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

[deal_me_in]

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.

Comments

II

[only_an_echo]

In Echo's current state, he doesn't consider himself to be one of the fools.

He's doing the same thing Cayde is: something to keep himself busy - something worthwhile to see if anyone else has been caught in the middle of the storm. Never mind the fact that the cold cuts through his armor and the worn makeshift poncho he threw on at the last minute.

Never mind the fact that he keeps hearing things, keeps thinking there's someone always watching him no matter how far he treks through the drifts, drawing in a sharp breath when he sees another shadow appear meters away from him.

Every time he unholsters his sidearm, it never deters the figures. Never scares them away. Maybe, just maybe with this one, it will. "Stay where you are!" he shouts against the wind, jerking his weapon upward in the Exo's direction. "This is your only warning!"

[deal_me_in]

The dark shape amidst the flurries is easier to make out, but unlike the paranoid trooper, Cayde amazingly doesn't bother to pull his gun. Ghosts can't hurt him, not with weapons. But words can pierce worse than bullets sometimes.

This voice is one he's pretty sure he knows though, and he wonders if the storm's shuffled its deck and has started a new hand with some more recently familiar faces.

"Aw, but I don't wanna!" he calls back out. Even if this might be a fake-Echo he's got no reason to treat him any differently. "I think if I stay in one place too long I'll become a snowman. I'm too handsome for all this to be packed under snow."

[only_an_echo]

A familiar voice. A different kind of familiar that Echo recognizes right off of the bat but somehow can't fully comprehend.

He should be relieved to hear Cayde. In his right mind, he would have called Cayde out on acting too carefree in bad weather. Would have told him to get his metal behind back indoors before he froze up like the ice on the lake.

Except that isn't coming to mind in the moment. The reply is silly against its harsh backdrop. He should have noticed that. But he's too wary, too hesitant to drop his stance as he takes a step, two steps to see if it really is the Exo. "Cut the chatter," he snaps, brow creasing behind the cover of his helmet. "I'll be the judge of that. You're gonna show me your hands."

[deal_me_in]

An offended gasp answers him. Cayde starts toeing the snow at his feet. "Wow, you won't even let me answer you? Just stand here and freeze, is that it? You're always so harsh! Or is it the weather rubbing off on you?"

Yeah, nothing'll make him shut up.

He shifts his weight from foot to foot as he lifts his hands up and then waves them around. "Good enough? Want a round of applause too?"

[only_an_echo]

The ghosts are good. This Cayde talks just as much as the real one. The trooper's posture doesn't change, but it doesn't keep him from letting out an exasperated sigh. "You never know when to stow it, do you?" He punctuates the air with the pistol. "Show them."

That response alone still holds weight to Cayde being the actual Cayde instead of another figment of his imagination. Holding his breath, Echo watches the Exo's hands as he complies, adding in one last quip in the clone's testy silence. He then quietly swears under his breath.

"...I can't believe this..." He finally, reluctantly, drops his stance, but doesn't move any closer. "Why are you out here, Cayde?"

[deal_me_in]

The shot that rings through the air has Cayde freeze, if not for long. Echo on edge means business. He waits, his hands still hanging in the air until he sees the clone lower his weapon. A brief if rueful grin flickers across his face at Echo's response. Hard to tell if the guy's angry-relieved or genuinely annoyed that he's the real thing. Cayde will choose to believe the former.

He rolls his eyes like some teenager caught sneaking out in the middle of the night when he's supposed to be on curfew, shoulders and arms dropping in a sigh. "Could ask you the same thing you know," he points out as he stoops down to quickly scoop up a handful of snow. He quickly pats it down and chucks the hasty snowball at Echo. Need any further proof?!

[only_an_echo]

The longer Echo stares at him, the more he believes he may disappear at any given moment. But Cayde remains, sighing and acting the way he normally does before moving all too quickly for his present lack of comfort.

Despite having protection, the clone sputters, turning his head away as he blocks part of the loosely-packed snowball. In a huff, he forgets about his missing right hand, thumping the scomp against his armor in an attempt to dust off the snow still gathering on his chestplate. "I'd ask why you're joking at a time like this, but the answer's obvious," he frowns, a touch more irritated than usual.

[deal_me_in]

"Who's joking? You're the one yelling at me- how else am I s'pposed to respond?" Cayde challenges, briefly eyeing the ground as he considers another snowball. Instead he steps closer now that he's sure Echo's not going to shoot him (hopefully).

"Sure you're okay out here buddy? I know you're like three-quarters of what I am but Exos came from an icy wasteland and I'm sure you did not."

[only_an_echo]

"I'm not- " Echo visibly flinches, steadying himself as Cayde approaches him. The movement forces him to keep his left arm down at his side. He's not ready to let go of the pistol, not yet. Taking in a few breaths, he reins his paranoia in as best as he can, lowering his voice. "Yelling."

His tone suddenly loses its edge in one single word, worn and weak and waning. An invisible weight bears down on his shoulders, keeping him rigid and restless in his stillness.

"...I'm fine." A lie. He's not fond of the cold. He can feel his metal joints stick, feel how cold they've become after trying to avoid his current problems for a time. "I've had enough experience to handle it."

[deal_me_in]

The Exo falters in his approach as he steps into some particularly deep snow, nearly falling over. He windmills his arms before throwing his weight to one side so he can pull his foot out and shake it off, taking a more careful step before he continues.

"You were too," he says with a grin. Having someone to bounce off of in this instance helps immensely. But that grin is brief, and Echo's weariness doesn't go unnoticed.

"Experience doesn't mean you're used to it," he points out. "Get inside. If you're worried about anyone out here, well that's what I'm here for. I'll take care of it."

[only_an_echo]

The Exo's casual air and clunky, snow-driven movements ground Echo, reminding him that he's with a friend. None of the ghosts have done that. They don't have to worry about the depth of the snow, or how far their feet will sink into its growing drifts.

The laugh is short-lived, however, mirthless as it barely makes it past his lips. "I can't. Not yet." He shakes his head, letting his line of sight drop past Cayde, spotting something in the distance. At the same time, his grip tightens around the pistol. "Not like this."

[deal_me_in]

A laugh is a laugh and Cayde figures if they can still do so in these storms then the things have no chance on winning over them.

He notices Echo's hand on that pistol, not turning to see for himself who or whatever it is the trooper might have seen. There's of course concern for his friend, who unlike him still has squishy bits to his name. Cayde sets a hand on Echo's shoulder.

"They're not real," he reminds him. "Don't waste your shots."

I

[ziedrich_bearer]

"Lake can," Gladio answered as he came down the hall past the mattress and tarp creation. Not looking that great for the long run, and he has to consider it. "I ever ask how this happened, Cayde?"

At that he moves fully into the bar.

"Way I understand it, they partial thickness freeze, depending on depth and temperature, as well as winds. Why, you worried about the lake?"

[deal_me_in]

"Nope!" Cayde replied as he poured himself a drink. He made a face, looking back towards the windows before he shook his head, picking up his glass.

"Nah. It's been wintering for years before we got here so it should hold just fine, right? Right."

[only_an_echo]

Echo tenses under the touch, his mind racing a mile a minute in deciding whether he should be throwing Cayde or shoving him back. Nothing else comes with it except for the words he shares with him, keeping him focused for as long as he can hold onto it.

"Every time," the former ARC trooper exhales a shuddering breath, trying to maintain his composure. "Every single time, there are different faces. Different reasons to come out and say something..." It takes a little longer for him to return the pistol to his holster, resting his hand over its grip. "I made a choice. I'm where I need to be. I didn't abandon anyone."

[deal_me_in]

Cayde's fingers tighten just a little, a firmer grasp. He knows. He relates. Even without clear context, oh, can he relate to those words.

"That's the whole point of this damned thing. Storm hits, the ghosts come out. Try to put you down. I'd rather be taking bullets, believe me."

He drags in a breath or at least the sound of one, turning his head to look out at the frosty landscape. "So long as you know that, you don't have to convince anyone else. You don't question yourself either, because the moment you do is the moment you lose."

[ziedrich_bearer]

Well, maybe he'll ask some time. For now he moves through the darkened room and reaches for a glass. He could use a drink too. Damn he felt lucky that he had been home when the storm had started.

"You just seem a bit concerned about it. There something I should know about that lake? Beyond the angry scaly cat assholes?"

[deal_me_in]

The Exo had the bottle sliding in Gladio's direction by the time a glass was retrieved. He blinked as he paused from taking a drink.

"Wait, angry scaley cat what?" He squinted. "That's a new one. But no, I'm talkin' about this one outside the window," he pointed, tipping the glass back.

[only_an_echo]

"Physical fights are easier," Echo agrees almost forlornly, still a shade off from his usual self. "At least you can take cover from bullets and plasma bolts."

He forces himself to look away from the figures that try to emerge in the background, glancing at the Exo with a nod. For all the times he's put up with Cayde, he's grateful that he understands. Uncertainty, however, finds its way into that assurance, disquieting among the noise, colder than the storm itself.

His eyes close for a moment as he takes another breath, trying to stay calm. "...I know it's been said before, but we need to do something about this."

[deal_me_in]

"Part of the bigger problem, right? We haven't been doing so well on that end," Cayde sighs, nodding. He turns to try shooing away Echo's ghosts. Go on, git.

"No point standing in one place. Let's keep moving if you're insisting on staying out here." He starts to take a few steps, pausing only to try and reorient himself. Something catches his attention before he can start off again, his optics suddenly narrowing as he stares out at the wind-stirred snow.

"Hello...this one's new..."

[only_an_echo]

The ghosts waver at the Exo's shooing, attempting to close in before winking out of existence with another strong flurry of snow flung in their direction. "Thanks, Cayde," Echo says, lifting his hand to wipe away the snow blocking part of his visor, testing out his knees and legs to see if they're still operational. "Ready whenever you are."

The one last check he means to do is put on hold when he notices the change in Cayde's steps. And for some reason, that uneasiness he's managed to ignore returns. "What is it?" he asks in a hushed tone, already on edge again as he searches for whatever the Exo is looking at.

[deal_me_in]

"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.

I

[sunglassesincluded]

"Only shallow ones do." Comes the response from the far side of the bar where Wesker had set up camp to sit out the storm. When he's not helping to keep the snow and wind out, he will sit on his chosen chair to brood, his long dark coat haing been left over said chair's backrest around the time Wesker had chosen to change into his old S.T.A.R.S. uniform.

How and when the chicken has ended up on the table in front of him Wesker couldn't say if he wanted to, but the bird is there, sometimes alternating to hopping on a nearby chair and back. Wesker doesn't necessarily mind the chicken, but he very much loathes the situation. He hates that he fails to understand what is happening and why. What's even worse is the feeling of the virus being seemingly turned off. It makes him want to run some tests that he cannot run around here.

"Does this happen often?" He asks in turn, referring to the odd storm taking place outside.

[deal_me_in]

No one likes being snowed in, but Cayde at least doesn't seem to mind the company and he's hardly going to turn anyone back out in this weather.

"Right, right," he says, trying to feel as reassured as he sounds. He doesn't usually feel so anxious about the old place holding up against the weather so what's the big deal now?

"Huh? Oh. Well not usually? This one's bad though, and it's hiding the capital 'S' storm behind it. And when those happen well, best you be on your toes."

[sunglassesincluded]

“…and just wait them out.” Wesker adds not without sounding displeased by that prospect. And yet it’s exactly what he has found himself forced to do. And with the network being broken down as well, the waiting part promises to be incredibly dull.

He tries not to focus on it. Instead, Wesker focuses on the Exo and the very obvious signs of mounting anxiety. Even without a human face the hunter’s body language is easy enough to read. It can’t still be about the lake outside.

“What about it is it that worries you this much?”