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 Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2020 9:58 am
✻ REFLECTIONS ✻_________________________________________________________________________ While trying to make it home after a day of working rotations at the hospital, Basyl encounters two strangers trying to... punch each other in the face? It's not anything he wants to be a part of, but it feels like he should do something about it.
Reflections Status ▼ Ongoing Awakening Word Count ▼ 401
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2020 8:10 am
✻ ALL OF THE QUESTIONS ✻_________________________________________________________________________ Following the event where Kibirev threw him through a mirror, Kelly takes Basyl out for a quick bite and tries to answer any questions he has about his new life and identity. Basyl is not so sure he understands very well.
All of the Questions Status ▼ Complete PRP Word Count ▼ 3251
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2020 8:14 am
✻ DON'T BE SUSPICIOUS ✻_________________________________________________________________________ Narcissus makes his best first attempt at mirror travel and manages to make it to the presently-closed coffee shop where he works. He steps out, locks up, and is confronted by another senshi: Arnica.
Don't Be Suspicious Status ▼ Complete PRP Word Count ▼ 4551
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2020 1:34 pm
✻ NIGHT AND DAY ✻
_________________________________________________________________________ Students practicing medicine didn't often respect the normal boundaries of time. For most people, day was for work, for play, for doing any activity that needed doing. Night was for rest. But for Basyl and those in his field, any one single moment that wasn't occupied by work or study needed to be jealously coveted in hopes of catching a wink of peaceful sleep. As it turned out, night wasn't typically the time for that. 'Night' was absent the need to be in class or in the hospital or scrounging up dollars for rent. It was the only time available to do the piles of out-of-class homework and research that came with his chosen field. Basyl usually kept pretty late nights.
He didn't mind that. He was used to it. The strain it put on his body and mind was part of proving that he was dedicated to providing whatever he was capable of giving back to the world. He was intelligent, determined, and willing to put in that effort. Basyl wasn't afraid of stress or sleepless nights.
It had become worse in the month since he'd been corrupted into the Dark Mirror Court, though. A month of spending nights trying to figure out who he was, what being a senshi meant to everything of himself he'd given so far, what more he could do in the face of the turbulence that plagued his city... Because he had been blessed with this alter-past, and for that there was obviously more he could do when it came to fending off the atrocities of Destiny City.
He just wished he understood more. The drive to understand Narcissus and the chaos in Destiny City had diminished the time he dedicated to the goal that had pushed him forward for his entire life. Basyl's thoughts wandered in class. His sleep-deprived mind faltered on simple topics.
He was falling behind.
It was two in the morning when his phone blasted the tell-tale chorus of 'Drops of Jupiter' to signal that someone was calling him. Basyl's eyes popped open in a second, startled out of a half-sleep by the sharp sound. He fumbled for his phone and clicked it to answer with a bleary, "Hullo?"
"Did you finish the neurology case study? I tried to pick out any symptoms that seemed especially odd, but honestly, it still seems like it could be almost any run-of-the mill effect of a stroke..." No preamble, no introduction. His classmate, Embry got right to the point. Her voice was clear and quick. She certainly sounded awake at the very least. Hinging on manic, at the worst.
Basyl couldn't keep up. He blinked slowly. "...What?"
"Did you do the case study due today?" She demanded more tartly. "I only have a couple hours to figure this out and write up my report, so I could kind of use your help, Basyl! Hey, wait. Are you sleeping?"
"It's due today?" Basyl asked, ignoring her question in favor of bolting upright as his heart lodged in his throat. "No, no, not until next F-friday, I thought?"
"No, the trauma care research proposal is due next Friday. The neurology case study is due during rotations today. You have done it, right? Or at least started? If you haven't even started, there's no way you'll finish-"
Basyl threw his legs over the edge of the bed and scrambled to stand. His foot caught a discarded notebook as he pushed off, and he promptly skidded to all fours before scurrying to right himself. Coffee. He one hundred percent needed coffee if he had to get going at this hour. "I've started, of course I've started it, I just- I just forgot it was due so soon." A strangled whine slipped out of him as he bustled down the hallway. "You're stuck on the write-up for the diagnosis? So you haven't even l-looked at treatment, yet..."
Embry scoffed. He could practically hear the roll of her eyes. "How far have you gotten? Why haven't you finished? I can usually count on you to have done more than me. And here you are sleeping? Forgetting about our assignments? What's up with that, Basyl? What has you so distracted, lately?"
It was impossible to go through these types of classes on his own. Basyl had known that. He'd known that in preparation for relying on the specialties of others he should try to be personable with his classmates. They could only benefit from working together. And so he had made it a point to be there for Embry, and she had done him the same courtesy. He thought it'd be weird to call her a friend, since they didn't do much together outside of school, but she was a dependable colleague with a drive not unlike his own, and he should have expected her to notice when things were off.
But Kelly's cheerful comment about being pleased that he was part of her 'family' rang in his mind: 'but we’re a family. And... I’m really happy that you’re a part of our family too!' Basyl swallowed stiffly as he filled water into his Keurig machine. "Just... f-family stuff..." He replied awkwardly.
It wasn't like he could say anything to Embry, or like she'd understand if he did.
"It's so bad that it's making you forget homework?"
"No, no! It's not bad," he tried to explain, popping his mug into the coffee machine in time for it to spew out a stream of hot, sweet-smelling liquid into the cup. "It just caught me by surprise, is all. I'll be able to keep up." And because he needed to make sure he understood what he was saying, he said it again, softer: "I'll be able to keep up."
This goal, achieving this, was still what mattered most. He'd put too much time into it to falter now, and it was still the most he could be in this lifetime, even if a past- spirit? Soul? He wasn't sure. Even if a past self thought otherwise.
"Do you want to work on finishing this case study together, or are you going to look at it alone, first?"
"T-together, if you don't mind. I really have started. I just thought I had more time..." But it was two o'clock in the morning, and they only had about five hours left to work on it. It was just one paper. It couldn't possibly take longer than that.
Night and Day Status ▼ Complete Solo Word Count ▼ 1073
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 5:45 am
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 5:51 am
✻ BIT OF A GREY AREA ✻_________________________________________________________________________ During a routine draining session, a White Moon senshi girl pops out of nowhere and clocks Narcissus right in the face. He squawks and yips and is confused by this blatant assault, but at least the girl seems just as confused as him, on a second look.
Bit of a Grey Area Status ▼ Ongoing Battle Word Count ▼ ???
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 6:02 am
✻ AN APPLE A DAY ✻_________________________________________________________________________ Trouble finds Narcissus even when he's doing absolutely nothing but minding his own business. Narci stumbles upon an injured (and grouchy) agent who he decides to offer assistance to... But it's not well-received.
An Apple a Day Status ▼ Complete PRP Word Count ▼ 3203
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 6:12 am
✻ SCENE FROM A BAD MOVIE ✻_________________________________________________________________________ Narcissus has had minimal encounters with youma so far... All he knows is that they're a hazard wherever they show up. When one starts terrorizing the area around his house, he has to do something to help... And is that the agent with the dislocated shoulder?
Scene From a Bad Movie Status ▼ Complete Battle Word Count ▼ 2759
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 6:19 am
✻ THE STARWAY ✻_________________________________________________________________________ In a rare moment of sleep, Basyl has the most absurd dream about an ethereal figure, a deep chasm, and an impossibly glittery staircase. But he wakes to find a strange vial by his bedside. Was it all a dream?
The Starway Status ▼ Complete Solo Word Count ▼ 844
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 6:30 am
✻ FLOOR TREASURE ✻_________________________________________________________________________ Even Basyl knows he has limits with what he can do to help the city. He doesn't pretend to be an environmentalist on top of everything else, so he doesn't usually bother with cleaning the trash the litters the walk between his apartment and the bus stop... But when he kicks a pretty stone trinket that seems like a leftover from all the events going on, he can't help but pick it up.
Floor Treasure Status ▼ Complete Solo Word Count ▼ 619
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 6:37 am
✻ LET'S MAKE A DEAL ✻_________________________________________________________________________ The strange stone trinket he found on the ground turns out to be valuable to someone. Narcissus stumbles upon a strange merchant stall with an even stranger merchant tending it, and he is offered the chance to pick an otherworldly item from the merchant's table... in exchange for something else.
Let's Make a Deal Status ▼ Ongoing PRP Word Count ▼ ???
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 6:43 am
✻ GOOD THINGS, BAD THINGS ✻_________________________________________________________________________ Basyl attends a city event as a volunteer, and though he tries to stay focus on the task at hand, there is an auction for stuff happening all around him. Basyl loves stuff, and an odd blue vase seizes his attention for most of the night and gives him unwarranted feelings of ownership that never manage to amount to anything.
Good Things, Bad Things Status ▼ Complete Solo Word Count ▼ 716
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 1:56 pm
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 1:59 pm
✻ ASSESSMENT ✻
_________________________________________________________________________ There were very seldom opportunities to sit and learn and assess as Narcissus. If Basyl powered up in Destiny City, his aura was a beacon. Some members of the White Moon were active in seeking out chaos auras to dispatch, regardless of faction or intention. Even a handful of Negaverse agents took a particular brand of offense toward the Dark Mirror Court and attacked when they crossed paths. Some people were born to fight; they wanted one, and looked for reasons to partake in one. Narcissus didn't want to be one of those 'reasons' that popped up on anyone's radar. If he didn't have a goal in mind, he didn't often power up.
The pursuit of an intended goal often left little time to simply observe and learn as phenomenon occurred around him. During his first months, he had focused on practicing mirrorwalking and sensing the auras of powered people nearby and deciphering what each sensation meant in terms of what he'd meet. He'd summoned his wraith to gather energy, as instructed by the higher members of his court. He'd dabbled in the use of his magic, but...
Nothing had come of that, yet. He'd still never successfully cast a spell before, even when he'd desperately needed to.
Narcissus tried not to concern himself over that. Perhaps he simply didn't need it in order to be successful at being who he wanted to be.
What he needed more information on was the draining. It was necessary, he'd been assured. In order to make a safe, inhabitable world for them, they needed to harvest energy from civilians. Mirrorscape could provide for them once Earth fell, but only if they helped to rebuild it now. Earth was barely safe for them at present, with the White Moon and Negaverse assaulting them at every opportunity, so shouldn't they have a place that served as their haven? The Dark Mirror Senshi weren't like the Negaverse. No one died when the Court took energy. They didn't deserve the animosity they got.
They just wanted to feel safe.
They just wanted to feel safe...
Narcissus had been hesitant. But he'd always believed if he could do something to help someone, it was his duty to do so. He was a Dark Mirror Senshi: one of a limited few. It was expected of him to serve Mirrorscape and protect those that sought safe haven within it. His Court needed him. And if he was careful and diligent, no one had to lose anything they would miss. Energy taken from civilians would be replenished after a night of rest.
He'd pondered over that for a long time. Basyl had thought of how he sometimes had particularly early shifts that made him leave his home in what was essentially the middle of the night. He'd hate to be drained at three AM and have to suffer through a full day feeling tired and sapped of energy. He was a doctor, he should be functioning at his peak.
How many people had stories like that? How many people couldn't afford to have their energy drained, even if only for a day?
Narcissus had fretted every time he tended to his mission of draining. He had seen wraiths that drained until people collapsed. He'd seen when senshi targeted specifically people who were among the lower crust of society: the homeless, the alcoholics, the druggies, and he'd nearly screamed. Those were people who needed help the most. If the draining didn't kill them, how close would they come in the aftermath?
Narcissus couldn't risk a life, even for the betterment of his Court.
But he'd never felt the extent of what a draining could do. He'd witnessed it, but he'd never felt it. Before he continued any farther along this path, he had to know. He just didn't want to have his aura pinging everyone nearby, while he was in a weakened state. Narcissus was already a piss-poor fighter; he didn't need to be struggling to escape while drained.
He'd powered up in the city and used a mirror to escape to the outskirts. It would be a long trip back if he didn't have the energy to do another mirrorwalk, but the knowledge was worth the risk. He couldn't keep dreading what he may be leaving behind when he drained.
Narcissus walked as far out as he could, keeping his senses open for others nearby, but feeling nothing. He wanted to be away from everyone, from everything. His own safety wasn't meaningless.
When nothing but trees surrounded him, he pulled out his mirrorshard and summoned his wraith. It darted between the shadows, but there was nothing to drain from out here, and it moved as if searching. He'd been told they targeted non-chaos signatures: the White Moon if they were close, but civilians more frequently. They could follow simple commands but had no will of their own. Narcissus had a target in mind.
He powered down, and sensing a non-chaos aura, the wraith honed in. Basyl saw it only as a fragment of a shadow. It was faster than he'd perceived it while powered, and he barely caught glimpses of it as it whisked nearer.
But after the first pass of its translucent body through him, he felt it. It was like a chill that swept up from his stomach and then dropped back down as heavy as a rock. It made blackness cloud his vision as if he was looking at a swarm of birds. His legs turned to jelly, incapable of supporting him. Basyl collapsed to the ground, clutching the mirrorshard until it bit holes into his palm.
People shouldn't be left to feel like this.
He didn't know how long he sat reeling in darkness before he felt coherent enough to remember to power back up. The sensation brought with it something like normalcy as the surge of Mirrorscape's magic flooded back into him. The wraith was visible now, not quite just a shadow, but more like millions of glistening particles, skirting around him as if eager and waiting for more.
He didn't know what he'd feel like when he powered back down. Would it return him to s state of debilitation? Or did powering up replenish him enough to function even as a civilian?
"Wait this time. Wait," Narcissus commanded the wraith, who expressed no hint of understanding.
But when he powered back down it didn't move. Basyl felt- Still exhausted, admittedly, but more functional than he had when he'd powered up. His body must be able to siphon something from his powered guise to use even when powered down. Basyl still felt dizzy, but he had to know what even just the lowest limit felt like to lose. What was the least he could take from someone, and would even that be too much?
"Just a little, okay?" He told the wraith. He wasn't sure if it would recognize Basyl enough to even obey, but it was worth it to see. "Just the smallest graze." It didn't move. With a roll of his eyes, he powered up and gave the command again before letting the magic slip away to reveal his civilian side for the last time.
He could still see the wraith this time, bloated with everything it had taken from him already, and it whisked to the side of him, making Basyl's heart stutter in anxiety and shiver as if a cool wind had blown. It didn't feel like nothing, but it certainly wasn't the same as being sapped of the energy he needed to even breathe properly. It was a bit disorienting, but he could stay on his feet. He could still see. He could still move. If he was a doctor going into work-
Well, hopefully the brunt of what he felt now was the residual weakness from the first time the wraith had drained him. He would have to try more tests after he rested. For now, this was probably all he could afford to learn for the night. He'd need to power back up and head home. Narcissus, at least, should still have the energy to mirrorwalk.
Assessment Status ▼ Complete Solo Word Count ▼ 1357
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Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2020 7:50 am
✻ ALL THINGS IN MODERATION ✻_________________________________________________________________________ Narcissus does his best to take care of the victims he drains. He's not trying to leave anyone vulnerable. No matter his motivations, the White Moon often regard him with disdain and occasionally, outright aggression. Often, but not always.
All Things in Moderation Status ▼ Ongoing PRP Word Count ▼ ???
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