After one AM and he was finally in the park. This park attracted more people in this war than he thought imaginable. It was one of the larger places to prowl, and it was active, even now. There were couples taking walks, drunken boys being boys; loud and rowdy. At one point he would have found this easy pickings to gather energy. Now, however, he has an anxious feeling eating at him from the inside.
He jumped from a tree to stand on top of a street light lining the path.
There was one reason he had come out. If he chose to become a Negaverse agent… could he opt out? Could he maybe change over to protect instead of harm?
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The park was, admittedly, a hotspot for powered individuals to patrol. Celsus himself had designated it as his favored spot to be, mostly because there were times he could amble through the thick shrubs and the high, gnarled trees and be perfectly content with the scent of grass in his nose and the brush of wind against his face.
He was there now; a random night of the week in which Cordelia was working, and Lorne was out with his lady, and Hitch was - well, wherever Hitch was. Certainly not at home, and also not patrolling, otherwise he would be where his husband was, and since Emrys was currently meandering quietly alongside Celsus, it seemed unlikely that Hitch - or rather Eurydike - was available at present.
A small flutter of a power signature curled around Celsus’s senses. He glanced sideways at his twin, Emrys tilting his head, a frown on his pale face, as though not quite sure of what he was feeling. The long staff in his hand wasn’t quite tall enough to be used as a makeshift walking staff but he used it like one anyway, the end of it pressing into the frosty grass beneath their feet.
“Feel that?”Celsus murmured, and Emrys nodded, eyes slightly narrowed. “Over there,” he said, and Celsus followed his gaze to catch sight of a tall, dark haired man a short distance away. Chaos rolled off of him, curling towards them; a strong aura, which meant they needed to be wary.
“Stay calm,” Celsus said, and then approached quietly - or rather, as quietly as one could be when one’s uniform was half made out of jangling gold coins.
“Good evening,” Celsus said pleasantly, once they were within earshot. “What’s a lone officer of the Negaverse doing out here, if I may be so bold as to ask?”
He had the whip in hand, but his weapon was loose at his side, fingers lax.
He was there now; a random night of the week in which Cordelia was working, and Lorne was out with his lady, and Hitch was - well, wherever Hitch was. Certainly not at home, and also not patrolling, otherwise he would be where his husband was, and since Emrys was currently meandering quietly alongside Celsus, it seemed unlikely that Hitch - or rather Eurydike - was available at present.
A small flutter of a power signature curled around Celsus’s senses. He glanced sideways at his twin, Emrys tilting his head, a frown on his pale face, as though not quite sure of what he was feeling. The long staff in his hand wasn’t quite tall enough to be used as a makeshift walking staff but he used it like one anyway, the end of it pressing into the frosty grass beneath their feet.
“Feel that?”Celsus murmured, and Emrys nodded, eyes slightly narrowed. “Over there,” he said, and Celsus followed his gaze to catch sight of a tall, dark haired man a short distance away. Chaos rolled off of him, curling towards them; a strong aura, which meant they needed to be wary.
“Stay calm,” Celsus said, and then approached quietly - or rather, as quietly as one could be when one’s uniform was half made out of jangling gold coins.
“Good evening,” Celsus said pleasantly, once they were within earshot. “What’s a lone officer of the Negaverse doing out here, if I may be so bold as to ask?”
He had the whip in hand, but his weapon was loose at his side, fingers lax.
Two signatures prickled his senses as he stood there. He looked around for a moment without turning his head, just scanning to see if they were coming from his front. Honestly, he didn’t want to move. Some senshi would pass by him and be done. Others, well, the slightest movement from an agent sent them into a frenzy of attacks.
They were getting closer. His heart rate picked up as he prayed to whoever was watching over him this could be the meeting he wanted it to be.
Then someone spoke.
He turned his head and spotted the pair. Two men it looked like. Interesting. He was expecting girls. His hands went up showing no weapon. It was attached to his hip, the overly large sewing needle sword. After all, he was only a captain.
“Yo,” came his baritone voice, waving sharply with his right hand. There was still a band where his engagement ring had been. They wouldn’t know it. “I’m actually… wanting to talk about something?” His tone took on something almost desperate. Please listen to me, it said. “Really. I don’t want nothing else but my questions answered. It’s not for like… intel or anything. I just...”
There was no reason they should believe him, but at his core, he was an honest man. “I got some questions is all.”
You don’t leave your house for months, and suddenly you become socially inept. This was going to go well.
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The man was unfamiliar to only one of them; Celsus gave him a slightly curious look, but beside him, Emrys stiffened, his posture changing visibly, and as Celsus glanced at him, he saw the paleness of his face under the freckles, his eyes flickering.
Clearly someone he had run into before, though Emrys didn’t speak. Celsus let his gaze move back to the Captain, keeping his voice even as he said, “Talk about what, exactly? I presume it’s something rather important, as your kind rarely like to talk. Though admittedly, I have tried,” he added, giving his twin a small smile. “I prefer talking, actually. It keeps my face looking pretty.”
Which was saying something, considering the long scar that ran from forehead to jaw, intersecting Celsus’s left eye, the pupil a little lighter than his other, a paler, washed out green.
“By all means,” he said, as Emrys maintained his stony silence, for whatever reason that was. Celsus would learn eventually, he knew.
“What would you like to discuss?”
His voice was quite pleasant and calm; no trace of sarcasm or negativity, and holding a note of absolute genuity, because if there was ever anyone who did not immediately attack the Negaverse unless necessary, it was Celsus.
Clearly someone he had run into before, though Emrys didn’t speak. Celsus let his gaze move back to the Captain, keeping his voice even as he said, “Talk about what, exactly? I presume it’s something rather important, as your kind rarely like to talk. Though admittedly, I have tried,” he added, giving his twin a small smile. “I prefer talking, actually. It keeps my face looking pretty.”
Which was saying something, considering the long scar that ran from forehead to jaw, intersecting Celsus’s left eye, the pupil a little lighter than his other, a paler, washed out green.
“By all means,” he said, as Emrys maintained his stony silence, for whatever reason that was. Celsus would learn eventually, he knew.
“What would you like to discuss?”
His voice was quite pleasant and calm; no trace of sarcasm or negativity, and holding a note of absolute genuity, because if there was ever anyone who did not immediately attack the Negaverse unless necessary, it was Celsus.
Something in Rutile relaxed, a small smile taking hold of him before he caught himself. He had to be professional didn’t he? Ugh. He pushed his dark hair out of his face with his hand before the jumped off the street light he was standing on and moved toward a bench, getting behind it. His hands always visible, resting now on the cold wood of the bench.
“I joined this of my own free will to…. Protect a future I saw in a dream. But..” He sighed and hung his head. “Joining an organization that goes against what you believe to try to protect someone important to you…. Then you part ways when you’d been planning on getting married and everything?” It was getting really personal. There was a tightness to his voice, like he was struggling to not bring emotion into what he was saying. The grip on the bench shifted, clenching tighter and tighter, his grip nearly white knuckled.
“So since I did it willingly, can I… opt out? Switch sides? I don’t want to hurt anyone anymore. I don’t want to…. Live in constant fear that I’m going to be hunted by some military from outer space or whatever. I still don’t even know what I am.”
He looked between the two, the one who seemed pale and the other. They looked similar.
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Celsus listened silently, without interruption, feeling the tenseness in Emrys’ arm brushing against his. He should not have been surprised to hear that yet another person had become disenchanted with the Negaverse, and he wasn’t; but there was a persisting feeling of disappointment and frustration that welled under the sympathy, because how long would this have to go on? How many more people would join the Negaverse for all the wrong reasons before they realized what was right?
“You can,” said Celsus simply, without preamble. “You can choose to redirect yourself. Choose a new path. That is always a choice, and one that must be made willingly, because I do not believe in forcing that on someone, and neither, I believe, do most others.”
Though he couldn’t say for certain. Gevaudan and Castor both came to mind as two extremely vocal and violent members of Order who would likely stop at nothing to achieve their goals, after all. It would not have surprised him if they forced purification on an individual out of revenge, and there likely were others who would as well.
But he couldn’t focus on that, because right now, there was someone in need, and he had to think about this man in front of him first and foremost.
Emrys spoke up, unexpectedly. “What made you change your mind?” he asked quietly, and his voice was low, expression still tense. “How can we be sure that this is what you actually want and not just something you’re doing to trick us into something?”
“You can,” said Celsus simply, without preamble. “You can choose to redirect yourself. Choose a new path. That is always a choice, and one that must be made willingly, because I do not believe in forcing that on someone, and neither, I believe, do most others.”
Though he couldn’t say for certain. Gevaudan and Castor both came to mind as two extremely vocal and violent members of Order who would likely stop at nothing to achieve their goals, after all. It would not have surprised him if they forced purification on an individual out of revenge, and there likely were others who would as well.
But he couldn’t focus on that, because right now, there was someone in need, and he had to think about this man in front of him first and foremost.
Emrys spoke up, unexpectedly. “What made you change your mind?” he asked quietly, and his voice was low, expression still tense. “How can we be sure that this is what you actually want and not just something you’re doing to trick us into something?”
He went still when they confirmed he could switch over if he was willing. Rutile was more than that. A pink tongue came out, pierced, and he went his lips before shaking his head a little. He could get out of this. Thank whoever was up there.
But then he was asked what made him change his mind and how did they know it wasn’t a trick.
“Well,” he started, a hand nervously rubbing his neck. “It’s not a trick, but you’ll just have to trust me on that. And what made me want to opt out? That’s a bit of a uuuh personal story but. I never wanted to hurt people to begin with. I had someone to protect. Someone important to me that was going to spend her life with me. I saw our future! We had kids, we were together, happy. So happy, and I was Rutile.” There was a gesture with both hands, motioning to himself. “I was like this, but with her and our kids.”
The light died in his eyes as he thought about what happened next. “We split. Our future cracked and broke right in front of me and we’re not together anymore. I haven’t powered up in so long, fearing running into her, then later fearing the Negaverse was going to come after me because I’m not pulling my weight. I’m terrified of what they’d do to me if they found me. I have no purpose anymore to them. I had no loyalty to them, but her. Now I’m just floating around without any kind of security. No one I can talk to about this kind of thing. Hell, I figure if I brought it up with anyone hire than me, wanting out, they’d make my life even worse...” Rutile’s voice trailed off as he looked up from the ground. He hadn’t realized he’d been looking down the entire time.
“I want to protect. I want to make sure that what I had to do, what they’re doing, doesn’t happen anymore. But… I don’t want to hurt anyone anymore. I’ve never liked fighting. So I wasn’t… sure if there was some middle ground. Senshi, knights… I don’t know. I just don’t want to be Rutile anymore.”
