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 Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 9:22 pm
His travels wound down paths encrusted with pavement, through trees erected of wood and stone and glass. He knew so little of such metropolis figures that he often wandered far longer than he tracked or struck. Sometimes the breeze crawled over his shoulders, stirring the crack and crackle of leaves over his shoulder, stirring scents both new and old to gently curve his journey. And sometimes, those very buildings with their branches of rebar stretching toward the sky earned enough of his interest to warrant climbing for an aerial view of the city.
Thus he drew himself upward with strength foreign to his own body - and that attempt to clear the stout structure nearly led to an overshoot and impalement on those rusted branches. He caught himself, steadied himself, and moved from such thoughts in a short stride toward the parapet.
Take energy from others. Keep away from the enemy. Allies are cut of black cloth.
This city is so different from my own. Not everyone corresponds to night hours - and our own shadows, our gods, our demons find no exceeding prevalence at nightfall. We lose the hunter’s edge when no one sleeps. They never offered the how, but I didn’t ask for it. I will find my own way to fulfill their requests. It is the only means to prove myself - to honor them for taking me among gods. I have to.
In his slow comb of the array before him, Umber’s sights settled on a unique building adorned with dramatically steepled roofs and a prominent cross fastened just below the pinnacles. A taller structure erupted from its center, clawing toward the sky with an opening near the top to showcase an unconscionably large bell. For now it hung silently as a sentinel watching its kingdom.
Yet it drew Umber’s attentions almost immediately.
The lieutenant descended from his chosen building with a measure more grace, instead touching ground after a set of short hops to the lower levels. Afterward he sprinted in the straightest length of path he managed, all the while thinking that the clusters of people milling about the streets lacked such integral attention to their surroundings. I could finish an assigned quota in daylight’s zenith and none would show recognition for what happened. Deplorable.
These aren’t helpful thoughts - keep going. The church. Crown the church.
Yet once he drew near enough to the ornately patterned stained glass and carved doors, near enough to brush fingers to wood and plaster ancient, he felt a brush of instinct that froze him in place, each feature immobilized while his eyes darted frantically for cause. He knew not where the flutter of excitement came from, but he was certain that such an uncanny burst of sensation was a harbinger for eventfulness.Chariklo hated this place. But she was here, nonetheless. Perhaps to ask again for forgiveness for having failed so terribly. Perhaps simply to feel close to the vibrant soul that had once inhabited the starseed that she held in her hand.
Or maybe it was because she simply didn’t have any better ideas. And at least if anyone were to catch her talking to herself, they’d assume she was praying instead of crazy.
Not that anyone’s going to catch me talking to myself up here, she thought wryly. From her perch on the rooftop of the church, she could see the city below and the bell tower above. And for a brief moment, wondered if any of the church’s hive of workers had discovered the damage left behind from that night.
Sighing, she tucked the starseed back into the pouch that also housed her mirror shards and gave the tiny bundle a gentle pat. There’d be no energy collecting for her tonight. Maybe not any night. But she couldn’t deny that a controled wraith made a serviceable enough weapon or distraction when needed.
Glancing up at the stars, she began to stand, only to freeze in place as an energy signature made itself known. Not terribly strong, but Chaotic. Just wonderful. Well, maybe whoever it was would keep on their way and she wouldn’t have to worry about it.The sensation fluttered in his gut, immobile and somehow directional. He heeded it without hesitation. Trying the door, he found it locked and averse to any measure of force he exerted upon it. He abandoned that pursuit abruptly and retreated a handful of steps, just enough to note another side door lacking the thickness and complication of the main entrance. Darting toward it, Umber administered a swift kick near the knob and tumblers where the wood gave way with little resistance.
It hadn’t felt quite like wood, either, but Umber paid it little heed when wrapped in the throes of his curiosity.
When the lieutenant entered the building, he discovered a certain likeness to the storehouses kept in his hometown. Crates and cardboard boxes remained stacked neatly along walls and a few barrels remained partially obscured by a stairwell that zigzagged up the shaft of the tower. And as he drew toward center, either side of the staircase framing each shoulder, he craned his neck backward to witness the hull of the bell in the far distance, toward the end of the shaft, and he wondered just how far along that strange sensation lingered. He couldn’t tell.
Proceed with caution, he told himself while a quick scan confirmed no useful weapons in the vicinity. Barrels proved too cumbersome and the remainder of the items would demand an active search, which may produce far too much noise for his sensibilities. Instead Umber chose the stairs, and mounted them as quickly and quietly as he could manage.
Regrettably, some creaked with neglect and disuse.
After rounding several floors, Umber began breathing through his nose, yet further still the top of the building lay. He forced through the burn with little heed for his body’s budding need for rest and finally met with the top of the stairs, where the great bell hung, where it looked far larger than he would’ve imagined. And in that space, that empty space, he finally found an object of note for a weapon - a long rope tied within the bell itself that extended outward and mounted onto a hook on the far wall. He could imagine a priest’s long trek up the shaft only to exert himself further with moving such a massive sculpture of metal, but quickly cut off his daydreams. Now wasn’t the time.
Instead he remained where he stood, eyes fixated on the parapet where he discovered a strangely dressed woman sitting with her back to him. She looked to be wearing a dress of unusual size and style, which very sensually revealed thick strips of skin on either size, and tattoos that climbed her body. Black. She should be an ally, if training holds true. A length of silence bloomed afterward where he simply watched, his gaze scanning the breadth of city alongside the woman who watched much of the same.
Finally he spoke, though his inexperience with conversation felt palpable. “It’s a good vantage point.” However, he stayed rooted next to the stairwell, loathe to advance upon a creature with back turned and vulnerabilities laid available by the laws of nature to his hands. “Are you hunting?”When it had become clear that the agent wasn’t going to just keep wandering on, Chariklo had sat back down and sighed. No point in running. And the signature was relatively weak. A baby agent, most likely. If it came to a fight, she was fully confident in her ability to take him or her down. Though part of her hoped it wouldn’t come to that. So she simply sat and listened to the steps that eventually ran up the bell tower steps.
Keeping her eyes on the skyline, she gave a sort of shrug when the agent finally appeared and mentioned it being a good vantage point. Turning her head slightly, she did her best to study him. Young and very new. Cautious too, she rather thought since he seemed to have rooted himself to the tower.
In a harsher tone than she’d intended, she answered, “Not hunting. Thinking.”
Turning her head back, she crossed her arms over her knees and rested her chin on them. She wasn’t entirely sure why she hadn’t just run or attacked him on sight. Maybe it was because of Titan. He’d shown that not all officers were monsters. Maybe she wanted to give this kid a chance to prove the same. It was simply one more puzzle to ponder out.
After a moment’s silence, she sighed and shifted just enough to be able to watch the officer. Arching a single eyebrow, Chariklo was honestly a little surprised that he hadn’t moved at all. She’d have been nosy as hell in his place. In the darkness and shifting, moonlit shadows, it was hard to tell if the marks on his face were paint or something more permanent. Privately, she rather thought that he looked properly barbaric. But it was a far different style from the one she cultivated. At least he didn’t seem to be going for any skull decorations.
“Why’re you here?” Not unfriendly, but not interested in company. She wants distance. Umber watched her unblinkingly while he mulled over her reaction and choice of location for her ruminations. Only when she spoke again did he finally lift himself from his own contemplations, and finally left the sanctity of the stairwell. “I’m learning the city. I felt something worth investigating in this area. It’s coming from you.” With arms still crossed, he leaned with shoulder against one of the posts. “I’ve been told it’s some kind of energy.”
The manual was of some help, but it doesn’t give specific names. I don’t know you - I can only suspect that you are of this Dark Mirror Court. And if you truly are averse to company right now, you would send me off already. “What thoughts have you closer to the sky? It is a place of deep thinking.” And regret. The regrets we tether to ourselves float above our bodies to shade us from the sun. You sought vantage among a cloud of regrets. Why would you want that for company? What similarity exists between your thoughts and grief?
Whatever the reason, it is not my business to ask.
The moon shone bright this hour, issuing clarity across the span of city beneath them. No fog lingered, offering a view for miles. With a vantage point this high, the city appeared almost simplistic - storybook in how it was laid out in perfectly designed ninety degree angles with a smattering of roundabouts for reasons unknown. It lacked the natural complexity of life, of the forest, but he voiced no complaint over it.
“But if those thoughts are too private, I would inquire about your court instead.”DaisyMilk quoted the wrong un sorry!
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Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 5:48 am
Huh. This one was polite, she had to give him that. He was being very careful of her space and in spite of his Negaverse affiliations, she had to appreciate his tact. With a little sigh, she turned just enough to keep an eye on him and avoid complete rudeness.
"Auras. They're called auras and all senshi or, in your case, officers have 'em. So do cats and youma, but theirs are trickier. After a while and some practice you'll be able to get a sense of power levels and well, familiarity for lack of a better word."
Turning her gaze back to the sky, she considered his questions. Did she want to answer or not? He was being exceptionally well-mannered in spite of his curiosity. And since he hadn't tried to attack her yet, she had to conclude that he was a very new newbie indeed. Otherwise, she was certain that he would have been warned about her. The Dark Mirror traitor. Snorting a little to herself she shrugged.
"I don't know much about places of deep thinking. I come here sometimes because a friend died here and as horrible as it was, it's not something that I ever want to forget. So I come here when I need to talk to her or just to sit and stare at the sky."
That was diplomatic enough. No point in telling him the whole story, unless he asked for specifics. And as careful as he was being, she didn't think he would. And his last words rather confirmed that and she seized gratefully onto them.
"Well, I guess I can try to answer questions for you as long as you're not trying to wheedle Court secrets out of me. Inquire away."
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Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2015 7:20 pm
Right - auras. I haven't been able to link auras and intuition yet. I wonder how common knowledge it is - or how adept others are at sensing them and their appropriate power levels. That pane of glass stuck to her eye... Does it assist in aura identification? Or has it some other use?
Shale nodded once, slowly. "Someone used to tell me that a beautiful sculpture owes its form to every strike of chisel that marred the marble. In the same way, we are made from the adversities that marred who we were." Though I don't know that it would ever automatically qualify us as beautiful. Maybe we just run out of substance. No, that can't be so. We are not rock. We can grow, and change, and shed what's unnecessary. We can fill in the injuries that cause us so much pain. "I find it too implicative of deliberate harm." What we encounter are accidents, and we sculpt their impact on ourselves. I wonder if visiting this place causes her harm. So many people here seek it unduly.
"I wouldn't know your Court secrets if I accidentally tread upon them." Boldly he took her acceptance as invitation to come within conversational distance, yet he maintained enough of a berth to ensure he could not reach out and touch her without leaning into the motion. He stood at the railing at the edge of the precipice, arms still folded atop his chest, while he surveyed the cityscape beyond them. It always reminded him of a collection of stars lit on the ground at this great distance.
"I was never told much of the Dark Mirror Court beyond that they are former allies. Some of the officers I've met appear uncomfortable when asked about the Court, and only answer with their own distaste. What is their purpose? And what drove a wedge between the Court and the Negaverse?" I can only reason competition for the same resources. A pack of wolves may work in tandem for a food source and manage fine socially, but once the bounty wears scanty, the pecking order starts prioritizing the kills to the alpha, the beta. The rest gets cut away. Is this what ended the alliance? Is there something more to it?
There has to be. This city knows no dearth of people.
"And how is the Dark Mirror Court so different from the White Moon? Or corrupted senshi? How are they all so different when cut of the same cloth?"DaisyMilk i missed rping with yooouuu
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 2:44 pm
Everywhere I go, someone seems to be quoting things at me. Chariklo bit back the rumble of amusement that rattled around her chest. The lieutenant's words weren't a joke and he didn't deserve to have her laughing mysteriously at him. Yet.
Instead, she nodded and gave those words due consideration.
"I can see that, I guess," she admitted. "Big difference between a deliberate chisel strike and seeing someone randomly murdered though. I dunno. I may have to agree with you on the deliberate harm bit. And you make a good point."
This time, Chariklo did laugh, though it was clear that she was directing it at herself. She didn't object as he moved closer, instead sretching out her arms and back before laying back against the roof so that all she saw were stars and wisps of cloud.
"I don't know what, exactly, put the first strain on the alliance to be honest with you. But I do know that a couple of double crossing ambushes and soem ahh... visions some of us had have pretty much ruined any chance of a reconciliation. As for current hostilities, I'll happily and proudly cop to furthering them. I don't like the Negaverse much. They're cruel, murder wantonly and are far too hungry for power over everyone for my humble tastes."
The flicker of disgust across Chariklo's mobile face was similar to a cat's snarl of distaste when faced with something it didn't want to eat. The disgust was quickly replaced by sadness though as she turned her head slightly to keep him in sight.
"Whatever purpose we might have had vanished with Ares. We were supposed to save the senshi and take off en masse to space and leave this planet to your lot. Joke was on us though. Dark Mirrors can't go to space. Not like normal senshi. We're ********' stuck here."
Rather than try to explain the differences between the senshi as she knew them, Chariklo instead chose to take a risk. Reaching for her shard bag, she withdrew Bianca's starseed and held it up into the moonlight so that the lieutenant would be able to see the mirrorcoat. Then, she careful put it back and tucked the bag back into her fuku.
"That's what makes the Dark Mirrors so different. Our starseeds are mirror coated. Beyond that? I have no idea how we differ from the rest. I guess the Chaos molded us different is all."
Fixing the boy with a cynical squint, Chariklo decided to explain a little more.
"And no, I didn't pull it. That starseed is all I have left of that friend I told you about. One of your people killed her and wasn't at all kind of quick about it."
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 6:01 am
She is comfortable. Or sure of herself. Likely both. And satisfied that I am no threat. Given my rank and abilities, that assessment is probably right.
Umber listened quietly while she denounced the Negaverse in all of its crimes, and explained the crumbling alliance along with her own part in the matter. He wondered why she hadn't simply attacked given her stance, but found it counterproductive to question it right now. Her assessment may well be right - many within the Negaverse could hunger for power over others or murder as they saw fit. He found little wrong with the latter, but the former could never come to be, and was therefore a lost cause.
Normal senshi can visit space? I thought anything died out there. "Has your existence as a court dwindled to competing for resources and searching for a purpose?" Walking through mirrors is a strange enough power, though I suppose none exist in space. I could be wrong. There may be entire kingdoms out there, undiscovered and booming with life, waiting for these Dark Mirror senshi to arrive. There may also be nothing. Or alien species. Or the same desolate rocks that I was raised to assume by. Space seemed a risky venture, unless they already knew what was out there. There also remained the consideration for how Dark Mirror and White Moon senshi may be so different that one is legitimately capable of visiting space. And the mechanic for doing so. And the potential benefits in doing so. And the drawbacks. And there was far too much information that he was missing in order to give the topic a weighty analysis.
The clack of crystal and glass took his attention, and Umber brought his gaze to her from the city below. Between her fingers sat a curious, albeit dull, crystal coated in a reflective surface that seemed remarkably reflective. He could find his own face in one of the planes, despite the image lacking definitive beginnings and ends to his facial structure. He had not yet seen a starseed prior, and was rather taken aback by their simplistic form. And we can pull those small rocks from other people's bodies to kill them? That leaves more than a few questions.
He would've asked to see it for a closer inspection, yet she returned it to its resting place before he could make the venture. Her next words had him considering that the distrust between her and his faction grew so great that any measure of faith, however small, would be met with objection.
And if those are starseeds endemic to a dark mirror, I wonder what mine looks like. Or a Senshi's. Or a Knight's. Or a civilian's. Or a youma's. A silence settled between them for a beat while he wondered if he should feign incredulity, though insincerity was something he struggled to manifest. Murder in any form never truly eluded him. "It is a war," he returned - not a defense for the one who committed the crime but a rationalization for the act even happening.
But that murder gave you a bit of purpose, didn't it.
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Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 5:30 pm
Juttng out her jaw mulishly, Chariklo looked at if she would happily take on anything and anyone who might try to argue with her. Then, her face relaxed and some of the tiny tension lines around her eyes faded.
"They can compete all they want. I'm not stealing any more energy for anyone or anything to gobble down. ******** that noise."
It was the first time she'd openly announced her rebellion and the words shocked her into a brief silence. Yet, as she quickly considered the matter, she realized that she'd spoken only truth. Her days of stealing energy at the whim of a vanished Queen were done.
"As for purpose, I don't even know what to tell you, kid. For now, I guess just surviving long enough to spit in the collective eye of the Negaverse is enough. At least for me."
Then, wrinkling her nose, she did her best to muddle through her confused and grieving thoughts.
"Too much has happened too quickly for me to be able to give you perfect answers, okay? I'm still grieving for my friend, I'm still terrified by those visions and I'm probably going to be pissed off til the end of time for the kidnapping and torture your lot put too many of my friends through recently. But given all of that, there are still the ones who do their best to not kill, who truly believe that they're helping to protect the people of earth. There are a few who still act with integrity. And frankly? I pity 'em."
Looking at it objectively, she really did. Take Titan for example. He wasn't cruel or monstrous. But he served a monstrous ruler. Someday, he was going to get an order that he didn't like and it was going to break his heart. Frankly, she hoped fervently that that day would never come for his sake.
"So, since we've established that I'm not some fount of knowledge or wisdom," she smiled a little self-depreciatingly. "What other questions you got rattling around in your head?"
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Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 7:47 am
Umber rested both sets of knuckles on the banister while he listened to her explanations, inwardly running his own responses while he watched the few spurts of traffic etch brilliant lines into his gaze. Not stealing more energy for anyone. There it is. Invalidation of the possible 'threat' to livelihood. Her interest in destroying the Negaverse, however, is something worth taking into account. I should report this. There a branch that specialized in keeping track of such information. I would need to find one of theirs.
It's dangerous to keep talking to her. If she wants to spit in the eye of the Negaverse, attacking a lieutenant is a good enough place to start.
"But in your opinion, the Negaverse is mostly stricken with individuals that wish to cause harm to others? Is that true?" His attention drew from traffic to the blonde, as she sat with no visible intention to attack, despite the menace in her words. Mixed signals, he figured, or bluffing. He felt no need to press the issue to find out which. "And would you explain these visions, or what recent tortures your friends endured? If I am to be a part of this organization, I should know about the portions that it will not officially brief me." Even if it is all murder and mayhem and death. Xenotime brought me to the Negaverse for her own reasons. I need to find my own for staying, and not just forsaking this garb and all the quotas it entails.
"You know enough to help me," he offered in return. "I just need to know why the Negaverse is so hated - what it does to its own reputation. How much is folly, how much is sanctioned, how much is true. I have this... Second life," he paused, though only to materialize his own weapons - a pair of gloves with no interesting or distinguishing features beyond their thin cloth composition. "I need to know if I should use it at all."
Even though my choices are incredibly narrow. If I chose to abandon the Negaverse, that would leave me in a world far different from the one I was raised in - and one I don't particularly care for at that. I have no means of returning to my home now. Living in Destiny City leaves something to be desired, even with a roommate that allows antics that she likely finds disturbing, or pointless, or even entertaining.
Sometimes it's just the transgressions that keep us alive.
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