Caleb accidentally calling our parents "mom/dad" hits different after seeing how crazy he is. It wasn't just a cute slip of the tongue. We're married with 2 kids, a dog, and a white picket fence in his head.
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Caleb trailed sluggishly after the both of them, a heavy sense of foreboding weighing upon his mind. He found himself stumbling with each step he took. The instability of his form was persisting and exacerbating with each passing moment. His vision was continually being hit with a searing brilliance that reduced the world to nothing but an overwhelming void of sheer white light. His form flickered increasingly more unsteady with each passing moment, head feeling as though it was being split in two and mind was phasing in and out of the present.
The brilliance consumed him—white-hot and all-encompassing—before giving way to the sterile hum of machinery and the metallic sting of a disembodied voice.
“Neural control test number 18 deemed unsuccessful-”
Caleb was certain that he was just following behind her and Sylus in one moment, but it was as if his mind tore out of that very world itself and was forcibly thrown into another- coming in and out of consciousness and perceptions of differing realities.
Bursts of electricity fried each and every nerve of his body with intense shocks. Phantom pain from an arm that was no longer there amplifying the agony he felt tenfold as his body viscerally shook with tremors. Floating as if gravity did not exist, yet anchored firmly in place, the vague sensations of perspiration and the head-splitting aches of voices and sounds echoing all around him only made him delirious and confused.
“Subject unresponsive to linkage attempt. Adjusting electromyography patterns and bandpass frequency parameters to 27.5 MHz-”
His vision was blurry, a vague sense of awareness and familiarity of what was transpiring around him lingered right beneath the surface of his subconsciousness before a burst of shock tore through him with agonizing pain.
And in a blink of an eye: he abruptly found himself back.
Despite being a specter, Caleb was gasping for his breath desperately- a supposedly nonexistent heart racing wildly in his chest. The dimly lit room before him was coming into slow focus. Across from him, seated nonchalantly on the black leather sofa and nursing a glass of red wine was none other than the owner of the building that Caleb was back in.
“So you’re back,” Sylus mused. “And here I thought you had finally woken up.”
Caleb gritted his teeth, drawing a sharp breath. His eyes narrowed and his breath steadied as the slow reimmersion of his mind took hold. “Don’t talk about things you have no knowledge about,” he stated coldly, his own voice sounding almost foreign to him.
Taking in his surroundings, Caleb found that he was sitting on the couch across from Sylus. His violet eyes locking with Sylus’s own crimson ones as the two faced off. The man was seated with his arms crossed and a casual smirk on his face. The man’s laid back demeanor had an underlying taunt of mockery to it. Caleb gritted his teeth and glared at Sylus while he swirled the wine in his glass around.
“Fine. Keep dreaming,” the man stated in a low voice that alluded to more than what he was letting on at the moment. “But your time is near.” Sylus gestured towards the door behind Caleb. “She’s waiting for you.”
The man’s voice was distorted: the words doublespeak. It was as though the sentence was overlaid with how Caleb imagined the man before him to sound and his own voice narrating over it.
In an instant the man was gone, and Caleb was left in the room alone. His violet eyes honed in on the doorway that Sylus had pointed at: where she was waiting for him.
His body was stiff as he forced himself to stand and move towards it, a million thoughts and emotions hurling through his mind. After everything that’s happened, how can he face her again?
What would she think when he comes back to her?
A bloom of pain burst out from the depths of his skull, excruciating like his brain was being fried from the inside out.
“Ngh- No-” he shook his head, the harrowing aches in his mind getting forcibly pushed down as he blinked rapidly to remind himself of where he was.
He is in the N109 zone.
Caleb after that explosion, he was following his pipsqueak around as a ghost.
She can sense him…
She knows he’s there.
He gripped at his head, gnawing at the inside of his cheek to remind himself of everything.
When she finds out that he was following her around as a ghost this entire time, is she going to be upset?
Caleb let out a soft sigh, a somber grin on his face as he shook his head. He let out a rueful smile, staring at the door. He hovered his hand before it, eyes widening as he didn’t phase through it, but instead blocked by the very physical and tangible object in front of him.
Was this an effect caused by the instability of his form?
He didn’t have the time to ponder this. She was waiting for him.
Drawing a sharp breath, Caleb placed a firm hand on the handle and pushed it open.
He wasn’t ready to see her, and a part of him knew that there wouldn’t ever be a time that he would be.
Her back was turned to him, mid-stride as she seemed to have been pacing back and forth in the room she was staying in.
Caleb walked up to her, footsteps sounding out and echoing like he had a real and tangible form, rather than being the specter that he was for the past few months.
Reaching out his hand towards her, like he always did. He placed it gently on her hair and watched in mild shock as it no longer phased through her, but rested atop her soft locks.
She turned around in surprise. Her eyes were wide, expression in disbelief, as she stared right up at him- short and deserving of her nickname just as he remembered.
Even her voice, pitched in astonishment, squeaked out from her lips just like how he remembered.
“Caleb?”
It was like the first time he flew all over again. His world was hurtling upside down, gravity exerting itself heavily upon his chest as he accelerated through space.
He couldn’t breathe. His heart was unable to beat from the sheer amount of g-force pressing down on him.
Her eyes, no longer unfocused, locked on his—just like they used to.
She can see him.
Caleb forced a smile, his fear and insecurities crackling beneath the surface. Leaning down, he gently patted her head.
“What? You don’t recognize me?” he teased. But there was something off as he spoke, his voice echoed and distorted strangely as if he was speaking into a deep well that was reverberating and overlaying his words on top of itself.
He drew a sharp, shaky breath before blinking and focusing back on her.
“...It’s me-” I’m back. “I’m here-” But before he could make his defense on why he was following her around as a ghost this entire time, he felt her entire weight thrown against him.
“CALEB!”
She had thrown herself into his arms, head buried in his chest. Caleb heard her voice crack with tears as she sobbed into him, her arms wrapped around his waist and fully able to touch and feel him as though he wasn’t a specter any longer.
It was like the dam broke. The emotions that he had buried in trying to be calm and collected around her came out in an overwhelming flood as he broke down in tears at the touch of her fingers.
Caleb lost all composure. He wrapped his arms around her-- now fully able to touch and feel her right back instead of being an invisible presence at her side. He buried his face into her hair as he ran his arms up and down her back-- unsure if the gesture was to comfort her or himself more-- as he held her tight against him, the regret and remorse of having let her go and having to say farewell so abruptly boiling up past his restraint and reason and tipping over to yield to his innermost thoughts and desires.
“I-I’m sorry-!” Caleb choked out, vision blurring with his tears as he nuzzled his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry-! I had to do it. Pip, I’m sorry-”
What did he have to do again?
Caleb’s head was hurting, unsure if it was the rush of emotions from seeing her and being able to hold her again or something else beyond the veil. Like a surge of light flashing in his eyes, his mind was getting sluggish and foggy.
His hands were grasping at her, trying to hold her tight and feel her again. It was like a hazy recollection of what he remembered her to be: the fleeting warmth of a perfect memory before he was unable to feel her again.
He could feel the vibrations of her sobs against his chest before she pulled away, hands prying his away from hers before Caleb felt the sting of her hand slapping across his face.
He blinked, mind flickering between the visage of this moment with her and another one somewhere else beyond what was supposed to be transpiring now.
Did she slap him?
Caleb let out a remorseful laugh. “...I deserve that-” he mumbled, bringing his hand up to press against his face as he pulled back to look at her. Seeing her tear-streaked face made his chest contort painfully in his chest. “You have every right to be mad at me, pip. I’m sorry. I only wanted to-”
He groaned, feeling the growing persistence of the dull ache in the back of his mind rising up to the surface again. The light shining in his eyes was blinding his vision again, and Caleb grimaced, trying to focus and pull himself to this moment with her- reminding himself of what was supposed to be happening right now.
He’s a ghost. Caleb followed her around after what had happened back then.
And she can see him now.
Yes.
That’s right.
And she’s mad at him because he kept following her around as a ghost.
Yes.
That’s what she’s mad about.
The lighting stabilized, and the ache of his head dissipated.
“You were there with me this whole time… weren’t you?” Caleb heard her voice mumble against his chest, his heart warming at the softness of the tone she spoke with him. She tilted her head up and Caleb felt his heart skip a beat as he locked eyes with her glimmering ones.
He brought a hand up to rub her head instinctively and watched as she leaned into it, not chastising him for messing up her hair or treating her as a kid like she typically would have in the past.
“Did you not want me to follow you around as a ghost?” he smiled softly. His eyes noticed the silver glint of the necklace she had gifted to him around her neck. His necklace. The thing that bound him to her. Caleb’s hand reached out to pull it towards him, feeling its draw like gravity. The silver tag clinked against the apple pendant as he held it in between his index finger and thumb- examining it and marveling at how she had kept it with him this entire time. “Or should I take this as a sign that you did want me around?”
Caleb laughed lightly as she sent a barrage of punches at his chest. He weathered the abuse, letting her have her way as he always let her do.
After sending a barrage of curses, insults, and hits his way, she finally tired out and slumped at his side- head leaning into his shoulder.
“...Since when?” she mumbled into his shirt.
Caleb smiled, sighing and placing a hand on her head and kissing the top of it. “Since the beginning.” He could feel her tense up at the admission. But despite the supposed guilt, he didn’t feel the burden as though he was confessing to a crime that he did not commit. He tried to lighten the mood, electing to tease her“...You can’t replace me as the king of claw machines, pipsqueak,” he teased. “But I’ll forgive you since Caleb Jr. remains the favorite plushie.”
“W-what are you talking about, Caleb-?!” he heard her huff.
“Don’t think I haven’t been watching you drag three different men to the Twinkle Toy arcades to fuel your plushie addiction. I know what you’ve been doin’.”
He laughed as she blushed a dark red, turning around to look at him like how she always did when she was caught red-handed- a deer in headlights. Caleb couldn’t help but laugh and bring a finger to help her close her jaw that was practically dropping to the floor.
“And honestly, you should consider moving buildings since that one co-worker of yours can’t cook. I think he’ll burn the entire complex down one day, pip. Don’t want you joining me here in the afterlife as a burnt up ghost too, you know.”
Maybe he shouldn’t have made that joke. While Caleb had gotten used to the events of the accident and was fine with cracking jokes about the explosion and fire, it clearly was something that she wasn’t ready to take yet. He noticed her expression fall, darkening with the memories of pain that he watched on her face in the aftermath of what had happened.
“S-So I saw Zayne the other day,” Caleb blurted, eager to change the subject. “Remember how I had to officiate your wedding with him back when we were kids?” His voice carried a forced nonchalance, though the memory still made him grimace.
“You got so upset back then,” she mumbled, crossing her arms. “To be fair, I didn’t even know what marriage meant. I thought it was just being best friends forever or something.” Her eyes narrowed into a glare. “And anyway, I only married Zayne once. I married you every other week, remember?”
Caleb hummed, a wide grin spreading across his face. “Yeah, you really had a thing for playing house.” The memory of those times brought a bittersweet smile to his lips. “I was always the husband or dad, going off to work as a pilot or astronaut. And we had our whole little family—three kids, two dogs… I think you even named one after Zayne.” He leaned closer, voice lowering conspiratorially. “Least favorite kid, by the way.”
Caleb couldn’t suppress the grin creeping up on his face as he ruffled her hair again. “Speaking of ol’ Zayney… You were getting all chummy with him alone in the Arctic,” he teased. “Elsa trying to impress you with snowman making skills again? It still looks like a misshapen lump of snow if you ask me-”
“WERE YOU SPYING ON ME IN THE ARCTIC TOO!? CALEB-!!” she pouted, whacking him hard on the arm. She let out a gasp, turning to him with a finger raised in accusation. “YOU-! I FORGOT THAT YOU WERE THE ONE THAT TOLD ME THAT THOSE WERE SNOWBALLS!! WHEN THEY WERE ACTUALLY SEALS!! CALEB!!”
“Alright, alright!” Caleb cackled, grabbing her hands and trying to stop her from pinching his face. “I didn’t want you to freeze to death up there, I was just checking to see if you were warm and whatnot!”
He grabbed her fingers, trying to stop her from beating him and pinching him again. “You can’t blame me for wanting to check up on you throughout the day. What else was I supposed to do as a ghost if not follow you around everywhere? No big deal-”
She froze as her body tensed and she looked at him in shock. Caleb bit his lip, cursing at himself internally for being a loudmouth.
“Following me… everywhere? ...Were you… following me in my apartment too?” she mumbled, voice clearly stating to build up with anger.
Caleb tensed, caught off guard by the question. But leave it to his pipsqueak to easily read his tell. They did grow up together, after all. The answer was practically there.
“YOU SAW ME?!”
“IT WAS ONE TIME AND NOT ON PURPOSE-!” Caleb stammered, rising to his feet in alarm as she stood up abruptly, ready to beat his ghost form out of existence. “IT WAS AN ACCIDENT AND IT’S NOT LIKE I HAVEN’T SEEN YOU LIKE THAT BEFORE-”
“CALEB!!! I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!!”
“I’M ALREADY DEAD, THOUGH??”
Now that she was able to see him and physically interact with him, the two of them ran around, bantering and bickering like old times.
Eventually, he took the hit and beatings before slumping down to rest: thoroughly chastised for his ghost shenanigans. She was resting on his chest, breaths heavy from having chased his spectral form all around Sylus’s manor, and Caleb felt like the time that was stolen away too soon and the times that he missed with her back then were finally returned and fulfilled. Her light laughs filled the space between them, feeling like sunlight breaking through the clouds, and he was holding on to each sound while it was fading away like a memory and fantasy long gone.
Their breaths intermingled with one another’s as they rested there just like the past. It felt like the edge of a dream that Caleb didn’t want to wake up from.
“Caleb-” she whispered.
Caleb’s breath was caught in his throat and he felt his heart skip a beat at her voice. He turned his head to face her, violet eyes gazing affectionately to meet hers.
“Yes?”
“Don’t leave me.” He watched her hold out her pinky towards him, his necklace wrapped around the palm of her hand. “I want to be with you… Till death do us part.”
The words were a promise she had made to him long ago. To think that she still remembered.
He felt a bloom of warmth in his chest, a light laugh resonating from his throat as he intertwined his pinky with hers. “Till death do we part, my ass, pipsqueak. You’re stuck with me forever.”
Caleb placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, fingers running through her hair as he stared longingly into her eyes. “You are the gravity keeping me here. And I will never leave your side. In this life, or the next. No matter what happens, I’ll be here for you.”
He watched her intently as she took the necklace from her hand, gesturing for him to lean down and closer for her to put it back on him.
And just like that day underneath the apple blossoms before he went to Skyhaven for the first time, she slipped the necklace around his neck: back in its rightful place and to its rightful owner.
A bloom of warmth, like a gentle summer’s breeze, radiated from the center of his chest where the pendant and dog tag rested against. Bright, and just like home, it beckoned for him like the first light of morning rays harkening the end of a long rest and the time to finally wake up.
It was time.
Caleb smiled at her, the sight of his world-- his universe-- in front of him and right in his arms.
He felt a sense of relief and elation run through him; it was a contentment and peace that he had not known for a long, long time.
He was finally fulfilled.
“Caleb you’re-!”
He stared at his hand placed upon her cheek, seeing how translucent it became and how he was slowly starting to phase through her again.
“CALEB!” She had sat up straight now, eyes wide as she grasped at him to no avail.
He was fading.
Her voice was pleading and desperate, wrought with tears as she started to cry uncontrollably-- reaching to grab at him as he was slowly fading to light before her.
Caleb stared at her lovingly; his heart, mind, and soul laid bare to her as he professed his undying love and devotion. “You are, and always will be, the apple of my eye,” he whispered. “I love you—now and always, in this world and the next.
He called her name one last time, smiling ruefully as he lamented that their farewell made her cry so much once more.
“...One day… on a sunny day with warm breezes and perfect light-” Caleb whispered, voice a faint breath that was almost inaudible, even to himself. “...We’ll meet again-”
Her cries for his name seemed to be growing more distant as his vision faded in and out-- his eyes focused on her to engrain her visage in his memories as he faded away.
The world shone brightly in his eyes, obscuring his vision in a flash of pure white.
First off: OMG YAYYY! CALEB'S BACK!!! MY APPLE BOI HAS RETURNED HOMEEEE! <3
secondly: DOES THIS MAN HAVE SPLIT PERSONALITIES?!?!? HOLY MOLY IVE BEEN HYPER ANALYZING EVERY LAST BIT OF DETAIL IN THE CONTENT RELEASED
Not only do I think he has this split personality (Astrology girlies, Caleb is a Gemini, so help me out in the comments lol), but I think that his personalities are also triggered/toggled via light.
In the trailer and teasers, we see a lot of the dichotomy between his "old/nice/restrained" self and this "darker/possessive" self. In some screenshots of the Homecoming Wings Trailer, we can see how his character model sometimes is shown with two separate halves, overlaid with different images, etc.
Caleb with Different Personalities/Halves:
This is an AMAZING shot where you can see one side of his face and his eyes glimmering brightly and the other one is a bit darker and obscured in shadow - showcasing the duality of this manlight and dark caleb in the teaser live stream, set up via the video transition and composition
The way that the video and scene is set up is very intentional to show us that this is the boy we did know (he's in there somewhere) but he's also different and a lot darker. Or there's also the duality in which Caleb has a side where he's restraining and holding back and then a side where he's let go and is just super possessive and controlling. The trailer has him saying things like: "I've always held myself back and endured" and then "It was suffocating"
Look at this one from his Farspace Bloomfall card too!
Voice Fluctuations:
This is very apparent in his voice lines as well! I personally really like his English VA; he does a really good job in differentiating between the more upbeat/easy going tones and the darker and more raspy tones when Caleb "switches" between personas.
If you listen to the trailers and even the 5-star memories, the VA sounds different depending on the context and who you're talking to. He sounds more soft spoken when saying things like "I'm back." or "Let's go home" vs "In the Farspace Fleet, there are only soldiers and officers"
(ya girl fell in love with Caleb chapter 1 during the phone call so Im a big fan of his english VA)
Light Trigger:
His personality/motive/etc seems to switch depending on light as well.The scene right before he says "I'm back" and is more kindFarspace bloomfall memory 1/2 where he's cold at first and then you see the light shiningFarspace Bloomfall memory 2/2 where he then softens after that light appearanceIn chapter 4 where Caleb's trying to be more protective of MC and then like holds back/gives up after the light shines by
Light is definitely symbolic or something that switches Caleb's personality/motive around since we see it CONSTANTLY in the main story, teasers, memories, etc. I think that this was something that was already a part of him (perhaps trained in or done as a child) but the extremity of his personality got more severe after the explosion happened.
Breakdown of these instances lol:
Chapter 4: Caleb was angry/possessive because MC got hurt (light happens) -> Caleb tells her to forget it and is clearly holding back after the light shines
Interrogation/Test in Farspace Fleet base: Really cold and stern; telling her to not get into trouble and obey orders (overhead light)-> Smiles at her after the lights above flickers and holds her hand, saying "It's me, I'm back"
Farspace Bloomfall Card: Cold: "If I don't show concern as someone close to you, it doesn't count as being genuine?" (light again) -> Soft and sad: "You can't convince yourself to hate me"
Conclusion:
SO in conclusion, this poor apple boi has some severe personality switching going on that's triggered by light and it's not something that happened as a result of Ever experimenting on him post-chapter 4. I think that it just got more severe after whatever happened to him on skyhaven in the farspace fleet.
Thanks for coming to my super analysis of Caleb content: i am dying in anticipation of the 22nd (literally have been crying nonstop since the livestream lol)
