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 Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 12:30 pm
Sailor Albali was in the midst of a conundrum of both personal and business terms. In the matter of her personal life, that single night she'd gone to find Fallon in France had turned into perhaps one of the more lovely, confusing things that she'd ever experienced. The tragic romance of it all hadn't been lost on the girl though in all it had been rather lovely.
But it was mingling with her business and that was a problem.
Fingers combed through the loosening of her ridiculous braids as Albali walked into the old teashop they were using as their meeting place this week. It had a nice basement that was great for Fight Club style sparring and the front was rather well-apportioned for the sort of work she did. The tables and chairs hadn't been cleaned out yet -- apparently the property had been defaulted on entirely and everything had been left.
Being the first to arrive, unsurprisingly, it was her job to put the tea on. The motions were mechanical for the Welsh girl and she thought carefully about what she wanted to say. It was clear after Operation Rota that not all of the angles had been considered. It was also clear that those on the ISS did not only prove themselves unworthy of the trust their leader had put into them, but they were entirely ungrateful of how capable Ares really was!
She would have loved to see any of them do better! The metal of the kettle slammed against the burner and had her jumping a bit. Was she really that frustrated about it? Yes. Yes she was. So it was time for Sailor Albali to take that final step, and give her all to the BMC. To Ares, really.
It wasn't as if she didn't already have it anyway.
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Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 12:00 am
Albali had asked Ares to meet her at the tea shop two days prior. She was a punctual girl and understood how the Captain of the Blood Moon Court preferred her calendar to be scheduled. It was risky any time the Senshi of Smoke henshined, but Albali had been specific that this was Blood Moon Court business. As a formality, she came as Eternal Sailor Ares. It was customary.
Slipping in through the back entrance, Ares found Albali in the kitchen fussing with a tea kettle. This was not the first time that the two had seen each other since the meeting in France. Ares had been drawn to Albali for a long time, but that night was the first that she allowed herself to admit why. It brought back painful memories, the sense of loss that she experienced every day when she thought of her old kingdom locked behind the dimensional rift she was not strong enough to pass through.
Their subsequent encounters after that night had not been nearly as passionate. They did the things they always did: studied for class, discussed new plans for the faction, ate dinner. It was almost as if the entire night had not happened. Ares took comfort in Albali's presence, but she feared that a personal relationship with the girl might inhibit her ability to truly lead. She had seen what Nehelenia's love for Alexandros had caused her to do. Ares did not want to make a similar decision when blinded by emotion.
Her footsteps were slow, clear. She wanted Albali to know she was there before she spoke. "You wanted to see me formally," she said, crossing toward the stove.
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Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:39 am
Even if she hadn't felt her coming, the slow steps were appreciated to help the senshi gather her thoughts back from where they'd wandered. Impassioned statements wouldn't do the argument any good. The kettle shrieked almost perfectly so that not only were Albali's hands busy and occupied to keep her from feeling nervous, they would have tea. Tea was always nice.
"I did and thank you for coming. I know it's not always safe but you know how I feel about mixing business and pleasure." The line was blurred when it came to Fallon and that was also disturbing to her because it never should have been allowed to go that far. But she wasn't going to back down now in either circumstance! Placing the teapot and two cups on the table Albali sat primly on the edge of her seat.
"Since we got back from France I've been doing a lot of thinking." That was a loaded statement which is one of the many reasons the senshi had insisted on their powered forms. This wasn't a time for awkward relationship forays. "You're badly served by fools who don't understand anything about loyalty, dedication, or the fact that most of us were lost before the Court." Her especially. Tea was sipped to wet a throat gone dry with irritating nerves.
"I want to change that. I've already been fairly privileged to hear things that I know not all the mercs do but I can't help you here. Formally I'd like to request you consider me for a seat on the Inner Sanctum." Done with being restrained and proper now that the initial request had been made, cup rattled against saucer and a hand reached out towards Ares.
"I can help you! I want to help you and you know I'll never just give up or blame you when things go wrong." Eyes narrowed in remembrance of those idiots that had sent Fallon running for France and leaving them all without a head for almost a week. "I want to make sure you never have to do that again. The Court needs me and I want to serve it."
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Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 10:12 am
Ares would have preferred to make the tea. She watched Albali fuss with it, doing things in a way that she would not have done it herself. A frown touched at her lips. She wouldn't drink it, not much, but she wouldn't say anything to Albali about it either. That would be rude.
When the Senshi of Echoes took a seat, Ares did too, crossing her legs neatly under the table. This entire situation was very curious to her. She was accustomed to being the one who called the meetings. It took a great deal of her concentration not to react when Albali mentioned France. Ares planned to never address it with her, not directly. It was not only because of what she had admitted that night and what they had done; it was the vulnerability that Ares simply could not stomach.
As Albali made her case, Ares sat firmly in her chair, blinking slowly. Albali had been selected as an excellent candidate for the ISS months ago, but her association with Team Vogue had kept her from true consideration, just like Nemesis was held back by her ties to the Dream Team. Every word that fell past Albali's lips comforted Ares though -- every single one.
She retained her composure, not reacting outwardly. "And have you severed all ties with Team Vogue?" she asked.
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 9:35 pm
There had been a flicker that had Albali's stomach knotting when she'd mentioned that desperate hunt for their leader and finding her in the abandoned house. It had come out as a casual beginning and for a moment, the senshi thought the sheer mention would have ruined her chances entirely. So she'd barreled on and Ares' first question surprised her. It shouldn't have but it did.
There was a long moment of mental consideration before a shoulder raised and fell. "I will always consider Rosalind a friend and I admit I sometimes try to keep their foolish cat out of trouble. I'm not sure whether that's out of a desire to help her or simply because she knows who I really am. But my loyalty is to..." A pause. She had wanted to say 'to you' but it was decidedly the wrong thing to say.
Even if it was the truth.
"My loyalty lies with the Court. Rosalind and I have disagreed more than once on the ideals and methods we employ, and will continue to do so. I wouldn't turn her away if she decided she wanted to join us. We can always afford the help. But she will never command me." Teal eyes were proud and clear as they held the smoky gray of Ares' own. It wasn't enough in that moment that Sailor Albali was almost constantly a believer in blunt honesty over lies.
She wanted Sailor Ares to see that she was unflinching and honest about this. There were a thousand things that she'd used this resolve on in the personal life of Eilian Halpan. Getting into Crystal was one of them, her rigorous schedule, and the plan to one day own her own bookstore. All that was starting to pale in comparison to the constant war of senshi versus Negaverse. It was consuming her life more and more so that if a night was spent out of the form of Albali, it felt quite off.
"I hope that's enough."
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 10:00 pm
Ares had been found of Rosalind when they met in battle. Granted, most of that had to do with her attractiveness. She was not a serious prospect for a girlfriend, not that Ares was even the girlfriend type. Looking at Albali now, the Captain of the Blood Moon Court was finding it a touch difficult to maintain her business-like composure. She could remember how smooth the skin at the nape of Albali's neck was, how soft she could be, how she breathed. It was a distraction that part of her regretted, but that another part demanded to have more of it.
One hand raised up to rest gently on the edge of the table. She met Albali's stare, held it. She knew the girl was being honest. "The Inner Santcum will ask more of you than what is enough," she said, falling back into the familiar candor of the official ISS proceedings. "We ask everything of those who rise through the ranks. We ask more than you might realize yourself capable of giving." It was one thing to be a member of the Blood Moon Court; it was quite another to lead it.
A painted nail tapped once on the table. "It is no secret that we have had our eye on you," she said, rolling a shoulder. "You are determined and thorough. What you lack on the battlefield, you more than make up for off if it." Something about this seemed suggestive, but Ares was unfazed. "But this is not a decision that I can make without the rest of the Sanctum. I will bring it to them. If they decide you are worthy of facing the Trials, then we will find you. There is no warning in these things, Albali." The last line was a bit of advice especially for her friend. The Trials could be challenging, and the final battle was painful for everyone.
Ares needed to know that Albali was prepared.
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Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 10:06 am
Relief flooded through Albali at the words of her Captain. She'd been taken seriously, listened to, and not found wanting by the one person whose opinion meant the most. Most of the Inner Sanctum knew Albali on the surface only, knew very little about what she did, could do, and who she was. But there was a small knot left in her stomach that worried and it was banished to be considered later.
A smile curved across the senshi's face and she sipped at her tea again while considering what she was capable of giving versus what she was willing to give. Her life for Ares? That was both capable and willing. Her life for any of the rest of them? Another story. Opening her mouth to speak Albali did one more thing entirely out of character for her -- she bit her tongue about this particular bit of information. Teeth clicked together and sipped tea again.
The moment passed and the smile only widened as the mental thought of I'd rather you had both eyes on me, please' brushed along her thoughts and a light nod came. "I will just have to adjust my schedule to load in those things that might help me here." That dimmed her grin considerably in consternation. Where in the world was she going to find time for an extra class? Money could secure her one but time was something money couldn't buy.
Why couldn't she have been the Senshi of Time? That would have been damn useful! It was a naive thought that knew nothing of the rigorous responsibility and loneliness of Sailor Pluto. "Thank you, Ares. This means quite a lot to me, I hope you know."
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 6:52 am
It seemed like the only thing Ares heard about nowadays was more cadets deserting the Blood Moon Court. There were whispers of mercenaries, too, who had grown to question what they were doing. Even Birhan Isat in the Inner Sanctum had expressed some distress at their actions. Ares knew that Birhan would not betray her, but it still hurt to see someone she had come to respect so much could fall victim to the same weak-will that many of their lower ranking members were experiencing in the Operation Rota fall-out.
But while others ran, Albali turned and opened her arms.
This, perhaps more than anything, was why Ares cared so much for the girl.
Ares got to her feet. The cup of tea was left untouched. "Good luck, Mercenary Albali," she said in crisp, military tones. "The Inner Sanctum will discuss your merits and come back to you as soon as possible." The girl began to move toward the mirror, long cinnamon hair sweeping like a drape behind her. For a split second before the mirror's surface dissolved to allow Ares passage, it reflected back something not regularly seen on the girl's face: a smile.
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