It had all happened so quickly, the woman didn’t really know what to think. One moment, she was in front of her vanity, running a brush through her hair, and the next…well. The next she was dressed in some strange costume, with a very strange skirt that was very, very difficult to move around in. She really had no idea of what was going on. The thing she had grabbed, a glowing powder puff that had rather confused her. It had done something, and a little voice in her ear had whispered something about Caelian—of Venus.
It was all madness. Though.
She was walking around the city tonight, her wounds from that vicious hoodlum were healing, though had yet to go completely away, and she wasn’t sure what being out here would do.
Caelian held the powder puff in her hand and walked along the darkened street, her heels clicking against the half frozen pavement. Would being out here give her answers? Maybe they would bring more than being in her house would. A rustling in the bushes made the woman pause and she turned to see a very large…Well. It was some type of feline. Its eyes were glowing and its teeth were bared, ready to strike the woman.
Well. Here was a mighty big pickle if she ever saw one.
Camelot was out on patrol, though it was cold and snowy. He was distracted, as well. There was never peace for long. Things had settled at home, and he had almost been perfectly happy. But then, of course, Dogby ran away and Tony could not find her, and on top of the Kyndall had been in a terrible fight with a Negaverser that vexed Camelot to no end. He hadnt been able to protect either of the most important ladies in his life, and the idea of losing either of them was very troubling. He needed to find his dog, and he needed to find that Nega and make sure he never hurt another knight again. Catching himself thinking this way, though, made Camelot pause. What was he doing? Revenge bred more revenge. It was what fueled war, especially one like this. If he gave in to that, his ideal of finding a peaceful end would be utterly hopeless. Still, no matter what greater idea he was fighting for, he was still simply human. He was glad, then, when he heard the growl of a distraction he wouldn't feel guilty for using. A youma. He moved toward the sound on instinct, shield drawn up. He spotted the girl before long. "Be careful!" he called, not realizing he was speaking to a newbie knight, but worried for her anyway. He treated experienced fighters the same way, and often got annoyed glares and attitude in return.
Caelian was all but frozen, staring at the beastly cat. She hated cats--despised them! They almost always sent her into an allergy fit that could almost hospitalize her. That was why she had pigs. Besides. Her daughter loved the pigs. When a voice broke out through the frigid night, she couldn't help but jump a few inches into the air. Who on earth would be as stupid as she was to be out on a night like this? She turned and saw...a man. Dressed in brown...Um.
Well, that made her feel better about her own strange clothing.
The youma seemed to be startled by the new arrival and turned towards Camelot, letting out a fierce sounding rawr, pawing at the ground. This would be a better target for sure.
Caelian watched then cleared her throat. "Um...I think it's going to go after you now, uh...sir."
Camelot looked at the youma in surprise. It was his experience that said cat like youma particularly hated him. Maybe he was a good scratching post. Or maybe it was because he smelled like dog. Or maybe they just saw him as an easy target. Whatever it was, he had a very bad track record with cat youma. And he already doubted this match would be much different but he was hoping things would go well. He looked at the Page and realized her look of surprise and confusion was genuine. She was nervous, and he moved to keep the youma's attention on him. "First night out?" he ventured to ask, keeping his shield up and sometimes shoving it toward the youma to make sure it got no misconceptions about who its enemy was. He offered her a smile from behind his shield, not seeming too worried. "My name is Camelot. Squire of Earth."
The youma let out a screeching growl and lunged at Camelot, one very large paw scratching at his sheild. It didn't seem to enjoy having the thing shoved in his face.
Caelian hesitated. Well, the guy was taking care of the awful cat...he asked if it was her first night out? His name was Camelot? What kind of parents named their child Camelot?
Her lips had grown very dry and she licked them before answering. "I'm Be--" A little nagging voice in her head told her to shut up. She frowned then swallowed. "I'm...uh. Caelian. Of Venus, I think. Yeah." Whatever that meant. Part of her was sure that that woman had really bashed in her skull with her spear and she was suffering from delusions now. Or just. In some mental hospital somewhere. This couldn't really be happening.
"Should...I help with that...um...Cat?"
Camelot shuddered as the youma attacked him, bracing himself and wincing at the crack of the claws against the wood and metal. His arm felt a bit like jello after the hit but he held himself fairly sturdy. Her confusion about her name confirmed his suspicions. He was not going to leave her to fight the youma, then: he certainly did not want her getting hurt. Not that he would have even if she told him she was a seshi princess and had things well in hand. It wasn't his nature to leave anyone in need. "If you would like to, I would appreciate it! It's a youma, and they can be very dangerous if you're not careful. Powered up as you are, you have a bit more ability to fight them then you might think. I'll help you, though: don't worry. You'll be safe." She had his promise, as a knight. He would not let her down now. Camelot was a man of his word.
The cat continued growling, walking in circles, seeming to be trying to size Camelot up. The sheild had surprised it, normally pieces of wood like that were easy to break. The youma seemed to be waiting for whatever was going to come next.
Caelian however raised a brow. "All right...I'm supposed to be helping you..." She held up the powder puff. "With this. Should I just...flap it in the things eyes? Maybe he'll get irritated and run away. Or...should I just..." The woman hesitated, then leaned over, scooping up a handfull of snow, compressing it until it had formed into a rather compact ice ball. "Maybe this will help you some." She threw the ice ball, seeming surprised and pleased when it hit the youma in the ear.
The creature yowled in pain and turned to face Caelian, growling. Nobody hurt it and got away with doing so.
He looked over his shield to see her powder puff. Not the most useful item he had ever seen. But not the most useless, either, which was a little sad in its own way. Some knights had no luck at all. Or maybe, he considered, he had far more luck than was fair. He had a shield, and even when it broke he was still able to use it to get in a few good hits. And this second form had his Terra Viridis crystal imbedded in it. That was good for him, too. "You never want a youma to run away," Camelot lectured without sounding condescending or stern. His tone seemed to be smiling, despite the situation. Battle was just what he needed, he realized, and helping someone else was a perfect distraction for him. Whether she wanted it or not, she was getting some lesson. "It will just go and hurt a civilian, and it's our duty to-" he saw her throw the snow and found he didn't know what to say to that. The youma did not look amused, and was not interested in a snow ball fight. No, a claw and teeth fight seemed more up its alley. "Oh, no," Camelot yelped, moving to attack the youma himself, seeing its muscles tensing as it growled at Caelian. That didn't look good. He swung his shield, slamming it into the youma's side.
Youma. What a strange word. Caelian had swallowed when the creature had moved towards her and glanced around, looking for something else to throw at it. The talk about the civilians, that could wait until the monster was gone, she was sure.
When Camelot struck the youma with his shield, the creature let out a howl of pain that was very loud. It fell over and its legs sprawled everywhere.
The newly awakened page hurried over and lifted her foot, bringing her purple heel into a meeting with the cat's face, giving a little scream of her own when the creature turned to dust.
Camelot watched the youma fall, his expression more serious than it had been before. He was determined not to let it hurt this new knight, or anyone else. Youma were vile to him, and he had no pity for what they had been or whatever else he was told about them. They were monsters now, and they existed to hurt. Was that a double standard? the Negaverse had to hurt people, to accomplish their goals, but he considered them with as much understanding as he could for their actions. Even granted them leeway, though he was certainly against their methods. Youma had once been people, as far as he knew, but that was not enough to grant them any mercy. It was just too easy to see them as monsters. He smiled when Caelian ran over to help, glad to see she was brave, or at least determined. When the youma vanished he took a slow breath and relaxed. "Don't worry, they all do that when they die. Youma, any way. I'm not sure why, but it's gone for good now anyway." He moved to her, offering his hand to introduce himself properly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Caelian."
The woman took his hand, seeming just a bit dazed. She had stepped on a cat...and it had exploded. This was all too weird. "So...It's nice to meet you too...This isn't real, right? This is some sort of...dream or something? Or I'm still in the hospital, like it's a movie, right?" She shook her head, then gave a sigh. "What's going on?"
"this is very real, I'm afraid," Camelot said with a hearty laugh. Not to tease her, but because he certainly understood the way she felt. He still caught himself thinking things like that, when it got particularly strange for them. He shook his head slowly, trying to offer her some reassurance and a sense of calm and understanding. He knew she was overwhelmed, but there was little he could do to help her with that. It was an adjustment, to say the least. "You had a power sleeping inside you, and it decided it was time you used it," he said, knowing what limited details he had come to undestand of his own awakening. "You are a knight now. A Page, actually. There are monsters like that one, and even worse enemies of a more human nature, that plague Destiny City. The civilians here are caught in a war most don't even know about, yet suffer from. But this is... a lot to explain, and a lot to take in, I'm sure."
She hesitated, then gave a slow not, trying to understand the things he was saying. She was a Page now. A page...of Venus. That was...well. Interesting. Caelian...she would have to look into what a Caelian was. It was a very pretty word at the very least. "And...Camelot. I think I understand...a little. I have to protect people...that's how I found the powder puff--I was thinking about my daughter and how I wanted to keep her safe from the...crazies that run about the city with spears and put people in the hospital." Sure, it was a personal thing, but...if what Camelot was saying was really true...then it must happen quite often. "Also...how do I turn off the funny outfit. Do I just use it like a normal outfit? Or...Is there some magical way to get rid of it?"
Camelot smiled, nodding his head. "I like that. It is very understandable to want to protect your children. I have a son, as well. But yes, for me, protecting people is the most important thing I do. They need us, they can't fight this war on their own. we are given these powers for a reason, and we have to use them for something meaningful." He was marvelling at her choice of examples, though, as he had been put in the hospital by a woman with a spear before. Not the same one, maybe, but he was sure it had to be a Negaverse soldier either way. They were the ones with weapons. "Oh! Just think about yourself as normal. It's easier than it sounds. Here." He made sure there were no power signatures or eyes around them before he powered down, offering her his identity without a second thought. He trusted knights above all else, and maybe he was a little too trusting sometimes, but he felt it was okay in the name of helping someone else. "You don't want to power down where people are watching, and never give your identity away to... well. Anyone. It's just easier to keep the people you love safe that way. You can power up by calling your... powder puff? back."
Caelian nodded as he spoke of protecting their loved ones, then blinked as he went from man in shining armor...to...well, man." She closed her eyes, and tried to focus on...herself as normal, though it took a little bit of effort this time, since she had so many thoughts racing through her head. Finally she got it though, and Caelian melted away, leaving Bellatrix Spendel in her place. "Oh! Well. That wasn't to difficult." She shivered now, wrapping her arms around herself, wearing only pajamas now. "Bellatrix Spendel at your service." SHe held out her hand to the male, feeling that another introduction was in order. "Thank you for your help."
Tony shrugged his jacket off and offered it to her, putting it around her shoulders. "Anthony Darrow," he said pleasantly, taking her hand and giving it a friendly shake. "You're very welcome. Believe me, I was more than a little overwhelmed when I was suddenly dressed in strange clothes with a pathetic shield to defend myself with against monsters. I know it's not the easiest transition. But I'm here to help, and there are many like us." He smiled, then looked around thoughtfully. "Are you heading somewhere? Would you like an escort, or some company?" As it was not his nature to abandon someone in truoble, it also was not in him to leave someone to their own fate after trouble had occurred: he was the kind of guy who rode with people to the hospital, or made sure they got to their houses safely. He saved lives, but he also liked to be sure that they stayed that way, at least to the best of his ability. Tonight, he just wanted to make sure she didn't get too overwhelmed or attacked by another youma or something.
Bellatrix nodded, wrapping the jacket tightly around herself. That was nice. Warmth was nice. "I would love an escort. My home isn't too far, but...It would be nice to know that I make it there in one piece. Part of me is itching to just run back--I left my daughter alone...but, I suppose I'm glad I did. If I hadn't, I would have been stuck like that for goodness knows how long." She began walking, though grew silent, mind busy trying to work through everything that Anthony had told her...that Camelot had told her. It was all very confusing, and she figured the best way to deal with it would be a nice cup of strong tea, and bed. Lots and lots of sleep would make all of this more clear
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