victory_road | [closed] a very late catch all for november-december

Your experience is plenty. [Dimitri...apparently went to a lot of trouble to make a good sparring weapon, and Felix has to break eye contact again--at least, until the rat starts pulling the lance out from under the bed, and Felix's eyes widen.]

...yes. Spar with me.

[He meets Dimitri's gaze with a tentative smile of his own and a certain excitement in his eyes. It hasn't been nearly so long since Felix last trained with the prince, but it feels different now. Dimitri made this sword, specifically for him, for this purpose. They're not training because they have to, but because they want to. No one has ever been as good a sparring partner as Dimitri, and he's sure no one ever will be.]

[For the first time in a very long time, something about the world feels... connected. Like a puzzle piece that's finally found something to slot against. Dimitri's heart can't stop its hopeful fluttering, and Dimitri moves to the door.]

We will want to move outside then... We would not want to break anything inside the inn.

[It's already under renovations as it is, after all. No need to cause more.]

[Felix nods.] Let's go.

[It's cold outside, but that's nothing for a couple of Faerghan warriors about to work up a sweat. Felix spends a few minutes doing his usual stretches, and then another minute or so further familiarizing himself with the heft and feel of the weapon, before he turns to face Dimitri in a ready stance. He wears an anticipatory smirk.]

Ready?

[Just like Felix, Dimitri stretches as well. It's something that has always felt nice, one of the few healthy habits he's actually kept up in the five years he's been on his own. In the crisp chillness of Azalea, it feels even nicer, somehow... Maybe especially with the sweater that Sylvain got for him.]

[When Felix turns to him, Dimitri actually dares to grin back. It's a nice day for a spar, he thinks, and they even have an audience: Dean and the Rattata have followed them, with Dean holding up Dimitri's umbrella. A dark color normally, it's being blanketed with the gentle snowfall of the day.]

[It's nice. It makes him feel... at home.]

Ready. [He slides into a stance of his own, always more confident with a lance than a sword.] Shall I let you have the first blow?

[A few of Felix's Pokemon are in attendance, too--he's gotten into the habit of leaving the cats out of their balls in casual situations, and there are four now thanks to the Skitty he caught on the way here. The four of them try their best to huddle under the umbrella with the rats, although Varley tries to look like she doesn't care one way or the other about the snow.

Felix scoffs.] Don't you dare 'let' me have anything. I'll take the first blow myself.

[He launches himself forward with his customary speed, preparing to dodge the lance at mid-range and slip inside Dimitri's defenses. He knows, of course, that the prince has his own techniques to counter this, and it's all so familiar...Felix likes familiar. They've always fallen easily into the rhythm of training, even when their relationship was at its worst; now, it feels like they could almost be back in Fhirdiad for how comfortably the exchange seems.]

[That's Felix - always on the attack, a whirl of blue and steel. Even as Dimitri moves to counter, he feels reassured by the sight.]

[Polearms have an advantage over swords because of their length; that's one of the first things he was ever taught as a child when he first took up the lance. Learning the advantages and disadvantages of a weapon is about as important as learning to wield that weapon.]

[Yet the advantage a lance has over a sword only if it can hit, only if the opponent can be properly kept away. The two of them have learned that, too, and known it for a long while. It's part of why Dimitri loves sparring with Felix so much. It's the perfect exchange of Felix pushing them both to their limits, looking for any instance of a weak spot, and putting it on Dimitri's plate to spot the latest move or trick he'll use.]

[When he had been on his own... Dimitri had remembered that, ever time he had gone against an enemy swordsman.]

[It's what keeps their sparring sessions going for so long, and Dimitri is glad to use his warm up from the past weekend, against Team Rocket, so that he can give Felix a decent challenge. Still.... something feels odd. Dimitri isn't sure what it is, even as Felix's constant attacks keep him from dwelling on it too much. But has Felix become a better swordsman - well, obviously he has, in the five years they were apart, but Dimitri could swear his blows hit harder.]

[He has to adjust his own grip and attacks in turn, even as a part of him is terrified of the inevitable snap that will be his practice lance cracking in two.]

[Felix likes to test his skills against lancers whenever he can, for the challenge of overcoming his weapon's inherent disadvantage. And he likes sparring with Sylvain and Ingrid, of course, but...it just has never been quite the same as this. No one wields a lance like Dimitri does, like a human tornado powerful enough to rend steel, and Felix loves the unique thrill of it.

...but today, something is off. At first, he almost accuses Dimitri of going easy on him, but he's spent his whole life training with this man, who is terrible at hiding his intentions. He knows what it's like when the prince is deliberately holding back, and this is not it. He has a suspicion, and after one more parry, he's sure of it. He steps back and lowers his sword, eyes wide.]

Your Crest isn't working.

[Felix doesn't back down.]

[It's one of his best qualities, even if it's also one of his worst on occasion... and depending on the occasion. Sparring matches between the two of them can sometimes go on for ages, whether just one long match or a series of lightning fast consecutive ones as they push themselves as hard as they can go.]

[So for Felix to suddenly pull back... Dimitri blinks, surprised, and then stares when he actually registers Felix words. Yet even then...]

What?

Your Crest. It isn't working. All that Blaiddyd strength of yours is missing.

[He takes a second to digest that. He's...well, obviously he's never fought Dimitri without it. Up until now, that would have been impossible, no matter how careful the prince was.]

It's probably for the same reason magic doesn't work here. I haven't tried using my Crest, but I assume it wouldn't work either. ...huh.

[Felix keeps talking, explaining, theorizing, but it filters in as nothing more than white noise as Dimitri looks down at himself.]

[It had occurred to him, distantly, that nothing had broken lately. Sometimes, he had felt as though he was tiring perhaps easier than he should have, but, well... he had started to chalk that up as simply paying mind to his body again, and realizing all the work and wear he had put it through. He so often feels disconnected from his body, so he...]

[He swallows, thickly, feeling as though he's trying to ingest a rock. Tentatively, fearing this may be some sort of dream, he tightens his grip on the wooden lance he has in his hand.]

[In Faerghus, just the slightest twitch of his hands, a tightening of his fingers to not lose his grip, a too fast or two powerful swing... That would have shattered many a metal weapon. Dimitri knows that all too well.]

[But the wooden lance remains whole.]

[The world suddenly seems dizzying, vast, and Dimitri just keeps staring down at the simple wooden lance that does not break. He doesn't know when he drags his gaze up to look at Felix, only that he does it, and once he sees him, once he sees him...]

[Dimitri drops his lance to the snow, doesn't think twice about it. All he can think about is striding over to Felix, reaching out for him- ]

[He can't remember the last time he was allowed to hug someone, and not worry about killing them. He can't remember ever being allowed to hold Felix like this, tight and close to his chest, his face buried in that beautiful dark hair made wet by the falling snow.]

...Dimitri?

[The prince doesn't hear him. That hand clenches tightly around the lance's haft, and it stays whole. Not even a crack or a splinter. It's not the mind-blowing revelation it is for Dimitri, but still--Felix has known this man their whole lives, and the increasing care with which he needed to handle everything from weapons to people to dishes and silverware was a constant that followed them everywhere.

But Felix doesn't have the patience to sit around thinking about the implications. He's ready to move on, and he's about to say so when Dimitri meets his eye, and--

Then he's moving, and Felix isn't sure what the sudden pounding of his pulse foresees, but it isn't this.] What are you--

[He stiffens, part instinct that expects to be crushed by the prince's strength and part simple unfamiliarity. The only person to have touched him at all in the past five years was Sylvain, other than the occasional brief hand on a shoulder from the Professor or Ingrid. Even then, hugs were few and far between until very recently. And before that...

Before that, interact with Dimitri at all without a weapon close by felt unsafe. Before that, he felt nauseous whenever they were in the same room and he couldn't even begin to think about touching him aside from the incidental ~~violence~~ contact of training.

But before that, when they were young, Felix used to throw his arms around Dimitri and squeeze every time they saw each other, and in return the prince was ever so careful, barely touching him most of the time for fear of what might happen.

Now, Dimitri's arms are warm and strong--just enough, not too much. It feels like he's pouring a decade's worth of feelings into a single embrace, and although that scares Felix, it feels like...like coming home for the first time in forever. When was the last time he felt ready to allow this much closeness between them? To touch Dimitri without memory dragging him down into fear and helplessness?

Doesn't matter now. Felix relaxes slightly, barely daring to breathe. ...the cards are in his hands, he realizes abruptly. If he were to tell Dimitri right now to let go, not to touch him, he has no doubt that the prince would listen, and this would never happen again. But if he stays here and accepts it...

...then it could, probably would happen again. And Felix wants that, suddenly. He wants to be able to let himself adore his prince again as he did once. They've let too much time go by; they both needed that time, but it can't be a lifetime. Felix won't let it be. Slowly, he lets the wooden sword fall from his fingers and brings his arms up to wrap them around Dimitri, first hesitantly, then tightly, tightly as though letting go would be a death sentence.

Still, he's calm when he rests his cheek against the prince's broad chest and closes his eyes. When he mutters, it's fond.]

Sentimental fool.

[Felix is so warm. Dimitri thinks he can recall many memories with this simple fact in them. Felix was so warm, one of the warmest things he ever felt in Fhirdiad outside of his parents' own embrace.]

[He's warm now. Dimitri says this, even with the soft chill that's swept over Felix's hair, and his body in general. It's a warmth that's different from shallow physical warmth. It's something... that hits so much deeper than anything else in the world.]

[Suddenly, Felix is resting his face against his chest. His arms are at his back. Everything feels as though, for once in his life, it's put in the right places. If the two of them could just stay like this forever...]

[Dimitri tries to say something, tries to respond to that fond insult, but no words form on his tongue. Instead, there's just a muffled and choked sort of sob - strange. He meant to laugh, if anything. It doesn't matter, Dimitri decides in the end. All he does is heft Felix up suddenly in his arms - still easy to do without his Crest, he's elated to know - and spins him around.]

[Suddenly, everything feels so bright.]

Gah! What are you doing, you blubbering oaf--

[His hands clutch at Dimitri's clothes reflexively for a moment at the sudden lurch, before he shoves at the prince's shoulders (although, he can admit to himself, not very hard).]

All right, that's enough. Put me down. [Goddess, he hopes Sylvain or, worse, Claude isn't around to see this. He'd just disappear into the snow and hibernate until spring thaw. Or longer. Maybe forever.

But even once Dimitri does put him down, he doesn't really...go anywhere, doesn't back off, other than to adjust his clothes and push mussed, wet hair back from his face with a flustered huff.]

Next you're going to tell me you want to make snow dragons with you or something.

[Having Felix stay close.... It does something to Dimitri, makes it feel hard to breath, makes his heart pound rapidly in his chest. If they could stay like this forever...]

[Felix's words make him jerk upright, and he stares down at him.]

I - I can make snowballs now, and not destroy them!!

[Felix has never in his life seen a grown man revert to a ten-year-old quite so thoroughly before. He remembers how upset Dimitri was whenever they would have snowball fights or build snowmen as kids, at how difficult it was for him to try to pack a snowball without the whole thing bursting apart in his hands.] Huh. I suppose you can.

[...then Felix squints at him suspiciously.] Wait a minute. Just what exactly do you plan to do with these snowballs?

[What couldn't he do? Finally letting go of Felix, Dimitri crouches down to start clumsily gathering snow in his hands. He can remember being successful at this part, when he was a child, but it was everything after that became a problem...]

[Still. He almost blossoms in delight when the snow crunches into a rough orb inbetween his palms, not exploding into Nothing.]

[It's not a very circular snowball, at least in terms of being a smooth circle. But that's fine. Dimitri chucks it at Felix's knees almost immediately.]

I knew it--

[It comes a little faster than he was expecting, though, so he rolls to the side to avoid it and comes up into a crouch, making a snowball of his own with practiced speed and flinging it as hard as he can at Dimitri's chest.]

Don't think I'll go easy on you just because that was your first successful snowball ever.

[Dimitri never was good at the dodging part of snowball fights... but then again, considering how he struggled to make a snowball in the first place, he never got much of a chance to try.]

[So his best attempt is just - flopping to the side as a dodge, trying to scoop up more snow into his hands.]

You should have a handicap!

[Felix smirks, immediately scooping up another handful of snow and then circling Dimitri swiftly, forming his next projectile on the move.] Please. It's hardly worth it if I don't challenge you.

[This is a fun children's game, Felix, but okay.

Felix waits for a good opening before letting this one fly.] Come on. Show me what you've got.

I am already being challenged enough-

[And then he gets beamed by a snowball.]

Felix!

[Alright, so, it might have been a mistake to fight someone so speedy, but Dimitri gathers another clumsy snowball for a bit of a blind toss.]

Don't 'Felix' me, you started it! [His smirk is wide enough now to almost qualify as a small grin, as he ducks Dimitri's somewhat wild throw and scoops up another handful of snow.] Now you have to see it through.

[As though to punctuate this, he aims the next one directly at the prince's head when he whips it through the air. Better learn quick if you don't want a faceful of snow, Dimitri...!]

You do not have to go so hard for someone who is inexperienced-!

[And then Dimitri eats a faceful of snow.]

[As he wildly shakes his head to clear it of snow, not too unlike a shaggy dog, he looks over at Felix with a look of Abject Betrayal. Felix. Felix he thought you were his friend. Felix you gave him a shield brooch. How could you do this to him.]

Since when have I ever coddled you?

[Felix makes another snowball and holds it casually in an upraised hand, palm up, as though at any moment he might hurl it with a flick of his wrist.]

You look like I just stole your favorite horse. I don't know why. That was incentive. You don't want me to do it again? Stop me.

[There's a rare hint of exhilaration in his eyes, alight with the thrill of a competition that has no dire stakes and no bearing on his strength or skill as a warrior. And the thrill of it being Dimitri here with him, doing this. Having...fun, together. It's been so long. He feels a little drunk on it.]

[Huffing, Dimitri turns his back to Felix somewhat so that he can start the construction of another snowball in peace. Well. Relative peace. Felix won't be able to snipe it out of his hand, which Dimitri suspects the other could and would.]

You were coddling me just a moment before, when we hugged!

Pff. That wasn't coddling. That was... [What was that?] We hadn't even started the fight yet. They're completely unrelated.

[When Dimitri turns his back, Felix flings the snowball in his hand toward the back of his head and crouches to make another without looking, keeping his eyes on Dimitri.]

I do have to commend you for one thing: you're not a cheater like Sylvain.

Edited 2020-12-28 20:51 (UTC)

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