What the strange old man had said about good people being corrupted by Chaos had reminded Hemera of her own first Chaos encounter. The previous Sailor Dies Nox, bitter with no longer being chosen to continue the royal line, had been used by Chaos against the very people she used to protect. Luckily enough, she and Nyx had managed to save her. They had thought of the possibility of having to kill her at some point, though neither had voiced it aloud, and that was not a pleasant thought. Could they so easily convince these other corrupted beings to abandon Chaos? No, not without knowing them, certainly.

As the others talked about battle strategy, she let her sister do the strategizing, before offering her own information. “I don’t mind jumping first if we’re attacked. I can both attack long range—with magic—and close range—physically—should either be necessary.”

She didn’t step up as leader, though, because she knew that wasn’t her forte. She’d only ever thought for herself, and sometimes didn’t even think at all. Only Nyx could match her fighting style and balance her out perfectly without needing to communicate.

Sailor Aldrin's jelly heart sank when Sailor Aegle suggested focusing on the situation at hand. She knew it wasn't the time. She had said so herself. In that moment, like many moments before, she was, in her way, crying out to the others for understanding, for sympathy, for grief. She wanted a reason to fight. If no one would remember Sailor Cipriere, what was the point of it all? Her mind spun again.

But then Sailor Hadley nodded to her. A nod. A positive but of communication. Sailor Aldrin's face flushed as she tried to hide a nervous smile.

Now she felt confident to fight.

"And yet, Sailor Nyx, it is in that very speech itself that proves you are a capable leader," Sailor Aldrin butted in with another strange, uncharacteristic smile. "And the one who calls herself SAM, you as well have at least a. combative nature about you. I too am, as you say, a long range combant but I propose that since my method of attacking requires me to use my voice, I could also likely use my abilities to relay messages. Keep that in mind. And speaking of my contributions, I would like to test a long range attack myself, one that I have never used directly on organic beings. If you hear me cry out, do not understandably assume it is anger. This style of singing is merely a part of my planet's... culture as it were."

Alshain picked her way carefully but quickly through the swamp, yellow/blue eyes scanning the areas in front and to her side as they walked.  She listened as the others began to give some ideas and while she agreed with the general ideas, nothing offered up was very specific to each person and their abilities.  It was still too early for that anyways it seemed.  She wasn't entirely sure how each person would or could make full use of their powers.  She didn't feel as though it would offer much but she decided to speak out at least one thing.

"It might be a good idea to allow short range fighters right up in the thick of the battle, while long range take a step back and see the bigger picture or keep an eye on the healers since you could help them before someone else had to get to them.  While we should be careful of our enemies knowing they aren't entirely evil, I don't want to lose anyone because we're hesitant to attack.  Right now they don't care about us or what we're here to do."

The strange man left and the group kept the gifts given to them. Gabriel was still unsure whether the potions were something he could eat or not, he was the guardian of his planet, but senshi wasn't what he was called.

Well, he'd know soon.

Aldrin's commentary went over his head as he did not know how to deal or communicate with her in a way that would be appropriate for her and not exhausting for him. He didn't understand her ways and why she seemed so slow to catch on the fact they were in danger no matter if they chose to sulk Jin's demands or if they were to fight. The fact she kept bringing back their situation to a complete stranger wasn't sitting well with him and still the thought that she could be there to betray them stayed in the back of his mind. Though he agreed the warrior that died on this planet should be remembered, he didn't think now was the time to bring it up. Not when they were trying to get their strategy up and march forward.

"I have no magical attacks, so I feel more comfortable at the front, where I'm more likely to be useful rather than the middle or back where I'll get in the way. I can throw my shield, but that's not something I like to do with so many people around me. I can also defend if needed." He had done it with Aegle and would keep doing it around the two healers if he thought it could help. "And Alshain is right. Caution is good, but too much hesitation can be lethal."

"Okay, so," Crysdal broke in, trying to sum everything up before the conversation moved forward. As she spoke, she hand her hands together, fingers laced, index fingers extended and pointed to people as she spoke, still smiling to keep things light. "Sam is long range, Nyx might be able to blind people from long range, Hadley's got her vines under control, Hemera's good for ranged or close attacks, Aldrin's good for conveying messages and might have a long-ranged attack, Elysande's short range, Gabriel's short range, I'm short range." She took a quick breath to break, then pointed back to Nyx, then to Alshain, winking at the later, "Stick with your partners, and incapacitate or shoot first ask questions later, but don't kill," she nodded her head towards Aldrin at the last. 

"Sounds like when enemies come forward, we think it'd be a good idea to have ranged volley once in an attempt to incapacitate, then melee -" was she remembering that term correctly? "rushes in to engage; maybe we should make sure ranged changes targets at that point, to cut down on potential accidental friendly fire?" She made a humming sound, dropping her hands from chin level to waist level, tapping her fingers together in thought, "Or maybe we could have short range attackers attack on one side so long ranged could still attack enemies on the other? Hmm... but maybe we just want one ranged burst to incapacitate and then long range stop and look around for others, and let close range move in to make sure they can't attack, in case they're the corrupted ones..."

She trailed off, still thinking, the ideas becoming clearer when she stopped thinking of it so much as a battle as a choreographed dance.

As the group continued on, talk steered to preparing for the battle (or battles?) ahead. Ari understood that in order to save this planet they had to stop, maybe even kill, the one causing all this horrible chaos.

She sighed as she wondered what she could do to help. She agreed with the general consensus that ranged fighters stay towards the back, protecting the healers...She continued to listen intently. Aegle brought up a good point. What do they do with the corrupted ones? Could there be a way for them to just...knock them out? Ari finally decided to speak up, although a bit quiet.

"I'm...not sure what I could bring to the table here as far as battle experience. Coming to this world was the first time I've had to fight anything. Ever." There had not even been any sort of evil being she could fight against. Bastet was in a time of peace, at least...for now.

"But I do have my quarterstaff and daggers. I also have a magical shield and as you've all seen...I can transform into a giant lethal cat. With my powers...I guess it would make sense for me to be in the front with my shield up? And what do we do with the potential innocents? Is there a way to just...knock them out?"

As Aegle recapped what the group had discussed so far, Nyx nodded in confirmation and agreement.

When she began talking battle strategies is when it got a bit more complicated. Nyx barely knew of battle terms. She never had to talk such things with her sister. They were able to formulate an efficient strategy with few and simple words, if any at all, really. Melee, ranged volley... Friendly fire? How can it ever be friendly? Well, eventually she managed to figure some things out in context, but Aegle would not stop going on and on, and Nyx kept nodding rather absent-mindedly, totally pretending she understood everything.

She may or may not have stopped nodding a second or two after Aegle finished.

"Right. Sounds like a plan," she simply added.

Well it did sound like one. Anyway, she figured she understood what she had to know. With the ability to attack from a distance -- "long-ranged fighter" was it? -- she would have to attempt to blind or freeze opponents and watch out primarily for her sister and healers.

She didn't really need to know what the others were supposed to do, right?

She wasn't following along terribly well, although her eyes flitted back and forth as the conversation continued. What she did notice was that the people who had been generating the most vibrations seemed to be less agitated than before, although certainly there was little excuse or reason to relax on this planet. As they were all slowly understanding, this was a life-or-death situation. Judging by the appearance of the Hermit and his peculiar gifts, they would soon be nearing whatever the compass that Sailor Celestal carried was pointing them towards.

And it would not be a good thing.

Would there be more mudgators? More frog-creatures? Or more of the strange thing that the others said had taken Sailor Nyx in the night?

They needed to keep moving. It wasn't that she necessarily wanted to encounter any of those things (or anything new and strange), but at this point the delays would do nothing. Might as well continue onward.

Sailor Aldrin failed to suppress a smile when Sailor Aegle made a particular mention to not kill the others. The way she said it could have been taken as a special mention not to have Aldrin specifically kill a creature or as a callback to Aldrin's previous comments that the inhabitants of the planet had all rights to fear them and mistrust them, since they were technically invaders.

She seemed to see it as the latter. Finally, she assumed, the others were starting to get her way of thinking.

Approaching Sailor Xtal-Diamante before they continued, she nodded to her and peered at her with her bright, orange irises.

"Let us protect one another, Sailor Xtal-Diamante. Fear not, for I will not judge you on what I assume is your inability to speak, for I have confidence that your abilities as a sailor soldier far outweigh any lack of communication you possess!"

Oh.

Right.

That "speaking" thing.

She would have furrowed her brow, if she was the same kind of humanoid as the others besides herself and the jellied Sailor Aldrin. Instead, her face remained still while her burgeoning emotions bubbled inside of her, trying to provide direction to her interactions with these others that she had been thrust into a group with. Sailor Xtal-Diamante remained staring at Sailor Aldrin blankly during this short period of time, before she finally opened her mouth to set right to the other young woman's assumption.

"I can produce vibrations, as the others do, although differently," she replied. Again, the resonance of her own voice seemed different from what she had picked up from the others. It rose from the shimmering cavern of her core, amplified by her throat so that it could be heard.

"I will assist," she continued, the words stumbling slightly and rather staccato in their pronunciation. "My powers were used in our previous encounters. I will do so again, when the time comes. We may work together."

Although emotional connection seemed to be lacking from her words, they were not unkind nor were they a refusal to work alongside Sailor Aldrin. They were simply the most that Xtal-Diamante could manage to convey given what she understood of their situation and her self. She still felt fairly certain that she had already provided a more specific description of her abilities earlier in the group conversation, even though she had not.

When Sailor Xtal-Diamante responded, she might as well have been announcing Sailor Aldrin Day, Planet Aldrin's equivalent of Christmas.

"Excelsior!" Sailor Aldrin proclaimed. "Now that we have confirmed our cooperation, our mission will proceed with minimal issue!"

Although made of different substances, the two seemed more alike than initially thought. Aldrin was ecstatic to have gotten what she perceived to be a clear, concise answer out of Xtal-Diamante.

She was a little surprised that Amarachius had agreed with her, mostly just cause she wasn't really expecting a comment from anyone besides Aegle.  She welcomed the input all the same though, wondering how much experience he had from his own planet to provide the insights that he had so far shown.  Her attention was quickly pulled back as Aegle summarized everything that had been suggested so far.  Her bun bobbed slightly as she nodded along with the repeated information, catching the wink and responding with a raised eyebrow.  As the others began to agree with their plan, her thoughts edged towards the possibilities of who they would have to face.  Was it some sort of swamp monster, or someone from another planet?  Would they be able to defeat? Would they walk away without losing anyone?  A growing anticipation in her stomach had her wishing they were fighting the big bad already.

Sounds like a plan? 

Crysdal's brows furrowed and she turned around to walk normally, clasping her hands behind her back, feeling not exactly foolish, but perhaps a little misunderstood and defeated because of it. She was looking for feedback because she honestly had very little idea of what she was doing - she just didn't want someone running into a trap one of their own people had made, or someone sending in an attack from a distance into a group of their own people, or someone running in first when others were powering up a long-ranged attack. Someone had died fighting this thing, and they had no idea what it was or how she had died - what if they were all doomed already? What if this thing were so powerful they didn't stand a chance? Or what if it was just within their abilities, but due to disorganization they end up taking each other out instead and they all die because of it? 

The wood felt hollow beneath her feet. 

Staring straight ahead, she saw the straight path angle north and disappear behind another clump of trees, and tried not to grimace; they may end up leaving the path and slogging through the mud again...

DM wrote:

Time skip coming up tonight - in just a few hours!


A request has been made to finish the Big Bad with a Weekend Blitz, so we'll do that, as opposed to attempting to start and end the fight tonight and tomorrow night. SO INSTEAD~ We're going back to the originally scheduled program and (but on a teensy time delay I guess? lol) and visit a frog-person village~ 


Said village is on the northward turn of the path, and we'll probably work this summary style, where I'll throw in a bit about the people and how long they end up staying and what they hear and learn, and everyone can react with their own in-character summary post.

Tomorrow night I'll call the cutoff for the summary posts and the fun choice they're faced with, and freeze the RP to thaw out again to face the final baddy Friday night or Saturday morning, and we'll have until Sunday evening to kill or be killed. 

If you don't think you can make the weekend blitz, tell me and I'll knock your character out early so they don't look like they're just standing around doing nothing XD Anyway~

"Range then melee sounds good." He was slightly confused by Nyx easily acceptance instead of proper feedback, wondering how much fighting had all of them done before being conscripted. "Range could then act again, but I would suggest that if you see a friend in the way, don't try unless you're certain you're not going to hit them. In doubt, change position or hit another enemy that isn't surrounded by allies as much."

He looked at Aegle, wondering if she would agree, then at Alshain, both seemingly knowledgeable in the arts of war and combat.

"If by accident you get caught by an ally, there is no need to throw your anger at them, seek a healer if you need so and keep your head in the fight, not on useless grudges. These people are all you've got to have your back. Tension between us can result in even more problems and unfortunately, accidents do happen."

Himself needed to get over his thoughts of a potential traitor in their midst. Surely Jin would have done or said something. He needed to focus on his survival.

He saw they were probably going to have to walk across another muddy swampy pondy thing and pressed his lips together, forming not quite a grimace, but he didn't look happy about it either. He preferred not to think about whether or not they had a chance, knowing that stating the truth - they didn't - would only make it worse. He usually spoke his mind, but for once... he'd throw himself into a battle for others - probably to die - without telling everyone that they would never see their home planet again.

She waited to hear where they wanted her. Most likely at the back, she thought to herself. While she did have an offensive attack, she was pretty much designated into the role of the healer for the group. 

As she contemplated their future, her thoughts turned quickly towards darkness. Doubt creeping upon her mind. Even if she did manage to stay aware in the fight, something that so far hadn't happened - everything just happened so fast and she had such a hard time keeping up - she wondered how many of them wouldn't make it through this upcoming fight. 

She didn't want to die, Goddess help her, but she didn't. She was young, in the prime of her life, but even for as much as she wanted to live, she couldn't let innocents suffer at the hands of Chaos. Her life was in Cosmos and the Goddess hands now. If it were their will, she would live.

Gabriel's words lifted her mood considerably, and she turned to smile at him, feeling validated in her earlier worries and in that someone else was considering what she was thinking and phrased things in another way that hopefully embodied the idea better than she had: please don't aim near allies. 

They continued down the path, but as the end came into view, two frog-persons appeared from the trees, travelling the path casually, speaking to one another as they walked south towards them, turned, and froze upon seeing them. 


Crysdal's feet stopped moving the moment the pair came into view, fear lurching in her gut and she reached out to grab hold of those on either side of her. Fight or Flight kicked into high gear, remembering too clearly as the frog-man jumped out of the trees to attack them, but as they turned and froze, just as she had, looking, perhaps, just as frightened, she softened. The Hermit had said that some had been corrupted, but not all. Taking a deep, trembling breath, she strode forward again, smiling brightly. 

"Hello there! We're Sailor Senshi, and we're here to help!"

Time Skip Scenario wrote:

After halting introductions to the pair of frog-people - Alog and Mhekel - the twelve Sailor Senshi were invited to the settlement just north, following the pathway: it was their road system, you see; while they were quite able to navigate the swamps naturally, sometimes being dry was nice. 

The settlement was like a large village, all with houses made of wood on raised platforms and stilts, the underhouse used for personal spas and play areas by their children - or so Alog and Mhekel shared upon questioning, but there were not many out that morning. They were scouts, you see; their job was to report on anything suspicious they found on the road, capture it if it looked dangerous and bring it back to the Meeting Place, so that the Senshi came willingly was a great relief to them. Their presence was known and spread faster than they could walk, so the elders of the Meeting Place had its doors wide open and emptied of people by the time they reached to the broad opening in the path. 

It did not take long for them to share their mutual stories: for the Senshi, they shared that they were there toa help defeat the evil taking over their planet, a sentiment welcomed by the natives of that world. Their own people had started going missing, reappearing randomly to act out of character and commit acts of violence before making out again. The swamp had become too dangerous to navigate at night, and during the hours surrounding dawn and dusk they had had to keep their children and elders indoors to keep them safe. They felt the evil seeping into the land like a plague, and heard that neighboring villages - larger and power powerful than theirs - had been destroyed or their people enslaved, and they feared for their future. 

Officially welcomed by the elders for what they intended to do, the people of the village celebrated their arrival by offering them food (delicious, completely edible food! Just... don't ask what's in it. It tastes okay and that's all that matters, right?) and spoke easily with them, amazed at how different they appeared and that they could communicate in their language. 

Notes~

• People welcoming, but obviously a little freaked out. 
  
• Watchers are constantly looking out into the woods; they do not seem to fear or suspect the Senshi, but they definitely haven't let their guard down to anything else that might be lurking. Could be interesting to talk to - generally get from them that the swamp is dangerous, that even their usual prey has fled farther, that it's harder to find food and the other predators have become more savage because of it. 
  
• Mothers are preoccupied with watching their younger children, and seem amazed that adolescents such as they have such a big responsibility on their shoulders; constantly making sure everyone has enough to eat. 
  
• Learn that ten or so villagers have gone missing, believed to have been turned to do evil's bidding; those they left behind mourn them as gone-but-not-gone, both wishing they would come back, and afraid that they may come back not as themselves. 
  
• Some believed the evil had been sent from the heavens to punish them, but not many give into that belief. They have cruel gods, but none so cruel as this; they believe that their gods must have been imprisoned by the evil one, and hope that the Senshi can free them.
  
• Biggest threat facing them is the lack of fresh protein, their loved ones going missing, the looming presence of something wrong in the air, and the threat of other villages coming to destroy them in the night. 
  

Friday Night, IRL, they will leave the village in hopes of finding the great evil; you're free to create any interactions between characters (via IM to make sure the other player is fine with it / plot things with you etc. ((for example, "Hey is it cool if I write that we stick together and pig out on whatever food this is?" "Sure! Let's also have them listen to the theology religion gods thing"))) or between your character and an NPC (totally up to you to play the NPC, just follow guidelines or ask if not sure!).


Between now and Friday, I'd prefer if we just got summaries up. XD Technically the end of moving things forward in character with roleplaying is tomorrow night, but you can totally continue to post summaries of this little break up until Friday when we leave. ♥

Ask questions on skype, readysetgo~

She did not know what to make of the village, of this entire congregation of so many living entities of the same kind. This was something she had never seen before. Xtal-Diamante was silent and still, herself the only occupant. What would it be like to be surrounded by so many with such varied needs and experiences? Her thoughts provided only the most vague of outlines, constantly erased and re-defined as yet another child clamored past or one of the amphibians piled more edible matter before her.

The way that the people interacted with another... was this normal? Was this how others lived? Was this the type of world the other sailor soldiers came from? Sailor Xtal-Diamante knew so little about her companions, but that hadn't seemed to signify anything until this moment when the richness of the village made her realize possibilities that she had never considered. She had few personal experiences to share, but perhaps that was not true for the others.

How strange life was on these other planets!

  Cosima sat alone as she picked at her food in boredom, rolling her eyes as some of the inhabitants of the village spoke of the divine punishment that had been given to them and similar other nonsense. Why would anyone want to worship a god that would possibly send things to kill them? She couldn't understand it, as she had stopped believing in gods shortly after becoming a senshi but she wasn't going to deny others the right to believe in what they wanted to. Although Cosima couldn't deny her beliefs were a tad bit ironic considering the fact that she herself was directly named after two 'gods'...but no one here needed to know that.

Although talk of false gods wasn't the only thing bothering her. The was a real chance that she could die tomorrow and she was trying to come to terms with it now. Cosima would've like to think that with there being more of them meant that they could take down whatever enemy Sailor Cipriere had unfortunately faced alone but she honestly didn't have too much hope. Sighing, she sat her food aside and pulled out Starshatter before sitting it in her lap to let it's presence calm her somewhat.

It was nice to see that not everything in this planet was out to kill them.

Even though it was not really the time for tourism, coming across this village was at the very least interesting. The different people, different culture, different food...

Nyx began to understand a little why her sister always wanted an opportunity to explore faraway worlds.

Apparently, the situation was rather similar to what had happened on their own planet back then. With other villages attacking, it was much like their own civil war that nearly erupted due to the corrupted former queen.

In any case, looking at the inhabitants, it seems that the frog-like creature that had attacked them was also simply corrupted. She felt glad they hadn't done anything more... irreversible.

But remembering back then... It was obvious there was no way they could have reasoned with it. Defeating the source of evil on this planet really seemed to be the only way to save them. And they had to do it quickly, before it was too late.

The shock of finding a village in the swamp immediately washed away to gratefulness when they realized just how welcoming the people were. This whole new culture was so different and everything they had from their beliefs to their food a intrigued Ari.

Ari stuck with Hadley as they ate their meal together. She wasn't sure what it was but it was food and hearing the troubles they had...she almost immediately felt guilty from taking from their food stores. However, now she was finally able to talk with Hadley about her planet and her powers. She asked questions and in return explained to her the druids of Bastet, including some legends, gods and tree spirits. She talked about going to school and her studies as a druid, but how their planet was slowly becoming a more and more secular society, though there were still many magic users.

Whenever Ari could, she'd ask a local about their gods, the planets and if anyone could commune with them. She wanted to learn as much as she could while they were there. Her curiosity and eagerness to learn kept her normal shy behavior at bay and chattering about things besides their daunting battle ahead, helped keep her spirits up.

The others might have expected Sailor Aldrin to immediately wandering around and asking ignorant questions as she blantantly had before. Instead, they would have found her close by the center of the village, eventually surrounded by various villagers.

The Buzz Axe buzzed gentle chords as she held an impromptu jam session with the villagers. This seemed to be her way of obtaining information. At first, the people seemed hesistant of her, but after realizing that she was more than likely harmless, they either watched in curiosity or added their own musical talent to the cultural blend.


Sailor Aldrin sang melodies, some nonsensical and others seemingly about the others.


And then some very... um...




But there were several pieces dedicated to Sailor Cipriere specifically. It was apparent that Sailor Aldrin cared the most about these, for they were far too beautiful for a mere forum poster to recall here, but one particular stanza could be summoned for the sake of the reader.



The Aldrin/Cipriere jam session continued as long as it was able.

Hemera was rather fascinated by the settlement of frog people, how different their culture and customs were to her own and anything else she’d known. This was the part of adventures in new worlds that she was looking for; seeing new things, meeting new people, discovering strange yet amazing new worlds. She learned that the assassin was one of their people who had been corrupted, reminding her—and she was certain Nyx too—about their own civil war. As much as she was glad she hadn’t killed him, she also knew she had no way of knowing that before, and she also likely wouldn’t have been able to convince him not to kill them. Still, the encounter wasn’t something she figured would be wise to advertise.

At least they got to eat good and filling food. She didn’t much care what was in it as long as it wasn’t fried bugs again. If she could choose, she would love to stay there longer and learn all she could about these people, but they also desperately needed help, and as a senshi it was her duty to do so. More and more of them were disappearing every day, and they couldn’t just sit idly and wait for this entire community to be wiped out and replaced by their evil counterparts.

She hoped to be better rested that night, so that tomorrow they could continue their journey to seek out this evil that was the source of everything and eradicate it for good.

Sailor Xtal-Diamante watched the others from her pleasantly comfortable position at the table provided by the villagers. They were much more engaged with the others among her group, which she accepted as reasonable even though she did not yet understand that it was because the others sought the interactions more freely. Even Sailor Aldrin had managed to connect with these inhabitants in a way she had not managed with the other sailor soldiers. There were all sorts of lively songs and strains of music coming from that area, the amphibian-folk having joined in with their own instruments.

These new vibrations were interesting for Xtal-Diamante. So many of them emitted a pleasant tingle when they passed through her rocky form. It wasn't the beat or the lyrics that pleased her, the way that many others may have enjoyed the tunes. It was the wavelength and frequency of the sound that the instruments and voices produced that captured her interest and earned her appreciation.

A few children, some back from scouting and others too young to participate, peered from behind structures or adults at the strange, silent woman from the group. Sailor Xtal-Diamante stared back, oblivious to their combination of curiosity and trepidation, and not even the bravest among them was willing to dare voice a question aloud.

Chalybs kept a very far distance from most of the celebration, not because she didn't like these villagers (she'd seen strange species before, and they weren't hostile), but because the entire affair only added to how uncomfortable she was on this planet. She kept a careful distance from any mud pits, sticking to the center of the raised wooden stilts, and watched the others interact, eat, and ask questions.

These people were slowly starving from lack of hunting, but they still wanted to hold a feast? The sentiment was nice, but it just made SAM feel worse about it. She understood the concept of parties, but they still made no sense to her in a situation like this. The music being played did not resonate much with her either, though that was more because she didn't have much of an ear for it. 

A few villagers slowly edged closer to see her armor better, though she didn't react to them, staying still where she sat. A plate of food ended up beside her, but her stomach was not in the mood to try anything for a while, no matter how good it tasted. If they weren't here to try to kill some giant evil, maybe she could have relaxed and explored this village more, but she was too wound up.

They needed to leave soon.

As they all dispersed throughout the main center of the village, Crysdal made sure to grab Elysande and Gabriel, the first to make sure she didn't just hole herself up somewhere and the second because, if she understood things correctly, they were still partners and she wanted to know more about him before things got even more serious. She stayed close enough to the leaders of the village to make herself available to them for questions - despite not knowing much, that was what was polite - but far enough away as not to impose, and set about to trying the food they were presented. Even as the understanding dawned that these people were going through a famine of sorts, Crysdal did not turn down anything she was offered, and tried whatever food came to her, smiling and praising it as she bit into the odd textures and flavors; everything she understood about offering something that you had very little of was all about pride and hospitality, and she would deny them neither; in a way, they could consider this hospitality their attempt to compensate them for putting themselves on the line, and while she was against their thinking Senshi need be compensated, she understood it was more for their own benefit than the senshi team's. 

As they ate, they talked. Crysdal tried to rope in anybody else that seemed remotely interested into the conversation, turning up the charm as high as she dared in order to make the frog people feel at ease around them, then started in on questions about how they lived and what they liked to do for fun, learning as much as she could about them in the dual purpose of self interest and making them more at ease. 

Quote :

Time passed, but as the senshi started to look to each other to leave as the morning lengthened, the locals started to pack their things and head towards shelter as angry clouds gathered overhead for what promised to be a wicked storm. Storms like those came often this time of year, and the twelve were invited to stay and wait it out in the comfort of shelter and fire, as moving through it was ill-advised. Accepting the proposal, they stayed together in the meeting house as rain poured, lightning flashed, and thunder boomed overhead, the wind so violent as to knock branches against the sides of the dwelling with such force it sounded like it could break at any moment, though the frogmen assured them the house had lasted for generations, and would last for several more. 

The storm was a long one, and only abated after nightfall. And so, listening to stories told around a fire, they fell asleep, secure and full, with only thoughts of what awaited them weighing on their minds.

---

As the next morning dawned they made their farewells and started on their way, following the path yet again in a line parallel to their original, and still following the Compass's trajectory. 

The village was but a smudge behind them when a frog person appeared before them, pulling himself up on the walkway from the swamp below. He was young - still an adolescent, with the larger eyes and smoother features they had seen on the children of the village - and wore simple clothing.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you, but with the storm and everything - " he paused, seemingly tongue-tied and shy, and looked down at his toes as he tried again, "I, um," his webbed fingers worried themselves at his sides, "I just wanted to know if -" he took a deep breath, balling his hands into fists and looking up suddenly at them, seeming to draw strength from somewhere within him. "If you've seen my sister? She's older than me, and has red brow stripes, and she's thin and really fast and - and she left a few days ago and she hasn't come back but she said the same thing that you did - that she's going to save everyone - but she made me promise not to tell anyone about it," his nervousness and doubt were making him shake, but he continued, "She wore clothing like yours - with the strip around the waist - and she's been missing for a few days; have you seen her anywhere?"

He paused, looking at them and feeling uncomfortable in their returned stares of realization, pity, and distress, and before they could answer he continued. "If - if you see her, could you tell her to come home? Our parents are worried - they're trying not to look like it, but -- anyway, please, if you see her, could you just - tell her?" He looked at them once more, his hands forming and reforming fists at his side, but once he had made his request he ran away, hopping alarmingly fast right off the walkway and into the swamp below. Quick splashing sounds showed he had run off completely, without waiting to hear their answer.

The boy's sudden arrival had startled her, and from that second forward she was completely off balance emotionally - that he was so nervous made her feel sympathetic, but he provided no time to offer him any comfort as he launched forward into his address. That his sister was missing was alarming; that the enemy would corrupt girls confusing, and --- but as his explanation went on, her heart went from puzzled and compassionate to alarmed and terrified and unbelievably distressed as she realized who his sister might have been. She was speechless, her conflicting emotions stealing her voice as he paused with a question. 

He deserved to know, but not like this. Not now, not so suddenly. 

No one should be lied to, but that was her intention - to lie, to tell him they would look for her, and when all this was over tell him how she had been lost but how she should be celebrated as a hero. She was forming the words, praying she would get them out before someone, perhaps unknowingly, devastated the poor boy when they could not dare spend more time here to help him make peace with it, but before her voice hummed to life, he was continuing hurriedly, his words bringing tears to her eyes that she dare not shed. He was worried, too; it wasn't just his parents that were anxious about her being missing. Did he already know, deep down, what had happened? Had he the intuition to connect their arrival to her disappearance, and realize what must have transpired, and now was doing anything he could to reject that? 

Before she could even lie and comfort him with the promise they would tell her, he was gone, and she took a deep breath, determined not to follow. She took a step forward, shaky at first but confident as it hit the ground, and continued walking forward without a word, determined to get on with their duty. As she walked, she reached up and wiped her eyes on the small part of her sleeve that was still considered clean, and consciously breathed evenly, focusing on the path before her, and not on the life that had been lost before their arrival.

Although at first she had been somewhat frightened of the frog-people at first, due to their previous encounter, Hadley quickly became a lot more comfortable with them, finding them to be kind and generous. It was a nice reprieve, to be in this village, although she couldn't help but to feel a little guilty at feeling so at ease. It felt as though she and the others had been enclosed in this warm little bubble, and even though dark things pressed against it, they were safe for the moment.

But at the same time, she knew could see that the villagers were on guard, setting watchers to scan the woods, so she would have to stay alert as well. If there was trouble, she would do everything she could to help protect these people.

The motherly frog-women kept insisting she eat, more and more, and Hadley could only smile at their hospitality. Though the food was strange, she thanked them many times for it, and ate everything they offered. It reminded her so much of her grandmother that it made her heart hurt even as she couldn't keep from smiling. It was both nice, and incredibly difficult, to think of her grandmother right now.

Luckily, she and Ari kept to each other's company in the village. They talked about what felt like a million different things, and yet still there was more to talk about. She loved learning more about Ari and Bastet and all of the interesting powers and legends and especially the gods and tree spirits. It must be so wonderful to live on such a planet! Hadley spoke of her grandmother and told Ari of her own planet, though she felt as though it didn't sound nearly as exciting - Valdis did not have the verdant culture of Bastet after all. Hadley also spoke of her trials and errors with her own powers, as well as going into great detail about her garden back home.

It surprised Hadley to realize just how much she had been talking with Ari throughout this - it was a new sensation to be able to just talk and talk without worrying or feeling out of place or unwanted. Was this friendship? She had felt an instant connection to Ari due to their similar powers, but it felt as though it had grown into something of its own. It was a nice feeling. In a way, it reminded her of watching a little plant growing. She hoped that she'd have a chance to get to know the others of their group better as well.  

As a storm darkened the mood, Hadley was secretly glad they were offered a place to hide from the rain and lightning - she loved rain but she did not like the idea of trekking through inhospitable terrain fully drenched.

Hadley wasn't sure when she fell asleep - feeling comfortable and safe for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, she had laid down with her eyes closed, listening to the stories and had slipped into dreams without even realizing it.

Sadly, as she awoke the next day, she knew they had to continue on. As nice as it was to stay here in this village, she and the others had a job to do, and it was time to continue with it.

They hadn't made it too far before they were stopped by a young frog person, and the confusion of his arrival quickly fell to sorrow and guilt. There was only one person to fit this description, and it tore at her heart to know that this young frog person, from a village of kind people, would not ever see his sister again.

The fate of Cipriere had been a sad tale to hear, but seeing this young person standing in front of her, wondering about his sister, the love and worry clear on his face, made it all seem much more real. It was no longer about a stranger she had never met, this was about people who had helped her, fed her and cared for herself and the others in kindness and hospitality.

She wanted to reassure the young male, wanted to tell him that they would make sure to defeat the evil plauging their planet. They would protect his village. But to do so would admit that his sister was gone, and those words stuck in her throat as tears stung her eyes. None of this was fair at all.

He left before anything could be said, and a part of Hadley felt both guilty that he didn't learn the truth, and glad that maybe hope could continue to live within him for a little while longer. As it was, there was nothing else to be done about it now - she wasn't going to chase after him just to deliver the terrible news. Especially as she wasn't even sure what a person should say in that kind of situation. No, she would have to do her best to defeat the threats on this planet. There was more at stake than simply getting to go home. There was no going back.

All they could do was continue forward.

After putting his top back on and adjusting his armor back on his shoulder, Gabriel followed Crysdal and Alshain, happy to discuss with them of anything really. He liked people and though those two came from another planet (still weird) and didn't know anything of his world - and him knowing nothing of theirs, the casual empathy you can have while talking to a stranger more than two seconds was quick to appear. They both were very different but equally interesting.

Time went on faster than if he'd stay on his own, the man certain the interaction would have been better without the crisis they were facing, but then again... without it, they wouldn't have met at all. He wouldn't have left his planet, he wouldn't have known exactly just how much existed out there...

The storm came along and he wasn't able to sleep very well this time, the memory of the attack going on while he just slept through it still fresh in his mind and taunting. What if it happened again? Sure the girls could defend themselves, but the sentiment was still dreadful.

When the time for their departure came, they were halted by a young male and as his speech went on, Gabriel opened his mouth, ready to simply be blunt about it (false hope was a bad thing and the sooner he knew, the sooner he would be able to mourn), but the frog person was gone before words could leave his mouth.

"We should have told him."

Was the only thing he said in the end.

They weren't even sure they would come back. Someone should have told him.

He walked too when Crysdal walked, finally catching on the girl's behavior and maybe regretting a bit his spoken words. Maybe he had underestimated the effect this could have on the group. This story was tragic, but it wasn't their fault.

"We're going to help them, as much as we can."

It was the truth. It was what they would try. They would do their best anyway and at this point, Gabriel was ready to die trying.

If she were more of a spiritual being, SAM would have marked the storm as an omen. It was probably meaningless, but she couldn't help but compare the heavy winds and rain to whatever was at the end of their mission. She felt a little better being sheltered by the meetinghouse, if a bit claustrophobic, but she did end up sleeping soundly. Maybe it was the knowledge of there being protective walls and a sturdy roof over her head that calmed her this time. It was certainly better than being exposed to another night time attack.

The next morning, they were once again off to follow their compass to whatever source of Chaos was responsible for this crisis, and Sailor Chalybs was mentally bracing herself as the group left the village farther and farther behind. Maybe if she could put herself on autopilot, the fight would be easier when it finally came to them. 

It wasn't the first time she tried to compartmentalize her emotions to complete a task, but it did help to stay focused. 

All of that effort went to waste as soon as another villager approached. When the child made his request, they all knew exactly who he was talking about. Sailor Cipriere had been his sister, and he wasn't even aware she had passed. None of the people on this planet knew, except for the other senshi.

SAM was almost happy when he left before he got his answer, because she wasn't sure she could handle his reaction. Despite how different her species was to his, she could still so easily place herself in his position. 

What would she do if her own sister left and just never returned home after a mission? It was always possible for a scouting or mercenary job to go wrong, and then she'd have to watch as the Chalybs military retired her suit and system name, said a few stale, emotionless words of her accomplishments, and then never spoke of her again in public. The dead were the past, and her people had long decided that it must be discarded to focus on future survival.

SAM hoped this planet had a kinder mourning system than that, if only for that boy's family's sake. She blinked a few times before realizing that she was crying. Well, there went her stoic determination. 

"Let's just...hurry up." Even with the voice changing effect of her helmet, she still sounded somewhat choked up. "Before this gets any worse." The less they lingered on this entire mess, the better.

Hemera had to admit that having the chance to get a proper uninterrupted sleep and a proper meal had lightened her mood considerably. She was more than ready to start the third day on a more optimistic note.

Until that young frog person appeared and started talking. At first, she wanted to promise him that they would find his sister… until he continued to describe her and realization dawned about who he was talking about.

Hemera’s heart felt crushed as she looked at this young boy, so earnest, so full of hope, so worried for his sister. She couldn’t help but glance at Nyx, being reminded once again about how she’d nearly lost her sister the night before and how she had put her in danger here. How one or both of them might not survive this. She imagined herself in this boy’s shoes when he finally realized the truth. How devastated he’d be by the revelation that his sister was already lost. Hemera would know if Nyx died even if she didn’t witness it because she would feel it, and they shared the same Sailor Crystal, but how horrible would it be to never know?

They had to tell him. He couldn’t just wait forever. There needed to be some kind of closure.

However, he left far too quick—before any of them could say anything.

Everyone seemed to feel uneasy and horrible, so Hemera, too, said nothing, just pressed her lips together and subconsciously reached for Nyx’s cool hand in an effort to ground herself and remind herself that her own sister was still there, and followed the others ahead.