[It's still there, the temptation to politely turn down the offer and go about his business alone. Even with the prospect of a new bookstore — tempting indeed — it's his first instinct. And knowing Claude, it would be graciously received.
He hesitates. But then, he nods. A cautious emergence from solitude is one thing; running from his troubles is another. And Altaïr will not see himself become a coward.]
[ There's a careful weighing of what to do going on he can see Altaïr processing - it's rather similar to his own turning over of what to do while figuring something out. The smiling expression on his face doesn't waver during the hesitation nor does he look away, content to wait for the other man to make his decision and whatever said decision might be.
But he won't deny being pleased when Altaïr chooses to accompany him, and he nods back over his shoulder towards their first destination. ]
This way, then. One of my merchant friends owns the general store where we're headed first. I worked there for quite a while and Sania's always glad to see me.
[ Mostly, anyway; he'd gravitated to her general store after her blunt demeanor and sharp tongue reminded him of family left behind, and there he'd stayed to banter with her over balancing books and any other tasks in growing fondness. It'll be a good bit of distraction from heavier things as they walk into the store with shelves packed with all kinds of items. That fondness is on display now when they're immediately greeted by Sania herself cheerfully asking what trouble he's about to bring her into, to which Claude presses a hand to his chest in feigned shock. ]
As if I would do any such thing! [ He would, and has. ] My friend Altaïr and I are here to do a little shopping. Any chance you got those daggers in from Aquila's blacksmiths we'd talked about?
[ He might've picked this shop to stop at first on purpose. ]
[It doesn't surprise him that Claude is still friends with someone he'd once worked for. Gregarious as he is, of course it wasn't merely a transactional relationship. The two of them wouldn't be friends as they are without his early insistence.
He hangs back a little and allows Claude to take the lead, but when Sania brings the daggers out he's there, inspecting them with a keen craftsman's eye.]
This is fine work.
[He doesn't really need another set of daggers...but it's always better to have more than one needs. He casts a sidelong glance at Claude, a small smile playing at his lips.]
[ Meanwhile: Claude's busy ("busy") browsing a basket of candles without any real intent considering there's still plenty at the loft, but it's right there and a convenient excuse for watching Altaïr from the corner of his gaze when the daggers make it to the countertop. And then get admired, just as he'd hoped, and he certainly doesn't miss that hint of a smile.
It also absolutely won't stop him from looking up with a deeply feigned expression equally between surprise and innocence. ]
Me? Huh. That would've been a really good idea.
[ They both know he's making that up - or rather all three of them do, considering Sania throws her hands up in the air without even pretending anything. Claude shrugs with an easy grin like the thought's only just occurred to him anyway, content to play along as he hands his list to Sania to check against what's in stock. ]
Anyway, and more importantly, I hear this blacksmith's one of the most talented out there. Worth checking out, don't you think?
[Altaïr doesn't believe in that expression for a moment and he is fairly certain Claude doesn't expect him to.
He'll buy a set of daggers, though. Even if it's a ruse, it's a ruse that provides good weapons.]
Possibly. It's unlikely to match up to Damascus steel. [Call him biased.] But seeing as that's inaccessible to me here, yes, I should think it worthwhile.
Sounds like how I feel about Almyra steel. Though I will say the stuff from Luna comes pretty close, what with all the variety of enchantments it can hold.
[ Now Claude leans against the counter on his forearms; all the better to peer at the daggers up close before he picks one up and tests the weight of it in one hand. A quick appraisal but an impressive one given he can't help a slight whistle of appreciation. ]
I bet these would be just as deadly when thrown, though. Same for this one being concealed and ready at your fingertips.
[ Or one specific fingertip, as they both know; he might be teasing his friend just a little with the flash of a grin as Sania returns with with a basket of sundries in her hands and he goes to reach for his coins. ]
Is that saying I should've put some dull blades in front of you instead for a true test of skills? I'll remember that for next time.
[ It'd been a brief grin before but now it's a full one as Claude hands over his payment in exchange for the basket. Really, even if he was going to seriously tempt fate like that - he has no doubts Altaïr could hit the mark with even the dullest of weapons out there.
Fortunately the blades here are good to excellent ones, just depending on whatever it is Altaïr might be looking for in this surprise part of the shopping trip. That payment had only been in part for what he'd planned. ]
Any of those catch your eye in particular? I think Sania would be happy to let you add it to my account.
we're basically half of the golden girls right here
[Somewhat pointless, probably, but amusing in its way. Maybe one day they will be to try it. For now, though, he nods and picks up the set he'd been eyeing earlier.]
These will do, I think, since we're here anyway.
[He could come back with his own coin and not rely on Claude, but he is not oblivious to the point being made here, whether or not it was intended.]
[ Of course he's going to tease at that while Sania cheerfully retrieves the knives' leather sheaths and mentions adding in a couple of extras by way of a sample of a new weapon oil and something else he doesn't catch. Claude slides over the requisite about of coins as Sania hands Altaïr his newest knives, and then they're off as he blinks in the desert sun. ]
You know, if there was anything to be said for being a god, it was not having to purchase items since they'd either just show up or we could create them out of nothing. I know there's a type of magic here that'd allow for the latter, so maybe that'll finally be the push into trying it out.
[ He's partially kidding. But it does also double as a convenient way to nudge the conversation back to something only sort of touched on so far, and not his supposed lament over having to deal with coins again when it's something he's well familiar with. ]
[Altaïr's pleasant expression fades into something more neutral as his posture stiffens the smallest amount — not so small that it's impossible for Claude to notice, which in itself suggests the internal magnitude of his reaction.]
Quite possibly. But I will leave you to that, if so. A life that is too easy could lead one down a dangerous path.
[Would the ability to summon mundane items at will be so bad? No. Of course not. But Altaïr is wary of anything that looks too simple. A trap could be hiding in plain sight.
And more to the point, he never wants to have that kind of power again.]
[ Claude catches that change in posture - the kind that's so slight so as to not be noticed by anyone who wouldn't know to look for it. Difficult to not considering so many of his own reactions fall under the same even if his are withheld by careful design. But he'd also like to think of it as a reminder he knows his friend well even outside of centuries spent together, and it's not so hard to figure out where Altaïr's protest might lie in there. ]
You have a point. I've always preferred things to be a bit more of a puzzle I have to solve since it's a bit more satisfactory then.
[ Still circling around the broader point of bringing it up, however. It'd be easy to joke about any number of things, though now he casts a glance Altaïr's way. ]
I take it you also weren't the greatest fan of our unplanned adventure into what may or may not be the future.
[ Or of being a god, of which Claude can safely say also applies there, too, when it comes to dislike. ]
[ He doesn't quite laugh at the tone but there's certainly a twitch of amusement at the corners of his mouth which might betray a little amusement anyway because he understands that as a reaction to what was (sort of) asked. Only of the bleak kind when it comes to any mirth since it's not like there's anything entertaining about what they faced - and certainly not for what it means now when it's a path staying here might bring. One Claude certainly agrees with as Altaïr expands on it. ]
I'd rather not repeat that either, and not just because it'll keep me from what I wanted to achieve at home but because I don't think any of us should have to make those choice. It might've seemed optional in the future we wer shown, but who's to say it really will be?
[ It's difficult to not think of the magic he's only had since coming here now as small signs leading into ascending to be one of the gods - almost like proof of what the cult was trying to do as he's thought about it, and that's another thought he absolutely detests. ]
But... I don't know that there's any way around that if the Singularity has these powers we didn't know about before, or whether at some point the Free Cities will find it worth bringing us there again for entirely different reasons now that they've seen it works to solve other problems.
[Altaïr shakes his head sharply. He understands the pull to equivocate — there is so much they don't know, about the Singularity and their presence and Summoned and, of course, what the future holds. But he knows himself, more than he ever knew that distant what-if version of him.]
If it's destiny that will bring us back to that state of affairs, then free will means nothing. But I have it here and now, and I will use it if I must. I'll end things before I walk that path again.
[He has no intention of easily giving up or laying down his life. But everyone has a line in the sand, and this is his. He will not become a god again.]
[ Those words bring Claude's attention back to Altaïr sharply even as his expression doesn't change since he hears and knows the truth running through them. It isn't much of a choice for them at all, that future, but the paths that lead there certainly are. For all that he's as uncertain about his own it is no surprise to hear that others feel assured in theirs - and least of all for his friend. ]
I sincerely hope that things don't come to that. [ A pause meant for added weight to that frank statement, then he sighs lightly. ] Perhaps we'll get lucky and someone will figure out the summoning ritual and bring a different set of questions with it.
[ Like what it would mean if they do remember being here or could return and come back - or possibly something even worse by opening what'd be a one-sided portal until that moment. ]
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He hesitates. But then, he nods. A cautious emergence from solitude is one thing; running from his troubles is another. And Altaïr will not see himself become a coward.]
I'm not too busy. Lead the way.
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But he won't deny being pleased when Altaïr chooses to accompany him, and he nods back over his shoulder towards their first destination. ]
This way, then. One of my merchant friends owns the general store where we're headed first. I worked there for quite a while and Sania's always glad to see me.
[ Mostly, anyway; he'd gravitated to her general store after her blunt demeanor and sharp tongue reminded him of family left behind, and there he'd stayed to banter with her over balancing books and any other tasks in growing fondness. It'll be a good bit of distraction from heavier things as they walk into the store with shelves packed with all kinds of items. That fondness is on display now when they're immediately greeted by Sania herself cheerfully asking what trouble he's about to bring her into, to which Claude presses a hand to his chest in feigned shock. ]
As if I would do any such thing! [ He would, and has. ] My friend Altaïr and I are here to do a little shopping. Any chance you got those daggers in from Aquila's blacksmiths we'd talked about?
[ He might've picked this shop to stop at first on purpose. ]
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He hangs back a little and allows Claude to take the lead, but when Sania brings the daggers out he's there, inspecting them with a keen craftsman's eye.]
This is fine work.
[He doesn't really need another set of daggers...but it's always better to have more than one needs. He casts a sidelong glance at Claude, a small smile playing at his lips.]
Did you bring me here first to improve my mood?
[If so: it didn't not work.]
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It also absolutely won't stop him from looking up with a deeply feigned expression equally between surprise and innocence. ]
Me? Huh. That would've been a really good idea.
[ They both know he's making that up - or rather all three of them do, considering Sania throws her hands up in the air without even pretending anything. Claude shrugs with an easy grin like the thought's only just occurred to him anyway, content to play along as he hands his list to Sania to check against what's in stock. ]
Anyway, and more importantly, I hear this blacksmith's one of the most talented out there. Worth checking out, don't you think?
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He'll buy a set of daggers, though. Even if it's a ruse, it's a ruse that provides good weapons.]
Possibly. It's unlikely to match up to Damascus steel. [Call him biased.] But seeing as that's inaccessible to me here, yes, I should think it worthwhile.
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[ Now Claude leans against the counter on his forearms; all the better to peer at the daggers up close before he picks one up and tests the weight of it in one hand. A quick appraisal but an impressive one given he can't help a slight whistle of appreciation. ]
I bet these would be just as deadly when thrown, though. Same for this one being concealed and ready at your fingertips.
[ Or one specific fingertip, as they both know; he might be teasing his friend just a little with the flash of a grin as Sania returns with with a basket of sundries in her hands and he goes to reach for his coins. ]
it's been 84 years dot gif
[Yes, yes, he knows it's teasing. It even gets a small, brief smile from him. That's no small feat under the circumstances.]
And it's always better to be prepared.
handshake as we are both surfacing from the deep
[ It'd been a brief grin before but now it's a full one as Claude hands over his payment in exchange for the basket. Really, even if he was going to seriously tempt fate like that - he has no doubts Altaïr could hit the mark with even the dullest of weapons out there.
Fortunately the blades here are good to excellent ones, just depending on whatever it is Altaïr might be looking for in this surprise part of the shopping trip. That payment had only been in part for what he'd planned. ]
Any of those catch your eye in particular? I think Sania would be happy to let you add it to my account.
we're basically half of the golden girls right here
[Somewhat pointless, probably, but amusing in its way. Maybe one day they will be to try it. For now, though, he nods and picks up the set he'd been eyeing earlier.]
These will do, I think, since we're here anyway.
[He could come back with his own coin and not rely on Claude, but he is not oblivious to the point being made here, whether or not it was intended.]
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[ Of course he's going to tease at that while Sania cheerfully retrieves the knives' leather sheaths and mentions adding in a couple of extras by way of a sample of a new weapon oil and something else he doesn't catch. Claude slides over the requisite about of coins as Sania hands Altaïr his newest knives, and then they're off as he blinks in the desert sun. ]
You know, if there was anything to be said for being a god, it was not having to purchase items since they'd either just show up or we could create them out of nothing. I know there's a type of magic here that'd allow for the latter, so maybe that'll finally be the push into trying it out.
[ He's partially kidding. But it does also double as a convenient way to nudge the conversation back to something only sort of touched on so far, and not his supposed lament over having to deal with coins again when it's something he's well familiar with. ]
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Quite possibly. But I will leave you to that, if so. A life that is too easy could lead one down a dangerous path.
[Would the ability to summon mundane items at will be so bad? No. Of course not. But Altaïr is wary of anything that looks too simple. A trap could be hiding in plain sight.
And more to the point, he never wants to have that kind of power again.]
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You have a point. I've always preferred things to be a bit more of a puzzle I have to solve since it's a bit more satisfactory then.
[ Still circling around the broader point of bringing it up, however. It'd be easy to joke about any number of things, though now he casts a glance Altaïr's way. ]
I take it you also weren't the greatest fan of our unplanned adventure into what may or may not be the future.
[ Or of being a god, of which Claude can safely say also applies there, too, when it comes to dislike. ]
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Less so the conundrums stirred up by their experience as gods, especially because he is the only one who can answer his own questions.]
Very observant of you. [But Claude doesn't deserve the faintly sharp tone.] I did not. And I will not allow such a future to come to pass for me.
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I'd rather not repeat that either, and not just because it'll keep me from what I wanted to achieve at home but because I don't think any of us should have to make those choice. It might've seemed optional in the future we wer shown, but who's to say it really will be?
[ It's difficult to not think of the magic he's only had since coming here now as small signs leading into ascending to be one of the gods - almost like proof of what the cult was trying to do as he's thought about it, and that's another thought he absolutely detests. ]
But... I don't know that there's any way around that if the Singularity has these powers we didn't know about before, or whether at some point the Free Cities will find it worth bringing us there again for entirely different reasons now that they've seen it works to solve other problems.
cw suicidal ideation sort of?
If it's destiny that will bring us back to that state of affairs, then free will means nothing. But I have it here and now, and I will use it if I must. I'll end things before I walk that path again.
[He has no intention of easily giving up or laying down his life. But everyone has a line in the sand, and this is his. He will not become a god again.]
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I sincerely hope that things don't come to that. [ A pause meant for added weight to that frank statement, then he sighs lightly. ] Perhaps we'll get lucky and someone will figure out the summoning ritual and bring a different set of questions with it.
[ Like what it would mean if they do remember being here or could return and come back - or possibly something even worse by opening what'd be a one-sided portal until that moment. ]