"Saw a youma die when I lived here. They don't go out the way people do. They just… Get slower and slower. Then they stop moving. Then their body fades away." His tone grew somber for it.
"Could imagine the same happening to her. The way energy leaked out of her —" It was startling. But her similarity to youma spawned a fondness for her that wasn't shared. Something dead like that — Faustite suspected there was no use in trying to be friendly or draw alliances. Whatever he wanted to learn about her would go unlearned unless some other senshi followed her footsteps into that tower and did whatever it was that she intended for it. "Doesn't matter. And no, didn't see a sword or shield." He supposed it wasn't as much of a shift as Albite was anticipating.
Faustite paused at the tower's unassuming door and stared skyward. It cut an imposing figure, even in the Rift — enormous and undamaged by the area's seismic activity, straight as a spine as it aimed at the heavens beyond their shrouded, darkened starscape.
Settling his sights on the door, Faustite shook his head. "Watch for anything and everything. Make sure we don't ascend him." Then he pushed open the door.
His firelight danced across the walls and lit upon spiral staircase, whose curvature allowed them no glimpse into their path. Faustite, feeling more dreadful for this trip with each footfall, ascended the staircase with a grim determination. The trek was shorter than he liked; the building could not have been a few stories tall, with no breaks in the spiral stairs for landings. At the top, there was enough of a flat space for a single person to stand and push open the last door between them and their destination. Faustite did not allow himself a pause; he opened the door abruptly.
Then he was stopped in the doorway. Staring up, the domed ceiling granted him the most marvelous, glittering, lambent view of the starscape — from the nearest stars that glowed brightest around earth to the ones far beyond what the human eye, or a telescope, could capture. His breath caught as his attention traveled across what must have been millions of individual stars, rotating softly, all looking upon earth like it was their last target. It was sobering. Daunting.
Quieted, the General stood aside. He did not take notice of the podium across the room, for his attention was trained on the uncountable army of senshi inherent in that domed ceiling. His hands closed into fists. When Albite entered the room, crossing Faustite's periphery, he murmured a short command to the boy: "Tell me you love me."
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shiningamisgirl
Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2022 4:42 pm
Would Faustite die that way? Would all the parts made youma slough off into ash, catch fire n burn into so much nothing -- like newspaper kindling neath a fire -- leaving only the human bits behind; some vertebrate, a charred skull. Waru breathed that thought out, the mere idea of someone so full of 'go' becoming still, until he simply vanished into nothingness with not even a grave to mark his passing. Just another part of the Rift, adding to its ancient, ashen layers. Waru buried the stern 'No' for his dislike of even imagining that scenario, snuffed the following frown for the idea that Alkaid became a 'General' proper, and didn't even get a cool weapon outta it...
"Awh, no worries Firebrand, s'not something I'm volunteering for. I tend to like all my energy kept on the inside...where it belongs..." and he dropped octaves for fear of scaring something up with echo's of his own volume, eyes trained forwards as he steadily trailed the only spot of light to see by. A marvel he didn't stumble, but the spiral was well made, too well made, even. It was eerie to him, to find every step unerringly in a place that'd never see true light again. A place that likely hadn't even been made by humans as he knew them.
And as the doors snapped open and the starscape swirled into view above, he knew it couldn't've been humans that made it; the breathtaking magic, an endless sky of light-fields clustered and swirling in vast array, in numbers larger than he could fathom...
It was beautiful ---
"I love you," as automatic a response as breathing, his heeled steps inward snapped short, and his head whipped round in a tangle of noisy dreads; caught off-guard enough to pause where he stood, "like air, n sun, n...always, Eion." His gaze full of awe narrowed from the expansive ceiling above to the burning boy beside him, closing the gap carefully, heedless of his perched companion. Albite leaned down -- leaned in -- because what were distant, mostly dead stars when his own personal Sun was right there? Quietly blazing up next to him, making soft little asks, looking very -- very - very kissable indeed.
"If you want me to say it under some real stars, Ei? We can always go topside after this~"
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Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2022 10:33 am
“Yes. No talking to anything, especially if it doesn’t have a body. And don’t get hands-y.” Tama said giving Albite a firm look. It was one thing for the senshi to say it and another to actually abide by it.
Then he eyed Faustite and said dead pan:
“I’ll tell you I love you if I like what I see.”
Tama hoped down from Albite’s shoulder to transform. Turning human was best when you weren’t on top of a human, after all. He walked confidently to the podium before looking back, just to make sure the senshi didn’t follow.
“If you want to kiss that boy of yours in the same body you have now, I’d stand back.”
And then he stood right on the dais to see if it would react to a Mauvian or not.
"Piss off, wasn't talking to you," he huffed at the cat. Brows furrowed as he followed the line of Tama's figure when he reached the podium. "The ******** does he think he is. Telling me to stand back like there's somewhere ******** else to go." Faustite huffed a cinder-laden breath, watched his sparks whorl out and die on the air.
Faustite cut short his smoldering glare at Tama to direct his attention to his boy, who responded so easily and compliantly to his ask. He slipped a hand up Albite's forearm to land on his bicep while the boy leaned in; he was quick to pay him a soft kiss for being so attentive. That his boy would heed him over the possibility of exploring an area he never encountered before was not missed, and Faustite gave his arm a squeeze in gratitude. Then it slipped from cool skin to lace between empty fingers and join hand with hand, like when they got married.
"Be patient," he urged his boy, though he didn't discount the idea of Albite speaking aloud his sweet nothings before a hundred million homes of their enemies. His boy always fancied perverting the natural order of things, and Faustite could think of no more violently upsetting feat than a senshi professing his love to a half-youma.
Flame eyes watched Tama, then the celestial map above. Since the cat and senshi entered, one of the stars in the false sky had shone far more brightly than the others, but nothing had changed when Tama reached the pedestal. Plainly they heard it accept his weight, but perhaps it had no reaction because Tama had no celestial body associated with him? At least, Faustite assumed so; he knew little about the cats to assume otherwise.
"Isn't doing anything," he observed as his grip tightened on his boy.
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Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2022 2:05 pm
A longing sigh, supplicated for the moment with what he'd been given, n he supposed he could find some way to be patient if --
Wait, what was Tama?
Only now did he notice Tama stepping atop the pedestal, awhing over how the Cat got to touch all the cool things...or..well..the only thing he could pick out asides from the expansive twinkling above them, "You could always just step closer to me--- Don't worry Tama, you know we love you too!" from whisper to encouraging shout, cheering Tama on to find -- well -- whatever he was looking for out here.
Losing out on touching all the things was a helluvalot easier to mind with his hands full anyhow, having thin fingers to squeeze in turn, to pull up close enough to kiss briefly, just a faint, little brush of cool lips over heated knuckles, "Maybe -- we could try adding magic to our Mau -- or...Hey Tama, try asking that thing to find 'Praxidike'. M'not sure how its supposed to work, like..what..a starmap...those observatory things where you can zoom in on? Maybe ya gotta ask it for somethin specific, n'steadah just standin' on it."
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Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 9:23 am
Tama couldn’t help but be a little disappointed. Based on what Faustite had told him on the way here, this place was for senshi. And specially, to ascend them.
He had hoped the place would respond to magic, but it seemed now it had to be a very specific kind. Any wish that it would respond to him because he was a Mauvian and associated with senshi faded. He’d pegged quite a bit on the fact that he was who he was ever since the general had begun to explain things. This was not simply a star map, though it was a startling good example of that.
Perhaps if he were a senshi himself…
But his pondering was interrupted by Albite.
“Do you think I don’t know that’s your name, kid?” He looked at the senshi sternly. “I was given strict instructions by our general not to ascend you.”
He looked up at the sky again.
“That bright spot is either Mau or it’s Praxidike. And given the fact that this machine didn’t respond to me, I’m betting it’s not Mau.”
Faustite glanced up at his husband with a lidded stare. "No 'we' there, dumbass," he deadpanned. He and Tama had well established their mutual dislike; lying to him under the cover of goodnatured encouragement was only undermining Albite's sentiments.
Tama's investigations were worth watching, but Faustite would not be parting with Albite's hands to take a closer look. "Maybe you shouldn't give him ideas," Faustite warned. While he liked the cute peck on the knuckles, he knew better than to acknowledge it at present; to do so would e to encourage Albite further, and Faustite didn't want to know what sort of bombastic love pledge he'd come up with if he thought he should have access to that podium. Instead, he dragged Albite by the hands, somewhat closer to the podium, but not close enough that they'd e in arm's reach of it.
"Mm." Faustite hummed while he looked at the device, then at the bright spot in the false sky. "Know an easy way to find out." And it would suit both their purposes, shockingly.
"Albite, get out." He pulled his boy back toward the door, close enough that they broached the threshold, then spun the pair about so he could push Albite the rest of the way back onto the staircase landing. "Stay there until we call you. And don't go outside," he warned as he shut the door on his boy.
"Still bright?" He asked as he turned back toward the furbag-c**-boy on a pedestal.
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shiningamisgirl
Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2022 12:21 am
“Aww, Tama!”
Scolded, like a child!
Albite gawked while making an undignified *meep* of a sound acknowledging such. Him being called *kid*. The Senshi squeaked for being *told* off so eloquently; he’d never even imagined Tama knew about his Senshi name, but of course Tama knew! He was a Cat after all~ A grown cat with a real-boys body tucked beneath all that fresh as a first snow floof.
Albite forgot sometimes, just how Mau the Mauvians were…
And continued to forget, carelessly focused on how he was being led around by his literal handler. Not that he minded, what with how warm Faustites fingers were when pressed between his own. It was probably the longest they’d held hands in a hot minute, especially with an audience, n Albite was all aglow for the casualness of the affections!
“C’mon m’not gonna—Hey!” n then he was in the dark, his words barked uselessly at a closed door that he briefly contemplated kicking in, while also plotting to dump cinnamon spiked catnip in Tamas favorite sleeping places, and he knew where Faustite slept godamnit—
He was getting pranked so hard.
“You’re both lucky I love you!!” Albite pulled on restraint, ground his heels n crossed his arms, turning his back on the entryway into the space. If they wanted some alone time? Then fine! He got it, bein a kind of a liability, n that they needed a-Ah-control type? Or something like that, he was sure.
“Differently, that is, very differently— but that’s not gonna save either of you if you leave me out here all — uhmn — night? Day? s**t…I didn’t check to see if the lightning was up or not on the way in here…” and he wouldn’t leave, per say, but it was fine if he very carefully paced the steps, five down, two up, seven down, three up — watching the walls while snickering over the musical clink of his dreads with every step. He supposed he could manage to entertain himself for a few minutes alone without causing any troubles.
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Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2022 9:59 am
“Love you, too!” Tama yelled as Albite was unceremoniously pushed out the door.
That one was very dumb, but also somehow endearing.
“Well, at least now we can work without the needless commentary.” The Mauvian said as he ignored the senshi still adding his two cents from outside the room. “Faustite, one day you’re going to need to put a leash in that one.”
He scanned the fake sky. For not liking the Rift, Tama seemed entirely too happy to be here. He could hardly hold the grin off his face as he tracked the heavens above.
“It’s no longer bright. What do you make of that?”
Faustite nodded to Tama's comment. He loved Albite dearly, but the boy was a distraction — especially when his mouth was left off its leash. Albite had a way of cluttering up a room with thoughts that had no relation to one another, and certainly no bearing on the task at hand. Without him, the two could think. Freely.
"In him? Think he'd like that too much." The youma General focused his attention on the stars over their heads, however. Now that Albite's was gone, and the boy was left to wander off-leash in the hall, they had nothing lit up in their section of the starry sky.
Faustite took a moment to pause and mull the question over. He paced, however — slow circles about the cylindrical room, with his hands drawn behind his back.
"Assume it means we've no worlds the way a senshi does. Our connection to anything — if we have one — is too weak to acknowledge."
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i am so sorry, this one wasn't on my list!
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Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2022 9:59 am
“I meant ‘on’, not ‘in’!” Tama said, getting all fluttered. “Get your head out of the gutter!”
The Mauvian took a second to let the blood drain out of his face. He was glad Albite was out of the room. He didn’t know whether to face palm or blush. He was beginning to regret his choice of senshi, after all.
“That is what I think it means.” Tama said after calming himself.
“We do not have the same connection to a world that a senshi does. Mine to Mau is but distant — like someone’s connection to Earth would be had they been merely born here and not a knight of her. And you —” Tama sighed. “Whatever it is you’re connected to is probably more distant still.”
"It can stay lightyears away from me, far as I'm concerned." Faustite didn't care to know where, if anywhere, that ridiculous place was. He had seen it but barely, in the dreams spun by those golden vials, and he hadn't found any more recently. Then again, Faustite hadn't spent much time in the Rift of late, what with his hands full with a dozen projects and goals. "This answer any questions you had?" The General gestured with a taloned finger toward the ceiling.
It was as complete a star map as Faustite knew to find, but even at that, they stared at only half a sphere. Perhaps if they had a senshi from an opposite part of the night sky, the dome would realign for them and Tama would see everything. He couldn't say. But, just as much, he couldn't say what the little furbag was up to with something like this.
"Does any of this help you?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2022 8:53 am
“Yes. This has answered my question, though it has inspired another. Namely, who created this tower.”
Tama walked around, as if examining the whole place one more time. He knew it was best not to linger too long. Especially if Albite started to get impatient.
“As to your second question, yes.” Tama grinned and a mischievous look crossed his features. “It helps me to know that a star map like this can be created.”
Albite finally found the bottom of the stairs, his grin wide as his a**, tilting on eager heels off the bottom-most step and onto the ground floor — His attempts to count his way down were lost and forgotten after the tenth time trying, but all in all the trip had been entertaining enough! The place had an eerie uniqueness to it that tugged at his every sense, the stars begged him up with ebbing interest that dulled only with distance - the sense of youma wandering out along the edges of their position begged him down.
He found himself caught up in the middle, feeling too loud and too large in all the dark, even if it was just his breathing, or his pulse in his wares, or—
The scuff of metal tipped loc following in time with his own steps sent him to skitter forwards and laugh at himself for being so easily spooked by nothing ********! At least he hoped it was nothing. Luckily he had s**t to entertain himself with; a bit of rummaging produced a charm, and Waru hedged himself lazily towards the entrance to sit and admire —
All the soft, soothing nothing laid out before him, to the ting of a gentle chime.
Soothing Bell:
A small, round bell with a tiny metal charm dangling from it. The bell can be rung once per day and for one full hour the ringer will be overtaken by the sensation of a serene peace and will find that all of their worries seem to be gone and they are incredibly clear headed. If a powered character uses this item while in their respective place of power they will receive additional benefits; A Senshi or Knight using this on their Homeworld or Wonder they will find that restoration significantly improves while using the bell (allowing restoration akin to two visits), Negaverse characters will find that the Rift is easier to navigate and youma are more agreeable (and may even lose significant interest in Corrupted Senshi), Mirrorspace is easier to navigate and Mirrorscape Realms may flourish a bit more. Mauvians may have more past life memories while on their Bonded Senshi’s worlds and may also improve restoration somewhat, and Vanguardians may find that their Source Stones seem to naturally replenish energy and can provide a greater output towards their projects.
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Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2022 11:29 am
“I think I heard a bell.” Tama’s ear twitched. “Think your boy might be summoning us. That or he’s bored. We wouldn’t want that. Ennui can be dangerous.”
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Fin? ~ I think Tama has everything he needs for his plans.
