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 Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 8:40 pm
Acuben knew what route Remarque used, still, after all these months. She knew his patrol like she knew her own, somehow, and it disturbed her on a deep level. She shouldn’t know these things. She shouldn’t have such an intimate knowledge of the Dark Mirror Court. And yet, for whatever reason, she did.
And it should have made her sick, but it didn’t.
Instead, she fell into the actions of her search like it was natural for her. Like before she left, when she would look for Remarque and pretend she was one of the Dark Mirror Court herself – back when that was her dearest wish.
Maybe it still was.
Who was she kidding? Even with Lesath’s warning clear in her ears, Acubens longed for the Dark Mirror Court. For the family it promised her. For everything it embodied. But most of all the love. Love of Remarque and Lesath and Leto and… dammit. First thing was first. To find out why the wraiths were acting up like they were.
“Remarque,” she called, not too loudly. “I know you’re here bro. Come out and talk to me for a shake or two.”
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 9:04 pm
The beckoning did not fall on deaf ears; Remarque was already somewhat headed towards the aura of the super senshi before she had called to him, though hearing his name was incentive enough to pick up the pace. "A shake or two?" he prompted, moving between two trees so that he was in her line of vision.
"I think I can handle that. Where have you been, Acubens? I haven't seen you in ages."
It had been a while; he was glad to see her in one piece—though, unfortunately, still garbed in white. He continued towards her at a comfortable pace, brushing the leaves from his uniform before he came to a standstill in front of her.
He had been busy in the past few weeks, juggling the daily things in his civilian life and tending to his Dark Mirror duties. Which was easier said than done; he was exhausted, though his pride kept him out later than he should have been. He was lucky it was summer and he didn't have school to worry about' the wraiths were draining him—if not literally, than metaphorically. He couldn't relax, couldn't sleep, thinking about them. Trying to figure out what to do.
He hadn't been able to gather much energy with them acting up, and trying to convince the white moon to join them? Please. They'd only had a few more awaken, and what members they did have, Remarque was seeing less and less.
Going out and trying his hardest was about all he could do this day. He wasn't about to lay down and accept failure.
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 9:14 pm
“I got sent away,” Acubens answered dismissively, waving her hand to vaguely brush the question away. She tried very hard to keep her face uninterested. It was only ten seconds before a smile betrayed her. And once her façade cracked, Acubens’ whole face split into a wide smile. She yelped a small, bright laugh before throwing herself against the other dark senshi, squeezing him tightly. She hadn’t fully expected to do it… she hadn’t fully expected to do anything. Still, the feeling of Remarque against her again made her heart lighten and her mood lift.
“It’s good to see you again, Remarque,” she sighed, stepping away though only slightly. “I just wish I could come to you on happier terms.” Acubens bit her lip, trying to find the words she wanted. Did she have to be delicate? Maybe it would be best if she was.
“Last night a friend of mine, and a Dark Mirror Senshi like you was attacked. By a mirror wraith. And I promised Lesath that I would find out what was happening. You’re the only other Dark Mirror Senshi I know besides Leto, and I’m not too keen on meeting up with her again so… tell me you have something for me.” Acubens smiled sweetly, like that would do something to aid in Remarque’s memory.
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 9:37 pm
The hug originally had surprised Remarque, though he allowed the embrace for posterity's sake only. He pat her on the back before she stepped away. The smile kept him in a good mood—until she started speaking.
The name 'Lesath' froze him, and though he hid his concern and discomfort well, his mind and heart were already racing. Lesath had been attacked, last night? Why hadn't she said anything? His hand almost immediately went to the compact at his side; he wanted to go back through the mirror and walk to her, or cal her, but he couldn’t afford to incriminate himself here. They had kept their powered relationship mostly on the downlow, and showing weakness to anyone—even someone like Acubens—was not something he was willing to risk. He didn't want that information getting into the wrong hands and them using her against him.
"Lesath was attacked?" he prompted calmly, figuring if he was going to give some information, he damn well better get some. "…What happened? I take it she's all right? …After her last run in with the wraiths, I assumed she would be inclined to avoid them." That had been the plan, hadn't it? So why was she powering up when she knew they were dangerous? "It's true," he answered the girl, forcing himself to relax and not cling to his concern about his girlfriend. "The wraiths have been misbehaving. I have suspicions as to why, though there's no concrete evidence, and nothing to really explain it. It's all very complicated. They haven't attacked you, have they?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 10:27 pm
This time, it was Acubens’ turn to pause. “Wait she was… she was attacked before? So this has been happening for longer than a day or so?” Acubens pouted, tangling her fingers in her hair as she thought. This changed a few things. Well, everything. It changed her whole time line. Suddenly it fractioned it by god only knew how much. She pursed her lips and forced herself not to panic, though she failed.
“Well, she didn’t call this wraith, or at least she said she didn’t. It just sort of… popped out of wherever you guys keep them.” Now Acubens began to pace. How much time did she have to figure this out? How much time until a revolution? A coup of the non-corporeal? Something horrible that Acubens couldn’t stop on her own.
Okay, no. Calm down. This was not going to help anything. Acubens forced herself to stop pacing and took a deep breath.
“No, the wraith seemed way more interested in Lesath.” She left out, of course, that she was a civilian at the time… maybe she should have covered that part… “I mean, I wasn’t there when it started. A civilian was and she told me, after she ran into me quite hysterical, that there was some ghost attacking a dark suited terrorist. I asked her if it hurt her and she said it was more interested in Lesath but… even when I was there, it didn’t have much interest in me. I mean, I didn’t give it much time to be, I dusted that ******** as soon as I saw it.” Acubens’ fist unconsciously clenched in the memory, furious that it had even happened.
“I have a few theories of my own, but they’re all pretty far-fetched. Like maybe they retain some humanity from the energy they absorb from the civilians, and that makes them a little bit more human and so they become sort of like vengeful spirits, because they are no longer human nor really dead. But that’s stupid because I’ve clearly been watching too much Supernatural, I mean really. But then maybe they were once cognizant beings, and they’re regaining their minds back? Hell, maybe your princess is sicking them on you guys, I don’t know.” Acubens was pacing again, wringing her hands as she spoke.
“Oh, Remarque, we have to figure this out before someone gets seriously hurt or…” Acubens trailed off, not wanting to think about what might happen to Lesath.
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Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 1:16 am
Remarque watched the girl blind; he went through a range of emotions—concern, and anger first, and then a speck of confusion. "They are pretty far-fetched," he eventually replied. "What's this we? Don't you White Moon Senshi have enough to worry about that you don't need to be concerning yourself with matters of the Dark Mirror Court?"
…Of course, if anyone could explain why the wraiths were acting up, he was all ears. He just hated to admit that there was a problem—and worse, that he didn't know how to fix it.
His question, either rhetorical or suddenly unimportant, was put on hold so he could continue, "The wraiths aren't sentient. If anything, they are stupider than ever. They're not vengeful, they're just after anything with energy. Probably went after Lesath instead of the civilian because it realized she had more to sap. My wraiths have gone after anything with energy, so if they were vengeful I figure they'd be targeting me alone. They're just tools, Acubens. There's nothing cognizant, nothing sentient about them. It would be like saying a vacuum cleaner suddenly decided it was going to be a vengeful spirit. And Ares," he scoffed. There was bitterness in his voice, not just because she was gone, but because of how awful they were doing without her.
She had offered some guidance, sure, but where had that gotten them? Their numbers were small, they had made no advances—and now the wraiths were after them? "…No, she wouldn't do that." She wouldn't try to sabotage her own Court. She built it with her own hands, why would she try to destroy them? He wanted to share distress—to gripe about her absence—but the White Moon didn't know, did they?
No one had told them that Ares was gone. Even the rest of the Dark Mirror Senshi didn't know much. Not that he really knew anything more than one day she was there and the next she was gone on some mission.
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Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 8:49 pm
And then Acubens’ eyes flashed toxic yellow. What do you mean we? Who did Remarque think he was? Acubens stopped her pacing abruptly and fixed her angry gaze on him, lips thinning into a dangerous line across her face. She was deadly still for just a second, watching Remarque carefully before she took one slow step towards him. Then another. Slowly she approached him, fists balled tightly at her sides. She didn’t hear whatever else he said at first, though it did register in her mind. She would bring it back later to respond, when she calmed down. When her temper no longer roared in her ears.
“I have no commitments to the White Moon Court because no one in the White Moon Court will affiliate with me,” she hissed, closing in quickly despite her slow pace. “No one in the White Moon Court will affiliate with me because I’m seen as a deserter.” She was right on him now, inches from his face. “I’m seen as a deserter because I devoted myself to you and your court. I devoted myself to you and now I’m ostracized because of you.” And though she spoke true, though she did love Remarque, her arms flew up and shoved his shoulders solidly. “And that’s the thanks I get.”
She stood, breathing too heavily for her lack of exertion. She was not going to cry. She was NOT going to cry. Not over this. Not after she’d devoted herself so wholly. Not after she’d done her best to convince everyone else that the Dark Mirror Court was not truly evil. Not after everything. Even though the only thing Remarque could come back with was what do you mean we? “I love Lesath. She offered me a home when I had none. Family when no one would have me. She held me when I needed her, and now I’m going to save her.”
Acubens would not cry.
“Your princess has not been seen, or so the rumors go,” she couldn’t stop herself from saying. “Why is it so out of the question for her to want to destroy you? God wiped out the earth because mankind did not please him. Artists whitewash paintings for even more frivolous reasons. Why is Ares’ betrayal so farfetched?” She couldn’t even stop herself. Acubens just kept going and going. “If the wraiths aren’t sentient then that’s the only other explanation I can come up with. Unless there is more to the wraiths than you know.”
Finally calming, Acubens took a deep breath, soothing her nerves and cooling her eyes.
“Don’t you ever question my loyalty to you, Remarque. Never again. I’m White Moon, but my home is with you.”
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Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 10:50 pm
The push sent Remarque back little more than a step, and he looked at Acubens with narrowed eyes. "I questioned nothing beyond what you thought you could do to help the Court, Acubens. And I find myself resenting your claim. How could you be loyal to the Dark Mirror Court when insulting Ares like that? An absent queen," he scoffed. "She would be no better than the absent queen of the White Moon," he said, coldly.
But his anger wasn't directed at her.
He was tired, and frustrated, and they were backed into a corner with no one to turn to and nothing to do. Without Ares, they had been lost.
Maybe it was her fault the wraiths were acting like this. He just wasn't going to admit that to anyone. Even an ally to the Court.
"Do not mistake my words for insult. If I wanted to insult you, you'd know it. But tell me, Acubens—what do you think you could do that we have not already? If you have any ideas, I'm all ears, but do you know have any idea how frustrating this is for us? The wraiths are entirely out of order, we've no manner to control them right now. Whatever kept them bound to us has failed, for whatever reason. We know the wraiths better than anyone and know not why their behavior has changed. Nor do we know how to stop them, sans destroying them. Which I hadn't really considered an option. But to hear that they've hurt—badly hurt—any one of our Court. I have run out of options, Acubens. And I have been able to do nothing for this Court. Nothing, when help was most needed. I'm at wit's end. I haven't slept in months. We haven't the energy we need. The Court has grown by scant numbers, and with every passing day I find that our members are drifter further and further apart. What would you do? What could you do?"
Anger fit Remarque well. He delivered every word seamlessly, passionately. His face had tinged a shade of red, and he was a little short on breath, though when the last of words fell from his lips, he paused, evened his breathing, and stood up straight, casually adjusting the few loose strands of hair that had become displaced during his display.
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Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 11:24 pm
Acubens hadn’t exactly been expecting the show of anger. In fact, she had fully expected Remarque to brush her off like he did everything else. That outburst only reinforced how tired he must have been. Or else Ares was a red button for him. Both options made Acubens feel horrible about what she’d done. Her expression softened and her eyes fell to the ground. That had been low of her. How would she have felt if Remarque attacked her uncertainty of place in the White Moon Court? She react the exact same way.
“Well, first I wouldn’t have acted the way I did. I’m really sorry. It’s just… Lesath… I don’t know if you know her but… she’s like my mother. Seeing her like that… got me frazzled. I’m on edge, I’m sorry.” She dropped her shoulders, finally, hiding her face in her hands. “I shouldn’t have said that. It was low. And when I am still reeling, trying to figure out exactly what I’m doing as a senshi I just – ” Acubens backed away, giving Remarque space when all she really wanted to do was hug him again.
“Those are all of my ideas. Unless there’s something about the wraiths I don’t know… and there is, I know it. I only have a cursory knowledge of them…” She huffed, hugging herself. “I’m helping because I love you guys. I love you, and Lesath, and Leto. For some reason my being shipped off didn’t shake that. The way I figure it, it’s only a matter of time before I join you. But for right now… don’t you need all the help you can get?” She offered Remarque a small, apologetic smile, thought it vanished as soon as it appeared on her face.
“Do you know how they are born? You don’t have to tell me, just… maybe that has something to do with it? I don’t know, maybe someone else knows how to control the wraiths, someone who’s not Ares? Does she have someone she answers to? Like our Princesses answer – in theory – to Princess Serenity.” There was always a higher up, right?
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Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2013 12:28 am
Remarque sighed, though it was silent. "I know Lesath," he said simply. He didn’t elaborate any more than he needed to, but he certainly knew her. Better than any other member of the Court. "And I'm glad you were there to make sure she was all right. Her loss would have been devastating. I'm not mad at you."
At least, not now that he had calmed down and was able to think a little more rationally. "And I appreciate your sentiments and concerns. I just don't want you to get dragged down with us. Right now, things are at their worst. And I tell you this because I trust you, and I don't doubt your motives. It isn't that I don't trust you, just that I don't want word of this getting out. If you would be so kind as to keep it under wraps, it would be most appreciated. The wraiths…"
He was quiet for a short moment. "We'll figure things out. I won't rest until we've found the root of the problem and eliminated it."
…Though he had some business to take care of in between now and then. Mainly, getting in touch with Raven.
"Any help we can get would be most appreciated, but…You're a good girl, Acubens. I don't want you getting hurt in the process of trying to help us. You're too important to lose. My advice is to avoid the wraiths. I'll talk with Leto, I'll see if she's figured anything out. We'll figure this out. Get things back on track."
This had been going on for too long. Even if they had exhausted all of their resources—done everything they could…it still hadn't been enough.
There was something they were missing. They just needed to figure out what it was, and take care of it.
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Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2013 11:44 am
Acubens traced a cross over her heart and held her hand up at her shoulder. “I wouldn’t dream of it,” she swore, finally smiling in earnest. “Who knows? Maybe someone in the white moon is behind this. I can at least keep an ear open for it, even if I can’t actively search for it.” Really, Acubens didn’t want to even think about the White Moon Court being behind this. She wasn’t exactly fond of her own court, but she held them in fairly high regard. High enough, at least, not to be so underhanded. Because this was just cruel. Making others live in fear of doing their jobs… they should be focused on purification, not on destruction.
“C’mon Remarque,” she goaded gently. “I’m a big, tough girl. I can put on my own fuku and everything.” She reached over and gently punched his arm. “Ain’t no body gonna hurt me. Not while you’re around anyway. It’s like having a big brother powered up.” And it was true. Though she did hate that Leto had outed her at the ambush, it was very nice to know that someone had her back. And between Leto and Remarque, Acubens felt a little bit indestructible.
“The answer is probably really simple, and we’re both so flustered we can’t think of it. You talk to Leto and I’ll keep an ear open on my end.” She left out that she’d probably also still question other Dark Mirror Senshi. Remarque may not take that too kindly; he might see it as Acubens getting far too involved. After she’d exhausted those resources… she’d move on to the negaverse. Maybe they knew something.
“Who knows. After we fix this, we might just save the world, right?”
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Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2013 1:31 pm
Again, with the 'we'.
Remarque didn't say anything about it this time, just smiled. "Maybe," he replied. A part of him wanted Acubens the answer, so they could work on fixing things. Another part of him wanted to figure things out himself. He didn't know when the whole thing had become his problem—it was certainly an issue all of the Court was having. Maybe it was just his title that made him feel responsible. If someone other than him or Leto figured this out, what was even the point of their positions?
"At the very least, keeping your ears open sounds good. Come find me again if you hear anything, won't you? I have a few senshi of the white moon who could probably handle talking to me, though I know plenty who would shy away given my alliance alone." He shrugged; he doubted there were any White Moon senshi that had answers, but maybe some of the older ones would know better. Or maybe some from the old Blood Moon Court.
He doubted it; the Wraiths were not affiliated with anyone but the Dark Mirrors, and given how little information he knew about them, he doubted there would be others who knew more.
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