The Caves (5) : To any explorers visiting the new Reservoir, they may find that just a bit away from the sandy water are a set of caves. Some of these connect back to the lake, but others rapidly plunge into darkness. It wouldn't be hard to get lost in here, but thankfully there are some very odd lights to help guide you out. If you turn off your light down some of these dark paths, you may find yourself surrounded by glowing pastel lights. A closer inspection reveals that you seem to be looking at some sort of glowing caterpillars. An internet search will reveal that Destiny City scientists have been researching the strange, unnamed creatures, but the articles are very limited. If you take them out of the cave they seem to shrivel up almost immediately. They’re neat, but clearly meant to stay in their natural habitat.
In rare moments like this, when he was at the house with the other cadets, when he was on an outing with his friends? Tenoch felt safe in his own skin. No need to drape himself in some swath of humanistic guise, no need to pretend to be like people on one side or another; though he had found a love of their softer-woven fabrics. The species ability to create with every molecule of what existed on a sphere that was mostly water fascinated him. Just like playing in the rain. Or eating snow….
He liked water, he’d realized. Enjoyed Earth's very specific sorts of sunrises right before or after the rain, the smell of a storm coming up on the horizon.
It was that interest which drew him to invite Eso along, it maybe wasn’t what Earth novels would’ve deemed ‘romantic’, but Tenoch thought it could prove to be fun.
An unexplored space, a bevy of rumors that invited mystery, unexplored networks of caves near water? What could go wrong!
“It’ll be fun Eso, you’ll see.” and his tone was soft, his smile sly, even as he reached back to hoist Eso up over the craggy lip that made up the entryway; his omnitool faintly glowing a low lavender from his wrist, just enough to light the way without being blinding and ruining the natural beauty of a cave at night.
Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2022 5:06 am
Maybe it was a good thing, going to some caves.
Since their decision had been made, he'd settled into his new life, but was quite forlorn. A deep regret had settled in his chest like an uncomfortable bubble that threatened to pop. He nearly spilled his real feelings multiple times to Tenoch about things. He wouldn't, though.
He didn't even have the energy to put on his human disguise. So going to caves was perfect for them to just ....be.
As he was helped up the lip, Eso grunted with his efforts and just flopped onto the solid ground with a groan. "I didn't think we'd be climbing," Eso hissed unhappily. "I thought the paths would be clearly marked already. Humans like doing things easily." He finally got to his feet again and dusted himself off, looking around this cave. It was a natural cave, wasn't it? He knew man-made caves, roads, and tunnels like that, but was this one natural?
This was only the beginning too. Who knows, maybe it was easier from now on. Lilac eyes were glancing around though, ignoring the glow of the omintool, his brain trained to know what that was almost immediately.
"I think it's a newer find? It's why I wanted to bring you first, just to see." a suffused chuckle, he didn't mention how it had as much to do with humans seeming to spoil everything beauty simply by touching, trodding, trampling all over it. Left his miserly manners about their ability to magically trash most things lovely caged up in his own mind. Eso didn't need to hear it, he just --- they just needed to have a good time.
One good time, doing non-human things, because he liked the shops. The sweet treats, and scent of old yellowing pages turning quietly in a room full of pillows. He liked the rain. He wanted to like the people too, to love them the way he'd begun to love the undying world they were blessed to inhabit.
To not miss the stars. Just for five whole minutes.
He hoped, taking careful steps over unstable crags, nearly tripping on a -- stalactite--mite--?! Tall rock -- that he could find some brief bit of rekindling, and a hearty distraction to steer his mind off those sorts of longing thoughts.
"Besides, we could use a little adventure, maybe we'll discover something even the others can enjoy.....I'm still trying to make, ah, viable hobbies?" a shrug in the dark, a flash of a thin smile before he turned in a whip of dark braid and took careful strides deeper, "Plus, we can talk here, can't we? Away from the others....." he loved them, had learned what that meant beyond comradery and brotherhood. There was the Vanguard, His Vanguard, and then there was Eso, those nebulous feelings that had Tenoch sighing; only to pause in speaking when he realized, with quiet awe the quality of echo throughout the space as a whole.
The way the ground shifted with new textures beneath his every step, the slow, steady, trickle-drip of water rushing under rock; coming off the ceiling where it ebbed and flowed well beyond his sightline. Even if it'd been broad day, he was sure he wouldn'tve been able to make the hidden pathways beneath how many feet of sediment and rugged walls.
Bronze Coffee
Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2022 4:27 am
Eso walked behind his purple friend, looking around at the cave walls, and what he could see of the floors. The tall rocks were pretty. He ran his fingers across them and was surprised to find his fingers damp. Interesting. He would have to investigate the reason why. More than likely these formations were caused by this water, but he didn't know without a doubt.
When Tenoch mentioned being able to talk away from the others, his whole body seemed to freeze for a second. He lost his footing, tripped over himself, and caught himself before he went face-first to the cave floor. Once he had picked himself up off the ground, Eso would just hurry after the other again and shook his head.
"There seems to be a lot we could say, but no a lot at the same time," Eso hedged, his voice sounding hesitant as he wiped his hands on his pants, effectively getting them wet and dirty at the same time. That'd be fun to clean later.
Light purple hair fell into his eyes as he focused more on his feet. There was a lot he could say. It all stemmed back to the choice he made in the heat of the moment.
There was quite a bit of truth to that, Tenoch nodded, accepting. He wanted his friends honesty, more than anything else, every time. Wanted to catch up — for all that he felt adrift on the planet, he didn’t want to feel as though he’d grown apart from all the others as well.
Maybe it was best to just leave all the words behind? Ignore the growing bit of dread and enjoy the time he’d been given, instead of prying…
“There’s been a lot going on, everyone seems busy,” hitched concern that was quickly overcome with a soft smile, he nearly snickered, even, when he got a look at the coating of cave that was slowly growing on Eso’s gear. Tenoch made it a point to slow his stride, brought up his gear and scrawled over it until there was far more light emanating from the source stone. It stole some of the mystery, but that was maybe worth it for the sake of seeing where they were going!
“Except me…though I’m trying….what about you? How have you been Eso, really?”
Bronze Coffee
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2022 4:59 am
How has he really been?
Eso looked up at the cave ceiling and then looked at his friend before shrugging. It was a loaded question. Of course, he could lie and say he was fine. He could probably do it in a way Tenoch wouldn't suspect anything at all. Something about lying to him didn't settle right with the pink Velencian. All of this took a moment, but it felt like time stretched on and on as he tried to figure out how to respond.
"I have a lot weighing on my mind," he replied, words measured. "Questions... Regrets." One big regret and many, many unanswered questions. "I guess, for a summary, I'm well, but a little cluttered in my mind. I have been sorting through it in my head. Perhaps I should be talking to others about it, but my troubles..." Eso could end up with a few enemies within their own family, wouldn't he?
At one point in time, Eso thought himself as loyal as them. He was younger then. He hadn't set off on this mission. He hadn't fought. Hadn't gotten to start learning the world.
Pause for pause, listening to gentle ripple of their steps echoing off the encroaching walls as the ceilings loomed; shrinking and growing as they found their way deeper in. Tenoch held his breath for an answer, though his eyes were busy elsewhere, his ears were glued on that voice - the soft calm he received in turn - as if each syllable Eso uttered was carefully plucked so as not to damage.
It was an answer. An honest answer. Tenochs lilac eyes swept, from the pressing darkness at the edges of his light to, what he'd decided, was his favorite shade of pink. The way the lines of Eso's mouth creased as he spoke.
"I want to blame this place for that, the sense of clutter, everything back at home seemed so cleanly defined, like there was nothing to question then.." he answered with a huff, sounding half frustrated, half lost. What did he do, after all, knowing his world existed on a rapidly approaching deadline? Knowing his team was now scattered in - what felt to him - like ten-thousand different directions.
Every bit of joy he could muster up for their individual growth paled in comparison to the guilt for -- what, failing the mission? Not being able to grow on his own in the same ways they seemed to? Not loving Earth the same way he did their home?
"I'm thinking, maybe we both should be, with the others. I know I miss everything being simpler, sometimes. Hah, I want, maybe, to have boba and sunrises without the looming existential dread?" an aim at dry humor, like scratching twigs, yet he smiled beckoning Eso deeper still. "I want to go back to -- to before the regrets. To knowing what I should do, but maybe that's not growth?" and he could shrug, unconsciously crossing his arms in the motion.
"If you could change something.." words left open to the air, if an answer came? If silence was the only answer? Tenoch wouldn't press for more than what Eso could give.
Bronze Coffee
Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2022 4:41 am
"I would go back to the choice... and make the other one. The one my gut went with first. I would try to take you with me."
He looked at Tenoch, footsteps stopping, and just opened his hands in a motion that tried to convey how helpless it all seemed. "I know it is pointless to think back on the choices and have regrets. It is done. I can not pick differently. I've done what I thought I needed to. I wanted to stay with you. With everyone. I didn't realize..." They would be split. Yes, only a small portion didn't make the choice they did, but he still felt it.
Eso wasn't even looking directly at the other. He was looking through him, past him at the same time.
"I realize our world is gone. It will... in all reality likely never be what it was in the days we knew it. If we ever get it back, I am questioning if it would be worth it. Why can everyone not just live alongside humans here? They are quite different from us, I realize this. This world is not so bad. It is not home, but it could be a new home...."
Everyone wanted to go in the past, to live the most comfortable life on their home planet and pretend this never happened, it would seem.
"We should have helped the senshi. What happened, I fully believe, was our chain of command was at ends with one another, two different motives happened. We were the consequences of selfish actions."
If he said this to anyone else, he may get in trouble. "I have not talked to either since the split. So these are my thoughts and observations based on what I went through and observed myself."
Eso seemed to come back to himself, his eyes were less glazed now. "We keep comparing here to home. This is not home. We, as Velencians, need to realize we can't get back there right now. The way they went about trying to return home was wrong." A shrug and Eso sighed ran a hand through his purple hair, mussing it up, causing it to stick up every which way.
And hadn’t Nessa made that choice originally as well? Hadn’t she chosen to turn and — and Tenoch wasn’t entirely sure if it made a difference now, if picking a side was really, truly, picking a side. They were vanguard. What did he care for the moon or the underdark as long as they had their home to return to!?
Tenoch felt his breath catch and held it, listened to Esos words and the gentle echo within the confines of the caverns glistening dark walls; let it all out in a rush of a sigh as he reached for his friend — because he owed Eso this, didn’t he? Something.
Wanted his eyes and his camaraderie and to say something that had meaning. An apology, a hug, none of it would ever be enough. Couldn’t convey his gratitude for that past sacrifice…especially now that he knew it’s cost.
“I know — for what it’s worth? I don’t think there was any real choice. Right or wrong. I don’t, tsk, I don’t want to believe our world is lost,” and that he didn’t mean the ancient place of Lyndin and Caedus' childhood went unsaid, it was an unknown, it wasn’t his home.
Their synthetic world was, and now maybe also Earth?
“But I don’t think you’re wrong either, this world is — Earth, it’s so big — it’s resources support so much. If Caedus can’t be had and Velenia is sucking Lyndin dry then why not just come here instead?” let slip his own frustrations in a clenched hiss as he nodded along, found parts of disagreement, but they were small and mute by comparison.
They should’ve been talking to the others, Tenoch knew I’m his heart that those who’d stayed with Lyndin wouldn’t’ve minded, that their was no treason to be had so long as they all kept each other’s peace and hopes alive. They’d come as one, a choice didn’t change that for him.
“Maybe we should find the others and ask them things? We always did better as a unit, that doesn’t have to have changed. Selfish decisions don't have to separate us unless we allow them to,” and the rabbit quick clench if panic he felt in his chest, was that love? Or desire? Was that fear of being without his innermost friends, “still, Eso? I’m sorry. If this was at all my fault..” his hands left lax at his sides before he toed a step closer, two --- a sigh loosed as the darkness encroached and hid him, however briefly, from facing his own choices.
