genessia | 007: And Then The Walls Fell Down [Action/Video]

Entry tags:

007: And Then The Walls Fell Down [Action/Video]

[Action]

[It was not difficult to notice that the bay had mysteriously disappeared, as he walked past it fairly regularly on his way to work. Normally, Zelos would avoid something odd like this entirely, dismissing it as too much effort to investigate, or just 'someone else's problem'. However...it looked harmless enough, and soon his curiosity got the better of him.

Wandering over to the where the old bay was, he slipped off his shoes and socks, pulled up his trousers past his knees, and headed into the cool water. He wasn't stupid enough to stray into the giant hole in the middle, of course, for now focusing on the small lights glittering around him.

Huh.

Tentatively, he reached into the water and scooped two of them into his hands to get a closer look. Before he could work out what they were, the two stars shattered, one after the other...]

[First Memory, Semi-open*]

A flurry of snow fell steadily past the windows of the Wilder mansion. Zelos - only a young child of 10 or so - bounced on the balls of his feet, staring up with wide eyes at the sky and across the city rooftops, the city square and the trees, all covered in a steadily growing blanket of white. Nothing like this had ever happened before.

Of course, when he finally tore his eyes away from the strange sight, the first person he ran to was his mother, racing past the family butler as he did so. To say the least, the friendly warnings of "Master Zelos, please do not race around the halls in such a manner..." were left entirely unheard by the excited child.

He found her drinking tea in the drawing room, dressed in an ornate, pale red gown fit for the noblewoman she was, long blonde hair done up in a tidy bun. She gave Zelos a tired look, a small, despairing sigh escaping her that he did not notice as he ran to her side, pestering his mother to come out and play in the snow with him.

To his absolute delight and surprise, she finally got to her feet, following her son as he dragged her as fast as he could into the gardens. Zelos was barely able to hide the bright smile filling his face and spring in his step.

The feeling of snow under his feet, the crunching sound that came with it, the little twinges of cold as the flakes melted onto his outstretched hands fascinated him. For a while, his mother just waited by the wide doorway, watching her son play with a bored disinterest. Eventually, though, she walked over to him and crouched down, starting to roll a large ball of snow. Zelos soon got the hint, starting on one of his own until it was big enough to make a snowman's head. Together, they carefully rolled the head onto the body, and Zelos gathered some twigs and stones to give it arms and a face, before standing on his tiptoes to drape his own scarf around it's shoulders.

But then, in a flash, the snowman fell apart. A deep red splatter hit what remained of it's body.

Zelos froze, only able to stare as his mother staggered from the spell's impact. She fell, grabbing onto her son's shoulder to try and support herself. The boy couldn't find his voice, his mouth just forming the word 'Mother' but no words escaped him. With her last, rasping breaths, she spoke to him for the last time:

"You should never have been born,"

Her hand slipped from his shoulder, and she fell to the ground. The snow around them slowly turned red with blood.

[*OOC: Because of how much of an impact this memory has on Zelos, I'd rather not too many people see it. If you're curious though and we haven't discussed it already, feel free to drop me a PM!]

[Second Memory, OPEN]

So, the group were getting ready to fight the angel Yggdrasil once and for all. Despite the tension and drive that filled the air that morning, Zelos felt strangely…empty. He released a long breath, that formed into mist in the cold air. He kept a bit of a distance from the others - just enough so that it wouldn't look suspicious. Knowing them, they'd assume he was mentally preparing himself for the fight.

Despite his efforts, though, Lloyd caught him as they prepared to leave town, brow furrowed as concern wrote itself into his usually kind and sure expresson.

"…Zelos, can I really trust you?"

That was it, then. Of all the people he hoped might, somehow learn to believe in him…in the end, it was all for nothing? Lloyd, the most forgiving, open-hearted person he'd ever met, even he couldn't bring himself to put his faith in him?

"What are you saying?" he replied, a fake smile and lighthearted tone easily slipping into place once again, "Of course you can trust me! I’m the type that responds to people’s trust."

"Really?" Lloyd still wasn't convinced? That only twisted the knife deeper. He really wasn't worthy of anyone's trust, he knew that.

"Really! Really, really, come on, let's go!" Zelos replied. He just wanted out of this talk.

Luckily, Lloyd was soon distracted by the others, and that gave him plenty of time to excuse himself. The journey to the Tower of Salvation was a quiet one, each member of the party lost in their respective thoughts. Soon enough… the massive building grew closer. Their journey was nearly over. Just as they ran to the entrance, it became apparent that the angels - winged beings with expressionless faces, armour and wings, were ready to get in their way. The lifeless beings kept coming, threatening to block both their route in and their route out.

"Lloyd! This way!" Huh. So Yuan had come to help them after all. Before the angels could make their strike, their former enemy ushered the small party into a secret passage.

"Why are you helping us?" Lloyd asked.

Yuan shrugged off the question, focusing on the path ahead. "Now that the truth about me is known to Yggdrasil, the only way left to save Martel is to work with you. Don’t think that I want to be your friend or anything."

Wow, talk about sour, but at least he was honest.

"You have a real negative attitude, you know that?" Lloyd said with a sigh, "Well, whatever. Thanks for helping us. Let’s go everyone!"

It wouldn't be long now. As Lloyd and Yuan chatted, Zelos hung at the back of the party, focusing on Colette. This shouldn't be too hard. At least he'd finally, finally get out of this nightmare.

[The betrayal, part 1]
[The betrayal, part 2 - if you want to skip the fight, jump to 8:15]

[Zelos staggered back, hand clasped over his mouth as all the colour drained from his face. For now, he just focused on swallowing back the nausea rising up his throat, he had to make sure he didn't throw up right in the middle of this place. Don't be sick. Don't be sick.

His other hand clutched at his stomach and his side, just to make sure the wounds hadn't somehow returned. It was all so painfully real. As if he was right there, fighting his former friends again, dying a second time.

And his mother...That memory was somehow worst of all.]

[Video, a few hours after the memory-sharing mess, OPEN]

[Zelos wouldn't normally give a PSA to help everyone else in town, but for now…he really didn't want to chance anyone else finding out about his history.

Those who had spoken to Zelos before might notice that he looked a little agitated - something he tried to mask with a bored expression.]

…Guys, quick word of advice. Might want to avoid where the Bay used to be. It's pulling some really screwy stuff right now.

[With the message out the way, the feed abruptly ends.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[OOC: I wrote up the memory on his journal if that helps..]

[He could see him at least and well... he could honestly say he could understand him to an extent, but he knew he could come right out and say it. No, that just didn't seem right. Instead he made his way over, wading through the water and trying to best to at least try and be helpful.]

Hey, you know if something is bothering you, I'm more than happy to be of help.

[OOC: Ah! Thank you, I didn't see that there.]

Uh...yeah, word of advice, don't touch--

[He gave a small gesture to the little balls of light around them, but in the careless sweep of his hand another had got itself caught in his fingers, shattering.

At which point he found himself lost in another memory. More snow...just what he really didn't want to see right now. But this time, it wasn't one of his own. He knew that straight off, just from the large tower, the falling body...who's was this? That blonde hair, though, it didn't take him long to guess.

'Is simply being alive... a crime?'

...That was a feeling he could relate to. When the vision finally cleared and settled on his friend, it took him a moment to find his voice again.]

Fai.

[What could he even say to that?]

Edited 2015-04-26 02:23 (UTC)

[He had already figured out what the water did. He knew what the other had been trying to say to him. To warn him. but never the less, he just smiled. Hiding behind it, instead of feeling how he really felt.]

I would say, thanks for the warning, but too little to late on that one.

[he paused for a moment. He said his name and he couldn't quite figure out why just yet.]

That's my name, don't wear it out, Zelos-kun.

Right...guessing you saw stuff too? Damn...

[He, too, was trying to keep his mask up - acting as if he wasn't bothered, that this was a boring, everyday occurrence. But it wasn't too convincing.

Perhaps it was the cold water, but he found himself shivering. Zelos rubbed at his arms, trying to focus on the warmth the friction generated.

How to even touch this subject, though... Whatever the case, he should at least apologise for seeing what he did.]

...Pretty sure you didn't want me seeing that junk though. Sorry.

Yeah... [He had never felt this awkward before. He didn't know what to say or do really as something like this had never happened before, His eyes looked away, unsure of what to do next.]

No one wants people... to see that kind of thing. If we never talk about it, then it's good.

[Awkward was...definitely an understatement.]

Dunno, I mean...guess there's a time and a place to mention it. You know, that didn't involve everything getting dragged out through the dirt anyway.

[Zelos sighed, focusing on the stars in the water to make sure he didn't touch any of the others. He still didn't know what exactly Fai had seen, and right now he didn't know whether or not he would rather this topic was just shoved aside and never brought up again. Those little doubts nagged away at the back of his mind.]

Not in public is one of those places to not mention it.

[He had slowly made his way to the side, slowly but surely getting out of the water. He was actually rather glad to get out of there. He didn't want to see anything else after all.]

Best to get out before it happens again~

Y-yeah, public's usually not a great place for chatting about this stuff, huh?

[Fai did have a point though, and Zelos slowly headed out the water. Right now, he really didn't want to chance touching any more of those damn things. His steps were a little shaky, but thankfully he made it to the bank without any further incident.

That just left the awkward silence and the massive elephant in the room to worry about.]

...Mine or your's? Coffee or tea miiiight help us warm up a bit, right?

Um... In this case, I believe my place is closer since well I live in Genessia as well as work here.

[It meant they could talk it out sooner rather than later and make this whole thing a lot less awkward.]

I'll be sure to have some treats as well as the tea. [He starts to walk on a little head, knowing it would take a little whil to get there though.]

[Yeah, getting this awkward conversation out the way sooner rather than later would probably be best, then it could just be buried and they'd never have to bring it up again, right?]

Great, treats sound great~

[Zelos chuckled, trying to make it sound as natural as possible, but the wariness in his tone easily slipped through. He wasn't fooling anyone, was he?

For now though, Zelos quietly followed a little way behind him.]

[Fai felt more and more awkward as the walk continued. He was kind of glad it was only going to take five minutes or so to get back. Once he could see the apartment complex, he dug his hands into his pockets, puling out the somewhat wet keys before he started up the stairs towards his place.

He waited till he got to the door and opened before he even spoke again.]

Come in and I'll make some tea.

[Zelos was so lost in his own thoughts by the time they arrived, that it took him a second to register that Fai was talking to him.]

Tea...yeah, tea. Tea's good. Thanks.

[Whether there was any thought going into the words coming out of his mouth anymore was another matter. It felt like he was just saying anything - any words to patch out the awkward silence.]

[He had walked into the kitchen, getting the kettle ready. With each movement his mind of been drifting further and further off into what he was going to say or do next. It was kind of a serious moment. As the kettle started to boil he grabbed a couple of cups and put in the tea bags. He waited for the water to boil before grabbing the kettle and pouring the water in.]

Tea is ready. [He called before stirring and bringing it through as he soon placed them down along with milk and sugar should he want it. Even though there was nothing else to do, he still didn't have a clue what to say and it only made it feel more awkward.]

[Zelos had a long reputation of approaching serious situations absolutely terribly. And this was definitely no exception to the rule. Damn. There was only so long he could get away with putting off the obvious, though, sadly for Zelos.]

Thanks, Fai.

[He took a seat on the sofa, adding some milk to the tea, staring at the mug rather than Fai himself. As if this would help.]

So...what'd you end up seeing, anyway?

[Asked in the casual manner as asking someone how they spent their weekend.]

[He had finally gone to sit down, unsure of what to say, but thankfully Zelos sorted that out, even if the subject was something they probably wished that they wouldn't have to talk about.]

Well... That I know is something you would never want to talk about. It looks like a pretty bad memory of yours after all. But if you want me to say it out loud, I will. It seemed like you were told something that... Well honestly I don't get why at all.

[This was definitely high on the list of things Zelos never wanted to mention, ever. Still...it needed to be dealt with, eventually.]

Dunno, been told a lot of pretty accurate things in my life.

[Deep down, he still believed his mother's words. Lloyd refusing to trust him only solidified the point in his mind.

For now, he hoped he could just work out exactly what Fai saw as quickly as possible.]

...red snow, right?

[He hadn't dropped his casual tone, but as he said this, he turned his gaze to the mug in front of him.]

That's right. I assume it was blood not actual snow?

[He had to be sure of that because red snow for him was odd... and he was more than use to seeing snow because of where he was from.]

[So he had seen that...the moment his mother died. Dammit.]

Yeah, blood.

[His voice came out hollower than he expected.]

[He figured as such as he kept quiet, unsure of what to say next. But soon something did come out.]

I can't really say anything to make it better because honestly... I should be the last one to do that considering. But I can understand how things people say can really effect a person.

...the longer you think about it, the more you start questioning whether it's true or not.

[He gave a little shrug.]

I saw some stuff from your past, as well. For what it's worth... I'm glad you're around, Fai.

You mean the memories or what the people say? because if it's the former they are probably real and if it's the latter... Then I guess there is some things to think about really.

he certainly had to wonder. If he was cursed wouldn't he have caused problems here too? But he hadn't? Could it be because his brother wasn't here or something else?]

I should have known someone would sooner or later... Oh well.. At least it was you that saw it. [he put on his best smile sitting down and simply looking at the ceiling for a moment.]

The latter. I mean, hard not to believe everything people tell you, right?

[He paused, focusing on the teacup as Fai spoke.]

Sorry. Wasn't really my place to go prying around...pretty sure you can guess what it showed me.

I try and not believe anything.

[He nods slightly, he can pretty much guess at this moment in time.]

I have a good guess since I saw my own memory before you did. I guess so long as we don't tell anyone, it should be okay.

That's easier said than done, you know?

[At least he didn't have to say the memory out loud. He didn't want to drag up the painful memories and hurt Fai anymore than he had to.]

...I'm all for keeping this between us. Don't exactly want the whole of Genessia to know.

[He forced out a chuckle, but he knew that felt forced and more than a little awkward.]

I'm all for that as well, why air out dirty laundry, you know.

[He soon sighed, putting a hand behind his head. Not much he could say on the matter, but at least they agreed.]

007: And Then The Walls Fell Down [Action/Video]

action; memory 1

action; memory 1

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;