(no subject)
Jul. 24th, 2006 03:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
seikilosTitle: Currently untitled (and no, that's not the name)
Fandom: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: Angst/Romance
Rating: PG-13; later chapters may hit R.
Summary: One woman's take on the untold love story between Kratos and Anna.
Chapter Title: 1 - Host Body A012
Chapter Rating: PG to PG-13 for descriptions of Desian Exsphere cultivation methods.
Words in Chapter: 1482
Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia.
Author's Notes: I'm notoriously bad at finishing extended fanfic projects, but I think I just might be able to manage this one. It's already mostly written out in my head; the problem is getting it to virtual paper from there. For now, I'm posting chapters as I write them.
“Kratos Aurion, report to Vinheim.”
The clipped words echoed throughout the metallic halls of Welgaia, city of angels. None of the resident angels looked up at the broadcasted message. They were not programmed to pay attention unless directly addressed.
Its intended recipient shut the book he had been reading and rose to his feet. Despite not being intentionally programmed, his reaction to any other announcement save those concerning him would have been the same.
He boarded the elevator that took him down to the ground level and started walking toward Vinheim. He did not wonder why he was summoned. There was little point. He would learn what Lord Yggdrasill wanted when he arrived.
He could have teleported or flown. Again, however, he saw little point. Walking was less taxing. He could not say why this made a difference to one such as him, but he had been trained since he was a boy not to waste energy unnecessarily, ever since he had begun learning the use of the sword. It had simply extended into other areas of his life to the point where every move was finely controlled. Nothing was excessive.
Then again, after inhabiting the same body for four thousand years, it was impossible to have anything but perfect control over one’s actions.
And emotions.
He arrived in Vinheim relatively quickly and sought out his lord. Even after all this time, it seemed not quite right to be referring to his former student as such. He pushed the thought away as he made his bow to Yggdrasill in a small, dark corner library.
The angel made a gesture, impatient. “Rise, Kratos.”
“Yes, my lord.” Kratos did so.
Yggdrasill wasted no time. “Kratos, I have a new task for you, one that I feel I cannot entrust to anyone else.” He hovered over to a red, velvet-upholstered chair and sat, putting his chin to the back of his hand. “The most recent attempt at creating a new seraphim-level Cruxis Crystal is going far better than anyone could have hoped. The host body is a perfect match, or close enough to it as makes no difference.” His eyes narrowed. “I want you to oversee its creation. Observe the host body on a daily basis. Tell me if the crystal is experiencing any abnormal periods of growth. I want there to be no more failures, Kratos.”
“Yes, my lord.” Kratos bowed his head. A moment later, he raised it. “My lord . . . would Yuan not be a better choice for this task? His duties within Cruxis are far lighter than mine.”
An expression of irritation appeared on Yggdrasill’s face. “Yuan spends far too much time away from Welgaia for me to rely upon him. You, at least, are more dependable.
“If you’re worried about fulfilling your other duties properly, I will assign angels to perform your tasks while this Cruxis Crystal is cultivating. I want you to devote all of your attention to this project. Do you understand?”
“Yes, my lord.”
Creating a new Cruxis Crystal was both challenging and important. Challenging, because so many host bodies died before bringing the crystal to fruition, and important, since, should Yggdrasill, Kratos, or Yuan’s Cruxis Crystals shatter, they would be rendered vulnerable. A replacement was necessary, in the event of an emergency.
“When should I begin my duties?” Kratos asked after a moment.
“Now. Kvar is the one overseeing the project. He’ll give you the details.” Yggdrasill rose to hover again. “You are dismissed, Kratos.”
Kratos knelt again, then rose and left the library for the transporter pads back in Welgaia.
Walking a path that had become automatic over the centuries, he suppressed a feeling of irritation. As it was, Kratos was the one responsible for most major undertakings in Welgaia. The few times Yuan was in the city, he mainly worked on the new developments in magitechnology. Anything related to running Welgaia, he ignored.
Kratos knew why, of course. Yuan was aware of Kratos’ knowledge, as well. Welgaia was neutral ground for the two of them; the two worlds were not. If Kratos was going to be spending more time on the surface, he would have to take extra precautions.
He arrived at the transporter pad and stepped on. The sensation of his molecules being broken up and rearranged in the corresponding transporter pad in Kvar’s human ranch was one he barely noticed.
He stepped off the transporter pad. Seeing him, several Desian soldiers in the area immediately knelt.
“Find your leader,” Kratos commanded the nearest one.
“Yes, my lord.” She saluted and walked briskly away.
Kvar, however, appeared before she could find him. He had sensed Kratos’ mana arriving and had immediately broken off what he had been doing to greet him.
“Lord Kratos, it is an honour.” Kvar bowed. “To what do I owe your visit?”
Kratos folded his arms. “I am here to oversee the Cruxis Crystal project. I was told you would give me the details.”
“Ah, yes. We’re calling it the Angelus Project for the moment, to differentiate it from previous, failed attempts. I’m quite confident this project will not be a failure. If you would walk this way, my lord, I can give you the file to read.” He set off.
Kratos followed Kvar through the halls of Asgard Human Ranch. It was not long before the two of them had arrived in Kvar’s office, and it was the work of a moment for Kvar to retrieve the appropriate file.
Kratos took it from him with a nod and scanned the sheets. It seemed that Host Body A012 had shown an abnormally high level of compatibility with the selected Exsphere. Cultivation conditions appeared to be ideal.
A list of treatments the host body was being given to encourage the growth of the Cruxis Crystal followed. Kratos ignored the list for the moment; he would read the document closer upon his return to Welgaia.
He looked up at Kvar, who had been waiting at his side. “Take me to Host Body A012.”
“Certainly, my lord. She is being kept in one of our isolation cells. This way.”
Kratos followed the half-elf as he was led into the basement of the ranch. Isolation cells were used both as punishment and for those host bodies who were more highly compatible with their selected Exspheres than usual.
At the top of the stairs leading down to the cell, Kvar selected a flashlight and handed one to Kratos as well. The isolation cells were kept in total darkness; only visitors were permitted light.
Kratos and Kvar flicked their lights on and continued down the stairs. Partway down, a stench hit his nose. It was the scent of urine, dung, fear-sweat, and blood. Kratos wrinkled his nose slightly as the stench grew stronger, but made no comment.
They arrived in front of a set of iron bars. Kvar shone his flashlight upon a figure seated against the stone wall in a corner. “Here you are, my lord. This is the host body being used for the Angelus Project.”
When the beam of light hit the host body’s eyes, she let out a noise of pain and covered them, cringing away from the brilliance. Kratos heard the clink of metal and noted that she was chained to the wall by shackles on her wrists, ankles, and neck.
He examined her dispassionately. The host body was a human woman who seemed to be in her mid-twenties. From what Kratos could discern in the dim light, she had brown hair that had been raggedly cut off by an uncaring blade. She was thin to the point of emaciation. The chains she wore were short, to keep her from strangling herself with them.
He transferred his gaze to the cell. It was small, just barely long enough for the host body to lie down, if she did so diagonally. There was no bucket for her to relieve herself. No food or water were evident; host bodies in the isolation cells were nourished once a day.
“I see,” Kratos said after a few moments. “That is all. I will return at fourteen hundred hours tomorrow and every day thereafter to subject the host body to an examination. I expect you to prepare a room outside the cells for this examination.”
The host body in the cell stirred slightly, looking up at his words. Then her gaze returned to the floor.
“Yes, my lord.” Kvar bowed, the light of his flashlight dipping with the action.
“I will be returning to Welgaia, provided there are no problems that require my urgent attention.” Kratos turned to go.
Kvar did as well. “No, my lord. Everything is running smoothly, as always.”
“Good.” Kratos walked up the stairs, followed by Kvar, leaving Host Body A012 in the dark once more.
~ * * * ~
Fandom: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: Angst/Romance
Rating: PG-13; later chapters may hit R.
Summary: One woman's take on the untold love story between Kratos and Anna.
Chapter Title: 1 - Host Body A012
Chapter Rating: PG to PG-13 for descriptions of Desian Exsphere cultivation methods.
Words in Chapter: 1482
Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia.
Author's Notes: I'm notoriously bad at finishing extended fanfic projects, but I think I just might be able to manage this one. It's already mostly written out in my head; the problem is getting it to virtual paper from there. For now, I'm posting chapters as I write them.
“Kratos Aurion, report to Vinheim.”
The clipped words echoed throughout the metallic halls of Welgaia, city of angels. None of the resident angels looked up at the broadcasted message. They were not programmed to pay attention unless directly addressed.
Its intended recipient shut the book he had been reading and rose to his feet. Despite not being intentionally programmed, his reaction to any other announcement save those concerning him would have been the same.
He boarded the elevator that took him down to the ground level and started walking toward Vinheim. He did not wonder why he was summoned. There was little point. He would learn what Lord Yggdrasill wanted when he arrived.
He could have teleported or flown. Again, however, he saw little point. Walking was less taxing. He could not say why this made a difference to one such as him, but he had been trained since he was a boy not to waste energy unnecessarily, ever since he had begun learning the use of the sword. It had simply extended into other areas of his life to the point where every move was finely controlled. Nothing was excessive.
Then again, after inhabiting the same body for four thousand years, it was impossible to have anything but perfect control over one’s actions.
And emotions.
He arrived in Vinheim relatively quickly and sought out his lord. Even after all this time, it seemed not quite right to be referring to his former student as such. He pushed the thought away as he made his bow to Yggdrasill in a small, dark corner library.
The angel made a gesture, impatient. “Rise, Kratos.”
“Yes, my lord.” Kratos did so.
Yggdrasill wasted no time. “Kratos, I have a new task for you, one that I feel I cannot entrust to anyone else.” He hovered over to a red, velvet-upholstered chair and sat, putting his chin to the back of his hand. “The most recent attempt at creating a new seraphim-level Cruxis Crystal is going far better than anyone could have hoped. The host body is a perfect match, or close enough to it as makes no difference.” His eyes narrowed. “I want you to oversee its creation. Observe the host body on a daily basis. Tell me if the crystal is experiencing any abnormal periods of growth. I want there to be no more failures, Kratos.”
“Yes, my lord.” Kratos bowed his head. A moment later, he raised it. “My lord . . . would Yuan not be a better choice for this task? His duties within Cruxis are far lighter than mine.”
An expression of irritation appeared on Yggdrasill’s face. “Yuan spends far too much time away from Welgaia for me to rely upon him. You, at least, are more dependable.
“If you’re worried about fulfilling your other duties properly, I will assign angels to perform your tasks while this Cruxis Crystal is cultivating. I want you to devote all of your attention to this project. Do you understand?”
“Yes, my lord.”
Creating a new Cruxis Crystal was both challenging and important. Challenging, because so many host bodies died before bringing the crystal to fruition, and important, since, should Yggdrasill, Kratos, or Yuan’s Cruxis Crystals shatter, they would be rendered vulnerable. A replacement was necessary, in the event of an emergency.
“When should I begin my duties?” Kratos asked after a moment.
“Now. Kvar is the one overseeing the project. He’ll give you the details.” Yggdrasill rose to hover again. “You are dismissed, Kratos.”
Kratos knelt again, then rose and left the library for the transporter pads back in Welgaia.
Walking a path that had become automatic over the centuries, he suppressed a feeling of irritation. As it was, Kratos was the one responsible for most major undertakings in Welgaia. The few times Yuan was in the city, he mainly worked on the new developments in magitechnology. Anything related to running Welgaia, he ignored.
Kratos knew why, of course. Yuan was aware of Kratos’ knowledge, as well. Welgaia was neutral ground for the two of them; the two worlds were not. If Kratos was going to be spending more time on the surface, he would have to take extra precautions.
He arrived at the transporter pad and stepped on. The sensation of his molecules being broken up and rearranged in the corresponding transporter pad in Kvar’s human ranch was one he barely noticed.
He stepped off the transporter pad. Seeing him, several Desian soldiers in the area immediately knelt.
“Find your leader,” Kratos commanded the nearest one.
“Yes, my lord.” She saluted and walked briskly away.
Kvar, however, appeared before she could find him. He had sensed Kratos’ mana arriving and had immediately broken off what he had been doing to greet him.
“Lord Kratos, it is an honour.” Kvar bowed. “To what do I owe your visit?”
Kratos folded his arms. “I am here to oversee the Cruxis Crystal project. I was told you would give me the details.”
“Ah, yes. We’re calling it the Angelus Project for the moment, to differentiate it from previous, failed attempts. I’m quite confident this project will not be a failure. If you would walk this way, my lord, I can give you the file to read.” He set off.
Kratos followed Kvar through the halls of Asgard Human Ranch. It was not long before the two of them had arrived in Kvar’s office, and it was the work of a moment for Kvar to retrieve the appropriate file.
Kratos took it from him with a nod and scanned the sheets. It seemed that Host Body A012 had shown an abnormally high level of compatibility with the selected Exsphere. Cultivation conditions appeared to be ideal.
A list of treatments the host body was being given to encourage the growth of the Cruxis Crystal followed. Kratos ignored the list for the moment; he would read the document closer upon his return to Welgaia.
He looked up at Kvar, who had been waiting at his side. “Take me to Host Body A012.”
“Certainly, my lord. She is being kept in one of our isolation cells. This way.”
Kratos followed the half-elf as he was led into the basement of the ranch. Isolation cells were used both as punishment and for those host bodies who were more highly compatible with their selected Exspheres than usual.
At the top of the stairs leading down to the cell, Kvar selected a flashlight and handed one to Kratos as well. The isolation cells were kept in total darkness; only visitors were permitted light.
Kratos and Kvar flicked their lights on and continued down the stairs. Partway down, a stench hit his nose. It was the scent of urine, dung, fear-sweat, and blood. Kratos wrinkled his nose slightly as the stench grew stronger, but made no comment.
They arrived in front of a set of iron bars. Kvar shone his flashlight upon a figure seated against the stone wall in a corner. “Here you are, my lord. This is the host body being used for the Angelus Project.”
When the beam of light hit the host body’s eyes, she let out a noise of pain and covered them, cringing away from the brilliance. Kratos heard the clink of metal and noted that she was chained to the wall by shackles on her wrists, ankles, and neck.
He examined her dispassionately. The host body was a human woman who seemed to be in her mid-twenties. From what Kratos could discern in the dim light, she had brown hair that had been raggedly cut off by an uncaring blade. She was thin to the point of emaciation. The chains she wore were short, to keep her from strangling herself with them.
He transferred his gaze to the cell. It was small, just barely long enough for the host body to lie down, if she did so diagonally. There was no bucket for her to relieve herself. No food or water were evident; host bodies in the isolation cells were nourished once a day.
“I see,” Kratos said after a few moments. “That is all. I will return at fourteen hundred hours tomorrow and every day thereafter to subject the host body to an examination. I expect you to prepare a room outside the cells for this examination.”
The host body in the cell stirred slightly, looking up at his words. Then her gaze returned to the floor.
“Yes, my lord.” Kvar bowed, the light of his flashlight dipping with the action.
“I will be returning to Welgaia, provided there are no problems that require my urgent attention.” Kratos turned to go.
Kvar did as well. “No, my lord. Everything is running smoothly, as always.”
“Good.” Kratos walked up the stairs, followed by Kvar, leaving Host Body A012 in the dark once more.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-07-24 08:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-24 09:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-25 06:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-25 11:21 pm (UTC)