18th Combo

[redcladidealist]

Who: Lloyd Irving and friends/visitors
Where: Zelda's house
When: Please specify the time of day! Any time of day from roughly 11:00 PM the night before and on is fair game.
Style: Whichever!
Status: Open to people with any sort of reason to visit Zelda's house

[Kratos hadn't given Lloyd much say in the matter, and frankly Lloyd hadn't been up to arguing at the time. Still bloody and traumatized from being kidnapped and tortured, he hadn't resisted when his father had brought him to the safest place he could think of, the house shared by Zelda, Zelos, and Dhaos, where he'd been cleaned up and settled into a bed.

But no matter how he closed his eyes, no matter how he tried bury himself under every blanket he had, he couldn't sleep. He couldn't sleep. Every time he tried, his mind snapped back to knives and needles and pain and a smile as Kvar laughed and ripped his Exsphere out and gray-green hands reached out to slaughter all his friends.

He wouldn't get any sleep that night, and anyone who came into his room before morning would find him sobbing brokenly. Later in the day, it would be easier to talk, but it would still be rough. Nightmares have a way of lurking in shadows even when you're awake.]

Comments

Around 12:15am or so, after changing back

[chosen_gigolo]

[The house being as crowded as it was these days (really. They should consider moving somewhere bigger if they're going to keep dragging people there when shit hits the fan) Zelos had given up his room for Lloyd's use. After the curse lifted he wouldn't need it to sleep anyway so it seemed the best option.

It had taken Zelos a short time after waking up in his own body to fly his way back to Ordo 3. He didn't bother with the front door, instead slipping in through an upstairs hall window to avoid the quiet mulling around of people downstairs. He knocks softly on the bedroom door, thinking Lloyd should be sleeping but knowing he won't be.]

Hey Bud? Just wanna let you know I'm in my own body again. Curse is over.

[His voice is its usual jovial timbre, if a little strained, in the hope that if he acts as if everything is normal it will help Lloyd into an easier state of mind.

Still, he doesn't wait for an answer before opening the door a crack to peek inside.]

[redcladidealist]

[Despite the late hour, Lloyd isn't asleep, though it takes him a minute to emerge from the blankets he's pulled up over his head. When he does, it's clear that he's been crying, his eyes rimmed with red, but he seems to have scrubbed them dry and is trying his hardest to pretend that nothing is wrong. He tries to make his mouth form a smile.

He doesn't really succeed.]

Bet it feels good to be yourself.

[He jumps a little at nothing, turning his head to stare at a shadow. After a moment, he shudders and forces himself to look back at his friend. When he speaks again, his voice is noticably subdued and strained.]

It was... weird, when you were in Duke's body.

[chosen_gigolo]

[The redhead makes his way over to the bed and plunks down with an exaggerated sigh.]

You're telling me! That guy knows absolutely nothing about taking care of your looks. I had to drag him in the bathroom pretty much every day to keep my poor body in good condition and I still ended up with a lot of maintenance to do.

[Not that he's actually worried about any of that in light of what happened to Lloyd. In fact, his hair is much less kempt than usual, split ends and curls out of place. It's nothing too terrible but on Zelos it's unheard of. He tries to make light of it, keep acting airy to give Lloyd a sense of normalcy, something stable to latch onto after what was likely a harrowing experience.]

[redcladidealist]

[Not that Lloyd could ever tell the difference between normal and slightly unkempt when it came to Zelos's looks, but the idea of Zelos having to drag someone into the bathroom and make them take a bath manages to make the corner of his mouth twitch with something close to a smile.]

You didn't take a bath with him, did you?

[chosen_gigolo]

It was the only way! Otherwise he'd have run. He managed to get away from me the last two days.

[He raises the back of his hand to his forehead melodramatically.]

I was beside myself!

[A beat.]

Or rather, I wasn't.

[It's a terrible pun. He might be trying a little too hard.]

Morning, roughly 8 AM

[blessedbyfarore]

[Link, now back in his body, is still at Zelda's place until they find out exactly what's going on. It had been a fairly exhausted sleep he had fallen in to shortly after changing back, and he won't be stirring until morning, woken up by the grumbling of his stomach.]

[He hesitates briefly, though, as he passes the room that Lloyd is staying in. He's his friend, and he's been hurt, and maybe he should let him rest...]

[Exhaling, he shakes his head, and reaches up to knock gently on the door.] Lloyd? It's Link.

Re: Morning, roughly 8 AM

[redcladidealist]

[There's a moment before Lloyd responds, not because he'd been asleep, but because he wants to make sure his voice is under control when he tries to speak. It's hard to dismiss the terror of the waking-dream from the night before.]

You can... come in.

[He's sitting in bed, legs curled up and clutched to his chest.]

Morning, roughly 8 AM

[blessedbyfarore]

[Peering inside, Link gives him a tentative smile. Yeah, Lloyd is... not looking great.] I was going to get some breakfast. Do you want any?

['Are you okay?' is probably a stupid question.]

[redcladidealist]

[Lloyd looks down at his feet, and it takes him a moment to respond. He knows he should probably say yes and go get something to it. He hasn't eaten anything for more than a day. But his stomach is too knotted up, the thought of food almost sickening. He shakes his head.]

Thanks, but... I'm not really hungry right now.

[He's reluctant to just leave it at that, though. A small shiver runs through his body at the thought of being left alone.]

You could... go get breakfast and come back, though. If you want.

About 2am

[fistfullofmagic]

[Though he had woken in his own body and his own bed a few hours previous, Dhaos had waited until now to visit Lloyd, allowing others to visit the boy first. It was far better for the boy's mental state to see those he has known for a long time before someone he had only known for a few short months.

Now that things have calmed down though, he finds himself standing at Lloyd's door.]

Lloyd? It's Dhaos.

[Having announced his presence, he quietly enters the room and sits down on the end of the bed. For a moment he's silent, just taking in the state of his not-cousin.]

...It hurts, I know. I would be surprised if sleep comes to you tonight, considering your experience...

[redcladidealist]

[Lloyd freezes in place under his covers when Dhaos first enters the room, for a moment not registering that it's someone he knows. His heart pounds in the grip of the fear that they came back and that smile and no. No, it's just Dhaos. With a half-miserable sob, he uncurls himself, scrubbing his eyes quickly before pulling back the sheets.]

Dhaos...

[But he doesn't know what to say, and it's dark in the room, and he's still terrified that someone else is there, lurking in the shadows just out of sight. He squeezes his eyes shut, trying to will the fear away. There can't be someone else there. Dhaos would know. He feels like a kid, jumping at shadows in the night. He shouldn't be afraid.

He shouldn't.

But...

Of everyone here, maybe Dhaos would understand. Fingers digging into the blankets, he looks up at the other man. His voice comes out a rough, dry croak.]

It's dark.

[fistfullofmagic]

[Dhaos understands the meaning behind those two little words all too well. The monsters that lurk in his own mind hold far more sway in the darkness, and some nights he feels as if the shadows might coalesce and swallow him whole if not for a certain precaution he had taken...

Without a word, Dhaos gathers his mana about him until he is emitting a soft glow. He gives Lloyd a small, sad smile. Not quite sure what to say, he starts with what seems like a bit of a non-sequiter.]

...Because of my condition, I cannot sleep without one of those little lights that small children are often given to drive away the shadows and calm their fears. I was surprised to find one shaped like a little dragon considering how they are often viewed, but it seemed a perfect fit. It...reminds me of home a little.

...Don't tell the others though, alright? Otherwise I will never hear the end of it.

[It was an attempt at some humor, hoping it might help somehow. At the same time, it is a suggestion for something that might help Lloyd.]

[redcladidealist]

[Lloyd grew up without electricity. The idea of a light made just for children is completely foreign to him.]

They... make lights like that?

[The soft light really isn't all that bright, but it lights the room up just enough that Lloyd can see into the shadows. His fingers slowly loosen their grip on the blankets, and he manages to sit up. It's not really a conscious thought, but he wants to be closer to the light.]

Don't... Don't worry. I won't tell anyone.

[The attempt at humor flies over his head. It's hard to find anything funny right now.]

Afternoon, about 2:00 pm

[beauchevalier]

[After getting the message last night from Kratos about his roommate, Angelo decides to head over to Ordo 3 and politely knocks on the front door. If Lloyd was here, maybe he'll be the one to answer before Zelos.]

[zelda_hylia]

[Lloyd hasn't been up to answering the door. As far as the princess is concerned, he's not really up for visitors at all. She doesn't know him well, but his usual dorky grin is absent and he's just been huddled in his bedroom. Still, she can understand that people must be worried, especially since every victim before Lloyd had ended up dead. She's aware that Angelo is Lloyd's roommate, having been told by Zelos who she might expect to see visiting. She looks a little weary, but she's still as put together as ever.]

Hello, Angelo. Are you here to see Lloyd?

[beauchevalier]

[Angelo can see the weariness on Zelda's face when she opens the door for him, not really expecting her but he's glad it's her. He would have been a bit worried if it had been Zelos.]

Oh...Miss Zelda. Yes, I'm here to see Lloyd. [He smiles at her with his best smile.] I wanted to see how he was doing and see how you're doing as well.

[zelda_hylia]

[How she's doing? About as well as is to be expected when your house has turned into a safehouse. Of course, it's definitely something she's done to herself, so she won't complain.]

Please, come in. He is upstairs, though he's not... been feeling up to doing much talking.

Evening of the 24th, about 7 PM

[stickinthemud]

[It isn't until later in the day that Yuan shows up outside the house in question. Ever since his arrival in the afternoon, he'd seen and heard so much that his head is still reeling. Stuck in a dome underwater, other worlds, deity coral and differing time periods... People telling him about his future and a man who came from an even more distant future... Not to mention, a serial killer on the loose. It's enough to drive anyone up the wall.

But then he'd sensed a spike of mana- A dangerously sudden and high spike, and he'd sought it out. Kratos was searching for a Rune Crest for his son and sure enough, the sensation reminded him of Lloyd. Still, he pauses outside the door, wondering why he's even here. No one from his own world has given him a particularly warm welcome and he doesn't expect Lloyd to be any different. Is it really his business whether the boy is recovering well? Perhaps it'd be better if Yuan just stayed out of their hair.

Then again, when did he ever keep his nose out of other people's business? There was no reason for them to fight while they were stuck here. No seal of Origin, no Cruxis, no Renegades... The only way to bury the hatchet and win the allegiance of Lloyd, Kratos and their companions would be to reach out to them. With Mithos skulking around here, he needs all the allies he can get.

So after a last moment of hesitation, he raises a hand to knock on the door.]

o/

[radiantwingedone]

[ Duke had been gathering what little clothing Zelos had brought from Duke's home in the woods when he heard the knock. It seemed like no one else would answer - roughly half of those inside the building currently seemed to be unconscious at the moment, and the other half was out or holed up in their room - so Duke put his folded clothing aside and opened the door part of the way.

Oh. Yuan.

Yup, he's back to blank staring. ]

[stickinthemud]

[Ah. Hm. Yuan was not expecting this. He shuffles his feet awkwardly, then clears his throat.]

... Duke.

[radiantwingedone]

[ Duke blinks once, at the shifting and ... discomfort? ]

Yuan. [ And a brief mental run through of why Yuan might want to be here. Although why he was uncomfortable about it... ]

And this one is significantly later than the other tags!

[zelda_hylia]

[Though Zelda has a lot on her plate, she's noticed Lloyd not managing to get any sleep over the past while. How could she not? He seems almost like he's in a daze, despite Zelos's attempts to cheer him up. She's experienced being an angel herself, she knows just how difficult it can be to sleep. Finally, she knocks on Zelos's door, the room where Lloyd is staying for now.]

Lloyd?

[redcladidealist]

[He's still not sleeping, no, but at least he's been having better luck trying to force himself to eat. Zelos made him Dwarven Potluck Stew, how could he resist? It didn't matter that he still wasn't feeling very hungry. His best friend had made it, and he could even sort of taste it.

(Zelos had added plenty of extra spice to account for the dulled sense of taste of an angel.)

He's on his bed, blankets wrapped loosely around him, with a bowl of soup settled into his lap. He hasn't made much progress in actually eating all of it, but he finishes off a spoonful before replying.]

Come in.

[zelda_hylia]

[Harp in hand, she settles near the bed, smiling at him a little.]

I see Zelos is inflicting his cooking on you. Not too terrible, I hope?

[It's a light tone. Zelda knows well that Zelos is actually quite a good cook when he bothers, though that stew smells way too strong for her tastes. Maybe he did that purposefully for Lloyd's sake? He can be sweet when he wants to.]

[redcladidealist]

Nah, it's not that bad. I thought maybe I was losing my sense of taste, but I can taste this just fine.

[Maybe it was a little bit bland, but since this was Zelos's first time making Dwarven Potluck stew, Lloyd could forgive him for that.]

Did you want something?