10th Combo - Video

[redcladidealist]

[He'd been thirsty when he'd woken up early in the morning. Still a little sleepy, the six year old got up to go look for Kratos. Things like cups and faucets were a little beyond his reach. Not without a chair to stand on, but it would be easier to ask his daddy's friend. Besides, a part of him just wanted to see the man again, a tangible presence connected to his father. Being around the man made him feel that much closer to seeing his daddy again.

Yawning, Lloyd put his hand on the door knob of his room-



-and freezes, eyes wide. That's not a six year old hand on the knob. He's not six. He's...

Seventeen.

Seventeen, but he'd been six again for a week. A week he remembers. Sheena and Rise, Dino, Colette, Saki and Zelos, Emil, Haseo, people he didn't even know...

Kratos.

Lloyd can feel the heat of embarrassment creeping up into his face. All the things he'd said and done... and with his friends. With Kratos.]

Aw man...

[A little while later, after he's snuck out of Kratos's house, trying not to wake the man up, the teenager turns his Dreamberry on. His face is still a shade of mortified red.]

Damn it, what does this place have against normal?

Comments

[redcladidealist]

Well, no. I guess not. [Now that he thinks about it, anyway.] It's just, no one's talked about them. Who are they?

[viiinote.livejournal.com]

Have you been here long? [He likes to mess with people, excuse him.]

[redcladidealist]

[Lloyd couldn't be more pleased by the response. As far as he was concerned, this just makes it less complicated. If he's Emil's friend, that just makes it even less likely that he'll do something he regrets.]

Hey, did you get a message about going to the ruins on Saturday?

[foreversorryorz.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I did actually... You too?

[redcladidealist]

Four months... [Lloyd turns a little pink. Thinking about it like that, four months is long enough that he should know who's in charge.

Not a suspecting bone in his body that Axel is messing with him.]

Why?

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[beats-zelos.livejournal.com]

Just a little bit. Good thing you're back to normal, though.

[redcladidealist]

Yeah.

You want to go with me? Maybe there's a clue for getting home.

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[redcladidealist]

Definitely. [The relief is obvious in his voice.]

...hey, Sheena?

[foreversorryorz.livejournal.com]

[That earns another pause. Didn't the text also mention there might be monsters too? That would mean they'd run into some around there and that meant fighting them off somehow. Which meant Ratatosk Mode. Not sure if that's a good idea, but he couldn't just pass up an opportunity for a clue to get back home...

Now looking at the screen, a bit more determined than usual]

Alright, I'll go with you. But, you'll have to stop me if something... happens.

[By something he of course means trying to attack you, but he's hoping that trying to get home back will be stronger in his mind than revenge]

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[faciens-fatalis.livejournal.com]

[He's not embarrassed in turn. Just...ashamed. Ashamed that he acted like a father to Lloyd again--and yet, he still concealed the truth from him.

How could he explain himself? Could he even try?]

Are you...well?

[stoicsoldier.livejournal.com]

Hm... I've never noticed anything strange by the lake... [but it may bear investigating again just to be sure.]

Do you know if this has happened to others before?

[viiinote.livejournal.com]

Just wondering if you were new and all, but it turns out that you're not really.

[Chuckles]

[ audio ]

[homerunmagica.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly like that. [ A slight pause. ] I take it you know her?

[redcladidealist]

[Oh, right. Ratatosk Mode. Emil had told him about that. Ratatosk Mode was the reason he'd attacked. If he went into Ratatosk Mode again...

He nods, meeting Emil's eyes seriously.]

Don't worry. If something happens, I'll be ready this time. [A pause.] Do you... know if there's anything that will take you out of Ratatosk Mode?

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[redcladidealist]

Y-yeah. Just fine. [He rubs the back of his neck, not meeting the other man's eyes. Trying to act like this is no big deal - and failing spectacularly.] So, uh... thanks. For, you know...

[Pretty much everything, but it's embarrassing to admit that he'd depended on Kratos so much.]

[redcladidealist]

Well, it's not like I don't know anything. [Trying to save face.] I've figured out lots of stuff. Just not that.

[redcladidealist]

Not that I've heard of, but I haven't asked, either. I just barely changed back to normal.

You think it might be something in the water?

[ audio ]

[redcladidealist]

Yeah. That's gotta be Sheena. She's one of my friends from my world.

[Oh, wait. If she was asking for him... Lloyd winces just a little.]

I guess I worried her more than she said.

[ audio ]

[homerunmagica.livejournal.com]

She did seem rather worried and rather insistant on finding a way to turn you back to normal.

... That being said, what was it that did the trick?

[ audio ]

[redcladidealist]

I don't know. I got up to get a drink of water and changed back before I even got a glass. I didn't do anything different. [At least, not that he can recall.] I'm not even sure what changed me in the first place.

[ audio ]

[homerunmagica.livejournal.com]

So don't recall what caused your condition, nor do you know how you cured it. ... Very useful indeed.

[popstar]

Looks like someone's back to normal.

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[faciens-fatalis.livejournal.com]

...Of course. I could not let you wander around alone in such a state.

[He really couldn't. He's your father. He had to take care of you.]

[viiinote.livejournal.com]

It's not like I'm calling you out on it or anything~

[stoicsoldier.livejournal.com]

Unless there is another explanation. On the other hand, you're the first case I've heard of this. I do not know the water system of Somarium stems from the lake. If so, then it might not be the case since you're the first case I've heard.

I'll take a look regardless.