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 Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 10:16 am
True to her word, Sabine arrived at Caedus' "home" the day after her last visit. So much had happened that night, she had hardly been able to contain her excitement till she had fallen asleep. When she had awoken the next morning, she'd made a quick visit to her house to stock up on the needed provisions and to set up the basket she now carried up to where she had seen the cloaked figure last. The basket was not the most impressive spread she'd produced, but she was working with limited time and had been wanting to avoid questions from her father. All he needed to know was that she was meeting a friend for tea and that was that. Was Caedus her friend? Well... No? He was friendly, but it had not been actively stated and the 14 year old knew enough to know that she was too young to really be friends with... Whatever Caedus was. She assumed some sort of human of some description - he did not seem to move quite like they did at times but still, he was old. Was he old? What was the life span of an alien... These questions and many more besides were rolling around in her head, so as she crested the hill as she had last time, she cleared her throat and called out again. "Sir Caedus, are you busy?" She had chosen Sir over Mr. quite arbitrarily if she was being honest. Still, Caedus was admittedly not from earth and therefore Sir fit best. She lifted the basket as she came closer. "I... uhm... brought some tea and some snacks since you seemed interested in a tea party so..." She felt her cheeks flush with color, hoping she hadn't misunderstood his desire.
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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 12:54 am
Caedus glanced up when he heard the voice; he had been sitting on the hill, back pressed against a rock as he gazed up into the sky. "No," he called; he did not stand up, but made sure she was aware of his presence and location. "I am not too busy for you." He even seemed quite pleased. "I do not know the traditions of a tea party, but I confess that tea and snacks thrill me. I have been incredibly hungry. I eat and eat and it does not go away. I am worried it will never. Come, sit with me. How have you been?"
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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 9:32 am
Sabine smiled and moved over to where she had heard Caedus, and once she saw him she nodded. "Of course sir," She listened to him speak and she giggled a little. "This one isn't quite traditional, generally you sit at a table and what not but the ground will do just fine." Moving she pulled a blanket out of the basket and placed it between the two of them, then set up the various cookie tins she's managed to bring, then pulled out a thermos and two small mugs for the tea. Filling one she placed it in front of Caedus before she poured another for herself and moved to the opposite side of the blanket. "Is our Earth food not the same as your food?" She asked, already kinda expecting an obvious answer to her obvious question but it should be asked. "Is that part of the problem you think?" To be fair he had been trapped for a very, very long time - that did things to people. "I've been... alright... a lot of things happened last night with the group I was meeting and it might have gotten a bit embarrassing..." Sabine said before she blinked and her eyes lit up when she remembered something. "OH! Last time we met you asked me about the moon... If anyone lived there right?" She waited for a moment before continuing. "Unfortunately no, there is nobody there - and we don't understand any of the language so we can't figure out what happened..."
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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 7:09 pm
Caedus nodded thoughtfully, trying to take in everything she said. He was taking this seriously—memorizing what she said. He reached for the mug carefully, and lifted it with both hands before he drew it towards his face. "Your earth food is very different. It has so much flavor. Though, I confess, I do not know if my memory serves correctly. I feel as though I have never tasted so much flavor in my life, but I must wonder if it has something to do with the duration of my captivity. Even now, I…I cannot recall what flavors I enjoyed. I remember the words, the names, but…even the smells have left my mind. So at the moment, I find Earth food to be my favorite." He sipped at the tea and almost seemed to shudder with how wonderful it was. When he set the mug down just a few seconds later, it was entirely empty. "I confess, I do not feel a great loss to hear that no one is alive on the moon. It means they cannot meddle. But they had such interesting technology." He was quiet for a moment. "…And crystals." But perhaps that was a thought for another time. "What happened with your group last night?"
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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 8:04 pm
Sabine wasted no time in filling up the mug again for Caedus, she wondered for a moment if she shouldn't have packed more! This was troubling... Well the Thermos was a decent size so it should hopefully hold out for a little while. Still... It was a shame that he couldn't remember his favorite flavors, but she was gladdened to hear that Earth food was his favorite right now. That was nice to hear. She motioned at the various cookie tins. "By all means - help yourself." She frowned a bit at his confession, but she supposed that he had his reasons. "Why did you not like the people on the Moon?" She asked gently. "From what they left behind they seemed pretty... nice?" She had to agree on the technology aspect but... "I didn't really see many crystals up there though, to be honest..." His final question though gave her pause as heat and color rushed to her face. "Uhm... well... I might have made a bit of a fool of myself..." She let out a long sigh. "You see, our group met up to discuss what we should do... Now, real talk, some people don't trust you. I'm sure that is a total surprise..." She smiled at him even as she spoke, trying to bring a bit of levity to the situation. "Long story short one of the senshi I really respect made a point - so I think everyone is on the same page now and they're going to help gather the energy you need." She said with a nod. Now the part that really made her embarassed. "Well... We were walking that senshi I really respect home and a cat showed up... He... touched her and she changed... Like... got stronger..." Mercy waved her free hand slowly as if at a lost for words. "Well... I kinda... Uhm..." She looked down at her lap now. "Got on one knee and basically told her I'd follow her wherever she went... You know... Because I really respect her and she was stronger than me... It just made sense at the time... In retrospect I was being really silly."
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 10:31 pm
Caedus could not help himself; he reached for a cookie; it disappeared into his mouth in a second, and four more followed. When he drew the mug up once more, it disappeared in less time than the first. "They were overprotective. To the point of selfishness, I would say, but my opinion of them is biased. Perhaps they were good people. But they shunned my people. I think they did not understand what we were doing. I think, perhaps, they thought we were dangerous." He was quiet, looking down into his empty mug once more. "We were capable of being dangerous," he confessed. "But that was never our intent. The only reason we were so strong is because we needed to be. We needed to be able to defend ourselves. There were others out there, in the universe, who would seek to take our knowledge. For a long time, our rulers understood how important it was to ensure the freedom of our people. We would not become slaves to another species because we could not defend ourselves." His voice was almost a growl, and he held the cup tighter. It took a moment for the anger to ebb, and when it did, he just sighed and shrugged. "But the Moon disagreed with our synthetic planet. They did not understand us. We had hoped to trade, or share technology. But they thought it was too risky. Which is disappointing. I held a deep respect for their society. I do not think the feeling was mutual. But." He sighed and shrugged again; it was an action he seemed to use frequently when he intended to change a subject. "I am grateful to you and your team. Truly, I did not expect there would be so many willing to help. To come to my aid. To defend me, even. And yet, here you are," he looked at her cookies and the tea. "…Accommodating me. Welcoming me. But you," he looked up at her, and his eyes seemed softer. "I do not think that is silly. I do not think anything about you is silly. I like you, quite a bit. You are sweet. And kind. And honorable, and respectable. She is very lucky to have so loyal a friend." There was a twinge of sadness, of longing. His eyes fell and he slumped a bit, as if something were weighing him down.
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 10:57 pm
Sabine might have, not so subtly, nudged the cookie tins closer to Caedus when she saw how fast he was consuming them. He really did seem to never have enough. This was a curious observation for her, one that she might have - given a different track of conversation - pursued. As it was, she was more enraptured by his talk of the Moon and their interactions with his people. Strange that they would not trust Caedus' people, surely if they were all at least half as kind as he was there could be no question as to their good intent. When she noticed his mug was empty again she lifted the thermos in a silent question. Did he want more? There were probably two more mugs worth left in it if she were to guess by weight, and she was still barely begun with her first, she doubted she'd make it to a second, so she had no qualms with letting him have the rest. "I think you had a right to defend yourselves," She said quietly. "All things have a right to defend themselves. Even the Negaverse. Much as I dislike them, much as I am willing to do what needs to be done to see the danger they pose removed. I can at least acknowledge that the people that make it up have a right to their lives and a right to defend them." She hoped she had not committed some sort of faux paus, so instead she let him shift the subject without much comment. If anything, it would lead the conversation more to the questions she had, had rolling around in her head. "We will do our best, I promise you that. Tonight I'm going to go and gather more energy myself. I have a plan that I think might work well, so here is hoping it gathers a bit of energy for your efforts." She said with a small smile. She was very hopeful that they would be able to do what Caedus needed and supply him with the energy. She'd of hate for all their effort to be in vain. At his praise however, she quickly felt a blush light up her cheeks and she bit her bottom lip, looking down into her lap a bit as she tried to think of something to reply with. "T-thank you... for your kind words..." What else could she say without invalidating them? Nothing. "I count myself very lucky to have her as a friend myself..." She said very gently, before looking up and seeing his slumped form. Worrying her lip with her teeth a bit more, she slowly leaned forward and reached out to comfort the cloaked figure, stopping just before touching him remembering that he didn't like physical contact from what she had seen at the meeting. Still, her hand hovered close to his shoulder as she spoke. "What's wrong, Sir Caedus? Do... Do you miss your friends? Your comrades that you lost? Your family? What makes you so sad?" Her face showed concern, pure and raw. She was earnestly fighting the urge to come around the blanket and give the figure a hug, but she knew she must refrain from touching him unless he gave permission. She did not want to invade his space. "Is there anything I can do? I offer my own friendship, but I know it is a small thing compared to those you have lost." Her cheeks flushed once again, knowing that she might be overstepping her bounds and thinking too highly of herself.
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Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 10:16 pm
Caedus faltered but couldn't really resist the cookies. He helped himself to a few more, but he fell quiet while he ate—and listened. He kept his eyes on her when she reached out—tensed—and then relaxed when she kept a bit of distance. Finally, he simply sighed and closed his eyes. It was more than just enjoying the cookies. "I miss everyone. Not a day has gone by that I did not long for the faces of those I hold dearest to me. I do not know who was lost. But I fear…that I have lost them all. I have no way to check. I know that my memory is foggy. I try to remember exactly the moment something went wrong, and I have a picture in my head, but…" His eyes opened, just barely. "But I remember the turmoil. The danger. I worry that when I go home, those dearest to me will have been lost. I worry that I will have no friends. That no one will remember me." His voice grew a bit raspier, as if he were trying to suppress emotions. "I worry that no one will want me." For a few seconds he was quiet, and shifted positions before he settled. "…But I suppose I am paranoid. I would accept your friendship. I appreciate it," he said, in an entirely different emotion—as if he were trying to force the concern and doubt from him. It wasn't entirely successful.
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Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2016 9:11 am
Sabine wondered if it was possible to experience second hand heartbreak. Second hand embarrassment she knew all too well. Heartbreak, however, was an entirely different story altogether. She listened to him quietly, and slowly moved her hand away from him to help him relax. "I would miss everyone too if I had been locked away in some scary place for that long," Sabine said, wishing she knew how to bring her new friend some comfort. "But you are a kind, earnest person and I doubt very much that no one will want you. I am sure that your family and friends are worried about you and eagerly awaiting your return!" He had lived for how long?! Surely he could not be the only one of his people with such an extended life span. "I understand how you feel, sometimes I think nobody wants me around either. Because, I'm a child." She said with no hint small hint of bitterness in her voice. "But, then you find people who accept you, regardless of who you are." She smiled at him then. "Now, here on earth we have a tradition called a hug, which requires two people to embrace each other. I... have noticed that you are not partial to physical contact, so I have held off. But I very much feel that you could use a hug, Sir Caedus." She said with a small nod. "But as your friend, I will respect if you need space." She added, before taking a long sip of her tea. "So why crystals? Why not some other medium for whatever magic or technology you do?"
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Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 12:57 am
He seemed to contemplate her offer for a moment, and then slowly nodded. "I am familiar with the mechanics of a hug. Ordinarily I would request you keep your distance, but I have warmed up to you. I would accept an offer from you. I would caution that I have old aches. I would ask you to be gentle, but you already seem to be a gentle soul. I trust you." He did not move to meet her in a hug, or initiate it, but it was likely because he did not seem driven to make the first move. "But do mind the crystals," he said, gesturing towards several lumps concealed beneath his robes. "…I find that they occasionally prod in close quarters. —And," he added, as if an afterthought to answer her question, "We use them specifically because of their natural ability to harness energy. Originally the ones I provided were part of a much larger piece, though I broke them up so they could be distributed. We have technology designed to manipulate the energy, but the crystal's makeup ensured it would provide the most efficient results."
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Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 9:41 am
Sabine had not been expecting the permission to hug, but was very glad to have gotten it. Placing the mug she held down onto its plate, she slowly moved over and got onto her knees next to Caedus. Generally, Sabien could hug with lots of force, a leftover of her mother's midwestern upbringing, but she also knew how to be gentle. The hug she gave Caedus was the kind of hug one gave the terminally ill. Gentle, but soothing all the same. She dared not apply too much pressure, instead treating him as she would treat one of her glass unicorn figures. When she pulled back from the hug she nodded her head. "I hope it is some small help to know that you are cared for even on Earth, Sir Caedus." She slowly rose again and took her seat across from him once more, watching him as he spoke about the crystals. "So your homeworld is full of crystals then? Do you make them? Find them? You said your world was synthetic, does that mean it's also made of crystal?"
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Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 10:54 pm
Caedus was stiff while she hugged him, but he relaxed after a few seconds and leaned into the embrace. "It is enough," he murmured. When she pulled away, he did not move; he stayed, as if frozen, perhaps afraid that if he did so he would forget the sensation of her hug, but finally he slumped a bit and relaxed further. "Some we found, and some we made. It is not all made of crystal, but we use many synthetic fibers. It is…a complicated procedure. It takes years to learn, and master. But we do rely strongly on the crystals. I hope, someday, perhaps I can show you. I hope my world is as I remember—or better. I just…" He paused for a moment. "…I have faith it is fine," he said, partially sounding like he was still trying to convince himself. "We are survivors. I do not know why I worry."
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Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2016 7:55 pm
She gave him a small smile. "I am sure that they are well. You survived for this long, in far worse conditions than they had. I am sure they made it." She said with a small nod. "They may have needed to find a new source of food or resources, but I'm sure there were plenty of other planets you could have reached out too in the meantime?" She was not aware of how galactic politics worked. Or that there was even politics in space to being with. Still, she could accept that there were aliens out there. One was sitting across from her right now. "But it is natural to worry about those you haven't seen for a long time. I would love to see your homeworld, Sir Caedus." She said with a larger smile. "I am sure it is very beautiful in its own way. Please, tell me more of your home? I am curious what life was like there?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2016 11:30 pm
"Life…Ah," he sighed, a wistful noise, even with the gravel in his voice. "It is beautiful. There are lights, everywhere. I like the way they light up the darkness. We have patches of grass, and trees, and farms to grow our sustenance. We do not maintain livestock, but we important. We have buildings that climb into the sky, and crystals everywhere. The sky changes colors, sometimes. Depending on where we are. Sometimes our sky is pink. I like watching the sun rise here on Earth. It is almost the same." He closed his eyes, as if he were imagining it. "We are all very careful. We work very hard to ensure that we are functioning members of society and are able to contribute to the well-being of our world. The survival of our race is very important. But we also appreciate the history of other worlds. We like to learn from their mistakes to ensure we learn before we make them."
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Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2016 11:36 pm
"You sound like a very kind and noble people," Sabine said, her elbows coming to rest on her knees and her chin coming to rest in her hands. She was completely enthralled with Caedus' description of his homeworld. Having just learned from Caedus the day prior that she herself had her own homeworld... well... It made her think that perhaps she should find out how to visit it someday. But right now there were other needs that needed to be met. Firstly, getting Caedus back home to his people and his planet. She chewed her lip for a moment and thought about her next question. "How did your world come to be, Sir Caedus?" She asked with a quiet smile. "You said it was artifical? Were your people from another world before that one? What happened that you came to live on an artificial planet? If, you don't mind me asking?"
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