- 73 [Action]

[fortunefail]

[Anyone passing by house #8 today will see an old man sitting in a nice wooden rocking chair, situated on the porch. He seems to be enjoying the weather. There may be clouds overhead, but it's still a nice temperature. His cane is leaning against the wall next to him. Anyone familiar with Yuan will recognize him, as it's hard to mistake that bright blue hair. It may have a few grey streaks, but aside from that it's barely changed.

Is he... sleeping? Sure looks like it. Then again, he may just be faking it.]


[[AU info can be found here, but it's not very elaborate or surprising.]]

Comments

[salvationfound.livejournal.com]

Why did you remove your Cruxis Crystal? [As that's really the only way they can actually look this old. Unless Yuan genuinely wanted to be this way and manipulated his age, but that doesn't seem as believable.]

[fortunefail]

[Oh Kratos, straight to the point, aren't you? But the fact of the matter is that you're standing in the yard and Yuan's sitting on his porch.]

What, you want the whole neighborhood to hear? Get over here!

[salvationfound.livejournal.com]

[Oh right. No more enhanced hearing for Yuan. Kratos hesitates, but then sighs and makes his way to the porch. ALL THROUGH YOUR LAWN.]

[fortunefail]

[Oh, he still has half-elven hearing, which is superior to human's. He just doesn't want to shout his life's story across the streets. Never mind that, you know, Kratos does have enhanced hearing. He's more comfortable talking to people when they're not halfway across the lawn. Speaking of which-]

Kratos Aurion, you get off my lawn this instant!

[salvationfound.livejournal.com]

[That shout honestly surprised Kratos enough to make him stop and stare for a second... but then he narrows his eyes and continues his path. It's just a lawn, Yuan, it does not matter whether it gets stepped on or not. Besides, he'd rather do everything he can to displease Yuan.

Whether Yuan continues shouting or not, Kratos is soon a few feet away from the porch.]

Does this distance suit you better?

[fortunefail]

[He barely even heard Kratos' question. He's too busy raging.]

You twat! Martel took care of this garden for as long as she stayed here, and you just stomp right through it! Have you no respect whatsoever?

[salvationfound.livejournal.com]

It will recover in time. You know as well as I do that plants are one of the strongest lifeforms in all worlds.

[But he'll edge onto the pathway anyway and mutter something quietly under his breath. Since when did Yuan care about Martel's wishes? The one he remembers never did.]

[fortunefail]

That doesn't mean I want people stepping all over my neat grass! [He leans back in his chair, grumbling faintly.]

[salvationfound.livejournal.com]

[Okay, he's on the pathway, happy now? He crosses his arms and narrows his eyes again.]

I'll ask once more... Why did you remove your Cruxis Crystal?

[fortunefail]

Because I wanted to. I got tired of immortality. There's no place in the new world for Seraphim.

[salvationfound.livejournal.com]

[Did he really have to cross the lawn to hear that? But...] ... What sort of new world?

[fortunefail]

The new world. The one Lloyd and his buddies created. The World Tree was prospering so nicely, it didn't need much of a guardian anymore.

[salvationfound.livejournal.com]

... That has not occurred in my time.

[fortunefail]

Well, now you know. And don't even bother asking for more. When I first came here, you told me not to give you too many details about the future, so I'm not going to.

[salvationfound.livejournal.com]

[He'd rather not ask for more, anyway. Not after his talk with Raine.]

You do, at least, have more respect than the Yuan I know.

[fortunefail]

[He raises a hand to his mouth, coughing softly. Then he glances up at Kratos again.]

The Yuan you know?

[salvationfound.livejournal.com]

The one who is not withered and bound to a cane... The one who follows Yggdrasill's orders like a dog. You're not the same as him.

[This doesn't mean he'll stop being a bitch to you or anything.]

[fortunefail]

[He scoffs at that.]

You must be from a pretty damned early timeline, then. I stopped following Yggdrasill's orders long before Cruxis fell.

[salvationfound.livejournal.com]

I would not consider it "early". As I recall, you yourself patronized me for looking for my son.

[fortunefail]

Looking for your son? You gave up before I even had a chance to patronize you. In fact, if it weren't for me, Lloyd never would've found out.

[Kratos, you'd better shut him up before he tells you even more things you don't want to hear.]

[salvationfound.livejournal.com]

[He was referring to his journal entry, really, but this just makes him frown and tense up.]

... Enough. I've heard enough of these alternate timelines.

[fortunefail]

[You can't blame Yuan for misunderstanding that one. Kratos has searched for Lloyd quite a few times.]

Alternate?

[salvationfound.livejournal.com]

I never abandoned him. I never thought him dead. I raised him and cared for him for all of his seventeen years... I will not hear of implications otherwise!

[fortunefail]

[And then it clicks.]

Oh, really? That's what you believe?

[salvationfound.livejournal.com]

That's what I know.