Summary - I hope we meet again, Miss Stryfe. (MerDom, Yuri.)
AN: By the way, the betrayal part about Midvalley probably won't make sense to you unless you've read the manga. And tell me what you think. For some reason, this took me forever to write. Sad, I know.
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"And I have to follow this man, this stupid man who I keep telling myself isn't really that important to me at all, but then why haven't I left yet, Miss Dominique? Can you tell me? Because, I don't think I can pretend that I'm being forced to follow him anymore. I have a choice, and I keep choosing to stay. Sometimes I'll make plans to leave and then I make some excuse to stay, some stupid excuse..."
I had really surprised myself when I initiated conversation with the young woman, asking if maybe she would enjoy some company. Not that I was anti-social, but as a Gung-Ho Gun, I wasn't exactly a social butterfly either. I had come to the bar to relax a little, have a quick drink, and then I'd be off again. But then, I saw her, and I knew my stay would be much longer than intended. So, I offered my company, she said yes, we introduced ourselves, and now here I am.
I had the feeling that Miss Stryfe wasn't usually this comfortable with people. I could tell that this woman was not the type to open up so easily. She was probably going to look back on this tomorrow and feel stupid. And then, she'd do her best to block it from her memory. Miss Stryfe looked like she was blocking a lot of things from her memory.
"I wish I could tell you, but it seems that you already know why."
She was blushing now, looking down at her drink. And suddenly, something had become very apparent to me. Yes, from the second I laid my eyes on the young woman, I knew she was attractive. But here, looking at her now, with that look on her face, I really understood. Meryl Stryfe was a beautiful woman. No, she didn't look like those glamerous women who always seemed so incredibly forgettable, at least to me. No, I would always remember this night, this woman.
"You look beautiful, Miss Stryfe."
She looked up at me and smiled, her cheeks still a pretty pink. "Thank you. Sometimes... I do worry about that."
I had to wonder why a lady like Miss Stryfe would worry about her looks. Maybe it had something to do with that man she mentioned earlier. Though, maybe it wasn't so odd, even for such a pretty woman, to worry about her looks.
"Why are you here, alone?" She asks.
I imagine I come here to have some time away from Legato, and the others. "Who knows, I guess I felt a little crowded. I live with a lot of people." No joke.
"Oh." She set down her drink after taking a small sip. "I can understand that. I mean, I guess I don't live with a lot of people or anything, but they certainly make enough noise.."
Our conversation had suddenly skidded to a halt after that, and I simply stared at her, enjoying the comfortable silence, while she stared at anything but me. So, I started to think, perhaps she was shy. I found this very cute for her personality. My first impression of her had been that she was simply a person who hadn't cared for too many words. Preferring to keep things simple, straight to the point. And I didn't doubt that one bit, but maybe there was more to Miss Stryfe that I still had not figured out. I found myself wanting to know more.
"Is there anyone like that.. for you. Who is just... so irritating.." She spoke suddenly, stumbling over her words slightly, maybe unsure of what she was trying to say exactly. I knew though.
Romantically, no. No one came to mind, and I wondered if I should have worried about that. Eventually, one person did come to mind, and that was Midvalley. He was, in a way, my friend, and did cause me much stress and irritation at times. Overall, we get along well enough. Mostly I'm indifferent. And I worry a little bit about that too.
"Well, I do suppose there is someone.. A friend. Sometimes, I worry that he is going to do something terribly stupid. Then... I will have a lot to worry about." Yes, I do worry that man will do something incredibly stupid. Like betrayal, maybe.
"I bet he broods." She sighed softly, letting her fingertips roam over the rim of her glass. Then, she stopped, and looked directly at me. "Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. You're probably talking about something really serious here, and I'm..."
"No, actually, I imagine he does... brood. Really, it's rather funny. That was a rather interesting word you used there. ...Brood."
"Ah, well.." She momentarily looked down at the table in thought, before giving another sigh and looking back at me. "Just... that man I know. Entirely..uh.. too much brooding."
Then, I remembered what she had said earlier. She said... she had been following him. Perhaps he was an outlaw? A bounty hunter, was probable too. So, who's the broody guy she's following? What are her intentions? What will she do when she catches up with him? Why do I even care? Most likely, I'm captivated by her beauty and resolution. I can admit this to myself. So, what now?
"Miss, are you okay?" asked my pretty little companion.
"Yes, of course, I'm fine. I'm just thinking of the lives women lead, and those things we devote ourselves to. I mean, well, I guess that tells a lot about who we are. And what we are, don't you think?"
She looked up at me through her dark lashes, seemingly arrested by that thought, as I was as well. "Yes, yes, I know what you mean. Men! They're so, so ... "
I tried not to show her how amused I was, at both her, and me. Here she was, such a pure soul, and so outraged. And here am I, coveting her. "True, beautiful lady, they're the death of us sometimes. But, of course, there's that old saying, 'You can't live with them, and you can't live without them.' I suppose there's some truth to that."
She laughed, her cheeks flushed pink, looking so fresh and dewy it almost took my breath away. I thought of all the things I could do to lure this women to me, and knew I wouldn't try even one of those schemes. Instead, I would always remember the way she looked right at that moment. And, strangely, that would provide more satisfaction that I could have imagined, before meeting her. I wondered, will she remember me? Time for a reality check, and time for me to leave.
"Well, I've gotta get going, things to do and people to see, you know how it is." I said as lightheartedly as I could, trying not to cringe as I heard the corny words coming out of my mouth. She stopped laughing, looking rather startled.
"Oh, yes, of course. There's always that," she said rather haltingly. "Well, thanks for the conversation. Perhaps we'll see each other again."
"Perhaps," I said as I gathered my things and turned to leave. I certainly hoped so, but I had my doubts.
A pause.
"You looked lovely tonight, Miss Dominique." I turn around, and I notice that she's not looking at me anymore.
And a good day to you, Miss Stryfe.