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 Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2024 5:53 pm
It had only been about a week since Nausikaa had spoken with Lacerta on that dark rooftop… The seeds were planted, though, and taking root, and the Senshi couldn't get her thoughts off of what she'd been told. A faction that was more neutral than good or evil, Order or Chaos (although they fell onto the Chaos side of the spectrum just because they collected energy from people)... A faction who truly meant no harm, who just wanted their world to survive… It was all so tempting. And the more disgruntled she became with the White Moon, the more tempting switching factions to the Dark Mirror Court became. Trudging through the light snow that still lingered on the ground in Destiny City's largest park, she barely paid any attention to the few faint auras that were drifting through her perception in the general vicinity. She had so much to think about that she couldn't be bothered with them. Like, what all would this entail, if she did switch factions? Would it hurt? (Not that she was afraid of a little pain, she'd been hurt playing lacrosse before, broken an arm, and that was nothing to her.) What would change? Her uniform, almost certainly – but what else? Would she have to give anything up? She just didn't know. Finding a bench under a bare tree, Nausikaa brushed the snow from the seat and sat, resting her elbows on her knees and putting her chin in her hands. There were really more questions now than answers; she'd have to wait to come across another Dark Mirror Senshi who wanted to talk instead of fight, though collectively they didn't seem very combative at all. Which was fine with her – she was tired of fighting, tired of the stupid war. She just wanted answers.
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Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2024 9:35 pm
If Nausikaa wanted to speak with another Dark Mirror Senshi, then luck was on her side.
Eternal Sailor Remarque had been gathering energy on and off across town, a little here, a little there. Never enough to be problematic, and usually from people he didn’t think Destiny City would mind seeing a little more subdued.
Drunkards, hooligans, vagrants.
If he were being honest, those weren’t a requirement for gathering energy. He’d borrow a little from anyone he could.
There were too many other powered energy signatures where he was so he decided to Mirrorwalk to another haunt, and to his surprise there was only one energy signature. Except, he just so happened to arrive practically on top of it.
He withheld a sigh as he pried himself from the mirror and hoped that he wasn’t going to have to replace this mirror with another one because a vengeful senshi decided to trash his pathway.
Oh, there she was. Sitting on the bench.
He’d collected a bit of snow on his shoulders when passing through the shrubbery he’d hidden the mirror in, so he brushed it off as he approached her.
“You’re not freezing on that bench? Your pants must be thicker than mine.”
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Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2024 12:22 pm
So deep in her reverie was Nausikaa that she actually jumped when the suddenly-appearing Senshi spoke. Looking up at him and letting herself sense his aura, she realized he was a Dark Mirror Senshi – an Eternal too, because he had black wings on his lower back like Lacerta had. "Oh! I'm sorry – hello! No – no, I'm not cold, well maybe a little," she stammered. "I'm just… you know, thinking. My pants are kind of thick, yeah, I think. But that's not what I'm thinking about." She gave him a thorough once-over, noting the black base of his outfit and the long sheer vest-like garment he wore. "You're a Dark Mirror Senshi, aren't you?" She immediately shook her head with a frown. "No, of course you are, that's pretty obvious," she chided herself. "Stupid." Nausikaa smiled wanly at the Dark Mirror Eternal. He didn't seem to be a threat, though one could never really tell, could one? "I'm… sorry, you just surprised me a little. I'm Nausikaa, of Empathy I guess. Though if I was really empathic I could feel that you're not going to hurt me," she chuckled wryly. "I guess you're friendly, 'cause you didn't attack me." Shaking her head, she looked down at her hands. "Sorry, I'm babbling, aren't I…"
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Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2024 6:08 pm
“A bit,” Remarque admitted, but he seemed amused rather than annoyed. “I don’t mind. I’m sorry for surprising you. I hadn’t expected anyone to be out here. It’s nice to meet you, Nausikaa.”
Standing before her, he offered her a hand to shake. “I’m Remarque, of Puppetry. It’s a pleasure.”
She’d already deduced that he hadn’t come with any intention of harm so he saw no need to press the matter, and it was only polite to offer a handshake when making introductions, anyway.
“What’s got you out here, thinking so deeply that you don’t mind the cold? If you don’t mind me asking.”
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Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2024 10:11 am
Taking Remarque's hand, Nausikaa gave it a shake as she collected herself. It wouldn't do to appear meek and submissive to an Eternal of what some considered an enemy faction, would it? "It's nice to meet you as well, Remarque. I've met a couple of other Dark Mirror Senshi, and you all seemed very nice." She didn't want to bring up the fight she had with Protogenia, before she knew any better about the Dark Mirror; she'd have to apologize to her if she ever met her again. "And that's… actually why I'm sitting here thinking," she started, looking down at her hands again. "I'm really unhappy with the White Moon faction, truth be told. I'm tired of the lack of cohesion and cooperation and team. Sure, I guess they can come together when it matters, but overall… I feel like I've been abandoned by them, like I've been left to figure things out by myself. And I don't like that." She gave a deep sigh. "Do you know Lacerta? I spoke with her a few days ago, and she told me all about the Dark Mirror Court. She's very nice, very kind. We sort of… bonded over a couple of things. She used to be White Moon! I didn't know you could switch factions if you wanted… Anyway, that's what I've been thinking about," she shrugged. "You must have been around the Dark Mirror Court for a while, since you're an Eternal… What do you think of it?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2024 10:17 am
Remarque had to bury the urge to smile wryly. “Oh, I’ve been around for a while, yeah. A good few years.”
An understatement, probably. He hadn’t been the first of the Court, but he considered himself close enough.
“I’m sorry to hear about how the White Moon’s been treating you. I hear that a lot, actually. Like it’s hard to get your foot in the door, hard to find someone who’s willing to be there when you need them? They operate pretty independently. Seems like everyone’s got their own goals. Or, worse, when they have the same goals, no one can agree on how to go about it.”
He’d heard better things about the White Moon, sure, but why was he going to try and encourage her to keep giving it a chance when there might be a better option?
“Lacerta’s a good person, I’m glad you got meet her. I got to be with her when she joined the Dark Mirror. I think she’s happier here. What did she say about the Court?”
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2024 11:55 am
"So it's not just me then. That's… oddly comforting." Nausikaa relaxed a little; so she was not out of line – or out of her mind – for thinking the White Moon was less than cohesive. It also made her a little angry; what was the point of having a team if there was no teamwork amongst the members? It was rather counterproductive to her. No wonder the Negaverse had gotten the foothold in Destiny City that they had. She smiled when Remarque mentioned that he knew Lacerta essentially from her beginnings in the Dark Mirror Court. "Oh, she said lots of good things. She explained a few things to me, like a little bit about Mirrorspace and there being an entire world behind mirrors, and what mirrorwraiths are, and that you gather energy from people to keep your world alive. Not enough to hurt them, but just enough to use." With a short, determined sigh, she looked directly at the Dark Mirror Eternal. "I have no problem with that – unlike what the Negaverse does." Nausikaa released another sigh, this one softer. "Lacerta also said that the Court had become the family she lost when the Negaverse took her parents' starseeds. We… kinda bonded over that, losing our parents I mean. Mine weren't starseeded like that, but I lost them both quite young. I was really close to them," she nodded as she looked down at her hands, then back up at Remarque. "Anyway, I'd really like to know more about the Dark Mirror Court, if you feel like talking about it…"
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2024 4:24 pm
Remarque listened, a patient, understanding expression unwavering on his face. “I’m sorry to hear about your loss.” However long ago it was, there was still a hole. He knew what it could grow into. He was fortunate to still have his mother, but the absence of his father left a different mark. Maybe more so because he wasn’t dead
It seemed lucky that Lacerta and Nausikaa should have crossed paths already.
“I’m always happy to talk about the Court. But it sounds like Lacerta’s already given you a good run down. I’m glad you understand the energy draining situation. We get some heat sometimes for that,” he admitted. “...But it doesn’t hurt anyone. I can’t think of a single member of our Court that’s ever gathered energy maliciously or recklessly.”
Well, he had. There probably were others. But it wasn’t like he was throwing innocent people in the mirror.
He wasn’t like the Negaverse. He didn’t think any of them were, really.
“We just want a safe place. There’s so much that happens here on Earth. I can’t trust that the White Moon or the Negaverse or some new trouble we haven’t even heard of yet isn’t going to show up and try to destroy everything. And it’s not like we’re working on Mirrorspace just for ourselves. If something happens, I’d like to have a space where we can save as many people as possible. Or, maybe even better,” he shrugged. “Find something in Mirrorspace that can end this war. Peacefully. Safely.”
It was an unrealistic dream but he wasn’t going to pretend like that wasn’t an ideal solution, too.
“But don’t let me just ramble. Was there anything in particular you wanted to know about the Court?”
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2024 6:37 pm
Nausikaa nodded her head vigorously. "RIGHT? I can't trust that the White Moon can get itself together enough to do anything, let alone end the war! I don't think they even want to, if you want to know the truth of it. Ending the war would give them no more reason to exist – they'd have no purpose any longer. And the Negaverse…" She scowled. "Let's not even talk about them." She listened to Remarque describe the ultimate goal of the Dark Mirror Court's purpose, why they were trying to explore and work on Mirrorspace – which she desperately wanted to learn more about. "So Mirrorspace… is it infinite, do you know? How much of it has been explored? Lacerta told me about the Realms too – those sound really wonderful. I'd love to see it someday, explore it for myself." With a sigh, Nausikaa gazed off into the distance. "I believe that the Dark Mirror Court doesn't hurt people, from what Lacerta said. The mirrorwraiths only take what they need, nothing more, right?" She looked to the Dark Mirror Eternal for confirmation. "I'm tired of people getting hurt. I'm tired of this city being used as a battleground by the White Moon and the Negaverse. It's time for this to stop, you know? It would be wonderful if you – the Court I mean – could find some way to end the war peacefully."
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2024 10:39 pm
Remarque nodded along with her questions and finally let out a long sigh. “I hear you. I don’t want to think the only way to end things is by fighting. It’s important to know how to defend yourself, but it’s been a long time since I went out of my way to pick fights with someone. Doesn’t really get anywhere, it’s a lot of back and forth. If I’m being honest, there’s a bit of a blessing when it comes to trying to get things done as a Dark Mirror Senshi. I don’t really have enemies.”
He could, if he wanted to. It was so much easier to get things done when you didn’t have to worry about people trying to stab you in the back.
Diplomacy had gotten him very far.
“Not at face value, at least. But there are people I don’t trust. People I’d like to see stopped. Honestly, I can’t wrap my head around how the Negaverse hasn’t imploded. It’s not like they’re careful with who they target. How many starseeds have they pulled of friends, family, of their own agents? And they just allow it?”
He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and shrugged. “I don’t know, I’ve got a lot of thoughts on it. And for all the power of the White Moon, I can’t figure out how they haven’t been able to stop the Negaverse. So you might be right about that. I’ve found myself wondering if they weren’t dragging their feet for a reason.”
But then, they weren’t as interesting as the Court.
“I’ve seen Senshi and Knights each do more harm than good, but I suppose that’s neither here nor there. Nobody’s perfect. The Dark Mirror might be close.” He flashed a grin so she knew not to take him too seriously but continued, “In general, we don’t hurt people. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, but nobody’s going to demand you use your power to fight. You could spend all your time in Mirrorspace if you wanted. It’s impossible to tell how much we’ve found, it’s always changing. Always growing. The more energy we can gather, the more stable it is, so the more we have access to. I’ve found places that I can’t make heads or tails of. Things I can’t explain. I’ve felt power there unlike anything here on Earth. If there’s a key to stopping this war, I think it’s in Mirrorspace. I think it’s within reach, we just have to find it. So, if you’re interested in helping us…”
He looked at her thoughtfully. “Well, we’d love to have you.”
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Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2024 10:57 am
"I… just don't know yet," Nausikaa said quietly, looking down at her hands. The idea of being able to spend all her time exploring Mirrorspace sounded wonderful and incredible despite not even having seen Mirrorspace yet. It was so tempting to just say to hell with the White Moon, to hell with the world, and go off to look for new wonders in that world behind the mirrors. But she had so many responsibilities here, outside of her useless Senshi stuff… She smiled at Remarque's quip about nobody being perfect, but the Dark Mirror came close. It was pretty clear he was a strong advocate not just for the Court, but for Mirrorspace. And his views on the White Moon and the Negaverse coincided with hers; she got the distinct impression that what he'd expressed about the two warring factions pretty much reflected how the rest of the Dark Mirror Court felt. "One thing I'd love to be able to do is actually see Mirrorspace, if I could. Lacerta said something about only Supers and higher ranks being able to get there, though. And I'm no Super." There, she'd asked. Looking up at the Dark Mirror Eternal, Nausikaa sighed. She didn't think it'd be possible, but she had to know for sure.
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Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2024 6:52 pm
“Yet,” Remarque corrected. “You’ll get there. We can help you. It takes time and patience, but I’ve never met a Senshi that couldn’t find their way to more power.”
But he doubted that was where her concern really was right now.
“Do you want to go see Mirrorspace? I can take you now. I get unlimited trips, whenever I want to take them. If tonight’s not a good time,” he shrugged. “I won’t close that offer. I go down there all the time, you’re more than welcome to tag along.”
It had been a while since he took a White Moon Senshi to Mirrorspace, but he tended to like to play things safe. Between Mirrorspace’s sometimes bratty and erratic behavior it wasn’t always easy to guarantee it was going to make a good impression.
He liked to think that it tried, especially if there was a prospect of someone joining them, but he’d wound up in his fair share of strange places.
All the more reason to gather more energy and make sure it could support himself. He wasn’t going to get the answers if he didn’t push beyond the borders he knew.
And he couldn’t do it alone.
He was always looking for others who were just as interested in it as he was. So far, Nausikaa was already checking all the boxes.
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Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2024 9:18 am
Nausikaa's eyes went wide and she stared at Remarque. "You… you can take me now? Really? It's okay? The Prince won't be angry if you do?" His mention of power – which she didn't want, the only power she wanted was that of knowledge and autonomy – slid past as if it didn't even happen. "Mirrorspace won't spit me out for not being one of you?" She thought some more as she awaited the Eternal's response. Lacerta had said something about a Prince overseeing the Dark Mirror Court, and she got the impression by that mention that he might not allow this Senshi to take her into Mirrorspace, since Lacerta couldn't or wouldn't herself. But she wanted to see it so so badly. A whole world inside a mirror…. The concept fascinated her almost beyond all reasoning. She wanted to explore this new world, maybe make herself a home there if she could. Maybe switching over to the Dark Mirror Court wouldn't be such a bad idea. "I mean, it's really tempting," she said more calmly, trying to rein her excitement in. "I just really want to see what Mirrorspace is like, and maybe meet a few more Dark Mirror Senshi. You know, for comparison. But yeah, I really want to see Mirrorspace, if it can be arranged…"
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Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2024 8:44 pm
The fact that Remarque was thoroughly amused by her line of questioning and general enthusiasm was too easy to miss on his placid expression.
“Oh, I don’t think anyone will give us a hard time if we decide to head into Mirrorspce for a bit. It can be arranged. Now, or later. Whatever is most preferable to you. I’ve got time on my hands tonight, and I can make time again if you need time.”
He was flexible on such matters, he just wanted to make sure she had an enjoyable experience.
“I’d be happy to take you any time. You’ll be safe with me.”
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Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2024 2:37 pm
Nausikaa thought about what Remarque was saying. He sounded so confident that everything would be okay if they took a trip to Mirrorspace, that they wouldn't get in trouble – more specifically, that he wouldn't get in trouble for bringing a White Moon Senshi into deep Dark Mirror territory. So far everyone she'd met from the Dark Mirror Court was very nice, with ideologies that meshed with what she'd been chewing over for the past year or so. She felt sure there were some who weren't as nice, but that was the case in every group. That Remarque felt certain that nothing bad would happen gave her a feeling of confidence. She gave a short, sharp sigh You only live once…With a decisive nod, Nausikaa stood. "Okay, let's do this. I'm ready to go right now."
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