♤ Cause and Effect

[deal_me_in]

WHO: Cayde-6, OTA
WHERE: The Library, the Hangar, the Clocktower
WHAT: A bored Hunter is a restless Hunter
WHEN: Now throughout the week
WARNINGS: N/A
NOTES: Will match tagging preference!


The Library (Closed to Jon and Tony)
If there's one thing a Hunter's good at, it's sneaking around. He's scoped out his destination, made sure key parties were present. It would be a wasted effort if he went through so much trouble and found himself without his intended audience, after all.

And so it is that Cayde hauls along a couch, of all things, which might be an odd sight in itself considering he's seen pulling it out from the Whale Comb Sent Her. He has it resting over his back part of the way, and by the time he gets to the library itself, he's simply dragging it by one end, rather noisily once its feet leave the weed-ridden, patchy earth and start to screech across the smoother floors. But his intention is not stealth, not now. Now? He's clearly asking for attention.

He pulls that couch right up into the most open space of the library, looks around, and then sets it right down. Then picks it up and turns it about to adjust it just so after consulting his hidden Ghost for something or another. And just like that, he walks right back out.


The Hangar (Open)
Some time later in the week one might find the Exo skulking about the hangar. Mainly he's prowling around the Starduck if not ineffectually pawing at the door hatch. His Ghost hovers nearby, watching.

If no one comes around to open the thing up for him, then he'll be wandering around the other ships, holding his tablet as he squints between the screen and each ship he passes as he looks for a certain one.


The Clocktower (Openish?)
Cayde's been seen with a giant coil of rope slung over an arm, fresh from the replicator. He's made a beeline for his tower (not the nest of buildings the bar's in), humming along. If Ikora's about the lower levels that she's claimed, then he wouldn't be surprised if she'd try to hold him up for questioning. Which is why he goes up to his own levels the usual way- jumping. Dare someone brave the Warlock's domain to head up those stupidly tall stairs to find him? -it's fine, she won't bite.

If you catch up to him at the top floor of the clocktower, you'll find him setting the rope down as he looks on out of one of the gaping holes that face the neighboring tower by the flood plains, stroking his chin thoughtfully. After a moment he turns to you, grinning as he picks up the rope and starts pulling half of it loose before tossing the rest over. "Hey, do me a solid and hold onto that. -and make sure to keep feedin' me some line!" And then without further explanation he leaps out the hole, somehow jumping again in midair just before he can hit the ground and break his ankles, rope winding out in his wake.

Comments

[deal_me_in]

Soon enough comes the sound of footsteps from the entryway, heading along the center aisle. Cayde saunters along with Sundance floating along after him, the Hunter looking just slightly smug as he finds the two right where he wants them. His brow furrows just slightly at the addition of the mothkittens, but they're no great hindrance to his plan.

"Jonathan. Tony." He gives each a nod as he steps up to the couch, casually gathers up mothkittens into his arms, and then promptly flops himself across the library's latest piece of furniture as he ponders the proper ways of languishing. Well, maybe the squirmy mothkittens spoil the mood, but whatever.

[beholding_archivist]

Therapy, huh? The suggestion has Jon incline his head in thought for a moment, but he doesn't get to truly engage with that very thought as footsteps begin to sound through the library, approaching them.

Jon's attention is drawn over to Cayde once he is close enough and very pointedly wandering over to the new piece of furniture. He blinks once as the scene before them plays out, then frowns and casts another look over to Tony.

Well. So much for therapy.

"You just brought that couch here." Jon concludes, the words directed at Cayde, who by now has his hands full with young mothcats who aren't quite in the mood to settle any time soon.

"Why?"

[in_extremis]

The sound of the footsteps had Tony straightening out of his thoughtful lean, watching curiously for Cayde's appearance that almost got him to smile. He schooled it into an inquisitive pout that didn't dampen the mischievous glint in his eye that he had quickly read from this very lofty entrance, leaving him looking tense in the same way one of the mothkittens did as it appeared at the top of one of the shelves, lured by the wink of light off of Cayde's horn and tightly wound, ready to spring.

All three of them tracked Cayde's progress silently, his audience raptly captured as intended, and when Jon looked to Tony this time, Tony gave a subtle raise of a shoulder. He knew as much as Jon did. If he were to take a guess, though..."You got your full name. He Full-Named you. You're in trouble."

[deal_me_in]

Yeah, the mothkitties aren't doing it for him. Cayde loosens his arms around them, not that he's been keeping them in one place very well, half shooing them along. Right, he'd neglected to take into account Jon's miniature zoo. Oh well, lessons learned, and all that.

"Isn't it obvious?" he says as he addresses Jon's question before gesturing with his other hand from foot to head. "There wasn't any proper place to be doing this in here otherwise."

Sundance remains silent, floating there although she does turn slightly as she notices the other mothkitten among the shelves.

[beholding_archivist]

As Cayde speaks and motions, every time the light reflects on part of him, the reflection is guaranteed to catch at least one mothcat's attention. Soon enough at least three have crept or fluttered closer, one perching on the back of the couch, reaching a single paw towards Cayde's horn.

Jon's attention briefly drifts to Tony at the suggestion offered by the other man, but he merely raises his brows just a tad more before Cayde offers his own explanation.

An explanation that explains nothing.

"You are saying I need a couch." Jon says dryly. Because that obviously isn't the answer.

[in_extremis]

Their role in this production was not revealing itself fast enough for Tony, making him start to restlessly bounce the broom on its bristles as he bit his lip at Cayde's attempt at looking very dour with a mothcat's foot in his face. Maybe his role could just be to fill in for the unclear stage direction for now, so he pointed with his stick toward Cayde to interpret, "You're lamenting," then to Jon, very helpfully, "He's lamenting." And nobody had died, so it wasn't quite so dire as to throw himself on the floor, so, obviously, the couch.

This was about when the animal on the shelf sprung, throwing itself at Sundance like a swooping owl, which Tony only considered mildly for a beat before he turned back to Jon to continue, "Maybe he's heartbroken."

[deal_me_in]

"Yes, that's part of it," Cayde concedes as he raises a finger to gently nudge away that too curious paw. He then pointed with his other hand at Tony. "Thank you," he says with an emphatic nod that only has the winged cats doubling their efforts. He deposits a mothkitten back on the back of the couch after extracting it from getting a little to ambitious with the glow from the Exo's mouth.

Sundance lets herself drop down with an almost elegant spin, out of the path of the furry hunter who had turned its attention towards the smaller target.

"And yes, maybe just a little heartbroken. I think I wasted about half of my explosives cache and several gallons worth of molotov cocktails!" He huffs, scowling a little as he folds his arms, promptly finding a kitten tumbled over them.

[beholding_archivist]

"What did you try to blow up?" Jon asks without letting himself get caught up in any of the irrelevant side notes. Neither does he let himself get distracted by Cayde only attracting further mothcats ready to pounce at him and his Ghost. It's gotten clear enough by now that the couch is just here for flavor. Just a little something for Cayde to be dramatic on.

[in_extremis]

Finally, Cayde must have been inundated enough for Tony to try to help with the animals, using the broom from where he stood so he was barely balancing it from the end to carelessly sweep across Cayde, getting bristles in his face and poking at his arms. Some of the mothkittens leapt at this new distraction, just to be dragged along the Exo as well as Tony wiggled the broom with a snicker.

"Is that what that earthquake was?" he asked, not sure how relieved he was that Cayde had that kind of ordinance still yet, but happy to have that question answered nonetheless.

[deal_me_in]

"That tunnel we keep ending up in. I told Billy I'd collapse it, invited him along to help. Thought it'd be therapeutic," Cayde says to Jon's question. "Kid did pretty good at setting charges." And then he ends up with a broom in his face. He starts batting at it before shooting Tony a look, questioning just how helpful the man's trying to be right then.

"There was an earthquake?" It certainly sounds like it's news to the Exo, but even as he's wondering what he might've missed, he's swinging his legs over the edge of the couch and grabbing at the broom handle past the clingy mothkittens to yank it and Tony over.

[beholding_archivist]

While Tony comes to Cayde's rescue with his broom, Jon's eyes along with his frown remain on Cayde. He doesn't even flinch when one of the mothcats lands on his shoulder to flick its wings in mild irritation. Tony getting pulled towards Cayde receives about as much of a reaction.

"Why did you even try to blow up the tunnel, Cayde?" He asks, tone sharp. Also isn't this usually the type of stunt the Exo performs with Tony? But more importantly: "Have you already forgotten what happened when we broke the tower?"

[in_extremis]

Jon was shockingly placid through Tony's tight giggle as he realized he didn't stand much chance digging his heels in, struggling well outside of his weight class to hold the broom and his feet sliding easily on the smooth floor. He went from tugging and sliding, to stumbling and trying to use the broom to push away from Cayde's threatening intent. "Small one, could have been an explosion," he still managed to answer through the bubble of laughter in his throat. "Or maybe you knocked something loose."

Pushing the broom left it angled upward, so Tony was left looking like he was hanging off of it with one foot braced on Cayde to keep his distance as he looked over his shoulder to offer to Jon, "Tower had a big reaction, but it hasn't bugged us since."

[deal_me_in]

It's a pretty ridiculous picture, and even with Cayde having it easier being able to manage keeping his expression serious, his friends have known him long enough that they can probably tell there's a grin squirming its way out.

"Uh, because we wanted to try blocking it off?" the Exo replies, looking momentarily surprised he even has to explain that as he glances from Tony to Jon then. "Look, I talked with the kid. He felt super bad about the whole...thing that happened and I wanted to do something. Make him feel better. Maybe at the back of my mind I knew it probably wasn't going to do a damn thing but at least knowing the place didn't look remotely accessible would help, you know?"

No one else had really said anything after their initial stunt, but then that time Billy had been there to contain the explosion. Cayde frowns a little as he ponders the earthquake thing. "We did this like, weeks ago. I went back to check up on it some time after, and wouldn't you know it- all clear like nothing had happened. We'd collapsed that thing in good, too." He study's Tony's position a moment before grabbing his foot. What's your next move, cowboy?

"So I blew it up again myself. Checked again the next day- same deal. I stopped after the third time didn't pan out to be a charm."

[beholding_archivist]

It may be a ridiculous picture, but Jon maintains his scowl.

"And you didn't keep in mind that they can quite literally drop us off in our ships while we sleep. Have you considered them doing this to us but dropping us in the tunnel only to have us wake up to having the only exit collapsed?" The look he is treating Cayde to with that question is one that clearly discourages any nonsense replies.

He pauses briefly to exhale, then points out: "When we broke the tower, they reacted by simply putting up a new one. One we have no means of reaching."

[in_extremis]

The premise that they were instantly transported to the ships that Jon was suggesting didn't make much sense to Tony, assuming they were doing some kind of hypnotized sleep walk based on the manipulations taken so far to get them into the tunnel in question, up until Cayde suggested his attempts at blowing the place up were just...reset. 'Like nothing had happened'. Tony's ramping mischief as he wrestled with Cayde muted somewhat then, still pushing against him but looking between him and Jon with a more contemplative expression as he considered what that had to mean. Someone could have been cleaning this whole place up, probably.

"Did you try making a backdoor instead?" Tony suggested. "Emergency exit." Maybe they only cared about being able to get in and wouldn't be prepared to close up an alternative breach. "Even if it's just temporary, we could set up our own airlock system from the inside. You can get out, but not in." With this concept out of his system, Tony used Cayde's hold on his foot and the broom to keep balance as he vaulted himself up to standing on the couch where Cayde had previously been lounging, looming over the Exo where Tony could rattle the broom at him with both hands and better leverage to brush at his face again.

[deal_me_in]

"Now, now- for all we know they've always had the other site and just flipped it on the moment we broke the other one," Cayde says. "Anyway- like I said, it was just to help make Billy feel better, okay? And it did- just don't tell him it didn't last, all right?"

He looks up at Tony then, scowling and flailing at being broomed again. "We weren't trying to make a backdoor! We were trying to make the tunnel inaccessible!" he sputters before making to toss Tony by the feet.

[beholding_archivist]

Jon hasn't forgotten that the Atroma have proven quite capable to move people without having to rely on hypnosis and their victims to actually walk somewhere before. People, as well as entire energy cores installed into a space ship sitting out in space. He remembers Cloud simply not being present anymore in the room he himself has shared with the man without anyone noticing. And he remembers the man showing back up on a space ship they have contemplated firing at.

The memory brings a sour look to Jon's face and his scowl darkens at the realization that neither of his friends appear to take his concerns seriously, too tied up in their immature little fight.

Muttering a harsh little curse to himself, Jon turns his back to the ongoing scene and heads back the way he came from, mothcat still riding along on his shoulder. He needs some of the coffee they have left back there.

[in_extremis]

By then, the broom had clattered to the floor and Tony had squeaked another laugh as he threw himself forward to keep from being completely overturned. His feet might be out from under him, but he was draped across the back of the couch and Cayde's shoulders to get Cayde in something of a headlock, his own head hanging down to watch Jon walk away mostly upside down, going guiltily still. His hold on Cayde was largely ineffective, because Tony used the same hand to give his cheek a pat and accuse, "I don't think he likes the couch."