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 Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 12:12 am
He was gone.
Nealite stared at the empty space on the gym floor where only moments before Sailor Castor had been there, limp and defenseless. She had almost had him, she had almost <********> had him until that little b***h Astraea had shown up. Astraea had taken him away and with him, Nealite's chance for redemption.
The orange haired lieutenant let out a sob as she moved, bringing her arm back down to clutch onto her side as she began to curl up into a fetal position. No no no no... this couldn't be real, this couldn't be happening.
She had felt his star seed. The energy of the seed had been right there, pulsing in her hand as she'd latched on to it. Why did she let it go, no, how could she have let it go? Had she just held on to it, just a few seconds more, all of this wouldn't have happened. She would have had a star seed, she would have gone back to Charonite and given it to him proudly.
Oh god.
Charonite.
Her eyes squeezed tightly shut, the mental image of a furious General-King haunting her mind. He'd been so livid when she'd failed the first time, what was he going to do to her now? She'd disobeyed his order, she'd fought when she'd been told to sit on her a** and do nothing.
She'd fought and she'd failed.
She began to rock back and forth, attempting to calm herself as she sobbed quietly. This was no way for a lieutenant to act. This was no way any member of the Negaverse to act. She needed to collect herself and fast, especially before anyone on the off chance could find her.
Remaining where she was, she began to take deep long breaths, doing her best to push the mental image of the General-King out of her mind as she calmed herself down. She choked on a sob, and with a hiccup, managed to regain a normal breathing pattern once more. After a few minutes of lying there, the woman finally pushed up from where she lay, raising herself to a sitting position.
There was blood on the ground, smeared across the linoleum floor of the gymnasium. It took her a few seconds to realize that it was her blood that had stained the ground, that it was her blood that stained her dress and covered her limbs. Cuts were scattered across her arms as well as her face, the blood already beginning to dry and grow crusty.
Her hair was everywhere, and she reached up with sore arms, managing to tame it back as she attempted to think things through as rationally as she possibly could. It hurt to lift her arms, thanks to whatever the hell Astraea had shot at her, her chest aching painfully. Every part of her hurt, and her body pleaded to remain on the ground, to just lie there in agony as opposed to the painful attempt to rise up.
But she had to rise up. She had get up and clean this mess before anyone could see her, before any further damage could be done.
Groaning, she managed to pull herself up onto her feet, her legs screaming in protest at having to hold up her body's weight. She stumbled over to retrieve her fallen mirror and was forced to lean against the lockers for a few minutes to catch her breath.
As she stood there, her mind debated on what she should do. Should she tell Charonite and reveal that she had failed him once again, by not only disobeying orders but losing a cat and a senshi on top of that? Or should she attempt to hide her failure, hide the terrible mistake she'd made by wandering into the gym tonight?
"It's strange, you know, Lieutenant, that you sit on this information like a bird in a nest, and then just try to yank it out to save your own skin when the crunch time comes. Strange."
Memories of her last failure flooded her mind, and she clenched her fist and slammed it against the locker, gritting her teeth as she bitterly recalled his comments to her.
No.
She may have failed him when it came to retrieving the star seed, she may have failed him when it came to obtaining or killing Astraea, but she would not fail him by keeping this information to herself. Not again, not ******** again.
Her face hardening, she hobbled her way towards the locker room, retrieving the first spare towel she found. It was more than a b***h to have to hobble back to the area she'd fallen, but nobody else was going to clean up her mess. It was her responsibility, it was her duty to look after her actions.
She was going to tell him. She was going to tell him everything that had happened, and how that <********> cat had stripped her of her chances of taking that precious star seed. There was no doubt that she'd find herself worse off than when she'd started this evening, but it didn't matter. It didn't ******** matter anymore. Her duty was to her General-King, and she'd report back to him what she had to report back, forthcoming consequences be damned.
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Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:41 am
The gym floor had seen its own amount of blood, guts and plasma. In fact, it had seen a little too much of the above. If floors could talk, it would probably complain about the amount of Hematite and Obsidian that had dripped into it over the past months -- and now Nealite was simply adding to it.
Ursula wasn't expecting to have to report while she was still congealing, though.
"What the <********> happened here?"
There was Charonite in the doorway, dressed down as much as you ever saw Charonite -- which meant gym pants and a wifebeater, sunglasses still on despite it being the middle of the night, a half-smoked cigarette hanging limply from his fingers. He was staring at her, eyes fathomless behind those dark lenses as ever. "What," he repeated, "the <********> happened?"
He was already striding over to her -- pulling her up to stand with a wince, taking the bloodied towel and just throwing it off into space. Her breath was coming fast and shallow, and before she could say a word he was dragging her off by the elbow as she limped behind him -- muttering under his breath, "<********>" as though it were appropriate punctuation. At least it wasn't her hair.
The door of his office slammed shut behind her.
It was probably time to start talking.
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Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:54 am
Her heart about leaped out of her chest the moment she heard the question.
How the hell was he finding her so quickly? Oh god, had he seen anything? Had he witnessed the battle, and her ultimate failure? He was asking what happened so... maybe he hadn't? Oh god, but what if he had?
Her heart was racing as he walked forward, her cheeks burning with embarrassment already at not only being caught, but seeing her superior in such a casual state. Had she unknowingly put herself in a pathway? How did he know to go into the gym?
She winced and bit her lip as he dragged her, her legs still sore. Well, ********, everything was still sore at this point, but the lieutenant had a few more worries on her mind at the current moment to occupy her thoughts.
As the door shut, sealing them both in, her mouth started going. She was tired, she was in pain, and now she was scared. Really scared.
"Astraea," she began, raising one hand up to wipe a mess of hair from out of her eyesight, "Sir, there was Castor, and then Astraea appeared and she took him...I tried so hard, I swear I had him, I had him right ******** there!"
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Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 5:09 am
She could not have said anything that prompted a reaction more.
"Astraea?"
The General-King whipped around so hard that his sunglasses, by all the laws of gravity, should have come off -- he dropped the cigarette and crushed it underfoot, he strode over to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. Much too hard, in light of her bruises. His fingers were digging into her skin, but not exactly in anger -- in emphasis, really, though whatever the motivation was it still stung. "Astraea? Do you mean to tell me Astraea was <******** here, in this gym, at this time of night, right here?"
He was looming over her. "Lieutenant," he said, "report. Right this god damned minute."
And -- thank God! -- he let go.
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Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 6:45 am
Oh god, oh god, oh god.
He was big, he was so ******** huge and he was looming and she couldn't think.
She was in the process of trying to take a deep breath in attempts to calm herself down when he grabbed hold of her, and a small gasp escaped her lips as sharp pain shot through her shoulders.
Trembling by this point, she concentrated on staring at the rim of his sunglasses as she spoke, unable to look directly at him in fear of breaking down.
"Y-yes sir, I... I was in the gym and came across Sailor Castor. He was alone and his back was turned so I... I took advantage of the situation and attacked him, in attempts to get his star seed."
Her chin lifted, refusing to show any hint of guilt for disobeying his direct order to stand down and do nothing for two weeks, despite the fact she was completely ridden inwardly with shame for having done so.
"I almost had it, I had his seed in my hand until he used his Storm..." eyes focused, burning into the rim of the glasses, terrified to look at his expression, on the chance it would change into disapproval, "And his attack hit me directly. I tried to get back to him, but Astraea got to him first."
It was humiliating, explaining to him how she completely and utterly failed. It sounded so absurd, being beaten by some punk a** child and a cat, of all things.
"She hit me, sir, I don't know how but the star on her forehead has some sort of beam." To emphasize, her hands moved up and pressed against her collarbone area. Her ribs just had to be bruised, judging by the throbbing pain still raging within her. "She hit me but I tried... I tried to get back to them but..."
And it was time for the weird part. Nealite was hesitant, for the story was already so outlandish. What else did she have to tell him but the truth, though?
"She changed, General-King. She changed into a human and teleported herself and the senshi Castor away. I don't understand how she did it, but she morphed right before my eyes."
Story now complete, the younger lieutenant braced herself for the punishment to come. She had never felt more stupid. She had almost had them and she lost them... while she was on probation, no less!
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Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 7:14 am
At eyes he was already making his move, and she was taut and cringing waiting for the blame to fall on her. It didn't happen. Charonite whirled towards the wall and leant against it: then he punched it so hard that his fist went through the spottily-painted particle board. He yanked it out, raining chips. Then the other fist went ********>" he said, incoherently -- "I ******** KNEW IT! She has the ******** soul -- for ******** sake, I'm too ******** late. I KNEW she'd had it. I can't believe I didn't -- I can't -- didn't even god damn -- must've had it all this god damn time -- "
He gave a primal yell of pure rage, the primal roar of I passed my barrier on this long ago. "That egotistical b***h I'll ******** her ******** face up -- "
He trailed off. Ursula could just about see the vein throbbing in his forehead. He kicked the wall again, hard. Then -- even though the urge to flinch was high -- he moved over to her and lifted her: by the waist, fingers encircling it, walking her towards his desk, sitting her down on it like a rag doll before he reached up for the tin box that held the first aid supplies. He hadn't even thought about it, hadn't hesitated, face had betrayed nothing.
"I don't have to tell you that there's no ******** backchat," he said, deadly calm now. "No matter how odd the question is. --
"-- What was she wearing?"
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Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 7:24 am
Nealite felt herself involuntarily flinch with every punch he aimed at the nearby wall. She had no idea what he was talking about, what he was raging on about, but clearly it held importance enough to dismiss her of the failure at battle.... for now, at least.
When he turned towards her, her eyes grew wide, and she emitted a small yelp of surprise as he swiftly planted her on his desk. Her face was already burning from embarrassment... was it possible to die from it as well? She watched him silently as he retrieved the medical supplies; he had done it for Khaldun countless times, but rarely was she in ever need of any assistance.
As he began his next comment, her curiosity rose....until he asked his question, and then it spiked. What in the hell?
Her cheeks were on fire by this point, but she was willing to do whatever it took to appease the fury of the General-King.
"A gown, sir." She quickly answered, trying to recall any and all details she could remember, "It was... lacy, rather like a night gown of sorts? Blue. It was blue."
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Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 5:19 pm
"Come on, you're a god damned woman," he was muttering. The first-aid kit was thrown open: he was retrieving some antibiotic and a slightly ragged cotton swab, applying it to the swelling cuts on Ursula's face. "And don't ******** think you're coming into work until you stop looking like a beaten god damned girlfriend. -- What kind of blue, Lieutenant? Dark blue? Was it dark?"
This line of questioning seemed completely insane.
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Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 5:44 pm
She blinked, caught off by his insistence to know more about the gown belonging to the cat. Since when was Charonite into ladies fashion? Or was there something more, something about Astraea herself that he was interested in? The fact alone he was interrogating her about the clothes of the woman who could have well broken one of her ribs did not sit well with Nealite, and she frowned at the idea he had any interest at all in her like that! He should be asking about her attack, what she said, where she went! Not about clothes, for god's sake.
The alcohol stung against her skin, and she felt even more cross about being ordered to miss work. It was her own fault, she knew, but to be told to sit on her a** during the day as well as her normal patrolling hours? What in the hell was she supposed to do?
"Steel blue, to be precise." She explained, a hint of ice in her voice. "With little blue bows at the top and blue lining on the bottom. The lining is trimmed with white lace. I couldn't get a very good look at what pattern was on the negligee, sir, due to being curled up on the ground thanks to her attack, but I imagine it was flowers or butterflies. Both are very in season this year, though I'm not sure what store sells nightgowns for cat women."
She couldn't believe this. He wanted to know about her nightgown?
"Her ears and tail remained a silver gray, and her human hair matched." the lieutenant added, trying to be as thorough as possible. God, she hated this cat even more now than she did when she'd been shot in the chest!
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Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 5:54 pm
His fist shot out and banged into his desk, right next to her thigh. "God <********> damn it," he breathed. His head was dropped down, as though deep in thought. "I know she has it. I know she has the ******** soul. This says it outright. So why the ******** is it not ******** manifesting?"
Apparently he was too lost in the entire business of catgirl fashion to be annoyed at the snippy tone in her voice, or even notice the thin sheen of ice overlaid on top of it. His knuckles were white with anger. It took him a few long moments to calm down: then, when he did, he was tilting her head back, attacking long bleeding scratches on her neck with the cotton swab.
"All right," he said. "I want you to think about this, and be as ******** accurate as you possibly can, Ursula." (Ursula. Ursula. He hadn't called her 'Ursula' since the ill-fated meeting.) "You said she came out of nowhere when you were about to take the star seed? And you saw them both teleport away -- after she took her human form?"
He added: "Think about this, Lieutenant. I want answers."
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Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 6:26 pm
The desk shook, and the younger woman shifted slightly, ensuring to avoid any other slams should they come.
Alright, so apparently the dress did have something to do with vital information, though what this 'soul' was he was referring to, she was unsure. Hmph. Well, it was a relief to Nealite, at least, even if it appeared that her opinion wouldn't matter anyhow. Who was she trying to fool? He was all business, always business, and she was just some silly fool for toying with the idea of anything different!
The name he called her did not go unnoticed, though, and her urge to cooperate quickly grew, as did her realization of what he was doing.
Closing her eyes and doing her best to ignore the surprisingly gentle hands attending her neck, she thought back over the brief interlude she'd shared with the feline. She tried her best to focus on her memory and not the terribly close presence of the man standing before her.
Taking several deep breaths, she finally opened her eyes and tilted her head slightly, locking her gaze on his sunglasses as she explained her story.
"I was on the ground by that time, and while I was on my way to the senshi is when she appeared from out of nowhere. She leaped onto the boy and was trying to get him up. He managed to limp around a couple feet, but then she did some sort of... spark power?"
Nealite struggled to find the best way to describe the event, "It was like a flurry of sparks, and that's when she transformed. I only got to see her for a few seconds, but it was like she was almost practically glowing. After she picked up the boy, another set of the sparks came raining down and they literally disappeared."
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Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 7:24 pm
The cotton swab was dropped. This was replaced with some cream that he smeared on another cotton swab, which was brushed over her bruises: he'd done this innumerable times before, apparently, though if he did it this way on Khaldun he was much gentler than Khaldun had ever bitched about.
"Well," he said, "that confirms some of my ******** hunches."
He was brushing the stuff -- it was cold! -- on a swelling lump high on her hairline. The General-King seemed lost in his brooding, his hands moving automatically, pushing strands of her long orange hair impatiently out the way as he finished his nursemaiding. It didn't seem to be a remotely romantic gesture: it was apparently just him patching her up like he would have patched anyone up.
It was still pretty gentle, though.
"All right," said Charonite, "it's time for me to put some more god damned objects in motion, that's what it's time for. Astraea's grown in power. I can't believe her ******** arrogance being in Hillworth, showing her true self, under my ******** nose. I'm going to rip her skin off and wipe my ******** a** with it. I want that goddamned Castor dead, do you hear me? I want his head on my desk."
But he was still brooding, apparently. "She comes when they're in danger,' he was saying. "Well, that makes baiting a hell of a lot ******** easier. I have her now. She pissed up her own rope, doing what she did."
And, after a moment: "Tilt your head, Lieutenant." (More dabbing.)
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Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 8:12 pm
She sat there quietly after she'd told her story, waiting for his inevitable angry reaction. It didn't come, however, and she remained sitting there in silence, her eyes watching his hand move down to pick up another cotton swab.
As his hand raised to dab at her head, she did everything in her power to avoid direct eye contact, which was difficult considering his face was only a foot or so away from hers. She didn't understand why she was acting so silly; she never acted this way around Obsidian. She never acted this way around anyone, but for some ungodly reason, she got jitters when it came to the General-King.
Finally, she simply closed her eyes to avoid having to stare awkwardly at him, and gave in to enjoying the feeling of the cool cream against her warm skin (goddamn her blushing, how on earth did a woman control it?).
Her eyes fluttered open as he began talking, and Nealite once again found it easy to stare at her superior. A grin snaked its way onto her face as she heard how detested Astraea was to him, as well as his hopes for a certain senshi's death. Hm....
Being the obedient lieutenant she was, she lifted her head as requested, shamelessly happy to be paid more attention to.
"I would be honored to have the assignment," she managed to say, though a bit difficult with the angle her head was at, "I'd like to settle the score with that little b*****d myself, after what he did to me."
A sly grin pulled at the corner of her lips, and she did her best to surpress it.
"...after my two weeks are up, sir, of course."
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Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 8:59 pm
"'After your two weeks are up.'" It was low and mocking, and he was pushing away hair at the nape of her neck as he rubbed the cream into her skin. The bruises were going to look technicoloured against her pale complexion. "Nemesis, you look like a beaten goddamn housewife -- 'after your two weeks are up.'"
He put the bottle of cream in her hand -- apparently he'd been treating her with nothing more sophisticated than arnica. The message was clear: she could finish on her arms and collarbone. Instead, the General-King paced back and leant against the door, arms folded, watching her intently, that sardonic twist to his mouth still there. "Aren't you obedient. Who says I'm going to ******** give you the assignment?"
He held up one hand as she opened her mouth. "As it stands," he said, "I am. You're off prob. -- for now. I still think you ******** up beyond all comprehension, I still can't believe you of all people screwed it up, and you're taking Grendel with you every ******** place you go -- but the truth is, I can't spare you. The newbies are so ******** new they still piss green."
Charonite added, after a pregnant pause: "Don't make me team you up with Miss Collins just to make you suffer, Lieutenant Nealite."
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Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 9:43 pm
Nealite knew she had to look pretty beat up, judging by the soreness covering her body and the dull ache she felt every time the cotton ball was massaged against her skin. She'd probably be terrified to look at herself in a mirror come tomorrow. For now, though, she had to bite her bottom lip to prevent her grin from growing wider and risk pissing off the General-King.
The comforting attention her neck was receiving was soon gone, and the bottle forced into her hand. Dutifully, she opened it up and dabbed a bit on a spare cotton ball at her side, moving to begin massaging it into her collarbone area as he continued to talk.
He silenced her before she could put up an argument to his insinuation, and she let out a small sigh of relief when he confirmed she was now off her probation. She was wise enough to know better than to smile as he reprimanded her, but inwardly she was still happy as ever, knowing she'd been released from her sentencing. Charonite must have regained at least some faith in her, she reasoned, for him to be willing to let her once again take on an assignment.
His last comment was humbling, and she nodded, a solemn expression cemented on her face though her inward emotions still betrayed the situation.
"Yes sir," she replied, attempting to keep her tone as flat as possible, "I will not fail you again."
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