a thing; w/ ruinsprofessor & conductingresistance

[simulsimul]

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


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


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

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


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

scenarios
None yet.


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

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


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

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


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


scenarios
None yet.


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

scenarios
None yet.


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


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


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


scenarios
None yet.


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

scenarios
none yet.


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

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


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


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

Comments

[conductingresistance]

[An-Lin takes a look at the pair of them, especially Yuan's bearing, and promptly has to cover her mouth with one hand even as she returns the greeting with the other.]

[Mercifully, Yuan doesn't see this, being entirely focused.]

The crimson doesn't count; it's obligatory. If you took off your cloak you'd be entirely in neutrals.

[If they were in Nidavellir, he might be willing to count them different enough, by contrast to the deep bands of colors in the stones around them. They are not. In all likelihood they never will be. This is Tethe'alla.]

Violet. It's indigo that's restricted, correct? Find a shade of purple that isn't.

[This isn't random. It'll offset his hair and actually emphasize the red, rather than making it look rusty brown.]

[simulsimul]

So you'd prefer I style myself royalty instead?

[This is dry and deeply amused, and enough of a distraction to divert Kratos away from whatever is making An-Lin laugh behind that hand.]

Heh. Well, there are other shades of red; but the common ones lean toward orange and yellow. I rather doubt they'll suit me. I haven't a clue what else I might wear, and hardly the time to figure it out.

[No matter how much Nike pesters him about it.]

[conductingresistance]

[Royalty? Damn it all, Yuan knew there was something he was missing.]

[In this case, Kratos's amusement makes him bristle.]

This is ridiculous. Braids are much clearer.

[And add to an aesthetic instead of detracting.]

Pick something colorful to wear here and you're liable to accidentally commit treason. What isn't restricted?

[simulsimul]

It depends on the dye used. The common dyes fade more quickly and are generally less vibrant than the ones used of status; that's why you won't see a shade of red such as this wholesale.

[Kratos plucks at the line of the cloak. Probably they could figure out a way to manufacture any range of colours, but for the most part such research is focussed in other directions. Some of the common ones are mass-produced as it is.]

Restricted colours are purple, indigo, saffron and crimson, and all utilised at different ranks. Purple is for the royal family. Indigo is worn by consuls. Civil servants wear saffron, everyone from patricians to departmental heads. Crimson is worn by officers, especially generals, who govern the provinces in which they're stationed.

[And, of course, the amount of the colour is important; a general's cloak would be crimson whole, with embroidery. Kratos's is merely lined with it. And now that this explanation is given, Kratos has an important question of his own.]

If you prefer the braids, why aren't you wearing yours?

[conductingresistance]

Tch.

[A reddish purple really would be Kratos's best color, Yuan considers. Hm.]

A light blue might suffice.

[But he has the colors memorized now, and won't be making that mistake again.]

[Though he has to wonder if Kratos is honestly that oblivious. Yuan eyes him sidelong, debates, and explains.]

You might as well expect your cloak to mean the same thing in Nidavellir. It's pointless to broadcast a rank I don't have to people who have no idea what it means, and I have no family ties to note.

[simulsimul]

But it would mean something to you. And to them.

[Kratos nods to the other ex-Sylvaranti in the courtyard.]

It's likely you'll keep your rank, as well -- assuming you stay in the military. You wouldn't prefer to bring some of Sylvarant into Vanaheim with you?

[It's genuine curiosity, and that's all that shows in Kratos when he turns back to Yuan. He cannot imagine not wanting to bring some little piece of his nation to a new place, no matter where it was.]

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan doesn't expect the things that mean something to him to be valued by others. It's nice when it happens; but he can't place any significant hopes on it happening.]

I can't go back. Pretending I can is pointless, too. Refusing to adapt is hazardous to my survival.

[It's impossible to ever make a clean break. He was made by Sylvarant, as was his blade, and he will bear its touch for the rest of his life. There may come a time, too, when he's aggressive about this origin just the same as his blood.]

[That time will be when his future is more secure.]

It isn't as though I ever anticipated weaving ribbons in, anyway.

[...He didn't mean to say that entirely aloud. Kratos will have no idea what it means, he hopes. Yuan pushes onward.]

How are the gardens here? The greenhouses? Would it be possible to acquire potted plants?

[simulsimul]

[It's surprising, that those words are nearly vehement, and Kratos turns more properly to him, head-tipping.]

Who said anything about going back? Since you can't, that makes it even more important to bring what is yours to Tethe'alla, does it not? It may be that what you bring in can change the place which becomes home for the better.

[At least, Kratos hopes it will; not that he's been able to stand for half-elves all that much, save those in his regiment, but Yuan being in a visible position of command, in Vanaheim, is already an opportunity to change the nature of his surroundings.]

-- Ribbons?

[As expected, Kratos does not know what that means; but the furrow of his brow is thoughtful as he glances toward An-Lin. He can always ask, sometime when Yuan isn't present.]

Hmh. Yes, of course we have gardens. Most houses have courtyards where they build their gardens for herbs and flowers, or trees if they're large enough. You ought to be able to buy potted plants, but you wouldn't have anywhere to plant them until you're out of the guardhouse. There are public gardens you can visit, until then.

[The thought of keeping plants indoors, in the pot, does not occur. Even as an apprentice, the dormitory where Kratos had slept with other apprentices had let out into a courtyard garden.]

[conductingresistance]

[An eyebrow.]

If I were an immigration officer, and it were my job to be suspicious, I might have cause to look askance at someone who clings too hard to the ways of his home.

[He's just saying. Yuan shakes his head and moves on. It doesn't seem right to wear a braid, right now, no matter how much comfort it might be. He won't make it a crutch against homesickness.]

[He's so busy pushing the subject along, however, that he doesn't notice the thoughtful look at An-Lin, or he might have tried to avert that trouble.]

Plant? No. Not unless it outgrows its pot-- this is getting ahead of myself, I suppose. Does no one here keep plants indoors?

[Their climate is naturally temperate, he supposes. They wouldn't have to.]

[simulsimul]

[It's a fair point -- fair enough that Kratos lets the subject pass, particularly as he needs more information. It's possible he can convince Yuan after he's been accepted, if that's his only concern.]

Not generally, no. Why keep it inside, when you can keep it in your garden?

[What a strange thought. Even with limited space inside the castle, there was space for gardens; most of them public, it's true, but many of those living there tended to keep small patches under their windows as well. For the poor, of course, their gardens were often the means by which they survived at all.]

Hmh. Why don't I take you home -- the villa is larger than most residences, but the basic layout will be the same. You can see how we interact with the gardens directly.

[conductingresistance]

When you can't keep it in your garden.

[Yuan looks askance right back at Kratos. How does he have to spell this out-- right. Kratos will never have been to Nidavellir.]

[He shakes his head.]

Nidavellir has periods of exceptional winds. That and other environmental factors make it difficult to keep plants successfully outdoors. Most households have indoor plants-- to clean the air, to bring color, to bear useful fruit.

[The one end result he could not have planned for was Kratos inviting him home. Yuan hesitates. Nods.]

Since you're offering, yes.

[It would be nice to see what can be expected from a Tethe'allan home, even if Yuan will need to mentally scale it back.]

[simulsimul]

Nidavellir is in the mountains, yes?

[Strong winds isn't inexplicable; and if their dwellings are carved out of the mountain itself -- yes, Kratos can see how that would follow. He shakes his head as they pass through the gates, waving the guards who bother to salute back to their tasks.]

No, we have no such troubles here. The residences are built around courtyards, in essence; at least two. One is an aquifer which catches condensation and rainwater, and the other is a garden area, protected from strong weather by the walls of the dwelling surrounding. -- But these are all things you'll see shortly.

[Now they're out of the castle grounds and in the boulevard, Yuan might prefer to take in his surroundings, unobscured by the ranks of marching soldiers. The boulevard is populated this time, by general traffic; many of the residents here sell easily-made or easily-bought produce out of the front of their homes, creating a pseudo-market often attended by those stationed within the castle walls when they don't have time to reach a proper store.

[Many wave toward Kratos as they pass, or greet him with a cheerful 'commander', while eyeing Yuan with wary curiosity. Notably, nearly all of them are wearing clothes brighter than Kratos's own, if lacking the lining of status.]

[conductingresistance]

It is.

[Yuan leaves it at that. A courtyard garden sounds like it would be a tolerable compromise, but Yuan suspects he'll still want potted plants. If he can find appropriate pots and plants.]

[He looks around as they go, more subtly than a constant head-turning but still obvious to someone who's spent any amount of time with him. This is what the city looks like when there's not something like a parade through it; it's brighter than he anticipated. Not home. But tolerable, if not lovable.]

[Yuan eyes the fashion more than the people.]

It does allow for a more significant supplement than simply potted plants, I suppose.

--hm. I see not all bright colors are impossible.

[This may be slightly teasing. Slightly. Yuan makes mental notes. For himself as well as Kratos.]

[simulsimul]

[Most things are made of stone and marble, but in a manner shaped and quarried; built with human hands, rather than married with the landscape as in Nidavellir. The aquaducts are perhaps the most looming thing; they run in great channels along the castle walls, and are borne by great arches which rise over the houses, dominating the skyline.

[Even then, there's evidence of circular stairs, and viewing walkways along the aquaducts -- and some of the residences reach a level to create pools alongside the ducts, like personalised aquifers. Vanaheim is a city building upward on sweeping arches and turrets.]

I hardly think green will suit me all that much.

[This is exasperated; and it's true, that various shades of green are much in abundance, at least in clothes. For all the white and greyness of the city's stone, lintels and windows are painted when they don't have mosaics; but these make use of colours barred from clothing.]

You're already at least as bad as my sister.

[conductingresistance]

Possibly the right shade.

[Yuan considers. Complements are trickier, in his opinion. Kratos's red hair makes things a little awkward.]

[His attention's drawn first by the aqueducts, then by the mosaics; finally back to Kratos. It's more colorful a city than Yuan could have hoped for, and each passing moment of exposure to it makes him more optimistic about finding something to love in the place.]

Do you have more than one, or is it the Consul Legionnaire you're referring to?

[Just so Yuan knows for sure. He's definitely not conspiring.]

[simulsimul]

I have several; but the Consul Legionnaire is the only one with any authority over me.

[This is said rather dryly. It shouldn't be this way; he should have another. But death happens in war, and Bia's loss has, over time, been reduced to a wistful ache at the absence of what should be there.

[He eyes Yuan cautiously instead.]

I should perhaps withhold from telling you which of my other siblings agree with her.

[conductingresistance]

[This is a useful thing to know. Not that Yuan assumes he can win her favor; but understanding the dynamic will certainly be helpful. And perhaps she actually can do something about Kratos's terrible color palette.]

[Yuan eyes Kratos right back instead.]

I'm flattered you think I have that much power.

[Right. Kratos was saying something about subsistence bloodlines. No wonder 'several' is the best estimate he offers. Yuan doesn't remember everything from the fever-haze of infection, but he remembers enough.]

[Including Kratos reading aloud.]

[simulsimul]

Hah. If there's one thing I've learned, it's not to underestimate you.

[Here Kratos is, for some reason, showing a man who's tried to kill him on numerous occasions around Vanaheim. No, Kratos can't underestimate Yuan; not his skill, not his tenacity, and certainly not his unexpected ability to be endearing.

[They're passing by a shopfront in one of the houses when Kratos taps Yuan's shoulder and diverts to it. They prove to sell sweets and cakes; Kratos picks out a bag of candied figs to bribe his younger siblings with and then glances at Yuan, motioning at some of the honeyed cakes.]

Would you like anything?

[conductingresistance]

[This makes Yuan smile, if faintly. How strange that they should wind up here; and how appropriate, that it should be Kratos.]

I suppose we'll see.

[If Kratos's family likes him, for one thing.]

[Yuan diverts with Kratos, looks over his shoulder at what's available. The idea is familiar, even if the specific forms are not.]

One of those, perhaps.

[They seem inoffensive enough, and he has to start with the local cuisine somewhere. Yuan considers the bag of figs -- its size, combined with Kratos has said about siblings -- and draws a conclusion.]

How many younger siblings are you attempting to fend off with those?

[simulsimul]

[Kratos motions to the cake for the girl behidn the window and counts out some gald to pay for cake and figs, and in the process has to pause to think about the answer to that question, starting from Nike and running down. There aren't always attempts to produce Aurions; but when it occurs, the attempt is for abundance.]

Twelve.

[Wait; no.]

Eleven. Zelus is a Knight-Initiate, now.

[The cake is duly wrapped in oiled paper suitable for eating from the hand; Kratos hands it back to Yuan and hands over the coin.]

[conductingresistance]

[Kratos has to stop to think about that.]

[Yuan's exhalation has something of wonder in it. How strange, to have such an abundance of family.]

[Dryly, to cover the rest:]

Are you quite sure that's enough?

[But he takes the cake with a nod, watching the exchange. Currency, at least, won't be something new to handle. He stands away, waiting for Kratos to finish the transaction, and falls back into step with him when it's concluded.]

...Thank you.

[simulsimul]

If it makes you feel any better, in the literal interpretation of your question it would be fewer; the youngest isn't old enough to eat candied anything.

[This is said rather dryly as Kratos turns away from the window to continue down the boulevard, lifting his hand in a dismissive gesture.]

Think nothing of it.

[conductingresistance]

Slightly.

[Yuan is, in fact, going to think something of it. He's quiet for the moment, though, following Kratos down the boulevard, alternating between sizing up his surroundings and thinking something of the honeyed cake.]

[The first bite is suspicious. The second is less so. It's good.]

[About half a thought is given to wondering if Kratos is trying to tame him with sweets. Yuan decides this is ridiculous, and keeps walking.]

How much farther is your home?

[For a scale of distance, mostly.]

[simulsimul]

Not far -- relatively. Still on this side of the city.

[Kratos indicates the flags in the distance.]

That's the gate by which we entered. The district where the villa is located is past that, before the next gate; see those hills?

[The hills are, primarily, visible owing to some dwellings being higher than others, and the aquaducts following the line of the land.]

Most residences in this section of the city are related to the castle, military or civil service in some fashion.

[conductingresistance]

Is that enforced, or simply how things end up?

[Since it does make sense for people to live near where they work, after all. Yuan's line of sight follows where Kratos indicates, and eventually his gaze goes distant as he tries to assemble something like a mental map of the city so far.]

[There isn't much to put there, and he doesn't have quite the frame of reference for the surrounding lands, either. It'll take time. Yuan glances back to what's ahead of them.]

[It's something of a walk. Fortunately, he doesn't mind. And could use the exercise.]

...it's beautiful, in its way, I suppose.

[This is only a little grudging.]