#Yeah that's right it's Lloyd Irving | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

darkhymns-fic · 1 year ago

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Being an angel is pretty inconvenient, huh? (Ch. 6)

Finally, Lloyd returns home to Dirk. But he's never figured out a way to tell him about his new wings. How does one even start? [A Lloyd wingfic]

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters/Pairing: Colette Brunel/Lloyd Irving, Dirk, Noishe Rating: T Word Count: 6852 Mirror: AO3 Notes: For Colloyd Week 2023, Day 6: Quote Day: “What would I wish for now if a falling star crossed the night sky?” This is long and self-indulgent, as expected!

In the distance, Lloyd saw the spiral of smoke, how it drifted up into the sky.

He craned his head, leaning back to watch it climb. In the darkness, it was harder to differentiate it from the clouds. Much of the weather lately had hidden away the sun, and that included the stars when night fell, blanketing them, making one's journey home just a bit more difficult.

But he and Colette had still found the way. They had traveled through Sylvarant so much, both on land and through the sky, that it was second-nature to find the road that led to Iselia, and eventually, to Dirk’s house.

To his house.

Lloyd kept watching the smoke, then lowered his gaze to see the warm light from the windows. The one on the far right illuminated a stable, along with the shifting ears of a creature deep in sleep.

He didn't hear Colette’s footsteps, but he noticed the soft violet shade that stretched along the road. “We don't have to go just yet, if you're not ready,” she said. The tip of her wing brushed over his own, pure light against feather and bone.

He could hear his father at work. The rhythmic clunk of the hammer echoed through the stillness. It was one sound of many that Lloyd had grown up with, sometimes even falling asleep to it as Dirk continued to work late into the night. For a commission, for a repair to the house that was long overdue, or for a project of his very own making.

The sound may as well have been lifted from his memories. His dad had always said dwarves rarely changed throughout their years.

Lloyd swallowed. But then what will he think when he sees me?

There was a soft meow from behind him.

He turned to see Blippy poke his head from the basket Colette carried. The once tiny kitty had grown, though only by a few inches or so. Blippy’s white fur shone bright in the night. Wide eyes looked up at Lloyd, then started pawing at a feather that dangled just above a wet nose.

Lloyd couldn’t help a small laugh that escaped his throat. “Hey, my wings aren’t a new toy for you.”

Colette smiled but made no move to stop the kitten. “And after Yuan gave him a bunch of cat toys for him to play with too.” She hefted up the bag she carried in her other hand, the felt of one pet toy sneaking out from the top.

“...Yeah, why did he have those toys anyway? You think he used to be a cat owner?”

“Or maybe it used to belong to Noishe when they traveled together! I think Yuan really likes animals.”

“You sure? He seems too grumpy to be an animal lover though…”

Blippy was oblivious to their talk, still bapping away at Lloyd’s feathers. With a grin, he placed a gloved hand over the kitten’s head, scratching just beneath his ear. Even so, those tiny paws kept reaching for him.

“Hey, little guy. We’ll play with you soon. Just…first I gotta—”

And, Lloyd had thought they weren’t being particularly loud. There were always little rustles in the forest around nighttime, the kind that would make Noishe retreat further into his pen, or even sneak inside the house to cower underneath Lloyd’s bed.

The keening whine through the air made him think otherwise.

Going by Colette's expression, even she hadn’t expected Noishe to already be upon them. “Ah, N-Noishe, wait!” But Lloyd already felt the great paw right in the center of his back, nudging against his wings.

He fell face first into the ground.

“Gah! Noishe! Heavy!” Lloyd struggled, but the great green beast was busy nuzzling his snout against Lloyd’s cheek, letting out great bark-whines right in his ear. “Okay, okay! I'm happy to see you too but get off!”

Also, having four legs, this meant Noishe kept accidentally stepping right on Lloyd's wings, as well as his back. I don't have to worry about losing these on my own, he's just gonna break them off!

“Calm down, boy! Here, look! We have a new friend for you!” Colette was truly doing her best, petting Noishe’s ears as he still half-trampled over Lloyd. She then lifted the basket, where Blippy was looking up at Noishe with another mew.

The sound was new to Noishe, who had rarely been around normal cats and was only used to the monstrous ones, like giant lynxes or chimeras. He whined, pressing his paw against the back of Lloyd’s head.

Despite having wings, Lloyd sure was getting to know the ground a lot more!

“Oy, what's all the racket, Noishe? Are the little foxes bullying you again?”

And just like that, Noishe stepped off Lloyd, giving mercy to his wings (and back). He was sure he lost a few extra feathers…

“Mr. Dirk! It's us!” Colette called out, helping Lloyd get back to his feet, brushing off dirt clumps and grass from his jacket. “We're home!”

And it was that word, home, that made Lloyd suddenly freeze.

He was still facing away from the house, from Dirk. So right now, his dad had a full view of his wings, which were a little scuffled now from Noishe’s paws, their feathers probably falling off and floating to the ground.

And Dirk wasn’t saying anything.

Lloyd took a shaky breath. A part of him didn’t want to turn around, instead feeling the instinct to fly away and hide. But he had come all this way, and there was something aching in his chest to finally be inside his house after what felt like such a long time.

When he did turn, he was careful to keep his wings folded, so that they wouldn't get in anyone’s way. They were always getting in someone’s way. “Hey…Dad. Um…” He smiled tremulously, giving a small shrug. “Surprise?”

Dirk was only a few feet away, standing at the other end of the logs that served as a makeshift bridge over a small river. The dwarf’s arms were crossed, silently looking at Lloyd more and more, the wind ruffling his thick beard.

As the moments passed, all Lloyd could think that this had been a mistake. His wings shifted, curling inward more as if they could fully hide behind his back. “Sorry, I… a lot happened and…”

“Ya came here earlier than I thought,” Dirk interrupted. He scratched at his beard, humming softly. “The renovations aren't quite ready yet. Thought I’d be done sooner, but I suppose all these centuries are finally catching up to me.”

Lloyd blinked. “Reno-what?”

“Well, don't just stand there, boy. Nights have been colder here lately, ya know. What with that Celsius lass taking root in Triet now. Get the both of you inside and I'll heat up some stew.”

With that, Dirk stepped back into the house through the front doorway. Warm light framed his silhouette before he moved to the side where the kitchen was, the clinking of pots echoing.

Wait, Lloyd thought. Something seems different…

“Uh, Dad?” Lloyd asked, looking at the entrance to the house for a long while, squinting and unsquinting until he finally understood what he was seeing. “Where's the door?”

It sounded weird to say out loud, but there really was just suddenly no door at the front of his house! The metal hinges were still present, and as he looked closer, there were wood shavings scattered along the floor. That, and the door frame itself seemed to be carved in a little more than he remembered.

“Ah, that? The old one won't fit the new measurements, so I had to take it down.” Dirk brought an old cooking pot to the fire stove, the logs already fairly lit. “I only had Ms. Sage’s letter to know just how much I would need to widen the doorway for you, and I still need to fix the top as well. I’ve also been mending your clothes that you left behind—so you’ll need to put on your jackets a little differently. I’ve fashioned some clasps in the back to make it fit better, but should more or less be the same. Reminds me of the time I had to lengthen my very own trousers when you had yer growth spurt!”

Lloyd was just more and more confused at the new information being given. “Wait, the Professor's letter? When did she…?

A whine from Noishe pierced through the night, followed by a wagging tail that thumped against the ground at the scent of prepared food. Dirk turned at the sound—and it was then he noticed the little kitten Colette still held, wide eyes shining bright from the fire stove.

“Got yerselves even more mouths to feed, did ya?”

Lloyd remained standing outside, but Colette heard the invitation in Dirk’s tone, stepping towards the doorway, basket in hand. “His name is Blippy. But, I guess Professor Sage must have told you already.”

The dwarf chuckled as he gazed at the little animal, petting its head, his thick hand nearly thrice the size of it. “Fine little critter. Lloyd, you did good saving this young one.”

Something about that made Lloyd leave his confuddled daze, shaking his head—which in turn made his feathers fluff up. “So you already knew about my wings!? This whole time?!” A pause. “You know everything?!”

“Ay, keep yer voice down! No sense shouting to the whole world at this hour.” Dirk faced Lloyd, the sweat on his brow apparent from the work he had put himself through. “I got no word from ya all this time. Had me worried sick if you were hurt or worse. So, I sent a query to your teacher. I figured if anyone would know anything, she would be the one.”

At that, Lloyd hung his head, running a hand through his hair. “And I've been freaking out about how to tell you…”

“I'm sorry we haven't sent anything in so long,” Colette quickly apologized. “So much happened all at once, that we just, kinda lost track.”

Dirk smiled at her, his thick beard moving like a bristly forest. “Now, you know I always appreciate your letters about how you and Lloyd are faring. That isn't the problem here.” Back to Lloyd, the dwarf’s arms were crossed once again. “What grieves me though is how my own son could not trust me.”

Lloyd raised his head with a snap. Feathers fluttered on the wind, one of them sneaking into the house to land shyly on the hardwood floors. “That's not-! I mean…” He groaned, taking a deep breath before starting again.

“You see this, right?” He gestured to his now stretched out wings, feeling every creak and motion they made. He couldn’t move them without feeling awkward, these extra limbs having no where to go and hide. “I've been going over and over how I was going to tell you about this! I, I had to talk to other people first. And I still don’t really understand how these wings happened or why it did, but…” His wings bristled without his meaning to, embarrassing him just then. “I just didn't want you to see me…different…”

Lloyd suddenly felt so small as he spoke. And his wings were still far too big.

It was a while before Dirk spoke again, with only the sounds of the boiling pot and the crackling fire taking up the wasted space between. “Lloyd, I thought I had taught you this already, but perhaps I need to drill it into your skull a little more.”

“Huh? What do you mea–Ow!”

Lloyd could only hear Colette gasp slightly as he felt the sharp sting. Knuckles rapped against his forehead, a small tap for Dirk, but a dwarf’s strength was never to be underestimated. Lloyd placed a hand over what he was sure was a bruise already forming. It hadn’t been a punch, yet it almost felt like one. “W-what was that for?”

“It's to get through your thick-headedness!” Dirk yelled. “Don't you get that you change in front of me every time I turn my head? One moment, you’re a little tyke barely reaching my knees, and the next, you’re a grown man who carries his swords with pride. Why would you having wings now make any true difference to me? For all I know of humans, I would have believed them sprouting wings was as natural as breathing air!”

Lloyd gawked. “But we don't… well…” He looked to Colette, who still had her own wings out, their light suffusing the inside of the home with that soft violet he had grown so used to. “I guess some of us do?”

At that, Dirk’s great hand reached to clap against Lloyd's shoulder, making him stumble, his right wing flapping to keep him balanced. But there was a supplication this gesture now, not frustration nor anger. “You’ve changed, and you will always keep changing. But no matter what, you are still my son.” A small smirk could just barely be seen through his dark beard, but Lloyd had learned to recognize it through the years—and it was there. “You are still my very own child that I raised in this home, regardless of blood.”

A still moment. His father's smile. Lloyd had heard similar words before.

Why had he forgotten that already?

“Now, will ya come in already? Colette's already beat ya to it! Which means she’ll have first dibs on the potluck surprise I'll be making.”

“Dwarven Potluck Surprise? It’s been so long!” Colette beamed—and Blippy meowed right after. "Ah, but I don’t think you should eat that.”

Colette had already gone inside Dirk’s home, perhaps unconsciously so. Her wings fluttered, motes of light drifting in the air as she realized her position. Perhaps it was because she had always been invited here that she had gone in so easily. “And sorry, I should put these away…”

Dirk waved his hand. “Nonsense. They give the house some much needed light anyways.” He patted Lloyd’s shoulder again, gentler this time. “Well? Will you be coming in or will I have to pull you by the ear like old times?”

Lloyd would have argued against that, if he had felt like himself. But he looked again at the doorway, at the markings of sawdust and hammer marks that had taken place. “You were making that bigger for me,” he said.

Dirk nodded. “No sense in having you squeeze your wings through the front door. The one on your balcony should be wide enough, so I’m trying to make it the same here. I might need to move one of the windows to do so, but it's been a while since I’ve done some real construction work. A good time to keep my skills from being too rusty!”

There was joy in his father’s voice as he spoke, even some excitement at the idea of building something for Lloyd. There was no half-heartedness, no worry, and nothing fearful. And with his dad being so close to one of his wings, barely raising a bushy eyebrow at their size, Lloyd realized then.

His vision got blurry all the sudden. He tried to hide it with a quick swipe of his arm, but it only seemed to make his tears fall down all the more. “Ah, dammit, s-sorry.”

Even so, he couldn’t stop crying.

Lloyd found himself leaning on his father’s arm who guided him inside. The shadow of his own wings fell over the dwarf, but Dirk didn’t seem to mind at all.

“Now, now, yer apologizing as much as Colette here. You must be starving, lad. Come in now.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t…believe it would be okay.” Harder to speak, just like when he was a little. He’d been such a crybaby back then. “I’m really sorry…”

“Hush now. Also mind the tools there, ya don’t want a wicked nail through your boot. We’ll have a bit of a draft while we eat but I’m sure it’s nothing you’re not already used to.” Dirk continued to speak gently, as he would do when Lloyd was little, crying over monsters in the dark, and nightmares he could put no name to.

Maybe it was the pain of getting his wings, the weight of them, the constant ache and everything else that had made him forget. He moved through the doorway, already wide enough that he barely needed to tuck in his wings as he stepped inside. The familiar scent of the simmering potluck, the soft light from Colette’s wings painting the walls, the tiny whines from Noishe as he settled himself in a corner, hoping for scraps to come his way.

Remember, this is your home.

Lloyd really had forgotten so many things.

But he remembered the stew tasting so, so warm.

The skies stayed cloudy throughout the coming days. Again, Dirk commented how it must have been Celsius’ doing, the icy summon spirit bringing forth a chill that the thick forests surrounding Iselia did not know—though not enough to hurt the trees or any of the plants in their garden, thankfully. “A customer of mine said the desert had its first snowfall,” he would later say. “It seems change is happening everywhere.”

Lloyd hadn’t been sure how long he would stay home this time. Typically, it would be a week or two at a time before he and Colette would set out on the road again. But as he seated himself on the balcony railing, his wings helping him keep balance, hearing his father put the finishing touches on the doorway below, he was finding it harder to leave.

That, and Blippy seemed to really like it here, too.

The white kitten was already growing so fast, barely fitting inside his basket anymore. So it only made sense that he would wander around the home, poking his head among the potted plants and snatching any dried fish that Dirk had stored. There had been some worries, from both Lloyd and Colette, about the river that wound around the house and if Blippy would fall in. Still, the river never ran fast and was barely over a foot deep, yet even so, Dirk had set about creating a little wooden fence, so that Blippy didn’t accidentally dip a paw in the water in curiosity.

Yet, maybe they had been worrying too much, because Blippy was far more interested in Noishe instead of some water.

Lloyd watched Blippy chase after Noishe across the grass. The small little flash of fur was bright, mewing all while Noishe whined and tried to hide in his stable. His dad turned his head occasionally towards the sight, letting out a chuckle or two before going back to his work.

“Looks like they’ve been getting along lately, don’t you think?”

Lloyd felt the brush of her fingers against his wings. The touch was so light, reminding him of the way she would press her fingers into his palm. He grinned, still watching both dog and cat rush across the ground. “Maybe. Either that or Noishe is great with kids.”

Colette looked down, her own soft laughter escaping her lips. He felt her fingers move from her wings to around his back—to the new openings in his jacket for his wings to comfortably hang from. It definitely took Lloyd some getting used to wearing it, but his dad’s tailoring skills were nearly as good as his crafting. The back clasps in his jacket could be tightened after he put it on, so that he no longer had to wrestle his wings through the makeshift openings he and Colette had tried to do on their own. No more tearing through the fabric, and no more worries that his jacket would simply fall off because of such new shapes.

“I’m glad he still kept these red,” Colette noted, and he could hear the playful tone in her voice. “Or would you have wanted to try a different color?”

“You know, now that I think about it…blue would look pretty great on me. Oh, or maybe purple!”

“Aw, purple is cute!” And before Lloyd could argue that purple could be more than just a cute color, she also moved to sit on the railing beside him, carefully brushing aside the clinging ivy and the soft dust of pollen that had draped over it.

She lost her balance almost immediately.

Lloyd quickly reached out and grabbed her arm. “Whoa, watch out! You can just take a chair if you wanna sit.”

“Hehe, sorry…” Colette gripped her free hand onto the railing now, but she didn’t move, instead continuing with, “But I think I know what to do about it.”

With that, Colette’s wings slowly slipped past her shoulders, their soft light slightly muted by the sunshine. He felt the tip of one of her wings tap his shoulder. Soon, she was sitting taller, more comfortably, her legs swinging from the railing. “There!”

She did it so easily, all with a wide smile. Her wings fluttered a little, reminding him of a butterfly’s own.

As the wind shifted the tree boughs near his balcony, carrying the scent of pine in the early spring, he kept his eyes on her. For so much of that first journey, Lloyd had seen her wings often. Easier to fight with, she had told him before, even when she worried how the others must have seen her. When she was numb to pain, her wings highlighted the scratches across her palms from gripping the chakrams too tightly. When she was locked away and could no longer speak, her wings were always at the ready, their once soft light seeming harsher in the dark, reflecting off eyes that never shifted or blinked.

Lloyd tapped his fingers against the railing, eyes shifting downward. “Hey, Colette. You don’t need to have your wings out for my sake.”

Between them, there were the sounds of Dirk’s hammer, the distant cry of a hawk overhead, and the continued whispering from the trees. The light of Colette’s wings stayed draped over the railing, over his hand where his Exsphere continued to rest on.

“I know you don’t want…what happened to me to happen to you too.” His wings furled inward slightly as he spoke. “So, it’s okay. Really. You don’t have to risk it.”

Colette had already suffered for her wings as they were. Why should he have to add more to that?

It was then he heard the railing creak from motion, watching as the familiar violet shade moved away from his hand. But before he could even start to feel a little lonely then, Colette had grabbed his hand—from the front.

“Remember when we used to fly together?” Colette asked him. She was flying before him, her wings gently beating, sending drifting motes of light to scatter across the earth. “Not just in Ozette… but before that? We should do it again. Let’s go and fly!”

Again, the rhythmic sound of the hammer, now followed by the gentle whines of a certain creature who must have noticed Colette hovering just above.

“Uh… did you just ignore what I was saying now?” Lloyd asked in turn, more out of befuddlement than anything else. He could usually follow Colette’s thoughts well, but still, she managed to surprise him now and then.

“Oh! No, I was listening!” Colette nodded, her face all serious to the point that her cheeks were a little puffy, a feature that Lloyd couldn’t help but find adorable. “And this is my answer!”

“So, you did ignore me.”

Colette grasped his hand close in both of her own, leaning in. Her blue irises held patterns in them, like constellations. “Lloyd, I want to use my wings with you again. I know I used to be a little worried before about it, when I told you about what Kratos mentioned to me. So, when it actually happened to you, I did try to stop using my wings. I got scared. I didn’t really understand.”

Her nearness made his heart race again, but he grasped her hand back with his. “That’s why I said it’s okay to not use yours. You shouldn’t have to because of me.”

“But what if I want to, Lloyd?” she countered, the rare hint of exasperation in her voice. “Can you believe me that I want to? Like when we used to fly up in the skies… When it felt like it was only us in the world. I know it’s selfish of me, but I liked that. I miss flying with you.”

Lloyd’s wings unfurled again, unconsciously done, but he didn’t shy away from it. He remembered seeing doves do the same, like the ones that would sometimes make their nests within a hidden corner of his rooftop.

“…I’m actually kinda nervous flying that high with these,” he admitted, clearing his throat. “I mean, I did fly to my balcony this morning! Like, from the ground…”

Colette’s fingers threaded between his own, soon reaching for his other hand. “Then you just need a little practice. Let’s get you more used to your new wings. I can teach you!”

Her excitement was getting more and more obvious, her serious face from before breaking into a grin. She gently tugged him forward, and all Lloyd could do was let her. His wings were already opening, catching the wind, feeling the way it shifted around his feathers.

“Heh, so should I call you Professor Colette, then?” he teased, just as he felt himself leave the railing. “Or, I guess it would be Professor Brunel…”

“Hm, but I like hearing you say my name, so keep the Colette part!” And with a little triumphant pull, she held Lloyd’s hands as they both hovered in the air just before his balcony, their wings beating in sync.

Lloyd gazed at her, at her wings painted against the cloudy skies, like the fragments of a stained-glass window. He swallowed a small lump in his throat, hoping it didn’t make his flight a bit unsteady. But flying had always been like this, hadn’t it? To trust yourself to not freefall through the air, to leave the stability of the ground for the uneasiness of the air.

It was exciting, when he thought about it.

“So, Professor Colette, I always wondered… How come you got so good at flying right away when you got your wings? Even when I had my old ones, I still had trouble with them.”

Colette seemed surprised by the question. Her wings beat rapidly in the air as she thought of her answer. “Hm… maybe it’s just part of my luck?”

“Haha, what? That’s not how luck works!” Lloyd tilted his head, his legs hanging down, still unconsciously searching for a floor to stand on. “I think?

“Well, I am very lucky.” She pulled him further up into the air, giggling. “Maybe my luck with flying will rub off on you!”

And she was quick, already guiding him on a flight path only she seemed to know. But she didn’t forget to wave down to Dirk below, calling out to him with a clear voice. “We’re just going out, Mr. Dirk! We’ll be back before dinner!”

“Ah, leaving me your pet to take care of, eh?” But little Blippy was already being stroked by Dirk’s great hand as he took a break from his work. The cat stared ahead, eyes wide as it craned its head up towards a flying Lloyd and Colette. Still, it didn’t reach out to them. It was very content to stay and be petted by a well-knowing hand. “Stay safe, you two!”

From the height of his balcony, his father’s shape didn’t look that much different than on ground level. But with flight came the distance, came the eventual loss of detail, until even Dirk’s beard could barely be seen. It was similar when flying atop a Rheaird, except Lloyd could turn in the air, and keep holding onto Colette’s hand, watching the trail of stardust from her wings float all around. Maybe with enough of it, her light could even make his own wings shine.

At some point during the day, the clouds finally began to part—but Lloyd barely noticed. He was too busy keeping his eyes on Colette, and how her wings moved with all the ease that he wished he had.

The initial flight was shaky for him. He nearly lost his balance numerous times, and his wings would grow tired. They were no longer just made of light, but of muscle and bone. He had to rest them occasionally, stopping at a hill outcropping or a tree branch, with Colette waiting beside him until he was ready to fly once more.

“Feel like I’m not making this as fun as it used to be…” he said with a small laugh.

But Colette would only shake her head, the light from her wings darkening her hair. “It’s always fun with you, Lloyd.”

And then, she would take his hand to fly off again, over the forest he had known so well since he was a kid, watching the twisting rivers that cut through hills, and the dirt roads that wound down cliffs past an abandoned ranch, until they would reach the gates of Iselia. But they were so high up in the sky, they might have been mistaken for large birds if anyone saw them. Or at least, Lloyd was hoping for that.

He quickly identified the roof that belonged Colette’s house, spotting the well beside it, and the small backyard where they would both play swords together when they were young. Another quick glance to the right, and he thought he recognized Phaidra walking past the front door, her ash blonde hair catching the dim light of the setting sun.

Lloyd knew he’d have to see them too, with his new wings. He’d have to see the entire village, sporting the same wings as the angel that had come down on that day of the Oracle. So, he felt some relief as they flew farther past the village, Colette’s hand still holding fast to his.

But, that was also when he started to question. “Uh, where are we going anyway?”

Colette looked back at him, her hair flying about her in a golden array. “Just a little further up. How do your wings feel?”

“Eh, still kinda tired? But I guess they don’t ache as much.” So he flew with some trepidation, too anxious to really make any careless dives or twists in the air like he once used to.

His wings really did have an annoying habit of flying into things if he wasn’t careful enough, so he was little relieved they had left the forest for more open spaces. It wasn’t like before, where his wings of light could disperse whenever he felt like it. He couldn’t just land on the bough of a tree, sitting against the bark when he felt tired. Now he had to calculate just how much space his wings needed, how they would make it difficult for him to just lay back unless he folded them up properly. (Which also made it a bit hard to sleep in general!)

Then, as he flapped his wings a little hard, trying to catch the air, he winced. And with that came a little groan of frustration.

Colette noticed. “Oh, again?”

“Ugh, yeah…” He tried turning his neck but had no real luck. “These ribbons just keep getting in the way now!”

“Don’t worry, we’re almost there!”

Lloyd could barely question her what she meant exactly, his neck cricking from his ribbons restricting his movement. He could feel every flap of his wings only making it worse, until Colette guided him to land on somewhat uneven ground.

“Here, let me look.” Colette quickly moved behind him, and soon he felt her hands move aside those ribbons from his mass of feathers, a careful unwinding of thin fabric from his wingspan. “This left one really held on!”

Lloyd sighed, his shoulders drooping. “I think I’m gonna have to tell dad about getting rid of these. I can’t fly right if these ribbons keep tangling up in my wings!”

Colette straightened out the white ribbons, her fingers smoothing out wrinkles. “I think it would work if they were shorter.”

“No way, they’d just look kind of dumb if they were short.”

As he felt her still holding onto his ribbons, he looked straight ahead. In the distance, he saw the ocean, hearing the crashing of waves against a rocky shore. The sun, he finally noticed, was already going down, sinking into the ocean as the sky overhead darkened. Lloyd angled his head around, realizing just where exactly they were both standing on. He caught a glimpse of the carved opening that had been made at the top of the stone structure, from where the light of the Oracle had shone so brightly all that time ago.

The Iselia Temple? Why did she bring me here?

But Colette still seemed to be busy with his ribbons, even long after she had untangled them. She already spoke before he could ask her. “What if we tied it up?”

Lloyd immediately knew what she meant. He hesitated. “I don’t know about that…”

“But you did it for me!” Colette was doing her best to hide away her grin as she guided him to stand on one of the curved outcroppings of the temple, many of the stones enveloped by moss. She stayed behind him, straightening out those ribbons even more. “Remember, your ribbons got tangled up in my hair when I wore your outfit that one time.”

“That’s different!”

“How so?”

“Hair and wings aren’t exactly the same…” But he already felt her tugging on them, and the motion of it was nice. Almost relaxing, such as when she brushed his wings, careful with his feathers.

“Fine,”he relented. “If you really want to—”

“Oh, whoops,” Colette said with a giggle. “I was already doing it. Sorry!”

“Huh?!” Lloyd reached back around his collar, his wrist brushing against his wing. But his fingers found the knot that was made, along with the little bow that Colette had tied up nicely with his white ribbons.

“Now they won’t get in the way. Also, they look cute!”

Well, he knew he had to admit it then, especially once he tested a small beat of his wings then. “Huh, it is a lot better now! …I’m gonna need to do this for my other jackets.”

“Maybe we can have each one a different style!” Colette suggested. “I can make your Tuesday jacket have a more braid-like ribbon.”

“You sure you didn’t already do that?”

But Colette just poked out her tongue at him as a tease as she stood next to him again. Lloyd looked at how the night sky was seen through her wings, sparkling more than they ever did on their own. It took him a second to realize that it was already nighttime—had they really flown all afternoon?

“How come you wanted to come here?” he asked her. He caught sight of the crumbling stairs that led to the temple, the flagstones long overtaken by the earth. It seemed even more in disrepair, for probably ever since Colette left, no one else besides them had gone back to this holy place of Cruxis worship. Now it only crumbled, along with everything else of the old religion.

“The stars are always so clear by the temple,” she said, craning her neck upwards. “Not as well as by your house, but it’s always very dark here, so the stars shine brighter than they do when in Iselia.”

In the sky, there were patterns—different ones now, with the reunification of the worlds. How often had Colette had to stay late at the temple, counting the stars from the windows? How often had he done the same from his house, waiting until he could go back to Iselia again to see her?

Lloyd was still looking at her when he saw something then—like a trail of starlight that connected the span of her wings, from the top-most left to the bottom. He watched its travel, a movement so fast across her expanse.

“A shooting star?” Colette said, looking over in the same direction. “I wonder… what would I wish for now…?”

Lloyd knew what he once would have wished for.

When his wings had ached, had been covered in blood and made him hate the very thought of moving, he would have wished for them to be gone. He would have wished he had done things differently. He would have wished he hadn’t put Colette through so much trouble, just to care for him and his stupid mistakes.

In the night, he saw how his right wing moved to circle around Colette. A large wingspan, the feathers pulled at by the ocean breeze. They were the same color as the kitten he had dove in to rescue from the river. Whatever reason his wings had decided to change just then, he still couldn’t say. That same kitten was probably resting in his father’s lap, who mostly likely was still waiting for him and Colette to return home.

No wishes came to his head, but something else did.

Lloyd took Colette’s hand. “Fly with me.”

Colette barely had a moment before Lloyd’s wings outstretched, wider than before. Only once had he ever felt this confident with them—back when they had been of light for the very first time, and he flew off to the skies with no hesitation.

“Come on!” Grinning wide, he urged Colette to follow, rising high above, watching as her wings beat rapidly to match his speed.

“Lloyd!” she called back with a laugh. “Are you okay to fly this high up?”

High enough that even the temple seemed small, high enough that it felt like they were the only two left in the entire world.

Their flight path was of curves, and sudden dives, and over the ocean currents that made laughter break out between them. But still, he guided her higher, just enough so that he felt nothing else could be better. They finally stopped, uplifted by the winds, the twin moons shining down on them. They made the night less dark, surrounded by the stars that were so numerous, like an endless sea.

Stopping in mid-flight, he moved his hands from hers, to wrap around her waist and bring her close in an embrace. Just a few days before, he would have felt too awkward to do this, too unbalanced, too much of a mess to give her what she tried to give to him.

His wings beat softly to keep them up. Even if Colette’s wings were snuffed out at that very moment, he wouldn’t let go.

“Colette, I’m sorry I couldn’t say it back then when you kissed me.”

He felt the heat rise in her face, warm against his cheek. He watched it brighten as he moved back to look at her, her hair framed by her wings and the stars. “Ah, that was… I just did it without asking you—”

“I love you, too.”

Maybe it was cheesy to say it here, up in the skies, but he wanted a place where only Colette would hear him, where she couldn’t mistake it for anything else.

“I’ve always loved you, but I only really got it back at the Tree. It takes me so long to get anything. It’s kinda pathetic, huh? And even when I finally realized, it took me even longer to just say it. I kept you waiting this whole time, even after you told me. I’m sorry. I don’t want to keep doing that to you. I love you, Colette. I love you.”

Her kiss had been her way of telling him, the most obvious thing that even the densest person would have picked up on. He always made so much trouble for Colette.

She lowered her eyes, but her hands fidgeted. Fingers moved to slide up his collar, to thread across his hair. “Then…can you make it up to me?”

He moved closer, his forehead pressed against hers as they both floated lazily through the sky. “Yeah. What is it?”

“Can you kiss me back?”

Was it as far back as Flanoir, as far back as on his balcony before she would leave for her journey, when he first wanted to kiss her? He had loved her then, longer than he could put a single memory to it. So many times, so many moments, but it had been up to Colette to guide him. The wanting flooded through him. He could hardly even speak anymore.

Still, when Lloyd pressed his lips to hers, tasting that familiar sweetness from before, hearing the soft sounds Colette made against him, he finally felt he did something right for once in so long.

Flying had never before felt so wonderful.

#tales of symphonia #lloyd irving #colette brunel #colloyd #colloydweek2023 #dirk #fanfiction #multi chapter

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baronaliswritingcorner · 6 months ago

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TOS Replay Stray Thoughts #3 (Palmacosta Pt. 1)

(dang that GIF is a mood, ANYWAY...)

-The Church of Martel was founded by Spiritua...how long ago was that, again? Clearly I'm behind on my TOS lore, 'cause I think I assumed it just popped up thousands of years ago or w/e

-lol I never read the chalkboard signs at the Palmacosta Academy. "Today's Recommendation: Today is just no good"

-what kind of a name is mighty

-or dorr

-or chocolat

-or marble

-you see my point about palmacosta now??? place is weird.

-It's interesting Genis's theme only ever plays in sidequests...and like two times at that. You could say "Secret from the blue sky" is his serious theme.

-Dean: Come back to join our academy when the journey is over

*Party leaves, then reenters room*

Dean: WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE

-I think Lloyd's "If one sword has a power of 100, then using two will make it 200, right?" logic could've been really funny if it was voiced. Imagine Kratos's exasperation.

-There's a wide imbalance of unvoiced scenes, isn't there? You'd tihnk this wouldn't be a big deal, but at the same time...

A) Even with the use of cel-shading, Tales of Symphonia already looked dated by 2003/2004 standards and the limited animations/pantomiming can't carry themselves without the ranged emotions of voiced dialogue doing the heavy lifting.

B) Whether it's the localization or the original script (maybe both), there's a distinct discrepancy in writing quality between both -- not that the ENG voiced scenes don't have their issues with wordiness/delivery, but the silent scenes slip into basic/juvenile dialogue more often than not. Perhaps because the scriptwriters knew the actors wouldn't be saying unnatural dialogue out loud?

-Again, I'm not the biggest fan of Colette's ditziness even if makes sense thematically (she's lived a very sheltered life raised on nothing but religious propaganda, so it's hardly surprising common knowledge flies over her head), but I find her approach to Sheena very endearing -- she knows her heart isn't into it and wants to know what makes her tick. Lloyd's exasperated, sure, but it's clear he senses the same and I like to think that scene at the House of Salvation is him following Colette's example.

(Going back to femslash, it's very fun to imagine Sheena being disarmed by Colette's sunshine disposition -- to her assassin, of all people! -- to the extent she grows a crush. I'm so attached to Colloyd that pairing them with anyone else feels like cheating, but that may be one I'd like to give a shot.)

-While we're on the topic of the House of Salvation, love the dude who freaks out over Lloyd having the same hairstyle LOL. Little details like this make TOS the best.

-"Are the things lying here things that people don't want anymore?"

...is Koton that bad at preserving his collection? Or do people just toss shit onto his lawn outta spite?

-...you know, while the "Raine smacking Genis" scenes are still funny, I dunno if they'd fly today. I often envision what a Tales of Symphonia remake would be like and while that'd be an acceptable omission, in considering everything from the bloated, protracted trials and tribulations of modern game development to each successive TOS remaster being worse than the last, I only foresee a monkey's paw just waiting to curl its cruel fingers.

-"This is going to be an arduous battle."

Raine, they're ladybugs.

-"HELP THE DESIANS ARE HERE!!!!"

yeah whatever let me sleep at the inn kthx -Everything about that Magnius scene is just silly. The dude just strutting onto the scene with his mega-cartoonish dreads, the guy standing there spouting exposition while Magnius marches towards him, his crushed neck emitting the tinniest "crushed can" sound effect possible, the rock-throwing kid fleeing by just casually walking away, the first appearance of the out-of-place cutscene Demon Fang...it's a lot.

-"You! You're wanted criminal #0074...Lloyd Irving!"

Hmm, just 73? You'd think more people would run afoul of the Desians' totalitarian rule. Sure, Palmacosta has that Dorr conspiracy going on, and most other towns seem to know to keep their heads down, but how callous they are I'd imagine they're not above "framing" innocent civilians for made-up crimes. At any rate, I wanna know what their story is. (Psst, fanfic peeps -- that's your time to shine!)

#tales of symphonia #tos replay #god I love TOS #palmacosta is boring

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july13th2004 · 1 year ago

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The Unexpected Dog (Protozoan) Father

Characters/Relationships: Kratos Aurion, Anna Irving, Kratos/Anna, Kranna, Lloyd Irving, Colette Brunel, Lloyd/Colette, Colloyd, Noishe, Noishe/Two Stray Female Dogs, Lloyd Irving & Kratos Aurion, Lloyd Irving & Anna Irving, Colette Brunel & Anna Irving

Genre: Family/Fluff/Romance

Rating: T

Warnings: Implied/Referenced Smut

Word Count: 2998

Mirror Link: AO3 | Pixiv

Summary: A few months after Kratos and Anna settle in Luin, the couple, along with Lloyd and Colette, who are now engaged and in town visiting the older couple, discover a pile of puppies surrounding Noishe. And some seem to have an uncanny resemblance to the loyal protozoan. Could Noishe possibly be the father of this pile of puppies? And if so, just what are the two couples going to do about this unexpected development?

Author's Note: So, this one was inspired by this art by @majigomen-beam and also by some tags attached in a reblog of said art by @alexiealducsdrawings! I had a lot of fun writing this one, and it gave me something new to explore and expand upon in this AU! I did take some creative liberty with the breed of the puppies in this fic, so it's not exactly like what you see in the fanart. Anyway, I hope some of you enjoy reading this one as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Anna heard Colette squeal in delight from where she currently stood in the kitchen preparing lunch. Curious as to why her son's fiancee made such a noise, she took the pan with the four portions of hamburger steak from off the heat of the stove, then turned off the stove and quickly made her way outside. When she arrived, she found Lloyd and Colette standing just a few feet away from her husband, who was lying partially on the ground surrounded by and beneath a total of eleven puppies in a variety of colors. Noishe, the dog-like protozoan and loyal family pet, was curled up on the ground and propping up the upper half of Kratos' body, resting his head on his crossed front paws on her husband's left thigh. She watched bemusedly at the look of resignation on his face. He let out a sigh and laid his head against Noishe's furry torso while one of the puppies crawled onto his right forearm and buried themselves into the crook of his elbow.

"Oh, they are all just so cute!" Colette exclaimed, clasping her hands together and turning her head to look at her fiance, "And it looks like they might be Shiba Inu puppies, Lloyd!"

"Yeah, and some of them even look like Noishe." Lloyd mentioned as he wrapped his arm around his fiancee and pointed at a few of the puppies that were crawling all over his father, "See, Colette?"

Anna took a closer look at the pile of puppies that were splayed out across her husband and their family pet. All but four of the eleven puppies had the same trademark pointed ears of the Shiba Inu breed. She also noted the coat colors on each of the puppies' fur. There were two of each coat color, red, cream, sesame, and black and tan, while the other three were similar to Noishe's coat color, in various shades of green. The four puppies that didn't have pointed ears had wide, large ears shaped just like Noishe's. It wasn't difficult to figure out upon closer inspection that Noishe happened to be the father of this pile of puppies.

Colette gasped, bringing Anna out of her thoughts as she shifted her gaze from the puppies to the look of realization on her son's fiancee's face.

"You're right, Lloyd! But that means-"

"Yeah, guess that means Noishe is a dad now…" Lloyd said, nervously scratching the back of his head with his free hand as he smiled at Colette.

"I wonder how that happened…" Anna muttered and sighed as she shifted her gaze back to her husband and the puppies.

Kratos turned his head at the sound of his wife's voice, then moved his body ever so slightly into a more comfortable position. Fortunately for him, all eleven puppies were sound asleep, including the one cream colored puppy he cradled in his right arm, and the slight shifting of his body didn't appear to disturb them.

"I'm sorry, my dear. It is my fault that this happened." He said after letting out a sigh.

"What do you mean, Kratos?" Anna asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"When we moved here four months ago, I let Noishe sleep outside in our front yard instead of our fenced in backyard. I can only guess that sometime in the night he must have found a couple of stray female dogs to… you know…" Kratos replied, now wearing a flushed look on his face.

She gave her husband a knowing smile, then a moment of realization washed over her and she gasped, "Wait, two female dogs? …Colette, do you know how many puppies are in a litter for this particular breed?"

Colette turned her head to look at her future mother in law with a sheepish look on her face, and replied, "Um, I think five or six at most?"

"The puppies are also about two months old, my dear." Kratos interjected as he gave his wife a small smile.

"Oh yes, that's right!" Colette stated excitedly, glancing between her fiance's parents, "It looks like these adorable puppies are about two months old, which means they're old enough to be adopted out to anyone who wants one in town!"

"Yeah," Lloyd said as he looked between his fiancee and his mom, "and we'd be happy to adopt at least two of the puppies before we head back to Iselia in a few days."

Kratos shifted his gaze from Anna to his son, "I have no objections to that, and I'm sure your mother doesn't, either. Right, my dear?"

He glanced back over at his wife, and briefly gave her an expectant look.

"I'm more than fine with that," Anna answered as she glanced between her husband and son, "Then I guess that means the other nine puppies will be put up for adoption?"

"Actually, my dear," Kratos started hesitantly, "I was hoping that we could keep two of the puppies as well…"

Anna sighed and gave her husband another knowing smile, "That's something we'll have to discuss tonight after dinner then, honey. And speaking of food, lunch is ready so let's head inside and eat!"

"Oh, what are we having for lunch, mom?" Lloyd asked, taking Colette's hand in his.

"Hamburger steak!" Anna happily replied to her son, already at the front door of the house, "Now hurry up you three, the food's probably cold by now! I may have to reheat it."

"All right, one of my favorites!" Lloyd exclaimed as he gave Colette's hand a squeeze, "Let's go, Colette!"

Lloyd and Colette followed after her into the house and into the dining room to sit down for lunch. Kratos didn't arrive at the dining room table until sometime later, as standing up from his current position proved to be quite difficult without waking up most of the sleeping puppies. He had developed a particular fondness for the cream colored puppy he had cradled in his arms and the red colored puppy that fell asleep on his shoulder in the time he spent with Noishe and his puppies; so there would be much to discuss with his wife after dinner regarding which two puppies they should keep. The two couples merrily ate their lunch, with Anna, Lloyd and Colette joining forces to gently tease Kratos for his tardiness, causing the rather stoic man to become flustered in embarrassment. After they were done with their meals and put their dirty dishes back into the kitchen sink, the four went back outside to the front yard to round up all eleven puppies and place them inside Kratos and Anna's guest bedroom.

"Mom, are you sure about keeping the puppies in here?" Lloyd asked as he set down the last of the eleven puppies onto an enormous dog bed that filled the space between the wall and the edge of the bed frame at the end of the bed.

"Noishe typically sleeps almost anywhere inside and outside the house. Sometimes he'll sleep in our bedroom, but most of the time he sleeps either in this guest bedroom, or somewhere outside on the porch or in the backyard. So I think it's best if the puppies stay in a room that he's familiar with, and one that's also out of the elements." Anna answered as she glanced between her husband and son.

Kratos gave his wife a small smile as he took her hand in his and added, "And from what I observed this afternoon, it seems the puppies will follow Noishe around most of the time, which I am certain is because he's their father, so it's best if we keep them all in the same room together simply for the sake of that familial bond."

"Oh, Lloyd, we'll have to talk about which two puppies to keep when we head back to the inn tonight. It's so difficult to choose, they're all just so cute!" Colette chimed in from her knelt position on the floor in front of all the puppies.

"Yeah, it's going to be tough to choose which two to take home with us. Do you have an idea of which two puppies you and mom want, Dad?" Lloyd asked as he knelt down on the floor next to Colette and glanced up at his father.

"I have an idea, but your mother and I have already agreed to discuss this matter sometime tonight after dinner." Kratos responded, turning his head to look at Anna and give her a small smile and a gentle squeeze of her hand.

"Ah, that's right." Lloyd said as he looked from Colette and the puppies up at his parents, "Seems like we all have a lot to think about tonight."

With the plan for where inside the house to temporarily keep the puppies being set, the four spent the rest of the afternoon making sure the puppies were properly bathed, fed, and hydrated. Lloyd and Colette said their goodbyes to Kratos and Anna shortly after dinner to head back to their room at the inn, promising to let them know sometime the next day which two puppies they would like to keep. When it was finally time to go to bed, the older couple made sure all of the puppies, along with Noishe, were gathered together in the guest bedroom and all were sound asleep before they closed the door and headed to their bedroom. The couple then hastily went about with their nightly bedtime routines that always ended in a good night kiss, before joining together under the covers.

"So, my dear, about the two puppies I would like for us to keep…" Kratos started hesitantly as Anna laid her head on his shoulder, his hands gently gripping onto the edge of the comforter.

"I don't know, Kratos." Anna said as she let out a sigh and placed her hand onto one of his, "I'm not sure if we should keep any of the puppies. Between the hours I spend each week running the new café, and your unpredictable schedule of taking on mercenary or monster hunting jobs, I just don't know if we have enough time right now to take care of any new additions to our family."

Her husband fell silent for a few moments and laid his head against hers. It was unlike her to be so unsure and hesitant to deal with an unexpected situation such as this one, but he understood her point. She had every right to have reservations about these two potential additions to their family, and he already knew earlier in the day, even before he told her of his desire to keep two of the puppies, that he would have to assuage those concerns.

"Then perhaps I could take on fewer jobs, or only take on ones that pay more, in order to have more time to take care of the puppies and other needs around the house." He offered as he placed his other hand on hers.

"I wouldn't ask you to do all of that, Kratos." She countered as she let out yet another sigh, "Besides, we usually split the household chores between us. I couldn't possibly ask you to take on more chores than you already do around the house."

Kratos fell silent again and thought for a moment while Anna brought her head up and sat up straight. He wasn't expecting her to be so hesitant at the idea of expanding their family, recalling a time during their travels around Tethe'alla when she almost explicitly expressed her desire to expand their family by having more children, a desire that he also shared.

"If I recall correctly, my dear," Kratos ventured, giving her hand a gentle and reassuring squeeze, "you weren't exactly hesitant about the idea of expanding our family at one point during our travels around Tethe'alla."

Anna visibly blushed as her unoccupied hand gripped the edge of the comforter, "Oh, well… That was then, I guess… I'm just not sure if we have time now for any new additions to our family, and that includes both children and pets. But… What do you think? Do you think we could make it work?"

She glanced up at her husband expectantly and somewhat anxiously. He turned his head slightly to meet her gaze and gave her a small gentle and reassuring smile. His free hand reached over and up to cup and caress her cheek while his lips found her forehead and placed a soft kiss there.

"I am certain we can make it work, my dear." Kratos answered before planting a kiss on top of her head, "Haven't we always tried to make it work?"

Leave it to her pragmatic and realistic husband to be the voice of reason this time, a trait they both equally displayed at times during a discussion like this.

Anna let out a relieved sigh and then laughed softly to herself after a brief moment of silence fell between them, "You're right, Kratos, we've always tried to make it work. No matter the circumstances. And I'm sorry for having my doubts about this decision. It's not like me to be so hesitant and cautious about something like this."

He gave her another knowing smile and wrapped his arms around her and loosely held her as she laid her head down on her pillow, "It's all right, my dear. You have every right to be concerned about this. This is a big decision to make, and one that we cannot take lightly."

She reached up to card her hands and fingers through his spiky, auburn colored locks, and returned his smile with one of her own, "...So, which two puppies are you thinking we should keep?"

"I became quite attached to the cream colored puppy I held in my arm, and also the red colored puppy that was on my shoulder in my time spent with the puppies earlier today." Kratos replied thoughtfully.

Anna gave her husband a slightly surprised look, "I'm surprised you don't want to keep any of the ones with Noishe's features."

"I'll leave that decision to Lloyd." Kratos said as he gave her another small smile, "I'm certain he misses Noishe more now since we moved here."

She returned his smile as her hands slowly drifted down from his hair to press gently against his bare chest, "And speaking of our son, he'll be getting married soon. We should consider renewing our vows again after the wedding. I know we already renewed them when we stayed in Flanoir, but I think it would be nice to renew them in front of Lloyd and his friends."

Kratos gave her another gentle smile before leaning down to kiss her forehead again. His lips then trailed kisses down to the tip of her nose and across both of her cheeks and along her jawline. She let out a contented sigh while he softly kissed her face. When he finally kissed her on her lips, she wrapped her arms around him and lost herself in his kiss. After the couple had to regrettably part for air, Anna placed her hands back onto his chest, while Kratos touched his forehead to hers.

He then moved to kiss her on the cheek again, letting his lips travel down to her jawline, then down the column of her neck. She let out another contented and blissful sigh and turned her head slightly to plant a kiss on his temple.

"Heh, then perhaps after we renew our vows, we could try to expand our family another way, my dear…" Kratos murmured suggestively against the nape of her neck.

Anna laughed flirtatiously and briefly buried her face into his chest once he brought his head up to meet her gaze again, "Well, I must admit that seeing you being so good to all of those puppies earlier today rekindled my desire to have more children with you. Maybe we could try right now?"

He gave her a knowing smirk this time before briefly kissing her and then responding with, "Gladly, my dear."

As soon as their lips met in a passionate kiss, Kratos reached over and turned off the last candle lit lantern on their other nightstand…

___________

After an all too brief, yet satisfying round of overdue intimacy, the couple settled completely underneath the covers. Anna snuggled up against his chest and Kratos wrapped his arms around her and held her as close as possible to him.

"I love you, Kratos…" Anna said sleepily as she gave his chest a quick peck.

"I love you too, my dear…" Kratos said as he kissed the crown of her head.

"Oh, I almost forgot to ask you…" She yawned softly, "What's the plan for putting the other seven puppies up for adoption?"

"Don't worry about that, my dear. I'll take care of it. Though I would be grateful if you could let your customers at the café know about the adoption date once I decide when that will be." He answered, gently hugging her.

"Sounds good…" Anna spoke while letting out another yawn and wrapping her arms around him to return his embrace, "I'll be sure to let them know sometime next week then."

Kratos softly laughed and placed another kiss on top of her head, "All right, my dear, let's go to sleep now. It's been a long day. Good night…"

"Good night, Kratos. I love you…" She said, softly kissing his chest before finally drifting off to sleep.

He kissed the crown of her head one last time before he, too, drifted off to sleep while holding her safely and securely in his arms. With the wedding between their son and his childhood friend happening in the coming months, and a plan in place to adopt out most of Noishe's sudden and unexpected litters of puppies, the couple had much to look forward to. This next chapter of their lives appeared to be starting off on a quite hopeful note!

#tales of symphonia #kratos aurion #anna irving #kranna #lloyd irving #colette brunel #colloyd #noishe #my fanfiction

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umbry-fic · 1 year ago

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1/100 of Love

Summary: Wanting to be loved, yet not loving enough.

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters: Colette Brunel, Lloyd Irving Relationships: Colette Brunel/Lloyd Irving, Colette Brunel & Lloyd Irving Rating: G Word Count: 2252 Mirror Link: AO3 Original Post Date: 15/06/2023

Notes+Warnings: This is a companion piece to Sakura Tattoo, written for Day 7 of Colloyd Week. Highly recommend you read it first for... a whole bunch of context. Sorry for any inconsistencies it's been a while. It's been so long since I wrote arospec Colette wah. Happy Colloyd Day everyone!

The title is from the surii song of the same name.

~~~

The sweet scent of blooming flowers hung in the air, together with the mist that had arisen from the morning shower. The weather was fair, the sun smiling down upon the world below from high in the sky, cushioned by a few fluffy white clouds. The plants that rose around the garden glittered under the sunlight, droplets clinging to their leaves.

Colette hummed, kneeling on the dirt, a few beads of sweat rolling down her face. Pushing her fingers deep into it, she gripped tight around the roots of weeds, ripping them out of the flowerbed. Clearing them all out was hard work, but it had to be done now that winter’s frost had melted, slipping away to leave no trace. The way had to be cleared for the periwinkle flowers she intended to plant to flourish, to spread their roots and grow strong under the sun’s rays.

Reaching for another spot, she let out a small gasp as her hand collided with another’s.

“Oh! Careful there!” Lloyd said from his position right next to her. He’d taken time out of his morning to help her, and together, they had prepared all the seeds they would need, piled up next to them.

“Sorry!” She quickly made to pull away, but he simply shrugged, taking hold of her hand and interlocking their fingers together.

“No worries. We can just work like this! Then we don’t have to worry about getting in each other’s way.”

Giggles bubbled up from within her, bursting free of her throat. What a strange solution, but it was very much like him. And she didn’t much mind holding his hand - it was always warm, and she loved mapping all the differences it had from hers. Differences she had long since memorised, though some new ones tended to pop up whenever he practised woodwork. The lines set in his palm, the calluses on the pads of his fingers, the lone bandage applied over a knuckle from when he’d sliced the skin with the whittling knife he still handled with unsteady hands.

Right now, dirt had found its way under their nails, staining the old clothes they had worn to ensure their usual outfits weren’t dirtied. There was even a spot of dirt on Lloyd’s nose that she’d have to tell him about later, and maybe help him get off with a cloth. A long bath would be required once they were done to thoroughly clean all the gunk off. It was rare, for her to be allowed to be this messy. It was a gift afforded to her, that she cherished.

Brushing a thumb over his knuckles, she returned Lloyd’s grin. If she could hold his hand forever, she would.

With the spring sun as their companion, they continued to prep the flowerbed in comfortable silence. She wanted it to be the perfect home for the periwinkles.

“Lloyd!”

A sudden voice shattered the peaceful bubble surrounding them, causing both of them to glance up, searching for the source of the voice.

It was another girl, with a short bob of red hair that ended below her ears, leaning against the railing that fenced in her grandmother’s garden. Jessica, a classmate of theirs, and Lloyd’s current crush.

“Are you free right now?”

“Oh, um, yeah! Coming!” Two red spots were beginning to form on Lloyd’s cheeks as he hurriedly scrambled to his feet, trying and failing to rub the dirt stains off his shirt. “Sorry, Colette,” he whispered into her ear, before turning and running off.

“No worries!” She waved goodbye to his retreating back, smiling widely. “Have fun!”

Turning back to the flower bed, she observed her hand, now bereft of any company. It looked the exact same, no matter how many times she flipped it over, again and again, searching for some invisible difference.

Yet it felt so cold and empty now, for reasons she couldn’t understand.

What would it be like, to feel for somebody in the same manner Lloyd did?

What would it be like, for somebody to feel that way about her?

What would it be like, if she could simply ask him to stay?

Not that she had the right to ask any of these questions, the words dying in her throat, choked to death by vines that wrapped around them and squeezed them to dust. As Chosen, she was not born to love or be loved. Neither would someone like her, who couldn’t even find it in herself to love another, ever have the right to ask someone to stay.

She simply had a duty to perform.

In lonely silence, she continued to pull out weeds.

~~~

With summer came a sweltering heat that swelled across the land. A heat which had animals flocking to lakes, which had people running into the shade, and had her and Lloyd looking for shelter as much as they could, as they continued on the journey they had chosen to partake together, to hunt down all the Expsheres in the world.

And in the cloying heat of the forest, bloody petals flitted across her vision.

Some part of her wondered if this was a joke, a mockery of the one dream she’d buried deeper than all of the others - one that she had never dared to unearth and examine more closely. For even now, free of the burden of Chosen, she still did not hold the right to indulge in an impossibility.

The rest of her shattered in an instant, like a piece of glass carelessly dropped onto the ground. She wanted nothing more than to turn her gaze away, for she no longer wished to bear witness to the consequences of her own failures, nor feel the weight of her sins crawling upon her back.

All she had wanted was to remain with the one most precious to her, for as long as she could, content to stay by his side and remain as they were now - her head resting on his shoulder whenever they needed to take a small break, the two of them huddled together when they drifted off to sleep, moments of closeness that she cradled close to her chest. Yet even that had been corrupted, reduced to nothing more than a pile of crumpled periwinkle petals on the forest floor, stained with red, fear evident in wide russet eyes as everything blurred behind a sheen of tears.

To know she was the one causing him such pain was unbearable, her heart splitting down the middle as she contemplated making a quick escape. Fleeing far, far away, to someplace where he could never find her, where it was safe to return his heart to him, so that it would never be possible for her to break it again.

Yet she was rooted in place, his fingers circling her wrist, warm against her skin as he trembled, desperate words leaving his lips that begged her to stay.

Faced with his pleas and contending with her own selfish wishes, there was nothing she could do but remain, their two fragile hearts put back together for now.

~~~

Balancing a bowl filled nearly to the brim with blue petals, she picked up stray petals that littered the bed, catching some out of the air that had been caught in the autumn breeze coming through the window. Brown and red leaves shook on the boughs of the tree outside, ready to fall and herald the coming of winter.

Waking up slightly before Lloyd, with the sounds of birdsong acting as her alarm. Watching him for a moment, peacefully asleep, the rays of the sun peeking through the window turning his hair into a lighter brown that she would run her hands through, careful not to interrupt his rest, knowing that he was likely to violently wake up soon enough. Holding up the bowl that she cleaned and left on the nightstand every night, catching the deluge of petals that he coughed up once he awoke, rubbing his back to help him get it all out. It had become her morning routine since they had returned to Iselia, a year ago.

There was a miserable twinge within her whenever he had to hunch over in pain, almost unable to breathe from the sheer amount of petals clogging his throat. She would never understand his pain, but she imagined it was similar to how she felt in moments like these, a vice closing tight around her heart as imaginary stems choked her from the inside, scratching at raw skin. Even then, her pain must surely be nothing compared to his, an endless ocean that constantly battered him, waves catching him unawares at all times.

He’d told her, countless times, as he’d rubbed calming circles into her palm, that none of it was her fault. Yet she still couldn’t help but wonder if it would all be better if she just left in the middle of the night. If the flowers would come to a stop, if the roots would recede. It would break his heart, but over time, even such a grievous wound could surely heal.

“I love you.”

His words snapped her out of her thoughts, the bowl nearly tumbling from her hands in her shock. Only her rapid fumbling managed to rescue the bedroom floor from the fate of being covered in petals.

“You know you shouldn’t… That just makes it worse,” she sighed, placing the bowl down on the bed and hurrying for the washcloth she’d left on the nightstand, as a new coughing fit started that had been entirely preventable. Dabbing away the spot of blood staining the corner of his mouth, she cupped his cheek, still chilly from the autumn breeze.

Why is it, that you can say it so easily?

She couldn’t deny the way her heart swelled each time he gazed at her tenderly and spoke those words. Not as a question, not as a statement, but with certainty, as if it were the sacred truth.

Yet, at the same time, guilt crawled up her throat like incessant roots. What she felt for him, who had saved her so many times, pulling her back from the brink of no return, who was irreplaceable to her… Surely it must be but a tenth, or even a mere hundredth, of what he felt, if she could even classify it as love. How could it, insignificant as it was, ever be enough to repay how passionately he loved, with all that he was?

How could he say it so many times, knowing she could never say it back?

“Wanting to be loved isn’t a sin, you know.”

She froze, arms falling slack. He caught her, just as he always had. Pulling her close to run a gentle hand through her hair, her eyes fluttered shut as she turned her head to press her ear to his chest. Within, there must have been countless barbed stems twined tight around his lungs, countless flowers blooming to steal his breath. Yet all she could hear was the steady thud of his heart, effortlessly grounding her.

“I’ll tell you as many times as I need to.” Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he let her pull away, tracing the shape of his hand with trembling fingers. “Until you believe that you are loved, always, and that I will never expect anything in return.”

She was the only one who got to see him like this - sleep still lingering in the slouch of his back, subtle hints of pain lining his face, his hair falling into his eyes, in the perfect position for her to brush away with a soft hand.

A part of him meant only for her. No matter how hard it was to believe, she did hold some part of his heart, handling it in careful hands.

“Alright,” she whispered, averting her gaze, heat colouring her cheeks as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

But still, with just his words alone, the roots withered slightly. And time, perhaps, would rot it fully.

~~~

“Oh! Careful there.” Lloyd grinned at her, smile still full of the youthful joy he’d possessed years ago as a naive boy who had chased after her when she’d departed on a journey she was never meant to return from. Even after everything that had happened, he retained that joy. Even now, he would chase her, for eternity if he had to.

“Oh, you.” She nudged him with a knee in retaliation, returning his grin with one of her own.

She returned to preparing the flowerbeds, her ponytail falling across one shoulder, imagining the vibrant blue that would flood it once they had gently placed the seeds into their new, comfortable homes. The tail-end of winter had been warmer than expected, the snow melting away early to reveal the brown of dirt. Soon, the lively chirps of birds would start up again, their feathered friends having returned from their trips across the world.

His hand brushed hers once more. On purpose, most likely. She shot him a disapproving stare, but did nothing else as his pinky finger wrapped around hers, their dirt-stained hands pulling close.

“I love you,” he muttered, the words floating with the wind, carried to the sky with the beginning hints of the sweetness of spring, emerging from a thousand unbloomed flowers, containing within them the endless potential of life.

“I love you too,” she whispered back.

They worked in comfortable silence, never once letting go of the other.

#fanfiction #one shot #tales of symphonia #colette brunel #lloyd irving #colloyd #colloyweek2023 #day 7: free day #happy colloyd day!

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iirvings · 2 years ago

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for @zelotae an intermission

The last thing Lloyd remembered was ice cold fire in his veins and the warm grasp of his companion. So, when he awoke to an unfamiliar, sterile environment, you could say he panicked a little. Maybe. At least internally. He shot up.

“Don’t move so fast, you’ll ruin all my hard work,”

He flinched. And then he winced, because he certainly pulled at the stitches in his side. He turned toward the voice, and a woman with ice blue eyes and sage green hair came into view. She was wearing your basic healer’s uniform: a white coat over what he assumed was business casual, at least for Meltokio. She met his gaze head on.

“You were dropped on my boss’ doorstep a few hours ago,” his nameless doctor spoke in clipped sentences, almost harsh and very clearly with a lack of good bedside manner. An apprentice maybe?

“And where, exactly, is that doorstep?”

“Commercial district, close to the Institute.”

“… And you mind telling me what happened?” Man, it was like pulling teeth.

“Puncture wound to the right lumbar region of the abdominopelvic cavity; the Chosen’s quick healing artes managed to reverse the most severe damage and slow the bleeding, but you’ll be stuck in the city while those,” She pointed down toward his waist, “heal properly.”

He understood… none of the first part of that explanation. Clearly, it must have shown on his face too, because she sighed, “You were stabbed in the side; lost a good amount of blood too but between the Chosen’s work and the doctor’s, you should be good to go in a couple days—well, as long as your stitches don’t rip or get infected.”

He looked away, embarrassed at having to be talked to like he was stupid. Except, maybe not understanding in this situation was normal because he was damn near certain the layman wouldn’t know half the words she’d spoken in the last 60 seconds.

In the silence, Lloyd took stock of his body. He was shirtless, though he had a fresh round of dressings covering his stomach. But other than that he seemed fine. There was a sense of fatigue that he didn’t think he could shake though, and by the way his doctor’s apprentice was looking at him, it probably wasn’t a good idea to stand up just yet. He cleared his throat.

“You said I’ve been here for a few hours now—”

“Yes; four hours, 52 minutes, and 35 seconds and counting to be exact,”

“I—I see; where did Zelos go? He’s okay, right?” Okay, maybe he shouldn’t panic just yet. Zelos was safe. He was safe, right? He had to be. There was no reason for him to be hurt as well, Lloyd would have remembered that! He had to be safe. But the edge in his voice was there and there wasn’t anything he could do about it. She raised an eyebrow, unimpressed, but she didn’t comment. Silently, he thanked her.

“He was here long enough for you to be cleared for the night, but he fucked off as soon as I finished wrapping you up,” Lady that’s not what he asked dammit.

“But he’s fine? No one came after him too?”

She shrugged, “Not that I saw. Caused a pretty big scene when he brought you in though; threatened to have my boss stripped of her titles and everything if we couldn’t ‘save you,’” she grumbled, gave him the stink eye. He winced.

“Ahhh, I’m so sorry, he’s not normally like that, I swear!”

“Yeah, I know. So color me curious, Irving. Why?”

Lloyd faltered.

“I’m not sure what you’re asking here?”

“Bullshit, what makes you so special? The Chosen kept his cool long enough to leave the public eye and then threatened our livelihoods, only to leave the second he knew you’d live.”

“It’s really none of your business—” he was getting uncomfortable.

“Oh but I think it is; it’s not in the Chosen’s—”

“Would you stop calling him that!”

Silence permeated the little sickroom. Brown eyes burned in fury. His cheeks and forehead felt hot, like someone had set fire underneath his skin. Lloyd didn’t like it.

“He—his name is Zelos Wilder, not Chosen. The Chosen system was abolished when the worlds united, that title doesn’t exist anymore,” He hung his head, bitter, “he deserves more respect than that…”

Miss apprentice stared him down, her own eyes wide at the outburst. Tentatively, she poke once more, “My… apologies, Irving. I spoke carelessly.” Damn right she did. Lloyd glared at his hands. “Though that still doesn’t answer my question. Are the two of you lovers?”

Lloyd froze, choked, and made wild gestures all in the span of three seconds at the accusation. “Wh—no!” he cried, “Of course not! Why would anyone think that!?”

…

“No one actually thinks that, do they?”

…

“Wow, uh, okay,” this was awkward. Now his face burned with other emotions. But miss apprentice was still waiting for an answer, and really why was this any of her business anyway? “No, we’re nothing like that. We’re best friends. Buddies. Nothing more, nothing less,” She looked supremely skeptical, “I’m serious!”

“Forgive me for being presumptuous but the look on his face when he brought you in was not the face of a mere friend,” She leaned back in her seat. It creaked. Lloyd focused on that, on anything else to avoid her gaze.

“Really, it’s not like that, I swear,” His voice sounded weak, and the exhaustion he’d ignored came back with a vengeance, “I mean, I wouldn’t say no to him if he kissed me but that’s one, never going to happen, and two, not something he wants,” even to his own ears he sounded tired.

“It’s really no one’s business what he feels about me. Especially not those who don’t even know him.” Really, that was the fact of the matter. Zelos was stuck with him whether he liked it or not, yeah, but who honestly had the right to dictate what the relationship between the two of them was? Lloyd would remain Zelos’ friend till the end of time if he had anything to say about it. Even if his favorite red head tried to push him away, Lloyd would push right back until they reached equilibrium again.

He loved Zelos, yes, but what did it actually matter what that sort of love was?

It didn’t.

“… The Ch—master Wilder truly means a lot to you.”

“Yes. He does.” And he’d make sure Zelos know that for as long as he would listen.

“But that makes it all the more curious. For all intents and purposes, you’re no one compared to master Wilder. So for a man of his caliber to be out for blood over a your injuries… Who exactly are you, Lloyd Irving?”

Out for blood?

Oh. Oh no.

“Wait, what do you mean out for blood? You didn’t ask where he was going?” Who Lloyd was, was of no consequence.

“He’s not our patient, and I’m not in the business of asking frightening men questions about their particular warpaths.”

Lloyd bit down, pulled at the chapped skin of his lips. Zelos was always telling him he needed lip balm.

“… But he said he’d come back, right? He said he’d come back?” His heart rate skyrocketed. Dizzily, he lied back with a soft thump. Miss apprentice immediately stood. Just as quickly, she grabbed his legs from under the thin bed sheet and positioned them 45 degrees. He felt a little nauseous.

“He didn’t say anything about it, but I wouldn’t worry. He seems the stubborn type when he’s not being obnoxious. I’m going to put your legs down in a second to go get my boss; bend your knees.” Methodically, he followed her orders, though he couldn’t do much else. He closed his eyes in an attempt to get the ceiling to stop bending in weird shapes.

Moments later, an older, much kinder voice spoke out to him.

“Mister Irving, I’m going to need you to drink this for me alright? It’ll help with the dizziness and nausea. Can I raise you up so you can drink without choking?” He nodded, eyes still closed, and felt like a toddler as he was raised up and handed a glass vial with unknown liquid in it. Probably a panacea potion if it was for his head. As soon as he knocked it back though, he had to say that it was definitely not panacea, nor a medicine he’d ever had before. He gagged a little bit. The good doctor chuckled softly as Lloyd was maneuvered back down. His legs were unceremoniously hefted upwards again.

“Lucy! I’ve told you time and time again, once the patient is awake and aware, you have to get their consent to treat them.”

“Sorry, boss lady.” So miss apprentice’s name was Lucy. Finally, a proper name to a faceproper name to a face.

“Honestly, this girl… Mister Irving, my name is Dr. Isabella Scarlet. Now, Lucy told me you woke up a little while ago and that she brought you up to speed on your situation; is that correct?” Once again, he nodded. He noted that his head was feeling better already. “Good. You were lucky that master Wilder had acted so quickly in your emergency care; of course, you were stabbed in a spot that could have been fatal if not for your assailant’s amateur aim—a second round of healing artes closed off any lingering injuries to the organs in the area, and the stitches will come out in a few week should everything heal correctly.

“Though I’m sorry to say that we can’t run anymore artes on you, at least for the night. You know, master Wilder was incredibly worried about you. Threatened my job and everything!” Dr. Isabella laughed, hearty and compassionate. Lloyd could have blushed.

“I’m… so sorry. He’s—”

“Now, now, don’t apologize for him. Don’t we all say and act in ways unbefitting when it comes to the safety of our precious people?” The sight of broken wings and blood flashed behind his eyelids for only a split second. He breathed in.

“… Yeah. I guess you’re right.”

He breathed out.

#zelotae #love!!!! in all it's many forms!!!!!!!!!!!!#look at me go #there's a part two to this #but I will write it tomorrow when I am. awake again.

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grandsonoflightike · 1 month ago

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BU: Rise Of The Heartless Part 4th-To-Final: Zelos Releases The Final Wise Heartless

(Background Song Is If I die Tomorrow by Motley Crue.)

BU: Rise Of The Heartless Part 4th-To-Final: Zelos Releases The Final Wise Heartless

“I knew Zelos was doing the right thing.” Lloyd Irving says.

“Yeah, I am disappointed I doubted him.” Sheena Fujibayashi says.

“A Lot of us did. Silver and Blaze were tricked into thinking Zelos caused their future.” Risker Says.

Blaze says “We are almost to the world where the final seal is.”

“The Final Seal of The Final Wise Heartless is a-coming closer.” Mario says.

“Yes, It is this planet.” Silver says.

“That’s Aselia!” Colette Brunel says.

“Your homeworld, eh? Well We are going to land near the final seal’s location.” Silver says.

The Ship lands next to a reconstructed Tower of Salvation Near the Tree of Mana.

“The Tower of Salvation?!” The Aselians of Symphonia 1 besides Zelos shout.

Marta says “It seems this is where the final seal is.”

They run into the tower and make it to the room where, in the Zelos Is A Traitor Timeline, you fight Zelos. In other words, Zelos’s Betrayal Room.

“This Room. It’s where Zelos betrayed us.” Genis Sage says.

Sheena Fujibayashi says “Look, there’s Zelos.”

“You guys are here!” Zelos Wilder says.

“To Protect you while you release the Last Wise Heartless!” Silver Shouts.

“I see. Well let us commence.” Zelos Wilder says in a very monotone voice.

“Wait. Zelos, Why are you doing this for The Wise Heartless?” Sheena Fujibayashi asks.

“To earn redemption.” Zelos says in his very monotone voice.

“Why is his voice so monotone?” Kerrigan Thinks.

“The answer to what you're thinking, Kerrigan, is part of the reason why I need Redemption.” Zelos Wilder in his very monotone voice.

“What did you think, Kerrigan?” Lloyd Irving says.

“I asked Why his voice is so monotone and apparently The Wise Heartless made him able to read minds.” Kerrigan says.

Genis Sage says “Kerrigan’s right. His voice is very monotone-like.”

Zelos Wilder says “The Sylvarant cast of Symphonia 1 has seen this before with someone among them as well as someone else saw it with them.” His eyes look at Sheena Fujibayashi.

“You mean Sheena is the other person?” Silver says.

“Yes.” Zelos Wilder says.

Sheena Fujibayashi says “I haven’t seen anything like this.”

“Sheena, I think you have.” Colette Brunel says.

“What?” Sheena Fujibayashi says “What could I have seen that you four have seen?”

“I give you a hint, Sheena. The person it was done upon during Symphonia 1 was me.” Colette Brunel says.

“No you can’t mean...” Lloyd Irving, Genis Sage, and Raine Sage all say.

“Yes she is right.” Zelos Wilder says.

Sheena Fujibayashi shouts, crying, “No! No! The Angelification Process?! But When?!”

“You remember after my mother died, I was non-stop crying?” Zelos Wilder says.

“Yes why?” Sheena Fujibayashi says, still crying.

“It was soon after my mother died, they put me through it. I then worked for Cruxis, Trying to get up in ranking in their society to take them down from the inside. I even had to make Volt go on a rampage during your first attempt which sadden me but I couldn’t show as only the good emotions were left in me. I had to lie about all my feelings except one who I truly love by picking them to shower with love the most.” Zelos Wilder says.

Sheena Fujibayashi says, still crying, “Who are you talking about? I don’t recall anyone being singled out.”

Silver the Hedgehog then pulses because he remembers something from the proper timeline as he sees the history of Aselia before this and every conversation. What mostly he saw Zelos showing his love to was...

“Sheena, it’s you. You are who he is talking about?” Silver says.

“What?” Sheena Fujibayashi says.

“It’s true, he does go out of his way to flirt with her.” Lloyd Irving says.

All other Aselians besides Sheena and Zelos agree with Lloyd.

“How did I not notice?” Sheena Fujibayashi says.

“It is because you knew Zelos before his mother died. You knew His old self that he had with all His emotions. After he changed, You stopped noticing that how much he truly care for you.” Silver The Hedgehog says.

“How do you know that, Silver? I thought We had no books in our time thanks to the heartless?” Blaze says.

“I got a pulse showing me the true timeline like I’ve been having all this time. I finally have one about Zelos and it’s the one that leads to me learning about something I shouldn’t say.” Silver says.

Blaze says “Is it good or bad?”

“It’s A Little In-Between and That is all I can say about it.” Silver says.

Sheena Fujibayashi says “Then let’s start the protection.”

The Heartless step foot inside the Tower Of Salvation.

Heartless Lloyd Captain says "You will die this time, Zelos."

Lloyd says "Double Demon Fang!" He unleashes a Double Demon Fang on The Heartless.

"Pyre Seal!" Sheena says as she does Pyre Seal on the Heartless.

"It's No Use!" Silver says paralyzing the Heartless and then sends them back while shouting "Take this!"

"We thought Silver and Blaze were on our side?" Some of the Heartless ask.

"Burn!” Blaze Unleashes a Fire Attack On The Heartless.

Kerrigan says “Psionic Shift!” She uses her Psionic Shift Move.

Jim Raynor Fire His Sniper Rifle from a distance.

“It’s Pancake Time!” Genis Sage says as he uses Stalagmite.

CJ Fires His Flamethrower on The Heartless.

Link says “Hyahhh!” He does The Hero’s Spin.

Heartless Lloyd Captain runs to kill Zelos and says “Finally I can kill Zelos again.”

Silver then suddenly catches him with his psychokinesis.

“Hmph, This is a nuisance.” Heartless Lloyd Captain says.

Heartless Lloyd Captain starts charging even harder to try to break through Silver’s Psychokinesis.

“Silver Can’t Hold it much longer.” Blaze says.

Silver’s Psychokinesis is then amplified by The Sol Emeralds of the Future coming in.

“It’s our future’s Sol Emeralds.” Blaze says “They’re back.”

Sonic says “Something happening with Silver.”

Suddenly Silver Screams, A Psychokinetic Blade comes out of Silver, Silver charges forward, and blocks The Charge of Heartless Lloyd Captain with His New Psychokinetic Blade.

“Wh-What is that?” Heartless Lloyd Captain Says.

“This is Psycho Excalibur!” Silver in his unknown form Shouts “AHHHH!” He then slashes Heartless Lloyd Captain down the middle of his body.

:”No, This isn’t over.” Heartless Lloyd Captain says as he fades away.

“I know it’s not.” Silver says in his unknown form.

“Silver, way to go!” Sonic says.

“The Name right now is Truesilver The Hyper Form Of Silver The Hedgehog.” Silver In His Unknown Form AKA Truesilver or Hyper Silver says.

“That’s his Hyper Form?” “A Lot of other questions are asked to” The Heartless whisper among themselves.

“Hmm, The heartless are beginning to doubt you, Heartless Colette Brunel Captain.” Truesilver says.

“The Heartless from my dimension don’t so do many others who are loyal to our Evil Empire.”

The Heartless asking questions all stop asking questions and say “Evil Empire?”

CJ says “The Heartless Queen Doesn’t want a Evil Empire, It seems.”

Suddenly the Last Wise Heartless Seal opens and out of it comes Heartless Pronyma.

“Argh Heartless Pronyma’s Back. Heartless, Retreat.” Heartless Colette Brunel Captain says.

Heartless Pronyma says “Good Heartless, Listen To me. Do not Listen to her. Stay to help me and other Wise Heartless to save our Queen from the True Traitor, Heartless Vaan. He works for Satonic but plans to betray him.”

The Good Heartless are angered and The Evil Heartless plan to retreat and they are successful.

“The two sides of the Heartless are born.” David The Writer Says.

“Yes, I very much agree, David.” Risker says.

TBC...

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twohundredpower · 24 days ago

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"Th-that's why I got 'em confused!! The sound at the end is the same, and-- agh!" Before he could continue his terrible excuse, however, Zelos started to shake him by the shoulders; turning Lloyd's words into garbled sounds as his head wobbled violently back and forth. He wouldn't even get a chance to defend Raine's teaching-- it's not like she didn't do everything she could.. he just wasn't paying attention most of the time.

Eventually, the shaking slowly came to a stop; and Lloyd had to take a minute before the room stopped spinning. He put a hand on his head, groaning a bit, before Zelos' voice quickly pulled him out of it.

.. he recovered enough to even laugh a bit; his eyes apparently doing the very same thing Zelos hated as they crinkled in the sides, matching his smile.

"Well, if y'don't want me lookin' at you this way, maybe you shouldn't say things like that. 's not my fault you love me so much."

"Heheh.. Lloyd and Zelos Irving-Wilder, huh? I dunno, I think it still sounds right. But.. I don't mind if you wanna think about it a little more. That's not somethin' we have to decide here and now, but in case you're worried.. I like it, Z. I like it a lot."

.. well, the redhead would get his wish eventually; the expression on Lloyd's face quickly dwindled into something flatter as he reached up to give the other man a noogie. Though it was short-lasting, and ended up turning into a gentle caress through his hair.

"Yeah, I dunno. Not after shaking me like that."

"Since when do 'thespian' and 'lesbian' sound the same!? They just end in the same sound, but they're two totally different words, man!!" Hands found their way to Lloyd's shoulders, shaking him violently as he would explain the difference of the two words to the man, "A lesbian is a woman who only likes women, and a thespian is a person in theatre!!"

"What the hell do they teach you out in the boonies of Sylvarant, damn?!"

Then, Lloyd had to get sentimental on him, but that didn't slow down Zelos's assault. He shook him a bit more until he stopped.

"It sounded right in the moment. No, don't. Stop looking at me like that! I hate when you get that stupid gleam in your eye like I just touched your very soul." Well, now he's backpedalling. "The only thing I want to touch is something more surface level and phallic." At the end of the day: he's still a pervert.

#gleamknight #cw suggestive #lloyd's used to it (maybe)

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twohundredpower · 2 years ago

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❱❱ : ( SEND “BEEP” FOR A RANDOM TEXT ) – ACCEPTING

@eusyramr said:

↪ BEEP - 16. A helpful text

[ TXT ] : yeah that looks easy to fix! i should be able to help you no proglem [ TXT ] : do you no where fire & iron is? thats my shop [ TXT ] : oh wait i can send the location thingy right?

Lloyd Irving has shared his location with you.

[ TXT ] : we make weapons but i craft jewlry too so i can get you a new chain! i’ll be here all day whenever you can stop by!

#eusyram #( ⇉ : ` ask box ! )#meme day #sorry his texting is awful he turned autocorrect off </3

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colloydweek · 3 years ago

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Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Colette Brunel/Lloyd Irving Characters: Colette Brunel, Lloyd Irving Additional Tags: First Kiss, Love Confessions, Song: Don't Think Twice (Kingdom Hearts), Inspired by Music, POV Colette Brunel, Colloyd Week 2021 (Tales of Symphonia) Series: Part 3 of Colloyd Week 2021 Summary:

you're only everything i've ever dreamed of, ever dreamed of you must be kidding me, did you really think i could say no?

- dont think twice, from the kingdom hearts soundtrack

"Colette! Are you okay?!"

Colette blinks, then smiles. Lloyd's here now, so that must mean that everything's okay, right?

"Lloyd! Yeah." She lets out a small sigh. "I'm fine! Thank you for rescuing me."

Lloyd just looks at her for a moment, and she wonders if something's wrong. She can still feel the crystal attached to her, but Mithos' thoughts aren't plaguing her anymore. It's a problem to deal with later, maybe when they gather up everyone else.

She's not sure where they are, but they have to be around here somewhere.

Lloyd's still looking at her with a weird expression on her face, so she frowns slightly.

"Um... Lloyd?"

"I love you," Lloyd blurts out.

"Uhm... I..." Colette blinks, flustered. "W-what?"

"I just..."

Oh. Lloyd's... crying?

#lloyd irving #colette brunel #tales of symphonia #colloyd #colloydweek2021 #fanfiction #day 3: first kiss / confession

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beardycarrot · 4 years ago

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It is entirely possible that tomorrow, we’ll finally get a real look at the Breath of the Wild sequel. I’d like to make a few called shots... or at least state what I would like to see.

So, in my mind, that scene from the teaser was right at the beginning of the game, almost definitely in some catacombs under Hyrule Castle. Ganon launched his attack from down there, and it seems that up until the calamity began, his influence could only reach so far, right? I don’t have a solid guess as to why Link and Zelda have gone down there... maybe there have been strange rumblings from under the castle, maybe they’re doing research on ancient Sheikah tech, who knows.

I think this is going to be the very start of the game, with you immediately taking control of Link and leading the way through the underground ruins. You’ll occasionally have to fight small enemies like rats, Keese and Chuchus, and use the companion button (formerly the “whistle to horse” button) to sooth your pack animal. A couple times, you’ll have to take control of Zelda (OR, your friend will control her, because this game has co-op) and use the Sheikah Slate to solve simple puzzles. Maybe hold the companion button down to switch characters? At some point, Zelda suggests that you make camp for the night, and you get a cutscene with a bit of exposition.

After you resume, you eventually find your way to Ganondorf’s mummified remains, and... I don’t even know, man. Maybe Zelda, overcome with scholarly curiosity, accidentally disengages the magic holding him in place. Maybe the Triforce, which was basically not even mentioned in BotW, allows him to break free. Sheikah techology? Whatever the case, Ganon escapes, and the magic that was used to seal him latches onto Link’s arm for some reason. Ganon, freed, then... I guess raises Hyrule Castle from the ground? That’s what it looked like the original trailer was ending with. Who knows what he does then, hopefully time travel is involved and he sends them into a future fully controlled by him a la Samurai Jack, or into the distant past, or an alternate reality, or a dream world, or SOMETHING. So long as it’s not an ugly dreary Dark World (I likes me some green grass and blue skies) I’ll be happy... and speaking of, it would be cool to be able to travel between that setting and the one from BotW, just to do Tarrey Town-esque projects and rebuild the ruins of Hyrule. Or the ruins of whatever this new setting is.

Anyway, it’s only after this short tutorial area, maybe during the scene of Hyrule Castle being... whatever’d, that you get the title screen. The Legend of Zelda: Reach of the Abyss. Or uh. Hand of Eternity. Or maybe... Grasp at Some Straws. Yeah, the title could be anything, depending on the setting and plot. That magic hand power Link gets is definitely going to be a major gameplay mechanic though, so I feel like it’s probably going to be part of the title.

I’m fairly confident that the hand is going to be the new version of dungeon items, with Link gaining new powers for it throughout the game, while Zelda has the Sheikah Slate. Ideally, you’d have the ability to control both of them the entire time, with Zelda also getting new Sheikah Slate abilities... but that’s probably wishful thinking. I can also definitely see the revived Ganon just straight up kidnapping Zelda. Anyway, the most obvious use for the arm is having it stretch, to work like a hookshot. It’s glowy, so maybe it just naturally functions as a torch? Big fist to act as a hammer, maybe an ability to repel Ganon’s malice? An ability to stop time would be neat.

What else... the ability to enlist the help of a wide array of characters and creatures would be cool, as would expanded cooking and outfits consisting of more pieces. I also like to see underwater stuff in games, especially with free movement... and I’ve always wanted Nintendo to do another thing where Link can take on various different forms. It was cool in Majora’s Mask, it was cool in Kameo: Elements of Power, it was cool in Summoner: A Goddess Reborn, it... actually looks kinda lame in Balan Wonderworld, but that could just be me not liking the NiGHTS Into Dreams style. I’m pretty sure that glowy hand is the game’s major gameplay mechanic though, so unless they pull a Super Mario Odyssey and allow Link to turn into any creature he touches, I unfortunately can’t see this happening.

Just think... by this time tomorrow, we could know what the next Zelda game’s like. If they’re doing a Direct now, they could also tease Pokemon Diamond/Peal remakes, promising a closer look on the anniversary in like a week and a half... or even just do a full reveal, since the presentation is nearly an hour long. We could get Mario Odyssey 2, a new Donkey Kong game... hell, now that I think about it, wasn’t Smash was mentioned in the announcement of the Direct? Sephiroth was two months ago, and Steve two months before that... who’s next?

The safe bet is Crash Bandicoot, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the Direct announced a new Fire Emblem, and its protagonist was in Smash. I’d be... annoyed, frustrated, underwhelmed... but not surprised. Dr. Eggman’s another likely choice, especially with a moveset reliant on robotic vehicles, but if I were to choose a character I actually wanted... I would go with Goemon, who isn’t going to happen because he’s already in as a costume, or Alis Landale, who isn’t going to happen because nobody knows who she is.

Honestly, I’m expecting another Capcom, Sega, or Namco character. Crono or Sora would be great, but two Squeenix characters in a row seems unlikely. I want Monster Hunter or Phoenix Wright, but y’know what? Namco’s kinda owed another character, in my opinion, so my official guess for the next Smash character is either Klonoa or Lloyd Irving. I don’t know that either of them would have a really unique, compelling play style, but the alternative is, what... someone from Tekken or Soul Calibur? Meh. I’m sure they could do something clever with Klonoa if they wanted. Like, how many people seriously thought Steve would have mining, crafting, and building as part of a fighting game moveset?

#zelda #breath of the wild #botw #ssbu #nintendo direct

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somefinelipstickonthatpig · 4 years ago

Photo

rated: t

fandom: Tales of Symphonia

prompt: “Go Through Me” + Zelos/Colette/Lloyd

requested by: @greecllings

more modern-day!AU shenanigans because I got this idea in my head after a particularly great line in another, diff-fandom fanfic i was reading. now this is here.

i’m sorry.

thanks Josie for the request, though i’m 95% certain this scenario wasn’t what you had in mind when you first requested “get through me” with these three, so...sorry (again)

o - o - o

Schlemiel [Read on AO3]

o - o - o

Zelos frowns. “You’re sure he said to wait here?”

At Colette’s shrug, his frown deepens. Her thumbs fly across the screen of her cell. Zelos doesn’t know how she can see anything on that thing under the glaring light of the courtyard lamppost. “Yeah. Said he was on his way? He should be here in just a—”

“—hey, Colette!”

The voice that rings out is too loud for not being that far away.

Zelos turns and takes a good look at his theater classmate’s childhood friend. Colette talks about him a lot: the boisterous bundle of energy named Lloyd Irving who is apparently not her boyfriend. (Zelos is of the opinion that there’s a yet in those words somewhere.) Her stories she spins as they sit knee-to-knee doing warm-ups on stage are always wild, extremely silly, and very funny. To see the subject of those 4-wheeler wheelies and the self-proclaimed corn-husk king, who’s apparently a plain guy with spiky brown hair and a bright red university sweater, was almost a disappointment. Zelos had expected someone more…something.

“You must be Zelos,” Lloyd gives a breathless greeting and thrusts a hand out towards his chest. “Nice to meetcha.”

Zelos takes the proffered hand because he, unlike some of the people in front of him, was not raised in a barn. He makes a good show of flicking a long strand of red hair over his shoulder, sliding on a slow grin. “I see our sweet little Colette here has told you about me.”

Is that a smattering of pink dusting the guy’s cheeks? Geez, already? How are these two not dating yet if the mere mention of the other’s name makes them go all gooey-eyed and soft? “Yeah. I guess she has mentioned a thing or two about the funny redhead from her theater class before.”

Sharply, Zelos chokes. “Funny—?!”

Lloyd chuckles and is quick to release his hand and wrap it around one of his two ratty backpack straps. He swallows and looks over his shoulder. “Right. Well, uh, shall we head back?”

And then and all of a sudden, Colette’s head snaps up from her phone.

She stares at Lloyd with almost comically ginormous eyes. Zelos doesn’t get quite why until Colette waves for his attention and turns her phone screen to face him. Beaming in the night, surrounded by a green text message box from one heart-emoji-surrounded Lloyd (seriously?) are the white words: jhey, I think i mite be being follow.ed. just os you kno. sry.

Ah.

“Yes!” Colette says as soon as she pockets her phone. “C’mon! Yeah! Let’s, uh, let’s go to our dorms!”

The funny thing about being in a theater class with country bumpkin Colette Brunel is that the golden-headed tenderheart has the hardest time telling a convincing lie, so she’s actually very, very bad on stage—which is exactly why Zelos likes her. She is earnest and sincere and would never stab him in the back one day probably because she didn’t know which way to hold the damn knife.

Completely unlike him in every way.

Which is why when Colette says “our dorms,” Zelos immediately realizes two things: one, that Lloyd must not have the same scholarship he and Colette do because he isn’t bunking in Chosen Hall, and two, when Lloyd is asking if he can walk with them, it’s because he doesn’t feel safe heading back to his own dorms.

And all in the span of two seconds, Zelos knows what to do.

His grin widens.

“W-whoa, hey, what are you—”

“—shhh, play along,” Zelos purrs, arm snug around Lloyd’s waist as he flicks a glance over the guy’s shoulder. It was on his right Lloyd had looked earlier; there’s a figure leaning against a tree on their phone. Super casual, not anything unusual after nine on a college campus after night classes have just let out.

But Zelos remembers very well his own personal near-experiences.

With his arm around Lloyd, he turns him and guides him down the sidewalk towards his and Colette’s dorm. He sneaks another glance behind them in the form of a chaste kiss to Lloyd’s very, very red cheek.

After a beat, the stranger begins to follow.

Huh.

Colette is making strange, choked-off noises at his side and when he glances at her, he can see her face is as red as Lloyd’s sweater. Hell, she’s practically as red as Lloyd’s face. Zelos really is surrounded by the two most rural, suppressed idiots this side of the Tethe’alla-Sylverant continent divide, huh.

They aren’t even halfway to the dorms yet and the stranger tailing them still hasn’t taken a hint, so Zelos decides to do something fun.

“You trust me?” he whispers, leaning in close to Lloyd’s side. The guy’s been quiet as a mouse the entire walk, which is funny as hell because he’s known him for all of three minutes (if you don’t count Colette’s oddball stories) and he has a very good hunch his unusual silence is because he’s so far out of his element, he’s probably somewhere on Mars.

“N-no…?”

“Fair enough.”

Zelos spins him and pins him to the outer wall of the old university library. Colette squeaks. There’s an odd bump and arc to Lloyd’s figure with his backpack in the way. With one hand pressed to the brick at the level of Lloyd’s bewildered face and the other digging into the pocket of his white sweatpants, Zelos leans in.

“If you really want to ward ‘em off, you know what we should do.”

“Ex-fuckin’-scuse me?”

“Yes or no. Be quick.”

And then, Zelos has about two seconds to recognize the flash of determination set in Lloyd’s eyes for what it is before Lloyd clumsily grabs his face with both hands and pulls him in. At that moment, Zelos discovers another thing:

Lloyd’s never kissed before.

The guy’s real bad at it. Has no finesse whatsoever. Really messy with his lips and bumps his nose against Zelos’ as he tries to tilt his head at a better angle. Stinky breath; what, did he just stuff his mouth full of sour cream and onion chips during his late class or something? Disgusting. Salty. Actually, kinda addicting?

Weird.

Zelos tilts into it when Lloyd gives a tiny, hitched gasp. His nerves light up. Belatedly, he realizes that was his own fault—his fingers have curled into the skin of Lloyd’s hip, pushing up his sweatshirt until it bunches over the back of his hand.

When finally they break apart, breath hot against one another’s faces, Zelos turns his face to the side.

Whoever it was that was following Lloyd is gone.

Good. Didn’t want them to even reach our dorms, anyway.

“Zelos! Lloyd! Th-that was—”

Oh.

Zelos turns to his other side. He almost forgot Colette was there, but when he sees her, there are stars in her eyes. Like, near-legitimate stars. He’s never known blue could turn so cosmic at night, like spinning nebulas are spanning the length of her mind.

“What?” Zelos asks innocently, straightening up and pushing both hands in his sweatpants pockets, now. “You’ve seen me do that in class all the time, Colette.”

“Y-yeah, but—” Colette stutters and her face steams up again. She squeaks out, hands fisted in front of her collar, “—not with my best friend!”

Oh.

Yeah.

There was that.

“That was…” She tries again, but seems to be at a loss for words. When Colette looks to Lloyd, Lloyd looks back at her, dazed and still so, so red.

Actually, to hell with it. Red looks great on him.

“Well, it worked, so you’re welcome.” Zelos shrugs. “Successfully delivered the age-old, ‘you’ll have to go through me,’ and ‘this one’s taken,’ message across to that creep, for what it’s worth. They shouldn’t bother you again, but if they do…well, you know who to reach out to.”

“Thanks,” Lloyd murmurs.

Zelos takes a step back and bows extravagantly.

“We should, uh…” Lloyd looks around at this side of campus—probably unfamiliar to him—and scratches the back of his head. “We should keep going, right? Your guys’ dorm is further on. Colette, are you sure you’re fine if I…?”

“What? Yeah—yes. That’s fine! I still have your toothbrush from last time.”

Oh, to be young and in love and so dumb as to not even realize it.

“Do you, um—” Colette breaks off and if possible, her face is even redder. “Zelos, would you want to come with us?”

“Uh, I have to.” Zelos gives Colette a funny, patient look. “We’re in the same dorm hall, honey.”

“Oh—no—yes—of course—but I mean—”

And then it dawns on Zelos in that funny, crawling kind of way. Slowly, like the first rays of the sun as it peeks over the horizon. And then it warms him, starting from some point in the center of the top of his head and spreading down across his skin and low to his feet and he hedges out a laugh that’s as bewildered as it is—admittedly—just a bit flustered.

“You want me to crash your little slumber party?” he asks with a lifted brow. She can’t be serious.

Colette says, “You wouldn’t be crashing it!” at the same time as Lloyd finally catches on and bursts, “Hey, yeah! That’s a great idea! Colette’s got a corner room to herself and the bottom bunk’s a futon that can fold out and it’s really comfy. C’mon, Zelos. You’ll love it!”

Zelos has every idea that these two oblivious fools are going to be the death of him.

But then he finds himself somehow—incredibly—nodding—and he supposes he must be the biggest fool of all. Is he actually agreeing to this?

“Yay!” Colette cheers and claps her hands and Zelos supposes he is.

How did he get here?

#bad things happen bingo #bthb #symphonia #lloyd irving #colette brunel #zelos wilder #fanfic: lloyd #fanfic: colette #fanfic: zelos #get through me #this is supposed to be angsty but uh #i guess the tone got away from me #threat of danger but zelos is here #and i love these three v much #mod krissey #mod krissey writes a thing

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darkhymns-fic · 1 year ago

Text

Being an angel is pretty inconvenient, huh? (Ch. 1)

Lloyd had never been too fond of his wings. But they were still useful, and convenient when they needed to be. It only made sense to use what he had.

Until his wings changed one night, and became permanent, with real feathers attached to bone.

And they were heavy.

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters/Pairing: Colette Brunel/Lloyd Irving Rating: T Word Count: 2808 Mirror Link: AO3 Notes: For Colloyd Week 2023! This is part of a multichapter fic that will use all the prompts. Very angsty, with eventual fluff. Enjoy the ride.

When Lloyd’s wings first extended from his back, expansive and with shifting shades of blue, it stung.

He hadn’t noticed it at first, too desperate to get the Great Seed under control, and with Colette near him, her hand warm as it rested next to his on the sword. It felt inconsequential to everything else, not something he would need to worry over. Though it was like knives digging into his back, he weathered through it, even as his wings faded under the glare of the sun.

It was like an ache that kept pulsing underneath his skin, waiting to erupt and take over the valley of his back. But maybe, this was normal? Lloyd, who had never had wings, who had only first seen their shapes from Colette, brought on by how like the night sky they seemed to emulate, when the sun hadn’t fully left the horizon…

He figured he’d just not been using them right. Yeah, that had to be it.

Still, at one point after everything, the trees greener than before, the air crisp, bringing with it the hint of rain, Lloyd had asked Colette something, when they had traveled far out of Iselia.

“Does it hurt when you use them?”

Colette, helping carry their supplies to their camp for the night, had stopped in mid-stride. “Oh, what does?”

Lloyd worried at how sudden he had asked it, scratching the back of his head. “I mean, your wings? Does it hurt when you bring them out, I mean?”

“Hm..” Colette tilted her head as she pondered, all while she was carrying their packs in her arms like it was a stuffed animal. The imagery was enough to get Lloyd smiling. “Not really. I guess it just surprised me the first time.” She blinked at him. “Why do you ask?”

The space between his shoulder blades burned slightly, as if the sun had heated it all night, as if he had slept on sharp rocks without knowing. Both were strong possibilities, but Lloyd couldn’t be sure. “Nothing… Guess I’ve just always wondered. You’d tell me if they did though, wouldn’t you?” he asked, conveniently brushing aside his own hypocrisy.

“Of course, Lloyd!” Colette said cheerfully, and by then she had finally lost her grasp on the pack, but Lloyd already rushed forward to help her catch anything that fell, like their bedrolls, their pots or pans, or a few gels that still tasted good even if covered in dirt.

Eventually, the pain of Lloyd’s wings went away, as if he had been exaggerating it all this time—and maybe he had. With no pain came a greater need to use his wings, even when it wasn’t necessary.

If a large gap in the rocky mountains they traveled over blocked their way, it was easier to just use their wings sometimes instead of the Rheairds. Lloyd was always fond of shortcuts, always fond of following Colette, who would have her own wings out and ready, like stained glass painted in the air. Lloyd would summon his own, maybe a little desperately, and with a few flails and flutters that sent blue feathers in every direction. But with a laugh, he’d land right next to her, not feeling a thing on his back.

Yet there were times he saw concern flit through Colette’s eyes, once or twice.

“What is it?” he had asked, landing on a tree bough, his wings being a bit obnoxiously bright, but hoping the sun would take away some of that shine with his own.

Colette was on the ground this time, seated on a log, looking up at her friend as the sunlight hit her cheek. “Kratos told me once about using our wings too much… All the angels in Cruxis used to have wings like we did.”

“Did they?” He had never heard this mentioned. His wings curled around himself, keeping away some of the frittering bugs that flew about the tree. But he remembered Kratos’ own wings, the same shade of color as his own. “So even someone like Remiel had wings like ours? That’s weird to imagine.”

“Yeah. But then… they can change?” Colette placed a hand over her chest, to the place where her necklace stayed hidden under her coat. “I don’t know. I’ve tried using them less. I’m not sure just how much is too much.”

Lloyd, looking down at Colette on the earth, finally shifted off the tree branch. His wings spread out, catching the air in their mana-infused shape, and so he floated down, boots softly crunching against the dry grass.

“We can do that then, if that’s what you’re worried about.” With effort, Lloyd let his own evaporate like morning mist. He didn’t feel the ache, just the need to take them out again, if just to see them there. But he wouldn’t. “Let’s try using the Rheairds more. Not like Yuan’s gonna come for them anytime soon.”

Colette smiled up at him, the sight making his cheeks heat up. “Would that be okay?”

“Yeah! We’ve gotten by without our wings before!” He held out his hand, which Colette immediately took. “Just be sure to not fall off the Rheaird again…”

“It was just one time!” she countered, but with a giggle, making Lloyd grin back.

Besides, even if she did fall, she would just use her wings to save herself. Or Lloyd would use his, summoning them as he’d swerve in the air, catching her and keeping her close. He hoped she would forgive him for that, at least.

But it’s so easy to be a little complacent, wasn’t it?

Colette’s wings always caught Lloyd’s eyes, soft like candlelight, a painting of violet and pink against his hand when he reached out to touch them. And he would, almost unaware, when Colette would float back down to him. The stardust in her wings would fall against his palm, even as he remembered when those same wings meant she lost more of herself with each step of their previous journey. Beautiful, but the sight of it tightening his chest all the same.

She did use her wings less, and so did he. They climbed over the hills this time, dragging their packs along the way. They also still had their wing packs, taking our their Rheairds when it was necessary, Sylvarant finally having enough mana for the machines to move through the air. And such things were solid, not as ephemeral, and could be put away and out of sight.

But their wings could do the same.

Maybe, sometimes, he couldn’t help but let his own wings slip out. Such as when he needed to hover in the air, to gently move a baby bird stranded on a branch back to its nest, or when he wanted to quickly rush over that dip in the hill without searching for the wing pack in his satchel. It was easy, and in reach. And the important thing; it no longer hurt him.

Colette was weak to it too, and he’d catch the shape of her hands just between his shoulder blades. Her fingers would edge across his feathers, moving across the mana like a breath. At those times, he couldn’t help but respond to it with a stretching of one wing, to bring her in close. She could easily slip away if she wanted to, right through his wings as if it were air. But she would press against his shoulder, her fingers edging down to reach for his hand.

“Jealous of mine?” he once teased her, even though he thought his wings to be too big and a bit of an eyesore. But Colette would simply look at him, the sunlight making her smile seem even brighter, highlighting dimples he was so tempted to touch with a thumb.

“They just feel so soft,” she told him. In that, he heard her small, little confession. How easy it was to use these wings, how addictive they could be too.

Besides, how much was too much still?

Lloyd knew himself to be careless at times, or impulsive, reckless, and even stupid. He wasn’t as patient as most people, or as smart, but he tried his best anyway. Colette always seemed to know that—it was why she chose to come along with him on this journey, wasn’t it? And with her, he felt a little less dumb, a little less inclined to rush headfirst into danger. Their journey was one of time, long, slow, and steady. There was no hour to meet before it was all too late.

But maybe such a thing made him a bit stupid once again.

Another lead in their Exsphere gathering had gotten them moving through the brush, the ground slick with yesterday’s rain. “It’s gonna be rough making camp for the night,” he said with a sigh. His pack slung over his shoulder was feeling a bit heavy. What if they just flew, and found the nearest town to spend the night in? That is, if the town would have them in the first place.

“We can make some nice carrot soup once we do,” Colette said, rushing up next to him. The night breeze blew her hair against his cheek, making him smile in reflex. “They’re already sliced, so it should be quick!”

“Yeah, but first we need to find someplace at least kinda dry…” Maybe an overturned tree trunk would have stopped some past rain. He knew any blankets they laid on the ground otherwise would just be soaked through. “Only carrots though? I’ll still be hungry!”

“Double carrots then!” Colette compromised. “Or maybe we could add in some fruit?”

“Whoever heard of fruit soup though…?”

And maybe they would have continued their silly conversation, as it usually did, if Colette’s senses hadn’t kicked in. She could hear such sounds, she once said, that it would be painful to her ears. And it always made him think how her wings must have hurt her once, when they rushed out of her through an array of light, using her mana in ways she never knew before. But Colette was already turning her head, towards a fast-rushing river to their right. “There’s something in there.”

And then Lloyd could hear it too.

There wasn’t much question to it, not even to the bright, initial pain he suddenly felt. But Lloyd dropped his satchel, his eyesight all the sudden so sharp as he spotted the shape. They were both so far off from any other villages, so how could there be someone’s pet drowning in that river right now? Lloyd spotted the brief shape of a tiny paw bursting through the water’s surface, and heard the soft mewling even through the continuous crashing of the water.

He wasn’t a stranger in trying to help small animals stuck in odd spots. There were times Lloyd would see a small wolf having fallen into a thorny bush, needing to be tended to, or a bunny with a wounded foot. Even when it made him late to school, or when Noishe would scurry away, frightened by any small living thing, Lloyd would do what he could to help, like taking the animal to Dirk. And that’s just what he felt then, that instinct, that desperation suddenly.

“Lloyd!” Colette shouted. So loud. It was thunder in his ears. That should have told him something then.

Colette could have gone to rescue the kitten. Her wings were already out like violet stardust that burst through the night skies in Flanoir. But Lloyd was impulsive, reckless, so stupid—he ran and made the wings come out of his back in the same way he would unsheathe his swords, their metal ringing as they scratched against the inside of their scabbards.

Like that, his wings felt like they scraped against his bones, his tendons, his muscles. A feeling that made him stumble, for a moment. But he pushed himself to fly high enough, just over the river brought on by nearby broken dams.

There. He saw it, and he dove down just enough, weathering the ice-cold chill against his hands and legs.

“Got ya!” he shouted in triumph. He grabbed the small kitten, its claws just pricking enough to his gloves in panic, fur matted and body shaking. But Lloyd remembered when Noishe had fell into the river just next to his house, and how he had grabbed one of the great dog’s heavy paws in both hands, pulling him up and wondering if Noishe’s last meal had been too much and was making this much more difficult than usual. It ended with a very wet dog landing on top of him, the weight knocking out all the air from his body.

Not like now, the kitten held within his arms, already curling into a ball. This was much easier.

When Colette rushed to him, he was already grinning, feeling a bit self-conscious, hoping she wouldn’t mind his sudden decision. “I think this little guy’s okay, it’s just—”

Oh, but it happened then. Again. A scrape against his bones, but it kept traveling, going so slowly.

Suddenly, as if all those times he had felt nothing with his wings, no grief, no sting. It all came back, multiplied, making up for lost time.

His back burned and seared.

The last thing Lloyd could do was hold out his arms, offering the still shivering kitten to her. He couldn’t afford to hurt it after all that.

He knew she wouldn’t be able to resist it. Her hands brushed against his, taking the animal, yet still keeping one hand on his arm. “Wait, Lloyd-!”

So he didn’t mind when he fell hard to the ground.

When Lloyd woke up, the pain hadn’t left.

He struggled to just sit up, though he wasn’t exactly sure whether he was laying down or maybe standing up at a weird angle. The aching between his shoulder blades was so much, it overpowered everything else; it made him blind, made him deaf, made his hands and feet strangely numb.

It was all centered on his back. Everything. Constant.

“Careful,” he heard Colette say, and at least his mind wasn’t going. Oh, and he could hear again. Too much. The rustling of the wind against the trees. The drip of the blood to the grass.

“M’fine…” he mumbled, and at least he could talk too, but it was thick and sounded like he had stuffed several gels inside his mouth—which was a thing he sometimes did, but this was without the benefit of tasting something sweet. In fact, there was something dry and bitter on his tongue, and it almost got him heaving.

“Lloyd, shh, don’t move.” Her arms went around him, and as he opened his eyes (at least he could still see), he saw the light of her wings, a canopy of night stars. Or maybe that was still just the night sky around them.

His back felt so heavy. He moved… something. It creaked, made him bite his lip and lean forward in her hold. “Agh!”

Her hands circled around him tighter, but he noticed they avoided his back—or tried to. They tried to so much. Still, he felt a gentleness near that point of pain, fingers stroking over where his wings would be, like she would before. His wings… His…

Leaning his head on her shoulder, he looked down at the ground, damp with what he had assumed to be rain. But it was blood, and there were white feathers strewn around them, like patches of snow.

“I’m sorry,” she was whispering, her voice caught within brambles. “I tried to clean up the wounds as best I could.” He now saw the red splotches on Colette’s dress, the white ruined. Ah, he had done that. “But, I didn’t want to mess anything up.”

Before, he could stretch out his wings large enough that he could see the tips of them in his vision. But doing so now felt like he was pulling at the nerves themselves with pincers. He shook, tried to hold back any more sounds of that pain, but still, it felt so heavy. Like whatever new wings he had would tear down at the skin in his back from their weight.

Too solid, no longer like a trick of the light.

Still, even then, he worried. “The kitten… is it…”

She gestured to a small blanket placed near the base of a tree, its boughs leaning heavy with greenery. The kitten’s fur was of pure white, any greyness taking out from the muck of the river. It curled into a small ball, but was breathing evenly. He watched the way its tiny back arched up and down.

Lloyd smiled, giving a sigh. “That’s…good…” he could only say before he fell unconscious again.

His wings were so heavy.

#tales of symphonia #lloyd irving #colette brunel #colloyd #colloydweek2023 #fanfiction #multichapter #fun fact i said i would take it easy this year and then I didn't lol

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