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 Posted: Mon May 02, 2022 9:28 am
Talia’s mind was spinning slightly after her run in with Monoceros. She wished that she could remember why the name…rang some kind of faint bells in the back of her mind, but…it wasn’t something she could really fully hear or…something she had the patience to think about right now.
Swiftly, she made her way into the house and to her and Zac’s room, pleased when she saw that the male was there.
“Hey. I think I maybe ******** up a little bit, but I have a plan so, don’t freak out too badly. But. Do you know someone named Monoceros? You told him about me?”
Moving to sit on the bed, Talia practically shoved herself into Zac’s lap, wanting to have something steady behind her.
“...Anyway. I was just out and he was there and he scared me so I punched him but then I felt bad so I healed him, and then like, he kind of freaked out and…had a personality switch that was creepy as hell, so I said that I’d go back to the Negaverse but I wanted to pack my stuff first, now, please don’t freak out but. I think there’s something wrong with him…and I'm going to kidnap him. So. There’s the plan. And…you may hold me. Please. His magic hurts.”
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2022 4:44 pm
Zac was sitting on his bed, reclining against the headboard. He lifted his head when she sat in his lap and wrapped a light hand around her and tried very hard not to crush her after hearing that story.
“Monoceros used to be in the Court,” he said through grit teeth. “He got corrupted after you. Taken. When I talked to him, he wanted out. I said I’d help him after I helped you. He had someone with him. I don’t think that’s safe, Talia. They can call for backup. It’ll take one second for them to get to you.”
He had to bite his tongue because he wanted to say if Faustite got to her…
If he lost her again…
His stomach sank. More than once she’d expressed not being happy here, but she had Fang. They were clearing out the basement. Doing what she wanted. Evan was spending time with her. Malcolm. Soleiyu. Everyone was trying.
…He didn’t want all of this to be wasted.
“He should want to purify. He was with someone, they just ditched him. I warned him about the Negaverse. He seriously wants you to rejoin? He’s not begging to get out, too?”
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2022 5:33 pm
“I’m going to bring backup. I’m thinking of stuffing Rosie into a big suitcase and just…whisking him away to my homeworld and figuring out what we can do.” Talia swallowed. “But I want you to know, just because. I trust you. I think…we can help him. But…no. It was…kind of scary how he seemed willing to talk one moment and was attacking me the next. It seems like something is wrong with him…I was scared for him though…not of him.”
Which…she hadn’t been. Not really.
“I wish I could find a way to bring you up too but…I don’t think you’d be able to fit into the suitcase. But I did think about it. And I know Ilse has some really strong magic that can help. We could…play good cop bad cop. I don’t know. He…”
Talia hesitated, half wanting. “...He was part of our court? He was…with us? So…like…” She couldn’t stop from smiling just a little. “He’ll be like me. Ya’ll will remember him and he won’t…that…is it cruel of me to say that it sounds kind of ideal?”
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2022 6:12 pm
“Is it cruel?” he asked, raising one brow. “I don’t know. Might be better off if he forgets what he’s done in the Negaverse. It changes you. I don’t know if he’d forgive himself if he remembered pulling a starseed or something.”
He didn’t like it. “It could be a trap,” he said, because being blunt was better than beating around the bush.
“If he’s having mood swings, maybe the Chaos has just gotten to him. It makes you unpredictable. Violent. Having backup is a good idea. But he talked to me. He knows I know him. Knows I was going to help him.”
He didn’t know how much Monoceros knew Lysithea, or if he’d known Ilse at all. “I’d rather I go with you than her.”
…But he had a bad reputation and he knew it. Ilse and Lysithea would be a kinder, less intimidating group, certainly.
“...The last I spoke to him, he wanted help. He’d been abandoned. Thrown to the wayside, left by his companion to deal with me by himself. He wouldn’t have stood a chance.”
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2022 6:29 pm
Talia sighed and leaned forward, resting against his chest for a moment, and then moving to kiss his neck softly, and then the bottom of his chin, and finally the corner of his mouth. “He would know I was lying if I brought you. But, I’ll send a message to you and Sol and Evan if you want me too, the moment we get to my planet. Look, I’m going to give a great story of how I just want to say goodbye now that I have the chance to…I think he’ll believe me, Zac. And. I know I can do this.”
It was…kind of stupid. Just how much she wanted him to trust her. To tell her she could do it. Hell, even to say that it was what she would have done in…the before or…or whatever.
“I just…I think it would be good. I think we could help him. And nobody could find us on my homeworld. And…maybe we can get him to purify. Maybe we can save him and that’ll be one less thing to worry about.”
She hesitated, looking up at him after a moment and chewing on her lip. “...Don’t you think? I’ll be safe about it.”
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2022 7:40 pm
For a split second, Zac tensed. There was something of Cambria in the kisses, but he couldn’t help but wonder if she was just trying to butter him up. If he’d closed his eyes, maybe he could have pretended, but it just didn’t seem right. He needed to pay attention to her, to listen.
“A cover story makes sense, I get it. It sounds good.” And Monoceros wasn’t really the devious sort. But if his personality was flip flopping…
“You’ll be safer on your home world. And if you’ve got Ilse, you’ll have good backup.”
And Monoceros was only a Super Senshi–would the Negaverse have trusted him? Or would he have reported it to someone else for backup? God, he just didn’t want ******** Faustite to find out.
…But she knew Faustite would want to hurt Ilse. She wouldn’t let that happen.
“He should be saved, too. Would be better if you can do it now, before the Negaverse tries to swallow him up again. Just get as much info as you can about him before you go meet him again. I know the rest of you in the Court might know more. I know you’ll be prepared. I just don’t want to lose you. You’re not weak, you’re a quick thinker and a strong fighter. Negaverse just plays dirty. I trust you. You’ve got good intentions. I know you want to save him.”
Knew she’d try no matter what he had to say about it, anyway.
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Posted: Tue May 03, 2022 7:52 pm
“I really…want your support, Zac. I…trust you. I’m trying. I…I know I’ll be safer up there. That’s what Evan did. He took me up to his homeworld…I’m not…I mean, He said I asked him to so, obviously I knew even then but.”
Talia rubbed her eyes, suddenly tired. “I just want…to be me again. I hope I can figure out who that is before I go crazy. But. I’ll save him. He’ll join the court again…I…I’ll talk to Evan about him. Talk to Malcolm…If they remember him, then…they can fill me in. Did…Zac, did he and I both get taken at the same time…?”
She looked up at him, chewing her lip. “...Should I have known to look for him? Tried to save him to begin with? But…I mean…I hadn’t seen him before so…”
But that couldn’t be the case. She hadn’t known...and nobody had told her so.
“No, I’m not…going to take that burden on me. No matter how much I want to. He’s not my fault, but I will save him.”
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2022 7:00 am
“You didn’t, no. It’s not your fault. I told him to be careful. He’s got a whole other thing going on, but that wasn’t your fault. The Negaverse got emboldened, they were running rampant.”
He was glad she wasn’t thinking this was her fault–glad that she was instead focusing on how she could help. He liked her conviction, her confidence. That was like that Lysithea he knew, at least. And she liked helping people, so maybe this was just what she needed.
“If there’s anything I can do, let me know. You've got my support, I trust you.”
She might not want him there but he could still be useful in other ways. “If you talk to Evan and Malcolm, yeah. They’ll know more than me. And Sol too, probably. You talk to him about your starseed or getting back your power yet?”
He was still holding her but he didn’t miss how tired she looked. He reached to his side and tugged the blanket a little closer so he could wrap it around her while she rested against him.
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Posted: Thu May 05, 2022 7:32 pm
Talia gave a little smile and shook her head. “Haven’t talked to him yet. But maybe tomorrow. Maybe I’ll just do everything tomorrow. I’m sleeping with you tonight, just so you’re aware.” The smile fell after a moment. “If that’s okay, I mean. I know…I…I’m throwing myself at you but. Even if I don’t remember it.”
She shrugged. “It feels right. Sometimes when you’re holding me…it just feels right. Teasing you? Pushing you…it…feels right.” Talia drew in a breath. “...Still not sure how I feel about Ilse but. I’m sure I’ll figure that out soon enough but…I’ll keep throwing myself at you for as long as you allow. And I'll talk to the others tomorrow. It’ll be good for me. Good to do this…good…”
Leaning up, Talia kissed under his chin. “...Todd could take the couch tonight, I think. If that’s all right with you?”
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Posted: Fri May 06, 2022 7:26 am
Zac couldn’t help but tip his head back a little when she kissed under his chin, as if inviting her to have as much as she wanted. Did he like the attention? Absolutely. Did an old, familiar heat twist in the pit of his stomach? Absolutely.
Was he trying to make sure he understood what she was saying and not just assume?
Sleeping with him could have a lot of meaning. And she was kissing him. And offering to kick Todd out of their room.
He was probably getting ahead of himself. His mind was swimming and his heart was drowning.
“It’s our room. Our bed. Sounds like you’ve got a good plan for everything. Who am I to argue?”
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2022 7:02 pm
Talia nodded and drew in a breath. “Yeah. Yeah it is. Thank you. I’m glad…glad I could talk to you about everything.”
And now she could move forward and talk to the others too. And they could save this…Monoceros…and bring him home. Just like she had been brought home.
The very thought…helped more than she could truly articulate. And with a smile, she pushed Zac onto the bed and just gave a laugh. One that was almost free of the pain and unhappiness that had been swallowing her but. Oh. No, this was just nice.
He was nice.
…And she could get used to this…all too easily, she was sure.
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