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 Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 5:09 pm
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"A mass murder is about to arrive on our doorstep. No big deal."
The flippant, chipper tone clashed spectacularly with the content of the words. A few handmaids cast her looks ranging from wary, to disbelief, to flat disgust—the latter, she’d given them credit for their attempts to hide those with busying themselves trying to look at accessories or adjusting seams on her clothes.
It was years of practice that kept her expression just as jovial, not a single twitch to hint to her mischief as she went on. "Also a kidnapper, and probably doing who knows what to that poor knight that had to marry him. Goodness, the cosmos really isn’t picky about who or what it grants such gifts to, now is it?" She openly tossed her gaze towards the ornate metal box in the mirror, all present aware of the cosmic treasure in question that lay within. A divine treasure, by the accounts of any who followed some of the faiths of her people. And her, the only one capable of utilizing it and unleashing the destructive, creative powers tied to it.
Kyrie’s smile didn’t waver at their hushed murmurs. She contained the snicker that wanted to bubble up in her throat at one maid’s violent shiver, her light grey-green wings fluffing up as if to ward away a chill. The voices continued, buzzing and hissing around her. Talking about all the stories that had begun to weave through social circles far and wide about this particular new trade agreement. Alastor wasn’t exactly a world looked upon fondly by outsiders. Even among their own kind.
But Solarian faiths all circled around a similar concept—the idea of change. The idea of progression. The idea of redemption.
"That is, if you believe any of those stories," she finally added, lifting her hands to lightly remove herself from the plucking, pinning hands around her. "This is perfect, thank you. I hope I’m able to show off your amazing work." One of the aides had arrived a moment before to escort her to the landing dock, and it was time for Solaris to take the stage. Too bad the mantel covered over the beautiful work they’d done on her. She did a quick spin, watching the light flicker on her skin and the shimmering material of the dress. And so, so many tiny crystals. Smiling wistfully, Kyrie walked over to the cloth covered table that held the ornate box. A quick flick of her fingers unlatched it, and swiped the contents up. A murmur, a flare of magic… and the guardian of their world smiled to the aide. "Let’s not keep them waiting now."
Not that Kyrie wasn’t notorious for making people do just that. It was one thing to make the Chancellors, advisors, and nobility wait for her. But a diplomat and trade parties from other worlds? Especially one as infamous as this?
It was curiosity that fueled her, not a sense of duty, to be fair.
Outside the white and grey stone walls, she could hear the ever calling winds. Ornate holes and tubes carved into the stone—some by hands over countless years, others by the elements themselves—drove sweet whistling songs and humming tunes through the halls and rooms. Beyond the stained glass windows, and thick, clear panes of glass enveloped in intricate metal bars for reinforcement, she could see the never ending flow of ships that came in and out of this city.
One of their largest, the city-state Grad’ad Caelum, was host to the main intergalactic port on Solaris. Consuming the entirety of one of the floating islands, it was also one of their oldest centers of civilization. Commerce, news, and people flowed in and out of the ports here, funneling to and from other islands and the lands below. Residential zones were vastly outnumbered by commercial, though many built homes into the rock of the island itself, some buildings even trailing from beneath the island like roots of some vast tree. Numerous Guilds had sprawling headquarters here, all the better to practice their trades and skills with the flex and flow that came in and out of the planet. It was also one of the easier locations to defend, should visitors decide to test the hospitality of Solarian forces. Skin and uniform shimmered, a white body suit overlaid with cloth and trinkets, crested by the symbol of Solaris itself—if the soldiers and guards weren’t enough of a force to recon with, the destructive magic of their guardian senshi was a particularly proud point for many of her people.
They travelled from her temporary abode to the central hub of the intergalactic sector, a fleet of small ships of personal and larger sizes. Solaris took up her own glider, the solar wings revving the machine to life before finally coming to land not far from where their visitor's ship would be docking. Winds billowed around them, and her wings flexed against the currents. Oh the urge to drop off the edge and glide...
But the presence of so many soldiers, representatives of different kingdoms, and those of the Commerce Guild... the latter had the large role in all of this. They were the ones who, along with the Peacemen's Guild--oh, a few of their folks were here, too--brokered the trade agreement with Alastor. For now, Grad'ad Caelum floated over a land of misty, dark clouds. Tall, gnarled shapes peered down and then from beneath the gloom of its own creation, before slipping back into the murk. Paludvenea. Swamps of poisonous life. A deadly place long held in both reverence and fear by Solarians... but the birthplace of so, so many of the flora and fauna vital to their societies.
Birthplace of the star of today's show, too.
A ship began to break through some of the clouds, and Solaris tipped her head back to watch its decent into the port. Smaller ships of a light blue metal flanked them, their shapes mirroring the sleek designs of aerial fauna and avians that ruled the skies of Solaris. The weather was kind to the parties that day. Winds blew as they always did at that altitude, but no storms rolled and clambered their ways through the airspace. If the visitors weren't careful, though, the winds could make them wobble a fair bit--Solarians were, light as they could be, at least used to having to brace themselves, standing with legs slightly spread in a way that best countered the predominate direction the wind was blowing. Some of the representatives of the Commerce Guild and Peasemen's Guild began to step forward, standing somewhat on either side of Solaris. Behind them, representatives, then aides, then soldiers stood at their flank. They all kept a fair distance from their guardian, however. If she did need to use her magic, the advantage was to whomever stood the furthest away. Not a great thing when you also need to make the most important folks stand towards the head...
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Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 10:47 pm
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Devyn did not like the process of traveling to other worlds. If he couldn’t move on his own two feet, he was usually unhappy. Being cooped up on any vessel was agitating. The trip itself hadn’t taken very long, but it felt like a great distance. He had so much to do back on his world that it felt like he was wasting time in transit. He’d brought paperwork to do, but most of his work wasn’t paper oriented.
He could follow along with updates, but he could only pace the confines of his room for so long before he wanted to stray to greater quarters. But, that meant more distractions, and he was doing his best to be good.
He didn’t need any trouble, either.
By the time they landed on Solaris, he was ready to go. It took all of his effort to wait patiently for everyone else; it would have been unbecoming to completely abandon his entourage just for the sake of being off the ship.
They didn’t drag their feet, but it felt like it.
He hadn’t come with a large group; it was two members of his Council, there to smooth over and reassure any potential complications, and a handful of laborers skilled enough to move the carefully packaged ores he’d promised in trade.
When Devyn exited the ship, he carried himself with pride and dignity. He wasn’t powered up; he anticipated that tapping into his Senshi form would only come with an unspoken threat. Instead, he’d dressed in traditional Alastorian garb; he wore fitted black pants and boots with gold gilding and laces to accent his form. His shirt was a dark teal, painstakingly embroidered with gold thread. His sleeves billowed a bit in the wind, not so much that it knocked him off balance, and he seemed to hold his own.
He’d spent a decent amount of time on his hair–but what else was he supposed to do in transit? Gold and teal beads were carefully woven in, and every part of his ensemble was a compliment to himself and the rest of his outfit. He was not the least bit ashamed of the eyeliner he wore, or the jewelry that adorned him.
He took great pride in his appearance, and for all of his vanity he had still managed to choose the least imposing form he could have for his arrival.
Curiosity demanded he look around, but protocol restrained him. It took a great amount of willpower to approach the Senshi without getting distracted.
Devyn carried himself with confidence and purpose, and if he hadn’t kept his face trained into softness, he might have had the demeanor of a predator. He was always on edge, especially when he didn’t have the familiarity of his own world, but he didn’t act on it. He stood before the Senshi and tipped his head slightly. A polite gesture of greeting, though he never took his eyes off of her.
“Solaris. I’m grateful to have this audience with you. I appreciate your hospitality and willingness to negotiate.”
Even if he hadn’t spoken with her directly before, she was here now, and she bore her planet’s namesake. Formality dictated she should be the one receiving gratitude, though he spread his courteous nods around to the rest of her court as well.
“As a show of good faith, we’ve brought double the negotiated weight in ores. A gift.” Truthfully, they’d estimated only half of what they’d been able to mine from their recent efforts and it would have cost nearly as much to process the excess as it would have to just give it over. “I hope this won’t be a problem. I wasn’t sure how else to express my gratitude for this arrangement. Our progress has been slow back home,” or, he was just very impatient, “so I’m looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish with your help.”
He kept her gaze and held out a hand to shake, maybe deliberately moving his arm so his sleeves could reveal the lack of anything hidden in the folds of his shirt. If she needed the assurance that he was unarmed and unthreatening.
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Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2022 6:29 pm
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They stayed within their formation as they waited for their guests to disembark. There was no coughing that she heard over the hum of the wind and buzzing of engines from other docks at the port. Solaris kept her hands on her hips, a lax pose she didn’t mind for long periods. It helped her contain some of her fidgeting, though she still shifted about on her feet a bit, gaze still wandered out over the ledge of the dock. Free gliding wasn’t advised. Not when the nearest land to catch yourself on was… well. The lands thousands of meters below. Sometimes other fragments of islands drifted a few kilometers off of Grad’ad Caelum, but that was a risky flight these days.
Too many ships came in, and the wake turbulence could easily knock a free glider well off their course. Or worse.
Her lips twitched, though. Far back, she could hear one of the soldiers radioing out to other patrols. From where they stood, they could quite easily see some free gliders coasting along with a small, interplanetary ship. Likely carrying cargo, these weren’t the tethered crew gliding out by the ship to land before it did, and help tie and ground it to the dock. These were free gliders, using only the powerful up drafts caused by the winds striking the island and being forced up and over its edge to continue on their way. It wasn’t uncommon to hear of deaths. Which was why it was illegal to free glide around the ports here.
But Kyrie’s smile glittered with mischief. She’d done it a number of times—launch herself off the edge of Grad’ad Caelum to catch the updrafts in a free glide. As Solaris, the greater strength granted to her only increased her reckless behavior. She could at least give the ships always sent out for free gliders a good run for their money before they’d catch her and she’d need to alight with them.
As those ships began to depart the ports, aiming for the free gliders, the ship she was herself waiting for opened, and people began to depart. The Solarians had a far larger group, that much was clear. One part hospitality, one part to bring forward all invested and involved parties, and one part warning to the Alastorians. The warmonger peoples were welcomed in this trade. That didn’t mean their entire history of violence amongst themselves, and against others beyond their world, would be simply waved away.
Pale blue eyes lit on the dark-haired man at their front. Immediately, a brow lifted. She didn’t sense any energy of a senshi. Nor did she see the uniform markings of one on any of them—her gaze flicked between all members of his entourage. The sunlight glinted off precious metals laced and threaded delicately through his clothing. She didn’t see him falter even slightly in the winds. He held himself steady. That hair and long sleeves rippled in the air only added to the impressive figure he struck. Wealth was obvious, and his own gate and confidence spoke of power.
He fit the description perfectly of the senshi she’d be greeting. But she was greeting a person. Not a mantel, not a guise. A person.
Solaris’ smile was brighter than perhaps etiquette required as he and his people came to a stop before her. As he tipped his head, she acted in kind, preferring the less formal greeting.
Though Solarians could be on the more reserved side, publicly, the show of good faith immediately sparked up excited murmurs behind her. She could hear their glee and hands itching to begin inspecting the ore. But decorum prevented them from moving even a centimeter. And Kyrie was being a brat.
"Devyn DeLunne, we welcome you and yours to our home. You have brought quite the gift indeed to our doors, one almost too generous for us to accept." The delighted buzz from the Commerce Guild died so suddenly, Solaris had to close her eyes and bite her cheek to keep from laughing outright. If it weren’t for the sounds of the port beyond them and the sounds of the ever present wind, she might have thought she was suddenly struck deaf. A tremor ran through her shoulders, though, and a hiss of a smothered breath escaped her pressed lips. When her lids again lifted, she met his gaze with eyes that crinkled with mirth. "We will ensure we meet your generosity, I’m sure there’s much that can be discussed in that regard, particularly in reference to the problem you are looking to resolve."
A hushed, yet still nearly collective, near sigh of relief drifted from behind her, and Solaris’ smile beamed. Oh, yes, she’d just made a promise as Solaris’ primary representative she had no capacity to back up, and she knew it. But with so many eyes on them now, the Commerce Guild would need to pony up or risk suggesting their guardian was a liar.
Reaching forward, she clasped his hand firmly, not once dropping her gaze from his. She saw the movements he’d made, the exaggeration and understood their intention to be reassuring. It was… interesting, seeing from someone who lead such a hostile people. It brought to mind, again, the rumors that whirled about him.
Energy flared, a golden light dissolving her uniform. Behind her, some of the people jumped, looking aghast before composing themselves. This wasn’t the plan. But seeing as he wasn’t Sailor Alastor right now… The small brunette stood within a swirl of white and golden cloth, the dress simultaneously clinging to her in the form of tight-fitting tunic and leggings, and cascading light, frothy layers. Slender chains of gold and a blue metal twinkled and chimed around her, her hair decorated with similar metals in the shapes of flowers and vines woven through braided and curled locks. "Please, call me Kyrie. Quimutat Kyrie. It seems rude to remain as Solaris if my guest is not also under their mantel."
Releasing his hand, she stepped back, motioning to the rest of the Solarians gathered. "Please. I believe you already know Cultor Alba and Sciscitator Florus, they are from the teams within the Commerce Guild who have cultivated and produced the fungi you have been told about." Two of the Solarians bowed, and more of the gathered company were reintroduced or briefly indicated. All the while, Kyrie began to slowly migrate them towards the ships that would be taking them into the city itself, where the actual discussions could begin about the trade agreements.
Things that were extremely boring to her—her attention was keenly rooted on each of the Alastorians, and particularly the supposedly far less bloodthirsty of their line of guardians…
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Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2022 10:00 pm
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There was something almost undeniably predatory about Devyn. The way he moved was not unlike a large predator in waiting, muscles taut and ready to strike. Maybe it was fueled by the legacy he carried with him, or just the way he carried himself, but every aspect of his persona was carefully cultivated.
He didn’t show an ounce of weakness.
He hadn’t held his breath when she’d teased that it was almost too much to accept. He’d watched her, carefully. Comparatively. She didn’t seem afraid of him. She seemed playful.
It was different from what he was used to, but he wasn’t so foolhardy that he allowed his walls to lower so easily.
And yet, it was a surprising gesture of good faith to relinquish her power and walk with him without their powered mantles.
When Kyrie started walking, he kept pace with her. The other Alastorians followed, perhaps more keen to exchange social greetings and jump through the trivial pleasantries expected of them. But, she had his interest. He was polite, and bowed his head in simple greeting for the other when need arose.
“I appreciate your hospitality. I can’t say that I’m used to such pleasantries. I hope my arrival hasn’t been an inconvenience. I would have sent someone else but this was important.” Not that he didn’t trust his people. He had an excellent Council, and they were generally very good with making arrangements. And, they were far less intimidating than Sailor Alastor. “I wanted to make sure nothing interrupted the shipment on the way back,” he explained, as if he were making casual conversation about the weather.
His distrust wasn’t of her world; they’d been open and accommodating so far. His caution stemmed from whoever might try to intervene once they had what they’d come for.
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2022 6:09 pm
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Around them, officials exchanged greetings and minor chit-chat that at least suggested a positive outlook for the incoming trades and final negotiations. Kyrie knew the basics of what was happening, the actual science and scope of the plans were beyond her. She’d never been invited to the meetings or discussions about it all, nor had she asked.
She’d been far more interested in the rumors surrounding Devyn DeLunne, and the stories of previous Sailor Alastors. A part of her might have been hoping for a fight… but she knew, realistically, it was the best possible outcome for all sides to avoid such clashes. It was just the childish intrigue in conflict that made her mind wander.
Kyrie glanced up at him—up, a big up—and laughed lightly. "If you haven’t noticed yet, my people love embracing nature. We’re always happy to share what we have for people to best live alongside their own natural environments, and to learn what others have learned in turn. But your people are handling a rather… extreme situation, from my understanding. I hope the systems help them thrive in a more friendly environment." It was the most politically accurate and censored thing she’d said in a while, and the way she needed to frame her words rankled. But they were still among the officials, and she really didn’t want more lectures later than she’d likely already get about protocol.
Groups split, getting into different vehicles that would take them into the city proper. White, long, sleek, they closely resembled ships, and could obtain higher altitude than the short distance they hovered off the ground currently, but once you got them off of the tracks below ground that helped facilitate their hovering… they didn’t maintain anything and dropped like the deadweight they were. Great for inner-city travel on any level the buildings were, at least. "If you and your people wish to rest first, we can have everyone brought to the accommodations that have been prepared for you," Kyrie offered as she lingered a moment outside of one of the vehicles. An aide got into the driver’s seat, and a soldier the front passenger seat. Kyrie bit back a sigh.
She wanted to drive…
Motioning for him to follow her, Kyrie slid into the back, taking up a spot on one of two benches of plush seats that faced one another. When it looked like more officials might join them, she called out, "I’ll send out an alert once it’s been determined how we shall proceed. The parties can follow us for now." Though her tone was bright and warm, the clear intention for privacy was crystal. The soldier up front already flicked a switch to bring up a shield between the sets of seats, though she knew if she shouted, the two up front would hear her and attempt to intervene if there was trouble.
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Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2022 7:13 pm
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Solaris was very different from Alastor, and most of the worlds that Devyn had visited, anyway. He kept his emotions very measured and his demeanor revealed very little, but he looked around with obvious interest. Especially because she didn’t seem to have a problem with being somewhat isolated with him.
He eyed the shield with curiosity, but settled into his seat easily.
Devyn was relaxed, even when he was clearly outside of his element. Or, at least, he seemed as much.
“No, we don’t need to rest, thank you. I’d rather get business managed first. I’m afraid I’m a bit of a busybody. And, I made some promises back home that I’d like to make good on. But I appreciate the offer. I’m surprised you’d like to extend the invitation to keep us around for any longer than necessary. But, I have heard that Solaris is hospitable. And, impressive. Though, I don’t know if the rumors did it justice.”
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2022 8:19 pm
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Once Devyn was settled in his seat, the door closed automatically and the vehicle began to hum, vibrating briefly before it lifted off the ground. Behind them, the others began to hover and paused a moment as the drivers set whatever course they'd picked till she gave a specific direction. Beyond the windows, the port began to pass silently, their rides falling into a casual line of traffic out of the port.
If he'd asked for a tour of the city, she'd have arranged that in a heartbeat. If he'd wanted rest, that was obviously on the table. So the fact he declined the latter and wanted to hop right into business, just had Kyrie shrug. She lifted a hand to knock lightly on the divider between their area of the vehicle. "Direct the convoy towards the Commerce Guild headquarters," she called towards the soldier and aide who had turned their heads slightly at the knock. Her voice was raised only slightly over her regular speaking volume--sure, they had privacy back here, but the shield wasn't a thick one.
Though, the vehicles did have thicker, and darkly tinted versions for when occupants wished for those measures...
Turning back to Devyn, Kyrie scowled slightly and pursed her lips after a sigh. "You sound like the rest of the officials. All work-focused and no one seems to even glance at a vacation until I pitch a fit, or they just collapse of exhaustion. Idiots. I get why you'd be more pressed to get stuff done, though. Considering what's happening with your people. The stories I've heard about Alastor have been... thrilling, I think is a way to put it."
They were in a moment of privacy, and Kyrie wasted no time in dropping the formal, slower speech. Now, her words came rapidly, in a far more relaxed and conversational tone. His kind words towards Solaris were waved off with a simple nod of thanks before she barreled through to what she considered more interesting topics. In her seat, she sat languid, arms crossed loosely over her abdomen. Solarian seats were clearly designed with their wings in mind. The backs ended with enough space for wings to rest comfortably over them, with headrests coming down from above--both parts being largely adjustable for one's personal needs.
Behind her, unhindered by the seat, her wings flexed as she leaned forward a bit, looking him up and down rather obviously. "Did you really kill all those people? And force that knight to be with you? The stories aren't especially flattering, but they seem weird against all the other stories of the help and resources you've been working hard to get for your people."
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Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2022 12:31 am
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There was something about the way that Kyrie seemed so candid when she spoke, and Devyn couldn’t help but pick up on the extreme drop of formalities. Not only did she seem like she wasn’t trying to keep up a professional appearance, she also didn’t seem to have much of a filter anymore.
He leaned back in the seat and propped his elbow up against the back of it so he could make himself a bit more comfortable.
One brow raised as he listened, trying to figure out what he wanted to make of her.
“If you think I forced that Knight to be with me, you should head over to Sessrumnir and ask him, yourself.” It was a bit of a challenge but he refrained from huffing indignantly or making some offhanded quip. “I don’t know why my love life needs a rumor. I don’t know who thinks you can just force a Knight of Jupiter to do anything. Why would anyone want a storm they can’t control? The stories are never going to be flattering, that’s not what people want to hear.”
He was passionate about it, and yet he seemed to manage a professional outlook. He didn’t seem upset, though he did seem slightly guarded on the matter. He was probably used to rumors, probably used to people twisting his words.
Although, Kyrie didn’t really seem like most of the others. She didn’t seem like she was asking to get him riled up. She seemed genuinely curious.
“They want to justify hatred because it’s fun to have a common enemy, to find someone you want to see fail. I don’t have the luxury or vacation and fun, not when everyone’s waiting to hear if I’ve botched this or not. And, whether or not I come back successful, someone’s going to be looking to criticize the story. If I was going on vacation, and I mean no offense, but I wouldn’t spend it here.”
He watched all the movement outside of the window, but his eyes returned to Kyrie quickly. “I’d go for a cabin in the woods, at the top of a mountain. And I’d be there with my husband. The faster I get done here, the faster I can go home. There’s a lot of work left to do, and I have promised him a vacation. Only, it’s taking longer than I wanted, and I’m not going to abandon my world just to have an excuse to eat extra and sleep in.”
He almost insisted ‘no offense’ again, but instead he just shrugged again. He seemed tired, when he let his guard down briefly, but he hid it well enough. “I did kill those people though, yeah. Why, are you going to tell me that they didn’t deserve it?”
They perished by his hand, but not his will. It was a complicated topic, but Devyn answered as if he’d ever had a choice in the matter to begin with.
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Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2022 12:29 pm
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"Your love life is about as unexpected as the rest of your actions as a Senshi of Alastor," was her quip, her brows high and a delighted smile up on her face. "People don't expect a warmonger or blood thirsty type to have a happy family life." Was he either of those things? All evidence seemed to be heavy in the nah category--minus all those political deaths. His hands weren't pristine, but they weren't soaked in the way she'd heard of predecessors of his. He'd already gotten rather 'old' for the typical Alastorian senshi.
She'd heard Sessrumnir was full of scholars and libraries. It was pretty easy for the stories to proclaim the vicious man of Alastor just took what he wanted from the kind-hearted knight, all to gain whatever other resources he could wring out. Calling the knight a storm though... well. That didn't match any of those rumors, now did it?
Which just piqued her curiosity all the more.
It was just them talking. Senshi? Yes. But people. The trade agreements were already in place beyond some final technicalities they were en route to settle. Kyrie herself didn't have the authority to overturn anything--unless he thought otherwise, she couldn't fathom a reason for DeLunne to try to make himself sound better than the rumors say... unless it was as he said. People just like having a common enemy to blame and make themselves feel better over.
Could she have been absolutely wrong? Definitely.
The look of delight shifted into surprise, though. Oh. He wanted to just to have a vacation with his husband? Aw, that was cute. Her fingers tapped rapidly against her upper arm. That was not something she figured someone who was all war-focused would say... None of it matched up with the whispers of warning she got before this meeting. "It is the smallest spark that shall herald the greatest of changes, and the peoples will prosper in its wake, far and wide," she murmured, rolling her eyes.
"...is there anything we can do to help speed things up? I could probably convince some of the Commerce Guild to send along some people, if that might be of use? The Peacemen--uh, they're like... our guild of diplomats and soldiers?--but they could likely at least give an escort if you're really that worried about something happening on the way back. You did give us an extremely generous gift. I might be able to leverage that on them. And throw in a few religious quotes--traditional Solarians are huge on the old faiths that circle around change and supporting positive change, by the way, if you ever do more trade agreements with us. Use that to your advantage--you're basically a walking example of that sort of change," she tossed to him, holding up a finger and absently gesturing to him to outline her point.
Was Kyrie herself especially religious? She wasn't sure. Sure, she was raised on the old faith. Since awakening, she had to delve into the theology to act as the face for her people to associate with the teachings. The stories were wonderful. Beautiful, inspiring. She felt the power of the magic that flowed through her upon taking on the mantel of Solaris. But did she believe gods sent avatars and messengers to lead people to change?
Hard to say. The more modern teachings pointed out that everyone can be a spark in another person's life, and promoted acts of volunteering, donation, and kindness. They were the teaching Kyrie at least liked to speak to when she was forced to stand in front of people as Solaris and preach something.
She cupped her chin in her hand, resting her elbow on her other hand as she watched him. "As for those people you killed... no. If they were corrupt to the point of people dying, and could have done something to protect the people under them... Solarians don't accept the death penalty. It removes the person's ability to use their mistakes as the event that brings them to change their lives for the better, and repent for what they've done. Publicly," she added in a far softer voice. Her smile took on a disgusted edge. "But exile can be just as much of a death sentence if someone's that far gone. Or they've got a senshi if things are really bad. Like when their greed means whole kingdoms could be wiped out due to resources destroyed by warfare... a well-aimed spark can certainly lead to a lot of 'positive' change then, don't you think?
"Your people just don't hide it behind quotes of scripture."
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Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2022 1:59 am
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Devyn laughed briefly, a subdued sound that he almost seemed to try to hide. Her comments about him were far from what he seemed to expect, but he didn’t appear ashamed of the fact that he loved his husband. Did he have a nice, happy family life?
No, not really. It was complicated, but needless to divulge such things. He was happy with Percy, that was his family. He was all he needed.
“I appreciate your offers to expedite things, but I can’t accept more help than you’ve offered. We’re a prideful people. If we have the tools, I’d rather do it ourselves. That, and Alastorians seem to have a bit more resistance to what we’re dealing with than outsiders. I’m afraid anyone from offworld might wind up sick. Or worse. I’d rather not take an escort, either. I appreciate the offer, but that’s my own pride.”
He wasn’t ashamed to admit it. “I have a hard time finding people who can keep up with me, and I come with a lot of trouble. I don’t want to drag anyone down with me. I’ll be in and out fast enough, without needing to get anyone else involved. I don’t want to ignite the wrong spark.”
He tapped his finger on the back of the seat in a slow, thoughtful gesture. She wasn’t what he expected either.
“I’ve had my fair share of problems through scripture and religion. It’s not for me,” he shrugged. “Not on my world or any other. No disrespect meant. I’ve just seen what it can do to people. Brings out a lot of bad.” He paused, mulled this over, and then shrugged again. “Well, I suppose that’s not entirely true. Sometimes it brings out the good. But I’ve had to stop more wars over religion than any other. Alastorians are very passionate people. Always have to be right, no matter what.”
He didn’t argue this; it might not have been the kindest statement, but he didn’t think it was untrue. He didn’t like to be wrong and hadn’t met many on Alastor who could handle it with grace.
“I don’t think everyone can repent, anyway. Some of them just don’t want to. Hard to fix someone who doesn’t think they’re broken.”
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Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2022 7:09 pm
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Oh! Her eyes twinkled and crinkled with mirth. She got him to laugh a bit. She considered that a victory. Certainly made her more curious about the scholar who stole the Alastorian’s heart.
Still, Kyrie hummed, lips twitching to the side in obvious displeasure that he’d declined further assistance. "So be it. I won’t bagger you about it, I’m not about to fight someone’s pride—that’s usually a losing battle—but just know the offer for more help stands if you ever want it, Devyn." It was a point to say his name. Kyrie was offering him further assistance. Oh, she knew her teachers in language and from the Commerce Guild in particular would be furious if they’d overheard her wording. There was no built-in cap, no particular mention of what sort of help.
She’d let him do with that what he wished.
"But saying it’s hard to find people who can keep up sounds a lot like a very interesting challenge, if you ask me," she said in a light, sing-song tone. Her smile was that of mischief, and if they weren’t closing in on the Commerce Guild HQ, she’d have probably pressed that issue.
Still, she openly waved him off with a snort. "If I wasn’t Sailor Solaris, you wouldn’t find me reading and reciting scripture. I like the stories, I like the messages some bring, but…" Her shoulders rose and fell absently, her wings fluttering somewhat with the movements. Kyrie did grimace, though, as he mentioned how Alastorians always needed to be right. "Oh that’s… a bad mix with religion. We have enough issues with the different branches of faiths conflicting here, but I… oh I don’t want to imagine dealing with it combined with a world-wide pride," she groaned, rubbing her face carefully. Mindful, at least, of the makeup she had on. But oh that all sounded like a headache…
"Scripture here would say such broken people should spend the rest of their lives working to better the rest of the world. Or to do so elsewhere. But… maybe sometimes the best thing they can do, is just to move onto the next life." Another shrug, this time as she looked out the window. So many buildings in white, silver, and pale blue metals and stone. So, so many trees, vines, and other flora that consumed various parts of each building. Entire swaths of grasses and bushes mixed with paths and terraces, water features dotting the greenery. Rivers snaked through and around buildings, wide bridges accommodating foot traffic and more plants. And so, so many people. "I’m probably a very bad judge on that, though."
A warmer smile slid across her face, though, as she looked back to him. "Thank you, by the way, for humoring me with this conversation. I don’t get to talk frankly with people nearly as much as I wish I could, and I’ll admit the rumors made me very curious to the sort of person you were."
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Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2022 12:53 am
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Devyn seemed amused at how playful she was; he wasn’t used to it, and it was a bit disarming. Her wings were a bit distracting; twice he glanced at them when they moved on her back.
“Oh, I appreciate honesty,” he said, and seemed candid enough about the claim. Honesty wasn’t always the best policy, but this was better than static conversation just to pass the time. Her candor was refreshing, even if it was a bit humorous.
“I’m probably not as interesting once you get past the rumors.” He shrugged, but seemed pretty easy going about this fact. “I’ve heard some pretty creative ones. Most of them don’t mean much, so take what you hear with a grain of salt. Of course, sometimes it works in my favor. People don’t dome asking me for favors, I don’t have to deal with solicitors, people move out of my way when I’m walking down the street.”
He wore a half-smile, glancing occasionally from her to the world outside.
“It helps that I am actually pretty good at what I do. I haven’t lost a fight yet, so I’ve got that going for me. If diplomacy fails, I can always start threatening people to work with me. I’m teasing, by the way. I don’t show up with violence as my backup plan. Just so we’re clear.”
Just in case anyone was eavesdropping, too.
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