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Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:11 pm
SRP: Dangers in Destiny City: The Call Word Count: 630 words
Her phone had rang. In the middle of class.
It wasn't as bad as it seemed, really, for her phone was set on silent mode and she felt the vibrations as her leg nudged against her bag, as if hoping to shut it up. She didn't know if the vibrations were loud enough for the teacher to hear; others had often expressed surprise that she could hear their phone vibrating and turned around to tell them so. When the teacher wasn't in class, of course. She frowned, trying to pay attention to the droning teacher explaining something about exponential forms.
The vibrations stopped. Eve heaved a sigh of relief.
It then began again and Eve became suspicious; who on earth was calling her again? If it was some annoying salesman, she was going to kill him...no, track him down and make him suffer some unprecedented allergies. No, she reminded herself. No, she couldn't use her powers for personal grudges. She was supposed to be a savior of Destiny City, and protect it from evil.
Whoever it was stopped calling her and Eve smiled, beginning to doodle slightly on her textbook, drawing a few flowers beside a math problem she was supposed to solve.
Then the intercom crackled.
"Eve Summers." It said, and the girl froze in shock. "Eve Summers, can you please report to the office."
She glanced at the teacher, who nodded, and she stood, packing her things into her bag. As she did so, Eve was aware of the many gazes on her, and knew what they were thinking, 'What had she done?' Truth is, she herself had no inkling. Unless Crystal Academy had somehow discovered that she had been sneaking out to patrol. She chanced a glance at Rea and gave her a weak smile before slinging her bag on a shoulder and trudging out of the classroom.
On the way, Eve was plagued with worry, wondering if Astraea somehow had a magical thingy that could wipe people's memories, on the occasion that the senshi were too careless. Oh god, she had barely started, and she was such a failure.
No wait. They would have called in Rea too, right? They had snuck out together.
Curiosity overwhelming, she pushed open the door to the office and was shocked to see her mother there, with red-rimmed eyes, sitting on the visiting room's couch. "Mother?" She echoed, while digging for her cellphone and retrieving it to stare at the screen which said 'You have 2 missed calls from Mom'. "What...what happened?"
"Oh Eve," The woman stood up and embraced her. "Eve. I never thought this would actually happen to someone in our family!"
"Mom..." Eve said dazedly. "What's going on?"
Mrs Summers withdrew and looked her daughter straight into the eye. "Your uncle is in hospital. Your Uncle Gareth. He's in ICU."
And suddenly, the world came crashing down around her. Eve held her mother's arm to keep herself steady, staring blankly as the words processed through her brain. "Uncle...Gareth? Why?"
"Oh, one of those...monsters that keeps causing trouble in the city. Your uncle was there when it attacked ********>. Eve could only stare at her mother. Why...how...weren't the senshi supposed to protect civilians from the youma? But there was school; how were they supposed to keep watch all the time? And how many senshi were there, really? "Mom." She said. "Get a hold of yourself. Does Dad know?"
Her mother nodded, and blew her nose. "I'm sorry, darling. It's just that... he looks really bad. All beaten up. And he had a concussion. The doctors are worried."
"Mom." The girl said. "Mom, it'll be okay. Uncle Gareth won't die. He won't."
At least she hoped not.
Goddammit, she was going to find this youma and kill it.
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Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:12 pm
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Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 4:46 am
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Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 4:49 am
SRP: Dangers in Destiny City: The Disbelief Word Count: 653 words
"He's awake." Mother had said in her text message. "Come visit him when you're free, okay?"
Eve Summers had dropped everything she was doing at the moment; which was really just sitting at her desk, staring at her homework while doing none, worrying. And then she had grabbed her coat and practically dashed out of Crystal Academy, blond curls whipping about her face. She had never thought she was going to have to want to go to hospital twice in succession, to visit someone she cared about who had gotten hurt.
"Heeey, it's Evie!" Her uncle's sounded cheery still, thank goodness, but his voice was significantly weaker as he struggled up, with the help of her parents, grinning at her. Eve felt her heart sink at the gashes that adorned his body, the bandage tied around his head and his pale wan face. When hearing about Charys, she had thought it was horrible, to hear that she got hurt so badly, and hoped never to see something like that again.
Apparently, the universe wanted to prove her wrong.
Eve smiled, trying not to cry; it wasn't the time to cry. She was strong, she had to be. "So what now, Uncle Gareth, you finally got into trouble with all the women you've been dating?" She joked, settling herself down beside him and gripping his hand, noting all the things he was hooked up to. It was grim and sad; this hospital room, but she had to try and brighten it up.
"If you think I dated that monster thing, then you're wrong, Eve girl." The older man laughed, patting her blond head. "Your uncle doesn't have that bad taste!"
"What did it look like?" She asked quietly. She wanted to know. She was going to find it. And poison it. It would die.
"Eve." Her father said warningly. "Is this really the best time to be asking this sort of ridiculous question?"
"I want to know." She said, as calmly as she could muster herself to be. "Then I'll watch the news and hope that some senshi beats the crap out of it."
"Ridiculous!" Her father said, his voice rising a notch. "Ridiculous! Then senshi are helping those monsters!"
"They're not!" Eve shot back. "They're helping to get rid of those monsters; doesn't anybody see that? If the senshi and Negaverse were behind all these attacks, we would be all dead! Destiny City would be trampled to the ground! But it isn't, because the good guys are still fighting! And that's the senshi!"
"Hmph." Roderick Summers said. "How can you stick to your beliefs so adamantly when Sailor Nea was obviously terrorizing the masses?"
"It was a lie!" Eve wailed. "She was on the Negaverse side; oh, haven't you seen the recent news?"
"Eve." Her mother said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down."
"Everyone's wronging the senshi! They're trying to help! And yet we label them as terrorists, we send police after them? Don't you all get it?"
"Evie." Her uncle said. "I'll survive. I'm still alive now, aren't I?"
"Please don't tell me you don't believe in the senshi." Eve whispered.
"Well, I honestly don't know what to think." He replied. "I mean...they weren't there when that thing was attacking."
Brilliant, Astraea. Eve thought. Just brilliant. Recruit a few kids who are still in school to defend the city and make sure their secret identities aren't exposed. It was therefore impossible for them to play truant to defeat those youma.
She swallowed. "Goddammit. There's no point saying anything else, is there?"
Before any of the adults could protest, she got up, left the room and shut the door quietly behind her.
Eve wanted to cry.
But tears were held back and she walked on, heading back to Crystal Academy, feeling as though something had died inside her and some furious agitation was building up.
Destiny City was a complete mess.
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Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 5:26 am
SRP: Dangers in Destiny City: The Emotions Word Count: 560 words
By the time the adults had gotten over the shock and went out to see if they could follow Eve and see what she was up to, it was too late.
Eve Summers had left the hospital.
She had walked as briskly as she could, head down, resisting the urge to break out into a run. She couldn't, however. She couldn't run in a hospital, and she had to remind herself of that every time she passed a doctor, a nurse or a patient.
Once she stepped out of the building however, she didn't care. She ran. She didn't even know where she was running to. She just blindingly ran as fast as her legs could take her. Why didn't they understand? How could they look at her with those doubtful eyes, how could she stand fighting when knowing that everyone was still unsure on whether the senshi were good or not? How could they fight a losing battle, with so many youma rampant? It was like how Rea had said, they had gotten bigger, more destructive. It almost seemed as though the Negaverse were now showing off it's power, though she still wondered who they really were. That Negaverse lieutenant she and Rea had fought hadn't even been a problem. Were they, mere teenagers, really recruited to fight in this battle of good and evil? How many were there and how could they stand it? How could they, when the public...when...
An image flashed into her head again and her steps began slowing as she remembered. "PUT DOWN ANY WEAPONS AND COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!" Yes. Those were the exact words hollered to her by a police officer, guns pointed directly at them. It had been fierce, it had been shocking. Eve had never thought that she would land herself into that sort of situation when a police officer would treat her like a criminal. Yes, even though they were superheroes, defeating the youma that set out to destroy the city. How on earth were they supposed to clear this mess up? She wondered. Even if Sailor Nea was proved to be a hoax, it didn't matter. The Negaverse had succeeded in planting the seeds of doubt into the minds of the civilians.
Including her family.
Eve wanted to shut her eyes, to scream, to cry, to do something to let out all this angry emotions within her. But how could she? She was supposed to be strong, she was supposed to keep her identity a secret. She couldn't even lock herself in the bathroom and cry in the shower, masking her tears. Her head hurt, and Eve wanted to be alone. But everywhere she went, there would be people. There would be people staring, asking, wondering. There would be people who did not believe in the senshi.
It was all...so...tiring.
Eve cried.
But it was just one tear that rolled down her cheek, and she wiped it away hastily.
Then she forced that bright smile to return to her face and made her way back to Crystal Academy.
There, perhaps, if Rea wasn't in their room, she could just hide herself under her blankets for a while and let all this sorrow fade away.
She didn't like being upset. Eve Summers was supposed to be happy. Everything was supposed to be fine.
It had to be.
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Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 5:42 am
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Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 12:17 am
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Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 12:44 am
SRP: Dangers in Destiny City: If only you were here Word Count: 504 words
"You haven't been on lately." A voice greeted her as Eve adjusted the microphone on the headset she wore, staring at the open Skype conversation window that had launched a talk between who she considered as one of her best friends and herself.
"I know, and I'm sorry." Eve muttered, opening up another window for a Microsoft Word document to type up an essay assignment. "School has been crazy, y'know? Teachers piling up homework and exams and s**t." Eve usually never swore, but if she did it, she did it very casually in Ayako's presence.
"I understand." The half-Japanese girl on the line said. "I've been busy too. I was just worried that something happened to you. With all the monsters popping up where you live."
At that, Eve paused, and even the clicking of the keys on the keyboard had halted. Something had happened, yes. Something had happened to her indeed. She had changed, not in personality or looks, but she was now Sailor Flora, a senshi. That was hard to explain, and she didn't want to. She couldn't, no matter how far the other was. "Yeah, the monsters are being a B-I-T-C-H." She said with feeling. It was harder to deal with them now that she had to fight them and... "One of them landed my uncle in hospital." Even though she had very casually spilled this to Elzo and Rea, it was now when she was alone in her room and talking to Ayako that she felt the tears well up again in her eyes. "I just...I just...don't know, y'know? I think a part of me died when mom told him he was in the ICU."
The other girl stayed silent as she ranted. "I'm sorry, Eve, I don't know what to say. I wish I was there just...to be there."
"I wish you were here too." Eve whispered, voice cracking. "I wish I had someone to cry to, because I don't want everyone else to see me like this. But...that would be selfish of me to wish you were here. Because if you were here, you would get hurt."
"No one said you had to be the strong one, you know." Ayako said quietly.
"I want to." Eve took another breath, wiping away the stray tears that had managed to roll down her cheek. "I can't just collapse. You know how I feel. You're the one that needs to be strong for your family too."
"I know." The other girl said. "It's hard, isn't it?"
"Very hard." Eve murmured. "But at least we have each other and our family," even though that word squeezed her heart painfully at the thought of those doubtful gazes, "and our friends." Charys. Rea. Marlo. Elzo. So many people she cared for.
"You know what," Eve spoke again as she resumed typing away. "I think we should stop moping about it. There are so many other things in life to be happy for."
The other girl laughed and Eve felt herself grin as well. "Agreed."
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Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 7:21 pm
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Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 10:25 pm
SRP: Dangers in Destiny City: Failure Word Count: 746 words
Eve was out and about today.
She didn't want to mope around in her dorm, for Rea would find it suspicious and ask why, and frankly, Eve Summers was quite tired of dwelling on problems she was facing. Sure, she was still huffy over her family not believing in senshi and her uncle refusing to tell her what the youma he had encountered looked like, but hey. Everyone had these kinds of problems right? Just not specifically the same as the ones she was facing, but she didn't like feeling this uncertain all the time.
She knew the cure for this sort of feeling, the cure that would make her happy again. A shopping spree!
She hadn't been on one for a very long time. It was strange however, how her habits had changed; she no longer desired shopping with friends, she was always wary that a youma would appear and she would have to ditch them to fight it. No, shopping alone was now fine with her, though it still took all her self-control not to call someone to accompany her and tell her if this dress looked nice on her.
It actually did and Eve twirled in front of the mirror, debating as the shop clerk praised her, told her how nice she looked in it. But she didn't dwell too much on the compliments; she just wanted to shop. Spending money kind of made your problems go away. Even though this wonderful cure was a terrible problem that her father had to deal with, and thus tried not to make Eve's life too depressing for her. Luckily, she was happy most of the time, but at times like this, she cut herself off from everyone else. Eve refused to talk about her problems. She didn't think it would help.
It was ironic really, since she did talk about them to some people. But they were a select few, and definitely not her parents. Plus currently, she was treating them with a sort of cold civility for not believing in the senshi.
Eve emerged from a shop with bags on her arms and felt a lot better.
That was, until a scream was heard and she sighed. Did she have to do this? It could be just a false alarm... another chorus of screams came and she grimaced, ducking back into the shop. She handed her bags over the counter and told the puzzled shop assistant that she would come back for them later.
Albeit somewhat reluctantly, Eve Summers transformed into Sailor Flora amidst the usual sparkles and petals which she brushed away as she ran.
"It went that way!" A helpful civilian yelled and pointed and Sailor Flora dipped her head in thanks before rushing in said direction.
She didn't have to look long for the youma however, she soon caught sight of it, hissing angrily at a screaming woman, claws outstretched. It looked like a cat, but with the effects of the Negaverse, it looked more like a demon cat with long sharp claws and the size of a kid's tricycle, and Flora had only compared it to that because there was one right beside it, bent out of proportion. It was the work of the youma, most likely.
Flora gritted her teeth and began her work. "Hey kitty! Wouldn't you like a nice senshi instead?"
That caught the cat youma's attention indeed. It turned, no longer interested in the woman who immediately scrambled away in fear, and lunged for her. Flora stumbled backwards, but the youma was faster and scratched her. She yelled out in pain and swatted at the youma, instincts kicking in. "Flora Pollen Fever!"
The cat fell back, sneezing violently and choking on the yellow dust.
Then it did something Flora did not expect.
It turned and ran.
Flora stood there for a moment before realizing what had happened and gave chase after the cat youma. "Great alternative to catnip, isn't it, kitty?" She shouted, following the bushy tail as it flicked around the corner.
Flora turned and halted.
Dead end.
It was gone. The girl glanced about before sighing and letting herself fade back into Eve Summers. Eve Summers who was bundled up warmly, Eve Summers who had been scratched by a cat. She groaned before shuffling out of the alley and making her way back to get her shopping bags.
Honestly, the cure wasn't working like it used to.
Perhaps father would be pleased by that.
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Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 10:31 pm
SRP: Duty Calls Word Count: 549 words
A few days had passed since she had ran into, and lost that cat youma, and her wound had already healed, thanks to the magic of being a senshi. Eve was still sour that she had lost the youma in a chase; what if it had been the one that had attacked her uncle and almost killed him? What if it was attacking people as she was studying, as she was taking classes? She didn't tell Rea about losing the youma; Eve didn't think she needed to know.
She didn't need to know that Flora had failed.
At least that was how Eve interpreted it. She had let a youma go loose instead of destroying it like she was supposed to. The cat monster hadn't seemed to particularly affected by her pollen; only sneezing and hacking away. It had managed to run so fast that she doubted that the poison even came into effect. After all, not all pollen was poisonous; she had thoroughly researched that and came to the conclusion that her power wouldn't poison one all the time. She didn't manage to poison Serandite after all. Thank goodness she hadn't, for as much as she disliked the Negaverse, she knew she would feel guilty for seeing someone, and a young girl to boot, collapse and die right in front of her.
It was like when she watched that youma in the park die; when she had to practically drag the boy away from it before he understood that he was supposed to scream and run away like any normal person did when they encountered a youma.
In fact, screams were now practically a siren that warned any senshi nearby that the Negaverse was creating trouble, be it a youma, which was much more common, or a lieutenant. Or possibly someone even higher up; lieutenant sounded so...military. So organized.
Sometimes she suspected they were just spying on them all and keeping track of their weaknesses. Like with that plant youma that she had (thankfully) encountered with Sailor Alcyone.
Deep in thought, Eve found herself outside the safety of Crystal Academy and wandering the streets of Destiny City, having a drink in Shufflepuck Cafe while staring at the passerbys like she usually did. This time however, she wasn't wondering about them; she was more focused on her own problems. She seemed to have accumulated quite a bit ever since she was awakened by Astraea, Nerissa and Pegasus, and as Charys aptly put it, "ruined her life".
Eve sighed and gazed at a little boy clinging on to his mother's hand and chattering happily, almost wishing she could be that carefree. Wishing that she didn't have to grow up and take so much responsibility.
Almost.
A tiny bit of her liked being responsible.
As soon as she thought this, she saw something zip past and someone screamed. Eve immediately stood up. It looked like the cat youma. It had to be the cat youma.
Duty calls, Sailor Flora, senshi of spring. Duty calls.
She left her unfinished drink and found a place to transform before running in the direction of where she had seen it head to. This was it. She would make up for her previous failure.
Because she, as a sailor senshi, was supposed to protect this city.
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Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 10:33 pm
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Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 10:35 pm
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Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 10:36 pm
SRP: Everything is going wrong Word Count: 970 words
"You're up late." Ayako said in a rather condescending voice that held a hint of 'shoo, go to bed NOW' like a mother would. At least that was how Eve interpreted it; they were just simply chatting by IMing each other and not on Skype, because Eve did not want to wake Rea up. Nor did she really want to talk, she was in a pensive mood today. Typing was fine by her.
"need to finish homework!!" She typed in, while indeed, opening up a new document in Microsoft Word. Eve got so far as only the title of her essay before the IM window blinked again, and she clicked on the orange button to read what Ayako had wrote.
"Are you that busy? How's your uncle?"
Eve paused, reflecting on her current situation. Yes, she was busy with senshi business, busy worrying that Elzo might try to kill himself, that Astraea would kill her if she let that happen (the cat wasn't stupid, she knew), and gave up on pestering Uncle Gareth to tell her what youma had attacked him. He was probably the only person who could stand her incessant questions fueled by her determination, and kept sidetracking. And although Eve tried to steer him back to the subject, he kept saying that it didn't matter. It wasn't as if she could blurt out that she was a senshi to convince him to tell her. It was too dangerous, and he already had been hurt once.
Although Ayako didn't need to know all that. She couldn't even tell her anyway, the rational Japanese girl she knew would never accept that Eve was a magical hero. She had treated the monster reports with some form of skepticism, and Eve didn't blame her. She didn't know, after all. She couldn't; she didn't live in Destiny City.
"yeah, school's been hell." She typed in. "uncle got out of hospital yesterday! i bought him balloons to celebrate!" As silly as that sounded, and although it might be doubted that she was saying that just to convince others that she really was fine, Eve had bought a bunch of bright balloons. Uncle Gareth had never seen the point in dwelling on something miserable and Eve was determined to show him that she wasn't either. She was still the same old happy, bright, Evie he knew, although he had commented that she seemed to have matured. It somehow made her happy to know that he could see this change; though he then proceeded to tickle her. That brought a smile to her face, at least.
"That's good." The window flashed. "Father was hospitalized again; he had a relapse."
At this, Eve felt her heart sink. She had known Ayako's father had always been weak, but the girl had always seemed so strong, the pillar of strength for her family. Now that she had mentioned this so bluntly, Eve didn't get a very good vibe. She didn't want someone else's life to be in shambles; she already knew how it was like to be in that state. "i'm sorry! did the doctors say he'll be fine?"
"They're not being very optimistic." Ayako typed. "So anyway, how's life beside school? On another one of your matchmaking ventures?"
Eve frowned. Ayako was digressing. Usually, she was an expert at pushing others to the topic of what she wanted to talk about, but it was a sensitive subject, and the other was obviously trying to forget about it. Rea stirred and Eve froze, waiting for a while before tapping the keys on her keyboard as slowly and quietly as she could. "i wish! there's this romeo and juliet thing my friend is involved in. he could really get into trouble!!'
"I thought you would appreciate this sort of challenge and help the tragic lovers."
"normally i would! but this is serious! they could really die like the real romeo and juliet!" It was true; if it was the whole silly 'rich boy, poor girl' or vice versa situation, Eve would not mind helping a couple like that. But Elzo and a girl from the Negaverse? No. Just no. Death was serious. Death was the END. Was it really worth it to die for someone else just like that? She didn't think so.
"Ah." Ayako only said one word, but Eve began to rant on. "i mean, who would want to die so young because you think you're in love??? it's not like love is really forever! relationships from your youth can't last until marriage and kids and growing old nowadays!"
"Nice to know you don't possess a romantic and idealistic point of view." Eve did not know if Ayako meant to be sarcastic. It was too late for her to decipher if it was. "sorry! i'm just a little frustrated by it, i guess!" And after a while she added, "hope your dad is well! don't worry too much, you'll get older that way!"
"You mean with wrinkles?"
"yes!!! worrying gives you wrinkles! and will make you even more stuffy! next thing you know, you'll be yelling at kids to get off your lawn!"
"I don't have a lawn." Pause. "Anyway, shouldn't you sleep?"
At this, Eve stifled a yawn and glanced at the clock. "aahhhh, i should. i'll attempt this report again tomorrow. night!"
It was hard to sleep, however. Eve stared straight up at the ceiling, flipped from side to side, thinking about everything that seemed to be plaguing her now. She now had an additional worry to add to the pile; hoping that her friend would stay strong as her father grew sicker and sicker. She closed her eyes and uttered a silent 'urggghhhhhh' of frustration.
Eve Summers managed to sleep that night, but even in the world of dreams, she was lost and confused.
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Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 6:12 am
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