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

[choiced]

That first one, you --

[-- it's a joke. It has to be a joke. The only reason that's a surprise is Zelos has never known Yuan to joke, but no one's that stupid without trying to be. As such, Zelos isn't going to dignify it with a response. Just a glare. A glare that probably loses some of its potency for being the glare of a blind person, but hey, Zelos will take what he can get.]

You know what? Just don't talk to him.

[Apart from when he's frustrated, Zelos has never been very good with strong emotion. He learned very quickly to lock it down, keep it hidden, pretend it didn't exist. If communicating hinges on that, he's doomed. Maybe he should just stay frustrated for the rest of his life.

What do I do about being able to sense --

--no inaudible echo with that one. Dammit.]

This sucks.

[conductingresistance]

[All this gets from Yuan a dry chuckle, actual evidence of his amusement.]

[It's gotten Zelos reaching out mentally, so he doesn't think Zelos is in a position to argue.]

No, it's not enjoyable. That's the point. Most people would reach for anything to free them from such a situation, and the first route open is usually the one the crystal paves.

[The frustration was the clearest part of that last. With practice, it will improve.]

[Yuan's going to let Zelos rest before throwing magic at him again, but this is hardly taxing. Zelos can take needling a little while longer.]

[choiced]

[The only way Zelos can tell the wind is blowing is by the tiny brushing of grass blades against his shoulder, the subtly changing pressures every time each individual blade changes direction. He can't feel the wind on his skin. He never thought he'd miss it so much.

And what's he supposed to do when he wants a night-time rendezvous? Not being able to feel anything makes that pointless. Stupid cruxis crystal.

Zelos is getting sick of feeling grumpy all the time. On a whim he sits up and casts fireball out in front of him, wordlessly shaping and then releasing the mana into three balls of fire coursing through the air. He does it a second time after that, and a third time after that. If the crystal wants him to use mana so badly, fine. Time to get this over with.]

[conductingresistance]

[Good. Progress.]

[Yuan moves a hair to the side to reduce the risk of being clipped by a fireball, and he observes-- more the flow of mana than any gestures Zelos is making, though he does note the absence of a formal circle, the sort mages usually produce when casting.]

[Zelos is getting the right idea about this.]

That's a start, though I'd prefer you didn't set anything on fire that doesn't deserve it. It's coming easier to you, isn't it?

[As will happen, when you practice.]

Does this mean you're rested enough for me to drag you to your feet again?

[choiced]

[It is getting easier, yeah. Zelos still has no idea where the fireballs are actually ending up, but he feels better about it, like something got unlocked or unhinged -- like he's secure in the knowledge he might know eventually if he keeps practicing. Which is just weird. It's not like any of the five senses he's used to.

Zelos glances in Yuan's general direction, startled.]

Again?

[Another fight? ... Well, sure. There's no real reason not to, other than the habit of needing longer breaks than this to rejuvenate. A few seconds pass, Zelos gives a very dramatic resigned sigh, and he holds out his hand for Yuan to drag him back up.]

[conductingresistance]

[He might be orienting on voice, might be orienting on mana. Possibly both. Yuan will have to test that, too.]

Yes, again. You don't need to sleep, do you?

Unless you'd prefer to sit there and guess where I've moved to.

[Yuan gets to his feet, though, and reaches a hand down, clasping Zelos's and pulling him to his feet.]

I'll let you have a longer rest when I'm satisfied with your progress.

[choiced]

[Sleeping. There's another thing he misses. Nights are indescribably boring right now.

Zelos rises to his feet easily enough and rolls his shoulders in preparation for another fight, even though not one single muscle in his arms feels stiff. Force of habit, probably, combined with the knowledge that just because he can't feel the stiffness anymore doesn't mean stretching out his muscles isn't still a good idea. He reaches instinctively for the dagger at his belt, remembers he doesn't have it anymore -- where is it, on the ground somewhere? -- and takes a ready stance, facing Yuan.

He's a bit more accurate about his direction this time, and not just because of the sound of Yuan's voice. Orientating toward mana doesn't require consciously knowing where the mana is.]

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan has his dagger, actually, though he's not going to be telling Zelos that or giving it back any time soon.]

[He lifts perhaps a handspan off the ground, just enough that he won't have audible footsteps, and casts lightning toward Zelos. It's light and shallow, just enough to be felt, as before, and his plans for the immediate future involve much the same lightning. If Zelos can sense it coming in time to guard, then there's progress.]

[Yuan also very intentionally varies his position more widely this time, skimming from side to side and providing even more unpredictability than he had before. Eventually:]

What are you noticing?

[choiced]

[At first the pattern's a lot like the one from before, so while Zelos doesn't manage to block every attack, he anticipates well enough to make it seem like he's doing better. But then Yuan changes that pattern, over and over until there is no pattern, and Zelos just knows he's going to come out of this with singe marks all up and down his arms.

At least he can probably play those up for sympathy later.

Eventually, Zelos gives up thinking. He can't hear, see, or feel where Yuan is, so thinking obviously isn't helping. There are a few strikes he completely fails to dodge thanks to that, but once instinct takes over he begins orientating towards Yuan's mana automatically.

It just feels like luck, at first. A few attacks that hit Zelos dead-on instead of slightly to the side. But he learns quickly, and he starts guarding.]

Nothing.

[Even telepathy's easier if he's not thinking. He doesn't communicate the word 'nothing'; he communicates the feeling. Like being lucky. Like being psychic.]

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan isn't sorry about the singe marks. They'll heal. They've both done and received worse. Zelos needs to develop his sense for mana more than he needs to be un-shocked.]

[For the moment Yuan hovers in one spot, flexing his fingers, considering the virtues of more or heavier lightning.]

[The feeling of knowing without thinking, hm. Yes, Zelos isn't wrong.]

Yes. You shouldn't have to think consciously about it. You don't think about seeing, do you?

[When he can, that is. Still. This is encouraging. Yuan casts Lightning now, more than just the raw gathering and directing of mana, a proper little bolt to strike down.]

[choiced]

[A scowl settles on Zelos's face.]

Is that supposed to be a --

[He moves without thinking, shield arm up despite his lack of a shield, and feels the sharp edge of a bolt of lightning. It's not painful, though it probably would be if he could feel pain. It's not even a feeling, really. It's more an intuition, split seconds before he hears the lightning strike the ground. Better than his head.]

-- a joke? I'm blind. Seeing's all I've been thinking about for the past few days!

[Yuan's point isn't lost on Zelos, but a lot of the pent-up frustration finds an outlet before common sense does.]

[conductingresistance]

[That's coming through nice and clearly. Yuan isn't going to apologize.]

You're missing the point. Sight is the primary sense most individuals use, but they don't consciously think about constriction of the iris, or what depth to focus at. Mana will become the same to you.

[He may have hurt Zelos more seriously with that one. Not entirely intentional.]

Tch. And why aren't you using Guardian? Or is that not the technique you favor?

[choiced]

I thought I was supposed to be dodging the lightning.

[But he's also supposed to use mana. And since knowing where Yuan is right now amounts to luck -- or at least feels a lot like luck -- counter-attacking with magic isn't going to work. Yuan's better, and faster. Zelos would never cast anything in time.

He turns in the direction that feels right, so he's facing Yuan directly. Guardian flares around him, bright green and dynamic, then fades away.]

There. Happy now?

[conductingresistance]

You're supposed to not be letting it hit you. However you prefer to do that.

[Yuan's voice is still dry, but there's a slightly sharper edge to it now. Zelos provides a uniquely frustrating experience.]

[But he is, after all, facing Yuan.]

I wouldn't go so far as happy, but yes, that's better.

[choiced]

['However you prefer to do that' meaning 'use Guardian, you idiot'. For the first time since Yuan dragged him outside, Zelos wonders what's in this for the angel. Lloyd's hard to say no to, but if anyone could do it, it would be Yuan. Why does he care about this?

Hey, since everything he's saying seems to be getting through now:]

Why are you here? Why does it matter to you if I can sense mana? You only ever get yourself involved if it has something to do with Martel.

[It's not exactly meant as an accusation, but Zelos prepares for another attack anyway. One thing he learned about dealing with Yuan is that the man doesn't have a healthy dose of patience.]

[conductingresistance]

[Zelos is not wrong about Yuan's patience.]

[It is perhaps fortunate he can't see the faint tightening of Yuan's expression at the mention of Martel.]

I owed Kratos a favor.

[Several favors. ]

Mnh. Even if I hadn't, your life is not currently an acceptable loss, for a variety of reasons. To that end, I'll see you complete this transformation successfully if it takes the rest of the week and my patience besides.

[He is casting while he talks, and punctuates this with lightning again.]

[choiced]

[... Kratos?]

What do you --

[More lightning. Zelos has a little more warning this time, an unexamined idea that the lightning's going to strike before the sound cracks through the air. Another Guardian flares around him and the lightning glances harmlessly -- or at least mostly harmlessly, and without any pain -- off the top. When the last of the green flare vanishes Zelos drops his arms.]

Why does Kratos care about this? I thought he ran off to get rid of the exspheres and keep the angels busy.

[Seriously, Kratos? ... Wait.]

Are you saying I'm gonna be blind for the rest of the week?

[conductingresistance]

You'll be blind until the transformation is complete. The length of time depends on you.

[Notably he answers the easier question first, and folds his arms across his chest while considering how to answer the other. 'Kratos thought you were enough like him that you might be looking for a place to die' seems like a terrible way to go about it; even Yuan can tell that much.]

Kratos has several reasons to care. Not least of which being it would make Lloyd sad, were you to die.

[This is utter sentiment; but it doesn't sound bitter, coming from Yuan. Only dry, as many things are.]

[choiced]

[Sure. Lloyd would be sad if a puppy died, too. But Kratos hasn't spent any favours saving all the puppies in the world.]

And what are the other reasons?

[The question, the curiosity, is half a leftover habit -- an angel of Cruxis taking an interest in anything Zelos is doing doesn't traditionally lead anywhere good. The rest of it, though, is just honest confusion. Kratos left his son behind. He's millions of miles away. And now he cares? Now he's trying to fix things, and using Zelos to do it? Nope. Something else is going on.]

[conductingresistance]

Are you sure you want the entire list?

[Yuan arches his eyebrows for no-one's benefit but his own, apparently.]

We helped create this system, Kratos and I.

[With Mithos, true: but they could have stopped him, at the beginning. They did not begin to try until it was so wound up that it could not be fixed without so much more.]

In many ways, your situation is our fault. That which is done can't be erased; but for the sake of those who still live, it may be... mitigated.

[The word is insufficient. And Yuan has much more on his hands than Kratos does. ... He isn't going to speak of that.]

And when I last spoke to Kratos, he intimated that he saw enough of himself in you that you might still be looking for a place to die. Is he right?

[Yuan wonders if he even knows how to gentle himself, any more. But there is no incoming lightning, not immediately.]

[choiced]

[Oh, yeah, the part where Zelos can blame his entire lousy upbringing on them. Honestly, he'd forgotten about that. In the face of everything else they were doing -- especially in the face of not expecting to survive -- holding grudges just seemed so... petty.

He can hold a grudge now. How awesome is that.]

No.

[... Maybe. Come to think of it, Zelos hadn't been trying very hard to get through this transformation. He doesn't try to amend what he said to Yuan, but the word 'no' also got transmitted with no surprise in it whatsoever.]

Wait a minute, you talked to him? When? Can Lloyd do that?

[Because if it's possible to contact Kratos and Lloyd hasn't gotten a chance to, that's... Zelos doesn't even have words for what that is.]

[conductingresistance]

[That isn't a very emphatic no. Hm.]

I spoke to him when it became clear your transformation was not progressing without outside intervention. And... mm. Yes and no.

[Yuan doesn't entirely understand Zelos's bitterness with Kratos; but he does feel some obligation to defend Kratos's choices, as possible.]

It takes some not insignificant energy to do it. And Kratos, I think, would not be able to refuse Lloyd's entreaty to return, should Lloyd ask. He fears the weakening of his resolve to bear our responsibilities.

[The fight has ebbed. This is not what Yuan meant. He sighs, and rests his fingertips briefly against his forehead.]

[choiced]

[Zelos stands still and doesn't say -- or transmit -- anything.

So Lloyd can talk to his father. But he's being denied that opportunity. He doesn't even know it is an opportunity. And all for some arbitrary sense of duty unilaterally decided by the one person who should never be making unilateral decisions again? All for responsibility? All for a group of lifeless angels who aren't Lloyd?

If Zelos was looking for a reason to get through this, he just found it. If he dies now, there won't be anyone to tell Kratos how much of an idiot he's being.]

Attack me again.

[There's a new angry resolve in Zelos's expression that wasn't there before.]

[conductingresistance]

[There's some thought process going on there. Yuan highly doubts it's favorable, but these are consequences he will make Kratos deal with.]

[This is, after all, all Kratos's fault.]

If you'd like to talk to him about that decision, you're going to have to get your voice back first.

[With that word of -- almost encouragement -- Yuan drifts aside and casts. Lightning mana circles, shapes. Casts, cracking down toward Zelos's back.]

[choiced]

[Guardian is an all-purpose, all-direction block, as long as you use it in time. Which Zelos does. It feels less like luck, probably because he asked for the attack and knew it was coming. But it also struck his back, so he didn't get the direction right. He needs to get everything right.]

Or I could just keep doing what I'm doing now, since it's finally working.

[Zelos turns and faces Yuan. That part, at least, is definitely easier now. Something about Yuan is a lot louder than anything else surrounding them.]

Can you shout in someone's head?