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 Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 9:42 am
It was all too easy to skulk around this city, virtually undetected. No one bothered to look at a stray cat, even if the collar around his neck sometimes had people chasing after him, determined to 'return him to his rightful owner'. The tubby tabby was patrolling about, listening idly for any signs of battle or unusual activity. It could be one of three things; Senshi, Negaversers, or some wayward youma. He had absolutely no interest in even thinking about the latter, but the other two were high on his list of priorities.
Shameful as it was to say, Grendel hadn't cared about the Negaverse for a long time. Still didn't, not really. But now that he was Guardian to the Queen herself... Well, things had to change. That was the only reason he was out here now instead of snoozing on the couch, bounding onto a nearby trashcan to help peer out at the streets.
Nothing so far. Absolutely nothing. But they had to be out here somewhere, undoubtedly. He'd continue his search.
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Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:15 am
The tubby cat did not have to look far. Tucked away in the back alleyway, sitting on a wide window ledge of a nearby theater, Wolframite was sitting idly by. If anyone looked at him, they would say he was doing absolutely nothing, and they were right. He was, and he was hoping it would stay that way. It wasn’t to say he didn’t take his Negaverse duties seriously. He did…before. When he had a sunnier, vaguer idea of what the Negaverse did. After a run in with the Queen herself and a example of how to steal starseeds, the Lieutenant was spending his weeks clearly avoiding practicing his recent training. He was sure there were other things he could do, and for now, he could only bring himself to go on patrols in some of the most vacant areas. He did follow Nealite’s advice and pick an area that was suited to his uniform. No one really questioned a Victorian outfit in a place that had Shakespeare playing 6 times a week down the block.
Right now, he could trying to figure out how he could avoid the mess he somehow had gotten into, and wondering what the penalties were for ignoring the Queen’s training. Probably big. If killing was expected on a regular basis, he didn’t think he’d get away with a slap on the wrist for not turning up star seeds to the King and Queen, and he wasn’t even important enough to not do a part of his job.
Right now, all he could hope for is that he could just fight senshi and let that be good enough, and even he wasn’t feeling that. Algebra homework was looking very nice right about now.
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Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:49 am
Irritated that he'd yet to find a single clue of anyone out and about, Grendel sprang from his perch and skulked down the alley. Alarm bells went off in his head just before he stepped in front of said window ledge, and gleaming eyes snapped to the side in order to take the boy in. Young, but definitely a Negaverser. He could sense it. "Lieutenant Wolframite." The cat said, turning and smoothly taking a seat with an air of authority. "Sitting down on the job? Unless you'd like to tell me you've exceeded your quota of starseeds for the night and have nothing better to do than lounge around in your uniform?"
Grendel idly began to groom one of his paws, taking his time in looking the kid over. This was good, very good; he hadn't met this one yet. He had to be better than Tobernite by leaps and bounds--or so he hoped.
"You do know what a starseed is, correct?" God help them all if he didn't.
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Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:17 pm
Being startled on a windowsill was not a good thing, and he nearly fell when someone barked his name. Gripping both sides of the window frame, he held tight before looking about, not sure who was saying his name but knowing that anyone knowing his full title as a Lieutenant probably had the authority to get him in trouble. “Yes, sir! No, sir. I mean, I’m getting right on that.”
His eyes shot about, trying to find out who was talking to him. What he did know what that 1.) Is wasn’t female, which meant it wasn’t Nealite. That was a relief. 2.) It wasn’t the General King either. While that meant he wasn’t going to die then and there, it didn’t mean he wasn’t dealing with someone higher up. Actually, EVERYONE was higher up than he was, and he slipped off the window sill to the alley below to stand at attention.
“I know what a starseed is, sir. I was..just taking a short rest.” Or a long hiatus regarding his duties, but it seemed that wasn’t going to happen. If they were sending people to find him after a week of not turning up any starseeds, he had to deliver, and now he had a quota? When did they have quotas?! Oh, he was in capital 'T' - Trouble.
As his eyes looked about, he didn’t manage to see who was talking to him. The roofs were bare, the fire escapes and window sills were vacant, and looking around, all he noticed was a plump cat cleaning itself in the alleyway. He only looked at it for a moment, enough to think it was cute, before he took a few steps away from the cat and stood a bit away from it as he continued looking about. He might have known about starseeds, but he didn't know about guardian cats.
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Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 7:27 pm
Grendel resisted the urge to curl his lips with both amusement and irritation when the boy glanced at him, then continued to search for whoever had spoken. "Down here. Yes, here." The cat flicked his tail with a snort, and sank into a stretch. "Somehow, Lieutenant, I'm not sure if I believe you." About his 'short rest', anyway, and, to better catch the boy's attention, Grendel sprang onto the window ledge Wolframite had previously been occupying.
"You've an important job to do, gathering starseeds for your Queen and General-King." The cat said seriously, tilting his face up to watch the other. Was he hesitating because he was killing people? It seemed likely. He was still hardly more than a child, after all, and the Guardian pondered over this for a moment.
"So, what are you really doing, Lieutenant?" He pressed idly, letting his tail flick to and fro.
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Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 7:55 pm
At ‘down here’, the Lieutenant looked about and then slowly looked down. There was the cat. Just as he was about to look away, the cat talked. Let’s say that again. The – CAT – that one right there – TALKED!
Wolframite stood there as still as the nearby dumpster, green eyes wide as he looked at the cat. The cat continued to talk, and he continued to look like a gapping moron, only turning about when Grendel leaped up to sit on the windowsill. The mention of the King and Queen pulled him back and he finally blinked. Not only was this a talking cat, but it was a very informed, talking, cat. He didn’t know if he should be impressed or worried.
He went with impressed. “You’re a talking cat.” He stepped closer, but then covered his nose and stepped back when he noticed a sneeze coming on. When he was sure it passed, he lowered his arm. “I never met a talking cat.” Of course he didn’t. Talking cats weren’t normal. The only talking cat he knew about was Puss in Boots, but this cat wasn’t sporting any fashionable kicks. Just a really annoyed expression and a collar. Still, he was FLUFFY!
Seeing the cat annoyed, he tried to be serious. King. Queen. This kitty was talking business. Aww. His little mouth even moved while he talked. This was better than watching Babe! "I...I know that starseeds are important." Well, he knew he was suppose to get them. He just...didn't want to go about getting them. Maybe there was an alternative. "I've just... been finding it a bit hard. I'm not use to it." Clubbing people over the head wasn't his idea of fun, and he felt sick just thinking about it. This was death. This was murder. The big M. People went to prison for this sort of thing. They got the chair for what he was doing. No wonder Serandite warned him about the cops shooting at him. He really did feel like a criminal, and he never wanted to associate this new group he was in with a bunch of criminals. Weren't they better than that?
He looked up with a grave expression, but it was hard to keep when he looked up at the cat. Ohhh! He was cute. He just wanted to poke his tummy!
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Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:33 pm
There was a blink. Another blink. Wolframite didn't know anything about Guardian Cats. All right. Well. That was a place to start, a very good place to start, and the small creature pulled himself up importantly. He missed the sneeze, closing his eyes to begin some grand lecture he was quickly formulating in his head.
"Good." Grendel only supplied smoothly at first. Starseeds were important, Nemesis help them. He had no idea that he was currently being idolized as an adorable, talking mascot of the Negaverse, and that was just as well.
Eyes narrowed thoughtfully when Wolframite admitted he was having some trouble, but the cat only nodded in a way that could almost be considered kindly. "It's... necessary, unfortunately." Grendel actually did sound sympathetic, tilting his head some. "Once we have the energy we need, Queen Beryl can reclaim this planet for good, and make it a better place for everyone. Small sacrifices for the good of all, in the end. Does that make sense?"
Once the corruption started to consume more and more of the boy's heart, it would be easier. Even sweet Linarite was no longer displaying the remorse and uncertainty she had when she was a Lieutenant. "If it helps, you can target people who you think deserve it. But it's vital that you do your job, Wolframite. The Negaverse needs you. Once you start climbing the ranks, you won't have to do the dirty work anymore, and you focus on the brighter, bigger picture."
Pep talks. Him! He was giving pep talks. Oh, he'd rue the day...
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Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 7:39 am
He had been wanting to talk about the matter of starseed stealing for a while and wished someone would give an explanation as to the reason behind it. He knew it was a necessity, that it was important, and that it was his job. He also had an idea what the consequences were for not doing his duty, though he was sometimes doubtful that the Negaverse would go THAT far. Really, he was on there team. They wouldn't do something so drastic, would they?
Having been miserable for the last week or so and with no one else to talk to about this sort of thing, he found it rather strange and a little bit funny that he’d be feeling better after talking to a cat. It was one thing to make assumptions, but to be actually told from someone on your side that things would get better and that what he was doing was for some ultimate good was something he needed right now. Desperately needed, and he wasn’t about to start questioning a cat if he was giving the answers he wanted.
Aw. One of his ears twitched.
While Grendel might be new to cheering the troops up, he was doing a fine job at the moment. “That makes perfect sense. It’s a relief, even. I’d hate to think of our group as something shady or like any other criminal on the street.” What he wanted was for their team to help the world, the earth they all lived on, and to make it better. To think he was like one of those guys on CSI, SVU, or any other show just didn’t sit right with him. Those criminals were just messed-up people with problems. He wanted to work for a cause. Better yet, he liked the idea of getting rid of a few bad apples on the street. It would certainly help, even though the idea still didn’t make him jump for joy.
What was even better was being told that he was needed. He was essential. A great responsibility rested on his shoulders. They wouldn’t be sending talking cats to him if he was just some nobody. There was also the appeal of advancement. Something bigger. Better. A higher rank and more power. If he could just overcome the moral dilemma and trauma, then he could reap the rewards.
His nose itched and he sneezed again. Then one more time. It wasn’t a flattering sneeze either. It was one of those numbers that was held in and went out in one of those restrained sneezes that instead of being a normal ‘achoo’ came out as a ‘ah-chew’.
“So I'm guessing that since everyone else had to do this, there isn't any alternative.” Probably if he was stressing how important it was. He wasn’t about to ask about what the punishment was. That would be like saying he wasn’t doing to do his job, and who knew if this cat could report to the higher ups. “By the way……can I ask, what are you? Aside from a cat. Are you a messenger for the Negaverse?” Did they have a kitty messenger system? Adorable, but that would really be a negative against his sinuses.
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Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 1:53 pm
The Guardian was having to resist the urge to groom himself smugly, quite pleased that he seemed to be successfully reassuring the Lieutenant. While he knew that Obsidian, Tanzanite, and, admittedly, sometimes Nealite herself could be harsh on the soldiers, they were still only children, after all. Fresh to the corruption. "We aren't criminals." The cat shook his head firmly, clearly displeased with the association.
"That isn't to say we don't have members who are little better than criminals; no group, unfortunately, can be flawless from the start. But once we grow stronger, we can choose to be more picky, and weed out those fools." If only they could get rid of Obsidian. His lips threatened to curl, but he resisted the urge.
The sneezing made him pause for a moment, eyes narrowed. It didn't even occur to him that someone could be allergic to him. He was a cat, but did that...? Well. He shook that off, focusing on the questions instead.
"No. Even the Queen started out as just a Lieutenant and made her way to Captain, first." It was technically more complicated than that, but he wouldn't go into it. "I"m a Guardian Cat." Grendel said smoothly, ears flattening. Messenger indeed. "I protect and serve the Queen as I need to, and it is also my duty to instruct you and the other Lieutenants on what you must do." He couldn't give orders, per say, not that they knew that, but they had a fairly basic outline of 'what to do in the Negaverse'.
Besides. Should someone choose to sneer at him? The Queen would hear about it, and he would be there to smugly watch her chew them out.
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Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 4:50 pm
It was strange to here that someone he considered royalty had rose up in rank from Lieutenant to Captain. When someone said Queen, he just thought it was through a bloodline, not appointed somehow, which made him really interested in how the who system of the Negaverse worked. It put a very strange twist on medieval courts, but then again, the Negaverse was a very strange place.
“I met the Queen. I didn’t expect her to even be on the streets, let alone working. I was really impressed.” That was until the end of the lesson, where he was more sick and mortified than anything else. The same ease and business-like efficiency was held throughout their meeting, along with some general teasing, and he had thought she was just a tad bit deranged. The way everyone seemed relaxed about stealing starseeds, it made him wonder what sort of group he got throw in with. Now he understood that everyone went through the same steps and knew the importance of their job.
Each time he would be lured in closer to talk to the cat, but then move back upon a series of sneezes. He really wish his uniform went with a handkerchief, and not wanting to be gross, he reached up and undid the massive bow that made his collar, pulling it off and making it into a handkerchief. “Are there a lot of guardian cats like you?” As in, am I going to be meeting a lot of cats. Not that he didn’t like talking cats. He was fascinated with Grendel, but could they once in a while send a talking dog or ferret in his place?
“I wanted to ask too. With getting starseeds, and fighting senshi, is that my only duty?” He felt like that was it. Not getting shot while doing these included. “I ask because there is a lot of senshi about. This place is teaming with them, and I hardly see any Negaverse agents around.” Just exactly how big was their group.
Grendel had opened himself up for an assault of questions, and Wolfrmaite was ready to release every little question he could think of. If someone was going to GIVE him answers, why not try to find out as much as you can. It seemed the Lieutenant thought guardian cats were the equivalent of Negaverse Google!
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