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tamingthemuseSo happy to give my third fic tonight ^_^ Yayyyyy. Oh, are we all supposed to have author tags, too, because I haven't seen mine o.O
Title: Frivolity
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
Prompt: #305 Fringe
Character(s): Ran Fan & Ling
Pairing(s): Ling x Ran Fan
Genre(s): Drama, Friendship & Romance
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,847
Summary: All her life, she's trained herself to protect him and never allow herself the impossible - he wants to change that, though
Warning(s): Spoilers for general series, though not too much, seeing as how this only involves Ling and Ran Fan.
Frivolity
Of all the things in life, frivolity was not something she knew – not anymore, at least. Frills and petty thrills were not part of the training she endured to get to this point, only the burning need to strive harder. For pride, country and service.
Though she had grown alongside the twelfth son of the Emperor, she knew she would be pledging her life to his safety. Every day was rigorous, her grandfather pushing her harder and harder to the point of wanting to break into pieces. Sometimes days were spent hanging upside down and nothing else as an exercise to test her body’s resilience to sound and to maintain absolute reticence.
But the Young Lord still found a way to smuggle her out of training so that they could play together in the nearby stream. Hot afternoons of instruction would quickly become fun filled attempts at jockeying for position atop one’s shoulders, as both would end up splashing in the water anyway. She loved his company and the respite from her training, and so did he, but her grandfather was about to break her spirit from being so aloft in the clouds.
”Your training is vital so that you can one day protect the Young Lord! Do you not understand that?! Your life is not a game, because your life is going to be the only thing standing between him and death. Spend your time piddling around if you desire to see him die horribly.”
And that did it. From that day on, she would no longer play, dream or laugh. She had pledged her life to defending the Emperor’s son, and if that meant giving up all that she loved – including him – she had to make the sacrifice.
With so much strife, hardship and grief behind them now in their fifth year after their time in Amestris, the Young Lord had replaced his elderly father and was made Emperor of Xing. She was proud of him and was just as pleased to still be his most trusted companion, following him everywhere, but would remain in hiding so as to not interfere in any business she need not involve herself in. It all went back to the lesson of living frivolously, rather than just living with a purpose – she would never be caught off guard again. His life depended upon that oath.
Dashing from shadow to shadow, she remained concealed from all eyes as he strolled out of the confines of the palace into the open air of his beloved country. The moon wasn’t out tonight, but he knew the path well enough to find his own way without any added light.
“Your Excellency,” one of the heavily armored guards said stiffly. “It’s late and you shouldn’t be out of the palace alone. Please, let two of my men accompany you to wherever you’re going.”
The young Emperor raised an opposing hand and grinned broadly. “No, thank you. That won’t be necessary. I have my personal guard with me, so I won’t get into too much trouble even if I wanted to.”
Surprised when he had seen no one follow the Emperor, the guard then realized that he did indeed have an escort. Had she suddenly appeared out of thin air? She wasn’t there a moment ago…
“Carry on, my good man! Keep up the good work!” The Emperor’s cheery disposition would always stump the reasoning of his faithful subjects – how could one so… silly become the leader of their country and do it with such style?
In silence they walked, his shadow always just a few steps behind. He wondered if she knew where he was heading, grinning sneakily to himself of the possibilities this could spring. Granted, he wasn’t low enough to deceive her, but he wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to make the impossible happen.
Stopping after a moderate trek away from commotion and lights, he kicked off his sandals and sighed, spreading out his toes to feel the coolness of the grass against his feet. He took in a deep breath of the air before removing his slightly less embellished robe, tossing it aside like it was a spare towel. He then proceeded into the water where he stopped once the waterline reached his waist, not turning around to see if his vassal was watching as closely as usual.
“Ran Fan, remember this place?” He asked her into the darkness; she had hidden herself in the tall reeds near the stream as a means to offer her Emperor privacy, but still provide protection. Truthfully, she was feeling a rush of embarrassment overcome her suddenly and she couldn’t explain why.
“Yes, my Lord,” she made herself reply, not exiting from her hiding place. “We used to play here as children, until I realized that I was frittering away precious time I needed to train myself for your protection.”
He frowned, disappointed in such an answer that he was indeed expecting from her. “So you regret getting to spend that time with me, do you?”
Ran Fan froze, taking in a sharp breath out of surprise. “N-no, my Lord! Th-that’s not what I meant at all! It’s just that-!”
“I know, I know,” he said, lowering himself into the water more so that only his head was above the mirrored line. “You had a duty you were obligated to fulfill and I took you away from that training for my own entertainment. Heh, I guess I was rather greedy back then, too, eh?”
“Not at all, my Lord…” she found herself saying, observing through the reeds while he slowly rose above the glassy surface. She swallowed the lump in her throat that had suddenly formed, realizing that she was drinking in this scene far too much already. This was a far different method of killing time than when they were kids.
“So you say, but I think you and I both know how selfish I’ve always been.” He looked up to the moonless sky through the bare slits in his eyes, seeing what she could not – an expanse of nothing that held so much more than what they could fathom. More trivialities that he knew she would never allow herself to contemplate. “When I was a child, I wanted companionship. When I was a teenager, I wanted immortality so that I could become the Emperor of Xing. And now, as a man – ever foolish and avaricious – I want my closest friend to be as happy as she was the day I first threw her into this very stream.”
“Are those days long gone, Ran Fan, or can we try to bring them back?” He turned to her directly now, knowing exactly where she was camouflaging herself. The look in his eyes was sincere, passionate and even daring.
Ran Fan found her legs moving of their own accord, unfolding from her crouched position and then striding forward carefully to approach the streamside. As she walked, her eyes never left his, steps taken carefully until the toes of her shoes barely met water – this was as far as she was willing to go.
“Bring them back if you will, my Lord, but the risk to you would be far too great,” she said, voice strong, but was breaking steadily. She felt herself falling apart on the inside as she looked at him, seeing everything she had ever wanted of him – the softness, the strength and the promise of her honor being kept. More reasons to remind herself that she was his servant – his faithful guardian – and nothing more.
It was a foolish young girl’s fantasy turned into a woman’s desire for an impractical life at the Emperor’s side as his mistress. She wanted such a liberating life, but it was not hers to crave.
He waded slowly towards her until he met the bank, still waist deep in the water as he then raised his arms up for her to join him. Teetering on the edge of the stream, toes clenching and hands shaking, Ran Fan held her ground with all of her resolve. He frowned again, disillusioned that this far too enchanting moment ended so quickly. But he would not give up so easily, keeping his arms suspended as if to catch her when she made her move.
“Ran Fan, isn’t this what you want?” Never did his flesh touch her, beads of water falling from his arms freely as he waited patiently for her response.
She bit her lip tighter, trying not to shatter in front of him.
“Ran Fan, please tell me,” he tried to sound encouraging, but his tone was leaking his desperation.
Her eyelids constricted forcibly to keep her from losing this emotional battle – the look in his eyes was enough to make a grown man cry. Why couldn’t she allow herself the opportunity?
“I want your happiness, Ran Fan, and if that means I have to rewrite a few laws, then I will!”
“You… you cannot change the ways of our people for the sake of one desire, my Lord…” She was lying to herself, and she felt the pain of it stab her in the heart. She knew he would do anything for her, and she couldn’t deny on the inside that she wanted him more than the air in her lungs.
“Yes I can and I will! Just say that you love me, Ran Fan, and I’ll do everything to make you happy! Please, just say it!”
He tried to get closer, the wall of earth preventing him from achieving greater proximity, and so he leaned upward, his arms still extended out for her. His heart was pounding anxiously, crying out for her answer to either silence his misery or to slay it with one word.
Within her mind she toiled and fought, stumbling over desires, facts and fears. She could be his mistress and love him the way she so desperately wanted to, but then she could become a risk factor for him. Even a pawn to be used against him by an enemy. However, being so close to him would present the likelihood that she would truly never leave his side – she would become more than just his shield, but his sword.
Was wishing for this future a paltry fancy meant to sway the wise and derail the determined? Was wanting to be the only woman in his life truly a hopeless endeavor intended only for royalty? Was blindly pursuing this meaningful life considered frivolous?
He took a deep breath when her mouth opened, her fingers moving to brush his that were so near to her quivering body. The electric touch suddenly felt more intense than the moments they’d shared years prior – even being carried away, wounded and bleeding, couldn’t compare to these sensations. These meant something more than the fear of death.
Ran Fan took his hand, rubbing away the water still lingering, and smiled fully for him. “I will say whatever you wish, my great Emperor Ling, so long as I can always protect you, for that is my truest desire.”
Title: Frivolity
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
Prompt: #305 Fringe
Character(s): Ran Fan & Ling
Pairing(s): Ling x Ran Fan
Genre(s): Drama, Friendship & Romance
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,847
Summary: All her life, she's trained herself to protect him and never allow herself the impossible - he wants to change that, though
Warning(s): Spoilers for general series, though not too much, seeing as how this only involves Ling and Ran Fan.
Of all the things in life, frivolity was not something she knew – not anymore, at least. Frills and petty thrills were not part of the training she endured to get to this point, only the burning need to strive harder. For pride, country and service.
Though she had grown alongside the twelfth son of the Emperor, she knew she would be pledging her life to his safety. Every day was rigorous, her grandfather pushing her harder and harder to the point of wanting to break into pieces. Sometimes days were spent hanging upside down and nothing else as an exercise to test her body’s resilience to sound and to maintain absolute reticence.
But the Young Lord still found a way to smuggle her out of training so that they could play together in the nearby stream. Hot afternoons of instruction would quickly become fun filled attempts at jockeying for position atop one’s shoulders, as both would end up splashing in the water anyway. She loved his company and the respite from her training, and so did he, but her grandfather was about to break her spirit from being so aloft in the clouds.
”Your training is vital so that you can one day protect the Young Lord! Do you not understand that?! Your life is not a game, because your life is going to be the only thing standing between him and death. Spend your time piddling around if you desire to see him die horribly.”
And that did it. From that day on, she would no longer play, dream or laugh. She had pledged her life to defending the Emperor’s son, and if that meant giving up all that she loved – including him – she had to make the sacrifice.
With so much strife, hardship and grief behind them now in their fifth year after their time in Amestris, the Young Lord had replaced his elderly father and was made Emperor of Xing. She was proud of him and was just as pleased to still be his most trusted companion, following him everywhere, but would remain in hiding so as to not interfere in any business she need not involve herself in. It all went back to the lesson of living frivolously, rather than just living with a purpose – she would never be caught off guard again. His life depended upon that oath.
Dashing from shadow to shadow, she remained concealed from all eyes as he strolled out of the confines of the palace into the open air of his beloved country. The moon wasn’t out tonight, but he knew the path well enough to find his own way without any added light.
“Your Excellency,” one of the heavily armored guards said stiffly. “It’s late and you shouldn’t be out of the palace alone. Please, let two of my men accompany you to wherever you’re going.”
The young Emperor raised an opposing hand and grinned broadly. “No, thank you. That won’t be necessary. I have my personal guard with me, so I won’t get into too much trouble even if I wanted to.”
Surprised when he had seen no one follow the Emperor, the guard then realized that he did indeed have an escort. Had she suddenly appeared out of thin air? She wasn’t there a moment ago…
“Carry on, my good man! Keep up the good work!” The Emperor’s cheery disposition would always stump the reasoning of his faithful subjects – how could one so… silly become the leader of their country and do it with such style?
In silence they walked, his shadow always just a few steps behind. He wondered if she knew where he was heading, grinning sneakily to himself of the possibilities this could spring. Granted, he wasn’t low enough to deceive her, but he wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to make the impossible happen.
Stopping after a moderate trek away from commotion and lights, he kicked off his sandals and sighed, spreading out his toes to feel the coolness of the grass against his feet. He took in a deep breath of the air before removing his slightly less embellished robe, tossing it aside like it was a spare towel. He then proceeded into the water where he stopped once the waterline reached his waist, not turning around to see if his vassal was watching as closely as usual.
“Ran Fan, remember this place?” He asked her into the darkness; she had hidden herself in the tall reeds near the stream as a means to offer her Emperor privacy, but still provide protection. Truthfully, she was feeling a rush of embarrassment overcome her suddenly and she couldn’t explain why.
“Yes, my Lord,” she made herself reply, not exiting from her hiding place. “We used to play here as children, until I realized that I was frittering away precious time I needed to train myself for your protection.”
He frowned, disappointed in such an answer that he was indeed expecting from her. “So you regret getting to spend that time with me, do you?”
Ran Fan froze, taking in a sharp breath out of surprise. “N-no, my Lord! Th-that’s not what I meant at all! It’s just that-!”
“I know, I know,” he said, lowering himself into the water more so that only his head was above the mirrored line. “You had a duty you were obligated to fulfill and I took you away from that training for my own entertainment. Heh, I guess I was rather greedy back then, too, eh?”
“Not at all, my Lord…” she found herself saying, observing through the reeds while he slowly rose above the glassy surface. She swallowed the lump in her throat that had suddenly formed, realizing that she was drinking in this scene far too much already. This was a far different method of killing time than when they were kids.
“So you say, but I think you and I both know how selfish I’ve always been.” He looked up to the moonless sky through the bare slits in his eyes, seeing what she could not – an expanse of nothing that held so much more than what they could fathom. More trivialities that he knew she would never allow herself to contemplate. “When I was a child, I wanted companionship. When I was a teenager, I wanted immortality so that I could become the Emperor of Xing. And now, as a man – ever foolish and avaricious – I want my closest friend to be as happy as she was the day I first threw her into this very stream.”
“Are those days long gone, Ran Fan, or can we try to bring them back?” He turned to her directly now, knowing exactly where she was camouflaging herself. The look in his eyes was sincere, passionate and even daring.
Ran Fan found her legs moving of their own accord, unfolding from her crouched position and then striding forward carefully to approach the streamside. As she walked, her eyes never left his, steps taken carefully until the toes of her shoes barely met water – this was as far as she was willing to go.
“Bring them back if you will, my Lord, but the risk to you would be far too great,” she said, voice strong, but was breaking steadily. She felt herself falling apart on the inside as she looked at him, seeing everything she had ever wanted of him – the softness, the strength and the promise of her honor being kept. More reasons to remind herself that she was his servant – his faithful guardian – and nothing more.
It was a foolish young girl’s fantasy turned into a woman’s desire for an impractical life at the Emperor’s side as his mistress. She wanted such a liberating life, but it was not hers to crave.
He waded slowly towards her until he met the bank, still waist deep in the water as he then raised his arms up for her to join him. Teetering on the edge of the stream, toes clenching and hands shaking, Ran Fan held her ground with all of her resolve. He frowned again, disillusioned that this far too enchanting moment ended so quickly. But he would not give up so easily, keeping his arms suspended as if to catch her when she made her move.
“Ran Fan, isn’t this what you want?” Never did his flesh touch her, beads of water falling from his arms freely as he waited patiently for her response.
She bit her lip tighter, trying not to shatter in front of him.
“Ran Fan, please tell me,” he tried to sound encouraging, but his tone was leaking his desperation.
Her eyelids constricted forcibly to keep her from losing this emotional battle – the look in his eyes was enough to make a grown man cry. Why couldn’t she allow herself the opportunity?
“I want your happiness, Ran Fan, and if that means I have to rewrite a few laws, then I will!”
“You… you cannot change the ways of our people for the sake of one desire, my Lord…” She was lying to herself, and she felt the pain of it stab her in the heart. She knew he would do anything for her, and she couldn’t deny on the inside that she wanted him more than the air in her lungs.
“Yes I can and I will! Just say that you love me, Ran Fan, and I’ll do everything to make you happy! Please, just say it!”
He tried to get closer, the wall of earth preventing him from achieving greater proximity, and so he leaned upward, his arms still extended out for her. His heart was pounding anxiously, crying out for her answer to either silence his misery or to slay it with one word.
Within her mind she toiled and fought, stumbling over desires, facts and fears. She could be his mistress and love him the way she so desperately wanted to, but then she could become a risk factor for him. Even a pawn to be used against him by an enemy. However, being so close to him would present the likelihood that she would truly never leave his side – she would become more than just his shield, but his sword.
Was wishing for this future a paltry fancy meant to sway the wise and derail the determined? Was wanting to be the only woman in his life truly a hopeless endeavor intended only for royalty? Was blindly pursuing this meaningful life considered frivolous?
He took a deep breath when her mouth opened, her fingers moving to brush his that were so near to her quivering body. The electric touch suddenly felt more intense than the moments they’d shared years prior – even being carried away, wounded and bleeding, couldn’t compare to these sensations. These meant something more than the fear of death.
Ran Fan took his hand, rubbing away the water still lingering, and smiled fully for him. “I will say whatever you wish, my great Emperor Ling, so long as I can always protect you, for that is my truest desire.”
