A/N Greetings all! Basically, this is going to be a litte project I'll trial for a while. It's going to be a collection of oneshots/drabbles focused on the childhoods of any character in the game. They will be a range of lengths/styles/genres.
Be sure to let me know if you have any ideas!
Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, nor do I own the name Lloyd uses...I believe that belongs to Sega!
Lloyd Irving, aged 11
'Ahhhhh...!'
All the breath was forced out of Lloyd as he hit the dusty floor with a bang. He squeezed his eyes shut as he winced before sitting up slowly, rubbing the dull ache in the back of his head where it had rebounded forcefully off the floor as he fell.
His vision was blurred slightly, but Lloyd could make out a two people heading towards him, one walking, one running. The smaller was doing the running and was dressed in an outfit of sky blue. That was Lloyd's best friend, Genis, aged 6. Behind him was a taller figure, wearing orange, Lloyd squinted to try and focus his vision, before allowing his eyes to widen as he scrambled away from the figure on his backside.
'Uh oh...'
'Lloyd Irving!' Raine Sage yelled at the boy from across the school yard. Lloyd could see the eyes of his school-mates darting back between the two of them and he caught the eye of a sympathetic-looking Colette by the doorway to the classroom. Lloyd continued to scramble backwards as Genis reached his side.
'Lloyd!' the young boy squeaked, a shining smile of excitement etched across his face, 'Can I-'
'Out of the way, Genis,' Raine pushed her younger brother to the side with her hand before standing, hands on hips, over the red-clad 11 year old.
Lloyd placed a hand back behind his head and grinned apologetically at his teacher, 'Professor Sage...I was just-'
'Get up.'
'Professor! Just let me explain what-'
'GET UP, LLOYD!'
Lloyd jumped to his feet and was immediately grabbed by the shoulder of his jacket and hauled away towards the classroom. He shot a look back to Genis as he went, giving a cheeky, confident smile.
Lloyd scowled as he swung his rucksack over his shoulder. He had been given extra homework to do over the weekend because he had broken the rules at breaktime with school AND he had to stay after school for a little longer, studying the concepts of the Chosen of Regeneration's journey for the umpteenth time. Lloyd argued with his teacher, but was secretly glad he only recieved homework and a detention as a punishment, it could have been a lot worse. The 11 year old shuddered at the thought.
'Lloyd!'
The boy turned his head to see Genis run out of his house and down the small steps onto the road, attempting to ambush Lloyd as he headed towards the back entrance of the village. Lloyd was always met by Dirk and Noishe after school, but was very excited at the prospect of his 12th birthday, whereby he would be able to head to school and back on his own because he would have his very own wooden swords!
'Hey, Genis,' Lloyd shot a wide smile at the 6 year old, recieving a similar one in reply.
'Was she really harsh on you, Lloyd?'
Lloyd laughed confidently, 'Nah...not at all! Just a bit of extra work to do, nothing too bad.'
'What were you doing up the tree anyway?'
'It wasn't a tree!' Lloyd smirked and dropped his rucksack on the floor beside him, '...It was a mast!'
The 11 year old ran towards the nearest tree and hauled himself to the top of it, placing an open hand perpendicular to his forehead, as if he was staring out to see. Genis laughed excitedly and clapped his hands together.
'So you were being a sailor?'
Lloyd's eyes widened in mock suprise. He crouched down and leapt the seemingly-impossible distance back down to the floor, stumbling slightly as he landed. He brushed himself down quickly, re-instating the smirk across his face and he ripped two medium-sized branches off the tree.
'Not a sailor, you maggot!' Lloyd yelled, in a classic accent, 'A pirate! Aaaargh!'
He brandished the swords above him and swung them around at would-be attackers. After a couple of excited cries from Genis, Lloyd reverted back to his 'ready' stance; one foot in front of the other, right hand holding the mock sword in front of him, left hand holding the mock sword 'backwards' so that the 'blade' of the sword was pointing backwards.
'Clear these waaaaters of would be treasure plunderers, Deck-man Genis!' Lloyd shouted, emphasising the pirate accent a little too much.
Genis grabbed his own would-be sword from the floor beside him, stood straight and saluted his friend, 'Aye, aye, Captain Lloyd!'
Lloyds stance flopped as he let his neck and shoulders relax in frustration, 'My name isn't Captain Lloyd, Genis!'
'Really?... Well, what is it then?'
'Captain Vyse!' Lloyd held one of his swords aloft, just in time for a gust of wind to brush the hair of his face.
'Vyse?'
Lloyd let his arm drop and shrugged, 'I dunno. Was just a name that seemed right at the time... but anyway, Deck-man Genis, GET TO WORK!'
'Aye, Captain Vyse!'
Both boys laughed as they began to clear the streets of Iselia from baddies, lost in their own world of pirates, sea monsters and treasure.
'Lloyd!'
'My name isn't Lloyd, Genis!'
'An' my name isn't Genis!'
'Huh?' Lloyd spun round to see Dirk and Noishe stood behind him. The dwarf had his arms crossed over his chest, a frustrated look on his face.
'Dad!' Lloyd dropped the sticks-come-swords and ran over to his adoptive father, 'I was coming, I was just-'
'It's alright, come on, let's get yeh home.'
The dwarf and 'dog' turned back towards the forest, leaving Lloyd to grin apologetically at Genis. The young 6 year old gleamed at his best friend in the whole wide world and waved.
'See you tomorrow, Captain Vyse!'
A/N Well that was a lot of fun to write! I hope it was OK. I always saw some similarities between Lloyd and Vyse from Skies of Arcadia, but maybe it was just the two swords thing... I always used to argue with my brother over who would win in a fight! I would have to say Vyse, methinks.
Anyway, let me know what you think and do you have any requests/suggestions for later chapters??
Happy Holidays!