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 Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 9:29 pm
“ I’ve seen Draconis, but we’ve never really interacted.”
Ah, now how to explain that…
“ Answers are like SparkNotes. They’re quicker and easier, but you’d only be getting the information I deem important, and you’d only be getting my interpretation of events. Knowledge would be if you’re given all the facts and then are left by yourself to sift through it. You’d have to draw your own conclusions, which may differ from mine.”
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 10:09 pm
His brow furrowed with deep uncertainty. She thinks I am smart enough to make my own ideas about a bunch of information? But I'm not even like she is, or like Aegir. Is it really different what answers someone could come to, if the information given is true?
"I would like to know more about what is going on. I-" It was difficult to know just how he should interact or what to say or do...faced with a sushi that might know something and might share it, "There used to be grooms for warrior's horses. Armorers to repair their gear. Cooks to keep them fed and healthy. The common man is not worth much, but surely we can do something other than die. But we cannot help if we don't know what is going on ."
"People are wounded and dying, and they don't know why. Most wars between men...at least the reason is known even if it isn't agreed with."
"I know there was White Queen, and a Princess, and many warriors. A thing called a negaverse where these black creatures come from. I know that the sailor warriors fight the black creatures. I don't know why this is happening, or why so many people are threatened with death..."
"So I look for clues. You don't have to answer me, Lady. It is a lot to spring on someone after...a skirmish. And you...are not beholden to anyone like me. But if you have the time, I would appreciate answers or knowledge. "
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Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 9:18 pm
“ Lady? No, no, call me Pomona. And you’ve been caught in this war twice already, so I think its only fair someone tell you what’s going on.”
Adrenaline finally dissipating, Pomona repressed a shiver as she Bjorn a small grin.
“ I only request we walk while we talk; helps take the edge off the cold.”
As they began walking, the redhead considered where to start.
“ To understand the why’s, you’ll need to know the who’s. You’ve heard Senshi and the Negaverse, but there are more groups involved. We Senshi have allies in the Knights. We fight against Negaverse, which you know, but the Negaverse is allies with the Dark Mirror Court, a group of… twisted Senshi, lead by the dark Queen Ares. The Negaverse has also corrupted several Senshi to their side.”
“ Senshi are named after various space stuff: planets, nebulas, etc. We’re named like this because once, lifetimes ago, we literally lived in the places we’re named after. I lived on planet Pomona, and I was its guardian. Something happened though – I’m not sure what, and I’m not sure if anyone actually does know – but it was bad. We Senshi were all reincarnated – thanks to the Moon Queen’s powers, it’s said – and were born and raised on Earth.”
“ That’s where part of the conflict comes from. The Negaverse insists we’re aliens, that we’re invading the planet, and they’re Earth’s true defenders. That’s right and wrong at the same time. In another lifetime we weren’t from Earth, but we are now. What memories I have of my past life are surreal, like I’m remembering someone else’s life. As for the Negaverse being Earth’s true defenders… that never seemed quite right. No one could dispute that we have space origins while they seemingly did not, but they attack civilians and create monsters.”
“ Their argument has become shaky though. Knights have begun to awaken, and they’re named after every planet in this Solar System, including Earth. One Negaverse soldier, a girl by the name of Linarite, was purified, and when she was, it was revealed that she was a Knight; a Mercury Knight, not an Earth Knight. I’m no expert on Knights, but the title of 'Mercury Knight' implies some connection to Mercury. After Linarite, I’ve wondered how many Negaverse soldiers are actually corrupted Knights."
“ Then there’s the Negaverse's alliance with Ares and her Dark Mirror Court. Ares isn’t even from this dimension, much less this planet. When she came to our dimension she fought alongside us for a time, but she and the Senshi that followed her were very aggressive and bloodthirsty, more than I think anyone realized. They captured some Negaverse soldiers and tortured at least one of them. Then Ares changed. She welcomed Chaos, and in doing so changed sides and brought many of her followers with her. Now she’s allied with the people she once tortured in a truce I can’t claim to understand.”
Pomona blinked, realizing she’d prattled on for some time.
“ Erm, that’s the quick version. That doesn’t cover everything, and I’m sure you’ve still got questions.”
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 4:08 pm
He took off his jacket and offered it out, "That looks no more warm that it is protective armor."
It didn't clear up what the start of the conflict really was from the sushi point of view, maybe. When it came down to it though, whether Pomona knew it or not, the beginning may no longer matter. Months, years, or more into a conflict they became as much about grudges as the original ideals. There was the mention of a moon queen. Of another queen, Ares.
Dimension was a hard word. He couldn't wrap his head around it any more than something that belonged in television science fiction that he never watched anyways. "So...If I were to try to distill that..."
"There is the Negaverse, an army that has members and those shadow things. They are allies with a Dark Mirror court. They 'corrupt' people. What do they corrupt them to?"
"The Negaverse then, fights for and is from Earth, and you dispute that. The sailor warriors are ...all ...rein-from..Earth. And you are fighting the negaverse...because they attack people? "
"Have you asked your Moon Queen about this war...why you are all on Earth instead of re-establishing your kingdoms and planets?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 6:17 pm
Normally Pomona would’ve argued about the jacket, or refused it, but without hopping around rooftops it was hard to stay warm, so she accepted the offered jacket gratefully.
“ Thank you. Hopefully I’ll be better prepared if we meet again.”
“ We call it Corruption, but they probably call it recruiting. Corruption is how the Negaverse leaders create or empower their soldiers, and from what I know it’s not a pleasant process. Everyone has a starseed – a magical core, kinda like a soul – and Negaverse agents are able to reach them and manipulate them. To give a new “recruit” powers, or give extra strength to an existing soldier, dark energy is forced into the person’s starseed.”
“ The process is even worse if used to Corrupt a Senshi to the Negaverse. You can tell a Corrupt Senshi by their black outfits, long hair, and the tell-tale hole left in their chest by Corruption. The actual process is painful. During a large battle a couple years ago, I saw one of ours – Castor - be attacked, and almost forcefully Corrupted. I was the first Senshi to respond; I still remember his screams. Tanzanite – the Negaverse soldier Corrupting Castor – met my eyes when she was interrupted. She said she would no longer kill Senshi, but Corrupt them instead; I’ll never forget her words:
" We will turn your hearts to darkness,
and we will watch as you kill everyone you love."
Pomona shivered, this time not from the cold but from the memory of that night. She quickly shoved the memory back into its little nightmare box.
“ As for the Moon Queen, she’s not around. Even if she was, there’s no guarantee we’d follow her. We’re a motley group, and I think you’d have better luck herding cats than getting all of us to follow one leader. My planet never followed the Moon Queen before, so why would I follow her now? It’s not an uncommon sentiment either. Besides that, two Senshi are Princesses in their own right, so why would they bow to other royalty?”
“ As for re-establishing out planets, how could we? We’d be leaving our homes and loved ones on Earth to the whims of the Negaverse; how could we do that, when we’ve seen the methods they’re willing to resort to? And besides that, our planets were wrecked and abandoned during whatever catastrophe happened in the past. They’re-”
She flailed, trying to think of a way to encompass all of the problems an attempt to recolonize a planet would involved. She huffed, but then inspiration struck and her face lit as it gained a playful ‘plotting’ look.
“ They say seeing is believing. If you’re up for an adventure, I can play E.T. for you some day and drag you with me when I phone home.” She flicked her hand, summoning her little red phone. “ Because that’s how we travel to space. By phone. Don’t ask me how it works, because all I know is that it requires energy, and more than I currently have.”
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 7:14 pm
"The black creatures...they seek starseeds, then?"
Not his heart. The valravn had been clawing at him, yes, at his chest.
"Would they be resorting to such methods if there were no foreign royalty trying to make their kingdoms here? It is usual to resort to war, even black war, if foreign soverignty seek to reestablish themselves in other's land. Even if it isn't foreign to you now. I guess that assumes that you are all going around trying to be royalty. Mostly the sailors seem to just fight the black things. I don't know. It seems a very odd war, then. "
He perked, looking over, "I...I woudl be glad to see it. However it works. I want to know what can be known of these old monarchies. So you were ...are? the Lady of Pomona?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 8:42 pm
“ The creatures – youmas – are wildcards. Some collect energy, some collect starseeds, and some just seem to cause destruction. If one ever seems to be reaching for your heart, they’re probably after your starseed.”
“ Well, I think that’s part of what’s fueling this war: distrust. They don’t believe us when we say we’re not trying to set up new kingdoms on Earth. The two Princesses I mentioned aren’t out building castles, swearing in subjects, or collecting tithes. One of them has a Knight, but she had Knights before she was reincarnated, so it’s not like she’s posting Wanted ads for Knights in the paper.”
“ Then we don’t trust the Negaverse. We’ve seen them create monsters, attack and kill innocents, and Corrupt our peers. We don’t trust them to stop. But if they did? I’d be plenty happy to switch to rescuing cats out of trees, or maybe volunteering with the Police Department if we could clear up the whole ‘terrorist’ issue.”
Bjorn’s next question caught Pomona off-guard. She blinked, then blinked again, then started laughing.
“ Lady? Ha! No, no, no.” She chuckled, wiping tears from her eyes. “ I’m not laughing at you, just at the idea. My position was largely ceremonial. My planet was a rural little backwater planet that nobody bothered with. It had a Senshi - me - and while they were proud of that, they didn’t need me. They had to create a job for me, which was basically as a glorified cop. I mean, most of the crime on my planet was of the ‘Toby’s hog ate my corn!’ variety, and most problems people solved amongst themselves, so really, I was kinda useless. I've yet to remember being in a single fight."
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 4:19 am
"Are you different than a Knight then, if you are not a royal?" "Jarl, herse, sysselmann, lendmann, årmann, huskarl, housecarl, and hauld...there weren't really any other titles in the old days. Titles have changed over years. Being called a 'policeman' doesn't seem right, though. Policeman wear body armor and regular shoes when they get into trouble, and they don't have magic exploding food, or dragon's breath, or anything like that. Just riot gear and guns." The distrust between wasn't something he could easily bridge in his mind. Likely they're best minds were already on it, or had considered it at least. It would talk someone a lot smarter and more into politics than him to solve that sort of problem. Strongmen were meant as ideals and inspiration, yes, but that didn't make them law and government savvy. "I wish there were more to be done to help you all. Maybe an idea will come...a red cross or something at least. " "Are your people and pigs still on your planet, do you think?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 7:03 pm
“ A bit different, yeah. Knights tend to have more clothing, for one.” She said with a small smile. “ There’s only one Senshi per planet at a time – I’m the only Sailor Pomona – but there’s multiple Earth knights, Mercury knights, etc. Only planets with a royal Senshi have knights, and the knights fight alongside the Prince or Princess.”
Bjorn’s last question, though certainly unintentional, had a slight mood dampening effect.
“ No. My planet’s abandoned; they’re all abandoned.”
She figured that deserved some explanation, even if it’d be difficult to truly to the subject justice with mere words.
“ We’ve been given magical items that let us travel back to our planets. Every Senshi I know that has been back to their planet – every. single. one. – reports that their planet is abandoned, and in many cases, wrecked. That’s why we know something bad happened in the past, even if we’re not sure what. My own planet… the largest lifeforms I’ve seen are bees. Everything’s overgrown, the buildings are empty, the water is poisoned, and I can’t remember why.”
The issue bothered her deeply, something she didn’t bother to hide. After all, ceremonial though her position may have been, she had still been her planet’s Senshi, and obviously she had failed in her duties the one time she had really been needed.
" It's hard to describe to someone that hasn't seen it."
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Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 4:09 am
"Movies are always trying to show a whole planet destroyed, but I can understand how seeing it would be very much diffferent than hearing...a whole planet poisoned. " "Are sailor's like the Fisher King, then? Something happened to the sailor policeman long ago, and they died, so the planet died? If it was very bad, maybe not so surprising it was also poisoned. " "I am sorry, I talk too much. It is a hard subject, and not so casual with someone you just met...you've given me a lot to think about. I know another sailor....do you think you could meet them and talk to them too? I would...like to tell him about you. " Admitting straight away that he had contact information to Aegir seemed dicey to just anyone, but Lady Pomona certainly didn't seem any more evil than Aegir from all that General Obsidian made out. He didn't want to be a collateral hostage target for anyone, really, despite wanting to know more about what was going on. "If it is alright with you that I tell him. He doesn't have exploding food or dragon's breath, either." Björn wasn't certain WHAT one could call Aegir's magic. He wasn't certain it could even be called 'useful'.
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Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 7:08 pm
“ No, for my planet at least, it was more that all of the people were simple, peaceful folk; similar to Hobbits, actually. They weren’t warriors, so if there ever was a threat to our planet, I would’ve been the only guaranteed line of defense.”
The mention of a new Senshi – or what sounded like a new Senshi – made Pomona perk up a bit.
“ Are they new? I mean, it doesn’t matter – you’re welcome to tell them regardless – but I know all this nonsense can be quite overwhelming for new and inexperienced Senshi.” And that gave her a thought. “ Do you think you and your Senshi friend would like to go to space?”
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Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 5:24 am
"Space.....hobbits?" Hobbits were those small people from those movies everyone was advertising this time of year. "I think anything with the word 'space' is of interest to him." If he wasn't talking in that weirdo language, Colin was trying to downplay the fact that a lot of the small talk he chattered about was about some weirdo show called star trek. Or many shows. He wasn't quite clear. But it involved a LOT of characters and captains. And Books. And Movies. And stuff online that involved looking at one's laptop and grinning gleefully sometimes. He wasn't certain himself about what. He didn't follow it. He was fairly certain Aegir's preferences were exactly the same as Colin's. That meant....Lady Pomona was a girl, too. With a regular name and life. She could be a student somewhere, or a barista...or a teacher, llibrary clerk, exotic dancer...anything. Mind. Blown. "Ah..ja...I think...he woudl like very much to come. I can tell him then?" Just to double check.
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Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 3:57 pm
“ Oh yes, hobbits. We were no good at fighting, but eating? That we could do. We ate as much as hobbits.”
Flicking open her phone, Pomona pulled up a calendar and eyed the dates before selecting one and pointing it out to Bjorn.
“ How about then? We can meet… well, I guess where we initially met is just as good as anywhere. You’ll need to bring water – probably a lot; my planet is a literal hot house – and sunscreen.”
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 8:35 pm
"Ah...yes, that looks fine. " He nodded, checking the date by pulling out his planner from his bag to scan over and cross reference. He'd have to write those suggestions down. "I'll probably ask again if there's anything special to bring in order to be prepared. Especially....something...hot. Is it always hot? No winter at all? I guess other planets have seasons or not at different times than earth." "Did you want to contact me then, or should I message you?" He offered honestly. Being a Sailor, she no doubt had a busy schedule...vanquishing black things while wearing nothing. Without a squire or handmaiden, mundane affairs might get muddled or left to the side. Holy Blasphemy (( did you want to give it a wrap soon? ))
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Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2012 8:05 pm
“ My planet only has two temperatures: hot and hotter. The humidity doesn’t help. You’ll see.”
Bjorn’s question was a good one, and one that made her pause and tap her chin as she thought.
“ These cellphones were made by magic and only call other Senshi phones. Um… here.” Poking some buttons, she pulled up her number – she didn’t remember it off-hand – and showed it to Bjorn. “ Have your Senshi friend call me at that number on their Senshi cellphone. If they don’t know how to use it… hrm. Well, I guess you could leave a letter or something around here? I’ll pass by a couple nights a week to check if there’s anything. Otherwise, I’ll show up at our spot and wait for you two.”
Crossing her arms across her chest, Pomona gave a sort of half-bow as she started to move away.
“ Well Bjorn, it was nice meeting you, and I look forward to seeing you again under better circumstances, but I’m heading off before I freeze. See you later!”
And with that Pomona jogged off, taking a meandering route home.
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