[what, indeed. she's not sure she'll use the same flowers again, but - it will at least give them somewhere to start. they pass by a patch of betony, and she pauses, gesturing at the flowers.]
...I used those, along with white heather and pink hyacinths, for Tsurumaru. [i'm assuming fódlan flower meanings are similar to earth meanings since white rose garlands are gifts for potential lovers and symbolize young love and new beginnings, so...] In my homeland, this flower can symbolize surprises, which... he was fond of.
[As for the others...]
For Evan, I used white hyacinths, lavateras, and daffodils. Dracaenas, hydrangeas, and lemon geraniums for Yu, and... achilleas, snapdragons, and cyclamens for Ogata.
[ he watches her gesture to each of the flowers in turn. despite sanji's yelling about it at the trial last week, yin yu doesn't know much about flowers, and it's such a simple topic to focus on that it's soothing. (perhaps its the person who's doing the talking that's really made it so soothing, at all.) ]
Yes. In Fódlan - or at least, in the part of Fódlan in which I grew up...
[she thinks back. it's hard, sometimes, to remember - but flayn tries very hard to remember as many things as she can, whether they are consequential or not. it's how she's ended up with a lot of useless knowledge, and not a lot of practical knowledge.]
White heather means "Protection" and "Wishes will come true," because... we will bring him and the others back. Pink hyacinths symbolize joy or play.
...white hyacinths can mean "I will pray for you." Lavateras symbolize a sweet disposition, which Evan had. Daffodils can symbolize rebirth and hope.
[ as thoughtful as ever... flayn's kindness is a shining light in this terrible place, just like it was on the island, too. yin yu catches himself looking down instead at their hand as she talks, focusing on that instead of on the scenery, and the sound of her voice.
when did this happen?
(what happens when you get close to someone? how quickly death can touch the things that matter to you, when you let things matter.)
he's a little slow to respond, but isn't checked out of the conversation, entirely, as they make their way slowly down the path itself. ] And the snapdragons?
[she looks down at the ground. it is, perhaps, not the nicest meaning, but... they were deceived, either because they interpreted the evidence incorrectly, or because the killer meant for it to happen that way.
either way, she doesn't think they should forget that.]
But it can also mean "strength of will". Achillea flowers symbolize war and the power to overcome. Cyclamen means resignation, and farewell.
[ the dose of reality isn't a bad one. it's thoughtful in its own right, too. a memorial can be a memory to someone's kindnesses, as much as it can be to their failures... and that's twice in a row that they've done so.
his hand squeezes gently against hers for the first time. ] ...those, I think. And the Achillea, as well.
[ he didn't know hikage that well, can't make suggestions for him beyond it but for their situation, it rings true. they have to overcome, and they were lied to. it may be reality, but it feels like reality with an edge to it. with some kind of promise, that they have to do better.
as he thinks over the victims, the reminder of today's trial returns, settling on his shoulders, heavy. yin yu closes his eyes behind the mask, for a moment, thinking about guy. ] ...Something for 'loyalty'. [ some of the roughness returns, almost a crack. ] ... for tomorrow.
Mm... perhaps with some purple carnations. They symbolize capriciousness - and from what Belph said about him, I suppose he could be capricious...
[she hums, thinking it over... she isn't sure she wants the bouquets to be too similar to one another, but there are similarities in these cases, too. they've failed yu, ogata, hikage, and whoever ends up under the knife tomorrow. no matter what, they need to overcome this and prevent it from happening again.]
Mock-orange flowers symbolize remembrance, and overcoming deceit. So perhaps I will add those as well.
[as for loyalty... her expression softens, and she returns the squeeze of yin yu's hand. for his sake, she doesn't want to see guy die tomorrow - but it feels a little wrong to hope for someone else's death, too.]
...some varieties of lavender can symbolize loyalty. Sunflowers and violets can, as well, in combination with other meanings. I do not know if we will be able to find it, but flowering bamboo symbolizes steadfast loyalty and strength.
I'm not sure if I could pick those out in this garden. [ yin yu admits, quietly, glancing out at all of the flowers in the lovely little garden itself. maybe violets, and certainly bamboo--which touches on a sense of familiarity for him, that has him nodding.
he doesn't want to think of it as inevitability, but yin yu also is a realistic person. no matter who gets chosen tomorrow - it could even be him - it won't end well. the likelihood that he's going to lose someone who has become a friend is very high. i stopped writing this tag to finish watching the execution so, yeah.
he ducks his head. ] ...If you could show me, I can help pull them out. [ just a little longer like this. ]
[she doesn't really want to show him. if he picks the flowers, he may end up using both hands - which would mean that he would let go of hers. but this is about finding something for him to keep himself occupied with, not just about her own comfort.
so she scans the flowers, and spots a mock-orange. she gives his hand a gentle squeeze to get his attention before gesturing at it.]
These are mock-orange flowers, Yin Yu. I think I would like to use them after all.
[ today i learned that oranges originated in southern asia!
flayn draws his attention, and yin yu looks. the blossoms are small and delicate, and familiar, at least in some sense... the name, too. he walks with her over towards them and kneels down, his hand lingering in hers, only pulling from the touch slowly to carefully pluck the blossoms.
the movement is methodical and careful. he doesn't damage the flowers as he pulls, trying to keep them as intact as he can. it's something small to focus on, a task, as he returns to standing with the small flowers in hand. ]
[ as he stands properly, yin yu tucks the small blossoms carefully in his pouch, the flowers sticking out to the side, so they'll be protected. he's gentle with each petal, expression unreadable, eyes dark. ]
...then, on to the next.
[ and as he pulls back, yin yu's hand slides back into hers, right where it was before. ]
[on to the next, indeed. she nods, momentarily surprised when he slides his hand back into hers - but then she looks back down at the flowers with a small smile as they walk along.
she spots the next flowers they need nearly immediately, but... oh, she doesn't want to point them out. if she does, he'll just let go of her hand again. ...but that's selfish, and if he needs to distract himself with working...
[ it's quiet, easy work, but part of it is the walking with flayn, too. the reminder that there's someone here. that - that he can rely on someone. that terrifies a part of him, buried deep under a thousand other emotions, that he could rely on someone. that the very tentative, small personal relationships he's formed have become important to him, and they can be so easily taken away.
guy's condemnation was an example of that. the thought of losing flayn is even worse.
so he lets her lead him. yin yu keeps his hand in hers, and returns to her when he completes a task, to know that she's there - not just to be relied on, but to know that she's there beside him. that she's still someone he can protect.
as asked, he quietly moves to pluck the snapdragons, taking a few with careful fingers and adding them to the ones he has. he's as considerate as ever as he does so, cradling the blossoms so they don't get damaged.
how sad that they have to keep doing this, but ...in a way, it's grounding, too. a mechanical thing, but one as important as remembrance, too. memory matters so intimately in the ghost city and yin yu is someone who has never been remembered.
as he returns his hand to hers, he speaks up again, quietly. ] ...Lady Flayn, will you teach me about these meanings, more?
[it isn't often that he actually asks her to do something for him.
normally, it is yin yu who is the one offering - to lend a helping hand, to be a support, to perform some sort of tasks so that someone else does not have to. flayn can count on one hand the number of times he's actually asked her to do anything for him.
[ he'll learn. yin yu wants to be able to do this with her, not just follow along. week after week, as the deaths in the camp will inevitably continue, more and more of these will be needed. a part of him wants to stop forming the bonds that he has already - each one is a moment of danger like today, they can be a person who will forget him, inevitably, and it would be so easy to just walk away - but... another, smaller part longs for the companionship, for the closeness. for the ability to feel like a person again, instead of a ghost.
flayn's quiet, warm care for everyone on the island had stuck with him even until now, and he wants to do right by it, wants to imitate this compassion, latch onto it as something even someone like him could do.
his hand squeezes just slightly in hers, a more wordless emphasis on the thank you. it's been a long day. ]
[she squeezes his hand in return, immediately. i'm here.]
You shall excel at it, I am sure.
[yin yu is the type to put his whole self into whatever he is attempting to do. when it comes to learning about flowers - well, all it really takes is patience and a willingness to learn. he has those things in spades.]
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[what, indeed. she's not sure she'll use the same flowers again, but - it will at least give them somewhere to start. they pass by a patch of betony, and she pauses, gesturing at the flowers.]
...I used those, along with white heather and pink hyacinths, for Tsurumaru. [i'm assuming fódlan flower meanings are similar to earth meanings since white rose garlands are gifts for potential lovers and symbolize young love and new beginnings, so...] In my homeland, this flower can symbolize surprises, which... he was fond of.
[As for the others...]
For Evan, I used white hyacinths, lavateras, and daffodils. Dracaenas, hydrangeas, and lemon geraniums for Yu, and... achilleas, snapdragons, and cyclamens for Ogata.
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Do each of those have a meaning, as well?
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[she thinks back. it's hard, sometimes, to remember - but flayn tries very hard to remember as many things as she can, whether they are consequential or not. it's how she's ended up with a lot of useless knowledge, and not a lot of practical knowledge.]
White heather means "Protection" and "Wishes will come true," because... we will bring him and the others back. Pink hyacinths symbolize joy or play.
...white hyacinths can mean "I will pray for you." Lavateras symbolize a sweet disposition, which Evan had. Daffodils can symbolize rebirth and hope.
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when did this happen?
(what happens when you get close to someone? how quickly death can touch the things that matter to you, when you let things matter.)
he's a little slow to respond, but isn't checked out of the conversation, entirely, as they make their way slowly down the path itself. ] And the snapdragons?
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[she looks down at the ground. it is, perhaps, not the nicest meaning, but... they were deceived, either because they interpreted the evidence incorrectly, or because the killer meant for it to happen that way.
either way, she doesn't think they should forget that.]
But it can also mean "strength of will". Achillea flowers symbolize war and the power to overcome. Cyclamen means resignation, and farewell.
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his hand squeezes gently against hers for the first time. ] ...those, I think. And the Achillea, as well.
[ he didn't know hikage that well, can't make suggestions for him beyond it but for their situation, it rings true. they have to overcome, and they were lied to. it may be reality, but it feels like reality with an edge to it. with some kind of promise, that they have to do better.
as he thinks over the victims, the reminder of today's trial returns, settling on his shoulders, heavy. yin yu closes his eyes behind the mask, for a moment, thinking about guy. ] ...Something for 'loyalty'. [ some of the roughness returns, almost a crack. ] ... for tomorrow.
[ if it happens that way. ]
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[she hums, thinking it over... she isn't sure she wants the bouquets to be too similar to one another, but there are similarities in these cases, too. they've failed yu, ogata, hikage, and whoever ends up under the knife tomorrow. no matter what, they need to overcome this and prevent it from happening again.]
Mock-orange flowers symbolize remembrance, and overcoming deceit. So perhaps I will add those as well.
[as for loyalty... her expression softens, and she returns the squeeze of yin yu's hand. for his sake, she doesn't want to see guy die tomorrow - but it feels a little wrong to hope for someone else's death, too.]
...some varieties of lavender can symbolize loyalty. Sunflowers and violets can, as well, in combination with other meanings. I do not know if we will be able to find it, but flowering bamboo symbolizes steadfast loyalty and strength.
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he doesn't want to think of it as inevitability, but yin yu also is a realistic person. no matter who gets chosen tomorrow - it could even be him - it won't end well. the likelihood that he's going to lose someone who has become a friend is very high. i stopped writing this tag to finish watching the execution so, yeah.
he ducks his head. ] ...If you could show me, I can help pull them out. [ just a little longer like this. ]
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[she doesn't really want to show him. if he picks the flowers, he may end up using both hands - which would mean that he would let go of hers. but this is about finding something for him to keep himself occupied with, not just about her own comfort.
so she scans the flowers, and spots a mock-orange. she gives his hand a gentle squeeze to get his attention before gesturing at it.]
These are mock-orange flowers, Yin Yu. I think I would like to use them after all.
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flayn draws his attention, and yin yu looks. the blossoms are small and delicate, and familiar, at least in some sense... the name, too. he walks with her over towards them and kneels down, his hand lingering in hers, only pulling from the touch slowly to carefully pluck the blossoms.
the movement is methodical and careful. he doesn't damage the flowers as he pulls, trying to keep them as intact as he can. it's something small to focus on, a task, as he returns to standing with the small flowers in hand. ]
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anyway, flayn watches quietly as he retrieves the blossoms, and when he's finished, she nods.]
Thank you... those will do nicely.
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...then, on to the next.
[ and as he pulls back, yin yu's hand slides back into hers, right where it was before. ]
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she spots the next flowers they need nearly immediately, but... oh, she doesn't want to point them out. if she does, he'll just let go of her hand again. ...but that's selfish, and if he needs to distract himself with working...
she gestures toward them with her free hand.]
I think those are snapdragons, over there.
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guy's condemnation was an example of that. the thought of losing flayn is even worse.
so he lets her lead him. yin yu keeps his hand in hers, and returns to her when he completes a task, to know that she's there - not just to be relied on, but to know that she's there beside him. that she's still someone he can protect.
as asked, he quietly moves to pluck the snapdragons, taking a few with careful fingers and adding them to the ones he has. he's as considerate as ever as he does so, cradling the blossoms so they don't get damaged.
how sad that they have to keep doing this, but ...in a way, it's grounding, too. a mechanical thing, but one as important as remembrance, too. memory matters so intimately in the ghost city and yin yu is someone who has never been remembered.
as he returns his hand to hers, he speaks up again, quietly. ] ...Lady Flayn, will you teach me about these meanings, more?
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[it isn't often that he actually asks her to do something for him.
normally, it is yin yu who is the one offering - to lend a helping hand, to be a support, to perform some sort of tasks so that someone else does not have to. flayn can count on one hand the number of times he's actually asked her to do anything for him.
so how could she possibly deny him this?]
I would be glad to teach you all I know, Yin Yu.
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[ he'll learn. yin yu wants to be able to do this with her, not just follow along. week after week, as the deaths in the camp will inevitably continue, more and more of these will be needed. a part of him wants to stop forming the bonds that he has already - each one is a moment of danger like today, they can be a person who will forget him, inevitably, and it would be so easy to just walk away - but... another, smaller part longs for the companionship, for the closeness. for the ability to feel like a person again, instead of a ghost.
flayn's quiet, warm care for everyone on the island had stuck with him even until now, and he wants to do right by it, wants to imitate this compassion, latch onto it as something even someone like him could do.
his hand squeezes just slightly in hers, a more wordless emphasis on the thank you. it's been a long day. ]
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You shall excel at it, I am sure.
[yin yu is the type to put his whole self into whatever he is attempting to do. when it comes to learning about flowers - well, all it really takes is patience and a willingness to learn. he has those things in spades.]