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 Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 11:55 am
The summons could not have been unexpected, he’d been there, he’d seen many of them, those who wore masks had exposed uniforms, those without masks, exposed their faces… he knew. Without a doubt others had confirmed their deeds, offered up some confirmation of who among them had dared to involve themselves in this, fiasco. He stood, waiting there at the foot of the great pillar, in which there were two, vague, and yet humanoid figures trapped forever inside the tremendous stone. It was a long standing reminder that there was more than the General Kings and Queens who could be deeply, deeply displeased in this dark army. “I’m not… going to play parent teacher conference, and ask you what you think you did wrong.” He said with a shake of his head. “You are either, too stupid, with too narrow to… realize, that, well… we, control the entire…civilized world, except for THIS CITY. So… TIMID, that you think that allowing other, chaos oriented entities, to work within this city with us, will somehow wrest from us the control… of the entire world. I’ll assume that you failed at little things like…math.” He gave a small wave of his hand, dismissing the aforementioned commentary. “We’ve established you are foolish. You KNOW there will be repercussions; I bet you think… it will be something like doubling your energy quota. That is after all the standard that was established by Beryl to further our cause and help us preserve the ordinary citizens of this city. “You’d be wrong.” He shook his head slightly side to side, dismissing that notion. “Some of you said you missed the OLD ways.” He hissed through his teeth, and…while there are one of two of you who will have, specialized punishments. His eyes turned to Wolframite and Alkaid, waving them to one side. “The rest of you, have… three options, you will pick… two of them, or I will pick for you” “Option one – I will give you the addresses and names of three civilians, it can, and most likely will… include children and teenagers. Its unlikely that any of them are remotely involved in this war. You will bring me those thee star seeds.” He glanced between each remaining face to let it sink in. “Option Two… Tell me the name, of a close family member, or a loved one, a friend… I personally, will bring you their star seed. You will eat it knowing who it was, and why this happened. I will be checking to ensure that you aren’t just trying to pass off someone you actually hate.” A breath before he continued, the threats hanging in the air. “Three, you take the same brand that I have placed on Wolframite, you will be branded the way that the BLOOD moon court branded itself, to express its dedication to the cause of order, in who’s name, they did the deeds that drive Wolframite’s crusade. You will wear this mark for the rest of your… potentially short lives. If you attempt to remove it, they will find your star seed less body floating naked in the river with it branded into your forehead, along with at least three people you knew well, as a warning. This will also happen if you fail to complete your punishments that have any element of apparent choice.” “If you refuse these punishments, I will personally remove your star seed, right here, and right now to inspire the others to make wiser, and better informed decisions.” Felyn General Ascendant Alkaid - [Mistress Morbid] Sailor Lellouch / Sailor Azurite ((Alkaid and Wolframite are to stand aside)) Those whom wish to negotiate their punishments may make an argument within reason - example, you have no close loved ones, said loved ones are vital to you for a future plot or You are petrified of burns as a player. Obviously such situations will need to take place for the cat. Please note. Punishments are intended to be deeply unpleasant, you will not be upping your energy quota, you will not be 'organizing Zink's papers, and he will not turn you into a youma. As you all have my PM, and are -all- on my AIM list you know where to reach me.
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 12:48 pm
One moment Tyrus was bounding as far away from the burning warehouse as he possibly could, the next he felt a pull in his belly that made him groan and he disappeared from sight.
Reappearing in Nega Space, he knew that nothing good could come from this summons from the General King. He padded slowly towards the man, his ears pressed back to his head, which was kept low. He gaze never once lifted from the ground as he walked. Sitting with his tail wrapped around his body, the tip twitching ever-so-slightly, he poofed his chest and finally met the General King's hardened eyes.
When Zinkenite announced the group's choices of punishment, Ty's stomach did somersaults and he swayed slightly in place.
"S-sir," Ty stammered, "W-what if, uhm... You can't pull starseeds? Or have no family members?" His bright green eyes stared up at him, wide and pleading. What could the General King possibly have in store for a poor helpless kitty cat that was only trying to help an Officer? He wouldn't dare brand him, would he?
At the thought of that, ripples of twitches moved along his back and his tail lashed about irritably.
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 1:06 pm
Pale blue eyes drifted down to the hapless feline, if there had even been a trace of expression on that face, or what of it showed above the half mask he wore, it might have offered some sliver of hope or hint of damnation. “Are you not…flesh under all that fur?” He said softly, so innocent, and so dangerous a question. “Shave some part of it away… and the mark will linger perfectly I think.” He reached a hand and drew light fingers over the spine of the cat. “I’m sure I can think of a second, and third creative punishment for you to choose from. But since you asked, perhaps we will brand you, shave off some of your pretty fur and make a mark. I think a poodle cut would be… perfect.”
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 2:49 pm
Zircon had never taken well to the summons. It made her stomach retch, and after the long night she'd already endured, the wrenching of her body from one place to another was enough to give her the worst sort of nausea. She blinked into existence with one hand clutching her stomach, but the lieutenant managed to keep herself from retching, even if she wobbled as she stood. The woman tensed her posture and did her best to maintain her composure, even through her sawdust-covered uniform betrayed where she had just been.
After all, there were certain protocols to be observed in the presence of royalty.
She didn't dare make eye contact with Zinkenite, her amber gaze sweeping the floor with a guilty look. A million excuses bubbled up her throat, but she choked them all down, clenching her jaw in silence as the General-King spoke. There was no room for discourse here, especially not from a lowly lieutenant like herself. She least of all deserved to speak among the assembly, as both a low-ranking officer and a member of the losing party. Occasionally, she glanced to Labyrinthite, trying to discreetly gauge his reaction to this whole mess, but he was far enough away that she couldn't get a good view of his face. Belatedly, she supposed it was for the best: whatever reassurance she was searching for was not likely to be found there.
As each successive option was proposed, Zircon's eyes grew wider. She had made it a matter of personal dignity not to involve children in the War for Earth, a point of pride she'd often used in debating against the White Moon and their Chibis. To reap such young starseeds would be so wasteful, so counter-intuitive, and something in her shrank at the idea of drawing that sort of blood. However, the prospect of naming a friend or family member caused her to pale even more. Her family was few and far between, as were her friends, and it was beyond her comprehension to even choose. But to be branded like an animal, no, like the Blood Moon Court...that was perhaps the most personally humiliating of them all. To choose any of these options was a nightmare, but to choose two of them was simply draconic. Zircon was beginning to understand the depths of her actions these past few nights, and panic welled up in her, demanding that she somehow go back and reverse her course of actions, that she run far away from these consequences.
But there was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, nothing in sight except the figure of General-King Zinkenite. She closed her eyes and let out a sharp exhale, forcing down the panic rising in her chest, and thought carefully. What could she afford to lose, family or dignity? It was becoming increasingly clear that she would not leave the Rift with both intact.
"I choose the branding," she finally choked out, keeping her eyes firmly glued towards the ground. "That, and the names of three civilians." Strangers could be sacrificed to the cause, and to that end, so could she, but Zircon could not allow herself to lose anyone else.
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 3:09 pm
He straitened then, turning from the small, hapless feline to lock his gaze to the downturned face of Zircon, he moved close enough and stood beside her for a long moment, close enough that he might hear the soft disappointed sigh that he made , and the terrible clarity that it had nothing to do with the choices she had made. He stepped back and away from her and spoke clearly, pitched to carry to each of those assembled here against their own volition. “So be it….” He nodded and held up the key that he had snapped off his own belt to brand Wolframite before, previously he had heated it from the very fires that the General had started; now, he pulled something from his pocket. It was the lighter that had started the fire. “I think it rather fitting that this…” he held up the key “Will be the mark that each of you who choice this will share, and this.” He twisted the lighter. “… I don’t think I need to explain this.” He flicked the lighter, moving the flame back and forth over the key in even strokes until the heat of it satisfied him… “Roll back your sleeve, the back of your wrist.” He ordered as he finished heating it.
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 3:43 pm
Zircon's shoulder's stiffened at Zinkenite's approach, but she dared not shrink away from his judgement. She did, however, visibly wince when he side, at once tilting her frightened eyes towards him. She tried to express an apology somewhere in her mournful glance, but before she could make any impact he turned to address the assembly again, ever playing the part of the forceful executor. It wasn't a good look for him: she preferred his quiet musings as he pored over lost tomes, or the soft tones of approval he used when a plan began to fall neatly into place. Unfortunately, there was none of that here, and this display was all because she had been foolish enough to get caught.
Realizing that she would find no sympathy here, she slid the edge of one leather sleeve up to the elbow, leaving bare the pale skin underneath. With one final shrug of submission, she extended her arm carefully, watching the red hot key with concerned eyes.
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 4:24 pm
He gripped her arm, holding it steady with a bruising grip and held the key scant centimeters above her skin for a moment before he added to her. He might have said something more, but it died away before it was ever uttered, that bland, emotionless look had returned and he let the key touch down against her skin. “You changed many lives today, you even took some, but I wonder how many of you truly appreciate that. How many of you think, or thought that there would be no consequence at all. How many of you thought I’d leave you drawing meaningless energy as though you were children pitching a fit. You are OFFICERS. ALL of you, and I will treat you as such.” He passed his gaze even over the cat when he said this, all were included, there was no division made in this moment, not even for the senshi, as though even as they were he felt they held a chance of truly earning the title ‘officer’.
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 5:00 pm
How rude was a General-King allowed to be, to pluck a general for a summons before they could even make it to the hospital to get their wounds addressed! General Buddingtonite presumed that with such power that one could afford to be as rude as they so desired, so when he found his way into the Rift once more, he tried not to hold too much against the good General-King Zinkenite. After all, not only was he higher ranking and more experienced in every sense of the word, but it would have been rude of him to openly object to such treatment. For now, Buddingtonite would simply have to do his best with what he had, standing perfectly still despite the blood that soaked the caplet that his prized lieutenant offered to him. Like a soggy pad, he managed to shove the cloth into the whole and its position right above his belt actually benefited him with the fact that it easily stayed in place. He may have bleed out during Zinkenite's speech, but at least he wasn't going to look stupid or insubordinate with his hand constantly at his hip.
Last thing he wanted Zinkenite to think was that he didn't respect the General-King. Of course he did. He was the one that granted him the dark gift and promoted him to the rank he was at now, so to disrespect him would be just downright rude of him. Never bite the hand that feeds you, as the saying went, though given the circumstances that Buddingtonite found himself in at the moment, it appeared he had already taken a rather huge chunk with him. Or perhaps Zinkenite was overreacting. Not that Buddingtonite would dare tell him- that's just be suicide to speak out against a great General-King, especially when one was already suffering from a pretty deep stab wound. No, best to just let the General-King have his word. Best to just nod one's hand like the loyal dog that the Negaverse expected them to be, and Buddingtonite fancied himself a pedigree German shepherd!
For the most part, Buddingtonite was willing to just hear Zinkenite out and he didn't think to take the insult to heart. He should have, but honestly, his anger was justified and apparently tearing down the self-esteem of his subordinates was his way of getting his point across. Buddingtonite thought little wrong of his rant. In fact, he thought little of it at all. What did math have to do with any of this? Nothing. What did feeling threatened by the Dark Mirror Court and their supposed conquest of the entire world have to do with this? Nothing. Buddingtonite was focusing his attention on keeping a straight face, keeping that mask strong and sturdy, for if he allowed a smile to be seen, either out of mirth or pride in his own actions, Zinkenite would cling onto it and undoubtedly use it against him. Which he would have welcomed as there was always something alluring about someone with power, but once again, his open wound dictated that he simply bear his vitals to the top dog and let the alpha has his day. Grin and bear it.
Buddingtonite did feel some guilt when Wolframite and Alkaid were cast to the side. Having been a part of the crew that lured the Dark Mirror Court into the factory, he felt as though he should have been standing along side them and that him standing with the rest was some mistake. A mistake that he was willing to capitalize on, truth be told, and unless another officer ratted him out, he wasn't going to make a stand along with them. They may have preferred the old ways of the Negaverse, but Buddingtonite knew himself to be of the later, maybe more spoiled generation, and he'd take this punishment instead.
Correction, punishments. That certainly caught the rose-clad off guard and he hoped his wince was not too obvious to either Zinkenite or the others. So Zinkenite was giving them a choice of two out of three punishments to go with? That was certainly interesting... He took a moment to mull over the choices to himself. The first option was golden, as far as Buddingtonite was concerned. Children and teenagers were equals when it came to war, and truth of the matter was that he harbored no good feelings for the little mites. So Buddingtonite was quick to check off that option.
The second? There was no one in his family that he loved besides Daran, and Buddingtonite would have rather have plucked out his own starseed than bring him into this. If he died, then that'd leave Richard to do his own finances with the shop and that would have been a catastrophy. So option two was scratched off with a bold, black 'DO NOT DO THIS' marker.
Which left him with option three, one that forced his careful mask to falter but only for a brief moment before he forced himself back to a more neutral expression. Branding, likely with a red-hot poker, one that he'd imagine would be extremely hot and very painful. For the second time in the evening, he lamented his decision to join this crusade in Serpentine's place, and he felt that his chances of trying to explain his way out of this branding would have been fairly good if Zinkenite allowed him to explain his reasoning for being there. He held no personal hatred against the DMC and he certainly wouldn't have placed himself on the same stage as the Blood Moon Court. However, there was something that prevented him from explaining his involvement, and that was some small, pathetic sense of honor that Buddingtonite still possessed. Turquoise was proof of that aggrevating quirk, and he cast a glance to Wolframite, not a true believer of his cause, but an admirer of the general and what he truly believed in. Maybe it was that admiration and respect for Wolframite that caused him to start unbuckling his glove, to anyone that bothered to pay attention to him and not Zircon's punishment, the motion made it clear which punishment he would choose.
'Krishna's not going to like this... not one bit.' Buddingtonite thought to himself, tugging at the fingers of his gloves until one by one they were all loose, and all it would take was a single pull to deglove his hand. He would wait until Zircon's turn was done before he'd speak up, perhaps waiting to hear her cry before he made his decision. When the act was done, he was surprised he hadn't winced- rather, he did wince, but it wasn't from the sound of sizzling flesh but the wound at his side acting up. When Zinkenite turned angered words to the crowd, there was nothing, absolutely nothing Buddingtonite could do to stop himself from speaking up. "Of course we'd knew there'd be consequences, esteemed General-King... for some, it's simply a matter of the extent of this punishment, and the true reason behind it. And then, if it was all worth it in the end."
Silence, you fool.
"I'll gladly take my punishments, but before I do, might I ask a question? If we are not to attack the Dark Mirror Court, then why was the alliance broken between us? If you wished for us to remain allies, friends, then why did you announce that their alliance with us was no longer beneficial?" He couldn't stop talking. He wanted to, some part of him wanted to, but dammit, he just couldn't be silent. "Are we simply to ignore their existence, then? Pretend that they're not harvesting energy for their own selfish desires, desires that could be used against us someday- AND probably will after this little coup? That for every senshi they gain, that's one less for the Negaverse to have? Queen Metallia deems they're not necessary to our conquest, and yet, you don't want us to attack them. I merely like to know why before I am branded."endejester Going to post this and if LLK wants in, I'll gladly edit my post if need be. Otherwise, have at him.
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 5:53 pm
“Buddingtonite, did I, or did the General Queen’s declare –war- on the Dark Moon Senshi?” He arched his eyebrows as though he might genuinely be curious. “It seems to me that we have not, no more so than I have declared war on… Alkaid. She too was a white moon senshi once, now she bears the title of General. You were happy to work beside her. Likewise… Azurite, she does not bear the title of general but she was fighting for our cause, clearly. She does ‘feel’ of ‘Order’ the way they do, of course it makes sense to fight WITH her not against her.” “So… explain to me, when did you get so confused that you decided to work with senshi who felt of order against, senshi who, feel like US?” He lifted the key again, arching an eyebrow at the general and then started heating the key.
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 8:37 pm
He should have kept quiet. He should have just accepted his punishment with some amount of quiet dignity and allowed the next officer to step forward for their punishment. It was already going to be painful- he didn't need to see poor Zircon's reaction to know that it would cause him to scream and cry and Buddingtonite wasn't going to fool himself into thinking he had any amount of tolerance to pain. After the branding, he'd likely burst into tears and apologize...
But that urge to speak and be heard was far greater than the desire to spare himself from Zinkenite's retaliation. Maybe it was Wolframite's plight, or something else deep within, but he had to speak. And speak he did.
"No, General-King, no such order was given, at least not to my recollection. However, it was stressed that they were also not our allies and were not deemed useful to the Negaverse, and I may not speak for everyone here, but those that serve no purpose in the grande scheme of things are dead weight, and dead weight must be eliminated... much like the former Queen Beryl?" He kept his hand out and ready, outwardly far more brave than he felt within, and yet, he was comforted by his own words and voice. A foolish endeavor, knowing full well that he'd only be digging his grave deeper, inch by inch.
"With all due respect, you do Alkaid and Azurite a great injustice by comparing them with the likes of the Dark Mirror Court. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Alkaid holds one of the highest honors that a senshi within the Negaverse... even universe, can ever dream to hold. Azurite is well on her way to doing the same, I assure you. Our Senshi are among the best, without a doubt, but the Dark Mirror Court's senshi is not our senshi. They are different, and they do not devote their lives and planets to Queen Metallia's or our cause, last I checked."
Keep on digging. Keep on digging. Do not look at the key or the fire.
"I personally was not working alongside a single member of the White Moon or their knights, and I have eye witness accounts that can and will testify." Buddingtonite did not mean to let his face contort into a smarmy smile, but maybe he was trying to justify the punishment that was coming. Maybe if he kept acting like this, the pain he'd feel would have been justified. In all honesty, he did so very little and as far as he was concerned, the bleeding wound to his side was fitting punishment for what he did do. "However, I was watching them, keeping note of each and every one that harbored a bit of darkness in their soul, those that could be of further use to the Negaverse instead of our enemies. We can convince their senshi and knights to switch sides and devote their lives to our cause, but we can't do the same for those whose souls were ripped from them, can we? From where I stand in the recruiting department, the White Moon court and their knights are ripe for the picking- can you imagine how their comrades will react when they see just how, for a single night, allowed their lust for blood and revenge to consume them, to work with us? They'll be cast out, and where you do think they'll go? Who should be the one to graciously take them in and put them to good use. The proper use?"
He spread his arms, as if to direct that answer to not only himself, but those present. Was he waiting for an applause? Was he waiting for someone to shoo him off the stage? Either way, once the words were spoken and his intentions were clear, Buddingtonite pressed his hand forward again to accept the brand. "The Dark Mirror Court and it's members may be your friends, but they are not our allies. We're not the same..."
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 9:21 pm
ChibiGingi posting as approved by Gingi “Buddingtonite,” he said carefully. “… When you speak, I get the distinct impression that you are…convinced, you are being clever.” The key and the lighter lowered, perhaps he’d said something that had changed the man’s mind. Or perhaps not, he moved forward and drove a short-range punch into the cut in blood dampened spot on the General’s side leaving him to crumple to the floor –wheezing. “You are not.” He finished with a bland inflection to his voice. Before grabbing hold of the general’s exposed wrist and pressing the burning key into the pale arm, the sizzling sound of flesh, the smell of cooking meat and the horrible tearing of blisters as he pulled it free. “You are not MY friend either General, and while it’s tempting, it seems I haven’t tried to kill you yet either, not seriously”
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 9:51 pm
He was being far too hopeful when Zinkenite lowered the key and lighter into thinking that he had found some way to avoid punishment this evening. Not that it was his intention, but still it would have been an excellent alternative to being physically branded. He did not think Zinkenite a fool to allow his emotions to get the better of him. He had hoped that he could get through to the General-King, the one that he respected, the one that Krishna called 'his king'. With this matter put behind them, he would have gladly helped him consider a way to salvage the damage that this whole ghastly affair before his caused anymore turmoil within the ranks, because now that he had a moment to consider it, he was admittedly worried about the impact that this little stunt would have on their fellow officers.
And yet, he was a fool to think otherwise. The key and lighter may have lowered, but the fist to the side left the rose-clad general speechless. He wasn't the weakest of generals and had thought he had done a great job in hiding his injury from the others, and yet, leave it to the General-King of the Intelligence branch to see right through him. For all of his smarm and wit, Buddingtonite couldn't stop the pained scream from hitting the air and he crumbled to the ground with a breathless wheeze. It wasn't a matter of which one hurt him more- the blow to his now gushing wound or Zinkenite's harsh words- of course the blow hurt more! Tears had already begun to p***k his eyes when Zinkenite pressed the burning key against his flesh, and the hallways echoed with Buddingtonite's cries, a reminder to any who thought they could talk their way out of their punishment to choose their words well.
When the burning metal was dislodged from his hand, Buddingtonite acted on instinct, pulling the smoking appendage close to his body, as if fearing further retaliation if he didn't retract it quick enough, and for as much effort as he tried to put into keeping the facade up, his mask was nothing more than a thin layer of porcelain and cracked, allowing the others to see that he was still man beneath that thorny armor. Had he not been overcome with pain, he'd try to fight against this humiliation, but that was something that was simply beyond him at the moment. Where was that bravery moments ago? Why did it leave him now, when he needed it the most?
Courage was a fickle little b***h...
"N-no... not friends... I'll be sure to remember that..." Buddingtonite spat, but otherwise remained as he was on the floor. Zinkenite made it clear that he was not a friend, and that, as well as his refusal to address their broken alliance with the Dark Mirror Court, told Buddingtonite a lot. In his tenure as captain, he held doubts about his role in the Negaverse, and once he had obtained the general rank, he thought he had it all resolved. Only to see that he was wrong, but not in his role in the Negaverse... but in the Negaverse itself. But he was in no condition to argue. He was in no condition to try and talk Zinkenite down, and so, he kept his place on the floor and focused on keeping his burning, vulnerable hand safe, as well as trying to reinforce the caplet that kept his insides within his body. Maybe he'd die on the floor and all of this would have been for nothing? Somehow, that thought made him laugh and laughter only made the pain worse, but he couldn't stop himself. Like his brave words from before, his laughter refused to be silence, and he curled into a tight ball in hopes of at least stifling it.
'Play no attention to the laughing fool on the floor, folks...' Buddingtonite thought to himself bitterly, resorting to actually biting his collar to stop the laughter, and eventually, it was quelled. But not the pain, nor the anger and humiliation from this treatment... no, the worst of that was yet to come, he feared. 'Krishna will NOT be happy.'endejester Just gonna lay here and try not to kill over, kthanxbai!
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Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 10:13 am
“Since I think some of you may be having trouble grasping the concept still.” He raised his voice to be heard over any of the sounds of pain. “We do not need an ‘Alliance’, we do not need some scrap of paper, not most of us, not those of us who still see the CLEAR line between the side of Order, and US. They are chaos, we are chaos, and if you need more than that, if you are so focused on the fact that they wear SKIRTS and transparent drapery rather than the fact that we all, Serve, chaos. If for some reason you think that there is nothing in your heads that will ever allow you to grasp that simple…simple divide of orientation. Then tell me now… because you’ll be more useful as youma, who can at least tell the difference between order and CHAOS.” “Though it seems that mental deficiency in fundamental, lieutenant level skill, is HUMOROUS to some. Do you need a reason to stop laughing Buddingtonite, do you need a –vacation- so that you can tell the difference between those who serve the side of the ‘Moon princess’ and those who serve OUR great leader? Do you need, a reason…to stop laughing?”
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Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 10:49 am
Though pain coursed through his body, though his first line of defense to combat this pain was to erupt into loud, uncontrollable laughter, Buddingtonite could hear Zinkenite clearly, as though he were standing before him and whispering gingerly into his ear. Even with the pain he was in, Buddingtonite was listening, Zinkenite's words were sinking in, and the picture it painted only drove his own turmoil deeper.
According to Zinkenite, it was simple. He saw a world of black and white. No greys, so subtle shifts, no inconsistencies. It was an extreme view, one that Buddingtonite understood, but at the same time... could not subject himself to. Zinkenite saw only black and white, and Buddingtonite could not turn himself away from the multitudes of color he saw the world in, and how easily those colors could change and shift at a moment's notice.
It was the fact that he and Zinkenite could never see the world with the same eyes that killed Buddingtonite's laughter, not his threats. But he wouldn't confess to this. That notion to be silent had finally dawned on him, when it was too late and the damage was done. What good would that silence do him now?
He stopped laughing, just as quickly as he started, and he let out a cold, lifeless spat. Let the others see how Zinkenite broke his officers, in favor of the Dark Mirror Court. Let others see what awaited them if they did not share the same black and white view that kept the Negaverse 'strong'. Buddingtonite had no desire to see it collapse upon itself this evening. Maybe he'd be praised. Maybe he'd be mocked.
Buddingtonite didn't care at the moment.
"No, General-King..." He finally said. Best to give in now, and spare himself from Krishna's wrath later. "There is... nothing to laugh about. I yield."Quote: Buddy's done for the time being, so the rest of the punishment(s) can continue!
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Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 12:57 pm
He had been carried here, teleported out with the rest, and placed down on the ground to kneel with the others. At the far end, he remained, clutching his bleeding, swollen hand, feeling the pangs of pain from a broken arm, stiff from being thrown many times to slam onto his back. Every part of everything hurt, but worse all, it was the twisting pain in his chest that got to him the most. Physical pain, as a focus, was a relief at times. It gave you something in this world to think about that you knew, in time, you’d heal. You’d make due. You’d find ways to work through handicaps.
He didn’t have much confidence in that this time around.
The fight he had created in his mind had an end game. He either won, or he was killed. He had never assumed that, for his grievous traitorous acts, he would be allowed to live. He should have, to some degree. He should have considered the possibility he would be used as an example. To serve as a limping cautionary tale to the other officers that, regardless of rank and years in service, no one was immune to being corrected.
On his knees, cradling his arm, he looked up, not at Zink, but at his choice of where to hold the punishment. Behind the General-King rose the large, purple crystal that he knew so well. It was a grave, as much as it was a living tribute to two people who had pulled him into the Negaverse.
Charonite. The large, commanding officer who had pulled together a group of officers against the senshi with just his two bare hands.
Nealite. Love of Charonite. She had been there to teach him the ropes and was there on the night of his first starseed removal. He remembered that night, when he first felt a starseed. He hadn’t even done it himself or been very aware what he had been doing. Nealite had placed her hand over his and helped him bring it into his first chest and educated him as he went.
"Star seeds are located in the chest," the Captain explained, her right hand now hovering over the man's torso, "Directly in the middle - around where the heart normally is? Don't be afraid to just reach in. You'll know it when you touch it."
He remembered that woman in the alleyway, and his first touch of a starseed.
"She was destined to die, Wolfy. Her life was taken so that the Negaverse can prevail, that we can conquer those who oppose us and correct the world as it needs to be. One life, two lives, a handful of lives is nothing in comparison to the number we're sparing in the end, when we defeat the Moon Kingdom and take back the Earth for its rightful ruler."
He flexed his fingers, feeling the fresh pain from the burn, and remembered the feel of Leto’s starseed.
One green eye and one useless black one remained at the couple enchased, forever frozen, inside. They were traitors too, weren’t they? The pair that had created the foundation of the negaverse here in Destiny City – now forever prisoners in each other’s embrace to be an example to fresh soldiers who never spoke to them. Who didn’t know them. Who might not even know their names.
What would they think of him now? Of their Negaverse now? Would they had punished him – killed him even – for what he had done if they had been standing here instead of Zinkenite?
Would they be disappointed?
He didn’t know, and he wished they had been here to guide him. For Nealite to be here to guide his hand instead of Zinkenite to brand it.
The screams from the other officers, he finally broke his gaze to curl in and slowly start rocking back and forth. Echoing screams in dark places always got to him. Brought back memories.
Why hadn’t he won?
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