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 Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 8:57 pm
Cleeia felt something twisting up in his chest, as he approached the spot where he met Gelria. Now that he'd talked to Lysithea, he knew; it had to happen. Now or never. He had to make his choice.
Leave the Negaverse, or bring Gelria back with him. Those were the only two options.
Well, there was a third option on the table, which would end the debate entirely. He could reach into Gelria's chest, extract his starseed, and leave him dead. That, too, was a choice he could make. So perhaps there were three, even if every single one made him feel deeply distressed.
He was early, he knew, and so he waited, fiddling anxiously with his brooch.
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Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 9:10 pm
This time it was Gelria who drew his corrupt into his arms, dipping him low and kissing him with skilled passion. When he drew away, he was smiling, clearly pleased with the fact that Cleeia was early.
“Hello beautiful. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting for too long. I hope that this means you’ve missed me.”
He had missed Cleeia, that was for sure…and having the male back in his arms felt…well. Wonderful. “I brought you something. It’s. I mean.”
Reaching into his subspace pocket, and keeping one arm around the male’s waist, he withdrew a small container of cinnamon sugar and pressed it into Cleeia’s hand.
“It’s us. The cinnamon and the sweet one.”
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Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 9:21 pm
Cleeia made a slightly surprised squeak when Gelria dip-kissed him, but his eyes slid shut, and he reached out to steady himself on Gelria's arms. It felt so good, so warm and soft, to be in his arms and to be held.
Cleeia wanted this. Wanted to keep it.
It was at that moment, when their lips touched, that he made his decision.
"I missed you, yeah," Cleeia said, softly. He reached out to take the gift, and laughed, softly--it looked so ridiculous, with a duck in snorkeling gear on the bottle, but it was sort of them, wasn't it?
"Sugar and spice, hmm?" He said, lightly. But then, he swallowed, and looked up at Gelria.
There was a moment of hesitation. he wondered if it wouldn't be easier to just pull his starseed and calla General-Sovereign, and have him remade, and forget this silly notion of running.
But the thought made him sick.
"Gelria, I..." He took a deep breath. "I told the Eternal I serve under about you. She said that I only had two choices---I could bring you in, or you'd have to die. And I don't want either of those things to happen, and I don't want to get identified as a traitor to the Negaverse, because I'm pretty sujre they kill traitors."
A head, rolling, on the battlefield.
"So, that...um. Purification thing? How does that work?"
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Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 10:06 am
In normal circumstances, Gelria would have reacted with anger, exploding and accusing Cleeia of breaking their deal, or just killed him without a thought but…
But the corrupt had truly wormed his way into Gelrai’s heart and he gently kissed his cheek. “...You…told your superior about me and were told to get me to corrupt or kill me…and yet…you want to purify? Without even a struggle, my Cleeia?”
There was a strange softness and warmth in his voice, and an obvious sense of pride. “I…never expected this, you know. Honestly, when I started out, I thought for sure I would just end up killing you when you didn’t show or…or whatever but. I think I have honestly fallen in love with you. And hearing you say that you actually want to purify and…that you were ordered…good god, Cleeia.”
He drew the male closer and kissed him again, kissed him until spots began to dance in front of Gelria’s eyes for lack of air, and then drew away, nodding. “I’d have to. Have to call someone to help. For my friend it was Cosmos. And she’ll ask you if you’re ready, and she’ll…glow and push the chaos out of you, and you’ll come home with me, and I'll take care of you, we’ll get your new life started. Live happily ever after.”
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Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 11:37 am
Cleeia nodded. It was probably stupid. He was probably charging forward without thinking about all the consequences. But he knew what he wanted.
He wanted to not be in the Negaverse. He wanted to not have the weight of Chaos on his shoulders. He wanted to not have to fear the whims of people with more power than him.
He wanted to be free of Mirzam's long and looming shadow.
He wanted to be himself, free of the fetters and binds of Chaos.
"I want to purify," Cleeia confirmed. He took a deep breath. "I could try to drag you back. I would probably be successful, even--no denigration of your capabilities, you're stronger than me, but." He gently tapped a finger against Gelria's chest. "One big vulnerability, darling." He sighed, and shook his head. "But that would mean you wouldn't be you anymore. You'd be erased, and replaced with what the Negaverse wanted. But if I choose to come over to your side...I'll retain at least some of myself. And that's enough." He exhaled.
"I want to make my own choices, Gelria. And I'm choosing you. So....how do we call someone for help?"
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Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 3:09 pm
Gelria chuckled softly and took hold of Cleeia’s hands, kissing his knuckles. “...Honestly at this point I would honestly think about just joining you, and that is something I never thought possible. But, this is going to be a much better solution, beloved.”
He drew the corrupt back into his arms, playing with his long hair and wondering idly how he would look when he wasn’t clad in black…wasn’t choked by the feeling of chaos that wrapped all around him. Obviously he’d still be lovely, but…
The possibilities…were rather thrilling.
Quietly, hoping that Cleeia couldn’t tell just how unsure of this he was, he tried to call for Cosmos, quietly asking for assistance, opening his heart and hoping that she would hear. That she would come and help this corrupt to be free.
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Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2022 11:05 am
Cosmos was predictable, at least; she came when called, if she had the time and means to do so. Tonight, she did. There was a stillness in the air, but the sky was alive. At first, the light was small, practically unnoticeable. It grew, a meteor in the sky that burned with a rainbow tail. It never seemed very large, but it was beautiful. It was brief. As it neared the Earth, it seemed to disappear–and then, the energy around them changed. She arrived at the same time her energy signature became readable. Standing before the two, Cosmos. She was calm and beautiful and cold, and there. For them. She gripped her staff, not as a weapon but out of decorum. She did not seem to think she needed a weapon, even if she was always preparing for the worst. Looking between the two of them, she was quiet for a few seconds–and then her eyes settled on Cleeia. “You seek salvation?”
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Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2022 2:47 pm
Cosmos was....magnificent.
Cleeia gasped softly when she appeared, eyes going wide. She reminded him of Laurelite, in a way--but in a way where they were mirrors. Both radiated certainty, but Laurelite's was the ooze of arrogance, whereas Cosmos's radiant calm was...comforting. Safe, in a way he couldn't quite feel around the Queen of the Negaverse.
Her question startled him, and he wondered if he should bow, or otherwise pay respects.
"Freedom. Salvation. Both," Cleeia said. He squeezed Gelria, briefly, before stepping away, and inhaling tensely. "I can't be in the Negaverse any longer."
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Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2022 2:58 pm
She…she came.
Gelria stared in some wonder, and felt a small thrill of pride that he had managed to get her here. That because of his actions…someone was actually going to be leaving the Negaverse…was going to be freed from the poison of Chaos…
Inclining his head to the newcomer, he reached his hand out, lightly stroking Cleeia’s hair, just to remind him that he was there. Wishing that he had the presence of mind to say just how proud of the corrupt that he was.
But for once…it felt like all of his words had deserted him.
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2022 8:48 pm
Cosmos had not appeared concerned, but the truth seemed to relieve her. She had hoped, of course. She did not come when she felt there could be danger. A purification was expected, but even the best intentions could fall through. She nodded, and took a step towards the two of them so they wouldn’t have to separate from each other. “Nor should you be. You are held back with them. You are making the right choice, to leave them. I will help how I can.” She could help with purification. “Are you prepared?” He looked to Gelria and hoped he had prepared Cleeia for what would come next. She preferred it like this, when there was a support system. She didn’t have to worry as much when she knew they had someone there to help him. “I cannot promise that it will be painless. But, you will be free. When you are ready,” her hand raised to rest gently over his chest, “I will break Metallia’s hold over you.”
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2022 9:12 pm
Cleeia nodded.
"I'm ready," he said. This was, in some ways, the easy part. Cosmos was here. All the debating and worrying and indecision was behind him; now was only the choice to be remade, or to give up and return to the Negaverse. With Gelria on the line, with his chance at a future that he carved for himself potentially compromised, there was only one possible answer.
Cleea took a deep breath.
And he accepted Cosmos's gift.
Corruption hurt; so too did purification. But this was the type of hurt that came with healing, like hydrogen peroxide in a cut burning away potential infection. And when it was done, when his uniform went from black to bleached white, he wasn't just free, he was stronger.
Super Sailor Cleeia opened his eyes, and grinned.
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Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2022 7:31 pm
For a long moment, Gelria still couldn’t quite believe it. And when the light faded, when Cleeia was revealed, a vision in white, he felt his heart begin to pound.
Oh.
Oh s**t. It had really worked. He had managed to help save someone from the grip of chaos.
When his stunned silence finally ended, Gelria gave a shout of pure glee and ran over, throwing himself at the newly minted senshi, laughing and hugging him tightly. “Cleeia! Cleeia you did it!”
It didn't even occur to him that he might be forgotten. Any repercussions from this purification were drops in a pond compared to the fact that he had done it.
Glancing at Cosmos, the senshi beamed. “Hi! Wow! Thank you! You saved him!”
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Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2022 9:48 pm
Cosmos glanced at Gelria. “He saved himself. I was just the battery to help. But I am glad I could be of assistance.” To the both of them, she seemed to wear the faintest smile. The purification had not been particularly taxing on her, but she took a small step back; her role was done. Cleeia was not alone, he had someone to look after him. She didn’t know what Chaos had taken from him already, or what he lost when he left it behind, but she was there– just in case.
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Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2022 6:18 pm
It felt like a weight had been taken off Cleeia's shoulders. For the moment, he felt free of anxiety--sure, there were creeping edges about what he would do now, and the massive, gaping hole in his memory that represented what he had to guess was his life outside being Cleeia. But that was things to figure out later. With Gelria.
He caught Gelria in his arms, squeezing and laughing, eyes sparkling with happy tears that threatened to fall, but weren't quite there yet.
"This is...amazing," he said. "I feel so much better. And now we get to figure out all the rest of this." There was no reason to be afraid anymore.
At least, not for now.
But that was a problem for future Cleeia, and for once in his life, he had little problem delegating that off.
"Thank you," he told Cosmos. "I don't know if that's enough, but. Thank you."
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Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2022 10:14 am
Oh thank God. He knew him. He remembered him…
Without thinking, he pulled the newly improved Cleeia in for a kiss, mindful of his…rather dangerous looking tiara which almost knocked Gelria’s hat off, but it didn’t matter.
He remembered.
With a small smile and nod to Cosmos, he squeezed the senshi. His senshi and turned them both away.
“Come on, my big dork…let’s go home and get your new life started. Everything’s going to be okay now. You made the right choice.” They both had. What a waste it would have been if he would have killed him the first time that they met…but.
That didn’t matter now. Everything was going to be fine. Building back a life couldn’t be that difficult after all.
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