melodiesoflife

Entry tags:

[6]

Characters: Flynn Scifo, whoever else.
Where: Out and about Aqures Ixen
When: 06 13 2016
Summary: Flynn is doing stuff. People may choose to bug him. Something may or may not happen.
Warnings: None, aside from OoC snark or subject-line fujoshi-bait.

[Flynn was still decompressing the experiences he had with the others after being hurled halfway across the world. Sure, he was able to cheer one person up, but it still surprised him how detached he reacted when everything was happening so quickly. When did he become so jaded? First, by not completely trusting the orphan boy, and second, trying his damnedest to keep calm when the woman who looked like Estelle lay there dying in his lap. It was almost as if... well, he knew that half of the reason why Yuri did the things he did back in Terca Lumireis was because he felt like nobody else would do what was necessary, so he took on the role himself. Was this how he felt? To Flynn, somebody needed to be the big brother to the group. Someone needed to keep their head on straight, be the one wary of all things, and make sure everyone got back safely. Someone willing to do what had to be done, when nobody else could or was willing to do what was necessary. It was like he was a completely different person, and he wasn't sure if the person he's become since arriving in Crystallis was the same man who was taken from Terca Lumireis... or if that was a good thing. These thoughts plagued his mind a she went about his day, doing his business.]

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[Is it obvious? Lust answers that with little more than a triumphant smirk. Of course it's obvious to her, but perhaps less so to others who don't make it a habit to learn how people tick in order to exploit them. Honestly it could hurt to be open with her, but as she has nothing in particular to gain from him that carries a personal cost, he has nothing to worry about.]

[So she listens patiently, arms folded. He's probing to see if she can relate, and she's almost sorry to disappoint him.]

I believe that kind of situation afflicts only those who are noble and selfless, like you.

[Lust has only ever acted in her own best interest, not due to anyone's expectations.]

But just because I've not faced this problem doesn't mean I cannot hear yours. What type of role are you talking about?

[Flynn has to admit that in retrospect, that was a stupid way to ask the question, considering the audience. Oh well.]

I don't particularly view myself as noble and selfless, but... moving along.

When we were expunged from Aqures Ixen to the lands in the south, I felt like I acted a bit out of my normal set of behaviors. I only realized it after thinking about it, but given the circumstances, it felt like I was trying to force myself to be calm, rational... almost unfeeling, in a situation where everyone else was overcome by emotion.

So you hid your own emotions in order to be supportive and comforting to others.

[Lust arches a brow, lowering her lashes. Then she adds in a dry tone:]

And you don't view yourself as 'selfless.'

[Honestly, what is she going to do with him. She pushes away from the wall and steps forward, her heels clicking slowly on the sidewalk as she approaches.]

From the sound of it, you were in need of comfort as well, and lacked a shoulder to lean on.

[Lust regards him steadily.]

Or perhaps you still remain in need of comfort after that particular ordeal.

Hmm.

[Flynn mulls over her words.]

You have some keen insights.

[Scratching the back of his head, he decompresses the information.]

I guess you have a point. It's definitely something I'll need to think about, but it sounds like it's a step in the right direction.

[smilesmile]

Thanks, Miss Lust. Is there anything I can do for you in return?

Please.

[She chuckles.]

An infant could have seen that much. I've only pinpointed the problem, I haven't solved it.

[And while she's certain she could fluster him out of his funk very easily, that isn't what either of them truly want.]

Weren't we due to have tea together?

Is now a good time for you?

[He decides to overlook the infant comment. She didn't mean it meanly. Probably. Their social contract was a weird one, anyway.]

I don't wish to impose on you if you have other things to get done.

[Well. She's always at least a little bit mean. But her intention isn't to offend, it's just her nature that she warned him about.]

I think it's better to do this sooner, rather than later.

[Lust smiles as she falls easily into step at his side. Even with her heels, she's four inches shorter than he is. She doesn't take his hand or his elbow, and is careful that their fingertips don't brush together as they walk. Physical contact means more if it's sparsely given, and only when it's both needed and appreciated.]

Why don't you tell me what happened in greater detail as we go. What happened that upset you in the first place?

Where to start...

[Flynn ponders as they begin walking.]

We came across a young boy who was looking for his mother, and eventually we found his mother. It didn't end well. But as everyone else was frantically trying to help the boy and his mother, I held myself back because part of me was suspicious of the entire ordeal, because everyone else's emotions were running so high I saw that nobody was taking a step back or trying to see the situation from a more neutral... or rather, suspicious, standpoint.

I still don't know how I truly feel about the situation, honestly.

[Lust studies his face as she listens, processing the situation in her mind. She's able to view it from an entirely different perspective, of course.]

I believe you were correct to be suspicious. People are far easier to manipulate when they're afraid or angry...particularly when children and women are involved.

[If he read her file, then he knows exactly what she's referring to. The war with Ishbala started due to a murdered child, which led to mass genocide of the Ishbalan people, all to serve Dante's dark purposes.]

Admirable as it is to feel sympathy and compassion, no one will be served if those virtues become weaknesses.

Perhaps there's more of a middle ground.

[Flynn bites his lower lip.]

I don't necessarily disagree with how the others reacted. I also don't think there was anything particularly wrong with the way I tried to handle things. It just feels a bit like...

[He then realizes he told Selphie the same thing. Even if he could do something differently, he doesn't regret his actions.]

I suppose I should stop caring about how others perceive me and just be myself.

That is the advice you told me, I believe.

[She turns her head to smile at him, still with that same sly coquettishness she seems to have patented into her personality.]

Unless my memories were significantly addled by the virus. Honestly, I think you have better balance between logic and emotion than most humans do. I was quite surprised at your response when I told you what I was, and what I had done.

[He'd weighed her words carefully, instead of impulsively hating her and calling her a monster, or immediately justifying her sins.]

Would that others were half as perceptive as you seem to be.

Well, society doesn't reward people for being perceptive. It rewards them for staying in line.

When people can't be perceptive, I find it difficult to blame them when they don't know anything else.

You don't think it's a matter of choice, then?

[Having reached the cafe, Lust chooses one of the outdoor tables and seats herself, crossing her long legs and picking up a menu.]

I asked a similar question some months back, asking if people chose to place themselves in the line of danger, or if it was simply instinct. Responses were mixed.

[She curls her fingers under her jaw, leaning her elbow upon the table.]

What's your take on that?

Well. Individually, people are prone to being unique and unpredictable. Put them together in a group, though, and all that goes out of the window. People are willing to sacrifice a lot for the sake of security.

It's easy to act like yourself when you only have to think about yourself, but when more and more is riding on it, the communal mindset seems to take over even without thinking about it consciously.

Then sacrifice is an act of a hive mind, not the heart.

[She seems oddly dissatisfied, thinking over something for a few moments. Then she places her menu down, signaling the waiter for a sweet milk tea.]

Even if that's the case, is it necessarily a bad thing?

[Lust's gaze shifts back toward Flynn, regarding him from the side as she contemplates his words, as well as her own response. Apparently she decides to go with 'flippant and casual as she simply smiles and leans forward to rest her chin upon the back of her hand.]

Well it isn't very romantic, is it?

[But there's a coolness in her eyes, even a faint touch of disappointment. She had always wondered why Scar would hurl his body in front of hers when the soldiers opened fire on the two of them, even though he'd known she couldn't truly be hurt by such things. If it was simply because of a collective decision, well...it left an empty feeling inside of her that she didn't like.]

Romance is also something created to put into words what people cannot describe.

There is no objective love. But that doesn't mean that goodwill and love are meaningless or nonexistent.

[he shrugs before taking a sip of his tea]

In any case, something seems to be on your mind. If something happened that you can't wrap your mind around... well, that's something that happens to everyone.

Is that so.

[She cups her chin in her hand, idly stirring her tea with a small spoon before tapping it against the edge.]

And what is it that you can't wrap your mind around, out of curiosity?

There were a few things. For instance, my friend's actions left me bewildered for a while, but I've come to respect him, even if I can't understand him. He took a mutual friend of our's traveling across the world, and even though she had to be protected and that was my duty, he did a far better job of it than I ever could.

Individuals may be different, and that's a strength, I suppose. Had she stayed with me, she may never have grown as much as she did. We may not be able to fully understand each other, and there may always be a distance between two people, but that's something you have to grow to love as well, I think.

Mmmmm...

[She isn't sure what to say to that, if only because she's not sure 'growth' is something a soulless creature can experience. She can learn from mistakes and adapt her strategies to better get what she wants, but growth? That might be impossible for her.]

Is that jealousy, then? Or a mere lack of self-confidence?

[She watches him as she poses her blunt question, curious. He doesn't seem all that upset or wrathful toward this friend of his, so she'd guess he's just humbly accepting his flaw for what it is.]

It can be called several different things.

[he humorlessly chuckles]

Sometimes I can't help but be jealous that Yuri can do things that I can't precisely because we are two different people. In the same regard, there are things that only I can do, so stressing out about my inadequacies serves nobody.

I'd hardly call a fighter like yourself 'inadequate.'

[She smiles over the rim of her teacup before taking a sip.]

Your accomplishments as a human are somewhat remarkable as well. You have more dignity and common sense than many of those other fools.

[Flynn pauses while he muses over her words. He then decides to accept them, regardless of the barbs. Why was she so earnestly pursuing humanity when she seemed to have almost nothing but disdain for them? Then again, that was the duality of human nature. Perhaps Lust was more human-like than she was giving herself credit for.]

Thank you.

[He downs the rest of his tea in one gulp.]

Thanks for listening.

If it granted you some measure of reassurance, then it's my pleasure.

[She smiles, laying her hand over his and giving it a brief, reassuring squeeze. Is it a falsehood meant to gain his trust? She's certainly done as much in the past. But truth be told, even she isn't sure if she means it or not. It's just the natural thing to do.]

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