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]

[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.]

[strength_of_tomorrow]

[Does he really want to argue with Lloyd?]

The longer you live, the more you come to notice the patterns in things. Recognition of them will allow you to predict the outcome of most any situation with great accuracy.

[redcladidealist]

Recognition and patterns? Does stuff like that really work?

[That sounds a lot like stuff he had to do in school, which never felt like what would actually happen in real life.

Your son, Kratos. Your son. He clearly didn't get all of Kratos's more logical genes.]

[strength_of_tomorrow]

Of course it does. Think back to when you were a child. You probably didn't realize at first that the seasons were cyclical or that you needed to prepare for the winter, but over time, you started to recognize that pattern and prepared accordingly.

[Dirk is a practical man, surely he made Lloyd do seasonal preparations!]

There are other patterns in life that are just as regular as the seasons. With time, you come to notice them.

[redcladidealist]

Well, yeah...

[Kratos having a point with that almost catches him off guard.]

But life isn't like seasons. You can't always tell when something bad is going to happen that you need to be prepared for. Maybe for things with schedules, like school or work, or stuff that relies on seasons, like harvesting or planting, but how do you know about things like if someone's going to help you or try to get you into trouble? Or how do you know what things might make someone mad? How do you know if you're going to make a mistake? Can you really prepare for things you can't expect?

[Somehow Lloyd's forgotten his initial complaint, and he's actually... listening. Still arguing, of course, but, without realizing it, he's listening to what Kratos has to say.]

[strength_of_tomorrow]

It is not perfect, but you can learn to predict people's actions as well. There are a few unpredictable people out there...

[He casts a glance at Lloyd with that statement.]

But for the most part, it will serve you well. For example, say that a well dressed man came into your town with a great deal of luggage. All of his belongings are well secured. He travels alone other than a pair of guard dogs. He seems to be excessively social and smiles at everyone he meets, even people that are rude to him. He doesn't carry many weapons. What sort of guesses would you be able to make about him?

[redcladidealist]

Um... Maybe he's there to sell things.

[It's a tentative guess, his uncertainty showing, but there is some basis behind it.]

Sometimes we'd get merchants in Iselia from other places. They were nice to everyone because they wanted us to buy their things. That's why the guy has all that luggage, and why he has dogs to guard it.

[strength_of_tomorrow]

That's it exactly. You know it's not a nobleman of some sort because they travel with people as their guards for the most part, and they don't take well to people treating them rudely. As such, you would be able to predict that you would be unlikely to anger that man simply by speaking your mind.

[The fact that Lloyd figured it out on his own makes Kratos smile. It's a small smile, but it's there nonetheless.]

[redcladidealist]

Wait, I got it right?

[Surprise and something like childish delight flash across Lloyd's face. It's not just the fact that he solved the puzzle, either, though that's the part he's most aware of. Underneath it, though, he's responding to Kratos's smile. To Kratos being proud of him.

It isn't a conscious thought.

He smiles back, hesitantly pleased.]

I thought maybe it was a priest, since he was trying to be nice, but I don't think I've ever seen a priest traveling with a lot of things.

[strength_of_tomorrow]

Priests in Sylvarant tend to be humble. Though they do make pilgrimages, for the most part they only stop at the houses of Salvation. All they really carry with them are offerings.

[A moment later, almost like it's an afterthought:]

Good work.

[redcladidealist]

[Praise. Praise from Kratos. Words like that were always rare even when Kratos had actively been teaching him. Something warm fills him, making him feel like...

...like a kid whose father had just praised him. Suddenly that warm feeling takes on an awkwardness. He still has no idea how to deal with Kratos as his son.]

Th-thanks. I guess I didn't realize how people could have patterns, too. Maybe... I guess maybe you have a point. At least, sometimes.

[Still not going to concede that Kratos is usually right, but it's hard to pick a fight when the man just complimented something he did.]

[strength_of_tomorrow]

[He can see some of his own stubborn pride in Lloyd, so he doesn't push it. He looks vaguely amused.]

I am going to check on Amaterasu. If she's injured, I'll wait a little while before asking her to... fix this.

[redcladidealist]

Okay.

[And it's still awkward, but there's still that warm feeling, and that knowledge that Kratos is going to get the picture fixed for him. A picture of him and his... family. That thought brings on a whole new wave of feelings that he doesn't know what to do with. Fidgeting, he picks up the dishes, standing up.]

I'll, um... go do the dishes, then. And I'll... see you later?

[strength_of_tomorrow]

Yes... later.

[Making sure he still has the picture tucked safely away, Kratos turns and heads out the door. He's not sure what all just happened here, having gone from fighting to cooking Lloyd breakfast to teaching him about the nature of people all in quick succession, but... he thinks it might have been a good thing.]