ᴠᴀᴄᴀɴᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴋɪɴᴅ

Stop. You’re embarrassing him. Well… if he believes it, then it must be true.

"You're embarrassed. I'm sorry, I'll stop with the compliments." He didn't mean to make him uncomfortable.

ᴅᴏᴡɴᴛɪᴍᴇ | Hope & Leon

Although officers in the making had very little reason to frequent the medical wing, Leon always managed to find some sort of legitimate excuse that would allow him passage without scrutiny. Paperwork suited him if only because of his utmost diligence. He truly was the perfect soldier, obeying orders without question. All of it was a ruse, of course, to earn the trust of those who had brought him to this city, but as he ascended the ranks, he would have to bury his intentions six feet under.

With a stack of folders nesting in his arms, Leon marched from the living quarters to the disinfectant-laden building. His nose crinkled at the distinct scent as if he wasn’t quite used to it yet. No one paid any attention as he proceeded. At the receptionist’s, Leon deposited his week’s worth of reports and slipped away.

There was a lobby for the medical staff to idle in while awaiting shipments from the yard among other things. It was simpler to stay put than to lounge in the barracks.

He gave a sharp knock before entering the waiting area and noted that neither Hope nor Jude were present. Lifting a hand to his mouth, he caught a yawn before it escaped and wandered the halls. A glance through the windows would indicate whether or not his colleagues were busy at work, and he would be mindful not to disrupt them.

Hope stifled a yawn behind his hand, setting down his pen and stretching his arms over his head. He had been hunched over the tiny desk in the medical records room for over two hours now and his shoulders were beginning to cramp from remaining in the same position for so long. He needed a break. While writing up medical reports was a nice change from the hours and hours of field work he'd be subjected to otherwise, it took a toll on one's sanity after a while.

Getting to his feet with a little groan, Hope stretched again, this time for a minute longer. He straightened out with a little sigh and made his way out of the little room into the main lobby of the medical building, blinking a little in the brightness of the natural light. He'd been cooped up in that room for far too long if this amount of sunlight was making his eyes ache. The room was empty, which did not surprise him - the majority of people would be in training sessions at a time like that.

Tea, Hope decided, was a necessity if he wanted to get his reports finished before their deadline. He made his way out of the wide lobby and down another, smaller corridor leading to the medical building's tiny kitchen. If he was lucky, Jude would have left him some of the good tea. They tended to run out very quickly and it took weeks to get it restocked once it was gone.

Sighing through his nose, Hope rounded the corner at the end of the hallway and almost collided with a very familiar dark haired male several inches shorter than himself. He let out a small noise of surprise, reaching out to place a hand on the other's shoulder in order to stabilize both of them before huffing quietly and glancing up to see who it was. "Leon! I'm sorry! I wasn't watching where I was walking," He released the boy's shoulder with an apologetic smile. "What brings you to this neck of the woods?"

#ironyofhate #;downtime

"The act of inquiring dispels any remaining subtlety, you realize. … Well, I’ve never thought to doubt your sincerity. You have my thanks, I suppose."

"I'm glad, because it was sincere. You have a work ethic like no one I've ever met, Leon. And you don't need to thank me for admiring it."

noctcaelum-deactivated20160516

#;hope

"Are you trying to flatter me?"

"Was I that obvious?"

[ Good Deeds ] — Hope & Lightning

oceanspraydancer

While it was true Lightning had allowed some duties to slip from her grasp in her fervor to become a better soldier, she hadn’t thought her laundry to be a problem. Sure, she’d skipped the last few days of washing in order to get a few more spars in with various other soldiers, but she was working her way up to it. It wasn’t like her to let things go for too long without eventually taking care of them. It was with this mindset that Lightning had returned to her room with the intention of gathering up any dirty clothes. Imagine her surprise, then, to find that not only was this particular job already finished but her laundry basket was missing. Staring at the empty spot that once housed the item, Lightning stood with her arms folded until the answer she’d been looking for struck her.

Hope.

Of course he’d been the one to do this. That boy was always looking for a way to make himself more useful. With a soft sigh, Lightning turned on her heel and started toward the laundry room. Where else would he have gone with a collection of her dirty clothing? Had it been any other male, Lightning may have been concerned that her privacy had been breached. With Hope, though, she was merely concerned that he’d end up doing more work than needed to be done. Or, worse, people would make fun of him for taking care of her chores. It seemed like something a married couple would do, after all.

She found her mark exactly where she’d thought he’d be. Humming away as he not only sorted her laundry but put it in the washer as well. He seemed not to notice she was nearby, given his lack of reaction. And so, Lightning took her place beside him in silence - staring at him with her arms crossed. “Estheim. Did I give you my permission to take my clothing from my room?” Her voice was serious though not unkind. Blue eyes stared at him intently, scanning every inch of his face as if she’d be able to read his mind before he spoke. “Not only did you take my clothing without asking, but you managed to procure my intimates as well.” Before he had the chance to notice them, Lightning reached across him and snatched up something white and…frilly.

Without missing a beat, Lightning dropped the offending article of clothing into the washing machine in front of her - frowning as she did so. “You didn’t need to do something like this, Estheim. A soldier should be more than capable of doing her own laundry. Are you unconcerned with how people will talk about you if they see you doing this?”

Hope didn't jump when Lightning came to stand beside him. He didn't even offer her a glance, instead continuing his task of sorting through the laundry before him. It wasn't until she spoke and he heard the tone of her voice that he finally stopped humming to himself, turning to look at her with a rather sheepish expression on his face. He quickly swept his gaze over her expression in an attempt to gauge her reaction to his actions. She didn't look angry. She didn't sound angry either - more disapproving than anything else. Her bright blue gaze was just as startling as it always was and he felt the familiar sensation of her scrutiny, as though she could see things that he didn't know were present in his expression and posture.

He flushed under her examination. "N-no, ma'am," his voice was quiet and he averted his gaze back to the laundry in order to hide his shame. "You didn't give me permission but I thought... it would be a nice way to give something back. For all you do for me, I mean." It sounded lame even to his ears. Clearing his throat, Hope attempted to go back to what he had been doing but quickly stopped again as Lightning reached over and pulled what looked like a piece of frilly lace from her pile of washing. He squinted at it for a moment before he blanched, his blush darkening considerably when he realized what it was.

It was a pair of underpants. A pair of Lightning's underpants that he would have inevitably ended up handling if she hadn't retrieved them first. "Ah, I'm so sorry, Light! I didn't see that!" he spoke quickly, cheeks burning in his embarrassment. He genuinely hadn't seen them when he'd first taken the basket from her room. The fact that her delicates might have been in it hadn't occurred to him at any point in his decision making. Great, now she's going to think you have some kind of panty fetish. Maybe now she would be angry with him. It would be completely justified if she was. He had taken her washing without asking and accidentally seen a pair of her underwear. He deserved reprimand.

He kept his gaze resolutely down-turned as she quickly placed the offending article of clothing into the washing machine, not wanting to see her expression. Hope had seen Lightning at her angriest and did not much like the idea of having that rage directed on him. It came as a surprise, therefore, when she spoke next. She wasn't angry, she was concerned - concerned about his image and how their fellow soldiers would view him if they knew he had done her washing for her. Lifting his face to look at her with an incredulous expression on his face, Hope's lips slowly spread into a warm smile.

"I don't care how they speak about me. It shouldn't be any of my concern whether they like me or not if we can work together competently when it matters most." Though the look he gave her was still sheepish, he felt considerably calmer than he had moments before. Lightning continued to surprise him with her selflessness - she had found him sorting through her washing, something he had done without asking, and she was concerned about his image. It amazed him.

#lucespes

"A few late nights aren’t anything to write home about. There have been several high profile crimes, but the cases are always clear cut. All in a day’s work to be quite honest."

"You never fail to inspire me with your work ethic, Leon."

"That doesn’t mean they won’t slip up. All we have to do is gather the evidence and piece it together. But enough about that. What have you been up to lately?"

"Nothing much, actually. Researching mostly. Things have been pretty quiet down our way over the last few weeks. I suppose you probably can't say the same."

"It’s hard to imagine they use their minds at all. It’s as if they’re purposefully instigating the tensions throughout the city. Why make the citizens hate each other?"

"Ha. That's a very good question but it's likely we'll never know the answer. I really can't see them revealing any of their plans or motives to any of us, let alone the general public."

"Enjoy it while it lasts. I still don’t understand why they house the medical personnel with the rank and file. Is it meant to foster some sense of camaraderie?"

"Hmm. It could well be. Though I doubt the higher ups make many of their decisions with the 'camaraderie of the troops' in mind."

dontfuukawithyamagishi-deactiva

Piece of Cake! [Open]

dontfuukawithyamagishi-deactiva

The girl was equally startled by the man’s reaction to her question. Despite her powers of analysis being fully functional in this city, she didn’t see it coming. With a nervous gasp, she immediately bent down to pick up the items he dropped. “Oh no, I’m so sorry!”

Something about this seemed familiar to her. It brought back memories of Hamuko helping her with her books a few times, and a pang of sadness with them. She still missed her friend.

With a smile, Fuuka handed Hope what he had dropped. “But there’s so many to choose from, and they’re all nice.”

#dontfuukawithyamagishi #;piece of cake

"Ah, it's quite alright." He said, taking the items back from her with a grateful smile. "I can be a bit of a klutz sometimes, there's no need to apologize." He inclined his head, readjusting his hold on the things before leveling her with a kind, curious look. She appeared nervous now, a light embarrassed blush darkening her cheeks - perhaps she was worried he would be angry at her. Hope smiled again, this time much more warmly, in an attempt to put her at ease. It had not been his intention to upset her.

"What's your absolute favourite. I always find it the most fun to bake what I know I'm going to enjoy eating."

"Looks like I've got my own room again. Hmm... it's more spacious than I remember."

#mardo mini #;ic #w ow amazing hope

dontfuukawithyamagishi-deactiva

Piece of Cake! [Open]

It was a few days since she had arrived in Thalassia, and Fuuka had discovered two things: First, somehow she could use her Persona’s powers here despite being outside of Tartarus or the Midnight Channel. Second, the groceries here offered a great selection of baking ingredients.

And if there was anything that made Fuuka Yamagishi feel at ease, it was browsing the internet for fanfiction. Baking was a close second, and since the internet here seemed to be in its infancy, that was what she did instead.

"What should I make?" She said quietly to herself. The possibilities were endless, even if her skills weren’t. But she was confident enough to try something new if she wanted, these days. As she thought quietly to herself in the baking aisle of a supermarket, she heard someone walk over. They seemed friendly enough.

"Hello. What do you think I should bake?"