a thing; w/ ruinsprofessor & conductingresistance

[simulsimul]

universe list
canon
breached
confessed
dadly
future
grigori
mercenary
MEover
origin
reversal
titans


scenario list
canon: Kratos needs to stop running off
confessed: wing reflex
confessed: actual wingpull
confessed: turning Renegade
confessed: son meets father
dadliness: confrontation
dadliness: awakening
dadliness: illness
dadliness: a fundamental lack of understanding on the word 'abducted'
dadliness: updating parameters
dadliness: assassination assignation
mercenary: hiding in the library
mercenary: aftermath of librarian saviour
reversal: oracle destroyed
titans: storming the tower
titans: safety in the canyon
titans: night horrors


canon
- combo of Kratos and Zelos ending
- Zelos does the stupid thing, but not so far as his death, and is still the eighth member of the party to Derris-Kharlan.

scenarios
scenario one: Yuan tracks Kratos down at Dirk's.


breached
- canon right up until after Botta’s death
- no one uses Yuan’s name around Mithos so Mithos walks right into the Triet base with them
- cue an epic OH SHIT in which Yuan gets a lil bit beat up while covering the evacuation of the rest of the base
- until Kratos appears to intervene and have the Chosen group get Yuan out of there
- Mithos gets Kratos tho and he’s a bit mad cos, yanno, traitor and all
- time to be locked up and punished and need to be rescued
- kind of puts a crimp in the creation of the Eternal Ring plans
- mostly cos Mithos turns Kratos lifeless, with some armour to regulate his mana so he remains a seraph. can't have the seal becoming less powerful, yo
- it does mean he can only obey orders tho
- the first rescue fails miserably but at least no one dies and they know they need to reforge his key-crest
- the second rescue attempt (circumstances of canon-point under percolation) goes a little better, though Yuan almost gets killed by Kratos trying to attach the key-crest
- luckily that and the first telepathy in a while gets through and Kratos manages to break out a la Colette, and heal Yuan enough for Raine to get there
- after which, angreh father-son beatdown on Mithos.

scenarios
None yet.


confessed
- almost successful assassination lands Kratos as an injured stranger in Iselia (1-2 years pre-canon)
- recuperation leads to accidental-on-purpose 'holiday' in Iselia
- doubts result in a request for Dirk to make a key-crest like Kratos' own
- oracle room undergoes some stealth sabotage
- regeneration journey is slightly delayed, prompted by Genis and Lloyd being discovered at the ranch
- Triet is awkward. so very awkward. for the Renegades -- whose side is Kratos even on these days and why was he vanished for two years?
- initial overall journey similar to canon, save that Kratos is a bit less circumspect about advising Colette on how to cope with angel transformations
- there are more overt Dun Wanna Feelings
- then Luin, wherein things happen and the group is in town during the Desian attack. the others naturally want to fight but tis a mite difficult against an army and building-destroying magitech. luckily, angel on their side. unluckily, wingpulls in order to muster the power to cover the townspeoples' retreat
- questions and confessions ensue
- Colette rejects the key crest (for the moment) so there's still hopefully maybe ambiguity about Kratos's position re the last seal
- it wouldn't fit anyway, it's modelled for the hand like Kratos's is because he was a derp and did not specify otherwise, so Lloyd needs to make a thing to make it fit
- slow protective retreat toward Asgard.

scenarios
scenario one: Kratos confesses before Salvation; Raine wants to follow up.
scenario two: Raine's examination of an angel; and also Kratos realises how far he's put his foot in it.
scenario three: Kratos goes to taunt Yuan a little, and also ask for his help.
scenario four: in which Raine makes Kratos tell the children all the things, and Yuan takes too much amusement from it.


dadliness
- Kratos retires in Iselia under the name Irving to raise Lloyd after the death of his wife
- no exsphere. ageing occurs! so does a beard and a braid
- teaches Lloyd swordplay, but on the sly, to avoid the other villagers noticing. his daytime job is weaving
- Lloyd finds the box of their exspheres and wants details. after some prodding by Dirk, Kratos explains how exspheres are made and that one is Anna's life. Lloyd is too young yet, but when Lloyd comes of age (~15) Kratos lets him make his own decision re wearing it
- Lloyd chooses not to wear the exsphere
- Genis befriends Marble and Lloyd meets her, as in canon; this happens before the journey begins, with the fallout
- difference being that Colette is still in the village so they can't be too horrible, so they just demand Lloyd be turned over for a flogging
- Kratos stands in his stead because natch. luckily, they're only mooks and don't recognise the bearded weaver as anyone important
- gives Lloyd his guilt complex early tho
- the oracle happens much the same way except Botta doesn't quite recognise the weirdly familiar bearded swordsman
- he does when he's reporting to Yuan tho
      'there was an exceptionally skilled human'
      /brief physical description/
      /did x other faintly recognizable thing/
      and both he and Yuan are aware that Kratos has been awol for a while, so there's a moment of pure silence and dawning 'no, it couldn't be'
- but then obviously one of them has to go make sure
- cue an interruption just out of Triet.

scenarios
scenario one: Yuan feels the need to investigate; this results in Kratos injured and abducted.
scenario two: Yuan realises he can't kill Kratos with his own two hands; Kratos gets mothered.
scenario three: Kratos gets sick on the heels of his recovery. Yuan mothers him some more. Botta disapproves.
scenario four: Kratos recovers and makes an escape attempt. Sort-of.
scenario five: Kratos recovers more and talks to Botta, when not needling Yuan about his lack of preparedness.
scenario six: Sheena's contract takes a slight shift into undercover instead of assassination work.


future
- Aselia is Earth ~10,000 years in the past
- all is peachy-keen except the tree is now underground and the elvens/half-elves/some humans are in hiding in the centre of the planet, hidden thanks to the summon spirits
- Colette is working with humanitarian aid in various impoverished nations
- Zelos is a diplomat in West Asia / Middle East trying to keep the peace
- Yuan is a crotchety lecturer at Cambridge who's also HUGE into environmentalism
- Lloyd and Kratos are having family time in space
- occasionally the trio on Earth meet reincarnations of people they used to know
- but rarely at the same time and almost never in a position where they meet
- but then they start meeting them
- lots of them
- all in the same span of years
- they're starting to think something's hinky
- until the space-elves attack
- and then they know something is hinky.


scenarios
None yet.


grigori
- at some point significantly before canon, Kratos actually calls it quits
- the Church's institution calls him a fallen angel of vengeance
- really he's just going around trying to help people and avoiding being taken back to Cruxis
- assigns himself to the Chosen parties whenever he can, up to Colette
- ????? idk some kind of profit somewhere

scenarios
None yet.


mercenary
- when Yuan visits Kratos at the beach when Lloyd is 3 months old, he does not manage to escape before Anna and Lloyd return
- accidental attachment to this kidlet who likes pulling his hair
- three years later, Yuan can't stand to hold back while Kratos fights Kvar, so he throws caution to the wind to help
- Anna is still killed but they rescue Lloyd and Noishe and both are branded as traitors
- Lloyd is raised as a Renegade with Dad, Uncle Yuan and the extremely reticent Uncle Botta (how dare)
- meanwhile in Tethe'alla Yuan infiltrates the castle as the library archivist
- stays out of sight, mostly, but has a good ear around the politics thanks to recruiting Princess Hilda
- also happens to stumble on Zelos hiding in the library right after his mother's death
- look he's got a 'nephew' he can't just do nothing (even if all he meant was to recommend a book)
- unwittingly accidentally 'adopts' the Tethe'allan Chosen by virtue of being the only one who doesn't treat him like the Chosen
- sometimes Kratos brings Lloyd to visit and basically they're all separate pairs of exasperated bros
- by canon Lloyd and Kratos are wandering mercenaries, helping people on the sly while gathering intel to send back to the Renegades
- Yuan and Zelos are actively building resistance to the Church using inside knowledge
- the ninja are all Renegades
- Colette is escorted by Raine and by the priests
- yes the 'chain up the Chosen and drag her to every seal if necessary' priests
- she meets Lloyd randomly in Triet but Lloyd doesn't know her as the Chosen. they're a bit out of touch on the Journey of Regen timeline
- stuff happens and they keep missing each other up until Palmacosta, which is a warzone between the Desians (and Dorr as their figurehead) and the Renegades (with Neil as their leader)
- Colette wants to help; priests say no
- out come the chains
- Raine objects, but she has no exsphere so what can she do
- btw Genis got caught in the Iselian ranch and tossed in as a traitor to be made a host
- he gets sent to the Palmacosta ranch
- right after Neil manages to take the city, after Colette and Raine leave it, Botta takes the Palmacosta ranch and rescues Genis, among others
- Genis becomes his little shadow and is much preferable to Lloyd, in Botta's opinion
- Lloyd and Kratos are still trying to catch up to Colette to rescue her when they drop by
- Genis hears what they're trying to do and insists on coming along.


scenarios
scenario one: in which Yuan accidentally adopts a Chosen instead of a book from a library.
scenario two: in which Yuan is accidentally-deliberately adopted by the Meltokio Castle Knights.


MEover
- Mass Effect crossover someplace in the realm of 15,000 years after TOS canon
- except started before then, cos elves are really from Feros, planet of the cranky telepathic plant
- got decimated by the protheans trying to assimilate them into their empire
- elves objected, got killed a lot, fled Feros and got stuck in Aselia's orbit
- kinda forgot a few things but planted a seed from the Ferosian mother plant on Aselia
- Origin hasn't forgotten tho, kinda has a grudge against grumblegrumbleprotheansgrumble
- the entirety of TOS happened, and then some
- Kratos, Yuan, Lloyd, Colette and Zelos are the only ones left, but tis okay, they have each other
- somethingsomething natural space disaster, Aselia is destroyed but they manage to move Yggdrasill onto Derris-Kharlan and do a quarian by becoming a roaming ship
- mana is a variant of eezo lbr
- Derris-Kharlan's too big to use the mass relays, but c'mon it generates its own mass effect field so they develop tech to do hops on their own
- they're in no hurry tho, i mean lbr primarily angelic, elf and half-elf population
- so they're just bumming around their local clusters doing thorough investigations on all the things
- so much eezo on their ship
- so much
- suddenly the Normandy running from a reapers comes along to hide behind them
- reapers start shooting
- everyone on Derris-Kharlan objects
- JUDGEMENT IN SPACE
- so much profit and judging of reapers.


scenarios
None yet.


origin
- Kratos tells Lloyd the dad thing in Triet
- dad and son feelings ensue
- they culminate at the Tower of Salvation in Kratos stabbing Yggdrasill in the back
- unfortunately he does not quite die but impales Kratos against a wall and goes berserk on the Chosen party to the point of Yuan stepping in to help
- that is, by threatening to stab Kratos in the back while he's vulnerable (with Kratos's permission)
- Yggdrasill calls his bluff and fails, and Yuan does the thing
- while Yggdrasill is distracted the Chosen's group nail him but good and he retreats
- luckily while heart-stabbing happened, Kratos's cruxis crystal is still intact, and between Raine's healing and Yuan's mana transfusion he survives long enough to be taken to the Triet base and a refresher
- stuff happens in some fashion or other up until opening Origin's seal
- as it turns out, the mana tranfusion has fused the lock, so to speak, and Kratos can't unlock the seal even voluntarily
- only way to get Origin out at this point is to let him fuse with Kratos, so Kratos becomes Origin
- stipulation of this: Kratos refuses to let go of his humanity
- luckily Yuan already has a literal bond with him thanks to the mana transfusion, so with him as his summoner Kratos can keep his humanity, and only use Origin's powers when Yuan summons them
- commitment like woah for a literal eternity
- but hey, they messed up but good and it's the only way they can reunite the worlds.

scenarios
none yet.


reversal
~ 2000 years in, Kratos and Yuan conspire to kill Mithos and succeed, sorta
- he's stuck inside his exsphere, possessing people
- but he manages to survive and while Kratos and Yuan claim Derris-Kharlan for their base, he takes most of the angels as 'fallen', as well as the Eternal Sword
- most of his bases are hidden behind dimensional slips created by the sword - Iselia included
- Origin refuses to trust either Kratos or Yuan with the job, anyhow, and they don't have a summoner
- instead they're forced to fight Cruxis, embroiling the worlds in an angelic war between Cruxis and the new organisation of Chayim
- the Chosen bloodlines are more important to Cruxis than Chayim, but Mithos seals the seals so only the Chosen bloodline can flip the mana switch. Kratos and Yuan need someone to do that until they can reunite them, so the Journey remains an institution, just without compulsory death at the end
- there is angelification tho, if only so Chayim gets more soldiers and so the Chosen can defend themselves against Cruxis
- Kratos sends Anna and Lloyd to Iselia, because even though enemy territory, it's the safest place there is for them
- Anna get word to Kratos that the Desians are using Iselia as a long-term cruxis crystal cultivation location, and that the sword is held there
- her spy succeeds but is intercepted, and Mithos locks down the dimensional slip to prevent exit and access by angels for ~15 years
- Lloyd grows up in a town with a heavy half-elf population and believing he's training to help the good guys
- he has his own cruxis crystal as a host, but doesn't tell his mother due to the faith-based propaganda encouraging hosts not to bring it up or risk the powers not taking
- he wants to help though, so he steals a key-crest to ensure he can fight
- Yuan and Kratos plan to assault the town and shrine but Mithos uses the sword to interrupt travel between worlds, keeping Yuan in Tethe'alla and forcing Kratos to attack Iselia alone.

scenarios
scenario one: Iselia is attacked by Chayim to claim the sword, with the sword already gone


titans
- Yggdrasill captures Kratos before Kvar finds Anna and Lloyd, but after Kratos makes an Eternal Ring
- Yuan figures hell no and raises the Renegades to try and take Derris-Kharlan, rescue Kratos and solve the split-world problem
- the attack fails. a lot.
- Renegades are wiped out, Kratos is still in Cruxis's hands, but Yuan manages to escape with the Eternal Ring
- Cruxis follows him to Triet base, which gets destroyed and the few remaining Renegades scatter
- Botta is still around tho, helping out how he can
- mostly Yuan just goes searching for Lloyd and Anna
- doesn't manage to find them before Kvar does tho, and Kratos hears from Yggdrasill that they're dead
- this is slightly inaccurate, cos Lloyd still winds up rescued by Dirk in Iselia
- where Yuan eventually finds him, not knowing that he's 'supposed' to be dead
- so Yuan settles in Iselia for a bit to watch Lloyd and the Chosen
- cuts and dyes his hair, the whole shebang
- learns how to carpentry, invents a new use of magic lightning and light can totally become a laserbeam amirite
- winds up being Genis's role model just because scholar and magic-user and half-elf who can pass but also takes no shit from people
- is one of Colette's companions on the Journey when it starts
- he's been challenging their understanding of the Church's institution this whole time lbr
- Sheena is still a thing because the ninja have taken over the Tethe'allan base, which has survived, somewhat
- a grilling ensues
- sometime just after the Asgard Ranch Yuan does have to drop the bombshell
- about how the Journey is just a front, he and his bestie are angels, btw his bestie is Lloyd's dad
- how they're out to topple the institution of religion
- forget sacrificing Colette for the Regeneration, when they get to the seal they can do that without anyone dying
- and then move straight on to rescuing Kratos in Derris-Kharlan
- then they get to the Tower and realise Yggdrasill has Kratos under a Prometheusesque punishment a la 'impaled on the Eternal Sword to suffer the Seed's pain and watch the Chosen get murdered'
- luckily this does not happen, as they manage to rescue him and escape Yggdrasill instead, barely
- retreat to Botta's hiding-place in Asgard so Kratos can recover
- and also find out that Lloyd is actually alive
- the Chosen group goes around to make as many pacts as they can while in Sylvarant
- they get up to Aska when Yggdrasill sends his angels to attack Asgard
- cue Yuan and Kratos being unstoppable battle gods together


scenarios
scenario one: in which Yuan leads the Chosen's party to the Tower of Salvation to dismantle all the traditions ever, and find Kratos waiting for them in serious need of a rescue.
scenario two: in which being in safety reveals that Kratos is not precisely unscathed, but he's doing his best.
scenario three: in which Kratos is emphatically not okay, but with Yuan's help, could be.

Comments

[conductingresistance]

[That is by no means a safe question. Yuan regards Zelos at an angle, and wonders if he cares enough to skirt the truth without lying.]

I've lost count. Well over five hundred, at this point.

[He'd be hard pressed to narrow down exactly where he is, in truth. He's been estimating 'about four thousand' for several years now.]

[Yuan chuckles then, a dry little rasp of amusement.]

What haven't I lived through? This city's been through more than a few changes. What aspects are you interested in?

[choiced]

[Meltokio? Zelos makes a face. Sometimes it seems like all he ever learns about is the history of Meltokio. He wants to hear something he's never heard before, like -- ]

Were you born here?

[The pity of a trapped nine-year-old over the idea of living in the same spot for 500 years is a very deep, intensive sort of pity.]

Wait -- what about Chosens? Have you seen one regenerate the world?

[Because 800 is more than 500, technically. And while the last thing Zelos wants to do is contemplate being the Chosen One, he at least has the sense to be happy he isn't a sacrifice. Tales of when the world was dying are only stories, told to scare him into obedience. He's pretty sure half the stories are bogus, and he's pretty sure the half-elf librarian is about to tell him just that.]

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan shakes his head.]

I was born a very long way from here. The city I was born in doesn't exist any more.

[Technically. But in any case this will avoid him having to name the place; Sylvarant is not, he thinks, a lesson for today.]

At least, not the same way. And yes.

[It's a revision of his initial estimate, but still within the realm of believability, and-- well, any Chosen could use someone to talk to who knows something of it. Someone who isn't a priest. Yuan has only held more and more disdain for the Church of Martel.]

I've seen a regeneration happen. Was there something you wanted to know about it?

[choiced]

[... the city not existing anymore might be better than never leaving it, but Zelos isn't sure. He can't imagine Meltokio disappearing.

(Because that's totally how cities fall. All at once and all in a single day.)]

You're old. [This is said with half disgust and half wonderment, and was also absolutely imperative to say first. Then:] Did they really become an angel at the end?

[Because right now, to a nine-year-old who's realising he doesn't like having to watch around every corner for someone trying to kill him, that sounds like the best part. The only good part. And even then, it comes with dying.]

[conductingresistance]

[Flatly:]

You're young.

[Yuan can't argue his age, though. He is old. Even if he was only eight hundred or so, that would still be old by human standards, and approaching it by elven.]

[And then he hesitates, if only briefly.]

...Yes. The Chosen became an angel, and that was the end of her life in this world.

[choiced]

[Peevishly:]

No I'm not. You're old.

[Children are always right about matters of age. Also, living for hundreds of years isn't normal, so half-elves are always old.

The peevishness disappears a moment later.]

She died? I thought you... [His voice trails off, then strengthens again.] To become an angel, you have to die?

[conductingresistance]

[How does that make sense? Is this what Kratos is going to be subjected to, in a year or two?]

Both can be true.

[But as for the rest...]

[Yuan wonders if perhaps he's said too much for a child. It isn't as though this Chosen will be called to face that fate. In the end he decides honesty is the better approach, even if it's grim.]

To become an angel the way the Chosen does is to give up heart and memory. Losing everything you are... wouldn't you call that dying?

[choiced]

I guess.

[Zelos does not sound especially frightened or even unsure about the prospect, though. Just a little confused. Part of that is because he'll never need to worry about it himself -- but only part.

Suffice to say he still doesn't think becoming an angel would be a bad thing.

That's getting uncomfortably close to things he isn't allowed to be upset over anymore or talk about to anyone, so a brief second of silence and then Zelos cheerfully changes the subject.]

What was the name of the city when you lived there? What was it like? And -- did all the plants die before the Chosen saved the world? One of my teachers says the whole world was like Flanoir.

[conductingresistance]

Nidavellir.

[No one in Sylvarant would even recognize that name, any more; Asgard was Balacruf before it was Asgard, and Nidavellir before even that. It's safe enough. Yuan shifts the books in his arms and half-turns.]

I still have shelving to do. You're welcome to come with me.

Nidavellir was always a very windy place; it was high in the mountains. The sunrise was always beautiful from there.

And no, not all the plants died; but it was significantly more difficult to grow crops, and there were acres of land that fell barren.

[choiced]

[Nidavellir. Zelos promises himself to look that up later and find out what happened to it. He's not sure how to spell it, but he's sure someone in the palace will help him.

For now, he obediently trails along behind the half-elf librarian, though the idea of offering help doesn't even cross his mind. Nobody ever expects it of him.]

Then the professor was wrong! [Zelos grins triumphantly. The hardships of centuries ago seem laughably small in comparison to that.] Do you think it'll happen again soon? There are people who say we've been blessed for too long, and --

[There's a noise outside the library door and Zelos cuts off abruptly. Panic wipes the cheer from his face. He looks around, then slides quickly under a low table just before one of the palace guards walks in.]

You there. Have you seen the Chosen?

[It's pretty obvious this isn't one of the main stops on their search for Zelos, since the guard still has one foot out the door.]

[conductingresistance]

[No one in the palace will have heard of it.]

[Yuan makes a noncommittal noise, flattening one hand in the air as he sweeps down the line of shelves. He's going to answer the question when Zelos finishes, but--]

[Hmph. Guards, in his library. Yuan ignores Zelos scrambling off and turns to face the incoming stranger.]

Of course I have. I work in the castle.

If you're asking if I've seen him recently, no, I have no idea where he is. I've been shelving. Is he missing?

[--Yuan is not doing a very good job of pretending to be an unexceptional librarian, by also being a half-elf mouthing off to royal guards. Damn.]

[choiced]

[It's not one of the main stops on their search for Zelos, but the guard's just been given ample reason to show more than a passing interest. His stance shifts and his expression changes, eyes narrowing.]

What's your name?

[Under the table, Zelos folds into himself a little more. The librarian isn't like the assassin from last year, and the idea that Zelos might have gotten him into trouble doesn't sit well. He doesn't even know the man's name yet, and here he is, defending him.]

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan has definitely overstepped. He flattens his expression out, into something neutral and more suited for dealing with Yggdrasill. That is to say: inoffensive.]

It's Yuan.

Shall I report it if I do see him?

[He offers nothing more than that, only a flat watching, waiting to see how much damage control he's going to have to do.]

[choiced]

[There's a moment where the guard is obviously deciding whether to pursue things further, but he has a lot to do and it's going to be someone's hide if the Chosen isn't found very soon. The guard would prefer that hide not to be his.]

Yes. Report to the nearest of us on duty. And -- [A beat.] -- be careful, half-elf. Remember your place.

[Then he's gone. Zelos counts out ten seconds just to make sure, then crawls out from under the table. He straightens up, scoots forward, crosses his legs, and puts his chin in his hands.]

You don't act like a half-elf.

[Coming from Zelos, it's not an accusation. He sounds dubious, but also curious, and there's definitely an implied question in there.]

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan knows better than to make rude faces at a person's back just because he thinks they're leaving. He stays near-frozen instead, only waiting, until he's sure the guard's gone.]

[Then he turns, and regards the small Chosen on the floor.]

I am a half-elf. I can hardly act like anything else.

[choiced]

But you don't -- you're not --

[Zelos trails off with a frustrated grumble, wholly unused to being flustered or at a loss for words, then carries on with a small explosion of breath:]

No half-elf I know talks to the guards or -- or anyone like that, like you don't care. Aren't you scared someone will have you arrested? Aren't you -- aren't you worried they'll find me and I'll just tell them it's your fault?

[Which is an idea that has not, right until this moment, occurred to Zelos. Now that it has, he finds he wishes he didn't bring it up at all. Yuan didn't need to help him, because Zelos is only nine years old, and everyone else in the palace is a much greater threat to a half-elf. But he did anyway, and Zelos isn't going to repay him by being a fink.]

[conductingresistance]

The thought had occurred to me.

[Mostly in the context of Kratos being irritated with him; but there are memories of being in the Sylvaranti military which have a similar theme.]

[Yuan considers: is crouching down to the level of a child rude? With Lloyd he wouldn't question it, but Lloyd is also some years younger than Zelos. Yuan seems to recall, distantly, some more prickly pride in his youth; then again, he can barely recall not having that pride, and unbending it has always been difficult.]

[In the end he leans down to offer Zelos a hand up, which seems like a reasonable compromise.]

I am very old, Zelos. And very practiced. There isn't much anyone can do to me if I don't allow it.

Granted, resisting arrest will effectively ruin any chance I have of remaining peacefully in this city for the next decade at least, and a good friend will be exceedingly upset with me, but I will survive. If I survive, I can begin again.

[choiced]

[It's been a long time since someone trying to reassure Zelos actually worked.

He stares at Yuan's hand for a minute, then accepts the help back onto his feet. He doesn't understand why Yuan was rude to the guard, and he doesn't understand why Yuan acts like he knows a great many things no one else does. (None of the other librarians act like that, anyway.) What Zelos does understand is the tug in his gut which tells him something important is going on, and it would probably be better if he doesn't know what it is.]

Don't you want to know why they're looking for me?

[This is said a little more cheerfully than before, a little more like a child teasing a parent. For all that, though, it's still more vulnerable than Zelos has let himself be for months.]

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan can guess it's because Zelos isn't where he was supposed to be-- but that leaves specifics out. There's something about Zelos's tone, too, which makes Yuan almost think he wants to be asked.]

I assumed either you did something unwise, or weren't where they think you're supposed to be.

[His tone's dry, but that particular way which from Yuan means affection, and he's smiling very faintly.]

Why don't you tell me which?

[choiced]

[Aww. Guessing games aren't any fun when someone's a good guesser.]

I'm supposed to be training outside.

[Zelos points through the bookcase, just in case Yuan isn't clear on where 'outside' is. And while Zelos is dressed in the loose training outfit for swordwork, he doesn't have his sword with him. The teacher probably has it by now. Checking Zelos's room would have been the first thing anyone did when they realised he was missing.]

But it's snowing.

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan's expression remains more or less the same; but he does know something of this Chosen's situation. Most of Meltokio knows about the death of his mother, after all.]

[Briskly:]

There's no use complicating your lessons with adverse weather before you've fully mastered the basics. You're here already; you may as well stay.

As long as you're not caught. But that shouldn't be a problem, should it?

[choiced]

[That tone of voice, for an instant, makes Zelos withdraw. It sounds a lot like when someone's dismissive, when he's told he's being silly, when he's scolded.

But then he hears the words, not just the tone. Yuan didn't ask why it still bothers him. Yuan didn't ask why the snow matters. Yuan didn't tell him to go outside anyway.

Yuan said he could stay.

A smile blooms slowly across Zelos's face.] It could be a problem, but I'm smarter than they think. They won't find me anywhere near here.

[And he wanders off to find a chair and drag it over. Yuan better not mind a small redheaded adoptee.]

[conductingresistance]

Good.

[Where is Zelos going? Ah. Yuan waits where he is for Zelos to come back, and once he's settled:]

If you want to learn about the archive organization, it's going to involve walking around. These still need to be shelved, after all.

[Zelos can also just... sit wherever he likes. That is also an option. Yuan still has some faint bemusement about him, but there's no question about Zelos's remaining, or about his being found or returned to his tutors. This is simply what is.]

[choiced]

If I want to learn about the what? [It takes everything Zelos has to keep from making a face.] You mean like alphabetical order? Why would I want to --

[-- he has a favour to repay.]

I mean... uh. Okay. [He gets slowly up off the chair.] What do I do?

[conductingresistance]

It's a little more than alphabetical order. The library is divided into sections by subject matter.

[Yuan pauses in the middle of his next thought, and reconsiders what he's about to say before he says it.]

Why do you think that might be a problem?

[He motions that Zelos should come with him, eyeballs the spine of the top book in his stack for a moment, and sets off into the shelves.]