And So It Falls AU || thepathoflight & thedarkenedpath

the-darkened-path:

"Really? I’m surprised." Flynn murmured, teasing but internally relieved he wouldn’t be put into any more embarrassing situations. At least, not at the moment. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t be put in plenty later when Yuri decided to publicly claim him in front of all the girls who kept asking.

The blonde situated himself comfortably, curled up on the other with his face snuggled up in Yuri’s neck. “Sleep sounds nice.” He murmured, glad he had finally gotten his Yuri. After all that stressing of keeping emotions hidden and trying to pretend he didn’t have incredibly deep feelings for his best friend, he had him wrapped up in his arms.

"And tomorrow, we deal with awkward Ioder… and all those girls." His words were mumbled into a chest sleepily, his own exhaustion from the day’s events wearing him down until he was sleeping peacefully on top of Yuri.

All Yuri could do was give an amused snort. Yeah, tomorrow they could deal with awkward Ioder and mobbing suitors. Because Yuri wouldn't deal with that completely and utterly in the most blunt way possible. That would be funny and very satisfying all at the same time, and the thought only left him wishing it was the morning.

Flynn wasn't followed immediately to his slumber, the ebony haired student merely holding him close as the minutes ticked by. So much time had passed between them before they'd gotten to this point, able to freely share their affections with one another and not have to worry how the other will take it. Having the restraint gone at last felt... weird. Like a switch had been flipped and got stuck there. 

Morning came with much the same feelings he,d finally managed to fall asleep with, rousing him from a usually mobile slumber to find that he,d barely moved at all. That was something: not accidentally attacking Flynn in his sleep with mobile limbs. With a yawn he lifted himself up, arms stretching out above his head to rid him of the tired feeling in his limbs. Seeing as his companion still slept he climbed out of bed in an attempt to not disturb him, moving over to peer out the window. Not horribly early morning, by the look of the sky.

yuri lowell.

Of course it would be that one to find him first. of course    it would be that one who thought to rip to shreds an alibi    (death) to keep him safe from swords which wished for a    head upon a platter if known his existence. that was just    how it worked, how it always had.

   And Alexei was now in the precarious position of being     among a man who had every right — thought — dignity    to run him through { again. stabbing pain, ripping    through his abdomen, blood sprayed, dripping down    lips, copper biting his tongue } and leave the ex-    commandant as dead.

      “The same could be said for I you," it had been a     cruel hope. thought to leave him alone for long enough    that when he was learned of, he would already be once    again dead. “Now, would you mind removing yourself    from my cloak so I may stand and not worry another    fall?”

   Words were said with a bite to them. no sign of grudge    held upon his face, in his tone, or along his posture, but    he was careful to keep formal. a thing learned from     years upon years of politics.

"Sure." The distinct lack of hostility in both tone and stance was what helped Yuri remove his foot with the same returned, his face not showing any particular outward feeling for the older man's appearance. Because there wasn't one, at least not in the moment. Surprise, perhaps, was the most prevalent thing he felt, though that too was rapidly waning to give way to a more neutral standpoint.

There was always the little bit that liked to hide behind outward expression that would be warily watched despite his lack of major concerns. Alexei had plenty of reason to be planning something with this life most didn't believe him to have, and a good chunk of that could be understandably hostile. The man was a planner, one who could spend mass amounts of years getting pieces into the places he wanted them.

That being said, Yuri Lowell was not a person to jump without reason. It was a balance that kept his life as simplistic as it looked, one that only called for violence if such was shown to him or the people around him. Currently he was seeing none of that, with the added bonus of a recollection bringing him back to the top of the old Commandant's supposed resting place. A cracked sanity, something akin to understanding of what he'd done. Not wholly evil.

Whether he was irredeemably evil was something else entirely. "Looks like we were both lucky to survive that death trap," he commented easily, the hand not wrapped in the cords of his katana finding its way down to rest on the head of his canine companion. Repede looked up at him, jaws opening in the yawn that told Yuri of a lack of concern. 

get himout of there. out of the memories, out of the    pain that wreaked havoc upon his heart. down    -trodden lips pursing in calculation what he knew    would be his downfall if he played his card just so.

   Yes, he had to be — [ CRASH ]                                                          careful.

   Entangled cape upon feet behind him and a frown    marring his features, Alexei went to turn, having    tripped quite undignified thanks to this stranger. or    whom he thought to be a stranger, only to be left    with a feeling ripping in gut that made him wish it     were just a stranger.               “I do believe, you    are stepping upon my cloak.”

Nothing said suspicious quite like a stranger shrouded in the obscuring cloth of a cloak, making their way like they were thinking quite intensely about something. Of course, such a thing would be almost impossible to decipher with little to see in line of body language, but Yuri felt fairly confident in his assessment without having to second guess himself. 

Which clearly meant he needed figure it out.

His foot landed on the trailing edge of that outfit, clamping down just enough to trap it on the floor and sent the man toppling in a totally unplanned albeit undignified manner. 

"Sorry about that." Fully prepared for his usual bullshit excuse covering the on-purpose act, Yuri was forced to stop midway through by the sight greeting him. Ashen irises sat fixed on the incredibly familiar man for a long moment, gathering the information in front of his eyes before finally speaking. "Well, that's one face I never thought I'd be seeing again." 

Test of Temptation || ThePathofLight & TheDarkenedPath

Honestly, why did Flynn even bother sometimes?

Frustration still boiled in his system as was so customary with one Yuri Lowell. Even though they were together they still had such petty fights. Because, really, was it so hard for him to just agree to come to at least one dance at the palace? When both Lady Estellise and himself wanted the raven-haired renegade to be there, could he not even consider it? Sometimes the man was so thick-headed that it gave Flynn equal levels of baffled and infuriated.

It was just one dance. Surely the great hero of the world could at least show up for that. Yuri seemed to just be adamantly opposed to anything that might acknowledge his deeds one way or the other. Or anything that was considered normal, socially acceptable fun. Or anything that was what Flynn wanted him to do for once in his life.

The man just refused to listen for the sole fact of being against Flynn. Being in a relationship apparently wasn’t going to change that in the slightest bit. Which left a grumpy Commandant standing off to the side while everyone swirled around and enjoyed themselves, his head swimming with that stupid man he was stupidly in love with.

There was something inherently uncomfortable about being dressed up.

Yuri was going to go ahead and say it was the fact that he felt that if he moved, there would be a distinct restraining sensation coming from the outfit currently adorning his body. It was well made, he could give it that, but it was also incredibly fancy. Very knight-like. The kind of thing he never wanted to get into again, especially after having leaving the Empire behind to join a guild. 

The reason he was in such a ridiculous outfit that didn't fit him in terms of... anything, really, was quite simple. After cooling down from a rather irritating fight, he'd decided to grudgingly give in. It wasn't like he got to spend much time with his boyfriend anyway, and seeing as he most of their time together consisted of Yuri watching Flynn work from the windowsill, he figured it wouldn't be bad to try something else.

Ioder giving him this outfit, however, hadn't been part of the plan. He'd intended to just sort of go as he normally was, because what problem was there with that? If people had a problem with it, that was their issue. A mentality that had lasted long enough for him to get a better look at the thing, and a nice little comment from Judy that was a little more suggestive than Yuri would have thought of.

So here he was. Walking into the crowded castle looking completely unlike himself, dressed head to toe in an outfit he wanted to sigh at. Of all things, it had to be a knight. Given it wasn't the kind of knight outfit any of the actual knight would wear, with dark colors likely chosen to imitate his normal attire, but it was a knight outfit nonetheless.

Stowing his sigh away for a later time he made his way across the room, dark irises locking onto the familiar blonde looking more surly than he was sure many of the nobles appreciated. His doing from the fight they'd had the day before, but whatever. At least he could try to do something to appease the Commandant now. "Don't you look happy," he commented sarcastically once he was within hearing range, raising an ebony brow at the other male. 

(via the-write-ideas)

new followers

thedarkenedpath:

"I was a… woman?"

His voice cracked upon repeating his choice of words. He was feminine in a few respects but he still identified himself as a man so it was strange to hear that from Yuri of all people.

"More of me you should know about? What are you inferring?"

It almost seemed as if Yuri was treating him someone else but he didn’t want to pester someone he had wronged in the past. It was strange that he was able to hold a normal dialogue with the other man given their history.

"Well I would have asked if you have a sister, but I'm going to go with no." So that left him wondering why there was a sudden sex change in the knights, and he wasn't really sure he wanted to think of that becoming a thing. One of them miraculously changing was more than enough for Yuri, especially when it was with the gung ho second in command. 

He eyed the knight again. Nope, still definitely a man. Hm. Yuri could only wonder if Flynn had noticed yet with how unobservant the man was when he worked. "I'm not sure what's going on here and I doubt I want to know." As a general rule he didn't want to know about the lives of several people, and Sodia was at the top of that list. No matter how weird she -or he now- got. 

new followers

thedarkenedpath

"Hello, Lowell."

A single ebony brow rose at the sound of the voice that most definitely did not fit the person in his memory banks. Well. Now that was interesting. "I know it's been a while, but I'm pretty sure you were a woman last time I saw you." Amusement rang in his voice simply because he couldn't help it, not cat-eyes suddenly being... not the woman he recognized. Family, perhaps? "There more of you I should know about?"