Support Conversation-Iniabi and Sumia

Rank C

"He loves me…he loves me not…he loves me…"

Adrift in his own bittersweet memories, a handsome and youthful mage looked silently on with a wistful expression at the sight of a cute Pegasus knight plucking pedals off a daisy as she sat next to a fire pit containing coals heating an iron pan filled with a bubbling blackberry cobbler. His black hair was perpetually messy and he had inquisitive, sharply defined green eyes. He wore light brown shirt, black pants, leather boots, and an impressive black cloak with a hood attached.

I never saw mother so young and timid before, he noted with a touch of wonder. In his home world, he had grown up remembering his fated mother-in-law as a kind, confident, middle aged warrior with graying, shoulder length hair; always with her devoted, perpetually cheerful, slightly insane dark mage spouse, Henry at her side. As far their rambunctious daughters went-

"Master Iniabi?" He flinched and found himself unexpectedly face to face with a tall girl wearing a warm grey gloves, a matching sleeveless blouse overhanging a pastel pink skirt that extended to her mid thighs. Garters secured the top of her thigh-high brown boots. Her long hair draped past her shoulders and her light brown eyes looked at her new ally with more than a hint of worry as she inquired, "Are you feeling okay?"

"Oh…yes of course milady," he replied as he cursed himself for his lapse of dropping his guard.

Sumia blushed in mild embarrassment, "Erm…actually my mother is Lady Pinnargente, not me. Just S-sumia is fine."

He forced a smile, "Sure Sumia. Just Iniabi is fine." Gods, she looked so different in his memory, but she was just as sweet. It was downright surreal to meet a teenage version of his wife's mother while she was so young and still single. "I'm really sorry to be a bother, but why the petal fortunes?"

"Oh that? No one-I mean nothing at all," she lied unconvincingly. Gods, can he tell that I like the Captain too, she lamented. Princess Lissa's playful teasing was bad enough.

He went over to the fire and smiled at the smell of the desert merrily baking. Her immaculate home three decades in the future was never without the delicious aromas of something cooking. He felt deep shame as he realized it was time to scuttle any chance of her ever pairing with her idol, Prince Chrom. There was a much better match for her waiting down the road, but he regrettably couldn't tell her that. He tried to make his question sound innocent, "Is that dessert for the Shepards?"

Gods. That was supposed to be for Captain Chrom, she rued. Her face fell as she realized she had to change her tactics quickly, lest she give her crush away. "Ah…yes of course. I thought my fellow warriors could do with a treat that washes away the gameness of bear meat." Her pride started to creep back up, "I'm not a great cook but I always do my best. My blackberry cobbler surprise, when I get it right, is quite a hit with my comrades in arms."

He chuckled, "With the surprise being the bottom layer of crabapples and cinnam-" He caught himself prattling on far too late and thought, Oh dog plop.

Sumia's eyes widened, but then she quickly broke into giggles, "Ah, Sir Kellam or Stahl must have told you. They're my most reliable taste testers."

Watch you stupid mouth you moron, he chided himself bitterly. He plunged on with a frantically racing heart, "Yes, of course. They couldn't help telling me that your culinary skills get better each and every day. It smells heavenly, Sumia."

What a nice young man, the Pegasus knight realized. He also bore a passing resemblance to Prince Chrom, which increased his appeal in her book. "Would you care to try it? It should be almost done."

He gave an appreciative nod as he took the spoon from her and savored the taste of pure nostalgia, although it the recipe clearly was still in the early stages of being tweaked.

His beloved Cynthia had always loved this treat the best of her mother's cooking. She had never gotten tired of pretending to be shocked at reaching the bottom layer of apples and yelling at being surprised before bursting out into raucous laughter. She insisted on repeating that joke every time she ate her mother's dessert. Without realizing it, tears dripped off his cheek onto his hand as the wave of melancholy remembrances of his late wife consumed him.

"Oh no! Did I mess it up again?" A panicked Sumia pleaded, "If it tastes lousy, you don't have to eat it on my account."

He hastily wiped at his eyes, "No-I was…impressed. It's an admirable start. Keep at it and I'm sure you're make some lucky guy very happy someday."

Her cheeks reddened, "Well, I don't know about that. I don't think the person I admire will ever like me back."

Iniabi smiled enigmatically, "If you believe in those flower fortunes, have they also not told you that there are more than one possible partner to walk hand in hand with?"

Sumia looked genuinely perturbed, and shifted her feet uneasily, "Surely you are wiser in the ways of the heart than I am. Who do you imagine would entrance my heart for the remainder of my days?"

He felt like a heartless heel, diverting her romantic destiny like a dam altering the course of a river. He sighed, "I'm a clueless fool actually. But I can imagine that your inherent kindness will open the door to loving someone that is the very opposite of your idealized manly hero."

Sumia gave a dazed nod, not understanding at all what the young mage was talking about, but trying to absorb his challenge to her preconceived notions regarding love. "Maybe the one I am fond of is not my destiny. He must find someone truly worthy of him after all." She squeezed his arm, "Thank you most sincerely, Iniabi. You gave given me much to think about." She heaped a generous serving of the cobbler onto a wooden plate and handed it over, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He bowed and walked away, savoring the familiar sour tang aftertaste. He only hoped she could forgive his ruthless meddling later.

She watched the brooding mage walk away until he was out of sight. She then she picked up a new flower with a serious expression, "Does Master Iniabi like me? He likes me…he likes me not…he likes me…"