The outskirts of the park were dark, quiet in that earliest of mornings. It was nigh 3AM, with the stars out in full and the paths each as dark as the next. Mature trees had shielded them and cast them into inky darkness if one but glanced at a cell phone. But that nascent serenity would not last.
A burning boy appeared without notice, illuminating the trees and their canopies and their protected paths. The firelight shifted when he collapsed into a seated position and leaned heavy on his arms to catch his breath. His head swam, his vision populated with all the stars he chased away just moments before. His breaths came heavy but steady, as if he had run the distance between Negaspace and Destiny City, if such a distance could be measured. He was certain, however, that he could not manage another step.
He could not get to his feet. It was only when he recovered enough breath, minutes later, that he tried to call out at the silent trees.
"Encke," he rasped, and his voice lacked the force he preferred it to have. He felt a multitude of auras overlapping him, but where they were and who they belonged to had thus far escaped him. It wouldn't matter soon, he supposed. He might forget all of them. He might succumb to passing out instead, and they would have to perform the purification with him unconscious. If it even worked that way.
You have to want it, they had said. What was want but a conscious thing?
"Need your help."
Quote:
There will be a slight posting order to the start of this RP! Sei will be the next post for continuity, then the court comes next (in no particular order)!
seiana_zi
u up first <3
guine
for varuna
orangeish sherbert
for lysithea"]
kyuseisha no hikari
for adria and malus
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2023 8:42 pm
It was three AM in the depths of the early spring.
It came as a relief he was powered up. As a civilian, he likely would not be able to stop the way his body got goosebumps and reacted to the breezes in nights where there was no proper interference. There wasn't a cloud in sight, which was fantastic for stargazing but inappropriate for his own nerves. Even if he wanted to be hidden, it was hard to be; Encke was a goddamn lightstick. But he was there for a reason.
He hoped it was a good one.
Faustite sounded like s**t. Encke's gaze shifted from the stars above to the man near him as he rasped, biting on the interior of his lip. What did he need? Well, help, he got that part, but, "what can I do?"
Was Faustite going to make it to the finish line?
And if he did, what crossed that line? Did he want it enough? Did he want it, or was it too much to ask? Was Pendour right, and he was going to simply let himself burn out? Was Nectaris right to be worried about all of it? Was calling in a few extra people to help the right move, even as they hid nearby as civilians? Was Basiluzzo's continued skepticism correct? Was Encke being too hopeful, again, even as he tried to temper it with the reality that Faustite really just wanted to get rid of the youma, and had never quite backpedaled from that, even if he might had years ago? Could he be the teenager with a good relationship with his father again?
He hadn't attacked Nectaris directly at the ambush. He hadn't.
Encke offered his arm. "I'll offer you what I've got."
His thoughts were a whirlpool with no visible end but the bottom spelled hope.
Strickenizedx
stari_magax
for nectaris!
guinex
for varuna
orangeish sherbertx
for lysithea"]
kyuseisha no hikarix
for adria and malus
Seiana_ZI
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Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2023 3:06 pm
Encke had a small pink shadow.
Nectaris stood with him silently as they waited to see what would unfold. She stayed by her brother's elbow as he made his way step by step to Faustite, as he reached out. There was still so much hope in Encke's eyes as they traced the stars.
She wished she could share it.
She wished that she could have come out to this purification as the Nectaris that people would probably expect, as the Nectaris that had been there a few weeks ago when she'd helped Retzian out of the Negaverse. She wished she could be all giggles and toe-bounces, all reassurances and hugs maybe a little bit of I told you so to her brother.
Instead she was wary.
It made her the opposite of what she wanted to be. She was stony. Silent. Still.
She was here, though. She'd given Faustite her word that she would come, and good people kept their word.
Strickenized
Faustite
seiana_zi
Encke
guine
for varuna
orangeish sherbert
for lysithea"]
kyuseisha no hikari
for adria and malus
Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2023 6:25 pm
Youma General Faustite
"You'll burn," he explained breathlessly. His gaze burned as bright as his core when he looked up at the Eternal.
"Need energy." Without it, his vision had begun to swim. Heat and pain baked together into his ribs, his hips, and radiated downward. Felt the pinch of his nerves for how boiling hot he had become, for how the youma part of him burned away every scrap of energy it could find. Because of it, the dirt beneath him had begun to bake.
"Spare me some and I —" He paused to catch his breath. "— Think I can make it that far."
It was so much to move anymore, like each passing day used his body weight to multiply. Soon, he knew, he wouldn't be able to move. In perhaps a few more days' time, it wouldn't matter that he became so torpid.
Nectaris loomed, too, quiet and stony. His attention lit on her for a moment. Seemed her behavior said much of what was to come.
He huffed out his resigned amusement. "Look at you. So stoic. Can't tell if you're, leading me, to a purification, or a firing squad." Maybe there wasn't a difference.
seiana_zi
stari_maga
either of you can feel free to move them further into the park / to the court!
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Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2023 7:16 pm
"It's not a firing squad," said Nectaris.
If they had just been gonna kill him, there were more efficient ways to do it than that. Guns were expensive.
...It was probably pretty bad that even in a situation like this, she had to bite her cheeks to keep herself from going too far down a brain tangent like that before she said, "I told you I was gonna be here for your purification. I told you I was gonna help. I'm not gonna turn that around into doing something mean."
She was still sober, because she was still having a hard time believing that Faustite wasn't somehow going to turn on them. Not tonight, maybe, but there were plenty of other nights.
"See? It looks like the court's here. I guess you can drain me a little bit if you need it to get to them?"
Part of her mind rebelled at that thought, but she was keeping her promise. She was helping.
Walking slowly, she started leading the others in that direction.
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seiana_zi
Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2023 10:31 pm
Would he burn?
Did it matter? Did he deserve it for the doubts and confusion in his own mind? Would a burn scar really matter after all the times when he was a younger senshi setting himself electric and aflame?
Encke buried his thoughts down deep, focusing instead on the request he was given. Faustite needed energy, and Encke could give energy. A deep connection to his world enabled an easy exchange, and while it was harder than it would have been if he could just touch Faustite, Encke pulled on those reserves and pressed them toward Faustite.
Careful, careful. Couldn't drain himself to exhaustion, just ease Faustite. Was Nectaris right to be suspicious?
He didn't know, but he did share that suspicion enough that he had agreed to reach out.
Encke followed after Nectaris. "Pretty night."
Strickenized
stari_maga
for nectaris!
guine
for varuna
orangeish sherbert
for lysithea
kyuseisha no hikari
for adria and malus
Seiana_ZI
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Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2023 2:01 pm
Eternal Sailor Lysithea
It was so very late, and Lysithea honestly hated that it was dark. It seemed far too dark for something like this to be pulled off. But. Faustite was worth it, and she was going to be able to save him…They were going to be able to save him.
Zac was waiting in the wings just in case anything went wrong…but. No. That was a bad thing to think of, a bad thing to even put into existence…nothing would go wrong. He was simply there for moral support.
Reaching over, Lysithea groped for the hands of her court, wanting to have the support of everyone. Her fingers entwined with Varunas and she squeezed Malus’s hand in her own and honestly wished she had a third hand to hold Adrias as well.
“...We’ve got this. All of us, we can do this…We’ve done it before, even if only two of you remember it, or…were there…or…whatever. We’ll finish this and be able to go home and go to bed.”
Her words were spoken softly, hoping that they wouldn’t carry, and Lysithea had to stifle a yawn, though paused when she felt a Knight and an Eternal Senshi’s aura coming towards them, as well as the aura of a General.
Her brows furrowed and she squinted into the darkness.
“...Why are there others here? I thought this was just us and Faustite…”
Varuna let Lysithea take hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze, but she knew this was no normal stroll in the park. Her mind was alert, trying to sense the auras around them, or anything off. She didn’t say anything out loud, but she wished Lysithea had rested more, had prepared as much physically as mentally. They had time to get ready for this meeting, so Varuna made sure she took the day before off work and rested. But she knew not everyone was able to do that. Lysithea likely didn’t have a choice, Varuna decided.
Adria wasn’t forgotten, and Varuna reached over to place a hand on his back and give it a hopefully comforting and reassuring rub. She didn’t want any of them to be hurt, so she nodded in agreement that they could all get this over with and go home.
When Lysithea seemed to tense beside her, Varuna glanced over, noting her expression.
“Was that the agreement?” she asked, curious about the others as well. Lysithea had mentioned an Encke wanting to be involved but nothing beyond that. She hadn’t met the Senshi, or the Knight in pink approaching them in the distance by dim firelight.
“Is that Encke?” she asked quietly, trying to place a face to the name. The other woman she definitely didn’t know. “If my name hasn’t been shared with them yet, it could be to our advantage if it’s left as an unknown,” she suggested. If they knew her name, they might be able to make connections easier to not just the court but to her family. If they needed an escape -- a cover to protect them, it was better if at least one of them wasn’t known.
It was so late. Even if this had been the plan, Adria didn’t feel like he was prepared. His body was here, but it felt like he was floating a foot above it. It was just anxiety, he knew that. He’d done this before. There was a hollow fear inside of him that felt both empty and bloated. He was dizzy, but he knew it was just because he was overthinking all of this.
Lysithea cared about Faustite. She needed to do this. He’d support her in this, in everything.
He didn’t want to see her Corrupted again. He didn’t want to see her heart break. He didn’t want to wind up skewered on the ground and left for dead.
Adria didn’t seem very confident and he didn’t seem very present, either. He was as focused as possible, but his emotions felt like a very full cup, and every step he took threatened to spill more out.
This would be fine. This would be fine. This was just like any other time they’d tried to help someone out of the Negaverse. They were strong together. He shouldn’t have anything to fear.
And yet, he did.
He walked close to the others, with his arms folded tightly over his chest. His lips were pressed together, like maybe he could stop his soul from escaping if he blocked its exit.
Faustite, he expected. Anyone else, not so much. He was already all nerves. Variations from the plan were only making things worse. He didn't speak, but that wasn't uncommon; briefly he looked away from Faustite and his entourage to offer a grateful look to Varuna. The twitch of a half smile was all he could offer, but the touch was grounding and eased him slightly.
-
What confidence Malus lacked in himself, he had in Lysithea. She’d been so intent on helping Faustite–obsessed about it, really. She wanted to save him so badly that he thought she’d explode if she didn’t.
Did he trust Faustite? It was debatable. Sometimes it seemed like there was someone else inside of him entirely. He could go from being an almost likable young man to a monster trying to kill him, trying to steal Lysithea.
Better to get him out of the Negaverse if they were going to keep playing this game. He’d rather deal with being jealous of Lysithea’s brother if he was away from Chaos and out of its clutches. And, ideally, a little less interested in killing him. Or anyone, actually.
The Chaos signature he expected. The other ones, not so much. But, the park was a common place for people like him, especially at this hour.
He glanced at Lysithea briefly, and then focused his attention on the others.
One, he couldn’t identify. One was obviously Faustite, who looked horrible and he didn’t know if that was his sickness or if the Senshi and Knight had given him an extra hard time before helping him over here.
Nectaris, he recognized. He knew she’d left the Negaverse. She’d told him about being careful and worrying because she was a traitor, now.
He’d known her as Sylvite and he’d recognized her as Nectaris. Did Faustite? Did he know her?
…Did he trust her?
Well, maybe, if he was showing up with her.
He raised his free hand in greeting, and hoped the half smile he offered was welcoming enough as their group approached.
stari_maga
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Orangeish Sherbert
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 5:28 am
Youma General Faustite
More and more, lately, Faustite found that any energy given to him lasted so short a time. Energy orbs were but fleeting, and starseeds only marginally less so. He didn't feel hungry anymore, yet he still shoved food and snacks into his grate. They lasted but seconds until they burned away entirely.
What Encke gave him was no starseed, but it was enough to make the short walk. Faustite wasn't certain whether he wanted a starseed because he simply wanted one, or he thought it might be what he needed to drag his beleaguered body closer to the court. Nevertheless, he followed Nectaris and walked (stumbled) alongside Encke, silent but for a few yelps when he felt his skin split wide open and steam hiss out. He heard the Moon Knight's offer, though he did not take her up on it. While he had managed to catch up with them, he was soon out of breath for it.
There they were, if Faustite needed a visual confirmation: Lysithea and her court. He felt a margin of relief as he abandoned the idea of standing and collapsed on his haunches. However, that sense of relief had not quite come in full.
As he looked around the clearing, as he peered between the trees where his violently bright fires had shone light, he did not see anyone. By the auric landscape around them, he felt nothing stronger than an Eternal. Where, then, was the Royal who was supposed to handle the job? He had heard of no purification that unfolded without the involvement of one of their senshi Royals; were they running late?
Faustite didn't have time for someone to be running late.
His fires oft cycled between glowing brilliant, then flickering as if about to gutter, then glowing brightly again, and he watched this tumultuous routine dance across the faces of those present — people he knew, people he didn't. "Where's the Royal?" He asked, ash fleeing on his breath. "We need to," he began, before a wet cough cut him off. If he planned to finish his sentence, that plan had to be abandoned for the amount of smoke he had to clear from his lungs.
What he spat into the grass smoldered, smoke rising, before it burnt out impotently. "Can't keep waiting," he rasped. He looked, exhausted, up at Lysithea. At the rest of the court. At Encke and Nectaris, too.
Was there not a royal among them? Did they lead him here to watch him die?
Albite, can you hear me? There's no ******** Royal here.
Quote:
At this point, anyone may post and there is no established posting order~ I will post again for Faustite on the 12th to give people time!
At this point, powered down characters may post establishing where they are and what they're doing! Characters who are already powered up may continue to post! The question of the Royal may be addressed by Lysithea powering up OR a Royal being called in OR both, whatever works best for the Order folks playing! heart
kyuseisha no hikari
Malus, Adria, Michel, Alastor
orangeish sherbert
Lysithea
Guine
Varuna, Sessrumnir, Taenite, Jet, Kamacite
shiningamisgirl
Albite, Cryolite, Prehnite
kolina
Heliodor
whimsical blue
Fafnir, Ida
meighei
Tama
stari_maga
Nectaris, Cybele, Jadarite
noir songbird
Kerberos, Valjean, Lilith, Alkmene
seiana_zi
Fulgurite, Borax, Encke, Viatrix
amasis
Basiluzzo
sunshine alouette
Ganymede, Aquamarine, Roselite
a-disgruntled-dragon
Mizuki, Haymitch, Skoll
daekie
Pax, Anakeion
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Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 6:45 am
Tama, Guardian Cat
Tama was silent as a cat could be. Perhaps even more so. He’d been focusing on his job — blocking auras from the White Moon.
Perhaps it was even better that he had something to focus on. Something to keep his mind from searching every possibility. Something to prevent the overthinking that came from what they were all about to do.
The Mauvian wasn’t one to only think the worst and certainly wasn’t one to catastrophize, either, even if he could lean towards the melodramatic. He, in the end, believed in his and the team’s agency. That what they did or did not do could affect real results upon their situation.
But he would be remiss to say that there still wasn’t something in the back of his feline mind that screamed that this would not work — could not work.
Could Faustite truly be purified? And, if so, what, if anything, would be left of him?
“I’m damping auras now for whenever Faustite gives the signal.” He said as he perched on Albite’s shoulder looking at the singular earring that the two shared as a pair.
Lysithea was terribly torn when she finally saw Faustite. There was an overwhelming grief and fear for him. Worry and a desire to simply grab him, grab the court and get out of here. Get to Lysithea. Do this in a controlled environment without Encke and Nectaris watching.
She had nothing against either but…
They weren’t supposed to be here. And any changes to the poorly put together plan made it…feel less like a plan and more like something sinister.
“No,” She murmured to Varuna. “...I mean, Yes. that is Encke, and the one in pink is named Nectaris. I met her a little while ago when we helped that one Captain out…But, no…the plan as I knew it was that it would just be Faustite here…nobody told me that he would be bringing…others.”
Even if they were of the White Moon…it.
It seemed…she didn’t have a word but. She didn’t like it.
And when Faustite started asking about a Royal...that made all of the hair on the back of Lysiteha’s neck stand up, and thoughts of Ganymede in her cell crowded into her mind.
“I don’t…like this.” The words were still soft enough that only her group could hear.
Varuna thought it was reasonable for Faustite to be concerned about there not being a Royal there. How else was he going to be purified? As far as she was aware, the Negaverse knew a Royal would be required for purifications. Or Cosmos. But Lysithea hadn’t wanted to rely on Cosmos before, and now she had the power to help Faustite herself.
Or not..
A small, satisfied voice in the back of Varuna’s mind was pleased that Lysithea was second guessing herself. For all the love she claimed to have for Faustite, and for the extra backup they would have with another Eternal and Knight there, Lysithea was getting cold feet.
Which was also reasonable. The unknown was always something to be cautious about, in Varuna’s book. And that was why she kept to herself for so long.
“You could just let him go,” Varuna quietly reminded Lysithea of their conversation. Faustite was clearly desperate. A Royal was necessary. He was going to burn out and die it seemed.
She promised Lysithea she would be there. But she was there for Lysithea. Not for Faustite.
But there was another voice that wanted to continue encouraging Lysithea, because she would never be able to do what she wanted by hiding away.
“Or you can show everyone their hope for escaping the Negaverse is no longer as impossible as they might think. We all believe in you,” she said quietly with a gentle squeeze of Lysithea's hand.
Not so very far away, as close as she dared to tread, out of sight behind the low hanging branches of an evergreen, Ganymede’s golden light glowed brightly in the dark, but her energy signature could not be detected, thanks to her proximity to Lucasta.
Ganymede counted the auras on her radar. Grouped together, they were difficult to distinguish. She sensed a small cluster, then a few more drawing nearer to it. Only three stood out — that of a General, that of a Transcended Eternal, and that of her cousin, Varuna, who was familiar enough to her that Ganymede did not need to see her to determine which one she was.
“No Chaos in the area, except Faustite, assuming that's him,” she said to her companions, voice barely more than a whisper in the night. “Doesn’t mean there aren’t any.”
She waited for the bright flare of energy that indicated a royal. Ganymede had no experience purifying anyone with youma enhancements, had no Court of her own with which to assist with so many of the Jovians no longer active, but the presence of a royal was necessary. Always.
So she waited. Patient. Watchful. She stretched her senses as far as she could, sought out any sign of trouble.
Ganymede kept her Senshi phone clutched in her hand, anxious. Hastily, she texted her cousin.
Crouched low to the ground, Lucasta concentrated on aura dampening while the others surveyed when and where they could without being noticed. One of her ears twitched with every shift of the breeze. Her tail flicked once, then went still.
Hiding out, creeping in the shadows, Lucasta despised this nonsense, even if she understood the need for stealth. Varuna was worried, which meant Ganymede was worried, which meant Lucasta was worried. What should have been a smooth (if not routine) purification had snowballed into suspicions and some sort of covert operation that might not even be necessary.
The court was there. There were multiple royals to contact. They would get the purification underway, and then get out. It was as straightforward as that. There would be no time to stand around and have a chat. The Negaverse would not give up one of their most diligent Generals so easily.
Adria’s lip trembled. It was weak and foolish, he knew it, but Faustite looked bad. He didn’t have it in his heart to want to see anyone die. The thought made his stomach churn and he had to focus very hard on not letting the sinking existential dread of death seep back into his heart. He’d spent years already trying to find constant distractions to avoid it and every wall he’d built was crumbling rapidly.
He didn’t know as much about youma or half-youma as the others might–Lysithea had been in the Negaverse. She might have had intimate knowledge and interaction with them. She knew Faustite. She probably knew a lot of people he’d never met. Malus had been a youma. He didn’t know if they’d purified more without him.
He didn’t know a lot of things. But he did know that Faustite seemed like he was barely on his last legs. The panic was always there, but now it was as much for who was there as who wasn’t.
Faustite seemed desperate.
Maybe they shouldn’t have waited so long. Maybe it was too late. Maybe this wouldn’t even work. Maybe–
“Lysithea,” he whispered, all but plead. She had the strongest connection between the Court and the group that was just approaching. He didn’t expect her to have all the answers; she knew there was a lot that she was still coming into, herself, but this was her call.
She didn’t have to tell anyone she was a Princess. He knew they’d been keeping their lips sealed for her. If she was having doubts, they could get someone else–they could get Cosmos. She wouldn’t keep them waiting, he knew how fast she could arrive when they were desperate.
Faustite looked pretty desperate right now.
-
Malus’ attention shifted from Encke and Nectaris to Faustite, but he couldn't look for long. He didn't know what was happening to him. It didn’t look normal, it didn’t look right.
Jealousy still burned in him, but he wasn’t callous enough to take any pleasure in seeing Faustite like this, and he wouldn’t wish it on anyone, anyway.
They’d already come this far, hadn’t they? And Faustite had, too.
He squeezed Lysithea’s hand reassuringly. There was only so much support he could give out loud–it wasn’t like he could say that Zac was just a few feet away and was ready to intervene. It wasn’t like he could say that they had her back, that they’d do whatever was necessary. Right now, they had an opening. It was just Faustite in the park. If a Senshi meandered into range, though–would he think this was a trick? If an Agent showed up and called for backup to save an outnumbered General?
Any one thing could go wrong, it only took one person to mess this up. They might lose him, one way or another.
He held onto Lysithea’s hand tightly and hoped he could transfer his faux-confidence to her through touch alone. “Then let’s just get this over with. The faster we’re done, the faster we can get out of here before something bad happens.”
