|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2022 4:49 pm
She bet if they’d stayed with the others, they’d at least have a name to put to this weird world. The robotic creatures that had seemed so excited to see living beings- they would give out some kind of information, intentional or not. …But she and Fysarius had departed before they could hear anything substantial, leaving the two Vanguardians to wander aimlessly and alone among the ruins of this unidentifiable plane.
With little to go on in terms of what they should be looking out for, Ny thought it would be wisest to be wary of everything. She kept one hand tightly clasped around one of his- on the chance some sinkhole opened up in the ground and tried to swallow one of them, she’d be ready to rip him away from danger. The other rested on her blaster at her hip. It felt implied that no life would be found here, no creatures would charge at them, but they’d been warned that it was dangerous, and even if robots weren’t ‘life,’ they seemed sentient enough to be able to decide to cause problems.
Fysarius was her superior now, and he had the training to take care of himself, but Ny would always worry about how quickly he might act with that training… She was the survivalist here. She would protect them while they scoped out the unfamiliar terrain.
Just a part of her still wished they were with the group, and hadn’t left to go off on their own. Ny released a patient exhale and spared a glance toward the other, intensely willing for him to settle with the idea of being here and working out how to get back to Earth so that they could move forward and not just… Be meandering. This wasn’t how it would’ve been before the ambush, she couldn’t help but think. Before, he would’ve been- …Been excited at the prospect of the puzzle and working with their team and maybe even seeing a new place.
Just not anymore.
Ny focused back ahead. She didn’t want to get too far away from everyone else, just enough for a little space between the anxiety-inducing activities and her moody boy. And not for long. Just enough for him to acclimate and decide that they needed to work together and plan together and sort out what path they should take together. For now, it would be enough to look around and see if there was anything worth uncovering.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2023 12:19 pm
He was being selfish. He recognized this. He acknowledged it. But it still didn’t feel like he could do anything about it. Fysarius’ heart thrummed with that roiling energy, angry and impatient. He didn’t want to direct it at people he knew, people that he’d loved, but it was aimed at everyone just the same. A bubbling insistence that they didn’t care about their home or their people, lost in the wonders of Earth as they were. Even here, getting back to Earth was the priority. Not getting home. There could be something here; they could’ve been brought here for a reason…
His perception was skewed. He knew it was. It was difficult to make sense of anything, except what he wanted, there, in that moment. Fysarius wished he could wring the upset out and flick it away, like clearing haze from a screen. That should at least make it easier to comprehend what the others were thinking and doing. He just. Couldn’t.
The distance was better for now.
He squeezed Ny’s hand. “Sorry,” Fysarius whispered. For dragging her away, for making her cater to his ridiculous, upsetting emotions, for keeping her from providing the support she wanted to give to the rest of their allies. Ny would always follow him, no matter how absurd he was being. He felt disgusting for taking advantage of that, but also found so much relief and comfort in her proximity that he couldn’t possibly stop himself.
“We must be impossibly far away from Earth,” he muttered, golden gaze scraping over the display on his ComTech and noting the lack of availability for the Recall process. Too far for their devices to function optimally, no matter how carefully they’d been storing and rationing their energy uses. Then he glanced up, to a dark sky mottled in faded purples and blues and speckled in winking stars. “Perhaps even farther than we traveled to get from Velencya.” Fysarius didn’t map the stars as some of the other Vanguard did. He had only a basic knowledge of their placement from home and from Earth, but these stars did not look familiar no matter how he canted his head to try and twist his perception of them.
Then he glanced out to focus more fully on where they were going. It had been a civilization at one point, clearly, but was now lifeless. It didn’t look like it took much influence from Earth’s architecture or culture, and Earth none from it. Two separate and distinct entities, who’d likely never had contact.
“We’re so many light years from anywhere we’ve ever seen before, but there’s still no… no signs of life to be seen. As if Earth is really the only place that could harbor any existence. As if it is so special. And so unique.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2023 12:24 pm
She gauged their position, gauged where they were standing on packed earth and their distance from anything that could perceivably be a threat. A moment of still and quiet, and then Ny tried to ease into the surroundings. For this instant, they were probably fine. Better to focus on each other, to try and stabilize that first.
Ny’s fingers unclasped from his. Her hand drew up his arm, over his shoulder, lightly toyed with the loose strands dangling out of his deep green, messy bun, then curled around the back of his neck and yanked him toward her, smashing his face into the crook of her shoulder. She didn’t need his apology, didn’t even want it. Maybe she was lucky to find herself mostly unbothered by all the events that had transpired since they arrived on Earth. -Of course it would’ve been more ideal if other, better things had happened, but Ny didn’t find herself lost in an entanglement of emotions as some of the other Vanguard did.
She didn’t blame Fysarius for that. She wanted him to be happy. More than an apology, she just wanted him to work on getting back to where they’d been before this mission, mentally. It felt possible to her. She would do anything to help that she could.
Starting here, on this weird world.
She smiled as she released him, brushed her hand across his cheek and gave a nonchalant little roll of her shoulders at his assertion of Earth being ‘special and unique.’
She didn’t know about any of that. Or at least, maybe everywhere had its own special uniqueness, but growing, living things didn’t have to be the defining factor for that. The places they’d experienced were still so minimal in comparison to all that was out there. Infinite worlds, deeper and deeper out into space. Farther and farther away from home and Earth. She and Fysarius had been on Exactly Three Planes. Velencya. Earth. Wherever This Was. And of those three, all three had supported and sustained life at some point, for centuries. Or at least enough to allow some civilization to flourish, presumably, if the architecture around them was any indication.
Ny took up his hand again and lifted it, where their fingers were intertwined, and brought it up above their heads, toward the dark sky beyond.
They hadn’t seen much, comparatively, but there were many more things they could experience and explore and discover, if they gave it a chance. Many more worlds. They were lucky to have seen just what they had, more than some of their elder peers in the Vanguard, even. It should be a joyous event, not one to cause such twisted and unhappy feelings. She wanted him to know that, and see what she felt.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2023 12:31 pm
As the glide of her fingers ascended up and over his arm, Fysarius was more than prepared for what was about to happen next. She wrangled him into her hold, tugging him close against her and crushing his nose into her collarbone. “Ny! Don’t pull!” He groused out, offering minimal resistance despite the verbal complaint. She was a sturdy constant. Not always gentle, and not always peaceful, but always present and always supportive. In her own way.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, inhaled in a quiet huff and closed his eyes.
“I’m trying,” Fysarius answered her unspoken desire. It probably didn’t seem like it because it was difficult to claw out of the depths of that betrayal and mistrust and anger, but he was still here and he was trying to be like he was-like he used to be. For her. And himself. It wasn’t exactly enjoyable to feel such spite so consistently.
As she pulled back, he offered the best smile he could manage: a small, wavering thing that was far from the brightest he’d ever given her- and surely Ny had been the one to see him at his brightest.
He tipped his head back, following their entwined hands with his gaze as Ny lifted them toward the dark sky. Fysarius’ first observation was the strange sheen of a translucent dome that shielded the whole world, but he expected that was not Ny’s intent to point out. Not with that sirene but still pleased expression on her face. They had come a distance out here, hadn’t they? Someplace just their group had been. Probably none before, besides maybe Lyndin.
Exploration wasn’t a favorite hobby of his, but it was at least ‘special,’ and maybe he shouldn’t complain about it.
“Come on, then,” he grunted, lowering their hands and giving her a tug. “We’ll stay close to the group, but let’s look around.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2023 12:38 pm
She beamed at him again, feeling quite amenable to the suggestion. But if they were going to be on the move, it would be best if she were to keep alert, and maybe Fysarius could work on finding anything that may help them out of this situation- or something that would at least tell them why they were brought here. That man, she didn’t know his name, but he’d had some inkling of what was up. Maybe they could look for him. She recognized him very vaguely. He’d been at the ambush. But other than that… She didn’t really know him or what affiliation he had with this place. Even the ComTech didn’t recognize anything about his signature. Very strange.
Most things were here, she supposed.
With a little nod to the other Velencian to tell him to go ahead, Ny settled into step behind him, taking her blaster from her holster and holding it at the ready. Though they hadn’t wandered far from the ‘party,’ they were still a good enough distance such that none of the sounds carried. It seemed an awful lot like there were no sounds from anywhere, furthering the notion that this plane lacked sentient life besides what had been there to greet them (and furthering Ny’s suspicion that that would be the source of most any information they could glean).
But they could edge their way down shadowed alleyways, poke their heads through narrow openings into empty and unoccupied buildings, and stare at the blockaded entrances to what seemed like more notable structures. But something- that man? Those robots?- didn’t want them exploring everything, and neither Ny nor Fysarius had the means to do anything about it.
No matter where they strayed, nothing of interest or aid was particularly forthcoming, and Ny did want to stay close enough to the rest of the Vanguard who’d been teleported here too. …If they meandered too far, they’d just be the easiest targets.
She gave Fysarius’ back a nudge with her elbow and cocked her head back in the direction of the greater group.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2023 12:52 pm
Fysarius found some solace in the thought that if they were on a planned mission to any other unexplored planet, they wouldn’t really know what to find there, either, or what sort of resources they’d be looking for. So in essence, being here wasn’t so different from anything they’d trained for, besides just… being unexpected. Which did seem relevant, to be fair. But there was some small comfort in having Ny behind him, watching his back, feeling like it was the two of them versus everything else.
…If there was even anything here to fill that role, which was starting to feel less and less likely.
He didn’t know how long they piddled around through rubble, debris, the alleys of old buildings- thirty minutes? An hour? Longer? But nothing exceptional made itself known to either of them. Anything of relevance had probably been left behind with the larger group, with the sentient robots that were actually capable of communicating. The pair of them could continue to wander… But they’d probably wind up as the only two who couldn’t find a way back home, if one was to be found.
“You’ll probably want to head back,” Fysarius grumbled stiffly, glancing over his shoulder to Ny, and then out to what they’d left behind. “Doesn’t seem like there’s very much to find here, and the intel probably isn’t just laying on the ground somewhere.”
The thought of reinserting himself at the party was still uncomfortable.
But it did involve safety for both of them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2023 12:55 pm
Her nod was tiny and tight. Apologetic, even, if that meant anything. She hadn’t wanted to leave in the first place, so getting the pair of them back to the group was one of her top priorities. But Ny was at least mostly satisfied that this ‘dangerous’ world was not… immediately, at this moment trying to kill them. There didn’t seem to be much of anything capable in terms of life forms or volatile environmental conditions. Yet. So maybe she could make time for a few of her other priorities too.
One: making sure Fysarius was in a state to be around others. That one-off fluke of him attacking another member of the Vanguard had surely been just that- a fluke. But she wasn’t sure how worth the risk it was here. Now was not the moment to be tussling among themselves.
Two: …more personal and more selfish. Ny had wanted to see and map new places when she’d joined the Vanguard. She still hoped to get the chance to do so while not trapped on Earth, to see all the places the Commodore must have traveled to when he was harvesting resources for Velencya, but who knew when that opportunity would come again. But she was here, now on this weird world that none who’d traveled here knew anything about, so…
Ny held her ComTech up to Fysarius’ face in indication, her smile brightening a little as she gestured at the architecture beyond. Going so far as ‘mapping’ was probably not for the best at the moment- low priority, but they should at least get structural scans and images for some of these particularly interesting locations!
She didn’t know what she might do with them later, but at least she’d have them if she wanted them!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2023 12:57 pm
“Heh? Something else you want to do first?” Fysarius prompted, notching his head back just an inch as Ny shoved her ComTech under his nose. And here he’d expected she would be ecstatic to hear him say he was ready to try and be amenable to the group at large, not have another distraction proposed. And if he didn’t know her at all, he’d probably have no idea what she even wanted from this.
But he did know her, so his golden gaze shifted from Ny’s bright smile toward the dilapidated ruins beyond her. And then down to the holo screen of her ComTech, where the application for image recording was already displayed. “I mean, I’m not going to stop you,” he offered uncertainly. Though he still wasn’t sure he understood the point.
Nevertheless, Fysarius could offer some assistance with his own device in taking visual data for her to return to Earth with. If it made Ny happy, that was point enough.
For her purposes and what she enjoyed, being close to the ground was probably not ideal. Limited terrain differences would be visible like this, and much was obscured by the scattered and blocked off buildings. “So…” He lifted his head, up toward the tall, domed buildings in the center of this floating island. “We should gain some altitude, I suppose?” Ny was better for that than he was, with her more physical nature.
Oh, if he was like an ant or a spider, it would be easier…
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2023 1:00 pm
Altitude.
That sounded like an acceptable plan to her, and there were a few options for it close by that didn’t require them to stray terribly far. Pleased with his helpful suggestion, Ny beamed, cupped her hands to either side of his face and tugged him in to smooch his nose. That’s why they kept together, wasn’t it? So he could have ideas and she could keep them out of danger.
Now for the up.
Maybe they were luckier than she’d initially given them credit for, for the state of disrepair the world was in. Many of the buildings were designed quite smooth, with domed roofs, probably difficult to get a foothold on them in their prime. But time wore on and wore down much of the architecture. Rubbles and decaying spaces were left in some places of the buildings, leaving notches to grab and stabilize if she wanted to scale them.
And she did want to, for the images and definitely not for anything else. Not to feel pleased with herself at doing something difficult in front of a boy she liked, certainly.
Taking Fysarius by the arm, she guided them down through the streets and alleys, searching for her perfect point of entry. Somewhere she could successfully climb and also have a good view. Her head tipped forward and back, emerald gaze scanning the building sides from bottom to top until she’d settled on her selection and drew the pair of them to a halt. Still smiling, Ny gestured up the side of the building, pointing out handholds and footholds as a trail that made way up to a squared, darkened window where they could pause.
Yes, they. She wouldn’t let Fysarius not go with her.
Once satisfied that he understood, she began to make her way up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2023 1:03 pm
Usually, Fysarius would not feel particularly enthused by this development, and even now his expression twisted into a lip-curled grimace as Ny gestured for him to follow. It wasn’t that he thought he’d be unable to do as she did… It just seemed like a lot of effort for little return, and surely one of them making the climb would be enough? Couldn’t it still be kind of dangerous if one of them were to slip and fall…? Though maybe that was irrelevant, so long as they both had their source stones on them.
“Hhhhn- I’m not sure,” Fysarius argued noncommitally with her, despite Ny already making a jump to begin her ascension.
To make her happy, he could make sacrifices, as she was already doing the same for him. Showing her own variety of patience where it felt like he had absolutely none left to give, anymore. No patience, no forgiveness, no understanding. Another note of malcontent left his throat, but he followed her, starting first with a little jump to land against the wall, grappling for a handhold Ny had just evacuated.
Ny had physical ability on him in spades, and this was far from his ideal form of recreation even in the absence of much else to do, but Fysarius found that he could mostly keep up with her, with his modicum of heightened ability.
The building wasn’t the tallest here, and in terms of points of interest, it didn’t really seem to be that, either. It just happened to be a suitable vantage point they could scale, and as Ny settled into the sill of a window overhead, Fysarius made a calculated jump to join her, but still yipped in alarm as his fingers just grazed the sill next to her leg and didn’t quite manage to clasp a hold there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2023 1:05 pm
The windowsill was midway up the building: just a little darkened rectangle cut from the stone, leading into an equally darkened and mostly barren room with little to nothing of interest inside. Rather than slide inside, she sat perched on the edge, craning out to see more of the world beyond. Though everything was still so dim, there was hardly much to observe, even with her vantage point.
But Ny could see the gathering from where she sat. A small cluster of Velencians, White Moon, and Negaverse, mostly huddled in their little groups, interspersed with a few others with an affiliation she didn’t recognize. It pleased her an inordinate amount. If something were to happen, at least they’d see it and know to get ready to do whatever they could.
She gave a beckoning hand to Fysarius still climbing beneath her, encouraging him to join her quickly. And when he jumped, she snagged the back of his uniform without a second thought, hauling him up into the window to join her.
Phoo. Her exhale was quiet, and maybe a little relieved? Content?
They’d made it here, where they could see the others down beneath them. Sitting together, just as they always had. Them, and then everyone else. Ny dutifully set her ComTech to record what was below them for her mapping purposes: a few scraggly plants, mostly ruined buildings, statues and debris that blocked them from exploring or wandering to places they shouldn’t. She didn’t know what use it would be, but she was happy to have it, just the same, And once she was satisfied with that, she could settle back to just… observe.
Lay her head on Fysarius’ shoulder and keep her eyes on the rest of the group below. She hadn’t wanted distance from them, but Fysarius had. She’d wanted to be able to help if it looked like they needed it, now she could- sort of. A compromise for the both of them, that appeased both of them. And there was no reason to rush away from the view now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
