drabble request meme
This one's for kurot! Thanks for being a great friend! XD;
応援しているよ〜
Series: Tales of Vesperia
Title: Edges of Gray
It was not supposed to be this hard. Or so she had been told by Yuri and Flynn.
Estelle, a princess who had been sheltered for practically all of her life, stared down at the horrific-looking mixture that bubbled in the steel pot over the fire and then glanced over at the mess that was her preparations. And then she sighed.
What was she doing wrong? She followed the recipe but then the stew turned out bland. When she added a few spices like she had seen the others often do, the taste became so extreme that it was like a fireworks display of flavors exploding in her mouth. This time, she had done a taste test with each addition to the recipe she had made and everything had seemed to be turning out all right. Yet this end result was something she couldn't have even imagined in any of her dreams of cooking when she was in the castle.
"Princess Estelle, I came to see how--"
Estelle turned at the voice to see Flynn stop and trail off with a slight gape of his mouth that he quickly remedied into a small smile. His eyes kept flicking from the pot back to Estelle's face.
"I didn't know we were having, um..., curry? for dinner..."
She had told the rest of the group to get some rest and leave dinner preparations to her. They were all tired after a long day of travel but now that she thought about it, there might have been some anxiety in their eyes.
It seemed that they had good reason to be anxious.
"It's not curry," Estelle said mournfully, "it's cream stew."
Flynn drew closer and looked at the bubbling dark brown thing in the pot. After a long moment of silence Flynn said, "I'm sure that it tastes better than it appears."
Did Flynn realize the indirect insult he had just made? Probably not. This knight was always proper and polite to her, which extended to everything she did. If he had realized, he would have...
"Ah, I'm sorry. I did not mean it the way it sounded..."
Apologized. Estelle let out a small sigh that never reached Flynn's ears.
"It's simply that... this is the first time I've seen a cream stew this color."
Flynn was so awkward. He was trying so hard to make her feel better, which Estelle did appreciate...
"You should stop talking before you dig yourself down so deep the sun never shines on you again." The voice was low and cool with its directness.
"Yuri!" Estelle and Flynn said at the same time.
The dark-haired young man stood a short distance away, a hand to his hip and an exasperated look in his eyes.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Flynn asked Yuri.
"Despite your ever-rising status, you haven't really changed, have you?" Yuri laughed lightly. "It's reassuring, but how you can be so sharp and dense at the same time is baffling. I don't envy your second-in-command."
"You shouldn't be one to talk. You haven't changed in all these years either. You could be so much---Yuri!"
The two of them had gone through this conversation countless times. Flynn dreamed of the day that Yuri would fight alongside him, a member of the knighthood once more. He deserved so much more than his current status. Yuri knew of Flynn's hopes but being a knight was not for him. He was too free for such restrictions. He knew his friend only wanted what was best for him so in order to stop the inevitable upcoming words, Yuri had grabbed a utensil and carried a spoonful of the pot's contents to his mouth.
Yuri turned over the stew in his mouth, letting the flavor spread.
Estelle studied Yuri's face with wide-eyed concern. "Yuri..."
"Yuri, you okay?"
Yuri made a face and swallowed. "Estelle..."
"...I know that I'm not the best at cooking, but I don't know what I did--"
"You put chocolate in the stew, didn't you? It's too sweet."
"--wrong because I just-- eh? Too sweet?"
"Chocolate? In cream stew?" Flynn looked surprised at Yuri's words and then took another glance at the pot's contents. "I see. That's what gives it this color..."
"Add some more milk and some salt, Estelle. Let it boil for a little while longer and it should be fine." Yuri flipped the spoon he held up into the air. "I'm gonna go clean this, okay?"
"Milk and some salt... okay... where's the... ah, there it is!"
It was as if Flynn and Yuri had completely disappeared from Estelle's vision as she searched for the ingredients that Yuri had mentioned. She wasn't a princess of the country here. Estelle was simply a girl, trying to do her best in the kitchen.
Yuri noticed the small smile Flynn made and was sure he had the exact same expression. Flynn looked over at him just then and Yuri raised an eyebrow, shrugging a shoulder before turning and walking away. He knew Flynn would follow.
Yuri sat by the water, waiting, turning the now-clean spoon over in his hands. It wasn't long before he heard footsteps approaching. Flynn's footsteps. Yuri would know them anywhere. Light despite the weight of his boots, placed with care to be unobtrusive and yet confident nonetheless.
"You're too honest," Yuri said without turning. "It's a good trait and it makes your men trust and follow you to no ends. But a man in your position needs to be able to hide his thoughts. You can't have your expression give you away. It's amazing you've gotten as far as you have, if even Estelle can read you so easily."
"Yuri..."
"You were going to taste it, weren't you?" Yuri finally turned his head, looking over his shoulder at his friend.
Flynn was just sitting down a few steps away, his chain mail clinking slightly as he unbuckled his sheath and set his sword on the ground next to him, and looked over at Yuri. "Princess Estelle looked worried about her cooking so..."
"The look on your face would make anyone worry; you looked like you were going to your death." Yuri made a face that Flynn had never seen in the mirror, but could somehow imagine on his own face.
"Faced with a cream stew that looks like that one..." Flynn defended himself. Had he really made such a face in front of the princess, he wondered. "But I was sure that it couldn't taste as badly as it looked."
"Those words are exactly what I mean--you were digging yourself deeper with every passing second. Which is why I stepped in."
There was something in his friend's voice that made Flynn laugh. "Yuri... you just wanted to be the hero, didn't you?"
"I don't get many chances to show off, compared to the bright shining star of the Knights. Have to take them where I can get 'em." Yuri gave an exaggerated shrug, throwing up his hands. "But it's not something I want to do very often. Heroics are best left to those who want to be in the light. I'm happy where I am." He fell back with an abrupt movement, lying down on the sandy grass with his hands cushioning his head.
Flynn looked down at him, and there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. "You're the one who truly deserves all the praise that I'm receiving. To be honest, I argue with myself everyday about whether or not I should tell the truth about--"
"Flynn."
How many times had Flynn heard his name said in that warning yet exasperated tone? Far too many to count, and every time it was because he wanted Yuri to be acknowledged.
"It's wrong and you know it, Yuri. All the things that you have done, and no one will ever know."
"The people who matter already do," Yuri replied loftily. "That's all that matters."
Flynn shook his head. "But you could return to the Knights and--"
"Flynn, you know there's no place within the Knights for me."
"We can change it," Flynn replied immediately. "We can--"
"That's not what you want to do, Flynn. That's not your dream." Yuri sat up as abruptly as he had lay down and looked Flynn in the eye. "I've done a lot of dirty deeds, and they make me unfit to be by your side. But I'm okay with being in the shadows if that's what it takes. When you need me, call on me and I'll be there. That's how it works, right?"
The moon overhead shone down on Flynn with a soft glow, as if to adorn his blond head with a heavenly corona. His chain mail and the golden threads worked into his crest and uniform glinted in that pale light. In contrast, the moonlight seemed to disperse where Yuri sat, making his dark clothing and hair appear even darker.
When darkness exists, so does light. One cannot be without the other. It is because there is one that the other exists. If there was no darkness. how would one know what was light? If there was no light, then darkness itself wouldn't exist.
"It's because there is darkness that the light can shine," Yuri said softly. "As long as you stand in the light, Flynn, I'll gladly be your shadow."
Yuri picked up his sword and raised it slightly, holding it out. Flynn looked at his friend's weapon and silently raised his own, crossing sheath to sheath.
"Shine bright and strong, Flynn. Don't fall down to earth. I wouldn't want to have to go up there." Yuri let out a small grin. "It's too much work for me. Suits you perfectly though."
"You never change."
"Neither do you."
The next morning, everyone was awoken by an urgent messenger that had been searching for Flynn. It seemed that he had been taking a short vacation but an emergency had popped up that required his immediate attention at the capitol.
Yuri could feel glances being sent in his direction as Flynn spoke with the messenger, and did his best to pretend as if there was nothing amiss.
Flynn did his round of farewells, bowing to Estelle and saying something to Rita that made her let out a sharp laugh; Caroll said goodbye with a wide grin and a wave.
When it came to Yuri, Flynn didn't say a word. He simply tapped his sword and rapped a fist against his chest. Yuri's reply was as silent, just a single simple nod. And then he added an almost playful salute that caused Flynn to let out a tiny laugh.
Words are tools used to describe or convey but Yuri and Flynn didn't need them. They had been together a long time and understood each other on a level that didn't need words.
Light and darkness.
Two sides of the same existence.
Two sides of the same dream.
応援しているよ〜
Series: Tales of Vesperia
Title: Edges of Gray
It was not supposed to be this hard. Or so she had been told by Yuri and Flynn.
Estelle, a princess who had been sheltered for practically all of her life, stared down at the horrific-looking mixture that bubbled in the steel pot over the fire and then glanced over at the mess that was her preparations. And then she sighed.
What was she doing wrong? She followed the recipe but then the stew turned out bland. When she added a few spices like she had seen the others often do, the taste became so extreme that it was like a fireworks display of flavors exploding in her mouth. This time, she had done a taste test with each addition to the recipe she had made and everything had seemed to be turning out all right. Yet this end result was something she couldn't have even imagined in any of her dreams of cooking when she was in the castle.
"Princess Estelle, I came to see how--"
Estelle turned at the voice to see Flynn stop and trail off with a slight gape of his mouth that he quickly remedied into a small smile. His eyes kept flicking from the pot back to Estelle's face.
"I didn't know we were having, um..., curry? for dinner..."
She had told the rest of the group to get some rest and leave dinner preparations to her. They were all tired after a long day of travel but now that she thought about it, there might have been some anxiety in their eyes.
It seemed that they had good reason to be anxious.
"It's not curry," Estelle said mournfully, "it's cream stew."
Flynn drew closer and looked at the bubbling dark brown thing in the pot. After a long moment of silence Flynn said, "I'm sure that it tastes better than it appears."
Did Flynn realize the indirect insult he had just made? Probably not. This knight was always proper and polite to her, which extended to everything she did. If he had realized, he would have...
"Ah, I'm sorry. I did not mean it the way it sounded..."
Apologized. Estelle let out a small sigh that never reached Flynn's ears.
"It's simply that... this is the first time I've seen a cream stew this color."
Flynn was so awkward. He was trying so hard to make her feel better, which Estelle did appreciate...
"You should stop talking before you dig yourself down so deep the sun never shines on you again." The voice was low and cool with its directness.
"Yuri!" Estelle and Flynn said at the same time.
The dark-haired young man stood a short distance away, a hand to his hip and an exasperated look in his eyes.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Flynn asked Yuri.
"Despite your ever-rising status, you haven't really changed, have you?" Yuri laughed lightly. "It's reassuring, but how you can be so sharp and dense at the same time is baffling. I don't envy your second-in-command."
"You shouldn't be one to talk. You haven't changed in all these years either. You could be so much---Yuri!"
The two of them had gone through this conversation countless times. Flynn dreamed of the day that Yuri would fight alongside him, a member of the knighthood once more. He deserved so much more than his current status. Yuri knew of Flynn's hopes but being a knight was not for him. He was too free for such restrictions. He knew his friend only wanted what was best for him so in order to stop the inevitable upcoming words, Yuri had grabbed a utensil and carried a spoonful of the pot's contents to his mouth.
Yuri turned over the stew in his mouth, letting the flavor spread.
Estelle studied Yuri's face with wide-eyed concern. "Yuri..."
"Yuri, you okay?"
Yuri made a face and swallowed. "Estelle..."
"...I know that I'm not the best at cooking, but I don't know what I did--"
"You put chocolate in the stew, didn't you? It's too sweet."
"--wrong because I just-- eh? Too sweet?"
"Chocolate? In cream stew?" Flynn looked surprised at Yuri's words and then took another glance at the pot's contents. "I see. That's what gives it this color..."
"Add some more milk and some salt, Estelle. Let it boil for a little while longer and it should be fine." Yuri flipped the spoon he held up into the air. "I'm gonna go clean this, okay?"
"Milk and some salt... okay... where's the... ah, there it is!"
It was as if Flynn and Yuri had completely disappeared from Estelle's vision as she searched for the ingredients that Yuri had mentioned. She wasn't a princess of the country here. Estelle was simply a girl, trying to do her best in the kitchen.
Yuri noticed the small smile Flynn made and was sure he had the exact same expression. Flynn looked over at him just then and Yuri raised an eyebrow, shrugging a shoulder before turning and walking away. He knew Flynn would follow.
Yuri sat by the water, waiting, turning the now-clean spoon over in his hands. It wasn't long before he heard footsteps approaching. Flynn's footsteps. Yuri would know them anywhere. Light despite the weight of his boots, placed with care to be unobtrusive and yet confident nonetheless.
"You're too honest," Yuri said without turning. "It's a good trait and it makes your men trust and follow you to no ends. But a man in your position needs to be able to hide his thoughts. You can't have your expression give you away. It's amazing you've gotten as far as you have, if even Estelle can read you so easily."
"Yuri..."
"You were going to taste it, weren't you?" Yuri finally turned his head, looking over his shoulder at his friend.
Flynn was just sitting down a few steps away, his chain mail clinking slightly as he unbuckled his sheath and set his sword on the ground next to him, and looked over at Yuri. "Princess Estelle looked worried about her cooking so..."
"The look on your face would make anyone worry; you looked like you were going to your death." Yuri made a face that Flynn had never seen in the mirror, but could somehow imagine on his own face.
"Faced with a cream stew that looks like that one..." Flynn defended himself. Had he really made such a face in front of the princess, he wondered. "But I was sure that it couldn't taste as badly as it looked."
"Those words are exactly what I mean--you were digging yourself deeper with every passing second. Which is why I stepped in."
There was something in his friend's voice that made Flynn laugh. "Yuri... you just wanted to be the hero, didn't you?"
"I don't get many chances to show off, compared to the bright shining star of the Knights. Have to take them where I can get 'em." Yuri gave an exaggerated shrug, throwing up his hands. "But it's not something I want to do very often. Heroics are best left to those who want to be in the light. I'm happy where I am." He fell back with an abrupt movement, lying down on the sandy grass with his hands cushioning his head.
Flynn looked down at him, and there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. "You're the one who truly deserves all the praise that I'm receiving. To be honest, I argue with myself everyday about whether or not I should tell the truth about--"
"Flynn."
How many times had Flynn heard his name said in that warning yet exasperated tone? Far too many to count, and every time it was because he wanted Yuri to be acknowledged.
"It's wrong and you know it, Yuri. All the things that you have done, and no one will ever know."
"The people who matter already do," Yuri replied loftily. "That's all that matters."
Flynn shook his head. "But you could return to the Knights and--"
"Flynn, you know there's no place within the Knights for me."
"We can change it," Flynn replied immediately. "We can--"
"That's not what you want to do, Flynn. That's not your dream." Yuri sat up as abruptly as he had lay down and looked Flynn in the eye. "I've done a lot of dirty deeds, and they make me unfit to be by your side. But I'm okay with being in the shadows if that's what it takes. When you need me, call on me and I'll be there. That's how it works, right?"
The moon overhead shone down on Flynn with a soft glow, as if to adorn his blond head with a heavenly corona. His chain mail and the golden threads worked into his crest and uniform glinted in that pale light. In contrast, the moonlight seemed to disperse where Yuri sat, making his dark clothing and hair appear even darker.
When darkness exists, so does light. One cannot be without the other. It is because there is one that the other exists. If there was no darkness. how would one know what was light? If there was no light, then darkness itself wouldn't exist.
"It's because there is darkness that the light can shine," Yuri said softly. "As long as you stand in the light, Flynn, I'll gladly be your shadow."
Yuri picked up his sword and raised it slightly, holding it out. Flynn looked at his friend's weapon and silently raised his own, crossing sheath to sheath.
"Shine bright and strong, Flynn. Don't fall down to earth. I wouldn't want to have to go up there." Yuri let out a small grin. "It's too much work for me. Suits you perfectly though."
"You never change."
"Neither do you."
The next morning, everyone was awoken by an urgent messenger that had been searching for Flynn. It seemed that he had been taking a short vacation but an emergency had popped up that required his immediate attention at the capitol.
Yuri could feel glances being sent in his direction as Flynn spoke with the messenger, and did his best to pretend as if there was nothing amiss.
Flynn did his round of farewells, bowing to Estelle and saying something to Rita that made her let out a sharp laugh; Caroll said goodbye with a wide grin and a wave.
When it came to Yuri, Flynn didn't say a word. He simply tapped his sword and rapped a fist against his chest. Yuri's reply was as silent, just a single simple nod. And then he added an almost playful salute that caused Flynn to let out a tiny laugh.
Words are tools used to describe or convey but Yuri and Flynn didn't need them. They had been together a long time and understood each other on a level that didn't need words.
Light and darkness.
Two sides of the same existence.
Two sides of the same dream.