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 Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 9:26 am
Ganymede was much more pleasant, more temperate, more... like home than Jupiter was. But the knot in his stomach wasn't allowing him to revel in the lack of constant rain and enjoy the clean air and sunshine. Besides, he was there for 'diplomatic reasons'. There was no time to enjoy himself.
"We'll check out the rest of the city once we're done here, okay, kid?" the cheery voice of an older man said from beside him, a large hand suddenly ruffling his loose, dark mahogany colored bangs and messing up the rest of the hair he’d pulled into a tail.
Valhalla frowned deeper and tried ducking out of the man's reach, not really in the mood for teasing and playing around today. They were there to introduce him to one of the senshi of the moons of Jupiter, a Galilean, and the first of them to awaken. He didn't want to play games while on such important business. He wanted to present himself as a worthy page of Jupiter.
Brows remained furrowed over olive green eyes as he and the rest of his party were shown through a hallway and into what looked like a courtyard. He had been so focused on staring ahead of him that he didn't even realize that they'd passed through a large wing of the building to get where they were. Valhalla blinked curiously and took a moment to glance around at the flowers and at the ornate fountain. A gentle mist was being blown off the water as it shot into the air, the breeze carrying it to sprinkle his arms and face, but it was hardly anything when compared to the downpours of Jupiter, so he didn't complain. It had been a while since he'd been out in the sunshine like this, and he was almost surprised that he'd missed it.
His attention was immediately drawn back to the present when another group exited through the doors opposite him and his companions, his eyes immediately adopting a more serious look as he straightened up, as tall as he could for a sixteen-year-old, looking across to see if he could spot the senshi in question. Most of these people looked too old to be 'his age', and he almost didn't notice the pretty blond boy standing with the group.
Maybe he was too busy to show up to meet him?
Valhalla tried not to visibly deflate in disappointment as his “caretaker” (as if he really needed one) moved forward to greet the older man across the way, before gesturing behind him with a "Let me introduce you to Valhalla. Good kid. Still getting used to things."
His hands balled into fists by his sides, but he made no other movement. He wanted to shout that he wasn't a kid and he hated being belittled. He could have introduced himself. He was an adult and had the responsibility of caretaker for an entire fortress on his shoulders. He could handle a little meet and greet.
Now, though, he just wanted to leave. He could be getting work done back on Jupiter. It had to be better than talking with people who treated him like a child.
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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 9:48 am
Ganymede had found out about the visiting envoys quite by accident. He'd skipped out on his lessons a few days previously with the intention of sneaking down to the kitchens to mingle with the staff and maybe sneak a few pastries back to his rooms when he'd happened upon the Lord Chancellor speaking with his men about an upcoming meeting with dignitaries from Jupiter. Deciding that speaking with the envoys would be far more interesting than another lecture on Ganymedean history—which he thought he knew fairly well after six years of having it drilled into his head—Ganymede had allowed the Lord Chancellor to lecture him about the importance of his lessons before tricking him into allowing the introduction.
It had gone a little like this: "Well, I am rather important, I think. Senshi, you know. And soon it will be official as I've just turned sixteen and it won't be long now before my formal debut, which means I'll soon be working with these people and attending all sorts of parties and banquets and negotiations. I happen to think it'd be a great start to introduce me to them now, and it'll make them feel so special, won't it? Being allowed an audience with me before I'm even presented to the public? Surely House Jupiter will be pleased."
It worked. If there was one thing he could always count on about his people—aside from their pride and arrogance and their desperate need to be better than everyone else—it was their desire to please and impress House Jupiter.
He'd spent the day trying to get glimpses of their visitors outside windows or over balconies, but his governess had kept a close watch on him and forced him to sit through another lecture on politics followed by a dance lesson in which he once again reduced his flamboyant dance instructor to tears with his superb ability to perform any manner of court dance. He felt the day had been wasted, and grew impatient the longer he was kept waiting.
Finally, Ganymede was taken from the ballroom, still a bit pink in the face from exertion, and led toward one of the private courtyards. He and the Lord Chancellor were joined by a few other government officials—one of whom attempted to tuck in the loose strands of Ganymede’s hair and encouraged him to straighten his shirt—though the king himself was notably absent. This was not surprising. Ganymede rarely saw him and assumed the dignitaries would be formally introduced to him later, after the Lord Chancellor had conducted all of the initial business.
Ganymede examined their guests, looking to the older men first, before his sights focused on a boy his own age. He smiled as the boy was introduced as Valhalla, and in his excitement he almost missed the Lord Chancellor's introduction in turn.
"My lord Valhalla," the Lord Chancellor began in his exceedingly pompous voice, throwing the “lord” in there as if it actually meant something. Probably trying to flatter him. Sometimes Ganymede missed the wheezy old man who'd served before current Lord Chancellor. "Allow me to introduce Sailor Ganymede who has, incidentally, not yet been presented to the public. In fact, this marks his first official meeting."
Ganymede bit back a bit of a grin as the Jovian dignitaries immediately 'ooh'ed and 'ahh'ed over their luck and the honor being presented to them—all except the auburn haired boy.
"Ganymede," the Lord Chancellor spoke up again, and Ganymede turned his attention to him so that he would know that he was listening. "Valhalla is your age and recently assumed his post on Jupiter. He joins us today on a diplomatic visit. I'm sure you'll see to it that he's made welcome."
"Of course," Ganymede replied, concealing his excitement in the calm, level tone of his voice. He faced Valhalla and dropped into a graceful bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I do hope you'll enjoy your stay. It's such a delight to have you here."
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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 11:47 am
Valhalla stared up at the man as he addressed him, forcing his eyes to remain narrowed instead of widen in what might be interpreted as terror. He swallowed thickly and did his best to pay attention to every word being said, his eyes snapping onto the blond he had hardly noticed before when he was introduced as Sailor Ganymede. Wait... that was Sailor Ganymede? The super special guy he was supposed to be excited to meet?
He caught on a little too late that his party reacted in a much more impressed way than himself, but really, he was a little disappointed. The guy looked scrawny, as though a gust of wind could knock him over. He supposed there was his magic to consider, but somehow he still wasn't convinced. Instead of gushing over this senshi, Valhalla stood rigidly in place, staring at the boy his age as he approached and bowed to him, and he lowered his head out of habit, before jerking it back up when he remembered that he hadn't been instructed on the proper way to greet others in this culture.
This place seemed more like Earth in their customs, at the very least. Much more so than how the people on Jupiter acted. They were hardly formal, always joking around and greeting each other with hugs. On Earth he'd been used to a lifestyle slightly more similar to Ganymede, or at least that was the impression he got from what he’d seen of it so far.
"Don't just stand there like a lump on a log! Say hello!" his already boisterous, and now excited, caretaker laughed, and Valhalla was nearly knocked over by a sudden thump on the back by a large hand. He stumbled forward, catching himself from falling flat on his face with a hand, and he quickly got back to his feet. The group he'd come with roared with laughter, clearly not understanding how embarrassing it was for him, and he ducked his head down to hide his suddenly red face, although he was sure the color reached his ears, so there was no point in hiding. There was no point in arguing with them, though, or letting them know how embarrassing some of the stuff they did was. They would simply laugh and tell him he'll get used to life there. After all, he'd been the one to pledge his allegiance to Jupiter.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance," he forced, staring at Ganymede's shoes rather than up at his face. He wanted to go home. Or at the very least be escorted to his room so he could hide and not come out until dinner. It was a cowardly thing to do, but this meeting was making him feel sick to his stomach. He wasn't comfortable at all, and now he looked like a fool who didn't know what he was doing. The last thing he wanted was for people to start questioning his position as Valhalla.
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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 12:05 pm
He almost stepped forward to assist Valhalla when he stumbled, but the page seemed to have things under control. Well, actually, no, he didn't. He looked horribly embarrassed. Ganymede thought it would be mean of him to comment on it and so he didn't, remaining where he was as Valhalla swiftly climbed back onto his feet, though, try as he might, he could not stop himself from smiling in amusement. He lifted a hand in the hopes of discretely concealing it, but he was sure some of the others noticed it regardless.
The Lord Chancellor did not seem to know what to make of it all. Ganymede was sure he was used to the rowdy behavior of the dignitaries from Jupiter, but as the Ganymedean nobility conducted themselves so formally, he doubted the man could comfortably return the large grins and hearty laughter. He merely presented them with something of a strained smile. Ganymede thought it made him look constipated, but none of the others seemed to notice or care. The Jovian ambassadors continued to gush and banter.
"Ganymede," the Lord Chancellor turned to him instead, "Perhaps you would care for a private audience with Valhalla while we conduct our business within the palace?"
Ganymede wasn't sure if he should feel offended that he was not being included in the official meetings. He quickly decided, after remembering his lessons that morning, that they would surely be boring and he would much rather spend his time outdoors with this awkward and stoic boy who called himself a page of Jupiter.
"It would be my honor," he replied.
The Lord Chancellor looked pleased and gave him a curt nod, before returning his attention to the other men and beckoning them to follow him. "The king has agreed to meet with you later this evening, but first we must discuss-"
Their voices trailed away as they left the courtyard and went back indoors, and Ganymede and Valhalla were left alone.
Ganymede studied the other boy for a few silent moments, still smiling as he noted the redness in his cheeks and the tense line of his shoulders. He could not disguise his pleasure at finally meeting someone else who, while Valhalla's upbringing thus far might not have been the same as his own, had similar duties and understood the grave amount of pressure that was being placed on his shoulders at such a young age.
"Come," he said, walking past him to take a seat on the fountain ledge. "Sit we me. We can talk a while. I've wanted to meet you so very much. They've kept me mostly on my own all these years. It gets dreadfully boring."
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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 12:24 pm
He wanted to disappear. Melt into the ground and just vanish. Never in his life had he been subjected to such ridicule, not until making his oath and becoming a 'knight'. He sometimes wondered if it had been the wrong choice, but then... there was nothing for him back on Earth. This was what he'd been trained for since a young age. He just... hadn't expected it to be quite like this.
Valhalla remained stiff and rigid, even as the two parties made their way indoors and he was left with the fair looking boy they called Ganymede. Although, he supposed after his little show, anyone would appear more dignified than him, this scrawny boy included. How embarrassing!
And although he glanced up when Ganymede made his way past him and to the fountain, he didn't say anything. Instead he hesitated, unsure of what to do before deciding that he might as well take a moment to enjoy the fact that he wasn't going to get his hair ruffled or get a slap on the back or anything ridiculous like that. Slowly, Valhalla turned to make his way over to the edge of the fountain and sat down... several feet away from Ganymede. It wasn't like they knew each other, after all. There was no reason to sit together like friends when they weren't.
He closed his eyes for a few moments, trying to relax now that all he had to listen to was the rush of the fountain, the mist of water sprinkling the back of his arms. It was nice here, he decided. He enjoyed the sunshine, the fresh air, the lack of rain, rain, and more rain. He could see the sky here. He could actually enjoy looking at clouds again. On Jupiter, it was mostly cloudy... all the time. It wasn't dark, but it was cloudy. He rarely saw the sky, rarely saw the stars. Heck, he rarely saw the moons orbiting the giant planet he was now sworn to for life.
But here on Ganymede, it was nice...
Opening his eyes again, he realize that he hadn't really said anything to the other boy, but... what was there to say...? He highly doubted that Ganymede had been wanting to meet him “so very much”... He was new to all this, not even half a year, so how could Ganymede even know about him enough to care?
And so, he kept his mouth shut. After all, he didn't want to risk making even more of a fool of himself.
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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 1:17 pm
In truth, he didn't know anything about Valhalla—at least not anything about Valhalla the boy; he knew plenty about Valhalla the place. He'd spent the last six years learning about various worlds throughout the universe, though he was perhaps better versed in Jovian history, politics, culture, and geography than all the rest, seeing as the Jovian system itself was of immediate importance to him. Once he'd mastered the Ganymedean material, his governess and many instructors had moved on to Jupiter proper. The name 'Valhalla' had come up quite a bit, along with many other Jovian landmarks.
But Valhalla the boy was a stranger to him, though Ganymede liked to think they could become friends. He had so few of them. He hoped that would be changing soon, seeing as his public introduction and the start of his official duties was only a week or so away. Then he could meet some of the other senshi and knights and take his place among them all. It was a pretty big deal, he supposed, but he thought he was ready for it.
At least he wouldn't be alone anymore.
"So you've just begun your duties as well?" he asked, just to clarify, itching for conversation and companionship, even if it didn't seem as if Valhalla were all that chatty. "I haven't been to Valhalla yet. I assume I will soon. There's already a visit to Jupiter planned within the next month. It'll be my first set of negotiations. Just with the Jovians this time, but it's probably better to start small, isn't it? Maybe I'll be able to see the fortress. I've learned all about it! Have you gotten used to it yet? You're from Earth. It must have been a bit of a shock to you."
It certainly didn't seem as if the other boy had grown accustomed to Jovian ways yet. He looked quite grumpy, but Ganymede thought some of it was probably from discomfort.
"You'll have to show me everything! I can take you around the castle here if you want. I've only seen half of it myself. They've kept certain halls closed off for me since I've been here, and I'm not allowed in the less private places, so not very many people know about me. Just the important ones, and some of the staff. The public are all still anxiously waiting. I'm sure they'll be overjoyed once I'm presented. Will you be here for it? The Lord Chancellor didn't tell me how long you were staying."
Was he babbling? He was probably babbling. He couldn't help it. His excitement was far too much to contain!
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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 2:05 pm
Valhalla didn't know... anything, really. He knew how much of an honor it was for his family that he became a knight and was sent away from Earth to fulfill his role. But... other than that, there wasn't much that he knew. He was still trying to get used to just being on Jupiter, much less anything else about the Jovian moons. Six months and he was still getting lost in his own fortress. Not that it was his fortress, but one would think he'd be able to figure out his way without needing help.
He stared at Ganymede when he started talking and asking him questions that he didn't know the answers to. He didn't know what the people on Ganymede were planning on doing. The paperwork he attended to were just placed in front of him for him to sign as one of his caretakers rambled off what each page was about. He was still trying to understand the dialect! He hadn't even gotten past the basics to writing in the Jovian script.
As for showing Ganymede everything when he visited... that might end up badly... What if he got them both lost and something happened and he was held responsible for Ganymede getting hurt? Would he be sent back to Earth? Or would they lock him up and not allow him out to do anything again?
He nodded lightly in response to things being a shock for him. That was the understatement of the millennia. Of course it had been a shock. He was still in shock over everything.
Again, he was aware that he hadn't said anything and was probably seeming pretty boring to such a lively person. He opened his mouth to try and respond somehow, maybe tell Ganymede about how his moon was closer in temperament to Earth than Jupiter, but his throat was so tight that no sound came out. Instead, his hands tugged awkwardly at the hem of his tunic.
"I don't know," he finally said, figuring that was the easiest thing to answer. He had no idea what his party was planning. He just knew he was supposed to go with them to Ganymede.
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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 2:23 pm
Ganymede stared curiously at Valhalla, wondering why he hadn't said much of anything yet. Maybe he was shy. No, that couldn't be it. A knight couldn't be shy. How did they expect to be able to do their duty if they couldn't even interact with people? What planet wanted a shy knight? Certainly not Jupiter. They were all so friendly and energetic. Val must stick out there like a sore thumb with the sort of temperament he had.
What if the other boy simply didn't want to talk to him? Was he being too annoying? He hadn't thought he was. He was only expressing his interest and excitement, and his desire to become friends. Perhaps that was it. He could be coming on a bit too strongly, he supposed. They knew so little about one another. Valhalla might not be the sort to make fast friends. Did he not trust him? That would be a bit disappointing. Ganymede had always considered himself to be pretty trustworthy.
He didn't scare the other boy, did he? He didn't see how he could. Valhalla was a bit bigger than him, a little taller and slightly broader, and Ganymede hadn't had too much practice with his magic yet. As was tradition, his instructors hadn't let him begin those lessons until he drew closer to adulthood, and as he'd only turned sixteen a week or so ago... that was only seven days of being an adult, give or take a few.
Perhaps Valhalla was just a grump. Not every enjoyed being social. The knight hadn't given any indication that he liked conversation. Ganymede wasn't sure how to deal with him if that was the case, though. He couldn't just leave him alone. That would be terribly rude. But trying to force him to talk would be just as rude, wouldn't it?
"What's your name?" he asked. It might be a bit presumptuous of him to ask that when they'd only just met, but as far as he was aware, knights of Jupiter weren't required to keep their names secret like he was. "Your real one. Not Valhalla."
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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 2:40 pm
He didn't know why he felt so tense and on guard. This guy was just a young, seemingly pathetic senshi who didn't know what he was doing. But that wasn't far from his own story. Only he wasn't pathetic. Okay, maybe he was rather pathetic since he didn't even know what to talk about to this guy. Ganymede didn't really have the stature to intimidate. He was too... fair looking. Maybe it was a Ganymed...ian... thing...? Not that he'd seen any other well off young adults while being there. At least not yet. He'd been a little preoccupied, anyway.
Valhalla looked up to stare at Ganymede when he asked for his name. No one ever asked for his name. In fact, he was pretty sure he was supposed to forget it and go by 'Valhalla' for the rest of his life. It was supposed to be like that, right...? Everyone called him Valhalla, anyway. No one cared what his real name might be. Not that it was all that impressive of a name, anyway.
He hesitated, looking at the other boy as if he didn't know what to do — and probably because he really didn't know what to do. Would he get in trouble for telling Ganymede his name? He didn't want to be scolded for something he didn't know he wasn't supposed to do. Then again, it wasn't like there was anyone else wandering around to overhear. Basically... he was taking a risk in trusting Ganymede, and he hoped he wouldn't regret it.
"Serge," he said, shuffling his feet against the base of the fountain. He didn't know why he was sharing information like that since they'd only just met. Maybe it was because no one had asked him for his name before.
Curiously, he glanced over at Ganymede. Valhalla frowned, wondering what kind of name a guy like Ganymede could have. Nothing really heavy sounding. That would just throw things off. Not anything like... Thomas or Fredrick. That would ruin the entire image.
"What's yours?" he parroted back, partially because he wanted to return the question out of politeness, and also because he was curious.
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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 3:47 pm
"Serge..." he repeated, trying the name out for himself. "That's a rather harsh sounding name. Serge... Serge... I suppose it fits you, though," Ganymede couldn't help but tease. He could definitely imagine someone with such a grumpy face being named 'Serge.' "It's sort of simple sounding, too, though. I could imagine a stable-boy being named 'Serge.'"
He quickly realized that that might not sound the way he'd intended, though he wasn't sure how he'd intended it at all. How does one go about comparing a knight to such simple, common people in a way that was anything but insulting?
Not that he had anything against common people. Not at all. He simply didn't know how Valhalla would take it.
"That's not to say that I'm comparing you to a mere stable boy," he amended. "Certainly, you're not. I'm sure you'll fair better than I will, if you've already had a few months to try and get used to things. I'm assuming you've been training for a very long time. I was only brought here six years ago, and before that I didn't have any idea that this is what I would be my lot in life. My instructors like to tell me that I'm much too carefree to be any decent senshi. I think they're trying to shame me into being more serious, but I'd rather help people and be kind to them than exert authority over them. Just because I was lucky... or unlucky... enough to be a senshi doesn’t mean I’m necessarily better than them, does it?"
He was pretty sure that was somewhat disappointing to the Lord Chancellor—and perhaps even to the king, though he couldn't be sure since he rarely saw him, much less spoke with him about anything important.
Ganymede smiled at Valhalla—Serge, he told himself to call him now, at least in his head, as well as in private, whether or not he did so in public. He had his hands propped on the edge of the fountain to support himself without anything to rest his back against, and at Serge's question, he leaned a little bit closer, lowering his voice as if they were conspiring together.
"I'm not supposed to tell anyone my real name," he said.
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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 6:26 pm
What was wrong with his name...?? "It's a family name," he frowned, not really thinking he liked the teasing. Not that he thought that Ganymede meant anything bad or hostile by it, but after being teased constantly for the past six months, well, he didn't really want this new person (the only one he'd met who was his age) making fun of him.
Valhalla's teeth clenched together as he turned away from the other young man and back down at his hands in his lap. Him? A stable boy? "I'm from Earthen nobility. In Arles, south of Aquitaine," he snapped, angry that he was being compared to farm help because of his name. How would Ganymede know what a good name was, anyway?? He was from here! Not from Earth! "And yes, I have been training since I was young. I can wield a sword and have been trained to shoot a bow and arrow from horseback," he growled, sitting up straighter, proud of everything he'd learned to do in his past fifteen years on Earth.
But here... they didn't really use swords or bows with arrows. Here they used magic and he was put in charge of a fortress that focused on more hand-to-hand combat, rather than with pointy weapons. They focused on things like harvesting and group gatherings and laughing and joking... He'd been trained to push aside things like emotions when fighting enemies and... here...? There wasn't much to fight. It was mostly all for show...
And now he was being taught how to read and create star charts and maps and use compasses and astralobs and things like that. This wasn't like Earth at all.
He missed Earth's warmth the most...
"Then don't," he said with a dark frown, figuring Ganymede was teasing him again. Little jerk...
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Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 5:59 pm
Ganymede bit at his bottom lip to keep himself from grinning as Serge attempted to puff himself up, all high-and-mighty. There was definitely some noble pride there. He'd seen it so much in his own people, he'd recognize it anywhere, even if Earth was different. He supposed wealthy people were similar no matter where you went. Some of them might have more concern for the common man than others, but at their core they were all prideful and self-important. They clung to their blood, family, and background as if it made them who they were.
Considering how out of his element he seemed to be, Ganymede supposed it was the only thing that was familiar that Serge had to cling to at the moment, and he forgave him for it and said not a word about it.
"But we're alike, you and I," he said, inching ever closer even as Serge's eyes remained stubbornly locked on his hands. Ganymede leaned forward and bent down, trying to look up into Serge's face.
"We were both taken from our homes and brought to places that are unfamiliar to us," he pointed out. "You were taken to Jupiter, and I was taken here, to this castle. We both have the same sort of expectations placed on us. You serve House Jupiter. You've pledged yourself to a family and a people that aren't even your own. Me, I've got to pledge myself to Ganymede, its people and government, and to whomever in the Jovian system might need my aid. I didn't have much of a choice in the matter. I was born to this, and one day soon everyone will know it, and I'll never be able to escape from it."
He said it all easily. He'd already grown to accept it. He'd had six years cooped up in the castle, studying and practicing and allowing his instructors to mold him into what he'd been born to become, to come to terms with it. There was nothing he could do to change it, nor did he feel any sense of animosity toward his fate. The responsibility and the expectations were at times overwhelming, but he liked that he had the power and the influence to help his people.
Ganymede only wished it didn't result in such an isolated existence.
"Aren't you ever lonely, too?" he asked.
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Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 7:07 pm
They were alike, huh...? Valhalla frowned as Ganymede went on to point out their similarities, although he quickly pulled back when he realized that the other young man was trying to get a look at his face. He gave him a strange look back, something akin to a half grimace, and leaned back on the fountain wall as if that would give himself some more space away from the other boy.
"Maybe..." he mumbled, not really wanting to agree with him, but the points he'd made seemed close enough. He had been taken from his home and brought to Jupiter, but that had been his own decision. Well... it had been expected of him, so yeah... he had to decide to do it. There wasn't much choice in the matter. All of those years of training and preparing himself would have been wasted if he didn't decide to pledge himself as a knight. He didn't regret the decision... he was just not that thrilled about being made fun of for his difference in opinions and habits and expectations.
He shrugged when he asked if he was ever lonely, too. There wasn't really a chance for him to be physically lonely. He was always around people. Those from Jupiter didn't really believe in personal space. There was always shoulder pats or hugs or getting his head rubbed... so he couldn't really say he was lonely... could he...?
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Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2012 6:05 pm
Being lonely didn't have anything to do with being alone, Ganymede thought. You could be surrounded by hundreds of people and still feel lonely. He was around people all day—his governess, his other instructors, the Lord Chancellor, the maids, the kitchen staff, and a few other government officials who'd been allowed in his company, sometimes the king or queen and other members of the royal family, but rarely anyone else. All of his time was spent in certain wings and hallways of the palace, away from the court, away from the public, until such a time as his official introduction would be made.
Then he would suddenly burst into existence in front of hundreds of thousands of people who hadn't been aware before that he already existed, all of whom were waiting, some anxiously, some patiently, wondering when the next Ganymede would come.
It was the lack of understanding that made things so lonely. He was the only one on his world who knew what it was like to be Sailor Ganymede. No one else would ever quite get it, at least not if they weren't a senshi themselves, and as there was only one per world, he'd have to go elsewhere to find another. But Serge should understand, because the knights weren't much different. Maybe they had it even worse, coming to places they'd never known before, leaving their world and their family behind.
Regardless, Ganymede thought there was a certain level of kinship between them, even if Serge didn't feel or acknowledge it, too.
"Liesel," he said, just as quietly and conspiratorially as before, in case someone should come out and disturb them. He shifted closer again, and the pinky of his hand accidentally brushed the side of Serge's thigh. "My name is Liesel. You won't tell anyone, will you?"
He smiled knowingly. Serge was so quiet and sullen, he doubted he would.
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Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2012 6:14 pm
No, he knew that being lonely had nothing to do with physically being alone. And if he was honest with himself... yeah, he was lonely. He'd been lonely for the past six months, ever since he'd made his pledge and left home to go to Jupiter. Since then he hadn't had a single person to call his friend. He busied himself with learning and trying to adapt, but Jupiter was so different than Earth.
He was used to thunderstorms that didn't make it seem as though the world was ending. Everyone on Jupiter laughed and rejoiced in the deafening cracks that shook the windows, and even stood out in the rain when there wasn't threat of being struck by lightening. He, on the other hand, wanted to hide. He didn't think of himself as a coward, but things were just so different that he definitely felt like one.
And it wasn't as though anyone was ever mean to him. Quite the contrary! Everyone was so nice and accepting. Of course, they also liked to tease him for his lack of accent and whenever he did something that wasn't what was considered normal on Jupiter. He realized that he shouldn't let it bother him, but it was frustrating.
Maybe he really was just a spoiled little boy who didn't know anything and this was his punishment for being an obnoxious brat... or something...
He didn't glance up when Liesel told him his name, but he did shake his head when he asked if he'd tell anyone. No, he wouldn't tell anyone. This was the first secret he'd been asked to keep since being there, after all. Well, other than the secrets he had as Valhalla, but that wasn't between just two people. He had a whole council who knew what they were now telling him.
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