Time to switch gears and finally tackle some second gen ships. Brady/Cynthia is my favorite second gen ship. I dunno, I just think they work so well together :)
"'I am Cynthia. Now, die in the name of a Brighter Future!' ...Oh, that's good!" Cynthia said to herself as she brandished her lance at the imaginary enemies before her. She had escaped from the camp for a bit to try out some new flourishes and pre-battle quotes away from prying eyes; she wanted to surprise everyone with how cool she looked.
"Alright, now if I lift my lance like this..." she started as she brought her lance up over her head, but she paused as the sound of music suddenly reached her ears. She raised an eyebrow and looked around. It sounded like a string instrument, maybe a violin? Cynthia lowered her lance as she turned her head, trying to determine which direction the music was coming from. She pinpointed the direction and wandered towards the music, almost as if in a trance.
She walked out from behind two large trees and found herself beside a river, and she finally found the source of the music. Brady was sitting by the river's edge, eyes closed and body swaying gently as he played his violin with a mastery that caused a huge smile to spread across Cynthia's face. He was so cool. She had always admired him. He came across as a bit rough and scary looking to some people, but Cynthia thought he was really sweet and cute. Underneath it all, he was a big softy, and she liked him a lot. A lot a lot.
Cynthia continued to listen from afar until Brady finished his song. He lowered his violin, and she noticed that he was frowning, his eyes becoming misty. Was he crying? Cynthia frowned herself. That was no good.
"Wow! That was so great, Brady!" Cynthia said, quickly smiling again as she started clapping furiously. Brady yelped in surprise and almost dropped his violin, quickly catching it before it could hit the ground.
"Geez Cynthia, ya scared the daylights outta me! Warn a fella next time." Brady said, frowning and narrowing his eyes. Cynthia giggled and walked up to him.
"He-he, sorry! I was just so blown away by your violin skills!" Cynthia said, smiling brightly as she sat down next to him. Brady's face flushed as he rubbed the back of his neck and adverted his gaze.
"W-well, thanks Cynthia. I haven't had much time to practice lately. Wasn't sure if my skills would be up to snuff." he said with a shrug.
"I thought it was great. But, I've never heard you play that song before, what is it?" Cynthia asked, tilting her head curiously. She watched as he frowned again and looked at the ground.
"Ah, well, it was...the last song my ma taught me before...well, ya know..." he trailed off, his eyes regaining their watery sheen. Cynthia smiled softly and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay Brady, I understand. I'm sorry for asking about it, I didn't want to make you sad." Cynthia said, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. Brady looked at her a smiled, reaching up and wiping his tears away.
"Ah, ya don't have to apologize for nothin', Cynthia. We all got to see our parents again at least. I'm glad for that." Brady said, his eyes shifted between her own and her hand on his shoulder.
"Me too. It's kinda weird, being around the same age as them, isn't it? I feel kinda awkward sometimes when I call them mom and dad." Cynthia said with a giggle.
"Your tellin' me. I never knew that my pa would be such a runt. Being taller than the old-timer is hilarious." Brady said, smiling as he let out a laugh.
"Yeah, it is pretty funny. Ricken was taller than my dad in the future, right? They changed a lot from this point in time." Cynthia said, a thoughtful look crossing her face.
Brady nodded. "Yep. Also rarely saw him without a full beard. Ma hated it. Pa liked it 'cause it made him look older."
"My dad tried to grow one once. It looked weird, being blue and all. Mother made him get rid of it because it scared me and Lucy." Cynthia said, laughing at the memory.
"I remember, it scared the pants off of everyone. If your ma had let him wear it outta the castle, the whole city would've rioted at the sight."
Cynthia laughed again. Even if the future that they came from was a terrible one, she had some good memories to reflect on. Brady did too. I was nice to reminisce about the good times, because they would most likely never return to that time. She was content with making new, happier memories in this time. Happier memories with Brady.
"Hey, Brady." Cynthia said, smiling brightly, "Can you play that song for me again?"
Brady blushed and shifted nervously. "Well, it's still not great, but I guess I can do that for you. Just don't make fun of me when I blow it." he said as he readied his violin.
"I'm sure it will be as amazing as you are, Brady." Cynthia said. Brady gawked at her and cleared his throat, his face turning bright red with embarrassment.
"Er, um...Right. Here goes..." he said as he closed his eyes and began playing. The beautiful sound filled Cynthia's ears as she sighed softly, closing her eyes as well. As the song went on, she slowly moved closer to him until her arm brushed his. She then softly lay her head on his shoulder, gently enough as to not interfere with his playing. She felt him falter a bit at the touch, but he recovered quickly and played on. When the last note finally faded away, Cynthia opened her eyes and lifted her head from Brady's shoulder. He lowered his violin to his lap and was fiddling with the strings a bit. He still seemed a bit embarrassed.
"That was wonderful. You're wonderful, Brady." Cynthia said softly. Brady's eyes widened as he ran a hand through his red hair.
"Ah geez Cynthia, you're embarrassin' me here, sayin' that mushy stuff-" he started, turning his head towards her. He was cut off, however, when Cynthia suddenly closed the distance between them as she brushed her lips against his. She had wanted to do that for a very long time, and she smiled when he didn't pull away. He also didn't push forward, so Cynthia pulled away, frowning. She then saw the look on his face and giggled. His face was as red as a tomato, and his eyes were wide with shock.
"C-Cynthia? Wha-" Brady sputtered, reaching up to run his fingers over his lips.
"I like you Brady. A lot. A lot a lot. I've...wanted to kiss you for a while now." Cynthia said as she felt her face heat up. It was her turn to be embarrassed. "Um, sorry...I probably should have asked first, I mean, I don't even know if you like me back yet..."
Brady finally recovered and a smile spread over his face; Cynthia loved his smile. He reached out and cupped her face with one hand.
"Cynthia, I'm crazy for ya, always have been." he whispered as he pulled her in for another kiss, his free hand moving behind her head as his fingers settled in her blue hair. Cynthia giggled and kissed him back, excited to see what this new future would have in store for them.