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 Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2015 11:11 am
Being out and about was a nice treat for Remarque; his time was usually spent with Raven and Chloe, or at work. But today was a night for him, and Raven had even ushered him out. He suspected that she wanted a bit of space herslef, and he certainly didn't mind a bit of fresh air. He'd take a bit of nice air before Winter rolled in.
He even figured he might be a bit productive.
While he'd kept in touch with those he could and made sure he knew as much of the happenings as possible, but he wanted to be doing things.
So there he was, Eternal Sailor Remarque, considering which of the Order energy signatures he was going to pursue tonight. There were a few low leveled ones, and he thought about chasing them down to try and win them over to the Court, but the Eternal…
Remarque was maybe looking for a fight, or an argument, or a challenge.
So he sought that one out.
And at first, everything seemed normal. She was just any other Eternal Senshi.
Until he saw her.
There was a blatant familiarity about her, but interest soon turned to something sinister, and he felt as though there was a rock in his stomach. She was different, but that only made this worse. He would have rather seen her cloaked in black and transparent overlays, and he would have rather met her with the aura he knew her with.
Navi stood before him, he knew this without a doubt.
But this was not the Navi he knew.
He did not speak at first, but instead cleared his throat, wordlessly demanding her attention. He could have stood silently for a while and just watched, were he not aware that she would have already picked up on his energy signature. He wanted her to be aware of him.
He wanted her to acknowledge him.
And he wanted her to explain herself.
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Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2015 2:36 pm
There were certain inevitabilities in life that Navi knew to expect, but had somehow managed to avoid. Long enough now that the fear of it wasn't at the forefront of her thoughts when she went out on patrol. Long enough to create a false sense of security. The danger was in the Negaverse, not in her former court. Navi had wanted to believe that, and so she had. In the city, standing on the edge of a tall building, she'd felt him approaching. Eternal, touched by a chaotic aura, but one that felt all too familiar. Like a worn sweater, warm and safe. He hadn't needed to clear his throat, she knew he was there, but she turned when he did, just enough to look over her shoulder at him, a hand coming up to tuck a ginger curl behind her ear. "Remarque." Not afraid, but certainly cautious. She knew the sort of power he wield, the strength at his disposal. If he was angry with her already, well...there was nothing about that she could do, but if not, she was in no hurry to antagonize him. Not that the desire was there regardless. She'd only had respect and fondness for the Senshi of Puppetry.
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2015 10:21 am
Remarque didn't know if he was reassured or annoyed that Navi didn't seem afraid of him. On one hand, he didn't think he'd ever given Navi a reason to fear him; he had not been unkind to the Court, but then…
She wasn't part of the Court anymore, was she?
"Navi," he greeted coolly, taking an extra moment to drink in her new appearance now that she was facing him.
"…White doesn't suit you," he said finally. "The black was much more complimentary. Really brought out your eyes."
He was tense, not because he percieved her as a threat or expected conflict, but because this was still new to him. This was something he couldn't contorl a,nd that just made his skin crawl.
Remarque needed to have a certain amount of contorl around what was going on around him, and losing members of the Court without even being given the chance to talk them out of it left him feeling unpleasant.
Not helpless, no; he'd never admit to that.
But frustrated, and disappointed.
In her, and in himself.
"…So what happened?"
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Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 9:21 am
Navi tensed at his tone, fingers curling at her sides as she took a small, cautious step back. She didn't think he'd attack her, not physically, but there were so many more ways to hurt that didn't have anything to do with violence. He could do so easily. Tear her apart with guilt and regret. It was already there, had always been there just below that sweet smile. Leaving her court hadn't been an easy choice, leaving her family had almost killed her. But how could she convince him of that, when she was standing here like this? His comment was almost an echo of what Celsus had said to her some weeks prior, and it made her look down, away from him, as she drew her arms up to fold them like a shield across her stomach. Thin shoulders hunching. She'd never wanted to disappoint him, or Leto, or Lesath. Hurting them had never been her intention, but... The question was chewed on for a moment, and a strong breeze freed the hair she'd tucked neatly behind her ear. Covering the scars again. "Do you mean the mechanics," she offered quietly, tentatively, and only then looked up again. "Or what made me choose this?" Both, probably.
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Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 5:06 pm
Remarque watched her still, gaze unwavering. It wasn't accusatory, but there was a fierce curiosity. "Both," he confirmed.
"Specifically, I want to know your story. What happened. I want to understand." He shifted positions. "You weren't forced to do this, were you? It was of your own volition? —Where are you staying now, are you safe?"
There were a million questions racing through his head, but he wasn't sure which were the ones he needed to ask now and which ones could wait. Yes, he absolutely wanted to know what drove her to this, what method was used.
But he wasn't staring at an enemy—or, at least, he didn't think he was. And he wouldn’t judge her until he knew her story because he deserved that much, at least.
…And he wasn't going to deny that no matter what path she might have taken, she had walked with him on his path for long enough that she had earned his concern.
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Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2015 2:49 pm
She could feel her hands trembling faintly, and she curled them tightly, tucked her hands so they were less visible. Hiding it away, like the weakness it was. "No, I wasn't forced." There was a slight waver to her voice that she wasn't having any luck controlling. "This was my choice, nobody made me do anything." As much as it hurt, and as much as she didn't want to be having this conversation, she was going to be honest with him, because he deserved that much, and because she respected him, even now. "It was't just one reason, but many, building over time until it felt like I couldn't breath anymore. I wasn't happy. It's not you're fault." It was important that he knew that, that he could pass that message along. "It's not the court's fault. You didn't fail me. I still care about all of you." They were still...they would always be... Swallowing again, her eyes turned away from him, out into the night. There weren't any answers there, but she searched anyways, in vain. "We're not...the dark mirror court, it's not evil. It's not corrupted, or twisted. But that's what they call us. That's what we hear over and over and over." Like needles, every accusation pricked and prodded and bled. Uncurling one arm, she brought that hand up, let it rest against her chest. The tips of small fingers brushing her shoulder as she continued to look out into that empty darkness. It was so quiet. "I did something stupid, Remarque."
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Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2015 3:35 pm
Remarque bit back the urge to tell her that yes, she had done something incredibly stupid. He couldn't save her, not while she was like that. As long as she was with the White Moon she was under the constant threat of being a pawn to others. They would push around their weight, corrupt her in a way that the Dark Mirror Court never could.
Never would.
"Are you referring to purifying, or something else?" he asked instead, voice cool and soft. He did not want to upset or offend her; he was mad and frustrated, because her words now gave little weight to her actions but he wanted to hear her out.
"…Did you leave the Court because you couldn’t handle the propaganda?" he asked, faltering just slightly. There were some reasons he could have understood, but he had heard his fair share of insults and he welcomed them. They were fodder for his argument of the ignorant, sheep-minded nature of the White Moon and all who professed to be good.
"Or was there a greater reason?"
One he could understand. One he could forgive her for. That her life was in danger, that she had to save someone. He held his breath and watched her.
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Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 5:30 pm
She blinked as if startled, glancing at him side long before shaking her head. "No. That's not--" It wasn't just... Navi bit back a soft whine, swallowing again as tears spilled down her cheeks. Why was it so hard? She had left the court, but she hadn't quite let go of the people within in. Was it selfish to try to hold onto them? Was it even possible? What if telling them made them hate her? What if they already hated her? "I..." Just say it. Just spit it out. Quickly, like a bandaid. Quick and painless. It wasn't painless. "Love." She finally managed, lifting her hand to scrub at her cheeks. "I don't know how it happened, and I tried to forget, I did." Now that she was talking, the words were spilling fast and heavy from her lips, faster than the tears as her shoulders hunched, body going rigid and tense. "We couldn't. No matter how much we tried to fight against it. Something kept pulling us back, and. And." She'd always been so articulate, so well spoken, but she'd dissolved into emotional rambling at this point. On the verge of all out sobs. "I Love him. I've loved him for years." It was terrifying letting that secret go, finally. Her heart was hammering so loud it was almost deafening.
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Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2015 8:29 am
Remarque watched as the tears fell down her cheeks; he was quiet as he listened to her, but he had never liked to see a woman cry. But he knew of love and the unfortunate consequence of loyalty to a loved one. He watched her quietly and then simply shrugged.
"Then as long as he treats you well we won't have a problem. Who is it? I'll go easy on him if we cross paths."
He was bitter, to say the least, and certainly he had the power in him to pull up a mirror and thrown Navi through it, right now. But he wouldn’t.
She would remember that he did it—and what would have stopped her from purifying again? Or returning, with a vengeance and a hatred for the Court that she did not presently have? He was angry and disappointed in her, but he did little in the way of showing it. Instead, he only seemed tired and reached out for a brief moment to clasp her shoulder reassuringly. He dropped the hand after only a moment and asked, "How did you do it, though? I thought our starseeds rejected the White Moon magic."
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Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2015 10:14 am
That certainly wasn't the reaction she had been expecting. It wasn't truly a mark of Remarque's character, her dread, but a projection of her own fears. She turned to face him again as she wiped away a fresh tear track from her cheek, and pale features were startled. When he reached to touch her shoulder she managed not to flinch, but just barely. Her own fears and doubts made her hesitate with chaonis' name on her tongue. It was her biggest weakness, and how easily could they have used him against her if they knew? As easily as Painite used her against him. But this was her family. She loved them. She trusted them, didn't she? Her leaving shouldn't have changed that. God, she hoped it hadn't. "Chaonis," she answered softly, still not sure if she should. Leto had hated him. To her knowledge Remarque had not had any terrible run-ins with the senshi of danger, but she didn't know that for sure. "Lesath has met him, she can vouch for how much he cares about me." Please do't let that admission make things difficult for the senshi of moths.Drawing in a deep breath, Navi let it out as she turned and took a seat on the raised edge of the rooftop. "It's complicated," she started, thinking back to the process and how it had worked, as far as she could remember it. "It's not the starseeds themselves that reject the magic, but..." she frowned as she struggled to find a way to put it all into words. "Something else." Ginger brows furrowed. "The process is easier to explain, but the mechanics are still confusing."
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Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 6:10 pm
Chaonis? Chaonis was a little s**t, but Remarque bit his tongue. He had not forgotten his run in with the man, and he would have loved to knock some sense into him now that he had all this extra power, but that hardly seemed like a conversation to have with Navi at this time.
The guy had seemed like a troublemaker, but hell—he'd been a tough fighter and he was happier to hear that rather than hitting her, he'd hit it off with her.
Remarque watched her quietly and waited, listening to her speak. He was always uncomfortable with a woman crying and he wanted to reach out and reassure her that it was all okay. But she was doing all right. She was still talking.
"Then don't worry about the mechanics. Tell me the process you went through," he urged. "What did you do, who did you go through?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2015 2:24 pm
Frowning, Navi bit her lip as she thought back the day and a half that had led to her leaving their court. It had all started on a whim. Navi had heard about Chariklo, but didn't know how the other other woman had managed it. It had all seemed so hopeless then, so impossible, Navi had stepped into the mirror out of desperation, not expecting to find anything at all, and had fwound up stumbling upon the answer. "Mirror space," she answered finally, looking up again. "I'd been looking for answered and couldn't find any. No body I talked to could point me in the right direction, and the one person that might have given me a clue, I couldn't find. I was desperate, depressed..." Swallowing, the girl brought up a hand to rub over one cheek before resting it against her collarbone. "I didn't know where else to turn, and it seemed utterly crazy, but what else did I have to lose at that point?" Thin shoulders came up in a small shrug. "I went into the mirror, and walked beyond the ring of the throne room, down an unfamiliar path I had never dared venture down before. Ever changing, twisting, with no clear destination. It just went on and on, but I couldn't seem to stop myself from continuing down it." She made a small face, perplexed and unhappy. "I lost track of all time while I was in there."
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2015 9:56 pm
Remarque's eyes narrowed a bit as he listened; he was trying to sort his thoughts but they all just seemed sort of muddled. "It is easy to lose track of time in Mirrorspace. There's a lot going on in there. Never know what you're going to find."
…Bu then, she had found something vastly unlike what he had found, and yet things still didn't seem like they were adding up.
Somehow, Navi had gone into Mirrorspace and found some way to purify out of the Court. He didn't know how, but he hoped she had more information to give him.
"What did you find, then? Past all those ever changing, twisting corridors?" he watched her closely, trying to read her emotions. He wanted information—wanted to know what she had found in Mirrorspace that he had yet to discover—but he still cared about her.
Traitor or not.
She might not have been an enemy to the Dark Mirror Court, but he needed a reason to not be mad at her for leaving them.
If she had information…
That might make up for something, at least.
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Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 5:49 pm
She nodded, lips rolling together in a nervous gesture as she flicked a glance up at him, then quickly away again. He wasn't attacking her, but she could feel the tension radiating off him in waves. The disapproval and anger. The last thing she wanted was to tangle with a royal of her former court, for more than one reason. "Everything started to get darker," she continued on, running the edge of one of the layers of her skirt between thumb and forefinger slowly. "Whatever it was that had kept me going, it felt stronger. I don't know if it was always there, or if it appeared because I had made it that far, but I found something. It looked like a starseed, but it was mirrored, and when I touched it..." That fidgeting hand rose, resting across her chest over where her starseed rested within her, "When I touched it it, I just knew it was mine. I don't know how to explain it, it just was, and when I grabbed it she appeared." Delicate features pinched, lip curling subtly on one side in what might have been the start of a snarl had she not caught it, controlled it. "She was me, a version of me. She..." Navi didn't want to say it, the awful things the replica had spat at her, because there had been a certain undeniable truth to those words, and she still felt the weight of them, and of her choices. Even if she wouldn't have traded it all to go back, that didn't mean she didn't feel loss. "She tried to get in my head, tried to change my mind," she licked her lips, sniffing softly and brushed at the warm hint of moisture at the corner s of her eyes. Don't make me repeat it, it still hurts. "I had to get past it so I could leave."
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Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2016 12:32 am
Remarque's eyes remained narrowed, not for her story but because of the continued mysteries of Mirrorspace. He wished Navi would have wavered, that she would have stayed. That she would have talked to them so they could talk her out of purifying. He still wasn't sure if it would have made a difference, but he didn't like that they didn't even stand a chance.
…He didn't know how much this had changed their relationship with Navi, either. So far, the ones who had left hadn't seemed to do so maliciously, but it still changed the whole dynamic. They were losing members left and right, it felt like; each purification was another blow to their morale.
Even if she had done what was best for her, it hadn't been what was best for the Court and they were going to suffer for it. Having someone among the ranks of the White Moon who could speak well of them would be an asset, but he wasn't sure that was enough to make up for the loss of her as a Dark Mirror Senshi.
He sighed heavily and then just nodded.
There was no reason to fight with Navi; he didn't want to make an enemy of her. But he wasn't happy.
He shifted positions on his feet. "So what are you doing now? What's your purpose now?"
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