PACmd: Clovis & Alex Support A
It was time for Clovis to train as usual, but when he got to the courtyard, someone else was already there. He stopped in his tracks at the sight, deliberating going back inside, until he saw who was out there.
“Forty-eight...! Forty-nine...! Fifty...! Fifty-one...!”
Clovis approached cautiously, watching the other landsknecht’s movements. They were vastly different from his own, of course, and the differing types of swords they used played no small part. Where Clovis made slashes, Alex thrusted the thin rapier forward. Clovis tore his enemies apart in a fury of powerful strikes, and Alex aimed for a clean and precise death.
“Is there...! Something...! You need...!” Alex gasped out between the repeated attacks, not once taking his eyes off his invisible partner.
“O-oh, sorry!” Clovis stammered, taking a wholly embarrassed step back. “I-I was just....I came out here to practice.”
Another stab at the air. “Almost...! At...! One hundred...!”
With that said, Clovis left Alex to his shadow fencing, and instead took a seat some ways away, to wait until he could have the courtyard to himself. He heard Alex sheathing his sword before long, and stood up as Alex approached.
“The courtyard is yours,” Alex nodded, chest heaving from the effort.
“Thanks,” Clovis automatically replied, glancing over Alex’s shoulder to look at the now-empty courtyard. Something rolled in his mind as Alex walked away, and it finally clicked. Clovis’ eyes snapped to Alex’ back and he held up a hand, as if to half-heartedly reach for him. “H-hey, wait.”
Alex stopped in his tracks at the request, mostly turning his head to regard Clovis. “Yes?”
“U-um....” Clovis’ gaze dove to the ground. “I...wanted to apologize for snapping at you the other day.”
Alex slowly turned around where he stood, to fully face Clovis. “It’s quite alright,” he said dismissively.
“N-no, it’s not!” Clovis blurted a little louder and more adamantly than he’d intended. Alex looked taken aback, and Clovis could just feel the shame gnawing away in the pit of his stomach. “I-I mean, just...I feel bad for snapping at you for no reason, and I....wanted to apologize.”
“...Apology accepted,” Alex nodded slowly, consciously lowering his shoulders. They had stiffened at Clovis’ sudden outburst, and he could only fathom what was going on inside the kid’s head. Well, there was only one way to find out...
“If you don’t mind me asking...why did you get angry?”
“U-uhm, w-well...” Clovis faltered, at a loss for words. He knew why, it was just...putting it into words that was difficult.
“You don’t have to say if you don’t want to. I just don’t want to tread on any toes, and I can’t avoid that if I don’t know where they are,” Alex explained.
“N-no, I know,” Clovis interrupted quickly. “It’s just....I dunno, God, I don’t even know what you were gonna say...but it was just, something about us being at our fourth dungeon, and so I should know ‘blank’. It sounded so patronizing, and it’s like...God, I know I shouldn’t, but I really just...hate being told stuff like that, because it’s like...yeah, I know I should, but I just...don’t.” He shrugged uncertainly. “I-I’m sorry. That’s...the best I can put it...”
"No...” Alex uttered slowly, “I...understand.”
“You....you do?” Clovis blinked.
“Of course I do,” Alex sighed. “I come from a country filled to the brim with lofty expectations and unreasonable standards. My family especially.”
“Ugh, right...” Clovis frowned, feeling both sorry for Alex and slightly relieved that someone understood.
“Both parents, mainly. I only managed to keep my sanity because of my brother,” Alex smiled wryly.
“That...sucks,” Clovis said lamely. “For me it’s my mom, but my dad is pretty chill....at least....”
“...You know, somehow I had a feeling that your attitude towards such things had to do with your parentals,” Alex hummed.
“R-really?” Clovis shifted uncomfortably. If this stoic guy could see, then... “But...how...?”
“Lucky guess,” Alex said off-handedly. “As we’ve just established, we had similar home situations. And besides....young man like you, top of his class, now exploring dungeons? I take it something like this is a dream for you.”
Clovis grinned sheepishly and looked away, as if pleased with himself. “Well...”
“...You ought to be proud. You have accomplished this at an age younger than I, and this is why I say that I have much to learn from you.”
“Heh, you’re putting too much stock into me...”
“Or perhaps you’re not putting enough into yourself. ...Please, ready your training sword.”
Now, it was Clovis’ turn to be taken aback. “Excuse me?”
“I’m asking for a practice duel,” Alex said plainly. “I would like to see how our fighting styles clash.”
“B-but you just finished a hundred repetitions!” Clovis protested.
“Please,” Alex smirked, backing up a few paces and holding his training rapier at the ready, “I’d hardly started.”
“You’re crazy,” Clovis muttered, though a smile broke through his grim voice. He, too, took his stance, hoping that his lack of a warm-up would balance out with Alex’s fatigue. “Okay then, you’re on!”
