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 Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 12:47 pm
He was running as fast as he could, pleased that he had so much energy still. It felt…well, not good to run…but good to know that he would be faster than Newgrange who was still just a squire.
When Whisler finally felt as though he was far enough away, he let himself wilt onto a park bench, curling up as tightly as he could to fit in the small space. He had been rejected by the person who he had finally realized he loved the most and…
…and it didn’t feel good. It didn’t feel good at all.
His chest burned with desire. Desire to find what he needed…and to bring Newgrange with him, no matter what…he didn’t…couldn’t lose Arias. He wouldn’t let that happen…and he was sure that Benitoite would be able to help with that…he could take care of it…and bring Newgrange into the Negaverse even if he didn’t want to go…Beni could do anything.
The knight closed his eyes and sighed, throwing an arm over his face and not bothering to care about anything. Not the fact that he was still starving, not the fact that he was tired…and not the fact that there was a negaverse general somewhere nearby, getting closer.
What did it even matter.
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 4:37 pm
Ashanite had not intended to find Whisler tonight, but he was glad to approach any Knight aura that presented itself. And when he realized it was the handsome blond, and worse, that Whisler looked distressed, he dismissed his weapon and practically ran over.
"Whisler?" His voice was gentle, in contrast with his haste to approach. "Are you alright?" Obviously not, but it was worth asking as a start.
"What happened?" A slightly better question, all things considered. His concern was real - and part of him feared that it was some complication with the Negaverse, that Whisler might be lost to him forever by all this. That he might no longer have a chance at bringing him home.
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 4:48 pm
That wasn’t Newgrange’s voice, but a huge part of Whisler hoped that it was. He hoped that Arias would have come running after him and told him that yes, they would stay together and it would be wonderful and they would…just…be happy.
But no. It was Ashanite.
The knight moved the arm from over his eyes and looked at the general, shrugging. “Yeah. I guess I’m fine I suppose. It’s not big deal. I’m not hurt or anything. You don’t have to worry about me, Ash. I’m cool. And how are you? You doing all right? You look good. Handsome as ever.”
His eyes closed again and he sighed, letting his arm hang limply from the bench. God, he didn’t even feel like seeing Ashanite right now. He just wanted…to stop everything. Stop hurting. Stop feeling.
Stop loving.
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 5:16 pm
"Whisler," Ashanite said, very gently, "you're not fine. Please, don't lie to me." He reached out to take Whisler's dangling hand in both of his, to offer physical comfort. "You know you can tell me anything, right? I won't judge you, I won't be upset. Just talk to me."
His voice was soft, pleading, his eyes wide, entire body language practically begging Whisler to to open up. This was important, he could tell - he could feel it. He prided himself on his ability to read people, to understand them, and he wanted the chance to make whatever was making his Knight sad better.
Presuming there was anything he could do, but he was certain there was.
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 5:30 pm
His violet eyes slid open again and he looked at Ashanite, sighing heavily. After a long moment, he rolled himself off of the bench and landed on top of the general, situating his head in the other male’s lap. “I guess I can’t keep anything from you, can I?” Whisler’s voice was soft. Sad. He sighed again and got comfortable, looking up at the dark haired male and nuzzling closer.
“…Well. I um. Guess I ran into the general who brought me into the Negaverse…and…and he wants me to come back…and…” He swallowed, closing his eyes, as though in pain. “…and I want to…but I want my boyfriend to come with me. I want Newgrange to come too…and I asked him to corrupt with me…to come home again with me…and he told me I wasn’t myself. Told me I was sick or something…and…and I think we might have broken up…but I don’t know. I just know I want us to come back to the darkness together…Order is never going to win…so why bother even fighting…I don’t know why I left in the first place…but I know…I know now that it was the wrong choice…”
One of Whisler’s hands reached up and took hold of Ashanite’s braid, playing with it for a minute and falling silent. The burning in his chest had turned into a warmth, as though it was agreeing with his words. It was nice.
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 5:58 pm
"You can't," Ashanite agreed, helping Whisler settle in his lap, "and you don't have to." He ran his fingers through Whisler's hair, letting it flow between them, a soothing gesture - he hoped.
He listened seriously to Whisler's dilemma, nodding along and trying not to let his face light up the way it wanted to. Whisler was ready to come back on his own, was ready to bring someone else - this wouldn't have to be like with Victoria, there would be no fight, no lies, no struggle - Whisler would come away mostly intact. And he wanted to bring someone else with him.
"You know how I came into the Negaverse," Ashanite said, "but I think...I think I might have chosen it in the end, because the Negaverse is strong. I feel so much...better as an officer than I ever did as a Knight. I have a purpose. A family." He smiled down at Whisler. "And I would welcome you. And him, if you want him to come. We'll convince him, I promise."
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 6:10 pm
The smallest of smiles crept onto Whisler’s face and he relaxed fully. Finally. “You feel better? How so? Like…you’re happier…? I’m so glad you’re happy…you know, I would have given anything to have you come back to us in the beginning…but…I think one day…one day we’ll realize that we’re in the wrong…chaos will win, and we will all fall…so why not make it easier on everyone and just surrender ourselves…”
He looked up at Ashanite and the smile only grew. “I’m sorry that I ever left…and I wish I knew why I did…but could you imagine if I could have been there for you…maybe you would never have been a knight to begin with…maybe I would have found you and brought you straight into the fold…”
The burning intensified in his chest, and for a moment he thought it would consume him. Another flash of that purple haired girl, the one who looked so scared…a flash of a starseed in his hand…her starseed in his hand…
…He had killed her…?
The smile faded and was replaced by a look of almost horror at the realization of…of this. He felt like he was going to be sick. The knight sat up and doubled over, holding his stomach and rubbing at his chest with his other hand.
Oh God. He had killed her.
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 6:41 pm
Ashanite nodded. "Happier, more comfortable, I...it's just. Better." He sighed, happily, even though Whisler sounded almost alarmingly grim.
Still, he was right. Ashanite had seen that terrible future where he'd been bound permanently to his Wonder, and had seen the inescapable, choking grip the Negaverse had on the world. Chaos was just the winning team, that was the end of it.
But when Whisler sat up, Ashanite straightened from his lazy lounge, eyes wide. "Whisler, are you alright? What is it?" His hand moved from Whisler's hair to his shoulder, steadying - he hoped.
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 6:59 pm
“I just…keep seeing this girl…she’s beautiful, with purple hair…she’s…Well I thought she was like…my conscious or something…”
His speech was muffled, coming in short spurts. He did not like these thoughts. These…memories. Whisler swallowed, rubbing at his head. “Well, I just saw her again…and I think I pulled her…her starseed…I think…I think I killed her…”
He was trembling slightly, though did relax a little at the touch on his shoulder. “…Ashanite…have you ever taken a starseed…? Are they beautiful…? I think…I think hers was beautiful…” The pain was receding again as his guilt began to fade, his mind focusing on something other than the death of that beautiful girl.
The knight turned to Ashanite and he gave a small smile, moving closer again, snuggling against the general’s chest. “You should get me one…I want to see one up close…maybe I’ll remember some more.” He leaned up, kissing at Ashanite’s neck. “…God I want to come home…you have to help me get Newgrange to come too…”
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 7:35 pm
Ashanite frowned. It seemed strange, that Whisler would be having flashes - but then, he had observed stranger magic, frankly.
"Are you sure you killed her? It's also possible to put a starseed back. You might have saved her." He said, and he kept his tone gentle. He knew he still panicked sometimes thinking of the deaths that had happened at his hands - less, now, but it was still not something he enjoyed.
He inhaled, briefly. "I have," he said. "I've...taken many. When was still a captain, I angered the General I was serving under by interrupting a corruption, and she assigned me to being her starseeds to prove that I was still loyal to her and to the Negaverse. And all officers are encouraged to carry them, for emergencies, because they can heal you." He considered. "They are beautiful. They glow, so brightly."
And then Whisler started kissing his neck, and his entire train of thought rapidly derailed and hopped onto a very different track. "I have a starseed with me, now, I can show you." He tilted his head a little, to give Whisler better access to his neck, because that was nice. "And I can bring you to a General-King, and home - and then we'll find Newgrange and he'll be with us too. It will be wonderful, Whisler, I promise."
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 8:01 pm
“Who knows if I put it back or not…all I’ve seen was her face, looking frightened…and I saw me holding a starseed, and there was her hair too, her hair and a beautiful.” Whisler pressed closer, continuing to kiss at the neck. “Glowing.” His fingers fumbled on the back of Ashanite’s neck, undoing the collar and tossing it aside. “Starseed.” The final word was a hiss and the knight bit down on Ashanite, arms encircling him.
After a long, drawn out moment, he pulled away, placing a kiss on the mark he left and nodded, eyes bright. “I want to see it…Let me see the starseed you have…and tell me how you took it…tell me about the person you took it from…”
He wanted this so badly. To just go. Get the General King. Go with Ashanite…move in with Ashanite. They could get Newgrange another time. Force him to join them…he didn’t have to want to come…
“We don’t even have to ask him, do we? Someone can make him join us…can’t they…and if that happens…we can rebuild him, Newgrange I mean…we can make him better…” Whisler gave Ashanite a hard look. “You are going to stay with me, right? I’m not kissing all up and down your body for you to say you’re not interested.”
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 8:39 pm
At least Whisler wasn't panicking anymore, and frankly as far as Ashanite was concerned this was a much better direction fro things to be going anyway. He let Whisler take off the collar, hands trailing down to squeeze the Knight's hips, and tried not to think too hard about the fact that thinking about Whisler - as whatever officer he had been before - murdering someone was sort of just making him hotter.
He was not at all quiet or restrained in the noise he made when Whisler bit down on his neck, digging his nails into the man's uniform and then fumbling with one hand to pull out his emergency starseed - a deep blue crystal. "He was," his voice came out rough from desire, "a Senshi. Mouthy, arrogant, thought that because I was pretty and underdressed I couldn't possibly be a threat. I proved him so very wrong."
He moved the hand holding it into Whisler's hair, gently tugging him away from his neck.
"We don't." He agreed, eyes bright and fierce. "He will join us." It was a promise, a certainty. Ashanite was certainly not above forcibly dragging someone into the Negaverse, especially if it would make Whisler happy. "And I'm not going anywhere."
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 9:21 pm
Whisler smiled at the promise. He would corrupt…and Newgrange would follow, and the three of them would live together, happily ever after. He pressed his lips to Ashanites and nuzzled close. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to take you to see my wonder…I was just there last night…and I don’t think I have the strength to get back there yet…if you want…we can wait to bring me home…long enough so you can see what Whisler is really like…it’s…”
He swallowed. “It really is worth a visit, I think. Maybe. If you want to.” For a moment his confidence about this decision faltered again, but he didn’t want to keep flip flopping. “That’s what we should do. The next time I see you…we’ll go up to Whisler…and I can say goodbye…and then you can call whoever you need to call…and you can bring me home…”
It was a wonderful plan. Perfect and simple. “I’ll meet you a week from now…maybe I could manage to talk Newgrange into coming with me…maybe he just needs some time to process it…” His eyes travelled to the starseed in Ashanite’s hand and he laughed, imagining the look on the poor senshi’s face when Ashanite had swiped this most precious of objects. “God I can’t wait to take starseeds with you…to watch people…to just…have the power again…”
Not that he remembered having it in the first place…but Benitoite had made it sound so good…
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 10:12 pm
Ashanite hummed briefly, quietly, letitng Whisler consider. No reason to rush him, not when he seemed so sure. Plus, if he was very lucky - if they were both very lucky - he would talk Newgrange around and Ashanite would make an absolutely phenomenal impression on the new General-Sovereigns.
He would have to find this Newgrange, introduce himself, get to know him -maybe drop a few honeyed words in his ear and get the process of convincing him going.
"That sounds perfect," he said, voice soft, and then he leaned in to press his lips to Whisler's briefly. "I do regret not getting to see my Wonder one last time, I won't begrudge you a goodbye to yours." How could he begrudge anything, when this was going so very perfectly?
"One week," he said. "In one week you'll be an officer again, and I'll be with you for every step of it." He considered the starseed briefly, and then offered it to Whisler. "Keep it, as a reminder, for as long as it lasts."
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Posted: Mon May 09, 2016 4:17 pm
Whisler took the starseed and held it gently in his cupped hands, looking at it, with an expression that was half longing, half hunger. “Thank you. I appreciate this…”
He flashed another smile and gave a small wave, not quite wanting to go…but at the same time, knowing that if he stayed, he would never end up leaving and he might never see his wonder again…so off he went, keeping the starseed that Ashanite had given him safe in his hands until he finally go home and finally powered down, collapsing in his bed for a good night’s sleep.
He damn well needed it.
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