Excuse you. [ He playfully teases Hilda while she braces herself against him to remove her heels. Now he's the one playing at looking mock offended - even as he keeps a wary eye on Claude as he circles around him, because he doesn't trust that expression on his face at all. ] I would like to inform you that you'd love Claude and I teaming up on you. When you could string two words together again to come to that conclusion, anyway.

And I'm pretty sure I have informed you [ this to Claude this time, pointedly playful, until he pauses to hiss at the press of cold fingers again. Rude. ] on multiple occasions of precisely that. [ None of them had been truthful, of course, but he'd certainly complained about it. Mostly when Claude was being an unbearable tease. ]

I feel like I should be more worried that you apparently took that as inspiration. Maybe we should go back to teaming up on Hilda.

[ And he'll abruptly clasp Hilda about the waist and spin, lifting her at the same time, only to deposit her safely tucked between them now. ]