Welcome to Gaia! ::

After a night in the observatory, rather than returning to his apartment to sleep, Étoile instead went to the house he and Dr. Light had scoped out the previous day, having only briefly stopped at the apartment to gather his computers, personal microscope, and a few other necessities.

Light's bots had already repaired the leaking roof and removed the areas of damaged carpeting. He went into the living area he planned on turning into a make shift lab, all the while calculating in his head how he could go about obtaining the more expensive equipment he would need to aid his friend. Leaving the bags he had brought near the door, Étoile continues scanning the room and calculating the transformation, failing to notice much else around him.

Lost in thought, Étoile was not expecting any visitors. Startled, he turned quickly, only to have his shock heightened tenfold by who had tapped his shoulder. "You...I....uh...." Étoile couldn't speak. His chest tightened as he looked at the person who had gone through so much for such an ungrateful city. "Proto Man," he finally manged to say as he attempted to control his breathing and heartbeat.

Taking another moment to calm his nerves and emotions, Étoile took a breath. "My name is Dr. Étoile Terry. Formerly I worked with your father, Dr. Light in the mines before Dr. Wily dismissed all of the non-robot worker. He transferred me to the astronomy department of the laboratory we worked, where I have been working ever sense, but now," he struggled to stay calm. "I sought out Thomas to help him in any way I could. I was attempting to figure out how to set up a laboratory in this room to study metals to help create stronger, lighter alloys for various applications." Étoile decided honesty was best, and was very candid. "I...am tired of cowering under Wily's thumb, and I want to help Dr. Light however I can." He admitted frankly, summing up his presents in the formerly abandoned house.

The question first made Étoile's stomach sink, but then he found his courage. "Yes," he answered decisively, "This time, I am. I screwed up last time but I won't let that happen again. I'm not living this way, I'm existing," It was true that life had not been the same sense Wily's take over. There was no denying that working in the mines had been difficult and deadly work, but it was a choice he had freely made. It hurt every time a worker was lost, but the times spent working there had had it's happy times as well. That all left once Wily took over the City.

"I appreciate that. It's certainly more than I did for you, and a favor I don't deserve from you. However, it is never to late to change," Something suddenly triggered in Étoile. "I have learned throughout my life that things go up and down, and even when you reach the darkest depression, there is still a way to make your way out of that, but you have to be willing to work for it. There isn't a day that goes by when I don't wish I had learned that sooner, but I didn't. Yet I won't let a past decision deter me from making future choices. I can't fix yesterday, but damn-it, I can make tomorrow better," Étoile attempted to maintain his dignity, but inside he was shaking like a leaf. Shame overwhelmed him, and several tears made their way down his cheeks.

"Because I didn't help you when I should have. Because I was to scared to do what was right," Years of guilt and shame came crashing down on Étoile as he spoke. He hadn't meant to break down like this, but the unexpected visit overwhelmed him. With great effort, he collected himself and dabbed the tears from his fur. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to break down like that," He apologized. He suddenly smiled "Have you ever heard the story of Pandora's Box? I promise it's relevant," he said.

"It's an old Greek myth," Étoile began, "When audios first came into being, Zeus, the king of the gods gave Epimethius, one of the titans, the first woman as his bride. Her name was Pandora, and to Pandora he gave a beautiful sealed box as a wedding gift. This was a time before suffering had entered the world, and Zeus warned Pandora she should never open the box. To cut a long story short, one day, when she was alone, Pandora could no longer hold back her curiosity and she opened the box. Out sprang all sorts of horrors, disease, war, famine, hatred, and death. In a panic, Pandora slammed the lid of the box shut, but the horrors had all escaped. Only one thing remained in the box, and that was hope, symbolizing that no mater what horrors we face, hope always remains with us," he ended his story still smiling at the general. "I know it sounds like just a silly ancient story, but the point of the story still holds true,"

Étoile could not help but to burst out laughing. "No no no no no, the story is talking about the ideal of hope, not you personally," He took a breath. "I am sorry for how the city is treated you. You have no reason to trust any of the citizens, but, I will work on changing that. Perhaps when audios see there are those of us willing to fight, more will be willing to join that fight," he wanted to hold out his hand, but he didn't know how Proto would react. "Thank you for stopping by," he said at last.