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 Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2023 10:08 pm
Nessaela had a conundrum on her hands. The Commodore had suggested an idea that she could look into in terms of a research project for the Vanguard. That had meant spending copious hours studying others research of the area near the reservoir. There were rumours of creatures in the water at the reservoir and in the caves that bordered the water feature there were proven reports of little worms that could illuminate the darkness with their ability to glow but besides those reported anomalies Nessaela hadn't found anything that seemed that she could research further. However that was just the precursor to do a more thorough investigation, on site, as it were to study what she had found reports of things happening. After pouring over the maps of the area Nessaela had also come to the conclusion that any swimming that she needed to do would only be contained to the body of water that was the lake. It didn't seem as if any of the caves actually contained water in them. But she would confirm that later.
That had been several weeks ago. Nessaela had just returned from another foray out to the reservoir. As hopeful as she had been in her swimming abilities there was just some force out at that body of water that did not appreciate her presence. It lent credence to the idea that there was something in the water but so far whatever it was or wasn't, it had kept her limited to wandering the shoreline. Every time she tried going into the water her unseen foe made it clear that she was not welcome there.
With hair that was still damp from her latest attempt to gain access to the lake, Nessaela rushed through the dwelling that was her current home away from home in order to remain unseen by her fellow Vanguard members. She entered into her room and looked at the pinned information on the corkboard she'd set up before sitting down at her desk and using her arms as a pillow to cushion her head. Whatever was in the lake would stay a mystery. Can't finish the research if I can't get in the water.
Her voice, muffled as it was by her arms, held a tone of resignation as she aptly summed up her current predicament, "this sucks."
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Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2023 7:50 pm
Lyndin had been delivering a bit of supplies when he’d seen Nessaela enter. He’d been tending to a few basic necessities–restocking the kitchen, and supplying a few of the requested items required for some of the Velencians’ projects. He’d been finishing up when she made her way to her room. She seemed like she’d been focused on something, like maybe her mind was elsewhere.
He finished his task in very little time and elected to check in on her. It had been a while since they spoke last.
He was wearing his uniform, and he looked a bit more refreshed now than he had in quite some time.
When she wasn’t in any of the common spaces, it was easy to deduce that she must have gone to her room. There weren’t so many people here that he struggled with the layout.
A closed door could mean many things, so he knocked lightly in case she’d been sleeping or otherwise engaged.
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2023 3:02 am
The knock on her door at first startled Nessaela. Had someone managed to get a glimpse of her after all as she fled to the only sanctuary she could have thought of? Pushing herself up from the position of leaning over her desk to a more presentable option of at least being seated properly on the chair did she cast a sour look at the cork board before turning to face the door. Who would she be admitting into her small portion of the household that she had acquired for herself?
With nothing else to delay the inevitable Nessaela's voice was low and even as she bid the knocker permission to enter with a quick response of, "the door's open."
Hopefully that would be enough of a reply that would satisfy the knocker's assurance that she was okay with them entering through the closed door. If it were Itztenoch, well she'd definitely not turn his company aside ... but she didn't know if she could say the same of everyone else. Oh, she'd tolerate a polite conversation but then try to find a way to keep the visit short. Whomever was on the other side of the door though, didn't deserve any of her frustration stemming from what she viewed as a failed task.
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Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2023 7:32 pm
Lyndin could infer that it was an invitation, so with little delay he opened the door. He didn’t enter the room, but he peered around to take quick stock of her room–and her. “Nessaela,” he greeted. “I hope I’m not interrupting. I saw you while I was unloading some supplies.” He didn’t mention that she’d looked soured and distracted enough that he’d wanted to check in with her; he’d probably have still stopped by even if she’d seemed in good spirits. His gaze settled on the cork board. “You’ve been so busy lately, I was going to ask if you wanted to catch up.”
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Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2023 2:57 am
Out of all the members of the Vanguard that could have stood in the doorway, the Commodore was probably at the top of a list that she could have counted out on one hand that she was almost mortified to see. Oh, sure there were others ... but considering that it was he that had brought the cadets to Earth, and who had assigned the task to her in the first place had Nessaela turning her gaze away from the Commodore before she felt her shoulders slump.
At the words that were addressed to her Nessaela felt each syllable strike her between in the section of her back that she had turned in the Commodore's direction. It wasn't that she wanted to appear rude, it was just that it seemed awkward enough to take the concerned words he was doling out with a straight face and she almost reached out to sweep away the propped cork board off the place it was sitting on her desk. Her voice was strained as she fought to gather some decorum befitting a member of the Vanguard but she seemingly felt like each word she spoke was hitting some deep, dank well inside of her.
"I don't think you are interrupting sir. It's kind of you to check in. Although I don't believe that I can give an adequate enough status report on the task you had me look into."
Hear Nessaela gave the roughest indication to the board with all the anecdotal reports that she had compiled. Her voice was low as she turned to face the Commodore, "I've run into some unseen issues while trying to verify these reports. Something has taken a very deep offense to my presence around the caves."
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Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2023 7:27 am
Lyndin didn’t seem to mind waiting. He was old, patience was a virtue. He’d spent a lot of his life waiting. He was productive in that time, but so much of his goals relied on waiting. Waiting for tests to run, waiting for answers, waiting for a starseed to be reborn… He stood by and seemed like he could have given her all the time she needed to sort through her thoughts and find an answer. His eyes sought the board again, and he took her gesture as an invitation to observe it. He stepped in, not so far as to intrude, but enough that it let him observe what she had been working on. “Some unseen issues?” There were many complications that could have arisen. Natural issues–problems with the terrain. Human interference. Wartime conflicts. Things that could have held her back before she even got to invest herself in her research. “Is it anything I can help with?”
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Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2023 8:07 pm
Nessaela grimaced.
Was there any right for her to ask for assistance?
Inhaling softly Nessaela glanced back to the board that had showed her research thoroughness. But without the hands-on observations that she needed this whole point seemed moot. The presence that was in the water around the reservoir and caverns had made it clear that she wasn't welcome. But would things change if she were able to access more resources to try and come about the problem in another direction?
"I cannot say for certain if there are things that could be done just by myself. But I feel like if I were to ask for guidance or even back-up that I am failing in the task set out."
Nessaela's glance to the Commodore spoke of questions unasked before she sighed gently, "there seems to be something lurking in the waters that has been spoken of by the denizens of Destiny City, as I've gathered multiple reports, but coming up against it, I cannot get into the water to explore. I am not sure what can be done. I have hit a wall in the hands-on portion of my research."
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Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2023 6:24 pm
“Ah, I’ve done a bit of research on that.” Of course he had, though; he wanted to make sure that she’d be safe and accounted for in her research. “Be cautious when regarding any reports given by the humans,” he mused. “I’ve found that they are often dishonest with their ‘mysteries’. It may not be as ‘supernatural’ as they claim.” Though, there was so much about Earth that still seemed new, every day was a new lesson. If Nessaela was finding some difficulty with her research, the most important thing to do was make sure she had the resources she needed to succeed. “Asking for guidance or backup is not failure, Nessaela. It’s knowing your limits and trying to strengthen your weaknesses so you can get stronger, yourself. Even I ask for backup and guidance. There’s no shame in it. You seem to have done thorough research even with the limitations before you,” he mused. His eyes were again on her corkboard but he turned so he could see her, instead. “I wonder, if a promotion might not give you the power you need to make the next step?”
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Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2023 9:12 pm
Promotion? Had she, Nessaela, just heard the Commodore correctly?
Nessaela's gaze lingered on her board full of research before she hesitantly met the gaze of the Commodore. Truthfully, deep down inside, Nessaela's insides squirmed a little at the thought of more power being granted. More power, meant more responsibility, didn't it? But at the same time, with more power at her disposal wouldn't she finally get to see what was going on out at the reservoir? Both sides of the argument for more power were fighting a fierce battle inside her mind that only lasted seconds. It'd be good to be able to do something more with her newfound abilities, would it not?
Nessaela's gaze sought out Lyndin's once more. She was at a true loss for words. Uncertainty flashed through her gaze before she found the courage to speak.
"If you believe that offering a promotion might help in the long run, then I'd not turn the offer down."
What she really wanted to ask the Commodore though was kept locked away. And that question would stay locked away if she could help it. If more power was the solution that was being offered, she'd go along with it ... but in the back of her mind ... she was curious if the Commodore knew all that she had done
during the large battle on the hill.
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Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2023 8:21 pm
“I’ve kept an eye on your research.” It was more than just what she had out on the wall. He’d taken into consideration a great many things leading up to this point. Maybe, if they’d been on Velencya, things would have been different. Here on Earth, circumstances demanded a different approach. He’d looked at this from a variety of angles and came up with the same result–she could handle it. She could use it. If he knew what she had done on the hill, he didn’t comment on it. But a man of his status, his legacy? It was unlikely that he was oblivious to the majority of her actions. “I think you’re on the cusp of making progress but you can’t quite reach it. I think it would be unwise to keep you limited and without access to your full potential. If I could help you make that final step, I’ll do it. And I think the Vanguard will be better for it. We don’t have a lot of time, and we need to make progress somewhere. I haven’t had any promising news to send back to Velencya in too long. I’d like to change that.”
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Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2023 2:17 am
Nessaela wasn't sure what the feeling was that was welling up inside of her was but it seemed to infuse her every cell with a warmth that she'd recalled feeling before ... as one who had been picked for this mission to come to Earth. Was the feeling warmth from having a sort of praise bestowed upon her by the Commodore? For a moment the cadet wasn't exactly sure of how she felt at knowing that praise still had an effect on her. Maybe it was relief and maybe it was something else. But to know that possibly news of her promotion possibly meant good news could be sent back to Velencya had the smallest twitch of a smile appear at the corners of her mouth before she schooled her expression into something more befitting a cadet of the Vanguard. Even if she could push back the smile that wanted to come back away, nothing could hide the sparkle that danced in her gaze.
Even as Nessaela pushed off of the chair to stand before the Commodore, she felt the smallest sense of hesitation before pushing that down as well. She had never been witness to anyone receiving more power and now there was a bit of uncertainty in what needed to happen but Nessaela was sure that if she asked, Lyndin would most definitely explain what needed to happen.
"If you believe that I am ready for this next step then I put my trust in you," and Nessaela was surprised by the conviction in her voice. She was ultimately trusting the Commodore to do what he believed was best for her. Her voice was quiet as she continued, "it'd be nice to send promising news back to Velencya."
Silently with arms at an "at ease" position she awaited what would come next even if she didn't know exactly what that would be.
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Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2023 7:56 am
Lyndin must have picked up on the tone she had; the shadow of a soft, sentimental smile passed across his face. It was brief, and passing; they had business to tend to. “I wish I could give you the ceremony that you deserve, but unfortunately we’ve had to take some shortcuts while on Earth. When we return to Velencya, I will see to it that everyone gets a proper celebration to honor their accomplishments. Thank you for trusting in me.” He held out his hands to take her own, and when she did he gave her a slight, reassuring squeeze. He drew in a deep breath and held it as he focused on this. A promotion took no energy from him; he was a conduit for Velencya’s powers, and as soon as he had cleared his mind, Velencya’s energy flowed through him and into her. His eyes glowed, and he wore a reassuring, confident smile. Energy was heavy in the air, like a gentle embrace. The buckle on her belt and the brooch she wore flickered, and another triangle lit up. The process was refreshing, like a second wind. When it finished, Lyndin’s eyes returned to normal, but the warm sensation of home lingered in the air. He didn’t release her hands for a moment longer. He took the opportunity to make eye contact. “I believe in you and your research, Corporal. I know you can do great things.”
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Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2023 9:18 am
Nessaela listened carefully to Lyndin's explanation that shortcuts had to be taken while they were on Earth and that celebrations would take place once they were back on Velencya. The fact that the Commodore believed that such a return was possible was surprising. It spoke to the conviction that the Commodore felt about the future of the Vanguard and Velencya in general. But Nessaela did not make her observations known as Lyndin held out his hands and she placed her own into his and closed her eyes.
The wave of energy that gathered in Commodore Lyndin flowed into her through their linked hands and she kept her eyes closed. There was a new weight at her side and Nessa knew that once everything was said and done that she'd be investigating all the new changes that had taken effect over this moment.
If there was one that Nessaela hadn't expected during this promotion to corporal, it was the sense of homesickness that washed over her at the end of the process. No one could really blame her though if the room suddenly had suddenly enveloped her in a sense of warmth that permeated the very air in which she breathed. The warmth: everything about it, reminded the newly made corporal of what she was essentially trying to save and even though this moment was now over the sense of what needed to be done.
Her eyes opened slowly and she took in the Commodore before giving a soft sigh of contentment, "thank you very much for this. I'll do everything that I can to make sure your belief in me stays true."The Space Cauldron thank you for this upgrade rp. fin?
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