Disclaimer: All appearing characters and places belong to Namco.
The O-dai themes belong to the Zeroshii-Wa, at http/deburu98249.jog. but written correctly. Anyone know how to write an URL here without it getting butchered?
Normal Version,
#2 – Meeting
"Do you remember when we met?"
"Mmmh… dunno. It was back when we were just brats, right?"
"I was never a brat, thank you very much."
"Ohohohoh, but you were!"
"So suddenly you remember?"
"The Great Zelos never forgets the moment he meets one of his hunnies, because he might be questioned about it later."
"Don't talk about memories as if they were a school test, idiot."
----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----
You had walked into the city, feeling scared and lonely. Gradfather hadn't woken up and everyone was still angry at you, only Kuchinawa and Orochi alone talked to you and they were sometimes scolded because of that.
Tiga had said it would do you good to visit the city: there was a school there which would do you good, and you might be able to find new friends there. But you knew better, you knew that it was because everybody there was still resentful and they would feel better if the cursed child was away.
----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----
"So I assume you're happy I remember then?"
"Hah! You prize yourself too highly."
"How about you then?"
"What?"
"Do you remember how we met?"
"Of course I do. I have good memory for –"
"Then you tell me."
"What? Why should I?"
"I want to make sure you're not lying! You could be asking me just because you don't remember!"
----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----
You were thankful to Tiga, at least a little. You understood it was all for the good of the village and for your own good too.
But it still hurt.
The city was enormous and full of people walking much faster than anyone in Mizuho ever did. You knew you were supposed to find the Research Laboratory but you didn't know what a 'Research Laboratory' was supposed to look like and no one was paying you any attention.
"Ah – excuse me – I'm – I'm very sorry…" you tried to call someone and ask directions but no one had time for the little and rather dirty girl dressed in funny clothes. "I don't mean to be rude, but… ah…"
A few seconds later a ball rolled past you and about five boys, all older than you, followed it running. As the rest of the adults they didn't see you or maybe they didn't care and then pushed you onto the cobblestones.
And it was your lucky day, too, because you landed on a puddle.
----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----
"I hated that day for years and years afterwards! It was just... bad."
"Aw, couldn't be that terrible."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah. You met me, after all!"
"That's what topped it off."
----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----
"Aw, what is such a beauty doing sitting on the mu... aw man, you're just a kid, ain't ya?" What had started as the first kind words changed into a rather derisive sneer.
In anger you turned around and found a boy with flaming red hair framing his face. His clothes and hair, everything had been arranged with great care and he was looking at you as if you were the most boring thing ever.
So you splashed as much mud as you could at him. "You are a kid, too!"
"Am not!" he yelled back, jumping away from your attacks, but the damage was done and most of his clothes ruined, even his face had some dirt now. He looked at his clothes and then glared at you. "I'm almost fourteen, and you're gonna pay for my clothes!"
And you weren't even eleven. And those looked expensive. Ooops. He got up, glowering at his pants and then at you and you suddenly felt scared because you realized he was so much taller.
----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----
"Why were you even talking like that?"
"Like what?"
"You know… your pick-up lines. Weren't you a bit too young for that?"
"Mmmh… well, dunno. Can't remember when women started to notice my manliness."
"What manliness?"
"The one you tried to ruin by getting mud all over me."
"You had it coming anyway. When you see a girl sitting on the mud about to cry, you don't really act like that."
"Yeah, I know. But you were a kid."
"So were you."
"Yeah..."
----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----
You though perhaps he would hit you, like some of the boys in Mizuho did. And this time there were no Orochi and no Kuchinawa around to defend you... of course you had your cards and you could do some moves on your own, but he was so much taller. He was right, you noticed – he wasn't a boy, he was a man.
----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----
"What, you admit you were a brat then?"
"I was thirteen. Thirteen! You wouldn't call me an adult, would you?"
"I wouldn't call you an adult nowadays either."
----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----
So you raised your hands as if to defend yourself but the 'man' stared at you, as if he had suddenly noticed something.
"...you ain't from around here, right kid?"
You figured you had two options: to play it tough and risk being beaten or to play it nice and maybe you'd get some help.
"...no."
"You're from Mizuho, right?"
"How – how did you know?"
"Oooh, I know stuff," he had grinned at you.
----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----
"If I had only known back then..."
"About what? About how great my greatness is?"
"About how frankly easy it is to beat you up."
"Wh- now, do you think I would've let myself be beaten up by a ten year old girl?"
"You mean to say you would've actually hit a ten year old girl?"
"I – you -! ...of course not. Sheesh!"
----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----
He had taken your arm and dragged you behind him, literally because you kept trying to break free, so you kicked and punched at what you could – you even bit him at some point.
But he had kept laughing, dodging your attacks. "I heard they are waiting for you there," he had said, pointing to a white and blue building, "But you can't go there yet!"
"Why not?"
"Because they're expecting the good-will ambassador from Mizuho, not a girl covered in mud!" he had laughed here before dragging you away, up a big set of stairs. "I can't wait to see their face when they find it's just a girl!"
"I'm – I'm not a girl!"
"Yeah, yeah... you know, yousure as hell don't look like a boy."
----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----
"You sure as hell don't look like a boy nowadays either. Aw, don't look at me like that, take a compliment will you? I'm just saying you're very feminine… where it counts, too…"
----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----
"Where are you taking me?" and why was no one stopping him? Even with the scandal you were making people still didn't seem to care or worst even, some smiled and waved at the 'man', laughing at the scene.
"To my home. I'll get your clothes clean."
"I don't need them clean!"
"Yes you do!"
"No I don't you – you big dummy! Pee-pee-head!"
He had laughed.
----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----
"You really didn't know how to insult people."
"I was ten years old, and people in Mizuho are much more polite than in the city."
"I noticed that. Pee-pee-head? Hahahahahaha..."
"Why were you so intent on getting my clothes clean, anyway?"
"Mmmmh, if I have to guess..."
"Yes?"
"I have psychic powers and had foreseen the babe you would turn into and thus decided to help you."
"Ah, really? What do your psychic powers tell you will be happening if you don't learn to shut up?"
----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----
"Chosen!"
"Chosen! Your clothes!"
"Oh, Master Zelos, whatever happened to your hair?"
You had barely entered the man's house when you realized that no matter what he said, he was still a boy. Two maids and a man with a funny mustache immediately ran to his side and started fussing around him, one trying to clean his face with a scrap of cloth, another trying to get the mud off the pants and the man trying to comb his hair.
"Stop it! Just – Sebastian! I'm not a kid anymoooreeeee!"
You giggled at how he flapped his arms to keep the servants away and then it clicked.
Chosen?
Zelos?
You had heard of the Chosen. It was someone who was supposed to keep the world healthy, right? Grandfather had said so once. Then why was the Chosen a kid?
He had seemed to read your mind or perhaps you were making funny faces because once more he glared at you. "What? Were you expecting some old man?"
Rather dumbly, you nodded.
"Master Zelos will become an old man with time, Miss, so don't worry," the man with the funny mustache had said, laconically, and then returned to trying to fix the boy's hair.
"Lemme alone!" he re-undid his hair and still glared at you. "Even the Chosen are born normally, you know? Don't they teach you anything at that magic village thing of yours?"
You shook your head. "I thought the Angels brought the Chosen themselves..."
"Nah, they just come for the prophecy."
"Then… you have a mother and a father, too?"
Silence followed your words and the servants looked at each other, nervous But before any could say anything he started.
"Well, yeah, of course I had! How did you think I was born then?"
"Ah, of course… that's why they are mothers, right? Because they have children."
You were young and hadn't ever heard of diplomacy, so you didn't even realize he had said 'had'.
----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----
"I really didn't know when to shut my mouth..."
"Nobody could blame you. You were barely ten."
"But still."
"But still nothing. Just... don't think about it."
----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----
Your clothes were handed back to you clean and warm and you dressed quickly. In the hall, Zelos was yelling at the maids that he would guide you to the institute while the maids were begging him to please take a shower and put on some nice clothes.
"Chosen One, please understand, the Princess will be waiting..."
"I don't wanna play with Hilda! She's boring!"
"Master Zelos, please remember what we talked about appointments with the Royal Family..."
"But I wanna go to the Research Institute! They have my crystal there! I have the right to see it when I want to!"
After much yelling, a pouting Zelos said goodbye to you at his door.
"If you ever come to the city again, come to visit if you want," you weren't sure whether he was saying so just out of politeness but you were also too young to doubt people.
"Really?"
"Sure."
"I promise then!"
And you had skipped down the noble quartet, waved good-bye at him and ran to the laboratory, where they had looked very surprised you were so young and, after many tests, asked you to come back in a few years...
But perhaps you could be back earlier, to visit that boy again.
----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----û----
"And it took you five years to come back. Real nice."
"They wouldn't give me permission before. Things had changed a lot when I finally returned to Meltokio."
"Tell me about it. You had suddenly grown these huge – ouch! You don't even warm me anymore?"
"What's the use of it? Pervert! I was only fifteen!"
"Almost sixteen! That spells 'legal game' in my book, babe."
"Yeah, I remember I noticed most women were labeled like that for you."
"And you got jealous? Aw hunny, that's so cute of you."
"As if! I, unlike someone else, had matured during those years."
"Cruel as ever, Sheena... but, you know?"
"What?"
"I don't think I've ever regretted meeting you."
"Hm. There are times I do regret it."
"Aw, and I was being serious and all..."
"We-well, I said there are times, right? I – Its not like I regret it all of the time...! I – I mean -"
"Next time you visit Meltokio, could you drop by my house?"
"Ah... sure. What for?"
"To get your clothes cleaned. Only this time I won't be giving them back."
"...don't push your luck, Chosen..."
"No slap this time? Heheheheh. I'll think myself victorious then..."
Notes: I did say once or twice a week, right? If I do manage to keep that schedule up, then it'll be around wednesady and sunday. It'll depend on the inspiration, I guess... anyway, this one came out bigger than intended. I'm not so proud of it but what the hell, if anything these things will serve as good experiments.
To address a few things I found in the reviews... O-dai or Odai, that's something I've discussed for hours with a friend. The 'O' isn't part of the word but a manner of speech, I say, therefore the hyphen... but without the 'O' it'd lose its meaning, says the friend, therefore no hyphen. It really doesn't matter.
Also, and more importantly, the thing about O-dai is that they drop you straight into the story – they don't explain when did they get together nor why, in fact sometimes they'll be together and some others not. O-dai seem to think "You get the pairing, nothing else matters" or perhaps O-dai are PWP ('Plot? What Plot', not the other, you pervs).
So yeah. Everything will change from one story to the other – in some it might be before the adventure, in some afterwards, in some they'll already be together, in others not yet or not at all, etc...
Thanks for reading, and even more for reviewing... I was truthfully surprised at how many reviews I got in such a short space of time. Thanks, thanks, thanks to Urby, luigimania, Tamerlane, Suzu Fujibayashi, Presea de OompaLoompa, Eliannora, TUF STUFF II, The Zelda Master, AmaDono and StrawberryEggs.
WDR
Coming Next
#3 – Parting
