[ At some point later in the evening, Zelos'll head to the beach, where he inevitably finds the other man. It's a good thing he brought two beers with him, even if he was kind of hoping to drink them himself.
He'll cough loudly to announce his presence, making his was up to Baldr. ]
Some night, huh? Can't imagine why you'd wanna be out here on your own.
[He knows that voice well enough by now to not even need to turn around to know who it is who is approaching him. Still, he does so after a moment to be polite, acknowledging Zelos with a slight nod. If he spots those two beers, he's not going to say anything about it just yet.]
... the breeze is refreshing. I find it to be an excellent way to calm the mind.
[As to why he would be seeking to do such a thing, well... he thinks that much goes without saying.
But he's also fairly certain that that isn't why Zelos is here right now.]
And the sky... that much at least is the same in every world, it seems. It's reassuring.
[ He makes a small noise in agreement at the first point. Yeah, they all could use some mind-clearing, especially given how Keito and Sampo ended up.
At the mention of the sky, though, he looks up and squints. ]
Huh, I guess so. I never really thought about it that much. I'm used to the two worlds I know about sharing a near-identical sky, that it just kind of stopped reading as anything special.
[ He doesn't look towards Baldr, but he'll hand out the extra beer for him, if he wants. ] Need a drink?
[He'll readily accept that beer even though it isn't his usual elixir of choice simply because it's there and because Zelos is offering it. But he doesn't take a sip right away, instead turning the bottle around in his hands for a few moments as if trying to occupy them.]
Both of the worlds I have been on have a sky that looks just like this one. I suppose it probably isn't anything special, but when you find yourself somewhere unfamiliar, you look for whatever you can recognize... the sky just happens to be one of the most obvious things.
[He wonders if it's night right now back at home...]
[ There's a slight hesitation at the mention of the two Baldr's been on, before he twists the cap off his bottle and takes a drink.
It takes him several long beats before he asks. ]
So, do we know each other from somewhere? After today, I'm not exactly keen on finding out about some crazy stalker I've seemed to have also forgotten about.
[ People recognizing him isn't that weird given his very public status, but at this point he's not really trusting his own memory to be right. ]
[... and there it is. Honestly, he can't even say he's surprised, especially not if Colette has mentioned something about Baldr knowing her as well. It was really only a matter of time.
And at this point, it isn't as though he's got anything to hide on that front, so:]
Yes... and also no. It's... somewhat complex.
[He lets that sink in for a moment before continuing on.]
I know you - or rather, a version of you - but you have never met me, assuming that you are the original rather than the nexus. That would all depend on whether the name 'Tir Na Nog' holds any meaning for you or not.
[ Zelos just watches him, carefully, trying to gauge if he's being bullshitted in anyway. It seems earnest enough, but even with the whole situation between Sylvarant and Tethe'alla, the idea of other versions feels kind of something in a pulp novel or something. ]
[There's certainly no immediately apparent bullshit in Baldr's demeanor, nor in his words. He's simply stating the facts as he knows them-- whether or not Zelos believes them is up to him.]
You traveled with Lloyd-san and Colette-san and Kratos-san in your world, which was known as Tethe'alla. To be more precise, you were the Chosen of Tethe'alla.
[In truth, he doesn't know Zelos anywhere near as well as he knows some of the other nexuses simply by virtue of the fact that Zelos works with the Salvation Front rather than with Ix and the others. Still, he's been around long enough to pick up more than a few things from osmosis, so hopefully that will be proof enough.]
Yes. [...] As unbelievable as it may sound, I swear to you that it is the truth.
[Whether Zelos believes him on that front or not... well, it's not as though it particularly matters when this Zelos only sees him as a stranger to begin with. He can't expect something that never existed.]
No, if you truly are the original Zelos, then you would have no memories of me. There's nothing unexpected about that, and I'm certainly not offended that you don't know who I am.
[In some strange way, it's actually easier. There's less of an emotional entanglement here than there would be if Zelos actually recognized him, and it makes him feel that much... safer, he supposes. Zelos can't compare him to the Baldr he would remember...]
But as to whatever is going on here... your guess is as good as mine, I'm afraid.
[ You say this is better than being plastered, but Zelos is still here at the beach with a few drinks around him and in hand. This is how this is supposed to go, right?
He looks up at Baldr for a second, and turns back towards the ocean. ]
[This is exactly how this is supposed to go and no one can tell them otherwise. If Baldr himself is wobbling just a little bit by this point, well, no he isn't. No one can prove anything.
The way he plops down on the sand pretty much says it all, though.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
week 1, after trial
He'll cough loudly to announce his presence, making his was up to Baldr. ]
Some night, huh? Can't imagine why you'd wanna be out here on your own.
no subject
... the breeze is refreshing. I find it to be an excellent way to calm the mind.
[As to why he would be seeking to do such a thing, well... he thinks that much goes without saying.
But he's also fairly certain that that isn't why Zelos is here right now.]
And the sky... that much at least is the same in every world, it seems. It's reassuring.
no subject
At the mention of the sky, though, he looks up and squints. ]
Huh, I guess so. I never really thought about it that much. I'm used to the two worlds I know about sharing a near-identical sky, that it just kind of stopped reading as anything special.
[ He doesn't look towards Baldr, but he'll hand out the extra beer for him, if he wants. ] Need a drink?
no subject
[He'll readily accept that beer even though it isn't his usual elixir of choice simply because it's there and because Zelos is offering it. But he doesn't take a sip right away, instead turning the bottle around in his hands for a few moments as if trying to occupy them.]
Both of the worlds I have been on have a sky that looks just like this one. I suppose it probably isn't anything special, but when you find yourself somewhere unfamiliar, you look for whatever you can recognize... the sky just happens to be one of the most obvious things.
[He wonders if it's night right now back at home...]
no subject
It takes him several long beats before he asks. ]
So, do we know each other from somewhere? After today, I'm not exactly keen on finding out about some crazy stalker I've seemed to have also forgotten about.
[ People recognizing him isn't that weird given his very public status, but at this point he's not really trusting his own memory to be right. ]
no subject
And at this point, it isn't as though he's got anything to hide on that front, so:]
Yes... and also no. It's... somewhat complex.
[He lets that sink in for a moment before continuing on.]
I know you - or rather, a version of you - but you have never met me, assuming that you are the original rather than the nexus. That would all depend on whether the name 'Tir Na Nog' holds any meaning for you or not.
no subject
Not a clue as to what that is.
[ He frowns, putting his free hand on his hip. ]
Prove it.
no subject
You traveled with Lloyd-san and Colette-san and Kratos-san in your world, which was known as Tethe'alla. To be more precise, you were the Chosen of Tethe'alla.
[In truth, he doesn't know Zelos anywhere near as well as he knows some of the other nexuses simply by virtue of the fact that Zelos works with the Salvation Front rather than with Ix and the others. Still, he's been around long enough to pick up more than a few things from osmosis, so hopefully that will be proof enough.]
no subject
Okay, okay, fair enough. [ enough shit dads, please. ] So... what, the ones you know are all basically copies of the real thing?
no subject
[Whether Zelos believes him on that front or not... well, it's not as though it particularly matters when this Zelos only sees him as a stranger to begin with. He can't expect something that never existed.]
no subject
I feel like this is the next logical step from "there are actually two worlds that used to be one," honestly. Not to mention whatever's going on here.
Even if I've got whatever memory-gap thing that's going on here and just don't remember you, you seem to know enough that it might hold some water.
[ Just some, though. ]
no subject
[In some strange way, it's actually easier. There's less of an emotional entanglement here than there would be if Zelos actually recognized him, and it makes him feel that much... safer, he supposes. Zelos can't compare him to the Baldr he would remember...]
But as to whatever is going on here... your guess is as good as mine, I'm afraid.
week 3, post trial
He looks up at Baldr for a second, and turns back towards the ocean. ]
no subject
The way he plops down on the sand pretty much says it all, though.]
... I'm sorry. For holding you back earlier.
no subject
Nah, it's fine. You thought you were doing the right thing. Lot of us were wrong.
no subject
[Is he angry at Zelos? He's not sure. Should he be angry? He's even less sure about that.
It's easier not to think too hard about any of it.]
I'm just glad that Colette-san is all right.