Tales of Vesperia 2

[ApfelSeine]

Flynn strode along the quiet street, delicate flower petals crushed beneath his steel boots as he walked. Halure had remained the sleepy town it always had been, the peaceful atmosphere broken only by the occasional experiment gone awry from the resident researchers. It was a miracle that the typically reclusive scientists of Aspio had somehow managed to integrate smoothly into living among the citizens of Halure. The catastrophe of the Adephagos had resulted in a rather chaotic series of circumstances, but Flynn quite liked the increased sense of solidarity between groups of people. A world divided into many different groups had converged to stand together and help support each other in the wake of the catastrophe. It was quite a different world than the one which Flynn had been born into, but it was one which he was very pleased to be a part of.


Things weren't all sunshine and roses however. As Commandant, Flynn knew this better than most. He'd had to deal with a great deal of complaints, and settle more than a few disputes that had arisen between those who resisted integration. On top of that were the nobles who vehemently attempted to call into question Flynn's qualifications to be Commandant, not to mention the added uncertainty of weeding out agents still loyal to the memory of Alexei. He envied the ability of Yuri and his friends to move about as freely as they did. Though naturally Yuri faced his own problems with the quickly growing reputation of Brave Vesperia. The little guild had been getting quite a name for itself over the past year. Flynn had to wonder how on earth Yuri managed to appear so carefree despite everything that happened. But then Yuri was Yuri. Some things didn't change very much, and Flynn took comfort in that. It was nice to be able to be certain of at least a few things.


As he rounded the corner, Flynn spotted the man himself, along with the other members of Brave Vesperia. A small smile tugged at the corners of Flynn's lips as he raised his hand to wave, rather pleased to see them. He folded the map Estelle had given him to direct him to Rita's cottage, knowing that Yuri would be able to point him in the right direction. Though in addition to that, Flynn hoped that the group would have the time to chat with him. It had been some time since he'd last seen his childhood friend, and there was some catching up he wanted to do. Flynn's current task, though undeniably important, was not urgent, and so he strode cheerfully towards the small guild, feeling more relaxed than he had in awhile. Perhaps for once he wouldn't be accused of being 'uptight'.


"Good morning!" he greeted them once he was within earshot, flashing them a cheerful grin. "I wasn't expecting to run into you here."

 

[Xillia]

Yuri's hair, though trimmed after the recent escapade of their adventure, was still too long and under request of his dearest friend, he'd agreed to tie it back into a loose ponytail, though there was absolutely no way the man was going to pull his bangs back, so Flynn could stuff it on that matter. The team around him was ever-still lively and maintained an upbeat attitude, their gazes and mouths shifting to adapt to whatever conversation they mind themselves swayed into. He felt himself chuckle a little bit at the carelessness that had slowly befallen him. Though it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it was a horrid practice to get into.

His hands fell at ease, the sound of the armor had given him away almost immediately, Yuri's arms folded across his bare chest, a bit more muscle to it than had been there a year ago, those dark lavender eyes scanning Flynn's character rather astutely. Though, this precaution faded and he stood, walking over to greet his old friend with a firm handshake, the rest of the group seeming to respond in kind. Estelle lit up like clockwork, the princess rising from her seated position next to Rita with a wry smile on her face.

Her pink hair had grown a bit and she'd gone out of her way to tie it up into a loose bun with feathery strands, no longer wearing the mobility-hindering dress that she'd once bolstered with pride, instead, she wore leather slacks and a leather doublet with her rapier and shield relaxed on a nearby rock structure. Repede let out his reassuring bark and jolted Raven awake, who gasped as though he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't have but slowly faded away from his paranoid state. His hand retreated to smooth back to the darkened locks of his spiky air, it seemed he hadn't aged a day... But at his age... It was hard to tell.

"Hey... Good to see you." Yuri cocked him his devilish grin and swung the man towards the group, wrapping his arm over his shoulders, "Hey! Look what the cat dragged in!"

 

[ApfelSeine]

"Ah! It looks as though all of the world's heroes are here," Flynn commented, smiling at the group. He'd run into them numerous times, though he still didn't know most of them as well as he knew Yuri and Estellise. "I do hope that I am not interrupting a reunion or anything like that."


Judith smiled back at Flynn, waving her hand dismissively as Flynn voiced his concern. It had always amused her how proper the commandant was, especially when compared to his long haired friend, and she placed her other gloved hand on her hip as she straightened up from where she had been learning against a nearby wall. She hadn't changed much since the battle with the Adephagos, though the clothing she now sported was much more indicative of the guild she belonged to, and the silver star insignia of Brave Vesperia was sewn onto the sleeves of her black jacket. The outfit was, unsurprisingly, no less revealing than her previous outfit choice, but it gave her a freedom of movement that came in quite useful in battle.


"Even if you were interrupting, I'm sure all of us would be happy to make time for you," Judith replied, instinctively shifting into a slightly flirtatious pose. "It's not every day that the commandant graces us with his presence."


She was clearly teasing, though Flynn couldn't help the light blush that formed as he noticed the rather immodest nature of her clothing. His gaze shifted over to look at Yuri. That wasn't much better...


"And besides," Karol said, grinning at Flynn. "You're practically one of us anyways, what with you being close friends with Yuri and Estelle. Plus, you did help in taking down the Adephagos."


Karol, who even in the span of a year had managed to grow a little taller and more broad shouldered than before, was also dressed in his guild's signature colors. Yet even in darker colors, he still managed to come across as warm and approachable. Perhaps it was the fact that he was still young, or perhaps the red kerchief that remained tied around his neck presented a rather heroic vibe. Or perhaps it was all due to his incessantly determined and outgoing nature. Whatever it was, Flynn had developed a great deal of respect for Karol. There weren't many young teenagers who could boast the accomplishments that Karol had achieved.


"I am honored that you think so, but it was all of you who faced that threat directly. I merely assisted where I could," Flynn replied, shaking his head. His gaze landed briefly on Rita, who's attention was divided between the conversation and the book on her lap. He remembered that he would have something to discuss with her and the princess later, but that could wait a little while until he'd gotten a chance to catch up on Yuri's life, and the misadventures of Yuri's friends. "More importantly, how have you all been doing? I have heard a great deal about your exploits, both from Lady Estellise's letters and from word around Zaphias. It sounds as though you've all been keeping busy."

 

[Xillia]

Estelle seemed the first to notice Rita's insolence and brought it up rather quickly with a hand on her cock out hip and a wry look of disapproval on her face. "Rita, Rita!?" She then turned and snapped her fingers, "Oh look! A new blastia to discover!" Well, for better or worse, the princess had certainly developed a new level of sass, albeit an unhealthy amount.


Though Repede quickly trotted over to Yuri's side, it took Raven more than a moment to truly wake up and join the collective cluster of friends, having now finally come together. With a little less silence in their group, Yuri spoke earnestly to his longtime friend. 

"Hey, you and I still haven't finished that duel. I mean... You aren't scared, are ya?" He flashed his grin and lead Flynn away from them all, leaving the now-awake group to banter amongst themselves.

 

[ApfelSeine]

Rita looked up at Estelle and narrowed her yes at her, turning the page of her book before returning her gaze to it.


"You of all people should understand the importance of my research Estelle," Rita replied simply. "Besides, you know that even if there were a new type of blastia, it wouldn't function without the altered formula. I'm not looking for new types of blastia, I'm looking for potential alterations of the base formulas which can be used to replicate or improve upon the artes which use mana. Ideally, I can restore the functionality of barriers in it's entirety, or perhaps even beyond their original capacity. As is, their strength is nowhere near adequate for what they need to do, although fortunately I have begun the process for synthesizing additional barriers, which can be used in new towns or to reinforce existing ones. If I have to multitask in order to save time, then that's a small price to pay."


She shrugged as she continued reading, adding: "besides, I'm paying attention as much as I need to."


Flynn, who had been looking somewhat dejectedly at Estelle, turned his gaze back to Yuri and offered him a small smile as he was led away from the group.


"No I... I have merely been very busy with recent events," Flynn said, a light sigh escaping his lips before his smile widened into a more heartfelt one. "Besides, since when have I ever been scared of fighting you? You know that I was seconds away from kicking your ass the last time we fought."


His shoulders relaxed slightly as he was talking with Yuri, and partially from relief at getting to be alone with him. It wasn't that Flynn disliked the others per se, but they could be a bit... overwhelming at times. When he was with his childhood friend though, things felt much more familiar to him. He could almost forget about the recent spike in crime and gang activity, or the worrying amount of assassination attempts. Things always felt much simpler with Yuri, and Flynn rather wished that he could afford to indulge in such luxury more often.