volleygenius: (017)
丸井ブン太 ([personal profile] volleygenius) wrote in [community profile] synergetic2023-10-01 06:36 pm

Prince of Fire Emblem: Calm Before the Storm

The sunset that bounced light off the fire opal of Lissa's ring has long disappeared, overtaken by the melancholy night. A cool breeze prefaces the mass of storm clouds on the horizon, steadily rolling towards the castle and swallowing the stars. Bunta exhales into a gum bubble as he gazes at the moon from his recline against the roof of the Kuwahara inn. A lot happened today.

"Hey," he prompts his companion. "Today's meeting... What did you make of it?"

It's deliberately an open question. Jackal has always complemented him so well, strong where he was weak. Picking up the ball wherever Bunta happened to drop it. That meeting had a lot to unpack in it. For all that Bunta saw and responded to in it, there would be just as many things Jackal saw and reacted to, and with only partial overlap. It would be good to get his perspective of things.
senselessness: (garuru)

[personal profile] senselessness 2023-10-02 09:21 pm (UTC)(link)

Jackal came up initially to clean the gutters-- there were some days when he spread out that government salary by hiring someone else who needed a break, but there were others when the time wasn't there and he wasn't too good for the labor. Some things really never would change, and Bunta finding him up here was one of them.

The question made him sigh.

"I'm still trying to figure out what I make of everything he's done since he..."

And Jackal isn't sure he wants to say 'got better,' so he settles on, "Since he got back to work."

senselessness: (garuru)

[personal profile] senselessness 2023-10-03 12:28 am (UTC)(link)

"How does it compare to other times he's been stressed?" Jackal asked. "I... he usually tries to take complete control of something."

Bunta already knew it was an excuse; Jackal was simply reinforcing the point.

"He acts more like he's losing control."

senselessness: (garuru)

[personal profile] senselessness 2023-10-03 02:59 am (UTC)(link)

"Obviously, His Majesty has rights the rest of us don't, including expectations of control."

But he'd always known the line before.

"It's not something he's ever felt the need to take from us before. Or if he has, I didn't realize it, and don't know him the way I thought I did."

What they had was always given freely to Yukimura, after all.

senselessness: (garuru)

[personal profile] senselessness 2023-10-03 04:04 am (UTC)(link)

Deeply uncomfortable with that observation, Jackal tries to think through it logically. It's hard going.

"Yukimura isn't an idiot," he said. "If we're unrecognizable to him after everything that's happened, that'd also be a trauma response... but I don't think we've changed all that much, aside from shorter tempers. Yukimura not knowing us makes no sense."

senselessness: (garuru)

[personal profile] senselessness 2023-10-03 07:16 am (UTC)(link)

"I do..."

It was hard for him to watch.

"It looked like it took everything he had to put that piece forward, Bunta."

senselessness: (garuru)

[personal profile] senselessness 2023-10-05 01:52 am (UTC)(link)

Sighing, Jackal reached out to give Bunta a punch in the arm.

"You know it isn't just you, right?"

senselessness: (garuru)

[personal profile] senselessness 2023-10-05 02:11 am (UTC)(link)

Jackal catches nothing, except a fistful of air as he staggers in his place.

"Wha- why me?!"

He shakes his head quickly. Can't have the king changing his mind in public! They've gone to enough trouble!

"You have to have better ideas than that!"

senselessness: (garuru)

[personal profile] senselessness 2023-10-05 03:12 am (UTC)(link)

"She can't have two!"

Could she? He'd heard things... about the Valentians... and the Nohrians...

Jackal took a deep breath to try and get back on track.

"What are you going to do for the king, then?"

senselessness: (garuru)

[personal profile] senselessness 2023-10-05 03:22 am (UTC)(link)

Punch him...? He'd almost like to see Bunta try... Yukimura would eat him alive, once for lunch and once for dessert.

"What do you want me to do, then?"

senselessness: (garuru)

[personal profile] senselessness 2023-10-05 03:34 am (UTC)(link)

"That much goes without saying..."

He would watch and wait for the moment Bunta needed defense. Waiting for whatever he did to rebound on him.

senselessness: (garuru)

[personal profile] senselessness 2023-10-05 04:36 am (UTC)(link)

His full attention immediately goes to Bunta.

"What did he tell you? And what do you really think?"

A little apprehension sneaks in, but Jackal isn't fearful.

senselessness: (garuru)

[personal profile] senselessness 2023-10-05 04:45 am (UTC)(link)

"I..." comes out before he can stop it.

Jackal falters, trying to parse that.

"Yukimura's the strongest person I know, even if you discount him being the king," he said, slowly. "If he couldn't protect her, I... would he even still be himself?"

senselessness: (garuru)

[personal profile] senselessness 2023-10-05 04:59 am (UTC)(link)

A long, dark silence falls, because Jackal has nothing to say to that.

"Even when he was first healthy again, he... It was good to see the way he moved, but he wasn't moving like himself. Not at all."

senselessness: (garuru)

[personal profile] senselessness 2023-10-05 05:45 am (UTC)(link)

"...The timing is too..."

Jackal can feel his stomach dropping.

"We let Mizuki off too easy."

senselessness: (garuru)

[personal profile] senselessness 2023-10-05 05:52 am (UTC)(link)

"I mean I think we were played," Jackal said, calm, but with anger starting to thread in between his words. "Mizuki and his miracle cure is... is where the change started, right? He was different while he was sick, but not the way he is now. He was angry, but he wasn't..."

He was running out of words, he thought ruefully. Or he just didn't want to put any to the guilt he was starting to feel. Because their job had been to give Yukimura the information he needed to make the decision soundly, and they'd failed.

"His anger made sense, there were reasons for it. There's no reason for him to be so... careless with us and the princess. What's... what is it that he's struggling with? What's... imprisoning him?"

senselessness: (garuru)

[personal profile] senselessness 2023-10-05 07:23 am (UTC)(link)

He smiles in spite of everything. Part of him feels guilty for it, but he feels like he can deal with this happening to Yukimura better than he could with Bunta-- if it only because it meant Bunta was on his side to do it with him.

"Those are questions I should be asking you. You're the one he's giving new responsibilities to."

senselessness: (garuru)

[personal profile] senselessness 2023-10-05 07:39 am (UTC)(link)

"I don't think I'll know what I need to do until it's time do it," he said honestly. "Or until I see what you do first."

senselessness: (garuru)

[personal profile] senselessness 2023-10-06 07:57 pm (UTC)(link)

Jackal looks at him over the same shoulder, almost contemplative.

"Neither the princess nor the king deserve less," he said, still a little confused. "I mean, are you going to act like you're really in love with her? Does she know that?"

senselessness: (garuru)

[personal profile] senselessness 2023-10-07 05:50 am (UTC)(link)

"Yukimura has no weaknesses, and no need of failsafes," Jackal corrected. "If he gave you a task, it's because he had perfect faith in you."