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He had a cat...he had a guardian cat. How in the hell this came to pass he didn’t know, well he did but he didn’t. he’d been down in the Citadel wondering when he’d happen upon the guardian cat who was new to serving the Negaverse and she had decided to latch on to him for a ride above ground and just followed him home, declaring that she would be living with him from now on. She wasn't bonding with him, she’d said as much, but she also needed a place to live that had less youma in it, which the citadel had too many of, and she had no corrupted senshi under her care. So he knew how it happened but he didn’t know how or why he’d allowed it to happen. He wasn’t so loyal and now inviting her in put him at risk of being found out - not what he needed. But he also wasn’t going to turn her away.

Rolling his eyes he glanced upward, ceilingward, from his place in the kitchen. She was up in his room reading through his books. She had taken to reading through the few books of interest, at least intrest to her, that he had while asking him to get her other books from the library. Rubbing his temples he managed a sigh as he filled a glass with vegetable juice, v8, and sipping on that he headed back into the living room with the intent of getting some reading done for his art history class. Cadha had been curious about the new addition to the house, very interested, but she wasn’t a normal cat so didn’t permit him the sniffing he wanted to do. He was just glad she seemed above scratching and attacking his dog, she had manners and was polite.

“Could be worse...I could have gotten a cat like ******** insane cat.” But where did her insanity give way to genius? He was sure it was there but where? There was depth to her insanity and it kept him curious and interested in her, rather than simply writing her off as nothing but insane. Though she was prone to being dirty and talking in a very odd manner, both when she was being deep and when she was being off the walls. Pinching the bridge of his nose as he thought about her he tipped his head back. “I really wonder about this rag tag group of killers…” Oh, he wondered a lot. Shaking his head he set his glass down on the coffee table and then reached for his art history book, a thick soft cover thing, and flipped it open to the necessary chapter and hunched over the coffee table in order to read as he used his fingers to comb his hair from his face.

The door was knocked, pretty hard and then the handle was tried because Ryan didn’t really mind invading other’s privacy, or rather he didn’t mind invading Alex’s privacy because he still felt the general owed him for ruining his life. Currently he looked a bit haggard and how would he not when he gotten into a few fights. All he was trying to do was gather some energy, though he probably shouldn't have ran off at the mouth like he was prone to doing.

“Alex,” he called loudly, probably drawing the attention of some of the neighbors, “open up. I know you’re in there.”

He frowned and stood impatiently at the door waiting for the other to answer and hoping he wasn’t made to wait outside.

Setting his book down, hearing his door knocked on, he didn’t even get a few paces before the handle was tried and than his name called. Sighing he reached the door and unlocked it, calling out as he did so. “I’m opening it, calm down.” Down the steps came the soft, muffled from the carpet, sounds of a cats feet and the dog was running down the stairs thus making more noise, not to mention the tags on his collar made a small amount of noise as well.

When the door was unlocked, with both cat and dog at his feet, he opened it and peeked out. “Ryan?” Questioning before he opened the door and moved aside to let him in. “Come in.” Using a leg to hold the dog back as he was unworried about the cat. “You don’t look so good, are you alright?” The ashen blond asked, concern coloring his voice. “Take a seat, I can get you something to drink?” He offered the other.

Ryan nodded and stormed somewhat rudely, flopping down on the couch and groaning. “Motrin or something would not go amiss,” he admitting with a frown momentarily lifting his shirt to examine the bruise that was still there and still nasty. Having someone charge you and punch you in the gut, kind of sucked a lot. It’s not like he was unused to fights and pain, it more a getting use to people who didn’t look like much being able to deliver a punch that packed so much.

He looked to the cat and arched an eyebrow. He didn’t remember a cat last time, not that he was here long or paying very much attention. He looked to where Alex disappeared off to and frowned, “this war is not something I am liking very much Alex. I get dragged into this giant fight with, freaking tons of these senshi and knight and then the other night one of them up and decides to try and ******** kill me. This is all your fault you know. I do not particularly care for floundering either. What is with this crash course way of learning? How are the newbie’s not all dead.”

Ryan was trying to avoid death, but was certain still that this was a death sentence. Still he was doing what he could to avoid trouble, mostly just meeting the energy quota. He found energy draining to be thrilling and entertaining.

Thankfully he carried things for pain, he’d learned to, even though he never used the pills himself for pain. “I’ll get you some medication, what do you want to drink with it?” He questioned while already figuring he’d also get something for the bruise he saw. The front door closed and locked he watched Cadha go over to jump onto the couch and curl up at the other males side, he’d done enough training with the terrier so he didn’t jump people. The little dog did try and lick at the other though.

Vanishing into the kitchen he continued to listen to the other while getting a glass, waiting to hear what he was to fill it with for the other. “War isn’t meant to be liked, at least not completely. When you like it, in it’s entirety, let me know...then you’ve lost yourself to it and lost your humanity. I may enjoy killing but I don’t enjoy every aspect of this war.” he stated, making sure to watch how he said things given who he was talking to and the cat living within his house now.

Peeking out from the kitchen he eyed the other. “Do you want to learn to fight finally?” He questioned before vanishing back into the kitchen. “Or do you want to continue your crash course.” Since the other hadn’t really wanted much to do with him till now. “Senshi and knights will continue to try and engage you in fights, and kill you, they don’t care about your rank and newness. Not that we care about their newness either.” And why would they? To do so would be stupid.



Moving around the living room, following the new person, Katya kept silent so far. Her slender tail waving back and forth behind her as she approached the couch he was flopped on and she jumped up lightly and sat there primly, not curling up like the dog did. With a little fabric drown upon her head and necklaces hanging about her neck she was sure she must seem odd, as if Alexandre had decided to play dress up with her. How very wrong this one would be for guessing such a thing. She had come this way - thank you very much.

“It would be wise for you to train him. We do not need a dead agent.” She spoke finally, at long last, one paw coming up to rub against one of her ears delicately. “While we have plenty of agents, worldwide, we do not have as many here.” She added as an after thought.

“Water is fine,” he said calming slightly and losing the loose tongue. He was irritable, all this was still Alex’s fault but at least he was getting pain killers. He scratched the dog behind his ears absentmindedly listening to Alex talk. “Yeah yeah Alex, I know I know, just complaining. Allowed to do that right, I mean one of them did try to kill me. I have no intention of losing myself in all this craziness or at least I hope not to.”

He sat back still petting Cadha and looked around the room absently, “I know how to fight, I need to be able to fight better. Or rather I guess more properly, not street brawl, rolling on the ground classroom fight stupidity. The added strength is nice, but doesn’t help with someone more experienced, or stronger, or both. SO no I would not like to continue this crash course.”

He looked to the cat when she jumped up and was about to pet her too when she spoke and he jumped because he’d never heard a cat talk before and clearly she was perfectly capable of understanding the context of the conversation. “You sound like his boss,” he said with a laugh not at all bothered by the fact she could talk. The negaverse had monsters, so to speak, what was a talking cat in all that.

“Where’d you get the talking know it all, Alex? Sounds like a Hermione?”

He looked to the cat, “what’s your name … if you say Hermione I will bust a gut.”

The cat, understanding what he was talking about, actually got up on her back legs and took aim for his face but missed on purpose. No claws were out but the paw still came toward him. “I am Katya, not Hermione. And I am a guardian cat for the Negaverse. The white moon has theirs and so do we. I am charged with the task of awakening, powering up, and guarding over the senshi who serve the Negaverse.” Nodding her head, prim as ever, the Russian Blue sat herself back down and looked at him. “You’re not a corrupted senshi, are you?” Not knowing who he was when powered she had to ask, somewhat hopeful that the answer would be yes.


Pouring water into the glass, having been answered by the other, he added an ice cube and hurried into the sitting room to deposit that on the coffee table for the other. “Let me get some painkillers.” Up stairs and in the bathroom, the one which was available to everyone in the house, he got the painkillers from the shelf hidden behind the mirror as well as a bruise salve he’d made. “As Katya has said, she is a guardian cat and not having senshi to protect and no home she has decided that my home is now hers.” Alexandre called down before he came down the stairs slowly, both the pill bottle and the salve in hand.

“Guardian cats provide...information of sorts, advisors perhaps would best describe them. They can also mask our auras.” Which he did find appealing - very appealing and useful. “We’ll work on fighting then. Do you know what level of senshi it is that you got into a fight with? Better yet, did you get a name or a sphere - what they are senshi of?” He asked as he came back into the living room and offered both items. “The jar has a bruise salve in it, it should help some.”

Ryan went briefly crossed eyed looking at the cat that went to bat at his face. He is instinct said to back away, but there wasn't really anywhere to go and she was talking to him. He nodded, “Katya, got it and no I’m a lieutenant. One who, again,” he raised his voice slightly talking to Alex not, “would very much like to start this training thing as soon a possible. At this rate the white moons magic slingers are going to turn me on my head.”

Ryan blinked slightly looking back to Katya, “mask our auras?” He looked to Alex, “the power level thing, yes? She can mask that? The other side’s cats can do this too.”

He took the medicine forgoing the the pilled for the bruise salve and rubbing it into my abdomen, “I have no idea. I wasn’t really paying that much attention to all that while he was trying to kill me and threatening to feed me to his sea monsters or something. He was stronger than me and his magic made layers of ice grow on me, that’s really all I know. How often do you get the name or anything of the person trying to beat the life out of you.”

He quickly took the pain reliever and sat back waiting for it to work. “He did talk far more that me. I mostly just insulted him a lot. Might avoid that next time.”

“Oh...so not one of mine. Well, I can still work with you, not the same as one of our senshi though.” And her ears went down, though not flat to her head, in dismay. She was hoping to soon meet one of their senshi, one who would become hers. She would make them hers whether they liked it or not. She would help them and keep them safe - from everything. “Yes, training would be a good thing. We don’t want those of the white moon bringing anymore harm to you.” She stated while deciding to rub her face against this lieutenant.



“Yes, our cats and their cats can mask our auras. With Katya at my side I could walk right up behind a senshi and not be felt.” Aside from what a normal person might feel if someone were sneaking up on them. And this he did mention with a dismissive wave of his hand. “She can help you with some things, information and keeping your aura from being sensed. Her main purpose is finding senshi that we can bring into our ranks and powering them up when they are ready.” A smile was flashed toward the cat, who seemed more than a little proud of herself.

Watching the other apply the salve he found himself running his fingers through his hair and sighing softly. “Sometimes you can get a name from a senshi or a knight, some have ego’s and will freely give it even. Think of it as a person, with an ego, and then giving them super powers. They can’t help it in some cases and in others they’ll give it when asked with some boastful manner about it.” Others...meh some did and some didn’t give a name. “That doesn’t sound like one I’ve encountered before, and I have a notebook full of information on every senshi and knight I’ve encountered.” Powers, names if he had it, appearence. Anything which could help himself or others, though he’d never offered it to others before.

“We’ll start your training, not today, but we will once you don’t feel so terrible. I suggest you start running or jogging if you don’t already. You’ll need to build stamina for fights and leg strength for all the rooftop running and jumping we do. I’d also suggest noting anything about that senshi, and any future senshi or knights, down for reference.” They really needed a database of sorts, it would help a lot.

Ryan decided that he liked the cat, even if she seemed like a know it all, she also seemed like she would be rather helpful and he kind of want to try out the aura masking thing, so he figured he had better stay on the cats good side. He gave her a scratch behind the ears when she rubbed against him and looked back to Alex as he started talking once more.

The thought of asking a cat for information was a little strange, but he could see that she might be helpful. He chuckled lightly at the name thing and shook his head. He didn’t think he was to keep to really give his name to anyone honestly, not to anyone who was trying to actively murder him. So they can go back to someone like he was currently doing himself and be like Witherite, the big mouth.

“You have a whole notebook. Can I see it? That would probably be really helpful, maybe I can know some of them before even meeting them if I ever meet them and know who maybe to avoid or whatever.”

He rolled his eyes at Alex next and sided, “I already told you I run, when you brought me into all this. You do to, or at least I believe you said that. Anyway I do triathlons and any sport I can get my hands on, that does involve contact. As far as fighting goes though, I can street brawl mostly, and it more they touch me I hit them, reflexive. They usually aren't looking to fight, so the brawls are short lived.”

He sighed, “I forewarn you now, training might be very difficult at first or I don't know. I’m not the best when it comes to ‘contact’.”

“I’ll get the notebook in a few.” He’d never shown anyone, it didn’t mean it had never been found under his mattress and paged through. He wouldn’t have put it past Alois to have gone through his room and find it somehow. There wasn’t much he’d have put past Bischofite to be honest, and yet he was proud of him.

As he watched the other scratch behind Katya’s ear he felt himself smiling, she really did like attention from others when she wasn’t working. Listening to the other he bobbed his head once in understanding. “You’ll find that most senshi and knights are willing to fight, some more than others, but many are willing and will seek to do the most amount of damage possible.” Broken bones, stitches, and other injuries were all normal and expected. He went into big battles knowing he could die and smaller scuffles knowing he could walk away needing a trip to a hospital. He had long ago accepted these things and continued on forward, he didn’t have much choice anyway.

“Yes, I run every morning. Good...sports will help and triathlons.” Both things he hadn’t known. They would help the other thought. “You’ll have to learn to accept some contact, since they’ll be looking to make contact with you in most painful ways. Just do as you said you do - brawl...and learn other ways to fight if you can. Fighting dirty can, at times, work to your advantage as it may catch some off guard.” Sighing he nodded then.

“That’s fine. I don’t expect things to be easy. But we need to work on it. You’ll learn also to handle someone pulling a weapon on you, since I’ve no magic aside from teleporting and energy draining. I’ll make sure you’re ready for this war though. First lessons though are energy draining and starseed pulling. You have energy quotas to meet so you’ll need to learn that. It can also help in a fight if you drain an opponent of energy. Starseed pulling however is..taboo among some officers. I wouldn’t do it to a civilian but in a fight, or a battle, it will end it quickly.” Standing he stretched and looked at the other seriously. “A starseed is equivalent to a persons soul. It’s what I grasped inside of you when I corrupted you. Pulling that from a person will kill them, sometimes slowly and other times instantly.” More often than not it was an instant kill, but not always. “If you crush or otherwise destroy it they will never be reborn. I would save them though...they can provide you with energy in a battle and even help with very minor injuries. Just don’t become addicted to them...too many and you become a youma.” He stated, with a serious voice that told of something more, something deeper. He knew of this becoming a youma thing in a way few did.

Ryan could have sworn he’d had part of this conversation with Alex before, but it really matter not. Repetition just mean he wouldn't forget, not that he thought he would. “Well fighting is easier than some other thing, at least I can make my displeasure known, and harshly. Never thought I’d be encouraged to brawl, figured you’d require more finesse, but whatever that’s fine. I’ll train and learn other form. I hope you know more that just schoolyard fights and street brawling, cause if not, please point me in the right direction.”

He eyes Katya wondering how she got on in all this, being just a cat. Did she get caught in the crossfire. He face dropped into a frown, at hearing he needed to learn to handle having a weapon pulled on him, “great they sling magic and pull weapons, just what I needed. What is one of them going to try to knife me.” He sighed loudly rolling his head to the side, “this war, damn you Alex.”

He sat up a moment later intrigued by the information on starseeds. He expression was enraptured, then horrified, as he realized just how powerful a tool such an ability was. “Addicted, its not like im going to what snort a starseed. You said don't crush it, so how exactly am I getting energy from there. Not terribly fond of the idea of soul ripping anyway but if it will help me in a bind.”

“As for draining an enemy, that I can definitely try. I know about the quota, that’s like the main thing people tell you. Gotta harvest it and turn it in. Which reminds me,” he pulled a bag out his pocket and handed over some energy.

“So long as you come out of it alive, and well, it matters little how you go about it. Treat each fight as if they want to kill you and go from there.” He said this with a shrug. “How a person fights doesn’t matter - just the outcome.” There was no fair in this war, it was war, not when everyone was fighting for their ideals and how they wanted to see things shaped. “Just try and not involve civilians as much as possible - this is not there war. While we take their energy we should not kill them. It makes no sense to kill people who supply us with energy and can do so many times.” It was as good as stabbing yourself in the foot as far as he was concerned, plus it was a good way to excuse his dislike for killing civilians.

“No, knives aren’t there thing. Knights have items they use magic through...senshi have just magic. We have weapons, though I suppose some of the items knights have can be used as a weapon if all else fails them.” Or if they felt like being a bit more violent and brutal.

He watched the emotions play across the others face before he answered his next question. “You eat them, they are solid and crunch. it’s like..a sugar candy with a hollow center. That’s the best way I can put it, with energy in that center. They don’t have a taste, not really, but the energy you’ll feel and it can be a surprise and overwhelming even.” He could very easily remember what had happened to himself when he’d given one to Bischofite; he didn’t think he’d ever forget that. “They are addictive though, like a drug, and take too many and you can become a youma - the shadow monsters.” He stated to make sure the other understood how bad it could be, becoming addicted to them. Leaning forward to take the bag he opened it and stared inside for a moment. “You’ve been busy, that’s good. I suppose we should go to turn it in then, I’ll bring you down to do so and you can see our safe haven. Just keep close to me when we’re down there.” Standing he set the bag on the table.


“If you two are going down there I’m going as well, I’d like to check in and see if anyone is around.” She really was hoping to see a corrupt senshi, she’d yet to encounter one and she did so want to see one, to claim one as her own. She would forever live with Benitoite but that didn’t mean she couldn’t claim ownership over a bunch of corrupted senshi. Leaving Ryan’s side, though she had so liked his scratching behind her ears, she made to move to the coffee table and looked at the General across from her. “First the notebook and then we can go.” She was assuming she was going because she was, she wouldn’t permit him to not take her.

So she did watch as her General turned and headed off up the stairs to get the notebook. Tail swishing lazily behind her she turned then to face Ryan. “You’ll make a good officer one day, sooner rather than later I hope.” She would help however she could with this one, and every other one that she could get close to. “Our safe haven is broken into two parts. The main area, where you will teleport to, is the citadel while the lower part is the rift. The rift is home to the youma and is the former kingdom of the earth. It’s big enough you could get lost for years down there, if the youma didn’t kill you, or meld with you.” She said lifting one paw and making a waving motion with it. “Corrupted senshi can never walk around on there own. Even though they are on our side the youma still dislike them and would kill them.” Or try at least, she didn’t know how that would go and frankly she didn’t want to know that. She liked to learn but that wasn’t something she wanted to know, it was too much of a risk to a corrupted senshi.

Ryan shook his head and laughed, “it matters if they fight better, but I get it Alex, dirty fighting and brawling is all good, so long as I win. I’d just like to have a bit more finesse than that especially since a little plastic wrench isn't worth much unless you give it a very good toss.”

He listened trying to make sure to remember everything for once. It didn’t do him any good not to pay attention because Alex currently was the one he was learning the most from, the one he guessed he ‘reported to’. Wasnt like he knew many other though. The notion of starseeds sounded really interesting, but he wasn’t to terrible sure he wanted to eat one. It was just an interesting concept that starseeds were basically redbull for negaverse.

“I think I want to see one. A starseed that it, any particular thing I need to do to get it out?”

He nodded when Alex mentioned about turning the energy in and got up as Katya basically demanded to go and reminded Alex about the book. He had to say he definitely like that cat.

He went back into listening mode as the safe haven was explained to him, but he frowned at the mention of a youma trying to meld with him. He didn’t think he was going to go wandering at all. It was a slightly terrifying thought to have youma trying to do that to him, especially thinking about how eating starseeds could turn you into one, which mean most youma were like once people.

“You and Alex will be good for warning I can see, but I guess that is a good thing. Maybe I will not die after all.”