Well, welcome to my short Mother's Day fic; late, but nonetheless posted. It's not the best thing I've written, but I enjoyed writing it anywho. Hope you like :)
Spoilers for the Raine's mother sidequest, and if you don't know what Yuan's official last name is (it's revealed in the sequel, but I only use the name itself here). Nothing really major for either game, so I think anyone can enjoy it.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tales copyright or the characters; I am merely a fan who enjoys writing about them. All rights belong to Namco; character designs (c) Kosuke Fujishima.
Happy Mother's Day, Sis
It was a good holiday, Mother's Day. A time to celebrate the joys of that gentle, comforting parent - the homemaker and caretaker.
This was, of course, assuming one was speaking of the traditional family. Raine was usually neither gentle nor comforting, and in fact, her cooking spelled disaster for anyone within a thirty-foot radius. Though caretaker she was, "homemaker" was left to be debated - at least by certain dwarf-raised duel swordsmen and their pink-clad, flamboyant friends.
Still, Lloyd was absent, Zelos was who-knew-where, and Genis and Raine were in Flanoir for a few short days, preparing for a small expedition to the Temple of Ice. Raine had wanted to study the Temple for some time, and now, with the blizzards dying down, was a perfect time to go.
That detail had little bearing on the situation itself, though. What did have a bearing on it was simply that they were in Flanoir and Mother's Day was tomorrow. They were not truly parent and child, of course - their biological mother, Virginia, resided in Exire - but it was Raine who had filled the role of mother for many years, and it was Raine to whom he would show extra appreciation on this day.
(Genis loved his blood mother, of course, but the hardships of separation had taken their toll, and Virginia did not know her children as they were now; her mind sadly, eternally, trapped in the past. Perhaps one day it would not be so, but for now it was: something they could do nothing about, but something they had no choice except to deal with.)
- - - - - - - - -
Luck was on his side the next morning as he tiptoed downstairs, for Raine was still fast asleep.
Whether they be at home or abroad, it was not unusual for Genis to do most of the cooking (and laundry and much of the cleaning, for that matter). Being at an Inn left him without much to clean (not that he minded), but laundry and lunch - that he could do. Though his meals were always very delicious, he tended to make simpler ones when they were traveling. Lavish dinners, after all, were not usually condusive for cooking over a campfire.
But today required things to be just a little more special.
He did not need great amounts of ingredients, nor a great deal of space, for it would only be the two of them. But a nice breakfast - poached eggs over biscuits and ham, topped with a most delectable sauce - was a good way to start off. Called "Eggs d'Fai", it was a specialty in Meltokio and Altamira, and it was probably one of the best things he'd ever tasted. (Regal had been kind enough to give him the recipe.) He didn't know if Raine had ever tried such a dish, but he was sure she'd like it. With a side of hash browns and a few pancakes, and some fruit, this was sufficiently more special than their usual, quicker breakfasts.
Once the cooking was complete, he tiptoed back up the stairs to their room; sunlight was just starting to filter through the blinds. Raine would be up soon.
Quietly, quickly, he set the little table in their room, straightening the tablecloth (even though it didn't really need it); it looked very nice if he did say so himself. But there was one last touch, one last piece he needed to make it just right. Moving to where their travel packs had been placed in the corner, he rummaged through his bag until he found it. The breakfast was only icing to the metaphorical cake - the real present was a book. It was old, an old book on theories behind mana, traditions surrounding such theories - stuff Lloyd couldn't get for beans - but Raine would find it fascinating, all the better because of its antiquity. Genis set it on the table as well, wrapped neatly in a crisp white paper and tied with a ribbon.
"There, all done," Genis nodded at his work. (Darn, he'd done good.)
The sun had risen, now, and Raine was beginning to stir. Shaking her head slowly, yawning, she sat up, and glanced about the room. There was a yummy scent in the air, and Genis was grinning proudly. What was the occasion?
"My, but what's this?" she asked, coming over to the table. "Is that...what is that?"
"It's called Eggs d'Fai," Genis responded, "and it's really good. Regal sent me the recipe."
"I see. And...what's this?" She gently lifted up the rectangular package.
"For you," Genis grinned. She opened it and her eyes lit up.
"A Theoretic Discussion on the Traditions and Legacies of Mana and Lineage," she read (such a long title!) "But where did you find such an amazing manuscript?!" she said, nearly dancing now with excitement (nearly in Ruin-mode, but not -quite-). "Where on Aselia...?"
"I got it from Zelos. Sebastian was cleaning out his library or something...anyway, Zelos said he didn't have use for something so mind-numbingly boring and that if I wanted to turn my brain to goo it'd suit him fine." Raine laughed, briefly lapsing out of pre-Ruin-mode to smile warmly at her brother.
"Genis, this is all a wonderful surprise. Thank you."
Genis grinned. "Happy Mother's Day, Sis."
Well, there it is. Like I said, not the best thing I've written, but I hope everyone enjoyed it, at least :) Have a lovely weekend.
AUTHOR'S NOTES (spoilers here):
Eggs d'Fai, otherwise known as "Eggs Benedict". The dish is named after Benedict Arnold, who's probably the most famous traitor in American history. But it likely wouldn't be called that in Aselia, so I named it d'Fai after the latter part of Yuan's last name, "Ka-Fai". (I don't consider him a -true- traitor, of course - his actions did help greatly in saving the world (and WHO saved Lloyd's group in the Tower of Salvation?) - but he kinda just seemed to fit ;P ). Nah, I really do like Yuan; totally awesome. Rock on, ya thunder-totin' elf ;)