vatheon | 17th Combo

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17th Combo

Who: Lloyd Irving and Kratos Aurion, possibly Dhaos and others later on?
Where: Some back alley in Vatheon
When: Afternoon of the 23rd
Style: [action]
Status: Closed

[He couldn't move. He couldn't move and he didn't know whether to be glad for that or struggle against it hysterically. His wrists and neck hurt from where he'd been chained, the broken, raw skin evidence of how he'd fought against... against...

Needles and the pain of something slicing into his skin, a smile as someone leaned over him. The memories were broken, disjointed pieces that didn't want to fit-

Only they did. Lloyd's breath caught in his throat as he remembered.

Kvar.

His Exsphere.

A knife slicing into his hand, trying to pry the metal plate of the Key Crest away.

Share your mother's fate.

Pain and terror and he could feel himself changing and the drugs were wearing off. Oh goddess, he could move his hand - muscles under bulging grey-green skin straining to make his hand lash out - and there weren't any chains anymore. He was free. He was free and he could get up and-

No!

Panic shot through his system as he struggled to stay where he was, his breath coming so fast now he was almost gasping. He couldn't get up, he couldn't let himself, not when he could feel what was happening inside his own skin. He reached for his mana desperately, nearly sobbing when it slipped out of control. He tried again and again - he coudln't afford to fail! Not when failure meant becoming a monster that would-!

Across the city, anyone searching for his mana would feel it spike, skyrocketing from a sluggish almost-nothing to alarming levels he should have only been capable of in the most dire of situations. With a terrified sob, the boy lurched to his feet. He never noticed the card that fell off his chest, even when it snagged for a moment in the tattered remains of his shirt. Still driven by panic, Lloyd stumbled forward a step. He had to get away. He had to go somewhere safe! Somewhere he wouldn't endanger anyone!

The dripping blood from his torn, abused hand left a trail in his wake. There were other cuts and scrapes all over his upper body, but his hand bore the worst of the damage. He didn't seem to notice that either, though. He lurched forward again, and in his desperation to get away, escape, stop himself before that smile, Kvar!, his mana dipped, then spiked even higher.]

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[Since Angelo's post yesterday, Kratos has been searching. He usually doesn't let paranoia get the best of him, but it's just so unlike Lloyd to not be visible. He's loud and vibrant, that's just who he is. The fact that he was unable to find Lloyd by casually searching was enough to make the seraph think something was seriously wrong. He doesn't need to eat. He doesn't need to sleep. So he searched. Finally, he's found him.

But the state he's found him in is like something out of a nightmare.

Blood covers Lloyd's left hand, completely obscuring Kratos's view of his key crest. His mana is fluctuating in a way that's sickeningly familiar, a way that Kratos has observed before, almost fifteen years ago now -

No. No. Not Lloyd too, anything but that, not like this!]

Lloyd!

[His voice is harsh and tight, barely able to rise past his throat. Hurriedly, Kratos rushes to Lloyd's side.]

[Lloyd stiffens when someone calls his name, whipping around with stark terror on his face. Someone is there. Someone is there, and he doesn't know if he's more afraid that it's the person who smiled or just a random person passing by. He backs up a step, heart hammering in his chest when he realizes his too-large hands are reaching out to smash and crush and-]

N-no! Stay away from me!

[He clutches his bloodied hand to his chest, mana fluctuating wildly.]

[Lloyd's protests are disregarded entirely as Kratos reaches out to grab that hand, desperate to see if his key crest has been damaged or not. It seems as if it must have been, but he's praying fervently to anyone or anything that might be listening that it hasn't.]

Lloyd, calm down. I need to look at your key crest.

[He doesn't sound calm in the least. Kratos can't banish the image of Anna, cringing away from him in almost exactly the same manner, looking terrified of herself...]

[Lloyd desperately jerks away from that hand, lashing out to attack kill shove him away! and there's blood on his hands and he just attacked someone. For a moment he even sees a mangled body on the ground, but it's not real, it's not! Kratos is still standing right in front of him and-

Kratos.

Kratos. Kratos is an angel. He's stronger than Lloyd. That's always grated on Lloyd, but now that's a good thing. That body on the ground might not have been real, but horror sinks in when Lloyd realizes how easily it could have been.

He chokes the words past terror that tries to clog his throat.]

K-Kratos, please. You have to stop me! I'm-!

[His mana swells out of control again, and his terror along with it, his irises contracting to tiny points. Whatever he'd been about to say dissolves into a wordless, thin noise, until he shudders and snaps back out of it for a moment.]

I'm losing control! You have to stop me! K-kill me, or I'll-!

[With another cry, he throws himself at his father, and he can't tell if he's mindlessly lashing out like a monster or desperately seeking help from the only person he can.]

[Kratos's life has been so long at this point that the mere decade and a half between this moment and the moment that Anna died seems like only yesterday. He can still hear her begging him to stop her, to kill her before she hurts someone, before she hurts Lloyd... And for a heartbeat, it's like he's back then, hand going for his sword because there's no other choice. Better that the blood is on his hands. He draws back, ready to end it - ]

Edited 2012-09-23 22:45 (UTC)

[But before his sword has cleared its scabbard, he remembers. Duke had been working to prevent something exactly like this, he'd placed a spell for it on Kratos. Thinking of Anna, Kratos had deconstructed the spell on his own and taught it to himself. It was mostly an exercise in masochism at the time. There's a painful sort of release in realizing all the things he could have done differently, in teaching himself all the ways that he'd failed in saving her. There wasn't really any point to it.

Until now.]

I won't let you die, Lloyd.

[His wings burst out as he starts constructing the stabilization formula. Even as desperate as he is, he takes his time to get it right. There's nothing to be gained from a hasty fix, it will only hurt Lloyd more if he gets this wrong. He holds the boy still with one arm, doing the spellwork with the other.]

[He pulls against Kratos's hold on him, all but sobbing now. He can't stay like this, can't afford to stay here when any moment he could lash out again and really hurt someone.]

Let go of me! Let go! Kratos-!

[His mana starts skyrocketing again.]

[Face impassive now that he's concentrating, Kratos places the hand with the completed spell on Lloyd. It's designed for an angel, and it's not perfect, but it will stabilize his mana. He pushes the spell into place and holds it there for as long as he has to for Lloyd to even out again.]

[The spell contracts around him, but Lloyd barely notices all the places it invades. It's constricting around his mana, stilling it in place, keeping it from shooting any higher than it is, but keeping it from dying back down to levels that Lloyd can handle by himself. Lloyd arches his back and screams as agony sears through every nerve he has. He twists in Kratos's arm, fighting, but there's no escaping the pain. He screams again. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, like his whole body is tearing itself apart and expanding, contracting, changing to make room for the mana he can't hold but is shoving itself back inside his skin because the spell won't let it go.]

AAAAAAHHHH!!!

[To say that it's easy to keep the spell up while Lloyd is in such obvious pain would be a complete lie. He clings to him desperately, willing it to work, to stop going out of control, even just long enough for him to call up Zelos to get Dhaos to fix his key crest. He can't do even that much, though; all his concentration is eaten by maintaining the spell that's not entirely meant for Lloyd's body.]

[Rather than getting any better, the pain only sinks even deeper, until it feels like Lloyd's very soul is writhing in agony. The teen was never ready for this, has no idea how to handle it. All he can do is scream again, clutching just as desperately at Kratos's chest. He sobs as the pain burns right through him, right through his chest and settling in his back on either side of his spine. Face buried in Kratos's shirt, he never notices the sparks of mana that begin to gather around his shoulder blades. The only thing he's aware of is the pain.

Then, as though those sparks mark the only place the mana in his body can escape, blinding blue-green light erupts from his back, wild and undefined. Lloyd cries out, tears of pain leaking from his eyes to soak into Kratos's shirt. He twists again, but it's useless to stave off any of the pain. All he can do is sob brokenly, either waiting for it to end or somehow hoping that he can just die.]

Edited 2012-09-24 02:56 (UTC)

[His hands are on Lloyd's back when the wings spring forth, just as brilliantly blue as the sky. Later, he'll look back on the fact that Lloyd has become an angel with utter bewilderment, but for now he's just relieved. His mana is stable. He didn't become a monster. He didn't have to die.

Completely disregarding the thought that anyone might be watching after all that noise, he just draws Lloyd close and closes his eyes, smiling softly to himself. An angelic transformation is painful, but it will pass. Once Lloyd can move again, they can see to his key crest. He speaks in a soothing tone, knowing that it will do little until the moment of Lloyd's transcendence has passed.]

It will be all right, Lloyd. You won't become a monster.

[Even once the pain of the transformation subsides, Lloyd's breaths are ragged and he still clutches at Kratos as though terrified. He shudders, sobbing softly, his shoulders still tense as tendrils of light solidify into wings that flutter, trembling. Something inside him still hurts, something he can't identify. But even beyond that...

He shudders again, his words thick with misery.]

It's t-too late, Kratos. I already am.

[Can't Kratos see his disfigured limbs and the grey-green cast to his skin? Can't he hear his distorted voice struggling to form words with a gaping, inhuman mouth? He gulps for breath, burying his face in his father's chest as though somehow, if he can't see it, the claws on his hands won't be real.]

Edited 2012-09-24 15:39 (UTC)

You're not a monster, Bud. We'd both die before we let that happen.

[It had taken Zelos far too long to figure out where the familiar roiling of mana was emanating and he's shown up out of breath, panting, with the white hair of his borrowed body in a loose tumble. He knows he won't look or sound familiar other than cadence, he knows he was too late in getting there, so for once he's glad Kratos beat him to the punch.

Worried red eyes train themselves on the older Seraph, a silent plea for information. There is no posturing, no needling at Kratos about letting this happen or anything of the sort, just a quiet acknowledgement that they both need to be there as long as Lloyd needs them, whatever their grievances.]

Edited 2012-09-24 16:37 (UTC)

[He glances up at the sound of Duke's voice, taking a moment to realize that it's Zelos. It's then that he finally notices the card nearby, face drawing into a tight frown. Kratos shifts Lloyd in his arms, lifting him up like a small child.]

Zelos is right. I know that it hurts, but I have stabilized your mana with the spell that Duke developed. We need to get you indoors and check on your key crest.

[He dips his head, indicating for Zelos to start heading home. Kratos knows from experience that it's a well-protected place.]

It won't matter.

[ Guess who is finally awake, and thankfully, isn't in someone else's body (woe to the person whose body Mithos ever inhabited)? Mithos would suddenly come out from behind a nearby tree, the tree being nothing more than an unfortunately dramatic place to teleport out from behind. His arms were crossed, but his face was lacking its usually spiteful expression. He looked more... distant. ]

If he's an angel now, a Key Crest won't be enough.

[ Case and point: Colette. She progressively lost her humanity, starting with her ability to eat and sleep, then her ability to feel anything, then her voice, and then, finally, her emotions. And that was a slow, easing-into being an angel. She eventually needed a Rune Crest, which was a more advanced version of a Key Crest, designed for fully-evolved Cruxis Crystals rather than simple exspheres. ]

I'm sorry, Kratos. But you knew this would happen eventually.

[ Even if that wasn't quite as compassionate as Kratos likely needs right now... that was still probably the most compassionate thing Mithos has said in a long, long time, and actually meant it. ]

[His mana might have been stable, but his emotions most definitely are not. Lloyd's breathing started to quicken again when Kratos lifted him up. His wings give a few frantic beats before going relatively limp, and he twists futilely.]

You don't understand! Can't you see?

[He lets go of Kratos's shirt and thrusts out his hand, staring wildly at everyone. They have to believe him, for their own sake as much as his!]

I'm like Marble now, like... like mom! You can't fix this with a Crest!

[A glance at Mithos puts Zelos on edge but the older seraph doesn't sound threatening. Maybe it's simply because he doesn't know it's Zelos in Duke's body but the last thing the Chosen wants to do right now is start a fight. It's not the time.

He steps forward, reaching a hand out towards his friend, trying to coax him back.]

Lloyd, seriously. If you were a monster we couldn't talk like this, right? We couldn't understand you, but we can. Just concentrate on-

[He'd been about to say his voice. But it's not his voice. That won't help. Zelos glances at Kratos.]

On Kratos' voice, okay? Just focus on that and breathe.

[He glances to Mithos, face softening slightly at the unexpected compassion. Mithos had never approved of his relationship with Anna, but perhaps he was a little more understanding than Kratos had thought.]

He's stable, so we have time. We may be able to gather the components needed here in Vatheon, or someone from another world may have a solution.

[If not, Lloyd's wishes be damned, Kratos will give him his own crest. Able to hold Lloyd in one arm easily (if a bit awkwardly), Kratos shifts him and takes his hand, squeezing gently.]

Do you see, Lloyd? These are not the hands of a monster. Your hands are still smaller than mine.

[ Duke was sure acting strange, but he wasn't going to pay that any mind, at least, not for now. He remained silent as Lloyd continued his hysterics (who was Marble, anyway?), clearly fearing being turned into an exebula. By all rights, that should be happening. This spell, though... it was interesting. He'd have to learn it for later.

He glanced at Kratos as he attempted to console Lloyd. He hadn't seen that side of Kratos since Martel first died, shortly before Mithos began stewing into a blind, vengeful rage, determined to make every human pay for what he had lost.

It was starting to bring back some memories... only Kratos, apparently, wasn't going to lose Lloyd. Not like how Mithos lost his sister. He remained quiet, now, quietly observing, and fighting back his own returning memories of loss. ]

[Kratos shouldn't have been able to take his hand like that. To Lloyd's sight, his hand dwarfed Kratos's by far. But he could feel it, the warm pressure of fingers wrapping around his hand. It shouldn't have been possible. Unless...

Unless Kratos and "Duke" were telling the truth. Unless he wasn't the monster Kvar had tried to make him become. But how can he reconcile that with what he can see? He can see what he is, so why can't they?

Desperately, he squeezes his eyes shut, and in that moment he can almost believe. He can almost believe that he's okay, can almost believe Kvar's plan didn't work. All he can feel with Kratos's hand holding his, his other arm wrapped around Lloyd's shoulders, keeping him close and safe. It starts with one sob, then another, until he's crying, and he stops trying to pull away. He wants so badly to believe, wants his father...

His father...]

Dad...

[No longer caring about everything that's held him back before, Lloyd buries his face in his father's chest, sobbing brokenly.]

Edited 2012-09-26 13:32 (UTC)

[Eyes soft and worried, Zelos doesn't try to step any closer. He's smart enough to realize he can't do much good here, not when he's apparently Duke, not with Lloyd clinging to Kratos like that, the father that's finally doing his job and caring for his son. And it took this much to get him to do it? Figures.

No, it's not Kratos' fault, not hardly, but with no one to blame Zelos' wrathful thoughts go to the Seraph as usual. He takes no action based on them though. His tone is sharp, to be sure, but it's easily explained by anger towards whatever monster could have harmed his best friend.]

We should get him somewhere safe, or at least more secure. Zelda has wards set up at the house so no one can get in or out without us knowing about it.

[He doesn't answer for a moment, just rocking Lloyd silently. He didn't lose himself, not like Anna. When he does speak, he doesn't even sound irritated at the memory of the wards - he only sounds relieved.]

Agreed. They are certainly effective.

[Kratos shifts again to hold Lloyd up with both arms, purposefully carrying him in such a way that the boy will be able to feel just how small he is in comparison. He still doesn't seem entirely conscious of the situation, he likely needs that physical reassurance. Without any further discussion, he starts to walk towards Ordo 3.]

[ They were leaving. After Mithos saw a side of Kratos he hadn't seen since the night Martel died, they were leaving. And then, they mentioned Zelda. Turning to Duke, well... that explained why "Duke" was behaving oddly.

Mithos turned, as if he were about to walk away. ]

I'll... be going, then.

[ Unless, y'know. You want him to come, or something. ]

[He does need that reasurrance. He needs it so desperately right now that he can barely form a coherent thought. His mind is still too caught up in the hallucinations it insists are real that he can barely even take note that other people are there, that people are talking around him.

But Kratos's arms are real, and he can hear the man's heart beating. He latches onto those two things like a lifeline, trying to ground himself with them. It's still a struggle, and he's still crying.

But it helps. It helps in an intangible way he can't express and can't name, to have his father there for him.]

[Sorry Mithos but Zelos is the last person that's going to offer a hand of friendship, especially in this ca-... well, actually...]

Mithos, do you know how to make a rune crest?

[He knows the materials. It had been quite an ordeal to get them, but finding suitable substitutes here in Vatheon? That's beyond him. He finally meets eyes with the Seraph, likely for the first time since Mithos had nearly killed Zelos over the Chosen's stupidity in the plaza.]

If you help him, I'll owe you.

[Not me, not us; him. Help him. Help Lloyd.

Please.]

[Zelos speaking to Mithos directly surprises Kratos to say the least. He looks back at the pair.]

I would like to speak about this as well, but for now I am going to get Lloyd indoors and healed. Excuse me.

[Rude perhaps, but Kratos is going to keep on walking. He needs to assess the damage, and soon.]

[Lloyd doesn't say anything else during the trip, though by the time they arrive his sobs have fallen silent. Only an occasional shuddering gasp shakes his frame, and tears still course down his cheeks. His fingers on his good hand at some point have latched a death grip on Kratos's shirt, almost as though he's afraid to let go, or afraid that Kratos might disappear.]

[To say that the princess (currently in Guy's body) is surprised to find the angel who had snuck into her house months ago on her doorstep is an understatement to say the least. For once, Kratos explains himself succinctly and is permitted to go up the stairs to Zelos's room to clean Lloyd up. The terror on Lloyd's face is evident, and with the way he's clinging to Kratos it's clear that he considers him a source of comfort. Other than bringing them a bowl of warm water and some basic first aid supplies, Zelda leaves them be.]

Lloyd, I need you to let me see your hand, all right? We have to clean it up.

[Another shudder ripples through Lloyd at the mention of his hand, and for a fleeting moment he's terrified again, terrified that he's back in that place, back in those chains, and a knife, a smile, and pain, so much pain. He stiffen, grip tightening.

But it's a little easier to think clearly now, and he knows he needs to be healed. His hands don't look like a monster's hands anymore, and he's not sure when that happened, but he's still bleeding, still hurting.

It still takes a great force of will to pull out his injured hand. Covered in blood, it's hard to see just how bad the damage is, but there are places where a knife clearly sliced in deep, all centered around his Exsphere - almost as though someone had been trying to slice it off his skin.

Lloyd swallows.]

Kvar...

[Since he's loosened his hold, Kratos starts wiping his hand clean with the water and washcloth he's been brought.

...Kvar?

No, that's not possible. He's not here in the city, the last arrival cycle was nearly a month ago and he couldn't have hidden himself for that long. Could he? All the people that had been taken thus far were humans, just the sort that Kvar liked to carry out his experiments on. And then Lloyd...]

[If Kvar was in the city, Kratos wouldn't give him the grace of a quick death this time. It's a full minute before he speaks again, not wanting to bark at Lloyd right now in an obviously angry tone.]

What about Kvar?

[He lifts Lloyd's hand gently to the light to inspect the damage. He has to handle this first.]

[Lloyd winces when Kratos starts to clean his hand, the tears coming easily again. The pain brings more flashes of the torture he'd endured, and it's so hard to bring himself to talk about it, but Kratos needs to know.]

He... He did this. He said... He said... mom...

[His breath is coming faster, too fast.]

And he smiled. He smiled and he wouldn't stop and it h-hurt and... he said I'd... I'd become a... a monster.

[The key crest was all right. He feels a small wave of relief just at that. What sort of experiments were carried out on Lloyd to promote the growth of the exsphere that much? Thankfully, there's no debris left behind in the wounds. He calls forth a healing spell, careful to not disturb the already delicate balance of Lloyd's mana.]

I won't allow that to happen. Do you recall that spell that Duke developed, Lloyd? I put it on you. You won't become a monster.

[What a stroke of luck it had been that Kratos actually accepted the offer from a strange man to place an unknown spell on him. Even now he's not entirely sure what possessed him, he just knows he didn't want Lloyd to ever have to kill him if his key crest was ever damaged.

Instead, it saved him from having to kill Lloyd.]

[Maybe it's the healing spell that helps, or maybe it's Kratos's comforting words or tone. Maybe it's the arm his father still has around him, holding him close. Whatever it is, it helps, even if only a little bit. He takes a few breathes, deliberately trying to slow them down. Then he nods. He remembers that.]

I didn't... I didn't think I'd need it for myself. I just told him to ask the people who couldn't take their Exspheres off. I can take mine off, though, or I could. I thought... I thought it wouldn't matter if... if mine got damaged. I could just... take it off.

[He hadn't accounted for his Exsphere evolving, still doesn't realize that that's what happened. His wings had retracted at some point when Kratos had been carrying him, while he'd had his eyes squeezed shut tightly against the hallucinations wreaking havoc with his mind. Some fundamental piece of him still feels different somehow. He can only assume that it's tied to whatever it was Kvar did.

Somehow, though, he doesn't think he can take his Exsphere off again. Something about it feels more permanently bound to something inside of him.]

Duke said the spell wasn't permanent. It's only supposed to last a few hours. What'll... what'll happen when it ends?

Edited 2012-09-27 15:11 (UTC)

Your key crest is not damaged. You will not become a monster.

[He hesitates. Not a monster, perhaps, but...]

However... your exsphere has evolved now. It is possible that your key crest may not be enough on its own. If you recall Colette's transformation into an angel, you may experience something similar to that. If that is the case, we will find materials for a Rune Crest.

[Or Kratos will simply let Lloyd have his own. He doesn't care if he can taste or sleep or feel, it's all ceased to be relevant to him long ago. He knows that Lloyd would protest the idea, though, so he'll offer this up as a solution first.]

[He nearly shudders with relief at the news that his Key Crest is undamaged. That relief freezes inside him, though, when Kratos continues on. He stills, suddenly hyper aware of the beating of his heart.]

...evolved...?

[The offered suggestion means nothing to him. He doesn't know what a Rune Crest is. He doesn't know about the potential crystalization, only the basic toxicosis symptoms. The ability to sleep, the desire and need to eat, the ability to feel hot or cold or pain, the ability to speak...

...then your memory and soul. Lloyd's breath catches in his throat, and he stiffens, terrified. His voice thins and strains.]

I'm becoming an angel?

That's right. There's nothing to fear, you do have a key crest. You will not lose yourself. Colette and Zelos are fine, are they not? You may find that you don't require food or sleep in the same way that you once did, and your vision and hearing are likely to improve. There's also a more powerful sort of key crest that we can utilize if it proves necessary, but we have time. Please tell me if you notice anything strange.

[Kratos keeps his voice steady and calm as he checks the rest of Lloyd's body for further injuries, talking about becoming an angel as if it's not a big deal at all. Truthfully, depending on the person, it may not be. Some people might even enjoy it. It does have a lot of benefits... but it has its downfalls as well.]

[It doesn't help that his emotions are still strung taut, the torture still so fresh in his mind. Once the panic starts rising, it's hard to make it stop. Notice anything strange? He chokes out a laugh that's too close to the sound of something breaking.]

So I just... just call you up and say, h-hey, dad, I'm flying?

[There's a note of something close to hysteria in his voice. There's too much for him to process. He can't deal with this.

Kratos won't have much trouble seeing the rest of his injuries, though. What little remains of his shirt is tattered, cut and ripped away without any regard. Lloyd's wrists and neck are raw from struggling against chains, but cuts and scrapes revealed are minimal compared to the damage done to his hand. The only other evidence there is of what was done to him are a few needle marks where the drugs were injected to sedate him and induce the hallucations.]

Lloyd...

[Is becoming an angel so reprehensible? He knows better than to take it personally, Lloyd is just panicking right now. Even so, it stings a little. The rest of the injuries all look simple enough, so he casts a healing circle to take care of them. Hopefully the warm and steady feeling of Kratos's mana will help calm Lloyd down a bit again, it seemed to do well enough last time.

There's not anything else to be said right now. Lloyd isn't in a state to listen. Unsure what else to do, Kratos just pulls Lloyd's head back to his chest quietly.]

Of course I know how. I invented them.

[ Well... sort of. He helped invent them, at least, when Martel reacted badly to her Cruxis Crystal and her own evolution into an angel. The Dwarves deserve the real credit for Rune Crests. ]

But it's not going to do anybody any good without the ingredients to make one.

[It's not so much the thought of becoming an angel, it's the fact that he was forced into it. This isn't something that just happened because his Exsphere evolved. It's wrapped too tightly with the torture and horror for him to separate it out.

As the healing magic starts to sink in, something loosens inside of Lloyd's chest. It's not an injury, but it's still something that hurts, something that responds to the soothing energy. When Kratos pulls him closer, something breaks loose, and he starts crying again. He doesn't care. He stopped caring about tears at some point when the knife was slicing through his skin, when his mind insisted that he was a monster. Maybe he doesn't need the healing energy that much, but his soul needs this, needs his father's arms around him, comforting him while sobs. Lloyd curls up as close to him as he can.

And that's exactly how he'll remain for as long as Kratos will stay with him.]

[Zelos glances after Kratos and Lloyd as they leave to safety, speaking as his eyes follow the two out of sight.]

There've got to be substitutes. I know a unicorn horn and the other materials might be impossible to find down here, but there's access to junk from a bunch of different worlds in the Nostalgia Nook. Would you know if we could use something else?

Uh, no? I don't know about other worlds.

[ A long, exasperated sigh. ]

Are there any dwarves here?

[He grits his teeth to keep down his ire at Mithos' tone. He needs his help, he can't burn that bridge, as smoking as it is already.]

Not that I know of. Would you be able to tell if something could be used as a substitute if you saw it? There's all kinds of stuff in the Nook if you'd just come take a look.

...please, Mithos.

[ Well, there's a tone Mithos hasn't heard in forever. The last time was when Zelos sought out Cruxis in Tethe'alla shortly before powering his own Cruxis Crystal and becoming an angel, asking to make a 'deal.' Yggdrasill had thought it would be a complete waste of time, but Zelos pleaded with him enough to make Seles the Chosen instead of him. And he agreed, for only three reasons: One, Martel might not want to be reborn into a male body; two, Seles was a quarter-elf (not quite a half-elf, but close enough, he supposed); and three, Colette was already a perfect match to Martel's mana signature, so Zelos and/or Seles weren't even needed anymore.

Mithos finally sighed, closing his eyes, resigning on this issue. ]

I'm not making any promises, Zelos, but if it means that damn much to you... fine, I'll go look.

[A slow breath escapes Zelos at that. He'd expected Mithos to flatly refuse, to remind Zelos of just how unimportant he is in the Seraph's world. But no, he'd agreed to try.

Maybe Lloyd's right, maybe there is something to be saved. But for now, all Zelos can feel is a brief, mild relief; he can't dwell on it too much, just be grateful.]

Thank you. C'mon, it's this way.

I know where it is.

[ But he'll follow along anyway. Why was he doing this? Why bother with Lloyd? Why did Kratos' show of affection and fatherly compassion affect him like that?

It'd be something he'd be fighting with himself about the rest of the night. ]

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17th Combo

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Split off a small Zelos/Mithos thread here?

Splitting off~

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