[R] Black as my Soul and Ink (Tama/Heliodor)

[Meighei]

Tama thought about the space he was in. Everything was so dark in Negaspace, it seemed. There were lights of crystal here and there, but the space still had that blackness inherent to it. Maybe it was the Chaos flowing through it.

Maybe it was just the section the cat was currently in.

Once he finished annotating the manual, making a decent map of this place was definitely going to be top of his list.

He sensed an aura and the clicking of wooden shoes on stone. For a moment, the sound was familiar. But it faded as he turned the corner to find Heliodor.

For a moment, a memory had almost surfaced, but it was gone.

Kolina

☆  

[Kolina]

Heliodor had been busy looking at the archive and doing some other research. He had wanted to dive a bit further into what had been happening the last few years here in Destiny City, so had opted to spend some free time in negaspace. When both his brain and body were in need of some rest from sitting and reading, he’d opted for a stroll. Sitting was certainly not his specialty, after all. Helio was a go-go sort of person. Being stationary too long was taxing.

Lost in thought, he almost didn’t notice the Mauvian right away. He paused and looked down at the pale feline owlishly for a moment. “Tama, right?” He questioned as he caught himself, as did offered a smile. “Fancy meeting you here. Out for a stroll as well? Or perhaps our dear General has you busy?”

It honestly wouldn’t be surprised if the Mauvian was tasked with something. Faustite was never one to see his underlings being slothful.

“Meighei”

 

[Meighei]

Tama puffed up at the sudden mention of Fautiste.

“Has me reading the manual.” The cat scoffed. “I may not know as much about the Negaverse, but I wasn’t awoken yesterday.”

Whatever memory that had tried to surface when he looked at the senshi’s outfit, had vanished at the mention of the general.

“You wouldn’t happen to know where a cat could get some coffee around here?” He mewed. “Without any natural light in this place, it has me wanting to nap all the time… or maybe that’s just how dull this manual is to read.”

Or, maybe, it was just because he was a cat.

Kolina

☆  

[Kolina]

Helio grinned at Tama’s reaction to Faustite’s name. With the snark that the feline had thrown at the General during the meeting it wasn’t unsurprising. “Hm, well, you are still new to the negaverse. I am sure there’s things in there that even you could find interesting. Protocol is protocol after all.”

Idly he played with a lock of hair from his voluptuous ponytail. His fingers curled and uncurled the lock absently. “Coffee? Hmm…” He pondered that one as his other hand sat poised against the opposite’s bicep. “I sadly don’t have anything in my little closet of an office but, I could possibly accommodate you back at my place if you’re interested in going for a ride? It might be a bit until I can get you back though.” In honestly, Helio hadn’t taxied a Mauvian so was unsure how taxing it might be to teleport with one. Perhaps their small frame would make it negligible, or at least a bit less taxing then carting around a full person.

“Perhaps a break will help. Get you some real sunshine.”

Meighei

Work tag for ya.

 

[Meighei]

At the mention of coffee, Tama abandoned all thoughts of reading the manual or making a better map. He could ink those up to his heart’s content later.

“I’d love to visit your place.” He purred. “A break would be lovely right about now.”

He could use some things that weren’t protocol today.

Kolina

☆  

[Kolina]

Helio smiled at Tama's obvious pleasure at the idea of a coffee break. Either the mauvian had been hitting his work hard or he just desperately craved the liquid of the gods. Either way, Heliodor was willing to provide. "Well, we can get going at any point. I've finished my work here for now."

He knelt down to allow Tama to make a perch on his shoulders if he so chose. Otherwise he'd scoop up the white feline. "Hop on up and we can get going." Once Tama was well arranged, Helio teleported from negaspace to a cramped alleyway two blocks from his apartment.

He took a moment to make sure there were no prying eyes before powering down and headed out onto the sidewalk. The sun was still high in the sky and a few puffy clouds promised little interference with the plentiful vitamin D. "How long have you been cooped up working?" He questioned Tama.

Meighei

 

[Meighei]

Tama hopped up on Heliodor’s shoulder. Though had he thought better, he would have let the man hold him. Teleporting was still rather new to him.

He hoped Heliodor didn’t mind a few pinpricks of claws into his senshi collar.

“I’ve been working for weeks on the manual and database. It takes a bit longer when you’re making notes. So many things need annotating.” He replied a bit melodramatically. “And before that I was in Mau Headquarters. They really only supply you with the basics. A cat like me needs a bit more sophistication.”

Had he ordered velvet pillows online that were taking absolute ages to ship? Absolutely.

Kolina

☆  

[Kolina]

Aelius slipped his hands into his front pockets as he walked down the street to his apartment location. Thankfully there weren’t too many people out milling around and his conversation with his white feline companion could continue on relatively uninterrupted. Only once did he have to stop mid conversation to avoid any attention.

“Sounds like he is keeping you busy that’s for sure. There are worse things. Soon enough you’ll be past all of this mundane protocols and doing your own thing. Just give it some time.” Nearing the tall, cream colored building that housed his apartment, Aelius fished his keys out of his jacket pocket.

“My apartment isn’t the plushiest of places so don’t expect too much. I am a bachelor living on his own after all.” He said jokingly as he opened up the front door to his apartment building and headed up the stairs. Three levels up and he stopped in front of a blue painted door. He unlocked the bolt and pushed open, the door sticking just a bit and needing a bit more force to get in.

“Welcome to my humble abode.” He smiled and he tossed his keys onto the laminate, cream counter top in the kitchen to the right. “Make yourself comfortable.” He gestured to the living room that sat just on the other side of a peninsula that separated the kitchen from the living space. A clean, wide armed grey couch sat against the wall facing a small Tv on the opposite side propped on a black tv console. A blanket was draped over the far back and corner while pillows adorned each side. The room was overall kept clean and in order. The door to his bedroom was around the wall next to the kitchen.

“I’ll get the coffee going for us then.” He stopped at the counter to give Tama the opportunity to hop off with ease.

Meghei

 

[Meighei]

“I can hardly wait.” He replied again a bit sheepishly. Truly, he wanted to be done with this introductory work. He may be new to the Negaverse, but he was hardly new to being a Mauvian. Still, he had yet to truly unsterstand the way things were and how hard finding his ‘own thing’ in the Negaverse would turn out to be.

Perhaps, he could start with a place in Negaspace where you could get a good cup of coffee.

“Any place with a nice pillow or blanket I can find a spot to spread my fur.” He said playfully as he hopped off Aelius’s shoulder and onto the grey couch not much different in color than himself. He quickly settled into the blanket and pillows laid about the couch, making a puffy pile that his fur would certainly stick to as he waited for Aelius to make coffee.

He’d offer to help, but he knew from experience coffee was hard to make right with paws and transforming here was risky due to the aura having easy access to hands caused.

Kolina

☆  

[Kolina]

As Tama made himself comfortable, Aelius busied himself in the kitchen pulling out a bag of coffee labeled 'Death Wish' out of the cupboard after starting up a pot of water in a plain black kettle on the stove. Tucked away in the corner of the countertop, he pulled out a glass french press and proceeded to measure out the coffee into the device. "Well, lucky for you I have ample pillows and blankets." He responded as he finished up the prep work.

With everything set for now, and nothing more to do than wait on the kettle to get hot, Aelius opted to join Tama on the couch. He practically flopped into the couch as he made himself comfortable in the corner, an arm slung on the armrest, ankle propped up onto his knee.

"So, while we wait, why not tell me a bit about yourself? How did you end up with the team? I won't lie, you seem pretty....unimpressed with the General so I am curious why you hang around." In truth, Aelius had no idea if Tama was bonded or not. If the mauvian was, and said senshi was on the team, then the answer could be something as simple as that, but Tama seemed like the more complicated type. A bonded senshi didn't feel like the only answer.

"You don't need to go into full detail if you don't want to. We can keep things brief and easy."

Meighei

 

[Meighei]

“That ‘general’ of ours stuck his hand in my chest!”

Tama replied with a tone that indicated he thought he’d been scandalized.

“You can’t just play around with a starseed like that without asking.” The cat stuck up his nose. “I only stick around so that I can figure out how this whole… Chaos thing… works.”

He waved his paw around nonchalantly trying his best to minimize the great hole the whole situation had left in his heart.

Clearly, he was leaving out details. Some he purposely left out, like how there had been someone he cared deeply for that was likely dead. Some he left out because he didn’t remember, like how he had once lived with a knight.

“What about you?”

Kolina

☆  

[Kolina]

"Ah well, yes....corruption usually requires a bit of starseed play." He remarked. He personally didn't remember much of any from the day of his actual corruption. All he could assume was that it had been anything but easy if his memories of it were shot.

"I hope that as you stick around you come to like the teams company, and Faustites. I think if you just try and warm up to him a bit you'll see he's not all that bad. None of us are." He offered a smile.

As to Tama's question Aelius hummed softly, foot bouncing in a slow rhythm. "Well...I suppose you could say it's loyalty at this point. Faustite was my superior officer and helped me adjust to my new life after I corrupted." He shrugged, eyes shifting to his feline friend. "We have quite the history at this point.

"Plus, this branch is at least more interesting than the London where where I just came from. It's dull over there. AI need a little action to keep me in shape." He chuckled. "But you are in good hands, my friend.

"And if you ever need a break you can just call on me. I'll happily offer you some coffe and a cushion to relax on."

Meighei

 

[Meighei]

“‘Warm up’ to him? Is that supposed to be a joke?” Tama said dryly. “Because half of him is literally on fire.”

He couldn’t help but feel good for Aelius, despite the side-eye the cat was trying to give. The man seemed to be well-adjusted and he credited Faustite with that. Surely, it couldn’t have been all the general’s doing, could it have?

“London? I’ve never been. Why would it be dull?”

Kolina

☆  

[Kolina]

Aelius grinned. He thought it had been a fun little tease of a joke. Tama on the other hand looked unamused. Ah well. He shrugged in acknowledgement.

"Ah well, the London branch is rather quiet. They've gotten their order population taken care of and there's very little action of any sort going on.So, without the fighting and battles agents needed to find other ways to progress. At this point, it's mainly politicizing within the branches as people try to maneuver themselves into better positions within." The tea kettle began a very low whine of a whistle and Aelius got up to tend to it. "It's honestly a good situation for the Negaverse to be in. They have a very strong foothold there and I don't think it's going to loosen at any point. But, having come from Destiny City, I found it dull."

He grabbed the kettle off the stove, turning the device to off before carefully pouring the water into the french press. Steam rose from the press, as the smell of coffee quickly filled up the small apartment.

Meighei

 

[Meighei]

“Well, that does sound rather uneventful, compared to here.” Something was always happening in Destiny City. Perhaps, to the cat, sometimes a little too much happened here.

His pink nose sniffed the air as the steam sent the smell of coffee right through his whiskers. For a second, a memory tried to force its way from the dark of his mind. Had he not had coffee in an apartment like this with someone before?

But he couldn’t bring up the memory. Those were fading more and more as he got closer to those in the Negaverse.

“I’ve only been to Japan. I’m afraid I don’t remember anything about the situation there.””

Kolina

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