Stepping Stone (Chapter II)
Series: Tales of Symphonia: Knight of Ratatosk
Characters: Decus, Alice
Disclaimer: Namco owns Tales of Symphonia.
Title: Stepping Stone (Chapter II: White)
Rating: PG
Genre: General, romance
Summary: When Decus and Alice are sent out on a long-term mission together, their rocky relationship takes a turn for something smoother and, quite possibly, closer. If only one wasn't as hopelessly obsessed and the other was not in denial.
Decus had been thrilled to hear about the mission, more so than he could have ever let on. To spend some quality time with Alice was the point he'd joined the Vanguard in the first place, and things were looking brighter than ever with a job that would leave the two by themselves. Alice's subordinate, Hawk, was often around whenever she was present and Decus had found it rather difficult to communicate intimately when he was there... at least, not more intimately. Basically everyone in the Vanguard knew he was head over heels for the girl: it was common knowledge. He himself was deaf to the whispers of pity that indicated a good portion of the organization expected him to be permanently rejected by their army head, however.
As notorious as he was for his love sickness, he was also infamous for his lack of ability to comprehend said rejections. He couldn't help it. Decus knew perfectly well that Alice found him repulsive, but he didn't want to simply accept defeat and move on. Eight years ago he'd pledged his life to her, and it wasn't going to change.
Not to mention, Alice was, in his oh-so-humble opinion, wonderful in numerous ways: she was strong both mentally and magically, possessed a level of determination that would have left any average person in complete awe, and was utterly irresistible. He would worship the ground next to where she walked if he could have.
"You're going the wrong way!"
Upon hearing the love of his life's scornful voice he stopped moving, taking a moment to register his position. She was right: he'd started wondering off to the wrong side of the path without realizing it.
"Forgive me, Alice-chan. I wasn't paying attention," he replied sheepishly, attempting to hide any trace of embarrassment that might have gotten caught into his words. He'd have to stop day dreaming about her until they reached their destination.
Knowing well that Alice was not the most patient woman to live, Decus scuttled over to where she was riding away on her liger (she hadn't bothered stopping to wait for him). She eyed him as he got closer, sending an excruciatingly sharp lecture on getting 'lost' with so much as a glance. Words were unnecessary to Alice when it came to him, her gestures were enough to tell him anything - unless he came to misinterpret the message, which Decus had had the misfortune of doing on more than one occasion.
"Decus," his head snapped up at her call that was sweet, yet deliberate, "about that perfume of yours..."
"Oh, the Eau de Seduction?"
Her nose seemed to scrounge up at his answer. "Yes, that."
"What about it?" he suddenly felt wishful, which prompted him to add his next few choices of words without a thought: "Could it be that you've finally realized the entrancing scent of this product?"
"It reeks."
"There's really no need to be shy, Alice-chan." Yet another one of his misunderstandings that completely drove Alice up the wall. Decus was wholly convinced that she actually found his cologne alluring. He'd purchased boxes of the product upon their release, and he considered himself lucky for doing so as they were no longer being manufactured. He obviously hadn't thought about the possibility of it being a failed product.
"Ugh, nevermind," she said, turning her back to him as the tip of a run-down building came into view.
The Palmacosta human ranch was close.
« Chapter I x Chapter III »
Characters: Decus, Alice
Disclaimer: Namco owns Tales of Symphonia.
Title: Stepping Stone (Chapter II: White)
Rating: PG
Genre: General, romance
Summary: When Decus and Alice are sent out on a long-term mission together, their rocky relationship takes a turn for something smoother and, quite possibly, closer. If only one wasn't as hopelessly obsessed and the other was not in denial.
Decus had been thrilled to hear about the mission, more so than he could have ever let on. To spend some quality time with Alice was the point he'd joined the Vanguard in the first place, and things were looking brighter than ever with a job that would leave the two by themselves. Alice's subordinate, Hawk, was often around whenever she was present and Decus had found it rather difficult to communicate intimately when he was there... at least, not more intimately. Basically everyone in the Vanguard knew he was head over heels for the girl: it was common knowledge. He himself was deaf to the whispers of pity that indicated a good portion of the organization expected him to be permanently rejected by their army head, however.
As notorious as he was for his love sickness, he was also infamous for his lack of ability to comprehend said rejections. He couldn't help it. Decus knew perfectly well that Alice found him repulsive, but he didn't want to simply accept defeat and move on. Eight years ago he'd pledged his life to her, and it wasn't going to change.
Not to mention, Alice was, in his oh-so-humble opinion, wonderful in numerous ways: she was strong both mentally and magically, possessed a level of determination that would have left any average person in complete awe, and was utterly irresistible. He would worship the ground next to where she walked if he could have.
"You're going the wrong way!"
Upon hearing the love of his life's scornful voice he stopped moving, taking a moment to register his position. She was right: he'd started wondering off to the wrong side of the path without realizing it.
"Forgive me, Alice-chan. I wasn't paying attention," he replied sheepishly, attempting to hide any trace of embarrassment that might have gotten caught into his words. He'd have to stop day dreaming about her until they reached their destination.
Knowing well that Alice was not the most patient woman to live, Decus scuttled over to where she was riding away on her liger (she hadn't bothered stopping to wait for him). She eyed him as he got closer, sending an excruciatingly sharp lecture on getting 'lost' with so much as a glance. Words were unnecessary to Alice when it came to him, her gestures were enough to tell him anything - unless he came to misinterpret the message, which Decus had had the misfortune of doing on more than one occasion.
"Decus," his head snapped up at her call that was sweet, yet deliberate, "about that perfume of yours..."
"Oh, the Eau de Seduction?"
Her nose seemed to scrounge up at his answer. "Yes, that."
"What about it?" he suddenly felt wishful, which prompted him to add his next few choices of words without a thought: "Could it be that you've finally realized the entrancing scent of this product?"
"It reeks."
"There's really no need to be shy, Alice-chan." Yet another one of his misunderstandings that completely drove Alice up the wall. Decus was wholly convinced that she actually found his cologne alluring. He'd purchased boxes of the product upon their release, and he considered himself lucky for doing so as they were no longer being manufactured. He obviously hadn't thought about the possibility of it being a failed product.
"Ugh, nevermind," she said, turning her back to him as the tip of a run-down building came into view.
The Palmacosta human ranch was close.
« Chapter I x Chapter III »