And here's the second of the one-shots! This one takes place after ToX2 with the incredibly odd circumstances of everyone living. EVERYONE!
Inspired by Second Chances by TeaLee. The movie scenes in that fic gave me the idea for this one, so thank you.
Tales of Xillia and the Tales of Series are the copyright of Namco Bandai and whoever else owns the rights. I own nothing except for OCs that have unfortunately appeared.
Movie Party
A knock came at the door, distracting Ludger away from the refreshments he was preparing for the upcoming party.
"I'll get it," Julius intervened before Ludger could even consider getting it. Ludger's older brother hustled over to the door to their shared apartment to let in their guest.
Despite said older brother's efforts though, the silver-haired cook couldn't help but glance over to the door to see which of their esteemed guests and friends was here first.
It didn't come as a surprise that it was Jude Mathis, the boy genius spyrite researcher. "Hey Julius," the nearly unseen boy answered back. "I know you said not to bring anything, but we're imposing enough that I'd feel bad if I didn't bring something." That was Jude in a nutshell.
"Such a do-gooder eh?" Julius lightly ribbed him. He took a plastic bag. "Come on it," and stepped aside to let their guest in.
Ludger flipped back to cooking but could still hear the door closing.
"Hey Ludger," Jude greeted him from behind.
"Yo," he said back. Didn't turn back, however. "So, what'd you bring?"
"Some cold beers apparently," Julius was the one to answer instead. The sound of glass bottles clanging together echoed in from behind. "I'm going to assume Alvin bought these?"
"Presa actually," Jude replied. "Though it was my idea. Even if half of us aren't gonna drink."
A cold beer certainly sounded good after slaving away in the kitchen all day. But the dessert at the end needed a steady hand to guide it. "Save one of those for me, will ya?" he asked his brother.
"Looks like there's one for everyone anyway," Julius gave a different, but satisfactory, answer.
It caused Jude to laugh. "Yeah, I still don't have free gald to double up. Not with Drellin's prices." After the incidents, Jude's share of the gald had gone to spyrite research.
"Hey, spending anything on us is more than we expected," Julius took the price-bound gift with grace. He finally got around to heading to their fridge and putting the beers inside the container. Ludger spared another glance at the refreshing alcohol and couldn't help but get a bit more anxious to break into his bottle already. "Make yourself at home," Julius offered to their first guest. "Not that there's much room," he laughed at the end.
They'd had to redecorate the place to hold everyone. Middle-class apartments weren't designed for parties of nearly twenty people, so nearly the entire living room was just seating and tables facing towards their TV. There was definitely more room over at Bisley's place but... even if things were peaceful with the CEO, they were still awkward.
Yet they'd invited him anyway!
Well, he was far from the oddest invitee. Rideaux's unnerving visage took that honor. He had no idea why Julius wanted him over, but he consented. It was still Julius' place after all. Even if he and Elle more than contributed to making sure it was still standing. His brother wasn't the best at chores after all.
"You still sleeping on the couch Ludger?" Jude inquired into their living arrangements.
"Yeah," he admitted with a sigh. "Trying to find a new place as been difficult." With Elle living with them now, he'd given up his bed and half the space in his room. Julius was more than willing to give up his room for Ludger, but he couldn't have that! Julius was the only one with an actual job at the moment, and needed real rest.
"Maybe I should have just donated that money to you instead of getting those beers..." Jude trailed off with another idea.
Ludger reflexively rolled his eyes at the offer. "We've turned down help from everyone already. Multiple times." He appreciated everyone's offers, but they weren't on the street!
Yet anyway.
"Sorry." But Jude's tone was anything but. "But, I wouldn't be here if I wasn't a do-gooder."
They all wouldn't be here if he wasn't a do-gooder. But the past was the past! This was time to move on! Both in conversation and food. "So, you talked to anyway else on the way over?" Ludger asked as he moved over to the finishing touches elsewhere.
"Yeah," Jude said back before he settled in one of the chairs. "Agria's running late in Marksburg. Some issue she was screaming her head off about. You know her."
Ludger pitied whoever earned her ire.
"Alvin and Yurgen's meeting's running long, but they say it's because it's a big success."
Sounds like they'd be showing up drunk.
"I actually ran into Gaius and Wingul on the way over, but they have to shake off their admirers before they came in."
The two of them certainly had their share of fans amongst the populaces. Them being inseparable made it difficult to go anywhere without it becoming a scene.
"Milla and Muzét... well it's still difficult to get a hold of them. So your guess is as good as mine. They'll be here though."
Even with the breakthroughs spyrite research had, communicating with the spirit world was still more guesswork than science.
"Presa... who knows...?" Jude paused for a bit. He probably shrugged. "She vanished after buying me those beers."
The femme fatale was a mystery at the best of times. It wouldn't surprise him if she showed right now.
So when a knock came at the door he jumped and nearly spilled the frying pan!
He barely caught the utensil and its delicious contents but still... he'd helped save the world and he was jumpy at a door? That was so lame...
"Coming," Julius called out and repeated his earlier actions.
Lo and behold it was exactly who Ludger guessed: Presa. "Such a gentleman," she announced herself by flirting. "If only Al was this considerate."
"I'm sure it's there somewhere," Julius didn't fall for her wiles. "Come on in."
"His Highness, Wingul and Agria are right behind me," she revealed as she walked on in. "So just leave the door open."
"Thought she'd run longer..." Jude mused at the thought.
"She was just dying to see you," Presa teased him.
"Not as much as I was."
"My whip offer is still on the table..." now she was getting into it.
"No thanks!" Jude immediately shut her down.
"Yeah," Julius intervened in the conversation before it was taken too far. "Let's leave those kinds of personal matters in private."
"But I just love to share," she didn't back down however.
"Then share the door." Until a girl in red kicked her way past.
Agria had arrived.
"See? She likes the rough stuff." Presa took it in stride and immediately broke the taboo placed just a second ago.
"Mind yourself Agria," Gaius—Erston, chided the girl. "Violence dishonors our hosts."
"So does stopping us from entering," Agria grumbled. "But, right, yeah, sorry." She did relent to his authority in the end however.
The shuffle of feet moved deeper into their apartment, but Ludger's attention was still focused on the food.
"That smells delectable Ludger," Erston was the first to comment.
"Thanks, I made something for everyone," he replied. He went overboard for what was just supposed to be a casual gathering, but he had plenty of time on his hands with Elle in school like today. It would have been better to be on a job hunt but... No! Today was supposed to be a fun day!
Either way, he just finished up! The dessert needed some more time, but could be safety minded away from the stove. Ludger flipped everything else off, washed his hands and turned around—to see Agria moving right in for a kiss on Jude!
He more than reciprocated in kind and the two linked lips and kissed.
And kissed.
And kissed.
And so on.
And so on.
If Ludger had a watch he'd be checking it just to time things (though the clock on the oven would work now that he thought about it).
Jude and Agria may be the most unorthodox, weird, strange, bizarre, insane, crazy, what-the-hell-where-they-thinking couple he'd ever met... yet they worked. Being the lead designers on spyrite research certainly helped.
As much as he didn't want to interrupt a display of affection like this (and boy was it affectionate!) Ludger gave an awkward cough. They came here to relax, not make-out.
It was enough to break them away from each other, if just barely.
It wasn't enough to stop the snark afterwards though. "They're just jealous," Agria grinned despite the hints of a blush on her cheeks.
"It's written clear on all their lonely single faces," Jude dropped his do-gooder self in favor of his supporting boyfriend self. To anyone not invited to this party, Jude might sound like a jerk, it might sound like he just insulted them, but it was really that sort of insulting privilege good friends had.
Which was why they could whip it right back. "Sounds like a challenge to me," Presa licked her lips at the thought.
"Hey now," Julius stepped in to moderate before things got out of hand. "We're here for a nice time. Don't make me think that Bisley and Rideaux are gonna be less trouble."
"So boring," Presa shook her head. "But you're the handsome host, so you get to make the rules." She still tried to subvert them one last time.
"Yes, that is the rule," Julius stood steadfast. "Isn't that right, Ludger?"
Well, maybe if he had someone by his side, but as it was now... "Yeah."
Julius gave a little smile. "See? Two-thirds of the residents here agree."
"You're all so boring," Agria groaned at her make-out session getting interrupted. "Fine, we'll just do it out in the hall for all your neighbors to gape and wonder."
He couldn't help himself from rolling his eyes at her refusal. Not that any of them expected a different either, really. "Then you can play greeter for everyone else while you're out there," said Ludger, to try and turn the tables around on them again.
"Sounds like a plan," Jude answered and both refused to back down on this. "It's a good idea to show everyone what they'll be dealing with."
They just couldn't win against them could they? "Wonderful," he said it without emotion.
The kissing duo just smugly shook their heads before prancing off and giving everyone a relief from their lovey-dovey act. A couple breathes of relief came out once they were out of sight.
"It's sooooo fun messing with them," said Presa, amused at the turn of events.
"Yes," even the usually stoic Wingul agreed with that. "But we should let them have their peace once they return, if they agree to minimize their interactions."
Everyone was on board with Wingul's idea. It was wrong to try and throttle their public displays like this, but they just did it so much it was getting on everyone's nerves!
Erston spoke next, "So, who will be the first to meet our new doormen?"
Well, Elle wasn't out of school just yet (the scheduling conflicts to get everyone together required this). That locked down Elize, Rowen and Jiao too. Leia most likely? Or a surprise Milla and Muzét? He was sure Bisley and the rest of the Spirius attaches would be last. Probably enough for the food to start cooling. Heck, it was gonna be cooling already by the time even the next arrival came in. But he had so much to cook he started early so he didn't run over...
Well, he could be a jerk and blame everyone else for being slow!
But he wasn't a jerk. As shown by all the close friends and family he had, heh.
Before the conversation could pick up any further, three of the GHSes in the room started to whine with their ringtone, Ludger's was one of them.
He, Erston and Wingul all flipped open their phones. "Heya Ludger!" Elle's voice came in. "Elize and I are on our way! Whoosh!"
"Right."
"Just right? Come on! I'm mature enough to ride on wyverns now! Elize wasn't much older than me when she rode!"
"No means no," he sighed his answer back to her. Ever since Jiao brought those wyverns over she was practically begging him every day to get taken up in one. But... he just didn't believe they were safe! Even if Jiao was behind the reigns, everything that happened still stuck with him...
"Hmpf, fine!" she huffed back at him. "But if we're late you'll have to accept responsibility knowing we could have been back in a minute!"
"We'll all get over some slightly cooled food," he replied back with a little smile she couldn't see. "See you soon. Goodbye and I love you."
"B-bye!" her end shut off abruptly.
He lingered on his GHS' screen for a tad longer. Even after these years they hadn't gotten over it. Well, who would? Really?
Staring at his wallpaper wasn't gonna fix anything either, so he put his phone back.
"Elle?" Erston asked him.
"Yeah," he nodded back. "Jiao and Rowen?"
Erston nodded right back. "Elize is with them and they're on their way."
"Elle wanted them to take wyverns," Ludger informed them.
"She's a strong and inquisitive girl," Erston complimented her.
"That's what worries me," he tossed out a father's worry. "Strong people tend to get in lots of trouble." As they could all more than attest too.
"There is no safer rider than Jiao."
This was starting to sound suspicious... "Did she tell you to say that?" She was an inquisitive girl after all.
"No, we simply came to the same conclusion." But even with that excellent poker face the king of Auj Oule had, it was still clear he lied.
Ludger couldn't exactly call him out on it, so he just settled on sighing. "We've had enough danger in our lives and I'm her father so she's not riding on any wyverns." He put his foot down on the issue.
"I seem to recall a certain younger brother of mine trying to cook even after I told him no," Julius chided him.
"That's completely different!" Ludger kept to his decision. "If she fell from one of those she could break her neck!"
Julius gave a wave of his gloved hand as a reminder of Ludger's own mistakes however. "If you just keep saying no she's only gonna want it more," now he brought up the Spirius Agent thing. "She'll run off without your supervision one of these days if you keep treating her like a kid."
"She is a kid!" Ludger shouted back. "One that deserves a normal life now..." he sighed again as he shook his head. "I don't think I can get any clearer as to why I don't want her on one..." Ludger trailed off at the end. Bah, what was he thinking? This was supposed to be a celebration and now they were having dramatic family moments. "Look, this can wait until she gets here at least."
"Putting things off is pretty childish..."
"Julius..." Ludger glared at his brother.
He just took it in stride with a laugh. "Relax, just a joke. Sort of."
Ludger could have done without that last part but he was more than ready to move on.
Thankfully a knock at a door took all attention to it. Elle and company shouldn't be here just yet so...
Wingul (who was closest) took the initiative and opened their abode.
"Hi guys!" Leia said with a cheery wave. "Wow, looks like nearly everyone's here already!"
"Welcome Leia," Julius greeted her.
"So, why are Jude and Agria out in the hallway?"
"You don't want to know," Ludger tried to protect her.
"Oh." Even if she knew exactly what it meant. "Well, bold Jude is good too!" She bounced right back from it. "So, how's everyone been doing?" Her journalist flare sparked right up.
"Well, the trade unions between Rieze Maxia and Elympios have been on quite the winning streak in the tariffs and taxes talks," Erston dipped into politics without any real prompting.
"Ooooh!" Leia was awe at the quick answer. "Now I wish I brought my note pad."
"I... see."
She tried to smile her mistake away as she explained. "I left in in my pink outfit hahaha." A few awkward laughs were added on as well. "But I'll remember it for sure."
"Perhaps we should reschedule then. The details of these meetings are quite fascinating and would require hours of talk to replicate."
"Errr, right..." Leia's enthusiasm faded somewhat from the daunting task she'd just taken.
Wingul was just as annoyed with this. "You've enough events scheduled for this week Your Highness," he reminded him. "Even allowing this event required hoisting off a significant workload on Nachtigal and Cline."
The tensions between the three nations were running high. Nachtigal's warhawks were mediated by Cline's pro-peace policies and Gaius could swing to either option depending on the circumstances.
"You are right..." Erston nodded in agreement. "But letting Leia accompany us as a Rieze Maxian and Elympion perspective could accommodate all of us."
"The travel funds would be inconsequential," Wingul noted. "Provided of course, if Leia is alright with this?"
"Eh? W-well you're really putting me on the spot with this!" she fumbled at the sudden invitation. "I-I mean it'd be a honor and everything but I'd have to call my boss, make sure my apartment's paid for!"
"Don't make a suggestion if you cannot follow through on it." Wingul glared at her.
"Right..." The girl scratched the back of her head at what she'd gotten herself into.
Another knock at the door shut off that conversation. Leia hopped over, and brought in the smiling face of Alvin. "Hi Alvin!"
"Hello Leia," he replied, "and everyone." A gaggle of replies met him back. "Wow, wasn't expecting to make it here before anyone else. The meeting with Yurgen ran long."
Wingul wasn't buying the excuse. "Yurgen informed me you were done hours ago."
"Did he now?" Alvin wasn't about to let up his excuse just yet. "Well, I suppose the after chat wasn't exactly a meeting per say but he were busy with the investors long after the end."
"You think I'll believe that?"
"I think it'll keep you off my case until this whole party done with."
"I can simply call Yurgen."
"You'll find he has his GHS off to spend some quality time with Isla."
The Prime Minister of Auj Oule quickly looked into his GHS. "So it seems," he agreed with Alvin's excuse. "When Yurgen is done, I am sure to learn the truth of the matter." Not that he let it go.
"Easy, easy," Julius tried to play peacemaker. "We all came here to have a good time, not to be suspicious of each other."
Wingul glance at him, at Erston, at Alvin and eventually relented. "Very well."
"Nice," Alvin clapped his hands. "Now let's say we all get out of the door, aye? Jiao's gonna need all the room he can get."
Wingul gave a confirming nod and all the traffic at the door began to scatter into the "party area" further inside.
A good thing too, as not shortly after, Elle, Elize and Jiao arrived. Without knocking, of course, as Elle had a key to the place. The usual gaggle of welcomes and surprises and hellos went out between them.
"You made a place for me?" Jiao commented on the special seating arrangement. "You shouldn't have."
"No, no, you deserve it," said Ludger. Of course, it was to be nice. Nice to everyone. Having Jiao up front would block everyone's view; he was the only one larger than the TV.
"Ludger should have let me ride the wyverns!" Elle clamored to be the center of attention.
Not this again...
"Oh, we got here fine enough," Jiao commented on things.
"Besides," Elize spoke up, "we're still missing people."
"Well, then we should have picked them up on the wyverns!"
The thought of Rideaux on a wyvern was eminently hilarious.
"Can we save this conversation for later?" Ludger tried to get Elle away from it again.
The girl crossed her arms and glared at him. "Hmph, fine, long as you promise to talk about it."
"I promise." It was about as good as it was gonna get this way.
Elize looked around the room, noticing who they were missing. "Milla and Muzét aren't here?" With Muzét's powers they could come in at any time, so it was always a guess when they'd show up. Or where.
Or even if, as Jude alluded earlier.
"Bakur's group isn't here either," Julius added on.
Elle huffed at the name. "Why'd you even invite them Julius? They're jerks."
"It's... complicated..."
And a mystery. Even Ludger wasn't aware of just what Julius was doing. Still, he trusted his brother on this, even if he didn't trust Bakur or Rideaux at all.
"Complicated is just adult for dumb." It pretty much was, and it earned a fair few chuckles from everyone.
"Oh? I must have missed the joke."
Ludger looked over to see Bakur come in. Without anyone letting him in. Just like the first time he intruded in the apartment.
"You wouldn't have liked it."
"Try me."
This was just looking for trouble. So Ludger intervened, "I was talking about how I once had Rollo's cat army bring me all the ingredients for dinner."
"An amusing story indeed." A little smile curled on the CEO's lips. "I take it you acquired your current produce by hand though."
"Yeah."
He only gave a nod back at that. "Well then, where shall I be sitting?" Bakur took steps into the crowed room. There was barely any room left and they were still down a few people.
"Close to the back, please." Jiao, Erston and Bakur were among the tallest. Couldn't have everyone fighting to look over them.
"Very well."
"Then where shall I be sitting?" Rideaux and his equally tall, but lanky, self strode in after. "I'd rather prefer a seat up front."
"In the back."
"If that's how you treat your guests no wonder you don't have company often."
Jiao shook his head at Rideaux's annoyance. "If you're not pleased with the seating arrangement the door is right behind you."
"And here I thought this was supposed to be a pleasant dinner and movie, not a witch-hunt."
He was the one being fussy about a damn seat!
"Just sit down Rideaux," Bakur got tired of the pettiness and shut him up. Without a word the Vice-President of Spirius followed command and took up a seat in back.
So that only meant... "Smells good Luds!" Nova came charging in, and Vera right after her. "Aw man, this may be the best dinner ever!" She already began eyeing the food.
Vera however, looked over the seating arrangements and perfectly picked out a spot for her and Nova.
Jude and Agria came back in right after, leaving only one pair left.
A pair that came out from Ludger's room!
"What where you doing in there!" Ludger shouted when he saw Muzét and Milla coming out from his room. Well, former room—half room—no, that wasn't the point!
"Oh, I just wanted to guess what you were wearing," Muzét not-so-innocently answered.
He didn't want to know, he didn't want to know.
At least Milla should have kept the worst impulses in check?
"It's good to see everyone again," the Lord of Spirits greeted with a friendly smile. "How have things been?" She and her sister eventually situated down with everyone else.
Everything was good, more-or-less. As Ludger served the food everyone began lightly chatting with rose to mild chatter as they tried to talk over. While mostly focused on food, he did overhear that Alvin's mother was doing better, even because of Rideaux apparently.
Everything was eventually settled down, and all eyes truned to the prize of the occasion. A brand spanking new TV that they'd won in a carnival!
Really not the best of reasons, but hey, they all needed to see each other now and again.
Julius picked up the remote and... didn't turn the TV on. "What?" he looked at the remote and tried a few more times. The handheld device blinked on... was it the TV?
Agria asked, "Did you even test this before you invited us over?"
Julius didn't answer.
They wanted to wait until everyone was here before actually using it for the first time. Break it in with friends! Not like they watched that much TV in the first place. Julius set it up, Elle was in school and Ludger was cooking all day.
Agria pulled Jude up. "Come on, we'll fix this." The two of them slipped behind the TV before anyone could stop them.
It uh, wasn't finished instantly.
The food was cooling a bit too much, it wouldn't be too long... "Well, not like we were coming here for the TV, hey, you two, get out from there and eat."
"We almost got it!" Jude shot back. "Go ahead, we'll catch up."
Well, if they insisted...
Milla was the first one to dig in.
"Fixing" the TV was just as simple as moving the right cable. The two of them had it done in seconds. Then spent the rest of that time holding in laughter at hiding back here making out all under their noses. Oh, they were more than aware of how petty this was, but it only made it all the more exciting. Having everyone together like this, all perfectly happy and content. It was truly someone's dream world...