[A day's long enough that it takes Zelos a few extra seconds to remember why Raine's talking about this. Funny; he should be used to that. Raine has a tendency to pick up conversations right from where she left off, no matter how much time passed in between.]
[It works, doesn't it? Zelos has figured out what she meant, after all, and there hasn't been any extraneous time taken up re-hashing what they don't need to.]
Let me see... he succeeded, temporarily, in resurrecting Martel through Colette, but she refused.
The denial by his sister, however, seemed to break Mithos further, and so that was where we fought.
...You were with us, by that point. Many of us had fallen into traps in Derris-Kharlan, along the way to try to reach Colette; you and Kratos together saved us all.
[Herself included. Raine knows Zelos won't be happy to hear of Kratos's inclusion; but it's important, after all, and perhaps it will be helpful to know that Kratos was there too. Concretely helping.]
[Kratos was the one offering Zelos his help, the moment before Zelos got pulled into Keeliai. Hearing that they worked together after that isn't as surprising as when Zelos first heard that they actually win.
A part of Zelos still can't wrap his mind around that. He didn't think Lloyd's idealism was possible. He didn't think it could be that strong.]
Colette turned out okay? Having a goddess inside her head didn't mess her up?
Colette seems to be fine, and it's been a little while since that fight.
And Martel... wound up somewhere else entirely. She left Colette's body of her own choice. She'd been awake all that time, she said-- unable to do anything but watch Mithos.
[Four thousand years. Raine can barely fathom Martel's existence.]
The fight was... difficult, but not impossible. In the end, all that was left was Mithos's Cruxis crystal.
[Zelos doesn't have words. He can be flippant -- Goddess finally grew a consience, etc. etc. -- but contrary to popular belief, he actually does know when to stop. Being awake but totally helpless for four thousand years sounds like a fresh level of hell.]
Oh, tell me you guys remembered to destroy the cruxis crystal. After everything Regal and Presea went through? Seriously?
[... Okay, he can't be too harsh. If he was there, then he forgot as well. Maybe he wouldn't even have pegged it now if Raine hadn't been so ominous.]
Genis wanted to keep it. It seemed dormant; we didn't realize Mithos would be able to move it.
[It was a crystal. That shouldn't have been possible, or so she thought.]
We made the pact with Origin, and then he possessed Genis, taking him to Derris-Kharlan. I believe I mentioned something of the sort earlier. So it was necessary for us all to pursue him, and there was one more battle to be fought.
...I wasn't with you, but in Derris-Kharlan that time, all of us faced certain images of our pasts, preying on our weaknesses. I'm told you surmounted yours.
[Damn it, Genis. Way to put everyone in danger, you little brat.
... And, again, Zelos can't be too harsh. He was there, even if he doesn't remember it.]
Oh. Good. [Images of his past? What could that have been? He can make a few guesses, and none of them are encouraging, so Zelos goes back to the 'surmounted' part.] So we won that last fight. And I guess after that, Lloyd united the worlds. Everyone lived happily ever after. Am I missing anything?
[He sounds a little bitter. He feels a little bitter. It's as surprising to him as it probably is to Raine.]
[Hey. Hey. Good thing that wasn't in your outside voice, Zelos.]
No, that's more or less how it happened. We fought Mithos once more; Lloyd shattered his Cruxis crystal, and then Lloyd reunited the worlds and germinated the Seed. With Colette's help.
[Raine hears that bitterness, Zelos. She gives him a flat look.]
If you try to say it could have been done without you, I can guarantee you won't like the results.
Why? 'Cause you'll hit me? [Zelos hesitates, then smiles into the camera.] Obviously, I was irreplaceable. Totally crucial to the whole thing. There's no way you could have done it without me.
[How can he be jealous of himself? If everything goes according to plan, he'll eventually be the one who helps them out. The one who makes the decision to stand up and keep going. Keeliai is supposed to be a reprieve, not some consequence of failing.]
[Wait, isn't he trying not to be bitter? That totally counts as a tease, though, right? Good-natured friendship teasing.
Zelos makes the conscious decision to relax.]
Hey, thanks for letting me know. Something for me to look forward to! ... You know, once the worlds are saved. I'm not looking forward to the fights or anything.
Of course I did. [That part he never doubted. But...] I swear that almost sounded like a compliment. I haven't heard one of those from you since the time you found out I could help teach Lloyd and Genis math.
[And technically not even then. It occurs to Zelos that Raine doesn't give out compliments very often -- and definitely not to him. He's not sure whether to be touched or not.]
[He doesn't mean to sound derogatory, except for where he totally does. Anyone who can get along with Genis probably isn't much fun to be around. Or he's like Lloyd, which is kind of disturbing where being engaged to Raine is concerned.
Zelos brightens.] His life was probably a whole lot better with a decent cook around. What did you guys eat before then?
[Raine raises an eyebrow at him. That's an odd reaction. Getting along with Genis rapidly isn't at all a usual thing, after all.]
[That lasts about three seconds before she scowls.]
We weren't without recourse. We were living in the Midnight Hotel at the time; the proprietor often cooked himself, but regardless usually there were meals provided.
[And flattery has the upside of being nice for everyone involved, even when you know it's leading somewhere. Especially when you know it's leading somewhere.]
It's bigger than I thought. One of the first things I saw at the Welcome Center was a map of the turtle's shell. That made Keeliai look like a tiny village, and here it could easily rival the city I was born in back home.
[This is followed with a definite change in the nature of Zelos's smile.]
But I'm not so busy that I can't keep you company. Are you lonely, Madame Rosyn?
A sense of scale is important, [Rosyn agrees, amused.] But bigger is not always better.
[It's nice to find a Foreigner who isn't so uncomfortable with Rosyn's usual style of banter and her profession. Delightful.]
That depends on what you mean by lonely. I am hardly ever alone, which is actually something of a pity. It does make certain intimacies difficult to entertain. [Also she's many times Zelos' age, so the prospect of his company is hilarious.] I wouldn't say no if you had the time.
[Zelos used to take advantage of Meltokio's size when he was younger to hide; people always immediately assumed he'd be impossible to find, and all the while he was hiding right under their noses in the castle. But Rosyn's right -- for more reasons than just the one.]
Hm. [Zelos leans his chin on one hand.] Tell you what -- if you find the space, let me know, and I'm sure I can find some time. For an elegant beauty like yourself, I can find a lot more.
I've more than enough space at the Lantern, depending on your interests. [Rosyn is quiet for a moment before she laughs brightly.] You've had quite a lot of experience charming people, haven't you?
Good afternoon, Mr. Wilder - forgive the formalities, it's hard to tell how each of the Foreigners prefers to be addressed without getting to know you better.
[The kedan looks a little weather-beaten, and he's smiling almost self-deprecatingly.]
My name is Cheym; I work with other kedan outside the city on agriculture, among other things. Since you haven't been here long, welcome to Keeliai.
[Gosh, Zelos is getting popular. He puts his chin in one hand, watching the kedan with a slightly lopsided smile.]
Eh, you can just call me Zelos. ['Mr Wilder' isn't too bad -- it's better than Chosen -- but still way too formal for Zelos's tastes.] Thanks, Cheym. Hey, not for nothing, but are you going through and welcoming every Foreigner, or am I just special?
[Ah, politics. Zelos has been keeping out of it for the most part since he's been here, but he can't say he's unhappy to be coming across it again. It's something familiar.]
Uh-huh. And what kind of 'special attention' do I merit? I gotta warn you, I'm not very discreet. People might talk. I could live with that, but I'm not sure you could.
[That's absolutely a more important question than why he merits the special attention.]
Oh, I've no concerns about your discretion, Zelos. Let them talk. [Just because he can, Cheym winks.] You're new here, which means the kedan don't know you as well. Those of us that work outside the city get less information on the Foreigners in general, but it's worth getting to know you a bit better.
[Oh ho. You can tell a surprising amount about someone by how they react to something unexpected -- and don't think Zelos hasn't made note of that wink -- but the thing that gets Zelos's attention is Cheym doesn't proceed to dismiss him as someone too ridiculous to take seriously.
He needs to find out more about Keeliai's government.]
Well, it can't be about me. I haven't done anything yet. As far as I can tell, the only thing special about me is that I'm a Foreigner. So what's the big idea? You want to snap me up before someone else does?
The ebb and flow of politics in Keeliai is always changing. It's worth making as many friends and allies as one can, in case things shift in an unpleasant direction.
[Cheym shrugs mildly.]
Foreigners are special, in point of fact. And while not all the kedan appreciate your presence here, ignoring or demeaning Foreigners is far less productive than attempting to work with them.
[Zelos makes a mental note to ask someone about this. Where he's from, no one in the royal family would ever descend to interacting directly with their subjects like this. Maybe things work differently here. Sure would be a nice change of pace.]
Okay, so you need friends. Befriend me. Tell me all about... what was it, agriculture?
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['Are you all right' strikes her as a foolish question, given the context and the person in question. Raine leads with something different.]
Shall I tell you the details, of how we defeated Mithos?
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[A day's long enough that it takes Zelos a few extra seconds to remember why Raine's talking about this. Funny; he should be used to that. Raine has a tendency to pick up conversations right from where she left off, no matter how much time passed in between.]
Oh, you mean because of -- ? Sure, why not.
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Let me see... he succeeded, temporarily, in resurrecting Martel through Colette, but she refused.
The denial by his sister, however, seemed to break Mithos further, and so that was where we fought.
...You were with us, by that point. Many of us had fallen into traps in Derris-Kharlan, along the way to try to reach Colette; you and Kratos together saved us all.
[Herself included. Raine knows Zelos won't be happy to hear of Kratos's inclusion; but it's important, after all, and perhaps it will be helpful to know that Kratos was there too. Concretely helping.]
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A part of Zelos still can't wrap his mind around that. He didn't think Lloyd's idealism was possible. He didn't think it could be that strong.]
Colette turned out okay? Having a goddess inside her head didn't mess her up?
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And Martel... wound up somewhere else entirely. She left Colette's body of her own choice. She'd been awake all that time, she said-- unable to do anything but watch Mithos.
[Four thousand years. Raine can barely fathom Martel's existence.]
The fight was... difficult, but not impossible. In the end, all that was left was Mithos's Cruxis crystal.
...At least, at first.
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[Zelos doesn't have words. He can be flippant -- Goddess finally grew a consience, etc. etc. -- but contrary to popular belief, he actually does know when to stop. Being awake but totally helpless for four thousand years sounds like a fresh level of hell.]
Oh, tell me you guys remembered to destroy the cruxis crystal. After everything Regal and Presea went through? Seriously?
[... Okay, he can't be too harsh. If he was there, then he forgot as well. Maybe he wouldn't even have pegged it now if Raine hadn't been so ominous.]
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[...and then Raine has to shake her head.]
Genis wanted to keep it. It seemed dormant; we didn't realize Mithos would be able to move it.
[It was a crystal. That shouldn't have been possible, or so she thought.]
We made the pact with Origin, and then he possessed Genis, taking him to Derris-Kharlan. I believe I mentioned something of the sort earlier. So it was necessary for us all to pursue him, and there was one more battle to be fought.
...I wasn't with you, but in Derris-Kharlan that time, all of us faced certain images of our pasts, preying on our weaknesses. I'm told you surmounted yours.
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... And, again, Zelos can't be too harsh. He was there, even if he doesn't remember it.]
Oh. Good. [Images of his past? What could that have been? He can make a few guesses, and none of them are encouraging, so Zelos goes back to the 'surmounted' part.] So we won that last fight. And I guess after that, Lloyd united the worlds. Everyone lived happily ever after. Am I missing anything?
[He sounds a little bitter. He feels a little bitter. It's as surprising to him as it probably is to Raine.]
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No, that's more or less how it happened. We fought Mithos once more; Lloyd shattered his Cruxis crystal, and then Lloyd reunited the worlds and germinated the Seed. With Colette's help.
[Raine hears that bitterness, Zelos. She gives him a flat look.]
If you try to say it could have been done without you, I can guarantee you won't like the results.
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[How can he be jealous of himself? If everything goes according to plan, he'll eventually be the one who helps them out. The one who makes the decision to stand up and keep going. Keeliai is supposed to be a reprieve, not some consequence of failing.]
There, is that better?
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I can be more inventive than that about punishments.
[But it is better, and she relaxes, offering him a tiny smile in return.]
Yes, that is better. And entirely accurate, as it happens.
[And Zelos should remember how much she doesn't overstate things that don't have to do with ruins.]
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[Wait, isn't he trying not to be bitter? That totally counts as a tease, though, right? Good-natured friendship teasing.
Zelos makes the conscious decision to relax.]
Hey, thanks for letting me know. Something for me to look forward to! ... You know, once the worlds are saved. I'm not looking forward to the fights or anything.
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You acquit yourself admirably in the fighting too, naturally, if that makes any difference.
[It's a genuine compliment.]
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[And technically not even then. It occurs to Zelos that Raine doesn't give out compliments very often -- and definitely not to him. He's not sure whether to be touched or not.]
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There aren't many people who are ahead of Genis in math. It's an accomplishment to be proud of.
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Yeah, well. If he ever shows up and makes that accomplishment useful, let me know.
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You missed him by about a year and a half.
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[Whoops.
A year and a half is a long time, though. Maybe not to a half-elf or an angel, but to most people. How old is Raine, anyway?]
Did he miss your engagement?
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[Raine nods shortly.]
But he knew Solomon; and, after some initial tension, they seemed to... get along. Genis taught Solomon to cook.
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[He doesn't mean to sound derogatory, except for where he totally does. Anyone who can get along with Genis probably isn't much fun to be around. Or he's like Lloyd, which is kind of disturbing where being engaged to Raine is concerned.
Zelos brightens.] His life was probably a whole lot better with a decent cook around. What did you guys eat before then?
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[That lasts about three seconds before she scowls.]
We weren't without recourse. We were living in the Midnight Hotel at the time; the proprietor often cooked himself, but regardless usually there were meals provided.
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Hello, dear. I believe I left our last conversation unfinished - shall we remedy that?
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Hello, my elegant beauty! You know, I don't think we got properly introduced. I'm --
[-- not a known celebrity. Not in Keeliai. Even after a month, Zelos still has to pause for a split second before continuing.]
-- Zelos. Zelos Wilder. And you -- you're Rosyn, right?
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You seem to have learned the lesson that flattery will get you everywhere, Zelos. And yes, that is my name. How are you finding Keeliai? Keeping busy?
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[And flattery has the upside of being nice for everyone involved, even when you know it's leading somewhere. Especially when you know it's leading somewhere.]
It's bigger than I thought. One of the first things I saw at the Welcome Center was a map of the turtle's shell. That made Keeliai look like a tiny village, and here it could easily rival the city I was born in back home.
[This is followed with a definite change in the nature of Zelos's smile.]
But I'm not so busy that I can't keep you company. Are you lonely, Madame Rosyn?
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[It's nice to find a Foreigner who isn't so uncomfortable with Rosyn's usual style of banter and her profession. Delightful.]
That depends on what you mean by lonely. I am hardly ever alone, which is actually something of a pity. It does make certain intimacies difficult to entertain. [Also she's many times Zelos' age, so the prospect of his company is hilarious.] I wouldn't say no if you had the time.
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[Zelos used to take advantage of Meltokio's size when he was younger to hide; people always immediately assumed he'd be impossible to find, and all the while he was hiding right under their noses in the castle. But Rosyn's right -- for more reasons than just the one.]
Hm. [Zelos leans his chin on one hand.] Tell you what -- if you find the space, let me know, and I'm sure I can find some time. For an elegant beauty like yourself, I can find a lot more.
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[Part and parcel with being the Chosen. In a brief change of tact, Zelos's chin slides into his hands.]
Do you want me for my charm, Madame Rosyn? Or do you want me to charm someone else for you?
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[The kedan looks a little weather-beaten, and he's smiling almost self-deprecatingly.]
My name is Cheym; I work with other kedan outside the city on agriculture, among other things. Since you haven't been here long, welcome to Keeliai.
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Eh, you can just call me Zelos. ['Mr Wilder' isn't too bad -- it's better than Chosen -- but still way too formal for Zelos's tastes.] Thanks, Cheym. Hey, not for nothing, but are you going through and welcoming every Foreigner, or am I just special?
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I'm speaking to a number of Foreigners, but not the entire roster. Some, like yourself, do indeed merit special attention for one reason or another.
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Uh-huh. And what kind of 'special attention' do I merit? I gotta warn you, I'm not very discreet. People might talk. I could live with that, but I'm not sure you could.
[That's absolutely a more important question than why he merits the special attention.]
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Well. That's interesting.]
Oh, I've no concerns about your discretion, Zelos. Let them talk. [Just because he can, Cheym winks.] You're new here, which means the kedan don't know you as well. Those of us that work outside the city get less information on the Foreigners in general, but it's worth getting to know you a bit better.
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He needs to find out more about Keeliai's government.]
Well, it can't be about me. I haven't done anything yet. As far as I can tell, the only thing special about me is that I'm a Foreigner. So what's the big idea? You want to snap me up before someone else does?
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[Cheym shrugs mildly.]
Foreigners are special, in point of fact. And while not all the kedan appreciate your presence here, ignoring or demeaning Foreigners is far less productive than attempting to work with them.
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Okay, so you need friends. Befriend me. Tell me all about... what was it, agriculture?