video;

[sidecar]

[The video opens on a three-year-old Lloyd Irving, peering curiously at the tablet with a "What's that thing?" before Kotetsu turns the camera back around to himself.]

Anyone recognize this kid? He says his name's Lloyd, and he knows someone named uh...Noishe?

[Yeah, that's all he's got and he's probably butchering the pronunciation, but there's only so much info you can get out of a toddler, okay.]

I found him wandering around the Hold by himself, so if there's anybody here from his world it'd be a big help to hear from them.

Comments

[ex_lecturing315]

( judgmental stare )

Stealing children now, old man?

1/3

[sidecar]

[It's such a relief to hear from him that Kotetsu barely notices the remark.]

Bunny!

[sidecar]

[NO, HE DID NOT MESS THIS UP ALREADY.]

[sidecar]

Barnaby. How are you doin'?

[ex_lecturing315]

( ugh why does he keep doing that!! )

Are simple names that easy to forget?

[sidecar]

[Yeah, pretty much.]

Sorry! But you didn't answer me. Do you feel any better today?

[ex_lecturing315]

I'm fine without any weird old Heroes to worry about me.

[sidecar]

I know, I know. Humor me anyway. There's a lot I didn't get to ask you.

[ex_lecturing315]

If you know me, you shouldn't have to ask me anything.

( sQUINTS )

1/A LOT. I AM SO SORRY FOR THIS EMOTASTIC SPAM

[flamberge]

[Whatever strange phenomenon is going on, it doesn't matter. How he came to be in this room, he didn't know. What this device in his hand had been, he didn't care. None of it mattered. Nothing matters anymore. Nothing.

Ever since being affected by the time distortion (right as he arrived in his room, actually) Kratos has been sitting on the floor of his bedroom with back against the wall and eyes staring blankly ahead. There's no emotion in those eyes. They are just empty. Hollow. Dead.

Just like them.]

2/idk

[flamberge]

[Some emotion begins to stir in those eyes at the thought. Anna and Lloyd and even Noishe were all dead. The most important people in the world were dead. They died because he failed to protect them. He'd failed them.

Rather than sadness at the death of loved ones, rage begins to build up on his face. It's his fault! He had broken his promise to protect them! Their suffering had been entirely his doing! The two most precious things that fully relied on him were gone all to due his own foolishness!

He reaches for the object closet to him, the communicator and clutches it firmly in his hand.]

Dammit...

[He grits his teeth and tightly shuts his eyes.]

Dammit.

[Those eyes snap open and rage flashes across his face as he chucks the communicator at the wall, as though the action would somehow ease this pain.]

Dammit!!

[A loud crack echoes throughout the room. The communicator screen now has a long crack running down its center.]

3/5 is the magic number

[flamberge]

[All the fury instantly dissipates after the noise, pain now distorting the contours of his face as the realization of how pointless that had been finally hits. It drills home the fact of how pointless everything is. Nothing would do anything. They were gone. It couldn't be changed. His failure can never be undone.

They were... dead.

He lets his head fall back against the wall, no longer seemingly possessing any desire to live. No reason remains to do anything. None.]

4/5 almost done

[flamberge]

[Or so he thought until a noise reaches his ears. His throw seems to have turned the device on, but it didn't matter. It didn't matter, that is, until an all too familiar voice and two key words came out of it. Lloyd. Noishe. A small bit of hope flares up within him as his eyes snap towards the thing. A... a toddler? And coupled with the voice at the start... Could this really be...?

Almost hesitantly, as though not wanting to lose this glimmer of hope, Kratos crawls over to the damaged communicator and lifts it up. The message had by now so how to get it back on? It's a device he's never seen before. No magitechnology he's knowledgeable ab--

Wait... this... this is familiar. He knows how to work this. It's been millenia but he can work this.]

5/5 [Video] weee that was fun

[flamberge]

[A few moments of fiddling around with technology long since used and a nice reward comes in the form of the message replaying. His heart skips a beat. The unmistakable form of his son is right there. The child who he thought dead is here.

Lloyd's alive.

With trembling hands, Kratos reaches to reply. By now, a mixture of hope and disbelief had replaced the despair. Please please don't let this be a cruel dream or joke or anything of the sort.]

Lloyd... You have Lloyd with you?

Never be sorry, spam is great.

[sidecar]

[Not missing the worried note in the guy's voice, Kotetsu turns the tablet to record Lloyd instead of him as he talks.]

Yeah, he's right here. You're a friend of his?

[1/2]

[boredallready]

[Lloyd's pretty sure he knows that voice, and when Mr. Hero turns the funny thing, he realizes it really is him!]

D-Daddy!!!

[He dashes forward to meet him...]

[boredallready]

[...only to run straight into the tablet and land flat on his bottom. His lower lip begins to quiver as he looks up at where he thought his father was.]

Daddy...?

[flamberge]

[Under normal circumstances, the boy's antics may have gained a smile out of Kratos, but not now. He's far too enticed by the mere sight of his son to crack a smile. Even breathing takes a back seat for a few seconds.

It's really him. Alive. Lloyd's alive. His precious son is alive.

All the despair from mere moments ago has by now been replaced by sheer relief, even a sliver of happiness. It shows on his face as he lets out a deep breath, one he hadn't realized he'd been holding in. Part of him is still wondering whether or not this is real. Only one way to determine if it is or isn't.]

Where are the two of you right now?

[The question being one directed at Kotetsu. Not bothering giving a reply to the man's own question since Lloyd answered that well enough.]

[sidecar]

[Daddy? Despite what Kotetsu might have told Lloyd, an actual parent isn't something he expected to find. He's only known of two people who've been lucky enough to have their kids brought to Exsilium with them, so the odds of tracking down the boy's father weren't exactly stacked in their favor. Until now he'd figured a friend from Lloyd's world who didn't mind looking after him would probably be the best they could do.

...Aaaand then the kid's falling over on his watch. Great.]

Hey, take it easy!

[He hurriedly props up the tablet so he can kneel down by Lloyd to check on him.]

This thing's just a way to talk to your dad until he gets here for real, alright?

[He looks back up to the table to answer Kratos, perhaps a beat too slow to pretend he's got this as under control as he would like.]

We're in apartment 606.

[inthejunk]

...Just give him some blocks or something. He's pretty easily amused, you know?

[So not claiming responsibility, nope.]

[sidecar]

[Well, that sounds suspicious.]

You know him?

[inthejunk]

Uh...

[Damn it!]

We might've met. A few times. In our apartment.

[sidecar]

His roommate, huh?

[Ha! But that sure confirms something.]

I'm gonna guess he wasn't this size when you met before.

[inthejunk]

Not on the outside at least.

[sidecar]

Well, his dad's around so it looks like you're off the hook for babysitting duty.