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 Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2016 8:38 pm
The patrol had been quiet so far.
It was a cool, balmy evening just on the edges of being warm - which for Remus, was just a shade too hot in his long sleeves and gloves and capelet. The scent of rain was heavy in the air; he could practically taste it, thick gray clouds overhead threatening a storm that would come at any moment.
Besides the fact that Remus highly enjoyed thunderstorms, it was a nice night to be out in general. He felt better than he had previously, though every now and then his back seemed to give a little twinge, a dull ache that reminded him of what had happened.
As if he didn't have enough reminders with the nightmares.
In the middle of debating whether or not to call it a night and head home, Remus felt the first shifting of a power signature nearby. Automatically, he tensed, his heart beating a little fast - but a second later it eased; the signature was definitely the familiar, clean scent of an Order member.
Remus hopped down from the steps he was standing on and climbed onto the low hanging wall that stood outside of an abandoned train station. Walls covered in graffiti met him as he carefully made his way through, following the signature until he saw, just up ahead, a lone figure.
A very familiar figure. Remus felt a smile tug at his lips as he moved closer still, hands tucked into his pockets as he came to a stop on the wall a short distance away.
"What do you know," he said airily. "A handsome officer come to explore, just my luck."
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2016 9:41 pm
There had been a likelihood that there were at least some youma lingering the abandoned train station, especially if a group of homeless were gathered there for the night, but it seemed as though the impending storm convinced anyone lingering to seek better shelter. It wouldn’t do get caught up somewhere with minimal cover from the rain and wind and potential for hail.
It didn’t take long after notice that there was nothing with a chaotic signature on the edges of his senses, but there was one aura of order close by.
And not just any senshi or knight, but Remus.
He’d looked up towards where the energy was coming from, but because of the darkness, he almost didn’t recognize him until he spoke. It didn’t help that Remus’s outfit was almost all dark colors, and his hair was dark, too. A strange sense of relief came with realizing it was Remus, rather than someone he might not have known.
“Won’t be so lucky when the skies open up,” Sessrumnir said with a small, wary frown, as if he expected Remus to be injured and just not telling him yet. “You haven’t come across anything yet tonight, have you?” he asked, taking a few steps in the other’s direction to close the distance between them, looking up at him as he stood on the top of the low wall.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 3:16 am
It wasn't that light out; there were no lamps inside the station, which meant the shadows were long and vision impaired, but even Remus could tell who Sessrumnir was like this. He'd started to become familiar enough to him that he could pick him out rather easily, and it was with a sense of relief that he had found him. Patrolling alone was still a habit and he wasn't exactly afraid to be on his own, but having someone with him - especially if that someone was Sessrumnir - was much better.
Remus laughed, tilting his head back to look up at the shifting black and gray clouds above their heads. "Oh, come on, a little rain never hurt anyone," he said, and looked back at the knight, arching a brow as he stepped closer, expression almost cautious. Remus felt a strange sort of fluttering in his stomach, fighting back the urge to laugh again, because he thought he knew what that expression meant.
"Not tonight, no," he said lightly, keeping his hands in his pockets. "I'm just footloose and fancy free tonight. Haven't met a single soul on my travelings, except for your delightful company, so..."
Remus let out a melodramatic sigh, pressing his fingers to his chest in mock seriousness.
"Clearly it's fate," he intoned, and then grinned at Sessrumnir. "What about you? Run into anything fun or otherwise?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 9:02 am
“Yeah, but a lot can kill you,” Sessrumnir replied on instinct, and then shook his head. “You’re talking to a Jupiter knight with a storm glass for a weapon. Storms and rain are kind of my thing,” he pointed out, and then looked up at the sky when rumblings of thunder could be heard in the distance.
He was no meteorologist, but he could tell that the fast approaching storm could potentially be more than what they bargained for, being out as they were. He knew it was supposed to start storming that night, but he also felt obligated to check around for youma and others who were still lingering around at night.
Sessrumnir looked up at Remus with an exasperated expression as he joked about his delightful company, to which he shook his head. “Clearly,” he repeated with a small exhale of breath.
“Nothing yet. I’m wondering if the storm scared everyone into hiding.” It wouldn’t surprise him, although he’d fought monsters in the rain before, so it wasn’t as though it was impossible for some to still be out.
“It’s getting late. Shouldn’t you be heading home?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked up at Remus. “And before you say anything about me going, I just got here. And the rain on Earth is nothing compared to Jupiter. How anyone lived and thrived there, I have no idea,” he muttered, shaking his head yet again.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 10:34 am
He resisted - just barely - the urge to roll his eyes, Remus raising a brow instead. “Touche,” he said, “But a lot of anything can kill you, if we’re going with that route. I did forget about your storm glass though,” he added, grinning brightly in the dim lighting. “That’s cool as s**t.”
He felt the wind rustling in the air, tousling his hair and making his capelet rustle around his shoulders. The scent of rain was stronger than ever, and a crackle of lightning left a jagged line of white across the sky, followed by a booming clap of thunder.
“That’s okay,” said Remus lightly. “Less youma means more talking, less trying not to get eaten by things that shouldn’t be bigger than you are. And no, I shouldn’t be heading home yet,” he continued, giving Sessrumnir a pointed look. “I’ve only been out like an hour, and I’m taking my time.”
He pulled his hands free of his pockets and gestured at the knight.
“Arms up, officer, you get to be my knight in shining armor and help me down from this wall, and then you can tell me more about this whole rain on Jupiter thing.”
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 10:53 am
Blue eyes narrowed on Remus when he made the request, Sessrumnir’s arms firmly crossed over his chest. He knew exactly what Remus was asking him to do, and the picture it would make for him to indulge him. As nice of a gesture as that would be, Sessrumnir just wasn’t that nice of a guy, like he’d been trying to tell Remus all this time.
“You got up there on your own, you can get down on your own,” he said pointedly and took a step away from the wall, lest Remus decide to try and make a jump for it, his arms still crossed. Even if Remus did attempt to make a jump for it, he would be horribly disappointed when he fell to the ground.
“Maybe if you were still a child,” he added with a shrug, figuring that, yeah, he would probably help a chibi senshi down from the wall if asked, but Remus was hardly that. Besides, chibi senshi should be able to get down on their own if they got up on their own, anyway.
Another white streak across the sky and rumble of thunder not far behind it indicated that the storm was approaching faster than he’d thought it would. But they should still have plenty of time to get to shelter. Hopefully.
“Hurry up, unless you want to get drenched,” he prompted, waiting for Remus to get down. He wouldn’t argue with him about not being out. From what he saw on the news, unless the winds shifted, they should only be getting the edge of the storm in Destiny City. Of course, with their luck, it would probably hit them dead on.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 11:01 am
He debated how far he could jump, decided that Sessrumnir would just sidestep any and all attempts and leave him faceplanting on the ground, and decided it was probably not worth the effort of arguing - though he did at least roll his eyes.
“You’re so not a romantic,” he said dramatically, as he half knelt, braced a hand on the wall, and hopped off. His booted feet hit the ground with a little thump. “Whatever happened to the little boy in you that liked to climb trees and eat mud pies and throw sticks at people as they passed? Or help friends down from walls that they climb because they can’t really help themselves?”
Remus straightened, brushed down his uniform, and flashed a grin up at Sessrumnir, cheeky and mischievous.
“I suspect we’ll get drenched anyway,” he said, waving a hand. “Now, what were you saying about rain on Jupiter? It storms there a lot, right? ‘Cause of that giant storm that’s been raging there for what, like...hundreds of years, right? Is that where your - what’s it called - Wonder is? On Jupiter?”
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 11:11 am
Sessrumnir slowly shook his head in clear disapproval at everything Remus was saying, watching as he jumped down on his own, like he knew he could. First about him not being a romantic, and then about where the little boy he used to be went.
“I moved around when I was little, so I didn’t have many friends to help get down from walls. I didn’t eat mud pies and I definitely didn’t throw sticks at people. Are you sure you’re not talking about yourself?” he asked, once more shaking his head. He didn’t have a younger brother until he was already seven, and by the time Chris could play, he was busy with school.
Glad that Remus didn’t try anything stupid, like jump to him, anyway, Sessrumnir finally lowered his arms. “Yeah, Sessrumnir is on Jupiter. I haven’t really had a chance to get a look at the outside of it since it’s always storming, but I imagine it’s a big place. Reminds me a little of a college campus, but all indoors,” he explained, thinking back to the few times he’d visited, and more recently when he’d been looking for ways to help his brother.
“Have you gone to your world, yet? Every senshi has one. Just like every knight has a Wonder they’re named for, to protect.”
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 2:15 pm
And there it was again - those scowling looks of disapproval that Remus was determined to change. He liked the grumpier side of Sessrumnir, this was true - if he didn't, then he would have walked away long before now - but really, the guy needed to learn to smile a bit more. Or learn to have fun.
"Maybe I am talking about myself, but that's beside the point," said Remus, skipping a head a few steps so that he could walk backwards and look at the knight. "You've seriously never climbed a tree and pretended you were a pirate or built a treehouse out of sticks?"
A few thoughts flickered through his head at this, but Remus pushed them aside for the time being, a bolt of lightning splitting the air above their heads with a thunderous crack of thunder following it. He seemed not to notice this as he said, "So like...a giant building? That's pretty cool."
The question about his homeworld made him grimace slightly. "I didn't even know I had a homeworld until a few weeks ago, so I haven't been. It's kinda weird even thinking about having this entire...place, y'know, that used to be mine. Or something."
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 4:12 pm
“I never said I never climbed trees, but pretending to be a pirate was unthinkable. Maybe a Captain, but not a pirate,” he said casually, watching Remus’s movements as he turned around to walk in front of him. “Remember you almost ran into a pole the last time you did that?” he frowned, although for all he knew, Remus was expecting him to stop him from getting hurt again.
The lightning and thunder had Sessrumnir frowning warily, knowing the rain would start soon, but Remus seemed more interested in talking instead of taking cover, which he supposed was okay, except he was the taller one wearing metal. But he’d been through worse storms before, and knew when a lightning strike would be most likely. For now, he didn’t feel his hair standing on end, at least.
“Building, fortress, I’m not sure. It has a library and some kind of hot springs. Indoor irrigation for growing plants. What I’m assuming are lecture halls. Things like that. Don’t worry about it if you haven’t gone yet. It took me a while to finally go to mine,” he shared, pausing to stop walking and taking a step to the left so that hopefully Remus would follow that movement, otherwise he would run the risk of tripping over the edge to the tracks.
“It might have things of interest for you, though. I found my ring there, and this fang,” he said, indicating to the fang he had tied to his belt. “You remember the wolf I called during that big fight? I guess her magic is housed in this. I’m not entirely sure, though.”
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 5:45 pm
"Why not a pirate?" Remus asked, linking his fingers behind his head and grinning broadly up at Sessrumnir. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Walking backwards is like second nature to me - besides, there aren't any poles around here," he added, voice teasing.
He was enjoying a little too much spending time with Sessrumnir - and with Michael by extension. Even if Peter was kind of obnoxious at times, and Sessrumnir could be stoic and stubborn and scowly and all sorts of other "s" descriptive words, there was something oddly soothing about his presence. It was becoming more and more familiar to Remus, who was both wary and pleased with the connection.
"It has a hot springs?" he asked, looking curious. He followed the knight's movements, shifting automatically to avoid tripping. "Inside? That's way cool. It sounds like a pretty awesome place."
His eyes fell to the fang, then flickered back up to rest on Sessrumnir's face. Remus wasn't sure what the hold up was - but he felt a strange sense of avoidance when it came to visiting his homeworld. He couldn't explain why that was, but every time he thought about it, it made him feel uneasy.
"What do you do at wonders, exactly?" Remus asked, dropping his hands from behind his head and sticking them in his pockets again, pointedly ignoring the next loud clap of thunder. "Is it just - like, is anyone else there? I don't know too much about knights."
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 6:04 pm
“Pretending to be a pirate would have been counterproductive since I wanted to join the Navy since I was a kid,” he scowled, especially when Remus didn’t seem to care that he was putting himself at risk for getting hurt. “You so sure about that?” he asked when Remus said he would be fine, and yet he still followed Sessrumnir’s movements, which kept him from tripping over anything and falling into the tracks.
Sessrumnir stared at him in exasperation, taking another couple awkward side steps so hopefully Remus would avoid stepping backwards onto some rubble that had piled up from the decaying station.
“There really isn’t anything to do at Wonders and worlds. You might have flashes of memories from a past life, or you might not. I’ve had some, but it wasn’t much. But some take the time to clean up the debris and make their worlds a little less uninhabitable. I’ve heard some stay there for long periods of time, but I’ve never heard of anything other than ruins, maybe plants, and visions of memories being there. Unless you’re a knight. I guess some are able to interact with their ancestor who passed on the knight bloodline to them,” he explained with a shrug.
“I haven’t gone that much, so I’m sure there’s more to discover. It’s really just… exploration. Maybe you’ll learn more about yourself and the Remus of the past if you go,” he told him, and then paused to look up at the sky. “We should really take shelter somewhere,” he told Remus as he glanced back to the senshi who seemed unconcerned, and then looked around for something, anything that they could stay under and not get rained on.
The station itself was open and the roof was rotting and would offer little protection, but unless Sessrumnir was seeing things, a little ways ahead there seemed to be a boxcar of sorts that had been removed from the tracks and left to decay near the edge of the nearby forest. It wouldn’t be much, especially if it was already rotted away too much, but even if they made a run for it, he doubted they would get anywhere that offered protection before they were both completely soaked.
“There are stairs behind you,” he frowned as Remus continued walking backwards, and Sessrumnir came to a complete stop until Remus choose to turn around.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 6:18 pm
He wanted to ask about the Navy - about what had happened, but now did not seem the right time, and the words were bitten back before Remus could ask them. He tilted his head, a slightly playful look on his face as he skipped back, hopping over the rubble and onto the floor behind.
Really, it was too easy to make Sessrumnir scowl.
"Can you like...stay on your homeworld? Or wonder, or whatever?" he asked curiously. "Or is it just like...a vacation spot?"
Remus glanced away, feeling that same, strange sense of wariness. Was it fear? He didn't know if it was fear keeping him from his homeworld or something else; being afraid of something like this seemed silly, after all, and maybe he was making too much of a big deal at it.
Maybe he was just being childish.
He jumped back another few steps, realized Sessrumnir had stopped, sighed, and obediently turned around. "You know, you could double as one of the Queen's guards, if you tried," said Remus, climbing the steps.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 6:29 pm
“They’d probably expect me to be a spy, considering my ties to the United States military,” he said as he shook his head and followed after Remus.
The lightning and thunder were getting closer, and a few heavy drops of rain had already started to fall. Sessrumnir could hear the wind picking up, and the cascade of water droplets falling on the leaves of trees in the distance, but quickly coming towards them.
“We’re heading to that car over there,” he nodded to the section of train that had been abandoned who knew how many years ago. Hopefully it would be unoccupied. The sprinkling was coming down quicker now, and Sessrumnir picked up the pace a bit, hoping Remus would as well. While he didn’t mind getting wet, he didn’t really fancy getting soaked down to the chainmail and then having to still wear it until he powered down. Which… he probably wouldn’t want to until he knew they got back to civilization.
“You can stay on your homeworld if you want. Make sure you bring enough food and water because there might not be any there. I wouldn’t recommend trying to live there on a much longer basis unless you’re prepared for it,” he said, eyeing Remus warily. “You’re not planning on going and never coming back, I hope,” he frowned again, not thinking that was a good idea at all, but he didn’t know why the thought upset him like it did.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 7:35 pm
A drop of rain hit Remus's cheek and slid down, but he didn't seem to mind, instead continuing after Sessrumnir. The wind was much more powerful now, and inwardly he was cursing his short, lighter stature, because it made it all the more difficult to actually pretend he could walk in a straight line.
Remus flashed a startled look at Sessrumnir as they reached the boxcar, Remus stopping with one hand braced against the side of it. Wind whipped his hair against his face, and he pushed it aside, a few black strands shifting to reveal the purple and blue beneath.
"Stay there?" he said, as the rain began to fall, "No, I - "
It was too loud outside to have a proper conversation, especially one like this, where he felt uncertain about it as it was. Remus made a noise of exasperation, reached for the knight's arm, and made to propel him into the car first.
"Gentlemen first," said Remus airily, the first sheet of rain catching him in a gust of hard wind, icy cold against the back of his neck and making him let out a small gasp of surprise. He staggered a little, wet fingers slipping on the doorframe to the car, and attempted to haul himself in.
"Whoops, that's colder than I thought - "
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