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 Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 10:09 pm
What the hell happened? This was what came from dabbling, or so she seemed to think. She'd never really figured out what the hell she was fighting for but as things got worse that was pretty much what she was told to do. Because she trusted her partner and her place she simply did what she could, figuring out how to fight the good fight. She still patrolled, most nights with company but some nights alone. Tonight she was solo.
It wasn't often that she ventured into the city, especially powered up. That was her first mistake, moving along the outskirts to see what became of her home. Five years of time still did not allow her to believe what had happened around them. Who she knew to be the bad guys had taken over, with force.
"Newgrange, I wish you were here..." she murmured. The whole thing spooked her out but somehow scary things didn't seem so scary when she experienced them with him.
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Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 10:46 pm
It was no longer his job to go out and patrol and yet he still did, he still felt it a part of his duties and who knew who he'd run in to. He wasn't tasked with removing any senshi or knights seen and yet he'd still do it, or talk, or corrupt. The list of things he could or would do was long and tonight he wasn't in the mood to kill nor fight, unless he had to. He was in a more diplomatic feeling after earlier meetings and work on some new law they were working to putting in effect at some later date. it was, like most laws passed, help the civilian populace even while there freedoms were taken away. he hated this...not all of it but a good half of it he hated, detested and loathed even.
It was as he turned a corner that the General King picked up on a weak signature. Now why would such a lowly knight be out on there own? That was far from smart or safe, in fact he wondered if this knight didn't have a death wish. He couldn't think of any other reason to come out and alone walk the city streets or the city roof tops. He hadn't walked a roof top, or had to, in a long time. With the Negaverse having taken over members of chaos didn't have to hide from the public, no worries over people attacking the lone terrorist. There was no need to keep hidden amongst the shadows. They could walk confidently down the sidewalk even in the middle of the day! it was...sad in a way. He missed some of the old things which had been mostly lost due to the changes.
Shaking his head to rid himself of such depressing thoughts he headed off toward the signature, quickly closing in on it, he arrived just in time to hear the young knight utter those few words. Smiling, a confident and yet soft smile, he tilted his head a bit to the side. "You should have brought him. Tonight just isn't your night little knight..."
Short, petite, and dressed in a uniform which just emphised this about him the General King's uniform had changed since his days as a General. The vest was gone and the shirt only covered his chest as his stomach, flat as a washboard, was on full display as his coat was open from the chest down. Scrolled across his fair flesh were vines, ivy leaves, and thorns protruding from the vines of ivy as the black ink curled about his flesh decorating it in a most elegant manner. Something else, at his lower right side, was just peeking out from above his pants as well. he had more ink on him than just the decorative thorned ivy design which crept across his skin and up under his uniform and across the right side of his face in a small curl of vine and ivy leaves as it decorated the area around his right eye and just a bit at his forehead where flesh met hairline.
Tapping his booted foot he stared at the knight in an almost curious manner. "I haven't seen a long knight, especially one of your rank, out and about in a long time. it's rather refreshing and yet...sad - for you."
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 1:50 pm
There was no more normal. Hell, the edges of the city weren't safe anymore. Caydence had grown from a bit too naive sixteen year old to a legal adult of twenty one while her home and everything she'd ever come to rely on shifted to something darker and oppressive. She couldn't stay alive here in the same way she had before but she missed it. She missed the malls, her friends, even her painting, God, she'd kill to hold a paintbrush again! Such niceties were lost. She wasn't going to be an artist now.
"Can you blame me for missing my home?"
Sherwood took a moment to look the General King over, feeling how powerful he felt to her even though she'd grown from where she started. Her bow had evolved and so had her power. It still paled to his and she knew what sort of trouble she was in now, especially how he spoke to her and the tone he used.
There was a deep sense that she was in a lot of danger and so, opting that, she didn't mention anything about her best friend to not jeopardize his safety. She knew his civilian identity as well as his powered life and wasn't going to rat him out because she was alone. She could hold her ground and try to remain as neutral as possible hoping that he was a reasonable man she was looking at.
"I haven't done anyone any harm."
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 5:02 pm
"No, in truth I cannot." Came the honest, and sincere, reply from the General King. He could understand it because he felt it in ways. he couldn't go and visit his parents, the fall was fast approaching and there would be no buying of mums, hay bales, and other decorations for the season. he could still do it, of course, but he wouldn't be able to do this with his mother while his father watched - not this year like so many before. It was a family tradition which had ended when he'd convinced his parents to leave for England without him, he couldn't go with them and he also couldn't tell them why. He hoped they were well and when, and if, this all ended they returned; there home stood waiting. He'd made sure the house remained just outside of the city in a upper middle class, low upper class, neighborhood.
"No, of course not. Although I could say that you existing does enough harm in and of itself. Couldn't I?" He questioned with a tilt of his head and an easy smile.
"Tell me...what are you doing out alone? Aside from seeing your home. Why come alone? It is not wise, surely you know that." Stepping closer to her with an easy smile in place as he did so.
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 10:14 pm
"I was dreaming."
Any of her friends on the other side, her fellow knights in the settlement, would have killed her before letting her come to the city alone so she hadn't told them. God only knew why she'd decided to power up, maybe she was asking to be found. Maybe she wanted to know why all of this had happened, why her home and the life she had such plans for were suddenly devoid of all color. She'd had such dreams.
"I was an artist. I wanted to paint. I was going to go to DCU and get my art degree and change the world with my artwork. People would look at it and feel connected, even just for a second. Everyone who ever saw my work would be connected by it. I wanted..."
Sherwood trailed off overcome by emotion. These things were painful to think about, a life she gave up and still wasn't even sure why. Had she ever been sure? She winced, though, when he suggested that her very existence was a threat to the very people she grew up with. She hadn't even been awakened to this war until she was sixteen and had, before that, lived a perfectly normal life with perfectly normal people in a not so normal town.
"Hitler said that the existence of Jews harmed the lives and genes of the perfect race. We know better than that now."
And though she wasn't perfect at heart Caydence knew that she was still good and that meant more to her than anything, anything else.
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Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 2:35 am
"Dreaming..." He parroted as he trailed off, waiting for her to continue and elaborate. What had she been dreaming? What would bring her here alone and powered up? It really was a stupid thing to do; taking such a risk. Why take such a risk?
"What if someone form my side, who knew you as a civilian, came here and saw you and heard your words. You'd have just revealed who you are to them." Shaking his head as he made a tsking noise. It really wasn't a smart thing which she did. She took too many risks with herself.
Startled by the next words he took pause, staring. "An artist...I was also...I did get a degree in it but I didn't continue toward the next." The war, his position in it, had stopped him from perusing it. He'd wanted to and still did but he couldn't. he couldn't paint and show off what he created anymore. He couldn't risk Stroud seeing anything he created. If he used flowers she'd read into them, he knew she would, she knew he spoke in that language. Even if he wasn't if the painting had flowers she'd surely look up the meanings and if he had unwisely picked a flower, or several, he'd be screwed. He hated it, all of it. He might not have wanted to teach art to others but he had wanted to peruse art.
"I didn't like to share mine though. I was sharing it more though. I enjoyed nature scene and watercolors, oils also but watercolors were more my style." It was nice to think of art for the moment, sad as it was, and he felt for the other. An artist who couldn't be free and share it with others, who couldn't paint. He understood that and he wanted, for a single moment, to reach out and lay a hand on her shoulder and try and offer some comfort to the poor girl. But he couldn't, it wasn't who he was supposed to be. Why did he have to feel? Why did he have to see the wrong in all of this and want to fix it? If only he could be as cold and ruthless as some of the other General King's and Queen's. He could perform better and not be busy trying to foil plans and bring down things. He wouldn't be at war with himself, wanting to do the right thing but not being able to so he could keep his cover. When this all ended, as he hoped it would, he would either reveal himself or he'd go into hiding somewhere. Either way he needed a long vacation that was for sure.
"Indeed he did say such things." What else could he say? Hitler had been a monster and yet also a very good speaker. Still mad though and he still led to such a war. "The man also was good with photography I've heard." What else could he say? He couldn't be nice, he couldn't tell her that he didn't think her something harmful. He knew he was already letting too much show, being too nice, and he wanted to not be so nice but it was difficult.
"And that was then, this is now. The Jewish people are a far cry from senshi and knights. They didn't posses magic or any such things."
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Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 7:49 pm
"Who wouldn't I be describing? You gave up your dreams, too, unless this is what you really wanted."
Maybe not all of them wanted to be artists but certainly everyone in this war had sacrified for it, giving up what they wanted for another purpose. It wasn't right, or fair, and maybe Sherwood was a little bitter about it. Early on when she first met Newgrange she gave him a speech about how she wasn't going to let Sherwood overshadow Caydence. She had been so resolute about keeping to her dreams instead of giving up everything for a war she had no stake in. The only thing she cared about was her family and that included Newgrange.
She shivered, not sure if she should allow the sense of security take root or not inside her. For having things in common he was still an enemy.
To his reply she didn't know what to say. Her magic was painful the few times she'd had cause to use it. The arrows she used left no wounds but still made the victim feel like their skin was pierced. She doubted the average Jew could pull that off back then, unless they had a secret life like she did.
"I don't hurt people." She didn't. She and Newgrange mostly focused on youma dusting because youma, in turn, hurt civilians. "I'm an Earth Knight. This is my home and I fight for it! I want to keep people safe! I didn't ask for this; I'm sure you didn't either."
Didn't he see that her only goal was to keep her home the way she thought it had always been?
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Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 12:30 am
"Some people did dream of this or similar enough." He stated with a shrugging of his shoulders. he was sure some were pleased with this, thrilled even. Those people he couldn't understand or find himself liking in any way. To want this was to want nothing but forced slavery of every person and someone to replace your will with theirs. It was ridiculous and something to be fought against with everything one had to fight with, which was what he was doing.
"You don't? I'm sure your magic hurts people, or can, I'm sure you've punched or kicked someone - maybe you've bitten someone or grabbed a handful of hair." He stated as he approached her slowly. "I'm sure you've hurt people - we all have. This is war after all...or it was - we did win after all." Though he was no idiot. Things were going on with the other side. He knew it and he was helping it! He would see this war to the end and come out alive, with his family intact. He was doing everything he could to see to it.
"Indeed...it is. Why don't you fight me if you're so passionate about fighting for your home?" he questioned with a raised brow. It didn't matter what he'd asked for. he'd asked to join the Negaverse. He had not, however, signed up for this whole mess. No, this wasn't what had been included in the package; it had been snuck in. Tapping a booted foot as he approached her, looking as innocent as he could, he stopped right in front of her. "Why don't I do you a favor and help you a little - give you a little...je ne sais quoi." Waving a hand about for a moment on the last four words. he didn't know what but he would give her something, a backbone perhaps, a passion that she lacked? Maybe something else, he didn't know what. But after his hand had finished waving about it sunk itself into her chest without warning.
"Say adieu." He stated right before he focused on pouring his brand of chaos into the knight.
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Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 11:45 pm
"I never dreamed of this life. Did you?"
She couldn't imagine anyone that would actually prefer this life to the normal that she used to know. Everywhere she looked people were afraid to be on the streets. Good people that she knew very well were banished from their homes and cut off their families to keep them safe. People were divided, some turning on others in acts of vicious betrayal: friend against friend, brother against brother.
Not unlike the Civil War...
"You'd kill me. Someone told me that bravery isn't fighting everyone. It's knowing who to fight, and when. Besides, I haven't seen you hurt anyone. You haven't hurt me..."
That false sense of security allowed Benitoite to get close to her. Sherwood thought she was safe. After all, if he wanted to kill her he could have well before then. She had no idea what he had in mind was so much worse than death.
"ah"
A small sound escaped at his penetration and she looked down in shock as his hand passed into her chest and gripped the starseed inside. For one terrifying moment she thought he meant to rip it out and be done with it. Not so, as she immediately learned. Her wide green eyes stared at him in wonder even as the change began. She wanted to fight, to scream, but no words came.
Most of all she wanted to apologize to Newgrange for failing in her mission and leaving him. For being careless enough to be caught by the enemy to allow this to come to pass. Those thoughts and so many others were erased by Chaos as she sagged under the General King's grip. Somehow she managed to stay standing though her knees had turned to water. When she roused and came to herself again it wasn't as Sherwood, Knight of Earth. It was as her Negaverse equivalent: General Sherwood.
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Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 12:17 am
Maybe he would rip from her the memories of the past, of her civilian life, and she wouldn't remember all that she had lost. A sort of freedom from what upset her so. He was hoping to give her something, something she needed. being the spy that he was he felt bad for this, he'd tell Valhalla about this changing of sides, but he had to maintain his cover and this would perhaps help her. It might give her a way to survive this mess, at least in an emotional manner. He didn't know what sort of fight she was or would become but he hoped she'd hold her own in this war and survive, he was sure something would happen one day or night and the senshi and knights would rise up. He just hoped he survived it and other innocents brought into this did; he hoped a lot of people on the other side made it out alive.
As the change happened he watched as he never lost his fascination with it, everyone was different. Holding onto her he held her to his chest as he let himself drop the ground gently, taking her with him, and sunken down with the fabrics of his uniform pooling about them in a puddle of dark fabrics swirled together.
When she seemed to rouse he flashed her something of a smile. "General Sherwood. A pleasure."
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 8:35 pm
The name failed to register for a few long moments. Only by process of elimination, there was no one else around, was she able to figure out that the man she was looking at meant her when he called her by name. But somehow she knew that what he said was right. General Sherwood...
Beyond that things were a blur. She didn't remember anything. Her civilian and powered lives were gone, taken by Chaos and necessity. In a heartbeat her family was gone and would not know her if she stood right in front of them. Newgrange, too, was lost to her. Her best friend would now have to deal with the fact that his partner was lost to the other side.
"I'm sorry...I don't..." She didn't remember him. "I should know you."
The feeling of being lost and homesick didn't ease somehow but with luck and time that wouldn't matter. For now she was a blank slate for Chaos to make of her exactly what was needed. He certainly felt stronger than her. If there was anyone she should listen to it was probably the General King before her.
She smiled, smoothing her new uniform over her body. Her uniform reflected the change, the stitching that used to show the proud symbols of earth were replaced with blood red spooling that meant nothing. Her pants changed from a neutral brown to black and her boots sported wicked heels and laced up to her knees. Her bow...that was the same, though metal and dangerous with an edged back to it to be able to cut like a scythe. She was Sherwood, but with a deadly edge to her now and a bit of the backbone he wished to instill.
"A pleasure." she echoed, straightening.
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Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2014 9:58 am
Shaking his head he managed to give her a smile. "It is ok General. You're suffering from some memory loss." That was one, very nice, way of putting it. It was true but it was something he'd forced upon her, and he wasn't about to say as much. She might be a General now but he had no idea how she'd react to knowing he'd been the reason for her lacking memories.
"We should get you out of here General. We can work on skills you may have forgotten later - such as teleporting." Something a knight couldn't do but he wasn't about to mention she had been a knight. So he would play it this way and teach her, for the first time, how to teleport. He'd have to work on that with her later, after he told his fellow General King's and Queen's about the new General.
Moving to stand he offered a hand to her. "Come, let us be off General. I will bring you to my home to rest." He had homed plenty of officers, all who had moved on, and so taking someone in was nothing new to him. He'd have to let his partner know though so they could watch what they spoke of and how loud they did so.
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