paixaorpg | The Return of Flonne [Completed]

Entry tags:

The Return of Flonne [Completed]

Character(s): Flonne, Vyers, Timon and Laharl
Content: Flonne re-enters Paixao...for the first time!?
Setting: Vanaheim Gate
Time: Mid-morning, Week 15
Warnings: None

This...was not the Netherworld.

Flonne stood in front of the huge walls of what looked like a giant domed kingdom. Behind her lay nothing but empty field and, beyond that, the equally empty horizon of ocean. She briefly considered that perhaps this was an Item World she hadn't visited before, or a section of the Netherworld that she had previously ignored, but...no. It all felt different. This was neither Celestia or the Netherworld. It wasn't any world she'd ever seen or heard about!

"Oooh..." she murmured nervously, looking back and forth, her staff clutched in her hands. There seemed to be no other option than to enter the gate that loomed in front of her. Perhaps Laharl and Etna were there? She hated to think that after all they'd been through, they would be separated by whole dimensions. No, she had to hope, had to believe, that her friends were waiting for her beyond the huge fruit trees outlining the entrance.

Full of new determination and hope, she marched resolutely to the line of people waiting to gain entrance. She waited patiently, offering beatific smiles to any person that happened to look her way, but she found she was largely ignored, even when she attempted to strike up idle chat. When it was her turn at the front of the line, Flonne sighed in relief. She would never cut in line willingly, but that had been tough!

"Excuse me, I was wonder --"
"Name, please."
Flonne blinked, closing her open mouth. The calm, flat demeanor of the gatekeeper unnerved her, threw her off her game.
"Ah, I'm Flonne? Can you tell me --"

Before she could finish, an electronic device and some pamphlets were shoved into her hand. Summarily dismissed by a firm "Next!" from the gatekeeper, Flonne sighed and entered the city, inspecting her new inventory with curiosity and confusion.

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What strange times were upon him now. Etna had returned, only to not remember a single thing, and now he was back to the usual act. It was better in some ways, he supposed--it kept him from having to explain himself all over again--but, at the same time, he wasn't exactly celebrating going back to being regarded as a bumbling fool.

How frustrating, indeed. But, as long as no one gave him away, it was something he could deal with.

As he walked, a sudden flash of white and red caught Vyers' eye, and he doubled back, peering over the sea of blonds. Her red, bunny-ear ribbons were hardly difficult to spot. "Flonne...?" he whispered to no one, brow furrowing. To disappear and reappear so quickly... Was it luck or another case of the Organization's meddling? The least he could do was check.

Wading through the crowd, Vyers finally managed to get to the fallen angel, a charming grin on his face. "What a surprise! I had thought you had disappeared, mademoiselle."

Whether or not she knew, he was in public. Better not to have any wanderers give everything away.

The meerkat picked boredly at the woven gold grass under the bench he had taken residence under. From the looks of it so far, it looked as though it would be another boring day. He had been having a lot of those lately. The locals failed miserably at holding up a conversation and the journals only offered so much when it came to interacting with other visitors. It had been at least two weeks, maybe longer, since he had last been in the company of another and in that time, as much as he hated to admit it, he had grown rather lonely. Desperate for attention, he had begun picking fights, confronting to those he normally avoided, and most importantly, looking for ‘friends’ throughout the city

Since his previous run-in with Ariel at Vanaheim, Timon thought he would try his luck again at the gate. It had brought good fortune to him in before, perhaps it would again. However, the day so far seemed to bring nothing but ‘regulars’, and he certainly couldn’t talk to them. Not when they wouldn’t talk to him, at least. He frowned and pulled the blade of grass he been picking at out of the ground in frustration. Or, rather, he tried to. Either the root was a lot deeper than he thought or the citizens had really sown it down well. The rodent gave the plant another tug, this time harder, which caused it to break off and send Timon flying back into the street.

Dazed, it took a moment for the redhead to collect himself. He rubbed his head and looked at the golden blade he had removed from the ground. Immediately he tossed it aside. Stupid grass. Stupid city. Stupid-

"Ah, I'm Flonne? Can you tell me --"

Timon raised his head in surprise. Had he just heard what he thought he had? Was that… Was that Flonne, as in Laharl’s girlfriend Flonne? He leapt to his feet and looked off in the direction he had heard the young demons voice. Unfortunately, his view was blocked by the many people who crowded the street. He began to weave through the crowd toward Flonne but, much to his annoyance, she walked right past him! The meerkat then turned to follow, but instead was forced further back by the crowd, despite his protest.

He couldn’t afford to lose Flonne, especially after everything that had happened. She was his ticket back into the good life. With her, he could redeem his high and respected status. If he brought her back to Laharl, the demon would owe him.

“FLON-“ Timon cried out, only to be interrupted by a familiar Mid-Boss.

"What a surprise! I had thought you had disappeared, mademoiselle."

What was he doing there? Timon scolded. He was going to ruin everything! That was so typical of him too. Maybe he could still beat the demon to her. With his newly found willpower, he was just able to force his way through the crowd and jump between the two before they got too close.

“Back off, I found her first!” The meerkat snapped at Vyers. Eh, wait. That wasn’t the approach he had been planning on. “Ah heh… I mean, hey! Vyers, good to see you! How you been? Have you lost weight, you look great! And Flonne, did you do something different with your hair?”

Edited 2009-12-04 02:19 (UTC)

Flonne was so immersed in fiddling with the electronic journal while juggling the papers she'd been given that she walked right past Vyers, completely oblivious to his existence. She muttered under her breath, the "ears" of her ribbon bobbing under Vyers' nose.

The indignant outcry of...something made her lift her head. And lower her head again as she stared at a furry animal. Wait, did he say Vyers? Why did that name sound familiar?

"Ah!" she gasped as a realization hit her, turning around to face the demon in shock. "Mid-boss-san! What are you doing here?" She blinked, suddenly whirling around to face Timon again. "Wait, how did you know my name?" Crouching, she smiled at Timon, clearly confused. "I'm sorry, I...don't remember meeting you. What's your name, Animal-san?"

Vyers' face fell as she walked by without saying anything. Had he really been so easy to miss? Perhaps he should have gone with something flashier. He did need to work on his entrances. It had been awhile since he'd been in a situation where he could make one.

Hearing a familiar voice, Vyers' gaze slid downward, and he frowned slightly as he saw Timon. Now what in the world was he doing here? Had he been followed? The compliment was nice to hear, however, albeit odd. Did he want something from him? Or... from Flonne, it seemed more like. What was he after this time?

"I assure you, this elegant body is the same as it always was," he replied, finishing just as Flonne spoke up. Vyers made a noise not at all dissimilar to an abbreviated choke. That... definitely confirmed things.

"Dear mademoiselle, I much prefer to be called the Dark Adonis."

Well, that was certainly an interesting look. Vyers hadn’t already assumed that he was up to something, had he? Talk about rude! Was that all he thought of him; that he all he ever did was scheme? How insulting! He didn’t always use people. There were the rare exceptions time to time. Timon would never stand for this idea normally. However, once he had begun to engage with the demon, he realized that he had actually somehow come to miss him; miss a Mid-Boss. He didn’t want to push him away when he was one of the few people he had left. Still, if he messed this up for him somehow he’d make sure the demon paid.

The meerkat looked up between the two and planted his paws on his hips. It appeared as though Flonne did not recognize either of them. Did this mean she had gone home after all or had the Organization somehow erased her memories? He scratched his head and smiled back at Flonne, uncertain what to tell the fallen angel. “That’s alright. It’s kinda complicated, what with the way this place works and all, but we’ve met before. I’m Timon. I lived with you, Laharl, and the old man over there.” He said and gestured to Vyers. "That was until you got kidnapped, of course. Not to worry though, I save you."

"Ehh? Kidnapped?" Flonne cried, paling slightly. She slowly looked up over her shoulder at Vyers with obvious sadness and unease. To think she had trusted him! He had gone through all the trouble of helping Laharl in Celestia, only to bring her here and hold her against her will? She stood up, an aura building around her that seemed appropriate for a battlefield. Tears in her eyes, she brought out her staff and pointed it at Vyers, consumed with the thought of his betrayal...and completely forgetting anything Timon had sad about meeting before and living together.

"I underestimated you, Mid-boss-san," she said softly, eyes narrowed even as she struggled to keep her tears at bay. "To think that you'd kidnap me and bring me here! I won't let you get away with it!"

Vyers had been about ready to correct the meerkat's story when Flonne brandished her staff. The demon's eyes went wide. "Wh-what?!" he exclaimed, his voice raising a little in pitch, "No, no, you are mistaken! I did no such thing! It was another party, I assure you!"

Why was this day taking such a horrible turn. "If you would give me a minute to explain...!"

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Timon cried out and waved his arms above his head to capture Flonne’s attention. He definitely did not like where this was heading. Sure, Vyers did increase the risk of his plan failing but he didn’t want the demon dead! “You got it all wrong, kid! Stop! It wasn’t him. Vyers couldn’t kidnap anyone, even if he tried. He’s only a Mid-Boss, after all! It’s the Organization that’s to blame, not him. They must have somehow erased your memories so you don’t remember.” He offered the demon an assuring smile. “Just put the pointy stick down, we’ll talk about this. Nobody needs to get hurt. Besides, I’ll make sure he doesn’t try anything.”

He then turned to face Vyers darkly. “Because if he does…” He could just as easily turn Flonne back against him.

Still sniffling, Flonne lowered her staff. Though still obviously skeptical of Vyers, she seemed to have calmed down a bit. As soon as the words "erased" and "memories" finally broke through, she frowned and gave Timon her full attention. "That's not true, Timon-san!" she insisted, hands on her hips. "I have never met you and I just arrived here. Only a few minutes ago, I was on my way back from Celestia to the Netherworld with..."

She trailed off, wide crimson eyes growing even wider. She nearly pounced on Vyers in sudden urgency, clutching at his hand. "Is Laharl-san and Etna-san here? Please tell me they're alright!"

Edited 2010-05-12 23:27 (UTC)

Vyers stared at Timon in wonder. Was he actually trying to help him? Considering the meerkat's previous behavior, it was rather unexpected. A change of heart, perhaps?

...Or not.

Vyers shut his eyes and clenched his teeth to keep from saying anything. Very well, he would keep silent for now. But he would most assuredly have a word with Timon after this was over.

The sudden pull on his hand snapped Vyers from his thoughts, and it took him a moment to get over his surprise and answer her. "Er... yes. Laharl and Etna are here. Although I'm not entirely certain where they are staying anymore... Ah, but you can use the device given to you at the gate to contact them if you so wish."

“You only think you just arrived here.” He corrected the girl, pointing directly at her. “You just don’t remember what happened after you arrived here. See, that’s all part of the erased memories thing. I’m not too sure on the details, how the Organization does it is a mystery even to me, but it wouldn’t be the first time they’ve messed with someone’s memories before. You were lucky I was able to rescue you before they did anything else to you. Of course, I can’t take all the credit. After using my superior tracking skills I did have some assistance when it came to carrying you from their evil lair – but it really had mostly been me who saved you.”

Looking over at Vyers, Timon nodded at the demon. Whether or not it was have him confirm his tale or to thank him for holding his tongue was unclear, but he too would need to have a word with the man as well. Who knew, maybe he had somehow seen through his empty threat. The meerkat doubted it, the Dark Adonis not being exactly the brightest bug in the jungle, but it never hurt to be sure. Regardless how sure as he was that Laharl would be too overwhelmed with happiness to find he had saved both his girlfriend and father to listen to anything the demon had to say.

“Eh, yeah. The journals… If you’d like I could always tell them you’re here.”

As soon as Vyers mentioned the journal, Flonne flipped it open and began to see about making it work. While Timon continued to talk, she seemed entirely focused on her task. The journal didn't seem that difficult to use...but her hands were shaking so much from adrenaline that she found it difficult to type. Instead, she opted for the voice feature and sent out a message even as Timon finished his last sentence.

She walked away from the other two for a moment, intent on her task of finding Laharl, emotionally taut as she made contact with him. With her back to the other two, she was completely oblivious to any conversation that may have been having.

Vyers, managing to hear a few pieces of Flonne's post, immediately whipped open his journal, interjecting a few comments of his own into the post before glancing back at Timon. "I do not think she quite heard all of that," he said as he snapped the journal shut and tucked it away. Laharl would be here fairly quickly, it looked like. No doubt he was running as fast as he could.

"...And that we have lost her interest," the demon added with a soft sigh.

“You think?” Timon irritably replied. “I forgot about the whole short attention span with you demons. As long as she’s not listening though, and I have your attention for a short while, I think we discuss how this is gonna work. If we’re gonna make this believable we’re going to ham it up a bit, got it? Now, if you were listening, you’d know that I saved her from the Organization. We’ll say you did the grunt work during the whole operation. I can’t take all the credit after all.” That would be too suspicious. “When we take her back to Laharl just play it cool and tell him I tracked her down and together we saved her from one of the Organizations labs. She woke up and wandered away from us outside the city before we caught her again inside. At which point I’m forced to save you too and we realized her memories had been erased. Be sure to emphasize that I saved you too. And, if you need to, feel free to jazz it up a little.”

He looked up at Vyers with a smile, convinced the demon would have no problem play along with him but his smile quickly fell when he found otherwise. “Oi, you owe me. And this is important. I can’t have you messing this up. Besides, it’s not really a lie, not when parts of it are true. Just emphasize on the parts that are real. What’s more important: bringing folks back together or some dumb fine print?”

Vyers glanced back to make sure Flonne really wasn't listening before replying to Timon. "You are aware that he didn't take that very well last time, aren't you? Mentioning that to Laharl would hardly be a good idea. Further more, he is likely to arrive soon, and... there are a few other issues that have come up," he began, his voice kept low. Issues that were quickly making him miss the respect he had before (it wasn't a lot but it was better).

"And just because you kept a spell from being cast at me doesn't mean that I owe you. Need I remind you of certain comments made before?"

The meerkat frowned. All he was asking for was one small favour from the demon and he couldn’t even do that. How predictable. His paws found themselves once again attached to his hips while he began to pace before Vyers. “Oh, you’d rather be hit with whatever voodoo stuff she can pull, hu? Well, I’ll remember that for the next time. And issues… Ha! I’ll tell you about issues, pal! You think you got it so rough. You don’t even know. But before we get into THAT, you got some explaining to do. ‘Last time’? What do you mean, ‘last time’? What last time? I’ve never saved Flonne before and the only reason I couldn’t save you before was your fault, not mine. All he’s got to be crabby about after we return her to him is me calling her his girlfriend again. Any mook with half a brain could tell he likes her. I don’t know why he even bothers to pretend he doesn’t.”

The demon had barely even listened to Flonne's post, much less given more than a few word explanation to Etna before he had taken off. There was only one thing that mattered: Flonne was here. He didn't even know if she'd never left or if it was that she'd come back, but she had said something about Celestia, he was sure. Why would she mention that? Laharl couldn't be bothered to slow down to check his journal again to see for sure. He'd get to Flonne first, then find out exactly what had happened to her then.

All Laharl's concentration went into racing to the gate, where Flonne was waiting for him.

However, Flonne was not who he saw first. His Old Man AND Timon? What the hell were they doing there?! The mention of Flonne made him stop behind the meerkat's turned back, as he listened in, obvious annoyance spreading across his features.

"I heard that!" Laharl growled, actually sounding slightly winded. That didn't stop him from producing threatening glare down at the meerkat. "Where is sh--"

With her back still to Vyers and Timon, Flonne had quietly been listening to the last few points of the meerkat's rant. Something was wrong...first Timon said he saved her, now he was saying he never did? It was hard to pick up everything they were saying, but she wasn't sure who to trust now. Wait, did she just hear the word "girlfriend?" She frowned and turned around to face them both and ask just what they were whispering about when she saw him.

Laharl. His presence was a light tower in her sea of confusion. No matter what anyone else told her, she would believe and trust in him. "Laharl-san!" she exclaimed happily, tears once again welling in her eyes as she ran forward (nearly stepping on Timon in the process) and hugged him so hard they both fell to the ground.

Face flushed, tears softly fell from her eyes on to his face. "I'm so glad you're here, Laharl-san. I was worried I'd lost you..." she said softly, smiling through her tears.

Vyers made an affronted noise at first, which quickly moved to one of startlement as Laharl spoke up. The demon opened his mouth, about to offer an explanation, when Flonne came barreling through, latching onto Laharl. I am not going to be able to get a word in, am I? he thought, though with a smile on his face. His knot reunited once again. How wonderful it was...

"Hmhmhm... But it makes scenes such as these all the sweeter, does it not?" he mused quietly. "But! We should probably take our leave while attention is drawn away from us." Considering the look he had given Timon and general confusion of the moment, staying likely wouldn't end very well.

Timon jumped at the sound of Laharl’s voice. Vyers had just told him he was on his way, how had he managed to arrive so fast? Not only that, but how could he have not felt the demon looming over him sooner? He slowly turned to face Laharl, the daggers which flew from his eyes felt well before he looked at the Overlord. Or rather, tried to. Before he had the chance he found a red heel slam on the ground in front of him. Startled, he stumbled back, a second heel just missing him after he bumped into Vyers’ leg. While the two reacquainted themselves, he continued to rest against the demons leg for a moment to collect himself.

So, the two were reunited once again. Perfect. Laharl got what he wanted and soon he would get what he wanted as well. Though, admittedly he was a little surprise the demon had been taken down by a girl so easily. Somehow he had expected Laharl to be tougher than that. He briefly watched the two embrace before his attention was forced up at Vyers again. “Did you see what she did?” he asked in disbelief. “She nearly stepped on me! And we can’t leave now; I haven’t told Laharl how I rescued her yet! All that planning will have gone to waste.”

Laharl found himself cutoff as a familiar voice called out his name. Before he'd barely registered what was happening, he found himself being toppled over to the ground by something red, white and blond.

"Flonne!" he gasped, stiffening as he found himself being so tightly embraced. Looking up at her, Laharl's face was bright crimson and his expression annoyed, but it softened slightly as he felt wet drops on his cheeks. Geez, she was crying... What had happened to her? "You lost me? You're the one who vanished, idiot!" he spluttered up at her, fidgeting uncomfortably at their current position.

Eventually he'd begin to try to sit them both up, so he could slide her off him. ...Providing she'd let go, anyways.

Ah, of course he would want to put some distance between them. Even though Flonne was sure Laharl was capable of love, that didn't mean he'd be happy to show affection. When he began to sit up, she dutifully got off of him and kneeled on the ground instead. "I didn't vanish..." she said quietly, wiping away her tears. "Why is everyone saying I've been here before? We were just in Celestia, right? Going home to the Netherworld?"

She looked over to Timon and Vyers. "...they said they rescued me."

So that was it then. She'd gone home just like Etna had, and forgotten everything that had happened. Or more to the point, they'd brought her back again, before the time she'd even been here before. Flonne had known that Chroma last she was here, but this Flonne... Coming home from Celestia... damn that felt like ages ago now to him.

Laharl was silent for a moment, as he digested this. Not that it had been unexpected, but he still felt something inside him clench. Everything that happened to them... everything. Forgotten. Well, except by him. It was better this way, he reminded himself as he finally spoke up, "That's because you were, you just don't remember. Heck, you've been brought here from an earlier time."

He turned his head slightly, eyeing Timon and his old man out of the corner of his eye. That sounded like something Timon would have planted in her head.

"Yeah, right. If you just came through this gate, then you just got here. That's all there is to it," Laharl said, turning back to face her.

"They?" Why was he being pulled into this now? All he had said was that he had not been the one to kidnap her. Vyers held up his hands, this was hardly his idea!

At least Flonne seemed to be from a close enough time to theirs. And... they seemed to be more interested in one another than in himself and Timon. Wonderful! A perfect time to leave, and the perfect chance to get rid of this awkward feeling.

"You'll be able to tell him later, will you not? Let us leave these two be for now. Ah, how happy they are," he replied dreamily as he picked up Timon (it was doubtful the meerkat would choose to leave on his own). "It would be a crime to interrupt."

Flonne watched Vyers and Timon for a moment, blinking. She glanced at Laharl while he stared at them, noting that, somehow, his profile seemed...sad. And tired. What had happened to him while he was here? She was sure a feeling of loss surrounded him, but she had no way of knowing.

He would never lie about something like this, however strange it seemed. She clasped her hands in front of her, lowering her head, unsure of how to approach him now and filled with questions she wasn't sure she should ask. Finally, she spoke up. "Well...is there a way for us to go home?"

Laharl had been through a lot since he'd ended up here, and it did reflect upon him. He wasn't really quite the same boy Flonne had been leaving Celestia with.

"Supposedly," Laharl answered after the long moment of silence.

"This city, apparently, isn't really a city. It's inside some sort of castle, and if we get to the top, there's a way home," Laharl explained. He wasn't sure still what to make of that message board post, and he didn't exactly trust it, but it was the only real lead they had. "Hell knows if this is all true though."

Flonne nodded. "Well, the only way to know for sure is to find out for ourselves, right?" Smiling, she stood up, brushing off her knees and the back of her dress. She held out a hand to Laharl, knowing full well he'd probably reject it. Still, if she was going to help him -- for she was now convinced that whatever sadness and darkness was inside him, she could brighten his heart somehow -- she had to try. "Where to now, Laharl-san? Are you and Etna-san staying someplace? We should prepare."

"Heh, yeah," Laharl responded. Finding out was his plan for some time, he'd just had a lot of interruptions. Now with both Flonne and Etna here, it was definitely the time to go.

He did pass on taking her hand, pushing himself up to his feet. "Uh, well, yeah we should go find Etna," he replied, vaguely sheepish. He had kind of ditched her, unless she'd followed at all. She was probably pissed at him, but whatever. It had been important to get to Flonne fast.

"Oh, oi. Before we go anywhere, you need to know something," he said suddenly, reaching out with a hand, holding her arm to keep her in place, facing him. This was important. "There's these people, they're called the Organization. You need to avoid them, especially one of them. Her name is Larxene. They wear these long black coats, and Larxene has blond hair."

Every time he said Larxene's name, the hatred in his voice was clear.

Flonne tilted her head and gazed steadily at him when he'd grabbed her arm. "Larxene," she repeated softly, feeling her heart beat faster at the urgency and loathing in his voice. She'd never heard his voice like this before, never seen this look in his eyes. Even when they confronted Seraph Lamington, his anger and hatred was nothing like this. What world was this that shook him so much? Kidnapping, this Organization...she was so glad her friends were here. It was a lot easier to be strong when backed by people you cared about and trusted.

"Alright," she said, lifting her hand to take Laharl's from her arm, squeezing it briefly and discreetly before quickly letting go. "I promise I'll be careful." She gave him another bright smile to reassure him, despite the growing alarm she felt inside.

He flushed slightly when she took his hand, but oddly didn't complain.

"Good."

It seemed she did understood, which is what he'd wanted. She had to understand that much. He just hoped Larxene would remain as quiet as she had been. It was actually pretty weird. He hadn't seen her say or do anything in forever. Could she have vanished? Was that even possible? Laharl had no idea, but he sure as hell wasn't complaining if that was the case. Either way, it didn't change the fact Flonne needed to be careful. He wouldn't allow her to end up experiencing anything like she had before again.

His released hand didn't settle itself back to his side, but reached out, grabbing her wrist gently. So... she wouldn't get lost or something, of course! "Come on," he said, turning to lead the way and hide the blush across his cheeks, "Let's go find Etna."

Flonne's lips parted in surprise, eyes widening slightly, as she felt him take her wrist and...not let go. He wouldn't look her in the eye, but she smiled at him nonetheless. "Okay."

She turned a bit to give an energetic wave to the departing duo of Vyers and Timon. "Mid-boss-san, Timon-san! Thank you for your help!" she called, causing a few people to stop and stare. "I'm sorry I thought you were a creepy, evil kidnapper!" Then, turning back to Laharl, she tilted her head and smiled even wider, stepping closer to him. "Let's go!"

A creepy evil kidnapper... Laharl was going to hear about this later from his Old Man, wasn't he? Now they had to keep Etna and Flonne in the dark, since if Flonne knew she'd be likely to slip up around Etna. And Etna would be more likely to think something was going on if Flonne seemed to be even keeping something from her. She probably already did suspect something, thanks to Urd.

"R-right. Let's go," he said, soon as she was done with her waving, leading the way off.

Flonne walked along side Laharl happily enough, looking up in awe at her surroundings now that she was relaxed enough to take notice. "I wonder why they domed up the city? Everyone is blonde, how strange! Ooh, Laharl-san, look at that store! Doesn't it look interesting? Oh, but I bet this place doesn't have any TV or manga...it looks so quaint and mysterious, you know? I wonder who built it? Ah, the roads are so pretty!" As she talked excitedly, head turning this way and that, she had unconsciously maneuvered her hand so that her fingers laced between his, content as she was to be by his side and on a new adventure.

Her thoughts and questions were going faster than he could possibly even respond to them, so he didn't even try to. He was a little too distracted from realizing she'd somehow managed to slip his grip from around her wrist to now actually holding his hand. That... wasn't what he'd intended, dammit.

She trailed off, aware that Laharl had tensed. Looking down at their linked hands, Flonne blushed slightly but continued to hold on. Maybe it was selfish to hold on to his hand like this when he was obviously uncomfortable, but she needed to. There was some kind of gap between them now and she longed to bridge it anyway she could. "Laharl-san," she said softly, avoiding his eyes. "I'm truly sorry I don't remember what we experienced here. Was it all bad?"

Flonne glanced at him quickly before looking away again. "I can't imagine that we didn't share some wonderful memories with everyone. It makes me feel...left out."

"Well, no, it wasn't all bad, but... there's just things that you're definitely better off now remembering, Flonne," he replied quietly, also avoiding her gaze.

"But, oi, you're not really left out. Etna only arrived here yesterday night, so..." Laharl added. Etna was as much in the dark as Flonne was now. It was only him and Vyers who really knew everything that had gone on.

Flonne bit her bottom lip, glancing sidelong at Laharl again. Now she really wanted to know what had happened, but there was no point in pressing him now. "It's just that you seem so alone now..." she began. And there were the tears now, since the idea of Laharl closing himself off completely was just too sad. She stopped in her tracks, holding his hand even tighter. "If I could remember, you could confide in me!" She reached out and grabbed his other hand, squeezing them both in front of her. "Should I not have come back? Would it be easier for you if I left?"

Laharl was blushing full force once more as she grabbed both his hands, leaving him with little choice but to face her. Dammit, why the hell was she crying? "W-What? NO! Don't be stupid!" he chided, wondering where she'd gotten that idea from.

"L-Look, I... am glad you're here, okay? I..." he paused looking downwards, as a something like 'missed you' was mumbled.

She sniffled, but smiled at his reply. Even if he mumbled it, Flonne was sure she heard it. Whatever had happened in this strange city had changed him a little -- he had a darkness in him, yes, but it also seemed like he'd matured...if only a small amount. She smiled brighter, holding his hands closer to her heart for a moment, closing her eyes. "Thank you..."

With that, she quickly let go, sure she was pressing her luck. She clasped her hands behind her back, a satisfied smile on her face.

He only huffed in response, and turned away once he'd been released, folding his arms back into their usual position, crossed over his chest. Laharl was clearly trying to regain what dignity he could.

"So, are we done with this now? We can keep going?" he then asked, certainly hoping so. He could only handle so much of this sort of stuff in a day, and was getting close to his quota.

"Yes!" Flonne replied happily, moving ahead. He had missed her and he was glad she was here! That was enough to keep most of her doubts at bay. She'd just have to be patient and build up the love in his heart over time, hopefully closing the distance between them. "Is there anything else I should know about this place? Oh!" Her smile was almost maternal as she looked back to Laharl. "Have you made any new friends here? That Timon-san, maybe?"

As Flonne moved ahead, Laharl followed behind, hoping that was the end of it now. Of course, the topic she now brought up was certainly not a good replacement for it at all.

Laharl let out a choking sound at her questions. "Of course not!" he quickly retorted, "I'm not here to make friends, and I'm definitely not friends with that damn meerkat."

His feelings about Timon really hadn't changed. The demon was still pissed off at him and really wanted nothing to do with him. He had a sneaking suspicion he'd managed to arrive just in time. Who knows what stupid story he would have made Flonne believe.

"What!?" Flonne gasped, stopping again suddenly. She turned around, hands on her hips and gave Laharl the sternest look she could muster. "You're saying you haven't met any allies or anything? No one we could go to for help?" She sighed, the overhanging tails of her bow drooping with the movement. "Laharl-san, that's not good. You've been given a great opportunity to learn all sorts of things about other worlds. That's very important for an Overlord!"

Not that she knew, exactly, what was or wasn't important for an Overlord, but she imagined anyone in charge of a kingdom should try to expand their knowledge.

Oh dammit. Now he'd really unintentionally got her going.

Typical. Just, typical.

"Oi, oi. I didn't say I hadn't met any people who're useful, but most of them have vanished! Tch... All I'm left with lately is that damn meerkat and this one goddess who doesn't know how to keep her nose out of my business!" Laharl complained, pausing a moment. Right, almost forgot...

"Er, and not to mention, Mid-Boss."

That was close.

Ah! So Timon was an ally! Well, maybe. As usual, Laharl wasn't heavy on the praise, so it was hard to discern how genuine his harsh words were. A goddess as well? How interesting! "Oh, so you and Mid-boss-san are getting along better?" Flonne asked, turning to walk ahead some more. "I'd like to get to know everyone better. Timon-san was acting a little strange but I think he might be nice after all."

"T-that's not what I meant. They're just the people I know, who happen to all be annoying!" he quickly corrected her, as he realized she'd misunderstood what he'd meant. "I didn't say anything about getting along with Mid-Boss better, either!"

"And, no, Timon is nothing but a pain in the ass! I have enough of those. I don't need him, and nor do you," Laharl snapped. He was still fed up with Timon, and that was not likely to change any time soon.

"Yes, yes," she responded simply, the same gentle and happy smile on her face, despite Laharl's attitude. He was saying some awful things now, but Flonne was sure she'd be able to get him to become more friendly with the others. They had to have meant something to them or surely he wouldn't be nearly as annoyed. She glanced over her shoulder at him.

"So, then...what do we do now? We talk to Etna-san, of course. Then we could --" She broke off as a loud growling sounded, inhuman and grotesque. She froze, hands immediately going to her stomach. Bright red, she hesitantly turned to Laharl, embarrassed and silently pleading for food with wide, shimmering eyes.

"...Get some food, apparently."

That was definitely a sound of hunger, and now that he thought about it, he was kind of hungry himself, and undoubtedly Etna would be up for food as well. "There's these cafe places around. We'll meet with Etna, eat, then head off," Laharl said to Flonne, stopping beside her. "Alright, Love Freak?"

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The Return of Flonne [Completed]

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