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 Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 3:54 pm
Since she began exploring Destiny City during the day, she found herself more comfortable in the role of Leda. She didn't have to worry about enemies lurking in the shadows, for no one could hide during the noontime sun. Besides, the waning November heat warmed her back and chased away the goosebumps formed from a rogue wind. She liked it here, during the mild fall - where she could sharpen her prowess without fear of a youma ambush or Negaverse ploy.
Leda sat on a cold swing in the midst of an empty park. The children normally breathing life and mirth into the place were now studiously at work under the supervision of their teachers, and only a single senshi and the fauna lingered in its folds. She found it amicable enough - with the trees offering generous shade around their trunks and the sun affording enough warmth to sustain her despite her unusual outfit, she found little reason to go searching for trouble.
She knew that, ultimately, she'd need to prove her worth as a senshi. She'd need to deter the threat again as she had before, and use the power of steam to drive off what threatened to poison the city she came to adore.
Leda learned so much here. Sirsce found a plethora of enriching experiences here. And how many times had a glorious mauve sunset unspooled in oranges and purples and yellows that she only wished she could find as an eyeshadow in her favorite makeup stores? The city offered so many unique experiences that she couldn't find anywhere else, yet here she sat idly while waiting for the lurking dangers to discover her come sundown.
But those fears were still six hours off. Leda sighed, and brushed her heeled feet across the grass as she worked up the inclination to swing lazily and trace her own manmade breeze.
Maybe she earned a rare day without danger or discourse. She smiled happily, humming a familiar tune while she picked up speed. It was a beautiful day - why not enjoy it for its offerings rather than dread some bogeyman that hid in the shadows?
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Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 7:26 pm
Persephone only rarely powered up during the day, but when she did, it was always a different experience. The city during the day seemed so much safer than at night - especially when night, so recently, had meant no moon and terrifying monsters.
At least that was done, and no one she knew had fallen to their clones.
She was taking roof jumps, not particularly caring that in her Greek dress and heels she was incredibly easy to spot, stood out like a sore thumb. She was having too much fun flying.
And then she sensed an Order signature and she paused, a smile appearing on her face. Yes, this was something to explore - a potential friend, or teammate? It had been a few months, but she was still pulling things together, and the more she had the better, right? So she turned towards it, and when she spotted the Senshi with the dual-colored hair, she called out. "Hello there!"
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Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 8:20 am
It felt easy to just lazily swing back and forth while a war waged on in the heart of the city. The participants still attended school, their jobs, their familial obligations before night fell and the temporary truce broke. But this time she had to herself, to swing and marvel at the nature surrounding her rather than watch over her shoulder for any potential agents.
She was tired of running. That's why she chose the swing - for no matter how far forward she pitched herself, she would always return the way she came. It was easy, predictable, and soothing. It meant she didn't have to fear her origins anymore, or avoid the paths from whence she came. It meant she could simply stare at the sky, or watch how her view of the trees changed with a little height in her swinging. It meant she could wait for the kids from Knightside Elementary to spill onto the scene after school let out. And it meant she would give up her seat to one of those fresh-faced, eager little kids and go for a walk in the woods instead.
But a familiar feeling roused her from her warm musings, and she smiled when she realized it belonged to one of her own. And the girl it belonged to, who approached in a flurry of Greek dress and green hair, bore the same level energy signature that she did.
So Leda smiled wider. Not only had a comrade found her, but a peer at that. What a wonderful way to brighten an already endearing day!
The Steam Senshi hopped off the swing easily enough, and dusted off the back of her skirt out of habit. She doubted anything came off, but her gaze was too fixated on the oncoming senshi to regard the state of her rear end. And that was fine - as she learned from Pasiphae, one could simply power down and power up again to remove any unwanted dirt and grime. Didn't help much for the hair, but Leda bought combs for that. She liked being prepared.
"Hey!" She greeted happily when the senshi drew closer. They hadn't met before, which left the Steam Senshi even more excited. Almost effervescent, really. "I didn't think I'd find anyone out this way! Um, not that I mind, it was just unexpected. I'm Leda, of Steam." She tried to curtsey, but she was never good at curtseying. She wasn't really sure why she tried when a simple handshake would suffice. But she was in a good mood, so she brushed it off. "What's your name?" Vivid green eyes regarded her new visitor with such wonder and fascination that she had forgotten how rude it was to stare.
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Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 8:29 pm
Persephone was rather glad to have found another Super Senshi - it always comforted her to be near someone of her level. She knew her delight had to show on her face, and it only grew when she took in the girl's elegant steampunk fuku. That was some elegance, she had to admit.
And that she was so enthusiastic - that was even better! It was always wonderful to meet someone on her side, but even moreso when they were smiling and bubbly like Leda and not world-weary as Albali had been.
"I'm Persephone, of Pomegranates," she said, curtsying in return. Leda's delight was feeding into Persephone's own, and it made it so much easier to be relaxed about conversation. "How have things been, for you? No unfortunate encounters with Chaos, I hope?" It was easy for her to ask questions as if they'd been friends for a long time - while Caitlyn would have been curling up in a corner at the prospect of people, Persephone was Persephone, and could be confident and warm and friendly and outgoing. Persephone could ask if someone she didn't even know was alright, in this horrible war.
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Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 9:07 pm
Leda's smile dampened slightly at the mention of Chaos, but it did not fade from her countenance entirely. Inwardly she reflected on the various experiences she'd witnessed, like when Ida nearly choked to death at the hands of Bischofite. And then there were the experiences she partook in directly, like when Serpentine nearly killed her alongside his youma. There was the convention, and there was the carnival. Chaos flooded her life, and every waking moment she spent fighting it back, whether conscious or not.
But there were times when Order won - when Leda and Ida combined their efforts to stop Bischofite, or when Leda managed to strike Serpentine and drive him off. Surely it did not silence their efforts altogether, but it was something. It saved a life. It saved her life. And that was enough - she didn't have to shoot for the lofty goals of other senshi. Save that for someone who had the commitment and wherewithal to spend a lifetime protecting Destiny City. But she was just a teenager, just seventeen years old, with a high school diploma to receive and dresses to design and dreams to make reality.
So if she saved one life, that was enough. That helped her relax. That meant she did some good out there.
After a pause, she finally responded. "Oh, nothing I couldn't deal with. I mean, sometimes I needed some help, but um, overall I'm doing pretty good. Hopefully you've had the same luck?" It was luck, to her, because she lacked the ability to defend herself adequately. Because at any given time - while running away or while fighting the enemy - she could've broken her neck or fallen on a spike or any number of things that would've spelled certain doom.
So to ask someone if they've had good luck in the war seemed an entirely plausible question to her.
"Hey, want to sit on the swings with me? The breeze feels kind of nice. It's like, super relieving if your fuku is a little stuffy like mine." She exuberantly motioned for Persephone to follow her while she approached her previous seating.
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Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 6:18 pm
Persephone relaxed at Leda's answer. "Luck sounds about right, yes," she acknowledged. Luck was all she had, really - she was tiny and untrained and had magic only useful for helping someone else. Still, luck - yes, that was accurate. She was lucky that the second time she encountered Leto - the Dark Mirror had wanted to talk, not fight. Lucky that she'd talked her way out of being murdered by Bischofite, and that Zinkenite too had been open for conversation rather than killing. Lucky she had a smart mouth, but smart enough to impress and not to offend, she supposed.
"I think we all need help sometimes," she said, as she took a seat on the swing. She pushed off, swinging back and forth a little. It was nice, relaxing - she felt like a kid again, instead of a Sailor Soldier with the weight of the world on her shoulders.
"Actually," she broached, a little nervously because she barely knew this girl but even still, "I'm working on forming a team. A family, sort of - or so I'd like to hope." Because that was what Zinkenite and Avalon and Leto had all claimed Chaos was, and if she could make her own little piece of that... "We can help and support each other, and make sure that if one of us is in danger, there's always someone to back them up."
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Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 11:50 pm
"Oh, a team?" Leda practically swelled with excitement. Despite her best intentions, she couldn't quite convince herself to release the pent-up breath in her lungs. It was almost like she was afraid she might deflate if even a modicum of air escaped her. "That sounds like such a good idea! I mean, you could like, train some new senshi, and give them some kind of guidance so they don't just wander around totally lost and confused and end up relying on the enemy for directions, which wouldn't be good anyway because who knows what might happen to them, and then we can do something to like, avenge those senshi who got taken to the other side, you know?" So she might've rambled a bit.
Okay, maybe a lot. Hopefully Persephone wouldn't turn right back around and walk off after being subjected to all that, but Leda couldn't justify getting her hopes up about it.
Nervously the Steam Senshi fussed with the fabrics of her skirt, smoothing them out in repetitive motions while she struggled to collect her thoughts. She desperately wanted to be a part of a team, any team, but was it right for her to outright ask for a spot? Would Persephone still tell her about the team if she didn't want her on the team? Did Persephone want to make her jealous by explaining her intentions toward a team? That didn't seem very likely - Persephone didn't know if she was on a team or not, unless every senshi ever talked about Leda as the lone weird one who didn't have a team and wasn't really good at fighting.
Oh god, the world was hard.
Mentally throwing her hands up in anguish, Leda selected to ask the question that burned at the forefront of her mind: "Can I be on your team? Cuz it sounds like a totally good idea, and I like to help people. I mean, I'm not that good at fighting, but I have the right magic for it so I should probably learn, but fighting is just... hard." She trailed off, digging a heeled brown shoe into the hardening mud. Small ridges formed where she edged her foot away from its origin. "If you don't want me on your team, that's okay too - I mean, I don't want you to be pressured into accepting me."
One last time, she looked toward the green-haired senshi with brightened eyes. "But you're gonna have an awesome time with your new team, okay? You'll be totally successful, and build a great family for the White Moon!" It was the most encouragement she could offer at the moment, due to her conflicted feelings.
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Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 9:33 pm
Persephone nodded along with Leda. If she had a little more enthusiasm in her, she might have reached out and grabbed the other girl's hands - unfortunately, she wasn't quite there yet. She was close, though, and definitely leaning forward in enthusiasm fueled by the other Senshi's. It was nice to see someone get so excited abut what she was trying to do.
"Yeah, that's - that's basically everything I'd hoped for, though I hadn't really thought about avenging the Senshi that corrupt, but I mean - that's really great too, or maybe...maybe we can even bring them back? I dunno," she said, and then she fell silent as she watched Leda smooth her skirt. It was obvious the other Senshi was nervous, and so she waited for her to speak.
For a moment, she felt bad, because she hadn't opened with an invitation like she meant to. "Of course, I wouldn't have brought it up if I didn't want to ask you to join," she clarified. "I want as many people as I can, and you're a Super Senshi like me and that's really great and really helpful."
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Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 8:11 pm
Leda's enthusiasm halted momentarily when Persephone brought up a more realistic approach to the plight of the corrupted senshi. "Oh... You're right," she trailed off, realizing that perhaps anchoring them to the White Moon side once more was likely a better approach than avenging them like fallen comrades. Maybe the fallen comrades idea was a little more romantic, but romantic never really made war a good thing in the first place.
However, the girl's effervescent nature wasn't lost in limbo forever. Once Persephone mentioned that she already had plans to invite her to the team, Leda lit up like a christmas bulb in the middle of the night. She smiled broadly and bounced on her heels with energy that threatened to hum through her body if she stood still long enough. "Oh, really? Ooh! I've always wanted to be on a team! I mean, I've been looking around and stuff and I've met other senshi on teams and they always seemed a little happier than... Um..." Loner senshi, she wanted to say, but the phrase felt more condescending than she would've liked.
"Anyway, I'd really like to join. I think being on a team could help a lot, cuz I'm not really the best at combat, even though my magic is meant to hurt other people..." She cast her gaze toward her shoes, that appeared entirely unassuming when compared to the magic she wielded. Wait, wasn't she forgetting something? "Oh, um, is there a place where we're all supposed to meet up? If you have a team, it'd be kinda nice to meet the other members..." But Persephone probably already knew that, as it was an important facet to the formation of a team. How could one possibly be on a team if one didn't know the other members from Joe Blow?
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Posted: Fri Dec 20, 2013 9:36 pm
"Yeah, I think it'll be really great for everyone involved," Persephone said, and she laughed lightly. Yes, Leda would be a great addition, with all her bubbling enthusiasm and her smiles and her light. There was something priceless and precious about happiness like that.
"I was going to call everyone together, using the Senshiphones, for a meeting so we can figure things out. Patrol schedules, small groups to work in, emergency protocols, things like that." All the important stuff a team would need to make sure they would function. She pulled out her phone and registered Leda.
"I'll send you a message with a date and time and location once I'm settled on one, okay?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 11:17 pm
"Okay!" Leda responded happily. Though she hadn't much of a concept for teams, the Steam Senshi was rather surprised that Persephone considered so much of the team's functions before she even formally coordinated them. Leda wouldn't have considered patrol schedules or emergency protocols, but... She never actually took the time to question Penelope those moons ago when she brought up her team of the Jovian Court. Did all teams function in this manner? Leda didn't know, despite her avid interest in the subject, but she found it wholly comforting that Persephone intended for them to operate in that manner.
So happy, in fact, she clasped her hands together and pulled her laced fingers toward her chest. "That works totally great, actually! Oh, um, you'll need my Senshiphone number for that, huh?" Without waiting for an answer, Leda pulled the phone from its pocket nestled within the folds of her skirt, and typed the number across the screen for Persephone to see. Afterward she held it toward her brand-new teammate with a smile. "I'll come as soon as I can after you text. Sometimes I have to sit down with my mom for dinner, cuz she gets lonely, but any other time I'm good to go!"
She only hoped that Persephone would remember to text her when the time came.
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Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 10:50 pm
Persephone couldn't keep a smile off her face. Enthusiastic team members were the best kind, and this was exactly what she wanted. New friends, new family. How could she turn her back on the White Moon when there were people like this in it? People with such good, warm hearts.
She copied down the girl's number, and then offered her own. "So you'll know it's coming from me," she said, with a soft laugh. "It'll probably be later in the evening, my parents like to try and get all the kids at the table for dinner when they can and one of the other members works kinda late." Accomodating everyone's schedules would be an interesting adventure and basically meant a late-night meeting was the only option - but then, they were Senshi, patrols and such were late anyway, weren't they?
"I'm really happy we ran into each other, Leda."
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Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2013 12:30 am
Leda carefully inputted Persephone's number and double-checked the provided combination to ensure she didn't accidentally screw it up. She furrowed her brow as she studied the two listed numbers and nodded absently while she concentrated. Once she was sure the number was correct, she saved the contact and returned her phone to its rightful, if not marginally uncomfortable, place.
"I think I'll be able to make it." Leda offered the best smile she could muster to her future teammate. "But, speaking of dinner, um..." How could she explain the mild inconvenience of mandatory dinner times without sounding like she was trying to bail on her new friend? She already explained that her parents tried to round them up for dinner so she must have a similar predicament, but... What if she just didn't like to hear that from other people. Swallowing hard, Leda continued regardless. "My mom has this rule where we always eat dinner at six, so she's probably expecting me to get home about now... I mean, I totally don't mean to just leave you just like that, but you have my number just in case you need to get ahold of me.
"Anyway, it was definitely nice to meet you too! I mean, I think we'll get along really well, and I'm sure you picked some good teammates for us too! But I need to get going if I'm gonna make it home in time to stop my mom's constant worrying. I think she thinks I'm gonna break a leg walking home one of these days..." She sighed before offering Persephone an apologetic nod. Afterward she turned toward the general direction of her house and set off at a trot, though she managed a quick wave to her teammate in the midst of her exit. "I hope I hear from you soon!" She called, projecting toward her destination more than the recipient.
At least now she wouldn't have to stand alone.
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