The scene takes place sometime after chapter 11.
Unless stated otherwise, Italics are what the characters are thinking.
This is my first Tales of Xillia 2 fic. Enjoy!
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"No! What are you saying?" The young Elle Mel Marta puffs up her cheeks in angry and stomps her feet on the ground so hard that it almost results in nearly tipping her blue hat off of her head. "Papa's and Ludger's and Milla's soup is the best! Not Jude's" Jude rubs his head and shifts to the other party involved in this argument. He couldn't believe that Milla Maxwell, the Lord of Spirits, would ever engage in a petty squabble with an eight-year old. Then again, it wasn't an argument at first. He turns his head and sees that the villagers from Nia Khera are watching their Lord Maxwell converse with the small child.
"I see." Milla crosses her arms and curiously gaze at the little girl. This human child is quite an enigma. Elle has been open about her contempt for the Lord of Spirits and Milla does not know how to quell such anger brewing inside the little one. She glances at Jude, who remains neutral and quiet. She simply expressed that Jude's soup was delicious, a harmless statement, and Elle became very defensive all of the sudden.
"Yes. Papa's soup is number one and then Ludger's soup is second bestest…and then Milla's soup is…is…third bestest." Elle trembles but she shakes head, clearing her eyes for any tears that might slip out. She will never taste the other Milla's soup again.
Maxwell tilts her head. Now, the human girl was ranking the best soup maker. Fascinating. She thought to herself. "Hmmm…I would say that Jude's soup is first, second and third best." Jude laughs nervously. He is sure Milla isn't trying to goad the young girl and is just playing along with her but it certainly did not look that way to Elle.
"No! Jude's soup is not the best!" Elle attempts to shove Milla back by pushing her leg but fails. "Yes, I acknowledge your declaration, however, my opinion remains. Jude's soup is delicious. I have not gathered enough evidence to state that as fact, but my opinion is my opinion and yours is your own. Quite frankly, continuing this conversation regarding this topic is a moot point."
Elle blinks in confusion. What did she mean by moot? "Just because you're an adult using big words doesn't mean you know anything! You are a fake! You are a fake Milla! Fake! And that pyon on your head is just wrong." Elle runs off, leaving Milla grasping for the single tuft of her golden locks that juts out from her hair.
"Wrong?"
Ludger bows apologetically at Milla for the discourteous behavior Elle had displayed and chases after the little girl.
Milla sadly looks at Jude. "Wrong?" A gentle breeze grazes Milla's cheek. Above her, the great spirit of wind, Slyph, grits his teeth.
Slyph: How dare that little brat insult Milla's hair! I'll get her for this.
The great spirit of water, Undine, places a hand on her fellow spirit's shoulders.
Undine: Show some restraint, Slyph. That human is still a child.
Slyph: I do not give a damn!
"Milla, don't worry. It's not wrong at all. Elle is merely going through a rough patch. She doesn't mean anything by it." To think he would be consoling the great Lord Maxwell. "You are right, Jude. I should be more understanding, considering what that child has gone through." He smiles at her. The pair walks up the slope and into the small hut near the exit towards Milla's shrine. The village elder allows them to lodge there during their visits to Nia Khera.
A small chuckle pervaded his senses. "What's so funny, Milla?" She perch herself on a small springy bed. "I have never fought with a toddler before. It was just as stimulating as the time I first spoke with Tipo." Jude settles beside her on the bed and thought about the comparison she just made. Stimulating? "Milla, Elle isn't a toddler." The look of surprise sweeps her face. "Is that so?" Milla places her hand on her chin. She must reassess her definition of what she believes a toddler should be. She thought anyone that small is a toddler.
"At any rate, I will be documenting this." She takes out a small red notebook and jots a few words down. "What is that?" She explains that she will be using this book to record all her new experiences, whether they are good or bad ones. " I will strive on exposing myself to 40 new experiences before I depart from the human realm. I have a list here. Do you want to help me, Jude?"
"Of course, Milla!" He agrees without giving it much thought. It's endearing that she is always seeking out new things to try out for herself. The Lord of Spirits hands him the notebook so he can have a looksee. "This is…" He skims over the contents of the page, but it was impossible to continue. "Milla…"
Jude returns the notebook back to her. Her penmanship is just as bad as Leia's.
"Great, Jude. Thank you." She reviews her notes and notices a simple activity that they can partake now. "Excellent." Milla places her hands on his shoulder.
"Prepare yourself, Jude."
"Prepare myself for what, Milla?"
She inches near his face and his mind blanks out for a second. When he finally realizes what she is attempting, he cups both of her cheeks, pausing her sudden action. "What is wrong, Jude? Did you change your mind in assisting me?" A streak of redness stained his cheeks.
"N-no, of course not but what are trying to do?"
"What does it look like to you, Jude? I am trying to connect my lips with yours. I believe you humans call this particular diversion, kissing." She backs away, slightly puzzled by Jude's apparent state of agitation.
"From Milla, of all things…"
She tilts her head innocently, not realizing the impact of her actions on him. "Hmmm? Should I give you more time to prepare? I doubt this sort of thing requires any preparation but if you need it, I will give you five minutes."
He shakes his head no. "That's not it. This is Milla's first kiss, right? This kind of thing…is important to girls, is it not? For you to do it with just anybody…" She blinks. There are differences between genders that demonstrates certain deeds as more important in one gender than the other? She smiles at this revelation. Humans are such complex creatures.
"I cannot recognize your words because you are not just anybody. You are my human." She announces. Her human? "Now, your five minutes are up. Are you ready?" His stares down his lap. This is just helping her out. I've done so many times in the past. No big deal…A drop of sweat trickles from his temple. He is just helping her experience new things...
"Yes? But Milla, I'll start it of. I'm the man, after all."
"Oh? Is this one of those human unwritten rules I have read so much about. So the male species of your kind initiates the kiss?" A smile visits his lips. Sometimes, she can be so…adorable. "Yes?" His voice held a tad bit of unsureness in it but Milla doesn't pay attention to it.
"Very well then. We will follow the traditional standards you humans practice." She straightens her back and stares at Jude without blinking. "Come at me, Jude." She says with determination. He gulps.
Overhead, Slyph groans. His annoyance is increasing because of Jude's obvious stalling.
Sylph: They will never kiss at this rate.
Great spirit of fire, Efreet, crosses his arms and chuckles.
Efreet: Give him a break, Slyph. This is probably a lot of pressure for one man considering how tenacious Milla can be.
"Close your eyes, Milla." An odd request she thought, nevertheless, Milla closes her eyes. Jude lessens the gap between their faces but stops midway.
"Have you done it, Jude?"
He realizes that he is being unnaturally slow about this but he is about to kiss her. His heart starts racing. "No."
Slyph growls in frustration.
Slyph: Okay, Jud-o boy. How about I give you a little push. You will thank me later.
A puff of air made contact with the back of his head, giving him that needed push to close the distance with her. His lips pressed onto hers. She was soft…warm. When she felt the sensation of his cool, smooth lips on her own, something within her stirred. She angles his head so she can get better access as she deepens the kiss, pushing her lips forward. The tip of her tongue slightly brushes against his. She breaks the kiss slowly, to Jude's chagrin. Strands of her hair tickle his face as she remains in close proximity to him.
Sylph: Woohoo! All right! Pass me the popcorn.
Undine: You are liking this too much.
"Milla, you used your tongue!"
"I did? I certainly do not remember." Is she really sure that was her first kiss? Not that he had any history with kissing someone but that felt like she knew what she was doing. "Yes. You did!" None of his words are registering in her head. The Lord of Spirits intently eyes Jude's lips hungrily, like a wolf that hasn't eaten in days. Never would she have imagined that one could derive so much pleasure from something so uncomplicated.
"Milla?"
"Yes, Jude?" An intensity that he isn't familiar with swam across the pools of her magenta eyes. "Funny." She sets her palm on his chest and brought him down on the bed. Startled by her unexpected behavior, he watches as she straddles on top of him and caresses his sweet lips. "Jude, let me kiss you again." She did not wait for his reply as she dives right in.
Slyph gapes at the scene before him.
Slyph: Well! That escalated quickly!
Undine: Sylph, are you doing something?
Slyph: How the heck can you blame me for this? This is all Milla.
Efreet: Jude is definitely enjoying it. I can feel his temperature rising.
The great spirit of earth, Gnome, hides behind Undine.
Gnome: I am scared. Why are they eating each other?
Slyph: They are not eating each other, stupid.
Undine: We should interrupt them, though. Before something happens.
Slyph: Let something happen! Haha!
Efreet turns to the door and detects three humans on the other side.
Efreet: We have visitors. Milla, perhaps you and Jude can resume this at a later date.
Gnome: She is not listening.
Efreet: Odd. She does not seem to be complying.
Undine: Shall I spray them with water?
Efreet: That would be the best course of action to snap them out of their reverie.
Before Undine can start, the door open.
"Hey super pals…" Tipo enters first.
"This is…" Alvin trails on with his words, not knowing how else to describe what he is seeing.
Leia quickly finishes his sentence for him. "A surprise?"
"WOAH! A steamy hot make-out scene!" Tipo flies above them. Jude finally comes back to reality and stops the kiss. "Tipo!" His vision was upside down due to his current predicament but he knows his friends are there. "Woah hey! Don't stop on our account." Elize swiftly grabs her floating friend and shuts him up. "Tipo, you're embarrassing me."
"The spuds right. Don't let us interrupt you lovebirds." Alvin waves his hand in the air. Maxwell looks up and arches her brow in wonder. Jude and her are not birds.
She removes herself from Jude and sits on the edge of the bed. "That is quite all right. We are finish for now." Still in a complete haze, Jude sits up and realizes that his shirt was unbuttoned. When did this happen?
Leia studies Jude and Milla. "If you two are done, the village elder and his wife prepared a feast for us back at his hut. We came by to pick you both up." Her childhood friend hasn't uttered a single word yet.
"Done? You two are done?" Tipo circles around the bed. "But I wanted to see more steamy wet kisses!"
"Tipo! Be quiet!" Alvin friendly pats Elize on the head. "Do I detect a hint of curiosity in our little lady." She shoves his hand aside and storms out of the house, mortified at what Alvin had said. The ex-mercenary smirks and guides Leia out of the hut. He turns his to the right and winks at Milla. "Don't take too long. Tipo might eat everything." He closes the door behind him.
"Tipo is unable to eat unless he learned how to during my absence?" She casually engages Jude in a conversation, acting as if what happened between them didn't happen at all. "No, he can't eat." He weakly answers her question. "I did not think so." He rakes his hand in his disheveled hair, smoothing it out to a more presentable look.
"I thank you, Jude. That was very illuminating. I enjoyed swapping saliva with you."
"You're welc—" She leans her head forward and pecks him on the forehead. The sentiment of that short kiss catches him off guard. "Let us be off, Jude. I require sustenance." He nods in agreement. Together, they saunter outside to join with the others.
Efreet: It is rare for Milla to loose her composure like that.
Undine: I suppose that was good new experience for her.
Gnome is still shivering from what he had witnessed.
Gnome: We should tell her not to do that again with Jude.
The wind spirit smacks Gnome's globe, sending him to a dizzying twirl.
Slyph: Are you kidding me! Next time, none of us are interrupting!
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Thanks for reading! Tell me what you guys think when you get a chance :)