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tales_100 drabble repost.

"Flight", Vesperia, Judith, all audiences

It was good that she left. She would never have known just how small her village was, otherwise, or how big was the world outside it. Flying with Ba'ul across the endless blue horizons, the wind in her face and the world so far below, it was everything she'd never known to want. Even if it came with a toll-- the weight of armour and the calluses from her spear, the static shock as a blastia core cracked under her hand-- it was worth it.

She couldn't imagine a life, anymore, where she didn't know the freedom of the sky.

"Spar", Vesperia, Yuri and Judith, PG-13

Yuri makes sure to put his full weight behind his swings-- Judith always flips out of the way before they connect. In return, Judith never slows the lighting whirl of her spear for him, leaving his shoulder aching from each block.

He gets lucky once, catching her in mid-air with an arte. Her feet scrape twin furrows when she lands. She rallies, hits him while he's catching his breath, knocks him flying.

His left cheek is already purpling above a wide, livid grin when he stands. "Not bad."

She licks blood from her lip before smiling back. "Same to you."

"Seafood Blues", Abyss, ensemble, all audiences

Guy stared mournfully at the last of their shrimp, now in a sad, blackened pile next to the fire. "I can't believe you burned it."

"I didn't hear you volunteering to cook." Anise's cheeks were an embarrassed red, but there was an angry twitch starting above her eye. Luke winced and drew her away before she could really explode.

Guy didn't seem to notice. "Who knows when we're going to get back to Keterburg to get more," he muttered.

Natalia started to reach for his shoulder before thinking better of it. "We can swing by before we go to Belkend."

"Hero", Vesperia, Yuri and Flynn, all audiences.

Yuri watches Flynn bow his head to receive the medal, hears the crowd's cheering increase. Flynn still has those golden-boy looks they love so much; with the uniform, they're even crazier about him. Yuri smiles ruefully, shaking his head as he turns away.

Flynn watches Yuri walk off, sliding through the crowd unnoticed. Flynn isn't worried; he'll be back, probably riding the crest of another crisis and saving the day before anyone ever realizes. Just like always. Flynn straightens in a salute aimed right at Yuri's departing back, and tries not to care that the crowd doesn't understand why.