#remembering cayde

[aislinavalbane]

~Until the last star fades ... and for eternity beyond.  ❤️♠️ ❤️

[ddellirrious]

“now let’s go to prison!!”

[aislinavalbane]

https://twitter.com/Ansonikage/status/1301938502486110209

[aislinavalbane]

More Cayde Birthday spam pics! - That last one cracks me up! 🤣

All art that’s not mine, links are here:

https://www.deviantart.com/muratothebandit/art/DESTINY-2-Cayde-6--803781589

https://www.deviantart.com/lizzytheredfiske/art/Destiny-meme-2-704632756

https://www.deviantart.com/tombstonecc/art/Cayde-6-771725615

https://www.deviantart.com/muratothebandit/art/DESTINY-2-Cayde-6--803781450

https://www.deviantart.com/trophykingart/art/Cayde-6-802568688

https://www.deviantart.com/daxtri/art/Cayde-6-613993971

[aislinavalbane]

First set of Cayde Birthday Pics!

For Cayde’s Birthday, the first set of some of my favorite fanarts as well as one of my own screencaps I’d caught of Cayde and Ais with Ghost on the Farm.  I’ll post more throughout the day!  

~Aislin ❤️♠️ ❤️

Links to featured fanart: (Hopefully these go through.  Tumblr is being stupid today - of all days).

https://www.deviantart.com/daestraofficial/art/Cayde-6--803567262

https://www.deviantart.com/josephbiwald/art/Ace-of-Spades-Poster-803566124

https://www.deviantart.com/robinasplind/art/Cayde-6-778299189

https://www.deviantart.com/thecrepz/art/Cayde-6-D2-779084672

[aislinavalbane]

She Knows ...

A little snippet that came to me for today. ~ ❤️

She Knows

I sat out on the balcony, my fingers curled around the handle of a hot cup of coffee I had balanced on the arm of the lounge chair.  My knees were pulled up, casually bent, my sock-clad feet comfortably mushed into the cushion, and a warm blanket was loosely wrapped around my shoulders.  It wasn’t a particularly chilly night, but there was enough of a bite in the air, the blanket gave just the right amount of warmth.  The elbow of my other arm was perched up on the other armrest, my chin propped up on the heel of my hand.  The sun had set a while ago and I was staring out, unseeing, at the colorful lights of the city below, the occasional set of blinking lights from a passing ship crossing in front of my view, my eyes not even moving to follow them.  I was lost in thought, a strange surreal and unsettled ache throbbing about my person.  It was that feeling one had when something bad had happened and you were trying to comprehend it - make sense of it - and wondered how could it have happened while another part of you was trying to pretend it never happened.  It was an awful feeling, really, a melancholy sensation so strong you lost your appetite and and felt both exhausted and restless at the same time.

I hated this feeling.  I hadn’t felt it for a year now but had been dreading it, knowing it was coming.  One whole year ago, already.  And I knew, as surreal and unsettled as things felt for me, remembering that horrible day, I knew, for Cayde, it felt even worse.  He was dealing with a loss different than mine - one that hadn’t ended in getting someone he loved back.  

The door behind me slid open, then, and I looked over my shoulder to see Cayde coming out, dressed in a pair of pants and his sweater.  I offered him a soft smile.  “There’s coffee,” I said, lifting my mug.

He shook his head.  “Nah.  Thanks, though,” he murmured, coming over to me.  “Got room on that thing for one more?”

My smile broadened a bit and I moved over, opening up the blanket.  Cayde settled down, pulling the open half of the blanket around himself as he rested against my side with a sigh, tilting his head onto my shoulder and gazed up at the stars twinkling far above us.  He pulled his knees up, shifting to get more comfortable, and I settled my arm along the inside of his left leg, resting my hand on his knee, lightly caressing the familiar ridges of the joint under the cloth of his pants.  

He curled his arms around my arm and took another slow, deep breath, then let out out.  “When he killed Sundance, the shards of her shell twinkled like stars scattered on the floor,” Cayde whispered.  I turned my head a bit and pressed a tender kiss to the top part of his forehead just beside his mohawk, then rested my cheek in the same spot.  “You remember how it felt when Ghaul took our Light?” He then asked, his voice remaining low and quiet.  I nodded.  “It weren’t nothin’ like that,” he said.  “That was … like gettin’ the wind knocked outta ya.  Suddenly feeling drained.  Feelin’ shakily and weak and … outta breath.”  His head gave the faintest little shake.  “But … the instant Pirrha … the instant Sundance …” He shook his head again, still unable to say it.  “It was … it was like someone reached inta me … ripped at my insides,” he said, pressing the tips of his fingers into the center of his chest for emphasis.  “It hurt in a way I ain’t got words for.  And sick …” he swallowed and cleared his throat.  “I felt so sick.  Everything inside-a me tightened up so bad it hurt and it felt like it was all gonna come up at once.”  He turned his head a bit, so his face was partially mushed into my shoulder and breathed me in, relaxing a little.  I could feel the hardened shape of his lips and his hot breath as he carefully let it out while I slowly and softly caressed his knee, a gentle breeze blowing up from the south.  “I got myself to my feet and looked down at the pieces of her shell and … time just seemed to stop.  Like … like I saw everything - every moment with her since the first one all in the blink of an eye.  The one that stood out the most was that night she brought me back and I was so scared, I ran off a cliff.”  He briefly chuckled at the memory before it faded to a sad little shudder.  “I … I wanted to cry,” he finally murmured.  “I wanted to call out to you …  And then I saw them comin’.  Saw Vahn, leadin’ … draggin’ that … that spiked weapon-a his, chains rattlin’.  And when it lit on fire and he lifted it …”  He shook his head.  “I knew that was it.  I knew I wasn’t gonna see you again.”  

I set my cup down on the table beside me and lifted my now free hand to the side of his face, caressing his cheek as I cradled his head against my shoulder, feeling my own chest tighten a bit.  I hated seeing him like this and knowing I couldn’t just snap my fingers and make it all better.  “I’m here,” I whispered.  “And when and if that day comes, I’ll take your hand and we’ll go together,” I vowed.  “You won’t be alone.”

He lifted his head and looked at me and we both knew nothing more about that needed to be said.  He knew I was serious.  He knew I wouldn’t leave him.  We’d both died so many times.  Never the final one - since we were both still here - but neither of us were afraid of death.  I just knew Cayde was afraid of being alone.  Of drifting forever in the darkness like in his nightmares.  And I knew he knew there was no way I’d ever let that happen.  If darkness was all there was, then I’d drift with him.  But he’d never be alone.

He finally nodded, acknowledging the vow, then shifted his eyes to the Traveler.  “Do you think she’s alone?” He asked me.

“Sundance?” I asked, following his gaze up to the Traveler.

He nodded.

I shook my head.  “No,” I told him.  “I think she’s with the other Ghosts and Guardians that have passed on.”

He nodded and sighed.  “I hope she’s safe, wherever she is,” he whispered.  “I hope she knows -”  He suddenly stopped, clamping his mouth shut and I looked at him, seeing tears well up in his eyes, a couple spilling over.  He cleared his throat and lifted his hand to his face, quickly wiping them away as he took a steadying breath.

“Knows what?” I gently coaxed, feeling my own throat tighten a little as I sensed what he was feeling.

He looked at me and swallowed with difficulty.  “Knows that I love her.  That I always did.  And that I’m so sorry.”

Tears stung my eyes and I twisted to my side and slipped my arms around him, both of us holding onto each other tight as I rubbed his back and rocked us both.  I nodded.  “She knows, Firefly,” I whispered.  “She knows.”

~End

[aislinavalbane]

Final Birthday Photos with some friends!  🎂 Got to find Banshee.  We told him, but I think he forgot and wandered off.  Will have to get a photo with him later!

All in all, a wonderful Day Celebrating Cayde with good friends, music, stories, ramen, and chocolate cake for dessert! ~ ❤️♠️ ❤️

[aislinavalbane]

Cayde: I think I’m gonna cry ... ~ ❤️

OMG, the Cayde Birthday posts everyone’s been putting up are AMAZING and so touching!  I’m so happy so many decided to join in and post things for Cayde.  I still haven’t gotten to everything people have posted and will continue looking through stuff and reading tomorrow, but I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to all the Cayde fans who liked and participated in the September 5th Unofficial/Official Birthday Remembrance for Cayde!  You all are just wonderful and I know, if he really were here, he’d be so touched and appreciate it.  

If you still have ideas and things you’d like to post for him for his birthday, please continue to do so!  I know sometimes you can plan to do something but real life or writers/artists block happens.  Just because the 5th has now passed, that doesn’t mean belated stuff isn’t welcome!  And, of course, it’s Cayde.  I know there’s no way, just cause his birthday’s over, people will stop posting about and for him.  This Exo’s too much a part of all our hearts. ~ ❤️

Thank you again, everyone!  And, if there’s something you posted you want me to see but that I may have missed in the feed, please feel free to PM it to me or link me in the post!  You all put time and love into stuff, I want to check it out! 

Now, what do you all say ... Should we do this again next year?