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 Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2022 7:15 pm
She nodded with a low hum, already thinking of how quickly more information was falling into place since speaking with Ganymede. Speaking to more people, of course, helped. Asking her questions helped. She thought of the corrupt with the skinning magic she'd encountered. Was he a traitor by choice, or force? She didn't know how Cybele had acted, so she didn't have that to compare and contrast. How much was his own action and will, how much was Chaos?
Her eyes widened as Cybele listed out a variety of people--a few senshi, a few knights. Her brows furrowed. "I haven't seen any knights with the-- oh.... wait. Metis said something..." She'd been too bogged down with her own situation, being surrounded by life when she's arrived on Earth. Trying to mask herself as a human. Trying to comprehend the technology here. Trying to just... deal with life and people. She closed her eyes tight, grumbling in her native tongue. "Were they... ah... agents?"
And youma were once people. That part, at least, had stuck to her mind.
The number of them who came back, though, was amazing. It was a relief, really. That change like that was possible for them to embrace and act upon.
Though, Cybele's thoughts on the Negaverse at large... it was realistic, which Solaris appreciated. Even if she flinched hard at the notion they ate starseeds. She swore long and hard in Solarian, rubbing at her upper arms as goosebumps formed and ice ran through her veins. "I didn't realize they were that twisted there..." Chaos was Chaos. It still made her stomach churn.
Hearing Cybele had already dispatched one had Solaris give a bitter, sharp laugh. "You did the lesser of two evils in that situation, if you want to use that Earth phrase. May the gods grant them a far better life next time." Her words still were a bit... prickly, that bit of viciousness towards Chaos leaking out. But when the other made the... cynical comment, Solaris went quiet. Her hands slid from her arms, looking carefully at the other senshi.
The other young woman.
The other soldier.
Yes, it is, Solaris almost said. It'd long been past that point, since she'd taken life and taken away the chance of some of those lives returning.
But it was clear Cybele knew that.
There was more she could ask about how Cybele would handle Chaos, how she'd want to approach things in an idealized plan. What were realistic options. What were things they could do here on Earth, and beyond.
Instead, Solaris reclaimed her sketchbook, flipping it open to the page she'd been sketching on. Different, alien shapes stared back up at her, and Solaris smiled--a warmer, brighter one like before they'd gotten into this conversation.
"Ever see one of these before? It's a foliumus. We used to have them all over on my world." A leaf mouse, numerous of the rodents with their furry, leaf-looking membranes scampered across her page, some in falling formations, others nibbling on types of mushrooms and grains. Other creatures moved through the page, but her finger tapped cheerfully by the rodents in question.
A shameless, absolutely obvious, subject change.
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Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2022 4:31 pm
"Yes, agents are the corrupted version of knights, best I can tell," said Cybele, because that was an easy clarification to make. It wasn't quite as straightforwards as with the senshi and their corrupted counterparts, but it was close enough. She nodded at that, happy that she could give Solaris at least one simple answer. Then she was pressing her lips together against a sputtering of angry phrases that she understood perfectly, despite the Solarian tongue. The language might have been foreign, but she knew disgust when she heard it. Her insides went even colder at the sound of it. The other senshi might not have known that her curses were directed at Cybele, but Cybele knew, just like she knew what it felt like when a starseed crystal cracked under her teeth. She knew the way that energy had spiked through her body when she swallowed someone else's life force. It took every ounce of effort she could muster to keep her face blank, because she did not think that it would help to talk about that right at this moment. Any distraction was welcome, so she let herself scoot over a bit when Solaris opened her sketchbook. "Mice?" she she said, eyes flicking over the pencil strokes. "Aww, what darlings. We've got leaf insects here, and some toads that look a bit like this, but not mice." If she didn't immediately relax all the way, it was at least easier to pretend when she was looking at nice pictures of sweet animals. "Did you draw all this?" she asked.
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Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2022 11:29 am
It was hard to start a friendship with sour notes from the get-go. It was required context, though, to understand that Cybele seemingly only had memories of a very recent life, already having lived through--arguably--multiple in rapid succession. Her view on the war was a valuable point to Solaris from her experiences--lack thereof in memory or otherwise.
There were more contexts to probably talk about. On both sides. But friendships were built better on common ground, and friendlier topics--or at least neutral ones.
Talking about life on other worlds seemed like the best route to take for the time being. She wanted to know more about who Cybele was now. It was the only version of her that Solaris knew, after all.
"Toads? I'll have to look them up. I've heard about um... what're they... walking sticks? But I haven't seen them in person. I might need to check the zoo again." Seeing examples of the wide variety of life on Earth were experiences Kyrie pushed for. Just seeing them in videos and photos... it wasn't the same as seeing the real, living thing. Size didn't always translate right, nor how their movements varied and their sounds...
Solaris nodded, flashing teeth as she grinned. "I did. I got into the habit... well. Technology was failing, and I wanted to preserve as much of my world as I could, so I got into the habit of writing down and drawing as much as I could of life." And music, and art forms, and traditional rites and beliefs, and religious beliefs...
Her gaze was softer as she looked down at the page, smile wistful. "I've mostly been drawing stuff that's here on Earth--and there's so much, I'll never be done probably. But it's nice to... go back, I guess?" Though, she needed to be more careful about where she was sketching, and keeping in contact with Alastor... A dull ache in her right hand made her lips press tight briefly.
"What's your world like?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2022 2:06 pm
"Toads are cute in a funny way," said Cybele, who had some idea of what Solaris was trying to do with the subject change, but who was hardly going to fight it. She'd learned manners, back in her lost childhood. She knew about changing the subject. Anyway, it was hardly like she was going to insist on talking about all of the terrible things that she'd done. Instead, she let her smile soften. "They hop, and eat bugs, and they're colored to blend in with the leaves. It shouldn't be hard to find pictures at least," said Cybele, and she would have powered down right then to pull out her phone and look some up if there weren't a few people visible in the distance. "But the zoo is the best place to learn about Earth creatures. You're right." Maybe some day she could take the other woman out into the woods. They could watch birds and sketch deer. At least, Solaris could sketch deer. Cybele didn't think she'd be able to draw like that even after a thousand years. It was harder to keep the smile up at the thought of her world, because of the conflicts there, but she tried it, not wanting to drag things down again. "My world is beautiful," she said, and that, at least, was not a lie. "It has purple skies and deep forests. Some of the plants have started to grow again since I purified. The trees there have silver bark, and I'm starting to see some silver bark. No toads, though." Although, perhaps she should have been looking a bit harder at the leaves.
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Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2022 12:48 pm
Solaris listened intently to the description of toads, nodding her head a bit as she looked back down at the leafy-rodents. "They do sound cute, and they do kinda sound similar to these guys. Thanks for that," because she could only learn so much about Earth's countless creatures and habitats without some helpful direction.
Hearing about Cybele's world though... Solaris just smiled. It did sound beautiful--purple skies and silver trees? "It sounds like a painting come to life." Hearing plant life had begun to return... it smarted a bit. There was a bitter part of Kyrie, deep, deep down. Why is my world barren, but yours isn't? But that paled, paled, in comparison to the relief she also felt. More worlds were regaining themselves. That was something to celebrate. "Sounds like your world's happy your back, then, and it's showing you as much with that new growth," she hummed, even as she laughed a bit to the note of no toads.
"Yet. I'm sure toads, or something like them, will show up soon enough~" Not that she knew what life used to exist there--if she ever did, they were memories long lost.
She hesitated slightly, unsure of what were considered social norms here as she ventured, "Please let me know if this is too forward, but I'd love to chat more over like... coffee, or tea, or if you have other places you like to hang out. And I'd love to see your world." Her lips pursed before she gave a sheepish smile. "I mean, whatever's comfortable to you. I just wanna hang out more."
Yes, this introduction was rocky... but Solaris couldn't get it out of her head that... Cybele would have been a poster child for her peoples' primary faith. The power of change, and one's own response to the catalysts presented before them. It was a lot to have to think about in connection with the war, and Chaos at large. But she also wanted to know the young woman in front of her. Who she was now.
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Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2022 2:51 pm
"I'll keep my eyes out for anything in the undergrowth," said Cybele, and her tone was polite if lacking a bit of warmth. She'd already talked more about her corruption in one night than she had in a long time. She didn't think she wanted to start going off about the problems with her world, about the times that for all of its beauty it hadn't been there for her. So, instead, she just smiled and nodded. If Solaris took that as an invitation to visit, then that was fine. She'd bring her up. She'd tell her the rest of the story at that point. Perhaps they could look for toads, which honestly didn't sound like a bad use of time. Going out to a cafe sounded more comfortable, though, and Cybele nodded again, her smile a bit brighter at that suggestion. "I like coffee," she said, "And it's getting to the time of year when we're going to start having those pop-up shops selling seasonal drinks. They're delicious." They were delicious and suspicious, as she'd heard of some of them coming with strange side effects, but that was fine. "I can't stay too much longer now, I've got people expecting me home, but I would love to meet up again sometime. I would love to get to know you better." Hopefully now that the awkwardness of Cybele's past was talked over, they could really get to know each other's present selves.
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Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2022 11:04 am
Pop... up shops? She could guess what they were based on the collection of words, but she hadn't really been paying attention last year. She'd been too overwhelmed with everything. At least this year, she was more comfortable with some Earth cultures, and would probably be able to pay attention to the festivities.
So, she grinned, nodding, "We'll have to keep an eye out. I missed all that stuff last year, so expect a lot of questions." Holding up a hand, she summoned her senshi phone. It only took a few strokes to exchange information and make it easier to contact one another later.
Solaris packed away her sketchbook and materials, unfolding her legs and standing. "Better for me to take off, too, but I'm sure we'll meet up again soon. I'm looking forward to it~" The smile was genuine, as was the warmth. Someone else who got the war. Someone who'd... given Solaris a good bit to think about. More facets in this war, in Chaos and Order.
As she started off, she waved to Cybele, grateful that despite the rocky bits... it seemed like she might really make a friend here. Earth had its upsides.
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