Author Notes: I would like to welcome my readers both new and returning to my new story. As you can see on the title, it is called "Spoken and Unspoken Words". This will be my first attempt at writing a Tales of Berseria or a Tales story in general. It was a game that made me feel strongly for the story and the characters. It was one of the best games I played in recent history. It inspired me to write this. Lots of different ideas came to me, and I wasn't sure what to do with them all, so I decided for starters I would work on this.

Tales of Berseria has been my favorite game so far in 2017, and one of my favorite games in general. I've played a variety of video games, and the Tales series has greatly appealed to me, and this is most likely my favorite game so far in the Tales Series. Based on some of the reception, it would appear that a large number of Tales fans either agree or consider it one of the best. We can only hope that Bandai Namco will continue to take fan feedback and continue to produce more Tales games such as this. Playing as Anti-Heroes, who could be considered Villains from a point of view, was very interesting. I can't help but wonder if they'll produce more games of this nature in the future.

As I mentioned before, Tales of Berseria succeeded in keeping my interest in both the story and characters consistently. I always felt motivated to play the game, and I'd highly recommend playing. Even before the game was released I was a fan of Veleanor (Velvet/Eleanor) based on the promotional material making it clear they'd start out as enemies but eventually join the same side. The relationship between the two characters has a very strong and interesting development even if it isn't the main focus. I was hoping for quite a bit, and I was satisfied. Veleanor became my favorite ship of the game, especially since there is quite a bit of Les Yay between the two which kinda started off as Foe Yay. If you play the game, I hope you will agree. Whether you do or not, I'd strongly recommend playing it.

Unlike other stories I've produced, I plan on this being a 'mini-series'. The chapters won't be very long. There may be a few fight scenes in this story, but it won't be a main focus unlike my other story lines. This game is based on a DLC conversation some of the Tales characters have. They mention going on a beach vacation. That alone caused me to see a lot of potential with that, especially the dialogue exchanged between Velvet and Eleanor. It is annoying we never actually see them enjoy the beach vacation whether it'd be in the regular game or DLC, but I guess that's where fanfiction can come in handy.

I hope you'll all enjoy what I've prepared for this opening chapter. It is shorter than a lot of other things I've done in the past, but I hope you'll enjoy reading it. Please be sure to leave a review after you read it. I enjoy reading written feedback to what I've done.

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Spoken and Unspoken Words

Chapter One: New Destination

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All need to relax

All need to reflect and think

Please do so wisely

/

After a peaceful night's sleep, Velvet Crowe awakened and walked to the doors of the Van Eltia's cabin. She placed her hands on the door and opened it in time to greet the morning sun. To her, it felt like any other day on the high seas. She could see the sun peaking over the horizon. She held her bandaged left hand to her eyes to block the glare until she was sure she would be fine. She shifted her head away from the sun as she walked towards the port side. There she leaned on the railing like she normally did.

Velvet Crowe's back was to the other crew members of the Van Eltia or as their local witch would put it members of 'Magilou's Menagerie' as she stared off to the horizon. While she gazed into the distance, she was smiling which until recently was a rarer sight than any treasure they could discover. No one would see this though and most wouldn't dare approach her unless they had business with her.

Remaining in this spot never got old for Velvet. She closed her eyes and took a breath. She felt the cool sea breeze blowing into her face and her thick black hair, but it didn't cause her to shiver. In fact, she enjoyed it, and she could barely feel the chill at all for good reason. She remained leaning by the port side until she heard someone's speak.

"Are you sure we'll be arriving today Eizen?" A woman's voice caused Velvet's ears to perk up. Velvet looked over her shoulder to see it was the former Exorcist who was also technically Velvet's servant, Eleanor Hume, speaking with the first mate of the Van Eltia, the Malakin 'Eizen the Reaper'.

"Positive." Eizen answered with his arms crossed. "I've been there a number of times over the past few years. I can tell just by the feel of the air that we're close."

Eizen stood a good head or two taller than Eleanor, but she didn't fear him. Despite his general serious or scowling face, he was an ally. He had short blonde hair and blue eyes. He generaly wore dark clothing that had a pirate aesthetic along with brown gloves and boots. He also had his signature Reaper coin on him at all times.

Eleanor nodded her head. "If you say so, I'll take your word for it."

"No better word to go by." Eizen confidentially remarked with a grin. "Anyway, I'll give you an update after I speak with Benwick."

"Sounds good to me." Eleanor replied with her back still facing away from Velvet's gaze unbeknownst to her. From the look of the former Exorcist, it looked like it would be too easy for someone to attack her and take her by surprise. However, Velvet knew that despite the former Exorcist's seemingly fragile appearance, Eleanor Hume, was not to be underestimated.

Before they were on the same side, they fought three times each more intense than the last. The first two was Eleanor fighting Velvet's group along with her Abbey supplied Malakim and follow Exorcists with their final battle being a one-on-one duel to determine their respective fates. All the battles ended in Eleanor's defeat. However, she always put up a good fight. If Velvet had let up even a little, she'd have been dead a long time ago. Eleanor's determination to keep fighting was for a lack of a better word 'admirable'. She proved herself to be a 'worthy' ally for Velvet's side.

Additionally, Eleanor Hume's appearance strongly contrasted with Velvet's. Her hair was relatively long if she let it loose, but it was nowhere near as long as Velvet's. It was properly groomed, kempt, and bright red unlike Velvet's wild dark hair. Her outfit was a special Exorcist outfit due to her having a higher ranking than other Exorcists. It was far more modest than Velvet's outfit to put it mildly. The outfit mainly consisted of white and blue with Eleanor's weapon of choice being a spear. She proved herself to be quite agile in combat. She may have lacked Rokouru's muscle, but she was plenty strong on her own.

Velvet then turned her head back staring toward the horizon. She did her best to remain fixed on what was beyond her sight. Despite all Velvet had been through, the sight beyond what could see appealed to her. As Velvet's eyesight remained fixed on what laid beyond, Eleanor turned around, and Velvet caught her attention like she always did.

Even though they were all used to it on the Van Eltia, it was difficult for Velvet's outfit and general appearance to not catch anyone's attention. Quite frankly, Velvet's outfit left little to the imagination if it could really be called an outfit at all. It would be more fitting to say Velvet was wearing rags than actual clothes.

Velvet's clothes consisted of red and black. She had a red shirt that might've been tailored to a man rather than a woman. The red shirt appeared to be hanging on by a button and a few threads which left a substantial amount of cleavage and her midriff visible. She also wore black short shorts. Her legs were covered in other rags and belts along with some armored boots that covered both her feet, and she had additional armor that covered up to her right kneecap.

In both of her armored boots, a foot blade would emerge from them if Velvet activated it. She had similar armor on her right arm that would cause an attaching sword emerge from it. She also wore a black jacket that looked stylish, but it had a noticeable hole in the back. If it wasn't for Velvet's long dark hair that was as heavy as drapes, her backside would be almost completely exposed.

One of the things that stood out most for Velvet was her left arm. It was completely covered in bandages from her finger tips to close to her shoulder blade. Most people would think it was to cover an injury, but what lied underneath her bandages is what separated her from humans.

Despite her human like appearance, Velvet was no longer considered a human being. She as a human who was turned into a Daemon. Specifically, she was changed to a Therion which was another classification of Daemon altogether. Velvet didn't mind too much as long as she could accomplish her goals with her power. Her goal of revenge which is what Velvet had thought about every day for over three long years. Her pursuit of it against Lord Autorious the Shepherd had caused the world to know her as the "Lord of Calamity."

While her goal had consistently remained the same ever since Eleanor had known her, Eleanor had noticed that Velvet's reasons for it had slightly changed over time. Something about that made Eleanor happy. In fact, it seemed to have an effect on everyone.

After looking at Velvet for a few moments, Eleanor decided to walk towards the world proclaimed, 'Lord of Calamity.' Eleanor leaned on the railing next to Velvet before greeting her, "Nice to see you're awake Velvet."

Velvet's eyes remained fixed on the horizon. "Yeah."

Eleanor looked in the direction Velvet was, and all she could see was more ocean. "Are you looking at anything in particular?"

"No …" Velvet shook her head while keeping her eyes fixed forward. "I just wanted to look out."

"I see …" Eleanor couldn't help but stare out to the seemingly never-ending ocean the stretched beyond what they could see. A sight that could never get old no matter how much a person gazed upon it. Eleanor marveled, "It is quite a sight. It never gets old." Eleanor looked at Velvet as she remarked, "It's beautiful."

"Yes …" Velvet softly replied. It sounded as if she didn't want to hear anyone else hear her response, but Eleanor's ears perked.

"Ahem." Eleanor stopped leaning on the railing and cleared her throat before quickly changing the topic, "Just so you know, Eizen said we're almost there."

"Good …" Velvet's eyes remained fixed on the horizon as she replied, "Glad to hear it." She was leaning more onto the railing than before.

The destination that 'Magilou's Menagerie' was heading towards was different from any of the others they had been to. They weren't heading there to find out some method to defeat 'Lord Artorious the Shepherd.' They weren't heading to an Earth Pulse to hunt down Therions. Nor take care of any side objectives before the final confrontation. They had a different objective in mind for this one. It was to relax and have fun.

Flap! Flap! Flap!

Velvet looked up to see the seagulls flying overhead. She remarked, "Looks like Eizen was probably right. We're definitely near land."

"Yes." Eleanor decided to lean against the railing next to Velvet again. She looked at the woman and told her, "I have to say this was pretty unlike you Velvet."

This time Velvet turned her head slightly to look at the former Exorcist. "What do you mean?"

"Well …" Eleanor had difficulty keeping herself from smiling as she said, "I know you've changed a lot from when we first met, but you've been so focused on wanting to kill Lord Artorious for as long as I've known you. It's almost time to fight him one last time, but you decided that you wanted us to take a break before we go through with it. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious as to why."

"…" Velvet remained silent as she broke the slight bit of eye contact she had with the former Exorcist.

"Don't get me wrong." Eleanor held up her hands to eye level as she began to shake her head and hands while she bashfully replied, "I'm not saying I'm ungrateful for a little vacation." Eleanor chuckled as she slightly lowered her eyes, "Heh." Eleanor lowered her hands and held them together behind her back as she admitted, "In fact, it's been ages since my last one." She looked Velvet in the eyes. "I'm just … you know curious what brought this on all of a sudden."

"No reason in particular." Velvet kept looking away from Eleanor and faced towards the sky as she told her companion, "We have time. That's all. Might as well use some of it. Besides," Velvet then turned her head to face Eleanor again, "I figured Phi could use a little fun. After everything that's happened, he deserves some."

"Hmph." Eleanor smiled as she nodded. "Fair enough."

Velvet turned around towards the main body of the ship, and she saw Benwick standing in the middle of the ship. Velvet immediately stepped away from the ship's railing and walked towards him with Eleanor in tow, "Hey Benwick!"

Benwick looked towards Velvet and made sure his posture was straight as he addressed her. "Yes Ma'am!"

"This Island we're heading to." Velvet asked as she crossed her arms, "Are you sure there won't be any issues from the Abbey there?"

"Not as far as I know." Benwick informed the Velvet and Eleanor, "There aren't any settlements on this Island, and it is pretty remote from any nearby places either, so it's 'unlikely' anyone would've bothered to set anything up there."

"I can second that." Eizen stepped forward. "I've been there enough times that I can pretty much guarantee you that we won't have any problems while we're there."

"But …" Eleanor clearly didn't share Eizen's confidence based on her slightly nervous tone, "… things have changed, especially now. The Abbey's numbers might be starting to dwindle, but they can still be a threat. Even in light of everything that's happened, can you still be sure there won't be any members of the Abbey or Daemons?" Eleanor then glanced at Velvet. "Besides the ones we bring along?"

"Definitely." Eizen had his arms crossed as well while he informed the duo. "The islands are small and remote. Not to mention they're surrounded by a few other uninhabited islands. You're not likely to have Daemons show up where there's no people."

Eleanor considered Eizen's words before she gave her response. "I suppose that's true."

"Not to mention," Velvet placed her hand on her chin as she concluded, "the Abbey wouldn't be interested in them if they lack any strategic value like Earth Pulses."

"Exactly." Eizen replied with a grin.

"Hmph." Velvet looked to Eizen as she remarked, "I'm almost surprised you didn't suggest us going there when we were looking for a hideout."

"Please. That'd be completely impractical." Eizen pointed out, "For one, there's obviously no fortifications. These island might be remote, but ships do pass by sometimes." Eizen clarified, "They pass by them because there doesn't seem to be anything special about them." Eizen shrugged his shoulders as he explained, "If we built anything, it'd stick out like a sore thumb. I also don't think I need to remind you that Titania's fortifications were one of the main reasons things turned out even remotely well for the others."

Velvet shrugged her shoulders. "Fair enough."

Eizen began to grin as he stated, "Besides, this is our vacation spot. Why do something that could ruin it?"

Eleanor sheepishly scratched her chin. "That's also a very fair point."

"Still sounds like a good place to get a good workout and some training done." Rokorou joyfully remarked as he walked by dressed in his regular Rangetsu Samurai attire.

"Hmph." Eizen smirked as he told the wannabe Shigure, "Sure. Be my guest."

"All right. Heh. Heh." Rokourou then rushed to the cabin to finish his preparations.

Seeing Rokourou all fired up about training caused a lightbulb to trigger in Eleanor's head as she enthusiastically remarked, "You know what. Sounds like a great idea. I should try doing some as well. They do say you can get more training done on the beach."

Velvet smiled as she looked away and softly said under her breath, "Honor student." Eleanor's ears perked slightly.

"Might as well try getting some done too while we're there." Eizen shrugged as he told her, "You don't need my permission. I've got something to do of my own."

Eleanor raised an eyebrow as she inquired, "What're you going to do Eizen?"

Eizen turned his body and gave the pair a side grin as he stated, "Isn't it obvious? Overcoming my weakness." Both Velvet and Eleanor glanced at each other. "If you'll excuse me, I got some preparations to complete before we land."

Velvet put her right hand on her waist as she looked over to Eleanor and asked, "He's still trying to learn how to swim isn't he?"

Eleanor shrugged as she replied, "Sounds like it."

"Hmm …" Velvet inquired, "Out of curiosity, do you think he has a chance?"

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure." Eleanor scratched her chin as she considered the possibilities, "I'll admit I admire his perseverance and tenacity. Most people in his position would've given up a long time ago."

"But?" Velvet asked in a deadpan tone.

Eleanor lowered her hand as she hesitantly replied, "But … I'd say it's unlikely. He is an Earth Malakim, so they're more likely than not to sink like a stone no matter how much they try."

"Hmph." Such logic didn't appear to faze the 'Lord of Calamity' at all. "If we operated like that, we never would've gotten this far."

"Well …" Eleanor humbly admitted, "That is also true."

"Still though …" Velvet looked in Eizen's direction as she remarked, "The fact he is an Earth Malakim makes it all the more ironic that he's the first mate of a Pirate ship."

"Heh." Eleanor couldn't help but chuckle and agree. "I know right."

"Hmph." Velvet smiled slightly as she remarked, "Well I'm sure we can agree that's far from the only bizarre thing you've seen on this adventure."

Upon hearing Velvet say that, Eleanor's eyes were immediately drawn to the bandages on Velvet's left arm. "Yes … Right." Eleanor's gaze was downcast as she placed her hand on her stomach.

Velvet raised an eyebrow. Velvet shifted her body. Rather than partly facing away from Eleanor, she was completely facing the former exorcist. She asked, "Are you feeling okay?" Velvet leaned forward with her hands on her hips. "Is something wrong?"

"Uh …" Eleanor's eyes widened slightly as she was taken aback and answered, "Yes. Of course I'm okay. Why?"

"Well …" Velvet backed off and stood up straight as she told Eleanor, "Something seemed a little 'off' about you just now. You're not sick or faint are you?"

"No." Eleanor shook her head, "I'm fine."

"I hope so." Velvet glanced away a little as she told Eleanor, "It wouldn't do anyone any good if you get sick before we arrive." Velvet completely averted her eyes. "I know Phi wouldn't like it."

"I know … I was just …" Eleanor's eyes landed on Velvet's bandages again, "… distracted."

Velvet looked towards Eleanor again and told her, "If you are feeling sick, I can get you some Sale'tomah," the mere mention of the word was enough to cause the hairs on the back of Eleanor's head to stiffen and her stomach to churn, "I'm sure we still have some …"

Eleanor raised and shook her hands and almost shouted, "No! I definitely don't need Sale'tomah!"

"…" Velvet was caught off-guard as her eyes slightly widened. Eleanor usually didn't interrupt her when she was speaking.

"Velvet." Eleanor's voice was far calmer as she told her friend, "I appreciate the concern. I really do, but I really don't need it. If I do, I'll tell you myself. You can even force feed it if you have to. All right?"

"…" Velvet took a moment before replying, "Very well." Velvet then turned around to walk away from the former Exorcist.

Before Velvet could walk way, Eleanor felt her arm involuntarily reach out before she stopped herself. She said out loud to the retreating Therion, "Hold on. There is actually something I have been worried about."

Velvet looked over her shoulder before asking, "What is it?"

"Um …" Eleanor's eyes kept being drawn to Velvet's arm as she attempted to spit it out, "… I was wondering …"

Velvet turned around and told the former exorcist, "Come on. Out with it." Velvet grinned as she told her, "I promise I won't eat you."

"Hmph." Eleanor could feel her cheeks puff up slightly at that last remark, "That's reassuring."

"Heh." Velvet chuckled as well.

Eleanor sighed before finally asking her question, "All right. I was wondering if you can swim with those … you know …" Eleanor motioned to Velvet's left arm, "… bandages."

"Ah …" Velvet looked at her left arm before looking back at Eleanor, "That might actually be a good question."

Eleanor's eyes widened slightly as she asked, "Are you serious?"

"Only a little." Velvet crossed her arms. "I think it'll be fine. It's not like water bothered them before. Only I have been able to remove them."

"Hmm …" Eleanor felt less than assured as she said, "… I hope you're right."

Velvet asked, "Are you that concerned?"

"A little … I mean …" Eleanor glanced to the side, "Laphicet's been looking forward to this. He'll like playing in the water, and I'm sure he'd be disappointed if you couldn't play in the water with him."

"Don't worry." Velvet smiled as she replied, "I'll try not to let him down. If I do, I expect you to pick up the slack."

Eleanor returned the smile. "I'll be more than happy to."

Benwick proudly proclaimed, "Land Ho! We'll be landing soon!"

"Well that's perfect timing." Velvet remarked as she walked over to the side of the ship. She leaned over the railing. The wind caused her long hair to lightly blow along with the breeze as she saw the island was not far away.

Eleanor excitedly said, "This is going to be fun."

Velvet moved away from the railing and faced the former Exorcist as she said, "By the way, I'll be happy to help you out."

"Hmm?" Eleanor wasn't entirely sure what Velvet was referring to.

Velvet reminded her, "You mentioned wanting to get some training on the side would be good. I'd be …" Velvet felt oddly hesitant as she offered as she glanced away, "… fine with being your sparring partner if you want."

"Oh." Eleanor was slightly surprised by the offer, but she was more than happy to accept, "Thank you. I think I'll take you up on it."

Velvet grinned as she looked at Eleanor again, "Glad to hear it." Velvet then added, "I'd also recommend doing it away from the others."

"Huh?" Eleanor looked towards the other people in their group before looking back at Velvet and asked, "Why do you say that?"

"Well …" Velvet took a moment. Her eyes were scanning the area before she saw Laphicet talking to Eizen and told Eleanor, "This is Phi's first vacation, and I'd like him to focus on that." Velvet then quickly added, "Not to mention, I'd rather the others not make us into a spectacle."

"Hmm …" Eleanor considered Velvet's words as she scratched her chin for a few moments before replying, "Good points. How about we play it by ear?"

Velvet nodded her head, "Sounds good to me."

/

Omake:

Velvet: What are we doing here?

Eleanor: These are called omakes? Apparently, the author was partly inspired to create these omakes for some of the other stories due to being a fan of the Tales series for years.

Velvet: To think the author actually is producing a Tales related story now.

Eleanor: I guess it was only a matter of time.

Velvet: So what should we do now? Are we supposed to give a preview of the next chapter or something?

Eleanor: Actually no. Apparently, we're supposed to talk about a bunch of random things like what happened in the chapter.

Velvet: Seriously?

Eleanor: Yeah. Pretty much.

Velvet: Okay? Then what're you thoughts?

Eleanor: Me?

Velvet: (bored) Yes. You. Spill it.

Eleanor: Um … I think it went well. I guess there was a bit of awkwardness on my part.

Velvet: You did say you were a little awkward but good with your hands.

Eleanor: I did say that to you once didn't I?

Velvet: (grinned) It's been proven true. Anyway, I think we should probably leave it at that.

Eleanor: Yeah. Next time we'll be starting our vacation and heading to the beach.

Velvet: Sounds good to me. In the meantime, I think we should probably do the other thing I'm sure the author wants us to do.

Elenaor: (nods) Right.

Velvet & Eleanor: We hope you enjoyed this pilot chapter and be sure to leave a review. See you next time.

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Author Notes: As I previously mentioned, this chapter is a lot shorter than what I usually produce. However, this story is also different than what I usually write. As I mentioned before, I don't plan on there being a lot of fighting. The story is supposed to be more romantic in nature as you can probably see. Additionally, this was meant to be a one or two shot at most, but I thought it could be a little longer than that.

Despite how relatively short this chapter was, this chapter more or less completed one of the main points of what I wanted to do. I wanted to give Velvet and Eleanor a meaningful moment before they decided to temporarily let go of their concerns for the future and simply enjoy the moment that laid before them.

As in the game, Velvet is a total tsundere for Eleanor. Velvet is not always completely honest with how she feels on certain topics, especially in regards to Eleanor's wellbeing, but she cares. One of the interesting aspects of their relationship. To be honest, I feel like with how their relationship developed becoming a romantic pairings would have been in the ballpark.

The possibility of a beach vacation might be canonical in Tales of Berseria due to the skit revolving around it being released in the second batch of DLC skits. Based on the character's personality developments and their relationship with each other, I would say the time this would take place would most definitely take place after the battle with Aifred.

A fellow writer and Veleanor fan, Little Donkey and I actually discussed a possible timeframe this could have taken place in. We came to the conclusion that this could have taken place after the battle with the Legate and prior to the final battle. It would make sense because after the Legates were defeated and the Empyreans were awakened, Innomiant was more or less forced to flee into space since its domain was suppressed. How ironic and karmic that 'Innomiant the Suppressor' ended up getting suppressed himself.

As a result of Innomiant getting suppressed, it gave the group sometime to take care of anything else on their agendas before heading out since they knew there would be no turning back after they began. That's why it makes sense story wise, the remaining side quests could be completed prior to the final battle. Additionally, it seems like Velvet would be willing to give the group, especially Laphicet a chance to enjoy themselves a little. She definitely would not have done that early on, but her rough edges did get smoothed a little over the course of the game. She would definitely want Phi to be happy.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the Veleanor interactions. I hope I did a good job portraying their dialogue and body language. Whether you did or not, I'd greatly appreciate a review. Please leave a review and see you next time.