acatamods: (Default)
acatamods. ([personal profile] acatamods) wrote in [community profile] acatalepsy_logs2019-01-04 10:22 am

PHASE 3: AKVOS: THE END.






the great escape.
The Circle has quite a lot on their plate, this time around. Multiple players are fighting for the control of Akvos, and many difficult choices to make. No matter what path you choose, though, one thing is for certain: it is a bitter fight to the death to ensure that Akvos remains standing, one way or another.

There are three main areas for the characters to explore in the final log of Akvos: (1) The Kingdom of Akvos, where the King is fighting to seize control; (2) The Rift, where the characters will encounter the Dreamscapes; and (3) The Kingdom of Polankos, which is where King Ka'pouli has reigned since his arrival in the pocket dimension. Decisions made in all there areas will affect the outcome of Akvos, so get to exploring.




THE ASSAULT ON WAHINE.
The King’s forces will attack in three different fronts. There will be mermen attacking from above, riding saddled giant seahorses and manta rays, launching spears at the mermaid-warriors below with terrifying precision. They seem to be indiscriminate, in their aim -- the weaponry, charged with the same dark energy that the shadow creatures seem to be made out of, find their target in civilians and warriors alike, raining down a sea of terror upon the central stronghold of the Kingdom of Akvos.

The mermen will also be attacking at the ground-level, attempting to burst their way through the Palace Gates to flood the city with numbers. While the mermaids outnumber the mermen, the mermen are certainly more brutal than the mermaids. Some of them, though, in finding the city, are more concerned with looting it than with senselessly murdering everyone inside. Indeed, this is the most food they have seen in a long time -- and markets are destroyed in grabbing as much food and riches as they can, pressing closer to the Palace, and toward the Queen's stronghold.

And, finally, they will be attacking from below, navigating their way through a network of tunnels meant to transport goods and bursting their way into people’s homes, to sneak their way closer to their ultimate goal, which seems to be the Palace itself.

The Circle's main goal, here, is to protect civilians, usher theminto the underground strongholds beneath the Palace, and fight for their own lives should they attack the mermen first. Man the wall, if you so choose, to attempt to block the air attacks from the mantas. Fight on the ground, to protect Akvos from destruction. Or make your way to the underground strongholds and tunnels, to block access to the Palace. All of these will certainly assist in keeping Akvos safe.

In addition, please remember that shadow creatures (which can only be killed by magical means) are still making their way through the entirety of Akvos. While King Ka'pouli's forces are targeting the Palace of Wahine, the shadow creatures are still present everywhere. Get to killing!



INTO THE RIFT.
Some of you, however, have elected to traverse into the mysterious rift that appeared in the midst of the Fields of Akvosia. It looks like a black hole into nothingness, crackling with odd energy . . . and passing through it feels as though you have stepped through an icy waterfall. For a moment, you cannot breathe -- and then, you are treated to beauty.

The gaps between time and space are full of sparkling lights, bolts of rainbow starlight winding around you as you move through the uncertainty that is the void. It seems endless, but something inside you is tugging you forward . . . and, suddenly, there is a soft voice in your ear. A familiar one, to those who reside within the Circle . . . the confused voice of Astoria.

"Hello? My Travelers? How are you within the Void?" The Void? That word hadn't been used to describe whatever this magical place is before, but . . . well, a witch with the ability to send you all across the universe probably knows what she's talking about, right? "That should not be possible . . . who opened this doorway?"

You can tell her, or you can not. It seems to matter not, because: "Is this not getting through? Why can I not hear you . . . but I can feel you, I can -- please, if you can hear this, be careful. The Void is not something for mortals to interact with, and it can show you terrible things -- terrible things, so please--"

And, right before you have the opportunity to respond to our benevolent witch (or captor, depending on your point of view), you see a bizarre glass-like surface in front of you. It looks like a mirror, and you see a perfect reflection of yourself. It is absolutely captivating, and it beckons you . . . almost urging you to touch it. And Astoria's whisper grows a bit louder, more urgent:

"My dear Traveler, be careful what you encounter here -- can you hear me? Can you see me? I am trying to get you out of there, to bring you back home--Akvos is--"

But it is too late.

Your fingers graze the edge of the mirror, and you are pulled -- a sensation that is familiar to you, the same pull in your stomach that you feel whenever Astoria thrusts you across the universe, into new realities. And, when you blink your eyes again, and look around . . . you are no longer in Akvos, or the Void. You are somewhere entirely new.

Welcome to the Dreamscape.




THE KINGDOM OF POLANKOS.
Once the Circle emerges from the Rift and the Dreamscape, they will stumble into another world . . . but this one's wateris shallow, in comparison to the massive depths of the crystal-clear kingdom of Akvos. You can quite clearly see the surface, here, and there are shallows that allow you to come up onto islands, tropical in nature with fruit, odd creatures that appear to be multiple-headed monkeys and parrots, and sandy shores. It's a bit jarring to see, after spending so long underwater. Indeed, you emerge to trudge onto land, and look around, somewhat mystified that the deep-dwelling mermen would be from a place like this.

However, exploring the islands (which is not very difficult to do, as they are all small and will not take very much time) will yield the discovery that on the islands themselves are tunnels -- underwater caverns that thread through the islands to much deeper water. It's almost as if the islands themselves are barriers to the underwater caverns below -- shallow water, a layer of land, and then a (mer)man-made bubble of water below the barrier of land. And that whoever lived on these islands tunneled through them to find deeper water. Princess Kea, (who will attend on these journeys, while remaining in the water), will tell the Circle members that King Ka'pouli told her that when the mermen were cast out, they landed on solid land, and had to slowly dig deeper to their salvation.

Navigating through these tunnels will be somewhat perilous -- and the Circle members will need to carry Princess Kea to the nearest tunnel to get her into some water, because while she can breathe on the surface for a certain period of time, she cannot navigate the land as quickly as you people with legs. Additionally, underwater caving isn't exactly a blast, but the deeper you go, the more clues of civilization you can find. And, eventually, once you go deep enough, you emerge into a massive underwater cavern to find the small Kingdom of Polankos.

In comparison to the Kingdom of Akvos, Polankos is witheringly depressing. It is not brightly colored, nor open -- indeed, it is tiny, with mermen huddled together waiting patiently for the forces that went through the rift to return. There is not a lot to find here, save for some interesting weapons that possess a dark energy, versus a lightning energy -- and those weapons will be given to the Circle members who ask for them, because those who wield them are in no condition to fight. There is little food, little room to sleep, and these are a people clearly in need of assistance.

In order to get them out of Polankos, you will need to usher them through the tunnels back up to the Rift above -- it seems that King Ka'pouli opened the Rift on the surface, rather than risk the city below in case it did not work. The mermen there (who seem to be elderly and weak) will be eager for the assistance to get out Polankos, and at the promise of being brought into Akvos, they will happily go. There will be no resistance from them.

You may also see Princess Kea, who has filtered in and out of the Rift to assist on the journey -- teary-eyed, heartbroken at the sight of these individuals who require rescue, organizing the mermen with the promise of keeping them safe in Akvos.

"Hurry," she tells you, as she rouses another merman into getting to the nearest tunnel. "We do not have a lot of time to pull this off, and we must work quickly."

Additionally, please feel free to write up and work with your own prompts! These areas of the world are presented as jumping off points for your characters, not limitations. The idea of this world- as with all the others- is to explore -- you may use as much leeway as you want in order to come up with what your character will do, especially in the Dreamscapes.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask them back on the various threads back in the OOC post from before!
sendinthecavalry: (49)

[personal profile] sendinthecavalry 2019-02-05 10:33 pm (UTC)(link)
[For a moment, just a moment, he squeezes Hank’s shoulder in a small, steadying kind of gesture. It’s quick, subtle, and then he’s right back to normal. Hank’s been cool enough not to focus on the terrible things from before, he himself isn’t going to make things awkward by publicly acknowledging the strange ennui that’s bleeding between the both of them.]

Milk.

[Thank the Traveler for Hank’s dirty mind, it helps cut some of the tension and gives Cayde an easy out from having to be serious. With a huff of laughter he meets Hank’s gaze, waggling his browplates before looking back to the river.]

Not even kidding. There’s a big scientific name for it, but between you and me? Everyone calls it ‘Vex milk’.

[A beat.]

Don’t go tasting this mysterious liquid, okay? This one actually is bad for you.

[Alright, so getting a chance to poke fun is still definitely a thing.]
fuck1ngusernam3: (uhhh)

[personal profile] fuck1ngusernam3 2019-02-05 11:34 pm (UTC)(link)
[He huffs, starting to smile again.]

What, you think I just go stickin whatever weird shit lands in front of me right in there? Don't get so down on yourself, man.

[He slaps the back of his hand against Cayde's arm as he says it, looking kind of tentative. But they can't stand here joking around forever. Or, more to the point - he can't slow them down standing here joking around forever. Hank's a lot of things, but a drag isn't one of them.

Well, okay. He is a drag. A lot of the time. But not here and now, not if he can help it. So he takes a couple steps forward, trying to make his look around seem interested.]


So where's this show we came all the way here to see? [Hank pauses. His bravado's, now he hears it coming out of his mouth, sounds a little more obvious than he likes it. Well, fuck it. He's ninety nine point nine percent sure Cayde's going to let him get away with it.] If you just dragged me here to watch you do the backstroke in Vex-cum-river you can count me right the hell out.
sendinthecavalry: (16)

[personal profile] sendinthecavalry 2019-02-06 09:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Hey, I'm just extrapolating from what I've already seen. You can't blame a guy for that.

[But if Hank's going to try and press ahead, despite the insincerity that overlays his sudden interest, then Cayde's not going to give him shit about it. There are plenty of times when he can rib and joke, but he draws a line at anything that actually digs into insecurities. If this even is an insecurity. He doesn't know. Despite everything, Hank can be hard to read and Cayde's honestly not sure if he's impressed or frustrated by that.

Whatever. He's gotten them into this, he's not leaving until his own badassness is without question.]


But really. A. no. B. hell no. That's a one-way ticket to a real bad time. If you thought I could pull off murderbot real well before, well that's nothing compared to what that stuff could do.

[He's surprisingly casual about that. It's fine though, as long as no one drinks the damn stuff everything will be okay. With one final pat to Hank's shoulder he slips away, leaping up onto one of the smaller ruins with just a hint of Light propelling him up. This is his world, his dream, he could make this so much easier but what fun would that be?]

We're here to shoot somethin' big. I told you, awesome points to spare.
fuck1ngusernam3: (uhhh)

[personal profile] fuck1ngusernam3 2019-02-07 04:02 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, so you took me on an intergalactic hunting trip, huh?

[Hank's voice is carefully free, here, of anything but curiosity. This is a hunting trip, isn't it, and that narrows down Hank's options for tactics, if he wants Operation Don't Be A Drag to come out okay. Cause killing shit for fun? It's not exactly Hank's bag, and he's pretty sure he's not into making his pile of mortal peril any bigger than it's already going to be at the end of today. Which means he has to be enthusiastic - or at least interested - in something else.

Right now that something else is probably following Cayde wherever he's going. Normally Hank would hang out down here for a minute just to make a point - ie, yeah, he knows Cayde knows how cool he looked jumping up like that, and no, he's not going to help Cayde look any cooler by crawling up after him like a big clunky asshole - but Hank's got to be into something, and Cayde looking cool is kind of the name of the game here, so Hank resigns himself to looking stupid and starts with the crawling up after Cayde like a big clunky asshole. It doesn't occur to him until he's started that he probably doesn't want to get close enough for, say, a slap on the shoulder or whatever until he's worked up some real enthusiasm, so he stops climbing just before getting in range.]


How big are we talkin exactly? What am I here to watch you kill, on a scale of like, Bigfoot to Godzilla?
sendinthecavalry: (6)

[personal profile] sendinthecavalry 2019-02-12 01:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Less a hunting trip, more, hmmm. What do you call hunting down and takin’ out high priority targets? Bounties? Who cares, the important part is: big bad guys, shoot big bad guys dead, loot. And roll in all the praise, because you’re such a dashing individual who always gets their mark and everyone swoons over you.

[Humble, thy name is Cayde. But all things aside, this is the first time that he’s felt- well- normal since his abrupt abduction to the Circle. And he wants to share that feeling, that excitement and joy and spark of just being alive, beyond just the need to peacock about. Hank isn’t from his neck of the woods, they’ve both been through a lot in the last few hours, but this- the scent of stone and vegetation, the slight whisper and hum of energy on the breeze- this is good. Really good.

His expression is filled with genuine excitement as he looks back over his shoulder, taking a knee and reaching out to offer Hank his hand so that he can help the guy up the last little bit of the way.]


And c’mon, you can’t tell me that this isn’t one heck of a view.
fuck1ngusernam3: (considering 2)

[personal profile] fuck1ngusernam3 2019-02-12 06:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[Hank thinks about that hand. On one hand, bounty hunting’s... better than regular hunting. Right? He almost wants it to be.

Fuck it. It’s not real anyway, it’s just like target practice. None of this is real except him and Cayde, and whatever the fuck kind of impression Cayde has of him by the time this is over.

An impression he’s not helping, Hank realizes, by hesitating over a goddamn hand up like an asshole. He tries to cover the pause by talking, raising his eyebrows with the first thing that comes to mind.]


Somethin tells me you don’t need me to tell you that.

[He tries to hold the look for a moment, pointedly not looking around at any scenery except what’s right in front of him. That moment lets him push that warm affection to the front of his mind, though the tight, acrid feeling of self-consciousness and heavy, resigned doubt are still sitting in the back row, laughing at his sorry try at pushing them out.

Well, fuck it. Hank tries to focus on Cayde, not on his own stupid bullshit, and reaches out to grab Cayde’s hand.]
sendinthecavalry: (23)

[personal profile] sendinthecavalry 2019-02-15 01:41 am (UTC)(link)
'course I do.

[It's banter for the sake of banter, something light and casual and just there to fill the lull between the faint whisperings of the ruins and the call of something off in the distance. He's grinning, radiating unadulterated joy that he doesn't bother to try hide, and the moment he reaches to grasp Hank's hand that feeling, that desire, jumps from him like electricity. All the wonder, the joy, the simple contentment and familiarity of everything, it's only slightly tempered by the slight edge of feedback from Hank. It's heady, weird magic bullshit again, but he isn't going to let that dull the rush of adrenaline in his veins.

With a grunt and a little effort he manages to help the guy up, patting him on the shoulder when they're both finally situated.]


There. Beautiful, right?
fuck1ngusernam3: (oh???)

[personal profile] fuck1ngusernam3 2019-02-15 02:52 am (UTC)(link)
[When Cayde takes his hand Hank actually gasps. He doesn't know why at first; it takes that long for him to figure out that he's feeling something at all. It's like his brain doesn't know how to read it, like whatever this is was more than his sensors could handle and something inside him just shorted out.

He hangs on while he's being pulled up just reflexively, and yanks his hand away as soon as he's up. He doesn't think about doing it, he doesn't decide to do it, he just needs less and he holds his hand curled in close to himself, staring at Cayde with wide eyes.

It's not a second before the realization of what just happened - the general fact of it, if not the specifics - starts to creep into his head. That wasn't him - holy shit was that not him - and with that really solidly established, it doesn't take much to figure out what the fuck. It's the... the specifics that are harder. His mind kind of creeps around it, tries not to try too hard to pin that bright white sensation that'd burned through him with a name.]


You- you, uh-

[How the fuck was he going to finish that sentence? He doesn't know, can't really bring himself to care. What he cares about is his other hand, the one he's not curling up close to him, reaching out real slow, starting to stretch toward - toward some part of Cayde, he doesn't know. Anything not covered by clothes, that feels right - he doesn't need bare skin - or whatever it is Cayde's got. But it feels right, to do it that way. But trying to touch the guy's face out of nowhere feels so-

Those heavy, more familiar feelings are slipping back in, staring to recover from whatever that was, from that mental whiteout, he's already starting to lose his grasp on the feel of it.

His hand stops, fingers starting to curl, and his breath comes out slow and measured and unsteady.]


Is, is it okay if I, uh- Just think about what you were thinkin about and I'll just-

[He doesn't finish, leaves his hand hanging there, waiting. He doesn't know how to finish. He doesn't know what words he'd even use.]
sendinthecavalry: (42)

[personal profile] sendinthecavalry 2019-02-15 04:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[When Hank jerks away it throws up hundreds of alarm bells in Cayde’s systems, and he hastily retracts his hand and tries to put some distance between the both of them. Not out of any concern for his own comfort, but because that wide-eyed look means something is very, very wrong and he wants to give Hank his space. He hasn’t seen that expression before outside of combat zones, and given that they’d been (hopefully) enjoying a bit of respite it all comes as a tremendous shock.]

Easy, easy-

[He raises his hands in a non-threatening manner, as if the gesture will help steady the man before him. I doesn’t really help, Hank’s trying for coherency now and falling short, but it helps Cayde keep that small bit of distance as he racks his brain for what to do.]

Me. Yep, me, it’s definitely me.

[There’s a hand reaching for him now, and Cayde forces himself to stay rooted to the spot. Centuries of training should dictate that he keep up this delicate dance, not let any potential threat into arm’s reach- but this isn’t a threat. It’s so unbelievably messed up that that’s the first place his subconscious goes, especially on the heels of the fact that Hank, patient, stubborn Hank, had risked life and limb to try to talk him down back at the Crypt.

Okay. He’s a problem solver, he can figure this out. First thing first, he slowly lowers his hands and adopts a much more casual stance, the slight furrow of his browplates the only thing that betrays his concern. Think about what you were thinkin’? What does that even mean? He hadn’t been thinking about anything beyond how he’d wanted Hank to see, really see, how amazing everything really was.]


Hey, you do what you gotta do, okay? Everything is cool here, we’re both cool.

[There’s still a note of worry, but he does force himself to relax the best he can, wills himself to try and dredge up his previous excitement.]
fuck1ngusernam3: (tired 2)

[personal profile] fuck1ngusernam3 2019-02-15 08:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[Hank frowns at him. What-

Then it clicks. Cayde thinks Hank’s freaking out. He doesn’t know what just happened. Maybe he’s not wrong, but he must not get what Hank’s even asking, and whatever Hank was asking to- to feel, just to double check, just to see, it’s gone now. All he’d feel is proof of the fact that he just fucked up, that his bullshit took that moment and whatever was in it away from Cayde.

Hank drops his hands, raises one to rub his eyes. Okay. He can salvage this. He’s fucked up dates worse than this and even got laid afterward, he can bring this back - maybe not to where it was, but to somewhere.

Was that worse than this? A trip to the ER probably counts as worse, technically, but this is-

Never fucking mind his screwed up feelings about his own shit. There’s a situation he needs to work on.]


Don’t worry, I’m not uh, losing it or anything, that was just-

[He can’t say it. He can say it. He explained this once and it was fucking excruciating but Cayde was decent about it, genuinely decent, and Hank can put on his big boy pants and use the big scary m-word again. He drops his hand, looking Cayde in the eyes with a quick, polite smIle.

That was just- magic shit. You know. Turns out I can-

[He gestures back and forth between them but, no, Cayde deserves actual words, use your words, you asshole.]

Turns out it goes the other way too, so. Just surprised me, I wasn’t expecting it. And I mean, as ways to ruin a, uh- a night out go, that was better than getting a concussion, right? So, uh. If you still want to tell me about this place, that’d be cool. You’ve been here before, haven’t you? Bounty hunting stuff?
sendinthecavalry: (58)

[personal profile] sendinthecavalry 2019-02-15 09:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[There’s a certain tension in the air between them, brought about by each passing second. But Hank’s talking now, that’s an improvement and it helps to put things at ease just the tiniest bit. At least until the explanation comes, and then there’s a spike of confusion that cuts through all of the concern.]

Wait. What?

[It’s a supremely eloquent answer that’s perfect for the delicate situation between them. Surely. But confusion gives way to curiosity, and despite everything Cayde finds himself taking a step closer as he looks Hank over. He doesn’t seem to be lying, not that he’d really expect the guy to lie in the first place, and that- that raises some very interesting questions.]

Wait, so like, the magic emotions thing? So you can feel stuff instead of just transmitting it out?

[Very interesting. Hank’s made a move to shift focus away from that, but unfortunately with his interest spiked Cayde can’t help but press just the tiniest bit.]

So, so….does it work all the time? Here, c’mon, grab my hand-

[Alright, he’s edged back into excitement and wonder at the possibility, because okay, that’s definitely kind of cool.]
fuck1ngusernam3: (honesty/surprise)

[personal profile] fuck1ngusernam3 2019-02-16 01:37 pm (UTC)(link)
[Okay, so, good news: Cayde lets go of that tense, heavy mood Hank accidentally dragged them into pretty easily. He even seems excited. Bad news: What he's excited about is the one thing Hank can't paste a casual face over. He wants Hank to grab his hand and Hank's eyes widen a little, he starts to lift his hands, palms out, in a 'hold up' kind of gesture, then presses them against his hips instead.]

Uh-

[He can bring this back, yeah, but not if- not with all his insides pulled outside him like that, not with Cayde having a chance at feeling all the shit that'd dragged this little outing down in the first place, and not with Cayde's - with his, whatever it is he's feeling mixing up with Hank's in ways that probably aren't going to end up in the fun little experiment Cayde seems like he's expecting. The hands on Hank's hips rub over his thighs.]

If it hasn't happened by now it's probably pretty rare, some special conditions attached or something. You really want to waste our time trying to figure that out? I mean, we can do that any time. [And if Cayde believes that, well, that's a problem for future Hank.] How many times are we gonna get to be here?

[He gestures around them at the view that probably started Cayde feeling all the shit that started this in the first place, hoping to hell Cayde's easily distracted by pretty trees, or whatever.]
sendinthecavalry: (47)

[personal profile] sendinthecavalry 2019-02-18 06:38 pm (UTC)(link)
[Hank’s deflecting, that’s as obvious as anything could ever be, but that doesn’t diminish Cayde’s interest in the slightest. It’s a bad trait of his, the insatiable curiosity, and for a moment his better senses (don’t press a guy, everyone’s got their secrets and their personal space) go to war with his enthusiasm. The desire to push, to wheedle and wear down is so incredibly tempting, but-

but this is Hank, this is one of his best friends in the craziness known as the Circle. Hank that’s had the decency not to push or pry into things he’s seen and had the good graces to take everything with snark or a joke. It’s the least Cayde can do to smother the childish need to worm his way into things that are obviously, though unspoken, not entirely kosher.

He flashes a slightly awkward grin, holding his hand up in a casually dismissive gesture to signal that he’s gotten the message. No harm, no foul.]


Straight down to business then, eh? Eyes on the prize, guts and glory, I can dig that.

[It’s an out, if Hank wants to take it.]

If you’re so excited for the main show, ‘cmon. We got a little bit of a hike.
fuck1ngusernam3: (general 1)

[personal profile] fuck1ngusernam3 2019-02-18 10:14 pm (UTC)(link)
[Hank visibly relaxes, absolutely wanting to take that out. He shoves his hands into his pockets and tries a smile; it comes almost easily.]

So, how far we goin? I'm going to warn you now, it's been actual decades since I went hiking, I'm probably going to bitch the whole way.

[The leftover memory of Cayde's emotions is still fizzling through him, faintly enough now that he can put a name to it, to what it was that shocked him so hard. He focuses on Cayde more than on trying to figure out just what it is he thinks about that. It means Cayde was already enjoying himself almost without any input from Hank; it means he's probably going to have a good time just being here, and that's as far as Hank needs to think about it, about what being really, honestly happy actually feels like.

The trees are kind of nice, anyway, even if they are weird. Maybe a hike will be okay, before they have to start shooting shit.]
sendinthecavalry: (23)

[personal profile] sendinthecavalry 2019-02-18 11:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[Cayde's gracious enough to let everything go, and even though there's still that prickle of 'what if' that's buzzing about his circuits he kills it as quickly as it tries to reemerge. Hank's asked a perfectly good question, after all, and it wouldn't do to keep a guy waiting.]

Depends on how far it is until things start shootin' at us.

[Maybe he shouldn't sound so blase about that, but it's just the facts of Guardian life. And while some of the danger is diminished by the fact that everything isn't real, that still doesn't mean that he's not going to try to have fun with things. And show Hank a good time.]

C'mon, can't let the fun start without us!

[And with that he takes a short jump off of his perch so that he can start carving out a path through the underbrush.]
fuck1ngusernam3: (wat)

[personal profile] fuck1ngusernam3 2019-02-19 12:45 am (UTC)(link)
You do know I'm fifty three, right?

[He looks down at the distance Cayde jumped, then starts clambering after. There's going to be a lot of this, probably, this whole trailing after the Cayde looking clumsy and dumb thing. Hank minds that a little less on the way down from here than he did on the way up. It could be worse.]

You know what happens to- [To humans, he almost says, and then cuts himself off because that's a dick move, and then wonders if it is or not, because he never actually asked Cayde if he did actually used to be human - and he's not going to. Cayde didn't tell him, not voluntarily, so it's not something he wanted Hank to know. But talking about being human like Cayde wouldn't know what it's like still feels shitty. So he talks around it.] -to muscles and joints and cartilage and all that shit after fifty years? It means you can't jump twenty feet in a single bound like a big fancy tough guy, so you're gonna have to cool it on the acrobat stuff. Unless you want to take fire first when we walk up to whoever it is we're here to shoot which... I mean, if that's how you're plannin on impressing me, go right ahead.
sendinthecavalry: (13)

[personal profile] sendinthecavalry 2019-02-19 01:22 am (UTC)(link)
Fifty three? That's spring chicken territory! No sarcasm, total honesty.

[There's a moment where Cayde slows his roll, looking back and winking with the best smirk he can manage. It's a quick, cheeky thing that lasts only a few seconds before he's back to picking his way through all sorts of alien plants. It's good, really good, this is something he'd missed so dearly before the Red War and now being confined to the Circle...even if none of it is real, he's fine being selfish enough to take advantage of things.

Well, and make sure to uphold his reputation with Hank. A guy just can't take getting called out sitting down.]


And besides, drawing fire...ha! I suppose I can show off just a little for you [If that's not what he's already doing....] if you insist.
fuck1ngusernam3: (you toothy little dork)

[personal profile] fuck1ngusernam3 2019-02-19 02:41 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, yeah?

[Hank walks faster, trying to catch up. He almost wants to get distracted by the plants and shit, glances at them as they walk by, but... alien or not, they're plants. Gardening'd always been his dad's thing, so he'll have to settle for liking that Cayde likes the place, without really getting just what it is he's seeing when he looks at it.]

You're just gonna start showing off, just now, just for me? I don't know about a spring chicken but if you want a blushing cock, that's how you get it.

[He flashes a crooked grin, proud of himself, still trying - and mostly succeeding now, with that masterpiece of a terrible joke - at shaking that earlier funk off, or at least pushing it back enough that he's not really thinking about it.]
sendinthecavalry: (4)

[personal profile] sendinthecavalry 2019-02-19 03:22 pm (UTC)(link)
[At that, Cayde stops in his tracks and there are a few poignant seconds of silence before he’s laughing hard, the sharp noise echoing through the ruins and trees. He bends at the waist, hands on his thighs to keep himself from pitching over, because despite everything that’s happened Hank still has the perfect timing with his quips.]

Well shoot, if it was that easy I’d have started a long time ago!

[His shoulders are still shaking when he manages to stand again, and as he looks back over his shoulder all of his lights are flashing bright with his uncontained amusement. As a bonus, it gives Hank a chance to catch up and while Cayde’s first inclination is wander over and throw his arm around the man’s shoulders he instead settles for flashing him a thumbs up.]

Duly noted, I’ll have to try harder.
fuck1ngusernam3: (hey a real smile)

[personal profile] fuck1ngusernam3 2019-02-19 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[Hank's grin grows, seeing Cayde laugh like that, watching the way all those lights go bright around Cayde's face. The ocean seems really far away just now but Hank remembers deciding, back there, to start paying more attention to Cayde's whole... his face thing, how it works, to start trying to figure out if those lights are some kind of robot body language he hasn't been reading.

They're pretty easy to read now. They're beautiful almost, in some weird, mechanical way, and by the time Hank stops he's walked a little closer than he meant to.]


Yeah, you just try long and hard, and we'll see what comes out at the end of it, huh?
sendinthecavalry: (58)

[personal profile] sendinthecavalry 2019-02-22 02:23 am (UTC)(link)
[That earns another huff of laughter and a cheeky wink, because there's no way that Cadye is going to let that innuendo slip on by, not when its been so graciously dangled before him.]

Long and hard I can do, I'm awesome at that. But really, didn't we already have this conversation? It's the journey, not the end. Can't rush the good stuff.

[His merriment is almost palatable and as soon as Hank catches up he continues forward. The closeness is...it's nice, but the no touching rule is currently in effect and by the Traveler he's a gentleman. Kind of. Sort of. When it counts.]

So relax, dragonslayer. Enjoy it all, when else are you gonna get a chance to see such breathtaking surroundings?
fuck1ngusernam3: (honesty/surprise)

[personal profile] fuck1ngusernam3 2019-02-22 12:48 pm (UTC)(link)
[Now Hank could turn that into a come-on, but there's a difference between a couple innuendoes to lighten the mood and trying so hard to make up for your own stupid shit that you end up giving mixed signals. Or... something. It'd feel weird, anyway, using the question to flirt while he still can't bring himself to take his hands out of his pockets. He shrugs a shoulder and smiles instead, only a little awkwardly.]

To be honest, all this is uh... Well it's cool, but... I don't know, I guess I never figured out how to commune with nature, or whatever. But you like this kind of thing? [He's not shitting on it - he sounds honest, curious, and now a corner of his lips curls up, cause this is the part he has trouble picturing.] Just hanging out being quiet for hours? That's what 'enjoy the journey' means, right?
sendinthecavalry: (45)

[personal profile] sendinthecavalry 2019-02-22 04:05 pm (UTC)(link)
[The only answer he gives at first is a slow shake of his head, eyes trained ahead as they make it up the crest of a hill that overlooks the almost incomprehensibly gigantic rusted remains of a ship torn apart by time. It’s close enough to how he remembers it, and if his mind can recreate the scenery then-

There. There’s a grating, metallic cry somewhere off in the distance that confirms it.]


Couldn’t tell you one thing about communing with nature. That’s more a Warlock thing, the whole ‘be zen with the universe’ stuff. The journey-

[He turns back to look at Hank, motions for him to follow, then takes a careful step and works to slide down the hill on his heels, one hand brushing the ground for stability.]

The journey is, it’s the stuff you do on the way. The hunts through places like this, the satisfaction of putting a bullet between the eyes of something big and nasty, of finding bits and pieces from before the Collapse, when everything went to hell and back. It’s about holing up in some rusted out wreck for the night, rifle across your lap and the sounds of Fallen scrabbling around outside. It’s the adrenaline, the excitement, the moments where you-

[He falls quiet for a few moments.]

Where it’s you and your mates out, doin’ good and lookin’ good all the while. It’s the dares, the loot, just…just the freedom of everything. And it’s the times where you sometimes go back, just for a little while sometimes for more than a little while, and see all the people that’re safe and happy because you’re out there making the world a little bit better.

[That’s gotten a little too deep, a little too introspective, if he’s being honest with himself.]

Did I mention the loot? The loot is awesome. Now c’mon, big guy over there, that’s what we’re after.
Edited 2019-02-22 16:06 (UTC)
fuck1ngusernam3: (frown wat)

[personal profile] fuck1ngusernam3 2019-02-22 08:44 pm (UTC)(link)
[Hank gapes at the sight of the thing so huge and close, and as he follows Cayde down the hill - managing the slide almost competently, if he does say so himself - that look of surprise doesn’t completely leave him. You never really know what a person’s actually like, in theory Hank knows that, but it’s different when it’s someone you like, different to find out that a friend, a good friend, is actually that totally different from you.

Maybe the Hank of, say, four or five years ago, he would of gotten it better. But that Hank’s not here, so this one has to relate that to something he knows the best he can. Soldier, he thinks. Post-apocalyptic soldier, maybe, depending on the kind of ‘collapse’ Cayde was talking about.

Hank glances toward whatever Cayde means when he says ‘over there’, but he doesn’t really look at it yet, looking hack to study Cayde instead. He can deal with whatever bullshit Cayde has planned in a second.]


Being cooped up with the rest of us just waiting for something to happen all the time, that must kill you.
Edited (Thanks phone ) 2019-02-22 20:45 (UTC)
sendinthecavalry: (40)

[personal profile] sendinthecavalry 2019-02-22 11:14 pm (UTC)(link)
[The question hits far closer to home than Cayde was ever expecting, and he actually freezes for a fraction of a second before he regains his composure and forces himself to relax again. He looks back over his shoulder, expression almost embarrassed in a way, and he shrugs as if that’s an acceptable answer. It isn’t, he should probably use his words.]

Heh, would you believe me if I said this is the most action I’ve had in years? As bad as the Circle can get sometimes, it’s better than being tethered to a desk job back home.

[For all the trouble they were, the world hops were at least interesting and provided new environments to explore. This time without the backdrop of war and desperation like back home. It’s been nice, if somewhat jarring at times.]

What about you? Not a big nature kind of guy, I’m gonna guess from all the talk?

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