She felt a hand on her shoulder and Orah started, jerking her head up as she sought out whomever had found her. Teal hair, the scent of flowers...
"Bohlinia..." Orah gasped out in disbelief. She was alive... missing throughout the battle and after, she had assumed the worst. Overwhelming emotions flooded the young woman as she surged up from her seat to throw her arms around her asteroid sister's neck, hugging her desperately tight as she felt the first of the sobs break from her throat. Orah's cheeks were suddenly wet with the tears that had refused to fall and she clung miserably to Bohlinia as she cried.
Alive... you're alive, and you came back to me. I'm not alone.
Orah couldn't stop herself once she had started, everything bursting out of her at once as relief broke the dam of control that had been holding the grief back. She cried for joy in one life saved and sadness for all those that had been lost, for the work that had been undone and all the rebuilding they might never get to do. For all her failures and the knowledge that she still had a duty she couldn't abandon, no matter how broken she became.
"I'm so glad you're okay." She managed through her tears.
Matisha
Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 10:36 am
The hug was so swift it nearly knocked the Eternal Senshi from her feet, her eyes opening wide as she felt the older woman's arms wrap around her, her emotions escaping like a storm as she held onto her. She suddenly didnt care about the mud and dirt beneath them as she dropped her knees to the ground and returned the hug with a force that would betray her emotions. Ida was just happy to see her alive, she wasnt angry, she wasn't hateful, she was just happy she was alive. That was her Princess all over, such a beautiful soul.
"Ida" As if joining her Bohlinia let her own tears slide down to mingle with her friends, her grip on Ida's clothes that little bit tighter as she fought to keep herself from turning hysterical over the relief she felt. She pulled back slightly, her forhead resting on Ida as she smiled, an forced one but a smile that still showed her happiness in finding her safe, or as safe as one could be right now.
"I am fine, I wish I wasn't, I wish I could say I had at least helped somehow but...dammit, I knew I shouldn't have left, what would one more day be of waiting for supplies. We could have held on...I could have -" Again the tears threatened to start anew as she thought of everyone who hadn't made it, to think that if she had been there she could have stopped a weapon from hitting its mark. Biting down on her lip until her tongue tasted copper she shook her head in defeat. She couldn't believe what had happened. She never would.
"All those people. Ida....Orah, I can't even begin to express what am feeling right now. Call me selfish but...am so happy to see you alive, I...I cant go though thinking that I've lost you again. Promise me - " She looked deep into the brown eyes that sparkled with tears and tried to tell her everything with that one look. "Promise me you will never go anywhere without me and I you, please, I can't lose you, I...I can't..."
She didnt want it to sound obsessing or controlling but she didnt care right now, she just couldnt handle the thought. Even with those who had been lost to them, Bohlinia could still find hope in her friend, in her family.
The tight grip around her was exactly what Orah needed right now. She needed someone she loved to hold her close, because there was so much pain inside. The contact was like a balm, soothing as it spread, and she thanked whatever gods were left that this one had not fallen with the rest.
"Don't." She said softly as they pulled back to rest forehead to forehead, eyes closed. "There was nothing you could have done. Its better you weren't, because you're safe now." Its not your fault this happened, its mine. I can only be grateful that my failure did not take you with them.
Orah's eyes opened at the request and she studied the face so close to her own. Born of different mothers, as separate as two people could be, yet their bond transcended time and death and distance to bring them back together. She would do anything for this woman. The brunette nodded slowly, the promise solemn.
"I will keep you by my side always, I promise. Until we're safe, we'll stay together." Such a promise was damning, in its own way, but she had let loved ones die for her already... she could let another die by her side when the time came. She would not wish the pain of watching someone die on anyone anymore... they would die together and the pain would end for them both.
Slender arms tightened and Orah pulled Bohlinia down beside her, selfishly wanting her close and burying her face in her neck for comfort.
Matisha
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 1:23 pm
Andronicus had chosen to power down for this and walk there. She could have teleported in, but they'd already been hit hard. She didn't want to be seen as a spy or as a inflitrator. The young woman, who went as Rin in what little civilian life she had left, stepped into the camp with a solemn face.
Her hands itched and she rubbed the last remaining token of her wonder, her ring. It did nothing, it held no power, but it reminded her of where she came from. Of where she belonged.
She may not feel she deserved saving, but her place was here.
"I... am Andronicus," she said quietly, hoping none of the Princesses would try and end her. She came to them as a civilian, let everyone know who she was. Perhaps that was enough.
Irrevocably gone given that what the Negaverse hadn't destroyed had been taken by the fire that had swept through the camp.
Athene leaned against a wall, his fuku messy and his pale face tired as he quietly listened as those around him spoke.
Some may have noticed that curiously his right leg sported a bite mark and (for those who recognised such things) the bite mark was feline in origin.
He looked over as the Dark Mirror Princess (Chariklo) started speaking and nodded since her words made sense - it was obvious that the Negaverse had known where there were given the amount of force that they'd sent in to crush them - and her point about uncompromised civilian identities was a good one too. "I agree with you" he said at last speaking up, "Although I'm not sure that my civilian identity is good enough to hold up in the city - at least not for long periods." Because despite the fact that Athene was reasonably sure that there was nothing conclusive out there to link Arian Laith to Athene, the incident that had lead to his cousin's death and Arian's sudden and unexplained 'disappearance' was enough he suspected for someone to try and bring him in for questioning if he went civilian for anything other than the quick in and out that his missions (or at those that had taken him into the city) had tended to be.
He looked towards the other Princess (Hugbell) "And I agree with you about the non-combatants" before adding. "For my part, I'll go where needed."
At the Order meeting he had said that he was willing to stay and fight and although the 'stay' part no longer applied, given that the camp was gone and beyond resurrection, the fight part still applied.
But so did Liryn's words, harsh though they'd been and as stinging as the cat bite, which he had to keep fighting the urge to scratch.
Do you really think that this is what she would have wanted for you.
He thought on Liryn's words, knew that no - this was not what his cousin would have wanted, knew that his cousin would have wanted more for him.
Saffy had loved him, loved him much more than he'd realised, her loyalty to blood and family so much stronger than he would have ever guessed. And she had paid for it and it was all his fault - if he'd been just a little more careful then maybe she would still have been here.
He looked over to where the little tabby bobtail lay flopped out on the ground and then around at those who had gathered at this new location, glance lingering for a moment on the civilian who had spoken up and given her name as Andronicus and then at Ida and the teal-haired senshi by her and he firmed his decision.
He was going to fight and do his part to end this - whatever the cost. Whatever the consequences.
He didn't know what was on the other side of all of this and he still wasn't sure that he'd even live long enough to see the end, but he was going to fight anyway.
Beads are an even worse fit for the battlefield than flowers... He'd said similar words to once upon a time and they held as true now as when his teenaged self had said them after all beads had never been meant for the battlefield. However if it was the battlefield where his path ended - so be it.
-------------------
Since reaching the new location, Liryn had opted to sprawl on the ground.
He was tired.
Not sleepy tired - no this tiredness was more of a weary tiredness, that he could feel in his paws and his bones and his whiskers.
The camp was gone, irretrievably gone.
Home was gone.
Okay it may not have been the best of homes, but it had been home nonetheless and now it was gone.
And although some of them had escaped, there were faces missing - so many faces. Like Tsui, who had been at the last ever camp meeting and who he hadn't been able to see anywhere. Although a part of him knew that missing people equated to dead or captured, Liryn couldn't believe that either of those two fates had happened to the Tiger, refused to believe it had happened in fact. After all Tsui was strong.
He glanced around at those gathered, spotting Ida and the senshi by her, spotting a few faces of others who had made it out.
Tsui was strong, Ida was strong, Athene (despite his thoughts to the contrary) was strong - in fact all those who gathered here were strong.
After all they were still standing and in their ways they were still fighting - and so by Liryn's book that made them strong.
"I will help where I'm needed too" he said, his normally cheerful voice serious.
It was a mauvian's duty to protect and it was duty that he planned to carry out right up to the very end.
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 8:02 am
“I can go back in,” Sailor Subamara volunteered from where she sat curled on the floor in the burnt ribbony remains of her uniform, tentatively petting a singed orange cat which lay so still that only its mangled fur distinguished it from the plushies. Her voice sounded loud to her, and hoarse. Once the fires took hold, there’d been nothing to do but try and drag people out of the smoke. She’d just started yelling, listening for any injured who responded, to help them get clear.
“The Negaverse has nothing on me. And my shop’s not compromised - as far as I know. In the suburbs, got an industrial kitchen and supplies there. We could recon and restock. Maybe when our lovely Mirror friends have had time to rest.” She meant it sincerely - she'd seen a little of the hospital evacuation, chaos-auras actively getting people to safety. That was hope right there. She could probably find a car out here somewhere, but the cafe had quite a large mirror in the back room. It was an option.
She lowered her head again, expecting the idea to be shot down as in the previous meeting. She’d been pinning her hopes on the Resistance outside, like a mythical army that would sweep in and save them all. But there was no such thing outside of a storybook. If you wanted something done, you had to do it yourself. Realistically, she was non-combat herself, with no useful magic, and wildly out of practice. At least she hadn’t ended up a liability to anyone else in the battle. Even if all she could do was hang protest banners off the roof of the Coffee Berry, that would still be doing something.
Bohlinia allowed Orah to pull her down beside her, the fight in her momentarily gone with their promises made. There was little Bohlinia could offer her friend and her life seemed like a measly gift but she would give it gladly, knowing she was safe, knowing if she survived there would always be hope.
Right now all she wanted to do was to hold her friend and fall asleep, wake up in a different world maybe, a different time. It was a silly wish but god how she wanted it to be true, especially looking into Orah’s eyes. The pain was etched into her delicate features like she carried the events of what happened squarely on their shoulders, but that was her Princess, Bohlinia couldn’t expect anything less even if she knew none of this was her fault. How could it be? They had been fighting for so long, there was only one person to blame for this, one ultimate being who had led them all down this road.
Metalia.
They would never end, never be free until that witch was killed once and for all, and none of them could do that, no one had ever been able to destroy it completely. So she didn’t have the heart to correct Orah when she spoke of safety. They would never be safe, as long as they lived they would always be running. Well if that was the case let it always be by her side, forever.
“Thank you Orah, you always know how to make me feel better” She whispered smiling at the tired woman, her eyes glancing over those that still arrived as they sat. She didn’t want to move a muscle so she chose not to, keeping her arms around her friend until the ache in her legs eased and the pain of shock subsided. It was taking longer than she wanted.
Watching the others speaking she leaned into Orah, her hold strong as she spoke her thoughts aloud, not speaking to anyone in particular but loud enough that others could hear if they wanted too.
“Heh…We should do what they did to us, we should ambush them, they would never expect it from us, not like we are now…”
Bluefire Dragonz
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 5:22 pm
He'd anticipated this. Hell, he'd been expecting to die. Yet while they had stormed the camp and laid waste to it all, the negaverse had left survivors. It was painful. It was brilliant. They had effectively crushed the order forces and sent a clear message of futility.
How many would understand that message he didn't know, but for some to hold out hope, to hold onto those shreds like they might actually make some difference- He wanted to call them fools. Marlo, Pollux, was a man who fought for everything he wanted and only stopped when he knew that he could never have. Obsession drove him, reality grounded him.
And it was both who saw the woman he loved sitting in silence, knowing that she was as stubborn as he when it came to what they wanted. It was an old action to move towards her and simple place himself by her side. Yet it was a long held affection and deeper feelings that had him reach out to brush away hair from her face.
He wanted to tell her he regret never pursuing her, that he regret never allowing himself to love her as freely as she deserved. Yet those words were held in silence, all the senshi of frost able to do was to be at her side, and offer her his presence.
Hugbell nodded, and smiled to Subamara, "Good, we'll need cats where we can get them. We can't risk having anything compromised that is for now a safe house." She looked towards Charliko to see if the dark mirror princess agreed.
"I think it maybe best if we can keep the cats hidden. Out of sight."
There was a long pause when Bohlinia mentioned they needed to ambush them. "We need to learn what they're planning next, where we can find weaknesses I think. Cutting off heads is only growing more, we need to find the heart and strike there. All of us. If messages can be gotten out to the others that are still on our side. Any of them, now's the time to do it."
The teenager paused and she sighed, "I think we need to find the belly of the beast and try to strike there." Moving over towards where Bohlinia was finding Orah as well smiling and offering them both her hand. "The question is. How do we get there? Unseen, unheard, we don't have abilities like they do and a limited number of cats so we really can't just show up unnoticed and uninvited."
--------
Niflhel was still sitting there snowball in his arms, asleep. The knight looked around at the others that spoke and wondered what was going to happen now. There was only so many left of them, he was still for justice but this world was starting to look as if it wouldn't come.
Twilight Jaws
Bluefire Dragonz
Matisha
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 10:58 pm
Athene looked over an across at Subamara, recognising her as the lost looking super senshi who he had come across as the camp burned and was glad that she had had managed to make it out alive.
There was a splash of ginger fur by her, and with a start Athene realised that he was looking at a cat.
It wasn't something that had been evident, partially because of the fact that cat was lying still by senshi, still enough to be mistaken for one of the plushies - which was a little too still for Athene's liking, It took a closer glance for him to realise that that the fur was in too much disarray and too mangled for it to be a plushie.
"Is he..." He began hesitantly, before amending the partially spoken question to "Will he be okay?"
Because he didn't look okay right now.
His attention was on the coffee senshi, but he overheard a voice behind him (Hugbell) speak about striking at the belly of the beast and offered. "If I knew where to strike then I could use my magic on them," for a moment he glanced over in the direction that the voice came from. "And it would make them sick, not for long but for a little bit." He looked over towards the Dark Mirror Princess, as he continued "However although I know the magic won't affect Order, I can't promise that it will only affect the Negaverse."
Unspoken was the fact that the magic he was talking about might also affect their Dark Mirror allies.
-------------------
"You should take some of us when you decide to make a strike" Liryn piped up from his spot on the floor, before amending it to. "At least take those of us that can and will come. We can help. I will help."
There were so few mauvians left, so few that he could see but there were still a few - the white furred cat asleep, the ginger furred cat.
Although... For a moment sadness flickered in his purplish eyes as he took in the state of the larger cat by the curly-haired senshi's feet and then he padded over in the cat's (and by extension her) direction, adding as he did so "We just need to know where they are."
On reaching the cat he stared at the injured cat solemnly for a moment before gently trying to groom him.
Almost as if she were a puppet on a string, Chariklo spun around to stare wide-eyed at Bohlinia when she commented on them doing some ambushing of their own. The feeling had merit. Oh, did it ever have merit. As did Hugbell's idea of cutting off the head of the snake. The Dark Mirror's eyes slid to Ida and softened as she studied her friend. Before this was over, she would have to corner the other girl and hug the s**t out of her.
But that would have to wait.
"I can't be sure that my civilian identity hasn't been compromised within the city. However, I do know of at least two places within the city where there are safely hidden mirrors we can use. If we're going in there to wipe those ******** out, the mirrors I'm thinking of would allow us something of a two pronged attack."
Even as her mind whirled, she thought of her children. She wanted them safe. Hell, she wanted all the kids they'd saved to stay safe. Maybe it was time to bring up old bargains. She hadn't seen Babylon since the meeting at the hospital and feared the worst in his case. But hopefully the lack of a Transcended Knight wouldn't work against her in this case.
With eyes still on Ida, Chariklo spoke and tried to keep her shred of hope from taking over.
"Not sure how many of you knew that Babylon and I had brokered a deal with the blessings of Hvergelmir," she couldn't help choking on her friend's name as fresh tears began to leak from her eyes. Still, she managed to continue without completely breaking down. "He offered us Dark Mirrors a place on Mercury in exchange for us helping and well, not tossing any senshi through the Mirror unless it was the only way to save a life. Now, I'm not asking this for my Court. I'm asking this for all those kids we've got here and for the badly injured and the old. How many Transcendeds do we have left? That means a deeper connection with your planet or wonder, yeah? Can you take those people to space?"
Oh, she needed to go hug her babies right now, but she couldn't. Not yet. She hoped that Ida would understand the deeper meaning behind the questions she had asked.
You know what they mean to me, she thought at the other woman. They're all I have left of Ava. I will give them up if doing so means they'd be safe forever. She'd have an easier time going to to die if she could be assured that the twins could grow up somewhere safe and be happy.
LP
litian
Bluefire Dragonz
Matisha
Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 7:10 am
Subamara’s hand stilled for a moment, feeling for the warmth through the dirty fur, the faint rise and fall. “He’s still breathing,” she said, frowning down at the cat. Kitty needed a vet, but seemed more battered than critical.
She didn’t have much else to add to the planning, but listened along carefully. It all sounded good to her, if they could only find the right target to hit.
*
Tomlin’s ear twitched. He was vaguely aware that they were talking about Mauvians again, how needed they were, and how few. He didn’t want to hear it. He didn’t want to open his eyes and see just how bad it was, and how many allies they’d lost this time. Exhaustion and despair weighed him down.
Knocks and nicks sustained and ignored in human form had condensed into an intricate web of damage on his smaller feline body. Front paws bore most of the injury, deep gashes somewhat mitigated by the bronze bracers, now dented and cracked, pinching. His actions hadn’t been the smart option, he knew. The pain was largely self-inflicted, the logical result of deciding to play in Nega-traffic.
He finally gave up and opened his eyes when he smelled the other Mauvian draw close, surprised at the kind attention. He wasn't used to being petted or groomed, but he was grateful for it now.
“Stop fussing,” he complained mildly, but didn’t move away from the grey cat’s gentle touch. It was more comforting than he wanted to admit. “It’s fine. I’ll help too. I’ll always help.”
There was a lot of talk that Ida simply didn't want to hear right now, but she could not put it off for long. People were still looking to her, still depended on her even small ways... she could only indulge her grief for so long, and it seemed that time was up. When Bohlinia spoke, Orah lifted her head and set up straighter, rubbing the heels of her hands against her face to clear the tears from her cheeks. No more crying, not now.
Feeling eyes on her, Orah's rose and she flinched to see Chariklo looking at her the way she was... the worry and the pity so clear in her face. Orah smoothed her own into lines of serenity and strength, even if she felt neither.
"If you go into the city to ambush them, it won't matter if your identities are compromised or not... you're going there to die." She said, lifting her voice up so everyone could hear her. "There are too many of them and too few of us, now. Any strike against them like this is guaranteed to end with those attacking being overwhelmed and taken out. I do agree, though... one last strike and maybe we can do... something. Buy the rest time to regroup, escape, something. Just be aware that when we go... we're not coming back."
It was Chari's sunset eyes she met as she said it, searching her face to make sure the other woman understood what she was doing if she joined them in this. The twins had lost one mother already... was she willing to leave them orphans? Leave them to grow up never knowing their mothers? To whatever mercy and care Order could spare for them? Mention of Hvergelmir made Orah flinch, but she kept her head up, her breathing even with an effort.
The deal between the three of them... it was a tragic sort of thing, now. As beaten as they were, could they even effect a retreat to space? The Dark Mirror had joined them on a promise they might not even be able to fill, and they had doomed them to share their fate. Orah spread her hands helplessly, filled with regret.
"Travel to space is hard, Chari. I've avoided it to the point of Transcendent Sickness because of that... Once, I could have taken a crowd of people with me to Ida, but now? I'm maybe lucky to manage a pair and when I return, I'm exhausted... I could move everyone to Ida, but it would be a slow, painful process. I don't think we have the time for that, now. And even if we did... Ida isn't ready. It's made progress from when I first awakened, but... there is little to eat there. Without supplies from Earth, I don't know that we'd be able to sustain a community there. Maybe Babylon is different, maybe other planets are different, I don't know. Without something to make the travel easier, I don't think we can manage it."
When Hugbell joined them, Orah offered her a small smile of greeting, taking her hand to squeeze it gently before she released it again. She appreciated the support, but right now, she needed to be strong again.
(( quoting everyone, la la la... also sorry for quotes, had to edit ))
Twilight Jaws
Matisha
LP
iStoleYurVamps
LokisRose
litian
the_scowling_cat
Infinities
Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 8:12 pm
Pollux could hear the talk, and his heart wept. It wept because the was no escape, nothing lasting. Everyone knew it, yet few would voice it.
And those that did, often had made the choice already.
"Castor is livable, though it depends on how well one can weather harsh winters and till soil. Right now he-" He has only my children and others, he has no one who could work and survive what his world demands. "-I will not lie. If you go and are not ready to fight to survive, to work for your food, the cold will kill you. As is, we didn't expect survival. We expected what stores we have would last long enough to prepare for stagnation."
He didn't want to call his brother back. The royal might turn them away on premise that they hadn't even listened to him. "The plan was to go, and he would work at his crystal to force his world into slumber, to awaken when ready. Sealing his world away, to make is seem dead to any who'd approach. He can travel at will, but unless enough people able to work go, they will be forced to slumber when that point is reached. Plus given his feelings on the matter, I am unsure he'd feel completely welcome to aiding those who didn't in his opinion, listen to him." The senshi of frost shrugged.
"He wants the senshi worlds to be alive again, so I doubt he'd outright refuse, not even dark moon, but he won't pander to weakness. You'd be accepting that you'd be living under his rule and law."
Sabina had gotten distracted by a young child looking for her parents. So she bent down and did her best to help the child out. In the end, they managed to find her parents, thankfully. She didn't want to think about what would have happened if they had turned out to be dead. There was so much negative now that any positive was a good thing.
She did jump back into the conversation being had for a brief moment. "I don't think my identity has been compromised. No one even seemed to notice me because I'm just a page and many were going for the big dogs of our group." She looked pointedly at the royals among them and the eternals. "My bookstore is not too far from that coffee shop of yours," she looked to Subamara. "I also have supplies stocked there. First aid kits and food. My place has passed all inspections and is safe. Also, I don't know if she is here but I know someone who travels through the city via sewers. With that victory, they may not be on guard. They probably think we're on the run, too weak to launch an attack. I will follow whichever plan sounds best to me. It would be nice to see our royals lead us." Speaking of which, she had yet to spot Camelot. Sabina sent a silent prayer that he was alright. That was her mentor, the man who helped her into the role she played now.
