The soft creak of well-worn floorboards echoed through the house, a gentle reminder of its age. Heavy footsteps made a rhythmic descent to the first floor, creating subtle thumps in the quiet space. The room was bathed in a subdued light, with most candles and lanterns snuffed out, leaving behind a dark room for the coming night. Ivenn shuffled forward, trying to not make too much noise with his footsteps, glancing towards the upper floors as the muffled mutters of his housemates rose just enough for him to catch a few words. He pursed his lips, trying to focus on what they might be saying, just enough for it to be a distraction. “Was that really all that was?” The Brakin let out a sigh. His inner voice seemed to be getting better at interjecting itself. He idled for a moment, but eventually shuffled over to the old weathered satchel that hung in the corner. He rummaged through it, pulling out a shirt, the crumpled woven fabric unraveling with a few shakes from the Brakin. The twisting metal seemed to bend and slide to let himself pull off the cloth he was wearing, and pull the shirt over his uncomfortable body. He smoothed out the shirt before continuing through the room, towards the small stretch of hallway that led to the entrance. There was a bench that the Brakin used when he occasionally slept. It was surrounded by bookshelves, outlining a rectangular space underneath where he could lie down in. He paused, meandering in the middle of it all, before approaching one of the columns of shelves. Maybe that’d be a better distraction. He moved forward, placing a finger on the lettering of the backstrip on one of them. He traced the flat lining of the print, before moving on to the next book. The soft glow from the humming patterns on his body illuminated the shelves, casting dim light on the worn spines of the books. Nights of Sorrow, To Daneshore!, I know my Flora– “Cio seemed afraid.” Ivenn exhaled sharply. He’d better just pick one out now before his mind comes up with something more existential. He lifted a finger, sliding out one of the books into his hand. He flipped it to the right side, reading the title, as he moved to seat himself on the bench. "Seascapes" He opened the book, his fingers pinching the pages, and with a subtle tilt of the finger, he let them flutter by. Eventually one with a title caught his eye, and he used his thumb to stop his skimming. The Beach. He attempted to begin, but gently pressed his eyes as he felt his focus falter. Sometimes he felt like sleeping, sometimes he didn’t. Today was the former. Good. Meant less thoughts to contemplate. The word on the page seemed to meld together, forming a blend of letters and sentences. The lines blurred, creating a seamless stream of prose, as he felt weariness tug at his eyelid even further. - Spoiler: Ambience "Rokenn!" "Rokenn!" He awoke, staring up at the sky, as the small shouts for a name, slowly wormed their way in. He tried to blink... but found he could not. Fidgeting, he sat up, embraced by the scent of salt and the soothing sounds of waves. The presumed padded seat revealed to be a sandy divot surrounded by a rocky inlet. Seaweed and bending metallic fronds draped over him in lieu of a quilt. Turning, he surveyed the surroundings—an expanse of gray sea meeting a darkened shoreline, a rocky beach adorned with barnacles and amorphous marine-like creatures. To his left, a black cliff stretched skyward, its tips high enough to obscure what lay on top. However, in the distance, a lower curve allowed a glimpse of glittering lights of various colors. Basalon. The Bralona fumbled for a rock, pulling himself to his feet. His metallic hand grasped an eroded corner but recoiled, searching for balance. That one was supposed to be the human one. He stood still, bewilderment filling his thoughts. Slowly, he pulled it back into view, observing the lines of gold and bright blue light traversing his hands and arms. Even his once rusted metal now gleamed as polished steel. Ah. Leaning back on his weight, the Bralona's body adjusted, allowing him to sit more comfortably on one of the large outcrops nearby. This was a memory. “Rokenn!” His gaze widened, and the Bralona shifted to stare, searching for the origin of the distant shouts. However, the echoes were diminishing, leaving a sense of confusion lingering. Out of nowhere, an unseen impact struck him from behind, the force spreading across his back. The weight of the unseen assailant sent him tumbling backward into the damp inlet of sand. He wrestled, the creaking of his metallic joints audible, as he flipped, maneuvering his metal to confront his attacker. A small, shapeless mound of violet and magenta slime grinned up at him, slowly advancing across the sand. It began to laugh, its high-pitched voice filled with giddiness, as it slid onto a nearby outcrop before leaping to another. Shimmering with iridescent purple, it eventually settled, leaping back to face Ivenn, transforming into a strangely familiar purple Bralla. “You’re back!” they bubbled, their voices upbeat and intertwined with laughter. Ivenn stared for a prolonged moment, at first responding with a single sound, but halted, uncertain of what to say. Fortunately, the small Bralla interrupted him, bounding over and wrapping their arms around his legs. They shifted back, a curious gleam in its magenta eyes. It was small, likely a young one. “Did you find your helmet?” Ivenn blinked, or at least would have if he had eyelids. He quickly turned, looking around, before spotting an oblong helmet buried halfway in the inlet of sand. He trudged forward, his arm elongating as it wrapped around the headpiece, pulling it back. He gazed at the helmet for a moment, his finger tracing the circular rim of its faceplate, before glancing at the Bralla in front of him, managing to articulate a few words, momentarily forgetting he was speaking to someone else. "Oh uh, yes, right... Seems like I did." They grinned back up again. “That’s good! Did you get what I asked you?” Ivenn paused, momentarily confused, about to ask what, but refrained. A fondness filled his thoughts, and his metal bent, allowing him to be at eye level with the Bralla. A natural teasing warmth filled his voice. "I don't think you're supposed to be here right now." ...It was automatic. His voice sounded different, and the way he spoke seemed to come from somewhere else, tapping into some unknown collection of memories to respond. The Bralla peered back, looking annoyed. Mild amusement filled Ivenn's thoughts as the young Bralla turned to the small glittering lights in the distance. "Maker tried to keep me inside. How am I supposed to prepare to be a great explorer if I cannot explore?" Ivenn- no, Rokenn held in their laughter. "Oh, is that what you were doing?" The young Bralla shifted, stretching their arms towards the seas. "You and Maker do it all the time, why cannot I? It is logical that I would have the capability as a Bralona, and with you both teaching me!" Rokenn leaned back, settling on a rocky outgrowth nearby. "Big words for such a small form." The young Bralla scoffed, looking offended. "It just means I have more places to reposition to." Rokenn tilted their head, their dimly humming blue eyes growing smaller. It seemed they were satisfied with that answer. "Alright, lest we get back and your Maker is upset, I will take the blame. Say I requested your help. I wouldn't want Mae to be further restricted in their great quest." Ivenn made a sound mentally. An interesting name. Mae's beaming smile returned. "Good, now stop avoiding the question, did you bring what I asked you?" Rokenn chuckled. "I can't distract you, can I." Mae hummed. "Nope!" Rokenn opened their palm, the metal slowly creaking as they started to move, revealing a pile of various angular sea shells. Mae bounded forward, a pseudopod snatching up the pile. Their faces contorted in extreme concentration as they began to examine each one, as Rokenn watched in bemused interest. Mae then grinned, pocketing the shells, happily muttering back. "Satisfactory." "Is the model coming along well?" "Not a model. Image. I have to be well prepared when Regulus returns. You've brought me the sections for his wings." "Mh." Rokenn grunted, a thought clearly passing over his mind. However, Ivenn could feel it being brushed over. "He was blue." "I know, you and Maker told me a lot of stories. Well, it was one story, it was retold quite a few times." Mae mused. "I can find pigment somewhere, and you two need better stories." Rokenn fell silent, looking out toward the horizon as the pinkish-orange hues slowly turned yellow with the rising sun. It seemed to be dawn. Eventually, he muttered something in response. ". . . We do. Don't we." The Bralona emitted a couple of binary sounding notes, as he turned back. Ivenn caught the instinctual feeling of wanting to change the conversation. His hand reached forward, as Rokenn moved to destabilize the Bralla’s head, leading to their violet hair-like slime to ooze over their eyes. There was a splutter of annoyed sounds from the young Bralla, as Rokenn broke out in laughter, grabbing Mae’s hand to start guiding them across the rocky shore. “Alright, little one. Is there anything else you want to ask of me?” Mae’s slime quivered as they used their hands to help reform it back into resembling drifting hair. The Bralla tilted their head, looking off, clearly calculating some sort of algorithm to try and find what’d be the most fun. Eventually, they held out a finger, ushering Rokenn to go faster. “Let’s go back to the Depdropa!” Ivenn didn’t say anything, but realized Rokenn wasn’t replying for him, as he stuttered, trying to remember what that exactly was. Thankfully, a brief image of a deep cave filled with water passed by, allowing him to piece together another response. “Well… let us go then.” Spoiler: Ambience The two advanced, their footsteps resonating through the tunnel. Occasional drops of water could be heard in the caverns. Rokenn hummed, observing the other Bralona effortlessly slide through narrow gaps. The elder Bralona occasionally reached out to prevent them from tearing their clothing on sharper corners. They reached a bend where both Bralona collapsed their bodies to fit through, crawling until they hit loose rock. The sound of metal scraping against rock drowned out the wind and water. They squeezed out, reforming on their feet. Rokenn continued, but Ivenn halted, his eyes widening as he took in the dark caves. A vast open space pulsed with another worldly vitality. Twisting tendrils of metals intertwined with pulsating slimes, creating a bizarre ecosystem that glistened with an ethereal radiance. The metallic tendrils, like twisted vines of liquid silver, danced and intertwined, forming a surreal ballet of movement. The cavern walls pulsed with a strange luminosity, casting an otherworldly glow on the metallic foliage. A flowing hand on his forearm brought Rokenn back, as Mae urged them to continue. The cavern opened to reveal a bottomless lake, its depths illuminated by bioluminescent life forms. Creatures resembling horizontal discs with fins gracefully traversed the water, leaving arcs of ripples. Some had undulating gelatinous tendrils, while others had thin edges and ridges. Mae trudged to the water's edge, dipping a finger in, causing ripples. The creatures dove down, eventually returning to their normal behavior. A metallic one tried to nibble on Mae's hand, but turned away. Not their usual food. "Looks like the metal pyralna are winning again," The Bralla muttered, hugging their knees, slime bunching up. Rokenn moved forward instinctively, their metal shifting to bring them closer to the floor. Rokenn's voice echoed throughout the cave. Memories of information and careful study filled Ivenn's mind. A thought passed over Ivenn's thoughts, a sensation of unfamiliar closeness and drive pushing him to reply. "Not exactly." The young Bralona peered back up. "What do you mean?" Ivenn stayed silent, moving their hands. While technically the one moving them, their own movements felt interconnected with something far away. Drawing from wisdom, that he didn't have. They grasped at fronds of bending metal and grass, placing a particularly long one in the water. "What do you think will happen?" Rokenn asked. Mae paused. "It will attempt to feed, like the ocean creatures you and Maker showed me." Rokenn hummed as the pyralna took a bite. "Correct." Rokenn lifted the plant out of the water, allowing it to regenerate before placing it back. They repeated this, and Mae watched closely. "What do you think I'm doing now?" Rokenn asked. Mae hesitated before answering. "Giving enough time so that the plant grows back enough for a single bite?" Rokenn shifted an arm, pushing the Bralla gently, their voice growing upbeat. A new feeling passed over Ivenn's mind—Pride, he guessed. "Correct again! Now watch, what if I let the matter-form take two bites but still leave the same amount of time for the plant to grow back?" Mae replied quickly this time. "It'd get shorter." "And eventually?" "The plant would be eaten." Rokenn's metal hand shifted to gesture at the pyralna. "And what if it was the pyralna's only food source?" "They'd die." Rokenn shifted an arm around Mae, tussling their shape. "Ever the cleverest, aren't you?" The Bralla grumbled but held a smile, carefully listening to what Rokenn had to say next. " — Yes, both the plant and the matter-form would meet their demise. It might appear inconsequential in the grand scheme, but bear in mind: nearly everything that moves, reacts, eats, and thinks is woven into this principle. Some think we are different from the organic explorers that came here, so they tend to leave us as an exception. But the truth is, there are no exceptions.." Mae tilted their head. "An exception from what, exactly?" Rokenn paused, struggling to find the right word for a few moments. ". . .Balance. The explorers that came here disrupted how we lived and installed new ideas, pushing us from our homes and proceeding carelessly. Harming many of us, and their lives in the process. As we turned against each other, more of us died than were created. Eventually…" Mae answered for him. "We stopped, and we found balance again." Rokenn stayed silent. Ivenn could feel another thought creep up with Mae's answer. Again, it was brushed over. "...Right. But that is how the world functions. The new things our people discover—organics, money, and power. The things we already had—death, life, function, emotion—are just as intertwined with us as they are with the people who require food and breathe. We are different, not lesser, not greater. Different. And like all things in the world, if we let that balance be lost, whether it be our emotions, our wants, our environment—" Rokenn lifted a finger, letting the plant drop into the water, the sound echoing throughout the space, sending ripples across the water. "—something is destroyed." The Bralla stayed quiet, nodding as they watched the matter-forms within the water glide around. "Do you think it was the Dragons who made everything be that way?" A long pause hung in the air as both Rokenn and Ivenn had trouble forming a response. "Perhaps." Mae went silent, catching the elder Bralona's strange response. As they then sprang to their feet, tugging at Rokenn's arm once again, attempting to shift the topic. "Let's go home. I want you to help me with finding the right shade of blue for the shells you gave me." Rokenn remained silent, but eventually, amusement lit up in his voice again, as he let himself be dragged to his feet. "Alright. Ellamae.” Ivenn's mind then froze at the mention of the name, the scenery gradually fading away. He looked up, watching the optimistic small Bralla start to guide him- Rokenn by hand, retracing their steps toward the entrance. And eventually, it all faded from view. Leaving only Ivenn behind. --- Ivenn startled awake, standing up. He then immediately leaned back, nearly bumping into his wearied partner. They stared at each other for a few moments, as eventually Rionna reached forward, gently placing a hand on his chest. She glanced upwards, tapping at his arm to recollect the Brakin’s focus. He blinked, placing a hand on his face, gently patting at his cheek. Rionna looked confused now, a glint of worry entering her gaze. “...Are you alright?” Ivenn sighed, rubbing at his face with the same hand. “Sorry—Just had a dream.” “Tsh. Must have been an eventful night for you, then.” Rionna huffed, as she continued down the hallway. She paused, a knowing smile forming on her face as she turned back. “ Let us make tea. I have the feeling that you wish to tell me about it.” Ivenn stood still, pondering his memory. But eventually followed. "I do."
