After seeing Scylla in god-knows-how-many-years, Kallichore thought it pertinent to check in with the senior senshi. She remembered how powerful it felt to be in an eternal senshi's presence while under the tutelage of Birhan Isat and Ares. So many memories of hers were tied to the Blood Moon Court so early in her powered career. Ever since the fall of the Court and the birth of the Dark Mirror, those remaining with the White Moon seemed scattered at best. Kallichore had not heard from them in years.
Seeing Scylla on the battlefield reminded the Senshi of Madness of so much potential the Court had to offer. Kallichore had sought out the kraken for the past few days, after recovering sufficiently from her injuries. Without Scylla's phone number, locating her was a crap-shoot.
However, her fuku was distinctive. Kallichore, still sore and somewhat injured from the previous battle with the Greater Youma and its General, patrolled slower than she would normally. However, while in the commercial district of Destiny City, surrounded by banks and investment buildings, she thought she saw the distinctive, long and trailing sheer ribbons that made up Scylla's fuku.
She had to try. "Scylla, is that you?" she called, hoping she was loud enough to be heard.
Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2017 8:53 pm
It was a late night, and Scylla was winding down her patrol. Overall, the night had been dubiously productive, and Scylla had been able to work out a little bit of irritation on some youma harassing a civilian or two; she'd been able to pause and inhale the chill air, think for herself and try to determine where she wanted to go from here. The large-scale battles she had been in recently, some of the conversations she had, the fact she kept on getting herself wounded when she tried to go it alone--
It was why she had a court, before. But now most the people she'd trust at her back were gone, and Scylla was considering how best to pick up pieces she had left for dead while she ******** up her personal life the way she'd always messed up her powered one-- with vigor and enthusiasm, apparently.
She could feel other Order signatures around, and paid them only cursory mind; it was Chaos she had to worry about, really, even though she'd of yet had no push-back for her interference in early March. It was, therefore, a bit startling to hear a familiar voice call her name, and the Eternal turned to peer at the approaching senshi- her eyes lighting up. "Kallichore!" she moved towards the other senshi at a brisk walk, smiling warmly and holding out her hand. "I saw you the other day, just- not the best time to catch up, and I seemed to have gotten my a** handed to me again."
Scylla had never been the best fighter, and her eyes were bright with humor. She always had been a bit of a glass canon.
“Ah, you remember me.” came a cool reply. They hadn’t interacted terribly much during their Blood Moon days, and Kallichore wondered if Scylla knew just how much the younger senshi had looked up to her. The Senshi of Madness gave the Kraken a bow. “It’s good to see you, Greater Youma or not. It’s been… how long?”
Years, definitely years. Scylla looked better than Kallichore herself felt, definitely, but the healing energies of her moon were speeding along her own recovery nicely. The glowing markings on her skin were proof of that. “It’s a relief to see you haven’t gone the way of Requiem or Leto. I think that was the last time I saw you - when Ares turned. We were lucky to have escaped alive, and I was but a Super then.”
Yes, Kallichore fondly remembered the admiration she openly gave to Eternal Senshi within the Court. “We were all in over our heads, Scylla. It was teamwork that brought down the Greater Youma, and it was not without your assistance. Please… don’t be so hard on yourself.” She looked away for a moment, fingers tracing the line of her jaw. “...you probably don’t remember, since we weren’t assigned to each other, but I looked up to you. Fondly. I wanted to be strong like you, have wings like you. You were… quite inspirational, Scylla, whether you knew it or not.”
A visible blush stained Kallichore’s cheeks and she cleared her throat, obviously embarrassed.
“Nevertheless, I wanted to make sure you were alright. Many of us were seriously injured, myself included.”
Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 7:10 pm
"Of course I remember you," Scylla said openly. "I remember the names of every single member of the Blood Moon. The ones who died, the ones who turned, and the scattered survivors. You didn't come back, when Birhan tried to revive the court after that night." Scylla's head tilted- not accusatory, just frank. Maybe some concern. "We weren't sure who was hunted down and- a lot of us ran, after that." she breathed in deep, considering. "Over five years. Bir and I were trying in April of 2012, but then I got a job in New York, and..." and then in October, Lina had killed her mother and Kayley, and Jada had gone into avoidance mode, for far too long.
Shaking her head, Scylla's lips quirked across. An emotion displayed, and then the inverse, leaving her expression as confused as her mind. "The night Ares returned..." she didn't want all of us. She knew who she was after. But how to say that, without it sounding like- The survivors were just the ones she didn't think were good enough. "I think you're right though. I've been back here and there, but there hasn't been a chance to meet up with you."
Kallichore had a point about the large youma, and Scylla gave the other woman a lopsided smile, twirling a dark curl around one finger in a nervous gesture. "I wouldn't call it being hard on myself so much as knowing my fault. I'm out of practice."
Being told she was- Scylla froze, cheeks flooding with color. "That's- That's really kind to say, Kallichore. And it means a lot. I didn't- A lot of that time was just stuffed full of my own drama, and the things that I wasn't doing right. It-" her voice was thick, for a moment, with emotion. "It means a lot to have someone tell me there was something I was." Inspiring was doing something right, no matter why it was happening. Especially in those days.
"I'm okay, I think.Like I said, just out of shape." she gave Kallichore a toothy smile. "So what have you been up to? I see you have some magical ink." Scylla drew her hand up her own arm, indicating an imagined tattoo.
No, she didn't return to the Blood Moon, despite hearing whispers that the Court was trying to reform. After being visited again by the betrayer, Ares, Kallichore had had a nervous breakdown, unable to transform again for a few weeks. The eternal looked away for a few moments, squinting into the distance before breathing out a sigh. "...no, I didn't return. Ares tracked me down even after escaping. Her honeyed words didn't work, obviously. I didn't succumb, but I could not match her immense power. Why she let me live, I do not know, but..." Ares' power was smothering, not at all like the warm and gentle presence of White Moon Royalty.
Kallichore shook her head, frowning. "...I was terrified."
Even now, as an Eternal who earned her wings as Scylla had years ago, Kallichore alone couldn't withstand a direct assault from Ares or any of the other Dark Mirror Royalty.
The gray-haired woman tilted her head, listening with an empathetic ear to Scylla's heartfelt words. A small smile crept across her lips, which seemed very unusual. "We all get caught up in our own messes, myself included. It's sometimes shameful to say we looked too much at ourselves and not enough at the people around us. It just proves we still have so much to learn still, despite how many years we have under our belts... Despite any turmoil you were experiencing, your sheer power did not go unnoticed to cadets such as myself. Truthfully, despite any shortcomings, you were something to aspire to. You still are."
That was the truth. Very few senshi were still in the city that had as many years of experience like Scylla did. Her veteran status was something to take pride in, as far as Kallichore was concerned.
She looked down at her gloved hands, faintly glowing eyes lining her arms looking back at her. Or were they? She was quiet for a few moments, as if deliberating what next to say. At least this segued into Scylla's inquiry. "...I spent so long chasing what I thought was an answer, only to find a dead-end. I had wasted years." No, that seemed wrong. Kallichore squinted as if she'd been assaulted by a shrill noise and pinched the bridge of her nose. "No, not wasted. Just... ran too hard in the wrong direction." Lifting her arm and allowing the sleeve to fall to her elbow, Kallichore inspected the markings. "...I sought guidance from the cosmos, and the cosmos marked me in return, I suppose."
She didn't like to talk about herself too much, and it probably showed in that way that she couldn't hold Scylla's gaze until the subject turned back to the Kraken. "...it's good to have you back, Scylla. Destiny City could benefit greatly from your protection."
Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2017 7:03 pm
The silence went unjudged, as did Kallichore's admission. "Yes," she agreed. "Ares was terrifying even before Chaos made her its vessel." Jada had wondered more than once if that should have been her clue, or if she had been so blinded by love for a friend and faith that she could yet be saved.... but she hadn't been able to save her. She hadn't even been able to try. "I am glad you didn't succumb," she assured the other Eternal, and gave her a slightly tremulous smile, "We'd be having a very different conversation. As for letting you live, I think... she didn't want us dead." Ares had needed panicked heralds, or willing converts to her cause. But the fact she had gone after others, after that night... But not her.
Traitor. Coward.
"There's no shame in being afraid," Scylla told Kallichore with a furrowed brow, perhaps misinterpreting the head-shake and the confession. "They're powerful. Royal or General Sovereign, it's a different scope than we're meant for. Rather than being scary, I think it sounds almost lonely, don't you?"
The blush sprang back in full measure, however, and Jada was only pleased that she remained otherwise composed. Despite any turmoil you were experiencing, your sheer power did not go unnoticed to cadets such as myself. Truthfully, despite any shortcomings, you were something to aspire to. You still are. Scylla had never felt that way, so she would take what compliments she could get. Power was not composure, or leadership quality, but the fact that she had been noticed and regarded for what stands she took and the battles she had fought were... good. It was good, to not be forgotten, especially with as much time as had passed.
"Guidance from the cosmos," she repeated to Kallichore, considering the words. Running too hard in the wrong direction was something she would freely admit she was overly familiar with. She just hadn't thought about- that. Yet she'd told Sabine- who better to understand the woes than another senshi. Were the cosmos any different? she shifted her weight, opened her mouth to chase the side-long conversation...
And it was neatly shifted back to her.
"Perhaps. I've been... realizing I don't do as well, by myself. I'm a social animal with no society to speak of. And a bit of a mess, with no one to watch my back." There had been a few recent conversations, but... was she ready to consider where that might lead? "Maybe it isn't just Destiny City that needs protection."
The senshi in red seemed pleasantly surprised by Scylla's very astute observation - that a high a ranking as a royal or General-Sovereign had, how lonely such a position must be. It wasn't that Scylla wasn't bright - much the opposite - but that Scylla was observant. "You're very right - Ares didn't want us dead. She wanted everyone alive, and under her command. At the time, I could not see that, as powerful as she was, she too was terrified. Terribly and painfully lonely, even before Chaos took her. But as for the others with that kind of power... I imagine so. I imagine someone like that doesn't have many in the way of peers..."
There were many great motivators of the human spirit, fear being an exceptionally powerful one. Loneliness, pain, sadness... but also hope, peace, and a drive for wisdom.
Kallichore nodded to Scylla, slowly, deliberately. A social animal with no society. A loneliness that wore deep into the bones. Kallichore understood that feeling very, very well. "Ah... like a bookworm with no library. A seeker with no answer." She crossed her arms, shifting her weight, analyzing this metaphor perhaps too much. The eternal seemed... incredibly content then.
"Not everyone is meant to walk the lonely road. No shame in fear, no shame in the desire to belong. You can count on me to watch over you, Scylla, if you would permit me to do so. Truthfully, I still feel somewhat subordinate to you, as you are my senior in tenure, at the very least." Another bow of the head, not in reverence, but politeness.
Brown eyes regarded the kraken's form curiously, and with a tilt of her head, Kallichore hoped she hadn't overstepped the unspoken boundaries between the two of them. "Scylla, are you still injured from the battle? I can offer some relief. Not much, but better than none at all."
This is what she's referring to:
A Transcended Senshi may choose to follow a less combative path. Rather than using their energy to boost the magic power they use in battle, these Senshi are able to transfer their excess energy to civilian victims and wounded allies. They must maintain physical contact in order to make the transfer, and as it requires intense concentration it would be impossible to accomplish in battle. The transfer would help with mild-to-moderate energy loss but would not offer a sense of full recovery in either case. It would simply decrease recovery time by half.
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 8:17 pm
"At the time, I don't think anyone could see the loneliness except the other parallels. I knew she was scared. She had lost everything. But she was slipping, and..." and they had taken away the only thing she had left, trying to stop it, and been the last push into darkness. No one was above the rules- except Ares. And when faced with it... Scylla had damned her friends, however unknowing at the time... "As for the Royals and their peers, I'm sure some of them do, big royal parties where they pop on crowns and ride mattresses down the stairs." That's what Jada would do. "But you're right. The social circle inherent to their role must be incredibly limiting, just in the sheer lack of Royals who have been found. How many of them are dead before ever awakening?"
It was a tragic thought, with the amount of senshi who hadn't made it to Eternal before being slain, much less remembering and regaining their royal title. How many were left out there, hidden (or dead) and unremembered?
Kallichore nodded, and Scylla beamed approval at the provided metaphors. "I would say, perhaps, a seeker with no question. Seeking, but what?" she tilted her head back, peering up and up. "As for your offer to watch over me, how could I say no? A friend to watch my back is nothing to turn up my nose at." her lips curved in a warm smile.
"But not a subordinate, Kallichore. Not after everything... You're my ally." And subordinate implied a level of organization to her growing network of allies that Scylla wasn't sure she was ready for.
The other Eternal's question surprised her, and Scylla considered it carefully. Between the fight with Cinnabar, and the Greater Youma, she was drained and tired. "Perhaps a bit," she acknowledged, "But a lot of it is just exhaustion and not allowing myself time to rest, I think. As I said before, I can't turn up my nose at anything right now. What do you have in mind?"
I emotion_bigheart Scylla. Just saying. emotion_yatta
How many of them are dead before ever awakening?
Kallichore seemed to mull this over for a few quiet moments. Based on her experiences seeking wisdom and answers from the cosmos, the senshi pondered the idea that those who ascended to the status of Royal were meant to do so. Those whose lives were snuffed out prematurely, Kallichore wondered... if that was also the way things were meant to be. Destiny, as it were. There was too much to consider, but Scylla planted the seed of the question in Kallichore's mind. She did so enjoy unraveling questions like this.
The mattress comment earned a chuckle from the other eternal.
"Not subordinate, but friend?" Scylla considering her such seemed odd to Kallichore. She still thought of herself as a cadet in Scylla's presence, not an equal. But that was so much years ago, and thanks to Scylla's inspiration, Kallichore eventually earned her wings. "...thank you."
A seeker with no question. Such a beautiful metaphor. Kallichore seemed to warm to that, to understand how it felt to be wanting without cause. "Perhaps someday, when you find your question, I can help you find the answer. But until then, let's ease that exhaustion." She reached out with a hand, seeking to take Scylla's in her own. Kallichore's hands were warm from the gloves, and, cradling Scylla's, she closed her eyes. A tingling warmth was drawn from one marked senshi to the other, excessive energy granted by her moon delivered neatly to Scylla's form. She would feel less tired, more energized. It wasn't enough to equal a good night's sleep, but perhaps a decent nap?
"There. It isn't much, but... I'm honored to assist."
Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 8:35 pm
Kallichore seemed to be considering the question and Scylla quietly gave her time to mull it over, instead considering the other woman. Kallichore had clearly been doing something with herself while Scylla- while Jada- had been dealing with issues and insecurities and tragedies that went a far different route than reaching out to the cosmos. Kallichore had found power while Scylla had remained stagnant, and that was something to envy- and for the other senshi to be proud of.
"Thank you," Scylla told the senshi of madness with a warm smile to her comrade. "I'm not 100% sure I know what to do with either subordinate or friend at the moment, but one is much closer to what I'm seeking than the other."
The thought of having someone at her back warmed her, as always. One day she'd find her place, and having someone to support her... willing to support her... seeds sown long ago growing into flowers. Scylla willingly held out her hand to Kallichore, and was startled to feel the warmth pass between them as the cosmos-marked senshi closed her eyes. Jada gave a sigh of relief, aches and complaining bruises soothed by the warmth, energy seeping through weary, out-of-practice bones.
"Not much?" she asked, and leaned in, tugging Kallichore into a quick hug. "It's more than I could do for someone else. Thank you. That's an amazing gift you have, Kalli." she thought little of the assigned nickname, not even asking if she could use it.
Seeing Scylla as a human rather than an unstoppable force of nature was enlightening. So often when she was a cadet, she thought of those with wings as infallible, impenetrable. With power blazing bright like eternals possessed, she thought they were capable of nearly anything they set their mind to. Obviously this was a naive and altogether too wholesome of a thought, but Kallichore forgave herself a long time ago for looking upon Eternal Senshi with such innocent eyes. They were all human, all complete with their dramas and problems. Scylla, and by extension, herself, was no exception.
The energy transfer complete, Kallichore gave a faint smile. She’d only granted energy a scant few times, but was getting the hang of things. She herself felt better as well, no longer bristling with that uncomfortable, tingling feeling of too much pent-up magics.
The hug Scylla suddenly granted caught the other senshi off guard, Kallichore’s face almost turning as red as her fuku. “A-ah… well… I…. y-y-you’re very w-welcome?” She hadn’t expected a hug, and was wholly unprepared for it. “Y-you do much for others, S-scylla. Y-you inspire them, even now…”
As a cadet, Kallichore had never dreamed of being so close to someone like Scylla, so the experience of a simple hug was somewhat akin to a small child meeting the hero they so looked up to. The senshi of madness had to swallow a lump in her throat, born from utter embarrassment. When released, the blush was still quite apparent on her cheeks and she seemed quite aware of it. “Ah… we s-should probably exchange numbers… if you need m-my assistance, that is…”
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:00 pm
She hadn't meant to startle Kallichore so, and as the other woman shifted from smiling to stammering and blushing, the Senshi of the Kraken took a step back, twisting long, manicured fingers together with a soft smile. Kallichore was so kind, and the flattery was a salve to Scylla's wounded ego, however undeserved the compliments were.
"You're too nice," she told the other woman with a smile. "I haven't done all that much of late to deserve the compliments. You're the one over here quietly encouraging me to get my butt in gear to live up to who you think I am." her eyes crinkled at the corners. "I appreciate it, a lot."
Tugging out her cell phone, she began to slide through her contacts. Scylla had not been part of the original ISS; unlike Birhan Isat might, she wasn't briefed on civilian identities or livelihoods of the original BMC members. Even though her home had been used for many a practice, she wasn't sure how many of the BMC had realized the mansion and the gym they had trained in was actually owned by one of their members.
"I've got a little bit of an idea forming," she confessed to Kallichore; "I may call you to have my back when I start working out details. If you're interested."
Could she inspire people? She had a few people who might be interested in... hmm. Even if it was only patrol buddies...
The other senshi shifted her weight. Was she being too nice? “Truthfully…” as she said, again and again, “...These are things I had wished to say to you for years. Perhaps there is still a tiny bit of that wide-eyed cadet left in me, even now.” She remembered racing to climb the ranks, just to have the pleasure of standing near the other Eternals during Blood Moon meetings. Still star-struck and an idealist, she followed Ares and Birhan Isat without question… until that fateful night. Perhaps that, too, was meant to be.
“I apologize… I’m… not very good with...” Non-professional interactions? She could hug her brother just fine. Perhaps she still thought of Scylla in a celebrity sense, if just so slightly. Kallichore didn’t know what to do with herself when it came to warmth and friendships with peers. “...I’m better with other things.”
With a sigh, more to herself than anything else, she flicked her wrist to bring her senshi cellphone from pocket-space. With this new technology, adding contacts was ridiculously simple. Now, after six or so years, Scylla had appeared in her list of senshi contacts. “...call whenever you like, Scylla.” came a cool reply. “What did you have in mind?”
Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2017 7:21 pm
She was flushed with pleasure at the compliments, but in truth there was little she could say about it. She could protest, and seem ungrateful, or she could accept it and wonder that she was coming across as egotistical or still ungrateful. Instead, Scylla freed her composure enough to give the other woman a look at her genuine joy at the Senshi of Madness' compliments.
There had been so many changes, it seemed; she never would have thought herself inspiration, butt-wings or not. the idea of being seen as such was warming. "No reason to apologize," she said easily, letting her emotion show though, "It's been a difficult time.I'm flattered you thought so highly of me."
Being added to Kallichore's contacts was quick; the offer for Scylla to call was quicker. "I'm not sure yet," she said honestly. "It's still a very vague little idea., I think there are still some things I could do to help.
I hope it’s okay to wrap up here? If not, then I can edit. smile
Kallichore gave Scylla a curt nod and sent her phone back into its dimensional pocket for safekeeping. Folding her hands before her, she noticed exhaustion was creeping upon her more steadily than she anticipated. “I’m interested to know what it is you have brewing. In the meantime, however…” She reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose. It was getting very late. “I should… probably take my leave, if you don’t mind.”
She and Nephthys still had more recovering to do, and patrolling wasn’t the best way to accomplish that task. However, Kallichore felt itchy when cooped up and confined to bedrest. “I’ll answer as I can. There is still much to do. Good evening, Scylla. It was… a pleasure to see you again, outside the battlefield.”
With a short bow, the senshi of madness turned about and walked for a few feet before conjuring up the effort to leap onto a roof. The quickest way from point A to point B was a straight line, and that meant rooftop travel, despite it being tiresome. Bed sounded fantastic.
