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 Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2024 12:55 pm
It was nice having a roommate, Jishui enjoyed having someone to talk to at all hours, if she needed someone to talk to, but on the downside, she had been alone for so long, that when she was no longer alone…it felt…rather stifling. Her space was no longer her own, and while she enjoyed Dylan’s charm and energy…
It was nice to go off on patrol by herself.
It was quiet and relaxing.
Her eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, and Jishui felt the aura of someone else…not a Senshi….but not a problem either. Quietly, she made her way over and her eyes took in the bright blue and light blue and…honestly beautiful outfit of the Knight. She knew about Knights, who didn’t, but…she hadn’t met one in a very long time. It was good to see that they, too had managed to come to Earth. It was reassuring that there was still so much good out there.
“Good evening. I am Jishui, Senshi of Resilience. Who might I have the pleasure of meeting tonight?”
Formal, yes but…he seemed formal himself, judging by his clothing. And she wanted to make a good impression.
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Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2024 1:42 pm
He still couldn't say with any certainty what it was he was actually doing out here. He'd been Undine for more than a year, closer to two, honestly, but he still didn't know why he bothered to power up and go outside and- and what? Risk being assaulted by strangers more gung-ho about this interastral assignment than he was.
'Because he was supposed to,' is what Kitty's Mauvian said (or whoever's cat it was; Undine had only seen it a handful of times). He was supposed to take this Knight's guise and go out and pReVeNt cHaOs from spreading and hurting innocents. Very noble. Very honorable.
That narrative didn't compel him particularly strongly.
It wasn't like he had magic or not worthy combat prowess. Calder wouldn't mind taking a bat to anyone who deserved it, but Undine? Ehh, this just felt like it was well beyond the scope of what he'd wanted to achieve. Much too great and too far-off for him to have a good understanding of- and thus, appreciation for. There was really only one thing he was very certain of:
Undine was very pretty.
And petty, if that wasn't obvious.
He stood in front of a shop window, basking blissfully in the glow of his own reflection. It was late enough that no one else was around to admire him, but that was probably for the best. Sadly, a great amount of attention on his Powered visage was probably a bad thing. He was careful to keep a certain alertness for something that might bring an altercation his way, but truly the most interesting thing around was himself, and so long as anyone that drew too close wasn't an enemy, Undine didn't see any reason not to stay.
His reflection in the window was joined by another. Undine hummed out a soft note of greeting, folding his hands behind his neck, underneath his hair, and drawing it up so that the loose waves spilled in a cascade around him with the glimmer of pearls- it was always lovely, of course; Calder had an excellent hair-care routine. But he wouldn't be so gaudy in his everyday life. It was nice to have a little more sparkle than usual.
He eyed the girl in the glass, but otherwise stayed as he was. "Undine." A strange name that felt as if it only barely belonged to him, and he didn't bother to tack on his planet. He'd only even seen it twice. It didn't feel as if it should be his, either.
Unfortunately, every single time he'd met another Knight or a Senshi, their motives had been purely, 'I need to fight Chaos right now, and I need help immediately,' which was FAR from his favorite sort of introduction... But it was the one he was most accustomed to. He couldn't even fathom that this one would be different. "Jishui, what are you hoping to get out of coming up to me?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2024 6:11 pm
Blinking slightly, Jishui tilted her head to the side. “I have not met a Knight since coming to Earth, I was simply curious. Wanted to meet you. May I ask what…planet you serve? It has been a very long time since I’ve met a Knight, and I’ve rather forgotten what the symbols mean…I apologize.”
He was lovely. She adored the colors he wore and it made her smile just a little.
“You have some of the colors of a friend of mine, but I doubt you are a Knight of his planet. His name is Haik, and he has the feel of the water that you do.”
Hopefully she wasn’t being rude. She wasn’t trying to be at the very least. “I’m. Not new to the Earth, but I haven’t been making the connections that I should be…and wanted to say hello.”
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Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2024 1:43 pm
Since...
Coming to Earth? Undine's gaze slanted a little more fully to the girl's reflection in the window, trying to pick out anything that would set her apart from a normal human, but in the diluted reflection offered by the pane of glass in front of him, nothing stood out. The Senshi was far from plain, but he certainly wouldn't have thought 'alien,' either.
Undine was familiar enough with the knowledge that stellar Senshi with decaying worlds had begun to migrate to Earth. It was one such person who'd been among those who 'needed assistance now.' But even at that time, while Undine was on a planet he'd never heard of helping some boy he'd never met, he never actually spoke to the alien Senshi. He hadn't spoken to almost anyone, besides Kitty.
He hadn't spoken to anyone besides Kitty about any of this. Ever.
And here this girl was, allegedly seeking nothing, wandering up to him out of the blue like some kind of celestial offering.
He turned from the window to face her fully, and even right in front of him, he wouldn't have guessed anything but 'human.' Maybe there was something a little brighter than reflected light in her eyes, but that could be passed off.
"My planet is Neptune, though if you asked much else about it, I wouldn't know what to say." His Wonder seemed to just be an endless sheet of ice under a stormy sky, so... needless to say he hadn't been compelled to do anything on Undine, and it wasn't worth inviting anyone to visit. "There are probably other Knights who would have more- Knight things? To offer you."
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Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2024 2:26 pm
Neptune…
Jishui tried to think of what she knew of Neptune, but finally just nodded. “I understand. It’s difficult to get the drive to learn about things outside of one’s circle.” Like herself, for instance. “I work at an ice cream parlor, and I’ve become very knowledgeable about ice cream, milk and freezer burn, but I haven’t been back to my planet since coming to Earth, so I do understand. There is a lot here to learn about. To deal with…”
She was quiet for a moment and then gave a small smile. “I’m sure that there are. I’m sure there are Senshi who have better knowledge about what’s going on in the present too, and perhaps even some who have a better grasp on what happened in the past, however…you’re the one who is in front of me, and therefore, those others don’t really matter. I’m pleased to have the chance to speak with you.”
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Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2024 2:57 pm
"You haven't been home?" Undine asked, brows furrowing slightly.
It was one thing for him to say he didn't frequent his Wonder. This whole Powered thing was just something sort of pressed upon him without Calder having any say in the matter. Undine was a distant fixture, and still nearly unbelievable in its existence, even a couple years into his knighthood. And it still felt as though there was nothing he could personally do to fix this place that he had such a minimal connection with... A problem too big for him that he barely understood.
But this girl- If what she was saying was to be believed, she would've been born on a completely different planet. Lived her whole life there. Maybe knew more than he did about this space stuff- or maybe she didn't. Either way, this wasn't her home. Earth wasn't her home. But then, if this alien Senshi was here, it was probably because there wasn't much 'home' left to go back to.
She was just one person, as he was. With a large problem that seemed too big to fix.
"I'm pleased to meet you too," he offered. "I don't speak to too many people when I'm like this- when I'm Undine, I mean. I'm just a humble chef. I can't tell you much about Neptune, but if there are any foods you've been dying to try, I'd be confident in my ability to show you heaven."
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Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2024 3:48 pm
Jishui shook her head. “No…” There was a hint of bitter amusement in her voice as she continued. “It…after a thousand or so years of a botched stasis…it’s…the thought of going back still puts a bitter taste in my mouth. I suppose I’ll have to at some point, but…” She shrugged. Hopefully he understood. And if he didn’t…well. That wasn’t her fault, or her problem.
At the mention of the food, she nodded. “I am always eager to try new cuisine, another downside of the stasis process was every time I woke, the hunger was unimaginable. I enjoy the food on this planet, and would love to try whatever you think that I should. Shall we become friends outside of…Undine and Jishui? I would be pleased to do so, if you would.”
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Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2024 11:24 am
Undine didn't completely understand. There was no way for him to even begin to comprehend what kind of life a Senshi from Deep Space may have had- no way for him to equate any of his own comparatively meager experiences to any of hers. So he didn't understand, but he was under no impression that she wanted to elaborate. He didn't try and coerce her to.
Instead, he happily latched to the new discussion at hand. Food he could go on about much more easily than... this Knight stuff. If she worked at an ice cream parlor, Jishui must have some taste for sweets, and he launched into his favorites. "Desserts aren't my forte, but I can handle them well enough. I prefer it when they aren't too sweet, and if I'm being honest, my decorating leaves something to be desired, but I could make you a selection of mignardises to get a feel for your preferences. I'm a fruity or florals guy myself, but I would never underestimate the allure of classic chocolate- Hm?" He only barely stopped himself in time to hear her.
Oh.
Outside of "Undine" and "Jishui." Which would make sense if he was making any significant amount of food for her. "Ah, I..." His capacity to trust people had never been particularly high, but when dealing with just regular human life problems, the stakes felt graspable in a way they just didn't when dealing with anyone else in a Powered context. Undine couldn't say what sort of traumas being 'friends' with these people would bring into his life.
Because he knew there'd be traumas. He wasn't a fool. And he'd seen those other worlds. There was no telling what this alien girl was even capable of. She could be evil, for all he really knew.
"I think... for now..." Undine gave a Wavering shake of his head. "Just this way is probably best for now." Which was strange to say, since if they'd met as civilians on the street, he would've invited her right to his house for dinner. "I just don't know anything about you. And I can't be sure I want you knowing both mes. You understand."
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Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2024 5:16 pm
Jishui listened to him speak of food, and the smile on her face continued to grow, at least until…
He refused her offer of friendship.
That.
The smile froze on her face and then slowly faded as she tilted her head to the side, trying to figure out if…it was because she wasn’t also a Knight? Or if it was because she had done something wrong? Some breach of etiquette. Still…she was nothing if not resilient…it was her speciality after all. The smile came back, forced, but passable. “I understand. Then, I hope we may run into one another again sometime so that we can get to know one another and become friends. I understand.”
She hesitated. “I know that Senshi can keep in contact with our phones…will there be a way for us to stay in contact…?”
Or was this it…he didn’t want anything further. If that was so…she would deal. And it would be fine.
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Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2024 2:57 pm
Of course it hadn’t been his intention to disappoint her, and despite the Senshi’s valiant attempt to continue smiling, Undine wasn’t so blind that he couldn’t see the upset he’d caused- which he understood. It was a shitty person that went around telling nice girls that “he didn’t want to be friends.” But that wasn’t what he’d said. He’d just said that he needed time to get comfortable like this first. That’s all. Dealing with people in this powered state was a lot, and he was far from an expert.
Even being out now was a bit out of his comfort zone, but he was taking steps. Small steps.
“Well…” Undine thumbed lightly at the heavy ring on his index finger. “I don’t have a senshi phone, but I should be able to send you messages- you’ll just sort of… get them, like, in the air. I don’t think I can receive anything from you, though.”
That didn’t need to matter. Cell phones were hardly dated technology, and people had kept friends well enough without constant contact before.
“What’s your schedule like? We don’t have to wait for a chance encounter, we can just plan to meet again now. If you’re not too busy to make plans.”
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 7:15 pm
“Oh!” Well, if he could get in contact with her…that would be enough.
“I…come out often? Mostly for walks, I’m more comfortable powered up…I get to just be me while I am. Besides then I can sense any dangers…but…if you want to send me a message when you are free, I should be able to get it, you said? I think that would work well, and if that is what makes you comfortable…”
Jishui drew in a breath and let out a sigh. “I respect that. I will not push.” The smile was a bit more natural now, a bit more relaxed. “I have a roommate who is also like me…from space? And I understand wanting to keep things private. It has…been a big change getting used to having someone else living with me, so I do understand. But I would like to meet again! When are you free, next?”
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Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2024 2:56 pm
Right, of course, that made sense. While Undine was more comfortable as Calder, because that was who he'd been for his entire life- the alien girl from another planet would certainly not prefer her human life. Because that was not who she'd been. And Earth and its people were surely foreign and confusing. That made practical sense-
Once he jumped the mental hurdles of the thought that he was talking to an alien.
"Well, I do appreciate your restraint. Thank you." The tone might have been a bit snide, but the remark was genuine. Undine would absolutely not tolerate being pressured. It was a good look on her not to try. And probably netted her a couple extra notches of his respect, as well. "Hm..."
His gaze wandered off toward the lamplit street, and then toward the bright buildings beyond, closer toward the city center than they were. Powering up was barely even a side-gig for him. It was more like... Like a one-off activity that he indulged in once a month or so, as if to reaffirm that it was real. Undine twisted the tip of his wavy hair about his finger, distantly thoughtful. "I'd be lying if I could say with any certainty," he admitted. "I don't usually plan when to go out like this. It just sort of happens when I have nothing better to do. So I can't give you much of a date, but I promise not to keep you waiting. And I'll bring snacks."
That would Grant him time, at least. Time to think about how he really wanted to approach a friendship with an out-of-this-world senshi. "Is that alright?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2024 3:12 pm
“Snacks are always appreciated. I hope to see you again soon, and I hope that we can become friends at your leisure.”
Jishui smiled and nodded, showing her willingness and the truth beyond her words. I’ll be there whenever you want me to be. And if you ever have issues or run into trouble, you can contact me then too, I promise I’ll help in any way that I can!”
She would. She was making a promise, and she intended to keep it. But…for now?
“I hope to see you soon.” The words were a farewell this time, and Jishui gave a small wave before turning away, leaving Undine to his own thoughts, and moving away from the sting of not having a new friend officially, yet.
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