We Must All Change

[wefallinsilence]

Characters: Ienzo and Aeleus
Content: Bros being bros
Location: Aeleus' room
Time of Day: Afternoon
Warnings: None

For all that Ienzo was familiar with the fact that the Satellite did, in fact, occasionally force changes on its inhabitants, he had to say that this latest was the last straw. He'd suffered through being made a pony, and something he still hadn't entirely categorized without so much a complaint. This, on the other hand, is beyond even his ability to tolerate. In short, he is nothing so much as almost adorable (he has no better words for it) and that's something he certainly isn't willing to simply write off. It'll only make things awkward, regardless of how people already tend to see him.

As such, it's tempting to simply remain in his room. Tempting, but perhaps not the most efficient use of his time. Or at least, not the most conducive to doing anything but sit and wallow in his on thoughts. That and he remembers starting a pillownest in Aeleus room during his previous stay and perhaps it's time to see what's come of that, or even if it's still there at all. Still, it's with no small amount of nervous caution that he quietly sneaks down the hall to Aeleus' room. No sense in letting too many people catch him when he feels utterly ridiculous and utterly less than inclined to speak to most people.

There's a breath of a pause, outside of Aeleus' door, and then he knocks quietly. Courtesy, after all, is of the utmost importance even now.

Comments

[thesilenthero]

Aeleus had decided that discretion was the better part of valor and perhaps it would be better to avoid people this week. Completely aside from the balls, pandas, and banana peels, his face was at best disturbing at the moment. He continued to monitor communications in case there was some emergency he could help with, but so far things seemed to be mostly under control.

When he heard the knock at the door, he assumed it must be Ienzo; despite the discussion he still wasn't sure that the others felt particularly comfortable around him. He would have to exert himself to be a productive member of the satellite society again. He opened the door, covering his mouth with one hand.

To his credit, he only stared for a moment before stepping back to give Ienzo room to enter.

[wefallinsilence]

Ienzo could agree about it being safer avoiding most of the commonly occupied places. Even aside from the hazards, he much preferred the idea of as few people as possible seeing his face this week. Minus, perhaps, a few comments here and there, but that was another matter entirely. Unlike his younger self, he was less inclined to simply remain silent when a decent reason to not do so presented itself.

All the same, that wasn't the point of this meeting. He was here for no other reason than he quite simply felt like being here. If he happened to tend to the proto-pillow nest in the process, surely that was only to be expected, under the circumstances. But that was for later, after the initial pleasantries had been dealt with and so Ienzo offered a polite nod as he stepped into the room.

"I trust everything's been going well, lately?"

[thesilenthero]

"Things seem to be relatively calm after the chaos of the last weeks," Aeleus replied. It was somewhat of a relief, actually; the discussion had left everyone disturbed, it seemed. He shut the door and turned to Ienzo properly. It wasn't quite that he missed the young Ienzo, but it pained him that Ienzo had had to lose his innocence.

[wefallinsilence]

As far as Ienzo was concerned, he would have had to lose his innocence sooner or later. If not thanks to the Organization than surely something on the satellite would have forced the issue sooner or later. Besides, there was nothing to be done about the matter. He was no longer his younger self and there was little that could be done about it.

"I'm glad to hear it," Ienzo answered with a nod. "I believe I can speak for all of us here when I say that the less chaos present the better."

[thesilenthero]

"I should hope so. I do wish to be home so that we can continue working there, but I suppose we will have to do what we can here." Aeleus was still uncertain as to what he could do for young Isa. The harsh truths that the young man had had to hear were likely not setting well. He had never been the best at offering comfort, however.

[wefallinsilence]

Ienzo, had he known of Aeleus' thoughts, would have commented that he'd also thought that Aeleus was quite excellent at offering comfort. Certainly, his own requirements were different than Isa's no doubt were, but he'd always been a solid and comfortable presence and that had been more than enough for Ienzo, even when he'd thought they'd lost their hearts.

"For now, yes. It's regrettable, perhaps, that we'll have to trust Even and Dilan to keep things running as they ought to, but the matter is rather out of our hands at the moment."

[thesilenthero]

"I hoped we were finished with things being spun out beyond our control for a time." Aeleus glanced over at the pillownest. He didn't think that Ienzo had had the opportunity to try to establish a comfortable enough place when they had returned home, but it looked as if they could continue building what he has begun here.

"Would you like to continue building that?"

[wefallinsilence]

"As had I," Ienzo answered with a shrug. True, they would only have had to deal with Xehanort's further plans had they remained at home, but that was at least relatively within their control, at least insomuch as maintaining the stability of Radiant Garden was concerned.

"I'll need to see about acquiring the proper materials, but I suppose it couldn't hurt."

[thesilenthero]

Aeleus smiled faintly. It was good to see that some things would always be true of Ienzo; the pillownests were, Aeleus could admit internally, a cute habit of Ienzo's. It wouldn't gain him anything to speak the sentiment out loud, however. "I hope it makes this place more homey for you."

[wefallinsilence]

"Insomuch as the place can be made to seem so, perhaps," Ienzo answered with a shrug. Even with the addition of his pillownests, there was very little that could hide the simple fact that this was neither the Castle over the Dark City, or the slightly awkward familiarity of Radiant Garden. But that was something neither of them could change. Not without first knowing more about the root cause of their arrival here and thus far it seemed neither of them would be stumbling across that any time soon.

[thesilenthero]

"Would you like to attempt more extensive investigation into why we're here?" Neither of them were really suited for a lack of serious tasks to do. It was well enough to work with what came, but they needed to be more aggressive if they wanted to find a way home.

[wefallinsilence]

There was a moment of silence from Ienzo at the question. There was certainly no denying that figuring out the exact reasons they were there would help in the long run. Not if it meant being more likely to be able to return to the things that still required their attention. It was simply a matter of how likely they were to actually find anything of use. But if they didn't at least try, they would hardly find anything of use and that was quite likely the greater crime.

"I'm not entirely certain it would be as simple as it seems, but someone ought to at least see what can be done."

[thesilenthero]

When Aeleus had been on the satellite before, he had wanted to stay as long as he could to be with young Ienzo and enjoy the time before what he thought would be his death. Now he knows that they are both well and whole, and that they have a home to repair. He knows that people have likely tried to find ways home before, but the satellite is always changing; he can hope that perhaps they can find a solution now.

"I doubt it will be simple, but we can attempt to see what needs to be done."

[wefallinsilence]

"Since when have our lives ever tended towards the simple?" Ienzo asked, with a slight shrug. Even before Radiant Garden had fallen into ruin, no one could have called life in the castle simple. Perhaps it hadn't been complicated, but it had been generally busy, albeit in a good way. Thus, as far as Ienzo was concerned, if they could put their general familiarity with keeping themselves busy to good use then there was absolutely no reason to do so.

"I rather doubt either of our captors - if they can truly be called such - will be at all inclined to explain. No doubt we'll have to look elsewhere."

[thesilenthero]

"We can attempt to find out how the machine works; our captors seem to be rather busy at the moment." He was fairly sure they wouldn't be able to get to the machine, but it was the start of an idea. No one else seemed to be looking for a way out any longer.

[wefallinsilence]

"It might also be worthwhile to see if we can finding anything relevant from the earliest days of the Satellite. If we can find how the machine was originally meant to function it should be significantly easier to figure out how it may changed."

This is, admittedly, assuming that there even is documentation about such a thing, but Ienzo is cautiously optimistic all the same. For all that their captors seem to be generally inept, documentation is an important part of any significant undertaking and he'd certainly imagine something like this to be significant.

[thesilenthero]

"I suppose we can try to ask questions of Mike or the bots." Aeleus wasn't sure how helpful that would actually be, but one could hope.

[wefallinsilence]

"It couldn't hurt," Ienzo answered with a shrug. Even if they didn't manage to get anything of use from them, they'd at least have made the attempt, and as far as Ienzo was concerned that would have to be enough for the time.

[thesilenthero]

"...Perhaps after this week." Aeleus wasn't really done hiding in his room from this week yet, unless it was going to be a pillownest expedition. That was an acceptable use of time.

[wefallinsilence]

That was something Ienzo could agree with. For all that his current appearance might make it easier to find the materials they'd need to continue on the pillownest, he still wasn't certain he wanted to be seen all that much. Aeleus was one thing. The general populace of the Satellite was quite another.

"Ah, that might be for the best, yes."

[thesilenthero]

"I have books here that I took from the library last week. Some of the good books," Aeleus clarified; it was nice that people had gone to such effort to get decent reading materials.

[wefallinsilence]

Ah, now there was something promising. Even if they would likely need to leave at some point over the rest of the week, the idea of simply opting to more or less become hermits for the duration had never seemed so appealing.

"We could remain here, I suppose..."

[thesilenthero]

"It would make for a nice day." Or week. They'd have to come out next week to try to find answers; hopefully whatever was coming up next wouldn't be as strange as the effects this week had brought.

[wefallinsilence]

"It would."

A nice, comfortable day (or week), free from all the unwanted stares and remarks about his current appearance... yes, he could get behind that. Especially if it were spent in the company of Aeleus.

"Shall we?"