|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2018 3:33 pm
"Oh ******** me, I could use a drink." Scholomance slumped into his own words when the full force of summer struck squarely on his back. He didn't mind the hotter temperatures as Isaiah Zähne, who could pick an outfit based on current reports, but Scholomance was ever bogged with heavy fabrics, a cast of bone, and woefully unplanned outfit choices.
But the day demanded little of him, with no auric disturbances bleeding over the horizon, so he got a pass on rigorous physical activity. Instead, he strode from one rooftop to the next, jumping only so far as necessary that he made the opposing parapet. His pace leisurely, he managed a few glances toward the street level where buskers played their odes to joy or small businesses set up their outdoor sales. In one parking lot, a popular secondhand store wheeled out a few of its racks filled with sunny summer dresses. But he kept on with no further signs of trouble.
Closer and closer he came to Friedman's Café. In the lull of the day, the attraction was there to grab a coffee. Maybe call it quits for a few hours and enjoy the weather in more comfortable clothes. Possibly find another barista that was more susceptible to his flirtations. The lot sounded quite good.
As he finally set foot atop the building, gravel crunching receptively beneath his bone heels, he felt a peculiar dawn on the horizon. A senshi of the White Moon, he realized, as the fleeting instinct coalesced into something recognizable. Well then, perhaps I'll have company for that cup of coffee. Scholomance took his seat on the raised ledge and waited, arm locked as he leaned to the side. Maybe they'd join him, maybe they'd continue on in their leisurely direction.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 6:56 pm
Much less bothered by the heat was Super Sailor Cor Caroli, though he was kind of wishing he had shorts instead of pants on his fuku. Then again, he was pretty sure that some senshi wished for the opposite, so he wasn't going to complain about it. He did have a habit of patrolling around cafes, especially if he could stop in for refreshments when it was time to power down. Friedman's wasn't a bad spot for a "home base" when patrolling; Cor liked to pick an spot as the "center" for patrolling and work his way outward, then back inward, and then maybe somewhere else if the occasion arose. Making the location even more inviting than unusual was the existence of a bona-fide Knight aura in the vicinity. Not a Page, not a Squire, a Knight! There had to be someone interesting on the other side of the aura, so he approached. When he got an eyeful of Scholomance, however, he did a dramatic double take. "Whoa!" What member of Order was allowed to have that many bones on their uniform? Those weren't trophies, were they? Oh. Saturn Knight. That made a little sense. And hey, this guy looked kind of familiar- oh. Right. That one guy. The handsy one (?). Hopefully this wouldn't be too awkward. "Oh, hey, sorry about that," Cor said, recollecting himself. "I just didn't expect all those bones to be on the other end of an Order aura," he added with a chuckle. "For a moment, I thought the Negaverse figured out how to fake an Order aura. Scary thought, you know?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2018 11:33 am
An order senshi's appearance had Scholomance shifting to stand, to keep feet a shoulder-width apart and readied. Muscles tensed for an inevitable objection to his dress, or his darks, or his character. That was often how the White Moon worked — off of appearances they could equate to evil. Off of actions that bled too far into questionable.
But the worst he got was a shocked recoil, without any curse words sung out into the muggy air or magic sent in his direction. Much of Scholomance's readiness dropped, then, into a much easier laziness. He once again sank down into his seat, spine comfortably slouched, shoulders comfortably skewed to their odd angles, gaze comfortably roving the goods on offer by the other senshi's uniform. Which, he realized, looked quite familiar — they'd met before, though he couldn't remember much of it anymore. Perhaps they were each at one of those big fiascos, or met at the gathering shortly before the Negaverse was invaded.
"You're not the first, trust me." The knight shifted his bone heels against the gravel as he spoke. "I've been attacked by confused senshi at least twice now. Cosmic tailor must've taken one look at me and thought I needed my a** kicked." Which wasn't particularly wrong, now that Scholomance reflected on it.
"Say, I recognize you from somewhere. Can't say where — maybe took a few good knocks to the head for that. Nasty business, all this fighting. Was it at… Oh, I don't know, that one shady exchange with the dead-looking blue guy and the crystals? Where everyone thought it was a good idea to step into a portal that went straight into the Negaverse? Or maybe it was before that…" Scholomance scratched his nose. "Oh, I don't know.
"But if you've forgotten, or I've got the wrong person, I'm Scholomance of Saturn. You are?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2018 5:22 pm
"What, really? Do they not feel that big-a** Knight aura? It's very... not a Negaverse aura." Cor Caroli found himself wondering what kind of idiot senshi would attack a Knight, no matter how ominous they looked. Scholomance confirmed some recognition of Cor Caroli (though not too much), which was fine. "Yeah, I think I saw you there. Maybe a few other places, too? That Negaverse invasion thing was wild, to put it mildly." He shook his head. That was putting it very mildly. "I haven't forgotten, and you've got the right person. Super Sailor Cor Caroli, Senshi of Will, at your service. Nice to meet you again." He paused, looked to the side, then back at Scholomance. "So, what brings you out here tonight? Standard patrolling, looking for someone to pummel, or are you looking for something?" It wasn't likely, but sometimes people did have a particular objective, and if the Knight had one, he wanted to know.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2018 1:26 pm
Scholomance managed an uneasy shrug. "Maybe they figure the big-a** knight aura is somewhere nearby and I've got a pocket Mau to hide away my General signature." He supposed he wouldn't have to worry about becoming a General against his will; missing an arm pinned him as poor choice to the otherwise ableist regime.
He did, however, raise himself up for a quick bow. Simple interest in the introduction was displayed when he pulled his half-mask down to reveal a smile. The Customer Service aspects of it belied more genuineness than what retail trained rote. "You're the first senshi I've met in quite a while. Usually it's knights or Negaverse agents for me." Each of which had their own problems, from blatant lack of understanding for the war they now joined to vehement assault with extreme prejudice. But Cor Caroli sounded neither uninformed nor intent to kill him.
So Scholomance stepped forward a few paces. His coat dragged stray bits of gravel with each footfall, not that the knight thought much of it anymore. "I've actually got my eye out for something. Someone, really. Our bioluminescent knight and senshi cousins, that is. They call themselves transcended, which sounds a touch ostentatious to me.
"But, specifically, I'm looking for transcended knights and senshi who are willing to share their stories. Each person has a bit of understanding for what transcendence does for them, but so little's been shared about it — at least with me. So if you know anyone that looks the part, I'm all ears."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2018 12:14 pm
Cor chuckled at the mental image. "Imagine this big hulking general with a pocket full of kittens. Isn't that something? Those poor cats though." He smiled and nodded back when Scholomance gave him the polite bow. Well, that's some small flourish, huh. "I've got a similar deal. I bump into a lot of senshi, both brands of Negaverse agents, and sometimes even a Dark Mirror senshi shows up. Rarely any Knights though. Maybe I ought to look for more." When Scholomance mentioned the transcended, Cor's expression lit up. Yes, he knew just the thing. "Funny that you mention that! I know one guy who looks the part, for sure, plus a friend of that guy who I'm pretty sure is transcended, too. Do you need anything to write these names down on, or...?" He paused, trying to refresh himself on how Knight rings worked. Glitnir had sent a few messages to him with the system, but he wasn't 100% sure how it went on his own. "Well, anyway, the two people you ought to send a ring mail to are Glitnir, Knight of Mars, and Eternal Sailor Megrez. "One thing, though- Glitnir got kind of mauled by a Negaverse General a while back. I think he's back on his feet, but he's not going too far out and about. He's had a hard couple of months. As for Megrez, I haven't seen her in a while, but I think she's around town more often."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2018 2:48 pm
Scholomance wondered, briefly, if Cor Caroli ever owned a cat. If he did, the knight supposed he'd understand that their cute, furry feline friends quite liked mayhem and destruction. Perhaps pairing cats with generals was a good fit. They'd certainly look on indifferently to generals committing public maimings. Cringing at the thought, Scholomance forced himself back on topic.
This was already turning out to be quite a good meeting — Cor Caroli hadn't attacked him, and actually knew a few transcended sorts right offhand. He even provided names before Scholomance had to consider asking for them. Why couldn't more senshi be like this? He quite preferred them when they were easy and helpful, or in Scylla's case, desperate to help. Perhaps the war simply beat the drive and interest in solidarity out of them.
"Oh, don't worry about spelling out the names for me. Mistral's updated our rings enough times that we've got quite a lot more flexibility in how knight rings work. Sending a letter's still quite fine, though, and preferable given present company. I'd hate to be that a*****e that sits on the phone in a physical conversation, you follow?" He slipped the signet ring from its chain around his neck, then carefully saved away the names in a makeshift Wikipedia page. Its fixed display allowed for single-hand access. "Glitnir Knight and Eternal Megrez," he mumbled to himself in the moment.
The amendment Cor gave earned a sigh. "Sounds like Glitnir and I have a little more to talk about than his space AIDS." Seating himself again, Scholomance crossed one leg over another. He leaned back in a sprawl against the bench with some ease.
"I appreciate the help, Cor Caroli. Certainly this'll make it easier to finish some transcendence research. But what are you looking for? Something dragged you out and about this fine evening, I'm sure."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 10:21 am
"Updates, huh? Cool. I'm not sure how up to date Glitnir's ring is, so..." Cor Caroli goggled at the display that popped up. Sure, maybe there was something similar on senshi phones these days (especially with that new app that showed up one day), but having a sort of personal digital notepad space accessible with just the touch of a ring was super cool. The mention of "space AIDS" made the wonder drop from his face though. "I object to the term 'space AIDS.' If anything, it sounds like the opposite. It protects people instead of letting the Negaverse just scoop them up whenever they want. ...Sort of, I mean. Glitnir would probably have a different opinion, considering he nearly got killed anyway." The next question made Cor pause to think. "What am I looking for...? Well, a few things. I was scoping out some spots to go up to my planet from, for one. Never hurts to have some spots picked out in advance in case one is occupied. And also..." Another pause. "I'm thinking of asking people what it is that drives them to stay Order in this day and age. For a while, I thought that corruption would be my only way to survive, and that it was probably inevitable. I was about to turn myself in to be on the 'winning' side. But I found some things on my homeworld that caught my interest, and so... I'm still here."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2018 11:14 am
"Oh, don't be so bothered by an affectionate nickname. I wasn't being serious, my friend." This wasn't the first time his humor was mistaken; perhaps senshi were a little hot under the collar about transcendence and its boons. Whatever the reason, it was almost charming, if missed jokes didn't naturally grind his gears. "I am very interested to hear how your friend nearly got killed transcending, however. He'd be…" Sucking in his lower lip, Scholomance squinted an eye shut and looked to the sky in recollection. "The third person I'd heard of to almost bite the big one by transcending.
"That's not a very good track record, is it? I wonder if transcendence is actually quite dangerous." Scholomance finished muttering to himself as he added in the remaining names. With his intent to meet and its subject matter included in the message, Scholomance sent off the pair of e-mails. So much for snail mail these days.
All the while, he listened to Cor Caroli's reason for being out and about that summer day. What was most troubling was the easy way he admitted nearly selling himself out to chaos — as if it were only a logical sentiment. As if doing so wouldn't completely rewrite his life as he knew it and fill him with a poison that would corrupt his mind. Both of the knight's brows quirked, furrowing his brow, and he dismissed his ring's keyboard abruptly. "That's concerning. And for once, I'm being serious."
He stood then, and his overlong coat furled out against the concrete with his approach. His hand found his hip while he studied the other man. "We'll talk locations afterward. What you said just now is of more immediate concern.
"I also considered corrupting when I was first being hunted. It would've solved that problem quite nicely. But I decided I actually liked the world the way it is, and I wouldn't want to see it turned into the a**-end of Negaspace.
"Besides, I quite like my life. Once you cross that boundary into chaos and you're not you anymore — in any sense of the phrase. Whatever your name is as a civilian, that's gone. All your memories are gone. All your relationships are gone. Your money, your accomplishments, your degrees — all gone. It's like going into Witness Protection with none of the perks and nobody trying to keep you from getting yourself killed except the people who now hold your chain.
"And they do hold your chain. The Negaverse has a habit of milking people dry, and I don't just mean the civilians. Their officers get quotas — something we don't have to worry about as knights — and work under strict military rule. It's not a glamorous way to live." He searched the other boy's eyes for some spark of comprehension.
He licked his lips. "You said something on your homeworld caught your interest. It must be something quite powerful to make you recant your intent to corrupt. What is it?"sami-fire sorry about the wait! tag anxiety
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2018 7:15 pm
"Oh, okay, gotcha," Cor Caroli said with an uneasy laugh. Okay, so Scholomance didn't think Transcendence was cooties. That was a small relief, but Space AIDS? Really? In any case, he issued a quick correction. "I meant that Glitnir nearly got killed because he was transcended. Apparently, his actual transcendence was fine, if... complicated? He kept couching it in obnoxious metaphorical terms like 'a fight against his true self' or something. Kind of scary to hear that people are nearly getting killed by the process, though..." He trailed off. The prospect was unnerving, but if all options lead to some form of death, he'd like to die as himself. There wasn't much impact beyond that. The look on the Knight's face seemed to make Cor catch the concern by proxy. Why didn't he think that mentioning a desire to corrupt wouldn't draw some worried attention? He listened to Scholomance's experiences with considering corruption, and something grim and tense set into his expression. The tension faded away to shame as he averted his gaze before speaking again. "At the time, I was so convinced that corruption was the only way to continue existing. It's weird, it can't even be called self-preservation because your self isn't being preserved at all... but when you feel that sure that you're doomed as long as you stay Order, it looks kind of compelling. I know Chaos treats its people like trash, but..." He couldn't finish that sentence. The words caught in his throat. He really was ashamed of wanting to corrupt. When his homeworld was mentioned, he lightened up slightly. "My homeworld believed in a godlike force called the Great Will, and that the senshi was supposed to be the one who would commune with it after an apocalypse. The senshi was to deliver the 'Will of the Species' to the Great Will, which would restore the world according to humanity's wishes. A weak-willed senshi would never be able to convince the Great Will to restore the world... when I found all this out, I felt like corrupting would be giving up. I felt like a coward for even thinking about it. Regardless of whether or not this Great Will actually exists, I want to be there to show that humanity wants to live. I want to keep everyone's wills strong. If I can... maybe there's a chance for us after all." Saying the words aloud seemed to make the resolution seem that much more solid and real. There was, however, one more item to discuss. "I also had this weird dream, more like a vision, where I'd been corrupted by the Negaverse in some kind of dystopian future where they took over everything. I just remember being so sad all the time in that vision, and spending my days pining for someone I'd lost access to. I don't want to feel that way ever again."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 7:49 pm
The dangers of transcendence were noted, but Scholomance chose not to comment. More pressing concerns faced him in the form of Cor Caroli, who, while remorseful of it, faced the very real challenges staged by the Negaverse. That he managed his own understanding of the Negavere lie was itself a relief, but if he felt at all hunted, then a chance still remained that he would renege on that certainty. He might yet decide that even the Great Will of his homeworld is a paltry sham, and that the only real promise of power lay in Metallia's hands. Like power was its own best gift.
Scholomance remained silent for a time, listening as Cor Caroli walked from corruption to a glimmer into his homeworld's civilization to the dreams spoken of by more than just himself. What tied these things together? The war, surely. Next, he supposed, was Cor's planet — a unifying point between power, the war, and transcendence. This wasn't a random point of conversation.
Scholomance threaded his fingers together until he realized he didn't. Frowning to himself, he shoved his hand into his pocket. "I've heard about those dreams. Didn't much experience them myself, but a good friend of mine — who is transcended, by the by — mentioned something similar. The Negaverse won and there was some kind of public execution at the end. People were given the option to corrupt or die. At least, the people who could be corrupted were given that choice. And that's quite a heavy burden to bear for what amounts to a dream." He saw the reality of it written into Scylla's desolate stare, in the way her hands shook like dried-up leaves in a wind tunnel. Now Cor was a secondary point to that same grim future.
"But things have changed between our 'now' and that dream, yes? Scylla wasn't transcended in her memory of it, and now she is. That timeline's already broken for her. And perhaps this Great Will is the key to breaking that timeline for you, too. Maybe that's a touch presumptuous, but…
"I like to think that there's something of value on our wonders. Some promise to us left over from the last civilization that isn't just an ancestor or old memories. Otherwise, why bother letting us return to our places of power? Everything's dead there until it isn't." And, if Cor's Great Will has a chance to restore this world, or even Cor's own world, then such a promising power demanded investigating.
With a slow intake of breath, Scholomance weighed what he could offer. "I'd like to help you on that. If I can, of course. I understand if you'd rather not take a crippled knight onto your homeworld with you. Especially one in such garish attire…" He cringed at the bones ever looming into his peripherals. "But if there's a chance to restore the world — any world — then I want to see it happen."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2018 2:02 pm
"I didn't get to hear about the executions, if this is a real thing with connections between people," Cor Caroli said, trying not to screw up his face as he thought over the tail end of those visions. "The last thing I remember was meeting with... someone important to me, then that person leading me away to be purified. It all ended before I found out if that was successful. I can only hope it was." Cor's eyes went a bit wide when he heard that someone had averted the visions' portents. "So someone was able to avoid disaster," he murmured. "Aside from the whole 'the Negaverse still hasn't taken over yet' part. It hasn't happened, obviously, but the threat's always there, don't you think?" His gaze went distant for a moment as his focus wavered. However, Scholomance's offer brought him back to Earth. "I like the way you think. There's got to be all kinds of secrets on homeworlds and wonders, or we wouldn't see anything at all when we went there. I'd be happy to show you around my homeworld and see if anything interesting happens. Don't worry about the bones you have... or the bones you're missing." Whoops, that was probably in egregiously bad taste. "Uh, sorry. Self-control failure there. What I'm saying is, you can definitely come with me. Maybe I'll send you a ringmail next time I'm ready to go?" Yeah, like that'd freaking smooth over the fact he'd made a joke over a missing arm! Smooth, real smooth.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2018 1:20 pm
You were corrupted in your dream? How bizarre. I wonder if it's more a case of alternate reality than impending future. But alternate reality doesn't harbor much of a scare. Divining purpose behind dreams seemed itself presumptuous; Scholomance was content to set that aside for later dwelling. Perhaps Cor Caroli would have ideas on it when next they swung around to that conversation — assuming there was a 'next'.
"For as long as the Negaverse exists, it's a threat," he acknowledged. His hand withdrew from pocket to grasp the signet ring hanging from his neck. A familiar weight, it provided little more than vapid comfort. "But we're here to address that threat. Or I rather hope we are — we're not all a bunch of armchair archaeologists. This power wasn't dumped on us to just go exploring. The Negaverse must have something to do with it." And that brought even more impetus to finding something of worth in their wonders and homeworlds — some glimmer of power, some insight, some contraption that gave them a leg up in the war. He had to trust that it existed, even if he ran low on faith of late.
His faith (in humanity) ran a touch lower at Cor Caroli's comment. His shoulders slumped, his expression grew feeble, but he weathered it. "That's a bit of a sore spot, still." Nearly two years later and such minor comments still dug at him like an old itch — like the phantom itches still felt at the late hour.
Luckily, Cor passed over it quickly enough that Scholomance couldn't afford to dwell. "Yes, we can meet up here if you're often through this area. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to excuse myself for a touch. Nurse my bruised ego and all that." He graced his company with a Customer Service smile before he turned to face the tall parapets.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 2:06 pm
"I can agree with that on both counts," Cor Caroli said, referring both to the Negaverse as a threat and to the possible significance of homeworlds in fighting the war. And then good golly, Cor had screwed up majorly. He knew even making light of the arm thing was a bad idea. A thousand curses on his self-control mechanisms for breaking down right there! "S-sorry," he stammered, genuinely contrite and still mentally kicking himself. "Gotcha. I'll swing by here when I can go to space next," he added, also backing away. "I'll see you later." He would, right? Strickenized Heading towards a fin? If you're interested in doing the follow-ups with Megrez and Glitnir, let me know or feel free to start them yourself!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
