And just like that, they get going. Packing up the campsite is short work, as quickly as they've gotten used to the routine, and bags ready and weapons re-equipped, they set out on the road. As much as Lloyd would like to say that the haircut and their resulting banter had opened the way up for more conversation and banter, the truth is that as soon as they picked their journey back up, it was a return to silence and general conversational avoidance. Though he tries to stay upbeat, to stop the disheartedness get to him, Lloyd can't help but frown a little, focusing on leading them accurately and carefully once again.
He can't help himself from glancing at Zelos from time to time, though. To see if he'll talk, if he seems like he's enjoying himself. He's always a foot or two behind Lloyd, and that bothers the ex-knight more than he'd like to admit. Lloyd just wants to talk, just like they used to, but he considers himself lucky if he can get more than a few sentences out of Zelos at a time.
And it continues like this for days. Every day is an exercise in patience, an exercise in trying to crack open the shell Zelos has hidden away in. Sometimes, Zelos will say something, smile in a certain way, and Lloyd will feel hope rise in his chest, something of a dove singing and greeting the morning, only for that hope to be ripped away as soon as he distances himself again, bringing them both back to square one. And eventually, Lloyd loses his motivation to try again and again, conversation starters and jokes left hanging in cold air. Eventually, he begins to wonder, once again, if Zelos truly wants to be here.
But Lloyd keeps trying.
"Say, Zelos," he says one afternoon on their travels, looking ahead and keeping his voice friendly, only half-expecting Zelos to actually give him the time of day. "What would you like to do once we get to Iselia?"
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He can't help himself from glancing at Zelos from time to time, though. To see if he'll talk, if he seems like he's enjoying himself. He's always a foot or two behind Lloyd, and that bothers the ex-knight more than he'd like to admit. Lloyd just wants to talk, just like they used to, but he considers himself lucky if he can get more than a few sentences out of Zelos at a time.
And it continues like this for days. Every day is an exercise in patience, an exercise in trying to crack open the shell Zelos has hidden away in. Sometimes, Zelos will say something, smile in a certain way, and Lloyd will feel hope rise in his chest, something of a dove singing and greeting the morning, only for that hope to be ripped away as soon as he distances himself again, bringing them both back to square one. And eventually, Lloyd loses his motivation to try again and again, conversation starters and jokes left hanging in cold air. Eventually, he begins to wonder, once again, if Zelos truly wants to be here.
But Lloyd keeps trying.
"Say, Zelos," he says one afternoon on their travels, looking ahead and keeping his voice friendly, only half-expecting Zelos to actually give him the time of day. "What would you like to do once we get to Iselia?"