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Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2021 7:42 pm
This was, for Keiran, a thoroughly exciting prospect. It wasn't often that he sat at his bench in North End Park as a civilian, but it was early enough i the evening, and not one of the nights he was usually there--besides, few enough people knew about him yet, it was unlikely that anyone would come looking for Kerberos.
But he could bring Sam and Jesse here, and wait for Airi, and introduce them all again. It was a sort of excitement that made him bounce and twirl as they walked, and finally, he stopped, and dropped onto the bench. "We're here! And the person I want you to meet should be here soon."Sam frowned, standing tensely. It wasn't that he didn't trust Keiran--he did--it's that all three of them were targets, and being out in public in their civilian forms, especially at disk, was making him on edge.
"How long do we wait?" He asked, nervously.
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Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2021 9:14 pm
Jesse said nothing. His head was on Sammy's shoulder, with one hand firmly tangled in Keir's. His gaze slid from Kei to Sam as they exchanged small talk. Jesse understood Sam's panic, but the Negaverse wouldn't recognize them as civilian's. They had some for of safety net.. Maybe. He blinked, just staring off into nothing before he sighed and closed his eyes with a soft noise. -- Ahri paced nervously from his hiding spot a short distance away. He could see them. He was so close. He was so close to a family he had had and lost. Ahri'd found them. They were right there. But... But... Argh.Pulling out his phone, he blasted a text to Keir. Ahri felt like he couldn't breathe. Why was this so hard?To Keiran: Tree cluster to your left. Aslkdjfae Send Help??
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Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2021 6:02 pm
Keiran looked down at his phone when it buzzed, and sighed fondly, reading the message. He stood up, shaking his head.
"I'll be back," he said. "The person we're meeting needs a little...encouragement." He pulled Jesse's hand up to his lips and kissed the knuckles, before disentangling to walk over to where Ahri said he was.
He ducked into the copse of trees, and yes, there was Ahri. "You alright?"Sam frowned, but he dropped onto the bench to sit and wait.
"This is...a lot," he said, quietly, looking to Jesse for assurance. Keiran was being so vague, and so strange--who could it even be?
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Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2021 7:53 pm
Ahri whined. "N-no." He said, tugging at a strand of his hair. "I don't know what to do. I left on bad terms with both of them." What if neither of them wanted to talk to him... What if neither of them wanted to see him again. "I'm scared, Keir... What should I do???" Ahri glanced from the man, to the two on the bench. Maybe this had been a bad idea. Maybe it was still too soon. Jesse made a noise when his perch moved, frowning as he dragged himself over to the bench before resuming his position. "He's just excited." Jesse said softly. "He's always been easily excitable." The young man sighed again, closing his eyes as he got as comfortable. "They're not looking for us." He added. "I think it's been to long.. Yeah, you were a General but, you were in a lull... It's not like you were in the middle of anything important when you left. Last they saw you were poisoned by Chaos. I don't think they are all to surprised you dropped off the face of the planet." Jesse yawned, hiding it behind his hand. "I was even more of a dead beat, so I'm not worth anything to them. We kept it quiet and didn't tell anyone. They have no one to trace back to us."
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Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2021 9:41 pm
Keiran reached out, gently putting his hands on Ahri's shoulders. "Yeah. You left on bad terms. But here's your chance to fix things. To move forward and make something better." He sighed, quietly. "I know that sounds cheesy and stupid, but it's the only way forward."
He sobered, and kept his eyes on Ahri's face, even though he wanted to look away.
"When I first purified? I was so mired by all the red I saw in my ledger--all the people I'd hurt and killed--that I couldn't imagine ever having a future. But I found one. Because I looked forward, and you can too. And this is the first step there. Reaching out to people you care about, who will be happy to see you, because you're back. And they've missed you. All that bad stuff that happened? I bet it'll seem a lot less important when you're actually talking again."------------ Sam turned to nuzzle at Jesse's hair as he settled against his side. A soft smile crossed his face; there was something warm and comforting just about having Jesse with him, all wound up in each other. It had been so long since they had anything like that.....
"You're probably right. And if they were, they wouldn't take the extremely roundabout way of going through Keiran to find us as civilians." It was just...insanely unlikely.
And yet he worried.
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Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2021 8:17 pm
Ahri whined softly. "I don't know if I deserve to fix things. I hurt him, trying to push him into doing something... And... God, I don't even know where to begin with Na- er... Lyon you said? He resented me. I got so mad at him for things that were beyond his control. I knew deep down that wasn't him talking, not clearly anyway but I hated him. I hated myself, for hating him. I said nasty things, to both of them. I didn't care if they got hurt, were hurt." Ahri glanced at the pair on the bench with a sigh. "You did that stuff because you had to. You would have been in trouble otherwise. Yeah, the guys were probably more so under the watch of the Negaverse then you, but you would have likely gotten the worse of the two punishments for not doing what you needed to... I was never a fan of how Corrupts were treated... Even though they are suppose to be considered 'equal'." Not many saw that same sort of status... and those who did had lost themselves completely. With another sigh, he looked at Keir again. "...Go with me?" -- Jesse huffed, swatting at the offending nuzzle. "God, my hair is already a wreck." He groaned, sitting up long enough to tug the hood of his sweater up and over his head. "If anything, Keir is in more danger then either of us. We luck out in the fact our names changed. His didn't. He wasn't like some of other Corrupts that dawned a mineral instead of a star. He's still recognizable." To some degree, Kerberos had more of a target on his back then Nile or Lyonnesse ever would. "Though, his friend seems to do a decent enough job of keeping people at bay."
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Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2021 12:39 am
Keiran smiled, wryly. "None of us were more influenced by Chaos than you. You were broken by it. And yet here you are, whole and free, and yourself, and no one's servant." He made a brief 'hm' noise. "...Unless you're into that, I won't judge."
There was a glimmer of play in his eyes, but he was still very clearly serious.
"We all did terrible things to serve Metallia. But we can't forever be defined by our worst choices." He gave Ahri a gentle squeeze. "I'm with you all the way, friend. Now come on, let's go."------------ "Your hair looks good messy," Sam countered, but he ceased the offending nuzzling and moved to just...lean on Jesse. It felt comforting, just to be physically entwined with another person, especially one of the men he loved.
"It's true--it might take people a little longer to realize General Natron became Knight Lyonesse, or Captian Fangite became Squire Nile." A wry smile crossed his lips. "....Though I have to admit, I'd enjoy owning my treason. After everything they did to us." He sighed. "We're all lucky, though. And I hope it holds out."
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Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2021 6:18 pm
Ahri made a face. "One of us couldn't tell though." He paused. "Well, two, if we count Natron after coming back..." He fixed Ahri with a blank stare, before shrugging. Not something he'd know to much about. "...I always looked at it like it was just a color. Everyone had good and bad in them.. It's what they chose to act on that defined them." He sighed, glancing at the the pair on the bench. "O-okay.." -- Jesse rolled his eyes, though he released a content noise as Sam leaned against him. For once, he felt content. Not bothered by the things that have worried him since crossing sides. "Hmm.. It's not gonna take long at all if you sit there and say it out out." He said, glancing at the other. "We didn't have it too bad. It was fortunate that I wasn't stuck under someone else's watch when you brought me in. Those we worked with were relatively decent. Although, you seemed to be the one that picked fights with everyone, no matter where you went." While Lyonnesse wasn't actively trying to agitate Lellouch anymore, Jesse was quite certain the Corrupt bothered the Knight out of pure spite. His attention was snagged as Keiran came back, friend in tow. Ah well, happy feeling gone, he supposed. He snatched up Sammy's hand, holding it tightly, nervously. "...Keir? Who...?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 1:43 am
Keiran shook his head. "Everyone I've ever talked to has always said that Chaos is insidious. It infects you. Alters you. Changes the way you think. I know I noticed it in myself--I felt so much better once it was gone."
He shook his head, though, and gently took Ahri's hand, guiding him forward.
"Philosophical debates on the nature of corruption later. Re-introducing you to our friends now." So he brought them out and around, and then let go, so that he could broadly flourish.
"Sam, Jesse, this is my friend." He put a hand on Ahri's shoulder. "Ah, but before you recognize him..." He turned his head. "I think you'll have to show them, yeah?" He quirked his eyebrows. Surely Ahri would get the message.------------ Sam frowned, faintly. There was something just-almost-familiar, but he couldn't place it, not like this.
Whatever game Keiran was playing, though, he didn't seem nervous, and as much as Sam's anxiety wanted to strangle the sense out of him and insist that there was something nefarious here, it was Keiran, and if he'd wanted to betray them--which Sam didn't believe he would--there were a million easier ways.
"Show us what?" He wrinkled his nose.
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 8:29 pm
Ahri just shrugged. "I guess... I mean, I always knew my actions as a youma were a bit.. Ah... tame... in comparison to most. I could hold my composure around Corrupts better then I probably should have.." And for that he was grateful. Ahri wasn't sure what he'd have done if he had hurt Kerberos at any point. "I knew I was different than most but I don't think I ever thought I was infected... Just different." Keiran had to practically drag him after a certain point, nerves crashing back into him as he thought this was a bad idea. At one point he nearly tripped over his own feet. He stood awkwardly in front of the group. OhSo those were the names they took now. Huh... How fitting. He couldn't quite explain why it made sense to him... It just did. When Sam spoke, Ahri nearly jumped out his skin, crashing back to reality. "Huh? Oh... Uh... Show you this... I guess." Fidgeting with the ring on his finger, he took a deep breathe, and concentrated. Civilian faded to powered and Ahri gave way to Necromanteion. "Uuuh... Tada?" He said sheepishly. -- Jesse huffed quietly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie as Sammy's attention seemed to be dragged elsewhere. He seemed to shrink back inside his sweatshirt. A mildly impressive feat for someone over six feet tall. He shot a skeptical look between Keiran and this new person before sighing. "You're a Page. So what." That didn't mean they knew who this was. He'd definitely never met this Page before.
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 11:00 pm
Keiran was practically vibrating, anticipation taking him over as he looked form Jesse, to Sam, to Necromanteion.
It had taken him a moment, of course. But it seemed to be taking Jesse, at least, a little longer than it had taken him, and so with a huff, he reached up and flipped the little feather in Necromanteion's hair.
"Not familiar at all?" He asked, playfully.------------ Sam wrinkled his nose, looking the Page up and down. He had to take a long moment to consider, because the familiarity felt starker now that he was powered up--
And then Kerberos did the little gesture with the feathert, and Sam's eyes were drawn to it, and he gasped.
"Airi?" He shot up, and looked again--and there was a familiar bracer, with a familiar set of symbols. "Jes, look. I--are you--is it really you?"
It was only half a thought to power up to Lyonesse, so they were meeting Knight and Knight, and he gave the Page a broad, warm smile.
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Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 10:09 pm
It took everything in Necromanteion's power to not jump a short distance back when Keiran reached up towards the feather in his hair and twirled it around his finger. He could not, however, stop the flinch that tore through him. "Sorry..." He mumbled almost immediately afterwards, glancing at the smaller man. Though when Sammy spoke again, the Page gave a sheepish smile, and an even more timid wave of the hand. "Surprise?" Oh god, he must have sounded pathetic. "I... Uh.. Yes? Er.. Well, yes and no I guess?" Depending on how they wanted to look at it. "But... It's really me." When Sammy gave way to Lyon, the Page took a timid step back. "... Is it a good idea, if there is more then one of us here???" He fidgeted nervously with the band on his arm, glancing at Jesse. He still hadn't said a thing. --- Truth be told, Jesse hadn't heard a thing after the young mans form shifted and gave way to another. He'd seen it almost immediately. Feather in his hair, the beads scattered about the uniform, the arm band. He knew that mark. That had been something he used back then. The only other who had had it was... was.. Jesse sprang from the bench, crashing into the Page. He gave no mind to Keir and Sammy, not paying attention in the slightest if he bowled them over or not as he and the other fell to the ground with a solid thud. Necro groaned under him and the noise that came from Jesse was just as pathetic. Jesse babbled apologies as he hid his face against the Saturn uniform. His shoulders shook and his knuckles were white as he held on with everything he had in him. "It's my fault."
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2021 2:00 am
Keiran just grinned, stepping out of the way to let this reunion happen. He'd already had his big moment, this was theirs.
When Necromanteion expressed concern, he did pipe up, though. "There's four of us, actually, if it comes to it, and we've got a Knight and an Eternal--we'll be okay, I think."------------ "You purified," Lyonesse said, and he couldn't stop grinning. It made a little giddy bubble pop in his chest, and he wanted to scoop Necromanteion up in a hug--
But Jesse beat him to it, although he looked significantly more distressed.
"Jes?" Concern laced his voice, but he didn't really have a question to follow it up with, not with Jesse having sprawled himself and the strange Page on the ground.
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2021 9:43 pm
"Yeah, but only two are powered u-" Ahri was cut off as he was slammed to the ground with a wheeze. Ugh... Coughing, he tried to prop himself up. Well that was definitely not the reaction he'd been expecting... "Hi to you too..." Ahri said quietly. "But yeah... It happened just before the summer.. I crossed paths with Keir not long after that." He said, glancing at Lyon before dropping his gaze to Jesse. "What's your fault?" He asked, tentatively wrapping an arm around the shaking man. "You didn't do anything... Hell, if anyone's to blame it's me." -- Jesse shook his head. "I left you when I said I wouldn't. And then after that I did nothing to help you, let alone try to find you." He had hid... Just as he had before. "I failed you..." He couldn't help Natron, and he couldn't help Ahri. Some partner he'd been. Jesse still hadn't let go of the other, but his grip eased slightly.
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Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2021 1:22 am
Keiran shrugged, and pulled out his pen. "Kerberos Eternal, Make Up," he said, and he spun, flowers floating around to cover his transformation into Sailor Kerberos. Better that more of them be powered up, just in case something went wrong.
Almost as soon as he did, a little light blob emerged next to him--and the wisp seemed delighted, flying off to swirl around Jesse and Ahri.
He kept his mouth shut, though, because this reunion was for them, not him.------------ Lyonesse moved, and knelt next to Ahri and Jesse, gently resting a hand on Jesse's shoulder.
"We're all here now, though," he said, voice soft and fond. "Even if the paths here were windy, and messy, we made it, didn't we?"
Wasn't that what mattered, in the end? They could figure the rest out later.
After all, they had plenty of time.
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