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 Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 2:36 pm
Captain Painite was standing on the roof of the theatre, her usual haunt. Particularly when she wanted to meet up with someone. Tonight, she was waiting for her teammate, Proustite, who she had buzzed out of the blue after finally catching him while he was powered up with her crystal.
She wanted to show him her new look, and her new staff. See what he thought about it.
And, a bit more to the real purpose, show off.
There were some things in life that she delighted in. Her work, her plans, her games, all being a part of that. But there was another thrill that she could not resist partaking in. That was being looked at and admired, looked up to or envied. Feared, sometimes, or simply inspiring a sense of awe and wonder. She liked being grand, being noticed: being awesome.
And she totally wanted Proustite to see how awesome she was now.
She was standing on the roof, leaning on her staff. The new weapon, though not the familiar height and weight of Mr. Saddles, was something she was proud of and getting more used to using. She was really enjoying it, and being able to defend herself properly. And not just defend: attack.
Mr. Saddles had never been good at that.
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Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 7:13 pm
Jack wasn't the sort of boy who always came when he was called. He was naughty, and generally did whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. Jack's time was not everybody else's time, and he made sure that they knew that.
At least-- this was how he'd lived before becoming a student at Hillworth. The stringent regulations of Destiny City's least glamorous boy's school, combined with the regime of the Negaverse had called for a couple choice lifestyle changes.
So, generally, when his teammates called, Proustite answered. As promptly as he was able.
He would never be able to forgive himself if something happened to either of them.
It was with his usual smiling face and carefree swagger that Lieutenant Proustite approached the theatre. Swigging his hula hoop around an arm, whistling one of his favourite songs under his breath, he paused in the middle of the street and looked around for Painite.
He was aware of another dark energy in the vicinity, but it was more than he remembered hers to be.
Should he try looking in the theatre?
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 11:42 am
Painite felt Proustite's approach, but didn't see him. She thought he might have been down on the street, so she move to the edge of the building and peered over the edge. Spotting him, she grinned broadly and started to wave.
"Up here!" She called, her British accented tone cutting the silent night abruptly. She couldn't hide the eagerness in her voice, a giggle following her call as she waved with both arms now.
The Spirit of Mister Saddles was sitting on the floor now, having been dropped in her exuberance.
Maybe it would be easier for her to go down there to meet him. She sent her staff to its subspace pocket, climbing down the front of the building, onto the protruding marquee, then jumped down to land near Proustite. She straightened up, brushing herself off with a feigned regal air, before putting her hands on her hips and grinning at him.
He had to have noticed the change by now.
"How's it going?"
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Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 5:57 pm
Jack fancied himself an actor. He loved to sing and dance and was confident in his ability to tell a lie. But he could not disguise his astonishment or his jealousy now, as Painite climbed from the roof of the theatre to the ground in front of him. His jaw dropped. The tips of his ears turned a faint shade of pink.
She was the source of the dark energy he'd felt earlier. An energy that was stronger than his.
"Oh, it's going," Proustite looked his teammate up and down, in his usual way, and did not bother to hide it. "...You've been busy, I see."
It was difficult to keep the envy out of his voice. Jack tried to be happy for her. And failed. Miserably. But then, he'd only made a half-hearted effort in the first place.
He was pouting, a little, but managed to tell her; "You look good."
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 9:26 am
Painite watched him, eyes flashing. She saw the jealousy in his face and it made her chuckle excitedly. Her goal wasn't to make him feel bad, though. She wanted to let him see how cool she had gotten, and for them to chatter excitedly about the possibilities this opened up.
"Very busy! You know, the usual. Kicking senshi butt. Collecting energy. Getting promoted. It can take up a lot of time."
She flashed her teeth again in a wide grin.
"Check out this weapon! You remember Mr. Saddles, right? Look at this," she offered her empty hand and frowned at it, then looked down to see her weapon on the floor. When had she dropped it? That wasn't a very good way to handle her newest toy, and she was certainly not going to get any points as a Captain that way. Bending, she retrieved it and then showed it to Proustite.
"This is the Spirit of Mr. Saddles. Sharp on both ends! I feel like I could do some real damage now, and it's kinda overwhelming. Going from not doing much more than a bruise to, you know. Maybe stabbing someone? To be honest, it's kind of scary."
She was all smiles and excitement, though, all her words tumbling from her mouth in a hurry. She certainly did not look scared. Even so, her words held more truth in them than she wanted to admit, or maybe knew how to admit.
Realizing she was being rude, she looked at him and giggled. "How are you doing?"
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 10:11 am
The thought of stabbing someone was kind of scary. It was also exciting. Proustite's eyes, shining with jealousy and admiration, flickered over the shiny tip of Painite's new weapon. He had, in a way, killed a Senshi with his hula hoop-- used it to hold the Dread Sister Eternal Alixa steady (by the neck) so that Alkaid could tear out her starseed.
She would have choked to death eventually, but it was the Corrupted Senshi who'd essentially ended her life.
Jack didn't really like to think about it.
But, as he stood face to face with Painite now and the exquisite sharpness of her spear, Jack couldn't help but wonder what his weapon would look like once he'd upgraded. It would be easier to defend himself with a blade. It would be easier, as his teammate said, to do real damage.
"It looks positively deadly," Proustite, grinning wide, glittered at his companion. "But I think we're going to have to change the rules for when we spar."
His lips twitched.
"There can be no hitting, stabbing, or maiming of Lieutenants."
A little dreamily, Jack wondered if he could somehow coerce Painite and Sassolite into battling in a pit of mud.
"Oh," he shrugged, and looped his hula hoop around his shoulder, "I'm doing fine. Not as well as you are, clearly, but well enough."
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Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 7:48 pm
Painite laughed and nodded her head.
"You're right. I definitely won't stab you with it. Though I might need practice throwing it at a moving target... we'll get you some padding." She grinned at him broadly, just teasing of course. Unless she could get away with it...
"But I would never do you any irreparable damage, promise!"
She smiled at his answer and nodded her head, chuckling. She wondered if she could get him to come out with her and hunt some energy. It was her favorite way to see what others were capable of these days, and because she had been so busy away from her team she found she needed to be caught up.
"Want to go drain some energy or something?"
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 2:49 pm
If padding meant feather pillows and a baseball helmet, Proustite thought that target practice sounded about as fun as swallowing a golfball. He trusted that Painite would not hurt him on purpose. Still, accidents happened.
And Jack wasn't interested in becoming another statistic. If there even were statistics for inadvertent deaths by spear.
"Yeah, well," he returned her smile. It was genuine enough, but did not reach all the way to his eyes. "How about we go paint a great big target sign on some senshi someday, and then you can practice on them? Then we won't need to wash any bloodstains out of pillows."
His bloodstains.
"And sure, I could use some entertainment tonight…" Proustite swivelled on his heel, and glanced meaningfully at Painite over his shoulder, "I walked by a birthday party on the way here. I bet they have cake."
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 4:56 pm
Painite grinned, nodding her head.
"Well, we certainly wouldn't want to ruin the pillows. I've never been good at cleaning, anyway. At least with Senshi I won't have to feel guilty about making a mess." She laughed, clapping him on the shoulder. She would never hurt him on purpose, no. Or on accident, for that matter.
Plus, the idea of raiding a birthday party and stealing cake, and energy, was entertaining to say the least.
There were a few unknowns, like what kind of party, what age, if there might be a hidden senshi among the group, but it hardly mattered. It sounded too fun to pass up, and Painite wasn't thinking about attending just for the sake of attending. She wanted to have fun with it. A Nega brand of fun, no strings, no fights, no problem. That was her kind of party.
"I've always been good with parties."
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 6:28 pm
A smirk wormed its way onto Proustite's face.
"You and me both, Pain," Unhurried, confident that the celebration would not end until it had to, Proustite led the way down the road. He swung his hula hoop from his arm, and it whirred noisily around and around in the air. "You and me both."
The Lieutenant came to a stop outside a little cafe, where a girl of about fourteen was visible blowing out her candles through the window. She was surrounded by a gaggle of giggling friends and an older man who must have been her father. In the background a waitress lingered with extra plates, waiting to pass them out.
"I don't know about you," Proustite gestured for Painite to follow him with a brief nod of his head, and slowly opened the door. "But I especially love surprise parties."
Bells chimed overhead, signalling the arrival of a new customer. Jack, ever the gentleman, held the door open for Painite.
"Ladies first."
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 6:40 pm
Painite smiled brightly as he held the door open for her, giving him a curtsy before she entered the little establishment. Not too many people, probably an exit out through the kitchen, and an emergency exit on opposite wall, near the regular dining tables rather than the tables pushed together for the party. There was no one else in the small place, and she imagined the kitchen staff was only two or three, with a couple waiters and a host.
A gaggle of civilians weren't exactly intimidating.
"Why don't you go say hi to the birthday girl?" she said, looking at him. This impromptu raid was invigorating. She would go handle the extras, so they could focus on the party group and have fun with them. "Show them some of your Hula moves? A surprise performer. I'm sure you'll do great."
She grinned at him, nodding her head toward the kitchen. She was going in there first. It wouldn't take long, she just didn't want them to spoil the fun. The party couldn't see the new arrivals yet, though a woman was coming over to tell them that the cafe was rented out and wouldn't be serving anyone tonight, save for the party.
Painite had banished her weapon, smiling brightly at the woman like she was definitely supposed to be there.
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Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2011 3:03 pm
"I love birthday girls almost as much as I love birthday parties," the grin Jack flashed Painite was positively roguish. He returned her conspiratorial nod with one of his own, and signalled to her that he understood.
There would be painful things like knives and frying pans and spatulas in the kitchen. Getting their hands on that birthday cake wasn't worth risking an angry chef, or vengeful manager. It simply wouldn't do.
"Excuse me, miss," Proustite intervened when the hostess approached, and gestured in the direction of the party with his hula hoop. "I am the entertainment, and this is…"
He glanced sideways at Painite.
"…my assistant, Nancy."
And then, because he couldn't resist, Proustite slung one of his arms around the strange woman's shoulder as though they'd known each other for years. Suspicious, she pursed her lips, and attempted to brush him off.
"What I'd really like," Proustite ignored her soft protest. His hands were gentle where they squeezed her arm. "Is for Nancy to become my girlfriend."
Some of the colour seemed to have left the woman's face.
"But Nancy insists that she's too good for me," Proustite's wistful sigh did not carry into the next room. He stood very still, drew her energy into himself through his fingertips, and pretended concern. "Why, you can barely stand! And you're freezing! What do you think, Nancy? Why don't you take her into the kitchen and help her get warm?"
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Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2011 11:03 pm
Painite looked at him as he introduced her new name. She didn't hate it, but she saved an inner glare for later. For now, she flashed as charming a smile as she could muster, which was at least effective. She giggled.
Listening to Proustite's story, Painite responded in turn. She gave a cocky, aloof grin and folded her arms over her chest. She flicked her short hair and sighed at the mention of him wanting her to be his girlfriend. Same old story, it seemed. She waited until she saw the color drain from the woman's face.
"Oh, you cad. You're having your affect on the women again. Come on, love," she made her accent a bit thicker, for show. "Let's get you some place safe and out of the way. You'll feel better in a tick."
Humming to herself, she guided the hostess toward the kitchen, mostly having to support her as the woman stumbled along in a daze.
"Try to behave yourself, lady killer," she called over her shoulder, meaning the exact opposite. She fully expected every person in this place to suffer a similar, sleep inducing fate.
She went into the kitchen and set to work draining what few people were there. It wasn't too difficult to draw their attention, finding men in the kitchen. Men were easy. She lulled them to her and drained them, her estimates about numbers pretty much accurate. She stacked them all in a cabinet, rather than the freezer, blocking it so they couldn't get out.
It was a bit snug in there, though. She doubted they would be too happy when they woke up. The whole thing took her a little while to do, and she wondered how Proustite was getting along with the party.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:32 pm
Proustite's favourite thing about Painite was the way she knew how to play. She was the ideal partner for a scheme like this, where the goal was not really to frighten or to kill, but to toy. These civilians were as helpless as ants compared to the might of the Negaverse. Killing them was not necessary.
What was one ruined birthday party, when your friends and family survived unscathed?
For the most part.
"Don't worry, snookums," he waved casually after Painite as she led their hostess into the kitchen. "I'll do my best to make you proud."
Proustite trusted his teammate, who was now a Captain and stronger than he, to speed and efficiency. He suspected that she would be returned to the serving room before he knew it and went to work at once. His hula hoop looked like a harmless plaything.
And usually, with the notable exception of the deceased Sailor Alixa, it was.
"Good evening, ladies," Proustite drawled, voice dripping with the typical arrogance of a seventeen year old boy whose been given too much power. He flashed the girls a wide, characteristic smile and swung his hula hoop around on his wrist. "So sorry I'm late."
"But we didn't hire any… entertainment." The birthday girl piped up, expression wary. She glanced from Proustite to her father, who looked like he wasn't sure whether he should remove this mostly amiable stranger or not. "Did we, daddy?"
"No, sweetheart, I didn't." He was very tall, and wide around the middle. His great belly knocked against the side of the table when he stood up from his seat and fixed Proustite with his piggy stare. "Come, young man. Let me show you to the door."
"Aaw, dad," Proustite's fingers closed gently around the man's thick wrist when a forceful hand clamped on his shoulder. A contemptible smile that seemed like it might want to be a sneer curled Jack's lip. "But I haven't gotten any cake, yet!"
Proustite's grip tightened, and he started draining energy from the great body that separated him from the table. It was a heady feeling. Power rippled up and down his arm, and the lieutenant's eyes blazed with excitement.
"The cake is not for you," rasped the birthday girl's father. It was easy to see that speech was difficult for him, and the colour in his cheeks receded rapidly. Proustite's hold was unforgiving. He stood as still as stone, and did not let go until the older man's knees buckled.
The floor shook a little when the great bulk of his body crumpled to the floor.
One of the girls screamed.
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 6:03 pm
Painite was one to agree. She didn't like to wastefully kill any civilians she ran into, but rather liked to use them for her own purposes. If they died when they were being useful in one of her hunts, as bait or whatever other role they needed to play, then it was a life well used. Other than that? She let them live, and hoped they were happy.
Before and after she drained them of their energy, of course. She didn't expect them to be happy during.
She was still laughing about being called Snookums.
Painite wandered out of the kitchen to see the father, presumably, fall to the floor. She grinned at the scream that met her entrance, though it wasn't, of course, for her. She'd take it, anyway.
"I see things are well under way out here, hmm?"
She looked around the room, the faces of the girls now terrified, the birthday girl calling for her dad. Painite smiled sweetly and waved her hands.
"Now now, everyone, calm down. Things are about to get really fun. I mean. I guess just for us. So no, nevermind. You can keep screaming."
She grinned.
There was no one near enough to hear them, after all, and she was having too much fun watching them panic. Plus, she knew they weren't going to die. They didn't. That was one thing she loved about having power over people: the sheer control. She could sit back and enjoy the terror and chaos that ensued, certain that nothing could go wrong. Sometimes that didn't work out in her favor, and her cockiness got the better of her, but today?
This party belong to the Negaverse.
When a girl darted to the door Painite lightly intercepted her, catching her by the wrist and stopping her in her tracks, draining her quickly. She looked at her partner in crime.
"I bet you can't take from two of them at once."
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