Summary and Pairing: FxA Why does Fayt keep failing to make one of the simplest of inventions? It's not incompetence; it's simply inattention and distraction by his partner.
Warnings: Shounen-ai.
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean (really, I didn't even buy the game, my sister did…) or any of the characters (or inventions, in this case,) I make no money from this story. (I lost a lot of Fol while coming up with this idea; if I can't even make fictional money, what makes you think I can make real money?)
A/N: This is my first Star Ocean 3 fan fiction. I hope that the characterization is alright.
Fruity Potion
Fruity Potion; the concept was simple enough. For a meager amount of Fol a useful healing item could be made and for Fayt the task, that he had preformed many times before, should be simple enough. Of course, with a helper the task would be even easier. So why did Fayt's attempts at compounding the item, or any at all for that matter, fail time and time again?
It was his partner.
Albel Nox was helpful, but only when he wanted to be. When he was motivated the Glyphrian solider would practically do all the work himself, despite his talent for this particular science being lower than Fayt's. However, when he was in a lousy mood, which Fayt would have considered lazy if not for the danger his life would be in, Fayt became distracted.
Sometimes Albel was annoyed with the project at hand. He'd spend the entire time voicing his displeasure of being forced to work with a 'useless maggot' and by the time Fayt would be able to focus enough on his work there would be little point in continuing. He would certainly not bring a product into battle that was low in quality and simply unfit for consumption.
There was also work with a bored Albel. When Albel was bored he would need one of two things: bloodshed or the misfortune of those he deemed foolish. As the former would be impossible at the time and Fayt happened to be fit for the later, chaos would ensue. In the eyes of Albel the Wicked it was highly entertaining to purposefully hand his partner a chemical that would cause the invention to fail; preferably, one that might explode or seem normal at the time, but when consumed it tasted quite the opposite of what one would think a Fruity Potion should. Some days Fayt really wished he could pawn off his partner on someone else; now if only Albel could get along with the others in a non-combative situation.
Then, of course, there was amused Albel. When Albel seemed intrigued with every little movement his partner made it was hard to progress. How could Fayt work with crimson eyes studying his every move, and most likely deeming them clumsy? How could he work with the feeling of hot breath on his neck? How could he work when he was helplessly trapped between his partner and the table, or with the knowledge that with a little movement his back would be pressed into the other's chest?
He simply couldn't work with Albel Nox when he was unmotivated.
So how did one motivate the annoyed, the bored, or the amused? With the simple promise of a reward at the end of it all; while the other members of their group are still trying their hands at something else, there's always time for a little bit of secret make-out fun. (1)
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The End
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A/N: So, this idea was born while I was inventing. Really, I'd just imagine that once the inventing was over they'd be off making-out. If the inventing failed I'd have to blame it on Albel, because of his lower COMP skill. "Come on, Albel!" I'd say, "Don't you want to make-out with Fayt?" I swear, six times out of ten, the next time they'd be finished!
(1) "secret make-out fun." I couldn't think of what else to call it, and that line popped into my head. It's from 'That 70's Show' and it is, therefore, not of my own mind's doing.