Chapter Text
Cayde, rightfully, worried about the Guardian. That's how he thought about her in his mind because she couldn't figure out what she wanted to be called. At least not until recently and he was still wrapping his brain around it. But she still smiled. Had been in the Black Garden for days and still smiled. Pujari only dreamed of it between deaths and he never smiled. Not anymore at least. It was like the place sucked the joy out of you.
But she seemed... fine. Untouched by whatever was in there.
He heard her Ghost before he saw them. He was nagging her as he often did. Stand up straight, get some rest, eat something before you passed out. That kinda stuff. Cayde leaned casually against the table. Ikora and Zavala were gone for lunch leaving just him and the Lightless who coordinated the strike offensives. "Well if it isn't my favorite Hunter."
"Don't act surprised to see us, you told us to come here," Ghost said.
"Did I?" Cayde asked and Kassandra moved her helmeted head in such a way that was an eye roll. "How's tricks?"
'Fine,' she signed. The only difference between before and after the Black Garden was she signed more now. He was used to it when she was excited but now she just did it more. He'd messaged her mentor about it but Grey had just said it was fine, she did it all the time Cayde was just finally seeing it.
"When was the last time you ate?"
'Yesterday-
"It was a protein bar and that's it," Ghost tattled on her.
"You try any of the places around the Tower?" Cayde asked, not really waiting for an answer. "It's grub time. We should go."
'I'm busy-
"Of course!" Ghost said. She gave him a look Cayde could feel through her helmet even if it wasn't directed at him.
Cayde slid off the table and slung himself around her shoulders, hand grasping her far arm. "Well then I think you need to try some new food," he said, holding her firm enough that she couldn't dig her heels in and he just dragged her along. "My favorite shop only opens for lunch and since you're with me you'll actually get some food. They run out so fast," Cayde said.
"What is it?" Ghost asked.
"Ramen."
"What's that?" Kassandra asked.
"You don't know? Your mentor's been fucking up," Cayde scoffed as they left the Hall of the Vanguard. "Didn't even take you to a ramen place."
"We've been a little busy of late," Ghost said.
"Grey is a good mentor," she added, almost sounding annoyed Cayde would bad mouth Grey. Which was typical rookie behavior. Had to maintain your mentor's cred after all.
"Lacking if they didn't introduce you to the wonders of broth and noodles," Cayde insisted. Sundance transmatted them both down to a lower part of the Wall where there were eateries and shops along the top. Practically a neighborhood down here. He talked about nothing in particular just whatever came to mind and the Guardian- Kassandra- was a polite listener. You could talk her ear off and she'd just take it.
The eatery was fairly busy but they shoved some stools and tables around to give Cayde and Kassandra a spot. Standing room only at the ramen bar. "You're going to have to take this off to eat," Cayde said, rapping his knuckles on Kassandra's helmet. There were only four things you could order from the menu and Cayde ordered for them both when the waitress came over. He got the cosmically spicy ramen designed almost exclusively for EXO taste buds and for kassandra the normal which was still spicy but nothing too bad.
Kassandra signed, better in this place where it was so loud, after taking off her helmet. 'I was going to play Crucible, you know.'
'Shaxx will live with the disappointment of you standing him up,' Cayde signed back casually, his hands dipping into low hand on some words to make it read as more lackadaisical than normal. Kassandra laughed quietly into her hand. 'How are your friends?' he continued. He didn't normally keep up with every Hunter like this but this... he felt this was important.
'They're fine. Kaley and Rigel finally went on a date.'
'No way!' Cayde waved his hands erratically at that. He knew the two didn't exactly love each other what with Kaley being an upstanding Warlock and Rigel, from what he understood from Glitterbomb and Ikora, was a weirdo.
'Life and death situation you-
"What?" Cayde asked when she stopped herself.
"Uh..."
'What did you do?' he signed seriously.
'Nothing,' and it was so dismissive it made him upset.
'You can tell me. I won't tell the rest of the Vanguard,' he said and made a sign over his chest of a Hunter's Oath. One did not break a Hunter's Oath or it was a century of bad luck.
She grimaced. Then before she could say anything ramen arrived. Cayde let it go. "It's soup?" she asked.
"Ramen," he said.
He was not surprised she was immediately good with the chop sticks but looked at him to see how she should engage with this food. Cayde wasn't hungry exactly but he never missed an excuse for good ramen and this place was the best on the Wall; he dug in. Andal and Tevis had said the way he liked it was hot enough to temporarily damage the inside of their mouths from capsaicin. But by the Traveler it was delicious. He could taste it and that made it the best. Wasn't easy to season some food enough for an EXO to taste it but this place did. Next to him Kassandra mimicked him, using the chop sticks to scoop out the noodles.
She only had one bite before she stopped and looked down at the bowl. "What?" Cayde asked, despite his mouth being full perfectly understandable. "Do you not like it?"
She looked at him and he was taken aback that her purple eyes were almost wet. 'This is the best thing I've ever eaten,' she signed, too emotional for words.
"Right!?" Cayde cried, sucking down the noodles.
"I didn't know food could make you so emotional," Ghost said.
"Don't feel self conscious, Cayde always cries when he finds food he likes too," Sundance said to Kassandra.
"I do not!" Cayde insisted and Kassandra laughed, covering her mouth. "Don't lie to Grey's rookie, she'll believe you and I don't want that getting around," he scolded her. Kassandra was still giggling. "I'm the Vanguard, I don't cry about nothing," he said stoically.
Sundance gave Ghost a look and the two Ghosts rolled their eye. Cayde loved his Ghost. He really did. Sundance was always his better half. But right now he understood why some Guardians shoved their Ghosts into backpacks and pouches.
"This is so good," Kassandra said quietly, almost too quiet to hear in the din. She picked up the spoon and just drank the broth, her eyes closing in complete bliss, a soft sigh on her lips. "It almost-" she looked at her Ghost and Cayde saw a thought shared between them.
"Wow really? I wish I could taste then," Ghost said.
"Me too. It's so good," she said and gently tweaked one of his fins. Cayde wondered what that was about.
"Glad we finally got some real food in you," Cayde said. He then looked at Sundance and she knew exactly what he wanted. She nodded slightly. "Enjoy, it's on me," he added to Kassandra as she was stuffing more noodles and cutlet into her mouth. She just gave him a thumbs up, contently eating her ramen. He made sure Sundance had contacted Mr. Grey about Kassandra eating today and just in his mind Sundance played Mr. Grey's voice, almost like a comm in his head.
"You beat us to it. Grey was about to shove an entire steak in her mouth," Mr. Grey said. Cayde just chuckled and ate his own ramen.