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 Posted: Wed May 10, 2023 11:07 am
If he could have his way, Nataniel probably would’ve preferred to have relatively minimal contact with the girl. She was not important to him to any degree beyond that she was vaguely necessary to keeping the peace with one of his recruits. Rakovanite still felt this unpredictable tension when dealing with Vauxite. It simply would not subside, no matter how he rationalized that it was unfair of him to… to hold some kind of grudge? Against Vauxite’s prior Knight alliance? Who Rakovanite literally had no previous knowledge of and who Vauxite could not remember, anyway.
Zaidyn at least didn’t display any notable signs of not trusting Nataniel in return, but it was no secret that Jenna didn’t like him, and Nataniel was entirely indifferent to her as a person. They should have zero need for any interaction beyond the bare minimum of making sure there was no trouble between them.
So when Zaidyn had mentioned that his sister wanted to talk to him, Nataniel’s impulse response was, ’Seems unnecessary.’
If she wanted something, Zaidyn could provide. Whether it was assistance with some task or information or companionship or whatever, that’s what her brother was for. Nataniel should not have to be involved with her at all, and it already felt like an added stressor that they were affiliated in any way. It was only the thinnest thread of obligation to Vauxite that made him entertain the idea.
Nataniel sank down onto a wooden bench next to a walking trail that looped through a small portion of the reservoir’s beach. It was a chilly, windy March day, so the only passerby was the stray jogger. It seemed unlikely that anyone or anything would disturb them. Far enough removed to not be any kind of issue, though he had actually taken the time to drive out here, rather than teleporting as Rakovanite. Less conspicuous, he’d thought. But he should have told the girl that if she wanted something from him, she should just meet him at his house so that he wouldn’t have to go out of his way for her. Then Basyl could have placated him if he grew too agitated. …Or placated her, since she always seemed to catch an attitude with Nataniel around.
…But then she would’ve been in his house. Nataniel didn’t like that idea, either.
He huffed softly and sipped at the iced peach green tea he’d picked up from Starbucks on the way. Some small distraction and barrier against being alone and unoccupied with a girl he knew did not like him. He’d gotten her one, as well, out of a sense of diplomacy. Though it did not make him feel more at ease when he caught first sight of her walking toward him.
“Jenna,” Nataniel said by way of greeting, voice low and rumbling as he watched her intently from over the rim of his glasses. He lightly tapped the cup sitting next to him on the bench, leaving a fingerprint in the condensation that had collected there. “It is just an iced tea,” he intoned, the pad of one finger smearing the bottom of the cup to scoot it approximately one inch farther away from him. “If it is not to your taste, you are welcome to throw it away.”
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Posted: Wed May 10, 2023 11:12 am
“I appreciate it, thank you,” with some hesitation she picked up the offered cup and took a seat where it had previously been placed. Her stomach was a knot of nervousness and anxiety but holding onto something would at least give her something else to focus on instead.
If she only knew Nataniel as a civilian, perhaps this might not feel like talking to an executioner or at best a potential new employer at some high-end corporate company. Either way, both prospects were terrifying when taking into consideration that the man beside her had essentially kidnapped her not long ago. A General to be respected if not feared if only not to offend him and put her brother’s neck on the line for being unprofessional or not well spoken. After all, it was Zaidyn that insisted that she talk with Nataniel about corrupts since he had very limited knowledge at this point in time.
Jenna opened her mouth to speak, drew in a deep breath but closed her mouth again without a word spoken.
Her thoughts were already miles ahead in the conversation that hadn’t even started yet, running through scenarios of what might be said and outcomes that hadn’t happened yet, that it wasn’t until the ice in the cup shifted that she realized that she was sitting here in awkward silence and should probably say something so he could get on with his day.
“I’m sorry, I have questions I want to ask but I’m not sure where the best place to start without rambling on and wasting your time.” Golden eyes focused intently on the tea in hand and thoughts shifted to how it would become lukewarm before she finally got to the point. “A couple of days ago I was having a conversation with my brother, I mentioned that I was surprised that despite how new he was to your team, how quickly and readily you and your brother?” Zaidyn mentioned something of familial relations but left room for Nat to correct her if she was mistaken. “How you two come to help when he called.”
“I’ve been a part of the Dark Mirror Court for several years now,” seven but who's counting? “But I’ve never really felt a part of it, if that makes sense…” More often than not she did her own thing since there was nobody really who checked in on her or acted as a mentor to help her grow. Sadalsuud played that role for a short while but it has been a long time since they last connected. Remarque was another she spoke to on rare occasions but as their Prince, he was one she felt like it was best not to burden him with anything deemed unnecessary.
“Despite my initial anger when Vauxite revealed he was my brother, I am glad to finally have someone I can talk to about all this magic and the fights in the city. That I no longer have to lie to him like when I ended up in the hospital with a broken arm because of an altercation with a Knight.” Well Squire, but as a basic Senshi, anyone stronger than she was, was a threat.
“I guess, it just got me thinking about how different things might have been if I had been found by an agent and become a corrupt instead of what I am now. It’s probably too late now to join or be recruited or…” Realizing she was drawling on about nothing relevant, Jenna took a sip of the tea to try and recenter her thoughts so she could get to the point.
“Even though I can talk to him about things now, there’s still a wall. The Court is separate from the Negaverse and I want to know if there is a way to bridge that gap? I know I can’t officially join your team or anything, but all I want is to be able to fight alongside my brother or help him any way I can.” She didn’t know what Nataniel’s relationship was with that vibrantly-colored corrupt was but she and Aiden, Zaidyn now…, were always close, and after being cut off from him for several months after his proclaimed death, Jenna was willing to tear down anything that would keep them separated.
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Posted: Wed May 10, 2023 11:13 am
He did not mind silence. There was a certain anxiousness that stemmed from waiting, but Nataniel had nothing against a few moments with his thoughts to internally judge what she could possibly get from this meeting that Vauxite couldn’t ask for himself. He sipped his tea, eyeing the girl from the edge of his vision, waiting. She did seem to be taking her time. And here he’d been trying to be considerate. It felt like there should be less pressure to meet as civilians. No oppressive Negaverse aura to smother hers.
“It… surprised you?” He prompted quietly. “That someone would be there to help if he needed it?” There was no telling if it was a jab at him, personally (”you don’t really seem like the type to be interested in helping someone else…”), or just the Negaverse in general (“why would a bunch of corrupted murders care if one random, low-rank agent died?”)- she didn’t say it, but no one ever really said it, did they? It was all implied. “Mm.” The little note was dissatisfied, but not much else.
Nataniel could not even think of a situation at any point in time during his Negaverse career that he had asked for help and been ignored for more than a handful of minutes, tops. And more than once, he’d been asking for a Sovereign, who probably had more important things to do than bother with anything Rakovanite needed.
“It is my responsibility as his general, to assist when he needs it.” And given what the situation had turned into- basically a moshpit of flailing bodies that culminated with the rise of a filthy princess in the middle of it- better that he be there to witness it personally, Nataniel supposed. The danger could have been significant, though he hadn’t heard of anyone actually dying during the whole ordeal. Seemed like a distinct possibility for lower-ranked agents, though. Most people probably wouldn’t expect Order to let anyone perish in front of them… But Nataniel doubted it.
For the first time, he angled his head just slightly to be peering at her more fully. “You are dissatisfied with the Court?”
Nataniel had some working knowledge of how the Dark Mirror Court functioned thanks to the only one of their senshi he had any memory of ever interacting with. Narcissus seemed to accept it because there were particularly low expectations for recruitment. But it stood to reason that if that was the case, there probably wasn’t an especially broad network of people available to come around if someone needed help. And Narcissus did spend significantly more time patrolling with Rakovanite than he did with anyone else-
Because there wasn’t anyone else. He was almost positive Narcissus didn’t patrol ever with anyone from the Court.
“...I see.” She was not so different from him, in terms of wanting a niche to belong. Despite the constant accusations of ‘corrupted’ and ‘brainwashed,’ ‘evil,’ ‘murderer,’ ’wrong’- Nataniel had wanted this before Chaos had ever touched him. It did not feel wrong to him. It felt like where he was supposed to be. His niche.
…But he did not think it was hers. Didn’t think it would’ve been hers, even if an agent or Negaverse senshi had found her first.
“It is not ‘too late’ in the strictest sense of the words,” Nataniel said, voice betraying none of the hesitation he felt. “But I expect you would not find it worth it for all the hurdles to overcome and sacrifices to be made.” He shifted, the sudden discomfort making him a little more noticeably restless. “I have no particular insight as to what it takes to leave the Court, but I know you would have to banish that Chaos before you could claim this one. Even willingly, to enter this service from the White Moon would pose a significant risk to your memories; there is no way to know which would go and which would stay.”
“Even if you were willing to overlook that, I imagine it would be a change to go from powering up when you felt like it or when you needed to, to essentially being ‘on call’ whenever there is a task to be completed.” Being in the Negaverse was a lot like having another job.
A job that threatened your life constantly, with no real compensation besides the lure of maybe more power, if you were good enough. It shouldn’t really be undertaken by someone who didn’t believe in the Negaverse’s goals. …There was a surprising amount of agents who didn’t believe in it. Nataniel didn’t want to encourage another to join their ranks, when he was sure Markeb was looking more for companionship than to actually fight for something.
Instead, he could offer something else. “My fiance,” What a weird word. “is Narcissus, a senshi in your Court. It was difficult for Narcissus and Rakovanite to communicate, initially, since my tablet messages were not able to transfer to his compact, and the phones we use as civilians ******** off to another dimension when we power up.” He pulled the pen that encased his tablet out of his pocket, and at the bottom tip dangled a little circular disc with a vibrant, purple holofoil narcissus flower embossed on the front. “My Mauvian created us charms that function basically as two-way radios. He has a similar one attached to his Henshin Pen. They do not have the versatility of your compact when communicating with other senshi like you, but it is better than nothing, when we are unable to be together.”
Nataniel passed her the pen and charm to observe. “I will have Gremlin make you a pair. They will not function at all for ‘Jenna’ and ‘Zaidyn,’ and will only work for ‘Markeb’ and ‘Vauxite,’ so they will not completely replace the other tools you have available to you. But it will be enough to contact each other with.”
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Posted: Wed May 10, 2023 11:16 am
When he asked if she was dissatisfied, Jenna had to sit there for a moment in contemplative silence while reflecting on her feelings towards the Court. She understood how he had come to that conclusion with how she had in a roundabout way suggested leaving. But all things considered, her emotions weren’t so negative.
In the same sense that Vauxite couldn’t access the Dark Kingdom without a higher-ranking officer there to escort him, she was denied access to Mirror Space. No matter her tenure, it was her rank within the Court that held Markeb back from accessing their domain.
Indifferent was probably a better way to describe her outlook toward the Dark Mirror as a whole. Nonetheless, it wasn’t relevant enough to correct him on it, and instead continued listening to him explain his perspective on the benefits and necessary sacrifices of joining the Negaverse. By the time he was done, it felt like the bad exceedingly outweighed the good.
Memory loss was something she had only been faintly aware of, comments through the grapevine and never with someone who had undergone the actual process. He had only confirmed that it was in fact true. Being on-call, however, was like telling someone who had been working remotely for seven years that they now needed to come into the office. An inconvenience to be sure but it did make her wonder if having the security of someone to call upon, or be called upon in return, was outweighed by the freedom she currently had.
Presently she abused the ability to mirror walk as a means of fast traveling throughout the city. Making getting a car obsolete except in situations where she was going someplace new and had no idea where the nearby mirrors were located. Teleportation as Rakovanite had done when he whisked the group out of the subway tunnel would be more convenient but the quota Zaiden mentioned was one thing she wasn’t sure she could adhere to.
So many things to consider, no wonder her brother had limited knowledge of it all.
It was only when Nataniel passed her a pen that her thoughts stopped racing and focused instead on the charms hanging from it. “You’d do that for us? Ask Gremlin to make us a set of these?” As of late, she hadn’t really done anything notable to give Nat a reason to do something so kind. Perhaps Vauxite’s hard work was to thank for such a gesture.
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Posted: Wed May 10, 2023 11:19 am
It was not really a kindness or any extra energy expended to have someone else do something for the benefit of one of his subordinates. That should be the duty of his team’s Guardian, anyway: to make improvements to their technology that would make their lives easier. Gremlin was a little of a different situation, being belligerent and needing to be bribed to accomplish anything, particularly for people he wasn’t interested in (nearly everyone). But he was all Nataniel had to work with. Didn’t mean he was pleased about it. “My Mauvian’s disposition can make it difficult to find ways for him to be useful,” He muttered stiffly into the lip of his cup. “It is the least he can do.”
She’d also mentioned wanting to fight alongside her brother, wanting to help him in any way she could. Nataniel wasn’t sure this charm could accomplish that. It wouldn’t help her fight, wouldn’t be an instrument that could keep trouble from finding her.
Vauxite had the benefit of needing to meet his general’s physical expectations. He would know how to defend himself, even if he didn’t have all the physical strength or damaging weaponry of someone who had been with the Negaverse for longer. If that failed him, he could call any number of people as backup or just asked to be pulled away with a teleport. Markeb didn’t have any of that. She didn’t have anything that would ‘help him,’ besides maybe her magic. Nataniel couldn’t say.
But he imagined that the best way for Jenna to help her brother would be to simply not endanger herself such that he would have to chase her into trouble. Nataniel had told Basyl to his face that he was a liability. It was not out of cruelty, it was just true.
And that was about what he thought of this girl too. A liability. When they were in a large-scale altercation, she needed protecting, because if she wasn’t safe, she’d be a distraction to Vauxite. Something more likely to get him hurt or killed than to help him. His head canted very slightly, eyeing her again. People did not always see that aspect, though. It was easier to think they were useful and helpful by being near.
“I also suggest you take a self defense class, if that is not already something you are enrolled in. Most meet only once a week; it is not a huge time commitment. I ask that my recruits pick up a jogging routine to increase their stamina. I go for about half an hour most mornings. It can be a little tedious and difficult to get in the habit of, but it is good for you and will help you be prepared for situations that cause your heart to race.” He rolled his shoulders, sipped at his tea. “There are plenty of other things, smaller things, you can do that will ‘help,’ if you are inclined to seek them out.”
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Posted: Wed May 10, 2023 11:21 am
With the hours upon hours that Jenna devoted to ballroom dancing, stamina, and flexibility wasn’t as much of an issue as strength or desire to avoid altercations at almost all costs. She did not like getting hurt and in turn did not like hurting others, instead choosing to flee but as time had taught her, there were too many out there who were quicker than she was. Some of that might be due to raw talent or training but she was no fool and understood with promotions or upgrades, certain skill sets were granted a significant boost. Eternal senshi were capable of jumping higher and moving quicker than she could hope to achieve at her current rank and that was something that no amount of self-defense could help with.
Still… it didn’t invalidate his suggestion.
Jenna passed the pen back to Natanial. Even though he was straightforward in his opinion, she didn’t feel chastised for her lack of skill or knowledge. “I’ll look into taking some classes.” Probably won’t sign up for martial arts but now was probably as good a time as any to register for a women's self-defense class at the community center; something Aiden had proposed after visiting her in the hospital when her arm was broken.
Oh, he no doubt would have something to say if she told him that she was following through with Natanial’s suggestion, give her s**t about not listening to him sooner, or ask why it took someone else to propose the same thing for her to finally listen. The simple reason is that as siblings, coming from him it is a simple idea whereas if anyone else says the same thing it’s a valid suggestion. At least that’s probably what she tell him if he wanted to fight about it.
“I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me today. I’ll try to stay out of the way, but if I do end up in a situation with either of you around again, know that my magic is able to restore either your, or his, energy if you find yourselves running low.” Many thanks to Hyolome for explaining that to her. Finally, seven years later, she knew what she could do.
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Posted: Wed May 10, 2023 11:23 am
He did not assure her that it was no trouble to have met and spoken with her. It felt like it would’ve been easier to talk to Zaidyn, if he was actually worried about his sister or wanted advice on how they should navigate their situation. Basic information about corruption was something a Negaverse agent should have, and Vauxite’s opinion on the subject would start to be progressively more relevant the longer he was with them. …But Nataniel was not under any illusion that either of them wanted a discussion with him. Jenna had probably just drawn the short straw.
“I will keep that in mind,” he murmured softly in response, though Nataniel had absolutely no intention of ever catching himself in a situation where he would need to rely on her.
It was also not any concern of his as to how satisfied she was with the Dark Mirror Court or how difficult it was to make allies within its ranks. Nataniel saw so little of them that it came as no surprise that she felt lonely or ostracized. Narcissus had never complained about it, but Nataniel had seen- and felt- first hand how… desolate Mirrorspace was. It seemed like there were never other auras present when Narcissus brought him along.
As opposed to Negaspace, where it felt like activity was always fluttering at the edge of his senses. Someone was always in their office, in the castle, in the barracks. It was comparatively active, for being a place so few people actually wanted to be.
“...If it suits you,” Nataniel started hesitantly, tone quiet and gaze focused out toward the walking trail. “You should contact Narcissus. He has only been a senshi for a few years,” At least three. That was when Rakovanite had met him. “But he is a good person, and it pleases him to help anyone who wants it. He can take you to Mirrorspace, and talk to you about…” About whatever Mirror senshi things Jenna had difficulty communicating to her brother about. “About whatever you want.”
He was sure it would be no huge burden to Basyl; he was not so difficult to please as Nataniel was.
“If that is all? A phone call would be more convenient next time.”
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Posted: Wed May 10, 2023 12:39 pm
Jenna nodded her head feeling a bit like this time would have been more convenient as a phone call but she suspected the reason Zaidyn didn’t set it up that way was because he didn’t want her to have his General’s phone number on hand.
“That was all,” she confirmed after taking another sip from her tea. “Thank you again for taking the time to meet with me, and also for the drink.” Truly she was grateful even though he didn’t really deliver the answers she had been hoping for. However, Nat’s offer to have his group's Guardian Cat create an item that would allow her to communicate with Vauxite was more than enough to placate her desire to join the Negaverse.
“I hope the rest of your day goes well, Nataniel.” Jenna rose from the bench in a fluid motion and with a small wave turned towards the direction she had come from, no doubt to find a mirror she had conveniently placed nearby to fast travel back home.
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Posted: Mon May 22, 2023 8:05 am
Given how he struggled to get along with his own sibling, Nataniel had no particularly strong grasp of how Jenna and Zaidyn's relationship actually worked. He didn't understand what exactly she felt she couldn't talk to her brother about? If she wanted to help Zaidyn, would it not be better to ask his opinion directly? Jenna probably cared more about her sibling's impressions than Nataniel's anyway... So effectively all the pair of them had done was needlessly waste Nat's time for someone who didn't even like him.
She was cordial enough. He nodded an acknowledgement as Jenna thanked him and stood to leave.
And he would have to ask Gremlin to do something for him too, a task always more laborious than it really had any right to be. He sipped his drink and tried to breathe through the creeping agitation. It would be beneficial later, Nataniel tried to reason. Exactly how, he couldn't identify. But if she could keep herself from being a burden, maybe Vauxite could somehow scrape through staying out of trouble and worry about her less.
It was maybe twenty minutes after her departure that Nataniel polished off his tea, discarded the cup in the appropriate receptacle, and headed back to the paved beach parking lot and his Ducati.
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