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 Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2016 10:05 am
Somehow Jet had managed to get General Aurostibite to help him learn more about becoming a useful member of the Negaverse. Jet was well aware of his faults and well aware of what he was unable to do on his own, but perhaps with Aurostibite’s help, he would be able to make a name for himself. Not for himself, but for the sake of the Negaverse.
Perhaps it was a naive notion, especially with how there was already internal unrest among some of the groups. There were those who had been dismissed from the Special Ops group, and some who had left on their own. Thankfully for Jet, he knew he was not quite capable enough to be useful there, but instead would do what he could to collect as much intelligence for the Negaverse as possible. If it meant potentially dying in the process, so be it.
“Are you sure about this one?” Jet wondered quietly as he followed Aurostibite’s lead. After their discussion and Jet agreeing to owe Aurostibite one favor, Aurostibite had apparently continued keeping an eye on a particular civilian, trying to feel him out and see if he would be a good addition to the Negaverse.
Jet had only caught glimpses of him since until now he apparently wasn’t quite ready. So instead Jet worked on trying to better handle his weapon, and healing after being injured in a few fights against senshi, and continued to collect information on their enemies.
Now that he might actually be trying to corrupt someone, he couldn’t help but be nervous. Not because he didn’t believe in his own abilities, but because he knew that if he screwed up, Aurostibite would probably cast him off as useless and he would be on his own again.
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Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2016 7:54 pm
Snow was falling all across Destiny City; fat, fluffy white flakes that coated the roofs of buildings and the windshields of cars, building up enough inches to be inconvenient for commuters, but not enough to cause any real concern unless one simply didn't like snow. Ice dripped from the branches of nearby trees, giving everything a very eerie, ethereal sort of look.
"I'm sure," said Aurostibite now to Jet, a cold gust of air making his hair ripple black and blue down his back. Beside him, Behellagh gave a little croon, feathers ruffling, and Aurostibite put a black gloved hand atop her head, soothing the youma into silence once more. "He has potential. That disregard and arrogance of his will work well once he is molded into a proper lieutenant, though it might take some time."
Across from them, a tall, lean man dressed all in black was leaning casually against the brick wall of a nightclub, smoke curling up from a cigarette held loosely between his fingers. Heavy music beat pulses from the club, a low, base thumping sound that reverberated in Aurostibite's very bones, vibrating almost to his teeth in its intensity.
"His name is Seth Volkov," said Aurostibite. "He comes from a long line of Russian wine connoisseurs and old family money, connections that could be of use to us."
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Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2016 8:19 pm
The snow and cold didn’t bother him. His cape kept most of it from accumulating and soaking into his uniform, but he still couldn’t help the general unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was clear that Aurostibite had done plenty of research on this potential Negaverse Lieutenant, and Jet had to wonder what exactly Aurostibite was planning on gaining from helping Jet with… anything. He wasn’t stupid enough to think they were suddenly friends after everything, but despite their obvious differences and history, Aurostibite held a presence about him that was easy to respect and follow.
Unlike a seventeen year old kid who had no idea what he was doing and had gained the power he had through sheer willpower.
“He looks like a punk,” Jet mumbled mostly to himself as he shifted to get more comfortable from their vantage point. “You usually just… go up to them and tell them what we’re about?” he wondered curiously, not having any of his own experience with needing to be convinced to join. Not that Aurostibite knew that, but Jet could only imagine he was keen enough to piece bits of information together.
“Do you just… force them into it?” he asked, wondering if his own resolve would be there to force someone into something they didn’t want to be apart of.
Jet’s loyalty to the Negaverse had been there since even before he’d been corrupted, but trying to convince someone else that they were better off joining them, gaining more power, being able to do things they had never imagined before… it seemed a little impossible.
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 7:39 pm
Aurostibite let his gaze slide sideways to where Jet stood, huddled in his cape. Even young, he didn't exactly present a childish demeanor, contrary to what he thought; Jet was strong, after all. He'd made it to general, which counted for something in Aurostibite's book, even if the reason why he'd made it was through sheer stubbornness and pride.
"He's probably a punk," Aurostibite conceded, not voicing the thought that had immediately come to mind, which was you look like one too, you know. Instead, he said, "Yes. Well, sometimes. There have been occasions when I've had to test the waters first, to see how they would respond to it."
A dark brow rose. Behellagh crooned again, Aurostibite stroking her beak. "Force? No. There was one instance in which I had to make a snap decision to corrupt, but it was necessary, and he did not mind after it had happened." That damn Kainite. "Forced corruptions can serve their purposes, but I find them distasteful. There is no use for a soldier who does not wish to be here in the first place and who could betray us."
Across from them, Seth had pushed away from the wall and was walking slowly down the snow covered sidewalk, hands tucked into the pockets of his black coat, the glow from his cigarette a tiny orange dot. He was heading towards the park, or at least, in that general direction.
Aurostibite nodded to the man.
"Go and speak with him. Introduce yourself, see how he reacts."
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 11:31 pm
Jet couldn’t help but frown, mostly at himself for his hesitation. There were things that could go wrong and, he hated to admit, he was concerned that one look at him and this man named Seth would laugh in his face. Or even worse than that, he would agree to being corrupted but only to see Generals like Aurostibite and Cinnabar and decide to follow them instead.
For being rather impulsive and decisive about things, Jet was very aware that he lacked confidence in himself. And for good reason. He could trust in himself and his own abilities, but when it came to putting that effort into someone else… well…
It was good to hear that Aurostibite found forced corruptions as distasteful, because Jet could not agree more. Forcing someone into this only served to promote disdain for them, which the senshi and knights could easily use to turn them.
He nodded to Aurostibite, and drew in a deep breath to try and settle his nerves. He couldn’t flake out now. Not when Aurostibite was watching. Jet waited a short while longer, allowing Seth to draw farther away from the nightclub, before he disappeared from General Aurostibite’s side, appearing in the clearing just a little ways ahead of where the man was walking.
“Seth Volkov,” he greeted, possibly even before the man realized that he was not alone in the park. Once again, Jet realized he had no idea how to sell the Negaverse to someone he’d only just met, so he tried not to think about it too much, instead hoping to get a feel for this man who might end up being his first recruited Lieutenant. And if he didn’t like him, he would just pass him off to Aurostibite, or they could just kill him as a last resort. But that seemed like a shame.
“My name is Jet. I’m a General in the Negaverse, and I wanted to talk to you about joining us. We believe you have a lot of potential. We can give you power you can’t even imagine,” he offered quietly, not knowing what else to say, so he just spoke whatever came to mind hoping sincerity would work in his favor.
"Unless, of course, you're not bored with your otherwise predictable and mundane life," he added, part of him wondering if it was too much, but another part of him thinking that someone with such disregard and arrogance would want more of a challenge than some sugar coated offers.
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 9:52 pm
The cigarette was almost finished. Seth reached into a pocket of his black jeans and pulled out the pack, extracting another with a sort of finesse that indicated he'd clearly done the gesture several times before and was now comfortable with it. He didn't light it just yet; instead, but held it ready for when he finished the first.
Seth was all the way to the park now, enjoying the distant, thumping bass that was emanating from the club's brick and cement walls from several blocks away now. It was a consideration still in thought when someone's voice wafted out towards him from a nearby copse of trees. Someone was standing in the clearing just beyond a cluster of pines, and Seth's eyes followed the direction the voice had come from until he found him - a young man, solemn-faced and brooding, and dressed in a strange enough outfit that he found himself actually looking at it instead of dismissing it.
A dark brow arched, Seth felt his lips curve up into a grin around his cigarette as he came to a stop, snow melting into his hair.
"You know my name," he said, voice thick with the rolling accent that came from years spent in Russian boarding schools. "How nice. But I do not know your name, I am afraid."
Negaverse. He had no idea what that meant, the word foreign to Seth, who was still slowly putting together everything this young man was saying.
"Vat is the Negaverse you speak of?" he asked, eyes alight with a sort of sharp humor. "Vhy vould you want to offer me, a stranger, unlimited power?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 11:52 pm
“You misunderstood,” Jet said lowly, not thinking there was anything humorous about the situation, but apparently this punk thought something he was saying was funny. “No one would trust you with unlimited power. Not until you prove yourself as an officer of the Negaverse. All I said was that we can give you power you can’t imagine.”
As he spoke, he held out his hand to summon his weapon from subspace, holding the center of the staff between the dual blades out in front of him as it materialized from nothing.
“The Negaverse is sworn to protect the Earth from aliens called Senshi. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, I can’t imagine you haven’t seen the news about the people that terrorize the city. We’re looking for recruits,” he said, cutting to the chase and underhanding his weapon so that it would land in the snow at Seth’s feet if he wanted to inspect it and see that it wasn’t just an illusion.
“Don’t think it’ll be easy. We have these weapons to protect ourselves from senshi and their magic and to be able to fight back. They're dangerous. They'll kill you if you don't kill them. But you don’t seem the type who’s afraid of getting their hands dirty,” Jet pointed out as he watched Seth’s expressions and wondering if perhaps Aurostibite had guessed incorrectly about this one and his potential as an officer.
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Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 8:54 pm
Seth just tilted his head in an expression of mild disappointment, though the knowing smile remained on his face, a few flakes of snow hitting the top of his head and melting into his dark hair. He took another drag from his cigarette, finishing it off, then dropped the cigarette onto the ground and dug the heel of a black combat boot into it, his gaze fixed on the young man's.
He couldn't say he wasn't interested. Power was always a nice thing, especially in a place like this. Seth tapped the new cigarette idly on his thigh, then placed it between his teeth and pulled out his lighter, flicking it twice to get it lit and igniting the end of his smoke before tucking it away again.
A gust of smoke curled into the air. "I haff seen the news," said Seth, with a little nod. "All these fights that haff broken out. There is a lot of violence here."
Not that he minded that, either, even if he didn't prefer to be in the thick of it so much as to be the one instigating it in the first place. Seth's eyes moved back to the young man again, then to the tall, dark haired figure standing some distance behind him, a large, shadowy shape on the ground beside him.
A laugh escaped, amusement lacing Seth's voice as he said, "Senshi is a stupid name."
But he pushed against the wall until he was upright again, slowly stepping towards the young man, movements as lithe and sleek as a panther's, Seth's eyes gleaming in the light from his cigarette. He turned his head just enough not to blow smoke in his face, then lowered his hand.
"Vat vould I have to do to get this...veapon and power?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 9:47 pm
”I can give you power right now,” Jet said, his head tilting up so he could look at the man as he approached. Up close it was easier to tell that Seth didn’t look too much older than he was. Maybe a few years, give or take, but not much older than that. Still, there was the concern that this man would run off on his own once he had the power he wanted, which meant Jet would be left to babysit.
He personally thought he should be recognized for not giving the Negaverse any grief when he was a new Lieutenant. Sure, he had a couple watching out for him, but that was about it. Other than that, he was on his own.
“Swear your loyalty to the Negaverse, and I’ll give it to you,” he said simply. Part of him wondered if he should warn that this was a deal Seth wouldn’t be able to go back on, but he seemed intelligent enough to piece that together. Jet wrinkled his nose at the cigarette smoke, but made no mention of it, as he could very easily just take this man’s starseed and be done with it if he pissed him off, especially at such a close range.
“It only take a minute. I’ll use my own energy,” he explained, lifting his hand and placing it against Seth’s chest, knowing he would be able to feel the crackle of chaotic energy on his fingertips. He hoped that the more real it was, the easier for Seth to believe that it really was possible.
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Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2016 7:11 am
Behind Jet, still standing in a cluster of trees, Aurostibite watched the proceedings with a studious expression on his face. Behellagh seemed extremely interested in the civilian, but a simple hand atop the youma's head kept her at his side, Aurostibite's eyes narrowing slightly. He was close enough to be able to hear, but not enough to intervene, purposefully, wanting to see how Jet would do before he stepped in.
This was his little bit of guidance, after all.
Up in front of Jet, Seth felt the smoke from the cigarette curl inside of his lungs, ghosting away with the chill breeze that swept through. He didn't so much as flinch as the young man's hand pressed fingers to his chest, something sparking through them, feeling like the sensation of pins and needles spreading outward across his body.
He raised his eyebrows, one arm folded across his midsection, the other still holding the lit cigarette.
"Pushy, aren't you?" said Seth, but the curiosity and interest was far outweighing whatever reservations he might have had. It was a risk to take, after all; who knew if this guy was even telling the truth? And as brazen as Seth was sometimes, he did know how to be cautious. Nothing was ever done without careful consideration for all of the facts.
So a choice to be made: throw all that aside and just go for it, or walk away and possibly lose the chance altogether to perhaps get more than what he had now? Even if he was cautious, he wanted things. He liked his grand house and his expensive electronics and his clothes. And he wanted to keep them.
Seth unfolded his arm and lifted it. Pale fingers wrapped around the wrist of the young man's hand that was resting on his chest, Seth's eyes glinting in the moonlight, a grin spreading across his face.
"All right," he said. "Do it."
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Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2016 8:51 pm
This whole time, Jet was unsure of what to expect. On one hand, Aurostibite seemed confident that this man had potential. On the other hand, Jet was unsure of what to make of Seth’s attitude. He seemed intelligent and had a lot going for him. Perhaps he really was bored and wanted something new. Maybe he really just wanted the power. Regardless of what it was, Jet tried not to show his surprise when Seth wrapped his fingers around his wrist but he wasn’t sure if his otherwise expressive eyes managed to hide it.
There was a quick nod, and before Seth could change his mind, Jet focused his energy on pushing his hand into the man’s chest, reaching for the starseed he knew was housed there. It didn’t take much effort for his fingers to clasp around it, but almost immediately Jet could tell something was wrong.
Even as he tried pushing chaotic energy into the starseed, something was stopping the corruption. Something he suspected but didn’t quite want to believe.
In his frustration, he clenched his fingers tighter around the starseed than he’d intended, but was quick to release it and withdraw his hand completely, a bit winded from the effort. His eyes narrowed suspiciously at the man in front of him, and then looked over his shoulder to where he knew Aurostibite was watching.
“It’s not working…” he growled, feeling his face heat from frustration and embarrassment. Either he was a failure at this or...
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2016 10:58 pm
There was no visible reaction to the young man pushing his hand into Seth's chest, other than the raising of his eyebrows, a look of curiosity and mingled hunger passing briefly across his sharply defined face. But for a man that was possibly on the verge of getting killed, he seemed remarkably unfazed, Seth taking another drag of his cigarette, lazy and relaxed.
Something jolted; it felt strange, the boy's fingers yanking around something inside of his chest. One of Seth's feet slid backwards in an effort to brace himself against the pulling sensation, feeling sparks cascade across his torso like little flickers of phantom pain, sort of like pinpricks.
But nothing was happening. There was no power to behold, no sudden strength. Seth waited, catching sight of the look of intense concentration and frustration on the other's face, and it made him amused, somehow. Or maybe that was the leftover alcohol talking; either way, he found himself entertained by the whole proceedings, rather than annoyed.
His gaze flickered, followed where the young man's gaze went, to the other man in the trees.
Aurostibite stepped forward, a frown on his face as he reached out a gloved hand. Beside him, Behellagh flapped her wings, scurrying around his ankles and then coming to a menacing stop beside Jet, her head butting against his hand, beak snapping sharply, a hiss escaping.
Fingers pressed against Seth's chest, sunk in experimentally, then pulled free again.
"You're not doing it wrong," said Aurostibite, after a moment. "I have a feeling we need to see the Queen. Or one of the General-Kings."
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Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2016 8:22 pm
Jet couldn’t help feeling as though he were a failure, even if Aurostibite told him that he wasn’t doing anything wrong in his attempt to corrupt this man named Seth. Instead it was much worse, because while he tried not to have ill feelings towards corrupted senshi, if it turned out that his own recruit, and his first, was an unawakened senshi, well… he was already extremely disappointed in himself.
He had half the mind to tell Aurostibite to forget it, and that he could take Seth as his own recruit.
His stomach twisted uncomfortably, and he almost didn’t realize that Aurostibite’s youma had drawn up next to him until her head hit against his hand. He looked down at her, a strange settling feeling that he didn’t think was possible easing into him, and then slowly, cautiously, stroked his fingers over top of her head. He knew better than to think someone like Aurostibite or his youma would try to console him, but it was a nice thought.
“Let’s get this over with, then,” he growled lowly once more, reaching out to grab hold of Seth’s wrist and waiting for the signal from Aurostibite to know when he was ready to teleport to a more secure location to meet with one of the General-Kings or Queen.
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