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Tiben and Orb sat alone in the jungle. Being not far from the fertility tree, Tiben had ushered Orb to one of his secret little hideaways -- a small clearing fitted with a lean-to and a couple of logs to sit on. Eager to improve the meager area, Orb quickly added a large flat stone they had found to the center to act as a table -- impressing Tiben with their (while not superhuman) unusual strength. 

Birds cackled above the pair as they talked freely in their little clearing, Orb clearly enjoying themselves immensely. With a soft rock, Orb was scratching small diagrams into the flatstone, eagerly explaining each mark. With his hands propping his chin up, Tiben listened intently, his eyes following each movement.

“And then you see, well, leading a civilization is just like any other problem -- there is no one solution and not every solution works with different contexts.” Orb explained as they finished the diagram hierarchical autocracy that Polyastera seemed to be proposing.

“What do you mean, exactly?” Tiben looked up from the diagram and at Orb. The mask went silent for a moment, a tiny twinkle behind the peepholes.

“I mean,” Orb rasped happily, “Look at your species and culture, you have different needs and requirements to flourish than say, my species!” They paused, “Well if they existed.”

Tiben hesitated, “Does that bother you at all?”

“Hm?” Orb looked up from their next diagram, one that looked rather less authoritarian than Polyastera’s.

“That you’re the only one, of you,” Tiben explained.

“No,” Orb answered with a reassuring nod, “I think one fills this world’s requirements”

Tiben let out a laugh, “You’re a strange one aren’t you?”

Orb’s fingers tightened around their drawing stone and Tiben shifted, “I didn’t -- I didn’t mean it in a bad way.”

“Oh?” Orb rasped, their shoulders falling.

“You’re unique, it is good, this world needs more out of the box thinkers,” Tiben encouraged.

“Is that why you want to become a leader?” Orb suggested, a small dance on their shoulders as they continued their drawing.

Tiben stared for a while before his face turned serious, “To be honest, no. I don’t even want to be a leader.” Orb looked up at him, their shoulder dance stopping. Tiben ran a hand through his hair, “I was in the heat of it and I just snapped.I just don’t want someone like Polyastera to be the leader of these people. I’m not the only one who thinks that way, I mean look at her, she is very openly selfish and clearly only in this for self gain -- it is just no one has the courage to really speak up because of her fanatics. If she leads, there might be- no... there will be a lot of suffering down the line.”

“So you are doing this for selfless reasons?” Orb’s eyes twinkled as they stared at Tiben. Tiben slanted a smile into his cheek and slowly shook his head.

“I wish I was that honest, Orb.” He sighed, “But really, I do have some things to gain. I- Well I really do want to be known for something, to actually do something that leaves a mark. I don’t want to be a screw up, anymore.” 

“Screw up?” Orb placed their rock down neatly and sat up, “What is wrong?”

Tiben let in a long inhale, “Orb, I have a son-- I have had a son.” He looked away from the mask, but Orb shifted slightly to stay in his sight. “It was with a woman I ended up hating and sure enough she ended up hating me as well. I just wasn’t [i]for[/i] her, but the seed was already planted. I’m sure she feeds him plenty of reasons to hate me, as well.”

“But you said-”

“Yeah I know, during my little rant, I know. I was in the heat of it... I don’t know, Orb. I guess some piece of me thinks that if I did this, and set everything right, that it would magically fix my relationship with my boy as well -- or at least do [i]something[/i],” Tiben tossed a pebble at a tree, “Rather than continuing to just waste away.”

Orb fell silent for a while and stared at their cloaked lap. After a small bout of fidgeting Orb looked back up at Tiben, “I know a story.”

“Oh?” Tiben turned to look at orb.

“From my visions,” Orb nodded, voice full of care, “It’s about two brothers. They found themselves in a terrible place of violence and hate... and so they dared to change it. Everyone hated them for it, of course... except... well.” Orb tapped two index fingers together, “Do you know who didn’t hate them for it?”

Tiben shook his head and Orb gave a hidden grin, “Their children.”

With a slanted smile, Tiben let out a soft chuckle to himself, “Thank you, I think I needed to hear that.”

“You should talk to your offspring,” Orb insisted with a hidden smile. Tiben nodded.

“I will, after this.” He smiled.

“Good!” Orb said enthusiastically before picking up their drawing rock again. The sound of scratching rocks filled the tiny clearing as the two sat in silence. Tiben watching intently, with something clearly on his mind.

“Hey, Orb?”

“Hello.” Orb said without looking up from their drawing.

“Since you were born...” Tiben started, “How many people actually talked with you?”

“Plenty, we are doing it right now, even,” Orb insisted.

“No, I mean... talked with you, as in not at you, not to you, but with you. Like-- yeah, like this.”

Orb looked up, their enthusiasm draining from their voice, a tired rasp replacing it, “Not too many.”

“A shame,” Tiben shook his head, “Because I’ve only known you for so long and I can already tell that you have a lot going on behind that mask.”

“Too much, sometimes!” Orb’s eyes twinkled at Tiben and he could feel their smile, “I’m really glad that you haven’t tried to condescend to me, yet.”

“I don’t think I could,” Tiben looked down at Orb’s drawing, “Not while knowing you have all of this tucked away. I mean, you even learned our language in a matter of days!”

“It was like putting together a puzzle,” Orb happily chuckled, “I enjoyed the process.”

“Well, I’m just glad that we’re friends, then, especially at a time like this,” Tiben said idly.

“Friends?” Orb stared at him for a second too long, a curling smile hidden under their mask.

“Yeah,” Tiben nodded, “Why not.”

Orb goofily laughed to themselves a few times, not really saying anything. After a second more, they cleared their throat, “Maybe when this is all over and the next sequence has begun, everyone can be friends... even Polyastera.” 

“I don’t think that will happen,” Tiben conceded, “No, I have a feeling this might get violent if dragged on too long. I’m hoping Lord Shengshi might hear my reasons before Polyastera tries anything stupid.”

“Stupid, like what?” Orb asked with a tinge of worry in their rasp.

“Well, there is a reason I called Polyastera’s group a bunch of fanatics. Sometimes I wonder how much danger I just put myself into,” Tiben shook his hands, noticing Orb’s growing silence, “But we don’t have to talk about this -- no let’s change it to something a little more light.”

“What’s your son’s designation?” Orb asked suddenly.

Tiben flinched, “Not exactly light... truth is I don’t know.” He quickly defended himself, “I didn’t get to see him born and well my ex-lover kept him away from me for so long after, that by time I had the courage to confront her, I didn’t have the courage to confront my child whose name I didn’t even know. How am I supposed to just-- walk right in after that?”


Orb shrugged, “I apologize.” 

“No, it’s fine... I’ll.” Tiben gulped, “After this, I swear to Orvus, I will see him.” 

Orb nodded, “That’s good.”

Tiben sucked in a breath, “So tell me about the mysterious Orb, then?”

“I like to make things,” Orb said simply, “I find nebulites increasingly complicated, and I enjoy fruit (for my body).”

“That’s a start,” Tiben laughed, before suddenly asking, “So what exactly is behind your mask?

“Oh! Uh!” Orb stuttered, caught off guard by the question, “It’s just a face- just my face.”

Tiben held up his hands, “I’m sorry for asking, it’s just that not every day do I talk to a masked stranger.”

Orb’s voice seemed to drop, “I thought we were friends?”

“We are,” Tiben slapped his forehead, “I’m sorry, forget I mentioned it.”

“I can’t,” Orb said after some straining. Tiben shook his head.

“Want to continue with the diagrams?”

“Yes!” Orb broke into their happy shoulder dance, “This one is modeled after a smaller civilization...”

[hider=Summary]

Orb and Tiben discuss leadership plans and themselves. Tiben reveals he has a child and a bitch of an ex. Orb reveals that they are alright with being the only one of their species, whatever that may be. They become friends and bond.

[/hider]