[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}
no subject
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.
no subject
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.]
no subject
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.
no subject
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?]
no subject
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.
no subject
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?
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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?
no subject
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.