here it was we lit the flame

name: yuan ka-fai rank: hypergiant housing: lord el-melloi ii's house

[ackermom]

[stormswake]

once you’re stripped clean, what’s at your core?

fractured glass

no amount of orchestrated class is ever going to hide the fact that you’re doomed to be alone. you’re a puppet, you’re a weapon, but most importantly? you’re a fraud. your facade isn’t malicious, but that doesn’t change a thing. everything in your life is in your control now, and you chose to let yourself become stiff and distant. you’re guilty of everything you blame yourself for, and your misfortune is the fault of nobody but yourself. your selfish nature forges you into a man-made monster, so quick to blame and so desperate to escape consequence. i hope that you can become someone you’re proud of soon.

[spider-draws]

This is part one of my Tales Secret Santa gift for @prettysailormimi - I hope you like it! <3

[twohundredpower]

stormswake​:​

Is that Lloy-

oof.

Yuan staggers back a step and coughs, wrestling one arm free of Lloyd’s grip and squirming as if to swat him away before his brain catches up.

The last time he saw Lloyd was right before he went through his personal hell. Which means that was the last time Lloyd saw him.

“You - brat, get off me,” he grumbles harmlessly, making no further moves to force him away. He even cautiously wraps his free arm around the other, giving his shoulder a gentle (if awkward) pat.

When Lloyd withdraws, Yuan smooths out his clothes and loosely folds his arms over his chest.

“I take it from the text you sent that someone else told you I was back. Was it your father?”

Although Lloyd couldn’t help his outward reaction to seeing Yuan again, he briefly wondered if an embrace like this would be too much for him. No matter if it was long overdue or not, would he be crossing any boundaries that Yuan had? Would it make him uncomfortable? It was so natural to launch himself at Kratos, at Dirk, at anyone he considered his family– and no matter what Yuan thought of their relationship, that was how Lloyd would always see him, too.

But even when the older man swatted at him, struggling to get his arm out of Lloyd’s tight embrace, those worries were soon laid to rest just as soon as it wrapped around his shoulders; the browns of Lloyd’s eyes widening as the gesture was returned. As slight as it was, the feeling of Yuan keeping him close meant more to Lloyd than he could put into words; unable to help smile that pulled at the corners of his mouth while his face was buried in the other’s chest.

“Heheh.. sorry,” even his words brought a gentle chuckle from Lloyd’s chest, able to tell that there was no vitriol behind them at all as he eventually let the other go. Yuan was allowing Lloyd the comfort he’d long sought for in his absence.. and he couldn’t help but wonder if the half-elf knew the reason already.

“Yeah, it was dad. He mentioned that he came over to see you already, so now it’s my turn! You were gone for a while, y’know– we’ve got lots to catch up on!” at first, he responded like his usual self, as if what was on his mind hadn’t been at all– momentarily caught up in those happy feelings stemmed from their reunion. But a more somber tone came to Lloyd eventually, bringing an unusual quiet to him as his smile dampened ever so slightly; gaze traveling to the ground beneath their feet.

“.. none of us could’ve known that you were gonna leave, but.. I’m sorry that I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. I really wanted to come see you for a while, but.. I was..” he caressed one of his fists within his hand, smoothing his palm across his Exsphere. “Dad told you, didn’t he? What happened to me in the summer.”

[stormswake]

"So I've heard," he says with a hint of dismay. He hates not knowing what happened - it's the meddling old man in him. If he doesn't know the situation, how is he supposed to react appropriately? At the very least, he can trust Lloyd not to lie. He's not particularly good at it, anyway.

... Ah, he does remember that, at least. Lloyd's sudden disappearance had sent Kratos into a panic, even if it was hard to see.

"I... haven't heard the details."

It isn't a lie, but it's still dishonest of him. He knows that the Tower appeared for Lloyd, coinciding perfectly with his disappearance, and that Kratos had only found him after spending a night at the museum. It isn't hard to put the pieces together and conclude that Lloyd had gone through his Stars-inflicted hell.

"But... I know enough. So there's no need to go into it. I'd rather hear about what happened after."

[originskey]

@stormswake

"...I don't think I'er said this, but I forgive you for trying to kill me all the time."

...

"Just. Thought about it."

[stormswake]

"You really shouldn't."

[ovur]

This is how I win. *loses*

[stormswake]

Kay slips this one into Yuan's mailbox-- a package wrapped in excessive amounts of blue glittery paper that gets glitter absolutely everywhere. The card reads:

'Dear Mr. Yuan,

Happy Midwinter! I'm not mad about the game thing anymore (I got my own copy of Eternal Blood and Guts 5). BUT. I did make you this as a present. I hope you have a good holiday, OK?

Love, Kay'

In the box is a blue and red braided ribbon, with a blue heart charm on it! Also in the box are a few tide pods, but she's included a note warning him not to eat them.

He mutters under his breath as he reads the letter, brow furrowing.

"... she was still mad about the game thing?"

He's the one who should be mad! She tried to trick him into buying an inappropriate video game! Hmph. At least the ribbon is cute - he'll make a keychain out of it.

He doesn't understand why she included the soap pods at first. The note quickly clears that up.

"..."

"Why does she remember that?"

[stormswake]

He opens the door, and...

“WHAT HAPPENED.”

[spiderstaff]

stormswake​:

“Just because someone has a lot of knowledge doesn’t mean they use it for good purposes. Sometimes they’ll lie because they know better. I’ve certainly told my share of lies that I regret - although it doesn’t seem like Zelos shares that shame.”

… That was more than he meant to say. What the hell was that about?

“…wait. How do I know you’re not lying to me? You just admitted you’ve lied before.”

[stormswake]

“Because if I was lying to you, I wouldn’t tell you I was a liar.”

He’s right, but he doesn’t need to sound so condescending about it.

“You should never trust someone who claims to be honest all the time.”

[spiderstaff]

stormswake​:

[drake and josh saying “megan” voice] Zelos.

He frowns.

“He’s lying to you. He does that.”

“No way! Zelos is really smart, he knows all sorts of stuff.”

[stormswake]

“Just because someone has a lot of knowledge doesn’t mean they use it for good purposes. Sometimes they’ll lie because they know better. I’ve certainly told my share of lies that I regret - although it doesn’t seem like Zelos shares that shame.”

... That was more than he meant to say. What the hell was that about?

[spiderstaff]

stormswake​:

He’s seen Waver play that game, he thinks. If he’s right, he has no idea how she can be calling those creatures cute. But… he’ll be nice.

“… Those aren’t accurate representations of real squids. It’s fine to eat them.”

“Oh, it’s OK Yuan, Zelos told me squids aren’t real. You can’t eat the Sploon squids.”

[stormswake]

[drake and josh saying “megan” voice] Zelos.

He frowns.

“He’s lying to you. He does that.”

[spiderstaff]

“Wait… you guys eat the cute squids? Like from Sploon 4…?”

[stormswake]

He’s seen Waver play that game, he thinks. If he’s right, he has no idea how she can be calling those creatures cute. But... he’ll be nice.

“... Those aren’t accurate representations of real squids. It’s fine to eat them.”

[isolaradiale]

Keep reading

[stormswake]

grimflyer​:

       ‘ THE ABYSS ’— that sounds familiar. his studies have yielded that name before, but little else. the denizens dare not speak of it; a dark and forbidden place none wish to acknowledge, and seldom in text, almost like it’s… cursed, or something. he’s scoured the libraries for any detailed mention of it, only to discover that even the books don’t want to talk about it. if what this guy is saying is true, then… even in death, you’re still bound to this place, but not without a cold reminder of your demise.

       visibly perturbed, hunter knits his brow. a part of him wants to refute the other’s words, deny them as a mere mockery of someone’s death, but… it all makes too much sense to ignore.

               “  … but… i thought—  ” you were really gone. a man who clearly meant something to kratos, a man he’s never even met before, and yet, he still can’t stop asking: why? him and zero both, talking about death like it’s just… falling off a bike, and you can easily get back on it again, but no-one talks about what it takes from them. what pieces does it break off, every time they leave that place? the thought… scares him.

               “  … i watched you die.  ” he utters numbly, flinching as the tears prick at his eyes. every syllable quavers, every inflection trembling, “  … why? why did you… do that…? for what…?  ”

                                           what was the point?

               “  we could’ve saved you!  ” he screams, as though it’ll make him feel any better at all. his chest feels like it’s about to burst, “  you didn’t need to DIE like that…!  ”

His brow furrows again, though this time, it’s purely out of concern at the sight of tears in the boy’s eyes. He had clearly underestimated how much this would affect him.

What does he mean, for what? For Kratos, of course - and he would continue to give his life, over and over, if that was what it took. But how does one explain that kind of -

The sudden shout scatters his thoughts like birds, and he actually takes a step back.

“I - no, there was no-”

He can’t just say that!

“I was already-”

That’s no good either! He groans uneasily, running his fingers through his bangs. Why is he suddenly being yelled at?!

“I’m. Sorry?”

[stormswake]

dendrothecary​:

THE   wall clock ticks, Baizhu not minding the sparseness of conversation. He could hardly call himself closely acquainted with Yuan, though he’d understood he wasn’t the talkative sort from the few times they’d corresponded. It’s not an uncomfortable silence, he finds. Despite his very public face, the doctor preferred unhurried conversations such as these. Only once his guest has taken a sip from his beverage does he at last pour himself a serving. Whether eyes remain watchful of the motion, he pays little attention to; curiosity is to be expected, as it was in many ways mutual. Tea cup in hand, his place against the counter is resumed. Baizhu might smile the way he always does, but this account of the time spent away from the island is carefully mulled. Thoughtfully, his eyes downcast, he lightly swirls the contents of his tea cup by the wrist, observing the snaking steam trail rise from within.         ❝ The passing of time here is a curious phenomena, isn’t it? I have heard a similar story from those I know. ❞ Some of the steam is blown from the rim of his cup. The temperature is still much too hot to drink, lest he scald his tongue. His gaze flicks up.

        ❝ What do I know of it? To be truthful, not very much, ❞   he admits, the slight inward pinch of his brows and soft curve of his lips looking almost apologetic.   ❝ I know that it is a place very different from the likes of this island, yet that is about the reach of my knowledge on it. ❞ Kratos might have seen a glimpse of his own world through the strange powers of the Stars, but as far as he can recall he has had no such experience. In his mind, there lie bits and and pieces—off-handed remarks Kratos has made and the like—though any real impression of Aselia is all but absent. Or… Was it really? Briefly, his mind wanders back to the facility Kratos had been rescued from months prior. The seraph might have been mostly in and out of consciousness at the time, but the words he managed made it seem as though the place was a phantom of his own world. He lingers on that thought by drawing a gingerly sip of his tea. The hotness prickles at his taste buds, sure to numb it later, but he’s too distracted to mourn it.         ❝ I apologize if I gave the impression that I knew more. ❞   His hum is conversational, still mild and pleasant.   ❝ What sort of place is it, if I may ask? ❞

Aside from a quick, neutral glance up at Baizhu, Yuan doesn’t react when he realizes what he’s done. Someone like Kratos or Martel might be able to pick up on his sudden discomfort, but he’s had centuries to work on a believable poker face. 

He’s not asking about Kratos. It’s still fine.

“Not a particularly happy one. But I’ll spare you the historical account of all the pointless wars and discrimination.” He waves his free hand and takes another sip, apparently relaxing as he leans back against the countertop.

(It might be Baizhu’s imagination, but... is he just enjoying the drink, or is he trying a bit too hard to be casual?)

“I suppose the most important difference between the island and Aselia is the lack of ambient mana here. By all accounts, Kratos and I - anyone from our world, for that matter - shouldn’t be able to survive without a rich source of mana to replenish whatever we use. But here we are.”

[twohundredpower]

“Yuan!!!”

True to his word, Lloyd tracked down the half-elf in a matter of what seemed to be mere minutes; and before he could even give the older man a chance to react, the brunette had launched himself in his direction, opening his arms and securing them around his middle tight.

And Lloyd held on for what seemed to be dear-life; it was almost out of character for him to behave in such a way towards the other, even though.. they really had gotten closer over the years. Here especially. Their past no longer defined how Lloyd felt about him, and it had been that way for quite some time. In his opinion, a hug with this much force was long overdue. If not for Yuan’s Cruxis Crystal, Lloyd was certain he would have knocked him over outright, but..

He held on longer than the other man maybe expected, and he did so silently. With his face hidden in Yuan’s cloak, Lloyd stood still as his teeth sunk into his bottom lip; exhaling quietly before he finally let go enough to catch the other’s gaze.

And there was no excitable expression on his face, though relief was palpable there as he struggled to find the right words to say. He’d been wanting to do this ever since he came back from the Abyss, but he hadn’t been ready to; even if a lot of time had passed since then.. Lloyd wasn’t going to let a chance like this get away from them a second time, for Yuan to leave the island before he could say the things he’d been thinking about for months now.

“Sorry.. I know I’m pretty late, but..”

“.. welcome back.”

@stormswake​

[stormswake]

Is that Lloy-

oof.

Yuan staggers back a step and coughs, wrestling one arm free of Lloyd’s grip and squirming as if to swat him away before his brain catches up.

The last time he saw Lloyd was right before he went through his personal hell. Which means that was the last time Lloyd saw him.

“You - brat, get off me,” he grumbles harmlessly, making no further moves to force him away. He even cautiously wraps his free arm around the other, giving his shoulder a gentle (if awkward) pat.

When Lloyd withdraws, Yuan smooths out his clothes and loosely folds his arms over his chest.

“I take it from the text you sent that someone else told you I was back. Was it your father?”

[originskey]

@stormswake​

“Hello, Anda. I’m looking for Yuan.” (”…….”) “Thank you.” (”……?”) “That’s alright. I’ll stay out here.”

Thankfully, they seemed as bad at conversation as Kratos was, and never stayed around long enough to chat (and admittedly, most of what he knew about Anda came from Yuan anyway.) So once the person he was looking for came to the door, he began properly.

“I need a favor.”

…Really. Bad. At conversation.

[stormswake]

“I’m coming, hang on,” Yuan calls back towards the door, though his tone is more fond than annoyed. He’s content tonight - although given the fact that it’s Kratos waiting for him outside, his mood could go either way very quickly.

He gives Anda a quick pat on the shoulder as he passes by as a silent ‘thanks for answering him despite his, well, everything’, then steps into the doorway and cocks his head slightly.

“What kind of favor?”