DISCLAIMER: Suikoden 2 and all its elements are properties of KCET. The fanfiction belongs to littlemaiko. Stealing is prohibited.
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~ Silent Little Mermaid 3 ~
Viktor toyed with the jug of ale upon the counter, wondering where his blue-clad friend may be. He had been waiting here for a while expecting Flik to show up anytime. According to what he had heard from Flik and Shu both, the younger mercenary must be feeling down over what happened to Jess.
"Viktor."
"Leona, another jug, on me."
Flik slid into the seat next to the bear-like man, his perfectly-chiseled face reflecting the troubled thoughts inside. He kept on clenching and unclenching his hands; a flicker of strange smile crossed his expression every time he loosely folded his fingers. Lingering warmth and slenderness of Jess' body inevitably gave him a false replay of the past.
Studying the handsome profile, Viktor spoke in a smooth conversational tone, "Just like Odessa, isn't he?"
"...Don't start, Viktor. I know that Jess is no replacement. Odessa is gone. Same hair, eyes, and similar face and skin and build... ugh, they aren't the same people." Flik grimaced and took up the jug Leona gave him. He filled his mouth full with the foamy liquid, barely enjoying the taste of the ale.
"You only think you understand, Flik. So, how's guilt trip going?"
"Lay off. I was just made painfully aware of what damage I've caused."
Looking sharply down at his long, slender fingers, Flik licked at one calloused tip and tasted dried tears. He hadn't meant to make Jess cry like that. He also hadn't meant to make the younger man lose his voice. Even if the lack of light-pitched tenor made the resemblance with Odessa uncanny...
"Cruel man, you made him cry, didn't you?" Viktor gave a meaningful sideway glance.
"Yeah..." A deep, deep sigh made Flik's shoulders slump.
"So what are you going to do? Mediocre sympathy out of guilt will do no good."
Viktor was seldom sharp-tongued, but he spoke bluntly whenever necessary. Especially toward Flik, he showed no anything-goes sweetness.
"You are telling me to act as though nothing happened?"
"That's one idea. Or, are you gonna be his voice from now on? Come now, Flik, you don't have the time or enough feeling of responsibility."
Flik found the realism sickening, but the older mercenary was right. First of all, Jess probably hated him for everything. Secondly, he had no time to go about with the chamberlain and speaking for him. And lastly, the similarity with Odessa might cause something unpleasant for the both of them.
"...I know that."
Shadow cast over Flik's expression, his vivid-colored bandana not adding liveliness at all.
**********
Jess gestured with meticulous care and thought, trying to get the complex message across to the family that had just moved into North Window. He had handed the written contract over to the head of the household, but unfortunately, no one there could read well enough.
"...I'm sorry, mister. I don't get what you mean."
Dropping both hands to his sides, Jess shook his head and agonized over how to work this out. His job here was only to get the contract signed for the formal move-in procedure. Of course, he could just point to the signature line at the bottom of the paper and have the man sign it without question. That seemed too careless, though.
// I could just ask someone to read the contract aloud. //
Normally, the chamberlain would have mailed the contract over and never visited the family. Only today, he had a reason to come this way in town. He inwardly vowed never to hand-deliver documents again.
Signaling for the man to wait, Jess peeked outside the door into the street. His eyes captured the familiar blue-clad figure walking by. Stepping out briefly, he beckoned Flik over with a wave of a hand.
"Hello, Jess." Flik nodded with a dose of uneasiness.
Jess ignored the greeting and pulled Flik by a hand into the compartment. Taking the contract, he handed it to the mercenary and tapped at the words.
"...Oh, all right. You want me to read this to this man?"
Given a relieved nod, Flik cleared his throat and recited the short document from top to bottom. The middle-aged head of the new family seemed to understand what was going on at last and signed the paper without a fuss. Jess placed the paper into the leather-bound folder he had tucked under an elbow, giving a businesslike bow before leaving the place. Flik followed naturally.
"Do you have a problem like that all the time?" The tall mercenary asked, feeling his stomach clench. If Jess nodded in agreement, then he would not sleep peacefully tonight from guilt.
Much to Flik's relief, Jess shook his head in negative. He looked down at the simple watch at his wrist; the time almost read three, meaning that he only had a few minutes until the daily tea-break. Since he kept a rigidly punctual schedule from day to day, he turned on his heels, back toward the castle corridor.
"A thanks wouldn't hurt." Flik muttered at the abrupt dismissal that he suffered, but he regretted complaining right away.
Turning back to the handsome swordsman, Jess looked at loss. He moved his lips to mouth the gratitude; frustrated at the disability, he took in a small breath and put on a rather awkward smile of appreciation. It was a smile nevertheless, from pleasantly narrowed tea-brown eyes to curled pale lips.
Flik widened the vivid blue gaze in bewilderment. He had imagined it before, but Jess most resembled Odessa when he smiled. The softened porcelain good looks gained all the necessary glow and loveliness at the expression. Same shade of hair, same eyes, even the arch of graceful brows and straight, small nose dubbed exactly. Flik wondered if he was hallucinating, but his mouth moved on its own accord and spoke, "You are welcome."
The young chamberlain wiped the smile off of his face, unsure as to how to take Flik's delirious look. Looking down hastily, Jess held the leather binder to his chest and left the other man behind.
**********
"I only think I understand. Huh..." Flik remembered Viktor's accusing little comment exactly. He grimaced and downed the remaining golden liquid in the jug. Small specks of foam wetted his chin, which he wiped off with a back of a hand.
"Odessa... Jess... Odessa... Jess... ess, ess, ess."
Slurred murmur blended into the similarity of the name. Flik leaned back into the backrest of the chair; he had been shushed out of the tavern by Leona after his sixth drink. Now, he had an open bottle of strong liquor on the table, almost all consumed.
The reason for this sudden drinking spree escaped Flik. Since the uncanny resemblance between Jess and Odessa struck him heavily in the afternoon, he'd lost the will to do much else but drink and think over the similarity between the two. He was sure of one thing; he wasn't drinking from the grief of losing Odessa. He'd done enough of that right after the news of her demise.
"Odessa."
Flik closed his blue eyes and tried to remember the face of his beloved. Until Jess had come along, he hadn't realized how his memory had dimmed. Similarities and differences between the lithe chamberlain and Odessa helped him recall so much of small details. The exact roundness of those tea-colored eyes, for instance, would have slipped from his memory altogether.
Now, the blue-clad man could remember Odessa, down to the dainty curl of every single eyelashes. He could reconstruct her inside his head; he could probe his mind's hands over her soft, kitten-fur hair and porcelain cheeks. At the same time, he understood why men forgot even the most painful memories with time. Without the ability to let things fade away, all will forever be haunted by the past.
// So that's why I'm drinking. Trying to undo what Jess' smile triggered. It's no use, though. I can't let go of her. //
Flik had no intention to mope all his life over Odessa. She would scold him for doing so, tell him that he shouldn't waste away like that. He just wanted her to stay with him and not disintegrate into some old nostalgic fragment of the past. Was that too much to ask?
"So I thought I understood... Damn you, Viktor, why do you know me so well?"
Jess posed as nothing more than a reminder of Odessa. Forced to admit so, Flik groaned in self-disgust. If he didn't detach the two in his mind, he would never be fair to the young chamberlain.
"I owe him that much," Flik murmured in a hush. He lost interest in the drink at hand and closed his eyes to think of as many differences between Odessa and Jess as possible. Hopefully, the list will be endless...
NEXT
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~ Silent Little Mermaid 3 ~
Viktor toyed with the jug of ale upon the counter, wondering where his blue-clad friend may be. He had been waiting here for a while expecting Flik to show up anytime. According to what he had heard from Flik and Shu both, the younger mercenary must be feeling down over what happened to Jess.
"Viktor."
"Leona, another jug, on me."
Flik slid into the seat next to the bear-like man, his perfectly-chiseled face reflecting the troubled thoughts inside. He kept on clenching and unclenching his hands; a flicker of strange smile crossed his expression every time he loosely folded his fingers. Lingering warmth and slenderness of Jess' body inevitably gave him a false replay of the past.
Studying the handsome profile, Viktor spoke in a smooth conversational tone, "Just like Odessa, isn't he?"
"...Don't start, Viktor. I know that Jess is no replacement. Odessa is gone. Same hair, eyes, and similar face and skin and build... ugh, they aren't the same people." Flik grimaced and took up the jug Leona gave him. He filled his mouth full with the foamy liquid, barely enjoying the taste of the ale.
"You only think you understand, Flik. So, how's guilt trip going?"
"Lay off. I was just made painfully aware of what damage I've caused."
Looking sharply down at his long, slender fingers, Flik licked at one calloused tip and tasted dried tears. He hadn't meant to make Jess cry like that. He also hadn't meant to make the younger man lose his voice. Even if the lack of light-pitched tenor made the resemblance with Odessa uncanny...
"Cruel man, you made him cry, didn't you?" Viktor gave a meaningful sideway glance.
"Yeah..." A deep, deep sigh made Flik's shoulders slump.
"So what are you going to do? Mediocre sympathy out of guilt will do no good."
Viktor was seldom sharp-tongued, but he spoke bluntly whenever necessary. Especially toward Flik, he showed no anything-goes sweetness.
"You are telling me to act as though nothing happened?"
"That's one idea. Or, are you gonna be his voice from now on? Come now, Flik, you don't have the time or enough feeling of responsibility."
Flik found the realism sickening, but the older mercenary was right. First of all, Jess probably hated him for everything. Secondly, he had no time to go about with the chamberlain and speaking for him. And lastly, the similarity with Odessa might cause something unpleasant for the both of them.
"...I know that."
Shadow cast over Flik's expression, his vivid-colored bandana not adding liveliness at all.
**********
Jess gestured with meticulous care and thought, trying to get the complex message across to the family that had just moved into North Window. He had handed the written contract over to the head of the household, but unfortunately, no one there could read well enough.
"...I'm sorry, mister. I don't get what you mean."
Dropping both hands to his sides, Jess shook his head and agonized over how to work this out. His job here was only to get the contract signed for the formal move-in procedure. Of course, he could just point to the signature line at the bottom of the paper and have the man sign it without question. That seemed too careless, though.
// I could just ask someone to read the contract aloud. //
Normally, the chamberlain would have mailed the contract over and never visited the family. Only today, he had a reason to come this way in town. He inwardly vowed never to hand-deliver documents again.
Signaling for the man to wait, Jess peeked outside the door into the street. His eyes captured the familiar blue-clad figure walking by. Stepping out briefly, he beckoned Flik over with a wave of a hand.
"Hello, Jess." Flik nodded with a dose of uneasiness.
Jess ignored the greeting and pulled Flik by a hand into the compartment. Taking the contract, he handed it to the mercenary and tapped at the words.
"...Oh, all right. You want me to read this to this man?"
Given a relieved nod, Flik cleared his throat and recited the short document from top to bottom. The middle-aged head of the new family seemed to understand what was going on at last and signed the paper without a fuss. Jess placed the paper into the leather-bound folder he had tucked under an elbow, giving a businesslike bow before leaving the place. Flik followed naturally.
"Do you have a problem like that all the time?" The tall mercenary asked, feeling his stomach clench. If Jess nodded in agreement, then he would not sleep peacefully tonight from guilt.
Much to Flik's relief, Jess shook his head in negative. He looked down at the simple watch at his wrist; the time almost read three, meaning that he only had a few minutes until the daily tea-break. Since he kept a rigidly punctual schedule from day to day, he turned on his heels, back toward the castle corridor.
"A thanks wouldn't hurt." Flik muttered at the abrupt dismissal that he suffered, but he regretted complaining right away.
Turning back to the handsome swordsman, Jess looked at loss. He moved his lips to mouth the gratitude; frustrated at the disability, he took in a small breath and put on a rather awkward smile of appreciation. It was a smile nevertheless, from pleasantly narrowed tea-brown eyes to curled pale lips.
Flik widened the vivid blue gaze in bewilderment. He had imagined it before, but Jess most resembled Odessa when he smiled. The softened porcelain good looks gained all the necessary glow and loveliness at the expression. Same shade of hair, same eyes, even the arch of graceful brows and straight, small nose dubbed exactly. Flik wondered if he was hallucinating, but his mouth moved on its own accord and spoke, "You are welcome."
The young chamberlain wiped the smile off of his face, unsure as to how to take Flik's delirious look. Looking down hastily, Jess held the leather binder to his chest and left the other man behind.
**********
"I only think I understand. Huh..." Flik remembered Viktor's accusing little comment exactly. He grimaced and downed the remaining golden liquid in the jug. Small specks of foam wetted his chin, which he wiped off with a back of a hand.
"Odessa... Jess... Odessa... Jess... ess, ess, ess."
Slurred murmur blended into the similarity of the name. Flik leaned back into the backrest of the chair; he had been shushed out of the tavern by Leona after his sixth drink. Now, he had an open bottle of strong liquor on the table, almost all consumed.
The reason for this sudden drinking spree escaped Flik. Since the uncanny resemblance between Jess and Odessa struck him heavily in the afternoon, he'd lost the will to do much else but drink and think over the similarity between the two. He was sure of one thing; he wasn't drinking from the grief of losing Odessa. He'd done enough of that right after the news of her demise.
"Odessa."
Flik closed his blue eyes and tried to remember the face of his beloved. Until Jess had come along, he hadn't realized how his memory had dimmed. Similarities and differences between the lithe chamberlain and Odessa helped him recall so much of small details. The exact roundness of those tea-colored eyes, for instance, would have slipped from his memory altogether.
Now, the blue-clad man could remember Odessa, down to the dainty curl of every single eyelashes. He could reconstruct her inside his head; he could probe his mind's hands over her soft, kitten-fur hair and porcelain cheeks. At the same time, he understood why men forgot even the most painful memories with time. Without the ability to let things fade away, all will forever be haunted by the past.
// So that's why I'm drinking. Trying to undo what Jess' smile triggered. It's no use, though. I can't let go of her. //
Flik had no intention to mope all his life over Odessa. She would scold him for doing so, tell him that he shouldn't waste away like that. He just wanted her to stay with him and not disintegrate into some old nostalgic fragment of the past. Was that too much to ask?
"So I thought I understood... Damn you, Viktor, why do you know me so well?"
Jess posed as nothing more than a reminder of Odessa. Forced to admit so, Flik groaned in self-disgust. If he didn't detach the two in his mind, he would never be fair to the young chamberlain.
"I owe him that much," Flik murmured in a hush. He lost interest in the drink at hand and closed his eyes to think of as many differences between Odessa and Jess as possible. Hopefully, the list will be endless...
NEXT