Coffee or Tea (Artskaf)

[Claude Saint-Clair]

The tug on his arm elicited a slight chuckle and brought a grin to his lips. So many times had he felt that pull from Nora. Times from catching her coming in late after curfew or times when she had been out going on her adventures around the estate. It was always a silent plea for him to not speak of it. Of course when they were even younger, it had been him making that pull. It was a simple thing that reminded him of simpler times.

”No one will hear it from me,” he said in response. His word was gold, and he hoped that Nora trusted it. There was no ask of a favor in it for him. As long as it was her secret, he would keep it.

He could see though that his sister was still greatly troubled by it. That he could understand. It was hard to accept yourself when you had been told that what you are is something that shouldn’t exist. In some ways, Claude had come to terms with what he was. He had no doubt Nora would come to the same conclusion.

Claude let some silence linger between them for a moment before speaking further. ”What do you need now. Space from your dorky kid brother to contemplate. A shopping trip to distract. An actual meal. A drink a little stronger than coffee?” the suggestions were said with a lighthearted smile. It gave her a chance to say what she needed now. They would have to talk about their parents eventually. They would have to be told something to get them off of Nora’s back, but Claude sensed now wasn’t the time to push it.