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 Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 8:44 am
Chase had been discharged from the hospital a few hours after his cast had been set. It's black, covers his hand and crawls up over the bend of his elbow and stops just above. It hurts too, a dull aching pain that's constant despite the pain medicine they had prescribed. Some how, the man had managed to convince the hospital that there was no one to call and that he'd be able to find his way home without assistance.
If he didn't know one of the heads of the hospital or if he hadn't been such a constant during his mother's admittance with most of the staff coming to recognize him then Chase might not have been able to swing it. As it were, he'd put on all of the charisma and charm he could muster to talk his way out of a phone call to his mother who he claimed was out of state but was, in fact, in town.
His head was a little fuzzy from the pills they made him swallow and as he waited outside the hospital doors for the Uber he pinged, he thought about the events that brought him here.
He'd been waiting for whomever dared to answer his challenge and of course, of course, Iris had come. They'd argued and he had blamed her for it; the blood on the walls, the white mooners death, his return to the dark side. You wouldn't give me a chance, he had snarled, with crescent moon indents pressed to his palms. I asked for salvation and you denied me, Labyrinthite had all but screamed, seething in a rage that was barely lidded.
But Iris stayed strong and firm, as she always had (he hated and envied her for that) when she spat that she knew he'd never change, she knew he pretended it didn't sting. (But she was right. He was so seeped in chaos that he wouldn't claw his way out even if he wanted. This was who he was, who he was meant to be. General Labyrinthite. Reaper. Knight of Metallia. The loyal soldier boy.) And when they'd fought -
Iris had won.
Then, she'd broken his arm and left him howling in pain.
Chase is pulled from his thoughts, the anger settling in his belly and twisting as his fingers close around the stiff part of the cast covering his palm, by his ride. He gave his address automatically, seat belt sliding across his torso and clicking into place, then stared out the window until they got there.
Agitation was crawling beneath his skin, spreading through his veins as the car pulled up and he got out. Paying the fee, Chase entered the house and locked the door behind him.
"Hey mom," he said, catching sight of Lara's frame peeking just out of the kitchen. "So I just - " His voice cut off, jaw hanging open slightly as he walked into the dining room to find that his mother wasn't alone. "What are you - " he stopped, swallowed hard because he didn't know what to do.
But Chase had a feeling that last night was only the first of many bad nights to come.
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Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 11:20 pm
Laurelite sat, hands folded in her lap, on the couch. She had not been here for very long, but it hadn't been difficult to anticipate when Chase would be getting home. She hadn't needed his mother to let her in. She let herself in. And she had summoned Aluminite with little explanation. The Queen had many responsibilities now, and it might not have been immediately clear what she was doing here. She certainly hadn't explained to Chase's mother, or Aluminite. She had simply arrived. There were here for the ride. When Chase entered the room, Laurelite was looking right at him. "Labyrinthite," she greeted, unashamed of using that name in front of his mother. Laurelite wasn't smiling.
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Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2016 10:29 am
It was like his brain was short circuiting, because processing that Queen Laurelite was in his kitchen with one of his captain's standing uncomfortably at the edge of the table and was calling him Labyrinthite. Whiskey-gold eyes flickered over towards the soft, aging face of his mother when the name slipped out, and his heart hammered away in his chest. Reflexively, or perhaps nervously, his fingers curled into fists against his thighs.
Lara, bless her, looked confused but as the established socialite didn't seem to flinch under the tension or the strange name she'd never heard of.
"Your friends are strangely dressed Chase," Lara commented as casually as possible, a practiced smile on her lips as she looked from Aluminte, in all his assassin's creed-like glory and then, briefly blue eyes glanced at the other woman in her Asian-centric clothing. "Are you apart of some...uh. What's it called - LARPing thing?"
But Chase didn't answer, because he was too busy swallowing the lump in his throat and trying to get his tongue to work in his too-dry mouth.
"Queen Laurelite," he said slowly, trying to keep the panic from fluttering through his frame. "To what do I owe this visit?"
Chase dared to look at Aluminite, who immediately looked away, the captain's hands curled tightly into fists and a look of shame written all over his face. Aluminite had never been one that was strong in his devotion but he'd also never looked away from Chase when Chase looked at him.
Something was wrong.
What had he done?
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Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2016 10:52 pm
Laurelite offered what might have appeared to be a kind smile to the other woman I the room, but she provided no reassurance. Her eyes were not so friendly when they settled on back on Labyrinthite. "I don't really think that's a question that needs asking, General. Rest assured, I fully intend to tell you where your shortcomings lie. But let me hear, from you, where you think you have failed me. Perhaps if you can identify your mistakes you will be able to learn from them. So please." She gestured to Labyrinthite with one hand, urging him to speak. Before she lowered her hand, she cast a glance at his Captain to make sure both understood that she expected Aluminite to be witness to this confession.
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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2016 10:16 am
He didn't know if it was possible to grow any paler, but Chase was certain that he now featured a ghostly complexion in the wake of Laurelite's words. His head spun, his arm ached, and he felt a lump in his throat to accompany the rapid pulse of his heart. Shame crept up his neck at his lack of words, ability to respond to his queen because he didn't know.
Sure, he'd been a little reckless lately but no more than others. His soldiers were kept in line, his informant's loyalty to Labyrinthite and his sovereigns were clear, and he hadn't fallen out of line, not publicly.
Surely they didn't know that his wounded limb was a result of a failed battle against the rainbow princess. It'd been last night, there'd been no one -
In truth he was unsure if anyone had been around to see him fail but that alone wouldn't have warranted a home visit. Flashes of blood splattered walls flicked across his train of thought but he shoved them away, unwilling to admit his folly. They'd been white mooners, surely their deaths, as gruesome as they were, were not enough.
There had to be something else, but he couldn't know what.
"I - " his voice caught in his throat, a strangled sound that hardly resembled the vowel when he caught sight of his mother's furrowed brow and Aluminite's pained expression. His mouth was dry, tongue struggling to move as it felt too thick in his mouth but he tried to speak regardless. "I'm afraid I don't understand ma'am."
Across from the queen, the captain audibly groaned, eyes squeezing shut for the briefest of seconds before green eyes flicked from his general to his sovereign. All he could think was wrong answer.
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Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2016 5:03 pm
Disappointment appeared on Laurelite’s face and she shook her head, slowly. “You do, I think.” There was not so much as a shadow of a smile on her face. Her gaze did not leave his eyes but she reached for a small packet next to her. She withdrew two photographs, each of different scenes. She supposed he would recognize the messages he’d left in blood and she watched his face closely. “Where shall I start?” It was rhetoric, and she did not wait for an answer. “Would you like to show these to your mother and explain what they mean? I’d like to hear her thoughts on it. Certainly you weren’t doing this on the Negaverse’s behalf? Because--I can’t quite figure this one out. You are a decorated officer, why did you act in such an unprofessional, reckless manner? I do expect an answer, so keep your mind on that.” She reached for another sheet of paper--a printed report detailing the Special Operatives meeting. Still, her eyes did not leave his. “You left the meeting with Hessonite following her choice of punishment for the officers that publicly defied her. As a veteran of this war, I hope you know how poorly their behavior reflected on all of us. That level of insubordination could have easily resulted in termination, and instead she chose to dismiss them. They left with their lives. I would like, also, an explanation for your behavior there. Tell me why you, one of my favored, would have taken the side of insubordination instead of loyalty?” Again, she gave him a look that indicated she expected an answer. But she still wasn’t done with his list of infractions. “I thought I could sweep your disdain and insubordination for the Dark Mirror Court under the rug, and while I’ve received no reports that you’ve further antagonized our position with them, you are apparently vocal enough about them. I am certain I could link further hostilities with them based on your commentary. You are a General. More than just your subordinates,” she gestured to Aluminite, “Look up to you. How do you think it makes you look when you’ve yet to dispose a single member of Iris’ team? I don’t even know if you’re taking it seriously.” She eyed his arm. “Being underprepared is not how you were trained. Maybe you could have done more damage if you’d had some starseeds? Oh!” Her face twisted into mock surprise. “But wait.” There was a darkness in her voice, a tempered anger and something else. “You’ve been throwing them away. You’ve been tossing them out. Wasting them. Did you think the youma were hungry or were you just trying to spit on the Negaverse? I refuse to believe someone as intelligent as you thought we had replenished our reserves after the Invasion. So tell me.” She stood straighter and was nearly grimacing. Her lips were pressed tightly, as if that helped her suppress her emotions. “Tell me, now, how you have failed me.”
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Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2016 5:38 pm
His jaw hurt from how tightly clenched it was, from the way it ticked as Laurelite produced a packet and then - photographs from his open challenge. With much effort, he kept his expression blank even though the hard swallow gave away some of his unease.
His mother was not as careful as he and she couldn't help the way she gasped. Or the way her hands flew to her cover her mouth and hide her horror.
Chase had to force himself to look away, because he couldn't stand to see the confusion, pain, disappointment that surely made up her expression. Instead, he focused upon the woman who was addressing him. His hands came to rest behind his back, feet spread slightly, and fingers wrapping around a wrist so tightly he thought he might lose feeling.
Staying composed was important. If the queen was going to punish him, then he would face it with as much grace as he could manage. Even if he didn't understand Lara's part in it all.
"Chase - " Lara started, only to be silenced by the sharpness of his glance and the way the other woman continued. Aluminite's hand had grabbed her shoulder, kept her rooted to her seat.
Everything hit home, too personally, too harshly and the man wanted to snap - tell her to stop, that he'd heard enough, his mother didn't need to hear any of this - but he knew better. Even if it hurt and shame creeped up his neck and stained his ears red.
As clearly as he could manage, voice wavering only slightly, Labyrinthite's civilian guise attempted to answer even as one of my favored rang in his ears.
"A number of the white moon have attempted to ambush me among the streets of the city. The motive was to drive them to a location where I would hold the upper-hand and collateral damage would be minimized." Chase said taking a moment to breath deeply before he continued. "I have no opinion on the general-queen's handling of those dismissed, it is her prerogative to handle those beneath her as she deems fit. However, the meeting presented a change in which my skill set is lacking." He did not know how to tell his queen that he did not believe that ruling by fear was the way to lead. "Her methods are not - " he hesitated, glancing at Aluminite and watching the way the captain quickly averted his gaze. Something was coming, regardless of how he answered. "Her leadership strategies directly conflict with what I have been building amongst my team. Reassignment to another branch felt like the appropriate measure to take in order to assure full utilization of myself and them."
It was difficult to hide the darkening of his expression when the Dark Mirror were brought up. He'd behaved himself, for the most part, and had merely chosen to avoid the chaos court when he could lest he tempted. "I do not understand how they are useful to us or our cause. Their wraiths appear to be more under control but their realm more unstable, unpredictability in such manners that are uncontrollable do not encourage...friendly relations."
When she looked at his cast, so did he and he tensed, a taunt line about to break.
"It is not for the lack of trying. Sailor Iris has advised her court to avoid at all cost." Metis had known to avoid him almost immediately and the others, he hadn't seen them since she'd tried to purify him. He had been looking, inquiring as he could but continually came up short. "Sailor Iris has always been a high level threat," he continued now staring at Laurelite without actually looking at her. "My attempted tactics have failed, I could not convince her to attempt to purify again and as a result of the skirmish I was outmatched." Barely, but it'd been enough. His arm throbbed as he forced them back to his sides. Gripping his wrist with the hands of his ailed arm had not been wise.
"I did not mean to disappoint you." No, but even the favored disappointed from time to time. "Nor was it my intent to fail you. The starseeds - they were a lapse in judgement."
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Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 8:54 am
For a moment, Laurelite looked sympathetic--and then she shook her head. "You are a General, Labyrinthite. You aren't allowed to have such lapses in judgment. More than making just yourself look bad, you have made me look bad. Look at you," she sighed. "I've spoken so highly of you. I wanted to see you succeed. I thought better of you. I need you to understand." Laurelite looked to Aluminite and gestured for him to step forward even as she continued her conversation with Chase. "I need to remove distractions. But it seems like a slap on the wrist isn't enough to get through to you. So, now I need you to understand how serious I am." The Queen locked eyes with Chase even as she finally addressed Aluminite--and gave him the order: "Retrieve her starseed."
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Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 9:34 am
Chase grit his teeth together as he was scolded like a misbehaving child. The movement of his jaw was subtle but undeniable as he met the queen's gaze only shifting as Aluminite rose to his feet and trembled beneath Laurelite's orders. The scrape of his chair against the wooden floor made Chase wince slightly, the sound too loud in contrast to the queen's voice.
Aluminite stood and stepped closer as beckoned and tried to keep his hands from shaking as he waited for the next order. It would be bad, terrible, he knew just from the way she was speaking and how, despite his general's efforts, his explanations had been in vain.
Retrieve her starseed.
Oh. Oh no.
"No, no - please, don't - " Chase stammered, any semblance of calm and collected thrown out a window as he stepped forward, a poor attempt to halt things that couldn't be stopped. His mother was everything to him, the last thing he had that he cared genuinely about, not in that weird nostalgic manner like everything else.
But Aluminite had been closer and his hand hovered before Lara's chest when he swallowed, guilt flooding him. Lara had been looking up confused by the entire exchange when she said, "what are you -" The captain cut off her sentence by reaching through her chest and into the pocket where the starseed lay.
"No, no! Please!."
Aluminite couldn't tell who was begging because the roar of his heart was too loud in his ears.
"Don't - Stop!"
Aluminite withdrew his hand, looked away as Lara's body crumpled, and rounded the table to present the starseed to their queen. "As requested," he mumbled, gaze trained on the floor.
"Queen Laurelite, please," Chase begged, frozen to the spot and unable to take his eyes off his mother's starseed.
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Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 9:32 pm
Chase’s pleas did not seem to affect Laurelite; her face was impassive. She shook her head, slowly. “You had a chance to redeem yourself, and you threw it away. You weren’t discreet about what you were doing. This isn’t about just you. This isn’t a slap on the wrist, or a threat. You had to be in the spotlight, had to make a scene. I can’t have that, Labyrinthite.” Her voice was cold, like she had pushed out all emotions. “The Negaverse needs to know that there are repercussions to disobeying the rules. To insubordination. There are those that would argue only death is a fitting enough punishment.” Her eyes were on him. “But I have a soft spot for you. You could be great, if only you applied yourself. I want you to live, but you need a punishment comparable to death. So,” she looked to Aluminite. “See that he swallows that, whole.”
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Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2016 10:17 am
That wasn't my intention! He ached to scream but fear had him rooted to the spot, his hands curled into fists the best he could and his broken arm screamed in agony from the way his muscles were shifting. He didn't care, the pain grounded him, made his focus sharper.
He wanted to attempt to bargain for his mother's life, she was the only thing he had left after all, but he knew it would be fruitless. Laurelite was disappointed and in her opinion, this was a fitting punishment even if it felt like she'd ripped his still-beating heart out instead and laid it on the table to plunge a knife into instead.
Chase's mouth clamped shut, teeth grinding against each other as he forced himself to wear the mask he always had whenever dealing with Samuel. It was his second offense and to be major enough to warrant discipline from the queen herself...It was a statement to everyone not just himself.
See that he swallows that, whole.
His heart sunk and his arms hung limply at his sides as Aluminite hesitatingly stepped forward. The look on the captain's face was apologetic and while Chase's own look was hard and cruel he expected nothing else from Aluminite than obedience. Hadn't he beaten that into the man with all the years that they'd spent together?
It was almost laughable, that he'd be betrayed by the very thing he'd instilled in his own officers.
Laurelite knew how to drive punishments home.
Still, he refused to open his mouth willingly and Aluminite had to pry Chase's mouth open, avoid gnashing teeth and shove the starseed in his mouth while clamping his jaw shut. With some difficulty the captain managed to force Chase's head back and keep his mouth shut until the starseed slid down his throat.
Chase thought he could still feel shards between his teeth and on his tongue though it'd gone down in one piece.
Aluminite stepped back, looked towards Laurelite with an expression mixed of, don't ask me to do anything else please and what now.
Chase however, spit at her feet.
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 5:55 pm
Laurelite’s eyes drifted to the spit at her feet, but she ignored chase and looked to Aluminite. She did not speak, but there was a quiet apology in her eyes for the role he’d been cast. The apology was short lived; she moved forward so quickly that it was hard to trace her. She gripped the front of Chase’s shirt and shoved him against the wall behind him. She was not his height, but her strength was unmatched. Her eyes were cold. “General,” she said icily. “I expected better of you. It would seem that you have yet to learn your lesson. Do you think it is wise to disrespect me in front of your subordinate? Did you think that was the best apology you could provide? Spit?” It was rhetorical and she gave him no time to respond. “No,” she said, in a more venomous tone. “ No, but you will apologize to me with blood, sweat and tears. The Rift will be kinder to you than I will be, and perhaps you will learn your manners there. As you are now, you are expendable. I will give you a chance for redemption, but make no mistake.” She pushed harder; her hand was a crushing force against his chest. She did not aim to break, only hurt. Only remind him of his power. “I will destroy you if I must. The Negaverse has no need for failures.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 4:30 pm
Chase did nothing to even attempt to stop Laurelite from grabbing him and throwing him against the wall. Instinctively, his hands wrapped around her wrist with his nails trying to dig into her skin as he glared down.
The soldier side of him was criticizing his moves, his choices because this was his queen and yet -
The usually dormant, but still very there Chase was angry, bitter, grieving. That side of him didn't care who he was facing or what type of respect he was supposed to be showing. As far as he was concerned, spitting at her was the nicest thing he could have done.
Especially when he wanted to punch her in the face.
"I apologize for nothing," he snarled, barely glancing at Aluminite who was shaking his head at him from behind the queen. Chase grunted at pain as she pushed harder, air squeezing out of his lungs, and his grip tightened because he couldn't do anything else.
Some foolish part of him thought that even if she did kill him, his team would rile up, rebel. Wolfeite would he was sure, Tourmaline perhaps because her temper always flared, but the others? He didn't know. He wouldn't expect.
"If you're going to continue to punish me do it," he wheezed, "Or kill me. I don't care."
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Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2016 10:52 pm
Laurelite did not flinch as his nails dug into her skin. She held him still, face impassive. “That is the wrong answer, Labyrinthite. Imagine, if I were cruel enough to punish your team, as well? If their General has behaved so poorly, who knows what bad habits you have taught them? The least you can do is accept your punishment with humility and set a good example for the rest of them.” She drew her hand away from him, prying her wrist from his grip. “I told you before, Labyrinthite. I want you to succeed. I will not kill you right now. But you are not fit to serve the Negaverse.” The words seemed to pain her, but she was unwavering. She placed her hand over his chest and reached to his starseed. She gripped it firmly, running her fingers over each groove. When she withdrew her hand, her grip still seemed to linger--tight. A reminder of what she could do. It felt binding, restricting. “I strip you, Labyrinthite, of your status. You have no authority, no privilege, no favor. If you cannot serve the Negaverse, it will not serve you. You will keep your weapon. Perhaps you will keep your life.” She turned to Aluminite. “You will let your team know what has transpired. You will let them know of his insubordination and explain his absence. You will let them know that his life, and his redemption, are in his hands. If he falls, it is because he chose to. Let us hope he returns to us in one piece, but.” Laurelite returned her gaze to Labyrinthite. “The Rift can be a cruel place.”
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Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2016 9:39 am
His broken arm ached, falling to his side as the other one gripped at her because he needed something to do with his hand. Chase knew that any efforts would be worthless against Laurelite. She was queen and he wasn't even a general right now, but merely human civilian Chase.
His teeth grit together against her words, a flash of something dark and twisting in his eyes as he looked down at her. They know better, he thought, angry and bitter. Then he thought, you made this personal when you took her from me. Maybe he would have been better, less wild and resistant if she'd left Lara out of this, but she hadn't. Now, Chase's recklessness was coming to ahead even when he knew he needed to stop digging his grave deeper.
"L-look at him," Chase wheezed, a gutteral sound tearing from his throat when she dropped him and shoved her hand his chest. "I-isn't he an example of w-what you want to see?" Both arms lay almost limply at his sides, back pressed against the wall, but his eyes had flickered over to Aluminte who'd stood in place and listened to orders as he'd been told. Talking was hard, each word taking more strength than he was sure he had.
Aluminite knew that what Chase - Labyrinthite - was doing was idiotic. He knew that they knew better. How many times had he warned the others of their tongues, encouraged them to be prepared and aware and to keep from drawing negative attention to themselves? How often had Labyrinthite spent time in the company of his back and warned them of what it meant to be disobedient, disloyal? And yet - Aluminite struggled with watching the general who'd impressed such values, going as far to punish and punish and punish the ones that hadn't listened or obeyed, be so disloyal and acting with such insubordination.
He feared what recklessness the pack would fall into, save for perhaps Zircon, if he told them of what transpired. Yet, the captain was smart enough to know that the only answer he could give their queen was this; "Yes, ma'm." For the first time in a long while when under duress, his voice did not waver.
Chase on the other hand, sucked in a shaky breath feeling the weight and pressure of Laurelite's hand wrapped around his soul though it was no longer physically there. Through gritted teeth and barely restrained disdain he said: "Any place can be cruel. I accept all punishments for my crimes."
It didn't matter that he had no choice, no say, he would pretend like he did. Chase's strength was not limited to what the negaverse provided.
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