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The Starlit Archives was a place Boomsasok seldom went- if he was interested in even visiting at all. It reeked of dust and old books, of well worn wood and candles which had been burning for far too long. It stank of crushed dreams and overbearing silent defeat. If anything, it was a place which absolutely suffocated him. He’d only truly visited the library once, and he left around ten minutes after arriving. The towers housed there were too easy for his standard, and the archives itself made him want to choke himself out and die. The only people who went there were boring and abrasive, types Boomsasok would cross the street in order to not get close to.
The point is, Boomsasok utterly detested the Archives. He hated it with his entire soul and will and mind- and he’d avoid them at all cost. He didn’t read books, and he didn’t have time to look around. Yet there was one, singular exception to that otherwise steadfast rule: Skitsuna. He was Boomsasok’s very best friend, his only actual friend. Boomsasok had known Skitsuna ever since he first arrived atop the fresh grass of Limbo- when he crossed the threshold and never looked back. Skitsuna had been the first person he ever saw, his first impression of the people which settled in the Inferno. And to Boomsasok- he thought such a first impression was pretty good.
Skitsuna was a man of few words to most, but many to those he knew. To be frank, Boomsasok didn’t quite understand much of Skitsuna’s dialect at first. He was formally spoken and even-toned, with an expression constantly completely even and utterly unreadable. Well, Boomsasok assumed it was even and unreadable- he couldn’t exactly tell. Skitsuna’s body was a black color so stygian it was impossible to feasibly make out any defining features that weren’t his silhouette. Besides the Valkyrie he adorned, and spear clasped on his back, that was.
Yet Skitsuna and Boomsasok were complete polar opposites of each other. If anything, Boomsasok would detest someone akin to Skitsuna- he’d find them boring and bland. Like a stale piece of bread that’d been in the back of a cabinet too long. Though somehow- against all odds and all feasible rules and fundamentals of the Inferno itself- the two stood to befriend one another.
So when Skitsuna gave forth an invitation to the Starlit Archives, written atop a yellowed piece of paper and scrawled in ever-so academic strokes, Boomsasok couldn’t help but accept. Boomsasok knew damn well Skitsuna had a sort of stark love for that stupid place. It was a passion and love which burned so hot it could challenge the aqueous pools of lava which sat in the underbelly of Ring Nine itself. If anything, the Starlit Archives was a place which could act as a magnet for someone such as him. People who speak in formality like books- at least, that’s what Boomsasok always thought.
And that’s exactly how Boomsasok found himself indignantly trudging out of his quaint cliffside cabin in the vast depths of the Lost River- bearing nothing but a vague sense of curiosity. Getting from the very depths of Ring Five down to Ring Eight was a tedious and annoying task, to say the least. Transportation in the Inferno didn’t usually go beyond rickety trams and sketch hot air balloons, neither of which Boomsasok was particularly fond of. If anything, he tried his best to avoid transportation at all costs. But going on foot wasn’t exactly much of an option- if anything, it was ten times more stodgy and tedious, so Boomsasok simply swallowed his complaints and hopped on a tram leading down to Ring Eight.
The way to get to the Starlit Archives wasn’t exactly too difficult. There existed a doorway within a far off passage of Ring Eight which led down to a winding staircase- which subsequently trailed down to the Archives themselves. The staircase was seldom used, far less often than the diving bell which allowed access to the Silent Abyss- or the boat which let one go to and fro from the Lost River. So Boomsasok supposed he was a tad consoled by the fact that many thought the same as he did.
As Boomsasok reached the bottom of the staircase, he pushed open the large, ornate door which acted as the entry point to the cave. There were other ways to get in, like the huge, blackstone waterslide which ended at one of the many pools existing within the cave. Though Boomsasok wasn’t quite keen on getting himself wet- and subsequently fucking up his outfit. He’d just take the boring way like a normal person.
If there was one thing Boomsasok could compliment about the Starlit Archives, it was its location. It was nestled deep inside the bowels of an expansive, lush cave. But the cave itself wasn’t quite the sight, there were tons of huge caves in the Inferno. What was truly majestic was where exactly the cave was. It was positioned between the very barrier of the Singularity and the Inferno itself, as it overlooked much of the celestial body from afar. It was a place where stars intertwined and supernovae burst forth in glorious blooms of spacematter. Yet a majority, if not all of the time, from every possible angle- the Singularity wasn’t visible from this far away. It was more or less just an incoherent mess of orange and white from where the Archives were positioned, so Boomsasok didn’t take his time to look.
Boomsasok brought a hand forward, brushing himself off. The tunnel which he’d just gone through was dusty and dank- the filth sticking to his clothes and refusing to leave easily. He didn’t want to look like he’d just gone to the top of ToCR and back nineteen times over, so he’d take a moment to ensure he at least looked a bit proper.
Turning himself back around, he focused his sight on the Archives settled atop the highest point of the cave. The way he came was at the lowest point of the cave- so he’d have to ascend upward the flights of stairs and such leading to the building. Which wasn’t that tedious of a task, considering that the stairs were nicely kept and such. Despite the fact that the Archives were all but forgotten by a majority of residents in the Inferno, they always seemed well kept. The plants which lined the sides of the stairs were watered and preened on the constant. And despite the fact that the Archives were placed within the mouth of a damp cave, the wood of the building never seemed to rot or wither. Odd, Boomsasok thought- but he wouldn’t dwell for long on such.
And so, he began his journey forth toward the Archives. The building itself was glamorous, especially for a place as ruthless as the Inferno. The outside of the Archives looked akin to the castle down in the depths of Ring Nine- with a constantly raised gate acting as the grandiose entrance to the library. The insides of the Archives were separated into three main wings, all of which were used exclusively for the housing of literary works. The towers themselves- or rather, the portals to the towers- were placed in the bowels of the building, accessed only by an elevator in the front-and-centre of the Archives. Boomsasok had obviously already went ahead and completed all of those towers- mostly to ensure he didn’t have any reason whatsoever to come back down here.
As Boomsasok went past the gate, he was met by another flight of stairs- lined by plants and flora of all sorts and types. He recognized a few species from the Garden of Eeshöl, but many of the others he was completely lost on where they originated from. Though he frankly chose against dwelling on such, deciding simply to tread up the steps and meet Skitsuna wherever he may be. He assumed Skitsuna was already inside the Archives themselves, but he couldn’t be so sure. The Inferno, advanced as it was- didn’t exactly have the resources for cellular devices. Phones and the like were incapable of being mass produced, and landlines were a luxury for only the most elite to shell out on. Boomsasok just supposed the dudes down in Heresy didn’t want to share whatever technologies they were cooking up. So he couldn’t exactly confirm anything with Skitsuna remotely, which was a tad bit of a hitch in the grand scheme of things.
As Boomsasok arrived at the landing of the series of stairs, he was met by the hallway which led to the centre of the Archives, and subsequently the three wings of the building. It was a grandiose sight, in all honesty. The windows which lined the hallway were vibrant stained glass, patterned in such a manner to appear akin to the vibrant, swirling patterns of nebulae. Floating candles were held afloat by odd runes of neon, bobbing up and down slightly as Boomsasok took his steps forward- the vibration gently disturbing their subtle flight.
Boomsasok didn’t want to admit it, but the Archives were a sort of breath of fresh air. The Inferno was designed to be ruthless and unyielding, a place which could make all second guess their choice and flee. Yet the Starlit Archives were.. peaceful. Boom didn’t want to find himself sinking into such a strange mindset, but in all truth, it was true. The Archives were bathed in a constant hush quiet, mostly due to the fact that Boomsasok- and presumably Skitsuna- were the only two currently even there.
Nearing the centre of the Archives, Boomsasok took one final glance around. Skitsuna’s letter requested his presence at six o'clock sharp, and it was since past that. Boomsasok briefly contemplated if he somehow misread the letter and ended up here early by a miracle, but he wasn’t sure. Skitsuna’s handwriting was all fancy, anyway- so he couldn’t put it past himself that he might’ve just read the note askew. He never really learned cursive back in school- or maybe he did, and he just didn’t pay attention at all.
And thus, Boomsasok waited. He waited for what seemed like hours, but in reality, it was probably only about five minutes. Time tended to drag on if he wasn’t completing a tower or doing something else. The thought of leaving briefly crossed his mind, but he pushed it down despite himself. He’d spent an hour and five tickets coming down here, so he might as well get his money’s worth and wait. Even if waiting was arguably the most boring thing one could possibly do in the Inferno.
Yet eventually, something- or rather someone, made their advent. The Starlit Archive’s oppressive quiet was overpowered by only one thing: noise. Not ambient sounds like leaves rustling in a swift gust of air, or the massive, ancient building settling atop its foundation like a sleeping dragon gently stirring in its sleep. No, what Boomsasok heard was footsteps. They were distinct and gentle, like a leaf silently blown about in an autumn breeze. Quiet enough to miss anywhere else, but when quiet is one’s only friend, such becomes a completely different story entirely. One hones in on what’s unusual, what makes bets against the otherwise unyielding veil of hush. And to Boomsasok’s relief, such was the advent of his friend.
“Ah, hello! You have arrived early, yes? You must be excited.” Skitsuna’s voice cut through the air, the man having just ascended the flight of stairs which led up to the southernmost hallway- or the entrance. He sped up in his gait, aiming to not keep Boomsasok waiting any longer. Boomsasok seldom arrived early on many occasions. If anything, he slid in right on time or absurdly late, and there were little cases otherwise.
“Oh- Hey!” Boomsasok offered a smile, before pausing as he processed Skitsuna’s words. “..Early?” Boomsasok muttered, shaking his head for the briefest of moments. “Didn’t your letter say six? I got in here at like.. six fifteen, I’d wager.” Boom swiveled his head, there was a clock hung close by- the hands of the object reading six forty-five o’clock on the dot exactly. He’d been waiting thirty minutes, and Skitsuna was never late to anything, so Boomsasok figured he must’ve fucked up.
“No, Boomsasok. It read seven o’clock. I even scrawled the number itself next to the word so you could see it better.” Skitsuna approached closer, making a gesture with his finger as he did so. Like a pen flying across paper, Boomsasok thought. “..I originally intended to make my advent here early so I could wait a moment or two, but this turns out well enough.”
“Not my fault that you write all fancy. It’s not like you’re inviting me to some exquisite dinner party at the castle in Ring Nine. Ya’ gotta ease off on that.” Boomsasok chided, gesturing with his hands. Frankly, he never quite understood Skitsuna’s stupid formal writing. Maybe Skit had just been down here too long and it was getting to his head- but that was only Boomsasok’s best guess.
“It is simply how I write.” Skitsuna mused, crossing his arms over himself as he decided to simply change the subject at hand. “How have you been? We have seldom talked as of late, yes?”
“Well.. I’m good, but I don’t get why you chose this place to hang out. You know how much I think it sucks. We could’ve just gone.. anywhere else. Like that one bar in the Lost River, yeah?” Boomsasok shrugged, but he wouldn’t necessarily judge Skitsuna’s taste. Even if this place was the worst in all of the Inferno- he’d tolerate it to be with his friend.
“..I am unfortunately aware of your disgust for this place. If anything, that is something you must ease off on, as it sounds as if you’re being sentenced to execution whenever you speak of it.” Skitsuna shook his head, the Valkyrie atop jostling gently as he made the motion.
“If you know I don’t like this place, then we could’ve agreed on something.” Boomsasok muttered, his arms crossing across his chest as he leaned up against a nearby bookshelf- the ancient structure groaning in protest at the sudden addition of weight.
“I know. A conventional “hang out” is not why I’ve brought you here.” Skitsuna began, readjusting the spear positioned across his back to be at a more comfortable angle. Sometimes the handle dug into his skin, and the way the weapon was structured made it awkward to tote around at times. He still kept it on him at all times, though mostly for his own sake. “It is because I’ve discovered an area that I doubt anyone else has even thought of in recent years.”
“..Huh? Like a secret room or whatever?” Boomsasok asked, straightening himself and easing off the shelf. He wouldn’t want to knock it over and get chided by Skit or otherwise.
“Yes, a secret room. Passage, to be specific. It’s down below where the towers are.” Skitsuna replied, brushing past Boom in order to place himself onto the elevator. The elevator didn’t exactly have conventional doors or railings, appearing more as a circular indentation in the wood when it was on the first floor and idle.
“Alrighty.” Boomsasok replied, assuming he simply ought to follow Skitsuna. He didn’t bother memorizing the layout of this place, especially not all the little corridors and such tucked away in far off corners of the Archives.
“..It’s down in the deepest section.” Skitsuna made a gesture with his hands, though it was directed to nowhere in particular. “..The psychologically unsafe one.” He quickly clarified, moving forward and pressing the button in order to make the elevator descend into the belly of the Archives below.
“Sure. Is this dangerous or whatever? Not really up to getting myself crushed today.” Boomsasok stumbled on his footing for a moment, before readjusting himself as the elevator began to move. The ancient inner mechanisms of the elevator screeched and hissed in protest as they begrudgingly started to turn, clicking sounds resonating from beneath the two.
“Most likely not.” Skitsuna moved one of his hands to grasp the small railing the elevator possessed. It's not like the elevator moved particularly fast nowadays, it wasn’t quite kept up enough for such to be true. “I would drag you down here to explore if where I am taking you is dangerous. At least I do not believe it is..”
“Don’t be so vague, Skit. On both fronts. ” Boomsasok rebuked, glancing around as the elevator dipped beneath the floor of the Archives, miscellaneous clockwork and the like passing them by. Boomsasok would much prefer to be back upstairs rather than wherever Skitsuna was taking him. It was so dusty and dank down here that it was nigh unbearable, and far past unpleasant. He also really wasn’t up for dying, either.
“..I am being vague for your sake, Boomsasok. I simply wish for it to be a surprise.” Skitsuna shook his head in response, tapping his fingertips against the railing in order to keep himself busy.
“I just wanna know what I’m getting myself into, man. I’d probably rewrite my own obituary from beyond the grave if I ended up kicking the bucket down here. Dying in a library would be such a shitty way to go.” Boomsasok rolled his eyes beneath his sunglasses, directing his gaze away from Skitsuna. He simply told himself that the wall looked awfully more interesting right now, anyway.
“You waste your energy with your distaste.” Skitsuna began. “Everything has its idiosyncrasies and oddities. To allow such to overtake you in such a manner is dense.” Skitsuna redoubled over himself for a moment as the elevator screeched to a swift, imprecise halt. He wished it could’ve been slightly less of an intense landing, but he supposed he couldn’t pray on such.
“Sure, man. I give almost everything a chance, but this place isn’t it.” Boomsasok rebuked, uncrossing his arms as the elevator came to a halt. He stepped off of the platform, Skitsuna following suit soon thereafter. It was slightly chilly down here- just enough for it to be noticeable. Especially considering that most of the Inferno got above a hundred degrees at all time, Boomsasok took even the most menial of cold as a moment of repose.
“Be that way, then.” Skitsuna replied, a vague hint of bitterness in his tone. He went ahead of Boomsasok, gesturing for him to follow. Skitsuna knew the way from here pretty damn well- he’d managed to memorize the layout a bit before requesting Boomsasok's presence. He wouldn’t want to bother just to stumble around for fifteen or so minutes.
“It is right between here.” Skitsuna spoke, positioning himself between where Steeple of Forlorn Blizzard and the Tower of Fleeing From Everything Ending were. The area down here was cluttered and ragged, bookshelves lining the floor and miscellaneous filth and dust clinging to the boards. Skitsuna never quite liked going down here, and he especially didn’t enjoy having to shove himself past a cramped area just to access where he wished to go.
“..Are you kidding me? I’d rather light myself on fire and jump off the castle down in Ring Nine than go through there.” Boomsasok spat incrediously, his tone imbued with a thick venom. If he wasn’t already put off, then he sure as hell was now. He was probably gonna get dust up his nose and sneeze for one nonillion years if he were to shove himself through those two bookshelves.
“You have braved much worse. It is worth it, unless- you do not believe it is.” Skitsuna countered, his reply vague at best. He pushed against one of the bookshelves, attempting to at least forge a wider gap between the two. It wasn’t pleasant over here, so he could see where Boom was coming from, at least. Though Skitsuna knew that it was an overreaction all the same.
“Whatever, man. This better be good.” Boomsasok grumbled something incoherent under his breath- a mixture of complaint and insult to the Archives, Skitsuna assumed. He brushed past the bookshelves, covering his mouth with the crook of his elbow. “Where to now?”
“Follow me.” Skitsuna replied, walking forward in a seemingly aimless direction. About three steps into his walk- Skitsuna hit the wall, which wasn’t necessarily surprising. It was difficult at best to see down here outside of the menial light which the candles and stars offered. He felt around the wall, his fingers hooking beneath something, a hatch or lever, if he was to guess. He didn’t quite know exactly what it was, but he presumed it to be a switch of some sort. He would’ve been able to see it if he had his lantern from ToDD on him- but he left it back at his home.
“You just hit the wall.” Boomsasok stated the obvious, pointing a finger at Skitsuna as if that would change anything. It’d hadn’t even been thirty minutes since he’d gotten here and he already wanted to snap his own neck in two and die on the spot.
“..Be patient for two seconds.” Skitsuna retorted, the latch making a clicking noise as Skitsuna locked the mechanism in its place- a hidden entrance swinging open soon thereafter. Skitsuna backed away two paces, bumping into Boom as he did so. “This is what I was referring to. Is this interesting to you yet, or must I complete ToER in under fifteen minutes with my eyes closed?” Skitsuna continued, his voice a vague, ironic drawl.
“..Nope, I’m good.” Boomsasok murmured, his eyes narrowing beneath his sunglasses as he attempted to peer within the dark passage. From what he could see, it was lined with stone brick rather than wooden plank, like most of the Archives were.
“..Do you perhaps have a light on you?” Skitsuna inquired, standing at the mouth of the passage as if it was the entrance to a horrifically dangerous cave. He hadn’t gone through it yet, mostly because he wanted to have an accomplice just in case things went south. He could handle himself fine, but he wouldn’t want to get trapped in some far off corner and get fossilized.
“..Oh, yeah. One second.” Boomsasok muttered, reaching upwards and snagging one of the candles which were magically suspended above the bookshelves of the Archives. “..You could just grab one of these. Doesn’t really matter if we have a light or anything if there's just these floating around.”
“..I suppose that is correct.” Skitsuna muttered, eyeing the candle from the corner of his vision before fixing it ahead. “If you have the light, then you lead the way.” Skitsuna slid out of the way, nudging Boomsasok’s back in a motion of ushering him forward.
“Fine, fine. You’re the one with the big spear, though.” Boomsasok gestured to the weapon bound to Skitsuna’s back, the object textured akin to ice. It wasn’t actual ice, as it would’ve melted long ago- but it certainly had the effect of the actual material. Why Skitsuna took it with him practically everywhere bewildered Boom, but he supposed it wasn’t his place to judge or whatever. “If there’s.. a big spider in here, then you’re gonna kill it.”
“..That’s profoundly unrealistic at best.” Skitsuna muttered, stepping within the corridor as Boom started inside. Sure enough, it.. wasn’t exactly anything special, besides the actual location of the passage being unmarked in the map of the Archives. It made Skitsuna wonder exactly what this could’ve previously been used for. Transportation, perhaps? Like a maintenance tunnel for express access between different areas of the building? But that didn’t exactly make much sense, considering how far down they were.
“Why the hell is this even here? It doesn’t even seem.. practical or anything.” Boomsasok stated the blatant, turning himself sideways in order to better fit in the confines of the passage. If he was to compare, the passage reminded him of the stairwell he was forced to descend to get here in the first place, albeit significantly less traversed.
“..I do not know. My best possible guess is for the librarians to travel around the Archives away from the foottraffic. Or for maintenance.” Skitsuna replied, eventually just shrugging. He unsheathed the spear from its previously idle position, holding it clasped in his grasp so it wouldn’t scrape against the walls and damage itself. He’d much rather keep the passage- and subsequently his spear- intact. He had received the weapon long ago, so long ago that he could not quite recall where he got it from. He knew it was outside of the Inferno for sure, but he couldn’t quite remember much since he’d arrived. The details got fuzzy after a while, if he tried to think too far back in his life.
“Sure, let’s go with that.” Boomsasok outstretched his arm, attempting to cast the candle’s meager light forward across the walls. It didn’t do much, in all honesty. It was like attempting to shine a flashlight beam into the bottom of the Mariana’s trench, you couldn’t exactly see anything no matter how bright the beam shone. Now that he was really thinking about it, this entire idea seemed awful on Skitsuna’s part. Why wouldn’t he just ask the librarians about this stupid passage? Or better yet, just leave it alone and go on with.. whatever the hell he does.
“This sucks..” Boomsasok muttered vaguely, his words a mere zephyr. Like an autumn leaf gently dancing in a quiet gust of wind. He moved a hand up to clasp his hat, securing it firmly atop his head. Boom had patience, endurance, consistency, a will of steel- but those things all but crumbled to dust in the face of this. This passage seemed to stretch on for hours, and it could merely just be a dead end by the time they reached the cutoff. An architectural leftover, perhaps. Boomsasok found himself wanting to turn around, but he knew he couldn’t just yet. If this was all just a monolithic waste of time, at least he could jab at Skitsuna for dragging him into this.
“..I know it does.” Skitsuna replied, his words swift and obvious like thunder. Skitsuna never blamed Boomsasok for his distaste of this place, if anything, it was just. Boomsasok’s attitude, annoying as it is- isn’t something that Skitsuna can blame.
“..Huh?” Boomsasok turned his head on a swivel, whipping around as he registered exactly what was uttered to him. If Skitsuna knew this was awful, then they could probably turn around and go hang out somewhere actually half decent- or better yet, complete a tower, perhaps.
“..Yes. In your own words, this sucks. It is a profound wash, even.” Skitsuna repeated, a quiet sigh escaping him.
“Don’t you love this place? Why the hell are you all of a sudden saying it sucks?” Boomsasok uttered incredulously, gazing at Skitsuna as if he had just stated the secrets of the universe. If Boomsasok could recall correctly, Skitsuna spent practically all of his time down here. Why would he all of a sudden turn around and say he hates this place?
“I’ve never liked reading. I find it a waste of time, a bore. This entire place reeks of desperation and shattered dreams. I do not like the Archives itself. If anything, I would rather spend my time anywhere else.” Skitsuna took a breath in, glancing up at Boom. Skitsuna never really explained why he spent most of his time in the Archives, he didn’t exactly see a reason to. It wasn’t anyone’s business besides his own, but now he supposed he might as well explain himself.
“..Then why are you down here all the time? That makes no sense, Skit.” Boom retorted, shoving his free hand down into his pocket. This place was so dusty it’d probably end up clinging to his skin and clothes like a vice.
“Because of what it is. It is a gateway into the cosmos, as practically everyone knows. It’s.. fascinating, truly, being so close to space yet so far.” Skitsuna paused for a moment, his walk slowing for a moment before he picked up the pace once more to match Boom’s stride. “Tell me. Have you ever wanted to see the stars? I do not mean to just look at them from the ground or a telescope- not something idiotic like that.”
“..I guess. As in, from a spaceship or whatever? Up close?” Boomsasok gestured with his hand, making a motion akin to a flick of the wrist- albeit awkwardly because of the candle held intertwined in his fingers.
“No, not from a spaceship or otherwise unnatural object. Up close, however, yes. More than anything, that is what I want. I don’t want anything else, not in my life, not ever. I only like the Archives because it is the closest I’ll ever get to the stars, Boomsasok. I could care less about the books and the lore and the literature and the art.” Skitsuna’s words were dry, yet they were wrought with emotion like a monsoon bearing down upon an otherwise desolate wasteland.
“..Yet despite how close we are, they are still so blurry, so incoherent. I’ve been down here trying to find the best angle to truly gaze at them, but I have come up with absolutely nothing. I hoped this passage could bring me to what I want, but I severely doubt this’ll be anything other than a dead end, if I am realistic with myself.” Skitsuna looked at the inferno with a bitter attitude. It was a place of suffering and menial joy, a place where the dead go to die and a place where most lose hope within themselves. He never found it a pleasure, it truly wasn’t supposed to be. And the Archives were the same. They stuck something Skitsuna wanted so badly and dangled it in front of his face in a jealous taunt. It felt personal, though he knew it wasn’t, but a traitorous, wretched part of himself whispered otherwise.
“..I- Skit..” Boom drawled, his expression twisting in a mixture of unease and vague sense of regret. “I mean, you’re still close, yeah? Like we’re basically right there when it comes down to it.” Boom hadn’t ever considered himself a correct person. He found himself being wrong about many things, may it be one or another. If anything, he was usually the corrected instead of the corrector. But he never thought he’d be so dead wrong about something so blatant.
”No. To be close isn’t enough for me. I want to be there, not to see them from a blurred lens. I don’t want to be played for a fool.” Skitsuna retorted, his grip tightening on his spear until his knuckles turned a dark gray around the hilt. Maybe his desire was greedy, but perhaps he just wanted the bare minimum. Maybe Ring Two or Four would be a better fit than Eight.
“..Yet now we’re a hundred feet underground going through the Inferno’s version of the catacombs.” Skitsuna never loved the Archives, his love was hate, hate that burned so hot it could make the lava in the deepest parts of the Inferno tremble in fear. This place had played him for a mere fool, and it was stupid of him to take the bait, and to drag his friend into it.
Boomsasok didn’t have much of a reply to that. He focused his gaze ahead, his vision briefly blurring in a lapse before he forcibly blinked it away. “..We won’t know for sure until we get to the end of this. We’ve already been.. walking too long to go back now.” He didn’t want to address the rest of Skitsuna’s words. He probably wouldn’t be able to stomach them right now. Maybe later within the comfort of his own personal time, perhaps.
“..Maybe. If there is an end to this. Do you even see anything?” Skitsuna asked, his fingers loosening on his spear’s hilt, lax enough to hold comfortably- yet clasped enough to ensure it wouldn’t slip from his clutches. He brought one of his palms briefly up to his Valkyrie, adjusting the hat atop his head.
“Not so far.” Boomsasok paused for a moment, before taking a breath in. “..Hey, Skit.”
“..What?” Skitsuna’s gaze flitted up, his eyes previously fixed on the floor and passage ahead rather than Boom in front of him.
“..I spy.. with my little eye.. something gray.” Boomsasok bit down on his lip, a brief smirk crossing his features. His utterance was so profoundly stupid, but he may as well give it a shot nonetheless. Otherwise, what was the point?
“..Are you kidding me? You must be pulling my leg.” Skitsuna had to do a double take to even confirm if what Boomsasok said was what he actually uttered, or if he was simply going mad down here. “There is absolutely no way-“
“Yeah, there is a way. Answer me, man.” Boomsasok swiveled himself, moving a finger down to prod Skitsuna in the chest. “Something gray. I think it’s pretty obvious, if you ask me.” Boomsasok reached a hand upward to readjust his shades, the other still holding the candle.
“..We are surrounded by gray. The walls, the floor, and the roof are all gray.” Skitsuna released one of his hands from his spear, gesturing in reference to the entirety of the space surrounding them. Well, it wasn’t entirely plausible for the walls to be gray, if Skitsuna was looking at them from a more subjective perspective. They’d likely hadn’t been cleaned in decades, so perhaps they could’ve originally been white, or maybe even some other vibrant color, but that was a stretch.
“Ding ding ding! Really wasn’t expecting you to get that, damn.” Boomsasok released his lip from his teeth, allowing a grin to fully stretch across his face. Skitsuna, however, didn’t look as joyous as he did. “Alright, alright. Your turn. Tell me something I gotta spot.”
Skitsuna brought a hand to pinch at the bridge of his would-be nose, an exasperated, nigh disappointed sigh escaping him. “..Okay. I spy, with my eye, someone very dense.” Skitsuna pressed a finger next to his “eye”, before lowering his hand back to his spear.
“..Wow, man, Don’t say that about yourself, that’s not cool. You know there’s-“ Boomsasok snickered, before he forced the noise down. “Resources for that- ha, yeah.”
“..I-! I never said that it was about me. We’re the only two people within this tunnel!” Skitsuna gestured with his spear, shaking the object vigorously in his grasp. He ought’ to poke Boom with the edge of the weapon, but he wasn’t up for his friend bleeding out down in the middle of nowhere.
“Sooouundsss likee you said it about yoursellllff..” Boomsasok’s snicker broke out into a cackle, his free hand moving to cover his mouth as he resisted doubling over himself. He tensed his fingers tight around the candle, ensuring it wouldn’t slip free from his grasp and splat on the ground.
“I genuinely ought’ stab you with this.” Skitsuna shoved the bottom of his icy spear into the back of Boomsasok’s knee, the force of the mock blow not nearly enough to send the man sprawling onto the floor. If Boomsasok wasn’t clutching the sole light source they had, he’d probably do so.
“Skit! Come on!” Boomsasok turned himself around partially, playfully shoving Skitsuna away from him with a smirk. “Don’t start, Skit. I hold the candle, which obviously means I shouldn’t be dissected by your little glorified icicle.” He gestured with a finger towards the aforementioned weapon, his gaze still fixed behind him.
“..Wait, Boom-“ Skitsuna began, his previously somewhat steady walk breaking into a light sprint before-..
“Ow-! What the hell?” Boomsasok ran into something, something solid. Not stone or otherwise, no- he ran into something wooden. A door, perhaps, or maybe a false wall. “..Is this a door?” He stepped away from the place he’d bumped into, turning around enough to ensure he didn’t run himself into Skitsuna, either.
Skitsuna snorted, shaking his head at Boom’s antics before snagging the candle from his grasp and brushing past him. “What else could it be? It is wood, right?” Skitsuna carefully sheathed his spear behind his back once more so he could have both hands free, angling it so it wouldn’t damage itself. He felt around the wall, lowering the candle down to the height where a doorknob ought to be placed. And sure enough, there stood a brass knob against the otherwise nigh rotten wood. He could probably break the door down with or without the knob, the former simply made the job a far easier task.
“..Come here, it appears we’ve reached the end of this passage.” Skitsuna rolled his head over his shoulder, twisting the knob and pressing his weight up against the door as he did so. With a complainant, wretched screech, the door swung open as if the hinges which bound it were its own personal purgatory.
“Sick. See? Didn’t need to get negative like me, Skit.” Boomsasok nudged Skitsuna through the doorway with his elbow, a smirk crossing his mouth before the expression died as Skitsuna turned around. Boomsasok glanced around the area in which the passage had led into, his eyes involuntary blinking multiple times before they readjusted to the newfound light. Somehow, this area had light- not light from candles or other unnatural sources, no. There was light coming from above, whatever area they were in was open.
“..Odd.” Skitsuna slowly set the candle down onto the ground, watching as the object floated upwards before stopping at a height of around seven or so feet. “..Where does this even lead? We must have been walking for at least half a mile.” Skitsuna craned his head upwards, the structure above them a spiral staircase stretching upward. The actual room they were in was a cylindrical structure stretching no more than ten or so feet wide, a pole in the centre supporting the staircase. The walls and floor of the area were stone brick, much like the passage that had come just before.
“..No idea, but we came all this way, so we might as well climb it. I don’t even see anything from down here besides some light.” Boomsasok gestured above with a finger, temporarily lowering his shades as he craned his head upwards.
“We may as well get started, then. No point in waiting.” Skitsuna tugged on Boomsasok’s jacket, ushering him along as he went first up the staircase. He wasn’t necessarily keen on the entire structure crumbling down beneath his feet, so he focused himself on quickly getting to the top rather than going at a casual pace for each step.
“Coming! Don’t gotta treat this like it's the final stretch of ToCA..” Boomsasok called, following after Skitsuna and matching his pace a mere step behind. The light from above was getting steadily brighter the closer they got, its magnitude almost hurting the eyes in terms of its brilliant luminosity.
“I don’t know about you, but I don’t want this staircase to break beneath us.” Skitsuna replied, glancing down to ensure the steps were stable and sound. There didn’t appear to be any cracks or knicks in the concrete, so he was about ninety percent sure the staircase was fine to walk on, but he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious nonetheless.
“..Wouldn’t going faster on the steps apply more pressure or whatever?” Boomsasok countered, looking at Skitsuna with an expression of vague suspicion, albeit if it was only to poke fun at the man in question.
“..Don’t argue with me.” Skitsuna muttered, shaking his head as he fixed his gaze ahead. The steps came to an end almost as quick as they began, despite the fact they were so far underground. There had been a few short staircases and such throughout the passage, so perhaps that contributed to increasing their elevation beforehand, but Skitsuna couldn’t necessarily be sure.
“Jeez, alright.” Boomsasok took a breath in, pressing himself up against the pole supporting the steps as Skitsuna came to a halt. “What’s up here? Can’t see much of anything from this angle.” He murmured, catching his breath before positioning himself upright and easing off the pole. The staircase had seemed to lead up into a flat cliff of some sort, near the top of the cave- if Boomsasok could see correctly. That was merely his best guess, though.
“..Boom?” Skitsuna murmured, his voice quiet and almost vacant. He turned around, his fingers having a subtle shake to them. Not quite noticeable enough to be truly visible, but it was certainly there nonetheless. “Look.” Skitsuna’s hand shot forward, heaving Boomsasok forcibly up the last couple of steps with a haphazard grunt. He glanced behind him briefly, before practically rushing forward into the open.
“..Yeah?” Boomsasok rounded the corner, preparing himself to follow Skitsuna before he paused. They had somehow managed to reach the highest point in the Archives, right near the mouth of the cave itself, where the largest waterfall began from. And by god, it was beautiful. As Skitsuna had said, and as Boomsasok had observed himself, the stars and celestial life surrounding the cave was nigh impossible to observe from within, appearing more or less as condensation on a freezer door rather than something to actually, truly look at. But this? This was something different entirely, something neither Boom nor Skit could even feasibly imagine themselves.
“Do you.. not see?” Skitsuna didn’t even turn himself to gaze at Boom, merely keeping his gaze fixed on the sight in front of him. Not only were the stars visible, but so was the Singularity. The Singularity was a glorious thing. A celestial body of incomprehensible mass, the start of nothing, and the end of nowhere at the same time. It was everything the universe had to offer condensed into one singular mass, and Skitsuna couldn’t place it into words how truly magnificent it was to see it. The Singularity was a structure which curved into itself at impossible angles, each of its rings surrounding its outer area swerving about around itself like a seraph. The rings themselves had patterns etched across them, implausible symbols which none could possibly think to translate and describe, for they were not meant to be read, nor seen.
“..I- I see it alright.” Boomsasok clambered to the edge of the cliff, sitting himself down and allowing his legs to dangle off the edge. Skitsuna came up to his side soon thereafter, haphazardly throwing himself onto the ground and sitting cross legged. “..I-.. uh.. I don’t know what to..” Boomsasok cut himself off, simply choosing to shake his head. Stars peppered across the sky like fresh pinpricks of breath in an otherwise unfathomable void, bits of stray rock which was once part of the cave floating around as if attempting to reach for both the Singularity and the stars and cosmos which surrounded it.
“..Don’t say anything.” Skitsuna raised a hand, placing it on Boom’s shoulder. The Singularity wasn’t the only thing that could be seen from this angle, no. Before them, great plumes of stardust danced about, caressing the edge of the cave like zephyrs of air. The colors were inexplicable, like every color Skitsuna had ever seen meshed into one mass, or perhaps thrown onto a canvas with purpose he could not possibly grasp at all. Whatever it was, he found it magnificent, just as the rest of the celestial bodies in front of them were. It was as if the stars, the Singularity- everything around them was just as alive as they were.
Boomsasok merely nodded in response to Skitsuna’s words, the palm atop his shoulder nothing more than a vague afterthought. He’d never really grasped Skit’s words previously. A dream to see the stars was a dream of many, but a dream all rational individuals, rational as Skitsuna was- knew they’d never even feasibly come close to achieving. Boomsasok knew that this was the closest they’d ever get, if anything, they were right there. If either of them were to get a running start and leap off the cliff, they could probably brush their fingertips against some of the cosmic soup.
“..You can.. you can speak now.” Skitsuna spoke, his voice a distant murmur. His hate for the Archives wasn’t hatred at all. The Archives wasn’t a taunt, it was the Inferno’s declaration of fiery passion and love for all of its inhabitants, and Skitsuna saw that with newfound clarity, and as did Boomsasok. The Inferno wasn’t where suffering stood prominent, the Inferno wasn’t a vicious place bearing nothing but unyielding hatred- it was as welcoming as a cozy cottage nestled deep in the crook of a mountainside. It was as gentle as a mother wolf with her cub. It wasn’t a place to loathe and hate, it was a place to admire and cherish. Despite how Skitsuna told himself he hated it, despite the fact that Skitsuna had spite laid deep within the vicious chasms of his soul, he knew the Inferno wasn’t somewhere he could hate, it wasn’t somewhere anyone could hate.
“..I don’t think I want to. This.. This is fine.” Boomsasok’s voice was quiet, as quiet as he’d been since he could remember. He’d never found himself infatuated with space, he never found himself stopping to admire nature, even if it was the most magnificent, gut wrenching view he’d ever laid eyes upon. He’d pass it by and let it go, release it from his grasp like a dove at a ceremony. And he’d never, ever, ever, found himself liking the Archives. But now? He saw it from a different standpoint, not one of hatred, not one of loathing, but one of admiration, one of peace. The Archives wasn’t that bad, and both Skitsuna and Boomsasok saw that was all but true, now. “..It’s lovely, even.”
“..I think, no, I definitely agree.” Skitsuna murmured, his gaze only temporarily lifting from the cosmos to look at Boomsasok, before it flit back to the stars not even the moment after.