Tale of the Phantom

Chapter 38: Entry Log 121 - 00:20:11

"I'll be back before you know it," Skylar's voice is the first thing that comes in on the mic as the video clicks on. It flickers once as Sundance blinks and focuses the camera. For once they're in Skylar's much smaller living space. It's clean, or as clean as a typical hunter's room would be. The bed isn't made but the covers are pulled up to the pillows and her desk is cluttered but neat somehow. Maps are folded and rolled up on top of it while her prized guns lay across it.

The amber haired huntress herself is flitting about the room in her even gate, gathering up her armor and putting it on the bed. Cayde is already sitting on the bed, watching her closely, the tell tale signs of anxiety written upon his metallic face. "I don't understand why you can't tell me what you're doing," he grumbles as Skylar set her chest armor down, she's already in her under armor, the tight under armor mesh of leather and a stretchy material that helped stop projectiles. It certainly didn't leave much to the imagination on top, stopping near her ribs to not hinder the heavier outer armor. She just smirks at him and goes over to her guns on the desk, checking them over.

"Because Ikora told me not to," she said simply.

"Ouch, she more important than me?"

"No, but she is my boss," Skylar points out giving him a raised brow. "Honestly Cayde, The Hidden deal in secrets, you know that." She looked over the Ace of Hearts for a moment longer, ejecting the cartridge and reloading it before setting it back down next to her sniper rifle. "I'll tell you once I'm back. If you can manage to keep it to yourself that is," She teases, sauntering back over to him. The Exo huffs at her, but there's a tilt at the hinge of his jaw that betrays a small smile.

"You really think I'd go around talking about it?"

"Well you told everyone you could think of about Z finding the Last Word," she points out. He winces and then chuckles, knowing he's lost.

"Okay, true, but I wouldn't, not if you asked me."

"Good to know." She reaches out without hesitation and runs two knuckles, her fingers curled slightly, along his jaw. "I'll be careful," she assures him, perhaps knowing he's worried, been worried since the war with Oryx started. Ungloved hands grab at her hips and pull her slightly closer, in between his lazily flared legs till her knees bump into the bed.

"You better be," he grumbles, eyes shifting away from her gaze for a moment before coming back. Light blue and bright amber-orange. Odd, how their coloring match the type of Light their partner uses. Arc and Solar. Skylar hummed, bending down and planting a kiss against the face of his horn and the Exo shifted his hold, one hand skimming up her waist and fingers tracing over the vibrant dark purple scars there.

Skylar flinches at the touch, her free hand grabbing his and pulling it away. Cayde frowns as she pulls back and looked away. "Don't do that..." she whispers, stepping back and out of his grip. The camera focuses on the scars for a moment, at the half dozen jagged lines that cut at an angle down her torso. They stand out against her pale skin, a reminder that won't fade, not even when her Ghost revives her. Cayde eyes her quietly for a moment and the camera moves back to looking at the both at them.

"Do they still hurt?" he asks, thoughts on what Eris had said before about wounds of the Darkness never truly healing perhaps. Not damaging but like a ghostly pain that never leaves. She shakes her head and crossed her arms.

"It's not really pain, more like a feeling, like it doesn't feel right. Not like my skin should feel. Cold. Dead, but not. I don't like feeling it," she explains quietly, walking over to her armor to start strapping it on, starting with shin guards and knee pads. "It reminds me of my mistakes, of what could have happened." She could have died. It's a reminder of the darkest part of her life as a Guardian. Cayde seems to understand but not agree.

"I guess I can see your point. Seeing them myself reminds me of the day they brought you back..." he trails off for a moment, probably remembering what he had seen. Remembering her screams and the way Darkness poured from the wound. Remembering all those days spent in that room wondering if she'd ever wake up. After a few ticks on the clock he shakes his head, gesturing for her to come over again. After a moment, hesitating, she does. "But I think they stand for more than that." Slowly, he brushes his hand back down her side where some of the claw marks are.

"How so?"

"You see them as something negative, but I see them, and see something else." He brushes his fingers slowly over the first scar again and this time she doesn't try to remove his hand, instead she watches him silently, brows pulled together and down. "I see bravery," He went on, metallic fingers moving to the next scar and then the next with each word. "I see cunning and strength and sacrifice." His eyes flash up to her and he gives her a lopsided, one hinged smile. "But mostly I see victory because these scars mean you won and they didn't. It helps me remember that you're alive because the dead don't scar from wounds that killed them."

There's a long few ticks of the clock that are held in silence as he let the words sink in. There's always two sides to everything and while she'd seen nothing but darkness he'd shed light on it again.

"Cayde..." she says his name like an admission of realising that he's right, her eyes somehow wetter than normal as she reaches out with the same hand as before and touches the side of his face. He leans into the touch closing his bright eyes.

"You don't have anything to be ashamed of Skyla," he states, using his pet name for her, and nuzzles into her hand. She bites her lip as he suddenly ducks down and presses his mouth plates to one of the ragged lines. Her hand skims up his horn and down the back of it as a shiver runs up her spine. She takes in a deep breath, slowly letting it back out again as she speaks, her hand running over the top of his hood.

"You really are my wayward comet, always pointing me back on the right path." Her statement has his eyes back up again, and he tilts his head at her, curious, causing her to smile. Her hand moves down to trace the outline of one of his eye sockets. "The color and brightness of your eyes always reminded me of the glow a comet gives off as it shoots across the sky, as free and unstoppable as you are."

"Hm," he leans forward a bit, hovering closer to her now, and something about the light of his eyes softens at her words, gives them a range of emotion that Exo normally can't show. "I don't know about that, I'm pretty sure I know something that stops me in my tracks every time."

"Oh?" she asks playfully, a smile gracing her face and Cayde returns that, resting his forehead to hers finally.

"That right there. Your smile." His statement gets what he wants and she flushes before pulling away and playfully using her hand to push him backwards.

"Oh can it, you flirt," she grumbles, a smile gracing her face. The Exo just laughs, catching himself on his forearms. Skylar pushes a lock of stray hair behind her ear and sighs, grabbing her Tarantella chest plate. "I'll be back before you know it," she repeats, reminding him.

Cayde hums, the electronic sound soothing, and stands from the bed, moving over to help with the buckles on the side once it's over her head. "Just know I'll be here when you get back. Not like I can go anywhere else..." his complaint is half hearted, and Skylar just smirks at him, lowering her arms once she's suited up and grabbing her cloak. She dons it, clasping the black warm fabric around her neck before replying.

"Good. As Ikora says, it's always a good idea to have a reason to come back."

Because he had always been hers, even before he'd known it.