[Having Yuan's presence in the back of Kratos's head helps in ways Kratos can't articulate. It's been longer than fifteen years since he's had this link open like this; it's been centuries. Yet up until fifteen years ago, he's never himself been open, and had everyone nearby abandon him when he cried out.
[Being secure in having someone there -- it's like a man parched from the desert allowed water for the first time.
[Kratos focusses on breathing, and on Yuan's presence nearby. The rawness in him continues to ease, until he feels as though he won't quite break apart if Yuan has to leave the room. He doesn't quite want to suggest it yet, however.
[Instead he absently reads the mana-signatures outside the door, the low voices talking, and Lloyd's mana-signature slowly descending as he leaves the upstairs hall. Kratos's heart flips for a moment until he's assured he can still sense his son downstairs; and he's focussed enough on that that the soft knock on the door makes him stir with an in-drawn breath.]
Lord Yuan, the children are settling down to sleep together in the living-room, and have promised not to come upstairs unless by your leave.
[Then Botta's mana-signature pulls away to descend also, but only to the bottom of the stairs. Kratos exhales slowly, his face turning further into Yuan's shoulder, murmuring:]
Forgive me.
[For everything that had gone wrong, which Yuan had tried to fix and Kratos hadn't. For needing to rely on Yuan to be everything Kratos could no longer be. For scaring him. For making him leave Kratos behind in Derris-Kharlan, fifteen years ago.]
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[Being secure in having someone there -- it's like a man parched from the desert allowed water for the first time.
[Kratos focusses on breathing, and on Yuan's presence nearby. The rawness in him continues to ease, until he feels as though he won't quite break apart if Yuan has to leave the room. He doesn't quite want to suggest it yet, however.
[Instead he absently reads the mana-signatures outside the door, the low voices talking, and Lloyd's mana-signature slowly descending as he leaves the upstairs hall. Kratos's heart flips for a moment until he's assured he can still sense his son downstairs; and he's focussed enough on that that the soft knock on the door makes him stir with an in-drawn breath.]
Lord Yuan, the children are settling down to sleep together in the living-room, and have promised not to come upstairs unless by your leave.
[Then Botta's mana-signature pulls away to descend also, but only to the bottom of the stairs. Kratos exhales slowly, his face turning further into Yuan's shoulder, murmuring:]
Forgive me.
[For everything that had gone wrong, which Yuan had tried to fix and Kratos hadn't. For needing to rely on Yuan to be everything Kratos could no longer be. For scaring him. For making him leave Kratos behind in Derris-Kharlan, fifteen years ago.]