[R] Coffee Break [Vera, Grendel, Janice] [FIN]

[Ithiltari]

Vera sat outside at one of the many coffee shops that seemed ubiquitous around Destiny City. It was, thankfully, the weekend and the red-head had spent most of her Saturday morning looking for a cat. She had had no luck at all, obviously. It wasn't that she hadn't found cats - she had - it was simply that Destiny City was proving to be entirely too large to canvass properly. Especially since the description she'd been given had been, at best, very vague. Blue cats would seem like something that would stand out, but alas. This had not proven to be the case. Whatever was in the water here that led to people having brightly colored hair naturally also affected the animal populace as well.

So Vera was taking a break, sipping a caramel apple something or other she'd managed to get the helpful barista to make for her, while idly toying with the remains of a piece of coffee cake, letting her mind wander. It seemed rather important that it was Vera sitting here, doing normal things, and not Vivianite. Whoever Vivianite was, and whatever she was supposed to be doing. It hadn't been made entirely clear to her at the time; a cryptic instruction to find this cat named Grendel that 'she would know when she saw him', hat she would be reporting to someone named Uranophane, some other information that Charonite had deemed important enough to tell her, and then he and Tanzanite had left. Vivianite had become Vera, and she had found Janice, never letting on that anything had happened and leaving the destroyed archery equipment to be cleaned up by someone else.

What Janice would think of all of this Negaverse business, Vera wouldn't even begin to speculate on.  

[Tsunake]

At least Ursula had toted him halfway out here before she'd unceremoniously dumped him so he could find his own way. Had he known that his current quarry was looking for a blue cat, he'd have coolly informed her that he was gray, thank you, at least as far as cat colors were concerned.

It didn't take long to find her, not with the corruption pulsing so swiftly through the air, and the chubby cat silently made his way towards the little coffee shop. There was a woman sitting outside--a girl, really, and the cat knew he'd finally found her.

He hadn't been instructed on much, really. Senshi. That was the only thing he knew, and, despite himself, the Guardian was hesitant. With an elegance that his size betrayed, Grendel effortlessly bounded from chair to table top, staring at Vera for a moment with thoughtful eyes before he took a seat.

"So." The cat said after a long period of silence, his tail twitching. "You're Vivianite." He wasn't asking so much as he was confirming, making sure no one was even remotely around to observe the scene.

There was a strange tug in his chest, like this sort of thing felt... well, very right. Like this was something he was supposed to be doing, and should have started a long time ago.

For now, words escaped him, and Grendel only scrutinized the corrupted senshi seated before him. No one would have any idea of what she was capable of, just by looking at her... Then again, he didn't know exactly what she was capable of, either.

Or did he?  

[Ithiltari]

She'd finished her drink and was about to clean up after herself when suddenly a cat jumped onto her table. Vera's mouth opened slightly, as if she was going to say something; it closed with a barely audible click when the cat spoke to her, and she sat back in her chair with what was either a thoughtful expression, or a slightly stunned one. It was often hard to tell, with her.

She looked at him, and something deep inside her was pleased to see him. It wasn't a feeling she'd be able to explain, or even understand herself. Vera idly noted that he wasn't really blue, more of a grey, and oh - there. There was the star on his forehead, and her hand had slowly reached over, as if to pet him before she noticed and pulled it back, flushing slightly. "So I've been told. And you're Grendel," she answered dryly, cheeks still stained lightly pink. Why had she wanted to pet him? She normally didn't care much for cats, or dogs, or really any sort of animal.

"You're supposed to...help me?" she asked, sounding, for once, as confused and lost as she actually felt. "Should we go somewhere else?" Somewhere she could turn into Vivianite and he could see exactly what he was dealing with.  

[Tsunake]

Those bright eyes pinned themselves on the slowly reaching hand, his paws just barely shifting as though to help the cat lean forward a little, but the girl caught herself at the last moment. Grendel straightened up and cleared his throat as though he'd been doing nothing of the sort. No one was there to call him out on it, so as far as the tabby was concerned, he was quite safe.

"I am." The cat responded amiably, still watching her for a moment. This was eerily similar to the encounter he'd had with that other senshi girl--Tracy--but the corrupted guardian could relax in Vivianite's presence. This was how it felt for the cats working with the senshi, wasn't it? He felt strangely protective of the girl, though he hardly knew her, and the tip of his tail twitched with indecision for a moment.

"Yes. Yes, I think that'd be wise. There's the park near here, or... Well, yes, the park will do. ...And I'll be doing my best to help you." He prayed he could, anyway. How hard could it be? Grendel pushed himself to his feet, trotting closer to the edge of the table to peer up at her face. It was the universal cat sign for 'pick me up, plz'.  

[Ithiltari]

Vera firmly folded her hands to keep from trying to pet him again, even if it had looked like there, for a moment, he'd wanted her to do so. He was probably far too dignified (he could talk! that had to count for something in the dignity department) for such things - so why was she still wanting to reach over and give his head a quick rub?

"Um, alright," she said, standig up and stuffing the rest of her coffee cake into the empty drink container before succumbing to cat language and picking him up with both hands, shifting the tabby about to a more comfortable position. Grabbing the drink quickly, she threw it away on her way towards the park.

"So, what am I supposed to do?" Vera asked once they'd found an almost concealed spot, her hold loosening slightly in case Grendel wanted down. Oh, but he was as soft as she'd thought he'd be, and she really just wanted to give him a hug, but no. This wasn't her cat - surely he was his own cat, or person, or whatever he might actually be. There were a lot of gaps in Vera's knowledge of pretty much everything to do with the factions battling it out for Destiny City's fate, and it was probably woefully apparent.

"And do you know who Uranophane is?"  

[Tsunake]

Grendel nestled into her side as he was scooped up, resisting the ridiculous notion to purr. It wouldn't be long till the park came into view, and his eyes thoughtfully scanned the area for a moment, ears swiveling about. He didn't hear anyone around, so it was safe to assume they were alone. "Vera, is it?" He confirmed without really needing an answer. He hesitated.

"...I... think I know what I have to do, but bear with me; you're the first senshi I've gotten to really interact with." A lie, but he'd leave it at that. Grendel frowned faintly at the question, shaking his head. "No. I don't think so. I know of her, of course, but... never met with her. She's the one that recommended you be brought into our ranks."

He was fidgeting, stalling for time even as that small seed of instinct continued to gnaw at the back of his brain. What was he supposed to do here? He knew--he knew, somehow, and suddenly, it struck him.

"All right." The cat breathed, actually sounding... almost eager. "All right, I was told that our Queen told you how to power up. Can you do that for me?" Once she was in her corrupted form... well, he'd see if he could put his knowledge to the test.  

[Ithiltari]

Vera didn't answer when he guessed her name correctly, merely rubbing her thumb against the side of his head in a thoughtful gesture. It made sense that he'd know both of her names - and that was rather a strange thought.

"Really?" she did ask, sounding surprised. She really was that clueless. About to ask more about this senshi thing, she stopped, frowning slightly. So - Uranophane had recommended that she be...recruited? Is that what they called it? It was a nice enough euphemism for anyone who didn't know what they were getting into. (She still had no idea what she'd gotten into.) But that meant that Uranophane either knew her, or had been watching her.

While Vera was perhaps not as smart os her best friend Janice, she was smart enough to connect a few dots. Everything clicked into place for her then, although it would be a nice confirmation if Janice - Uranophane - actually showed up. All of the hints about the truth of Barren Pines, and everything else going on around the city; clearly, Janice was involved.

"I, ah, okay," she said, nodding her head uncertainly. That had perhaps not really been the best of her experiences as Vivianite, but it had been memorable. Vera didn't seem to do anything, but rather suddenly, Vivianite was standing in the park, holding Grendel.  

[Tsunake]

"Really." The cat said dryly, assuming she was surprised by his lack of experience with this sort of thing. It wouldn't take long before there was a truly frightening surge of power that emitted from the girl, and, wriggling himself free of her grip, Grendel would hop out of her arms in order to get a better look at her.

"Goodness." Was all he said at first, blinking as he looked her up and down. That was quite a mane she'd sprouted, and the gaping hole in her chest was framed by her pale skin. "Goodness, we can't keep you like that for long; someone's bound to sense you at any moment." And, if he felt out for power signals, there were no other Negaverse agents in the area, so it would be the senshi that would come investigate.

Grendel's brows furrowed for a moment, and the cat looked almost comical as he concentrated hard. Think, think, think... It was time to tap into a set of instincts that had been dead and buried ever since he could remember, but after a moment, his blue eyes locked with hers.

"Listen to me carefully, Vivianite. I want you to shout--no, don't shout, not here--Perennial Eclipse." Yes, that sounded right, and he knew it to be true. "That's one of your powers, I believe, but we won't know for sure until you try it."

The cat was starting to inch away from her, not about to get himself caught in the blast radius of whatever devastation she could release with her hands. He still had things to live for, after all!  

[Ithiltari]

Vivianite let him go without much of a protest besides a slight noise and narrowing her lips, but she did let him go. It was surprisingly hard for her to do so, and just as she was starting to wonder why, he spoke.

She stared at him for a moment, having missed the hilarious sight of a cat trying to scrunch up his forehead in thought. Her head tilted to the side, causing part of her mass of hair to fall over and brush against the ground. More than it was already doing, anyway; it had curled against the back of her feet once she'd transformed.

"Perennial Ecplise?" she mouthed, not quite trusting herself to say the words. Especially since Grendel apparently had no clue what it would do. "Perennial Ecplise," Vivianite said aloud, not a shout, but loud enough for her ability to trigger.

And trigger it did, sending a cloud of dark red blossoms billowing about her that slowly morphed into blobs of shadow that quickly formed a dome around her.

The corrupted senshi's mouth was open in a perfect O of suprise. Not that Grendel would be able to see it, caught within the dome as he was.  

[cibarium]

Earlier that week, Uranophane had been summoned and informed that she had gotten what she had wanted: the Negaverse had brought Vera Valentine into its fold after considering her proposal.

This had brought about mixed feelings. There was, of course, the deep feeling of smug satisfaction -- but that was a bit deeply buried, immensely overshadowed by irritation that they hadn't thought to have her be present for it. She was livid. They'd corrupted Vera without her. She probably had no goddamn idea what was going on or what she was supposed to be doing. There had been terse words and grinding of teeth.

Then Charonite had gone on to say that she was to be assigned as Vivianite's 'handler' -- and in typical Charonite fashion, she'd been given her assignment and shooed off on her merry way with only threadbare explanations that gave her a shaky capacity to improvise on the situation.

Which was probably the point.

Sigh.

Janice Fitzpatrick was trudging through the city and, soon, into the park, and more or less aimlessly: she knew she had to find Grendel and Vivianite both, but hadn't a clue where they were. And Vera hadn't answered her phone, which was as alarming as it was irritating. Maybe Vera had clued in already. Maybe she hadn't. Maybe she'd been told who Uranophane was, maybe she hadn't. Too many maybes. Janice was pretty sure 'maybe' wasn't supposed to rear its head in an organized paramilitary force so often. It made her grind her teeth more.

Some minutes of wandering later, she was slowed in her tracks by something fluttering past her peripheral vision -- deep crimson in color, looked like a flower petal, and quite strange seeing how there were no flowers of that color in the bushes or trees nearby.

Then she watched curiously as it and a flurry of others its kind melted, disintegrated into inky ash. And then, the next instant -- the grass faded, the trees and sky ebbed away into blackness.

There was a senshi here. Without a second thought, Janice took on a defensive stance.  

[Tsunake]

Oh. Well, that wasn't exactly what he'd been planning, but Grendel's guard didn't drop an inch. As the beautiful crimson petals suddenly bloomed about her figure, the cat only had a moment to react before the entire world went dark. There was no way he could see, not like this, and his paws dug themselves warily in the dirt. Was it harmful to breathe? Well, he should have thought about that before she'd done it, now shouldn't he? He was now effectively blind, and though his tail was lashing with his agitation, his voice was remarkably steady. "Vivianite?" Cautious, yes, but in control.

It took him only a moment to realize that someone else was nearby--thankfully, not a senshi. Still, the cat's head snapped to the side, unconsciously able to hone onto whoever-it-was's presence.

Another heartbeat passed before, "Uranophane," The guardian hissed. The last thing he needed was a fight to break out, especially when he wasn't sure how informed the girl was about corrupted senshi. "Stay where you are. Vivianite--can you undo what you just did? And try not to kill me, please." He muttered that last bit, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't entirely mean it!  

[Ithiltari]

Vivianite could see the cat's claws digging into the ground and she tried to take a step towards him. Unfortunately, that caused the bubbled dome about her to swirl briefly, shadows lifting for a moment before she stopped in startlement. "Yes, Grendel?" she replied equally calmly, not entirely sure what her power had caused. Whatever it was had agitated the guardian cat considerably.

"I think so," the corrupted senshi replied, biting her lip nervously. "If I just...did you say Uranophane?" Vivianite's purple eyes widened and she cast a look around, trying to spot this mysterious Negaverser who was going to be in charge of her. Still aware of Grendel's request that she take down the dome, the senshi took another couple of steps that made everything return to visibility.

"What did I do?" she murmured quietly to herself, looking at one black gloved hand curiously.  

[cibarium]

And as quickly as the ash-cloud of darkness had descended on her, it was gone... but not before Janice had taken advantage of the cover and phased herself into her Negaverse uniform. She still didn't know what was going on -- but she'd heard a voice address her by her Negaverse name, then talk to another -- Vivianite.

She followed the source of the voices until her eyes caught on two things: the first was obviously Grendel, the corrupted cat she'd heard about but never met until now.

And then there was 'Vivianite.'

Distinctively dressed in the fuku of a corrupted senshi.

Uranophane's mouth opened to say something... then it closed again, the act along with how wide her eyes were opened making her look like a large-mouth bass.  

[Tsunake]

Grendel let out an audible sigh as the strange... well, whatever had been impeding his visibility suddenly faded away, leaving Vivianite standing there, staring at her hand as though she couldn't quite believe what she'd done. Yes, well, that made two of them. Willing his frazzled fur to lay flat again (heavens knew that'd been enough excitement for one afternoon), Grendel primly focused on now-powered Uranophane.

"Yes, she's a corrupted senshi." The cat said impatiently, padding his way over to peer up at the capable Lieutenant. "So. You're to be her guardian of sorts, correct? If you don't get a promotion for this one, Lieutenant, then the Negaverse is falling apart even more quickly than I expected."

With a derisive snort, Grendel looked between the two girls for a moment with a sudden frown. He got the feeling he was missing something important, and that prompted him to say, "Do you two know each other somehow?" Yes, Uranophane had recommended that the girl be brought into their ranks... but how? And more importantly, why? If she didn't realize she was a corrupted senshi at all, then...  

[Ithiltari]

Vivianite had finally figured out where Uranophane was standing and looked over the Lieutenant curiously. Hopefully they'd be able to get along. "Hello," she said somewhat cautiously. The lieutenant looked entirely taken aback by Vivianite's appearance, something that made the corrupted senshi quietly pleased. Charonite must not like sharing information. At all.

"I don't think we've met?" she offered to Grendel, tilting her head slightly to the left in a mannerism Vera Valentine was fond of. "Not like this, anyway." The girl hadn't moved since dropping her attack, merely turning in place to look around. Now, however, she followed Grendel and stopped in front of Uranophane with an outstretched hand. "It's nice to meet you."