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 Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2017 7:10 am
When Orcus had managed to tumble from the mirror that had, in effect, been her entrance into the world of the Dark Mirror Court, she could hardly believe her luck. As mirrorspace had roared and shifted around her during her flight, she'd resorted to praying for the mirror she finally dove into to drop her anywhere she could be safe.
As far as she was concerned right now, the park was safe.
Falling to her knees and then her side, she lay in the dry, nearly frozen grass and panted as her adrenaline levels sorted themselves out. Once she had her breath back, she reached for the little pouch that she'd used for wraith shards and reached in, withdrawing the crystal that she'd grabbed as she'd fled. This tiny thing was the key to freeing herself from the odd brand of Chaos that she'd been infected with. It was also what would forever lock her from the rest of the Court once used.
But once she used it, she'd be free. And freedom sounded so very sweet right now.
Cupping the crystal in her hands, she thought of the day Alodie had been saved. And of the shining figure who'd made it all happen. Closing her eyes, Orcus pressed the hands holding the crystal against her heart and called out with all of her being.
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Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 8:50 am
The night sky was alight with stars that shimmered and glittered like gemstones just out of reach. The stars that needed to be there were, but there was one extra shining for Orcus. Unlike the static stars that peppered the sky, this one seemed to shine just a little bit brighter, seemed to move. Seemed to respond to her call. It took only seconds, but Cosmos’ journey from the Cauldron to Earth spanned the distance of the universe. And yet, regardless of distance, she came when she could. She heard Orcus’ starseed calling to her and she landed before the woman in a burst of light that quickly faded. Her energy signature was almost warm and welcoming and had something distinctively different from the White Moon Senshi she so closely resembled. Her eyes found the Dark Mirror Senshi and she looked upon her softly. She held her staff closely and seemed to be resting on it. There was no blood, no corpse, no monsters to face—but, there was Orcus, in need. Damage could be done to more than the flesh and so Cosmos asked gently, “Are you all right?”
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Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 7:23 am
Forcing her weary body into a slightly more dignified sitting position, Orcus stared up at the woman before her, unconsciously relaxing in the warmth of her aura as she considered the question put to her. And when she answered, it was in a much gentler tone of voice than she would have normally used. Somehow, she knew that snark or icy aloofness would not be welcomed.
"In the last month or so, I have seen my cousin nearly die and become a monster before you stepped in. I have literally just fled from a place where up until now I have always felt safe and turned my back on a group of people who took me in. And somehow, in the middle of all of that, I managed to fall for a very silly girl who thinks in video game terms. I'm not sure if 'all right' is the term I'd pick."
Even as the words left her, the impact of them hit suddenly and Orcus began to shake. She was at the no going back point.
"The knight who was there the night you helped Alodie took her to watch over, you know. But he also very plainly stated that I am not allowed near her while I am... well, this," she waved a hand at herself, indicating her fuku. "I don't want to be this anymore. I don't want to be allied with monsters and... and..."
Snapping her mouth shut before nerves could become hysteria, Orcus simply held out the little crystal she'd retrieved, holding it for Cosmos' inspection.
"Can you do for me what you did for Alodie? I am tired of wandering about in the dark."
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Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2018 10:02 am
Cosmos listened quietly, patiently. She had a young fact, but there was something old and ancient about everything she did. She moved with a strange grace when she reached to accept the crystal the Senshi offered her. For a while, she did not speak; she examined the crystal with silent attentiveness. She examined every surface, every facet, and then finally nodded. “I can help you,” she answered. The Senshi knew what she was getting into; she had seen what Cosmos could do. She knew what she was asking. Gingerly, she held the crystal, and for a moment her eyes left it to find the face of the woman before her. “Do they know that you are coming?” She did not push the Chaos out immediately, but she had started the procedure. A white light glowed from her hand and began to envelop the crystal. It was soothing to watch, and Cosmos seemed keen to make this as painless as possible. But still, she wanted to make sure Orcus was ready.
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Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2018 1:41 pm
"I'm not quite sure which 'they' you mean," Orcus began softly, simply watching and allowing herself to relax further. "I think Whisler knows what I'm doing on some level. Alodie was unconscious when I let him take her. And Nereid...," Orcus' face became wreathed in a sheepish smile. "Who knows what she thinks, but she knows I've been working on a way to make sure that people can't use her against me."
It was very clear from the tone of her voice who 'people' meant.
Then, the tiny senshi sighed and shrugged eloquently. "I've seen the Negaverse nearly turn my poor, idiot cousin into a beast. The Court technically has an alliance with them. I choose not to follow that path anymore. I know what I'm doing, but it still hurts. Even so, I'm not going to let that stop me."
She paused again, looking up at Cosmos curiously.
"How do you help Dark Mirrors? Does it work the same as it did with Alodie?"
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Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 8:03 pm
Cosmos looked at Orcus and clarified, “‘They’. The knight, and Alodie. Your allies within the White Moon. But that is irrelevant if you are ready to leave the Chaos behind.” Having allies that knew to expect you was helpful, but not necessary, and Cosmos would rather get this done now, before she could change her mind. Or before someone could change her mind for her. “I help Dark Mirrors in a similar way. I cannot purify their starseed directly,” she explained carefully. “Mirrorspace claims a part of them that I cannot reach. The only way to purify a Dark Mirror Senshi is to reclaim yourself from Mirrorspace. If you bring me to me what it has trapped, I can destroy it—and Mirrorspace’s claim to your starseed. It will free you, and you can step into the light.”
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Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 5:25 am
Eye flickering from Cosmos' face to the bit of crystal that she'd retrieved during her flight from Mirrorspace, Orcus felt herself go cold as the blood drained from her face. Granted, she'd known there was some link between what she'd taken and her own starseed when she'd gone hunting. But Cosmos' explanation somehow made it sound horrifying.
Mirrorspace having an almost literal hold on her soul had certainly never been part of the recruiting speech.
Rather than let herself think about it to much, she gave herself a little shake, and sat up a little straighter. Then, after another moment, she forced her weary body to its feet and gave Cosmos a business-like nod.
"Well, as interesting, and frankly awful as that all is, the night's not getting any younger. Do I need to do anything while you're doing whatever it is you do? I'm as ready as I am ever going to get, I think."
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2018 5:47 pm
Cosmos watched her for a moment longer and then shook her head. “No. If you are ready, then so am I.” Her movements were careful and slow, like the ethereal being she clearly was. Her hands covered the strange little crystal that Orcus had retrieved from Mirrorspace and she drew in a single, slow breath before a she closed her eyes. She was concentrating, making sure she did this right. It wasn’t the same as pushing the Negaverse’s Chaos out of someone, but she wasn’t going to do anything that could endanger a Senshi who was just asking for help. A glow begin to leak from her skin; it covered her hands first, and then the crystal. She never wavered in her action, even as the color of the crystal seemed to bleed away. Tonight was her last night as a Dark Mirror Senshi. The light would welcome her home.
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Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2018 12:30 pm
Watching in mingled fascination and curiosity, Orcus couldn't help the little gasp that burst out of her as light in it's purest form seemed to leak from Cosmos' hands. And as she watched the color leeching from the false starseed, the tiny, irreverant part of her couldn't help but observe that no, this really wasn't anything like what had been done for Alodie.
But before she could track that thought further, she felt an almost crushing, squeezing pain within her own chest. It was very different from the pain she'd felt when that General had had his hand inside of her, trying to flood her starseed with the Negaverse's brand of Chaos. No, this felt like a last gasp, a pain meant to worry and trick her into begging Cosmos to stop. And that, she thought as she forced herself to remain standing, was not going to happen.
She forced herself to ignore the pain as best she could, instead focusing all her attention of Cosmos and the light seeping from her hands.
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Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2018 9:33 pm
Cosmos’ expression never changed; she kept the same reserved, gentle expression during the entire process. Never once did she falter. Instead, her eyes remained fixed on the Dark Mirror Senshi before her. Purification was not a painful process—not for her, but beneath her calm exterior she was always worried that it would be too much of a strain on whatever starseed she was handling. But, so far, so good. Orcus wanted this, and the resolve to be free of Chaos was enough to help her drive it from the starseed. Slowly, Mirrorspace’s hold on Orcus faded. Cosmos persisted, until the bond was broken. Until there was no longer a Dark Mirror Senshi standing before her.
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Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2018 11:18 am
When the bond broke, it was almost audible to Orcus. And it hurt. But the pain was similar to the times she'd had to put dislocated bones back in place. Painful, but afterwards, there was relief. Without realizing what she was doing, the diminutive senshi wobbled slightly and sank carefully to the ground, fingers plucking at the now white fabric of her fuku.
After a moment, she glanced up at Cosmos, an unreadable expression on her face.
"I... this is me, right? This is what I'm supposed to be?"
It seemed strange to see the white, but at the same time, there was an inner sense of rightness that she couldn't deny.
"Thank you," she whispered, looking up at the woman who'd freed her. "Thank you so much."
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Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2018 4:22 pm
Cosmos wore a peaceful expression—the slightest bit tired, but the smile on her face indicated that it was worth it to see Orcus standing before her. In white. “This is you,” she promised. “This is what you are supposed to be.” She let the Senshi rest for a moment and then took a step forward. Cosmos offered her hand to Orcus in a silent gesture to help pull her up. “I am proud of you, Orcus. Thank you. The world is already a better place. This was no small gesture, and I have faith that you will go far with the White Moon. I am truly grateful that you called upon me.” She smiled kindly and gave the woman’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “And if ever you need me, I hope you will call again.”
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 6:47 am
Taking the offered hand, Orcus marveled a little at how easily Cosmos seemed to pull her up to her feet. And this was after having purified her. Talk about strong! Still, she smiled in response and found herself unaccountably blushing the tiniest amount.
"I'll do my best not to disappoint," she murmured. The friendly squeeze to her hand caused Orcus to grin a little. And Cosmos request to be called on again should the need arise added an extra brightness to the expression. Actually laughing, albeit a bit tiredly, Orcus released the other's hand and took a half step back.
"Well, I don't have any more idiot cousins in thrall to the Negaverse, but I'll keep my eyes open for any others not related to me who might need help. And speaking of, I hope you won't think me rude after everything you've done," she spoke carefully, though there was a note of excited relief to her normally steady voice, "but I have a few phone calls I need to make. Whisler can't use what I was as an excuse to keep me from talking to my cousin anymore and making sure she's all right."
And she could find a way to contact Nereid too! But first, she had to get back to her hotel and call her cousin.
"Thank you again," she murmured one last time before smiling and backing up in preparation for turning and racing away. Or at least moving at a quickly quicker pace given how tired she was.
She gave Cosmos a friendly wave and hoped she wouldn't be found too rude. But she was tired and phone calls had to be made before she fell on her nose and slept for a week!
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