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 Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 12:12 pm
It looked like the guy was finally starting to open up. After three shots of whiskey, no less. Yuri listened to this man's point of view.
"Damn, and I thought -I- was cynical," he said after taking another swallow of beer. Yuri was just now starting to get a little bit of a buzz, but that didn't cause him to miss a beat as Kratos' continued. Ah... a woman had been killed, most likely his wife, and man... there was even a kid involved. How sad. Still, he wasn't at all surprised.
"'Fraid I can't agree with you completely. There are some good people in this world. But once you go against the system, to fight that corruption, you're no longer innocent." His smirk then returned as he thought about the irony of his words. "I know there's a spot in Hell with my name on it."
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Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 1:38 pm
Kratos shrugged - something he would never do while sober - and asked the bartender for a water. No sense in making his future hangover worse than it had to be.
"Cynicism comes naturally to me anyway," he confessed while the water was placed in front of him, then took a moment to sip at it.
"Perhaps there are, but I have yet to meet them," he confessed over another sip. At Yuri's comment about a spot in hell for him, a dry smirk spread over his own features. "You'll have me for company, then."
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Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 6:06 pm
Yuri's dark eyes glanced to the side as Kratos' spoke, his smirk still playing on his lips.
"Heh, glad to know I won't be alone, then." Although he was sure he wouldn't have any lack of company down there.
Another swig of beer, and his sips were gradually getting larger. Yuri sat there for a moment in thought before continuing.
"For what its worth, I hope you kick that guy's a**." Of course he had a feeling there would be more than just a** kicking. Sure as hell would be if it was him.
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Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 7:26 pm
Kratos stared into his water and smirked bitterly. "If it's hell I go to, then I will make sure I deserve it," he said in a low tone, eyes narrowing into a glare as he clenched his hand around the glass he held.
Finally, he looked over at Yuri again as he loosened his grip on the glass that he held. He wasn't entirely sure why, but as the alcohol dulled his restraint, he found himself almost curious about the other man.
"What brought you here tonight?"
And for that matter, what made him so interested in Kratos?
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Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 8:10 pm
Heh. Well if you were going to go after someone that killed your wife and took your son, that was probably the right attitude to have. Yuri couldn't disagree with Kratos one bit.
"No reason," Yuri replied. "I'm just here to relax."
Even guys like him needed to get away and chill for a bit. This was one of his usual haunts after all. Enough that the staff here actually knew him by name. But then, Yuri did kind of stick out.
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Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 9:04 pm
While Kratos didn't find public gathering places like bars at all relaxing, he knew that more extroverted people tended to relax better around other people - Anna had been one such person, after all - so he nodded a little absently and sipped at his water again.
"If you don't relax now and then, your performance suffers," he agreed.
He didn't add that talking to someone who was obviously here to try and cope with a painful memory didn't seem very relaxing - he didn't know what helped the other man unwind, and as strange as listening to others' problems might be as an unwinding experience, it wasn't an impossibility.
"Anything you're unwinding from?" Kratos wasn't one to pry, but he'd already volunteered more information than he was normally comfortable with, so one question wouldn't hurt, right?
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Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 9:30 pm
Yuri was definitely on the extroverted side, and enjoyed the company of people usually. So kicking back at a bar was definitely his style. Plus he had to agree with the guy. If you didn't relax now and then, you wouldn't be any good to anyone. Even his uptight best friend knew that. Although the guy could stand to relax a bit more than he did.
"Nope, not really. Things have been going pretty good for me," Yuri said in a more cheerful tone. Which wasn't entirely true, but lately things hadn't been going so bad. Its not like he was here to drown his sorrows like... uh. Damn what was his name?
"Name's Yuri by the way. Yuri Lowell."
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Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 10:19 pm
"Enjoy it while it lasts, then," Kratos said, managing a tired smirk. "It's not likely that they'll stay that way." The redhead ran a hand through his hair - something he did occasionally when stressed - and inadvertently ruffled the spiky locks a bit more.
"Yuri," he echoed to be sure he would remember the name, then managed a polite nod. "Kratos Aurion." He didn't elaborate, feeling that the simple introduction was best - but he did raise his glass a little in acknowledgement of Yuri's company.
"May fate treat you well in all of your endeavors."
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Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 5:36 pm
Yeah this guy was definitely a pessimist, but then who could blame him? Still, Yuri thought life was far too short to think that way all the time.
At the exchange of introductions, Yuri nodded and then raised his own mug as well.
"Yeah, you too."
This guy wasn't half bad.
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Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 10:56 pm
Kratos wasn't quite sure how someone who understood just how damaged the world was could hold onto even a little optimism, but clearly this man could. It was almost refreshing - especially since he didn't try to change Kratos' mind with cheerful yet ultimately pointless uplifting phrases.
He knew quite a few people who had tried to offer him empty consolation and platitudes after Anna's death and Lloyd's disappearance. He hadn't found comfort in such things then, and he certainly didn't now. Being in the company of someone who understood that, even a little... it was refreshing.
"So long as I attain my goals, I won't complain," he replied, downing the last of his water and standing up from the bar. He was only a little unsteady on his feet. He needed to leave before he become so inebriated that he forgot how to get back.
"...Nice meeting you."
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Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 3:33 pm
Well there was a distinct difference between Kratos and Yuri, and the raven haired man knew it. Kratos had lost faith in humanity as a whole, Yuri hadn't. Yuri had just lost faith in governments, politics, and the justice system. There were still good people, innocent people who got screwed over by such systems. It was his mission in life to stop that. On his own terms.
Yuri just hoped that Kratos' desire for vengeance didn't lead him to do something stupid that involved innocent people.
As the red headed man got up, Yuri gave him a friendly smile.
"Same to you. Take care, man."
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Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 3:58 pm
Kratos nodded, and was about to turn and walk out the door when an idea struck him. He'd never consider this under normal circumstances - hell, he wouldn't normally consider this even when inebriated. But this man seemed to understand his goal and why he had given up on humanity, even if he didn't agree; something that Kratos couldn't say about very many people.
The redhead knew that his job was dangerous to both his freedom and his life; that it was just as likely to end with him in a jail cell or dying from an injury as it was to lead him to the people he was looking for, and while he didn't mind that, the thought of it happening before he found Lloyd or the murderer turned his stomach.
And so, with a pause for a breath to steel his nerves, Kratos looked Yuri in the eye, and said, "If I fail in my goal... I would appreciate it if I knew that there was still someone willing to bring justice to that man." It wasn't a statement so much as a request for aid.
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Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 4:35 pm
Yuri had turned back to his mug and started to pay it more attention when he caught Kratos turning around out of the corner of his eye. He looked back as the man approached once more and then gave his request.
The raven haired man's face turned serious, and there was a pause as he looked back into the other man's eyes. He knew this was indeed a serious request, and Yuri didn't take it for anything less. Although he was a bit surprised that this man would entrust something like that to him, when they barely knew each other. Part of it was probably the alcohol talking, but that didn't make it any less important.
Could he really promise something like that? However, if there was one thing Yuri didn't tolerate, it was the senseless murder of innocent people.
"Yeah," Yuri said at last, his gaze never wavering. "I'll take care of it."
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Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 4:49 pm
"Good," Kratos said, a more rational part of his mind railing against him being so open about this with anyone, let alone a near-stranger. "Because there's no-one else." There was only him, and now maybe a total stranger should fate betray him.
He paused for a moment and frowned thoughtfully. "For what it's worth," he said slowly, feeling the alcohol more now than before and aware that he would need to head back to base soon to sleep it off. "I would rather your vision of the world be the accurate one."
But he couldn't believe that it was; not now. No matter how much he might wish to.
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Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 5:20 pm
Yeah he figured as much, about there not being anyone else. It was the only reason he agreed to it. Although a part of him had to wonder just what he'd gotten himself into. He hoped that it wouldn't come down to that.
Kratos' confession then drew a knowing smile. "Yeah well, maybe one day you'll figure out that not everyone's all that bad."
But that was the type of soul searching someone had to do on their own. No amount of preaching could really change a person's mind. They had to experience things.
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