♤ Desperado

[deal_me_in]

WHO: Cayde-6 and you mental intruders you. Guardian gear optional.
WHERE: The Tower In the mind of Cayde-6. Run.
WHAT: Exploring the Exo's memories and then some
WHEN: Through the Calibrations Event
WARNINGS: Nothing I can think of? Potential violence? That's an FPS for you


"It's funny, the things you find yourself missing."

The room is large and tall with its vaulted walls and the giant window that makes up an entire wall, overlooking the vast expanse of Earth's Last City. There are roughly two levels to the room, stairs immediately leading down to the central, sunken area, with no shortage of computer terminals and screens along either side. Smack in the center of the sunken area is a large table with a sizable map laid out towards the middle of it, among other things.

"Like that. I kind of miss that table."

The Exo steps down alongside of you and then past, holding a chicken in the crook of one arm, stroking her under the beak. And no, that's not your imagination- she really is wearing a tiny cloak and a paper horn reminiscent of her caretaker. He steps over to the table, shoving stacks of paperwork off the edge with relish that plainly says he's doing something he normally shouldn't, before he sets Colonel down to wander about as she pleases.

The other things on the table are as follows: a small scattering of playing cards, although all save an Ace of Spades and Queen of Hearts are flipped face-up. A glass of some glowing blue-green liquor sits atop a few sheets of paper, which upon closer inspection look to be the yellowed, torn pages from books, hints of handwriting in the blank spaces. A worn pistol sits there at the edge of the table, and stacked nearby, a few poker chips. On the floor, sitting unobtrusively by one of the table legs is a dusty, hand-stitched ball.

Draped over a chair by one of the side terminals is a banner in black, orange and white, the symbol of the Vanguard.

Cayde himself takes up a spot by the map, setting his hands on the table to lean over it as he nods thoughtfully to himself.

Comments

[plate_builder]

Well... that was an experience. One that leaves Reeve shuddering. The war hounds were worse than even Deepground Hounds, and he was left shaking.

"I think I'm not a dog person," he grumbles.

[deal_me_in]

The memory has the Exo grinning almost fondly as he leans against the table. He nods to himself in that way one does when remembering something silly he'd done.

"Oh, I don't blame you. If those were the only sort of dogs around, I wouldn't care for 'em either," he chuckles as he glances at Reeve. "Those were some mean suckers. Especially bad when there's a whole pack of 'em set on you."

[plate_builder]

"I prefer dogs that are dogs, and not monsters," Reeve sighs, shaking his head. He'd rather pass on that, thanks.

[deal_me_in]

"Same, same. I mean, those were definitely not regular dogs. Who knows if they might start out nice, but we don't call 'em Cabal war hounds for nothing. And the Cabal don't strike me as the sort to have some fun times and play fetch with these things."

The Exo waves a hand, shrugging. "Anyway. That's really all I can say about 'em."

[plate_builder]

"Can, or will?"

Because he understands that there are differences.

[deal_me_in]

Cayde shrugs again. "Both. I'm no warlock so I don't make excessive studies past 'avoid the teethy end' and 'shoot here'. Now, if you want stories, I can regale you in other encounters and places I've come across 'em but would you really want to hear more about 'em?"

[plate_builder]

"Warlock? Not a term I'm familiar with."

[deal_me_in]

The Exo holds up three fingers. "Us Guardians can be classified between three different categories. You got your Hunters like me, your Titans, and you got your Warlocks. All of us can shoot and stab and blow things up as you please, but we got own styles.

"Warlocks? They're the space magic slingers. They like trying to unravel the mysteries of the unknown. They'll look between the lines for all the details that can possibly be."

[plate_builder]

"So they use Meteor and Comet style spells?"

To Reeve, that's what space magic would be.

[deal_me_in]

"Eh, more like Daybreak and Nova Bomb," Cayde says. "You've got Dawnblades and Voidwalkers and Stormcallers, who specialize in solar, void and arc energy-types of powers."

[plate_builder]

None of those made sense to him, but it's still intriguing and he nods as if he gets it.

"That isn't magic I know, but I'm certain it sounds powerful."

[deal_me_in]

"Well, you can definitely disintegrate things with all three," the Exo grins.

"I'm sure space magic's different from materia and natural magic. You'd have to talk to an actual Warlock for the details though. Too bad Ikora's not here, but I guess I'd be kind of concerned if she showed up in my head," he laughs.

[plate_builder]

"Other people in our heads might be questionable," Reeve agrees. "If I ever meet a Warlock, I'll ask. But until then, there is so much to deal with. Tell me more of Earth."

[deal_me_in]

Cayde nods. "You do that. Be easier for the both of us," he grins.

"Earth though, hm. Well, what do you wanna know? It's a lot more wilderness and ruins than it used to be. Before, cities and people everywhere. It's a sad comparison now. Can't complain too much about the scenery though. You can breathe the air too, not like on other planets. It's nice out there. Dangerous too. Not just because of pockets of Cabal, but Fallen and the occasional Hive nest."

[plate_builder]

"I don't know, anything. I've met many people from Earth, but always earlier in your world's history."

So why should he not learn about another pass of that world.

[deal_me_in]

"Well, I gave you the rundown on the main event- the Traveler. Whatever it did back then, it tired itself out or something. That's what you see out there now. Dormant, or something."

He misses the view from this place. The current status of the Traveler would probably look even better from where they are, if the Tower control center still existed.

"All our tech and stuff, lost. Research was left without anyone to continue it. Across our settlements and bases on other planets outside of Earth, either the Fallen or the Hive moved in, and the rest just fell into disrepair. But people are resilient. Survivors did what they did best, gathered, started over. And then there were the Guardians."

Cayde gestures towards himself. "The Traveler sent a part of itself out to help us. Sent its Light. They're called Ghosts. You didn't see her in that memory, but her voice was there- she's my Ghost, my partner. Her name's Sundance. They go all over the place in search of their Guardian, and when they find 'em, they rezz 'em and tada! You got yourself a newly minted Guardian. Except there weren't any rules back then, and when you realize you can't die, you get a lotta power-crazy people that think they can do anything. Took advantage of the situation, lawless people in a lawless land."

[plate_builder]

"Rezz them?" Reeve asks, frowning. What in the world could that mean?

Resurrect? Was Cayde... dead?

[deal_me_in]

"Oh, like, resurrect." The Exo pauses, watching Reeve, curious about what his reaction might be. He's gotten so used to death that it's easy to forget how others might view one who's been brought back from it, and more than once.

[plate_builder]

This is interesting. And he's... saddened.

"Resurrect. My world doesn't have that as easily. There is a cycle of rebirth, but once people die they are... gone."

Always gone. Never changing gone.

[deal_me_in]

"I'd hardly say it was easy. And just because we come back don't mean we can't get killed again." Cayde shakes his head.

"There's definite ups and downs to it. And for the reasons we're brought back, maybe just living one lifetime might be more appealing than having to keep going. Not everyone's a Guardian. And even Guardians aren't invincible."

[plate_builder]

He's lost important people, so forgive him if he finds himself slightly jealous anyway. "Of course. I'm sorry for the difficulty you went through. Loss, though... it affects us all."

[deal_me_in]

It's no good when you're the only one that comes back from anything. Leather creaks as his gloved hand tightens into a fist at the mention of loss.

"Yeah...that it does," he says quietly, his glowing optics straying towards the pair of cards that lay face-up on the table.

[plate_builder]

"Do those... represent people?"

The cards on the table, which he leans in to look at without touching. Touching is a bit scary.

[deal_me_in]

Cayde can appreciate that. He's not sure what might happen in this weird space, as familiar as it looks. He only knows what shouldn't be here, but he feels perhaps that's as good a hint as any as to what might spark a connection.

He makes no response, not immediately, but he still stares at the cards for a long moment before finally looking away.

"My Ace and my Queen. Back before I was this, was flesh and blood just like you. Had a kid. Had a woman." He pauses. "Can't remember much anything about either. Not really sure if they were real. But I want to believe they were."

[plate_builder]

To lose something so intimate, to never remember them... Reeve moves to Cayde and touches his arm.

"I'm certain they were. And they would be proud of you, protecting others."