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 Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 10:47 am
General Painite was slow to wake, pushing her palms under her in a haze as she struggled to get her bearings. She looked around in confusion, but the knight she had been fighting was long gone. She could not tell if she had been out for a while or just a couple of moments, though, and had no point of reference for it. She did see large splatters of blood on the ground, particularly where she had been flopped over, and felt the side of her face was warm and heavy, blood caking to the side of her head from where it was flowing. It had not stopped bleeding yet, which told her she could not have been unconscious too long.
Dizzy, nauseous, with the added bonus of anger and embarrassment coiling ni her stomach, Painite pulled herself away from the street and retreated into a dark alley to be herself and collect her bearings.
Slumping against a wall, she lifted a shaking hand to the side of her head. That little b*****d had gotten lucky, smashing her right where her temple seemed the softest. There was a large cut running almost from her forehead to her ear, and she wonder if something on his weapon had stuck out and cut her this badly. It had been a little hard to follow, in the heat of the moment. She'd been ready to skewer him, but that clearly had not come to pass.
Painite felt a wave of dizziness and she sank down to sit on the floor, leaning back against the wall. She closed her eyes and felt herself dozing, losing track of things around her. She was too tired to really try and fight it, though distantly she knew she should probably power down and get herself home, or at least teleport somewhere and eat some energy or a starseed.
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Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 12:50 pm
It had been a while since Irene was able to take one of her walkabouts after work. The past few months had been full of college applications and senior projects and acceptance letters, which on top of work and her life as a senshi, had left her too tired at the end of a shift to do anything more than fall into a cab. Now the hustle and bustle was over. All she had to do for school was pass her finals and wait for graduation, and though her other obligations still existed, they weren't threatening to swamp her like they had before.
So after she wrapped up at Maize Maizier, she henshined up and began to walk. It felt good, like she was getting back to a part of herself she had left behind. And maybe she would get to meet someone new. The events of the prior month still made her anxious, but they had also strengthened her resolve. They had to sort out a solution, before more people were hurt, or worse.
Sure enough, before she had gone too far, she could feel something on her mental radar. Irene took several quick steps in that direction before the size of the power signature fully hit her. This wasn't just some Negaverse rookie she was heading towards. Whoever it was, they were stronger than she was. Not the sort of person she'd be able to hold her own against. Possibly not the sort of person she'd even be able to run from.
Her hesitation lasted a few moments, and her feet began to move before she fully realized that she was ignoring what was probably her better judgement. "I have to try," she told herself, picking up the pace. "If I run forever, nothing will ever change. Someone needs to show them that there's more to life than-"
Irene turned a corner and gasped. There was someone there, sitting back against a wall, bleeding from the head. A part of her mind registered that this was likely the source of the strong aura she felt, but that part was shoved aside by the urgency of the situation. Within moments she had closed the gap between them, kneeling down to get a closer look, reaching out to lightly touch the woman on the arm.
Other senshi might have taken the opportunity to run, or even to finish off a weakened opponent. These thoughts never even entered Irene's mind. Instead, she flashed back to the day she had finally been able to grasp the additional power ********* had wanted to give her. Her decision to help those who needed it, the people hurt by the fighting in the city. At the time, she had imagined that the only ones who got hurt were normal people, and sometimes other senshi. Now she knew better, at least a little bit.
"Are you okay?" she asked, trying to get a better look at what seemed to be a nasty cut on the woman's head. "What happened? What can I do to help?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 12:12 pm
General Painite was not in the most sociable of moods, truth be told, and she was not expecting company. At least, not of the White Moon variety. Her head ached so much, and her body felt so heavy, that she hardly noticed the Senshi until she was basically on top of her. Painite looked up and growled, like an injured animal caught in a corner, watching the senshi with dark, wild eyes.
"Get away from me," she said lowly, her voice trembling with anger and embarrassment. A senshi finding her in this condition, asking her if she was okay! The joke was too much for her, and she felt absolutely pathetic, facing it now. Her hated enemy first managing to get her into this state, and now another one trying to help her out of it.
This was a very bad night, and she just wanted it to end.
Maybe she could salvage it, somehow. Perhaps she could leave here with a Senshi starseed, and heal herself with it. That would not only restore her poor body, but her spirit as well. Her pride was damaged, as well, but that was always much more difficult for her to fix.
"I don't need your help, senshi," she snarled the world out like it was the worst insult she could think of, and the venom in her tone was heavy. She moved to try and stand, but a wave of dizziness kept her slumped against the wall.
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 7:53 pm
Irene's instinct clashed with her desire to help, and she automatically recoiled when the General- surely, this was a General- snapped at her. This could end very badly if she wasn't careful. Or even if she was careful. There was always the possibility that this was some sort of trap. And if she wasn't sure she could get away from one agent, there was no way she'd be able to escape two. Or more. It could be a whole ambush for all she knew, though that seemed a bit much for one lone senshi.
But then the General tried- and failed- to stand, and Irene rallied her courage. "I think you need someone's help, miss." She could tell that the woman was somewhat older than she was, but knew from her job that women, no matter their age, were always "miss" and never "ma'am." That was just how it went. "And since I'm the only one around to provide it at the moment, then I'm who you get, regardless of our respective stances. Desperate times call for desperate measures."
She reached out again. "Please, take my hand. I promise, it won't bite. And you really need to get someplace safe, where you can get medical attention."
The hospital was out. There was no way she could take a Negaverse General there, and no way the General would reveal her true self. Still, there had to be some solution. Irene just wasn't sure what it was yet.
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 8:31 pm
General Painite watched the senshi and growled, shaking her head very slowly. She did not want to hurt herself further, she supposed, but really she just wanted to shake her head without knocking herself out immediately. She did not reach for the Senshi's hand, though she did swat at it in fury that was mostly impotent due to how dizzy and dazed she was. She was not much of a threat, but that would not remain true for too long, and once her senses returned to her she would be able to lash out the way she wanted to.
"I don't want to go anywhere you can lead me, Senshi," she growled, shrinking back against the wall, not losing that dangerous, animalistic glint in her eyes. She did not let her gaze waver, either, never leaving the Senshi for a second.
"Why do you want to help me anyway, hm? Do you know how many of your kind I've hurt, or maimed? And after I'm healed, I'll do it again. What is with you and your kind, always trying to help others, when you'd be better off doing the smart thing and ending them. I'm your enemy, you idiot," she hissed, lifting a shaking hand and pressing it to her head, pain moving through her.
She took a moment to gather herself, speaking through gritted teeth.
"You can count that when I'm able, I'll kill you without a moment's hesitation. You mean nothing to me: why do you pretend I mean something to you?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 8:47 pm
The swat was less than effective at keeping Irene away. If anything, it convinced her that this person really needed her. A General in fighting condition could have killed her by this point, if she really wanted to.
And it sounded like she really did. The descriptions of what this woman had done, and wanted to do, made Irene fidget uncomfortably, pulling at her skirt, tugging the fingers of her gloves. It sounded like the world as a whole would be better off without her, and as soon as she thought that, she was horrified with herself. What gave her the right to decide who was good enough to live, and who wasn't?
"Everyone makes meaningful contributions to the world we live in," she said slowly, still working out her feelings as she spoke. "I'm sure you're no exception. It's not my place to pass judgement, or to mete out punishment. Sure, I'd rather you not try to kill me." Irene shivered with the thought, and the knowledge that this was quite possible. "And I'd like to convince you otherwise, but ultimately you need to decide what's right for you. I believe I was put here in this place, given the powers I have, to help people. You're a person. So even if you're opposed to me, at this moment, I'm not opposed to you."
And she offered her hand again. "By existing, you confirm my reason for being. And I find that very meaningful."
If she could pull this off, she would walk on air for days. If not, she'd probably wind up in heaven for real.
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 9:19 pm
Painite watched the three senshi for a moment, then closed her eyes to reorient her vision. She opened them again and took a slow, hopefully healing breath.
It was hard for her to talk about these kinds of things. Thinking about what she had contributed to the world now, compared to what she had grown up thinking she would do, was a stark contrast. As a hopeful kid in school, she had dreamed of becoming a journalist, seeking out the hard news where it was hidden, and making a true difference in the world by opening the eyes of those around her with her writing and her investigations.
Now, she wanted to open the world's eyes to the power of Chaos, and show them what true fear felt like. She wanted to destroy everything she came in contact with, and was disgusted with the weakness she saw around her. No longer were her concerns for other people anywhere in her mind, in the day to day. Human beings were nothing to her, save fodder for her traps and a harvestable tool for energy and starseeds. She no longer wanted to help people. She wanted to see them writhe in agony and dispair, while Chaos reigned in its proper place.
Compared to who she was, she had become a monster. And while she knew she was okay with that, proud of that, it was sometimes, in startling moments of clarity like this one, overwhelming. She never wanted to question who she was. It was just too much.
"You're a fool, Senshi. You're going to be killed one of these days, and it will be by someone just like me. Maybe me, if I'm lucky to meet you again. Or if I get my wits about me now. Don't you get that? You're wasting your time on me, I'm not like you. I'm not like anyone." She shuddered when she spoke, and for the first time in a long time, her confidence wavered. "I am Chaos. That's all I have. That's all I want. I don't need your pity or your help. I can't just believe that you'll help me, just because you're White Moon and you're supposed to be the good guys."
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 9:57 pm
"Of course I'm a fool." For some reason, Irene didn't find that at all offensive. She knew her decision wasn't particularly shrewd, and if her team found out what she was doing... well, she didn't really want to think about the possibilities right then. "If a clever senshi found you, they'd probably try to take advantage of your current weakness. I've been there before, and I didn't like what it did to me."
The memories of harassing *********, of looking for people to prove herself against, of hating those who tried to tried to help, were still at the forefront of her mind. "Having tried both, I'd rather be foolish and content than clever and angry." Because apparently you couldn't be smart and happy at the same time. Whenever Irene tried, something else popped up to upset her all over again.
She had to smile a little at the General's speech, though. Not at the beginning- that was still kind of terrifying. While she was confident that her decision was the right one, she didn't want to die for it. But the end was something she could wholeheartedly agree with. "Of course you're not like anyone! No one is. That's why you're so important. You're so much more than just Chaos! Even if it powers you, or motivates you, or does whatever Chaos does to people, you're still you. And I think that's valuable, even if our values differ."
What could she do to get through to this person? Was it even possible to connect on a human level with someone so bloodthirsty, so consumed by darkness? Despite her bold statements, Irene wasn't totally sure. But she wanted to believe. And since she had started out with foolishness, she might as well see that path through.
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 2:10 pm
Painite stared at the senshi. At least she tried, as best she could, though things were a little blurry and though she was sure she was keeping her body still, things around her were wobbling. She did not notice that it was her, in fact, that was swaying a bit where she sat. She growled, her body trembling, though this was not from her injury so much as the rage and confusion at war inside her.
She hated being pitied. It made her stomach turn to hear the understanding and care in the senshi's voice. What did this senshi know about anything? Why was she not scared? Or even if she was scared, she was somehow mastering it so well that she was still able to dole out this warm, honest kind of care that Painite found so wholly revolting. Like she wanted a Senshi to feel bad for her, to offer her something she did not get anywhere else! She was a lone wolf for a reason: she had thrown away her emotions. To be reminded that she was still so fragile as a human being, to be shown that her emotions still existed, regardless of how she hid from them, was overwhelming.
The kicker really was that she doubted the Senshi had any idea what she was really doing.
"Leave me alone!" Painite cried suddenly, hauling herself to her feet and giving Irene a mighty shove, trying to get as much distance between them as possible. The effort nearly sent her sprawling to the ground herself as dizziness rushed over her, but she forced herself to remain upright, tears running down her face as she glared at the senshi, her fists tightly clenched, knuckles white, and arms shaking.
"I don't want your weakness! I don't want you concern! You are just going to get yourself killed, doing things this way. Is that what you want?!"
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:49 pm
Irene liked to think of herself as patient. Honest. Willing to invest her time and energy into a cause she thought was worthwhile. Good company, when she wasn't sick or upset. Sure, she wasn't perfect, and she'd be the first to admit that she had plenty of problems. But usually, talking to people wasn't one of them. Being shut out so thoroughly hurt. It also triggered her hidden insecurities, which caused the safety valve on her temper to start to loosen.
Then came the shove, and the valve blew altogether. She stumbled backwards, but managed not to trip over her own feet, and she ran after the General as soon as she regained her balance. Most people would have given up by this point. But Irene wasn't most people. She was the particular kind of idiot who would offer clemency to a hardened criminal. And now she was mad.
"Well, what about you? Assuming you don't bleed to death out here, do you really think the next senshi to walk by is going to let you walk off so easily? You're the one who's going to get yourself killed! Is your hatred more powerful than your willingness to live? Or is it that you're so bound up in darkness that you consider depriving me of the tiny amount of happiness I can derive from helping a fellow human being to be worth your sacrifice?"
It didn't take her long to catch up, which meant that the General had to be in seriously bad shape. By the time she did, some of her anger had faded just from seeing the obvious pain the other woman was in. She bit her lip and tried to figure out what to do to prevent both of them from winding up dead. She could understand not wanting to be pitied. If their roles were reversed, she wouldn't want that kind of reaction either. Though really, it was abundantly clear that if their roles were reversed, Irene would probably be dead and the General would be off cleaning her weapon somewhere, pleased with a good night's work.
She never had answered the question that had been asked of her. Mainly because she had no answer for it.
It was clear to Irene now that her desired end to this scenario, of her bravely carting the young woman off to a hospital, wasn't going to happen. She'd probably end up clobbered if she tried anything that bold. And really, she'd sooner be able to best a General in combat than she would be able to carry anyone other than her tiny Papillon at home.
So, plan B. Irene opened the dove-shaped purse she always carried on patrol and began to take things out of it. First was a small plastic tube-like device, which she scowled at and put back. "Ah!" she exclaimed, taking an enameled pillbox with tiny white flowers on it. Popping the top revealed that the inside was divided in thirds, each with differently-shaped pills nestled neatly inside. "The oval ones are ibuprofen," she said calmly, trying not to let her temper flare up again. She was not entirely successful. "I'm afraid I don't have anything to wash them down with, but they're small. And as a show of good faith, I'll be willing to take them as well, just so you can see I'm not a poisoner."
She crept closer, hand outstretched, all traces of a smile gone. This was probably her last chance, and she didn't know what to do if she bungled it. "It should help with the pain, maybe long enough that you can get to a doctor on your own. So stop screaming at me and take them. Prove to me that your life is more important than pride, or hate, or some war that's been going on forever. And then I'll leave you alone."
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 5:23 pm
"I'm not scared of Senshi! I'm not scared of anything! I don't need you to help me, or whatever it is you think you're doing! I'm not one of you! Maybe I like like my darkness!"
It was a stupid over simplification, but she could hardly think, as blinded by anger and confusion as she was. She was mad, but if anyone tried to ask her why, she would never be able to answer them. All she wanted to do was run away and hide from everything she was hearing, everything she was being forced to feel.
She had her back to a wall, figuratively and literally, and she watched the Senshi as she stubbornly refused to just give up on being nice to the Chaos driven General. She felt like a cornered animal, and Irene was reaching out to her in an effort to show her she was a 'friend'. Painite could not bring herself to be offended with the thought, as upset about everything else she was.
"If I take them will you swear you'll go away?" she hissed desperately, "I'll take them even if they're poison at this bloody point. Just to be rid of you!" She held out her hand and saw in tremble, but pretended not to notice. Painite feared nothing, especially not emotions. Just because she was allowing a Senshi to offer her help, accepting that offer, it did not make her weak. It did not mean anything at all.
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 6:49 pm
This felt wrong. It felt like giving up, which was the one thing Irene never allowed herself to do. But continuing on this path would only agitate the General more, enough to injure her further, or to push her into making good on her threat. The only reason Irene was still breathing was because the other woman was too weak to do what she wanted to do.
But then, if she wasn't, Irene never would have stopped. What did that say about her? Was she a coward for avoiding fights she couldn't win? Was she an idiot for trying to help someone who wanted her dead? Was she an opportunist for taking advantage of trying circumstances to speak to someone she never would be able to survive meeting otherwise?
Again, no answers came forth. Sighing, she carefully bit down on the fingertips of her glove and pulled it off. This was far from ladylike, and she knew her parents would cringe if they saw her, but she doubted she would damage the situation further with mildly uncouth behavior. Civility had all but flown out the window. Carefully, she took three tablets from her pillbox and dropped them into the waiting hand. Then, just to prove her point, she took a fourth and popped it into her mouth, wrinkling her nose as she swallowed. Even though she was used to taking pills, she didn't like it. But this was worth the mild discomfort and icky aftertaste.
"I, Sailor Irene of Peace, swear on my honor not to pursue you further." She wasn't about to walk away and let anyone bleed out in an alley, but if the General was well enough to move on her own, she would have to accept that. "Once you take them, I have no further demands, and do not hold you in any debt. Though I do wish you'd go someplace where you can get medical attention." But if wishes came true, she wouldn't ever have to fight.
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Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2014 4:00 pm
Painite watched the senshi and nodded her head. It seemed like the other was not lying, unless she was particularly clever about how she let the pills fall out of the battle, and was able to tell which one was or was not poisoned by the weight of it in her palm, or something. But that was being a bit more paranoid than even Painite, struggling with the Chaos inside her and her dire need to hate and distrust all senshi, could handle.
She curled her hand around the pills, shaking as she pulled her arm back toward her.
Accepting help from a senshi was the ultimate proof of her weakness. No matter how far she pushed herself, no matter how hard she worked. She fought so many senshi, killed so many people: but she was still as weak as her human side. Despite acting like she had given herself to darkness and terror, she still felt the most basic weakness that any human, on any side of the war, could feel. She was scared. Of death, of pity, of failing. She was scared of it all.
"Senshi of Peace," she echoed with a small, rueful laugh, her voice trembling as she took the pills without much difficulty. Taking medicine was something, she imagined, they all learned how to do, though the taste left an unpleasant tightness in her throat.
Sinking back against the wall, she curled into as tight a ball as she could, feeling a sudden wave of unsure emotions slam into her, emotions she had been hiding herself from for years. She couldn't stop the sobs that hit her, and she tried to snuff them out by crying into her arms, eyes tightly shut as she hid her face. She was dizzy, she was in pain, but most of all she was sad. Embarrassed, defeated, furious, afraid: it all added up to show her how miserable and alone she really was. How she had made herself this way. She hated to see it, and did not know how to understand it.
"Just leave me, please," she said, muffled as her voice was against her arm. She did not look up, but her tone, what was heard of it, was different. Her accented voice was almost gentle, unrecognizable to even herself.
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Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2014 6:25 pm
Watching someone in obvious pain was difficult for Irene. It made her uncertain all over again. Not that she was doing too much for someone who clearly saw her as an enemy, but rather that she was doing too little. The compromise she had come up with seemed pitiful in the face of such a serious situation. But it was, she knew, the best that she could do. If she trusted this General enough not to suddenly kill her, she had to trust her to be able to look after herself.
But when the other woman began to cry, it felt like Irene had been given a jolt to the heart. She instinctively took a step forward, and then another, with every intention of offering compassion, comfort, maybe even a hug-
And then she caught herself. She wasn't there to force fondness onto unwilling parties. She was there to learn, and help, and understand. Which meant holding up her end of the bargain, no matter how hard that was for her.
"It doesn't feel like there's anyone else around, but please take care. Get someplace safe when you can. And..." She paused, trying to figure out the best way to express her last thought. "Thank you for letting me do something to help."
And then she walked away, head held high, arms at her sides. It would be a perfect time to launch an attack, but Irene kept looking straight ahead. She had to trust that the General wouldn't suddenly stab her in the back, but would be okay enough to get herself taken care of at some time. It was a small gray area they had been in that night, one Irene wasn't sure she would have access to again. All she could do was hope that she had done enough, and that everything would work out somehow.
It was very hard to not look back.
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Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2014 1:58 pm
DivineSaturn Thank youuuuu. This was such a good RP for Painite, and I hope you had fun too!
At least the senshi left, as she said she would. Some part of Painite wanted her to stay, to give her a reason to lash out and get some of that respect she had lost for herself back. If she could just attack, just kill the senshi and leave this whole encounter in a flurry of blood and horror, she could simply pretend it had never happened. But she could not do that. She could not even stand up.
It took her some time, after she was alone and the streets fell silent around her, to move. She had calmed enough to gather her wits and her energy about her, and she teleported away from the wall she had been huddled against, back to her home. She powered down and moved inside, which offered very little comfort to her these days
But at least there was a bed.
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