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 Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2025 7:37 pm
The door opened on creaky hinges stirring Aelius from the daze of thoughts he let himself drift into. Eyes squinted against the darkness that draped over the entrance. For a moment he thought it was perhaps a Knight coming in to check on him. That was until his visitor stepped further into the dim light and the glimmer of wings caught his eye. <********> Another deep space senshi. Thus far they’d proven themselves to be the most vicious of the order members within the house. His body tensed as he watched her, unsure what to anticipate. They were like wild cards that had yet to be in his favor.
“What do you want?” He questioned carefully before a racking cough momentarily paused his continuous glare. Thankfully, the blanket that Muri had put back onto his shoulders managed to hang on throughout the small fit as he heaved in a painful breath. Mildly he wondered if he had broken a rid or two at some point or if it was whatever sickness that was settling in making him hurt more-so now.
He cleared his throat and lifted golden eyes to stare down his new babysitter and likely torturer.
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Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2025 8:05 pm
War never changes, wasn't that the saying?
Entering the hostage's room, Solaris felt a brief surreality, a dreamy wisp of days long, long past. She didn't remember any more if she balked or fidgeted, or when things started getting easier because she'd begun to go numb.
The stare he gave her after his coughing bit only added to the momentary memory. She let out a soft sigh through her nose, even as her brows furrowed slightly at the sight of the blanket before focusing back on him.
"Nothing, really. I severely doubt you'll give me any info." Still a fair distance from him, she crouched down, her skirts fanning around her slightly. It didn't take much to pull one of her large hiking backpacks from subspace, still full to near bursting with supplies. The habit to keep such things in reserve kept up after the last couple years of dealing with her world.
"Was going to offer a blanket, but looks like someone beat me to it." Still, she pulled the folded and rolled up article from the straps that held it to the top of the bag, setting it down on the floor as a sort of proof. Unzipping the bag, she reached in and pulled out a still closed up water bottle, and a protein bar still in its wrapper. Chocolate and peanut butter.
She held them up in the air somewhat towards him, watching his face. "I can help you drink some water."
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Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2025 9:14 pm
What the hell was this? His eyes darted from the pack to the senshi's face, her wings, ears, and back to the pack as she rustled within it for items. Offer him a blanket? Right. This felt like some game to gain his trust, especially when she pulled out the water and protein bar.
"Don't waste your time. I am not having anything." He turned his face away from her even as his stomach growled. Seemed hunger was finally winning out after Grieve's visit, but he wasn't interested. Some may call him hard-headed or idiotic to not take a offer of help when it came to him, but it was too much a gamble. Especially considering the bits of conversation he was privy to.
For all he knew, this could be their first move to finish him off. Perhaps a 'kinder' approach, but Aelius still had the hope of being found. A stronger one. He just needed to give them a bit more time.
"Forgive me for not trusting you." His tone said he didn't much care at all if she forgave him or not.
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Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2025 9:35 pm
His rejection didn't surprise her, and Solaris only put the two items onto the ground next to the blanket before she sent her bag back into subspace. Leaving them close to him was cruel, but for now she'd leave the option open.
"I was never good with the torture part of information gathering," she said instead, pursing her lips slightly. "Prefer prisoners were kept in at least the bare minimal of civil conditions. Not my call, though." Her gaze shifted over his state, and she somewhat wished they'd had some proper cell or something to keep him in, rather than the zipties. Effective though they certainly were, he'd at least have a degree of movement and could feed himself.
Beggars couldn't be choosers.
"Any idea who sold you out?" It was a curiosity that nagged at her--didn't matter to her at the end of the day, but she was surprised that the Negaverse had such a leak around. Likely, not one that would survive for much longer, if they weren't already gone from this world or life. But then, no one really seemed to be operating in a way that made sense to her.
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Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2025 11:30 pm
He looked at the food and drink left within reach. Well...reach was relative. It would have been within reach if he could move properly. Still, it taunted him with it's closeness even if he had zero intention on touching it.
Her confession about prisoners was rewarded with a dry, weary look. In his opinion, a prisoner was a prisoner. Torture was torture. Doll it up as you wish, but it didn't change anything. Not that he felt he was above such tactics. He wasn't. He'd do whatever he felt would get results. "Stop trying to take the high-road." He remarked cooly.
"And no. I have no idea. For all I ******** know someone followed me home one night despite all of the measure I take." Being followed had always been a worry of his, but teleporting helped with that as long as he kept it far enough away from the apartment.
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2025 12:11 pm
"Not a high-road, just facts of circumstance. My moral compass is bloody and broken by some of my fellows' own views, I think." If more peaceful ways could prevail, if Chaos could be wiped out with less violence... it was a beautiful dream. She'd no hope for it, but she couldn't stop the sliver of hope that others could prove her wrong.
But she'd stained her hands long ago. There was no going back, and she was hypocritical as s**t if she attempted to even sniff at anyone for glancing at doing the same.
His lack of info though on the source was... good and bad. For the person involved, likely good. For her curiosity? Annoying, but she could live with another question unanswered for the time being.
"s**t luck is enough." It could happen to any of them, really. Magic was a double-edged sword. "Why stay with Chaos?" The question popped from her lips before she could really stop herself, and she huffed a dry laugh. "Ignoring all this, if you even could. Why fight for a thing that destroys planets and worlds? I don't get that part about the Negaverse. The skill and organization, dedication... it's impressive."
She didn't expect an actual answer--if she were in his shoes, she wouldn't even bother to waste the breath. It was pointless to even ask it, but that curiosity... plus, to be fair, she likely wasn't going to get a chance to speak with a Negaverse soldier--agent or senshi--like this again.
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Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2025 2:30 pm
Yep. s**t luck was all he needed. The same luck that seemed to continuously follow him around throughout the past few years.
He ould honestly care less ab out her moral compass and which way it pointed. Everyone's was different. It came down to what you determined was more important to you over anything else. That was what directed each individual moral compass. As it stood, Aelius would do anything for those he loved. That was where his moral compass pointed and be damned to anyone else that got in his way.
At the chaos question he practically rolled his eyes. It was a standard question from order. The big question of why. Normally he didn't deign to answer such a thing, but considering his position and the fact she at least bothered to build upon the simple, open-ended question, he humored her.
"Not sure if you aliens can fully appreciate this anymore, but my life, family, and everything in my world revolves around the Negaverse and those in it. That's the simple answer to it." Oh. He could go in about how those like her (Solaris) didn't belong on Earth and that they should all forget the worlds that no longer exist. Earthh was their home now, thank you very ******** much. But that wasn't something he was inclined to start a discussion on now. Especially with her type. The last thing Aelius could afford was to possibly piss her off.
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Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2025 5:10 pm
Huh. He actually answered. Her brows rose, eyes widening briefly at the even slight bit of explanation. Though she wondered how much he knew about those like her, non-Earthling senshi, to have added in that anymore.
"Fair enough. I appreciate you humoring me." Again, not that she expected that to mean much to him, but she didn't see any reason to not be... some level of polite.
Her previous curiosity hummed, and she figured it didn't hurt. "What do you know about us aliens? I'll give the Negaverse it's credit, they do well to keep their people informed as needed, and trained." For the most part.
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Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2025 6:22 pm
Why did these people act kind and sensitive even when they were doing something that, if the shoe was on the other foot, they'd condemn people for? Thanking him for humoring them? So ridiculous.
If the information wasn't going to mark him a traitor, he had no reason not to give it. Better to save himself anymore possible beatings if he could.
Speaking of delving information that he probably shouldn't... "I know what I know." Which in honesty wasn't much. Until now, he'd had no interaction with these aliens, but had heard mutterings of their existence. His interest in them had never peaked to deep dive into much info though.
Aelius did manage to gain some insight from the meeting earlier though. While nothing was confirmed, he had suspicions that, some of them anyway, were long lived, or were privy to memories of their past lives that gave the impression of 'old souls'. On top of there seemed to be an air superiority too. Like these beings knew things.
"And I am learning even now."
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Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2025 10:20 pm
That got a small laugh from her, tipping her head with brows raised in a silent good point motion. It was a non-answer, obviously, but it was enough. Solaris brought her bag back from subspace, zipping it open and returning the water, bar, and blanket to their spots before sending them once more back to their useful storage.
She wasn't going to be cruel enough to leave them sitting around in front of him after she left. He was already slated to die, if they got along with it already. Pushing herself back to her feet, she knew any of her other questions would be useless, and what responses she had gotten were somewhat shocking enough--in that she got anything at all.
"May you find better in the next life," she said almost absently, turning and heading back to the door. While it was a genuine hope of hers, that any starseed they could get sent back to the Cauldron would be reborn into a happier, less Chaos-filled life... she knew the sentiment wasn't going to be appreciated on the other side. But hey, it still was better--in her eyes, anyway--than the starseed just ceasing to exist, as any consumed by Chaos and its drones did.
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