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 Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 2:39 am
Term was over, grades were in, and the weather was finally cold enough that running around in a leather jacket wasn't a nightmare. People were cheerful, families were coming together, and overall the rest of the world seemed to be filled with happiness and rainbows to Suri, which was probably why she seemed to be so offended by it. Part of her ire stemmed from how abrasively happy everyone else seemed to be in her life, with a newlywed for a best friend and a long list of relieved coworkers. It was appalling, that they could be so jovial at that time of year when everyone threw up pretty lights and pretty tinsel and expected people to love each other and be idealistic about the world. It made Suri sick.
But what made the teacher weak made the officer stronger, and Zircon felt herself with a newfound drive fueled by the happiness of everyone around her. Her energy collections had nearly doubled in the past week, and where before she had struggled to meet quotas she was now more than fulfilling her share. She stalked the streets of Destiny City, the silent predator of the undeserving, resilient and strong and unbroken.
Perhaps if she kept telling herself that, she wouldn't keep thinking back to her inbox, to the long line of pleading messages that she couldn't allow herself to read past the first line. It was strange, the choice had been so easy at first, typing away her cold, emotionless message. Either way, the end results were the same, whether she found the consequences easy to deal with or not. She was less distracted and he was safer this way. Everyone wins.
Zircon stood tall on the rooftop above her civilian apartment, counting her survey of the night's collection. Most of her catch consisted of tiny energy pearls, but amongst the precious jewels pulsated the starseed of one of the park hobos she routinely prayed upon. It hadn't been fair, that he seemed so happy in his sleep. She had to give him something to be sad about, so she stole the only thing he had left. With a frown, she pocketed away her harvested treasure, then took one last glance over the railing, searching for some easy last-minute prey.
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Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 1:22 pm
Camelot had not been particularly cheerful, though he manufactured it easily enough at work and for those that wanted to spread their own cheer. And there were plenty of distractions, with the holiday charity drive and the Letters for Santa events at the library at the moment.
Home was a little harder. No one to really talk to, his son certainly did not care. It was unlikely that Nate had ever even noticed Tony had been dating someone, let alone that they broke up. So the elder Darrow had been spending a lot of time out. Generally at bars.
Moping.
But there was always work, and Camelot had to perform the duties he had set for himself, and he expected of himself. He was on patrol, and found himself wandering a familiar territory without really thinking about it. When he felt an energy nearby, the Squire made his way up to the roof, knowing that whoever it was would feel him coming, too.
He could tell it was a negaverse agent, and it felt familiar at that.
He couldn't help but worry when he realized where he was. What if Suri had been hurt by this Nega? Even if she wanted nothing to do with him, he would protect her. He certainly wouldn't sit by and just let someone hurt her, or get away with it.
"I think you've gathered enough energy for one night," he said, his voice low and even, but sounding vaguely tired.
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Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 1:51 pm
The general creeping feeling of one of Order's agents slid over Zircon like a thick oil, cold and violating. She tensed, pulling back from the rooftop and finding a more defensible position, her hand placed over her jacket pocket. Backing up to a rooftop shed, she felt for the presence, singular but strong, and for a moment she pondered the possibility of powering down before they arrived, to keep her cargo safe. But no, then that would just put her civilian identity at risk, and who knew what the senshi would do with sensitive information like that?
She certainly knew what the Negaverse would do if they knew she'd been found out.
And so when Camelot appeared over the rise, Zircon stood tall and at the ready, a determined look peeking through the bags under her eyes. Her lips pursed at the sight of the Knight, at his new uniform and shield, but her stance did not falter.
"And if I've only just begun?" she responded curtly, crossing her arms. "You've already forced me out of one territory, leave me alone. My energy quotas don't fill themselves, you know."
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Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 2:20 pm
Camelot shook his head.
"They shouldn't be filled at all. I thought you were different? Can't you see that hurting innocent people will only perpetuate all this meaningless fighting? We have to defend them, if they can't defend themselves, and to do that we have to fight you. We're going in circles."
He frowned, but he didn't look like he was in the mood to be overly nice. He was tired from being up and being drunk so often. From patrolling when he was sober or being at work. He tried to enjoy himself at work, at least, but it was just not easy for him.
It was a mixture of everything, and the last thing he needed now was to let people get hurt. And let those that hurt them get away with it.
"If you're planning on going out to hurt more people you can forget it. I won't let you. You know we don't have to fight, but I can't just let you use innocent lives as your tools."
He noted how tired she looked, and imagined that everyone in this war had their own struggles, balancing personal, professional and powered lives. It wasn't easy for anyone, save maybe a blessed few.
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Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 3:43 pm
Zircon snarled, and despite the old aches and the pains in her body from beatings past, she took a step forward. She wasn't about to let this Knight spout ideologies at her, especially not on her own apartment building.
"There wouldn't be meaningless fighting if the senshi weren't trying so desperately to take control of our home," she countered, pointing to the earth far beneath her. "And the 'innocent lives' you claim I'm hurting? They're muggers, rapists, the dredges of this city, and they don't deserve to be here any more than the senshi.
"I'm taking the trash of this earth and I'm turning it into a power source, a defense from everything that would take away what little I have." The more she thought about Camelot and her points, the darker her gaze turned, her patience already worn thin by her nerves. "When was the last time you did something for Earth? Not Order, not the senshi, but Earth?"
Her voice was strained, thin, and her power signal fluttered weakly. "If you're truly a Knight of Earth, you should understand that your cause is the same as mine." She reached into a pocket and revealed a single crystalline energy pearl, weaving the jewel across her fingers. "If we're going to be honest, I'm done for the night, but the fact remains that I'll be out here tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that. I don't know where you get your power, but this is the price of mine, and it's a price I'll pay nightly until I see my work done.
"You're right," she said, repocketing the jewel, "We don't have to fight. But only as long as you don't get in my way." Awkwardly, she smiled, professional and business-like, and she took a step closer. "We're not on opposite sides, Camelot. We don't have to be. Just let it go, and we can serve Earth our own ways."
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Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 5:41 pm
"I'm fighting for Earth's people. All of them. I am not worthy to judge them and deem people worthy of being used like cows to slaughter. I'm not so haughty to hold myself up and decide who lives and who dies."
He shook his head.
"I know in some ways we are fighting for the same thing. But why do you think you need to steal energy from others, just to accomplish your goals? Why don't I have to do that? I don't have to hurt anyone, and I can fight. I can defend. And I can win. You can too, you can accomplish so much, without relying on that Chaos that taints you. Your power is drawn from an evil place, and that's my enemy. Not you, or the others like you. But that corrupting force that makes you think what you're doing is okay."
He watched the energy crystal, growling softly. He was angry, but not because of the energy that had been stolen from someone. Not even because he hadn't been able to stop it from happening. He was just angry, for everything, because of everything and for no reason what so ever.
"I can't let it go. I'm sorry. I want to find peace with you, but as long as you hurt people, even the worst humans this place has to offer, you'll always be worse than them. Can you really live like that? No, we shouldn't just let the other do what they have to: we should work together to bring peace back to the earth! So people can just live here."
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Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 12:38 am
Zircon frowned, and began a slow, deliberate approach towards the Squire.
"This is what you don't understand," she articulated, her gait cautious in case he tried to make any sudden moves. "Where we're different is that you got your calling from some sparkly talking animal, your powers came for free. But that's not fair for the rest of us, the people that would have otherwise been deaf, blind, and dumb to this...alien invasion."
Five steps away.
"Unlike you, we don't get to play this game for free: we work for our power, for our right to make a stand."
Four steps away. Three.
"Unlike you, we pay in blood and sacrifice, and mostly our own, not that you would see that."
Two steps away. One.
Zircon could have reached out and touched Camelot when she stopped, and looked up at him with an accusing stare. "When was the last time you had to make a sacrifice, Camelot? When was the last time you earned your right to be in this arena?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Don't call my energy source evil when you can't even pay for yours. You have no idea what I've given up, what I will never have, just so I can be here today." Something hit home when she spoke, and for a moment her rising anger gave way to sadness, to despair at a self-inflicted wound. She had to force herself to not think of those unread messages: what was given freely could never be returned.
"What did you do, pet a magical cat to get that shiny new shield of yours?" sneered the lieutenant, jabbing a finger into his chest. "Your cause means nothing to you beyond principles and ideologies because you don't have to give anything to it. This is a war, and instead of supporting the soldiers who have given up everything to protect your planet, you would instead stand against us."
Zircon took a step back, outstretching her arms. "I couldn't beat you before, so there's no way I'll beat you now. If you really feel that strongly about my activities, then strike me down now, because I won't stop." If she wasn't certain about his ability to kill an officer of the Negaverse, her eyes seemed jaded enough that even if he did, she wouldn't care. "Come on, earn your keep as a Knight of Earth. If you kill one of her citizens now, you'll be saving hundreds later. Isn't that what's important? Isn't that what counts?"
By now there were tears streaming down her face, though if Zircon was aware that she was crying she certainly wasn't showing it. "Either kill me or stop getting in my way, because I tire of this stalemate."
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Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 1:25 pm
Camelot instinctively wanted to take a step back, but he refused to do so. He had to stand his ground: weakness would be taken advantage of. He knew that she was a strong woman, and she held firm to her beliefs, but he also knew that somewhere in her was the ability to understand. He needed to be able to reach out to that part of her and to do that he had to be strong.
If she saw him as weak there would be no helping her.
"I got my powers from this planet," Camelot countered, "no animal involved. My shield is my proof, and this symbol I bear," he pointed to the emblem of earth on his chest, "my cause."
He watched her as she drew closer, step by step, each one sparking that fight or flight instinct and each one resulting in the same choice by Camelot. He remained firmly planted in his spot.
"I know very well what you've given up," he said softly, his warm eyes flickering. He tried not to be angry with her, "I only fight for the people who have lost the most. That includes you. You know that, why would I have shielded you when you dragged me down those stairs? It's easy to get wrapped up in ideals, you're right, but I'm fighting for more than words or history or some imagined, or legitimate, right to a planet. I'm fighting for you."
He put his hand on the side of her face gently, without being able to stop himself, and wiped away some of her tears.
"I'm not going to kill you. That's not the point. You don't understand, and neither do I, maybe."
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Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2012 9:55 pm
For a moment, a single, small, fluttering moment, Zircon looked into Camelot's green eyes and saw safety, a port in the storm. Some of the pain eased on her face, and she might have even leaned into his open palm like a lost animal seeking shelter. She struggled for words, but none came, and slowly she came to accept even that, so willing to hold tight to her transitory peace that she sacrificed speech for a mere second without anger, without fear.
Somewhere in her mind, she heard the dark words of her General-King, saw the conjured image of Tony's disappointed face, felt the aches of a hundred senshi blows, and she knew that there would be no peace for her yet. With her sudden, almost startled revelation, she pulled away suddenly as if she'd been burned by his touch.
She had been close--so very close--to becoming ensnared this man's lies about their situation, and as she felt the tatters of his words peeling away her anger rose to take hope's place. "I understand completely," she said, glaring up at the Knight and his warped truths, "I understand what I'm fighting for, and what it means to fight for what's right for our planet."
"If you're not willing to make that sacrifice, the few for the many," she said, clenching a fist, "Then you will never understand the point, and your cause really does mean nothing." Zircon knew she couldn't best Camelot in battle. She knew that, if it came down to it, she could very well be in for a world of hurt. But something about being so thoroughly swayed by just a few words pissed her off to no end, and with that in mind she sent a jab to the gut in his direction, throwing all of the force of a 5'4" woman into her blow.
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Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 12:22 pm
Camelot drew his hand back, surprised when she recoiled since it seemed to be going so well. He knew, though, that things were not easy for her. She had the weight of a conscience on her shoulders, and Camelot could certainly understand the inner struggle she must be going through.
Or maybe he hoped she was.
In Zircon, Camelot saw the hope of his cause. Someone he might be able to reach, if he tried. If he was honest, and the power of his cause was strong enough. Peace was the most important thing here. Not just for the world, not just for the city. But at the moment, just for Zircon.
She seemed to snap out of a daze, and he winced as she spoke.
"Wait!" Camelot wanted to stop her from forcing them into a fight, but her fist was moving and he had to react. He saw her fist moving, but his arm was moving on its own instinct to counter. He brought his shield up and shoved it forward, slamming it into her with more force than he had intended to simply knock her away from him. He heard her fist slam into the magical item, and winced on her behalf.
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Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 1:11 pm
The impact of Zircon's fist against metal let out a sickening crack, and in response the lieutenant hissed, cradling her hand against her chest. Stupid, stupid, stupid! She should have known better than to go in for a quick strike: Camelot had the better defense, the greater power. He'd only needed to react and now she was debilitated, weak. The fact that this didn't actually put her in danger of losing her life was only insult to injury, like she was being toyed with by a greater power. She had lashed out, and in response he merely gave her a slap on the wrist, a small display to show how insignificantly powerless she was in this game.
The feeling of helplessness made her burn inside, and it showed through her pained expression. The woman took a few steps back, but made it a point not to glance down at her hand, which throbbed in agony with each pulse of her adrenaline-crazed heart. When she finally looked to Camelot again, it was with the face of someone shamed and furious. She took a breath, a chance to think. How would Zinkenite handle this situation? She needed to relax, to play it cool.
They don't have to be our enemies.
"...You've made your point," she grumbled sullenly, once her head had cleared of the less diplomatic things that could be said in this situation. "I lashed out when I shouldn't have. It was stupid, and..." Her voice got a little lower, and she looked away, gritting her teeth, her shoulders drooping.
"...I'm sorry."
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Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:51 pm
Camelot heard the bones smashing and cracking as her fist connected with the shield. He grimaced on her behalf, as she drew back and cradled it to her. He knew she had done herself some damage, and that it might even be broken.
That was not his goal.
He also hadn't meant to demean her or make her feel like she was weaker than him. He hadn't meant to injure her pride or her hand: he just wanted to help her. There had to be some way for them to understand one another. They were so close, for all their arguing, he knew she was struggling just as much as he was.
When she stopped and spoke he looked at her from behind his shield, lowering it slowly.
"It's okay," he said cautiously, moving toward her. He put his hand on her shoulder very lightly, standing near her now and peering over her shoulder a bit. "Is your hand alright? I'm sorry, I didn't... mean for that to happen. I just... well. I'm sorry. For everything. I'll help you, as much as I can." He meant more than just her hand.
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Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 3:24 pm
Zircon shrank away as he closed the distance, her body tense when his grasp met her shoulder. She didn't want him near her, she didn't want him touching her, but the aggressive retaliation that first came to mind simply wouldn't get her out of this situation, as shown by her hand. When anger fled, resignation took its place, and though Zircon still wasn't making eye contact with the Squire, at least she wasn't fleeing.
It was a start.
"It'll be fine--I've handled worse," she responded, keeping the wounded limb well covered and away from his prying eyes. "I don't need help, I just need you to understand that we're not the evil people you think we are." Understanding, diplomacy...perhaps this was the way to get into his head.
"I fly off the handle sometimes, I know, but that's because the issues I'm fighting for are important to me. There are few people outside the Negaverse who can understand something like that." She lifted her gaze to meet his, scrutinizing his expression carefully. "I think you might get it, though, which is why I'm sorry I let my temper take over. I shouldn't have been so rash."
Zircon felt as if she were treading on the precipice of a cliff, carefully balancing her beliefs and shelving her stifled anger and the murmurs of betrayal running through her head. She'd been trained to take down any of his kind on sight, and she knew that if she couldn't, he would continue to stop her. But once, just once, she would like the chance to just talk.
"And if it do so happens that you do understand," she said, tilting her head as she tried to read his response, "You'll know that I can't stop. Not today. Maybe not ever. It's what I have to do."
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Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 5:13 pm
"As long as you understand the same of us. We're not as evil as you think, either." He smiled softly, but he was very worried. He was a nice guy, at the end of the day.
He nodded his head.
He could understand that things were important to her. They were all fighting a war, and they all had things they believed in. To fight for, to honor, to protect and serve. It was not just a knight that fought for such ideals, it was any soldier, on any battle field, in any situation. He watched her, saddened, but thoughtful.
"I know," he said sadly, "but maybe we can find a more common path for us to fight down. So we can end this war, somehow. I just know that I want to help you as much as I do anyone else. You can trust me. I know not right away, and I know we have to be enemies to a point. But if you need a knight, I will be there to defend you, the same as anyone else. And if I can help you figure things out, then I'd gladly do that over... hurting you again."
He had taken damage for her before, after all, when they fell down the stairs. He had hurt his own arm then, which was sort of like the whole thing had come around now, with her hurting her hand.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:23 pm
Zircon shouldn't be placing her trust in Camelot. It was rather against Negaverse protocol to be fraternizing with the enemy, and she knew the only route she would find in her actions was betrayal. And yet, everything he said was valid to a point, and there was always the chance that he would start to see her line of reasoning as well. Hell, maybe he already was.
There was a moment where she thought to herself, and then with an insecure spark of an idea she glanced up to the squire with a pensive look. "...I want to help, too," she said after a moment's hesitance. "I don't want this to be one sided. If you're going to be open to conversation, then I will be, too." Sensing that her words could bind her to something more than she was able to actually fulfill, she was quick to backpedal. "That isn't to say that I want to help the senshi with their goals," she added with an assertive nod, "My motives are still my own, and they won't change, no matter what."
"But if you ever need the services of an Agent of the Negaverse...I'll do what I can." Her expression was mixed, as if even she weren't quite sure what she could promise. "It isn't much, but it's all I can put forward to the cause. At least it will get sides talking." She tried to flex her fingers experimentally and winced. "I don't know how much more of the fighting part I could do anyways."
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