bravenewworld | A Well Earned Celebration

[The battle was over and the god Reshiram defeated, driven away by the aid of Union and its allies. The city was safe, by and large, and as the news spread throughout the peoples of the tundra, they began streaming back into the settlement in droves. Dirty, ash-coated faces were filled with relief and gratitude when they saw that it wasn't just a rumor and that their home had indeed been spared. Not everyone was so lucky, but they'd weathered worse, of course. The people of Glacier endured, as they would always endure, and they were also a people that repaid their debts. And they most certainly all agreed that they owed their rescuers a debt.

So, as night fell after the battle, a great celebration was prepared in the center of Glacier. A wide square was cleared away in a matter of hours, and the people gathered what they could in a show of thanks. Tables of food, bonfires towering into the night sky to keep out the autumn chill, and throngs of cheering wellwishers lined the area. Warriors of glacier, men carrying swords and women all bearing axes offered enthusiastic handshakes and claps on the back. Music of all kinds was played, though tribal tunes full of horn and percussion, chanting and yodeling, and even some brass groups dominated the soundscape.

A platform for various elders was set up, and they offered speeches, of course...but those were somehow dwarfed by the presence of the divine beings that were waiting silently for the proceedings to end. Some of the gods that had come to the aid of the war parties had apparently decided to stay, though their reasons were as mysterious as they themselves. The humans would have their time, and the Servants would mingle freely throughout the evening.

Food, of course, is set out in piles. Meat, fish, arctic berries, and various pastries and the like line table after table. A smorgasbord of Glacier specialties, each with a new and unique flavor all their own, and some (such as the stew) possessing a smell that only a native could probably endure. Akutaq in particular seems to stand out among the worst offenders, but the Glacier natives seem rather fond of it, and offer it to their rescuers with great gusto.

And the rewards do not stop at simple meals. either. As the speeches begin to wind down, a woman some might find familiar walks up onto the stage carrying a singularly massive trunk and dropping it down onto the wood with a heavy thud.]

Southerners! You have done a great deed this day! We, the people of Glacier, would like to thank you and honor your sacrifice! Few would do as you have done, coming to the aide of strangers against the might of that dragon...and you have accomplished something we did not think possible. To that end, we would like to present you with the first of many gifts, a token of our gratitude and a promise that should you need it, we will come to your defense in a time of need!

[And then with a sharp kick, she cracks open the trunk and reveals a veritable treasure trove of three different stones to be distributed by her subordinates.]

Rest well, and enjoy the festivities! You are welcome here, for as long as you like! Eat, drink, and be merry within our halls!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...don't be lewd. Are you going to gawk every time Fuuka and I look at one another as well?

I wasn't gawking! [Yes he was.] I just didn't know she had it in her.

[Admittedly, he is surprised to see Chie with a significant other to begin with.]

You mean Chie didn't have it in her? What are you talking about? Of course she does!

Man, Yukiko, yeah. I can see that now...

[His eyes dart over to the two of them sitting and chatting with each other.]

I just didn't think she was into girls...

No? Why not?

[That doesn't compute for Yukiko. She...definitely figure that out pretty quickly with Chie.]

I mean...did you think I was, either?

Well, because! [He just didn't think Chie could get a date. Not like he can really talk on that.]

And you've never done anything that made me think you were into girls! To tell you the truth, I didn't know you were into anything at all.

Why would you think that? I mean...I wasn't interested in dating you, but then we didn't connect the way Fuuka and I did?

[Yukiko shrugs.]

I don't much care if the person I'm with is a boy or a girl, I think? I mean I've met boys that I think are attractive, but what I really want is a companion and I feel like Fuuka's that companion, I guess.

She's just...cute. and kind, and so eager. We've been through a lot together, too.

Though I'm still new at all this. I just know that she makes me happy. And I make her happy, and I think that's what matters more than gender or anything else.

[That is a nice thing to hear, despite his raging teenage hormones. It's a nice side of Yukiko to see as well, and he at least smiles brightly back.]

Well, I mean that's great! I'm happy you two hooked up and everything! [He really is. For various reasons.]

I just always thought romance was something that totally went over your head, that's all...

Well...[Yukiko manages a weak, self deprecating smile.] It kinda is. I don't have a clue what I'm doing. But that doesn't seem to matter much right now. Clueless or not, I know what I want, now that I've seen it.

[Her eyes find his, meet his, and she nods. She's appreciative of everything you did, too.]

The radio kit was a good idea, by the way. Thank you for that. We had fun putting it together.

[...Oh. Well, he's wasn't sure what he expected out of saying something like that, but there it was. At least she knew, he guessed. All Yosuke can do is smile back warmly, at the thank you.]

Hey, no problem! Anything to help a friend out! [He winks at her. She's happy, that's what's important right? And maybe he'll get to see them kiss again. All's right with the world.]

You guys'll be okay, I mean, it's not like it's hard to be with Fuuka, right?

[It's a reflection of his own experience also- it's not hard to be with Mami, really.]

No. It's not. Really, it just feels right.

[And that's what counts the most.]

And hey. Thanks for sticking with me, after...y'know.

[She'd shot you down.]

I'm glad I have a friend like you.

[Even...if he is a pain in the ass sometimes.]

[His hand goes up behind his head, and he smiles nervously- he doesn't really get compliments like that. Not ever. It's weird, and it makes him feel weird. It was nice, he felt wanted, but at the same time that concept was still a little foreign, in a way. Almost as if he knew Yukiko felt that way, but having it verbally confirmed was something else.]

H-Hey, don't sweat it. I guess...I'm glad to have a friend like you too.

[It hits a strange nerve in him, something he doesn't talk about, that he keeps hidden inside.]

[She truly has no idea it was weird for him. She's always been the sort of girl who says what she wants, with...anyone who isn't her parents. Sometimes she's clueless or awkward, but other times? Well...it's easier.]

Right. Now...I guess I should stop keeping you from Mami. You seem a lot more sober now.

Yeah, I think all that steak really did the trick.

[He turns his head a few times, to test it out. It's a little fuzzy, but it's not that bad. Not at all.]

I should go find her. We sorta went our separate ways to make sure everyone else we knew were okay.

A Well Earned Celebration

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