estoria | « 001 ⇢ OVERFLOW.EXE »

Because a claim to good intentions doesn't make their intentions good at their core.

[he knows that flynn knows this. he also knows that flynn is struggling with this, because it's a situation that's all too familiar to the both of them. he gets it; flynn is a good person, a good man who wants to be righteous and fix the world's problems from the inside. he understands it because he used to be there too, until he'd realized just how hard that was for a guy like him.

for yuri, it's always been easier to fly by the seat of his pants and go headlong into things, his own way. he doesn't struggle with the concept that history is repeating itself in a different world, with the circumstances modified just enough to be able to fool people who aren't wise to those actions. and that's why he doesn't sugarcoat it at all. honestly, the sooner flynn accepts this conclusion, the quicker they can work together in their own way to try and somehow rectify things and find a solution.]

They're not giving us much of a reason to believe it's going to change now, either. Even if it does... probably not anything good. There's too much about it that isn't right.

[that new ceo making her introduction by way of showing what looked like a brutal murder scene didn't exactly sell him on the good intentions, either.]

[all of that is entirely true and that’s what flynn hates about it. how can ceres be so wrong while claiming to be so right? they supposedly saved them all. they want to save the universe. they want bring back those destroyed worlds. why have they done nothing to further these goals?

flynn’s brow creases even further. accepting this truth won't happen so easily for him. even so, it isn’t a truth he’s denying either. the only bad thing about being torn between these two ideas is not knowing where to go from here. going against ceres could lead to bad consequences but doing nothing also leads down a bad path. a heavy sigh comes before he turns to look at yuri.]

Then what do we do? We can’t just rebel against CERES, but...

[the unfinished sentence hangs in the air as he looks thoroughly torn. flynn, normally so confident and decisive, lacks either of those qualities right now. how can he have those when put in a situation so outside his norm? going against alexei happened after an open declaration of treason. ceres still hasn’t done anything akin to that. the issue is that things can escalate to that degree and easily.

argh, it’s times like this flynn wishes he was more like yuri. making choices, no matter the difficulty, comes far more easily to the other man with matters like this. if someone's bad then they’re bad and end of story. the methods to dealing with them aren’t always kosher (and flynn will never approve of vigilantism as an answer to anything), but at least the choice about what to do gets made without nearly as much internal struggle. it's pathetic, really. the future commandant can't make a simple decision on what to do. this bodes so well for the empire.]

...We can't sit back and do nothing, either.

[he finishes the sentence that lingers, fully knowing that it's what flynn thinks. he gets it—of course he does. yuri knows how hard it is to take on that much power, especially when they're the ones that are ill-informed of the truth. they don't know the full story; they don't even know half the story.

not that it's the sort of thing that stops yuri himself, but it gives flynn a lot of reasons to not be as quick to lash out. he can't blame his best friend for that, not when he too, isn't exactly sure where they can even start. sure, calling the new ceo out on their shit may have been a start, but it's not any sort of call to action. they're going to have to do more than that, but there's no good way to run headlong into it, either. what ceres does is screwed up, regardless of how much truth there may be, but nothing they've done is explicitly malicious, especially not when they cover it all up with apologies and gifts to compensate. maybe that's more than the empire ever did, and maybe that's why it's harder to just lash out. either way, something needs to change, or they're never going to find out what the truth is, what's right, and what they need to do to bring this cycle of circumstances to a halt.]

Guess it wouldn't be right if this kinda thing was just easy for us, for once. [at least flynn can take a bit of solace in knowing that yuri doesn't have all the answers yet either.]

[being confused together beats being it alone, but it also means being stuck about what to do together. maybe it was selfish to expect yuri to have an answer about what to do. not even the wisest of wise men would likely be able to figure out what to do. between a rock and a hard place, truly.

the only silver lighting really is them not going at it alone. dealing with the uncertainty sucks no matter how you look at it, but being on the same page makes it suck a little less. better to go through hell with a friend than suffer the journey alone. a small, halfhearted smile crosses flynn's lips as he turns his head toward yuri.]

Then it wouldn't be us. [he sighs before looking up toward the sky.] I guess there's nothing we can do right now but wait.

[wait for what? he has no idea. the only thing for certain is that there's nothing else to do. taking down ceres isn't an option, but neither is pretending everything is sunshine and rainbows. waiting, which entails twiddling their thumbs for however long, means at least seeking out an answer about what to do and being on the look out for any opportunities to do something.]

Nah.

[yuri's not going to accept that sort of thinking. he never has before, and even if the situation is different, he doesn't plan on changing his ways now. sure, he's not about to go murdering people in the dead of night.

...well, not yet, at least.

but that also doesn't mean he's going to sit back and wait for an opportunity to arise.]

If we just sit around, who knows when they'll slip up and give us an opportunity. [flynn may disagree, but yuri's pretty firm in this. times like these and how they handle these problems has always been where they differed on a fundamental level, but yuri won't bite his tongue about it despite that.] We gotta look for this ourselves.

[no comment comes immediately in reply. doing it themselves, huh? that does sound more like their usual. as long as this doesn't end with a dead body floating in a river (which it won't, flynn will see to this much), then the idea may hold water. will there be any results of their efforts? who knows, but doing something does have a nicer ring to it than waiting.

the only issue remains possibly rubbing ceres the wrong way. if they make a wrong move then it can end badly and not just for them. waiting feels safer when taking that under consideration. on the flipside, not making a move can still end with bad things happening to innocent people. no, it will end like that given ceres' track record. the way it stands, only one choice is acceptable.

flynn nods, more to himself than anything, before turning his gaze out at the street before them.]

When did you want to start looking into things?

[rubbing CERES the wrong way is something that yuri fully expects to happen; it's something like his natural order to oppose authority, especially when that authority is oppressive and full of shit. he doesn't really have any doubt that at some point, something he'll do will draw their ire.

...it's probably a wonder he hasn't ended up in a jail cell yet. of course, that's because he's been somewhat complacent since he arrived, mostly trying to gather enough information to be able to put something together. yuri may be an "act now, think later" sort, but things that would work on terca lumireis simply can't within the colony, because the technology and norms are too far out of his league. if he thought blastia formulas were complicated, a lot of what they were dealing with here made that seem like a cakewalk in comparison.]

Three days before I even showed up here would be ideal. [which is, of course, yuri-speak for "i'm ready as hell and sick of waiting around."]

[the bluntness of that reply gets a small laugh out of flynn. it was just such a yuri reply in so many ways. of course yuri would be ready to do what needs to be done. flynn can't say he approves of this sort of eagerness to thwart authority, but it feels more permissible here than back home. their world had rules that need to be followed and a system that can be changed with the right effort, effort flynn plans on putting in himself.

here? nothing like that feels plausible. any attempt at talking leads nowhere. when talking fails, well, all that's left is action. REASONABLE action. either of them landing in jail senselessly won't be happening on flynn's watch. act, but act with caution: that's the plan.]

Then we have a lot of work to do if we're that far behind. Think you're up for it?

[a little friendly teasing, if teasing that feels weird to actually say. is yuri up for taking on authority? always, much to flynn's dismay. when does that happen but with flynn not only permitting it, but helping? once every blue moon. odd as it is, being on a similar page for once feels nice.]

[well, it's at least enough to earn a small chuckle from yuri.]

Like you even had to ask. [even if he knows that it's flynn's way of ribbing, it doesn't hurt to reiterate that. it's not exactly as if yuri's one to give up easily at anything, especially not when it comes to situations like this.

if anything, it's going to make him that much more determined. flynn agreeing for once is more or less permission for him to move about freely in an attempt to get answers. ...not that he wouldn't have before, but this will save him a headache or twenty. there's no doubt that when they disagree, it's better for them to work on their own, but when they agree, they're an unstoppable sort of team that should really leave CERES worried for their sad excuse for a cover.]

[them working together always yields better results than them butting heads. some of the best mischief they got into as kids was joint dumb schemes, after all. then came adulthood and their ideologies seemingly drifting further and further apart. a little while ago, seeing eye to eye seemed impossible. flynn honestly almost turned his sword on yuri and he's pretty sure yuri nearly returned the favor. to not be at the other's throat and join together instead, well, there's little they can't do when it happens.

not being alone in this definitely eases flynn's own nerves somewhat. who can blame him for feeling uneasy, really. going up against ceres, defying something so large and in power: can it be done? is it really the right choice? those are questions unlikely to be answered anytime soon. what's important is that he's made his choice and it's a choice not faced alone.

bad as the night started out, at least it's ending on a better note than expected. flynn's playful smile turns a little more genuine as he holds up a hand, the back of it facing yuri. bro fist bump?]

[one thing's for sure—yuri's positive it can be done, and that it's absolutely the right choice if they're going to help themselves and everyone else who needs it thanks to CERES' schemes. of course, he also knows getting an answer won't come quickly or easily; he knows things will get in their way to discourage them or even outright set them off course.

it happened with the empire, so why wouldn't it here? but going into the situation knowing that makes it easier to find work-arounds and further, keep themselves motivation. they have to act with conviction, they have to see what's just and right for everyone and put CERES in their right place. they've meddled with too many lives already to get away with what they're doing.

...the fact that flynn agrees just makes this better. there's no conflict here, there's no need to take separate paths to reach the same conclusion. maybe it won't always be like this, and maybe at some point, they'll be driven apart again because of their different ideals. but for now, yuri has no plans of looking a gift horse in the mouth. he's grateful to be able to work side-by-side with his friend despite their past conflict. and that's why he returns the smile—and the fist bump.

it's kind of like being kids again, in a way.]

[funny, flynn's thinking the same thing. when they were kids, they still had things they disagreed on, but when they did agree, they were a force to be reckoned with. a lot of other things might have changed, but that remains the same. progress won't come easily, however them working together means it WILL come.

later, though. all this seems enough for tonight. they an plan properly another day. part of flynn wants to attempt sleep again, but the other part doesn't really feel like risking part two of a nightmare. pulling all-nighters isn't a big deal, anyway, and better to spend a sleepless night doing something productive.

...or maybe having some fun. all work and some play (when playing is permissible and definitely not at work!!) is how he rolls. he sighs, this one being a lighter, almost relieved, sigh as he lowers his hand.]

I think that sleeping is out for me tonight. [a beat] You feel up for coming by and watching a movie? There's a few action ones I've been meaning to watch.

[with sword fights and martial arts and explosions!! perfect stuff to take the mind off weird ladies and ceres.]

[there's a brief moment of surprise—if only because yuri doesn't exactly expect that flynn would be in that kind of a mood right now. usually when things were unsettling, even when they couldn't do much, flynn was the first to be ready to jump into action. sitting back and watching a movie instead? yeah, it's definitely something he would have thought was going to be saved for another day.

not that yuri is going to complain, of course. he's the one who always thinks that flynn could use a little more relaxing, and after a night like this? honestly, they both could use the distraction. movies are one of the stranger but more enjoyable luxuries of this world, and for certain one of the more harmless forms of entertainment. some mindless action with a few snacks on the sofa seems like a much better plan than restlessly staring at the ceiling while not sleeping.]

Better than going back to my place to watch paint dry. [leave it to yuri to make it sound like this option is the lesser of two evils. he's kidding, of course, but he's sure flynn knows what he means, so he doesn't bother clarifying it at all.]

[relaxation, much as he avoids it, IS necessary sometimes. rare as admitting to it is, it happens. gathering thoughts works best on a clear mind and, even though this chat cleared some stuff up, a lot of other things remain to be sorted through. movie night with an idiot of a best friend feels like a good way to get to that point.

make that RUDE idiot best friend. flynn snorts softly, the joking tone not missed on him. oh gee, sorry for being such a horrible option.]

Funny, the movie I was thinking about watching was 3 exciting hours worth of paint drying action.

[not really. it probably exists, that sort of movie, but flynn'll pass on ever watching it. although, it could be useful for severe insomnia. hmm, memo to self: find out if that really exists just in case.]

Guess I'm not surprised you'd consider that an action movie.

[he retorts, because honestly, what else would yuri do in this situation? flynn left him an easy opening. even if that does make him a rude best friend, he's not about to pass up the opportunity to make a joke at flynn's expense.

it keeps the tone of things light—something they both honestly need right now. and knowing all too well how fleeting that can be with flynn, yuri knows he can't let the moment pass too quickly.]

[rude, so so rude. at the same time, though, this rudeness causes the stress of this evening to ebb away more and more. sitting around and dealing with commentary like this just feels so homely. flynn's smile widens a teeny fraction.]

Oh, you know me, all work and no play means dull is my sort of action.

[poking fun at his own work ethic, one that flynn DOES realize can be a bit intense at times (but ONLY a bit), ought to further add onto the light tone. banter of this sort followed by an evening of moving watching ought to be just what the doctor ordered.]

Not that you can relate, Yuri 'all play and no work' Lowell.

[it's fine when it's this way, at least. it's not hard for yuri to deal with flynn's ribbing, after all. they've been doing this for so long that it's more second nature than anything else.]

Someone's gotta balance out Flynn "No Fun Allowed" Scifo. [which he says with a shrug. is there an air of truth to that? probably, but it's mostly just as playful as the rest of this conversation has turned.]

[flynn audibly snorts, visibly amused as opposed to annoyed by the comment. yeah yeah, he's a killjoy. sometimes he DOES go overboard with it, even if most of the time it's him being the voice of reason that falls on an idiotic deaf ear.]

I have plenty of fun watching paint dry, thanks.

[with that comment, he stands and stretches a little. they might as well get going before their movie night turns into a banter on a bench night. granted, that's not the worst way to spend a night, but a nice couch beats a hard bench.]

Did you want to grab any snacks on the way?

[there might not be too many snack options back home. lots of meat options, yes, but not so much stuff fit for munching on.]

Yeah, sounds like a good idea.

[yuri follows suit within the minute, standing up. it takes that much to realize how tired his body is, but he knows getting to sleep isn't going to happen anyway. well, maybe is the movie is as exciting as watching paint dry, it could happen.

either way, he's not about to refuse the option to go buy snacks. just thinking about what may be awaiting him in flynn's kitchen is enough to convince him that snack shopping beforehand is a must.]

Guess that's one good thing about nothing ever closing around here.

[oh come on, flynn's dull but not THAT dull. his taste in movies is a little bit better than that.]

Mmm, it certainly is convenient.

[bad as ceres can be, little things like this make living here more tolerable. spending an evening with a good friend just goofing off: yeah, not the worst thing ever. it's rare for him to admit, but sometimes a night like this is necessary and, chances are, it wouldn't have happened as easily back home. cue a small, if teasing smile from flynn.]

Just try not to make me go bankrupt.

[which is flynn's backhanded way of saying it's on him. seriously though, don't go too crazy. the amount of credits he has still isn't at the level he wants them to be. save money just in case!!]

Oh, no solid gold popcorn, then?

[quick to chide, letting out a small laugh. it's not like he was really planning on bankrupting flynn—hell, he's willing and able to pay for everything if it's needed. but he's not about to refuse flynn's hospitality this time around, so he'll gladly take the offer.

he won't abuse it, either, but he'll make sure the snack selection is good for them both while also ensuring that flynn doesn't have to get into chopped levels of experimental. besides, he'll make sure to pay for the next outing anyway to keep it even.]

[that gets a soft chuckle out of flynn. while he was expecting a comment like that, gold popcorn? really? at least go big! go for gold popcorn encrusted with diamonds or something.]

Only if that comes out of your own pocket. Sorry to say, but my salary isn't nearly as nice as a hair model's.

[happy as he is that yuri's given up the life of a freeloader, the fact he'd taken up that job still amuses flynn to no end. of all the occupations ever, model has to be one of the more unexpected ones for his friend to hold. then again, the man does have the hair for it, hair that's looking shinier than ever before.]

[listen, gold is a big deal too. he's still got enough of his poor, downtown boy lower quarter sensibilities about him in that way. diamonds are just a little too extravagant for yuri, hair model or not.]

Gotta live and eat somehow—not like a job like that pays all that much, anyway. [honestly, he'd rather use ViViD full-time, but that thing is so unstable and his lack of trust in CERES makes it nearly impossible. it's not like back home where he could make a few gald taking out monsters in the sewers or just outside the zaphias barrier, or just doing odd jobs for others in the hopes he'll get a meal out of it. he's gotta keep food on the table somehow, right?]

[gosh, at least act like a proper model! be a little spoiled and get some diamonds on your food. sprinkle some silver for flavoring, too.]

Aren't you a waiter, too? [yuri lowell with TWO jobs? is this real life or is this fantasy?] Then again, you probably blow both your paychecks on candy and dog food.

[one day they'll probably end up arguing about savings. today? nah, today it's a friendly jab at his friend's spending habits. at least the dog food part is admirable.]

For a bit. It wasn't really worth the pay, though.

[he's really not suited for that kind of job, so he just kind of... quit. he finds other ways to make money and pay for all that dog food. either way, yuri's clearly not that fussed about it, which is why he's never mentioned that he even quit.]

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