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 Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2012 5:41 pm
Bell bit her lip as she listened to the phone ring against her ear, fidgeting. She wasted no time with simple 'hellos' or 'how do you dos' when she finally heard him pick up.
"Patrol with me..please..."
Despite her best efforts and well rehearsed dialogue she had planned, Bell blurted out the simple request. Her words were a mix of inarguable demand, and desperation, with a dash of defeat. The demand in her voice merely was what she could channel of Bellatrix, reaching deep for whatever fortitude she could. She needed some fortitude right now. The rest was what seeped through the 'every thing is fine' exterior she was putting up.
Given her current state, patrolling probably wasn't the best idea, but she was driving herself crazy sitting in this house with nothing to do, alone with just herself and memories. She was confused, and lost, depressed, and a little bit angry. She had been doing her best to maintain her composure - like an elderly queen who had just been told her kingdom was under siege. Inside she was barely, just barely, holding up.
It had been a little over a week since she had received the initial letter from Xavier, and the one that followed after to take care of shipping his things to him. The house was so empty now, it made things really hit that he wasn't coming back. He had decided not to return to Destiny City. He had decided that she needed to go on without him.... It hurt. Bell continuously wondered what she had done wrong, what could possibly be so wrong with her that Xavier wouldn't be yearning to return home. Of course, it had nothing to do with her but she didn't know that. And it didn't stop her from blaming herself either. She felt like it was all her fault and that there was something wrong with her, but she didn't know what.
Well, there was one thing she could think of...
Bell had never really made friends with anyone - most of her life had been dedicated to community theatre, and that could often came with competition that was too cut-throat to make friends. No, you often just made more enemies. And you could never count on being cast with the same people... So she never bothered. Bell had tried to make friends within the Bastards when it was still a thing, but that hadn't really worked out... Bell had gotten angry with Tallulah after her actions in Elysion, and she still hadn't talked to her since then. Really the only person who she could call a friend out of that whole rabble was Jamie, and she'd met him before the Bastards were even a thought.
Just how did one go through life without friends? Bell didn't know, and yet here she had done so. She regretted it. She truly did. She wished she could go back in time and try more than she did. Instead...she somehow fit herself into the antisocial rich b***h stereotype. It was time for some self-evaluation. And changes.
So much was changing lately... And none of it by choice.
It was time that she made change her choice. She just...had to find the strength to do so...
Having had enough of sitting around with ALL THE FEELS, she had dialed Jamie's number. He really was the only person she could call a friend. She had decided just sitting somewhere talking would have been rather awkward, given the circumstances, so patrolling was a better bet. Besides...maybe punching something would make her feel better.
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 3:54 am
"...Bell?"
This was the confused response on the other end of the phone. He sounded... for lack of a better term, older as well, a reflection of how things had been going for him. He hadn't powered up in... what was it now. Months? Had it been a year? It felt like it might actually be a year. He was even less sure how long it had been since he talked to Tallulah, or Xavier, or any of them. He'd fallen quietly out of their circle, more like a firefly than a star going out. He had been relatively sure he wouldn't hear from any of them again.
That was until now.
He shoved papers absently with one hand, brushing away drafts and revisions that he'd abandoned and meant to put aide, nearly overturned a cup of coffee that had gone cold, and accidentally knocked a pen off his desk before he managed a reply.
"Is everything ok?" He asked, which was one of those questions you asked knowing that, by the sound of the other persons voice, the timing and tone of their call that nothing was alright.
"Actually, no, tell me in person. I'll meet you outside the play house. You know where the apartment building is? I'll be out there."
He was living there, it made a short walk to work. He figured to ride a bicycle to class.
"...You want me to bring you a coffee or something?"
He wasn't sure exactly how you went about getting up to speed with someone you hadn't talked to in so long, but it seemed like it might as well involve a hot, socially acceptable beverage.
What the hell had become of them? They used to be so... so young and stupid. He felt just -old- now. That was the part they didn't tell you in the 'So you're a magical Space Hero' brochure.
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 4:19 am
Bell had been keeping up with the senshi thing, but had taken more of a back seat. Mostly due to the views of the war that Xavier and she had settled upon, but largely she had been focussing on school. She'd been doing theatre things again, but then again, it was her major. But she could definitely get Jamie up to speed on things.
"Coffee or not, it doesn't matter. It's up to you," she replied, "See you there."
Bell didn't really live within a distance that would get her there in a reasonable time by walking, but during the past year or so she had gotten her license. She couldn't exactly ship Xavier his car, so now Bell figured it was hers to do with as she saw fit.. So ending the call Bell grabbed the keys and got in the PoC vehicle that she had payed to have fully repaired back around Christmas and drove to the specified location.
All in all it took maybe 15-20 minutes and she was there.
She still had that long strawberry hair, but all in all she looked more like the adult she was now. What had once been a wide-eyed girl was now a woman who looked very much like an Amazon for which her star's name translated to. And her experience as a senshi had put wisdom in her eyes, though now they reflected locked away internal turmoil. Bell was holding on to a facade of being okay. Rigid, but okay. She was the elder queen after all. And the queen had to garrison the troops at her walls to protect her kingdom.
What had become of them indeed...
"Hey."
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 4:35 am
Jaimie just looked... tired, and a bit guarded, as though he were half sure she'd start dressing him down for everything he'd done, real or imagined, as he offered her a mug of coffee.
He obviously hadn't shaved for at least a day or two, and it helped make him look more like the struggling student and author he was trying to be. He was still wearing the same black coat he'd been wearing when he'd made the ill advised attempt to give his ex girlfriend a promise ring, but the cuffs were showing a bit of age, and he obviously hadn't been spending the money on his wardrobe that he used to.
Such things happen when cut off from the family fortune.
"Hey." He greeted her, feeling awkward, and extended a steaming cup of coffee. "So uh... fill me in I guess? My apartment's on the fourth floor."
Not the kind of place he'd have previously stayed. If he hadn't had a falling out, he'd probably never have considered less than buying his own place and throwing Bruce Wayne like parties for friends and family. Or... something like that. Tallulah probably would not have approved, and it would have been converted into 'war room' space or something, for the Jovians. He was not a Jovian. He wasn't even feeling particularly Jovial.
"...I've... been kind of out of touch." He noted, admitting to the obvious.
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 4:49 am
Bell took the mug and thanked him, taking a sip before heaving a sigh.
"That makes two of us."
When she wasn't at school or caring for her little sister - who she mostly left to her own devices anyway - Bell was patrolling. And no one ever called. Not that she expected anyone too - no friends, after all.
As for her own family, her father still wanted her to join the business and planned on giving it to her whenever he chooses to retire. Bell had finally had enough of his antics reguarding that and agreed. What he didn't know was that she planned on turning around and selling it right after. What so called business-minded man tried handing off a company on someone he knows doesn't want it!? Her selling it to his worst enemy would be what he deserved! Bell hated that man....
But that that was neither here nor there right now. She was still a rich b***h living modestly, granted she was considering finding a new house. Or just getting an apartment. The old place now had too many memories. Though that could be the grief talking. She wasn't making any such decisions she might regret later while she was still this....emotional.
"You want information on the war front, or home?"
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 5:27 am
"Start wherever you'd like, I'm listening." He offered. "Not much to tell here, but I'll fill you in if you want. I mean I don't know what you know or not."
"I think everyone and their cousin knows about me and Tal." He explained. "...Actually rumor on the street had it that I was gay for a while." He added, a touch bitterly, crossing his arms. He didn't have a problem with gay guys. Hell he'd even waffled over the possibility of making out with guys once or twice, he'd just never pursued it. It was the timing of the rumor that had him squirming with rage still.
Say no to your girlfriend, get run over by the rumor mill. He still wasn't over being angry about it. It was a damned double standard that was what it was. Had he been the one turned down, any rumors he'd started would have branded him as the 'horrible man' shaming his pure girlfriend and treating her body as property. Turn her down... and well obviously he must be gay because guys only thought about sex, right?
"But you didn't come over to hear me b***h about my dead relationships. You came to ask me to patrol and I hijacked you for the news, so..."
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 5:48 am
Oh yeah, she knew. She might not of been talking to Tal, but she was Xavier's childhood friend, so she found out one way or another. She thought Jamie could do better anyway.
Bell made a face, "I don't see how anyone would peg you as gay."
Rumors were stupid anyway. She got enough of that in high school. And she'd gone to Crystal Academy - rumor spreading was an art there. Thankfully she had never been the subject of any...that she was aware of.
"Or we can start a relationship rant club cause uuuuh yeah... ...Xavier joined a study abroad program at the end of the spring semester and is evidently enjoying the place sooooo muuuch that he's decided to start a new life for himself," Bell said with a tight-lipped smile and strained fake excitement that was so obviously sarcastic.
She took another sip before continuing more soberly, "And by new life I mean completely throwing me and everyone else to the wayside. But I mean of course he's happy there - there's no war. No Negaverse, no Senshi, or Knights... Why wouldn't he be happy?" She shrugged. Cue betterness; "I mean obviously I wasn't a good enough reason to come back. No, I wasn't even worth a long freaken' distance relationship."
Bell blamed herself for it. Obviously. She really hadn't been given a reason. Perhaps that was the problem... Bell was always the person that needed to know the how and why. But truth was, she couldn't blame him for wanting to run away and live a normal life. She just didn't understand why she couldn't be part of it...
"No, he didn't even want to try. 'It's not WORTH it to try.' And he doesn't even have the decency to come back and get his own s**t and tell me in person. No, he tells me in a freaken letter and then asks me to ship him all his things. And you know what? I did. I shouldn't have, considering he's supposed to be 'starting a new life' and all.. I mean what does he need his old s**t for anyway!?"
Another sigh was heaved as she brought her volume back down again. She hadn't meant to go off on a rant like that. She hadn't meant to let out her bitterness or anything like that... She just wanted the company of a friend. It felt good to get it out. Kind of. She hadn't cried though. Not yet anyway. Not in the little over a week since receiving the letter. The anger, confusion, and loss was easier to deal with than sorrow.
"But yeah. Whatever. That's that... How up to date are you on the war?"
She took another sip of coffee.
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 7:21 am
"...Well... I think last time I powered up for a while was when all those civies got vacuumed into space. I ended up cleaning up broken glass and hanging out with a girl who was super pissed off because some dumbass... uh... Aster or something. ((Go figure she'd have a name that sounded a little like his least favorite cat.))
"Anyway Aster decided that scared, frightened kids in space totally needed pot brownies. Oh and -I- was the bad guy for bringing a couple litres of soda instead of those huge a** jugs of water. But Pot Brownies are totally ok."
Technically unrelated events, but his fellow Senshi absolutely dumbfounded him sometimes.
"Other than that.. uh, Not much. The Jovians got a bunch of crap because they wanted to go around all the outposts and smash the ******** out of every mirror they could find. I don't know what happened with that, but I think they actually had started before telling anyone. Past that I've kind of been..." He cleared his throat. "Ignoring the memos."
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 7:33 am
"So, you know about the Dark Moon Court then? Apparently their leader, that Ares parallel senshi chick is playing on Chaos' team now and started up the little faction. Some of the Blood Moon are members are part of it as well. Gotta worry about them and their energy stealing now too. The Negaverse actually isn't doing much of that anymore from what I've seen... Actually they got really quiet until a little while ago. I didn't go to the most recent meeting but from what I hear, it turned in to another big battle.... I really haven't been taking an active role aside from patrolling for a while now..."
She had also been up in the Surrounding, but she really hadn't done much. She brought supplies, helped around, but really...that had been her decline in to the background. Talking about the senshi stuff was easier than the other stuff. Speaking of...
"Thanks for listening to my rant by the way... I really hadn't been able to tell anyone or really...get it out." She gave a bit of a smile.
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 11:33 am
"I remember Tal was obsessed for a while with finding out some about them... and Maia was tangled up with Ares for a while." That had been scary, the hints she'd dropped alone still made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
"And hey, no worries. You still put up with me, it's the least I can do. Besides..." He shrugged, sympathetically. "That really was a pretty shitty move, sending you a letter. I mean it's not like the phones don't work..."
He debated making a joke about hooking up their exes together, but decided that would be pretty tacky under the circumstances.
"I'd like to say they've all been doing well without us but it sounds kinda... messed up."
He looked glanced up and down the street with another awkward shrug and added. "...You want me to power up or you want to finish your coffee or... I don't know. I'm rusty as hell at this magical-space-hero crap."
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 11:47 am
Bell looked at what little remained of her coffee, as if considering. She then quickly took the last sip.
"Done," she then fished her pen out of her pocket, "I'm just glad you agreed to this, rusty or not."
With almost a whisper she proceeded to henshin. She didn't remember whether or not he knew she was an eternal or not, but it wasn't like buttwings meant much. Not to her anyway. Now a days it barely even took newbies half a year to earn their wings, so being an eternal...wasn't the symbol of status, experience, and longevity like it used to be 'back in the day.' Wow. Now that made her feel old.
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Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 9:22 am
Although many others seemed to be getting their wings, so to speak, within a surprisingly short time after henshining up for the first time, Regulus apparently had not.
When his own transformation was complete, he was clearly still a level behind her, and seemed slightly embarrassed by it, tattled on in his lack of activity by his lesser level of power.
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Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 10:05 am
The sudden flare up of Order energy on his mental radar made Bismuthite pause his conversation with Realgar, and he was sure the lieutenant could sense it too.
"This could be interesting..." the captain remarked. "Should we go pay them a visit?"
The power signatures were high - especially combined - but it wouldn't be the first time Bismuthite had run in to battle outmatched.
--
For Bellatrix there was a comforting familiarity at seeing the Super Senshi of Pride. At least she didn't feel like she'd been out of touch nearly as long as she had been. If anything, she felt like she, too, should still be a Super Senshi...
Being an Eternal came with certain expectations, and she didn't really feel like she'd lived up to them. She felt that it meant so much more than what she'd been using it for up until now... Then again, being an Eternal was a novelty that was quickly fading. If anything Regulus had at least earned his wings based upon time alone - his seniority among all the winged neophytes. But of course by that same thought, then she too deserved her wings..even though, again, she didn't feel like it.
"Feels like this won't be just a simple patrol...." Bellatrix said, feeling the signature of Chaos near by. "Looks like you might have to be broken back in the hard way. Sorry," she did smile a bit though.
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2012 1:15 pm
"Sounds like fun..." Realgar agreed, and something about the way he said 'fun', was maybe a little sharp edged. The man had come into the Negaverse with his bias against the side of Order already well honed, and it hadn't gotten any less vehement over time.
If Anything it had actually gotten worse, and the fact that many of them seemed to be children, ignorant of the danger they were in, or condescending and acting as though he were the ignorant child, had just pissed him off more.
-------
"...Yeah go figure right? I suppose it makes sense, I mean just look at the news." He was pretty sure they could handle it, compared to some Senshi he'd seen they were pretty dangerous, right from the get-go, and he could imagine Bellatrix was even more dangerous now. Personally he was a little nervous to think what powers might come along if he ever made it to her level, his current ones already made him uncomfortable from time to time.
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2012 1:32 pm
"I know. Sometimes it seems like the whole population of Destiny City is secretly part of the war. Numbers keep growing on both sides..." and it didn't look encouraging.
Still, Bellatrix held on to hope that the war would end during their lifetime...and that it would keep confined to their small part of the world. She couldn't imagine how difficult it would be if the entire world got mixed up in this...
"I have no doubt that Chaos has sensed us, and I'm almost positive they'll follow us. Let's lead them away from this area," she suggested.
-----
Bismuthite nodded, and started in the direction of the power signature of the Senshi. The closer they got the more he was able to tell - it was definitely two Senshi, both higher than base level. Bismuthite didn't see that as a problem though - one could overcome the difference in power in several ways. Brains, for one. And he could always summon his Youma.
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