Prince of Fire Emblem: Invitation

[volleygenius]

Showing up at work and his family's house unannounced after that huge going away event was the funniest thing Marui can remember in some time. Who'd have guessed all that partying was for only a week-long farewell? Naturally, they have to have another bash to celebrate their return. And there's one person in particular he wants to make sure will be there.

Now, where in the castle to find Lissa...

Comments

[volleygenius]

Marui abandons his sundae assembly; he's laughing too hard.

After a few moments, he calms himself down enough to look her in the eyes and say with warm frankness: "Where did you get this idea? I got me thrown in jail, Princess."

And if his tone is any indication, he'd do it again, without hesitating.

[didntaxyou]

She looks for something soft to throw at him. A tea towel, maybe, or a sponge.

"So I was you excuse for punching that guy and you were gonna do it no matter what? C'mon."

[volleygenius]

Marui winks his nearer eye shut as he lets the tea towel hit the side of his forehead, still smiling.

Lissa's really beating herself up, isn't she? It's ironic, and it pains him a little to see. Reflection was a good thing after a mistake. Marui doesn't see the choices she made that ultimately led to Mizuki getting a taste of his fist in that way. Even if he did, reflection and self-abasement were two different things.

He tops off the sundae and slides it encouragingly towards her.

"Who knows. If he'd still needed one..."

[didntaxyou]

"You really aren't funny, you know that?"

But honestly...

"I mean, the whole set up... he was asking for it. I'm not the only one who was unhappy with it!"

[volleygenius]

Before Marui tries answering that, he picks up the spoon and holds it out for Lissa to take. C'mon, start eating. You'll feel better after some bites.

[didntaxyou]

Lissa huffs, taking the spoon with little grace and no delicacy, but her eyes light up when she actually gets in her mouth.

She grudgingly takes a second bite.

"We're still talking here! Giving me brain freeze is not the answer!"

[volleygenius]

There's nothing but fondness in Marui's expression as Lissa starts to dig in.

"Well, what matters is you helped make it possible for us to come back quickly. And you cared enough to try. Isn't that something to celebrate and be proud of?"

[didntaxyou]

"Feels dumb to celebrate making such a big mess of everything. Jackal did explain to me what was going on, and it could have been so much worse."

She shuddered. "I didn't tell Seiichi the details."

[volleygenius]

Not telling her brother the details was definitely for the best, both for Mizuki and for Yukimura's conscience.

He starts adding scoops and toppings to a second bowl, turning his attention more to it as they talk.

"I dunno what you're saying. There was no mess. And it was never gonna be worse, because I was there."

[didntaxyou]

"And it probably would have been better if I hadn't been."

She tapped the spoon against the counter-- not impatiently, just like she was fidgeting.

"Seiichi might not have been so... angry at him. So very angry, I mean, if he couldn't draw a line between what Mizuki did and what I did. Obviously, he was always going have a baseline anger, just for making the request."

[volleygenius]

"That so?"

He's trying to understand, really he is. This thinking is so outside the realm of his own approach, it's like trying to speak to someone in a foreign language. Is it the size of Yukimura's shadow?

Marui falls quiet for a few moments. He hurts for her, and the worst part is, this isn't the kind of problem he knows how to fix. If it was, maybe her brother wouldn't be locked up in his room right now caught in mental reruns over going vampire mode at Mizuki.

Huh.

"Princess... Why're you worried about your brother right now?"

[didntaxyou]

"Are you not?"

She twisted the spoon between her hands, wishing it was a staff that could turn back time.

"He's not usually... cruel."

She closed her eyes, hating even using that word to describe her brother.

[volleygenius]

She's right, of course. He's not. And now he's left to try to reconcile that against his recent actions. Was this a bad example for its layers? She does have a point. Well, not much he can do about it now.

"Did he make a big mess of everything? Would it've been better if he wasn't there?"

[didntaxyou]

"He wouldn't have been there if I wasn't there," she protested.

[volleygenius]

"Ah. I see."

Marui puts the ice cream back in the freezer and grabs another spoon for his newly finished sundae, a frozen mountain three times the size of Lissa's dessert.

"You're right, he wouldn't have been."

[didntaxyou]

That completely shuts her up. She frowned.

"Glad we're clear on that."

She took another bite of her ice cream petulantly.

[volleygenius]

Really, is that all? C'mon, Lissa, he deserves a little more pushback on this nonsense than that!

And she has to see that it's nonsense or she wouldn't be pouting like that, right? Maybe he can still get a little fight out of her.

"So, out with the rest. Let's hear your full laundry list. Confess your sins!"

Keep a straight face, keep a straight face, keep a straight face...

[didntaxyou]

She glares, hands on her hips. She can see him trying not to laugh.

"I'm only talking about stuff that's happened this week, and anyway, I'M the cleric! I'm the one who hears religious stuff, not you!"

[volleygenius]

She's correct: the juxtaposition of himself, a shamelessly hedonistic rogue and thief, playing the role of a priest was almost more absurdity than he could handle. Almost.

"Oh? Then are you confessing to yourself here?"

He sticks a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth, leaving the utensil there to nurse off of while he waits for an answer.

[didntaxyou]

"I absolutely endorse skipping the confession if you're just... trying to do better."

She huffed, and spooned herself a bite of his ice cream, purely out of spite.

[volleygenius]

"Ahh!! My sundae...!"

Marui allows himself a moment to pout and mourn that delicious casualty of a bite. But she seems to understand now, at least. That's right: there's no reason to apologize or be hard on yourself for doing your best.

He takes a mountainous spoonful and crams it in his mouth, puffing out his cheeks like a chipmunk as he stares back at her as though to say so there.

1/2

[didntaxyou]

"I'm not gonna heal any brain freezes," she warns.

2/2

[didntaxyou]

But a very slight smile peeks through at the sight.

"Putting together an ice cream sundae is low effort, though. Next time I want a three-tier cake."

[volleygenius]

Brain freeze? Don't know her. Must protect the dessert.

She is right, though. This was pretty easy for comfort food. Warranted here because it was fast, but he could 100% do better by her with enough prep time. He downs that giant bite (granted it takes two swallows to get it all).

"Understood...! Be our guest of honor, and I promise one three-tier cake will be waiting there for you. Deal?"

[didntaxyou]

"You can't just have a party where I go like anybody else?"

She frowns. Back to this. "You shouldn't have a party without a three tier cake."