+2 nerdchildren

[nerdeology]

Who: Sorey & Mikleo / OPEN
Broadcast: Fleet-wide
Action: Marsiva
When: Now!!

[ACTION]

[It's probably not normal for a lack of something to be the first thing one notices upon waking up, but Mikleo opens his eyes to the realization that there's a serious lack of... weight on his chest, one he'd become resigned to feeling ever since leaving Elysia. Malevolence was everywhere in the world, and only his contract with Sorey and Lailah had kept him from growing sick because of it, or worse.

Here, though, he feels not even an ounce of it. Which immediately brings to mind the question- where...?

Once he's up and on his feet and staring out the nearest window - witnessing the state of the sky, what in the world - it takes him a while to shake off the shock. He feels like his head's been invaded- thoughts, understanding forced into it, making his head hurt. This is space. He doesn't know why he knows this, but he does. Space, a fleet of ships traveling the universe like a fleet of whales in the ocean, prisoners for entertainment...

What does it even mean?

Sorey. I need to find him. Forcing himself away from the glass, he wanders the hallways, drawn to his Shepherd like a lost sheep. He has to be here. This feeling is unmistakable.]


[BROADCAST: VIDEO]

-ink this is how it works? Where’s the part I talk into? Try the top corner, it's flashing. Do you know why? -well because it’s communicating, isn’t it? Don't look at me. Oh! No no, it’s working now. ...yup. Okay! Geez…

Wow, this is so cool! Can everybody really hear me? -oh man, we can make recordings with this! You know, instead of having to lug around parchment all the time? We absolutely have to bring this back home.

Like people need more reasons to fear the Shepherd.

-ah, right! Introductions! I’m Sorey. I’m supposed to be an Engineer? I’m not totally clear on everything involved in that, so please be patient with me! Um, and since it sounds like we’re all in the same boat- I mean, this might’ve been asked before but does anybody know who we can talk to if we really, really need to get back? It’s kind of an emergency. This seems like a kidnapping but we’re not in a cell or anything, so it’s not as bad as it could’ve been, I suppose.

But definitely! Any clarification on how to get back would be really, really helpful.

You should probably stop talking like you're with someone, Sorey. People will think you're more weird than you already are.

Sorry, you’re right. It’s just really hard to pretend you’re not here when you look right at me like that...

[ACTION PART 2]

[Sorey and Mikleo can be found exploring the Marsiva. To those who can see Mikleo (have a look at his permission post please!), they'll both be there, talking animatedly. To those who can't, feel free to call Sorey out on, you know, talking animatedly to himself.]

Comments

[monolike]

[Mikleo, as usual, is completely right but that doesn't mean Sorey has to like it. He frowns and sticks his legs out in front of him, turning away.]

Back to the starting line, then. If that's so, it's even more important for us to stick together.

[nerdeology]

Exactly.

[Mikleo nudges Sorey's side pointedly with an elbow. Sticking together means not hiding in the Shepherd's head when things get dicey. So don't suggest that nonsense again.]

[monolike]

[Sorey glances at Mikleo at the nudge, then draws a leg up and rests his elbow atop it with a sigh.]

I'm not trying to leave you behind again, [he explains.] I swear. I just keep thinking about Edna's brother, and... [How they still haven't found a way to turn a dragon back into a seraph, even though he promised.]

[nerdeology]

I won't become a dragon.

[It's a valid fear, naturally, now that he knows it's possible. Leaving Elysia meant all kinds of things for the both of them- the potential for corruption, pain, death, things that were barely on the radar back home. Truth be told, this is the first time since entering Ladylake that he hasn't felt the crushing weight of malevolence all around them. If anything, that should be reassuring, but the way their connection has been altered as well... it's hard not to be anxious.

Still, it takes a great deal of malevolence to change a seraph into a dragon. That's the impression he'd gotten. For both of their sakes, he can endure whatever this place throws at him.]

I'd have to be a hellion first, wouldn't I? And if I did, you'd find a way to purify me, even without Lailah. So don't worry so much.

[He's determined to keep his tone of voice as nonchalant as possible, because it's true- he does believe wholeheartedly that if anything happened, Sorey would see him through it. So it's his duty to return the favour, as both sub lord and best friend.]

[monolike]

[Sorey tilts his head back to rest against the wall before lifting his fist.

He would, too. He'd find a way to save Mikleo if it was the last thing he ever did. They can't see their dream through together if one of them is gone.]

[nerdeology]

[Mikleo smiles faintly, not even hesitating to bump his arm against Sorey's, their signature gesture. It's reassuring, as usually it means they've come to an agreement about whatever debate they'd been working through.

It means they're okay.]

Shall we go?

[monolike]

[Sorey turns their bump into a hand grab and vaults up with a bounce, pulling Mikleo onto his feet.]

This is kind of nice, anyway. Like when we first left Elysia. I wonder what our journey would've been like if it was just you and me, the whole way? [Not that Sorey doesn't love everyone they meet, and not like he's not incredibly grateful to Lailah for becoming his Prime Lord, but he and Mikleo? It's always just been the two of them.

Maybe in a more peaceful world, it can be like that again. Maybe once they fix everything.]

[nerdeology]

I hate to admit it, but we wouldn't have gotten far without the others. Maybe if the world was different, though...

[Yeah, he'd certainly have liked that. This is familiar, and he's more comfortable with just Sorey.]

[monolike]

Maybe after we save it! I love traveling with Lailah and Rose and the others, and having Alisha with us was great too but you and me made a promise after all.

[They're going to travel the world and find ruins and document everything and discover everything together. Sorey wouldn't trade their friends for anything but that's been their dream longer than seraphim and humans living together in harmony. They just had to put it on hold is all.]

[nerdeology]

Mm.

[Well, it's not like he's forgotten. It's just been low on their priority list, since their mission became "defeat the Lord of Calamity" instead of just "purify the malevolence". Given a moment away from all of that, to think back and breathe, might be kind of... not terrible?]

We wouldn't have had to rush through any of the trials. Imagine all that we could have learned, there.

[monolike]

You're telling me. Especially the Lefay Shrine! Man, we could spend decades in there and never figure out everything. I still want to know why some of the eye mechanisms were broken while others worked just fine. Restoration? A deliberate dismantling by previous Shepards? [Sorey tucks his arms behind his head as they wander the halls together.] We didn't have time then, but after everything is over you and I should definitely go back. I mean, we probably wouldn't be able to publish what we find out since there might be future Shepards who have to take the trials, but just so that we'd know.

[nerdeology]

We never did manage to get past the trap in the western side... maybe by then my abilities will be strong enough that we can pull it off.

[It had been so hard to leave that place with an entire wing left unexplored, although necessity had demanded it. That would be a good place to start, though- he'd gotten a chance to feel pretty useful during that whole ordeal.]

Maybe we could be vague about it. Offer harmless hints or advice to the next generation. Surely that wouldn't be breaking any rules.

[monolike]

We could always ask Altul if it's allowed, since it'll be his job to guide the next Shepard that goes through there right? [While Sorey doesn't like to think of them not succeeding or of there being another Lord of Calamity, he won't fool himself into thinking that there will never be malevolence ever again. Maybe before he started this journey he'd have been that naive, but...not anymore. There will always need to be someone to purify malevolence before it swallows the land.]

Regardless of what we think he'll allow, we should do something. It's kind of sad, not knowing about the ones who came before you and only finding out bits and pieces. Maybe we can assemble everything we know about the previous Shepards too and include it.

[nerdeology]

I don't disagree with that. Especially considering how important that information has become for us.

[Learning history and finding out about the Lord of Calamity is a crucial part of their mission now- collecting the Earthen Historia, piecing it all together before they're able to face him again.]

Definitely worth asking the question, at the very least. Lailah's not allowed to speak about the past, but there's no oath holding us back.

[monolike]

And this way we don't have to pressure Lailah to talk about things she can't.

[Which had always been a little uncomfortable for everyone involved.] Maybe she'd be able to talk more about sublords and how the seraph pacts work. We hardly know anything about that too.

[nerdeology]

That's true... every time one of us entered into a pledge, it was when we didn't have much time to consider all the information first. It's not as if I regret it or anything, but there's a lot we didn't know ahead of time.

[monolike]

I think Edna and Zaveid might've already known. Edna at least did, she was already prepared and everything. And she and Lailah knew each other.

[nerdeology]

You're right. Edna even had a divine instrument already.

[Kind of makes him wonder where and when she might have gotten it. But the others are much, much older than he and Sorey, so who really knows.]

[monolike]

Which just leaves you and me as the clueless ones. Well, and Rose. [Hands on his hips, Sorey casts another glance around the room.] I still don't understand how it could be just you and me here...

[nerdeology]

I can't imagine that the answer to that question is going to be easy to find.

[He ponders over the information that's been forced into their heads somehow, trying to make more sense of it all. It feels like there's something they're missing.

Then, it clicks-]

Are you carrying anything? Something you didn't have before we came here?

[monolike]

[Sorey blinks at the question and starts going through the various pouches on his belt. He'd noticed right away that his sword was gone, but given that this was probably a kidnapping he'd expected it. Finding his friends had taken immediate precedence after that.]

My copy of the Record, a couple gels, but- [Sorey slips a small rectangular box-like thing from his pocket, surprised. He's about to ask what it is when his newly-adapted mind helpfully supplies the word.] ...a communicator.

[nerdeology]

[That's... freaky. Mikleo leans in to get a better look at it.]

Why do we even know what that is?

[Automatically, he recognizes it as a way to contact others from great distance. He knows the functions and how to work them. He's literally never seen one before in his life.]

[monolike]

I really don't know. [It doesn't bother Sorey as much as it bothers Mikleo, that much he can tell, but it's still unsettling.] ...should we try using it?

[nerdeology]

We may as well. If this is how we contact people in the area, Rose or one of the others could hear it, too.

[And even if not, it might get them some answers, at the very least.]

[monolike]

Right. We've got nothing to lose. [Hopefully one of the others will pick up, or at least hear his voice and know that he's here. They have to be here somewhere.]