Scholomance knew not if they could track him. They held his signet ring, his ring finger, his whole arm - they had every means to discover his civilian identity if only he had fingerprint records. No, if they wanted to track him, they would use that signet ring - in some way, some manner, he was certain the Negaverse mustered a tracker. Perhaps she could wear it herself and discern his location. He needed to make himself visible. Available. He needed to face the cold light of war to accept duties thrust upon him, to demonstrate that he wasn’t worth ruining further. You can earn it back, she said, and the alternative left unsaid.
Not knowing was somehow worse.
Scholomance picked a secluded area - new construction it was, a play park intended for the regentrification project of an older neighborhood, where they had yet to finish installing playground equipment. Concentric circular paved paths cut clarity into the fan of newly-planted trees. He chose a bench next to a small workout area, which advertised different methods of exercise. The posted hand-carved sign featured push-ups, an exercise he knew he could never do in standard form again. Angrily he struck his fist against one of the oak slats and regretted it when the shock irritated his missing finger socket. Groaning, he shook out the hurt.
And then he waited. The Negaverse would come. They always did.
If he had been expecting the tall blond woman, Schorl, the knight would be in for a surprise. His fellow General had asked him to check up on a pet of hers, he couldn’t recall if that had been her exact term she’d used for her pet but didn’t care, as he went about tracking her pet knight.
The petite General had been out on a patrol, he did still have basic duties like energy and starseed gathering he kept up with, when he had turned his focus away from that, the starseed of a local drug dealer in hand, and decided to track the little knight down. The starseed secure in the pocket of his coat he headed off in search of them, Schorl had informed him of how to track them and what they looked like, the damage sustained sounded...horrific to say the least. He wasn’t one for torture, at least nothing too over the top, he didn’t mind a slow death or poisoning someone but the removal of parts and such...that just wasn’t his thing.
As he moved through the city, across roof tops and down back alleyways, the blond found himself entering into an older part of the city. The area was getting a facelift, as if that would fix it, it was a nice work in progress though. He just wondered how long till the area began to look old and run down again, not long likely, but heading for the small park there he could feel it - a knight.
Feeling a smile tug at his lips it soon faded away, as he covered up what he really felt at the sight that met him. Schorl had certainly done a job of the knight. He wondered silently how long till he fulfilled his duty to her and would be put an end to? How many in the Negaverse knew of this little broken doll of a knight?
“Well, seems I found her little pet. It’s good to see you still alive.” After all the damage done it was a surprise, he was also surprised no infection seemed to have set in...though he could easily be wrong.
When he felt the approach of a general, he could not help but stiffen. Flight response urged him far from the place, though he knew that running only entailed disaster. She had not yet broken his legs, but disobedience prompted the measure. She looked thrilled for all the damage she did shortly before she left him - what compunctions would she have in adding to the score?
So he remained, and the signature grew closer. What emerged was a blonde much shorter than she, but he knew fear all the same. Regardless of height and stature, they teleported, ripped starseeds, and wielded deadly weapons. What point was there in passing judgment anymore? Senshi and knights may have sealed their fate with their headstrong foray into the Negaverse’s bowels. What had they found there but death and s**t?
For once, Scholomance knew gratefulness for his half-mask. While nothing disguised the inward pucker of lips unsupported by teeth, no one had to look upon his sunken cheeks. The irony of its rictus grin, however, was not lost on him. He avoided glass storefronts of late.
Scholomance stood when the general addressed him. His coat sleeve hung limp and empty on one side. He did not enjoy trying to speak without teeth, but he could not write well with his wrong hand. Still, he tried. “Are you here for Pförl?” He hoped the answer was yes. He hoped whatever task the blonde had would be quick and sudden so he could return home and resume sleeping his way out of reality.
Watching the knight stand, almost surprised that his fellow General hadn’t damaged his legs as well, he nodded once to the question. It was a slight gesture, almost unnoticeable, but he followed it with his own voice. “Indeed, I am.” She had told him to find her pet and see if he had anything for her, that was why he was here. It wasn’t an order given to him but a request, at least he saw it as such.
Taking in the battered, and unwhole, form he did wonder why she had gone so far in her abuse. It would, without a doubt, raise questions from his fellow knights and the others who served the white moon. What would he answer? What could he tell them that they would accept? A car accident? A real attack by some stranger, and had nothing powered involved? He doubted any excuse would be accepted, even if he did dislike the other side and think many foolish and as a whole found them disorganized. They were not all stupid. This would gain attention and whispers would start. What would they do then, the knights and senshi, try and find out who had mutilated one of their own?
Would they trust him...considering he was still alive and allowed to walk around out in the open? Wouldn’t they find it a bit suspect? He knew he would…
“She sent me to see if you had anything for her and to see to it that you’ve remained in the area.” He could see the other had indeed remained in Destiny city - what a good boy. But what of the other part, did he have anything for the older blond General?
Scholomance wasn't certain if Schörl projected his recovery unduly quickly, but formed that impression at his last words. What would he do if Scholomance said no? He had hardly anything to show save for the ability to remain standing for an hour at a time now - did Schörl expect him to have delivered something unto them?
He nodded to show his understanding of the situation, but offered nothing more. Writing was out of the question, as ws any other form of communication right now. His head still remained obviously wrapped from the loss of teeth; he hadn't yet attended a dental appointment for recommendations of dentures or implants. What was he supposed to give?
In any case, he sank back onto the bench as anxious nausea threatened to combine with opiate side effects.
Looking the knight over, he did have a rather interesting uniform, the General had to raise a hand to brush his bangs from his face. A small smile tugged at, and twisted, his lips upward just a bit. Tapping a booted foot on the ground the ashen blond took a few steps as he brought himself to the bench the other sat on. Rather than seating himself he leaned against it almost casually.
His head turned, slate hued eyes focused on the knight. “I wonder...I’m sure if others on your side saw you like this...knew you were so hurt they’d flock to you. They’d have questions and all sorts of emotions to drown you in…” Crossing his arms over his chest, the gloved fingers of his right hand drumming on his left arm.
“I want you, when you are well enough to do so, get me a itty bitty page or a baby senshi - not a chibi...a low ranked senshi. Use your current situation to do so, it should do the trick.” Tilting his head a bit he smiled a bit more, something rather unfriendly looking but not outright vicious.
“I’ll be having one of my own team members assist in keeping an eye on you….I’ll contact my own team members and figure out who.” Though he had someone in mind already...a certain Captain of his. Yes, Witherite might be perfect for this, he wasn’t new and wouldn’t feel pity for the knight or any other softer emotions. He had a few team members who were still rather new, and putting them near this knight might turn them due to how new they were. Maybe he’d send Katya with Witherite, let her work with some more of his team members.
Scholomance kept his eyes trained on Benitoite but made no motion. Nearly all of his interactions with the regulars of the Negaverse ended in disaster, despite his preference for working with them over standing at odds with them. Benitoite moved to join him, and while his muscles tensed painfully, he avoided standing up with the general so near to him. Only his head turned to track the movement, to keep potential injury in his sights.
Because they would not kill him, he realized. That would negate all their hard work. No, he proved far more useful left alive and in excruciating pain. Should he recover too much, get too comfortable, start feeling like he has power, they would route him again and begin the process anew. Should knights and senshi no longer respond to him or his condition, they would find a way to glean what needs they could. He loathed to imagine it, and the simple thought of a worse fate stole away all his strength and courage, but he knew with a measure of certainty that corruption lay not on their list of things-to-do with Scholomance Knight.
As Scholomance listened to his words, he very nearly breathed a sigh of relief. Toting along a senshi was of little consequence to him - this general asked not for a knight - so he made no objection. Carefully he slid a notebook and pen from one of the pockets of his overcoat, and opened to a new page. In it, he scrawled rough, unpracticed words to express his shortform question: where to meet? He expected Benitoite would provide a time deadline for this acquisition as well. If the Negaverse really stood to gain something through him, then they wouldn't set him up to fail. Unless, of course, they wanted to use him as a disposable informant or bait stick.
Simply thinking about it left Scholomance exhausted.
When Benitoite spoke of a captain to tail him, Scholomance wondered why. Was he that valuable in his current condition? Or were they looking for ways to train their members a little more safely? Maybe they wanted him to feel the pressure while Scholomance was on a mission while giving the captain an opportunity to prove himself. Maybe it was simply a scare tactic so he would look at each and every civilian as a potential member of the Negaverse. Or maybe they wanted his civilian life, and this was the fastest way to it. He didn't know. He almost didn't want to know.
”We can meet here, it is close to your home - yes?” He questioned as he glanced over at the others writing. Figuring the other was not used to writing with the hand he was doing so with, but had no other choice, he didn’t comment on the writing and how rough it was. It was, for now, the best the other could do. In time, he hoped, he would be more capable though he also would prefer speech but he wasn't holding out hope. He didn’t know all of his fellow General’s plans for this knight.
“I’ll give you a week and a half...so ten days. On the night of the tenth day we’ll meet here at 10:30.” Thinking of a time when no one should be around, he didn’t need civilians or other people getting involved in this and causing a scene. This would go off without a hitch, if he could help it anyway. “I’ll be here, at this bench, at the designated time.” Tilting his head and brushing his bangs from his face, he should get a trim but he was rather remiss to doing so. It wasn’t that he was lazy persay but he just didn’t feel a need to trim his hair and he didn’t mind growing it out, he’d had it longer before - this wasn’t as bad.
“I’ll leave to you how you go about acquiring this senshi, though perhaps play to their feelings and their goodness….” Play to their big weakness, something many of them hard. Manipulation was always a good thing to go with, especially when it came to a plot like this and being at a disadvantage like the knight before him was. He’d play it up for all it was worth were he in the knight's position, also being as small as he was the General would have added that in somehow.
“Don’t worry...my Captain needs some time doing other things. Draining energy and pulling starseeds...fights...it’s all the same boring routine after a while. It’ll give him something new to do.” He even got bored of the same routine, day in and day out. He dealt with it, fulfilled his quotas and did his duties, but it was boring no matter what way you looked it. It was needed though - a necessary evil and he lived with it. He liked the breaks in the normalcy, almost longed for them at times.
Standing then he looked down at the other. His fingers moved through his hair, pulling the hair holder free and letting loose the long hair. “Don’t worry...if you were wanted dead - you’d already be dead. You’ll live for a while longer. Continue to help and you will continue to live.” His words were calm, as if discussing the weather, despite what the actual words were that passed his lips. His fair features softened by his hair let down, almost giving a rather feminine appearance. He didn’t look so dangerous yet death didn’t bother him, as one could tell by the easily spoken words and the smile he flashed the other.
Scholomance nodded when the general insisted on meeting here again. In truth, Benitoite could have asked him to meet on the other side of the city and Scholomance would have accepted; the travel by no means outweighed the consequences of refusal. A page turned, and the knight wrote the cross streets down at the top. As Benitoite added a date and time, those received their own lines on the page. He circled the lot of it, though his shaky left hand left a waver in the strokes. He cared not.
Scholomance sighed through his nose then; the general posed an extremely difficult request. Ten days was a generous timeframe, and the appointed date and time gave him something to go off of when convincing a senshi to go along with him. And what would convince them of helping him? He supposed much of that depended on their moralistic values versus opportunistic ones. On one hand, he might play to the tune of "they've taken someone in my family" and received immediate acquiescence to his request. On the other, he may have to offer money or glory or other self-beneficial aspects to coerce someone into participating. But what if the only senshi he could find was someone he knew?
Well -- someone he knew and actually liked.
The watchful eye by his captain lent no comfort; how was he to plan with someone watching over him much of the time? Of course, the captain would struggle to track him with immediacy until he picked up the knight's patterns of exploration, so he managed a short time to himself. Still, without a signet ring to send messages, how was he to coordinate with anyone? The predicament left him frustratingly and damnably alone; Scholomance hated every second of it.
The knight kept his eyes to the ground. He wanted to grind his teeth. He wanted to cross his arms and bar the cold from touching his core. He wanted this iniquitous meeting done and over, so he could return to sulking in bed. The general confirmed his life so long as he cooperated, and Scholomance suspected that amounted to what solace he could expect out of this. The guy looked too young to be this much of an a*****e, he supposed.
Another quick note, and he showed the page to Benitoite. Underneath the time and date, it read: am I dismissed?
Watching the other write down what he’d said, good to see someone who took notes and took their work seriously, the General sat there hoping the ten days was enough time. This knight had been put through a lot and should have recovery time but he knew that too much time given would not be good; it would surely put him at odds with his fellow General and he didn’t want that. If he gave too little time the other wouldn’t be able to properly, or successfully, manage the task. What seemed simple often wasn’t when a person was injured, especially like the knight was. Taking away his ability to talk, or at least limiting it, and limiting his mobility was not good.
“You are. If you need help and I am able to assist leave a note under this bench. I’ll be by each night around midnight, no sooner, to check and see.” If help was required he’d aid in whatever manner he could, without doing the job himself. “Sometimes people...need tools to help them attain their goals.” Trailing off, leaving it unsaid what said tools might be, he stood slowly and dusted himself off. “I’ll see you soon...and expect my Captain.” He said giving a bow to the other, smiling gently at him.
“Prove you are useful and you’ll live a long time.” Fail and well...did he really need to say what the female General would do? He doubted it.
sleet tempest snape
