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 Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2016 8:36 pm
Cybele returned to the hill bearing leftover pasta and questions. The pasta didn’t seem like quite enough for what was in her mind a payment of sorts for information, but that was probably the perfectionist in her. It was smothered in gooey alfredo sauce, mushrooms, and chicken, and although it wasn’t quite fresh off the stove, it was still warm. The quality was there, even if in the plastic container, it wasn’t quite as elegant as she would have wanted. If only she could cook, or had money instead of just being able to pretend to, and didn’t have to rely on what was in her family’s fridge... At least she knew she was fretting about the pasta because it was easier than fretting about the questions… but fretting about either wouldn’t do any good if Caedus wasn’t here. Her first glance didn’t reveal any figures among the shadows, and the aura wasn’t here anymore. “Hello?” she called out, softly.
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Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2016 10:17 pm
There was movement off to the side, just out of sight at first. And then, front the shadows of a nearby treeline, Caedus emerged. He moved slowly, as though the cold of the night was weighing down on him. His golden eyes scanned the area, looking for anyone else. He relaxed when he saw that it was only one senshi. "Hello," he replied, voice weary and haggard. "It is very cold," he noted as he cautiously approached. He was mindful to always keep a bit of distance, but raising his voice seemed a bit unnecessary when it was only the two of them. "You must have good questions to brave this temperature."
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 7:12 pm
She offered a thin smile out of habit when he showed himself, and nodded at the comment, visibly shivering. Some people said that being powered up helped with the cold, but in Cybele's case, it wasn't enough to make up for the thin, summery fabric of her fuku. "I would have been out anyway," she replied. "What about you? Are you all right, out here in the cold? Is this where you're staying? There are people who would let you stay with them, I'm sure." She was not one of them. Even here, with other friendly auras flickering on the edges of her senses, she stood tensely and didn't take her eyes off of him, which was as much out of wariness as curiosity. Her voice was... polite, but not warm. "But... I do have a few questions, if you don't mind. We can start with a simple one, though. Do you like pasta?" She held out the container in one hand, and a plastic fork in the other. "I brought some for you, if you'd like."
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 2:08 pm
"I like the freedom out here," he replied tiredly. "The thought of warmth, and true safety is tempting, but I do not think I can feel comfortable confined in four walls, nor knowing my presence would endanger those who seek to help. It is cold, but I can survive another few days of this." He had been watching her as she moved and looked at the container. "I do not know if I like pasta, but I will eat it." He hesitated, and then held out a hand as if to accept it. "And I will thank you greatly and answer any questions you have."
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 6:08 pm
"You're welcome," she said simply, handing him the container with a small nod. "By the way, my name is Cybele." Then, she paused for a moment, glancing up at the stars while trying to find the right words. "...Why do you trust us? We can start with that, I suppose. The way people were acting the other night... yelling over each other, disagreeing about almost everything, being demanding... It's not only because we've never seen anyone like you before. It's how we almost always act together." The polite smile flickered for a moment as she thought about her court. "Although... if I'm being fair, I should admit I'm not sure if I can trust you, either. It's not anything you've done. I've just found that words in this war are often... easy." The smile remained. She was at her stiffest, now, her most formal.
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 11:22 pm
Caedus considered his answer for a moment, and then seemed to debate what he actually wanted to say. "I do not… entirely trust you. Not all of you. Some of you are more eager to help me than others, and I admit that I am in debt to those that aid me. But I do not want to be betrayed again. I do not…It is hard enough to hold myself together now." He was quiet, and did not seem to like to admit such vulnerability. His voice had gone low and it took another moment to speak again. "I try to trust you because I need you. I want to have faith that you can help me. That I can go home, and that this evil can be destroyed before it hurts anyone else. I want to trust you because I want to have my faith restored. I am sorry if that is disappointing. I understand your lack of trust. It is unwise to throw yourself into something wholeheartedly. You…wind up hurt, easily, that way…"
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Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 6:35 pm
"I'm not disappointed," said Cybele, letting go of the fake smile. He seemed genuine, and the words made him seem far less alien. "I didn't come to demand that you impress me, anyway. It's almost a relief, knowing that you're caught in the middle of everything like the rest of us. I'll try to have some faith, too. There are good people here. Some of them will try to help you. I... will, I think." There was a softness to her expression that hadn't been there before, although internally, the walls were still up. "If we can succeed, though... that's a different question. Even if your plan works, and you can get us into their headquarters... there are people who won't fight, and getting you home..." She trailed off, thinking about what she knew of space magic, which wasn't much. "I'm not sure. Where is your world, exactly?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 10:29 pm
Caedus nodded and seemed to relax a bit, himself. "I appreciate all the help I can get. I…cannot do this alone. I hate that I must rely on the aid of others. It is not in my nature to want to accept aid. To need it. To be so helpless." He sounded genuinely pained, and seemed to have to force himself to calm down. He drew in a slow, steadying breath. "…Please forgive me. I do not mean for such outbursts," subdued as they might be. "I do not expect everyone to fight. I do not expect much of anyone. And yet…I am perpetually impressed by all that I am given. I hope…when I return, they are eager to reward you for your efforts." He glanced into the sky, skimming quickly. He was looking for something, and seemed disappointed when he found nothing. "My homeworld moves. It is difficult to say where it is now. We change the course as we need, to gather what resources as necessary. We could be anywhere right now. But…I do not see my world now. So it is probably very, very far away," he sighed.
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Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2016 7:01 pm
"I know how you feel," she said. "When I became a senshi, they told me I was strong, and it wasn't a lie, really... but there's always someone stronger, and then you're just as helpless as ever." She half-sighed. Failing, loosing a fight... it was still a feeling she hated. "Working together helps, and you're someone we might end up working together for you." For a moment, there was something almost mischievous about her expression. "You're lucky. We don't even work together for our queen." She smiled. Her gaze turned to the sky when his did. It was easier to see the stars out here, away from all the lights. She could even see Megrez, in the big dipper. A moving planet... that was interesting, but hard for her to comprehend. "We each have worlds that we're connected to, that we can travel to magically," she told him. "Mine's only an asteroid, but I've been to Pluto. My friend's is a different star. Maybe you could look for your home from there?"
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Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 12:59 am
Caedus raised a brow when she called him lucky. He did not seem offended, though certainly given the situation he would not have called himself lucky. Instead, it seemed to amuse him a bit. "No, I had a king. Once." He shrugged. "I am afraid to visit other worlds. For now, at least. I know it must sound like a silly thing. I use to love it—exploring other worlds. I admit, I used to love taking souvenirs. Crystals were my favorite." He leaned over a bit, as if he were telling her some great secret. "In case you couldn’t tell." He seemed in a decent enough mood. "When I am better, I might like that, though. You should not speak of your homeworld like that. 'Only an asteroid'. Some of my favorite places are asteroids, you know."
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Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 10:59 am
Cybele simply nodded at the information, not wanting to push him too much. "Crystals are beautiful," she agreed, but quickly thought about jewelry stores, and laws. She didn't want to encourage stealing. "They're very valuable here. People are protective of them, even... now that I think of it,this probably isn't the best place to collect them," she added quickly. His comment about asteroids was enough to catch her interest. She turned from the sky to meet his gaze, eyes widening a little. "You've been to asteroids? ...I haven't. ...Don't call it my homeworld, please. I've never even been there. I don't know what I'll find." She was curious to hear more, but... she wasn't as relaxed as she'd been a moment ago, either. Space had always been a bit of a touchy topic with her, with how the Negaverse always told her that she was an alien, that she didn't belong on Earth. Talking about space with an actual alien, as strange as it was to think of Caedus that way, was... an interesting experience, to say the least. "Is that why you came to Earth? Exploring?"
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Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 10:55 pm
Slowly, Caedus tilted his head. "…I apologize if I offended you. I did not realize it was insulting," he said slowly. "Would it be easier if I referred to it as the source of your power?" He seemed apologetic, and almost worried that he might be further worsening the situation; he was wringing his hands before him, slowly; sometimes his bones seemed to click. As if to try and earn favor, he quickly answered her question, "When we came to Earth it was because there were signs of advanced life, and it was rich in materials that our planet was lacking. We had hoped to replicate Earth's environment, to a degree. It was desirable, and we had researched several other flourishing worlds to try and mimic their atmosphere and environment."
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