Prince Lotor (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
neverseenhimbefore) wrote2020-08-22 12:17 pm
neverseenhimbefore) wrote2020-08-22 12:17 pm
Allies?
Galran Emperor Lotor's sitting in a library. No, he still hasn't read everything Nexus has to offer, many very interesting and potentially beneficial to him, materials. His jaw set, he's looking at his PINPoint communicator intensely. A young man, whom some may recognise as Hiroki Shirogane, comes up to Lotor and makes to sit near him. Lotor gives Hiroki a scathing look.
"I've told you already," Lotor says. His hand goes to the hilt of his sword.
Heeding this lack of invitation, Shirogane doesn't sit down. Instead, he comes very close to Lotor, anyway, and whispers in his ear,
"You really don't want to? Think of it. All the secrets. All the knowledge. In your reach, right here. Or, are you, perhaps, afraid?"
Lotor smirks, and says, "You should be quiet now. What makes you think I need your help, in any way? And I won't be as merciful with you as I was with a friend of mine. Seeing as you are no friend of mine. Only a false ally, it's turned out."
"You mean Narti."
Lotor's eyes widen, and he asks, after almost gasping a little, "How do you know that name?"
"Lotor, please. I know everything. That's what I've been telling you all this morning."
"Fine. But you seem different."
"In what way?"
"Are you yourself?" Lotor asks.
"And would I be here, making this alliance, were I not?" the clone counters.
"Fair point. You may be right."
"I'm always right. So. You want it, don't you, Lotor?"
"Yes. Tell me everything. And we'll defeat the witch and get her Quintessence, together."
"Yeah! That's more like it. That's the Emperor Lotor I know," Hiroki says, smiling pleasantly.
Lotor smirks, and utters, "Indeed. And since you're my subject now, I'll show you mercy and, well, amnesty for your previous crimes as the witch's former puppet."
"Thank you," Shiro's clone replies, putting his hand on Lotor's shoulder, "I appreciate it."
"Who else is with us?" Lotor asks.
"Naturally," the clone answers, "Princess Allura and Antheans."
"Who are Antheans? I've never heard of them," Lotor says, puzzled. "And Allura's back in Nexus?" he asks, hopeful.
"Your new allies, Your Majesty. And indeed she is. She can't wait to see you again."
"Hm. I like the sound of it. However, those Antheans of yours, what are they good for?"
Lotor and the clone are in the library, still, and minding their manners, trying not to talk too loudly. However, as it is a library, feel free to scold them if they're disturbing you.
Or feel free to join the conversation if you get what they're talking about, or even if not.
"I've told you already," Lotor says. His hand goes to the hilt of his sword.
Heeding this lack of invitation, Shirogane doesn't sit down. Instead, he comes very close to Lotor, anyway, and whispers in his ear,
"You really don't want to? Think of it. All the secrets. All the knowledge. In your reach, right here. Or, are you, perhaps, afraid?"
Lotor smirks, and says, "You should be quiet now. What makes you think I need your help, in any way? And I won't be as merciful with you as I was with a friend of mine. Seeing as you are no friend of mine. Only a false ally, it's turned out."
"You mean Narti."
Lotor's eyes widen, and he asks, after almost gasping a little, "How do you know that name?"
"Lotor, please. I know everything. That's what I've been telling you all this morning."
"Fine. But you seem different."
"In what way?"
"Are you yourself?" Lotor asks.
"And would I be here, making this alliance, were I not?" the clone counters.
"Fair point. You may be right."
"I'm always right. So. You want it, don't you, Lotor?"
"Yes. Tell me everything. And we'll defeat the witch and get her Quintessence, together."
"Yeah! That's more like it. That's the Emperor Lotor I know," Hiroki says, smiling pleasantly.
Lotor smirks, and utters, "Indeed. And since you're my subject now, I'll show you mercy and, well, amnesty for your previous crimes as the witch's former puppet."
"Thank you," Shiro's clone replies, putting his hand on Lotor's shoulder, "I appreciate it."
"Who else is with us?" Lotor asks.
"Naturally," the clone answers, "Princess Allura and Antheans."
"Who are Antheans? I've never heard of them," Lotor says, puzzled. "And Allura's back in Nexus?" he asks, hopeful.
"Your new allies, Your Majesty. And indeed she is. She can't wait to see you again."
"Hm. I like the sound of it. However, those Antheans of yours, what are they good for?"
Lotor and the clone are in the library, still, and minding their manners, trying not to talk too loudly. However, as it is a library, feel free to scold them if they're disturbing you.
Or feel free to join the conversation if you get what they're talking about, or even if not.
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"Forgive my interrupting." He stops just short of completely bursting their little social bubble. "I wanted to say hello to Hiroki."
1/2
"Hey there, Mantis."
His voice sounds just slightly different.
His mind and presence are shielded. Actually, said mental shield feels strangely similar to Lotor's mind's protection. Of a same kind.
"You're always free to interrupt anything."
2/2
"He does share it," Hiroki, nearby, says matter of factly at that.
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Mantis flicks a hand and pulls a chair closer to him. He sits down, minding his distance still, and keeping both men in his field of vision. This is an old game, but he's long considered himself an expert in it.
"Hiroki has told me of the witch. I had a few general ideas of how to handle her." His gaze flickers between the two men and he goes for reading both of their surface thoughts. Even if he's walked headlong into danger, there will be a tell when things might go awry. You just have to wait for that right moment. His head turns slightly to the new man. "Strange, though. I don't think I've met you before. How do you know Hiroki?"
1/2
Unless one breaks through barriers, no thoughts can be read.
Hiroki looks nostalgic and grateful as Mantis recounts their meeting.
He turns to Lotor and says,
"It was long ago, before I thought I was Shiro. So I was just one of countless clones. Subject Y0XT39. Mantis was able to chase Haggar away from my mind for a time."
He turns back to Mantis.
"Lotor has his own reasons to wish to get rid of the witch, and he's a skilled warrior. Also, Haggar really wants to have him on her side. We could use that. Lure her. Trap her, as you've said, Mantis. And then dispose of her."
2/2
"Hiroki? I suppose you don't go by Shiro anymore," he says, to Shiro's clone.
Then, to Mantis,
"I know the clone - Hiroki - because we're from the same reality. Let's just say we became allies. Worked together for some time. However, knowing now that he used to be the witch's puppet, I'm still deciding on whether to trust him."
He glances at, hm, so that's the name now, Hiroki and says,
"If you're lying and she still has you in her thrall, you'll regret it."
Hiroki nods at that, with a very well, duh look.
Lotor smiles.
"I'm beginning to like the sound of this alliance," Lotor says. "Mantis, was it?" He asks, now looking at Mantis again. "You've faced Haggar? Join us."
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"Psycho Mantis. I used to work as a consultant of sorts in psychological warfare. My specialty involved the use of certain abilities of mine and they should at least be effective enough to throw off the foothold Haggar might find over people here."
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A bit of curiosity and formal nicety leaks through the mental shield seamlessly. The emotion isn't Honerva's, doesn't feel like Honerva at all. It's all Lotor.
Hiroki looks subdued. And as if he might be wondering on a propoer course of action. However, nothing leaks through.
Looks a bit subdued. Anybody might notice that, really.
Lotor turns to him, with a slight surprise. Isn't he friends with this man? Right now, the man, no, not man, clone, reminds him of Acxa when something's weighing heavily on her.
"Black Paladin," Lotor asks, "are you ill?"
At that, Hiroki Shirogane smiles pleasantly, and replies, "No, just making a plan."
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"A pleasure, Emperor Lotor." The only comfort Mantis has is seeing that Lotor's mental state doesn't feel the same as Hiroki's. Or rather, the witch's. "Fortunately, I've now realized I'm familiar with the markers of Haggar's presence. She's subtle, but not a particularly great actor, and even she cannot hide her presence in someone else's mind."
He pulls away from Hiroki briefly to send a simple message directly at Lotor using his psychic link: She has telepathy. She's here right now.
"It's interesting meeting someone who's telepathy is so strong. I can respect the skills she has in using those abilities, but in this place, her preferred method speaks more to her arrogance than anything. She's not the best actor I've personally met, and her technique for keeping her hold on someone is as callous as mine."
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He thinks, as loud as one can think,
Is she, now? I should've known. Once a puppet, always a puppet. There's but one way, then. The clone needs to die. I can distract it, if you want to do it.
He then turns to Hiroki,
"So, what about that plan?" he asks.
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Even if you could kill someone here, why the hell is that your first solution? You can shield your mind and yet you can’t eject a telepath? She can’t hurt us here either.
He pulls back with a bit more finality that time and fixes his gaze on Hiroki. “Do you really think I can’t hear you in his head? Get. Out.”
Unlike with Lotor, Mantis is borders on vicious in how he attacks the mental shield the witch put up. There is no patience, no warning, just pure telepathic force.
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The clone, mewanwhile, turns to look at Mantis.
"What's wrong, Mantis?" he asks.
Inside his mind, there's radio silence, one could say.
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He's stunned by the silence, having expected noise other than a void. His eyes narrow and he tries pressing in deeper. She has to be in there, else he would be hearing Hiroki's thoughts. "She's using you as a conduit, Hiroki. How many people do you control like this? I knew a man like you, years ago, who went out of his way to use everyone around him because he was too afraid to fight on his own. You're as much of a coward as he was."
1/2
Mantis? Is it you? Leave, please. I've made a deal with the witch. She wanted Ziggy, so... I've... offered mysel--
2/2 meanwhile outside
"If the witch possessed this thing", Lotor says, pointing at the clone, "again and again... why, surely it has no will of its own. Otherwise it could just commit a suicide, in order not to have her inside. But no. Clearly it doesn't mind HER presence. AKA... IT is a coward!"
Lotor says, sounding utterly certain, now.
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Still in Hiroki's mind, he's trying to get a grip on the faded presence of Hiroki's mind. There's got to be some leverage he can use now that he's gotten this deep. Some kind of leverage that will put him on top over what Honerva can do... He takes a deep breath physically and does a sort of psychic equivalent of grabbing someone by the shoulders and pulling with a great deal of strength.
Don't give in. Fight her back and follow my lead. Once you're free, I can chase her out.
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So he stops and looks at Mantis carefully, warily.
What do you want? a thought, of Lotor's, gets through Lotor's mind barrier. Because he's almost ready to ask that outloud, but not quite, yet.
Meanwhile, deep inside Hiroki's mind resists Mantis's grabbing.
No, he answers, I'm sorry, Mantis, I can't. If she doesn't have me, she'll take Ziggy. She said she will. So I can't. Go away. You'll just ruin everything!
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Mantis sighs and shakes his head in the real world. He sinks his grip on Hiroki's mind and pulls harder, his fingers flexing as he attempts to add greater strength into freeing the man in front of him.
And you. You're being an idiot. Giving in to her needs doesn't make anything better. You're only going to make it easier for her to win over someone else who would be weak to your face. Even if you can't win, make her earn the victory. A snake with it's head cut off can still bite. Now shut up and let me help you. Don't you dare underestimate me!
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The Prince sheathes his sword and listens, carefully now.
Meanwhile, deep inside mind, almost in spirit, now, Hiroki tells Mantis, Okay. Okay. Fine. Mantis, please, help me. But first, if you CAN help, you must promise me that you'll help defend Ziggy Stardust. Promise me!
Then, something dark appears, there, deep inside, and tries to lodge itself between Hiroki and Mantis. It feels a bit like Honerva's presence feels, but not quite the same.
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I'll defend anyone you want me to, now try to take hold of my hands. She's strong, but she isn't a professional like I am." He envisions elephants raging. Bears and tigers ripping into things. The greatest forces of nature will tear into that added presence as he tries to get Hiroki free of it's grasp. And you. Remember my face and my name. I am Psycho Mantis and if I ever get my hands on you, your head will be mounted on a pike.
1/2
"However, I'm not a trained Altean Alchemist. Could you tell what could I do? I wish to help."
2/2
It shifts, and all of a sudden, it looks and sounds just like Liquid Snake, and says,
He doesn't need you here. You know that.
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Seeing the image of Liquid presented before him, Mantis feels his anger bubble up in a dangerous way. He brings forth the image of a giant snake to coil around the imposter illusion and squeeze it thoroughly.
Nyoka ya Mpembe would be on my side. Leave or die. I can create just as easily as you.
He takes in a deep breath, and the image of the coiled snake grows larger, more consuming. If he pushes a little harder, he can break whatever that shadow is.
1/2
"I can picture him if that'd help."
2/2
In mind, Hiroki's nowhere to be seen, he must've been pushed deeper down.
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