[seeing as the glance around the shop resulted in not seeing anyone, flynn believes he's by himself and turns to look at some of the selection. someone will come help eventually. factor in not being in any rush and he's content to simply browse around for a while. what a shame that turning resulted in missing that magical flying notebook by a small second.
this is why his guard instantly tenses upon feeling something tap his shoulder. actually, it... it feels like something's standing behind him. but how? no footsteps, no noise, no nothing to signal a living presence. is this another of ceres' antics? too tired to realize that he KNOWS there exist certain things that humans can't see, that's the conclusion he arrives at. flynn wastes no time in turning around and sending a well-aimed punched at the assumed head of whatever this thing is!! take that, you dumb ghost or monster or whatever!!!]
[Fortunately, Mikleo has a makeshift shield in the form of a notebook, and has the reflexes necessary to throw it up to meet Flynn's fist. Unfortunately, it doesn't save him from all of that force. Just enough to make sure he doesn't get a black eye from it.
So, now his whole face hurts. Mikleo rubs at his cheek, which got the brunt of Flynn's punch. It's a good thing he can't be heard because he's muttering some choice words under his breath. That's going to leave such a bruise....
The seraph uses the pen to write in big, capital letters:]
[a floating notepad?? and a pen is writing on it? cue a very confused knight. it feels like something's there, but what can it be wr--
oh. mikleo.
...OH. MIKLEO.
the look on flynn's face right now can only be described as one of 'oh shit'. right. seraphs can't be seen by humans, can they? he hadn't expected it here considering he'd been able to see mikleo before, but obviously that isn't the case today. without wasting another moment, the cerevice comes out and he calls meebo, his gaze still darting back and forth between it and the invisible thing in front of him. please don't let that have done too much damage!! ugh, as soon as he confirms things, there's a cure gonna be coming mikleo's way.]
[Mikleo picks up the moment he sets the pen and notebook aside. He just mutes Flynn's end of the call so they don't get that weird echo effect. There's a lovely bruise forming on his cheek, but he seems only mildly annoyed. The annoyance is more directed at himself than the knight, though.]
Before you say it, I forgive you and you didn't hurt me too badly. I really need to get a bell or something.
Even so, I still apologize. I should've recalled you mentioning humans being unable to see you.
[flynn glances back and forth between the screen and the invisible thing now known to be mikleo as he reaches out a hand. it hoovers next to the injured cheeks as flynn casts off a cure, which should take care of the worst of that. ugh, he still feels so bad.]
[Mikleo's surprised by the healing, but he's not going to complain. It heals the worst, which is good as now he doesn't have to worry about Sorey seeing a bad bruise.]
Don't worry about it. Thank you for the healing, Flynn.
[He tilts his head slightly, looking like he's studying the knight. Then, Mikleo takes the pen, puts it behind his ear so that Flynn can keep an eye on where he's going, and walks behind the counter.]
Tell me what you want and we can talk. My coworkers aren't going to be here for a while, and we don't get as many people coming in around this time.
[there's a confused blink at that. talk? talk about what? maybe it's just a bit of friendly chat and, really, flynn's not about to refuse after that punch. he follows behind the floating pen and paper while still feeling bad about what happened.]
Perhaps ginger flavored ice cream, should you have it?
[it's a rarer flavor, but worth asking if they have it at this location. what a shame meat flavored ice cream isn't a thing or he'd get that. what an interesting flavor meaty ice cream would be. beef flavored ice cream... a note gets made to try somehow making this later.]
[That...is an unusual choice in flavor. Running through the inventory in his head, Mikleo does recall that they have the ingredients for gingersnaps. Something he wanted to see about experimenting with as either a new flavor or if the cookies mix well with ice cream.]
Not out, but I can whip some up in the back fairly easily. Do you want it to taste like a gingersnap? Or pure ginger?
[Just. To make sure. Ugh, why does he have to follow this 'customer is always right' bullshit.]
[odd flavors of ice cream are the best flavors of ice cream. flynn hadn't even considered gingersnaps as an ice cream flavor. that might be a tad too sweet for his current liking. that said, if gingersnap is what they have then gingersnap it is.]
Pure ginger if possible, but I don't mind gingersnap if it isn't.
[at least this customer will take anything and not complain? mikleo could bring him tuna flavored ice cream and he'd still eat it without complaint despite actively disliking seafood.]
[Odd flavors are a travesty to perfectly good ice cream, Flynn.
Mikleo considers it before nodding.]
I'll see what I can do.
[Flynn's going to get a free behind-the-scenes tour of where Mikleo makes the ice cream. He also gets to see that how the seraph makes it so fast is by freezing it via seraphic artes. Despite the grossness that is ginger flavored ice cream, he still makes sure that the flavor is correct before coming out with it in a cup and shoving a plastic spoon in it. The water seraph hands it over the counter to the knight.
After the whole payment thing (he'll never like using cash registers EVER), Mikleo comes out from behind the counter to sit with Flynn.]
Not to put too fine a point on it, but I've noticed that you look miserable.
[He's absolutely aware that there's a more gentle way of putting it, but he thinks that the knight needs a bit of bluntness today.]
[what a privilege to see the behind-the-scenes action. it's one hell of an interesting sight, really, ice cream getting made quickly and seemingly by a floating pen. seraphs sure are handy. as soon as it's ready, flynn pays and takes a seat (setting his cerevice down on the table to make things easier for the upcoming chat). a quick taste of the ice cream reveals exactly what's expected: delicious.
soon enough, the floating pen comes by and... jumps right to the point, wow. what bluntness. flynn purses his lips. does he really look THAT bad? well, mikleo wouldn't say something like this simply to say it. he then smiles, if a smile that appears somewhat forced.]
It's nothing. I slept poorly last night, nothing more.
[well. it's not a lie. he did sleep like shit. what a shame that lack of sleep makes it even more obvious flynn's trying to downplay things than normal.]
[alike how? before flynn could ask, mikleo effectively puts a stop to that line of thought thanks to follow-up comment and also stops that fake smile.]
It really isn't anything serious.
[which is why he looks like someone kicked his puppy. ...non-repede puppy. since mikleo won't be fooled so easily, flynn'll offer up some vague elaboration. going into the specifics of things won't happen, but chatting about it a little can't hurt. maybe mikleo could offer up some insight about what to do, too, considering the seraph has a childhood friend (albeit one seemingly less idiotic than flynn's) himself.
after a brief hesitation, he speaks up once more.]
Yuri and I, we got into a small fight.
[because walking out and not coming home for a couple days is small. that means momkleo needs to beat up grandma for making grandpa sad.]
[lesson flynn is learning way too quickly: mikleo is too damn perceptive. a small, if tired smile comes at that first part but then shifts into a frown accompanied by a sigh as he replies.]
He lied to me about something serious. [as in, flynn's second-in-command stabbing and nearly kill yuri. yup.] Even when I confronted him with the truth, he still wouldn't admit to what happened.
[the details aren't going to get much less vague than that, unfortunately. what happened won't be shared with anyone else.]
[Mikleo will be the first to say that it's a necessary skill with Sorey as your best friend.
He doesn't mind that it's vague, thinking that it must be a personal thing between them. As long as Flynn gives him the main idea, the seraph is content. Mikleo simply takes a moment to think, using what he knows of the both of them to figure out possible reasons. Granted, he's not sure what kind of lie Yuri gave, as that'll always change the answer, but....]
Of course not. Yuri thinks he's protecting you by keeping the truth to himself. The more you push, the more determination he has to safeguard it.
[protecting him... how the hell is this protecting him? the actions of his soldiers are his to know!! flynn's frown becomes a tad grumpy at the memory of just how intense the denial had been and his voice becomes the slightest bit harsher.]
It's a truth that involves me. He had no right to deny me it as he did.
[regardless of how little yuri trusts him. that's what flynn feels it boils down to. no attempt at protection, but rather an attempt to keep flynn from screwing something up again. although a fair enough a reason, this is still something he deserved to know. maybe actually saying could've lead to talking it out instead of sitting here and being a confused lil blond.]
[Mikleo, at least, recognizes that the harshness is likely directed at Yuri more than himself. Still, he's getting a better idea of what's going on by these little clues.]
It's because it involves you that he's denying it. Wouldn't you do the same if your positions had been reversed? Wouldn't you protect Yuri even if it meant making him think you're the worst person on the planet? Or let your reputation suffer if it meant keeping his intact?
[He leans forward a bit to rest his arms against the table.]
He knows that you would. You two know each other like the back of your hands, even though it probably doesn't feel like that right now.
but part of flynn denies it as such. this is different and more serious than just protecting someone! it involves attempted murder!! if their positions were reversed, would flynn tell yuri? ...who knows. it isn't something flynn plans on dwelling on presently. his mind's already a mess, thanks. that last part is dead on, too. flynn really doesn't feel as though he understands much of anything right now.]
I don't know what it feels like, truthfully. I still haven't even come to a conclusion about what I should do after finding out what I did.
[the proper thing to do would be to immediately strip sodia of her knighthood and possibly imprison her but... he doesn't want to do that, just like doesn't want to try yuri for any of his crimes. both have committed crimes, but both are people dear to him. as a commandant, he shouldn't even be questioning what needs to be done.
[It's a good thing Mikleo can't read Flynn's mind. Otherwise, the blond would be getting a kick or two to the shins.
He's seen that look before, though. The conflict that every knight, no matter their status, will always face. Their duty is in opposition to what their heart wants to do.]
You realize that this is exactly the kind of thing Yuri was trying to spare you from, right? The impossible choice between a knight's duty and Flynn Scifo, and it doesn't help when you're thinking more emotionally than you are logically.
[It's why Mikleo holds such respect for people like Alisha, Sergei, and Flynn, though. That these humans can face these challenges as they come, no matter how agonizing the choice is, to balance it as much as possible.]
It comes down to what you think and feel is the right thing to do. That's something I've observed from others and experienced for myself.
flynn meets mikleo's gaze at that. an impossible choice between who he is and what he needs to be and trying to spare him from it... that sounds like yuri all right: stupid ideas and stupid actions that go with them.]
Trying to spare me from something I need to face regardless and in a manner that leads to an argument doesn't do anyone any good. [he frowns lightly.] If anything, it's only made that choice more difficult.
[not talking it out and having stuff blow up like that only made him more confused about something he'd already been uncertain about, namely about what justice is, about his own knightly qualifications and about if he even wants to be a knight. hell, emotional detachment isn't working at all and is overpowering the 'arrest and put to trial' logic that knights SHOULD have.
he purses his lips a little, feeling a little awkward about talking so much on so touchy a subject. sharing too much with people and burdening them with it never feels right, but this conversation feels necessary and needs to continue. hmm let's go about this a bit of a different way.]
We all do stupid things when it comes to the person or people we care most about, though. Frustrating as it can be.
[Mikleo sobers at the question, though. He gives it some thought before answering. Honestly, nobody's ever asked him that before, and he considers it an interesting question.]
I suppose to me it means doing right by my morals. Sometimes, we've had to do things that we're not proud of or even break a law. I've had to re-evaluate my morals and figure out if maybe I was in the wrong or had the wrong idea. Overall, I want to do good in the world as best as I can, whether that means being on the side of the law or going outside it.
[For a moment, he's quiet. Then, he decides to place as much trust and respect in the knight as Flynn's given him so far.]
It's hard, Flynn. Justice can corrupt someone just as much as injustice. Feeling that your own personal justice is the only way, that all others don't exist or are meaningless to you...I've seen how that leads people in my world to becoming hellions.
[Mikleo looks down at the table, staring at a spot like it holds the secrets to life.]
A Cardinal was like that. She was close to the Emperor of Rolance, and all she'd wanted was to protect her people, but her sense of justice led her to become a hellion so corrupt that she couldn't be purified. Not only that, but she would kill anyone who interfered with her plans or tried to get to the truth by turning them to stone. She made it rain constantly in the capital, drowning the people's crops and making life almost intolerable. In the end, we had no choice but to kill her, and she still thought that she was in the absolute right.
[Mikleo looks back up at him and shrugs a little helplessly.]
On the other hand, I've seen a serial killer who was pure. He'd kill anyone who argued with the knights of Pendrago, believing them to be "lamentably" weak. He believed with all his heart that his actions brought his victims salvation and compassion was what fueled those acts. To make matters worse, he, too, was a priest, and he'd said that he'd been visited by a seraph who "blessed" his endeavors. The knights arrested him to face his crimes in court, but....
[He sighs.]
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I do the best I can by my own moral compass, but I also have to keep in mind that what I think of justice isn't the only one in the world. Mine isn't superior to anyone else's. Even if theirs is warped or twisted, it's still what they think of justice and valid in its own way because of that. And, sometimes, I question whether what I think is right or wrong.
[we all do stupid things for the person we care for most... flynn can't even deny it, but is it really that and not a lack of trust?
mikleo sure gives flynn a lot to consider, with him looking away and staring at the dripping ice cream cone while pondering things over (he will start to eat that shortly...). the second story definitely catches his attention. a pure serial killer who thinks murder leads to salvation. that's... deluded. maybe yuri's actions were wrong, but he never once denied that fact. a crime is a crime: this is a fact.
but basing 100% of your actions on a right fact can also lead someone astray. sometimes laws need to be broken in order to do the right thing in the long run. after all, for a short moment, flynn turned against the commandant and the empire (even if it didn't last long due to alexei's traitor status becoming evident). it's still difficult for someone so law-bidding as himself to accept but... but maybe circumstances due exist in which breaking the law is acceptable.]
It's a question I've been struggling with for a while, myself.
[ever since mantaic... no, ever since his promotion to captain.]
Some of my own actions have been questionable, as well, and other people close to me have committed crimes that ought to receive punishment. Even knowing this, I'd been unable to punish them as I should.
[at mantiac, he could've easily given yuri chase. sir raven, despite flynn's own understanding, still committed treason. judith destroyed numerous blastia that were in the possession of the empire. and now sodia...
he pauses, taking a breath and closing his eyes in thought for a moment.]
The conclusion I believe I'm reaching is that there is far less black and white to justice than I'd originally believed. Your sense of justice and what you believe in may clash with another's, but that doesn't necessarily make it good or bad. Sometimes... [another quick pause.] Sometimes breaking the law is necessary in order to do what is right, but it is still important to acknowledge that one did break the law and take responsibility for it.
[that... that feels so weird to openly say, but it doesn't feel wrong. flynn may not still fully accept his own words, but even reaching this conclusion is already progress. his gaze then meets mikleo's once more.]
I believe that, in a way, maybe that is what justice entails.
[Mikleo can understand what it means for Flynn to openly admit this to him. It's clear to him that the knight respects the laws and tries to uphold them in both letter and spirit. To say that sometimes it's necessary to break them isn't an easy conclusion for him to reach.]
Indeed. They're burdens to bear, but we have to take care that they don't become an obsession or drag us down.
[He gives the older man a small smile.]
I know you won't believe it, but I think you're a very respectable knight, if not a capable leader. I can't tell you that you're never going to stop struggling with that question because that'd be a lie. However, I can say that I have complete faith that you'll make the best possible choice.
[For a moment, the water seraph pauses.]
But, I'm going to guess that part of your argument with Yuri involved your differences in what justice is?
[hearing that manages to get an actual, genuine smile out of flynn. the last few days have been plagued with so much uncertainty and someone being so sure of him is nice to hear. maybe he doesn't believe it, just mikleo said, but maybe one day he will. one day.]
Thank you, Mikleo, your words mean a great deal to hear.
[he gives a small nod at the question. a good portion of their arguments tend to somehow involve justice and lawbreaking, especially lately. it's... not been fun. flynn's too rigid with the law; yuri's too loose. that leads to bad clashing sometimes.]
Part of it, yes. It's something we've been unable to see eye to eye for some time. Our fight had less to do with it than normal, but it was still an underlying factor.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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this is why his guard instantly tenses upon feeling something tap his shoulder. actually, it... it feels like something's standing behind him. but how? no footsteps, no noise, no nothing to signal a living presence. is this another of ceres' antics? too tired to realize that he KNOWS there exist certain things that humans can't see, that's the conclusion he arrives at. flynn wastes no time in turning around and sending a well-aimed punched at the assumed head of whatever this thing is!! take that, you dumb ghost or monster or whatever!!!]
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So, now his whole face hurts. Mikleo rubs at his cheek, which got the brunt of Flynn's punch. It's a good thing he can't be heard because he's muttering some choice words under his breath. That's going to leave such a bruise....
The seraph uses the pen to write in big, capital letters:]
THIS IS MIKLEO. CALL ME ON THE CEREVICE.
[And he'll show it to Flynn.]
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oh. mikleo.
...OH. MIKLEO.
the look on flynn's face right now can only be described as one of 'oh shit'. right. seraphs can't be seen by humans, can they? he hadn't expected it here considering he'd been able to see mikleo before, but obviously that isn't the case today. without wasting another moment, the cerevice comes out and he calls meebo, his gaze still darting back and forth between it and the invisible thing in front of him. please don't let that have done too much damage!! ugh, as soon as he confirms things, there's a cure gonna be coming mikleo's way.]
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Before you say it, I forgive you and you didn't hurt me too badly. I really need to get a bell or something.
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[flynn glances back and forth between the screen and the invisible thing now known to be mikleo as he reaches out a hand. it hoovers next to the injured cheeks as flynn casts off a cure, which should take care of the worst of that. ugh, he still feels so bad.]
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Don't worry about it. Thank you for the healing, Flynn.
[He tilts his head slightly, looking like he's studying the knight. Then, Mikleo takes the pen, puts it behind his ear so that Flynn can keep an eye on where he's going, and walks behind the counter.]
Tell me what you want and we can talk. My coworkers aren't going to be here for a while, and we don't get as many people coming in around this time.
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Perhaps ginger flavored ice cream, should you have it?
[it's a rarer flavor, but worth asking if they have it at this location. what a shame meat flavored ice cream isn't a thing or he'd get that. what an interesting flavor meaty ice cream would be. beef flavored ice cream... a note gets made to try somehow making this later.]
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Not out, but I can whip some up in the back fairly easily. Do you want it to taste like a gingersnap? Or pure ginger?
[Just. To make sure.
Ugh, why does he have to follow this 'customer is always right' bullshit.]no subject
Pure ginger if possible, but I don't mind gingersnap if it isn't.
[at least this customer will take anything and not complain? mikleo could bring him tuna flavored ice cream and he'd still eat it without complaint despite actively disliking seafood.]
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Mikleo considers it before nodding.]
I'll see what I can do.
[Flynn's going to get a free behind-the-scenes tour of where Mikleo makes the ice cream. He also gets to see that how the seraph makes it so fast is by freezing it via seraphic artes. Despite the grossness that is ginger flavored ice cream, he still makes sure that the flavor is correct before coming out with it in a cup and shoving a plastic spoon in it. The water seraph hands it over the counter to the knight.
After the whole payment thing (he'll never like using cash registers EVER), Mikleo comes out from behind the counter to sit with Flynn.]
Not to put too fine a point on it, but I've noticed that you look miserable.
[He's absolutely aware that there's a more gentle way of putting it, but he thinks that the knight needs a bit of bluntness today.]
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[what a privilege to see the behind-the-scenes action. it's one hell of an interesting sight, really, ice cream getting made quickly and seemingly by a floating pen. seraphs sure are handy. as soon as it's ready, flynn pays and takes a seat (setting his cerevice down on the table to make things easier for the upcoming chat). a quick taste of the ice cream reveals exactly what's expected: delicious.
soon enough, the floating pen comes by and... jumps right to the point, wow. what bluntness. flynn purses his lips. does he really look THAT bad? well, mikleo wouldn't say something like this simply to say it. he then smiles, if a smile that appears somewhat forced.]
It's nothing. I slept poorly last night, nothing more.
[well. it's not a lie. he did sleep like shit. what a shame that lack of sleep makes it even more obvious flynn's trying to downplay things than normal.]
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In some ways, you and Sorey are too much alike.
[He sighs. In fairness, Flynn probably lies better than Sorey ever will. Not that it's saying much.]
It's more than that. I can see it clearly on your face, especially earlier when you walked in.
[
Who does Momkleo need to beat up?]no subject
It really isn't anything serious.
[which is why he looks like someone kicked his puppy. ...non-repede puppy. since mikleo won't be fooled so easily, flynn'll offer up some vague elaboration. going into the specifics of things won't happen, but chatting about it a little can't hurt. maybe mikleo could offer up some insight about what to do, too, considering the seraph has a childhood friend (albeit one seemingly less idiotic than flynn's) himself.
after a brief hesitation, he speaks up once more.]
Yuri and I, we got into a small fight.
[because walking out and not coming home for a couple days is small.
that means momkleo needs to beat up grandma for making grandpa sad.]no subject
Must have been one hell of a fight. If that's small, then I'd hate to see what your major arguments are.
[He shakes his head.]
So, what happened?
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He lied to me about something serious. [as in, flynn's second-in-command stabbing and nearly kill yuri. yup.] Even when I confronted him with the truth, he still wouldn't admit to what happened.
[the details aren't going to get much less vague than that, unfortunately. what happened won't be shared with anyone else.]
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He doesn't mind that it's vague, thinking that it must be a personal thing between them. As long as Flynn gives him the main idea, the seraph is content. Mikleo simply takes a moment to think, using what he knows of the both of them to figure out possible reasons. Granted, he's not sure what kind of lie Yuri gave, as that'll always change the answer, but....]
Of course not. Yuri thinks he's protecting you by keeping the truth to himself. The more you push, the more determination he has to safeguard it.
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It's a truth that involves me. He had no right to deny me it as he did.
[regardless of how little yuri trusts him. that's what flynn feels it boils down to. no attempt at protection, but rather an attempt to keep flynn from screwing something up again. although a fair enough a reason, this is still something he deserved to know. maybe actually saying could've lead to talking it out instead of sitting here and being a confused lil blond.]
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It's because it involves you that he's denying it. Wouldn't you do the same if your positions had been reversed? Wouldn't you protect Yuri even if it meant making him think you're the worst person on the planet? Or let your reputation suffer if it meant keeping his intact?
[He leans forward a bit to rest his arms against the table.]
He knows that you would. You two know each other like the back of your hands, even though it probably doesn't feel like that right now.
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but part of flynn denies it as such. this is different and more serious than just protecting someone! it involves attempted murder!! if their positions were reversed, would flynn tell yuri? ...who knows. it isn't something flynn plans on dwelling on presently. his mind's already a mess, thanks. that last part is dead on, too. flynn really doesn't feel as though he understands much of anything right now.]
I don't know what it feels like, truthfully. I still haven't even come to a conclusion about what I should do after finding out what I did.
[the proper thing to do would be to immediately strip sodia of her knighthood and possibly imprison her but... he doesn't want to do that, just like doesn't want to try yuri for any of his crimes. both have committed crimes, but both are people dear to him. as a commandant, he shouldn't even be questioning what needs to be done.
yet he is. some leader, right?]
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He's seen that look before, though. The conflict that every knight, no matter their status, will always face. Their duty is in opposition to what their heart wants to do.]
You realize that this is exactly the kind of thing Yuri was trying to spare you from, right? The impossible choice between a knight's duty and Flynn Scifo, and it doesn't help when you're thinking more emotionally than you are logically.
[It's why Mikleo holds such respect for people like Alisha, Sergei, and Flynn, though. That these humans can face these challenges as they come, no matter how agonizing the choice is, to balance it as much as possible.]
It comes down to what you think and feel is the right thing to do. That's something I've observed from others and experienced for myself.
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flynn meets mikleo's gaze at that. an impossible choice between who he is and what he needs to be and trying to spare him from it... that sounds like yuri all right: stupid ideas and stupid actions that go with them.]
Trying to spare me from something I need to face regardless and in a manner that leads to an argument doesn't do anyone any good. [he frowns lightly.] If anything, it's only made that choice more difficult.
[not talking it out and having stuff blow up like that only made him more confused about something he'd already been uncertain about, namely about what justice is, about his own knightly qualifications and about if he even wants to be a knight. hell, emotional detachment isn't working at all and is overpowering the 'arrest and put to trial' logic that knights SHOULD have.
he purses his lips a little, feeling a little awkward about talking so much on so touchy a subject. sharing too much with people and burdening them with it never feels right, but this conversation feels necessary and needs to continue. hmm let's go about this a bit of a different way.]
Mikleo, what does justice mean to you?
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We all do stupid things when it comes to the person or people we care most about, though. Frustrating as it can be.
[Mikleo sobers at the question, though. He gives it some thought before answering. Honestly, nobody's ever asked him that before, and he considers it an interesting question.]
I suppose to me it means doing right by my morals. Sometimes, we've had to do things that we're not proud of or even break a law. I've had to re-evaluate my morals and figure out if maybe I was in the wrong or had the wrong idea. Overall, I want to do good in the world as best as I can, whether that means being on the side of the law or going outside it.
[For a moment, he's quiet. Then, he decides to place as much trust and respect in the knight as Flynn's given him so far.]
It's hard, Flynn. Justice can corrupt someone just as much as injustice. Feeling that your own personal justice is the only way, that all others don't exist or are meaningless to you...I've seen how that leads people in my world to becoming hellions.
[Mikleo looks down at the table, staring at a spot like it holds the secrets to life.]
A Cardinal was like that. She was close to the Emperor of Rolance, and all she'd wanted was to protect her people, but her sense of justice led her to become a hellion so corrupt that she couldn't be purified. Not only that, but she would kill anyone who interfered with her plans or tried to get to the truth by turning them to stone. She made it rain constantly in the capital, drowning the people's crops and making life almost intolerable. In the end, we had no choice but to kill her, and she still thought that she was in the absolute right.
[Mikleo looks back up at him and shrugs a little helplessly.]
On the other hand, I've seen a serial killer who was pure. He'd kill anyone who argued with the knights of Pendrago, believing them to be "lamentably" weak. He believed with all his heart that his actions brought his victims salvation and compassion was what fueled those acts. To make matters worse, he, too, was a priest, and he'd said that he'd been visited by a seraph who "blessed" his endeavors. The knights arrested him to face his crimes in court, but....
[He sighs.]
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I do the best I can by my own moral compass, but I also have to keep in mind that what I think of justice isn't the only one in the world. Mine isn't superior to anyone else's. Even if theirs is warped or twisted, it's still what they think of justice and valid in its own way because of that. And, sometimes, I question whether what I think is right or wrong.
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mikleo sure gives flynn a lot to consider, with him looking away and staring at the dripping ice cream cone while pondering things over (he will start to eat that shortly...). the second story definitely catches his attention. a pure serial killer who thinks murder leads to salvation. that's... deluded. maybe yuri's actions were wrong, but he never once denied that fact. a crime is a crime: this is a fact.
but basing 100% of your actions on a right fact can also lead someone astray. sometimes laws need to be broken in order to do the right thing in the long run. after all, for a short moment, flynn turned against the commandant and the empire (even if it didn't last long due to alexei's traitor status becoming evident). it's still difficult for someone so law-bidding as himself to accept but... but maybe circumstances due exist in which breaking the law is acceptable.]
It's a question I've been struggling with for a while, myself.
[ever since mantaic... no, ever since his promotion to captain.]
Some of my own actions have been questionable, as well, and other people close to me have committed crimes that ought to receive punishment. Even knowing this, I'd been unable to punish them as I should.
[at mantiac, he could've easily given yuri chase. sir raven, despite flynn's own understanding, still committed treason. judith destroyed numerous blastia that were in the possession of the empire. and now sodia...
he pauses, taking a breath and closing his eyes in thought for a moment.]
The conclusion I believe I'm reaching is that there is far less black and white to justice than I'd originally believed. Your sense of justice and what you believe in may clash with another's, but that doesn't necessarily make it good or bad. Sometimes... [another quick pause.] Sometimes breaking the law is necessary in order to do what is right, but it is still important to acknowledge that one did break the law and take responsibility for it.
[that... that feels so weird to openly say, but it doesn't feel wrong. flynn may not still fully accept his own words, but even reaching this conclusion is already progress. his gaze then meets mikleo's once more.]
I believe that, in a way, maybe that is what justice entails.
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Indeed. They're burdens to bear, but we have to take care that they don't become an obsession or drag us down.
[He gives the older man a small smile.]
I know you won't believe it, but I think you're a very respectable knight, if not a capable leader. I can't tell you that you're never going to stop struggling with that question because that'd be a lie. However, I can say that I have complete faith that you'll make the best possible choice.
[For a moment, the water seraph pauses.]
But, I'm going to guess that part of your argument with Yuri involved your differences in what justice is?
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Thank you, Mikleo, your words mean a great deal to hear.
[he gives a small nod at the question. a good portion of their arguments tend to somehow involve justice and lawbreaking, especially lately. it's... not been fun. flynn's too rigid with the law; yuri's too loose. that leads to bad clashing sometimes.]
Part of it, yes. It's something we've been unable to see eye to eye for some time. Our fight had less to do with it than normal, but it was still an underlying factor.