9th Combo - [Dream]

[redcladidealist]

Warnings: None.
Effects: A sense of excitement and determination. (Optional.)


"The first thing you need to know," Lloyd said, lifting a finger with the confidence of someone who knew what they were talking about. "Is how to fly."

"Is that so?" Dino looked half amused, half bewildered at the prospect. "Ahaha, I must admit, I have never flown before, Lloyd."

"Don't worry," Colette chipped in cheerfully. "It isn't as hard as it looks." The blonde Chosen effortlessly extended her wings, pink, sparkling things that seemed to glow with an ethereal light. She flapped them once, lifting into the air a few inches. "See? Come on, Dino. Just try!"

"Hmm..." A look of concentration crossed the Italian's face. Lloyd leaned forward, excited. A pair of wings spread out from his back, too, though his were red and didn't sparkle as much. Dino glanced at those wings, and his lips twitched again. "Red like tomatoes, Lloyd?"

Lloyd reacted instantly, throwing a pillow at the other boy's head. "Ew! No way!" Obviously expecting the reaction, Dino laughed and shielded his face. Lloyd swatted him again anyway, then huffed and dropped the pillow. "They're red for courage, not tomatoes."

A small gasp distracted them both, drawing their attention back to Colette. Her blue eyes were wide. "You did it!" She pointed behind Dino's back. "Oh, I'm so happy!"

Sure enough, a pair of translucent gold wings fluttered gently behind the young man. Dino twisted his head around so he could stare at the things with no small amount of amazement.

Lloyd cheered as he spotted them. "Great! Now we just have to fly to the Tower of Salvation in your world, Dino. Colette can show you how to be a Chosen of Mana, and I'll be the guardian angel. With three of us, there's no way Yggdrasill can win! Come on, let's go!" He took off, unable to contain himself.

Chuckling at their friend's enthusiasm, the two blonds shared a look. Then, grinning, they both took off, too, leaving a flurry of pink and gold feathers behind.

---

Lloyd stirs as the morning light hits his eyes, then yawns and rolls onto his side. The Dreamberry transmits for another few minutes, then shuts off, allowing the peaceful teen his sleep.

Comments

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[redcladidealist]

[Lloyd looks mildly embarrassed at that comment. Having someone call his dreams pretty... He'll just, um, move the conversation on.]

Yeah... It has been a while. [He thinks back. So much has happened.] I've been pretty good, I guess. Sometimes not so good, but life wouldn't be life if it was perfect, right?

What about you? How have you been?

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[rainbowpalette.livejournal.com]

I've been well, thank you.

[Is that some slight hesitation in her voice?]

Everything is just so different here...

[That's definitely some hesitation. Immediately followed by a rapid subject change.]

What do you think of these new fashions? Aren't they amazing?

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[redcladidealist]

[He hears that hesitation, but takes it at face value. Somarium is different, after all. He's still getting used to it.]

Fashions? [He hears Zelos using that word sometimes, but if anyone's ever explained what it means, it hasn't stuck. It probably doesn't help that Lloyd has the fashion sense of a stump.] What do you mean?

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[rainbowpalette.livejournal.com]

[Thank you, Lloyd, for not asking about that hesitation. Your discretion is appreciated.]

You know, the fashions! The new clothes everyone is wearing, how everything changed.

[She gestures towards the Dreamberry, like she's indicating Lloyd's neatly combed hair.]

All the men are wearing suits, and all the women are wearing these lovely dresses and hats. It's so great to be some place where people can appreciate looking nice.

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[redcladidealist]

Oh. [He frowns, obviously not entirely happy.] I'd rather wear my own clothes. They're okay, but it's not the same, and my hair feels weird like this, Kanaya. Besides...

[The frown disappears into something more troubled.]

Doesn't it bother you? I don't think anyone had a choice. Everything just changed, and all the colors in the world are changing, too. I think something's wrong...

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[rainbowpalette.livejournal.com]

[Well, damn. Her smile shifts into a frown, mirroring Lloyd's expression.]

I hadn't thought about that way. I guess we didn't have much of a choice, did we?

[She pauses, considering.]

Although it could be worse, right? I mean, I miss the colors too, but if all that changes is clothing and color, it can't be that bad...

[Except now she sounds really doubtful. Does she really want to live in a world without color?]

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[redcladidealist]

[Lloyd meets Kanaya's eyes solemnly.] I don't know what your world is like, but in mine, when things lose their color or turn brown, it usually means they're sick. If the color's the only thing that's wrong, that's one thing, but I'm worried about what it means.

[For Lloyd, something like this is particularly alarming, because he's from a world that's been slowly dying for years while another world siphoned off its mana. Was something like that going on here?]

Re: Video

[rainbowpalette.livejournal.com]

[That is disturbing. Kanaya's world isn't exactly known for being colorful, so she's just been accepting the fading colors without question.]

Nothing seems sick, though. [doubtful] I mean, all the plants and everything look the same, just... more brown. Wouldn't they start to look sick if they were dying?

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[redcladidealist]

I don't know. [He takes a deep breath, then lets it out. She has a point, though, so maybe he shouldn't worry too much.] I hope so. But I still want to find out what's going on, and I think we should be careful either way, just in case.

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[rainbowpalette.livejournal.com]

That's probably a good idea. I'll be careful until things either get back to normal or we find out what's going on.

[She smiles at him; equilibrium regained.]

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[redcladidealist]

[He's feeling a little better himself now that she's mentioned that. Lloyd grins back.] Yeah! And until then, at least there's still color in dreams.

[It really had been nice to see all those reds and golds in his dream.]

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[rainbowpalette.livejournal.com]

I would think that if it was permanent, the colors in dreams would be gone too.

[She feels a sudden burst of inspiration, examining his slicked-down hair.]

I found some feathers the other day. If you like, you can stop by my hive and I'll sew them on your hat. That way, it will at least look like your hair is sticking up again.

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[redcladidealist]

[Either that, or the fading colors haven't reached their dreams yet, but that's a worry for another day. Lloyd blinks, surprised, then pleased by the offer. It's not so much that he wants his hair to stick up - though he does! He likes his hair wild and free! - as the fact that she's offering at all.]

Are they long, fluffy feathers? Or are they smooth and pointed? Can I have both?

[Wait.]

I didn't know you liked bees so much.

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[rainbowpalette.livejournal.com]

I have all kinds. [More than she knows what to do with, really.] You can choose which ones you like best.

[Yeah, fashion designing! Finally, someone who will let her make changes to his clothes!]

Bees? Oh...

[Slightly embarrassed laughter.]

"Hive" is just the word trolls use for where they live. I believe the human word is "home" or "house." Don't worry, the only bees around are the ones on the flowers outside.

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[redcladidealist]

[Lloyd absolutely does not mind the idea of changing these strange clothes, or doing something to make them more his instead of something he was forced to wear.] Great! When can I come by?

[A small blink, then a light of understanding dawns on his face.] Ooh. [And now he's curious.] Why do you call it a hive? Is you house shaped like one?

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[rainbowpalette.livejournal.com]

You can come by later today, if you like. I don't have any other plans.

[More embarrassed laughter.]

That's just the word we use back home. My cottage looks like all the other ones in Somarium.

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[redcladidealist]

Huh. [Lloyd thinks about that for a moment, then decides to shrug it off. It's not important, and there's something much more interesting to think about.]

Me either! Tell me where your house is and I'll be there!

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[rainbowpalette.livejournal.com]

I live in Espoir, cottage sixteen. It's a bit south of the chapel.

[This is the first friend she's had come visit in Somarium, and she's pretty happy about it.]

I'll see you soon!

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[redcladidealist]

Okay! Bye, Kanaya! [Click!]

[Congratulations, Kanaya. You're the first person in Somarium to get him excited about clothes.]