A Liar's Alliance (HIVE)

Through all their parting speeches, Dar laughed. He remained quiet enough to not seem overly disrespectful, but he laughed all the same. Gilda said she was the oldest of the HIVE members, claiming to be 40. It mattered not. Age was more than a number, as was quite evident by the alien woman's own youthful appearance. However many years she had lived, she was young.

Dar had been born old.

Blake held her hand to her sword's handle and glared at Pix. Dar tensed himself, ready to move in to defend Pix if he had to. If she did attack, Blake would be trouble. She had defeated Dar in a fight before. Her skill with that sword was impressive, even without the magic that normally powered it. Thankfully, the teen girl stayed calm and simply left the room. Dar allowed himself to relax. He waited until the rest of the HIVE members left the room, to make sure he wouldn't need to deter any further attacks against Pix.

Finally, Dar spoke to Pix. "One soldier cannot win a battle. I will stand behind Tiberius, and behind you, but the others are weary. They have been fighting the invaders, and have suffered loss. I cannot imagine what that feels like. I don't think I've ever lost anything I truly loved. I wonder how you intend to educate them. Loyalty will grow cold soon enough. Simply telling them? Not your style, given today's events. But perhaps you wish for them to discover the truth on their own?" A wide smile crept over Dar's face. "You are a risk-taker. You have placed as much trust in them as you have asked them to place in you. This isn't the plan I would have chosen. I have always been cautious. But with higher risk comes the highest reward."

"FORTY?!" Shock caused Hugh to snag his foot on a bed leg, forcing him to catch himself on a ceiling brace. Appearance had a lot to do with how other people formed their opinions of you. Pix was forever judging Harpy on her looks. Attractive and therefore better seen not heard. Age gave her a level of life experience which would have offset this supposition. Dumb alien physiology. Now he would have to listen to her and stuff. Gilda made her bargain with the sprite, to which Pix sighed defeatedly. "Fine. I won't call on you. But this counts as approval."

When Blake reclaimed his attentions, he pivoted away from her sword hand via the hanging brace. The girl had retaliated with force on previous occasions. He was just being careful. Not wimpy. As she left, the sprite cried after her, affronted by her suggestion that he didn't have things under control regarding the Zydons, "Hey! I know what I'm doing!" Okay, so Ethan almost died last mission. He could do better. He could handle the Zydons. "I know what I'm doing..." More for himself Pix reiterated, though Blake was long gone.

Butterflies fluttered about his stomach. It wasn't an attack of love but doubt. His friends had no faith in his diplomatic ability. He was suddenly more keenly aware of the responsibility he faced. Maybe he wasn't the metahuman for the job? Maybe he should ask TIBERIUS to take over liaisons? Whoever TIBERIUS actually was...

Just as he was about to exit, their new recruit spoke to him. His words caused a resurgence in Pix's confidence. He had almost given up hope. But here was someone who understood why he was doing this. "Wow. You shouldn't take this the wrong way. But you're a lot smarter than you look. Like, a lot smarter. Big contrast." For emphasis Hugh held out his hands, then relented. His expression became more sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck. "T-Thanks for the show of confidence." Quickly he made to leave.

((OOC: Current Posting Order: Muse, Emmz, Izzy, Glenn, St, Dar.
I'm out unless someone grabs Pix. Great thread guys. Thanks!))

Gilda supposed a guarantee that she wouldn't be involved was enough to keep her from quitting...for now. Though Gilda wasn't usually one for social interaction Nina was a friend. Gilda wouldn't ever say it out loud but for the brief times they had spent together Gilda sorta liked the...whatever she was, as a friend. Seeing her emotionally distressed made Gilda feel, just a bit of course, bad. She glanced at Dar before leaving the room to go check on Nina. "I'm not quitting, not yet." she said upon entering. "I won't be involved in missions helping them...but if you get in a tough spot, I guess you guys can call me."

"And, uh...sorry about your loss Nina." she said, sitting as close to the girl, though still separated by Blake looking rather unsure of herself. "...we should have our own meetings, without Tib, maybe without Pix and Dar.

Nina tried to calm down, taking stuttered breaths as she grabbed a tissue from a cute little tissue box on her bedside table and blew her nose then dried her eyes, looking around and smiling "I'm sorry for making such a scene guys, its sweet that you care so much about me, but we still need to keep in mind that Tib has lost like I have, maybe even worse, his wife is dead because of the Zydons too, I heard it was quite a mess when he got home..." she said as she slowly started to calm down "I knew Luna for a bit, she would come in the store to buy comics and animes about mermaids, I think she was trying to discover who she was" she explained now much calmer, only a red face to show that she had been upset at all.

"What I'm trying to say is that if Mal ever loved Luna then...there's got to be something more to this plan of his, I know it sounds crazy but...what if he wants to get close to them to sorta...infiltrate them and destroy them from the inside? I mean its effective...I...I just know he wouldn't let them just kill his own wife without there being consequences" she said thoughtfully.

((OOC: Hang on. At the start of this thread Nina didn't even recognise TIB/Mal. Now she knows about his second life?))

(Nina and Mal have met outside hive, it was not recognizing why he was there more than who he was.)

[OOC: Yeah, its the fact that she knew Mal outside of Hive but she just never knew that he was also Tib.]