i just wanna know: who broke it?

[summonerd]

[Sheena'd thought she was all done with dimensional travel, now that the two worlds were united. But here she is, having fallen asleep in one world and woken up in a Tethe'alla that's just different enough from the one she knows to be constantly jarring. Her connections to Aselia's summon spirits dangle loose, snapped by distance - not even Origin's power could follow her here, it seems. That's more than a little unsettling.

It takes her some time, alone in a bizarro version of Meltokio as she is, but eventually she stumbles on a lead - an old scientific journal, a mention of the power of something called an Aegis being able to transcend space and time, at least in theory. And a little asking around tells her that Tethe'alla has its own Aegis, though no one's seen it for years. Well. Worth a shot, right?

Somehow she manages to talk her way into the Tethe'allan castle where the Aegis's core crystal awaits being woken up, with a series of smiles and her very best politicking - yes, of course she's got nothing but loyalty for Tethe'alla, of course she's skilled at this, of course it'd be a great honor.

(Zelos would be proud, she thinks, wryly.)

They're dubious, but her persistence wears them down, or maybe they're just desperate enough for a return of the Aegis's power to let her try, and the orange core crystal is offered out to her.

She takes a deep breath, and reaches out to touch it.]

Comments

[GETS RUN OVER BY A TRAIN AND DIES AGAIN]

[presidentheartbeat]

"Augh!"

Being pulled into a hug immediately jolts Zelos awake and he yelps, hands flailing about uselessly as he gathers his bearings. Who? What? Where? What the fuck--okay, recap. He just finished reconfiguring himself, had a conversation with Sheena. And if he's awake again and back in the real world, which he deduces from the weight on top of him and, the scent of firewood near him, and the loud laughter in his ears, then Sheena must be nearby.

Someone's on top of him, but--hold on, it's too dark to see and his ether lines aren't exactly illuminating them well enough. But this person's shoulders are way too broad to be Sheena, that's the first thing Zelos notes. And this hair, it's a mess, but in an entirely different way from Sheena's. Hm. He sets his hands on their back, and--

Oh.

There's that familiar, discordant, powerful ether-mana signature pulling itself down a right arm. He knows this signature, has already felt it once before. It's nothing like Sheena's own.

"What the hell, Lloyd!" he exclaims, tapping at Lloyd's head, trying to go for exasperated and instead managing to slip out something fond. His other hand is still on the other's back in some sort of hug. He scoffs. "I can't breathe, dumbass! And what kinda greeting is this? Where's my damn flowers!"

NOOOOOOOOO

[risingfalcon]

Zelos yelps beneath him, and Lloyd just clings a little tighter as the Aegis protests the sudden hug, calling out Lloyd's name with a fond yet exasperated tone. He knows this probably isn't the best way to be greeted after self-destructing, but Lloyd's just so happy, giggling in Zelos' neck and taking in the tangible, physical reality that Zelos is here, that he's back, and that he remembers. Hearing his own name come out of Zelos' mouth makes Lloyd's smile widen, relief forcing his eyes to water for a moment before he blinks it away, picking himself off the helpless blade and sitting off to his side.

Zelos is glowing bright against the dark, grin infectious as he looks up at Lloyd, and not for the first time Lloyd feels his heart skip a beat. He's radiant and gorgeous as he always is, but while Lloyd usually forces the sappy crush down far into his heart in order to function, he lets himself feel it for once, smiling, relieved, and so so so joyous. "I'm sorry," he laughs a little, because, well, Lloyd knows he isn't the lightest guy around and he just crushed Zelos, "I just couldn't help myself! I'm so happy you're back. We missed you!"

WHAT'S UP I FINALLY HAVE SPOONS, WANT SOME

[presidentheartbeat]

A roll of his eyes. "I was only gone for like, three days," Zelos laughs, still laying down, way too lazy to get up, yet still holding a hand around Lloyd's arm to anchor himself to the waking world. "I mean, not that I'm against the greeting, mind you," he says, quick, "but I'm fine!"

Zelos blinks. He's the only source of light in the room, and thus the only way he can see Lloyd's joyous smile and energetic expression. The darkness in the room is just as unusual--he'd calculated it'd be morning by now, so what the hell?--as it is inviting, and he almost wants to go back to sleep, but... eh, it's been long enough.

He forces himself to sit up, pushing some hair behind his ear with his free hand and looking over his shoulder. Sheena is on the other side of the bed, waking slowly, and Zelos can't help the scoff that comes out between his smirking lips, or the glow on his cheeks from growing. So... they slept with his Core Crystal between them, huh?

That's... hm, okay. Not gonna think about that. Nope.

"Architect, you'd think my literal driver would be up and happy to see me by now," he jokes, trying in vain to will down the glowing blush and his awkward happiness. He then uses the hand he doesn't have around Lloyd's arm to gently shake Sheena awake, chuckling. "C'mon, Sheena. Don't leave an Aegis waiting! I want flowers!"