coffee hell 3

[warmskies]

Claude can already it's going to be a long day when, after being told the price of his drink, the guy on the other side of the counter slowly narrows his eyes and goes, "I saw a sign say I get a free drink."

Maybe it's just an easily cleared up mistake, because this isn't the first time that someone has gotten confused on that. Claude has a feeling it's not going to be that easy. Oh well. There's no rest for the wicked, a proverb Claude plans to drag this guy through the second he doesn't take the easy way out. For now, he just gives a winning smile. "Yeah, you get a free drink if you sign up for our rewards program!" 

"Well, I don't have that." 

Of course he doesn't. Claude rolls with it, giving the one and only offer this guy is going to get. "Well, if you sign up, it's all yours, big guy, ha ha! It only takes a sec-" 

"I don't want to." 

Yep, there it is. The sign that it's going to be a long day. Years of working in customer service have given Claude a careful sense for absolute bullshit, and that tone in just four words? That's it, baby. Claude keeps smiling, and doesn't dare to breathe. He's had customers go off on people for even that because somehow a simple little exhale is a personal insult to them. Besides, he can already see the guy gearing up for more. 

"I hate getting all those emails, you know? They just clog up my inbox." Far along in the line, near towards the door, Claude thinks he can see a familiar shade of blond appear, but doesn't focus on it too hard. He has his hands full here. 

"There's actually a really easy way to opt out of those emails, if you'd like-" 

"No thanks, I don't want an account." 

"-and if not, then the price is $2.65," Claude continues without missing a beat. The basic level of manners had been a nice little surprise. He wonders how long that will last. 

The answer is not even one single second, because the guy's lips thin. The person in the line immediately behind him has their eyes glazing over and, god, Claude wishes that were him. "I thought it was free?"

Ah, circle talkers. One of many terrible customer breeds. Claude settles himself in for the long hall, still chuckling to help keep the air a little lighter for all the good it will do. But his coworkers really rely on him when it comes to this kind of thing. If he starts being too nervous now over some scrub, then they'll start getting nervous too, even if they really don't need to be. "It's only free if you sign up for our rewards program, unfortunately!" 

"I don't want to sign up!" 

Yeah, I know you don't. You don't want to pay for anything either, you cheap bastard. Claude the barista says instead, "Well, then there's no drink. Sorry about that, ha ha." 

Radiating annoyance now, the guy leans against the counter and into Claude's space where he has no right being. Sylvain did it, before, but apparently he had more than enough experience to make it 'interested' instead of 'invasive'. "Can't you just give me the drink?"

This guy also isn't nearly as attractive as Sylvain was, and Claude wasn't even inclined to give him anything free. Hell, if there's anyone he's interested in buying a drink for.... He's about four people back behind this most recent pain in the ass. Claude keeps smiling. Besides being just good customer service, he's also found that it really pisses some people off if he doesn't quiver before their 'righteous' customer rage. Sometimes that makes it all worthwhile. "Nope, I'm afraid not!" he says, still blindingly cheerful out of pure spite now. "You'll still have to pay." 

"Tch! Why not? It's only $2.65!" 

If it's not a lot of money to you, why don't you just pay it? Claude has to bite his tongue for that one. He could ruin this guy's whole career in like three words, if he really tried, and he suspects he could get away with it. Management likes him; he could spin things his way. 

As he's making a decision on just how nasty he wants to be, his latest trouble customer works himself up, both hands planted on the counter now and right in Claude's face. "This is really shit customer service, you know that? I mean, it's practically robbery. People like you are just squeezing every last dime out of whoever you can, and you don't have even the idea of shame-" 

For the love of- Claude shifts in place, readying himself to remind the guy that he's just the cashier, the barista, in an honestly tiny little coffee shop, so he doesn't exactly have control here- 

A hand slams down on the counter. 

Very few people are as tall as Dimitri is; even Claude who knows everyone can only say he knows one person taller and another person exactly the same height. His problem customer is no exception, and the words in his mouth come to a complete stop as he jerks away from the viking suddenly right beside him. Claude gets the sadistic pleasure of seeing him reconsider his choices as he has to crane his neck back a little bit, taking in Dimitri's.... everything. Dimitri's dead eyed stare, still as exhausted as ever, isn't nearly as intimidating on the first day he met... But it sure as hell makes no room for nonsense. "Stop," he says quietly, which Claude knows now from personal experience is just him trying to be calm and polite but probably seems pretty threatening to an oblivious bystander. Save for a guy in the far back, the rest of the line shifts away. "There is a line."

Problem customer wavers in the face of a guy who could break his kneecaps. Still, he doesn't immediately leave. Claude gives him no credit for any bravery; he's probably just stupid and stubborn. "I have a complaint-"

"No."

Claude literally has to bite down on his tongue at the simple bluntness of the reply, chokes back the howling laughter he has boiling in the pit of his stomach. No indeed. It's really hard to argue against that kind of thing. It's especially hard to argue against that kind of thing when you're a guy who treats customer service employees like trash. The problem customer doesn't shrink down, because that would be a sign of.... weakness, or something, and he finally just gets out his wallet with a mutter about how it's none of anyone else's business.

Dimitri doesn't even deign that with a response. All he does is stand there, silently, watching the man pay with a handful of bills and some change. (See? Really not that hard.) More importantly, Dimitri watches Claude's reaction to double check that he's satisfied before he finally turns to go back to his place in line. Claude hadn't noticed the first time, rather preoccupied and all, but he's actually here with someone today. He keeps that in mind even as he hands his problem customer the receipt with his cheeriest smile yet. "We'll have it ready for you in a moment!"

He really loves spiting problem patrons.

Still, just in case, he keeps an ear out in the direction of the pick up counter. Leonie doesn't need any problems on one of the days she's come in. Good news is that he doesn't have to worry. With the knowledge that people are definitely watching for his bullshit now, that's enough to make him a model customer for fear of more public shaming. By the time Dimitri and his friend come up to the counter, the would-be-problem child is already ducking out the doors with a glower. Claude isn't sad to see him go. In contrast, his smile is a lot more genuine as he looks up at Dimitri. "Well, look who it is. No longer embarrassed to come visit?"

His shoulders roll up, an embarrassed shrug, but he only glances away for a fraction of a second before he meets Claude's stare again. "I thought... it had likely been enough for most people to forget my embarrassing display earlier. And I came with a friend, as well." He sends down a smile to the gray-haired guy at his side and, oh.

Claude snaps his fingers. "Oh, Ashe, right? With an 'e'."

With a sort of embarrassed smile, Ashe shrugs. "Should I feel worried that I've come here enough that the baristas know my name?"

"I'd much rather prefer it if you viewed it as me being incredibly talented at my job." Claude winks. "I guess I should have realized that the two of you knew each other. He was ordering your regular the first time he stepped in-" He nods his head to Dimitri, not worried about chatting a little on the job. Not when there's no one else waiting for service, anyway. Lucky. "-and I didn't get the impression he was an Americano kind of guy."

"I don't drink coffee in general," Dimitri explains. This, at least, he doesn't seem as embarrassed about. "Well, not very often. Still, Ashe thought that there might be something that I like here, so I thought that it couldn't hurt."

"It's a colder drink," Ashe says, already launching into an explanation. "There's supposed to be a creme base, instead of a coffee one? With chocolate chips in it."

....You know, Claude hadn't assumed Dimitri was the kind of guy exactly into americanos. But he also hadn't assumed that Dimitri was into the kind of drinks he more often gave kids or teenagers who hated the bitter taste that came along with coffee. He's not judging, or anything. It's just really hilarious. And kind of adorable? One of these days, Dimitri is going to stop surprising him, he swears. "Sure, we can manage that," he says, casual tone not betraying his amusement just yet. "So the usual for you, Ashe?"

"Yes, please." Yet it's Dimitri who pulls out his wallet once again, and Claude snorts out a laugh for real this time.

"Do you pay for everyone you know? And here I thought I was special."

"It's not that!" Dimitri protests. Next to him, Ashe ducks his head with a soft laugh so faint that it's hard to pick up at all. So it's probably, to some degree, a little bit that. "However, I said I would get him a drink the first time I arrived here, only to fail. I need to make up for that." He looks back down to Ashe. "He did help me a great deal, so this is the very least I could do with what is available to me."

He helped, huh? Claude draws up the receipt. "Well, I can't argue with that," he says as Dimitri slides his card through. "So, do you two have anywhere to be?"

"We were coming in from something, actually," Ashe answers. "I recently moved, but there are some things we'd like to add to the apartment now that we've gotten all of the major things unpacked and organized. However, it was only me in the apartment today, and I needed a little bit of help. Dimitri offered, and, well, he's..."

"Tall and strong, yeah, that would help for plenty of things you couldn't do on your own," Claude observes, grinning a little more when he sees a sheepish smile come across Ashe's face. "Well, if you two aren't headed anywhere, I can take a break in a few minutes. It looks like you managed to get right on the tail end of a busier period, so it shouldn't be a problem if I take five."

Dimitri is unfailingly honest in every inch of him, but some parts of him are more honest than others. For example, he perks up with notable interest at the offer. "You're sure?"

"You were looking for an excuse to come visit me anyway, right?" Claude winks, satisfied when it draws out a faint flush across Dimitri's cheekbones. "Just hold on while I make sure that everything will avoid catching on fire in my absence."

Honestly, all Claude really has to do- or really, what he wants to do- is clean up around the counters and some of their machines now that the rush has died down appropriately. Leonie is a tough girl, so he doesn't really need to do it.... But they're friends. And friends don't leave friends to ravenous hoards of coffee addicts and filthy work stations. It's only after that does he tug off his apron to hang it in the back. It'll feel weird if he hangs out with Dimitri and Ashe while they're both nursing drinks of their own, so he grabs a water bottle before heading into the small dining portion of the shop.

It's not a huge space, but it's large enough. Certainly it's more than comfy enough, with various comfortable yellows and oranges draped over a backdrop of warm brown. Dimitri and Ashe have taken up a little table far in the corner, away from the windows, the former with his back to the outside world and all of his attention on Ashe. Well, Ashe and then Claude as soon as he realizes he's coming along, whereupon Dimitri smiles and waves to him. "Was everything alright?"

"A little messy, a little exhausting, but that's nothing new." Twirling a chair from another table over into a blank space around theirs, Claude plops down. It looks like Ashe has gotten through a small portion of his drink. Dimitri is mainly working on the mountain of whipped cream to his drink, straw tugged out and already partially cleaned off. Now that they're not talking in plain view at the counter, he flashes an amused grin Dimitri's way. "So do you start fights with every jerk who tries to raise hell at poor, innocent, undeserving customer service workers?"

Now, he's no expert just yet, but he's pretty sure Dimitri's scowl of a frown has nothing to do with nerves this go around. "He was being rude," he mumbles around the end of his straw before finally tucking it into the drink proper. Only a thin layer of whipped cream remains at this point.

Ashe intervenes. "He's always been like this..." His smile is a mixture of appreciative and embarrassed. "Him and my boyfriend, Dedue. Well, a lot of my friends, actually? I used to work in retail myself, a few years back. It wasn't bad, not at all, and I'm really grateful for a lot of the skills that I picked up there! I had great references." Both of his hands fold around his cup, shoulders hunched upwards a little bit, and Ashe glances to the side. "It was just still..."

"Still retail, right?" Claude finishes for him sympathetically. Every time he's seen him, Ashe has always been a pretty polite and quiet kind of guy, and that seems to be something true to him even when he's not having a passing interaction with a cashier. He needs someone to shittalk the customer for him, at least a little bit.

At least he's not so nice and polite as to disagree, heaving out a sigh and nodding his head. "People could be difficult," he says, such a polite way of saying the raging asshole really leaps out in some people when they get power, no matter how minor and petty, over another human person. "But less difficult when your friends are nearby, making commentary, or glaring, or getting into full fledged arguments...." He sinks his face into one hand with a sigh.

"I was never as bad as Ingrid could get!" Dimitri protests. "And Felix did help once, considerably."

"I think I would have just preferred it if he had helped without kneecapping a person."

"Wait," Claude interrupts, leaning forward with his bottle held loosely in his hands and a laugh in his throat. "Rewind. What was that about kneecapping a person?"

"Felix stopped a counterfeiter," Dimitri announces proudly.

Ashe intervenes for a little more clarity to this story. "I was new at the time," he explains, "and they told me that I had to check every particular bill over twenty. So I did. And one day it... Actually worked, on a handful of fifties that were being shoved at me. Well, I explained the situation, I was yelled at- Dimitri almost intervened then, actually."

"I don't like it when people yell at workers," Dimitri says bluntly. "It's rude and dehumanizing."

"But, well, that didn't turn out to be necessary, since they turned and ran when it appeared my manager would actually come. Or, at least, they tried." Ashe shakes his head. "Unfortunately, the way out took them by Felix, who was waiting with Dimitri near the entrance, and, well.... Felix practices kendo... and so many other things..."

Suddenly, Claude is so glad that he got to know Dimitri and, by extension, Dimitri's friends. He can tell there is a wealth of hilarious stories just waiting to be dug up. Call him a gossip hound, but he can't wait. He laughs, unrestrained. "How many of your friends are stupidly strong like you?" he teases, nudging his foot into Dimitri's.

"It's only really Dimitri," Ashe says at the same time that Dimitri protests with, "We all work hard, there's nothing wrong with that!" A pause blossoms as they both take in what each other said. That leaves Claude plenty of time to slump over the table, hiding his laughter (badly) into one hand. When he next looks up, Dimitri is shaking his head to himself, and Ashe is smiling down against his drink with the kind of slight grin that reminds Claude of a little brother that's not entirely sure if he should have teased his sibling but glad he got away with it regardless.

Dimitri seems fairly glad for it, even with his head shake and how he tries to continue. "Felix and some of our other friends have always been fairly active sorts. A few years ago, I fell out of the habit.... but I've been working very hard to get back into it. I go to the gym fairly regularly, as a matter of fact, often with one of the others. It's important for me to stay healthy. What about you, Claude?"

"I'm not really a gym person, normally...." He takes a sip from his water bottle. "I get my exercise in plenty of other ways, trust me. But I have thought about taking advantage of free trials I've seen pop up here and there. My friend back at the counter especially has this one she's talked about-" Leaning back until his chair is halfway off of the floor, Claude calls back to Leonie. "Hey! What's the name of the gym you go to again?"

He sees her bright red head peer over the edge of the pastry section of counter. "Captain's!"

"Thanks!" Claude tilts back, chair hitting the floor solidly.

Before he can get a chance to say anything else, Dimitri is already interjecting. "Oh! That would be the same gym that my friends and I all go to. If you're truly interested, Claude, you're more than welcome to accompany us some time. I have been looking for the most opportune chance to introduce you to more of them properly." He and Ashe share a smile. "Ashe was merely good luck."

Well, if he's that eager.... And it might not be too bad, either. Claude gives a one-shoulder shrug. "With how the weather has only been getting worse, I could probably use something to heat me up, honestly."

"Oh, then you'll definitely like Captain's Gym," Ashe tells him, and Dimitri nods his head enthusiastically.

"There's a sauna for people to use, so you'll most certainly like it."

Claude twists around in his seat, faux outraged. "Leonie! You didn't tell me your gym had a sauna!" All he gets for his woes is her laughing at him, bright and warm. He turns back to his present company. "Can you believe how much I have to suffer here?"

"I think that means you have a good friendship," Dimitri states quietly, which makes Ashe hide another laugh and draws a grin onto Claude's face. "Then, if you'd like to go, all you have to do is text me when a good day would be." He pauses. "As long as it is not Thursday."

He quirks up an eyebrow. "Why not Thursday?"

"Thursday is when I meet up with Sylvain to go to the gym," Dimitri answers as he nudges his straw along through his drink. "Sylvain is still banned from knowing about my love life."

After he's done absolutely losing his shit again, Claude wipes the tears from his eyes. "Alright, got it, not Thursday. That works for me. I'll look at my schedule and figure something out, then." Taking another swig of water, he points it in the direction of Dimitri's drink. "Although speaking of health, are you going to finish that? My feelings will be hurt if you hate it without even taking a drink."

"Oh, I'm sorry-" Tucking his hair out of his face, Dimitri ducks his head down for a quick sip. Claude has the pleasant opportunity of watching him let it rest in his mouth, thoughtful, before he swallows and smiles to Ashe. "You were right- I like the chocolate chips."

"I thought you would. Hopefully you can work anything off by tonight..." Although Ashe looks to Claude, now that he's satisfied with the drink choice Dimitri has. "I hope we aren't keeping you too long? I don't know what the breaks are like here."

Rolling his head back, Claude checks one of the artsy cafe clocks hanging around. "Oh, yeah, I should probably get back to the grind." It's a minor little pun, nothing he expects to be caught, but Dimitri muffles a laugh into his straw and Claude smiles. Good, so Dimitri likes that kind of dumb humor. Ever since the zoo, he's been wondering how to be playful while not being fictitious. Looks like he's found at least one answer. Claude is sure he can eek out a few more eventually. Pushing himself onto his feet, he rolls his neck. "I'll see you two later, then- and I'll be sure to text you by tonight, Dimitri." 

He really could get used to that little but genuine smile. "I'll be looking forward to it." 





Walking into Captain's Gym makes it pretty obvious just why Leonie and Dimitri, plus at least more than a few of Dimitri's friends apparently, really like the place. Everything seems clean when he walks in, and the equipment he can glimpse off in the distance or saw past the large glass windows is all in use and functioning nicely. Claude wouldn't say he's an expert at gyms or anything, so maybe this is all just from the eye of an amateur... although Dimitri and Leonie seem to approve of it well enough. He doesn't have to look very far to find the blond in question either. Once again, as what is apparently a trend, he's arrived early and settled against a wall in the entrance lounge. 

"Alright, this is getting ridiculous," he announces. "Do I have to arrive an hour beforehand to get one over you, Dimitri?" At the same time that he's talking, he takes in Dimitri's company. It's a face he's seen a few times in his social media trawling, mostly on Mercedes' accounts and often in the presence of plants or food. However, much like Dimitri, it's not a face that often seems to want the limelight in any fashion. That's fine. Claude prides himself on his people reading skills, and he can tell that Dimitri's friend is a good one. It's in the patient curve of his brow, the way they stick close together, how Dimitri had been smiling over to him up until the sound of Claude's voice had drawn his attention.

Immediately, Dimitri pushes himself off of the wall. "I would have to arrive even earlier if that's what you started to do," he says, playful. He seems a lot more relaxed now, compared to their first date, and Claude can't entirely tell if it's because of how well the date went or his friend, who Dimitri gives that bright smile of his to. "Claude, this is Dedue. Dedue, this is Claude, who I've been telling you about." 

In comparison to Dimitri leaning against the wall, Dedue has been sitting down on the bench and he rises up- hooooooooly shit. Claude has always thought he's seen as tall as a guy can go, knowing Raphael. Apparently he's been wrong all this time. Dedue is in fact the tallest person he's ever seen, ever, and he's even more built than Dimitri is. Now, Claude will admit he's a little biased in his labeling, for some fairly obvious reasons, but, before, he would have described Dimitri as a 'hunk'. Dedue is more of an actual tank. 

Claude doesn't have to be romantically interested to factually state this is attractive in an entirely different way. Raphael is the same, after all. 

"Dimitri has had a lot to say about you," Dedue says, extending his hand for a shake. Claude accepts, giving as good as he ever does in handshakes, but it feels as though he would need the jaws of life to get out if Dedue really didn't want to let go. Yeah, this is definitely someone who goes to the gym with Dimitri. "It's nice to finally have time to meet." 

"Likewise." Claude grins, shifting his backpack once he's been granted his hand back. "Glad to have a face to the name I heard so much during our lunch together." A small smile is exchanged between the two- not enough to interrupt the conversation but well practiced and carrying with it a sense of familiarity. Claude keeps that in mind. "I've also heard a lot about this gym, although more from my own friends than anything else. So! Do you just sneak me in?"

"We're not breaking any rules," Dimitri says, lightly scolding. "We're simply talking to the receptionist. How would we sneak you in, anyway?" 

"Give me five minutes, and I can give you half a dozen ideas," Claude promises him, following the two along as they head to the front desk and pretending he's oblivious to Dedue's carefully considering stare. 

But it really can be that simple. Dimitri and Dedue seem to be well known faces to the regular employees of Captain's Gym, welcomed with smiles and by name. That good will works to Claude's favor. All it takes is a brief explanation by Dedue, accompanied by a hopeful smile from Dimitri, and Claude has a nice month long trial that he can abuse to his hearts content. Honestly, that alone probably make the trip worth it.

A short walk to the locker rooms confirms that it's a pretty nicely run place. The locker rooms themselves reinforce that: clean and verdant green tiles make up the floor, nice white walls, and rows of warm brown lockers that are helpfully numbered. Apparently, his two gym companions for the day are so used to coming here that they head to a particular pair of lockers without even thinking twice about it. "Did you bring a lock?" Dimitri asks over his shoulder, plopping his bag onto a bench. "I have a couple of extra ones, if you didn't." 

There's that preparedness again. Claude can't help but wonder if this is because he breaks actual metal locks, too. It'd be asinine to say that for a normal person, but, also, this is the same guy who was winning a tug of war with a lion. Plunking his backpack down, he takes out a lock to twirl. "No worries~. Leonie helped me out once again. I think she actually has half a dozen of the same kind of lock just for different places..." 

That's not really a thing to admire, and yet Dimitri sure does have that kind of expression on his face. "I have to color code mine..." He tugs his shirt up and over his head in one smooth motion, leaving behind yet another tank top- this one in utter black. "She seems to have a good memory." 

"Oh, no, she's just cheap," Claude says airily, earning what he thinks is a faint snort from Dimitri's other side. "Well, that's understandable. Different colored locks, in this economy?"

"Regardless of her reasons," Dedue says, workout clothing matching Dimitri's in terms of black and blue but reversed, "it's a good talent to have. She seems to be a generous friend."

Claude's smile is a fond one. "I'm definitely lucky to have her." Before he can get too openly sappy about his friends, Claude shrugs out of his own coat and laughs. "I mean she saved me five dollars, at the very least!" 

"Now who is cheap?" Dimitri asks with a shake of his head, pulling out a phone and earbuds. Still, when he glances over to him, he gives a pause. "Ah!" 

Oh, he can guess what that's about. For all that he's in a tee shirt and shorts, aka nothing particularly stunning, Claude preens. It takes a lot of talent to preen effectively in super casual gym clothes, but he manages it. "See something familiar?" When he glances at Dimitri from the corner of his eye, he can see him giving that same bright smile again. Perfect. 

The smile is still on his face even as he reaches into a small little pocket on his bag, pulling out some hair ties. "I didn't think you would wear the shirt from the zoo so soon," he says quietly, sliding his patch off, blind side to Dedue only, so that he can pull his hair back into a ponytail. It's a simple and quick action, done so he can pull his eye patch back on as soon as possible. At least it seems to be a habit, since he hardly considers anyone else's potential reaction to it... but then, most people are minding their own business in the locker room. Good to know there's a solid etiquette in the place beyond keeping things clean. "It... looks nice on you." 

"I'm glad one of us thinks so, because I'm starting to think I'm underdressed," Claude notes with an amused quirk of his lips, watching Dimitri pull out an entirely different set of shoes while Dedue is already putting his other pair on. "How much do you two bring with you?"

"Not a lot," Dimitri protests. "Really, as long as you have comfortable clothing and a towel, it's fine. Dedue and I are just..." He pauses, realizing that he's pulled out some powdered chalk and sends an almost helpless glance in Dedue's direction. "...We like to be prepared." 

"I believe we could be far worse," Dedue comments lightly, tugging on a pair of knee sleeves. Dimitri gives a conceding nod. 

"Some people bring their own equipment to add on more weight to their lifts or pull ups. We haven't gotten that far yet." The way he says it makes it seem like an inevitability, and Claude wonders just how close Dimitri has personally come to that. Still, the two finally get done, putting their things away into their lockers, and Dimitri lightly touches Claude's arm. "Come on, let's go stretch." 

In conversations during the quiet stretches of time over at the Golden Deer, Claude is pleased to say that he's already more than aware of how.... passionate people can get when it comes to fitness, thanks to Leonie's own excitement on the subject. Dimitri, it seems, is very much in the same way. Or maybe he's just looking for excuses to talk with Claude as the two of them warm up. He goes in depth about the latest things he's read when it comes to the proper kinds of stretches that are required before a good work out, along with food, and sleep.

Dedue is more content as background commentary, agreeing with some things while adding anything else he's heard if it's different from what Dimitri has said. It's so mild that Claude would say it even barely even qualifies as a disagreement. Not uncommonly, when he's watched these types from the sidelines, it's the kind of scene that immediately bursts into arguing... but there's no such thing with Dimitri and Dedue. Even though Claude has to admit his interest in workout regimens is fairly minimal, he ends up smiling along while the two (mostly Dimitri) talk throughout the whole warm up. Honestly, even if he wasn't dating Dimitri, he'd still listen attentively. There's just... something really enjoyable about listening to someone talk passionately about whatever interest they've latched onto.

Previously, he's been able to list classical architecture, rose care, and coding as things he knows an awful lot about despite having absolutely no experience or personal interest in the subjects. Now, he can add physical fitness.

"I feel somewhat embarrassed now that we're getting to it all," Dimitri muses as they head towards the machines proper. "This sometimes isn't a hobby that involves a lot of talking.... I hope it doesn't become too awkward for you."

"You don't talk with Dedue or your other friends?" Claude asks in amusement, taking a moment to marvel just how many people are occupying a lot of the machines. It's clearly a good gym, if so much of the equipment is claimed.

"Well, it's..." There's a brief moment where Dimitri seems to struggle with what he's explaining, mouth scrunched up a bit.

Dedue picks up the slack, not missing a beat. "We have known each other for a long time."

Yeah, he can tell. Claude doesn't really poke more on that particular front, especially with how visibly relieved Dimitri becomes. Instead, he just lets the two escort him through the gym. Over text, he and Dimitri had already talked about just what he was looking for in a workout.

Claude has to say, while he can certainly admire the body of a guy like Dimitri.... It's not what he's looking for in himself. Frankly, he doesn't have the time, resources, or energy to invest in a body like that for himself, either. Mostly he's fine with just being healthy, and maybe building up his stamina a little bit. Yet there's a workout routine for that sort of thing, too. Of course there is. Claude had read a lot of Dimitri's excited ramblings on the subject of aerobic exercises, which had been frankly adorable if long winded.

And that is how the three of them end up over at the bicycling machines. The good news is that a couple of them are open, recently vacated right as they approach. The bad news is that the number of free seats is approximately two, and only two for the time being.

"This happens," Dimitri tells him, although he still sighs. "While a lot of people are here for the weight lifting equipment, cardio is also fairly popular and also more appealing for a lot of individuals who are not inclined to heavy routines. Some are only here for health reasons, after all, and cardio is more appealing on that front than heavy weight lifting." A light tap to his elbow from Dedue seems to keep him from getting too into the talk, and Dimitri pauses to survey the machines. "Still, what to do..."

Well, it's not as though he's the regular gym member here, so Claude opens his mouth to volunteer.... But he's beaten to the punch. "I don't mind waiting," Dedue says, looking around the gym with a slow and thoughtful gaze. "It is not as though the gym is lacking in ways to occupy my time."

"You're sure?" Claude cocks his head to the side, an easy-going smile on his face. "I mean, I'm the new guy to all of this. I don't mind letting you guys get in your time first. I mean-" He laughs. "It's obviously a lot more important to you, right?"

Typically, that's not good enough for Dimitri. "You're here on a free trial," he protests. "With so little time available to you, then you should take full advantage of it. Still.... You're sure, Dedue?"

"It's fine. I can adjust my routine as needed."

"Then..." Dimitri gives him a pat on the back. "Thank you, Dedue."

Dimitri's pat is absolutely gentle. Claude, in contrast, doesn't hold back as he leans around Dimitri for a fond back smack. It's like trying to slap a brick wall. "Yeah, thanks, I appreciate it! When I can break a person's skull with my thighs alone, I'll be sure to give all the credit to you." Surprisingly enough, he actually hears a soft laugh underneath Dedue's breath before the guy nods and begins to head over to where some dumbbells have all been stacked up neatly on a rack. "He's nice," Claude comments as they both go to the bikes, and he tugs a towel from his shoulder to quickly swipe it over the seat.

"We've known each other for some time," Dimitri says, doing the same for his seat before he sets the towel down by him. "Not as long as I've known Sylvain, or some of my other friends... But some time regardless."

"I can tell." After making sure the seat is adjusted right for him, Claude slides on. "So, half an hour nonstop, right?"

"Right." Dimitri grins. "Don't try to get exhausted too soon."

Ah, there's some of that cockiness that makes him go from cute to hot. This trip is now absolutely worth it. Claude feels confident in that assessment, even as the minutes begin to stretch to match the burn catching in his lungs. It's only a slight sensation; he's done a lot more talking, yelling, and walking than some people would think. (Okay, maybe not the talking part, the talking part they'd all expect.) He keeps a steady pace, not too fast but not too slow, and occasionally exchanges words with Dimitri.

The guy was right in that it's not really a conversational sort of activity... But they still have time and breath to exchange a few words here and there. It's easier when Dedue returns, keeping a respectable distance from the bicycles while he does some curls. It's still exercise, but it's not the same kind, and so there's a sort of... balance, Claude supposes.

Fifteen minutes in, and Dimitri exchanges places with Dedue. "I'll put the dumbbells back," he promises his friend. "I need to take a water break regardless." He flashes a smile over to Claude as he walks away, a god damn sight with a dusting of pink on his face from how much he's been pushing himself.

"I'm pretty thirsty too, so come right back!" Claude calls after him, positive that the other meaning goes right over Dimitri's head considering that absolutely clueless smile. That's fine too. As he gets back into the rhythm he'd established, Claude catches Dedue looking over him again. He gives a smile of his own to the big guy. "Hey. Something on my face?"

Dedue slows down his own pace, presumably to have more breath for conversation, and oh boy. That's rarely a good sign. "What made you decide to date Dimitri?" he asks simply, apparently also a fan of the blunt and upfront style of conversation in the same way that Dimitri himself is.

"Honestly?" Claude laughs. Honesty is the best policy with Dimitri; he'll assume the same is true with Dedue. "I was really just curious at first. I thought he was going to make a black hole spawn in the Golden Deer with how dark his scowl was, and then he hits on me? When he didn't mean to? And then he runs away without even sticking around to pick up Ashe's drink? I don't think there's anyone who wouldn't have had a lot of questions. I guess the difference with me is that, when I got the chance to get some answers, I decided to take it instead of ignoring it. That's enough to get me on one date, at the very least, especially in public and far away from where I live."

Because, no offense to Dimitri now that he knows him and only wants to know even more of him, but, well. At the time, it had been enough for Claude to want to be careful. It was why he had made sure to text Hilda at the end of it, after all.

"And now?"

"What is this, an interrogation?" Claude asks, amused, before something hits him and he perks up in his seat with unrestrained delight. "Wait, is this a shovel talk?" he asks, voice breaking at the edges with laughter. "Are you the dad friend in the group? This is great. I thought that only happened in movies."

For the kinds of people he'd expect a shovel talk from, and certainly the stoic serious type that Dedue comes off as, he wouldn't expect the amusement to be shared. Yet going against tropes and expectations, there's a ghost of a smile that briefly appears across his face as he keeps pedaling.

"It isn't me you have to worry about when it comes to any sort of shovel talk," he says, voice wavering in that limbo where Claude can't tell if he's serious or joking. Claude bursts out laughing again, having to pause in his own exercise so that he doesn't fall over. Dedue, continuing to demonstrate just how generous he is, patiently waits for him to get control of himself. "Were you expecting one?"

"Ha...." Hands gripping the handles, Claude stretches his arms a little as he pushes himself upright again.  "Well, one of my friends certainly had some things to say on my recent dating decisions.... I imagined the reverse had to be true. So. Worried?"

For a few stretched out seconds, Dedue simply... looks at him. It's thoughtful, almost nostalgic in some ways. "No," Dedue announces after the moment has passed. "Not that I've gotten a chance to speak with you."

"I made that good an impression already?"

"In a way." Dedue looks back ahead, returning to his initial speed and rhythm. "But you remind me of someone that I also know I can trust. So, in turn, all I want to know is more about the person Dimitri has chosen to date."

That doesn't really explain a lot... But Claude just hums and goes back to his own routine. If that's enough for Dedue, then he supposes that's honestly the best thing that can be asked for. Besides, it's not as though he's saying everything either. He's not going into detail just how attractive he finds Dimitri, the way he looms over him and has felt so sturdy every time he's laid hands even fleetingly against his body. He doesn't bother to talk about how cute he finds the various little quirks now, the way he turns fully towards someone when he's talking to them or the various scaling of smiles. Claude sure as hell doesn't make the decision to talk about the parts of Dimitri he really likes, that deep and almost painful honesty that he admires. He just continues to bike along.

A minute later finds Dimitri returning with his own water bottle already half full.... and a second opened but otherwise untouched. As Claude begins to slow down, he holds the second out to him. "Here."

Claude accepts with a chuckle. "Do I look that tired out already?"

"You said you were thirsty. Did I mishear?"

There's a dumb little flutter in the pit of his stomach that matches the way his laugh leaves his mouth. See? Stupid little quirks he absolutely adores, wrapped up in that just... bone deep honesty where he cares so much. "No, no, you didn't." He's pretty sure Dedue is watching them from the corner of his eye again, but Claude can't stop himself from smiling. "I just didn't think you'd heard over all the background noise."

"I pay attention." With that settled, Dimitri smiles over to Dedue. "So, how is the cycling going? Good?" Claude can tell that he wants to ask something else entirely, but just politely holding himself back.

Dedue nods, still at his steady pace. "It's out of my usual order, but I believe there's some benefit to that as well," he says. "Claude and I were talking while you were gone."

"Oh? Anything interesting?"

"Nothing too unusual, I would think." Ah, so Dedue either is able to do basic politeness lying as well, or, if Dimitri knew what they'd talked about, he'd have seen it coming himself. Maybe even both. "Although it did remind me of something. How long do you plan on ignoring Sylvain?"

Claude bursts out laughing again. "Have you been giving him the cold shoulder all this time?"

"Not completely," Dimitri mutters around his water bottle, nose wrinkled in annoyance. "It's merely, this is something he needs to really learn his lesson on." After  a gulp of water, he sighs. "Although... I suppose it has been some time. Is it becoming too long, do you think?" He looks between both of them, rubbing his thumb along the bottle.

Finally deciding he's done enough of this particular machine, Claude leans back and lazily stretches his legs out in front of him off of the pedals. "I mean, I don't see why not," he says. "He's probably suffered enough without his dose of gossip, if he's the type of guy I think he is." In other words, very similar to Claude himself. Honestly, Sylvain probably has it worse, considering how dead Dimitri's social media is on any given day. There won't even be an ounce of news, like who he's friended or is following on any given site. Not like Claude has given him anything to go off of, granted, but still. The idea is there.

"I believe he's likely learned his lesson," Dedue agrees, still going and proving that his and Dimitri's stamina is probably terrifying in their length. "As long as you remind him, I don't think there should be a problem."

"Yes, I suppose that's true..." Dimitri nods to himself. "Well, I suppose I will get to that later. Are you all done, Claude?"

He is in fact all done, and he gets off the machine to stand besides Dimitri while the two of them wait for Dedue to finish his round. As it turns out, it's a lot easier to talk when all you're doing is standing around and drinking water. Dimitri takes advantage of the time to point out the rest of the gym, or gym regulars that he's become familiar with. When Dedue is done, there's really no question about them moving on to the next part.

Claude has to say, while the visit still doesn't make him a huge gym buff like they are, there is a sort of enjoyment to it. The mindless repetition of exercise helps let his mind rest in some ways while having the freedom to wander and turn over other thoughts if he wants. It's not exactly the same as meditation, not at all, but it's nice in a similar way.

Claude doesn't try every bit of exercise or piece of equipment that the gym has to offer; he's not here to be that serious. Half the time he gives something a try, and the other half he merely keeps conversation with either Dimitri or Dedue as they spot for one another. They're both honestly considerate types of people, so, combined with Claude's own skill at being friendly and talking, it's not hard to feel included in a way. Besides, even when neither of them can spare time for conversation.... He can keep himself occupied all his own, either on his phone or, well... Let's just say that the more Dimitri works out on benchpresses and other heavy lifting, the more his shirt begins to cling to his chest.

The view is more than worth anything.

What he's really looking forward to, however, comes towards the end of the entire morning all together as all three of them head back towards the locker room area, and Dimitri points out the direction to the showers. "So we'll do a quick rinse, and then head into the sauna. It doesn't have to be a proper shower or anything like that." In fact, Dimitri is already stripping, ignoring the way his top clings futilely to his torso.

Claude doesn't ignore it, although he at least is subtle, like he is in most things. "You know, it's kind of funny how people have this perception of a gym as a gross mess of sweat, but I'm pretty sure I've seen nothing but pretty strict standards of cleanliness," he says in amusement, respectfully keeping his eyes averted when Dimitri exchanges his shorts for a towel despite how he really kind of wants to know. "I guess it's just a sort of projection to how a lot of exercise makes us feel put into the actual place."

"Once I saw someone try to run a piercing station on the other side of the gym," Dimitri muses aloud. "The managers had to chase him out. One time, Felix allegedly saw someone trying to trim their, well, lower hair while in the public restroom."

The tales come out of such left field that Claude almost chokes on his own air supply, which is a problem, considering he's in the process of removing his own shirt. "Well!" he wheezes, forced to lean against the locker with his shirt still hanging off of his other hand. "I stand corrected!"

"I didn't mean-" Dimitri flounders, and Dedue cuts in for him.

"People simply become too comfortable, and treat the locker rooms and corresponding areas as though they were their own home." Dedue already has his own towel around his waist, stuff secured right back into the locker again. "It can be a problem, but a worse one if no one calls them out. Most gym regulars try to avoid such crass behavior. We're fortunate today."

Claude grins up at Dimitri, and takes no small amount of pleasure in how it seems the pink on his face from working out becomes just a little more red. He likes to think himself being shirtless now too and with his smile in place is a good contributor to that. "Felix was the one who took a wooden sword to someone's kneecaps, wasn't he?"

"He.... was."

"The guy who tried to do some of that personal hygiene probably didn't have a good time, huh?"

"Oh, he absolutely did not."

The showers seem to be doing well on both a busyness front and a cleanliness front, and Claude only needs a quick moment to wash himself off of his sweat before he's grabbed his spare and designated sauna towel and is ready to go. He can sense the way Dimitri is quietly nervous as the three of them regroup, hair pulled back completely in a small little bun to match Dedue's, and the reason is frankly obvious. Claude doesn't let him get a word in. All he does is meet that one eye, sparing no lingering time on the scarred and closed one, and grin. "Now this I was looking forward to."

Dimitri's smile is all relief, even as he lets Dedue lead the way into the sauna. "You are more used to the heat, aren't you? I remember you saying something similar to that at the zoo."

"What can I say? I like things hot and steamy."

Now that one seems to stick a little bit as Dimitri's ears turn pink. Yet there's no verbal reaction, just him going to take a free seat. "Well, as I said- you'll like this."

He does. Thank every single god that exists, has existed, and will exist in the future, but he really really does. Once he's found a nice spot to settle in with Dimitri and Dedue, he lets his head fall back with a content sigh. There are only a couple of people inside and, considering the size of it, that's hardly much of a bother at all. "Oh, that feels amazing immediately. Is it cheating of me to want to sign up if only for this?"

"The effect tends to be amplified after a good work out," Dedue says from Dimitri's blind side. "Still, it is not as though anyone could stop you. There is no rule in place."

"Well, there are always loopholes to rules anyways." Claude opens his eyes, intending to look over to Dedue, but instead he ends up locking eyes with Dimitri. Or, rather... He ends up catching Dimitri in the act of looking at him. All of him. The blond freezes, caught red-faced, before he jerks his gaze away in a rather failed and belated attempt to look natural. Claude's grin only spreads all the wider, but he keeps talking like nothing had happened. "So I wouldn't really have let myself be stopped if I was that determined."

So there is some sexual attraction in place. That's good. Claude wouldn't say he was getting worried, or anything. It's just that he's a sexual person himself, and there's at least a solid portion of his attraction to Dimitri that's thus sexual in turn. That doesn't mean he would have stopped this whole... thing that's developing between the two of them, if Dimitri had turned out to not have an interest in sex for whatever reason. He's just pleased that it's something that's on the table.

After all, it gives him a lot more ideas.

Maybe his grin is a little too noticeable, although it's not as though Claude is trying to hide it. Hell, Dimitri might even be catching on now, glancing back at Claude from the corner of his eye and huffing. "You know, I doubt anyone who goes to the Golden Deer regularly understands just what a troublemaker you actually are deep down inside."

Claude taps his lips with one finger. "It's my deep dark secret: I'm the biggest kind of troublemaker around."

"Is that something you're normally supposed to be proud of?" Dedue asks dryly. If Claude hadn't talked to him earlier, he would have assumed him to be completely serious.

"Why not? I mean, some sorts of trouble can be good. What, are you two telling me that you've never gone after trouble just to have a little bit of fun?"

Dimitri seems to really, truly consider that question, and looks over to Dedue in a way that's absolutely apologetic. "The only one of us who has not been trouble has been Dedue, and I am deeply sorry that the rest of us are the way that we are." Dimitri pauses. "And Ashe. And Mercedes, as well, really."

If there's anything that Claude is learning about Dedue, it's that the man's smiles come in increments. His smile had been faint, when he'd been talking with Claude, but now it's a fraction stronger as he looks to Dimitri. The evolution of a wisp of light to a full on ghost, one could say. Which turns out to be a pretty relevant comparison, funnily enough, because he says, "Mercedes once convinced all of us to stay the night with her in a haunted hotel, in the same room, and told scary stories to the dawn in hopes that everyone being terrified would help draw out the ghosts more."

"We all agreed to that."

"Please invite me the next time you do something like that," Claude interrupts. "I think this is a show I absolutely need to see." Honestly, he's starting to think that he might just need to bring a video camera to every gathering of Dimitri's friends, and wait for the gold to happen. He's only heard a few stories so far, and yet every single one has made him grin.

The conversation lapses a little bit after that, the heat of the sauna drawing them all to a comfortable resting state. Or, well. Claude is pretty sure him and Dedue are perfectly fine resting. It only takes a few minutes, maybe a little over five, before Dimitri is leaning back with his face completely flushed tomato red and absolutely dripping with sweat. Dedue speaks up. "Almost."

Claude quirks up an eyebrow. "Almost what?"

"It's so hot in a sauna that it dehydrates the body," Dimitri starts, eye squeezed shut. "We're losing so much water to sweating, which is only made worse by how much faster our heart is pumping. Blood pressure is also rising and falling. It's outside the norm-" Dedue lightly brushes against him, something Claude wouldn't have noticed if he wasn't paying attention to both men. That's enough to make Dimitri pause, thinking on something, before he nods to the other with a sheepish smile. "It's... too hot for me." That doesn't seem entirely like he meant to say, but it appears to be good enough for Dimitri.

Well, he won't just leave him hanging like that. Claude makes an educated guess. "Trying to build up a tolerance, huh?" Making that particular shot in the dark is worth it to see Dimitri's relieved smile.

"Exactly."

"Well, that's all good and all, but I'd really appreciate it if you didn't keel over from heatstroke on my first gym visit, and I'm sure Dedue would appreciate that just in general." Claude bumps their shoulders together, ignoring the sweat. He's touched far sweatier guys before. "Give it another minute and I'll be good to go as well."

It's almost kind of funny how complete opposites they are, with Dimitri barely able to go ten minutes (a ten minutes he seems almost proud of even) in the heat. Contrast to that, after taking yet another shower to clear away the sweat and then get their things, Claude nearly shrinks once they've stepped out into the cold again.

"I want to steal that sauna again," he grumbles, squeezing up against Dimitri's side almost immediately. A wind has started up in the time they've spent in the gym, which only makes the cold even worse. Who is he to ignore the convenience of having someone so big that they can block the wind for him? There's a light jump on Dimitri's end at the sudden cuddling, but he soon leans right back into it. Yeah, definitely a cuddler.

"You'll be fine, don't worry," Dimitri says, trying not to sound too amused but unable to stop himself entirely. After making sure that Claude is content, he looks back up to Dedue. "So, you're going to meet with Annette for lunch, aren't you? Tell her that I said hello."

"You'll be able to see her later tonight, likely," Dedue points out, but he's smiling a fraction more than all the times he has before. "But I'll be certain to tell her regardless."

"Always." Laughing a little bit, Dimitri abandons Claude to the cold and inhospitable autumn winds. Claude permits it, considering that it's so that Dimitri can wrap his arms around his friend in a hug tight and strong enough to lift the actual living and attractive tank that is Dedue. "I'll see you later, then."

Once Dedue is gone with a wave of his hand to both of them, Claude immediately leeches right back onto Dimitri's side. "So got plans for tonight, huh?" he asks.

"Oh, no." Dimitri is either too used to this sort of thing, or too eager for it. He leans against Claude in turn, pulling out his phone. "But they all live down the hall from me, now, so I've started to see them a lot more than I used to. You know, simply as a regular occurrence. It's honestly rather nice. Did you have something planned yourself?"

Idly, Claude watches as Dimitri begins to fill out information in an app. He's never used it himself, personally, but it's pretty obvious that its point is for Dimitri to keep track of his fitness and overall health. "Not really. I wanted to see how much you would put me through the ringer and the following sensation of wanting to die, so I tried to keep my schedule open."

"And what is the judgment so far?"

"I think that sauna brought me to life," Claude announces, and relishes in how Dimitri's laugh feels rumbling into his side. "But I'm still a little bit sore, honestly."

Dimitri glances at him a couple of times, shy and careful looks, before he speaks up. "Then... My apartment isn't too far from this gym. It's one of the reasons I chose this one to frequent. If you'd like to take a break for just a little while.... I mean, if that's not too forward of me. If you don't want to, that's more than perfectly fair."

From another guy, Claude would have to wonder if this were a netflix-and-chill kind of situation. With Dimitri, he doesn't even have to entertain the thought. Claude grins up at him. "Honestly, a chance to be nosy and get a look at exactly where you live? I'll take that. I hope you're serious in that it's not too far from here, however, or else my muscles will give out from underneath me. When that happens, I'll be relying on you to carry me like my knight in shining armor."

Grinning, Dimitri begins to guide him along. "After having seen you work so hard in the gym?" he says, adjusting his bag where it hangs on his opposite side so he can put away his phone. "I'm fairly certain that you're far stronger than to collapse like that, Claude."

Claude clicks his tongue. "Tsk tsk tsk. You won't even help a tired and swooning delicate soul like me, Dimitri? I overestimated your chivalry."

"I don't believe you have the right to take that away, thank you, especially when you're committing fraudulent behavior."

A laugh bursts out of him. "Oh, so I'm committing fraud now?" he teases, glad to see Dimitri still smiling. So there is a sense of humor in there somewhere.

"You will be if you try to convince me you're swooning."

"Well, I think I'm enjoying our meetings too much to want to go to prison just yet." He winks at him before shivering at another gust of wind. Mostly he can feel it on his opposite side, you know, the side that doesn't have the benefit of a nice big blond jock as a weather shield. In Claude's book, even that little is too much. He glances up at Dimitri again when the taller man shifts in order to swipe some hair out of his face. Now that they're out of the gym, the ponytail is done with apparently. Dimitri's got the hairband around one wrist, peeking out from beneath his sleeves, and he's got his hair completely loose... which is a problem when the wind is determined not to quit. Claude's curiosity got him into a date with a viking; he's not going to hold back on it now. "You know, it would probably be easier for you if you'd kept your hair pulled back. I was actually wondering about that, back in the locker rooms. It seemed like a hassle to take your eyepatch on and off every time you were messing with your hair."

Dimitri needs a second to shove more hair out of his face. "Oh- that? I suppose you could just say it's a personal preference. If I keep it loose while I'm working out, it obviously sticks to my skin and becomes a mess. It distracts me while I'm trying to exercise. However, well, alternatively..." He heaves out a sigh. "I don't like the sensation of it. It doesn't just stay pulled back. Instead, whenever I move, it feels as though it's always being pulled and tugged on. So I'd rather just deal with the bothersome minute it takes for me to fiddle with everything." 

Claude hums. "I suppose I can't really relate." Slyly, he glances up at Dimitri. "I like having my hair pulled." 

He was hoping for a reaction. Expecting one, even, because that was the point. He wasn't quite expecting Dimitri to trip on his own feet, pitching forward and carrying Claude along with him. Claude jerks his hand up against Dimitri's chest, at the exact same time the other man slams his foot forward to catch himself. For a second, they just stand there, frozen in mid-trip, and slowly meet each other's eyes...

It's seeing Dimitri's wide eyed look that snaps Claude out of it, laughter knocking him off his own feet. The fingers at Dimitri's chest dig in, holding him upright, and he can barely hear Dimitri's "Claude!" over the sound of his own cackling. 

What a pair of jackasses they must look like, right there in the middle of the sidewalk. 

"You're terrible," Dimitri says once Claude's laughter has subsided into snickers and they're both back on track. 

"I know." 

"How can you say something like that in broad daylight?"

"Very easily." 

"...Is it true?" That one is a mumble and a surprise, making Claude jerk his head up to look at Dimitri again. His eyes aren't met in return, with one hand at Dimitri's mouth and pink dusted across his cheeks. "No- I'm sorry, forget you heard that. I was being too forward-" 

Claude interrupts him by slipping his hand out from his pockets and slides his fingers along Dimitri's. "I think," he says, voice low and soft, "that I like it when you're forward. And, for the record?" He waits until Dimitri looks back to him again, and winks. "It is." He's already determined not to lie to Dimitri as part of his teasing, after all.... and it's good to let the other guy know where he stands when it comes to sex. Anything more subtle might go over his head. 

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't sort of hoping that might spark something for when they reach Dimitri's apartment - a fairly nice looking place that seems to have plenty of amenities for its residents and is perfectly clean. Dimitri's own apartment is up on one of the higher floors, leaving Claude to notice something almost immediately. It's not necessarily surprising, with how nice everything is, but there are only a few apartments on each floor as far as he can tell. That means each one has to be big.

Claude rewinds to what he knows of all of Dimitri's friends: Mercedes and Annette's recent move, Ashe needing help organizing things, Dedue dating all of them apparently... That's at least four people to the apartment, which seems like it could split up a sizable rent decently enough, assuming there isn't more to the relationship that Claude hasn't been told about. (Honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if there were. Every single person involved so far seems like the type who deserves a harem.) But Dimitri hasn't said one way or the other.... So, just to cover all his bases, Claude asks, "So any roommates I get the pleasure of meeting?"

Dimitri has been going through the keys with the clear slowness of someone who's feeling nervous about bringing someone to his apartment (whether for dick related reasons or normal social reasons, unknown), but he pauses at that. "Oh, no, it's only me." Finally finding the right one, he slides it out from the rows with his thumb. "I thought about getting a roommate when I first signed the lease, but it seemed like a bit much at the time. I wanted to simply see if I could get basic.... living down first before I tried 'living but now with another person'. I keep thinking to myself that I should look into it now that I've lived here a few years, but it always slips my mind." Unlocking the door with a click, Dimitri holds it open for him. 

It's really little wonder that the apartments need so much room on even a single floor. Stepping inside, Claude lets a whistle roll out between his teeth. It's an actual loft-style apartment, with a large window opening out to the rest of the city and the overlooking loft set-up getting an even nicer view. He can definitely see now why it was likely meant to be a multi-person sort of apartment once he steps even further in. As is typical for this kind of apartment set up, there's nothing separating the living space and small kitchen area from each other, but the addition are a pair of doors in a small hallway that exist underneath the loft and its stairs.

A similar pair of doors exist upstairs, although he can only catch a small glimpse of them from where he is. Despite all the space, there's actually not much filling it. Like, yeah, there's a couch, and television, and rack of DvDs, and a table that's kind of hilariously small in comparison to everything else... (All of it old, and, Claude suspects, thrifted or secondhand.) But there's not a whole lot in terms of decorating. Claude wonders faintly if there's more in the other rooms, or if Dimitri is too broke affording the apartment on his own to have spare cash for making the place look a little more lived in.

Behind him, he can hear Dimitri closing the door and locking it. "I'm sorry about any mess," he says, passing Claude by. "I wasn't really thinking of company this morning." To Claude's eyes, he can spot some not particularly organized shoes cluttering up the space by the door and dirty dishes in the sink. A few books and various bits of mail are scattered along the coffee table. Maybe it's not bleached clean, but Claude wouldn't exactly say it's filthy, either. His room is far worse, and not only because it's a tinier space.

"I'm fascinated by what you'd consider clean, honestly," he says out loud, pausing to shimmy out of his sneakers.

Dimitri actually bends down to untie his shoes, nudging them to the side so that they're out of the way. "I assume it would be the the same standards of clean as the average person." With that done, he doesn't have to go far to duck into the kitchen space. "Do you want something to drink? I was going to make a shake. There should probably be enough for two, I think...."

Claude was blatant enough, right? There wasn't even any innuendo. But no. Dimitri really is the guy who, when he says Netflix And Chill, really is thinking of just watching a movie. He grins to himself a little. Well, it was just to let him know how ready he is for that sort of thing anyway. It's not really a huge loss. "I wouldn't mind. What kind of shake is it?"

There's a pause as Dimitri investigates just what he's actually holding from his rummaging in his cabinets. "...Blueberry? Apparently."

"Apparently." Claude doesn't stop the amusement rolling off his tongue. "Do you just grab things off shelves when you're shopping?" Cheerfully, he flops down onto the couch and twists around with his arms resting along the back so he can grin over at Dimitri.

There's a soft huff. "I pay attention to price, and what I need. I'm not wasteful with money!" 

"Says the guy who has an entire and enormous apartment all to himself that he keeps forgetting to find a roommate for," Claude notes, resting his chin along the couch. "Why did you even get an apartment this huge in the first place if it's too much for you?"

"Spite!" Dimitri protests. 

They both pause.

Claude bursts out laughing, face hiding in the cushions, while Dimitri tries to speak over him. "Wait, no, let me take that back, please, it sounds horrible when I say it out loud like that-" 

Wiping at his eyes and grinning, Claude replies, "You can take it back, but now I definitely want to know the reasons behind spite. And if you won't tell me that story, then I at least want to know what kind of black market deals you're pulling to live in an apartment this huge all on your own." 

When there's no immediate answer, that means the real one is always guaranteed to be interesting all on its own. Dimitri fiddles with making the shakes for them, not meeting Claude's highly curious gaze for a while, before he heaves out a sigh. "So," he starts, "the problem with that is that the two issues are... rather intertwined." 

Nevermind. Claude is more than perfectly fine with things staying PG between the two of them today. Right now, his curiosity is killing him. And everyone knows mysteries take precedent over dick. "You realize you absolutely can't leave me hanging when you say things like that." 

"It's stupid family drama, really." Dimitri shakes his head, finishing the two drinks. "And honestly it's a rather long story. I wouldn't want to bore you." Wandering over, he hands one glass to Claude. "The summary is that my sister and I don't get along for.... complicated reasons. Things happened- a lot of things, really." He settles down on a chair nearby. "A lot of it is rather unimportant to your question, but let's just say that it ended up with her agreeing to help pay the deposit on an apartment that I would pay her back for. A lot of my own work is at home, taking up duties for a job that she... doesn't entirely have interest in, you could say. A lot of it is just mundane nonsense; I doubt you would find any of it interesting." 

He wants to know everything. Just what kind of absolutely wild drama could lead to.... this? What has a pair of siblings cutting off contact? A sister helping shell out money for her brother? What did the brother do? What kind of at-home work is he doing, and why can't the sister have her hands in it? It takes a frankly commendable amount of willpower to not ask a million questions; it's not too unlike eavesdropping at the Golden Deer whenever drama erupts there in that regard.

The main difference is that Dimitri isn't some random stranger who he'll rarely see again. Dimitri is a guy he's dating, and extremely into. So Claude reins himself in from prodding any further into all of this. Instead, he laughs a little. "I mean, who knows? But I will say you were right in one way." When Dimitri just blinks at him, he grins. "It does sound pretty petty without any other information." 

Dimitri groans, slumping back into his seat. "I didn't mean to say it!" 

"There, there." Claude doesn't stop grinning, although he nudges his foot against one of Dimitri's legs. They're close enough for that, at least. "If it makes you feel better, it's exactly because I don't know a lot that I'm not going to judge you too much." The longer they date, the higher his chances of learning just what the deal is are anyway. He can be patient.

While it could be easier to poke around online and see if there's anything there.... He's nosy, not an asshole. It's not like it's a matter of life or death if he doesn't learn all about Dimitri's sister anyway. Well, probably. Claude will just have faith in his good luck and Dimitri being too honest to refrain from, say, explaining that his sister is an axe-wielding murderer or something.

Claude takes a sip of shake, enjoying the artificial blueberry of it all, before he moves the conversation along. "So, any plans now that you have me hidden away in your apartment? A grand tour, maybe?"

"No," Dimitri says, so quickly that he's breaking some sort of record. "I told you, I wasn't expecting anyone! It's..." He grimaces. "Worse." 

"Ah ha. So the neat exterior is just a lie hiding the filth within." 

"Alright, now you're sounding horrible." Dimitri rolls his eye before glancing over to the line of movies near his television. "...Do you like old movies? You know- cheesy black and white ones."

Brain, you know I was kind of internally joking with you earlier. Unable to stop himself, Claude says, "Oh, Netflix and Chill?"

Proving he keeps up with modern slang, Dimitri scoffs. "You just got exhausted from the gym. I wouldn't spring that onto you so suddenly, and not after only one date!"

"Oh, I thought this was the second one."

"We went to the gym, and Dedue was with us. Could we really call it a date?"

"That? No." Claude tilts his head just a little bit in the direction of the shelf full of movies, smiling. "But coming to your apartment and then inviting me to watch a movie? I think we can definitely say it is now."

Dimitri tilts his head down, not fully hiding the slight smile crossing his face. "I suppose I can't argue with that logic. But you're still exhausted from the gym." Ignoring Claude's brief 'aw', Dimitri nonetheless gets up to his feet and leaves his drink on the coffee table. "You know, I don't particularly like Netflix?"

Settling in for a good couple of hours, Claude draws his knees up so he can curl onto the couch. "Oh yeah?"

"Mhm." Dimitri begins to browse over his selection thoughtfully. "I mean, it's certainly nice in that it lets you see a wide variety of things that you might not have had the money for otherwise, as many times as you want. It's good for a first glimpse." He glances back at Claude for a quick evaluation before his search becomes a little more pointed. "However... I don't really like the idea of it as something permanent, if that makes sense? For example, if the company decides to randomly take something off of its listing, I get no say over the decision. All I can do is I hope I remember its title or something notable about it so I can hunt it down again. It just makes me feel personally better to have something physical that I can refer to, that I have control over." Finally deciding on something, he tugs it out from its place. "And I suppose I'm also just a traditionalist in the end. Does all of that make any sense?"

"That's quite a lot of thought for not liking Netflix."

He sighs. "I know, I know. It doesn't deserve that much." Starting up the player, he slides his chosen movie in.

"Now, I didn't say that." Claude takes another lazy little sip of his shake; he doesn't see a need to finish the whole thing immediately. There's still a whole movie to watch. "There's nothing wrong with wanting something you're sure is in your hands. Besides, I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to say on digital media. You're not wrong for feeling how you do. But enough about that- what are we watching?"

"A terrible shlock of a Canadian film," Dimitri informs him, returning back around the coffee table. Instead of taking his seat, however, he settles down on the opposite end of the couch from Claude. There's no way he manages to make it casual, not with the way he turns his head to look over at Claude, but that's really just bad luck on his part. Claude is sitting on his right and blind side, after all. In turn, all Claude does is grin and shift until his shoulder is brushing against Dimitri's. "But hopefully you'll find some humor in how dreadful it is."

"Oh, that's always a good review."

As it turns out, Dimitri isn't just a fan of old terrible movies. He's also a fan of shows which tear those movies apart with its own little cast of characters, or, at least, that's why he has a copy of Mystery Science Theater 3000 on hand. No wonder he'd been glancing at Claude. Likely, he'd been searching for something he knew that Claude in particular would find enjoyable... and he's right. It's a dumb and ridiculous film all in its own right, and the running commentary just adds to the fun. No one could say it's the most romantic date night in the world, but it doesn't have to be. Claude enjoys it for what it is: a nice bit of down time with a little bit of silliness along someone he likes.

It doesn't take a genius to see that Dimitri likes it too, although Claude sort of doubts it's the movie that keeps his attention for the next hour or so. Maybe he doesn't care for it despite owning it. Maybe he's just seen it so many times that he doesn't need to pay attention to it. Sometimes the cause is less important than the effect. Either way, as the television winds down and Claude's body informs him that it's ready to move a little more now, Dimitri smiles to himself. "That was... nice." 

"I rather liked the 'firewood for sale' quip myself." 

Dimitri huffs. "That's not what I meant." Claude knows. "I meant... watching a movie in general, with someone. I haven't really done it in a while, but I didn't realize until just now."

The shake has long since been cleaned out, leaving Claude free to stretch his arms out in front of him with the fingers intertwined. "It's funny how that works, huh? We get swept up in so much stuff that's happening in our life that suddenly it's been a year and we're left wondering where the time went."

Rising up to get their glasses, Dimitri nods. "It really is strange and frustrating in equal measures... Although at least I can say I know where my time went, for a while." They've only been together for a short period of time, yet Dimitri is apparently coming to know him fairly decently. He catches that spark of curiosity in Claude's eyes and adds, "I was in a bad place for a while. I've gotten far better since then, but I think in many ways I'm still getting back into... normal habits?" It's almost possible to see him visibly rolling the concept around in his head as he goes over to the sink. "Just doing things in general. I've managed to establish a schedule for myself, which I think is the most important thing, but I'd like to branch out from it... whether doing things I haven't done in a while, or new things entirely." He stays in the kitchen, leaning against a counter while he looks back to Claude. "Does that make sense?"

"Mhm." Claude rolls his head back against the couch to meet Dimitri's gaze. "Does that mean I should be the one to plan our next date, then?"

It really is fun to see how Dimitri jolts up when Claude says things, even things that don't really deserve the reaction. "I swear I'm working on an idea," he says hastily. "I'm just having a little bit of difficulty-" 

Claude laughs. "I'm not accusing you of anything, Dimitri," he teases. "And I guess I couldn't really call it a date either. Rather, I was thinking maybe you could meet some friends of mine, too, while we go out for something." And he had been thinking of a way to put a little bit of his heart out on the line too.... 

Dimitri eases up, exactly as planned. "I... would like to know more about the kind of people you're friends with. What are you all doing?"

A grin stretches across his face. "So, ever taken part of a protest?"





"So you would happen to be the Dimitri that Claude has taken to dating, I presume?"

Anxious as he is to impress, Dimitri focuses on making sure his spine stays straight with no trace of slump. Even if he weren't trying to look good, well, for one, terrible posture is a bad habit he got into some years back and one that he's since been trying to break. Not to mention with a person like this... Making whatever corrections he can to his spine almost comes naturally. "Yes, I am," he says politely, folding his hands behind him. "You must be one of Claude's friends. He's spoken fondly of you."

It's either the politeness or Claude himself that seems to satisfy the man blocking the way into Claude's apartment, because he gives a small smile. "Oh, he has?"

"Only a little bit." Dimitri patiently waits for yet another once over that probably doesn't mean to be judging, just... assessing. He's not certain if that really makes it any better, or what exactly he's being assessed for. Not for the first time, he worries about his outward appearance. It's just an apartment visit, so there was really no need to wear anything but a plain shirt and slacks, but still. The eyepatch always throws people off, it seems. At least he put some effort into his hair for once. Bangs styled and everything. He can only hope that's enough. "I hope I'm not intruding."

Whatever test he was unwittingly taking, he seems to have passed it. The man shakes his head. "Oh, no, not at all. I do hope that the state of our apartment isn't too terrible in turn. We did our best to clean it, yet there is simply quite a lot." With that, he finally steps aside to allow Dimitri inside.

Claude's voice drawls out from the depths. "Lorenz, stop harassing my date."

"I am not harassing anyone!" Lorenz protests as Dimitri steps in, closing the door behind him. "I'm simply making sure that the right person is stepping into our home!"

And... it really does feel like a home. Maybe that's just because there's so much of everything, and everything is pressed in together for the lack of room. The living room seems barely large enough to accept the existence of its couch, coffee table practically right up against it, and what appears to be the existence of a kitchen right behind the couch. What seems to be the world's tiniest hallway is right off to the side of it.

That leaves just enough room for a television and the stand it's precariously balanced on.... And the doorway in what appears to be another small space besides that. True to Lorenz's word, it does seem to be as clean as can be made possible. It's just that only so much can be done in such a small space, with the shelves underneath the television close to bursting even without the game system that's shoved there, and someone appears to have tried to cheat because Dimitri is fairly certain that he can see the hint of an empty soda bottle poking out from underneath the couch. It's tiny, filled to the brim, a mess, and Dimitri thinks he rather loves it.

After he's removed his shoes and his coat is slung over one shoulder, Dimitri pokes his head around the door frame into the room past the television- where he had heard Claude's voice come from. "Good evening," he says, only to abruptly pause.

The room past the television is one of the most awkwardly constructed rooms of all time, long and narrow. there's not nearly enough space to put in a couch, not really, but the dining table there barely seems to manage itself. A sort of... bench is built into one end, clearly not helping the matter of space, and someone has placed a fake plastic skeleton daintily there. It's fully dressed, too: a pair of jeans that are only on because the skeleton is sitting down, a novelty tee which proclaims "GHOST IN TRAINING" in bright blue bubbly letters, and what appear to be worn but very clean sneakers. Yet strange as the sight is... It's not the thing which really gets Dimitri's attention.

Claude is seated at the head of the table, directly opposite of the fake skeleton, and he grins up at Dimitri. "Hey yourself," he says, dark hair falling in loose curls all around his face. While his brain doesn't mean to go in too poetic a thought process, all Dimitri can think is how this minor change in hairstyle makes Claude look even more handsome than he already was, a classical painting sort of beauty. Dimitri wants to cup his palm against Claude's face, run his hand along his cheek until his fingers could slide into those soft waves, see what would happen if he gripped just a little tightly and the expression Claude would make-

Nope! Nope nope nope. Dimitri beats back the thoughts as if with the blunt end of a lance before pinning them far away out of sight and out of mind. (Where he will inevitably stumble onto them later; he knows himself well.) While Claude's attractiveness might have been one of the reasons why he had an interest in him from the start, that's no reason to let his thoughts go in that direction.

....Nevermind that a part of his mind is reminding him of how Claude was the very person to tell him how he liked hair pulling. How he would very possibly like it if Dimitri told him, secluded and away from other people, just what he wanted to do to him.

He's been staring, he realizes, although only after Claude cocks his head to the side with a questioning grin. "I'm sorry," Dimitri says hastily, stepping further into the dining.... corner? Space? There's really not much room for him, it feels like. "I've never seen you with your hair like that before, so it caught me off guard." He pauses. "Also, there is a skeleton in this room, for some reason?"

"Oh, that's Parth," Claude says casually, although there's a small spark of pleasure in his eyes from when Dimitri commented on his hair. "He's our fourth."

"Your.... fourth."

"The fourth roommate of this apartment, although, really, he's a terrible one. He's always late on rent. In fact, I don't think he's ever paid it. Plastic skeletons are worse than cats, honestly."

"Please do ignore Claude's teasing," Lorenz says, going around Claude's chair to take a seat of his own. Dimitri finally takes stock of how the table is absolutely covered with various papers, folders, and three different laptops that are all vying for space on an extension cord which snakes around chair legs. "I'm afraid that rather macabre bit of interior decorating was left behind by the last tenant, whoever they may have been. Our landlord apparently didn't do a close inspection, since it was never kicked out... So we stumbled upon it when we were all moving in." Crossing his arms, Lorenz sighs. "I wanted to move it out, really, and yet Claude and Hilda thought it would be an amusing addition. So Parthia Riegan-Goneril has come to be a permanent resident."

"I... suppose that makes a certain amount of sense." He thinks. Dimitri glances back towards the skeleton again. "You gave him a last name?"

"Lorenz insisted that if we were going to have a 'fourth housemate', then he needed a proper name," someone says from over Dimitri's shoulder, and he looks down as a girl in bright pink hair swans by him. Oh, he thinks he knows this one. Claude's description of her was rather on point. "He said he needed clothes, too, although we've only managed to get some things from the thrift store." She presses the very tips of her manicured nails up against her cheeks, sighing heavily. "I feel so bad, having something that unfashionable taking up space... He needs to at least dress for the weather. Nothing could be cute as me, of course, but still."

Dimitri looks over the skeleton again. Maybe it's just the shirt, or the way it's been positioned, but he guesses it... could pass for charming. For someone. "It's certainly... interesting."

Hilda shares a glance with Claude. "You were right, he's so polite." This cheers her up, apparently, and she puts her hand down along the back of Claude's chair while reaching over with her other. "Anyway, I'm Hilda! Claude has said sooooo much about you."

Dimitri takes her hand, giving it a firm shake. At least, he tries to, because that statement is drawing more of his attention. "Oh? What has he said? Besides that I'm polite, I suppose."

As soon as he's asked the question, Dimitri ponders if he's made a mistake of some sort. Hilda and Claude exchange what can only be described as A Look, capitalization necessary. They're both grinning, sharing in some great secret, before Hilda looks back at him. "Oh, lots of things," she says, winking to him. "But he mentioned that you work out a lot, and I can tell just by looking at you! You do a lot of lifting, right?"

Why does it feel as though he's missing something.... Dimitri tucks that thought aside next to his more inappropriate thoughts in the designated dark corner of his mind so that he can focus on the conversation more. "Yes, that's right. It's a good way to stay healthy."

"I agree with you soooo much," Hilda gushes. "I have aerobic classes every weekend, so I get it. I've thought about trying more intense stuff, but I'm just so worried about getting injured, you know? I've heard so many horror stories. But I guess that's just made me not good at lifting heavy things.... Oh, but you know! You must be really great at it, if you go to the gym so much and have muscles like those! I bet moving in to your apartment wasn't a problem at all, huh? If I didn't have Claude and Lorenz as roommates, I don't know what I would have done all on my own..."

Besides her, Claude raises his eyes briefly to the ceiling as if silently requesting answers from the divine, although a smile still plays on his lips the whole time. Dimitri has some questions, but he ignores them instead to give an awkward smile in Hilda's direction. "Well, if you need help again, please let me know. It's no good to get hurt, and it seems as though we may come to know each other fairly well soon enough." At least, if he and Claude keep seeing each other... which he more than hopes they do.

Claude mutters something along the lines of "Another one bites the dust", but it's difficult to hear it properly over Hilda's delighted clapping.

"Thanks, Dimitri! I knew you'd be a good fit for Claude, with a caring attitude like that."

"While it's good that we've all gotten to know him, I rather believe we've gotten off-track," Lorenz says, searching through some of the many papers that are on the table. 

Claude snaps his fingers. "Not wrong! So, Dimitri, you looked up more on that law I was telling you about, right?"

Taking this as an indication to finally sit down, Dimitri tugs over a chair for himself and drapes his coat along the back of it. "Yes, I found quite a few things on it," he says, sitting down. "To say that people are rather passionate about the core of the idea is an understatement... But I could only find some specific articles on the details. It was interesting, to see who exactly was reporting on what, and who actually referenced the proposal itself and those who shied away from anything too explicit." From the corner of his eye- Dimitri is still trying to adjust himself so that he can see all three roommates together, not counting Parth- he thinks he sees Claude grin. "So I went to go look on the government site. Which, I have to say, really could use an update."

"Ugh." Hilda makes a face. "You actually read through all that dense legalese? I swear I get headaches every time I glance at it."

"I'm used to it. I don't like it," he adds, "but I do have the experience."

Claude leans forward, arms crossing on the tabletop. "And?" he asks idly, tilting his head towards Dimitri. "How does that experience influence your view of what's going on? I mean, I did say only to come if you were genuinely interested, but it would help to hear where you are on this whole thing."

"Well.... If I may speak frankly?" Dimitri leans forward, glancing over some of the papers curiously. Some of them seem like simple flyers to be put up around the city, or at different businesses. It's a good practice. Even in the age of the internet, people still go places. Others seem more like references, news articles, letters meant to be sent to representatives and other lawmakers. "I found the whole thing to be asinine. If I were to walk into any sudden care clinic or dentist's office, then I can guarantee you that their building measurements would be around the same and yet they're not subjected to this sort of law. They're only abortion clinics, not full blown hospitals which have much more-" The word is rather escaping him, and Dimitri pauses in his attempt to search for it.

Fortunately, it appears that he has others around him who are fine with picking up the slack. Hilda scoffs, still leaning against Claude's chair. "It's sooo unbalanced. Everyone with any sense knows it's just targeting the clinics until the standards are impossible to follow."

"And thus the purpose of the protest, to draw attention to such unbalance that seeks to leverage even more power against those in desperate need," Lorenz agrees, flourishing a small pen. "So it seems we're rather aligned in our goals, then! Excellent."

"Not that I invited you for attending the protest," Claude adds, nudging over one of the laptops. It's bright pink, leaving no doubt as to who its owner is, and practically awash in various stickers that make it look simultaneously cluttered but very.... cute? Stylish? Dimitri's never been an expert. "Mostly this is just some last minute prep work to help make sure that the word is spreading and the momentum doesn't lose any steam. You being new to all of this, it'll be good to have your view on what we've put out so far. I don't want to pressure you into anything. I know it's a lot to ask!" He doesn't outright say why it's a lot to ask of Dimitri in particular, but that's fine. The intent is clear, and draws a smile onto Dimitri's own face.

"Actually, since you told me about it, Claude... I have been wondering about it. It doesn't sound as though it would be dangerous, at least not this particular one, and I'd rather take part in it with people I know. It's for a good cause as well."

Almost immediately, Lorenz leans forward with intense interest and pulls towards himself a rather thick folder that was pushed to the side. "Then, if you'll truly be joining us on that weekend, I hope you won't mind a few questions! Information is especially important in this particular duty."

Claude gestures to Lorenz's excitement with a grin. "He's basically our very excitable shepherd with great hair, when it comes to his role in things. If anything happens, like with the police, or if someone needs medical attention, he keeps contact and medical information on hand. Our 'just in case'. He won't know everyone involved in the protest, although I'm sure he'd love to have that information on hand-" Something about his tone says that Claude would love to as well. "-but for more personal stuff like with me and Hilda, well, it definitely helps." His grin widens. "And you get to be a part of the group. Lucky you."

He's probably just saying it to tease and keep the air light. He can't know that Dimitri really does feel lucky, sitting here with passionate people aimed towards a good cause and who care about his well being. Dimitri doesn't say any of that, instead smiling over to Lorenz. "I don't mind answering whatever questions might help," he says while Claude and Hilda use up their time on whatever it is that Claude has pulled up on his laptop.

"Then we'll start from the very beginning." Lorenz clicks a pen open. "I know this may sound redundant, but do bear with  me. Your full name, please?"

"Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd."

Lorenz makes a small noise of understanding, pen making elegant movements along paper. It's a simple acceptance... standing in sharp contrast to how Claude and Hilda jerk their heads up, both of them staring at him in complete flabbergasted shock. "What was the sound that came out of your mouth?" Hilda asks slowly, losing all semblance of careful daintiness as she scrunches her brows together.

Dimitri just blinks. "What?"

"Dimitri Alexandre what?"

...Oh. Right. It's been a while, hasn't it? "It's simply my last name," he says with a shrug. "Blaiddyd."

"Blay-thid," Claude echoes slowly, stretching out the pronunciation of it. "Dimitri. How do you spell your name again?"

"B-L-A-I-D-D-Y-D."

Closing his eyes, Claude presses his hands together and raises them to his mouth. He is definitely trying to get some answers from the divine now. Meanwhile, Hilda has a hand to her mouth and seems caught between either laughter or horror. "Did your parents have a vendetta against letters?" she asks in quiet awe.

"I really could not tell you, although I will say it does seem as though you two are being a little dramatic," Dimitri notes with a sigh. "It's a perfectly normal last name."

This has all been useful to Lorenz, apparently, who seems pleased with what he's gotten to write down now. If Dimitri had to guess, it's because he didn't have to go through the trouble of asking him to spell his name himself. "Oh, I agree. There are simply some cultures in the world that have a much different relationship with the Latin alphabet, Hilda, and it manifests as such."

"Calling it a 'relationship' really does seem to be the most optimistic description of that pronunciation," Claude says, squinting one eye open to look over at his roommate. "Unless you're talking about the sort of relationship that exists between a slasher movie killer and his victims, in which case, do carry on, Lorenz."

Hilda tugs Claude close to her chest, gently patting at his hair. "Ssshh, sshh, Claude. I know. Let's leave them to their butchering of letters, and I'll braid your hair, alright? I finally found my hair tyes, so we're good to go."

"Continuing on," Lorenz says, focused on his paperwork while Dimitri can't help but be focused on the way Hilda's fingers start to go through Claude's hair. "Do you have a person we can use as a contact, in case anything happens?"

It takes some effort to stop being envious of the way Hilda is carding her nails through Claude's curls, and Dimitri blinks over to Lorenz. "Oh. Well..." Raising a hand to his mouth, Dimitri thinks carefully.

Any one of his closest friends are well aware of his issues, along with where he lives or what medications he takes. The last few years have only seen all of them grow even closer.... especially on his end, if he thinks about it. He's not hidden the struggles he's been going through, at least not to them, not anymore. Partially it's because there's no point in trying anymore, and partially because it's.... better, he thinks. Better to not hide things. So any one of them would be good, wouldn't they? In his head, he starts going down through the list.

Ingrid is one of the most responsible people he knows, and it's only really fact that she'd drop everything if she heard that something had happened to him, he knows that much. At the same time- Dimitri glances briefly at Claude and manages to do a very commendable job of not getting distracted by what's going on with his hair. No, he'd rather not have the two of them meet, not just yet. Ingrid is a good person, Dimitri cannot and would not say otherwise... but she has her own things to work through. Maybe a little later.

Then, Sylvain, maybe? For as annoyed as he is with his friend for the stunt he pulled, well, it's been some weeks since that happened, and he did say he would stop being so hard on him.... But Sylvain already puts a lot on his shoulders, Dimitri knows. If he can keep one thing off of them that doesn't need to be there.... Dimitri moves on, counting through the list.

Finally, he decides on the person he supposes he should have settled on from the very start. "Dedue Molinaro," he answers. "I have his phone number, and I'll be sure to tell him that I gave it to you."

"Perfect. Then, any medications...?"

It's really a rather mundane run of things, nothing Dimitri wouldn't have in his own wallet if he's honest, and it's about as long, too. As Lorenz finishes up, writing down some more things on his sheet, Dimitri's attention is drawn by Hilda's pleased exclamation. "There! Dimitri, tell me what you think of this. My work is great, isn't it?" While Lorenz and Dimitri have been talking, the other two have been hard at work as well, with both of them talking to one another about something on the screen. Yet that's not all they've been doing- at least not Hilda.

Instead, she's been working on Claude's hair this entire time, and the fruits of her effort are.... They really are great. It's only one single little braid that hangs alongside Claude's face, yet it's done perfectly, with the brilliant yellow she's used bringing out the best of his dark hair while matching the verdant green of his eyes. It's just one little change, one little addition, yet Dimitri feels his heart flutter.

"You look amazing," he tells Claude softly, relishing in the particular smile that curves along his lips.

Hilda is grinning too, a small little thing that radiates satisfaction. "You're welcome," she says, something that feels as though it should be directed towards Claude but instead sounds like it's to Dimitri, instead. Before he has time to decipher the meaning of, well, all of this, she glides around the table to stand behind Dimitri instead. "Anyway, now that Lorenz is done with you, here's what we have so far." She brings up a Word document filled with different blurbs. "You're new to all of this, so you're perfect for an outsider's point of view, even if you are the kind of outside type who understands legalese... Oh, mind if I mess with your hair while you're reading?" When he looks back at her, she's already looking over at- Claude? Or maybe it's Lorenz. It's a little too late for him to have been able to tell.

Well, he guesses it doesn't really matter. Dimitri shrugs. "I don't mind," he says. It's been a long time since anyone has messed with his hair. Then again, it's been a long time since he's had hair long enough for anyone to mess with. "Then, if you'll excuse me..."

When he was in school, Dimitri can remember doing these kinds of things: working towards one goal, everyone contributing their talents and perspectives, a sense of comfortable camaraderie connecting all of them. There had been a lot of things he hadn't liked about his activities in school, all of them to do with expectations and how he looked.... But he had still liked some things. Working in Claude's apartment, getting to know his roommates, making occasional suggestions to the blurbs for various web sites.... It feels like the best of everything he'd liked back in school, and for a greater cause than some he could remember.

He's looking over some of the social media that Hilda tries not to seem too proud about running- doesn't he have a facebook? Do those expire? Maybe he should check in on that- when a comment catches his attention. "Are you expecting counter protesters?" he asks, running the cursor in circles around a response to one of her posts.

Hilda groans, Lorenz sighs, and Claude just laughs slightly. "Well, it's something that's gotten both sides really riled up. I'm expecting a lot of very angry people are calling government offices, especially on their side. Still, I think we'll have them drowned out, if things go as well as usual. I've noticed a lot more people showing up lately, and some of the so-called 'counter protesters' sometimes tend to be more talk than action. Well-" He shrugs, glancing over at his phone briefly. "-honestly, when it comes to this particular topic, we'll see more people than less, but that's fine. As long as it's just the typical conservative Christian types, the kind you'd see more in a church pew than at the altar preaching, that's manageable. It's the leader types, the influencers- those are more of a problem. They're the types who will end up on camera when the news crews start rolling in and that's honestly the worst."

"Because they have a better idea of how to spin their side into a favorable position, and their position in the group gets others worked up to start with?"

"Bingo." Leaning over, Claude steals one of Lorenz's many pens. "We can beat them out with overwhelming numbers, if it's just one of the pastor types. Overwhelming noise if nothing else." His grin is wide, matching how Hilda's matches it when they look at each other across the table. "But it's some of the alt-right types I'm thinking more about. They just love the sound of their own voices, and if it's one of those idiots who keeps blabbing about how he'll totally go... Well, it's honestly a fifty-fifty chance that he'll cow out. I'm really glad to say that once they see how many people are responding and planning to come, they shrink away. They have less guts than they'd let people think they do on the internet. They're still a problem, just not when it comes to protests like this. That's something."

Leaning forward with his elbow on the table, Claude presses the pen against his cheek with a sigh. "Still, if one did to try and sell their particular brand of garbage mixed in with everything else that's happening... That'd be a nuisance. Letting them talk at all is one of the worst things." He laughs. "Times like this, it sure would be nice to have an angry white boy to our cause who could slug him and keep him off camera. Well, unfortunately, I like to-" Claude pauses, noting how Dimitri has taken out his cell phone to scroll through it. "What's up?"

"It can be really any white boy so long as he's well enough to take a hit, I imagine?"

"....You know, I was joking, Dimitri."

"Oh, because I'm not."





⇀ Hello, Felix!

⇀ I hope I'm not bothering you.

⤝ hey boarhead

⤝ weren't you supposed to go on a date

⇀ How did you hear that I was going out?

⤝ annette told me

⇀ Oh, I see.

⇀ Well, it's not exactly a date. I'm honestly just meeting his roommates and helping them plan out an event. It's nice.

⇀ However, I thought you could help with something.

⤝ wait why are you texting me if you're still on your date?

⇀ I told you, I'm not on a date.

⤝ stfu and come out with it

⇀ Well have you heard about that protest planned next weekend?

⤝ y

⇀ I can't tell if that's a "yes" or a "why", Felix.

⇀ Well either way.

⇀ Would you like to attend it with me?

⇀ :)

⤝ ...

⤝ what the fuck are you doing