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 Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 8:33 am
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Quote: A new shop has opened up, just in time for the Star Festival! It doesn’t have anything on the menu except for Starlight Cookies and Moonlight Milk, but they are the talk of the town! Everyone who’s anyone has tried them, and without a doubt, they’re the most delicious things that they’ve ever tasted! Though...the reviews don’t mention that after you've had any, your eyes begin to glow strangely and sparkle like little galaxies are swirling within them. It’s beautiful, if a little strange! The effect fades after an hour, and your vision isn’t impacted...though, if you go to try the cookies again, the shop seems to have disappeared…
Roselite bought the cookies with Bloodstone’s money. Dozens of them, because he heard they were good and he thought his allies might enjoy them. Bloodstone gave Roselite free reign to buy whatever he thought was necessary, so long as he didn’t go overboard. Roselite didn’t think this counted. Besides, he left notes saying “Courtesy of Captain Bloodstone,” so Bloodstone would get all the credit.
There were plenty of places in the Dark Kingdom to leave his offerings. A meeting room in the castle. The barracks. The infirmary — which Roselite questioned at first, certain that sick and injured people shouldn’t be sustaining themselves on sweets, but he thought it might be nice for the agents who volunteered there and left a small offering. He left a dozen for Captain Bloodstone in the office, and a dozen more for General Faustite. Roselite even summoned enough bravery to drop some off with the corrupt Senshi who answered General King Axinite’s door.
The last place Roselite visited was the computer lab. Though the intent was to slip inside, leave a box of cookies on one of the tables, and sneak out before he could disturb anyone who might be making use of the computers, he stopped when he caught sight of a familiar figure.
He did wonder if, after joining the Negaverse, he would ever run into the corrupt senshi dressed in brilliant orange robes again.
“Hi,” Roselite said, quiet but pleased to see the senshi here, offering a small smile in greeting. “Um… Would you like some cookies? Courtesy of Captain Bloodstone. Well, mostly me, but…” It probably wasn’t worth it to explain. |
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 12:49 pm
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The past few weeks had been… interesting. He didn’t know where he stood with Faustite. Although they talked (sort of), Kamacite still wasn’t sure if there was anything he could do that would let Faustite forgive him for getting his youma killed.
Although, Kamacite certainly hadn’t intended for that to happen. Still, he would take the responsibility if that helped.
He looked up when he saw the shy looking Lieutenant make his way into the room, and Kamacite had to remember what he was even doing. He had been finishing up a report, right? He must have already submitted it, because there was nothing on the screen.
“Oh. Thank you,” he said, because it would be rude to refuse. Just to make sure he wouldn’t embarrass himself unnecessarily, Kamacite used the sleeve of his robes to quickly mop up any moisture from his eyes. He would just blame it on dust if asked.
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 1:03 pm
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“Um…”
Roselite certainly didn’t miss the way the corrupt Senshi wiped at his eyes, but he knew he would be prying if he asked about it, and Roselite was trying not to pry unless it seemed like people actually wanted to talk. Since this corrupt Senshi didn’t know him — certainly not like this — Roselite assumed he wouldn’t want to talk and it would therefore be rude of Roselite to point out, Hey, you look like you’re a little weepy. What’s that about?
It occurred to Roselite that he had few friends here despite his four months of dedicated service. He wasn’t even sure if the people he did know could be considered friends.
So Roselite took a breath to psyche himself up for a conversation.
“Um… I wanted to thank you… for the time you—” He stopped when he realized the corrupt Senshi would have no idea what he was talking about if he continued wording things that way. “I mean… before this… before I became a Lieutenant—… Last year, you saved me from a youma, and… I was drunk at the time, but I remember you, and… I wanted to thank you again, so…” He held out the box of cookies. “Please take as many as you like.”
But what if the Corrupt Senshi didn’t like cookies? Or had some sort of allergy? Were these cookies gluten free?
“Or… um… if you don’t want any, that’s… that’s okay, but... I’d still like to thank you!”
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 1:55 pm
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Teal eyes grew wider than they already were — if that was possible.
“Yuuri!” It was half an exclamation and half a gasp.
Roselite wasn’t surprised, considering Yuuri was the only other person he knew, but he was shocked. They’d been friends (or sort of friends?) for months now and Roselite hadn’t even suspected that Yuuri might somehow be involved. He was so quiet and polite and sort of shy…
Very much like Jonah himself, actually.
And here Jonah was, quiet and polite and sort of shy, a Lieutenant in the Negaverse.
But Yuuri was an Eternal, which meant he’d been doing this for much longer.
“I… Since when have you—… So have… Um… After we met that first time… When I brought you to August’s apartment…”
Eventually, Roselite lost track of what he was trying to ask. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment to get his bearings, forcing himself to focus on Kamacite’s question instead.
“I… Yes. I report to August—... I mean, Captain Bloodstone!” he explained, wincing as he said it and looking to Kamacite again. “He said I have potential and introduced me to General King Axinite, but… I think he just wanted someone to do his paperwork. Which is fine! I don’t mind doing paperwork, and I’ve helped General Faustite sometimes, too, and…”
Great, now he was rambling.
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 2:09 pm
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Kamacite didn’t mind Jonah’s rambling. If anything, it was a comfort to be able to really piece together his personality under the guise of a Lieutenant. And it meant that Kamacite didn’t have to say much.
But when it seemed as though Jonah started getting a bit too flustered, Kamacite slowly crossed the distance between them so he could reach out and wrap his arms around his friend. Jonah was too kind of a person to be involved with some of the things the Negaverse did, but it was a bit of a relief to hear that he was just there to do paperwork. Maybe that meant he would be kept out of danger.
Although knowing that he also did work for General Faustite wasn’t… concerning exactly, but the sadness that had been eating away at Kamacite before seemed to come back. Which meant he needed to hug Jonah harder.
“I’m glad you’re not White Moon,” he admitted, because it would have broken his heart knowing that his friend had been on the other side of the war, and was in danger of being hurt, or worse. Kamacite finally pulled back after some long moments, but kept his hands on Jonah’s shoulders, looking him over.
“I hope you’re being careful around… Captain Bloodstone…?” he confirmed. “I’m glad that he favors you, so I don’t think he’ll hurt you, but I don’t think he cares if anyone else lived or died.”
He could still see the cruel glint in August’s eye as his hand reached into his chest, after Jonah had brought him to August for help.
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 5:42 pm
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Roselite stiffened when Kamacite hugged him, but relaxed quickly and returned the embrace.
It was… awkward. Roselite didn’t often get to hug people. His family wasn’t the hugging type, and he didn’t have a lot of friends, so he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d been hugged. But it was nice, too, because Yuuri was his friend, and Roselite felt warm and supported and safe, and he hoped Kamacite felt the same.
“I’m… glad you’re not White Moon, too?” Roselite said.
Which was true, but if it had turned out that Yuuri was…
Well, there were options.
When Kamacite pulled away, Roselite nodded his head, because he was careful around Bloodstone. August had never hurt him, as a civilian or as a Captain, though he could be a bit cold and blunt. It didn’t take long for Jonah to realize that was just August’s way and he shouldn’t take it personally.
Even if he did take it personally sometimes.
“I know he’s…” Mean? Cold? Probably a killer? “He does what he has to as… as a Captain, but… he’s as kind to me as he can be. Everyone else, he…”
Roselite didn’t know what to say to explain Bloodstone, so he just shrugged helplessly.
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 5:50 pm
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Kamacite frowned a little more when Jonah started explaining the reason he didn’t really have to worry about Captain Bloodstone, and while Jonah probably didn’t have to worry about it like others, that didn’t mean the Captain wasn’t dangerous.
“He took my starseed,” Kamacite revealed, wanting Jonah to know exactly who he was dealing with. “When you left to get supplies when I was injured and at his place. He took my starseed when I couldn’t fight back. I… don’t know why he put it back, but he obviously did. I pretended to be asleep for a while when you came back in, but… that’s why I left as quickly as I could.”
He didn’t know if Jonah would even believe him, if he was that trusting of Bloodstone. Maybe Jonah would accuse him of trying to make Bloodstone out to be worse of a person than he was, or something ridiculous. But Jonah had the right to know, and Kamacite could say he did his best to warn him.
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 6:00 pm
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Roselite believed him.
Somehow, Roselite didn’t have a hard time imagining exactly what happened.
He might be naive, and he often liked to think the best of people, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew what Bloodstone was capable of.
That didn’t mean Roselite wasn’t angry about it. He took Yuuri to August for help, because he trusted August to do so. At the time, he hadn’t known that August was Bloodstone, just as he hadn’t known Yuuri was Kamacite, but he went to August because he knew August would be able to treat the stranger who became his friend, and August said he would. Their real identities had nothing to do with the situation.
Except August seemed to think “helping” meant snatching an easy starseed.
Roselite inhaled deeply, frowning. He wanted to comfort Kamacite, apologize for August’s cruelty, but he also wanted to give Bloodstone a piece of his mind, and he wouldn’t be able to do that if he didn’t act right then. His bravery would desert him before long.
“I’ll be right back,” he said. “Or… I’ll text you after. I just… I’m sorry, I have to—… He has to know that’s not okay. I’m sorry he did that, I’ll… Please, take these and I—”
Roselite handed the box of cookies to Kamacite.
“Just… give me ten minutes. We can go get coffee.”
With that, Roselite turned on his heel and marched out of the room, making his way toward Bloodstone’s office.
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