![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Church Source 4
As the next visits begin to continue, something in Dimitri seems to... calm slightly. If nothing else, he seems to accept Claude's visits more easily now instead of the bristling violence of before. Was it the conversation they had that night, frustrations and worries bared to the first person he'd had in years? Perhaps it was the ability to touch Claude, whether to have his life in his claws or to simply touch him with no ulterior motive. Further still... Just the ability to reach Claude, or feel as though he could, seeing the way the other man reacted, worried or tender or crescent moon dark.
Dimitri wonders through all of it when he's on his own, not only for lack of anything else to do but because he wants to.
With his relative calm, Dimitri's interest in relearning the human tongue becomes a bit more focused. A lot of what Claude had taught him once upon a time is unfortunately so rusty as to be worthless, most of Dimitri's attempts broken and clumsy at the start. Yet the interest in learning seems to make up for that. In turn, Claude will no doubt pick up on the other side effect of Dimitri's efforts as well. When he leaves the Intseh on his own for any day or more, Dimitri always is restless and worked up upon his return. The addition of language lessons seems well to help quell these outbursts to some degree. With something to occupy his time with Claude not there and executions not needed for the time being, his energy and focus have something to be directed at. The more he learns, the more it seems to help ease away the frustration of existing in a cage with nothing to occupy his attention.
And there really is nothing else to occupy his attention. The church has no interest in their "demon" outside of executions. If he didn't need food and water to live, Dimitri is fairly sure they would put him into a dark room somewhere with no guilty conscience. If they didn't have need of his claws and teeth, he's not sure they would even let him have so much of a cage. Unfortunately for them, a living creature needs to stretch its limbs, or it can't defend itself... or kill that designated as its prey.
The most interesting parts of his day usually depend on who's come to feed him, and if anyone is using the training grounds for their intended purpose. Feeding is often a bland affair, with Dimitri having a baseline of hatred and distaste for most anyone under the church... but not often acting on it. This desire is often pulled even lower when the Church occasionally has the children under its care come to feed him. There's probably some sort of reason, he's sure, such as driving it into their head early on how terrifying 'demons' can be and what they may well have to handle one day. This would possibly be more effective if Dimitri's response wasn't to often just curl up and ignore them.
...Which is often why the Church has those same children accompanied by handlers who Dimitri enthusiastically hates, for often fairly obvious reasons.
Claude will probably pick up on it when he's making his way through the church grounds that day, especially if he's passing by where the monk in question is being treated not too far off from where the training grounds are. A short gash of his shirt- too few and too short to have been from Dimitri's hands- and the ginger way he holds his stomach indicate a hard kick to his torso. Considering the blood pouring out of his nose and the general bruised aspect of his face... Well, there's certainly a story here, one he seems to be trying to impart on the terrified kid standing near him while a healer patiently and with more than a little exasperation seems to be trying to get him to shut up and be still.
Out on the training grounds itself, where the 'demon cage' is kept, Dimitri doesn't seem to be regretting his actions. In fact, it's the very opposite. Claude has often seen Dimitri in his better moments, believe it or not, even when he threatened his life that one time. He's yet to see him in full feral berserker rage... and he's yet to see another change from the childhood memory of a generally good natured and polite young Intseh. He's yet to see, to be exact, Dimitri be an absolutely smug asshole.
A whip of light has clearly made contact with a few places on his person from the mild encounter from before, marks clearly still burning around his forearm and a slight graze on the cheek of his blind side. None of it actually seems to be bothering him that much. At least, not enough to have wiped away the snarl of a smirk that's curved across his face, row of fangs bared in self satisfaction even as he's picking through a small platter that was left behind for him. The bread is stale, the stew watery leftovers that's long since grown cold.... but he eats it regardless, no matter how he's now since had far better.
The arrival of someone entering the training yard has his ears flick upwards, eyes following shortly after, but Dimitri has to do a double take when he realizes who it is, smirk faltering a little bit. He's never seen Claude in the daytime, after all, their meetings always having taken place in the dark of night when others are asleep. It throws him off, to see him under the sun.
--
Claude had been planning on doing nothing more than practicing his archery in the training yard when he walked into it. (And...okay, rather than waste a good lie on himself, maybe he'd had some thoughts of showing off for Dimitri in the process. After all, Dimitri's never seen how good he is with a bow, has he? And however much Claude may play off the Intseh's attitude towards him, Claude is very invested in what Dimitri thinks of him. A lot of which seems to be overly focused on how Claude's going to get himself hurt by associating with Dimitri, so entirely aside from simply looking cool for him, it sure wouldn't hurt to look competent to him. Able to take care of himself.) But then he steps onto the dirt of the courtyard, and his first glance to Dimitri - meant to be casual - paints him a rough picture that abruptly rivets all his attention. A sweep of the eyes finds the healer, which fills the picture in, and the injured guard, which puts an ostentatious signature on it. (Especially since, by this stage of Claude's information-gathering, he's already heard enough rumors to pin down the identities of the guards Dimitri explicitly dislikes and has had altercations with before, and he recognizes this one as being on the list.)
Claude's plans undergo an immediate and radical restructuring on the fly, even as Claude shifts trajectory to head straight over to the guard.
"Hey, Carnius!" he greets him with cheerful familiarity, as though they were meeting in the mess hall rather than while Carnius is still being fussed over by a healer trying to preserve the man's good looks(a lost cause if there ever was one, in Claude's personal opinion). "Looks like you've got yourself an intern today! You teaching him how valuable our healers are?"
Dimitri may be able to see Claude's expression from where he is, and he's familiar enough with Claude by now that even at a distance he can get a reliable read. The friendliness on his face seems genuine...but the mask isn't quite flawless. Not all smiles reach Claude's eyes in any case, but this one is egregious; if one covered the lower half of Claude's face, there'd be no hint at all in his eyes that there was anything friendly about the expression he was wearing. There's quite a lot of cold calculation happening there instead. There's some thawing when Claude smiles down at the frightened child, which makes it even more obvious to a trained observer.
--
It's amazing, really, how much more familiar he's come to be with Claude even though it's been years since they talked with one another. Even amidst all the change, all the frustration and trying, it's felt strangely easy to fall into... some sort of rhythm with the other man. Perhaps it's helped that Dimitri has seen Claude at his most serious, no smiling, no masks.... so when the other man changes course so suddenly, expression different, he can't help but watch with ears twitching in curiosity.
Claude's arrival certainly isn't expected, bringing a brief pause as all three parties take in who's joined the conversation. The healer- Reva, if Claude has familiarized himself with the healers of the church- is the first to reply, scoffing quietly under their breath. "A proper lesson would be a gift of honeycomb, at the very least."
Carnius waves them off with a snort that sends a bit more blood splattering to the ground, which makes him wince again. (From the sidelines, Dimitri gets back to that sharp satisfied smirk of his.) "Keep your tongue to yourself if you're going to be like that. This one, Nazim," he says, gesturing to the youth, "is planned to start helping with the executions. Thought it best to get first hand experience on the demon while it's firmly locked up."
An experience that's... certainly happened in some way, considering the kid's demeanor. Still, he gives a stiff nod.
--
Claude looks over at Dimitri in feigned surprise; there's a hint of hilarity in his eyes now, that says this show is entirely for his own amusement and that Dimitri is invited to enjoy the performance, and the joke, with him. "You're telling me the demon did all that to an experienced controller like you while he was still locked up?" There's no direct insult in Claude's words, or in his shock, but something about the way he's emphasizing how obviously incredible the situation is...almost gives it the flavor of one, all the same. "How did that happen?"
--
Even without the razor blade slipped in amongst Claude's words, well, certain types of people don't need very much to see insult where there might be none... or where there definitely is some. His eyes narrow, lip curling, and there's a certain tone Claude will likely recognize when Carnius says, "Listen, you-"
Fortunately, hell has no spite like an overworker healer, and they interrupt soundly. "No, go one. Explain. I can tell, but I would certainly not mind hearing. Or, better yet-" Ignoring Carnius' aggravated protests, they nod to the kid. "You tell it, since you were there, and maybe this fool will finally stay still enough for me to heal him properly."
This is very obviously the last thing any child wants, and he freezes, put on the spot rather suddenly. Still, that's apparently what's decided, and he starts to speak. "We... came to feed it- the demon- but it was ignoring us. Controller Carnius said... It had to treat us respectfully. Or else it'd be out of control." A quick glance around the whole group as if to gauge if this is going well. "So, he used a whip to... get its attention. But before the whip could go back, it-" There's a brief pause as something seems to go off in the boy's brain, and he glances up at Claude quizzically before remembering himself. "It grabbed the whip and... pulled it. Hard. And kicked Controller Carnius." With that tale done, he tries very hard not to exist, even as the healer makes a frustrated gesture of healing.
From the sidelines, there's a sharp and deep sound that makes the boy jump, and Carnius' scowl only deepen. To those not familiar with Intsehli, it might sound threatening, but Claude has likely been around enough of them now to recognize barks of amusement.
--
Claude looks thoughtful for a moment as he listens to this story, and then brightens suddenly as though he's discovered the solution to a riddle. (He also does his level best not to break out laughing himself at the sound of Dimitri's own laughter, which he's yet to hear so loudly as an adult, if only out of the sheer joy of hearing that he still can.) "Oh, of course! I confess, Carnius, you had me worried for a sec there! I mean, what with all the rumors and your track record of getting attacked by the demon more often than pretty much anyone else, I was honestly a little concerned to see you training a kid...but it all makes sense now! It took me a second to see what you were trying to do, though. Very clever, though! I'm genuinely impressed!" And he gives Carnius the least inconspicuous wink in the world before turning to the boy.
"If even someone like me can miss it, I think it's only fair to let you in on the training technique your mentor is using! See, he was actually showing you what not to do, and the consequences of being careless." Claude holds up an instructing finger. "You see, as any experienced hunter - like myself - knows, respect is indeed very important. But it's not about getting respect yourself; it's about showing it to other things. Even the most peaceful creatures can be dangerous if they're approached with ignorance or arrogance, you know - or if you hurt or upset them. Hunters have been run down and gored by deer, after all, and deer are hardly what you'd call aggressive. So only a really foolish hunter, one who won't last long at his job, would needlessly provoke a deer, or approach one without the proper understanding and respect for what one can do!"
He claps a friendly hand on the boy's shoulder. "We should've realized it right away, you know! Imagine demanding respect from a demon that doesn't even understand our language - how would he ever be able to comply? Should've been a dead giveaway that Carnius was having you on." Claude winks at the apprentice. "It just goes to show how experienced Carnius is that he could do everything wrong on purpose and get away with such light wounds! Let that be a lesson to you; imagine how badly the demon could mess up someone who wasn't as much of an expert as your mentor if they tried that sort of thing! It was probably kind of a scary lesson to learn this way, but that just means it'll stick in your head forever. Always approach your demon cautiously, don't provoke him if you don't need to, and never forget how dangerous he can be to you if you don't respect what he's capable of."
Claude's gaze slides, finally, to Carnius. There's a demonic look of his own in his eyes; he knows he's left Carnius exactly two options here. One, agree with Claude's narrative, or two, admit he's actually just an incompetent asshole at his job. "You must train a lot of apprentices this way, huh?"
--
The only other creature in the whole courtyard that looks more smug about Carnius' verbal lashing than Dimitri would be the healer, and even then all they can do is look the part. Dimitri has the benefit of his food, which only seems to add a certain something as he dips the bread into his broth while never losing a hold of that massively fanged grin. A lot of the complexities to what he can hear of the conversation are escaping him, but he can understand enough of the basics and, more importantly, he can read everyone's body language more than well enough.
The satisfied lean back of the healer as they cross their arms. The awkward way the kid's eyes flicker between every adult present. The way the guard's posture only seems to worsen as if every word out of Claude's mouth is a weight, and how it matches the ugly look he's sending the archer.
Dimitri can recognize a surrender when he sees it, and it's in the way the guard gruffly gets up with a snort. "Just learn well," he snaps at the boy. "I'm off to change my clothing, so wait here until the thing finishes its food." With that, he stalks off. Dimitri bares his teeth at the guard's retreating back, not missing how he doesn't explicitly answer Claude's question.
The healer shakes their head with a sigh. "Saint save us from their machismo when it comes to that thing," they mutter. "It would be so much less work for me." There's a mildly wary glance to where Dimitri is finishing off his meal. "And I still have that to heal as well before the next execution."
--
"Would you like me to ask him to behave for you?" Claude asks mildly, stepping back from the kid. "I've picked up a bit of their language in my travels through less enlightened lands. I could probably get him to understand you're just trying to heal him, at least; I don't know why he'd get aggressive over something like that." He smiles at the healer, more charming than shit-stirring now. "And you look like you could use one less thing to worry about today."
--
The knowledge that Claude knows 'demonic' gets a slight raise of the eyebrows, but instead of a condemnation, there's a light, "Now, don't let the priests hear you talking about that." Apparently Claude's bullshit has endeared him to one person as much as it's made a solid enemy out of someone else. "Still, if you don't mind seeing what you can do. That one's a volatile type, although usually it ignores most on the better days. As long as you don't harass it-" That one is directed pointedly to the kid still around. "-since even kicked dogs will bite."
--
"Well, he might be in some kind of mood after intentional mishandling like that," Claude says, with the barest touch of ironic inflection on the word 'intentional'. "So some precautions can't hurt. Precautions are really just a form of respect anyway." He grins at the kid. "Anyway, let's see what I can remember of their lingo..." And with that, he saunters over to Dimitri's cage, which is far enough away that a low-pitched voice isn't going to carry too well.
"Hey," he greets his friend casually in Intsehli, keeping his voice low and hard to hear rather than make it too audibly evident how fluent he is. "The bastard looks a lot worse off than you are, but you should still get healed up. I'd hate for him to have the satisfaction of scarring you. Mind behaving for the healer? We're all united in our opinion that Carnius is a pompous, incompetent jackass, and anyone who has to deal with that guy regularly deserves to have things made a little easier." He allows himself a flicker of a smile at Dimitri; he doesn't want to make his friendliness too visible. "Not that I really think you needed to be asked that much, but it was a good excuse to come say hi." A wink, out of sight of the healer and the boy by being the eye on the opposite side of them. "Hope you enjoyed the show; that guy's gonna be fuming for weeks."
--
Actually being approached by Claude after all of that is a bit of a surprise, and Dimitri pauses from where he's shoving bread into his mouth. His tongue flicks out, clearing more soup from his fur. "Oh, so it's only that," he says. It explains why he's approaching him so easily; Dimitri admittedly spaced out after the show was over. "I don't care about any of those types." He idly glances down to his arm, turning it slightly to get an idea of the damage. It probably hurts, but Dimitri has had to deal with far worse injuries. He can't exactly get himself to care. "So fine."
--
"It probably wouldn't hurt to come closer to the bars to make his job easier." Claude smiles, deeming this safe enough - he's supposed to be being diplomatic with the 'demon', after all. "I'll see you tonight, okay? But for now I need to get archery practice in, and I don't want to raise suspicions by paying you too much attention while people are watching."
He steps back from the cage, waving to the healer. "I think I managed it! He seems like he understood, anyway, so I guess I must've used the right words. Should be fine now."
--
"They should come in here if they care so much." It's only meaningless griping, however, and Dimitri obliges well enough even as he still picks at what little is left of his food once he's shifted forward. The healer nods to Claude at the encouragement, although there's still a healthy bit of wariness once they approach nearer to the bars. Considering Claude once had claws at his throat, the caution is no doubt more than a little bit for those who don't know Intsehli. Still, Dimitri stays on good behavior- or at least apathetic behavior, one arm held slightly forward while he otherwise ignores the healer. There's only a grimace as the light ripples across the wounds, disappearing them neatly.
With that, the healer lets out a breath and steps back. "No snarling and incoherency this time- perhaps I should ask you join the healers. It'd be easier to deal with him during executions, or at least so I'd hope." With that, they give a tired wave as they turn on their heel to leave to other duties that don't involve healing asshole guards.
That leaves only Dimitri and the boy, with the former still picking through his food and not paying any particular attention to any human in the area.
--
Claude glances at the boy with some genuine curiosity; he really wonders what his takeaway of everything he's seen and heard today will be. "So what do you think of all this?" he asks, not able to resist investigating. "I'm just a hunter, and an outsider at that; I'm in no position to judge you, if there's anything you want to say. Or ask."
Claude won't deny that a bit of his act earlier wasn't just to humiliate Carnius, but to plant ideas in a younger generation of church-goers. Especially future controllers. To seed the idea to at the very least not mistreat executioner Intseh. It's not much, and it probably won't have any lasting effect - not one incident in a lifetime of church indoctrination. But as Claude has already explained to Dimitri...he needs dreams of tomorrow being better than today, and today being better than yesterday, to keep breathing.
--
Faintly, from the side, Claude just might be able to make out the mutter of, "And there it begins." He's more than well aware of Claude's inherently nosy nature.
The boy, however, is not, and jolts a little bit at being addressed once more. He seems a bit uncertain despite the reassurances, glancing around as if afraid he'll get caught of who knows what. Still, there does seem to be something on his mind, and he shifts a bit in place. "You keep calling the demon 'him'. How... do you know?"
The specific answer is, of course, that Claude and Dimitri have known one another since childhood, where the Intseh did his best to explain just what he was. The more generalized and truthful answer is that gender presentation is fairly simple on a general level and incredibly complex once you start looking into the details. Specific styling of the hair, with specific patterns using specific items of specific colors... It can be a lot.
Either answer might not work for Claude. Dimitri doesn't seem to care over on his end, more preoccupied with gathering what's left of his soup by soaking it in bread.
--
Claude chuckles. "Well, male Intseh - that's what they call themselves, you know - tend to have horns, while the females don't. The males also tend to have more muscle mass, and just look at the size of this guy. It's a pretty basic educated guess based on appearances, but there's a decent amount of evidence in my favor." He shrugs and smiles. "Also, it might just be my own personal feelings on the matter, but I feel kind of strange calling anything that can understand what I'm saying 'it'. But that can be a bit of a controversial opinion in the church."
He rests his hands on his hips, looking at Dimitri. "Of course, if you can speak a little Intsehli, you could always just ask them if you're not sure. That's also something the church frowns on, but from where I'm standing, if it might make your job easier, isn't it a useful skill to have? That's one of the reasons I learned it. Mind you, I'm not actually going to encourage you to break the rules or anything. You should never do anything just because someone else tells you to, kid. It's important to make your own choices."
--
This much free thinking is definitely going over the kid's head to some degree, his shoulders hunched up a little bit. "Controller Carnius says-"
Dimitri interrupts this moment for another short and sharp bark of a laugh.
"....Says demons are just soulless monsters, so it doesn't matter."
--
"You shouldn't believe something just because someone tells you to, either." Claude smiles at the kid. "If that's what you come to believe on your own, through your own experiences and observations, then that's one thing. But if you're just believing someone else...how do you know for sure if they're right or not, if you never look for yourself? And if they are right in what they told you, then there's no reason confirming it should hurt. Questions should never be dangerous, because knowing what's true shouldn't be dangerous." Claude sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Of course, that's another opinion the church finds controversial...so you don't have to feel like you need to follow my advice. Not unless the answers you want feel important enough to be worth getting into trouble for."
He gives the boy a lazy smile. "Anyway, don't mind me too much. Just some foreigner ramblings, as I'm sure Carnius will be happy to tell you."
--
"....Alright." This is definitely weird for the kid, but, before any pause between them can go on for too long and too awkwardly, there's the clatter of clay against clay that would be Dimitri rather carelessly dropping the bowl a short distance to its tray. All this conversation doesn't seem to be something he bothers about too much, apparently going on as usual to stretch out and lay in what sun he can get while eyeing the humans in the yard.
That's enough to snap the boy out of it, hastily going over to retrieve the dishes with the help of a long pole to slide them out from the cage. Despite the fact that he's fucked up one controller today, Dimitri ignores it, and the kid overall, content to lay in place. This earns a befuddled sort of glance from the kid, which Claude himself also gets as the boy hurries out from the yard.
Dimitri doesn't say much, only makes himself a little more comfortable as he raises an eyebrow at Claude before settling.
--
Claude watches the boy leave with an expression of mingled amusement and - far harder to pick out than the amusement, although Dimitri should be practiced enough in Claude-watching by now to discern it - regret. Then he seems to shake off whatever he's thinking, whatever mood he's in, and he shoots Dimitri a quick glance and a smile.
Then, in a practiced movement, he presses his palms together at right angles and draws them apart, a shining red light materializing and stretching between his hands that swiftly resolves itself into the shape of a bow - string and all. Claude idly tests it for a few moments, pulling the string back partway as though satisfying himself with the draw, then nods to himself and walks across the courtyard to where some practice targets are set up. Fortunately for Dimitri's ability to spectate, the range is perpendicular to the front of his cage; he gets a full view.
Claude positions himself quite a distance from one of the targets, then straightens his stance and fully draws his bow with positively deceptive ease; it's like he's not feeling the pull at all. And, in the act of drawing the bow, an arrow of similar red light pulls itself into being, nocked between his fingers. When he lets it fly...well, at a perpendicular angle, Dimitri can't see precisely where on the target it hit, but it certainly looks to be extremely close to the center.
This would be impressive enough, but when Claude switches hands and repeats the performance, with equally accurate results, it becomes clear that 1) he's apparently ambidextrous, at least when using his bow, and 2) he's extremely good with it.
--
In theory, Dimitri has known that Claude is a hunter of sort, and what that must mean for at least some of his combat skills. Yet it's different to know something, faintly, theoretically, than it is to see it happen in action. His single good eye stays complete transfixed on Claude as light shimmers along his arms, along the Divinity tattoos that give him his weapon. While doubtful the intent, it highlights the curve of his muscles there, the positioning of his arms in stark definition for just a brief moment. Dimitri can't forget that sight, especially as Claude begins to draw his arrows back in earnest to send them flying. There's... something about the sight- clever fingers folding so neatly around an arrow of light, the ease and tension in his arms, Claude's profile in clear sight under the light of the sun- that makes something roll in the pit of Dimitri's stomach, and he flicks his glance away for a moment, although not many would be able to pick up on that with how Intsehli eyes are.
It hasn't escaped him that Claude is... attractive. He's missing only one eye, not both, and it's been harder for him to ignore now that he hasn't been fighting Claude's existence in his life anymore. At night, he's an appealing shadow as he slips to Dimitri's cage, lips curled in that familiar smile, moonlight catching the brilliant green of his eyes until the color almost doesn't seem real in some ways. The crossing of lines between warm friendliness and the darker weight of when he's become serious has been alluring in a way Dimitri still can't explain, still drawing him close to the other and wanting closer. With so much less hidden now under the light of the sun, another piece has been added to the allure. Multiple pieces, all added together in the space of a single afternoon- the sharp green of his eyes when focused on a target whether person or otherwise, the difference in his lips depending who he smiles to, the graceful curve of his fingers, the outline of his muscles with every piercing shot.
Dimitri shifts his position further, stomach to ground with his face against crossed arms. For all that he's just eaten, there's another hunger there that's warming his blood, and he doesn't entirely know what to do with it besides smother the sensation. Literally.
--
Claude's archery practice - meant to keep his skills sharp, since it's been a bit since he last left the monastery; he hasn't wanted to leave unless he has to, not recently, not with Dimitri here - continues for a surprising length of time, considering the strain it must put on his arms. Dimitri will notice (if he cares to look up again) that he's more than just ambidextrous; Claude also practices shooting from a variety of angles and positions. Crouched, at a sharp diagonal - it's obvious that Claude anticipates having to take awkward shots out in the wilderness, or perhaps is already accustomed to it, and either way is brushing up on his ability to do so. Perhaps his most impressive shots are the arcing ones - where he actually shoots up in the air, in a steep arc, only for his arrow to eventually fall and bury itself in the target. (The targets are set at an angle, which allows for somewhat arced shots, but it's definitely not common even for hunters to practice shots quite this steep. Only the most skilled archers attempt them, and Claude is evidently among their number - which may back up the things Claude has told Dimitri, about his having made himself too useful to the church to be casually disposed of. He must be quite the successful hunter with skills of this caliber.)
If Claude notes Dimitri watching him at any point, he doesn't give any sign of it. (He does, and he's quite pleased about it, but it's only through quick, furtive glances that Dimitri is unlikely to be able to make out at this distance.)
--
Dimitri watches Claude for as long as he can, although it's not as easy as one might think. Dealing with the church has meant making a schedule of sorts, if only to give his mind some structure where it's been solely lacking. Eating means sleeping afterwards, as a general rule, and being healed after a run in has only taken more out of him. Eventually, Claude will glance over and find the Intseh asleep, eye closed and body taking in slow deep breaths.
Dreaming isn't often a pleasant affair for Dimitri, although sometimes he doesn't dream at all, which is always appreciated. Often, it's only vague feelings that he can never remember the details of. Sometimes it's of just nothing but constant violence- whether against those he's already killed or those he would like to kill. On rare occasions, he's had nostalgic dreams... Places he hasn't been able to see with his own two eyes in many years, people whose faces are now more blurry to his waking mind than detailed, and that he awakes from always feeling empty and miserable.
Claude used to be one of those nostalgic dreams, which is no surprising considering he's played part in Dimitri's hallucinations as well. Yet when Dimitri dreams, he doesn't dream of them as children, but, for once, as they are now. In the dream, it all makes sense- being in the room his brain supplies must be Claude's for all he's never seen it (and that, truly, looks more like the room he was in younger), neither of them chained... And Claude's body so supple beneath his own massive clawed hand as he pushes the man down against the floor. He's seen him in dozens of different ways now, playful and sharp and quiet, and his brain supplies how Claude might look this way, now, too: curly hair messier where it splays against the ground, green eyes warm and bright in eager want, that clever mouth soft against his own demanding one. Details aren't the forte of dreams, especially of a mind that has no idea of the details in this particular area to start with... But Dimitri understands the intent, understands what's happening even without such details. Understands what has him anchor teeth to bared throat, what brings those fingers to curl against his hair and the fur of his neck.
When he wakes up from the dream, mind foggy and body warm, it takes Dimitri a moment to... properly understand it. It takes him a moment longer to understand that such a dream has not, apparently, been content to stay a dream, and he jolts upright at the realization of the arousal that's began to bulge in his pants. (Pants, it should be noted, that are not properly made with Intseh genitals in mind, because of course that is one of many things the Church hasn't bothered to learn about them.) Hastily, he snaps his head to look around, but he's at least fortunate in one regard if literally nothing else, because the training grounds are empty. Claude must have left at some point in his sleep, and of course no one else would come, especially after the mess with Carnius.
Normally, Dimitri hasn't cared about the occasional erection in the past while caged as executioner. They came either when he awoke simply because of the body being what it is, in which case it left soon enough, or they came when he was too worked up after an execution and his body had no idea what else to do with the excess energy. In those states, he hardly cared that he had no privacy, simply doing what he needed to make the otherwise annoying feeling go away.
Yet right now.... For the first time in many years... Dimitri feels a surge of embarrassment so overwhelming that he can't even begin to consider that simple and obvious solution. Instead, ears flicked back and tail lashing about wildly, he awkwardly gets up and frantically tries to move around as if that will help. As if that will keep his mind from drifting back to reflect on his dream, on how Claude had looked, had felt, on how it had been Claude in the first place.
It... takes a while.
By the time Claude sneaks in for the night, Dimitri is clearly in a state where he's exhausted himself with lots of pacing and limited running around, slumped on the ground with his head pressed against the bars. But he's gotten rid of his arousal for now, so. He takes what successes he can.
Dimitri wonders through all of it when he's on his own, not only for lack of anything else to do but because he wants to.
With his relative calm, Dimitri's interest in relearning the human tongue becomes a bit more focused. A lot of what Claude had taught him once upon a time is unfortunately so rusty as to be worthless, most of Dimitri's attempts broken and clumsy at the start. Yet the interest in learning seems to make up for that. In turn, Claude will no doubt pick up on the other side effect of Dimitri's efforts as well. When he leaves the Intseh on his own for any day or more, Dimitri always is restless and worked up upon his return. The addition of language lessons seems well to help quell these outbursts to some degree. With something to occupy his time with Claude not there and executions not needed for the time being, his energy and focus have something to be directed at. The more he learns, the more it seems to help ease away the frustration of existing in a cage with nothing to occupy his attention.
And there really is nothing else to occupy his attention. The church has no interest in their "demon" outside of executions. If he didn't need food and water to live, Dimitri is fairly sure they would put him into a dark room somewhere with no guilty conscience. If they didn't have need of his claws and teeth, he's not sure they would even let him have so much of a cage. Unfortunately for them, a living creature needs to stretch its limbs, or it can't defend itself... or kill that designated as its prey.
The most interesting parts of his day usually depend on who's come to feed him, and if anyone is using the training grounds for their intended purpose. Feeding is often a bland affair, with Dimitri having a baseline of hatred and distaste for most anyone under the church... but not often acting on it. This desire is often pulled even lower when the Church occasionally has the children under its care come to feed him. There's probably some sort of reason, he's sure, such as driving it into their head early on how terrifying 'demons' can be and what they may well have to handle one day. This would possibly be more effective if Dimitri's response wasn't to often just curl up and ignore them.
...Which is often why the Church has those same children accompanied by handlers who Dimitri enthusiastically hates, for often fairly obvious reasons.
Claude will probably pick up on it when he's making his way through the church grounds that day, especially if he's passing by where the monk in question is being treated not too far off from where the training grounds are. A short gash of his shirt- too few and too short to have been from Dimitri's hands- and the ginger way he holds his stomach indicate a hard kick to his torso. Considering the blood pouring out of his nose and the general bruised aspect of his face... Well, there's certainly a story here, one he seems to be trying to impart on the terrified kid standing near him while a healer patiently and with more than a little exasperation seems to be trying to get him to shut up and be still.
Out on the training grounds itself, where the 'demon cage' is kept, Dimitri doesn't seem to be regretting his actions. In fact, it's the very opposite. Claude has often seen Dimitri in his better moments, believe it or not, even when he threatened his life that one time. He's yet to see him in full feral berserker rage... and he's yet to see another change from the childhood memory of a generally good natured and polite young Intseh. He's yet to see, to be exact, Dimitri be an absolutely smug asshole.
A whip of light has clearly made contact with a few places on his person from the mild encounter from before, marks clearly still burning around his forearm and a slight graze on the cheek of his blind side. None of it actually seems to be bothering him that much. At least, not enough to have wiped away the snarl of a smirk that's curved across his face, row of fangs bared in self satisfaction even as he's picking through a small platter that was left behind for him. The bread is stale, the stew watery leftovers that's long since grown cold.... but he eats it regardless, no matter how he's now since had far better.
The arrival of someone entering the training yard has his ears flick upwards, eyes following shortly after, but Dimitri has to do a double take when he realizes who it is, smirk faltering a little bit. He's never seen Claude in the daytime, after all, their meetings always having taken place in the dark of night when others are asleep. It throws him off, to see him under the sun.
--
Claude had been planning on doing nothing more than practicing his archery in the training yard when he walked into it. (And...okay, rather than waste a good lie on himself, maybe he'd had some thoughts of showing off for Dimitri in the process. After all, Dimitri's never seen how good he is with a bow, has he? And however much Claude may play off the Intseh's attitude towards him, Claude is very invested in what Dimitri thinks of him. A lot of which seems to be overly focused on how Claude's going to get himself hurt by associating with Dimitri, so entirely aside from simply looking cool for him, it sure wouldn't hurt to look competent to him. Able to take care of himself.) But then he steps onto the dirt of the courtyard, and his first glance to Dimitri - meant to be casual - paints him a rough picture that abruptly rivets all his attention. A sweep of the eyes finds the healer, which fills the picture in, and the injured guard, which puts an ostentatious signature on it. (Especially since, by this stage of Claude's information-gathering, he's already heard enough rumors to pin down the identities of the guards Dimitri explicitly dislikes and has had altercations with before, and he recognizes this one as being on the list.)
Claude's plans undergo an immediate and radical restructuring on the fly, even as Claude shifts trajectory to head straight over to the guard.
"Hey, Carnius!" he greets him with cheerful familiarity, as though they were meeting in the mess hall rather than while Carnius is still being fussed over by a healer trying to preserve the man's good looks(a lost cause if there ever was one, in Claude's personal opinion). "Looks like you've got yourself an intern today! You teaching him how valuable our healers are?"
Dimitri may be able to see Claude's expression from where he is, and he's familiar enough with Claude by now that even at a distance he can get a reliable read. The friendliness on his face seems genuine...but the mask isn't quite flawless. Not all smiles reach Claude's eyes in any case, but this one is egregious; if one covered the lower half of Claude's face, there'd be no hint at all in his eyes that there was anything friendly about the expression he was wearing. There's quite a lot of cold calculation happening there instead. There's some thawing when Claude smiles down at the frightened child, which makes it even more obvious to a trained observer.
--
It's amazing, really, how much more familiar he's come to be with Claude even though it's been years since they talked with one another. Even amidst all the change, all the frustration and trying, it's felt strangely easy to fall into... some sort of rhythm with the other man. Perhaps it's helped that Dimitri has seen Claude at his most serious, no smiling, no masks.... so when the other man changes course so suddenly, expression different, he can't help but watch with ears twitching in curiosity.
Claude's arrival certainly isn't expected, bringing a brief pause as all three parties take in who's joined the conversation. The healer- Reva, if Claude has familiarized himself with the healers of the church- is the first to reply, scoffing quietly under their breath. "A proper lesson would be a gift of honeycomb, at the very least."
Carnius waves them off with a snort that sends a bit more blood splattering to the ground, which makes him wince again. (From the sidelines, Dimitri gets back to that sharp satisfied smirk of his.) "Keep your tongue to yourself if you're going to be like that. This one, Nazim," he says, gesturing to the youth, "is planned to start helping with the executions. Thought it best to get first hand experience on the demon while it's firmly locked up."
An experience that's... certainly happened in some way, considering the kid's demeanor. Still, he gives a stiff nod.
--
Claude looks over at Dimitri in feigned surprise; there's a hint of hilarity in his eyes now, that says this show is entirely for his own amusement and that Dimitri is invited to enjoy the performance, and the joke, with him. "You're telling me the demon did all that to an experienced controller like you while he was still locked up?" There's no direct insult in Claude's words, or in his shock, but something about the way he's emphasizing how obviously incredible the situation is...almost gives it the flavor of one, all the same. "How did that happen?"
--
Even without the razor blade slipped in amongst Claude's words, well, certain types of people don't need very much to see insult where there might be none... or where there definitely is some. His eyes narrow, lip curling, and there's a certain tone Claude will likely recognize when Carnius says, "Listen, you-"
Fortunately, hell has no spite like an overworker healer, and they interrupt soundly. "No, go one. Explain. I can tell, but I would certainly not mind hearing. Or, better yet-" Ignoring Carnius' aggravated protests, they nod to the kid. "You tell it, since you were there, and maybe this fool will finally stay still enough for me to heal him properly."
This is very obviously the last thing any child wants, and he freezes, put on the spot rather suddenly. Still, that's apparently what's decided, and he starts to speak. "We... came to feed it- the demon- but it was ignoring us. Controller Carnius said... It had to treat us respectfully. Or else it'd be out of control." A quick glance around the whole group as if to gauge if this is going well. "So, he used a whip to... get its attention. But before the whip could go back, it-" There's a brief pause as something seems to go off in the boy's brain, and he glances up at Claude quizzically before remembering himself. "It grabbed the whip and... pulled it. Hard. And kicked Controller Carnius." With that tale done, he tries very hard not to exist, even as the healer makes a frustrated gesture of healing.
From the sidelines, there's a sharp and deep sound that makes the boy jump, and Carnius' scowl only deepen. To those not familiar with Intsehli, it might sound threatening, but Claude has likely been around enough of them now to recognize barks of amusement.
--
Claude looks thoughtful for a moment as he listens to this story, and then brightens suddenly as though he's discovered the solution to a riddle. (He also does his level best not to break out laughing himself at the sound of Dimitri's own laughter, which he's yet to hear so loudly as an adult, if only out of the sheer joy of hearing that he still can.) "Oh, of course! I confess, Carnius, you had me worried for a sec there! I mean, what with all the rumors and your track record of getting attacked by the demon more often than pretty much anyone else, I was honestly a little concerned to see you training a kid...but it all makes sense now! It took me a second to see what you were trying to do, though. Very clever, though! I'm genuinely impressed!" And he gives Carnius the least inconspicuous wink in the world before turning to the boy.
"If even someone like me can miss it, I think it's only fair to let you in on the training technique your mentor is using! See, he was actually showing you what not to do, and the consequences of being careless." Claude holds up an instructing finger. "You see, as any experienced hunter - like myself - knows, respect is indeed very important. But it's not about getting respect yourself; it's about showing it to other things. Even the most peaceful creatures can be dangerous if they're approached with ignorance or arrogance, you know - or if you hurt or upset them. Hunters have been run down and gored by deer, after all, and deer are hardly what you'd call aggressive. So only a really foolish hunter, one who won't last long at his job, would needlessly provoke a deer, or approach one without the proper understanding and respect for what one can do!"
He claps a friendly hand on the boy's shoulder. "We should've realized it right away, you know! Imagine demanding respect from a demon that doesn't even understand our language - how would he ever be able to comply? Should've been a dead giveaway that Carnius was having you on." Claude winks at the apprentice. "It just goes to show how experienced Carnius is that he could do everything wrong on purpose and get away with such light wounds! Let that be a lesson to you; imagine how badly the demon could mess up someone who wasn't as much of an expert as your mentor if they tried that sort of thing! It was probably kind of a scary lesson to learn this way, but that just means it'll stick in your head forever. Always approach your demon cautiously, don't provoke him if you don't need to, and never forget how dangerous he can be to you if you don't respect what he's capable of."
Claude's gaze slides, finally, to Carnius. There's a demonic look of his own in his eyes; he knows he's left Carnius exactly two options here. One, agree with Claude's narrative, or two, admit he's actually just an incompetent asshole at his job. "You must train a lot of apprentices this way, huh?"
--
The only other creature in the whole courtyard that looks more smug about Carnius' verbal lashing than Dimitri would be the healer, and even then all they can do is look the part. Dimitri has the benefit of his food, which only seems to add a certain something as he dips the bread into his broth while never losing a hold of that massively fanged grin. A lot of the complexities to what he can hear of the conversation are escaping him, but he can understand enough of the basics and, more importantly, he can read everyone's body language more than well enough.
The satisfied lean back of the healer as they cross their arms. The awkward way the kid's eyes flicker between every adult present. The way the guard's posture only seems to worsen as if every word out of Claude's mouth is a weight, and how it matches the ugly look he's sending the archer.
Dimitri can recognize a surrender when he sees it, and it's in the way the guard gruffly gets up with a snort. "Just learn well," he snaps at the boy. "I'm off to change my clothing, so wait here until the thing finishes its food." With that, he stalks off. Dimitri bares his teeth at the guard's retreating back, not missing how he doesn't explicitly answer Claude's question.
The healer shakes their head with a sigh. "Saint save us from their machismo when it comes to that thing," they mutter. "It would be so much less work for me." There's a mildly wary glance to where Dimitri is finishing off his meal. "And I still have that to heal as well before the next execution."
--
"Would you like me to ask him to behave for you?" Claude asks mildly, stepping back from the kid. "I've picked up a bit of their language in my travels through less enlightened lands. I could probably get him to understand you're just trying to heal him, at least; I don't know why he'd get aggressive over something like that." He smiles at the healer, more charming than shit-stirring now. "And you look like you could use one less thing to worry about today."
--
The knowledge that Claude knows 'demonic' gets a slight raise of the eyebrows, but instead of a condemnation, there's a light, "Now, don't let the priests hear you talking about that." Apparently Claude's bullshit has endeared him to one person as much as it's made a solid enemy out of someone else. "Still, if you don't mind seeing what you can do. That one's a volatile type, although usually it ignores most on the better days. As long as you don't harass it-" That one is directed pointedly to the kid still around. "-since even kicked dogs will bite."
--
"Well, he might be in some kind of mood after intentional mishandling like that," Claude says, with the barest touch of ironic inflection on the word 'intentional'. "So some precautions can't hurt. Precautions are really just a form of respect anyway." He grins at the kid. "Anyway, let's see what I can remember of their lingo..." And with that, he saunters over to Dimitri's cage, which is far enough away that a low-pitched voice isn't going to carry too well.
"Hey," he greets his friend casually in Intsehli, keeping his voice low and hard to hear rather than make it too audibly evident how fluent he is. "The bastard looks a lot worse off than you are, but you should still get healed up. I'd hate for him to have the satisfaction of scarring you. Mind behaving for the healer? We're all united in our opinion that Carnius is a pompous, incompetent jackass, and anyone who has to deal with that guy regularly deserves to have things made a little easier." He allows himself a flicker of a smile at Dimitri; he doesn't want to make his friendliness too visible. "Not that I really think you needed to be asked that much, but it was a good excuse to come say hi." A wink, out of sight of the healer and the boy by being the eye on the opposite side of them. "Hope you enjoyed the show; that guy's gonna be fuming for weeks."
--
Actually being approached by Claude after all of that is a bit of a surprise, and Dimitri pauses from where he's shoving bread into his mouth. His tongue flicks out, clearing more soup from his fur. "Oh, so it's only that," he says. It explains why he's approaching him so easily; Dimitri admittedly spaced out after the show was over. "I don't care about any of those types." He idly glances down to his arm, turning it slightly to get an idea of the damage. It probably hurts, but Dimitri has had to deal with far worse injuries. He can't exactly get himself to care. "So fine."
--
"It probably wouldn't hurt to come closer to the bars to make his job easier." Claude smiles, deeming this safe enough - he's supposed to be being diplomatic with the 'demon', after all. "I'll see you tonight, okay? But for now I need to get archery practice in, and I don't want to raise suspicions by paying you too much attention while people are watching."
He steps back from the cage, waving to the healer. "I think I managed it! He seems like he understood, anyway, so I guess I must've used the right words. Should be fine now."
--
"They should come in here if they care so much." It's only meaningless griping, however, and Dimitri obliges well enough even as he still picks at what little is left of his food once he's shifted forward. The healer nods to Claude at the encouragement, although there's still a healthy bit of wariness once they approach nearer to the bars. Considering Claude once had claws at his throat, the caution is no doubt more than a little bit for those who don't know Intsehli. Still, Dimitri stays on good behavior- or at least apathetic behavior, one arm held slightly forward while he otherwise ignores the healer. There's only a grimace as the light ripples across the wounds, disappearing them neatly.
With that, the healer lets out a breath and steps back. "No snarling and incoherency this time- perhaps I should ask you join the healers. It'd be easier to deal with him during executions, or at least so I'd hope." With that, they give a tired wave as they turn on their heel to leave to other duties that don't involve healing asshole guards.
That leaves only Dimitri and the boy, with the former still picking through his food and not paying any particular attention to any human in the area.
--
Claude glances at the boy with some genuine curiosity; he really wonders what his takeaway of everything he's seen and heard today will be. "So what do you think of all this?" he asks, not able to resist investigating. "I'm just a hunter, and an outsider at that; I'm in no position to judge you, if there's anything you want to say. Or ask."
Claude won't deny that a bit of his act earlier wasn't just to humiliate Carnius, but to plant ideas in a younger generation of church-goers. Especially future controllers. To seed the idea to at the very least not mistreat executioner Intseh. It's not much, and it probably won't have any lasting effect - not one incident in a lifetime of church indoctrination. But as Claude has already explained to Dimitri...he needs dreams of tomorrow being better than today, and today being better than yesterday, to keep breathing.
--
Faintly, from the side, Claude just might be able to make out the mutter of, "And there it begins." He's more than well aware of Claude's inherently nosy nature.
The boy, however, is not, and jolts a little bit at being addressed once more. He seems a bit uncertain despite the reassurances, glancing around as if afraid he'll get caught of who knows what. Still, there does seem to be something on his mind, and he shifts a bit in place. "You keep calling the demon 'him'. How... do you know?"
The specific answer is, of course, that Claude and Dimitri have known one another since childhood, where the Intseh did his best to explain just what he was. The more generalized and truthful answer is that gender presentation is fairly simple on a general level and incredibly complex once you start looking into the details. Specific styling of the hair, with specific patterns using specific items of specific colors... It can be a lot.
Either answer might not work for Claude. Dimitri doesn't seem to care over on his end, more preoccupied with gathering what's left of his soup by soaking it in bread.
--
Claude chuckles. "Well, male Intseh - that's what they call themselves, you know - tend to have horns, while the females don't. The males also tend to have more muscle mass, and just look at the size of this guy. It's a pretty basic educated guess based on appearances, but there's a decent amount of evidence in my favor." He shrugs and smiles. "Also, it might just be my own personal feelings on the matter, but I feel kind of strange calling anything that can understand what I'm saying 'it'. But that can be a bit of a controversial opinion in the church."
He rests his hands on his hips, looking at Dimitri. "Of course, if you can speak a little Intsehli, you could always just ask them if you're not sure. That's also something the church frowns on, but from where I'm standing, if it might make your job easier, isn't it a useful skill to have? That's one of the reasons I learned it. Mind you, I'm not actually going to encourage you to break the rules or anything. You should never do anything just because someone else tells you to, kid. It's important to make your own choices."
--
This much free thinking is definitely going over the kid's head to some degree, his shoulders hunched up a little bit. "Controller Carnius says-"
Dimitri interrupts this moment for another short and sharp bark of a laugh.
"....Says demons are just soulless monsters, so it doesn't matter."
--
"You shouldn't believe something just because someone tells you to, either." Claude smiles at the kid. "If that's what you come to believe on your own, through your own experiences and observations, then that's one thing. But if you're just believing someone else...how do you know for sure if they're right or not, if you never look for yourself? And if they are right in what they told you, then there's no reason confirming it should hurt. Questions should never be dangerous, because knowing what's true shouldn't be dangerous." Claude sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Of course, that's another opinion the church finds controversial...so you don't have to feel like you need to follow my advice. Not unless the answers you want feel important enough to be worth getting into trouble for."
He gives the boy a lazy smile. "Anyway, don't mind me too much. Just some foreigner ramblings, as I'm sure Carnius will be happy to tell you."
--
"....Alright." This is definitely weird for the kid, but, before any pause between them can go on for too long and too awkwardly, there's the clatter of clay against clay that would be Dimitri rather carelessly dropping the bowl a short distance to its tray. All this conversation doesn't seem to be something he bothers about too much, apparently going on as usual to stretch out and lay in what sun he can get while eyeing the humans in the yard.
That's enough to snap the boy out of it, hastily going over to retrieve the dishes with the help of a long pole to slide them out from the cage. Despite the fact that he's fucked up one controller today, Dimitri ignores it, and the kid overall, content to lay in place. This earns a befuddled sort of glance from the kid, which Claude himself also gets as the boy hurries out from the yard.
Dimitri doesn't say much, only makes himself a little more comfortable as he raises an eyebrow at Claude before settling.
--
Claude watches the boy leave with an expression of mingled amusement and - far harder to pick out than the amusement, although Dimitri should be practiced enough in Claude-watching by now to discern it - regret. Then he seems to shake off whatever he's thinking, whatever mood he's in, and he shoots Dimitri a quick glance and a smile.
Then, in a practiced movement, he presses his palms together at right angles and draws them apart, a shining red light materializing and stretching between his hands that swiftly resolves itself into the shape of a bow - string and all. Claude idly tests it for a few moments, pulling the string back partway as though satisfying himself with the draw, then nods to himself and walks across the courtyard to where some practice targets are set up. Fortunately for Dimitri's ability to spectate, the range is perpendicular to the front of his cage; he gets a full view.
Claude positions himself quite a distance from one of the targets, then straightens his stance and fully draws his bow with positively deceptive ease; it's like he's not feeling the pull at all. And, in the act of drawing the bow, an arrow of similar red light pulls itself into being, nocked between his fingers. When he lets it fly...well, at a perpendicular angle, Dimitri can't see precisely where on the target it hit, but it certainly looks to be extremely close to the center.
This would be impressive enough, but when Claude switches hands and repeats the performance, with equally accurate results, it becomes clear that 1) he's apparently ambidextrous, at least when using his bow, and 2) he's extremely good with it.
--
In theory, Dimitri has known that Claude is a hunter of sort, and what that must mean for at least some of his combat skills. Yet it's different to know something, faintly, theoretically, than it is to see it happen in action. His single good eye stays complete transfixed on Claude as light shimmers along his arms, along the Divinity tattoos that give him his weapon. While doubtful the intent, it highlights the curve of his muscles there, the positioning of his arms in stark definition for just a brief moment. Dimitri can't forget that sight, especially as Claude begins to draw his arrows back in earnest to send them flying. There's... something about the sight- clever fingers folding so neatly around an arrow of light, the ease and tension in his arms, Claude's profile in clear sight under the light of the sun- that makes something roll in the pit of Dimitri's stomach, and he flicks his glance away for a moment, although not many would be able to pick up on that with how Intsehli eyes are.
It hasn't escaped him that Claude is... attractive. He's missing only one eye, not both, and it's been harder for him to ignore now that he hasn't been fighting Claude's existence in his life anymore. At night, he's an appealing shadow as he slips to Dimitri's cage, lips curled in that familiar smile, moonlight catching the brilliant green of his eyes until the color almost doesn't seem real in some ways. The crossing of lines between warm friendliness and the darker weight of when he's become serious has been alluring in a way Dimitri still can't explain, still drawing him close to the other and wanting closer. With so much less hidden now under the light of the sun, another piece has been added to the allure. Multiple pieces, all added together in the space of a single afternoon- the sharp green of his eyes when focused on a target whether person or otherwise, the difference in his lips depending who he smiles to, the graceful curve of his fingers, the outline of his muscles with every piercing shot.
Dimitri shifts his position further, stomach to ground with his face against crossed arms. For all that he's just eaten, there's another hunger there that's warming his blood, and he doesn't entirely know what to do with it besides smother the sensation. Literally.
--
Claude's archery practice - meant to keep his skills sharp, since it's been a bit since he last left the monastery; he hasn't wanted to leave unless he has to, not recently, not with Dimitri here - continues for a surprising length of time, considering the strain it must put on his arms. Dimitri will notice (if he cares to look up again) that he's more than just ambidextrous; Claude also practices shooting from a variety of angles and positions. Crouched, at a sharp diagonal - it's obvious that Claude anticipates having to take awkward shots out in the wilderness, or perhaps is already accustomed to it, and either way is brushing up on his ability to do so. Perhaps his most impressive shots are the arcing ones - where he actually shoots up in the air, in a steep arc, only for his arrow to eventually fall and bury itself in the target. (The targets are set at an angle, which allows for somewhat arced shots, but it's definitely not common even for hunters to practice shots quite this steep. Only the most skilled archers attempt them, and Claude is evidently among their number - which may back up the things Claude has told Dimitri, about his having made himself too useful to the church to be casually disposed of. He must be quite the successful hunter with skills of this caliber.)
If Claude notes Dimitri watching him at any point, he doesn't give any sign of it. (He does, and he's quite pleased about it, but it's only through quick, furtive glances that Dimitri is unlikely to be able to make out at this distance.)
--
Dimitri watches Claude for as long as he can, although it's not as easy as one might think. Dealing with the church has meant making a schedule of sorts, if only to give his mind some structure where it's been solely lacking. Eating means sleeping afterwards, as a general rule, and being healed after a run in has only taken more out of him. Eventually, Claude will glance over and find the Intseh asleep, eye closed and body taking in slow deep breaths.
Dreaming isn't often a pleasant affair for Dimitri, although sometimes he doesn't dream at all, which is always appreciated. Often, it's only vague feelings that he can never remember the details of. Sometimes it's of just nothing but constant violence- whether against those he's already killed or those he would like to kill. On rare occasions, he's had nostalgic dreams... Places he hasn't been able to see with his own two eyes in many years, people whose faces are now more blurry to his waking mind than detailed, and that he awakes from always feeling empty and miserable.
Claude used to be one of those nostalgic dreams, which is no surprising considering he's played part in Dimitri's hallucinations as well. Yet when Dimitri dreams, he doesn't dream of them as children, but, for once, as they are now. In the dream, it all makes sense- being in the room his brain supplies must be Claude's for all he's never seen it (and that, truly, looks more like the room he was in younger), neither of them chained... And Claude's body so supple beneath his own massive clawed hand as he pushes the man down against the floor. He's seen him in dozens of different ways now, playful and sharp and quiet, and his brain supplies how Claude might look this way, now, too: curly hair messier where it splays against the ground, green eyes warm and bright in eager want, that clever mouth soft against his own demanding one. Details aren't the forte of dreams, especially of a mind that has no idea of the details in this particular area to start with... But Dimitri understands the intent, understands what's happening even without such details. Understands what has him anchor teeth to bared throat, what brings those fingers to curl against his hair and the fur of his neck.
When he wakes up from the dream, mind foggy and body warm, it takes Dimitri a moment to... properly understand it. It takes him a moment longer to understand that such a dream has not, apparently, been content to stay a dream, and he jolts upright at the realization of the arousal that's began to bulge in his pants. (Pants, it should be noted, that are not properly made with Intseh genitals in mind, because of course that is one of many things the Church hasn't bothered to learn about them.) Hastily, he snaps his head to look around, but he's at least fortunate in one regard if literally nothing else, because the training grounds are empty. Claude must have left at some point in his sleep, and of course no one else would come, especially after the mess with Carnius.
Normally, Dimitri hasn't cared about the occasional erection in the past while caged as executioner. They came either when he awoke simply because of the body being what it is, in which case it left soon enough, or they came when he was too worked up after an execution and his body had no idea what else to do with the excess energy. In those states, he hardly cared that he had no privacy, simply doing what he needed to make the otherwise annoying feeling go away.
Yet right now.... For the first time in many years... Dimitri feels a surge of embarrassment so overwhelming that he can't even begin to consider that simple and obvious solution. Instead, ears flicked back and tail lashing about wildly, he awkwardly gets up and frantically tries to move around as if that will help. As if that will keep his mind from drifting back to reflect on his dream, on how Claude had looked, had felt, on how it had been Claude in the first place.
It... takes a while.
By the time Claude sneaks in for the night, Dimitri is clearly in a state where he's exhausted himself with lots of pacing and limited running around, slumped on the ground with his head pressed against the bars. But he's gotten rid of his arousal for now, so. He takes what successes he can.