revivalproject | Even When We Win, it Seems Like All We Do is Lose

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Even When We Win, it Seems Like All We Do is Lose

WHO: Cayde-6 and you I guess
WHERE: Deep End and outside around the city like a maniac
WHAT: Paranoia? What paranoia? Also scooping out any stragglers stuck in this snowy mess
WHEN: During the Storm
WARNINGS: N/A
NOTES: Will match pose prefs

I. The Deep End

"I'm sure Europa gets worse," the Exo says as he tries shoving the edges of a mattress back into place from where the wind had attempted to blow it loose from the hole he'd accidentally blown out in the hallway outside of the bar. The tarp definitely wasn't doing anything but he's sure no one's using this bed anymore and it's done well enough for a quick fix.

"There we go," he says, dusting his hands off and looking rather proud of his efforts. So many things can be solved with mattresses! Who'd have thought?

He stops by the window that he usually leaves open as his choice entrance and exit, now closed against the flurries, squinting out at the whiteness before turning to step into the welcome warmth of the bar. "Lakes don't freeze all the way through, right?" he says, peering at the great glass windows across from him and the watery life beyond. The unsettling feeling that they might just burst and flood everything is a lot stronger with all the craziness. Maybe he just needs a drink.

II. Open Arms of the Storm

Somehow, being outside doesn't feel as bad as staying inside. Outside, you didn't have to worry about anything collapsing or caving in. You were already in it. Sure, it's a terrible idea but there's something about the wild winds and the frigid temperatures that stoke something in the Exo, a thing he can't quite explain, but it counters the unsettling and inexplicable sensations he's had.

Unfortunately it does nothing for the ghosts with a lower-case 'g', and he's learned from the first storm to save his bullets no matter how bad the visitors got. But then they'd only got sneakier since Taniks. The latest card played has been a low blow however, and not one he'll admit to anyone if he can help it.

Running? Is that what he's doing? No, he'll deny that too. No point in running from an apparition that can appear wherever, heedless of the churning winds. He needs to keep himself occupied, keep his mind busy. Find any other fools out here that're built less sturdier than an Exo, for starters. That's a good excuse.

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"Right there," Cayde says, his attention unshifting as he continues to stare down the strange form in the snow. It's not one of his, that's for sure. Someone Echo knows..? The dark form is hard to make out, or maybe it's just that it doesn't come fully into focus. But it's there.

You know what you did, and your punishment has not yet come, it says, lifting a hand to point at him.

It's a dangerous look on the Hunter's face, but for some reason the serious set of his jaw cracks into a grin. Difficult to tell if that's an improvement.

Echo's eyes narrow, trying to look past the snow. It's harder to make out anything when everything is mostly white and black with no in-between. And from his perspective, he sees...absolutely nothing.

His head tilts with a snort when the shadows remain normal shadows. "Come on, Cayde. Quit pulling my leg," the clone half-whispers, but he hasn't relaxed at all. Not when Cayde's expression shifts.

The grin is a feature he's gotten used to whenever he's in the Exo's company. But this grin feels different. And kind of off.

"Cayde?"

"I think...we're finally getting somewhere," the Hunter says. In the next beat his gun's been pulled from his holster, smooth as a caress, quick as a lightning bolt. The shot cracks sharply enough to briefly shatter the sound of the billowing winds, exploding a chunk of bark from a tree beyond.

Cayde makes a sound like one would if they were clicking their tongue in annoyance. His gun remains at his hip, held in anticipation of needing to fire off another shot but the shadowy form was gone, same as the others. He tucks his Ace of Spades back into the holster, the grin long faded, his expression more guarded.

"You tellin' me you didn't hear that just now?"

"-The hell are you doing?!"

Echo is no stranger to the sound of a gunshot, but he's nowhere near prepared for Cayde's quick draw, taking a step back and instinctively raising an arm in self-defense. "No? I heard nothing," he says with a curl of his lip. The pistol finds its way back into his left hand, resting his wrist over his scomp just in case something else decides to show up. "I'm not seeing anything out there."

Slight relief, maybe. It does nothing to ease his nerves.

That has the Hunter blink, and he looks over at Echo with a frown. "Seriously? Shadowy but otherwise nondescript figure making threats? That definitely isn't anything from my past acquaintances and if it were from something beyond what I remember then that'd be kind of pointless..."

Now he looks a little more cautious as he casts his glance back out at the woods.

His head tilts a few degrees to the side, turning it into a gesture of disbelief. Confusion. Part of him wants to call Cayde out on spouting nonsense, but the lack of a joke diffuses his building irritation. Echo's eyes dart back over toward the trees. It's empty.

His own ghosts aren't even there. He should be glad they're gone.

"...Seriously. Everything's clear. For now." The clone doesn't put away his weapon, however, adding more urgently, "Are we moving or not?"

"Yeah...yeah." He glares out at the woods but nods. He's the one that said they should move on, after all, so move on they shall.

Not about to be cowed by unfamiliar apparitions, Cayde starts forward again. "You run into anyone else out here? You an' me are crazy and Felwinter's probably used to this crappy weather, but anyone else'll freeze their tails off in this."

"No one as real or as solid, anyway," Echo shakes his head, trudging through the deep snow to keep from falling face-first into it. "The ghosts got in the way of that objective."

He can hear voices somewhere behind him, like an itch he can't scratch, coming in closer, telling him he should stop running away, stop pretending to act like he's doing something worthwhile-

"I was going to do one or two more rounds to make sure," he continues, tense despite his practiced calm. "Although heading back inside is sounding like a better idea..."

"All they can do is throw words at you. ...at least this time around," he has to amend, recalling the occasions where that hadn't exactly been the case. Cayde's expression grows tight at the suggestion of going back inside, but he doesn't dismiss the idea. Getting Echo indoors is better than having him out. He's still got flesh to freeze.

"I can handle that much on my own. Where'd you leave the kid?" he asks, glancing back at him.

Echo unfortunately hadn't forgotten about those times. He would rather not have them at all, but there was nothing they could do about it.

He doesn't really meet Cayde's gaze, turning his head slightly whenever he thinks there's someone walking among the trees. But after a held breath, he emits a low sigh. "She's in the tower with the rest of her squad," comes his answer. "Couldn't turn the mothkittens out in this weather."

"Least she's in good company," Cayde says, managing a smirk. He turns his attention forward again, trudging through the snow. It doesn't seem like it matters what direction you tried to go, you always ended up against the wind.

Doesn't make him feel any better that it feels like they're being watched. A faint laugh echoes somewhere in the near woods, female by the sound. The Exo's footsteps quicken just a bit.

That's precisely the thought Echo had in mind. If he had a clearer visual, he would have taken Cayde's smirk as a small comfort against the restlessness that currently took hold of his common sense, keeping him just as equally hyper-vigilant.

The Hunter's tone is lost in the brevity of the comment, drowned out by the howling winds. He notices the change in pace, following suit before his foot immediately sinks into the snow and hits uneven ground. The clarity of another clone's voice throws him further off balance when he whips his head around in surprise to see where it's coming from, stumbling as he tries to catch himself.

Cayde's there, his hand reaching out to steady Echo. He gives the clone a nod, but something just past Echo catches his attention. Something about the Exo's facial features seems to tighten, his hand on Echo tightening just a little as well before he drags his gaze away and pushes on, intent on continuing to lead the way.

"For someone who claims that you don't know where you'd be without me, you're working very hard to avoid me."

Her voice is soft, but difficult to really nail down. But then if Echo's to look, he'd find that the woman speaking is just as hard to make out. It's like looking at someone through a dirty glass, unclear for details, but you still had a vague idea. She keeps to the shadows, standing just beyond the nearest trees.

With the Hunter's help, the clone's feet find purchase again, digging into the snow to stand. He nods to say he's okay now, he can continue, only to find that Cayde isn't meeting his gaze anymore. Plastoid creaks slightly under Cayde's grip as Echo stares at his face, at the trees and the gaps between the trees where they allowed space to grow and fill with white.

It's like a whisper - like nothing has changed other than large flakes of snow obscuring his view. He thinks he sees someone, but he could be seeing things. It doesn't change the fact that someone may be close. "Cayde, wait," he tries to call out, stepping into the grooves the Exo leaves behind.

There's hesitation in Cayde's steps at Echo's call, but he forces himself to slow for his friend. He's not going to run from ghosts. He's not abandoning anyone for them either. This one hurts though. The storm's making a mockery of something precious to him.

"Clinging to a past you can't even prove is real. Who are you, really? Can you claim to know that when you fashioned a memory that's a lie?" The voice almost seems to blend with the wind yet remains painfully clear in spite of things.

"You're not her," Cayde says, his tone cold, cutting just above the winds.

"How can you be so sure when she doesn't really exist? Your queen."

A chill ran down Echo's spine in the middle of catching up with the Exo, turning his head again when the voice comes in clearer, only to fade in and out with the wind. He doesn't expect the sharp reply, jerking his head back in Cayde's direction.

He's never heard him like this. This isn't anything like the Cayde he's familiar with.

That shouldn't change anything, though. Although it brings about unanswered questions, the ghost isn't helping. The ghost isn't real. None of them are. Fighting the need to run, the clone stiffly trudges toward the Hunter, reaching out to clasp a hand onto his shoulder.

"...She's not real," he reiterates, affirming Cayde's statement. "Let's keep going."

"He knows that. That's the problem, isn't it?" The voice chases them on the wind, but if Echo looks back, the figure is gone.

Cayde says nothing, but one can tell the Hunter's still tense, his shoulders squared against the blowing flurries. It's a moment before that tension sags under Echo's hand. "...yeah, let's get you back to the kid," he says, pulling a weak mask of his usual frivolity back over his features as he starts on again.

The clone trooper's head jerks back in the voice's direction, searching in vain for its source. He's greeted by more snow forming a thin layer of white on his poncho and kama, some of it falling off the second he gives up on trying to find the figure. Even if it isn't real, it still doesn't sit well with him.

Cayde's tension holds the same feeling, rigid and wary until Echo senses its release. He only nods then, letting go so that the Exo can lead on.

Slips of whispers cause his first step to hesitate, but he takes a breath, holding it in before breathing out. Keeping his eyes forward, he continues, silently repeating the mantra as they make the long trek back towards the outpost.

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Even When We Win, it Seems Like All We Do is Lose

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