|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:13 am
Oberon stared in confusion between Ganymede and Acubens as they had their exchange, before Ganymede finally addressed his concerns and Acubens confirmed it. He rolled his eyes at her response, leaving half his cake snack on the table for Eos as he slid off the chair.
"Well, duh... I know that. I'm eleven, not two," he said, although it wasn't anything harsh, just something he tended repeating a lot around adults. They liked to forget that he was old enough to comprehend some pretty important things, but liked to give him the simplified version.
He spared a glance over at Ganymede, who had been there for him ever since he'd awakened, before stepping forward, almost reluctantly breaking off half of the half of his cake that was left, offering it to the lonely senshi.
"Here," he insisted, trying to press it into Acuben's hands. "You're not crazy or stupid... You're just new. Everyone has to learn, right?" At least he assumed she was new... she was saying that she didn't understand things... heck, he didn't understand things!
"I'm not afraid of you!" he chirped confidently, standing at his full height of four foot six. "And stop using the word 'save'! It's confusing, remember?" he said with what he hoped was a supportive grin.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:20 am
“I already told you why I brought it up,” he reminded Acubens. “You weren’t clear with what you said at first, and it concerned quite a few people. I have a right and even an obligation to point out that it isn’t the first time you’ve said or alluded to something along those lines. If there’s someone around us who could potentially harm us with their sympathies, the rest of us have a right to know about it. I’m sorry if that offends you or makes you look like the bad guy in the eyes of everyone else, but you didn’t start out too great with what you were saying before. Maybe you were nervous or confused or just not thinking things through entirely, I don’t know, but just be careful with that stuff from now on.”
He was trying not to sound short with her, because he really wasn’t right now. He’d been on the verge of it before, but he’d never yelled. He was doing his utmost not to start yelling again.
That was rather hard, admittedly, but he was managing it.
“You’re right. We do need the information. We need all the information we can get. We’ve slowly been trying to piece things together. But you have to understand how sensitive people are about the DMC and that certain things you said can easily be taken the wrong way and could be again. Seriously, speak your mind all you want. I do all the time, but just… you know, be wary. Be careful. You said you thought before you spoke, but it didn't seem like that initially. Not to me. I'm sure not to some others, too. I'm not the only one who questioned you, but since we have history I'm sure what I said stood out more than others. Maybe think more next time. Honestly, this isn't me trying to push you away. This is me trying to get some stuff through your thick head.”
And he said that as affectionately as he possibly could.
Which wasn't a lot, but it was something.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:23 am
Like another stone being lifted form Acubens' chest. She could breath a little easier. Someone took her seriously. They ignored her sympathies and really heard what she'd said. It was enough to make her laugh. Really laugh like... Acubens tossed her head back and rung with laughter because she was just so happy that someone focused on her idea and not her darkness.
"Thank you. For listening to me, I mean. To my ideas. It makes me feel good. But you'd be willing to follow a madwoman into the bosom of death? I'm not even sure I know what I'm doing. Even if I could protect myself... I can't also keep you safe. How can I expect you to do that same; watch your own back and mine at the same time. You'd have to be mad to follow me where I want to go. Are you mad?"
Oberon demanded her attention in that moment, pressing something soft and moist into her hand. The hell... she looked at the cake snack for a long time, as though she didn't really understand what it was. And then she smiled again. Ever the literature student, she found the symbolism she always found. Oberon, this young man she'd never met before, was willing to sustain her. To provide for her. Even though he didn't know her. At least, that's what she got out of it.
"I didn't mean to offend your pride, little man. I was just trying to take it down to the bare bones for you. I learned a long time ago not to under estimate chibi senshi. Lenka nearly handed me my a** the first time we met!"
And Ganymede again. She'd need a nap after all this shifting focus. Another goofy grin spread across Acubens' face. AS an avid reader, she should know the archetype of The Rouge with the Heart of Gold. Han Solo, Tony Stark, Aragon... Playing by their own rules, but for the greater good.
"Even just saying I know a few? Isn't that vague enough? I guess I probably should have left that bit out, now that I think about it, huh?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:32 am
"No one wants to lose you... not to them when we don't even know if it'll be possible to purify those willing," Valhalla spoke up, sliding an arm around Ganymede's waist for support, letting him remain as close as he wished, but not forcing him to stay. He's stood by during the confrontation between them, not wanting to say anything to escalate the problem, but also wanting to be there for support for those he cared about.
"I know someone in the DMC as well... I don't think he's a bad person, but he has warned me that there are people who want us knights dead. Apparently we're not corruptible with their current way of doing things, so disposing of us would be easiest," he said with a small frown. "I said it before... but I was told that Leto has already killed a Page... someone who was just starting out, maybe even just awakened..."
His very being ached with sadness, knowing someone lost their life at the hands of another... Someone whom he could have known... Who would be next...? A chibi? Were they corruptible?
He spoke to her calmly, with no anger in his voice. He wasn't angry at her... Concerned, yes... but not angry. He was a little peeved at those who were yelling at her, though... but Ganymede had never once raised his voice to her.
Oberon shrugged, licking his fingers once he'd handed off the snack. "It's okay, just explain it to me. What did we do that makes them want to save us?" Because he was still confused... and he hoped that Acubens would be able to tell him what others couldn't. She was close to the DMC, right? So she should know better than others.
"Or... what do I have to do so that they don't want to save me? I don't want to leave my friends... and my mom would be lonely..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:37 am
“It’s not how you know a few of them,” Ganymede said. “You’re not the only one who knows them. It’s how you first mentioned them ‘saving’ us. There wasn’t any explanation there. No one knew if you’d said it because that’s how the DMC view it or because you view it that way, too, and I’m sorry but after the last time you and I talked I don’t have much to base my judgments on. Again, I’m not the only one who questioned you at that point. Now that you’ve explained yourself better, I see where you’re coming from, though I still think you need to be a little more careful with how you say things.”
He didn’t mind that Acubens didn’t view the DMC negatively. The only negative feelings he had toward them were based on the thoughts and feelings of the friends he had who’d been affected by them. He was all for finding some other way to end the war that didn’t have to do with killing any more people than had already been killed.
It had gone on long enough that way, and nothing had been solved yet. Ganymede would rather try something new instead of relying on the same useless actions over and over again.
“Like Val just said, no one wants to lose you or anyone else. If they do, and if anyone tells you to leave and join the other side they’re a moron, okay? I regret that I said that to you the last time we talked, but I’m a moron, too. I’m sorry. We all have moments of weakness. Some of us more than most. You’re right about that, too. I understand how you feel, but you have to understand where I’m coming from, too.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:40 am
"Ahh... well..." Oberon asked a lot of Acubens, though he didn't know it. She began absently munching on her own bit of cake as she thought.
"Well, we didn't do anything. It's just the fact that we're white moon that makes them think we're confused. It's like when you're talking about something that you know is right, and someone who has no idea about anyone on the subject steps in and tries to convince you that you're wrong. We didn't do anything. We just... are. And nothing is going to stop them, at least not that I can see."
And then Valhalla spoke. At first the words entered her mind and stopped there. They almost didn't reach her actual thought process until the smalled into that part of her brain like a freight train. Her face fell form the nervous smile to just a flat expression. Leto... she... Acubens stopped everything and dropped her cake.
"Leto what?" Acubens' voice was deeper and more level than it had been all night.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:55 am
"Aw, come on, I was talking to her first, jerk!" Oberon frowned at Valhalla, before eyeing Ganymede warily. Yeah, he knew he was friends with the squire, but just how close were they?? It was weird...
"Wait, wait, before you start talking to him, why do they think we're confused?? Does that mean they're confused in thinking we're confused? 'Cause I'm not confused, or at least I don't think I am. And if I am, I can just google it and figure out the answer from there. Ugh, you're distracting her!" he whined again at Valhalla, drooping dramatically.
Ugh, this wasn't fair!
Valhalla nearly blinked in confusion when Acubens stopped suddenly. So Leto was one of the people she knew personally...? He could only assume... "I was told... that she killed a Page..." he said warily, not sure if he should repeat himself or not with the way she suddenly froze. He hesitated before continuing, "Now... others' have said how they manipulate us... it... could be entirely possible that I was lied to..."
He had been upset when he found out, but... he had a feeling that this was a little more serious than just being upset...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:56 am
This was the first time Tsui had heard of the death of the page at Leto's hand, and she subconsciously grabbed at her wrist, trying to hide the way it shook with anger. Navi may have beaten her, but she never came close to killing her, and she wondered what could have brought Leto to that point. She didn't know this Leto, much less if Leto was a he or she, but she was certain to give this Leto a good punch to the soul if she ever crossed paths with her. Or him.
The cake fell from Acuben's hands and Tsui couldn't help but mourn its loss.
'A waste of a perfectly good cake...' Tsui thought, though immediately regretted that being her first reaction to the sudden change of expression in Acuben's face. She asked softly, uncertain if she wanted to bring everyone's attention to this or not and wondering if she would need to drag the girl out of the meeting before another outburst.
"You okay? You look a little white in the face..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 1:03 am
Lied to... yeah... that... it had to be it... Valhalla was just lied to... a ploy to make the DMC feared. It had to be. "Yeah... no, it has to be... I've never heard of them doing anything like that. They... the dark mirror senshi don't kill and I... I don't defend murderers..." Her mind ached to push the panic button, but Acubens kept denying it that option. "No, it's a trick. It's just... no... Leto hasn't killed anyone, I'm sure of it. She can't." Breathe. Breathe...
"I'm fine," she assured Tsui with a smile. "It must have been a lie but... I'll... I'll look into it." She forced a smile, trying to go back to that place she'd been in so shortly before. Oberon. Focus on him. Oberon, who wanted answers as badly as she did and who was she to deny him that?
"Oh, sorry. See, I am mad in fact. It's like someone said before. They've been lied to so much, that they think the lies are true. Brainwashed. They're not confused themselves, they're dead wrong. There's a difference. We, as white moon senshi, are on the right path. The path of peace. They want to give everything over to the chaos. To death. We are the ones who are right... does that make more sense?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 1:15 am
Ganymede was pretty sure he could believe every word coming out of Valhalla’s mouth. That wasn’t simply relationship bias talking. The squire had never given him any reason not to trust him. Even in their rocky moments together, before and now, even when they’d barely been talking and there’d been too much hurt between them, Ganymede knew that he could always trust Val more than he trusted anyone else.
So when Valhalla said this Sailor Leto had killed a page, Ganymede readily believed him.
Maybe that was blind faith on both of their parts—the very thing he criticized in others—but there it was. If Val trusted whichever DMC senshi he’d been talking to enough to sound as confident as he currently did, then Ganymede had to trust that he was right in what he said.
They could very easily be led astray with false information, he knew, but why would a senshi of the DMC make up such a lie about one of their own? To scare them? Why should they be any more scared than they already were? There were already plenty of Negaverse officers out there willing to kill them. Adding a DMC senshi into the mix wasn’t going to do anything to make that better or worse.
He watched Acubens cautiously and observed her reaction to the news but didn’t say anything else. He almost felt bad but told himself there wasn’t any reason for it.
She still seemed a little lost, but he didn’t know what else to say to change that, so he let the conversation drift away without him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 6:13 am
Zirconia listened, quietly, but it was obvious there was anger rising in the cat eared woman. And it rose and rose until it reached a fever pitch and boiled over in the most inappropriate way.
By the time Acubens and Oberon were having their heart to heart she exploded, probably a bit too late. But they were plotting ways to go get to Ares? For what? Didn't they listen? She had gone to Ares herself, in her own domain. Getting to Ares, and her information, wasn't the problem, it was stopping Ares.
No one was going to change her opinion on the DMC. It was hard enough listening to other people talk about it. For her, it was a deeply personal thing and there was an instinctual little feeling at the bottom of her stomach that said they didn't have the right. They don't have the right to talk about these things, these sniper strikes into her own heart. Acubens could say she knew them, but ultimately, Zirconia refused the believe that anyone was as close to them as she was. Leto and Requiem had been her teammates, and Ares was a different monster from her past altogether.
"You're an idiot," She snarled with all the venom she could muster at Acubens. "If you believe these things... after what I've just said about Ares, then why don't you just go offer up your empty little head to the Usurper Queen right now, you stupid, sad little child? You don't know her, none of you know her. None of you know ANYTHING." Hug-Bell acted as a barrier to keep the cat from marching across the room and baring down on Acubens, who had the gall to suggest things about a senshi that was both violently hated as her worst enemy, and fiercely loved like a daughter.
"I'm her guardian cat. I know what's she's planning," Zirconia barked, not realizing she forgot to put that in a more appropriate past tense. "But if you'd rather fill your mind with fairy tales and fictional tropes, fine. I don't have energy to care about the fate of a bunch of babies." It wasn't meant as a childish insult, Zirconia was ancient, and the collection of teens were honestly perceived as a bunch of children. However the anger was real, presumptuous, and it came pouring out faster than she could stop it.
Caught between the consequences of her outburst and her own rage begging her to go on, the cat stormed out, if only to catch her breath and maybe find a pillow to scream in.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 8:44 am
Valhalla watched from Acubens to Tsui to the chibi named Oberon, before glancing down at Ganymede as he stood beside him. There was still too much going on in this meeting. Too much confusion and to may misunderstandings...
As Zirconia snapped, he looked up to where she was, and he gently pulled himself away from Ganymede to step between Zirconia and Acubens, despite the distance they already were at. He was tempted to place a hand on her shoulder to offer some form of comfort, but wasn't sure how she'd react.
But if people were going to give his boyfriend dirty looks for saying similar things, he wasn't going to let anyone else get away with saying inflammatory things without comment, not even his best-friend-turned-cat-girl.
His heart still ached, knowing this was Zia, but not. He wanted to approach her, offer her comfort as well, hug her and tell her everything was going to be okay, that they'd somehow work this out.
"Stand down, Zirconia... It's under control," he said, watching her sadly as she turned to leave, knowing that no matter how similar she looked to Zia, she wasn't his best friend. Was Zia even still present or did she hide away inside of this woman, protecting herself from everything that was happening. "You're right, we know nothing of Ares... just what you have told us and what others have told us... You're right..." he said again, wishing to quell her fury, his hands lifting in a sign of what he hoped would be translated as peace, and not as defense.
"She's not going to offer herself to Ares, Zirconia," he said with a glance over his shoulder to Acubens, still calling to the guardian, hoping she would give him a few moments of her time before she left. "There was just a misunderstanding... It's okay... Please... We need you... I need you..."
It hurt talking to her like this, wishing for someone else and not being able to see... Her eyes were all wrong. They were too bright and too full of anger and bitterness... He didn't think he'd ever longed for his best friend anymore than in that moment.
The tail did nothing for her figure...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 9:44 am
Too much had happened at this meeting, and once again, the one called Zirconia had not only jumped on top of her soapbox, but she scaled it with the fury of a thousand suns. And Tsui simply had enough. Her gumption to care was just completely null and void, and thankfully, Valhalla had approached her. She was certain that Zirconia's reaction was justified; on second thought, it was TOTALLY justified, but she just had enough of the out of control and ******** of emotions that were running around, and her empathy was just completely gone.
'We're going to get nothing done here.' Tsui thought to herself bitterly, glancing back at the exit and realizing that it was right there. Just right there. All she needed to do was stand and leave.
But that would be cowardice. That would put her on the same 'oh-look-at-me' level as Lina, as Chronos and her loyal knights. So, reluctantly, Tsui remained seated, and she didn't care how heartless she may have came off. This meeting needed to continue. "So, sending one person against Ares is a bad idea. Got it. So, what about the rest of the plan? We can still make it work..."
Of course she'll either be ignored or yelled at, and Tsui wasn't sure if she could refrain from giving the person her signature attack right to the FACE. Hopefully, it wouldn't have to come to that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 9:57 am
The lad chuckled at Kailash. "I do agree that she does not act the part of a lady... but she does seem quite familiar with you, seeing as she feels the need to shout all the way across the room to get your attention..."
He did pause and glance back to the spot where the blonde had been standing near the cats, only to find she was not there anymore, but rather, coming towards them.
"...it would seem as if she is planning to be in your presence, one way or another..."~ "Oh goodness.. yeah... that's a good spot right there... keep at it," the manx guardian purred to the purple haired girl.Iris managed to catch Irene's question, but her response probably wasn't a very satisfactory one. "Um... just some dude I know... I think it's his first time bein' at one'a these things... pretty sure his brain will explode from all th'drama or somethin..." She glanced to where Kailash stood and managed to catch glimpse of some person with long teal hair. "...oh... it looks like he's got some fancy-a** girlfriend now too!" she said in a chuckle, completely unaware of the teal-haired person's sex. Once she had filled maybe half the distance to their destination, the tomboy once more shouted out "HEY KAILASH!!" almost as if it was a warning of her caravan's approach. The feline flicked an ear. "I am pretty sure I don't know anybody named Kailash... we'll see I guess..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:12 am
He’d known that was coming. He’d seen the a**-chewing from Zirconia a mile away, though he couldn’t say he was as amused as he might have been by it at another time—not like at the Surrounding. He could understand it because even if he didn’t know her, he was still aware of her situation and a few of the things she’d gone through along the way by hearing about it from other people and from her at various meetings, but with the misunderstanding with Acubens slowly winding down it just seemed to him to be a bad time for the outburst.
Ganymede let Valhalla handle it, or at least try to calm the anger and hurt feelings. He didn’t have any idea what Val’s relationship was to this guardian cat, so hearing an “I need you” thrown in there caused a fair bit of confusion. He assumed Zirconia had been the one to be there when Valhalla had first become a knight, as he had nothing else to really explain that dynamic.
He stepped up behind Valhalla and placed his hands comfortingly around the squire’s elbows, which was more the less the only amount of bare skin he could actually touch with Val’s uniform in the way.
This was a frustrating situation for all parties involved. With so many different people in a single room together, there were bound to be misunderstandings. The only thing they could do was sort them out when they occurred. Leaving didn’t solve anything. Leaving just gave the misunderstandings an opportunity to grow worse.
Sure, he argued. He questioned things. He even insulted people, but he at least had the decency to stick around and see it through to the end.
He looked to Acubens and hoped there wasn’t going to be another explosion from either end. “Just let it go,” he advised her. “If you want to defend yourself, fine, but don’t lose your head.”
He probably wasn’t the best person to advise someone on how to argue appropriately, but if what had been said before had been enough to throw her into a rage, he didn’t like the idea of what the guardian cat’s comments might induce.
Ganymede then glanced over at Tsui as she tried to turn the focus of the conversation back to the original topic and thought that would probably be the best idea at the moment.
“I’m all for it,” he agreed, as if that wasn’t obvious already. “If some of us have had decent interactions with them before, it shouldn’t be too difficult to start. So long as we’re smart about it and take the time to pick and choose who to talk to and what to say, we might be able to manage some minor interference, don’t you think?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
