middleofsomewhere | Deep Dweller: Start

Entry tags:

Deep Dweller: Start

After the dreams some of the voidtreckers report on day Four of Grasshopper those that have been on the train for a little while will be expecting what comes the next day. Their SCA's glow with the colour of the void and a holographic image will appear.

Preparations and Arrival

As promised the dressing carriage is opened for optional extras. There are flight suits, similar to those they wore into space but without the helmets. There are instead hard hats and some basic climbing gear as well as bags to put supplies in. There are even a few red tents if any of those planning on tackling red's mission want to grab one, they hold six people in two inner compartments and are relatively easy to put up and take down.

They have a few hours of preparation before the announcement comes. Soon approaching system #789327772. Planet Terra. Drop order: Orange, Red, Blue, Purple. Orange to doors. Leaving the void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. A sharp jerk, a judder and the view from the window changes from the void to dark cloudy skies and very red sand.

They land smoothly, and indeed it seems they have landed on train tracks. A few moments later they pull up outside a huge metal and glass building.

Orange Team

Arrival

Jumping down from the train they will find themselves outside large metal gates. Noticable is the spotlights that shine even in the day time, reflecting oddly off the red sand. It is hot and dry outside, a slight breeze sending red dust rolling around their feet.

The gates aren't locked. There is no lock though they will notice devices that are probably security cameras. The doors are glass and inside is light and airy. They enter into a large lobby, a large circular desk in the centre and a glass walled waiting room to the side.

It is empty. No people at all. All the lights are on. Time to explore.

Exploration

Going up two floors and down five the lab is large and full of all manner of interesting things. Scientific equipment, monitoring stations measuring chemical levels in the air, temperature, water levels. Where to even start is a good question. The lights remain on, which might be annoying at night.

Red Team

Arrivals

Red team to doors. The train continues travelling along the train tracks, looking out the windows they will see endless rolling red sand. Factories rising up from the ground, dotted across the landscape. As the train gets close the air outside seems hazier, through the fumes. They may even see in the distance, strange silver floating orbs.

Eventually it pulls up at a station. Just a raised block really, but easy enough for red team to disembark.

The land stretches out around them. Train tracks criss cross the surface but apart from that there don't seem to be any boundaries. No fences, roads or sign posts.

It won't take them long to find the first orbs, strange silvery spheres and seem almost liquid, until they are not.

Night Time

It grows dark quickly after sunset here, which might take them by surprise. Taking them more by surprise however may be the scraping, scuttling noises in the dark. Skittering close. There is no light out here on the surface, they are far away from the research facility that Orange found themselves in.

If anyone manages to catch a glimpse they will see grey, long limmbed creatures. They shy away from light but anyone in the dark is likely to be attacked. They fight with claws and teeth.

When the sun rises they are gone.

Blue Team

Arrival

Blue team to doors. The train continues across the landscape, passing more orbs, just floating there silently. It stops at the entrance of a cave.

The cave slopes downwards into darkness and soon turns into small tunnels. They don't need to go far when they meet the first ground of Gry. A group of young Gry, practising with spears in an wider section of cave.

Despite being very surprised at the sudden visitors no weapons are pointed at the voidtreckers, instead they are met with curiosity. They are soon led further into the tunnels and soon come to the living areas.

The Gry lead simple lives but they are all pretty fascinated to see their visitors and will allow them to look around their home and answer any questions they have.

Night Time

Most of the Gry sleep in a large communal sleeping area and the Voidtreckers are welcome to join them, though the Gry won't be insulted if they choose to seek out a more private area.

If the Voidtreckers awake in fear in the night, after strange dreams they will find they are not alone. Many of the Gry have awoken too and will reassure the Voidtreckers, tell them it is an honour to communicate with The Burrower.

Purple

Arrival

Purple team to doors. The train continues on the tracks and soon enters a tunnel itself. It's a bit of a bumpy trip, this train was clearly not made for warren systems but after some uneasy twists and turns they pull to a stop.

They are at a train station, not that it's easy to see because it is pitch black. But it is clear there are people around, some looking very confused at the very odd train.

Once the last of those going on the mission leave the train it speeds off into the darkness.

The Terran's are large and tower over most of the voidtreckers but they are friendly enough, if a little confused, once it is explained that they are here to help. They will be led over towards the collapsed section of city.

There is a lot of activity. People digging at rubble, others using their sheer size and strength to hold up beams. There is an array of rescue equipment and a group of official-looking Terran's holding large devices that are comparable to a tablet-computer and discussing solutions.

There is plenty to do to help, smaller rubble to clear, injured people to tend to. Worried Terran's to calm and reassure. Those brave enough can volunteer to use their smaller size to help get supplies through to those trapped and those with any scientific know how, great strength or magic can put their skills to good use.

Rest Time

Throughout the day people are rescued and other parts of the tunnels stabilised. There is more work to be done but the Terran's seem to be working in shifts and they will encourage their surprise allies to rest as well. They will offer to host them.

They live in large groups and will happily invite the voidtreckers into their homes. They will be curious about the voidtreckers but will also answer questions. Telling them about the strange storm and the collapse of the tunnels. They are urged to sleep early and the next day it will be back to work.

(OOC: Information is here)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Honestly, it's almost kind of weird to think of Gladio as the backup! Sure, Madoka may have ways to fight for herself now, and she has Maru by her side, but she always sees Gladio as someone so strong and near-invincible that it feels slightly strange.

But nice at the same time. How could anything happen to her with that as a backup?

.. Though as she thinks about that, she realises she should probably show him something. Considering he wasn't near her on the last mission, and even if he had been, she wouldn't have been able to use it and show it off.. but she can do it now!

"I'll back you up when you need it too! Um.. I mean, you probably won't need it.. but if you ever do, I'll be here! Look!"

She holds out a hand, making her bow appear in it. She grabs it with her other hand too so she's holding it with both hands, letting out a giggle.

"See? I can do that too now!"

Gladio gave her a curious look at the sudden enthusiasm and then looked both shocked and impressed when the cute, pink haired teen held out her hand and brought a bow to life. It was a strange looking thing, black and blue and glowing with an odd light. It looked damn formidable if he was honest.

"Well damn. That's a sweet bow!" Gladio grinned. "Can't wait to see it in action. You a good shot?" He asked with a laugh. "Might drag you along with me to protect me if you are!"

Madoka lets out a slight giggle at the last part. A tad awkward, since she isn't too sure if she could protect Gladio.. but she'd like to, if she can! She's so fond of him with his constant sweetness, so of course Madoka would hate to see anything happen to him. So if she could provide that extra bit of help.. She gladly would.

"I've been practicing with mister Glorfindel," she says, moving the bow out of the way so she can properly look at Gladio. "And.. um, well, I'm not sure if I'm that good.."

.. except for the part where she's naturally talented because of knowledge and experience passed down through timelines, but sshh, Madoka loves underplaying her talents.

"But I'm doing my best. I really want to make sure I'll be decent enough at it to help out when the next mission happens. I want to do my part too!"

"I'm sure you're amazing." There wasn't a shred of doubt in Gladio's voice or expression. He fully believed that Madoka was far more talented than she let on, and he was really interested in seeing her in action.

"If we get some time, maybe I'll set up a target and you can show me your stuff?" Just in case this was a rare mission where nothing too strange happened.

"O.. Of course!" She nods, though a blush starts to form on her cheeks. Sure, Madoka easily gets flustered with anyone complimenting her, but it feels special when someone as capable as Gladio has so much faith in her ability to be able to do anything battle-related.

Then again, that just means she has to make sure to not let him down, right..?

"Although knowing how these things usually go, we'll probably end up being pretty busy.." Especially if the last mission was anything to go by. At least Gladio will actually be there this time if they do end up having to constantly fight like that again - Madoka knows how much of a help he'd be.

"Well, if you're right and it gets busy, we'll I'll just have to wait to see you in action." And Gladio was really interested in that. Because he saw no arrows. He wondered where those came from, but felt it was safe to assume she could just summon them the same way Madoka had summoned her bow.

"Whatever happens, I'll feel safer knowing you're there." Gladio smiled. It was also a very good thing that her weapon was long range. It meant she could keep back and do damage instead of getting up close and personal with any enemy they might encounter.

Maybe it shouldn't be a surprise to hear him say that. Gladio has been consistently supportive of her in pretty much everything, so this falls right in line with that. But it's not the fact that he is saying it as much as that anyone at all is saying it that surprises Madoka.

"I.. make you feel safer..?"

She does? Just a tiny girl with a bow, who hasn't even proven yet in front of him that she can handle it well? Even though he's such a big, strong guy? If it wasn't for the fact that Madoka knows he's serious, she would assume it's a joke.

"Well, yeah." Gladio looked surprised himself, as if he hadn't expected to be questioned on this. Though considering who he was talking to it did make sense. Madoka had a hard time believing in her own strength, her own worth, and that was something Gladio tried to work on little-by-little as best he could.

"Course you do, kiddo. I've told you before, I know how strong you are. And I bet you're even stronger than that!" He hadn't seen what she was fully capable of after all. But it was the quiet, innocent ones you had to watch out for, after all. "And I trust you. I feel better when I've people I trust watching my back."

At least it's a slight improvement that she doesn't try to deny what he's saying? She's not even really protesting it. Even though it's hard to process these kinds of things in any way that's actually meaningful towards boosting her nonexistent ego, it's already a small step for Madoka to try to take them in rather than make everything bounce off her.

.. Even though it makes her blush and duck her head a bit in shyness.

"Thank you.. No one has ever said that to me before." Not that people haven't said nice things to her! People have said so many nice things to her, more than she probably deserves.. But something feels extra nice about what Gladio is saying. "And I.. I would like to be someone who makes people feel safe. I'd be really glad if I could become a person like that for everyone."

Just like Gladio. Madoka imagines very much that he makes everyone feel safe! He sure does it for her, after all.

"With practice and training and age, you'll become those things." Gladio promised. "I didn't start my official training until I was 16. I used to train with my dad though. Used to practice every day I could until I was strong. If you have a goal... you keep on that path. You'll get stronger and stronger, just like I did." He grinned then and reached over to lightly poke one of her arms. "Just not as buff, yeah? You're cute as you are."

.. Madoka frowns a little. Like she has to think reaaally hard to imagine that..

"I think I would probably look really strange if I had your kind of muscles, mister Gladio.."

Gaze upon the wonders of Madoka's mind right now.

She quickly shakes her head though, trying to get rid of the mental imagine in favour of something better.

"You used to train with your dad though..? Is he just as strong as you are?" She may be imagining a whole buff Gladio family now.

Gladio had to look away for a moment, his own imagination painting him a picture that made him want to laugh. It was hard, but Madoka's next question caught him by surprise some and the laughter died before it had even passed his lips.

"... Yeah, he was really strong." Gladio replied with a nod. "He was a good Shield. He did our family proud..." He had stuck with the King till the very end, and he was so damn proud of him. Gladio just wished he'd had spent more time with him before the end.

Yeah, Madoka is just.. definitely noticing that use of past tense there with everything Gladio says. It's hard to not pull a certain conclusion from that, and it makes her expression drop a little bit. Gladio is older than her by quite a bit, sure, but not so old that he should already be at the age where he's losing parents, right..?

Should she say something about it? Or not? What would be the more insensitive thing to do here? Madoka is so conscious of other people's feelings and insecure about her own decisions that it's really, really hard to tell what would be better here.

".. He sounds amazing, mister Gladio," she ends up slowly trying. Maybe she can find a good middle-of-the-road solution to this? "You probably take after him a lot, since you're also really strong. And good at protecting people."

"I think I was a bit bigger than him, but... yeah. I like to think so." He smiled over at Madoka then. "Think you would've liked him. He was gruff... but he was a good dad. And good with kids." His had had always had a soft spot for Iris, would let her get away with murder. Gladio just wished he'd had a chance to spend more time with him before they'd left Insomnia. He'd known something would happen... His dad had told him as much. But to what extent, he'd had no idea.

"Always thought he was invincible though. Can't really complain. He lead a long life, a good life. He died in service to the King and... that's all us Amicitia's can ask for, really." It was their duty, after all. Shield to the King. Protect the King at all costs. The fact that both his dad and the King had been old men was a testament to how good his dad had been at his job.

"You're so strong. It's amazing.."

Mostly since he can just.. say those things. Saying that living a good life and dying in service to the king is all they can ask for.. Madoka doesn't think she could ever do that herself. It's hard to imagine it with her biological dad, considering he's about the leave combative type ever. But it's a little easier to imagine it with her dad in this place. Tony fights a lot too, after all. If he died fighting for a good cause, to protect everyone else on the train.. Would she be able to say the same thing?

Madoka doesn't think so. There's no way she'd be strong enough for that.

"I think that if I was in your shoes, I'd really miss him, mister Gladio. I wouldn't know what to do with myself.."

Gladio's smile was gentle, and a little bit sad, when Madoka spoke.

"I didn't say anything about not missing him, Princess." He replied. "I'll always wish I'd had more time with him, that I'd gotten to see him one last time. He'd... he'd warned me something was going down when I left. I just never expected..." Gladio gave a shake of his head and sighed. "Maybe if I'd known I'd have had a chance to tell him things I wish I could now. Or maybe I'd be an idiot son who would have brushed it off. I just don't know.

But I can rest happy knowing he died for the right reasons." He looked over at Madoka and his smile was a little wider now, a little stronger. "It's always a plus when you can go into a fight and come out the other side. It's always the aim. Going into a fight with the idea that 'this is a good day to die' is stupid. Never do it. But... if it happens. If someone dies to save another, protect the people they care about, I class that as noble." Unless it could be avoided. If it could be avoided, then it was dumb. But for people like him? His job was to take a bullet for the King. To be his Shield against any and all weapons. All of his scars were earned in that service. And he'd come though the end. Because he had no intention of dying just yet. He coudn't protect Noct as a corpse.

She makes sure to look at him as he speaks. It's an important conversation, after all, and Madoka always values Gladio's input when it comes to anything. It's not like Gladio is just strong, after all - he's smart too. And insightful, and compassionate.. It makes for a great combination for him to always be able to say these things so well.

"I still think that's amazing though.." She pauses, as if she's not too sure how to express it. Madoka has to think for a moment before carefully starting again. It's not like she's worried about angering Gladio - it doesn't feel like he'd ever be angry at her unless she did something really bad - but she just wants to make sure it comes across the right way. "Um.. Well, I.. never really had to think about anything like that back home. Not until recently, I mean-- There were never battles like that back home. I never even imagined that my papa or mama back home could die doing anything heroic. So.. I guess that's why it seems even more admirable to me that you can come to terms with what happened."

"I can understand that." Gladio wasn't angry in the slightest, in fact he was smiling. "It's the same back home. The normal people just doing their normal, every day thing, don't have to think about these things either. Don't have to worry about parents or siblings dying in a heroic way." There were a million different other ways for people to die, of course. His world wasn't always the nicest.

"... Can I tell you a secret?" Gladio asked, lowering his voice a little. He couldn't help shooting a look around, making sure nether of the others were close by enough to hear him.

"A secret..?"

The moment he lowers his voice, Madoka lowers her own similarly. At first she does it without thinking, but then does it on purpose when she realises this is probably something he really doesn't want someone else to know, especially with the way Gladio is looking around.

Madoka does her best to nod as solemly as possible.

"Of course, I'll make sure to keep it."

"... I sometimes wish I'd had that." Gladio told her, a small smile upon his lips, his voice low. "A normal life. A normal family. No fighting... I'd sometimes wonder what'd be like. Going to school, getting a normal job..." He knew it probably seemed so strange of a thing to want. And it was always fleeting because at the end of the day Gladio did love what he did. Being the Shield of the King was an honour. It was just that sometimes... wouldn't it be nice not to have those kinds of worries? To just... be normal?

She can see why he'd treat that as a secret. After all, Gladio is really good at doing what he's supposed to do.. Of course she's noticed that on missions. He's amazing when it comes to protecting other people. And his duty is important, and not something he could just give up. Or something he would give up on, knowing Gladio.

But longing for a normal life, even though he can't have it.. Or maybe exactly because he can't have it.. Madoka understands that too.

It feels bad to say she's sorry for him though. Nothing can be done about it, after all. So after staring at him with a hint of sadness in her eyes, she just asks--

"What kind of job do you think you would have liked to have if you didn't have your duty..?"

Gladio looked at Madoka in surprise for a second... and then his expression softened, his smile was grateful. Trust her to get it. Trust this fourteen year old girl to somehow understand, and indulge his little flight of fancy.

He looked away and down and gave a low little laugh. "What would I do? Anything... Whatever I damn well please. Maybe I'd work at a sporting goods store? Maybe I'd work in a library? Maybe I'd have an annoying office job somewhere... But I think I'd have liked to work outdoors. Doing something outside. I'd be happy with doing anything, Madoka. That's the thing. I'd make it work."

"Of course you would," she says. As if it's natural. Because he's Gladio, and he could make anything work. Madoka genuinely believes in that.. It's like he can pick himself back up no matter what happens. No matter what circumstances he gets stuck in. It's really admirable.

"But.." Her soft smile widens just a bit, just enough to have a teasing edge to it. An attempt to make things a bit lighter again, perhaps, so he doesn't have to think of sad things? "I don't think I could imagine you having an office job, mister Gladio. I don't think you'd fit into a cubicle."

You know, with his broad chest and shoulders. He might just get stuck between the walls!

"You can't imagine me in a suit and tie doing... filing and...uh... office things?" Gladio honestly had no idea what you did in an office. He supposed if he'd lived that life he would have, but off the top of his head he had no idea what people did.

"You don't think they'd give me a bigger cubicle? Or my own office?" He grinned. "No running the company by my mid-20's?" Meaning his age now, because he was in his mid-20's, not 40 like he sometimes felt.

Office things. You're already very convincing, Gladio. Already a total office worker. Madoka probably has more knowledge of this than him, considering her mother talks about her job at the office often enough!

But she smiles all the same - it's kind of cute how he tries to go along with it.

"You want to be the boss already, mister Gladio? It's probably harder than you think! Just imagine how many people would be working under you if you were the boss of a big company..!"

(no subject)

callmegladio - 2020-08-27 20:58 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

happyends - 2020-08-29 14:09 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only