♤ 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

[backoff]

“You were invaded. Extremely badly.” Cloud looked upon the Traveler being caged in a matter that made him think of high made technology. What were those bands around it? His teeth gritted together as he saw what Cayde is witnessing in this memory. Guardians dying but not coming back up, their ghosts even laid dormant next to them. The entire memory of that moment of their lives had been terribly flipped. Cloud went silent as he pressed his lips together.

He looks back over at Cayde taking in his overall feelings on this. “What happened after that invasion?” Cloud had been curious about those two things. He couldn't help but want a bit more information to fill out what he had been seeing. The blond’s focus remained on Cayde since he was interested in his story.

“What did that machine around the giant ball really do? How did you take care of that?” These are follow up questions because Cloud wanted to be sure he had seen something right. It’s a lot to take in, the Cabal seemed to be an elite military waiting for the right moment to come in. The Vanguard did not seem prepared for that and were taken by surprise. The Guardians did their best fighting as they normally would without realizing the danger they ultimately faced. Another important follow up question.

“How did you feel after that?” He gives a small smile knowing it’s a lot of questions. But he would like most if not all answered.

[deal_me_in]

A bark of a laugh escapes him. Perhaps Cloud hadn't meant to sound so blunt, and really, the matter was hardly funny, but the situation as described seems both adequate and ridiculous. "Oh yeah. That was extremely bad."

His optics remain towards the window, even as the memory that had drawn them in has faded out. "We fled. Escaped, retreated, got the hell out. Transports carried survivors. What Guardians were still standing had to abandon the city. The Vanguard split up too, maybe not on purpose, but we kinda lost track of things with all that going on. Zavala immediately tried getting Guardians to rally on Titan so they could plan how to take the city back. Ikora, she went to Io, seeking answers, as Warlocks do. We lost the city, the Speaker, and the Light all in one fell swoop. You stop too long, despair'll just swallow you up."

Arms folded across his chest, the Exo frowns as his gaze narrows, looking at the Traveler as though those bands still imprisoned it. "Somehow they formed some kind of barrier. It effectively severed us from the Light. We never thought something like that could ever be possible. The leader of the Red Legion wanted it for himself. He didn't understand how the Traveler worked. Not that we completely understood it either." He snorts. "We found a way around it. Or one of us did. One of our Guardians was able to find the Light again. Our ace in the hole. Really don't know how far we would've gotten if that hadn't happened. Hate that we had to rely a whole lot on one Guardian for all the dirty work but we all knew what was at stake if we failed."

That last question gets another laugh. "Pissed! Who wouldn't be? Someone comes in and blows up your home an' all your stuff, your favorite ramen shop..." He shakes his head. "Seeing it again like that is strange though. Letting it sink in. You know it was bad then, but you realize it could have been a whole lot worse if things hadn't played out like they did in the end."

[backoff]

Cloud said exactly what he wanted or needed to. He can be pretty blunt without meaning it. Words weren't always easy for him to speak about. He is appreciative of Cayde answering all of his questions. He listens intently while putting up a hand to cover his mouth in thought. Words didn't need to be spoken right away but he wanted to wait to say anything until the Exo had been finished. The emotions the other provided were warranted. Anyone should be pissed about their home being invaded but why didn't they stand together immediately after that?? Cloud moves his hand to the back of his neck rubbing it as he tilts his head to the side.

Hearing about the one Guardian that ended up being determined enough to help them come together makes him smile. A true hero among heroes who didn't seem to give up. There’s always that one friend who will keep going when everyone else may be lost. “One friend can be enough to stop something from happening. Coming together is the best option for anyone. You don't need to tell me about stopping. I know all about that too.” He wouldn't be stopping himself and keeping busy is helpful to him.

“As you should be, but you all came together to rebuild that shop later, right?” Cloud wondered about that. He looks back out towards the city. “You rebuild and continue on living.” It’s always hard for him to say his own true feelings but talking like this is easy. Bringing up his own emotions or feelings not so much. Cayde has gone through an actual war invasion. Cloud had his own nightmares to deal with. Death is always a constant fear and he could end up that way any time of the day. Not because of his own recklessness as some would think.

This isn't the time or place to bring that up. He takes a look around the room again. “I can see why you would want to leave from here to go out venturing.”

[deal_me_in]

"Before all that, the Vanguard wasn't as tight as it is now. Guess it takes a disaster of epic proportions to realize how much you need each other after all." And it was nice to hear that Zavala had actually needed him. And Ikora, but that was to be expected.

"A lot's been rebuilt since then. Ramen shop included," Cayde grins. That hasn't stopped him from stocking up in the case of another near apocalypse. He only wishes some of those boxes had come along with him. "Can't replace everything. Can't replace the people we've lost. Things have changed, and there are meaner things than the Cabal out there."

The Hunter takes a sweeping look around the room again as Cloud does, nodding. "We didn't rebuild this one. Tower's more open. The Vanguard's chosen their own little haunts, so we're not always all cooped up with each other in one spot." He smirks a bit. "Not that that's enough to keep me from wanderin' off."

Around them, the walls seem to fade out, the boundaries seeming to stretch beyond, although the details go blurry past a certain point. They're standing in a hangar, or at least a small section of something larger. Cayde's quick to take up a leaning position at the edge of a makeshift space beneath some heavy scaffolding. "Ah, there we go." He looks around appreciatively, tilting his head as he looks past Cloud towards where the hangar's exit is, so brightly backlit that it almost looks ominous. "I'm guessing that won't actually take you out to the rest of the Tower."

[backoff]

“When you share a specific goal with others you realize that being together can stop it.” Cloud smiles at that knowing his group of friends needed to do the same thing. They came together to fight against a common enemy. One that didn't make themselves completely known, one that didn't really go into detail that they were sending Meteor down upon them. The plan was slowly revealing itself as they journeyed. Cloud knew that they could have easily broken up depending on situations going to darker areas.

The scenery changes which takes him a moment to get used to. He breathes a little through his nose before looking towards the exit and then back at Cayde. The hanger seems to be the best place for him. He looks more relaxed and it’s completely open. Not a smaller area where he could constantly be watched. Cayde could easily slip away with the ships in the hanger. Cloud wouldn't put it passed him if he did do exactly that to get out of the Tower. He would constantly keep himself busy, going out to what he needed to do or wanted to do.

“Do you say anything as you send Guardians on their way out?”

[deal_me_in]

Cayde's done just that, plenty of times. Holliday certainly wasn't going to tell on him if she ever caught him in the act of sneaking off, either. Ever since they'd defeated the Red Legion, the clear need to be out there doing something has just been more evident to him, and the Hunter felt that he could do so much more elsewhere before things came and caught up with their home again.

It feels like it's been a while, waving off freshly minted Guardians, giving veterans errands. He laughs as he thinks about some of the things he's told them. "Eh, a lot of the time it'd be some variation of 'take me with you'."

He grins again, giving Cloud a nod. "Stay alert out there."

[backoff]

Cloud dips his head down a bit while smirking wide while giving a two finger salute at Cayde. It's not very often that he does this kind of gesture. The movement seems cocky, confidant that he's going to kick something or someone's ass.

He turns around and stays to walk towards the exit. "Catch you on the other side, Cayde." And then he goes on up the stairs with a giant leap.