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 Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:21 am
Things had, for a while, been rather silent and just the same boring routine day in and day out. There were a few bumps but nothing extraordinary or warranting of much stress or even thought. He bought in new members, brought his team together. He kept them close, worked with them, made sure they felt like a team and knew each other. If any big battles happened he wanted them to know each other, to know who had their back, so he could help each other and seek out help if needed. He was one person and couldn't keep an eye on them all in a battle. It was more than that though. If they had each other, if they had a team and a foundation, they were each less likely to leave and join the other side - to purify.
He'd already lost one of his own to the other side...and he blamed himself for it, in part, but he wouldn't permit it to happen again. He would make his team and bond them together and bond them to himself. He was possessive but not in the sense most would put to that word. He was possessive because they were his to train and protect and keep safe....they were his responsibility. He was a mentor to them and he took pride in what they achieved...he didn't want to lose them...to fail them and fail the whole of the team and the Negaverse.
he'd had enough failure in the past...and it seemed that his biggest failure was just growing, even if no one else knew it. Bazzite was able to take a temporary human form, not anything new on it's own, but he had his human emotions then...he didn't behave like the youma his aura said he was. It just...added to the pile of things he'd ripped away from the other and made him feel more guilt for what he'd done so many years ago to the other.
He was taking more 'walks' at night in order to try and clear his head, to just be alone. There had been dead bodies turning up in the red light district as he'd taken to claiming their starseeds - treats for Bazzite. No one would miss them...he was really doing the city a favor.
However today he had decided to drop by an antique shop just as it was set to close. The last few minutes ticking by as he reached for the door handle and turned it. Stepping inside his shoes making little sound due to his slight weight.
"Jett." Calling out to the air, figuring the other to be somewhere in the building. He hadn't seen the other blond in a while and thought it about time he pay his friend a visit. Not to mention he just needed a break from...everything.
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Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 5:35 pm
The Antique Store was the same as usual; the cat they had adopted had gotten larger and fatter and the merchandise changed, but beyond that things seemed like they were at least a constant. The only difference, perhaps, was that the manager was planning on retiring soon and was making sure Jett was prepared to take over. Which, he was, and had been for a while, so even that was barely new. He’d been taking care of the store for quite a while now while his boss did his own things.
Even now, Jett was pricing a new collection that they’d acquired when he heard someone call his name. He was at the register, computer next to him and stack of old books to his side. “I’m here,” he greeted; he hadn’t seen Alex in a while, but he recognized that voice.
“By the register, come on over. Long time, no see,” he greeted with a grin, lowering the strange, twisted metal antique he had been examining. “How’s life been treating you?”
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Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 6:33 pm
Wandering further into the store, one hand finding it's way into a pants pocket, the ashen blond made his way to the register where the other was, predictably, busy with work. "It has indeed. I'm assuming you've been well." At least as well as they could be all things considered, but he didn't notice any scars or a wheelchair or anything around. So it couldn't be too bad, right?
"I wasn't bad...it's busy now...at least for me. I could say I've honestly had better. But it goes up and down really, at least in our field." Indicating that it was with the Negaverse where things were down at present.
"Busy doing well? And the court?" He asked, lowering his voice on the last two words. He knew the other's manager wasn't always around but he was unsure of other people, the cat was of no consequence to him and what he said. Finding a chair for himself he sat himself down across from the other.
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 2:56 pm
“Well enough,” Jett assured. He had been doing fairly well, of late. He seemed comfortable enough to have Alex sit next to him and talk about whatever they pleased. The shop was empty, at least for now, sans the two of them.
“Court’s fine.” He didn’t know what Alex might have heard, especially given the oddities going on in Mirrorspace, or the strange crystals they had found. Ultimately it wasn’t anything that seemed worth worrying about—at least, outside of the Court. “Staying alive, doing what we can to see our numbers grow. Things have been a little slow of late, though.”
Sometimes that wasn’t a bad thing. He was just still desperate for answers and wasn’t getting them fast enough.
“What’s keeping you busy these days?”
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 3:46 pm
"That's good. You know I'll support your court if I can. If any need anything." He knew there was some bad blood between the Negaverse and the Dark Mirror court but it seemed more member to member rather than a whole group opinion. He had met Remarque a long time ago and hoped to keep their friendship going, to help the little group of chaos senshi. They weren't the same brand of chaos and their goals were different, but that was ok. They wanted to bring more white moon senshi into their fold, right? Wanted to grow and expand. The white moon didn't like them, that much he knew.
"Katya I know told me she helped in awakening one to your court, not too long ago. I hope they are faring well." Glancing about he let one elbow rest on the glass counter top before his chin found itself atop his hand. "Though with you and Leto running things I've little doubt they are in good hands." Remarque was the sort to support his members and help them, he was caring for his court. Leto was as well, though he didn't know her as well as Remarque, he had a feeling she'd go to war for her court and protecting it - not that he didn't think Remarque would do the same - he would.
"Things being slow can be good...or bad. The calm before a storm - which I hope isn't the case. I'm not sure I can handle it personally." Shrugging he moved his free hand, the one not supporting his chin, so he could run his fingers through his bangs.
"Teaching, I decided to take the time to teach and see if it's really what I want to do - it's not. I have to figure what I want to change my major to. Trying to hide my Negaverse status from my boyfriend who is living with me now, so is my elder cousin who is an officer. He almost became a knight...in front of me." And he couldn't allow that, Remarque would understand that. Not when his cousin was living under his roof. "I feel bad for it though, he's a giant human teddy bear. I worry he'll get in too deep." Tugging at his bangs he sighed. He couldn't help but worry. Not only was Cuprite one of his officers but also the other was his own family. No matter how much he used to avoid his family he cared for them, he always had. They just annoyed him, most of them being very different from him in personality.
"Though as of most recently those things pale in comparison to what I've been facing..." Trailing off the blond wasn't sure what he should say...what the other would think.
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Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 5:15 pm
It was too late for Jett’s interest not to be piqued. He had nodded to Alex as he spoke, and while there were a few things that he was inclined to ask about for more information, it was the last part that really caught his attention. “Sounds like you’ve got a lot going on,” he noted, but that was too be expected.
He watched as Alex tugged at his hair and couldn’t help but wonder if it was a nervous tic or if he was trying to hide something. Jett rested his elbow on the glass surface and seemed to take on a much more relaxed posture.
“I’m curious to know what’s been going on in your life that would make all of that pale in comparison to it. So, you know I have to ask.” Jett didn’t seem to have ulterior motives; it just sounded like the concern of a friend. “What else do you have going on?”
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Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 6:22 pm
Tugging at his bangs was one of those things he did when stressed or emotional, a tic he knew he had, it wasn't something most saw or caught on to. But if someone knew him well enough, spent enough time around him, and saw him do it enough could figure it. It wasn't something he bothered to hide, let him show a weakness - he was human.
As he sat there watching the other, who seemed to be rather relaxed, he let his hand fall to the counter top and stared at him. "Teenagers make mistakes, it's that they do. Humans do too - we're not perfect....I'm not even sure if we can define perfect without adding in that it's opinion based really." Maybe his start seemed out of place but that was for now, it would make sense he figured.
"I joined the Negaverse when I was 16...I joined willingly and knowing, to the best of my ability, what I was getting myself into. There is no way to predict the future, unfortunately magic doesn't seem to be able to do that...though it can do a lot of things." As they'd both seen and experienced first hand, and often.
"Four years back I made a mistake...a big one. It's not one I can undo, ever, or escape. I'm tied to it. Thankfully few in the Negaverse know what I did...the few who do either are M.I.A, have left our side, or are no longer amongst the living. Something I'm somewhat relieved in, it's not a mistake I'd like many to know. Most would judge a person on it without taking into account everything which transpired in a short amount of time...and can't put themselves into my boots either." Alexandre couldn't remember if he'd ever told the other about Bazzite, about making him into a youma, he didn't think he had though. It wasn't something he told many about. The few who knew, or had known, had found out on their own or had lived with him and saw him when he was an emotional wreck.
"Four years ago my mother was shot, nearly killed, another officer - one who lived with me went to track down the shooter because I was otherwise unable to. I was emotional, I had seen her get shot, and I was busy at the hospital. He tracked the person down, something the cops couldn't do even though he'd done it right out in the open. A senshi however stopped my Captain from attacking this person...and beat my Captain." He still wished he could finish that senshi off but they were gone, to where he didn't know. They were one of many on a list of those he wanted to take out - permanently. With them it really was hate...the personal sort.
"Finding me in the rift my Captain asked me to make him a General...to give him the power to handle the senshi. They were badly beaten and they wanted so much to do what I couldn't. I denied them their request - I told them I couldn't. I could corrupt a person but I'd never given a promotion...I didn't know if I could." His voice broke a few times as he spoke. The blond taking the time to gather himself, to calm himself. He didn't want to lose it it in front of the other.
"He continued to persist...arguing me and threatened to go back there and fight the senshi, beaten as he was, and didn't care if he died. He would do it." Swallowing thickly he shook his head. "I snapped and gave in...a mistake. You see....I can bring someone into the Negaverse, provided they are an officer and not a senshi, I'm not able to promote someone. I reached for his starseed and pushed the power into him - like I would when corrupting someone. I felt it as it happened....his starseed shattered in my hand...like a snowball. All bits and pieces of his starseed held in my hand. I couldn't get my hand to let go of it...I couldn't pull my hand free even as he screamed and his legs gave out taking us both to the ground. I had stopped pushing energy into him and it still happened...it couldn't be stopped...I watched him turn into a youma - bound to me and to my whims and orders. No memories or being human and none of those human emotions." Waving his hand about, half as a distraction for himself and half to sort of say 'You know what a youma is'. He didn't need to tell the other what a youma was, he knew by now what one was...what they did.
"It's like owning a puppy only it's a human. I have to take care of him...make sure no one else my rank or above puts him in danger. I didn't want to see him for a long time...to face what I'd done. I still don't sometimes - it's not easy. But then when I visit he express how much he's missed me...that's been a long time, at least he thinks so. So I feel guilt for neglecting him..." Because Bazzite was his responsibility...his little monster, sort to speak. He wouldn't voice that part a loud, he wasn't so cruel as to do that. He cared for the other, that much was obvious, he couldn't hide it even if he tried. His voice, his eyes, they gave it away with ease. Bazzite was perhaps his biggest weakness along with his family and his partner. All for different reasons...but all one big weakness of his.
"Katya and I recently found an item...a necklace with a large gemstone in it. I gave it to Bazzite - he likes to collect shiny things. I've been trying to spend more time with him...he misses me." And he didn't like hurting the other more than he already had, even if it hurt him to visit the other. It was his continued punishment for what he'd done as a teenager.
"It replaced his visage with that of his human self...a magical item. His emotions were there...but not most of his memories...he is and he isn't what he once was. His aura is still a youma..." It was a tease...and one he had to face, a reminder like nothing else of what he'd done. For now he couldn't manage to continue. He'd said a lot and he needed a break, for his voice and for his own emotions. He just sort of sat there watching the other while trying to keep his hand on the countertop, though he did fail in doing so as his fingers raked through his bangs and tugged at them gently.
"I'm never going to escape it..."
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Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 5:38 pm
Remarque was older than Benitoite was when he’d first started; he’d been in his late teens—early twenties, maybe—when he’d first powered up into the Dark Mirror Court. Of course, he hadn’t known what he was getting into; Ares made that decision for him.
He liked to think he’d come out on top, all things considered.
But he’d never made a mistake like Benitoite had.
“I remember,” he said after a moment. “You told me after it happened. You took me to him.”
He’d never been fond of youma, but he had remembered Bazzite from before he’d been turned into that creature. The strangely happy-go-lucky young Negaverse Agent with too much gusto and not enough tact.
He remembered what he’d become.
It must have been traumatic for Benitoite if he wasn’t able to remember who he’d told, but Remarque didn’t press it. Alex didn’t look good, so adding extra stress to this didn’t sound in any way productive.
“What, exactly, are you trying to escape?” he asked, tilting his head just slightly to the side. “Your mistake? Or, him?”
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 4:51 pm
"Both...maybe. It's a tease...to see him as he was...to have some of the personality back. But the lack of memories - to feel like I'm holding what little memories of him I can...what memories we shared. I had been avoiding him for a while...I feel like a neglectful owner but at the same time he isn't a pet but he feels like one in a sense. I just didn't like seeing what I'd done...what he was - the lack of emotions and personality. Now though...there is some of it...and it feels like the original is there still...but I can't save it - that I didn't kill it like I'd thought. Like the previous him is trapped...meanwhile he prefers his youma form - for comfort reasons. I've got to enjoy pain...I have to." Shaking his head as laughter, bitter in nature, bubbled up. Self hate and guilt tinged his words, tainted his laughter breif as it was.
"I go to him now to take care of him - he asked me to...told me how much he misses me. But now he takes that form, despite his dislike of doing so, for my sake. And I cling to it...despite all that I know." Despite what he felt by doing so, despite the emotional toll it took on him. He kept going back despite the pain...didn't ask the other not to use the necklace.
"I've tried to escape what I did, since I can't undo it. I've tried to put distance between us...so the guilt would ease or stop. Perhaps the stupid hope of a teenager which has carried into adulthood. It's all crashing back down around me. I'm just glad so few know what I did..." And even fewer were around him to see him like this. His team...if they saw him like this...he didn't know what he'd do. he didn't know what they'd think if he ever told them about Bazzite and what he'd done. Some he didn't think could handle it...some he knew could.
"I'm not sure what to do...how to just....accept and live with the feelings - all of them." They seemed so strong and numerous that he couldn't hope to sort through them and deal with them all.
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Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 11:48 am
Jett just tilted his head curiously as he listened to Alex; his lips were pursed contemplatively and finally his eyes left the other’s. “I don’t know,” he said after a moment. “You didn’t ever really strike me as the type to give up, or run away from a conflict.”
He could see that this was eating Alex up, but Jett wasn’t one to throw a pity party, and he wasn’t the greatest at offering a sympathetic ear. It wasn’t that he couldn’t empathize, it was just that he was more about solutions than feelings.
“If you don’t like what’s happened, you don’t have to accept it. You can fight against it. Just work harder to fix it. You’ve only lost when you give up,” he said, shrugging.
Jett wasn’t a quitter, though. He wouldn’t admit defeat until every last resource had been exhausted, and he was arrogant and prideful enough that he couldn’t accept any form of defeat.
“The Negaverse knows how to make youma. Someone has to know how to unmake them. Or, if they don’t, you could figure it out. You’re smart enough, if you put your mind to it then I’m sure you could.”
Though, truthfully, he didn’t know. He registered that youma had once been human, but most of them? The ones that couldn’t talk or think? He didn’t think they could be saved.
But if there was a part of Bazzite, the real Bazzite, still in there…
Maybe he had a chance.
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Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 10:53 pm
No, he wasn't the sort, but he'd looked for answers anywhere he could think of. He really had tried his best...but there was nothing. The others words, to not give up, did have him for a brief moments wanting to laugh and point out that he'd tried. There was nothing out there. He didn't want to risk tinkering with his starseed again, or what was left of it, he might just do more damage if that was at all possible. But the other was right...maybe there was something...where he didn't know though.
"Maybe....I've tried everything I could think of. But you are right...I don't like to quit...and I don't like being wrong." He'd messed up with Bazzite, he had to fix it. How though?
"The problem is fixing a shattered starseed....I don't know if we can do that...how to fix something like that. It was too much energy which did it....so energy, I don't think, could be used to mend it or hold the bits together. I don't even know if all of them are there to be held together." He doubted it, he was certain some had just become dust. If they could, with something, be held together than maybe....but how to get all the bits and with what to bond them?
he had thought of it once before, what hadn't he thought of? But there was nothing to be found on the matter. Also, there was no one who was likely to allow him to tinker about or who had information which could help him. Could Metalia herself know something? But how to even speak to that entity? Did anyone, aside from the Queen the the king's and queen's of lesser ranking, get to speak with Metalia?
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 9:36 pm
Jett shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t have much experience with starseeds. All I know is that I don’t let anything stop me when I want something.”
And, it was true. Jett had always fought for what he wanted. Any obstacle in his way was only a bump in the road. He never let anything keep him down, and he was persistent and prideful enough that quitting never registered to him.
He believed in himself, no matter the difficulties that stood in his way.
“You should branch out and talk to others,” he suggested. “Just because you’ve run out of ideas doesn’t mean someone else doesn’t have any. Does the Negaverse run experiments on youma, or have starseed logs? Find someone who researches them and see if they know anything. Or, if you’re feeling ballsy, start finding Senshi. If you use your manners and ask nicely, there’s a lot of them willing to run their mouth.”
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 11:31 pm
"Perhaps your faction is lucky, you don't deal with starseeds." They were an easy to break thing and rather delicate. Not to mention exactly what one was. But it was how corruption was done and how energy was gained - they were powerful.
"We don't run experiments to my knowledge. Each officer tends to work on there own and only talks to those they need to...or the higher ups. So what one does I don't know about...even energy gathering plots. I don't always know about those, I got caught in the hospital incident as did my older cousin." Shrugging. That was one thing he did dislike. He wished everyone knew about such things, they could at least then offer to help or avoid something. he would have avoided the hospital tour had he known, and made sure his cousin had as well.
"Hmm...I'll have to find some senshi who don't know me. I've made my fair share of enemies and burnt a few bridges..." He could also, and might even, check with some of his own. Though it seemed there were more new people around lately, as opposed to those who had been around as long as he had. Some might know though...even some young one might have an answer for him. There was no telling what someone might get into, time in the Negaverse didn't matter in this case really.
"How has your court been doing? I mean it's a small group and I don't know your standing with the white moon." Senshi and knights. "But I know with the Negaverse it's person to person so all over the place."
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Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 12:37 pm
Jett shrugged. “We’re fine,” he said, somewhat noncommittally. While he trusted Alex, he had become a bit more hesitant with all things Negaverse related in recent years. Some members of his Court were more interested in maintaining an alliance with the Negaverse and Remarque figured it was enough to keep them in their good graces. He played the game of politics, though.
“No one’s wiped us out, we’re doing our own thing. We usually don’t have to come up with elaborate schemes to get more energy, and since we don’t handle starseeds we don’t have that to worry about, either. We’ve got enough to keep us going,” or, at least; he assumed. Mirrorspace hadn’t come crashing down on them, the wraiths weren’t revolting, and their powers all seemed to be in tact.
All in all, that seemed to indicate that things were at least going okay.
“We try to keep to ourselves. Everyone is so busy with their own role in the war, we just try to stay out of things. How are you and the White Moon doing? I haven’t heard of any major altercations recently. Sometimes that almost makes me worry that someone is planning something. Anything I need to know about?”
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Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2017 12:23 am
"Yeah, I'm glad no one has. I don't mind the dark mirror court." They did have it lucky in that, no need for big things to pull in lots of energy. Though he did wonder what they needed any energy for? Since they didn't grab so much he did wonder. What did it go to, the Negaverse' went to maintaining a lot and feeding the youma and what not. There was a heavy need for it.
Laughing softly he shook his head. "Things have been rather silent but no, nothing on our end that I'm aware of. I'd tell you if I knew. I can't speak for the other side. I will say now that I wasn't aware of the events at the hospital that opened in the city, I got caught in that myself. The same goes for the giant bird youma. Had I known I'd have warned you." Remarque was a friend and while some might question it, might think him disloyal, he still held to the original idea of a truce and a pact of sorts between the dark mirror and the Negaverse. He had no reason to dislike the other side. They were all chaos, they just served a different power. He would help, where he could, he wasn't going to give names and he knew Remarque wouldn't out him for helping.
He knew Negaverse agents weren't told to dislike the dark mirror or consider them enemies. It was a sort of gray area.
"If there is anything which comes up, amongst your own, and you need help you know you can ask. I've already had one of yours in my home after a battle. They did get some care and attention from myself and my team. If it's ever needed by any of yours...I'll help again. You can let them know I'm a friendly face on the battlefield." So long as Remarque's dark mirrors didn't attack him, didn't start a fight with him, he would work with them. It paid to have magic on your side anyway, but it did go beyond that.
"I'll even keep any over if it's needed, if they are too tired or injured to move." Nodding his head as he spoke seriously - honestly. He would do what he could to help his friends court. Being friends with Remarque, and knowing Leto, he wasn't about to cross swords with either of the royals. He'd help them and their court, they hadn't done him wrong.
"I heard a few of yours kept Katya safe earlier this year during some wraith event. I have to thank you and yours for keeping her with you and safe. She's important to me." He cared for her, even if she was bossy and thought she owned him and his home. "She was also rather proud of helping to awaken one of your senshi, though I don't remember who off hand. If you need her for anything I think she'd be more than willing to help again. She takes pride in such things - something to hold above the heads of others and such."
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