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

[...that makes a great deal clearer, actually. Yuan curls his fingers into the cloak as Kratos pulls it around him, satisfied in the weight and the warmth of it, and in no small part what the temporary gift of it means.]

[Perhaps he can trust Kratos.]

You may need to make your desires explicitly clear to the quartermaster, then.

[Because Yuan's word is less usable there without some backup proof of Kratos's intent. He knows how this works.]

...a moment. I'll change.

I will be.

[With grim intent. He nods shortly.]

Bring those -- things -- back with you. I'll take them back down to the quartermaster.

[In the meantime he'll hurry to finish up these letters so he can hand them off to a runner while he's seeing to the quartermaster. Kratos goes back to his desk to hastily finish the last, and seal them.]

[Yuan changes in a hurry; though he's careful not to damage the previous clothing, since they're not really his.]

[He's not upset to fold them up and collect them in a stack, and he's about half as long as he took changing before he returns to Kratos, ready to go.]

Am I to accompany you?

[Since measurements have already been done, and Kratos said 'I'...]

[But, all told, he looks significantly more comfortable than he was a few moments ago, and his posture eases, though it still isn't precisely straight.]

You weren't aware of how common such practices are.

No, I wasn't.

[Briskly Kratos uses his finger to crease the last page with a flick, and promptly gives himself a paper-cut. He grimaces, sucks on his finger while sealing the letter one-handed, and straightens up.]

But I'll be fixing that, at least as far as my regiment.

[He might be hated for it. He doesn't care. He may not be able to order the slaves freed, due to Triet's laws, but he can damn well enforce Vanaheim's rights of liberty to those under the care of the powerful. Kratos gives Yuan a measuring look, setting the letters in the crook of his elbow so he can take the -- clothes. Finally he shakes his head.]

Stay here. You can --

[Damn. Hm.]

I'll have someone bring up something to for you to eat. In the meantime, you can ... have a look at your room. Decide if you want change anything about it. ... Continue with my unpacking, I suppose, if you wish. Familiarise yourself with my suite. Just don't do anything with my desk.

[He still needs to figure out the limits there.]

[Gladly Yuan relinquishes the clothes. He's staring at Kratos unconsciously, wondering exactly how far the man's willing to go. How does he care? Especially about someone he's only just met? That seems exhausting.]

[Wait, hold on.]

That's to be my room?

[Just to check he heard correctly. The bed he already knows is nicer than anything he's ever been allowed to sleep on. It seems an unprecedented level of luxury. And to change things about it.]

[...one step at a time. Yuan looks away when he realises he's staring, nods assent.]

Understood.

[Kratos is arranging things more properly in his hands when he gives Yuan a baffled look.]

Of course. It's the only other bedroom in the suite; where else would you sleep?

[... Does he want to know what Yuan was expecting? He isn't sure, and there isn't time. Kratos shakes his head.]

Regardless. I'll be back as soon as I can.

[He has Words to say to some people, and he leaves the suite with Striding Intent. On the way down to the quartermaster's he snags a runner to a) prioritise the delivery of the letters; and b) have someone bring something easy to digest up to his suite. He explicitly states that 'easy to digest' does not mean cream, honey, or anything which might be construed as sensual. Fruit and bread and nuts.

[Then it's to the quartermaster's, and that's an awkward conversation. For her. For Kratos it's flatly stern. This isn't how he was planning to exercise his newly gained authority, but it's too important to not. He gets different clothes for Yuan, with spares to be sent up later. He makes it Very Clear that the quartermaster is not to send out such clothes as a default. In any circumstance. He does not ask who has asked for them -- yet. He's going to give the people in his regiment chances to do what they should have been doing anyway, before the breaches of privacy comes in.

[He just needs to figure out how, first. His new lieutenant -- Leda -- might have more ideas.

[Then Kratos returns to his suite, much more appropriate attire in hand, and enters briskly.]

[Maybe he won't clarify, for Kratos. Or maybe he will, if there are some notions that he needs to be disabused of. Yuan doesn't know yet. Not knowing is terrifying and heady all at once.]

[When Kratos is gone Yuan turns his hand to unpacking, making guesses about where Kratos will want things based on function and practicality. What he has absolutely no idea what to do with he leaves where it is, but the pile of things will be much smaller by the time Kratos gets back, and the suite might actually look like someone lives there.]

[Food arrives while he's in the middle of that, and Yuan is hungry, but he finishes as much as he can before sitting. The table is low, the chairs... peculiar; he perches on the edge of one, nibbling carefully at pieces of food while he has the luxury of time. He doesn't often.]

[By the time Kratos returns, Yuan's still there, one leg drawn up and his chin resting on it. It isn't a relaxed posture, not really. About half the food has been eaten, and there's half a piece of bread in his free hand which he's neglected to do anything with yet. He startles straighter when Kratos appears, but doesn't get up.]

[It's not precisely the way the chair is meant to be used, but maybe Yuan's just not used to sitting in one. Kratos has no idea. He does survey the food and then nod approvingly; at least that was gotten right.]

Here; these will be much better for you. More spares will be sent up later.

[Though they will, perhaps, be alien to Yuan; lightweight cotton in dull colours, and draping, with enough fabric to cover arms and fall at least to knees. Sandals, at least for now -- given the lack of expectation Yuan will be going far in the sun. They're not precisely the same as the tunics and cloaks the knights wear, but they're more similar than anything Kratos has seen on Sylvaranti not already from the area. Kratos holds them out for Yuan to take, glancing around again.

[At a quick glance, the pile in the corner looks much improved, as well; and while there's some things he can already tell he'll want elsewhere, for the most part it's no worse than what he might have done himself. It'll suffice until he figures out the dimensions of the suite.]

Thank you.

[Both automatic and heartfelt. Yuan sets the bread down and reaches out to take the clothing, thumbing through the stack of fabrics. He doesn't unfold and hold them up yet, but he can already tell there's more and better fabric than was in the others.]

[He doesn't ask how many spares. Whatever there is will suffice.]

[After a moment, Yuan puts the clothing down on the chair beside him. Hesitates, eying Kratos. And then picks up the bread he'd set down and makes to start eating again. He doesn't expect that Kratos will stop him; but there's still some expectation that he shouldn't.]

[He must have been hungry. ... Or possibly the clothes he already has aren't exactly objectionable to him. Kratos debates for a moment, then takes a seat in the chair opposite, resting his elbows on his knees. Commanders don't have spare time -- they have to make it.]

What, exactly, are you expecting from me?

[This is an earnest question from a man with an intent expression.]

And -- I suppose I should know -- what will others be expecting?

[He needs to know what people will assume before he can choose to dismantle or not.]

[The clothes he's wearing don't make him look like he belongs in someone's bed. They'll do.]

[His eyes track Kratos instead of the food, and then he stops eating at the first question.]

[How the hell is he supposed to answer that? There's no answer for that. Yuan expects the worst, generally, and is that way pleasantly surprised when his life fails to improve or get worse.]

[At least he can answer the second question. Yuan finishes his piece of bread and puts his thoughts together.]

I can only give you Nidavellir's expectations, but many will be the same here.

If you're too visibly kind to me, people will assume we're sharing a bed. In general, I am not thought of in the same way as servants; I exist at your sufferance. I cannot pretend to be other than I am, and must wear the typical declarations of my status. You will be expected to mark me as your property; not to let me run amok; to provide a minimum standard of clothing and care, though most will look the other way for non-human slaves.

You will gain no end of trouble if you allow me to pretend to be your equal.

[This is all dry, faintly raspy, and Yuan chooses his words with the intent that they hit hardest, so that Kratos understands what sort of a world Yuan exists in. They are not from the same worlds.]

[Kratos is frowning before Yuan is half done.]

People seem to be assuming that anyway.

[Of the first, since it appears that is the primary reason for the ... gift. But it isn't an amused remark; if anything it's an unhappy one. And what's that use of the word pretend? Kratos wouldn't ask him to pretend to be anything. His mouth thins.]

So I'm meant to let you pretend to be less than what you are?

[He doesn't like that. He doesn't like most of this.]

What do you mean -- 'mark'? What sorts of declarations?

[Yes, well. That will happen.]

People will assume it less.

[But it seems Kratos begins to understand some things. Yuan gestures, to the braid across his crown which needs re-doing, fuzzed from travel.]

This braiding pattern indicates I'm a slave. Typically I would wear something impressed with your family crest, if you have one. Perhaps your name, if not. Jewelry, usually. Sometimes simply colors, but I think that's more common in Nidavellir.

I doubt that.

[Subsistence bloodliners had a reputation for being promiscuous. He's never fit into that model, until now; people will believe it, no matter what.]

Colours are socially coded in Tethe'alla.

[So there wouldn't be any of that. Kratos's gaze tracks the braid, then the lack of ornamentation, and his frown gets deeper. He can't give out the Aurion crest like that. It's not his to give.]

I can't give you the Aurion crest, but I suppose I can figure something else out, if the risk of not wearing one means you might be abducted. How do you feel about being marked so?

[He doesn't recall it from the contract -- which he does, admittedly, need to finish rereading -- but if an unmarked slave is ripe for abuse or abduction, Kratos might have to look into it regardless.]

[Perhaps Yuan is missing something. He doesn't ask.]

Perhaps customs are different from what I'm used to, in Triet.

[But he knows the Sylvaranti laws that apply to him, and assumes they must be similar if not identical here.]

[...what does Kratos mean, how does he feel.]

How I feel about it doesn't matter.

[Blunt, not even bitter any more.]

There's some risk, but mostly of being required to prove who owns me. I don't know Triet's atmosphere.

[Abduction might happen, or might not. He hasn't been in the city long enough to know how it is with slaves.]

It matters to me.

[... Which is possibly not the best way Kratos can respond, to that, given how much power he has over Yuan. More quietly:]

And it should -- I mean, I would hope that it matters to you.

[Yuan opens his mouth and discovers he has nothing to say.]

[It's something he had never given too much thought to, because he had assumed it wasn't changeable, and if he thought about it and discovered he hated it, that would be one more exhaustion and indignity to bear.]

[So he stares blankly at Kratos for a few moments. How does he feel about wearing someone's mark?]

[It would be nice to have a family. He doesn't, and won't. If he had his way...]

[But he doesn't.]

It's practical, to ensure it's obvious where I belong.

[The fact that Yuan doesn't even have anything to say at first, the expression on his face, is heartbreaking. For all his sass earlier, it's plain now that he's never thought about it before.]

That isn't really a feeling.

[But it's a judgement. ... It's a start, perhaps. Maybe they can get to more than that. Kratos considers, and then chooses his words carefully.]

I would ... appreciate it ... if you let me know when you do have feelings about something related to you. And what they are.

[Fine, take all the rules lawyering out of it, Kratos.]

[It doesn't mean Yuan knows what to make of Kratos. He does not choose to elaborate with more feelings; any feeling he does have right now about marks or lack thereof is going to be deeply personal.]

[They don't know each other so well yet, if they ever will.]

Hm. I suppose I could manage that.

What happens if I decide I hate you?

[Just. For instance. Throwing that out there.]

Then I'd question what I did to make you feel that way, and seek to change it.

[It's a prompt response; not mechanical, but something so deeply embedded that Kratos can't imagine doing anything else. Or why anyone would think he would, or should, do anything else. This shows in his head-tip, in faint confusion.]

Have I done anything to make you feel that way?

[He doesn't think he has -- but as Yuan pointed out in the customs house, he obviously doesn't have the method of thought to tell.]

[Yuan shakes his head. There is an expression which might resemble a smile if viewed from a sufficient distance.]

No. Only-- hypotheticals.

[Kratos would want to know, and he'd want to do something about it. That's...]

[It doesn't feel real, honestly. He'll wait for the other shoe to drop; but he supposes he can push this boundary and see how far it goes.]

I will... endeavor to inform you of my feelings, then.

[A faint uptick in his voice. Just to be sure.]

[Kratos nods firmly.]

Thank you.

[Now what. Kratos exhales. Well, Yuan's still eating, and Kratos still has work to do. He gets to his feet.]

You may -- continue with what you were doing earlier.

[Eating. Unpacking. Looking at his own room. Familiarising himself.]

I haven't been in this suite long myself, so if you have any suggestions as to the furniture, they'd be welcome.

[What is he going to do with a blacksmith's assistant? Housework seems hardly worthy of him. Kratos hesitates.]

Is there ... anything you'd prefer to be doing?

[The thanks earns Kratos another bemused look, this one a bit softer than the earlier blank stare.]

[This is novel. Yuan could get accustomed to it if he's not careful.]

...What about the furniture? It seems strange to me, but if it's traditionally Tethe'allan...

[Also, Yuan doesn't know much about Triet's architecture and customs yet. It will take some learning and observation.]

[He at least tries to give the question about his preferences some thought, but all that happens is he sees the sleek curves and wicked hooks of the blade left on his previous master's wall. That's not exceptionally helpful; but it's one of the few things he can remember wanting enough that hope tried to take hold.]

[In a moment Yuan shakes his head.]

I can't think of anything. ...right now.

[Concession to Kratos asking to be informed.]

The ... positioning of it. Or ... decorations.

[Kratos motions a little at the rather uninspired drapes by the lattice leading onto the balcony. Traditionally the table does go in the middle with the seats around, but the rest is fairly open for debate. Then, cognisant that this, perhaps, is not obvious, he adds:]

If you want to change the furniture in your room, you may.

[... Hmn. It wouldn't do to keep him sequestered in the suite all the time. Kratos frowns a little.]

... How would you like to proceed with regard to relationships with the staff, and learning your way around the compound?

I'll... think about it.

[Now Yuan begins to consider it, there is something about the spatial configuration of the room that's bothering him; but he can't lay a finger on exactly what it is, or why. Perhaps it can be an experiment, in what he prefers and how much latitude Kratos allots.]

[He's suspecting more and more there's a lot of reach.]

[For Kratos's last question, Yuan turns his hands up, palms empty.]

I have no answer. How do you see fit to proceed?

a thing; w/ ruinsprofessor & conductingresistance

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