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Church Source 1
thrashes harder!!!!
but while dimitri fits very well in the demon role
i'm laughing a little at claude as a healer of any sort if we don't change anything on this AU
He probably wouldn't be the healer, this is fair
But fortunately, thanks to his insatiable curiosity and friendly demeanor, we don't need that excuse for Claude to involve himself with Dimitri at all
Claude could just take an interest because he's told not to
That is more than enough reason for him to pry into things
Besides, if he already previously liked Dimitri, such as their having interacted when they were younger - which is a bit of lore that I think is good to keep, since it has canon parallels - he'd have a personal reason to be interested, as well as just being way too curious to not want to know everything
so still going with being raised in the orphanage/church school part for that then
Orphanage could work very well for Claude, since he's supposed to be an outsider who isn't treated well as a result of that
Which would give him yet another reason to sympathize with Dimitri
when all the immediate everyone still treat you like shit, so you go and accidentally find a summoned demon kid to get a crush on later down the line
Y e p
God, you know Claude would be That Bitch, too
Sees Dimitri as a full grown demon and is just like "hello 10/10 would smash"
Quite possibly before he even realizes it's Dimitri
just awoke to that monsterfucking desire early on, it's fine
meanwhile, dimitri is half in denial that Claude is actually there despite knowing him anywhere, because he Doesnt Get Nice Things Anymore and if he thinks he is, then he's delusional or being tricked and both are bad
get back to him on which is worse
Dimitri who has dealt with his trauma by dissociating and hallucinating and being feral and bitter
And Claude tries to coax him into being friends again and going back to being....less feral, at least
Whenever Claude gets the chance to sneak out to socialize with him on the sly
so what is claude running around doing, if not a healer in this au, then
inquiring minds want to know
A good question
Probably a hunter/scout type, to explain his use of bows; probably has a bow of light instead of a bō of light :v
(I'm a fucking nerd don't look at me)
(I learned about bō staffs back when I was a bitty TMNT fan)
Claude is not a fan of the church in general because he comes from a culture with very different social and religious beliefs, but he's especially against the extremist branch that he and Dimitri end up at
Claude was probably only there for a temporary stop-over, maybe digging into their history and order for information(because Claude is a slut for information and secrets and pries everywhere looking for them, almost more than he does his actual job), but when he found out Dimitri was there he ended up sticking around
(Incidentally, a lot of that has basis in canon)
just heading to the town to dig up info and do stuff, get roped into an execution to have the dual reactions of quietly going "ha ha what the fuck" while also appreciating how hot the executioner demon is
except wait
he knows that hot executioner demon
who coincidentally just broke someone's neck with his teeth and is apparently fullblown feral right now
Y e p
...that shouldn't be hot, probably
claude wanted information and he sure got it!
half of that information are all the kinks he didn't know he was into
He's sure on a journey of self-discovery today hoo boy
But yeah, just...imagine Claude sneaking up to Dimitri's cage at night and whispering to him through it
Like 'hey, remember me?'
Just...hoping Dimitri's mind isn't completely broken
meanwhile just that massive form curled up as far away from the bars as possible, tail quietly thrashing and one bright eye just narrowed as he mutters something to himself in his native tongue that's mostly rusty after so long of having only himself to use it with.... because of course he's not going to use the second language claude taught him, not when claude is obviously not real, couldn't be real
(Yeah, Dimitri would not be a lanky demon)
which makes me realize he would have tried to have claude learn some of his language when they were kids....
gently lays down....
(congrats on having a second language, claude)
(as taught by a demon kid who wasn't expecting to teach shit to anyone)
Claude would not only have learned it and retained it, I bet he's taught himself on his far-flung travels
Imagine Claude responding back in fluent demon
(ftr, demons in that world are not actually demons, just another race)
(Good thing Claude canonically hates xenophobes :v )
Dimitri's brain just completely blue screening for a hot moment because he'd expect his usual Claude hallucination to just speak in the same awkward exchanged language or at least basic common like when they were kids
but like
he guesses he was also expecting his Claude hallucination to still look that age too instead of hotter as an adult
but clearly his brain has decided the usual same tricks are getting dull, so it's going for a change of pace
Claude gets to hear some of this mostly from Dimitri just talking to himself more than to Claude
So, uh, good news, he's not completely broken
but, he did, just, casually admit to hallucinating while treating Claude as one of such and talking to himself so
Claude just like "do your hallucinations ever flick rocks at you?" and just tosses a pebble at Dimitri's arm
Just a dead blank stare because hallucinations, dissociating, and years of extremely violent battles has probably just. sure done something to his sense of pain. That on its own would be a problem, along with, well...
It can't be Claude. Even with the improbability of it all, meeting after so long in a world so big, that would be too good to be true. Dimitri has learned better, and such learning doesn't even entertain the possibility.
"My hallucinations should at least have the good grace to let me fall asleep before tormenting me further.
--
"What kind of hallucinations do you have that they listen to polite requests?" Claude tilts his head. "But c'mon, I can't just crouch here trying to convince you I'm real all night. So what's it going to take?" He holds out a hand, through the bars. "Will touching me be enough? Or should I tell you something you don't know, something your brain couldn't make up? Give you something of mine? I'm open to suggestions."
--
Hallucinations invade his space plenty of times, although they never go so far as touching. That's enough to make Dimitri shift warily, although what aspect of it has him so on edge is hard for even him to tell. "True to form, nothing but lies and empty promises as usual... If you won't let me sleep, food would be better." Taste is the one sense that hasn't let him down yet, and it feels like the best way to keep.... whatever this is away from him. Hallucinations can't provide food after all, and the church the bare minimum. A good line in the sand, one that makes him feel a little better as he tries to curl up tighter as if that will make sleep come any sooner.
--
"Oh, hey, good idea!" Claude perks up at this, withdrawing his hand to rummage in the pouch at his belt. "I'm guessing they don't exactly overfeed you here, anyway..."
It doesn't take long for him to come up with the trail rations he tends to carry on him for himself. Dried meat, pounded with berries and nuts, and a coarse hardtack-like bread made with some bits of uncooked vegetables mixed in. They're tough on the jaws, but they're healthy and filling, they travel light, and they last a long time. And with teeth like Dimitri's, Claude figures his friend will find them even more palatable than he does.
He puts a piece of meat on top of a piece of the bread, then holds them out through the bars. "Not exactly delicacies, but they're nourishing. I wasn't too sure what kind of reception I'd get from you, or I'd have probably brought something nicer..."
--
Wait, no, not good idea- This is obviously not something Dimitri expected to go through, let alone right this second, because he does the exact opposite of moving towards Claude. If anything, he actually freezes up in his bit of space, tail actually stilling for a moment instead of continuing its agitated movements. While Claude might have his own time limit, Dimitri is under no illusions that he has anything similar, so he's... slow in the way he uncurls. There's certainly room for someone of his size in his cage, but he doesn't use it. Instead, he stays in a wary crouch, as if prepared to launch himself away or, more likely, at anything perceived as a threat.
Which is sure a way to view someone offering him food through the bars of his cage, but that says all it needs to.
--
Claude holds still, patiently, still holding out the food. "Relax, Dimitri. Even if I was inclined to bite, you definitely bite harder than I do. Besides, why would I want to mess with you?"
--
Eventually, he manages to get close enough to be within reach after some more slow movements. At this range, it's all the more clear how much bigger he's grown since their childhood, for all that it should have been obvious seeing him in the execution ring. "No one has ever deigned to give me the answers to such questions," he says, lips curling over his fangs. Regardless, he reaches over with with the very tips of mildly clawed fingers to pick up the rations offering.
Having something actually physical in his hand seems to be making him pause again, but only for a second before he shoves the whole thing into his mouth.
The following sharp crack of a crunch says, yeah, his teeth can more than handle this.
--
Claude grins at him, deeply pleased to have gotten to do something good for his Intseh friend. Part of him is...almost a little intimidated by Dimitri's size, even through the bars. Less because it's off-putting, and more because Dimitri's pretty obviously unbalanced and Claude's pretty sure he could be killed where he stands by him, cage notwithstanding. It's like standing close to a lion. "You can't tell me you think that's a hallucination. A hallucination would probably at least have the decency to taste better."
--
No immediate answer. Part of this is because, at first, Dimitri is savoring the taste of the meat and bread, different enough from the food the church gives him. That it's not a world class meal of any sort is irrelevant. Just different is enough.
But only for the start. As he swallows the food down, hand still curled up at his mouth, his one remaining eye moves up to focus on Claude. In contrast to his old friend's smile, everything about Dimitri is still tense and dark. He's real. This is really happening. Yet still, yet still.
"What do you want?" his voice is hoarse and quiet, a warning even where it doesn't mean to be. Anything good has long been barred to him, and to not have seen Claude in- years, and years- there has to be a catch. If there's a catch, if he's watching out for it... He'll be ready for it.
--
"To see my old friend again." Claude's still smiling, but there's something a little softer and sadder about it now. He's all too aware of how long it's been, and everything about Dimitri tells him what his friend has been through. "They really did a number on you after they sent me away, didn't they?"
--
"And that's all?" It's more an accusation than a question, and Dimitri's hand lowers to reveal bared teeth. In the dark, they look almost as much a manic smile as a pained grimace. "So you're only here of your own volition, to disappear as much of any of my own specters afterwards?" He presses nearer to the bars, ,bristling ever so slightly. "Why return now?"
--
"I didn't know where you were any sooner than finding you here." Claude doesn't pull away, even though warning bells in his head are definitely advising that. He wants to believe he can trust Dimitri...but more than that, he thinks it'd be strategically unsound here. Claude cares a lot about things, and about people, but he rarely puts sentiment above pragmatism - not when the pragmatic approach is meant to, ideally, work out best for the people he cares about. Ineffectual compassion isn't really a virtue, in his opinion. "After getting sent away for spending too much time with an Intseh as a kid, do you really think I could afford to ask around after executioners as an adult? They keep tabs on things like that, you know. Besides, for all I knew, you might have been dead. And they assigned me my own task, too."
He eyes Dimitri, smile gone now. "I'm sorry it took me so long, and that I couldn't help you any. But I don't know what I could have done differently that would have helped you."
--
Being dead might have been a favor- an old worn thought the strength of which surges and ebbs in him occasionally, although Dimitri doesn't say it aloud whether now or to all his spectres in response before. Favor thought it might have been, still might be, he won't accept it now. He hardly knows what he himself can do in his own situation before the metaphorical leash around his throat chokes him back into place, just that he wants to one day at least get his fangs to reach the hand that feeds. Can't do that when he's dead.
Dimitri is still deciding if Claude counts as one of the fingers.
"I'm sure they did," he says, a low growl that goes right to the stomach. "Your own task that keeps you busy right as we speak, I'm certain." Another, more upfront accusation. There's no such thing as help for him, not in this city, not with this race who's turned on him once before. Even for the person who'd once been a boy, teaching him language on the other side of a door... It's been so long. Who is he to say he knows him any longer? And there has to be a reason he's able to be here.... Even as his fingers wrap around the bars, his teeth stay bared.
"You cannot help me even now." Disdain and distrust drip from the word. "So leave, so that I may at least rest for once, before I bring it about myself." Bigger he might be, but he can still reach through the bars, after all... even though that might hurt himself in the long run. Dimitri can hardly care about that right now.
--
Claude still doesn't draw back, even though he's painfully aware that he's within grabbing distance of Dimitri, and that the Intseh is big enough, strong enough, and perhaps vicious enough to crush him against the bars. Or maybe pull him in just close enough to tear him apart. He's not quite sure if it's more of a political gesture - holding his ground to show Dimitri that he trusts him, hoping to invite trust in turn - or a strategic one, measuring Dimitri's feral nature and perhaps animalistic instincts and calculating that showing prey behavior might induce him to be more viewed as prey. Probably a bit of column A, a bit of column B.
And maybe there's a sort of quietly despairing masochism in it, too. Does Dimitri really hate him that much? Is this really an unsalvageable situation? If he does, if it is, that's depressing enough that Claude almost can't work up the energy for self-preservation. So all he can do is bank on the hope that those things aren't true, which means there's no reason to cater to any other possibilities.
"I didn't expect you to hate me so much for something I couldn't control," he says with a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "But...I guess under the circumstances, with everything they've put you through, you had to blame someone. And I might not have had it easy, but I definitely can't pretend I've had it as bad as you, so I guess some resentment's justified."
He rests a hand on his hip. "But really, Dimitri. They had to drag me away the first time! Do you actually think I'll abandon you by choice now?" He's smiling again, relaxed and confident, and if he's not feeling happy or relaxed or confident, if the expression on his face isn't reaching his eyes, then Claude's confident enough that Dimitri won't be able to tell. He's fooled far more perceptive people, after all. "Sure, I might have just been passing through before I knew you were here, but now that I've found you, I'm staying. I don't want to make any promises about how much help I can be before I've even scoped out the situation - not that you'd trust any lip service from me anyway, obviously - but I'll definitely find something I can do for you. Ideally a lot of somethings."
Already - from practically the first moment he realized the executioner was his old friend, and the desire is itself a holdover from their childhood days - Claude's one thought is that he wants to break Dimitri out. To get him away from the church, to give him freedom. (Back when he was younger, he'd wanted just as much to find freedom for himself, for them to escape together; he'd been a ward of the church, not its fodder the way Dimitri was destined to be, but he was forced into their practices and not allowed to leave so it had felt enough like being a prisoner for him. Now, however, he's far less caged, if only because he's learned to pretend to obediently wear their collar.)
But there's no way he's going to promise that to Dimitri - no way he's even going to suggest it to him - until he knows he can make it happen. Until his plans are formed, and solid. It wouldn't just be cruel to torment him with the possibility well out from making it a reality; it wouldn't just be irresponsible to get his hopes up for something Claude's not yet sure he can realistically pull off. More than anything, it's obvious that Dimitri wouldn't believe it coming from him anyway. Dimitri doesn't trust him right now - doesn't even seem to like him anymore. Claude's got a lot of work to do.
--
In a quiet way, it's driving Dimitri a little bit up the wall about how... little of a reaction he seems to be getting from Claude, although it can be hard to see with how clearly worked up he is in general. Picking out specific causes may be a little difficult. But he's used to those of the Church treating him warily, with no small amount of distance besides when they have to essentially leash and muzzle him for the next execution. His brand keeps him something containable, certainly... Yet he's still a solid deal bigger and more equipped for a physical exchange, in fact groomed for violence and murder, than even their Sisters of Death. Without his brand, there's no real question on who would win even while locked away in this cage. That knowledge surely lurks in the back of their heads, he thinks, and explains why they hardly spend any time near him even while they think him lesser.
Because he's a "demon", of course. That alone would be reason to not be near him.
All of that seems to be casually tossed away by Claude, at least from the Intseh's perspective. It's almost enough to make him doubt what his senses have already told him, that this isn't a hallucination, because it feels so familiar to the ones he's had in the past where he'd remember that child from his youth and how they'd speak with one another through the little barred window of what could have almost be called a proper room. It's familiar and, through that familiarity, confusing and infuriating in equal measure, enough to make his fingers grind against the bars of his cage here in the present. Finally, Dimitri shoves himself away from the bars with a simple rough motion and quiet growl. "I don't know what to think." They were so young when they first met, after all, and it's been a long time. The man in front of him now.... He doesn't know how much of his childhood knowledge still holds up.
All he has is that he can't afford to trust in anything. Not down here.
--
"I guess that's fair. It's been a long time, right? You're pretty different yourself from how you were when I knew you, so who's to say I'm not?" Claude gives him his most winning smile. "So I guess I'll just have to show you what you can believe."
--
Now that he knows Claude actually exists in a way beyond the confines of his mind, the way he reaches through the bars is... different somehow. Dimitri stares at it as if he's never seen a hand before. "....If you come back tomorrow night." When he finally reaches over, it's not to grasp Claude's hand in the way one might expect, but instead with both hands, barely touching him where they cradle both sides and his thumbs brush along his palms up to the gaps between fingers. Slow movements, and brief as Dimitri lets go to shuffle back.
"...I suppose I'll see."
--
Claude has to suppress a shiver at the light touch. It's almost tender, in a way that makes him ache for Dimitri - not in a sensual way, but with pain and regret and anger, and maybe even a little hope. It's so at odds with the rest of Dimitri's behavior, his bitter coarseness and barely restrained violence; it's the only hint he's seen of the boy he remembers from years ago. It's like a glimpse of something buried and lost, something precious he can only hope he can salvage.
He doesn't need the words Dimitri says to tell him anything; the gesture alone says it far more eloquently than his friend's mouth ever could. There's no guarantees here. If he's got any chance at all, it's as fragile as a paper lantern; the slightest mishandling, and it'll go up in smoke.
His fingers flex when Dimitri touches his hand, brushing the pads of his fingers against the other man's palm. He doesn't withdraw his hand until Dimitri's pulled back his own, and then his gaze lingers on Dimitri for a moment.
"Just watch me," he repeats, voice low, before turning on his heel and walking briskly away. He really can't linger; being caught would risk everything.
--
Claude's silhouette has long disappeared in the shadows of the hall when Dimitri finally tears his gaze away. Restless, wondering, he rubs the tips of his fingers together. It's been a long time, perhaps as long as the last time he'd ever seen Claude, that he's ever gotten to simply.... touch someone. Most times, it's just being touched, no regards to his desires or emotions: the harsh binding of his limbs and fangs to keep him in line, fingers digging into the back of his neck and into his hair to force him down one path or another. Other times, it's simple violence, bones breaking under his grip, blood in his mouth.
Claude had just existed, warm between his two hands. Warm and soft.
Dimitri ponders himself in circles on the sensation of another's hands in his, long into the morning.
but while dimitri fits very well in the demon role
i'm laughing a little at claude as a healer of any sort if we don't change anything on this AU
He probably wouldn't be the healer, this is fair
But fortunately, thanks to his insatiable curiosity and friendly demeanor, we don't need that excuse for Claude to involve himself with Dimitri at all
Claude could just take an interest because he's told not to
That is more than enough reason for him to pry into things
Besides, if he already previously liked Dimitri, such as their having interacted when they were younger - which is a bit of lore that I think is good to keep, since it has canon parallels - he'd have a personal reason to be interested, as well as just being way too curious to not want to know everything
so still going with being raised in the orphanage/church school part for that then
Orphanage could work very well for Claude, since he's supposed to be an outsider who isn't treated well as a result of that
Which would give him yet another reason to sympathize with Dimitri
when all the immediate everyone still treat you like shit, so you go and accidentally find a summoned demon kid to get a crush on later down the line
Y e p
God, you know Claude would be That Bitch, too
Sees Dimitri as a full grown demon and is just like "hello 10/10 would smash"
Quite possibly before he even realizes it's Dimitri
just awoke to that monsterfucking desire early on, it's fine
meanwhile, dimitri is half in denial that Claude is actually there despite knowing him anywhere, because he Doesnt Get Nice Things Anymore and if he thinks he is, then he's delusional or being tricked and both are bad
get back to him on which is worse
Dimitri who has dealt with his trauma by dissociating and hallucinating and being feral and bitter
And Claude tries to coax him into being friends again and going back to being....less feral, at least
Whenever Claude gets the chance to sneak out to socialize with him on the sly
so what is claude running around doing, if not a healer in this au, then
inquiring minds want to know
A good question
Probably a hunter/scout type, to explain his use of bows; probably has a bow of light instead of a bō of light :v
(I'm a fucking nerd don't look at me)
(I learned about bō staffs back when I was a bitty TMNT fan)
Claude is not a fan of the church in general because he comes from a culture with very different social and religious beliefs, but he's especially against the extremist branch that he and Dimitri end up at
Claude was probably only there for a temporary stop-over, maybe digging into their history and order for information(because Claude is a slut for information and secrets and pries everywhere looking for them, almost more than he does his actual job), but when he found out Dimitri was there he ended up sticking around
(Incidentally, a lot of that has basis in canon)
just heading to the town to dig up info and do stuff, get roped into an execution to have the dual reactions of quietly going "ha ha what the fuck" while also appreciating how hot the executioner demon is
except wait
he knows that hot executioner demon
who coincidentally just broke someone's neck with his teeth and is apparently fullblown feral right now
Y e p
...that shouldn't be hot, probably
claude wanted information and he sure got it!
half of that information are all the kinks he didn't know he was into
He's sure on a journey of self-discovery today hoo boy
But yeah, just...imagine Claude sneaking up to Dimitri's cage at night and whispering to him through it
Like 'hey, remember me?'
Just...hoping Dimitri's mind isn't completely broken
meanwhile just that massive form curled up as far away from the bars as possible, tail quietly thrashing and one bright eye just narrowed as he mutters something to himself in his native tongue that's mostly rusty after so long of having only himself to use it with.... because of course he's not going to use the second language claude taught him, not when claude is obviously not real, couldn't be real
(Yeah, Dimitri would not be a lanky demon)
which makes me realize he would have tried to have claude learn some of his language when they were kids....
gently lays down....
(congrats on having a second language, claude)
(as taught by a demon kid who wasn't expecting to teach shit to anyone)
Claude would not only have learned it and retained it, I bet he's taught himself on his far-flung travels
Imagine Claude responding back in fluent demon
(ftr, demons in that world are not actually demons, just another race)
(Good thing Claude canonically hates xenophobes :v )
Dimitri's brain just completely blue screening for a hot moment because he'd expect his usual Claude hallucination to just speak in the same awkward exchanged language or at least basic common like when they were kids
but like
he guesses he was also expecting his Claude hallucination to still look that age too instead of hotter as an adult
but clearly his brain has decided the usual same tricks are getting dull, so it's going for a change of pace
Claude gets to hear some of this mostly from Dimitri just talking to himself more than to Claude
So, uh, good news, he's not completely broken
but, he did, just, casually admit to hallucinating while treating Claude as one of such and talking to himself so
Claude just like "do your hallucinations ever flick rocks at you?" and just tosses a pebble at Dimitri's arm
Just a dead blank stare because hallucinations, dissociating, and years of extremely violent battles has probably just. sure done something to his sense of pain. That on its own would be a problem, along with, well...
It can't be Claude. Even with the improbability of it all, meeting after so long in a world so big, that would be too good to be true. Dimitri has learned better, and such learning doesn't even entertain the possibility.
"My hallucinations should at least have the good grace to let me fall asleep before tormenting me further.
--
"What kind of hallucinations do you have that they listen to polite requests?" Claude tilts his head. "But c'mon, I can't just crouch here trying to convince you I'm real all night. So what's it going to take?" He holds out a hand, through the bars. "Will touching me be enough? Or should I tell you something you don't know, something your brain couldn't make up? Give you something of mine? I'm open to suggestions."
--
Hallucinations invade his space plenty of times, although they never go so far as touching. That's enough to make Dimitri shift warily, although what aspect of it has him so on edge is hard for even him to tell. "True to form, nothing but lies and empty promises as usual... If you won't let me sleep, food would be better." Taste is the one sense that hasn't let him down yet, and it feels like the best way to keep.... whatever this is away from him. Hallucinations can't provide food after all, and the church the bare minimum. A good line in the sand, one that makes him feel a little better as he tries to curl up tighter as if that will make sleep come any sooner.
--
"Oh, hey, good idea!" Claude perks up at this, withdrawing his hand to rummage in the pouch at his belt. "I'm guessing they don't exactly overfeed you here, anyway..."
It doesn't take long for him to come up with the trail rations he tends to carry on him for himself. Dried meat, pounded with berries and nuts, and a coarse hardtack-like bread made with some bits of uncooked vegetables mixed in. They're tough on the jaws, but they're healthy and filling, they travel light, and they last a long time. And with teeth like Dimitri's, Claude figures his friend will find them even more palatable than he does.
He puts a piece of meat on top of a piece of the bread, then holds them out through the bars. "Not exactly delicacies, but they're nourishing. I wasn't too sure what kind of reception I'd get from you, or I'd have probably brought something nicer..."
--
Wait, no, not good idea- This is obviously not something Dimitri expected to go through, let alone right this second, because he does the exact opposite of moving towards Claude. If anything, he actually freezes up in his bit of space, tail actually stilling for a moment instead of continuing its agitated movements. While Claude might have his own time limit, Dimitri is under no illusions that he has anything similar, so he's... slow in the way he uncurls. There's certainly room for someone of his size in his cage, but he doesn't use it. Instead, he stays in a wary crouch, as if prepared to launch himself away or, more likely, at anything perceived as a threat.
Which is sure a way to view someone offering him food through the bars of his cage, but that says all it needs to.
--
Claude holds still, patiently, still holding out the food. "Relax, Dimitri. Even if I was inclined to bite, you definitely bite harder than I do. Besides, why would I want to mess with you?"
--
Eventually, he manages to get close enough to be within reach after some more slow movements. At this range, it's all the more clear how much bigger he's grown since their childhood, for all that it should have been obvious seeing him in the execution ring. "No one has ever deigned to give me the answers to such questions," he says, lips curling over his fangs. Regardless, he reaches over with with the very tips of mildly clawed fingers to pick up the rations offering.
Having something actually physical in his hand seems to be making him pause again, but only for a second before he shoves the whole thing into his mouth.
The following sharp crack of a crunch says, yeah, his teeth can more than handle this.
--
Claude grins at him, deeply pleased to have gotten to do something good for his Intseh friend. Part of him is...almost a little intimidated by Dimitri's size, even through the bars. Less because it's off-putting, and more because Dimitri's pretty obviously unbalanced and Claude's pretty sure he could be killed where he stands by him, cage notwithstanding. It's like standing close to a lion. "You can't tell me you think that's a hallucination. A hallucination would probably at least have the decency to taste better."
--
No immediate answer. Part of this is because, at first, Dimitri is savoring the taste of the meat and bread, different enough from the food the church gives him. That it's not a world class meal of any sort is irrelevant. Just different is enough.
But only for the start. As he swallows the food down, hand still curled up at his mouth, his one remaining eye moves up to focus on Claude. In contrast to his old friend's smile, everything about Dimitri is still tense and dark. He's real. This is really happening. Yet still, yet still.
"What do you want?" his voice is hoarse and quiet, a warning even where it doesn't mean to be. Anything good has long been barred to him, and to not have seen Claude in- years, and years- there has to be a catch. If there's a catch, if he's watching out for it... He'll be ready for it.
--
"To see my old friend again." Claude's still smiling, but there's something a little softer and sadder about it now. He's all too aware of how long it's been, and everything about Dimitri tells him what his friend has been through. "They really did a number on you after they sent me away, didn't they?"
--
"And that's all?" It's more an accusation than a question, and Dimitri's hand lowers to reveal bared teeth. In the dark, they look almost as much a manic smile as a pained grimace. "So you're only here of your own volition, to disappear as much of any of my own specters afterwards?" He presses nearer to the bars, ,bristling ever so slightly. "Why return now?"
--
"I didn't know where you were any sooner than finding you here." Claude doesn't pull away, even though warning bells in his head are definitely advising that. He wants to believe he can trust Dimitri...but more than that, he thinks it'd be strategically unsound here. Claude cares a lot about things, and about people, but he rarely puts sentiment above pragmatism - not when the pragmatic approach is meant to, ideally, work out best for the people he cares about. Ineffectual compassion isn't really a virtue, in his opinion. "After getting sent away for spending too much time with an Intseh as a kid, do you really think I could afford to ask around after executioners as an adult? They keep tabs on things like that, you know. Besides, for all I knew, you might have been dead. And they assigned me my own task, too."
He eyes Dimitri, smile gone now. "I'm sorry it took me so long, and that I couldn't help you any. But I don't know what I could have done differently that would have helped you."
--
Being dead might have been a favor- an old worn thought the strength of which surges and ebbs in him occasionally, although Dimitri doesn't say it aloud whether now or to all his spectres in response before. Favor thought it might have been, still might be, he won't accept it now. He hardly knows what he himself can do in his own situation before the metaphorical leash around his throat chokes him back into place, just that he wants to one day at least get his fangs to reach the hand that feeds. Can't do that when he's dead.
Dimitri is still deciding if Claude counts as one of the fingers.
"I'm sure they did," he says, a low growl that goes right to the stomach. "Your own task that keeps you busy right as we speak, I'm certain." Another, more upfront accusation. There's no such thing as help for him, not in this city, not with this race who's turned on him once before. Even for the person who'd once been a boy, teaching him language on the other side of a door... It's been so long. Who is he to say he knows him any longer? And there has to be a reason he's able to be here.... Even as his fingers wrap around the bars, his teeth stay bared.
"You cannot help me even now." Disdain and distrust drip from the word. "So leave, so that I may at least rest for once, before I bring it about myself." Bigger he might be, but he can still reach through the bars, after all... even though that might hurt himself in the long run. Dimitri can hardly care about that right now.
--
Claude still doesn't draw back, even though he's painfully aware that he's within grabbing distance of Dimitri, and that the Intseh is big enough, strong enough, and perhaps vicious enough to crush him against the bars. Or maybe pull him in just close enough to tear him apart. He's not quite sure if it's more of a political gesture - holding his ground to show Dimitri that he trusts him, hoping to invite trust in turn - or a strategic one, measuring Dimitri's feral nature and perhaps animalistic instincts and calculating that showing prey behavior might induce him to be more viewed as prey. Probably a bit of column A, a bit of column B.
And maybe there's a sort of quietly despairing masochism in it, too. Does Dimitri really hate him that much? Is this really an unsalvageable situation? If he does, if it is, that's depressing enough that Claude almost can't work up the energy for self-preservation. So all he can do is bank on the hope that those things aren't true, which means there's no reason to cater to any other possibilities.
"I didn't expect you to hate me so much for something I couldn't control," he says with a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "But...I guess under the circumstances, with everything they've put you through, you had to blame someone. And I might not have had it easy, but I definitely can't pretend I've had it as bad as you, so I guess some resentment's justified."
He rests a hand on his hip. "But really, Dimitri. They had to drag me away the first time! Do you actually think I'll abandon you by choice now?" He's smiling again, relaxed and confident, and if he's not feeling happy or relaxed or confident, if the expression on his face isn't reaching his eyes, then Claude's confident enough that Dimitri won't be able to tell. He's fooled far more perceptive people, after all. "Sure, I might have just been passing through before I knew you were here, but now that I've found you, I'm staying. I don't want to make any promises about how much help I can be before I've even scoped out the situation - not that you'd trust any lip service from me anyway, obviously - but I'll definitely find something I can do for you. Ideally a lot of somethings."
Already - from practically the first moment he realized the executioner was his old friend, and the desire is itself a holdover from their childhood days - Claude's one thought is that he wants to break Dimitri out. To get him away from the church, to give him freedom. (Back when he was younger, he'd wanted just as much to find freedom for himself, for them to escape together; he'd been a ward of the church, not its fodder the way Dimitri was destined to be, but he was forced into their practices and not allowed to leave so it had felt enough like being a prisoner for him. Now, however, he's far less caged, if only because he's learned to pretend to obediently wear their collar.)
But there's no way he's going to promise that to Dimitri - no way he's even going to suggest it to him - until he knows he can make it happen. Until his plans are formed, and solid. It wouldn't just be cruel to torment him with the possibility well out from making it a reality; it wouldn't just be irresponsible to get his hopes up for something Claude's not yet sure he can realistically pull off. More than anything, it's obvious that Dimitri wouldn't believe it coming from him anyway. Dimitri doesn't trust him right now - doesn't even seem to like him anymore. Claude's got a lot of work to do.
--
In a quiet way, it's driving Dimitri a little bit up the wall about how... little of a reaction he seems to be getting from Claude, although it can be hard to see with how clearly worked up he is in general. Picking out specific causes may be a little difficult. But he's used to those of the Church treating him warily, with no small amount of distance besides when they have to essentially leash and muzzle him for the next execution. His brand keeps him something containable, certainly... Yet he's still a solid deal bigger and more equipped for a physical exchange, in fact groomed for violence and murder, than even their Sisters of Death. Without his brand, there's no real question on who would win even while locked away in this cage. That knowledge surely lurks in the back of their heads, he thinks, and explains why they hardly spend any time near him even while they think him lesser.
Because he's a "demon", of course. That alone would be reason to not be near him.
All of that seems to be casually tossed away by Claude, at least from the Intseh's perspective. It's almost enough to make him doubt what his senses have already told him, that this isn't a hallucination, because it feels so familiar to the ones he's had in the past where he'd remember that child from his youth and how they'd speak with one another through the little barred window of what could have almost be called a proper room. It's familiar and, through that familiarity, confusing and infuriating in equal measure, enough to make his fingers grind against the bars of his cage here in the present. Finally, Dimitri shoves himself away from the bars with a simple rough motion and quiet growl. "I don't know what to think." They were so young when they first met, after all, and it's been a long time. The man in front of him now.... He doesn't know how much of his childhood knowledge still holds up.
All he has is that he can't afford to trust in anything. Not down here.
--
"I guess that's fair. It's been a long time, right? You're pretty different yourself from how you were when I knew you, so who's to say I'm not?" Claude gives him his most winning smile. "So I guess I'll just have to show you what you can believe."
--
Now that he knows Claude actually exists in a way beyond the confines of his mind, the way he reaches through the bars is... different somehow. Dimitri stares at it as if he's never seen a hand before. "....If you come back tomorrow night." When he finally reaches over, it's not to grasp Claude's hand in the way one might expect, but instead with both hands, barely touching him where they cradle both sides and his thumbs brush along his palms up to the gaps between fingers. Slow movements, and brief as Dimitri lets go to shuffle back.
"...I suppose I'll see."
--
Claude has to suppress a shiver at the light touch. It's almost tender, in a way that makes him ache for Dimitri - not in a sensual way, but with pain and regret and anger, and maybe even a little hope. It's so at odds with the rest of Dimitri's behavior, his bitter coarseness and barely restrained violence; it's the only hint he's seen of the boy he remembers from years ago. It's like a glimpse of something buried and lost, something precious he can only hope he can salvage.
He doesn't need the words Dimitri says to tell him anything; the gesture alone says it far more eloquently than his friend's mouth ever could. There's no guarantees here. If he's got any chance at all, it's as fragile as a paper lantern; the slightest mishandling, and it'll go up in smoke.
His fingers flex when Dimitri touches his hand, brushing the pads of his fingers against the other man's palm. He doesn't withdraw his hand until Dimitri's pulled back his own, and then his gaze lingers on Dimitri for a moment.
"Just watch me," he repeats, voice low, before turning on his heel and walking briskly away. He really can't linger; being caught would risk everything.
--
Claude's silhouette has long disappeared in the shadows of the hall when Dimitri finally tears his gaze away. Restless, wondering, he rubs the tips of his fingers together. It's been a long time, perhaps as long as the last time he'd ever seen Claude, that he's ever gotten to simply.... touch someone. Most times, it's just being touched, no regards to his desires or emotions: the harsh binding of his limbs and fangs to keep him in line, fingers digging into the back of his neck and into his hair to force him down one path or another. Other times, it's simple violence, bones breaking under his grip, blood in his mouth.
Claude had just existed, warm between his two hands. Warm and soft.
Dimitri ponders himself in circles on the sensation of another's hands in his, long into the morning.