revivalproject | *Some Assembly Required

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*Some Assembly Required

WHO: Echo. And Cayde.
WHERE: The Furniture/Lifestyle and Household Goods Warehouse Building
WHAT: Sorting out things in a giant abandoned furniture store.
WHEN: Early January (what is the specific date iunno)
WARNINGS: N/A for now

- - - - -

The moments after his initial arrival, Echo had meant to step back and log his findings the second he had a better idea of what he was dealing with. They would have been formatted the same way he usually did reports back in the 501st, brevity being the first option until more details could be added upon further observation.

Instead, things went sideways. A few months passed since then and a new routine had been established, changing over the days that followed. Somewhere in the middle of his personal and social (?) tasks, the clone was able to put the newly repaired Replicator to good use. Aside from getting another body glove ('I'm thinking of burning the old one,' he casually joked with Cal and BeeDee), there was something nice about wearing the familiar set of red fatigues and boots, especially when danger was practically non-existent.

Not that it made him drop his guard completely; although he was taking a break from the armor and his blaster, he still had a lot of energy to burn off. Thoughts to run through.

So many thoughts that came with an equal amount of questions.

The abandoned furniture warehouse was a strange place to end up at, but its meandering paths was helping with one of those problems. As for taking care of the latter, he decided that checking the communications device would help distract him. "Better late than never," he muttered, tapping on its interface to see what opened up.

What felt like hours was barely ten minutes of standing in the middle of the sofa section, his brow furrowing with each tap and scroll that led to nowhere new save for the 'dick shun airy' full of entries he had yet to peruse. Not that it helped very much, however. "...Don't tell me that's all there is to this device..."

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And the clone does, walking after the Exo and his Ghost.

The layout and its mostly untouched inventory have stories of their own to tell, patterns and colors dulled with undisturbed dust. Echo then idly wonders if this area can be used as a training ground before his attention falls back on Cayde, catching up right at the second prior to him bounding over and throwing himself bodily onto one of the beds.

Despite the dust cloud it creates, he's actually impressed at how much space there is to do what the Exo did. "No kidding," Echo coughs as he smiles, covering his mouth and nose with his arm so that he doesn't breathe the particles in. "You always flop on them like that?"

"You can't convince me that there's no better way to test out bed," Cayde promptly says as he stretches out his arms at either side of him before tucking them behind his hooded head. "Go on and try it yourself, you'll see."

He seems perfectly at ease where he's plopped, his boots wagging back and forth in a picture of relaxation as he looks expectantly at the clone with an expression that seems to suggest 'Go on, I know you wanna~'

Although his mouth twists into a slight frown, it's obvious Echo is thinking about doing the same thing. This takes some time, however, choosing between whether or not he should jump and which bed looks the least dusty.

A muted noise of a 'screw it' mentality is tinged with regret the moment the clone takes a few running steps, leaping into the bed to the left of the Exo. The heavy FWUMP clears a lighter cloud of dust while the bed shifts and screeched several inches from its original spot.

Seconds pass and he finally turns over, re-flopping so that he's flat on his back to process everything. "...Okay! I think I get it now," he says with a hint of a laugh.

It's the running start that gains a raise of his metal brows as Cayde sits up to watch as Echo makes the jump like some Olympic pole vaulter. His shoulders lift in a slight cringe as the bed shifts with the movement, but thankfully no further.

Cayde looks over at the trooper, waiting for the assessment. He breaks into a grin again once Echo speaks up, nodding sagely. "Told you."

With that, Echo promptly lays down again, arms spread out to either side to see if he can touch the edges of the mattress. "This feels very different from the bunks and cots I'm used to," he says after clearing his throat, grinning lopsidedly as he looks over at the Guardian again. "I'm not sure if I should like it or not."

Settling back down on his own mattress, Cayde laughs as he stares up at the ceiling. "Nah, I get it. You don't want to admit liking it because then you'll be spoiled and not want to look forward to going back to something sub par. My advice? Just enjoy it while you have the chance."

The bright blue light from his eyes goes dark as he closes them, perhaps taking his own advice for a moment or two before he abruptly opens his eyes again and sits up. Following that motion, he pushes himself to bounce off the edge of the bed and back onto his feet, going through the process of dusting himself off again. "Don't think I like that one," he decides.

"Took the words right out of my mouth," the clone confirms, glancing up at the ceiling to stare at mostly nothing. He'd be a fool to not take advantage of the fact he has the time to enjoy the little things, but it still feels wrong to him.

The Exo's sudden movements easily shake him from his lingering thoughts, eyes darting over to see Cayde up on his feet. "Which one are you gonna try next?"

Responding with a shrug, the Exo wanders along the row of beds, stopping at one here and there to press a hand down on it experimentally. He glances over at the clone, unable to help but smile a little as Echo's still on the other bed.

"So what else's on your mind?" he asks idly as he starts along the length of one bed to poke at the mattresses within the row behind it.

The silence that follows Cayde's question is telling. Echo looks back up at the ceiling, brow knit as his mouth forms a firm line. When he tries to laugh it off, it stays in the back of his throat.

"More than I expected," he replies with a sigh. "I've realized I've come across more people than I thought I would from my galaxy." He gestures. "And usually that's a good thing, having someone who knows where you're coming from, right?"

"I guess? I dunno. Depends, really. I've found that kind of interesting myself- there's a couple of pockets of people that kinda know each other or at least where they're coming from? Must be nice," Cayde muses. "...and then again it could be awkward, depending on who all ends up here."

He drops down at the edge of another bed with a poof of dust, resting his elbows on his knees. "You know 'em personally? Or is it like...Stark and Steve and Wanda with this whole I know you but not really because there's some weird different version thing going on?"

Echo makes a face, nodding in agreement with the Exo's musing. "Eh, yeah. It has been more on the awkward side. And painful, considering the whole 'different times' aspect..."

After a mild shrug, the clone clasps his hands over his middle, frowning for a moment. "–No, not exactly like that. As far as I know, we're all from the same galaxy," he clarifies. "I suppose Ben counts as someone I know for sure, but...I found out I'm the oldest among everyone else present." He then squints. "Not like the oldest physically, but in terms of the timeline? Everyone else is from the future."

"Hm," the Exo says as he strokes his chin thoughtfully. "Guess I can see how that might work given you're what, in the middle of a war?" On one end of it or another, if people from the same place aren't matching up on the timeline, he can see how that could cause some confusion, if not concern.

"Huh." He mulls on the following point. "So they know how things turn out, and you're getting the info secondhand..." So it seems anyway, otherwise Echo wouldn't even know he was trailing behind the Ben guy.

"That's right," Echo replies. "The war eventually ends and suddenly there's an Empire!" He almost sounds exasperated if not tired, his hands rising partway on that note before dropping and limply draping over his stomach. His jaw sets for a moment as he draws a breath through his nose. "Worst part of it is we clones apparently turned on the Jedi after all we went through together, and I've only been recently updated with the 'why' and 'how' it happened..."

Which still bothers him because while it answers the broader part of important questions, there are many just-as-important details he wants to ask about. Yet he's made it a point to let General Kenobi – Ben – have some time to himself after going through the unimaginable.

Chewing away at nothing, Echo shakes his head. "It's a bigger mess than any of us knew it was."

That's a lot to take in even without knowing all the details. Wars aren't pretty- there's no telling how one moment or one battle will go, who will be around afterwards, what all will change when the end finally comes. Hearing how it turns out when you're still in the thick of it must be like a sucker punch. Cayde taps his fingers against his knee.

"...clones?" he asks, making a sudden motion with a hand, twirling a finger in the air as though to spin the subject back a bit. "Okay, wow- suddenly, Empire! That's...I'm guessing that's not what was there beforehand. Who won? And what's a Jedi?"

In a way, Cayde's questions are blessings in disguise. Echo does need to explain a few of those things anyway, so it's good to just go over what he knows to be true.

"Alright, one step at a time," he says, mostly for his own frame of reference since the Exo is figuratively bouncing between topics. He first points to himself. "I'm a clone of a renowned bounty hunter back in the galaxy. This face? I share it with millions of other brothers who make up the Grand Army of the Republic." The circular gesture from his facial features falls back over his chest now as he tries to tip his head back to see where Cayde is. "That Republic – the Galactic Republic – is currently at war with the Confederacy of Independent Systems, which are also known as the Separatists.

"The Jedi are...well, they're our Generals and Commanding Officers. I don't really know how to describe what they do, but they have a connection to supernatural powers through the Force. But they're helping to protect the Republic by being on the front lines with us..."

The more he goes over it, the more idealistic it all sounds. That optimism in their efforts, the bonds of loyalty forged and refined battle after endless battle.

He's held his silence a little too long, closing his eyes for a moment before speaking again. "...I've been told no one really won. We played into a scheme none of us saw coming." His eyes open, and he stares back up at the ceiling. "So the Republic turned into the Empire."

Cayde's back to leaning on his knees again as he listens, staring openly as Echo explains all this clone business. Millions of other people sharing the same face. He's pretty sure there's not even a fraction of that many Exos, and at least their designs have differed since the original assembly line.

A war on a galactic scale involving multiple systems just sounds chaotic. It's a reminder of just how small their own corner of the universe is, and only few have ventured past the known solar system. With everything converging upon theirs, it makes Cayde wonder if there's anything left out there.

"....ouch." His expression darkens as Echo comes to the sum of where this big war has gone, with no winners, which sounds about right for any war depending on the perspective, but for this to be an actual plan from someone's twisted head from the start just leaves a bad taste in his mouth. "Wow, that's... Yeah. I can see how getting news like that be a punch to the head. And you an' all your brothers were just being used for it along with everyone else? That's not right."

Letting everything sink in, Echo's jaw sets, his mouth the same firm line crossing the lower half of his face. But he takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he grasps at accepting the facts that have been laid out.

"There isn't much any of us can do now to change what's now considered history. And I can't really blame the Jedi feeling the way they did when they first saw me." That he's come to grips with. "Even though we've gotten past that hurdle, I feel like we're still scratching at the surface. I still have some questions." His nose wrinkles slightly. "Figure if I never get any answers, I'll be fine leaving it at that."

"There's always going to be questions. Never enough answers, but plenty of questions," Cayde says, arching a brow at Echo. "Sounds too easy to leave it. Easier said than done, anyway. I think in this case it might be better though."

He lies back on the bed, his legs still over the edge, folding his hands over his figurative stomach. "So ol' Ben's a Jedi. They all got them nifty light swords? The specifically not evil red ones?"

It's a good point, and Echo acknowledges it as such. It's also good that Cayde understands why it won't be immediately acted upon. For now.

He won't forget. He can't forget.

But he welcomes a segue into related subjects. The clone's brow furrows. "The lightsabers, y'mean? It's their main weapon– they actually charge into battle with no blasters and very little armor," he says, sounding a little more amazed by this now that he's thinking about it. "Blues and greens are more common from what I've seen, but I've never seen any of the Jedi with a red one."

It had seemed due time for a subject change, as well as one could manage without being absolutely transparent about it anyway.

"Yeah! Those thingys," Cayde pipes, lifting a hand to snap-point at Echo even while still lying where he is. "He showed me the blue one he has. Then when I mentioned there used to be a guy with a red one around he told me they're only wielded by Soth. Seth? Wait- I got this, I got this- there's only so many vowels..."

The clone's mouth twitches, only supplying Cayde with the correct answer after letting him go on for a bit. "Sith. Back in my time, they're working with the Separatists."

Clouds of dust rise as the Exo Hunter smacks the bed at either side of him excitedly before pointing up at the ceiling with both hands.

"That's the word! Sith. -sure that's not a curse word? Then again with how Ben was using it it could have been. No love lost there. He quite clearly stated his disapproval of anyone having a red lightsaber so I had to confirm that he wouldn't just up and attack me if I managed to come across one. I mean, you never know, right??"

Echo actually has to think on that one. It's pretty debatable whether or not 'Sith' is akin to a curse word. "Well...I guess that depends on the person using it," he says, tilting his head again to see Cayde's legs hanging off of the bed from a weird angle. "Ben would at least take some precautions before doing something like that. Then again, I heard he's had his share of run-ins with the Sith."

All that can clearly be seen of Cayde aside from his legs are his hands as he gesticulates animatedly. "So he's assured, but it's easy to say one thing and end up doing another, you know? Heat of the moment sorta things. -although to be clear, I'd rather not suddenly get jumped by a guy with a lightsaber just because I ended up holding the wrong color one."

He sighs, nodding to himself, reaching up to tweak one of Sundance's points as she drifts over his face. "I can believe that. Well, I hope all you guys can at least catch a break around here. I know it's not much of a vacation, but it's distance from whatever you otherwise wouldn't be able to just step away from."

Hands raise, fingers splay. "So just like with the bed situation. Enjoy it while you can. ...especially in between the problems we gotta deal with here for the Agrii and who knows what else, but that's another thing."

"No, that makes sense. In general, I don't think anyone does." With all that he knows of the Jedi and their talents, he'd rather not be on the receiving end of a lightsaber. That goes double for the Sith.

But the danger of being at home in the middle of a war is far away. To not be constantly vigilant of his surroundings gives way to a level of relaxation he's never had before; although Cayde's insight can be seen as a flight of fancy, Echo finds some odd comfort in it. To have a chance to take advantage of the time he has now is about all he can do while they try to solve the Agrii's problem.

"Y'know," he then adds quietly after he looks away from the Exo, eyelids heavy now that he's been in the same position for some time, "it was good to have scoped this place out."

From where he lies, Cayde smiles to himself. It's always a nice thing when people see things his way. He likes to think himself fairly sensible, and when it comes to these circumstances where things are beyond their control- some irritatingly so- then there's no sense in getting frustrated over it all. Sure, they've got some problems to deal with, but there's time to appreciate other things that can't be enjoyed back home, even though you can miss it, but home's home.

"Right?" he says, his smile still evident in his tone as he flicks a look back towards the clone. "There's plenty more to see. Keep finding new things too, it's great. One of the reasons I like comin' around here."

"Yeah," Echo grins. "'mgonna have to take a look around later."

He should get back up to try the other mattresses, but he's gotten so used to the one he's still lying on. So much so that he's starting to doze off.

Not just yet, though. "...Hey Cayde? Thanks."

Hey, if Echo decides to fall asleep for a bit then who's the Hunter to complain? That's what you do on beds, after all. Besides, sometimes sleeping things off helps. ...okay, so he knows that won't be so easy, but you grab your moments of peace when you can. And it's not like he's going to eat anyone's brains while they've let their guard down or anything.

Cayde folds his arms behind his head, pausing from resting again just yet as Echo speaks up again. He chuckles lightly, settling back.

"Eh, don't mention it."

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*Some Assembly Required

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