#happy zelo day

[yukiokumura]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Lloyd Irving/Zelos Wilder Characters: Lloyd Irving, Zelos Wilder Additional Tags: Gift Giving, Possessive Behavior, Getting Together, Dawn of the New World Compliant, Overprotective Lloyd Irving, Friends to Lovers

Summary:

Lloyd makes things for Zelos as their relationship progresses.

[crush3dmary]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Lloyd Irving/Zelos Wilder Characters: Zelos Wilder, Lloyd Irving Additional Tags: Fluff and Angst, References to Alcohol, Developing Relationship, Sharing a Bed, Pre-Slash, Pining, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, happy (early) 610 Summary:

There's a snowfall in Meltokio that night, the first in years.

[heclingmuzik]

"I think you look great. This right here," She gestures to his outfit with a big smile, "it's also your color." Ismael can only imagine the amount of nervousness on both Zelos and Lloyd. It's a gigantic day for the two of them.

Gently, she places her hand over his own and pats softly, "I know lots of breathing practices if you need some pointers." She's only teasing him a little bit, but at the same time she is serious.

"-- huh? You got me something?!" the surprise on his face was quickly replaced with a big, heartfelt smile; taking the gift into his hands as his friend joined him on the couch. Although, he hesitated to open it right away-- pausing only because of Ismael's gesture to fix his tie. He felt his face go slightly warm, laughing a little breathlessly at her words.

"Heh.. thanks, Ismael. Really. It means a lot to the both of us that you're here-- and I'm glad we can celebrate with everyone! I mean, it'll just be us for a bit at first, but then we'll come join you guys.." almost uncharacteristically, his gaze suddenly dropped, and the hand that was holding onto her gift also raised to fix his tie. Again. "I-- I don't look like an idiot, do I? 'm not used to wearing stuff like this.."

[oxymorayuri]

𝐶𝘩𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝟹 – 𝐴𝑡 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝐻𝑒𝑟𝑎 𝑃𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒 | 𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑔𝑎𝑟 𝐷. 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐿𝑎𝑤 ✘ ♀ 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟

𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Story: The princess of Tanata (Long Fic)

➽ Click on this link to see all chapters.

Spoiler: Talking about Impel Down and the battle between the Marine and the Whitebeard Pirates

Warnings: none

slowburn with plot

Wordcount: 5396

Text in italics emphasizes the reader’s thoughts

Have fun, kiss kiss ♡

⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

𝐶𝘩𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝟹 – 𝐴𝑡 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝐻𝑒𝑟𝑎 𝑃𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒

Shortly before the gates of Tanata you slowly realize what awaits you at home.

What will you say to Grandpa? How will he react?

Grandfather is a good man, but he isn't as friendly towards strangers as he used to be... Understandably. You clench your fists. It's been almost ten years but since you saw that symbol on the ship, all the memories come flooding back. You hold your arm and press lightly into your skin.

The gate opens slowly. The doors, just as high as the walls, shake the ground and a beautiful picture slowly emerges in front of the strangers.

A great old city in the distance, as magnificent as described in stories - stories of forgotten worlds. You all pass through the gate and guards greet you.

“I greet you, Your Holiness and Commander Zelos.” One of the guards greets and everyone bows slightly. When everyone has entered the ground of Tanata, the massive stone gate closes with a dull sound. Zelos lets his soldiers go home and follows you as an escort. Down the paved path, past the rivers and meadows, you arrive in the city after a short walk.

The guests look around in amazement. The pirates feel like they are in a fairy tale. Charming alleys and well preserved buildings covered with beautiful plants give the historic city a romantic appearance. You all hurry through the less visited streets on the outskirts of town. You move as close as possible and just as you're about to turn the corner you hear people laughing and talking. You stop abruptly and hold your hand up; those behind you also stop. A few people stumble over their own feet or the person in front of them. You don't notice it, but Law, who is right behind you, is having a hard time not falling into you because Sachi and Penguin have slammed into him. You carefully look around the edge of the wall and watch two women drawing water from a small well. You all listen to the women talk about the celebration and how they imagine themselves watching the ceremony with their crush. You're happy because everyone is always so carefree. Near the plaza you'll see a few people closing their shops, some meeting up with their loved ones, and they're all probably going to the festival. The people on the streets are dressed simply yet elegantly. “(y/n)? Why do they all look so similar when it comes to clothing?” Nami comes from behind you, with quick steps. She looks curiously at the clothes of the townspeople.

“Today is a day of remembrance in honor of Heraia.” You look into the crowd yourself from the shadows of the alleys. To you, they look the same as usual... of course, many are wearing their best jewelry and their whitest clothes, but their clothing is not that different from their everyday style. Some of them wear simple tunics and use jewelry. Others, on the other hand, prefer more ornate fabrics with gold accents and some also have elegantly embroidered capes. The women like to wear a veil or bracelets with sleeves like you are wearing. While the men, with a well built chest, like to just wear the pleated skirt with maybe a cape. But it's definitely very exciting for outsiders, you think to yourself and giggle. Your father and his friends were also dressed completely differently than your people.

“It’s nice how everyone follows tradition.” She says dreamily. “Do you have any customs or something similar for the day?” She asks you. You're happy about her interest but wince a little when she asks "Oh yeah, definitely. We’ll even have a ceremony early in the evening.” Nami’s right eyebrow goes up at your suspicious laugh. “A ceremony, yes?” she teases. You puff out and admit, “Yup, a ceremony that I’m late for.” – “Again.” Adds your uncle, who came out of nowhere. You boldly stick your tongue out at him. Dumbass.

“Commander, I believe your presence at the festival is necessary. Tell the king I'll be there in time for the speech to begin. I'll take care of the rest and heal the boy and come right away." - "Do you promise?" One of his hands on each of your shoulders "Promise." He's not entirely sure if you'll actually be on time, but that's the minor problem at the moment anyway.

You're almost at the palace. You only have to climb what feels like a thousand stairs because the royal palace is on a hill. Even from below, the columns look so huge and massive. From up there you have a breathtaking view over the city. At first you don't even notice how the group stops following you. From here everything looks so small and everyone briefly admires the timeless architecture. Eventually you realize that no one is behind you because you no longer hear the sounds of footsteps. You quickly grab Law by his clothes. “Go, go, go!” You scurry at him with a waving hand gesture. “We shouldn’t stay here so long before someone comes out of the palace!!!” You speak quietly but just loud enough to not be a whisper.

It's more than convenient for you that both the majority and Grandfather have their hands full with the upcoming ceremony... So you can take the troop of almost 30 people to the Hera Palace at your leisure. The Hera Palace is the residence of princes and princesses when they decide to not take the throne. Even if you as a princess have no interest in the throne, you don't live there. Even if you wanted to, you couldn't become Queen of Tanata. You have no right to the throne. Even though you are the Princess, you are also a Holy Priestess because of the Devil Fruit.

Besides, you just don't want to live in the Hera Palace... you'd be all alone there. Your uncle and his wife lived in the mansion but because of the tragedy they have moved back into the royal palace and are raising the next king to secure the throne. Your uncle is the commander of the army and even though the country is very safe, you have to be well prepared. Luckily, Grandpa is more than fit and is a wonderful king.

Between the royal palace and the Heras estate is the magnificent castle garden, with a long pool in the middle.

Like a secret special unit, you navigate the pirates through the castle garden. Hedges and trees give you protection (If someone were in the castle, you would be sooo seen... especially the pirates in the funny suits.) and little by little you arrive at Hera's Palace. You slam the heavy doors behind you and breathe a sigh of relief. In the reception hall, the team stands in front of you and waits for... you. You're still in your own head, leaning lightly against the door like you've had a hard day at work. Law's throat clearing brings you back.

"Ah yes, right!" You swing away from the door and walk towards the pirates.

“So! You can all feel at home, there should be enough beds available. On the ground floor there is a saloon, the large fireplace room with a bar, the kitchen and dining room. The royal family's bedrooms are on the first floor, and I allow you to use them too. The special thing about these bedrooms is that they all have their own bathroom.” You raise a finger and demand “But I have one condition. I want all women to have a royal room. The rooms on the top floor belonged to the employees and they all shared a bathroom, and I don't want to do that to the women" you wink at Nami and Robin "If I counted correctly there are only 3 women among you. There are a total of 2 double rooms and 8 single rooms, of the Royal bedroom floor. You can decide among yourselves who sleeps in the remaining rooms.” You clasp your hands together behind your back and smile at everyone around. A few crew members thank you for your hospitality and look very relieved. Then the bear comes running towards you with slight tears in his eyes and cuddles you. You startle a little but when you felt the cuddly bear's fur you couldn't help but snuggle up into him. Hyyaaaaaaa sooo soft!

"I think we should take Strawhat-ya to one of the royal rooms. He needs rest and you said you could help. We shouldn’t waste time.” He says somewhat decisively in a cool tone. You and the bear stare at him, eyes widening slightly at his voice, but he's right. You reluctantly leave the bear's embrace.

“That’s a good idea.” You nod to him and walk past him towards the stairs “Please follow me with the young gentleman. The rest are welcome to move freely.”

The pirates carrying the straw hat on the stretcher ran after you. They were followed by a few more. Among them Sanji, Robin, Zoro, Nami, which you already know. But there are also a few unknown faces, someone named Usopp, a skeleton??!! and an interestingly built man in ?panties? How obscene you think. You almost didn't see the next person because they were walking behind the big man in panties.

A little animal! It looks like a reindeer walking upright. How cute!

You're literally bursting at the cuteness… and that hat!! Like Sanji, you have heart eyes. You love cute things. With your hands clasped together, you bend down slightly towards the fur wearer.

“Well, we don’t know each other yet. A little reindeer! How cute, are you a pet?" The reindeer blushes and scratches his head in embarrassment... if you knew... he's definitely not a pet but at least you didn't think he was a Tanuki "Nooo!!! I'm not a pet... you idiot! hehe" he wiggles back and forth cutely as your eyes suddenly return to normal, staring straight down at him.

He can talk too? ?? That's it. That's it for you! You lose your temper and fall backwards. This is all TOO cute. You went knock out.

Two hands grab your arms from behind and try to support you, but you fall straight into their chest. A fairly well defined chest. You still hold one hand to your forehead while your eyes go up over your shoulder. You look straight into Law’s stormy grey eyes. When your eyes meet, you feel his grip tighten a little. You're so close that you feel his breath on your forehead, but you don't take your eyes off his and he doesn't move at all either.

Hmm, he looks a bit lanky in his sweater, but apparently he's built sturdier than he seems.

You blush at your thoughts. What are you thinking????!

Law looks at you with slight amusement and puts you back on your own two feet. His warmth leaves you and right now you're turning REALLY red.

“Eheem!” comes from the side. Your gaze goes down to the reindeer. "My name is Chopper and I'm the doctor of the Strawhat Pirates." He speaks. You lean forward slightly again and carefully hold out your hand. “Nice to meet you, Chopper!” My name is (y/n)” and you smile lovingly.

Law sees your smile and immediately notices the difference. You smile a lot, but this is definitely different. He doesn't understand why he's thinking about your smile. Generally about smiling. He stares at the two of you with a blank expression on his face.

The men carefully place the strawhat on the kingsize bed and leave the room. The people who came into the room gather around the bed with worried looks. You take a chair and place it on the bed, your arms resting on the back.

"Please explain to me what happened to him... He looks very worn out and the harder the injuries are, the more it affects me." Zoro explained to you what happened to the crew.

In front of you are all of the Strawhat Pirates; and their captain - Monkey D. Luffy - is lying in bed. Law is not one of them as he is the captain of the Heart Pirates... those funny clothed guys. Law and his comrades helped them in battle, by enabling the Strawhats to escape in their submarine. Sanji mentioned what kind of poisoning Luffy suffered when their small group tried to free his brother in a maximum security prison called Impel down. His brother was about to be executed and a fight was unavoidable. This leads to the story of the battle between the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates, as Luffy's brother was apparently a commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.

There was a lot of fighting over a long period of time and with far too few breaks to regenerate. You listen quietly to the members and form your own opinion. How tragic.

Their looks filled with sadness.

It moves you very much to see them like that. You can literally feel what they must have been through. You sit down on the chair, your gaze is on the boy. His skin is so pale and he has dark circles under his eyes that are slightly purple. His breathing is rapid and unsteady and every now and then he lets out a pained moan.

You reach for his shaking hand, holding it in both of your hands and bringing his hand to your forehead. You focus on the cold from his hand, as if he had already passed away. The way he looks, he must feel like he's dying... you're sure of that.

The room is filled with silence and no one really knows what you're about to do.

You bring his hand to your mouth and kiss the back of his hand with your full lips. Right now you see it. Everything that happened to Luffy and you go back to just before when he was still fine. It's as if you are in a room where the images of the past pass by like a flashback. Horrible images stretch through your mind. A tear leaves your eyes, but you have to concentrate. You hear Luffy's breathing soften. It's almost done.

A few look at you worriedly while Law, Sanji and Zoro watch you closely. Basically you just kiss his hand...are you helping him yet? You don't see their looks because your eyes are closed. You have to focus. You have a very bitter taste in your mouth as the events unfold before your eyes where Luffy was poisoned. You feel your blood heating up and your heartbeat getting faster. Just before you want to let go, you feel a burning sensation in your throat and it's difficult to breathe. You feel like the poison is literally flowing down your throat. The burning is unbearable. You let go of Luffy's hand and fall into the backrest, gasping for air helplessly. You didn't expect that. Chopper and Law rush over and check you out. Law places two of his fingers on your neck to feel your pulse. Your pulse is beating like crazy, but he doesn't know what's wrong with you. He has no idea what you've done. His cool fingers on your neck make you realize how warm you feel. Not just warm, rather hot. You weakly open your eyes and try to lean forward. You're not done yet, you have to go back in time a little more. As if you and Luffy had swapped, your hands are now shaking and his are completely calm. The injuries from the battle are gone, but Luffy still has old wounds and the poison is causing you problems. But you're sure you can do it, you just didn't expect this boy to have endured all of this without dying.

Your lips back on his hand, you continue. Law and Chopper right by your side, not knowing what to do or how to help you...

Without overstepping your own boundaries, you found a moment where you were sure that Luffy was in good shape. After a while, you let go of his hand and fall back. Exhausted, you look at Law, who looks amazed at the calm Luffy. Luffy looks like he's just sleeping. His eyes no longer have purple circles, his skin color is back to normal and his breathing has stabilized.

“He just needs a good night's sleep and be fit again after a few days as I have completely healed his injuries. He was very damaged and when he is awake I want to know how he survived these immense amounts of poison!!!” You look stunned.

Sanji and Zoro grin while the rest laugh. Law remains silent and seems lost in thought. His eyes are on you again, but you are too exhausted to notice. “That’s just how our captain is. He won't be able to give you a plausible explanation how he survived that." Robin laughs with her hand in front of her mouth.

"If he's actually completely healed, why does he still need rest?" Chopper asks you like a cute child “If I use my devil fruit a lot on someone, it leaves certain marks on them. The more strength I use, the more exhausted the person becomes and falls into a long sleep.” you look to the side, a little ashamed. “If only I could use my powers more specifically, but unfortunately I’m not that good yet.” A light pink color appears on your cheeks. Nami comes to you and squats down. She wanted to tell you something but the silence was broken by Law.

"Room" a dome appears over Luffy and when it completely covers the boy he spoke the words "Scan" He takes a few steps back, somewhat disturbed “His... wounds” he says confused and looks into your half-closed eyes. “His wounds are gone?” he asks, he can’t quite understand how that could be. You just kissed him... He saw that Luffy's condition had suddenly improved, but he didn't expect that. His wounds are completely gone.

According to Law's spoken words, the others are also visibly surprised.

You can understand that it's strange, but you're just happy to be of help.

Satisfied, you briefly close your eyes.

“I definitely owe you all an explanation, but I’ll get to that later.” You slowly stand up, putting your hands on your hips. "I have to change quickly and go to the festival, the ceremony cannot begin without me." You breathe out “I ask you to stay in the manor until I have spoken to the king. I have to explain it to him gently and that's why no one should discover you." A distressed groan comes from the Strawhats.

“What a shame, I would have loved to watch the ceremony. I have heard the village people talk about it. Your performance should be a real spectacle.” Robin says with a small, melancholic smile. You think about the beautiful evening ritual and the corners of your mouth turn up unnoticed. “Yes, that’s right, it’s a real spectacle…” you say dreamily;

Actually, everyone should have seen this at least once in their life and with so many people on the street it won't be noticeable, right?

You think with a hand on your chin, “Oh you know what... if you want, I can take you to the festival site. If you dress up, you shouldn't stand out in the crowd." That's the idea. A small cheer appears from a few of the Strawhats, just quiet enough that it shouldn't disturb the sleeping Luffy.

You're looking at the skeleton man and panties guy.

The two definitely stand out too much... You interrupt the cheering and point out that it would be better if the two of them stayed in Hera's palace. They both stop in the middle of their dance movement and hang their heads depressed. You somewhat regret your decision, but you know how it will end. There are a few people here with different skin colors, but a skeleton and a metal man are far too unusual to not be noticeable. The two of them stay in the palace with Chopper while the rest decide to go into the city. But first you all have to change your clothes.

Back through the garden you make your way to the royal palace. Once again along the hedges, you are just as careful as before. You carefully check every corner before giving the others a signal and they follow you. There should still be a few servants in the palace. Most of the servants could be bribed with sweets or wouldn't say anything since you're very popular with the people, but better safe than sorry! But there could still be a problem and that would be if you run into Anatol. Anatol is not just an old good friend of your grandfather; He is also the Royal Advisor and very loyal to your grandfather. Your sweet nature doesn't appeal to him in the slightest! The smartest thing to do is to sneak into the palace from outside through the kitchen. The servants usually use separate entrances in the castle and you are sure that the chef is still wandering around the kitchen because he is waiting for you. You bite your lip a little, feeling sorry for him missing a lot of the festival because of you. But at the same time you're happy, otherwise you wouldn't be able to come into the kitchen. The doors are always locked and either you have a key or someone can open the door for you from the inside.

When you get to the side entrance to the kitchen, you listen at the door. You hear him humming.

Good! He's in the kitchen! You feel relieved.

The others eye you and you hold a finger to your lips to signal them to be quiet. You knock on the door three times and take a step back.

Three knocks and he knows it's you. The door opens and Philippos the Royal Chef stands in front of you. With his stature and all the tattoos on his body, he looks more like a huge, dangerous thug than like a chef to the others. Philippos stares at you all with a kitchen knife in his hand. He probably sharpens and polishes all the knives because the knife in his hand sparkles at you. Usopp and Nami look at you a little uncertainly, but you remain silent, smiling at Philippos.

"Princess. What have you done?" His eyebrow goes up. Ussopp and Nami now look at each other in fear, while the others look at the big man. With the polishing cloth in his hand, he polishes the knife and looks over your squad. Their clothing is very unusual for residents of Tanata, he wonders who your new friends are and turns around and walks calmly back into the kitchen. You let your guests walk past you and close the door behind you.

Philippos puts his knife aside and asks you all to sit down for a moment. The big man goes to the stove and puts on a kettle. You nod to the others in confirmation and sit down at the large marble table in the kitchen, where the kitchen staff usually work. Sanji's jaw almost drops to the table, he is so fascinated by this elegant kitchen interior. He would be happy to cook here himself. You watch with amusement. Apparently he doesn't just have a thing for women. Nami, who is sitting next to you, pierces you with her questioning looks. You lean over and whisper in her ear that she will soon find out why we should sit down for a moment. The others look around in silence. The kitchen is like a small hall with round columns and high ceilings with ornaments. Lots of plants decorate the room and the large kitchen counter made of marble is a real eye catcher. Light shines through the large windows giving a warm atmosphere. The room appears so simple and dreamy. Philippos comes to the table with teacups and small sandwiches and pours everyone a cup of tea. Then he sits down, picks up his cup and looks at you expectantly.

"Well, I'm curious what kind of tea you have for me, my princess." With an amused smile, he brings his cup to his mouth and holds his little finger in the air. His attitude always makes you giggle. You don't know anyone else who loves gossip as much as he does. But Law, Sanji, Robin and Nami's faces are even better. Everyone is a little horrified by the playful mood. They would have expected a little interrogation but this is more of a tea party where people gossip. You rest your elbow on the table and put your chin in your hand. An amused grin appears on your lips. Zoro and Usopp apparently didn't even notice what Philippos said, as the two of them were more busy eating the sandwiches. You look at Law across from you and exhale somewhat heavily.

“I was in the woods when I saw something amazing.” You look intently at the chef, creating tension. "You won't believe me! but I witnessed how a huge ship literally came shooting out of the depths of the sea!!!" With your hand movements you emphasize the words to make it more dramatic. Philippos listens to you intently and sips his tea. "And knowing the princess, of course you went to where the ship in question was. Right?" - "Mhm." you agree with him.

"I'm currently hiding about 30 people in Hera's Palace." you giggle. Philippos smiles “speechless” and holds a hand in front of his mouth. “Oh my goodness! You’ve done something great again.” he says ironically. Because of the casual conversation, the other two girls blossom and join in the conversation. Nami told Philippos how you first stopped and then dissolved the huge wave. Philippos listens to her with interest, aware of what an amazing show it must have been. After all, everyone in the kingdom knows your abilities. The only one feeling a bit lost is Law. He listens to your conversation but isn't sure why he came along in the first place. Sandwiches aren't to his liking and gossip definitely isn't to his liking either, but he still can't stop listening when he hears your melodious voice.

After the nice chat, Philippos turned away from the table to cook something on the stove. The room fills with the scent of fresh herbs. You and Nami talk about clothes while happily eating sandwiches. You wanted Law to eat something too but he refused. You're a little embarrassed that you didn't ask him sooner. The others happily helped themselves to the appetizers while Law calmly drank his tea. Philippos came back to the table and gave you a large cup of herbal tea. He grabbed a small bottle of black liquid from a locked cupboard and put 3 drops in your cup. You thank him and hesitate for a moment. "Come on, Princess. You know you have to drink the tea hot." You exhale in frustration and quickly pour the liquid down your throat. The hot tea burns your throat a bit but Philippos has already put a glass of cold water in front of you. You quickly reach for the cold water. Law is visibly interested

"What was that black liquid?" - "This is a type of syrup that strengthens the body. Our herbalists prepared this liquid for the princess." Philippos places the small bottle on the table in front of Law. He examines the bottle, smells it and grimaces. "That smells very strong." - "It doesn't taste good either." you completed his statement "But before every ceremony I have to drink this tea. It has to be fresh and hot, otherwise the syrup won't develop... that's why Philippos waited for me for so long" you look at him apologetically and he waves you off, with slightly reddened cheeks. "The tea ensures that I have enough energy for the ceremony" - "interesting" Completely fascinated, Law swings the liquid in the bottle back and forth. "I thought you didn't have doctors" he looks intensely into your eyes "y-yes, that's true. I've never heard of doctors. Our healers have a broad knowledge of plants and their effects, so they are doctors for you ?" - “Not really.” he answers shortly. You look at him puzzled while he puts a drop on his finger and tries the liquid. He doesn't say anything else and leaves the conversation unexplained.

Okayyy so he keeps things exciting. You guess?

After you leave the kitchen, you all sneak down the long hallway. You quickly hurry into your room, you are really glad that no one saw you.

"Take a seat in front of the fireplace, I'll bring you clothes." You say before leaving the room again. You go into the royal dressing room and pick out some simple robes for the 6 people.

As you pack a bunch of clothes and accessories for the girls, you wonder what you'll give the men to wear. Your uncle probably won't mind if you borrow some clothes from him. You chose rather simple skirts, with subtle embroidery in gold. At the back there is a kind of longer cloth attached to the waistband of the back, which you can throw over your shoulder. This means the chest is covered a bit and provides some warmth on cool evenings.

You quickly run back to your room. The six people were patiently waiting for you in your room.

"I definitely found something suitable for everyone." You give each of the men their clothes and a pair of sandals. "I just brought a small selection for you two because I can give you my clothes without making it too noticeable." You put the mountain down and Nami's eyes sparkle. Robin looks thrilled at the beautiful fabrics and veils. Both of them thank you for your kindness.

"Okay, if anyone wants to take a shower, feel free to freshen up quickly. My personal bathroom is up there." You point to a door to your left. "We still have about an hour until the main ceremony of the festival. We should hurry up because I can't be late!"

(Your bathroom is like a hammam bath. In the middle there is a slightly larger pool in the ground but the water is not particularly deep.)

Like this:

You briefly discuss who would like to take a shower and decide that you women should go first because you need a little more time for your hair to dry. With the clothing of their choice under their arms, Nami and Robin follow you into the bathroom.

After you have finished your shower, you come out of the bathroom fully dressed. In your noble clothes, with veils on your arms and gold jewelry, you three look like goddesses. Apart from Sanji, the men seem rather uninterested and walk past you to freshen up in the bathroom. Only Sanji doesn't follow and falls to his knees in front of you with a nosebleed. His heart almost jumps out of his chest. A few incomprehensible sentences leave his lips as Zoro comes back and drags him by his collar into the bathroom.

In the meantime, you women do each other's hair and talk about Tanata's culture.

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See you next time, kiss kiss ♡

➽ Next chapter

[umbry-fic]

Epitaxy

Summary:

Cursed to be the saviour, she wonders if she must walk eternally alone.

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia

Characters: Colette Brunel

Relationships: Colette Brunel & Lloyd Irving

Rating: G

Word Count: 5584

Mirror Link: AO3

Original Post Date: 29/08/2024

Notes:

Written for the TOS 21st anniversary celebration! Happy birthday Symphonia! 🎉 (This is the furthest thing from the theme of "celebration" haha but I wanted to write my favourite character :P)

Something of a Colette character study, written to Empurple by Harumaki Gohan. There is a slight canon divergence regarding Colette's illness. More notes are in the endnotes on AO3.

~~~

The world had fallen away from her unfeeling fingertips, numbness creeping up her skin like an insidious creature, seeking to devour her whole. Her mouth tasted like ash, her heart coldly silent in her chest, so much so that it could be mistaken to have shrivelled and died. Rays of sunlight danced cheerfully across the room, but they seemed so oddly far away, their warmth unable to reach her. An unbearable pressure was building up inside of her, but when she opened her mouth to let it rush out of her, she found that it got stuck in her throat, her lips unable to utter a single sound.

Her entire body beginning to tremble, she raised her gaze to the mirror she knew hung on the other end of the inn room, already certain of the sight that would face her.

Red eyes met her gaze.

Colette shot awake, blanket clutched close to her chest as she panted, panic squeezing tight around her heart as she struggled to get air into her lungs.

She had no desire to find the same mirror that had starred in her nightmare, hanging tauntingly on the opposite wall and encroaching into the corner of her vision, reflecting her terrified form. But she had to know - and thus, keeping her gaze firmly rooted to the floor, she silently got off the bed and padded over with hesitant steps, her breaths still rattling in her chest and threatening to overwhelm her.

Heart pounding in her ears, she jerkily raised her head, bracing herself for what awaited her.

Blue. Her eyes were still blue. The same as they were when she checked every morning after waking up and every night before going to bed.

All the breath rushed out of her, and she gingerly placed a hand against her reflection. Her mirror image didn't waver at all, nor did it dissipate like a mirage crafted just to dangle false hope over her head. Her wide blue eyes didn't darken and dissolve into red - they remained the very shade she'd been born with.

Just a dream, she told herself, in an attempt to calm her rapid breathing. It was then that she noticed that the glass against her palm, which should have held the early morning’s chill, didn’t register at all against her skin. Neither did the smooth wooden panels against her bare feet. There was only the faint echo of sensation, a prickling like the cold was attempting to force its way past a nigh-impervious barrier.

Turning her hand over, she sighed, watching her Cruxis Crystal wink in the morning sunlight as she shifted away from the mirror. One of those days, then.

“Colette?” A voice blearily called out her name, a messy head of brown hair slowly finding its way out of the mess of the covers she’d made in her flight from the bed. “Is something wrong?” Lloyd asked, holding back a yawn, sleepy russet eyes blinking at her.

For a moment, she was tempted to say nothing. But…

Redirect, Zelos had sighed the last time they'd seen each other, reluctantly giving her advice as he slumped over a table, the shared weight of her secret, heavy but brittle, resting in the space between them.

“Bad dream is all,” she whispered, her shaky voice easily carrying over the silence.

It wasn’t a lie.

Just not the full truth.

“Come here,” he offered readily, his gaze flooded with so much affection that she couldn’t help but look away, guilt raking its claws over the walls of her heart. The boy she loved wore his heart on his sleeve, and he was not at all aware of the complicated web of deception she had once again spun around him as she continued to pull the wool over his eyes. Nails digging into her arm, she wanted nothing more than to confess the truth, to ease the vice grip over her heart. But as always, the words stuck in her throat, growing thorns that lodged themselves into flesh.

Even now, she couldn't live true to herself.

Still, she gladly clambered into his open arms, his familiar embrace calming her as she buried her face in his chest, grasping for the tiny fragments of warmth she could salvage. His presence was comforting - that was a single truth that would never change. Fingers ran through her hair as his lips brushed against her forehead, his gentle touch slowly soothing her, even as she was stabbed in the heart with a dozen broken shards.

As she took his hand, she prayed that one day, he might understand.

~~~

When she’d stepped out of the Seal of Fire and into the arid desert, leaving behind crumbling rocks and a smothering sense of heat that had been relentless, she didn’t realise she’d left behind something else among the endless, smouldering lava, lost forever.

Agony had held her in its clawed grip as she struggled to draw breath, what felt like burning hot metal pressed against her chest. Sleep was the furthest thing from her mind that night, and she gasped a sigh of relief at the peek of the morning sun over the dunes of sand, for with the gentle touch of sunlight left the pain, leaving her hollowed out but alive.

It was only once the sun said farewell once more, sinking below the horizon, that she was able to place a finger on what had been missing for the entire day as she walked alongside everyone else, seeing nothing at all as she retreated into her thoughts. The gradual pull of fatigue had been absent, leaving her wide awake even as darkness set in. Sleep had been a constant, if unnoticed, companion all her life, and it had simply vanished within moments, leaving her to stare at Kratos’ still back under the brilliant light of the stars as he sat guard and she feigned sleep.

Quietly, she told herself it was a good thing. It meant she would never again be plagued by nightmares of her possible failure, of all the people she would have condemned to suffer if she didn't complete this Journey. It meant she had more time at night to let her gaze rove over the friends she held dear, who she would inevitably have to let go of when she ascended the Tower. Her gaze lingered on Lloyd - the unruly flop of his fringe over his eyes that could never be tamed, the gentle rise and fall of his chest, the soft expression on his face as he slept.

Just a little more time to memorize that which was precious to her.

As the days passed, bone-deep exhaustion settled in every inch of her body, unable to be alleviated by the solace of sleep. While her eyelids didn't feel heavy, her head did, like her brain was stuffed full of cotton wool, liable to leak out of her ears. She passed the nights counting the stars, staving off thoughts about all the ways she was inadequate. Already, she was so far from the perfect image of the Chosen that existed in everyone's minds. A lost cause from the very beginning, no matter how many times the priests chastised her, for it seemed nothing could mould her into that perfect figure that everyone wished to see.

Unbidden, her thoughts turned to an old memory. Of waking her father up as a small child, no longer able to remember the bad dream that had so rudely torn her from the gentle embrace of sleep, but still shaken, tears welling in her eyes. Before everything had changed, before she’d learned to hide her emotions and draw away from those around her even as she stood right next to them, to tuck away anything that could be considered undesirable.

Suddenly blinking away tears that never came, she was glad that they had been taken from her, if only so they could not give her lie away.

With the chilly night air that made her shiver and the stars as her only company, she passed the night alone.

~~~

She’d denied it, at first, the hints of green speckled on her shoulder the more pressing issue. She'd brushed off the gradual wavering of her senses as nothing, firmly pushing it into a tiny box in her mind that didn’t need to be opened. Nights when she couldn't sleep were simply because of worry, keeping her up and unwilling to give her a break. Meals she couldn't taste must be because of anxiety. Days when the touch of her peers faded to a whisper of warmth…

As the green scales continued to spread down her arm, each inch of skin it took hostage radiating a burning pain, she kept quiet. There were more important things to be done! Like reuniting the two worlds, putting a stop to Cruxis’ machinations, and ensuring no one else had to suffer. Compared to what everyone else was going through, her own problems were minuscule.

Even after her affliction was exposed to everyone, as she shied away in shame, clutching her arm close to her side, she said nothing. She was already worrying all of them enough, making them run around the two worlds, wasting time just to find a cure for her. This would surely go away once she was cured, so there was no need to tell them.

None of them suspected a thing. The genuine joy that had bloomed in her heart when she’d first wrenched free of the prison her soul had been trapped within had been enough to convince them that the loss of her senses had been put far behind them, even as that joy withered.

After all, it had been enough to convince her as well. The soft brush of the wind against her skin, the patter of raindrops against her palms as she’d raised them to the sky, the food she had practically shovelled down during dinner, the taste enough to bring her to tears… It had been enough to convince her, for a short time, that it was over. That she could be…

It's your own fault, her voice echoed in her ears when she stared into the mirror, watching herself get consumed by scales that glinted in the light of the dawn, reminding her of the Cruxis crystal attached to her neck, no longer able to be removed, a constant reminder of the role she had played.

Surely this was punishment for her failure. For abandoning her duty, for hesitating at the final sacrifice. For even daring to think that she was allowed to be happy. An imperfect weakling, through and through.

All she could do was endure.

~~~

She frowned when she raised the fork with spaghetti wound around it to her lips. It tasted like nothing, its texture like cardboard against her tongue. Across from her, Lloyd was grimacing and eating around the chunks of tomato like his life depended on it, loudly complaining all the while and barely avoiding spitting chunks of food into Genis’ face as Genis frowned at him. The sight, and the usual consequences (namely Professor Raine smacking Lloyd on the head with a rolled-up textbook) were usually enough to elicit a smile, but now all they did was light an uncomfortable flame in her heart, licking at its walls.

So this was the next thing to be sacrificed, then.

When Lloyd ran over to her and offered her the tomatoes, as he’d been doing since they were children, she took them from him, telling him that he didn’t need to take her bell peppers anymore. Ignoring his surprised blink and the slow furrowing of his brows, she forced down the tomatoes he’d left behind on the plate, feeling each piece as they dragged painfully against her throat. Her free hand held onto his tightly, refusing to let go, clinging to his gentle warmth.

She could still remember the moment she’d first tasted bell peppers as a small child. Her grandmother had packed her lunch for a long afternoon spent entirely with the priests memorising the scriptures, having to endure their barbed tongues whenever she stumbled over a verse. She’d sat down on one of the pews, shoulders slumped in exhaustion, before sitting ramrod straight when she felt a glare settle on her. Shakingly taking one bite of her lunch, she’d promptly choked and spat out the accursed slice, unable to stand its texture against her tongue.

The priests had not been happy. To be picky over food was too petty a thing for the Chosen, they had said with those severe expressions drawn on their faces, reminding her of the leering monsters that crept in dark shadows in scary stories. Think of the people who had laboured over the fields to grow this produce, who had shed sweat under the vicious sun, while the threat of the Desians hung over their heads all the while. To refuse to eat the food that had come from those efforts would be like spitting on it, like forsaking the gratitude of the people she would save.

It was not fitting behaviour for the Chosen.

So this was a good thing, she decided on the days to come, as she accepted new meals from whoever was cooking that day, uncaring of what it contained as she forced down all that she could. There was no longer any need to be picky when everything tasted the same.

She could finally live up to those virtues that had been hammered into her skull since she was young, which had always been out of reach, no matter how much she chased after them with her hand outstretched.

Because without that, she had nothing at all.

~~~

“Couldn’t sleep?” Zelos’ casual voice broke the silence of the night as he slid smoothly onto the stool next to hers at the otherwise empty dinner table.

She swallowed, realising she hadn’t heard him coming at all, as lost in thought as she had been. Over the flickering flame of the candle that had been burning all throughout the night, valiantly keeping the shadows to the corners of the mansion, his piercing gaze rested on her, causing her fingers to tighten on the handle of her cup. A cup of coffee that she knew was hot, but was barely warm in her hands.

“You're really not going to tell anyone?” he asked, leaning forward, their respective Cruxis crystals reflecting the waning light, the tone of his voice telling her exactly what he was talking about. The tension leaked from her shoulders, and she sighed. Figures he would be the one to catch her in the act.

It might have been easy to pass him off as nothing more than a lazy, arrogant young man, but behind that facade was a highly observant person who had also worn the mantle of Chosen, who had witnessed the ugliness that hid behind the shiny veneer of the title.

“You didn't either,” she whispered. It was not an accusation, nor a judgement. Simply an observation.

Sheena had told her about the orange wings that had shone on his back in the darkness of the Tower. And that would mean he’d endured the very same process she had - slowly losing everything, and yet keeping it all under wraps, a secret cradled close to the chest. He'd done it alone, spent the sleepless nights awake without letting anything slip.

“You're right, I didn't.” The smile that sliced across his face was bitter and tired, a far cry from his usual smirk. “But you could say there were… extenuating circumstances.”

She sucked in a breath, feeling the cold of steel against her bare neck, and shoved those memories far away.

“I will tell him.” She hated how weak her voice sounded to her own ears, even though she wasn’t painting yet another lie. She wanted to tell Lloyd, with her own words, without needing to have the truth dragged out of her like a chain, link by painful link. She wanted to place her trust in him, like he’d told her to, for she knew he would never betray it. “Just….”

It was so difficult to push the words onto her tongue, to ignore the tiny voice that still whispered in the back of her mind that her suffering was hers alone to endure.

“I know.”

She stared at the steam rising from her cup, and they both lapsed into silence. A moment of commiseration between two liars who had never learned how to stop lying, who found it nearly impossible to bare their souls, fearing a retribution that would never come.

Two smiling fools, through and through.

“You don’t have to stay up with me, you know.”

“I really can’t sleep.” Zelos waved off her protest, and she smiled gratefully at him, even knowing the reason he couldn’t shut his eyes was because of the vivid images that would flash behind his eyelids when he did, haunting him even now, months after the worlds had been reunited. She had experienced the same, after all.

It was the simple matter that her heart now felt just a little lighter, the weight of her secret shared between two souls.

~~~

Stumbling out of the Balacruft Mausoleum, she heaved a sigh of relief, having once more successfully driven off the assassin that kept popping up along their Journey. She wished to know what fueled the determined spark in the assassin’s amber eyes, so that they might come to an understanding and lay down their weapons. She had no desire to shed any unnecessary blood.

“Colette!”

She turned as Lloyd’s voice reached her ears, eyes widening when she nearly lost her balance and fell. It was then that she realised he was holding her hand in his.

When… had he taken her hand? She hadn’t even noticed. Had he been holding it the entire time? How… hadn’t she…

“Your hand!” Lloyd exclaimed, worry written across his face, and she stared at the blood oozing from the cut in her palm. A wound she hadn’t even felt, would never have even realised she’d sustained if he hadn’t pointed it out.

Red leaked and leaked over her skin, and she found herself suppressing trembles as she was unable to tear her gaze away, even as he fussed over her. The dying embers of her soul scattered to the wind, pouring out of her from a crack that could not be sealed as she remained frozen in her own tiny world, an incessant buzzing in her ears. She had long since stopped resembling anything close to human - she was no longer even the girl who had walked out of Iselia, knowing she would never return.

Even as Lloyd refused to let go of her hand, she found that she could no longer feel his touch. Not the roughness of the calluses she had memorised long ago, not his fingers running soothingly over her knuckles, not his warmth which had never failed to make her feel safe. It had been locked away from her forever, and she could only struggle to remember the ghostly remnants of it, nothing but cold emptiness against her skin.

This was fine, she whispered to herself that night. It meant she could no longer feel pain from all the tiny scrapes and bruises she accrued from her various trips and falls. She would no longer have to bite her lip to stop herself from crying out in pain, rapidly wiping away tears with her arm so no one would see. It was…

Curling into a tiny ball, she screwed her eyes shut, all the lies she had told nipping relentlessly at her heels.

~~~

It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried telling him. There were so many instances when she had tried, when she had opened her mouth only to stumble at the finish line. When she’d taken a bite of the lunch they’d prepared together while camping in the forest and found it bland against her tongue. When he’d rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stretched his back while she sat calmly, having counted the stars all night. When she’d tripped and he’d caught her, the two of them nearly toppling over, his arms securely wrapped around her waist, his warmth failing to reach her.

She had tried, and tried, and tried, in a way she never had before. To clumsily get the words out, to explain that the Angel with eyes the colour of blood had never left, looming behind her at all moments with a cold hand on her shoulder, grip so tight it hurt.

But he always seemed so happy.

So light, the weight that he’d carried with him for the final leg of their journey having been lifted, scattering into tiny motes of stardust. His smiles were bright as he explored this newly reunited world, awe and wonder clear on his face as he helped as many people as he could, all while collecting Exspheres at a steady pace, moving ever onward towards his goal.

(There were, of course, still nights when he awoke gasping, eyes wide and seeing something else entirely, his hands twitching for his swords. She would hold his hand on those nights and hum softly under her breath, running her fingers through his hair until he relaxed.)

And, every time, she would close her mouth, swallowing the words.

She didn’t want to weigh him down. To hold him back in any way. To shatter that joy with something as trivial as what she was facing. After all, it was nowhere near as bad as it was before!

On most days, she could enjoy the warmth of his embrace. On most days, she could fall into the thoughtless escape of sleep, letting all of her anxieties dissipate. On most days, she could taste the sweetness of fruits, coming to rest on her tongue. On most days -

Whenever her thoughts raced in this direction, she would forcefully bring it to a stop, letting her excuses run right into a brick wall. She could at least admit to herself that it wasn’t alright, not at all. That she was once more drowning as she painstakingly maintained the perfect facade, waiting and waiting for the day the forming cracks got too wide. Terror that she was doomed to slip back into that prison roiled within her - a wild, vicious beast, clawing away endlessly at her insides. Old guilt over her perceived failure as Chosen still refused to die, hissing in a discordant chorus that this was already a merciful punishment - she deserved so much worse.

Holding close the memory of a little girl who had so easily opened her heart, she would sit silent, reminding herself not to lie to her own self anymore. At the very least, she could do that much.

~~~

Lloyd had dug and dug, refusing to give up, until he had finally dragged the truth from her. The ugly, bleeding truth, once more leaving her hollow, her heart having been scooped out of her chest long ago. But somehow, he hadn’t glared at her in disgust, even knowing now what she’d become, knowing that something had broken permanently inside of her. He had only pulled her closer, and she had -

Her throat had burned, and she’d wanted so badly to cry, for reasons she couldn’t understand. But she could admit that it was nice, for someone else to know. For there to be someone helping to cover for her, so that she didn’t need to pretend so much to be sleeping, or eating. For a few moments, she could release the mask and let it drop to the dirt, and simply be. Now there was someone who really knew, who could pull her back when her mind drifted away into that endless void. She was so exhausted, whole minutes slipping between her fingers sometimes when she couldn’t recall what she’d just been doing.

The fourth seal stole her voice, and swaying unsteadily outside the Tower of Mana, she barely restrained herself from scratching at the pale skin of her neck, hoping that it would somehow free what had been taken from her. With her voice permanently dead in her throat, there was no longer any hiding her condition from the rest of her companions. The veil had been ripped to shreds, leaving her vulnerable.

There was no rejection to be found there either. Only compassion and even anger, all for her sake, so passionate and warm as it washed over her, patching the cracks in her soul. It was a kindness she didn’t deserve nor understand, but she craved it nonetheless, cherishing it as she counted down the days till which she would have to climb the endless stairway to Heaven.

Still, she concealed the final piece of the puzzle, knowing she had to keep it hidden at all costs. That was a truth that no one else could know - it was a truth that she could no longer even reveal, no longer having the words to do so, even if the temptation was there.

Slipping from her inn room in Hima after speaking a farewell for each of her friends in her thoughts, she gave the stars that had kept her company for the past months a final glance, before taking the first step towards the Tower that loomed in the distance.

~~~

She giggled when the little puppy licked her hand, its rough tongue leaving a trail of sticky saliva behind. Not at all minding the mess, she petted its head with her clean hand, ruffling its brown fur as its tail rapidly wagged. Next to her on the bench, Lloyd grinned and leaned back against steady wood, content to watch her as the gentle breeze caressed their skin.

“Bye, puppy!” She waved farewell to the dog as it padded away. It was so cute! The ways its ears flopped, its soft fur… There hadn’t been time to come up with a name for it yet, but if she and Lloyd came across the same dog tomorrow, she would certainly do so!

Turning her head to once more squeal over the puppy to Lloyd, she met his warm gaze, and… And all of a sudden, she found that she didn’t want to lie anymore. She didn’t want it hanging over her head constantly, creeping into her thoughts during peaceful moments like this one, casting a cloud over her cheerfulness as she suddenly found it impossible to breathe.

“Lloyd? I… I have something I need to tell you,” she whispered, taking his hand, watching his expression go from curious to worried, likely finding this situation very familiar. Even as she sat silent, slowly mulling over the words she was attempting to string together, he didn’t say a word, occasionally squeezing her hand to remind her that he was right there beside her, ready to listen.

The unrelenting fear from before was still there, rearing its ugly head and beginning its final vicious struggle. Fear that something terrible would happen, that this was still her fault, really, that she should just shut her mouth and endure like she’d always had. But it was easier to pin the emotion down, to take a deep breath and step past it, for she could vividly picture Lloyd’s reaction - he would call her an idiot for keeping any of this from him, and then he would do his very best to help her. Because he loved her, even if it had taken a while for that to sink in and become fact in her mind.

Perhaps he would be angry that she’d kept this from him for so long, lied and concealed as if her life had depended on it when she’d promised she wouldn’t do it again. But she could deal with what came after. Once she was finally free, once she had eased the burden she’d carried, once she knew, with full certainty, that she would never need to let go of that which was precious to her.

She wanted to be the one to speak the truth this time, instead of having to hiss it through gritted teeth. To finally break the cycle.

So she pushed past the lump in her throat, letting the first word fall from her lips. Clumsy, messy, unrefined. But it was a start.

The rest would follow.

~~~

With her heart locked in chains, all she could do was curl into a tiny ball, no longer bothering to suppress the tremors that wracked her entire body.

She had all the time in the world to think, watching through red eyes as her body moved without her input. The world seemed so far away, muted and quiet, and so she pulled further away in the opposite direction, inch by inch, something shuttering in her heart. All that swirled in her mind were not the memories she had wished to cherish before she had set out for what she had known to be her final journey, but rather the events of the last few months.

Everything that she had lost, her entire self gradually, excruciatingly being carved out of her, for this. She had thought what awaited her was death, but surely this was worse. Unable to die, all of her thoughts stuck in a never-ending loop in her head as she slowly faded away, endlessly facing her failures, reflected in the floor of the Tower of Salvation, and carrying the legacy of a dozen other girls, staring at her with dead eyes and wings that had lost their light long ago.

What appeared in her mind was the young girl who had been so open with her feelings, who had freely sought the company and comfort of others, who hadn’t hesitated to speak the truth. That girl was long dead - she had personally sunk the knife into her heart and scattered the tiny pieces into the night, murdering her old self in pursuit of the perfect Chosen who she could never find.

Yet she was all she could think of now.

She’d been such a fool. Who had she really been lying to all this time?

~~~

She couldn’t breathe, the air freezing in her lungs as blood congealed in her throat. Her wings, usually weightless, now felt like they were pulling her to the monochrome earth. An Angel, chained to the ground, unable to fly -

Someone shook her awake, her breaths coming rapidly, one after another, tumbling into each other until they all got tangled together. She couldn’t see much through her blurry vision, just a smudge of vibrant colours that was a stark contrast to the images that had flown through her mind just moments before. A hand gently brushed the tears from her cheeks as a voice calmly talked, all while she simply breathed, returning to a steady rhythm instead of the stuttering mess it’d been before.

“It was just a dream,” Lloyd whispered into her hair as she opened her eyes once more, his arms lowering to wrap around her - an impregnable wall that would always protect her. “You’re alright now.”

Taking a few more deep breaths, she leaned into his touch, resting her cheek against his shoulder. Warm, though it was a little muted.

“How is it today?” he asked, because he always did nowadays whenever she awoke violently from a nightmare. It was a routine they’d both become used to. Her sense of touch was the most volatile, and it tended to fluctuate with her mood. It was useful for him to know if it had gotten particularly bad, so he could keep a watchful eye for the things she tended to miss whenever it dipped below a certain threshold - the small scrapes she sometimes accrued from innocuous activities, or the larger injuries that she might not realise she’d sustained from when they stumbled into an unavoidable battle.

The tender manner with which he tended to her wounds - carefully bandaging a deep cut, or applying ointment to a small scrape - always made her heart clench in her chest as gratitude welled in her heart. He never begrudged her for wasting time, never complained, even when she was the one to bring up how it was an inconvenience. Only bumped her shoulder with his, telling her with great conviction that he really didn’t mind.

On the worst days, when all her senses went haywire and everything was too loud, each little sound blaring in her ears like a siren, he would sit with her and keep her company, gently refusing her insistence that she was fine to move on. And on the best days, he would initiate contact as much as possible - the curling of warm fingers against her own, the brush of soft lips against her forehead, the safety of an arm around her bare shoulders - giving her more to remember on days when she felt endlessly cold.

“A seven?” she replied, pressing her hand against his to gauge if the number was accurate. “I don’t think it’ll get any worse.”

Nodding, he opened his mouth to say something more - only to let out a massive yawn that made her giggle. “We… can rest for a little while longer.”

Still giggling, she snuggled closer to him, amused to find that he had fallen asleep mere moments after those words had left his mouth. Letting her eyelids flutter shut, she pressed her ear to his chest. Wrapped in a gentle embrace, she drifted off to the steady sound of his heartbeat.

In this moment, she was loved.

[shini--chan]

R, U and Z from the yandere alphabet for finland please?

Yandere Finland - Ophanim

Ra - Would they stalk you? How closely would you be watched while under their care?

Yes, like a ghost more or less. The thing is, he wants you to know that you are being watched. Timo wants you to become jittery and scared, that you feel his eyes following you. Should you not notice him so fast, then he'll help you along a bit. Furniture will be moved around the place you live and things will go missing only to reappear a few days later. Food would be taken out of your fridge and the bed you made in the morning would be rumpled. 

Terrorising you wouldn't be the primary goal in mind here, even though he is a hunter at heart, so don't worry. All of this would be to get to know you better. People only show their true colours in high stress situations, and this would just be one of many ways of cracking all your barriers open. Also, you would be seeking comfort because of the nerve wrecking experience, and he'd be happy to sooth your worries. If he'd go far enough, maybe you'll feel more comfortable in his living space than your own and end up moving to his place. Aside from that, there would be a novelty in the experience of visiting your home both officially and unofficially. 

When you are permanently with him, then matters would be very different. Home is where the heart lies and he wants your heart to lie with him - so, he'll try to make you as comfortable as possible. Though, he'd still watch you closely, and play it off as being besotten. Reflections would be commonly used to watch you discreetly and he'll set up a lot of motion-triggered cameras in the garden. The excuse would be that he likes to watch wild life. 

Ullr - How would they deal with competition? How do they deal with threats in general?

He'd first check how deep their commitment to you goes - asking subtly or not so subtly how they feel about you. Maybe he'll spirit you away for a week or two, a short holiday, and then inquire again. Limerence is intense, but once contact is broken it doesn't last long, so there is the hope a separation will solve the problem. 

If not, then maybe he just has to demonstrate that you are his. A hand on your waist, his jacket on your shoulders, the two of you going arm in arm down the street - all ways of showing you are his. Timo could even arrange for the competition to stumble upon him showing affection to you, be it simple teasing, giving flowers or outright kissing. 

Should all that not work, then he'll encourage you to break that poor fool's heart. If you are so important to them, then surely they will listen to your work. Of course, accidents can always happen, and people go missing constantly. If a bear or a pack of wolves comes to like the taste of that waste of space, then he is not to blame. 

Zelos - How does their jealousy look like?

Timo can be very direct when it comes to his feelings, and would be fast to confront you when it comes to his jealousy. Due to being aware that his feelings for you are very "intense" and him being territorial by nature, he'll want to make sure that no misunderstandings are afoot before acting on his jealousy. 

Though, displays of his jealousy would start small, like keeping you closer in public and doing what he can to absorb most of your attention. Should the green-eyed monster grow bigger and stronger, then he would start getting passive aggressive. This would worsen the longer he is left to stew in his negative feelings. 

It could culminate in him issuing a test of loyalty. Should you pass, then all is well, for the time being. If not, then maybe you need some time alone to reconsider your choices. 

[viric-dreams]

Right, some more coherently-articulated Elias/Nicholas thoughts.

Not all that many people actually know his first name. To his face, he's Lieutenant Roberts, and occasionally simply Lieutenant to the few with whom he's on friendlier terms. The Commodore* is the only person who calls him Elias (something that hasn't changed since he'd joined on as a cabin boy pre-Fall). Anyone who overhears this would not dare try to do the same. And absolutely no one in his life now knows his birth name. He barely remembers it himself it's been so long since he's thought about that part of his life. *The Commodore's insisted that Elias call him Guy, but he absolutely refuses. It feels fundamentally wrong to him. The Commodore shrugged it off decades ago.

Behind his back, he's disparagingly called The Commodore's Shadow. This is significantly more insulting to a Sequencer than it would be to an ordinary Londoner's ears. It would take a certain degree of bravery to call him that, however, even out of earshot, because the last time Elias got wind of the nickname... it did not end well for the man in question.

Mr Nite is not so fussed about formality and would be amenable to switching to first names, primarily because it means that he's finally cultivated a relationship close enough to someone to reach that level of familiarity.

Even before the Dawn Machine, Elias had a very intense personality. When he's settled on a goal he has an almost single-minded drive to achieve it, and is perfectly willing to break as many eggs as he needs in the process. Even if he's being friendly and polite with you, that general intensity still lurks somewhere beneath the surface, and many find him unsettling as a result.

When sociability fails (and it often does), Elias will turn to force. Whereas it initially started as a defense mechanism, it now serves him rather well in getting his way. His dreaded reputation precedes him on Grand Geode, doing a lot of the work for him, thus he's happy to fall back on it as the path of least resistance.

As a result he hasn't really had any friends throughout his life. In the early days establishing Zelo's Town he'd befriended a fellow seaman. Before their relationship had much time to get off the ground, however, the seaman was killed in a scouting expedition. Several other potential friendships had petered out in their early stages when it became clear to them how important to Elias climbing up the ranks is and that when push comes to shove what he's willing to do to get there. Although he's not self-aware enough to notice it, he now has a tendency to sabotage his interpersonal relationships before they can get to the stage where someone he's emotionally invested in rejects him. He tells himself he's fine with it. People don't need to like him, they just need to respect him.

He's not any sort of exceptional leader, but very much competent and efficient. When the Commodore gives an order, he will find a way to see it carried out. He does have a good sense for when something is out of his wheelhouse, and will not hesitate to outsource to the appropriate subordinate.

Nicholas is not a separate personality or anything in that vein. He's fundamentally the same man, just with a lot of the context missing. He does not remember Elias' formative experiences of being othered and the complete rejection of himself in the name of assimilation and belonging, and having only experienced the Neath, a significantly more open place, he does not know what a lot of that shame feels like. That said, had the first person to find him outside of Benthic College been a Sequencer, he could've very well been almost the same Elias all over again.

Even though the Neath is a relatively diverse place, the fact that Elias' formative years were grounded in becoming the Empire's model subject has left its marks deep within him. He'd worked hard to pull out all traces of foreignness from his English, and has very little tolerance for anyone unable (or as he sees it, simply unwilling) to do the same. To him, at best they're too foolish to make life easier for themselves, and at worst too obstinate.

Spending his teenage and young adult years in a homosocial environment**, had made him slow to the uptake that his interest in men was unusual. The eventual realisation, and the fact that this interest extended into the romantic, however, horrified him. But much like his origins, he shoved this peculiarity to the back of his mind, so that he could continue to present as the poster child of the Imperial Ideal. Occasional cruising does not count in his mind. That's completely different. Everyone does that on occasion when they're lonely. That entirely doesn't count. **the Navy of 1899 is a good deal more diverse than when he'd first joined, but change was gradual.

Due to all of these factors, Nicholas is on something of reverse journey of self-discovery, albeit in a far more accepting environment. This isn't to say that the Navy hasn't also adapted to a degree with the time and location, but as far as Elias' sense of norms and acceptability is concerned the damage has already been done.

Lacking Elias' memories of difference being something worthy of punishment, Nicholas is far more likely to seek attention or affirmation for his accomplishments. He approaches goals with that same intensity, but will not shy away from a bit of flair if it gets him noticed and his efforts appreciated.

[konfizry]

about last reblog. like. its funny bc i was just thinking the other day about how ToS kinda rewards you for killing zelos. (for someone like me who has anime dad brain rot anyway)

and like. listen. not to Back In My Day about it but we just accepted it. like, you want your kratos treat, ok fine it'll cost you one whole zelos. thats how we rolled back then. no one complained (ok no i think everyone complained actually)

and like, im just like. you know like i went kratos 90% of the time probably and like. every time the time came to kill zelos i would invariably like. fast forward through it like "let's just not acknowledge that, guys i think it really ruins the mood and i want this to be a good vibes type of experience thanks" . and ngl i think the game kinda forgets about zelos pretty quickly??? i might be remembering this wrong ertjkngrertyh it's so weird. i mean you know when someone dies, things are bound to become. kinda awkward? so like. not judging anyone so yea anyway we kill this mildly infuriating guy

and for what?

to more or less trade him for this other dude whom im pretty sure no one but colette can stand. like legit. WHO'S HAPPY ABOUT THIS??? (aside from me i mean). this guy ruined everyone's lives?????? things just keep getting more and more awkward around the breakfast table but i dont care we're all going on a trip to altamira together so we can pick up swimsuits ok have fun everyone except no one has fun because zelos died last week and kratos is standing right in the middle of the beach staring into nothingness still gripping his sword and no one dares talk to him.

what im saying is. i always got the impression that the game probably disapproved of my choice. im sure the characters hate me for this.

[jonphaedrus]

How are the cats?

they're doing great! honestly i was kind of worried about how theyd handle moving all the time, but they've been managing and adjusting pretty well. at our new place we're in an attic unit so all our windows open up out of the roof and there's no sills, except for one in the bedroom, which is a Hot Commodity. sometimes all three of them will get on it simultaneously if there's something really super interesting outside. we also set up a chair in the kitchen so they can see out of that one better instead of climbing onto the fridge to see out. which leo keeps doing. because he is an asshole.

our current unit also has a really large l-couch that all three cats can fit on so long as there's only one or two humans on it, and they keep stealing most of it throughout the day and having big cuddle parties, so we've received the message loud and clear that we need to get a much larger couch when we find a permanent place.

now these two have their daily gay cuddle sleep time on the couch, which is very cute, but takes the entire couch up. larsa loves couches with arms, too, so he's very happy this one has arms so he can slide his fuzzy little butt in between the arm and whoever is sitting nearest.

they've been very cuddly with me as i've been recovering from really intense exhaustion from last week. leo's actually on me right now as im writing this being exceedingly cute. zelos helped us play tales of symphonia (he was much less helpful than zelos wilder [video game]).

as for how the duck is doing youd have to ask @ladzwriting but last night they sent us a photo of her t-posing and she keeps getting angry about her favorite person going to the bathroom with the door closed, so i think she's beyond over the moon happy

[darkenforcer]

2 FROM EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE PLEASE

QUESTIONS FOR THE MUN || accepting !

What caused you to start writing? What was your key point?

reading and writing have always been hobbies of mine, so when i learned i could write as the fictional characters i love? with other people!? i was so down!

i don't remember what keyed me in on it, though? i used to play pretend (it was just LARPing, lbr) on the playground until i was around 11, so maybe it kinda clicked in my mind that writing was the natural next step? no clue.

Do you tell your friends / family that you write?

KINDA... i tell people i write with a community online and create "collaborative stories," but i never refer to it as rp or go in-depth unless i know that person's also done it before / is in similar fandom spaces.

Are you happy with how your favorite canon muse was portrayed in canon?

sure, i don't have any major complaints about his writing! it's consistent and fun to compare how differences in the localization shift the tone of certain character/rship-building scenes, while still managing to keep the spirit of his character intact. my only "issue" is that they could've put more time into expanding his character arc in the third act (but the same can be said for every character... a fumble all around tbh).

Have you ever written a canon muse that you first thought of ‘meh’ when they appeared in their canon show/movie/book?

NOPE! can't do it. if i'm not weird about that fictional character from the start, it's very unlikely i'll ever put the effort into forcing myself to write them. i need that click! that spark!

How do you create an OC? What are your steps for developing an OC?

i haven't developed an oc in yearssss so i'm the last person anyone should be asking. uh... (1) be a preteen, (2) develop an insane normal fictional crush, and (3) make an oc to ship them with. bam.

Who was your first OC?

i made my first in-depth oc when i was a wee 9 year old... she started out as a self-insert sonic oc that i obviously had to ship with sonic and shadow bc, duh. i also forced my cousins to make ocs so we could roleplay together lol.

i had more before that one but they were basically just vague roles i slipped into when playing pretend with my friends.

Is there any fandom you regret exploring?

can i say all of them njgnjg i think every fandom out there has its subset of annoying fans who'll make you reconsider ever interacting with anyone you haven't personally vetted lol, even if briefly. for example -- just bc of its infamy -- i never interact with sonic fans outside my circle; i've seen way too many pointless debates and shitty opinions to risk venturing out there again...

In what fandom did you start?

i am SO glad sonic was the first because the ones after it are infinitely more embarrassing.

What are your favorite ships on here (feel free to tag?)

OOO good question!!! i'll start by saying i've been rooting for break/zhilan since day 1 -- love those goobers!! other than that, i enjoy seeing any ship get together on here, like lloyd/zelos, vash/wolfwood (both iterations), nicolette/wang yi... if you're shipping with someone just now i'm hooting 'n hollering whenever they interact.

Have you ever developed a ship based on writing with a certain other character / mun?

nope, not yet! it's not that i'm against developing ships after noticing chemistry betwen muses -- far from it! -- it's just never gotten to the point where i wrote one.

What’s something you find weird on here?

i can't think of anything in particular, so... tumblr's commitment to making their layout as annoying as unoriginal and bloated as possible.

What people make you happy when you see them on the dash?

commence the taggening... you (duh), @kleinstar, @moraypower, @hollowfaith, @cladinivcry, @ultimatelifefcrm, @innerbeast, @nicawlette, @twohundredpower, @spiderstaff, @lalaluuz, ... i can't keep tagging people i'll go on forever...

[the-skyhunter]

Four months ago I lost my cat Zelos (not pictured here) who was my treasured companion for 18 years. I was overcome with grief and loss and it was imperative that I got a new cat after her death.

I'm still grieving for Zelos, but three months ago I adopted this little trash monster, Cassidy.

I didn't know when I adopted him but he was very sick. He had an obvious injury at the time of adoption and he needed a lot of care, but he's healthy and doing well now!

Cassidy has needed a lot of help learning how to be a cat. It seems likely that he was abandoned as a kitten for whatever reason as he had absolutely no idea how to care for himself despite being a year old or so.

Every day he is learning more about the world. He has doubled in size. I think he's starting to feel comfortable and happy.

[everythingbap]

🎂 Happy 28th birthday, Zelo!

I hope you have a wonderful day and enjoy your time off! You've grown so much since your debut and BABYz are truly so proud of you. Can't wait to see you again next summer💚

#HBD_LetsZELObrate #가장_빛나는별_최준홍_생일축하해

[darkhymns-fic]

Their Gifts

Presea, the girl left behind by time, is finally getting older. So, naturally, she needs an outfit change. Her friends help her along the way.

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters: Presea Combatir, Regal Bryant, Lloyd Irving, Colette Brunel, Raine Sage, Genis Sage, Sheena Fujibayashi, Zelos Wilder Rating: G Word Count: 5174 Mirror: AO3 Notes: A gift for @slammingsuns for a Symphonia secret santa! Presea always needs more fics.

--

Her shoes no longer fit her.

Presea tilted her head at the realization. She was sitting on the foot of her bed, pulling on the leather before she felt the resistance. The sunlight streamed through her window, bringing a warmth to her skin to offset the morning chill. She struggled for another moment or two before she finally relented, dropping her hands onto the sheets while letting the boot fall to the wooden floor.

So. She would need new shoes.

But perhaps that wasn’t the only thing.

Presea had noted other things too—her dress continually had rips in them, and even with the amount of sewing and stitching, it was soon becoming clear that her clothes were getting too small. She had tried to deny it, remembering her dress being a gift from her father. Still, a quick look at a nearby mirror, just a small one fitted onto the wall, showed that there were differences now. She had grown an inch within the past year, or perhaps more. The twintails for her hair now reached just past her shoulders, and even something in her face looked quite different.

She was getting older, and so, her body was finally changing. It was finally aging.

Presea had to sit there silently, soaking in the revelation along with the morning sunshine.

--

Regal turned to her, his expression curious. “New clothes?”

He visited Ozette often, his funding efforts helping move along the reconstruction of the village. And as always, he visited Presea, who aided in such efforts.

She passed him his cup of black tea across the dining table. It was a comfortable routine whenever he came by, one that she could honestly say she looked forward to. Even as Ozette was slowly being rebuilt, she rarely had any other visitors.

“It would be suitable, wouldn’t it?” she reasoned, taking her seat opposite his. “Especially since I have worn these same clothes for much longer than intended.”

“True. I suppose the only new things you purchased on our previous travels were weapons and armor.” He held the cup gingerly by its handle, watching the tea leaves on the bottom shift with the motion. “I think even Genis got himself some new shoes.”

“He complained that they were too loose,” Presea recalled with a smile. Then paused. “I believe Colette gave me a ribbon once…but it was lost during a battle.”

She tried to recall its appearance, what color it was, if it had any unique designs on it. But, the memory was hazy, perhaps because she was still regaining her sense of self back then—her humanity. It had been hard to appreciate those small things just yet.

Unconsciously, she reached to tap against the Key Crest she wore, surrounding her Exsphere. For over a decade, this gem had kept her body in stasis, had stripped away her memories until all she could do was follow simple commands, could only see things in black and white. And then, one day, suddenly it was like everything had bloomed into color.

Even so, it had been a steady process; of unlearning her emotionless manner of speech, of only assessing things for their use, not for their pleasure. Years of staying in one place had stagnated her growth in so many ways. Even now, she still lacked in many ways.

But she was growing. This was an indisputable fact.

“If it’s new clothes you need, I would always be more than happy to help.” Regal’s voice brought her out of her musings. He had changed too from when she first met him. His hair was carefully arranged in a loose knot, and he wore a clean-pressed suit instead of the prison rags he once had—and, of course, the shackles were now gone. Still, she saw echoes of his own stagnation, imprisoned for as long as she was trapped in her very own self.

“Though, admittedly, I have never been very apt when it comes to fashion,” he added with a small cough. “Perhaps that would be more of Zelos’ forte, if you would like to ask him.”

Presea silently thought on his words for a bit. She then took a sip from the tea she poured for herself, the warmth making its way through her limbs. A few years back, she wouldn’t have felt this. She wouldn’t have even comprehended the sensation of it, the desire to drink pleasant warm tea with a friend, in the comfort her own home.

“Alicia had always been the one to know more about clothing and accessories. Are you saying she didn’t rub off on you?”

At that, Regal paused, the fluttering of a bird near the window heard as it flew towards a nearby tree. Then, he chuckled, his eyes far off, recalling. “Unfortunately not, though she tried many times to teach me color coordination.”

Once, mentioning her sister would have brought her waves of pain and guilt—the first feelings she had felt when she finally woke from her prison. But, maybe this meant time was finally moving for her. Saying Alicia’s name now brought warm and pleasant memories, of her father coming into the house long after dark, of Alicia setting up pillows on the floor for her and Presea to play dolls on, of the stove crackling with fire, for the nights, alive with the sounds of birds and insects, would still be chill.

For Regal, it seemed to do the same, with pleasant memories of Alicia of his own. Time moved for him as well as for her.

--

“You want to take fashion advice from Zelos?” Sheena grimaced, then shook her head. “I wouldn’t risk it. Before you know it, he’ll try to dress you up to be like the rest of his weird fan club.”

Mizuho was a village that Presea visited often, it’s closeness to Ozette a welcome retreat, and Sheena always eager to host. They walked together by the small stream that cut through the village during the early evening, hearing the occasional clack of the deer scarer that echoed in the air.

“It might still be worth a try.” Presea watched her steps carefully as she walked. She’d had to grab another pair of shoes for herself—a leftover that was her father’s old work boots, leaving her the result of somewhat loose-fitting shoes that plodded a bit as she walked. “I can’t continue to keep wearing the same thing.”

“I suppose so… I wish I could help you out, but we only have Mizuho-styles clothing here. Which would be perfect if you’re planning on living here.”

There was a certain pride in Sheena’s voice as she said so, one that hadn’t been as plainly obvious before. Once before, Sheena would walk through this village with her eyes lowered, enduring whispers that even Presea, in her muted state, had noticed and overheard. But time had moved on, and Sheena held an air of confidence, and grace, and gentle happiness as she walked through this village that she vowed to protect.

Presea smiled at the sight of it, as well as her kind offer. “It would be an interesting change of style, at the very least.” Her eyes traveled to homes nearby, to those within with pins in their hair, or an occasional charm wrapped to their wrist. She couldn’t help but also sneak a glance at the purple ribbon that was still tailored to Sheena’s gi, even in her new role as Chief. Small things that brought out a person’s inner feelings. Perhaps she could carve a charm for herself to wear, but would it be suitable enough for someone who was growing?

She felt something press into the palm of her hand, and looked down. A brightly-colored bracelet made of threads, the ends of it forming a ribbon-shape. “Sheena?”

“I know this isn’t exactly a new outfit but, maybe a small accessory to help out?” Sheena laughed with a flush in her cheeks. “This is popular with a lot of the young women here. Supposed to bring you a fair amount of luck. Heck, maybe it’ll help you deal with that blockhead later.”

Presea quietly slipped it on over her wrist, gazing at the alternating colors of red and violet, with the occasional gold-colored stitching. It fit her well, not too tightly, but not loose enough to slip off her hand.

“…And you know, I heard Raine and Genis are heading to Altamira pretty soon.” Sheena tried to say it as nonchalantly as she could, but the red hadn’t left her face. It even matched the bracelet that she was wearing herself, half-hidden within the sleeves of her outfit. “You’re heading there next soon, right? Maybe they can help out.”

--

Before she met both Raine and Genis in the lobby of the Altamira hotel, she wondered then just how Genis must have grown. It seemed that for elves, and even half-elves, time moved slower for them than most.

But Genis seemed to have the same question in mind, his eyes scanning the top of Presea’s when she arrived. “Hey! You’re taller than me now!”

“Only by half an inch,” Raine helpfully supplied with a half-smile next to him. There was a very subtle difference in Raine, a bit surer in her posture, the ends of her hair curving to frame her face. Genis himself had almost reached her shoulder, his hair now longer, catching the rays of the sun with a silver sheen. In fact, it was tied back, similar to Regal’s own hair, though with a little less finesse.

It took a while for her to say anything—following to their room on the top floor, the suite given to them by Regal and his generosity, despite how much Raine had tried to decline. Even as Genis spoke about his and Raine’s travels, Presea couldn’t help but keep noticing something about him.

Eventually, Genis noticed. “Do I…got something on my face for you to keep looking at me like that?”

Room service had brought up a lunch platter for the three, and perhaps Presea may have paused in her eating for a full minute to stare, her food already getting cold.

“Your hair,” she said softly. “It looks different on you. But very nice, too.”

Genis blinked, a slow and creeping red rising to his cheeks. “Th…thanks! Your…hair looks good too.”

She tilted her head. “But I didn’t change anything about it.” Then idly pulled at one of her twintails, the hair feeling a bit heavier than it used to. “I still look the same.”

“Not that much! Um… did you want to change it? M-maybe…maybe you need a new style too!”

Presea blinked. “What do you mean?”

Genis’ face was bright red, which was something that hadn’t changed much, she realized. She was so used to that expression on him, complete with some stutters, even though he was older now. Genis tried to clear his throat, and then patted down his hair as if it had just caught on fire.

“You know, f-for your hair! You should let it down! Or…maybe a ponytail…like me…”

She considered, but it did intrigue her. How long had she fitted her hair this way?

“You think I would look good with my hair down, Genis?”

A furious nodding, followed by an ecstatic, “A-absolutely!”

She placed a finger on her chin. “Loose hair might get caught onto branches and such, but a ponytail would be safer.”

“I-I mean… you can always let your hair down when you’re not cutting down trees, too.”

Still, she was grateful for the idea, and even more so when Raine offered to help her find her style.

“I’ve had to fix up Genis’ hair quite a bit myself.” She carefully untied the hidden ribbons that held up Presea’s hair, running her fingers through the strands, untangling any stray knots with ease. “So, a ponytail? Or maybe something a little more?”

Presea thought on it, her hands placed on her knees. “Like… a braid?” she asked.

“Oh!” Genis stood up excitedly. “A braid would look amazing!”

Raine was a little less high energy, but Presea heard the softness in her tone. “That sounds lovely.”

And it was quite relaxing, to just sit in the suite room with Raine gently fixing up her hair, arranging the pleats with small explanations to Presea so that she could do it herself later on. The weight on her head seemed to shift, and she could feel better the sea breeze on her neck that blew in from the open balcony.

It didn’t take long, for in the end it was just a simple change. But when Presea turned to look at Genis, he seemed speechless before he finally had the idea to hand her a small hand mirror. “C-Check it out! Even Raine can’t mess this up.”

Presea didn’t really hear the two siblings playfully bicker with the other at the comment, but she examined the pleated braid that was thrown over her shoulder. She could see more of her face, and how her hair caught the sun’s rays in the alternating patterns that were made. The end of the braid was tightened with a small hair tie that had a tiny star charm hanging off it. A small gift from Raine?

She looked different, but not unrecognizable. It suits me, she thought with a smile.

--

It was eventual that she would happen to be in Meltokio later on—she acted as a sort of middleman for the Lezareno Company and their cooperation with the kingdom there for minimizing Exsphere usage. So, it only seemed logical that she would finally seek some advice from Zelos, even if it somewhat contradicted Sheena’s own advice. But she still thought it was worth a try.

Though even she was surprised by Zelos’ enthusiasm when she knocked at his front door.

“My precious rosebud!!” he said in such a lilting tone that at first, she had no idea what to say. Zelos solved that for her by taking one of her hands and immediately guiding her down the steps. “Nice new hairdo. Also, Regal told me everything. Let’s get you some new fancy threads!”

“Regal?” Presea asked, but then connected the dots in her head. It was fair to assume that Regal must have sent a letter to Zelos in the interim, as he regularly sent information to the ex-Chosen. “I only meant to ask about what would be best—”

“That’s right! We’re going on a shopping spree!” Zelos spoke as if he hadn’t heard her, which was very possible. “All the best for my rosebud. This shop down at the market is what all my hunnies are raving about these days, so I’m sure we��ll find something for you. Money is no object!”

Well. It was quite nice that Zelos was far more enthusiastic about this, even as she still wondered about just what it was she exactly wanted for herself. Her dress still fit her, though it tightened around her shoulders, and she was being careful not to accidentally rip it in her travels.

…Although, she soon realized that she and Zelos had very, very different tastes in fashion.

“Zelos, can I make a suggestion?” she asked, holding up the dresses he had deposited into her arms. He was taking whatever he could from the racks around them in a shop that looked much too fragile in its white décor and fanciful chandeliers up top. She had truly thought at first this had been someone’s mansion instead of a clothing boutique when they first arrived. “Can I not have any clothes with sequins on them?”

“Huh? You don’t like them?” He pulled at another dress from a nearby rack, a flick of his hair sending a nearby servicewoman in a swoon. “But this one’s pink! Or do you want more of the ruffles then? That seems to be more of the trend these days.”

Presea looked back at the clothes Zelos offered her; much of it reminded her of the dress she wore at that party back then for rescuing the princess, decorated with ribbons and frills, and how light it had made her feel. But, in the end, such a dress had been for a child, as fancy and expensive as it was.

And though the clothes she held now would fit her well, their fabrics felt too soft, their brightness a little too distracting for the eye. The sequins would easily fall off when she needed to work, or catch onto the bushes she had to traverse through to delve deeper into the forest. The frills would be ripped, the ruffles unraveled, and anything shiny would soon lose its luster if she tried to wear it for daily use.

Or, perhaps she was still thinking in practical terms.

“…This ain’t working out for ya, huh?”

She looked up to see Zelos look at her in full seriousness, which might have been a bit of a ludicrous look on someone who was holding fancy fur cloaks on his shoulders, which also sported pearl necklaces and other shiny accoutrements.

“I suppose our tastes are just a bit too different. Sheena did tell me so.”

At that, Zelos sighed, then shrugged his fur-covered shoulders. “Aw, you’re just gonna let her cloud your opinion of me like that? You know my clothing choice is impeccable and I look damn good!”

He did have a point—his own clothes did suit him very well. Though that also made her reach a certain conclusion. “Is that so? I noticed the lack of sequins on your clothes.”

“I mean…they’re a little flashy for me, you know?”

Presea looked at him blank-faced with all the sequined dresses she could physically hold.

“Hey, I thought they’d look nice on you! But fine, fine.” Zelos quickly put away the fur, along with the diamond-studded cloaks he had also been carrying. “So does anything in here look good to you?”

She thought it was fair to at least give this store a bit more of a chance, so she scanned her vision across the floor. Some women were trying on large, feather-topped hats, while others had wrapped fur scarves around their necks. Others were putting on high-heels, which looked quite fragile, with ruby-red jewels in its center, and even more swirled around dresses with those popular ruffles.

She turned back to Zelos and shook her head.

“What?! Man, is it the whole country thing that’s…?” He snapped his fingers. “That’s it. It’s the whole country thing. I should have known.”

Presea tilted her head. “Where I’m raised has an effect on my taste?”

“Of course it does! At least, it certainly does for those two lovebirds…” Zelos sighed. “I know some country gals that would have leaped at the chance to get one of these new dresses or shoes, but you ain’t one of them. And here I was, thinking I would show you a world full of beauty and be transformed into a lovely lady that would rival even the princess’ beauty!”

Presea knew that if Sheena were here at this moment, she would have rebuked Zelos for his words (or slapped him). But in the bravado, she heard a genuine kindness, an eagerness to help, a longing for it. “Maybe I need to grow a little more before I can do that?” she offered as a vague hope.

Zelos brushed it off. “Nah, I know when I’m beaten. But hey, can I at least do one thing for you?” He pointed at the boots she wore, their heels more than scuffed and still threatening to fall off her feet. “Let me buy you new shoes. You can choose them. We have plenty of regular, boring-looking ones down the street if you really can’t stand the ones here.”

How could she refuse it? Still, she made sure to carry along her father’s old work boots, even as she wore new ones outlined in fur trimming, with thick leather soles that could endure miles-long treks through the wilderness. Zelos insisted on paying for the new boots himself, already predicting she would get this certain pair over the other, more decadent-looking footwear.

But she knew he was grateful that he could at least help add to her new outfit now.

--

Perhaps, though, the boots had been an example of Zelos’ foresight. It was colder than usual in Flanoir this year, and even on the slick roads she was able to keep her footing without any tumbles into a nearby snowbank.

She clutched at her cloak to wrap around her frame—a simple traveling one, the same she had worn back on their search for the Tethe’allan seals. It had unfortunately frayed since then, no longer as thick enough to shield her from the chill and brief winds, and her hair was soon growing wet from the drizzling snowflakes overhead, the hood a bit too small to fully pull over her head.

But even in the mini snowstorm, she could never miss the bright red in the distance.

“Hey! Presea!! Over here!!”

Lloyd’s voice carried with the wind, bringing it so close that it almost felt he was right next to her. Through the flurries, she headed in his direction, just near a balcony that overlooked the entire snowy city. The wind picked up his cloak, which was just clasped at his collar, revealing his red jacket like a fiery sunset in a field of white. She had almost missed Colette, who was more bundled, with some extra white trim around her collar.

They were…taller as well, Presea noted. Lloyd was closely ever reaching a height that she associated with adulthood, his hair growing out and nearly falling over his face, with Colette not far behind in height. But there was something else; like the newly fashioned belts along Lloyd’s waist, the brown leather a bit darker, and new gloves that sported a black stripe along their sides. And what she could see of Colette’s dress, it was no longer just the pure white of her once Chosen outfit. Though she could see the familiar overcoat, there were other colors of the dress hidden underneath. A hint of green that would form the hem of her dress, filigreed with gentle gold. It was more bold—braver, in a sense.

“We’re so glad you wanted to come visit us! Oh! And you even changed your hair a little.” Colette smiled wide, reaching to grab Presea’s hand with hers. “It’s hard to meet up with the others when we’re traveling. I hope it wasn’t too much of a hassle.”

“Regal helps with the expenses. I’ve had to come here on behalf of the company anyway.” A bit of a white lie—she had just really wanted to see them, and she wondered if either of them would suspect a little.

“Oh yeah, we got Zelos’ letter too,” Lloyd said. “Something about getting you new clothes? He said we could help but not like…how, exactly.” He moved the hair away from his eyes with a bit of a huff. Did he just neglect to get a haircut for a long while? “It’s mostly winter stuff here to wear, I think?”

“It can get chilly in Ozette,” she said. However, maybe Lloyd had a point. Was it really that logical to have traveled such a long way just to obtain an outfit, and one that would probably not even be suitable for back home?

Or, maybe she had just really wanted to see more of her friends that badly.

“Oh, but I’m sure we can at least get you something really pretty!” Colette was on her tiptoes, eyes brighter than Presea was really used to. She seemed more open than before, something freeing in her voice, a smile that held no air of caution. Because Colette used to have her own shackles, didn’t she? “Like a really shiny bow! And maybe some mittens, too.”

“Oh yeah, you probably need those for here at least,” Lloyd interjected. “I know they sell those ones with those paw pad designs at that one shop.”

Presea’s heart beat a little rapidly then. “Paw pads?”

“Yeah, paw pads!” Colette jumped a bit on her toes, as if she would soon start flying. “They also have very cute winter hats with those doggy ears too.”

“Does the hat also have a paw pad design on it?”

Lloyd paled a bit. “Isn’t that…kind of a bit much maybe? It’s already got the doggy ears.”

“Ohh, but what if it also has a little doggy tail?” Colette clasped her hands together, a small silver bracelet hanging from her right wrist. It was so detailed, and it made Presea wonder if this was Lloyd’s handiwork. “Wouldn’t that be great? Lloyd, let’s get some for us, too. Maybe there’s one that looks like Noishe!”

Lloyd looked like he was about to protest until she mentioned Noishe, which made him pause. “Huh, well it has to have the right ears for sure…”

But as Presea continued to listen, another concern rose up in her. She shifted her new boots on the pavement, then said, “Is this type of clothing usually meant for children though? I doubt it would even fit me…”

Lloyd raised an eyebrow. “Hey, you can still wear whatever you want! If Zelos said anything weird, don’t listen to him. He still makes fun of my jacket but I’m still wearing it anyway! And my dad fixed it up with new buttons and stitches, so it’s even better now!”

“Yep! Lloyd looks even cooler!”

“Twice as cool even! Haha… Huh. That sounded better in my head.”

Presea giggled, despite the cold she was feeling. Even so, something about Lloyd and Colette’s talk was comforting. Just as it had been with Regal, as it had been with Sheena, and Zelos, and Genis and Raine.

She adjusted the threaded bracelet around her wrist more securely, staring at how the snowflakes caught onto it. They didn’t melt, not just yet.

“I think I would still like a doggy hat,” she said, then raised her eyes to them. “And one with a tail.”

At that, Colette grinned so brightly, and so new. It looked wonderful on her. “We can even match!”

In the end, it was a simple thing she did, and nothing worth any true fanfare. The shops in Flanoir were, as Lloyd had mentioned, really meant for winter. Knitted hats that hung on the walls, along with scarves dyed a bright red (to Lloyd’s approval) or fanciful blue, with frills at the end for certain ones. She did buy mittens for her stay in Flanoir, the paw prints exceptionally made, as well as a hat with flaps for the ears, and a small, knitted nub on the back that served for a tail.

Oh, it had been so very cute… but then Colette waved her over, holding something in her arms.

Presea walked towards her and was then handed over a cloak, one of a dark green color, with white trimming at the top. It felt so very warm in her hands, and the threading was professional, where rips or tears could easily form.

“I noticed your other cloak might be a little old now, so, how about a new one?” Colette smiled as she tightened the one she wore herself. “It’s a bit similar to mine, but I think you’d like it? Oh, and the top of the hood is made from Penguinist quills! So it’s really warm!”

Presea looked at the clothing before she finally wrapped it around herself, making sure to unclasp the old cloak beforehand. It settled on her shoulders comfortably, and surprisingly not too heavy. The quills did feel so nice against her neck and chin, and she raised up her gaze to Colette with gratitude. “I love this. But…” Then, she giggled. “I also still want the doggy hat.”

She had probably never seen Colette look so happy then. “Yeah, of course! We still gotta match!”

Then, off near the back of the store, they both heard Lloyd’s voice give a tremendous shout.

“Whoa!! Come check this out, Colette! They really do have a Noishe hat!!”

--

Curiously, when she arrived back in Ozette, still wearing her new hat (which really was well-made. It survived the turbulence of a Rheaird that Lloyd and Colette had loaned to her), she saw something at her front door.

It was a package, fitted in an oak box that she could already tell had a familiar logo on its front—one that belonged to the Lezareno Company.

Regal? she thought. Is it for the reconstruction project?

It was early morning as she took the box inside, the weather making her skin raise goosebumps from the chill. The wind seemed to cut right through her dress, only helped by the cloak she still wore around her shoulders.

She didn’t really understand what Regal could have given to her until she finally opened the box, and saw the carefully arranged treasure inside.

It wasn’t an outwardly bright piece of clothing, like the ones Zelos seemed to favor. But the blue was deep-set, a pink ribbon pinned at the center. Also, unlike her current one, this was long-sleeved, which felt inviting to see on a cold morning. There were also stitches of designs at the hem, such as trees and flowers, the same kind that were from Ozette itself. As she held it in her hands, the fabric wasn’t as fragile as she feared, despite some of its embellishments. It could endure a day-long trek or more through the forest, with enough insulation in its threading to keep her warm for when the fogs of the deeper parts of the forest were too chill.

Most importantly, though, it was just in her size.

At the bottom of the box, she saw a note with Regal’s handwriting.

Dear Presea,

I hope this present finds you well. After some discussion with our friends, I had this dress tailored. Please only accept it if it suits your needs.

P.S

Also, I hope I have finally gotten better at my color coordination.

Presea couldn’t help but laugh a little at the comment.

It was only kind to at least try on the dress, with its braided leather belt, and the clasps at the collar to keep it well-fitted. But she had already decided what she would do before she even finished brushing out the hem of her dress. It wasn’t flashy, but it wasn’t dull either. There was life in the stitching, and the colors that could fit well against Ozette’s greenery. Presea stood there in the morning sunshine, looking at herself—at how she had changed, with all the gifts she had received from her friends.

Still, when she looked at herself, she saw someone who wasn’t left behind by time, but slowly going along with it. Older, more comfortable, and content.

“Thank you,” she said, already wondering when she could go see her friends again.

[disgruntled-screaming]

Hello and welcome to me talking about B.A.P.

I wanna talk about these boys because they're doing a reunion tour with the group being called BANG&YOO&JUNG&MOON and I have a lot of feelings about them. Good feelings... except for one member, but we'll get there when we get there.

^This man has altered my brain chemistry for the goddamn worst and I would let him break me. The things I have said about him would scare God.

I have a playlist of this group, all the songs I could find on Spotify. Today, I just want to give you guys a list of songs that should have been music videos.

Coma

SPY

Lovesick

Just For Today

Be Happy

Blind

Carnival

Albatross

My Girl

Do What I Feel

All The Way Up

Howler

It is important to me that my opinions are heard about these songs. After a depressive episode lasting days, I went to these boys for comfort (only through song, I don't interact real person fanfiction).

The songs bolded are the ones that I think would have done amazing as music videos, especially since in the early days of their career, they were able to convey different concepts with different videos.

Coma would have been a depressing, yet overdramatic music video about the members dying in a coma as the dark tunnel that they're in caves into darkness. Their girlfriend could have been played by a random member of a girl group, as long as she's able to act sad and sing the one line for her character.

Just For Today is a nice and adorable song. I would have killed to see Zelo front and center for the camera and ask "뽀뽀하고 싶어". Would have been adorable.

Carnival. This whole damn mini album is so fun. While I like Feel So Good, Carnival and another song would have been the best music videos. Just to showcase how fun and silly the boys can be.

Albatross is the best song to ever exist in the history of their discography as a group and nothing else has topped it. I would have killed for a music video.

Do What I Feel is better than That's My Jam and I am staying on this hill. This song should have been the title track.

[likes-words-and-shrimp]

Chapters: 7/7 Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Colette Brunel/Lloyd Irving Characters: Lloyd Irving, Colette Brunel, Genis Sage, Raine Sage, Zelos Wilder, Sheena Fujibayashi, Regal Bryant, Presea Combatir, Kratos Aurion, Yuan Ka-Fai, Dirk (Tales of Symphonia), Frank Brunel Additional Tags: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Post-Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Wingfic, Eventual Romance, Mutual Pining, Self-Acceptance, Happy Ending, POV Multiple, Body Horror, Transformation Words: 36,180 Summary:

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.

Looking back on 2023, I think one fic I'm really proud of writing is this one, a multichapter Symphonia fic I was able to complete, with a focus on Lloyd and his wings taking on a different transformation. It's seven chapters of Lloyd and Colette dealing with the painful and difficult changes, but also the rest of the party helping them on this new shift in their journey. If you decide to read it, I hope you enjoy!

Just have some more additional thoughts for this fic under the cut:

Since this year for Colloyd Week was going to be its 5th year running, and it was also Symphonia's 20th anniversary, me and @frayed-symphony wanted to do something a bit more special with the prompts this time. We decided to bring back some prompts from previous weeks while still using a new quote day and the usual free day. (Here's the prompt list with her art which everyone should see) With that in mind, I also wanted to do something a bit different for myself writing-wise, and tell a story over the course of each of the prompts!

The tidbit about mana wings eventually becoming more feathered versions is actually a bit of lore taken from the Kratos novel. Essentially, if an angel uses it for too long, the wings will become a permanent part of the body, the mana solidifying into feathers. That's why we see a lot of angels in Welgaia floating about with feathered wings, and explains why Kratos, Yuan and Mithos don't keep theirs out consistently. And the reason for the title, it's from the Lloyd's Thoughts on Angels skit because I thought it would be fun to make all those angelic issues relevant for this fic.

I really wanted to use this bit of canon lore for Lloyd, and whether it's an effect of his unique Exsphere, or anything else, his wings succumb to the same transformation. But, well, it's more than just the wings changing here.

I also wanted to play more with Lloyd's self-consciousness here and the guilt he probably still carries with him when he failed to notice Colette suffering in time. Lloyd is also the unifying force for the party where he helps inspire and lift them up from each member's own troubles, but I also wanted to see this reversed while Lloyd is going through his own baggage and past traumas. It was also more interesting to write about Lloyd going through physical changes the way Colette did in the game and have that comfort role-reversed.

A lot of this fic was a learning process! The wings in Symphonia are just a favorite aesthetic for me, and learning about how they can change was really intriguing, so much of this fic centered around the Wings prompt. I was also planning on having everyone play a part with the Soulmates prompt, which I felt was fitting for Symphonia's anniversary year. Much of the later half of the story came as it went, like with the focus on Dirk, and the very last chapter that's a few years in the future, where Lloyd has a better handle on who he is now.

Change itself is also something I just wanted to focus on overall; how we change as people, or how our loved ones change over time. And sometimes change is frightening, but it can also be exciting and learning to accept and welcome it can also feel rewarding in the end. I think I wanted to show that in this fic, though how well I succeeded kinda depends on the reading, and maybe I was heavy-handed with the wings metaphor haha.

But also, I just wanted to write a longer cute ship fic of my OTP. That's another reason. :D

Compared to most chaptered fics, this isn't very long, but I like that it's contained enough at just over 36k. I still have other Symphonia WIPs I want to finish, but I'm really proud of completing this one, and a big thank you to those who've read and commented on this fic! Symphonia has always been special to me and I'm glad I could celebrate both the game and my favorite ship this way.

Around the new year, I'll probably make a Symphonic fic recs list for stories I've read this year. If you read this far, hope you'll look forward to it!

[umbry-fic]

With Love (3)

Summary:

Over a thousand miles of distance and letter after heartfelt letter, Colette learns to love.

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia

Characters: Colette Brunel, Lloyd Irving

Relationships: Colette Brunel & Lloyd Irving

Rating: T

Chapter: 3 of 3 (Prev)

Word Count: 1950

Mirror Link: AO3

Original Post Date: 15/06/2024

Chapter Title:And Thereafter

Notes:

Happy Colloyd Day! This chapter features the wedding (though it is the shortest chapter oops.) Colette's wedding outfit is inspired by Kanade's trained card from last year's prsk wedding event. (I'm sorry for being so terrible at describing clothes D:)

~~~

“Oh, I’m so excited!” Colette was practically bouncing on her feet, unable to contain herself. The endless energy running up and down her spine had made her accidentally release her wings a few times, making the other girls giggle as their visions were momentarily flooded with blinding pink light, before she caught herself and quickly retracted them, yelling a hurried apology. She was thankful that her dress wasn’t anything complicated that would get ruined with barely any movement on her part. She’d never have survived spending hours in a dress like that, more likely to trip over the end of it and shatter something important.

Raine had thankfully gotten the message, and they had managed to pick out something simple that only covered her knees with a minimal amount of stress required to put it on. White, of course. It revealed her shoulders, held up by straps around her upper arm and her neck, criss-crossing her back, with cute little ribbons around her waist. It felt like something a dainty elf princess in a fairytale may have won on a daily basis. Her hair, having grown out to the middle of her back, had been the perfect length for Presea to braid while humming a cheerful tune, Sheena carefully threading the stems of forget-me-nots into the golden strands. Her forget-me-not earrings dangled from her ears, the ring Lloyd had gifted her hung around her neck, proudly displayed to the world. It had certainly raised multiple curious eyebrows from the villagers who had noticed it, though most had the good sense not to say anything.

Lloyd didn’t even attempt to get her to calm down, only took her hand while grinning wildly himself. He was handsome in a black suit Zelos had tailor-made for him, his unruly hair finally tamed. She hadn't been there personally to see the Wilder siblings descend on him with a comb and enough determination to fill the sky, as one had to possess to properly deal with Lloyd's hair, only heard second-hand tales from a snickering Genis describing Seles' rather despondent observation that Lloyd must have never combed his hair in his entire life.

“This is amazing,” he breathed, gaze wandering over his surroundings as he drank it all in.

The fruits of months of non-stop effort were displayed around them. The entire ceremony was being held in a forest clearing with a river bubbling merrily behind it. It had completely transformed overnight, unrecognisable as one of the many locations that she, Genis and Lloyd had spent hours exploring until grass stains littered their clothes and their faces had hurt from smiling. Comfortable seats were laid out neatly across the grass, dew still clinging to the individual blades. The decorations consisted of wooden sculptures that reached her waist, intricate details captured perfectly at an impressive scale in a joint effort by Presea and Lloyd. A long table held an assortment of baked goods and a massive cake topped with tiny, adorable versions of her and Lloyd, something Genis and Regal had tackled together while Zelos had valiantly kept Raine out of the kitchen. There was a gap between the rows of chairs, leading up to an arch decorated with what seemed like an explosion of forget-me-nots, the pale blue practically consuming the white. Sheena had spent hours on that, her nimble fingers carefully putting everything into place so nothing would fall out. And tiny, glowing balls of light flitted about, a product of a proud Raine whose fine mastery of light magic had not weakened over the years. They reminded Colette of the elemental fairies from stories, making the entire place take on the magical atmosphere of an elfin forest, resembling a wonderland straight out of the fairytales.

Everyone had pitched in and given their all to make this as perfect as possible, and she couldn't be prouder to call them her friends. Something she had once told herself was nothing more than an impossible dream was now becoming reality before her very eyes.

All in all, it was a small ceremony. The guests, already seated, consisted of barely two dozen people, all barefoot as they enjoyed the feel of the soft grass against their feet, flower crowns courtesy of Genis resting lopsided on their heads. Their closest companions filled up the front row, many of them seemingly about to tear up. Behind them, Dirk had a proud smile on his face, and her father waved, eyes sparkling with joy.

A small ceremony suited her just fine. She had no desire to share her love with the whole world and invite yet more scrutiny upon it. Those she had invited didn’t necessarily understand the intricacies of her relationship with Lloyd, but they had never derided it, and that was good enough for her.

Zelos cleared his throat from where he stood below the arch, giving them a small wave to signal that he was ready. Squeezing her hand, Lloyd began to walk down the imaginary carpet, her feet naturally falling into step next to his. Their gazes never left each other, blue into brown, seeing the years and years they'd known each other and the countless events they'd weathered together. Each of them was only who they were today because of the other, the respective tapestries of their lives deeply interwoven since the day they had met and begun to write their story together. The cheers of those they trusted more than anyone in the world propelled them at their heels, softly wrapping them in a warm bubble that would never pop.

The vows were read perfectly, in a steady voice that didn't trip over the words - Zelos must have done this thousands of times before, but there was a gentleness to his voice that was impossible to miss as he sounded out the familiar words. She and Lloyd recited their parts, their smiles only growing as they closed the distance between them, leaning closer and closer.

In sickness and in health, for better or for worse, I will love and cherish you, until parted by death.

“You may now kiss…” Zelos came to an abrupt stop, reconsidering his words as a humorous smile danced across his lips. “Actually, don’t kiss the bride.”

A ripple of laughter broke through the crowd, light-hearted and holding not a bit of judgment.

Lloyd, true to his word, didn’t kiss her. He swept forward instead, brown eyes alight with mischief, lifting her into the air while she squealed in surprise. Throwing her head back, she laughed with wild abandon, heart soaring in her chest like a bird, free to explore the skies with nothing weighing it down.

~~~

The rest of the morning passed in a blur. She and Lloyd did a set of dwarven vows as well, written on a piece of paper that they let float down the river and out of sight, where it might one day be carried to reach Gnome. Dirk had cried big, fat tears as her father awkwardly rubbed his shoulders, and when it was done, he had crushed them both in a hug that had knocked a few flowers out of her hair.

The party had gone into full swing then, and she had spent it mingling with friends and accepting warm congratulations. She was no better at dancing now than she had been four years ago, but she and Lloyd managed just fine, swaying across the grass in small circles, her ear pressed to his chest as she listened to the steady beat of his heart, his hand on her back holding her close. And he caught her every time she tripped, pulling her back into the routine without missing a beat.

She'd warily eyed the bottle of alcohol Zelos had procured out of nowhere, knowing that a tipsy Zelos, Sheena and Genis in the same location spelt disaster, as it had at various get-togethers at Zelos' mansion. But she had to admit it had been fun to gang up on Lloyd, each of them planting a kiss on him at the same time which caused him to flush to the tips of his ears. Things had gotten progressively wilder until Raine had confiscated the alcohol and promptly declared that the next person to do something stupid would be facing her wrath, which remarkably caused everyone to sober instantly. It was both impressive and fearsome that she still had that effect on them all even though they were far too old to qualify as her students. Some things just never changed.

By that point, some of the guests were starting to feel tired and beginning to retire back to Iselia. Still buoyed by the warm happiness flooding her entire body, she'd spent the afternoon alone with Lloyd after changing into something more appropriate, soaring through the skies on their wings, catching the wind and chasing each other in short bursts that ended with her winning most of the time. Lloyd still wasn't the most graceful in the air, and while his control had certainly improved, it couldn't match her ability to wield her wings like a natural extension of her. With the wind caught in his hair, it wasn't long before it was a mess again - but she didn't mind, for she truly did love running her hands through that unruly mess that was essentially a part of him.

And now here they were on the roof of her house once more, winding down the night in the company of the stars. The sky glimmered with the light of a thousand of them, winking playfully down at the two of them. Her head rested in Lloyd's lap as his fingers gently rubbed against her scalp, the motion slowly lulling her to sleep.

In a relaxed haze, she raised his hand, pressing a kiss to his open palm. "Love you," she mumbled sleepily, blinking sluggishly up at him. The words came to her so easily now, springing from her lips like they were nothing special. For they weren't. It was a fundamental truth, like how the sun would rise from the east every morning and the seasons would continue to turn. It would remain the truth forevermore, regardless of how many years would pass, a part of her that she would never doubt.

She knew that once she had drifted off into dreamland, he would gently carry her to bed and tuck them both in. She would wake up tomorrow in the safety of his arms, with the sunlight dancing over their faces, and she would watch him sleep, tracing the planes of his face until his eyes fluttered open. She would see him off again once the sun rose to its apex, giving him a kiss on the cheek goodbye as she gave him yet another leaf of a forget-me-not, freshly plucked from her garden. Once he had left, she would return home to sip a cup of calming tea on her porch, calmly watching children run by and waving back when they shouted a greeting. Someone would visit over the months, and she would never be alone, even when she was the only one in Iselia, the knowledge of their unfaltering companionship filling the space of her heart and keeping her company.

Nothing would change despite the vows they had uttered that very morning, for they didn't have to. She was content with what she had now - she had discovered a place to belong, a place where she could simply be without judgment. She had finally found a happy ending that she had once thought out of her reach - her very own, and one that would continue forevermore, safe in her and Lloyd’s clasped hands.

She wouldn't trade it for anything.