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 Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 1:47 pm
He wasn't certain when exhaustion crept into his life.
From what he remembered as a lieutenant, he slept at a strict regimen and adhered to it religiously. He placed self-care above duties, for he knew that his duties benefitted positively from how he treated himself. Time was reserved for hobbies, for relaxation to retain a fresh mind for the Negaverse's benefit. But what occurred between then and now that left him falling asleep at the table? What left him struggling to stay awake when he knew the disadvantage of his position in the university courtyard?
His brother might've been an obvious answer. His predicament was, at face value, the motivation behind Umber residing here. While Ochre stewed in his confines, Umber had bargained to find method to repurpose him, to render him useful once more for the organization that employed him. But to do so required careful understanding of the human mind and an established, empirical procedure in how to alter it. He considered that it was not simply Ochre's mind at stake - the boy was predetermined as a poor choice for the Negaverse, and despite Umber's insistence on killing Slate over corrupting him, that choice laid out of his hands. Xenotime added him to the ranks, and thus far he proved himself every bit as worthless as Umber predicted. No, this endeavor was not solely for him, but for the host of other individuals that found fault with the Negaverse and interest in leaving it.
Or was it? Emotions muddled within the normally stoic man in the state of his exhaustion.
For now, knowing that he could not be trusted to plan further in his physical state, Umber waited for another to show themselves from their usual patrol. The university proved a ley line for powered interaction - he surmised that a fair percentage of the powered populace must attend college of some form to go wandering here. But what did it matter? All these thoughts remained deviations from his goal. Staying on track mentally felt like fighting an inevitable loss. Beyond this next hopeful interaction, he needed to rest.
As he caught himself nodding off once more, the familiar cold seethe of a Dark Mirror signature edged into his periphery. Somewhere between Mintaka and Elsa by feel - that marked the arrival as a Super. Power stage alone meant that they might have more motivation toward their faction than those who recently awakened.
He only hoped he could maintain consciousness through the encounter.
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Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 10:34 pm
Even late at night, or perhaps especially so, a college was perfect grounds for energy draining. While Tantalus's usual preference was to drain criminals and miscreants, drunk college students worked equally well -- skim a bit off the top, and few of them questioned being a little extra tired, or the odd creature flitting among them, or even the man in deeply unusual dress weaving through the crowd.
In fact, he had found that rather than being considered an oddity, he was often considered a subject of fascination. People stared, or complimented his outfit, but few tried to interrupt for long.
When he was away from the fraternities and sororities, and into the less-party-oriented parts of campus, the people thinned out and he recalled his mirror wraiths, storing them to bring to Mirrorspace later. That he needed to provide energy to the Court was one of the few things that motivated him to patrol - otherwise he would have happily spent all his powered time in the winding halls and strange, ever-changing corridors, pushing and prodding for their secrets.
It would prevent, at least, potential unpleasant encounters with their supposed "allies." Tantalus could feel a Captain's aura not too far from him, and he wrinkled his nose distastefully. His interactions with the Negaverse varied wildly, and from what he'd heard from Amytis, relations had taken a much more unpleasant turn recently. But, well, he could handle one Captain, and if things got too bad, he was well enough acquainted with the campus to always know where a mirror was he could flee through.
And when he actually saw the Captain, he realized that he was likely in no danger. Unless the man was faking very well, he looked like he was going to fall asleep right where he was.
"I knew the Negaverse asked for a lot, but this seems a little ridiculous," Tantalus said, and he made sure his arrival was loud and blatant. No sneaking, no potential threats. If he was lucky, he would have a nice, polite chat, and that would be that.
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2015 5:15 pm
The declaration called his attention with a start, and Umber tried to force excellent posture to prevent himself from nodding off. He did not trust all of the Dark Mirror - this one may prove a threat to the Negaverse as Chariklo had. However, the man had his opportunity to sneak up on the captain in greater subversion and attempt an attack. Coming as he had proved an interest in avoiding violence this eve.
"It isn't the Negaverse's doing." He stood, both hands on the table, to offer some formality to his introduction. "I am Captain Umber."
"If you have a moment, I want to ask a favor. You can refuse at any point. You don't have to provide your identification or name any others. My reasons for asking are selfish and have nothing to do with your Court or placing it in jeopardy. This said..." He took a seat, and felt marginally more awake than he had before. Blinking still demanded a fraction longer than he would've liked; the chance of falling asleep while speaking to this man still seemed great. If nothing else, his propensity toward falling asleep proved that he was not an immediate threat to this man.
Umber held pen in hand and poised it over a notebook dedicated to the cause. He colored in a bullet point on the first line. "If you're interested in participating, I would like to know what motivates you to serve your Court." He hoped that his pitch offered a margin of interest to the stranger. He considered offering favors in return for favors, so long as they did not conflict with Negaverse interests. He may need to do so if the man seemed reticent.
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Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 1:18 am
Tantalus raised an eyebrow. Well, he supposed it was possible he was dealing with a college student with a terrible sleep schedule who also happened to be a Negaverse officer. That seemed...not entirely impossible.
So far, this Captain Umber didn't seem too much of a threat; he had made no aggressive motions, and seemed more interested in talking than anything else except perhaps sleep. So Tantalus decided to take the risk, for the evening, that he was lucky and running into one of the less hostile officers.
"Super Sailor Tantalus," he introduced smoothly, because even though he had been told no names were needed, it was polite enough to give one. He was known to the Negaverse anyway, he was sure, for his actions on Avalon and for being half the bait for White Phoenix's little attack. "Do you mind if I sit?" It would put them on more equal footing for the conversation, at least.
Being given the opportunity to talk about what made him serve the Court seemed like a golden opportunity. Though he waited to take a seat until permission was given, there was definitely an eagerness in him. "I would absolutely love to talk of motivations, though I can't promise mine will help you with anyone else." They were personal. Deeply so, in at least one case, but the less he spoke directly of Damocles, the better, probably.
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Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 6:33 pm
Umber wasn't entirely sure which response proved proper and polite for an interaction like this, so he simply motioned to the seat across from himself with a simple response - "sit."
Super Sailor Tantalus, he jotted into his notebook, in quite small handwriting composed mostly of sharp lines and capital letters. Left-handedness meant he would ultimately drag the heel of his hand through it all, rubbing the clean lines into a smudge, but it didn't matter so long as he could read it. Beneath it he added a few bullet points for summation, drew a line beyond those, and readied his hand as if for more complete transcription of their conversation. Inwardly he wished he learned shorthand but that regret wouldn't alter what he needed to do now.
"I never asked for a promise." His words sounded harsher than intended and belied some of his frustration without his intention in doing so. His eyes closed slowly and he pinched the bridge of his nose while he drew a sigh. It helped only marginally in alleviating some of his irritation. "Apologies." He made no attempt to cover his reasoning with excuses - if Tantalus truly wanted to know why he might snap for any given reason, then he would ask. Umber reminded himself that he was under no obligation to explain himself to outside parties.
"You don't need to worry about the applicability of your answers toward any ends of mine as you will not be determining yourself if your input is useful to me. If you're ready, please proceed."
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Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 7:31 pm
Tantalus took a seat, and he took a moment to observe the officer in front of him. He was obviously well-prepared for the conversation - with a book to take notes, even - and that made the Senshi of Temptation suspect that he was not the first one to be interviewed. A left-handed writer, which was unusual. His uniform was on the wilder side, with feather and bone and bead accoutrements, and for a moment Tantalus thought the red on his skin was some kind of war paint - but no, they lacked the raised texture or matte sheen. Tattoos, then.
In a word, fascinating. He would have liked to ask a hundred questions of his own, but that wasn't the point here. Unfortunate, since officers that weren't actually hostile felt like a gift, lately. Enough so that a simple snap wasn't going to put him off, because it wasn't a punch.
"No apologies necessary. I was presumptive," he said, and his tone was completely casual. "My reasons are, as I said, primarily personal - it has been proven to me over and over that I can trust my Court to have my back. To turn on them would be to abandon people who have on more than one occasion saved my life." He exhaled, briefly.
"The Dark Mirror Court is, I think uniquely, fairly united. Perhaps because there are so few of us, perhaps because we can only count on each other - no offense intended, but the Negaverse has not particularly proved themselves to be reliable allies, and eventually Order is going to remember that we don't wear black to be stylish."
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Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 7:45 pm
Umber started to write a few notes in the journal, underlining the word 'protection'. He considered whether the Negaverse offered that sort of dependability, though he considered that the Negaverse expected more independence out of their officers. A 'Court' implies monarchy, which held its own attractions - a hierarchy, and necessary positions to uphold the Court. And how was that different from the Negaverse? They, too, held positions among the ranks and each officer proved necessary toward the organization's success. But at what point did the officer themselves feel integral? Or did they need the interaction with the heads of the faction in order to feel needed? Human motivation stood a mystery.
He did not look up from his writing as he spoke. "I am aware of some Negaverse strikes on the Mirror. I was ordered to be a part of an attack on Chariklo using Amytis as lure. There is no reason to attack the Court." He was vaguely aware of additional attacks, but no details have been provided. The dissolution of the alliance stood apparent enough.
'Oppression' became another word to receive an underline. In strife there is unity. He witnessed it himself in the wild many a time - to find it rearing again here was no surprise. He wondered, then, if that proved the primary reason that the Dark Mirror Court united so thoroughly. Beyond the personal reasons Tantalus spoke of, that sounded the most legitimate reason of his repertoire. Finally he set his pen down to look Tantalus in the eye and deliver cold news.
"You're right. The White Moon might consider you enemy again. Likewise the Negaverse might grow enough to perceive you as a threat. If that inevitability binds you, then imminent danger is very potent motivation."
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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2015 10:14 pm
The mention of Chariklo's name drew an obvious reaction from Tantalus - he grit his teeth and his eyes narrowed. Retroactively, he sort of wished that the Negaverse had actually kidnapped her, instead of dragging Amytis into it.
"Chariklo is a traitor to us, as well," he said, and his tone was surprisingly sharp. "I'm only sorry Amytis got tangled in that for someone that abandoned her for Order." That it was personal was fairly obvious, and he made exactly no efforts to hide it. "That's not what I was referring to, though, not really." No, instead he had been thinking of WP - Wolframite. "About a year ago, one of your Generals went rogue and dragged some other officers and a group of Order Senshi and Knights with him in an ambush on the Court as a whole. My," he paused for a moment as he considered how to describe Damocles, but oh, ******** it, the Negaverse probably knew anyway, "fiancé and I were the bait. I imagine it's not talked about much, but I certainly remember that it was an Order Eternal who nearly murdered me that night, not some disgruntled officer, and that she and General Wolframite couldn't have taken down Princess Leto if they hadn't been fighting together." So no, really, he didn't trust either of the other factions in this war as far as he could throw them. Anyone was a potential enemy, in the end.
"So yes, that sort of proven danger is a fairly good reason for me to stay." At least this Captain was completely honest. He didn't try to sugarcoat, or to convince Tantalus that surely things were fine and the incidents with WP and Chariklo were isolated and the activities of rogues et cetera. "The ones who followed in the attack I know of were punished, because it was directly against orders then. I doubt it will be next time."
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Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2015 1:04 am
From Tantalus' reaction, Umber gathered that relations within the Court were far more complicated than he initially perceived. Chariklo was a traitor, even as she darted into the Negaverse's trap to save her fellow Mirror senshi? Umber imagined there was more to this story than he knew, in order for the blonde eternal to earn such a branding title. He pressed no more of it for now, as he felt it tangential to his goals.
Umber nodded once to quietly acknowledge that he understood the brunette, then started writing a quick summation of his words on the debacle mentioned. It sounded like a rare occurrence for the two diametrically opposed factions to work together on this cause, as the Dark Mirror Court often seemed so forgettable to him. Apart from the personal relations he kept with some of the senshi, he had never once seen a Dark Mirror senshi interfere in either Negaverse or White Moon business unless specifically asked. The Court never struck out against either faction in his memory, though he would need to check on that with the database, but he couldn't imagine there being a need to make enemies out of themselves. Perhaps their former alliance with the Negaverse stained their name as much as they needed.
I wonder why they survived. A combined effort sounds like enough to eradicate the Court given the presence in the Negaverse and the White Moon. You should not be alive, Tantalus, given your role as bait. Perhaps the Mirror is resourceful. Perhaps the White Moon and Negaverse could not consolidate for such an effort.
Umber set his pen down before he spoke. "I can tell you that orders are not to specifically attack the Dark Mirror Court without provocation. I don't know the politics around it. I cannot promise that another strike won't happen." He hadn't heard of any in the making, either, though he wasn't certain how well-known his friendships with the Dark Mirror were and how they might impact his need-to-know.
"Do you think your Court can protect you? You admitted that it almost fell when that general called an attack." The question was spoken evenly, absent accusatory tones.
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Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2015 6:46 pm
Tantalus was well aware that he should have died that day in the warehouse. He, and Damocles, and Leto, and any of the other Mirrors there should all have been dead. It was a series of small miracles - and the aid of Order and agents who had still been loyal to the alliance - that had let them alive.
"I don't expect any assurances of safety, Captain. I'm not sure anyone could give me or my Court that, frankly." He shrugged his shoulders. Safety was an illusion, a lie men told themselves to make the world a little less frightening. "Could you even tell me if you did know of something?" He sincerely doubted that any desire to earn his goodwill would outweigh the man's loyalty to the Negaverse. To trust blindly in his position was foolish.
"But we've survived so far. There are enough people - in the Negaverse and the White Moon - who like us, one to one or as a group, that I suspect we can continue to do so." His tone was equally even. "We have Mirrorspace, and magic, and mirrors planted all over the city. And a healthy distrust of warehouses." A slight shift in his expression and tone indicated an attempt at humor. "I'm certainly not going to go running to any more distress calls from outside the Court without quite a lot of backup."
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Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2015 9:45 pm
Umber paused in his writing at the Mirror Senshi's question. As he paused, he studied the bench while he mulled over the inquiry. And when he answered, he did so slowly and deliberately. "If there was a plot unsanctioned by the Negaverse to eliminate more of the Dark Mirror, I can and will inform the Court. But if this attack garners approval by the General-Sovereigns of the Negaverse, my duty lies to them foremost. I will not speak." With forewarning, it was possible that events like the White Phoenix debacle may not see fruition. But one man amongst all the war offered very little difference in a grand scope.
"Thank you for your time, Tantalus. This has been helpful." In determining that motivation might be too individualized to use. There is no universal motivator I can use to correct the course of any given Negaverse officer. 'Will to live' isn't even enough.
Umber turned to a blank page in the journal and smoothed out the ripples with a sweep of hand. "I wish you well with your court."
The night was still relatively young, and even if exhaustion crept through his lids, further information was needed before Umber even considered making a decision on this topic. Tantalus lent credence to moving beyond motivational behavior modification, but he was one of many. However, the prospect of a one-size-fits-all method to stymieing Negaverse dissatisfaction looked a prospect too fanciful and beyond their reach...
It irked the captain greatly.
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Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2015 10:10 pm
Tantalus nodded. "That's the best I could ask for. Thank you, Captain." Even the slightest possibility of warning was more than he had before, and really, if the General-Sovereigns turned on them, the Court would probably not come out well, warning or not. There were too few of them to survive a coordinated strike by the entire Negaverse.
He knew a dismissal when he heard one, and so the Senshi of Temptation stood up, giving a polite smile.
"I hope you find whatever it is you seek, Umber," he said, and he meant it. Whatever drove someone to research this aggressively, to seek answers about motivation from strangers and to, apparently, forgo sleep, had to be important.
He gave a half bow, and then slipped off into the night - there were more partygoers to borrow energy from, after all, and his wraiths were ever-ravenous.
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