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 Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 4:38 pm
-Finally- he had the guitar in hand, It was even a better one than he hoped for, thank you god for second hand stores and a little 'coersion'... hell he'd even found a blue one. Demy was gona -flip-... and he'd... gotten those little amber 'stud' earrings in his pocket for Khalia... just... you know. Because. Friends and all that, thats what you did.
His mother's gift had been ordered, and should have already arrived at her house, for once, for once he was -all set- for the holidays. He smirked, another -perfectly- executed plan, marvelous... just -marvelous.
Oh god, should he have gotten something for that, Kirin girl too? Augh gifts were so damned complicated, he had a travel chess set he could wrap and keep in his bag -just- in case. That would do -fine-....there crisis averted.
All he had to do was go back to the dorm and wrap the...
What was that sound?
He froze, the hairs standing up on the back of his neck, and that -feeling- that you -really- didn't want to turn around and see what was behind you, especially since, he could feel its breath, that couldn't be normal.
He turned to face... it.
"Oh... hell...."
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 5:02 pm
So far the night had been pretty uneventful. Alkaid had been making a patrol, leaping from rooftop to rooftop with her mind reciting the day's lessons that she and Ari had been over. She was taking to kickboxing pretty well but she'd not had to use it quite yet, which was perfectly okay with her. She paused in her mental recitation long enough to take a running leap across to an adjacent building, landing with a loud clicking of her heels. She was just about to resume walking along when something below caught her attention.
The guttural screech that reached her ears was something that could only belong to a youma.
"Great," she murmured under her breath as she reached the side of the building, her hands resting lightly on the ledge. She might have considered just walking away if she hadn't caught site of the second person standing there. The fact that it was anyone at all kept her rooted to the spot, but the sudden panic was because she recognized the face.
"Z," she breathed to herself. Of course he wouldn't take his own advice, the silly boy! With a deep breath, Alkaid raised her hand and took a deep breath. She hoped this wasn't going to be another suicide mission. "Guiding Light!" she called out, slinging her hand and the ball of light so that it would fly right towards the youma's head. She wasted no time as the monster roared in defiance, dropping over the edge of the building and landing at the side of the boy.
"Get back behind that dumpster!" was all she could spare for her friend before she lurched forward, her hands balled into fists. She used the speed of her attack to propel her and aimed right for its face - maybe she could blind it and run away with Z in tow. All that earned her was a growl of frustration and a flailing arm that sent her flying backwards. She only just managed to land on her feet with a panting huff, one hand put out on the ground to brace herself.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 5:15 pm
He clutched the guitar case protectively, though oddly, or perhaps sanely it was between him and the monster as he for once, numbly followed the orders and bolted to hide behind the trash can. No amount of verbal abuse, he thought, would make even a HINT of a dent in this...thing.
"MU CEPHI! MAKEUP POWER!!" Came a cry from down the street just behind another ally and anther senshi came running forward to assist, her long black hair fanned out behind her as she fumbled with something in her hands, it looked like a ... pin?
"What -IS- that thing?!" She called to you as she flicked her hand forward sending tiny red darts stabbing into the creature, it did little but make it rear back and bellow-scream again in aggravation.
"Ohhhhh... I hope your attacks are better than mine!!"
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 5:33 pm
Alkaid was glad that for once, in all the time she'd known him, that Z just retreated and did as she said instead of being stubborn. She didn't really think she could take trying to protect him out in the open and take down this seriously pissed off youma. She'd have to remember to bake him some nice sweets as a thank-you, even if he didn't know it was her.
She was just about to run forward and take another jab at the youma when she heard another Senshi. She couldn't see her for all the buildings and the actual beast in the way, but she heard the unmistakable words of a henshin. "It's a youma," she replied to the bodiless question, dodging a swiping fist at the last second. She could feel the breeze of its clawed hand sweeping by her cheek. As the girl came running into view, a sigh of relief washed over Alkaid.
Then she saw her attack and realized that it was.. no more helpful than her own. "Uh, not really!" She would have smiled, laughed even, just to alleviate the pressure of the situation - but it wasn't one of those times. She needed the pressure. She watched as the youma seethed, bellowing out and clawing at the places the darts had hit.
Taking the opportunity, she leaped in again and aimed a punch at what she hoped was its fleshy underbelly. She was greeted with a howl that definitely sounded pained, the body doubling over, and for a second she thought it might go down. Youmas were extremely resilient creatures. Just as it doubled over, it realized she wasn't quick enough to leap away, and used both arms to throw her into a nearby wall.
Alkaid groaned and pushed herself up to her feet unsteadily, using the offending wall behind her as a brace. She didn't think anything was broken despite how she'd just been tossed about like a rag doll. "All I have is amateur kickboxing under my belt, we'll have to try something else."
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 5:42 pm
"Oh...oh dear... I... oh wait really? Can you tell me after where you're taking classes?" She sounded incredibly interested and stomped on something...vaguely foot like with her booted heal, something made an odd wet crunch sound like a green twig and it let out a shriek and swung its arm, taking out a bit of brick.
"Umm... oohh... well um... Here!" She reached back and fumbled her hair pins free, letting her hair spill free, falling even longer when released. in a vaguely curled wave. she handed you two hairpins.
"Better than nothing?" She said with a tiny shrug then had to stumble back as the Yoma SMASHED its fist into the ground just missing her.
A can came flying out of the alley, empty it just plinked off the Yoma's head as a confusing distraction courtesy of a wide eyed Z who ducked back behind the dumpster.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 6:14 pm
Alkaid had a moment to spare a small smile for the other Senshi's interest, her eyes following the boot as it smashed down onto the foot of the beastly creature they were attempting (rather poorly) to kill. "We'll talk later," she murmured to the other Senshi, ducking just in time to have the youma swing it's clawed hand (was that a hand?) over her head and send a rain of brick dust over her.
She managed to maneuver towards MuCephi and out of range of the blundering youma just in time to have her hand over a pair of sharp hair pins. She took them, one in each hand, then twisted the points up to stare at them. "It's better than nothing," she agreed with a nod, sighing as she moved in a small circle to stay out of the way of raging attacks the youma was attempting to hit them with. This one didn't appear to be too terribly sentient, at least.
She was busy considering just how to go in for the kill when a pop can came whizzing out of nowhere to land on the youma's head. A rage of confusion filled the air as it bellowed out and whirled in the direction of the can. As the pop can landed on the ground with a clutter, rolling away, the youma's attention seemed to follow it. Thank heavens, or Alkaid would have died of a heart attack trying to get Z out of the way.
She took the brief opening from it's confusing to launch herself forward, her left hand aiming for an exposed neck. The hair pin struck true, piercing what Alkaid could only assume was a jugular or something close to it. A gargling cry echoed off the walls of the nearest buildings and as the creature reached up to try and pry the protruding object from his neck, Alkaid used both hands to jab the second hair pin into what she hoped was the area above its heart.
One clawed youma hand came down, swiping across her back and tearing open her fuku to reveal angry clawed marks over her skin. Alkaid screeched at the blossoming pain but drove harder on the pin, forcing her body weight into it until she couldn't push it any farther. Ignoring the pain on her back, she half shuffled/half leaped backwards to rejoin MuCephi and watched as the beast struggled with the pins.
It was either too stupid or in too much pain to remove either, and its frantic cries eventually became nothing more than pitiful whines as it collapsed onto the street. Like the first youma she'd ever fought, it died in front of them and eventually faded into a filthy pile of what could only be described as dust.
Alkaid would have felt sorry, staring on as it died and listening to it cry out so pitifully, except that Z had been its chosen victim tonight. That, and now she feel blood trickling down her back from the shallow gashes she'd suffered from it's claws. "Great, Saiph is going to fuss over this now," she muttered between deep breaths, her face a little paler than normal.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 6:50 pm
Ume blinked, and then beamed... "WoW... I wasn't sure they'd work! I...um... you can um... keep them if you want."
She pondered the hairpins and where the'd been.
"MuCephi...Senshi of Blood, are you alright um... little boy?" She called down the alley..
There were a long pause from which, despite -everything- that had happened you could almost feel the -wave- if irritation from Z, "I'm -fine- thanks... and I'm not a... never mind. Thank you...both... um... hmm"
He was looking at them like most civilians probably would. the "Aren't you guys supposed to be russian terrorists or something?" look.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 7:22 pm
Alkaid couldn't help the small (if pained) laugh that bubbled out at MuCephi's comment on the hair pins. She stared at the pile of dust and very carefully reached over to pluck them out by the what tips she could see poking out. "You sure you don't want them back?" Personally, she wouldn't want any part of her Senshi outfit to be lost.
"I'm Alkaid, Senshi of Guidance," she began, just in time for MuCephi to shout down the alley after Z. There was a new grimace on her face that had nothing to do with the pain she felt but instead the anticipation of her friend's reaction. She turned and glanced down the alley, waiting for a storm.
Surprisingly, even though he seemed a little irritated, he was taking it well. Maybe he was just afraid of the big bad Senshi. His next comment confirmed that, and she let out a sigh of frustration. "No, we aren't Russian terrorists. Don't believe everything you see on the news, okay?" Her tone should have been reprimanding, but really, she was just relieved.
With a frown, Alkaid tried to crane her neck back and look at the bleeding gashes. Too bad her head didn't rotate that way. "How bad is it?" She asked, turning her back to show MuCephi. It stung terribly but didn't feel too crippling yet.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 7:28 pm
"Ouch..." was her response, but she did at least take the hair pins back "here... lemie put these back -really- fast and Ive got a tissue we can put on that..." She said. biting her lip.
"I'm so sorry, if I'd just moved faster, but all I did was irritate it."
"... ive got some bandages..." Came Z's voice from the alley as he moved forward cautiously. He still had that 'suspicious' look on your face, but then it was kind of like meeting superman. Or... the green goblin and being told he was a good Samaritan.
"Hard to know what to believe." He admitted and fished in his back.
"How did..." he started.
"No...-why- do you guys... do this? I mean, not that I don't... appreciate it, I -do-, I'm quite fond of living. But... now your hurt. Should I... pay you or something?"
"Oh... no, not at all... er... not me?" Ume shook her head glancing at you quickly... and back "I... it's, well we..." She stammered, having never been directly asked before.
"Someone has to..." She said at last settling to an almost victorian resolve, folding her hands in front of her around her hair pins. "It's... we're able to, to a degree, and so... oh dear I'm going to sound like a comic book."
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 7:44 pm
"No, you did a good job," she admitted, smiling at MuCephi through the pain radiating over her back, "I would have been in trouble if you hadn't come along." Story of her life, needing someone to help her. Then again, she had taken down the youma in the end. That was something to think about at least.
She turned a little as Z's voice chimed in, drawing a deep breath as he came walking out from behind the dumpster she'd told him to take shelter near. Well, this was going to be awkward to say the least, especially if she didn't want to give away her identity. She crossed her arms and resorted to tapping her fingers against them as she waited patiently for him to find the bandages.
His question didn't really surprise her, and neither did MuCephi's inability to answer it. Had she tried to answer first she probably would have stuttered around the answer too. She shifted on her feet, the heels she wore making a click against the pavement of the alley. "We do it because it's what we are supposed to do. Some of us enjoy it and others do not, but all of us are supposed to help those that need our aid." She finished and nodded to herself as if to say 'that was a good answer', then let her orange eyes swivel back down to her friend who was quite a bit shorter than her now that she was in her Senshi form. Not that he was much taller next to her normally.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 7:51 pm
"hmm..." He said with a considering tone, glancing you both over, it wasn't the first time his face had gone, for a moment unreadable. "Um..." He fumbled with the cottan pad he'd fished out of a small first aid kit in his bag, why he had one was... well if you'd ever seen him interact with those larger than he it wasn't hard to figure out.
"... Damnit." he swore his hands shaking as what adrenaline had propelled him behind the trashcan was wearing quickly off.
"Here..." Ume said her voice kind and she took it gently from him.
"I have antiseptic." He said almost defensive of the idea of needing help. Ume paused and nodded gratefully, that seemed to take the edge off his irritation and he applied it before she carefully put the cotton pad on and he offered up some medical tape.
That was a good answer... Ume said quietly with a small smile.
"Thank you, sir, for helping us, I'm sorry I called you a boy." She smiled at him widely.
"It's ok... it happens..." he said offering her an alcohol wipe for her hair pins. She laughed and took it.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 8:24 pm
Alkaid had turned around to show her back to Z, mostly so that he could bandage her up. It was kind of amusing how awkward he found it when she was rather comfortable simply because she wasn't the one in the dark about one of her best friends being a Senshi after all.
She hid her small smirk by turning her head away, her hands reaching up to grab her braid and pull it over her shoulder. She jerked a little at the touch of the antiseptic - it was cold against her warm, burning flesh. She relaxed finally as the bandage was applied and Ume helped Z get the medical tape in place.
"Thank you both," she said with a relief, "I wouldn't want to get an infection from that." Her nose wrinkled slightly as she cast her bright eyes down at the youma, then flickered them back up to stare at Ume and Z.
"You should get home, okay?" Her smile faded a little and she seemed quite somber. There was more concern in her face than there would have been for a simple stranger but there was nothing to be done for that. The thought of losing Z to a youma was.. unbearable. "Just stay to well-lit streets if you can, with lots of people. Be safe, okay?" They were his words, repeated back to him, but they were also rather generic and nothing to really raise a brow at.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 8:30 pm
Lots of people... ugh even among them he'd feel like a target for different reasons but he kept his mouth closed and nodded...
"Thank you Miss...Alcaid, and Miss... Mucephi." He said saying the words like the might be explosive. He gave, of all things a little bow and returned to gather up a guitar case, he looked even shorter holding it somehow. But he clutched it like Fort Knox and made his way carefully away, casting glances over his shoulder as he walked.
--
Mu cephi waved as he walked away, waiting till he was out of earshot to turn a curious crimson gaze on you.
Studying your face then smiling... "I don't know, but why do I think you -know- him? Outside of... this I mean" She asked and then looked taken aback at herself and curtsied, as victorian as her momentary cool before. "Sorry, where are my manners, thank you so much again, its always so good to meet more of...well, 'Us'"
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 8:37 pm
Alkaid was silent a few moments as she watched Z walk off, a small smile on her face as she saw him clutching the guitar case. So he'd gotten it for Demy after all? She finally turned to look at MuCephi as she spoke, and only once Z was too far to see anymore.
"No, no" she said with a little shake of her head, waving her hands at MuCephi's polite apology. It was refreshing, especially after Senshi like Castor and Nemesis, to finally meet someone with manners. "I do know him, I know him really well."
She let out a little sigh, experimentally stretching her back a little to see how much the gash hurt. It hurt, it hurt quite a bit, but she thought it was tolerable at least. "Now I have to hide these from him next time I see him, or he's really not going to buy my 'I got hit by a biker' story."
With her own apologetic smile, she reached out a hand to MuCephi. "I'm sorry, this has all just scattered my brains a little. It's a pleasure to meet you as well - you won't believe some of the other Senshi I've met. You're a real breath of fresh air."
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 8:44 pm
Ume blushed and laughed "I've... I'm on a team with a 'character' myself, she knows how to fight I hear, but I'm -terrified- to ask her, I could never explain what I'm sure she'd do to me." She shook her head apologetic.
"I guess, we all just... follow our guts with this, but I'm glad we helped your friend" She smiled widely and tapped her chin.
"OH!...Come here! I have just the thing to hide that! I...mean if you don't mind um, we'll you'll see...it's kind of lacy!"
She beckoned you back to where her voice had first come from and rescued a shoulder bag from behind a litter bin. It was covered with lace, bats, tiny skull pins and such a very odd assortment of things.
She reached inside and pulled out a box, and from inside she pulled a sort of lace shawl and a white, velvet choker, also trimmed with lace, next to the choker the shawl looked more ivory, and the choker just touched with a blue.
She offered them to you. "If they don't go with what you normally wear, then um... Say they were a gift from a relative! I made the choker so its -really- cheezy, just watch the stitches holding the clasps ok?"
She smiled up at you.
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