|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2010 6:55 pm
Anyone who knew Paul Wyndham knew that he wasn't much of a leader. He tended to spend too much time thinking of the plan, and then would never execute it for fear it wasn't worth it. Everyone, though, knew he was a great underling--give him part of a plan to execute, and he'd do his best. When others depended upon him, he could produce great things--with the right tools, even admirable things. Spinel knew of five other corrupted senshi beyond the one he was sitting with now. None of them were as trustworthy, though, as Vivianite. Which was why he'd approached her first to try and pull off this plan.
They weren't meant to take starseeds from civilians any longer. The enemy didn't know that, as yet. But senshi, senshi were still fair game, and a little... trickery... in order to relieve some unsuspecting alien of their starseed was surely all right. Especially if their 'victim' wasn't really a victim at all.
"The ideal places to try and work this would be in rarely-traveled, but more affluent areas," he was saying, looking at the map. "Otherwise we're likely to be ignored as the area's more... common indecencies." Although would a senshi ignore any civilian screaming for help, no matter what the situation was? Likely not. But he didn't want anything to happen to Vivianite--would do his best to prevent it at all costs, in fact. "A plan like this will only work if we can make the threat seem credible."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2010 9:32 pm
There were many things that could be said about Vera Valentine. Much like Paul Wyndham, though, a good leader was not one of them. She functioned best with a set of directions, with a plan to follow. Which was why she'd agreed to meet Spinel to hear about this idea he'd had.
It wasn't particularly novel; Vivianite had played bait in a senshi trap a few times by now. What made it interesting was that she would be henshined down, which meant that she wouldn't have to worry about suppressing her power signature. "That makes sense," she replied slowly, frowning slightly as she peered at the map. She'd learned a lot about Destiny City's areas in the past year or so, but there were still a lot of places that were only hazy in her mind.
"So that means me, powered down?" To create a credible threat, at any rate. She rubbed her gloved arms again; they were inside a warehouse, out of the wind, but that didn't make it warm by any stretch of the imagination, and the corrupted senshi was shivering in tightly controlled little bursts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2010 9:55 pm
He looked up at Vivianite, brown eyes full of concern. She wasn't particularly well-dressed for this kind of thing; he was a little better, with long sleeves and a top made out of thicker wool. He would have gladly sacrificed any layers he had, but there was nothing under the bodice and that had proven quite resistant to damage over the course of earlier battles. "Sorry," he said again, frowning, more at himself than at her. "We'll be done soon and then can teleport right home."
Then he turned his attention back to the map, touching a few circled places. "These are the ones I think would be best. I've observed senshi going past here several times, and they're usually alone. Also, there's another nearby alleyway--you get free of me, I hold off the senshi for a minute until you get back, powered up, and there we go."
She was shivering again, and he gritted his teeth so as not to apologize. If he'd been able to think of one single heated place... "Either one of us, but likely more effective with you," he said. Apologetic smiles seemed to be the order of the day right then. "I'm rather too tall for them to believe you're a... credible threat." Hurriedly, he added, "Of course, I know you could definitely do it. But moon senshi... Not too smart, really."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 11:14 am
She waved away his apology with a hand gesture, the effect of which was marred by the slight shaking a bout of shivering produced. Home sounded very good right now, and the thought of grabbing Spinel's hand and teleporting them both to her apartment was firmly stepped on. "I'll survive," she said brightly as she rolled her shoulders a bit to relax from being so tensed up.
Peering at the map again, the pink-haired senshi edged a little closer to Spinel, trying to pick up a little bit of his body heat. "Hmmm," she said, nodding her head. "That could work, but it might be worthwhile to mention catching the 'civilian' who got away. Just as a cover, or to further throw the senshi off guard." Hopefully they wouldn't attract a senshi who would recognize Vera Valentine!
"I don't mind," she replied with a smile. "It really does make the most sense." She'd be able to stay warm longer that way, too. Assuming the weather stayed this bad, anyway. It was possible the cold wouldn't last, something Vivianite rather hoped would happen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 11:54 am
Sure, she would survive. He'd never doubted that, because it seemed senshi status granted you a bit of respite from the chill. But would she be comfortable? Probably not. Spinel frowned at the map as though it had done something to personally wrong him, and nodded. "Definitely a good idea." The two of them might not be leaders, but they could be self-motivated followers like nobody's business. "We should try and keep the enemy off balance as much as we can."
After a moment's more consideration, he leaned forward to fold up the map. He held it loosely between his fingers, still crouched on the ground; after a moment, he reached over and looped a loose lock of hair behind her ear, draped an arm over her shoulder to try and help her get warmer. "We'll try this next time the temperature goes over twenty-five," he decided, "This is just inhospitable." Poor Vivianite, he was thinking; the female senshi really didn't get the warmest outfits, from what he'd seen in meetings. All exposed limbs and short skirts, he'd seen. Vivianite had stockings, at least. Could have been worse... but could have been much better.
"There is one problem, though," he said, his tone considering, and somewhat tentative. "We don't know each other's civilian identities, so... Obviously, trying to pull this, I'd learn yours, but. I'd rather know before, and have both of us know. Just in case."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 1:45 pm
She nodded again, continuing to smile in what was probably a futile attempt to make Spinel think she was doing just fine with being this cold. She wasn't, not really, and she let out a barely audible sigh of relief when he folded the map up, indicating that they were probably almost done here.
"I'd start out warmer," Vivianite murmured, thinking longingly of her winter coat and scarf. She had forgotten, once again, to put the thing on after henshining up. "And hopefully the senshi won't put up much of a fight." Who'd even want to be outside, ugh. The Negaverse in general had more sensible outfits, at least that she'd seen. Unfortunately, that tendency didn't carry over to the senshi on their side. Spinel was very fortunate, which he seemed to be aware of.
The teen hardly reacted when he looped her hair back over her ear; it was something he did almost compulsively. Vivianite had gotten used to it. She did, however, stiffen slightly at the arm suddenly placed across her shoulders before she relaxed and tried to absorb more body heat. "Oh," was her reply to his next remark, frowning slightly. That was a very good point.
....And she'd get to warm up! With hardly a second thought, the corrupted senshi powered down, leaving Vera Valentine there, looking several degrees warmer than Vivianite had. Her black coat was sensible wool, and long enough that it went barely past her knees. A pastel blue scarf was wrapped several times around her neck, and there was a matching tam hat with quite a bit of her pink hair spilling out from underneath it. "Vera," she introduced herself after a moment spent fumbling a pair of black gloves on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 4:37 am
"Hopefully," he agreed easily, also thinking that at least this way Vivianite would be the warmer of the two. Spinel, he got pants. And sleeves. Layered sleeves, which was damn useless when you thought about it, since nothing else was layered. And the collar, which wasn't so bad.
...Poor female senshi, he reflected again. Although, they did look very nice.
He stepped away once she powered down, both to get a better look at her and to give himself some space. At the sight of her, though, he started to grin; the corners of his eyes crinkled up tightly, he set his hands on his hips. "So I did see you at the Halloween Ball," he said, and then: "We've already met." Spinel powered down, and Paul Wyndham straightened the cuffs of his black duster rather fussily before offering a gloved hand to shake hers.
"It's good to see you again, Vera," he said. "I've been thinking about you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2011 3:00 pm
"Well yes," she replied, looking a bit flustered. She had seen Spinel there. They'd talked and stuck together for a while. Held hands, even. What did he mean -- oh. Vera smiled as well once the other corrupted senshi had powered down. That made a lot more sense.
She took his hand and shook it, resisting the impulse to pull him into a hug. He probably wouldn't have minded it, but...it was an impulse, something she had gotten quite good at ignoring. "It's nice to see you again, Paul."
A curious look flickered across her face. "Oh?" the teen asked. She'd been thinking about him, too. It was strange; normally Vera compared everyone she met to Janice. She still did, of course, but now there was an occasional contrast to Paul in her thought processes as well.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 12:43 pm
He shrugged a bit, embarrassed as he tucked his hands into his pockets. "Well, at the time I didn't know you were so... readily able defend yourself," he explained. "So of course I was wondering if you were safe from... our... brethren." Defend yourself; a somewhat strange way to say he'd been worried she was going to end up dead, or lacking a starseed, or something horrible. He didn't know how to spell it out without making it seem like he'd thought her incapable, although the truth was that he almost had.
It was better that she could keep her own self safe. He believed this.
He looked around. It was bitterly cold, still, and though they were bundled up warmer now he still didn't want to keep Vera out very much longer. "Do you need an escort home," he asked, "or are you going to teleport?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 11:42 am
She looked at him solemnly, though there was a bit of mischief sparkling at the back of her purple eyes. It was kind of nice to be worried about, really. "I had wondered if you'd shown up," she said after a moment. "And then everything started happening, which made me glad I hadn't seen you. If someone had noticed me trying to defend a civilian, it could have raised some awkward questions." All of which was another way of saying that she'd been worried about him, too.
Everything had turned out mostly alright, though. The crystal had been claimed by the Negaverse, and she hadn't been seriously hurt. Neither had the only two Negaverse agents she felt comfortable around, so that was something.
"Mmm," Vera said, thinking. "My nosy neighbor saw me go out dressed as a civ, so it would be better if I came home that way." She half-thought the man was being paid by her mother to keep tabs on her.
Which was a really paranoid idea.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 1:23 am
He understood--about defending a civilian, though he would have done it. Fundamentally, he thought, it would have been hopeless. Some sadistic Negaverser or other would have hunted down Vera anyway, and then she would have probably died in torments. Which would have caused him some discomfort, he'd admit that... but not as much as it caused him now, realizing Vera was Vivianite, and thus his favorite of his fellow purified senshi.
Then he offered his arm, genteel and smiling warmly. "May I walk you there?" It really was only for his own peace of mind; he'd worry forever if she went on her own.
Although they could probably just check in on those new crystals...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 3:28 pm
Vera took his arm with a smile of her own. "That would be very nice," she replied, tucking her other hand into a coat pocket. It was still entirely too cold out and once they left the warehouse the wind was sure to knife into them despite the more suitable outfits they were both wearing.
"We'll have to take the bus," she said after a moment's thought. It wasn't that big of a deal; there was a stop relatively nearby, and another kind of near her apartment. The latter was a walk that tended to make Vera hunch her shoulders and walk as fast as she could. She didn't really live in a very nice neighborhood, after all.
Crystals and using them to communicate never crossed her mind.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
