|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 3:43 pm
With the ending of winter, Remarque found himself exceptionally rejuvenated. It wasn’t that he liked spring, just that he hated winter. It was still cool enough that the long sleeves of his outfits weren’t roasting him alive, though not so chilly that he had to force himself to go out at night. This temperature motivated him to go out—made him want to be out.
He had considered starting the evening in some of the back alleys he’d come to know very well—and were, in fact, the most profitable—though had reasoned that he’d like to enjoy the park now that it wasn’t caked in ice and snow. Admittedly, the evening would have been spent so much better with a pretty lady by his side, but given that Lesath was busy with her own affairs, as she often was, he settled for a solitary stroll. It was too early in the season for flowers to be breathtakingly beautiful (not that he could ever be so wooed by nature) but the blossoms were pretty. If you were into that sort of thing.
His hands were tucked into discretely placed pockets and he meandered along a slightly underlit path; whereas once upon a time he might have kept more to the shadows, now he expressed absolutely no concern at being seen. He kept his eyes open for anyone he that could serve as a potential energy tap, though even his searching seemed to be a bit lethargic. Despite what power he exuded, he was not currently displaying himself as any sort of threat; if not for being powered up, he might have just been some guy looking to get some fresh air on a late-night walk.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 4:56 am
She was still getting used to it all again.
It was difficult, but she'd expected it to be to start with. Feeling the power running through her veins again was an odd thing to return when she'd been away from it all for a good two years. She was more than a little rusty on where the war was and what was happening, but with any luck she'd be able to recon with Europa soon and she'd be filled in on all the ins and outs. It was odd, how the feeling of responsibility had returned, too. As soon as she'd henshined up for the first time again it had almost been a new wake-up call - she definitely couldn't run. She had to do what she could to help people.
As for Serenity...well. Eos still wasn't sure on her stance with regards to the Princess.
It was late, and she had work tomorrow, but she hadn't been planning anything too strenuous. Just a stroll in the park. Whilst the frilly skirt of her fuku had been something she'd come to detest in battles, feeling a cool breeze across her legs as she walked around the outskirts of one of Destiny City' beautiful parks was a somewhat pleasant feeling. Her long socks kept her warm enough - it wasn't exactly the boiling heat of summer - but it was a refreshing change to enjoy a slight chill. Eos didn't have a favourite season, but she'd begun to grow tiresome of her winter clothes and fancied a change of wardrobe. A shopping spree was definitely in order, and with her first month's paycheck due within the next week what better way to celebrate?
Movement out of the corner of her eye halted such thoughts, however. A blonde boy was walking not too far from her - she hadn't noticed him before due to his dark clothes. Suddenly aware of an obvious power signature, she immediately became wary. "Hello?" Well, she could at least be civil.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2012 2:46 am
Remarque paused; he had been vaguely aware of an order aligned power signature, though when he turned to acknowledge the voice he had expected to see a civilian calling to a lost friend—or to him, for directions or something. He had not expected to see a powered up senshi addressing him in such a civil tone. The majority of his recent run-ins with senshi had left Remarque thinking they had all gone hostile, so this was a nice change of pace.
For however long it would last.
Half suspecting it was merely some ploy to lower his guard, he remained vaguely on edge. The senshi was not one he recognized, though in a brief assessment he decided there was no harm in reciprocating her polite greeting. “Evening,” he called across the distance between them. His tone was casual, sounding friendlier than it should have considering they were on opposite sides. Remarque kept a cool exterior and a small smile delicately planted on his face. Maybe he was a bit more willing to put on a show for attractive looking female or maybe he was just a showman through-and-through, but Remarque wasn’t going to waste an opportunity when it presented itself. The senshi had already piqued his interest by speaking to him instead of just jumping him from behind; she had his attention and he was rather curious to see what she was going to do with it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2012 4:27 am
His power signature was different to what she'd been used to - it didn't seem order aligned, but at the same time he was obviously a senshi. Steel blue eyes quickly flickered over his black uniform, lingering on the black feathered wings that were settled just above his hips. Her mind rolled back, trying to recall what Europa had told her. Something about another court, the Black Moon Court. Ares leader, chaos-aligned...ugh, so much stuff had been thrown at her and she was struggling to remember it all. The lack of holes in his chest made it clear at least that his starseed was still intact.
But he didn't seem hostile - the only encounters Eos had ever had with the Negaverse had very quickly (if not immediately) escalated into a battle. He seemed surprised, and it occured to her that she should have thought through this whole 'which alignment was he?' problem before she had called out to him. Perhaps he was friendly? After all, they may have had differing goals but that didn't mean they couldn't converse in a polite manner. "Are you part of the Black Moon Court?" Some might say she was being blunt of nosy, but you never got anywhere without asking. He seemed civil enough.
Despite this, Eos was still very much primed for if he began to show any ill intentions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2012 12:15 pm
“Black Moon?” he prompted, not out of ignorance but out of interest. He knew of few who would refer to the court as that of the Black Moon, though it wasn’t incorrect—just different. “Yes, that’s correct. Though, we usually go by ‘Dark Mirror’ and not ‘Black Moon’. For example.”
He paused, then, and gestured towards his chest. “I am Sailor Remarque, Dark Mirror Senshi of Puppetry. Can I help you with something?”
She didn’t seem hostile in any way, and Remarque found it relatively easy to relax in her presence. She wasn’t brash or vulgar like Iris, or lusting for a battle like Ate—she wasn’t hiding from him and scampering off into the darkness. Albireo had been good for a conversation a while ago, but she was a ticking time bomb and Remarque wasn’t’ so sure he wanted to be around when someone finally set her off. This was a nice change of pace, even if he wasn't going to openly admit it; as much as Remarque loved a good fight, he loved being given the opportunity to chat a pretty girl—enemy or not—all the same.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2012 12:43 pm
He repeated her words with an edge of confusion, and Eos was afraid she'd gone and made a complete fool of herself by saying something stupid. But then he spoke again and said she was correct, so she breathed a small sigh of relief and flashed a small smile. He seemed nice enough, and quite relaxed. She wasn't guillible anymore, but at the same time she wasn't getting any warning signs. He wasn't tense, he hadn't shown any sign of wanting to attack, and he was returning her questions with polite answers of his own. She took a step and a half towards him, reasoning that it meant she wouldn't have to shout.
Europa was the type to call everything by their proper name, so that made sense. Dark Mirror must have been a most casual name. "I'm Sailor Eos, Senshi of Senses." He'd introduced himself, so she responded with her own name. "Not really, I was just curious. I haven't met a Dark Mirror Senshi before." She was fairly relaxed herself, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear and placing a hand on her hip. "You don't seem unfriendly."
Perhaps she was being foolish again, but Europa had made them out to be enemies. As bad as the Negaverse - they were chaos-aligned, so it made sense that they would be. But Remarque seemed relaxed and certainly not like he wanted to beat her into the ground.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 1:58 pm
Remarque replied with a little laugh and shook his head, eyes never leaving the girl’s face. “No, I haven’t really got any reason to be unfriendly. Doesn’t seem like the sort of thing to get you very far in life. Especially considering that the Dark Mirror Senshi have only ever wanted to help senshi of the White Moon.”
He seemed candid and remained nonthreatening as she approached; conversation was a far better way to connect with a senshi than brute force, particularly if they had yet to develop an opinion on the court.
So far as he knew, the Court had been unable to grow in quite some time, with the latest addition being Virtus. He had made allies—or, at least, nonhostile bonds—with some of the senshi of the white moon, though it seemed nothing entirely fruitful had come of it so far. The court hadn’t shrunken—for which he was grateful—though neither had it expanded. It was no secret that their numbers were small, and if he had to suck up to a few senshi to try and sway a few minds, sure. He could play that game. “If you haven’t met one of us, who was it that told you of our group?” he prompted, unable to stifle his curiosity.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 2:18 pm
His laugh threw her a little, and Eos found her defences creeping up again. The way he was watching her was sort of weird. "Help?" Now this was a new twist on things. Still, Eos wasn't stupid, not anymore - if Europa thought they were bad news, then there was something sinister behind their intentions. Besides, his power signature was chaos-aligned. This may have been her first non-hostile encounter with a bad guy, but there were non-physical methods of damage that could be done. Remarque asked for the source of her information, and Eos gave a small smile. "Now now, that'd be telling." She certainly wasn't going to release any such knowledge to someone with such a strong chaos signal eminating from them. She twirled a strand of hair around her finger, contemplating on what she was about to do, before figuring it couldn't hurt. She began to take a step in the direction of a nearby children's playground, indicating with her head for Remarque to follow. She fancied a bit of a talk and walk, and she hadn't been on the swings in ages. "So, are there many of you?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 2:40 pm
Moving from the middle of the pathway didn’t seem like such an unpleasant idea and Remarque slid his hands into his pockets as he strolled after Eos. That she had exposed her back to him calmed any suspicions he had of this being a trap; she was too laid back to be up to anything. This conclusion allowed him to relax as he followed after her. “A handful,” he replied, deciding to keep his secrets as she was keeping hers. “If you won’t tell me who, at least tell me what?” he prompted, casting the playground they seemed to be walking towards.
“I’d be interested to know what the other senshi say. I’ll tell you what we say about your lot,” he attempted to bribe, eyes drifting up to the moon as he followed after Eos. It was bright tonight, when the clouds weren’t dipping over the white orb. The current lighting made the playground look a mixture of inviting and eerie to Remarque, though the complacent expression on his face never once faltered.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 3:05 pm
Just a handful? Admittedly, that could be anywhere from two to about ten, but she couldn't fault his vague answer seeing as her own had been pretty unremarkable. He continued pushing on the subject, however, and so the smile continued to play on Eos'd face as she set a casual strolling pace. 'What' seemed an odd way to phrase it, since surely he knew that it must have been someone order-aligned and that discounted most options, but never-the-less she decided to play along. "Another White Moon Senshi," she responded, keeping her answer purposefully vague. A few moments later she had a relapse, though, deciding to tease him with an added extra, "Eternal rank." Eos didn't see any harm in playing his game, and the information she was giving him was fairly bog standard. There wasn't much he could really do with it, although she reasoned that there were a limited number of eternal senshi and so he could perhaps deduce the likely suspects. His offer was tempting, and the corners of her mouth twitched upwards into a grin as she glanced over to him. She pondered on it for a few moments. "Okay," she eventually replied, threading her fingers together and placing both of her hands behind her head, "But you start."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 4:21 pm
Oh, just like a lady to put all the pressure of starting on the man.
A bemused smirk crossed his face as he continued his words. “All right, fair enough,” he decided, wondering if she was going to take his answer and then flake on hers. Briefly his mind had touched on the eternal senshi he’d met, wondering which of them had given her their version of a Dark Mirror Senshi. He’d only met Iris and Chaonis—neither of which had left him with a favorable impression, and Eos’ vague words did nothing to help him imagine who she was getting her information from.
“The Dark Moon Senshi…” he paused, and then shrugged. “I can’t say we have anything necessarily against White Moon Senshi. We resent your leaders for abandoning you, for thrusting you out into a war, for letting you fight and die for a princess that uses you as pawns. An absent leader is guiding your lot down the wrong path,” he shrugged. “You think you’re doing the right thing but—you don’t even know who you’re fighting for, how can you know you’re fighting for the right person?” he asked, though his comment seemed as rhetorical as it was an actual question.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:19 pm
He agreed to her terms, and Eos smiled as she then took a few hops forwards to bring up into the playground. She instantly made a beeline for the swings, sitting herself down and glancing up to Remarque with interest. There were two swings, so he could either choose to sit beside her or choose to stand. Eos didn't particularly care either way. He started, then paused, then continued. His words surprised her, but then again if he was playing mind games he would use such tactics. Still, his words matched his actions - he hadn't attacked her on sight, and she would have expected a Negaverse agent to. He'd waited to see if she was hostile first. What he said about leaders washed right over the blonde senshi - she didn't know her stance on Serenity or the court hierarchy, and she wasn't going to allow hersef to be swayed by what someone else said. Especially not someone on a side she'd been warned to stay away from. She'd come up with her own opinions, in her own time. She wasn't sure if his question was rhetorical or not, but she took it as such and instead gave a slow, thoughtful nod. "Interesting." It was, and she was glad she'd heard it. In all honesty, she wouldn't be surprised if Europa had been slightly biased in her explanations, and although Eos trusted and respected her 100%, she wanted to find things out on her own too. Now she supposed it was her turn, hmm? Pushing off from the ground to send her swing in a gentle arc, she pondered on her response for a few moments before beginning to speak. "I've been on a long break, so I'm not sure how relevant my information will be. I've been told that Black Mo-- I mean, Dark Mirror Senshi are chaos-aligned and shouldn't be trusted." She paused for a moment to kick the ground again and keep her swing swaying. "Is it Ares, your leader? My impression is that she's simply misguided, but I've heard others describe her as anywhere from angry to batshit crazy."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 3:27 am
Remarque had taken his time before planting himself on the swing next to Eos. It wasn’t until she began speaking that he had decided his legs could use a bit of a rest—even if it did seem a bit lazy. He hadn’t been out for that long, but something about the prospect of story time beckoned him to have a seat. He warranted that he probably would have looked awkward just standing by the swing set while Eos utilized the empty playground, and though he didn’t kick off of the ground in the same manner that she did, he sat and pushed at the ground very slightly with the heels of his feet. It was enough to offer a little movement, though to still keep him grounded.
He listened to Eos with an open mind, genuinely curious as to what information of the Dark Mirror Court was being passed around amongst the order-aligned senshi. He was a bit displeased that there hadn’t been anything jucier, but considering that Eos had confessed she had been on a long break, any bit of information was good enough for him. “Angry to batshit crazy, hmm?” he asked rhetorically. He considered how the Blood Moon Court might view her after her transition from their leader to that of the Dark Moon Court, though in every interaction with her she had seemed uncannily poised.
He shrugged, gripping in each hand one of the chains attached to the swing and continued to push at the ground to offer a little more momentum in the swing. It still wasn’t much, though he didn’t seem like the type of guy who would go play on a playground. “It’s a bit funny, though. Yes, we’re aligned with chaos, though—we shouldn’t be trusted? That’s interesting to me, considering how much trust we put in the White Moon. We’re senshi, too. Once like you, aligned under Serenity,” he mused, considering the original members of the group. “Only following a different path. But with the same basic goal in mind, once you break it down. We just have different methods of achieving it.”
If he was lying, it wasn’t showing. He could have been doing one of two things—either he speaking the truth or had found some way to disguise his lies; Remarque had always been a charismatic individual, and to those who knew him, deception was a skill he had long ago obtained. Still, sitting there, lightly tapping at the ground with his foot to move the swing, he hardly seemed nefarious.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 1:13 pm
She smiled as he took a seat next to her, flicking a curled blonde strand of hair behind her shoulder before eagerly resuming her swinging. She'd had a look at the few pictures she'd taken of herself as Eos before (on her senshi phone - she'd wanted to see what her fuku looked like!) with her darker locks, and she pondered briefly on how different she looked now. Would Valleriite still recognise her, or Polaris, or Orion? Her cheeks turned somewhat red as she recalled her meeting with the ginger meteor-senshi, but she quickly returned her attention to the situation at hand and looked to Remarque with interest, eager to see his reaction. He repeated her words and she nodded to confirm them. She wasn't entirely sure why he was being so rhetorical, but perhaps it was just a habit of his. It was another few moments before he spoke again, and she waited patiently whilst watching her feet as she steadily swung backwards and forwards. The words he spoke didn't entirely surprise her - she'd expected him to defend the actions of the court, although the comparisons were something she hadn't foreseen. She listened, allowing him to say everything he had to say before beginning to compose an answer, briefly screwing up her face as she thought. "I can see how you think we're similar" she started, still staring at her feet, "But whilst we may have a similar goal, how far we're willing to go to reach it are what sets us apart." Eos was sure now that he was being sly, secretly trying to win her over. Still, it was a pleasant conversation, and she was willing to listen to him unbiased. It was always worth hearing things from both sides in order to make informed choices. Eos looked up, watching him with a fairly blank expression. "The sacrificing of human life is never justified, no matter how noble you may perceive the goal to be." She was aware she was being somewhat hypocritical - humans went to war all the time, and thousands of lives were lost. But something seemed more wrong about all of this - humans were so outmatched, they had no hope of defending themselves. That's why the White Moon Court had taken it upon themselves to do it for them. "You're human too, you know. You have a star seed, yes, but you're human. What if you hadn't been chosen? Would you still be so devoted to your cause?" She was wading into dangerous territory. She still didn't fully understand the Dark Mirror Court, or even the White Moon. She may have been a senshi for a long time, but she still had a lot to learn.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 11:22 pm
Remarque released a somewhat dry, humorless laugh; his eyes moved to the ground as he mused over Eos’ words. The smallest of smirks lingered on his face, though the girl had made several good points. She was the first senshi he’d spoken to that he’d really gotten into a good chat like this with, and it felt more like a conversation than a debate. He didn’t mind listening to her, though it became fairly obvious that she wasn’t going to be one of the senshi to be swayed by a few flirtatious remarks and some well placed smiles.
“I think you’re under the impression that I kill people, Eos. And I assure you,” he glanced up at her, leaning against the chain of the swing to make himself comfortable. “I’ve never killed anyone. I compare draining energy more to donating blood. If you do it right, it doesn’t kill you. Doesn’t even hurt you.” Not that he really had any information in that field; he’d never had his energy drained so he had no idea what it felt like.
“And if I hadn’t been chosen? Of course I’d have a different approach to the cause. I probably wouldn’t even know what it was. The Dark Mirror Senshi don’t prostrate themselves around town like the senshi or Negaversers. We don’t want trouble. We’re not out to kill people, we just want justice for the wrong that was done to us, and we want to expand and grow. We want our kingdom back. But then, the same question goes to you. What if you hadn’t been chosen? If you’d never been turned into a senshi, would you still trust the senshi or would you think of them as terrorists like the rest of the city?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
