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Full Circle (Razgriz x Candira)

Harbinger sighed and closed her eyes. "How is it that you're so smart and so dense at the same time," she said with a chuckle. "You haven't changed much at all, Exodus. You're missing the point, but I don't think my explaining it to you will help at all. I'll stay with you for awhile--your body needs to recover, and frankly, I think you could use the company."




Yoko at up, listening to Ron as he explained what was happening to her. "I see...I wonder what she was doing out in the middle of nowhere," she murmured. "As for Simon...I don't think there's anything we can do to help. He needs to find his own way again. We can't just guide him there." She sighed and frowned with Ron. "Unfortunately, the only thing we can do is let him fall." She took the bowl of food and started chowing down. "Say, how are you holding up anyway?"
 
Exodus was noticeably put off by Harbinger's words; however, her little declaration on staying with him for the time being made a smile come to his face. Even if it meant having to endure the heartache of watching her go when she had to, he was willing to bear it in order to be with her that much longer. "I'd like that. More than even you could know" he said, gratefully resigning himself to be with the spirit of his lover for the time being.

But there was something that was bugging him, and he felt obligated to let her know. He didn't take into consideration that she likely already knew about this; she was certainly the most perceptive out of them, at least from his point of view. "Hey, Harbinger, there is something I talk to you about....Though I'm not really quite sure how to word it...."
Ron, meanwhile, just nodded in agreement with Yoko; as much as it pained him to see the boy suffer like this, Simon had to dig himself out of this hole. It was the only way that he would come to terms with Kamina's passing. Though he perked up slightly as Yoko asked how he was doing, "Oh, you know, just tinkering with this new little home of ours. Seeing what makes it tick and the like. But I'll tell ya, despicable as the Beastmen are, they sure do have some interesting toys. Every time I poke around in one spot, a hundred more are revealed to me. Quite the fascinating machine. So, overall, I think I'm holding up pretty well".

Ron would then stand up from Yoko's bedside, saying "And speaking of this bucket of bolts, poor Rossiu probably needs my help. But I want you to rest, missy; though you probably don't need little ol' me to tell you that, do you? But do give Exodus my regards if he wakes up anytime soon". And with that, Ron made his way out; he was the chief mechanic for this ship after all, and he couldn't be away from his station for very long. But how long it would take for Exodus to make his way out of being unconscious would remain to be seen
 
Yoko smiled at Ron as he updated her, pleased that at least he seemed at home here. Then, Ron was never really one to dwell on anything when he had new things to explore. He was a remarkably well-adjusted man, and she had to wonder why she couldn't just pick herself up like that. She nodded as he told her he had to go. "Don't worry about me. I'll be sticking around here until my head stops feeling like it will explode," she said with a smile. She waved as he left and then gazed over at her savior. It seemed that Exodus wouldn't be waking up any time soon. That just left her to ponder what the hell she was doing. Just what exactly was their connection anyway?




Harbinger was well aware that Exodus wouldn't be happy about not understanding what she really wanted, but she couldn't explain everything to him. He had to come into that understanding on his own. Or with help from someone who was still alive. She tilted her head as he told her he had something to tell her. Chuckling, she decided it was best to let him stumble around a bit. "Okay. Well, just pretend like you're Sovereign. He wouldn't let words get in his way," she said with a smile.
 
He figured she wouldn't help him out, but didn't hold it against her; one thing he needed to do was learn how to communicate his thoughts - outside of combat and fighting in general - more effectively. But how do you talk to someone about something like this? He figured it would be no problem, that he could just say it, but he quickly discovered that wasn't the case. And now here he was, tripping over himself and finding his voice at a loss for words. Her encouragement made a sheepish grin tug at his lips, making him comment on his former teammate and brother-at-arms, "Heh, yeah.....He was something alright".

But she did have a point; Sovereign was definitely the most honest of them all, and despite his fierce exterior, was cognizant of his own limitations. It didn't mean he wouldn't strive to go beyond them, but unlike Exodus, the lovable giant knew when to do things....For the most part. At last the poor man seemed to find the means to talk, and began, "Well......I was pretty miserable when you died, Harbinger. I don't know how long you've been watching over me.....But how I acted would have probably made you sick. Hell, looking back it makes me sick. But that's not what I wanted to say...." Taking a slow breath, he continued, "For a while now, I've been with these people......And the redhead, Yoko....." He stopped again here, wondering if he should say this. After another pause, he finally blurted out, "Everytime I look at her, I see you. But I see her too.....I'm sorry Harbinger, but I don't know how else to explain this..." It was fairly obvious that he had mixed feelings regarding Yoko and wasn't all that certain how to formulate them properly.
 
As Exodus struggled with his emotions and the words to express them, she waited patiently. She let him stumble through it without saying a word, only smiling or nodding. "Ah, yes. Miss Yoko is an extraordinary woman. She and I share many qualities and character traits." She tilted her head. "Are you asking my permission, love? Because she's quite something. I'd hate to think you were stopping yourself from pursuing a woman worth your time because you were afraid I'd be hurt."
 
Harbinger's response definitely caught him off-guard; how on earth was he supposed to respond to that? Asking permission to pursue a relationship with Yoko? No, the thought of the two of them together was laughable at best. She was a gorgeous talented woman with her life ahead of her, he was a half-human science experiment still trying to deal with his personal demons. And her comment about her being worth his time was simply stupefying; he could tell she and Kamina had something special, and it would be in poor taste to try and get between that. But still....Was he asking permission?

"Harbinger, I....." Exodus started to say, obviously flustered by her reply. Maybe he was asking for permission; no, there was no way Yoko would ever see him in that light. And besides, he likely only felt an attraction towards her because of how much she reminded him of Harbinger herself. "I don't know....Maybe I am asking, but....Every time I look at her, I'm reminded of you". He then paused, letting a few seconods linger while he considered his next words. "I do feel attracted towards her, but I don't know if that's real. And even if it was, she loved Kamina. A man I let die. Even if I did feel attraction towards Yoko, she wouldn't want anything to do with me". Of course, what he wasn't saying was that he was worried she might get killed because of him, and have to go through another broken heart. He still wasn't over letting Harbinger or Sovereign sacrificing themselves for him, and if he and Yoko were together and something happened to her....It might make his will falter irreparably.
 
Of course, he didn't need to tell her everything he was feeling--she could guess a great deal of his anxiety about losing someone else he cared about. For the moment, however, she kept that to herself. Best to deal with the problem at hand first. "Well, Exodus, I'd say you were a fool to let that stop you, but then you wouldn't be the man I love." She smiled and put her arms around him. "Your problem was always that you thought far too much. You still need to work on that, my love." She chuckled.

"Yoko is a beautiful woman with a strong spirit. She and I have many things in common, but we are two very different people. I'm not saying you're in love with her or anything of the sort. But it's natural for you to be attracted to her for just being herself." She smiled at Exodus and stayed with him. "Now, you haven't been inside Yoko's consciousness like I have, but I can tell you one thing about her that you should already know: Yoko doesn't blame you for Kamina's death. In fact, she's grateful that you saved her life. It doesn't lessen the pain that she's suffered through, but she's managing to move on slowly. And with your help. So don't just assume you know how she would react. If memory serves, you had that problem with me as well." She smiled at him and held him close.

"Sweetheart, a part of living is taking chances and making mistakes. And unfortunately, another part of living is pain. Without it, you wouldn't appreciate peace. Both of you have to come to that realization. And if being together helps you do that, I'm all for it. You'd have my permission." She smiled and looked into his eyes again. "Does that help you, love?"
 
Exodus had forgotten just how perceptive Harbinger could be; even if he did think too much, it was what worked for him. Years of having to utilize that were what saved him.......And unfortunately, the times he didn't, in his mind at least, resulted in the deaths of the two people he held the closest to his heart. But she did potentially have a point; what if he was overthinking this? No, he wasn't......Besides there were still unresolved issues, ones that Yoko and himself needed to overcome on their own. "Harbinger, I think a lot because it helps me.....Whenever I rushed into a situation, I made things worse. It's not that I don't want to make things simpler.....It's just....I don't to risk adding to her pain by making another mistake".

Exodus supposed the news of Yoko not blaming him for Kamina's death shouldn't have surprised him, but then again, he'd still hadn't fully realized that he often shouldered more than his fair share of the blame for a lot of situations. He tried to be the rock that held everything up, but often it would backfire on him and he still didn't get that. As she formally gave him permission to pursue Yoko, he looked down at her as she looked into his eyes. Where did that come from? "Harbinger....Even if I did go after Yoko, and by some stroke of sheer brutal luck she returned my feelings, I still don't think.......that it would be honest on my part. Every time I look at her, I see you. I see her too, but I see you there as well. If I did want to have her, and she did want to have me, I would think we'd both want it to be for being ourselves, not just because they remind us of the ones we lost" Exodus replied, still feeling heavily conflicted about what to do. In a way her allowing him to go after Yoko was a relief, but it still didn't quell the inner demons of his mind fully.
 
The pretty sniper smiled at him. "Firstly, may it be made clear that those were combat situations, and not the same thing. I'm not saying rush in, not by any means. I'm saying that you shouldn't overthink things too much. Take your time, but know when you've had enough." She smiled and kissed him softly. As he told her about his misgivings with Yoko the blonde just shook her head. "That's not something you should decide by yourself. Talk to her when you wake up. Tell her how you feel. The worst she can do is say she doesn't want you." But if she says that, she's a bigger fool than you.

"I understand that you want to honor me Exodus. And you do. But no matter how much we wish it weren't true, I'm not alive anymore. I will always love you, Exodus. But waiting to die so you can be with me again isn't a great way to live. Even if Yoko reminds you of me, she's a different person. Maybe try to see her for those qualities, too. Maybe hold off on that talk until you can see more of her for herself."
 
Harbinger made a lot of good points; in fact they were so on the nose that Exodus literally had nothing to say that could logically counter them. "I...Harbinger...." was all he could say, before falling silent once more. Yes, it may have been futile to wait to die.....But wouldn't that be better for everyone? He'd get his revenge, then be with his beloved once more. Her bringing up the fact that she wasn't really alive anymore didn't help either; even if it was true, it didn't mean he liked it. He still had nightmares about it, for god's sake. He wished he could have stopped it, wished something different could have happened. But she was right; no matter the strength of his denial, she was gone.

But even still, he felt deep down that couldn't really bring himself to fully love another, especially when it reminded him so strongly of the one he had wanted to protect, to grow old and make a family with. Sure, he had something akin to feelings for Yoko....But were they even romantic? Or was it more a desire to protect? He didn't really know; it seemed like the best thing to do was hold off on the talk for a bit while he figured things out. "You're right, Harbinger.....Just, stay with me a little longer" he then said, holding her closer to himself.
Back on the outside, Yoko would get yet another visitor; the familiar yellow spike of hair atop a muscled body, a prominent yet obviously old X-shaped scar on the left arm, walked through the door to the infirmary. Kittan had just gotten back from "talking" with two of the three boys that tried to assault Yoko, and were currently sitting in prison cells located in the bowels of the titanic Gunman. He knew better than to mess with the third; it seemed their friend Exodus did more than his share of damage to the youth.

"Hey there, how ya feelin', Yoko?" Kittan then asked the redhead; he was aware of what they'd used to knock her unconscious, so he could guess her head was still in a bit of pain. But she seemed no worse for wear otherwise. Which was good because then Kittan might have to take it even more personally than before. "You know, you really had a lot of people scared when you stood up to Exodus like that" he then commented, his gaze becoming a little bit more serious at her. Of course, he was unaware that it wasn't actually her that stood up to Exodus, so of course he would give her a small reprimand for acting what he thought to be reckless.
 
Harbringer smiled at him and nodded, curling up in his arms. She would stay as close as he wanted her to stay, and hope that he figured things out on his own. "Of course."




Yoko had been between deep thought and dozing off when Kittan came in. She snapped back to reality and smiled softly as her friend and ally came in. "Hey there. Well, my head is killing me, and I'm a little sore, but otherwise, I should be okay by tomorrow at the latest." When he stared at her, the reprimand seemed laced with a little more personal worry than anything.

"I imagine it must have scared you all. I thought maybe I could get through to him like before..." She sighed and leaned back onto her pillows. "He must be going through a lot right now..."

(I forget, does everybody know what happened to Exodus? Or is it still just Simon and Yoko?)
 
(Still just Simon and Yoko. Ron knows as well, but he wasn't informed until they were going to the hot springs. Though trust me, they'll be asking questions now)
Kittan titled his head a little as Yoko mentioned that she thought she could get through to him like before. So it happened more than once, and seemed to be getting worse. He wanted answers, mostly to satisfy his own curiosity, but he also wasn't the type to like being kept in the dark. She and Ron were privy to something he wasn't; maybe he'd go bother the man some more and see if he could get more details as to what exactly was happening here. He would try to be careful about it; everyone was still sore about Kamina's passing, and he didn't want to potentially re-open old wounds. He didn't think Simon knew anything; even if the kid did, Kittan could tell Simon wouldn't want to discuss it.

"Well, I haven't known him that long, but he's been put in here quite a few times since I've seen him. He's a damn good fighter....But some of the things he says when he fights. I mean, I hate the Beastmen too, don't get me wrong. But Exodus...It's like he's out for blood or something. He gets even worse than Simon sometimes; I'm beginning to worry he might cause some serious collateral damage" Kittan then commented, glancing at Exodus' unconscious form. There was also the matters of those scars; he'd never seen someone with so many. Just what the hell did the guy go through? He wasn't trying to insult the guy, but how Yoko might take it remained to be seen.
 
((Okay, just making sure))




Yoko frowned, looking over at Exodus. So it wasn't just her who worried. Sighing softly, she looked up at Kittan again. She liked Kittan--he was straightforward and had spunk to him. Charisma oozed out of him, but he didn't exactly have the right flavor to keep this group together forever. He was a good friend to her, and he'd come in to check on her twice. It was nice to know he had her back. That said, what she wanted to tell him about wasn't something she could say to just anyone and she knew it.

"I worry about him too. That hate he carries isn't healthy. Neither is the fact that he's holding out on us. I don't think he likes to admit that he has emotions, but I know he does. It seems to me they're connected to that strange state of his. I understand that you're worried for other reasons, Kittan. I get it--we have to think of everyone here. But it's not really something we should be deciding without hearing his side of the story, ya know? I'm sure he has his reasons."

Yoko knew the reasons he shifted, the reasons for his hate. She didn't think she could ever forget the stories he'd told her, Kamina, and Simon. And while the three of them had been accepting of him, she wasn't sure everyone else would feel the same. Withholding information from Kittan didn't feel particularly good, but it wasn't her story to tell. Exodus would have to make the call. Sighing softly, the redhead closed her eyes for a moment. "God, the throbbing in my head won't stop...What happened to the three who attacked me anyway?"
 
(No problem)
Kittan nodded in agreement with Yoko's words; she made a lot of good points, but he couldn't help wanting to make sure everyone here was safe. And Exodus had gone berserk in such a way that it could have likely caused some very serious casualties, if what Ron had said was true. Kittan even wondered if it might be possible to throw Exodus off the ship; but then came the issue of having him as an enemy and no one able to stop him. And plus, it might give him a bad reputation with Yoko; that little tidbit was something he would not allow. Little did the eldest Black Sibling realize just how much of a secret was being kept from him.

Testing the cold compress on her head, he found to be a little warm and quickly obtained a new one; after helping her place it where she felt the throbbing and pain to be greatest, he cocked his head in confusion as she asked what happened to the three boys. Wasn't she there? Did she not see? Then again, she DID try to hold off that very pissed off giant after getting bludgeoned with a bat, so her question seemed valid enough. Kittan leaned back in his chair and replied, "Two of them are currently sitting in the prison bay. Snot-nosed little shits had the nerve to try and run; had to rough them up a bit, but they fessed up as to why they attacked you. Seemed your little encounter in the cafeteria rubbed them wrong way".

He then looked over to his left; the third boy, and only one personally subject to Exodus' brutal assault, sat in another hospital. The young man was in a full body cast, a tube down his throat and what appeared to be an accordion-styled tube rose up and down as the assisted breathing machine did its job. "That third boy was lucky you were there; he was damn near dead when he was brought him in. Seemed the big guy did a fair number on him. Almost caved in his chest completely, he did. Needless to say, he won't be going anywhere for a while". While Kittan thought the boy deserved that kind of punishment, the worry on his face was that someone undeserving might get the business end of Exodus' fists.
 
((Could have sworn I had replied to this one already. Sorry hun))



Yoko was pleased when he replaced the compress. He was a good friend that way. "Thank you," she said softly. When he answered her, she frowned softly. "I did try apologizing for that before this all began...seems it wasn't enough. I am sorry he's in such bad shape, but I doubt his buddies will try anything after that." She closed her eyes. "Why are things so screwed up, Kittan?"
 
(It's not a problem, dear; I've made you wait plenty before)
"Well, if they were smart, they wouldn't; last thing we need is to start attacking each other" Kittan stated rather wisely; Team Dai-Gurren needed to be a united front if they were going to win against the Beastmen. They couldn't afford to have upstarts like these little punks trying to assault team members for what Kittan thought to be a misunderstanding. And on a personal level, it sickened him that three potential rapists had endorsed his leadership. But he supposed there was nothing he could really do about it; he let his actions prove who he was. And his punishing two of the three spoke of his view of justice well enough.

To her question, Kittan could only let out a muted sigh as he crossed his arms in front of him, his reply one lacking of a distinct answer, "I don't really know, Yoko; war changes things. It takes its toll on people, makes them act different than who they might be at their core, I guess......But anyway..." Kittan then stood up, placing a hand reassuringly on her shoulder and sending a confident smile her way, "We'll get through this, Yoko. I promise you that much, we'll all get through this. But you need to rest for now. Take care, Yoko" Kittan had other business to attend to, so he would merely say his goodbyes and leave Yoko to recuperate.

(If you wanna skip to where Yoko's up and well, we can have Adiane attack them the first time. Or do whatever you feel comfortable with)
 
The sniper thought on Kittan's words a bit before he left. She could believe that about Exodus. She could even believe that about the boys who'd attacked her...but Simon? Everything had been so hard on the little guy. She wondered if he had heard? Had he visited while she was out? She'd been about to ask when Kittan told her to get some rest. Well, he did have a point. There was no use worrying anyway. As much as it pained her to admit it, there was nothing she could do to help him out of this--he had to do it on his own. So she took her leader's advice, resting as much as she could while she was in here. It wasn't like there was much else to do anyway. After spending the night, she was good as new, though she'd have a little bump at the back of her head for awhile. At least it wasn't terribly swollen. As soon as she was released she went to her room and got a shower, replacing her torn top with a new one. Clean and dressed, she headed down to the cafeteria to see what was going on and get something to eat while she was there.
 
Exodus had still not awakened from when Ron had shocked him; it seemed what Sovereign had said was indeed true. His mind was somewhat awake, but only enough to make sure his body didn't completely shut down. Sadly enough, it seemed the most recent transformation into that primal state was beginning to reveal a potentially disturbing truth: His physical body was starting to degrade. Exodus didn't think much of it, attributing it to simple fatigue from his relentless vengeance against the Beastmen, but his body was also starting to become affected by these recurring shifts. The return to health that had been witnessed at Littner, where he was first cared for, may had been counter-intuitive to this, but it was there nonetheless.

It was partially due to this why Ron had stepped up when he did; Kittan's statement was dead on about him. He needed to examine Exodus more closely; sadly, this ship was geared more for war than it was for research. Ron may have been able to make miracles happen before, but even he wasn't too sure of how to approach this. There was also the issue of informing both Yoko and Simon, as well as working to keep the Supers quiet about who Exodus was. Not an easy issue considering his latest stunt was out in broad daylight; people were starting to ask questions now, but thankfully Kittan had enough charisma and speaking ability to stow everyone's worries for the time being. But still....For the sake of peace of mind, it was one more thing Ron could bear for the time being. Besides, there was still the issue of trying to get the Dai-Gurren up and running again; for now, he'd just have to pray that Exodus could hold out until he figured out just what was going on with him.

Simon, meanwhile, was still busy trying to figure out what his own purpose was. He was thankful that Yoko had emerged alright, but the news of what happened, or almost happened as the case may be, to her just made the hole in his heart grow even bigger. Kamina had loved her, and she'd almost gotten raped by those three disgusting boys; how could he live with himself, letting his Bro's love interest get hurt like that? Exodus was there to save her, but he'd gotten hurt as well in the process. So much anger, so much spiraling out of control that he wanted to make right. And to make things worse, Lagann still wouldn't listen to him.

The young boy sat curled up in one of the many hallways of this ship, nearest an exit point out to the Dai-Gurren's bridge platform. His appetite was gone, even as the smells of freshly-cooked food assaulted his nose, only feeling filled with worthlessness and despair. "Just how am I supposed to grow up to be like Bro, if I can't even protect those I care about? Yoko, Kamina, Exodus.....I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm not stronger" Simon whimpered out, a hand coming up to wipe the tears from his eyes as fresh waves of anxiety and depression rolled over him.

However, little did any of them realize that their troubles were only going to get worse before they got better.
 
Unaware of the many troubles befalling her loved ones, Yoko was headed to the cafeteria. She hadn't run into anyone yet, but she was sure she'd have to deal with some looks and some gossip. Most people on the team were sensitive enough to pretend it hadn't happened. Others would be more sensitive and make sure she was alright, telling her they were glad she was alright. Others, would be insensitive enough to whisper things behind her back about how sorry they felt for her or the boys.

For now, the sniper was only interested in getting food in her stomach. So she smiled as she got her tray filled up and found a seat amongst the supers who welcomed her.




Nia had been welcomed onto the ship, accepted well enough. She was just wandering through the halls when she came upon Simon sitting in the hall. "Hello, Simon," she said, cheerfully. "Is everything alright?"
 
As Simon continued to wallow in his despair, little Boota - that tiny pig-mole that had escorted Simon and Kamina throughout their many journeys, including the escape from Giha Village and the oppressive chief - tried his best to help the little digger cheer up, his tiny form resting on the boy's shoulder and emitting small little squeaks like the 'oink' of a pig. Simon was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't even hear the gentle pitter-patter of the strange girl's feet as they glided across the cold metal floor of the Dai-Gurren's hall network.

Even when she spoke in greeting, it would take him a moment to register that someone was talking to him; his hollow eyes wandered up to the sunny expression that always seemed to grace the girl's face. "Oh...Nia. Yeah, everything's fine...." Simon replied halfheartedly, giving away quite obviously that everything wasn't alright; his head then turned away from her, trying to show a disinterest in talking.
 
Nia tilted her head and her cloud-like hair fell in waves around her shoulders. "What is it that you're doing, there?" she asked, peering at the tattered face of Lagann. The little unit had definitely seen better days. Then again, she had no idea what it was she was looking at. Curious, she came closer, wondering what the little machine was for.
 
Simon didn't even look up as Nia walked past him, his messy, short black lips barely stirring as he hugged his knees closer to his chest; he thought his question was directed at her, so he replied, "Nothing, Nia.....I'm doing absolutely nothing". It was here that Boota scurried up onto the young woman's left shoulder, his beady little eyes wondering what this girl was going to do, if anything at all.

(Sorry that it's so short....But it's hard to reiterate the fact that he's moping, haha)
 
"Simon, what is this small machine for?" She asked, tilting her head curiously. She could tell that Simon was sad, and she wanted desperately to make him feel better. Forcing someone to share, however, wasn't always a great idea. Besides, Simon had saved her life. Being considerate was sort of a knee-jerk reaction when it came to him. Perhaps taking his mind off of the problem would help him get past it a bit.
 
It took Simon a few seconds to register that Nia had asked him question; his eyes slowly trailed her as she walked past him to examine the dormant Lagann more closely. The tiny mech simply stood blankly, the usually glowing "eyes" on its "face" completely dark from the inherent lack of power. The armor all around it was dented and marred from heavy abuse and moderate maintenance, and the fact that Simon couldn't even get it operate just made it that much more of a hassle to even bother with for the little digger.

"The Lagann, you mean?" Simon replied, his head going back to somewhat between his knees before adding, "That's all it is....A machine. A machine I can't use....That I'll never be able to use". His hands clenched weakly into fists as he tried to repress another wave of anguish; he couldn't even shed any more tears if he wanted to. And he was sick of feeling this way, sick of being useless. "Bro wouldn't have given up....Have to be like him, be like Kamina"
 
"Who is this 'bro' you speak of, Simon? He sounds like an important person." Nia had no idea how important Kamina had been to Simon and the rest of the crew here. The situation hadn't been fully explained to her, but she understood that Simon was attached to the idea of this person. It seemed odd to her that the little digger would say such things about being like someone else, when he was so clearly wonderful just being who he was. There were many things the princess didn't understand about these people and their way of life, but she was certainly trying her hardest to learn.
 
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