787/Not That Into You

Not That Into You
Date of Scene:	02 January 2016
Location:	Dark Kingdom
Synopsis:	Endymion and Kunzite have Stuff for Beryl. There is DK bickering. There is Melanite, Beryl's old/new apprentice! Welcome to the Dark Kingdom, hope you survive!
Cast of Characters:	Mamoru Chiba, Queen Beryl, Kunzite, Melanite

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Mamoru Chiba has posed:
It's the second of January, a day and a half after Endymion's angst and agita over Jadeite's running away from him sent the boy striding off to the throne room to try to be useful to Beryl so she would want to keep him around -- my god how not-getting-it can he possibly be -- and Beryl's frustration with his near-mindless compliance in her presence had her sending him off to just gather energy and look for the goddamn Ginzuishou.

Today might be a better day for Queen Beryl.

The Endymion who teleports into the throne room now looks rather more self-possessed, and his eyes are a rusty grey-red instead of the bright, practically glowing red they are when their Great Leader is exerting greater control over him. He looks like business, he looks like he might really be Endymion, as he steps closer to the throne and takes a knee, bowing over his arm.

"My Queen," he says deferentially. "I bring an offering of gathered human energy, news, and a plan."

Queen Beryl has posed:
Queen Beryl looked up from the dispassionate near-stupor she had found herself in recently when she spent time gazing into the crystal ball. Though it's the words that pull her attention towards him, it's the look in his eyes. It's the lack of that glowing, oppressive redness that always serves as a reminder that he's a fake.

Instead, he looks a lot more like the man she fell in love with lifetimes ago - his cape even flows when he walks forward briskly. So she leans forward in her chair, hands on the armrests of the ridiculously huge throne.

"Endymion. The energy will help, and will bring us closer to our final goal." she nods, not wanting to ignore that offering. "But do you bring news of our most important search - for the Ginzuishou - or have you learned something about our enemies we can make use of?"

She still acts differently towards him in the throne room than she does in private - perhaps that's one of the things that keeps him more like this, and less full of Metallia's direct influence.

Kunzite has posed:
At some point in the time that Queen Beryl spent watching her crystal, another of her servants put in an appearance. Kunzite has not been absent from the throne room over the last month - he's made his regular reports, and one or two notably irregular ones - but the amount of effort that he expended recovering Endymion was not something he particularly wanted gossiped about among the youma; it's saved him any number of irritations, and Beryl a few minor servitors, that he's kept somewhat more to himself than usual. By now, though, he's back in usual condition, the tall, pale shadow among the darker shadows of Beryl's court. No more annoying than usual. He must not have anything urgent to report, since he's been waiting at a respectful distance, rather than having interrupted Beryl himself ...

... and he's never once ceased to pay attention. Which he does now to Beryl's Prince, taking a single step closer to listen - but only after the Queen herself has recognized him.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Releasing the gathered energy to float, drifting in a scintillating ball toward Beryl to take at her convenience, Endymion pulls himself to his feet as he's recognised. One hand rests idly on the pommel of his sword, the other hand free; both are visible threats to the youma surrounding the edges and clinging to the shadows. His stance is confident, his expression respectful and awake, aware, clever.

"A little of both, Majesty. As far as the Ginzuishou is concerned, a human researcher is going to be doing a live broadcast of a question-and-answer session regarding it. This struck me as odd, and those who attend probably bear watching," he says calmly, voice ringingly solid, more real than the darker shadows around them all. He gives no evidence he's seen Kunzite, but the white-haired commander of the Shitennou may, in fact, be cognizant of the fact that the Prince is aware of him.

"The unrelated news is of an external threat. A magical girl, unrelated to the Senshi, approached me. She asked for the Dark Kingdom's help in defeating an extremely powerful creature that is slated to destroy the entire Tokyo metropolitan area in approximately a month. She gave me visual evidence of this disaster to pass along to you in the hopes that it might convince you of the validity of the threat to our interests, and of the benefit to us should we temporarily work with them to destroy it."

Endymion steps closer, then, and still-- still-- his eyes do not glow, his expression does not go flat. It seems that forays to Earth, his planet, also serve to ground and stabilize him. He smiles a little at Beryl as he hands over his phone, queued up to the video that Homura handed him. Then he's smiling a little more, and there's a distinct glint in his eyes, one that speaks of deviousness. "Here's the fun part, my Queen: she also invited us to a strategy meeting on the subject. While there will be nonaggression rules in place and enforced for the meeting, attending it would grant us information on how our enemies think and work together, their rapports and their disagreements, their strengths and weaknesses. Even if the threat should prove to be a non-issue, the meeting itself seems to be a priceless opportunity."

Queen Beryl has posed:
Beryl's eyes - for only a moment- travel to Kunzite as if acknowledging his presence - and then back to Endymion. Her hand outstretches, the energy travels to it, and she holds it in that palm - she'll be delivering it to Metallia herself later.

"Really?" she asks, a bit intrigued herself. "A human researcher talking about the Ginzuishou... that's... curious. I want you to pay extra-close attention to the researcher herself and everyone who's asking questions. If they know something, we need to know it." she says. "Getting that crystal is vital to our success."

"Hah. Of course the humans would ask for our help to keep their own backyard clean." she says, deriving great joy from this. "This is /why/ they deserve to give their energy to us, to our Great Ruler, to have us in charge." she adds, as an aside, before actually considering what Endymion said. "Well, if they can't handle it we'll have to get involved." she says, waving her other hand slightly. Endymion steps closer and it's not hard for anyone to see this has her FULL ATTENTION. Far more than the video itself.

"I am against spending many resources helping them if we can avoid it. But we also cannot have this area destroyed - it might make finding the Ginzuishou much more difficult for us."

"Go to the meeting." she says, leaning back. "Not just for information on this... creature, but as you said - to bring us information on the people who are there. If they cannot defeat this monster without our aid, then we should not fear them stopping our own progress. But any information we can get to make the projects easier will help us expend less energy, leaving more for me....tallia." she finishes as if an afterthought.

Kunzite has posed:
One more step forward, and Kunzite bows toward the throne and its occupant - to her, very definitely not to her prince. "If I may be permitted to mention, Queen Beryl-sama, I have already made arrangements to monitor the human researcher and those she attracts. All of the possibilities regarding that incident work to our advantage, but some may require more careful handling than others; if it proves to be bait set out by the Senshi, I have experience against more of them than does your Prince." Not to mention that he's much less decorative than Endymion is, and presumably less of a loss if things go wrong.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Endymion bows deeply to Beryl, then is about to say something else when Kunzite steps forward. His gaze slides sideways to the white-haired Shitennou commander, and he grimaces faintly, as if irked that Kunzite didn't tell him beforehand. As if annoyed that Kunzite seems to be trying to gain more favor by something he brought up first, or maybe that Kunzite appears to be calling his utility into question via his lack of experience.

He crosses his arms and stands a little straighter, just barely not pulling a face-- but his eyes are flinty-hard. And then he brightens slightly, expression smoothing out into something which indicates he's about to pull something from his sleeve to regain his footing. "Kunzite has an excellent point, my Queen. I do have vastly less experience facing the Senshi and their allies. If the meeting regarding the creature should turn out to be a trap, well--"

It's clear he'd like someone NOT HIM to throw under the bus so he can make his escape. The smug look on his face proves it.

"--I would be most grateful if you would allow Kunzite to accompany me, as he is so good at reading their intentions."

Queen Beryl has posed:
Beryl leans back and thinks on this. Two people there at once might have its drawbacks, but... "I think that it might be best to have two sets of eyes there, yes." she says, almost as though she's stepping up to take credit for it in a way. "And then you can keep your eyes on each other, as well, given certain... irregularities." she says, with a wave of her hand. Setting her lieutenants against each other is a time honored pasttime anyways.

It keeps them from plotting against her, after all. Or thinking too hard. "Perhaps with both of you there I'll be sure to get information I can work with and what one of you overlooks the other will get. And they'll have a harder time entrapping the both of you. Bear in mind I will be very upset if both of you do not make it back here. You are each responsible for the other."

Beryl wants them at each other's throats to a degree, but they're both still too damned useful to allow them to plunge those daggers into each other just yet.

Kunzite has posed:
Grey eyes glint, and Kunzite turns slightly to bow to Endymion this time - notably less deeply than he did to Beryl. But when he's straightening, there's that smile. The one that suggests that he doesn't even need to go to the trouble of sinking teeth into something's soft underbelly; it's about to politely go and take care of stabbing itself for him. "It will be an honor to see to your safety for the duration, Prince Endymion."

The expression is allowed to slip away as he turns back toward the throne. "Speaking of information. There was a human girl, a young witch, news of whom seemed to interest Your Majesty for a moment a few weeks ago. The one who had managed to piece together, untrained, traces of our magics. If she is still of interest to you, Queen Beryl-sama - she waits upon your pleasure."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Prince Endymion offers Kunzite a thin-lipped smile in return, keeping his arms crossed, then drops them and bows to Beryl again. "Of course, my Queen. I'll make certain Kunzite comes back alive."

'Alive', not necessarily 'in one piece', ofc.

Then the boy prince takes a step to one side, not further from Beryl, but out of the way: if Kunzite does honestly have something interesting for the Queen, then he'd like to have a good view to glean the new girl's weaknesses and liabilities-- or possibly validity as a target, should she fail to please Her Dark Majesty.

Queen Beryl has posed:
Even alive is one of those things that he could return Kunzite 'for certain values of' - but she wants to at least minimize the damage. Then she leans forward.

"A human girl? That seems to know our magic... that's... interesting. You may bring her before me. Perhaps she is a lost member of..." Beryl does not say the Earth Court. "Of our number." she says after a pause. "As long as you have vetted her to some degree, I assume, Kunzite?" she asks, putting her chin in her hands.

Kunzite has posed:
"To some degree," Kunzite acknowledges, making a gesture that a particular youma watching picks up on and moves to obey. "She is unlikely to be bait; one of my youma brought her to my attention after the girl made a successful attempt to drain a group of humans, a tactic that the Senshi are unlikely to use." That it also drained the girl herself, he tactfully leaves out. "I spoke with her directly. Her manners and mannerisms were - incomplete, but consistent." And lying by omission is something all of them do, more or less by reflex. "She is arrogant, but clever, clever enough to understand that the knowledge she seeks is not available in the human world. She claims to call herself Kyra."

Melanite has posed:
Waiting in a nearby antechamber, where Kunzite left her, is supposedly ordinary schoolgirl, Kyra Nygaard. They'd met about a week ago, for the first time, and he'd contacted her again today to invite her to meet, as he put it, someone very important.

Even in that first meeting, he'd struck a chord with her, as if she'd met him before, was someone she respected and - perhaps not trusted, but something close to it. So she accepted the invitation. Arriving in the Dark Kingdom was a surprise, of course, as was his ability to teleport them there.

Right now, however, she can't quite see what's going on clearly, remaining in antechamber to await Kunzite's signal to present herself. She's utterly certain, however, that she is about to meet someone very, indeed vitally, important to her.

She hasn't bothered to speak to any of the youma that Kunzite left to escort her. They don't impress her as very charming conversationalists, and outside of what it took to slap down a too-nosy comrade they haven't even spoken, to her or to each other.

She's a trifle nervous, at the moment. From what she's seen so far, with minions of this sort, the people she's about to meet are likely not the sort to hesitate to kill her immediately if she doesn't live up to expectations. She's taking a risk, simply by being here... but having garnered Kunzite's attention, she's taking a risk every time she uses magic that might draw his attention.

It was too late to back out a very long time ago.

She waits. Patiently. Straightens her tie, for the seventh time. And then the signal comes. Her escort fall in to either side as she walks forward. To her destiny.

Queen Beryl has posed:
Beryl nods at Kunzite's explanation. "Well, certainly she would not be the first to arrive at our doorstep seeking power that they cannot get elsewhere." she says, looking at the girl as she walks in slowly.

The girl is... there is something about her. It's not as strong has her Shitennou - or as the beautiful Prince she went to such lengths to steal - but it's a stronger bond that she has than it was with the commoners of the Earth Kingdom she continues to bring into her retinue as youma.

No, the girl walking towards her was not a youma. She was something more. She was something closer. The nature of it continued to ellude Beryl as she walked forward, though. "My servant Kunzite claims that you call yourself Kyra. Is that the name that you feel is best?" Beryl asks curiously.

Kunzite has posed:
Kunzite takes his turn to step aside - not to step back from the throne, no, but to permit Kyra to come up beside him, into a point more central to Beryl's convenient attention. Not most central. That remains Prince Endymion's realm, even if he's not making use of it at the moment. But more so. He glances over one shoulder, casual and steady, as Kyra comes up beside him, as her escort of his own servants remains at a distance behind her. They know better than to venture into the center of power uninvited.

He's all pale, now, all whites and grays. None of his shadows about him. Standing almost perfectly straight, for all that his jacket retains that hint of pointed disarray. Nevermind the power and control he showed Kyra before; the power in this place, seated in that throne, is enough to bring him into line without so much as a word.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Endymion crosses his arms again, eyeing the girl but not saying anything. With one corner of his mouth turned down, he squints, studying her a little more closely.

She's certainly not one of his.

While Kunzite stands straight and tall and crisp, brought into line, the Prince nearly at Beryl's side looks critical, mistrustful; he feels uneasy, though he can't place why, and doesn't let the discomfort itself show. And he can't leave, go think about it or sort it out-- his Queen hasn't dismissed him, so must therefore still require his presence. Briefly, his eyes flicker toward Kunzite, then back at the girl next to him.

Melanite has posed:
The girl steps forward, after a lingering pause, certainty rising with every step that she is where she has been needing to be, for so very long. That she has found who she has been searching for. Even as she sees the dead plants, the dim light... this is not the golden perfection she dreamed of. But as she lifts her head from a deep bow, to gaze upon the Dark Queen for the first time...

Certainty, where she has never been completely sure of anything before.

There's a sound like breaking glass, as if reality itself shatters around her. The plain and unassuming school uniform is no more: instead, she wears a crimson coat and skirt, over a tight-fitting black leotard, the entire thing somehow familiar to any onlooker who remembers the ancient kingdom.

"That is the name I have gone by, your majesty," she answers as she sinks to one knee, making a much more elaborate bow than before. "But it is your student, Melanite, who awaits your command."

Queen Beryl has posed:
Beryl regards her with a degree of interest as Kunzite and Endymion leave to pursue the commands she provided them earlier. There's a curious sort of silence. "Melanite is a much better name for what I have in mind for you." the Dark Queen says, as memories come back to her in a slow trickle. She knows Melanite belongs here - belongs to her - but it may yet be some time before a real 'place' and the relationship they once had is realized again at its fullest.

"There are many, like you, that belong here. Not in the way that you do..." she begins, looking Melanite over. "Not with the power that you have. But they share much of your history - they were once servants of..." her face twists into a grimacing snarl "...differing kingdom, either terrestrial or lunar. But they BELONG here. They BELONG to me. Their very selves belong here. Many of them have come like you have, of their own accord. The strongest become my youma, my servants. Others... do not." She doesn't elaborate.

"The rest are out there still, with hearts calling to this place but not enough strength to make the journey, the transformation, on their own." Beryl leans back.

"You will help me locate these poor unfortunate souls and bring them back to the Dark Kingdom where they should properly reside. Or turn them back into our warriors, as they should be."

Melanite has posed:
Melanite remains on her knee, listening to her queen, her teacher. The one she has searched for, for so long. At last her search is over, and the golden promise stands tantalizingly just beyond her reach. So be it.

"They are Your rightful subjects, my queen," she says, lifting her head once again. Just as she is. It is only right that they make their way to her side, as Melanite has.

"How shall I know them?" is the only question that is needed, at this moment. That she shall seek them is a given, now that the command has been issued. Her choice was made so very long ago.

Queen Beryl has posed:
Beryl smiles. "If you are truly what I think you are, you will be able to feel them when you are close. But that will not lead you to each of them. Their spirits flare out, they call to me. They call to their bretheren already in this place. They call to the Dark Kingdom itself. And to hear that call... I will give you a tool to hear."

Queen Beryl draws a small, finger-sized purple crystal with red lightning bolts from the suddenly-liquid surface of her crystal ball she is nearly always found in front of. Within the center of that crystal floats a small eye.

"The eye will lead you to them." she says, and the crystal floats over to the newly-christened Melanite. "If you truly are one of us - if you belong here - you will show it by your deeds as much as your words. Do this, and I will train you further."

The suggestion to train Melanite further seems so very natural - so very right, as though that's a relationship they might have had so long ago.

Melanite has posed:
The promise of further lessons, of training in how to better use the magics she has so painstakingly pieced together from fragments of books and half-remembered dreams... yes. The only thing that could motivate her more, at this moment, is the very gateway to that golden dream itself... and that is not for her, not yet. She has to earn that.

She holds up her hand to take the crystal, examining it for a brief moment, before tucking it into her coat. "They will kneel before you, my queen," she promises. "I will bring them before you." She bows her head once again, briefly, then looks back up. There is no question in her mind, that this is the right place for her, the right course to take. She is where she belongs.

Queen Beryl has posed:
Beryl smiles. It's a fangy-smile, and one of a sort of almost malicious enjoyment. This girl will either prove herself useful in the crucible of service, or will be like so many others, tossed aside.

She leans forward. "I have high hopes for you. Don't dissapoint me." she adds, with a glare. "I do not have patience for fools, cowards, or weaklings. We have a war to win."

Melanite has posed:
Melanite rises to her feet, recognizing a dismissal when she hears one. She stands straight and salutes, fist to chest, over her heart. "Then consider me your loyal soldier, my queen. I will not fail you."

It is, perhaps, not what she expected. But she should have known going in that whatever she might have thought would fall well short of the mark. And that ancient part of herself sees it as only right and proper for her to carry out whatever errands her teacher might give her. No matter how questionable or uncertain they may be.

She has found her master. She will serve, as she promised so long ago.

Queen Beryl has posed:
Beryl nods. It's more calm thing than she gives other people who appear before her. Because there's some sort of connection between the two of them, and Beryl feels it. But Beryl will never allow subtle, secret connections to overrule her need to protect the Dark Kingdom from interlopers, and to make sure any resources she spends pay off.

"I am entrusting you with this." It's true, she's already put in front of many of the youma waiting for an audience, for a job, for a role. That's the bond, speaking.

Melanite has posed:
The bond is there. Melanite feels it, too. She knows this dark queen. Knows her, and believes in her. "I will not fail you, my queen."