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Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 3:19 pm
The days seemed to stretch on longer than they had before, the recent events still weighing heavily on Kallichore's mind. Those crystals, all those people drained or dead, and for what? Having seen Vespa on the battlefield that day, but not since, had the eternal worried for her corrupted counterpart. She sincerely hoped he was alright, that he hadn't been punished for any transgressions. She hoped his family was alright and this Mica character hadn't followed through on her threats to his family. She had no way to contact him, no cellphone number with which to call him. White Moon Senshi and those corrupted by Chaos had no connection in anything other than name. She had hoped to receive more information before Vespa was eventually purified but that was now taking a backseat to his safety and security. Laying in the grass of the park where they first met, Kallichore took to passing the time by updating the Primer. Her small audio recorder was in her hand and she was quietly dictating to it, recording, rewinding, erasing and re-recording as things came to her. " "Zirconia states that Dark Mirror starseeds have an unusual tone and resonance, and makes note that all other starseeds do not make any kind of sound..."
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 3:32 pm
Eternal Sailor Vespa didn't want to think about previous events, but the mental images and thoughts that brewed and swirled within his head would not be silenced. For the past year, he had been a part of the Negaverse, a willing part of it and throughout the recent months, he had come to fear them. He wasn't sure when he started to feel this way, but this feeling had been getting worse and worse. The more he did, the more he realized how much of a monster he had become, and the more he became aware, the harder things had become.
There was one shining hope that existed within his heart, albeit small and fragile, and he tried to keep it hidden away from those in the dark kingdom. It started off as a tiny seed, planted by the other side, nourished and fed with every encounter, and before too long it began to sprout, spreading doubt within him. The Wasp senshi thought he was loyal, and truly, he wanted to be. He wanted to be nothing more than a soldier, given orders and expected to follow with no thought or care for what he was doing or what the end goal was.
But he was more than that. They had helped him realize that. They, being the White Moon Court. He wasn't sure when their words started to seep in and spread like weeds within him, but once they had sprouted, he found himself seeking them out, willingly. One of which he sought out was someone he saw previously, the one that seemed to promise him fuel for that glimmer of hope within him, the one that told him to hold out a little longer and lay low. He had tried to do that, but of course he'd fail miserably. This recent attack, however... it took what fear he had of the Negaverse and transformed it into downright terror, and it was with this terror that he found himself in the park, looking for Kallichore once more.
He had to talk to her. He had to get it all out. Before someone caught him. Before Mica caught him.
He felt an Order aura, strong, potent like his, and he immediately ran towards it. 'Please, be Kallichore, Thraen... Pasiphae, SOMEONE.'
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 3:46 pm
"...furthermore, my interactions with the Dark Mirror seed seem ineffectual, as it does not behave unusually..."Her mental radar went off then, a blip and then beacon of darkness somewhere on the horizon of her mind's eye. Kallichore snapped up the recorder and hid it in her sleeve, whirling around to face whoever had so suddenly powered up and appeared. Whoever they were, they held the same rank she did. How could she not notice? Kallichore inwardly kicked herself for being so engrossed in this project that she couldn't be bothered to scan every ten or so minutes as she usually did. Narrowing her eyes, it was difficult to discern shapes out in the darkened parts of the park. No streetlights were present, no lamps illuminating a nearby walking path, no - she was more than far enough away from light sources so as not to be so easily seen by civilians. But none of them could hide their powers from each other. Through the thick of trees and wild brush, she saw a shape. She knew who she hoped it would be, curse their inability to tell each other apart. Blonde hair had flashed through a sliver of moonlight and Kallichore tried not to hold out hope until she was sure. The visor gave him away. "...Vespa?" she called, trying to keep her voice low to avoid stirring up trouble. "Is that you?"
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 4:05 pm
Someone had called out his name, but before he could panic and raise his fists to strike at them, he recognized the voice. It was Kallichore! His heart was still racing from the run and sheer terror within him, but he was relieved to spot a familiar face among the darkness. Of all the senshi it could have been, he was grateful that it was her...
"Y-yeah, it's still me..." Vespa said, equally soft and in a wavering voice, and once she was in sight, he came to an abrupt halt, taking a moment to glance around the park. He couldn't see anyone, and more important, he couldn't feel anyone else, either Order or Chaos, but that didn't meant they were necessarily in the clear either. And they wouldn't be now... not so long as there were Negaverse officers in this city. He wasn't sure what she was doing and hadn't seen nor heard the tape recorder, as he pushed himself through the bushes that separated them, and once he was on the other side, he dropped into a seated position, so swiftly that it appeared he fell rather than sat. "Can we... can we talk? About stuff...? You're not busy right? We... we need to talk."
Maybe here wasn't the best place? Anyone could walk in or teleport in on them at any time! But he had to talk...
"I think they're onto me."
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 4:27 pm
Kallichore let go of the breath she didn't realize she was holding and dropped to a kneel before Vespa, looking him over for wounds. "...they're onto you?" Damn. She knew it had to happen sooner or later and she cursed herself for not having everything set up and ready for him just yet. She was still working out how to safely ferry someone of Chaos alignment to a willing royal to purify, all while dancing around the politics of the White Moon. Now Vespa was clearly in mortal danger and she had nowhere safe to take him. That's when the idea hit her. It was a rash decision but Kallichore felt she had no other options. If Negaverse agents were after Vespa right this very moment, Kallichore couldn't teleport them away. She didn't have that power. The two of them could fight off pursuers, certainly, but that would lend even more credence to the idea that Vespa was a turncoat, thus putting his family in danger. And... if this all turned out to be a ruse, that Vespa wasn't a traitor and was simply a mole... Kallichore shook her head. She didn't want to think of this as a mistake or of the Wasp Senshi as someone he explained he wasn't. Leaning down, she grasped one of his hands in urgency. "Vespa, I know somewhere safe to take you, but you have to trust me. Can you do that?" With her free hand, Kallichore flicked her wrist and produced her cellphone - a senshi's preferred method of interstellar transportation.
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 4:42 pm
"Maybe... maybe I'm just worrying for nothing, but..." Vespa could tell that he had worried her and that only fed onto the guilt he felt. Now that he phrased it like that, maybe she was expecting there to be an officer on his tail and from what he gathered, it wasn't the case, but she had every right to worry. He explained as best as he could, certain that he sounded like a blabbering fool but maybe that's what he truly was and he had finally come to accept it? "After that last fight, the way Mica looked at me. I... I'm sorry..."
If she was looking for wounds, she'd find nothing besides the black holes of his chest and forehead, and the darkness within him that he desperately wanted out of him. Otherwise, he was perfectly fine. Just... rotting away from the inside, as was with any puppet taken in by the Negaverse, he told himself.
He had no idea what she was planning until she withdrew her cellphone, and the last time a senshi had done that, it was when Avior brought him to his home world. Vespa's green eyes went wide, and he found himself stuttering again, even as she knelt before him and took one of his trembling hands. She asked if he could trust her... and he did. He shouldn't have trusted her- for all he knew, she was bringing him to where the rest of her court may have been and all those terrible things that Negaverse wanted him to believe about their enemy would be true.
But... he did trust her. He trusted her so much that he grabbed her hands with both of his, and he mumbled, softly, nothing at all like a monster he thought himself to be. "I trust you with my life, and my family's. And hers... I trust you."
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 5:07 pm
"Just close your eyes and we'll be there before you know it." Concentrating, Kallichore could hear the soft, addled song of her homeworld and she focused on it before pressing the button on her cellphone. In an instant, the Earth beneath them melted away and they were catapulted into space, careening as mere streaks of energy through the fabric of space. Kallichore knew the corrupted senshi did not have a connection to the home planet, that it was severed when Chaos touched their starseeds, but maybe... just maybe... Vespa could see the place he once called home thousands of years ago. The surface of Kallichore was overwhelmingly green, very much unlike the senshi that represented it. Scattered ruins of an ancient village lay around them, bones of wooden structures tossed about like a great wind had blown them over. In the center of the ruined village sat a Greecian-like stone temple, only three columns of the original eight still standing and there was no roof to be seen. Once oriented, Kallichore turned to make sure Vespa was safe behind him. "Are you alright, Vespa?" There was a soft breeze and the smell of pine and sea salt in the air. The moon was as still as a painting, no life to be seen.
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Posted: Mon May 12, 2014 10:54 am
He bobbed his head up and down nervously, threatening to throw off his visor completely but they just managed to stay on his face, though how he wasn't sure. In the end it wasn't all that important, he figured, and he did as he was told. He slammed his eyes shut, trying to prepare himself mentally for the change in scenery and hoping that no one saw their departure. He still did not feel any Chaos signatures in the nearby area, but that wasn't enough to ease his fears. What was, however, was the feeling of vertigo, followed by the smell of pine and sea salt assaulting his nose, and only when she called back to him did he open his eyes to take in the scenery.
The last planet he had been to (the only) was Avior, and it was a desolate city, burnt sienna in color and frozen corpses cluttered the streets. This? Kallichore was vastly different. It was very, very green, greener than his eyes had ever been, and he pulled the visor from his face to get a better look. Bit by bit, he found his nerves beginning to relax, relieving the pain he felt swelling in his chest, and he stood up to his feet, bewilderment and amazement clear to see in his emerald eyes. He hadn't even seen the temple yet, and before she could question him again, he nodded, slowly, then spoke up in case she didn't immediately see it.
"Yeah... yeah, I'm okay. This place... it's very beautiful, Kallichore..." Vespa found himself muttering, before finally turning to face her completely, forcing his attention on her and the matter at hand before he got lost in the scenery again, though it was not a bad scenery to get lost in. "You're very lucky to have a place like this, though... I'm guessing it's not inhabitable anymore, right? Like Avior's?"
At least they'd be safe from Chaos here. Well... outside of the chaos he carried within him. "The Negaverse won't find us here, right?"
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Posted: Mon May 12, 2014 7:46 pm
Kallichore was more than relieved to see Vespa arrive in one piece. Truth be told, she was concerned that perhaps the magics that cloaked the moon from the eyes of Earth would tear the corrupted senshi apart on impact. It would be noted in the Primer later that corrupted senshi could, in fact, take to space and arrive unharmed. She nodded slowly in response to Vespa's comments about the greenery. Kallichore herself never imagined her home world would look like this. She turned away for a moment, hiding a blush of pride that spread across the bridge of her nose. "...thank you. I'm fond of it." The eternal senshi took a few steps towards the temple, centered in the middle of the dead village with all the other buildings radiating around it. Vespa stood atop a large, circular stone tablet, carved intricately in an alien language neither of them knew. "I don't honestly know if it's inhabitable, but I haven't tested it. I imagine the soil must have some nutrients in it, since the grasses and sparse trees continue to grow." Kallichore pointed to the mountain range that seemed to engulf them on both sides, the senshi situated in a valley flanked by huge mounds of earth and rock. "Just..." She lowered her hand and with it, her voice. "...all the people are gone, save for ghosts I occasionally see." She idly wondered if perhaps Vespa could see them too. Kallichore turned back around and walked towards her companion, hands clasped before her. "Chaos can't find us here. They won't detect you, even though you're powered up. You're safe here." She was silent for a moment, tilting her head, wondering. "You wanted to speak? In private? I apologize... I'm still trying to find out who can help you and where to take you for safety... I'm afraid I don't have a great deal of money or high connections in that regard." Shameful, really.
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Posted: Fri May 16, 2014 8:37 pm
He could not help but notice how she looked away from him and understood the notion too well, so he opted not to call her out on her blush. That would have been rude and he'd have no right to tease considering how often he found himself ducking his head or relying on his visor to hide his own blushes. She seemed to take pride in her homeworld, and he wondered for a brief moment if he could ever see his homeworld... if there was a homeworld left. Had Metallia taken it by now? Wouldn't he have felt it? That triggered his unsteady nerves once more- big mistake! 'Don't think about her. Don't think about the Negaverse... you're safe here. Kallichore will keep you safe!'
Her mentioning ghosts certainly didn't help, but Vespa managed to keep his terror down to what he hoped was a tolerable level. "Ghosts? So... just like Avior. And probably Vespa, too... I guess the wars really did a number on us."
Still, she seemed confident that he was save, and he trusted her. It wasn't enough to settle his nerves completely, but at least not he wasn't shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. And that was definitely leagues and bounds of improvement right there. He shook his head at her apologies, relaxing his shoulders and trying to absorb the tranquility of the world around them, a world void of chaos outside of himself. It was helping somewhat. "Don't... don't apologize, Kallichore. You've already done so much for me, and trust me, I'm grateful. I just hope that one day I can make all of your effort worth it."
Yes, now it was time to talk. And talk he would! Here, no one could stop him. "I'm worried about things, and I feel like if I don't talk now, then I'll never get the chance again. Even if I manage to break free from Chaos, there's... no real guarantee that what memories I take with me will be of much use to you or the Court. So... I should talk now, right? Tell you what I know of the Negaverse..."
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Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 9:22 pm
"Mm." came a reply, her eyes focusing on the ground somewhere to the left of Vespa's foot. "Sometimes I'm sad to see them, but more often, I think of them as half-living memories. They don't communicate with me. At least, not in any appreciable way I've been able to detect. It's more like..." Kallichore's brow furrowed for a moment as if she were searching for the right word. "...it's more the like the moon is remembering what life was like before Chaos." But the rest of that story was for another time. She focused on him again and took a few steps forward. "Never think it's not worth it, Vespa. If anything, you've already paid whatever debts you think you owe. You've become aware of what is and what is not right by your own standards - someone didn't tell you to leave and to speak with me or anyone else. You're doing this at a great risk. That's not uselessness, Vespa. That's bravery. And if nothing else, I sincerely respect that. There are so few who would even consider the notion, let alone follow through, and you're doing so selflessly. We are all very proud of you for that accomplishment." Kallichore was not a senshi keen on warm and fuzzy emotions. She was more the stern and strict older sister or aunt type and she lacked the cozy-sweater feel of her past life. Still, she had tried in the best way she could. From the depths of her sleeve, the senshi pulled out the recorder she was using to dictate new updates to the Primer. "We can use this, if you're comfortable with it. I usually record myself, then transcribe it on a notepad. It's a little old fashioned but... maybe this place is where I get it from?" If Vespa ever were to venture further, he'd discover just how agrarian the moon for which she was named truly was. Farm equipment and beasts of burden were probably the greatest technological breakthroughs the culture had ever seen. "I'm ready whenever you are. Please, take your time."
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Posted: Sun May 25, 2014 1:22 am
"Moon remembering things? Like... it's sentient?" It was confusing, to say the least, but it wasn't too mind breaking of an idea, when one factored in all of the other strange things that this double life of theirs. Apparently, the moon was sentient, capable of memories, thoughts, emotions... it was like a really weird SyFy special and he was a part of it. Would his home share his memories with him, once he returned? And if so, would he liked what he saw? Knowing his luck, probably not. But he figured he'd cross that bridge when he'd get there.
How unused to compliments was Vespa that he found himself flustered, unable to find sufficient words to reply with and merely ducking his head to hide his blush. It was just... a lot to take in, and perhaps one day, he'd be able to see what she had seen in him. That bravery and selflessness... was he really capable of that? For now, he'd just take it a best as he could, mutterly softly though his gratitude was sincere. "T-thank you... I just hope I don't disappoint you, or anyone else... it must be risky on your side too."
He was surprised to see her withdraw a recording device, but it was a good kind of surprise. It meant that... she'd have a complete documented copy of what he had to say, to play to others so that his words didn't get lost in translation along the way. It wasn't perfect- after all, something could happen to the tape, or the device could somehow not work, or it caught fire, or something. But it was something… he cleared his throat, thinking about what to say, or where to start, before giving her a nod to say that he was ready.
He was finally ready, to talk about the Negaverse.
“Um… I’m Eternal Sailor Vespa, Corrupted Senshi of Wasps. I say Corrupted because… the Negaverse took me in on a lie. They told me that Earth was being invaded, and that they were here to stop it. And I joined, willingly, at the time because…” His arm itched and he scratched, but he didn’t pause for long. No, he couldn’t withhold any information… it may not have been much, but it was more than what she had before, and it would be more than he might have if he had to give up these memories. “They lied to me, and they lied to others. They took us away from the White Moon and corrupted us with Chaos… I’m not sure if others call themselves Corrupted, but… they are, whether they want to believe it or not.
“I was put into the Spec-Ops branch, where my specialty was to go and do the dirty work, whatever that entailed. On my time, I’ve done… I’ve done terrible things. Because we were told that the White Moon was the real thread, and that we were doing what was necessary. A lot feel that way. Maybe… once upon a time they were right, but now? I’ve participated in the attack on the Carnival… I was at the convention. I was even a pawn of another officer… recently, when he tried to bring the Rift to Destiny City. I was a part of that… and I’m sorry, for anyone I hurt, but all of those attacks… we were the aggressors. White Moon isn’t the threat… the Negaverse is.”
He looked at the recording device, before looking up at Kallichore. “Um… was… there anything else you’d like me to say?”
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Posted: Sun May 25, 2014 6:43 pm
Kallichore furrowed her brow for a moment, wondering if her moon truly was sentient or not. "I... I don't know. Maybe they're memories tied to this place and that's it, like how some mediums on Earth can touch an object and see the person associated with it. Energy, maybe. I don't know." She ended it with a shrug, wondering then what Vespa's homeworld would hold for him, what his life was like back during the Silver Millennium. She listened patiently as Vespa spoke, ears catching on the mention of a Spec-Ops branch. So they were even more organized than initially thought, organizing their troops further into branches with a specific purpose. "Vespa, could you tell us more about these branches? This is new information to me and I'm very interested in it. And bringing the Rift into Destiny City... I hear Bischofite may have been to thank for that. I'm hearing rumors here and there about some grand master plan he had..." Which didn't surprise her. He was classic Negaverse through and through. "...and, are there any others in higher power? I know of Zinkenite, Ares, Leto and Remarque. Did any others promote to this high rank? Anyone else we should be wary of?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 6:09 pm
He wrung his fingers, tighter and tighter and with more frivolous vigor, letting his nervousness be seen to her though he knew he was safe here. He knew Chaos couldn't reach him here, so there was nothing to fear, but who would Vespa be if he wasn't panicking over the smallest thing? If he were an actual wasp, he'd be grooming his antennae in such a fit that he'd risk tearing them off, and at her prompting, he bobbed his head up and down and continued. "Y-yes, of course. There were three branches... Spec-Ops, Intelligence, and Infiltration. Spec-Ops, or special operations, are the ones that usually carry out the fighting, go on the dangerous missions. Intelligence was in charge of gathering intel and keeping track potential threats, recruits, just keeping the Negaverse on the top when it came to knowledge of the enemy. Then there's Infiltration... they're the ones in charge of recruitment itself and maintaining the public image, though maybe they've given up on that. Or maybe they never really cared..."
He rubbed his arms, perplexed about how anyone in Destiny City could allow themselves to be fooled like this and assuming it had something to do with brainwashing, or just people downright not caring? He wasn't sure... but if the citizens of Destiny City were brainwashed, then it made Infiltration's job all the easier.
"I don't know most of it, admittedly... only caught bits and pieces, but I think it was a trick the whole time. Not sure if it was Bischofite tricking us, or his youma tricking him, and us. But it ended in failure... but still, that's why I'm here, talking about this with you, because I don't know if someone else is going to try that stunt again, or if we'll be lucky to stop them." Vespa shook his head, sucking in a breath and taking only a moment to recollect what he knew about the higher ups. "Zinkenite's in charge of Infiltration. Apatite is... in charge of Infiltration, I think, and Howlite's in charge of Spec-Ops, though I don't see much of her or Apatite. Laurelite was placed in charge of General-Ops, which is new... it's essentially anything that doesn't fit in the first three I mentioned, or a hodgepodge of them. Laurelite's the one I know the most... she's the one that recruited me, promoted me... ordered Mica to watch me."
But there was someone else, someone that made Vespa quiver. Should he mention her? Could he? Would Metallia retaliate if she knew of this betrayal? He... wasn't sure if he was ready for that yet!
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Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2014 7:54 pm
The eternal stood there, silent and patient as the recorder took down all the details. This information would be very important for both newly-awakened senshi and the veterans. "Thank you, Vespa. This information will save many lives. You've painted a clearer picture of how the Negaverse works. It's a perverse machine, keeping its workers mostly blind and fat and happy on a diet of lies... You'll be escaping it soon. I'll be sure of it." Kallichore cursed the Negaverse under her breath, knowing the night is darkest before the dawn, but keeping hope alive was like keeping a candle lit in a windstorm. Zinkenite, Howlite, Apatite, Laurelite... Add those names to the ones I already know of and... we're vastly outnumbered.
Damn.She took a few steps forward and looked down at her hand, watching the recorder's wheels spinning, waiting. It was the greatest listener and had an impeccable memory. "I don't mean to pry, Vespa, but if there's anything else you'd like to say, here is the best place to say it. We'll leave whenever you're ready, or..." Kallichore trailed off and tilted her head, brown eyes soaring off into the distance, down the valley to the castle she knew lay in wait. "...if it suits you, I could take you on a tour. But that is entirely up to you."
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