine, he might as well.] This one's hers, actually... Divine Cannon. Hadn't seen it for years before I found it in my room here. Can't say she ever dumped me in the woods a fend fer myself, though. Seems a bit much.
I'm just making sure I'm getting the best education possible.
(He doesn't know what he was expecting but..... it maybe wasn't that? His eyes go wide with surprise and he gasps, effectively caught off guard by the transformation,)
Woah!
(He almost drops his arrow and wouldn't that be a shame if he had to re-tie everything all over again? Luckily, he manages to catch it and just has to pull it tight again.)
It's beautiful. (Elegant shape, a fine design... he can tell it's a good bow. And knowing the story behind it makes it feel more significant,) ... And must be real precious to you.
Yeah. I wonder if they'd let me keep if if we manage to leave the Realm. [But! Enough of that! Enough about him. Claude cut and run as soon as the topic switched to him at the party, but here he has a task to complete first.]
Is tossin' kids into the wilderness a normal part of the curriculum in yer "Leicester Alliance"?
(He holds the string taught in his hands for a moment and then resumes where he left off.)
No.
(Tying and knotting the string in place, he's finished his first arrow. While not as fine as the ones you might get at a proper armory, there's really nothing wrong with his work considering their limits,)
I didn't have a typical upbringing. (Just going to hold out his hand for yet another arrow,) ... So you remember everything after all.
(From the dinner. He'd reeked of alcohol but he still had enough in him to retain something,)
What do you really wanna know, old man? I doubt you want to hear about how I was indoctrinated in religion and politics. Or maybe you want to hear about how every lord learns how to use a sword?
Hmm, it's a good thing I chose what to tell you instead of giving you a free pass.
(Even when it comes to sloppy drunks, Claude von Riegan has a level of caution. To some degree, Claude has been able to control the topic at hand,)
I didn't go to school in the Alliance. Sure, I had lessons in etiquette and domestic affairs but any noble worth their title gets sent to the Officers Academy at Garreg Mach instead.
(And they learn how to fight, about the Church, and all of that other boring stuff like he mentioned before. But they didn't really talk about Garreg Mach that night, did they? The Alliance was the topic and he redirects the conversation back on point,)
Do I? Hopefully it's someone good. Let's see... Like I said, the Alliance is managed by the Five Elite Houses of which, House Riegan is the leader. Together, we're supposed work together so the Empire and Kingdom don't get any funny ideas about taking back their old lands. In recent years, House Riegan has had some problems... my grandfather's getting up there in years and isn't as spry as he used to be. His daughter ran away from home a long time ago and his son, the last heir, died suddenly in an accident.
(Or conveniently whatever your perspective is,)
Without an heir, some of the other houses started to get ambitious. Unfortunately for them, my grandfather managed to track down his long lost daughter. Unfortunately for him, she had no intention of coming back but as fate would have it, she had a son... And not just any son, but one who could even prove definitively he was a Riegan so none of the other houses could question him.
[Wow, it's like a story out of a book. How romantic. Even if Claude phrases it like that, it's obvious this "son" is him since he already said he was his grandfather's heir.]
Proof or not, I have to imagine, if your nobles are anything like the ones I've known, they ain't all exactly thrilled at the prospect of what's in practice an outsider set up to take over the alliance. If yer really not nervous, yer either incredibly well prepared for those problems, or stupid. [And.... given what he knows of Claude, he's favoring the former.]
Harry could take a page or two outta your book. He's keen ta prove he's worthy of the Whitehorse name, but he sure doesn't have any ideas of how ta do it. The Don's never gonna be able ta retire at this rate. [You know, Don Whitehorse, the man who is definitely still alive and well. That guy.]
Got it in one. The people of Fodlan don't really like outsiders. They're pretty caught up with themselves and how things have always been. (It's pretty ethnocentric.) Let's just say, the Alliance's roundtable is a walk in the park compared to what I'm used to.
(So yeah, he's definitely prepared for whatever comes his way.
Ah, but Claude is going to tilt his head at that. There are some questions he can definitely ask but uh,)
[Well. That sends a chill down his spine, suddenly. A creeping susupicion, a worry. He tries to squash it down and not think about it. He tries to think, to remember everything he told Claude, but it's hard to remember forgetting-]
Ah... [Frowning. It's weird, this sort of, fogginess. And a gap.]
No I think I must've forgotten something... You remember what it was?
(Oh, boy. He finds no joy in this and it shows, the way he looks away in a poor attempt to hide his sympathies-- the frown on his face, the sadness in his eyes.
There are a lot of things he could keep a secret. He could keep this a secret and let Raven continue about his days in ignorance but this feels... wrong. As shady and manipulative as Claude can be, he isn't cruel.)
You told me he died. (Nothing about how or when but...) I'm sorry, Raven.
He- [DROPS THE UNFINISHED ARROWS HE WAS HOLDING IN HIS HANDS.
A million questions run through his head. How? When? Why??? But he's sure Claude doesn't know. Whatever-whenever it was, he can't imagine he talked about it at length.
The don died? Don Whitehorse is dead. Claude wouldn't tell such a cruel lie.
The leader of the guild union, the man who gave him a second chance, the man who named him Raven, created him... He's gone.]
[Does he even have any right to exist anymore? Who is Raven of Altosk without Don Whitehorse, really?
The Don wouldn't want him to give up, he'd want him to find the will to go forward. He'd smack him upside the head for thinking like this, if he could.
But he can't. He's gone. And Raven's really not as strong as anyone seems to think he is.]
[And then a weird, disjointed and unattached memory floats to the top of his mind, something the don said to him, or well, must have said. It's his voice, but he can't remember when he said it;
You better nail Yeager for me.
Was that- Is it vague because it has to do with the Don's death? Yeager, he'd always been incredibly suspicious, but to kill the don, or more likely, create a situation for him to be killed...]
I see. Well, seems like I can't die just yet. I gotta deal with the guy responsible, first. Thanks fer telling me. [He says, as he puts a hand on the back of his neck, but he sounds... so tired and far away.]
I know he was important to you. You said he was an incredible man.
(Hmm. This is difficult now, and he frowns,)
I understand.
(Maybe not exactly but he can understand wanting to go after whoever was responsible for this. And just as he'd supported Byleth, he supports Raven. And quietly, softly, )
Even if you stop moving, the world keeps turning. I've always been comforted by that.
(He's never lost anyone close to him before. At least, he doesn't think so.)
Do you want a moment?
(Alone? He knows Raven has his secrets and might not express or release himself the way he needs to if someone else is around.)
... I'd appreciate it, if ya did. [That's nice, he thinks. Maybe morbid, but if the Don's dead, the idea of no one remembering that... Doesn't sit right with him. Even if it's bad, the Don would have wanted the truth to be remembered.]
You gotta finish those arrows, first. [Giving them both a distraction.]
[And then, in what is probably starting to become more a concerning behavior than endearing, Raven just.... bounces back? Everything is fine he doesn't have traumas or sad emotions at all ever.]
Hey, I'm just making sure ya hold up her end of the bargain, y'know?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[Sir.
Anyway, that's right, he didn't get around to showing Claude. He pulls that weird blade out from the depths of his coat (how? Don't ask questions. It's fine, JRPG logic.) and he seems to hit some sort of trigger on the handle, at which it shifts and expands with a mechanical twang, the blade does transform... into a bow.]
Y'see why it's called that... [He seems to hesitate, before deciding it's fine, he might as well.] This one's hers, actually... Divine Cannon. Hadn't seen it for years before I found it in my room here. Can't say she ever dumped me in the woods a fend fer myself, though. Seems a bit much.
no subject
(He doesn't know what he was expecting but..... it maybe wasn't that? His eyes go wide with surprise and he gasps, effectively caught off guard by the transformation,)
Woah!
(He almost drops his arrow and wouldn't that be a shame if he had to re-tie everything all over again? Luckily, he manages to catch it and just has to pull it tight again.)
It's beautiful. (Elegant shape, a fine design... he can tell it's a good bow. And knowing the story behind it makes it feel more significant,) ... And must be real precious to you.
no subject
[But! Enough of that! Enough about him. Claude cut and run as soon as the topic switched to him at the party, but here he has a task to complete first.]
Is tossin' kids into the wilderness a normal part of the curriculum in yer "Leicester Alliance"?
no subject
No.
(Tying and knotting the string in place, he's finished his first arrow. While not as fine as the ones you might get at a proper armory, there's really nothing wrong with his work considering their limits,)
I didn't have a typical upbringing. (Just going to hold out his hand for yet another arrow,) ... So you remember everything after all.
(From the dinner. He'd reeked of alcohol but he still had enough in him to retain something,)
What do you really wanna know, old man? I doubt you want to hear about how I was indoctrinated in religion and politics. Or maybe you want to hear about how every lord learns how to use a sword?
no subject
People're a lot more likely ta tell you things if they think yer too drunk to remember.
[Perhaps he was putting on something of an act.]
I dunno, I'm just curious, same as you are. You remind me a bit of someone I used ta know.
no subject
(Even when it comes to sloppy drunks, Claude von Riegan has a level of caution. To some degree, Claude has been able to control the topic at hand,)
I didn't go to school in the Alliance. Sure, I had lessons in etiquette and domestic affairs but any noble worth their title gets sent to the Officers Academy at Garreg Mach instead.
(And they learn how to fight, about the Church, and all of that other boring stuff like he mentioned before. But they didn't really talk about Garreg Mach that night, did they? The Alliance was the topic and he redirects the conversation back on point,)
Do I? Hopefully it's someone good. Let's see... Like I said, the Alliance is managed by the Five Elite Houses of which, House Riegan is the leader. Together, we're supposed work together so the Empire and Kingdom don't get any funny ideas about taking back their old lands. In recent years, House Riegan has had some problems... my grandfather's getting up there in years and isn't as spry as he used to be. His daughter ran away from home a long time ago and his son, the last heir, died suddenly in an accident.
(Or conveniently whatever your perspective is,)
Without an heir, some of the other houses started to get ambitious. Unfortunately for them, my grandfather managed to track down his long lost daughter. Unfortunately for him, she had no intention of coming back but as fate would have it, she had a son... And not just any son, but one who could even prove definitively he was a Riegan so none of the other houses could question him.
no subject
Proof or not, I have to imagine, if your nobles are anything like the ones I've known, they ain't all exactly thrilled at the prospect of what's in practice an outsider set up to take over the alliance. If yer really not nervous, yer either incredibly well prepared for those problems, or stupid.
[And.... given what he knows of Claude, he's favoring the former.]
Harry could take a page or two outta your book. He's keen ta prove he's worthy of the Whitehorse name, but he sure doesn't have any ideas of how ta do it. The Don's never gonna be able ta retire at this rate.
[You know, Don Whitehorse, the man who is definitely still alive and well. That guy.]
no subject
Got it in one. The people of Fodlan don't really like outsiders. They're pretty caught up with themselves and how things have always been. (It's pretty ethnocentric.) Let's just say, the Alliance's roundtable is a walk in the park compared to what I'm used to.
(So yeah, he's definitely prepared for whatever comes his way.
Ah, but Claude is going to tilt his head at that. There are some questions he can definitely ask but uh,)
The Don? (...) How's he doing?
no subject
[A beat.]
Y'know. I don't think I actually know how old he is. But he was already old when I met him, and that was 10 years ago.
no subject
He's quiet and sets down his most recently acquired arrow and turns just a bit to give Raven his full attention,)
Raven. You remember when we spoke... Do you remember everything we talked about?
no subject
Ah...
[Frowning. It's weird, this sort of, fogginess. And a gap.]
No I think I must've forgotten something... You remember what it was?
no subject
There are a lot of things he could keep a secret. He could keep this a secret and let Raven continue about his days in ignorance but this feels... wrong. As shady and manipulative as Claude can be, he isn't cruel.)
You told me he died. (Nothing about how or when but...) I'm sorry, Raven.
1/3
[DROPS THE UNFINISHED ARROWS HE WAS HOLDING IN HIS HANDS.
A million questions run through his head. How? When? Why??? But he's sure Claude doesn't know. Whatever-whenever it was, he can't imagine he talked about it at length.
The don died? Don Whitehorse is dead. Claude wouldn't tell such a cruel lie.
The leader of the guild union, the man who gave him a second chance, the man who named him Raven, created him... He's gone.]
2/
The Don wouldn't want him to give up, he'd want him to find the will to go forward. He'd smack him upside the head for thinking like this, if he could.
But he can't. He's gone. And Raven's really not as strong as anyone seems to think he is.]
3/3
You better nail Yeager for me.
Was that- Is it vague because it has to do with the Don's death? Yeager, he'd always been incredibly suspicious, but to kill the don, or more likely, create a situation for him to be killed...]
I see. Well, seems like I can't die just yet. I gotta deal with the guy responsible, first. Thanks fer telling me.
[He says, as he puts a hand on the back of his neck, but he sounds... so tired and far away.]
no subject
(Hmm. This is difficult now, and he frowns,)
I understand.
(Maybe not exactly but he can understand wanting to go after whoever was responsible for this. And just as he'd supported Byleth, he supports Raven. And quietly, softly, )
Even if you stop moving, the world keeps turning. I've always been comforted by that.
(He's never lost anyone close to him before. At least, he doesn't think so.)
Do you want a moment?
(Alone? He knows Raven has his secrets and might not express or release himself the way he needs to if someone else is around.)
no subject
Nah. I'm sure if I was gonna cry, I've done it already.
[Back before he forgot.]
I guess I'm just afraid of forgettin' again once I'm done talking to you.
no subject
I can stay a while longer. (He twists at the feather,) And when it's all gone... I can remember for you until you do.
no subject
[That's nice, he thinks. Maybe morbid, but if the Don's dead, the idea of no one remembering that... Doesn't sit right with him. Even if it's bad, the Don would have wanted the truth to be remembered.]
You gotta finish those arrows, first.
[Giving them both a distraction.]
no subject
(It's a welcome distraction, and one he'll gladly use.
But he means it. As long as he can, he'll also remember for Raven.)
no subject
Hey, I'm just making sure ya hold up her end of the bargain, y'know?