vatheon | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Who: Zelos and Tsubaki
When: backdated February 14th, around noon
Where: The park
Style: Whatever
Status: Closed

The morning was just fading into noon when Zelos started setting up the picnic blanket in a particularly nice spot in the park. Finger sandwiches, pasta and fruit salads, cookies and mini cakes, and a large pitcher of home-made juice litter the blanket, far too much food for one person to consume in a sitting. In fact, it's too much for two, but the curse had left Zelos with a nervous energy that he'd taken out on the house and kitchen, resulting in all the chocolates he'd delivered that morning being finished on time despite the curse, this handsome array of lunch foods, and the entire house sparkling from top to bottom. It hadn't helped; he still felt strange about having been a woman (and a unicorn of all things) but the memories were starting to fade and he decided to let them, focusing instead on treating Tsubaki to a nice afternoon's picnic in the park.

The Chosen plopped down once all the food was laid out and lets out a small sigh. If Tsubaki showed up, that is. She'd agreed to meet him, but he was well aware of her hesitance. He hadn't seen her out and about much, though, and thought maybe she needed the time out of the house. Time with... well, a friend.

So here he is, Zelos Wilder, trying to make friends instead of just letting friends happen to him.

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[Seeing him bite into his sandwich inspires Tsubaki to eat a bit more; a bit faster, even with the mild guilt tugging at her. But the taste of the salad turns out to be both refreshing and delicious, so she soon allows it to fade.

There isn't any point in dwelling, after all. She is quiet and reserved enough as it is.]

N-No. [She shakes her head, taking a pause in her eating.] I can't say I was affected all that strongly; but it was rather disorienting to see the city changed so much like that.

[The city, and its inhabitants. Though Zelos knows all about that.]

Yeah, no kidding. Sometimes I wonder if they only brought us here to have someone new to go 'look what we can do!' at.

[He snorts, finding it morbidly funny, and finishes off his sandwich. He remembers all too well speaking to Tsubaki on the network as a unicorn and knowing without a doubt that she'd seen him - or rather, her, at the time - as a horse and not a full-on Unicorn. It had confirmed his suspicion in a way he really would rather not know for sure, but now, at least, if it ever came up he could explain why he knew and save her from having to relive through explanation.

Martel willing it wouldn't come up. Ever. And Valentine's day is definitely not the time to dwell on depressing stuff like that.]

Still, I thought the castles were a nice change.

[Tsubaki, of course, has no idea that she could have seen anything else. Even if she was comfortable or open enough to reveal such a thing...well, she wouldn't even know to explain or say anything about it.

For now, she is only left wondering why the city bothered to change him into a horse. Perhaps some knight rode on him while saving those princesses.]

I suppose. [She can't really think of a complaint about the castle, really. Pretty luxurious, dignified.

Fitting.]

The city really does like to show off, doesn't it? Sometimes I wonder if it doesn't have a mind of its own.

Nah, I'm pretty sure there's some kind of group of masterminds behind the whole thing.

[He waves his hand, as if to wave off the irritating thoughts.]

Not that it really matters! Let's just enjoy the nice day and forget about them. [He smiles at Tsubaki and playfully pulls a grape from the fruit salad to toss up in the air and catch in his mouth. He gives Tsubaki time to speak, recognizing that he's been dominating the conversation.]

Of course.

[...Which could be a response both to the "group of masterminds" and his suggestion to forget about it all, really. It is a pretty nice day, so, at least that won't be too difficult.

Tsubaki's not a big talker, though, so...ha...hahaha. Yeeeeah.]

...

[She's just gonna watch as he playfully eats the grape, catching it out of the air with his mouth. Hey, she can totally manage that can't she...? Sure, it's childish and looks really silly, but if she can't really find anything to say, maybe she can at least pull that off.

...Except not, since the grape she tries it with definitely falls to the ground and onto the grass.

Oh.

...What a waste. :/]

[That was completely adorable!]

You gotta toss it straight up, like this! Watch.

[He snags a raspberry and tosses it into the air deliberately, slowing his movement down so Tsubaki can catch on and tilting his head back to catch it on his tongue.]

Ta-da~! Now you try again!

[IF BY ADORABLE, HE MEANS EMBARRASSING. BUH.

In any case, she finds herself watching him again. She doesn't really understand the point of this, but it's...mildly entertaining at least. She's a bit reluctant to try again, making a bit of a face when he suggests it.]

But...

[...

SIGH...okay fine, she's grabbing something from the bowl. A raspberry this time, just like he just used.]

Is there really a purpose behind this?

[He shrugs easily.]

For fun? You don't have to try if you don't want.

[He tosses another up and catches it on his tongue again.

Or rather, he would if the wind hadn't picked up and bounced it off his nose instead. (Why is there wind in an underwater bubble, anyway?!)]

[His words come too late, and she's already tossed said raspberry up into the air. That's okay, though. He does better than her; since hers decides to bounce off her forehead this time to who-knows-where.

Such a simple task should not require so much effort. :|]

...No doubt it is a little more "fun" when you are successful.

[He makes a face and laughs.] Yeah, maybe so. Here~

[Zelos offers a napkin to wipe the raspberry juice off her forehead. He would just do it for her, but he's not sure how she'd take to being touched so suddenly.]

[So polite, Zelos. And that's a good thing really. She leans back at first when he holds out the napkin; thinking he was going to do just that. Touch her without her permission—because when has her permission ever meant anything...?

But seeing his hand hover in midair for a moment, she takes it with a relieved look on her face.]

...Thank you.

[And she uses it to wipe off her forehead. Third time will not be the charm, she decides, so—she won't try again.

Back to eating normally...]

[He smiles gently at her, not missing the momentary freeze and subsequent relief when he didn't move in too close. He understands, even if the pendulum swung the opposite way with him and all he wants is to be touched, anything to make that ache go away...

He pops another grape in his mouth then turns his attention to the pasta salad, banishing such thoughts from his mind. They have no place here for the time being.]

So what's been up with you? Finding things to occupy yourself with?

[It's easier said than done for her, but yes, she's generally thinking the same thing. How she's been treated—that isn't anything that needs to be discussed with anyone.]

...Well. I suppose you could say that.

[Man...what has she been doing lately? She's been writing in that scroll of hers, without much mind as to what she's actually writing about...

It's just something she does. Routine.]

I...I've been living in the Larmline Apartments. [And generally getting used to her neighbors and her location, etc...she never did mention the building she decided on, did she?] ...What about you?

Oh, y'know, keeping busy. I was trying to find out more about this place but I pretty much hit a wall to I've been teaching myself to cook some more advanced things, and of course making all that chocolate took awhile.

[It's really no secret he'd made chocolate for every lady in Vatheon, with the exception of Amaterasu but he'd made her other kinds of treats. Obviously he wouldn't send anyone something that could kill them.]

Someone from my world showed up too so I was helping him get settled. Anyone from your world end up here besides you?

[Of course, of course. That all makes sense well enough; she'd been wondering how much time and effort he put into this after all, since...well, even though it's not a secret, she really has no idea how many women he's made chocolates for.

She doesn't think to ask; she merely nods understandingly as she absorbs what he says. Even Akise had not been able to unravel Vatheon's mysteries, so...she was not expecting Zelos to be able to.

...

Ah. At the question, though, Tsubaki does find herself sighing.]

Unfortunately. There seem to be a few of us, actually, and evidently I was not the first to arrive.

[...Hrrmm. She really doesn't like to think about them much, but she really can't help it. Not when she's so accustomed to doing it.]

B-But they are hardly important now...

[They're...they're not in the Survival Game anymore, are they? So she doesn't have to worry about them at all. She kind of wishes she could stop already.]

You don't seem to thrilled. Not your friends, I take it?

[Serves to reason that not everyone who shows up would be an ally. He just got lucky. With a sense of unease he realizes it's entirely possibly that someone like Kratos or even Mithos could easily get pulled here considering Lamufao's ability to snag people across time.

It's not a comforting thought in the slightest.]

[She shakes her head easily enough, thinking on her encounters with them thusfar. Yuno. Minene. Yukiteru...

She'd been planning to deceive two of them, and she'd kidnapped the other for their bait. Hardly friendship...and in fact, she wonders if she even knows what true friendship is, since it's certainly not what she got from her followers.

...But then, there is Akise. He's here, too. Even if he doesn't remember her.]

...No, not exactly. And some are even in the same building as me.

[Which she had no idea about until after she moved in, of course. But she digresses. Her own stupid luck...]

I-I am sure you have your own enemies to worry about, though.

[Putting some more food in her mouth now. It's not like she's trying to burden her with the baggage she's brought from her home world, fff.]

Enemies, huh. Well if you have any trouble just let me know. I'll take care of it.

[He shrugs as her comment about his own enemies.]

I guess, but none of them are here so whatever. Actually two of my best friends ended up here so I guess I lucked out.

[Except Lloyd is from a different point in their timeline entirely and has all this horrible stuff in store for him that Zelos can't even talk about.]

..sort of lucked out.

[She appreciates his offer, even if she doesn't know if she'll ever need to take him up on it. She really hopes that she won't.

...

Something about the hesitation in his voice when he speaks of his "best friends" does make her wonder, though. Last she checked, friends were supposed to be a good thing.]

...Sort of?

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see him, he's just...

[Zelos pauses and sighs, running a hand through his hair.]

Apparently that coral can pull people from different times or something and he's from earlier on. There's some pretty bad stuff that'll happen and he doesn't know it yet, but if this place works how everyone says it does then he's in store for all that when he goes back.

[The Chosen looks worried at the prospect.]

I know he comes through it all okay, I just kind he has to do it at all, y'know?

[Different times... Different timelines, too, maybe? That's something she hadn't considered, but it would explain a whole lot of the reactions she's gotten since being here.

She breathes a sigh.]

Well. Since you are here, I'm sure you would be able to help prepare him for what's to come.

[That's...something.]

At least...he remembers you...

I guess there is that, though supposedly we don't remember anything from here if we end up going back so I'm not sure I see the point in trying to "prepare" him or anything.

[Mostly... he's ashamed of what he has yet to do in Lloyd's timeline and he doesn't want to tell him and risk Lloyd hating him here in Vatheon. He looks at Tsubaki, catching her tone.]

Does one of the people from your world not remember you at all?

[...!

Ah, whoops...]

[She hadn't quite meant for that to come out so easily. Maybe it would be worth something to train his friend anyway, and maybe it wouldn't...but either way, she hadn't meant this to be about her.]

...He...he doesn't, no. [Her only "friend," too.] But it is hardly his fault, so...

[She can't exactly be angry about it, can she...?]

It must be hard on you, though. I have a hard enough time with Lloyd not remembering everything, I can't imagine how I'd feel if he didn't remember me at all...

[He can't quite resist putting a hand lightly on her shoulder. What he wants to do is hug her, tell her everything'll be okay, that he'll protect her and be her friend, but he's fairly certain that would have her running for the other end of the city. He removes his hand quickly, in any case, worried even the small gesture will cause her to clam up.]

Have you tried talking to him anyway?

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