simulsimul | a thing; w/ ruinsprofessor & conductingresistance

Entry tags:

a thing; w/ ruinsprofessor & conductingresistance

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Kratos apologises to Yuan in his head, doesn't dare look back; but Nike grins at him and shifts to point at the water.]

Come on, little brother. Tell us a few stories.

[Oh, that's tempting. But it also means he won't be able to provide a physical cover for Yuan. Then again, Yuan might prefer the water -- if he can stand to get in it with everyone watching. Towels don't go in the water.

[In the end Kratos does, in fact, let his towel drop so he can step down into the hot-tub and lean his chin on his arms at the edge.]

I'm sure I don't have much to tell.

[Most of them laugh.]

No? This is your half-elven officer, is it not?

[This comes from the other consul, leaning forward with clear intrigue and accompanied with a motion toward Yuan.]

Yuan Ka-Fai, correct? I've heard the two of you could break a battlefield if you met on it. Is it true the swallow-blade is taller than a man?

[Why have you done this to him, Kratos. Now Yuan has their attention.]

[He assesses his tactical position. He could continue to stand with his towel, despite that it will very definitely make him the odd person out in more ways than his race. He could slip into the water after Kratos, which is more expected and comes with the benefit of a warm water barrier, but does require, apparently, putting his towel down first.]

[Neither of these are a good option.]

[Eventually, biting his tongue so hard he wouldn't be surprised to taste blood, Yuan drops the towel in the same place Kratos has and slips into the hot tub, trying to balance submerging as fast as he can with not looking like he's in a hurry. The warmth, he will concede, is pleasant.]

[Tethe'allan king Tethe'allan king.]

...That's correct. And it depends on the man.

[He means the correct for his name; it occurs to him a little late it could be taken for the matter of breaking battlefields.]

Well, then, let's be more specific.

[This is amused. The Consul Civilitas, being a lawyer, enjoys specificities.]

Is it taller than you?

Taller than me, at any rate.

[Kratos answers for Yuan, and dryly.]

And you didn't look to have much of a difference between you. Interesting. I wouldn't have thought a blade like that could be wielded. Have you seen it, Consul?

[Nike shakes her head, rolling over so she can bask in the heated warmth of the tiles under her cloak.]

If my brother stops dawdling and gives the commander his claims papers, I'm anticipating being able to witness the blade being sighted in use.

[One of the generals laughs.]

Tell me when and where that happens, will you? If it's as you say, I'd appreciate seeing Aeaces slack-jawed.

[They're almost of a size, yes. Yuan doesn't bother clarifying that. Yuan would, in fact, like to talk to these generals as little as is possible. But he's being directly addressed, here and there, and... well. As awkward as the situation is, he also refuses to go back to being the invisible one in the corner.]

[Despite that he doesn't want them looking at him. At least he's aware of the many contradictions he's placing upon himself there.]

It was created as a piece of art. A challenge. I doubt most would be foolish enough to try when swords are readily available.

[This is, he's reasonably sure, the wrong thing to have said; but the thought of having the blade in his hands again has his gaze flicking up toward Nike.]

[And then away, because she's still very unclothed.]

[And yet, it makes them laugh. Except for the king, who until now appeared to be contemplating his wine and looks up with an expression somewhat like granite.]

But you admit you were foolish enough? What a stunning recommendation from a new member of my nation.

[A couple of laughs cut off prematurely, but Nike pushes herself up with a second quiet chuckle.]

No less the foolishness of my brother, walking out knowingly to be cleaved.

There was no cleaving.

[Kratos is not grumbling. Just even.]

Show them your back and say that again, little brother.

[Kratos, noticeably, sighs and does not show them his back, but the laughter returns at his expense and the king's coldness somewhat alleviated. Enough for the conversation to move on to comparing war injuries and displays of foolish valour -- which is, of course, tantamount to brag-talk among soldiers. Given the situation, Kratos is willing enough to take the mockery.]

[He was foolish, Yuan wants to say, but he had no other choice; or the only choice that was open to him otherwise was a dark and quiet thing, something to which he would not consign himself.]

[Yuan is not about to argue with the Tethe'allan king, and bites down anything that might come out of his mouth. Here, at least, there is more familiar, solid ground. The king does not like him. Yuan is used to being disliked by people in power. He will simply have to be twice as good.]

[But nothing... comes of it. Yuan considers that perhaps he owes Kratos's sister some gesture of thanks, and then decides that he might, if he was not in the middle of a deeply uncomfortably naked situation. The naked cancels out everything else.]

[The conversation... continues, and Yuan is almost part of it. He doesn't volunteer anything, but he's talked to, now and then, and it feels sort of like he's slipping into the conversation rather than hovering at the outskirts like Kratos's ~~slave~~ follower. Old war injuries, well--]

So what's the worst you've had, then?

[And Yuan hesitates, making sure it's him being addressed, and can't help the very faint quirk of his mouth as he gestures at Kratos.]

A clean through stab. Here.

[And he's indicated the spot before he can stop himself, because plenty of people in his unit know the story and wanted to know how serious it was, and he's used to wearing clothes when he talks about it. Damn. Hastily:]

He's left more lasting marks than any other.

[Hurry up and look at Kratos again.]

I remember that.

[It's murmured and thoughtful, wry as well; and because he knows the question is going to come -- indeed, the Consul Civilitas is opening her mouth to ask -- Kratos adds explanation.]

Den Preipe. He was keeping us from holding the fort. And you gave back in good turn -- crushed my hip.

[This last is shot toward Yuan with something that might be an amused side-glance. The Consul looks thoughtful.]

I thought the Swallow is a slicing blade.

It is, but it's got a broad flat -- it serves well as a bludgeon.

[So. Dryly. One of the other generals looks startled, giving Yuan a scrutinisingly assessing look.]

That was you at Den Preipe? And all this time I assumed my commanders' reports of the demon on the plateau was because of springwater turning rancid with disuse.

[With an admirably pokerface, Kratos answers.]

To be fair, General, the springwater was rancid.

[Yuan mouths 'a demon on the plateau' with some mild bemusement. And perhaps a little bit of amusement as well.]

The air resistance makes it less useful bludgeoning, but-- in a pinch.

[He'll say nothing of the strength it requires, if they can't figure that much out.]

[And a nod to that general. It was called something else, sometimes, on the Sylvaranti side, but Yuan recognizes the name well enough. And the wounds.]

Kratos and I-- stopped each other, for the most part.

[And the rest of the battle was history. Yuan had been crankily useless for days.]

Crushed? Huh.

[He didn't realize, at the time, exactly how much damage he'd caused. Bludgeoning damage was much harder to see than a sword through.]

Mn. The bruise is likely to be permanent -- I needed healing in the field to get anywhere.

[If one could call such a discoloration a 'bruise'. Nike sits up.]

Hold on now. Having a pigsticker through you is the worst?

[She motions accusingly, with intent but without heat.]

You've got a great buggering slash on your back, and I'll thank you not to pretend that isn't a dangerous injury. Damn near killed Kratos.

[Kratos frowns a little at Nike.]

That's an exaggeration, don't you think? It was the most frustrating of the injuries I've taken, I'll admit, but 'killed'?

[Nike opens her mouth. One of the non-military officials jumps in before it can turn into a sibling argument.]

How does one survive a slash across the back from a blade the length of a man?

[Dryly:]

Mail and plated armour.

Surely it doesn't look that bad.

[A frown. Yuan hardly looks at the one across his back all that often, but it was shallow, he's fairly sure. It barely pulls. And he didn't feel it much at the time, though that was more than likely shock and adrenaline.]

[...He's just going to look ridiculous if he twists to see it now.]

...it wasn't from battle, in any case. Not in the traditional sense. It's from the match I fought to-- win acceptance to the officer's academy. I was raw, and miscalculated how far a pivot would leave me open.

[Maybe he won't mention that he himself wasn't wearing really anything like armor at the time.]

It was shallow.

[A shrug, dismissive.]

[Not one face isn't startled, except for those which are shocked. Even the king looks surprised by the very idea, despite the fact his general demeanour has been cool and he has, after his first remark, ignored Yuan's existence. Kratos is, perhaps, the only one who doesn't look surprised. But he is.]

Sylvaranti engage in blooded matches just to secure military education?

[The Consul Civilitas sounds appalled and disgusted. One of the generals shakes his head.]

And you just shrug it off like that. Tch.

[Kratos makes a quiet note to tell Yuan that understating or minimising scars and injuries is not generally understood among Tethe'allans. There's too much pride in them; to understate them is considered a kind of false modesty.]

Not typically, no.

[How does he explain this. Does he even bother explaining this. They all look surprised. At least one looks disgusted. Yuan feels some irrational urge to defend his country, even if it is his country no longer, even if all it did for him was give him a name and his first love.]

[He bites his tongue for a moment to think, because he doesn't want to speak unwisely around the very naked Tethe'allan king. Then:]

In Sylvarant, if you have no clan, you need a sponsor from one. I proved I was worth one; that was it.

[He doesn't add on the bitter addendum that they have yet to prove they were worth him.]

It means much less to me than the battlefield.

[And Kratos.]

[The general air is still varying degrees of disgust and disapproval. The king makes a noise.]

And they required you to bleed before they would? Does Sylvarant have so many able bodies that they can set them against one another in single combat for the privilege to serve the nation?

[One of the generals leans forward, accidentally echoing Yuan's own thought.]

But from what I hear, Sylvarant never proved their worth in return. Commander Aurion's report said you'd been betrayed by one of your fellow officers -- twice over, no less.

[This comes with further disapproval and some muttered choice words about Sylvaranti barbarians from those who haven't read Kratos's report. Nike snorts.]

More the fool them.

[Yuan holds back that he wouldn't have bled if he had been a little more prepared; he bites down the half-elf bitterness, because everyone in this room cannot now have missed that he is a half-elf.]

[He doesn't want to say anything about having been a slave, either.]

I could have joined the ranks. I wanted more than that.

[He hesitates, grimacing, and nods to that general.]

Yes. That is... why I'm here. They did not prove to be worth my death, as well.

[Yuan's words about wanting more betrays a shadow of a sneer on the king's part, conveniently but uncaringly hidden as he lifts his cup to drink. Kratos sees it, and it puts a furrow in his brow; but he says nothing. What can he say, to the king? But he sees it, and it dampens some of the confidence that his people would see the worth in Yuan that he does.

[Yet the general sits back and picks up his cup, clearly satisfied.]

As it should be. An accomplished soldier must needs be aware of their worth. It's a poor nation who demands that sacrifice without due respect in return.

[And a little sanctimonious. Nike lets out a faintly sardonic laugh, but does not explain it as she gets to her feet and stretches languorously.]

I'm done lounging. Kratos, if you're both done soaking, why don't you walk me out?

[He isn't quite done, thank you very much, but in light of the new urge to get Yuan away from the king, Kratos nods and submerges enough to wet his hair and enjoy a few seconds in the dull silence of water. Then he rises, brushing hair off his face, and steps out of the hot-tub to take up his towel and bow to the king.]

Your Majesty.

[Yuan does see that, too, if only because he's predisposed to keep his eye out for the quieter markers of disgust just as well as the loud ones.]

[It's ominous, for his time here. But the generals, the officials... those seem more kindly disposed. Yuan can't predict how that will go. It's... more hopeful than it could be.]

[Yuan might be about to say something. Nike cuts him off, and he finds he's exceptionally grateful for that. He lets out a breath of relief, and nods, following Kratos's suit save for the submersion. He doesn't need it right now. His hair is already damp enough, and getting out and away from the king is the priority. So he gets up, follows Kratos's order of operations -- towel, thank the spirits, then a bow and a murmured acknowledgment, and he turns his gaze on Nike. On her face. Very emphatically on her face.]

[Nike cracks a smile at the very emphatic attention on her face. She throws her cloak shamelessly over her shoulder, rather than anything else; it does, at least, cover her partially.]

Walk with me. Your Majesty.

[She bows toward the king and then leads them away, others in the room parting before the colours of her cloak. When they get far enough, without looking, she reaches out to smack Kratos firmly on the back of the head.]

Ow.

[He resists the urge to rub it.]

Idiot.

Is there a way I was meant to know he was holding court here?

[Nike is Yuan's new favorite, in truth. Despite the nudity.]

[Yuan does not relax, per se, once they're away from the king, since they're still in a bath-house and he's still wearing only a towel. But some of the rigidity goes out of his shoulders, and he darts a quick glance back before focusing again.]

This is... normal?

[A place where it's completely within the realm of possibility -- perhaps in fact approaching common? -- to encounter the king in a public bath. Naked.]

[Yuan does not whine out loud, as he's an adult and above that, but it's tempting.]

You were aware this was a possibility?

Why do I feel like this conversation isn't going to go well for me?

[Murmured. Rhetorically. Nike laughs and looks at Yuan.]

Of course it's normal. Even the king has to bathe. Why waste the time when he can take business at the same time? Unscheduled, it's difficult for anyone to eavesdrop intentionally.

[That is: difficult for shinobi to sneak in.]

[Because it isn't going to go well for you, Kratos. So there.]

[Yuan disapproves of everything.]

I... suppose I can see part of the strategic logic, but...

[The logic he sees is the lack of scheduling. The rest would be solved if bathing and business weren't combined.]

[He's oblivious to the fact that by comparison to audience with the king, the rest of the bath-house is slightly less daunting.]

...this is ridiculous.

[Nike is continuing to look at Yuan with quizzical amusement.]

I didn't know Sylvaranti were such prudes. Are you sure he's going to be any fun for you at all, Kratos?

[Kratos fails to resist the urge to facepalm.]

I've already been through this with Nan.

[Sort of. Not.]

There is nothing physical occurring.

[Nike considers Yuan.]

Why the Hel not?

[The frank appraisal followed by the inquiry makes Yuan squawk, a strangled, startled sort of a sound born out of scandalized offense.]

Your pardon if public nudity isn't common in Nidavellir. What makes you think I want to do anything... physical... with Kratos?

[...apart from possibly sparring, actually, but that's several miles down the road yet and this is something different entirely.]

[Still, being scandalized by Nike being also naked seems a second now to being scandalized by this assumption and why it's the second time it's happened.]

[Kratos presses his hand more firmly to his face to hide the fact even his complexion is going faintly pink, even accounting for the heat of the room. Nike, however, laughs.]

You're here, aren't you? My brother's brought Sylvaranti back to be naturalised before. He's never brought them home. I'm assuming you didn't agreed to come with him because he had you in chains.

[Why did he agree to come with Kratos? That's seeming like a worse and worse idea by the minute.]

[Low-voiced, going crimson:]

He did not promise me sexual favors.

Really?

[Nike turns to Kratos, eyebrows raised pointedly.]

Why not?

[Kratos lowers his hand and keeps his head steady, and continues walking despite the shade of his cheeks.]

We've had this conversation.

How gorgeous does someone have to be for you to sleep with him?

I'm not interested in men.

Yes, and I thought you were just being picky.

a thing; w/ ruinsprofessor & conductingresistance

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