♤ More Than Fine, More Than Bent on Getting By

[deal_me_in]

WHO: Cayde-6 and all'a you
WHERE: IN YUR SPACE Here, there, anywhere! Ugh, just tell him to go home
WHAT: Someone is totally not having attachment issues and just wanting to hang out because that what u do
WHEN: Post-Billicity, through June
WARNINGS: N/A I think
NOTES: Prose to start, will match as preferred.



♤ Fancy Meeting You Here!
For the lack of adrenaline Cayde had still found himself able to go along as though nothing had happened, because things being 'normal' acted in its own way like an energy boost, just being in familiar territory with people whom not only did he know, but that knew him back. He knows it's not nearly so simple, of course, but that's a different sort of problem that he knows he can't personally fix for everyone. Not that it means he won't try to make things a little better.

He certainly hasn't been particularly shy about popping by the more frequented places of the town to begin with, and now it's like he's doing so with a vengeance. The greenhouse, sure. The diner? Of course. The hangar? You bet. The Deep End? Absolutely. He may even be there more often than usual, if only because he knows it's a sure place people come by, if not for the hard liquor then maybe for some coffee. Thought you were about to have a quiet drink? Well, look alive, you've got company. Maybe he'll even try picking out a tune on that guitar there that's practically become a communal instrument. And then there's the amphitheater, because he knows some people use that as a place to blow off some excess energy.

For people he's more familiar with, it shouldn't come as a surprise to find him just there in their space at some point, invited himself in, made himself at home. It's fine, we're all fine. Yes, he's terribly clingy (even though he will attempt not to make it obvious) because being in a busy city and yet finding yourself able to still be isolated is an experience he could have done without. No, he's not going to outright admit it, but it's been a long month. Let him have this. Please.


♤ Great Googly Moogly!
It never fails; you're just going about your day like usual and then you turn and suddenly find yourself startled by a pair of googly eyes staring at you. Unless you're Ikora, in which case this will probably not startle so much as prompt an arch of a brow. But there they are.

Helmets are a prime target, especially on the back. Doors, trees, Jon's chair, someone's mug, a random wrench, Ophiuchus, glasses (I mean, how can you not?!)- free game. Sky's the limit- although if Cayde had the means, he might have very well tried that too.

Not to worry. This too shall pass. Probably.

Or at least it will when he runs out of googly eyes.


♤ Not-Home-Away-From-Not-Home-Away-From-Not-Home
The days and nights in the city facsimile had been more like regular days back on Earth and yet they still had felt incredibly long. Staying awake most of those nights just lent to the impression. He's sure that the exhaustion he feels is more mental than physical, but he's been most determined to make his rounds.

The old Agrii furniture store is one of Cayde's more random haunts, a place he enjoys poking around for supplies and random knick-knacks when he's bored or to sprawl out on one of the many beds. At the moment it's the latter, and should anyone happen to wander into the bed section, they'll find the Hunter lying across the end of a bed on his side, an arm tucked under his hooded head, optics shuttered, hand cannon still holstered at his side. Exos don't need to sleep, but in keeping with the habits of their formerly fleshy selves they can if they wish, and low and behold, it looks like he's doing just that, finally given in to all the running around.

Hovering watchfully nearby is his Ghost Sundance, and should they suddenly find themselves with company she'll swivel around to look at whomever might come upon her sleeping Guardian.


♤ Aces Wild
((AKA if you have any other ideas or something you want play out, toss down a starter or bother me to hash out some deets, whichever!))

Comments

[ezra_of_lothal]

"I'm a fan of teamwork," Ezra agrees, smiling back. "Guess it helps if you have a good team."

He cocks his head. "So dumb question. You answered to Cayde. The Directory says Cayde Six. Which would you rather be called?"

[deal_me_in]

The Exo snappoints. "That it does." So more often than not he preferred to work alone, but since the Red War he'd come to appreciate team effort a little more.

"Got the six in there? Guess I'm not surprised. Look, just Cayde's fine. No one adds the reboot number unless they're filing reports or something, I dunno."

[ezra_of_lothal]

Reboot number. Ok.

"Ok. What's the, uh, not rude way to ask, here? Because at first I thought you were in a different kind of full armor than I'm used to..."

[deal_me_in]

"You and Lark both, huh?" Cayde laughs. "I'm an Exo, kid. A robot, basically, not that I always was, but that's the part that throws people."

[ezra_of_lothal]

Ezra thinks that through, brow furrowed. "Yeah, you don't feel quite like a droid. In the Force, I mean. Or, well, I'm more attuned to organic minds, anyway."

[deal_me_in]

"Oh that's right, you're one of Kenobi's Force kids." Or whatever they're called. Starts with a J. Cayde waves the thought off, irrelevant, he figures.

"You're not off, anyway. Not that I can say for sure how we function? But there's some weird stuff going on in here- apart from the Light and all, and that's just a whole different brand of space magic or something." He shrugs. "I used to be human though. All Exos were- got our minds transferred into metal bodies, although it wasn't a perfect fit. Go figure, right?" The Exo smirks a little, shaking his head.

[ezra_of_lothal]

Ezra startles at Cayde's summary of the small Jedi community, smiling awkwardly and rubbing the back of his neck. Well, that's not really wrong.

"So what's a reboot, then? And is the robot body something you got to choose?"

It's not a choice Ezra can really imagine making - would he lose his connection to the Force? Or well, maybe not, large parts of Vader must be cybernetic, and he's still staggeringly strong in the Force. And didn't Cayde just say there's something about the Light?

[deal_me_in]

"So. The whole thing about human minds not playing well with metal bodies? Funny thing about human minds, you get all these attachments like memories of your old life? They kind of sneak in with the other things that they wanted to transfer over. So back then, if they figured you were remembering too much of stuff you weren't supposed to? They'd reboot you. Start you fresh."

Cayde wouldn't be surprised if Ezra looked horrified at that. There have been many concerns about unethical practices in regards to Clovis Bray, but since the collapse most of that research and development had been long lost. Maybe for the better.

"I can't remember much specifics. I know there was something about a debt involved. Said they could use a guy like me. Not sure if I knew what I was getting myself into, exactly, but not that there's any going back now."

[ezra_of_lothal]

Ezra's eyes do go wide. "Wiped you like a lot of people do with droids if they think they've, uh, developed too much personality," he says, an edge of distaste to his hushed tone.

Hera had been pretty against such that sort of practice, which is honestly probably about the only reason the teenager had spared much thought about it all. Years of her defense of Chopper's often grating personality had been pretty formative, though.

[deal_me_in]

"Yep. Pretty much." While he's not an expert of such things, Cayde had certainly learned a bit about droids back on Coruscant, both in being treated as one and in talking to some of the ones by the hotel they stayed at. He scowls a little at the reminder.

"I got into the habit of writing out the bits that come to me, and things in general. Heh, thankfully my mind's not so far gone as Banshee. Poor guy's been rebooted forty-four times. That's way more than the suggested limit by the way."

[ezra_of_lothal]

"Sounds like a good habit. So, do you have any idea how old you are?" Ezra asks.

That, he pretty sure is veering towards rude, but his curiosity is trumping.

[deal_me_in]

The question doesn't seem to bother him. Cayde doesn't feel like he's got anything to hide by it, anyway.

"Eh, I got a few centuries on me at least," he says, stroking his chin.

[ezra_of_lothal]

Ezra nods. That's right, Cayde had said and Ikora had known each other for centuries, and that was probably how he'd been able to help her remember life beyond Billy's City.

"So what does a centuries old previously human robot dude do when they're at home?"

[deal_me_in]

"Not stay at home?"

Cayde laughs. "Back before I got saddled with the Vanguard, I roamed just about everywhere. The EDZ, the moon, anywhere adventure was waiting, or some potential caches of forgotten Golden Age loot to discover." He shrugs a little then.

"Guess around here it's along the same lines, just a more limited space to work with. But there's a lot to poke around in these city ruins."

[ezra_of_lothal]

Ezra barely follows any of that, but that's ok.

"I used to do a lot of scavenging. Not in ruins, just whether people dumped stuff in the city I lived in and around. Most of it wasn't very good looting," he admits. "But I didn't starve, which was the important part."

He blinks, having a moment of struggling to reconcile those memories of an entire childhood where he'd never had to worry about skipping a meal.

[deal_me_in]

"Not starving is good." He also imagines that most places that people here have come from are probably still flourishing in comparison to the system he knows.

Cayde looks at Ezra, head tilting a little at the fluctuating expressions, but he can guess at what that might be about.

"Back home, most everything's ruins. So in a way, this isn't anything new. The weird thing is that this is the only sign of previous habitation within a good distance." He taps a finger against his chin. "There's what looks like a transport station out that way though, so I'm wondering if there's anything worth finding if we followed the tracks."

[ezra_of_lothal]

He folds into sitting cross-legged and rest his chin in his hands.

"Have there not been any expeditions much beyond Temba?"

[deal_me_in]

"Outside? No. Either there's been too much to do here or we just get caught up in some surprise space trip," Cayde admits.

"Farthest I've been out is about two-days travel in a straight line out...." He trails off, looking back towards the entrance of the building, calling up a mental map before he points off in a direction. "That-a-way. Nothing but wilderness. Not even interesting wilderness- trees, rocks, more trees and rocks. Occasional critter."

[ezra_of_lothal]

"If we put together a team for something longer term, a Jedi should probably go with it," Ezra muses.

"At least one - our talents vary a little. I'm good with animals, might be able to calm any that get aggressively cranky down. So could Master Kenobi. But Cal's the one that can pick up impressions of the past really well, if there are more ruins out there."

[deal_me_in]

An expedition outside of the city isn't something Cayde is against. A metal brow lifts as Ezra suggests having a Jedi along.

"Oh yeah? Huh. Good to know, kid. Something we'll keep in mind once people are ready to do some exploring. For now? I don't think it's too bad a thing to stick close to homebase for a while."

[ezra_of_lothal]

Ezra sighs. "I don't disagree. And any sort of expedition, there should planning and will take time, anyway. I just wonder if stuff going to keep happening. Just enough to keep us busy and off balance."

[deal_me_in]

"Hate to say it, but that's a likely possibility." Especially if the Atroma are meddling. "It's been a long while since we've had a storm too. If you haven't experienced one of those, let me tell you, it is not fun."

Cayde's not the sort to hold his breath in waiting for something to happen though. He's very much a doer. "If there's no telling that there's something worthwhile out there, I don't think we should plan out something too huge. We got our hands full with one settlement. Unless there's something promising out there, which is at this point a big unknown, it might not be good to send out too many people. Probably better to keep it small. Like a fireteam, maybe. Scout things out. Set a timeframe."

[ezra_of_lothal]

Ezra mulls that over a moment.

"How big is a fireteam in your book? Most of my missions were teams of two or three or six."

[deal_me_in]

"Fireteams are usually threes. Sometimes we'll combine 'em for six. Depends on the situation," Cayde replies. "That's enough people if they know what they're doing out there."

[ezra_of_lothal]

"No more than six," Ezra agrees, still thinking about the logistics of scouting.


"I think you or Ikora should call the next big meeting we have. Not me. Not any of the Jedi."