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 Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 4:45 pm
"We can hang out nearby. To make sure nothing happens while she's passed out. All I know is not everyone reacts well to waking up in such circumstances. And that not everyone is a fan of 'terrorists'... so to speak."
It definitely was not an accurate label for the cats, the senshi, or the knights, but it was one that had spread about like wildfire. With one more final nudge, the manx finally backed off and jumped off the bench. Quite quickly, she began to jingle and trot towards a nearby tree that had branches looming over the area almost like an umbrella. "This should be good... able to watch but not interfere."
Remaining on all four paws, she simply mewled in Celsus' direction to let him know he could come join her. It was definitely a waiting game, and it was more fun to wait with someone else to talk to. Even if one of the parties was a cat.
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 10:01 pm
Agreeing with her situation, Celsus followed ********* towards the tree. Perhaps it was the fact that he had been one of those adventurous ones as a child, but the Fritz side of him had always loved climbing trees - this was clearly evident, since he was almost always up in one at some point during his patrols.
Holding his hands up, he grasped the lowest branch and easily hauled himself up onto it (though it did cause his injured arm to smart unpleasantly) This was followed by another quick pull up until Celsus was safely enshrouded in the middle of the tree, surrounded on all sides by thick branches and clusters of leaves. It was an ideal spot; he could see out, but it was too dense for most to see between the twigs and leaves to see the figures sitting quietly on a branch somewhere near the top - and he had a clear view of the unconscious figure on the bench.
Celsus leaned back against the trunk of the tree, his hands in his lap as he studiously attempted to ignore the angry throbbing of his left arm. Instead he gave ********* a bright smile.
"Do you always come out at night, then? Don't you sleep?"
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Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 11:52 am
********* could have climbed that tree. However, she tried to steer away from tree climbing, since many times the cliche scenario of a cat stuck in a tree seemed to arise as a result. She was quite content with sitting down under the tree and leaning her head back to watch the boy climb. Once he had seemed to settle in place, the feline addressed his question.
"I am a cat and all. I take cat naps when I can afford it. However, the Negaverse is active at all times, so it would be pretty selfish of me to sleep for an extended period." She chuckled slightly at the dense patch of leaves that was blocking the boy from her vision. She could still sense his energy there though, making it easier for her to look directly at him even if she couldn't see him.
"Plus, I still have to find one of my girls. The last one of my girls." ********* seemed to beam for a moment, for she knew that the moment she had found this final girl, she'd have her full team. "So I need to keep working!"
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Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 9:23 pm
With ********* on the ground, it made it just a little more difficult to speak quietly, but it was not too bad. Celsus looked down at the cat, a crooked smile appearing on his face.
"You're such a dedicated guardian," he told her with slight amusement, nursing his injured arm and wondering whether or not he could get away with telling Tolliver that it was just a flesh wound from school.
...somehow he could not see that working quite so well.
"Just one left?" asked Celsus, lifting a brow. "That's pretty impressive. There are a few of them, right? I've seen a few of your girls around before - the cleanup on the Surrounding being one of them. They're quite dedicated for their age."
It was on the tip of his tongue to ask how Hygiea and Hug-bell were doing and if they still called him "FredBob," but considering he had not yet had a chance to reveal his civilian identity to *********, he could not say that.
The woman on the bench stirred. Celsus' eyes flashed towards her, peering through the branches as she sat up, looking groggy and disoriented. There was a shrill ringing sound, but for a moment she just sat there, confused, until she realized what it was. There was a soft scuffling noise, and she pulled out a cell phone. Celsus could not hear the conversation, but after a few moments, the woman got up and walked quickly away, in the direction of the more populated streets.
Celsus glanced down at *********, one eyebrow raised.
"Er...what now, then?"
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Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 10:47 pm
The cat did not get a chance to answer right away to the boy's questions and comments. The woman had woken up, so ********* had to play the role of a cute normal kitty again. The manx's green eyes watched the woman, and kept watching until she scuttled off in her own way. Once she was out of the way, the cat then felt safe enough to talk again.
"There are seven that I've found so far, but the last one will make it number eight!" The mention of dedication did cause the feline to giggle slightly. "Well, Hygiea is, yes... I think Eunomia is a bit new to really truly call her dedicated... and Iris... well... don't get me started on her. The dedication varies from member to member."
It was something she'd have to work with every single teammate with eventually. The cat nodded her head, then addressed Celsus' next question. "Weeeeeeell.... I do not sense any other youma in the immediate area... so I suppose we could relax. Or, we could continue to patrol. There is always something to do in this city."
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Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 11:41 pm
"I don't recall ever meeting anyone named 'Eunomia,'" mused Celsus. He stretched out his legs and crawled onto his hands and knees on the branch before swinging down, first to the lower branch, then to the ground itself. He landed on the grass with a soft thump, wincing at his aching body, his arm throbbing. But he quickly straightened, flashing a bright smile at ********* anyone named Iris, for that matter," he said.
A small breeze rifled his hair, and Celsus pushed it away from his face, hands on his hips. There was a faint nervousness about him, but then he sighed, idly rubbing the back of his neck.
"I must actually be going, but first..."
He paused for a minute, then said "Might you be free for a few moments? I have something I, er...wish to...talk with you about."
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Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 11:55 pm
She hadn't been expecting the boy to pop out of the tree and landing close to her, so when he landed, she jumped slightly.
"Goodness... warn me next time you do something like that, Celsus!" she said with half a laugh. The manx wasn't surprised that the two tall girls from her team hadn't been seen. They had honestly been doing their own thing the whole time, so it was hard to formally introduce them.
"Trust me, they were there... but I don't think I had the chance to show them off though." With a firm nod, she then let the boy know it was okay for him to talk to her.
"I don't think a few minutes of my time will kill me, Celsus. Go ahead."
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Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 7:04 am
Celsus eyed ********* for a moment, then stepped back, against the tree. He slid down until he was sitting, resting his head back against the trunk momentarily before he lifted it again, smiling crookedly at the feline.
"Well, I suppose this is the best time, all things considered...I mean, I'm not entirely certain what you'll say, but it's something I've wished to tell you for a while now."
There was a slight pause, Celsus absently turning around the Chronos sigil around his neck. It was, perhaps, a step in the right direction, since he knew he would have to tell ********* eventually, but now that it came down to it, he found it was actually quite a bit stranger than he originally thought.
Or maybe he was just thinking too much of it.
He glanced left, down the deserted street, then right. There was no one around, and they were half hidden from view from the huge oak tree and the bushes around it. There were no power signatures nearby, which meant that it was either now or never.
"Well," said Celsus, offering ********* a sort of half smile. "The truth is..."
Then, quietly, he dropped the glamour, powering down back into the form of Fritz St. James.
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Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:11 am
Curiously, ********* green eyes were upon the page, watching him as he seemed to check for a lack of people. The fact she was pretty open about talking should have been sign enough that there wasn't anything to worry about, but she wasn't about to point such out aloud.
One moment he was Celsus, Page of Chronos, but the next moment he had phased out of the uniform. The very first thing to escape her mouth was a long "Ooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." Her pleasant expression hadn't faded, and though it was always a surprise to learn who anybody was under the glamor, she didn't let such show in her eyes.
Very promptly, the manx was up to her feet and already twining herself about his ankles, rubbing up against the familiar face, purring in a very content manner. As she did such, she did have to point one thing out. "I told you I wouldn't be able to greet you in the fashion you are most accustomed with me, Fredboberick of the Fritz!" She giggled a bit, signaling it was meant to be a joke of some sort. Only Fritz would get it though.
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Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 2:11 pm
********* expression - though catlike - was delightful, and it made Fritz laugh. He bent over and rubbed his fingers across the top of the cat's head, ruffling her fur affectionately.
"A pleasure to see you too, little wandering cat," he told her with amusement, and picked her up, holding her above his head in a very Circle of Life moment.
He set her down after a moment, however, patting her absently on top of his stomach.
"I was going to tell you earlier, but I wasn't, er...quite certain how I was going to do it. Plus I wasn't sure of the rules and whatnot - " Fritz waved a hand noncommittally. " - but in the end I decided that the best course of action would be to tell you straight out."
Settling the cat beside him, Fritz stood, stretching his arms up before peering back at ********* with a mock stern expression.
"Also just because you know who I am now doesn't mean you can grab my arse when I'm Celsus."
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Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 2:23 pm
Once in the air, ********* stretched her paws forward like she was flying. Oh yes, flying kitties forever! However, it didn't last long enough and soon enough she was back on the ground. Letting out a half sigh, she addressed the boy with her own concerns.
"Where as I am glad you told me, Fredbob of the Fritz, I also do feel the need to advise against doing such so willingly with others. This city isn't as safe as one might imagine it to be. You know, aside from the youma and the what-not."
She sat her haunches down, then attempted to point to herself. "It is hard for a cat to have a secret identity in all honesty... however... the Negaverse... they aren't always in uniform. I know this might be difficult to believe, but they can be anyone." ********* words were serious in content, but she still had that way of delivering it so it wasn't all that harsh.
When the boy mentioned the rump grabbing-greeting, the cat laughed a bit. "I do believe I told you that I can't be in that other form too often out here. So your rump is safe, Fredbob of the Fritz."
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Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 2:45 pm
Fritz rubbed the back of his neck, tilting his head up to stare at the sky.
"Yeah..." he said slowly, and though there was a smile still on his face, it was a painful one, bittersweet, as though he were forcing it instead of letting it come naturally. "I know. I haven't revealed my identity to anyone other than you, and I don't plan on doing it again anytime soon."
Not even my own brother.
It was killing him to keep the secret from his best friend - killing him - but even Fritz knew the dangers of letting him in on that secret. Tolliver himself could be a Negaverse agent - a horrible thought, one that Fritz couldn't even imagine being true - but the stakes were too high to take a chance.
He flashed a glance down at ********* and the smile became a little less tense, more like his old one.
"Good to know," said Fritz, winking. "And now, alas, I'm afraid I must go for the evening."
Kneeling down in front of the cat, he held out his hand for her paw. "It's been a pleasure, as usual, my dear."
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Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 7:03 pm
The cat returned the wink, giving him her paw quite easily. "Take care of yourself... especially that arm of yours." Apparently she had noticed his arm's injury after all. With the slight shake of her paw in his hand, she then turned about and scurried off. Fritz would easily hear the sound of her collar jingling the whole while until the sound vanished completely.
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