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 Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2024 10:44 pm
Faustite decided he needed a distraction, for his desk work had piled up and become too grueling for him to complete in one sitting. Thus, he elected to break it up over the course of the week — with appropriate incentives for finishing, of course. And those incentives needn't include the ending of enemy assailants every time.
In fact, he could bolster members of his own team as a reward. Teach them new tricks for defending themselves, or share what he knew about the White Moon and their near and distant history, or support them through an ongoing project that would allow one of those teammates to carve a niche out for themselves. So long as he was staying physically active and mentally engaged, it mattered little what he decided to do. All would be worth the effort.
So he called Headache to his side. He had but one new member to the team — and the first individual to be recruited in a long while. This recruit was a request made by Albite, whose motives Faustite had yet to understand and about which he never considered inquiring. This particular member seemed to be adjusting to Negaverse life well, with few complaints for him or Albite. And while Faustite used his station to acquire an office for Litharge as quickly as possible, there was little else he could do to benefit the boy so robustly.
So Faustite — and his youma body double — paid a visit to Litharge's office. Just for reason that would grant him space from his desk work for a while.
Once he'd tracked down the correct office, Faustite froze where he'd expected to knock. There was no longer a door hanging on the still-present hinges. In fact, Faustite found no signs of the hinges but for the telltale holes in the doorframe where a hinge should have been. Instead, the space was open and free to access by visitors with one small exception: those visitors could not be over a certain height, lest they dash their own brains out on the pulll-up bar that lingered in its place.
Luckily, the Captain of the hour looked to be in. Want to show you something, he signed. and Headache was quick to translate in a voice that Faustite could no longer use.
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2024 1:12 pm
Jayce - or he supposed Litharge when down here - glanced up from where he was doing russian twists on the floor of the broom closet that functioned as his office. He tapped his ear, stopping the music in his headphones and stood, seeing his General King standing with his body double in his doorway. The missing door in question was propped up behind the small desk in the space to keep it out of the way.
He was not about to let his body atreify for the sake of paperwork. Not that Litharge did much paperwork if he could help it; it bored the absolute ******** out of him, and he'd avoid it if Albite hadn't started sending gold stars to him whenever he did. Which pushed him to do it more because Litharge was nothing if not a praise based individual. He still had a workout routine to keep though!
"Faustite, Headache," he said, giving a nod to both of them. He grabbed a towel from his chair and wiped the sweat off his face and chest. Could he have worked out in his uniform jacket? Probably. But he didn't want to sit around in a sweaty jacket.
Besides, he was hot okay, and he kiiiind of wanted to show off.
"Lead the way, sir," gestured Litharge, pulling his jacket off the hook and slipping it back on.
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2024 5:04 pm
Faustite didn't object to the view. Albite was quite right in that the boy had a physique worth looking at, and now that he had been peeled out of that gaudy Mars armor, Faustite appreciate it more fully. His shoulders dropped in dismay, however, when the boy reached for his jacket after toweling off; he wouldn't have minded walking such a fine specimen through the Castle. His mirror image rolled its eyes at the petulant response.
Motioning for the pair to follow, Faustite started back through the hallway and toward the grandiose, crystal-laden staircase that would bear them to the ground floor. As he walked, he signed, and Headache was ever at his side to interpret for the Captain they towed.
"We're going to the Rift," Headache interpreted in Faustite's voice. "It's where youma call home. Better that you start understanding them now.
"Their monstrous forms are the result of a curse laid on humans touched by Metallia's power. We've weaponized this curse before — turned our enemies into allies against their will. But it's not an ability native to us.
"Still, we're better suited to work with youma than Negaverse senshi."
Faustite cocked his head to the side as if shrugging lopsidedly. As they curved around another landing, Faustite descended the stairs while his hands were at work. Headache drew its mouth into a line before interpreting further.
"Youma come in all shapes, all sizes. Some speak, some don't. Some use magic, some have teeth and claws. No two drain energy the same way, but they all need energy and starseeds to sustain themselves. What matters most for you and I is that they work alongside us as partners if we let them. And they have skills and abilities that could enhance your effectiveness as an officer.
"The entrance… Is just over there." Both Headache and Faustite stopped, facing each other, with enough space between them for Litharge to pass. Then they both raised an arm to point at the looming, ominous double doors pockmarked with stone eyes and snarling teeth — a warning to the uninitiated that the wilderness beyond is far more danger than they have ever known.
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