BLINDED BY THEIR MADNESS THEY DROWNED IN THE ETERNAL LIGHT

SEND MY MUSE SOME BAD PICK-UP LINES!

@datarevived said :  "Hey gurl are you lightnin'? Cuz you can thundercrash my evening any day" Bex tryin' to tap the titan booti

Blinking in mild annoyance, she slowly takes a few steps backward. Putting enough distance between herself and the Exo so he’d hopefully get the hint and also to make sure that her fist didn’t collide with his face on impulse. 

"Bex, please. Do we really have to go through this again?”

Reaching into her bag she pulls out a little box with a scrawled number on the bottom - possibly filled with chocolate that someone else had gifted her mere hours ago, and drops it in his hand before turning around to leave for good.

“They looked cute. How about you try flirting with them instead.”

Thinking on it, the Hunter couldn’t help the deflated shoulders that had come with fidgeting the ending strands of one of her sleeves. The side gesture of whether she was talking too much, or perhaps just the weight of the conversation – remnants of the shotgun blast to the chest still all too clear for her own comfort. How effortless it was for the other Guardian behind the mask - was it really all in practice? Or did some truly see it as some sort of sport?

Truly, she had been grateful for Zhanna’s protection during the remainder of the session. 

The second twins’ voice turning into play, cyan-gaze lifted from strand to raven face to offer her undivided attention in whatever was to come. Aleksa’s voice only spoken in half before the bench shifted against Zhanna’s weight to silence her sister. A startling shock written over Selene’s own, wide-eyed and mouth sealed shut as she watched the siblings bark at one anothers’ throat.

How easy it is to get betrayed by our own people.

It wasn’t that far-fetched of an ideal… was it?

The good and the bad, never quite the perfect world. It wasn’t unrealistic to believe that there were others out there who used their Light for… not so great things. The era of Warlords beyond her comprehension for now, such sources already existed in history to prove otherwise that Aleksa was, by factual means, honest.

A bit unnerving to say the least, Selene’s own weight shifting against the bench some as she pulled her attention elsewhere for now. Not wanting to interrupt their.. ah.. dispute. One hand gripping upon opposing wrist as she twisted it softly, fingers digging at the gloved cloth and spacing out against the sound of birds. Though the sound of forced impact was enough to shudder spine before Zhanna’s figure motioned back into her peripheral; only half picking up on the advice.

Avoid the Crucible.

She’d do that, for now.

     “ Mm… Y-Yeah, “ she nods, eye contact remaining hesitant as she glances shortly towards the Titan across, then back to Warlock, back to side-glance of the sky. “ I’ll.. try again when I’m a bit more prepared. B-Better guns and.. better shape, “ she chuckles weakly, giving herself a tap along her skull. 

Maybe it’ll be safer with a team of her own.

     “ S-Speaking of which, “ it reminds her of the other Titan. Another individual who had rolled in around the same time as Saladin and the rest. “ Did you two come back by yourselves? Or did you come along with the Wolves? It’s been pretty active here in the tower since Lord Sal..ladin? Got here? “

______________

“We had just left for the orbit when a close friend of mine sent a message that Lord Saladin would be at the tower. And it felt like the right thing to do. Seeing as I’ve never been here before. Crazy, right,” she chuckled, aware of the surprised face the Awoken was giving her; “I’m not even sure how many years it’s been since my awakening, and yet this is my first time visiting the last city of humankind.”

Smiling to herself, she let her eyes wander over the people in the distance. Some going through their daily chores while others stopped to chat and gossip about the most mundane things. It was a welcome change in pace. Almost lazy and in a way she’d never thought she’d maybe crave one day.

“It feels a little bit like coming home..”

It had only taken her a day in the city to decide that she would def come back. Or maybe not leave at all. Years of fighting for different things, different people, and their ideals. This for once felt like her own choice.

“And not to mention Lord Shaxx’s reaction was worth it all the way.”

At that even her twin sister laughed, recalling his speechless face and stiff posture. She knew it was mainly because of Aleksa who he had trained for a little while. His brightest and most promising student. But she too had missed him and the others.

Like a deer in the headlights, the Hunter let out a squeak as the Warlock reached out and pulled her to her side. The conflicting colors of how gentle the woman looked and soft features written upon her face, definitely not to be mistaken for someone who didn’t know their strength. 

The oddity of passive aggressive compassion - yes, this is what she’ll call it for now. Unable to read either of the twins and their stories from looks, it was by the minute did she feel herself being pulled closer and closer in her habit. The gluttonous need of knowledge and whereabouts – who were they, and what were their stories. 

     “ I – Oh - Okay, “ another attempt at word, like children blocks, all dropped on the floor in coincidental order. It’s with another breath does Selene recollect her bearings, mentally picking up the blocks and trying anew to construct something remotely sane. To be patient with her inner voice, and careful with her tongue as she tries again to be less… incompetent. 

    “ I had mistaken your sister for… well, “ she speaks, clasping her hands together in her lap as she fidgets both index fingers against one another. “ – I wanted to thank you, for the other day. Out in the Crucible.. I hadn’t meant to cause you your score. I just, I had made a deal with a friend - that I’d give it a go – and I - “

You’re blabbing off again.

   Breathe.

     “ …I didn’t… think it’d be so scary. Compared to being out in the field… where you know who the enemy is. Fighting against other Guardians just seemed.. alien to me. “

______________

“I can only imagine.”

It wasn’t like it used to be in the old days. Back when everyone no matter if 'Guardian' or not became a foe in the blink of an eye over pointless things or land that didn’t belong to anyone. She was glad that times had changed. That now all Guardians stood for an idea. For something bigger. The protection of humanity.

But did that mean that things had become easier?

“We are all Guardians fighting for the same thing. But can you really trust every single one of them? Crucible not only offers you an option to train some more but also.... reminds us of how easy it is to get betrayed by your own pe-” 

Zhanna gasped as her sister started to join in on the conversation, swiftly getting up from her spot to interrupt her from going into more details than necessary by forcefully closing her mouth. 

“Really? What is it with you having to tell everyone about your bloody tendencies and useless outdated drama!!? Just don’t,” she warned, pointed look focused on the almost pouting expression in front of her. “Don’t give me that face.”

“You are not my mum,” the Titan whined once more. Words muffled through her sister's hand and impulsively licked over the offered palm. Which resulted in a shriek and a new bruise to her present collection of how-many-times-can-I-get-away-with-my-bs. 

The answer to that was zero.

“Sit your ass down! I don’t wanna hear a single thing from you!”

“But I need to breathe and technically you ca-”

“Don’t finish that sentence.”

“...”

“I swear to the Nine. Don’t test my patience.”

With an exaggerated huff, the Titan twin sat down some feet away and crossed her arms, still pouting. Her behavior in stark contrast with what everyone else saw and feared during Crucible or in the open field. But she'd be lying if she said that this wasn't also part of her sister's charm. Many Guardians felt at ease around her during conversations despite their scary experience during a match.

Turning back around, Zhanna smiled apologetically at the Hunter. 

“You know, I’m pretty sure previous me would’ve never approved of this.”

“How do you know? If we didn’t look like identical twins, do you think you would’ve known that we are sisters?”

Silence.

“That’s what I thought. Well, if anything. I have to admit that I kinda enjoy this.”

As if to prove her point, the girl cut through another piece of foul-smelling meat. Sinews snapping and little pieces of bloodied tissue flying everywhere. It didn’t seem to bother her one bit.

“I can see that.”, the other girl whined. Her mind occupied with their recent life-changing experience, their so-called Ghosts, and how they still had more questions than answers and no time to just think it all through. No, the first thing into their new life had to start in some sort of last generation prison with no clear way out. More ruins than anything and definitely not empty if the muted screams were any indication.

“They said we have to fight our way out of this hell hole and since we got no weapons on us -”, she pulled on another piece, bones snapping and turned around to show her sister what looked like the remains of an arm and some sort of dull blade attached to it. “This has to do.”

“They are called Fallen. Having this many arms sure is useful.”

“Right? I wouldn’t mind having two more arms.”

Scowling the second girl reached out to pick up the knife the other one had used to cut through the corpse. If she wanted to use that arm she was more than welcome to do so.

“Fallen? The screams… are those Fallen too?”, she wondered out loud, scanning the area they were in. Her “Ghost” had gone invisible shortly after introducing itself while the other one, supposedly connected to her sister, hovered right next to her, unbothered by the whole situation and she wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

“Highly possible. But we aren’t trying to stay long enough to find out, I hope.”

There it was again – the notion of sister, sibling.

Her head taking a moment too long to register the thought - it was such an odd way to say mirror. As if seeing double in a fit of hyper awareness.

The Awoken takes a second glance over her shoulder, the other still standing against the daylight. Confirming that there had been, indeed, two. Queuing in the second wave of embarrassment with a dry swallow down her throat and shook expression turned back to the Warlock. 

This one had been her savior.

    “ I… I-I’m, ” an attempt is sputtered into single syllables, her eyes dropping from contact and towards her held hand. “ S-Selene… ”

As if releasing a spell, the Warlock’s hands leave as she speaks, a sudden chill residing where warmth had been apparent. A temporary feel of empty, as if wishing it to return. Certainly not, the Hunter was not going to sit here and beg for the others’ hand again! Pull it together!

Selene’s eyes raising back up to follow the acts of the other woman, procuring a seat near by as Zhanna wove their names. It’s hesitant, but the thought of fleeing the scene was… less enticing. She wanted to learn more about them. She wanted to learn more about the city.

    “ I’m not… keeping you from anything else right now, am I? ” she asks sheepishly, taking few steps towards the bench. “ The last thing I’d want to do is take up your time. ”

______________

Hands waving in a dismissing manner, the warlock reached out once more to take the girl’s hand and pull her to the spot next to her. If the only thing that kept the Awoken hesitating was the fear to burden someone else with her own presence Zhanna would make sure to tell her otherwise. 

“I’ve lived long enough to give up on rushing any more of my days. And you are a welcome break to my routine.”

She wasn’t lying with that. Originally it had only been the mutual wish to see some old faces from a past half-forgotten, using Saladin’s Iron Banner as an excuse to venture into the remains of human society. Surprising Shaxx and his gaggle of new guardians. Trying the ramen Cayde had been going on about for ages. It was strange to be ‘back’. To be surrounded by this many faces. Strange but also familiar. 

It was home after all.

So yes, all of this made a nice change to their previous routine of missions lead by Efrideet and her people. Even to the point where the twins had been thinking about splitting off to do their own thing. Maybe join the Last City in its efforts to rebuild and progress towards a greater future. A future filled with light for young Guardians like Selene.

Zhanna: Good idea.

[ Aleksa leaves. ]