[ sylvain, meanwhile, still knows no reason to be uneasy around claude... :') he's treating the afterlife like retirement after the war. they may still need to hunt and gather and whatever else to make ends meet, but it's not so different from life back home in that regard. in some ways actually it's easier, being surrounded by modern conveniences.
more than their academy days, it reminds sylvain of rebuilding garreg mach again, everyone chipping in to clear away rubble and bring in supplies.
speaking of... ]
Does this taste like anything to you?
[ he holds out a ladleful of soup for claude to try. it probably tastes... reasonable? like soup? but sylvain wants to know if he'll recognize the recipe... ]
[ Claude stares at the ladle a second, taken aback at such a brazen attempt to poison him. He supposes they do seem to be relatively alone; startlingly few witnesses in a compound designed to house so many. But Sylvain always had been rather clever, it wouldn't surprise him if this were carefully planned out.
He thinks he could grab a kitchen knife before Sylvain lands his first hit.
He takes the ladle from Sylvain, carefully sniffing the soup and lifting a brow at Sylvain, lead still lowered. ]
Am I going to regret this? [ He blows gently on it, before taking a small sip. ] ... It's pretty hot.
[ ...calm down claude it is just soup. if there's anything he should be worried about, it's that it's under-seasoned, as all things are in faerghus. ]
Uh. Depends on how much of a picky eater you are?
[ sylvain doesn't exactly exude confidence in the kitchen, but he's not incapable of following a basic recipe...? (boil the vegetable and fish together, and serve with melted cheese...)
—oh, right. the cheese. he adds a little to the top of the ladle, letting the ambient heat melt the shredded pieces. ]
[ Well, Claude doesn't drop dead, so he lets Sylvain sprinkle cheese into the ladle, letting it melt a little before blowing over the soup to take another sip.
It's certainly an improvement with the cheese. ]
Ah. It is similar to the stew they used to serve back at Garreg Mach.
[ He remembers now, though he hadn't had it in over two years. It was thick, flavourful, and loaded with cheese. ]
[ hehe... sylvain's expression brightens triumphantly. not quite smug, because he is very aware that he is no dedue in the kitchen. ]
That's the one!
[ he perches his hands on his hips, gazing into the contents of the pot. ]
I was chatting with someone the other night [ guess... who... ] and it got me thinking... Maybe I should try to recreate what I can from home before I forget it all. [ starting with cheesy verona stew, apparently. ] It's probably too late to take up painting anyway, so I figure food's my next best shot.
[ ... ] It's missing something though, and I can't figure out what.
[ he looks back to claude, vaguely hopeful he may be able to provide Culinary Insight. ]
[ Claude just blinks at Sylvain a moment, taken aback by how pleased he seems to be by this little venture. It's kind of disorienting to standing here and chatting with him as though they were nothing but a pair of old classmates.
He wonders if they could've been friends if they'd had a little more time together at Garreg Mach. ]
I didn't know you were skilled in the kitchen.
[ He straightens up, smiling a little, a little more of the tension easing out of him. ]
This is the cheesy verona stew, right? It tastes pretty good as is, but if you think that something is missing... [ He actually has no idea what the ingredients are beyond fish and cheese. ] Perhaps it could use additional spices?
[ sylvain himself isn't sure how things might've turned out back at the officers academy, had they been given more opportunities to interact. with how guarded he was, the way he projected his hurt on others... he could've very well hated claude the same way he did byleth. (maybe he might feel a bubble of old jealousy now, but it would be short-lived. he's burned so much of it out of his system already.)
hypotheticals aside, it's pretty nice to be able to mill about without any academic or political obligation hanging over them. claude may not be the most familiar face to him, but he still considers him a friendly one. maybe now's their chance to get to know each other? ]
Hardly, but it's nice to know I fooled you.
[ he winks, and then ladles out two small bowls, adding the appropriate amount of cheese to them as well. hopefully claude is hungry, because sylvain definitely made too much for one. ]
I'm wondering that too. But... I can't remember what herbs we used from the greenhouse back then. I'll have to ask the others when I get a chance.
[ others being felix and dimitri. though... sylvain doesn't think either of them will know, either... ]
[ Well, the bar is in hell as far as Claude is concerned. The only one with a modicum of skill in the kitchen in the Golden Deer was Raphael, and his meals tended to be little more than large chunks of seared meat. Sometimes even without any seasoning.
Leonie and Ignatz certainly weren't slouches, and Leonie at least was proficient enough, but neither of them grew up with the richness of spice or diversity in ingredients, so their food tended to be one-note.
In any case, Claude had no room to talk. He could barely sauté garlic and onions without burning them.
He's being genuine with his compliment though, and his smile is sincere when he looks over at Sylvain, ] Maybe Dedue shared the information with Dimitri? Otherwise... I'm not sure if you'll ever find out.
[ the bar so low even sylvain makes it over... DIRE INDEED. (the only thing he really has going for him is a pickier palate and 92834732 activity points spent cooking the same handful of recipes.)
he gives claude a crooked smile, though there's genuine amusement there behind his incredulous tone. a slight crinkle around his eyes suggesting he appreciates the compliment even if he doesn't agree. ]
Or, you're just suspiciously easy to please for a lordling. [ not that he knows claude well enough to accuse him of being a picky eater. ]
But thanks. And if anyone's taking notes, it'll be him.
[ their diligent dimitri... sylvain stirs his soup a bit, then takes a sip. ]
[ Claude just smiles back at him, leaning back on his heels. ]
I know what the right thing is to say to get someone to cook my favourite meals.
[ Does he think Sylvain is an incredible cook? Not really. Is the food edible? Basically. At least Sylvain doesn't think that salt makes a dish too spicy.
Four years in Fodlan have really done their damage to his taste buds. ]
[ he grins and tucks away another spoonful of soup. ]
Tall, dark and handsome, and knows his way around the kitchen? Nobody stands a chance to that.
[ (he should be bitterly jealous, but instead he finds it entertaining.) ]
...If we ask him nicely, maybe he'll even wear that cute pink apron again.
[ sorry not sorry to read claude's bracket thoughts. sylvain gestures to the apron in question, hanging neatly on one of the wall hooks. it is now a communal apron... ]
[ He looks over when Sylvain mentions it, not having noticed the apron before, but there it is, in all it's cute glory. ]
You didn't deign to wear it yourself, Sylvain? Worried you'd become too irresistible?
[ That seems like something Sylvain might worry about. At least, two years ago. Claude doesn't think they ever spoke more than a handful of times at the Academy, but he wasn't immune to the rumours about the Gautier heir.
Not that he cared one lick about them. There were plenty of rumours about him too. ]
[ He quirks a brow at the sight of Sylvain in the now Fabled Apron, having a brief, one-second out of body experience at the knowledge that he's messing around in a kitchen with a Sylvain four years older than he remembers. Claude fancies himself a man who can dream big, but even this is something outside his wildest imagination.
But he acquiesces the request, pulling his phone out of his pocket and opening up the camera. ]
All right. Strike a pose, Gautier.
[ Snapping the photo, he sends it over to Sylvain, looking amused. ]
[ were the conversation not about wheedling a hot meal from their landlord, sylvain might question whether claude's being shrewd, or shameless.
(and it still doesn't feel entirely real, no, but he accepts all this the way he does the idea of modern appliances and handheld technology—impossible before, now suddenly the norm.)
...he has no idea how to model for a photograph, though, and settles with pretending to stir the pot of soup. ]
Thanks. [ he grins at his phone, then at claude. ]
...So. What would a smooth talker like you say, if you wanted to ask someone you didn't know very well out to dinner?
[ That's not a question that he was expecting, and he just tilts his head at Sylvain, as if questioning the logic behind his asking. ]
Do you think I'm more well versed in this area than you?
[ He doesn't know if he's ever asked anyone out on a date, actually. He's certainly asked people to tea and to dinner, mostly for business reasons. The closest experience that he has to what Sylvain is asking are the picnics that Shez would ask him on.
He taps his chin. ]
A good friend of mine would simply say, "want to go on an expedition?" and it would turn out to be a picnic. I'm not sure how well that would go over with a stranger.
[ it's not about whether claude has game (he could be just as maidenless for all he knows), but rather, ]
I think you're good at making people feel at ease around you.
[ or at least, it's worked on sylvain thus far. he takes the suggestion into consideration with a soft hum, and figures he should probably offer some context: ]
...I guess I don't want them to feel like I'm coming onto them too strongly. Especially since this would be our first time meeting in person. But they seemed kinda lonely last we talked.
[ he gestures to the bowls of soup on the table. ]
We may not come from the same place, but I was thinking it might be nice to share some recipes. I mean, that's not the only reason I'm in the kitchen, but it's part of it. [ it all comes full circle... ]
[ That doesn't sound right. Claude would be glad if it were true, but he knows that he's not always the best at empathizing or saying the right thing in times of emotional anguish. He'd been tense and uneasy during their first meeting—it was Sylvain who'd broken the ice.
Sylvain continues, and a certain unease starts to creep into his stomach. Was this all a trap?
He leans a hip against the counter, thoughtful. ]
I suppose as long as you make it clear there's no hard feelings if they turn you down, that'll be enough.
[ His heel digs into the floor, agitated, but the gesture is soundless with the slippers he has on. ]
[ he pokes at his meal with his spoon, oblivious to claude's misgivings, and nods in agreement. ]
That seems fair.
[ best not to go into these sorts of things with lofty expectations, though he supposes he wouldn't be dejected so much as disappointed. (sometimes... having difficulty forming genuine attachments comes in handy...)
he can only see how far his curiosity takes him, and call it off when the time comes. being dead really helps him keep a mellow outlook—after all, what's the worse that can happen that hasn't already? ]
They mentioned missing their friends. That they felt like their life's dream was taken away...
[ he glimpses up at claude, expression empathetic ] ...That sounds kind of sad, don't you think?
[ Okay, there's no doubt in Claude's mind that this is a trap. Sylvain must've lured him here with soup, then sprung this conversation on him to gauge how he would react.
And... to be fair, it's kind of deserved. Claude was the one out there pretending to be some unknown noblewoman. And while he maintains that it was a smart decision (especially given some of the other profiles out there), it would've been the more gracious thing to do to tell Sylvain the truth when he first recognized him on the app.
He sighs, settling a hand on his hip and rubbing his fingers over his temples. ]
If this was your plan all along, it's very well thought out, Sylvain.
[ He has to wonder, when did Sylvain realize? From the beginning? He supposes that his fake moniker wasn't particularly inspired.
He fixes Sylvain with a smile that concedes defeat. ]
I suppose I deserve to sweat a little for trying to fool everyone with my little profile. I probably could've been a little more creative than "Claudia"...
[ though it takes a few seconds for the realization to sink in, there's a noticeable shift to claude's body language that informs sylvain they have, in fact, not been holding the same conversation this entire time.
he's speechless in his surprise at first, expression comically blank as his mind first tries to decipher what exactly claude means by that.
(that can't be possible...? or rather, the claim is so outlandish it's sylvain's first instinct to reject it entirely? what does he even mean, how,) ]
[ —and then his brain starts scrambling to catch up with the past 10-20 minutes of interaction. in reality this is like, maybe a 5 second delay at most, but internally the shocking revelation spans the length of a dramatic anime timeskip.
so, claude has to be "claudia"—how else would he have known, with certainty, whom sylvain was referring to? no names had been given, and the contents of their chat log had been strictly private. no one's gotten access to sylvain's device since he's had it...
...but that means... claude IS claudia?!?!?!?!?!?!? ]
[ but why would claude go through the trouble of making a fake profile? what does he stand to gain? to lose?
why would he have kept responding to sylvain knowing exactly who's on the other end of the line? it's not like sylvain has any state secrets to spill, nevermind they've always been allies against the empire anyway (in sylvain's version of fódlan lol).
...also again, they're dead and politics don't matter here.
...he's so confused. is this supposed to be a prank...? that trajectory of thinking sends him down another rabbit hole: what would even be the motive? he doesn't think claude is so immature to act like a schoolboy, especially to a near-stranger... ]
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more than their academy days, it reminds sylvain of rebuilding garreg mach again, everyone chipping in to clear away rubble and bring in supplies.
speaking of... ]
Does this taste like anything to you?
[ he holds out a ladleful of soup for claude to try. it probably tastes... reasonable? like soup? but sylvain wants to know if he'll recognize the recipe... ]
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He thinks he could grab a kitchen knife before Sylvain lands his first hit.
He takes the ladle from Sylvain, carefully sniffing the soup and lifting a brow at Sylvain, lead still lowered. ]
Am I going to regret this? [ He blows gently on it, before taking a small sip. ] ... It's pretty hot.
[ Temperature wise. ]
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Uh. Depends on how much of a picky eater you are?
[ sylvain doesn't exactly exude confidence in the kitchen, but he's not incapable of following a basic recipe...? (boil the vegetable and fish together, and serve with melted cheese...)
—oh, right. the cheese. he adds a little to the top of the ladle, letting the ambient heat melt the shredded pieces. ]
Nothing coming back to you at all...?
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It's certainly an improvement with the cheese. ]
Ah. It is similar to the stew they used to serve back at Garreg Mach.
[ He remembers now, though he hadn't had it in over two years. It was thick, flavourful, and loaded with cheese. ]
Feeling nostalgic, Sylvain?
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That's the one!
[ he perches his hands on his hips, gazing into the contents of the pot. ]
I was chatting with someone the other night [ guess... who... ] and it got me thinking... Maybe I should try to recreate what I can from home before I forget it all. [ starting with cheesy verona stew, apparently. ] It's probably too late to take up painting anyway, so I figure food's my next best shot.
[ ... ] It's missing something though, and I can't figure out what.
[ he looks back to claude, vaguely hopeful he may be able to provide Culinary Insight. ]
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He wonders if they could've been friends if they'd had a little more time together at Garreg Mach. ]
I didn't know you were skilled in the kitchen.
[ He straightens up, smiling a little, a little more of the tension easing out of him. ]
This is the cheesy verona stew, right? It tastes pretty good as is, but if you think that something is missing... [ He actually has no idea what the ingredients are beyond fish and cheese. ] Perhaps it could use additional spices?
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hypotheticals aside, it's pretty nice to be able to mill about without any academic or political obligation hanging over them. claude may not be the most familiar face to him, but he still considers him a friendly one. maybe now's their chance to get to know each other? ]
Hardly, but it's nice to know I fooled you.
[ he winks, and then ladles out two small bowls, adding the appropriate amount of cheese to them as well. hopefully claude is hungry, because sylvain definitely made too much for one. ]
I'm wondering that too. But... I can't remember what herbs we used from the greenhouse back then. I'll have to ask the others when I get a chance.
[ others being felix and dimitri. though... sylvain doesn't think either of them will know, either... ]
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[ Well, the bar is in hell as far as Claude is concerned. The only one with a modicum of skill in the kitchen in the Golden Deer was Raphael, and his meals tended to be little more than large chunks of seared meat. Sometimes even without any seasoning.
Leonie and Ignatz certainly weren't slouches, and Leonie at least was proficient enough, but neither of them grew up with the richness of spice or diversity in ingredients, so their food tended to be one-note.
In any case, Claude had no room to talk. He could barely sauté garlic and onions without burning them.
He's being genuine with his compliment though, and his smile is sincere when he looks over at Sylvain, ] Maybe Dedue shared the information with Dimitri? Otherwise... I'm not sure if you'll ever find out.
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he gives claude a crooked smile, though there's genuine amusement there behind his incredulous tone. a slight crinkle around his eyes suggesting he appreciates the compliment even if he doesn't agree. ]
Or, you're just suspiciously easy to please for a lordling. [ not that he knows claude well enough to accuse him of being a picky eater. ]
But thanks. And if anyone's taking notes, it'll be him.
[ their diligent dimitri... sylvain stirs his soup a bit, then takes a sip. ]
...Got anything you're craving from home?
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I know what the right thing is to say to get someone to cook my favourite meals.
[ Does he think Sylvain is an incredible cook? Not really. Is the food edible? Basically. At least Sylvain doesn't think that salt makes a dish too spicy.
Four years in Fodlan have really done their damage to his taste buds. ]
Do you know how to roast a bird?
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With enough flattery, I might.
[ (no, he would ruin so many birds trying to roast them correctly.) ]
...Or, find someone else who knows how. Joonghyuk seems to know his stuff.
[ this was his ploy all along... try to get malewife #1 to cook them meals. ]
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Joonghyuk being able to cook is quite a surprise. He's rather good at it too.
[ He thinks back to Joonghyuk in the apron... If ever Claude had an ideal wife. ]
He must've been ridiculously popular with women while alive.
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Tall, dark and handsome, and knows his way around the kitchen? Nobody stands a chance to that.
[ (he should be bitterly jealous, but instead he finds it entertaining.) ]
...If we ask him nicely, maybe he'll even wear that cute pink apron again.
[ sorry not sorry to read claude's bracket thoughts. sylvain gestures to the apron in question, hanging neatly on one of the wall hooks. it is now a communal apron... ]
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You didn't deign to wear it yourself, Sylvain? Worried you'd become too irresistible?
[ That seems like something Sylvain might worry about. At least, two years ago. Claude doesn't think they ever spoke more than a handful of times at the Academy, but he wasn't immune to the rumours about the Gautier heir.
Not that he cared one lick about them. There were plenty of rumours about him too. ]
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Are you still trying to butter me up? You really oughta save it for Joonghyuk.
[ sylvain isn't shy about appearances, to say the least, and marches over to don the apron in question. ]
Mind taking a picture? I'm gonna get a second opinion.
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[ He quirks a brow at the sight of Sylvain in the now Fabled Apron, having a brief, one-second out of body experience at the knowledge that he's messing around in a kitchen with a Sylvain four years older than he remembers. Claude fancies himself a man who can dream big, but even this is something outside his wildest imagination.
But he acquiesces the request, pulling his phone out of his pocket and opening up the camera. ]
All right. Strike a pose, Gautier.
[ Snapping the photo, he sends it over to Sylvain, looking amused. ]
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(and it still doesn't feel entirely real, no, but he accepts all this the way he does the idea of modern appliances and handheld technology—impossible before, now suddenly the norm.)
...he has no idea how to model for a photograph, though, and settles with pretending to stir the pot of soup. ]
Thanks. [ he grins at his phone, then at claude. ]
...So. What would a smooth talker like you say, if you wanted to ask someone you didn't know very well out to dinner?
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Do you think I'm more well versed in this area than you?
[ He doesn't know if he's ever asked anyone out on a date, actually. He's certainly asked people to tea and to dinner, mostly for business reasons. The closest experience that he has to what Sylvain is asking are the picnics that Shez would ask him on.
He taps his chin. ]
A good friend of mine would simply say, "want to go on an expedition?" and it would turn out to be a picnic. I'm not sure how well that would go over with a stranger.
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I think you're good at making people feel at ease around you.
[ or at least, it's worked on sylvain thus far. he takes the suggestion into consideration with a soft hum, and figures he should probably offer some context: ]
...I guess I don't want them to feel like I'm coming onto them too strongly. Especially since this would be our first time meeting in person. But they seemed kinda lonely last we talked.
[ he gestures to the bowls of soup on the table. ]
We may not come from the same place, but I was thinking it might be nice to share some recipes. I mean, that's not the only reason I'm in the kitchen, but it's part of it. [ it all comes full circle... ]
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Sylvain continues, and a certain unease starts to creep into his stomach. Was this all a trap?
He leans a hip against the counter, thoughtful. ]
I suppose as long as you make it clear there's no hard feelings if they turn you down, that'll be enough.
[ His heel digs into the floor, agitated, but the gesture is soundless with the slippers he has on. ]
Why do you think they're lonely?
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That seems fair.
[ best not to go into these sorts of things with lofty expectations, though he supposes he wouldn't be dejected so much as disappointed. (sometimes... having difficulty forming genuine attachments comes in handy...)
he can only see how far his curiosity takes him, and call it off when the time comes. being dead really helps him keep a mellow outlook—after all, what's the worse that can happen that hasn't already? ]
They mentioned missing their friends. That they felt like their life's dream was taken away...
[ he glimpses up at claude, expression empathetic ] ...That sounds kind of sad, don't you think?
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And... to be fair, it's kind of deserved. Claude was the one out there pretending to be some unknown noblewoman. And while he maintains that it was a smart decision (especially given some of the other profiles out there), it would've been the more gracious thing to do to tell Sylvain the truth when he first recognized him on the app.
He sighs, settling a hand on his hip and rubbing his fingers over his temples. ]
If this was your plan all along, it's very well thought out, Sylvain.
[ He has to wonder, when did Sylvain realize? From the beginning? He supposes that his fake moniker wasn't particularly inspired.
He fixes Sylvain with a smile that concedes defeat. ]
I suppose I deserve to sweat a little for trying to fool everyone with my little profile. I probably could've been a little more creative than "Claudia"...
1/?
he's speechless in his surprise at first, expression comically blank as his mind first tries to decipher what exactly claude means by that.
(that can't be possible...? or rather, the claim is so outlandish it's sylvain's first instinct to reject it entirely? what does he even mean, how,) ]
2/? (mental breakdown)
so, claude has to be "claudia"—how else would he have known, with certainty, whom sylvain was referring to? no names had been given, and the contents of their chat log had been strictly private. no one's gotten access to sylvain's device since he's had it...
...but that means... claude IS claudia?!?!?!?!?!?!? ]
3/?
why would he have kept responding to sylvain knowing exactly who's on the other end of the line? it's not like sylvain has any state secrets to spill, nevermind they've always been allies against the empire anyway (in sylvain's version of fódlan lol).
...also again, they're dead and politics don't matter here.
...he's so confused. is this supposed to be a prank...? that trajectory of thinking sends him down another rabbit hole: what would even be the motive? he doesn't think claude is so immature to act like a schoolboy, especially to a near-stranger... ]
4/4 omfg
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