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 Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 11:02 am
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Voices traveled strangely through the streets, themselves portents of lesser deeds tracked by idle men. He knew the dance well: while the stronger elicit demands, the weak and meek follow through with such revolting compliance that he often wondered if the Dark Kingdom demanded bootlickers over soldiers. Slowly he approached their collective origins, meandering through paths lesser known to the populace while avoiding telltale puddles to give himself away. The moon swathed itself in clouds that night; between the lesser lighting and his dark choice in outfits, he needn't worry too greatly over detection.
Perhaps he should've stayed in SpecOps, where his eavesdropping tendencies may have some merit. But those days faded quickly, as he lacked the combat prowess to linger among the elite, and his inability to follow orders without question rendered him far too undesirable for their ranks. It didn't matter now, though; he played his own roles when such fancies struck him.
And tonight, it seemed, he'd play wallflower once more to a duet he witnessed only a few days prior: the general, long known from his days as a true lieutenant, now met with his uncommonly well-attired protege. As Alois settled against a brick wall obscured by multiple shadows, gold eyes scrutinized the two in their purportedly second meeting. What luck to witness an enviably seamless corruption, followed by yet another meeting of General Natron and his new charge... Alois' mouth twitched slightly, more in the direction of a sneer than a smile. How had a man so suited for grunt duties managed to corrupt such a willing soul?
However, his pick of lieutenants possessed few promising details: Alois considered his uniform as more cumbersome formal wear, and the lankiness of the boy betrayed his (lack of) strength. The dim light impeded his ability to discern more of the lieutenant's looks, just as his distance earlier prevented him from heeding any details to the boy. What a shame, what a pity; he would have to encroach on their seemingly private meeting if he desired a more accurate depiction of Natron's recruit.
And Natron himself... The Saarlander's persnickety gaze settled on the man, still standing tall despite their earlier interactions. A dark fleck just beneath his lower lip confirmed the stubborn presence of his bite mark, though Alois suspected that it would fade by the following day. If anything, the general now enjoyed himself in attempting to explain all the intricacies of the Negaverse to his latest gangly greenhorn. Finally the sneer that threatened to tense his muscles fully bloomed across his face, wrinkling a normally stoic countenance into a feral display.
To measure his patience, the Saarlander attempted to listen further.
Die Fluegel der Freiheit a car can pass and illuminate him whenever it's convenient
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Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 7:50 pm
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Natron was, in essence, compartmentalizing. Des still wasn't speaking to him, Clary wasn't either, and he was sore and bruised from being thrown around by Delilah - well, Erythrite. Perhaps the one plus point right now was that he had a very eager young Lieutenant to teach, which meant he could set aside issues in his civilian life and worry more about moulding a good officer for the negaverse.
All things considered, however, it was for the best that he was completely unaware that his least favorite colleague was observing him in civilian form, because he was angry enough generally and didn't particularly need yet another thing to be pissed about.
"Tonight," he began, looking up at his companion, "we'll be going over the most basic of your duties - energy draining. If necessary, I'll show you how to pull a starseed, but unless we are very unlucky, that shouldn't be necessary." He generally tried to avoid civilian casualties, but if some Senshi or Knight was fool enough to try a General and a Lieutenant, well, showing Chalcanthite their most efficient way to execute the enemy would be a bonus.
"The energy we drain serves a number of purposes for the Negaverse, among them ensuring that youma can regenerate in the Rift. Actually doing it is simple enough, and requires nothing but a civilian target and some physical contact - at least at your rank. It gets easier as you go up, and you'll also have to drain less of it to meet your assigned quota." Frankly, he was glad that energy draining wasn't something he needed to do as much these days. It was a rather distasteful practice to him, even if he knew it was necessary.
"It's smart, by the by, to keep a little extra for yourself, because in a pinch you can absorb energy or eat a starseed to heal yourself and get some relief from fatigue."
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Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 12:04 am
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Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 11:39 pm
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The misanthrope peered toward the pair, eyes alight with derision for the one he met in concurrently bad terms. Aren't you forgetting the most important part, Natron? Did it just... Slip your mind that Metallia needs the energy to sustain our powered forms? Or did you think that explaining energy draining as some paltry sideshow for our posthuman variants would somehow motivate him to follow through with it? Or maybe you just didn't want to scare him into realizing that our continued existence depends on gathering the energy required to sustain it. Then again, you've never quite been the bright one before, have you Natty? Maybe you just never knew.
Alois tugged his coat tightly about himself as the wind whistled through the alley. Stray bangs threatened to taper across the lighted portions of the alley, so he tilted his head toward the darkness. How much have you forgotten, Natron? Wasn't there ever a time when you sought to drain just a touch from some restless junkie, and you accidentally drained him to death? Lieutenants lack finesse. Additionally, I doubt this one has the mental fortitude required to digest impromptu murder. He'll break, and what will you do then? Convert him into your own personal youma, or submit him to your superiors for further repurposing? Maybe it's just easier to let him hate himself. Slowly, quietly, Alois sank into a seated position against the wall, where he retracted his knees to his chest and curled his arms around his shins tightly. Despite the cold, his eyes burned with a flurry of interest and disgust.
And your lieutenant is a child to boot. Small wonder that we're lodged in a stalemate. Alois sighed softly as he watched the steam dissipate into the atmosphere. One can receive another heart. Artificial hearts are now a viable alternative, but... You'll never find another starseed to fill that hole. Absently, his fingers strayed to his chest, long nails traipsing atop the chest of his black shirt. Afterward they curled into a fist, scraping heavily down the cotton fabric. Were he in uniform, he would've gripped the detestable rock himself.
Alois intended to listen further, but a small squeak echoing from down the alley drew his attention. A mouse, doubtless, but he lacked the ability to sense the auric energies of youma in his current state. Never had he heard one of their kind voice such a disarming noise, but were it truly one of them, the two would doubtless approach it as some sort of training exercise and practically trip over a prime draining target in the process. But perhaps that wasn't an entirely unwanted experience... Only once before had an agent targeted him, and the fop never drew an ounce before Alois powered up. Maybe this time he'd forego his better judgements to experience it himself.
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Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 10:55 pm
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"With a bit less Kali Ma and blood everywhere, but yeah, it's kinda like ripping out someone's heart. Or their soul, I guess, would be closer." Natron acknowledged. The whole starseed thing might be considered a little morbid, but war wasn't exactly fluffy kittens and butterflies.
"Draining makes them tired, and not much more, unless you're not careful." He let that hang in the air, rather than continue. "As for Senshi - no idea. I've only had someone power up on me mid-drain once, and that was another officer. It's not as if this just happens, anyway. Senshi transformations are weird as ********." At least officer ones were straightforward. Think about it, and poof, you were in uniform. No weird pens or sparkly lights or anything.
"They uh, don't really taste like anything," Natron shrugged. "Not that I've noticed; the few times I've had to eat one, the flavor's been the last thing on my mind. I will agree that it's pretty morbid, though."
The sound in the alley drew his attention, at right about the time that a car drove by, headlights illuminating a figure in the alley. A perfect target. "he nudged Chalcanthite and gestured, quietly, hoping to not alarm their potential prey too much.
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 5:33 pm
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Draining felt old and familiar, much like the recurring kink in a wrist or that grating customer who he thought moved away. It felt like the wraith that assaulted him so readily that night, in the pouring rain where people still lingered, lost amidst their own fantasies, where rarer types plagued by power settled just beyond the peripheries. It felt like old street lights, dank alleyways, dismal half-truths to a whole-lie life. And perhaps most jarringly, it smelled of cigarettes tainted with the scent of cookies. Caustic confections.
Cancer enveloped in misdirection. How... Quaint.
A tired laugh bubbled from the misanthrope's throat as he felt the inclination to stab the boy, to teach him through pain and misery, fade into a listless pipe dream. He knew from experience that the boy lacked some measure of control over the amount he drained, but Alois paid that knowledge little heed. Instead he seized the lieutenant's wrists and blew through the smoke that obscured Alois' scrutinizing gaze. "A child's cigarette," he started before drawing a quiet gasp, a smile blooming crookedly across his features. "Oh, now look at you... Does it feel ensralling to draw ze very energy from someone's bones? You're quite pleased, aren't you? To appease your general... Must be nice. Must be... so easy to pat yourself on ze back for such trite achievements."
First energy draining. First starseed ripping. First corruption. All these medals of breaking barriers, taking new steps... Who was it meant for? Them? These capricious greenhorns and their fresh faces, smug looks, perky doe eyes untainted by violence? Was it generals like Natron that perpetuated such a trite system by urging the meager scraps of men to seek medals instead of scars? Maybe under closer guidance, if Benitoite hadn't allowed him out of sight, then he would maintain the same views as Natron himself. Perhaps they'd operate under the same wavelength, perfectly content with the grind, perfectly lacking in ambition.
Maybe these new lieutenants, giddy with power, are what Metallia wants now. Easy control. Easy access. Easy prey.
For they never think beyond the medals awarded for success. Ascending rank. Rescuing a POW. Five successful missions. These define success in an easily digestible manner, clear-cut and attainable by all. Attainable goals.
Finally Alois drew enough energy to speak once more. "You should desist, Lieutenant, for I am certain your general has more to teach..." And with some luck, the man might think to educate him on starseed ripping. If not, well... He could always bring a switchblade to the party.
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 10:48 pm
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Aloysius froze for a moment, a look of shock swept across his face. It was only when the other spoke did he regain his composure. Thoughts raced through his mind though, thinking of how to better go about draining without the risk of something like this happening once more. "It is simply cheaper, as well as stronger in the nicotine content." He honestly liked the stronger nicotine in the e-cig more than the real ones though he shuddered when he remembered that the strength he used was equal to 3 packs of cigarettes a day. Then next words stabbed him like a knife, a colder and sharper demeanor swept across his face now.
Something struck him as odd though, the young man had said general. Natron had never said how much information the world had about the Negaverse other than that they and the senshi were terrorists. At this point he broke the young man's grasp, carefully so that he would not hurt his hand or wrist. He replied in a hushed town, not out of weakness but out of secrecy. "Appease? No I do not wish to appease him. I intend to surpass him but, that requires that I learn the basics and to survive fights. Draining just gives us the ability to survive while attaining higher goals rather than the smaller achievements. "
At this point Aloysius thought of his notebooks, mentally going through all the data he had collected thus far. "I do find it odd that you know my rank and of my general. How long have you been spying over here in the darkness?" Aloysius thought of pinning the young man to the wall to try and get more information or energy out of him. He thought back to his goal though and simply pushed him slightly before turning back to where Natron stood a bit away. He motioned for the general to come over before turning back to the dark haired young man.
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Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:41 pm
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Natron was never far from his Lieutenant, and so he picked up most of the conversation, and its contents was worrying - never mind that the voice and the accent were naggingly familiar but not in a way he could quite place. He stepped in behind the Lieutenant, arms crossed, and regarded their prey.
Overall, unremarkable - incredibly skinny, rather unintimidating ignoring his height, not someone Natron would ever have considered a threat. But his knowledge was what made him dangerous, and however he'd acquired it, he needed to be eliminated as a threat to the organization before he had a chance to spread it.
"You talk like you know a lot more than you should," the red-haired General said, eyes narrowed. "Which means you should very quickly cough up the source of your knowledge or things are about to get very painful for you." He hadn't quite decided if he intended to have Chalcanthite pull this man's starseed, or if he meant to simply corrupt him, willing or not. His answer would be the deciding factor on that.
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Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2014 5:52 am
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"Ze source of my knowledge is..." Smiling slightly, the misanthrope drew an audible breath. "Experience, Natron. I know what pains you can dole out. Can, because will sounds a bit strong for you." Finally the Saarlander stood to his full height, eyes half-lidded as he glanced downward toward the shorter general. With a sweeping gesture, he spread his arms in an offering. "Were you sinking of tearing ze starseed from my chest? Were you sinking of crushing my sroat? Go ahead. I may be one of your enemies. I may be a civilian who simply dealt wis' zis war for far too long.
"Or I could be one of your peers. But... You should be sinking: if I was, shouldn't I haf' exposed my second identity by now? A valid point, Natron." Alois folded his arms across his chest, gaze alight with rancorous excitement.
"And you," he started, wholly averting his attention to the lieutenant. "I'f been 'spying' long enough to know you're damnably new to ze Negaverse. You're a greenhorn wis' nossing to your name but aspirations. What do you know of draining besides what you were taught? Or was once enough for you?" Alois smiled bitterly, his exhaustion plainly apparent in his eyes. Curiously he, too, knew Natron as a lieutenant. Was the man trying to strike up a career out of providing tepid guidance to those who would seek him out? Unlike the brunette, Bischofite met with a great deal of derision from the man.
Perhaps he simply disliked idealists.
"Is ze pair of you ze best zat ze Negaverse can offer? Frankly I'm disappointed; according to your goals, Ears' is doomed to hostile takeover by ze senshi. We will all capitulate to slavery - if zat is zeir real goal." Afterward Alois leaned against the wall, fully expecting the general to tear the starseed from his chest. It's becoming a trend these days, he thought sardonically. Maybe I'll stop him at a hand in my chest this time. I've given him enough reasonable doubt that I'm not simply a civilian, though it would've been enriching to see him take such action without ample encouragement.
I suppose Natron is damned to disappoint me.
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Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 1:34 pm
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Natron had really intended to have Chalcanthite pull his first starseed tonight, if it came to that. It would be a good learning exercise, a test of resolve, et cetera. Generally very beneficial to Chalcanthite's development as an officer, as far as he was concerned.
He really had intended to, but intentions fell by the wayside. Something about this damned civilian pissed him off. Maybe it was the smugness, maybe it was the mockery, maybe it was something as idiotic as the fact that the man had the same accent as his least favorite person in the Negaverse. Possibly his least favorite person in this entire war, period.
Whatever it was, it was enough to make the General snap his hand out and sink it into the civilian's chest, fingers wrapping around his starseed. Ordinarily he probably would've pulled it, but not this time. He still had questions, and perhaps pain would be a good motivator to get him some ******** answers.
"If you know so much, you know that right now, I've got your life in my hands. So I'd suggest talking. Or showing, if that's your preference." If it was a Senshi in front of him, or a Knight - or even a very, very misguided civilian - it was death either way. Another officer, and - well. That would be a somewhat more awkward circumstance.
"Chalcanthite," he addressed the Lieutenant without even so much as moving his eyes, "consider this a demonstration."
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Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 11:21 am
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The systemic pain of a brush with his starseed coaxed a wince out of the boy, breath seething beneath his teeth as he fought to restrain himself from vocalizing the pain. His gaze, feverish to a blazing extent, settled on Natron in a state of manic analysis. Something, anything to read whether he might leave his starseed on the ground after wrenching it from his body - if he might glean death from this act. And as he studied the general's features, breath hitched for but a moment, his answer precipitated almost immediately.
No.
"You'd do best to pull my starseed, General Natron," he began as his lithe, black visage soon warped to feature gold and bone and tribal paint. "For I sink you understand zat I lack any compunction about killing you in self-defense." A pair of chakrams soon materialized in his grasp, initially aimed toward the general before a darker grin crossed the misanthrope's features. How strange... It even hurts to smile with someone's wretched fingers gripping my starseed. "Let's make zis interesting, Natron - surely your boy hasn't been exposed to much, not wis' you at ze head of his training. I sink I haf' an idea - one you might even appreciate."
Afterward Bischofite leveled one of his weapons toward Chalcanthite's position, poised to throw the blade in practiced execution. "Pull my starseed, Natron. Show him what it means to haf' ze damned gem wrenched from your body. Show him ze taint of ze Negaverse in its higher degree. Do it, or I'll bury my chakram in his sroat. And if you need additional motivation, I'll count to sree before I srow it. And don't worry - I'll even count in English." He flashed an impish grin through the pain, suppressing the instinctual reaction to draw his knees to his chest to nurse the agony away.
"One." Would you manage it, Natron? I suspect so - I've not endeared myself to you, while you certainly harbor pride for your latest spineless twit. Are we all fated to nurture bastardized copies of ourselves? Will he ascend as Natron the Sequel, prepared for b***h work in the same manner as what suits you?
"Two." Will mine follow the same fate? If I manage to bring someone into the Negaverse, and train them to a degree I see fit, would they foster the same propensity for violence and anarchy as I? Could I, then, harbor my own small army? It's better to work in tandem than alone. A single crow is but a crow, where a crow and his companions qualifies as a murder. I want a murder. I want to murder.
Help me, Natron.
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Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2014 11:04 pm
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Somehow, Natron couldn't even be surprised. "Bischofite," he growled, voice full of absolute contempt. There was no one he would rather not be anywhere near him while he was training a Lieutenant - certainly he prickled with anger, but under that was fear. Bischofite had seen him at his worst, between the attack on Persephone's team and the incident with the laced cigarette. The second, in particular, he would rather no one ever knew about beyond them (and Des, he supposed, since he'd confessed to his boyfriend.)
He didn't even need the motivation of having to worry about his Lieutenant's life. The opportunity to pull Bischofite's starseed - even if it was only for a moment, because all of the blood, sweat, and tears that had gone into his position in the Negaverse was not worth compromising over a grudge - was almost irresistible.
"You really shouldn't give that kind of choice," the auburn-haired General said, and there was a hint of sardonic amusement in his voice.
On "two," he yanked backwards, taking a step away from the much taller General's body and holding the small, glowing core in his hand. He offered it to Chalcanthite to examine.
"Look at it, hold it, touch it as much as you like - but try to put it back before he completely stops breathing, please." His tone was much more blithe, almost dismissive. In the end, as much as he would have liked to simply end Bischofite and ensure he was no longer a problem for anyone, he was aware that on some level the other General did do worthy work.
Hate him or no, Natron had felt a flicker of admiration for his bloodthirsty resolve in that warehouse. The a*****e tendencies might be worth it, overall. So long as they never had to work side by side.
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Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2014 10:56 am
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Chalcanthite flinched slightly when Natron ripped the starseed, it was VERY uncharacteristic for him from what had been seen so far. There had to be some back story behind this Bischofite and it made Chal all the more curious as he now held the general's starseed in his hands. He could feel how much stronger the aura was than his yes it felt familiar and not foreign to him like the senshi auras had felt. Would this happen to him as well if he was unfortunate or unlucky enough to have his starseed ripped out? If he wasn't dead though what was he? An idea hit him now that the threatening general was, as it appeared, unconscious.
Chalcanthite approached the crumpled general and poked him slightly with his bow at first to make sure there was no response. After a moment of waiting he drew in closer, looking at the general's attire and weapons. He nicked his finger on the edge of one of the chakram accidentally as he rand his hand over it. "That is... quite sharp." He waited for a moment when Natron wasn't looking and plucked one of the crow feathers for analysis later, sliding into his breast pocket next to his notebook. "He certainly has a macabre sort of attire, I like it in a way yet it certainly does not suit many besides him I suppose. I am guessing you know this german, or at least german I suppose given the accent? If the story is not to long or harsh I am quite curious what to make of this General, Natron. Let me know after since I am going to put this back where it belongs, for now."
Whether or not it was Natron that would tell him he would try his best to gain more information on this general in the future through various means. He now kicked the chakram a bit away before continuing. He whispered something to himself yet at bischofite at the same time. "I want to know more from you." At this point he moved parts of bischofite's attire aside and placed the star seed in his chest once more, readying himself to be pounced on or otherwise attacked. He wanted to see more of this general's expressions, they were interesting. Something about him just made Chalcanthite all the more curious. Maybe it was the way he twisted Natron the right way to have the starseed pulled or the way he had tried hitting things that bothered Chalcanthite. Either way he wanted to know more and he would figure it out someway.
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