[ The first thing Flynn notes is that there are two bedrooms upstairs, and that they both have beds in them. The second thing he notes is that everything in here is filthy.
At least that thought fills him with joy. Even if Yuri won't clean it, Flynn will, although—Yuri's chest-smoke-bird led him here.
The first bedroom is at the front of the house, looking over the narrow cobbled street, with a bed and grimy coverings haphazardly thrown over it, a weaving on one wall that's certainly seen better days. Curtains hank lank over both sets of windows flanking the bed.
This is a house that Yuri found, that has enough room for Yuri and Repede, and Flynn has been, what, assuming it's for them both? That's presumptuous of him.
Frowning at himself, Flynn presses carefully into the second bedroom toward the back of the house, separated from the other by a short hallway. They seem to be flanking the two ends of the house, taking up half of the top floor, respectively. One room has a four-poster bed shoved up against the opposite wall. Fading light illuminates sun-stained dusty blue sheets and a coverlet, thick enough to ward off what must be a fierce winter chill to merit such heavy coverings.
It looks a little like Flynn's room at the palace, now that he thinks about it. Perhaps that's just the desk shoved up against the other wall, scattered with papers. He runs a finger along its dusty surface. His finger comes away black-tipped and grimy.
The windows, overlooking both the small front yard and what looks like it must be a walled-in backyard, overgrown with half-dead thin-stalked plants and mushrooms, are just as grimy. Their layer of filth weakens the already wan light spilling in from outside.
It would likely be safer for them to live together, but Flynn can't just assume that will be the case. It's been years since they did: Flynn stayed in the barracks near Zaphias Castle until his promotion moved him into the castle proper, and he's been there ever since. Visiting Yuri every day is not the same as living with him. They're on very different paths.
Or, well. They were.
He has no right, still, to be thinking of this room as even remotely his, or to be thinking that he'll have plenty of time to clean this place up, or that it will make a nice home.
Something, deep in him, thrums at the thought. Flynn frowns at it, wonders, and sinks down onto the edge of the bed with a puff of dust. What a strange feeling. It's the same one he's been feeling all day, telling him to let go, telling him to look forward instead of into the past—
Smoke is pouring from his shoulders.
Flynn makes an alarmed noise, lurching back up off the bed. It's much more smoke than was coming out of Yuri, and though he should probably be very alarmed by it, he doesn't really have time to wonder what's going on because a shape is forming out of the smoke coalescing in front of him, and it's— ]
[ Yuri's inspecting the kitchen and all of the implements that are still left in it. It's clear that no one has lived here for a long time. Things are dusty and rusted, the yard is overgrown. At least he isn't taking this house away from someone who's using it.
Even if it might have belonged to people who died.
It's a spooky thought, but people have died everywhere, haven't they? That's not unusual. He's just musing about that as he picks up a pan that's still in the sink when he hears Flynn's voice from upstairs.
He drops the pan and hurries to the stairs, taking them two at a time. Repede is ahead of him, and the bird twitters by his head, only for all of them to come to a halt when they see the back end of a--
Horse. A big horse, taking up the hallway and the doorway into a room. Repede growls, his head low to the ground. The bird seems unafraid and cheeps happily, flitting over to the horse. Yuri watches it warily. He's fought these things before and they're never fun. ]
[ Except for the fact that a horse just appeared out of his chest, and is currently pressing her head toward him, watching him with curious eyes.
Flynn sounds oddly calm, though, transfixed on her as he is. Waves of warmth and calm wash through him, soothing any fear he was feeling. He looks a little hypnotized, in fact, staring right back at the creature. ]
She's like the bird. She came from me.
[ Slowly, Flynn crosses the small space, lifting a hand to rest it gently on her unarmored nose. She huffs at him, her fur rippling, and then swishes her shaggy tail at Yuri. Flynn snorts and peers around her massive shoulder. ]
[ Yuri... can't exactly come say hi, since she's taking up the whole doorway. ]
I'm good back here, but hi, uh... horse.
[ That same as the bird... well no wonder Flynn was freaked out. This is kind of freaky, having an animal appear from nowhere. Yuri's bird, as if sensing his thoughts, sings happily, flitting around the horse's head. ]
She couldn't have come from you outside? She's kind of too big. At least my bird can fit in the house.
[ Bigger isn't better, Flynn. How petty. Yuri feels a surge of protectiveness over his bird, and the bird chirps again, flying back to him and perching on his shoulder. He reaches up to pet it gently. ]
She wasn't ready outside, but you're correct. I assume there's nothing I can do about that...?
[ This question is about half rhetorical and half directed at the horse, who snorts and shakes her great head. She flicks her tail again, craning her head to look at Yuri, sending a similar wave of contentment his way, and then...
disappears into smoke again, sucked right back into Flynn's chest. Flynn's eyes go wide as it happens, and he chases the feeling with a palm, pressing it to his own heart. The space where the horse just was is completely empty, but Flynn can feel her, somehow, settled somewhere in him, telling him it's alright.
Blinking, Flynn finally looks back up at Yuri, at a loss for a few seconds. ]
...well. That's convenient. I checked up here. There are two bedrooms. I suppose I'll need to find a house with enough room for a horse unless she's planning on staying like that all the time. I have the strangest feeling she is not.
[ The horse disappears into smoke and Yuri is left a bit dumbstruck. His bird cheeps happily again, clearly not disturbed by this at all. Repede, on the other hand, has his ears back, and is still growling, looking around for the horse.
He takes tentative steps toward Flynn, and ends up with his paws on Flynn's knees, snuffling at his chest, trying to figure out what happened to the horse.
Yuri shakes his head, still standing on the stairs, staring at Flynn. His words catch up with Yuri and he frowns. ]
Oh. Yeah, if you want. I don't need two bedrooms. You can stay here, if you want to. I think there's a yard.
[ Not like Yuri is a great roommate. But the idea of living in this whole huge house by himself, with just Repede and the bird, after living with and traveling with seven other people, feels wrong. He wonders if maybe one of the other people he met would stay here if Flynn doesn't. ]
Don't worry, Repede, she's still in there—I know. Things work differently here.
[ Flynn's voice is soft, reassuring, as he pets over Repede's ears.
There's so much going on, between animals appearing from smoke apparently contained in them, that Flynn had said his last few sentences with a kind of casual ease that he doesn't actually feel, because of course he'd rather be here with Yuri: he just doesn't want to presume Yuri wants that too, hadn't figured out whether it was even a good idea to ask.
He hadn't counted on Yuri offering first.
His eyes flick up, wide, a little startled, very relieved. ]
Yuri—I think that's a good idea. We don't know what this city is going to throw at us, and I'd feel a lot better being able to stay close and handle things together.
[ Which is all true, but Flynn looks up at the little bird on Yuri's shoulder, still scruffing at Repede's head now that he's given up and just dropped to Flynn's side with a huff. ]
[ That... isn't what Flynn was expecting, either. He snorts, tilting his head back to look at Yuri with a smile. Trust Yuri, as always, to focus on the trees over the forest. Here Flynn was thinking about defenses and longevity, but they probably should set some ground rules first. ]
Depending on how many restaurants there are around here and how affordable they are, you may regret that rule. Are you sure you want to handle every meal?
Okay, okay. You don't cook for me, or Repede. Or our new friends. Do you eat?
[ Yuri glances at the bird, who looks at him, then shakes its little head "no" ]
Well. For me and Repede then.
You want this room?
[ He hasn't even looked at the other one, but it doesn't really matter. If there's a bed, that's all he needs. Having his own room, in a house, is kind of novel. Sure, he had his room at the Comet, but that was just out of the goodness of Miriam's heart, and the odd jobs he'd do for her and Hanks around the place. ]
I do like this one, but your smoke-bird led us to this house; I think you get to choose which room you'd like. That said, I do believe you'd like the other one better. It's cozy, and it has a nice view.
[ Flynn pushes himself up, rubbing his hand on Repede's head to get him to follow. ]
I'll show you, and you can decide.
Second rule: I'll keep this place clean, but you have to make an effort in the common space downstairs. Your room can be as messy as you'd like.
[ Yuri lets out a groan, pushing off the wall to follow Flynn down the short hallway to the other room. ]
But not your standards of clean. That's just... it's impossible. I swear. I'll put my stuff away, but you can't expect that everything is going to be clean all the time.
[ For a moment, it's like it's three years ago, when they first moved into their room on their first assignment as knights. Flynn getting on him for every little thing, Yuri being purposefully messy to spite him--
It doesn't have to be like that. Yuri's older now, more mature, less petty. Somewhat less petty. It's still fun to tease Flynn, and he's not going to stop doing it, but he can do it in a way that doesn't make Flynn actually mad at him now. ]
How about it, Smokey? Is this my house? Think I should let Flynn live here?
[ The bird looks at him and he gets a sense that yes, this is his house, and it's up to him what to do with it, but that Smokey thinks that living here with Flynn is a good idea. He likes the horse, at least. And he likes the name Smokey. ]
Fine. As long as you're putting in a little effort, that's all that matters.
[ Flynn bites down badly on his laughter as he pushes the door to the other room back open. It is smaller, but the bed is just as nice, pressed up against the far wall with watery sunset light spilling through the grimy window, staining the covers pink.
He turns, stepping aside so Yuri can inspect it, and ends up making eye contact with the little bird. ]
Thank you, Smokey. I appreciate that. I do think it's a good idea. You and Daisy were alarming enough, even without everything else that's happened today.
[ Yuri looks around the room. It's bigger than his room in Zaphias, more than enough for him and Repede and Smokey. Smokey, for his part, caws back at Flynn, flapping his wings a bit. The message he's sending is that it's safer to stay together. Repede isn't so happy with it, though, and growl again, eying the bird. ]
Daisy, huh? Yeah, this room is fine.
[ Yuri shrugs a shoulder and heads back out of the room and down the stairs to where he left his stuff ]
Guess I should find some ingredients. Those hotdogs didn't really stick with me.
[ He's teasing, of course—it's just such a Yuri thing to name a bird. Flynn is 90% sure it's because the bird formed from smoke, and Yuri's mind went to the first logical conclusion.
For Flynn's part, he just sort of... knows that the horse's name is Daisy and that she'd also like to stay here, nested inside him like those odd dolls from Dahngrest. ]
You know something strange? I've been looking all day for prices, and none of the places we passed had anything like them listed. There's no gald in my bag, either.
[ Smokey, for his part, doesn't seem to care. Yuri reaches up to give him another pet and he pushes into Yuri's hand. Yuri can't help a little laugh, even though Repede is still unhappy, trailing after them down the stairs. ]
Everything earlier was free. They wouldn't let me pay... not that I have any gald either. Maybe they don't use money here? Man, that would be nice.
If they don't use money, they must use something. There's no way a city grows this large without some kind of trade system.
[ That's Flynn, already thinking on macroeconomic scales to figure out how this place works. This town doesn't strike him as particularly stratified—certainly there was no castle—but there has to be a way to exchange goods and services.
Then again, Yuri is right: they are just giving away food for free, and apparently housing as well, and those are two of the biggest drivers of inequality in the Lower Quarter. ]
We'll need to do some more investigation before we can be sure. Maybe you could... make something out of hotdogs? The hotdogs and the ice cream together were a nice combination.
[ Why are you like this, Flynn? Yuri grimaces, looking up at him from where he's digging through his bag, and throwing things on the floor. Oops, already forgot rule number two. ]
I could, but not with ice cream. Man, Flynn, if even castle food couldn't fix you...
[ Said lovingly, of course. ]
Hotdogs and... something. Saw some rice in the pantry, if that's still good.
[ There it is. He finds a hairtie and pulls his hair back. It's too humid to cook with his hair down. He stands up without putting anything away ]
[ Yuri's hair suits him like that, Flynn thinks idly, pulled up like that and out of the way. His hair suits him anyway, of course, but Flynn particularly likes it like this.
Which is really not what he should be focusing on. He snorts at the gentle ribbing, already bending to start picking up Yuri's things from the messy pile he just left them in. ]
You haven't even tried it, so you can't say anything, but regardless, I'll get this place in working order while you're gone and make sure the rice is good. Hopefully nothing's taken up residence in it.
[ He sounds way too enthused about this prospect, smiling happily to himself at the idea of an hour or so spent deep-cleaning. There's nothing like cleaning to let his mind wander and process and work his body at the same time, and with such satisfying results. It's always been Flynn's way of feeling just that little bit more in control of his surroundings, and if he's going to live here, then it's going to be clean, damn it. ]
Try to return before it gets too dark, if you can.
[ Repede looks up at Yuri, then trots into the living room to settle down in front of the empty fireplace ]
Alright, alright. See you later.
[ Yuri waves to Flynn before slipping out the door.
He's gone for a couple hours, the sun sinking in the sky by the time he heads back for the little house. He asked around after food, learning more about the town, the culture, the lack of money, the practice of just squatting in abandoned houses. He also helps a lady with her groceries, which is how he learns that shiny rocks and trinkets are currency here when she tries to pay him with a nice, smooth rock. He tries to refuse, but she pushes it into his hand, telling him gently that as a Sleeper, he'll need it more than she does.
A Sleeper, huh? That's new. He's not sure what to make of it, but he goes to what looks like a market and exchanges the shiny rock for some vegetables. Flynn's going to hate this system, he thinks. Everyone has their own subjective idea of how nice a rock is, and therefore how much it's worth.
Heading back to the house, he has a bag full of vegetables and several hotdogs from the boardwalk. He picked up some rocks off the beach, too, wondering if they'll be worth much of anything at all. He leaves one with the hotdog vendor, just in case.
He mostly remembers where the house is, and smiles when he sees lights on in it. It looks nice, homey, cheerful. And he's glad to be living with Flynn again. The last year has been hard, really hard, and the chance to stop, if only for a little while, if in a strange place, with Flynn, is sort of nice.
That's what they say, don't they? You don't know what you have til it's gone. He'd had Flynn by his side for 11 years, and then he left the Knights, and didn't see him as much anymore. He got used to it, but he never liked it, really. His friends, Brave Vesperia, are all wonderful, amazing people, but they aren't Flynn, who knows him better than he knows himself, for better or worse.
He pushes open the door, wondering if there's a lock or a key for it ]
[ Flynn throws himself almost immediately into cleaning.
He's never really enjoyed being alone, so he's gratified to have Repede around, even sleeping, and then after he's checked the pantry to make sure the rice is still good (it is, but he has to evict a few families of insects and tiny critters), Daisy, who materializes with a puff of smoke and a quiet huff and goes to settle by Repede. It's a funny sight, this massive blue-maned thing settling down gracefully beside an increasingly-less-suspicious dog, but Flynn doesn't give himself much time to think about it: he has work to do.
He manages to scrounge up an old dusty broom and some cloths from another closet off the kitchen, finds running water in the old, deep sink, and gets to work, humming to himself to fill the air.
First up: the kitchen proper. Yuri needs a clean space to work, so Flynn scrubs out the sink (full of old grime) and wipes the counter down with a half-used bar of soap he finds, polishing the stone until the streaks of dust and time are worn away. He tackles the walls and the cabinets next, sweeping them out with a rag, coughing in the dust that puffs up into the fading light. ]
Alright. I see this isn't going to be as easy as I thought. Daisy, are you really sure it's alright for us to be living here?
[ From the living room, she snorts, and Flynn gets the sense that yes, it really is: this is just how things are, here.
What a strange thought. Everywhere is strewn evidence of previous occupants: dishes stacked in the cabinets Flynn has to wash, simple but sturdy cast-iron cooking implements, a tapestry depicting various unrecognizable mushrooms. In the pantry beside the rice, Flynn finds flour, some sort of sweet syrup in a jar, and a few sauces, which he tests to make sure they're good, dusts off, and replaces.
It's good work. It keeps his mind on the task and off worrying about Yuri out there in an unfamiliar city, chasing down some sort of food. It keeps him from thinking too far into the future, although of course his thoughts are full of the work ahead of them as he scrubs: finding the lay of the land, determining whether there's a way to get home, figuring out why there are so many empty houses and parentless children. Locating those pirates and stopping them, ideally. Learning more about the reasons for all the walls and suspicion.
Maybe Yuri will return with some answers. It's nice, Flynn reflects when he's wiping down the grimy windows, to not have to do all of this alone: he can rely on Yuri to fill in those gaps, to pick up the pieces that Flynn misses. If there is one thing the last year taught Flynn, it's that attempting things alone is a fool's errand and inevitably leads down terrible paths. Isolation fixes nothing.
And Yuri is the best person he knows. There's no one else Flynn would rather be stuck in a strange and potentially hostile world with than his whip-smart too-kind best friend, a beacon of light even when things are at their most dire.
Flynn smiles faintly at his own reflection, lets his cloth rest, and goes to turn on the lights and take inventory and do something about the stove and the fireplace. Out back, there seems to be at least enough dry wood to get them going. It's hot, so Flynn yanks off his shirt to keep it from getting too sweaty, checks the wood for pests, chases of a few errant spiders, and gets to work carrying it inside. He can't cast any fire magic, but perhaps Yuri can light it with his fingers if he can still do that.
By the time Yuri gets back, the kitchen is sparkling, the dishes and cooking implements all cleaned and re-stacked, and Flynn is sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor surrounded by the contents of both of their bags.
On each of his shoulders is seated a little skeleton, chattering happily. He looks up as the door scrapes, his smile widening. ]
[ That's a lot to take in. The kitchen is beautiful, for one. Flynn really did a lot of work while he was out, which, maybe, he was secretly hoping for, but hey. He didn't ask.
And then there's the weird skeletons. That's... new. Were the smoke animals not enough? He hears a huff from behind him and sees Daisy snoozing in the living room with Repede. Huh. Well, at least Repede's accepted her. Smokey launches himself off Yuri's shoulder and flies over to perch on Daisy's shoulder, snuggling up against her.
Cute.
And then there's Flynn, sitting in the kitchen, sweaty with his hair plastered to his forehead, without a shirt. Man, when did he get so ripped? Being a knight must have done it, Yuri thinks vaguely. He sets down his bag in the kitchen, walking over to Flynn. ]
What are they?
[ He crouches down next to them, eying the creatures. Should he be scared? Maybe, but Flynn looks so enamored, they can't be monsters. ]
There's a passage in my notebook about them. They're called Lamp Friends, and we'll want to be careful where we place them, because they stay there.
[ Flynn's oddly cheerful about that, reaching up to drag a finger down one's creepily-exposed spine. It groans and clacks its little jaw. ]
They were in both of our bags—I was taking inventory.
[ Sure enough, the journal from his own bag is open beside him, scrawled with a neat list in practiced handwriting. Both the Lamp Friends clatter at Yuri, the one closer to him trying to slide down Flynn's shoulder to reach out for him. Flynn shivers a bit at the feeling. ]
You were gone for a while. I was able to clean up quite a bit, and it turns out we have both food and cooking implements. I got the rice started.
[ Yuri watches that friend reach out for him for a moment before giving in and holding out a hand. The lamp friend doesn't move to him, though, and based on what Flynn says, he assumes he has to pick it up. He does, gently scooping it up and letting it sit in his hands ]
Huh. Weird. You really can't go anywhere by yourself?
[ That irks something deep in him, and he feels a surge of protectiveness over this small monster ]
Thanks. Uh.
[ Don't question it, Yuri. Flynn can make rice without ruining it....... right? ]
[ Flynn can practically hear the indignance in his voice at the idea, and it makes him smile, soft and fond. In the other room, Daisy leans up to nudge her head against Smokey.
That's not what Yuri's really worried about, though. Flynn knows that much. ]
Don't worry, I didn't add any of the interesting sauces I found. There's quite a bit in the pantry. A lot of dried mushrooms, some preserved fish. You were able to get food, you said? I can help cut things. There's a knife set.
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countryclub2021-08-09 05:25 pm
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At least that thought fills him with joy. Even if Yuri won't clean it, Flynn will, although—Yuri's chest-smoke-bird led him here.
The first bedroom is at the front of the house, looking over the narrow cobbled street, with a bed and grimy coverings haphazardly thrown over it, a weaving on one wall that's certainly seen better days. Curtains hank lank over both sets of windows flanking the bed.
This is a house that Yuri found, that has enough room for Yuri and Repede, and Flynn has been, what, assuming it's for them both? That's presumptuous of him.
Frowning at himself, Flynn presses carefully into the second bedroom toward the back of the house, separated from the other by a short hallway. They seem to be flanking the two ends of the house, taking up half of the top floor, respectively. One room has a four-poster bed shoved up against the opposite wall. Fading light illuminates sun-stained dusty blue sheets and a coverlet, thick enough to ward off what must be a fierce winter chill to merit such heavy coverings.
It looks a little like Flynn's room at the palace, now that he thinks about it. Perhaps that's just the desk shoved up against the other wall, scattered with papers. He runs a finger along its dusty surface. His finger comes away black-tipped and grimy.
The windows, overlooking both the small front yard and what looks like it must be a walled-in backyard, overgrown with half-dead thin-stalked plants and mushrooms, are just as grimy. Their layer of filth weakens the already wan light spilling in from outside.
It would likely be safer for them to live together, but Flynn can't just assume that will be the case. It's been years since they did: Flynn stayed in the barracks near Zaphias Castle until his promotion moved him into the castle proper, and he's been there ever since. Visiting Yuri every day is not the same as living with him. They're on very different paths.
Or, well. They were.
He has no right, still, to be thinking of this room as even remotely his, or to be thinking that he'll have plenty of time to clean this place up, or that it will make a nice home.
Something, deep in him, thrums at the thought. Flynn frowns at it, wonders, and sinks down onto the edge of the bed with a puff of dust. What a strange feeling. It's the same one he's been feeling all day, telling him to let go, telling him to look forward instead of into the past—
Smoke is pouring from his shoulders.
Flynn makes an alarmed noise, lurching back up off the bed. It's much more smoke than was coming out of Yuri, and though he should probably be very alarmed by it, he doesn't really have time to wonder what's going on because a shape is forming out of the smoke coalescing in front of him, and it's— ]
A horse?
no subject
Even if it might have belonged to people who died.
It's a spooky thought, but people have died everywhere, haven't they? That's not unusual. He's just musing about that as he picks up a pan that's still in the sink when he hears Flynn's voice from upstairs.
He drops the pan and hurries to the stairs, taking them two at a time. Repede is ahead of him, and the bird twitters by his head, only for all of them to come to a halt when they see the back end of a--
Horse. A big horse, taking up the hallway and the doorway into a room. Repede growls, his head low to the ground. The bird seems unafraid and cheeps happily, flitting over to the horse. Yuri watches it warily. He's fought these things before and they're never fun. ]
Uh... Flynn? Man, are you okay?
no subject
[ Except for the fact that a horse just appeared out of his chest, and is currently pressing her head toward him, watching him with curious eyes.
Flynn sounds oddly calm, though, transfixed on her as he is. Waves of warmth and calm wash through him, soothing any fear he was feeling. He looks a little hypnotized, in fact, staring right back at the creature. ]
She's like the bird. She came from me.
[ Slowly, Flynn crosses the small space, lifting a hand to rest it gently on her unarmored nose. She huffs at him, her fur rippling, and then swishes her shaggy tail at Yuri. Flynn snorts and peers around her massive shoulder. ]
Mine's bigger than yours. Come say hi.
no subject
[ Yuri... can't exactly come say hi, since she's taking up the whole doorway. ]
I'm good back here, but hi, uh... horse.
[ That same as the bird... well no wonder Flynn was freaked out. This is kind of freaky, having an animal appear from nowhere. Yuri's bird, as if sensing his thoughts, sings happily, flitting around the horse's head. ]
She couldn't have come from you outside? She's kind of too big. At least my bird can fit in the house.
[ Bigger isn't better, Flynn. How petty. Yuri feels a surge of protectiveness over his bird, and the bird chirps again, flying back to him and perching on his shoulder. He reaches up to pet it gently. ]
no subject
[ This question is about half rhetorical and half directed at the horse, who snorts and shakes her great head. She flicks her tail again, craning her head to look at Yuri, sending a similar wave of contentment his way, and then...
disappears into smoke again, sucked right back into Flynn's chest. Flynn's eyes go wide as it happens, and he chases the feeling with a palm, pressing it to his own heart. The space where the horse just was is completely empty, but Flynn can feel her, somehow, settled somewhere in him, telling him it's alright.
Blinking, Flynn finally looks back up at Yuri, at a loss for a few seconds. ]
...well. That's convenient. I checked up here. There are two bedrooms. I suppose I'll need to find a house with enough room for a horse unless she's planning on staying like that all the time. I have the strangest feeling she is not.
no subject
He takes tentative steps toward Flynn, and ends up with his paws on Flynn's knees, snuffling at his chest, trying to figure out what happened to the horse.
Yuri shakes his head, still standing on the stairs, staring at Flynn. His words catch up with Yuri and he frowns. ]
Oh. Yeah, if you want. I don't need two bedrooms. You can stay here, if you want to. I think there's a yard.
[ Not like Yuri is a great roommate. But the idea of living in this whole huge house by himself, with just Repede and the bird, after living with and traveling with seven other people, feels wrong. He wonders if maybe one of the other people he met would stay here if Flynn doesn't. ]
no subject
[ Flynn's voice is soft, reassuring, as he pets over Repede's ears.
There's so much going on, between animals appearing from smoke apparently contained in them, that Flynn had said his last few sentences with a kind of casual ease that he doesn't actually feel, because of course he'd rather be here with Yuri: he just doesn't want to presume Yuri wants that too, hadn't figured out whether it was even a good idea to ask.
He hadn't counted on Yuri offering first.
His eyes flick up, wide, a little startled, very relieved. ]
Yuri—I think that's a good idea. We don't know what this city is going to throw at us, and I'd feel a lot better being able to stay close and handle things together.
[ Which is all true, but Flynn looks up at the little bird on Yuri's shoulder, still scruffing at Repede's head now that he's given up and just dropped to Flynn's side with a huff. ]
It's been a while since we lived together.
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Yuri finally leaves the stairs to lean in the doorway of the bedroom. It does suit Flynn, he thinks with a little smile ]
Yeah. Better to work together, figure this place out. No idea what could come next after... everything.
[ Magic, squids, smokey animals, talk of other worlds-- there's certainly a lot. ]
Let's set up some ground rules, then. [ He holds up a finger ] You don't cook.
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Depending on how many restaurants there are around here and how affordable they are, you may regret that rule. Are you sure you want to handle every meal?
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[ Yuri glances at the bird, who looks at him, then shakes its little head "no" ]
Well. For me and Repede then.
You want this room?
[ He hasn't even looked at the other one, but it doesn't really matter. If there's a bed, that's all he needs. Having his own room, in a house, is kind of novel. Sure, he had his room at the Comet, but that was just out of the goodness of Miriam's heart, and the odd jobs he'd do for her and Hanks around the place. ]
no subject
[ Flynn pushes himself up, rubbing his hand on Repede's head to get him to follow. ]
I'll show you, and you can decide.
Second rule: I'll keep this place clean, but you have to make an effort in the common space downstairs. Your room can be as messy as you'd like.
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But not your standards of clean. That's just... it's impossible. I swear. I'll put my stuff away, but you can't expect that everything is going to be clean all the time.
[ For a moment, it's like it's three years ago, when they first moved into their room on their first assignment as knights. Flynn getting on him for every little thing, Yuri being purposefully messy to spite him--
It doesn't have to be like that. Yuri's older now, more mature, less petty. Somewhat less petty. It's still fun to tease Flynn, and he's not going to stop doing it, but he can do it in a way that doesn't make Flynn actually mad at him now. ]
How about it, Smokey? Is this my house? Think I should let Flynn live here?
[ The bird looks at him and he gets a sense that yes, this is his house, and it's up to him what to do with it, but that Smokey thinks that living here with Flynn is a good idea. He likes the horse, at least. And he likes the name Smokey. ]
Smokey says you can stay.
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[ Flynn bites down badly on his laughter as he pushes the door to the other room back open. It is smaller, but the bed is just as nice, pressed up against the far wall with watery sunset light spilling through the grimy window, staining the covers pink.
He turns, stepping aside so Yuri can inspect it, and ends up making eye contact with the little bird. ]
Thank you, Smokey. I appreciate that. I do think it's a good idea. You and Daisy were alarming enough, even without everything else that's happened today.
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[ Yuri looks around the room. It's bigger than his room in Zaphias, more than enough for him and Repede and Smokey. Smokey, for his part, caws back at Flynn, flapping his wings a bit. The message he's sending is that it's safer to stay together. Repede isn't so happy with it, though, and growl again, eying the bird. ]
Daisy, huh? Yeah, this room is fine.
[ Yuri shrugs a shoulder and heads back out of the room and down the stairs to where he left his stuff ]
Guess I should find some ingredients. Those hotdogs didn't really stick with me.
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[ He's teasing, of course—it's just such a Yuri thing to name a bird. Flynn is 90% sure it's because the bird formed from smoke, and Yuri's mind went to the first logical conclusion.
For Flynn's part, he just sort of... knows that the horse's name is Daisy and that she'd also like to stay here, nested inside him like those odd dolls from Dahngrest. ]
You know something strange? I've been looking all day for prices, and none of the places we passed had anything like them listed. There's no gald in my bag, either.
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[ Smokey, for his part, doesn't seem to care. Yuri reaches up to give him another pet and he pushes into Yuri's hand. Yuri can't help a little laugh, even though Repede is still unhappy, trailing after them down the stairs. ]
Everything earlier was free. They wouldn't let me pay... not that I have any gald either. Maybe they don't use money here? Man, that would be nice.
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[ That's Flynn, already thinking on macroeconomic scales to figure out how this place works. This town doesn't strike him as particularly stratified—certainly there was no castle—but there has to be a way to exchange goods and services.
Then again, Yuri is right: they are just giving away food for free, and apparently housing as well, and those are two of the biggest drivers of inequality in the Lower Quarter. ]
We'll need to do some more investigation before we can be sure. Maybe you could... make something out of hotdogs? The hotdogs and the ice cream together were a nice combination.
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I could, but not with ice cream. Man, Flynn, if even castle food couldn't fix you...
[ Said lovingly, of course. ]
Hotdogs and... something. Saw some rice in the pantry, if that's still good.
[ There it is. He finds a hairtie and pulls his hair back. It's too humid to cook with his hair down. He stands up without putting anything away ]
I'll be back, hopefully with food.
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Which is really not what he should be focusing on. He snorts at the gentle ribbing, already bending to start picking up Yuri's things from the messy pile he just left them in. ]
You haven't even tried it, so you can't say anything, but regardless, I'll get this place in working order while you're gone and make sure the rice is good. Hopefully nothing's taken up residence in it.
[ He sounds way too enthused about this prospect, smiling happily to himself at the idea of an hour or so spent deep-cleaning. There's nothing like cleaning to let his mind wander and process and work his body at the same time, and with such satisfying results. It's always been Flynn's way of feeling just that little bit more in control of his surroundings, and if he's going to live here, then it's going to be clean, damn it. ]
Try to return before it gets too dark, if you can.
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[ Repede looks up at Yuri, then trots into the living room to settle down in front of the empty fireplace ]
Alright, alright. See you later.
[ Yuri waves to Flynn before slipping out the door.
He's gone for a couple hours, the sun sinking in the sky by the time he heads back for the little house. He asked around after food, learning more about the town, the culture, the lack of money, the practice of just squatting in abandoned houses. He also helps a lady with her groceries, which is how he learns that shiny rocks and trinkets are currency here when she tries to pay him with a nice, smooth rock. He tries to refuse, but she pushes it into his hand, telling him gently that as a Sleeper, he'll need it more than she does.
A Sleeper, huh? That's new. He's not sure what to make of it, but he goes to what looks like a market and exchanges the shiny rock for some vegetables. Flynn's going to hate this system, he thinks. Everyone has their own subjective idea of how nice a rock is, and therefore how much it's worth.
Heading back to the house, he has a bag full of vegetables and several hotdogs from the boardwalk. He picked up some rocks off the beach, too, wondering if they'll be worth much of anything at all. He leaves one with the hotdog vendor, just in case.
He mostly remembers where the house is, and smiles when he sees lights on in it. It looks nice, homey, cheerful. And he's glad to be living with Flynn again. The last year has been hard, really hard, and the chance to stop, if only for a little while, if in a strange place, with Flynn, is sort of nice.
That's what they say, don't they? You don't know what you have til it's gone. He'd had Flynn by his side for 11 years, and then he left the Knights, and didn't see him as much anymore. He got used to it, but he never liked it, really. His friends, Brave Vesperia, are all wonderful, amazing people, but they aren't Flynn, who knows him better than he knows himself, for better or worse.
He pushes open the door, wondering if there's a lock or a key for it ]
I got food.
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He's never really enjoyed being alone, so he's gratified to have Repede around, even sleeping, and then after he's checked the pantry to make sure the rice is still good (it is, but he has to evict a few families of insects and tiny critters), Daisy, who materializes with a puff of smoke and a quiet huff and goes to settle by Repede. It's a funny sight, this massive blue-maned thing settling down gracefully beside an increasingly-less-suspicious dog, but Flynn doesn't give himself much time to think about it: he has work to do.
He manages to scrounge up an old dusty broom and some cloths from another closet off the kitchen, finds running water in the old, deep sink, and gets to work, humming to himself to fill the air.
First up: the kitchen proper. Yuri needs a clean space to work, so Flynn scrubs out the sink (full of old grime) and wipes the counter down with a half-used bar of soap he finds, polishing the stone until the streaks of dust and time are worn away. He tackles the walls and the cabinets next, sweeping them out with a rag, coughing in the dust that puffs up into the fading light. ]
Alright. I see this isn't going to be as easy as I thought. Daisy, are you really sure it's alright for us to be living here?
[ From the living room, she snorts, and Flynn gets the sense that yes, it really is: this is just how things are, here.
What a strange thought. Everywhere is strewn evidence of previous occupants: dishes stacked in the cabinets Flynn has to wash, simple but sturdy cast-iron cooking implements, a tapestry depicting various unrecognizable mushrooms. In the pantry beside the rice, Flynn finds flour, some sort of sweet syrup in a jar, and a few sauces, which he tests to make sure they're good, dusts off, and replaces.
It's good work. It keeps his mind on the task and off worrying about Yuri out there in an unfamiliar city, chasing down some sort of food. It keeps him from thinking too far into the future, although of course his thoughts are full of the work ahead of them as he scrubs: finding the lay of the land, determining whether there's a way to get home, figuring out why there are so many empty houses and parentless children. Locating those pirates and stopping them, ideally. Learning more about the reasons for all the walls and suspicion.
Maybe Yuri will return with some answers. It's nice, Flynn reflects when he's wiping down the grimy windows, to not have to do all of this alone: he can rely on Yuri to fill in those gaps, to pick up the pieces that Flynn misses. If there is one thing the last year taught Flynn, it's that attempting things alone is a fool's errand and inevitably leads down terrible paths. Isolation fixes nothing.
And Yuri is the best person he knows. There's no one else Flynn would rather be stuck in a strange and potentially hostile world with than his whip-smart too-kind best friend, a beacon of light even when things are at their most dire.
Flynn smiles faintly at his own reflection, lets his cloth rest, and goes to turn on the lights and take inventory and do something about the stove and the fireplace. Out back, there seems to be at least enough dry wood to get them going. It's hot, so Flynn yanks off his shirt to keep it from getting too sweaty, checks the wood for pests, chases of a few errant spiders, and gets to work carrying it inside. He can't cast any fire magic, but perhaps Yuri can light it with his fingers if he can still do that.
By the time Yuri gets back, the kitchen is sparkling, the dishes and cooking implements all cleaned and re-stacked, and Flynn is sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor surrounded by the contents of both of their bags.
On each of his shoulders is seated a little skeleton, chattering happily. He looks up as the door scrapes, his smile widening. ]
Yuri! Did you see these? They're remarkable!
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And then there's the weird skeletons. That's... new. Were the smoke animals not enough? He hears a huff from behind him and sees Daisy snoozing in the living room with Repede. Huh. Well, at least Repede's accepted her. Smokey launches himself off Yuri's shoulder and flies over to perch on Daisy's shoulder, snuggling up against her.
Cute.
And then there's Flynn, sitting in the kitchen, sweaty with his hair plastered to his forehead, without a shirt. Man, when did he get so ripped? Being a knight must have done it, Yuri thinks vaguely. He sets down his bag in the kitchen, walking over to Flynn. ]
What are they?
[ He crouches down next to them, eying the creatures. Should he be scared? Maybe, but Flynn looks so enamored, they can't be monsters. ]
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[ Flynn's oddly cheerful about that, reaching up to drag a finger down one's creepily-exposed spine. It groans and clacks its little jaw. ]
They were in both of our bags—I was taking inventory.
[ Sure enough, the journal from his own bag is open beside him, scrawled with a neat list in practiced handwriting. Both the Lamp Friends clatter at Yuri, the one closer to him trying to slide down Flynn's shoulder to reach out for him. Flynn shivers a bit at the feeling. ]
You were gone for a while. I was able to clean up quite a bit, and it turns out we have both food and cooking implements. I got the rice started.
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Huh. Weird. You really can't go anywhere by yourself?
[ That irks something deep in him, and he feels a surge of protectiveness over this small monster ]
Thanks. Uh.
[ Don't question it, Yuri. Flynn can make rice without ruining it....... right? ]
Find anything else interesting?
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That's not what Yuri's really worried about, though. Flynn knows that much. ]
Don't worry, I didn't add any of the interesting sauces I found. There's quite a bit in the pantry. A lot of dried mushrooms, some preserved fish. You were able to get food, you said? I can help cut things. There's a knife set.
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