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 Posted: Wed May 06, 2015 8:10 am
Five minutes, fifty-three seconds without power. Shale ran the proposed track at about midday, which involved some slows by passersby or children who absently cut across his path. Mentally he shaved off two seconds to account for deviating slightly and losing speed, which meant his original score was six minutes and thirteen seconds. For the circumference of the park, it sounded decent enough - though he suspected he would've performed better if he kept up with hunting on a steadier clip.
Now that night had fallen, and the rose hues fell deep beneath the horizon, only the dim light of the moon remained in good company with him. Most of the lamps marking the park path hadn't strayed so far in the forested areas, leaving Umber to navigate primarily by moonlight. He hadn't found it much different from the forest, save that the ambient light pollution left the area around him uncommonly distracting. He focused on the path ahead nonetheless, thankful for the squares of ductape he used to mark his course. The first portion was a straight run before an abrupt turn that led him through a jagged clearing. It didn't look like much, but he remembered nearly slipping in the wet grass.
Umber took off as soon as he started the stopwatch, and he cleared the initial stretch significantly faster than if he remained as Shale. A tree near the end of the path worked as a great kickoff to change direction, which left him skirting through the denser wilderness portion. Just as he aimed to take to the trees, he froze, his hand still grasped on a thick branch that would easily hold his weight.
Someone approached, coming from the opposite end of the park. His vantage point offered him a meager view, but he spotted black with a shock of white hair that walked along the path. Was something in her hands? He couldn't tell from this distance. The aura also felt vaguely familiar - markedly different from the Negaverse, but along that same vein. Another Dark Mirror? He wondered, then, if she knew the blonde eternal or Elsa. He wondered if she might have information that would benefit the boy, or if her opinions on the Negaverse aligned more closely with the tattooed woman in the church.
After stopping his time, Umber pocketed the device and approached from between the trees. Timing himself would wait until after his investigation concluded.
"You are of the Dark Mirror, correct?" He called from fair distance, in hopes that his presence would not startle as it would if roles were switched.Pixie Nyxie omg sorry i forgot yesterday
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 10:11 pm
It was Mintaka's first time out as Mintaka of the Dark Mirror court, her fuku was lighter and well...more fun to move in. The transparent sash tickled at thigh and her arms and legs had the slight jingle of bells. A soothing sound, but not quite appropriate for sneak attacks.
Not that she would do such a thing, as that was terrible and cruel. She was not an attacker.
Tonight though, she thought a peaceful walk through of the park would be a good place to start. She didn't have to hunt for youma's right away, and she wouldn't draw the attention of negaverse like she had as an order senshi.
At least she didn't think she would, but an aura approached and it was distinctly of the Negaverse. As strong as Aurostibite it would seem.
"I am." She called back, ruby red eyes landing on the agent. "Its impolite to shout from so far, and if you do not attack, I will not either." She paused, "if you'd like to converse closer, I am okay with that as well."
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Posted: Fri May 22, 2015 2:46 pm
When do 'war' and 'etiquette' ever intersect.
Silent, Umber proceeded further toward the Dark Mirror eternal that responded to him. Her sphere was not readily apparent in her clothing, though that mattered little. Since he hadn't worked among the Information branch, he lacked the ability to discern their power holdings as Zircon might.
"I haven't seen many of your kind." Umber slowed to a halt at conversational distance, allowing for some space between them to telegraph any sudden attack. his arms crossed over his chest while he spoke. "The first wanted to attack the Negaverse, the second had barely awakened, and the third scrambled her memories by running the gambit through White Moon, Negaverse, and finally Dark Mirror standing. There's hardly any indication of a 'baseline' among your Court.
"Since you're willing to chat, will you answer some questions?
"To start, there once was an alliance between our factions and that alliance has dissolved. The Negaverse offers no explanation of this to its recruits. Are you aware of the reason why?"
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Posted: Sat May 23, 2015 12:23 pm
If the question was asked, Mintaka would've said war was just another type of etiquette. After all, most wars began when somebody (not somebodies) offended the opposing side. Lack of manners, lack of respect.
She didn't feel other aura's, thus she relaxed a little more. Unlike the event when she was kidnapped, there wasn't surprise negaverse agents draining everything she had away.
"We are a rare breed now." She raised an eyebrow, "I did not scramble my memories, but I was originally of the white moon court. Though, I know most everything of the dark mirrors, they are far kinder then that of even the white moons." She laughed at his cold conclusion of the dark mirrors. No baseline? Survival was the baseline.
"It depends on the question-" Her eyebrow could not rise any further as the agent just kept on and she folded her hands politely over her fuku. Unlike most Dark mirrors, she did have an alliance to one. Aurostibite.
"Because a group of negaverse agents tricked our princess and some of stronger dark mirrors into a ambush. They sought to..." She mulled over the word, "To eliminate any and all threats to their cause." Her head cocked further as she remembered the event. It was the first time she had talked Auro away from a fight, saving a dark mirror and himself from whatever misdeeds the negaverse had. She had been white moon at the time but she still felt the event heavy in her mind, "As such, the negaverse has continued to attack dark mirrors whenever and where ever they can. In more recent events, one of your generals seeked to eliminate two of our court. It was not our side that dissolved an alliance, but the negaverse when they realized that they could, and my guess is, could neither do anything for us OR could no longer find us useful." She thought the second reason to be the more accurate.
"My name is Mintaka by the way." She gave a little curtsy, "Eternal of the dark mirrors."
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2015 6:40 am
She laughs. This one may be a biased source.
Having little exposure to court etiquette, he offered no bow to indicate respect. "Umber, Lieutenant."
"I don't know why the Dark Mirror would be considered a 'threat', especially if what you say about being a rare breed is true. From a basic profit model, the energy taken by your Court must be great enough to warrant deploying officers and directives toward its eradication. Energy is a renewable resource among men. And in personal experience, I have never found a dearth of drainable subjects." I've also never encountered a Dark Mirror during any quota fulfillment. Whether this is true for other officers must be determined. "This implies that there's either something more going on, the amount drained by your Court is invasive enough to actively hamper the Negaverse, or emotions have slipped into politics." A thumb ran along the seam of his jacket sleeve, nail biting into the stitching during its pace.
"But to stop there is an oversimplification. An alliance comes from mutual benefit. Symbiosis." Or manipulation. Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. "That alliance was founded on something, such as a common enemy coupled with the benefit in allying ourselves. A common goal. Boosted energy intake when paired. Whatever benefit there was in that alliance either dissolved or became overwhelmed by the cost of it - but I don't know what that benefit was.
"The Negaverse does not readily supply any information about its past or its prospective alliances. The only information dispensed on the Dark Mirror Court indicates a 'strained alliance' - that there are no official orders to attack, and that coordination with the Court is necessary in joint operations. I know nothing about the Court beyond this statement handed down by a manual. There is mention of 'conflicting goals', so will you tell me what the Court's goals are? How the methods of the Court purportedly clash with the Negaverse?" Troubling that there is still an alliance in writing, yet not in practice. I wonder... "Is there indication within your Court that this alliance is still in effect?"
It's spoken, but not acted upon. That blonde Mirror wanted to attack the Negaverse herself. How many others feel similarly?
"Can you name those who ambushed your princess?" As he asked, he considered checking into the Negaverse databases for any notation on any officers' careers regarding Dark Mirror attack. There was a possibility that the Negaverse may not record such information at all, or that the officers in question never reported on or were reported for their acts. The New Year's Event was not made public knowledge, and he wagered its existence never crept beyond the officers present for it.
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Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 10:10 pm
"A pleasure to meet you Umber." She lifted herself from her curtsy, not really bothered by the fact that he didn't return it. She had learned by now that not many shared the same etiquette as she did.
"We are unknown." She crossed her arms, "We are not senshi with planets, but we are senshi's of mirror versions of ourselves." She didn't know how to completely explain to someone what a dark mirror was. Mirrored versions of them selves seemed accurate but...that was because she had originally been a white moon senshi before becoming Mirror.
"I'm sorry, but the Negaverse aren't willing to completely share their resources after all. I don't NEED to drain victims, and it's more of a want. If I don't want to, I don't have too." She pursued her lips, "But fact that another faction that can do what we do, being both Senshi and Chaos, as well as the ability to mirrorwalk can be very threatening. If I wanted, I could step into a mirror right now, large enough for me, and exit out of a mirror in your home, if I wanted." She wasn't sure that was QUITE true but she wasn't giving all her details out after all.
"Order was the common enemy. We are after all, born from chaos. Our power stems from chaos. An alliance formed when the Order court deemed us dangerous and willingly declared war on the dark mirrors for being nothing more then chaos. However time has changed that, and so has the Negaverse." She started to walk around him, not good with talking and standing for long periods. "As for orders, I've heard that the negaverse makes covert operations to eliminate the Dark mirrors. With the attack on our princess, it hardly safe to make diplomatic relations with the negaverse to expand on the idea of...alliances."
She stopped.
"Feelings of course now must be the strain on most of dark mirrors. Chariklo, a dark mirror has watched as important people were taken and tortured before her by the negaverse. Added to that, she has watched her order aligned friends been kidnapped, drained and mutilated. As well, we suffered an event called of Future memories, where most of experienced memories of a Future 5 years from now that did not happen. And most of it was not pretty."
She was rambling now, but the need to catch up all the information to him seemed important.
"There is no indication of alliance between Negaverse or Dark Mirrors. Our Goal at the moment is to survive long enough to figure out how to retrieve our planets." And then she paused, "I cannot. Unfortunately at the time I was there, I had been a White moon Senshi, and I was talking a few officers away. I know one name keeps popping up though. Painite?" She stopped now.
"And to answer a question I feel I missed, Alliances depend on the person of the dark mirror and the negaverse. Take for example, I am romantically involved with someone in the negaverse. I will not tell you who, but it is for that reason that I do not openly attack the negaverse. I WILL defend myself or people I find important, but I do not go out of my way to attack anyone in your faction."Strickenized Edited future haha /cries
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Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 7:07 am
'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.'
Umber's gaze narrowed at the empty explanation of Mirror senshi. Mirror versions of themselves. From a collective standpoint, they might look like mirrored version of White Moon senshi - but that doesn't tell me what they are. The blonde's answer offered a better glimpse toward a Dark Mirror senshi's basic state. 'Mirror versions' sounded like a convincing cop-out - like Mintaka might not be entirely sure of what founds her existence. Hands found his back pockets while he considered if the court hid their basic foundations from their lot. Was there something to hide concerning that mirror coating? What did it mean, and what was its nature? "Are you familiar with the term 'mirror coating', Mintaka? Did they explain it to you when you joined the Dark Mirror?"
Energy draining as a 'choice' surprised him. If they needed no energy to survive, that sounded like more ideal chaos. But the moral basis of it sounded fairly implicating on Mintaka's side - if energy draining became a choice, then when she decided to gather that day, it constituted idle malice. A waste of time and resources. Pointless efforts. But if energy wasn't needed by the Court, then why jeopardize the alliance by encroaching on what the Negaverse needs? Umber furrowed his brow.
"Stepping into a mirror and traveling through sounds like teleportation with a reagent. If I don't have a mirror? You can't get in." I wonder if it's limited to mirrors or if that ability extends to all reflective surfaces. Can she fit through a compact mirror? Can she pass through a pool of mercury, a swimming pool? The threat itself held no grounds without knowing Umber's identity, though it meant he had less reason to expose his civilian side to their Court. Would Elsa give away that information? Possibly, if he constituted an enemy.
Umber turned while she walked, unwilling to allow his back to face her. "I hadn't heard of any covert operations against the Dark Mirror." Not that it surprised him - the only operation he heard about was through word of mouth instead of official reports. Painite. That name again.
"The future? That's incredibly specific. How can you be certain it was any glimpse into the future and not just fever dreams? What happened in this 'Future'?" If she's willing to believe memories are clairvoyant, then how many others think the same? What could possibly happen within memories that could shape or shatter an alliance between factions?
Attacks, memories, resources... I can't imagine the Negaverse would strike at allies unless there was reason for it. Someone among the Negaverse ranks should know more. I need to find out.Pixie Nyxie all important information though - but has the name dystopian future been released icly? if you need to edit that out then let me know and i will revise the post
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Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 1:24 pm
"Mirror coating?" Mintaka blinked. "I have no idea what that means." There was /no/ information on mirror coating that the Eternal had ever found, or had ever been spoken to about. Remarque filled her in a lot of things but mirror coating? She didn't think so.
"This is true. I couldn't get through a mirror if there is no mirror to get through could I?" She was beginning to see that Umber was more calculating type. He needed facts and his ducks in a row before he made conclusive thoughts. It reminded her briefly of Hydrus, who sought to seek reality in math and logic then Magic and talking cats.
"You will." She replied, "It's only a matter of time before you are drawn into conflict. That's what a war is after all. Conflict."
She made a tch sound. "The future is exactly as it sounds. Five years from now, according to our memories, The negaverse has finally managed to capture Destiny city in it's thrall. Senshi and Dark mirror senshi are targeted for elimination. Civilians believe both to be Terrorist. Which honestly, a lot of the senshi took up the name title. The memories I have was being a eternal for order. I had opened a shelter for those battered by war of all factions." She laughed now, "I would think I was crazy you know...." Then she stared at Umber, "If I hadn't met the 6 or 7 people who I knew by name and their future self here. And if they hadn't shared the same vivid memories I did. It's not like dreams, where its fuzzy and random. Its memories, as clear as remembering the day I first entered high school, or found my first avenger collectible."
She stopped now.
"What you are looking for, is for me to tell you why Negaverse and Dark mirrors have a alliance but do not. I don't know how to answer because in all respect....Negaverse is the one who attack us. So perhaps you need to find someone of higher rank. Ask them their...facts on it." Strickenized Changed the DF to just Future cause I spaced that one
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Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2015 7:23 am
"I see." What he saw looked convincing enough, but in the realm of magic, he could not deny that such an appearance might be a hoax. Their starseeds could look no different from any pulled from White Moon or Negaverse, and the one that the blonde possessed was merely painted over in a reflective coating. But what would be the point of that? Why lie about the nature of a starseed, especially without any followup implied of what to do about it? Such a move did not provoke action on part of the manipulated party.
'Conflict', she warns. Umber looked to her, a quiet mirth evident in his gaze before he banished his attention to a sodium light in the distance. "I am no child to war, nor to conflict. Without the former, we consume each other. Without the latter, we consume ourselves." I wonder if she wants to avoid all war, all conflict. If she prefers to talk, like Hvergelmir. I wonder if she is dangerous in the way that Hvergelmir could be.
"It sounds like the Negaverse is on the path to success." And if enough people put stock in these dreams, then that path to success would be highly jeopardized. Mintaka herself may have a reason to declare armistice with the Negaverse, but for the many others who feel oppressed by this future... Surely these dreams formed a rallying point for the enemy.
Though they sounded far less like dreams with her following declarations, and Umber's eyes narrowed in careful consideration. So it was not just her, but others who could corroborate the same happenings within their own dreams. That... Has implications that I am not prepared to reflect on right here.
"I am disappointed that the Mirror offers no official court stance on the alliance or a prior paper trail to indicate the origins of it. It looks like my search falls within the Negaverse's ranks." Knowing that his search fell to an already unreliable source left him at a loss for angles. He started to wonder if Leto herself might be a better choice - if asking Persephone to summon a meeting with her might shed more information on the state of the alliance and how it formed. Or if it ended, and the Negaverse had not issued a decree on it.
Half-turning to the eternal, he gave a nod. "Thank you, Mintaka. You've shown me that there's more to consider than I thought."
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Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2015 1:06 am
She had never put it that way.
She hated that it meant it was a dog eat dog world.
"Or we could have peace." She answered, "Where the world is not consumption but shared." But it was a futile dream that she shared with few others, and she attempted not to push on others.
"Success. Yes, I suppose that is true. It's hard to detrimene success by the amount of bodies piled on each other, but as long as you are king of the hill..." She sighed, "But Futures change. I was once order, now I am not. It can be as simple as that causing large changes for the future. Perhaps even now, we can look at a world where the negaverse shares, or the senshi can return to the homeworlds they claim."
She didn't know, but it wasn't hard to be optimistic about it.
"Just a moment!" Mintaka pulled a piece of paper from under her fuku, scribbling a number on it. "That is my number, well it's more for a cellphone I purchased for my powered life. After losing my senshi phone- Anyways! My...My heart resides within your ranks. If you have more questions, I will answer them." She smiled, holding it out, should he take it.
"Though there is no official alliance, I will not wage war against your ranks. If you need a place to go to rest, or anything at all, I will do my best to help you." Strickenized I SHOULD'VE WRAPPED BUT I AM TERRIBLE /FLIES OFF
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2015 7:23 am
Peace. And for how long did I know peace? Did I know peace? And more importantly, do I want it now?
Is the war necessary?
He offered no answer to her, but the consideration of it was evident in his gaze. He looked at her the way one did when reality became white noise, when thoughts took precedent over surroundings. He blinked, and came back to sharing and home worlds. The effectiveness of a dream lies not in its viability, but its ability to motivate. If dreaming of a time where all factions can coexist spurs Mintaka to act, then such a dream cannot be so easily written off as impossible. If the future she speaks of is a deterministic forecast, then that dream is quite powerful. But if she believes that free will can do far more than tweak minutia over a grand scale, then it is less so.
I wonder if she understands what to do with it all.
He blinked, and came back to the park. He recognized the trees flanking his left, the winding pathway he intended to sprint through, the Dark Mirror who now accosted him with paper in hand. Umber accepted the paper readily, looked it over to ensure he could read the writing without trouble, and pocketed it into the back of his pants. "Thank you. I will call if I come up with more questions." She has not offered much in the way of information, but it is a start. I wonder if the offer of assistance is because her lover may be endangered if she acts against or refuses to comply.
Maybe it's just an act of goodwill.
Maybe there's no reason to parse out motivations that I can't confirm.
"There is no stated ban on personal alliances, at the least. I have no reason to operate against your Court, even if my allies do. Play wisely, Mintaka." He started toward the park's exit, his interest in timing himself abandoned to organizing his powered contacts and filing away what he learned of this encounter.
The time may come when he would need to call on her, and he wondered what would come of it.
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