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

[simulsimul]

You have one connection. You have me.

[This is said evenly, without looking over. Kratos has no intention of turning himself over to someone who holds a grudge; but if he did kill the man's spouse, there's some degree of recompense owed. Sylvarant doesn't believe in executions unless the subject is too dangerous to live, and he is no longer that.]

What laws are there for repaying that kind of debt?

[And is it something available to him, as a slave?]

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan makes a sound that can best be described as a low and disgruntled hum.]

Wergild is the first resort; it's typically a monetary compensation for the loss of vital services, whether material or emotional.

[Not available to Kratos, really, and not something Yuan would like to pay. He did not bargain to take on Kratos's debts as well.]

The next typical form of addressing such a debt is indenture, but you're mine.

[Yuan has no intention of letting Kratos go; especially to someone who might find a way to arrange an 'accident.' There are laws against such things, of course, but Yuan is under no illusions that many would push hard for punishment in the case of the possible accidental death of a Tethe'allan slave.]

[There's more than a few reasons he wanted to acquire Kratos for himself.]

If no agreement can be reached, there are-- judges, of a sort, to whom the matter can be taken.

[Which Yuan isn't especially fond of, either. He assumes he won't be given fair handling as a matter of course.]

[simulsimul]

[You're mine. That's the part which keeps Kratos silent, momentarily with nothing to say; fortunately, Yuan keeps talking. It isn't as though it's untrue: Yuan does own Kratos. But there's something about the words and the way Yuan says it which makes Kratos suspect that he doesn't realise what he did, in fact, say.

[It does prompt a rush of warmth in Kratos's chest, though it's not precisely a situation where most people would consider it warranted. It's just that no one's laid claim to Kratos before. It's a novel feeling.

[But it doesn't sound like an easy solution, and Kratos can't ask Yuan to pay whatever might be necessary for someone's life. Still, if there's a way, with the judges ...]

There must be someone who would like the challenge. I'd appreciate it if --

[Kratos pauses, aware suddenly that they're in public, in fact about to pass into the area with the food and fresh produce. Somewhere not far from here, perhaps on one of the bridges overhead, is the An-hei's stall. He lowers his head a little, a visual indication of subservience, even if what he's about to ask isn't.]

It isn't often I'm able to offer something to the families of those I've killed. If these judges have an alternative ... I would appreciate seeing what it is.

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan does catch that there's some odd pause about Kratos's speech, but he keeps talking and it seems, after a moment, nothing. He has, in the end, no concept of the impact his words have had yet.]

[He does exhale an amused breath.]

I'm sure someone will appreciate the challenge you represent, yes.

[If he doesn't drive some poor person to utter frustration. The lowered head gets a briefly askance look, but it does mean Yuan gives the following words a little more weight, since Kratos has gone to such trouble to cloak them.]

[Kratos will get no thanks for his efforts, more than likely. If Yuan thought that would matter, he'd mention it.]

It's an unusual case. You were a soldier, but remain effectively Tethe'allan; however, there's something to be said for your legal status as property, and the fact that you also have been injured.

[He shakes his head. This perhaps isn't something they should be discussing here and now.]

In any case, it's worth approaching them first.

[simulsimul]

Not at the stall, presumably.

[Speaking directly to the man is unlikely to get much of a good response, but the family direct may not have any idea of what's occurring.]

I doubt the children will be an issue today, at least.

[Even assuming that they're warned he's there; there's no point in calling them over simply to watch him walk out protected. Still, the situation rankles, and at first Kratos can't figure out why, except that -- this fool of a Sylvaranti is using his nieces and nephew as weapons. That doesn't sit right.]

Later. If you're willing to carry some things, I can buy a little extra in the event I'm unable to come again for a while.

[conductingresistance]

No. Although we should stop by to observe his reaction, to be certain it's him; unless you have some better plan.

[Yuan is fairly sure from what Acacius has said that this is the likely culprit. However, it's best to be sure, and Kratos has some better grasp of minute social niceties than he does.]

[He nods shortly. They shouldn't be an issue today; but they both know it isn't feasible for Yuan to accompany Kratos every time. This isn't a tenable state of affairs.]

I can carry some things. That's a wise idea.

[simulsimul]

[Not precisely a thought Kratos enjoys, but it does make some degree of sense, he supposes.]

If we both go it would put him on the defensive. If I go alone, as a patron, I may be able to get some answers, and you'll be able to see more from a distance without his attempting to lie to you.

[He looks upward, at the bridges, looking for signs to direct the ignorant.]

We should do that now, before there's too much to carry. Do you see a sign ...?

[conductingresistance]

Hm. You have a point.

[It will do, as far as plans constructed in such a short period of time go.]

We'll do it that way, then.

[Yuan's fairly noticeable; but if the man has something specifically against Kratos, he'll find it hard to focus on anything else.]

I believe it's this way.

[He gestures, and starts walking again. This is less to do with a sign and more to do with his recollections of the market layout from when he was the one doing all his own shopping.]

[simulsimul]

[Kratos follows, taking note of their route. He doesn't ordinarily go to the market's heights -- or to the ridges below -- owing to the extra difficulty for his leg and the fact there's nothing he needs in either direction. On this occasion he forbears, eyeing the stairs with resignation; but instead Yuan leads him to a platform half-hidden behind a stall which, to Kratos's surprise, proves to be an elevator.]

I didn't know this was here.

[There is, perhaps, more a note of relief in his tone than he means to reveal, as they take it up.]

[conductingresistance]

The signage could be better.

[Yuan should perhaps show Kratos a few more of the shortcuts he remembers, on the off chance that he hasn't managed to discover them himself yet.]

[Even if he hasn't been here in some time, he still knows the way almost exactly, and leads Kratos without having to think about it. His thoughts can be spared for the surroundings and the people around them, always with an eye for hostility.]

[Once they're out of the small elevator it's still a bit longer, and there's a raised bridge to cross, but Yuan can see where the stall is. He doesn't point, though, even at this distance.]

Somewhat farther along this path, and to the left.

[simulsimul]

[In contrast, Kratos is simply paying attention to the unfamiliar terrain and the ache in his leg. It's a novelty; Yuan has been protective enough that Kratos has no concerns about focussing on keeping his feet and learning the area. It's something he's hardly had the chance to do lately, with having to keep watch on the crowd.

[When Yuan speaks, Kratos follows his gaze, searching the path ahead. He nods once and continues past Yuan, glancing around at the stalls both to see what's available this high and as a cover. The sweet stall is obvious as soon as it comes in sight. It's a popular stall, which means there are witnesses; but Kratos has to wonder how many of them will care, if anything untoward occurs.

[The man behind the stall is smiling, teasing as he hands out his bags of sweets to children and adults alike. Kratos approaches unspeaking, making no attempt to draw attention to himself, but he knows it when he's been seen. Everyone knows it when he's been seen.

[It's a simple glance -- that brief look stall-owners throw when they sense someone approaching. Then the man's head snaps back up and his face twists. Anything in his hands gets dropped as he rounds the end of his stall, already screaming in a language Kratos only half understands. Kratos shifts to back up on instinct before being forcibly reminded that he can't, with his leg like it is; and it's very nearly a boon that his heel catches and he falls back, because it means that An-Hei's first blow misses.

[On the other hand, it leaves Kratos jarred on the ground, trapped on one side by his basket and on the other by the drop of the cliff, and An-Hei quite willing to use his feet.]

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan hangs back, though he's half-expecting disaster, and is keeping a close eye on Kratos's progress the whole while. It's foolish hovering, probably; An-Hei is unlikely to fling himself across the trays of sweets in the middle of a crowded marketplace.]

[He has to amend this some few minutes later. An-Hei does not fling himself across the trays. He goes around them instead, like a sensible bereaved person. Damn it all. Yuan takes off along the path, not caring that he has to elbow someone aside to do it, but all the same he isn't going to get to Kratos quite in time.]

[A few blows land before Yuan can interpose himself, but he does so immediately when he can, catching An-Hei by the shoulders and shoving him back.]

That's enough.

[The snarl is all military commander, very little irritated half-elf. Having no weapon on him is not going to stop Yuan from defending.]

[simulsimul]

[Kratos manages to curl in to protect his vitals, or near enough -- it's a familiar position, at this point. He's still left gasping, and that enlivens the sharp pain in his side. An-Hei is stronger than the children of his family.]

He murdered my husband! He --

[The stream that follows is unintelligible, though Kratos can't tell if it's because he hasn't learned the words yet or it's just because of the way An-Hei's started sobbing while screaming, still trying to make for Kratos as though Yuan is just an obstacle to get through and not something very dangerous. Carefully, Kratos unfolds himself, and regrets it when he feels the shift of a rib in his side, clenching his jaw on the pain.]

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan's sympathy is unfortunately lacking; he's never felt this kind of loss, and his priority is currently curled on the ground behind him, mostly because of the man he's blocking.]

[He has more than enough strength to shove An-Hei back again.]

Would you call all our armed forces murderers, then?

[That's got an angry rasp of an edge to it at the sheer hypocrisy. Yuan tries not to forget that every person he kills was brought into this world by someone. He can't carry all the weights, naturally. That's foolishness, and asking for guilt is never something he's done.]

[Still.]

Back, An-Hei. Until you can restrain yourself from damaging what's mine.

[He'll make apology to Kratos later, though almost certainly not in as many words.]

[simulsimul]

[It's more than enough to push An-Hei back a few feet, and for someone to, finally, push through the crowd to keep him back. Even still, Yuan's last words makes An-Hei laugh, a bitter, hysterical laugh with no humour in it.]

Yours?! That man should never have been allowed to live!

[Still, he's being pulled back, if only due to the strength of someone who knows him, murmuring something unheard into his ear. Kratos pushes himself gingerly upright, though his breath catches with the motion; it's enough to see An-Hei's feet, though he doesn't lift his head enough to see any higher.]

I'm sorry for the death of your husband.

[His voice is low, rough because of the pain in his side and the unfamiliarity of the language. All he gets for his trouble is a tearful string of abuse, though at least An-Hei's friends keep him back this time, one of them speaking to Yuan over the sound of An-Hei's grief.]

Just get him out of here.

[conductingresistance]

[There'll be no sense to be had here, and Yuan is not going to bother to translate any of what's being said unintelligibly for Kratos.]

[Yuan's eyes narrow.]

I regret that I'll be slower about it than any of us would like. Most people don't rush well with broken bones.

[This state of affairs definitely isn't tenable, but no rational appeal can be made here and now. Still, only the sight of Kratos, no interaction required, was enough to send this An-Hei into a screaming fit. Yuan can't let that lie, either.]

[Only half-turning, he reaches a hand down to Kratos, gaze more sidelong on the small collection of people than on Kratos. He can practically feel the weight of the regard of the various spectators at this point.]

[Very quietly:]

Can you stand and walk?

[simulsimul]

I'll manage.

[It's equally quiet, though that's in part because Kratos is having difficulty drawing a deep enough breath for anything louder. This isn't even close to the situation Kratos anticipated, when they conceived this plan.

[He manages to get his feet under him and get his arm through the basket, the arm he uses for the cane; but he does need Yuan's hand up, because that's also his bad side, and he can barely move it. It's hard to protect that side, when defending it would have meant baring his front and face, when he can't move the leg to protect himself.

[Kratos grips Yuan's hand and uses it and his cane to get to his feet, and the shifting grind takes his breath away. He grits his teeth and manages not to make a sound, limping to some degree of stability until he can release his tight grip on Yuan to press his hand back against his ribs to stop them grinding.

[He keeps his head down, his bangs hiding his face, as much because he can't stand up straight as to give the impression of subservience. His words next are very definitely for the latter, low and rough as before.]

I'm ready, Master Ka-Fai.

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan doesn't comment at the tightness of the grip. Nor on Kratos's posture, though he dearly wants to and no small measure of anger sits on his tongue, waiting to be vented.]

[He can't afford it. Not here.]

[But he does level the group around An-Hei with a sharp look, as though to drive home exactly how much of a threat Kratos isn't.]

[Yuan does consider that going the other direction, instead of past the man, is probably advisable, and he nudges Kratos's shoulder very gently to turn him. This puts something of a crimp in the plans to acquire extra, but it does give him ample reason to bring this issue to some kind of adjudication.]

[He can't be sure the result will be in his favor, but he can't expect Kratos to continue to bear this treatment, after all.]

[The pace Yuan sets is slow, but he'll stop and draw Kratos aside as soon as they are being watched significantly less.]

[simulsimul]

[Kratos submits to the gesture to turn, though it isn't easy to do, and he doesn't even need to play-act to present the air of being downtrodden. There's something humiliating about this, he realises nearly belatedly, now that the danger is gone; but soon enough that he can feel the heat in his cheeks once more.

[His head stays down as he follows Yuan, focussing on moving, on not letting his knees buckle, on breathing. Breathing is a short, sharp thing, punctuated by jabs of pain in his side.

[He doesn't realise Yuan has stopped until he feels his hand on his shoulder, and then can only follow, unaware that the flush has been replaced by an ashen tone and his face is lined with a determined sort of suffering. Right now, Kratos can't peg why they might have stopped; they aren't in an area with vital foodstuffs, so it can't be for groceries. Instead he just looks at Yuan, leaning on his cane, hand pressed to his side, and waiting.]

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan's drawn him aside into an alcove, sheltered by the stone, out of the main stream of people and where passersby would have to actually look to see them. Now that there's the freedom for it he studies Kratos a little more closely, noting the pallor and the way his face is set.]

[And the expectant way he's looking at Yuan.]

[It strikes Yuan that if he demanded it, Kratos probably would try to simply carry on the shopping trip like nothing has happened, despite the shortness of his breath and the way his hand is pressed to his side. The thought jars him, unsettles him. He has no idea how this sort of loyalty even exists, much less why.]

[His stunned silence is, after more than a few moments, going to be noticeable. Yuan shakes himself mentally.]

...we're going home. I'll find some other way to deal with this.

[simulsimul]

We still need groceries.

[It's an absent, unthinking objection. Food is important, and they haven't even begun that part of this trip. Come to think of it, Kratos isn't even sure the kitchenware survived the fall. Hopefully it did; the basket is padded.

[Focus, Aurion. Yuan has said more than once that he's capable of doing his own chores. When it comes to broken ribs, discretion has to be the better part of valour. Kratos gives his head a slight shake.]

Alright. Where's the nearest elevator?

[He hasn't been paying attention to his surroundings. There hasn't been a need. It doesn't occur to him that they might use a rickshaw; the house isn't far, and he's already settled into the grim resolve required to walk the distance, broken ribs or not.]

[conductingresistance]

That hadn't escaped me.

[Though snappish, it has some lack of Yuan's customary irritation. At least Kratos seems to be coming aware of the present moment and why, exactly, Yuan is insisting they go home.]

I can handle it myself later. I'm not taking you anywhere but home like that.

The nearer elevator isn't much farther, and it shouldn't be too hard to acquire a rickshaw.

[It might not be the longest walk in the world, but if Yuan had ever had a sense of humour about broken ribs, it has long since departed. Probably somewhere in between the faint variety of Kratos's worn expressions.]

Don't think I won't carry you if I need to.

[simulsimul]

[It sounds almost forced, the snappishness, only because it lacks the prickle. It's strange, how alien that tone can sound without the prickles. Still, Kratos hesitates. The idea of taking a bumpy rickshaw with his ribs in this condition makes him have to restrain a shudder.

[Carrying is also not optimal, primarily because of the indignity and what it would say about them both and that the relationship is not precisely usual. Especially since Yuan is, right now, implicitly giving him the choice.

[After a moment Kratos grimaces.]

Rickshaw it is.

[He takes a moment longer to catch his breath, and then turns awkwardly to start moving out of the alcove, scanning the distance for the elevator.]

[conductingresistance]

[That's probably the better option, though it'll jar Kratos's ribs. It's that or walking, and Yuan doesn't care to make Kratos walk like this. Neither option is good. He nods at Kratos's assent, and then moves past him to lead the way, keeping his pace slow.]

[He wonders if it's worth asking about the strange duty of loyalty Kratos bears. If he'll get any more certain answers now.]

[...once they're home, he'll see to Kratos. Until then, it's quiet, with not much room for friendly conversation given the setting. At the outskirts of the market, as people thin, Yuan can see rickshaws. Some occupied, some for hire, and one of the latter he manages to hail, Kratos in tow. The ride is altogether short, though it feels much longer for watching Kratos sit and suffer quietly. As he does.]

[At home Yuan takes the basket, as though he's daring Kratos to argue, and offers a hand to help him down, mouth a flat determined line.]

[simulsimul]

[The rickshaw ride is not fun. Kratos keeps his hand pressed to his ribs and tries not to hunch in too much against the sway and the wind -- though it's hard to fight the urge, even knowing it won't help. It feels as if the wind steals his breath away, as much as the pain.

[He barely notices that Yuan has taken the basket, until he opens his eyes to find Yuan offering his hand. Kratos doesn't take it at first, not because he refuses, but because he can feel the pressure inside his chest, and it's making his breath shorten alarmingly. It takes him a moment to move and take the hand, lowering himself to the ground as steadily as he can manage with a bad leg and his body aching.

[Not quite steady enough; it jars a pained grunt out of him, despite his best efforts. Even still, he makes his slow, determined way to the door.]