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 Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 3:23 pm
Familiarity with a space was different than knowing every nook and cranny, but knowing every nook had some impossibilities based on the fact that the space was both 'public' and 'military'. It was public, which meant that many or any of them could make changes (probably, if proper channels were plumbed). It was military, so the hierarchy of command seemed to have some sway as far as limiting access to areas in part or whole unless one was of a specific rank. Rank was privilege. So it was that some areas of rock, between crystal, or however the place had been fashioned, had actual doors. Portal-ways. Something. Barriers. Barriers was a good word. Some seemed to keep sound from echoing into everyone else's business, others seemed for appearance only, more still seemed related to private affairs like officers quarters other than the 'barracks'. Like a moth to flame, curiosity spurred the corrupted to take to the halls from time to time in hopes that any of these 'off limits' spaces would be left ajar, or unguarded. Or even peopled but lacking formality. Words read in another life came out of the lost darks to spark some memory - " a young man put his head in. We were aware of this young man. He was rather a rabbity anaemic subject — light hair and light eyes — but not unpleasing. So when he said: ‘I beg your pardon, is this a private room?’ we did not growl and say: ‘Yes, it is,’ but Long said, or I did — no matter which: ‘Please come in.’ ‘Oh, may I?’ he said, and seemed relieved. " What was it from? A book? A movie? A miniseries? There were flittings of being on a bed for long hours at a time watching things while in boxers and a tank top. The sight of a shelf with many titles in sideways letters. DVDs and Blue-rays. Some still in wrapping, others not. Some VHS tapes that were not available, occasionally with a sticker saying: Many Happy Returns, Jack
♡ Mum and Dad A sound of other feet coming along the Dark Kingdom hall brought Haüyne's attention out of the strange introspection, upwards, then backwards, looking for the source of the definitive sounding strides and clinks of metal like chains.
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2016 9:42 pm
Silver heels snapped against the floor with a firm, confident stride, betraying the weight and swinging gate of the person attached. Chains rattled and added to the sound that bounced off the now-familiar crystal walls of the Citadel, but it didn't matter. There was no reason for stealth here. Here was Home. Safety. Everything she had left.
Cinnabar rounded the corner, her tail flicking behind her with the sway of her hips. Hands buried deep into her pockets, the General headed for the door that belonged to her, picking it out of the line of similar doors with the ease of much practice. There were no distinguishing marks, nothing to label this door any different than any of the others, but it didn't need them. Those who wanted to find her knew which one to knock at.
The door swung open easily to her touch, either unlocked by intention or simply lacking one at all. What was there to keep out, in the strong hold of the Negaverse? It would take a brave, or very foolish, soul to attempt to steal from these rooms. Or so Cinnabar liked to think. Plus, she had some few connections now and subordinates who might need, for whatever reason, to have access to her rooms.
The tufted tip of her tail was the last of her to slip inside, but there was no sound of latching, the door left ajar far enough to indicate someone inside while still maintaining privacy.
Long day... Cin sighed as she shrugged her heavy coat off her shoulders and tossed it over the back of her plush leather chair on her way to the liqueur cart. There would be more to do tomorrow, between checking up on Cerussite and investigating the lead she'd found on that missing Captain. Bed was unappealing though and three fingers of whiskey found its way into the bottom of a snifter, gurgling softly as it fell from the lip of its bottle. There was enough time to enjoy a few chapters on her book, yet, and that sounded like the perfect amount of unwinding, especially with whiskey in one hand. Cin picked up the small remote she'd left on the cart and soon Led Zepplin was playing from the expensive stereo set up in the corner, volume down enough to be enjoyable, but not distracting, at least not yet, and she went to spread herself across her sofa in a lazy sprawl.
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Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2016 4:43 pm
Following the sound a little produced the benefit of catching the literal Tail-end of seeing someone go into a door. But they didn't close it. There was a small shaft of light that differed distinctly in it's clarity against the diffuse ambient purples that Mood-Spookied everything else in the place. So the corrupted super stole along to the very edge of the door and pressed back against the wall to hear the sounds of liquid and glass. A lounge? A bedroom? A BOUDOIR??? Couuuuuuld be. Maaaaaay be. Miiiiiight be. Music started playing. Haüyne shifted off the wall and faced the door to rap on the back of of it with a knuckle. "Hah-llooooooooo?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 12:58 pm
A knock drew her attention from her glass and ice tinked against the side, as though equally curious about who had shown up at their door. Cinnabar hadn't been expecting anyone, despite the open sort of invitation.
Long legs swung off the couch and the general rolled to her feet, her thick glass making a dull thunk as she set it on the low table. A handful of strides took her to the door in a path that wove around comfortable chairs and when she opened it, surprise lifted dark brows high on her forehead.
It was a corrupt, one she'd never met before, and she had a moment to blink at them as she processed before she settled for 'greet the stranger' and her face eased into a welcoming smile. Her stance shifted, one scaled hip leaned into the door as she hung on it, her head cocked to the side. Red eyes swept him (her?) up and down with an interested and curious light.
A handful of inches separated their heights and one of the most abundant features on the stranger fell to ankles in rich brown. The eyes were probably the most attention grabbing though, for all the suggestion of blood on their person. Bright, electric blue...
"I don't believe I know you... Captain." Cinnabar said as she leaned on her door, her free hand finding home on the curve of her hip. One black claw tapped idly against her scales. "Do you need something?"
She had been ready to turn in, but this might prove interesting and worth the attention.
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 6:30 pm
For as much as the half-Youma general may have been appraising Haüyne, the corrupted could not have told a bystander what the woman's eye color, hair color, or facial features were. Or how tall she was. Or anything save one very specific thing. TITS. There were some words, but they didn't break through until there was the tone of question leaking into try to re-lubricate brain processes to life like a frozen gear given WD-40. " Something? " Something before that. What something. People ask something. Oh, like wanting something. "No- no not so much!" Finally the senshi was able to look up at the General's face and could have reported that her eyes were red. "I don't generally ....see these doors open. Live in the barracks and all and make a rounds once in a while to be familiar with the land and what's different or who else is about. Youuuuuuu...live here? "
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Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 8:33 pm
The young corrupt seemed to have their mind elsewhere for a long moment, and from the way they stared, she could readily guess why.
Something in her stance relaxed as her smile turned just a little sultry, her hips and shoulders angled invitingly. She could not help playing a little an audience... and a lot of the time, employing her 'assets' furthered her agenda. Right now though? It was just fun.
Head cocked to the side, Cinnabar watched the gears start turning again and the gaze rise to meet hers and she smiled again, wider this time.
"I do. I have for, mmm... just over a year now." She had to think about it, but it had been the holidays last year when her merging had happened. Such a short time, to have come so far... "But I spend a lot of time out. You must be new though, if I haven't seen you before."
A thick knuckled hand extended, claws kept carefully withdraw.
"General Cinnabar. Would you like a drink since you're here?"
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Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 8:08 pm
"Not too new....Juuuuune? Yeah, June's clear. Most of the rest is fuzzy, but starting last June I'm good. So I've been staying the barracks since then. They've got me some documents and stuff. So it's what, 7 months? This is in 8. GenOps. " There was a distinct smell of liquor. General Tits-at-a-bar. Yup. Got it. "I'd be a Blue-footed to refuse the offer, " the corrupted winked at the General while giving an exuberant shake to the offered hand. There was no evident alarm or distress at the Youma parts, or the general musculature. "They call me Haüyne." "Mighty neighborly of you. We've must've just been missing each other all this time. I'll have to bring you some bread and salt by. And candles. What is all the saying... 'That life may always have flavor' something something, food and light and stuff. Agents are all supposed to have weapons, right? You got claws? That's pretty -handy-. " Harder to take away from you, unless its a literal disarm?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2016 7:12 pm
The door was swung open more fully as Cinnabar straightened up and pulled it, welcoming the corrupt into her personal rooms. She smiled as her hand was shaken, her grip warmly firm.
"Eight months is quite a while. Why did you chose to live in the barracks, versus finding a new place for yourself elsewhere?" There was genuine curiosity in the the question. She had had no choice, of course... there was no where truly safe in the city when you couldn't hide your power signature. But to choose to live here... it was an interesting question.
One dark brow arched at bird joke, but she let it pass without more comment than a sly smile. It was rather obvious where attention was still focused, but hey. She did have a really great rack. Soft laughter broke from her as she left the door way, headed for the liquor cart and bottles neatly arranged on it with it's highball glasses.
"Bread, so your household may never know hunger. Salt, so life will always have flavor. And a candle, so you may dwell in light and happiness." She recited. "Hmm... Brandy, Whiskey, Rum, Tequila? I don't have a lot of guests, so most of these haven't seen much use."
Bottles rattled as she tilted them, squinting at the level of their contents. The Rum hadn't even been opened yet...
She laughed again at the handy joke and lifted one to display it, flexing her hand so the claws slid out of the thick tips of her fingers.
"I had a weapon when I started out, if you could call it that. Those fake, press on nails. ******** useless. I was merged with my youma accidentally when I was promoted to captain and lost my weapon. Now I basically am the weapon and in it's place, I have a unique ability left over from my youma side. Not a bad trade, really. If you don't mind not being human any more."
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Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 1:47 pm
"To be honest, some of it was because I can't remember balls. It's still coming back little by little, but for the longest time I would stare at my wallet, knowing it was my wallet, and the ID cards and all that s**t you know? Like 'oh, my name is. I can read it there, but it may as well be a blank-blank-woh-wah-wah' like its Charlie Brown's teacher in my noggin. Thanks be to pizza, I can remember how to walk and talk without a hitch. And make a sandwich. And the names of everyday stuff so that I could be like 'toothbrush', 'dollar', 'v-8 engine.' Don't know what ya don't know though, and while they were getting me new paperwork anyway it seemed a lot safe not to risk spontaneously forgetting s**t while topside. Like where I put my keys to get in to an apartment. Maybe it doesn't work that way, " the corrupted opened long hands palm up, like weighing something in them while looking at the General's strange eyes without a flinch. "But it really seems it, ya know? " "Didja lose any memory to go with that? I'm sorry, I guess if that's the right thing to say. You look great, and hey, you're a General, so you're damn legit. I guess...well I hope it doesn't burn you up that you're 'not human.' Uh-" "I don't remember what any of those tastes like, so...whatever you recommend? They're probably all liquid burny, right? " Haüyne rocked idly on the soles of the blue and bloody uniform boots. "Another thing, yeah, I remember. I was hoping I could see the Queen sometime. Down here. Down here a lot more if ya live here. Have you seen the Queen? Talked to her? You're even a general. I'm..." Uncertainty pulled the side of the ever present smile straighter into a vague, but dogged, mania. "I'm her Executioner, ya know? Senshi of Execution. I'm supposed to the headsman for anyone that crosses her. She makes a declaration, and I'm there to drop the axe. I have one, too. " "But she's never called me, or...written me. I've never even seen 'er. I want to. I want to tell her so. I want to show her I'm ready, I'm sharp, I'll stand in her tower green with the crowd and all. Is there some sort of process all this military stuff set up that no one mentioned?" She wouldn't have filled the spot with someone else, would she? They won't have what I have. They're not me. They're not sharp and bloody.
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Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 2:46 pm
Cinnabar swirled the amber liquid around its bottle absently as she considered it, twisting off the top before she lifted it to her nose for a deep inhale. The scent was rich, deep and pleasing, as well it should be for how much this bottle of whiskey had cost. What was cost, though, when you had no bills to speak of?
"You won't spontaneously forget anything." She said as she tipped the bottle over one of the glasses, pouring a few finger widths into the bottom. "Have you, since your corruption? I suspect not. Recruitment takes a heavy amount of energy to accomplish, purging you of the unrefined energy you received from some random ball of rock out in the universe. Only a General Sovereign can handle that much power, doesn't it make sense that there could be some collateral damage during the process? But once its done, its done, and you should only recover from that point."
She capped the bottle and set it down, reaching for an open bottle of water to add the smallest splash into the glass to open up the flavors. With that done, she grasped the base in loose fingers and brought it back, offering it to the corrupt on her way back to the couch and her own drink.
The questions and light compliments earned a crooked smile as the half-youma paced to the couch, sinking gracefully down into it to cross one knee over the other. Glass in hand, she rolled it to let the liquid sweep around the walls.
"I didn't lose any memory, but my body wasn't fighting the General Queen's energy the way yours probably did. It was fighting the youma for control and used that boost to fight it off. I think we were already half merged at that point though, so its no wonder we ended up sharing one body when all was said and done." She lifted her drink to sip it, wetting her throat and savoring the burn and the flavor. "It upset me, in the beginning. I lost literally everything I had worked for years to accomplish in a matter of minutes and was then almost completely barred from being able to have any sort of a normal life any more because I couldn't power down. But over time, I've come to see that it wasn't a bad thing... it removed all distractions from my life and freed me from the mundane problems everyone else deals with. I'm able to fully devote myself to our Queen and her cause."
She lifted a shoulder and dropped it. Cinnabar's eyes slid up to find electric blue ones and she absorbed the eagerness in the corrupted's voice, the yearning. It touched a chord in her, but there was almost a helplessness to Haüyne's desire. She sipped her drink again as she considered it, framing her response around it.
"I haven't met our Queen face to face." She said slowly. "But I suspect that privilege is reserved for the most part for the General Sovereigns alone. They're the only ones I've seen enter her chamber. She speaks to them and then they speak to us. I imagine whatever power she is, she's too much for us to handle. That's not to say that you may never get to stand in her presence, though. If you work hard enough to show her your devotion by following the commands given down to you. Do something worth rewarding, and you might earn it."
White fangs appeared when Cinnabar smiled, peaking past red lips.
"Don't ever think that just because she hasn't spoken to you, she doesn't see you, though." She lifted a clawed finger from her glass to point at the corrupted. "She sees everything and takes notice of it. At the very least, her General Sovereigns tell her. Show your devotion to her to them, until you can tell her directly."
It was something of an odd conversation, and one she realized she had probably never had with anyone else. No one ever seemed to express any particular desire for their Queen, herself. She was a vague, formless presence looming over them at all times, but most only seemed to see the General Sovereigns. But that was their mistake, not to grasp who truly held the power here. Cin could feel Metallia's power thrumming her veins, driving the engine of this body. It would have been foolish to forget where that power came from.
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Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 5:20 pm
Was the woman-dragon trying to proselytize or reassure? It didn't come across clearly as either, and just left the emotions of the situation in the same lurch of dissatisfied yearning as at the start when risking to ask the question. It's like hearing someone talk about Santa Claus. 'She's sees when we are sleeping, she knows when we're awake?' Buuuuuuullllllllllllllllllll. s**t we do, yeah, cool, but I doubt the queen cares when I use the loo or if I cheated and ate cake for breakfast. Like....a whole cake. I mean, I guess if they wanna keep order and what not, they gotta use somethin. She IS a General, and she's being awfully nice entertaining the questions and given me a drink. Better than Rockman showed me months ago when I woke up. Must just not even know if there's some actual way to be like, 'yo queen, why won't you let me love you.' Unless no one knows. Sure, I guess it could be a privilege. Like....words. Words on shows I used to watch....
something about groom of the chamber? Maybe? where like, only special nobles get appointed to the inner chambers, yeah. But still. Everyone got to see Q.E. I and gets to see Q.E.II sometimes. Or Louises one through umpdedump numeral. Or the Hapsburgs. Ha....'perpetually moribund Charles' yeah, I remember that one. Haüyne turned wrist back and forth to swirls the drink given ponderously. It was a pretty color, at least, even if it didn't offer answers. It smelled a bit like paint thinner. A sip, with accompanying contortions of whiskey face and a cough, confirmed it kinda tasted like paint thinner, too. Cowboys, and this General, were damn bad-asses for swilling it like water. Maybe it got rid of worms, or something. The corrupted took a second sip and coughed a second time. "I'll see what I can do, I guess." Orders standing so far, as a GenOp, seemed to be as complicated and as fulfilling as 'here's your quota, don't ******** it up. ' How did one go about getting different assignments? There wasn't any specific commanding officer that Haüyne talked with or reported to. Asking the Sovereign in command of the GenOps must be some sort of faux pas, if talking about seeing the Queen was. Like don't be a whiner and figure it out. How sink or swim. Not a lot of options. " It'll work out, I guess. " The corrupted didn't look for any seat, but continued to stand. There was no discomfort in this, and it facilitated continuing to rock from front to back of soles of shoes without rattling at of the furniture. "You're not with GenOps, right? "
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Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2016 9:31 pm
"I wish I could give you a better answer than 'be a good child and you'll get a treat', but that's all I've got. I've never been inside of Metallia's chamber and besides the General-Sovereigns, I don't know anyone who has either." The general considered her glass as she spoke with sincerity and no hint of dismissal. The thought of confronting Metallia herself made her uneasy to consider, but she was not Hauyne. If the corrupt wanted to meet the being that fed basically the entire faction on her own energy... then that was her business. Cinnabar was content dealing with the General-Sovereigns and letting them deal with Metallia.
Glancing up, Cinnabar caught the youngster rocking on their feet, restless energy pouring off of them. The question that came her way as she sipped her drink had her tilting her head as she lowered it and the general nodded.
"I'm part of Spec Ops. Specializing in energy draining techniques and retrieval of deserters, as well as being combat trained for when straight on fighting is required." She lifted her chin to gesture at the corrupt, a smile easing onto her face. "Are you GenOps? Have you thought if you want to stay there, or move to something else? You look like someone who could enjoy having a focus. A purpose. Who do you answer to now?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2016 11:09 pm
"General-Queen Laurelite, I guess. Rockman was there when I woke up....we'd been friends. Bedside manner like a rock. I haven't seen him at all since. So I don't think he's my c/o. So no one direct or specific was told me. I do my quota, I turn it in. I don't have to call anyone to do it, since I can teleport in and out myself. The couple trainers I had mentioned Lieutenants usually turn in to Captains, since they can't even teleport. Balls. " "I haven't considered one way or another about the branches. Not really. Just the Queen. Feel it in my gut. " The super senshi flat palmed and patted the sheer-covered stomach. "Do you have a lot of Captains and Lieutenants reporting to you? How do people get a c/o? Or is it different for the senshi then it is for the officers? It's seemed like there's differences. Like the Youma and the Rift were explained. Weapons versus magic. Cats. All stuff you know. You friends with the other Generals? I don't mind footwork and door to door asking if someone wants to buy my girlscout cookies. " "I mean...obviously. I knocked at your door and all. 90% perspiration, 10 inspiration like. "
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2016 1:48 pm
Cinnabar smirked at the expletive, finding herself actually charmed by the phrase chosen. It made the corrupt seem younger, and feisty. She liked to see it.
"You would have been assigned a general to over see you when you were entered into the database at the least, but obviously whomever it was failed to take it seriously enough to follow up on it." She lip curled as her breath hissed between her teeth. "There are officers here who don't care about anything but their own comforts. If you've been fulfilling quota and not doing anything to draw attention, they probably just assumed they'd let you keep on with it."
"Waste." She growled.
The renewed questions gave her something to draw her attention away from that, though she made a mental note to follow through on it. Someone wasn't doing their job and she hated that.
"I actually only have three at the moment." She said as she relaxed back into her couch, taking a sip of her whiskey as she let the irritation fall away. "I wasn't assigned lieutenants as a captain because I had a problem working with others when I started here. I've learned since, but its only recently I've started getting subordinates. One is a lieutenant I recruited, two are ones who requested me. Its not supposed to be different for senshi, beyond the mechanical differences of how your magic works versus our weapons. I heard it used to be different and corrupts were barely a step up from youma... but they did away with that. You have every right to everything that comes with a Captain's rank."
The last of the whiskey was tossed back before Cin rocked forward to set her glass on the coffee table, pushing herself to her feet.
"I know a few generals. Not all, but a few. Painite recruited me. Schorl is a good friend. Umber and Xenotime have helped me with operations before. I know Benitoite, but only in passing. Ilmenite ran an operation I participated in as a lieutenant." She nose wrinkled suddenly, as though she'd caught a whiff of something bad. "Buddingtonite is an sleazy a*****e, but I guess that is my biased opinion. You might find him more palatable than I do."
Hands on hips, she turned to cast an idle glance about her room, too restless to remain, but at a loss on what to do. Her eyes came to rest on the red motorcyle standing like a crouched beast in the corner and some spark of interest returned.
"If you want to transfer to someone else, all that's required is a little paper work. I can help you push that through, if you find someone that appeals to you." She left the comfortable zone of the seating area for the more intimate one where her bed and desk stood. Her tail flicked as she grabbed the handlebars on the bike and swung a lean leg over, hunching as she gripped the handle bars for a moment. When she looked back to Hauyne, she relaxed and sat back, stretching out her legs.
"Are you doing anything else tonight? I'm bored of the Citadel, its too quiet. I'm thinking about seeing what kind of trouble I can get into and I'd be happy if you wanted to tag along." She shrugged then, lifting and dropping her hands. "I guess that's probably weird coming from a higher ranked officer, but ******** it. I'm off duty. Even if I'm never really off duty."
She chuckled at her own joke, small as it was.
"You can come back any time you like, by the by, if you have more questions or just want company. There aren't a lot of officers that live here full time, the halls get awfully quiet."
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Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2016 10:16 pm
With the SNAFU that had gone on with Bus back in November, 'not doing anything to draw attention' seemed a little premature. But it was good to hear that it hadn't come out some giant black spot on the proverbial report card. Since apparently that had something to do with it all- gotta be exceptional or something to be promoted, and just doing what was asked and expected was actually bad. Or maybe with this General it was. If, apparently, there was some other General and Generals that couldn't give a rats tail exceptional, average, or sucking eggs, as long as it didn't interrupt their day. " 'Captain' admittedly makes it sound like I should be ...doin' things with people. Ha, probably better I'm not in charge of anyone else. Blind leading the blind. " Painite Schorl Umber Xenotime Benitoite Ilmenite Buddingtonite and Cinnabar here. I wonder if any of them would want A Me. Well. Rockman not so much. He washed his hands fast as flint and never looked back in all this time. So I guess I know that one answer. Nah, two. She offered to help push paperwork to 'someone', but it wasn't an offer to her.
Oh...guess I'm boring. Or questions generally are boring. No real arguing with that when you're wanting action. The higher officer was moving, indicating loud and clear that the audience was done. "They do get quiet. Another time, maybe, when I'm less in the way. " Haüyne nodded, setting glass aside near the decanters and backed to the door. "Good luck out there, General." Whimsical Blue Fin this side~ Sorry for dragging it out and making it boring. Thanks for the rp bloo~
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