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this definitely hasn't been sitting in docs for over a month. don't worry about it. backdated to shortly after blarney's upgrade & edam's awakening, which took place shortly after the ORP on Tempesti.
Lena Roze
Darkness had fallen over Destiny City, though the night was still young. The Senshi of Landslides, however, had never felt more awake. More alive. This newfound power, the new connection to her planet, was felt deep into her core, and exhilaration rushed through her as she leapt from rooftop to rooftop, the long train of her skirt fluttering behind her. She felt like she was on top of the world, and she needed to tell someone.
Without even having to think about it, she had sent a text to Mason, telling him to meet her at the park near her old apartment, feeling as if it would be an appropriate place to make this reveal after it had been the center for so many of their encounters. Mason was on her mind more often than not, lately, thanks to Rowan pointing her feelings out to her. It had terrified her, originally. Made her feel wrong and guilty for the circumstances. But the conversation in the Reflection Chamber on Aruna she had with….well, she supposed it really was a conversation with herself, at the end of it, had put her at ease. She was allowed to feel this way. Her feelings were allowed to exist. And that had been so damned freeing to her.
Coming to a stop on a nearby rooftop, Aruna waited and watched for Mason, wanting to surprise him. Transcendence wasn't something she knew much about, admittedly, but she knew it was a big step for her, and he was the first and foremost person she wanted to share this moment with.
Without even having to think about it, she had sent a text to Mason, telling him to meet her at the park near her old apartment, feeling as if it would be an appropriate place to make this reveal after it had been the center for so many of their encounters. Mason was on her mind more often than not, lately, thanks to Rowan pointing her feelings out to her. It had terrified her, originally. Made her feel wrong and guilty for the circumstances. But the conversation in the Reflection Chamber on Aruna she had with….well, she supposed it really was a conversation with herself, at the end of it, had put her at ease. She was allowed to feel this way. Her feelings were allowed to exist. And that had been so damned freeing to her.
Coming to a stop on a nearby rooftop, Aruna waited and watched for Mason, wanting to surprise him. Transcendence wasn't something she knew much about, admittedly, but she knew it was a big step for her, and he was the first and foremost person she wanted to share this moment with.
Mason had been planning on reaching out to Halia anyway, because he had some exciting news of his own, and she was the first of several people he needed to tell about it. Lots of people were anxious and/or judgy about the fact that he had ‘still’ a lowly Page, magicless and all but unprotected, blah blah blah, but now? Now?
Now he had a cape.
Sorta.
He had a cape, and he had magic. And he could not wait to show it off - or better yet, actually use it to help someone. Sure, he’d helped his also-apparently-magical sister (!!) and another brand new Page of Earth (!!!), but that was the first one, which meant it barely counted. Not that he was eager for trouble to find people that would then need his help, but–well, introducing Halia to Squire Blarney would have to do for now on that front.
So Mason was whistling as he made his way to his park - it was his park now, he didn’t make the rules, except for the ones he did make, like the one that said it was his park now - the question of what Halia wanted to show him the furthest from his mind, which was entirely focused on how best to show off his new duds.
Mason, unpowered up, came to a stop in the little clearing that had become the de facto meetup spot for the two of them, having decided that he wanted to surprise her, especially because she didn’t even know that he had anything to tell her yet. So he’d let her tell him whatever, and then BAM, cape time.
Lena Roze
As Aruna watched Mason approach, she tilted her head curiously as she noted he wasn't powered up. Usually when they met here, they both were magically powered, so it seemed odd. Pushing it aside however, she grinned and launched herself from her perch. Her skirt fluttered daintily around her as she landed, and she stood up tall as she grinned at him, her new markings lightly glowing in the dim nightfall.
She smiled brightly at him, heart admittedly racing just a little as she looked up at him. What would he think? What would he say? His eyes on her felt electric, and it made her heart beat just a little harder.
Mason jumped slightly as Aruna arrived - at least, he thought it was Aruna, but last he checked, Aruna didn’t glow in the dark like a gosh dang nightlight!!!
“Hey!” Mason said, mouth dropping open in delight and surprise. “Holy–Aruna!! Look at you! You look amazing!!” Mason beamed, rushing toward her but stopping short of actually touching her, like he was afraid she might break or perhaps that the brand new glowing markings would bite him in some way. “When–what–congratulations!” Mason blubbered, a huge grin across his face. “Look at you! Wings and shiny swirly guys.”
Aruna lit up at the praise, grinning excitedly at him. ”Yesterday. It was ……an experience.” She laughed softly, holding her arms open for him to look at her markings. ”It's called Transcendence. My cousin that you met, Basiluzzo? That's what his markings are too.”
Transcended Eternal Sailor Aruna. That's what she was now. The title felt heavy, but also so right. Noticing his hesitation, she nodded at her arm. ”You can touch them, I don't mind. I won't break or anything.” She laughed softly, eyes sparkling as she looked up at him.
She smiled brightly at him, heart admittedly racing just a little as she looked up at him. What would he think? What would he say? His eyes on her felt electric, and it made her heart beat just a little harder.
Mason jumped slightly as Aruna arrived - at least, he thought it was Aruna, but last he checked, Aruna didn’t glow in the dark like a gosh dang nightlight!!!
“Hey!” Mason said, mouth dropping open in delight and surprise. “Holy–Aruna!! Look at you! You look amazing!!” Mason beamed, rushing toward her but stopping short of actually touching her, like he was afraid she might break or perhaps that the brand new glowing markings would bite him in some way. “When–what–congratulations!” Mason blubbered, a huge grin across his face. “Look at you! Wings and shiny swirly guys.”
Aruna lit up at the praise, grinning excitedly at him. ”Yesterday. It was ……an experience.” She laughed softly, holding her arms open for him to look at her markings. ”It's called Transcendence. My cousin that you met, Basiluzzo? That's what his markings are too.”
Transcended Eternal Sailor Aruna. That's what she was now. The title felt heavy, but also so right. Noticing his hesitation, she nodded at her arm. ”You can touch them, I don't mind. I won't break or anything.” She laughed softly, eyes sparkling as she looked up at him.
Mason raised his eyebrows. Transcendence. It sounded–fitting, somehow, with what he was seeing. Cautiously, he let his fingers brush over the markings, surprised to find that they weren’t any warmer or colder than the rest of her; it felt exactly the same as the rest of her skin. He withdrew his fingers, then shook his head, amazed smile still on his face.
“Congratulations,” he said again. “I’m–so proud of you,” he said, which sounded silly to his own ears, but it was true in spite of himself. “C’mere, kid.” Mason hugged her tight, giving her a squeeze. He had no idea what being Transcended meant, or what extra gifts it might give her, but he had maybe never seen Aruna look so - confident. Maybe now she could put those nightmares to bed forever, and finally see the person and the Senshi he’d seen the whole time.
Maybe it was the emotion, or maybe it was because he knew her eyes would be closed against him, but this was the moment he chose to Uno Reverse the surprise upgrade moment. When the two parted, it wasn’t Mason that stood before her, it was Blarney.
Blarney, Squire of Earth.
Cape and all.
He raised his eyebrows and gave her a winning grin, and for once, the boy with a million words couldn’t find anything to say, except, “Ta da?”
Lena Roze
”Who are you calling a kid? I'm older than you, you know.” Aruna felt the shift of magic, and when she pulled away from him, her eyes widened in surprise. ”Oh! Oh my god, Mason that's amazing!” She marveled at the Squire before her, admiring his upgrade.
Her eyes seemed to sparkle in the dim light as she looked up at him in wonder before hugging him tightly again. ”I’m so, so proud of you. You deserve this.” Her arms were still around him as she looked up at him, stilling as she met his eyes. Her heart lurched just a little and skipped a beat as she realized just how incredibly close they were. Had his eyes always been so lovely? God, she realized, she really did have it bad for him.
Her eyes seemed to sparkle in the dim light as she looked up at him in wonder before hugging him tightly again. ”I’m so, so proud of you. You deserve this.” Her arms were still around him as she looked up at him, stilling as she met his eyes. Her heart lurched just a little and skipped a beat as she realized just how incredibly close they were. Had his eyes always been so lovely? God, she realized, she really did have it bad for him.
Blarney grinned, suddenly sheepish, almost shy under the praise. For a moment they just looked at each other, until Blarney felt a blush start to creep up his cheeks. “Onward and upward for Team…Bla…runa?” Blarney said, wrinkling his nose at the portmanteau before he laughed and shook his head. He stepped back and gave a little twirl, showing off the cape especially for her to see.
“See, look, my shoulder thingies, and my stick–they have all these engraving thingies on them, isn’t that cool?” Blarney grinned in spite of himself. “And my flower-crown even grew too. I’m pretty sure that means that eventually I’ll be nothin’ but a garden.” Blarney laughed and shook his head, giving his stick a little spin over his fingers.
“And the stick has a rock now, see? I’m hoping that means it will grow into a Thor’s hammer kind of situation, but I’m not holding my breath.”
Lena Roze
Aruna cleared her throat and stepped back when he did, blushing as she tucked her hair behind her ear. ”It looks good. You look good. Really. I really am happy for you.” She smiled warmly up at him, reaching up to gently touch his flower crown. ”Hopefully you won't be one giant garden. That would make fighting bad guys really hard.”
Peering at his weapon, she tilted her head as she looked curiously at the carvings and the rock. ”Knight weapons evolve, I think. Getting better as you get stronger. I'm excited to see what it becomes next.” Because in her heart of hearts, she believed that he would continue to get stronger, without a single doubt in her mind.
She smiled up at him warmly, feeling incredibly happy for them both. ”Does your sister know? Oh, right, did she tell you I brought her out to see kittens? I tried to tempt her into bringing one home with her.”
Peering at his weapon, she tilted her head as she looked curiously at the carvings and the rock. ”Knight weapons evolve, I think. Getting better as you get stronger. I'm excited to see what it becomes next.” Because in her heart of hearts, she believed that he would continue to get stronger, without a single doubt in her mind.
She smiled up at him warmly, feeling incredibly happy for them both. ”Does your sister know? Oh, right, did she tell you I brought her out to see kittens? I tried to tempt her into bringing one home with her.”
“Unless they’re allergic to whatever’s growing up here,” Blarney pointed out with an impish grin, but before that went any further - any sillier - he shook his head and refocused. “You could say my sister knows, yeah. She was there when it happened - but guess what, it maybe didn’t even need to happen, because guess who powered up too,” Blarney said in an excited whisper. “I don’t know who was more surprised, me or her. And yes, I know, obviously I won’t go around telling everybody, obviously I’m going to protect her identity, but like - it’s you, so like. It’s fine,” he said with a shrug and a smile. “She’s a Page of…not Selene, but something like–Cybele! That’s what it was!” Blarney snapped his fingers. “She’s really--” Blarney paused, then gave Halia a sheepish smile. “Well, I don’t know if Mads would want me to get into it all, like how she’s feeling about it all, but–she’s having a whole time. But she’ll be okay! It’ll be fine. She’s great.”
Lena Roze
Aruna's eyes widened in surprise, then she laughed. “In all fairness, it does seem to run in families. My own family being a prime example.” She smiled fondly, planning to reach out to Madeline later. “She knows she can come to me if she needs to, right? I'm more than happy to help in any way that I can. I've…met Cybele once. Celadon, the girl you met with me around Star Fest? Cybele is also her princess. She seems very calm and rational, from the limited interaction I've had with her.” Truthfully, Cybele seemed like a good fit for Madeline.
“Ohhh, right, her,” Blarney said, this reminder perhaps not having the reassuring energy Aruna thought it might; there was still a lot to untangle about what had happened in December, but he’d been so busy with other things he hadn’t circled back around to that in a while. He needed to catch up with Albite, make sure he was okay…
He shook the thought away and refocused. “But–yeah, I’ll tell her. Thanks. Even if she doesn’t reach out, I know she’ll appreciate knowing she can,” Blarney said with a smile. “Wanna know another thing that happened, speaking of exciting developments?”
Lena Roze
The shift in his demeanor didn't escape her notice, and she reached up to ruffle his hair affectionately. “Don't overthink things.” She smiled softly, just wanting to reassure him.
“Always. Tell me everything. I want to hear everything.” Which really wasn't a lie. She loved hearing Mason talk about anything that got him excited.
“Always. Tell me everything. I want to hear everything.” Which really wasn't a lie. She loved hearing Mason talk about anything that got him excited.
Blarney blushed and batted at her hand, but without any real attempt behind it - his new flower crown might get messed up. “Heyyy,” he whined, playfully. He shook his head and refocused, though the smile remained on his face.
“So I went to Blarney Castle, with Miss Joy,” he began, “a while back. Because she thought it was weird that I–I didn’t have any past life memories yet, and I hadn’t found a ghost of the previous Blarney yet either. And I found this–like, a trapdoor? But I couldn’t get it open, so she came over to help me try and get it open. And we did! It was crazy, ‘Runa. Blarney Castle has a freakin’ dungeon, can you believe that? A real whole dungeon. And way in that dungeon, way in the back, we found…” Blarney trailed off, then finished in a conspiratorial whisper,
“My ghost!”
Lena Roze
Aruna couldn't help the tiny little pang of jealousy at the idea of someone getting to go to his wonder before she did, but she squashed that down for now. It was silly and she wouldn't allow herself to dwell on such feelings. Instead, she smiled warmly at him, decidedly happy for him.
“And how did that go? What are they like?” She hadn't told him about the conversation she had with not-Aurelia, or that the visage had called her by the nickname exclusively used by him. “Senshi don't…..we don't really get stuff like that. We reincarnate, where knights can do that or also directly descend in a bloodline. The best us senshi get are memories of the previous holder of our starseed, so I'm a little envious of that.”
“And how did that go? What are they like?” She hadn't told him about the conversation she had with not-Aurelia, or that the visage had called her by the nickname exclusively used by him. “Senshi don't…..we don't really get stuff like that. We reincarnate, where knights can do that or also directly descend in a bloodline. The best us senshi get are memories of the previous holder of our starseed, so I'm a little envious of that.”
“Her name is–was? Is? Sabia,” Blarney said, doing his best to pronounce it the way she had, with a ‘v’ instead of a ‘b’. “And she was–like, kinda scary, honestly, and a little mean, but like–she knows a lot, I think, and I think she might finally give me some answers. Maybe. At least about how stuff used to be, y’know? So I’m not just like floating out in the ether. It’s–it’s so weird, man. If she was Blarney before me…” Blarney shook his head. “I think maybe I’ve got real big shoes to fill.”
Lena Roze
Aruna nodded, absently tracing over one of the swirls on her arm as she listened. It was, she realized, the first time she had spoken to much of anyone about Aurelia.
“I think though, for what my opinion is worth, that you're doing amazingly well. You've accomplished a great deal already, and you're doing so much to work towards even greater heights. I have all the faith in the world in you, Mason.” The smile she gave him was one of those rare ones, the sort that could light up the darkest of nights. A smile that, perhaps, might be reserved just for him.
“I think though, for what my opinion is worth, that you're doing amazingly well. You've accomplished a great deal already, and you're doing so much to work towards even greater heights. I have all the faith in the world in you, Mason.” The smile she gave him was one of those rare ones, the sort that could light up the darkest of nights. A smile that, perhaps, might be reserved just for him.
“Yeah, well, ditto and right back atcha,” Blarney said with a smile in response. “I never knew Aurelia or anything, but I think her soul couldn’t have picked a better person to regenerate into, or whatever,” Blarney said with a chuckle. “Thank you for everything you’ve done to help me, ‘Runa. Really. You’re just–you’re great, and your opinion means a lot to me. Honest.” Blarney tugged her close into a hug once more, giving her another squeeze before he released her. “Wanna go patrolling? I can show you my magic~”
