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]

[What's behind the door is a pair of the younger administrative staff from military headquarters, whispering a medley of are you sure this is the right house and of course I'm sure.

[This immediately stops when Yuan opens the door, and the woman in front looks relieved.]

Oh! Commander Ka-Fai! Aibhlinn said you left in a hurry. How's Mister Kratos?

[conductingresistance]

Ill. He doesn't have the resistance to linkite pollen most of us develop, apparently.

[Yuan answers almost automatically, before the rest of him catches up through relief and bemusement. He recognizes the two of them at least by sight, and can surely summon their names in another moment.]

[But why in the world are they on his doorstep? Fortunately, the leading question provides an answer.]

...is that why you're here?

[simulsimul]

[They exchange looks. This time it's the man behind who answers, almost apologetically.]

You were in a big hurry, Commander. You haven't even done your braid.

[Even before things began to thaw, Commander Ka-Fai was known for being fastidious. It says something as to his state that he didn't even perform some basic self-maintenance.]

So we came to help, since HQ can spare us this morning.

[conductingresistance]

[He knew he'd forgotten something. In the mix it really hadn't seemed as important as finding a doctor. Very briefly, Yuan covers his eyes with his hand.]

How much time do you have? He's had enough difficulty breathing that I'd prefer not to leave him home with no ready assistance, but I need to acquire things from the market for his treatment, and there are more than enough things at HQ that require my attention.

[He tries a smile when he focuses on them again. It's tired, and a bare imitation of the expression, but it's something. An effort.]

[simulsimul]

[It really is strange, seeing Commander Ka-Fai letting down his guard. Being, well ... human. Like a person. Like he's someone they can help, not just someone who can help them. It's somehow better, to know they can actually help.

[Especially since neither of them can remember seeing Commander Ka-Fai smile. It's a tired one, but it's still a smile. Both of them perk up at once.]

Yes, of course! We can stay here to keep an eye on him and do some upkeep around the house --

-- or we can go take care of the shopping --

-- or both, if you want to prepare for work at the office.

[conductingresistance]

[It takes Yuan more time than really it should, to come up with an answer. They're both terribly earnest, enough so that any of his doubts about whether this might be some long-game sabotage aimed at the half-elf are short-lived. They asked sincerely after Kratos. And Aibhlinn, or perhaps more than her, both noticed and cared that something was wrong.]

[It's an offer of genuine help and Yuan finds he's unexpectedly struck by it. After several moments he stands aside to let them in.]

I'll do the urgent part of the shopping myself; it won't take long.

I[He knows exactly what he needs and where. And the diffusers are going to need to harmonize with the rest of the house besides. There are only so many things Yuan will delegate.]

But if one or both of you wouldn't mind staying--

[simulsimul]

Of course! If we switch out, we can manage the whole morning.

[The man produces a piece of slate to consult it as he follows his companion inside.]

And then after lunch, one of the others can drop by for the afternoon --

[The slate, it seems, consists of a hastily drawn timetable, in about five different hands, covering the rest of the day and at least part of tomorrow.]

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan doesn't say anything for a little longer, leading them back to Kratos's room. The sheer thoughtfulness threatens to make him softer, and instinct is warring with conscious effort.]

You've all... thought this through.

[A breath, careful and deliberate.]

I'm told he should improve rapidly, and be fine before the week's out; likely he won't need looking after for more than a day or two, but he was barely breathing this morning.

[As some explanation for Yuan's reticence. He taps at the doorframe to see if Kratos is alert enough to be informed of the change in plans.]

[simulsimul]

[Kratos, for his part, has been vaguely aware of Yuan speaking to someone out in the hall; but he can't even begin to figure out who it might be, or why. His breathing takes a little less conscious effort, enough so that he drifts half-aware, but closer to sleep than incognizance.

[Still. It hitches alarmingly, for someone who didn't see how bad it was just half an hour ago.

[The knock on the jamb makes him stir and peel his eyes open, and blink tiredly toward them. He's -- fairly sure there was, at most, only Yuan and the doctor in the house not all that long ago. The doctor is almost the only visitor Kratos remembers them having. What's going on? He speaks, soft and raw, hitched for the need to breathe.]

Are you -- spawning visitors -- in the living-room? Didn't know there was a plant for that ...

[conductingresistance]

[...And Kratos has gone apparently delirious. Yuan grimaces.]

Yau and Brighid, from the administrative office.

[He's... reasonably certain those are the right names. He still has work to do on Kratos's agendas.]

No, they don't grow on plants. They're going to look after you for now.

[Back at the two visitors:]

If he worsens, there's a bowl of water with oil of frankincense in it on the desk; heat it up and have him breathe the steam. I shouldn't be long.

[He reaches up to pat at his hair, which is -- thanks to the fact he takes better care of it than most -- not an unforgiving mess. As he turns, Yuan is already sorting the first strands of the braid out, intending to do so as he goes. It wouldn't be the first time.]

[simulsimul]

With how many -- plants you have -- who can tell?

[This is a faintly grumbling response which make Yau and Brighid exchange glances. Kratos squeezes his eyes shut and takes a slow, deep breath, and when he looks at them again, his gaze is a touch sharper. By that point, Yuan has abandoned him to the tender mercies of people Kratos ... well, to be fair, he does know them. But part of him, beneath the wheeze in his chest, is feeling affronted by the invasion into a house which is his to care for.

[By the time Yuan returns, Kratos has issued orders about what Yau and Brighid are allowed to touch, move, and otherwise handle. Yuan's room is off-limits. Nothing in the kitchen or washroom is allowed to be shifted, though they are allowed to clean it. The living-room is fair game, so long as they leave the rock-garden alone, and definitely please water the plants.

[Currently, Yau is in a slightly rousing discussion with Kratos about whether or not they're allowed to do any cooking, while Brighid is quietly preparing to do some anyway. Kratos isn't sure why this is a sticking point, except it's his kitchen, and he's fairly sure Yuan won't appreciate having someone other than Kratos cook for him, unless it's himself.

['Rousing', in this case, means that Kratos is threatening to try and get up so he can stop them from violating the sanctity of his kitchen. Yau is starting to look hassled, enough that when Yuan comes in, he says pointedly while looking at Kratos:]

You know, Commander, Mister Kratos is surprisingly stubborn for a slave.

[Kratos's face is one flat line.]

Tethe'allan -- ex-military.

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan gives Kratos a mildly irritated look at this, but he's heartened by it; if Kratos is well enough to get snippy, he can't be on death's doorstep.]

[So he steps out, and is halfway to the market by the time he finishes his braid. Fortunately, he knows where to find what he's looking for, and before very long Yuan's back, some coin lighter and bearing three diffusers, each of slightly different color and form. Each is, naturally, for a specific room.]

[He sets them on the table in the kitchen for the moment, giving Brighid a mildly bemused look in the process. It's odd, seeing anyone who isn't Kratos in the kitchen, and that, too, tells Yuan a lot.]

[There's a diffuser in one hand and essential oil in the other when he ducks into Kratos's room, and eyes both Kratos and Yau in turn with some suspicion. Was this genuinely the best idea? Yuan's sure there's already some misconceptions about his relationship to Kratos. Damn.]

[But he can't deny the peace of mind for knowing someone else is here.]

He's a terrible patient, but he listens when it's important.

[Don't make a liar out of him, Kratos. He comes across to start setting up the diffuser on Kratos's bed-side table; there is a brief pause to see how Kratos is breathing. More quietly:]

Kratos. They're doing us a favor.

[Try not to make anyone regret it.]

[simulsimul]

[Kratos's breathing has shortened from what it was when Yuan left; but this is mostly due to his insisting on arguing over basic principles of household chores, and consequently he's breathless.]

They're invading -- my kitchen. To cook.

[This is grumbling, not a whine only because Kratos doesn't whine. Still, it approaches a similar tenor, even if there's a concession in the way he says it, because it's Yuan asking. Yau throws up his hands.]

You need to eat.

[And they don't know how to argue properly, either.]

[conductingresistance]

I don't know why else they'd invade the kitchen.

[Kratos is perilously close to whining. Yuan stops what he's doing for a moment to regard him, then glances back at Yau.]

Go ahead and do what you need to. There shouldn't be any, but just in case-- avoid tomatoes. He's allergic.

[This is Yuan saving them both the trouble of explaining a; what an absolute child Kratos is about tomatoes and b; that Yuan enjoys the arguments and isn't just submitting to Kratos's petulance.]

[He understands Kratos's bristling about moving things. He really, truly, does. But Brighid and Yau are under no obligation to be here, and for today, at least, their presence is indispensable.]

[simulsimul]

[Kratos returns Yuan's regard with a baleful stare, while Yau blinks.]

Oh. That would be why Brighid couldn't find any. I'll let her know -- I should head back to the office soon, but someone will come back to take over from Brighid later on anyway.

[He leaves the room, his voice audible speaking to Brighid in the kitchen, though the words aren't quite discernible to Kratos's ears. Kratos, for his part, is eyeing Yuan.]

You're remarkably --

[The words are cut off in a coughing fit before he catches his breath.]

Remarkably sanguine about strangers in your house.

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan finishes setting up the diffuser, including using a tiny spark from his fingertips to set the candle aflame. It's almost too bright for a second or two before steadying into a lower flame, and the scent of frankincense begins to suffuse the room.]

You didn't see yourself this morning. I'd rather this than leave you alone all day.

[All of which will probably be exceptionally telling, to Kratos. Who actually knows him.]

It won't be for long, but I want someone here who can help if you worsen abruptly. Breathe instead of arguing with me.

[For all that Yuan's tone is brisk, and suggests he is not in the mood for nonsense, he does take a moment to sit on the edge of the bed. Gently -- awkwardly -- he sets a hand on Kratos's shoulder.]

I'm well aware you hate this. Try not to push yourself as senselessly as you usually do.

[simulsimul]

[It is exceptionally telling, and dissolves more of the tension in Kratos. He obeys the command to breathe, if unconsciously, and manages to avoid another cough on the equally slow exhale.]

I don't push myself senselessly.

[... Well. There was that time he fell down the stairs.]

... I pushed myself senselessly once.

[But there's a near-smile faint around his mouth, and crookedly wry. If he explicitly breathes every few words, he can manage to speak without losing too much breath.]

I'm sorry for worrying you.

['Sorry', rather than 'forgive me'. There's a difference.]

[conductingresistance]

More than once.

[Yuan would argue this if he had the time to do so at the moment, but his responsibilities do beckon. As it is, he's going to need to put in extra time to manage everything.]

[He appreciates, however, that Kratos is making an effort to be careful about breathing. On one level it's mollifying; on another it means he's of an easier mind about leaving for the day. Yuan lets go of him almost belatedly, standing.]

Rest. Breathe. Try not to nearly die again for at least a month.

[simulsimul]

Breathing, Master Ka-Fai.

[This is a soft burr, half amused; and in this case the choice of titles is deliberate, even though their visitors won't be able to hear it. There's something fond in the use of it, this time, instead of subservient; it's hard to be properly subservient after having just been almost-whining about strangers in the house, even while lying in bed with struggling lungs.]

I'll try not to terrify them too much.

[conductingresistance]

[Ordinarily that address would have Yuan defensive, squaring up to bare metaphorical teeth at the world. In this one instance, however, Kratos is too soft for Yuan to take it as anything other than what it is.]

[It's for no one else's benefit, either. Yuan huffs at what he's reasonably sure is patient teasing, and leaves on that note.]

[At HQ he makes a point of finding and thanking Aibhlinn for her thoughtfulness. He'll have to consult Kratos, later, on gifts of thanks; Tethe'allan customs will differ from Sylvaranti, but Kratos will have the principle, which is the most important. And with Kratos well in hand, Yuan can take up the day's tasks with only some of the worry lingering.]

[He's there longer than he usually is, though not by much, not wanting to depend on the others more than is necessary, or longer than they'd usually work. There's little that he can reasonably bring home, though; tomorrow or the next day he'll have to go in early to handle it. He will manage.]

[Yuan's first stop, once he's waved off the final administrative assistant and expressed his thanks, is to look in on Kratos. Who had better still be abed.]

[simulsimul]

[Kratos is, in fact, still abed. His position is all that's changed; now he's curled up on his side, burrowed under blankets so all that can be seen is his hair sticking up. His breathing is almost back to normal, aside from a deep but faint gurgle.

[When Kratos peers out from under the covers he looks significantly more miserable than he had. His face is flushed, eyes are red and it's fairly clear he's rapidly gone from short of breath to congested. He takes long enough to see it's just Yuan returning and then burrows back under the covers with a wet-sounding cough, followed by a mumbling Tethe'allan curse.

[He'd almost prefer having to struggle to breathe. Almost. At least that's a challenge to surmount. This is just ongoing misery until he gets better.]

[conductingresistance]

[The house smells of frankincense, when Yuan gets back. That's a good sign.]

[Yuan thinks he knows that curse. ...as strange as it is, he'll take Kratos looking this miserable over that near-stillness from earlier.]

It's good to see you're alive.

[Though said dryly, Yuan means it. He steps out of Kratos's room again to deal with the various little things he needs to-- hanging his cloak, checking the diffusers, making a note of how well they work. By the time he makes it to the kitchen the scent is beginning to fade into the background of his senses.]

[Someone's left a covered dish of food. Yuan stands holding it and glancing around the kitchen for a moment or two. He can't help but note what's out of place in the kitchen, and he nudges a few things closer to where he's sure Kratos left them.]

[The thought of sitting at the table alone is unappealing. There's probably something to be said about how dependent he's gotten on another person's company. Yuan sighs, and carries the dish with him as he retrieves a book from his room, and finally comes back into Kratos's.]

Did you manage to eat anything while I was gone?

[simulsimul]

[Yuan isn't there long enough for Kratos to muster a retort to the dry remark, but there is a baleful glare visible from beneath the covers, levelled at Yuan's back. When Yuan returns, Kratos has hardly moved.]

Yes. Soup.

[His voice is hoarse and long-sufferingly weary, and after a moment Kratos stirs out from under the covers. He stays on his side, which is easier on his sinuses, and all but buries his face in a pillow; but at least Yuan can now see him properly in all his spiky-haired glory, made worse from having been in bed all day.

[Kratos regards the food and the book through half-slitted eyes.]

If I didn't know any better I'd think you missed me.

[conductingresistance]

[As long as Kratos actually ate. Yuan draws his chair over and sits down, folding one leg up to balance the dish on.]

I've hardly had time to miss you.

[He's been away today, all told, less time than usual. It is not, however, outright a denial; and his tone is the same dryness as earlier.]

Since I'm here, though, I wanted to keep an eye on you. How's your breathing?

[simulsimul]

That isn't a no.

[It's borderline antagonistic. Kratos has been extremely bored. Even when dozing, he's been bored. Kratos recognises this, however, with a long sigh and an explicit attempt to relax.]

Congested. At least I don't have to think about it to ensure it happens, I suppose.

[Grudgingly.]