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 Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 3:21 pm
The Squire of Camelot had a lot to think about, but was not allowing himself to. Instead, he focused his attention on the shield he had now.
At least this recent power up was a good distraction.
The shield was longer than his last one had been. It was no longer circular and no longer made entirely of wood. It had a metallic structure to it, emblazoned with a dragon. At the top, the Terra Viridis crystal glistened. He had been holding it when he powered up, and it became a part of his shield.
He swung the thing listlessly, getting a better feel for its weight.
His last item broke within a few hits. This one seemed like it might be a bit more sturdy. All of this mattered very little at the moment, but he was keeping his attention on it anyway. That way he didn't have to think about all the things he was helpless to fight against, to fix. How was he supposed to be a knight dedicated to saving lives, when he could do so little to stop it?
He had gone off alone, finding a quiet place to think. Or not think. Or whatever it was he was doing. Moving through the motions, one defense stance he had used before to another, testing the shield.
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Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 5:20 pm
All things considered, Jett had already spent too much time at Virgo. It wasn’t a particularly appealing outpost to him; he simply wasn’t attracted to the décor nor layout. It served a good purpose—Jett suspected he’d have been s**t out of luck on multiple occasions if it weren’t for the healing the outpost provided.
It was possible that he might not have resented the Virgo outpost if he’d ever been there for any reason other than to let the magic there help patch him up, but the fact was that this place just seemed morbid to him. It was like a hospital with better scenery.
The bruise on his cheek was far less severe than many of the other injuries he’d seen recovering at Virgo, but more narcissistic than he needed to be, Jett had no intention of parading around black and blue.
The trip was supposed to be short, though as he walked around Virgo, stroking his now tingling cheek, he couldn’t help but notice Camelot’s actions. The movements were someone hypnotic, but Jett wasn’t the least bit concerned with staring. It wasn’t often you saw someone dressed like that—or playing with a shield, so he couldn’t help but have his interest perked.
Assessing the little things, Jett could tell that the male looked a bit older than the other senshi around here, and yet his outfit seemed to share little in common with the fact that it wasn’t the sort normal people should be wearing out in public. “Hey,” he said, lowering his hands to rest on his hips; he leaned back a bit as he watched the male. Tone more amused than curious, he implored after a slight pause, “What are you doing?”
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Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 12:46 pm
Camelot nearly jumped out of his armor when a voice penetrated his thoughts. The metal rattled as he turned suddenly, stumbling and nearly toppling. It was embarrassment more than fear that had him stumbling around so awkwardly, which wasn't great because the more he flailed the worse his embarrassment got.
It was a never ending cycle of red faced gracelessness.
He managed to stop himself, though, straightening up and looking at the civilian that had called him, smiling thinly and laughing bashfully in an effort to make things as lighthearted as possible from the get go. Lest he get mercilessly mocked for how badly he had handled that surprise.
"I was ah. Just doing some. I didn't think anyone was around... ah. Wasn't expecting..." he trailed off, cleared his throat, stood up a bit straighter and tried again. "I was just practicing with my shield, testing its weight and balance. What are you doing out alone? Things aren't too safe around here, I'm afraid."
Act tough and authoritative, and restore some pride. That was the game plan.
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Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 1:20 pm
“Afraid? Nah, don’t be afraid,” Jett said, obviously bemused by the reaction. After everything that had happened, he was feeling pretty damn good about himself. If whales, bats, salamanders, spiders, talking cats and winged women didn’t get him—seriously? What else was there? What else—in this world, or any—was of danger to him?
He’d been walking around alone for a while now, and the worst thing to come of it was a massive inflation of ego—which was totally fine for him; Jett felt like he was on top of the world. He continued, “I think I’m doing a pretty good job of taking care of myself. And you look like the sort of guy who knows how to watch his own back, so what are you worried about?”
Shifting positions, he approached a bit so his voice wasn’t so raised in conversation, though he was also careful not to get too close. His experiences in the Surrounding had left him relatively unwilling to approach anyone that looked like a senshi, but he’d caught this man in a seemingly candid activity—not barking orders or pretending like he knew everything or trying to make the other civilians feel more at home. That alone put Jett in a good mood; of all the times he’d spoken to people in costumes (albeit, the very few types he’d spoken to them), he’d ended up resenting them for their lack of knowledge or control over the situation. Now? Jett wasn’t asking questions, or demanding to get home. He was just talking—just generally curious about these people. And this guy totally seemed like a good place to start.
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Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 6:37 pm
"More than I'd care to admit, I think," Camelot breathed, looking up at the sky. It was becoming a habit of his, looking off into space and wondering about Earth. But considering it was his home planet, past, present, and future, it wasn't hard to understand why something inside him was calling out for it the longer he stayed in space.
He looked at the civilian, wondering how he could be so confident in himself, when such strange things were happening around him. Was he someone like Tony had been, already aware of this war, these creatures called youma and the people that fought with or against them?
It was almost a sad thought.
The Squire smiled, though, assuming a more casual stance. He had his shield in front of him, arms leisurely hanging, his other hand resting on the top of his long shield. His finger just barely touched the glowing green crystal embedded in the wood.
"So, why so confident? Don't tell me you're enjoying your trip to space?" He smiled, tilting his head. He was actually interested, as he assumed all the civilians were feeling the same way. Scared. Confused. Overwhelmed. Apparently that was not the case.
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Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 6:57 pm
Jett’s eyes drifted to the crystal in the shield and lingered for a second longer than need-be, though he glanced up to lock gazes with the man in front of him. “I wouldn’t say ‘enjoying,’ the trip,” he mused. “But there’s no point in being worried about it if it’s clearly out of my control. Don’t get me wrong, I took the careful route—I played it safe. After the whale and the bats—after we got to the outposts? I stayed inside, didn’t poke around where I didn’t belong. I didn’t make it one night without hitting trouble,” he shrugged. “It’s not like I’m totally miserable here. Nobody I know has died, and yeah—I miss things from home—but the truth of the matter is, I can’t get back anyway. So what, should I bit sitting in a corner crying my eyes out? It’s pretty here, I guess. Kind of neat. Something to brag about when we get home, you know?”
Not that Jett ever had any intention of opening his mouth to anyone about this; that was just asking for a one way ticket to the nearest mental hospital. He was optimistic about making it out of here alive—or maybe just cocky. Death was not a thought Jett had considered; he was too young to be thinking of mortality.
“…Not that I can see anyone wanting to be here, though. With all the space monsters and crap like that? But you. You’re with the senshi, right? You have the opportunity to come and go? Which would mean you chose to come here,” he reasoned, not really waiting for an answer. Unless this was just some civilian playing dress up, he already knew this guy had to have some affiliation with the senshi. “So why? If you have the option to be nice, safe at home, why are you here in space?”
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Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 7:50 pm
Camelot listened, looking thoughtful. He was used to running into younger people, of course, but sometimes it surprised him when someone who thought with a wisdom beyond their years, his years, said something thought provoking. And it happened more often than not. Most of the teenagers he met, for example, were senshi or negaverse soldiers. They fought and served, and they believed in something.
Maybe it was surprising because this was a civilian.
He smiled and nodded his head slowly, finding that he agreed. In a way. It was out of their control, though that did not mean he was going to sit back and see what happened. Of course he would continue to fight. But the theory was the same, if not the application. Jett didn't want to spend his time fretting in a way that wasn't productive. Nor did Camelot.
"Well, I'm aiding the senshi," he said thoughtfully. "I owe my life to some of them here. I choose to be here, yes, because I want to help them, and I want to bring you guys back where you belong. Earth is my planet, and you're it's people. We need to get you home."
He sighed.
"I'm a knight," he said, by way of explanation. he thought of stopping there, but continued again at length, "my duty is to help people. I wouldn't have these powers, this ability to pull on this armor and use this shield, if it weren't for that purpose. So I'll go where people need me most. At the moment, it's here in space. I'll always choose to not be safe when I know there are people in trouble who don't have that choice."
He didn't mention that he felt like he was doing a s**t job of it, considering the lives already lost.
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Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 8:16 pm
Camelot’s answer took Jett a moment to process—not because it was difficult to understand what he was saying, but because he spoke it with such conviction. And Jett could understand what he meant. He owed people his life—he had been in Darwin’s debt for weeks now, with no way to repay him. The only time he might have been able to have the male’s back was earlier, when the giant spider youma had appeared, but fate had pulled him away before he was ever given the opportunity.
“A pretty noble endeavor,” Jett mused; he didn’t know the difference between a knight or senshi, other than that one existed in tabloids and the other in history books. “…But I thought all the knights died out a long time ago,” he noted with a seemingly indifferent shrug. It was hard to fight—Camelot was certainly dressed the part. He looked like he could have been the flesh and blood version of some old painting. “Don’t get me wrong, I can gather you’re not some guy working for the Renaissance fair playing dress up and all, but you can’t blame me for wondering,” his voice trailed off, as if in thought.
Surveying the room, Jett considered his words before delivering them; he returned his eyes to the man. “Why you? Why is it you in that getup, you with that shield, you here in space?” he asked, questions no longer laced by the underlying tone of amusement. He wasn’t teasing or mocking the male, not trying to degrade or insult. Jett had a genuine interest and very badly wanted for things to just make sense. So he did the sensible thing: he asked questions—and the most powerful question was always why. “How did you get picked to play your role?”
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Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 11:24 am
Camelot smiled, shaking his head.
"Maybe the ones you're more used to hearing about, but I'm probably not the kind you're thinking about." Unless this civilian knew more about senshi history than he did. Which might well be possible, as he was still learning what he could about things. It was a slow process. He hadn't been in school for years, after all, and was not the best student around even when he had been required to learn. His effort couldn't be faulted, at least.
He frowned at the questions coming at him, pondering how to answer for a moment.
"Well, I was chosen for this," he said at length, "in some way. Fate, far beyond anything I could control. Whatever power created this shield and made it appear when I needed it, it was within me all along. I know I'm a bit... older than most of the other folks like me you'll see running around. Knights and senshi. But I'm alright with that. Someone needs to send them to the corner when they're misbehaving."
He grinned teasingly. He did no such thing, of course, to anyone. His own son wouldn't listen to him if he tried something like that, much less other knights and senshi.
"I like to believe I was awoken because I was needed, and now is my time to make a difference. So I'm going to save what lives I can. And find a way to end... well. I'm going to do my best, in my duties."
He didn't have to start explaining the war to a civilian, he reminded himself. He smiled, shaking his head.
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Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 8:48 pm
Oh, fate. Not something Jett was very fond of.
He was processing the information slower than he should have, and ended up nodding rather dully for a few seconds before he gathered his wits enough to reply. While Camelot had answered his questions—and had answered them well, Jett decided—he still had more—in particular about where the Knight had left off.
All things considered, Jett knew very little about whatever it was the senshi or knights actually did sans appear in space to help stranded civilians. In all the time he’d spent back home, he’d never encountered a single one.
"Do your best in your duties?” Jett repeated. “What exactly do your duties consist of? I mean, I can figure protecting the innocent and doing generally good deeds…” that much was obvious in the way Camelot spoke and from what Jett could just assume with his limited knowledge. What he was really interested in was whatever it was Camelot wanted to put an end to. Jett had moved so that he was nearer to Camelot; where as he had been uneasy about engaging in conversation, he now just felt relaxed. Effortlessly, he jumped up onto a table and sat, hunched forward slightly as he made himself comfortable. “Just running around and saving people?”
Because, maybe that sounded kind of cool. Jett had never aspired to be a superhero or anything, but having an excuse to run around and go do something most other people could only dream about? Yeah, that sounded pretty nifty. “Or is there some sort of bigger picture you’re working towards, other than just playing hero?”
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Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 10:29 am
Camelot sighed thoughtfully.
"My duties include a lot of things you should really never know about," he said vaguely, but from the look he was getting from Jett and the persistent questions, he knew already he wouldn't get away with an answer like that. It wouldn't be that easy for him, certainly.
He watched as Jett moved to sit on the table, frowning slightly. If Nate had done something like that at home, he would have gotten a parental frown of disapproval and the suggestion to get down. It wouldn't be listened to, but the instinct remained here, anyway. Who knew? Maybe he would have better luck parenting people who weren't actually his kid.
"There's always a bigger picture, isn't there? Or it seems like it. But to explain what I'm fighting for would involve me explaining something very... well. Scary. And big. Bigger than you can really understand, I think. But yes, I do actually run around and save whatever person might need my help. That's honestly a large part of what I consider my duty. The other is to protect other people like me, whether they want me to or not."
He scratched the back of his neck, then continued with an after thought.
"There is more than one side fighting together and against one another. People like me, knights, or senshi, or people called the Negaverse. They all fight for different reasons, but I feel I was awakened to put an end to all that violence and death. So I'm fighting for life, and for peace."
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Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 12:43 pm
Jett’s eyes lit up a bit with the information; he wasn’t particularly thrilled with the news, but it seemed like a fair step forward to have someone filling him in—even if Camelot, for whatever reason, thought this was bigger than Jett could understand. It didn’t matter how ‘big’ this whole thing was in—Jett was going to find out one way or another. He doubted Camelot was a fool and had noticed that he seemed a bit guarded when speaking, but Jett assumed that came with the territory. You didn’t just go about telling some stranger everything about yourself—or what you were doing.
If he noticed any sign of Camelot’s disapproval with where he was sitting, he ignored it, once more thoughtfully considering the male’s words. While Jett would agree that this man was entitled to his secrets, he couldn’t help but be grateful that Camelot was going through such lengths to humor him. If Jett were in his shoes, he probably wouldn’t have been as good a sport about the whole thing; Camelot was certainly sharing more than Jett ever would have, and Jett probably would have gotten dreadfully annoyed by pesky stranger prodding him with questions and would have walked away by now.
”You don’t seem so bad,” he mused. “You’ve probably had a bunch of people charging you with questions since you’ve been here. I’ve been a bit rude, I think. Just throwing these things at you? Do you have a name or something you tell people to call you or do you just prefer to avoid swapping identities when you’re playing knight in shining armor?”
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Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 1:47 pm
The knight chuckled.
At least he didn't seem so bad in the younger male's eyes. Always a good thing.
"Oh, don't worry about it. Your questions are natural, and nothing I don't mind answering as best as I can. There are just some things I don't think civilians need to know. Maybe I'm just being a softie, and I know I'm underestimating a lot of people. I was never a very easy civilian to deal with, I think, for the senshi. I always asked questions, too. Of course, I was always under some form of attack..."
He frowned, then shook away the memories.
"Anyway, I'm rambling now. My name is Camelot, Squire of Earth. I probably should have introduced myself before. So I guess we can both get away with being a little rude." He grinned.
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Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 7:49 pm
A little smile twitched onto Jett’s face. “All right, Camelot, Squire of Earth. I’m Jett,” he said, moving off the table; he extended a hand to shake and flashed a smile to the male. “And it’s been a pleasure meeting you. You’re quite an enlightening fellow, did you know? Your knights and senshi, I bet they’re lucky to have someone that cares so much about them.”
His words were sincere, at least; Camelot must have made for a good ally. Throwing himself in harm’s way, trying to save strangers, having his fellow warrior’s back? Admirable. That was the sort of camaraderie that Jett was sure only existed in fairy tails—but Camelot still looked like he’d just been plucked from one.
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Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 1:06 pm
Camelot smiled.
He liked this guy. He seemed level headed, laid back but not too much so to be uncaring about the situation at hand. He took Jett's offered hand and shook it firmly. There was something in the grip that reflected his thoughts, something sturdy and reassured.
"Well, I don't know about lucky, but I will still do everything I can for them. And for you guys. Anyway, I probably shouldn't keep you away from the others for too long. Safety in numbers and all that. Unless you still want to hang out on your own."
He looked hopeful, his opinion obvious. He'd rather Jett go back to where there were more senshi and civilians around, rather then where the knight had come to be alone and practice with his shield.
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