lobsterbox | time stop

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time stop

Mithos kept his eyes forward as the Rheaird sped over Gaoracchia Forest. He was situated behind Genis, who was piloting the single craft, and somewhere behind them...was Lloyd, who had trailed them on their entire trip to the Fooji Mountains. Naturally, Mithos had sensed him. He wasn't certain if Genis had figured it out, but he supposed it had worked out in a way—he hadn't needed to use any of his own powers to help them ascend the mountain, and so they had obtained the Fandalia flowers without arousing any suspicion.

And Genis had agreed to stand by him, anyway. It was only natural. Lloyd may have accepted him for now, but he was still only human. He was still different.

Well, once his Age of Lifeless Beings was realized, they would all be the same. But for now...Mithos was already the same as Genis, and half-elves could only exist amongst each other.

"There's the house," he piped up over Genis' shoulder, his gentle voice betraying none of his sinister thoughts. Sure enough, they were almost directly upon the rock face where Altessa lived, and Genis brought the Rheaird into a quick descent, so that they soon landed in front of the dwarf's home. Surprisingly, all but Lloyd's Rheaird were now there—meaning the others had returned earlier than he expected. Mithos' angelic senses easily picked up words from inside the house, but...they caused him to narrow his eyes.

"Lloyd was supposed to be-"

"I can't believe this..."

"What are we going to tell the kid?"

Mithos held tight to the flowers they had gathered as they hopped off of the craft, and he gave Genis an encouraging smile tinged with worry. "Let's hurry in. Even if they found a doctor, they should still be able to use these flowers..."

He said that, but he was beginning to suspect that the doctor plan hadn't worked out in the least. Most likely, any high-profile doctor that the group thought of wouldn't waste their time treating a half-elf.

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And Mithos smiling was a good sign for Genis, too. While he was explaining and not actually actively hurting anyone (or talking about hurting someone...), he could almost relax a little and think things were normal.

Besides, watching him use magic so easily, forming the shards back into a sphere, still filled him with awe. He was really skilled...even if a large part of it had to be his Cruxis Crystal enhancing his power and his senses. For the moment, he didn't think of what Mithos was sacrificing - what he'd sacrifice - for those abilities. It was just amazing. He had a delicate touch even when only using magic.

He probably shouldn't admire him so much. In the end, they were going to attach the Exsphere and drain that person of his life.

When the Exsphere didn't attach, Genis didn't know if he was relieved or not.

He took a few steps closer to examine the situation, but nothing looked at all amiss. Well, as far as he could tell.

"Do you think we should attach it with a key crest first? Maybe it just needs more time."

That was his best guess, at least. It was also the least painful option short of Mithos simply holding it there.

Even as he was concentrating on his work, Mithos was anything but oblivious to Genis watching him. Pride pulsed in his chest--watch and learn carefully, and you can also develop this level of power--though he didn't let it distract him from his task.

That pride remained as he nodded with the suggestion. "You're right, Genis--it's probably going to take longer for the pieces to generate a link like this."

He pondered for a brief moment and cemented the decision with another decisive nod. "We'll attach the key crest on top like originally planned. If everything goes well, an incubation period will stimulate the Exsphere with time."

He motioned wordlessly to one of the Desians, who bowed quickly and placed a key crest upon a small intrument table near Mithos--he didn't dare hand it to Lord Yggdrasill directly--and carefully backed away again. Mithos picked up the custom crest, which consisted of a glasslike lens-shaped covering encircled by the special carved metal made of inhibitor ore, briefly inspecting the work.

He held it out so that Genis could inpsect it for himself, too. "Here, take a look. This is the crest we'll be using."

What if things don't go well? The question rose in his mind, but things were moving too quickly for him to ask it. It was probably better not to bring up his worries now, anyway. There might not even be an answer to that question yet when this was all unexplored territory.

If it didn't attach, that would be more reason for them to find another method that didn't include any sacrifices.

Genis took the key crest in his hands, turning it over gently like it may break. Aside from the lens overtop, it looked like an ordinary key crest, not unlike the one Dirk made. The lens was only necessary to keep it from being tampered with, he figured. If there was anything else unusual about it, Genis's untrained eyes couldn't pick it up.

"Is there anything special about it?" he asked before offering it to Mithos again on his open palm. Something he could do so naturally without even thinking about it - because they were friends. He wasn't like the Desians in the room with them that hadn't said a word to him or questioned Mithos once this entire time. The Desians that hadn't even stood closer to him that necessary, even though they had probably known Mithos longer than he had. While he was in awe of Mithos's power, everyone else was probably scared of it.

...he wondered if Mithos liked it that way.

He watched Genis study the key crest until it was offered back to him, and he obligingly took it again. "Besides the cover, not really. This is really nothing more than a preliminary experiment so we can decide how to improve it."

He lowered the key crest down to the host's hand to position it properly over the assembled Exsphere and added, "We may develop ones with special features for future experiments, depending on our needs."

Satisfied with the crest's position, he nodded to himself and wordlessly signalled the Desians again, stepping out of the way to let them finish the work. He stood over next to Genis again and explained, "To prevent tampering, the key crest will be fastened in place. It's a simple process." Hence why he left it to the grunts.

Genis's eyes stayed on Mithos through his explanation until he found himself at his side. So he wasn't wrong that it was an ordinary key crest. He wondered what kind of work Mithos could do with they key crest to "improve" it. Maybe it just meant he'd make one that would make the Exspheres affix themselves more easily, or would help them keep the soul together.

It seemed reasonable enough. He nodded before turning his eyes back to the key crest again, but with so many people gathered together, it was hard to make out exactly what was happening.

And still, he wasn't sure if he really wanted to know. On the bright side, the boy was still unconscious and couldn't feel a thing.

"Do you think it'd be possible to do this without using people?" he started, looking over to his friend once again. "This all seems like a lot of work just to make sure it isn't tampered with..."

Genis probably didn't want to know--not about the combination of magic and metal pins being used to affix the crest--though for Mithos, it was nothing new.

"...There's nothing left for us to see here. Let's return, Genis." That was all Mithos responded for now, turning and leading the way back out of the room without another word.

There was no need for him to turn; he could easily listen to ensure that Genis followed him again.

"Ah..."

Genis started, frozen following Mithos with his eyes and he turned from the room.

It seemed too optimistic to think that he just didn't want to discuss the possibility around the Desians. But it made sense, right? This was a lot of extra work when there might be a more efficient way.

It didn't feel that way when Mithos began walking out without even waiting for him to follow.

Genis snapped out of it and rushed to follow at his side again, trying to get a read on his face.

"Mithos?"

He glanced to the side in acknowledgement, a hint of a humourless smile masking his thoughts, and remained silent until they were back in the elevator.

Once there, he finally looked Genis in the eye and quietly asked, "Are you still hesitating? Aren't you prepared to do what must be done for your sister?"

It wasn't the sort of conversation to have in front of mere Desians.

...Mithos read him completely. He was glad for the privacy, because the shame of having Mithos call him out at all was bad enough without an audience. Genis bowed his head, his entire face faltering. For your sister. When Mithos said it like that, it sounded like he had to choose between her life and so many others'.

Logically - and empathically - he knew what the right choice was, but he couldn't make it. He never could.

"No, it's not like that," he whispered, his eyes looking blankly at their feet. "I just... When Raine and I were traveling before, we hated seeing what the Desians did to people. We didn't want anyone else to suffer.

"She wouldn't want me to do this...but..." But he'd do anything for her. "I want to find another way, so she can be proud of me still."

Mithos was confident he could ease Genis' worries. It was a heart-to-heart between the two of them--between friends. The Desians back there weren't worthy of eavesdropping, much less being involved.

But...a sliver of doubt pricked his heart.

No! Martel would be proud of him. Raine would, too.

They would understand.

"That's not true, Genis," he tried to gently reassure. "When she returns, the world will be a much better place, and she'll no longer have to worry about humans betraying her or hurting her. And you'll have had a hand in it."

Genis glanced up at him again. There was something different in Mithos's eyes that wasn't there before - or maybe that was just him. Maybe he was just happy to hear Mithos reassure him that he wasn't going to do all of this just to have Raine tell him he was wrong all along.

And from the surface, from the scenario Mithos constructed for him, it really sounded like Raine would be proud of him. He'll have done something good in the end.

If he could forget about everything in between, things would be okay. He breathed a silent sigh.

"Will the world really be a better place? Where no-one has to suffer anymore?"

"It will!" His answer was confident, delivered with a firm nod. "I promise. I know you've suffered so much, but it ends here."

Genis and Raine would never, ever have to suffer again just because of their race.

So what if scores of humans suffered in their place? Everything was the humans' fault anyway.

...He really believed him. It was hard not to believe him. In the end, Mithos was his friend, and he knew he wasn't a bad person. He didn't really want people to suffer for no reason. He hadn't forgotten how he had wanted to get revenge. He hadn't forgotten how cold he was to others. But it was so easy to pretend when Mithos was offering him hope that no-one else was able to.

The corners of his lips turned up in a suppressed, hopeful smile.

"It'll just be until our sisters are back, right? Then we can stop all of this."

A long time ago, he had brought hope to many--and the Desians and Cruxis still held onto that hope, even if many were slipping. Mithos had stopped caring, though, since with Martel's revival imminent, they wouldn't matter anymore anyway.

Even Raine's revival wouldn't require as dedicated a system; there was no need for Chosens or religions or anything like that.

While whether or not the Desians still held out hope didn't matter to him, he was pleased to see Genis' spirits lift a little.

"It's all for our sisters. Never forget that, all right?"

Was is friendly advice? A warning? Perhaps a bit of both.

Never forget that. Just saying that had Genis question if this all turned back around to Mithos's original doubts about his conviction. It was less to agree with what he said and more to remind Genis that he couldn't back down.

Even though Colette was his friend and had been his friend for almost as far as he could remember, he had no intention of betraying Mithos to save her. She couldn't be saved. If she could, Lloyd would be the one to do it with or without Genis's help.

...Turning a blind eye was something a human would do, but this was for Mithos's sister. There wasn't another way.

At all.

And he knew that Mithos didn't want to try to find an alternative. And without Mithos's support, it was unlikely he could actually do anything himself.

Genis nodded, the smile fading as soon as it appeared.

"I won't. We have to do everything we can for them."

He reminded himself.

Satisfied with the response, Mithos remained confident and reassuring. "Good. As long as you keep that conviction, we'll be able to revive them by working together."

Now that he had taken care of that, he finally got back on topic to the questions Genis had asked them earlier, speaking as they stepped out of the elevator back on the main floor. "To grow, you know that the Exspheres need to have a host to feed on, and the feeding can only be stimulated by strong emotions."

He looked over to Genis again to ensure that he understood. "So in order to revive our sisters, it must be done."

Yeah, he had to focus on their main goal here. It was all for their sisters, and they couldn't waver or think of anything else.

It was just hard. He could still remember how Marble and all the other people at the ranch suffered to make Exspheres before.

And he wasn't naïve enough to think that the Exspheres could be stimulated positive emotions, or all of that pain wouldn't have been necessary. For all Mithos's confidence and reassurance, Genis felt more grim than ever. Giving up isn't hard, but no longer caring was.

"...I just hope it doesn't take too long..." he answered quietly, following alongside Mithos. "I just really hope Raine understands, too..." He paused, tilting his head to try to catch his friend's eye. "Will I be able to see Raine after her Exsphere is attached to someone else?"

And Marble, for that matter.

It had to be negative emotions - pain, suffering, despair. They were much easier to stimulate en masse than positive emotions, after all, and while Mithos was patient, he still preferred that his goals were completed within a reasonable timeframe.

So he could easily reassure Genis, "We'll find the best way to revive her as quickly as possible, and you can still see her almost anytime. We'll be keeping the hosts under observation, so I'll show you where later."

Hosts weren't normally kept under such close scrutiny, but this was different. This wasn't just the cultivation of any Exsphere to add to their stock.

...He felt a little better hearing that.

"Okay."

And that was all he could say. There was still more and more weighing on his mind. Realizing he couldn't do anything and he had to stop trying should have taken weight off his shoulders, not added it.

I can't save anyone.

That was probably why...

Maybe he shouldn't have started this to begin with. He was just causing more problems. Raine wouldn't want this. Even if she understands why he chose to go through with this, she wouldn't want it. But...

"...What's Martel like?"

He gave Genis an encouraging smile. It looked like it was still going to take time, but he didn't mind. He still believed that Genis would stand by him; he still probably just needed to process everything that had happened.

A few results in the right direction would probably help ease his worries, too, but--well, it wouldn't be too much longer until then.

His smile faded at the question, replaced by a thoughtful expression as he turned his head to face forward again. "Martel is...everything to me. She's always been there for me, always kind and gentle whenever I was hurt or frustrated..."

As far as Mithos was concerned, that was a sufficient answer. His smile returned. "Soon, you'll get to see her, too."

He guessed...that wasn't unlike what he'd say about Raine. Maybe that was why Mithos had continued to be so confident that Raine would be happy with him even after he's done so many horrible things. Raine would never hate him; she was everything to him.

But Raine was a lot more than that. She was smart and strong and determined, and even though she could be tough, it was always obvious that she cared - about him and all their friends.

Mithos had to remember even big details like that, too, right?

Genis nodded slowly, not smiling or really satisfied with his answer, either.

"Ah, right..."

He looked down to his feet as they shuffled alongside Mithos. Would Martel want to be worshiped and not care about who died for her? Even though she was Mithos's sister, it was hard to imagine someone being okay with this.

"I look forward to meeting her, too. She sounds sort of like Raine..." In the most basic, sisterly sense.

But Mithos looked sort of happy about just thinking of seeing her again. Maybe, as long as they were together, things would be okay in the end.

"You think so?" Mithos wondered. Personality-wise, they were different, but...it was true that they had their similarities, too.

Nobody else was as important to either of them.

Mithos laughed a bit. "I guess you're right... I hadn't really thought about it before, to be honest." He was glad, though--glad that Genis had kept his promise and come to Derris-Kharlan with him. And not just Genis--one day, Raine would be able to rejoin them as well.

When the corridor they walked intersected another, Mithos came to a stop and turned to face Genis. "How are you feeling? Better now?" he asked, searching Genis' face.

"How am I feeling?"

Genis blinked, staring back at Mithos like that was the least expected question possible.

No, he was feeling worse and worse. He was turning his back on everything and everyone, even his sister.

But Mithos looked so happy - genuinely happy. Maybe he's just lonely... He would always be there for Mithos, but there was no replacements for people that were important. He couldn't make him as happy as Martel would.

Maybe once Martel is back and he can talk to her again, things might be like they were before Raine died. They could just be normal friends again. This could be over.

...Nowadays, things felt lonely for him, too.

Genis shook his head to dismiss the question. "I'm okay. I'm not tired or anything." Everything else, well... It didn't feel like he could talk about it now. "You're not planning to leave again, are you?"

He just nodded when Genis repeated the question, patiently waiting for his answer--and it was an answer that met his satisfaction. He grinned brightly.

"No, now that you have your strength up," Mithos started and paused for dramatic effect--teasing--before he finished, "it's time for that present I promised."

Time to give Genis a Cruxis Crystal.

...Well, he sounded like he did before, but things were still all wrong. He wished he could smile back at Mithos when he said that, or laugh, or do anything they used to do. But he didn't have it in him. He wasn't himself. Mithos wasn't himself.

"My-" he cut himself off, eyes going wide as he remembered what present Mithos had prepared for him. He stumbled forward close to him. "R-really? Right now?"

The thought of losing his soul still filled him with dread, but did he even have much left to lose? He was already giving in.

...No way, he couldn't. That was just make things even worse for Raine.

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