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 Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2022 10:34 am
[Takes place October 30th]Now that things had settled down after returning from the mission, and after she had gotten a few questions answered but…gained a few in return, Lysithea had decided to reach out to Alastor and see if he would be up for some time to just talk again, since she hadn’t stayed to talk to him after everything had ended.
There was a fresh batch of cookies in a bag that was slung across her arm, and she had sent the invitation to the other senshi yesterday and received a reply that he would meet her here for the journey up to Lysithea, and so she waited for him to show up, lightly kicking at a small stone on the ground, thoughtful.
There were a few things she wanted to know, first off…if their magic had helped at all or…if they hadn’t done as much as it felt like, though…honestly perhaps that wasn’t a great thing to really ask.
But, it was kind of interesting to know that…or, suspect, perhaps.
Cosmos hadn’t shown up, at least not to her knowledge, but if that was the case, it was interesting since…she always seemed to show up when things were going…poorly.
Except for when Ilse had been in need of purification. Or, that was what she had been told.
With a sigh, Lysithea rubbed the bridge of her nose, though glanced up when she felt the familiar presence of another Eternal Senshi.
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2022 10:42 am
Alastor never seemed to take much time showing up; he was a few minutes early, and though he looked composed and put together, he had definitely jogged at least part of the way here. But, he’d promised he was going to take it easy, so he was! And, as expected, he was healing up very well; his shoulder had regained most of its mobility, and his hand was still bruised, but they were just broken fingers! Practically papercuts.
“Lysithea,” he greeted, clearly in good spirits. He crossed the distance between them in what felt like only a few quick steps. Despite whatever speed he'd arrived at, he wasn't out of breath and hadn't even broken out in a sweat.
He looked well-rested, and he certainly had enough energy to spare.
“I thought I’d be the first to arrive, you beat me here. How have you been doing?”
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2022 11:18 am
“How could I let you wait for me? Don’t be silly, Alastor, I’m terribly excited to see you again and to fill my promise of letting you see my homeworld.” Lysithea smiled and held out her hand, wondering if they could be considered close enough for her to go in for a hug but…deciding at the last moment that they weren’t.
Yet.
“How’s your son doing? He’s such a cute kid, Alastor, I have to admit I’m a little jealous, it’s made me want to find one of my own.” She grinned rather sheepishly. “I made cookies for us, and made some extra for you to take home to your family, if that’s not overstepping too terribly much. If it is, take them home anyway because they’re good.” The sheepish grin melted slightly, becoming something almost amused.
“I hope you’re ready to see where I’m from. Or…from, might not be the right word but…whatever. Lysithea. It’s. Very purple. And I love it.”
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2022 11:46 am
Alastor took her hand and shook instinctively; if she’d offered a hug he probably would have returned it without thinking about it, too.
“I’m very ready to see your world, I’m looking forward to it. Thank you for the cookies, if they’re as good as you say, they might not make it home to share.” Except, while Devyn did have a stellar appetite, he cared very much about his family, and if they were good, of course he’d want to share with them.
“My son’s doing well. He’s still a bit shaken about everything, but he’s a strong, brave young man. I’m very proud of him. I’m going to celebrate my first Halloween soon, so they’ve been teaching me all about Earth’s customs. He’s excited, I think. And I am, too.”
He held his arm out for her, as eager to see her world as he was to talk about his family.
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2022 12:06 pm
Lysithea smiled and nodded. “If you’d be okay with it, I’d love to train with the two of them at some point, or if you ever need a babysitter, not that they’re babies but. I’m always available.” She took hold of his hand and gave it a little squeeze and then linked arms with him, taking them both up to her Moon without any further issues.
She gave a small, pleased sigh when they arrived, drawing in a deep breath of the crisp air and laughing as one of the butterflies fluttered past, the crystal like wings brushing against her cheek. “Welcome to Lysithea. I honestly…haven’t explored as much as I should, I mostly come up here for picnics but…everything I’ve seen has been like this, the grass and the trees, though…things have seemed to be more in bloom lately, and I’m going to assume that’s because of the bugs that have returned…”
Tugging on Alastor’s hand, she drew him over to her favorite tree, plopping down onto the ground and leaning against the trunk. “There’s a bird who likes to eat the berries here, it’s a beautiful little creature, and there’s…” Lysithea fell quiet as she heard the snap of a branch and turned her head, seeing a small creature that she hadn’t ever noticed before. It was about the size of a baby goat, and had the same type of build, though it had a small, stubby horn extending from the middle of its forehead. The tail was that of a goat too, but there were two small wings that surrounded it, as well as small wings on each ankle, just above the cloven hooves.It was pearly white color, with an almost iridescent sheen as it moved.
The creature took one look at the two senshi and gave a soft bleating sound before moving closer, sniffing the air around them.
“...That one’s new.” Her voice was soft and filled with wonder, looking at the creature with a fond expression. “...Oh I love it.”
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2022 12:13 pm
Alastor’s eyes followed the butterfly instinctively, but it seemed more like he was just trained on movement. He was on guard more often than not, but when he realized that her world seemed safe, that she seemed happy here, he relaxed somewhat.
He let her guide him and presented no resistance; when she sat, he sat next to her.
A new creature appeared–new to him, and new to her, apparently. He didn’t tell he that his first thought was to wonder how it tasted, and he had to remind himself that he didn’t have to be in survival mode–and neither did she.
“Does that happen often?” he asked, leaning forward just a bit so he could better see the goat-like creature. “Things that weren’t here before, that just show up? It’s been a long time since I saw anything alive on my world. Even the grass doesn’t want to grow.”
But, she’d seen that much, at least.
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2022 12:24 pm
“Yeah…pretty much. I mean, I don’t remember anything before…but Soleiyu told me that there wasn’t anything here before, but it seems like I see or hear something new everytime I come up so…that’s been interesting. I hope that you start getting some life up on Alastor…if you ever want any assistance cleaning up, I’m more than happy to lend myself for that too.” She grinned and drew out the pack of cookies she had brought to share between the two of them.
“That’s actually a really good segue to what I was hoping to talk about…I wanted to know if we did anything that really helped…like, I’m not sure if whatever the court ended up doing, and honestly, I’m not sure what the court ended up doing as both Malus and Adria said that it was different from what we’ve done before but, I don’t know if you had noticed it helping anything else or have heard anything about it…also, I was wondering if Cosmos showed up to help you…from what I’ve been…piecing together, she always seems to show up when. Chaos has to be removed or stopped or…whatever. I didn’t know if I had just missed her or…”
…Or if she hadn’t shown up and she had to figure out why. Again.
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2022 12:39 pm
The corner of Alastor’s lip twitched, just slightly, and he shrugged. “She’s not invited to my world. I would have noticed if she’d shown up. But the Cauldron keeps her busy, I suppose.”
He forced a shrug and hunched forward a bit so he could rest his elbows on his knees while he sat cross-legged.
“I haven’t seen much of any Court things, so I’m sorry to say that I don’t have any more information than you. I haven’t been back to my world since you were all there, I need a few days before I can travel again. I’ve promised I’d relax and heal, so I’ve been taking that part very seriously. It would be nice to see something again. I don’t know how much the chaos took from my world, but I hope that with it gone, my world can thrive again. I’d take mosquitos again. Or edible crops. Just about anything.”
People would be ideal, though. He wanted to find someone who had survived, anyone. He hadn’t given up hope, no matter how small the chances were.
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2022 1:34 pm
Lysithea looked sharply at Alastor, frowning slightly. “Not…invited to your world? I mean, if it’s a sore subject…um…we can drop it but…why would that be? Is that like…an official thing or just…” There was an avid curiosity in her voice, and she chewed her lip for a moment. “That’s fair, and it’s perfectly fine, I just…I’m glad that I was able to do anything to help you…it was intense but…the satisfaction is quite high, I’ll admit that.”
The idea of wanting mosquitos was…kind of sad, honestly. But, Lysithea could understand. There was a moment when she thought she would have been willing to have anything just to have life up here again.
“I hope that something shows up. I hope that you get something better than nasty blood sucking bugs, but I hope…you get something soon. You deserve it. Your world…I can’t wait to go back to it and see what it should be. What it can be…”
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2022 1:39 pm
Alastor shrugged, and though he was a bit stiff he was fairly dismissive of the topic. “I wish everyone got to see my world when it was bright and lively.” It was clearly a better conversation for him than Cosmos, but he didn’t want to leave Lysithea hanging when she’d worked so hard to help him fight the chaos on his world.
“I needed help, a very long time ago. And I was desperate. I tried every avenue. Every doctor, every cleric, every healer, everyone scientist. Everyone I could find. And finally, I needed her. I was desperate. Begged for her help and,” he shrugged again, like he had to physically shake off the thought. “She didn’t come. And I know she’s busy with the Cauldron. I know that’s her priority. But.”
He pressed his lips together and exhaled, looking up at the sky. “It was just really important to me. It was the only time I ever prayed to anyone for anything, and she didn’t come. I haven’t been able to forgive her. I know it’s selfish, and egotistical. But I suppose when you’re desperate or worried or grieving, those things don’t matter. She’s not some deity to fix everyone’s problems. I don’t know what she is, aside from the Guardian of the Cauldron. I don’t know why anyone treats her like she’s anything else. I’ll stay out of her business since she’s keen to stay out of mine.”
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2022 3:02 pm
Lysithea swallowed and took a cookie from the pack, handing the rest over to Alastor, mulling over what she wanted to say. What she could say. “...Did…I mean. Have you tried to contact her…recently? I mean…Since you arrived on Earth? I…I’m so sorry to keep dragging up a bad topic but. She showed up to purify me when I was leaving the Negaverse, and she acted like she was…happy about it like…I mattered to her or something but…I’ve also since learned that she didn’t come when I had called her once…to save Ilse, before my whole…before the Negaverse got me. I don’t remember, but…I just. I don’t know.”
She picked at the skin around her thumbnail, frowning at it as she tried to figure out just what she wanted to say. “I spoke to a Page who lives with us, he was the last one we helped before I was corrupted…and, honestly it was just to ask if he remembered how it happened, and he said that Cosmos had been there, which…I don’t know. It kind of confused me like…if she would help me out before, and seem relieved that she was helping me personally…obviously we must have…known each other to a point, so why didn’t she come to help Ilse? I…”
Lysithea winced as she tugged the small sliver of skin down past where her nail ended, the area blooming with bright blood. “...I think. I mean. I feel like. I mean.” She looked up at Alastor and shrugged. “Ilse was there when I was taken. If she hadn’t…if Cosmos had come. I might not have lost everything. And I just don’t understand.”
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2022 3:07 pm
Alastor accepted the cookies but he seemed a bit distracted now, and it took him a moment to nibble on one.
“I haven’t tried to contact her, no. I don’t really want much to do with her. Leaning on her is a weakness,” he said, but he tried to explain it patiently because for him it was–it didn’t mean it was the same on Earth. “She plays a different role here than what I’m used to. That she came at all, ever, is impressive in itself. I don’t know why she’s sent all of the starseeds to Earth. I don’t know what this world means or what her plans are. But I know it’s not a wise idea to place all your trust in her. She can’t always come, or maybe won’t, when you call upon her.”
He didn’t know what her reasoning was for not coming when he called. Maybe she cared too much about the rumors and not enough about Percy.
Alastor reached out to rest a hand over Lysithea’s when he saw the splash of red appear, as if to quietly discourage her from hurting herself.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that. I don’t think there’s always an easy answer or explanation. Have you asked her what happened? She seems more in tune with the people of Earth. If she has come before for you, she might come again.”
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2022 3:08 pm
“No, just…wanted to have like…a plan of what to say when I do talk to her…I…it’s been bothering me a lot more recently since I heard that…you know. She had come to help before, I don’t know. Just. I’ll…” Lysithea glanced around, surprised and a little saddened to see that the tiny goat like creature had left, but she shrugged. “I can’t come back up here again until a week from now, I was up here right after we came home so…I figure that gives me a week to write myself a script and questions of what I want to ask her…”
If Cosmos decided to show up to simply talk to her…if…
Lysithea shook her head and flashed a smile at Alastor, tucking her hand under her in an effort to stop picking at the skin. “Maybe I’ll try to bribe her with some cookies too, think that might work? Sweeten her up a bit, you know?”
The smile that she wore was…strained but. She was trying. “I don’t know. I just want to know why she didn’t come. And if she realized what…a mess that abandonment made out of my life…and if…she doesn’t realize. I want to make her realize. When. We called her to help me. She said ‘Please tell me that I’m here to help you’...so…I mean…” She shrugged the smile gone once more. “You’d think that would mean I was something, right?”
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2022 4:05 pm
Alastor listened, and it seemed like he took his time to process her words despite never really taking long to mull them over.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “When I was younger, when the universe was different, you’d hear about her, always in the context of some miracle. There were rumors and myths and legends, but I don’t know if anyone had ever actually even seen her or if they were all just relying on the stories they told each other. A part of me says the one you know must be some sort of imposter, if she has some room in her heart to leave her post and come visit others so often.”
He didn’t know what was so different now than in the past, but maybe if there were fewer starseeds coming to her…
He could only speculate.
“It sounds like she’s cultivated Earth to fit her own needs. She’s sent so many Senshi and Knights here. I’ve never seen anything like that, and I’ve never heard anything like it, either. This is a first for me.” Maybe a first for her, maybe not. He didn’t think he could understand Cosmos and he didn’t know if it was worth the effort to try.
“And there are people here who have seen her. Met her, spoke with her. Been healed by her.” There was a bitterness in his voice, but he forced himself to ease himself and relax. “
“I’m not a very superstitious man. They treat her like some sort of deity. Then, and now. And she does have an important role at the Cauldron, I’ll give her that. But I don’t know what she wants others to see her as, and I don’t know what she hopes to accomplish by splitting her time between the Cauldron and Earth. I wouldn’t count on her for anything important to you. What matters to you might not matter to her. She’s otherworldly. She looks like you or I but she’s not like us. Just be careful. Don’t invest too much of your heart or hope into anything that requires her. Her priority will always be the Cauldron.”
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2022 4:10 pm
The Cauldron…Lysithea frowned slightly at the term, and tried to remember if she knew what it was…it seemed like a concept that should be familiar but…like many things, there was simply a void where understanding should be. Still, she sighed and hesitated, reaching out and placing a hand on Alastor’s shoulder. “I’m sorry that she didn’t come…but. We did, you know. And we’d come again if you ever needed us. All of us. That…” This was straying off topic and wasn’t even the point but.
“Maybe it makes it better that we’re all here, concentrated in this one city…or…one planet, I don’t know. Maybe there’s Senshi elsewhere too but…maybe it’s forcing us to work together and maybe one day we’ll actually listen. Maybe…”
Lysithea’s gaze was rather far away after a moment. “Maybe if we can keep working together, we can figure out how to never need the aid of Cosmos again. And she can simply stay in the Cauldron.”
But, as to what the Cauldron was…she would ask Cosmos. It would go on the list.
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