June 21st—it was a dark and dreary evening with no trace of the sun's presence beyond the cloudy sky. A heavy downpour, concealed well with the silver fog which shrouded the dilapidated row of houses, surrounding a large fountain—this was the Lower Quarter, home to the poor and the lost, the old and weary.
In the midst of the pouring rain, a startled cry broke out.
Meek and feeble but powerful and enduring—signifying the birth of a child, a boy.
For a few brief minutes, there was a moment of peace until…
"Oh, no! We're losing her!"
"Lily, please stay strong!"
"Breathe! breathe!"
Lying on a bed was a young woman with long black hair. Surrounding her sprawled out body were two able women doing what they can to help ease her mild discomfort and ever increasing pain. Though the birth was deemed successful, the woman—Lily was in a critical state. Every waking second, she was losing lots of blood.
With little to no money to afford a doctor, the women did what they could by stocking up more pillows behind her to incline her head, provide her water to drink and murmur encouragements in her ear for support.
Meanwhile, the leader of the group, Jiri, took the initiative to direct orders to some of the men waiting for any news from the house they were currently stationed in.
So many things were happening at once, Lily couldn't keep track of any of it.
Barely conscious and struggling to breathe, she leaned her chin forward, her facial features softening as she took a moment to take in the appearance of her newly-born son.
He was utterly beautiful.
Without warning, she wrapped an arm around his tiny form and cradled him, inhaling his scent and sighing heavily. As much as she wanted to keep him in her arms forever, she knew that her time was almost over as she could feel herself slipping away.
Gathering the remaining strength left in her, Lily moved her head and locked eyes with the bearded man sitting next to her. She knew what she had to do. Ignoring the noises around them, Lily silently jerked her chin to let him come forth.
The man nodded, leaning in.
"Please…" Lily drawled out as her voice was desperate. "If I don't make it…"
"Lilian, you mustn't say that," The man retorted, bringing his hand forward to squeeze her shoulder. "You can do this. You are strong, I know you can— "
Lily shook her head. "No, I don't…have much time…" She croaked, tears spilling down from the corners of her eyes. Inhaling another deep breath, she veered downwards to take a good look at her child, still bawling with tiny arms reaching out in seek of her warmth.
Smiling, Lily pecked him on the temple.
To the man's surprise, the child stopped his outburst.
"Hanks," She began, averting her attention back to the bearded man. "Please…take care of him."
"Lillian!"
"I can't go on…" She muttered, struggling to form more words out of her mouth. "You and Jiri…please, I beg of you…" And offered her baby to him.
Right away, Hanks extended his arms out to welcome the small bundle in his embrace. The second he got a hold of him, Lily smiled and closed her eyes, dropping her left arm in the process.
Eyes widening, Hanks rushed forth to take a hold of her hand. He turned pale.
It was cold.
"LILLIAN!" Hanks cried at the top of his lungs, startling the baby and the women in the room.
On cue, the mass of women rushed over to her already unconscious form.
When Hanks attempted to join in, he felt something wriggling in his arms. Looking down, he was surprised to find that the child had opened his eyes—it was as dark as midnight, the same eyes as his recently deceased mother.
Consumed with emotions, Hanks excused himself from the women to approach his wife, Jiri, who stood from a distance with her arms crossed over her chest. Though she displayed a strong atmosphere, Hanks knew from the way her shoulders were stiffened and how she kept blinking her eyes multiple times were that she was restraining herself from crying right then and there.
"Jiri…" He murmured, alerting his wife.
In response, the tall woman looked down, her eyes lengthening in size upon recognizing the small bundle in his arms. "Hanks, you…"
"Lilian entrusted me and you to be this boy's caretakers." Hanks explained to her, "We must respect her wishes."
Jiri nodded her head. "Has she bestowed him a name?"
"No," Hanks answered, sighing heavily.
His wife crinkled her nose. "Then what should we call him?"
Hanks took a moment to think it over. Uriel Lowell was the name of Lily's mysterious lover and the father of the currently unnamed child. By combining that with Lily's maiden surname, which was Yeatman, the result would be—
"…Yuri."
Jiri arched a questionable eyebrow. "What?"
"Yuri," Hanks repeated, this time with confidence. "It's a combination of his deceased parents' names." He explained to her. "A name that would honor them both."
Frowning, Jiri mulled the thought over. "Yuri Lowell…" She wondered, testing the waters. As she silently replayed the new name over and over in her head, she was unconsciously drawn to the dead woman whose entire body, excluding her head, was wrapped in blankets. Reverting her eyes back to her husband, she forced a smile. "What a fitting name."
Hanks nodded in agreement, his eyes wandering downwards to look at the now sleeping child nestled in his embrace.
June 21st—a day that Hanks, his wife Jiri, and the rest of the Lower Quarter would never forget.
Following the untimely death of a beloved member of their closely-knitted community, Lillian Lowell—her orphaned son, is welcomed with open arms by the women, men, and children.
A boy who would grow up to honor the sacrifice of his mother under his christened name—Yuri Lowell.
Before Yuri was born, Hanks and his wife Jiri wished to have a child of their own.
Despite their efforts to procreate, they were unable to conceive one as it was later revealed by a visiting nurse that they were both infertile. Years passed and they've hit their early forties with no child to care for.
And then a twenty-year-old mercenary named Lillian arrived.
Hailing from Dahngrest, she was quite the beauty with lustrous long, black mane, blessed with a lean figure and held a thirst for fighting monsters. With no family to speak of, she wandered far and wide. Until one day, she stumbled across the Capital City of Zaphias.
She enjoyed the hospitality of the people of the Lower Quarter and ultimately decided to remain there for good. Everyone loved her, especially Hanks and Jiri who saw a bit of themselves in her. Three years later and out of the blue, she announced her pregnancy.
Information of her mysterious lover remained unknown except for his name—Uriel Lowell. With no trace of his whereabouts, Hanks, Jiri, and the community took it upon themselves to tend to her in the months to come.
Nine months later and Lillian, shortly after delivering a healthy baby boy, passed away in her sleep as a result of the massive blood loss prior to her delivery.
As promised, Hanks and Jiri took Yuri in, providing him with enough milk to be fed, clothes to wear, and a room for him to occupy in their household.
Fast-forward to the present and the boy grew up fast and strong, as predicted.
At the age of seven, Yuri was already exhibiting great potential—agile and boastful, reminding Hanks of a young Lillian who, too displayed a similar streak. And like his mother, Yuri was quite the handful.
Nevertheless, through the efforts of the able men and women in the Lower Quarter, he was well-nourished and given shelter—a home and a family to call his own.
Around the time, a newcomer entered the Lower Quarter with the company of his mother—a seven-year-old by the name of Flynn Scifo.
Born and raised in the Middle Quarter, it took a while for Flynn to be accepted by his peers, especially by Yuri who was known to display a haughty attitude.
And much to Hanks's dismay, Yuri would always find opportunities to challenge the poor boy in a duel. Time and time again, he would lose and as a result, would receive a few scratches on his elbows and knees, and a busted lip.
This was one of those times.
"Hey, cut it out!"
Hanks rolled his eyes, ignoring the boy's protest as he continued to smear alcohol in a white cloth before enclosing it on his bruised cheek. Upon the contact, Yuri gritted his teeth.
"Ahhh!" Yuri suddenly cried, "That hurts!"
"If you keep moving like that, it'll get worse!" He exclaimed, causing the latter to stiffen in his seat. "Now, quit your whining and let me finish!"
To his relief, Yuri did what he was told and closed his mouth shut.
A moment later, Hanks stood upright, taking the first aid kit in the process. Before he could say anything, another voice beat him to it.
"What did we tell you about fighting?" Jiri's booming voice rang throughout the room, catching their attention. "Nothing good comes out of it!"
"You weren't there!" He exclaimed in defense, jumping out of his chair to approach the older woman. "I had to protect my turf no matter what!"
Jiri shot him a glare. "I don't care! That doesn't give you the right to suddenly attack that Scifo kid." She scolded. "And in broad daylight!"
"He was asking for it— "
Something bumped him on the head, startling him. Quickly, he brought his hands to nurse the aching wound.
"This is the tenth time you've pulled the same stunt in two weeks," Hanks joined in, his tone calm and steady, "Man up and befriend Flynn."
Whirling his head around, Yuri stuck out his tongue. "No way!" He cried, "I'm never gonna befriend that jerk! Not even in a million years!"
Jiri and Hanks cast each other a look and laughed.
Taking note of this, Yuri furrowed his eyebrows. "What's with you guys?"
"Yuri, do you know the policy here in the Lower Quarter?" Jiri brought up, earning a startled look from the boy.
Registering her words, Yuri crossed his arms. "We must welcome everyone…and anyone with open arms…" He murmured lowly as he recited the community oath, "Like…they're family."
"Which means that you and Flynn would have to view each other the same way we view you," Hanks explained to him with a smile. "Whether you like it or not, you're gonna see him as a brother."
Yuri groaned. "Do I have to?"
"If you wanna live long enough to see your future, then yes," Jiri affirmed this. Giving her husband a silent look, she proceeded to excuse herself from the living room to start preparing their supper.
Alone with his foster son, Hanks approached him.
Bending on one knee, he looked at him and asked, "Yuri," He addressed the boy in a gentle manner. "There must be a reason why you keep targeting him."
Yuri turned his head the other way, avoiding eye contact.
Hanks sighed. "I won't tell Jiri," He stressed, "Just tell me what's bothering you."
"…Why does Flynn have a mom and I don't?"
Hanks blinked. "Are you saying that you're jealous?" He wondered, tipping his head to the side.
"N-no!" Yuri exclaimed though the tips of his ears were reddening from embarrassment. "I just don't get him, you know?" As he delivered his words, he brought a hand to the hem of his shirt and tightened his hold on it. "He's got a mom and…well, he had a dad but that's something…"
Hearing this, Hanks's facial features softened. "You know you have us," He said, referring to him and his wife.
"Yeah, but…" Yuri trailed off, taking a deep breath. "Just watching Flynn interact with his mom the other day, it makes me wonder what'll be like if my mom's here…" Pausing briefly, he took a moment to choose his words carefully until finally, settled with a question. "Hanks?"
"Yes?"
"What's my mom like?"
No response.
"…Hanks?"
"Your mom was…interesting, to say the least," The bearded man began, his voice becoming a mere whisper. "She was brave, canny, and would do anything in her power to help those in need. She's a precious member of the community and we would never forget the kind endeavors she's done for us."
Yuri nodded intently. "What did she look like?"
"She had beautiful black hair," Hanks went on, followed shortly by a soft chuckle. "Kind of like yours. And I believe you share the same eye shape and eye color as well."
Beaming from the new information, Yuri threw in another question. "What about my dad? What was he like?"
This time, he received no answer.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just…" Hanks stopped himself for a moment to breathe. "We don't talk about him because we don't know. Who he was or what he looked like—your mother was the only one who knew."
Yuri chewed on his bottom lip as he processed the words. "…Oh," was all he managed to say.
Something warm was planted on top of his head, catching his attention. Looking up, he saw the bearded man's smile. "But you know, if it weren't for your mother, you wouldn't be alive now. And you have us—Jiri, Flynn, the community, and I…we're here for you. Always."
Yuri's eyes slightly widened before reverting back to its natural degree.
In return, he gave the bearded man a lop-sided grin.
And just like that, the seven-year-old boy's worries dissipated as Hanks's words touched his heart. To him, the definition of family was clear and simple—it was the people of the Lower Quarter.
It wasn't much of a surprise to Jiri and Hanks that in the end, Yuri and Flynn became quick friends—becoming fond of one another's presence as well as being personal rivals.
With Flynn's mother shortly passing away from an unidentifiable illness a few months later, the two boys became closer than ever. And through Yuri's request, the couple were more than happy to welcome the young Scifo into their household.
Often times, the two adults would find themselves taking on the roles of the boys' mediators as they tend to team up and get into more fights with other boys who would insult them.
Despite their differences, there was no doubt that they shared similar ambitions and dreams—choosing to save up their money to purchase a sword that they would take turns practicing, trying to best the other, and that one day, through their collaborated efforts, wished to assist the Lower Quarter.
Ten years have gone and Yuri reached the promising age of seventeen.
Slowly and surely, his appearance was becoming mature—outgrowing his hair into a fine, long mane (though at times, wore it in a tight ponytail), becoming taller and leaner, aligning well with his handsome features.
While going out to buy groceries, Jiri suffered a stroke.
Torn by this, Yuri and Flynn desperately ran to the Middle Quarter, hoping to find a doctor that would be available to them. Though they managed to find one, they couldn't afford the money to pay them. In the end, their foster mother passed away later at night—with Hanks, Yuri, and Flynn seated near her bedside, holding her hands and mourning in silence.
The day after came the funeral. Everyone from the Lower Quarter came in to shower Jiri's grave, which was buried near the outskirts of the barrier, with flowers and baskets of food for her journey in the afterlife.
Eventually, evening came and the majority of the crowd headed back to the Lower Quarter…all except Hanks who stood quietly in front of her tombstone, gripping the bouquet of flowers he held in his hands.
Alone and widowed—the fifty-one-year-old man sobbed to himself.
"Hey, old man."
Sniffing, Hanks turned to meet the dark-haired teenager.
"Come on, you can't stay here or the monsters are gonna come and attack," Yuri urged as he made his way over to his foster father. Extending his hand outward, he waited for the latter to accept his hand. "Let's go."
Swallowing thickly, Hanks nodded his head. "…Fine, fine," He murmured, choosing to ignore the teenager's hand and walking forward.
Yuri sighed. Peering over his shoulder, his expression softened. With his eyes fixated on the gravestone, he sighed, bowed his head a little and moved forth.
He quickened his pace to chase after the bearded man who seemed to be quite in a hurry to enter the entrance of the wall.
Once he got in close proximity, Hanks broke the silence by saying, "Let's go to the house. There's something I've been meaning to show ya."
Shaking his head, Yuri followed after him. As they walked up the stairs ascending to the Lower Quarter, Hanks angled his body to the left and opened the door. Wordlessly, Yuri entered as well.
As they maneuvered through the living room, Hanks abruptly halted in his tracks.
"Hanks, you alright?'
"Yeah, I'm good…" The bearded man murmured, clearing his throat. He points a finger over to a nearby bookshelf. "Could ya do me a favor and push this to the side?"
Yuri nodded, abiding his order with no objections. The eerie silence was replaced with the constant shuffling of the bookshelf and wood against wood. A few minutes later and Yuri finally managed to get the bookshelf to the other side.
Hanks wobbled over, and once more, directed his finger to the strange-looking box. "See that? That's for you."
Yuri frowned slightly. "…For me?"
"Jiri meant to give this to you," Hanks began, squatting down to retrieve the box before standing up. "Before she came to the Lower Quarter, she used to journey overseas, challenging others in a coliseum and whatnot."
Yuri cocked his head to the side, surprised to hear this. "Huh…that explains a few things." He grumbled, "Anyway, what's that?" And jerked his chin toward the box.
"This…" Hanks began, opening the box and bestowing it to him. "is Jiri's most prized possession." Claiming the handle of the sword, he raised it high.
"A…sword?"
"Second Star," Hanks explained further, his eyes trained in on the weapon in his possession. "A blade forged by one of the finest blacksmiths. Don't know much of its origin but I know that it meant a lot to my Jiri." As he finished his speech, he resorted to offering the sword over to his foster son.
"Woah, what are you doing?" Yuri cried, completely baffled.
"This," Hanks started, narrowing his eyes. "Is for you."
Yuri furiously shook his head. "No, I can't take this."
"Jiri would want you to," Hanks insisted him, his arm still outstretched as he waited for the latter to take hold of the weapon any time now. "Besides, I don't have much use for it. Not much of a fighter myself."
After much thought, Yuri finally surrendered. "Alright then," And took the sword from the bearded man. Inspecting it, he proceeded to swing the sword. He smirked a little as he felt a sudden rush of energy spread throughout his body. "Not so bad," He commented, flinging the sword over to the crook of his shoulder.
"And don't forget this," Hanks added in, to which the latter nodded and took the sheath from his hands.
"So, what's the catch?"
Hanks blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Normally, when you and Jiri want something out of me, you'd offer me bait and then ask me a favor in return," Yuri explained as he enclosed the Second Star sword through the covering. Taking a strand of the strings in his hands, he looked up to face the elder man. "So, what is it?"
Hanks emitted a soft smile. "You're learning," He murmured softly. Collecting his hands behind his back, he looked up to glance at the teenager and said, "It's not much of a favor but more of a request."
Yuri quirked an eyebrow. "And that is…?"
"Flynn is planning to become a knight," Hanks began, his tone of voice softer. "In a few days, he'll be sent to the palace to get properly trained and would be involved in the pilgrimage."
"And I'm guessing you'll want me to enroll myself in the program as well?" The teenager asked him, setting a hand on his hips. He remained stoic when the elder man nodded, confirming his suspicions.
"I don't know how long you wish to stay here in the Lower Quarter, but Jiri and I want what's best for you," Hanks replied, "Flynn knows what he wants to do. What about you?"
"I…" Yuri paused for a moment as he tried to think it over. "I know that I want to help you guys out here."
"But with what job and with what money?" Hanks pressed on, "You can't stay here, hoping for everything to be okay if all you do is sit around and wait for something to come into your life."
Yuri shot him a glare. "Did Flynn tell you to say that to me?" He wondered, getting peeved.
Hanks shook his head. "He's right, you know," He expressed, "We all have our roles established—I am the mayor and the caretaker of you and Flynn. Flynn is going to serve as a knight, Ted and the children in the orphanage are going to school…everyone's moving forward, except you."
Yuri inhaled a sharp breath. "Then what do you want me to do?"
"Choose," Hanks answered immediately. "I'm not saying that right now, you should but…as much as I would like you to do something, I want you to be happy with it. Do what's best for you, Yuri."
Yuri opened his mouth to say something, only to close it. Instead, he nodded and strolled over to the staircase on the other side of the room, the shuffling of his footsteps as the only noises in the entire household.
Sighing, Hanks walked over to a table where he located a framed picture. Taking it, he frowned slightly. "What should I do, Jiri?" He mumbled, his eyes fixed on a portrait of a younger version of his deceased wife. "Our boys are growing up…" A pause. "Though I can't seem to move forward from it myself."
Silence.
He chuckled slightly. "Oh, I miss you, dear…" He croaked, removing his glasses to wipe away the tears trailing on his cheeks. "More than you know."
The next two weeks were a struggle for everyone in the Lower Quarter.
For starters, one of their own—Flynn Scifo was to be temporarily stationed in the Palace until he embarks on his long-awaited pilgrimage. And to their surprise, including Flynn, Yuri decided to tag along, claiming that he'd want to join his childhood friend and foster brother just for the 'heck of it'.
Hanks stood in front of the abandoned room in which his two foster sons—Flynn and Yuri once occupied. From the bunk-beds they would often fight over, to the wooden swords they managed to carve out of wood with the help of Jiri and the tattered clothes he had to sew each time they got into a fight from the boys from the Middle Quarter.
Each object, clothing and, trinket that was left behind…held a source of memory for the three of them.
Yuri and Flynn leaving to become Knights…
His beloved Jiri passing away…
It was almost the end of the year and everything was changing.
Such a thought made Hanks suddenly realize how lonelier he was without the presence of his loved ones.
Hello, this is Kroissant!
This might be a bit sudden but I've been having this recurring dream and I want to be able to post it before it goes away. I initially wanted to make this into a complete one-shot but based on what's going on, it'll be three to four chapters (one of them is an epilogue). Unlike the other fanfictions I am currently writing, this one is different and it's impactful.
I'm going to make it as short as soon as possible-this time, I'm focusing on one of the background characters and this time, it's Hanks. I've noticed that there's a lack of information on him and wanted to take this chance to develop him more as a character.
For now, please bear with me.
As this fanfiction is going to be updating pretty quickly-as I've mentioned before, these are all completely unplanned and I'm just letting my dream flow as we speak.
This entire fanfiction alone is inspired by the song, 'Father and Son' by Cat Stevens
Oh and don't worry, rest assured-I'll still be updating SoSN and checkmate. For now, please be patient and let me write this fanfiction! Thank you so much!
Also, my fascination with Yuri's mother's name is Lily is due to this:
In Japanese, Yuri means Lily (and I want him to have a close connection to his mom despite not knowing her much)
...And that's all.
Alright, see you tomorrow!