🎊🎉 Happy 21st birthday to the game that fill my soul with dream and fantasy Tales Of Symphonia ! 🎆✨
So glad i made some special illustrations for the x/twitter challenge #tos21 #talesofsymphonia21 (celebration ). This one is the special one i did dor it and another one that is xmas themed that i'll post later this year 💖 🎉🎊
I did it! I reworked this piece i made in 2021. Some little details were bothering me actually, so i tried to change some of them and i finally GOT the result i wanted!
Cropped a bit of the background so sheena and zelos are not Lost in the image and this light effect are adding depth to the pièce ✨ really happy with it.
Anyway, short story Time
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11 pm, Mizuho was calm and silent, there was some flower's leftovers spreaded on the dirt paths of the village. Each home had a little incese stick burning in their porch.
It would soon be a week since igaguri passed... In a day or two mizuhohans would stop all the ceremonial, his soul would be guided to the right place already.
People had to grieve their guide, their leader, their chief and soon sheena would be their New one. She already did everything to take over igaguri's responsabilities... But she was still grieving a lot... Too much, to be honest, so people were kinda worried about how the next operations and missions would go if she didn't recover.
For once, they were glad the former Chosen was here, at her side. Usually when Zelos came to visit Sheena, he was not really the most welcome, mizuhohans don't really appreciate outsiders in their precious village. But they were kinda used now to see him sometimes.
The village was silent, until a loud sound came from sheena's hut. As if a piece of heavy fourniture fell on the floor.
Paper flew to the ground while the little table she was using as her desk was flipped to a corner of the room.
She was panting, a pearl of tear in the corner of her eye.
Zelos was sitting behind her, not far away in the little room; waiting for her to calm down. He didn't interfere, nor said anything. He observed her figure from head to toes and her legs became a bit shaky. She Took her face in her hands and fell her knees to the ground, right next to a finished bottle of sake.
" how am i supposed to do all of this? why did he want ME to be their chief? I'll never be able to make it... " she said out of breath
" you know that you are able, hun." Zelos assured serving himself a last cup of sake, almost finishing the second bottle. "He knew you are brave enough, strong enough, wise enough to be their lead. Plus you are dead sexy too"
Sheena flipped to face him, her hair a bit messy, and her cheeks a strong Shade of red, she pouted semi angrily, and a bit drunk-like. She wanted to reply something but nothing went to her mouth, she watched him sip his cup and put it by his side on the floor as if he did not drank a drop of it before this last cup, then he began to take his gloves off.
" it's hot in there, this sake is kinda strong tho, i may have drank too much, and so do you" he said pointing his index to her.
She watched him silently, a strange feeling growing inside her. Why this stupid Chosen was this handome? But why was he so annoying? Why was he there at her house since igaguri passed ? Why did he not headed back to meltokio instead of annoying her everyday?
He stayed, for..her? Sure her grandpa was not his priority. But He Always wait silently by her side, rubbing her shoulder, her hand or her head when she cried. He had made breakfasts and dinners cheering her to eat at least a bit, because she wasn't hungry at all since then. He even called her by her name more than by those stupid nicknames... he respected her boundaries?? At least he tried and she noticed only now... It have been minutes she was watching him, saying nothing, her gaze sometimes directed at him, sometimes at the ground as if she was thinking about so many things at once.
Zelos tilted his head a little concerned
" do i have something on my face, hun? You may stop dri-"
Not even knowing why, she rushed to him, grabbed his pink coat and kissed him; throwing them a bit backward and shoving the unfinished sake bottle on the tatami. Zelos put his elbows to the ground to not totally fall on it. His eyes widened but he did not fight against this sudden kiss... he closed his eyes, His hands adventured on her head, keeping her close to him, lightly reaching her ribbon to losen her hair. All of his soul was boiling hot now, and so did hers.
- i'm too Dizzy - she thought to herself
His lips were soft and his breath so sexy and his touch so-
"wait, wait wait Sheena !" He cut the kiss suddenly pushing her a bit from him a hand on her shoulder
"what? " she said out of breath and a bit irritated from this sudden stop "isn't it what you wanted?"
"of course not! " she widened her eyes, a stabbing sensation went throught Her Heart and stomach.
"No it's not what -... i mean, yes but... " he continued embarassed by the way he said no, aware of the arsh way he spoke " i can't lie i really ... Want to, i - that was - wow, but... I can't with you in that state" he finished softly as she looked at him a Ray of sad in her eyes -why am i sad tho? She thought. WHAT DID SHE JUST DO THO???
He cupped her face in his hands and put his forehead to hers, closed his eyes and Took a deep breath.
"you are drunk, and i don't wanna abuse you like that..i ..... " Zelos marked a 10 seconds silence, Took a deep breath and whispered" i love you too much for this"
He said it, After all those years, he finally declared his love to her... He blushed a bit drunk too but not as much as her. His head still on hers
She blinked, her face still red, reddened even more. It Took her a hot second to print his words on her Brain. She backed up a bit and smiled softly (and drunkey)
"that's kind of you, i'll remember that -stupid Chosen" she said falling in his arms, asleep.
- . - . -
The next morning she woke UP on her futon, scraching her head, her hair messy, her head spinning from the last night. Her kimono still on her but opened and her long pink ribbon folded by the side of the bed.