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 Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2018 1:11 pm
It was progressively getting harder to power up. It simply wasn't that she couldn't, it was just that she didn't want to. Everything was spiraling---No, it snowballed, really. Starting with that meeting with Jack in the mall and just going from there. The real icing on the cake, lately, was her time spent in Mirror Space with Mintaka, and the encounter with Zircon in Negaspace. There were things happening. Shifting, and with an existence she once found acceptance she now found discord and turmoil. With things rapidly deteriorating for her, she knew she was no longer fit to be Alabaster's commanding officer. Deep down, she also found she didn't want to be anymore. It was nothing the man had done. It was purely because of her own circumstances. She didn't want to be responsible for nurturing an agent of Chaos anymore when she...didn't quite believe in it herself. Thus the corrupt reached out to the lieutenant, and requested his presence. On the outskirts, in the area where buildings were more abandoned. It would be easy for the man to get to, but less likely to attract attention. Still stood, waiting, hands crossed behind her back as she stared out into the dark surroundings. It was flurrying, lightly...and idly she wondered if it'd start to snow, soon. The further they got into December, she found, her mood wasn't getting any better. The closer they got to the date she was corrupted...
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Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2018 7:03 pm
Stillwaterite was a good boss for the simple and surefire reason that she didn't nitpick or hover or try and micromanage things. She gave him tasks to complete, quotas to fulfill, and advice on how to survive in the Negaverse, but she didn't baby him - far from it, in fact. She'd caught him out on lying the first few minutes after he'd been recruited, which Alabaster thought was probably either a very bad sign or a very good one.
She had called him now, and he was going to meet her, making sure that everything looked good before he did. Alabaster straightened his uniform, dusted off a few flakes of snow, made sure his hair looked flawless (it always did) and tried to remember if he'd filled the quota she'd given him last week yet.
He was pretty sure he had. Maybe he could fudge it a little.
As he stepped onto the darkened street, in the part of town where he normally wouldn't have deigned to set foot, Alabaster felt Stillwaterite's presence just up ahead. He walked swiftly to meet her, her aura pulsing stronger and stronger until at last, there she was, standing with her hands linked against the small of her back.
"Good evening, General," he said smoothly, for lack of a better term to call her, since Eternal sounded kind of weird. "How are you tonight?"
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2018 6:33 pm
On her internal radar she felt the signature of the lieutenant approach, and soon enough she was greeted by the sight of the man. She found she was looking at him in a different light now. A part of her felt a twinge of guilt for bringing him into the Negaverse, but she had to remind herself that he was willing. He did have a choice, and he took it... He saw power, and wanted it. That was not the kind of person she could persuade to turn back. A pale brow lifted slightly at the title with which he addressed her, but she didn't dwell on it. After all, she wouldn't be his commanding officer for much longer. "I'm fine." She replied. "I hope you are, as well. Thanks for coming out. There's a matter I need to discuss with you." The corrupt didn't bother to beat around the bush. It was never her style to be blunt and direct when handling these kinds of matters. "Alabaster...due to matters going on in my personal affairs, I'm no longer fit to be your commanding officer." She paused, briefly. "It has nothing to do with you. The lying at the start, and the one incident of tardiness aside---" She gave him something of a look. "You've been a good recruit." Saying those words made her feel hollow, but she had to maintain some degree of normalcy in handling this matter of getting him transferred. "So please don't take this as anything you have or haven't done. I want to make sure you're in good hands though...would you happen to have any Generals in mind you'd like to fall under? I can start inquiring. I'll make sure you're set for this transfer."
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 1:07 pm
He was pleased to see her and eager to please. Alabaster had always been the sort of person who privately just wanted approval; recognition that what he was doing was either impressive or good or just plain awe inspiring. He liked being in the spotlight, liked knowing that what he did hadn't just fallen to the wayside.
Stillwaterite's tone, however, was calm and cool. There was nothing of the faint smirk in her eyes, nothing of her usual lazy grin. Alabaster's head tilted to one side, wondering if he was in trouble for something.
Maybe he hadn't met his quota after all.
Maybe she'd found out about Sinoite.
There was nothing going on with Sinoite.
He opened his mouth, intent on saying - something - in his defense, but the words died in his throat. Alabaster stared at Stillwaterite, his eyes widening, and a sense of dawning comprehension was beginning to build with each passing second.
"Wait," he said, "Wait."
He tried to comprehend this.
"Are you - are you firing me?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 2:01 pm
Despite everything, she couldn't help but find some humor in the reaction. Brows lifted slightly into her uneven bangs as she regarded him. "No." She replied. "Because you're still going to be a Negaverse lieutenant, Alabaster---that's not going to change." Even if it should. "You're just going to have a new commanding officer. For the most part, your duties should stay the same...just who you report to will be different." Still gave him a moment to take that in before asking again. "Do you have a preference on a commanding officer? There's Pyrophanite..." She trailed off for a moment. Well. Maybe that wasn't a good suggestion...Pyro had a problem with men like Alabaster, and the lieutenant would probably be miserable if the General treated him like he did Harmotome and....only had him running errands to get Cheetohs or Monster energy drinks. "Or Aurostibite---I'd recommend him, highly. He's more serious, but hands off, as well, from what I gather." A brow lifted higher as she waited for Alabaster's reply.
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 7:07 pm
He was slightly mollified to hear that he wasn't being - he could barely think of the word without shuddering - downsized. Or let go (heaven forbid).
But that still didn't explain the fact that he was being dropped. Alabaster tried not to let the sense of rising panic show on his face, his pulse quickening, his breathing a little shallower than it had been a second earlier. He swallowed hard, pressing his lips together, keeping his face deliberately neutral, pulling the cool and collected mask back over himself once more.
"I don't know any Aurostibite," he said. "Or a superior officer. I met one in the Rift, but she was a half youma, and besides, she wasn't that far above me in rank."
He did not like the idea of starting over. Of beginning again. Alabaster's carefully constructed world was beginning to crumble around him, was beginning to steadily drift away like sand through his fingers, until there was nothing left.
Stay calm. Don't overreact. Calm down.
"I mean," said Alabaster, after a long moment had passed. "I mean, I suppose I have no choice, do I?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 7:23 pm
Still quietly watched the man. The way he swallowed, the press of lips. He wasn't happy, and she supposed a part of her was touched. She didn't want to cause Alabaster any unhappiness. The man had been, as much as he could be, nice to her. Attentive as far as a lieutenant goes. He did his work. Had qualities that were...good. But this went beyond her control. Despite all the time she spent with Dallas, despite the year she had nearly been in the Negaverse---she was still had soft spots at the core. "No." Still replied softly. "You don't." And his question hit home a lot harder than he intended. "But there are far worse things for you to not have a choice in, Alabaster." The small smile she gave him was wry before it faded. "If you don't have a superior officer in mind, the offer still stands for me to find a suitable one for you---" She paused, briefly. "Unless you would like to seek one out for yourself? It's not my intention to cast you adrift---anything I can do to see you settled for this transition, I will do."
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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2018 6:56 pm
In spite of all evidence to the contrary, he was bad at spontaneity. Bad at coming to grips with things that were not planned, or not thought out. Bad at being asked to leave his apartment the day of an outing instead of the week before. Bad at being told that his appointment had been moved from four to twelve instead.
He did not like this. It felt as though all of his careful planning, all of his ironically cautious plans were being thrown out the window.
And he liked Stillwaterite.
Alabaster's cane was gripped tight in his hands, the tip of it pressing into the ground. Gloved fingers held on, as though he needed something to steady himself, and he said, with a tight little smile, "This is true. I mean, I'd rather have a choice in this, but it could be worse."
It was always going to get worse, because that was his lot in life, apparently. First Rob had disappeared. Then Sinoite had done whatever it was that he was doing. And now Stillwaterite was abandoning him, although at least she was telling him, unlike...
Alabaster let those thoughts drift off. He shook his head.
"If you have a recommendation," - and the lawyer's smooth voice was back, pulling the control back in - " - I'd be glad to know if any."
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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2018 7:11 pm
Still's eyes lidded in thought. While she could read the smaller signs of the man's displeasure, it wouldn't change what was happening. It simply would just be. Unfortunately, she had a hard time coming up with any other Generals off the top of her head. Pyrophanite was out due to compatibility...Machine was out for that same reason. She didn't know any other corrupt Eternals that well, and honestly didn't know any other Generals that well, either. None that she would trust Alabaster with right off the bat. "...I'll do some digging around it you like, but honestly the only one that comes to mind that I find reliable is Aurostibite." She focused back on the man. "I just don't know that many personally." The corrupt looked at him, silently, for a moment. She really had nothing more to say to him. Anything else, even an attempt at encouragement, just seemed empty and patronizing. "Would you like me to ask if he'll take you on?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2018 7:23 pm
He tried to commit the name Aurostibite to memory, though he had little idea of who that was. Still, if he was recommended by Stillwaterite, that did mean something, didn't it? It meant that he was at least worth recommending and vice versa.
"I'll try and remember that," he said, and then was silent for a long moment. It stretched out, a thickness that made him uncomfortable, because Alabaster did not do well with sentiment or with the unknown, and this was both of these things. It didn't matter that Stillwaterite hadn't been hovering at his shoulder for every move, or that she had, for the most part, left him to his own devices. She had chosen to recruit him, and she had believed in him, and that was what mattered.
And yet.
And yet.
Alabaster offered her another smile that felt as though it wasn't what he wanted (it never was). "Yes. Please."
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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2018 7:38 pm
Still nodded. "I'll get in touch with him, then, and then get back to you through the crystal communicator." Once more the corrupt trailed off for a moment before continuing. "It's been fun, Alabaster." And she really did mean it. It had been fun...right up until the point it wasn't, for her. "I wish I had more time with you." That part was genuine as well. Maybe if she had more time...she could have tried talking him about of being here. That seemed like a pipe dream though. A stretch. This man wanted power, and he wouldn't walk away from it so easily. Not unless he reached a point like she had. "I wish you the best." It was a dismissal as good as any.
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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2018 9:08 pm
Stay calm.
Stay focused.
Remember this is fine.
Everything is fine.
Everything was not fine, but maybe if he told himself this enough, it would work. Maybe if he kept repeating it like a mantra, over and over and over again, it would eventually be true. Alabaster doubted this, but his mind was already working to establish this falsehood regardless.
"Thank you," he said, and then reached out a hand towards her, ever the lawyer. "For, you know."
For leaving me too.
"For recruiting me, and knowing what a fantastic recruit I'd be," Alabaster finished, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2018 9:04 am
Still didn't hesitate to take his hand when he offered it. She held it firmly in her own, and after a moment her other hand came out to rest on the back of his, so that she held his between her two. "There's no need to thank me." She said in earnest, but for not the reason he might imagine. She should have never brought him in...and now she was going to cut him loose and he'd...who knew. She was partly responsible, but yet there was nothing she could do to fix this. There was nothing more she could say to him that wouldn't be a plea for him to consider leaving the Negaverse. That wasn't a risk she wasn't going to take. Instead she just smiled at him in return, and it mirrored the one he gave her. "Good bye, Alabaster." She let go, and then she teleported away.
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