|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 5:51 pm
Massalia's return to the camp from another trip out came with no pomp or circumstance and a healthy done of tired as he so often was, walking through like a ghost before plunking down to watch people. People talking, hiding from the enemy, huddled close, and offering some sense of normalcy. Briefly, he saw his sister talking to his mother, saw his family. Such as it was. Whatever the topic was, he dared not intervene - he was the 'man' after all, and needed to act as one, even if he disagreed, and Massalia sighed, closing his eyes to listen to the people around him. He was so tired. And so drained from it all.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 6:08 pm
There was no one that wasn't tired, not when it came to the Resistance. Even some of those in the Negaverse might have gotten tired of the state of things. Death. Grief. Pain. None were spared from loss, regardless of alignment. Ashur rolled his neck a bit, such thoughts weighing on his mind after putting his baby sister to bed. He'd smiled for her sake, but he saw his mother in her. His brothers. Even his father. And whenever he spent time with her, the aftermath was always the same: his thoughts meandered to his family. Years gone, now, but the hurt was still fresh whenever he thought of them.
The knight walked through the camp, weaving his way through the tents and small groupings of people who were chatting and living life in relative peace; temporary, perhaps, but with it some were able to keep hoping for the world to right itself again. For Order to fight down Chaos enough to even out the playing field again. Hell, eve he hoped they'd tip the scales in Order's favor.
But it was tiring. All of it, really.
And he saw it on a young, friendly face as he happened by. The knight sighed, recalling the spirit with which Massalia spoke and trained back before everything started spiraling down into the current Hell that they were living in. Ashur clapped the senshi, now turned Eternal as it were, on the shoulder as he had done for all the years he'd known the boy.
"Long day?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 6:13 pm
Massalia was startled from thought by the familiar hand of Ashur on his shoulder, and he looked up with a smile. "A bit, yeah." The teen acknowledged. "Mostly visiting someone. Haven't been very useful lately, I guess." The teen shrugged idly, smiling calmly. "Keeping track of him." Even if Almary joined the DMC, he could never hate them. They'd been kind when his own Court, bar knights, turned away and ignored him. Only one Senshi reliably spoke to him, perhaps two, and wasn't Subra. But connections dwindled and Massalia was lonely when Subra was gone. A friendly face was always welcome.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 11:25 pm
At least he'd yet to lose that smile, and Ashur hoped he never would. Looking at those younger than him, the senshi and younger knights in particular, he couldn't help but think of himself when he was at that age. Granted, he wasn't that much older than some of them, but he'd spent his teenage years wreaking havoc on the Hillworth faculty and staff, not fighting day in and day out for his life. That said, the age difference may as well have been double, even triple what it currently was.
"I hear that," the knight said as he took a seat beside Massalia, his eyes taking in the day to day of those living in the camp. There might have been something more to the idea of visiting someone and keeping track of them, though Ash didn't pick up any of those signs. Instead, he focused on the second statement that the senshi had made. "There are more ways to be useful than just fighting on the frontlines, though," Ash offered, though the advice was unsolicited. He was simply pulling from his own personal experiences. He'd struggled with similar feelings before and was familiar with the frustrations they brought.
But he waved a hand, as though dismissing his own words. "Just food for thought," he went on, then proceeded to change the subject. "How's your family holdin' up?"NovaCracker Sorry if you got a double quote. I fixed some coding o__oa
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 4:36 am
"I'm looking. I'm not finding much. I do have friendly contacts with the Dark Mirror..." Massalia admitted. "But... They and the Knights were always kinder to me than my own court, save I think Ganymede and a couple others." He liked Ganymede, and Oberon, but the rest.... Had they ever looked at him at all as serious? "Mama and Rosie? They're well, I think." The teen smiled. "Rosie's having a growth spurt again. Don't tell Mama, but I'm letting Rosie take some of my share of food for it. I don't mind, though. If she's safe, it's worth it." He watched his mother look his way, and raised a brow, waving before she resumed speaking to his sister, and he shrugged, looking to Ashur. "How about yours?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 8:23 am
"I walk around and offer my help to the civilians around here when I want to be useful," he replied, though he knew that not everyone thought that spending time and effort on non-Resistance related matters was a good use of energy.
As far as the Dark Mirror Court connection was concerned, Ash had his own reservations about them, but he was well aware of the visitors and Ida allowed in the Hospital as well as the mirror that stood there to allow their passage. Not all of them were so swayed by the antics of the Negaverse, and with any luck Massalia's connection would be a friendly one. "Just remember I'm here if you need to talk to," was all he said after an extended pause following the teen's admission.
His cerulean blue gaze followed Massalia's when he caught his mother's eye, and despite himself he gave a weary smile as the woman waved before going back to what she was doing. "They look good," and then he nodded a bit. "Jasmyn's in her growing stages so we try to give her as much nutrition as she needs to stay healthy. Just remember that you need energy, too."
The question about his own family had him glance over in the general direction of the tent he called home now. "They're alright, I think. Sometimes I wonder if it's a good thing that Jas doesn't remember anything from before. She doesn't miss them the same way my cousin and I do, y'know?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 8:57 am
"I know. I'm trying to keep up with things I suppose." Massalia smiled. "I'm trying. The kids keep finding people they like better. Rosario follows me everywhere thoiugh." He smiled. His baby sister was always a joy. "You know, Subra goes hunting for extra food." Massalia noted. "She might be willing to bring you some extra so she gets what she needs - wild game and such." Massalia smiled at the thought cheerily. "I'm glas she's okay at least... Even if she's forgotten. It's... Safer." He sighed. "For her."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 3:17 pm
Ash offered the teen a sympathetic smile. He knew that feeling all too well. Kids were oddly picky with their playmates sometimes, and on occasion they would snub him and look for their enjoyment in the company of a more enjoyable adult. That was mainly the reason he preferred approaching adults about their problems; to them it didn't matter who fixed whatever needed fixing, so long as it got fixed. "Thankfully I've got my cousin to keep my sister company," he said, his smile widening somewhat. "Else I might have the same problem."
He would have laughed under more normal circumstances. As it was, the knight just...didn't have it in him at the moment.
Massalia's offer was certainly generous, but Ashur couldn't bring himself to accept it. Everyone was having a hard enough time already, he'd hate to add to someone else's workload if he could help it. So he shook his head slightly, though his smile stayed. "We're managing, but I really appreciate the thought." Then he paused, letting the senshi's words settle. For his emotions on the matter to settle. And then he nodded, though his eyes were looking past his friend, as though inside his mind he was trying to convince himself that it really was better for her.
"Yeah..." was all he said, then sighed. A silence grew between them for a bit before Ashur finally came to, and he regarded Massalia with an apologetic look. "Sorry. Just.. when I think of my baby sister, y'know." Again, he waved his hand as if to dismiss the subject.
"So I asked about your family, but kinda skipped right over you. How're you doing? Things getting any easier?" And he didn't have to highlight exactly what he meant by that question; it was more or less implied. Everyone at this camp suffered losses, after all; even the younger Order members weren't spared this. Massalia included.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 3:36 pm
"The offer stands, if you and your family need it." The teen smiled warmly, nodding a bit. He allowed the silence to fall comfortably, closing hi eyes a moment to ruminate on the question, rolling the words around mentally before responding. "Same as ever. Well enough." Massalia nodded calmly. "Keeping my connections, watching. Avoiding the city for now. Not worth going lately."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 2:21 am
"Thank you," was all he could say; it was a really generous offer, and although he didn't have any intentions of accepting it now, perhaps somewhere down the line he might find a need.
There was a bit of a pause after he'd asked the question, and Ashur watched as Massalia let it draw out. It was almost like he was searching for the right words or the right way to respond, but he let it go as soon as the teen replied. He nodded a bit, considering, then gave him a clap on the back. "Generic, but I'll take it," he said, offering the senshi a small smile of his own. "And I feel the same, except for maybe a few of my personal friends who are still in there. I'd say it's worth going if you find a good reason..."
And he paused, thinking on the Gallos and a few other close friends he checked up on whenever he was in the city. It wasn't nearly as often as might have let on, but he did at least make the effort while he was there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 2:45 am
Massalia nodded. "I imagine so." He admitted. "So far, no one I know is there and... Okay." He frowned, eyes closing. "They fled or... Worse." And the boy shook his head, leaning back. "And any other contacts are out themselves, so... Not much to say."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 9:17 pm
It was hard, seeing someone as young as Massalia go through the current times. Seeing things he really ought not to be seeing, experiencing things no one should ever really have to experience. Ashur sat on these thoughts a moment as the senshi replied, and he nodded his head lightly in understanding. There was...more or less nothing he could say to that, like he said.
Ash let a moment of silence pass again, his gaze going from civilian to civilian and eventually landing on Massalia's family again. He let out a soft sigh then gave the Eternal another pat on the back before moving to get up. "You should go be with them," he said quietly, nodding his head in their general direction. "I'm sure they worry when you're not home..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 9:23 pm
"Probably..." Massalia admitted, and he frowned, sighing. "They know what I do is important though. If nothing else for Papa and Ruben's sakes. They did nothing wrong." Massalia didn't finish. The result was clear, though, and the Eternal senshi sighed, looking down. "It isn't right."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 9:38 pm
"Knowing doesn't stop the worry though," he said gently. Ashur was at least aware that Massalia probably already knew this just as well as he did, but there were times everyone needed a reminder, after all. He worried about his loved ones more than he cared to admit, though he kept that tidbit to himself. The knight held the Eternal's gaze, the idea to leave stayed somewhat by the his last statement..
After a moment he sighed, the amount of loss both sides suffered almost needlessly coming to mind as realization dawned on him what exactly Massalia had meant. Or at least how he understood it. "It isn't," he echoed, then frowned a bit, mirroring the other's expression. "There aren't many things that are, though. At least not anymore..." Another pause, and he nodded toward Massalia's family subtly. "We just have to keep fighting to make things right again. It won't bring anyone back, but I feel like it'd help them be at peace..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 9:42 pm
"I hope so." Massalia admitted. "I just... Miss them. But everyone misses someone... We're dying out here." The senshi looked down finally. "I don't know what to do anymore about it."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
