Thanks for selecting this story, ladies and gents! It's my very first time writing fanfiction ever! I have always been afraid that my writing style was too... eloquent, but seeing as my drawing tablet is out of commission at the moment, and I've got time to spare, I thought I'd give this a try!
Not entirely sure where this idea came from, but I wrote the whole thing while listening to some relaxing ASMR. I hope you enjoy! Go easy on me, folks! :)
Summary: Asbel reflects on a chocolate-coated lesson, and peaceful times in life.
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The cool evening air greeted the young lord's face as he opened the front door of the manor and stepped out into the garden. Graced by hundreds of sopherias and various other types of flora, the night painted a beautiful picture for Asbel, who once again found himelf faced with an insurmountable workload upon his desk. Ephinea's well-deserved peace did no favors for him, and he was tasked with endless, dull paperwork: raises for the soldiers, orders of food, clothing- which built the workload up more and more as the latest trends changed- and so on.
Asbel took a seat on the wooden bench beside a great fountain. He leaned back and closed his eyes, a deep sigh ecaping him as the sounds of gentle splashing water filled his ears. A smile tugged at his lips as he was reminded of the chocolate fountain from the Amarcian Enclave.
At one point during their arduous journey, their genius inventor, Pascal, had insisted they "take a load off" for a little bit and enjoy the sweet confection. Hubert had chided her for the trifling suggestion, but she deflected the argument with an ever-present smile, claiming that the snow had chilled out, so he should too. The sprightly woman quickly began dragging him around the fountain shortly after, explaining which "doohickey" did what, and Hubert, despite his protests, made no real attempt to pull his hand out of hers.
Meanwhile, Cheria busied herself by cleaning Sophie up, insisting that she please use a ladle, and not her bare hands next time. To Asbel's knowledge, Sophie had never tasted chocolate before, and became rather excited after she had tried a lick. Richard stood beside them and laughed. Defending Sophie's actions, he explained that it's easy to get carried away when in the presence of something so delightful, and that it's fun to make a mess of oneself- despite being a king who most likely never had the opportunity to partake in such an activity himself, Asbel noted.
Sitting beside him was Captain Malik, who quietly held his own cup of chocolate and observed the scene with a small smile on his face. He would occasionally take a sip, but said nothing and simply continued watching. He maintained his relaxed composure, yet Asbel couldn't quite read his expression. Though Malik appeared happy, there seemed to be a touch of melancholy mixed in his features. Asbel was about to ask him if everything was alright, when suddenly the captain spoke up.
"Asbel, what do you see here?" Malik began.
"Ah! Uh... well, everyone is having a good time, it looks like. I think it was a great idea for us to relax," Asbel replied, surprised by the sudden question.
"I agree. Taking moments to rest are important, especially on a difficult journey like this."
Both were quiet for a while before Asbel broke the silence.
"Captain, is everything okay?"
Malik sighed and ran a hand through his hair before responding to his pupil.
"You really have to learn to appreciate peaceful moments like this. There may come a day when you'll look back and realize those moments have long since passed, and you didn't even notice."
"Oh... of course, Captain."
Knowing Asbel, Malik thought it would be best to give him an example. A few more beats of silence passed as he stared into his cup and pondered his next words.
"I guess you could say... life is like a box of chocolates."
"...Huh...?" Asbel's dignified response came with a head tilt and a quirked eyebrow.
"You know, assorted chocolates, with different flavors and fillings."
"...That's, uh..."
Asbel found himself at a loss for words. His brain struggled to piece together what exactly the captain was talking about. Normally, he could soak in Captain Malik's advice and wisdom like a sponge, but rarely did he ever speak in what he presumed were riddles. A smirk grew on Malik's face as he could almost see the gears turning in Asbel's head.
"Let me explain. Different chocolates contain different fillings, but it's always random, so you never really know what you're going to get. You may like certain flavors, and others not so much. Does that make sense?"
Asbel considered this for a minute, then glanced back up at Malik when he came up with a valid response.
"So... chocolates could be considered moments? And there are good and bad ones mixed in..."
"Precisely. However, the good ones are limited, so you have to enjoy them while they last. Savor them, instead of speeding right through."
Asbel pondered this for a moment more, before looking back to their friends. Pascal was now trying to convince Hubert to help her make chocolate covered bananas. Cheria was teaching Sophie how to properly place a napkin on her lap, while Richard refilled their cups. A smile grew on Asbel's face. This was certainly one of the "good moments", and though it wouldn't last, he would still enjoy it.
Asbel's thoughts returned to the present when he heard the Turtlez returning from their latest escort trip. He rubbed his eyes, then looked up to the sky and noticed that the stars had just begun to fade away, signifying that dawn would soon be coming.
"Aw man... how long was I out here?" Asbel questioned out loud as he stretched his stiff limbs. He stood up slowly, then realized that this moment of peace away from his paperwork was over.
A tired smile worked its way onto his face, as he considered whether or not he had time to catch a few hours of sleep before he had to get back to work.
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Thanks again for reading! It's short, I know. And some parts feel rushed to me, but it is kinda late at the moment... I definitely want to write more, but I'm not sure how frequently I'll be able to. Let me know what you think!
-SakuraNights01