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angelofthequeers · 2 years

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Free to Be You and Me: chapter 33

Chapter 32 | Chapter 34

Disclaimer: I don’t own ML.

The aftermath of the battle is…surreal. That’s the only word that comes to Lady Noire’s mind. Carapace and Vesperia and Ryuuko detransform and chatter around her, but their words may as well be one long blur. Her attention is solely on the boy in her arms, who’s toying with her long braid and kissing her cheeks and bumping her nose and just being…imperfectly perfect.

“Hey! It worked!” Foxglove comes stumbling into the studio, now back to her orange colour scheme. Sass floats behind her, looking like he’s seen better days. “I wasn’t sure if you guys all managed to get in the Shellter but I didn’t hear screaming so I assumed hey, it all worked out – gah!”

“Thank you,” Lady Noire whispers, crushing Foxglove in her superhuman grasp. “Thank you, thank you, I love you, thank you –”

“Can I breathe?” Foxglove wheezes. Lady Noire laughs shakily and leans back.

“I couldn’t have done this without you,” she says as she yanks a sluggish Foxglove down next to her and Adrien. “I couldn’t have done anything without you. Or my prince. Or my kitty, who’s my prince.”

She sneaks a look at Adrien but he’s staring at Sass, who’s settled in Foxglove’s hair and refuses to move. Oh. Oh. He’d been Aspik. Her kitty had been Aspik. He’d tried to save her over twenty-five thousand times!

“This is so stupid!” Lady Noire devolves into hysterical laughter. “All this – it’s just ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!”

“I think she’s lost it,” Zoé stage-whispers. Lady Noire hiccups and covers her face with her hands.

“Ridiculous,” she repeats.

“I’m so sorry, girl,” Foxglove finally says. Lady Noire’s head whips up and around.

“Sorry? You? What the hell are you sorry for? We wouldn’t have pulled this off without you!”

“For not being able to get the Butterfly too,” Foxglove grimaces. “I had to drop the Snake part just after Ryuuko got the Peacock and I couldn’t transform again in time. And that was my second loop – I had to detransform right after Blank Slate happened so I could reset the loop for the actual fight. I told them they had to get the Peacock to save Adrien, and Ryuuko was barely functioning by that point so she was never able to get both or get the earrings when I tried getting Vesperia to get the brooches, and Carapace had to do the Shellter so he didn’t have time but – you know – I should’ve been able to get the Butterfly as well –”

“Don’t be stupid.” Lady Noire yanks Foxglove into another tight hug. “You pulled off the rescue and kept our Miraculouses safe! And you got the Peacock! You saved Adrien’s life! You saved the universe! I was going to give him anything he wanted to keep Adrien safe.”

“Wait,” Zoé says incredulously, using her sleeve to wipe the blood streaming out of her nose. “You mean you didn’t have a plan when you handed over your earrings?”

Lady Noire grins sheepishly. “No?”

“I question the people I’m friends with,” Kagami mumbles, her eyes unfocused.

“I actually meant for you to, like, Cataclysm the Peacock or something,” Adrien says with an exasperated hand wave. “I didn’t expect you to have no plan at all!”

Lady Noire huffs. “Forgive me for being just a bit preoccupied at the time!”

“Tell her, ba – Foxy!” Nino crows. “How many times you had to reset to pull it off! I almost went mad with your voice in my ear, so I dunno how you actually did it.”

“Um…I lost count after two hundred,” Foxglove says with a weary laugh. She holds out her fingers to start counting. “Shadowmoth couldn’t find out who Ladybug was. He couldn’t get the Turtle or Bee or Dragon, so I had to deal with three fights in one. Vesperia had to get into position to Venom at the perfect time before I detransformed – seriously, I think about seventeen loops were you not transforming in time or Shadowmoth getting the ring before Vesperia could get him. I had to get Carapace to use his Shellter before that sentimonster could catch you guys but after Ryuuko and Vesperia were safe. And I had to make sure both the Peacock and Adrien’s ring were safe.”

“I didn’t manage to fight it off without my amok, did I?” Adrien says quietly. Foxglove says nothing, but her silence speaks volumes.

“But you did,” Lady Noire says firmly, kissing him. “You did fight him off! And now you have your – your amok –” Her voice cracks.

“Ladybug?” Adrien looks down. “I understand if this is a dealbreaker. I know sentimonsters are –”

“No. Oh, no. You’re not finishing that.” Lady Noire grabs Adrien’s face and smushes his cheeks. “After everything we went through to save you, you’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

“But…I’m a sentimonster…”

“And? You said it yourself about Bugette: there’s nothing monstrous about you at all.” Lady Noire presses a black-gloved hand over Adrien’s heart. “You’re as human as I am. I meant every word I said to you.”

Adrien sniffles and throws his arms around her. No way has he just accepted it but, well…that’s for another day. Lady Noire doesn’t have the mental capacity to deal with that right now. Right now, all she wants is to hug her kitty.

She freezes. Adrien notices, because of course he does.

“Ladybug?” he says. “What’s wrong?”

“I couldn’t love Chat Noir! Gah!” Lady Noire digs her fingers into the sides of her head. “But I was dating him all along! I could have ended the world! And I put you in danger! Shadowmoth only took you because of me!”

“Okay, calm down,” Foxglove slurs, slumping against her back. “Because I’m so not in the mood to deal with this crisis. I think I just lost a year off my life.”

“Exactly,” Kagami says firmly, sitting down cross-legged with them. Nino and Zoé follow suit. “We won. Adrien’s controlled. He’ll never be safe again. We got the Peacock. Whatever that Chat Blanc thing was, it won’t happen. The safe’s world. If you turn this into a crisis, I’ll transform and hug you myself.”

“I think you need a doctor, dude,” Nino says. Kagami grins and then falls backwards, and she would have cracked her head on the floor if Nino hadn’t swiftly caught her.

“Now I know why you kept saying you couldn’t love Chat me,” Adrien says. “Seeing it – feeling it…it was so different to just hearing about it. I’m so sorry, Ladybug. I’m sorry for lying to you to get you to date me. I shouldn’t have – you deserve to be mad –”

“No.” Lady Noire buries her nose in the crook of Adrien’s neck, breathing in him. “You’re wrong about the being mad part. Keeping your identity safe was all that mattered. Any lies around that were necessary.”

“You don’t feel tricked?”

“Never,” Lady Noire murmurs into Adrien’s skin. “You were there for me, Adrien. Kitty. You were protecting your identity, not pretending to be some other person entirely. That’s the difference.”

“Um…” A chalk white Zoé holds out the earrings. Lady Noire stares at them blankly.

“What d’you want me to do with them?” she says. Zoé rolls her eyes.

“Fix everything. Duh.”

“Screw everything. Fix later.”

“Well…” Zoé jabs her finger over her shoulder. “There’s an akuma up there that needs cleansing before we have to deal with a hundred Blank Slates. And you might want to make a charm for Adrien. Plus, Kagami’s totally out of it, and I’m gonna pass out if I don’t stop bleeding.”

Lady Noire gasps and bolts upright to take the earrings and jam them into her ears. “The charm! Of course! I can protect him!”

“Ladybug, wait –” Adrien tries to say.

“Claws –”

“Ladybug! You’ll reveal your identity!”

“We already know, dude,” Nino says. “Kinda hard not to when she almost collapsed and threw up in the middle of the street.”

“Unless…you don’t want to know?” Lady Noire mumbles and looks down. “I know you might not want to see the person who almost got you erased from existence.”

“Are you kidding?” Adrien runs his hands down Lady Noire’s arms. “You saved me! You saved me from Shadowmoth!” He holds out his hand to show the silver ring. “You gave me my amok! My freedom! How could you ever think I wouldn’t want to know the girl I love?”

“I thought you said you didn’t need to know my name to know me,” Lady Noire giggles weakly. Adrien rolls his eyes.

“Look, I won’t pressure you,” he says. “But I’m also gonna tell you to shut up and not tease me for being cheesy and romantic.”

“Yuck,” Foxglove mutters. “Yeah, this is why their relationship was secret. You know you could just dual metamorphosis like I did, right?”

“You sure that’s a good idea with those two Miraculouses, ba – Foxy?” Nino says.

“Hush. I’m tired. I can’t be held accountable for anything I say.”

“If you’re sure?” Lady Noire says, fiddling with the Cat Miraculous. “I mean, I do need to give your Miraculous back, but I can do that without you knowing –”

“Ladybug. You want to do it?” Adrien says. Lady Noire nods mutely. “Then do it. Enough putting it off.”

Somehow, Adrien’s semi-order is exactly the kick she needs. Lady Noire takes a deep breath, murmurs, “Claws in,” and closes her eyes against the lime green flash that dissolves her transformation. Next to her head, Plagg yowls.

“Adrien! You stupid – don’t ever do that again!”

“I’ll…try not to get controlled with my life source?” Adrien says.

“You’re taking this too well,” Kagami says.

“Oh, you know us kids of overbearing parents. I’m a master of compartmentalising. Save the existential crisis for later, you know?”

“Adrien, I worry you.”

Marinette cracks her eyes open, wondering why Adrien hasn’t reacted to her. The answer is clear: his head is turned towards Plagg and a swaying Kagami, so he hasn’t seen her at all.

“Um…” She clears her throat, her courage suddenly vanishing. “You can, um…you can look. If you want.”

Adrien stiffens. He takes a deep breath, turns his head…and freezes again, his mouth agape.

“You,” he breathes. Marinette looks down and fiddles with the hem of her shirt.

“Me,” she says to her knees. “Hi, Adrien. Hidrien.”

Adrien lets out a choked laugh. “Marinette. Oh my gosh. Marinette.”

“Say it louder, I don’t think the other half of Paris heard you,” Zoé drawls.

“Not to get all self-deprecating,” Marinette says, “but, um, I understand if –”

“No. Stop right there.” Warm hands cup her face, raising her eyes, until she meets Adrien’s gaze and…her stomach erupts with little ladybugs. Love. He’s looking at her with so much love, the look he’s reserved just for Ladybug, and she can’t handle it, can’t deal with it –

“Hi,” she says again because that’s all her broken brain can come up with right now. Adrien’s face splits into a wide, toothy grin.

“You,” he repeats. “All that time I was freaking out over loving Ladybug and Marinette, feeling guilty for loving Marinette too, wishing that you could be the same person…that’s what I saw, Marinette. That was my deepest desire. That’s what I thought I couldn’t have. I saw you transforming into Ladybug.”

Marinette sniffles. Then she throws her arms around his neck, hugging him so hard that he might pop, never wanting to let him go and risk losing him because her prince is her kitty, they’re the same, she can have them both, and she’s going to be selfish for once and take what the universe is giving her.

“Wait,” Adrien says into her ear. “You said Rena Rouge was your best friend. And Foxglove is Rena. That means –”

“Yep. Let’s rest.” Orange light flashes out of the corner of Marinette’s eye. “Seriously, let’s rest. I’m ready to sleep for a century. Also, Kagami and Zoé are two seconds from passing out.”

“All the looks and whispers make sense now,” Adrien says, while the weight disappears from Marinette’s back; no doubt Nino scooping Alya to him. “I was wondering what the inside joke was.”

“You’re the inside joke,” Alya yawns.

“Babe, that doesn’t even make sense,” Nino says.

“Shut up and support your awesome girlfriend, Shellhead.”

“We should get out of here. But first things first.” Marinette pulls back to slip off the Cat Miraculous and hand it back to Adrien, allowing her to replace her earrings. She grins and giggles when Tikki reappears in a burst of pink light.

“I’ll save the lecture over giving me up for later,” Tikki says, tiny paws on her tiny hips. “For now, you should be so proud of what you’ve done! Just one last thing to do!”

“Tikki, spots on!”

“Whoa,” Adrien breathes. Ladybug grins and blushes. “That’s amazing. You’re amazing. That desire akuma couldn’t even compare.”

“Don’t,” Ladybug groans. “Don’t break my brain. Not now. Especially when you’re still in your pyjamas.”

Adrien looks down at himself. His cheeks stain red. “Oh. Um…now we’re even for the movies thing?”

Laughing, with her familiar spots back on, Ladybug makes short work of the akuma fluttering around the studio aimlessly before kneeling back next to Adrien and reaching into her yo-yo. Her hand emerges with a little soft pink charm studded with rubies. Not what she’d been expecting, considering his colour scheme is black and green, but sure.

“Aww,” Adrien says as she presses the charm into his hand. “I get to carry a piece of my lady and my princess around with me everywhere I go.”

“Shut up!” Ladybug splutters. She shakes her head. “Dammit, now I’ve forgotten my speech!”

“Adrien Agreste, take this charm, you’ll never be akumatised again,” Adrien recites, slipping the charm around his neck. “Blah, blah, can I kiss my miraculous Marinette now?”

Ladybug laughs and leans in to press her lips against his. “Always, my kitty,” she murmurs against his mouth, floating from the chilly weight of Chat Blanc’s broken moon up to the warmth of Adrien’s sun. She pulls back, throws her yo-yo into the air, and cries, “Miraculous Ladybug!”

Chat Noir’s humming when Ladybug lands next to him on the sunset-bathed Eiffel Tower, and her mind flashes back to his piano gift even before she consciously identifies the tune as being ‘Kisses of Fire’. But sadly, he stops as soon as she sits down with him. His beautiful face lighting up more than makes up for it, though, and Ladybug almost can’t handle the fact that he’s Adrien. That her kitty and her prince are the same person.

“You look awfully happy for someone who’s just broken up with the love of their life,” Chat Noir quips. Ladybug elbows him.

“Shut up,” she says. “I’ll miss the night visits but, well…it was for the best. Ladybug and Adrien can’t be together without putting Adrien in danger.”

“You know just being broken up won’t stop Hawkmoth, right?” Chat Noir says. He sighs and grins. “Ah, it feels good to say that stupid name again. Still better than Shadowmoth. Who does he think he is, some sort of super evil supervillain?”

Ladybug laughs and rests her head on his shoulder. Deep purrs start to rumble through his frame. “Well, that’s why Alya and I figured out a plan,” she says. “Ladybug and Adrien can’t be together, sure, but that’s the only limitation.”

“Apart from a certain stray cat sneaking into his fair princess’ room?” Chat Noir teases. Ladybug groans.

“You’re insufferable,” she says. “I love you.”

Chat Noir wraps an arm around her. “Love you too, bug. Even if you’re the one who sneaks into boys’ rooms at night to steal their virtue.”

“Nope. Changed my mind. I hate you.”

Chat Noir laughs. “So, what’s the plan?” he says. “Because there’s no way I can go without kissing you ever again. Not now that I know what it’s like. And especially knowing what it’s like to kiss Marinette.”

“Again, I hate you,” Ladybug says with flaming cheeks. She clears her throat. “Okay. Um. The plan. We already staged that massive breakup in front of Paris after I got you out of the studio, so Hawkmoth knows we’re not together anymore. But we’re already super close as Ladybug and Chat Noir –”

“And most of Paris ships us, don’t forget.”

“– and you keep making me question why I put up with you. Anyway, we’re already close. We just have to wait a few weeks to announce Ladynoir as canon; I was distraught over having to break up with Adrien for the greater good, so I leaned more and more on my amazing, supportive partner.”

“You mean purrtner.”

“Shut up. And, um…that’s it. I realised my feelings for you, we got together, Ladynoir is canon, Alya hypes us up on her blog because this is every dream of hers come true, the end.”

“But what about uuusss?” Chat Noir whines, nuzzling into her neck. Ladybug barks out a laugh and pushes his head away. “I can’t handle seeing you every day and not being able to kiss you, bugaboo. How the heck did you survive all those months sitting behind me not being able to just…do what you wanted?”

“Because I’m amazing and super strong and it would serve you well to remember that,” Ladybug says primly before laughing again. “No, we have a plan for that too. Poor Adrien is so heartbroken over losing Ladybug and so angry at Hawkmoth taking his love away from him that he grows closer to his good friend Marinette. She knows just how to support him and make him smile, especially once he sees Ladybug with Chat Noir. And over time…”

“He realises just how much he loves Marinette Dupain-Cheng and begs her to be his amazing, gorgeous girlfriend,” Chat Noir finishes. Ladybug flushes again. Adrien was already too much, but how is she supposed to deal with him now that he wears tight leather and happens to be her beloved kitty?

“Yes. That,” Ladybug says shakily. “That part will take longer, of course, so you can’t kiss me in public just yet. But it’ll be worth it if it means Hawkmoth doesn’t suspect a thing.”

“You’re so amazing, bug,” Chat Noir says. “I still can’t believe you love me.”

“Trust me, I can’t believe it either.”

“Hey!”

“What? You walked right into that one.”

Chat Noir groans. “Fine. Okay. You win this time.”

They sit in silence together, huddled up as the sun sinks lower and takes the last vestiges of the day with it. It’s not until the full moon, soothing and intact, is bright above them that Chat Noir breaks the silence.

“Ladybug,” he says, and his voice is so serious that Ladybug immediately takes notice and pulls away.

“Yes?” she says. Chat Noir inhales, exhales, then gives her a small smile.

“You’re amazing, bugaboo,” he says. “Your mind is incredible. You’re so kind and loving and passionate. You make me look forward to waking up every day, as Marinette and as Ladybug.”

“Okay…?” Ladybug says. Her breath hitches when Chat Noir reaches down to the finger next to his Miraculous: the finger with the silver ring containing his amok.

“This isn’t a proposal or anything,” he hurries to say. “We’re fourteen and young and dumb and we barely know what love is –”

“I think we do –”

“– and when I propose to you, it’ll be with an actual ring. But…” Chat Noir pulls his amok off his finger, takes Ladybug’s left hand, and twists it onto her ring finger. “Think of it as a pawromise.”

“Chat? What are you –?”

“I want you to have it.”

“No!” Ladybug immediately pulls the ring off and pushes it back at Chat Noir. “Adrien, this is you! You’re asking me to be responsible for your existence!”

“I’m sorry. If you don’t want to –”

“Hey, that’s not what I said,” Ladybug says as her kitty’s ears droop. She reaches out and ruffles his messy golden hair. “I mean…Adrien, this is your entire life. You could just stop existing if anything happened to it! And if someone managed to get hold of it, you’d be their puppet!”

“Exactly,” Chat Noir says. “But not you. You could’ve forced me to throw off the akuma, but you trusted me enough that I’d do it. You’d never once try and use it to order me around. That’s why you’re the one I trust with my existence, Marinette. My father, Lila, one of my crazy fans…they’d turn me into a doll if they ever realised what it was, but you helped me cut my strings. And besides, Hawkmoth knows I’m a sentimonster. He already kidnapped me from my own room. He could get the ring again in a heartbeat and then – and then…”

“Next time, he might find out your identity,” Ladybug says softly. Whitebluemoon flashes before her eyes. Blinking, she leans in and kisses him softly, tenderly, and slides the ring back onto her finger. “I’ll keep it safe, Adrien. No one will ever control you again.”

Chat Noir sniffles and grins. “Thank you. Thank you, Marinette. You don’t have any idea how much this means to me.”

“I can try and guess,” Ladybug says, kissing his grin even wider. “But…you know you have to talk to your father, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s no way he didn’t know you’re a sentimonster. Has he ever…I don’t know…looked like he used your amok against you?”

“No –” Chat Noir pauses. “Actually…yeah. Lately. I thought it was just a nervous habit since Nathalie’s condition started getting bad but…he only ever messed with the ring when he was telling me what to do. Like when he told me to go to my room after Project Oxygen and Bloodhound. And I’d just do it.” His breath hitches, and he hugs his knees to his chest. “He knew. My own father knew. He controlled me –”

“Shh.” Ladybug presses kisses to her kitty’s head. “You don’t have to talk to him. I just thought…there’s no way you can’t know your child’s a sentimonster. Especially if you weren’t born the usual way.”

“No, you’ve got a point.” Chat Noir’s voice is muffled by his knees. “And I do want to know. I kind of have to know. How can someone control their kid like that? And lie to them for years?”

“Don’t worry about that now,” Ladybug says, leaning against him again. “All that matters now is that I’m here. We’re here. And we can totally take down Hawkmoth. We won!”

“Yeah.” Chat Noir raises his head to grin weakly at her. “We did. We won, Marinette.”

Ladybug laughs and nuzzles against his cheek. A few moments of silence pass. “I think I’m in love with Alya as well,” she says.

“Oh,” Chat Noir says.

“I knew I was infatuated with her for like the first week and she’s always been really pretty but not…love. I didn’t know until she made me realise.”

“Okay.”

“When she kissed me on the cheek before we rescued you and – and I – she helped me so much, she’s kept me grounded, I couldn’t have saved you without her but this was never part of the plan, and I always thought she was off-limits because she was with Nino so my brain just never went there –”

“I don’t mind.”

“And I know – wait.” Ladybug squints at Chat Noir. “You don’t mind?”

“I was in love with Marinette and Ladybug.”

“I’m the same person, you idiot.”

“Even if you weren’t, I’d still love both.”

“So…what? What are you saying?”

Chat Noir grins at her. “I don’t mind, Marinette. Drag Alya down with you if Nino’s cool with it. I know I still have you at the end of the day. I know how much you love me.”

“Heaven knows why,” Ladybug mutters. Chat Noir pouts.

“Meowch. I try to be a good boyfriend and this is what I get.”

“You’re insufferable,” Ladybug says, rolling her eyes, but she still plants a quick kiss on his gorgeous mouth. “I wasn’t expecting anything to happen with Alya. I just knew she and I had to talk about it after the cheek kiss and I wanted to talk to you first.”

“I seriously don’t mind,” Chat Noir says. “I’m not losing anything. I’m…not, right?”

“No,” Ladybug says straight away. “If you think I’d drop you after I gave up my Miraculous for you, you’ve got another thing coming.” She looks down, rubs her finger over his amok, and jokes, “I command you to know how much I love you, Adrien Agreste.”

“Yes, milady,” Chat Noir says in a horribly cheesy robotic voice. “Anything for you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

“Good,” Ladybug grins. “You know who’s really in charge here.”

Chat Noir breaks the act to sag against her and laugh. “I love you so much, Marinette,” he chokes out and kisses the back of her hand. “So much.”

“You know,” Ladybug says, with difficulty since Chat Noir’s now trailing kisses up her suited arm, “we really should stop calling each other Adrien and Marinette in the suits. That’s a bad habit waiting to happen.”

“I can’t help it if I love both sides of you to the moon and back,” Chat Noir pouts. Moon – broken – it flashes before Ladybug’s eyes but Chat Noir’s warm green eyes chase it away, keeping it at bay for now. She hums, smiles, and snuggles against him even closer.

“I love you more,” she says.

“No. I love you more.”

“Alya was right,” Ladybug groans. “We are that disgusting couple.”

Chat Noir cackles. “Well, I’m happy being the most disgusting person on Earth if it means having my equally disgusting lady by my side.”

“Charming,” Ladybug drawls. “You really know the way to a girl’s heart.”

#aotq fic #aotq: free to be #marinette dupain-cheng #adrien agreste #love square #identity reveal #ladynoir #alya cesaire #alyanette #nino lahiffe #djwifi #zoe lee #kagami tsurugi #sentimonster adrien

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grimcatician · 3 years

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Honestly my hope for Yuumori is that they all realize that working for the govt sucks actually and that patriotism is not super helpful and that The System is still shit and they go back to working outside the law but maybe, with less murder idk

Moran and William start off working from outside the law again and then slowly ppl join them again. although I’d LOVE to see Louis wrestling with his current role/mission and his love/devotion to his brother and maybe grow from that to someone who has his own agenda and goals that sometimes go against Williams (we saw that part of him emerge w/ the final problem) and Sherlock continues to play the role of the hero detective but willingly this time. OH kind of like Edgeworth and Phoenix—“opposing” roles and sides (in name only) but working together to uncover the truth/bring justice to people. So they still get to like, chase and tease each other ahaha oh god basically I want a more socially conscious Lupin the third oh man

#I keep thinking of tales of vesperia with Yuri and Flynn like they both have #their roles to play and are like if I ever start to become a bitch/corrupt take me out #we will fix this world on two fronts #it’s like that except Sherlock is less of a narc bsbsbsbwh #yuumori mumbles #I just don’t likkkkeeee patriotism it nationalism or like #idk I think the Moriarty gang and Sherlock specifically are too smart and have seen #too much to go #yeah working directly for the queen and the British govt is how well make the work better #and enact justice yeah the British govt a paragon of justice and ethics #like #man Albert you were in the military Man U know ur govts SHIT #ANYWAYS

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iamdunn · 3 years

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Miraculous Flash Forward part 8: Secrets

A Miraculous Fan-Fic

Written By

AJ Dunn

The team had dispersed into the crowd leaving Cat Noir still standing on the stage. He watched his friends dance with his other, secret friends. He knew Nino and Alya were Carapace and Rena Rouge, that Luka was Viperion and He suspected Purple Tigress to be Juleka. As he watched them it all began to make sense in his head. His Closest friends were also his secret friends. He smiled because if he was right, he knew all of their secret identities but they didn’t know his. He had his secrets, and they had theirs, but it was so obvious right now, watching them. He lost sight of Ladybug as he mused over the others.

“Looking for someone.” Ladybug popped up behind him. He was standing on the side of the stage so Jagged could watch his fans as he played for them.

“Can we go somewhere private to talk,” he spoke into her ear. She nodded taking his hand and leading him off the back of the stage through the tent then swung her yo-yo at the balcony above the bakery. Funny, how she had chosen this spot of all places. He couldn’t help but smirked as he thought about all the times he had been on this balcony with her, with Marinette, as himself, as Cat Noir.

“Down here.” She lifted the hatch and dropped into the room where Marinette’s bed used to be. Looking around the room as he followed her he realized it was no longer a bedroom rather a workshop. Racks with hanging clothes, boxes her sewing table, and more filled the room. Ladybug led him to the chaise lounge. Where he sat down next to her. Their hips pulled snugly together as the chaise wasn’t as big as it used to be. Given how much each of them had grown.

Cat took a deep breath, he could smell the vanilla on her. He closed his eyes and swallowed back his emotions.

“What are you thinking about.” She scratched his chin playfully. He let out a tiny purr at the action. He never understood how he did that, but it was only while he was transformed. Maybe it was Plagg.

“You.” He said clearly. “The secrets we have kept from one another all these years, and…”

“And what Kitty.” He looked down at her and smirked. “Well, I guess you’re not so much a Kitty anymore Cat.” She chuckled.

“I took a new name.” He told her changing the subject. He wasn’t sure where he wanted this conversation to go, but he knew he needed to let her in on his new life somehow.

“Oh…?” She sat back looking up at him in a way confused.

“I also have, a new suit,” he said beaming at her. “Wanna see?” Ladybug giggled then walked over to the light switch and flicked it. The room brightened up more than he would have imagined. He stood up and closed his eyes, picturing her design as light filled the room from his toes to his head. When the light died down he opened his eyes to see her hands covering her mouth, eyes wide with surprise. She walked over and began to inspect every crease and fold, every seam, and even the hood. Her attention to detail was a clue to her whole being. “Check this out.” he lifted his belt tail up showing her the signature.

“How…” She mumbled taking his tail in her hands running her thump over the Marinette signature. She looked up at him with awe, her cheeks flushed. “Plagg taught me how.” He smiled. “He said when we first transform, the design of our costume is based on our image of the kwami. Aspik was different from Viperon, Multimouse and Polymouse and even Queen Bee vs Vesperia.”

“Master Fu and Carapace.” Ladybug added.

“Now, Cat Noir and Hei Mao.” she smiled up at him.

“How much you have changed.” she mused. “I haven’t heard a single cat pun this whole time.”

“I’m pawsome I know, but your purrrfect.” He said in jest. She shoved him a bit. “I just studied the costume you designed for the competition.”

“How did you?”

“Felix.” he pointed to his eyes. “Was wearing special glasses that allowed me to see everything as he inspected the costume. I tried it out and it worked better than I thought.” He smiled at her then noticed her face was frozen.

“You said I designed.” Ladybug took a step back. Cat took her by the hand pulling her back as he shook his head.

“Don’t pull away from me.” He pulled her against his chest holding her until his heart slowed down. He pulled her back to the chaise sitting down he pulled her onto his lap. She didn’t fight as she sat sideways on him. He pulled her right arm over his neck then tipped her chin up with his right hand. “I know you love me too, you just don’t know it yet.” He watched her lips as he gently pulled closer to them. His eyes closed as he closed the gap between them. He half expected her to lift a finger to his lips to stop him, but when he felt her lips on his. He knew he was right. Their lips melted into each other as they parted their mouths slightly taking in the full depth of the kiss. Cat dropped his right arm to her hip, his left arm around her back, holding her close to him as she wrapped her left arm around his neck to meet her other hand Time froze in that moment.

“Who are you?” Ladybug finally asked as they parted. He pressed his forehead to hers, his eyes still closed.

“Are you sure you want to know?” he whispered.

“Now, more than ever, I need to know.”

“Do I get to know who you are?” While he was certain he knew, he wanted her to show him.

“I’m sure you’ll just be disappointed.” She sighed turning her head away from him. He pulled her head back as he returned her forehead to his. He kept his eyes closed not sure it hers were open or not.

“Close your eyes.” He whispered. “Plagg, claws in.” He felt the tingle through his body as Plagg zipped out.

“Tikki, spots off.” they sat in silence. Adrien’s mind whirling through all the memories all of the moments they spent in this position. So close yet so far apart, unable to truly know each other unable to see exactly who’s hands they were putting their lives in. He could hear her heart beating heavily in tune with his own. The shivers going down his spine as he sat with his most trusted partner, fully exposed in all his vulnerability and weakness, all his flaws laid bare for her to see.

“I feel like a teenager again.” She whispered.

“Butterflies in your stomach?” he whispered back, as a statement of fact and a question.

“I can’t…” she swallowed. “Breath.”

“Just all the other times as kids when we could have found out could have uncovered the most coveted secret, yet…”

“The most dangerous one of all.” She finished. They weren’t kids anymore, now. It was time to open their eyes. He wasn’t sure who opened their eyes first but when he saw her and his suspicions proved true, he was amused by the look of shock on her face.

“Surprise?” He winced. Her face softened into a smile as she flicked his nose.

“I am so glad we never found out as kids.” Stood up and walked in circles around the room with her face in her hands.

“I knew it was. How did you not figure out that it was me?”

“I mean, I suspected but only when both you and Cat Noir disappeared on the same day, then returned on the same day.” She said. “How did you figure it out.”

“There is no possible way, I could feel this strongly about two different women at the same time.” he teased reaching out for her only to miss as she backed up. “Why is it a good thing you didn’t know when we were kids?”

“I was a babbling mess whenever I was around you!” She slapped her face a couple of times then returned to pacing. “Remember when I gave you Sass?” she stopped walking to look at him.” He nodded. “It wasn’t your fault we failed so many times, I was a complete mess daydreaming the whole time.” Now it was Adrien’s turn to blush. “Had I know that my partner, the boy who put his life in my hands, was the same boy I tripped all over ALL the time, why we would have failed within the first week.” She giggled into her hands and returned to pacing.

“So, you wouldn’t allow yourself to even fathom it was me, because if you thought for one second, you’d get…’

“Flustered yes.” He grabbed her finally pulling her back to his lap. He held her tight against him with her head tucked under his. Then he began to laugh. “What?”

“What if I knew your secret, but you didn’t know mine? Then I would have sought after Marinette instead of Ladybug and you would have gotten over your clumsiness with me.”

Marinette pulled back from him looking serious and even a bit distraught.

“You did find out.” She shook her head. “Somehow, you did.” Shock bolted through his body as yet another secret she kept from him had finally been exposed.

“What? When.” He could feel knots well up in his stomach. She had his first kiss, and the memory of it, which was something he would never have. She kept far more of him than he knew.

“When you saw me dropping off your gift in your room?” He thought back to Saint Athanasius’ day. “You figured it out then.”

“Wait, I remember that day very clearly, and I…”

“You ended up akumatized for some reason, that even I don’t know all the answers to it, I had to fight you but then…” she held a fist to her heart. “You called me Marinette and you destroyed the world, killed everyone in Paris, and said it was our love that did it.” He swallowed hard.

“If I knew you, and I had your love, what could have made me do that?” he said in horror. “How do you not know what happened.”

“Bunnix found me, took me into her burrow, and showed me the outcome, only minutes after I saw you in your room. I originally signed the package Marinette, but my Lucky Charm erased it all, and I erased my name so you wouldn’t figure it out.” He slid her off his lap onto the chaise then stood up. It was his turn to pace.

“So in this alternate timeline, I found out who you were, we fell in love and I destroyed the world. So that must mean.” he paused looking out the window. “It just wasn’t time for us yet.” He willed his emotions to subside as he focused on his breathing. Though Hawk Moth was gone, focusing his breathing and controlling his emotions were the only way he got through the days after his father was arrested. It would have been a nice skill to prevent him from being akumatized since he was one of the few who didn’t have a magical charm to protect him. “It wasn’t the first time Hawkmoth used me to hurt you.” he turned back to her.

“He’s gone now, Adrien.” She whimpered.

“What does that mean for us?” he squatted down in front of her.

“Look at us Adrien, Lady Bug is the ONLY person who knows who Cat Noir is.”

“And what about Ladybug, who else knows about her.” Marinette swallowed.

“You have to understand how hard it was to be so alone as the guardian and how much I needed someone to talk to through it all.”

“Luka.” he snorted then stood up.

“Alya.” She replied. He took a deep breath realizing it would have been her. “She continued to use Trixx to cover my tracks so that Hawk Moth couldn’t follow me, or your or any of the others. She made illusions to lead him astray and watched out for him in case he ever showed his face. That is how we were able to find out where he was hiding.”

“The tunnels through the sewer. “ he remembered how they tracked him down there and followed him to the secret room where he kept Emelie cocooned. They had battled him there, only to discover after removing both miraculous’ from him that he was Gabriel. Cat Noir had run away to his bedroom before anyone else could see him leave. He ran away from the fight, his friends, and his father.

“Are you keeping any other secrets.” He whispered.

“Only the identities of the other holders.” He scoffed

“I already know them.” He said, then named them all off. He looked at Marinette as she looked up shocked. It was easy to figure out once I got passed the fact that Miraculous queen exposed most of them, that you used you trusted your friends, you even gave me one not knowing who I was.” He placed a hand on his chest. “Do you… Love ME?” he asked squatting down infront of her again. He saw her face blush as a single tear began to fall.

“I always will.” She whispered. He wondered why she was crying and hoped he hadn’t hurt her. He was feeling the weight of betrayal. He had to focus on his breathing again before he lost control of his emotions.

“You don’t even know me?” He exclaimed.

“I knew everything about you from your schedule to…”

“You knew Adrien Agreste, or the facade that was perfectly designed by Gabriel Agreste. You love the picture-perfect boy who Paris named the Sunshine boy.” he snorted then stood up. “Until today, you couldn’t even bring yourself to accept the possibility of me being Cat, a persona you didn’t love.” His heart ached so much as he said the words. “You, Marinette, with your midnight hair, and your gorgeous eyes, your strong personality who could rally the troops when times got tough but gave all of yourself for your friends….” He paused looking out the window. “You were perfect, and I imagine you have changed a bit.” He looked back at her to see her face flushed.

“I loved Cat too, I just was…”

“Blinded by the sunshine boy?” He snorted.

“I fell in love with a girl in my class, on my first day of class,” he said softly. “She was fierce, she nearly tore me apart for something I didn’t even do, but she didn’t back down. She put Chloe in her place.” he laughed. “She was kind and generous, but she was true. So honest and despite her alibi’s being lame, she was our everyday Ladybug,” he smirked at her.

“They weren’t lame.” She scoffed

“They were lame.” he laughed squatting in front of her again holding her by the arms. “I loved how cute you were when you were flustered, how you tried to find the right words and messed them all up again, like when I saw your bedroom on TV.” Her face went beat red. “The totographs you called them?”

“I… was…”

“Madly clumsy.” he laughed. “I know, you told me the first time you crashed into me as Ladybug.” I had suspected for a long time, but…” he sighed. “The point is, I know you but you don’t know me.”

“I want to know.” She whimpered again.

“I have secrets too. Some I can’t share with you because they’re not mine to tell you.” He said softly. “I have a life in Shanghai, kids I teach, and I can’t stay here.” He hung his head. “I love you Marinette, but I can’t stay here. Especially after everything that my father did, it’s hard enough staying in my old house.”

“Then why did you come back?” She sobbed.

“To clear the air, between us, and…”

“And what?”

“Offer to return Plagg.”

“You already know I won’t force you to give him back.” She pressed her forehead his the top of his. “It should be his choice.”

“Ma Marinette?” Plagg stuttered. “Do you mean that?”

“Plagg, go,” Tikki said as the two hovered in the air above them. “And maybe Marinette and I could visit Shanghai for a while so she can get to know the man Adrien has become.” Marinette and Adrien both looked up at the Kwami’s. Tikki shrugged.

“I’ll do it.” Marinette cheered. “I’ll get a small studio apartment so I can do my work from there just as I do here, besides.” She said. “After the wedding tomorrow I am going to be losing my roommate. A smile grew mischievously onto Adrien’s face.

“You know princess…” He took one of her hands to his lips placing a kiss on her knuckles. “I could use a roommate, as long as you can cook better than me.” His smile brightened.

“Don’t put that stipulation on her unless you don’t want her to move in with you.” Plagg scoffed.

“Thanks for that Plagg, I love it when you compliment me sarcastically.” He smirked, “Besides, all of the kwami would be together.”

“Except…” She shifted her eyes, “Trixx and Sass.

“You let Luka keep Sass.” Adrien’s eyes rolled.

“Sass thought it would be a good idea.”

“Doesn’t he have kids now?”

“Yes, twins, and no they don’t know about him.” Marinette was confident that it was still safe.

“Anyway, if your serious about coming to Shanghai, even if it is for a short time, Let me know, I am serious about you becoming my roommate.” He stood up and gazed out the window. “Maybe we should head back and rejoin our friends before two more of them get married and have kids.”

“Plagg claws out.”

“Tikki, spots on.”

As they were leaving the balcony they could hear Tom opening the hatch.

“Marinette, is that you are you in here?” they both laughed quietly then headed back to the party.

#miraculous fandom #miraculous chat noir #ladynoir #adrienette #miraculous ladybug #marichat #miraculous world #felix graham de vanily #Adrien Graham De Vanily #miraculous fanfic

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toujoursmiraculous · 3 years

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Thoughts & Reactions to Sole Crusher & Queen Banana!

Here's my 2 in 1! Starting with Sole Crusher. Loved the tourist feel in the beginning, gives it a very different feel and interesting to see it from Zoe's perspective. Aww Zoe's so nice to Marinette right away. And it's awfully sad that she only ever had one friend. :c I wonder who that friend is? Zoe's right about her family not appreciating the baked goods from the Dupain-Cheng bakery. I don't know if she's fully aware of the history there, or if she just knows how picky her mother and sister are. But it was awfully sweet of her to give them to the tour guide to give to her family instead. So Zoe learned: in order to survive, she had to put on an act and be somebody she's not, because her family wouldn't accept her being a decent person that cares about others. When asked about her middle school, her response, "I found a cockroach in my locker!" Might not be true, doesn't sound like it's the only thing at all if so, but sadly it was enough for her mom to not question anything.

Chloe's definitely a lot worse now after Miracle Queen. In my opinion, this is us beginning to see how low she's gotten and will continue to get. As Avatar Aang once said, "When we reach our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change." I'll write more on this in a separate post later. Zoe's sure scared to object to anything and be herself. Not even hesitating to act like a brat when around Chloe. If she didn't end up growing up around Chloe, how horrible are her parents??? We know Audrey is pretty bad, but even then if she had a decent dad she'd likely not end up like this. I suppose we'll have to see, but this poor girl. :/ Rose: Can we adopt her? Lol awww. Wonderful of Marinette to know that after only one brief encounter with Zoe, she knows that the Zoe at school isn't really her, and wants to genuinely help. How can anybody hate that about her? I don't get it. If it's because she doesn't do things how you'd like them...Most things in life won't go as you want them, or be taken by others as you may intend them, so you have to appreciate what's there and the intent of others actions. "But my family made me think that to deserve my place, I had to give up on some of my dreams." If Andre's talking about his parents here, as he said "When I was young", then oof this poor man, no wonder he's so timid and such a pushover. If he's referring to Audrey and Chloe... then that's a huge oof because Audrey knew exactly who she was marrying and should've never ended up with him in the first place if she didn't want to be with a director. So Zoe left because she couldn't stand it in New York anymore around her dad and the kids at her school. She hoped that she wouldn't have to act anymore and could just be herself. It really sounds like she needed to act a certain way in order to survive getting bullied, or worse. Dang, she really must not have met Chloe before then, or heard anything about her if she thought living with her mom and sister would be better. But in a way, it is better for her, because she has Marinette and the kids at school now. And she has Andre who's probably a better parent to her than her actual parents. Which is surprising and also not at the same time. "We end up hiding our feelings deep down in here." Okay so he says that with a booklet that has Emilie's face on it held up to his chest. Now, it may just be nothing but him thinking about his director dream. But. It could've also been any other object he held to his heart, it could've been something without a face on it or at least not her face. And Andre did work with Emilie. So I would not be surprised at all if there was something there that this is hinting at. Hmmmm. Also, I guess that's not Tomoe Tsurugi? Even though it's Kagami's model they used. And she's really pretty, too! Maybe something will come from this, or the animators didn't think it through when they added that image. Who knows. Even Chloe's first thought when she's in trouble is to go to Marinette what the heck 😂 When Kaalki teleported into Adrien's room...had Adrien turned around as it

happened he would've seen enough of her room to recognize it. Instead the portal changed and was outdoors. But lol poor Kaalki slamming against the window! All his things getting sucked in and Plagg's cheese was hilarious. XD Chloe's second thought of where to go: Luka's. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. 🤔 "This winner and loser thing doesn't exist!" Sad that Chloe thinks this way at all, who even taught her this? x.x Chat Noir: Did somebody start off on the wrong foot today? Marinette: I'm not finished! Chat Noir: Huh? LOL I laughed so hard at this moment. Did she forget who she is at the moment because even Chat's like what "I will always support you!" AWWWWWW what a good friend! And I think by helping Zoe become stronger, she'll in turn help Chloe be a better person too. But I'll talk about this again later. Poor Sabrina in this episode, my goodness. She works in a tiny closet and has to run along the limo. Chloe's seriously getting awful. Zoe's charm is the cutest one so far! So pretty. Ivan giving Zoe a hug was the cutest thing ever. Like, I don't ship them, but this shouldn't have anything to do with it. He and the rest of the kids care about her and respect her for being open and honest with her struggles, and want to be there for her. It's so wholesome. 😭 I find it interesting that even Audrey in this episode doesn't always know how to react to Chloe. xD But thank you Andre for caring enough about her to keep her in Paris and trying to keep some peace between the two. "For the first time in my life, I feel at home." 😭😭😭😭😭 Just imagine for a minute if Marinette didn't bother to help Zoe, believed how she acted at school rather than when she met her, and didn't tell the other kids about what was going on. Everything for her would be so drastically different. All because Marinette showed some kindness. Now onto Queen Banana. Well poor Marinette can't help but faceplant on the news. xD I can just tell what Alya leaned into say "You okay, girl?" and Marinette mumbling under the cape, "that's what the news is going to see of me, aren't they?" "Afraid so." "groan" Ah okay, Thomas was an alumni of the school. Cool. Poor Andre, he's just doing what Zoe suggested of him and not give up his dream of directing! I wonder if being around Luka and Juleka made Zoe want to put that pink streak in her hair. xD I want Luka and Zoe to be really good friends, that'd be so cool. Chloe being really awful some more. To everybody. I've noticed a pattern and I think I have her figured out pretty well. I'll be writing a in-depth post about her soon! She's making them change the entire movie just for her. xPP I said to my sister, "as soon as she leaves they should just film their original ideas." They do, thank goodness. xD I got so happy that we get an Adrienette scene in this ep! And then I saw he's locked in a cage, willingly, smiling at Marinette while the door shuts and I just burst out laughing. He's not even nervous he's locked in a cage, suspended in the air! Booooooy must like Marinette a lot! "Now let's take care of Adrien and get him out of that cage." OMG thank you, Marinette. While the image of him is comical, it's making me so uncomfortable that someone's up there like that and that someone also being terrified of being locked up in such a small space. Also, how long do you think Adrien would've stayed up there had Marinette not said something? Oh? What a change of pace, when Adrien goes to try to make things better for everyone, he screws it up pretty badly to be what really drives Chloe to get akumatized. She may have cooled off enough on her own as she tells Adrien "I'm fine." ...until he suggests apologizing to everyone. "You promised to stop being rude to everyone. And I told you that we couldn't be friends otherwise." OOF. Okay so her reaction to this really goes into the territory I want to talk about in my upcoming post about Chloe. "Banana BOOM BOOM!" lololol it sounds so funny in German dub xDD Marinette instantly pulling Zoe away from the attack x33 Ladybug's spin move with Chat Noir XD

it's like what's happening we're fighting an akuma not dancing This entire akuma feels like a Donkey Kong game and I love it. Those games are my childhood. Ooof Ladybug needs to be more careful with her Lucky Charms, they can sometimes be massive! Like that giant doughnut in Weredad. I seriously legit thought that the Gorilla was Gorilla, Adrien's bodyguard before the episode aired. XD The best heroes in this show tend to be the ones that have the most self-doubt, have you noticed? Ladybug, Carapace, and Vesperia all expressed serious doubt in themselves being a superhero, but when they suit up they're fierce! Like they were born to be a hero. Don't worry about Chat kissing Vesperia's hand. That's just the way he is, it's not in a flirting way. c: I remember when people freaked out about Rena Rouge and Chat Noir. It's the same as that, nothing more. "Or I'll turn her into baby mush!" LOL Chloe threatening to turn Ladybug into baby food hahaha that sounds so outrageous and weird that it's funny. And yet in this situation, would be actually possible so it's quite disturbing....hm. Dang, Hawk Moth trying to reakumatize her immediately. You go Zoe, speak up for yourself! And good on Andre for putting his foot down about Zoe too. "You may hate me, but I love you. And I'll always love you even if the whole world hates you." OKAY, THAT WAS REALLY BEAUTIFUL. Including the way she convinced Chloe to take the charm. Marinette's literally in hearing range of Adrien as she's talking to Tikki LOL she's like 5-6 feet away maybe? But that's okay, he probably would think nothing of it if he heard Marinette talking lol. I really like Zoe's character, I think she makes a wonderful addition to the show and that her character is extremely important. ;) Again I'll talk about it in my upcoming post! I've really noticed a lot of things when it comes to Chloe that I look forward to sharing my thoughts on sometime early this week. I really don't think things are as clear cut as a lot of people seem to think about her.

#ml #miraculous ladubug #ml spoilers #ml season 4 spoilers #ml spoilers season 4 #sole crusher spoilers #queen banana spoilers

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ahkaraii · 3 years

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tov postgame drabblefic (3343 words)

“Raven?! Hey, Raven!”

Raven turns to smile at the little shrimp—who’s really more a jumbo shrimp now, with all the acne that comes with puberty—and waves. “Heya, Boss-man!"

Karol’s embrace draws a startled ‘oof!’ out of him, his blastia-heart creaking against his ribs. “You’re in town!” Karol exclaims. “And you didn’t say?!”

“I just got here, kiddo,” Raven says, patting Karol’s back—it used to be a pat on his head, but his head’s just about level with Raven’s now. “Damn, you’re getting tall!”

“You should’a said you were coming,” Karol grouses into his neck. “I’ve got a client I’m already late for across town.”

“Aww, that’s awright. I’ve got some time-sensitive stuff to get ta, too. We can join up after! Brave Vesperia’s still at the same place, yeah?”

“West corner across Saggitarius, yup!” Karol beams. “See you for dinner, then?”

“I’ll whip you up a Sashimi,” Raven promises.

“That’s a promise, pops!” Karol says, and dashes off. Raven scratches his messy hair and abruptly feels very self conscious about it. It’s just a casual nickname, old man, he don't mean naught by it. Relax.

After a fast-tracked meeting with Harry results in a tussle — poking gentle fun at the boy’s attempt at a beard earns him a “Your ass is grass, old man!!” and a surprisingly competent sword duel ensues — the young Master is turning into a proper Don, now — Raven subtly lets Harry disarm him and sprawls on the floor, dramatically defeated.

“Ohhh, these old bones!” Raven mimics being out of breath. “You’ve finally bested me, Master Harry. Do with my ass what you will.”

“Ugh! You’re so disgusting!” Harry is actually out of breath, so he still needs a bit more practice, but it’s leagues better than he was just a year ago. “A duel is an honourable exchange between men! Stop desecrating it with your jokes!”

“I don’t joke with my ass,” Raven says in his Serious Voice, enjoying Harry’s startled look before he dons his jester’s grin again. “Anywho, this old man’s got places to be, so! Toodles!”

“Wait! Raven! What the hell did you come here for!” Harry’s baritone is quite impressive when he gets proper angry. “Did you just come here to waste my time!”

“Never intentionally,” Raven promises. He’d dropped Flynn’s wax-sealed letter on Harry’s desk during their fight, and points to it as he nimbly leaps up to his usual open window. “There’s your homework, Master Harry! I’ll come by to collect it tomorrow at dawn, ‘kay?”

He leapfrogs out in time to hear Harry’s yelps of protest. “When did you put that there! God damnit, Raven!”

Raven’s grinning as he parkours his way away from Altosk’s headquarters and towards Brave Vesperia’s. If he sharply detours into Saggitarius tavern to catch up with the ladies (and the latest, juiciest gossip — who knew Heliord’s newest guild ambassador was trafficking drugs and possibly underage escorts? he did, now), then that’s just Raven being Raven, right? Karol’ll understand.

“I almost thought you wouldn’t come,” Karol says faux-lightly, when Raven finally makes it back a few minutes past midnight.

Aww, shit.

“Heeey, I promised, didn’t I? Business just stretched out a little.” Raven dithers at Karol’s knowing stare. “C’mon, you still up for a good ol’ Raven’s Special Sashimi?”

“Fish isn’t really fresh by midnight anymore,” Karol says drolly. “Unless you wanna go fishing at this hour?”

They’d only get sewer trash in Dahngrest’s polluted rivers, and the next best thing’s thirty minutes out, at the very least. “Ehhh—how bout a Beef Bowl?” Raven says. “Surely you got some cured meats in your pantry. C’mon!! I’ll teach you!”

“Aw, okay. I am pretty hungry.” Karol’s so easy to please, it’s both heartwarming and kind of sad. “I’ve tried making it before but I can never get mine to taste like yours did.”

“’S all in the seasoning, kiddo. Here, watch the master and learn!”

It’s well past two when they finally call it a night, bellies full and hearts warm; it’s solely because of this that Karol succeeds in wrestling a promise out of Raven that they’d talk more in the morning. See, Raven’s got orders to pick up Harry’s response to Flynn’s letter and hussle back to the Empire ASAP, but even he doesn’t have to heart to deny Karol this simple thing.

Ever since Brave Vesperia saved the world by ruining it, everyone’s been struggling to adapt to life without blastia and Raven’s somehow found himself smack in the middle between the two remaining powers: the Empire and the Guild Union. Former member of both and trusted by all due to his role in stopping the Adephagos, Raven’s got the privilege of being messenger boy between the leaders in lieu of formal meetings, due to the fact that a lack of blastia has made travel…immensely more time consuming.

He’s worn down all the possible routes between Dahngrest and Zaphias for over a decade; the presence or absence of blastia has not really affected Raven’s efficiency and timeliness, which, naturally, has made him an attractive player for both sides. It just sucks that this means he’s always on the go, never really spending much time in one place or another. The first six months couldn’t be helped, it was imperative that everyone get their shit together and master the essentials necessary in order to provide basic living to their respective citizens: barrier blastia had to be replaced with rotating squads of knights and guildsfolk trained to fight; food previously preserved by blastia now had to be kept refrigerated with imported Zophier ice, dominated by the Empire, which had to be kept from melting with salt from Weasand mines, dominated by Guilds; everyone had to coordinate and organise to secure trade routes and avoid conflict, etc, etc.

The next six months after that were peace talks and negotiations between what was quickly becoming independent kingdoms in separate countries. Sea travel had slowed the fuck down overnight, because blastia-fueled engines had become obsolete and everyone now had to rely on wind power, so every passing day each country was slowly but surely becoming more and more isolated from each other, and therefore gradually but surely more hostile.

Emperor Ioder ruled over the continent of Ilyccia with his aristocracy of nobles and meritocracy of knights, struggling to keep the Empire’s global standing while lacking the technology to enforce it; Tolbyccia was pretty much owned by Altosk, ostensibly headed by Harry, who was presently overrun with infighting due to the fact that the Union was composed of many, many guilds all clamouring for leadership, if not democracy; East Desier was dominated by the strong-spirited Palestralle guild and its current leader, Natz, whose militant-minded navy had quickly expanded toward West Hyponia now that the Union’s presence was months away by treacherous sea; East Hyponia was an oddly peaceful blend of both Guild and Empire, unique in its joint origin and therefore vocally neutral, though that was quickly becoming contested, and, hence, required Raven-the-Pageboy’s timely arrival to avoid it becoming a full out war. Ugh.

The Schwann part of him that still lived felt heavy resignation at the inevitability of violence—the first one to fall would be Raven, he knew, as no messenger could truly remain neutral in a tug of war between such powerful masters—but the more upbeat part of him was like, stop sweating the small stuff and just go with the flow. Shit always resolves itself one way or another, right?

Right?

“You leaving already?” Karol mumbles into his pillow when Raven rises at dawn; kid’s no longer the type to sleep deeply, it seems.

“Just visiting the young Master to collect his response letter for Flynn,” Raven promises quietly. “Go back to sleep, Karol. I’ll be back to make you breakfast before I’m gone.”

Karol eyes him tiredly but he manages a wan smile. “Okay, pops. I trust you.”

Raven feels goosebumps up his arm. Stupid blastia heart runs too damn cold. He heads out at a jog to warm himself up, since Dahngrest runs both chilly and damp at this hour.

Raven no longer sneaks into Altosk’s headquarters like he did when the Don was alive and Harry was a boy; for one, Don is no longer alive to vouch for his slipperiness and for another, Raven represents the Empire here as much as he represents the Guilds in Zaphias, and no one tolerates his antics as they did before, not with the threat of conflict so close to the horizon. He walks in through the front door and waves at all the folks waiting in line—Pecan, Cactus, Lima and good ol’ Walt; all familiar faces turning sour, as usual—and knocks politely on Harry’s door.

“Master Harry,” he sing-songs. “It is I, Raven the Great, come ‘round at last!”

“It’s been barely ten fucking hours,” Harry’s pissed off voice rings loud and clear through the door.

“Shall I come back at noon, then?” Raven asks diplomatically.

An explosive sigh. “No,” Harry mutters. “Get in here. And call Cactus in, too, would you?”

“You heard the Young Master,” Raven says, nodding at the aptly-named mercenary, with his spiked up armour and sharpened teeth.

“You don’t order us around anymore, traitor,” the prickly fellow spits and shoves past him, to whom Raven mockingly bows to as he passes.

Saviour of the world or not, it's no secret now Raven was a triple agent. The official story Harry graciously gave him is that the Don always knew about Raven’s split loyalty (which is true, probably) and trusted him anyway (which is true, too), so Harry and Altosk will continue to trust him as well (which is flattering, but increasingly doubtful). Harry's a good kid shoved into a position of leadership he's not very well suited for, but even Raven can't deny he's trying and doing better every day.

“Cutlass Cactus, I want you to deliver this to Sirena of Siren’s Fang as soon as possible,” Harry says shortly, handing the man a wax-sealed letter. “Wait for a response, but I await it at most a fortnight.”

“Understood, young Master,” Cactus says, thumping his chest at the honour. He takes the letter, glares at Raven, and makes his way out.

“As for you,” Harry says, “I have a question to ask you before I hand this reply over. A serious one.”

Raven feels his age and more. “Yeah?”

“Ioder is a good man. His dog Flynn is, too. I know this personally.”

There is no question here yet, and there are a fair amount of insults between the compliments, but Raven knows the heart of Harry, and he means well.

“Yeah,” he says quietly. “They are.”

“But,” Harry continues, coldly. “Two kind heads on a hydra do not make it any less a monster.”

Raven hides a grimace by scratching at his sideburns. “The same can be said of the Guilds,” he says lightly. “Or of any organization grown large enough.”

“Stop twisting my metaphors,” Harry says shortly. “The question I wanted to ask is: what do you think the Empire's end goal is?”

And what is the Guild’s end goal, Schwann wants to counter, when the Guilds’ very existence rose out of violent rejection of the Empire? Raven, for his part, takes a deep breath and exhales it out as a thoughtful hum.

“I think the Empire was built to protect and manage blastia,” Raven muses. “And I think the Guilds were built to reject the Empire’ monopoly of them. But, well, there ain’t no blastia left, so… the Empire wants to micromanage what remains. And the Guilds do, too. Yeah?”

“So there can be no peace?” Harry concludes, tiredly.

“Harry,” Raven says, firmly. “Your grandfather, the Don, united the Guilds back when they were just a bunch of rowdy, armed assholes. Y’know how he did it?”

“By fighting the Empire?” Harry says dully.

“By uniting against a common enemy,” Raven insists. “By uniting against a common threat. The Empire is no longer the enemy—hell, think of the Empire as yet another guild. It’s just a group of rowdy, armed assholes. But you and they got a common enemy now, too.”

Harry looks at him sharply. “The Adephagos is no more,” he says, carefully, “right?”

“Not the Adephagos,” Raven says. “The lack of blastia. The lack of technology. The lack of creature comforts all of us got real used to. That’s our enemy now; the thing we all gotta pitch in together to fix.” Raven bows low to Harry, as low as he would to the Don. “I beg you, young Master: do not war with the Empire. Not now. See them as a business partner, instead.”

“Business, huh,” Harry says heavily, and then flicks his sealed letter in Raven’s direction, who catches it just before it smacks him in the face. “All right. Tell your Master we can’t afford a war, anyway.”

Something uncoils in Raven's chest. “You are my only Master, Harry,” he says, cheekily. Just like Flynn is his only Commandant, now.

“Ugh, the way you say it, you make it sound so gross,” Harry complains. “Get the fuck out of my room, old man. And call in Lima!”

Raven sends him a lazy salute and hops his way out, placing the important letter in his robe’s inner breast pocket. His heart blastia emits a small barrier shield of its own, using his life-force; this letter will remain pristine come rain, sleet, or snow, as long as he still lives.

“You’re up, Lima bean,” Raven chirps.

“You call me that again and I’ll break more than just your nuts,” Lima snarls, spits in his direction, and stomps off.

“And we used to have such fun together,” Raven laments. “What happened to us, O expert in nuts, Pecan, my man?”

“Careful, Raven,” the aforementioned Pecan murmurs. “Your jests are no longer in good taste.”

“Your fruit cocktail, on the other hand,” Raven says. “Mmhmm. Top notch, as always.”

Pecan gives him a wry smile. “I saw you buttering up Madam Teal and her girls, last night. They talk about Heliord?”

“Oh, you know me: promise me a free night of drinks and I’ll spill my guts,” Raven winks suggestively.

“Hmm…your costs run too high these days,” Pecan declines politely. “You’ll drink me out of business.”

Raven feels a mild pang of loss; he and the third-waiter-from-the-right Pecan used to be pretty tight. Schwann thinks it’s just how things go. Suck it up, buttercup.

“Next time I’m in town I’ll do you one free, fer old times’ sake,” Raven compromises. “Lemme know what info you want and I’ll get it for ya fer a Mabo Curry and a Don’s Special. Within reason, ‘course.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Black Bird,” Pecan murmurs. “But I’ll be waiting for you.”

Raven walks home with a heavy heart and on lighter feet. He makes a quick detour to the fish market, already bustling with a freshly caught haul; he haggles reliable ol' Fin for a kilogram of merflesh and charms Romelle out of a bottle of soy sauce and pays full price for a sack of white rice before finally making it back to Brave Vesperia’s HQ, just in time to catch Karol in the kitchen about to make morning coffee.

“Raven!” Karol’s smile is brilliant, and very welcome. “You’re back!”

“I promised you my world famous sashimi, didn’t I?” Raven says. “Can't have you saying this old man’s a liar!"

“I’d never,” Karol says honestly, and that, more than anything, is what makes Raven want to noogie Karol and maybe cry into his hair or something likewise unmanful. He settles for making that kid the most delicious dish of fish a Weekend Chef is capable of, and if he finds himself also making Karol his special Pork Stew to eat later, he tells himself it’s ‘cause the boy’s a growing man and not because Raven’s a sap at heart.

“So where ya off to now, Raven?” Karol asks, after they’re done eating and making the kitchen less of a mess. “If, um, you can tell me, that is.”

“Atherum,” Raven says honestly. “Flynn said his girl Sodia’d be there to collect whatever response Harry might have on the new moon, so, there I'll be.”

“The new moon?” Karol stares at him. “But that’s in no time at all!”

Raven gives him a wan smile. “Don’tcha worry, kiddo. I always get ta where I need to in time.”

“We should call Ba’ul,” Karol insists. “You’ll never make it otherwise!”

Raven doesn’t have the heart to tell Karol that it probably doesn’t matter how fast or slow his response arrives; in the end, it’s Harry actions from now on that will be his real response, regardless of what his letter says.

“Judith darlin’ probably has better things to do than be an old man’s cab,” Raven says lightly. “I’ll jes' hop on a merchant ship headed toward Atherum tonight; should make it just in time, if the weather stays fair. This time o’ year, the northern wind’s in our favour.”

“But what if merfish ambush you!” Karol protests. “Or if a storm’s brewing—“

“Tempest!” Raven sing-songs, flicking his hand. “Aw, man, I miss being able ta call up storms willy-nilly. That made me feel God-like, it did.”

Karol frowns at the interruption, but then his face turns thoughtful. “Can’t you still, though? Your blastia’s powered by your life-force, right? So your arts should still be working just fine.”

“Shavin’ a year or two off my life fer a light show is a bit too vapid, even by my standards,” Raven says sardonically. “Plus, I ain’t keen on folks realising blastia’s still useable if you use a human fer a battery.”

He can very easily see it happening in the future: folks trafficking humans for energy. Or, fuck, claiming prisoners of war for it—hell of a good reason to go to war, really, if it’s to dehumanize the ingredients you need to fuel your creature comforts. You justify your atrocities by framing it as necessary or even righteous; Alexei and Schwann used to do that all the time, no brainer. Honestly, this fear is one of the many reasons he’s made Rita promise not to share that part of Hermes’ research, despite the fact that human-powered blastia could solve a lot of the world’s present problems. Schwann’s too jaded to avoid thinking of all the ways it can go terribly wrong, and Raven’s too fucking tired of the parasite that is his heart to think of its more beneficial applications.

“People’ll find out eventually,” Karol insists, at once innocent and wise beyond his years. “Desperation breeds creativity, right? You should tell people about it so they know the risks involved, before someone invents it and says it’s a cure-all or something.”

“Ehhhhh,” Raven drawls. “I’ll think about it.”

He most definitely will not.

Karol drops it, thankfully, but then picks up the old tangent of, “I still say I should call Ba’ul for you. I’ve got the whistle and I was thinking of asking Judy to fly me over to Yumanju, anyway, since my next job’s over there. We could drop you off real quick, no worries.”

“The spa?” Raven perks up. The idea of running off to relax there after all this nonstop political bullshit is extremely appealing. “Really?”

“Really really,” Karol says, smiling knowingly. “So, you wanna come with?”

“Boy, do I,” Raven says excitedly. “Okay, kiddo, you’ve convinced this old man to defect to Brave Vesperia once again.”

“You never left, pops,” Karol says without hesitation, which warms the cockles of ol' Raven's heart. “C’mon, then, let’s head to the usual clearing. Ba’ul’ll show up within fifteen minutes after I call for him.”

“Wait wait wait! We should get Judy a gift first,” Raven insists. “The lady’s coming all the way over here for our sorry hides, we gotta say thanks proper-like!”

Karol blinks. “That’s a good idea! What d’you think she’d like?”

“I know just the thing,” Raven winks. “C’mon, kiddo, we got places to be!”

#karaii fic #tales of vesperia #still figuring out my raven voice and such #i wondered what the boy was doing after the game and here we are #=noodle shrugs= dunno where i was going with this

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kotosnoozy · 3 years

Text

「witness me, old man」

chp 1 - recollections of dinners in eden

1st in a series of yuraven oneshots for my favourite aus, both canon to the tales series and of my own creation. ao3 link in the replies.

1. tales of asteria | recollections of eden 2. modern/coffee shop au 3. tales of the rays | 'it's new years! brave vesperia' event 4. schwann brigade yuri au 5. zestiria setting au 6. modern/band au. ao3 link in the replies.

Claw truly is a fantastic cook.

It’s rare, in honesty, that he gets a chance to taste his food. It’s an offer rarely made - only on those seldom occasions where he comes to seek Raven’s information-gathering expertise, and even then only when he deems his work to have gone above and beyond his expectations. He’s a harsh critic, for a man who clearly knows he wouldn’t personally be able to do the job, though the quality of his food is certainly worth the extra effort Raven has to put in to pass the grade.

He has to chase Norma away from the office on nights like these. At times, that feels harder than the information gathering he has to do to get to this point - she’s stubborn as a mule, and has a good nose for his lies. She doesn’t know about his… side-job, so to speak, and he has no intention of telling her any time soon if he can help it. She’d only nag for a free meal herself anyway, and there’s something special about these evenings he gets to spend with Claw, just the two of them. The addition of a spunky teenager would kill the vibe - even if the teenager in question is technically mature enough to be his business partner.

The only consistent method he’s found is to send her off to the next town over on some errand he swears that only she can handle, that he couldn’t possibly join her and get in the way of her work. Of course, it’s tricky to convince her that there’s anything she could do that he couldn’t - the bulk of their work is, after all, odd jobs and chores for the elderly, but if he bitches and whines enough (“Oh Norma , you know how my back gets, ancient as I am!”) then she’ll finally give in and head off with little fuss.

He gets to put the ol’ bad back excuse to good work when Claw arrives too - he couldn’t possibly help out in the kitchen, he’s so old and slow that he’ll only get in the way, or else mess up the recipe.

Claw, unsurprisingly, is far more skeptical of his tall tales than Norma. But for whatever reason, he’s never once complained at Raven sitting on his lazy ass and watching instead of helping. If anything, he almost seems a little happy about it.

After he does his little dance around the kitchen - finely dicing onions with nary a tear, pulverising potatoes efficiently, mixing it all together with a meat Raven’s tastebuds can never quite place, and frying the little balls of the concoction after coating them in breadcrumbs - there’s a plate of perfectly crisp croquettes placed in the middle of the table. It feels almost criminal to allow them to sit in the same spot that they usually just throw cheap takeout and sloppily-made sandwiches, mouth-wateringly good as they look.

“I really don’t know how ya do it, Cap’n.” he says, polishing off his first and skewering a second with his fork. “Makin’ something as tasty as this with just a couple of ingredients… Y’ ever think ya might be in the wrong line of work?”

Claw snorts in amusement, simply resting his head in his hand with a roll of his eyes.

It’s always like this. He’ll cook enough for both of them (or maybe three, or even four people - Raven can’t deny that he’s a real glutton when it comes to Claw’s cooking), but never eats himself. He simply watches Raven from over his collar, expression indecipherable from just his eyes alone. If it wasn’t something of a routine by now, then he’s sure he’d find the constant dark-eyed gaze unnerving, to say the least.

Instead he just feels guilty - it feels unfair to be the only one eating.

“...why is it that ya never eat yerself while yer here?” he asks tentatively. He really can’t imagine such a high ranking member of Her Highness’s guard suffering from eating-related stage fright, but it certainly wouldn’t be the strangest thing he’s ever heard of.

Claw quirks an eyebrow.

“You know as well as I do that Her Excellency forbids my face to be seen.”

Ah.

How did he let that slip his mind?

“That must be a hell of a pain when you’re on the road with your platoon, huh.” he quips instead to cover his lapse in memory.

There’s a slight change to Claw’s breathing that he doubts he’d notice if he wasn’t so good at his job - the tiniest of sighs. He remains otherwise silent.

G r o o o o w l

...Although the same cannot be said for his stomach, it seems, as it heartily voices its protests. Raven simply cannot stop the wide grin that rises to his face.

Claw’s eyes narrow, no doubt already anticipating what will come next.

“C’mon, Cap’n, you should try some yerself!”

He scoffs.

“It’s fine. I’ll just eat whatever’s leftover when I get back to the barracks later.”

“You know as well as I do that’s a hell of a waste - why let it go cold when you could just eat it right here and now?”

Claw’s gaze narrows further.

“Raven…” he drawls, warningly.

“C’monnnn, it’ll be our little secret! I promise, I won’t tell a soul!” he says, leaning over the table to wave a skewered croquette in his face. Claw’s eyes tick back and forth like a metronome as he watches the morsel, and he thinks he’s almost got him- and then he furrows his brows, eyes clenched shut like a baby rejecting a snack it doesn’t like the look of.

Raven sighs.

“Spoilsport. No one would’ve ever needed to know,” he whines. “‘m just thinkin’ about yer health, Cap’n. Nothin’ more, I swear.”

It happens as he goes to sit up straight - quick as lightning.

He snatches the hand Raven’s waving in front of his face, like a cat pouncing its prey, and hooks a finger over his high, wide collar. Scoops the bite Raven had thought was now destined for him into his own mouth. Replaces the collar as quickly as it left.

It’s maybe 3 seconds at the most. An absolutely miniscule amount of time. But more than enough for a man in Raven’s line of work to get a good look at his permanently-obscured face.

To take in his delicate features - nose long and beak-like, but cheeks far more rounded than he’d expected, pink lips thin yet surprisingly plump, a proud chin despite his round jaw - to be absolutely enraptured by how beautiful he is.

‘Do they hafta keep their faces covered,’ he wonders idly, ‘because they’re all this distractingly beautiful? Or is Claw just a special case?’

He can’t break his eyes away, even after Claw finishes his mouthful, looks up at him expectantly, once more quirks an eyebrow in confusion. His heart is pounding , stirring in a way that feels almost like nostalgia for some reason. He’s hot and cold all at once, cheeks burning but blood like ice, and he longs to reach out and touch him, pull the collar down for a better look, truly commit his face to memory. But then there’s a pain in his heart like a knife, pure grief , and it twists, makes him feel sick to the stomach, and his brain is fuzzy, he doesn’t understand-

“What’re you staring at, old man?”

It feels like being clocked around the head. He scrambles up straight, trying to put as much space between them as he can even as he yearns to be closer.

“Nothing! Nothing at all!”

Claw’s eyebrow climbs ever higher. Raven scrambles for something to say - whatever that was is definitely something to unpack later , if ever at all.

“Anyway, my darlin’ Claw,”

(‘Wait, darlin’??? Where the hell did that come from???’)

“How does it feel to get a taste of yer own food pipin’ hot for once?”

He swears he can see a gentle flush of red to his cheekbones where they peek above the collar.

“...I guess it’s better than when it’s cold.” he mumbles, gaze never meeting Raven’s.

He smiles, satisfied, and does his best to squash down the rest of that strange sensation as he tucks back into his meal.

Later, when Claw is gone and he’s alone with his thoughts, he’ll make a decision. That next time Claw cooks for him, he’ll persuade him to remove the collar again. And maybe he’ll figure out exactly what the lurching of his heart means. Who knows? He might even cook for Claw for a change.

(Something tells him he’s got a sweet tooth. Maybe he likes crepes?)

Little does he know that though certainly, he will receive the offer of Claw’s cooking in exchange for hard work at least once more, never again will he have the opportunity to actually sample it.

((it’s that night that the dreams start))

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kindlystrawberry · 3 years

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22 for the kiss prompt? 🌝

50 TYPES OF KISSES! SEND IN A NUMBER AND A PAIRING: accepting! fandom: tales of vesperia, pairing: flurri A/N: sorry for the delay!! Life got super busy and I fell out of the headspace to write, but I’m getting back into it now! Hope you like it! I’ll be working on the few other inbox prompts soon, but anyone can feel free to send more!

Flynn is pulling his shirt up and over his shoulders when he hears the door behind him click open, which is immediately followed with a low noise of appreciation. Flynn doesn’t have to turn around to know that there’s a smug smile on Yuri’s lips, but he does anyway because he just likes seeing the man’s insufferable, beautiful, face.

“You’re getting undressed,” Yuri says “and you didn’t invite me? Flynn, I’m hurt.” He moves to press one hand against his own chest in mock-offence, and uses the other to click the door shut behind him.

Flynn rolls his eyes as Yuri steps towards him. “No, I’m getting dressed. I plan to put something back on.” Despite saying this the blonde doesn’t move towards the dresser to grab another shirt.

There’s no need for Yuri to call him on his bluff, because the one eyebrow that he raises is enough. He stops walking when he’s all but one step away from Flynn. “Oh yeah? Don’t plan on staying shirtless the whole trip?”

“I’m driving, remember? I don’t think having my bare back pressed up against the leather car seat would be fun, especially in the summer.” Flynn basically hears it as soon as the words come out of his mouth, and instantly cringes.

Sure enough, the look that passes over Yuri’s features can only be described as either lewd, dastardly, or some combination of the two.

A long strand of dark hair shifts to fall along the side of Yuri’s face, framing the grin on his lips. But as soon as Yuri opens his mouth Flynn shoots a hand forward, letting it cover the man’s lips.

“Don’t—” Flynn says, keeping his tone mostly even but feeling the flush start to crawl over his cheeks. Always one to find amusement in things, Yuri’s eyes are practically sparkling as the blonde continues. “I’d say you’re incurable, but I know I set myself up for that one. So just— don’t say it. I promise I’ve known you long enough that the ‘Yuri’ voice in my head just told me 50 different possible, kinky responses to that, so it’s covered already.”

Yuri doesn’t move, only keeps staring at him like he’s enjoying this immensely.

It’s only when Flynn finally, slowly, drops his hand from Yuri’s mouth that the man finally speaks. “Aw babe— you have a me voice in your head?”

Even though Flynn’s rolling his eyes he can’t help but laugh, and the sound leaves a pleasant feeling in his chest.

“Sadly,” he quips back. Flynn forgot he was still shirtless until he watches the way Yuri is staring down at his chest appreciatively, and the last of his laughter subsides. “It’s always trying to get me to commit petty crimes. I haven’t been able to get it to go away.”

“Hmm.” Yuri takes a step closer until he’s crowded into Flynn’s space, just a breath away from him, and he practically hums against Flynn’s lips as he mumbles, “Shame.”

The press of Yuri’s mouth to his is slow but not delicate, filled with deep, confident movements and tremors as the calluses between them clash in the kiss. Flynn loves the feeling of the rough patches of their skin scratching at each other, and he knows Yuri knows this, (though its’ not like he’d try to hide it anyway. Yuri knows him far too well for that).

The laugh that Flynn lets out when one of Yuri’s hands immediately make a beeline to grope at the muscle on his chest gets swallowed as their kiss deepens; in response Flynn lets his hands grap at the lean set of Yuri’s hips, and pulls him forward until their bodies are fully lined up against each other.

Probably about to make some wise-crack of a remark, Flynn can feel it when Yuri pulls his lips away, but instead of letting him the blonde cuts him off by chasing his lips so they’re kissing once more. Maybe he was a bit too eager in doing it, because he can feel Yuri’s bubble of laughter between them, but the hum of amusement that the man lets out against his lips makes a shiver roll down Flynn’s shoulders. Yuri, as always, takes this movement and keeps on going. He walks Flynn backwards with one step forward, and then another, and then another, until Flynn’s back presses into the nearest wall.

He’s not sure whose breath catches, but it might as well not matter when they’re moving in sync like this— their lips keep sliding between each other, Flynn puts his hands on Yuri’s stomach and Yuri catches Flynn’s lower lip with his teeth. Flynn’s about to groan into the feeling when he hears aggressive knocking at the door, and it’s only by virtue of Flynn’s rapid reflexes that he manages to throw Yuri off of him before Karol comes striding into the room.

“Oh, there you are. We’ve been looking everywhere. GUYS!” Karol calls out over his shoulder, back into the hallway. “HE’S HERE. I’LL BRING HIM DOWN.”

Yuri is snickering behind his hand— nevermind that he has reflexes just as fast as Flynn’s but still chose to do nothing— as Flynn composes himself. Luckily, or maybe unluckily, he’s been in situations like these often enough that he does so with ease.

Karol turns back to the pair of men with hands on his hips and an air of scolding that should be far beyond the capabilities of a 12-year-old. “You’re not even dressed yet? I thought you came up here to grab a shirt!”

“I— ah, yes. I couldn’t decide on one.” Flynn tries to keep the sheepishness out of his voice, and Yuri all but doubling over in a silent, failed attempt at restrained laughter suddenly isn’t helping.

The young brunette, used to everyone’s antics, just raises a brow at Yuri. “And Yuri came up to help?”

“Er. Yes, that’s right.”

It probably helps in their favor that Karol hasn’t grown out of idolizing Yuri yet, and probably actually likes his fashion sense.

“Alright,” Karol says with a shrug, turning to walk out the door. “But come quickly, alright? Patty’s already setting the playlist and I need more people to help me out-vote her so we don’t have to listen to sea shanties the whole ride over.”

“I promise to get this man dressed up and be there ASAP, kiddo,” Yuri finally says.

True to his word, when Karol closes the door they do actually start picking out something— a simple baseball t-shirt, with a jean jacket over top— though not without some playful swatting and laughing in between.

As they’re doing so, Flynn can just hear Karol shouting from the front yard, “RITA! RAVEN! THEY WEREN’T BONING, YOU OWE ME 10 BUCKS,” and the blonde wonders how he’s going to survive an entire road trip with this group.

If Yuri’s laid back, slightly mischievous but mostly just fond smile is anything to go by, though, it’ll work out just fine.

#my writing #Ben answers #inbox #flynn x yuri #flurri #tales of vesperia #tov #flynn scifo #yuri lowell #mildly lemon #kissing #mlm

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yells-of-the-not-so-danged · 4 years

Text

I wrote a fic ( a few days ago)

Amazing right? It’s called Raven gets dunked on, and every one laughed

anyway, heres a link to it on Ao3 and a lil’ “summary”:

" Hey Raven, when's your birthday?" It all started with a seemingly harmless question from Karol.

Brave Vesperia was sent out on another fetch quest before saving the world. Some Knight in Aurnion, apparently an old friend of Yuri's, had asked them to gather more materials for the young town. The group had decided on wandering the fields surrounding the town and hunt the monsters there, for a day, then check out some of the local forests.

After a hard day of hunting and gathering, they unpacked their tents and started on dinner. Out of nowhere, Karol suddenly asked the question," Hey Raven, when's your birthday?" Raven paused for a moment and turned away from his partly diced carrots," Why ya ask'n kid?"

" Well, ever since we found out Yuri's birthday I realized I didn't know anybody else's. I already asked the others, so that just leaves you." Karol explained stirring the soup pot.

"Hmm... m' birthday-" Raven mumbled to himself,"-when was my birthday?"

"Wait." Rita cut in," Are you telling me you don't remember your own birthday?"

" I guess the old man has finally gone senile," Yuri added.

"Hey! Look, I may play up the whole 'old man' thing but I'm not that old!" Raven dramatically placed his hand on his chest and gave an overly offended look.

"Really, then how old are you?" Yuri countered.

"35."

" Fucking ancient."

At that Patty was on the ground cackling and Judith was visibly holding back laughter. " I can't believe I'm gettin' bullied by a gang of kids..." Raven sighed, pouring his carrots into the boiling pot. " You've done this to yourself." Rita dryly sassed back.

"Raven, I'm curious, How do you mark your age if you can't remember your birthday?" Estelle asked, also adding her celery to the soup.

" I'd jus' use New Years or the anniversary of the Great War to figure it out. Though I do vaguely remember it be'n in April ."

Patty quickly rolled back up, hands on her knees, an ecstatic gleam in her eyes, " PLEASE TELL ME IT WAS APRIL FIRST!"

Raven's face morphed into a mask of pure horror," Oh my god it was."

Patty punched her fist in the air, " YEAH!"

#tales of vesperia #tov #yuri lowell #rita mordio #karol capel #judith (tov)#judith #estellise sidos heurassein #patty fleur #raven #raven(tov)#how does one tag for raven?#same with judith #they don't have last names...#my writing #tag the words

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troofless · 4 hours

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youtube

Oh my god this is amazing but check out Yuri's intonation at 7:29 during his birthday skit it's so funny

#vesperia mumblings #troofless stuff #Tales of Vesperia #Youtube

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sword-and-stars · 4 years

Note

My random number generator gave me 22, 26 and 34 :D

Choose a passage from one of your earlier fics and edit it into your current writing style. (Person sending the ask is free to make suggestions).

(This one was kinda hard because uhhhh most of my current stuff is fairly recent and I think rewriting it would be difficult? So I went waaaaaaay back. Source material is a Yami no Matsuei fic I wrote and posted back to ff.net in 2005. 17 year old Legi knew what the fuck was up—BED SHARING AHOY.)

[What the hell was I doing, just walking in like that! Lord, I didn't even call ahead first. I scowled at myself for acting like such a kid but then I figured, Hey, I'm already here,so I might as well stay.

I'm such a child.

Sighing in resignation to my fate, I padded over to his bed and pulled back his blanket, my blush reflex initiating, and slid in next to him.

It was really quite soothing to be so close and I felt myself automatically relax, feeling nothing but Tsuzuki's content, happy emotions. Almost by instinct I snuggled up against him, rather relieved that he didn't wake, and let out a deep breath.

Suddenly, I jolted.

"'Soka-chan?" the amethyst eyes were open and curious, but holding a light overtone of concern and worry, as did the emotions he radiated. "Are you okay?" I couldn't bring myself to answer him and I only nodded, feeling more like a little kid than I had in a long while. He waited me out, and slowly his worry changed to a strange contentment, before he reached out and pulled me close, one arm around my waist and the other curling around my shoulders.

I blinked, but nevertheless allowed the close contact and curled up, enjoying the feeling of being held and protected by my partner.]

Revised text:

Don’t be such a fuckin’ baby.

Hisoka stands in the doorway and hovers, uneasy and unsure and feeling like his heart is going to burst out of his chest. It’s not like he’s never used the spare key his partner’s given him. It’s not like he’s never done this before. It’s not like he doesn’t have a reason.

Tsuzuki looks so warm and peaceful that it’s easy—surprisingly easy, to pad kitten-soft over to his bed and slide in next to him. Hisoka’s bones buzz with residual terror and he needs that warmth like he needs air in his lungs.

Or used to.

It’s easier still to curl up into the curve of Tsuzuki’s arm when it wraps around him. The emotions that his sleeping self radiates are comfortable and uncomplicated and Hisoka needs them, because his own feelings are decidedly not.

Warm contentment flickers into concern when Tsuzuki stirs, realizes who’s slipped into his bed.

“‘Soka?” He mumbles. Hisoka waits, as always, for the rejection that his brain knows won’t come but his heart always expects. “You okay?”

Hisoka can’t make words happen right now and nods silently into Tsuzuki’s chest, lets himself be held like he’s something little and precious, even though he knows that he is not.

Do you beta yourself? If so, what kind of beta are you?

I do self-beta, initially, and then I usually pass the doc to @kurikaesu-haru to look over and correct some grammar stuff and make comments. By the time she gets it, we’ve generally talked enough about it that she’s already got a vague idea about what she’s reading and I’ve got a vague idea about whether or not it’s gonna be garbage. I wouldn’t say that I do a formal draft, per say; I generally edit as I go so when I do share the doc, it’s still technically on its first write.

Which fic has been the hardest to write? (Was originally #34, changed to #9)

The hardest fic I’ve ever written is not actually posted to AO3; it was posted to ff.net and it’s called The Habit. It’s a Tales of Vesperia fic and it deals with themes of self-harm. I wrote it when I was very much in The Bad Place as far as my mental health was going and while it was cathartic and honestly felt pretty good when it was done, the process was hard. That’s also, consequently, the only fic that I 100% would delete negative comments on had I gotten any negative feedback.

#shove it up my ask

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jojobeaner · 5 years

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Yuri/Flynn - Tales of Vesperia (Night before Zaude)

I finally did it. I finally wrote for my boys.

Inspired by their stupid skirting around their relationship... The night before Zaude seems the perfect time for them to reconcile their differences and get back together after their awkward breakup years back. Lol.

----

"So this is where you ran off to…"

Yuri glanced up when he heard the voice, pausing in the stroke of steel across whetstone… At his feet, Repede's ears flicked in the direction of the door to the small sparse room that was Yuri's in the lower quarter of town, but then settled down again at the familiar voice.

"I should have known you wouldn't stay in the castle for long."

"Yeah well… when Hanks and the others got the 'go ahead' I helped them move back into their homes and get settled." Yuri drawled. "Y'know that place is too stuffy for me."

Flynn's smile was kind, but it didn't mask the ache in those brilliant blue eyes. "You ran out on our conversation earlier."

"Only cause your lieutenant seemed to need your attention so badly. I didn't want to intrude."

The scrape of metal on stone slid through the quiet again as Yuri got back to work. Repede huffed a breathy grumble, snapping his tail against the side of the dark haired man's legs.

"Don't you start too you…" Yuri mumbled under his breath to his canine companion who was clearly irritated by him and his tone.

Out of the corner of his eye he watched the newest 'acting Commandant' settle into the worn rocking chair with the warm dark wool blanket in the opposite side of the barren room. There wasn't a lot that Yuri was keen to hold on to in his life… but that chair had memories attached to it, and the blanket was from old Mrs. Miller from downstairs.

He noticed Flynn was out of his heavy armour. It'd been a long time since he saw his friend in just a loose white tunic and beige slacks. The sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows, leaving his strong forearms and biceps on display, his years of dedication to his sword and shield and duty faring him well. The tie keeping his tunic closed at the top was half undone and his tanned skin and smooth collarbone peeked through…

Yuri felt the blond was playing dirty in his own way.

Clearly distracted from his task of sharpening his blade, he set his sword to the side of him on his bed, grey eyes trying to avoid the blues he could feel watching him, uneasily hiding his discomfort through his sarcasm. "So what brings the new famed 'Commandant' to this civilian's lowly abode?"

"Yuri…" Flynn's voice was soft, trembling… almost raw with emotion. "I came here to see you of course."

"I'm sure your lieutenant loves that."

"Sodia has nothing to do with this. I'm not here as a soldier."

Yuri's eyes slid to Flynn's as if by a force he couldn't control. He always was weak to the pull the other had on him, as much as he always tried to fight in. In the end he always lost.

"Yeah…?" Yuri tried to bite back the quiver in his own voice. This was not the time to get soft. "Sorry I don't have much in the way of hospitality."

"I don't need it. I'm the one imposing on you. I just…" Flynn faltered with his words, but the emotions flitting through his expressive blue eyes spoke volumes. Yuri couldn't look away. Could never look away.

"I'm just so thankful… for everything you've done. For everything you're still doing. You didn't have to… to do any of this. This isn't your fight, not your duty… but…"

"Hey…" Yuri cut through Flynn's fumbling, emotive rambling, and urged the other closer with two fingers. "C'mere…"

The blond got up and shuffled over, his bronzed cheeks flushed… Whether in embarrassment or… maybe he too could feel this pull, the gravity they had both been skirting around and fighting for years since Yuri left the knights, since everything. "Yuri…"

"Stop thinking like that, eh?" Yuri reached out, fingers closing around a tan wrist, his own skin so pale compared to the others… such opposites. "This fight is just as important to me. To us. It's not like I'm working alone here. We all want to stop Alexei. We all wanted to save Estelle… There's nothing to thank. Nothing to admire."

"You're wrong. I've… always admired you Yuri." That honesty, that raw admiration in Flynn's voice. "The strength you've always had to go your own way… to resolve yourself to doing the things no one wants to do. You've always been supporting me from the shadows…"

"Not everyone can be the Empire's Golden Boy," Yuri teased.

"Stop it." The flush darkened on Flynn's cheeks. Definitely in embarrassment. "I hardly deserve that kind of title."

"You do. Of course you do. And I'll keep supporting you. From the shadows. Fighting in my own way. In ways you can't. Until we make our dream come true. Keep being the Golden Boy until you reach the top."

"Yuri…"

"Now… c'mere. If this is my last night on earth… I don't want to end it alone…"

---

"So you're heading to Zaude tomorrow…"

"Yeah… if all goes according to plan. Hopefully we can finish this once and for all…"

Tanned fingers ran through the dark strands of Yuri's black hair. Curled up together in Yuri's far too small bed, Yuri's head was pillowed on Flynn's strong chest.

"I wish I could go with you…"

"You know you're needed here, with your knights." Yuri said it simply, but it was the truth. They both knew it.

"Don't worry, I'll save you some of the fun when your army storms Zaude."

"I'll join you as soon as we're ready. This is a fight I don't want to miss…"

"We'll get him ready for you. Alexei isn't going to know what hit him."

"Yuri… thank you."

Grey eyes rolled. "Jeeze, I'm not just doing this for you. I'm not that saintly. I am totally invested in my own selfish reasons."

Flynn's laugh was breathless but dazzling. "Oh I definitely know that. But that's okay. I'm pretty selfish myself…" The light in his voice darkened to a soft rumble. "And I don't want to let you get away from me just yet…"

"I'll tell the others I slept in…" Yuri smirked, shifting to straddle the knights strong hips he leaned down close to the other. "If this is the only night we get… Let's make the most of it."

#tales of vesperia #tales fanfiction #tales of fanfiction #yuri/flynn #flynn/yuri #yuri lowel #flynn scifo #boys love #yaoi #boys love fanfiction #yaoi fanfiction #tales of vesperia yuri/flynn #tales of vesperia flynn/yuri #tales of vesperia fanfiction

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lady-byleth · 5 years

Text

Title: New Beginnings

Fandom: Tales of Vesperia

Setting: Post-game, like right after

Ships: Fluri (main)/Ristelle (side)

Rating: Gen

Summary: So much had already changed. Maybe one more change wouldn’t be so bad.

Link

By the time they made it to Zaphias, the decision to avoid Halure and it's too small inn going unspoken but understood by all, the sun was already peeking over the edge of the world. The city, however, was far from asleep.

Apparently celebrating the giant monster in the sky disappearing held more appeal than worrying over the sudden lack of running water and electricity, so the citizens had taken to the streets and thrown an impromptu festival that spanned all quarters at once. Some restaurants had even gone through the effort to put up stands, handing out food for free to anyone who asked.

Yuri had to sidestep more than one drunken noble as he wove his way through the crowd at the head of his small group of world savers and hip checked more than one into the nearest source of water to sober them up.

The smell of food made him nauseas though he was sure Patty would have jumped at the opportunity to eat a skewer or ten had she not been fast asleep with her head resting against his shoulder blade. Her big hat was safely tucked under Flynn's arm and her ruffled braids tickled against Yuri's skin with every step.

The poor thing had fallen asleep on her feet, almost walking straight into a rose bush had Rita not flung out her sash and caught Patty around the waist before it was too late. How exactly Rita had managed to move so fast when Yuri could barely follow the movement of his own feet against the cobblestone was a mystery he didn't have the energy to solve right now.

He was too damn tired. They all were.

Saving the world took a lot out of a person, especially when you had to fight your way through an army of monsters that had taken over the city of an ancient civilization floating over the ruins of a much younger city, while fully aware a crazy strong war hero was waiting for you at the end. And then you had to fight that war hero, simultaneously try to make him see reason and that was before the Fell Arms decided to fuck with you.

Yuri sighed and then yawned, losing his train of thought. Where had he been going with this again? Damn, he was so tired. His brain felt like jelly.

No, his everything felt like jelly. Maybe he was jelly now? Did channelling insane amounts of Mana turn you to jelly? If so, he hoped he wasn't apple flavoured. Pineapple was sweeter. He liked sweets.

“Yuri.” Flynn's voice startled him out of his disjointed thoughts badly enough he almost dropped Patty. She didn't seem to notice, only grumbling something about “scallops” and “sea devils” before falling silent again.

“Huh?” he answered intelligently, looking over Patty's blonde head to where Flynn was standing, pointing at the...oh. He had walked straight past the castle entrance. “Ah.”

Heaving another sigh that turned into a yawn he spun around too fast, stopped for a second so the world could stop spinning too, grabbed Karol by the collar so he wouldn't walk straight past the group as well and led the way up to where Flynn was waiting for them in the open door.

Leblanc and the Tweedles held it open until all nine of them had made it inside and then slowly closed it, their curious eyes boring into Yuri's back so intensely he was surprised Patty hadn't caught fire yet.

Raven broke the exhausted silence with a sound that was half yawn and half groan and all exactly what Yuri was feeling. “I think I'm actually gonna sleep in a bed this time around,” he mumbled, abandoning his affectations of ditzy dumbass in favour of a more Schwann like manner of speaking.

Beside him Rita huffed. “I think the old man broke.”

Yuri wasn't sure where Estelle and Judith got the energy to chuckle from but wherever that was, Yuri didn't have it. He just smiled, adjusted his grip on Patty's legs a little and turned to face the group. If only the room would stop spinning...

“Everyone remember where their guest room was?” he asked, somehow sounding far more put together than he felt.

“Oh!” Estelle gasped as the others nodded, looking absolutely crestfallen. “I don't remember!”

Judith put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Estelle, you live here,” she said, squeezing gently.

Estelle flushed an interesting shade of red that contrasted horribly with her pink her. “Oh,” she said again. “Yes, of course.”

Karol yawned so loud he almost fell over.

Yuri shook his head to clear out the cobwebs. “I think that's our cue,” he said. “Everyone, off to bed. I don't want to see any of you up before lunch. Now shoo.”

No one complained about his tone, not even perpetually grumpy Rita who just grabbed the hem of Estelle's dress and let herself be pulled along. Judith waved rather gracelessly and trudged off with Karol who pulled a groaning Raven along. Raven for his part attempted to swat Repede away, not realizing the dog was the only thing that was keeping him from running into a wall.

Yuri watched them go, shaking his head fondly, before he took another hallway that would lead him straight to Patty's designated guest room. He wasn't surprised to feel Flynn fall into step beside him, hovering close in case Yuri needed help with their little pirate queen.

The help was appreciated when they finally arrived at Patty's room. Flynn opened the door for them, put Patty's hat down on the dresser and pulled back the covers, helping to carefully lower her onto the mattress. She didn't move once as Yuri tugged off her boots and removed her gear and only gave any indication of life when Flynn tucked her in. She murmured contently, snuggling into her pillow, and dreamed on, oblivious.

Yuri sighed and stretched his back. Small as she was, she was practically made of muscles and thus much heavier than she appeared. He was gonna have a crick in his neck tomorrow...later...whatever.

But at least that was one down. Only a few more to go.

“You can go ahead,” he said when he closed the door, keeping his voice low just in case. “I'm gonna check on the others too.”

Flynn chuckled. “I figured as much,” he said, some emotion dancing in his eyes that made Yuri's throat burn. “I'll come with you.”

He shrugged, looking away. “Suit yourself.”

Next up was Karol and Yuri thanked the high heavens his room was an empty knight room like Patty's and thus as single. He could already hear the kid sawing logs a few doors away and when he stepped inside Karol lay spread eagle on top of the covers, legs dangling over the edge and mouth open so wide a bit of saliva had already made its way down his cheek.

Yuri shook his head fondly. “Sheesh,” he mumbled, feeling more than hearing Flynn's laughter beside him.

Karol, despite being younger – in more ways than one – than Patty, was both bigger and heavier than her, so Yuri was silently grateful Flynn had decided to come along. Otherwise he would have probably dropped the poor kid on his head trying to shift him under the blanket, though that might have done quick work of the horrible snoring.

At least Karol had managed to store away his weapon and gear before falling into his light coma, which couldn't be said of Judith, who had landed face down on her own bed and stayed there.

She had apparently decided getting ready for bed was too much effort and simply dropped her spear by the door, effectively setting a trap Yuri would have broke his neck on had Flynn not caught his arm.

What a way to go that would have been, surviving an abomination of global size only to whack his head on a dresser because Judith couldn't be bothered to put her weapon into a damn corner.

Yuri thrust the weapon at Flynn, who was hovering uncomfortably in the doorway because...girl, and made quick work of Judith's shoes and the knife on her thigh. He also pulled the pins out of her hair, knowing full well how badly her scalp would hurt upon waking if he left them in. First hand experience. He still blamed Flynn for that one.

Raven had somehow managed to wrap himself so tightly into his blanket Yuri wasn't even sure the old man was breathing any more but at least he had removed his shoes before doing so so Yuri simply gathered up the scattered bow and knife and put them on the dresser before leaving again. He wanted to be far away by the time Raven started snoring too. Karol may be loud but Raven always sounded like he was chocking on something and it was beyond annoying on a good day.

Repede, who had at some point rejoined them, though Yuri had absolutely no idea when that was, snorted at the closed door, his eye critical. “I feel ya, buddy,” Yuri said, patting his head.

Flynn nodded slowly. “Agreed.”

Not quite up for banter Yuri simply threw Flynn a teasing look, relying on that something between them that made conversation without words so easy to translate his meaning.

Flynn stuck out his tongue. “I'm off duty, I can say whatever I want right now.”

“Very mature, Commandant,” Yuri said, rolling his eyes. They were walking. When had that happened?

Flynn winced. “Why does it sound like an insult when you say that?”

“Dunno, maybe because it is?”

“I could have you thrown in jail for that.”

“But you wouldn't do that.”

“Are you sure?”

He was but instead of saying so he just smirked, elbowing Flynn lightly. The clang of elbow against armour echoed through the empty halls before settling into silence.

It felt good, being stupid like this. Without the threat of the apocalypse hanging over their heads, without a friend that needed saving and hordes of monsters hounding their steps. Even when he was this bone-tired, he felt strangely light having Flynn by his side, steps unhurried, voice light and joking.

When was the last time they had just...been? He couldn't even really remember. The soft looks Flynn shot him when he thought Yuri wasn't looking were proof enough that he felt it too. That peace settling in.

Before he realized how far they had walked they arrived at Estelle's room, the white door as out of place as the first time he was here. He opened it as quietly as he could, not surprised to find Estelle and Rita curled up into a ball, so close one half of the bed was empty.

“Huh,” Flynn murmured. “That's new...”

“Nah, Ristelle being Ristelle,” Yuri said with a shrug, sending Flynn over to Rita's side so he could relieve her of the heavy tome wedged between her hip and the mattress. Estelle had somehow managed to fall asleep on top of her boots, while Rita's goggles had slipped half over her face. Untangling the girls to get their gear off was almost as complicated as wrestling an eggbear, simply because they both refused to let go even in their sleep. In the end they had to leave the now useless bodhi blastia where they were or risk waking them. And Yuri was not in the mood to be fire balled again.

A big pile of small objects Yuri was too tired to identify had formed on the desk, all pulled from the too many pockets of Rita's clothes.

Flynn disappeared down the hall for a second, signalling Yuri to wait, and returned with a spare blanket from what was probably a supply closet. Together they spread it over princess and mage, tucking them in until only tufts of pink and auburn hair were left visible.

Repede curled up at the foot of the bed, yawning widely, and pointedly closed his eye. How, Yuri didn't know, but he had a feeling Repede was telling them to get lost and so they did.

Or rather, they tried to. As soon as Yuri pulled the door closed behind them, something changed. Not the hall, it was as quiet as before, nothing quite so obvious. It was more as if the air itself had suddenly shifted and it left Yuri reeling.

It was hard to look at Flynn, but even harder to move away. The last time this had happened Yuri had been twelve, soaking wet from a fall into the fountain, and had just been punched in the gut by the realization that he had fallen in love with his best friend somewhere along the way.

Except now he was nine years older, several brushes with death and one staved off apocalypse wiser and on better terms with Flynn than ever before. So why was it so hard to just be normal right now?

Yuri would have liked to ram his head against the wall until he passed out but Flynn was right there and probably not tired enough to let that one go. He would have to be dead to let it go and even then Yuri wasn't sure he would.

He sighed at the same time Flynn did and the tension popped like a soap bubble, falling away with snorts of laughter and shaking heads. They both knew, had known for years what they could never say, so why were they getting all worked up over this?

“This is dumb,” Yuri said, still grinning. Flynn was smiling as well, eyes glowing. Yuri had heard the girls in the lower quarter compare them to the sky before but that was ridiculous. The sky paled in comparison.

“We are dumb, you mean,” Flynn said, running a hand through his hair.

Yuri snorted. “That too, yeah.”

They had known. For years. It had always been an unspoken but open secret.

And still Yuri hesitated when Flynn held out his hand, a hopeful and encouraging glint in his eyes.

So much had changed in so short a time. Not just the empire and the world as a whole, but they had as well. Since Mantaic, Nordopolica, Aurnion...especially Aurnion.

Their duel had been the first time in ages they had both been completely honest, with each other and themselves. As Flynn had put it, something was different now than it had been before. Something inexplicable, but also so very obvious.

They were different, as much as Yuri refused to admit he had changed. There was no way someone could make the journey he had and not come out the other side a different person.

Yuri and Flynn both had...matured in a way, but also found that spark again they had lost when their friendship had taken a bad turn. They were more now, individually and as a unit.

It was strange, but also familiar. Yuri took a deep breath, eyes glued to the hand Flynn still offered. Patient. Hopeful.

So much had already changed. Maybe one more change wouldn't be so bad.

He had barely finished the thought before his hand moved, fitting palm against palm, fingers weaving together. A shiver ran through Flynn, so soft it was invisible to the naked eye but Yuri could feel it reverberating through him and into his own skin.

He let Flynn tug him closer until their sides brushed, and was hit by the realization that they hadn't really touched in years and how much he'd starved for it.

Just as he'd starved for this first kiss.

Flynn moved without thought, letting instinct guide him the way it always did when Yuri was involved, as he finally brushed their lips together after wanting it for so long.

It was not like the flowery novels Lady Estellise so loved, there were no metaphorical fireworks, no sudden wave of emotion. It was nothing so grand that poets would continue to speak of it for centuries to come.

Instead it was like the final piece of an intricate puzzle finally slipping seamlessly into place, the last stroke of a brush that gave the whole painting meaning...it was a conclusion and a beginning all at once, taking something that had always been good, what they had been for so long, and made it better.

Flynn knew that this wouldn't change them any more than their struggles already had. These unspoken feelings between them had always been there, boiling underneath the surface, but they had not been all they shared.

Theirs was a friendship built on trust, respect, understanding, of almost an entire life of shared hardships and happiness. This would not change that.

When he finally pulled away the world was unchanged and yet completely new, because Yuri's smile was finally free and soft the way it was whenever he thought no one was watching. But now Flynn was watching and still Yuri didn't hide, his storm cloud eyes bright with emotions that made Flynn's heart trip.

Yuri's fingers squeezed Flynn's, the other hand rose to brush blond hair away from blue eyes.

No, this wouldn't change them. They had just cast off the hesitation that had bound them for so long and were finally free to be what they should have been for years.

Together.

A wide yawn from Yuri lightened the mood, but did not break it, and Flynn chuckled fondly, rubbing his thumb lightly over Yuri's knuckles.

“Let's get some rest,” he said gently. “We can talk more tomorrow.”

Yuri nodded, letting himself be guided along the marble floors to Flynn's room. “Sounds good.”

#tales of vesperia #tales of vesperia spoilers #yuri lowell #flynn scifo #fluri #ristelle #karol capel #patty fleur #raven tov #Judith tov #estellise sidos heurassein #rita mordio #repede

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meimikana · 5 years

Text

My Tales of Vesperia fanfiction was written long ago (back in 2008), but seeing as how the fandom has had something of a revival thanks to the Definitive Edition, I might as well repost them for people’s enjoyment~

Overprotective: AO3 Fandom: Tales of Vesperia Pairing: N/A Rating: Teen Summary: Sometimes friendship is just something that has to be endured. (Post-Canon)

P.S. The fic is under the cut for people who don’t wanna go to AO3 for whatever reason. Cheers~

---

Even before he attempted to open his eyes, Yuri knew that things were off. For a start, his head was killing him. And on top of that, there was also the bed he was apparently laying on. His recollection was a little fuzzy thanks to the icepick of pure, undiluted agony that was trying to crack his skull open from the inside, but he was fairly certain that he'd been pretty far from any sort of bed when he'd last been conscious. Also, it was a really comfy bed. He usually couldn't afford this sort of thing. So what the hell had happened? And was he going to regret waking up?

Slowly, carefully, he cracked one eye open, and shut it an instant later, biting back an accompanying groan. He couldn't ever remember his head feeling this bad before. Hell, he didn't even think LeBlanc yelling into his ear for hours on end could make it hurt this much - not that he was keen on finding out. Just what the hell had happened?

"Yuri?"

Oh.

"Are you awake?"

Flynn.

Goddamnit. He remembered now. They'd been taking out one of the last remaining groups of Royal Guard. Stubborn bastards just didn't know when to quit. They still kept clinging to their "commandant's" ideals long after it'd been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Alexei'd been a Grade A lunatic. Yuri had tagged along with Flynn's knights for this particular operation. It was only fair since he'd been the one to figure out where those idiots were holed up anyway. Besides, he hadn't had a decent fight in awhile. That always made him antsy.

It'd gotten a little squirrely there at the end, but Yuri preferred it that way. It was so much more fun when things were hectic. And then Flynn had pulled his usual bullshit, pushing him out of the way of a strike he would have easily deflected without any outside interference. Yuri couldn't really remember anything after that, but with the way his head was pounding he could hazard a guess. He'd hit his head on something. Hard. Overprotective Flynn strikes again.

"You asshole," Yuri ground out as he levered himself up on the bed, gritting his teeth a moment later as his head decided to add a large dose of glorious nausea to the fray. Wonderful. Usually, whenever this happened he'd just bitch the idiot out and stalk off. There was only so much of Flynn's - well earned - guilt that he could take in one sitting, after all. Unfortunately, with the way he was feeling right now, Yuri doubted that there would be much stalking in the foreseeable future, and that was assuming he could manage walking at all. Frankly, he wasn't too sure about the merit of even trying at the moment. Ugh.

"I take it you feel like shit?"

Once he was certain that he wasn't going to puke just yet, Yuri opened his eyes to slits and glared across the room at his "best friend". Flynn, the jerk, was sitting over at his desk staring back at him with what amounted to contrite concern. Smart. He was out of range of strangulation, and a quick glance around Flynn's room produced no sharp or heavy objects within reach for him to chuck at the present bane of his existence. Damn it. "How'd you guess?" Yuri grumbled as he reached up and gingerly ran his fingers through his hair. There was a very distinct area of ow on the left side. That would most likely be where his head had connected with whatever had been in the way. Lovely.

"Ah well, you hit pretty hard and you've been out for a good long while," Flynn said sheepishly, giving Yuri a little apologetic smile before dropping his gaze down to the floor. His expression turned dark as he added, "I was starting to get a little worried."

Yuri grimaced. Oh god, here comes the guilt. Still, in this particular case, it was very much deserved. "This is entirely your fault, you realize?"

"I know. I'm sorry," Flynn at least had the presence of mind to look properly contrite, but Yuri knew damn well that he wasn't all that sorry about it. He was just sorry Yuri had gotten hurt - and definitely guilty as hell about his hand in that -, not because he had interfered again when it wasn't needed or wanted. God, why did he have to get stuck with such a mommy for a best friend? "I can't really help it. It's such an ingrained habit. Whenever I see you doing something stupid, I just have this automatic urge to save you from yourself."

"You're not winning yourself any favors here," Yuri said flatly as he leveled one of his patented glares of death at his friend. Flynn had the temerity to answer it with an outright grin. "I was doing just fine, thank you very much. In fact, I was enjoying myself until you had to butt in and nearly crack my skull open with your help." He cut his tirade short at the look that crossed Flynn's face thanks to that particular turn of phrase. "Oh god, don't tell me you did crack my skull open?"

"Not exactly." Flynn grimaced and fixed his gaze on a point somewhere over Yuri's head. "Hair line fracture. The good news is that the new mana formulas for healing are working out rather well. The bad news is that it's still gonna hurt like a bitch regardless."

Yuri would have rolled his eyes, but he just didn't feel like dealing with the repercussions. Trust Flynn to nearly kill him by simply pushing him out of the way of something he could have handled just fine on his own. Asshole. But that and their current location in Flynn's quarters in the castle did beg the question of what'd happened between then and now, and he had a sinking feeling that he knew exactly what had occurred. "Please tell me that you did not carry me the entire way back to the capitol." He made it more of a statement than a question, but he knew he was going to get an answer anyway, and one that he wouldn't like.

"Well, yes." Flynn sounded confused. Of course he would. "What else was I supposed to do?"

Yuri groaned and flopped back down, regretting it an instant later. Ow. He was never going to live this one down. Even if no one had really seen it - and of course they had, the Flynn Brigade had all been present for the operation -, then they would all eventually hear about it anyway because the knights just couldn't seem to keep their mouths shut where gossip was concerned. God, he could hear Tweedle A and Tweedle B mocking him about it already. Why couldn't Flynn have just let him die in peace or something? It would have been the humane thing to do.

"Here." Yuri blinked in surprise as gentle fingers grasped gently at his head. He hadn't heard Flynn get up. "Let me help with that." A moment later the touch turned cool and soothing, smoothing down the ragged edges of pain into something more bearable. "How's that?"

"Better," Yuri mumbled in relief, noting for the first time that Flynn wasn't wearing his armor. Must be pretty late then, he wouldn't have bothered climbing out of his tin suit if he were still on duty. "You're getting pretty handy with those new formulas."

"Well, you know how it is," Flynn muttered absently as he carefully ran his fingertips along the site of the wound, checking to make sure that it was healing up properly. "The commandant has to set a proper example for the rest of the knights. It wouldn't do for me to fall behind on the newly developed healing artes."

Yuri snorted. "Fine example you set what with nearly killing your best friend."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," Flynn said breezily as he straightened up. "They all know how much of a stubborn ass you are. They probably think you deserved it."

"I hate you," Yuri groused.

Flynn chuckled in response before heading back over to his desk. "Love you too."

Yuri lay there comfortably in silence for a few minutes. His head definitely felt better after Flynn's little boost. It felt more like a rhinossus was dancing around inside his skull rather than an icepick relentlessly trying to stab its way out. It still hurt like a bitch, but there were degrees of bitches that he could deal with. He could definitely deal with this one. And while going back to sleep was a very, very tempting thought, he still had stuff to do. At the very least, he should let people know that he wasn't dead. "I should probably get going," he muttered dubiously after a moment's consideration. He really didn't fancy getting up, but some things just had to be endured - kinda like Flynn's cooking. Ugh. On second thought, it would be in his best interest to not think about stuff like that, or he really would end up puking.

"It's after midnight," Flynn said evenly, his tone brooking no arguments from the peanut gallery. "And I let everyone know that you haven't up and croaked on them. Everything's fine, nothing's going to fall apart in your brief absence, so just stay put for once."

Yuri rolled his head to the side and studied Flynn for moment, then sighed and closed his eyes. "Whatever." He couldn't see it, but he could easily imagine the triumphant little smirk his capitulation had produced. Jerk. Well, at least the bed was comfortable, and his head didn't really feel like it was up for much walking anyway. Still, there was one little thing that didn't quite fit. Sighing to himself, Yuri rolled his head back over and eyed Flynn skeptically before asking, "So where are you going to sleep?" He had a sneaking suspicion he already knew the answer to that.

Flynn stiffened at the question, then ducked his head down self-consciously. "Ah, well, I, uh, hadn't really thought that far ahead."

"It figures," Yuri grumbled irritably as he started scooting over. "You were planning to watch over me all night, weren't you? Idiot."

"Guilty as charged," Flynn chuckled goodnaturedly as he stood up and walked back over to the bed, taking the unspoken invitation for what it was. "In my defense, I was pretty worried for awhile there. You weren't waking up and that was a pretty bad knock you took," he added as he sat down and started to pull his boots off.

"You sure there are no chickens in your family's history?" Yuri asked conversationally as he held the blankets up, an amused grin plastered on his face. "You've got the mother hen act down pat and the hair definitely works in favor of that explanation too."

"Har har, very funny," Flynn muttered sarcastically as he lay down and draped the offered covers over himself. "Go to sleep, Mr. Comedian."

"Whatever you say, commandant." They both chuckled at that and shared matching grins before Yuri finally allowed his eyes to drift shut. He really was awfully tired and the pain wasn't helping with that any at all. Sleep probably was his best bet for the time being. Of course, there was still one last consideration to take care of. Not even bothering to open his eyes, Yuri reached up and grabbed the hand that had been reaching for his head. "Stop fretting."

"Fine fine. If that's how you want it," Flynn sighed, sounding very put upon as he lowered his hand back down to the bed. He didn't even try to shake it free from Yuri's grasp, but that wasn't exactly something he wanted to do anyway. "Goodnight, Yuri."

Yuri smiled softly in answer, loosening his grip on Flynn into something much more comfortable. "Goodnight, Flynn."

#Tales of Vesperia #ToV #fanfiction

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