[ The blinking feels like prize enough at that bewildered surprise clear on her face, and her laughter feels even more so when the grin reappears on his face post-Holst impression as she skates around again to redirect them a different direction. Considering his ability to skate is incredibly tenuous at best - not to mention managing to be upright is something he's considering an accomplishment enough on its own - he's more than content to let her lead.
And that gives him more metaphorical space, of course, to consider what it is Hilda's telling him about Holst wanting her to stay in Goneril. It's something he's heard before and sends an echo back to when he'd brought up the idea of her meeting his parents in what feels like such a long time ago now even if the offer still stands to this day. Hilda had mentioned Holst being an obstacle, and, well. That is not something Claude doubts even if he still has yet to figure out a way around it.
Which starts, of course, with putting on a look of absolute(ly fake) shock. ]
Are you saying you're not going to help me out with that all? I'm heartbroken!
[ He's no such thing, but that doesn't stop him from tugging on her hands as if to bring her a little closer again. There's any number of things he could say here in terms of convincing Holst, and he certainly things about saying all of them while spinning yet another thread bemoaning this cruel fate Hilda's left him to - but. Claude thinks better of it when there's maybe a chance of those protests edging a bit too much towards something real.
And that won't do, and especially so when he still has something else far more real to offer. ]
Now that just makes my next plan of following even further in my father's footsteps of whisking you away by wyvern in the middle of the night for a grand adventure sound even better. I'm sure that'd immediately endear me to Holst if he suddenly finds you missing and not even in Fodlan on top of that.
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And that gives him more metaphorical space, of course, to consider what it is Hilda's telling him about Holst wanting her to stay in Goneril. It's something he's heard before and sends an echo back to when he'd brought up the idea of her meeting his parents in what feels like such a long time ago now even if the offer still stands to this day. Hilda had mentioned Holst being an obstacle, and, well. That is not something Claude doubts even if he still has yet to figure out a way around it.
Which starts, of course, with putting on a look of absolute(ly fake) shock. ]
Are you saying you're not going to help me out with that all? I'm heartbroken!
[ He's no such thing, but that doesn't stop him from tugging on her hands as if to bring her a little closer again. There's any number of things he could say here in terms of convincing Holst, and he certainly things about saying all of them while spinning yet another thread bemoaning this cruel fate Hilda's left him to - but. Claude thinks better of it when there's maybe a chance of those protests edging a bit too much towards something real.
And that won't do, and especially so when he still has something else far more real to offer. ]
Now that just makes my next plan of following even further in my father's footsteps of whisking you away by wyvern in the middle of the night for a grand adventure sound even better. I'm sure that'd immediately endear me to Holst if he suddenly finds you missing and not even in Fodlan on top of that.