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 Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 12:45 pm
Quote: It was already late in the evening but the merchant seemed unfazed by the passing of time. He sat, poised and elegant, watching the world around him. He didn't seem bored, even as he leaned forward and laced his fingers atop the table; below it, he kept his toe tapping to some silent tune in his head. He was tall, by human standards, though while sitting down he didn't seem particularly threatening. If you didn't look at his face. He had graceful features--sharp and refined. His chin and nose tapered to a point, giving him an air of sophistication, but that, combined with his slitted eyes and pointed teeth, there was something undeniably predatory about him. He watched with a hungry gaze and a mischievous, nearly sinister smile. His ears were pointed and were prominent despite being tucked behind his vibrant, multi-colored hair. The most intrusive feature that indicated there was something not human about him were the curling horns protruding from his temples and the oil-slick black scales that brushed his cheeks and forehead. He was well dressed, in a fashion obviously otherworldly, and seemed to enjoy dressing himself up in glistening gemstones. His table was somehow both simple and overwhelming; it was draped in a dark purple tablecloth, with extravagant embroidery in different designs. Scattered neatly atop the table was an array of items that seemed to carry some magical weight to them. He did not seem intimidated in the slightest and, upon noticing that the barrier surrounding him rippled when his visitor entered, he smiled. He did not rise to meet them nor adjust his position in the slightest. He followed them with his fierce eyes and greeted, in a silky voice, "Welcome."
There were still things she was processing, even months later.
The fact that it'd taken the combined forces of Order and Chaos to weaken the Calamitous Hollow enough to cage it up. The fact it hadn't been enough to kill the thing, just contain it again. The fact that even while she was lost to the flow of energy through the spike she held, she still felt the overwhelming despair from what'd apparently been a whole <******** massive blast of Chaotic energy the Queen of the Negaverse sent out. The fact someone who wasn't a senshi remembered being on Solaris before everything had crumbled… whose own world was lost, and a synthetic replacement in danger, too.
She already had it in her mind to reach back out to the Vanguard's Commodore, if only to return to the topic of potential trades. Distantly, almost numbly, she'd considered how if--... when she got her ship running again, she'd have access to far more crystal mining locations. Far, far more than she'd ever be able to use. Even a small city could use a fraction of it.
So another world and people who needed it?
She'd rather the resources be used responsibly, sustainably, and actually help the living.
Energy holding and absorbing crystals could do nothing for the dead, afterall.
Oh. And another thing she was still processing? The fact there were still more of these damn… Heralds of the Dark Star. Something she wanted to try to look up next time she got the chance to get back to the Moon Palace or something…
She gave a sigh, rubbing a gloved finger against her temple, causing the small chains and charms that hung from her tiara to twinkle and jingle lightly. There was that upside, at least. The energy that'd raced through her… it must have done something. Or maybe her own damn stubbornness had kicked off something in her starseed. She had no idea. But that tiny Mauvian gave her back the pen she'd not seen in the longest time, and with it, the fluctuations of energy had stabilized around and in her, and she was back.
Eternal Sailor Solaris.
Goosebumps zoomed over her arms and down her spine. Even now the realization still awed her. Translucent fabrics danced around her, the white bodysuit moved easily with her. She cried after, when she got back to her world. Centuries later, Kyrie realized she was crying a lot more these days than she had in… a long time. It was surprising--she thought the tears had all dried out ages ago.
Her steps were easy as she moved towards the barrier, a smile on her lips brightening as she passed through it easily. "Nice to see you again," she chirped back to his greeting, holding up her hands and their contents somewhat. A bag of fried cinnamon dough bites with icing in the centers, and a small tray with two capped cups of watermelon-lemonade slushies--both being things she nabbed from the festival before heading over, leaving them still freshly warm and comfortably cool respectfully.
Coming closer to the table, her eyes roamed the arrangement briefly before flicking up to meet his gaze, offering the bag of treats across to him as to make sure she didn't hit anything on the table. "How'd you manage the mass-delivery of all those bags of goodies? Reminded me of stories I've heard around here about Earth's Santa Claus." One of the drinks was offered as well.
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Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2025 8:56 am
“Oh my! And who do we have here?” Almadel crooned. “Solaris? Eternal Sailor Solaris? You’ve been so busy since I last saw you! And you bring me treats?” he asked, like he needed to clarify the intention of her gifts before accepting them. Of course he wanted treats, he loved strange little Earth foods, but he wasn’t going to be tricked into trading treasure for treats! “Are you so surprised that I am capable of doing fantastic feats? I mean,” he gestured to his display. “Do you think I cart all of this in sacks over my back? No, I have a method. It’s very precise, very professional. Did you like the gifts? I worked hard to acquire them. I’d say they fulfilled their purpose, given,” he paused and looked around. Earth was still here. He smiled and returned his gaze to her. “Besides, you’ll like me more with my secrets. Gives life a bit of whimsy, no?”
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Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 12:25 pm
Of course she grinned and beamed when he pointed out the obvious. Of course she did, because she was damn proud and thrilled to have that title back.
"That overgrown electric snake's energy seemed to do something, or whatever forces that be decided I was stubborn enough to get it back when I needed it in that fight. Who knows how any of it works?"
Well, there were theories, and none of what she said really fit into them, but that was besides the point. Her magic had gone unstable during the fight, and the magical eruption after things had stabilized in the new rank had been... far more than her magic had ever been.
She took her own drink and nabbed a sip, smiling around the straw as Almadel gestured and swerved around her question. Gave him a tip of the head though when he pointed out the whimsy of things. "Certainly keeps things exciting. No idea what you'll pull out of your bag of tricks next."
Her gaze wandered over the wares on the table, giving them an impressed hum. "You certainly have an eye for quality."
Reaching her now free hand up, she pulled the small iridescent, rainbow crescent moon pin from subspace, holding it out to him. "This from you, too? Found it in the bag after all was said and done. 'Congratulations for surviving' pin?"
She took another sip of her drink, considering her motives for her presence. While she was there to see him, and genuinely happy for such, there was a trade or two she was hopeful for...
"...can't let you have free pick of the treasures on my world yet, need to get to them first, but I meant it when I said you'd have it if we got through that mess with the Herald. I do have some other offerings, though, for potential trade."
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Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2025 8:18 pm
“Then by all means, I’d love to see them,” Almadel smiled sweetly, but he was already leaning in to examine the crescent moon pin. He didn’t take it. “It’s interesting,” he said, but cupped his chin with one hand and held his elbow with the other as he stooped forward. He tilted his head a few times, tapping his cheek thoughtfully. “It’s not from me, though. Much as I’d love to take credit for it. As you trust my eye for quality, you should know I wouldn’t dream of making a dupe. I’m crafty, don’t get me wrong, but I’d never impersonate the Moon Kingdom. Dead as it may be, I’d hate to earn more ire. Who knows what ghosts still haunt those halls!” And, undoubtedly, Almadel still wanted to find some way to access the Moon. “Maybe that ‘overgrown electric snake’s energy’ had something to do with it,” he mused. “Not that any Herald has ever been known to create anything. Destruction’s sort of the name of the game, you know.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Are you in the market for anything in particular, Solaris? Or shall I find for you the treasure you didn’t know you needed?”
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2025 6:06 pm
She listened as Almadel wove his silk about the pin, offering a small snort of a laugh to the notion of impersonating the Moon Kingdom. "I think the lot of us are already doing that, seeing as some call us the White Moon..." The vague us being... well, Order. "But not exactly a lot of options that'd work for everyone, I guess."
Solaris sent the pin back into subspace with a slight shrug. She trusted him to be honest enough on such matters. Why not take the credit if able? But her eyes sharpened as she eyed Almadel. Any Herald has ever been known...
"I've got a bottle of one of our wines--still good, tried another one myself from the same batch stored in the same spot. What can you tell me about the other Heralds?"
Her gaze did drift down to his table, though. She'd specifically asked him before about if he had any Solarian tech, or if she really was to dream, something to help fix the AI to help navigate the ship if she ever got it fixed...
"...I've got more things to offer. Too many things I want. Ship parts. Code to repair other code or some blasted guide to do so." Her world to finally just take her to the Chaos... "So what would you have that I didn't know I needed?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2025 7:40 pm
Almadel shrugged at first, as if to finish a thought he’d had percolating since she started speaking. “Call yourself what you will. Someone else will call you as they please. It isn’t like you’re a unified force here on Earth, not truly. You should start a team, call yourself whatever you want, then.” The corner of his lips curled into something a bit more devious than a smile, but it was no less charming because there was mirth stitched into it, too. “You’ll give me more than wine, ante up. I’ve got something special for you. Go on, empty your pockets for me. A bottle of wine and...?” he asked, leaning over to sift through a chest beneath one of the tables. Hidden from view, it contained things he’d brought but was obviously saving for a special purpose. He produced a small black box but he didn’t open it. When he set it on the table, he drummed his fingers across the top. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours first,” he said, clearly eager to see what more she could dig up for him. He spoke like he had a clever secret to share–and, he did. “But don’t be surprised if I have little to tell you about the Heralds. It’s well known that there were few who ever lived to talk of them, and it’s not like anything they published could be verified. Hard to fact-check a world eater, isn’t it? Anyone could just lie, who could prove them wrong?”
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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2025 12:42 pm
Her nose wrinkled at the notion of starting a team, but she kept her thoughts to herself. Namely, the awareness that her own biases would make that... prickly. Solaris was pretty confident her best route was random alliances, or just sticking with a few familiar folks. Unofficial things. Just calling them all Order worked enough for her, if only to differentiate from Chaos.
"...I guess Guardians or Celestial Guard would be more broad-term across senshi and knights for all their ranges, but that's too much of a damn mouthful," slipped from her lips in a distracted mutter, before she shrugged and threw the thought aside. Wasn't like that would actually be used for anything.
Almadel's prodding commentary, though, drew her back to the present, her own smile morphing into something sharp and full of teeth--dull as they were. She didn't have fangs. "Cheeky b*****d. Won't even let me see to debate an offer. Rude." But there was no hostility in the slightest to her words. Solaris was amused, really, at his clear trade tactics. Man held all the cards, and he knew it. "You're lucky you're pretty and fascinating," she shot with all the heat of a ribbing tease, raising her free hand again to begin snatching things from subspace.
Teasing, but true. He was certainly easy on the eyes, and his stories were immensely intriguing to her.
A dark navy glass bottle was the first to be pulled out, wax and a substance akin to Earth's cork keeping it sealed. Solarian script was inscribed into the glass itself of its origin, maker, contents, all the fun things. Within the dark glass, a clear liquid could be somewhat seen sloshing with the vague movement to set it on a clear part of the table.
Next, a collection of books she'd tied with twine together to not have them haphazardly fall away from their fellows in subspace. Or however that worked. Worn, old, the same Solarian script across the binding looked mostly the same between each, save the bits at the end of the lines. Handwritten. "They're some of the journals kept by a-- uh... I think the English would be..." Again her nose wrinkled as she tried to consider an approximate translation. "Military leader is easy enough. Born well after the planet was cut off from the rest of the galaxy, you're the first and only non-Solarian to ever see them." There was a hint of fondness as Solaris eyed them as she set them on the table. "Synâdyle Aelith, she kept detailed notes on political and social happenings in the city she helped to guard, then smaller settlements after that." They weren't journals that Kyrie had... had a particular attachment to, and she'd already copied the information carried within to keep for her own records.
"I like the idea of them getting to sit in a collection like yours."
A few more pieces followed--some jewelry and gear she'd found in the caches during her searches, things she had plenty of, but still examples that'd never been off Solaris until now. The craftsmanship was still there, though, even if the later generations had less resources to utilize, the detail and care put into the creations to ensure their stability and longevity was--at least in her eyes--obvious.
"For a while all we had on the Calamitous Hollow was old stories that had vague connections to it, but it was still better than nothing. And the murals, sure, but I doubt we'll be lucky enough to have folks get pulled into other prisons or something. Any information on the Heralds can at least give us some starting point, true or false. Plus, something to compare against if I ever get the chance to dig into any records in the Moon Palace..."
As she spoke though, she became only slightly aware of a low hum of energy that grew louder as it approached her. A small orb of golden energy, that persistent little wisp, came to hover over her shoulder, tilting itself as if the thing were looking over the goods on the table. Or that was her impression, at least, when she turned her head to peer at it. "Hi you. No shopping for you, I'm afraid," she hummed, poking a finger at its gaseous form.
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Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2025 5:27 pm
Almadel clicked his tongue as he watched the wisp longingly. “It’s no fair,” he sighed. “Do you know how many of those I’ve seen? They mock me, I can’t get one to stick around me. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised to see how they might frolic to you. I don’t suppose you’d trade…? Hm,” one look at her face told him all that he needed and he sighed dramatically. He didn’t even need to finish the sentence. “Fine, never mind. Yes to the wine, yes to the books, yes to the shiny things you’ve pulled out. I want them all. And, in exchange.” He opened the box to reveal a small, portable data storage unit. Printed on the side in very clear Solarian: E.N.O.C.H.Almadel held the box in his hand but angled it so she could very clearly see what he was offering. A smug grin settled on his face. With this find, he’d earned his time to gloat.
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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2025 12:31 pm
Solaris lifted a dark brow at Almadel's dismay, looking between him and the golden orb of energy that hovered beside her. The orb in question that, when he queried if she'd perhaps trade with the clear implication of it, immediately zipped behind her. She could feel it's warmth at her back between her wings, and cast Almadel a bemused look. Amused, but firm in a refusal. "You answered your own question on that, but do you know what it is? I haven't figured that out."
But what she could offer for trade was enough, and she perked up as he finally opened the box.
And then had to immediately clench her hands down on the edge of the table before her to stop herself from launching across it for the contents when her brain registered what it was.
"You wonderful, beautiful man--I'd kiss you if this wasn't business. Yes, yes, trade fully accepted, yes." Her voice was a rapid rush on nearly a single or two breaths. As close of a mixture of Solarian tones and English words as she could physically get, but it was the best she could give in terms of actually pronouncing English words and not just delving into her native tongue in sheer delight and glee and need and gratitude...
She knew that program. Oh she knew it well. Not enough to best fix it, she'd barely been able to work out any of the easier, smaller programs back when such tech was commonplace and she had easy access to people to teach her.
But she knew how to work with this one, once it was activated.
And few data storage units would be marked with a program's full acronym unless they actually contained a good chunk of it. If not all of it. It was similar to--or exactly was? She wasn't entirely sure--the sort of thing researches and scientists would bring to Sessrumnir in the past to keep copies of their work properly stored and protected.
She wasn't sure what she expected of Almadel's offer, but her pulse was in her throat and her eyes were bright and wings fluffed up in pure happiness.
...if he suddenly decided to not go through with the deal after all, though, she would jump over the table at him.
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 10:54 pm
Almadel laughed richly, and this was most certainly the response he’d hoped to get. “Oh, Solaris. Your wings are very cute. Here, a show of good faith. I’ll let you hold it while we finalize things,” he said, and passed the box over. Solaris would make good on her end of the deal, of this he was certain. If she didn’t float away first. “I told you I had something special for you,” he said smugly. He wanted to play cards against her. He bet she didn’t have a very good poker face. “I knew you’d be happy with this. I saw it and thought of you. Naturally, you’ll keep me updated on your progress with…” He gestured to the device vaguely and shrugged, like that alone said all he needed to of the matter.
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2025 12:47 pm
An amused snort left her before she could stop it, but certainly knew Solarian wings weren't the most intimidating thing. Just extremely good mood indicators when not controlled, at least while on Earth.
She took the box carefully, still marveling at the script that stared so bold and clearly back at her. Nearly laughed at the phrase show of good faith, though. The concept that anyone would try to run off with goods without finalizing a deal and complete the transaction... that'd be a hell of a dumbass move in her book. Even as she grinned at him, she was fully aware of the continuous levels of mystery around this man. What couldn't he obtain?
Crossing him seemed like a great way to get back to the Cauldron ASAP.
"Special is such a broad term, and you know it. This is..." Her words failed her, and she could only laugh and shake her head a tad. "I can't tell you what this means to me. You'd be the first to get updates if I had a way to text or call you," she added with a slight edge of a tease to her grin. She doubted he had a cell number tucked away, but hey--weirder things have happened.
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 8:39 pm
“Alas! I don’t get reliable service while I’m traveling, I’m afraid! They just don’t make cosmic phones that good. Yet. Maybe one of these days I’ll borrow some Mauvians and see what they can conjure up. I’m sure I could find something to bribe them.” For a moment, he tapped his fingers over his chin and then shrugged. “Well, that’s a project for tomorrow. I suppose I’ll just have to drop in and visit often so you can give me updates.” Something he didn’t seem the least bit upset about, even if he did manage to sigh dramatically about it. A smile still tugged at his lips, and his tail twitched too eagerly to have been any true exasperation. “...I suppose you’ll want to get out of here soon to see about that,” he nodded to the little data stick. “I won’t think you rude if you run off as soon as you can.” How could he, when he’d seen how excited she was? It was a wonder her wings hadn’t flapped hard enough that she’d fluttered off the ground.
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