Welcome to Gaia! ::

Vyn didn’t know about having a more familiar relationship (even in Vyn’s head the Commodore was still the Commodore; he never seemed to lose that god-like quality entirely, even in those moments when Vyn was reminded that he, too, was just a man), but he did like to think it was alright if they wanted to be a little less formal from time to time. During quiet nights, at least, without anyone else around—when the most pressing matter they had to attend to was getting enough rest to continue functioning optimally enough to save their people.

No pressure.

Of course, tonight was far from quiet. Though Vyn understood the desire to celebrate such an occasion, he, like Aliez, wished it could be done without the explosions. Fireworks were pretty, but the noise was stressful and overstimulating.

Perhaps earplugs may have helped. Vyn had considered it, but he couldn’t turn down an excuse to visit the Commodore.

“Stop worrying,” Vyn said. “You’re both fine. We’re not here in an official capacity. Relax.”

Vyn wore an oversized cardigan over a cropped shirt, and leggings for ease of movement; even out of uniform, he often preferred more fitted attire (though he was rather fond of big, cozy sweaters when the weather was cold). He brought tea with him, and a bag of snacks. He moved nimbly on socked feet, immediately heading toward the kitchen so he could set his offerings down and heat up some water.

“Then, you would be welcome to make yourself comfortable as long as you didn’t disturb my projects,” Lyndin answered behind them. He was very aware that he hadn’t been directly spoken to, but he’d heard them speaking all the same. He’d come around the corner and smiled politely, though there was an obvious question in his expression.

One brow raised, only slightly, but he offered no criticism.

They hadn’t come with work supplies, and they weren’t dressed for business. It was only the three of them, so he assumed there was nothing pressing threatening the Vanguardians.

He wasn’t dressed as comfortably as they were, but neither was he in his uniform, either. He wore a pair of nicely pressed pants and a plain white undershirt. He was fresh out of the shower, probably to wake himself up judging by the state of him, and now he’d come down for something to eat.

Tea sounded nice, but plans might have shifted now that he had company.

“It’s good to see the three of you. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Vyn almost felt guilty for not sending a message ahead. It felt a bit like taking advantage of the Commodore’s kindness to drop by unannounced for such frivolous things. But if they’d sent a message, the Commodore would have had time to prepare himself for their arrival. Vyn had promised Aliez and Andreiya that catching him unawares was their best opportunity to see the Commodore as Vyn had seen him—comfortable in loungewear, and almost attainable for it.

He was therefore a bit disappointed that the Commodore was not dressed for bed. Vyn cast a brief, apologetic look toward both Aliez and Andreiya for the setback, then allowed himself a moment to admire the Commodore anyway. The pressed slacks did wonderful things for his legs, and the plain shirt was casual and relaxed in its own right. Vyn couldn’t decide where to rest his gaze.

Stop it, he told himself. Don’t be indecent. He is still the Commodore.

“I brought tea,” he announced, already digging through one of the cabinets for enough mugs, “and some local confections to try. As a thank you. It was a welcome opportunity, being able to speak to my mothers. They were quite pleased.”

From the smile on his face, it would be nearly impossible to deduce that Vyn could have been found curled up in bed sobbing after, somehow even more homesick and distressed than he’d been before the video call. In the presence of the Commodore, with the prospect of a night in his company looming before them, it was easier to look back on the opportunity with relief and gratitude.

Lyndin offered a kind smile to the three of them, but there was something apologetic in his gaze. “I am sorry that it took so long. I am hopeful that there will be more opportunities in the future. Have you seen my mess of projects in the other room? I’ve got too many things going on at once.”

He sighed lightly but shrugged; he was used to a full workload and very little free time.

“I am sorry to hear about the festivities. I noticed the skies were particularly active. I’ve been keeping to myself after sundown because of it, you’re more than welcome here. I suppose I should be glad that the humans can enjoy such things but it just leaves a ringing in my ears and makes my heart ache. I’ll bring my mattress down, I’ve got extra pillows and blankets. We’ll sleep in the living room tonight. You have good timing, though. I haven’t eaten yet but I’ve got something in the oven. A fusion of Earth and Velenian cuisine, but only because I had to substitute ingredients. It’s not bad, but I won’t be offended if it’s not to your tastes.”

The timer on the oven ticked to fourteen minutes left, and the smell of sweet, roasted vegetables had slowly begun to permeate the kitchen.

“We can have tea and sweets afterwards, and you can tell me how you’ve all been doing?” Aside from reports; he’d gotten those often enough from the three of them to know what they were working on.

Vyn left the mugs on the counter, set beside each other in a neat line to await tea later. He did not let his smile falter at the thought of the Commodore bringing his mattress downstairs. (Alright, maybe his mouth twitched a little, but he recovered quickly!) Vyn tried to look on the brightside. Sure, he might not have the chance to sleep in the Commodore’s bed again (he still flushed faintly when he thought of it), but the living room would probably offer them all more space (and it wasn’t as if he hadn’t fallen asleep next to the Commodore down here once, too, though perhaps the utter exhaustion after the hilltop wasn’t the same thing).

“We’d be delighted, Sir, thank you,” Vyn said, though he was eyeing Aliez, trying to communicate with him silently. Relax. Stop fretting. It’s fine. Don’t give up your chance to spend time with the Commodore.

Of course, Vyn wasn’t all confidence. Without anything to occupy himself with while they waited the fourteen minutes for the food to be done, he began to fiddle with his fingers, resisting the urge to stand at attention. They were here on a social call. They should be social, not fall into formal habits.

If there was one thing the humans of Destiny City were good at, it was being casual with one another. Occasionally, Vyn thought it might be good for the Vanguard to engage in some of those practices.

“I—... Well…” It occurred to him that he had nothing of note to discuss. His only projects were assisting others with theirs, and training to ensure the next time they were caught in the middle of the war here, willingly or not, they wouldn’t be caught unawares. The few contacts he’d made hadn’t panned out yet, but he did his best to keep those lines of communication open. “I wish I had more to offer, but I’m sorry to say not much has changed. Although, in some ways, I suppose that could be ideal. In others…”

Vyn glanced around as his smile faltered, searching for a focal point that wasn’t the Commodore. He was dying. Velencya was dying. Nothing was going to change that, save finding a solution.

He glanced between Andreiya and Aliez, hoping one of them had more to add. They had projects, and goals of their own, tasks they could busy themselves with. Vyn still felt quite lost in comparison.

Lyndin observed both Aliez and Vyn with something that seemed like respectful curiosity. “It’s no trouble,” he assured, perhaps wondering if Aliez was keeping something to himself or if he was just shaken from the fireworks earlier.

“I’ll bring that down later. The living room will be nicer if we have a place to sit and eat. It’s all right if you don’t have much going on right now. I know you’re all working hard. As long as you’re not having any trouble or difficulties, I’ll be happy for whatever you’re getting up to.”

He knew they were hard workers–the three of them were all Commanders, and he had never doubted the quality of their work or their dedication to the Vanguard.

Andreiya had asked an interesting question, at least; if he had noticed any tension or shyness from the group, he seemed relieved to have something he could talk about to ease them a bit. It helped that it was a topic he was greatly passionate about.

“The summers here are rather unpleasant, I’ve become spoiled by Velencya’s climate control. Velenia was never like this, either,” he assured. “Not when it was healthy, at least. It would get warm, but there was always a pleasantness in the air. Clouds in the sky, or a breeze to keep you cool. It rained often, during our hotter season, but it kept things bearable. And there were many trees, so there was always shade if you needed a break from it.”

He didn’t think it was important to tell them of how chaotic and unbearable things got towards the end of Velenia’s fall, but a planet suffering from endless attacks and pillaging was, no doubt, not what they wanted to hear about.

Lyndin was glad to tell them of the better things, though. He wanted them to know of Velenia.

He wanted to give them a picture of everything it was, and everything it could be again.

Relief eased some of Vyn’s nervous tension. Andreiya asked just the right question. Vyn was delighted by the chance to hear more about Velenia. Of course they knew on some level what it must have been like; they could read about and research their lost world, after all, but consuming text and hearing about it from someone who’d lived there were very different.

The Commodore painted such a wonderful picture. Vyn longed to see Velenia restored. He sighed and leaned against the counter, supporting himself on his elbows. Warmth and clouds and a pleasant wind, and rain. Vyn loved the rain on Earth — how it streaked down windows and pattered against the roof; the drip, drip, drop from everything even after the storm was over, and the smell it left behind.

Aliez had more questions. Vyn was content to listen. Getting to know the Commodore on a more personal level still left Vyn feeling a bit uncertain. He wanted to know so much but rarely knew what to ask. What if he went too far and started to pry? What if he revealed too much and embarrassed himself? The Commodore never brought up the confessions Vyn knew Aliez had made, but Vyn was still conscious of them. Even when he feigned comfort and confidence and seemed at ease here, there was always an undercurrent of anxiety.

“What was it like growing up there?” Vyn asked, adding to Aliez’s stream of questions.