Hey! Purest Shadows here, writing a new story! From the mind of SMB814, I have dedicated this effort to her and that little worm she crept into my head.
So the premise is that this story takes place a few years after ToS2. I guess four or five years? So that makes Genis nineteen…and I'll assume Seles is slightly older than him, so she'll be twenty-two?…Ah! I guessed right! According to Aselia Wiki, Seles is three years older than Genis. Oh yeah! Go me!…Ahem…This story is an attempt to create an environment where Genis and Zelos bond over the fact that their sisters are attractive, and as half-elves are becoming less of an anomaly, are the object of affection for many men. Obviously, despite this environment being the goal of the story, the main characters are obviously going to be Genis and Seles.
So, without further ado, I give you…A Work in Progress…
Chapter One: Mistakes and Beginnings
Sweat dripped down his face as he concentrated on the task before him. The young man stood there, frustrated at how he had been able to do this before…why was this so much harder before the scrutiny of his professors? It was only water, and with the use of lightning magic, could easily procure oxygen. But try as he might, the electrolysis wasn't happening. This was supposed to be his final project! A pathway to creating clean water in arid places! But no, he couldn't lose his cool. It would be all over if-CRACKLE!
Too late.
A slightly overpowered jolt of lightning bolted from Genis Sage's kendama, taking the hydrogen bonds and not only forming them, but conducting them. Water splashed out of it's beaker, as the electric current it carried shorted the burners. It was a terrible domino effect, as the burner created a minor explosion, and knocked over a flask of acid over a glass dome containing a volatile liquid. The glass dome slowly deteriorated and cracked, causing the air in the room to react with the liquid, which soon turned into a gas and filled the room.
"Crap." Genis muttered to himself, before quickly regaining his senses and shouting, "RUN!" The professors grading Genis quickly evacuated the remises, ushering other students outside. Genis followed after them, making sure that no one else had missed the message. This was, after all, his fault. Once he had made sure that everyone had evacuated, Genis rushed out, coughing out some of the hazardous gas. Once out safely, he hunched over, hands on his knees and breathed deeply. Thank Martel for fresh air.
"I wonder who caused this fiasco." A feminine voice above Genis' ducked head chuckled to herself, examining the scenario with an almost enthusiastic glee. Genis' head shot up to take a look at the girl who spoke and found himself looking up into the face of a redheaded half-elf. She looked down at him and with a twinkle in her eye, asked, "It wouldn't happen to be you, by any chance?" Genis turned a tell-tale shade of red at the accusation, causing the half-elf before him to chuckle again.
"Well it wasn't…! They should have..! That acid flask…and the glass dome! Never should have been so close in the first place! …It wasn't my fault! I can friggin cast Indignation Judgement, how could Lightning have gotten out of hand? " Genis stammered, his old childish pride flashing into full view before steamrolling into a full on rant. The redhead only nodded her head, a devilish grin across her face.
"So it was your fault then." She surmised after a beat. Genis stopped in his tracks and looked at his feet, murmuring a small, 'yeah' before looking back at her, realization dawning on his face.
"I know you!" He proclaimed, causing the girl to take a step back in alarm.
Uh-oh! She'd been figured out already? The girl decided to stick her nose up, she'd never seen this guy before! Maybe passing the cafeteria, but otherwise, he was a stranger. "I don't think you do, considering I don't know you." She responded smoothly, covering her slight worry. Genis only shook his head. He knew her!
"You're Seles! Zelos's sister!" He defied Seles's wishes, outing her identity before her. Seles cursed under her breath. Lately, as half-elves had become less of a problem in the world, Seles found herself under the attention of many people, trying to get in good terms with the former Chosen. While Zelos no longer had his title, knowing the famed 'Last Chosen of Tethe'alla' boosted the egos of a few silly people. People Seles had no care for whatsoever.
"Yeah, so what? Get lost, brat." She sneered at Genis, still thinking he was just another brown-nosing fan boy. Genis had to roll his eyes, wondering why Seles didn't recognize him.
It took an unusually long time for the normally intelligent boy to understand. The last time Genis saw Seles? In the old Vanguard base when she was kidnapped for Glacies's core. Of course she didn't recognize him! Genis had only recognized Seles from a painting Zelos had commissioned when he realized there was none of his dearest sister in the Wilder Estate. Ceremonially, Zelos had invited all his closest friends when Sebastian placed the painting of Seles over the white rectangle where Myelene Wilder's own painting had once been held. Seles hadn't come, too embarrassed to have all the attention on her over a painting of all things.
That had been rather recent, so to further cement that Genis knew her, he relayed the memory to her. "There's a painting of you Zelos had made, replacing the one of his mom. Had a huge party, with a few people there. Like me. I'm Genis Sage…I would hope you remembered me when we rescued you at the Vanguard base." It was his turn to look smug, but he should have known better than to assume victory was his. After all, Seles was a Wilder, and had no problem knocking him down a peg.
"I suppose you're just not very memorable, Mr. Sage. Though I suppose after a stunt like this," She indicated to the still slightly fumigated building, "I would have no other choice than to remember you. I do have a biology exam that you've probably gotten canceled. " Genis's jaw dropped as she began stammering about how the incident wasn't his fault. Not completely, anyway. Seles laughed, "And I do remember you by name. Big Brother does mention you from time to time." Genis stopped stammering to listen in. Taking cue from his expression, Seles continued.
"He says you're a midgety little brat. It's rather redundant, being both little and a midget, but he could have gone to say worse." From one of the deeper pockets of his lab coat, Genis toyed with his kendama, considering casting Explosion on the unwitting man in his sleep. He must have grown in the past seven years since their journey! Genis was now at least as tall as Zelos himself, though he suspected that he had a few more inches to grow. He gleefully recalled the day when Lloyd realized that Genis was taller than he was. "No, no! Come on! No!" Lloyd had cried out unhappily, unable to accept this new change in stature. Now he's my armrest. Genis thought wickedly.
Sadly, the young half-elf's Napoleonic fantasies were cut short by Seles clearing her throat. "I do understand that this may not be the case…but as you are still hunched over…perhaps my perception of your height may be falsified?" Genis realized that he was still looking up at Seles, not having yet stood erect. To which he did, proving Seles's perception to be incorrect. He easily stood a head above the older redhead, making him involuntarily grin again, relishing in more Napoleonic daydreams.
"Heh heh…armrests." He chuckled to himself, letting Seles stew in her mild confusion. She easily let it slide, recalling exactly how tall he had been the last time they had met. And though she had been in the abbey for most of her life, she had been subject to the exact same short jokes from Zelos himself. If she was assuming correctly about the armrests, anyway. Not that she'd ask such an unnecessary question in the first place. The people Zelos chose for his company were…strange, at best.
Looking back to the building, Seles noted that it was being roped off. "I suppose that biology exam will have to wait." She feigned an air of dramatics, before turning away. "Perhaps lunch would be a preferable substitute." Seles looked (up, instead of down) at Genis, making a slight gesture.
"So is this an invite?" He asked, shrugging his lab coat off and holding it on his arm. Seles nodded, following suit and handing her own lab coat to him.
"A gentleman always carries a lady's belongings." She chided mockingly when he tried to hand it back to her before adding, "Which means you should also hold onto these, Mr. Sage." and unceremoniously dropped her textbooks and parchments into his open arms. Then walked towards the cafeteria before Genis could react, leaving him to follow her with a wide gaping expression on his otherwise intelligent face.
"Seles! Seles! Come on! I don't even want to be a gentleman, take your stuff back!" He called to her retreating form. This continued on until they had reached the cafeteria, and Genis happily dumped her things onto the table. Seles could only shake her head, tsking lightly at him.
"You'd make terrible boyfriend material." Seles sighed, placing one cheek into the palm of her slender hand. "Not at all gentlemanly," she added. Genis huffed a little and crossed his arms, wondering why he was dealing with Seles right now. They were practically strangers! In fact, they were strangers.
"You don't even know me." Genis pointed out shrewdly, annoyance biting at his heels for Seles's apparent disinterest in first impressions. He noticed that Seles's left eyebrow (he wondered momentarily if she could do that with her right as well) cocked upwards. Her head tilted ever so slightly towards him and she stuck her hand forward in a friendly gesture.
"Well, you know my name. Nice to meet you, formally…I guess." Seles shrugged. Genis took her hand in a firm grip and shook it.
"You know mine too. Same here." He grinned widely. Then he stood up, heading over to the counter. "What do you want to eat?"
"I don't know, I guess a sandwich." Seles peered into the counter, staring at all the food in the cold case. There were a huge selection of sandwiches, pasta salads, and assorted fruits. All of which made her mouth water slightly. She pulled out a turkey sandwich…only to have it pulled from her fingers by a taller half-elf. Said half-elf went on to pick his own sandwich (roast beef) and proceeded to pay for both.
"I can be a gentleman too." Genis huffed at her, tossing Seles her pastic-wrapped meal before walking her back to their table. There, he unwrapped his own sandwich and began to eat. Seles thought of a witty remark concerning Genis's lack of finesse when giving her the sandwich, but a soft growl from her belly gave pause. She too, ate her sandwich in silence, her eyes drifting out the window towards the cloudless sky. A few minutes in silence passed comfortably. Or not quite so comfortably for Genis.
"Seles."
"Yes?"
"Whatcha thinking about?"
"How did you manage to send the whole science department up in a tizzy?" Genis straightened himself and began digging through the papers he had stuffed into his lab coat pocket.
"It's called electrolysis." His eyes lit up as he explained the failed project in detail. "Basically, using electricity-or in my case, lightning-to separate or forge the bonds between any two atoms containing a hydrogen bond. For example," His finger pointed to a diagram of a water molecule and pointed to the indicated hydrogen bond. "If I could get any electrodes to disrupt the bond, I could separate the oxygen and hydrogen. It's all part of my theory that, if reversed under the right conditions, one could feasibly create the correct oxygen-hydrogen bond and create water. It would make water accessible to places where water is scarce, like the Triet Desert!" Seles closed her eyes, nodding along, trying to keep up.
Physics wasn't her thing. In fact, nothing piqued Seles's interest beyond biology. Possibly pharmacology, but mostly biological occurrences. In fact, Seles had come to Sybak to study her own physical condition, and after much studying, research, and testing, she discovered that her lungs were inept at retaining the oxygen needed to fund her body's activities.
But the idea of actually using magic to create water from air, rather than summoning it, was interesting. "That doesn't explain how you fumigated the entire science department." Seles pointed out rather shrewdly. "I thought you were adept at magic, Mr. I Can Cast Indignation Judgement."
Genis groaned at the insult, dropping his head on the table with a loud thud. Whoops. He hadn't meant to hit his head so hard, and instantly jerked back up, hissing loudly , "OW!" He rubbed the sore spot on his forehead and mumbled something about stupid little sisters who teased him after he paid for their lunch.
"Well I suppose that next time, you'll just have to buy me lunch again and we'll see if I'm any nicer." Seles retorted. "And speak more clearly next time if you really want to complain about me while I'm here."
"Next time?" Genis echoed the only words he initially caught onto and then, "Pay again? No way! You're paying for yourself next time. Geez, I might as well have made those sandwiches myself." He took another bite of his sandwich and tested the flavor in his mouth. "I could have easily made a better one." Genis said, his voice muffled through the bread and meat currently mingling between his molars.
Seles chose to ignore Genis's bad manners and nodded her head, "Yes and yes." She imitated the whine emphasized by Genis's second inquiry. Before he could protest, Seles held up a hand and, rather hastily, added, "There are no arguments. You're going to meet me here and you're either going to have a sandwich to rival Sebastian's cooking for me, or you're going to pay for lunch again." Her voice rang with such clear authority that Genis could only agree.
"Seles?"
"What?"
"What if I have to pay more to beat Sebastian's cooking?"
"Oh. Just buy lunch again, then."
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