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 Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2016 6:05 am
Mont Blonc had been rather torn since the big meeting - on one hand, he was not so much distrustful as he was afraid. He'd been hurt one too many times lately, and just a little too badly. Even if what Caedus said was true and there was no hidden agenda for collecting energy, to go stampeding directly into the heart of the negaverse was -
- he did not know if he could do that. Or if he would be any much use at all. No, actually, he was sure he would not. It did not mean he would not try, but -
On the other hand, he wanted to help. He wanted to give the benefit of a doubt. He wanted to hope for the best. Maybe most of all, secretly, he hoped there could be an end to this war. That people like Ploutonion could return home without fear, and they could be as they should have been. No more trinkets and letters left by the fountain, no more empty frames in his closet where Ploutonion's other side should reside.
He took no energy from anyone else - but quietly, carefully, he had given his own, as much as he could do without fainting. And now here he was, too, a book in one hand and a dangling bag of marshmallows in one hand, a styrofoam cup in the other, steaming into the cold night.
It was a silly, inane little gesture, and he knew it'd not mean much. Others had probably come before and offered better, more meaningful things. But as afraid as he was, as much of Caedus as anything and everything else, because solitude simply was not safe for him anymore, he still approached, much like a deer liable to leap away at the first trace of danger.
"G... good evening?" and even his voice was soft as a breeze.
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Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2016 9:34 pm
Caedus almost didn't seem to hear him. There was no movement for a long moment, and then a shadow weaving between trees. He approached, slowly and with caution, to a more nearby location. He seemed to have grown at least someone accustomed to approaching people, or maybe now that he had slept he had a bit more confidence in himself. "You were so quiet," he mused, in his deep, gravely voice. "I thought you were a voice on the wind. Or my imagination." His head cocked to the side just slightly as he looked at the other male. Though it was still somewhat dark, Caedus' eyes still glowed golden beneath his hood. "I have no intention of harming you. You do not need to fear me, if you have only come to talk."
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Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2016 11:10 pm
His eyes unnerved him - but then, it didn't take very much to unnerve him lately. Mont Blonc drew a shuddering breath, trying to ration that honestly, it wasn't as though he didn't have yellow eyes himself. Gold wasn't so far from yellow. Just with slit instead of circles. No big deal.
"Sorry, " he supplied quietly with a light bow of his head, hunching lightly in the way he did more often now when he was anxious, trying to seem smaller than he was. "I did - I mean. Just to talk. I - "
Tentatively, he stepped closer, trying to steel himself. Caedus had said he wouldn't hurt him. The squire knew that, and still, he was so stupidly tense. "It's a cold night, so, " he offered the cup, extending his arm outwards, his fingers shaking lightly in spite of himself. "This is, uhm - I don't know if you'll care for it, but it's hot cocoa. We usually take it with marshmallows and - and - that's uhm, not the main reason I'm - "
He held up the book in his hand rather sheepishly. "I stopped at the store. It's one of these, uhm - I - I don't know if you read current English, but I thought I could perhaps read it to you if not, it's uhm - a history book, if you're so inclined to - to catch up - or anything like that, " and it felt so lame saying it out loud. "I thought perhaps I could, uhm - tell you a bit about our world, and you could - talk about yours too, if you wished it?"
Lonely. Was Caedus lonely? With so many years gone - Mont Blonc had been so lonely himself just a short year ago. Agonizingly so. To be truthful, that was the true reason he'd come at all. But the reasons he was giving to stay hardly felt like much worth this man's time at all.
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 1:18 pm
Caedus watched as the hand was offered—watched it shake. He had not wanted to come close to anyone during the meeting, and his hesitation was plain, but he drew out one hand—an unwavering hand—and took it. He eyed the book, and then looked back to Mont Blanc. "I would like that." You couldn't see the smile on his face, but you could almost hear it. "I like books. I am not as good at reading English as I wish to be, but I am improving. My eyes are not as good as they once were. I must look comical reading, so I do it while no one is looking. Earth is very interesting. So much seems to have happened since I was last hear. I would hear anything you could tell me about it. And I would gladly talk about mine." He held the cup closely, in both hands. "We can sit, if you like. You may ask me anything."
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 9:36 pm
The more he spoke, as intimidating as everything about Caedus was... the squire couldn't help but smile with a touch less nervousness. "Here, uhm, let me - " he dropped a few marshmallows into the drink, and this he did carefully, making sure not to draw back to quickly and send any errant drops of hot cocoa spilling out where it might scald his fingers. "I would have added these sooner, but they're - they melt away, and they're very good when they're melty, but then they're gone and... you really don't need to hear about all of that, " he trailed off sheepishly with a soft peal of laughter, running his fingers idly through his hair.
For all his nerves, his gaze was warm as he looked to Caedus then. "People who say things like that tend to be better than they think, " he observed softly, taking the book and toying with it between his hands. "I like books too. I've got a great many at home - most aren't history, but if you've got a love for literature, I'd be happy to, uhm, c-come back and read you a few things sometime?" It was probably a bit of an imposition, but -
Sitting. He nodded eagerly, and yes, sitting did sound good. "Hmm, " a good question to ask - perhaps a telling one might be, "How about - your favorite? I mean, uhm, that is to say - what is your favorite thing about your home, Caedus?" he asked carefully, trying to gauge his reaction lest he should need to withdraw the question.
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 11:09 pm
Caedus nodded and watched with interest as he watched the marshmallows drop into the liquid. "I like literature of all varieties," he answered first—the easy question. "If you would like to come back with something to read to me, I would not mind. I like listening to your voices." He looked down in the cup for a second and then drew it to his lips. The shadows concealed nearly everything beneath his hood; there was no telling what he looked like underneath—but one things was certain. He liked hot cocoa. He had drained the entire cup in a matter of seconds, and then nodded approvingly. "I like that. I wish we had that on my home." He sighed, still holding the cup between his hands. "My favorite thing is that…it is home," he said after a moment. "It is the place where I feel safest. Where I know I can trust everyone around me. Where we think alike, and have the same goals. Where I can go back to studying…back to trying to better our lives." He seemed tired, suddenly, and it looked as though his eyes had closed a bit. "…I miss it. I hope it is the same. I do not want to think they moved on without me. But that is selfish. I just hope they are doing well."
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 4:10 am
That made the squire smile brightly, more boldly than he had yet, and the radiance that lit in his eyes might have been a bit surprising given his timidness. But he always had been excitable, especially when it came to things and people he loved... it was just a constant struggle against his own nerves and anxiety, and both were especially bad right now. "Then I will, " he promised gently. "I will come back."
A surge of relieved delight rushed through him when he realized that Caedus had actually enjoyed what he'd bought for him, and it was a minor thing, really, but... there was never a time it didn't feel good to make someone else happy. "I can take the cup for you, I mean, if you'd like, " he offered in that gentle way, hand extended. This time, his fingers did not shake. "I can bring it again the next time." Perhaps a thermos would be a better idea in that case.
His gaze, warm to begin with, softened that much more at Caedus' words when he spoke of him - and as intimidated as he'd been to start with, he could not help but feel endeared by his plight. The way that he was speaking of safety with his companions, the way he wished them well... he could not help but think of his own team. His true safe haven in this whole grand scheme of the way.
"Something like that is only something a true friend could say, " Mont Blonc offered tentatively. He wasn't sure it offered much in the way of comfort. But he desperately wanted to try. "That being the case, then I am sure wherever they stand now, they've not forgotten you."
It had been such a long time. Caedus had said it himself. But Mont Blonc sincerely hoped his world had waited for him. "In the meanwhile, although I am sure we are no fitting replacement for such a loss... I can't even imagine, I - I hope that we can soothe that ache, Caedus."
He flashed him a tentative smile and looked down, allowing a moment to pass unattended before he questioned anything else. "You mentioned goals, and studying... were you a scholar then? A researcher?" Caedus had mentioned being ill-suited for fighting, had he not? Perhaps then they weren't so different after all, the two of them.
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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 12:46 am
"Oh," Caedus said after a second; he nodded and then handed the empty cup back. "I would like that very much, thank you. I am envious of the flavors your planet has. My food—or, what of it that I remember…pales in comparison to these flavors. But, then…I suppose now that I am out of that place everything seems so much more vibrant than I remember." He let out a little sigh, but it was hard to focus on the negatives when Mont Blanc seemed so reassuring. "I was everything," he said, suddenly. "I wanted to be the best that I could be, so I dabbled in everything that I could. Only rarely was I ever not doing something to improve. Though…now I have to wonder if it was worth it. All that time spent, honing skills, researching…being the best that I could be. And now…" He looked down at his open palms and sighed. "The universe has changed without me. Even just a thousand earth years is much to catch up. It might take me that long to catch up again. I used to have many jobs, all at once. It was expected of me. I did not mind. I feel weak, now. And useless. My strength has waned. My mind is slow. I fear I am defunct."
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Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2016 6:17 am
More vibrant... perhaps he'd have to remember to bring some snacks, too. Cookies, maybe? Cake? - fruit would be lovely, but with it being winter and all -
It wasn't the same situation. Mont Blonc knew that, and still - "I understand how that feels, " and he hadn't really meant to say it out loud. His cheeks flared violently red and he waved his hand dismissively in the air. "I-I mean, not the - not that I'm saying I - I don't have that much time, and I never had so much purpose, I - just understand a little, feeling... feeling like all you've done is for nothing. Feeling weak or useless or, or lonely." All of these were things he was a little too well-versed in.
"B-but - you should know, I mean, that you're not. You've given a great many of us hope, and... and I think it might be something that some of us have lost over - over time, you know?" He smiled in that tentative way. "S-so you're not useless... and you even... even being here says that you are not helpless, o-or weak. I do not know another person who could be standing where you are now. It's very admirable, really."
He sucked in a deep breath. "I-in any case, you are certainly not defunct. You are standing here now, able to tell me about a world none of us could've ever dreamed of, offering us the means to maybe end a war that we thought would go on forever. That is nothing to take lightly."
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Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 12:56 am
Caedus' eyes lingered on Mont Blanc for a moment, as if trying to read him. His gaze softened and he nodded. "You are kind. And put so much effort into reassuring me. Your words mean more to me than I think you know. Why do you sound uncertain, though?" He tilted his head slightly. "Am I so intimidating, or do you doubt yourself so much? …I would not let someone who delivers such reassuring words stand before me and then not have faith in himself." His voice had softened, and he did seem earnestly touched by the words. "You have a kind smile. It fills me with hope. Do you plan to fight?"
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