Christmas Special Request: Cooking Scene. Flynn cooking scene...

...My mother did something cruel. Damn funny, but cruel. There was a toy spider at the bottom of my stocking. I pulled it out and dropped it in shock. Then I picked it up again and loosened the string wrapped around it (turned outs that was the draw string), and it began to move in my hand. Of course I dropped it with another embarrassing little scream. And mom rushed over to apologize and make sure I didn't hyperventilate. She was still laughing.

Feel the familial love.

On with business...ohmigosh, it's not first person! This fic occurs near the beginning of chapter 25 of Fairy Tales and Brave Vesperia.

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FTaBV Omake: Captain Chef

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Yuri stifled a yawn as he raised a hand to knock on Letha's door, Repede sitting down a few feet away. There wasn't really a need to wake the others up early, but he wanted to check and make sure she was alright. She had been held captive out in the woods for three days, after all. Estelle and Rita had reported that she'd practically passed out again the moment she reached her bed.

There was no response to his knock, and he frowned. Was she still asleep? But the other times they'd stayed at inns she'd wake up when someone was at the door. It was the only easy way to wake her up, he'd discovered. Or certain high pitched noises, which would make her jolt as if something had shocked her before she'd get an embarrassed look.

"Oh, sir? Your companion woke up early." Yuri turned to see a maid with a basket of laundry was speaking to him. "She should still be in the bath right now."

"Thanks," she bowed her head slightly to him and continued with her work. The swordsman thought he saw a familiar green hood hanging over the side of the basket...

No longer feeling it was necessary to worry about the trouble attracting girl, he decided to check the kitchen to see if someone was making breakfast yet. Some of the staff members gave him wary looks, but mostly ignored him since he hadn't caused any new trouble the last few days. Though one or two had looked nervous when Letha arrived the night before.

He pushed open the kitchen door, noting that it already sounded like someone was busy inside, and stood in the doorway in stunned silence.

"...Flynn?" he finally managed to force out. Repede whimpered and drew his tail between his legs.

The rising young knight was indeed the one bustling about in the kitchen. Even while wearing his new Captain's uniform. Currently he had a large bowl in hand and was mixing some batter. Flynn looked up at the sound of his name. "Oh, Yuri. I thought you should be up soon."

"Flynn..." Yuri started slowly, "what are you doing here?" He found it odd that the Arcturus staff had left Flynn to his own devices even though he was one of the imperial knights so mistrusted by the guilds.

"I heard from one of my men that Miss Vitae was found yesterday. And that she'd been promised some of my cooking to help her recover her strength. Though I'm not sure why it had to be my own, but if I can be of service then I won't hesitate to help."

"Uh, that's great Flynn," Yuri just knew Letha was going to get him back for this if he didn't do something fast. Though eating Flynn's cooking would be punishment enough. "I'm sure she'll appreciate the thought. But you really shouldn't..."

"It's no trouble at all," the knight assured him with a smile. "And since I'm already here, it would be a waste to leave so soon."

"Right..." Yuri realized he wasn't going to win this time. He'd have to hope Flynn just stuck to the recipe and didn't try adding any extra touches...

"Hmm, she hasn't eaten properly for several days, so we should try to make sure the nutrition is more balanced..." Flynn murmured to himself and started pouring cereal into the batter. "You can wait out in the common room by the fire, Yuri. I have everything under control here."

The swordsman sighed as he closed the kitchen door. Letha wasn't going to forget this.

"Mornin' Yuri..." Karol yawned. "Is breakfast almost ready?"

"Uhh..." If he wasn't careful, it wouldn't just be the usual mischief maker who was out to get him.

"Good morning everyone," Estelle greeted them cheerily from the hallway, Rita stretching a bit behind her. Her short brown hair still looked rumpled a bit from sleep.

That was convenient, he could give everyone the bad news at the same time.

Nearly half an hour later, Flynn left saying he had to return to his duties as Captain. Though one of the maids had taken over for him, making sure the food stayed warm until the last member of the party showed up. Meaning there was no chance to sneak in and replace Flynn's cooking with something less chancy. She offered to bring some of the food out so they could get started.

"No, we'll wait for our friend first." Yuri couldn't resist saying, "This is for her, after all, she should be the first to try it." Karol and Rita blinked in surprise, then started grinning when they realized the swordsman wasn't planning on warning Letha about the food. Estelle shook her head but didn't say anything.

The older girl did deserve it, after all, for the time with the Cat pictures.

She came down the stairs not much later anyway, bare foot and hair still damp. Karol waved to get her attention, "Over here!"

"Morning," she sat down in the free chair at the table, and looked around at them curiously. Maybe she noticed something different in the air from the way the youngest three were anticipating their minor revenge. But she was distracted when the maid and another helper brought the food out.

Letha's eyes lit up at the sight of the pancakes, which on the surface looked wholly innocent and delicious, and quickly cut a piece off. The moment it was in her mouth her face completely soured, and she sat still for a moment without chewing. Finally she swallowed, looking as if she had to force it to go down, and eyed the rest of them.

"Who made these pancakes?"

"Flynn." Really, for anyone who had ever tried anything Flynn had cooked, that was all that needed to be said.

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Stupid computer and stupid shoddy internet connection...this should have been up early in the afternoon, but I couldn't go online to post it...

Apologies to Moonshine's Guide, you probably meant for the request to show the whole process of Flynn cooking. But I copped out on that because I have no idea, or don't want to imagine, what he did to screw up breakfast that badly. So instead we have the fic centered around Yuri.

Yeah, I normally don't write in first person, but since I've only been working on FTaVB lately I'd gotten used to it. Had to avoid making a "you and the captain make it happen!" joke.