I don't own Tales of Symphonia, tragically.
Contains Spoilers.
Written for the "First-date" request.
Kratos shuffled his leather clad feet. The new leather squeaked uncomfortably against the wooden floor of the inn. He sighed. Just then, he heard a flutter of frills and a chorus of chortles; Kratos eye turned to see a flock of flighty females shuffle together in a great cluster of ruffles and colour. The women, spying him, stopped their walking and giggles; they all looked at him up and down with placid teasing smiles before resuming their silly laughs with increased volume and speed; they quickly hovered out of the door of the inn, but not before stopping once more, each giving Kratos more playful, longing looks. Kratos put his hand up to his head and closed his eyes in annoyance.
This was a disaster.
A complete and utter disaster.
How did he get roped into this?
Ah yes, Anna. Anna, straightforward, stubborn, no-nonsense Anna had wanted to go to this blasted ball that was presently the bane of Kratos' existence. Had they come just a day later to Palmacoasta, he might have been spared the humiliation, but no, they had to come the night before the Grand Ball.
Kratos scowled. Anna had noticed the unusual commotion and flurry of the streets of Palmacoasta and seemed to taste the excitement in the air. She inquired what was happening; a ball, a ball to celebrate the completion of the new Palmacoasta ship. It was completed by the Governor-Generals son, Dorr; and to celebrate his accomplishment, he was hosting a party on the ship itself.
Kratos watched in dismay as Anna' eyes widened at the news. As her green eyes began to shine in excitement, his brown eyes closed with exasperation.
He knew she would want to go.
And she did. And she insisted on it.
And now here he was, waiting at the bottom of the stairs at the inn while Anna was finishing getting ready upstairs. Kratos grumbled to himself as he waited.
Ridiculous. Such a frivolous, ludicrous, pointless pastime.
Here they were being chased by Desians, by Cruxis, and Anna wanted to go to a ball. She'd probably get bored within an hour anyways; she always got bored. He let out another irritated sigh.
"Oh stop, you're fine." Came a voice that Kratos immediately recognized. The soft tone made Kratos hair stand on edge and his heart began to beat faster against his will. He took a deep breath and turned towards the familiar, comforting sound of Anna.
He stopped. The heart that had been pounding madly before seemed to discontinue immediately. His breath caught in his chest. The air that was there seemed to wrap around his heart, causing it to feel as though there was a great weight on his chest. It was a feeling that Kratos had recently become familiar with. When Kratos had first felt the squeezing sensation, he had thought it was a nuisance. But now, he found it somewhat satisfying. It was his feeling for Anna; he could not define it. It happened only when he saw Anna and only at rare occasions; it would happen when the fire would catch the curve of her soft cheek; or when her hair would be wet from the rain; or when her green eyes would lazily close as she cuddled with Noishe; or when she smiled at Kratos…. Kratos dwelled on these rare moments as he stared at her before him and then realized perhaps the feeling was not as rare as he would like to pretend.
He felt this way every time he simply looked at her.
But now, especially now, she was unbelievably lovely. Half of her long brown hair fell in soft curls that draped her shoulders. The other half was drawn up in a complex array of twists and braids. She wore a dress that rivaled the colour her eyes, but Kratos was sure that nothing, not even the fine emerald satin of the form-fitting dress, could draw away from the allure of the green of Anna's eyes. She had cleverly placed necklace around her neck to make it appear as though the small jewel that protruded out of her chest was an accessory rather than a parasite. Kratos frowned a moment as he looked at the stone. Damned Angelous Project, it was the cause of all her problems. He withdrew hjs eyes from the crystal and continued is examination of Anna, trying to draw his attention away from her current predicament. Her green gown was long and hugged her curves, but the skirt part of the dress spilled around her covering her legs. She twirled at the top of the stairs, the dress flew around her, revealing her worn travel boots, mud stained beneath her dress. Kratos smiled – it seemed so like Anna to keep her boots rather than invest in a pair of fancy shoes. She beamed at him and slowly descended the stairs. Her gloved hands were placed contently behind her back . She seemed to jump down each step before she made it to the bottom.
"You look…." Kratos started… he tried to think of the word: pretty? No, not descriptive enough. Beautiful? Too bold. Magnificent? Too insincere. Gorgeous? Too much.
"Out of place?" Anna interrupted, looking at him inquisitively then back down at herself, "Maybe the dress was too much. I don't feel like I really am fit for these kind of things.
Kratos' train of thought stopped at Anna's abrupt, inaccurate description of herself. He attempted speak once more but found his tongue would not move and seemed to be plaster to the bottom portion of his mouth.
Speak man, Speak! He thought angrily to himself and finally he opened his mouth again.
"Green." He stated suddenly. Anna eyebrows crossed confusion and she tilted her head slightly at Kratos, giving him a perplexed look.
"What?" She asked.
Kratos found himself speaking again before he could stop himself, "Green, you look….green…" As soon as he finished Kratos realized the inappropriateness of the comment; he restrained his hand from flying to his face in shame and embarrassment.
That was not what he meant to say. Not at all.
Anna pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows slightly, glancing to the side at the awkward comment as Kratos stood absolutely still, his body and face flinty and cold.
"Okay…." She said slowly, she wasn't embarrassed, just confused by the odd statement that came from the even odder man. Was Kratos attempting to give her a compliment? She continued in her reply, "Um. Thanks?"
Kratos gave her a small nod while tightening his lips. Anna's ubiquitous, playful smile returned and she tugged teasingly on Kratos' cravat.
"Well, at least I don't look so out of place as you. This doesn't suit you at all. It looks like you are suffocating."
Kratos was grateful his shaggy hair covered his slowly reddening face. He grabbed Anna's hand and gently removed it from his collar.
She lifted her other hand up and started to move his hair.
"At least you could have tried to do something with your hair!" She chided, running her fingers through it. The small tug at his scalp was surprisingly delightful.
His face turned three more shades of red and pink and backed away from her quickly before she could move the rest of his hair and see the like pink that kissed his cheeks.
"Hmph." He stated, his face reddening even more, if possible, at the feel of her soft small hand in his.
"Hmph." She replied in mockery.
Kratos straightened his collar as he stepped to the door, opening and motioning his hand to outside.
He cleared his throat awkwardly as he looked at her and said, "Shall we?"
Anna beamed and picked up the front of her dress, the brown boots peaking out once more and brushed past Kratos through the door.
As she passed, time seemed to slow for a moment and Kratos was aware of every movement of her curled tresses following her, the swish of the skirt of her dress, and the soft scent of fresh soap that followed after Anna.
He swallowed, and followed her outside.
There were several other groups of people streaming through the town. Lanterns had been hung along the various shops and poles that skirted the streets of Palmacoasta. There was a warm glow that permeated the cold blue night that created a hazy sort of comfort. Laughs and playful protests echoed through the streets, complimented by the ruffling skits of the ladies and the confident click of boots from the men. There seemed to be an air of contented merriment.
Kratos stole a look at Anna from the corner of his eye. She glanced around excitedly, the lanterns reflecting in her large green eyes. She had a large open smile that spread across her face as she quickly skimmed in all the beautiful sights.
She pointed, "Look at the lanterns!" she cried.
Her gaze shifted, pointing again, "And the boats! Look at the boats with all the lighted candles on them in the harbor! They're beautiful!"
She pointed in front of her, "And her dress! Look at the dress… oh dear. Maybe my dress is a little bit old fashioned…."
"Anna," Kratos started, he was about to assure her dress was fine – this time he would tell her that he thought she looked…. Ravishing? Too promiscuous. Cute? Too …childish. Sexy?…. Kratos scowled. Definitely not. That was not a word he could ever see himself saying. As he was once again looking for the right compliment, Anna looked up at him and smiled brightly and interrupted.
"Right, right, sorry. I am getting to excited – I promise, Kratos, this time I won't get bored. This is far to exciting."
Kratos mouth closed slowly as he let out a long breath as he did – that's not what he was going to say at all. She smiled again, and her green eyes smiled too. Such beautiful enchanting eyes. They were such a lovely shade of….
"Green." He said out loud again.
Anna looked up at him again; her face in curiosity.
"Um… what?"
Kratos looked away from her and closed his eyes slowly in annoyance to himself. He cleared his throat again and spoke.
"It's nothing… nothing. Never mind."
Anna pursed her lips in order to stifle laughter and looked ahead again. Her eyes caught a cuddly couple in front of them. The girl was pressed against her companion, she leaned into him and glanced up at him from the side. Anna couldn't see her entire face, but she could see the woman's eyelashes of her downturned eyes, her soft feminine smile played across her lips. The man looked dotedly down at her, tucking a lose strand out of her face. Anna gazed at them fondly unaware that Kratos was gazing at her in a similar manner as the man to his companion before her.
"Must be nice." She murmured softly to herself.
Kratos heard her mumble Kratos glanced around to see what she was talking about. Many people were walking in pairs. He looked at one couple in particular. The man had his arm bent and the woman had her arms gracefully tucked into his arm – an escort. Kratos was familiar with the gesture from the royalty in Meltokio, the place where he had grown up. Kratos cleared his throat. He opened his mouth, about to offer his arm to Anna, but she suddenly darted away from him, gasping in glee.
"Ah Kratos! Look! The boat!" she breathed excitedly as she pointed to the great ship before them.
Once again Kratos closed his mouth – He didn't get to say what he wanted to say. He let out another sigh, shaking his head and smiled after the girl before him. He walked up to her and folded his arms.
He had seen bigger. In Meltokio.
But she didn't need to know that. He smiled down at her, her features reflecting awe.
"Its massive." She gasped
Kratos remained silent but took a step closer to Anna. Just as he did…..
"Ah! Let's go! I am so excited!" She unwittingly grabbed Kratos hand, pulling him through the throng of boots and ruffles. Kratos felt his face redden once again as his hand clasped around hers. Soon, they had managed their way through the crowd and were on the deck of the ship. Anna beamed and Kratos reddened as their hands lingered clasped together for a moment. Their hands finally released; Kratos felt both relief and dismay.
The boat was crowded with numerous groups of people. Each group chatted and fluttered, aware of only themselves and oblivious to the world around them. Soft music played from one end of the boat and Kratos glanced over to see a small group of men playing various instruments. The music was soft and light. Nearby the instruments, flowing couples moved with ease and grace as they floated on the floor. The skirts and ruffles of the dresses swirled in graceful motions and the men's strong backs pulled up the weight of the women.
Dancing. Kratos hated dancing. He never liked it. He spied down at Anna who looked hungrily at the dancing couples. Kratos detested dancing, but he could tell that Anna wanted too. He closed his eyes.
"Hello there," a soft voice came to him, "Would you like to dance?"
Kratos glanced over to his side to see a very buxom woman smiling coyly at him.
"I don't dance." Came the automatic reply.
The woman seemed taken aback and slightly offended, "Oh, well then, excuse me." She said tartly before turning becoming lost in the crowd.
"Kratos." Anna asked, looking up at him somewhat sadly, "You don't dance?"
Kratos cursed his reflexes inwardly and decided correct his statement – he would dance with Anna if she wanted to. Kratos cleared his throat and opened his mouth to tell Anna this. Just at that moment a stranger approached them.
"May I have this dance?" he asked Anna. She beamed in return and took his offered hand.
Kratos gaped after them as Anna was pulled away and was consumed in the ruffles and lace. He kept his eyes on her. The man must have been a good dancer for he seemed to lead Anna around with easy grace – though Kratos did smirk as she stepped on his toes a few times. However, despite the occasional smirk, Kratos couldn't help but be aware of an incessant scratching at his heart. What was this?
Envy?
Kratos scowled. What a nuisance.
But he couldn't deny it. He was jealous. He watched with a keen eye as the couple danced. Anna laughed and smiled at the man, who seemed to grow more and more enchanted with her every moment. Kratos scowl deepened. It reminded him of a saying.
What was that saying?
Something with Envy….
Ah yes, it was:
"Green." He said out loud, it was green with envy.
"What?" came Anna's voice. Kratos was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts and realized that Anna had come back from the dance and was standing next to him. She looked at him, her lips pursed with amusement.
"Why do you keep going off about green?" She asked him smugly, "What's on your mind. You're acting really strange."
Kratos stared at her for a moment – How could he say this – how could he tell her what he wanted to say. That she was continually on his mind: her green eyes, her green dress, his emotions of jealousy when he danced? No.
"Hmph." Was his only reply.
"Hmph." Anna mocked again, making her voice go as deep as possible. She put her hands on her hips and pouted at him before flashing him another smile, "You're so strange."
Kratos knew it.
"Excuse me." They both turned, it was the man again, "I am sorry, but I was so delighted with our last dance, I was wondering if I could have another."
Anna smiled and put her hand his open palm again. Kratos grimaced as the man placed his other hand on top of her. Then something odd happened – the man's smile faded slightly as he looked at the strange exsphere on Anna's chest.
"Oh, excuse me, miss," he said glancing down at her hand, "That's a lovely jewel…."
The man went to touch the odd protruding exsphere, reaching his hand towards Anna. Just at the moment, Kratos let his reflexes take over. He swiftly grabbed Anna's hand out of the other man's and swiftly led her to the dance floor. Before he realized what was happening, her was placing her hand on his shoulder and his own hand on her waist.
Anna glanced up at him with a mixture of confusion, shock, and delight. Kratos spun her around gracefully on the dance floor – but he did not make eye contact with her.
That might be do dangerous – he may lose control if he looked into those beautiful green orbs of hers.
The song seemed to last for an eternity – Kratos didn't mind. He liked the feeling of Anna's small waist clasped in his hand. He enjoyed the feeling of her petite hand resting lightly on his broad shoulder. He was fond of the light smell of her hair. He didn't even mind the occasional step on his boots from Anna. He loathed dancing, but he loved being with Anna. He loved holding her.
Kratos' face remained flinty, but his heart beat madly against his chest. He wondered if Anna could feel it, perhaps she could hear it. A soft sheen of pink graced his cheeks. His hair that usually would have covered her features was swept back; he hated to be so exposed. Luckily the soft shade of pink seemed to be only a trick of the glowing lanterns.
He seemed to be lost in the swift movements of the dance, his head was tilted away from Anna.
"Kratos…" she softly said. Kratos felt his head turn instinctively towards his name. She was looking up at him. There was a faint trace of pink gracing her cheeks as well – it was no trick of the light. The pink heightened the green of her eyes.
Kratos swallowed – he couldn't look away. They were… lovely
Kratos stopped dancing. Silently he pulled Anna closer to him. Her blush deepened as he lifted of his hand and cupped her cheek gently. Tenderly he caressed her lips with his thumb. This was it – control was gone… he leaned closer to her and…..
The music ended. The moment was lost. Kratos pulled quickly away, releasing Anna from his grasp as I did. He felt as her fingers slowly left his shoulder and she looked shyly away.
Was that … disappointment on her face? Kratos didn't wait to find out. He bowed stiffly and quickly walked away from her without a word. Once he was a far enough distance away and lost in the crowd, he turned back once more to where he had left her standing.
She stood among the crowd. Her brown hair catching the light of the flickering lanterns that hung lazily across the ships. He face was cast down, staring at the bottom of her dress where her boots were tucked neatly away under. She turned her head to the side and Kratos thought he saw something small glitter on her cheek in the hazy light of the lanterns.
Was that a tear?
Kratos cursed himself under his breath. And began to walk towards her again; his eyes were only on her, he was focused on only her. That's why Kratos was slightly surprised when he suddenly collided with another human being. Kratos' instincts took over, he grabbed the person he ran into, steadying both himself and the person. Kratos looked down to see it was the woman earlier who had asked him to dance.
"Hey! Watch it!" She snapped. She suddenly recognized Kratos, "Oh, it's you." she muttered bitterly.
Kratos released the woman and peered back into the crowd where Anna had been – but she was gone! Kratos began to look around, panicked. She was there a moment ago….
"If you want to dance now, it's too late." The woman continued haughtily.
"I don't want to dance!" Kratos suddenly stated harshly; the woman stared at him before walking of in an offended cloud of ruffles and lace. Kratos closed his eyes – he had to collect himself. He had to calm himself. Kratos hadn't meant to take his frustration out on that woman; it wasn't like him to be so irritated. It was just… everything was going completely wrong.
Kratos sighed and continued his search for Anna. Finally he caught a glimmer of green in the light from the lanterns. Her back was turned to him, her face slightly turned so that he could only see a portion of her profile. Her neck was long and slender and glowed in the flickering light from the lanterns above. The luminous light was caught in her hair as well, making it shine. She paused for a moment, almost as if she sensed someone was looking at her, but then quickly resumed her walking.
She was leaving the ship.
Kratos pursued. The ship was becoming unbearably clustered with the merry laughing people. Kratos felt as though he would choke on all the frills and perfume that pervaded his senses. He pushed his way passed the plethora of people that piled into the boat. Finally, he was off. Kratos glanced down the street – but there was no sign of Anna.
He cursed again inwardly.
Why did he have to be such a fool?
He walked briskly through the crowd. They seemed oblivious so the sole person retreating from the party. No one took notice of the concerned man clad in white – they had their minds on their own merriments.
Kratos continued his search through the streets but in vain. Soon, he was back at the inn. This side of town was quieter. Kratos could hear the streams of music and laughter that wafted gently through the air and percolated his ears. The noise from the party produced a ubiquitous hum that floated gently in the air. But Kratos didn't care about the party that was continuing without him, his mind was on one thing:
Where was Anna?
Kratos sighed and leaned heavily against the wall. Perhaps he would just wait at the inn until she returned. He turned his head towards the boat – in the distance he could see the blinking lights of the lanterns. The ship seemed to glow, a light laugh lightly floated through the air. Kratos closed his eyes.
He knew what he had to do. He had to find Anna, he had to tell her that – no, before he thought of that he had to find her. But where could she have gone? It shouldn't have been that hard to find her. She had to be nearby. She should be easy to spot too, all he had to look for was:
"Green." Kratos stated.
"What about green?" a familiar voice echoed. Kratos snapped opened his eyes and glanced up at the person approaching him. The moonlight lingered on her skin, causing it to glow – other than that she was an outline. The luminous moon clung to the green satin of her dress, accentuating her curves. She took another step forward, causing her face to be illuminated by one of the many hanging lanterns. Kratos could see a few traces of glittering trials on her cheeks where tears had fallen. Though there was evidence of tears, Anna was smiling brightly at Kratos. She had already put everything behind her. Kratos continued to stare, his mouth slightly agape.
"What?" Anna asked. She looked down, "Is something on my dress?"
Kratos continued to stare.
"Kratos," Anna said almost timidly, though her voice was to reproving for that, "You are acting very peculiar tonight."
Kratos looked at his hands that were hanging casually over his knees. He was aware, but it wasn't his fault. Everything was going wrong tonight.
Anna let out a sigh. She lifted her hand casually behind her head, almost as if she was embarrassed, "Maybe this was a bad idea. I thought it would be fun but…" her voice trailed, "Obviously you hate this sort of thing. I shouldn't have pushed it."
Kratos once again found himself desperately clamoring for the right words. What should he tell her. I had a great time? That would be a lie. Sorry I'm just being an idiot? Too humiliating. You make me nervous so I can't find the right words to say and I just want to crawl into a hole and die? Definitely not.
"Perhaps we should just go back…." Anna started to say, interrupting Kratos' futile attempt to find the perfect thing to say.
It was then that Kratos realized trying to tell Anna what he thought was pointless.
He would have to show her.
Kratos remained silent. He didn't look at Anna. Slowly, he pushed himself off the ground. It wasn't until he was completely standing that Kratos made eye contact with Anna. The light of the lantern and moon and streamed together and had gently fallen upon Anna's eyes creating gold and silver whirlpools of light amidst the deep emerald. Kratos once again realized that words were futile – no words could describe the effect those green eyes had on him. He slowly approached Anna, who continued to stare at him.
"Kratos?" she asked, her faced knitted with confusion as he advanced to her, "What are you…"
By then he was right in front of her. Anna's words faltered as Kratos continued to stare at her intently – he was so close. She tried to speak again.
"If you are angry, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that–"
"Don't speak." Kratos commanded. And he forced her to obey. Letting his instincts take over, he gently cupped her soft face with his calloused hands, leaned in, and tenderly brushed his lips against hers.
At first, Anna's lips were tight with surprise. Perhaps he had made a mistake…. Kratos was pleased, however, as Anna's lips and body eventual melted into his. Soon they were lost in each other. Kratos had both his arms around her waist, and Anna's fingers had somehow managed to find his hair.
Their lips pulled apart. Kratos kept his eyes closed and leaned his forehead against Anna's own head.
"Anna," he stated slowly. He opened his eyes, though hers remained closed, "I wanted to tell you…. I wanted to tell you that tonight, tonight you looked…" he kissed her cheekbone, "enchanting." He pulled back, whispering in her ear, "I wanted to tell you that, I wanted to dance with you." he kissed her forehead, "I wanted to tell you that anything is worth enduring if it means I am in your company." He leaned in and kissed her lips once again. This kiss was long and sweet, like dripping honey.
"I wanted to tell you this," Kratos repeated, Anna opened her eyes, "But all I could manage to say was…" his eyes met hers. Once again he found he was captivated by the deep emerald colour… he found his words slipping away from him once again…
"Green." Kratos finally stated.
Anna smiled, beaming up at him.
"Kratos, you're pretty weird." She told him.
Kratos smiled, "Maybe I am." He confirmed before leaning in and kissing her once more.
The steady stream of noise continued to float down from the ship. The lanterns continued to flicker, casting a warm glow upon the many streets where men and women fluttered and giggled. The moon enviously watched in the pitch sky above, shedding her pallid glow upon the two companions. Kratos, however, was oblivious to it all. He was oblivious to the moon, the people, and the noise. His mind was occupied with one thing; green.
He was consumed with green.
He was consumed with Anna.