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A normal every day evening on the gauntlet runner, Strohl and Basilio were firing off ideas for recipes and meals to make together.
No one else quite got what was so exciting about this to them, but both men had some sort of love language regarding cooking for each other.
While slicing up some vegetables for their newest spur of the moment cooking session, Strohl suddenly stopped cutting and turned to his companion with a questioning gaze.
He clearly had something on his mind, it was the same look he gave every time he was trying to figure out how to phrase something clinging to him.
“You’re from Brilehaven, right Basilio?” The clemar finally inquired.
Basilio just shrugged.
“I s’pose…Been around most everywhere but I guess tha’s right. What’re ya bringin’ it up alluva sudden for?”
“Oh, well, I guess its just that I wanted to try out making some dishes from there is all! When we first met we ate at the tavern there a lot together…The Greatest Catch? It gave me a bad first impression but the edible stuff there was actually pretty delicious. You seemed to enjoy the food a lot too. Thought it might be fun to reminisce like that.”
Basilio quirked a brow at this, suspicious of Strohl running his mouth about practically nothing.
“Tha’s all? Seriously?” the paripus questioned.
Strohl sighed in response.
“No,no, I guess that’s not all…I had been to Brilehaven before when I was a boy, on a trip with my parents when they were still around…” he admitted.
Basilio dropped the cooking utensils in his hands for a second, before collecting himself and coming back down to earth.
“Just once huh…? How old were you then?”
“Once that I can remember at least. I was only around 7 years old then though, so even if I can remember it's not much.”
“Missing your parents?”
“Thats…Thats not it. I’m well past that already. Im not a child anymore or anything like that. I can handle myself. It just…feels like Brilehaven has more significance to me than I can remember. There’s a lot that I can’t remember but I figure that's normal as you get older…like huge gaps of my memory from around my teens are just gone.”
“Not sure I would call that normal…’s a sad sitiation but I know how it is. Can I be honest with ya though?”
“Go ahead.” Strohl urged.
“I’m glad yer bringin’ it up…”
Basilio gave a bittersweet smile, as if reflecting back on his own past.
“I did meet you once before in Brilehaven…When we met again with Louis around I didn’t have a shred of a clue it was you till I’d heard your name ‘s all! ‘s nothin’ big but…It’s an important memory to me, like. I was a little sad you didn’t remember me at all and treated me as a stranger. But when we met back then I was a lot different than I am now…”
“Sorry for not remembering.”
Strohl frowned, wishing he had the slightest idea what memories Basilio was reflecting back on with such fondness and warmth.
“Tha’s okay! Nothin’ to worry ‘bout. I don’t blame ye at all…with all that happened to you at the time. If anything I feel bad I was none the wiser to it fer so long…”
“It was when I was ‘round 14 or 15 then, I think. Was waitin’ for Del to come back from some errands so he was gone at the time. I was just sitting there, waiting in an alleyway, when you showed up outta nowhere.”
Strohl’s family was on a trip to Brilehaven at the time and eating at a higher end restaurant there.
Strohl, himself, was having none of it. He had stepped out for some space away from it all, to breathe in the waters of Brilehaven, when he had spotted an injured and weak looking paripus boy around his age.
He looked like he could use it much more than Strohl himself, so the clemar went back in for his food, grabbed the plate, and exited again, promptly placing it in front of the paripus boy.
The paripus just looked up blankly at him as he clenched his journal and pen to his chest, seemingly debating wether he should speak to the other boy or not.
“You don’t have to talk or anything. Just eat. You’re all skin and bones, geez. The food here isn’t really my taste, you’re better off with it. Seafood just makes me sick to my stomach, and besides, I just wanted an excuse to get away from my family anyways.”
“Family…?”
The paripus looked up at the silver haired boy with wide, curious eyes.
“Yeah. My family is from house Haliaetus. Ever heard of it?”
The paripus shook his head no.
“Not a talker? You have any family out there?”
“Del…Del told me not to talk to strangers like ye. He’d be mad if he saw me talking ta ya.”
“...Del? Is that your brother?”
The paripus shook his head again, this time signalling a “yes.”
“Well…Your brothers not here right now. He won’t know if you don’t tell him. C’mon. Loosen up. I’m giving you food here.”
“...Really? Ya mean it?” the paripus asked, a glimmer of happiness now shining in his eyes.
“Huh? Why wouldn’t I? I brought it out here for you. It's not some kind of prank or anything. You looked like you needed a friend, and truth be told, I do too. Even if I am just here on vacation.”
After being given permission, the paripus started shoveling food down his throat happily.
Strohl smiled at this, seeing the boy who looked so sad previously made so happy by something so simple.
If only he was like that.
Seeing the pure glee on the paripus’ face, Strohl let out a chuckle.
“Eh?! What’s so funny?! Ya told me it wasn’t a prank so why are ya laughin’ at me now?!”
“Sorry, sorry. It’s just such a huge difference so quickly… The way you eat so happily is just like my dog at home. Ah, that's not an insult or anything! What I mean is it’s just adorable, really. You are.”
“If ya bring the expensive stuff like that of course I’m gonna be happy! Haven’t eaten in days! Yer lucky you can skip meals like this…All I ever eat are scraps from outta the garbage.”
“No way…Seriously? I’m glad I gave it to you instead then, in that case.”
“‘S like that right now atleast…but Del told me Lady Rella put in a good word for us to that Lord Louis, so we should be off the streets real soon! Just waiting till then!”
“What a generous Lord he must be to take you in like that…I’m not all that great at it myself, admittedly.”
“Yer a Lord too?”
Wide, sparkly, curious eyes looked back at the clemar again in shock, the life of those eyes rivalling even the beauty of a nidia’s.
“I guess, something like that. More like a “young master”, that’s what everyone always calls me. But I’m sick of it. I don’t like being treated like royalty by everyone else. Everything about being a noble just makes me feel sick to my stomach. I’d much rather not be one at all. Everyone expects so much from me and it feels like I can never deliver. It's never enough.”
“Wish we could swap places! Bein’ a noble sounds awesome!” the other boy exclaimed excitedly.
Strohl found himself letting out another chuckle at this, caught up and charmed by the paripus’s care-free nature, like a whirlwind.
“I’m sure you’d be a much better noble than I. Ah, I’m Leon Strohl, by the way. Leon Strohl Da Haliaetus. You?”
“‘m Basilio! Basilio Magnus! Maybe you’re not as bad as I thought, Lord Strohl! That food was pretty amazin! Don’t know how you pass it up like that.”
“Please, just call me Leon. I’d rather have a break from being any type of noble or young master if I can. Everyone’s always trying to call me by my last name too, like my family is all that defines me…My family just gets in my way, really. They’re always forcing me to do “noble” types of things that I have no interest in. It's annoying. Shooting a bow and arrow and writing cursive all day can’t be all life is about, right? I just feel so out of place. Always. It feels like I wasn’t meant to be a noble. Everyone who's high class is just a heartless snob. Well, not everyone, but enough to sicken the title to me. I just want to be my own person, not just another typical noble. Ah, sorry. I don’t have anyone to open up to about things like that, we’ve only just met, I apologize. I just feel like you wouldn’t judge. Even if you don’t want to talk, you're a very good listener, so I’m grateful regardless,” Strohl rambled on.
“I get it. I don’t fit in either. no one hears me out or takes me seriously just because I’m a paripus. Even among other paripus, I’ve always been the odd one out. Del’s so much better than me at everything too…All ’m good for is fighting.”
“Is that how you got all of those scars?” the clemar asked, looking up and down Basilio’s torn and tattered frame with a frown.
“Not exactly…’S a long story…Sure a noble like you wouldn’t wanna hear it.”
“Don’t treat me as a noble then, treat me as your equal. I’ll take you seriously, I promise. You seem much more genuine than most that I’ve met. There’s a certain shallowness to higher class people, clemars, rouissants, I’m almost ashamed to be one myself for the reputation they’ve garnered. Speaking of scars though, you’re covered in wounds. Let me patch those up for you while I’m here at the very least. You can tell me whatever you want to get out of your system in the meantime.”
Strohl brought out a bulky first aid box from his side, gesturing at Basilio’s injured leg while bringing out the supplies to clean and cover the wounds.
“Here. Put your leg on my lap. It’ll be easier that way. It may hurt a bit, so be warned of that, but I wouldn’t want all of those wounds to get infected. My mother always carries a first aid pack with her in case anything happens. Finally came in use for once I suppose.”
Basilio just nodded, unguarding himself and putting his leg on the Clemar as directed, before beginning to speak.
“Most of the scars are from igniter experiments. Any paripus can tell you how bad ‘t is…Me and me brother Del only just recently got ourselves outta them. It was hard, ‘specially leaving behind those we got close to for it, but Del insisted it had ta be done. Del’s always been a fighter. Said he wanted a better future for us an’ this was the only way. So he made a plan and saved it until he could get us out of there, and only after I had been hurt real bad did he go through with it. Thought I was gonna die then, truth be told, but Del and Lady Rella saved me.”
“Saint Rella?” Strohl asked, “I’ve heard of her, but never knew she was that extraordinary of a healer.”
“She really is…Usually it would take more to get her healing, that strong of it too, but Del begged and begged and Lady Rella agreed to it eventually. Some things healing magic can never fix though…I may be alive, but ‘m covered in nasty scars all over from it, Del too. at first it was just a quick way of tryin to get money for our mom’s medicine, but the experiments only got worse, and by that time, the illness had already killed Ma… I’d bet you’re clean of any kinds of scars like that.”
Strohl nodded.
“I’m privileged to be, but I don’t think scars are a bad thing or nasty or anything like that. It's proof of strength and having lived. You’re much stronger than me…I knew paripus weren’t treated fairly, but I guess I never fully realized the extent of it. It's horrible what they did to you…The Sanctist Church, correct? I’m grateful that you’re alive now and getting out of it all. That Lord Louis really must feel like a blessing for you, not that I believe in God or anything…Especially not after hearing this is what his greatest believers get up to in their leisure.”
“Well…Lady Rella’s part of the Church and I don’ hate her or nothin’…Lady Rella saved my life,” Basilio said with a shrug.
“That’s true. You have a crush on her or something?” the clemar teased, smiling.
“No, it's nothin’ like that! I’m just grateful she saved my life ‘s all! She’s a great lady just…not for me ‘s all.”
“Not interested in romance? I don’t blame you. It feels like I don’t have enough time to worry about it all before my parents inevitably arrange a marriage for me anyways. It’s useless to do anything about it myself, the end result will always be the same.”
“Seems like a sad way to look at things, but I think ‘ts true…I’d rather focus on me brother and staying alive than whatever ladies are the most beautiful right now. They’re all beautiful anyways, what's the point of comparin ‘em?”
“Seriously…Its the same to me no matter what girl I end up marrying. They’re all great and all but I’ve never found a girl particularly beautiful. They’re all the same in my eyes, even if I’d much rather judge by personality than looks. I just can’t find myself clicking with women like that. It all feels so forced to me. Marriage and romance is just one of those many responsibilities forced upon me by my title that I just find myself hating.”
Strohl heaved a heavy sigh at this, the thought of it all swirling in his head.
“Anyways, it seemed like you were writing when I approached you. Do you know how to read and write?” he asked, hoping to shift the subject matter to something more light hearted.
“Del knows how real good! But me, I can’t really write well. Can spell my name and a few words…Tha’s about it. Even if he writes all backwards he still knows way more than me… ‘s a bit embarrassing at this age not knowin' how at all.”
“How about I help you then? I’ve been well tutored, so if you're struggling and want to learn, I can help with that. What kind of words would you want to write?”
“Hmm…Live?”
“Live. That’s a good one, having the determination and want to live. I’m sure you’ll go on to live a good life, the good heart that you have and all.”
Strohl then pulled a twig off of a nearby tree and started writing in the dirt with it following this statement.
“A bit messy but it gets the job done. Any other words?”
Basilio thought about it while copying the word down onto his disheveled notebook.
“Your name. ‘t seemed long and complicated…”
“Mine? Really? Why would you want to know how to write my name of all things? Um…I guess I can show you though if you really want to know.”
Going to a different patch of dirt, Strohl stood up and etched the twig into the earth once again, this time struggling a bit to make it all legible and fit upon the land.
Basilio just cocked his head to the side, confused.
“Whats that s’posed ta be?”
“My name! You asked for it! Well, um, I can admit that it may not look the best…The materials here are very…different from what I’m used to, to say the least. If you let me borrow your pen and paper I can show you much better though.”
Basilio nodded once again and slid the pen and notebook Strohl’s way.
After the clemar was done writing, he gave the notebook back to the other boy.
“Its so flowery…how ‘m I s’posed to write like that?”
“Oh, shut it! Just all complaints, aren’t you? Hand it back, I’ll write it in print this time. I’ll have you know the way that I wrote it was cursive.”
Basilio let out a small laugh at Strohl’s overdramatic huffing.
“Never heard of it.”
Strohl rolled his eyes light heartedly.
“I wish I hadn’t either,” he joked.
Strohl handed back the notebook to Basilio once more, shocked to see the amazement on the paripus’ face this time around.
“Wow, your writin’s amazin’! Even better than Del’s! How’d ya get it so good?!”
“Tutoring, I already told you that! I have a private tutor. Having good penmanship is an essential skill to a noble after all, even if I don’t want to hear that another day of my life.”
“I don’ really get it all, but you seem pretty amazin’!”
“You’re the first to compliment me on it…” Strohl said, embarrassed.
“More people ought to say it if you’re that good!”
“Youre the only one who thinks that…really…I’m glad you at least do though.”
From then, Strohl would go on teaching Basilio how to write words, and Basilio would copy them down eagerly into his “workbook” over and over again until he got the hang of it, continuing on with this until the sun began to fall and Fidelio had come back from his chores.
Hearing footsteps, Basilio shooed Strohl away, now feeling much better with his wounds and hunger tended to.
“That’s gotta be Del! He’d kill me if he saw me talkin’ to a noble! ‘M Serious! Ye gotta scram now, Leon! Else I’m dead meat!”
By the loud calling of the name “Basiliooo!” followed by “Where are you?” Strohl took his cue to leave and head back to his family, completely unaware of the life-changing events that would soon befall him.
And despite the remarks that “Del would kill him”, Basilio quickly went on to blather on about the kind noble who had approached him like a prince straight out of a fairytale.
To this, Fidelio remarked “The only "prince" you need is me”, something that Basilio would ignore, continuing to write Strohl’s name all over his workbook pages while dreaming of the day that perhaps they would meet again.
“So when it happened, those dreams were completely crushed! Ye didn’t remember at all!”
“Dreaming of me were you? You’re probably just looking back at it with rose tinted glasses. There’s no way you were actually doing all of that and thinking of me as some sort of prince that would come along and sweep you away.”
“I’m tellin’ ya, Strohl, ‘ts true! Hold on a second!!” Basilio yelled, speeding out of the gauntlet runner’s kitchen door and grabbing his old “Literacy Workbook” from the shelf of the book case.
When he came back, he immediately spread open the book to a page and pointed at it like he was proudly making a point, while yelling out “See!” at Strohl.
Strohl’s face began to flush while looking at the pages displayed.
Other pages were normal, words that were important to Basilio, recipes and food.
These pages, however, were absolutely covered top to bottom in a combination of Strohl’s name and different combinations of Basilio’s name with his.
“Are you sure you’re remembering what's there right? Just my name?” Strohl asked, covering his face in second hand embarrassment that Basilio had yet to receive.
“Yeah! ‘ts just your name! Whats the big deal?!”
Basilio finally looked down fully at the pages himself, and realized his error, beginning to feel the heat in his face rise up in response.
The clemar man took the workbook out of Basilio’s hands and into his own.
“You were already dreaming about getting married to me after our first meeting?” Strohl teased, still in awe of it all.
“‘ts not like that!! I just wanted to be your friend!! Tha’s all! Stop makin’ it weird! Give that back to me!” Basilio said in a flurry, trying to defend himself almost in a more erratic, but similar way to how Fidelio would, while trying to pry the workbook out of Strohl’s hands.
“I’ll give it back if you kiss me,” Strohl smirked.
“Yeah, yeah! Just stop talkin’ about it!” Basilio said, immediately going in for a kiss as Strohl had requested.
Basilio could have easily gotten the workbook back from Strohl without having to comply with his wishes, he was more than strong enough after all, but in times like this it just felt better to let Strohl have that upper hand regardless, even if he may have had his ego boosted a bit too much from knowing Basilio had wanted him just as much as he wanted Basilio.
That time of suffering in thinking that Basilio would never love him would feel some relief now, knowing that Basilio had his moments of yearning for him as well.
In a warm, loving kiss between each other, they were able to stand together as equals.
No matter what the world might say.
And Will, who happened to be eavesdropping on it all, would finally get his answer for why in the world Basilio had written Strohl’s name so many times in this seemingly old writing workbook.
Maybe it was just a reunion that was meant to be, between two people who found strong kinship in each other, and beyond that, love from it all.