Welcome to Gaia! ::

You'd think they'd have learned? To travel in pairs, in packs, with machine guns strapped to their backs and spears on their hips? But no - - Maybe that was a Senshi's weakness? Their belief. All of his sisters -- all of his own-- the hope for 'betterment' of beings beneath them; ahh, even if they had the stars at their beck and call? Blackened deadweight gravesites - or thriving, bright and alive? Still. The fight for a place which wasn't theirs. Strictly human fare and strictly Metallias reign. Her stamp and seal all over the place, till it reeked of it, save the one speck of city..

Let what's ceasers be ceasers? Or some ancient roman saying..Albite didn't know. What he did know? Was that he was angry. Really, truly, the quiet sort of pissed born of sadness, cause the others were supposed to be better than him.

Smarter, faster, more brave.

Yet this? It was too much like watching an animal struggle while caught in a vicious trap. To listen to her scream the rafters down, and hiccough through increasingly wet and anguished sounds. Yet he had, hadn't he? Had heard the news and come and gone and waited and paced and -- finally -- finally -- realized he had decisions to make. The sorts that mattered, even. The kind that rung of sides and finality.

"Oh, Cyb's, at this rate? You're gonna scream the rafters down before anyone who cares hears you." There was only so much he could *ignore*, before he had to wander in and see for himself. One Eternal to track another - bat-black that sat heavy above the sway of his hips and mirrored the stark-singed white of Cyb's own.

"Now! Normally? I'd tell you not to play with fire...but from the looks of things. You've learned that lesson, yeah? Maybe for the final time, even.." on thick heels he crouched before her, offered a far more somber smile. He wondered if she'd let him close enough to clean her up a bit? Wondered if he should *bother* --- Oh, and his boy'd done such work! It was actually kind of admirable, in a way, that Faustite had left her alive at all. Taken extra measures to make sure she didn't run. Kept her outta the Negaverse so no one would interfere with - and ********, how did he call this? Interrogation? Torture?

It was a lesson, for sure.

"I'll talk to my fiancé, I mean, hell, we let my sister from another celestial mister live long enough to get loose? No reason the same can't happen for you," some feral kind of want, to continue the chase, endless dog after boundless hind. He didn't want to win like this. N' how many argues had they had about her? Specifically. About corruption and capture and - ends - there was no sweet taste of finality in this, ending her and sending her soul back so they could dance round each other again, and if there was? He wanted it to be his hands around her throat -- some wrongly possessive snarl of a thing that curled too close to *mine*, as he imagined Cybele dying for anyone else.

"Especially since he hasn't eaten you yet. Tsk, should teach him for playing with his food, but none of us are the types that learn around here, are we? All the ways we can get info outta playing nice n talking. It works - Gany woulda chatted with me for hours." if only they'd left them too it, but no. "I coulda pulled the stars outta her eyes with a smile - but they wanted her alive for something." too kind to her, they'd been, but Gany was someone elses mouse. His sister of the stars, truly, and he coulda offered her hugs and soft grins for days. Coulda seen her cared for, properly, since no one wanted to commit the merciful treason of making her dead.

And now? Fat chance they had at that, what with Gany being up and princess snatched right out from between their fingers. He was angry for that too. All their hard work made ashes in the wind....

"S'ah shame, all the things I can't do. All the things I want." the thought was there, to let her loose and chase her down again, to snap her neck and cut her free of her wounded physical form; let someone come fetch her soul for the cosmos -- nobody would know. Save Faustite, maybe? Albite couldn't tell if his boy had the watchful eyes of all his very dustable pets and kin lingering in the edges of burnt out shadows --- "Least I can do -- is this."

Albite settled at her ankles, snatched one up less than gingerly. "The new wings are nice by the way - minus the Icarus effect you've got going on. Eternal is a good look on you Cybs." all casual familiarity while he turned it to inspect the gore - seeping cauterized mess of sear. Poor wounded deer.

“You’re right, not mine, but she was Praxidikes at one point, probably? Those two, Lysi, all Jovian Kin and Court - we shared a system - we lived and died in Jupiters vast orbit...I’d call her sister now, even if we hadn’t, even if it’s a distant thing? It might be closer than you and her," hushed gruffness and low tones as he took his time seeing, ignored her reflexes that begged 'saveme'. Useless, especially where he tightened his grip round the jut of bone and ankle.

She was very right about some things. She wouldn't be walking away from this. Wouldn't have access to whatever miracle'd set Gany free. "Or has she shown back up already…nice n alive…does she give you a home and affectionate titles? Would she die for you? I might…you’d be worth a good death.” he wondered if he would've treated her better than this? If he had princedom proper. Found some other method and recourse, some way to tame the huntress? Maybe — whether or not it’s effectiveness would’ve proven workable here.

Especially since he preferred simple solutions and swift ends. None of the things before him were that, and none of what he wanted was conducive to what other people needed. Even if doing what he wanted would've felt better for him? He'd never been very good at being selfish.

“The hilarity is, I’m the Senshi of Retribution, and here y’all are getting greedy for what should be my piece of things. Gany taking Jet - us taking Gany - you all circling each other like moths that can’t stay away from flames…..” and when he was done with one foot, there was the other. Her jerk if chains and hissed screech did little to deter him from looking his fill, gauging the damage there. All that energy bound to the floor and hobbled. A shame…

He was grateful when she finally went still, what an ironclad will she had to manage that, because Faustite'd done damage, oh yes; but it was the clean sort. No cloth edges caught in the skin, no melted fabric, little in the way of debris to pick free. It was calculated, logical. Albite felt a cruel sort of pride for that. Faustit'es cold planning even when his core was heat. “....dolling out punishments without remembering to lay out a clear end for things. Without defining the rules. Makes it messy. Not that I'm any better. M'walking hypocrisy, got all sorts of bias for the way I personally like to handle things." a heave of a sigh for that, how little there was to be done for any of it. So he let her feet be, rummaged through subspace. The floor became littered, ever so slowly, with a bevy of things.

"Now, all the Gany-shenanigans aside? How's your planet doing? Oh! Side-ask - if you're still with me - any word on Albireo, if you know her? I owe her my end of the wager from a lost bet, n she's been tricky to find lately. You guys need like, a hot spot? Meetup point? Something."

"Also true - I gave up the stars for this. Picked Albite over Praxidike, like picking what kinda mug I wanted to drink outta this spin round the sun. This iteration of him - whose me. You woulda liked Praxidike, Cybs. Gany seemed fond of the idea - between snacking on cute bento boxes, n getting better medical care than this. All that s**t Jet suffered, n your girl got top tier care." all his weaving words and hers, and Albite was watchful; even half busy with rustles of plastic shopping bags.

He frowned at all of her long silences, clipped words. Maybe she was thirsty? Maybe she was peckish? He got those looks from people when they weren't feeling good - when they had something to be angry for. Surely. N Albite doubted she was angry about him being Praxidike, anymore than she was about Gany being 'free'.

Coulda been that she was flambé’d b flayed — *but!*

Whatever - it was fine.

He had time and she had air in her lungs and fire in her eyes; she wasn't too cooked to be angry. He could fill the silence between her sounds easy enough on his own, could focus on twisting small blue caps free from a fat water bottles, and pulling wrappers from straws. He scooched close enough to offer her something to drink - "Check it! Bendy straws~ The stripy kind. Now sip, cause I'm worried about all-uv-this. Where I come from? We worry about all sorts of carrion loving critters; crabs, gulls, sand-fleas. The cities got rats though, n worse. N you've got open *feet* - soooh.." half insistent and quasi concerned. He could only lead horses to water, n after that? There was so little he could do for her feet. He had other things though, water, pills, wipes, etcetra. Meager items for managing tasks well beyond him.

"S'ashame about Albireo though, you'd like her. Her planets lovely, hear her man is sweet. You could hang out n get tips about planet care ---cause-- fine as you say it is? If it was doing really well, you wouldn'ta been down here playing round with spicy youma, would you Cybbi? The ******** keeps drawing you to him is beyond me..."

A singular eyebrow tracked, raised, and Albite inclined his head ever so briefly. He didn't quite think she'd like Praxidike now - didn't think the Senshi he'd been woulda tracked in this day n age, he was too alien, too other. Also? He was too damn tall!

'How would he have handled doors or --- '

But that wasn't what she was asking for, was it? She wanted an easy out on the wings of whatever miracle'd blessed her Princess's unexpected escape, and he couldn't do it - not even if his fickle little heart wanted to continue their merry chase across the stars for another eternity or two. Was his only complaint, that his fun'd been interrupted? That he wanted this all done differently? That'd been his thing; burnt ends and pyretic dreams of the Earth on flambe', served up to his liking; all fighting, fun, sans any real responsibility, and chock full of strong individuals who were worth sinking his teeth into. At least, that' was how it'd seemed, until someone else skewered his deer n decided actual work needed to be done.

"Do you think that's what they did before? Fought for the Earth, lost - badly. Mmn...." terse little sigh and shrug, he let her sip her fill, there was nothing his meager provisions would ruin when it came to his boys ultimate endgame designs.

Those ever burning fires of his were not put out so easily.

"Y'know? I would've loved the you of now to tell 'this' Praxidike of the present how the 'Cybele' of the past would've kicked his a**!" the water set down, near enough to reach for more if it seemed like something she needed; but there were other matters to tend to. As he dragged the the bag in reach, a box of pocky sticks stood out, fat peach ring candies, gummy bears. He made for the wipes first - pulled a few free and waved them gently in the direction of her face; an expression that begged 'may I?'

"That's not gonna happen though? Is it. Cause you're too busy trying to scrape a home out of the half-conquered remains that exist *here* - don't get me wrong! I ******** love you for that Cybs, I do, it's good times all around for *me*, but girl, c'mon? Never thought I'd have to be the one to tell you to focus on yourself for half a second....fix your planet, get an army? Come back with some glow so it can be a good fight." if there was a touch of exasperated plea to his tone, if his gaze lingered over the space beneath her throat and between her collarbones where her soul lay easy to pluck as anything ---

No temptation there for it, but the knowledge that it could be done? It weighed on him constantly. He'd rather see her defeated properly then ever clad in black again, or worse? Was there a worse? Maybe, probably?

"Now! Since this isn't my forte...n you're not gonna chat with me about anything fun, how about this? When all's said n' done, what're we doing with what's left of you? Hospital -- shallow grave? Y'got somewhere you want your ashes delivered to..." she wouldn't talk about anyone close to her, maybe people she hated? Maybe just the people he itched to have locations on. The likes of Michel, Sess, Tanais of Mars. His girl Sylvi. He had his own skin in the game after all, and it couldn'tve hurt to pry for something a bit more sidetracked."...you can't tell me you switched sides for nothing but a warm smile n some sunshine, people love you - or you wouldn't care - and you love them, ********, clearly?" a half-assed gesture at her feet. Torture, interrogation? It'd never been his thing, not like this. That was what Faustite was for, though, wasn't he? Anything Albite wanted for personal reasons alone, how little that mattered when his boy would simply sip them outa her skull, bit by bit. He'd get his ten pounds and pertinent memories - whether Cybele felt chatty or not.

"Nembus wouldn't be the least bit proud of me if she thought we just left you in this hole to rot *after*. N Lysithea'd cry about it..m'sure."

He snorted soft and hopeful, like she’d nailed his point, ignored her looks and clicked his tongue in chiding. All her ideals, her fire, n there wasn’t a soul she wanted called upon? Ah, not by them, at least.

“Oh, don’t get all pessimistic on me now Cybs. Won’t see you rot, not if I’ve got a say. Would rather we keep you alive s’long as we can, yeh? Turn that willful spirit into proper bait,” or a swift murder of mercy, if it really came down to it. If Faustite dug and found nothing - marked her for fodder.

“Not that it’s entirely my say. I find the whole universe set off in fire n brimstone story from my boy a little reaching? Might just be specific places he wants to burn, might just be yours? Might just be that youma are damned pretty n the Rift deserves some airing out —- can you imagine it.” soft speech as he met her tilted gaze, shifted his own away from her center. “An all out war. A real one? Actual armies n baying hounds — us picking our places amongst the stars. A planet over-run with fresh new youma; truly alive for the first time in a millennia.“ and he took advantage of her eyes being closed, was careful to swipe at her face all gentle like. Every little half glance down the length of her legs, it made him think of backyard cookouts — and debridement — of how much more important hydration was to treating the wounds she had. That being nice was a meaningless gesture, but it was all he could do - useless kindness - simplistic asks. He’d relent as to how his firebrand was right on the money with his methodology; what did the how of it all matter? If it got their very specific wants met. Maybe it’d make Jet happy? Get them their Princess back…

*Or something like that…*

“There’s no-one I can ask you about that you’ll give on, huh? Stubborn. I’d take Michel — Sess — Sylvite? No, ********, *Nectaris* - heads I want on pikes, n don’t tell me you don’t know them Cybs. You were all there together in that building with Gany - the absolute irony that our girl - *‘my girl’* - skipped on over to side with alluv you out of the blue.” the whole situation was about as funny as dead baby jokes n puppies n rivers. So, not at all.

He didn’t know how to feel about half of it. N every touch along the line of Alexa; bright pink warmth that’d turned sour n sad as yogurt left in the sun. The slow roil of wrath that plagued him some nights bled into proper migraines when he thought about the Knights. All the I’ll they’d done. But his feelings for sylvite? His candy-striped sweetheart who turned coat without warning.

*He didn’t get why!!*

Every bit of him that seethed in confusion for that. He folded it away with the dirty wipes. Rummaged some more. “Do you want Pocky? I’ve got strawberry n chocolate - gummy rings - more water. Something to chew on while you figure out if you feel like answering…”

"Oh, I plan to." it was food for thought, especially with how many Senshi lived on his team alone? He figured Faustite was just -- hangry. Today, tomorrow, always. Consumption was the very nature of fire, after all, n the bleed over between nature n need was tricky to pick apart. It sounded like a conversation worth having though! Never was there anything he didn't wanna pick apart his boys thoughts on. If they had differing views? If Cybs disapproved? Hell, maybe a good, solid, threat would get the other 'Senshi of Now' into gear on planetary renovations! If Cybele existed as both martyr and example in one?

Especially since there existed Aliens that were other -- n so there must've been options that were other? How else could the Valencians have survived long enough to show up. N then the likes of whatever Almadel was? Just, the vastness of it all. It couldn't be that Earth was the only thriving place left in all of the galaxy with a functioning resistance, could it?

"Did....did she seem like a stranger? Or like herself. After. I can never wrap my head around how much any of this takes from people -- making that kinduva choice. I don't know what the hell she was thinking...if she was thinking at all? Gany's real good with the sweet talk..." gummy rings it was, easy enough to grab a handful n fork them forwards one at a time for her to snack on. Peach, orange, green (which he assumed was watermelon instead of lime), a yellowish one, lemon maybe?

"I kinda hope she doesn't remember us....it'd be kinder, yanno?" would that have made it any easier? On her, possibly, but for him? For those who'd known her before? She'd left a whole team behind, friends, school, a life full of people who adored her! He'd realized the second he'd heard the news that he didn't want Sylvite dead as badly as he wanted her back -- but only her as she had been; with memories worth holding onto. He could commit murder far more easily than he could commit whatever amount of cruelty it would've taken to just -- erase her twice over from his life.

He sighed for that between offerings, lamented for how he wished she would've had anything at all to hand over to him on Sess or Michel, they were infinitely easier problems to solve. Clear lines, no questions, he could already see the little X's that existed where their faces should've been.

But Alexa...

"Mmhh..s'kinda surprisingly vicious of you deer-heart. Not caring one way or another bout the girl who saved your princess.." that little comment got a raised eyebrow n a smile, a soft little snort for how clearly Cybele drew her own lines. "...I admire you for that too, though. All your good convictions." he wished there could've been someone to tell. That princesses weren't easier prey to track, hell the chances of Ganymede showing herself at all, anytime soon? Nill to not a ******** chance. Still! he thought Gany deserved to know how brave her baby sister was. "Just ---- I know it's not you going off quietly into the night, but I am kinda irked I don't get one last dance. Specially since you've got those wings! How'd it happen anyhow? Getting Eternal - wanted to ask Gany when we had her, bout all that transcendence stuff." he piled the questions on alongside the easy offers. Loved to hate how easy it was to sit by her n just - be - he was selfish for all the things he'd miss now that the game was up.

Just, not selfish enough to set her free...