Lyra had hopes that after speaking up to Isobel about seeing her again, Lloyd would've shown some sign of life.
But, he didn't.
Not as they walked through House Greaves, which was slowly filling with maids and butlers rushing around the manor, nor as they walked through the surrounding farmland, passing by the nobles who'd attempted to do what they'd just done.
They bought House Greaves. The very House destined to become the House of the Unblinking Eye! Lyra and Lloyd owned it! That was huge! That was the kind of thing that caused significant changes in history! This truly could be the breakthrough they were searching for!
Yet, Lloyd didn't say a word. He wasn't talkative. He didn't seem proud. It seemed as though the fact that he and Lyra had changed history hadn't dawned on him yet. Or, it had dawned on him, and he simply didn't care.
Lyra's suspicion was starting to turn to concern, which quickly gave way to worry. What had happened between Isobel and Lloyd?! He'd seemed fine when he first returned to call for the sale of the House, but once Isobel entered the Throne Room, he'd just… changed. Even now, he was like a new, unfamiliar person! Lyra racked her brain for possible answers. As the Demon Queen, Isobel had many spells that could rot one's brain. Fear Spells, Insanity Spells, Subjugation Spells… There was a reason she was the one who fought her and not Lloyd: She was the one with mental defenses strong enough to withstand her attacks!
That was when it hit her: Had Lloyd been attacked? She'd pushed the thought away for no other reason than it seemed impossible. Isobel, at this point in time, shouldn't have been strong enough to pose a threat to Lloyd. Yet, that didn't mean she wasn't training her magic, did it? What if she had weakened versions of the Mind Spells that made her so dangerous in the future?
"Lloyd!" Lyra shouted suddenly. They'd made their way back to the town and were just outside the inn. People turned in response to her call, but Lyra didn't care.
"Hmm?" Lloyd called, eyes elsewhere.
"Ah, so you can talk! You've been quiet all goddamn afternoon!"
"Oh, sorry. It's just… a lot on my mind right now."
"What?!" Lyra pleaded. "What could've possibly happened that has you acting so… weird?" She looked up at him, grabbing his forearm. "What did she do to you…?"
"What didn't she do?" Lloyd muttered under his breath, looking away.
Confused, Lyra tilted her head at Lloyd, who looked down at her awkwardly in the most "Lloyd" way possible – a sign that he was still in there! That relieved Lyra more than she was prepared for.
"I have… a lot to tell you, Lyra. But first, let's get upstairs."
"Okay. But… you're okay, right?"
"I'm okay, Lyra," Lloyd answered, patting her head. "Promise."
She leaned into him, squeezing his arm tighter in a short embrace before following him upstairs into their sizable room in the inn. Flickers of the Lloyd she knew and loved showed, mixed in with the contemplative, awkward Lloyd she'd never seen before today. The sight was enough to fill Lyra with an uncomfortable amount of anxiety as she sat at the foot of the bed, watching as Lloyd paced about the room as if searching for the right words.
"Lloyd, I'm worried. Please talk to me."
"I'm telling you, it's nothing. I'm not in danger. We're not in danger. It's just… this is new for me and I don't know how to talk to you about it."
"We're family, Lloyd. You can tell me anything. I won't judge you or be mad at you."
Lloyd turned to Lyra, a pensive look in his eye. "Do you promise?"
"Lloyd, you know you don't need to ask me that! Please just say something! I can't take this anymore!"
"I'm sorry!" Lloyd pleaded. "I just don't–"
"No!" Lyra thundered. "Answer me now or I turn back to this morning by myself and I'll figure out what happened between you two!" She panted, anxiety and anger dancing within her. The anger faded, leaving her only with the former emotion. Lyra leaned back in the bed, hugging her knees to her chest. "We're a team, Lloyd. You're all I have. I don't like not knowing what's going on with you. Please, I know you don't know what to say or how to say it, but… just… talk. You'll find the words as you do, I promise. I just want to hear you, Lloyd. I've never seen you like this before, and it's killing me…!"
Lloyd didn't answer, instead moving to sit beside Lyra and pull her into a warm hug. Despite it obviously being a way for him to continue gathering his thoughts and not "just talking" like she'd pleaded with him to do, Lyra appreciated the gesture a lot. Though she'd never outright phrase it like this, she loved being in his arms. She loved feeling his warmth. She loved knowing he was there. Lyra leaned into him, allowing her anxieties to fade into Lloyd's arms.
"What's it like to fight Isobel?" Lloyd asked suddenly.
"Is that seriously what you want to ask me?"
"Yes. I'd like to hear what you have to say, considering she's your enemy and all. I've never fought her."
"Well, she isn't physically strong at all, but she's manipulative. Conniving. She thrives in tactical warfare." Lyra shifted and jabbed him in the stomach with an elbow. "Kinda like earlier when she pulled the whole 'Under Contract' thing. The only reason he agreed to the sale was because now, with the House being Under Contract, she has full control over the sale of the House. We gave her more power by signing!"
"So she's like… an opponent who knows what you're gonna do before you do it?"
"Not necessarily. She's like… ah! I know! I have the best example. You know when you play as a kid and do the whole one-up game? 'My action figure would beat up yours!', 'Oh yeah? Well, mine would absorb the punches and use them as fuel to beat yours up!' 'Oh yeah, well mine would know that you can absorb punches and overload you with punches?' Yeah, Isobel knows everything that could possibly happen and chooses the optimal route first. She's hard to counter. The only reason I can is because I've had multiple runs to fight her and know how she operates." Lyra looked up at Lloyd, narrowing her eyes. "But seeing her today and knowing she has something up her sleeve that I don't know about gives me the worst deja vu, Lloyd."
Lloyd didn't speak for a long time, leaving the two of them at the foot of the bed in that warm, slightly uncomfortable embrace. Lyra had turned away from him, and Lloyd was resting his head atop Lyra's. Though her curiosity remained, her anxiety did not. Gods. What was wrong with her? One hug was all it took? Lyra figured she needed some spine.
"We did have an emotional talk. That part wasn't made up. She was angry with me for betraying her trust, but I told her about our plans. Well, as much as I could without alarming her."
"And what did she say?"
"She didn't care much, but when I made it clear I wasn't backing down, she…" Lloyd paused, that odd look falling on his face once again.
"She what…?"
"She… kissed me again."
"That's it?!"
"Then she asked to pick up where we left off the night prior."