caughtinanetwork | 32nd Combo

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32nd Combo - [Video]

[You know what's a really bad way to wake up? Waking up inside of a coffin is what's a really bad way to wake up! In his initial panic at waking up trapped in that small, tight space, Lloyd doesn't even register the pendant hanging around his neck, or the picture lying in the coffin with him. No, Lloyd's panic means he's slamming against the walls, the lid-

Oh. The lid isn't locked. It slams open, allowing Lloyd to sit up and gulp grateful breaths of air.

Grateful until he realizes just what it is he's sitting in. With a yelp, Lloyd all but flies out of the box. Wait. Holy crap, those aren't his arms! That's not his body!]

What's going on?!

[...that isn't his voice, either!

A few minutes later, after Lloyd's spotted his reflection...]

LAHARL!

[Vatheon, that's one angry face shouting through the SFC. One angry demon face, not an angry teen.]

I don't know what you're up to now, but I swear I'll put a stop to it! Now give me back my body!

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I'm pretty sure it's a curse. Who are you really?

[Body swapping again? He's glad he's left out this time. Being a puppy was fun for like five minutes last time but it got old quickly.]

[Lloyd frowns, not quite doubting, but not quite sure it can be as simple as that where Laharl is involved.]

A curse? Are you sure? I mean, Laharl's a demon. He might be planning something.

[Wait, why does this guy seem familiar? Lloyd hasn't seen too many people who look like elves, and even fewer with hair like this guy's. Well, actually, now that he's sifting through his memories, he kind of looks like an older version of that guy, Sola...]

I'm Lloyd Irving. Are you Sola's brother? I haven't seen you before.

You're not the only one who's been freaking out about not being in your own body.

[He shrugs then smiles a little. True, he and Lloyd hadn't parted on the greatest of terms, but but any memory from within Vatheon is better than the ones he has without.]

Hi Lloyd. No, it's me. I was gone for awhile but I'm back now.

What if he did it to more than one person? Maybe his scheme is bigger than I thought.

[Despite the accusation, there's a note of doubt creeping into Lloyd's voice. Just because he suspects Laharl, he's not going to just ignore someone else.

He blinks at the introduction, startled.]

Sola? But... You look older than you did before.

He's not smart enough for a scheme like that.

[Wow Sola, rude.]

Like I said, I've been gone for awhile. Nineteen years. I was told it was only a month here though.

He's not- Wait, you know Laharl?

[Okay, suddenly doesn't matter that they weren't all that close before Sola left. Lloyd boggles at him.]

Nineteen years?! They brought you back after that long?!

Yeah, we're friends. Kind of. He thinks I'm his vassal but I'm not.

[He shrugs.]

I guess so.

[He has an idea about that. He'd been happy here and then they'd torn him away, and he dimly remembers Zelda saying something about happiness making them useless to the coral for energy.

And he's certainly not happy now, so that explains it.]

His vassal? [Lloyd frowns.] That's like a servant, right? If he treats you like that, why are you his friend?

[That doesn't seem very friend to him.]

But if it's been nineteen years for you, that's like... Even if we find a way back, we can't ever be sure they won't take us back here!

I'm pretty sure that's just what Laharl thinks his friends are. Like I said, he's kind of stupid.

[He scratches the back of his head absently.]

I'd assume if we find a way back, we'd make sure they couldn't do that. I'd rather not go back, though.

He's not treating you badly, though, is he?

[Sorry if he looks a little skeptical, Sola.

The expression melts as soon as the other guy makes that last comment, quickly replaced by surprise.]

Why don't you want to go back?

Depends on compared to who. For him, no.

[Sola shrugs. Laharl is just Laharl.]

I'm dead there. And all of my friends are here. It's pretty simple.

[Plus the part where he organized an army of monsters to ransack the land in Ganon's name and tried to murder the hero. Lloyd doesn't need to know that.]

What about compared to how you want to be treated? How normal people treat their friends?

[Lloyd winces at the answer to his question.]

You're... dead? But... but you're alive. You mean the coral just brought you back?

[Yeah, he probably doesn't need to know the rest. That might put a bit of a strain on things.]

It's complicated. He's never really downright mean, so... I dunno. I think he's just lonely.

[Sola purses his lips.]

I died at home and the coral brought me back here. It's done that twice now. I guess it must like me.

He didn't have any problems with fighting me. He was kind of a jerk, too. [Though... now that he thinks about it, Laharl didn't really do anything all that mean...

But can a demon really be not all that bad?]

You were dead before?

[That gives Lloyd pause.]

But if you were dead before, how'd you go back to your world and still be alive for nineteen more years?

That's how you know he's lonely is he's more of a jerk than usual so people will talk to him longer by arguing or fighting.

[Another shrug. Don't ask him to explain the reasons for Laharl's psychology, but that's just what he noticed.]

It's really complicated, but basically I lived a second life. I went back to being dead when I left, I think, but then my master-

[He grits his teeth a little and corrects himself.]

Then Ganon summoned me up again and I lived another nineteen years.

[Lloyd opens his mouth to argue. What sense did that make? Being a jerk so people would talk to you?

But a small voice of doubt niggles in the back of his head. Is it really so unreasonable? Who would talk to a demon if he wasn't in their face? It's hard not to shift uncomfortably at the doubt. If it's true...

Well, what does it say about him that he hasn't given the demon a chance?

Then again, what does it say about Laharl that he hasn't tried not being a jerk to him? Lloyd frowns, then lets out a breath, not quite a huff.]

Would it even work to be nice to him?

[Another frown, this one less certain.]

That's pretty amazing. I don't think I've met anyone who can bring someone back from the dead. I know someone who's trying, but it hasn't worked yet. Ganon must be pretty powerful. How did he do it?

[Would it be something Mithos could use so that he wouldn't have to keep trying to sacrifice Chosens?]

Not really, he still wouldn't be nice back on the outside, but I think he'd like it on the inside.

[Another shrug, then Sola frowns right back.]

He made me in the first place. I don't think he can really bring anyone back except for the monsters he makes with his magic.

[Himself included.]

It's kind of hard to want to be nice to someone who won't be nice back to you. Why do you want to be friends with someone like that?

[Lloyd's voice is still doubtful, but he's listening.

Then he gives Sola a startled look.]

He made you from magic? So you're like a Summon Spirit?

[Like Corrine?]</small

I don't, it just kind of happened. Someone has to be friends with him, I guess.

[He's just going to blink at you a sec.]

What's a summon spirit?

Yeah, but it doesn't have to be you. I guess if you don't mind, though...

[To each their own, or something?

He blinks, floundering at the question a little. That's not something he's ever had to explain to someone before.]

Er... Summon Spirits are kind of like... beings made from magic? Or... more like magic made them. I think they're usually made from one element, like Volt is made from lightning and Efreet is made from fire. They're kind of in charge of it, too, I think... [He frowns, not entirely sure.] But I have a friend who knew a Summon Spirit that was made by people, so I thought maybe that was like you.

Oh, uh... maybe kind of. I'm made from shadow magic and I can go in and out of shadows when I want and control some other things like my weight or height or whatever, but I can't control shadows myself so it's not like I'm in charge of them or anything.

I'm a replica though, not a summon spirit. I was made originally to replace Link. Not that I'm going to anymore, but that's why.

[It's not really a sore subject anymore since he's eked out his own identity and has a soul.]

Whoa. That sounds really cool. [He's not faking being impressed by that, either. In fact, he's half tempted to ask Sola to demonstrate. He'd had no idea the other boy (man, now?) could do that.

His brow furrows again.]

A... replica? [He remembers hearing about that from Luke. It's just been a while since anyone mentioned it around him.] That's why you look like Link? [The furrowed brow turns into something dissatisfied, annoyed, though not necessarily directed at Sola. It's more at the idea of someone trying to replicate someone else.] You don't seem like a replica to me. Even if you look alike, you're different from him.

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32nd Combo - [Video]

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