No more procrastinating

[strength_of_tomorrow]

Who: Kratos, Lloyd, possibly Angelo if he's around
When: Morning, August 18th
Where: Lloyd and Angelo's apartment
Style: Brackets forever
Status: Closed

[Early that morning, Kratos heads out to attempt to deliver the portrait to Lloyd yet again. Unfortunately for him, this time there's no Colette conveniently stumbling to the ground to allow him to put off the occasion further. He briefly considers just slipping it underneath the door, but even someone as emotionally stunted as Kratos can see what sort of message that would leave. Bracing himself, he knocks.]

Comments

[strength_of_tomorrow]

[If he never mentions drinking around Lloyd again, Kratos will consider it a victory.]

I should return this to Amaterasu.

[He nods to them both awkwardly, standing up and taking his still mostly full plate to the sink. At least he made a token effort!]

[redcladidealist]

[Not a victory that will be soon in coming, though. Lloyd still needs to go bar hopping with Angelo so he can learn what drinks to avoid.

He almost wishes he could leave the room with Angelo, ducking out of the rest of this awkward moment with Kratos.]

Amaterasu...

[He glances at Kratos.]

That's who painted that picture?

[beauchevalier]

[That name pings something inside him as he remembers that attack some time ago.]

Amaterasu... She was the wolf goddess who helped fight against that Emperor of Darkness named Yami, wasn't she?

[strength_of_tomorrow]

That's right. She's returned to the city. I'm afraid I didn't have a chance to fight much in the battle myself, I was moving an ally who lives up there that was comatose down here into the city. Did you participate in the battle?

[Getting past Yami, going to find Raine, safely retrieving her, making it back to the elevator and ensuring she was cared for ate up a lot of time.]

[redcladidealist]

[Lloyd shakes his head.]

I was inside Vatheon. The Defense Force was worried the attack might not stay on the island. Some of us needed to stay behind.

[As sound as the logic had been, though, that didn't change the fact that the attack had stayed on the island, leaving him waiting around and feeling utterly useless. Some of that frustration has clearly leaked into his voice.

Skepticism, too. He frowns a little.]

...is she really a goddess?

[The only goddess he's ever known about turned out to be a lie all along.]

[beauchevalier]

I did not participate in the fighting, I only saw the broadcast that little bug made. [He can hear that skepticism in Lloyd's voice and replies.] It's very possible she is, of course that bug who was preaching for her could be lying.

[strength_of_tomorrow]

At the very least, she has a great deal of power. My attacks were not effective on that creature in the least, but Amaterasu seemed equipped to handle it without too much difficulty.

[He isn't trying to be conceited by using himself as a power scale, but after being second only to Mithos for thousands of years... it's hard not to be.]

[redcladidealist]

[Lloyd has a rough idea of just how strong Kratos is, but dammit, he'd been holding back even then. It's enough to know, though, that if someone is stronger than Kratos, they mean serious trouble.

His frown isn't going away, but now it's there for another reason.]

If she's the one who painted that picture... Maybe you should wait. I mean, to get it fixed. If she got hurt...

[beauchevalier]

[Angelo grows a bit quiet and listens to them, he wasn't sure what Lloyd meant so he wasn't about to bring it up again. Instead, he'll stand in the doorway to the kitchen smiling.]

Well I'll leave you two alone, I need to dress myself since I have plans for today.

[strength_of_tomorrow]

I'm sure that you do.

[He looks back to Lloyd at that, smiling a little.]

Yes, that is what I meant by it possibly taking awhile. I don't want to burden her if she's recovering.

[redcladidealist]

Okay, Angelo. See you later, then.

[Lloyd collects his plate and Angelo's, then starts reaching for Kratos's, too.]

It's okay if it takes time. I just want...

[Then his eyes actually land on the mostly untouched plate, and he frowns.]

You didn't eat very much.

[strength_of_tomorrow]

[Lloyd, Kratos is the father here. Don't fuss at him about eating or not!]

As I said, I don't require it. Eating is just a leisure activity.

[Can't he just be happy that Kratos fussed with food long enough for Lloyd to finish his breakfast?]

[redcladidealist]

You're supposed to enjoy leisure activity. How can you enjoy it if you don't actually eat?

[On the bright side, at least he knows what "leisure" means? Aren't you so proud of him, daddy?]

[strength_of_tomorrow]

[Lloyd knows what leisure means? Hold the phone, he has to call Raine and share the news!]

It is more about the company than the meal, is it not?

[redcladidealist]

[Lloyd's mouth opens... and nothing comes out. Seriously, he was caught off guard by that. Was Kratos saying...?

This is too much. It's too much and too different from what he's used to from this man, even if they're trying to do this again. He doesn't know what to do, how to respond. Since when did Kratos ever...?]

You actually enjoy my company?

[He didn't mean that to come out as skeptical as it did.]

[strength_of_tomorrow]

[Kratos looks just as dumbfounded as Lloyd for a split second. What he had meant by that statement is that people eating as a leisure activity generally do so for the company, at least as far as he's come to understand. That's not to say that he doesn't enjoy Lloyd's company, but Kratos is typically not so open with his feelings. He glances away.]

I would not have offered to train you if I found your presence disagreeable.

[It's almost like saying yes. Almost.]

[redcladidealist]

[Almost a yes, and yet totally not the same thing at all.]

That's different. Just because you don't mind being around me doesn't mean you enjoy it. Did you really enjoy it when I called you all those names whenever you'd been acting like a jerk?

[strength_of_tomorrow]

[Yes is what he meant, though!]

I cannot say it was undeserved.

[Honestly, on some level, it is a little cathartic to hear Lloyd say some of the things he thinks about himself.]

[redcladidealist]

[Lloyd stares.]

Okay, who are you and what did you do with the real Kratos?

[Kratos? Agreeing that he's a jerk? SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE.]

[strength_of_tomorrow]

[Over small things like not allowing Tethe'allan assassins to join their journey or not wanting to stop to help random people, yes, Kratos will forever deny that he is a jerk. Over the fact that he's hurt Lloyd? No.]

If I believe I am wrong, I do not have trouble admitting as much.

[He's not that stubborn, is he?]

[redcladidealist]

[But that's the thing. From Lloyd's perspecting, Kratos almost never thinks he's wrong. It's been a bone of contention ever since they first met in Iselia.]

You sure didn't sound like you regretted it whenever I argued with you.

[Never mind that most of those times Kratos's arguments were legitimate.]

[strength_of_tomorrow]

Because you were incorrect most of the time.

[How Kratos says that with a straight face is anyone's guess. In his view, though, it really is that simple. If he's not wrong, he has no reason to repent for it!]

[redcladidealist]

[There we go. There's the Kratos that Lloyd knows.]

Man, you really are arrogant, you know.

*matches their icons for the cuteness factor*

[strength_of_tomorrow]

I have been alive for a very long time. It is not often that I'm mistaken about something.

[Not often, but it does happen. On a few very important matters, Lloyd has proven him wrong.]

D'awww~ Like father, like son. <3

[redcladidealist]

Being alive a long time doesn't mean you're right more often. It just means you have more chances to be right and wrong.

[It's perfect logic to him.]