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 Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 3:12 pm
It was dusk, and Sailor Pomona was walking behind a shopping center. It wasn’t exactly the time or place for a stroll, but Pomona had her reasons. Between the gaps in the weeds that were growing up the chain link fence that backed the property, she could see out to the road beyond. Said road was a road that led to her friend’s house, and she suspected that her friend might be taking that route. Now that she had magical powers, lame though they may be, she intended to make sure that her friend made it home unharmed.
The problem, of course, was that Pomona did not have a clear view of the road, and was not sure if her friend was going to be taking that route or not. She had already walked the length of the store’s rear twice, but she decided that she would wait another ten minutes before leaving. She kicked a plastic bottle before glancing up at the darkening sky with a slight frown on her face. Tallulah had said that no one was to go out on their own, but she’d only be powered up for ten minutes. What could another ten minutes hurt?
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Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 3:16 pm
And it was right around that moment that an agonizing scream teared the silence of the evening.
In a nearby alley, Rhodizite growled in frustration; the girl he'd cornered was giving him a really hard time. He'd tried to end it rather fast, but the girl had struggled, and to put it mildly, the lieutenant was finding it rather hard to keep the girl restrained. It shouldn't have been a hard task, given the fact the girl was a civilian and his chain was strong. However, luck had intervened and a series of events now had him glaring at the girl that cowered on the ground, looking up at him.
"Let's try this again," he murmured as he grabbed the chain with both hands and gave it a small yank, "It won't take long," he should've left after the girl had screamed. The sounds were going to attract someone or other, but he really couldn't bare the idea of simply giving up.
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Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 7:40 pm
The scream certainly did attract attention. Pomona’s head whipped around so fast that it was amazing she didn’t get whiplash, and then she was off, running towards the source, coins jingling faintly. The very first thought that had shot through her mind upon hearing the scream was that Sydney had gotten in trouble. If she had been able to think she would’ve realized that the scream came from the wrong direction, and any troublemaker was likely going to be alerted to her presence long before she arrived, but it was fear and adrenaline currently spurring her on.
Spying an alley ahead of her she veered towards it, deciding that it was the most likely location of whatever trouble was going on.
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 5:09 am
Sound at the entrance of the alley caught Rhodizite's attention as he was about to charge for the girl on the ground. His head turned and his gaze landed on Pomona. Her attire instantly made him look to the sky and sigh in exasperation; it was becoming increasingly hard for him to get his job done when almost every single time, a senshi would come forth in the 'name of justice', effectively hindering him.
He was growing extremely tired of being unable to hunt two nights in a row without somehow stumbling across a senshi, and it was really beginning to both annoy and agitate him, if the way he shot Pomona a glare upon arrival was any indication.
Another sound caught his attention, this time in front of him; he turned towards it just as his the girl he'd been hunting managed to slip around and past him, taking his moment of mild distraction as an opportune one to run, "Oh, for the love of-" he growled under his breath, now finally turning to face the senshi, given the fact his god damned prey had gotten away, "You are most inopportune; this is really starting to grate on my patience and nerves."
That said, he waited for the senshi to make a move.
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 2:15 pm
Pomona got a good enough look at the girl to realize that she wasn’t Sydney. She felt a wave of relief, which was quickly replaced with anger.
“ Actually, looks like I had perfect timing.” Pomona crossed her hands arms, glaring at him. “ What is with you people anyway? Are you all just crazy, are do y’all have some reason for collecting starseeds other then being evil, bringing about anarchy, etc. etc.?”
In all honesty, Pomona was still a bit confused on that point. Surely there was a reason for collecting starseeds, and the whole “anarchy” or “to destroy the world” excuses were a bit lame. Why would anyone want to destroy the world they were living in?
Curiosity aside, Pomona was attempting to size up her opponent. His weapon, a chain with a fake bone attached to it, was already out. It certainly looked more intimidating then, say, a jump rope. Sadly, just like a jump rope, this Nega agent’s weapon allowed him a bit of range, and if she wanted to have any reliable throws she’d probably be skirting said range.
Frowning mentally, she took a couple of test steps forward, closing the gap between them.
“ Well? Are you a complete psycho or only slightly off-kilter?”
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 2:36 pm
"I beg to differ," he drawled, "I would appreciate it if I could go about my business without being interrupted," he was mildly amused that the girl was choosing to talk, instead of attacking. Usually, when a senshi found him, they charged right into battle, all might and bravery for the most part. Arching a brow, he tilted his head, regarding her attire, as if trying to figure out whom she really was - had he known what her sphere was off the bat, he'd have probably left right then and there.
Alas.
"Crazy?" he looked mildly offended at the claim, "Not at all," a pause followed, "Well, most of us aren't. There's a few lose screws, but then... there's some of those on your side too," he wanted her to draw closer; 'yes indeed, do draw closer', he thought to himself, his eyes never leaving hers. The closer she got, the easier it'd be for him to lash out. Despite his weapon, he was mostly a close-range fighter, and used the chain to draw his opponents nearer, or to bind them, depending on the situation "There's a reason for them, and it most certainly is not Anarchy. Whatever made you think something are stupid as that?"
Rhodizite counted her steps as she moved towards him, and it wasn't till she closed the gap that he finally moved forward, "Neither," he said as he aimed a kick at her legs; he figured if she was down, and kept her distracted, it wouldn't matter what her sphere was, "My name Rhodizite. And I'll make sure your bones shatter."
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 3:07 pm
“ The ‘loose screws’ on my side aren’t in the habit of killing people.”
Really, it was maddening. She had thought that by now she’d have an answer to her questions, but no one seemed willing to cooperate in that manner. It was a fact that the Negaverse was stealing starseeds, but lacking further information, it seemed that her fellow Senshi were making up reasons, or were simply content with saying the excuse “because they’re evil.” When she attempted to question a Negaverse agent – which was admittedly tough, considering the situation – they were irritatingly vague. Pomona was tempted to say that they were just following orders and didn’t have a damn clue as to why either.
Well, she was close enough to attack now. Too close, actually, and too slow, because the baddie was already on the offensive. Swearing silently, she noticed the kick, but too late to completely avoid it. It didn’t knock her down, but it did send her staggering back into a wall, winding her.
Panting, she decided that the mood for conversation had been officially killed. Cupping her hands before her, she rasped, “ Pomona Pepper Poppers!”
Normally she would throw just one pepper, but because she was in a vulnerable position and because her shaking hands were unlikely to have accurate aim, she lobbed all three magical fruits in the general direction of Rhodizite, hoping at least one would hit.
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 3:31 pm
"You'd be surprised what I've caught wind of," he'd heard of 'rebellious' senshi before, but hadn't really seen any. Something about star seed stealing, though in all honesty, he hadn't given it much thought. As far as he was concerned, a war was a war, and it was pretty obvious to him that there would be causalities. Lots of them. However, he was under the (perhaps misguided?) impression that it would culminate in a better place. It was hard to tell whom was right and whom was really wrong within this world anyhow; whom had a right to say what was and what wasn't right?
His train of thought was effectively derailed as he lashed out at her, feeling the way she staggered backwards. Well, damn it, he'd been trying to topple her over and perhaps bind her; maybe if her hands were bound she wouldn't have time to use her atta--
“Pomona Pepper Poppers!”
Had she just said pepper?! Oh, for the love of--
Her words had an almost amusing effect on Rhodizite; the lieutenant stumbled back instantly, almost as if physically sick and made a face that easily proclaimed his dislike of the horrible substance otherwise known as pepper. Why there was a need for a senshi of pepper, of all things, Rhodizite had no clue, but really did not want to stick around to find out; he was mildly allergic to pepper, and something told him that fighting a senshi whose attacks were based on the substance... was going to be counter productive for him. He should leave. Sooner than later
Except the attack had already been initiated and while he was able to avoid one of the balls, which hit something somewhere behind him... he made the mistake of whacking the second one with his chain. It 'poofed' into a small cloud of smoke, which he inhaled, sending him reeling back into a coughing fit, and thus leaving him open for the third ball to smack him square on his open hand (he'd been using it to guard his nose and mouth, which now itched).
"I," he managed between coughing fits, "Am going to kill you," maybe not today, and surely not tomorrow, but damn it, he was going to kill her. When he... felt a tad less nauseated.
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 4:15 pm
That… worked better then expected. From her place against the wall Pomona watched Rhodizite’s reaction, feeling both amused and bemused. Granted she knew her attack was annoying, but this reaction was more then she had been hoping for. If it wasn’t for this situation it would be comical. As it was Pomona’s legs and back were sore, her heart shuddering, and she was still trying to catch her breath.
Still, when Rhodizite tried threatening her while hacking, she couldn’t help but arch an eyebrow. She knew that she shouldn’t find this funny, but she couldn’t help it. Trying her best to steady herself, she stood and cupped her hands in front of her again. Then she asked in an innocent voice,“ Shall I kick it up another notch?”
((Edited.))
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 7:40 am
The wheezing, coughing fit continued, the Lieutenant rubbing at his eyes harshly with one hand; he couldn't really see her through the tears the pepper had sprung forth, but he could very well hear her.
She wanted to kick it up a notch?! As if the whole ordeal hadn't been effective enough already!
When the effects that had been lingering finally dissipated (leaving Rhodizite feeling rather woozy though), he finally focused his full attention back on the girl. If looks could have killed, Pomona would have gone up in flames, what with the ferocious look he was tossing her way.
He could have turned tail and run, but he was sure the girl would have followed, and what with the fact he was still coughing every so often (a lingering effect of his allergy), he knew he wouldn't have been all that stealthy. Which meant that if he wanted to escape, he was going to have to distract her, or incapacitate her. Hopefully both, if only momentarily. Which was going to be a problem, given the fact he was a short range fighter and he seemed rather keen on keeping a distance between them, as if trying to ward her off.
He swore, if he died due to allergy (his wasn't all that serious, but then again, he wasn't quite thinking straight), he was going to spend eternity haunting this senshi, making sure her existence was as unbearably miserable as possible.
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 10:52 am
Pomona almost, almost felt sorry for him. As it was, she knew he was supposed to be one of the bad guys, and that her fellow Senshi would tell her that this would be an excellent chance to take him down, but she just couldn’t. She had effectively stopped him from doing any serious damage to the civilian and she was still fighting a strong dislike for kicking people while they were down.
On the other hand, she doubted that she could trust him to just leave and go home. For all she knew he could be faking, though if that was the case he was admittedly very good actor.
Crossing her arms back over her chest, she returned Rhodizite’s glare with her own, weaker version.
“ I don’t suppose I could trust you to go in peace if I let you?”
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 12:40 pm
Had the girl been able to peek inside his mind, it was probable she wouldn't have been as inclined to feel sorry for him. Specially seeing as he was already planning on how he would haunt her if he happened to die.
When her words came, Rhodizite narrowed his eyes, distrust clearly written upon his features. His morals might've been mildly (technically... more than mildly) screwed up, but he was far from dumb. He knew and understood when he was beat; he didn't really think he could handle a battle where he was coughing, wheezing and doubling over in pain every two seconds.
Technically, the pain he could have handled. Pain was something he was used to in battle. The coughing, wheezing, sneezing and teary eyes however, were new and more than slightly annoying. It simply didn't allow him to maneuver in efficient ways, "I don't suppose I could trust you not to follow?" he answered her question with another question, now standing up straight, no longer in an offensive pose. However, he still looked wary, his eyes darting off to look at the end of the alley, somewhere behind her, before coming to rest back on her.
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 3:39 pm
Pomona shrugged. “ I won’t follow you unless I hear more screams.” She said. Of course, she was aware that a skilled enough villain could kill silently but- well, she just didn’t want to think about that too hard just yet.
“ As long as you play nice with the other kids I won’t whack you with magic vegetables. That being said, we’ll probably meet again, but I’ve had enough excitement for one night.”
And with that Pomona sat down on the ground, arms still cross, waiting to see what Rhodizite would do. It probably wasn’t the most intelligent thing to do – sitting made her more vulnerable – but she could throw peppers sitting down, so she figured she’d be able to retaliate before things got too serious, should he decide not to take her invitation to leave.
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 4:12 pm
The girl had the audacity to sit down in front of him. Rhodizite wasn't entirely sure if he should be horribly offended by the show she was putting on, or if he should be horribly grateful that the girl didn't seem to be too keen on fighting.
Unfortunately for him, he knew when he was fighting a lost battle, and he didn't feel like pushing this any further, "I hope you're aware that you are very, very lucky," he told her with a frown, "I know when the odds are against me," that said, he took a step away from her, pulling his chain towards him, coiling it in a lose circle in his right hand.
"I'll bow out of this one," he even made a show of bowing slightly before her, making sure to keep his eyes glued on her. If she was going to snark at him by sitting down, he was going to snark right back at her by being polite, "For now," the last words were growled out as he straightened up. That said he looked towards the exit of the alley, then back at Pomona, and once again towards the end of the alley. His eyes narrowed, and as he walked past her, his kept his gaze on her, but once he had walked a few steps, he turned away from from her fully.
She didn't strike him as the type to attack someone from behind. All the better for him... and all the worse for her, eventually, he was sure of it. He soon enough vanished from the alley, and no further screams were heard.
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 6:55 pm
Yes, Pomona knew she was lucky. She was lucky that her attack was “super effective” against Rhodizite. She also knew, even if she didn’t really comprehend it, that she was lucky no one had been seriously injured or killed, herself included. The problem was that Pomona didn’t feel lucky. This whole Senshi thing was looking more and more like a big mess.
She watched as Rhodizite retreated, her thoughts spinning. She stayed like that, sitting immobile on the dirty cement and staring blankly until the boom of a loud bass startled her out of her reverie. Clambering to her feet she jogged off, looking back occasionally. It might have been a victory, but for some odd reason it didn’t feel like one.
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