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 Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 5:00 am
Arian found himself thinking once again about the youma that had once been a senshi. Someone who had been a person, who had had a home... A family. "Yes" he said simply, his quiet voice solemn as not for the first time he wished that they had been just a little faster. If only wasn't going to bring the once senshi back though... If only couldn't turn back the clock... "Yes" he repeated, adding. "This can't be allowed to happen again." It was bad enough that it had happened once - for it to happen twice... He shook his head in a quick movement, in a physical negation of the thought, his eyes beneath his glasses as solemn as his voice as he looked at Paris "We need to work together more" he said. And by working together more he meant those of Order as a whole - because if they were to stop something like what the Negaverse had done at the Fun House from happening again then it would take more than him and more than Paris and more even than their respective teams.
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2015 7:00 am
Paris could not disagree. She nodded her head. They were at their strongest, at their best when they worked together. But those moments were scarce and brief. Without the presence of danger, the Senshi and Knights were scattered, severed into their own groups instead of united. For a long time this hadn't bothered her at all. It still didn't to some degree. But she couldn't deny it now, that they'd all be better off with a little more cohesion.
“We work better together under pressure than we do without it,” she observed.
They could come together when it mattered. They did frequently. When the Negaverse attacked, she saw how quickly her allies sprang into action. When the Negaverse held captives, her allies were out there doing what they could to find them. And when it came time for the final battle, they were ready to face it together.
If only they could show more of that cohesion in times of peace. Paris didn't fool herself into thinking it would be easy. There were too many people with too many differing opinions for it to work just because they wanted it to. Even she could admit part of the blame for their fractured state lied in her and people like her, too stubborn, too cautious to be so trusting.
“I don't know what to do,” she admitted. “The Negaverse is coordinated because they have leaders and people who are willing to follow them, but we're not like them. We'll never be like them. Who's supposed to lead us, and how are we supposed to get people to believe in those who do?”
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 12:35 pm
It was Arian's turn to nod - a solemn, but small and quiet movement of his head - because Paris was right - the times when those of Order worked together were generally few and far between and, if he was being honest with himself, they tended to coincide with times of crisis - like the Fun House. He continued to listen to Paris speak in silence, the chatter of other patrons acting as murmured background noise as he stared down at the table for a few long moments, but when he looked back up at Paris there was determination mixed in with the solemness in his eyes. "I don't know" he admitted. "But I think things like the Watch are a good start - something that those of us are involved in can work at making work and something we can build on." He sighed "I can't answer your question about leadership" after all it wasn't as if personally he was any sort of leader himself. "All we can do is work at things to the best of our abilities - that's what I try to do at any rate." Arian knew he wasn't the greatest of senshi. He wasn't a great speaker or the strongest fighter and his senshi and super magic still seemed to have a mind of its own, but it didn't stop him from trying to do his best. Another pause, somewhat hesitant and then he admitted "I tell myself if I work at things hard enough, then perhaps things will fall into place."
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Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2015 3:55 am
Paris nodded again. It was somewhat disheartening not to receive an answer, but it wasn't as if she'd expected Arian to have one for her anyway. She didn't think there was an answer; it would be unfair of her to think that Arian should provide her with one.
It was frustrating, but that was how things had been for so long. At this point, she was almost used to it.
“You're right,” she said. “The Watch is a good start.”
But what else? What else could they do? They were at a severe disadvantage and she knew it. There was no hope of defeating the Negaverse as they were. She wondered if they would even be able to if they were more organized. The Negaverse had experience on their side; they corrupted and trained their soldiers for success; they had weapons that often seemed more useful than limited magic, weapons that could kill a person in one hit.
“Sometimes I think it's all hopeless,” she admitted. She looked down at her food, stirring her spoon through what remained of her tomato soup. “We're no closer to defeating the Negaverse now than we were four years ago when I awakened. Nothing's changed. We've all gotten stronger in the meantime, but what good has that been?”
It was another question she expected would receive no real answer. Again, she didn't think there was one.
“Sorry,” she quickly apologized. “I don't mean to be so negative.”
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Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2015 11:20 pm
Four years - he had awakened four years ago too. Well okay it wasn't quite four years given that it was February and not summer. Still sometimes it was hard to believe that almost four years had passed since his 16 year old self had gone to Summer camp and had that fateful meeting with ********* - almost four years since he had found out that talking cats and magic were real - that monsters were a thing. Not that he had taken the notion that he was apparently some sort of 'defender of justice' particularly well back then. Cupping his hand around the mug that had had his hot chocolate - the contents gone and the ceramic long cooled - as he stared down at the table again. Paris was right - in the four years that had passed there hadn't been any major significant victories against the Negaverse - at least none that he could think on. But was it really fair to say that nothing had changed? He looked up as she apologised "It's okay" he said quietly and hesitated for a moment before admitting "I've had my doubts too" because he had had his doubts - still did have doubts. "But I can't believe that's nothing's changed" he thought of Liam, Vespa, who was staying in the spare room of the apartment and thought on the Watch, on the different attempts by others to share information and offer training... And he thought on the fact that both Orah and Paris now glowed when powered up - because he was pretty sure that glowing senshi had not been a thing when he had first powered up. At least he couldn't remember it being a thing - then again he was the first to admit that he hadn't been the most active of senshi when he had first started. Nor had he been particularly effective. "I'm not saying that the changes have been huge" he admitted. "But there's been changes and whilst I don't have any answers I think we have to try to keep pushing on." He sighed quietly, his quiet voice turning rueful as he admitted "I'm sorry it's not coming out right - I'm not really good at this" he wasn't like Thraen or Remarque who were good with words, or Tsui with her 'in your face enthusiasm'. Although that didn't stop him from trying to do what he could.
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Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2015 7:03 am
Paris shook her head at Arian's rueful tone.
“It's fine,” she said. “You're fine. I'm the one being negative and dragging things down. You're right, there have been changes.”
Small ones, but changes nonetheless. People had been saved from the hold of Chaos in the four years since she'd been awakened. That there was a way to save people at all was encouraging. It meant all wasn't hopeless when it came to Ladon and Billy. Things weren't as hopeless as they appeared for Cyllene either. It was simply a matter of helping them see the light.
Perhaps the most important changes over the previous four years were the ones that had occurred in her. Paris wasn't the scared sixteen year old she used to be. She knew fear still, but she could overlook it. She'd gained a confidence in herself that she hadn't had when she'd first awakened. She'd made mistakes initially, had run away when things seemed too hard, but since then she'd taken steps in the right direction.
“I guess I'm just impatient,” she explained. “I want things too badly. One of my many flaws. And now I just... wish everything was over.”
Was it so bad to want to live a peaceful life?
“But that's why we're here,” she decided. “To see things through to the end.”
With a sigh, Paris drained what remained of her drink. “I should get going,” she said. “Thanks for meeting me. I really needed the company.”
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Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 11:22 am
"You're welcome," Arian said. "I.. I wouldn't mind doing it again some time." A thought occurred to him and translated into him spending a moment rummaging in his bag until he found what he was looking for, the something turning out to be a note pad as he said "Before you go I should give you this." He flicked past a few sheets of half-scribbled designs for potential jewellery pieces as he spoke before finding a clean page and jotting down an address and phone number. He folded the paper in half when he was done and held it out in offering as he continued by way of explanation "This is the address of the apartment that Orah and I share" he said by way of explanation. "And the apartment phone number, although I can message it to you as well if you want?" He made it a question, adding "As I said earlier - feel free to drop by whenever." He knew that Orah wouldn't mind and that there was the chance that she may have already given Paris their address already, but given that he had made the offer it kind of made sense for him to actually give Paris said address - at least to him it did.
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Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2015 6:55 am
“I'd like that, too,” Paris said.
It did her a lot of good to have company that wasn't Chris. Oh, it wasn't that she didn't love being around Chris. Naturally, she did. It was just that she sometimes needed a change of scenery. Besides, it never hurt to have someone different to talk to from time to time. She'd become such a homebody, and now especially after New Years, but she missed spending time with friends.
Paris stood from her chair and waited patiently as Arian rummaged around in his bag. She smiled when he presented her with his and Orah's address and phone number. Paris took the piece of paper and, in return, dug around in her purse from something similar. She found an old receipt and a pen, with which she jotted down her address and a phone number.
“This is mine and Chris's address,” she explained, handing the old receipt to Arian. “And our home phone number. Feel free to call that or my cell phone whenever you want. I love getting texts,” she added.
“Thank you again,” she said, adjusting her purse on her shoulder as she made to leave. “I'll see you around. Hopefully soon!”
Despite some of the dreary points of their conversation, Paris left with a renewed spring in her step.
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