Title: Friendly Advice

Summary: Flavio was taking the restaurant's reputation to heart. Fafnir hopes that a few of the members of the Guardian Guild can ease his concerns.

AN: I would have had this chapter up earlier but my knee locked up again and the pain medication makes it hard to concentrate. Also, this chapter took on a life of its own! I guess I'm just having too much fun having Flavio and Fafnir interact with my CtS characters that I'm going overboard? Meh.

Fafnir leaned against the doorframe leading into Flavio's room and folded his arms across his chest. Flavio was at his desk, his arms folded atop of the table with his chin resting on his arms as he gazed out the window. He had a look of contemplation on his face as he chewed on his bottom lip.

He had been like that since that incident at the restaurant with the members of the Guardian Guild. He seemed to have taken their terse response to Regina as resentment, although Fafnir felt that it was more exhaustion and frustration at the lack of support for the lower wards than any personal vendetta against the restaurant itself.

"You're taking this to heart," Fafnir said as he pushed away from the doorframe and walked into the room.

"I can't help it," Flavio said with a sigh as he lifted his chin up off his arms to look over at Fafnir. "It's not just about the restaurant. It's…"

"You want to help those people," Fafnir confidentially finished for him.

Despite his dearie mood, the corner of Flavio's mouth twitched into a half grin. "Yeah."

While Fafnir wasn't at all surprised that Flavio felt that way, he also knew how difficult it would be for him to see the truth. They may have grown up in an orphanage and with the Midgard Library, but their lives were surprisingly sheltered. They've never had to deal with such things before.

He also didn't have it in him to tell Flavio that he couldn't help everyone. That wouldn't stop him from opening his heart to others, anyway.

Flavio sighed softly as he placed his hands upon his desk and pushed himself to his feet. "I need to go for a walk."

"I'm going with you this time," Fafnir immediately said.

A small smile appeared on Flavio's lips and he nodded his head, as if he had expected Fafnir to say such a thing. "Ok."

As they both left Flavio's room, Fafnir reached for his sword, patting the handle idle from where it was holstered by his side. After the incident with the ragelopes entering into town, Fafnir had taken up the habit of always carrying his sword with him, even if it's just to the corner store and back. He also wanted to keep it handy for intimidation purposes should anyone else try to corner Flavio again.

They walked in silence through the busy streets of the shopping district, Flavio lost in his own thoughts and Fafnir idly gazing at their surroundings. He made sure to keep an eye on Flavio, needing to take him by the elbow and pulling him back to avoid being shouldered by a passer-by several times. Although he didn't mind watching out for Flavio, earning that cute half smile of an apology, he just wished that Flavio wouldn't walk about without paying attention. There were honestly quite a few people, locals and explorers alike, who were constantly looking for a fight, and would take any excuse to attack someone.

Fafnir felt himself frown when he grabbed Flavio by the elbow and pulled him against his side once again when a man, probably about their age with long dark blue hair and bright blue eyes brushed against him, propelled there by someone bumping into him. He brushed against Flavio's shoulder, staggered slightly as he kept a firm grip on shopping bag he was holding against his chest.

Straightening himself, the man paused in his steps and sent Flavio a politely apologetic look. He wore golden armour and a long cape that had a regal feel to it, yet Fafnir wasn't entirely sure what class the man was. The armour he wore was unlike that of a protector or landsknecht.

"Oh, my apologies," the man said as he dipped his head forward slightly.

"It's fine," Flavio immediately replied just as politely with a friendly smile. "No harm done."

The man smiled in return and appeared as if he was about to excuse himself when his gaze fell upon Fafnir. Or rather, on the grip that Fafnir had on Flavio's elbow, and he tightened it out of habit.

"Is that a Katzbalger?"

Fafnir was subtly taken aback by the question. What was he-? Oh, he was actually looking at his sword? Arching an eyebrow at the man, Fafnir removed his grip on Flavio's arm to instead grasp onto the hilt of his sword, exposing half of it from the sheath.

Strangely, the man's eyes practically lit up and he leaned forward to get a better look. "The fluorite gemstones and the steel beaks are of high quality," he mumbled. "Easily increasing attack strength by 67 percent. The craftsmanship is truly remarkable. Ah, must be the work of Thompson Sitoth."

"Ere, Topaz," a new but somewhat familiar voice suddenly griped causing the blue-haired man to abruptly pull away as if he just realised what he was doing. He turned to look behind him and Fafnir looked also looked, out of curiosity more so than anything else.

Standing just a few feet away, their arms full of shopping bags of their own was a certain brown-haired gunner and a certain blond-haired alchemist. Macerio and Magnus of the Guardian Guild, if Fafnir was not mistaken. Although they had no formally met, he knew about them from Flavio.

"You're acting weird again," Macerio continued, looking and sounding disgruntled.

The man that must be named Topaz blushed darkly. "O-oh, my apologies," he said again, but sounding far more flustered than previously.

"No, it's fine," Flavio said once again, but with a slight sense of amusement in his voice while Fafnir simply nodded his head in response.

"Sorry about Topaz, yeah?" Macerio said as he turned his attention to Flavio and readjusted the hold on his shopping bag. "New to this guild and exploring thing, so he gets carried away sometimes."

Topaz looked over at Macerio, mildly indignant, yet made no attempt to verbally respond. His blush remained as he moved to stand beside Magnus, the alchemist patting him on the shoulder in a comforting manner.

"It's fine, really. And it's nice to meet you," Flavio said in a reassuring manner once more before he suddenly made a sound of realisation and glanced over at Fafnir. "Oh, right, you guys haven't formally met yet."

Fafnir simply nodded his head once and Flavio smiled widely at him before returned his focus back to the three members of the Guardian guild.

"Hey, this is Fafnir," Flavio introduced, gently tapping his knuckles against Fafnir's chest. "Fafnir, this is Macerio and Magnus from the Guardians Guild."

"H-hello," Magnus murmured shyly in response and clutched his belongings closer against his chest as he ducked his chin deeper into the red scarf around his neck. "O-oh, you're the o-one I bumped into the other d-day…I'm so sorry."

"No harm done," Fafnir replied with a hopefully reassuring smile, which only prompted the blond to squeak and try to nuzzle his face deeper into his scarf. He hoped that was a good reaction. He didn't fancy encountering that protective ronin again.

"Hey," Macerio suddenly piped up with a wide grin on his lips. "Are you the one that Cass doesn't want befriending Axel because of he's afraid you would team up for a bar fight?"

Fafnir's grin twitched into a smirk. "That's me."

If at all possible, the gunner's smile widened. "Heh, awesome. Totally can't wait to see you in a fight."

Fafnir arched an eyebrow. He also remembered Cass mentioning something about a shit-stirring gunner. The one in front of him must be the one he was complaining about.

Flavio sent Fafnir a bemused look before he turned his focus upon the blue-haired man again. "Topaz, right? You seem to know a lot about weapons."

"Oh, thank you," Topaz replied, his expression brightening. "But I am just a scholar. I don't know the true fundamentals when it comes to battles. And truth be told, I'm far more interested in learning more of the seven legendary weapons."

Flavio tilted his head to the side in both question and curiosity. "Seven-?"

Macerio suddenly made a cut-off motion with his hand. "Don't ask," he hissed through his teeth. "You'll be here for hours."

"O-oh, ok," Flavio stuttered before he cleared his throat. "So, ah, t-that's a lot of glass bottles you're carrying. Restocking your explorer kits, I guess?"

"T-they're not for us," Magnus answered. "They're for the treasure chests for the first stratum of the labyrinth."

Fafnir furrowed his brow slightly in confusion as Flavio tilted his head to the side once more. "Treasure chests?" he questioned.

"We're restocking them," Topaz was the one to answer this time. "It's important to give explorers and adventurers an incentive to keep returning and to keep them safe. Many, though, do not like handouts due to pride, so we like to maintain the treasure chests found in numerous locations around the labyrinth."

"Yeah," Macerio said as he eagerly nodded his head. "After all the fighting and trekking about, it's important to get a reward every now and again, right?"

"Happy explorers mean happy locals who rely on explorers," Magnus added with a small smile on his lips.

Flavio openly stared at them for a moment, seemingly at a loss for words. "That's…really amazing," he finally murmured.

Fafnir was content to stand back and watch silently as Flavio interacted with the members of the Guardian Guild. Flavio had always been far more outgoing than he had, and was able to approach and become friends with just about anyone.

Truly, Flavio would thrive being a member of a much larger guild. A guild that wasn't...bogged down by curses or roles of destiny...a guild much like that of the Guardians.

Fafnir silently slipped his right hand behind him, out of view, when the back of his hand twitched from the powerful scar. He ignored it, though, maintaining a passive expression on his face.

"Usually, the guards do this," Topaz continued as he readjusted his shopping bundle once more. "But they have been quite busy preparing the city for Lady Gadiel's upcoming birthday. Which is in a month's time."

Macerio unexpectedly released a sharp snort of annoyance. "Preparing simply means prettying up the city for the celebrations without actually fixing anything," he muttered, his resentment quite potent.

"Shhh," Magnus whispered to him, but that only prompted Macerio to lift his nose higher into the air, looking defiant.

"We've heard about that," Flavio said, his voice surprisingly soft. "About Lady's Gadiel's birthday, I mean."

Surprisingly, Topaz chuckled. "I suspect that all restaurant owners are eagerly awaiting the festivities."

Fafnir sighed while Flavio winced. "Ah, well…" he murmured.

Topaz tilted his head to the side. "Is there something troubling you?"

"Oh no, it's nothing," Flavio said, seemingly not wanting to bother those in front of them with his concerns before he sighed and shook his head slightly. "It's just…the restaurant doesn't have the best reputation."

A look of understanding immediately appeared on Topaz's face and he nodded his head. "Oh, I see."

Fafnir folded his arms around his chest and gave the blue-haired man a pointed look. "You don't sound surprised."

Macerio gave him a nonchalant one shoulder shrug. "Yeah, well, we've heard a bit about the restaurant."

Next to him, Magnus nodded his head softly. "They say the chef there is really cold and scary."

While Flavio winced again, Fafnir held his chin in thought. Well, they couldn't really dispute that. By first appearances Regina could be. Fafnir himself had to ask if she was angry about something the first time they met, so it was easy to understand the hesitancy to approach Regina and her restaurant. She wasn't antisocial or rude by any means; she just preferred cooking over the interaction of people, whom of which she didn't really know how to interact with.

…Ok, so she might be somewhat anti-social.

"Looking for ways to improve customer quantity?" Topaz suddenly asked, pulling Fafnir from his thoughts.

Fafnir nodded his head as he dropped his arm across his chest again. "Yeah."

"Hamza suggested possible town restoration," Flavio added as he fidgeted slightly on his feet. "But I don't think we can handle that yet."

"Yes, I understand," Topaz said with a sincere smile on his lips. "It's a bit daunting, although it would benefit you greatly. Perhaps something simpler? What about visiting different wards and asking them what it is they would like to sample?"

"I don't think that would do any good," Macerio butted in before Flavio or Fafnir had the chance to consider the suggestion. "You're going to need to give them a reason to want to spend their cash at a restaurant run by a noble."

"That's true," Topaz said as a slight frown appeared on his lips and he turned his attention Macerio. "Although, having a noble take interest in the wards and using her status to aide them would benefit everyone."

"You're still going to have to get past their suspicions," Macerio retorted swiftly before a look of contemplation crossed his features. "What about donating to the hospital?"

Topaz, however, shook his head. "Monetary donations would be appreciated, but they need customers to make that money first. Ingredient donations wouldn't be any good, either."

Macerio tilted his head back and groaned loudly in frustration. "Look, I don't know, ok? I'm not an entrepreneur."

They fell into a pensive silence before Magnus cleared his throat, gaining their attention. "What about grimoire stones?"

Flavio turned to the alchemist and blinked in confusion. "What about them?"

Magnus appeared as if he wanted to hide away into his scarf, but wanted to continue nonetheless. "Um, w-why don't you trade them or something?" he murmured.

"Yes, that might work," Topaz said, perking up significantly. "You see, the Stickleback Bar is the only place in High Lagaard that allows for explorers to take requests and for the locals to issue said requests. While it's true that Cass is often thinking of quick ways to make money, he has never failed in issuing out rewards for the successful completion of quests. He has earned a reputation of being honest with the rewards and for issuing out quests to those he knows and trusts. If your restaurant allows for the exchanging of grimoire stones, quality stones, it will give another incentive for explorers to visit."

Flavio pursed his lips together in silence for a moment before he turned toward Fafnir. "Do you think that would work?" he asked softly, sounding hopeful.

Fafnir didn't see the harm in trying. "We have plenty of grimoire stones of our own. It should work."

"Why don't you try with that first and see where that takes you?" Topaz suggested before he gave them a pessimistic look. "Of course, you're still going to need to help your chef overcome her reputation of being scary."

Flavio sighed, his shoulders drooping forward with fatigue. "That…might take a bit of work."

Still, Fafnir could see that Flavio was hopeful; looking the brightest he's been since learning of the restaurant failing reputation.

"Just one last question," Flavio suddenly requested as he straightened his posture to his full height. He, however, looked slightly nervous. "Do you, well, do you guys resent the restaurant?"

The three members of the Guardian Guild looked momentarily startled. "What makes you ask that?" Topaz asked.

"It's just I'm never seen you guys there," Flavio blurted out before flushing lightly with embarrassment. "Sorry, I'm jumping to conclusions."

"It's not that we hate the restaurant," Magnus said with a shake of his head before an expression of discomfort appeared on his face. "It's..."

"We literally don't have the time to visit," Macerio finished bluntly, looking surprisingly haggard.

"O-oh?" Flavio stuttered, looking and sounding surprised. "Fair enough, I guess."

Fafnir was glad that Flavio had actually asked the Guardians that question as it had been plaguing him for hours now, and had received a blunt and honest answer in return. One less thing for that mother-hen to worry about. Fafnir was sure that Flavio would tell him how relieved he was about the answer later, probably tonight before going to bed.

There was one more thing Fafnir hoped he could get cleared up. "Is it because of the hospital's funding?"

Topaz shifted his gaze over to Fafnir and seemed to inwardly debate on how he should answer his question. Or maybe he was trying to gauge what Fafnir was really asking about. About whether or not the restaurant was responsible for the lack of funding. No one had said as much, but Fafnir was pretty sure it had been implied by a few of the locals and explorers. Some would think that it was too coincidental that the restaurant would appear around the same time the hospital's funding had been slashed.

"Oh no, not that I assure you," Topaz said after a moment. "As you may know, the Guardian Guild is known mostly for search and rescue, and for aiding the hospital. Two important tasks, correct? I'm sure you can appreciate how much effort the two require."

Flavio folded his arms behind his back as he shifted awkwardly on his feet. "The hospital's funding has been reduced, though, right?"

Topaz gave a slight shake of his head. "I'm afraid we cannot answer that question. You'll have to ask Lynus. He would know more."

"Speaking of Lynus," Macerio suddenly chimed in, quickly changing the topic of conversation. "He wants to talk to you, Flavio."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, he wants to apologise for sending Zeryn after you," Macerio replied with a mischievous grin. "He didn't mean to. He was actually asking Tobyn to deliver the recipes when Zeryn butted in and decided that 'Flavio' was a cute name, so must belong to a cute person."

Fafnir felt his eye twitch at the mentioning of that highlander. The fact that he was right about Flavio's name belonging to a cute person was irrelevant. If he holstered Flavio into the air and tickled him one more time…

"That man lives in a world all of his own, doesn't he?" Flavio stated more so than asked.

Macerio smiled again and Fafnir couldn't help but get the feeling that the gunner was either plotting something or was pleased that the highlander had turned his attention to someone else. Both, most likely; using Flavio as a distraction so that he could escape himself.

Fafnir better keep an eye on this trouble-maker.

"Anyway, Lynus is at the hospital now, though," Macerio continued. "He was needed for a code blue. We don't know when he'll be back."

"Code blue?"

"Hospital talk for a medical emergency," Macerio explained before he crinkled his nose in discomfort. "Like, you know, loss of limbs or the heart having stopped, that sort of thing. The patient near death, in other words."

Fafnir couldn't help but wince. He was glad he wasn't a healer. Having to deal with the bloody aftermath of an exploration gone wrong would rip the heart out of a lesser man. Or make them highly cynical and detached. But from what had seen and heard; Lynus was still empathetic and kind to everyone.

That was just the nature of a medic, he supposed.

"Oh, I see," Flavio said before looking curious. "Does he get called in often?"

"Oh yes," Topaz quickly replied, soundings surprisingly proud for some reason. "Lynus is what the head doctor at the hospitals calls a High Level Healer. He's an excellent teacher, too."

"Really?!" Flavio gaped, genuinely impressed. "That's amazing. But he's so young."

"H-he's been healing for over ten years," Magnus explained.

"R-really?"

Topaz suddenly glanced up at the sky above them, a frown tugging at his lips. "Well, you must excuse us for now," he said.

"Yeah," Macerio said as he motioned to the shopping bags in his arms. "We need to take these items back to the inn where we need to figure out which chests to put them in. It's not easy as just putting them in the first chest we come across."

"S-see you back at the inn," Magnus said as he and Macerio turned in the direction of the inn, Macerio taking the lead with Magnus a step or so behind him.

"Thank you for talking to us," Flavio said to Topaz before he turned to leave as well. "Really."

Topaz smiled warmly at him. "Always happy to help," he said before he turned to catch up with his guildmates.

Flavio watched until the three were out of sight before he turned his attention to Fafnir. "Hey, Faf, I think we should try the grimoire idea first," he said as a small smile crept upon his lips. "I think it could work."

Fafnir nodded his head. Anything to keep that smile on Flavio's face.

"It's a start," he said as he placed an arm around Flavio's shoulders and prodded him along. "Let's head back to the restaurant."