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]

[Damn it all, Kratos is going to make him spell this out. Yuan's eyebrows draw down as he frowns.]

[Softer emotions didn't always come harder to him. As angry as he is, it's a minor fight just to gentle himself, and another to find some way to say what he means.]

You said I-- changed your mind. Somehow, you believe that it's possible to make a change in others, and you are simultaneously proof of it.

[It's... more concrete hope than Yuan has entirely had before, especially given the presence of a plan.]

Further, you're--

[Damn it, what is he trying to say? Yuan shakes his head.]

Mine. My responsibility. I won't allow harm to come to you if I can prevent it. There are... things I can accept, even if I dislike them, because I cannot fight every battle. It becomes a weighing of which fights are worth picking, and what lines I won't allow to be crossed. For myself, there must be things I won't accept, or I will begin to accept everything.

[His explanation sounds wandering and uncertain even to himself, and he finds that his shoulders have come up and he's scowling. Frustrated again, Yuan sits back on his heels and studies Kratos's hands, unwilling to leave just yet but not quite managing to look him in the face all the same.]

[simulsimul]

[It occurs to Kratos that, as terrible as Kratos might be at recognising when he needs the help, Yuan is equally terrible at admitting he has emotions. And it's unexpectedly touching, the idea that Yuan considers him his; not that Kratos doubted the element of responsibility Yuan felt, but the possessiveness --

[Well, there's a reason rumours abounded. And yet Kratos finds it more comforting than not. He's always belonged to Tethe'alla; that's what it meant, to be a bastard of a high-ranking family. To belong to everyone. To serve everyone. It's alien, but comforting, the idea that just one person considers Kratos his, for no other reason than just -- because, apparently. Enough that Yuan considers defending Kratos to be worthy of being one of the few battles he chooses to fight.

[Kratos can count on his hands the number of times he hasn't felt alone. Including now, it seems as though at least two of them have been because of Yuan.]

I understand.

[This time, Kratos is sure of it; and he's smiling faintly, if self-deprecatingly.]

I should have come to you sooner.

[That seems, right now, the biggest mistake he's made these last three weeks. He might have avoided feeling so ashamed and helpless, if he'd only come to Yuan sooner. Kratos uncurls his fingers from the salve, and offers it to Yuan.]

... If it's not too much of an imposition -- I don't think I'll be able to reach most of the bruises.

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan wishes, in retrospect, that he knew what part of that explanation had made the difference. It might have been any of his fumbling words. But-- does it matter so much, when he's achieved his goal?]

[Well. It might be nice to be able to do it again. Still, one thing at a time.]

Yes, you should have.

[But there's no rancor about it, oddly, and no edge to Yuan's voice. It's a statement of fact, not a judgment.]

[And he takes the salve from Kratos with a minimum of hesitation. He always remembers what people might say, and the vast spread of rumors that surely his possessiveness has done little to quell, but there's no one to observe and Kratos knows his intentions.]

Then don't try to. Let me.

[simulsimul]

Alright.

[It's soft, a reaffirmation of the fact that Kratos is already letting Yuan help him. He turns on the seat so Yuan can reach his back, wrapping his arms around himself to pull up his shirt; but he only pulls it up, rather than pulling it off, in defence to Yuan's modesty.]

... There may be some on my shoulders, as well.

[It hurts to stretch like this, but there's some still covered by his shirt, and he can't pull it up far enough for Yuan to see them on his own. Not unless he actually wants to strip. That seems more trouble than it's worth, at this point and given that his front is fairly unmarked.]

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan leans up to reach him, rising up on his knees. It's a closer view of the bruises than his first, recognizing-only glance, and he finds he likes them even less now that he can mark the strike of the cane, the fall of a boot.]

[The salve, where he starts, is cool, but his hands are warm.]

I'll handle those next, then.

[And he's relieved Kratos isn't still trying to hide anything.]

I take it you'll still want to handle your knee?

[simulsimul]

[The cold makes Kratos's skin prickle, but Yuan's hands warm it soon enough. His touch is brisk and efficient, which Kratos appreciates if only for the fact that it might help Yuan remain comfortable. Yuan, it seems, is not used to any sort of physical closeness, no matter how pragmatic.]

Yes -- I can manage that.

[He'll need something to wrap it with, and the salve will be useful for bruising; but that can wait until Yuan is done. Kratos sits quietly, half-hugging himself to keep his shirt raised, and turning when Yuan indicates so all the bruises can be attended. He still hurts all over; but he hurts less without the burden of secrecy on him.]

[conductingresistance]

All right.

[Yuan falls silent to concentrate, making sure he has every bruise covered, and when he needs to he nudges Kratos's hand out of the way so he can push the tunic up himself, getting at the bruises currently covered by fabric. His focus is on the task at hand, not the fact of touch, which makes it easier to get things done.]

[When he's done he lowers Kratos's tunic again, caps the salve and sets it down within Kratos's reach.]

That should be all of them.

[With a short nod, he stands finally and steps away, returning to his desk to see if he has anything suitable for a wrap in his makeshift first-aid kit.]

Regarding your ribs-- how is it to breathe?

[simulsimul]

[By the time Yuan finishes, the ache is already dulling as the effects of the salve settle in. It leaves a faint tingle behind, and is enough that Kratos can sit up more upright to take a few deep, slow breaths. They're shortened by the spark of pain when he tries, but with one hand on his side, he can't feel anything moving.]

I can manage; nothing's moving.

[It's not fun, but he can manage, which is better than the pain being too much. Having tested that, Kratos reaches down to pull up his trouser leg to his knee, where the bruises are already showing. He uses the salve on that first, waiting for Yuan to come back.

[And it occurs to him, belatedly and with a grimace:]

I'm going to have trouble getting home.

[He can hardly stay here, after all, taking up space in Yuan's office -- but he's not sure he'll be able to manage to make it home without help.]

[conductingresistance]

At least it's most likely only cracked, then.

[When was the last time he went through this? But Yuan's returning soon enough with a roll of fabric, woven for bandages. It isn't perhaps the best option, but it's what he has to hand. He offers that, and gives Kratos a quizzical look in turn.]

Alone, maybe, but if you rest and accompany me home at the end of the day?

[He can support Kratos, and getting to a rickshaw, at least, won't involve as many stairs; Kratos has his cane, and if it's truly necessary Yuan can carry him. Though he suspects they'd both rather that not be necessary.]

[simulsimul]

[Kratos takes the bandages and stretches out his leg, proceeding to wrap the bandage snugly around it. He tips his head as he does, enough to see what he's doing but indicate he's looking toward Yuan.]

I'm fairly sure I'd be arrested for loitering if I went to any of the lounges for too long -- and it isn't secure for me to remain in your office until day's end.

[It would, effectively, prevent Yuan from leaving, since Yuan had specified that Kratos can't stay there alone. He is, after all, a Tethe'allan slave.]

[conductingresistance]

I can set up a cot.

[He's done this before, for himself. It isn't the most comfortable: but it will do.]

If I must leave, I can...

[He can what. Yuan rubs at his forehead, shaking his head. Well. Maybe someone else might be willing, but he's not sure if he'd trust anyone else to watch over Kratos.]

I don't know. Perhaps we'll be fortunate and I won't need to leave, but I can't count on that. For now, at least, you should rest.

[Some will be better than none.]

[simulsimul]

[Initially Kratos leans toward resisting -- but then he checks himself before an objection can come out. It isn't an easy situation, but ... maybe it's possible. After all, Yuan has done some favours for some of the junior staff.]

What about one of the administrative staff? They're allowed in, and surely there's someone among them we can trust.

[There's one or two parents, even, if he recalls; their gratitude can usually be assurance of reliability. Kratos finishes binding his knee and ties it off easily, straightening up with a sigh followed by a grimace.]

[conductingresistance]

[It wouldn't have been possible a few weeks ago, for certain. Now... perhaps.]

[Though Yuan wouldn't have thought of that if Kratos hadn't mentioned it.]

--That may work.

[While Kratos is finishing that up, Yuan goes to retrieve the folded cot from the corner where it's been stashed; it isn't much, but when he has it set up it's horizontal and will have some give to it, and it should fit clear of the swing of the door for the most part. Like many other parts of his life, it isn't perfect, but it will do for the current purposes.]

It's better than trying to send you home alone.

[simulsimul]

Mm.

[He probably wouldn't have made it. Kratos leans on his stick to rise, letting out an unconscious grunt as his body complains. It's worse that it's been except right after a return from the market, but not as bad as it was at the bottom of the stairs; at least he can make his limping way to the cot without help.

[By the time he reaches it Yuan has the pillows stacked, so Kratos sits and swings his leg onto the bed, resting back carefully. It pulls his rib, but not so much as to make breathing impossible; after a few testing inhales Kratos relaxes, letting his head sink back.]

Aibhlinn might be the best choice.

[Mother, old enough for children out to war, with a recently-sick grandchild for whom Yuan expedited some medical help from the military's medical professionals. Yuan should remember her. Kratos has had a few conversations with her which had nothing to do with work, a lot to do with children and -- oddly enough -- Yuan's taste in sweets.]

[conductingresistance]

I remember her.

[Yuan still isn't sure what to make of her; but then, he feels that way about a lot of the administrative staff. Kratos is the one who's spent more time with them, and so Kratos's is the judgment he'll be trusting on this front.]

[He watches Kratos long enough to make sure there's nothing amiss, then nods.]

I'll ask. Try to get some sleep.

[It's still the middle of the day, sure, but sleep is one of the best unaided healers.]

[simulsimul]

Alright.

[Kratos doesn't ordinarily take naps in the middle of the day, or at least doesn't make a habit of it; but he also doesn't tend to ignore when he needs the sleep, day or night. He's been tired lately, anyway; and between the fall and the relief of not having to conceal his injuries, he does manage to sleep.

[He does not hear others entering, or notice anyone noticing him, or know if Yuan leaves the room; but he does wake up before Yuan's work day is due to end, at least, saving Yuan from having to do it himself. The journey home is not much more enjoyable than getting back from the markets, except that at least he isn't alone.

[With proper care and rest, in another four days Kratos judges himself good enough to go to the markets again -- which is good, because four days is stretching it. He usually goes closer together than that.

[It's mostly a matter of convincing Yuan, however. The morning after Kratos's tumble down the stairs he'd barely been able to leave the bed for a hot bath, let alone been able to do any chores. Four days on, resting and taking the opportunity to study more of the local languages, he's doing much better even under Yuan's critical eye. So, that morning Kratos takes over the breakfast again, and broaches the subject with:]

I need to go shopping.

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan does wind up having to arrange it; but Aibhlinn is willing enough, and that in itself is oddly surreal, that he can ask a favor and reasonably expect it to be granted. She seems to have something of a liking for Kratos, in any case, which Yuan suspects helps his cause more than a little.]

[It's impossible to keep a perfect eye on Kratos over the next few days, but Yuan does what he can, ensuring Kratos doesn't have to move too far for most of what he'll need, lightening the load by cooking when he can. When he's allowed to, more like. Rest and language lessons feature prominently in the interim.]

[By the time Yuan has a rest day again he's starting to relax a bit, considering that he can afford to keep a slightly less sharp eye on Kratos, who's moving significantly more easily. He was beginning to consider that the same thing might be an issue when Kratos brings it up, and so there's no argument, only:]

I'm going with you, then.

[simulsimul]

[It's a good thing they get their seafood delivered, is all. At least that was an easy discussion; Yuan doesn't argue about going, and Kratos doesn't argue about Yuan coming. Breakfast is characterised by conversation in the local languages, as is becoming familiar these days, with Yuan drilling Kratos. Also becoming familiar is Kratos drilling Yuan back, in Tethe'alla's trade language.

[The shopping list, these days, is also written in both the local languages and in Tethe'alla's leading dialect.

[But once they leave the house, Kratos falls quiet, not for any other reason but -- this feels odd. Yuan's never accompanied him on a market trip before, and his presence feels strange. Add to that the churning dread which starts in Kratos's gut before they've gone far, and he doesn't have much to say.

[At least when they get to the market Kratos is pleased to find he's standing up better than of late, thanks to the extra rest. It's a familiar sight, and one which doesn't ease his dread all that much, despite the colourful awnings and banners ranged across several vertically-layered ledges and paths.]

[conductingresistance]

[By now he has practice, adjusting to Kratos's pace without it being awkwardly obvious, and so Yuan matches his speed -- if a step ahead of him -- and appreciates the local environment.]

[Nidavellir does have its upsides, and there is some part of him that has a fondness for the city despite everything.]

[There isn't all that much talking as they go. Yuan hasn't bothered with his uniform, reasoning that if he is too intimidating then they may never see the offending youths, and as much as that is the desired end result, he needs to discover who they are first. It wouldn't be tenable for him to always accompany Kratos, after all; his rest days don't come that frequently.]

[He tries not to glance back that often, and mostly fails. He wants to keep an eye on Kratos without appearing to hover too much, and the balance is a difficult one to strike.]

[In between the color and the people, Yuan's looking for teenagers. Teenagers, and Kratos's reactions.]

[simulsimul]

[Kratos does notice the glances, and subtly puts himself a bit to the side, so Yuan can find him with just a turn of his head and not a entire look back. It's a bit less obvious that way, at least to anyone who might be looking.

[Since the fresh produce is on the side Kratos approaches from, he usually makes a pass through the stalls to the other end, where there's more stalls for non-consumables. In the beginnings it was a pain, before Kratos knew where all the stores were; now he knows whether or not he needs to go that far.

[On this occasion, they do. Kratos needs some materials for the press. He's focussed enough on noting anything in the stalls for his pass through in the opposite direction that he at first doesn't notice Yuan's extra attention on the crowd; but then he does, while pausing at one of the carpenter's stalls.]

This isn't a day I usually come; they might take a while to find out I'm here. And they usually only ambush me on the way out.

[And where there's fewer people to care. Implied: they always figure out when he's there. Always. He's switched up his days a few times.]

[conductingresistance]

Hm.

[Yuan's letting Kratos handle most of the shopping, mostly idling nearby and occasionally looking over to see if anything's amiss at the stalls; he's been here his fair share of times, and at this point he trusts Kratos to handle what's necessary while Yuan himself keeps an eye out.]

[The implication of always has Yuan suspicious.]

They can't be spending every day here, just waiting for you. Someone's telling them.

[Which means: more than one person has specifically singled Kratos out and Yuan is not happy about it. And will be making that displeasure known.]

[simulsimul]

That was my thought as well.

[But Sylvaranti outnumber Tethe'allan slaves or ex-citizens, in this place, and there have been too many sneering for Kratos to have worked out who might be passing on that knowledge. Someone here at any given time, yes; but it may not even be someone with whom Kratos interacted. Just someone who knew him.

[Except -- hm.

[Kratos starts moving again, toward the far end of the market, where they'd been heading to begin with.]

There's someone I know down here who might be able to tell us who.

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan can generally intuit that Kratos is thinking heavily, but the exact thread of it escapes him.]

Someone you know?

[--Something clicks together belatedly, as Yuan matches Kratos's pace again. Kratos might be referring to a merchant he's come to know over the past few months; or he might be referring to a fellow prisoner of war.]

[There are those who actually did take the deal offered, after all. Indenture instead of slavery.]

[Hmmm.]

Anyone intentionally sending people after you would have to bear a grudge against one of us. This is more than opportunism.

[simulsimul]

[Kratos doesn't initially answer the question, because he can nearly feel the realisation without even turning to look. Yuan rarely says something out loud without figuring out the answer soon after. He answers the other instead.]

Yes. I imagine there are numerous people hereabouts whose family I've killed.

[He says it evenly, because it's true, and honestly, it's something they both should have considered much earlier than this. There are a lot of people Kratos has killed.

[The end of the market isn't far. Kratos's old subordinate is in with the artisans, selling wares his master makes. He's very obviously Tethe'allan; but like Kratos he's wearing plain clothes. Unlike Kratos, they're dyed, if simply; also unlike Kratos, he's wearing a heavy engraved chain around his neck, and his braid is not that of a slave, but someone indentured -- a man sentenced to work off a crime.

[He's serving someone else at the time, so Kratos moves up to the stall where he'll be easily seen. When the man turns around with a smile, the smile turns to a blanch and the man's face goes grey, and his gaze skates around looking Kratos in the face.]

C- Commander --

[The word is out before he can stop it, but clipped, as he tries to cut it off and fails. They both know he's not a commander anymore.]

[conductingresistance]

[They should have considered it earlier, yes. But now they're thoroughly aware of the option, and Yuan is already considering possibilities for getting someone else to back down. It will depend on a few things, so he can't plan for certain until they discover the identity or identities of those responsible.]

[But there are possibilities.]

[Yuan notes chain, indenture, and wares before he notices the man's expression. Commander is what seals it, and he gives the man a sharply raised eyebrow.]

[He has nothing against the pragmatists. But that's a dangerous thing for someone who ostensibly owes his loyalty to Sylvarant now to be saying.]

I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Why don't you tell me about your wares, and also answer Kratos's questions?