Lost angel

[fatherlineface]

Who: Kratos Aurion and Vatheon!
When: RIGHT NOW
Where: Nostalgia Nook
Style: I'll follow
Status: Open

[Kratos considers himself to be a fairly level-headed person. Showing up in a strange city and being denounced by his son only phased him for a few days at best - outwardly, at least. He does his best to avoid the boy for his sake, and he's kept to himself since his arrival until today.

Today, he's decided to see what the Nostalgia Nook has to offer. It's not as if he needs anything in particular, but looking at items from other worlds could be a nice distraction. He feels lost here in Vatheon, lacking any real purpose other than living day to day. It's a nightmare.]

Comments

daddy issues all up in this thread

[unshelledbullet]

[The Nostalgia Nook is a place Squall visits once a week to look for cards weapons magazines supplies for the Defense Force. There were no threats in the bubble right now, but that only made it more important to stock up and prepare.

The Nook never has much of what he's looking for in stock. A few potions here, an antidote there, but still, every little bit helps. Today, there's a couple Echo Screens and a Hi-Potion and he's taking those thank you very much.

Just as he pays and starts heading out, he catches a glimpse of Kratos. Haven't seen that guy before.]

Looking for something?

Kratos invokes them in everyone.

[fatherlineface]

[He starts slightly when he's spoken too, though the movement isn't really noticeable to someone that doesn't know the man. He shakes his head.]

Not in particular. I was seeing what sorts of worlds have been drawn into this place.

[He could also just talk to the people from those worlds, but he'd rather not.]

[unshelledbullet]

[To Squall, that sounds a bit like "I don't have anything better to do," but he can't fault this guy for it - he was pretty much the same during his first days in Vatheon.]

Is there anything from your world here?

[Like say, healing items that he could stuff into the DF's inventory.]

[fatherlineface]

Not that I have seen yet. Have you seen a shop from Aselia? That is the name of my world.

[Spot on, Squall. Kratos has nothing to do at all. Nothing except look after Mithos, and everyone knows he fails at that one miserably.]

[kivaember]

[Gilbert decided to check out this Nostalgia Nook he had been hearing about, even if he hadn't collected Starfish Tokens yet. Even if he couldn't purchase anything, Gilbert still liked window shopping, and even seeing something familiar from his own world would be enough to soothe the beginnings of homesickness. He didn't know he could miss his uptight little brother so much.

Hell, he was even starting to miss Hungary of all people.

Nostalgia Nook had this sort of freaky vibe to it that helped Gilbert forget about his homesickness, and there were plenty of equally freaky people to go with it (although nobody matched Fox McCloud, that guy was a humanoid fox!) - Gilbert found himself staring at the people more than the shops, and at one point a guy with a shock of reddish hair caught his gaze. Gilbert immediately zeroed in on him. The guy walked like a seasoned fighter.

Awesome.]

Hey! Hey!

[fatherlineface]

[And indeed he is a seasoned fighter. Unlike most people in the bubble, Kratos shares a few things with the country - he is both ridiculously old (over 4,000 years, in fact) and essentially immortal. He looks at Gilbert somewhat blankly.]

Yes?

[kivaember]

[Gilbert prowled over to the man, for some reason excited about the prospect of meeting another fighter. A sword-fighter at that. Gilbert knows his warriors, and this one screamed veteran like a neon sign. Gilbert had gotten antsy during peacetime. He was originally born for battle after all.]

You're a swordsman, right? A good one. [A wolfish grin] It isn't everyday I get to meet one. [well, in modern time] What's your name? I'm Prussia.

[fatherlineface]

Prussia.

[It was a confirmation more than it was a question. He nods and offers his own name in return.]

Yes, I am a swordsman. My name is Kratos.

[If Kratos is excited to be recognized as a fighter, he doesn't show it. His voice is as placid as ever, but at least it's pleasant to listen to.]

[wavesoakedlegs]

[Once, Mitsuhide had known a 'Kratos.']

[That had been almost two years ago. He was one of the first people the young samurai had encountered in Vatheon, and Mitsuhide had not forgotten. Still, he has to be certain it is who he thinks it is when he spies that familiar face.]

[Time could do much to memory.]

[When he approaches, a long box in his arms and his katana at his side, Mitsuhide bows his head in greeting. Hmm...]

Kratos.

[He speak very politely for the moment. The chance of this being the same one are very remote, all things considered, so such formality is best.]

[fatherlineface]

[Thankfully, Kratos has already been approached by someone that knows him who he does not know. He hasn't been told about the memory loss upon leaving Vatheon just yet, so he assumes that Mitsuhide is someone (from Mizuho, by the looks of it?) that he hasn't met but will meet in his future.]

I apologize, but I have not yet met you when I was pulled from.

[That should cover it.]

[wavesoakedlegs]

I thought it likely.

[Mitsuhide straightens up, not bothered by this too much. He has been in Vatheon for long enough that returning friends with no memories of the city is something he has learned to accept (with, perhaps, a few exceptions).]

[His voice becomes a touch less formal, expression growing softer.]

I am not from your world, however. You were here in Vatheon quite some time ago... nearly two years, in fact?

[fatherlineface]

[Though most people wouldn't be able to read it, Kratos does have a reaction to hearing that he's evidently been here in the city before. He doesn't remember it at all.]

...would I not recall it if I had been here before?

[martelapproves]

[ Mithos is there, as well. He's actually looking over the wide variety of gels, particularly the ones found in other worlds besides Aselia, such as the ones found in Auldrant.

Kratos might remember that Mithos liked gels. They were like candy to him during the Kharlan War, though he stopped eating them once he was a part of Cruxis.

Nostalgia Nook indeed. ]

[fatherlineface]

[He does indeed remember it. Having discovered the Starfish Tokens he was provided with upon arrival, Kratos quietly buys Mithos one of each flavor before tapping the boy on the shoulder.]

Would you like to try them, Mithos?

[martelapproves]

Hmm? Kratos?

[ What a weird coinci--... oh. Wow. That doesn't happen very often. Usually Kratos was so deadpan, he rarely gave him any kind of gifts. + Affection points.

Mithos takes them in his hand, and pops one of the lemon ones into his mouth. ]

Umm... thanks.

[fatherlineface]

[He just shakes his head. It's natural to provide Mithos with healing items if he's interested, isn't it? It's not really meant to be a sentimental gift.

Well, perhaps a little.]

Do they work the same as the ones from our home world?

[redcladidealist]

[It's been a while since that disastrous encounter he had with Kratos, enough that Lloyd has since calmed down, though his feelings about the man are still a twisted, painful mess. He's chalked up the dream he saw to being just that: a dream. The man's claim of paternity, though, is a little harder to forget. He doesn't want to believe it, especially after learning how little Kratos values it.

"I have nothing to gain by lying to you about this."

Nothing to gain. It still hurts to remember that.

He doesn't know what to believe anymore. He doesn't even know what to believe about himself. What does that make him if Kratos is telling the truth? Is he even human?

Does it matter?

Dammit, it can't be true. It doesn't make any sense. Mom was a prisoner in a human ranch. What would someone as high up in Cruxis as him have to do with her? The more he thought about it, the less satisfied he was about the whole story. It wasn't adding up, and he was more inclined to think that Kratos was lying. He didn't want it to be true.

...he didn't want a father who didn't want him.

Moodily wandering through Nostalgia Nook, trying to keep his mind off of the whole mess, the last thing he's really expecting is to run into the source himself. When he rounds a corner, though, there he is. Kratos has his back turned to him and he seems to be inspecting something in a shop. Lloyd's first impulse is to turn right back around and walk away.

But something stops him. Despite the hurt and the anger and his own confusing thoughts, some small part of him still feels drawn to the man in a way he can't pin down with words. Telling himself he's only keeping an eye on Kratos, to figure out what he's up to, Lloyd carefully, cautiously sneaks up behind him. He just needs to get close enough without Kratos realizing he's there. If Kratos never sees him, they don't have to talk.

All right, what are you doing here...?]

1/2

[fatherlineface]

[Four thousand years of instinct prove impossible for Kratos to overcome entirely. When he feels someone trailing him, he's immediately on edge. He slows his steps to allow them to catch up, then whirls around with his blade out the moment he feels them in range.]

What are your -

2/2

[fatherlineface]

[It's Lloyd... he doesn't lower his blade, but he does lower his voice.]

Intentions?

[He can't just back down. He can't allow Lloyd to hurt him (no matter how much it might be deserved), for Mithos would surely retaliate against the boy. If Lloyd attacks, he will at least need to be able to deflect it. But oh, this is the last thing he wants. What had Lloyd been thinking, trying to sneak up on him like that?]

[redcladidealist]

[Oh shi-!

Lloyd doesn't even have time to finish that thought before there's a sword pointed at his throat and his heart's practically jumped to the roof of his mouth. Wide-eyed, he takes an involuntary step back.]

Whoa!

[Dammit, what had he been thinking? This is exactly what happened the last time he'd snuck up on Kratos, even though he hadn't been trying to sneak that time. And this time he isn't so sure where Kratos stands in terms of being a friend or an enemy. He swallows, trying to get his heart back where it belongs.]

H-hey! I wasn't even doing anything!

[Except sneaking up on you. But still! Why does Kratos always have to respond with a sword to his throat?!]

[fatherlineface]

[He doesn't seem hostile. Kratos sheaths his sword, only allowing a small hint of the regret he feels at drawing a blade on Lloyd to show through in his voice.]

You should announce your presence. Someone who is sneaking around rarely does so for benign reasons.

[Says the man who's watched Lloyd in secret more often than he'll ever admit.]

[fistfullofmagic]

[Coincidently, today is also the first day Dhaos has decided to check out the Nostalgia Nook. Currently he's staring at a moving cardboard cutout of something he can't even begin to identify. His expression suggests that he's not quite sure whether to find it cute or be disturbed by it's jerky motions.]

[fatherlineface]

[Ah, it's the angel from the future. Kratos never did get his name... He steps up beside him to observe the cutout.]

I don't believe I have ever seen a creature like that before. What do you think it represents?

[Such a useless question. Still, he wants to see if the other angel is alright without asking that directly.]

[fistfullofmagic]

I am...uncertain I wish to know.

[...Yeah, currently leaning more towards disturbed at the moment.]

[fatherlineface]

If it is meant to be a promotion of some sort, it is not extremely effective.

[Kratos isn't aware of just how well Dhaos knows him, but he's displaying signs of amusement that the other angel will be able to read easily.]