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]

[Despite himself, one corner of Yuan's mouth turns up very briefly.]

I don't need to eat. I can toss them as soon as I open them.

[He'll still have to deal with them existing, but compared to everything they faced, a coconut dish or two doesn't genuinely frighten him.]

[simulsimul]

I'll steal your cruxis crystal before you leave.

[Now they're just getting into ridiculousness, and Kratos knows it. Even as he stands in the shower with hot water pounding on his back, his head hanging between his arms and wet hair dripping, there's a smile on his face.

[More quietly, too quietly for a human to hear over the sound of the shower-water but not, perhaps, for an augmented half-elf:]

I missed you.

[conductingresistance]

[Hah. Yuan barks a short, amused laugh. He'd like to see Kratos try.]

[He almost thinks he's imagined the last words at first, a scarce whisper at the edges of his hearing. Not telepathy, though, and Yuan isn't in the habit of auditory hallucinations.]

You'll have to get your hands on yours, first.

[Which Yuan still has, somehow.]

[It's only a shame any response to that last is going to have to be loud enough for Kratos to hear; in light of that, Yuan opts to wait until he won't be shouting over a shower.]

[simulsimul]

Now you're just foolishly underestimating me. You think I wouldn't be able to steal your crystal without mine?

[The rest of Kratos's shower runs much like that -- full of cutting accusations which nevertheless carry an element of warmth. Well, most of them. There are some genuine arguments in there. It's perhaps half an hour later when Kratos opens the door, wearing another set of Yuan's clothes and with his damp hair dried but uncombed.

[The irritation has faded into fatigue, but given that he actually ate this morning, he doesn't feel like sleeping. He does not think he has the energy to do his own hair, however, which is why he wordlessly holds out a comb.]

[conductingresistance]

I'd like to see you try.

[Yuan really needs to stop tempting Kratos to do things that will cause him trouble. He takes the comb with a put-upon sigh.]

Sit down. Pick a chair.

[He's not going to ask about preferences; Kratos gets what he gets.]

[simulsimul]

[One of the sofas is not too far from the bathroom door; even still, Kratos's knees wobble as he sinks into it, turning sideways on the seat so Yuan has room to work his hair behind him.]

I'm sure I can oblige that desire, Yuan.

[Especially since Yuan keeps coming around to visit. Either way, Kratos isn't going to argue with whatever Yuan chooses to do with his hair; if Kratos did it himself, Yuan would only sneer at the loose braid Kratos usually bothers with.]

[conductingresistance]

[There's no need to make it sound like that. Yuan is looking vastly disapproving as he settles down behind Kratos, collecting the long fall of untidy auburn to begin the process of combing it out.]

While I have you here. I need what solid data you can give me to verify what you've said about the Seed.

[Still slightly tempting to just make Kratos and Botta deal with each other, but Yuan will save that for when it's really necessary.]

[simulsimul]

['While I have you here' -- as if Yuan wouldn't have been able to find him at any other time. Kratos has to chuckle.

Solid data? Heh. You may as well ask to hold a star. I can tell you what I've observed, but I don't know how to turn that into hard science fit for theoretical review.

[Kratos, for his part, makes himself comfortable, with one foot still on the floor but the other curled under him.]

[conductingresistance]

[At least it's not such a pain to de-tangle this time.]

In that case, you're going to have to be the one talk to Botta.

[This represents a very rapid reversal in opinion, but at least it's not one Kratos can call him on. Yuan isn't going to play the communications device for Kratos, not when Kratos is the one with the first-hand experience of what he's saying about the Seed.]

How do you feel about pigtails?

[This delivered in the same dry tone.]

[simulsimul]

[Of course. He should have seen that coming. Kratos sighs, but it's a resigned sigh.]

We didn't meet under particularly good circumstances -- but very well. If nothing else I may be able to replicate the feeling of the instability with a small mana pulse.

[But only after he's over this cold; such a use of mana is frivolous enough without doing it when he doesn't have the energy to spare. That thought is put quite abruptly on hold, and Kratos turns his head just enough to eyeball Yuan over his shoulder.]

I feel like I'd need to exchange the favour.

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan really shouldn't need to explain that he is not unbiased.]

That would be a start, yes. In confirming with our own calculations.

[The threat is implicit in that gaze. Yuan narrows his eyes very slightly, fixed, and debates about discretion being the better part of valor.]

...I'll keep that in mind.

[There are other options.]

[simulsimul]

I'll see what I can do. If nothing else, we may need the mana cannon to germinate the seed after the worlds are reunited.

[Kratos doesn't quite trust the pause before Yuan's response, and his eyes narrow before he turns his head back again.]

Hmh. See that you do.

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan nods.]

Yes. The Seed needs something, after all.

[And he smiles at the back of Kratos' head, though it's mostly for his own benefit.]

I did miss your empty threats.

[Read: He missed Kratos.]

[simulsimul]

[Kratos honestly hadn't been sure Yuan had heard his own words earlier, he'd said it so low, and under the sound of the shower running. But the admission now -- and it is an admission -- cuts off any cutting response Kratos might have had, and he smiles down at his hands on his lap.]

At the least I can be sure to come up with something new for you.

[Having his hair braided for him is less nostalgically alien than the first time around; still full of hard emotional edges only because it's been so long since they've been so familiar with each other. Yet it is familiar, softening all the time. Softening a bit less when Yuan gets near to finishing the braid and Kratos realises it's a crown, but even that holds its own fondness with the exasperation; their friendship began turbulently, after all, and has never been any other way.

[But once Kratos's hair is done he's tired, and the effects of the steam from the hot shower begin wearing off, and his throat starts feeling dry again. He goes back to bed after that, dozing nearly the whole day and night away, but far less restive and congested than the day before. He very nearly feels safe.]

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan in the end can't help himself, and has to make something unexpected of Kratos' hair, since Kratos has effectively granted him free rein.]

[The braid crown is a nice compromise between stylish and terribly embarrassing.]

[In light of Kratos being so inclined to sleep, however, Yuan ignores him more, tending to the work and the running of the Renegades and the appropriately back-routed message and progress to Mithos to assure him that things are definitely going well.]

[Which they are. Just not the things he implies.]

[Yuan also forgets to handcuff Kratos, which he will later blame on having been lured into a false sense of complacency by Kratos failing to retaliate to anything really.]

[simulsimul]

[When Kratos wakes up, he feels much better. A bit weak generally, but the healing sort. The cough lingers in his lungs only because his sinuses have been draining, but at least now he can breathe, and his throat has only a tickle in it which is easily assuaged by the soup and water Yuan has been leaving him.

[And Yuan has forgotten to handcuff him.

[Smiling to himself, Kratos takes care of a few things around the room and ensuite, ensuring his belt is buckled on and his glasses stowed away (along with the book he is absolutely not enjoying), and pulling his boots on.

[Then he strides out. The guards at the door try to stop him, but between Kratos's commanding tone and assuredness, and the knowledge that they've been guarding a sick man as opposed to a hostage, he convinces them that he has full range of the base. After all, if he were truly a prisoner, he'd have been cuffed inside the room for good measure, wouldn't he? Of course. (They give his hair odd looks. He ignores them.)

[The information those guards give him is solid, however; most people in the base know he's there, who he is, and thankfully Yuan's sentimentality have given most of them the impression that Kratos is Lord Yuan's best-kept secret on the Cruxis inside. The guards insist on continuing to guard him, which Kratos accepts only because there is some merit to being escorted to anywhere he wants, provided neither Yuan nor Botta are there.

[He asks to see their training room first. If there's a weapon there he can pick up, he will. Luckily there's some recruits training, and he's able to slip a dagger into his boot under the cover of actually weighing in on the training.]

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan may strangle Kratos. It's unclear yet, but that's definitely an option.]

[He stares at the surveillance with some resignation, expression flat and forbidding. Accordingly, no one tries to talk to him, which is for the best.]

[Yuan watches long enough to see where Kratos looks like he's going, and then stalks out of the room, headed for the training room and those recruits. Kratos is probably giving them actual useful advice, which could be useful, but Kratos is also not supposed to be wandering the base. This is Yuan's fault, really; he's realizing now he forgot about the handcuffs the night before.]

[Someone isn't going to let him hear the end of this, but it's unclear who yet.]

[He heads into the training room-- absent of Kratos by now. Of course. The recruits are appropriately intimidated and Yuan turns away with a frustrated growl, trying to predict where Kratos will target next.]

[Ah-- the kitchens. Food and the opportunity to carry out some of his threats. Yuan heads that way next.]

[simulsimul]

[Kratos makes sure not to linger too long in the training room, and then asks to see the evacuation point. This makes the guards hesitate, but as Kratos points out, he's been ill so he's hardly a threat, and if Cruxis attacks he won't know where to do to escape.

[They take him to the rhieard hangar and he makes no attempt to escape or even approach the exit as they take him through emergency evacuation procedures. Now he knows where his room is on the map, and in relation to hangar, training, medical and control room. The rhieards don't seem to require authorisation, which was fortunate; but Kratos's guards don't let him near the distribution module and he doesn't attempt to go there.

[He asks where the medical bay is within hearing of one of the technicians attending to a broken rhieard, but once they've left the hangar he redirects them to the kitchen. Medical would be useful to know about; but he can feels himself starting to flag and the kitchen will at least have seats whiles he talks to the cooks.]

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan doesn't find Kratos in the halls; nor, initially, in the kitchen. He frowns at the lack of Kratos in the immediate vicinity, and pokes around as though Kratos might be hiding under something. This behavior concerns the cooks, but Yuan waves them off with a brusque apology for the disruption and finally turns to go.]

[Where else might Kratos go? He continues scowling as he rounds a corner. Perhaps the rheaird hangar, though he doubts Kratos would have been able to talk those guards into letting him by.]

[It's at least a place to start. He'll check back in with surveillance if there's nothing.]

[simulsimul]

[When Kratos arrives in the kitchen, his legs are definitely feeling a bit jelly-like, and he sinks gratefully into a seat nearest the kitchen. Which is when he finds out that Yuan was just there, and laughs quietly to himself while his guard and the cook discuss the matter.]

[One of them suggests returning to his room. Kratos refuses. He doesn't intend to wander any further; isn't even sure he can. He's made his point to Yuan, and he has a map of the base, and a meal coming up.

[And he has some things to discuss with the chefs.

[Which is why the next half-hour or so is spent with the senior chef, discussing the merit of using coconut in meals and whether they can see fit to doing so in the near future.]

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan does not find Kratos at the rheaird hangar. Nor, in fact, in medical. Either he's crossed Kratos somewhere or the man has vanished.]

[He is not fuming when he stops back by the control room to track down Kratos. In the kitchen, of all place. Damn it.]

[By the time he makes it to the kitchen Yuan has stopped at least looking outright angry; but he's still somewhat forbidding when he finds Kratos trying to enact his terrible plans.]

Just what do you think you're doing?

[This is directed at everyone in the immediate vicinity.]

[simulsimul]

[Everyone in the immediate vicinity leaps up or freezes, or both, usually at varying stages of saluting. Everyone except Kratos, who is just finishing some stew, and chuckles over his empty bowl.]

Making a point. And getting some food. You have better cooking facilities here than I thought you would, Yuan.

[His guards shift nervously and glance at each other. Lord Yuan Does Not Look Pleased. Kratos only pushes the bowl away smiles up at Yuan's forbidding expression.]

By the way. You forgot to handcuff me overnight.

[conductingresistance]

[The guards get favored with an especially stern look. Yuan is exceptionally displeased with those two in specific.]

...So I noticed. I hope you enjoyed your walk.

[The implication, naturally, is that he will not get another; Yuan will not be making that mistake again. Kratos is going to be extra handcuffed.]

For future reference, Kratos is not allowed to roam freely. If he attempts to tell you otherwise, assume he is lying to you until you have confirmed it with Botta or myself.

[simulsimul]

[The acknowledgement comes from the pair of rigidly saluting guards, a bit stammering, if only because it wasn't often Yuan spoke to any of them directly, let alone for such a bad mistake.]

Y- yes, Lord Yuan.

[Kratos huffs a little, smiling and shaking his head.]

Don't blame them too much, Yuan. You did neglect to tell them so before, and they did insist on accompanying me. But, as a matter of fact, yes; I enjoyed my walk.

[He'll get out again. Just watch.]

[conductingresistance]

[Yuan didn't expect repentance, but it would be nice if Kratos wasn't actively attempting to undermine his authority.]

I'll escort Kratos back to his room. You're dismissed for now.

[He assesses how likely it is he can fling Kratos over his shoulder without sparking unwanted gossip or a punch somewhere he doesn't want it. Regrettably, it's fairly unlikely. Yuan raises an imperious eyebrow at him and waits to see if Kratos can actually stand up.]