The end of the game really is just Elle and Julius both asking Ludger to directly or indirectly allow their deaths for his sake because they both believe they can contribute more in death than if they live, and that Ludger will ultimately be happier with someone else anyway

Guess who randomly told me they wanted to play Xillia 2?? Yep, it's my lovely 30 year old overworked and stressed sister, who said she didn't want to start a long game just a week ago. Caught me by surprise but onto the next title, hurrah!!!!

An account of our let's play beginning below the cut:

I gave her a bit of a warning of how this game is a departure from the first game (and series in general) so she had some slight spoilers going in. She also saw me play it a bit my first time, remembering Elle and Nova's annoying voices in particular

I asked her why she wanted to play the sequel. Her: "I want to see more of the jazz land." She was disappointed you rush through Elympios, and X2 does at least add a little to it.

Got to laugh at her a little when the game opened immediately on a fight. Her: "Who am I fighting, my shadow self??"

Already her hearing issues are causing problems. "What'd he say his name is, 'Liquor'?"

She hates his name, "Ludger." It would be a fine for an actual person but for a character it's silly, you could have picked a better name.

Her: "I'm gonna call him 'Clout.'" Me: " ....... like 'posting-on-the-internet-for-clout' Clout?" Her: "Yeah, he's an influencer, look at his hair! He has an ombre!"

I told her it's dyed, and that I couldn't remember whether the black or the white was the dyed part. It's a little spoilery to talk about yet, but she noticed how Nova and Rideaux have it too. Her: "It must be the fashion." Me: "Cause he's an influencer."

Also heard Ludger saying "Okay!" as "Croquet!" Me: "Why would he be saying that after a battle??" Her: "I don't know, he's weird, he makes tomato cupcakes!!" Me: "Touche."

Her: "Whoah, Elle's dad turned into a monster?? Are we going to fight him someday?" Me: [silence]

We were talking during the bit after failing the test. Her: "Bro, stop humming." Me: "That's plot-relevant humming [it really is]. But we should probably pay attention to the TV that's giving exposition."

She loves the cat already. Who doesn't, Rollo is the best 😸

Seeing that we are in Trigleph she immediately tried to visit Balan. Me: "Why would we even go there, he doesn't know us." Her: "He's going to kickstart our adventure, I just know it."

You can actually go into his apartment which I didn't know, but no one is home. Her: "Does he know he left his house unlocked??"

After running into Jude, she immediately picked the non-affinity building choice. Me: "None of your friends are going to like you if you always pick the mean choice." Her: "I have decided to be mean. I am Aloof-ger."

Also decided she doesn't care about her friends, just Julius. Me: "There's actually an ending like that." Her: "Oh, a bad ending?" Me: "And then you rule the world together. Just kidding." Her: "Aww..." [this was me being an idiot and lying to cover my tracks. It's too early for spoilers]

She immediately hated Elle, as I knew she would. I just can't get myself to like Elle much either, so I am also dog piling the Elle-hate train. Sorry Elle lovers :(

Calling Bisley and his squad "the new Chimeriad." They are at least the new villains, but not as memorable to me as the Chimeriad. Calling Nova's sister (I forget her name) the new Presa just for having glasses and being serious.

Her: "His name is 'Bisley'? Seriously?" Me: "He's the bee's lees."

Devastated to learn the shops don't expand in this game. Me: "They don't in any game except Xillia to my knowledge." Her: :(

"Did we just go back in time?" Given how the power comes from a pocketwatch that's a very logical conclusion to make, I thought the same thing.

Her: "Everything's weird here. There's like a sepia filter. He really is an influencer."

Learned Julius and Ludger are only half brothers. Upon seeing Julius's fractured form, asked "Was the other half demon??"

But Ludger has a weird form too. Maybe he's quarter demon.

I forgot how easy that Julius fight is, compared to the later ones. Also, he drops tomato omelette. He should have dropped mabo curry, since that's what Ludger offered to make for breakfast [though of course this is a fractured dimension]

Upon seeing Rideaux in the bar: "Who is this clown? He looks like the Joker." Believes he might also be a vampire, as he has orange eyes and weird hair

You can apparently go behind the bar counter and just start taking alcohol. Me: "Let's get Rideaux drunk so he forgets about our debt."

Characters are talking about Canaan and Kresnik. Her: "Is he the Lance of Kresnik? Should I start calling him Lance?" Me: "Please don't, that's such a dude bro name."

Getting annoyed at Nova for too for calling to collect the debt money. Her: "Just try to collect my money, I have two swords!" Me: "One for each annoying girl." [I despise Nova too.]

It is satisfying to cut her off. Imagining hanging up by snapping shut the flip phone.

She wants to pay her debts back one gald at a time. Me: "Oh no this is like the shop expansion all over again."

I forgot the debt also keeps you from traveling. It's pretty fucked up actually, especially since Ludger literally can't go home now.

So we're back in the field with the sexy sax music. Alvin is playing it here with us in spirit 😔.

We left off by finishing the first chunk of our loan. Next time we'll board a train home and see what happens, maybe more party members?? 👀

Masterpost link for X2 and Xillia 1 here.

@shorestar​ liked for another modern verse starter! (Ludger!)

“Ludger, come on! You promised you’d get me ice cream!”

“I know. Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten, Elle,” Ludger chuckled. Another day had come, and with that came babysitting Elle once again. He hardly minded. She was a sweet kid and sometimes even helped out with his culinary school homework. Sometimes. Sometimes she tried to get him to come up with much more wild recipe ideas, like some overly sugary treat with way too much candy involved. Today, though, they were just spending some time in the park before heading back home.

“I just need to set our stuff down first,” he told her, setting down the bag of toys Elle had insisted on bringing. Plus cat treats. He didn’t know why she’d insisted on bringing Rollo with them, but the cat didn’t seem to mind. He was pretty obedient for a cat, after all.

“You and Rollo wait he... where’s Rollo?” Ludger asked. When Elle pointed past him, Ludger turned around and spotted the chubby cat approaching a woman who appeared to be working on some kind of project. Ludger sighed. Usually Rollo was obedient. Today seemed to be the day he wanted to wander off and meet someone new.

“Elle, stay here,” Ludger told her. “I’ll go get Rollo, then we can get ice cream.” He offered a small smile, and once he was satisfied the little girl would stay put he went after Rollo. Rollo was, of course, making himself comfortable beside Stella.

“Mrrf.”

“Rollo...” Ludger chuckled. “I’m sorry, ma’am. That’s my cat. I hope he’s not bothering you...”

OutOfCanonShips;; Huzzah, the Modern AU drabble I put off for actually 8 years is finished! Feelsgoodman. Now to catch up on drafts now that I'm free of this beast I set out to finish. Didn't help I lost progress about 5 separate times, including an hour ago. Cross-posted onto AO3 as usual. Enjoy!

Content Warning (cw): Victor/Ludger centric (though in the AU, they're not related), also maybe Victor/Julius if you're feeling spicy.

"Ludger, I'm home!" Elle's sunny cheer lasted just that sentence once she had a look at him. "You're wearing that shirt again? You had it on yesterday!"

"D-Did I? Um, white's just my favorite color is all!" Ludger side-stepped the issue, something his audience didn't appreciate. But telling her 'your dad will kill me if I try to leave the house' would be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

His master (awful as it is to remind himself…) told him Day 1: 'Your entire life now depends on pleasing me', after all…

"…Whatever," Elle brushed past him, taking her usual seat at the kitchen table and dumping her book bag.

He understood her critique, really. He wished more than her he could do something about it, too. But until Victor sent orders to deliver him a fresh batch of clothes, he had to make due with the table scraps his master fed him.

It still beat the first few days of swapping between pajamas Victor lent him and his street clothes from when Victor’s men kidnapped him. Every morning, he'd do a small load of laundry every night before bed, throw his normal clothes in, and wake up a bit before both Victor and Elle to start their day in proper attire.

Only sometime later on a random afternoon did a bodyguard drop off enough dress shirts, dress pants, and neckties to last about a week. While not as nice as a full closet, having some variety let him pretend he reclaimed a tiny piece of a normal life. So, with a little mix-and-matching, he at least looked a bit different every day for his going-on two months of captivity.

A couple weeks using this system though, Elle made it clear she found this ‘habit’ weird. She’d ask every now and then if he liked wearing the same seven outfits, which Ludger’d segue into any other topic to avoid answering any questions which could hint at his… situation. It worked for a while, but Elle was bright for her age; his diversion tactics wouldn’t fool her forever.

Fast forward to today's instance of complaining at his lacking wardrobe. She didn't buy the 'its a favorite' line given her low grumble and dirty look, but least she dropped it to focus on her homework: a reading passage with a vocabulary list which felt way more advanced than what he remembered learning in class. The woes (or perks?) of attending a fancy private school maybe?

Halfway into her vocabulary work, Elle set down her pencil. He readied some encouragement, though not before she hit him with a difficult question, “Why don’t you buy new clothes, Ludger? Daddy and I have a whole closet, but you wear the same stuff every week!”

“Well, I…” Ludger fiddled with his tie, trying to whisk up a decent excuse. “I-I don’t have the time! Between cleaning the house, watching you, cooking meals, and taking care of what your father asks me to do, my only free time’s when I’m sleeping. Why, I wouldn’t even have spare clothes if your father’s men hadn’t dropped some off for me during work!”

Sadly, that answer wasn’t enough, “You should ask Daddy to let you take a day off to go shopping!”

“I-I can’t do that. If I’m gone, who’s going to take care of you?”

“Then I’ll go too! I’ll make sure to pick out something less lame and dorky for you!”

“I-I…” Ludger’s grave kept digging with no lifeline to save him. Unless Victor came home early, there was still another hour before the man got off work. He couldn’t be honest--Victor’s orders always ended with a ‘or you will die’--and he’d exhausted every excuse in the book. So…

“Um… ask your father about it when he comes home! If he says yes, then I’m sure it’s fine. But if he says you can’t go, there’s nothing I can do.” He’d probably get yelled at for pushing this predicament on Victor’s shoulders, but better yelled at then dead.

Elle pouted for a moment, waiting for him to change answers. A silent stare down followed for minutes, though eventually she picked her pencil back up and continued where they left off.

“Fiiiiiiine. But if Daddy says yes, you better not make more excuses not to go!”

That garnered a light chuckle, “I’m already looking forward to it. Maybe you’ll find my fashion sense better than your father’s.”

“Anything’s better than what Daddy gets. He always picks boring work stuff.”

Elle had a point, the most dressed down Ludger had even seen his boss still left him in business casual. That dress philosophy carried to Ludger’s current line-up: nothing but dress shirts, dress pants, and a proper suit for when Victor brought over special guests. It wasn’t too dissimilar to his usual look, but what Ludger wouldn’t give to wear a plain old t-shirt again…

“I’ll be sure not to pick anything boring. Blade Union’s got some cool shirts that look ‘worky’ enough to make your father happy.”

“Eh, who cares if it makes Daddy happy,” Elle said, flicking away the thought. “This is your shopping trip. We’re picking what WE think looks good on you, and he’s gotta deal with it.”

“Heh, okay, we’ll make him just watch the whole time.”

“As he should!”

With the two in agreement, Ludger left the table to check the fridge. There was just enough rose petal jam to make crepes; he’d use tonight’s dessert as his way to show his appreciation beyond a simple ‘thank you’. Ludger could already imagine the bright smile on her face once she took a bite.

If I start them now, they should be done by the time Victor’s home… Ludger thought as he reached over for the large mixing bowl.

--- --- ---

Right as Ludger handed Elle her plate, the front lock clicked open. Ludger followed his usual procedure and waited near the door. Once Victor stepped in, he bowed. “Welcome home, sir!” He greeted, reaching to remove his boss’ coat and hang it on the coat rack. “I made rose jam crepes for Elle just a moment ago. I set aside a few if you’d like some.”

“Maybe later,” Victor dismissed the offer, heading straight to the kitchen table to check on Elle. “How was school today, Elle?”

“It was fine,” Elle replied. “Daddy, can I ask you something?” Once her father nodded, she didn’t mince words, “Can you take me and Ludger clothes shopping tomorrow? Ludger needs new ones!”

Victor's perfect composure briefly cracked at the question, “What’s wrong with the clothes he has now?”

“He wears the same dorky stuff every day! And when I said he should buy new clothes, Ludger said no cuz he’s too busy watching me! So I promised I’d take him shopping and find him something good to wear!”

Victor didn't answer Elle right away, his face unreadable as he stared through his daughter. When he finally responded, he stood up from his chair, “Let me talk to Ludger about it.”

Ludger instantly regretted ever suggesting Elle should ask Victor once he meets his boss’ gaze. He knew he messed up whenever he saw that look-- this wouldn’t be a pleasant conversation. Alas, Ludger could no nothing but follow Victor into his bedroom and watch him lock the door behind them.

“Were you the one to suggest Elle take you out shopping?”

“N-No, I--!” Ludger’s desperate response almost cut Victor off. “Elle asked me why I don’t buy more clothes, and I told her I’m just too busy. But when she insisted, I said to ask you when you came home.” With that, he took a breath to calm down and bowed, “I apologize for not handling the matter myself, sir.”

The angry look Ludger feared was gone, but his nerves couldn’t settle with the silence replacing it. Did he do the right this? Was Victor satisfied or is his boss deciding how to punish him? Should he lament losing his one chance to experience normalcy after so long?

“Ludger,” Victor’s hand touching his cheek made his whole body flinch. His boss paid it no mind and continued, “Can I trust you won’t use this as an opportunity to run away?”

“You can, sir. I won’t leave yours or Elle’s sides for one second.”

Victor withdrew his hand. “Alright. I have one condition,” Off his boss went into his walk-in closet. A baseball cap that's collected a fair bit of dust and a pair of thick sunglasses were in his hands upon his return. “Be sure to wear these while we’re out. I’d hate for my pretty manservant to catch the wrong set of eyes.”

“Um… I’ll be sure to remember them, sir.” Ludger couldn’t tell if Victor meant his remark entirely in jest; he loved his empty innuendos. Nonetheless, he'd revel in the opportunity to feel the sun on his skin from beyond an open window. A few conditions wouldn't dampen his future good time.

Talk over, Victor opened the door and let Ludger out first to break the news to Elle. As expected, she tore through half her crepes already. The second she spotted him, she spun around in her chair.

"Did Daddy say yes?"

“He did, so don’t stay up late tonight. We’ll want to head out in the morning to avoid the afternoon crowds.”

“I won’t! But you gotta go to bed early too, Ludger! We’re not leaving till you got a closet as big as mine!”

While a heartwarming sentiment, it brought up an excellent point… where would he put his new clothes? Ludger didn’t have his own space-- his things sat on a single shelf in the corner of Victor’s closet. It’d fit another two outfits at best, but any more… he'd need way more space.

Checking Victor's expression, he didn’t object, so… maybe he graduated from ‘tiny clothes pile’ to hangers! Or at least a second shelf. Whatever saved him from restacking the same tiny pile every few days.

“I promise I won’t stay up any later than work asks me to,” Ludger wished he could offer a less half-baked promise, but those decisions weren’t up to him anymore.

Elle got the hint and assaults Victor with her best puppy-dog eyes, “Daddy, can Ludger have a break tonight, pleaaase? He can finish his chores tomorrow, can't he?”

Not even a stone cold criminal could resist Elle’s cuteness, “Alright, I’ll let him take tonight off after dinner.”

"Yay, thanks Daddy!"

With that, Elle's eyes fell on him as she held her hand up. Ludger nodded to show he's listening, assuming she forgot they weren't in class. When she cleared her throat without taking it down though, the gears clicked and he gave her a proper high five.

I'm really not used to having friends anymore, am I?

"What's on the menu tonight, Ludger?" Victor asked the important question.

"I'm thinking an old favorite of mine, mabo curry. My caretaker loved theirs with extra tomatoes, but I can cook a tomato-free version too."

Elle stuck out in disgust, "Ew, who'd ever want extra tomatoes?! Tomatoes are grosser than broccoli, celery, and spinach combined!"

"Tomatoes aren't that bad," Ludger'd argue the former three were tasty too, but all kids had their 'vegetables suck' phase. "Though I'll admit, the extra tomato version's something only my b--caretaker could love."

Hopefully Victor didn't read into that brief slip. Keeping Julius nondescript as possible might already be in vain, but if this ritual had the slightest chance of protecting his brother? He'd do anything.

"Sounds good," Good, no further question. "Cook three tomato-free mabo curries."

"Yes, sir!"

Despite the command, Ludger's hand subconsciously drifted to the beautiful organic tomatoes his brother'd kill to eat raw. Old habits die hard no matter how long, huh?

I hope you're still eating your favorites with a smile, Brother. Ludger prays somehow, his thoughts reach Julius as he grabs the pork instead. I miss you.

--- --- ---

"You're retiring to bed already?"

Sorting through documents since dinner, Victor didn't notice Ludger already changed into pajamas. A shame, really-- Ludger's slimmer build caused the collar to drift far down enough to bare a flawless pale shoulder. He'd willingly change that if Ludger grew more receptive to his advances.

"I promised Elle I wouldn't stay up past work, remember?" Ludger's bold almost caught him off-guard. His pet always spoke to him in his proper place. What changed? "But if you need something, I'm at your service, sir!"

"I should be content for the evening," An unknown entity within him guided his hand to gently stroke Ludger's soft hair. "Goodnight, Ludger."

"Goodnight, sir!"

Ludger snuggled into his spot on Victor's bed and fell asleep in minutes. A stark contrast to his first weeks here of pretending he wasn't awake and waiting until Victor fall asleep first, then waking up long before him to start his morning ritual. Assurances his orders weren't a ploy to murder him or steal his virtue while he slept went ignored.

Though Victor saw through the ruse, he found no need to stop it; observing if Ludger's acting skills improved from the previous night amused him enough. His act never reached anywhere near convincing, not helped by Victor's teasing him on occasion.

Rolling closer or reaching over to smooth a few locks of Ludger's hair back always made him flinch or suck in an extra breath. And when that got boring, Victor pushed Ludger's limits by asking his pet to huddle real close so he could hold him.

Ludger couldn't look him in the eye for longer than a second that whole night. Honestly, how someone Ludger's age could be so innocent and satisfying to tease is a marvel. The caretaker Ludger loved mentioning must've worked a full-time job warding off the disgusting realities of this world.

Whatever devilry they worked, watching his pretty manservant blissfully snore away stirred an odd feeling in him. Something close to how he once felt looking at his late wife, yet not as strong.

…Hmph. Best he not think that through. Once Victor "trusted" Ludger enough to keep this mess a secret, he'd be out the door.

Unless... For whatever reason, Ludger chose to stay. Elle would like that. She ignored the maids Victor fired in the past, but Ludger? Today proved how much she adored his company.

Come to think of it, Elle's never been this happy since Lara passed away. What am I lacking compared to Ludger?

Though he phrased it like a question, Victor knew the answer: he lost his humanity.

Bisley's molding reduced the people around him into pawns in his grand designs, be it in official Spirius business or his orders as the Kresnik Syndicate's boss. Dead bodies were also an inconvenience to clean up, not a precious life lost.

He and everyone who worked for his syndicate knew and accepted their world ruined lives. Hell, some reveled in the destruction and despair their work caused. Victor certainly did, though whether those feelings were by his own volition or Bisley's grooming, he couldn't say.

Though there were times he wished his humanity came back. Caring for Elle without Lara's guidance was more an actor following the script of a loving parent than the genuine gestures from a normal, loving father. He knew he loved her--he'd burn the world down in her name--yet what he called love would never be the same as Elle's or Ludger's.

Alas, regaining humanity after staining your hands time and again is a feat nobody in this rotten world achieved.

--except, perhaps, one individual. His company's former right hand.

Why can't I escape you, Julius?

Julius Will Kresnik, the man his father once called his greatest asset and deadliest weapon. Spirius employees and Kresnik members alike would've sacrificed everything in his name back in his prime. Rivals also feared his wrath should they step on the Kresnik's toes.

And yet, when the power to control Elympios itself as Bakur's successor lay in his hands? He threw it away.

"I'm humbled by your offer. However, I have more important matters to attend to right now. I wish you good luck, Mr. Kresnik," were the last words Julius ever said to him. That 'important matter' he'd attended to? Vanishing from Spirius and the Kresniks without a trace.

The sole lead (assuming it's even related) in Julius' disappearance was members of the Cyber Attack Unit reported "the kid" stopped showing up days after. Records of his or her existence were purged by the time anyone noticed; perhaps "the kid" worked with Julius to plug any physical and digital holes their mutual desertion attempt left behind. It mattered not-- fodder like him or her die off every so often.

What did matter is in the end? Julius' plan worked. By the time Victor cemented himself as Spirius' CEO and the Kresnik Syndicate's Boss, tracking Julius down meant dedicating time and manpower towards a wild goose chase that could last years.

Crown's best work, all in service of running away.

Eight years later, Victor still never pieced together what possessed Julius to so thoroughly bury his past. Bakur wouldn't have called Julius his most loyal if doubt ever clouded him; what could've broken such a resilient tool? So many questions left rotting for eternity.

If Julius wanted to pretend those thirteen years never happened? As long as he didn't snitch, fine. Not what Victor wanted, but fine.

Perhaps after his fantasy lost its luster, he might come to his senses. Victor's men made that wish no secret; those in higher positions couldn't escape Crown comparisons. Complaints under breaths about how there wouldn't be any issues if Crown were in charge persisted as well.

Julius' departure lay far behind them, and yet his influence hadn't faded one bit.

How shameful. A boss of my esteem, reduced to wishes I'd see a spineless deserter again…

Should Victor ever uncover the rock Julius crawled under, he wanted a thousand and one things from him. His undying loyalty, his extensive skills, his limitless connections, his prestigious history��� everything he could want in a tool, Julius could provide. Yet what he wanted most, after seeing the warmth and joy he couldn't emulate from his beloved daughter and pet, was to ask him two questions.

Julius, how did you rekindle your humanity? Victor mused as he pet the boy who almost shared his name. Or did you never lose it?

Ludger continued sleeping soundly, his faint snores somehow soothing Victor's thoughts as he drifted off into slumber.

♬ = singing to them . To Victor!!

send one for my muse’s reaction to your muse | no longer accepting | @juwul

♬ = singing to them .

The spirit had just returned from one of his usual check ups to find his wife working on one of her commissions and humming to herself. Victor pressed a kiss to her cheek before he went to take a shower and come back to sit with her. She asked him how everything was and he told her that there is nothing to be worried about and all under control. In fact, he is getting even better at harnessing his new powers which means no more sudden outburst of powers like he used to get. 

Victor watched her carefully work on her pieces he found himself dozing off. After all, check ups mean he had to go through some tough exercises to make sure he got full control over his new powers which drained him for the day. Plum noticed him nodding on the couch so she decided to take a break and go sit beside him. She gently pulled him to lay his head on her lap thanking him for doing his best for today’s check up. Victor smiled and nodded to her, telling her it’s for her and Elle (and for Ludger, too.) 

Plum gently caressed his face and naturally, she started singing. It was that one song she sang years ago. He remembers it clearly...She tried singing it when she had her vocal tract surgery. She was upset for a while that she couldn’t sing it well at first but when it all healed up she was later then able to sing it. Elle told him the other day that she could hear Plum sing this song at night and cry at times... The spyrite snuggled close to the jeweler, like a cat snuggling up against his favorite human. “I love this...” he muttered under his breath before he slipped into a peaceful nap.

Blood and Water

Chapter 6 of Lure of the Damned

Fandom: Tales of Xillia 2

Zombie AU!

Pairing: Jude/Ludger

On archive! 

New chapter is up!! Some FATHER DAUGHTER CHATS this chapter. 

     The house at the center of the orchard was much, much larger in person. Ludger half-expected to see butlers and maids dashing through the massive halls, carrying silver trays.

     It was also shockingly maintained. Someone had been keeping the place clean, and meticulously at that. The floors still shined, and the air felt light, with none of the dust and questionable smells Ludger had come to expect. It was untouched by the apocalypse.

     Jude and Ludger hesitated at the door, unsure if they should remove their footwear, but the man, woman, and Elle all strode forward confidently, leaving small dirty footprints in their wake. The woman, Muzet, was not wearing shoes at all.

     The intimidating man was carrying the corpse of the husband in a modified bridal carry, his bloody face pressed against his strong chest. Muzet was holding Isla’s corpse - swung over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

     “What are you going to do with them?” Jude asked.

     Muzet twisted her head to look behind her. Her long hair tangled with Isla’s blood-covered arm, and Jude looked away.

     “With the bodies? We’re going to study them. We have doctors of our own, you know.”

     “You’re studying the infected here?”

     “Muzet, that’s enough. We have not questioned them yet.”

     The man’s voice seemed to echo even though he was speaking neutrally, at a reasonable volume.

     “Questioned?” Ludger asked. “Did we do something wrong?”

     The man’s gaze was cutting. Ludger felt like a bug, pinned to a board; it was only a matter of time before this man got bored and started removing his legs for fun.

     As if hearing his thoughts, the man’s eyebrows raised, just slightly.

     “I have no desire to rob you of your personal liberty. If you would like to go, then you may leave, but if you choose to stay and answer questions, I will allow you and your family to stay in one of the guest rooms for the night. I trust this is a worthy exchange?”

     “We have plumbing,” Muzet spoke up. “It’s one of the few places in the world where you can get a decent shower. Trust me, we’ll make it worth your while.”

     “Why are you being nice to us?” Jude asked. The suspicion was clear in his voice.

     “Erston.”

     Jiao appeared abruptly from underneath the massive staircase. The intimidating man, Erston, Ludger assumed, didn’t look toward him but he spoke anyway. “The front gate is secured.”

     “Ah, Jiao. Perfect timing. Would you get Presa to collect this woman?”

     “Certainly.”

     Muzet tilted her head. “Why Presa?”

     “She is deceased now, but there is no reason to abuse her body by carrying her in such an undignified way,” Erston said. “She deserves to be moved with respect.”

     “Oh dear, I’d hate to be disrespectful,” Muzet simpered. “But I don’t think she minds. I believe once the soul leaves the body, the flesh is just a vessel. Is there really a point to respecting a skeleton’s house?”

     “Yes.”

     Jude exhaled, looking toward the door. He seemed to be reaching his tipping point. Ludger was getting there as well, ready to take the man up on his offer to let them go. No shower was worth this, especially when there were others outside in much worse situations.

     It was then when he noticed Wingul standing by the door. He was hidden in the shadow, but undoubtedly monitoring them both. A chill ran down Ludger’s spine.

     No matter what this Erston man said, there was no guarantee his word could be trusted. There was no promise that Wingul wouldn’t strike them down the moment they went for the door.

     Ludger nudged Jude with his shoulder, motioning to Wingul with his eyes, as Erston and Muzet debated what it meant to desecrate a human corpse. The muscles in Jude’s jaw tightened, and he nodded.

     “We’ll stay.”

     “What?” Elle turned around. “Really Jude? You want to stay with these guys?”

     “Just for a little while Elle. We’ll see what they have to say.”

     The man nodded, seeming pleased with the answer. “Very well then—”

     Agria and Presa were returning down the stairs. Presa already had her arms out for Isla, who Muzet reluctantly handed over. Agria was fidgeting slightly as she looked demurely at Erston from under her eyelashes. Elle looked at Ludger as if to say ‘can you believe this?’ He shrugged.

     “Agria will show you to your rooms. We can reconvene for dinner, after you have cleaned up.”

     “What about the bodies?” Jude asked. “What are you going to do with them?”

     “That will be discussed at dinner.”

     Ludger sighed, but didn’t have it in him to argue. Jude did, but seemed to be staying mum for Ludger’s sake.

     “Lots of secrets in this house…” Elle mumbled. Ludger nodded.

     “Ludger, do you need a hand?” Jude whispered, offering his shoulder, and Ludger smiled, punching it once.

     “I’m alright for now Jude, thanks.”

     The truth was, Ludger had definitely undone the healing that had happened with all his pipe swinging, but it was nothing a little shower wouldn’t fix. Probably.

     Jude’s eyes narrowed, just slightly, as they were shown to their room.

     Agria’s voice lacked the previous night’s punch. She seemed to be going through the motions, occasionally glancing over her shoulder to see if she was being watched. There were bags under her eyes. Ludger wondered when the last time she slept was.

     “You can sleep here. This is the only room available, so get used to sharing. There’s only one bathroom too.”

     Jude raised an eyebrow. “A mansion this big and we have to share a room? What’s in the other rooms?”

     Agria made a face like Jude had just eaten something gross off the floor. “We have patients, loser.”

     “…What?”

     “Wow, you guys really don’t know anything. Figure it out-- wander around, see what happens,” Agria said, tossing her hair behind her. A devious light flashed in her empty eyes as she turned to leave.

     “Oh, and by the way, I gave you the room without hot water. That’s for earlier. Enjoy the chills, weaklings!”

     And then she was off, laughing merrily and leaving Jude and Ludger to stare at her back.

     “You don’t think this place is serving as a hospital of some kind, do you?” Jude asked.

     Ludger shrugged. “Who can say?”

     “I wanted hot water…” Elle mumbled. “What is wrong with her?”

     Ludger ruffled her hair. “It’ll still be better than a river.”

     “Everything’s better than a river, that doesn’t make it good.”

     Jude chuckled. “Why don’t you go first, Elle. You can test it out for us, and if it’s too cold—”

     “I’m not showering first. You two are gross and bloody and I don’t want to sit with you until you clean off. Jude first!”

     Elle walked into the bedroom, kicked off her shoes, and hopped onto the canopy bed like she did such things all the time.

     Jude blinked, staring at her, and Ludger grinned, sitting next to Elle on the bed.

     “You’re really sure…?” Jude asked.

     “You deserve it, you had a hard day!” Elle said.

     For a moment, the image of Jude’s face after Muzet fired her gun flashed in the back of Ludger’s head. His voice had been so desperate, his usually bright eyes dark and hopeless.

     The blood spatter had dried on his face, shirt and arms. A hard day—that was the tip of the iceberg, lately.

     “Go on, Jude,” Ludger encouraged. “Take as long as you want.”

     Jude seemed to melt at their words. The hesitant smile that spread across his face was familiar, real. Ludger felt himself relax at the sight of it.

     “Well, alright then. Thank you both.”

     He went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him, and it wasn’t long before the sounds of the shower echoed through the bedroom, accompanied by Jude’s quiet hum.

     Ludger sat on the bed with Elle, looking up at the ceiling. It had been so long since he’d heard the sounds of working plumbing and sat on a bed that wasn’t covered in dust; even longer since it was a bed that had been given to him, not just taken. He sighed, long and content.

     This place was miraculous, but its mere existence was nerve-wracking. What on earth would they be expected to give in exchange for this level of comfort? What “questions” could be so important?

     “He sounds like Julius,” Elle said, nudging Ludger’s leg with her own. Her bare feet hung off the bed, and she was swinging them lightly. God, Ludger was so lucky to have her.

     “Jude?”

     “Yeah, he’s humming. Julius would always—”

     A gunshot, silence, silence, silence—Ludger shut his eyes. “I know, Elle.”

     Elle was quiet for a long moment, before Ludger felt a hand on his arm, just under his messy bandages.

     “Did doctor Jude say you were gonna be okay?”

     For a moment the air had been knocked out of him, Elle’s eyes were so calm, so normal, like she had asked him what a word meant or shared some fleeting observation. At Ludger’s silence she tightened her grip on his arm. He held back a wince.

     “He’s been looking at you funny all day. I want to know the truth.”

     A thousand different ways to lie appeared in his head, soothing and approachable. He wouldn’t have to do this, he could pretend and forget—and with enough luck, Elle would never have to know.

     But Elle had asked for the truth, and Ludger had never been lucky.

     He took her hand in his own, clearly not the answer she wanted, but to her credit she didn’t say a word, even as her lower lip started trembling.

     “I can’t remember. I didn’t see. Jude did everything he could, but these wounds on my arm,” he gestured to the bandage, “make it hard for him to see too. We just have to wait for something to happen, or not. So, for now, Elle, we don’t know.”

     Elle’s face was blank, her eyebrows slowly drawing together in confusion. Ludger waited. At times like this, he wanted to reach out and hold her more than anything in the world, but this wasn’t about what he wanted. Elle needed space to think. She needed time to process.

     The confusion gave way to horror, despair. Ludger bit his tongue to keep from trying to lie it away. She’d accept a lie now—she was still young enough. But no.

     He had tried to shield her from the world, tried to keep so many horrible things hidden from her, but that— oh, that, had only led to her calling him “Ludger”. That had only pushed her away and made her feel that she had to get stronger to support him—that she had to prove herself to be his equal.

     It had only hurt them both.

     Ludger could soften the blow as best he could, but he couldn’t keep the blow from her completely. He wouldn’t leave her with the regrets Julius left him with. He wouldn’t leave her asking why.

     Elle had to know what was happening; she deserved to know the truth, difficult or not.

     Ludger forced himself to stay calm and listen. After a moment, she spoke.

     “I don’t want this. I don’t want this at all.”

     “Elle…” Ludger swallowed over the lump in his throat. His resolve crumbled and he reached out and pulled his daughter into his lap, her arms wrapping around him as easily as they did when she was so small. He pressed his lips to her hair, searching for any words to heal this, to take this burden away from her.

     Dammit, he really hadn’t changed at all, had he? There was nothing. Nothing, except…

     “You know what Jude said when I was trying to figure out what to do?”

     Elle didn’t answer, but her grip had tightened, so he knew she was listening.

     “He said that he wasn’t giving up on me, so I shouldn’t give up either,” Ludger said. “And it made me think, that even though this…situation is scary— we don’t have to give up. We can just keep doing what we’ve been doing and try the best we can, like we always have.”

     Elle was silent.

     Ludger had been terrified of fatherhood when Lara came to him with the positive test, one foot in the hospital, the other in the apocalypse. He had been terrified that he wouldn’t know what to do, that he’d be lost, and that the world would fall apart before he gained any skills in parenting.

     Ludger had been correct, Elle was nothing like he expected, the world had gone to hell and worse. He was completely helpless, utterly unprepared for this new way of life, and yet there was absolutely nothing in the world that felt more natural than trying to make Elle smile.

     “I’m not giving up, Elle. I’m going to do everything I can to survive, and I can’t promise you forever. I don’t know what’s going to happen, and that’s scary—but I am going to make sure you are taken care of.”

     The front of Ludger’s shirt was wet. He gently pulled Elle’s face out from his chest, and wiped her eyes, waiting, listening.

     “I won’t give up,” she mumbled, after a long moment. Her voice was heavy with tears, but growing in confidence. “I won’t give up either. I promise.”

     Ludger linked their pinkies together. “I promise too. No giving up.”

     The shower stopped. Somewhere in the bathroom, Jude sneezed and it echoed a bit. Elle pulled out of Ludger’s hold and wiped her face on one of the blankets. Ludger rubbed the back of his neck as the door opened, filling the room with the fresh clean smell of shampoo.

     Jude was dressed in a fresh t-shirt and pajama pants, all black. He had a small white towel around his neck. His bangs were surprisingly long, almost hanging in front of his eyes in a relaxed shaggy look, as opposed to the spikes Ludger had grown used to.

     “Sorry I took so long, the water was nicer than I expected, and it looks like there’s a change of clothes laid out for all of us. I don’t know how they got our sizes so quickly…” Jude trailed off, seeing Elle’s face. “Is everything alright?”

     “I’m fine!” Elle blurted, all but shoving Ludger off the bed. “It’s Ludger’s turn now!”

     “Okay, okay…” Ludger acquiesced. Really, he wanted to stay, make sure she was okay, answer any questions she had and—ugh. Shower. Fine. He nudged Jude as he passed him. “She knows everything now. If you don’t mind, could you keep an eye on her? Answer questions?”

     Understanding passed across Jude’s face, softening his features, as he looked at the now-sulking girl on the bed. “Of course.”

     “Thank you, Jude.”

     The shower fit the rest of the house, impossibly clean and decadent. There was an all-black set of pajamas laid out for him as well, alongside a long black shirt that Ludger assumed Erston had intended for Elle to wear as a dress. Shampoo, conditioner, towels… Jude’s medical bag sat open on the counter beside a roll of gauze.

     A small note had been set next to the gauze, with a white pill.

     The handwriting was cute, surprisingly neat.

     Ludger-

     This is a painkiller. Please take it.

     Clean your wounds and use the full roll of gauze.  

     There was more text underneath it, but Jude had crossed it out, and replaced it with one line:

     Your health is important.

     -Jude  

     This guy…Almost bitten and still thinking about Ludger.

     He held the small note in his hands for a second, fighting back the urge to laugh that Jude had…signed it, of all things, but mainly he just felt lighter. The pressure on his shoulders had subtly lifted, like water evaporating from a wide, clear lake on a summer morning.

     That is, until he noticed his reflection in the mirror. He looked like shit, plain and simple. Paler than usual, his undershirt and hands had dried copper-red, sweat and Elle’s tears leaving dark splotches on his chest. With a sigh, he undressed, examining the bruising on his chest and stomach.

     It would just have to heal, like everything else.

     Popping the pill in his mouth, he turned on the shower. He dodged the freezing spray, peeling the old bandages away from his scabbing skin and tossing them into the overly decorated trashcan.

     Ludger once again, felt drastically unprepared for whatever he was going to have to pay for this—but at least he would be facing it clean. He angled himself, careful to keep the water from his wounds for the moment.

     Medicine was hard to come by, especially painkillers. Showers near impossible. To have both was unheard of.

     Even cold, the water was everything Ludger had dreamed about for months. It felt like peace.

     If he missed one thing the most, since the collapse of the world, it was feeling clean. For ten years now it had felt like everyone and everything had been covered in a fine layer of grime, dirt, and blood. To be able to scrub and wash that away? It was a fucking holiday.

     He shut his eyes, face in the spray, and tried not to think. It became easier, when he turned, and started cleaning the blood and dirt from his wounds. He bit his tongue, knowing sound carried, and leaned against the wall for support.

     The shower ran red, and Ludger shut his eyes from that too, breathing in nothing but the clean mint smell of the shampoo.

     It was still the best he’d felt all week.

Aboard the Heimdallr ...

Alvin and fractured Milla meet for the first time since they’ve been exoflected. She remembers the man he had become, he knows nothing about her ...

RP with the amazing @unborderedreflection​.

Alvin

 “Look, you’re just gonna make it worse, and then it’ll be even longer for you to get where you’re going and do whatever you were going to do,” he points out.

Milla

"I just-- I need to find Elle." She doesn't want to be cooped up in the infirmary any more.

Alvin

“The little pintsize? I think she’s off playing with Elize and Teepo in the aftcastle.” He offers her a shoulder to lean on.

Milla

"W-Well, of course she is." After a long moment, she accepts, leaning against him hesitantly.

Alvin

“They made friends pretty quick. I’m glad. Elize could always use more friends. She didn’t have any growing up.” He settles her carefully to make sure she’s secure, before they start moving together.

Milla

"...They both did, huh..." Just like... Milla herself. "She mentioned she has a lot of friends here. I'm... glad."

Alvin

“Yeah, guess so. Elize was an orphan, and the people who took care of her weren’t exactly doing it with her best interests in mind.” He nods. “Elle seems to have fit right in. She was bossing people around at breakfast after about two days.” His eyes crinkle up in amusement.

Milla

"So that's how it was..." She... didn't know that. Nobody told her. "Well... of course she was! That's just like her!" After a moment, she asks, "...What do you think... about... everyone from the future?"

Alvin

With her on his shoulder, he can’t exactly rub the back of his neck. So it’s a moment before he answers, as he chooses his words. “I have to admit I didn’t expect my future to involve being friends with Gaius and Muzet. Ludger doesn’t seem like the kind of person I’d have normally crossed paths with, either. It’s hard to wrap my brain around. But I’m glad that we can be friends, even if it is kind of weird.”

Milla

"...A lot can happen in a short time, even just a year." Or even just... in the little over a month she knew everyone. "But nothing happened to your fashion sense, that's for sure."

Alvin

“Man, I guess so.” He falls silent, then adds softly, “... I guess I’m glad about that, that things went right afterwards,” thn snaps his head up, unsure if that’s a ribbing or a compliment. “Hey, can’t fault a man for liking the classics.”

Milla

"...I guess not. If it's traditional Elympion clothing." A little bit strange, but similar to what some people wore. She gives him a slight grin. "Guess you get to stand out here in this world."

Alvin

He laughed wryly. “Guess you could say that. It belonged to my dad. Between it and the gun and a few memories, it’s all I have of him.”

Milla

After a moment of silence, she says, "...These clothes are all I have left from my... first life, too." She lost her sword, after all.

Alvin

“Yeah, Ludger said something about that — that you were from a dimension that had splintered off of our own? He didn’t say much else and he looked gloomy enough about it that I didn’t want to pry.”

Milla

"...A fractured dimension. We hopefully won't have to deal with them in this world. They shouldn't exist." After a moment, she adds, "...In my world, I... destroyed Exodus when I was six years old, with the help of my sister." She's giving him a little sideways glance, wondering how he'll react.

Alvin

His steps slow for a moment, but he doesn’t let go. He doesn’t look at her, either. “Maxwell attacked our base in our dimension too, when I was twelve. Milla would have been six. It was frightening, and a bunch of us died. At the time, I had no idea why Maxwell would have marked us for death.”

Milla

"...Well, you should be glad to know your world ended up better than mine." Not that any of that matters here, though.

Alvin

He looks at her now, his brow creased in confusion. “I’m no scholar, but from what it sounded like, there were going to be problems with mana overflow in Rieze Maxia and mana drought in Elympios, more or less. That happened?”

Milla

She nods. "...Your world had the chance to save both Rieze Maxia and Elympios. With... Jude... working on spyrite, both worlds would have been safe. In my world, only Rieze Maxia was safe."

Alvin

He swallows heavily as the realization hits him. That could’ve been me. I could’ve damned Elympios by —  “I’m sorry. I know you were doing what you thought was right.”

Milla

"...We all were, weren't we?" He'd said he... wanted to go home. There was nothing wrong with that.

Alvin

“Some of us better than others.” He shook his head, self-deprecating. “But yeah. Even Gaius and Muzet. ... Hope your Rieze Maxia is doing okay. I don’t know what you’d have to do to bleed off that much extra mana, especially without Elympios around. ... I know it sounds weird, but the more I’ve been gone, the more I’ve realized how much it became home to me too, while I wasn’t looking.”

Milla

The same could be said about Elympios to her... "...My world isn't... My world doesn't..." It doesn't matter. She'd accepted this world as her own a long time ago. Her world... didn't matter anymore. At least, she tried to not make it matter anymore.

Alvin

Something was wrong. It was in Milla’s voice, in the tension of her body. And damned if Alvin could figure out what it was. “I guess we’ve got no way of knowing, being reflected here,” he hazarded.  It was true for him too. “At least I’ve got some reassurance that the future will be better, but it’s gotta be tough being the only one from your world here.”

Milla

"...It's fine." She had the only two she needed. "They... I already accepted that they're not..." She shook her head. "A-Anyway, what happens in the future of your world doesn't matter to us here. We have... We have a different future to make."

Alvin

Other people might have overlooked that ‘your’. Alvin was not one of them. He absorbed it with a flash of sharp focus that even Milla could read, though he nodded firmly in agreement. “We’re here, and this is where we can make a difference. So we will. Right?”

Milla

Milla's eyes at first looked away, then looked back, when she saw that. That was... "...Yes. We will." That was why she'd done what she did, after all. She'd supported the world to keep it from being destroyed--like her own had been. "We'll make sure this world... stays safe."

Alvin

“It’s a promise. I don’t make those lightly.” Not any more.

Milla

"...Don't worry, I trust you." She trusted who he would have been in the future and... she trusted who he was now.

Alvin

Surprise flickered across his face. Him? Really? But she barely knew him — “Thanks. I’ll do my best not to disappoint you.”

Milla

She smiled slightly. "I know you won't." Maybe he wasn't exactly the same as... he would have been, but she could tell he was similar enough to know that to be true. It... wasn't the same as the others comparing her to their Milla. It wasn't.

Alvin

“Heh. You have more faith in me than I do. ... But with a ringing endorsement like that, I can’t go letting you down, can I? It’d be lousy for my reputation.” Teasing. Pain underneath, but teasing.

Milla

After a long moment of silence, she said, "...It gets easier. You just... need to have the right people by your side. And... you already do... right?" She wasn't looking at him, but... she didn't need to.

Alvin

Alvin looked ahead. They’d come to where the girls were playing, Teepo spinning in circles around them both. The spud hadn’t noticed them yet. He glanced down to Milla, still leaning on him with an overpowering determination to take care of her people, and he squeezed her, very lightly. “Yeah. Yeah, I think I do.”

Milla

She blushed. "H-Hey, you can let go of me, now. I can take care of myself from here." After a short pause, she added a very quiet, "...Thank you."

Alvin

“All in a day’s work.” Wink. “Won’t even charge you for it.” He released her, and waved at the girls. “And I know you can take care of yourself getting back, but if you want someone to walk with — “

Milla

"Hmph, I think I already paid, anyway." Grin. "...If I do, I'll contact you over your mirrage com." With that, she waved goodbye and made her slow way over to the girls.

@unborderedreflection​ || { Continued... }

This was… Milla rarely saw him like this. It was… a good reminder though, a reminder that… even if he was someone who got paid to murder millions of people on a regular basis… Ludger still hated this job. It was the one thing that kept her from truly hating him.

“Hey, you…” she said softly before trailing off. She wasn’t sure what to say. Milla had her own difficulties accepting this, accepting everything that was going on, to really have any comforting words for him. “Tch.” Hissing softly, she pulled back a little before finally sitting down next to him, leaving quite a bit of space between them and hugging her own knees against her chest.

“…You have to keep moving on,” Milla said quietly, not looking at him. “…And… accept help from… everyone else. That’s what they’re here for. They want to save your world, too.” Even if… so many other worlds were destroyed in the process. “…After all, if you can’t save this world, everything you’ve been doing will be a waste.” If they didn’t destroy worlds… all worlds would be destroyed. “So you can’t stop. You can’t give up. You… still have to return Elle to her father, after all.”

That girl was… one of the few things that kept Milla going. To see Elle happy, to see the smile on her face… How else would she be able to face the reality of this world? How else would she be able to keep moving forward? This wasn’t her world, after all. She couldn’t accept all humans and spirits dying, but… she’d already failed the people of her world, so why would she… why would she bother continuing?

“…Don’t let that girl down. And… don’t let my world’s destruction be for nothing.” Keep moving forward, no matter what comes.

At the ‘hey you’ he curled in tighter, trying to shield himself from the verbal blows he anticipated. No matter what he did, deep down Milla hated him, and would always hate him. He’d forget that in their moments of banter, or when Milla was behaving just as childishly as Elle. But he had to remember, Milla hated him, and for good cause. Even though the others helped him, did they hate him too? He could see Jude struggling with destroying a world reflected in his eyes.

Ludger sensed Milla next to him, but didn’t move or twitch. Not until she spoke again. Her tone was so different from how it usually was. The only time he heard it this soft was when Milla was hurting. He let her words flow into him, thinking them over the best he could. It did make sense...if it was his world destroyed for the sake of another, then he wanted that quest completed successfully. Milla...where did she find the strength to say that? To encourage him after everything?

“Yeah...” Ludger whispered, “I still...need to find Elle’s home.” That little girl couldn’t be away from her father for forever. Somehow the thought of protecting Elle or getting her hope brought some strength back to Ludger.

He lifted his head and turned to Milla, not surprised to see a foot of distance between them. “I promise I won’t. And...” A heavy sigh rose form him. “I’m sorry about that...” It was all to save his world, but was it worth it? He got asked that in each world, if he was sure his really was the prime world, if his world really was worth saving. Ludger had already seen so many alternate histories and course of events that could have played out, was the one he knew really the right one?

Brings My Soul so Close to You (ToRays/ToV)

Please continue to pardon any inaccuracies with characterizations as I still haven't gotten around to familiarizing myself with games other than Vesperia and Rays. Title for Wonders Never Cease by Morcheeba. Thanks to suguelya for giving it a look-through.

(dreamwidth) (pillowfort) (AO3) Title: Brings My Soul so Close to You Fandom: Tales of the Rays, Tales of Vesperia Rating: PG Word Count: 7203 Characters: Flynn, Yuri, Hubert, Estelle, Velvet, Ludger, Mikleo, Ami and Ix Summary: Set in a nebulous post-Mirrage Prison timeframe. Five different looks into Yuri and Flynn's relationship "Yo. You still doing the perfume thing?" Hubert looked up from his book, eying Yuri carefully as he lounged up against the door frame. "I do." Hubert didn't particularly dislike the swordsman but they also rarely interacted, leaving Hubert to mostly know of Yuri through his reputation which... had some worryingly unsaid parts to it. "I thought you didn't care for it." He shrugged, not quite looking at Hubert and Hubert couldn't decide if it was an actual sign of nonchalance or a show of it. "I don't really, but it seems pretty popular with everyone else and there's been a couple I've liked." "Okay, then." He still wasn't sure if Yuri was being honest with him or not but Hubert couldn't really see how this could be a joke. He pulled a piece of paper and pen from a nearby desk. "Did you already have a scent in mind?"

~*~*~*~ "A scent?" "Yes. Your friend, Yuri, came to ask me to make perfume for him- his first, actually -and I realized that I don't believe anyone told you this is something we do." Hubert said, his posture formal but relaxed. Flynn was much more comfortable for him to interact with than Yuri. He chalked it up to mutual military professionalism. "People make requests for what kind of perfume they'd like- specific scents, if they have any in mind -and I try my best to create a perfume to their satisfaction. I will admit that it's been far more successful than I expected." "That seems like a lot of work," Flynn said, "having one person do all that." Hubert chuckled lightly. "Oh, the material gathering is shared with others. Normally I give a list to groups going out foraging or getting supplies. The actual mixing is done by myself." "And it won't be too much trouble making something for me?" "Not at all. Most people reorder perfumes I've made previously so I don't often get a chance to make an entirely new one. I'd appreciate the challenge." "Hm. Where we grew up, perfume was only used by the rich or for special occasions. Even when I was able to afford such things, it never occurred to do so, so I never really gave it much thought." Flynn tilted his head, eyes glancing upward as he thought. "I guess... Yuri?" It took a moment for Hubert to realize what he said. "I'm sorry, you want it to smell like Yuri?" "When we were little, we used to share everything: toys, clothes, even a bed. He was always with me through the hardest years of my life." Flynn laughed, ruffling his hair. "It's embarrassing to admit but my mind eventually came to associate his scent with comfort. I know it's silly but they say smells are closely tied to memories." Hubert smiled, warm and full of emotion. "No, actually. I think that's wonderful." Hubert immediately regretted his words. It took nearly a week of gathering and experimentation before he was finally able to approach Estelle with two bottles of perfume. "Yuri," he said crisply, setting one bottle down, "Flynn," he set the other down, a hand span away. "They actually asked for perfume?" Estelle asked with surprise. Ever since Hubert was persuaded to allow distribution of his perfumes, he'd gotten Estelle to name them. "That's a surprise, I didn't think Yuri liked using anything scented asides from soap. And Flynn always had to borrow perfume from other officers before official events." She giggled to herself as she picked up the bottle Hubert had said was for Yuri. As she opened the bottle, Hubert said, "It's an odd combination and it took me a bit to get the balance right, but I think it turned out well." Estelle sniffed lightly. "It's smells... like the ocean? And something flowery?" "Ocean and cherry blossoms." Among other things to help blend the two scents together. Estelle looked at Hubert for a moment, a slow smile spreading on her face. "Did Yuri pick those?" "Yes," he looked a little suspiciously at her, "why?" "Oh, no. It's just two of the first places Yuri and I went when we started our adventure. We restored a giant cherry blossom tree to protect a village and then we went to a cliff and saw the sea for the first time." Estelle laughed. "Both times Yuri talked about Flynn. I didn't think it was very important back then since I knew they were close friends, but I didn't realize that Yuri isn't the kind of person that casually reveals his thoughts." She swirled the bottle slightly, looking like she was thinking on a memory. "I think he was a little sad he didn't get to share those moments with Flynn." Hubert crossed his arms, thinking over her words. "Flynn's someone Yuri thinks about a lot?" "More than he's willing to admit, I'm sure." Eyes dancing with mirth, Estelle wrote 'Close to the Heart' in decorative script on the bottle. "And this?" She picked up the one for Flynn, opening the bottle and taking a whiff. "It smells kind of familiar." Hubert looked both annoyed and embarrassed. "Flynn said he wanted it to smell like Yuri and at the time his reasoning was quite sweet but then I realized it meant having to steal from Yuri's laundry and it was just such a hassle." He'd gotten caught by Repede of all Nexuses and Hubert had stumbled over his words trying to find an excuse before remembering- dagger and surprising intelligence aside -Repede was just a dog. He still felt compelled to assure him he'd return Yuri's clothes, however. Estelled gave it another whiff. "But you did it. This very much smells like Yuri. What did Flynn say that made you think it was sweet?" "He said that Yuri was with him through difficult times and his mind equated him with comfort." "Aww, that is sweet." She smiled and wrote 'Home' on the bottle. "I think they'll both like it though I don't know how likely they are to actually use it. I'm not entirely sure either of them really understand the point of perfume." "Well," Hubert picked up the bottles, lips quirked into a faint smile, "that's fine. I've been toying with the idea of scent diffusers, I might experiment using these. Everyone treasures things in their own way, after all." ------------------------------------------------- For a moment upon reading the note requesting her assistance at her leisure, Velvet considered ignoring it. In part because she was curious to see how long Flynn would wait for her to show up but mostly because, though Flynn seemed decent enough and Laphicet greatly approved of him, he reminded Velvet of Eleanor early on in their relationship. Though she was fairly sure he wasn't nearly as annoying or frustrating as Eleanor had once been, it wasn't a headache Velvet was particularly eager to relive. Of course, now that she was standing right there in front of him, Velvet really didn't have much of a choice. "What is it?" "I apologize for asking this at the last minute," he gave her a somewhat contrite smile, "but I was hoping you'd be able to help me make a White Day gift for tomorrow." She narrowed her eyes. "Didn't I see you with whole bags of gifts last week?" "Those are return gifts. As much as I would've like to return handmade chocolates in kind, I'm afraid my schedule and the amount didn't make that feasible. But I was hoping to do something a little more personalized for my companions." Velvet had no idea what Flynn's cooking abilities were but the folks from his world- Yuri especially -had been fairly adamant about not allowing Flynn to cook though the use of terms like 'alone' and 'for others' had her more curious than anything. "And you're asking me specifically because?" He looked somewhat embarrassed. "I know my cooking can be... divisive. But you strike me as the kind of person that won't hold back. If you see me doing something incorrectly or suspect, I'm certain you wouldn't hesitate to point it out." Velvet starred at him long and intense but Flynn didn't so much as twitch. "Fine." She pulled her shoulders back, fists planted on her hips and her face was set as hard as the most ruthless military instructor. "You will do what I say and only what I say. You only get one chance at this so the first time you go ignore my orders, I'm done. Understood?" Flynn snapped to perfect attention, "Yes, ma'am!" ~*~*~*~ "I need your help figuring out something for White Day." Ludger nearly jumped at the sudden voice behind him. He turned to find Yuri there, arms crossed and stance as easy as ever. Ludger gave him an odd look. "How am I supposed to help you with something like that? I know for a fact you don't have issues working with chocolates, Elle raved about the bonbons you made last year for weeks." "And if this was for any normal person, it wouldn't be a problem." Yuri tsked. "Unfortunately, Flynn's got a fucked up sense of taste and doesn't care that much for sweets." "...Flynn?" Ludger asked with a slow blink. "You're doing this for Flynn?" Yuri just shrugged as if this was a perfectly normal thing. "Sure. Mileena said on White Day guys are supposed to give gifts to girls and people important to them, right?" "I suppose that's true." He wasn't sure if it actually was. Asides from Kocis and Ix whose relationship was somewhat unique, Ludger didn't think any of the other guys gave their guy friends, childhood or otherwise, a gift. On the other hand, he also didn't want to get into an argument over it. "But why do you think I can help?" "You're more experimental with your recipes than Velvet and they mostly come out pretty good. You might have better ideas how to make a chocolate he'd like." Well, Ludger wasn't exactly immune to praise, especially when it came from someone whose cooking skills he respected. "If nothing else, I can at least try. What are his preferred tastes?" Yuri's expression flattened out, apparently already expecting his words to screw everything up. "Savory. Spicy. Meat." Sure enough, Ludger's thoughts skidded to a halt. He put one hand to a table and the other to his head. "Oh boy." ~*~*~*~ Velvet set down the recipe on the counter in front of Flynn. "Here. The ingredients and technique are simple but the results- when done correctly -make it seem much fancier and complicated than it actually is." She gave him a moment to skim over the paper before slapping her hand on the counter to get his attention. "First lesson: cooking is an art, baking is a science. Experimenting and changing recipes is much easier when you cook because you can constantly taste and adjust the food's flavor. With baking, once it's in the oven, that's basically it. Once it's been cooked, it's near impossible to change the flavor or texture. That means, with the way the ingredients and heat interacts, unless you really know what you're doing," Velvet got right up in his face, eyes deadly serious, "never deviate from the recipe." Flynn swallowed reflexively. "Understood." Velvet watched with a hawkish, critical eye as Flynn pulled the ingredients and dishes out, treating this as seriously as he would a strategy meeting and, while she found that hilarious, it was also understandable. Cooking for someone could leave you feeling surprisingly vulnerable, especially when it was for a special occasion. Even with all her confidence and experience, Velvet still felt that on occasion. She stayed silent and vigilant, speaking up only to instruct Flynn to grease the ramekins more. When he'd done so to her satisfaction and placed them aside, Velvet looked down at the ramekins, going over the count in her head: Estelle, Rita, Judith, one for Velvet to test... "Why are there five?" Flynn paused in measuring out the ingredients, checking to make sure he hadn't miscounted. "One for you, Lady Estellise, Rita, Judith and Yuri." "Yuri?" "Of course. It's a day for men to show appreciation to the people important to them, I can hardly leave out my best friend." ~*~*~*~ After a number of trials and errors- and an emergency shopping trip to restock -the two men were fairly certain they'd gotten a recipe that wouldn't burn while making, wasn't too brittle and wasn't overwhelming. Of course, given the ingredients, neither of them felt qualified to actually judge how good it was. Deciding to stay out of the process for making the chocolate that would actually go to Flynn, Ludger asked, "So why exactly are you making chocolate for Flynn? Especially since you said he's not particularly fond of sweets?" "I told you already," Yuri said, intently focused on his chopping. "I know, I just don't remember you giving something to Karol or Raven last year." "Yeah, well I also didn't spend nearly every moment for over ten years hanging out with them." Well, Ludger had to give him that. Then Yuri added, "Besides, he'd gonna get me something so I need to give him a gift in return." ~*~*~*~ Velvet still seemed unconvinced. "So you're doing this because you think he's going to make you something?" "I know he is," Flynn said with utmost confidence. ~*~*~*~ "What makes you so certain of that?" Ludger asked. Yuri scowled- the one everyone knew was just for show. "Because that's just-" ~*~*~*~ "-the kind of guy he is," Flynn said with a bright smile. ~*~*~*~ Gatherings for gift exchanges on holidays in the dining area was becoming customary, several tables filled with groups chatting and passing things around. Yuri had already given the women of his group their chocolates, each decorated and personalized for each one though they were happy to break off a piece so one of the others could give it a try. Yuri was preening at their compliments. Velvet, part out of curiosity and part to be supportive, helped Flynn bring out the plates before joining her own group. Each small dish had a delicately ridged, slightly tapered cake placed in the middle, liberally dusted with powdered sugar and a bright red strawberry, sliced and fanned out on top. Velvet hadn't even had to give Flynn any direction on it, his eye for detail apparently extended to gorgeous plating. She put her plates down in front of Judith and Estelle, both women's eyes brightening at the sight but there was still something stiff in their posture. "How pretty," Judith said, picking the fork up from the plate but making no move to actually try it. "You followed a recipe for this, right?" Yuri asked, glaring suspiciously down at the plates Flynn set in front of him and Rita. "He did," Velvet answered instead as Flynn took the last remaining seat. "I was with him to whole time." Yuri's glare intensified. "Are you sure?" Velvet glared right back at him. "Do you really think he could sneak something by me? Especially when it comes to food?" "Well, we should at least try it," Estelle said slowly despite her encouragement. She, also, didn't make a move to actually take a bite. Velvet rolled her eyes. "He made an extra and I tried it. I wouldn't let him feed you anything inedible." Yuri grabbed his fork like he was grabbing his sword. "Alright. Here goes." He pierced the edge of the cake, chocolate oozing out from the middle, screwed his face up like he was saying a prayer and shoved it into his mouth. His eyes shot open. "Oh. That's really good." Flynn beamed like he'd just discovered world peace. The girls dove into it a heartbeat later, each heaping praise on Flynn at first taste. Yuri, already on his third bite, paused to slide the package he'd brought towards Flynn. "Here. For you." "Thank you," Flynn carefully worked a finger under the seams, opening the gift without ripping the paper. "You didn't have to, you know." "Yeah, I did. Tried to tailor it to your taste so I don't know if you'll actually like it." It was a seemingly plain bar of chocolate but when Flynn bit at the corner, his eyes went wide. "Yuri, this is amazing!" "Heh. Good to know." Seeing that uncharacteristically soft smile on Yuri's lips, Velvet decided it was best to make her escape. ~*~*~*~ Ludger waited a discreet distance to intercept Velvet. "Surprised to see you playing waiter." "More like reassurance," she said blandly. "That Flynn hadn't accidentally poisoned them." His eyes flickered to the table, then back at Velvet. "Out of curiosity, did Flynn say why he made one for Yuri?" Sensing there was more to it than simple curiosity, Velvet studied Ludger closely. "Because Yuri is his best friend and Flynn was certain he'd make something in return," she said slowly, "why?" "Huh. That's pretty much exactly the reason Yuri said he made something for Flynn." Ludger couldn't quite tell if Velvet was amused, annoyed or apathetic. "So let me get this straight. Yuri made Flynn chocolate as a return gift for the chocolate he made as a return gift for Yuri." "Well," he hooked his thumbs in his pockets, "they weren't wrong about the other getting them chocolate." For a long moment, Velvet stayed quiet. Then, "They're both idiots in the exact same way, aren't they?" "I'm kinda getting that, too." It looked like everyone had or was just about finished with their cakes and there had yet to be any abrupt exits, blanching or chugging down water. All good signs in Ludger's book. "You helped Flynn make chocolate lava cakes?" "Watched, really," Velvet said. "He followed the recipe without any problem, picked up techniques quickly and they came out perfectly fine. Not anything like the kitchen disaster I was expecting. He even did the plating without any help. I don't know what Yuri's talking about." There was a brief pause. "Wait- you said he followed a recipe?" "Of course. I told him he wasn't allowed to deviate even the slightest." Ludger nodded to himself, "I think I get it. Yuri wanted my help making a chocolate bar because he said Flynn has, uh, unique tastes." "You helped Yuri make a chocolate bar?" The question was obvious in her words and, at the face Ludger made, Velvet looked like she almost didn't want to know. "What kind is it?" "It has chopped bacon and ground chili peppers." Her mouth pressed into a thin line, watching Flynn happily take another bite, oblivious to her, Ludger and Yuri's disturbed expressions. "Yeah. Now I get it." ------------------------------------------------- Honestly Mikleo thought the addition of Flynn was one of the best things to happen to the group. He basically took over assigning field and guard duties and helped Cress out with training. It allowed Jade and Leon to focus more on the finance and logistics and intelligence gathering side of things which meant Mikleo really didn't have to deal with an infuriating cryptic or overbearing critic anymore. He was also thankful for the fact Flynn came at it more like a taskmaster than an officer, preferring to ask for volunteers rather than ordering someone for a mission and trying to keep assignments within the person's interests or skill sets whenever possible. A number of Nexuses were or had been part of the military on their respective worlds and while Mikleo's experience with an actual military organization was pretty minimal, it was a relief that Flynn had no interest in restructuring the group into a military framework. Though, he'd admit, the military's tendency to organize and schedule things did come in handy from time to time. There were two kitchens anyone could use at any given time though, by unspoken agreement, the larger one was reserved for those who had cooking duty while the smaller was for those who could cook for themselves so the chef for the day didn't have to cook for everyone. With such a huge group, it was unfeasible to expect one person to feed them all on their own so there were always volunteers to help out in the kitchen. And despite all the work he did, Flynn often checked the kitchen to ensure there was enough people working and was always willing to chip in his own time if staffing was lacking for any reason. Whenever Yuri was on kitchen duty, Flynn, more often than not, was in there with him. It was somewhat surprising, really, given Yuri had be vehement about not allowing Flynn to cook- which didn't stop Velvet from allowing the knight to help her but most things didn't stop Velvet. Then again, Flynn was generally relegated to things like prep, washing and chopping food, getting out tools and dishes, setting things up to serve and cleaning up afterward. Mikleo volunteered to help them when he could, he found the way Yuri and Flynn worked together fascinating. They seemed to have an instinctual awareness for each other, always aware of where the other was and when they were in need of something. It was almost like a dance. Mikleo, conversely, had nearly bumped into or been bumped into on numerous occasion no matter how he tried to keep out of the way. He couldn't help saying, when the food had been set out and the three of them were cleaning up, "You two work surprisingly well in a kitchen." Yuri shrugged, putting some of the food into containers to be taken to those that wouldn't be able to make it to dinner. "We spent a few years working at an inn to pay for board. I cooked, he cleaned." "And did whatever odd jobs the owners needed to have done," Flynn added, taking the dishes Mikleo had washed and drying them off. "Is that how Yuri got to be such a good cook?" "And why Flynn became such a clean freak." Flynn shot his friend a mild glare. "If you knew how some people left their rooms, you'd understand." He turned back to Mikleo with a faint grin, "It was also rather meditative. Not a lot of people interrupt cleaning staff so I always had time to organize my thoughts." "You should've seen it during the rainy season," Yuri grinned, leaning over to look at Mikleo passed Flynn's shoulder. "He'd sit by the door with a mop and bucket, trailing after anyone tracking mud, no matter who it was." "Dried mud is pain to clean up!" Flynn protested. Yuri's eyes suddenly lit up. "Hey, you remember the time you reamed that captain for dumping his filthy cloak on the floor?" Flynn's mouth opened, the beginnings of a justification on his lips when he abruptly froze. His eyes went large and Yuri's grin wicked. Flynn didn't even react when Mikleo nudged his hand with a ladle. ".....that was Captain Schwann." Yuri roared with laughter. "Hell yeah, it was!" He slapped Flynn's back and Flynn closed his eyes with a pained sigh. "I can't believe I'd forgotten about that!" "I can't believe you reminded me of it." "Schwann?" Mikleo prodded at Flynn's hand again until he took the ladle. "Isn't that Raven's old name?" Yuri was still chuckling, smirking broadly. "I'm gonna have to ask if he remembers that." "You don't have to," there was something almost pleading in Flynn's voice. "Oh, I absolutely do. You yelled at him until he went out on the stoop and wrung out his cloak then made him hang it up!" Packing up the last of the containers, Yuri wrapped them up in a large cloth. "I'm gonna take this to Rita and the other eggheads." He gave them a wink. "I'll leave the rest to you!" Then he was off and Flynn glowered after him. Mikleo did his best to stifle his laughter. "He really seems to enjoy pressing your buttons." "Too much, sometimes." He took the last plate from Mikleo who then drained the sink. "But I suppose that's to be expected with childhood friends." "I can understand that. Sorey and I have had our fair share of arguments." "Oh yeah, you two are childhood friends as well, right?" "Yup." With the last of the water gone, Mikleo began to wipe down the sink. "We've been together ever since I can remember." Flynn chuckled, "I can barely remember what life was like before I knew Yuri." He put the dry plate on a stack, taking a portion of it to put into the cupboard while Mikleo put the utensils back in their drawers. "Have you two been together the whole time?" "A little while back we went about three years without hardly speaking to each other. I told myself it was because I was too busy or because of some silly slight from the last time we passed each other by but, I can admit now, it was because I was hoping he'd miss me enough to come back to the Knights." "Was it difficult?" Mikleo asked as they put away the last of the dishes. "Absolutely. Not in the same way losing my parents was or trying to survive on the streets before the inn keeper took us in, but it was a hardship I never had to deal with before: being without my greatest support. But I think it was the best for both of us. Admittedly, Yuri did flounder a bit, but we got out of each other's shadows and grew into our own person." Flynn rinsed off the towel, then wrung it out and began to wipe down the counters. "Introspection is much easier when you don't have someone covering up your weaknesses." His brow furrowed, something inside knotting uncomfortably at Flynn's words. "Do you mean you think being with someone for too long stunts your growth?" "Ah, that did sound like that, didn't it?" Flynn tilted his head to one side as he thought over his words. "Can, I think, would be more accurate. And I'm certainly not suggesting cutting off ties for years is the way to go, but taking a day or two for self-reflection every once in a while is helpful. And, even if something does happen that keeps you separated, you'll realize that you carry a piece of them inside your heart. That the time you spent together and the memory of them has and continues to shape you into the person that you are." Mikleo liked the way it sounded much more. "So?" He asked teasingly, "How did Yuri shape you?" Flynn just laughed. "Oh, patience and forgiveness, mostly." "He certainly strikes me as the kind of person that gets into trouble easily." "True. But mostly I meant forgiving myself." Mikleo paused, then turned to look up at Flynn. "What do you mean?" "Yuri likes to point out my flaws and mistakes. To tease me, mostly, but also to remind me that I'm only human." Flynn grinned self-effacingly. "Sometimes, even though I know better, I expect myself to make every decision perfectly, no matter the circumstances." "So Yuri reminds you to forgive your imperfections?" "Something like that. But also he's been with me through the worst times in my life and no matter how badly I screwed up or the times when I wanted to hate myself, he always forgave me. And even though I have issues with the way Yuri goes about some things, there's no one I trust more, nothing I have more faith in than him." He smiled at Mikleo, something warm and deep that was a lot like being wrapped in the sun. "I figure if someone like him can forgive me when I'm at my worst, then I could learn to forgive myself, too." The sheer faith momentarily took Mikleo's breath away. "That... that's an amazing sentiment. I can't imagine what that's like." Or admit that it made him a little jealous. "Really? Your relationship with Sorey seems quite similar." "Not quite to that level." "You're closer than you think," Flynn said, squeezing Mikleo's shoulder. "You just have to have as much faith in yourself as you have in Sorey." "That can be surprisingly difficult sometimes," he said ruefully. "I know. But that's why you need people like Yuri or Sorey in your life. Someone that will always remind you that, no matter how much you want to give up on yourself, you're still worthwhile." They lapsed into silence, Mikleo lost in thought. That brief pang of jealousy of the bond between Flynn and Yuri- unbreakable, irreplaceable -had faded at Flynn's words. What he and Sorey had was just as deep and strong, just different. And, more importantly, it was theirs. That revelation had Mikleo smiling to himself throughout the rest of clean up. ------------------------------------------------- "Excuse me." Yuri looked down at the hesitant voice addressing him from somewhere around lower-torso level. He recognized her immediately as Chester's little sister. "What's up?" "Um," she said, pressing her lips together and tugging at her skirt. "Can you braid my hair?" Yuri leaned down, hands braced on his thighs so he was eye level with Ami. "That's a weird thing to ask a random person." "Chester said he was gonna do it this morning but him and Cress got called off to do something else and I don't know when they're gonna come back." "There's plenty of women that can braid hair." At least Yuri was mostly sure of this. Ami's mouth twisted, looking much like Ted or Karol did when they were about to admit something they thought was childish and dumb. "When Chester or Cress braid my hair, they always hum or sing me songs and it's... not as comforting when it's a lady." Considering the issues that came up with her exoflection, Yuri didn't have the heart to deny her such a simple comfort. He stood upright. "Well, if that's the case I can't really help you. I've never braided my hair. But," he said as Ami's face fell, "I know someone perfect for the job." When the situation was explained to Flynn, he just nodded and began to remove his gauntlets. "In that case, we'll share the job. I'll braid your hair and Yuri can sing." "Why are you volunteering me for this?" Flynn merely lifted an eyebrow. "Seems fair considering you volunteered me." He noticed Ami's look of concerned and smiled warmly at her. "Don't worry, Yuri has a good singing voice though he hasn't done it much since we were kids. Please, have a seat and make yourself comfortable." He hadn't sung much because Flynn used to always watch him with an expression that made Yuri self-conscious. Not that he'd ever admit to it, of course. "I'll hum instead," Yuri announced before all but throwing himself down on the nearby couch, arms crossed behind his head and eyes closed. He heard Flynn ask Ami if she was ready and the little girl's quietly excited reply, then Yuri began to hum. It was one of Ranko's songs, one she said she sang as a duet. Flynn seemed to like it. A few bars into it, Yuri cracked an eye open and watched his friend comb his fingers through Ami's thick hair. From the small smile on Flynn's face, even with the slowed tempo Yuri hummed, he obviously recognized the tune. "How do you know how to braid hair?" Ami asked after a while. "I used to braid Yuri's when we were kids. Sometimes I put flowers and clovers in there." "Really? That sound so cool!" "I also used to help him put his hair in buns and twists, too." "Chester never does fun stuff with his hair and he won't let anyone but me play with it. How come Yuri lets you play with his?" Flynn didn't say anything but Yuri could practically feel the glance his way so Yuri said, "When I decided to grow my hair out, some older kids gave me a tough time about. They'd tease me, pull it, try to tangle it up." Ami made an angry sound. "Some boys did that to me, too, but Chester and Cress never let them get away with it." "Boys are the worst," Yuri said decisively. "They are! They stopped when one tried to put mud in my hair and I punched him in the nose. All the moms wanted Chester to punish me but he couldn't stop laughing." Yuri snickered and he heard Flynn chuckle as well. "Flynn would stick up for me, too. Once, though, one of 'em manage to cut a good three inches out of my hair. That was when Flynn started helping me put it up until I got big enough to fight 'em off myself." "I'm sorry. You have such pretty hair." "Thanks," Yuri craned his neck around to smile at Ami. Flynn was carefully sectioning out her hair on one side. "I talked Flynn into growing his out once but it kept turning into a tangled mess no matter what we tried. Even when it's short like that, he can't do anything with it." "I'm perfectly happy with my hair how it is," Flynn said dryly. "I know you are 'cause no one can tell you haven't brushed it." Ami giggled and Flynn tried to hide the twitching of his lips. "Aren't you supposed to be humming?" "Right, right." When Flynn had finished and handed Ami a mirror to look into, she gasped. "It's so pretty and fancy! Did you braid Yuri's hair like this, too?" A thick braid ran down each side of her head and where they met at the nape of her neck, he'd blended them into one. "No," Flynn said a little wistfully, "Yuri wouldn't let me get too creative with his hair." "But when the girls and young women in our side of town found out how well he braided hair, they came to him all the time to do theirs. Before festivals, there'd be an entire line of women waiting for him." Yuri snickered. "All the guys were so jealous." Flynn just rolled his eyes. "Not like they couldn't learn themselves." Yuri just snickered harder because that had never been the point. "Ami!" Elle half called, half sang as she came in, "finally got back from shopping, did you wanna- oh wow! Your hair is so pretty!" "Thanks!" Ami kicked her legs happily, beaming at her friend. "Flynn did it for me!" "You can do braids?" Elle asked with wide eyes. "My daddy would do it for me sometimes. Ludger tries but they always come out." "If I may," Flynn said, holding out a hand near Elle's hair and running his fingers through it when she nodded. "Hmm. Fine hair tends to have trouble staying up. Yuri's hair is thicker than yours but also pretty fine so I think can make yours work." "He said he can even put flowers in it!" Ami said. "Really?" Flynn laughed. "Why don't you two gather whatever flowers you want me to put in your hair? I can redo Ami's hair after I do Elle's." "Yay!" The girls bolted for the door. "Thanks, Flynn!" After a moment, Yuri sat up on the couch. "You're such a sap." "I may be." Flynn patted the seat Ami had vacated. "Want me to braid your hair while we wait?" "...sure, why not." ------------------------------------------------- He'd been floating on the edge of consciousness for some time before a knocking pulled him out completely. "Yuri? Have you seen Flynn? No one's seen him today." Groggy from lack of sleep, Flynn half-turned to his back. In part to pull out the strands of Yuri's hair that had gotten into his mouth before pushing himself from the bed. It really wasn't big enough for two men to sleep comfortably but neither had the bed at the Comet they shared right up until they joined the Knights. Flynn supposed it was a good thing they'd gotten used to sleeping piled on top of each other long before they reached the age when most boys found that degree of closeness to be awkward. He padded, bare foot, across the floor, putting on a shirt- Yuri's -as he went and scrubbing a hand through his unruly hair. When Flynn opened the door he found Ix there, staring at him with wide eyes. "Oh! Uh... sorry, did I wake you?" "It's fine." He'd worked on less sleep many times before. "Is there something wrong with your room? I know it can't be comfortable having to share a room with three other people. Sorry, Mileena didn't think there'd be so many of you when she made this place." Even with those that decided to stay on the Heimdallr with the Salvation Front, a lot of rooms had to double-up to fit all the exoflected. It was a good thing Yuri had picked one of the smaller rooms from the start, he didn't have to share with anyone but Repede. And now occasionally Flynn. "It's fine," he said again. Before Mileena had gotten around to exoflecting another bunkbed in one of the larger rooms, Flynn shared Yuri's bed. Just like old times. "And I enjoy my roommates." Sharing a space with Asbel, Hubert and Kor was a lot like living in the barracks before Flynn became an officer. It was kind of nice. A few had offered to give him a room of his own in deference to his rank but he'd been adamant about not turning this into a military operation or getting special treatment. "Then I'm interrupting something private." "Ix." When he looked up, Flynn just gave him a warm smile. "It's alright. There's nothing you need to worry about." Ix hummed, gaze dropping again and it took Flynna a moment to realize Ix's eyes were caught somewhere around sternum-level. Flynn looked down at the star-burst shaped scar on his chest- more of a burn, really -perfectly framed by the edges of Yuri's shirt. "Ah. That. I'm sure you understand," he told Ix with a faint smile, "it's better to risk your life than someone you love." His expression went pensive, something Flynn was quickly learning was fairly common on the young man. "It must have been painful." Flynn thought back about how hard it was to breathe, not just from taking Alexei's attack to his chest but from hearing that Yuri had gone missing, that he must have fallen off Zaude. How, day after day, ships and soldiers combing the ocean and shore would report back to him having found nothing. Then, one day, with his hope just a tenuous string, he'd gotten a letter from Estelle saying Yuri showed up in Zaphias, injured but well, and they were off to Zopheir to test a hypothesis of Rita's and for the first time in a week Flynn could breathe clearly. "Yes," he said softly, "but it was worth it." Ix gave a little huff of laughter. "I'm kind of envious how open you are about these things." "Well," Flynn looked over to where Yuri still lay on the bed, having scooted over to take up some of the space Flynn had vacated. "It took a lot of time and hardship to get to this point." He looked back at Ix and smiled. "But that was also worth it." When Ix's pensive look remained, Flynn asked, "Is something on your mind?" "I..." he bit his lip, visibly gathering his thoughts. "I agree that taking on danger in order to protect those I care about is worth the risk but... are you ever frightened about the thought that the person you care about thinks the same? That they'll take on the danger to protect you?" "Of course," Flynn said without hesitation. "If they weren't important to me, it wouldn't be frightening. It can be difficult, even painful, when they take that burden for me, but I'd imagine it hurts them just as much to see me take theirs. And because they're important to me, I have to respect their wishes. There is, however, a vast difference between respecting someone's wishes and allowing them to act thoughtlessly and recklessly." He sighed, memories bubbling up in the back of his thoughts as he spoke. "There may certainly be disagreements as to which side of that line someone's decision falls on." He gave Ix a gentle look. "However, while one's willingness to sacrifice themselves for the sake of others can be noble, I think it's better to protect each other and face the danger together." Ix's his smile was subdued but bright, something in his eyes settling more comfortably. "I'm glad you're here. Having so many unique and eccentric personalities can be fun but also really draining to deal with. It's nice to have more people mature enough to give open and sensible advice around." Flynn laughed quietly. "Well, I know not everyone appreciates that. But I'll endeavor to help out whenever you or any of the others need me." "Sure, just remember to take care of yourself, too. And let me know if you ever need anything. We're in this together, after all." Ix waved before retreating down the hall. Closing the door, Flynn shrugged out of the shirt before brushing Yuri's hair out of the way and sliding back into bed. "Wuzzit?" Yuri murmured, still mostly asleep. "Ix." "Wha'd he want?" "I think the shock of seeing me partially dressed in your room first thing in the morning made him forget to ask. Sorry. Pretty sure he thinks we're sleeping together." Yuri let out a soft, amused snort. "Not inaccurate." He turned his head, not enough to actually see Flynn but enough so Flynn knew he was irritated. "Yer lettin' the cold air in." "Move your legs, I'm about to fall off the bed." Yuri let out a put-upon sigh, shifting his legs enough so Flynn could tangle his own with them. They lay there, pressed skin to skin, one of Flynn's arms resting comfortably over Yuri's waist, breathing matched long and slow. After a while, however, Yuri said, "Can feel you thinkin'." "Sorry." "Don' be sorry. Sleep." "I don't think I can." "Still tired, aren't ya?" "Yeah," Flynn admitted. He started to move again. "But if people are looking for me, I should get up. There's plenty I could be-" "Nope," Yuri didn't move his face from the pillow but he grabbed at Flynn's wrist. "Yer nightmare's bad 'nough you came to me in th' middle o' the night, you need ta sleep in." Then, before Flynn could protest or argue, "Repede!" Almost instantly the bed dipped and Flynn looked down just as Repede settled his head heavily on Flynn's thigh. The man sighed, letting his head drop back down next to Yuri's. "Try'n move now." Yuri shifted just enough to send a smug, sideways look to Flynn. "Don't wanna disturb our sweet li'l puppy, do ya?" Glancing down at Repede, the dog merely stared back at Flynn, amusement clear in his one eye. Flynn sighed again, body relaxing. "You're both terrible." Yuri chuckled, drawing Flynn's arm further around him. "Love you, too." Flynn just pressed his face against Yuri's back, hiding a smile in his hair.

Jude Stage 8: With His Feelings in His Heart

*  from Asteria’s fourth chapter, “Recollections of Eden”

[<- stage 7]

Scene 1

Leia is impressed by Jude's fighting, and how even though he doesn't remember anything, his body does. Jude wants to stop, but the moment he lets his guard down, Leia attacks.

Leia: I guess that's it, huh... Seems all you remember is what your body knows. You may have forgotten the rest, but my mom's hardcore training can't be erased! Jude: Your mom's training... Leia: It's kind of nostalgic somehow, doing this again... Haah!

She continues to strike at Jude, musing about how they used to spar all the time as kids. Jude moves the same way now as he did then; Leia predicts that after his next move, he'll leave an opening, but Jude dodges her attack. He's even more confused than she is about why he understands what she’s going to do.

Jude: It's as if I've seen it before... in my head... No, but that's... Leia as a kid...? It's the same patterns... Urgh...!?

His vision blurs. Seeing that Jude seems to be remembering something, Leia attacks again, but this time Jude doesn't manage to dodge.

Leia: Huh... In the old days, you would easily have seen through that. Was it all a coincidence after all...? Jude: Have I... faced these attacks before...? Urk...!

Everything spins again. Leia tells him if he still doesn't remember, he should accept his defeat and go back to the village, but he blocks her next attack - and then several more in a row.

Jude: How did I...? I've never seen that attack before, but my body just... Leia: Jude...! Then how about this!?

As Jude's vision swims, he continues to counter, confused about why he knows all Leia's moves. It's like her attack patterns have been etched into his mind, and he reads them perfectly.

Jude: That's right... We've fought like this countless times, ever since we were kids... I understand. I know what you're going to do next... No, I remember... There was that time we were cleaning, and you used that move with the broom... Leia: Jude!? Y-Yeah, that's right! And then we got yelled at for playing with the brooms! Jude: You were always the one to start goofing off. You were always getting scolded... but I was always right there with you, so... Leia: Yeah. You've always looked after me... Jude, you really do remember... Jude: Still, we never learned... Skipping out on our punishments... Sparring sessions... Until we were experts at dodging... Urgh! What is going on...?! We were kids... and Master Sonia... Aaaaah!

Leia: ...Jude? Jude: Right... That's right... But then, what have I been doing...? Leia: Jude, do you... Jude: Hey, Leia. I... Leia: Dropped your guard!

Leia attacks unexpectedly, but Jude dodges again. He remembers everything now, and he shows Leia one of the forms they learned from her mom to prove it.

Jude: We were neighbors when we were kids. Your mom introduced martial arts to us. We sparred like this over and over again... day in and day out, hundreds, maybe thousands of times. Leia: Then you should recognize this! Haah! *Smack smack... bam bam!* Jude: It's nostalgic, doing these moves again... Even though the training was brutal. Leia: Yeah, Mom worked us to the bone every day. We'd end up covered in scrapes and bruises. Jude: But it made us so much stronger...! Leia: I always beat you, though. Jude: Not this time, you won't!

Leia informs him that she hasn't changed her mind just because he's gotten his memories back. She's not really sure what's going on with the world right now, but she knows criminals only cause trouble to others, so she refuses to go back to the village. Jude insists that he's not giving up either; if she has any doubts at all about what she's doing, he'll make sure he doesn't lose.

He continues to block all her attacks. Leia starts to think that maybe he's right and she does have doubts - but that's all the more reason for her to win and convince herself of her decision. Jude recognizes the stance she takes right before using Soulstoke Celebration. He can hardly move afterwards, but he refuses to lose, and Leia is stunned that he gets back up. He hits her with one final attack.

Jude: ...I'm sorry, Leia. I can't afford to pull any punches against you... Leia: Jude... I'm so glad you've remembered...

Leia falls to the ground, unconscious. As Jude is preparing to take her back to the village, one of the guards wakes up and tries to threaten him, but he can't move. Jude tells him to rest for a while. The other guard informs Jude that he's a fugitive now, and promises that the White Lions will find them if they try to escape.

Jude: ...Right, that is a problem. Leia had them thoroughly fooled, after all. Guard 2: What...? Jude: Pretending to be a criminal herself, in order to lure out the real criminal... Everyone thought we were accomplices, when she was just using herself as bait and getting captured by the White Lions to lure me in. I'm gonna need a new strategy to get myself out of this! Guard 2: So that's what happened... I thought something was off. This was all the Rolando Family's plan, then... Jude: Yep. But it's not going to work. I'll have to retreat. And I'm taking Leia as a hostage, so I can get my revenge later. Guard 1: Stop...! I can't let you do that, even to a criminal... Wait, no, she's not a criminal, is she...? Guard 2: She's assisted us greatly... We have to help her! Dammit... I can't... get up...!

Jude makes his exit before the guards can get back on their feet.

Scene 2

Back in Rikka Village, things are a little tense. Jude doesn't expect Leia to forgive him, as he knows what he did was contrary to what Leia had decided for herself, but he still feels it was the right thing to do. Even so, Ludger thinks they're probably going to put a warrant out for him now.

Magilou seems to find it funny, though Leia doesn't think it's any laughing matter. She asks what Jude plans to do next. Jude also expects he'll be on the wanted list by the next morning, so he intends to leave before then. He wants to look for everyone - Milla, Elize, even Sorey and Stahn might be in the same predicament that they were. He doesn't know what he'll do if they've lost their memories too, but he has to go see.

Leia points out that if they're living peaceful lives, they might be happier to be left alone. Jude agrees that since they don't know what's going on right now, they'll have to be careful about how they approach the matter.

He's thinking of heading to Reisvale first. That's where Mikleo is supposed to be from, and Rowen was with him. The first thing he wants to ascertain is whether they've lost their memories, or are just playing along.

Now that she thinks about it, Leia finds their "roles" a little strange, with Mikleo a nobleman and Estelle her subordinate.

Jude: Yeah, really. But everyone here accepts that as perfectly normal... Leia: No one would believe us if we suddenly started saying Estelle is a princess... even though we remember it clear as day. Jude: Right. We probably shouldn't mention it. I want everyone to get their memories back, but it could be dangerous to go about it the wrong way.

Ludger hesitantly interrupts to ask if Jude has become a criminal like Leia. He doesn't understand what happened, or why Jude brought Leia back. If this was a case of one criminal setting another free, he has a duty to report them. Alarmed, Jude reminds him that the "criminals" are just people who've regained their memories, but Ludger can't be sure that's true; all he knows is they've been talking about crazy things no one else understands. He apologizes, because he knows they're both good people and he wants to believe them, but if it comes to choosing between Lazarus and the claims of wanted fugitives, the choice is clear.

Jude suggests that there might be a way for Ludger to confirm that the memory bit is real. He remembers Ludger from before he lost his memories - that Ludger used to live with Elle, and his older brother Julius, and a cat named Rollo. Ludger thinks, but none of it sounds familiar to him, and he's concerned Jude is lying. Leia reminds Jude that he was the same way; it seems words alone won't make people remember.

Jude wonders if there's some action, then, that would jog a person's memory, like what happened to him. Then he remembers Ludger saying he feels like he's made some promise to cook for someone, and tells him it probably was something he said to Elle. Maybe Elle feels the same way. Ludger also once said he gets a funny feeling when he looks at families together - that would be because deep down, he remembers living with Elle and Julius.

Ludger still isn't sure, but Jude pleads with him to just trust him for now. Elle should be in Reisvale, which is where he's going anyway, so Ludger should come and see for himself. If at that point he still wants to turn Jude in, it won't be too late; Jude promises he won't run or hide. Ludger knows turning the criminals in to the White Lions is the right thing to do, but he gets the sense he might regret it if he does that, so he agrees to come. However, he's not saying he believes Jude and Leia yet, and if he meets with Elle and can't confirm anything, he will report them both. Jude accepts that deal.

Then Ludger asks Magilou if she'll agree not to report them for now. Magilou agrees surprisingly easily, since it seems they can prove or disprove Jude's claims readily enough. Leia asks what she knows about it, and Magilou admits that she's been investigating the criminals herself.

Magilou: There must be some hidden meaning to the "nonsense" the criminals talk about, right? Something we civilians don't know. So I thought, if I checked out these restricted zones... Leia: You were in the restricted zone?! So that stuff about a trespasser... Magilou: And what's a wanted criminal going to do, report me? Leia: Ugh... Don't remind me. Magilou: But that's exactly the problem! That the Rolando Family's leader should turn out to be a criminal herself... I joined thinking that if this is an organization worthy of Roar's attention, maybe I could get some information on the restricted zones or the criminals... But if the leader is a lawbreaker, the whole ship is sunk. All that effort, totally wasted! ...But thanks to Jude's quick thinking, the fact that Leia is now a criminal is our little secret, yeah?

In conclusion, Magilou has no problem protecting Leia if there's some benefit to it. They can always report Jude later. For now, she'd rather they all cooperate in her little investigation.

Leia is fine with that, but Ludger wants to know why she's looking into the criminals in the first place. Magilou's reasoning is simple: Lazarus doesn't want civilians interacting with these people. If she can figure out where they're coming from and why they're appearing, and come up with some preventative measures, there might be a sizable reward.

Ludger: If you're trying to please Lady Lazarus, doesn't it kind of defeat the purpose to break her laws and sneak into the restricted zone? Magilou: You gotta break a few eggs to make an omelette, right? We can only do this if we play by our own rules.

Jude wonders what would drive Magilou to do that, and Magilou admits that the Menagerie's last performance was a total flop. She has a debt that's going to be very difficult to repay, hence her interest in receiving a reward. Ludger sympathizes.

Magilou: Don't get me wrong now, I'm not saying I'm on your side. But if that's what it takes to keep observing you, I'll keep your little secret. Jude: Well, that's good enough. We'll need your cooperation for Leia to go back to the Family. Leia: ...H-Hey, Jude. What if instead of going back, I go with-

At that moment the door bursts open and Estelle and Suzu rush in, having heard that Leia is back.

Suzu: Jude, why didn't you tell us right away!? Jude: S-Sorry... Magilou: Because they're too busy sharing secrets they don't want you to hear... Jude: Magilou, don't tell them that! Estelle: We figured something was going on. If you say it's a secret, we won't force you to tell us. But Leia, please, don't shut us out and leave again! Leia: I-I'm sorry, you guys. But I think I'm going to be leaving again anyway... Jude: Leia... Sorry, but you can't come with us. Leia: What!? Why!? Jude: Because I saw what happened to Estelle and Suzu when they read your letter. You're an indispensable part of the Rolando Family, and this village. Estelle: He's right. If it's ever too much of a burden on you, I can always help out more. But we need you as our leader, Leia. Suzu: I agree. Leia: You guys, too? You really think...? Both: Of course!

Leia promises not to run off again, but Suzu picks up on the fact that she’s speaking only for herself. Leia explains that Jude has something to take care of, so he and Ludger are going on a little trip. She asks Jude about Meredy and the others, and he assures her he'll let her know as soon as possible if anything happens.

Suzu: In that case, how about we lend you a sylphjay? Jude: Sylphjay...? Like, the bird? Suzu: We use them as messenger birds. They make it easy to get in touch with distant people quickly. Ludger: Distant people... That's right, I need to let the dining hall know I'll be gone a while longer... Jude: Can I send a message, too? I should let them know I won't be there to deliver the milk... Suzu: Then let's do it now.

Jude and Ludger write their letters, and Suzu sends the bird off, telling them it should be in Carmina by morning. They're trained, so they can fly all night.

With that arranged, Jude and Ludger prepare to set out, though Estelle is surprised they're leaving so soon. Before they leave, Jude asks Leia about the father they had in custody, but Leia tells him not to worry about it.

Suzu: ...What are you talking about? Jude: Oh, uh, it's nothing. I'll leave it to you, Leia. Ludger: Let's go, Jude. Jude: Right. First stop, Reisvale.

Tale Mash Up Fic Ideas

Velvet – A former prisoner of Kimlasca but currently in jail in Lhant for murder. Is broken out of jail due to the attack on Lhant but instead kills the demons who freed her. Character Flaw: Merciless

Sorey – A Shepard of Maxwell, a young and sickly priest. Very well meaning. Takes responsibility for healing those who were injured in the raid on Lhant. Character Flaw: Naive

Jude – A young nurse who assists Sorey in his care of the injured. Unquestioningly devoted to Maxwell. Often seen speaking to her at the shine, particularly after his parents died. Character Flaw: Gullible

Milla – The Patron God of Windor who governs forces of nature and warns Lhant of natural disasters and turmoil to come. She did not see the demon raid on Lhant. Character Flaw: Ignorant

Ludger – A mute and former military  who moved to Windor for Elle’s sake. Has no interest in fighting any longer. Volunteered to help cook for the survivors at Jude’s behest. Character Flaw: Desperate

Luke – An emissary of Kimlasca, worships The Score – not Maxwell. He has no desire to ask Windor for assistance despite his brother Ache’s requests. Character Flaw: Judgmental

Asbel – The Lord of Lhant and close friend of the King of Windor. Goes to Windor to request humanitarian aid after the raid on his lands. Character Flaw: Self Centered

Yuri – A mercenary and former military friend of Ludger’s. Offers Ludger some demon hunting jobs to make more money for Elle. Character Flaw: Presumptuous

Fractured Lives, ch.2

four years overdue

Title: Fractured Lives Characters: Gaius, The Chimeriad, others Pairings: Gaius/Wingul Chapters: 2/? Summary: It won’t be like last time, Elle thought, looking at the king’s friends. They were already dead in the prime dimension, so why couldn’t she give them a second chance? 

aka my “let’s save the Chimeriad” (well, at least one set of them) fix-fic, which until now I’d been unable to update because LIFE and MOTIVATION and, well, if you’ve followed me for long enough to even know this thing exists, you probably know why it took so long. Anyway, I haven’t forgotten about it, and am finally in a good place to start working on it again. idk if people are even interested anymore, i mean it’s been so long But anyway, here’s chapter two! I’d recommend viewing on external sites because Tumblr formatting is bad :p

→ AO3 (French here) → FFnet (French here)

Just like every afternoon at this time of the day, Triglav’s central station was crowded. Gaius was sitting on a bench, observing the comings-and-goings while eating a delicious chocolate croissant he had bought at one of the station’s food stalls. Now was the time school ended on the fifth day of the week—Elympions called it “sylphday,” he recalled—and the main hall was packed with students hurrying toward the platforms or taking the elevator down to the subway station. They were all impatient to go back home for a two-day break that Elympions called “week-end.” Students in Rieze Maxia also had a two-day break, which covered the first and last days of the week—in other words, the period of time when spirits’ influence changed. It was apparently Dr Howe who had proposed this tradition in his treatise on spirit artes education. According to Presa, the aim was to cut down on channeling at a time where spirits were weaker, to reduce the risk of accidents. Gaius had not immediately understood why, as he had never had any trouble channeling, whatever the day, but Wingul—who had listened to their conversation from a corner of the library—had explained that it was because he was always emitting too much mana, but that normal people, on the other hand, could feel the difference if they paid attention. At the time, he had thought that Wingul was simply making fun of him, but a recent remark from Musee seemed to indicate that he had been right after all. Unlike his two subordinates, Gaius had never really cared about the theory of spirit artes and had always trusted his instincts when he was casting spells. His artes may not have been as refined as Presa’s or precise as Wingul’s, but he had never had anything to complain about.

Gaius finished eating his snack with a smile. He often thought about his old companions. At first, remembering them had been painful. His castle seemed empty without them. His room, in particular, where he had enjoyed so many intimate moments with Wingul, now felt cold and lifeless. He had not slept well there ever since he came back from the Temporal Crossroads. But life was going on, and, with time, he was now able to think about them with a smile. He missed them all terribly, but these memories were now something he cherished.

He was pulled back from his thoughts by the ringing of his GHS. He took the device out of his pocket and opened it. The screen was showing a notification for a new message from Leia. Careful not to press on the wrong button, he opened the text message, and immediately frowned upon seeing its contents.

cya @ Luds apt asap !!!!!1!1 =O =O =O 

At first, he thought that his GHS was broken, but then he recalled all the times Alvin had complained about Leia’s “text speak.” She must have sent him a coded message. If Wingul had been there, he would have most likely enjoyed trying to decipher it. Unfortunately, he was gone, and Gaius had no idea where to start. He considered calling her to ask her what she meant, but he realized that he had never called anyone by himself—Rowen was always dialing the number for him. His frustration must have been obvious, because the young Elympion who was sitting next to him while waiting for her train asked him if everything was all right.

“It’s just that thing…” he said, pointing to his GHS helplessly. “An acquaintance of mine sent me a message, but I cannot read it.”

“Let me guess… text speak, isn’t it?” she asked with a compassionate look. “Maybe I can help,” she proposed. Gaius felt she was kind of laughing at him, but he nevertheless showed her his GHS. After all, what mattered was understanding Leia’s message. Perhaps a girl her age was better suited to deciphering it.

“Oh, that’s not hard,” she told him, “It says ‘see you at Lud’s apartment as soon as possible.’ I guess Lud is someone’s name? It looks important, given the smileys…”

Lud… That was probably Ludger. And if it was important, it was probably about fractured dimensions. He hoped that nothing bad had happened. He got up and fished out a few candies from his pocket and offered them to the girl as a thanks, then walked out the station. Ludger’s apartment was fortunately not far from there, a mere 30-minute walk. On the way, he got a text from Rowen, repeating Leia’s message in correct spelling. He must have realized that letting Leia handle GHS communication was not the best idea if he wanted the message to be understood.

When he knocked on Ludger’s door, it was Leia who opened. But instead of letting him in, she went out and closed the door behind her.

“Hi Gaius. I mean, Erston. I mean…”

“Leia,” he nodded in greeting.

She looked worried and as though she did not know what to say. She was leaning on the door, her hands behind her back.

“You and Rowen texted me about an emergency. What happened?”

“Ah, well, actually… I think I should explain before you come in and…” She gestured toward the door and shrugged, an uncertain smile on her face. She took a deep breath and started talking. “So here’s what happened: Ludger and the others went to a fractured dimension. There, everything started like usual, looking for the catalyst and so on. But then, at the end, it was the same as with Milla. I mean, the other Milla, not our Milla. Do you follow me? Elle brought someone back again, except this time, it was… well…”

She did not finish her sentence and looked at him hesitantly, as if she was not sure whether she should go on. That was enough for him to understand. His heart racing, he pushed her aside and opened the apartment’s door. When he entered the room, all conversations died down.

He had gotten used to seeing them again in fractured dimensions. However, he knew that these moments were fleeting, and that they would not survive the destruction of their world. But now they were here, in Ludger’s apartment, in the prime dimension… He did not know what to think. The situation seemed so unlikely that he was expecting the world to shatter at any moment and to be pulled back to reality. But this was reality. He was not in a fractured dimension. They were there, alive, in his world. In a world that would not disappear.

Presa was lying on Ludger’s sofa, her leg bandaged. Agria was sitting on the armrest next to her, holding to her shoulder. Jiao was sitting on the carpet below them. And Wingul… Where was Wingul? Gaius looked around the room, but his right hand was nowhere to be seen. Had he not come with them?

Before he could ponder about it, Agria broke the silence.

“No way.” She started shaking Presa’s shoulder and continued in a small voice. “Presa, I think I’m dreaming. I’m seeing His Highness right there, in front of us.”

They were all looking at him with wide eyes, as though they could not believe it was him standing here before them. In truth, he probably had the same expression on his face. To his left, in the kitchen, Rowen, Ludger, Elise and Elle were looking at them awkwardly.

He wanted to speak. Say something. Call their names. Make sure they were real. Maybe laugh and cry too, but it would be unbecoming for a king to cry in public. But no word came out.

Eventually, it was Leia broke the weird mood. “I’m hungry!” she announced loudly. Everyone turned to look at her, and she reddened a bit under their gazes, but did not sway. “I’m hungry,” she repeated, giving her friends a meaningful look.

Rowen understood and sprang to action. “Oh my, it’s almost dinner time! But there are too many of us, and I doubt poor Ludger has enough ingredients in his fridge to feed us all. Come with us, Ludger, let’s go grocery shopping. I will help you cook us a little something, like one of those soups you excel at.”

“Ah, well…”

“Are you coming with us?” Leia asked the other girls.

“Oh course!” Elise answered a little too cheerfully. “Come, Elle. Let’s go shopping!”

Rowen turned to Gaius. “Please stay here and take care of our guests while we are gone. We probably won’t be back for a while,” he added with a wink.

Elle stopped before him for a moment and looked like she wanted to tell him something, but Ludger grabbed her hand and they went outside, the others following closely. When the door closed and the room was silent again, Gaius got a chair and sat down in front of them.

“So you’re from a fractured dimension…”

“Yes,” Jiao answered, “Well, at least, that’s what we were told. I must admit I don’t understand much about that dimension stuff.”

“They explained everything, but it’s a little hard to accept,” Presa told him. “We’ve lost all our marks.”

“Everything is different,” Jiao added.

“Which is proof that we are in another dimension. But I think we will need some time to adapt.”

“I understand. I imagine it must not be easy for you to be thrust into such a situation.”

Agria, who until then had stayed silent, suddenly spoke. “Is it true? Is it really you? You’re not a dream or an illusion from the bi—I mean, from Musee?”

Gaius smiled. She looked a bit shaken, but she was without a doubt the Agria he knew.

“It is really me. From the way you are addressing me, I suppose I was also your king in your dimension?” They nodded in response. “Good. This will make things easier.”

A tense silence fell over the room once more. He had so many questions for them, about the circumstances of their arrival, about their dimension, about the reason they were still alive… And they must have had many questions for him as well. After all, being taken from one’s world must not have been a fun experience. Should he tell them that they would not risk running into this world’s versions of themselves? How would they feel if they learned that they were dead in the prime dimension? Should he wait for them to ask? He did not dare speak, for fear of losing control of his own emotions. And they probably did not know what to say either. However, there was still one question he could not help to ask.

“Is it just you three, or…” He did not dare finish his sentence.

“Wingul is with us,” Presa replied at once. “He… There was a fight before we came, and he… He’s there, in the other room. That Ludger guy lent him his room. He’s just resting.”

Without a word, Gaius got up and crossed the room in a few strides. He hesitated one second before he opened the door, then entered Ludger’s room slowly, trying to calm down his pounding heart. He immediately recognized the blond strand in the mass of black hair, sticking out from under the covers. He felt joy fill his heart at this sight. The man laying on Ludger’s bed was definitely Wingul.

He silently walked to the bed and knelt down. Wingul’s face was gaunt. He was terribly skinny and so, so pale. With a shudder, Gaius recalled the year that had followed the implantation of his booster. “What happened to you?” he whispered, brushing a strand aside from his face.

Jiao, who had followed him, was the one to answer. “He had a rough year. Erm… You know, his booster. And then… Well, anyway, he’s seen better days.”

Gaius frowned. “Does he still use it?”

“Yes, sometimes. We try to limit it, but you know him, he never listens.”

That was bad news. The Wingul of the prime dimension had died because of his booster. If this Wingul kept pushing himself too far, he might end up meeting the same fate.

No, Gaius decided. Not twice. Not here.

The possibility broke his heart. It had been difficult for him to overcome the death of his partner, even if he had been expecting it in a way. And though tragic, destroying other Winguls in a fractured dimension was one thing. But watching one die here in his world was another, and he swore to do everything he could to prevent it. Even if this was not his Wingul, he was still precious to him, and he swore to protect him, whatever may lie in their future. Him, and the others too.

He would have to find a solution, but now was not the time. This Wingul needed rest. Besides, he admitted to himself, he did not really want to have to explain how fractured dimensions worked. It would be better to let the others do it. He went back to the living room, and Jiao followed him. Presa and Agria were looking at them with a questioning look.

“What happened to your leg?” he asked Presa to change the topic.

“Oh, that?” she said, pointing to her bandages. “It’s broken. I fell…”

“Yeah, right!” Agria exclaimed. Seeing Gaius’ curious look, she went on, “She flew through the air during the last battle.”

“You too, actually,” Presa retorted, irritated.

“Yeah. But I got back up no problem, unlike you.”

“I just hit the ground at a bad angle, that’s all. It’s not serious,” she told Gaius. “Leia’s a nurse—ex-nurse, apparently, Agria interjected—and she looked at it. She and Elise healed it with spirit artes. They said that Jude Mathis will come and have a look tomorrow to check if everything healed correctly, but it should be fine. I just need to rest a bit, that’s all.”

“I see.”

Gaius sat back down on his chair and decided to start addressing the main issue.

“I imagine that you would like to know how different this world is from yours, and I would like to learn more about it myself. Let us start with the bases: I am king in both worlds, and you are my Chimeriad. Is it correct?”

They nodded.

“Good. Let’s see how similar our circumstances are. Could you summarize what you know about how I rose to the throne of Ajur and how you came to work for me?”

One after the other, they recounted events from their pasts and told him what they knew of Wingul’s. As he thought, their stories were identical to his own experiences. They must have come from a dimension that had followed the prime closely for many years. He would have to ask Ludger more details about its coordinates and the catalyst they had fought. The divergence most likely lied in recent events, after their meeting with Milla and Jude, as they seemed to know them. History must have started changing during the battle of Fezebel, he thought while looking at Jiao. The big man had been the first of the Chimeriad to sacrifice himself, and his presence here today was proof of the difference between their dimensions.

“What happened during the battle of Fezebel?”

“Well, like we just said, a tsunami totally swept over the battlefield.”

“I think he means the most recent one, Agria,” Presa corrected, “the one against Nachtigal. Is that right, Your Highness?”

“Yes. In this world, we fought against Rashugal’s army and took control of the Lance of Kresnik, which Milla Maxwell wanted to destroy. Is it the same for you?”

“It is so far, but after the fight against Maxwell, strange things started happening.”

“Was the Lance activated?”

“It pierced a hole in the sky!”

“Then Elympion soldiers invaded and attacked our troops,” Gaius concluded. It was what had happened next that he was curious about.

“I can’t believe it. It really feels like we are talking to our Gaius. All our memories are the same,” Jiao said with emotion in his voice. Gaius did not comment on that, as he knew what he would eventually have to reveal to them.

“How did you overcome their assault?”

“You know Ivar, Maxwell’s handmaid or whatever? That moron created a diversion to allow her to flee, and we took the chance to get away too. Foolish bastard. But at least he was useful.”

“Agria, show a little more respect. He gave his life to save us.”

“Ivar sacrificed himself?”

That was unexpected. So it was Ivar who had saved them that day, instead of Jiao. That was a big difference, but it seemed that history had not really changed its course immediately afterward.

“We met with Maxwell in the Xailen Woods Temple… Ah, did Elympions take control of Khan Baliq here too?” Jiao asked.

“Yes. We cooperated with Maxwell’s group to take it back, then launched an attack against the enemy HQ.”

With Ivar, without you, he did not add.

“Then we fell into a trap.”

“And Maxwell sacrificed herself as well. Was it the same for you, Your Highness?”

“It was. We landed, and then had to face Musee’s attacks. She wanted to keep the schism’s existence a secret, even if that meant killing anyone who knew about it.”

“Wait a minute,” Presa interrupted. “Musee attacked you here too? I thought…”

They all looked surprised. And yet, both stories had seemed to match.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Rowen and Elise seemed to consider her an ally, so I thought she was on your side in this dimension.”

“She is on my side. She eventually joined us. Is it different in your dimension?”

“Yes, completely.”

They were looking at each other meaningfully, but none of them seemed ready to talk.

Musee… Her behavior was always hard to predict, which was probably why she was often a catalyst. If she had not joined him and shared her power with him in their world, what differences could this have caused? Had he not been able to go to Elympios? What about his conflict with Maxwell? Was the schism still intact? Had Milla reincarnated anyway? His head was filled with many questions, but he could not get any answer now, for the apartment door opened and interrupted their discussion.

“We’re back!”

The group entered the room carrying many grocery bags. The kitchen soon turned into a battlefield, with young troops that Rowen was directing brilliantly, delegating the various tasks needed to make tomato soup for eight people (plus a special eggplant one for Elle). Agria and Jiao joined the fight as well, but Leia forbade Presa from moving from the sofa. Elle entrusted her with the guard of Lulu to make her feel useful and prevent the cat from stealing any food. Gaius chose to peel potatoes with Ludger, jumping on the occasion to ask him about the fractured dimension. Ludger confirmed his suspicions and explained what had happened.

“Where is Musee now?” he asked when Ludger finished recounting the events that had led them here.

“She’s resting at Leia’s place,” Rowen answered him. “Since the Chimeriad are currently viewing her as an enemy, she’d better stay on the low for a while.”

The image of Musee lying low was rather amusing, but Rowen was right, she should avoid showing herself for now.

Agria cried in surprise when Ludger turned on the stove. This was obviously the first time they’d seen a household spyrix. There would be many things to explain… They had been ripped from their world and were now lost in a country they knew next to nothing about. At least, they were not alone, and Gaius was sure that Rowen and the others would do everything they could to help them get used to their new circumstances. They would also have to think about what to do once they were more familiar with the place. But those questions were a little premature. The priority right now was to help them feel at ease. Starting with a good meal.

“Enjoy your meal!”

“Mmh, that smells good.”

“Not as good as my daddy’s soup!”

“Really?”

“But it’s still good! You’re number two, Ludger!”

“Do you like it, Agria?” Leia asked, trying to include their guests in the conversation.

“Why are you talking to me? Last time I checked, we weren’t so chummy with each other.”

“You’re as charming as ever, I see.”

“Are you looking for a fight?” Agria cried, rising up on her seat.

“Agria!” Presa immediately reacted. “Table manners!”

Agria turned to her, a mean retort ready to leave her lips, but her eyes fell on Gaius and she froze. Blushing, she sat down and apologized in a small voice, which surprised Leia, who had never seen her act so meek before. Gaius felt his heart ache. How many times had he witnessed such a scene before, when his Chimeriad were still alive? He thought of the other Milla, who had been so different from Milla Maxwell. These Agria, Presa and Jiao, however, were identical to those he had known. It almost felt as if they were never gone.

“…us? Gaius!”

Hearing his name brought him back from his thoughts. Rowen was looking at him with a slightly worried look.

“I’m sorry, I was lost in thoughts. What did you say?”

“We were wondering where the Chimeriad could stay. Our dear Ludger doesn’t mind lending them his apartment tonight, but we should probably look for another long-term solution.”

“Indeed, we should not abuse his kindness.”

“Don’t worry about us,” Presa spoke, “we’ll find a place to stay on our own. We’ll leave as soon as Wingul wakes up.”

“With what gald?” Jiao asked her. “We lost all our belongings with our world. Besides, we don’t know anything about Elympios.”

“We should go back to Ajur as soon as possible…”

“No!” Gaius interrupted, startling them. He continued more calmly: “It would be better to stay in Elympios for now.”

What would the citizens of Khan Baliq say if they saw them stroll through the city as if nothing happened? He would have to think of a way to tell the news to the population. The list of things to do was getting longer and longer. This situation was sure to give him a lot of extra work.

“Don’t worry about that,” he added. “Taking care of you is my responsibility.”

“Your Highness…”

“We don’t want to impose…”

“It’s my job,” he insisted. “I will find us an apartment nearby.”

“Us?” Rowen pointed out, his eyes twinkling. The old man had tried to convince him to acquire a permanent home in Triglav for months. He personally did not see the need, as the city and surrounding areas were full of cheap motels—they were admittedly a bit seedy, but much cheaper than having to pay rent. However, he could not impose such a life to the Chimeriad, especially since they were so disoriented. Besides, this would enable him to stay with them.

“I will start looking first thing tomorrow,” he added.

“Don’t forget your business brunch,” Rowen reminded him. “You are to meet representatives from the Skylark Exchange tomorrow morning. I will handle the apartment hunt.”

“All right. I am counting on you.” To be perfectly honest, he would have preferred to let Rowen handle the meeting instead, but he could not go back on his word. These kinds of business talks could have an impact on the relationship between the two countries.

After dinner, he went to see Wingul one more time before leaving. The man was still in a deep sleep and looked like it would be a while before he woke up. “Convalescence doesn’t suit you,” he whispered, touching his face lightly with his fingertips. “Get well, Wingul. I want to talk to you.”

He bade the others goodbye and promised he would be back as soon as he was done with his engagements. When he went out of the building, he noticed that Elle was out as well. She was sitting on one of the little park’s swings, looking down.

“Is there anything wrong, Elle?”

She looked up at the sound of his voice, and her eyes teared up. She quickly wiped her eyes and looked down again, avoiding his gaze.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured faintly.

“Why are you apologizing? You did nothing wrong.”

“Ludger told me that what I did was ‘irresponsible’ and that I caused you lots of problems. He said I should have thought about what happened to Milla before I acted…” She let her tears fall freely this time. “But I thought it would be different than with Milla. I just wanted you to meet your friends again…”

So she had deliberately brought them back. It was not an accident like had been the case for the other Milla. That was something he had wondered. She must have gotten the idea when she witnessed his painful reunions with other Chimeriads from other fractured dimensions. He had always been careful not to show any emotion, but her childish eyes must have seen through the façade and noticed his distress. He crouched down before her and delicately wiped away her tears.

“Do not blame yourself, Elle,” he told her gently. “I know you only had good intentions.”

“You don’t hate me?” she sniffled.

“Of course not! On the contrary… I would like to thank you. It’s true that there will be some problems, but we can overcome them. It’s nothing compared to the chance to see them again.”

Elle’s face brightened immediately.

“Oh, good! I was afraid you’d be mad. You’re scary when you’re mad.”

He laughed softly. It was true that his strict look was intimidating to children—and even to most adults, in fact.

“I’ll never be mad at you. Not for this.”

“Pinky swear?” she asked, presenting her little finger.

“Pinky swear!” he agreed.

She giggled, happy with her new promise.

“I must go! Ludger is going to worry. Good night, mister king.”

“Good night, Elle.”

He went back to his hotel, his mind full of doubts and hope. Whatever happened, Elle’s choice would probably have unexpected consequences. But all that mattered to him now was to make sure that these Chimeriad could find a place in their new world, at his side.

As he expected, his business brunch was extremely boring. Skylarks’ salespeople were going on endlessly about their company’s successes, and all he had to do was nod and speak a few words of acknowledgement from time to time. He would have much rather gone apartment hunting with Rowen. He wondered what his councilor would find. Nothing too grand, he hoped. The old man sometimes had very fixed ideas on how a king should show his influence. He just wanted something neither too big nor too small, where he could help the Chimeriad get used to their new world. The businessmen were now congratulating themselves on their victory against a competitor. He felt his GHS vibrate in his pocket and had to resist the urge to take it out and check what it was about. Had Rowen found something? What district would they move to? He hoped it would not be too far from the station… though the port district might be good too. They would then have easy access to the ferries bound for Marksburg, from where they could quickly reach Rieze Maxia. Although, it would be best to avoid Rieze Maxia for the moment. He really needed to come up with a way to explain the Chimeriad’s return to the population.

To his relief, the meeting finally came to an end. The Skylark executives looked very satisfied and were already promising to organize another one. In his mind, he already made the decision to send Rowen to the next one in his place. When the last man left, he sat back down and took out his GHS, curious about the message he had received earlier. Surprisingly, it was not from Rowen, but from Elise. It only contained one single sentence, but that was enough to make his heart flutter.

Wingul woke up.

2 months later but we are back to Xillia 2!!

I did some grinding before we played and we were barely able to beat Chronos. That fight SUCKS.

I told my sister about the "Rollo-is-Chronos" idea which got a good laugh. She told me that apparently in the Star Wars prequels Jarjar Binks was supposed to be an antagonist too, which is hilarious

She chose to give the watch to Julius. Her: "I trust my brother." Me: "Aww..."

After leaping through the dimensional breach, the party was split up and we lost Elle, but Jude tried to reassure Ludger that she was with Alvin and probably safe. Sis: "If she hurts one hair on Alvin's head..." Me: "Wait, Alvin's?"

The cows and rappigs in Nia Khera are very cute, even in the fractured dimension. She wishes we could ride the horses. It would be epic for Ludger to ride a horse across the arid Elympios plains

My sister always picks the kinder options toward Julius, and wanted to give him the watch outright. He seemed like he was going to attack Elle but was interrupted. Alvin casually threatens that he's going to watch him from now on, but it's hard to take him seriously while he's still wearing the party hat accessory. Me: "It's a watch party."

Fractured Milla abducted our cat so she could feed him, but when we arrived Rollo appeared to be licking the floor. I don't know what happened to the in-game model of food but it was not there 😅

Elle: "Milla's really into cooking, but she says no one in the village will eat her food. I wonder how come?" Us: "Because it's floor??"

A very weird exchange, Muzet just walked into the house, hit Milla, and left. What did she even go in there for.

Alvin stepped up to lie to Milla even though she's a friend because she'll disappear eventually anyway. Both of us had to appreciate him being pragmatic about this, if also a little ruthless.

Xillia 2 added a function to hold x to climb faster. Sis: "Now Ludger looks like something out of a horror movie."

We had another laugh at Alvin and Leia's secret handshake. Sis: "Why is it 'See you Leia'? We're traveling together."

But shortly after that, my sister saw a sparkle and ran into a tree monster trying to get it. Sis: "I was 'in-tree-gued.'" Me: "We're as bad as Leia and Alvin."

She chose to kill Muzet. Her: "Sorry Milla, but my hatred of your sister is greater than my love for you."

Fractured Milla is now in the prime dimension, oops. Sis: "This is the game's way of letting us play as her while the real Milla is busy being a goddess."

On the way back to Nia Khera we stopped to fight a butterfly even though we only had 3 party members, but thankfully it was an easy fight

And once we arrived we had to fight Riddeaux because who would even choose to attack Julius there. Riddeaux was the easiest boss fight of the day but the game still has you scripted to lose to him and his stupid butter knife of a weapon

Elize asked after battle if all higher ups are like this. Sis: "Yes, this is what it's like to enter the workforce. This is your future, Elize." Me: "Can you imagine?? 'I want Saturdays OFF! En gaurde!'"

After the fight in Nia Khera we were taken back to Spirius for business as usual. Sis: "So we still work for him?? We dueled him in a sword fight but we're still like 'Ok, see you Monday'??"

We'll have to pick up from Spirius when we play again, whenever that will be. I think we're both enjoying it though, so I'm sure we shall return :)

Masterpost link here.

Goodbye [Luds & Jules, cause brother angst bby]

My muse has died. Send “Goodbye” for your muse to find a letter my muse has left for yours

Julius,

If you're reading this, then I guess... I wasn't able to do what you asked me to after all. I wasn't able to use you as my soul bridge, and I'm sorry. Please don't blame yourself. I'm the one who wasn't strong enough to save Elle... or anyone.

I just wanted to let you know that I don't hold anything against you. I wish I could have done more to help you through everything you went through. You had to suffer through so much alone, and all you ever did was try to protect me from Spirius Corp. I know you weren't perfect. I know I put you on a pedestal for longer than I probably should have, even after learning everything. Even after all of that, though, you're still my big brother. And even though I couldn't make my perfect world come to pass... I want you to know that I'm still grateful that I had the chance to try.

I'm leaving the task of trying to help save Elle to you. I know that wasn't the plan, and I know your perfect world is incomplete without me, but please... do what you can for her. And of course, take care of Rollo. I know he was more your cat than mine.

I'm sorry that I'm rambling. Words have never been my strong suit. We both know this.

Anyway... I hope you know how much you meant to me, Julius. Even though Elle became really important to me, you were important to me too. I love you, big brother. And I hope you can forgive me for not being able to do everything I said I would.

Your little brother,

Ludger

[for ludger!] Julius won't appear and terrify her for this right? Hopefully! "Here ya are, one cool dagger for ya! Made from the finest of materials from my forge! I usually engrave bun buns into the blade but for you I did a kitty cat and oh here is one for Julius too!" She even packaged them in cute pink boxes! "No take backs either!"

@pastel-lapin || A gift for the bros

Whilst vacuuming around the couch, Ludger heard the chime of his doorbell. Upon answering, he met someone who he thought would never step near his apartment again. "Good morning, Mana!" Just in case a certain someone was on her mind, Ludger'd assure her, "No need to worry if my brother's watching-- he's out buying Lulu new exercise toys. Quality time with his second favorite person is top priority."

Mana handed him two pink boxes: one for him, one for Julius. Ludger set Julius' on the counter to test how this new blade felt in his hand. Sturdy yet lightweight, perfect for a concealed backup weapon. And as promised, close to the handle was a happy cat on the prowl. He'd have to call the Elle from the Festival and tell her his new knife matched hers (though he'd have to one day ask why hers were all engraved).

"Thank you for thinking of us, Mana. I know it must've been tough coming to our door after the swearing incident; Nii-san puts up a front of level-headedness and rationality, but he'll knee jerk react the moment I'm involved."

Fandom: Tales of Xillia 2

Ludger/Fractured Milla (implied)

I found this in my old documents and decided to dust it off and finish it...god knows how old this was LOL

The sun was setting when Ludger and Elle finally got back to his apartment. With all of the Waymarker business, it felt like they rarely spent any time at home.  

Ludger dragged a finger along the kitchen counter; there was a fine layer of dust (aside from the paw prints Rollo had just tracked through it). And the whole place was starting to smell musty.  

Yuck.  

He was trying to pry one of the windows open when he saw the otherworldly Milla sitting alone on the swings outside.

Milla looked so forlorn, so lost. She pushed her swing forward a little bit, kicking rocks with the tip of her boot. Ludger immediately abandoned the window (it was too stuck to open, anyway) and went outside to meet her.

“Do you have a place to stay?”

Milla glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest. “I can work something out. I always have.”

“You haven’t gotten yourself a room at the inn?”

A beat of silence. “I didn’t bring any gald with me,” she finally said, “and before you offer, no, I won’t spend any of yours. You need it for that debt, don’t you? So I’ll figure something out on my own. Don’t bother me.”

“Come stay in Ludger’s apartment with us!”

Both Milla and Ludger turned. He hadn’t realized that Elle followed him out of the apartment, but there she was with Rollo in tow. The girl smiled up at Milla as she grabbed hold of her hand.  

“We can share Ludger’s bed! He’ll sleep on the couch.”

“I really don’t want-“

“And he can make us dinner. Ludger’s a great cook, you know.”

“Please, Elle, I don’t-“

“Or you can make your soup! I mean, I don’t think Ludger has any of those bear claws in his fridge, but I’m sure we can find something else! We could even go shopping for ingredients.”

Milla’s resolve was crumbling fast in the face of Elle’s smile, which only grew wider as she spoke. Milla looked to Ludger for support – but, as usual, he said nothing, instead opting to watch them with a sly grin of his own.  

“W-Well, I… I suppose if Ludger doesn’t mind,” she said after a moment’s hesitation. “It is his apartment, after all.”

“Ludger doesn’t mind. Do you?” Elle asked, turning to give him her best puppy dog eyes.

But he was already nodding. “Of course I don’t mind.”

“Just for tonight!” Milla told them. “And then I’ll find a place of my own until we leave.”  

Elle led the way back inside. Rollo quickly made himself comfortable on the couch beside her, where she was flipping through a children's magazine Ludger bought her when they got back to Trigleph.

Milla stood at the doorway, taking everything in.  

"It's so...industrial. How do you find this comfortable?" she asked, nose wrinkled.  

"It's what I've always known," Ludger said.  

Milla nodded absently. She took a few steps inside and shut the door, but she hovered close to the entrance. She reminded Ludger of a prey animal, ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble.

"What's for dinner?" Elle asked.  

Ludger put a finger to his chin. "Good question. What do you want?"

“No tomatoes! And nothing spicy!”

Milla snorted. “Hm. A little picky, isn’t she?”

“She’s about normal for a girl her age.”

“I suppose so,” Milla said with a shrug of her shoulders. “Let me help with dinner. In return for letting me stay here, I mean.”

“You don’t owe me anything. I enjoy the company. It's just me here now that my brother's...out.”

Milla huffed. “Well, let me help anyway. I’m starving, and we’ll cook faster if there are two of us.”

“If you say so.”  

Ludger riffled quickly through the fridge and pantry. A lot of things – leftovers from their last stay in Trigleph, a half-gone bottle of milk, slowly rotting fruits – needed to be thrown out. There wasn’t much left when he was done cleaning…aside from a few tomatoes, of course, but Elle would have a fit if she saw those anywhere near her dinner.

Milla appeared at his shoulder. “It looks like you have enough for a stew. Or maybe a soup?”

“Ratatouille, maybe. Without the tomatoes.”

“Mm. I’ve never had a ratatouille before. It sounds foreign…but good.”

“It’s a stewed vegetable dish. One of my personal favorites,” Ludger said as he grabbed a handful of veggies that were still good – deeply purple eggplant, some bell peppers, an onion, and a large zucchini – from the fridge. “Julius used to make it all the time. He didn’t always have time to buy or hunt monster meat.”

“I see,” Milla said. She took the eggplant in one hand and hefted it. “Want me to cut this?”

“Sure. I’ll get everything else ready.”

Ludger set to work with the other vegetables. A peaceful silence settled over the apartment; he could hear Elle turning the glossy pages of her magazine and Milla chopping on the counter behind him, but it felt...homey. He hadn't felt this nice since Julius was home every night.

He glanced over his shoulder as he finished the bell peppers and grabbed the zucchini. Milla was quiet, but her expression was content – nothing like it had been when she first stepped inside.

“What have you made besides your…specialty soup?” he asked

“Not much. I’m very busy, you know.”

“That makes sense.”

"I like to bake sometimes... Cakes and cookies when I get a chance. Does Elle have much of a sweet tooth? Maybe I can make her something when things calm down."

"Don't spoil her," Ludger said, though he was smiling.

Milla turned around and playfully stuck her tongue out at him.

“Anyway, speaking of Elle," she continued, lowering her voice, "how did the two of you meet? Is she family? It seems pretty irresponsible to bring such a small child on a journey like this.”

“We met at the train station.”

“Oh?”

“There was an attack on the train we were both riding.”

“And somehow that led to following her to the Land of Canaan.”

"Yes. I couldn't find her parents, so..."

"Do they know she's here?"

"Not that I'm aware of. She's dead-set on finding Canaan."

"What you're doing for her is certainly above and beyond the call of duty. She's...very

lucky to have you looking out for her."

Milla said it with a strange note to her voice, but she was grinning when Ludger looked to her from the corner of his eye. There was something gentle about it.  

Milla didn’t smile often, but when she did, it was warm. And Ludger couldn’t help but grin himself when he turned back to the vegetables.

"Did you finish the eggplant? I'm going to throw the rest of these in the skillet," he said.  

Milla nodded and waited for him while he pulled a skillet from a cabinet, poured in a sprinkle of olive oil, and set it to heat. They added the diced vegetables in and got a baking pan ready to finish cooking the dish in the oven.

"It shouldn't be much longer," Ludger said to Elle. She nodded, but she was busy with whatever was in that magazine – it looked like it was open to a simple crossword puzzle.

"Hey." Milla's voice was soft. She was staring at her boots again, her brow furrowed. “Thanks again. For letting me stay here.”

“It’s no problem. Really.”

“You’re…um… I’ve enjoyed being with you and Elle. You’ve both made me feel welcome in this dimension, even if I don’t belong.”

“Don’t talk like that.”

Her head snapped up then. Milla’s gaze was angry at first glance, but when she spoke, her voice cracked.  

“We both know I don’t belong here. Everyone else knows the other Milla Maxwell. The real Milla.”

“You’re real too. Even if this isn’t your original dimension, it can still be your home.”

“No, it can’t. This isn’t my home, Ludger. It never will be. But I don’t have a choice, do I? I can’t go back to my dimension. Not ever.”

“It could be.” He slipped one hand over hers. “Elle adores and looks up to you. She’d be heartbroken if you left.”

Milla didn’t respond. But she didn’t pull away, either.

“Maybe you feel like you don’t belong now, but…we want you to stay. You’re a good friend to us, Milla.”

“A friend, huh. What if the real Milla comes back?”

“We can deal with that when it happens. And don’t call her the ‘real’ Milla. You’re a real Milla, too.”

Another beat of silence. A sigh. She stared at Ludger with an expression not unlike helplessness.  

“I wish I could believe that,” she said, quietly.  

“You will. One day. I guess I'll have to work on convincing you.”

And a smile – real and genuine – tugged at the corners of her lips.  

"Fine," she said. "Come on. Let's finish dinner."