Spinning Wheel Got To Go 'Round

[on_repeat]

WHO: Echo, OTA
WHERE: Various
WHAT: Soul-searching Something to keep him occupied
WHEN: Latter half of April
WARNINGS: N/A


> Option B (For Cayde)

Echo meant to go to the meeting.

Meetings are important. Like mission briefings, it catches everyone up on the intel they need to know and brings up new information if several of them have been unaware of such developments.

Currently it's another bullet point on his growing mental list; while he has every intention of listening and participating with others in their collective, this particular bullet point decides to stack sideways instead of from top to bottom, creating a more complicated web of thoughts that constantly shift on the way toward the amphitheater.

He barely gets to it when Cayde-6 interrupts, almost taking a step back with the Exo suddenly there. "–What, is it over already?"


> Run It Off

Restless wasn't a word the ARC Trooper uses frequently – maybe in describing other clones whenever they were in that state of mind before and during missions, but never really for himself. Not until that nervous energy slowly built up long after the return from Coruscant.

So he ran.

It was one of the quickest ways to burn it off. It also killed two birds with one stone, keeping him on track with his training. And it worked...for the most part. His mind continued at a clip, never stopping when he did along the available routes, never resting whenever he tried to distract himself with other things that needed to be done.

Which led to the third metaphorical bird: he could still check in with everyone on the way around. See if they needed any help.

If all else failed, he'd try target practice near the outskirts as a means to keep his skills sharp. And to blow off steam.

Comments

[on_repeat]

Echo huffed a laugh, running a gloved hand along the edge of his bucket as if he was remembering a sore spot along his jaw. "It happened. And you weren't pulling any punches." An obvious statement, but also a compliment of some kind. "You're fast. It was different from fighting with my brothers. I also didn't expect the amount of force behind each swing."

[rage_on]

"For the record I don't usually pull my punches," Raphael said, but there was a faint quirk of his lips. "We're ninja. My father trained me and my brothers to be fast and make every move count. Aaand unfortunately for you I probably hit the hardest of my brothers."

[on_repeat]

"Ninja?" It was obvious he didn't know what exactly a ninja was, but he understood there was a method connected to it. "No wonder. I felt that for days..."

He would have been kidding if it wasn't partially true. Even with all of his armor on, it only did so much to protect him from serious injury.

He remained curious, arching a brow behind the darkened visor. "How many brothers do you have?"

[rage_on]

"Like...fighters that focus on stealth and agility. And I guess it's not all about fighting but it's a good chunk of it."

Raphael isn't sure whether to grin or wince at that, but he does at least manage to look a little sheepish. "Sorry," he apologizes mumbles, scratching the back of his head. Apologies are so awkward.

At least the next question is an easy one. "I've got three. How many brothers do you have?"

[on_repeat]

"Huh. Sounds like elite training to me."

The ARC Trooper holds up a hand. "Water under the city," he says. "We're okay now." And it's honestly how he feels about it.

Although answering the very same question should have had the same response time. Instead, Echo looks off to one side. "Uh..."

[rage_on]

"I mean...I guess you could look at it that way." Raphael can't help but look proud at that. His father's a master, and he's taught his sons well.

Echo's reassurance is a relief, that much is clear by the sigh from the turtle teen, the release of tension around his shoulders. He gives the man a nod. ...and then looks at him oddly when Echo stalls in what should be a simple answer. "What? You forget already?" he prompts, head tilting. Family questions should be easy, right?

[on_repeat]

"No, it's just..." Echo hesitates, palms turning upward as he shrugs. "It's somewhere in the millions."

[rage_on]

"Oh, right," the turtle nods before pausing abruptly. "Wait, what?!" He stares. "You're kidding, right?"

[on_repeat]

Under the helmet, Echo's eyes dart off to one side while he gestures. "Well, no. It really is in the millions," is his reiteration. "We're all clones."

And he sounds. Completely honest.

[rage_on]

"..............."

Raphael's expression remains much the same as he continues to stare and process this new information. Really though, what's a turtle supposed to say to that?

"...dude."

[on_repeat]

"Yeah. That's a response I've gotten more often than not here," Echo said dryly, taking it in stride.

[rage_on]

"Is it that normal back where you're from?" Raphael finds that hard to believe. "That'd be like living on an entire world populated by only you, wouldn't it?"

[on_repeat]

The corner of Echo's mouth twitches. "Normal enough when there's a war going on across the galaxy. But when you put it that way, you're not wrong. Although we're all from Kamino, it was the Kaminoans who created us. An' you'd be surprised to see how different we are from each other."

[rage_on]

Raphael takes a moment to digest that, his brow knitting beneath his mask. "So you're a whole army? That's crazy... And...well don't take this the wrong way but that's kinda...disturbing. Different from each other though... That's pretty cool. Still weird, but cool, I guess." He tilts his head. "And you guys're...okay with all that?"