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 Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 1:47 pm
The arrival of another weekend came as an enormous relief for Simon. Somehow, despite recent and extremely jarring developments in his life, he had been able to squeak through his week without getting in the kind of trouble he'd fully expected to face thanks to one Sailor Castor, and so he was free to spend another day outside the dreary walls of Hillworth meandering around the town below. It was quite nice outside for a mid-autumn, mid-morning, and the boy was looking forward to a perfectly normal day enjoying the good weather.
Heck, he was even allowing himself to be in a good mood. His normal slouching posture was a bit straighter than normal as he walked towards one of Destiny City's larger and more beautiful parks - this one was known for having a small river cut it straight in half, making it a perfect spot for recreational fishing in the early summer or romantic boat rides virtually any other time of the year. Simon had no particular reason why he was heading there, really; he just felt like it would be a relaxing place for a relaxing day. So long as no dogs got loose and ran after him, anyway.
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Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 2:34 pm
Why was everyone so worried about her? Sure, she still had an obnoxiously large bruise along her neckline, but that wasn't a reason to worry! Mom and Dad had all but grounded her for her obvious involvement in "gang fights" as they called it. Fortunately for Ellie, her parents were never really around, so they couldn't reinforce jack sh*t! Being the clever teenager that she was, she had arranged to meet up with Zuniga at the park, then they could both head to Hank's Auto Shop to spend some time watching Phil work on his latest project.
She had told him to meet her at the bridge, since it was either that or the playground. And where as Jared would have been fine with the playground, Zuniga seemed to think it was a stupid place to meet up. She hadn't quite made it there, but she was jogging at a casual pace, trying to get there on time.
It's a pretty nice day out, today, she mused mentally, looking about and appreciating the scenery. She had to take in a deep breath to also sample that crisp air. So absorbed in what she was doing, she didn't seem to notice there was a rather tall guy in front of her (though at 5'10", she was no slouch either). She only started to pay attention again when she had jogged right into said guy.
"Oh crap, sorry dude!" she apologized in a rushed manner.
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Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 4:22 pm
He was walking at an easy, leisurely pace - an odd sight for anyone who knew him well, as he was usually somewhat frantic or at least uneasy in his movements - until Ellie crashed into him, forcing him to move in a more characteristic manner. Simon stumbled forward in order to regain his footing while the girl hastily apologized, and when he had returned his balance he turned around to wave his hands in an equally hasty, dismissive manner.
"N-n-no, it's f-fine, really!" he was saying. "I-I probably should have heard you. Sorry."
Any attempts to argue about who should be the one apologizing were stopped short by a sound that had become so familiar in Destiny City by now it was starting to lose its dramatic effect. Screaming, and mass panic.
Loose flocks of civilians were running from the direction of the park's signature bridge. In their wake, a flurry of what looked like oversized porcupine needles dug into the grassy ground-- and stationed at the middle of the bridge some yards away was a large, many-legged, armadillo-armored abomination against nature. If armadillo skin had rows of projectile spikes jutting out of it, anyway.
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Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 6:57 pm
She looked slightly up and found that her latest victim was a lot less manly than most guys that size. Glasses, a stutter, and his apologetic rambling all told her the full story. Rather bluntly, she pointed out the obvious: "Sh*t! Yer a tall nerd, aren't ya!"
She would have grinned, if it weren't for the chaos that had just begun. The girl's golden eyes shot over towards the commotion, and to her great "pleasure," she found a Youma plunk in the middle of the bridge. Normally, she would have found any excuse to ditch the dead-weight (aka, the boy she just ran into), but today, she did not feel as eager. Her hand went up to her throat, pressing slightly against the still evident bruise decorating her skin.
I don't know if I want to be doing this anymore she thought to herself as she moved herself a few steps back from where Mr. Tall-and-Gangly was standing. However, it was upon the sound of a familiar voice calling out that she remembered something.
"Oh sh*t! Zuniga was supposed to meet me there! F*ck!!!" Gritting her teeth a bit, she then remembered something her friend had told her. You don't quit after losing one time! Turning to the brown haired nerd who was still standing there, she practically commanded him "Get yer a** outta 'ere! Ya don't wanna be monster food, do ya?!!" The sooner she lost the dead weight, the sooner she could transform. Hoping he'd flee soon, she began to stand on her tiptoes, looking for some sort of sign that would tell her Zuniga was okay.
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Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 7:13 pm
"Err..." Simon answered-- it was a good thing that was basically all Ellie would need to hear to gauge a good answer, as the sudden chaos cut off any chance of further discourse on the subject.
And then the poor boy had an authoritative look shot at him with an equally authoritative voice shouting at him. He jerked, but didn't have to be told more than once; immediately he'd broken into a dash, stammering "You be c-c-c-careful too, o-okay?" before running out of the greasemonkey's sight and crouching behind a large commemorative plaque in the middle of a nearby garden.
He rummaged through his pocket for his pen without fully realizing that he was doing so. When it was in his hand, however, he stared at it for a few crucial seconds, chewing on his lip, hesitating. If only Alcyone or Castor were here... they'd be able to handle this a lot better than he could...
But they weren't, and he couldn't just sit around and let people get hurt just because he was a coward.
"Atlas P-power, M-m-m-make-Up...!"
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Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 7:54 pm
Watching the boy nearly stumble off into the garden, the blonde waited until he was out of sight. She began to walk towards a nearby shrub as she hoisted her ever faithful backpack towards the front so she could dig around for her henshin pen. She couldn't help but wonder why they were pens in the first place, of all objects. They could have been wands (which would have been gay), but pens just seemed a bit confusing! Plucking out her pastel rainbow pen from her bag, she dumped the bag down in the bushes.
"Iris Power, Make-Up!"
She left her bag in the bush and then ran towards the bridge. One thing she couldn't see was that even though she had transformed, she still had a very noticeable bruise around her neck. Magic couldn't fix everything it would have seemed. Did she seem to care about it? No! All that was on her mind right now was making it to the bridge and ensuring that her friend was safe.
Before she had made it to the bridge, she shouted "Hey, Pukeface!" at the Youma, trying to rile it up slightly so maybe it would follow after her. If she could get it off the bridge, then the people stuck on the bridge could maybe get away.
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Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 12:55 pm
The youma didn't appear to appreciate being called "Pukeface." Upon being called it stamped its rows of feet irritably and lowered its head, looking for a brief instant like it was about to charge at Iris full-speed. Unfortunately, after that second it was still stationed firmly in the middle of the bridge-- instead of its feet thundering into the ground, a handful of zoop! noises issued into the air as it launched a fresh barrage of quills in her direction.
It was at around this time Sailor Atlas landed on the ground a few yards away. One might have said he had arrived majestically, but the tragically short shorts the henshin fitted him with didn't lend well to majesty, and his stance against the monster was... uncertain. Cowardly, even. The look about him was a slightly more intense version of someone in the waiting room for a long-delayed dentist's appointment: he, really, really, really did not want to be here, but knew he pretty much had to be.
So, he'd arrived... well, he'd ARRIVED, and now his gaze had bolted towards Iris, and he was shouting, "Hey, l-l-l-look out!"
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Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 1:25 pm
Well sh*t! She was mid-dash, trying to run in for an attack, when instead, a flurry of giant porcupine spikes were shot in her direction. She heard someone call out "Look out," but she really paid it no mind, since it was a distraction of all things right now. Perhaps if she had been more graceful, she would have been able to dodge all of the quills, no problem.
Grace just wasn't Sailor Iris' thing (despite such a dainty sphere, bleh!). She attempted to dodge, but at the same time, she used her arms as a shield to block the quills if they did hit her. In all of her luck, one of the quills planted itself deep into her right forearm. "Oh, MOTHER F*CKIN' PIECE O'SH*T, SON OVA'B*TCH!!!!" she shouted, halting in place for a moment. The blonde momentarily looked over the pointy object now stuck in her arm.
Well that's just great... another injury to hide from my parents she bitterly thought as she glanced back to the monster. Gritting her teeth, she shouted "Yer gonna pay fer that!" It was only about now that she glanced back to the less than useful shouter. It had come from the side of the bridge she had started on, so at least whoever it was actually was safe.
It didn't take her but 2 seconds to recognize the gay outfit as that of a boy sailor scout. She had only met one of those before, and quite frankly, he was an a*****e. "What'cha waitin' for, an invitation?!" she shouted at this new assumed ally before once again charging towards the Youma. She figured she had made it pretty far onto the bridge, but she didn't exactly think through her actions. She'd probably be a pincushion if the creature attacked again.
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Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 2:01 pm
Atlas cringed and gritted his teeth as the large spines sped at Iris-- and the string of curses that came another second later was enough to tell him that they'd found their mark. He peeled his eyes open to see that the other senshi now had one of the sharp, long projectiles lodged in her arm, and he turned queasy at the thought of how much that must have hurt. He had yet to sustain any real injuries as a senshi himself, and seeing such a thing happen to someone else made it become a tangible and horrifying possibility.
So, yes, he pretty much was waiting for an invitation, or at least some sign that he'd actually have to get involved in this. The boy had been half hoping that this other senshi would be able to handle this situation herself and he'd be free to cower, but it was looking as if that wasn't the case. She'd pretty much asked for his help with that remark and so, hesitantly and anxiously, he clambered behind her.
Before Iris, the youma's legs clicked and worked as if it were an organic machine, and a new row of quills rippled out to decorate its back. It seemed to still be irritated with the rainbow senshi, and, seeing that she was quickly drawing closer, gave a loud, rattling snarl.
"I think it's m-m-mad!" Atlas shouted after her, unhelpfully.
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Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 2:31 pm
This guy, this boy Sailor Scout, was just a tad annoying. He was pointing out the most retardedly stupid things. However, at least he wasn't trying to hit on her, which so far, was his only redeeming quality. Her glove on her right arm was starting to turn a bit red thanks to her current wound. If she wasn't afraid of the wound bleeding harshly if she removed the quill, she might have removed it then.
As she neared the creature, she saw as the spines began to reform. She could near its vicious call. And from where she was at, she could see a very familiar face behind the Youma. Zuniga, along with several other civilians, was trapped on the bridge. It seemed like the Youma had shot off a bunch of spines prior to trap some people on the bridge, making its starseed harvest all the more bountiful.
"Alright, I think it's time t'make ya start seein' some new colors!" Her own anger almost seemed to match that of the beast. She was not a fan of using her magical attack, because she was a perfectly capable girl, able to kick a** with her own natural abilities. However, she needed to finish this quickly. Tightening up her right fist, she felt a sting of pain running through her injury. Despite the pain, her fist began to glow. The moment a ribbon of rainbow came fluttering from her hand, she shouted out "IRIS RAINBOW RIBBON!!" She flung the ribbon in a lasso-like fashion towards the creature, hoping it would latch on somewhere useful. She wasn't even certain if there was a neck on this thing, which was something she should have thought about before tossing her attack at the Youma.
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Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 5:16 pm
The colorful ribbon did indeed latch onto something: the creature might have had no neck, but its mass of spiny protrusions made for an easy thing for Iris's attack to tangle around. Upon its spines being snared the monster shrieked and thrashed, trying to get the ribbon off from its projectiles-- it was looking like they were rubbing or poking against a sensitive layer beneath the youma's armored skin, and getting them wiggled around in such a fashion only served to agitate it further.
At least this way it wouldn't attack for as long as the ribbon stayed there. Not only was it causing it some degree of pain, it couldn't aim its giant quills when they were all tied up in such a fashion. Iris had effectively created a standstill, at least for the moment.
All that needed to happen now was for Sailor Atlas to come in and seal the deal with an attack of his own... but he seemed a bit hesitant, stepping uneasily forward and flinching and cringing at the noise and sight of the youma's struggling. His hands were balled into weak fists, trembling, and for a long moment he just stared at the scene in front of him, wondering if he was really meant to be a part of it.
"What g-goes up, must c-come down..."
His voice was strained and anxious when he finally used it, and then he lifted a trembling hand in the direction of the youma, squinting away from it as he finally said, "F-falling Force Snare!"
There was a brief, dull flash in the space the youma occupied, then a curious rushing noise, and finally a thud as a sudden seeming weight forced the monster to the ground-- or perhaps, it was the monster itself that became heavier? Whatever the case, its armored skin was cracking, seeping gunky black stuff, and its quills were sagging like fishing poles snagged on sinking tree branches.
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Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 8:31 pm
"Oooooo... I can work with this..." Sailor Iris grinned as she held on tightly to her ribbon, pulling back as strongly as she could. Her arm was starting to throb around her wound, the throbbing almost matching the beat of her pulse. That probably was not a good sign, but doing as nearly any boy would do, she ignored it. It wasn't like she was going to lose her arm after this, right?
She was concentrating pretty hard, so she hadn't really had much of a chance to take a good look at this sailor-boy. So far, all she had managed to get the idea about was that he was indeed Captain Obvious. She could hardly hear his battle cry, and she only managed to hear his wavery attempt at shouting his attack. Her eyes were fixated on the Youma, and she noticed as something happened just in front of her feet. It looked like the beast had been hit from the top and knocked into the bridge landing.
"Hey, nice goin' Dude! Fer bein' such a weirdo, ya sure pack a punch!" she shouted at the guy, who still remained nameless. She grinned, though she couldn't afford to turn and flash it in the other Sailor scout's direction. She continued to pull, seeing as the monster was seemingly weakened, she wanted to see if she could pull some of these spikes out to seal the deal.
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Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 4:34 pm
"Huh?" Atlas smartly replied, surprised as usual that he'd be receiving a compliment.
Iris's Rainbow Ribbon, after a bit of pulling, was able to snap off some spikes and twist around others. With each snap and scraped the monster snarled and struggled more and more, but the force keeping it pinned down also kept it from being able to thrash like it had earlier. It was slowing down significantly-- the force of weight combined with the internal damage was taking its toll, and soon enough, with a final, wailing, rattling cry, its legs all snapped into useless bits of twigs and it noisily hit the bridge one final time.
Around the defeated youma the trapped bystanders stared for a moment, as if expecting it to do the most cliche of horror stunts and rise again to fight another round. When this didn't happen, after a tedious call of "Hey... hey, I think they did it!" many of them begun to cheer.
It was at precisely this moment a weighty, wooden groan rumbled beneath their feet, followed by a thick series of cracking noises that lanced through the air. The gaggle of bystanders had only a few seconds to notice the breaks in structure directly below the youma before the entire bridge started to give way.
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Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 6:07 pm
Sailor Iris was one of those gals who didn't mind the fighting part of the battles. She minded the injury part, but not the fighting part. So when she managed to pay the Youma back with interest for the injury it caused her to grin in a toothy fashion. Served it right for messing up her arm and causing her more grief with explanations about her injury.
When the monster gave out, she swung her rainbow back and opened her palm, letting the pastel colors fade into nothingness. She grinned some more and wandered over to the other scout, spike still in her arm. It was beginning to hurt like a b*tch, but she tried to keep a strong attitude towards it. Even with her high heeled boots, she still was a bit shorter than the guy. She felt some sort of weird deja vu for a moment, but she shook it off, blaming it on the throbbing in her arm.
"So, ya got a name, or do I gotta start callin' ya 'Captain Obvious?'" She extended her right arm in greeting, which was a bit odd, since she still had that quill protruding from it.
~
Amongst the crowd was Sailor Iris' friend, Zuniga. He sighed in relief. It was a good thing that Ellie wasn't here to see some b*tch and girly boy saving his sorry butt. He had heard about these so-called terrorists, but now after seeing what they could do, he wasn't sure what label they should really have. Like many of the other people on the bridge, he began to walk towards the area where the great beast had fallen. It was safe now, and being the nice guy he was, he wanted to at least thank the Sailor kids. Maybe even give them a high five, just so he could say he touched some Sailor Scouts. He'd have people begging him to tell the story!
So caught up in his plans, he failed to notice the heavy sound of the wood breaking under the weight of the beast.
~
Sailor Iris momentarily glanced back to the crowd to find her friend trying to get closer. She smiled, but then turned back to this other Sailor boy. Play it cool, Ellie! You don't want to give yourself away!
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Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 7:04 pm
On the flip side of the coin, Atlas wasn't the type to be fond of the potential injuries or the fighting that were slowly but surely proving to be a part of everyday senshi life. He kept flinching and cringing and generally looking like he was witnessing a car wreck as the monster was brought to his demise. When Sailor Atlas extended a friendly arm to him, quill still protruding out of his arm, he positively blanched-- it was a small wonder he didn't get closer to passing out than he did.
"Uh-- I-I-I... uh--" he stammered, trying very hard to keep his eyes off the quill, and failing miserably. Lifting a trembling hand to shake, he said, "S-Sailor Atl--"
Another terrible groan cut off the senshi's less-than-graceful attempt at an introduction. Then the beast moved again-- strange, everyone was so sure it was dead--
Except it was, and the motion was caused by planks of wood splitting altogether, tilting, the large corpse sliding down and crashing into more of the bridge, worrying the fractures in it even more. The bridge was becoming less and less level, and fast, enough that several bystanders would be thrown off their footing.
Atlas had managed to wrench his gaze over by this point, his face taking on sharp strokes of worry where there'd previously only been queasiness. He then continued to prove himself to be Captain Obvious to the other senshi, when he shakily, quietly said, "Oh, no..."
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