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 Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2022 5:56 am
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Backdated to mid- to late-November 2021.
How did one report to a superior that one hadn't met before? Faustite didn't know. He knew only what Schörl taught him in brief — that he should always show with a thoughtful gift and make himself utterly indispensable. He knew he sucked at both.
Faustite knew very little about Hessonite, beyond that she headed up the Special Operations branch. She oversaw all the soldiers who had to put down other soldiers for treason or treachery. He knew that it used to be his responsibility to compile information on his fellow officers — information that the SpecOps branch would then use to determine if a given agent required disciplinary action. Beyond that, SpecOps was the branch with which he'd worked the least.
And the Branch's company was mixed between useful, if bombastic officers like Ashanite, or mortifyingly stupid officers like Rakovanite, who pulled out starseeds in the Rift. Faustite took that to mean SpecOps didn't have particularly more to do with the Rift than any other branch.
Or, perhaps, that one officer was an exception to the rule.
For his first visit to her office, he brought with him a metal furnace full of coffee. Prepped from a french press, he knew it was strong, and typically a safe bet for anyone who was human, alive, and worked more than necessary. He hadn't known how she took her coffee, however, so a variety of items were squirreled away into his subspace: half and half, sugar, honey, hazelnut creamer he'd stolen out of Albite's fridge, whipped cream, and hot sauce.
He showed at her door on time, thermos in hand, and knocked. The flaming thing hoped his nervousness hadn't boiled the coffee already.
the space cauldron super belated intro to hessonite!
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Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2022 6:26 pm
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Hessonite’s office was more guarded than the others. She did not invite Faustite to let himself in. Instead, there was silence, and then she pulled open the heavy door so she could greet him, herself.
She gave him one quick look over and smiled before she moved aside and gestured for him to step inside. “Come in. I’ve got a seat for you over here.”
Her office was clean and efficient, and the walls were decorated with photographs. She kept the floor open, and had only one iron framed chair in front of her desk. She had an ornate wooden bookcase; it was unique in design, obviously antique, with a rich stain and hand carved detailing. Every shelf was full of trophies–some broken weapons, some Senshi brooches, some trinkets.
The desk matched the bookcase and her chair. It was upholstered with an expensive looking red fabric that matched the plush rug laid out across the floor.
Atop her desk, she had a few small boxes. Their purpose was not immediately identifiable, but it seemed as though it might have been some Mauvian Technology she was working with. There were several antique lamps, with ornate brass bases and stained glass lamp shades. One on a shelf, one on her desk, and a floor lamp in the corner.
“Are you nervous? Most people are when they come to see me. But you don’t have to worry, Faustite. We’re going to be friends, aren’t we?”
He showed at her door on time, thermos in hand, and knocked. The flaming thing hoped his nervousness hadn't boiled the coffee already.
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Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2022 4:41 pm
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Even if he was mindful not to say it, the word wrote itself on his eminently readable face: <******** wasn't that she read his file — he expected as much. But that was, he thought, paramount to all other aspects of his life. His performance as a soldier was what mattered. In SpecOps, where all were honed into weapons, he expected that the soldier's record stood to the exclusion of all else. And yet, she wanted him to tell her about himself.
Like that would go well.
His attention canted off to the side, his shoulders wilted like leaves, and he discovered the chair to be terribly uncomfortable. "I don't —" he broke off the sentence, sighed. "Used to sail. Was learning kohlrosing, whittling. Liked reading chapbooks, but needed something else to pass the time." He shrugged. "Then I got turned into a youma.
"Don't have time for hobbies now." He was sure the story found its way into his file — some cinereal version of how Umber manipulated him into starseed addiction and paid in accidental irony. Maybe someone spun it from no-fault to his-fault, where he somehow stalked a man whose civilian identity he didn't know and tore out his starseed as retribution, then got into an altercation with Ochre and Xenotime about it so many years later.
But she wanted, he assumed, to know the hollow of a boy around the fire.
"Don't care for people, no offense. Duplicitous, conniving, selfish things. Prefer youma — they're loyal, more straightforward. They stick around. Guess I do this for them." And the boys he collected along the way, but he wanted to retain a measure of mystery.
He leaned an elbow on the arm of his chair, framed his temple with a few fingers. "This would be easier if I knew something about you. Can't look at your files the way that you look at mine."
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Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2022 8:58 am
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Hessonite watched him carefully, taking in every little detail that he gave her. It wasn’t just words she was looking for, it was everything.
Her eyes sparkled with something that could have easily been mischief. “Well, if you want to know about me you only need to ask. Or take a look around,” she said, and gestured across the room, to the photos on the wall and the trophies on display.
“I love my job. I love trying new things. I’m not afraid of anything and I’m always looking for a good time. If something can get my heart racing, I’m there. I like to scrapbook in my downtime, love going out and taking pictures. And playing games. Arcade games, mostly, but I like to win. I don’t like sitting still for too long, and I don’t like doing work I think others can do. I prefer a more hands on approach. I think reports and words are nice and all, but it’s not the whole picture. You can’t look into someone’s eyes and know if they’re telling you the truth. You can’t watch the way they move, can’t hear their voice. That’s why I think it’s so important to have one-on-one meetings. I want to know who you are, not who your records say you are.”
She seemed spirited at least, but there was something blatantly honest about her answer. She wasn’t sugarcoating it or giving him lip service.
“Special Operatives isn’t all fun and games. I need people I can trust. I need people who are willing to go the extra mile for the Negaverse. People who know when to speak and when to keep their mouth shut. It’s a demanding job, though. You’ve gotta know how to take care of yourself, too. I don’t want you to burn out, Faustite.”
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Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2022 6:42 am
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Faustite liked her fine — thought well of her, even — until she blindsided him with that pun. He shot her a raw look of betrayal as he stiffened in his chair.
Burn out. Of all the damned things to say.
He reconsidered her questions. "Don't like small talk. Careful with my trust. Think a lot of the stupid situations we get ourselves into could've been sidestepped with better tactics. Or by using tactics in the first place," he muttered with a fiery eyeroll.
"Been trying to weld. Terrible at it, for now."
Was there anything else? "Know the value of following orders. Was trained by…" And he paused, as if second-guessing himself, "Two SpecOps Generals. One combat-focused, the other in interrogation.
"Take care of myself when I have to." He leaned back against the seat, considering. Any effective officer he knew took care of themselves, but what did that even mean? For Stroud, it was all her bullshit philanthropist shams, her interpersonal escapades, antiquing, painting. ******** knew what else. Talking s**t about him, probably. Humiliating Quartz.
Umber, he knew, disappeared into the woods. For weeks, sometimes.
Sounded like Hessonite liked games and thrills and scrapbooking. As he looked to his right, he figured trophy hunting was part of it.
"Had enough people defect on me. Decided to change my line of work."
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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2022 5:44 pm
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Hessonite listened attentively, and she seemed to have mastered the fine line between playful and predatory. The more he spoke, the more interested she was.
“Well, you seem clever. I like that. I appreciate your honesty.” She valued candor and didn’t like beating around the bush. “We’ve had an uptick in defectors. Not really thrilled about that, but it keeps us busy. This can be a nasty job. But we’re doing the hard work to keep the Negaverse safe. Always have to keep our eyes and ears open. Sometimes, all that scrutiny makes us a few enemies along the way. But you seem tough, Faustite.”
Resilient, at least; he’d managed to give a thoughtful answer even under her overwhelming aura.
The more she spoke, the more it seemed to ease. Maybe it was just how she carried herself, or maybe she’d learned to weaponize the energy around her.
“I think I like you already. I can’t imagine a little hardship’s going to slow someone like you down. I’ll bet you've got it in you to do everything necessary to make sure we succeed, don’t you, Fireball?”
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Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2022 3:38 pm
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He seemed tough? He didn't feel tough. Sitting in that chair, her aura all around him, he felt overstimulated. Felt like there was an itch in his teeth, somehow, and that he needed to grind them on the tabletop to get rid of the feeling. He felt like he walked into a line of work that he wasn't prepared for, not because he couldn't tolerate enemies or some of the more physical parts of the job, but because he wasn't necessarily strong enough. Wasn't practiced enough, or respected enough.
He wasn't Schörl, or Umber. So what could he offer?
Setting his jaw, Faustite nodded. Even if he wasn't any good at this branch, he had enough drive for it. Knew to always put the Negaverse first, to claw success into his bloodied grasp if needed. Might've proven that during —
"Do everything I can for it. Information background might help." For the traitor problem, at least.
"Want to work with someone if I can. Someone who can get me up to speed with the other Generals. Got any recommendations?" He shifted, back and forth, like he couldn't stand the chair for much longer.
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Posted: Tue May 03, 2022 3:46 pm
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“Might definitely help,” Hessonite confirmed. “And Axinite likes you enough, anyway. You could probably sweet talk him into giving you whatever information you don’t already have. He’s a sucker for that, making sure everyone has all the information you need. And given how he used to be in Spec Ops himself, he’s got an eye for making sure you’ve got everything you need to know. He’s good at digging. Can’t seem to completely let this Branch go, either. Always meddling.”
She didn’t seem too upset, and really–how could she be, when his meddling usually meant he was handing her more information? Less work for her to do. As long as he wasn’t getting in her way or telling her how to run the Branch, she’d take what she could get out of it.
“You look like you’ve got a fire under you. Why don’t I send you a few names, you can do some research and see if any of them stand out to you. If you’re interested in any of them, I can set something up for the both of you.”
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2022 4:46 pm
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Sweet-talking anyone, even Axinite, required personable skills that he didn't think he had. From what Hessonite had explained, he wouldn't need any personable skills; Axinite dispensed such information freely.
"Best ask him for cookies as recompense." Sounded like she had information on tap. Important, considering the gravity of SpecOps assignments, he imagined. Axinite's last mission in the branch was a cold reminder of what happened when lacking information, or when possessing the wrong information. And while he may not be infallible, Axinite was excellent at his job.
With a half-lidded stare, he corrected her. "In, not under." If he had to endure these jokes as a tithe for being in this branch, then he would spend as much time as possible out in the field. Doing things.
But not so many things that he would attract notice or accolades.
So he nodded at the offer of names, and he laced his fingers together as he leaned forward and listened for the list.
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2022 9:39 pm
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Hessonite watched Faustite with nothing short of equal amusement and interest. Her teasing did not seem to indicate any disrespect, and did she seem inclined to take herself too seriously.
There were enough hardships in this position. If she couldn’t have a good time, what were they even fighting for?
She withdrew her tablet pen and pulled it apart to access the touch screen. A few seconds of clicking and scrolling and she had leaned back in her chair while she skimmed the options.
“I suppose you’ve got a few options. Rakovanite’s a bit too stoic for you, I think. He’s pretty particular. Meticulous. I think he likes working alone a bit too much for me to send you over to him. But he’s straightforward, doesn’t sugar coat things.”
She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “Chrysocolla? She’s not been back in town for very long, but the Queen trusts her. She’s dedicated, but she might still be settling in, too. She’s sharp, hardworking. Capable of giving it her all and sticking to it, from what I can tell. Bloodstone, maybe? Intense. Clever. By the books. Blunt. I’m noticing a theme.”
She scrolled again, humming for a few seconds.
“There’s always Ashanite, he likes pretty boys.”
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2022 6:17 am
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Faustite set his jaw when he felt a touch of jealousy for seeing that tablet come out. How nice it must be to be able to use one of those, access the Database on the fly, access files, communicate with other officers. Hopefully Haymitch was making headway on his project.
As Hessonite began naming off the SpecOps officers of note, Faustite tried to keep his expression carefully neutral. He felt he did well at it.
He did not.
First, there was Rakovanite, for whom his lip twitched into a terrible sneer. It was for but a moment, but combined with his uncomfortable shift in posture, their prior engagement was made terribly clear. He had thought, too, that he made it terribly clear how shocking and utterly dangerous it was that a General of this esteemed branch thought it was a clever idea to pull out a starseed in the Rift, but evidently, his clout was impenetrable. Lucky b*****d.
And then there was Chysocolla, the terrible, broken, mentally derelict thing that made him suffer Schörl with her. His jaw tightened to the point that the muscles strained. Couldn't have resented her more, especially that she was now back in town, and Faustite suspected it was only a matter of time before Schörl returned, too.
And then what/ Would he end up under her again? She had been in SpecOps once. The thought left him ill.
Bloodstone was the one for whom he hadn't much of an opinion. They never ran across each other alone.
Then Ashanite. Finally, some relief. His shoulders relaxed, and he found wit enough to speak. "Right, will remember to bring him one next time," he answered, feeling a little stiff in his chair.
"Be on my way, then?" Faustite offered, unless she had more to say.
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Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2022 5:35 pm
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Faustite sucked his teeth. "Fine," he conceded, but it wasn't the thought of another meeting with Hessonite that perturbed him. She was the leader of SpecOps, which put her in a particularly dangerous position, her astonishing power aside. He wasn't certain that he could let himself like her, knowing that she would be a top target for the White Moon, and, in the smallest of infinitesimally small chances, could die. He wasn't ready to like someone that might die.
It was these thoughts that occupied him as he nodded to her courtesies and excused himself. He stood and turned in a flutter of cinder and cape lengths, then approached the door. He spared another glance at her bookshelf of trophies on the way out.
She'd taken a startling number and made her way this far up the Negaverse's roster. Surely she'd be around for a while yet, and he needn't worry about putting himself in a position of hurt.
The matter settled, he had another task to complete — finding Ashanite a pretty boy.
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