Stickleback Bar, 4 AM
Oct. 26th, 2017 10:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shinonFandom: Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold
Characters: Flavio, Cass. Discussion of Flavio->Fafnir (in that Flavio->Fafnir is the entire premise)
Word count: ~550
Warnings: Alcohol
Notes: Okay, yes, I already did the thing where Flavio talks about his big weird feelings to anyone other than the person he is having feelings about. However. I'll do it as many times as I like.
Cass slid Flavio a mug and filled another one, even though it was four in the morning and practically every customer who was still conscious had already headed home. He took a long pull from it, then stood silent a few more seconds, before he finally said, “Flavio. Yeh know I’ve been in yer shoes before, yeah? You guys were the ones who found ‘er.”
Flavio looked up in surprise and guilt, starting to form an apology, suddenly imagining how that must feel, to have proof that someone you loved was dead and then carry on business as usual, to have to keep dealing with the people who’d brought you that proof, over and over again -
But Cass waved him off. “Naw, no hard feelings. Don’t worry, 'snot like I’ve been spitting in yer drinks or anything -”
“It never even occurred to me to worry about that.”
“Well, don’t.”
“Too late.”
“It’s like this. There’s some people who can’t be protected. Or maybe it’s people like you and me who can’t do the protecting. But then, what if yeh could? If there was any stopping ‘em, they wouldn’t be the one yeh fell for.”
Flavio, unable to stop worrying about it now that the idea was in his head (even though he had watched Cass pour this one and he knew it hadn’t been tampered with), discreetly pushed his drink to one side. “Do you… ever regret speaking up? Now that you know what happened to her?”
Cass snorted. “Not for a second. We had some good times, me and her.” He took another swig. “Not enough of ‘em. But damn good times.”
Flavio looked down again. “When did you know?” he said. “That she wasn’t coming back.”
“What’re yeh talking about? Of course she came back. She just needed a little help.”
Flavio bit his lip. Oh.
“Listen, I get why yer scared. And yer right to be. That friend of yers can handle himself, but it doesn’t mean there ain’t something bigger and badder out there waiting to get him.”
“And I can’t help with that. I’d be no use.”
“So yeh think if yeh can’t fight all his battles for him, he doesn’t need yeh? That doesn’t sound right. Anyway, yer an adventurer too. Yeh can at least go with him. God forbid something does happen, at least yeh’ll know that much sooner.”
Flavio shook his head, staring down at his hands. “I’m… sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. I didn’t mean to bring up any bad memories -”
“Kid, I’m a bartender. I pay rent by listening to people’s sob stories and saying ‘sounds tough, have another.’ If I was a nice guy I’d be paying you this time, for making yeh listen to mine.” He chuckled. “Luckily for me I’m not.” He stopped, squinting at Flavio’s untouched beverage. “Here, yeh didn’t even drink that! Are yeh trying to make me feel bad?”
“Oh, um - sorry - should I -” Flavio hurriedly picked up the mug, prepared to slam back the whole thing if that was what fairness demanded.
“I’m just messing with yeh. Go ahead and leave it, I’ll get around to it eventually. One condition.” He pointed one finger at Flavio’s chest. “Yeh gotta tell him.”
Characters: Flavio, Cass. Discussion of Flavio->Fafnir (in that Flavio->Fafnir is the entire premise)
Word count: ~550
Warnings: Alcohol
Notes: Okay, yes, I already did the thing where Flavio talks about his big weird feelings to anyone other than the person he is having feelings about. However. I'll do it as many times as I like.
Cass slid Flavio a mug and filled another one, even though it was four in the morning and practically every customer who was still conscious had already headed home. He took a long pull from it, then stood silent a few more seconds, before he finally said, “Flavio. Yeh know I’ve been in yer shoes before, yeah? You guys were the ones who found ‘er.”
Flavio looked up in surprise and guilt, starting to form an apology, suddenly imagining how that must feel, to have proof that someone you loved was dead and then carry on business as usual, to have to keep dealing with the people who’d brought you that proof, over and over again -
But Cass waved him off. “Naw, no hard feelings. Don’t worry, 'snot like I’ve been spitting in yer drinks or anything -”
“It never even occurred to me to worry about that.”
“Well, don’t.”
“Too late.”
“It’s like this. There’s some people who can’t be protected. Or maybe it’s people like you and me who can’t do the protecting. But then, what if yeh could? If there was any stopping ‘em, they wouldn’t be the one yeh fell for.”
Flavio, unable to stop worrying about it now that the idea was in his head (even though he had watched Cass pour this one and he knew it hadn’t been tampered with), discreetly pushed his drink to one side. “Do you… ever regret speaking up? Now that you know what happened to her?”
Cass snorted. “Not for a second. We had some good times, me and her.” He took another swig. “Not enough of ‘em. But damn good times.”
Flavio looked down again. “When did you know?” he said. “That she wasn’t coming back.”
“What’re yeh talking about? Of course she came back. She just needed a little help.”
Flavio bit his lip. Oh.
“Listen, I get why yer scared. And yer right to be. That friend of yers can handle himself, but it doesn’t mean there ain’t something bigger and badder out there waiting to get him.”
“And I can’t help with that. I’d be no use.”
“So yeh think if yeh can’t fight all his battles for him, he doesn’t need yeh? That doesn’t sound right. Anyway, yer an adventurer too. Yeh can at least go with him. God forbid something does happen, at least yeh’ll know that much sooner.”
Flavio shook his head, staring down at his hands. “I’m… sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. I didn’t mean to bring up any bad memories -”
“Kid, I’m a bartender. I pay rent by listening to people’s sob stories and saying ‘sounds tough, have another.’ If I was a nice guy I’d be paying you this time, for making yeh listen to mine.” He chuckled. “Luckily for me I’m not.” He stopped, squinting at Flavio’s untouched beverage. “Here, yeh didn’t even drink that! Are yeh trying to make me feel bad?”
“Oh, um - sorry - should I -” Flavio hurriedly picked up the mug, prepared to slam back the whole thing if that was what fairness demanded.
“I’m just messing with yeh. Go ahead and leave it, I’ll get around to it eventually. One condition.” He pointed one finger at Flavio’s chest. “Yeh gotta tell him.”
