youre_smashing | (no subject)

(no subject)

[It isn't the first time Jupiter visits Cyrus on campus, obviously. In fact, the scene she presents may even be familiar to some: a tall, athletic looking young woman with a strong-looking Skuntank at her side. And as always, she carries a present for her Boss - in this case, a small box, a long and narrow rectangle wrapped in elegant dark blue paper.

She huffs to herself.]

As always, I never know where to find him...

[But then she smirks, and she and Skuntank exchange a knowing glance.]

... so let's get him to find us, shall we?

[Ten minutes later, several hallways are full of dark smoke and puddles of poisonous purple goo. Also, if any small pieces of furniture were lying around for any reason - broken chairs or desks, trash bins - they are now burned to cinders. Jupiter and Skuntank stand at the end of one such hallway, smirking smugly as they admire their work.]

Well, that should get someone's attention, at the very least.

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[[That stench. That stench working its way across campus. That stench that only a Skuntank could make. That stench lept up Cyrus's nose and started dancing a merry, stinky jig. Clearly something was amiss. He would have to follow his nose. Unfortunately.

Sometimes he regretted being the only maintainer of order.]]

[Seeing Cyrus approach from afar, Jupiter was overjoyed, her face and eyes lighting up with excitement.]

Master Cyrus! There you are!

[With her Skuntank in tow, she made a beeline for him, and was standing in front of him in a matter of seconds. Of course, all the hell she had just raised with her Pokémon was immediately forgotten - it was just something that had worked, right? Surely there were no consequences whatsoever. Well, of course there were, but they could be ignored.]

I got you something!

[Excited, she offers the box to him. Judging by the classy paper and how long, narrow and flat it is, it is very, very obviously an expensive tie.]

[[There is something different about him. The way he stands, his expression, his tone of voice...Though confident as always, something seems to be missing, and something else added.

He accepts the box, but doesn't open it.]]

Jupiter. Did you believe it necessary to engage in such destruction upon your arrival?

[She shrugs.]

A few things have changed since the last time I was here, and I didn't know where you were, so. Anyway, what does it matter? It worked, right?

[She exchanges another glance with Skuntank, before focusing on Cyrus again.]

So. You must have a lot to tell me, sir.

I am attempting to remain above suspicion, for those reasons you ask about.

[[But he sighs. Dealing with her wouldn't be worth it, and at the same time he knows that he would have done so anyway just a few months ago]]

Regardless. You are to repay the school for these damages, and that is all I will say on the subject.

[She blinks, taken aback by his lack of... decisiveness?]

... You're not angry. Alright. I'll... try to remember to do that.

[She leans closer to him, though she makes no contact yet. Her concern is now evident in her eyes, and in her tone as well, when she speaks.]

Want to talk somewhere more private?

You misunderstand. I am quite angry.

[[Something irregular. Cyrus never admitted his emotions, not even when they were obvious or others brought them up. He would deny them to the last and here he was mentioning anger openly. Although he's walking away and signaling for her to follow.]]

[And once again, she finds herself blinking at him.]

Master Cyrus...?

[She follows him obediently. But she's not quite sure how to bring up the fact that she finds him changed. So she tries.]

Is something the matter, sir?

[[He leads her away from there, away from the stench of the hallway, and into the woods. Not that the woods was free of stink, but at least it wasn't the smell of Skuntank. Only then does he speak, and in a far softer voice than she would be used to.]]

...Yes. I believe so, anyway. What is the situation that you are aware of?

[She furrows her brow. Whatever the problem is, she's determined to help him. If he won't show decisiveness, then she will.]

I'm taking care of our finances at the moment, and I did notice something slightly irregular once. And of course, I know that there has been progress in your operations, but I was never made aware of what eventually became of that. I would like you to enlighten me, sir.

Edited 2012-06-17 08:25 (UTC)

[[Finances were what she spoke to him of first? Unusual. But very well.]]

That was for an...irregular event. As you are aware, those in this place are fond of a gamut of events, and one in particular was an auction, where bids were placed on time to be spent with those who were offered. And Arceus had put itself on offer. It would have been honor-bound to speak to me on any subject, and that would have been worth any amount of money. That said, I had to place a limit lest I endanger the continued existence of Team Galactic, and due to that limit my bid was unsuccessful.

[When he tells her of the auction, he can probably catch a motion of her legs and feet, stomping on the ground and crushing the grass. He never visits her at home, and yet he'd be willing to pay that much money to be with... Arceus? As she speaks, she looks down at the grass she's crushing.]

Well, that was very thoughtful of you, sir. Now, for your more far-reaching projects, if you will.

Edited 2012-06-17 08:37 (UTC)

[[He certainly caught that, and would address her irrational jealousy--a redundancy, of course--later]]

Again, tell me the extent of your knowledge on that subject.

[She shrugs again, now looking directly at him.]

That's all I know, sir. That you've been... making progress towards the creation of the New World, but I, or anyone else for that matter as far as I know, was never informed on the results.

[[Odd. He knew he had passed along a message regarding his second attempt, after he had returned. Perhaps it was intercepted by Saturn, or simply never arrived. He had sent it normal post, hiding it in plain sight so as to not arouse suspicion by any outsiders. Cyrus glanced around, peering for anyone who may overhear.]]

I had made a second attempt, in November of last year. My target this time was Arceus itself. Yet my second Red Chain was destroyed, and I was kidnapped by...

[[His voice wavers, and he pauses, taking in a breath]]

a terrible force. A shadowy pokémon, ruler of a horrific realm. I was forced to remain there, in a place with no time or space, until it dismissed me. My brain had attempted to find logic and stability where there was none, and suffered the consequences of that absorption. For several months I was unable to communicate clearly, my thoughts racing beyond where I could grasp them.

As you can see, I have recovered from that. My mind has settled, and I am once again able to speak.

Yet there have been further setbacks.

[[Cyrus turned to look at Jupiter fully, taking in her expression and body language for a glimpse before he continued, his own straightforward and staid]]

Though my attempt has escaped the attention of all but a few here, those who are aware are distrustful and rebellious against me, including those I once marked as allies. Their loss is no matter, yet their opposition may yield difficulty.

And furthermore, that helplessness I experienced upon return...

[[his eyes trailed down, lingering on the ground before closing]]

I came to a realization during that time, amidst my ruined thoughts and resistance to being aided yet requiring such assistance. There is still much to the world that I do not understand. Twice now I have been defeated by those who have been so driven to defend this broken world and that which plagues it that they would be willing to endanger all they hold dear to do so.

There is something there that I must understand. I had long known that strength could be based in something as faulty as emotion, though I believed that it was unsturdy as a toppling tree. Now I...

...now I am not so certain. There may be strength there that I did not recognize. And I am studying that.

[A lot of what he says makes Jupiter shiver, and by the time he is done talking, there is a wet gleam in her eyes.]

How... how is it possible...? Master Cyrus...

[She balls her fists at her sides, her sadness boiling into frustration and anger. She sees his mistakes, they are clear for all to see. And, now more than ever, she's angry that she could not be at his side and stop him in time.

The following moment, she's tackling him in a hug that is as energetic and desperate as it is affectionate. Her strong arms squeeze his frame, uncaring of any pain they might cause. He'd deserve it, anyway, for risking his life like that.]

Why did you have to go and do everything on your own? You, more than anyone, know you cannot do that! It's why you built the Team! Hell, it's why you're in this damn place! To gather support...

[She will resist any and all attempts on his part to pry her away from him.]

Why were you so goddamn reckless, sir? You know that the universe can't afford to lose you...

[And of course, she couldn't lose him, either.]

[[And he makes no move to extract her, only standing there unmoving]]

...You have known since before my first attempt that Team Galactic exists to fulfil a single purpose, one whose final steps must be taken by me alone. That is not new to you.

[[But his words lose much from his delivery, soft and deflated. So very far from his usual tone that conveyed his complete mastery of all elements of himself. And he hated it, hated every aspect of his own weakness. To see so much of what he hated in the world reflected in himself was unbearable, yet all he could do was endure.]]

Those final steps...none other could be expected to act as destroyer and creator, nor to maintain the new creation. None but myself. That is the very reason you hold me in such importance, because you recognize my role in this.

[[He was feeling weak, sick, strange, and somehow her embrace was helping him remain standing in more than simple physical support.]]

[Her hold around him does not loosen, unyielding. It's as if she were squeezing his body like a lemon, to see if anything of his old self is left. She's much stronger than him now, and he feels so light. She could probably lift him in her arms and carry him around.]

Master Cyrus... You are tired and weak, and I'm pretty sure you haven't been eating right, either...

[She begins a slow swinging movement, back and forth, as if he were a child to cradle and comfort.]

What can I do for you now, sir? I don't... I don't like seeing you like this.

[[He sways with her, not moving himself but letting her control the action]]

I am tired, yes. I have studied endlessly these last months. And I am weak, yet the boundries of that may be altered.

...Commander, I have found a source of strength in this. I have been overtaken, utterly beaten down, and still come back to my feet. My will has not wavered, and indeed I believe it has grown stronger. I have experienced a depth far below what I had ever known, and have come out with a more complete understanding of what must be done, of what must be fixed.

Perhaps there is salvation in that curse after all.

I don't doubt that you have, but... at what cost?

[She stops and looks up him, her lips parted and trembling and her eyes wide as they try to read into his.]

I wish I could stay longer... I'd nurse you back to health, and you'd be ready for... whatever must be done now.

[[Cyrus pulls back slowly, trying to move out of her hold, and meets her eyes]]

At the cost of a few years. I am forever learning, Commander, and have discovered that I had...underestimated the power of these things. I cannot make that mistake again, and thus must study what I have neglected.

[While she does release him, she lays her hands on his shoulders immediately afterwards, sustaining his gaze.]

I don't doubt that you'll get the results you seek. I have faith in you, Master Cyrus.

But...

[She leans closer to him, whispering her next sentence, a secret breathed near his lips.]

... I'm so worried...

[[Though he remains still in body, he tilts his neck away from her, widening the distance between their mouths]]

Your faith is limited then. Yet not by belief in me, but in your fear for the circumstances. Tell me what you believe may happen.

[At that, she leans on him, resting her forehead on his chest, under his neck.]

You're so far away, sir... and without protection... I...

[Her hands travel low again, and she goes back to holding him close to her by the waist.]

I don't want to lose you...

I am protected by my pokémon, as you recall...

[[Her insistence on remaining physically touching him was starting to unnerve him. What did it mean? Why was requiring such a thing? Was this affection? She had always been flirtatious, yet she knew full well his beliefs about such things. Despite his apprehension, though, he didn't move.]]

...and you will not lose me. I will leave you behind in time, yet it will be for our ultimate goal, for that new universe.

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