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 Posted: Mon May 17, 2021 3:50 am
He still wasn't sure about Cymophane. He told himself that judgment would come in time, but his frustrations for not knowing instantly wouldn't yield. Tiny creature was smaller than he was, louder mouthed, and reckless enough to make use of it. Those were estimates. Estimates left Faustite cagey.
He didn't speak for a time; instead, he focused on the mosaic of stairwells and corridors that made up the guts of the Citadel. Often, there were enough ways to reach the same destination that he didn't need to worry about encountering others in his passing. This path was no exception; they went from passing several officers, to passing few officers, to passing none at all. Once they reached the empty corridors of the long unused Citadel areas did Faustite gain enough distance from his thoughts.
Besides, he found it easier to exist in the ruined parts of the Citadel, where nothing looked too delicate to burn.
"Disaster, wasn't it?" The first words spoken to his friend had echoed through the empty inner bailey. Crystals had formed around the windows, obstructing most of the view to a derelict zwinger, but Faustite nevertheless poked through a few of the more delicate facets for a better view. "Better if it wasn't a room full of strangers."
Should senshi show up, it would be as if they marched through that zwinger, he thought. Maybe, then, he should ask his friend to stay out of it. Cymophane, too, if they were of much significance to each other.
Foreign feeling cropped up for that, too.
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Posted: Mon May 17, 2021 8:33 am
Kamacite quietly followed Faustite through the corridors, and shook his head when he finally asked his question. “No, I don’t think so,” he said out loud, because it was polite to make sure his answer was heard since he figured Faustite was too distracted to see his gestures.
“You tried to have people introduce themselves. They wouldn’t be strangers if they were willing to work together as a team,” Kamacite frowned, wondering how they ended up with such a mismatched group of agents to follow through with this mission. So many seemed focused on themselves, or on their relationships. There was disrespect being thrown around, and he didn’t understand how the others weren’t mortified with themselves for being so rude.
“It will be fine as long as things don’t get out of control…”
But he paused with another frown, a little more thoughtful this time.
“Is your goal to drain civilians for energy, or lure out the White Moon…? It seems… forgive me… a little excessive for a short and straightforward energy draining operation,” he said as gently as he could, his voice quiet as it always was. He wasn’t trying to make it seem like he was judging Faustite’s mission plan, but they could have gone for stealth instead of making a full evacuation during peak work hours with youma to scare everyone out. They could have even gone with using the fire alarms and then drained everyone as they made their way down the stairwell.
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Posted: Mon May 17, 2021 12:37 pm
Cymophane liked to keep people guessing. Being a naturally cheerful sort, most people assumed there wasn’t much beneath his bright eyes and his equally bright smiles, but he was always watching, always listening, and always observing, filing away what bits and pieces he managed to pick up about his surroundings and the people he encountered, so that he might use it to his advantage later, if need be.
As they walked, he kept his smile in place, offering little waves to the agents they passed, until there were none left and they were alone. When they came to a stop, he stared around in absentminded exploration that wasn’t absentminded at all, though this was not discernable in his expression.
He found it intriguing, the way Kamacite spoke to Faustite. Gentle, polite, but unafraid. His usual nerves seemed to have been left behind at the meeting. Cymophane thought it reassuring. He was always trying to nudge Kamacite out of his shell.
There was but one question he could not determine an answer for. To speak, or to remain quiet? Cymophane didn’t get the impression that his opinion was as welcome as Kamacite’s, though that hardly bothered him. He was new, still relatively untested despite having a mission in the Rift under his belt.
In an organization like this, he would have to prove himself.
“With that group, things are bound to get out of control, whatever the goal is,” Cymophane said, his voice friendly, conversational, lacking criticism, simply stating facts.
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Posted: Mon May 17, 2021 6:47 pm
Sounded like Cymophane was more in agreement with him, but Kamacite's point still held credence. They may face failure, they may not. None had discovered a youma with crystal ball powers.
"Not lure. Measure." He looked from the crystal-stricken window to his friend, who held their peers and subordinates in better regard than Faustite thought they deserved. "It's a bold stroke, but a precise one. We need to know what kind of response the enemy will exhibit if we aren't timid about our operations. Whatever response we get sets a baseline.
"But we'll have reliable cover. Accounting for delays, the fire department and EMS will be on scene within fifteen minutes of a finished call. It's enough to ascertain a headcount if we get overwhelmed, or poach some energy if resistance is minimal.
"But I want us in a position to drain effectively if we have the opportunity." That sounded better, he thought, than his personal opinion. Better than he sounded when he went off at that Knight earlier.
"Cymophane is right, though." The firecraft General started to pace. "That group has a few nights to change their attitudes. If they don't, we're looking at avoidable casualties." Miyamoto, in particular, concerned him — someone so emotionally ruled that they refused to heed orders, and focused singularly on engaging the enemy. He couldn't be trusted to stay in formation on the frontlines, and would break rank within, but Faustite hoped that he'd have fewer opportunities to do so, and fewer people would try to rescue his a** from murder.
But — maybe he wouldn't show up at all. He hadn't demanded anyone's participation.
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Posted: Tue May 18, 2021 7:06 pm
Kamacite frowned with obvious concern. Faustite’s intentions were to lure out Senshi and Knights, regardless of any other term he decided to use for it. They would be drawn to an attack like this.
Maybe.
“It’s possible that during the middle of the day it’s less convenient for the White Moon to show up. Jobs, school,” he offered examples, and then cast a glance towards Cymophane sympathetically. Kamacite knew Cymophane wouldn’t mind cutting into any time he could use for filming, but Kamacite would still want to make it up to him.
“We’re lucky that we don’t have to worry about those things,” he continued, with a nod to gesture to the three of them. They might need to run a few more tests to measure response based on time of day, day of the week, and other factors in order to get a true baseline, but Faustite seemed like he already thought things out, so it was just a matter of working with what he had planned.
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Posted: Wed May 19, 2021 7:47 am
At Kamacite’s glance, Cymophane shrugged, unconcerned about the disruption to his own life. He wouldn’t have joined the Negaverse if he didn’t have the time to devote to it. His schedule was all over the place; he worked when he had an idea, not at any set time. If he had deadlines, they were usually met well in advance.
But he was not other people. Other people had normal jobs that might interfere with their ability to respond to a threat (or participate in one, though no one seemed overly concerned about the timing at the meeting).
“You have a point,” Cymophane said, assuming his opinion wouldn’t count for much, but continuing the conversation anyway. “But we’d still end up with a decent headcount of those who are willing and able to respond. Some might work nearby. Wouldn’t that be valuable information, if we can get it?”
They’d have better luck with that if they had more bodies on the ground. How many people had attended the meeting just now? A dozen? Maybe a little more?
Not great numbers, in Cymophane’s opinion.
“I don’t mean to overstep, but…” Turning to Faustite, Cymophane let his smile diminish somewhat, just enough that he didn’t seem like such a vapid idiot. He continued, respectfully, “Do we not already have an idea of the sort of response we’d get? After all this time? I know people tend to come and go on both sides, but have things really been so stagnant lately that we need to test the enemy like this?”
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2021 6:36 am
Faustite understood Kamacite's intentions when he used the word 'lucky', but they were 'lucky' in vastly different ways. He nodded nonetheless, carefully biting back his own bitterness. They couldn't use this one-off as a standard unless more followed it, and formed an image of enemy response.
He'd shifted his weight from one hip to the next enough times that it exhausted its usefulness. Faustite returned to pacing, the firelight turning this way and that as it reflected off of their faces. Their questions were important, but the conversation should have occurred before Faustite incited any action from the Negaverse. It was his burden, he knew, and his mistake — he knew he had counsel in Kamacite, but grew too used to acting alone.
"I was gone for two years," he answered to Cymophane. "I looked up operations in my absence and found only a rescue mission in the Rift. Nothing to do with the enemy. No records of troop movements. If I go back further, I risk an unreliable baseline.
"Two years makes a terrible difference in most wars. In 1942, the Germans were winning. Two years later, the allies executed D-Day and closed in on victory. Our war can't be compared to anything else, I know, but —"
He turned and paced the other direction. "Haven't seen many familiar faces since I left. Enemies, allies. My subordinates are gone. My General is gone. I'm meeting strangers on the battlefield. If that isn't just my experience, then we can't assume the same baseline that we had years ago when we're not engaging any of the same combatants."
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2021 7:21 pm
Kamacite lowered his eyes, his jaw tight as he listened to Fausite respond to Cymophane. The last two years had been… difficult. He didn’t talk about it, although he suspected Cymophane knew how alone he’d been for that time. How he was torn between hope and despair. Most likely because Cymophane had similar experiences of loneliness, but coped differently than Kamacite.
At least he couldn’t imagine Cymophane curled up in bed, refusing to leave for who knew how long until he had to force food down his throat.
Those days were behind him, and he was doing better now, especially now that Faustite was back in his life.
“What do you want to do if things go poorly?” he asked then, because he didn’t like going into something dangerous without a backup plan. “Or if we’re overwhelmed…? If something--” he paused, because he didn’t want to say it, but eventually pulled his eyes up from the ground to look at Faustite. “If something happens to you, what do you want us to do?”
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2021 7:51 pm
Cymophane tipped his head in acknowledgement.
Though he was a fresh recruit, he was aware that the Negaverse was not quite what it used to be. He heard things sometimes. Whispers. Rumors. Names bandied about. Evidence of an invasion still existed in parts of the Dark Kingdom if one chose to look for it. Agents came and went over the years. Some died. Some might as well be dead — traitors who turned to the White Moon. Others went missing; Feldspar was saved from that fate, but others weren’t so lucky.
As the Negaverse changed, so too did the White Moon. Their numbers could swell, or dwindle. New faces would always arrive, some that might prove to be a nuisance. As some of them died, others rose to power.
Cymophane glanced at Kamacite, studying his face. As Kamacite’s friend, he pried as much as he thought Kamacite was comfortable with him prying, but never pushed him hard enough to get Kamacite talking about the last few years. Kamacite never offered much information willingly, so Cymophane assumed it was off limits.
Naturally, his curiosity was roused. Cymophane squashed it for now.
In the wake of Kamacite’s line of questioning, Cymophane kept his mouth shut. On this topic, he didn’t think it was his place to comment.
Silently, he looked toward Faustite again, expectant.
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2021 9:53 pm
A smart question that no one else had the gall to ask. Faustite answered it as he answered any others. "Take charge." shifting, he paced in the opposite direction, gaze occasionally landing on his friend or Cymophane or the broken grace of the Citadel. "Order a retreat. Tell everyone they did well, focus on energy and starseed gains at the debriefing with Axinite, and entomb me in the Rift." It wasn't an unreasonable list.
And it did not foist the burden of command onto Kamacite for long. In theory, Kamacite could command. He had the ranking for it, a sound mind, and understood how to think critically. In praxis, his nerves or his experiences shut him down, and any time in a spotlight situation instantly hampered him. Could he manage it for an order to withdraw? Faustite hoped so.
If not… He was dead anyway, never to come back to this stultifying universe.
"Oh, and don't hold a funeral."
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Posted: Mon May 31, 2021 8:56 am
Death hadn’t been at the forefront of his mind when he asked what they should do, but he supposed that was a possibility as well. Since there was no telling how things would turn out, being prepared for alternate outcomes was just as important as preparing for the mission itself.
Kamacite knew that better than many others, he suspected.
He shifted uncomfortably on his feet, but nodded to let Faustite know that he heard him, but he wouldn’t shower him with potentially empty promises to keep everyone alive. They were intending to gage the enemy response, which could be overwhelming, or nothing at all.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” he frowned, especially since he didn’t know how he would fair if it came to him having to take charge. He could imagine it now -- riddled with anxiety and stuttering into the communicator. His inability to provide proper direction would likely result in the deaths of their companions. He would be shunned as incompetent, or worse, a traitor for allowing such a tragedy to happen.
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Posted: Mon May 31, 2021 11:57 am
Morbid, Cymophane thought, and, Dramatic.
He understood the risks. Inane as he might often appear, Cymophane was certainly aware of what he’d gotten himself into when he joined the Negaverse. He wouldn’t have joined otherwise. He knew the dangers. He recognized the possibility of an unpleasant end. Death followed them all. Sometimes, they brought death to others. Just as often, death claimed one of them.
That was the nature of war. Either they’d win, or they’d lose, and countless people would suffer in the meantime.
The topic did not diminish Cymophane’s good mood. He put a pair of supportive hands on Kamacite’s shoulders, offering him a teasing squeeze followed by a playful little shove.
“Well, at the very least, you can count on me,” he said.
Perhaps the smile would leave his face one day.
But not today.
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Posted: Mon May 31, 2021 1:59 pm
"It won't," Faustite cajoled. "Not as long as our soldiers follow orders." Short of treachery or abandonment (which was also treachery), Faustite had no intentions dying to a scouting and draining operation. He couldn't imagine the heedless negligence that would get him killed, either.
"Better that you're both there. Even if you're the only two to follow the plan, you'll set an immaculate example for the rest." And they needed it, judging by the meeting. Each moment of reflection left him uneasier for the operation ahead, but he already cemented its being by virtue of holding the mission. There was no choice to back out. There was no choice but to place his faith in their troops, regardless of his past experiences with them. How precarious.
"If that's all, I have more reconnaissance to do." He looked to his friend, whom he would have invited along, though Kamacite might have more business with Cymophane. Cymophane's casual insubordination suggested there might've been more pleasure than business, however. Faustite tightened his jaw.
Well. There was always chatting over the communicators while he worked.
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Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2021 4:41 pm
Kamacite glanced over his shoulder at Cymophane, temporarily placated by his encouragement and playfulness. They could count on Cymophane. He might be new to the Negaverse, but he seemed to know the darker side of the world whether he admitted to it or not.
He had a feeling that all three of them had their dark secrets, and somehow it drew them together.
When Faustite looked at him, Kamacite paused. He wanted to reach out and offer the same encouragement -- a pat on the shoulder, or a hug. But the fire that singed everything Faustite touched was a difficult obstacle to work around. Besides, he wasn’t entirely sure a hug in front of Cymophane would be appropriate.
“Let us know if there’s anything we can do to help,” he offered with a nod, and then turned to Cymophane so they could head out.
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