Welcome to Gaia! ::

The more his girlfiend was consumed by her civilian responsibilities, the more Carnelian found himself within the embrace of the Negaverse. He would ask to be taken down to headquarters whenever to chance struck (and he happened to meet someone with teleporting capabilities) so he could pass the time pretending he was being productive. As it was, the corrupt senshi was wandering the halls (they could only loosely be called 'halls', more like open vast corridors) aimlessly. Ever so often he would make eye contact with another agent, who would either stare, bewildered, or would give him a wide berth. Carnelian shook his head and continued on.

He was aware of an influx of new recruits sometime within the last few weeks, effectively ending his tenure as "newest of the new". He could vaguely sense them now in the Negaverse, very faint pinpricks of ink like his own energy signature, though more closely aligned with that of Chaos. Where his energy, and that of those like him, was in comparison to the energy of Chaos, he was not sure. It wasn't something Carnelian liked to dwell on. It creeped him out a little more than he liked to admit. No, instead he wanted to focus on meeting some of the new agents and wandered his way to where most of them seemed to be teleported in.

There, he found a petite blonde boy with a lovely coat not unlike his own leaning against an ebony pillar. He looked to be in his mid-to-late teens and was a good six inches shorter than Carnelian. Aww, and he had, what was that? A paintbrush? Now that was a weapon! A true artiste, something that could be appreciated! Swiftly and near-silently, the corrupted senshi found himself behind the boy and around the pillar. Peeking out, he tapped the boy on the shoulder.

"Ah, admiring the view, are we?"

Oh good, he was taught to sense others. A point in his favor! Carnelian smiled and switched sides to stand opposite of where he tapped the boy on the shoulder, leaning against the pillar with one arm. It wasn't often that he found other Negaverse agents who weren't wary of him, but the corrupted senshi chalked it up to inexperience. The smooth ends of his coat brushed against his legs. "Sometimes, large meetings will be called. That's also a great way to meet others."

Tapping his chin with a finger, Carnelian smiled. He knew the hole in his forehead and chest were clearly visible, but introductions were proper and in order. "I'm known as Carnelian. It's a pleasure to me you." His voice was low as if they were having a very private conversation. The older man did honestly want to know, besides the fundamental basics, what set Negaverse officers apart from corrupted senshi. Did they have different missions? Different chains of command? Maybe this boy would know, maybe he wouldn't.

Taking a step back, Carnelian gave the boy a deep and polite bow. While they were technically equals in terms of power, he had a gentlemanly streak about him that he couldn't break. "Senshi of Pain." he added on. That information could be useful, especially if the Negaverse lieutenant didn't know much about senshi in general. Perhaps he now had someone to take under his wing!

Clicking his tongue, Carnelian shifted his weight fluidly from one leg to the other. His height on the lieutenant almost made him self-conscious. He brushed the long braid of his hair over his shoulder to play with the ends while he spoke. "Corrupted? I prefer the term 'enlightened'. Corrupted makes us sound like we're doing something wrong, when really, we're just trying to make amends for what the terrorists are doing." Carnelian's voice was smooth and even as he really and truly believed everything he said. He followed Euclase's belief system to the tee; if it weren't for her, he would not have even considered joining the war.

The paintbrush was precious. Absolutely precious, but sadly not very useful. What Queen Beryl was thinking when she gave out such useless tools was beyond Carnelian, but he wasn't about to question his queen. Who expected the newly recruited to do any real damage anyway? What could Benitoite do to someone? Hope to stab them with a semi-blunt object? The corrupted senshi felt sorry for new lieutenants. "I play the same part you do, Benioite - I'm basically a lieutenant like you, but I don't have a weapon. I have a senshi's magic instead." With a smile, Carnelian started to walk around the other side of the pillar. He was somewhat restless, but mostly interested in an officer that didn't have an outright aversion to him just because he was what he was.

The hole in his chest was a badge of honor as far as he was concerned, or at least he tried to tell himself that. "Euclase and I were brought into the Negaverse together by Lyra and Zinkenite, and we've been here ever since. I'm told I'm supposed to have some higher officer act as a handler for me, but I have yet to find someone willing to do so."

The corrupted senshi continued his languid half-circle around the lieutenant, listening to the ends of his coat furl with his movements. "The Queen is our queen - Queen Beryl. As far as I know, she's the highest point in our organization. She's the driving force in our side of the war. The senshi want to place an alien ruler in power on earth and turn everyone into mindless slaves, but we won't let that happen."

His heels clicked against the floor as Benitoite explained how Zinkenite, the one Carnelian found to be his half-brother, had brought him into the Negaverse as well. It seemed that he was quite busy these days. Not that there was anything wrong with that. Life had taken his dear Euclase away from him and he pined for her, but also knew she'd appreciate his dedication to duty when she returned. He'd have to make things up to her. "Euclase is the senshi of suffering. We make a most excellent team, I think, but I have yet to come across one of the terrorists to battle. Oh well~" came his singsong reply, and in a flash, he was leaning into Benitoite again.

"Maybe I'm just too much for a handler right now. But tell me, do you have... someone special in your life~?" Something about the lieutenant's fiercely rigid demeanor made Carnelian's skin prickle with excitement. There was a shell to crack and by God, he would be the one to at least chip away at it.

The discussion of tin foil hats made him chuckle, a smile racing across the corrupted senshi's face. "Tin foil hats! Yes, aliens, like the ones from Mars who are all green and tiny, with very large eyes. Yes, yes!" He broke down into more laughter, idly wondering if he would have turned into something from Close Encounters of the Third Kind if he'd kept up being on the wrong side of the war. How hideous! "If only the general populous knew what we were protecting them from! Property damage, kidnapping and dreadful, dreadful alien invasions. We should have a parade in our honor, I think!"

Still leaning in to Benitoite, Carnelian couldn't quite tell if he disarmed the boy or not. Truth be told, he rather liked to know about people's personal lives, but only to benefit them. If this lieutenant had a horrible home life, Carnelian might have adopted him. If he needed some help moving or needed advice, the corrupted senshi would lend a shoulder. If the boy was looking for love, well! If Carnelian could find someone he was wholly devoted to, then who was to say that others in the Negaverse couldn't find love? But to answer his questions... "One parent, a divorcee, and two sisters for a family. I'd like to think I vigorously protect them from the sparkles and sunshine the senshi supposedly tout. How horrible."

He then stepped away from the lieutenant and placed his hands on his hips, walking slowly in an oval in front of the boy. "Ah, but no one special in your life? I have Euclase - she's my friend, lover, partner... my everything! I would like to think that everyone deserves such a person in their lives. It helps you continue to do what you must do!" Turning around in a flurry to face the boy, Carnelian smiled. "So! What's your type? Boy, girl? Hopeless romantic? Someone more stoic?"

Ah! Now there was the reaction he was looking for! The blush was downright adorable and Carnelian had to use every ounce of self-control not to smoosh his little cheeks like an aunt does to their niece or nephew. No, he had to maintain an air of nonchalance as long as he could before he devolved into someone's overbearing older brother. He loved to do it, though.

"Who says it's none of my concern? I'm part of the Negaverse too, you know, and if there's anything I've learned, it's that happy workers are better workers. And if you're not happy, your productivity goes down." Carnelian started to close the difference between the two, the blush like a lure to him. This was just too much fun, but it was a lighthearted kind of fun. Carnelian truly didn't seek to hurt anyone - he was just too overzealous about helping people in the romance department. "So you see, it is my concern! Really and truly, think of me as your be-coated Cupid~"

Now that was a most excellent idea! He could even offer his services to others and tout himself as the matchmaker of the Negaverse. How adorable would that be? "Forget the parades and the medals and the little green aliens. Tell me a little bit about yourself! Who are you seeking to complete the other half of your soul, hmm~?"

"Diapers? Really boy, you have paid attention to ancient myth, haven't you?" Carnelian chuckled. He wasn't offended by the diaper comment, but felt that Benitoite's arrogance earned him a little snip from the corrupted senshi. "Cupid, Eros... same thing, only one has been warped by the Romans and beyond. What I mean to say is that I would act as your guide in the land of romance~ And unless you say otherwise, I'm going to assume..." Stepping in very close to the boy, Carnelian put his hand over his chin to very closely examine him. "...you're the silent type but secretly yearning for someone to have and to hold, and to do the same to you! You'd never admit your love for them in public, of course. Unless I'm wrong."

He then took a step back. "Maybe... a fascinating and quiet young lady who is as interested in painting as you are!" he declared, pointing to Benitoite's paintbrush. Surely the fact that he had it at all meant something! "A simple beauty, not some buxom thing with a penchant for showing off her body. Someone more down-to-earth, someone you could spend your evenings with indoors, chatting it up over a book and sitting by a fireplace. You look like a cuddler. Yes indeed, I can just tell, you know!" Carnelian was really making most of this stuff up, but he was hoping one or more of these things would apply to the lieutenant and it would garner another blush or some sort of reaction.

"Someone you could hold hands with discreetly, someone who would blush at your every compliment. Someone fascinated by the mind and with a love of the arts. Am I getting warm yet?" Naturally, he completely ignored the younger boy's protests because, dammit, there was something lurking just beneath the surface and Carnelian was determined to bring it to life! If Benitoite would just give in, things would be so much easier! Why didn't he understand that?

Carnelian smiled and clapped his hands, utterly delighted. He was getting warmer! "Okay, so no public displays of affection and no tittering at your every word. I understand." Tapping his chin, the corrupted senshi went about pacing again, thinking aloud. How he loved to delve into people's love lives and assist them as best he could! Even if they protested. Really, that's just a cry for more help as far as he was concerned.

The Negaverse Matchmaker-in-Training had a plan. "Someone with a level head, then, someone who could match you intellect but is yet different enough that things remain interesting!" Slapping his fist into an open palm, Carnelian continued down this train of thought with nothing a smile on his face. "An equal! Someone with similar or shared interests but some of their own, yes. That sounds like an excellent match, I think. You're a thinker, someone who makes each touch count. Doesn't toss around his affection willy-nilly. I understand, I think~"

Now they just needed to find the perfect someone for him. Carnelian did notice that gender was oddly absent from the conversation on the lieutenant's end, which meant one of three things - he was interested in girls and didn't think that it warranted a mention since girls were already in the conversation, he was interested in boys and didn't react to the mention of girls, or gender didn't matter. Carnelian wasn't sure which applied, so he thought to ask outright instead. "Alright, so tell me - girl, boy, or maybe it doesn't matter? I need to know these things, you know." He grinned.