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Prehnite was in a *hurry*, distracted, tablet before his face and buried in it. He saw little beyond the bridge of his nose and a seemingly endless scroll of *something*.

All of which came to a horrid halt as he nearly stepped upon and stumbled over — a cat….

Prehnite took pause to look down at the paws. Realized where he’d wandered, aimlessly. How his steps were often so rat in a maze run on of past places he’d been. Followed the trail of familiar before, but was surprised to find a cat there. Mau of all things—- outside the hall of shadows…Every last curse for ‘whatever the hell that was’ fell silent and dead.

Well.

“First things first. Why are you? Secondly ‘who’, and third? What are you doing standing out here!? This is hardly the place for…Senshi, starseeds, or kittens…” didn’t they have a tower tucked safely away? Some other direction than —

“Listen little Mau, you shouldn’t be alone within even a mile of the Rift. The guardians get antsy...” the image of what could’ve been if the mau had wandered closer, or gods forbid ‘within’. All signs that screamed ‘it’s dangerous to go, take this.’ Except it was clearly an agent the Mauvian was needing. Or maybe it’s bonded Senshi?

Something clearly was amiss. Prehnite as both a General and very busy passerby, was going to get to the bottom of it. Preferably before someone’s friend got snatched whole and eaten.

Of all the questions Prehnite had, the little kitten's statements answered most of them. Ticked off boxes as he stared the small, surprisingly sweet ball of fluff down. Made him realize he should've been more specific with his bombardment of words that'd fallen rapid fire from his lips.

"No, I...My apologies, for the lack of map for starters..but also?" Prehnite sighed, paced, and then turned to stand himself between Tama and the pair of shadowed doors that loomed large over the hall. "We are terrible with maps, it's true, though I do believe the Mauvians have a tower hereabouts. However, these doors specifically? Are full of very dangerous beings who would, for you, be an ending -- a period -- a..." prehnite paused, realizing he would go on, and on and --

"I should show you? The doors are safe to pass through in the presence of certain company, but never alone. That is. I have to impress this upon you, but the best way is seeing, yes? It lends a great weight to believing. If you'd like." and Prehnite gave a small nod, a tip that was nearly a bow as he brushed his quarter of a spiraled cape behind him.

He'd been wordy, and rude, and - he'd promised people he wouldn't be. "I'm General Prehnite Tama, and I'd be happy to be your guide. In lieu of a map...what do you say?"

"It's called the Rift - now. If I may?"

A tour for Tama. Guardian cats were a precious commodity, he would be remiss to not show this one around. Thoroughly.

"This hall, serves as a passageway between corridors in the castle that once housed a whole kingdom. Full of life. Metallia, it's benevolent Queen. Then, one day? An attack -- and then for eons after -- it's been this. These doors are of shadow. The glass houses it's ever-living guardians. They protect us from the beings beyond the Rift, agents fallen in service long ago, who’ve become youma. An army awaiting awakening. The Guardians beyond these doors keep those unready out, the same as those labeled enemy. They also keep the Youma in, until called. The likes of Senshi, of You? Are not to pass without an entourage. For your protection."

Prehnite was long winded, wordy, and happy enough to be beaming. As he gingerly scooped Tama up, and set him along his shoulder, gently curled the fingers of one hand around the surprisingly soft furred creature.

He didn't linger as he spoke, though. Simply shoved open the doors that screeched like doom -- the beings beyond the glass that howled for a snack, denied -- that clawed like death was ever on their heels -- tips of fingers reaching through, snatching out at nothing.

He was a General now, he could've glowered, snapped a halt that would've been briefly heeded. He let them go on though. As he walked with Tama straight through -- to the end -- to the other side that led out into lightning streaked gloom and ash that drifted softly.

Prehnite had ample fear of a cats curiosity and all the dangers it could cause.

In fact? He feared that danger enough that he thought to call Iolanthe to hand. Reached out along their bond and summoned her presence just before the large cracked steps that left the Kingdom far behind them. He'd promised her the stars and moon, maybe after this?

They had catching up to do. He hadn’t told her of a Princess fully snatched, of his practice hunts with mizuki which would leave her pleased for future starseeds as treats.

Surely the likes of Tama would be able to appreciate youma, and the Rift far better if he met one who would 'not' immediately try to snatch his star shaped soul out of his body and consume it.

She never missed a summons from Hers, and the youma glided out of the shadows at the base of the stairs. Yellow eyes glowed as she glanced over Prehnite and the cat in his arms. Oh, a small treat... no no, Prehnite would not just bring this furry creature into the domain of youma to sacrifice it... Though it had been some time since they'd last spoken. Something may have changed, after all.

The youma brought one clawed hand to her mouth and smiled behind it, walking over silent as a ghost. "My General, to what do I owe the pleasure?" she said, leaning down to gently tuck some hair behind his ear and touch his cheek gently. "And who might you be, little creature?" Amber eyes flicked over to Tama then, looking at the guardian cat more closely now.

Mmm she wanted to stroke his fur. One large hand reached over, slowly. to run her claws gently through his fur. Ah yes, very soft. She quite liked this creature.

Meighei

One 7'2" tall goatuar youma girly at your disposal

Shinigamisgirl

And there she was… a youma, but much unlike the ones the guardian cat had seen before now.

Iolanthe was beautiful in a strange sort of way, the way something dangerous could be both terrifying and alluring at the same time.

It was in this way that the Mauvian did not recoil from her touch. He let her run her claws through his fur. Part of him shivered and the other relished the smell of roses that was brought in her wake.

“Iolanthe. I am Tama, a Mauvian.” He said coyly. “And as Prehnite has impressed upon me many times now, a Mauvian is not to wander here. But as he also must have gleaned, I am curious and do not learn my lessons easily.”




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Tama purred. He liked the sound of Iolanthe’s voice. Especially when she called him a ‘rare thing’.

He didn’t much like the idea of being eaten, as a ripple of concern visibly ran through his fur. Not so much fear as a genuine desire to keep his hide right where it was. He had no interest in being a throw rug.

“I wouldn’t betray such a fine and polite general.” He said. This one was so much different than Faustite. He’d betray Faustite as soon as he could figure out how. “He’s been so kind to show me around.”




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