009; console; video

[ruinsprofessor]

[Raine has spent much of her week attempting to handle several things at once, and as a result she looks both tired and slightly harried when she appears on video. All the same, there's something she hasn't handled which needs now to be outsourced.]

I'm looking for a Foreigner who arrived here a week or two ago. He's about a head taller than I am-- broad shoulders, auburn hair, carries a single longsword. His name is Kratos.

Should you see him, please don't try to apprehend or otherwise attack him. Simply inform him that I need to speak to him.

[She doesn't know why he's avoiding her. Although she has her suspicions, to confirm any of them would require talking to Kratos and finding out when he's from. Raine hesitates, then adds, very carefully:]

Depending on his point of origin, I may have some messages to relay to him from Lloyd.

...Thank you.

[And back to work. Perhaps this will bear fruit.]

Comments

[choiced]

Thank you, Raine! I knew deep down you really care about me~

[The response is immediate, habitual, and Zelos's expression falls a bit when he belatedly remembers their talk about the events from back home. For a moment, he almost looks at a loss for words; then he rallies and looks suddenly more forbidding.]

Kratos, if you're watching this -- first of all, that's a mean trick to pull, keeping tabs on us without saying anything. But second, Raine deserves better. Show yourself, you arrogant jerk.

[ruinsprofessor]

[She wasn't aware that was in question. Raine raises an eyebrow. Perhaps a warning is merited after all.]

Be careful. I don't think she'll mind you flirting, but she is attached.

[...the latter Raine has nothing to say to; but she smiles faintly. It's an unexpected gesture, but something like a kind one.]

[choiced]

Hey, flirting can be friendly. Especially when someone's attached.

[What do you take him for, Raine. Honestly.

With a sigh and a look off-camera:] Don't worry. If I see Kratos anywhere, I'll drag him back to the Guild.

Hiiii I'm just gonna. jump in here if that's okay

[lasergrenades]

[Pepper looks thoroughly amused by this exchange.]

I think what Raine is trying to say is my 'attachment' might remove one of your fingers if you're not careful about flirting with me.

SAVE HIM FROM HIMSELF, PEPPER

[choiced]

... Oh. [The thought puts a pained look on Zelos's face -- and not necessarily because of losing a finger.] I see. He's the jealous type. Okay, I'll back off.

[He still has to bite back the instinctive reply when he gets a proper look at her. Old habits are hard to break.]

-- so you're Pepper, huh? [Ponder, ponder.] Is it too far out of line if I tell you you're beautiful?

Well, since you asked so nicely

[lasergrenades]

[Pepper can't help her cheeks turning a little pink, even knowing a compliment was probably coming. She laughs quietly. Bakura would likely agree with that one.]

That's-- that's probably okay. And yeah, I'm Pepper, and it's more that he's super protective of things he cares about. [Although jealous maybe isn't the worst way to describe him. They haven't had the opportunity to test Bakura's reaction to this sort of situation yet, really. Or Pepper's, for that matter.] You're Zelos, right?

:D

[choiced]

[Aww, she's cute when she blushes. Zelos manages not to say that, since that probably is toeing the line, but he does grin at her.]

Yep! The one and only. Did Kratos tell you about me? If he did, anything he said is a lie.

[lasergrenades]

We didn't get the chance to talk much while he was walking very, very persistently away. [That is quite the grin. She tilts her head at him, curious.] Why would he lie about you? That didn't really seem like his style. Avoidance seemed like his style.

[choiced]

[Zelos laughs.] Now that sounds like him. Eh, I dunno. He could have said anything. It depends on what he remembers.

[Probably he wouldn't lie, but if he's telling people Zelos can't be trusted, better to nip that in the bud right away.]

I may have done something he misunderstood, that's all. Nothing to worry about. Not until we find him, anyway.

[lasergrenades]

Yeah, I know how that is. The whole timeline thing is weird.

[Pepper leans forward, grinning slyly at Zelos, and speaks in what might be a conspiratorial whisper.]

Did you try flirt with him, too?

[choiced]

-- what?

[When people, especially women, lean in to whisper something, Zelos usually likes what they have to say. This, though? If he were drinking something, he'd be choking.]

With Kratos? Are you insane? No! You've met the guy -- does he seem like someone anyone would flirt with? Ever? Seriously, some days I don't understand how the hell he has a son.

[Deep breath.]

No, I did not try to flirt with Kratos. But now I need to wash my mouth out. With soap. Thanks for that.

also jumping in here this is too good

[denyamenti]

If you want me to remove someone's fingers, biahbenat, you only need to ask. It's not like I need a compelling list of reasons.

i love you so very, very much

[lasergrenades]

[There is an attempt to muffle quiet laughter that's only mildly successful. She knows he's not entirely kidding, and it's... weirdly sweet, in their own strange, un-normal way.]

That is a scary amount of power to have, I hope you know. [A little more slyly:] But I'll keep that in mind.

[denyamenti]

Better to get you started on it early, after all.

[lasergrenades]

This is like some sort of weird, backwards kind of chivalry. [And she likes it. Mostly (Pepper isn't a huge fan of violence, but she can appreciate Bakura's line of thinking). She's just never going to act on the offer.

Probably.]

I think we can get more creative than cutting things off of people, though. It's sort of medieval. Which, while a classic, is maybe not the best thing to be encouraging when I'm supposed to be arresting people for that kind of thing.

[denyamenti]

... adding things onto people, then?

[ Bakura no. ]

[lasergrenades]

[Pepper covers her eyes and laughs again, her shoulders shaking with it.]

Not quite what I meant, but points for creativity, yes. Although, if it's not permanent or super harmful, we might be in business.

[Adventures in duct tape, anyone?]

[denyamenti]

[ The fact that she had to specify super harmless, he is wickledly amused. ]

It's all a matter of perception, after all.

[ruinsprofessor]

Please be careful. If it looks like it will come down to a fight, don't bother.

[She'd rather have the city in one piece and no Foreigners fighting in one peace than Kratos where she can lecture him. Ideally, both: but she knows how to prioritize.]

[choiced]

What, you don't think I could take him?

[Zelos. Zelos no. He's fully aware there's no possible version of a fight which ends well for him, but he also knows a fight could very well happen anyway. Might as well hedge the bets beforehand.

... or just. Not go looking for Kratos. That works too.]

[ruinsprofessor]

[Why this.]

I don't want anyone to be trying to take him. There's no point in causing damage to others for this.

[choiced]

You do remember he was the cause of a lot of our problems, right? Being antagonistic's practically how he greets people.

[But fine, that's mostly Zelos's personal bias talking. He sighs.]

Fine. I won't try to force him.

[ruinsprofessor]

[Mostly, in fact, what Raine recalls is Kratos being impassive, and Lloyd being startled and Zelos being hostile or dismissive or both at once. She raises her eyebrows at Zelos, making her expression pointed, and hopes he'll take the implication without her having to say it.]

Thank you. The last thing we need right now is a full-scale battle.

...I'm well aware he was responsible for some of our difficulties, but in the end, Kratos was on our side, and more of those troubles came from Mithos.

[choiced]

[Siiiiiiigh. She's right. That doesn't mean Zelos has to be happy about it. And it definitely doesn't mean he has to recognise his own hypocrisy.]

You said we defeat him, right? Mithos, I mean.[Something in Zelos's eyes is dark as he looks away.] Looking forward to that.

[And end video feed.]

[ruinsprofessor]

We do.

[There's something about Zelos's expression she doesn't know quite what to make of, doesn't like to see in him, but-- then he's ending the conversation and Raine can't analyze it.]

[She watches the blank screen a few moments longer, as though that will give her some answers, and resolves to check with Zelos later.]