Guardians, on the field

Indie Drifter, as written by Ocean, mun is 21+

[taken-adrift]

"D'you wanna come to the baby naming." This, he realizes belatedly, is not enough context. Bunny would grimace if he could. "For the Worm."

"Exos don't make babies."

It's the first thing out of his mouth, before anything else catches up to his brain, and then he's frowning at the ground in that way he does when he's trying to understand something.

Namely, why they're naming the fucking worm.

"You're namin' the fuckin' Worm?"

[redeyedefiant]

Okay, he-- that was unexpected. Okay. 13 blinks slowly, ear-fins tipping back as he processes that. (Every conversation with Drifter is like this, he realizes; the two of them talking past each other until the words overlap and what comes out the other end is utterly incomprehensible.)

“Shit, could you even imagine how screwed up that would be? Why do you make me think about these things-- No, I’m not naming the Worm!”

His vocalizer gets grittier with the emphasis, and Bunny waves an arm broadly at Drifter in some sort of weird cross between frustration and bewilderment.

“Orb’s naming the Worm. He’s. He’s sorta-- I mean, you know, Warlocks, he’s got that thing about. Stuff. And the Worm talks funny and it makes ‘pick me up’ motions and Orb’s. Been through a lot and, I don’t know, okay? Orb’s naming the Worm.”

[taken-adrift]

Drifter watches 13 with a look that can only be considered absolutely disrespectful, in the sense that Drifter does not respect the rabbit in any sense or form, but whatever respect might’ve been there is most certainly gone. Vanished. His eyebrows are disappearing under his bandana.

“It’d be like makin’ a regular baby, except it’s not, and you gotta take the whole thing apart again, cause fuck, there’s an extra screw, why’s there an extra screw, and you put the gear on backwards, and ‘man, maybe buildin’ a baby is more trouble than it’s worth, we still got the receipt, maybe we can get our glimmer back’. That about right?”

The obviously frazzled Guardian waves his arm around in an imitation of a bird attempting take off for the first time, and Drifter snorts, pulling a cigar out of his pocket and lighting up, taking a long drag from it.

“Yeah, your Warlock is... something. Good at what ‘e does, but, uh.. he ain’t all there. Why’re you lettin’ him name the Worm?”

[taken-adrift]

"D'you wanna come to the baby naming." This, he realizes belatedly, is not enough context. Bunny would grimace if he could. "For the Worm."

"Exos don't make babies."

It's the first thing out of his mouth, before anything else catches up to his brain, and then he's frowning at the ground in that way he does when he's trying to understand something.

Namely, why they're naming the fucking worm.

"You're namin' the fuckin' Worm?"

[redeyedefiant]

"We still on for gyros, or didja chicken out?"

"You done being a creepy dick to the kinderguardians who keep making a wrong turn to get to Ada?"

13 half-turns from where he'd been looking out over the City from the walkway, rolling Aloha back and forth between his palms as his Ghost giggles about it like a malevolent toddler.

"You should probably, dunno, get a signboard made at some point, or something."

[taken-adrift]

“They got one’a those, don’t they?” Drifter nods his head towards the Ghost in 13′s hands with something like disdain.

“Don’t see no reason to bother with someone who can’t use a map they’re given. An’ why do I have ta get a signboard? S’her room, she can make the signs if she wants someone ta find her. Or they can explore, like everyone else. You stumbled inta my room like a newborn deer on long legs, an’ you figured it out, didn’t ya?” 

The Drifter huffs a laugh and slowly sways over to the Hunter, eyes squinted under the force of his smirk.

“Don’t tell me yer takin’ all the newbies from me.”

[redeyedefiant]

“You got one too, if I recall. Forgive me for believing in free-range raising,” 13 snips back, finally giving Aloha a little toss up into the air. His Ghost wobbles for a moment as he stabilizes, then bonks Bunny’s cheek with a kissy noise before dissipating.

The Hunter somehow has the nerve to look embarrassed about it.

At least he lets Drifter come in close, bumping up against him as he passes by.

“It was just a suggestion. No need to get pissy about it... And trust me, no. That’d be like practically begging for the Vanguard position. Stop talking shit.”

[taken-adrift]

“An’ what a good little tool it is.”, he murmurs, spreading his eyes wide. “Never saw ‘em as anythin’ else.” It was the only thing tying him to the Light, after all, keeping him strong and healthy and alive.

He hated it, most of the time.

Sure, sure, it came with the benefit of never dying, but he also could never taste that same thrill of death, would never really be human with it tied to him. He looked down at the people and wondered when he’d gotten so high up that he couldn’t even touch them, anymore. 

“No? Ain’t you Zavala’s boy? He says jump an’ you say ‘how high’? Or..” Here, Drifter swaggers back towards 13, and into his face. “Or are you my boy, now?”

[redeyedefiant]

@taken-adrift

[taken-adrift]

Snrk. Drifter sways closer to get a good look over the Guardian’s shoulder, and then snorts.

“We keepin’ snakes as pets, again?”

[taken-adrift]

Yawn- crack!

His jaw pops with something like a nasty snap, and he works it back and forth in a sawing motion before closing his mouth, blinking sleepily.

"Slow day, today, huh.."

[redeyedefiant]

"We still on for gyros, or didja chicken out?"

"You done being a creepy dick to the kinderguardians who keep making a wrong turn to get to Ada?"

13 half-turns from where he'd been looking out over the City from the walkway, rolling Aloha back and forth between his palms as his Ghost giggles about it like a malevolent toddler.

"You should probably, dunno, get a signboard made at some point, or something."

[taken-adrift]

“They got one’a those, don’t they?” Drifter nods his head towards the Ghost in 13′s hands with something like disdain.

“Don’t see no reason to bother with someone who can’t use a map they’re given. An’ why do I have ta get a signboard? S’her room, she can make the signs if she wants someone ta find her. Or they can explore, like everyone else. You stumbled inta my room like a newborn deer on long legs, an’ you figured it out, didn’t ya?” 

The Drifter huffs a laugh and slowly sways over to the Hunter, eyes squinted under the force of his smirk.

“Don’t tell me yer takin’ all the newbies from me.”