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 Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2021 8:58 am
Her response summoned a little smile to his face and he found it very easy to rest against her. "You're very good for my heart, Pendour. I think I like you very much. Please keep my secret. If everyone thinks I'm a little slow, they're a little easier on the judgment. And no one really blames you as much if you fail. It's different if they think you're competent, the expectations are so much higher. But."
He was quiet for a few seconds as he considered. "...You know, I never stopped to think about how sad it was that I should be so afraid of disappointing people. I mean. It is, though. And I think I've spent my whole life holding myself to everyone else's standards. But when you aren't given anything, you want everything. Oh, especially approval. I'm selfish, in that sense. I want everyone to want me. "
He let out a long sigh, and glanced at her, at the way she ran her thumb over her scars.
"Do you want help, with your youma? I can't say that I know much about them, or even that I care so much for them. But. You have helped me. I want to help you, if I can."
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2021 3:22 pm
“Want you?” Pendour squinted. “That makes it sound like you want to be a piece of chocolate or something,” she said, tone still light before she fell silent for a moment and looked over to him. She moved her hand from her face and placed it on his shoulder. “I think I know what you mean, though,” she said, voice going quieter. “For what it’s worth, I like you even though I found you in a rabbit hole.” She didn’t then have needed to pretend to be anything other than what he was, but that seemed like the kind of thing that he was going to have to find out on his own. She’d keep his secret for as long as he needed her to. “I won’t ask you to get out of your way to research youma,” she added. “They’re dangerous.” She reached for her face again, but caught herself this time and ran her fingers through her hair instead. “But if you learn some about them, I’d love to hear it.”
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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 6:42 am
Alya's lips twitched into a smile at the first few comments she made, and he found himself leaning over to bump her with his shoulder.
"Of course they're dangerous, that's why we fight them. To keep people safe. But, if one dog attacked me, I'm not going to think all dogs are evil. They just have the potential to be. So, I'm cautious around them all the same. I can't blame you for wanting to help them. And I'm glad that you're being careful about it. But," he shrugged. "...I don't understand a lot about this whole war. It's strange to fight and not know whose end game is what. We fight the Negaverse because they do bad things--take starseeds, drain energy, make youma. But I don't even know what they want, besides that. Sometimes it feels like they just fight to fight. And then, there's us, who oppose them, but--also, why? I mean, besides the obvious," he assured quickly.
"Stopping them from hurting people, of course. But--if we don't know their goal, how can we come up with a compromise to stop them from hurting people? And it's not like the Negaverse is really jumping to talk about any of those things. So, if you can find any information," he nodded, "It's a good starting place. Maybe you'll uncover something that can help all of us, in the long run. So if I can help, I'll do all that I can."
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2021 12:46 pm
"War doesn't make any sense," said Pendour, pulling away just a little so she could fold her hands in her lap, although she kept her shoulder touching his. "War doesn't make sense in a lot of ways, including the way you're talking about. People fight without concrete reasons all the time. Um, World War I. " One of the rabbits was growing bold and trying to chew on her pearls. She had to gently tug them out of its mouth. "It was just a mess of alliances and militarism. None of the countries were really in danger at first, but they started to see each other as enemies and they fought until there were no soldiers left. I do think there's something deeper going on here," she ran fingers across her chest, over her starseed, "But I don't know how many of them even know what that is, and how many are just told we're the enemies." She sighed softly and leaned against Alya again. "It's probably the most powerful and broken ones of them all who know, and not the ones willing to talk to odd squires."
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Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2021 6:01 am
Troublesome little fluffball that it was, Alya couldn’t help but smile at the little bunny trying to nibble on her pearls. "Maybe,” he said, voice solemn. The topic was morbid, but the seriousness of it weighed heavily enough upon him that he could seriously consider what she was saying.
“I’ve never met anyone who really seemed like they wanted to talk about the actual ‘why’s’. I mean, ‘stop the aliens’ makes sense, but. It’s not like I decided to be born on Earth with a foreign alien starseed, or whatever. I’m more Earth than I am Alya. But...if we’re being completely honest? I suppose I don’t even know what we’re all doing here, either. There has to be some reason. I know our worlds are...apparently diminished. And Earth is thriving. But if someone had the option of sending all of us here, I get the distinct impression that they could send us to other places as well. So maybe I’m in this as blind as the Negaverse. The only difference is that I haven’t lost my morality. Although.”
He sighed heavily. “I suppose I’ve broken several rules and laws since I’ve been a senshi. But it was to stop people from getting hurt!”
Ah, it was too easy to justify it, though. Maybe the Negaverse could do it just as easily.
“...We’re not going to get anywhere if we don’t understand each other, though. So. Small steps until we find something, yeah? It’s a good goal, at least.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:15 pm
Pendour turned to look at Alya again, this time to double check that he didn't have any alien eye stalks peeking through his mane of hair, or maybe an odd skin texture or extra pupils or anything at all hinting that he wasn't a native of Earth, but there was nothing. Even the clothes weren't that strange, and even his starseed was probably similar to anyone else's. Of course, she knew as well as anyone that propaganda wasn't always logical. "I haven't heard that one before," she said, "But then, I think knights are different. I don't think my starseed is even technically from Neptune." She shifted slightly, squinting upwards. "I have heard a rumor that a lot of the conflict actually started around Earth, and it's been centered here for a long time. Maybe that's why we ended up here, now?" Her ancestor might know something. "Small steps are something. I'll ask around," she said. Pendour leaned in close for one more moment of support before asking, "Speaking of small steps, are you ready to stand up?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2021 1:07 pm
Alya sighed heavily, because he didn’t want to get up, but it was certainly time to do so. “No,” he sighed, dramatically, but he was in an infinitely better mood than he had been before. “But I suppose I can manage it, all the same. Thank you, Pendour.”
He gave one last look to the little bunnies all around them and even managed to smile softly. “...I suppose they’re not so bad. Even if they do dig holes like this. Thank you for keeping me company. You’ve got a good heart. I’m grateful,” he said, and meant it, and finally even managed to slowly stand up. He extended a hand to her to help her up as well.
“I suppose it’s late enough, and it’s only going to get colder. I don’t want you to get sick on my behalf.”
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Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2021 6:56 am
Pendour also gave the rabbits a final, wary, look. They weren't awful or vicious or anything, but she wasn't sure if she could like them if they were always digging holes and tripping people. She was happy enough to take Alya's hand and stand up, out of nibbling range. "You can lie down again soon," she said. "Just, somewhere warmer, okay? Bed, hopefully." She didn't want him wandering off a few feet and then getting so discouraged he collapsed again. "I can call a taxi if you're not up for walking, but first," her soft smile widened a little, "You owe me a proper hug, remember?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2021 6:58 am
Alya just smiled tiredly at her. “I can walk,” he reassured. “I’ll just take slow, careful steps, so I don’t fall again.” Her smile was contagious and he found himself returning his with a bit more enthusiasm. Once out of the hole, he reached over to embrace her in a proper hug.
“Thank you, Pendour. I know I’m a broken record, but I mean it. I really needed something like this. So I’ll be good and go home, I’ll get warmed up and make myself acquainted with my bed. And you, don’t stay out too late, yourself. But make sure you’ve got my contact information before we leave, just in case you ever need anything, okay? I’ll want to find some way to repay you, too. Even if it’s just flowers, sometime.”
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Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2021 12:36 pm
Pendour leaned into this embrace, too, although this time only for a few seconds before she stepped away, careful to stay on solid ground. Now that Alya was moving again, she didn't want to keep him from home and warmth. "Um, you're welcome? I liked talking to you, too. Thank you for agreeing to be friends," she said, and she even looked him straight in the eyes for a second, still smiling, before nodding and fiddling with her ring. "I got this upgraded, finally, so you should be able to send me messages with your senshi phone. Then if you want to do this again, we can just hang out before it gets to, um, this." she waved back towards the hole, where she could still see a bunny looking up at them.
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Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2021 10:57 am
Alya glanced down at her ring and seemed to take a few seconds to process this before he nodded and smiled. He followed her gaze to the hole and then even managed to laugh at the bunny. “...I should go before they start looking like good company, I think.”
He nodded and inhaled, held it, and then released, like he was finally at peace. “I’ll call you before I start picking holes to lay in, I promise.”
He raised a hand in parting. “I’ll see you around, Pendour. Have a good night.”
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