When he steps back into the camp clearing, holding a branch above him so he can avoid hitting his head on it, Lloyd is greeted by loud cackling. Obnoxious in nature, with a high-pitched ohoho type of tone, it should be irritating, it should be a roll-of-the-eyes type of laugh that makes you want to turn around and walk away. And once upon a time, it did make Lloyd want to do exactly that. But the laugh inspires a grin to take up Lloyd's face, a surprise exhale of air that rushes from his diaphragm, because he never thought he'd ever get to hear Zelos' laugh ever again, or feel the way his heart fills with excited contentment at the sound of it.
He missed Zelos' presence. And this Zelos isn't his own, but that laugh - that delighted, sharp cackle - it's the same one. And Lloyd missed it so bad.
Already, his leftover anxiety from his talk with Anna flows out of his system, and he jogs over to where the sound is coming from, grin widening as he sees Zelos rolling on the ground, shaking with laughter. Sheena's bright red, embarrassment plain on her face, and Lloyd can only guess as to what had happened, the scene bringing memories of their previous journey, but he lingers on them for only a few seconds before he's distracted by the cool fucking sword Sheena is holding with both hands! Holy shit, that thing is huge!
It's glowing bright orange, is the first thing that strikes him, bathing Sheena in a fiery light that engulfs the purple of her outfit. And it's Zelos' orange, too, pouring out from the flat of the blade in a shape not unlike the core crystal Zelos has, the one Lloyd's only seen glimpses of. Two plus two equals four, and with the quick explanations on blades Malos had given Lloyd the night before, Lloyd's able to make the connection that this blade must be Zelos'. It's glitzy enough to be, for sure, but the color of it, the strength that pours out in waves - that's all Zelos.
Lloyd strains his eyes to look past the bright light expanding out from the blade in a fashion resembling the shape of the crossguard and the blade right below the tang, where the shape resembling the core crystal is. He can't see too much of the inner workings of the sword - wants to know so badly how the energy is being controlled within the blade, how the weight is distributed if half of the blade is simply light energy, why the choice of a crossguard that curves inward on the hilt over a deliberately straight one, or why the area right below the shoulders is shaped like a diamond -
He wishes Dirk were here. With enough time and the ability to look over the blade freely, maybe they could figure out its workings, or how to replicate it (albeit without the powerful ether that runs down the fuller of the blade). The outline of its bright glow is burning itself into Lloyd's eyesight, so he blinks down hard and calls out Sheena's name, waving. As he gets closer to the two, he finds himself glancing back at the sword, squinting a bit. Why the base shape of a broadsword? Wouldn't that leave the wielder more likely to burn themselves with the energy pouring out from the flat of the blade? Where are the pieces that keep the nearly separated blade and shoulders locked in on each other -
He needs to stop zoning out! But the blade is so cool!
(And he is Dirk's son, afterall.)
"What a cool blade!" Lloyd says out light, excitement pouring out of his voice like a kid in a candy store. "You look like you have no idea what you're doing!"
LLOYD IS BEING A GODDAMN ENGINEER RN, SORRY
He missed Zelos' presence. And this Zelos isn't his own, but that laugh - that delighted, sharp cackle - it's the same one. And Lloyd missed it so bad.
Already, his leftover anxiety from his talk with Anna flows out of his system, and he jogs over to where the sound is coming from, grin widening as he sees Zelos rolling on the ground, shaking with laughter. Sheena's bright red, embarrassment plain on her face, and Lloyd can only guess as to what had happened, the scene bringing memories of their previous journey, but he lingers on them for only a few seconds before he's distracted by the cool fucking sword Sheena is holding with both hands! Holy shit, that thing is huge!
It's glowing bright orange, is the first thing that strikes him, bathing Sheena in a fiery light that engulfs the purple of her outfit. And it's Zelos' orange, too, pouring out from the flat of the blade in a shape not unlike the core crystal Zelos has, the one Lloyd's only seen glimpses of. Two plus two equals four, and with the quick explanations on blades Malos had given Lloyd the night before, Lloyd's able to make the connection that this blade must be Zelos'. It's glitzy enough to be, for sure, but the color of it, the strength that pours out in waves - that's all Zelos.
Lloyd strains his eyes to look past the bright light expanding out from the blade in a fashion resembling the shape of the crossguard and the blade right below the tang, where the shape resembling the core crystal is. He can't see too much of the inner workings of the sword - wants to know so badly how the energy is being controlled within the blade, how the weight is distributed if half of the blade is simply light energy, why the choice of a crossguard that curves inward on the hilt over a deliberately straight one, or why the area right below the shoulders is shaped like a diamond -
He wishes Dirk were here. With enough time and the ability to look over the blade freely, maybe they could figure out its workings, or how to replicate it (albeit without the powerful ether that runs down the fuller of the blade). The outline of its bright glow is burning itself into Lloyd's eyesight, so he blinks down hard and calls out Sheena's name, waving. As he gets closer to the two, he finds himself glancing back at the sword, squinting a bit. Why the base shape of a broadsword? Wouldn't that leave the wielder more likely to burn themselves with the energy pouring out from the flat of the blade? Where are the pieces that keep the nearly separated blade and shoulders locked in on each other -
He needs to stop zoning out! But the blade is so cool!
(And he is Dirk's son, afterall.)
"What a cool blade!" Lloyd says out light, excitement pouring out of his voice like a kid in a candy store. "You look like you have no idea what you're doing!"