|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed May 01, 2024 7:19 pm
[follows so heavy in your arms]
Being carried to the park where they were meeting Murikabushi's Princess Ida had given Elsa a lot of time to think. It had also given him a lot of time to listen to Muri talk about....all sorts of things, which was good, because filling the silence with talk about the new Fallout TV show and Muri's struggles with his fanfic for it (apparently there just wasn't a boy perfectly shippable with the Hot Ghoul Muri found himself attached to) was so much better than being left alone with his thoughts.
Especially when his thoughts were still swirling down the drain. What if something went wrong. What if his starseed was still so broken that not even a Princess could fix it. What if whatever scar had made Mirrorspace copy him wrong, it was still there, and it made it impossible for him to leave.
But he couldn't just...give up. Not here, not at the finish line.
So when they arrived at the meeting spot in North End Park, he gently reached up and squeezed Murikabushi's shoulder.
"....You can put me down, now. I think I can stand on my own."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed May 01, 2024 7:42 pm
Anyone who’d spent more than five consecutive minutes in Muri’s presence knew good and goddamn well that he could talk your ear off. Given either a topic-prompt or free reign to do as he pleased, Muri could all too easily find a million different things to chatter about. Tonight, it felt even more important than usual. After everything Elsa had been through, dealing with his Mirror-Clone, maybe he wouldn’t want to hear more talking?
But at the same time, Mirrorspace was a Grade-A b***h and it knew how to get into people’s heads. Maybe it wouldn’t really accomplish anything materially important for Muri to go on and on about how Walton Goggins’s Ghoul had an amazing relationship with Ella Purnell’s Lucy, top-tier enemies-to-lovers fuel, but that was no good when Muri wanted to write fics like the kind he’d put in the zine for Elsa back in the winter. He loved writing lady characters—just not in the fics that came with the bright red box and stark white “E” that marked them as Explicit on AO3. Then, he had another ship he was attached to for Aaon Moten’s Maximus. So, he’d gone pawing through some of his and Yuki’s old saves on Fallout 3, Fallout 4, and Fallout: New Vegas, but none of their PCs had truly felt correct for what he wanted to do.
“I’ve started making up Fallout AU’s for some of our Dark Urges instead,” Muri said, as he and Elsa finally came into North End Park. “Like, obviously, that takes a bit of work? The Dark Urge in Bee-Gee-Three is really bound up in Forgotten Realms lore, and all of our saves have a different sort of tenor to the characters?” Yes, the vast majority of them romanced Astarion. Who cared? The morally questionable pretty boy vampire spawn with a tragic past of abuse hit all of Muri’s buttons for a fictional boyfriend—and it didn’t hurt that he happened to be fruitier than a pack of Starbursts. “But the pickings in the Fallout show itself are so slim, I’m about ready to just drop my Sexy Ghoul Boyfriend into Westeros and let him go to pound-town with Oberyn Martell.”
The euphemism left a great deal to be desired. Muri knew this, and it was the point. As he shifted them around so he could set Elsa down, Muri just……wanted this to go well for him. To maybe not be as stressful as it probably felt. And maybe getting Elsa to laugh a little would help?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed May 01, 2024 10:16 pm
It was fortunate that of all the places Ida could have been, she was hanging around Kerberos' bench when she'd gotten the call. Though, maybe not so surprising these days... she did find herself there pretty often recently. Just to see Kerberos and get to sit and talk with him... maybe get coffee after her patrol.
All of that was upended though, when it was Murikabushi that called her... and for a purification, of all things. Barely a handful of weeks after his own purification, and for the boy he'd mentioned, more than once, as someone important. Of course she had agreed... there had been no question that she would. She was just lucky that Kerberos was already here and she'd brought Illyria with her. While they waited, she'd asked her bonded to suppress their energy signature. It wasn't something she'd normally do, but there was something about this suddenly turning into a purification that made her want to be more cautious than she would have been otherwise. Better for all involved if chaos didn't come sniffing around, wondering what they were up to in the park tonight.
She felt them coming and was ready when the two appeared, cat in her arms as she stood beside Kerberos' bench. Her dark eyes were both serious and compassionate as she raised a hand in greeting.
Another dark mirror... so this was likely to go the way it had with Muri and Volterra, but easier, since there would only be one. Having done it once, Ida felt much more confident in herself, and as a consequence, more at ease now. There were always nerves, of course... always that little voice that whispered 'what if you're not enough', but at least it was only a whisper this time. She was good enough, and she would do this. And hopefully, it would mean freedom and something better for the one who came seeking. That, more than anything, was her fervent wish.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed May 01, 2024 10:39 pm
Illyria had trailed after Ida with an eye on her surroundings. There had been no sightings yet of the senshi she'd let down but with every energy signature that popped up, there was a part of her that really, really wanted to chase after anything that could have been her missing friend. It was only the knowledge that perhaps, one day, things could change around again that kept Illyria near Ida's side. When they'd approached the bench in which was becoming perhaps, in Illyria's mind, a familiar enough location she had leapt into Ida's arms before simply letting her eyes drift close for a moment.
When Ida's phone rang and she cocked an ear to eavesdrop did Illyria stretch before nodding in acquiescence to the request that Ida had asked of her. Concealing auras was part of her job description and with only the small group that would be present it was not difficult to maintain, but she did have to divert most of her attention to the new task at hand. Her gaze picked up movement in the shadows before catching Ida waving the arrivals over. A low purr rumbled in her chest as she continued to mask the auras of three eternal level senshi and one super senshi.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed May 01, 2024 10:50 pm
Muri's little mission was successful; Elsa did laugh, a little, and shook his head. "I believe in your ability to figure it out," he said, sincerely; Murikabushi was a problem solver, always had bene, even if those problems were a little silly.
But this group was gathering fast, and it made him feel more than a little tense. He kept his Mirrorseal close to his chest, observing two Eternals and a cat coming to join them. That was more than the one Princess he'd expected, but....okay, she had a retinue, he guessed that kind of made sense.
"Uh, hi," he said, suddenly nervous in a whole new and exciting way, because what if the Princess sized him up and decided she didn't like him or want to help? "I'm Elsa, and I."
He extended his hand. Let the Mirrorseal hover above his palm.
"I want to leave the Dark Mirror."It had been the kind of quiet, pelasant night on his bench that Kerberos was starting to get used to. He liked having Ida here, liked spending time with her, liked this...thing that was happening between them.
It was nice, to be in love again.
He'd only said the words to himself, in his own head, so far, but he knew the feeling.
But it seemed there was someone who needed Ida's help, and they would all need to be there. It made Kerberos feel better to back Ida up, just in case something went wrong--he trusted Muri, but that didn't mean Muri might not be tricked.
The Senshi with him seemed earnest, and he had his weird little artifact, so that was a good sign.
"Hi, Elsa. I'm Kerberos. I'm just here to look pretty and provide assistance to our Princess Ida while she does her work."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2024 9:44 pm
Getting a little laugh out of Elsa helped ease Muri’s nerves somewhat, as did his belief in Muri’s ability to resolve the issue of what ships he’d end up writing in his silly little fics. And it wasn’t, per se, that the relief was short-lived? Because as they got closer to Kerberos’s bench, Muri still felt the happy little buzz that came from making a cute boy laugh. But the gravity of everything they had yet to handle tonight also weighed more heavily on him as he and Elsa got closer to the group, as Muri waved “hi” at Ida-hime-sama, Illyria, and Blossom.
—Not that the gravity of the situation prevented Muri from arching a skeptical eyebrow at Kerberos introducing himself as if he was the Ken to Ida’s Barbie (which, in Muri’s gay little mind, wasn’t a fair comparison because both of them deserved to be Barbie). The gravity of the situation did keep Muri from snarking back about how Kerberos was making it sound as if all he did was carry Ida’s purse. But in fairness, Muri’s reasons for not snarking were mixed between “this is a very serious situation” and how powerfully Elsa’s distress in the alleyway remained burned in Muri’s mind.
“You do more than look pretty and provide energy, Blossom,” Muri pointed out earnestly (conveying the same idea he would’ve snarked about but without being a brat about it). “Anyway, Elsa is the guy who brought me into the Court initially. Which isn’t a mark against him, I don’t think? I just mean that I trust him, by bringing it up.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2024 9:30 pm
Ida felt herself flush as she side-eyed Kerberos. Still not used to people calling her princess, even after nearly two years, and in agreement with Muri... Kerberos was more than just a pretty face and pair of helping hands.
"Hi, Elsa." She said as her dark eyes swung back to the focus of the night, her face softening into her smile. She reached out as he extended his hand and rather than take the seal, she cupped a hand around his with gentle fingers. "I'm ready and pleased to help. Are you okay if I take us to my asteroid? Its safer there than it is here in the park, where someone could stumble across us. You can leave whenever you are ready."
Ida nodded at the cat in her arms and Kerberos beside her. "Kerberos and Illyria will take care of me afterwards, if it makes me too tired, and are here for back up in case anything happens. I could do this alone, but its safer with them along. Illyria can also help you with a new senshi phone afterwards."
Part of her wanted to ask if Else had truly thought all of this through... the consequences as well as the benefits of what they were going to do. The person and people he was going to leave behind, and the new person he was going to become. Maybe it wasn't as drastic for Dark Mirror Senshi, but that identity would be gone and he would have to figure out... well, everything, all over again. But, he said he wanted to leave... so she had to trust that he had knew what he was getting in to. Especially with Muri experience to lean on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2024 5:36 pm
It made sense, Elsa supposed, to not want to risk drawing attention with so many auras crowded together. A beacon in the night, especially since Ida was going to have to power up into her Princess form, which had to be like a great big NOW ALL OF CHINA KNOWS YOU'RE HERE. So...yeah.
He was trying not to panic, with so many people here to witness--and really, how surprised could he be, that a Princess had people who looked after her? (Well people...and a cat. But that also kind of made sense.
.....Elsa wondered where Soyala was. He hadn't seen her in a while, and she'd seemed unhappy, when he last had.)
"Yeah, okay," he agreed, after a silent moment. It was probably for the better--he would know so many more people, now, and there would be...something to catch him, with his entire life falling out form under his feet, like yet another cracked floor in Mirrorspace giving way to show them The Horrors.
"I'm ready. Let's go."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2024 7:17 pm
Ida nodded as she released his hand, one arm still cradling Illyria against her chest. She called up her phone and nodded at the others, waiting for the joined hands that would ensure that they all made the trip.
"Alright, lets go."
The teleportation took them as it always did, with a sense of motion despite standing still. And then the world around them changed, solidifying finally into a large, open space. Beneath their feet, a smooth wood floor stretched out in all directions, broken only by the graceful forms of benches and chairs. Over head, a thousand leaves rustled in the gentle wind of Ida, moving the canopy that formed their roof. Twenty feet away, curving banister encircled them, a solid support before open and empty air... and a view of a sea of trees, stretching away on three sides. At the horizon, the sun was setting in a way of soft colors, casting a yellow glow over everything in this airy room. Far away, and down below, the soft sound of wind chimes just reached them... almost hidden by the sleepy chirp of birds hidden in the branches over head.
Glows appeared around them as they arrived, as though awakened by their presence, and revealed the shapes of trumpet-like flowers growing from vines that draped over the branches and along the banisters. Their soft blue light was almost lost in the golden glow of the setting sun.
"Ah. Welcome to the observation deck of my tower." Ida said as she dismissed her phone back to subspace. She lowered Illyria to one of the table tops and set her down gently, releasing her magic as she did so a shower of glowing petals fell around her. They solidified into the usual sweeps of purple cloth and white feathers, so when she turned back to Elsa and Murikabushi, she wore her princess form. Jewelry tinkled around her wrists as she offered her hands out to the Dark Mirror.
"Let me see your seal. This will hurt a bit, as a warning, but it won't be for very long. I'll try to work as quickly as possible."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2025 8:04 pm
Having been on the end of being transported more than a few times to Ida now, Illyria would consider herself a pro at what to expect. The familiar disappearance of Destiny City followed by a few seconds of nothingness and finally the familiar vista of Ida's asteroid. This time they arrived near the top of the main tree that Ida herself used and even as she was placed on a table did Illyria consider the company in which she found herself in. Her back arced slowly as she dragged her claws over the table's surface before the power signature of a royal flared to life.
Taking in Ida's transformed state did Illyria glow with a little bit of internal pride. There was something magical at work every time that Ida unleashed her royal side. Inhaling deeply of the aroma that came with the falling petals did Illyria's whiskers twitch as her tail curled around her seated posterior. There was no rush to switch into a form that included humanoid limbs and it was almost too tempting to find a suitable perch on either Murikabushi's or Kerberos' shoulder.
The top of the table would suffice though. Illyria's violet orbs shone with anticipation that once more another senshi would be joining the side of Order.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 12:52 pm
It was always a delight to get to see Ida's world. As much as it was one ot see her. Kerberos would always love the freedom space offered them, and the way their worlds had grown to allow for truly blooming life to return.
Their planets had always been a place of solace, at least as far as Kerberos was concerned. Now, they were a place of growth and hope and renewal, too.
Never moreso than when a purification was happening on one.
He leaned against the railing of the observation tower, content to wait and watch, and ready to offer help if Ida needed it--perhaps she wouldn't, for one single Dark Mirror, but it wasn't as if he could be sure. He'd seen a few, and they always seemed to wear on the person doing them, even if Cosmos had tried not to show it.
He wished he could do it himself. That he could or would ever have that power at his fingertips. But it might well be beyond him, and so all he could do was offer aid to those who could.
Not so terrible a position to be in. A guide, an aide.
And watching Ida bloom into her Princess form was a moment of pride and warmth. She looked...radiant.
Though he kept his mouth shut. This wasn't his moment. It was hers, and Elsa's, and a little bit Murikabushi's. Elsa had never been to space before.
It wasn't as if he had a surplus of friends on the side that could get there, to show him around. He wasn't one of the older Dark Mirrors who had witnessed the Surrounding. So honestly, he had no idea what to expect, being taken to a whole other planet.
For a moment, he was struck with awe.
This place was...beautiful. Was this what his world would be like? (Probably not. The memories he'd seen suggested things were very wrong there. He sort of doubted there would be beautiful sunsets and airy towers.)
He had seen Royals before--Remarque, Leto--but this was different. White wings and a shower of petals. And anyway, he'd mostly seen them in messy battle situations, so this was....different.
He almost didn't hear Ida ask for his MirrorSeal, so taken in was he by the sight before him. The world, a Princess, all of it was something out of a fairy tale. And he was pretty sure he wasn't the kind of person who belonged in fairy tales. But here he was anyway.
"Right," he said, when her request registered, and he held out his MirrorSeal, cupped in both hands.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
