Chapter Text
"Goddess damn it, why does it always have to be me?"
Four years. It had been four miserable years — nearly five, at this point! — and yet, now was the time when the past finally caught up to haunt him. ...Not that it hadn't been doing that, but he had been trying his damnedest to ignore it by staring at the world around him through the bottom of a flask of whiskey. Wasn't so easy when that haunting became literal, though. And he would have liked to see anybody try to ignore what had happened to him two nights ago. Anybody would have been drinking themselves to sleep after that. Until they were doing what he was doing now, and following the blasted directions that had been laid out for him (again). He better get some peace after that.
He stared down at the box on his desk and the contents inside. They looked so... sad. Lonely, even, though he had no reason to assign feelings like that to an inanimate object (even if it was staring back up at him with its big button eye). Blast it all, but why was this happening now? That was the part he didn't get. Four years. Four years, and now, now was when he appeared, when Dimitri wasn't even in the damn castle?!
Prince Regent Rufus needed a drink. He needed a lot of drinks, actually. But first, he better get this damn thing done. Lest he incur the wrath of the departed or something like that. ...He shouldn't jinx himself when he knew just how real that was. Shaking his head, he took a deep breath and began to put a lid on the box.
...But it really did look so lonely in there, didn't it? Damn him. What was he supposed to do? Send a note? What, for context?! He couldn't explain this. And he didn't even know what he'd say to his nephew, anyway.
But how much would it (hah) haunt him if he didn't say anything?
Cursing, he grabbed a piece of paper and just decided not to think too much about it. He scribbled a few words. Signed his name. And shoved the paper inside the box with the stuffed lion.
"...Hope this makes you happy, Brother," he said to the air around him. His throat tightened up a little. Nothing much else he'd done since his brother's death would have made him happy.
He sealed the box and handed it off to his manservant with the order to have it sent to Garreg Mach. There. He had done the thing. Hopefully that concluded his business with his dead brother. Because Rufus didn't really know how he'd react if his brother's ghost showed itself to him again.
He hoped his servant read his mind and came back with a fresh flask. Lambert. Goddess damn it. Lambert.
Claude Kiros dozed lightly. Kiros, Kiros. He had to get used to that new name. His younger self was the sole owner of ‘Claude’ now (or perhaps the ‘soul’ owner…)
Peeking open his eyes, he found Little Claude was still sleeping deeply. Oh, his poor brother. It was worth it all to give his younger self his body back, but he hated to see the consequences. ‘Touch touch touch hold touch…’ Hopefully his brother wouldn’t feel lonely in his dreams.
Curling around Little Claude was just one more reminder of his brother’s poor condition. He thumbed against Little Claude’s twig-like arms, biting back a low noise at how thin and starved he caused his younger self to become. Starved, hah. If anyone should look starved between the two of them, it was him! He was the one who looked like skin and bone when he cast his spell to send himself back in time. In all of life’s unfairness, now he was the one with a healthy body and his younger self was the one to suffer.
But he was here. He went back in time. He wouldn’t let his Golden Deer die this time. Wouldn’t let Hilda die. Wouldn’t let his younger self lose that passionate spark of life. He wouldn’t let Little Claude end up like him.
The door creaked as Flayn popped her head into the room. Perking up, he eyed the material of blankets and pillows collected in her arms. He couldn’t blame his urge to nest on his new instincts; not entirely, at least. For all the years he spent studying time magic under the ruins of Garreg Mach, his scraggly nest was his one place of comfort. He was pretty sure he had always enjoyed a good floor-nest, though it was hard to remember all the little details from a decade ago.
Little Claude liked blanket-nests. Whether or not that was a side effect of the ritual that gave Kiros his body (which imparted a few instincts and physical quirks), or a side effect of being a disembodied spirit trapped inside his body for so long… He was going to assume it wasn’t a new trait. Curling up in a heap of blankets with a good book seemed like something he would do.
Part of him itched to get up and help — his new instincts carried some very strong nesting demands — but the urge to cuddle up to Little Claude was stronger. It was strange to remember that Flayn was technically his sister now. That Seteth was technically his father. That his entire body had been remade…
He was a dragon. A Nabataean, the first one ‘born’ in over a thousand years. Within his chest, the once-empty heart of Begalta belonged to him, now. The ‘Riegan’ Crest Stone was his heart. Touching his chest, it was still a bit eerie to lack a heart beat. He would get used to it, though.
“Nest?” Flayn chirped, nodding to where he and Little Claude were curled together on the floor. Their current heap of blankets wasn’t very good.
He nodded, fighting back his itch to do the nesting himself. Instead he watched everything she was doing with a sharp, attentive gaze. When she arranged something how he liked, he purred loud to let her know. When something wasn't quite right, he stayed quiet. And then she kept messing with it until he did start purring, so everything ended up perfect in the end.
Perfect nest.
Flayn never thought she would have the chance to nest for a baby brother. Even before the genocide of her people and the death of her mother, she didn't think she would have a little sibling for a very long time. That she had one now... She was just so happy.
Nestnestnest. She had to make the nest perfect! She loved Kiros so much. Baby brother! Her instincts were not as strong as her father's, but now that Kiros was a full blooded Nabataean, there was no resisting. As the big sister, she had to make sure her baby brother was comfortable and safe and loved! They were both single-clutches, they didn't have any other siblings to help them! At least, that was what her instincts screamed. Kiros did have a brother. Kiros and Claude, being the same soul divided only by a few years, were closer than any identical twin. She also had a hunch that their souls may have intermingled somewhat in the past months. It would explain Little Claude’s dependency to remain with Kiros.
Regardless: her instincts were, unfortunately, more or less blind to Claude's presence. Which meant she had to be the best big sister she could be for her baby brother! For now, that meant nest nest nest.
Once she had the nest completed and to Kiros' satisfaction, she flopped in the spot she made for herself, curling mostly around Kiros' back and head. It was the perfect spot for her to groom his hair. It was rare for her to use her tongue and teeth to groom. Spending most of her life in human-form, she didn't have the best instinct for it. Kiros brought it out of her.
She licked and nibbled at Kiros’ green hair. It was just as unruly and wavy as Claude’s hair, but tempered by the length. It smelled like Claude, but also a little bit like Father (and herself). She accidentally nibbled Little Claude’s hair a few times. Thankfully, he did not stir.
“Little Claude was chewing on my hair when he woke up earlier,” came her baby brother’s amused voice. (He sounded exactly like Claude, who was not a ‘baby’ by any means. Her brain was still convinced that Kiros was a baby). “But I think he was just chewing on my hair because that’s where his mouth was when he woke up.”
She giggled at that. Despite his human origins, Kiros was not phased by her methods of grooming. In fact, it had him rumbling happy purrs.
“Thank you for the blankets,” he purred. “The nest is perfect.” Yes! She did good. Her eyes drifted over to Little Claude. Perhaps she would groom his hair when she was finished with Kiros. The brother of her brother was still her brother, after all. Though her instincts did not register him as such, she would grow used to seeing him in that light.
Purr, purr. It was a bit silly. Despite being so much older than Kiros, her purrs were so quiet. Both Claude and Kiros could purr much louder than her. The two had yet to be encouraged to suppress those sweet sounds. After all, their cover as humans relied on their ability to look and sound the part. Hopefully they could retain their innocence for a time yet.
She paused her grooming, sniffing her brother’s scent. Hm. Baby brother needs something? “What else can I get for you, Brother?” He was yearning for something. She wiggled, eager to fetch it for him. Whatever he wanted! Food? Water? More blankets? Father? Pets? Maybe... maybe he was cold? She couldn't decipher what he wanted from his scent alone.
Kiros winced. He had just been thinking to himself about how much more perfect the nest would be if Hilda was here. Hilda needed space, though. She left in tears earlier. His fault. Seeing Little Claude so emaciated triggered all the whispers of memories from his timeline. His Hilda spent so much of the war struggling to keep him fed and rested while he burnt himself from both ends of the candlestick. In the dream they shared, she had seen his wretched form: prematurely aged, thin and ragged, starving and desperate.
Rubbing his hand down his face, he still wasn’t used to it all. He’d thought when Rhea used his bones to make him a new body, he would look his proper age. Ten years of stress had been erased from him. His face looked like his eighteen-year-old self. His hair was green now, and he had the length of hair and scrappy ‘beard’ that had grown in after years of neglect. But his face… it was all but a copy of his innocent younger self.
Of course, there were other differences too. He only had one hand. Given his other arm had been lost in Derdriu, and thus never came to the past with him, Rhea didn’t have the bones to rebuild that. Just one more thing to distress Hilda.
He longed for Hilda. Between his missing arm and the destroyed state of his younger self, though, having her here was not an option. Hilda needed time to ‘cry out her feelings’. Maybe later… No. He couldn’t get his hopes up.
“Brother?” Flayn prompted, cocking her head. “If I am unable to obtain what you desire, Father will help too!”
“I’m fine,” he tried to bluff. Her eyes only narrowed. She must be able to smell that he wanted something. That he wanted some one. But he couldn’t have Hilda right now! “It’s nothing, I promise.”
“I do not believe it is simply ‘nothing’,” Flayn pressed.
“Okay, fine.” Better to say something before this got out of hand. “I miss Sarbi. That’s all.” And he did miss Sarbi. And Jamshid, but she was back in Almyra. “I know I can’t see Sarbi now, though. Can’t fit a wyvern in Seteth’s room.” He nodded towards the door, which was distinctly human-sized and not wyvern-sized. “Maybe later. He only fits on Rhea’s balcony, and I don’t plan to move from this spot until Little Claude wakes up.”
There. That should work. He really did miss Sarbi… So did Little Claude. Sarbi was their brother too, after all, wyvern or not. They grew up together. But Sarbi would have to wait.
"Oh. I see..." Hm. Surely there was some way she could smuggle Sarbi into the room... Or perhaps not. She nuzzled his cheek. "We will have to relocate you both to a sunshine nest upon the balcony. Not now, as you said. But soon. It will be good for Little Claude as well. Both the sunshine and the Sarbi, I am sure!" When Father returned, surely he would help them relocate.
Now what was she supposed to do, though? Kiros' request was understandably difficult. He wanted Sarbi, but preferred to remain here. She understood that. Her instincts did not. How to placate the instincts...? If not for Lil Claude, she would have played with Kiros. That was not much of an option. What to do...?
She got up briefly, stalking around the room. What to bring baby brother...? There had to be something... Oh! She perked up, hopping over to her own bed. Wiggling underneath, she found her treasure. It was kept safe from dust in a secure box. Upon opening the box, she was delighted to see it in perfect condition.
"Perhaps this will help! You may borrow him. Please be gentle, he is very special." She tucked the fish plushie between Kiros and Lil Claude. "My mother sewed him for me. He is no substitute for Sarbi, but I hope he will comfort you all the same." She plopped back into her spot and began kneading his back. She knew the specialness wasn't the same as it was for her. But, even after all these many, many years, her fish retained her mother's scent. A mother carried the strongest scent, after all. It was not Kiros' mother, but perhaps the motherly smell would put him at ease. Or perhaps simply holding her fish would make him happy. She hoped so.
Even before Flayn told him who made this plush, he could already tell that it was special. Watching her dig it out from under the bed and remove it from its safe little hiding place was enough to convey that. And when she brought it over to him, he could smell the scent of someone else. Someone he didn't know. A very, very old scent.
"My mother sewed him for me," she said, and Kiros immediately understood just how important this plush was.
"Are you sure?" He didn't need the plushie right now. He didn't have any arm free to hold it, since he was holding Little Claude! But Flayn was insistent, and gently placed the plushie between them, adding it to their cuddle pile.
Claude rumbled at it in his sleep. Kiros felt the strange, strong urge to bite it. He pushed that instinct back, though, reminding himself that he was supposed to be gentle. This was not his plush! No claiming bites, even if it smelled wonderful and was so soft!
"Thank you.” He gave it a little nuzzle instead. "...Your mother was human, right? What was her name?"
Good brother. Flayn’s scent was much milder than her father's, but it whispered praise for Kiros all the same.
"I do not recall Mother’s name." She mimicked his sweet, gentle nuzzle, burying her face against his neck. Good good good brother. Thinking of her mother… it was sad. But it would be more sad to never speak of her out of grief.
"She was very kind. She enjoyed fishing. We lived near the sea when I was little. Every day, she would fish for us, cooking the bounty she caught. She was very talented." She missed her mother terribly. But the ache was not so prominent here. Not beside her baby brother, whom she loved. “She would have loved you very much.”
Kiros purred and nuzzled Flayn right back, feeling a little bit sad. He couldn't imagine forgetting his own mother's name...
...Would that happen to him, someday? He hadn't thought too much about it, but he wasn't human anymore. And yet, as of right now, he didn't feel all that different. He'd already been unmoored from reality for quite some time. How would his mind cope with his new lifespan? Would he really forget his parents' names? What they looked like? Everyone he knew and loved...?
He was starting to make himself more sad, now. What was going to happen to him one day when Little Claude died? He held his twin tighter at the thought. "...Rooo..." he crooned. They hadn't warned him about this when they told him they were making him a new body!
Flayn flinched. Great, he was upsetting her now too. “It is okay! I am sorry, I should not have brought her up…” She nuzzled him hard. He bit back a noise as he clutched his younger self. But then Little Claude whined in his sleep. Too tight of a hug. But he couldn’t let go, not of his brother! “Shh, shh…” Flayn whispered, petting at his hand. “Not so tight, Brother.”
"It's, it's fine," he whispered back to Flayn, trying to relax his grip. Little Claude needed his rest. "Got lost in my own thoughts for a second. That, um. Happens a lot.” He bit back a croon. "Don't worry about it. I'm okay.” Just sad at the thought that, one day, he would lose everything he held dear once again.
“Are you missing Sarbi still?” She nuzzled his face. “When Father returns, he can fetch Sarbi. We can retreat to the star terrace and build a nest there. Little Claude likes the sunshine, yes? I am sure he will be equally delighted to see Sarbi.”
Kiros smiled a little at that. "I'm sure Little—that is, I'm sure Claude will definitely enjoy that.” He needed to get used to calling his younger self just plain ol' 'Claude'. Even if the present company knew better. It was... a process. All of this was going to be a process.
He took a deep breath. "I doubt it'll take long for your father to get back. He never leaves for long, does he?" Strange to think that Seteth was his father too… But not that strange, either. Another process. "Think he'll come back with food?" He hadn't actually eaten anything since getting his new body. He had been too focused on looking after Claude.
"He will! I believe he only stepped away for a moment. He should return any time now—"
Speaking of her father: he returned! She perked up, her scent begging him to come closer and fix her brother's sadness.
Father smiled down at her, the smile growing softer when he spotted her fish friend between the Claudes. "Hello, Kiros. Sleep well?" She pouted up at him. He could smell Kiros' sadness! Why wasn't he fixing it yet?
"Kiros misses Sarbi." There. Father would know how to fix it now!
"Hello," Kiros greeted his father. He could have said 'hello, Father.' But being honest, that still felt a little weird. It was a lot to get used to, this. He figured a lot would change by him coming back in time, but not this much. At least his head wasn't spinning like it had been the day he arrived in the past. The more he thought about all of this, the more it seemed... hard to handle. He wasn’t even human anymore.
He could handle it, though. For sure! Because actually, what was wrong with any of this? Nothing in the present moment. He was surrounded by love. It was just dread of the future getting to him. Really, that was nothing new.
"What's the weather like outside?" he asked Seteth. "If we can move out to the balcony, Sarbi can come visit. And I know Claude will like the sunshine." He would, too, of course. But that was a given.
“Mostly sunny. Just a few clouds among the sky.” Seteth knelt down to pet him. Closing his eyes, he let the man’s love and scent sweep away the worst of his stress. “How about I carry young Claude, while you and Flayn carry nesting materials from Rhea's room?"
"Okay,” Kiros reluctantly agreed, “but try not to wake him.” Letting go of his brother…
He thought it would be more difficult to release his twin than it ended up being. His father was a trusted person, though, and so he relinquished his hold over his precious brother. He could have carried Claude himself if Claude had been awake enough to cling to him in return. But with only one arm, there was the risk of dropping him. So instead he just grabbed the fish plushie and his favorite blanket as he stood.
“Flayn, will you open the inner pathway?” Seteth said as he settled Little Claude in his arms. Inner pathway?
His eyes went wide as Flayn moved aside a painting to reveal a switch. Once pressed, the wall moved. Garreg Mach still hid so many secrets… “Secret entrance?”
Instead of verbally replying, Seteth kicked up a gentle rumble in his chest for Claude. The boy settled easily enough in his arms, even slightly nuzzling against him. The twins were a package deal. He loved Kiros. That meant he needed to love Claude just as fiercely. It wasn't a love he could simply will into existence, but someday...
He smiled as Kiros' eyes went round at the hidden pathway. Adorable. “Yes. Secret entrance. We needn’t let anyone see your younger self in this state, or see you until you are ready.” Leading the way, he carefully made sure Claude was secure before he went. Behind him, Flayn conjured a simple light for Kiros. They did not require light to navigate the secret halls. But Kiros had experienced enough darkness in his life.
"How many hidden passageways does this place have?" Kiros asked as they went through the hidden corridor. "I looked all over the place for these as a student. I know I definitely didn't find them all, even if I did find a few, heh.” The boy smiled a little at the confession. He smiled back. That curiosity was once the bane of his administrative existence. Now it was simply adorable.
He did not know how many passageways existed. Garreg Mach was old, and was also built atop a structure created by Mother herself. He simply shrugged.
They exited into Rhea’s chambers. Rhea wasn't in her room, unsurprisingly. Flayn guided Kiros to where the extra blankets were located (freshly stocked up). Then they headed out to the star terrace. It didn't take long for the pair to craft a nest base together.
He settled sleeping-Claude within. "I will return shortly with Sarbi." After one more check on his children (three children, not just two), he made his way to the wyvern eyrie.
"Arrwwoo..."
"Yes, yes, I am bringing you to see Claude."
Sarbi perked up. See Claude!! That was Khalid! He went from a sad puddle to an eager wiggler within seconds. Khalid!!
It had been days since he last saw his brother. This wasn't the first time days passed without seeing Khalid, but usually his brother warned him ahead of time. The times his brother didn’t warn him usually meant something bad happened.
He allowed Seteth to saddle him. As soon as the man was on his back, he was zooming into the air. Khalid! The green-man barely had to direct him. Khalid was in the same spot as last time. Nice big balcony! He thumped down with an eager bugle, rushing his brother.
Green?
Skidding to a halt, he sniffed Khalid. Khalid was green now. And smelled like Seteth. And smelled....more wyvern-y? Like Seteth! Wait. Was Khalid finally growing into a wyvern? Hah! He knew it! Jamshid was wrong! Wrong wrong sister, Sarbi was right! Delighted, he nuzzled his brother to the ground and chuffed with joy.
"...Beebee?"
“Rmmm?” His brother's mouth didn't say that. He was watching Khalid’s mouth, and it didn’t move! But only Khalid called him Beebee… And... and Khalid sounded so weak. Why did his brother sound poisoned? Khalid did not look poisoned!
He looked up. In a blanket nest, he saw Khalid (again?). This Khalid was thin and ill. Bad! Khalid wasn't supposed to be sick! He looked between the two Khalids, confused. Small-Khalid smelled most correct, but healthy-green-Khalid smelled correct too.
He thumped down and made a long confused noise. He did not understand. Why were there two brothers?
Sarbi! Sarbi recognized him! Kiros burst into delighted rumbles. He hugged his brother's snoot, which meant he could do nothing but hold on tight when the wyvern cuddled him to the ground. (No other arm he could use to catch himself, after all.)
Either the sound of Sarbi's excited noises or the feeling of his own joy woke Claude. Kiros turned to look at his twin with wide eyes. Little Claude wasn't supposed to be awake yet! Oh, but of course he couldn't deprive him of visiting with Sarbi. No matter how much he needed to be either resting or eating, of course there was always time for their scaly brother! The memory of Little Claude’s disembodied spirit collapsed against Sarbi, unable to be seen or heard, had him biting back a croon.
He made a noise meant to encourage Sarbi to go visit with Claude, but it didn't seem to work. In fact, Sarbi just plopped down, confused. "Aw," he exhaled, sitting up and rubbing Sarbi's jaw. "Poor boy, so confused. It's okay. You have two of us now. That's all.”
Sarbi was confused. But Big-Khalid spoke in reassuring tones. He sniffed Big-Khalid. Then sniffed Little-Khalid. Little-Khalid smelled more correct. But his little brother had been getting bigger recently, not smaller! Why was Little-Khalid so little?
Big-Khalid wriggled into the nest. Both Khalids cuddled together like Khalid would cuddle against him. Well... Sarbi didn't understand, but that was okay! It seemed he just had two brothers now. Probably some silly human magic thingy. Humans were always doing weird things like that.
Rumbling, he fwumped around his brother(s) and began doing some big investigative sniffs. Little-Khalid smelled the most correct. Green-Khalid smelled a lot like the Seteth. But still mostly like Khalid. Investigate, investigate, investigate…
...Nope. Sarbi still didn't know. Maybe Jamshid would have been able to figure it out... Oh! Jamshid! If there were two Khalids now, Jamshid should be here! Now they could both carry Khalid and wouldn't have to fight over who got to carry their little brother. Maybe she would show up soon? He hoped so, he missed their sister.
He sniffed the blanket and stuffed thingy clutched in Little-Khalid's arms. Before he could get a big sniff, Green-Khalid told him 'Important' and gently pushed his snout away. Aw, okay! Sarbi wasn't very good at being gentle, so he would nibble on Khalid's hair instead. Hm. Which one, though...? He had two heads of Khalid-hair to pick from.
He nosed a little of the long green hair on top of Khalid's normal curls. Then took a nice munch of both.
Watching Sarbi try to figure out the situation before him was utterly adorable. He hoped Claude was enjoying it, too — he thought he was, from what emotions he could sense off of the other — because this was just so cute. Seteth and Flayn stayed back to allow the wyvern time to try and figure out what was going on, which he appreciated. He made extra-sure that Sarbi didn't mess with Flayn's plushie in return. It was probably as special to her as Sarbi was to him, and he knew that Sarbi was not the gentlest.
The way his brother nosed some of his long hair over onto Little Claude's just so he could groom both of them at the same time was incredibly gentle, though. It made him coo with praise. Little Claude liked it, too. This time, he could tell by the purring.
'We're up on the Star Terrace,' he told his twin, just in case he hadn't figured that part out yet. 'Seteth carried you up here for me. He was very gentle. Then he went and got Sarbi for us. He'll probably want to join the cuddle soon. Think Beebee will let him?'
Claude had only peeked his eyes open to see Sarbi for a second. Then he was shutting them in the bright sunshine. Sunshiiiine. He honestly didn't care where he was, so long as it was private and safe. Big Claude was calm, so that meant his two requirements were fulfilled. (It was going to take a while for him to really nail down 'Kiros' instead of Big Claude. Especially while he was only half awake.)
He stretched a little, as much as his withered muscles allowed, rumbling against Sarbi and then his twin. Happyhappyhappy. Even though part of him still ached to be closer, to be a part of his older self, he was happy like this. Enough time had passed that he was coming around to their new reality (or rather, his old reality).
"Beebee..."
His older self asked him a question. Would Beebee let Seteth into the nest…? Hm. 'I think so. Beebee likes Seteth. And you smell a bit like Seteth now, so that helps.'
Happyhappyhappy. He had his older self and his Sarbi and the sunshine. What more was there to want?
...Maybe some food, he had to admit. A little warble left him before he could help it. 'Food please.'
Seteth reacted fast. Probably not as fast as if his older self had made the warble, but fast nonetheless. The man opened one of the pouches on his hip and withdrew some wrapped bread and cheese. Slowly, Seteth (with Flayn following) joined their nest. Sarbi allowed it. Which was good, because he was hungry and Seteth carried the food.
The first bite of cheese had his purring kick up a notch. Mmm... Happyhappy.
Kiros reacted to the warble fast. What he did, though, was just look to Seteth and give his biggest, greenest, most pleading eyes to the man. 'Little Claude hungry!' was what he tried to convey with his expression. It seemed like Seteth already knew exactly what the warble had meant, though. Father was already in motion by the time Kiros looked at him. Good. Seteth understood Little Claude's hungries and was leaping to make them go away. Good.
He purred, too, when the food started going into Little Claude's mouth. For him, it was directed up at his father. 'Thank you, Father,' he said, both with his purrs and a little nuzzle.
Sarbi, thankfully, let Seteth stay without protest. Seteth was giving Little Claude food, so how could he be bad? Hopefully Sarbi saw it that way, because Seteth was quickly going to be adopted into their nest. He'd really hate for Sarbi to think he was an intruder here. Thankfully, probably due to him smelling like Seteth now (according to Little Claude), there were no issues.
"He's happy," Kiros told Seteth, just in case he couldn't tell. "Thank you. He likes the food."
Seteth smiled. Claude was blaring his joy and contentment for the whole world to hear and smell. "I'm glad," he said nonetheless to his son. Claude had absorbed just enough dragon magic that there was absolutely no doubting the boy's feelings. Happy. Good.
Everyone was happy now. Kiros, Flayn, Claude, and Sarbi (and himself). Sarbi even allowed him to cuddle after he finished feeding Claude. Very good.
He wondered if Sarbi would allow Rhea into their pile. Rhea was surely eager to cuddle as well. Though she was not as directly related to Kiros as Seteth and Flayn were, her magic had been a strong part of the ritual too. More than an aunt, less than a mother. She was being the responsible one though, ensuring church business went smoothly.
"How are you, my Kiros?" he rumbled, nuzzling his boy. "Are you feeling hungry yet? Just say the word and I will bring you something to eat." Fish, he decided. He would get some for Flayn too. Hm, would Kiros' taste buds be any different now that he was a Nabataean? Hard to say.
'Hungry,' was the little noise that warbled unbidden from the new Nabataean. He hadn't eaten a single thing since the ritual, of course he was hungry! But he was just so worried about his twin that eating hadn't seemed very important. (Like when he was so worried about the war that eating hadn't seemed very important.)
"I mean, I'm fine—" he began to say, but Seteth was already on the move. That left Kiros to pick up the bread and cheese where it had fallen into the nest (aaa loose food in the nest, the mice might come!) and bring it back to Claude's lips.
Claude's eyes had peeked open slightly, but they weren't staring after Seteth. They were looking up at him.
"I'm fine. I'm really not all that hungry," he insisted to his twin, because Seteth wasn't around to say it to anymore.
Claude hummed, munching into what little was left of the food. "It's okay to eat even if you’re not hung’y." It wasn't like they were short on food, after all. And Big Claude could afford to eat as much as he wanted! Maybe he could even become a creature of comfort, if they were able to prevent the Bad Things from happening in this timeline.
Mmmm... He liked that thought. His older self, able to curl up in the sunshine or nibble on snacks whenever he pleased, not a care in the world. It was an appealing image to him as well, though he knew he needed to get his ambitions back on track sooner rather than later (but not yet).
It was nice to think about, actually. That there would be a part of him that might be free to just... live. Be happy. Not that he wasn't happy! He wanted to make change in the world, to carry the burden he did. But it was also tempting to give into the creature within himself that enjoyed the simple things in life. Especially after… ngh. He didn’t like to admit it, but his soul and body had been through a lot of hardship since this all started.
"What'dya think Seteth will bring back for you?" he asked, lightly nuzzling against his twin. He didn’t want to think about how tattered and weak he felt.
Big Claude cuddled up to his younger self and purred. Even after all this time being here, getting told to take care of himself was something he was still getting used to. Of course he knew it was fine, and that he deserved to eat, and should look after himself and all that, but the mental habits were still hard to break. Fixating had always been a problem for him, and 'his own well being' was not one of the things he often fixated on. Good thing he had others to look after him now.
"I don't know," he said quietly, nuzzling his twin back unconsciously and purring loud. "Fish, maybe. Flayn's always talking about fish."
"Mmm, fish... I hope so," Flayn said. Claude wasn't sure when exactly she had cuddled up to them, but it was probably shortly after Seteth did.
A yawn caught him off guard. No! No sleepies! Sarbi was here, and so was his twin, and so was the sun! He didn't want to sleep. Next time he woke, he was sure to be inside and bereft of Beebee. He stubbornly clung on to wakefulness, pouting over how sleepy he was.
Sarbi nibbled his and Kiros' hair while they waited for Seteth to return. It didn't take long. He wasn't the only one to perk up at sight of a platter of fish. Though the smell of the bucket was less pleasant...
"Did you bring a treat for Beebee?" he guessed, wiggling at the thoughtfulness. A fish for Beebee!
"There is enough for him, yes. I wasn't sure what would serve your palette best, Kiros. If you would like your fish cooked, then this is yours. If not—" Flayn already wiggled out of the nest, reaching into the bucket to pull out a raw fish. And... munch right into it. Okay. At least it was a small fish?
He glanced at Kiros. 'Raw or cooked? ' He reluctantly had to admit that the raw fish seemed slightly appealing. Which wasn't saying much. Very, very slightly. That made him wonder if they were more desirable on Kiros' end. He would gladly eat the cooked fish if Kiros didn't want it.
'Raw or cooked?' That was... certainly a question.
There was a part of him that did find the scent of the raw fish appealing. More appealing than it should be, for sure. Because, well... he had eaten too many raw 'meals' in Abyss to ever think he'd be comfortable with raw meat again when cooked was an option.
So while his nose was curious, his stomach churned at the thought of eating raw food. "Rmm..." he let out a little whine as he eyed the bucket, ultimately shaking his head. He didn't want it to remind him of the raw mice he'd had to eat to survive.
"Cooked, please," he requested, then nuzzled his twin. "I'll save some for you."
"Just a bite or two is all I want," Claude said, wiggling a little comfort nuzzle. "Sarbi and Flayn get the raw fish."
Seteth brought quite a few fish. It seemed the man had been fairly certain that Kiros would want raw fish... Interesting. More fish for Sarbi, though!
Flayn ate her fish, then cleaned her hands with her tongue. Seteth leaned over and did a spot-clean lick on her. By the time she came to lay with them, he didn't scent any raw fish on her.
Big Claude fed him a couple of bites. Tried to feed him more, but he was satisfied by now. Foodfood. He wouldn't take much from his precious brother.
He really tried to get Little Claude to eat more, but his twin wasn't having any of it. Which wasn't fair! Little Claude was so little. He needed to eat more! After a certain point, he just refused, though, and Big Claude couldn't do anything about it. No matter how many little noises he made or how pleading his eyes got. Claude made the expression right back at him until eventually the older one gave in and ate the rest of the fish.
It was absolutely delicious. He had never disliked fish, but he'd also never been particularly inclined to it. There were a lot of things he would eat over fish before. Right now, though, when the fish met his mouth, it was like... the best thing he had ever eaten.
"Do Nabataeans always like fish?" he asked Flayn and Seteth. "Because this is really, really good." He knew that wyverns like Sarbi almost always ate fish in the wild. He might have guessed that a dragon's diet was similar, but he'd never thought about it too much before.
Hey! He was full. No more. He pressed his lips together tightly and turned his head from the foodfood. It took his biggest, pleading-ist eyes to get Kiros to stop. He was glad that he was full.
Big Claude was delighted but the fish, wiggling with joy. Part of him wondered if Kiros would be enjoying the raw fish even more. But... It was like there was something else in the way of him trying that. And that was fine! No need to eat the raw fish. More for Flayn and Sarbi. And Sarbi was sure enjoying his share of the fish.
"Not all," Seteth answered Kiros' question. "Rhea enjoys fish, though not like Flayn and I, for instance. Many Nabataeans can look vastly different. The same goes for our diet. I'm pleased to see how much you enjoy the fish, though. Is that enough? Would you like more?"
"I..." It was a portion size fit for a regular person, what Seteth had brought him. The man must have assumed he'd go for the raw fish, because there was a lot more of that than there was cooked. Perhaps he should just try that, instead of sending Seteth back for more food. Or just be satisfied with what he had already eaten, because it was enough. But... foodfood good. His expression was all it took to get Seteth leaping into action again.
"Would you like more fish? Or something else? I am certain I can find anything which suits your tastes."
"Everything suits my tastes," Kiros said. As long as it wasn't served to him raw, if it wasn't supposed to be. "I'm... I'm not picky. If it's edible, I like it," he insisted. He'd lost all pickiness a long time ago.
"I will ensure your food is tasty as well as edible," Seteth said softly, pressing a kiss to Kiros' forehead.
He almost rushed off then and there. But he forced himself to pause. Kiros had a twin. Which meant Claude was his son too, even though he had to consciously remind himself of the fact. "Would you like anything else too, Claude?"
The boy began to shake his head, then paused."...Some tea?"
"Of course! I will return shortly."
As he ordered another platter of fish from the kitchen (he decided to try a different kind to see if Kiros liked it more or less), something occurred to him. An old dish, one that Rhea was more partial to than himself. He should still know how to make it...
He returned shortly with two platters of fish, a pot of tea, and one more platter. He set the food just outside the nest, remembering how distressed Kiros could get over food in the nest.
"Please, do not feel pressured to try this one." He gestured to the special meal. "I thought it was worth bringing, though."
Claude cocked his head, barely clinging onto the waking world. "What'sit?"
"Sashimi." He went ahead and took one of the pieces of fish himself. Mm. Not his favorite, but it did have a good flavor. Flayn's hand snaked out to snatch a couple of pieces. "You are welcome to try some as well, Claude. It's safe for human consumption as well."
That had the human's slightly pointed ears perking. Claude was eager to try a piece.
"Mm... mm! I didn't expect this to be so good. What is it, other than raw fish?"
"Just that; cleaned and prepared properly."
While Seteth was gone, the Claudes curled back up together in the nest. Sarbi wrapped around them in turn, churring and nuzzling their heads. He groomed their hair a little. On his other side, Flayn also got to work nuzzling and grooming Kiros' hair, starting and the ends and working her way up. Kiros allowed it all to happen while he just took the time to hold his brother. He purred and purred and purred until Claude mewled at him to quit. All the purring was putting his little brother to sleep, and he didn't want to sleep yet. He wasn't able to quit purring entirely, but he at least quieted down a little. He nipped at his younger self's ear to help him stay awake. They were sensitive, after all.
Through Little Claude's determination and Kiros' help, the younger managed to stay awake until Seteth got back with more food. Kiros would never cease to be amazed by just how many trays Seteth could balance at once. His focus, though, was naturally more on the food than on Seteth's ability to carry it around. Fish! More fish!
...Raw fish? His lips peeled back to show his teeth before he realized it was happening.
Little Claude and Flayn thought there were no issues with it, though. He just was instinctively repelled by the concept of raw food. But then Flayn and Claude both ate some...
"Mm... mm! I didn't expect it to be so good. What is it, other than raw fish?"
"Just that; cleaned and prepared properly."
Kiros' lips slowly settled back over his teeth and he let out an uncertain rumble. If Little Claude said it was tasty, then it was probably worth trying. But he wasn't sure...
"You don't have to," Claude told his brother, nuzzling their faces together. He probably shouldn't eat more, but he had to admit that the raw fish was shockingly good. Or, at the very least, it was tasty and different from what he usually ate. Hopefully Seteth was right, and it was perfectly healthy for a human to eat. "I'll eat the bad uncooked fish for you if you don't want any." Flayn sneaked another piece. "Me 'n Flayn."
He wasn't quite sure where the revulsion came from in his brother. It was more than plain dislike or disgust. There was something that deeply turned Kiros away from the raw fish. Did his older self have to subsist off raw fish for a time? He wasn't sure where the fish would have come from in Abyss... then again, perhaps there was a pond or lake underneath the monastery.
Closing his eyes, he tried something. It was like sending a mental message. Instead of words, he tried to communicate the taste. At worst, he figured the taste wouldn't be strong enough to bother his older self if it worked at all. But maybe getting a whiff of the taste would settle his older self's uncertainty? Just in case, he hastily reached out and took some of the tea to wash away the taste, sending that to Kiros too. In case the taste was unwelcome.
'!!'
Kiros' lips smacked together at the sudden fatty, oily, rich taste that appeared on his tongue. His eyes went wide and a little purr kicked up in his chest. Tasty! That tasted good!
A second later it was gone, replaced by the gentler warmth of chamomile. He still rumbled, because chamomile was one of his favorite teas. But what had been that other thing?
It took him a moment to figure out where the tastes had come from. But when he did, he glanced from Little Claude back towards the plate of sashimi. He leaned a little closer to give it a sniff. That was how delicious this stuff was?
His lips closed around the edge of a piece. But as they met the cold, moist flesh of the fish, everything he had eaten before tried to come right back up. He let go of his bite and retreated to the other side of the nest with a tiny kitten hiss. It wasn't the taste he didn't like. The taste was really good! But the texture... he couldn't stomach the texture.
He beamed when Kiros' shock and delight echoed through his head. Heh, he knew his brother would like it!
...Or not.
He made an alarmed little peep when Kiros' utter disgust in the fish appeared, physically and mentally. Wasn't the taste good? Maybe it was only good because it was filtered through his taste buds?
Whatever the reason, he forced his weak body to flop closer to Kiros, who now sat at the edge of the nest. 'Sorry,' he sent, regretting his little push. He should have trusted that Kiros knew what he did and didn't like. Though they once shared the same taste buds, even that didn't guarantee they enjoyed things the same way. Sweets were a perfect example. He still didn't like sweets, but Kiros did.
He was giving weak little kneads to Kiros without thought. 'Are you okay?' he asked mentally, because that was less work than saying it aloud.
Little Claude wasn't the only one who was alarmed at his reaction to the sashimi. Flayn cheeped at him. Seteth looked... a little discouraged, though he was trying to cover it. Even Sarbi yawped at him in surprise.
Kiros rumbled back at all of them and hid his face against his brother's curls as soon as they were close enough to be available. "No, I'm sorry," he whispered back aloud, because everyone deserved to hear. "It does taste good. I like it. I just can't... ...the texture reminds me of the rats I had to eat," he confessed. While he was sure a Nabataean could stomach eating rats without too much issue, he'd only done it out of necessity. And it hadn't been good for him. He'd gotten sick from his food often, and he'd been pretty sure that his gut ended up swarming with parasites from his 'meals,' and it just... it hadn't been good. He had hated it, but he'd hated himself more. He'd forced himself to keep living, no matter the cost.
Kiros was surrounded by love the moment he opened up. Claude, Flayn, Seteth, and Sarbi all focused their attention on comforting him.
"I'll eat it for you if you want," Claude offered again, though he meant it differently this time. He would eat the fish and send the flavor to Big Claude. Though... Maybe not now. He was full and also really sleepy. With everyone cuddling his older self (and him, by proxy), he wasn't going to last long. "You can, nmm..." 'You can come take a nap with me, if you want.'
That was as far as he managed before he succumbed to exhaustion. It was up to Sarbi, Seteth, and Flayn to make sure Kiros was okay...
Class got out for lunch. For once, Hilda avoided the dining hall like the plague. All day today, the Deer had been asking her about Claude. She understood. They were all right to be worried. Claude would be touched when he heard that everyone wanted to be sure he was okay!
...She still felt awful for running away. How was she supposed to show her face again after that? Gosh. Claude got reconstructed from the dead, and then she couldn't even handle a little bit of skinny-Claude. She ran away sobbing! What was wrong with her? Here she was, making everything about herself…
"Hilda."
She wilted. "Hey, Dimitri."
"I planned to go visit Claude. Would you care to join me?"
She sighed. No. But also yes. "Think he's upset at me?"
"Not at all. Worried, likely. He thought it best to give you space for as long as you needed."
Big Claude knew her well, she supposed. That was exactly what she needed. Still, she felt crummy about it... "Yes, I'll go with you." She probably wouldn't if Dimitri wasn't coming too. But... she was more settled, now. She could handle it. Maybe. She had to handle it.