|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2024 2:57 pm
So strange to be back, so familiar and so strange all wrapped together in new insignias, new princesses, new names, and old faces. So what better to do than slip into his General guise and step out onto the town to learn, to absorb things more personally than he could through papers, no matter how meticulous and well written those papers were. He felt the presense of order before he saw them, and was likely felt in return if they weren't -utterly- distracted. But it was more than some surprise to see such a dark uniform exuding the sensation of order. "And who might you be?" He called out, slipping free of the shadows that he'd been dodging between even in the late evening. "Does order want our color scheme now? Or are you just...curious about, what do you call us, Chaos?" The man was tall, irritatingly so taller than Zinkenite himself, but well formed like he actually tried to take care of himself. It wasn't a bad start for seeing if they might have someone who'd be curious to join him...
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2024 10:16 am
He’d wanted to get out and get some fresh air. To feel the breeze on his face and cool the dark spot along his jaw that was recently bruised.
He’d wanted to hopefully meet up with Dering, who said could teach him how to play the violin of all things. He would likely get an update about how Stirling was doing as well, although Dering knew her much better than he did. He wasn’t even sure they spoke much before her starseed had been taken.
Maybe he would check to make sure Evan got home safe after closing up his food truck.
Maybe he would message Yvoire to see if he wanted to meet up on Ganymede so they could fix up their Wonders.
Cynthus and Rose might like some coffee… or hot chocolate, if he was being honest, despite the warm weather.
Elliot had suggested meeting up with him and Atticus to study… and he couldn’t help but suspect that Elliot might have caught on to his identity.
Instead, he was frozen by the heavy aura of a General.
The hair on the back of his neck had risen, and he responded to the man with a bravado inspired sneer.
“Didn’t know you had a claim to colors. My bad, I’ll get them to change it right away,” he snarked. “Who are you?” he pushed in return, even as he felt a shiver of fear down his back.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2024 12:40 pm
"Making conversation is seen as hostile now I see." he quipped back. "Though tell me how many other people you see wearing quite so much black as you are, and I'm sure i'll understand better.I'm simply not used to it." He put on an affronted look at the bravado and hostility before offering a small bow, hand sweeping to his chest for a moment. "Zinkenite, and you are, one of the Ganymede knights if I don't mistake that symbol." He summoned his thermos, this time filled with a nice sweet and spicy chai, his favorite, and a small bag of scones he'd picked up just in case. "Tea?" He offered primly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2024 1:29 pm
Reims could feel his ears burning. Not from embarrassment, but he was certainly flustered. There was a heaviness of Chaos in the air. It was suffocating.
“Maybe we’re taking the color back,” he scoffed, probably unwisely. “Hides stains better.”
A voice in the back of his head told him to run. To get away from this man. Nothing good could come from this. And yet he was frozen in place. Paralyzed by… fear? Curiosity? Maybe he was just resigned to whatever would happen.
Zinkenite.
He wasn’t expecting the man to respond. He certainly wasn’t expecting tea.
Surely it wasn’t actually tea. It was probably some trick. A poison. Something to catch him off guard. The man already knew the symbol he wore. Reims frowned, his mind racing.
Run.
Find out what he wants.
Would it really matter if you disappeared…?
“Your organization or whatever you are-- you all kill people. Take starseeds and leave them for dead. Why wouldn’t conversation be hostile? And what do you want?”
He didn’t accept or deny the tea. Just stared at it and then at the man again, trying to fight back his curiosity. Trying to get his flight to kick in. Maybe a good fight would make things easier for everyone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2024 2:02 pm
"And your side recruits grade schoolers as soldiers; at least I'm not bringing children into this. Especially as both of our sides try and kill each other, so I'm afraid I really can't see that as a moral high ground." He twisted the lid off the thermos and poured a steaming cup "It's not poisoned, I wouldn't need to poison you if I was just going to grab for your star seed. Besides, some of this is for me as well. I have scones as well, cinnamon." He added and waved the bag slightly. "What else would you like to try and claim the moral high ground for? We can talk."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2024 6:25 pm
“Oh how noble of you. Not bringing children into a magical war,” Reims mocked, unable to stop himself despite knowing the dangers.
“You must be a cat hater since you have such a low opinion of Mauvians, since they're the ones awakening children. What, are you allergic? Did one scratch your face and you’re hiding your scars? Wow, sounds like a skill issue.”
He knew he should stop. He knew he needed to be careful. But… he also knew that Zinkenite was right in that he would have already taken his starseed if he wanted it.
Irritated that every fiber in his body was screaming at him to stop standing there and escape while he still could, Reims stubbornly crossed his arms over his chest and eyed the bag of scones as though they were explosives or something crazy.
“We don’t turn people into youma.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2024 7:05 pm
"No, you murder people turned into youma, I suppose it's more palitable than when you do it to an officer, and either way you can claim we were monsters and therefore it was justified." The tea and the bag of scones vanished in a casual motion, though there was a new slight narrowing of those pale blue eyes. Metal fingers curled slowly and uncurled before ever quite making it into a fist in the moment of irritation against the suggestion that a cat might be the reason for his scars, no... for his mask. As though they were anything but proof he was hard to kill. "Tell me, in that vein of thought -does blaming your cats make it better for you that it happens? Is that what helps you sleep at night?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2024 8:46 am
“Bullshit,” Reims barked before he could stop himself, but took a step back as if that would help distance him from danger. He knew it would likely do nothing. These people could teleport. A few steps did nothing but place himself out of reach of being able to use his weapon if needed.
Oh, it looked like the tea and snacks were being abandoned. Reims could feel the color drain from his face and the shivers down his back intensifying.
“We turn them back,” he said, his voice low but confident.
He was friends with someone who had once been a youma. For over a year. Been turned into one, but thanks to people not in the Negaverse, he was turned back to a human. What happened to the youma that were ‘killed’? They turned into dust. According to his friend, they were reformed, meant to live an eternal life of… nothingness. Just hunger…
“I don’t lose any sleep, no,” Reims forced a shrug, but he knew he was way in over his head. “I’ve gotta worry about my friends getting their starseeds taken, instead. Good to know you lose sleep when thinking about children though. Kinda cringe.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2024 9:20 am
"Really? My companion Locke can't agree with that... he's dust and will be forever more, I can not summon him because he is -dead, and we will no longer converse, or wander this world side by side because of one of your damn royals. How very - very- pretty for your morals to believe that you do no harm. That rather suits every other lie that it seems you tell yourselves." For a moment he vanished, and appeared again just behind Reims. "Your sense of humor tells me you're terrified of me? Or because some part of you knows that I'm speaking the truth. If I were so inclined to turn you into one of us, or into a Youma yourself- are you so sure that they would save you? Or do you think you'd be little more than dust on the wind until it became permanent? Don't worry...I am disinclined to turn anyone by force."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2024 12:38 pm
Reims clenched his teeth. His heart was racing as the other man spoke and then suddenly--
He vanished.
Not for long. He let out a yelp of alarm when the man appeared behind him. Reims stumbled away from him, only to trip over some debris on the ground in his panic, his hat getting knocked off and falling to the ground, along with the stained glass sword that he kept at his side.
Frozen on the ground, Reims kept himself propped up at least with his hands as he stared up at the man, the blood further draining from his face, even as he bared his teeth in a snarl.
Was he so sure that he would be saved if turned into a youma…?
The answer hissed cruelly into his ear faster than he could even think about it.
Would his friends try...? Probably… but if he was a youma, if he lost all sense of himself… could he trust himself not to force their hand? What if he attacked them? Hurt them? Unable to know what horrible things he did.
He didn’t answer Zinkenite, but he suspected that the expression on his face already said everything.
“They’re not my royals,” he sneered, despite knowing he should get up off the ground. Knowing he should probably keep his mouth shut. “I don’t answer to them. Knights don’t follow royals, so find another high horse to mount.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2024 12:45 pm
"Your side of the war, pared down bit by bit till it's palatable to associate yourself with the remaining few? You have Camelot, a knight all his own rank; you have Ganymede, the very planet and princess you're sworn to, but not...your... royals." His lip curled slightly behind the mask, probably enough that the edge of disgust could be heard in the cadence of his voice. He offered a hand, tipping his head with a slightly amused glint in his eyes. "Your side has always been so, so chaotic. It's a small wonder that you're keeping abreast of things by numbers and desperation in your recruiting. I can't imagine how that must feel."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2024 8:03 pm
“I pledge my life and loyalty to Ganymede, the moon, and to Reims,” he sneered up at Zinkenite, eyeing his hand as though it was a snake that would bite him. “Princess Ganymede can kiss my a**. And so can whoever Camelot is.” It was a name that wasn’t familiar to him outside of the whole King Arthur stuff.
His heart wouldn’t stop racing. He was certain he would just pass out if it kept up.
The thought of toying with one’s food came to mind, and, against his better judgment, accepted the hand with the assumption that he was going to be helped to his feet.
Standing closer to Zinkenite made it easier to see how short he was. But Reims was taller than average for his age.
“Is this the part where you tell me to join your side or die? My power awakened when I was being chased by one of those youma. You talk about recruitment like someone is going around handing out pamphlets. Have you ever thought that we awaken as a direct result of the danger surrounding us? Maybe a little magic for a child would give them a better chance at surviving.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2024 9:08 pm
"So that's your oath? To Ganymede, the moon, and to Reims? Or did you add 'the moon' to prove that Princess Ganymede has nothing to do with you or your oath?" He mused. "Because if 'the moon' was it's own stipulation, I have news for you... there was a Moon Princess as well, and once she ruled over all the others. In fact, I believe there are knights of 'the moon' now too." He pulled Reims to his feet as though he weighed nothing at all. "I'd prefer you join us because you realize I'm right, that there is more to us than the propaganda you're sold. I am taking recruitment because I awakened because someone asked me if I wanted to help save this world. I was given a choice, not dropped in blindly... Reims." He savored the name, pleased to have gotten it one way or another. "I wonder if one of us actually did something as barbaric as killing one of your child soldiers if you'd spend all your time blaming us for killing them or consider that we weren't the ones who handed them magic and sent them out to fight."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 6:49 pm
Reims bristled, his ears burning and he took an instinctive step away from the General.
“Yeah but we don’t follow Princesses, did you hit your head or something?” he snarked, probably unwisely because he was aware of the power difference between them. He’d even pulled him up like it was nothing.
And even if some people did decide to follow a Princess or whatever, then that was their decision, but not what the Code had designated them to be responsible for as Knights.
“What exactly are you saving the world from? Children with magic? Cats with magic? Don’t you have magic, too? Why the hell would I want to join a group that steals starseeds, and don’t give me that both sides kill bullshit because we certainly can’t stick our hands into people’s chests like it’s an Indiana Jones movie or something.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2024 10:00 am
"I'm sure you feel you owe them no allegiance." He replied with a slightly patronizing tone. "And you don't need to stick your hands in people's chests, you have other very creative and more painful ways to do it. My favorite was one you probably don't even remember. They called themselves the Blood Moon Court, and they were perhaps the most honest in their warfare. They tortured and abused officers for information, one of our officers was so injured during the battle that she became a great youma, and it wasn't us whom hurt her." The fact she'd consumed another General soverign's starseed didn't need to be part of this conversation, what they had done to her was enough, beause that had been why she'd consumed it. "So we save it from the senshi, from the people who never question why every memory fits perfectly into the narrative when logically there should still be questions. We fight because of dead planets that are now being recovered, but they remain HERE like a plague because they destroyed their own world and had to appear somewhere. Because we don't exist on their worlds, but they blame the death on 'Chaos,' which seems to be anything that doesn't agree with them."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
