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 Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 1:28 pm
Lesath took a seat at the table, keeping a space between herself and Remarque. Her eyes caught those of Logos and she gave a small smile and a nod towards the empty chair. She didn’t…want to be alone during this, and her newest recruit looked as though she were looking for someplace to sit, or just someplace to stand.
Her eyes fixed themselves on the strange crystals, and she glanced over at her other girls, frowning as Kibirev ate the offered ‘food’, and even looked as though she were enjoying it.
Well…she was hungry, but she wasn’t so hungry that she felt the need to eat…something that wasn’t food. Not yet, at least….but. If they were here for too long, she figured she’d end up getting that hungry eventually.
She yearned to be closer to Remarque…well, that was obvious. What she really yearned for was to be home. Away from all of this craziness. She missed her daughter. She missed her dog.
With a sigh, Lesath pushed a few of the crystals around her plate.
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Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 1:31 pm
Keeping a mindful ear out for Acubens' instructions, Lovejoy allowed her bestie to lead her towards the head of the table where the mysterious "Queen" had taken her seat.
The crystals they were being served looked... suspicious, but then again, that tended to be the white haired girl's first instinctive response. There was no telling what the crystals could be - super powers, super poison, super anything!!! There was no way for her to run any tests (not that she actually knew how to run any tests, to be fair) so the mysterious contents of the crystals would have to remain mysterious.
Eyes widened as she watched Kibirev shove some of the crystal in her mouth. The other senshi's attitude had turned an entire one-eighty since they'd walked through the mirror and LJ wasn't sure if she actually liked this change in her friend. Yeah, it was nice that Kibby wasn't upset and crying anymore but meeting strange people in strange mirrors after strange almost-death situations... well, there needed to be a healthy level of suspicion lingering around, in LJ's opinion!
"I do like rocks," she conceded before slipping one of the crystals beneath her bracer. She'd have to investigate the rock later - she wasn't about to put one in her mouth, no matter how hungry she was and how badly her stomach growled. She needed to stay alert - for her and for Kibs!
For once, she wasn't running her mouth, instead listening to the foxglove senshi prattle on about clothing. She nodded her head in agreement to being reminded to buy ice cream - heck, she'd happily shovel out ten bucks if it meant getting the heck out of dodge!
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Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 1:55 pm
Super Sailor Ptolemaeus
Well, this was certainly unexpected. Pulled through a mirror out of mirrorspace and into a whole new world that appeared to be a castle of crystals. So then, was this a world inside a world inside a world, or one entirely separate from Mirrorspace and Earth?
Through silent attention and information-gathering, Ptolemaeus eventually discovered the answer to his question. According to the woman calling herself Queen Altea, at least. He liked that she didn't seem to have a signature of either Order or Chaos. How curious. When Princess Leto spoke up demanding to know who the woman was, the dark-eyed senshi couldn't help but be amused. Interestingly enough, as vocal as Leto seemed, Prince Remarque was equally quiet.
Neither Dark Mirror Royal seemed to want to reveal their own status among their court. It seemed like a pretty wise decision to Ptolemy to conceal that knowledge as best they could while everyone was still trying to figure out what was going on. They still didn't know where they stood with the new stranger nor if she was everything she claimed to be.
That, of course, didn't mean they had to be rude - not to Altea or each other. While Ptolemaeus enjoyed taking note of all the members who had come through the mirror and their reactions to their new company and crystalline setting, he felt more inclined to learn about those he was least familiar with. Some senshi were already deeply engaged with others they knew well, so the senshi of change decided to focus on those who seemed less involved in the group.
One of them was the young lady with the red-magenta hair (Asmodeus) that he had tried to get to before the room they had been in inside Mirrorspace had collapsed. She had begun to talk up a brunette in bright, contrasting colors (Mithra). Ptolemy didn't know either of their names, but he figured now was as good a time as any to find out.
"Pardon me, ladies," he told them, bowing at the waist. "Super Sailor Ptolemaeus. Don't believe we've met formally." Once they had made it to the enormous table set with the crystal food, he pulled out a pair of chairs for them. "Would you mind keeping me company? I'm feeling a bit lonesome at the moment."
After he had made sure they were settled, he took his own seat and began to try the food, watching Altea and following her lead. It was astonishing to consume, as if it were meant merely for nourishment with how easily it was dissolved in one's mouth and not meant to be enjoyed. Most surprising of all to Ptolemy was that it had no taste, though. That, combined with a lack of good company, must have made for a boring existence indeed. Perhaps she had other pleasures she could have turned to in their stead, however.
"Excuse me, Queen Altea," he spoke up once the crystal in his mouth had melted enough for him to speak unhindered. If others were asking their own questions, what would be so bad about adding his own to the growing number? "But that portrait we saw earlier - was that your family?"
He was silently curious as to whether Acubens planned to put any information about this place in her book about the Dark Mirror Court. Even if she had it on her, though, he doubted caution would have allowed her to share it with the queen so freely.The Space Cauldron Ptolemy is asking Queen Altea about the portrait.
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Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 2:49 pm
Muttering all the while, Leto followed through the long hallway sticking closer to the edges of the group, running her fingers along the walls and strange crystals that inhabited them- the locked and barricaded-with-crystals doors just added to the list of strange s**t going on. Her red eyes moved upwards as they passed through an enormous gaping archway, before they shifted back downwards to the place settings that the crystalline butlers had procured for them. The Eternal Senshi's lips twitched into a slight smile as Acubens brushed up against her side. "You're tellin' me," she couldn't help but laugh at the other Eternal's comment about paradise. The Dark Mirror Court wouldn't be what it was if it weren't for Really Weird s**t, after all. She leaned in to whisper to the other girl, "keep an eye on the more trusting Senshi for me? This entire thing seems fishy..." Unfortunately eyes on the back of your head were not a perk that came with being a Royal Senshi, so Leto appreciated any help she could get in keeping tabs on the large group. While she was sure that Remarque was equally on guard, it made her feel better that Acubens was by her side with observant eyes. Leto watched as each Senshi took a seat, some eager to eat the weird crystals that were on their plates. Others remained silent, more had plenty of questions to ask this Queen. The fact that she could look into the mirror for as long as she could remember had Leto on edge. How could she have possibly never have seen any of them this entire time? What suddenly changed? Taking a seat between Acubens and Tantalus put Leto at ease a tiny bit. She knew, at the very least that she could trust the two people at her sides. Her eyes remained focused on Altea as the two of them spoke; she was listening to them and nodding in agreeance with their observations about accepting the food. The mention of Persephone, however, had Leto glancing at Acubens confused until she realized she was talking about the myth and she had to laugh at the situation. She too would starve in order to get back home to her own Persephone. So instead, she pulled out the tiny black sac that held her Mirror Shards and put every last crystal that was on her plate into the bag. They seemed far too similar to the starseeds that the Negaverse ate for energy for her not to take them in order to give them more attention later. Zero ******** given if it was seen as rude.
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Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 3:34 pm
Eternal Sailor Remarque
There was a hell of a lot about all of this that Remarque didn’t like. His eyes looked upon her servants with obvious disdain as he scrutinized them. He had no love for youma or any creature in space, but with these, he couldn’t even really place what they were. Were they living? Were they even organic? Or magical rocks?
Did they have any autonomy or were slaves to her whim?
He continued to judge everything, still on edge with everything. When Kiuchi moved closer to him, he gave him a reassuring little clap on the shoulder before he’d taken his seat at the table.
A space between himself and Lesath made sense; even with the slight distance, he was close enough that if anything happened he knew that she’d have his back as much as he had hers. And, with them spaced out a bit, they’d have stood a bit of a better chance defending the weaker members of the Court if it came down to it.
He took note of the Senshi that seemed to be eating the crystals; noting to check on them later. He wasn’t yet hungry, but neither was he a fool. When everyone’s attention was elsewhere, he scooped a few off of his plate, one at a time, before plucking them into a pocket. He didn’t take enough to be obvious, and he did so with a confidence that implied he had no fear of being caught.
But then, confidence was always the key.
He wasn’t sitting so far from Kibirev and eyed her—if only for the sheer amount of crystals she’d been consuming.
He raised a brow at her and leaned forward after a moment so he could have a quiet conversation with her. “Either you’re really hungry,” he noted, “Or those are good.”
He had no intention of eating one for himself if he could avoid it, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t curious. That, he didn’t bother trying to hide, and he offered the Senshi a polite smile so she’d know he was teasing—and asking out of genuine curiosity. “I’m too full to eat any, now. I ate just before we left.” Too quiet for the queen to hear, even with her closeness. “What’s it like?”
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Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 4:04 pm
Altea listened, fascinated; she seemed to take no offense to any questions or the guarded nature of some of the Senshi. She did not protest when they did not all eat; she only smiled encouragingly to those that did.
She smiled when Crocus answered her question to him. “You will have to try these mirrors. I’m afraid they are useless when they’ve turned black, but we should give it a little time and I’ll see if there’s anything I can do to open them up. Perhaps you’ll be able to pass through and back to your planet with ease.” She looked to Kiuchi and expanded, “I can walk through mirrors, when they let me. But so many aren’t responding anymore. Sometimes I can move through the castle, but never anywhere else. Sometimes I can reach into the mirror, sometimes it offers me things. But I don’t like to risk it, usually. Sometimes I see monsters, I think.” She shierred. “It’s frightening. But I couldn’t live with myself if I had seen you in trouble and done nothing. The mirror must have wanted you saved, or else it wouldn’t have let me draw you out.”
Her attention shifted to Diadem, whose words conjured another smile from Altea. “That isn’t rude at all. Have you been to many worlds? I know there are all sorts of creatures out there, each individual to their worlds. But what you see here is all that there is.”
A faint look of sadness crossed her features and she sighed, tucking a few loose strands of hair behind an ear before she answered. Ptolemaeus’ question was easy to answer—“My family used to live here, but the Cauldron summoned them long ago. Now, I have only the portraits on the wall. But such is the case for many of us. Too long ago, my planet was befallen with a sickness, and the cure came far too late. But they live on in my heart.”
She smiled faintly, sadly, but her eyes soon lifted to Kiuchi again before moving to eye her crystal servants. “I suppose it is unfair to say that I am truly alone. They are alive, of course.” She laughed, like little tinkling bells. “Forgive their silence. They are particular, but good hearted. I only meant, there is a certain charm in making new friends, and I have so very missed this. For far too long it’s been just our little world, cut off from everyone else. Truthfully, I feared the worst. I heard of a war? But it never reached us. Have things calmed now? Or, no.”
She glanced across the table. “Senshi only come together in such numbers in times of strife. And you said you’re from the Milky Way? Does that put you near the Silver Millennium? Oh, I’m sorry. You must be fighting something great to have so many of you here.”
She nodded, as if looking for affirmation, but keen on not ignoring anyone left the topic open ended and she sought to answer the other questions. She leaned closer to Kibirev and, a bit softer said, “But if you have a little time to relax, of course. I haven’t been able to show them off in so long. Perhaps you can help me pick out something to wear for tomorrow. Or, perhaps I’ll let you pick out something for yourself, if you stay long enough.”
She smiled, glancing at Kibirev’s plate, and then at the plates of the others. Her servants approached the table with a few more platters and set the trays down next to some of the Senshi who were still eating.
To answer Avior, she replied, “They grow naturally here. Unfortunately, without the sunlight or trade, we don’t have many options here. But my people have learned to adapt. There are only a few other worlds with me within the asteroids, but the planets nearest to us used to have bountiful harvests. But, they have not traveled here in a while.”
She sounded sad and sighed, but she didn’t seem the sort to stay down for long. “But I’m happy that you liked them! I would have been heartbroken if you found them revolting. Some of the larger crystals can grow to be quite bitter, but we tried to pick only the sweeter ones.”
She seemed oblivious to Sinope attempting to summon a mirrorwraith beneath the table though, and simply continued to beam at her guests. She seemed equally oblivious to the wraith that slid from the shard. It wasn’t immediately clear that anything was there; without any energy, the wraith was transparent. It looked around for a moment, walking beneath the table as it searched for energy to drain.
It would not drain from any creature it recognized from Mirrorspace; it did not drain from the Dark Mirror Court, and it did not drain from Altea. After a moment of fruitless pacing, it returned to Sinope’s shard and disappeared into it.
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Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 4:54 pm
Leto didn't have to tell Acubens twice to keep an eye on others who may be lured into unwitting traps. Her green eyes flicked up from her notations once in a while to make a quick note of everyone's state after having eaten the food and being just generally exposed to this woman. Looking for pheromones, perfumes, inscences, god forbid a fog... She shifted in her notations between people's physical conditions as they ate, to the state of the room, her current perceptions, and what the queen was saying. Acubens made a particular note about the queen being able to walk through mirrors. Was she one of them? Was she like Ares, sort of a nexus of their power? Or some unwitting benefactor of their abilities? Maybe someone on the cusp of being awakened? Possibilities passed through Acubens head and as soon as they came to her mind she jotted them down in her coded language so as not to be seen by the servant who passed by, ignoring her untouched plate. Acubens, in turn, ignored them, choosing to focus on "queen" Atlantica or whatever instead. Another mention caught her attention, though she couldn't say why. A war? Acubens felt like she should know something about that. And the phrase "Silver Millenium" rang a small bell in the back of her mind. That sound might have also been the Queen's musical laughter, however. Kibriev seemed quite taken with her... Acubens would keep an extra eye on her... just in case. Acubens also moved from sketching their host to sketching out her servants, rather interchangeable really, and then to the crystal outcroppings around them. She noted that they grew, that they could be bitter, and her suspicious about starseeds. Had Bischofite said anything about them being sweet or bitter? She couldn't recall. The unadulterated horror sort of made the memory foggy. When Sinope first conjured the wraith, Acubens hadn't noticed anything. It wasn't until she began following suit, tucking the crystals away for later inspection, that she dropped one by accident and happened to glance under the table. She almost didn't see it at first and would have missed it, if not for the tell tail shimmer of a starving wraith. Well I'll be damned, she thought with a bemused half smile. coming up, she caught Sinope's eyes and tossed him a quick wink. Such a clever little fox... Acubens made note that the wraith did not attack the queen... wait... the wraith did not attack the queen... Acubens' brow furrowed and her pulse quickened. She could move through mirrors at times... the wraith didn't bother her... Acubens jotted this down in plain English in her notebook and slid it over to Leto. Like a child in class, she whispered, "pass this to Tantalus when you're done."
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Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 5:37 pm
LogosLogos had a job to do, she thought, and that job was to protect Lesath, the one who had inducted her in the first place. With all the commotion, the cadet had faltered in her purpose. Inwardly cursing her negligence, she gave a curt nod to Laverna. They could speak some other time. The older man, someone powerful like Lesath, had offered her a seat and undue kindness. Logos thought this odd, to be so friendly with a brand new cadet. Was this normal? Was this how the Dark Mirror operated? It seemed so strange and so outside Logos' comfort zone that she regarded Avior oddly, though not with hostility. "No, sir. I arrived with my superior, Lesath. I see you're the same rank as she. It's a pleasure, sir, however, now may not be the best time for introductions." She leaned in every so slightly, an eye focused on the queen further away. She couldn't overhear their conversation, right? "We may be deep in enemy lines, sir. Please exercise extreme caution." Standing back up to her shock-straight position, Logos gave the two of them a nod. "Excuse me." Making a beeline for the senshi of moths, Lesath would find her recruit shadowing her. Casting a suspicious glance at the Queen, something felt unsettling here. "Enemy territory..." she murmured. "...with crystalline servants and no obvious routes of escape." She listened to this queen but felt so far out of her league with this. She stuck close to her commander-of-sorts, knowing that perhaps Lesath couldn't answer her questions without the queen overhearing. Smart one, this Lesath. Keeping secrets from the enemy was prime strategy. Logos had given the eternal a short and respectful nod.
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Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 9:43 pm
While some were watching others, were observing who ate and who didn't, and other dark mirror senshi were talking amongst themselves in lowered voices Kiuchi was listening to the Queen. He was asking her things, seeking information. While some might not listen to everything, might miss some things, he was hoping to take in everything she said if only to remember it for later use. Maybe once they returned home they could put together some list of things they had learned.
He didn't know a lot, being new as he was, and perhaps that had him asking even more questions. While he wished he had pen and paper he figured it would be rude if he did have them, if he could get them, and write everything down. He didn't want to be rude, especially to someone they knew so little about. She could be a future help to them and their faction...or an enemy. It was best not to risk upsetting her in either case.
Focused on the Queen he wondered what sort of sickness, though it seemed a touchy subject so avoided it, it did sound like a plague of sorts...something really devastating. But some had survived, which was good. The idea of a culture lost, even if she turned out to be an enemy, was a sad thing to him. Culture was important...it was why he was trying to learn more about his own...to find his father as well. A whispered "Sorry for your loss." passed his lips as she mentioned the loss of her family.
"Ahh, I thought you were in fact alone. It's good that you aren't." Started by her answering him, a bit caught up in his own thoughts, he smiled to her and nodded his head a few times. So here there was no contact with others, not like Earth was any better...but they had no option either. here it seemed there was an option but no one was talking to each other - how sad. That could ruin a place, if they didn't have the resources they needed.
"A war..." Glancing about the room he wasn't sure on this. This was something he knew nothing on. But as he glanced about he sought out Remarque. "A war...in the past?" He mouthed the words once he caught the others eye. Had there been one? Would Remarque even tell him here? Again he was questioning Remarque, without voice, about this Silver Millennium. Again, something he had never heard of. "The silver Millennium?" He asked, turning his head to the Queen to ask her now.
"I am rather new...so I can't answer that. Umm....is there any way to be more specific...I'm sorry to ask for that..." But he was rather clueless, and he really did want to know whatever he could from her. "Were you around for it? For the war...were you ever there for Silver Millennium, as it seems like it's a place..." That might help others, to know that, it could age her...right? At least give a better idea on her age, and that might help in some way. At least he hoped so. He didn't mention what they were fighting though, how small their faction was, that seemed a bit too personal and like it would upset some people in the room and he didn't want to upset anyone. But she had said senshi, in large numbers, only gathered in times of strife...it certainly fit that back home on Earth...so it made sense. She knew something was up on Earth just not what....could she help somehow? If she wasn't to be an enemy? Even with knowledge, as that could be a rather powerful thing indeed.
Easing himself back in his chair, and curling into himself in an attempt to seem smaller, he wondered how they managed here. No sunlight and no trade...did things not need it to grow? Or did things operate differant than on Earth. That would make sense...not every planet had to operate in the same manner as Earth or even have the same balance of what they were formed out of. So the rules might not be the same...but if not the same than what were they? Their little group seemed to have no issue breathing...so air was the same, or similar enough. That also meant an atmosphere as well....
He really wished it would seem rude to find a pen and paper, or some equivalent, so he could write this all down. Everything said and everything he was assuming. It was a lot.
Glancing back to Remarque he tilted his head, curious dark eyes watching him silently.
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Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 9:55 pm
Sailor Asmodeus
Asmodeus let out a slightly fake little titter. Ptolemy was clearly being charming for effect, and she was...well, she was actually pretty happy to play along. It was fun, and it helped make the whole thing less scary. Besides, sticking with a Super Senshi seemed like the best possible way to ensure that this didn't go completely sideways.
"I'm certainly not opposed," she said, taking a chair. "Mithra?" She asked her companion, but she definitely took one of the offered seats, because it was nice. Once she was closer, she picked up one of the pieces of strange, crystalline food.
"Are you sure you want to eat that?" She asked, a little concerned.
But then, he didn't seem to be suffering any ill effects, so...
She took a bite.
"Huh," she said flatly. No flavor, quick dissolving - it was. Not any kind of food she was used to.
She set it back down on her plate and resolved that she was done with it.
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 1:54 am
Sailor Sinope
Though Sinope definitely wasn't going to touch the food himself, he wasn't about to tell others around him what to do. It wasn't like he had any say in their decisions, including Sadalsuud's, but he couldn't help watching to see if she attempt to eat the strange dishes set out for them anyway. The rumble of her stomach didn't escape his notice and he tensed, thinking for sure she might try something and perhaps something bad would happen to her. But as time passed and she still refrained from making a move toward the food, Sinope found himself relieved. He felt awful too, though, knowing that she was hungry and yet unable or unwilling to eat when there was sustenance right in front of her.
When she looked down at her hands, he reached out to touch one. "We'll get home soon," he told her softly, speaking with more confidence than he felt. With the hand he had used to touch hers, though, he gestured discreetly under the table to bring her attention to the mirrorwraith he had loosed. Its behavior intrigued Sinope and he wondered if Sadalsuud would have interest in it as well.
Uh oh. Someone - Acubens - was venturing to peer under the table. The teen stiffened, certain he was going to be in trouble if the wraith was spotted and identified as his. When the curly-haired eternal resurfaced, she did indeed meet his eyes, but not with the anger or disapproval he had been expecting. Instead, she winked. Had she...actually appreciated his little experiment? He thought he might have imagined it, but then she began to write something down in a notebook of hers and Sinope wondered if she had deduced the same conclusions that he had based on the behavior of his wraith.
Noticing other senshi - the royals of their court, no less - pocketing the crystals from their plates, the redhead shrugged and decided to do the same. The queen had said it was a delicacy, right? Along with his mirror shard and the crystals from before, what was one more crystal momento thing? Besides, if the ones that the others had been eating turned out to be poisonous or something, perhaps an antidote could be made from the crystalline food itself. If Altea had been able to use a knife to cut it, he hoped it wasn't soft enough to crumble in his pocket.
Sinope's brain just wouldn't cease generating questions, it seemed. She had called these a delicacy, he thought, so if this was a delicacy, what was normal food like? Or was this the normal food and she had just called it a delicacy because that was what she expected it to be to them? And did it have a name? She just seemed to be referring to them as 'crystals'. What made them any different from the rest of the crystals all over the castle? Were those edible, too?
He shook his head as if to sift the most relevant and useful questions and observations to the forefront of his mind. First, his mirrorwraith. It had wandered around a bit but hadn't appeared to be drawn to anyone to steal their energy. This could have been because there wasn't any energy available to drain or because all those that the wraith sensed were of its alignment and associated with Mirrorspace. Since Sinope highly doubted it was the former, he could only assume it was the latter, which meant that the servants and this queen, chaos or order or not, was associated with the seemingly sentient realm.
This made sense considering she had previously mentioned that she used to be able to mirrorwalk and that she hardly remembered a time before she had relied on mirrors. But then, had she been a senshi once, too? And if she relied on them, even now while she couldn't always use them to mirrorwalk, what did she use them for? Just seeing monsters and reaching in for things? She said she didn't like risking the latter, and if they didn't always work for her Sinope wasn't sure why she would continue to use them, but she had implied she still relied on them, so what for? Just out of habit? There was so much he wanted to know, but the biggest question he had prevented him from voicing all his others - could the queen be trusted?
She was acting all calm and cordial with them now, but that was an easy enough facade to put up, especially for royalty who seemed used to putting on a mask in the face of their subjects (assuming this woman even had subjects other than her creepy servants). But there was a particular saying that Sinope was fond of: you could tell a lot about a person by the way they handled a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. To that, Sinope would have liked to add 'having a precious secret stolen', for that was his power. All the listed situations caused people a lot of stress, got on their nerves, and tried their patience. How, then, would this Queen Altea behave under such circumstances? Would she show different colors if angered, or would she remain patient, calm, and composed?
He could have used his magic on her. Even as a basic senshi, he could have tried. As they still weren't sure what manner of being she was, there was no telling if it would work or not, but what was the worst that could happen if it didn't? He could be found out, he supposed. She could turn against them. If he assured her his magic was practically useless, however - no more than a party trick - would she believe him? And if his magic did happen to work on her, wouldn't he be in even more trouble if she didn't like the idea that he knew something she didn't want him knowing? She might even kill him, and even if that ended up telling them something about her true character, he wouldn't have been around anymore for it to matter to him.
No, he decided at last. It was best to play it safe and not attempt to use his magic. It wouldn't have been wise to risk angering her, he figured, especially when he had so many questions left to ask her. Hmm...perhaps he could play the role of an enthusiastic, inquisitive, harmless kid and fire them all at her at once. If there was an inconsistency in her responses, he could home in on it and question her on that, but if she was able to answer all the questions well, at least he'd have a good deal of information without having to wait for others to make the inquiries on his mind for him.
"Your majesty," he began, purposefully altering the manner with which he spoke and his tone of voice to embody a mix of humbleness and reverence. He thought back to what Acubens had told Avior before about withholding information from a potential enemy, but Sinope could see no way to gather the answers to his questions without divulging a little about themselves in turn. "Our court members are actually called Mirror-walkers because among all senshi, we're the only ones we know who can do it. I've never heard of another being who was able to, even if you can't always do it anymore or in anywhere other than your castle.
"You said you could hardly remember a time you didn't rely on mirrors, so you probably use them for more around here than just watching Mirrorspace all day and night or risking reaching in to pull something out, right? Is there anything else you use them for besides moving around your castle, peering through them, and reaching into them to see what they give you? It just sounded like you were more dependant on them than only for the few reasons you said you used them for. Especially if you hadn't watched it enough to see any of us in there before." Then again, that last part might have just been because Mirrorspace hadn't allowed her to see them prior. After all, Altea seemed to believe the place had a certain sentience to it, too, especially when she said the mirror must have wanted them to be saved.
The high schooler took a deep breath. "There's so much I don't understand. If you're a queen, who are the subjects you rule over? Is it just these servants of yours? You have to have a kingdom if you have a castle as grand as this, right? Or, like you said before, 'all that we see here is all that there is'? He scratched his head. "Were you always royalty, or were you ever anything else, like a senshi? All the senshi I've met - even our royal ones - have energy signatures that are either chaotic or orderly. But even though you have one, it's neither. Why is that? Was that always the case?"
"Oh - and another thing." He held up his white crystal in the space just above his plate before releasing it. The weightless-seeming, gravity-defying thing continued to hover there in mid-air as if an invisible stand was holding it up. "I found this crystal in the world you pulled us out from a little while ago. There were others of different colors, too, where this one came from. When you brought us to this place - er, your Solamnia? - I noticed how they looked to all the other crystals found growing everywhere around here. Do you know if they might have come from this world or at least be the same type of crystal?"
If he had been quiet all this time, Sinope's big mouth was more than making up for it now. It was as if the floodgates had opened and he was just mindlessly spewing a good many of the questions he had accumulated until he'd had the courage to speak. At least, that was the impression he'd wanted to give. In truth, he was careful to pick and choose only the most relevant questions he thought would help them determine who this woman was and what was going on. It also hadn't been a lack of courage that had kept him from speaking until then, but a period spend planning and calculating what to do and say before he actually carried out his carefully-considered actions.xLitian Sadalsuud - I'm so sorry you're sitting next to such a loser. OTL xSweenys_Revenge Acubens - <3 'Clever little fox' thinks he might be able to get used to Momma Raptor's praise...even if he denies he likes it xThe Space Cauldron Sinope...is bombarding poor Queen Altea with a slew of questions.
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 3:04 am
Super Sailor Ptolemaeus
Beaming as appeared to be his default expression, the swarthy young man seemed pleased that his request sounded like it would be fulfilled after all. He laughed delightedly as Asmodeus asked him about whether or not he was sure he wanted to eat the crystal meal set out for them. Her concern did not go unnoticed.
"That's sweet of you, angel-face, but I figure you only live once, right?" He cast her a playful wink. And, to his surprise and admiration, she actually risked trying a bite herself. Even if it was only a bite, she had at least taken a chance, and he certainly couldn't fault her for wanting nothing more of it afterward.
Interestingly enough, though the food had seemed tasteless to Ptolemy, Altea was telling one of the other senshi that they grew and picked the crystals, referring to them as 'bitter' and 'sweet'. Perhaps he just hadn't registered the flavors because they'd been too subtle for him or perhaps Altea and her people simply had more sensitive or different kinds of taste buds. He tried another piece for the sole purpose of attempting to discern the flavor Altea spoke of.
Upon hearing that the woman's family had been 'summoned by the Cauldron', which Ptolemy wasn't entirely sure about but thought he got the gist of, he bowed his head in respect and said, "I'm very sorry to hear that. It sounds like a tragedy indeed...but it's good that you still keep them close."
Her description of their group as 'so many' of them, though, almost caused the super senshi to choke on a piece of crystalline food. Luckily, it dissolved fast enough for him to keep from doing so. "Actually, our court happens to be the smallest among the factions where we're from," Ptolemy corrected. Since it was pretty much well-known to anyone who was aware of the factions on Earth, he didn't see how it could have been dangerous information to reveal. If someone had an issue with him saying so, though, he would have been more than willing to deal with the consequences and take responsibility.
He leaned forward in his seat, interlocking his fingers as he rested his arms on the table top. "It's...in my opinion, at least, it's difficult to say if we're fighting anything at all. The war you mentioned hearing about was started by two opposing factions long before our court was even born, from what I hear. Given how we haven't exclusively sided with either of the main, warring factions, I think of us as something of a minority and a neutral party. If this is a time of strife for us, it might simply be because our planet is in danger of being ravaged beyond recovery by the war which I feel we have little to do with compared to the other senshi court and their enemies."
Tilting his head, he smiled placidly at Queen Altea and placed his chin in his palm as he asked, "If I may ask...how is it you know so much about senshi? You seem confident in your knowledge of them. Has that knowledge merely been accumulated from what other travelers have told you in the past? xThe Space Cauldron Ptolemy is telling Queen Altea a little about the war and his perception of their court's role in it as well as asking about her knowledge of senshi.
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 6:13 am
Crocus
Crocus has pulled out a seat next to Diadem for himself and sat down quietly, looking down at the plate of food in front of them. It was quite curious and he wasn't even sure if it was something their should eat, let alone something they could eat. He turned his head toward Diadem as she started asking questions, but admittedly he had never studied anything related to space in his time as a student, though he did know that Asteriods shouldn't have their own atmospheres.
"It is definitely curious. Let's just be thankful that whatever sort of atmosphere it does have, it's not harming us. At least not immediately." The longer they stayed away from home though, the more reason they had to be worried. Maybe it was due to them being powered that they were able to stand on such a strange and far away world. "I'm also useless when it comes to the names of faraway galaxies. There's also the chance that on Earth we know it by a completely different name, so I'm not sure there is any way for us to know where we are." With a sigh he turned back down to the plate of crystal-ike food in front of him. It would be a lie to say he wasn't hungry at all, after what they had been through. He had skipped out on lunch with his friends at the mall when he had noticed the strange glow in the mirrors.
Avior had enough courage to try the food for them, but Crocus was still a little bit hesitant, even after a few others had taken a bite or two. A vior had tried the food for their sake though and he seemed to be okay. It didn't look like he was under any odd spell. It was only fair that Crocus try them as well. He picked up a small piece on his plate and popped it into his mouth. The surprise on his face when it did indeed melt so quickly. It didn't taste like anything at all, but he did feel a little better having eaten just a small bite.
"Well, it seems harmless enough for now." There was relief clearly written on his face. Other continued to chow down, but he was happy with his small sample for now. The Queen, as nice as she appeared, still didn't have his complete trust. everything was still so...unknown. Until he saw the entire court trusting her, particularly Remarque, he wasn't going to trust her either. He leaned over the table to glance down at Avior and thank him for trying the food though.
People were starting to throw more and more questions toward the Queen now. To his surprise, Sinope even asked about the crystals they had found in Mirrorspace. He felt it was a good question, but was worried some of the other might be concerned about it. But, if the Queen really observed Mirrorspace as much as she claimed, she stood a good chance of knowing what they were.
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 11:39 am
Basic Senshi MithraMithra was surprised when the Ptolemaeus had joined the two of them, but wasn't against it. After all, the more the merrier, right? "Oh no, we don't mind at all!" She replied as they all sat down at the table. While the other two tasted the food, Mithra made no moves towards it. If others enjoyed the food that was fine, but honestly, even if it tasted amazing, it didn't look enjoyable. Something in the back of her primal brain was saying 'eating rocks, bad' and so she mostly watched and listened to what the others were saying. She listened to all of the information that various members of the Dark Mirror were giving to this... 'queen' and was slightly annoyed at it. That was like telling the guy int he trench coat you randomly met on the street what your work schedule was and when you would be out of the house most of the day. It just wasn't a good idea to give this much information out. However, she could not stop them and so decided on her own that she would be giving this queen no information about herself. If Altea could see within the mirrors, perhaps she could see in other mirrors too, not just the ones they traveled in, but all of them. Though Mithra couldn't help but admit that they were getting some information from this queen too, just not enough to satisfy Mithra, at least in a way that would reveal a weakness, like they were giving to the queen. She gave a weak smile to her current companions. "Uhm... I think I'm good on the whole... 'food' thing." She piped up at Ptolemoaeus's question. He seemed to be asking the right questions to the queen. Get to know what she knew and all of that.
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 2:29 pm
Kibirev glanced to Lovejoy and gave a little sigh. “You’re not going to try one? What happened to your sense of adventure, LJ? You’re normally the one telling me to try new things…They…” She paused and shrugged at Remarque as well, talking to the both of them. “They don’t taste like much…but it’s kind of cool how they melt in your mouth…it’s something solid and then it’s gone…and I feel better. Like, I have more energy and I’m ready to…I don’t know.”
Glancing to the queen, the senshi gave another little smile, seeming almost shy. “I’d love to help you pick out something to wear! And…and I would love to maybe pick something out—are you sure?”
This was too amazing. Who else did she know that had an outfit given to them by a queen?
She plucked a few more of the crystals from the newly offered dish and popped another one into her mouth, then held one out to Lovejoy. “Come on, just try it. It’s not bad. Honest. I wouldn’t ever ask you to try something that I thought was bad…or scary. You know that…”
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