Twins Amber and Calcite couldn't be any less alike. Where Cal is happy to stay at home with his piano and guitar, Amber has a desperate need to see unknown places and explore the wilds. Chasing a childhood dream into the jungle of Selvadorada, Amber finds a dream cut short...and Cal finds himself living for two lives, instead of just one.
cw: this section contains death
Solana: This many traps, this many death guards…we are not equipped for what may lay beyond. We need supplies, a team.
Amber: We’re already here! ….okay, look. If I can’t get that door open we’ll turn back, but we already came all this way! Let’s at least see what’s past that door.
Solana: …very well. Can you get it open?
Amber: Yep. These guys are the key. ‘scuse me, señor esqueleto…ah-ha!
*lever grins*
Amber: There we go.
Solana: *chuckle* You truly are a wonder, Amber.
Amber: Oh, I know. Let’s see what’s on the other side of that door.
Amber: Huh. Bit small for a burial tomb. You don’t think…
Solana: It isn’t decorated enough to be a child’s grave. …There aren’t enough ornaments here for any grave. I wonder…
Amber: Well, only one way to find out.
Amber: Just let me….get this open….
Solana: Be careful!
Amber: Just a little more—gah! *hiss* Ouch! Sharp edge…
Solana: Amber!
Amber: I’m fine, I’m fine, just a cut. …huh. Nothing inside? That’s weird…why go through all this trouble to secure an empty tomb?
Amber: Let’s check the other room. There’s gotta be something here.
Solana: Perhaps it was a decoy? Another guidepost?
Amber: Seems like an awful lot of trouble for that…
Solana: It is also an awful lot of trouble to pack up an entire nation’s worth of people! I will check the other room. See if you can glean anything from these markers.
Amber: Huh? Oh…right…
Solana: Are you alright?
Amber: Yeah, yeah, just…headache all of a sudden.
Amber: Llama…bones…and…what’s…*cough* What’s…
Solana: Amber?
Amber: Solana, I…*cough*
Amber: I don’t…feel so good…
Solana: Amber!
Amber: What’s…
Solana: Amber! Oh, no–stay awake! Don’t you dare–
Calcite: …Amber?
Amber: …why…
Amber: Why didn’t you stop me?!
Calcite: Ah–!
Calcite: …just a dream. Just a bad dream…
*soft knock on door*
Calcite: The hell…it’s barely sunrise…
*soft knocking repeats*
Calcite: Alright, alright…well, Ori’s not losing his mind. That narrows it down.
Calcite: Well, boy? Who is it?
Ori: *whine*
-
Calcite: Professor Ciruela? You’re up early.
Professor: Calcite…mijo, I have…I’m afraid I have some bad news.
Calcite: *sigh* What’s Amber gone and done this time…
Professor: …Calcite…your sister…*sigh* there was an accident, mijo. Amber is dead.
Calcite: What?!
Professor: I’m so sorry.
White knuckles countin’ beads on a rosary
Hopin’ one has an answer
*knock on door*
Calcite: …I’ll get it.
Calcite: Nova–
Nova: I came as soon as I heard. What do you–
Calcite: The last thing I told her was to not come back! This is–I never should have–
Nova: This wasn’t your fault, Cal. There’s nothing you could have done to change it.
Cal: I…I just…
Nova: I know, babe. I know.
Canela: Oh, Cal…I’m so sorry…I was supposed to…
Calcite: It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault.
Calcite: …Amber died doing what she loved. That it happened isn’t your fault.
Canela: I was supposed to take care of her. She was on my team, my responsibility. I should have…
Calcite: You’d sooner stop the tide than have stopped her.None of us blame you.
Canela: I…still, I…
Calcite: I know. …Canela, who is that?
Canela: Solana. She was our guide to clear a route to the temple…and she was there with Amber when she…
Calcite: I’m going to talk to her.
-
Calcite: Solana?
Solana: I’m sorry. I’ll be leaving soon, I just.
Calcite: Stay as long as you like. I just wanted to ask if you’d like a hug.
Solana: …yes please.
Calcite: Thank you for being with her, at the end. I’m…I’m glad she wasn’t alone.
Solana: I’m so sorry…I was supposed to be guiding her and instead I…
Calcite: Don’t. She always wanted to go out there…Amber never would have died in her bed.
Calcite: Can you…do you know if she suffered?
Solana: …I have to believe she didn’t. It was very fast.
Solana: …She really did love Selva, didn’t she? She was always respectful…
Calcite: She wanted to see it for herself. I think she wanted to prove to herself that she could always go where she wanted, but this is…
Calcite: I’m glad she got to see it before she died…but right now I’m wishing she hadn’t.
Solana: As am I. I would have liked to get to know her better. Perhaps even…
Solana: Well…that chance is gone now. I should…
Calcite: Take care, Solana. Thank you for bringing her home.
Nova: Cal?
Calcite: …it still doesn’t feel real. Gran and Gramma passing I could make peace with, but Amber…
Nova: I know.
Nova: Do you want to stay? I can wait for you to…
Calcite: …no. Ma needs us more right now. Let’s go home.
Saffron: Poison. Fast acting, lethal poison. *scoff* They booby-trapped their own tombs!
Nova: There…really was nothing anyone could have done, was there.
Saffron: No. The….there’s no antidote for this one.
Nova: I’m so sorry, Miss Saffron. She…there’s really nothing anyone can say or do, is there.
Calcite: …no.
Saffron: ….
Calcite: Why couldn’t she have just stayed home…
Nova: Cal…
Saffron: Because she wanted more, and there’s nothing wrong with that. She just…
Nova: It was bad luck. It could have…happened to anyone. *sigh* But that doesn’t help at all, either. I’m sorry.
Saffron: No, you’re right. It was just…a terrible accident. *sigh* I’ll be with Moony if you two need me.
*door closes*
Nova: Cal?
Calcite: …
Nova: …Come on. Let’s at least get more comfortable.
Calcite: How long can you stay?
Nova; As long as you need.
Calcite: But your work–
Nova: I can work from anywhere. And right now, you need me more than I need my job.
Calcite: Nova…
Nova: Earlier, you said it was your fault. You…don’t really believe that, do you?
Calcite: ….
Nova: Cal, it really was an accident. She…you didn’t do this to her.
Calcite: I didn’t stop her. If I’d just stopped her from going, then maybe she…
Nova; You said it yourself: Stopping her would have been like stopping the tide. Don’t blame yourself, babe. You did your best.
Cal: …did I? I don’t know anymore.
Calcite: It feels like…like I didn’t do enough…
Nova: That’s grief, babe. Give it time.
Cal: ….
Nova: Come here. Try and get a little rest, okay?
Cal: …stay with me?
Nova: Always.
Nova: I’m not going anywhere.
That evening…
🎶
Nova: ….what’s that sound?
Calcite: s’the piano. Lullaby.
Nova: I didn’t hear your mother get up…
Nova: Must be the autoplay.
Calcite: ….we don’t have that feature.
Nova: What.
Calcite: We don’t have autoplay on that piano, it’s too old. Someone has to be playing it.
Calcite: Or…not. What…?
Nova: Are you sure you don’t have autoplay?
Calcite: I’m positive! How is this happening?
Calcite: This shouldn’t be happening.
Nova: We’re not losing our minds, babe. It’s playing.
Calcite: …not for long. Let me cut the power.
Calcite: There. *sigh* That was…weird.
Nova: …you could say that. Come on–I’ll crash on your floor if you’ll go to bed.
If we’re gonna go we gotta go tonight, go tonight
Why did I say no
If we’re gonna go, we gotta go tonight
We had miles to go
You were mad to reach
Mad to drive
Mad
Mad
And so alive
The space you left
The empty air
I reach
Reach
But you’re not there
And time expands
The beat goes on
You were mad, mad
And now you’re
Over and over
Your words to me echo
Over and over
As I try to let go
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