|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2021 10:10 am
September 15, 2021
It was Wednesday. A Wednesday, and already she'd had a crazy week. Metis let out a breath, knowing many others were in the same boat. Well, one was with her, still sour and grumpy. Still, she glanced towards him, a smile teasing the corners of her lips. His energy outlined the two boxes of a dozen donuts she had him carrying. In her arms, another two dozen were held. She had no idea how many aliens were within the dome. None. Zero. Zilch. As Lilith, she'd fretted over this for a while, hemming and hawing over her choices of numbers in the donut shop before finally just sighing and accepting four dozen as a suitable amount.
"Thank you for coming with me," she tossed to him, the smile growing more prominent. "And I'll treat you to lunch after if you don't bite their heads off?" Considering how much her smile grew as she spoke, and her words lightened with a lit of laughter, she meant it as a humorous thing. But really... it was also a genuine request.
Please let the aliens speak and don't rage at them.
As they approached the dome, she slowed, frowning somewhat at it. Realizing she'd not mentioned this, she added to him, "So... I can't see Caedus or his people, or... whatever this dome is," she tried, words coming slow as she also considered how to explain this. "They don't give off any... energy? So I only see them as voids outlined by other energies. So I can see the dome... because it's an empty shape left by other energies bouncing off of it." Right now, it was mostly the green of all the plant life around them doing that for her. "So if I seem a little less... sure of anything physically, or where they are, that's why. It's also why I was so hostile to Caedus the first time we met. I... sort of thought people were speaking to a ghost."
Laughing slightly, she moved up to the dome, frowning at the expanse of emptiness in front of her. Adjusting her grip on the boxes, she reached out a gloved hand, and gingerly touched her fingers to it to locate the surface. Then, she knocked. "I have no idea if they'd even hear that... but you don't see a doorbell, right?"
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2021 10:55 am
He hadn't intended to come back, if anything he had taken it upon himself to watch like a hawk for any signs that they were outside that dome and harming his kind. He'd intended to be an inconvenience but instead he had somehow been persuaded to come back to the very place he had stormed away from. Not only that but the senshi was holding donuts, he'd become a pack mule for donuts in what he assumed was a peace offering from the woman who was now striding with confidence ahead of him. She was also carrying donuts, though how she had determined how many of these she needed remained a mystery to him.
"I will be on my best behaviour," Athalia replied, a slight hint of a growl in his throat. He was likely to have a touch of petulance, he was only human and wasn't a saint. He could certainly be patient now and again but that generally didn't extend to strangers with super weapons entering his immediate vicinity with a hero complex in tow.
Never failed a mission his damn a**.
Still, when it came to the Eternal Senshi he was in the company of he did respect her enough to maintain his composure and hold his tongue. He had encouraged her to seek her answers, he just hadn't expected to be involved beyond that. If she felt more comfortable with him there then he would be there, even if he was less than favourable in disposition to either individual.
However her question did make him raise a brow.
"I am not entirely convinced I would know what an alien doorbell would even look like," he replied with a mild smile on his lips. "I'm fairly certain Athalians didn't have them, they had curtains for doors," he pointed out. Given the exposure he'd had to 'aliens' were flashbacks of a thousand years ago and very boisterous Mauvians, his level of expertise was sorely lacking.
"However I will endeavour to let you know when they have arrived if they opt for silence upon arrival," he added. He hadn't realised she couldn't see them, it was true that they possessed no auras, but didn't she have the capacity to see living things? If she couldn't see them then what were they, deadly robots for the future?
Yep, that was all he needed - a real life run through of the Terminator franchise.
He schooled his expression into something more reasonably neutral and turned his gaze briefly towards the barrier before staring down at the boxes in his arms.
"Why did you pick donuts though...?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2021 11:34 am
Someone must have heard the knock, and it was either Caedus, or someone reported it to him, because it took him only a few seconds to appear. The dome rippled near to Metis, and when he passed through it was with forced caution. He recognized her, he knew her. They’d spoken before. “Metis,” he said--warmly, but with some restraint. He did not know Athalia beyond what he’d said at the meeting, and he had no name by which to greet him, so he nodded his head politely instead. “You did not bring Raja this time? It is for the best. I do not know what Commodore Lyndin would make of her. Did you come to speak to him?” He glanced over his shoulder, as if he expected him to be there, but when he wasn’t he just smiled back at Metis. “I am sure he will be here in a moment. He is very protective. He has been working very hard to get everything together to answer questions. I do not think he has slept since we arrived.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2021 8:17 pm
"I mean, there could be a huge button right above my head and I'd not see it," she pointed out to him with a bemused quip. "I can't say I'm shocked about the door curtains, though. Considering your... uniform." Considering how much skin it showed off, unless his people had their senshi be a very interesting dancer, then she had to assume it was a cultural influence which usually came from environmental influences.
So probably a place that encouraged air movement through rooms and buildings in general.
"There's a lot of wooden doors from what I remember on Metis. But peoples' hearing was good, so easy to know if someone was knocking at the door. And it's early enough in the day that I thought a local breakfast treat might be fun to share with them. I got a bunch of different ones, so they can try different flavors. Who doesn't like donuts?"
The little banter was nice, it felt... casual to her. Easier to forget about some of the major stressors of the other night. Though, she couldn't entirely forget about them, as they were a large part of why they were here.
She didn't notice the ripple of the dome, but she did hear the sudden rustle of clothing and footsteps out of the thing as Caedus emerged. She kept her smile on, bright, turning towards the empty void, but had no idea who it was until he spoke. Then her smile grew all the brighter, shoulders relaxing at the familiar presence.
The fact he remembered the golden retriever had the Eternal nearly bursting with delight. She'd heavily considered bringing the friendly dog, but she'd been unsure if the aliens would appreciate the canine's presence, or if they'd ignore the happy wiggling and just focus on her fangs and claws. Trimmed, though the claws were.
"Good morning, Caedus! No, not this time, but if you think your people would enjoy meeting her, I'm sure she'd love to visit so I'd be happy to arrange that. Dogs have a very good memory, so I know she'd be especially happy to see you again." That the Commodore likely wasn't sleeping much did concern her a bit--it was expected, with all they likely had to do, but still. Had to be rough. She motioned to the flat, wide boxes she and Athalia carried. "We do have some questions, yes, if you both have a moment? I'm sure you've got a number of people coming about that. We also brought a treat. They're called donuts, they're a food people around here enjoy for breakfast, though they're not very nutritious. It's a yummy treat. I... wasn't sure how many to order, so I... hope the amount is alright."
But that made her realize--these two hadn't met yet. Well. She didn't count the other day's comments and talk at large meeting. "Oh, sorry! This is Super Sailor Athalia of Hercules Beetles. He's my partner, and... well, he voiced some concerns the other day that we'd both like more information on, so I thought it'd be better if we could speak to you about it all."
Her shoulders drooped a bit, a heavy sigh slipping from her lips. "I'm sorry, this can't be easy on you or your people. Have you even slept much? It's... a lot for all of us to take in, your plan, and what you've shared with us thus far. So there's certainly a lot of talks going on, from what I understand. Are all of you doing okay? Are you in need of any supplies or anything for while you're out here? I'm unsure of your resources, so I hope that's not rude to ask."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 4:00 am
Did he just get outranked by a dog? He'd experienced many cut directs in his life but that was certainly a new one. Then his lovely and very new girlfriend called him 'partner' and his eyebrow soared rather high. While not technically wrong he had been her partner to begin with in a purely platonic sense, but come on, he thought he'd have been deserving of at least a little more; and then she'd been positively delighted the damn man had remembered her dog (fair, sweet dog) and proposed to let everyone meet her.
Rude. Just rude.
"They aren't nutritious in the slightest, if you had wanted that you should have taken what was in my fridge," he remarked and glanced down briefly at the donuts. Wonderfully sweet things that they were, he generally didn't afford himself the time to eat this sort of thing. Nevertheless if their metabolism was bad then maybe they'd all gain too much weight so quickly that they were too large to become a threat. In hindsight he should have suggested alcohol, if they had been drunk their tongues might have been looser... If they could even get drunk that was.
It was fortunate that Metis had chosen to do all of the talking though, because if he was entirely honest he wouldn't have even been here if he had his own way. These aliens could give as much evidence as they wanted, he would still want an alternative source that backed it up. It was naive to go off one singular source unless it had been proven trustworthy and they were not it. Nevertheless he was here to play pack mule and provide support, if he did hear something of interest then he could always take that with him.
Fortunately, the fact that he did remember why he was here ensured that he didn't mutter something entirely inappropriate under his breath in regards to Metis's final queries. Of course they didn't have enough if they were leeching, and if they did have enough, well then they really were just utilising them as a farm. Manners though, he had intended to be on his best behaviour and once he had gotten over the 'shock' of being outclassed by a dog and demoted by his partner, he schooled his expression into one a touch more neutral.
"Yes, good afternoon."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 1:43 pm
“I have not slept much, no,” he confessed, but he was in good spirits and smiled all the same. “Thank you for being so generous. I can put those inside. I am sure my people will enjoy these delicacies. I was very fortunate to sample many things when I was here before. I am as grateful now as I was then.” He held out his hands to accept them. “I think they might like her. I have come to learn that I am anxious around small creatures that remind me of youma. But I do not think they share my shortcomings. They have been so excited to see Earth and meet you all.” He smiled politely at Athalia, despite whatever reservations he might have. “It is nice to meet you. I hope we can reassure you. We are doing well,” he promised Metis. “It is not rude to ask of our resources. I am humbled by your thoughtfulness. Commodore Lyndin is very prepared.” “Oh, thank you. I try to be,” Lyndin said; he had caught the last part of Caedus’ words when he stepped through the barrier behind him. “I hope I’m not interrupting.” “No, they wanted to speak with us. They had questions,” he said, and Lyndin’s eyes were immediately on Athalia; he remembered him from the meeting. “This is Metis,” Caedus introduced. “And Athalia.” Lyndin nodded. “I appreciate you coming by. What can I answer for you?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 21, 2021 1:25 pm
Metis had questions, this was something that Athalia corrected internally but refrained from doing so out loud. He was no more than moral support and a glorified donut holder. It wasn't a bad position to be in, it was as close to a fly on the wall as he was going to get but their entire point for being here was to afford Metis the opportunity to find the answers she sought and make up her own mind when it came to this entire thing.
Unfortunately when it came to Athalia, pretty words were just that, words. He knew enough of history here to know that words were often weaponised, and more importantly, used to abuse and manipulate the trust of the vulnerable. Add that to the fact they were asking for their resources to power a weapon that they gave no proof would work, and they held no regard for asking for permission before they took what wasn't theirs and quite frankly he was ready to expose the whole thing himself.
...For now though he'd behave himself.
Yes he knew better on that score too, he'd end up looking like a crazy conspiracy fan on live tv and he'd go nowhere fast after that.
What he couldn't avoid however was shooting a look of what could only be described as scorn. He didn't have to like them, but he had enough respect for the Eternal he was with to do as he was told for the time being...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2021 8:43 pm
If Metis had any idea Athalia had gotten his proverbial panties in a twist because of being called the extremely neutral and straight-forward term of partner, she'd have rolled her eyes to the point of seeing stars. Not to mention, she'd have been happy to explain it was a simple, easy term that didn't require any cultural awareness like boyfriend might.
As it was, she just gave a snort of a laugh to the idea of feeding the aliens kale. "The idea's a friendly gift, not hostile offering," she'd shot him in a clear tease, grinning as she voiced her own thoughts on the icky green.
The only reason she was aware of Caedus' movements to accept the boxes of donuts was because she could see the outline of his hand somewhat defined by her own close energy. She quickly turned them over, smiling a bit sheepishly. "Sorry, hard to make you out sometimes," she admitted softly. "How much do your people know of Earth? Wouldn't be difficult to bring some things up to show documentaries and movies."
Hearing they were doing well with their own supplies though had a number of her concerns lifting and she gave a quick nod. Before she could speak, though, more sounds of clothing moving and steps caught her attention, and she turned her head slightly to where another void was somewhat outlined by her and Athalia's radiating energy waves.
The deeper voice from much higher up had her head tipping back, offering a smile in greeting to the Commodore. Unaware, completely, of the look her partner was shooting the man...
"We'll try to be brief, thank you for any time you can take away to speak to us concerning these few matters, Commodore," she said with a faint nod of her head. She was more familiar with Caedus, so simply addressing him by name didn't feel awkward. But this man was an unknown, so keeping a polite front felt more... appropriate. She straightened a bit, holding herself firm and face tipped up to 'look' at him directly. Now to the business at hand then...
"You had mentioned the other night that you would be able to supply information about the comet you will be drawing energy from." One of her hands lifted to her brooch, the golden eye and sapphire 'iris' within catching the sunlight. "Scientists on Earth have determined my own asteroid is a 'piece of debris,' likely a core of a larger body that was destroyed via a collision eons ago. Yet I, a senshi, am connected to it. There's life there, and there was more life living upon that asteroid a millenia ago--animals, peoples. There are senshi who are equally connected to comets, living worlds of their own." A frown formed as she continued, "My own connection to a 'piece of debris' makes me fearful of hurting another senshi by using the comet for energy. So how can you be sure this comet does not also have a senshi, and other life, it is tied to?"
It was only the first of several questions she had, but Metis waited then. She was happy to take this as slow as possible to get what she hoped would be satisfying answers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2021 7:47 pm
Caedus held the donuts like they were little treasures, and offered a quiet word of thanks; he seemed a little more relaxed when Lyndin came, if only because Athalia looked very unhappy to be around them. “It’s no rush,” Lyndin assured, because he was committed to answering all of their questions. “We haven’t been on Earth since the Silver Millennium, so some of our information is dated. Caedus has filled us in on a few things, but I know there are still huge gaps in our understanding of this world. But, we’ve been educating ourselves since we arrived,” he promised, and seemed content to teach them what he could of things beyond Earth. “I know I can only give you my word, but perhaps it would reassure you to know that I am familiar with Archideus beyond just textbooks and assumptions.” He touched his ComTech, pressed a few buttons, and a screen appeared--not of the comet from before, but of a moon, large in the sky and accompanied with another not too far behind it. “Velenia had two moons,” he explained. “Cerideus, and Archideus. There was no life on either of them, even when Velenia was at its peak.” He looked at the picture fondly for a few seconds, and Caedus’ eyes had strayed to do the same. “I would not target a world that I thought could have life,” Lyndin assured, “But there was never a Senshi protector on these worlds. So, when the two moons collided and destroyed each other, it didn’t spark life. It just destroyed any chances they ever might have had. Archideus has never hosted life. At best, it is a battery. At worst, a missile hurtling through space, waiting to collide with something else.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
