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 Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2021 4:13 pm
"The teleportation isn't worth it," she said flatly. Nembus might have been joking, but Cybele had strong feelings on the subject. "The Negaverse doesn't talk about purification much, but it's very common. It seems every other person I meet these days has spent time in their ranks, and we never end up talking much about what we lost, when we left." Of course, most of the people she'd talked to had been recruited directly into the Negaverse instead of being force-corrupted when they were already Eternal Senshi. They hadn't lost quite as much strength as she had, when all the starseed trauma had lost her the wings. Nembus was facing the potential of that, as well, and Cybele did not want to brush that price aside like it was nothing. She just wanted to make sure that Nembus knew that what she was doing was worth it. "We talk about how we've found such kind friends in Order, or about how much of a relief it is not to have the constant pressure of Chaos in the back of your skull. We talk about being marked traitors, yes, but we also try to find ways to protect each other." Albireo getting a bit protective of her came to mind. She was sure they would all do the same for Nembus, soon.
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Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2021 2:35 pm
Nembus rubbed her neck shyly at Cybele's flat response to the joke. "Fair enough. Wasn't worth it to Sedna, either." Even if it had been missed. The concept that purification was so common, though, took her by surprise. It definitely did not seem that way when in the Negaverse, especially considering recent events. Many of the people she knew in the Negaverse who had joined recently in some way chose to be there, with one--Alkmene--purposefully choosing to move from the side of Order to the side of Chaos. Ways to protect each other sounded nice, too. A group sounded nice, too. "That is comforting." Nembus worried over her lip for a moment, wrung her hands, and then offered, quieter, "Sedna. Her name, over here, was Sailor Stillwaterite. And when she purified she had friends who had known her before, so that was her support network. Said I'd have her if I purified because I don't think there is a single person over in the White Moon -- Order who knew me when I was Order." She was becoming increasingly convinced that everyone who had known her was dead. There had to be a reason why she was being used as an example, right? "But then I lost touch with her and then it felt like I had," she sighed, " no one again. There's Phaethon -- met him later on, or re-met him, anyway," after he no longer appeared as a peacock to her due to the magic of the bottles, "but it's nice to hear we have something like a ... purified network over there." Nembus wrung her hands again, even if her smile grew a bit stronger. "And glad you're my in for that."
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 8:57 am
This person, this Sedna, seemed as if she was very important to Nembus. If she hadn't offered her encouragement and a way out, before, it was unlikely that Cybele would even be having this conversation right now. She wanted to say that Senda would be waiting for her on the other side, as well. It was just that Cybele had no idea if that was actually true. The name did not ring any bells for her. Of course, that didn't mean much, with her memories how they were, and she was sure that even before she'd forgotten things, she hadn't known every single active senshi by name. She had no idea who this Phaethon was, either, but they were apparently going to be meeting up with him, soon. All Cybele could honestly say was, "She might be around." She pressed her lips together and wished that she was better at this being supportive thing. "I didn't know many people when I purified, either," she said. "Really just the two. They had known me before, which might have helped them reach out a bit faster, but," she shrugged, and her gaze flicked to the ground for a moment, "Others who recognized me attacked me for being a 'cretin wearing Cybele's face,' so, it gets complicated." She'd killed one of them. She'd crushed her starseed in front of Ganymede. Like all of her Negaverse memories, it felt distant and not quite real, but it was still strange to think about. "I'd say it's much easier to meet people once you're Order again, and of course I can help with introductions."
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Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 8:18 pm
Was there the smallest part of her that had hoped Cybele was familiar with Sedna, and that this whole purified network" included here, somewhere? Sure. Was she expecting it? No. "I hope so," she murmured, letting her gaze dart away from Cybele as she pondered the worst possibilities. "Better in hiding and not heard from than something like the Negaverse--," getting her back, taking her head, taking her life, whatever evil thing they would concoct to take her from the life she had already fought back for. And Nembus accepted that fate for herself, almost accepted it, but she hoped that wasn't one her friends suffered. It was all she asked. "A cretin?" Who would have called her a cretin of all things? "I don't think you're a cretin." She swallowed hard as she walked alongside Cybele. "Glad it gets easier because this has been difficult. I feel like it's probably harder without the connections but -- best not to think about it. Thank you. I hope they like me, or whatever of me comes out on the other side."
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2022 6:21 pm
Cybele's smile was thin. "Oh, you didn't know me when I was corrupted," she said. She exhaled slowly, voice lowering. "I have a lot of blood on my hands." The starseed she'd crushed in front of Ganymede hadn't been the first she'd taken. Even purification hadn't stopped her completely from leaving corpses in her wake, but it had been worse before. Her eyes went a bit distant, thinking about it now. "I was the Negaverse's hunting dog. People were justified in whatever they called me, but-" She inhaled and made herself smile wider, doing her best to bring herself back to the present moment. "It does get better. Nobody here sees me as an acquisition. Nobody here holds my past against me. It's normal to be nervous. I know I was, and I made my choice fairly quickly." She went quiet for a moment before adding, "If nothing else, you have me."
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Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2022 8:45 pm
"Makes sense." And yet, Nembus didn't seem to mind the reference to blood on Cybele's hands. Perhaps it was the still existent influence of Chaos she could still feel on the edges of her senses, telling her that murder in the name of Metallia was acceptable and perhaps even encouraged. Perhaps it was just because she knew the realities of forced corruption and the realities of the Negaverse on top of that. Cybele didn't remember anything when she had awoke after being forced over to the side of the Negaverse. Turning her into their hunting dog tracked with their modus operandi. "They try to take us for their purposes, and if you remembered nothing..." But, no point in it now. No one on the other side held her past against her, so no one would hold Nembus' past against her, either. She knew who might. If she ever saw her team again, they might. If she ever saw Marcasite again, she especially would. She was the whole reason why Nembus was where she was-- She wrung her hands. No point in thinking too hard about the fact that she might be generating more enemies for herself. She knew what she had to do. "Thank you." Nembus smiled, as weak as it was. "And I know it doesn't mean much, but I'll try to be there too."
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2022 7:24 pm
Cybele didn't hide the things she'd done, back when she'd been in the Negaverse, but she found it a bit more comfortable to talk about it when around other people who had experienced the influence of Chaos. They always understood. The look in Nembus's eyes tugged at her chest, though. It was a reminder that she was not free from that influence yet, a reminder that would have had Cybele walking faster to the mall and the potential of purification. She tried, for a step or two, but that made her wound burn, more than it had been, and with a wince she slowed again. She kept walking, and did not talk more about the past. Not yet. "It does mean something," was all she said back to Nembus, trying not to show the way her teeth grit, and then she went quiet for a while.
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Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2022 8:39 pm
Nembus saw the wince on Cybele's face and couldn't help her own sympathetic wince; didn't know exactly who of theirs had caused that injury, but knew it had to be one of theirs and was thankful that they had likely missed what they were actually planning to do. With Cybele so clearly on their to kill list, Nembus was almost certain that whoever had stabbed at her had intended to do more damage. In part to slow herself down in response, in part to keep attention off them as her civilian aura was considerably less severe -- did civilians even have auras? she didn't think so, so far as she could tell -- Nembus let go of the guise of Nembus and fell back into the even more pretend guise of Delilah Samson. That would be where she would remain as they walked. It took a few moments of silence before Delilah volunteered, "Thank you." With a pause, quieter, she murmured, "Means a lot that means something. And means a lot you'd stick by me." Even like this. "We'll get there soon. Hopefully Phae isn't late."
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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