tampered | Closed

Closed

When; 11/27
Rating; PG at most
Characters;

srslynotguy
Summary; Estelle dreams of a "memory" involving killing a dear friend.
Log; [It was vivid. Too vivid. She felt emotionless during this ‘dream’, as if this was what she was to do. That it was necessary, that even if it resulted in this person’s death, it was okay. This person who was someone whom she greatly cared about. …but why? Why was she hurting him?

Why?

Flynn, why was she hurting Flynn? Yet she couldn’t stop herself, nor ccould she bring herself to care in this ‘dream’. No, please don’t die! There has to be something she can do! She’s a healer, right? She can do something, oh, why wasn’t she moving? Oh, there, she was going towards him, everything else around Flynn was fuzzy, but there were other people there, too. Still, she did nothing and naturally they attack her. Why wouldn’t they, if she did something this awful to Flynn?

It was just moments after that that she woke up in a cold sweat. Her heart was beating frantically, in fear for what ‘she’ had just done. Bringing her hand to her chest, she felt her own heart beat pounding, panting away, and trying to calm herself down. Her natural instinct was to find Flynn first and make sure that her dream wasn’t some nasty premonition. It felt so real that in a way, she saw it as such. Making sure she was in suitable dress to leave her room, she walked down the hallway. Her first thought was to go into the kitchen, where she indeed saw Flynn.

A few moments passed as she stared at him, making sure she was okay, making sure she was okay enough to approach him. After some muddled thoughts, she let her instincts take over as she ran up to him, giving him a tight embrace without warning and rested her head against his chest.]

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Flynn had just finished having his breakfast and was on his way out ~~for another day of helping around the city~~ when Estelle launched herself at him and hugged him tightly. It was a surprise, though Flynn didn't think much of at first. So early in the morning as it was, the reasons behind Estelle's impromptu embrace being something truly worrisome hadn't occurred to Flynn yet.

"Lady Estellise?" he asked in a slightly confused tone as he placed a hand on the princess' shoulder.

"Is something the matter?" He asked after a moment, and this time he began to worry.

Edited 2011-11-29 04:21 (UTC)

He was warm and there was a heartbeat. That’s all she needed to know that he was okay. Feeling the hand on her shoulder and hearing him speak also calmed her down incredibly. No, she didn’t hurt him, that was just a terrible nightmare. While she didn’t know what triggered her to have such a dream, it was enough to be insanely worried for his wellbeing. Part of her even thought for a moment that perhaps she shouldn’t be so close to him, but for the time being she didn’t care.

She was simply happy that he was okay.

Hearing his question, she shook her head against his chest, “No, everything is alright. I’m just so happy that you’re okay!”

She didn’t even realize how confusing that statement was without the proper context, but she still wasn’t thinking clearly for the time being due to the shock of her nightmare.

"Happy... that I'm okay?" Flynn repeated out loud. Estelle's words didn't make much sense without proper context, as she'd surmised, but it did give him an idea of why Estelle had felt the need to ascertain his well-being.

"Is it something Yuri has said?" He questioned after giving it some thought. Yuri and him hadn't spoken again since their fight at the balcony, and until whatever Yuri had done to himself was reversed, it didn't seem likely that they would be having a civil conversation anytime soon. Flynn thought that it was likely Yuri had spoken of something involving him that worried Estelle...

A part of him thought it was unlikely, of course. Even without the proper set of memories, Yuri wasn't the type to make such threats... And why would Yuri go so far as to upset Lady Estellise?

Still, he couldn't fully discount that possibility...

Edited 2011-11-29 05:17 (UTC)

“Ah, no. I haven’t spoken to Yuri as of recently…”

And Estelle knew Yuri well enough, even in the state he was currently in, to know that he would never do such things to upset her. In fact, while what Flynn had said made sense, it confused her at the same time.

Finally pulling away from her embrace, she took a deep breath and calmed herself down even more. Flynn was okay, everything was fine. It was just a nightmare that felt a bit too lifelike, however it wasn’t real. Looking up at him, she forced a smile as if to try to tell him that she was okay now. Her biggest worry was calming her fears, which was something she had done successfully.

“I’m sorry to have worried you."

Flynn shook his head then, smiling at Estelle gently.

"There's nothing to apologize for, Lady Estellise," he assured her, though his eyebrows furrowed a bit and his voice turned just a bit more serious when he continued: "Though I do wish to know what had you distressed. If there's anything I could do to help..."

She nodded at him as she looks down at her hands, which were now clasped in front of her. Fidgeting just a little, she finally spoke.

“I just had a nightmare. It felt so lifelike… and…”

Her forced smile faded at remembering the dream she had just woken from. It was still very fresh in her mind, to the point that feeling of shock and terror returned, mostly at the fact of how emotionless she felt in her dream.

“…and… I had killed you…”

It took her a little while to actually say the last part, but she figured he needed to know, especially since she had bolted out of her room and embraced him without any warning. Hopefully, that would help Flynn to make sense of things.

Killed him.

Flynn had a sinking feeling then that he knew what exactly Estelle had seen. And if Estelle's dream was what he was thinking it was (which was very likely too), then Estelle's words certainly reminded him of that which still haunted his dreams occassionally. For the princess' sake, however, he tried to seem unaffected by the revelation.

"I'm fine, Lady Estellise," Flynn said in soothing voice. "I'm unharmed, as you can see."

He smiled at her then, hoping that that would be enough to ease her fears. If Flynn didn't feel like that would be overstepping his boundaries, he would have reached out to pull the princess in a hug.

“Yes, yes you are, and I am very grateful for that.”

She forced a smile as she inspected him if only to make sure he didn’t have any visible wounds. It was just a dream, but she still felt that need to make sure he was in good physical condition, and also to continue to calm herself. She was still rather shaken up regarding it, however she had also calmed down considerably.

As for a hug, she wouldn’t have minded it, but she already had given him an embrace and didn’t feel the need to make him uncomfortable any longer. Even if they were in this strange place, there was still to be professionalism between them.

Despite her statement, the uncertainty was still clear on her face and voice. It was unsettling to see the usually vibrant princess like this. That was why, in the following moments that Estelle used to inspect him in search of any injuries, Flynn decided on something.

It was his duty not only as a knight of the Empire but as the princess' friend to ease her thoughts. As he was not part of any official organizations in the City, he could very well dedicate today to the princess.

"Lady Estellise," he said suddenly, interrupting Estelle's continued inspection. "Would you like to go for a walk?"

A walk? She was a little surprised at his suggestion, yet something about it soothed her. Perhaps just spending some time with Flynn would be exactly what she needs to calm down. That forced smile on her face turned into a soft, genuine one as she nodded at him.

“I would very much so like to go on a walk with you.”

Though before she would go out, a little bite to eat would be wise, right? Something as simple as toast would hold her for a little while. Perhaps they could even visit a small restaurant and have a bite to eat along the way as well? Maybe even chat over some warm tea.

“Let me get a little bit to eat, and then I will be ready!” It was rather quick as she made toast, buttering it up before she ate it. Not exactly a meal for a Princess, but for now it would do.

Flynn hadn't quite thought about whether or not Estelle had eaten breakfast yet, so he mentally chastised himself for failing to notice it. He also made a mental note to notice sooner in the future. None of this registered on his face , however, and Flynn simply smiled and nodded at the Princess.

When Estelle had finished eating her toast, he offered his arm for Estelle to take. "Where would you like to go to first, your Highness?" he asked her then with a hint of playfulness: the use of 'your Highness' was intentional on his part, meant to imply that for the day, he was a knight under the service of his liege.

Estelle’s own smile grew wider at his offer. She caught on to that playfulness, but sometimes it was still nice to be referred to as ‘your Highness’ once in a while. Perhaps Flynn was one of the few people that could use that title for her and not make it sound like an obligation or condescending. She knew how proud he was of his job as a Knight, and so to her, it was an honor to be called by such a title.

Snaking her arm around his, she held on to him with a bit of a firm grip as a thoughtful look appeared on her face. Just where did she want to go? “Why don’t we walk to the square for now and we can decide on something later?”

A simple walk with Flynn would do her much good, and she knew this. She rarely, if ever, got to spend time with him like this, so she would take as much advantage of this opportunity as she could.

"Understood," Flynn said, nodding and smiling as he did so. He'd been in the City long enough to know his way around it, and while he couldn't possibly catalog every single change in the shops that appeared and disappeared in the city daily, he knew which establishments and other places had the highest chance of being there more often than not. He also had an idea what kind of places the princess would like. He knew he couldn't compare with Yuri's sense of adventure that, very likely, would suit Estelle better right now, but he was confident either way. In any case, without Yuri around and in his normal senses (or Rita for that very moment), the task of cheering up Estelle lay solely on him.

On the way to the square, Flynn took Estelle past a small shop that he sometimes walked by. It wasn't, by any means, a shop someone like him would go to, but it was something that often reminded Flynn of the princess with the pink and yellow ribbons decorating its stall, and the tea sets, and other decidedly-aimed-for-women merchandise on display.

Of course when walking by that shop, it did catch Estelle’s eyes. Something about that shop was nice, and all the merchandise looked rather cute. Maybe she did have a sense of adventure now thanks to her travels, however, she still liked some of the finer things she was spoiled with as a child. Those adorable trinkets that she had all around her room, girly things that were considered ‘princess-like’. Before she knew it, she had stopped to simply stare at the shop, honestly wanting to go and look, but quickly realized it would hardly be a place that Flynn would want to look at. Yet her interest in the shop was rather obvious given the fact that she stopped and stared at it for a rather significant amount of time before she snapped back into her senses.

Maybe later when she was on her own she could look into that place. She would most definitely remember it.

Flynn hadn't been sure about that shop at first. It was one thing to be reminded of the princess, and quite another thing for the princess to like that shop. Seeing Estelle's reaction to it, though,-- the way she'd stopped suddenly and paused to look at what the shop had out on display, yet dared not walk closer-- told Flynn that he was right. This was the kind of shop Lady Estellise would like.

"If you'd like, we can take a look inside," he suggested.

“Ah, can we?” A childish expression appeared on her face, almost as if all her worries and stressors had suddenly disappeared. For the time being, they had. Just being with Flynn like this was not only a comfort from that nightmare, but also a comfort for all that she had been through in the past few weeks. With a nod, she gently guided Flynn into the shop’s direction. Her first action was to reach out towards the tea sets. How gorgeous and delicate they were, also so beautifully hand painted. Letting go of Flynn’s arm, she went to look at some other merchandise – music boxes, necklaces, earrings, hair accessories, as well as small trinkets.

The expression on her face while looking at all the items was cheerful yet expressed a serenity that hadn’t been there for quite a while. This kind of distraction was exactly what she needed.

Though it really wasn't his thing, Flynn looked around the shop as well. It wasn't completely out of politeness, however. He had an idea, though it was one that needed some looking around to carry out.

Passing through the rack filled with ribbons and hats, Flynn eventually came to a table lined with ornate barrettes. Most of them had elaborate designs, the kinds Flynn saw on the noble ladies of Zaphias, and thought none of them really fit the princess.

He was about to move onto the next display then, when he spotted something at the edge of his eye. He turned then, giving that something a closer look, and found himself looking at a barrette with an elaborate, yet not overstated, floral design. A longer look made Flynn realize the design reminded him of the blossoms of Halure.

After a quick glance at Estelle, who was looking at another table of trinkets and whatnot, Flynn spoke to the nearby salesgirl about purchasing the barrette.

While she really had no intent to purchase anything, Estelle was quite content simply trying on rings and necklaces. Some were over the top in design, and she tried them on to entertain herself and nothing more. She could be heard over in that part of the store laughing away, enjoying herself with these little things. It reminded her when she used to play dress up, with all the oversized pearls and pretending to go to tea parties. Of course, she always went to them, but she had to act differently at the ‘real deal’ to impress the other royalty and noble. Her make believe parties were always so much more fun, the ones that only involved her and her imagination.

After she had her fun, she made sure to put everything exactly where it belonged. She felt bad for looking around the store and not getting anything, but there was nothing there she couldn’t live without. Hopefully the clerk wouldn’t be too upset with her window shopping for now. Perhaps later she could come by herself when she has more time and isn’t being a burden on someone else.

Returning to Flynn’s side, she smiled at him as she saw he purchased something.

“What did you get?”

In a way, she was confused he got anything, considering it was a store directed towards a female audience. Though she wouldn’t be surprised if he had a special girl in mind that he wanted to get something for.

Flynn seemed to think for a moment then: He hadn't really meant to be caught in the act, but now that Estelle had seen he'd purchased something...

He smiled then. In the end, the gift was for Lady Estellise. What did it matter then if she was to receive it now? He held the gift-wrapped package to the princess. "This is for you, Lady Estellise," he said then and waited until the gift was in the princess' arms before speaking again.

"I hope it is to your liking."

Seeing the gift being handed to her, she gently took it from him as she held it to her own chest, blushing ever so slightly. “You needn’t have gotten me anything, however thank you for your gift!” Even though she hadn’t seen what he had bought for her, she was more than grateful enough he thought to get her something.

Looking down at the bag in her arms, she carefully opened it and pulled out the barrette. Staring at it in her hand, she wore an expression of admiration as she carefully examined it, taking in all the simple, yet beautiful details.

“It’s gorgeous.”

Though she may have found it to be a lot nicer than what it was if only because it was a gift from Flynn. Just that simple fact made it almost more lovely than any of the hair ornaments she had back in the castle.

Edited 2011-11-30 05:27 (UTC)

It was a relief to know Estelle liked his gift, however small it was. He was well aware that, as a Princess, Estelle owned a wealth of more impressive ornaments than this. Come to think of it, it wasn't simply a relief, but an honor to know Estelle clearly liked his gift.

"It reminded me of the flower blossoms of Halure," Flynn explained. "Would you like to try it on?"

“Yes, I would.” She stared at it for a little bit longer before she held it out to him. “Would you do the honor of putting it on me?”

In a way, this almost seemed like out of one of the many fairy tales she had read. And something about it made her happy. Never really has anyone simply gotten her a gift just because and being reminded of Halure only made her ever happier. Something about that place, she absolutely adored. Maybe it was for what she had done for them, or maybe she simply loved the beauty of that city when the tree was in full bloom.

"Gladly, your highness," Flynn said a with a slight nod of his head as he carefully picked the barrette out the princess' hands.

He paused then, taking a moment to figure out how and where to place it on Estelle's hair. He remembered the way she held her hair up back in the palace, but he wasn't sure he would be able to emulate that same style. And besides, the design on the barrette was something, Flynn thought, that would be better off being displayed, worn on the front rather on the back.

"Please hold on..."

Barrette in hand, Flynn closed the gap between them, coming to stand directly in front of the princess. Carefully then, and as carefully as his armor-clad fingers would allow, he had the barrette clipped to the hair just above her ears.

It looked fine, Flynn thought, as he studied Estelle with the barrette on, but he really wasn't sure what the princess would think. Fortunately for him, one of the shopkeepers seemed to have been watching all this time and suddenly appeared beside them with a hand mirror, which she handed to Estelle.

"Thank you," Flynn said and with a squeal of delight, the shopkeeper fled. "Lady Estellise, I hope it's fine... "

As Flynn approached her, Estelle couldn’t help but take a deep breath and hold her breath. Oh, she hoped she wasn’t blushing too badly or her heart pounding so hard Flynn could hear it. And she could appreciate how careful he was being in putting the barrette on her. Holding completely still, she did her best to not move at all until she heard the click of the accessory securing itself in her hair. Once it did, she let out the breath she was holding, then went to grab the mirror the shopkeeper had handed her.

With a more than delighted smile, Estelle studied herself in the mirror, focusing on the hair accessory that had been carefully placed in her hair.

“It’s very lovely,” she finally said. Putting the mirror against her chest, she turned to Flynn, giving him a bright smile, then bowing towards him.

“Thank you so much for your gift, Flynn. I will treasure it always.”

Her thanks was sincere, and it could be heard in her tone of voice just how much she appreciated his gift.

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