|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun May 28, 2023 5:18 am
Brielle brought cookies to the picnic table this time. They were double chocolate, with salted caramel laced throughout. They were heavy, decadent, a secret favorite that she didn't always allow herself to indulge in. After everything that had just happened, more the developments than the destruction, Brielle felt that she deserved to give into her cravings for rich, sugary things while her head spun. She was even eating some of them before Devyn showed up. She was a Princess, whatever that meant. She would have thought she'd had a better idea about it, with how close to Ganymede she was, but now that the mantle was on her own shoulders, it somehow felt different, and strange. She was happy to talk to Devyn, when he'd asked to meet up. For one thing, he was one of her closest friends, and he had also been working with her on the bank project, so it made sense that he'd want to follow up. For another thing, though, he was ancient. Perhaps he'd know something about this that she didn't.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 30, 2023 10:23 pm
Truthfully, Devyn had a lot on his mind. He was tired. He’d been busy trying to work out this whole thing with Brooklyn, and there were too many moving pieces.
He hadn’t had a chance to talk with her after everything went down, and he was notoriously not a fan of phone conversations. He liked to keep them brief, and if it was anything meaningful, he liked to have it in person. Michael had instilled in him a sense of caution, and though Devyn hid it well he had plenty of reasons to be suspicious of every little thing, too.
Besides, sometimes it was just good to see a friend–and this time, it was nice to see Brielle relaxed enough to be snacking by the time he showed up.
He hadn’t brought treats this time. Actually, he hadn’t even stopped for lunch yet today. He’d been running around, trying to sort things together trying to figure out what they had to do to help the girl in the hospital, waiting for her starseed to return.
“Brielle,” he greeted, and raised a hand as he sat down across from her. He didn’t realize how tired he was until he was off his feet, and then he just rested his elbows on the table and stretched.
“Sorry, I meant to get here a little sooner. Things have been a bit hectic. I imagine the same for you, though. How have you been?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2023 3:22 pm
It wasn't like Devyn to show up empty handed, and Brielle was glad that she'd brought something of her own for once. She slid the package across the table with two fingers as Devyn drew near, even as she found herself hoping that he was all right. "I'm fine," she told him, which wasn't wrong, although the truth was something a bit more complicated. "I'm processing, mostly. I'm looking at what went right, at what went wrong." She was aware that a young page had lost her starseed, and although she might not have been one of the people scurrying around the streets trying to find a soul that was likely long buried in Negaspace by now, the thought of it still weighed heavily on her. She didn't want to turn into some kind of person who thought of Order casualties as necessary. It wasn't. It was a failure on her part to protect everyone. It was blood that felt wet on her hands. On the other hand, the goal was accomplished, the building and youma device gone up in smoke. They'd certainly saved people from draining, and likely from death. They'd done at least a bit about the Negaverse's chokehold on the city. Then, there was the matter of Cybele herself. "And then I keep coming back to what happened to me, which I don't even-" Brielle sighed, clearly not any more able to think clearly about it just because Devyn was here. "I'm not even supposed to be an Eternal," she told him, confusion the clearest emotion on her face.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2023 7:17 am
Devyn raised a brow as he looked at her, but even as he took a seat he was opening the package. The smell hit him immediately, and for all the tension he carried with him, something about that was enough to make him stop, breathe, and relax. Just a little.
They smelled divine.
She’d pushed the box over to him so he had no doubt that her intention was to share; he took the one closest to him and took a bite while he listened to her.
It didn’t seem possible that it tasted better than it smelled, but then, he’d come to learn that even now he could still be surprised.
Whatever burdens or thoughts he arrived with, he had no issue leaving them locked up while they spoke. Her transformation was incredible; he couldn’t imagine what she was going through right now.
"You don’t think you deserve this power?” he asked, between one slowly chewed bite and the next. “Or do you not know what to do with it?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2023 4:19 pm
"Not that I don't deserve it in some moral way," said Brielle, and then she let herself spend some time chewing on another amazing cookie while she got her thoughts in order. "Purification saved my life in more ways than one, but it still took its toll. I could feel it in my chest for a while. Months." She tapped her fingers over her starseed, the memory of the pain coming through even though it hadn't truly ached in a long time, now. "I lost my magic, too. I was a Super, and that felt terribly weak, and I thought that was going to be my life. There were no rumors of anyone being able to come back from that." She'd heard of Cyllene, another senshi who the Gallos had taken in. Of course there was also Albireo, one of the loves of her life. They'd both been corrupted, and then purified. They'd both lost power, and never gotten it back. Then there was her. "I had to wrap my head around it, and I did. I told myself I'd traded my power for freedom, and of course it was worth it." There was no doubting that. There never had been. She exhaled, shaking her head. "But I'm still free, and now I'm stronger than I've ever been. It feels strange." It didn't fit her narrative, she supposed. "I talked to Ganymede a bit about what to do with the power," she added. "I don't think anyone has a rock solid answer to that, but I'll figure something out."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2023 4:09 pm
In some ways, Devyn could understand that. He’d been an Eternal Senshi for a long time before his world started to lose its power. He’d felt the ache of magic that used to be his, that couldn’t manifest in the way it used to. He’d known what it was like to be more, and to have to deal with the consequences of Chaos.
He hadn’t known if there was a way to regain his power, but he’d done everything he could to reach full strength again–and he had, and more. She had, too.
“You worked hard,” he mused. Even if her goal hadn’t been to get stronger, she had put her heart into everything she was doing. She had goals to reach, people she wanted to help.
“Talking to Ganymede was a good idea, I think she’s very wise.” Very experienced, too. “Did you decide on anything you think you want to do with all your newfound power?”
There was no wrong answer, he wasn’t asking to nitpick. He was genuinely curious, and he was already invested in her and her well-being. He wanted to support her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2023 8:53 pm
Ganymede was wise, and strong, and amazing. There was no arguing any of that, and there was no arguing Brielle's commitment to her, either, and yet her expression faltered slightly as she thought more about her sister. "She's worried about me," she said. That worried her, in turn. She trusted Ganymede deeply when it came to matters of the war. Ganymede had saved her life and earned her loyalty, and she didn't want to do anything to upset her, but somehow by growing the wings and unlocking the power, she had. Some of the others were worried, too. "But, I'm going to fight. Purify people who I can, but I'm not going to go out of my way to coddle the ones who have made their choices. It's not like there's some major change in my philosophy, but hopefully I can stand up a bit better against their strongest." If she met Jet in a park again, maybe Alastor and Sessrumnir wouldn't have to drag her to safety. "Oh, and I think I can truly kill youma now? That should help some."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2023 10:11 pm
Devyn listened with a patience that he’d mastered well before the fall of his world. For as much energy as he seemed to have, he could reel it in when it was time to listen. When it was important.
He could remember how things had been when he’d gotten his first upgrade. He remembered the feeling of power rushing through them. The sensation of everything that had just opened up for him. The pressure of people expecting more of him.
He’d been a child back then, but he already understood very acutely that expectation and responsibility mounted quickly.
She had learned too.
He shrugged as he listened; he didn’t care much for youma. He pitied the humans they used to be and doubted they had a choice, but Chaos had rotted them away well past the point of humanity. “Best that you do what you can and hope their starseeds have enough left of them to make it back to the Cauldron.”
Give Cosmos something to do in her fortress of solitude and indifference.
“I think you’ve got a good plan. Help who you can, but don’t spend energy on those that you can’t. You’ll burn yourself out trying to save everyone. Especially the ones who don’t want to be saved. And if you ever need help standing up a bit better against their strongest, you let me know.”
He wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. Although, he supposed Michael wouldn't let him rush in headfirst, and he didn’t want to set a bad example for Atticus. He hadn’t spent all those years fighting and honing his strength just to lay down and be useless, though.
If someone needed help, he’d do everything he could to make sure they got it.
He might not have had the power that she had, or any of the Negaverse’s strongest, but he didn’t consider himself weak by any standards. There was strength in numbers, and the more people Cybele had supporting her, the more Chaos she could drive out. If it was willingly, all the better.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
