Welcome to Gaia! ::

It seemed, progressively, that her job was getting harder and harder, as the weather continued to be chill, and frankly, awful; after a few years in and out of this terrible place, her body still longed for the hot desert sands of her mother's home country, or even the wet chill of her father's, if it came with a fire. It was made only a worse winter by the lingering threat that if she didn't do better, perhaps her starseed could fuel someone who would. And wasn't that a horrifying thought? It spurred the Lieutenant through her evening search, digging around the city seeking energies to steal.

It was odd, she mused, that everyone she came across seemed to be already-dead. Normally she came across one freezing in the snow, and the rest huddled together for a quick and gentle drain. Tonight, it seemed she kept striking out- people she passed were like dolls, with their batteries removed. Still toys, but still and empty, and no longer moving, or walking, or talking, or babbling at her like evil furbies. Her lips pursed, considering the dilemma.

It was the sight and feel of a corrupted senshi which finally caught her attention, and assisted her in getting an inkling of what was happening. So they were stealing her energy- and killing her farm! Breaking into a light jog, Titanite followed the signature, coming at last upon the one who may be to blame for her rush of bad luck. “Evening,” she told the corrupt cheerfully, her bright eyes sliding over the senshi, taking in the long hair, the sexy blue dress, and that very distracting slit on her.... thighs. Nice dress. “Are you the one yoinking the starseeds instead of just draining them?”

Titanite's lip pursed as she watched the corrupt complete pulling the starseed. "I know we have a need for starseeds, but you do realize that pulling energy means you will get more?" the white-haired senshi was really quite distracting to look at, but this was business. "They are like... batteries. You just keep them running on half-empty, and they will eventually recharge. If you kill them, it shorts the energy gains by ridding us of an effective source."

Then again, everyone had their own way of doing things, and maybe Shahar just didn't see the need to waste them. Was it really easier to kill someone than drain energy? Maybe, but Shar had never run into any issues unless she liked them- they didn't have to be conscious for her to suck the energy out of them.

"Liking the cool and deadly vibe, but... you know, chilling on the murder might actually be beneficial in the long run. Just think about it."

Whatever it was about the Negaverse energies that gave those senshi holes in their heads and hearts had sure done a number on this lady. Hot, but definitely not all there in the emotions department. "Starseeds may have an immediate impact," she agreed, "But I would not say they are worth more. Clearly you do not know how batteries work." And clearly she had never had to freeze to death. Titanite lived that risk every day, in DC winters.

Titanite crossed her arms in response to the corrupted senshi doing so. "Murder? No. Waste? Certainly. And if you are only following orders." she snorted, because who was not desperately following orders these days to stay under the radar? "I suppose you are not the one to blame for that waste. But there have to be better ways to do it than what you are doing. The city will run out of homeless people, and then we will have to start actually working for the energy, not just pulling off their desperation."

Without a doubt, Titanite was, unabashedly, a very lazy lieutenant. "Cool and deadly? Did I use the phrase wrong?" She could not be surprised, were this the case.

Titanite was not quite sure how to handle the bland disregard for the lives of the other people that the senshi displayed, and some corner of her mind wondered if the others, the ones who the Negaverse found to be enemies, shared that feeling. Then again, maybe it was just Titanite herself who was bothered by the waste of human life. Each of those starseeds was a potential soldier for their Queen, every one a source of energy that could be stolen for years, not a few brief moments.

"I am only a lieutenant," she demurred, watching the lovely (albeit still completely emotionless) face spout desperation with an almost morbid fascination. "If that is what you have been told about their pain, who am I to argue?" it just seemed such a waste- not to mention a biohazard. Someone was eventually going to have to clean those bodies up. It made the woman shift in discomfort, and shove at those treasonous thoughts.

Those crossing arms went under her cleavage, and Shahar was strongly torn between the urge to admire and the urge to get away. "I could not tell you," she assured the other woman after a moment, "I have avoided your kind, mostly." There was something unnerving about the dark spots on head and near heart, and Titanite preferred boozing to politicking. "Are emotions a bad thing?"

Titanite smiled, and it was bitter, and cold. "None of us are free agents, senshi. We all serve our Queen with loyalty, love in our hearts. But my General is long dead. None of the others replace him, nor would I let them." the corrupt stepped back, and Shahar did as well, clearly frustrated. She did not like to think of her General-King, for it hadn't even been a senshi to kill him. He had given himself for another of the Negaverse, and in the end...

"I appreciate you sharing your knowledge. I will continue to gather their energy, however. Every starseed is a potential soldier for our Queen, or a font of energy for her soldiers, and I am loath to know that any one taken could have been a body in her service." it was as politic a response as one could get out of Titanite, whose usual response was violence, drinking, or violently drinking.

Sea-tinted hair slid over black and red uniform, and Titanite twirled a lock around her finger, pursing her lips and considering. She'd never paid much attention to their plight, and cared little for how others treated them. It was, perhaps, something to consider keeping an eye out for. Not that she would get involved- that would be a bit much work, but she could at least buy them a drink to make them feel a little more welcomed.

"And how will the starseeds you are collecting get your General back to you faster?"

I am sorry, the senshi said, and Titanite's smile was brittle. She was not drunk enough for this. She hadn't been drunk enough to deal with it in... Almost 2 months now. Oh, she had been given a bad hit or two, but that hardly qualified.

But the question was something to focus on, and focus Shahar did, letting the words longer on her tongue before speaking. "Before you served the Negaverse, what were you? A schoolgirl? A vagrant on the corner? A reporter? A whore? All examples, of course. One day someone found a different use for you." she lifted her hand, pointing to the senshi's head and heart. "Who is to say one of those starseed you took could not one day have been a soldier?"

She shook her head. "Above my pay grade. That is General work; I have an energy quota, and there are too many potential costs to pulling a starseed for my taste." Titanite crossed long legs, considering. "Perhaps that is a sign of my weakness. I have been a lieutenant for... many years."

So many years yet the job still galled her. She had been for so long without the guidance that had made her so willing to serve. She could understand some of the senshi's desperation. If there had been anything she could have done for her General...

The corrupt's arms fell, and Titanite puffed out soft air into the stillness. "I... appreciate your consideration," she said after a moment. "It is, perhaps, something you can take up with others. Other opinions are never bad."

Titanite paused, considering the corrupt senshi's question. "I... do not wish to have such an attachment again," she said at last, but there was hesitation. "I... do not think I could handle such a thing. I would prefer to move on from that need."

Swallowing, she stepped away. "I will leave you to your work," she said after a moment, lips pressing tightly together. "Have a good evening. I appreciate your time."