Predatory Puddles (6) : Summer rains aren’t uncommon, so finding puddles dotting your path isn’t in itself particularly surprising or abnormal. However, as you walk past them, you feel the sensation of being watched, like eyes are on you. If you look into the puddles, you don’t see your reflection--nor the reflection of anything familiar to you. Instead, you see strange, decayed buildings, and odd, rotting plants. Something is watching you through the puddles, but before you can investigate, between one blink and the next, it’s all gone. When you look back, the puddles are oddly non-reflective, and then in the next blink, they’re all gone. The feeling of being watched doesn’t fade, though.
Albite slid off the crest of a roof, and dropped down into an alley, a smooth ripple of movement as he ducked around a concrete and brick patchworked corner. Traipsing carefully across the pothole ridden, earth cracked path that squeezed between buildings. He tried his best to avoid stepping in the puddles or tripping around the trash cans laid out behind establishments.
The puddles made everything worse almost, little traps for dirty water and smells that Albite didn't like on the worst of nights. So he'd gone ahead and made a game of dancing around them. He didn't know it'd been raining earlier in the day, hadn't bothered to check any sort of forecast. He just knew he didn't want to step in them if he could've managed to avoid it. The game went well right up until he couldn't, and an errant step to dodge a bit of street wrappers that'd blown down the alleyway had him touching the unnaturally deep puddle with the heel of his boot.
The thing rippled - shifted and twisted into something other - a visage of some dystopian beyond. Then? Then the puddles went blank, still, sightless like darkened glass, and ******** disappeared while he blinked down at where water had just been. He swore it'd been there.
A distant yowl of a cat had him suddenly on edge, while the distant rustling of wind spiked an unnaturally cold shiver straight up his spine.
"Hello...." and he stood straighter, pulled himself up and drew his shoulders back, head cocked like an errant dog listening for any input of sound. He felt ******** watched. Knew what that felt like, from Senshi, or other agents.
This felt different though.
"What the actual ********..." the words hushed as he kept his head on a swivel, and stared down the darker parts of the alley. He wondered if maybe this was what the others had talked about, the few corrupt Senshi he'd met who'd gone and taken a full flight all the way over the coo-coos nest. Vanishing puddles, distant decayed cities, the feeling of errant eyes scanning across his flesh.
"I don't usually mind being watched...just think it'd be fair if I could see the person watching yeah? No need to be creepy about it." the words bitten off, uncharacteristically for him, he didn't want to let the tone of unease into his voice, but he couldn't help it. He'd never felt so skittish before, and very rarely cared even, for other peoples gazes - took it all as compliment and flattery.
This though?
Whatever it was with the puddles, it was one-hundred percent <******** no', to the n'th degree as far as he was concerned.
He wanted to know whos eyes were on him...or if he was talking to the air...He really hoped he wasn't just talking to the air.
Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2021 2:15 pm
Thorite had tried. Really, honestly tried. He’d gone out as soon as the rain had stopped to start trying to do the whole “collect starseeds and energy and all that” mission he was supposed to have as a Lieutenant of the Negaverse. But even without the rain, finding people that were outside to enjoy the fest, or walking home from work, or anything like that, was proving to be more and more impossible the longer he stayed out.
It didn’t help that he was dealing with a massive case of the heebie-jeebies. It seemed like everywhere he turned to, there was some odd, prickly feeling of being watched, and yet, when he tried to turn and catch whoever it was, there was always nothing behind him. Or above him. Or to his sides. Just… an endless sea of puddles from the rotten roadwork and the rain from earlier.
Shaking his head, he took a deep breath and continued on as normal. At least, until he managed to come up with a clever idea. He decided to look into the puddles, see if maybe whoever was following him could be caught out by the reflections, and Thorite would be triumphant, turning and catching whoever it was—
Except, uh. The reflections weren’t right. None of what was in them looked like his surroundings. In fact, they didn’t even show his own reflection. No handsome face to stare back at him. Just… strange old buildings, like, really old, older than even the buildings around him now. And.. rotting plants. Yuck.
What the hell was going on? His breathing rate increased as he turned to check the next puddle, see if maybe his eyes were just playing tricks on him because of how high alert he was right now, but the next puddle didn’t even reflect… anything. Like he was looking into a black hole. The feeling of being watched increased, and he shivered, taking a few steps forward and looking into the next puddle—
The puddles were gone. He froze, still like a statue, as his eyes darted around. No puddles at all. Despite the earlier rain. The roads were as dry as a desert.
This was not good. At all.
He continued to creep forward at a much slower pace, the situation feeling so daunting, he wished he was a captain already so he could just teleport away and not have to deal with it anymore tonight, and then he heard a voice. He couldn’t make out what it was saying, but at least it sounded human. Relief flooding his body, he sped forward, almost running into the guy when he skidded and turned into another road.
“Oh my God, another person,” he breathed, “At least, I hope you’re a person and not whatever the ******** is out ********. What if it wasn’t a person? They hadn’t turned around yet, and Thorite just wanted to go the hell home.Please don't be a monster.
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Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2021 6:12 pm
Acting instinctually, all self preservation and lack of focus as the tattoos that covered his frame slid free, a flurry of inky bindings that latched themselves to the strangers form - the fear that bit at his mind had him yank on the damned things, and whatever they'd attached to, the second he felt them cinch around flesh and hold.
"I swear to god, if it's you with the puddle s**t..." gaze wide as he registered exactly what he'd caught hold of. 'tall' was the first thought that hit him, as his blood sung in his veins and pulse pounded against the inside of his skull like a scattered beat. Albite was a little surprised - he rarely found people who were at eye level with him, let alone a little taller - and the guys aura slowly registered. Albite heaved a breath and held himself still. Let the seconds tick down.
Not a youma....
Not one of the moons......
"Oops. You're uh..huhn.." and he didn't know the guy, and so he didn't drop the magic, just let it dwindle out as he took him in. Caught his own damned breath and let himself settle a little in his own skin. "Are you the one watching me?" tone carefully neutral, for all that it didn't matter at this point. He could have a conversation with the guy, like a person - if all else failed the alley was a perfect place to handle these exact sorts of situations. Insofar as Albite was concerned.
Besides it wasn't like he could point to the no longer existing puddles and blame the guy for something that was gone. He was already feeling crazy, pointing it out and having a conversation with some random negaverse Lt. about 'puddles what puddles? I don't see any puddles'. <******** that.
Quote:
Sailor Scout Attack: Binding Retribution! Albites tattoos appear to come alive, slithering off his harm like ethereal magical ribbons. The tattoo ribbons wrap around his intended opponents body part and tie the two together for a duration of 15 seconds. Leaving neither able to escape the other until the magic is ended, or the weak ribbons are severed. (Ex. Albite's opponent has a weapon/magical attack, and uses it on said ribbons or Albite is interrupted in casting/cancels the magic early.) Range: 3 Feet Duration: 15 seconds Number of uses: 3 Number of targets: 1
genovianprince
Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2021 6:30 pm
Thorite let out a strangled yelp as the tattoos came alive and grabbed at his ankles, pulling him off his feet and dragging him down the alley to bind him to the—what the hell was this guy? He slowly took in the long hair, the outfit, and swallowed, nervously scratching his goatee.
"You're being watched too?" he asked softly, eyes darting around. A shiver went up his spine. "********. Well, at least we're in good company now, yeah?"
He smiled charmingly, exhaling as the magic finally let go and he could stand, brushing himself off. "Blech. Well, at least it's not wet dirt anymore," he muttered. He couldn't suppress another shiver at the thought of whatever monster was out here, freaking them both out.
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Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2021 6:47 pm
'you're being watched too'
The words registered and Albite winced while the guy pulled himself up off the ground. Expected for a moment an attack that didn't come, tall guy seemed all sorts of chill for having just gotten yanked to the ground. Albite was glad for it, he hadn't meant to grab him like that, especially since he didn't' seem to be the source of the puddles.
"I am - so - so - so sorry for that." Albite gestured between them, let his hands hover in the space between. "You too, like...I'm not loosing my mind? It rained, I swear, earlier today or something? Those puddles were real..." a glance between the tall silver haired agent and the ground, the various potholes and cracks that remained tauntingly empty of any source of water.
"Good company, sure, better to go out of my mind with friends yeah?" and Albite stressed the friends part, seeing the guy brush the dirt off himself, the eeriness therein that it was 'dry'. Albite had signed up for all sorts of things, but s**t like this? Not once had it been mentioned in the job description.
He couldn't shake it, didn't know if they needed to get out of the alley or what. Maybe if they found somewhere else, the creeping eyes on the back of his head feeling would fade.
genovianprince
Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2021 7:27 pm
Thorite shook his head. "No need to apologize, really," he assured, "I totally get it. I mean... Sounds like we both experienced the same freaky s**t just now, what with the puddles and the eyes on the backs of our necks here; I'd attack the first person I saw, too. I mean, I didn't attack you, but..."
He chuckled. "I probably should have, but I was hoping that you were a friend," he said ruefully, "Next time I'll know better."
He winked and continued, "C'mon, let's get out of here. I'm only an LT, I can't teleport yet, but we can like, do those ninja jumps and get on the buildings to start running away from this freaky area, right? Then maybe we can talk a little more over coffee or something."
Pulling out his plastic hammer-thingy, he remarked, "Don't think this would do much damage against something, y'know?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2021 8:51 pm
"Yeah, but no, we're technically on the same side? That's not typically how I like to sweep people off their feet..." Albite floundered, faltered, put on his back foot for a moment, and he wasn't used to being on the receiving end of what sounded like lines he should've been laying out. The coquettish wink, an ask out to coffee...
'Well ******** me, he's hitting on me?' the thought bounced about in his brain, and he smiled for it. It was nice, after the night he'd had, to be on the receiving end of some honest to goodness appreciation.
The gavel, oh god was it a plastic toy? Albite felt for anyone starting out amongst them, being bottom barrel was the worst. He'd at least been granted magic, this poor guy...
"Not nearly as much damage as you're smile would, I'm sure." Albite could only smirk, fulley in agreement with the idea. "That's how they hook people right? Ninja jumps, mallets...phenomenal cosmic powers and itty bitty barracks." Completely drawn in by the options.
A. Getting the hell out of the alley that made him increasingly paranoid beyond reason.
B. Getting some coffee with a Lt who didn't seem to have a stick permanently welded up his a**, yet also had more than enough spine and sense to be interesting.
"How about, since I lost my cool over a bunch of puddles, I buy?" it only seemed fair, and was a good way to make up for the mistake, even if the guy didn't want his apology. He knew there was probably somewhere around, a street truck, an outdoor cafe...
genovianprince
Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2021 1:36 am
Eliot couldn't suppress a giggle. Sweep people off their feet. That was a good one.
G-d, this boy was cute.
He blushed at the mention of his smile, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Shucks. Wait.
"Was that an Aladdin reference?" he exclaimed with a delighted laugh, grinning widely. "Oh, you're better than I thought you were. To be honest, though, I'd rather have the tiny barracks than..." He trailed off, shaking his head, and glanced at the alley around them meaningfully.
"But trust me, we both lost our cools," he said assuringly, "Though I'm not opposed to you paying." He grinned again, crouching and launching himself into the air, bringing his arms up with the thrust for maximum power, and landed on top of the nearest building.
"Come be Spiderman with me!"
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Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2021 9:39 am
FUN. Albite admired how easily he'd rolled the whole encounter, how he seemed to lack the notion of being set off by 'senshi', and doubly set off by 'corrupt'. Either he was fresh enough that he hadn't gotten the company memo on how things worked - not yet indoctrinated into all the little underling bureaucratic bullshitery - that ran like the life blood through the veins of the Negaverse.
Or?
Or he was genuinely a chill person. With a mouth. He only hoped the whole of the world he'd stepped into didn't eventually smother and silence the likes of that. They needed more people like the tall, silver, drink of an Lt. in their ranks. Less shunted and slighted little wallflowers. Albite could only shake his head about the barracks, he couldn't ever encourage anyone to be there, but he also wasnt the type who would encourage anyone to traipse into negaspace at all; it just wasn't his scene.
Then, with warm eyes, he watched him move, suppressed a snort of amusement, and followed headlong after. Albite made a show of it, scaling to the rooftop alongside the guy, dreads a whip in tow with his momentum.
"Uh-huh - So Spiderman, does that make me the Mary Jane of this scenario? Cause like, real facts? Upside-down kissing in the rain is a m e s s. Can't recommend it, logistics wise." and as he spoke he took to another ledge, crouched and kicked off of of overlapped concrete edging. He had an idea where he could lead the guy to, an inkling of a place - A Javanese open air stall - open late - they made coffee with cardamom in it, had spicy little bowls of broth and vegis that Albite would have died for.
Sweetest little old nana with a sharp ******** tongue - English wasn't her first, third, or fifth language - but language was never needed when food was involved. Albite liked a woman that had raised enough kids that she didn't take s**t from anyone, but still had all the love to give with her food.
genovianprince
Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2021 1:09 am
Eliot laughed. "That, and if you were the Spiderman, I think your floor length hair would pose a problem. I'd probably step all over it and pull you right off your web," he said with an easy laugh and a smile.
The chill of the eyes at his back remained, but he was sure that once they got away from here, to whatever place Albite wanted to take him to, he wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.
