Take my Breath Away

Anden

The Sun and the Moon
In an endless game of hide and seek

He just needed some kind of control. One thing so that he could keep the thread of reality from unravelling. He was going to be staying with this man. Strange as that was. Who was he? Anden hadn't the faintest of ideas. Yet somehow this was all happening. His family was known for being kind to strangers back home, but never to this extreme. Was it wrong for Anden to worry he was walking into a trap?

IF. BUT. WHEN. Everything seemed conditional with him. Anden didn't have much room to argue though. Wherever this place was, he knew little about it, and clearly this man knew something. Whatever that something was though felt like it was just out of Anden's reach, like the man was holding it just above his head.

"What else am I supposed to do if I'm not looking for her? What do I need to be aware of? I just..." Anden gave a heavy sigh. "I just need answers. And all of my answers are out there." He pointed away from the pair.

The Sun and the Moon
In an endless game of hide and seek

and yes i've been changing. for me, not for you

A sigh and Oliver had to stop himself from doing something rude. Remember, this dude is overwhelmed... so obviously, he's going to ask some stupid questions.

Trying to stay calm, Oliver continued on with explaining and answering all of the questions. "Okay.... first off: there are tons of things to do. I mean, did you spend all of your old life doing one thing? No. So.... here you can get a job, travel around at night, learn to do things... there's always things to do and help and I can assure you: you have tons to do." Okay... maybe he was a tad rude, but whatever. He answered the question.

"We have monsters... monsters that can kill you. If you go out into the sun you will fucking explode, okay? Fire and you don't mix and you will fucking die." And there it was. Oliver didn't sound angry but it was obvious that he wasn't going to be sugarcoating things any longer.

"Going out and finding your friend is not your only answer. It is absolutely not. You and your friend know nothing about this world and I cannot live with the knowledge that you died because I could've stopped you. Do you understand where I'm coming from?"

smile for the camera, it's just a shot in the dark

Anden

The Sun and the Moon
In an endless game of hide and seek

and you will fucking die

Up until that point Anden hadn't considered the reality of the situation. He understood that Caido was a world different than his own. He knew he had undergone changes, and that he would need to adapt. Suddenly the world around him seemed more dangerous. The distant animal sounds weren't those that inhabited the Evergreen Forest. The shadows weren't quite as calming as he once found. They didn't provide the same comfort.

If only for a moment Anden felt the freezing embrace of fear. For the first time since he arrived Eloise Marie wasn't his first priority. Whoever this man was, he seemed intent on keeping Anden alive. Eloise's laugh echoed around him, and his fear was gone.

"Thank you." Whoever he was. Anden understood one fact. If he was going to live. If he was going to find his twin. If he was going to make a new life for himself in this world. That it all would start with him. "I understand." Anden declared. The chaos that clouded his mind seemed to have faded, in its place one thought.

You must survive.

He and Eloise Marie would find eachother, and they would both be alive when they did so. "What's next then." Always a man of few words.

The Sun and the Moon
In an endless game of hide and seek

and yes i've been changing. for me, not for you

Thank the GODS.

This dude was finally listening and Oliver clearly looked relieved. His shoulders relaxed and he lets out a very obvious sigh. "Okay... good." The good did sound sharp, but not angry. Oliver was clearly a tad frustrated, but this was absolutely progress and progress was good.

The next question was a solid one, one that should've been asked LIKE FIVE MINUTES AGO. "What's next? You need to learn about everything... understand the basics. Understand the gods, how different races work, and also you need to get a lay of the land. Figure out how to navigate the Grounds before you go anywhere else, yeah?" Because how the fuck was he supposed to stay safe if he couldn't even figure out the town he arrived in. He may be able to get back to the portal now, but in a panic? He'd be fucked.

"I'd also want you to understand what each area has... that way you wont be surprised when you arrive." Yeah... seeing as Halo was kind of eternally daylight? He'd be so fucked.

smile for the camera, it's just a shot in the dark

Anden

The Sun and the Moon
In an endless game of hide and seek

It was the subtle movements that let Anden know they were finally seeing eye-to-eye. Things seemed less tense. The air was softer, and everything seemed to calm down.

Gods... Races... The land, the Grounds? All words Anden had heard, and even used before but never in this context. Was Caido really so complex? And now he wasn't even human. He was something new altogether. Was this a gods doing? Was he made like this on purpose? Did someone choose to torment him willingly?

"I'm ascended." Anden said softly. "You told me that I'm ascended. Is that one of the races here? How many of us are there? Were we all made like this... Against our will?"

Too many questions, he thought to himself. He just had too many questions. How was he supposed to understand a world that wasn't his own. How was he expected to live a life in someone else's fantasy?

Small steps. Like an evergreen tree. He would need to start as a sapling. Spread his roots than rise. But was this... Anden looked at the area around him, really the best place for him? Anden looked at Oliver, and then at the sky above the pair. "Maybe we should head back to... Well wherever it is that you're from. if it's true that I'll burn up in the Sun, I don't want to waste much more time."

---

Fin

The Sun and the Moon
In an endless game of hide and seek