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 Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2022 3:39 pm
Faustite had to leave.
He'd spent the last two hours getting precisely nothing done. Whenever he started a task — whether an inane report or a request to correct a rogue officer — his mind wandered. His thoughts fell apart. They cast back, over and over, ad nauseam, to the night that Waru dropped a pair of bath bombs into the bath they shared. He'd waste time staring at his hand, or daydreaming about the future, or wondering if he should go down into the Sunken City and find a ******** place to live.
Not a place to sleep. A place to live.
Then he realized he was doing it again — circling back to the same subjects, the same prospects, the same irritatingly constant elation. So he'd vanished after he left a glass 'out of office' sign on his door. The burning General disappeared himself to Destiny City.
He thought he needed the exercise. A walk to stretch his legs, vaulting off of buildings to practice a skill, ricochet jumping to the highest places then navigating complex paths back down to the streets. Skim energy off of parties on the other side of a brick wall. Snatch an easy starseed or two from the napping unfortunates that took shelter in bus stops, entryways, and covered alleys. The tasks themselves hadn't mattered, so long as they demanded enough attention that he could stay focused on them.
Then he felt it — a Super Senshi's aura, spread out tenuously after nightfall. Perfect timing, he thought; a fight proved a perfect distraction. Better if it was Nembus, or Ilse. Better if he could close their Database files for good.
So he changed his trajectory, and headed straight for its auric epicenter.
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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2022 5:36 pm
Lysithea was tired. She had been having trouble sleeping ever since she had spent the night in Zac’s bed, and though she wouldn’t admit it, she should have just taken him up on the offer to continue sleeping in it but…
She was far too stupidly proud.
So tonight she sat under a tree, resting against it and running her hand over the new grass that was growing. A light, fresh green, now that spring was truly on its way.
Spring was something that she was growing kind of excited for. She wanted to lay in a field of flowers, it…might have been a stupid desire, but she wanted it. Though…perhaps she could just do it on her own homeworld instead of having to wait to find some flowers..
There was a small, faraway smile on her face but she paused when she felt the aura coming towards her and swallowed, pushing herself to her feet, keeping the tree firmly behind her. s**t. It was someone stronger than she was…but hopefully she could talk her way out of things…or send some kind of a distress signal or…
When she saw that it was Faustite, she relaxed, her shoulders sagging in relief, and her expression brightened into one of absolute joy for a moment before she tensed slightly again.
What if he didn’t want to see her? What if he…really hated her now? What if…what if he didn’t love her anymore?
“Faustite. Good Evening…um…How are you doing…?”
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Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2022 7:09 pm
When he saw it was Lysithea, dread tied a dozen knots in his nonexistent intestines. He slowed in his approach, and panic took when she hadn't immediately turned away from him. If someone saw them —
A wave of his hand called Headache from the Rift, and the cluster of fireflies buzzed wildly about him, forming a halo of camera flashes. He drew a circle in the air, and the swarm swirled down over him, the sheets of bugs landing consecutively on his clothes and rare patches of skin. He blanched for it — couldn't suppress the revolted shudder — as their lights blazed into a harmony.
That harmony was named Cybele. Rather, it was a version of her — one with a cracked forehead and bat wings at her hips. The fireflies emulated the drag of her hair as he approached Lysithea slowly.
"Better no one knows it''s us," he murmured with Cybele's face. Aurically, he sensed no one. But by plain sight, people could spot a firelight from miles away.
"Been… Something. That Knight — did he hurt you?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2022 7:22 pm
Lysithea froze when that damn youma took on the form of a corrupt Cybele and shook her head slowly. “...Look, can you make that freak of yours be someone other than her? I really. I’m not a fan…what about Albite! Could it they be Albite? I miss Albite…how is he?”
She couldn’t even really look at him while he wore the face of a corrupted Cybele. A mixture of guilt and just…utter dislike filled her and it took all that she had not to punch the damn youma back into the void, but…for the moment she refrained.
“No, he didn’t hurt me. I’m okay. Mostly unhappy, but I’m getting by. I’ll get there. I’m sure…I wasn’t really that happy when I first got corrupted either. This whole…not remembering people who know me is a piece of s**t. And I hate it. I think I hated it then, at least. The hatred feels familiar…”
Swallowing, Lysithea shrugged. “...And I hate that too. It shouldn’t feel familiar. I don’t like it. You know?”
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Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2022 7:39 pm
"I don't," he admitted with Cybele's mouth. The youma didn't cease its portrayal of Cybele over Faustite's skin until Faustite gave an affirmative nod.
Then the glow of the myriad fireflies shifted, something warmer, something darker, and Cybele's appearance rippled away into Albite. This, he thought, felt stranger still, and all the more distracting. But Lysithea wouldn't see how his face flushed for wearing the boy's appearance.
"He's fine," he answered as he took up a seat near Lysithea. He proposed to me, he wanted to say, but — "he misses you.
"Wants you to come back." As did he, but it wouldn't do to admit his wants. Wouldn't do to show any weakness, or regret, or elation. Faustite's suddenly-too-large hands fumbled with the weak sash at his legs, until that sash collapsed in on itself like a bunch of bugs being pushed around instead of the soft grace he was expecting, and he grimaced, leaving it.
"Don't know why you chose this. Don't know why Nembus did, or —" he bit his tongue, then, "don't understand why memories are so expendable. Then the people who lose them, say they're hollow without them. So ******** senseless."
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Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2022 7:46 pm
Oh, oh yes, that was much better.
Lysithea moved closer to Faustite, pleased to see the guise of Albite, but wishing she could see her brother instead. If the idea of them being seen was the only issue…then perhaps she could simply take herself and Faustite up to Lysithea. They could talk freely up there. Not tonight. It would be too awkward to ask for tonight but…
But the next time.
“I’m sorry…it just didn’t feel right for me. I did try, Faustite…I really did…I couldn’t stomach it. The hurting…I…took starseeds once. Cybeles. The one who’s face you were just wearing and someone that she’s really close to, I guess. But. I took the one. I don’t even know her name, but I just took it…and I felt horrible and…then Cybele came and was saying that she couldn’t live without the senshi so I took hers too…but I felt so bad…I wanted to just rip out mine too and be done with it…It…”
She swallowed, drawing her knees to her chest. “...It wasn’t a good place for me. I wasn’t happy. I wasn’t happy being like that. You though…” Lysithea looked over at him and wrinkled her nose, already forgetting that he wore Albite’s face. “...You were the best part about it all. It’s why I wanted you to come with me…but I understand if you don’t want to. The team is your family…I get it…”
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Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2022 6:02 pm
So they did know each other, her and Cybele. He hadn't noticed any friction in Cybele's face when Headache wrapped him in Lysithea's appearance; she must've been better at schooling her emotions than he was. That Cybele was close to someone was another point of interest — couldn't have been Ganymede, though he heard Cybele fought bitterly for her protection. No one could touch that starseed, anyway.
Someone else, then. New meat to grill until he burned through the chaff and found the ones that mattered.
Then Lysithea went on, and Faustite's hand seized a fistful of grass and squeezed. Thin ribbons of smoke seeped between his fingers, carrying the scent of their burning into the air. "******** stop." He stared down at his lap, his mouth carved into a miserable, ugly line on a face that wasn't his.
"I'd lose everything to join this caustic ******** world. Wouldn't survive it. Don't want to be a part of it."
Even as he grit his teeth, he felt heat on his face. Didn't matter if he held his breath, then.
"You left me behind. Bought Ilse's bullshit and left us all, paid your memory fee. Now you're a target." He wiped his face with the back of a hand. "Hope that ******** bodice was worth it."
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Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2022 6:08 pm
Lysithea felt guilt twisting up her insides, but drew in a long breath that only steadied herself somewhat. Finally she shut her mouth and nodded, quiet and unhappy with his words. But…
The idea of him not surviving it…it left her cold. She couldn’t imagine the world without Faustite in it. False or not, he was her brother, and he was important to her, and nothing could change that. Nothing would change that.
Slowly, she moved closer and put a hand against his cheek, pressing a kiss to his forehead, and again, wishing the face that was shown was that of Faustite, and not Albite, but…she could imagine. “I won’t mention it again. But I won’t be your enemy. If you don’t want it, I won’t keep trying to force it. I love you. As you are, and I hope one day you can love me again, even for as I am…I…” She swallowed and kissed him again, on the cheek this time. “If I’m a target, so be it. I’ll figure it out. I figured it all out before, and I’ll figure it out again. I don’t care if the whole Negaverse is against me…but.”
She swallowed and drew away slightly. “...Please. Not you. I don’t…want to think of a world where you’re against me.”
There was no way for Lysithea to think of a world where Faustite was against her. The whole idea…
Was too much.
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Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2022 6:32 pm
"Caught you once," he reminded her. He hadn't flinched from the kisses this time, though they were austere for being anything that touched him. Always, that latent instinct to protect people from himself, to remind them that their fingers will burn if they touch him.
And lips — those burned more easily than the rest. A terrible risk to take.
"Don't assume." He couldn't guess what she remembered. Didn't want to use Velvet's trinket for the bitterness he would draw from it. But if she remembered him as her brother, if he remembered their time together, then perhaps she remembered the way that she begrudged him for not letting her touch him, but loved him despite that.
There was, he thought, so little difference between love and resentment. Two elements of trying to survive in a world once he had an understanding of that world's capacity for violence.
"That Knight, will start with him." Reluctantly, he stood, stooped under the weight of his flagging spirits. "Then Ilse. Then Malus.
"But once they ask me to face you, I can't say no."
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Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2022 6:39 pm
He wasn’t wrong. He had caught her once..and if it happened again…well.
Then it would happen again. Perhaps whatever story he wrote this time would sink in a bit more. Perhaps he would have learned from his mistakes. But.
That wasn’t anything to tell him. If anything, Faustitate would take it as an invitation.
When he stood, she lowered her gaze to her hands, clutching at the pleated folds of her skirt and feeling the fabric strain at the force of her grip. “Whatever happens was obviously meant to be.”
Even if it wasn’t what she wanted. Even if the idea of facing him made her physically ill.
If it came to that.
Well. That was a problem for some Future Lysithea, not for her. “...Be safe, Faustite. I love you.”
He was leaving again. He couldn’t stand to feel things, and honestly…the fact that he was leaving just meant he felt the same. Hopefully. To make things easier, she drew herself to her feet and inclined her head. “See you around.”
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Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2022 7:21 pm
Did she? Faustite steeled his jaw against any words that crept up.
He started walking away from her, practiced steps, with her aura burning a band in the back of his mind. Reminding him, all the while, that she chose Ilse over all of them. That, however she excused it, whether due to chaos or choice, Ilse was the one that spirited her away.
Were it not for the Knight, she'd have been a starseed in his palm. Could've fed her to Headache, maybe given her off to the Queen in trade for a few days to grieve. That was, he supposed, why the Knight would be next.
Last would be Malus, that sweet, skittish thing. His chance blunder into their lives caused the first fissure, and look how that shook out.
Hesitating in his step, he half-turned toward her. "He proposed, you know. You'd have liked it. Smelled like Christmas in his house for a week. Couldn't forget how much you loved that holiday.
"Shame you didn't stay. Won't have any family at the wedding, now." And with smoke still on his breath, he vanished.
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