[Sometimes, Kratos very nearly thinks about that decision, what it means -- abandoning his duty to the worlds to savour a few short years of happiness. For a man who'd had nothing but duty for so long, it feels like a betrayal if he does think about it too deeply. So he doesn't.

[Would the seal even let him grow old? He doesn't know that, either. Maybe, after all this is over, he'll get the chance to find out properly -- once he's let Yuan catch up.]

Mh. All over you, I expect.

[It seems like an attempt to return to the status quo, but Kratos hears the apology in it. He's seen and felt the apology, in the way Yuan tended him, in the way he helped him rise. Kratos squeezes gently and that alone makes the throb in his wrists heighten again; but he doesn't regret tightening the hug. Then he lifts his head with a sigh and steps toward the tub -- or limps, rather. His whole body aches, and his wrists are crusted with drying blood. Good thing the first-aid kit is in the cabinet near the tub, because he's seriously considering a bath today.]

I was going to help some of the recruits training. Now I think I'll barely manage to get through some patterns.