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 Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 3:49 pm
Another day done, another dollar earned. More than a dollar, hopefully. Tony didn't want to work the hours he did, no matter how much he loved it, for a dollar a day. Not when he considered the new place he was paying for, and the kid he was supporting. Teenager. Who needed his own job.
Damn it.
Sighing, feeling tired from a day of shelving and running errands around the library, Tony was ready for a good night's sleep. It was nice to actually have a bed, and not have to sleep on the couch. True enough, Nate had claimed the master bedroom for his own, and that wasn't quite what Tony had been planning, at least the place had more than one bedroom in it. A big step up from the apartment, where he had been sleeping on the couch for a while now.
He was still dozing off on the couch when he watched TV, as used to it as he was.
Packing his things, he took Dogby's leash and made to take her home, but she was cuddled up and did not want to stand. She whined at him and he sighed, with a soft smile, picking her up as the lights shut off. He reached the door, locking it behind him as he walked home. He had Dogby in one arm, cradled to him, and was using his cane to walk on with the other hand.
All things he was used to.
The walk home was different, though. A bit further, and a different direction, and he had to remind himself not to go the wrong way. He had been half way to the apartment once before he realized he was going the wrong way. This time he managed to set off in the right direction, and was enjoying the quiet, cool night. He probably should have known better than to do that, at this point. Whenever he enjoyed something, it usually ended in a monster popping out of no where.
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Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 4:46 pm
xxxxxCue monster. She had been watching Tony for quite some time, with a sort of shy, girlish tendency. She observed his movements, hungry for his starseed. She batted long, unnaturally long eyelashes, her cheeks bright pink. Her long black hair twirled in the cool night. It was tied up in two loops, bright ornaments hanging off a stick which was firmly placed between the two loops, holding her hair together.
xxxxxIt was true, she had been shyly stalking the man, but it wasn't love. It was greed. One might have said her face was normal, porcelain even. There was something wrong about it, something you couldn't quite put your finger on. Almost like it was hiding some dark secret.
xxxxxMist covered the ground as she stepped out from behind the building she had been hiding behind, and her deathly white kimono fluttered useless in the wind. As she stepped out, there were no footsteps, no noise that we comfortably seek to hear the acknowledgement of another person. It was deadly silent in the street, just as it had been the moment before. Her hands were completely hidden, the long sleeves covering them.
xxxxxSoon fog was everywhere, like a parasite; crawling up the building side, stalking along the ground and leeching off every moving thing. It was like an entirely different world in the small suburban street Tony had chosen to walk along. Like someone had chosen to set off a smoke machine in the middle of a quiet city, for fun. But it was something much more serious, because there was no machine. Though it was just a simple street, the smell of cherry blossoms and spring hung in the air.
xxxxxShe made girlish, incredibly unnatural giggle from her geisha painted lips. She pulled her sleeves up to hide her mouth, almost as if she was embarrassed. It was all just a trap, but perhaps the man would notice her now.
xxxxxOf course, with the giant maroon stain of blood on her pure white kimono, how could he not?
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Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 6:27 pm
Tony sometimes wondered why he didn't just live at the library. Before, he used to drive to work but a youma attacked and destroyed his car. Then he had started walking and subsequently been attacked many times on his journeys home. Now he was trying to walk to his new home, hoping the change of path might be a bit safer.
As the mist gathered he was certain, within a moment, that it was no better than the last path.
Maybe he should switch back to driving.
The truth was, he walked because he didn't want to feel like an invalid. His doctors told him a while ago that he might not ever be able to walk without his cane, but exercise would certainly help strengthen his muscles. So he walked whenever he could, took the stairs when he had the option, did whatever little things he could in his daily routine to strengthen himself. Maybe he should also consider going to the gym, in more than a passing promise to himself like an easily broken new years resolution.
"Ah..." He stammered, looking around. His heart sank, and he instinctively gripped his cane tighter. If he needed to fight, he was getting more used to using it as his weapon. That was the reason he had gotten a metal one, really. If only he had gone to the gym like he said he would... he might have felt a bit more confident. Still, experience helped him, and the fear he felt in his chest was much more subdued than it might have been for someone less well versed in the oddities of Destiny City.
"I'm just... ah... going home... giggling voice..." he sighed, walking slowly forward, eyes scanning the area around him.
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:47 pm
xxxxxThe woman stared at the man for a moment, which was pretty hard to do, since she had no eyes. Blank sockets, staring out, both infinitely and finitely. He really was something to admire. The youma, had it any feelings, might have actually fallen in love right then and there.
xxxxxBut then, this was a youma.
xxxxxInhuman hands came exposed from under her sleeves as she pulled out a set of nasty, pointed, claw-like fingernails. Her arms were in an unnatural broken state, they could twist almost 360 degrees. Her head, too, was strange in that it could bed 90 degrees perpendicular from her spine.
xxxxxSmiling geisha lips daintily giggled as she began her assault. She flailed her claws towards the man, white kimono flying behind her. What originally seemed like a pure, beautiful woman was now a thing of destruction. Her black hair followed in suit with her kimono, fluttering in the odd misted air.
xxxxxHer hair ornaments made a light jingling noise as she ran. It was odd though, other than the soft folds of cloth moving and the delicate twinkle of metal, nothing was heard. No footsteps, no breathing. Not even a scream or a laugh. Just silence.((just as a ref, to sort of get what i mean by her claws flailing around, see taokaka. that's the best ref i can think of xD))
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:44 pm
Tony stared at the youma, finally spotting it in the mist. He immediately wished he hadn't seen it, though, taking an instinctive step backwards when he saw that it had no eyes. That certainly wasn't the most attractive thing he had ever seen.
Also, her arms were grotesque and she had claws.
"W-wait!" Tony yelped, though he knew that the monster wasn't going to stop just because he asked it to. He never knew a youma to listen to commands, though he wasn't educated on Negas and their use of youma. Not that it mattered, as they probably wouldn't be using their monsters for good anyway. He had more pressing matters to contend with at the moment
The silence was just as, if not more, terrifying as any noise might have been. Like the giggling from before.
He had to react. He couldn't stand there and get himself killed. With a yelp, he scrambled away from the main street, into an alley. He felt her as she whipped by him, barely missing the claws as he fell onto his knees, his leg throbbing. Grimacing, he pushed himself up, his heart thundering in his throat, his ears ringing. Eyes darting around the area, he grabbed a lid off a garbage can and turned
Cane in one hand, garbage lid in the other, he stared into the mist, not knowing where she had gone. He didn't dare move.
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Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 5:00 pm
xxxxxAs if the youma would just halt all action because the human told her to. She wanted his starseed, and she wanted it now. Wind carelessly picked up at the moment, spreading some of the fog around, and she got just a tiny glimpse of the human running down the street.
xxxxxFollowing mostly his scent, she gave chase down the street. Still there was noise, just silence. The youma giggled softly as she slid down the street; the man didn't have a clue what was about to hit him. Both literally and metaphorically. She saw him turn into a brick alley, limping slightly with his cane.
xxxxxAlleys were small. Perfect for cornering small animals. Animals like tony.
xxxxxShe saw him just standing there with his cane and garbage can, like a cat with its teeth bared. Well more like a kitten, to this youma. She grabbed a can and threw it in the opposite direction of where she was standing. It made a loud metal clang as it hit the cold cement and swirled the fog around. Sometimes, toying with her food could be fun.
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Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 8:03 pm
The weight of the mist in the air was oppressive, like a cloying shadow. Acid seemed to be building in his muscles, making them coil and tighten almost painfully despite the fact that he was just standing there, doing nothing beyond breathing heavily. It was difficult to get a breath passed the lump in his throat, which was beating with the ferocity of his heart.
He was not entirely unconvinced that it wasn't his heart.
Hearing a giggle in the distance, distorted by the wind, he felt a renewed surge of fear and adrenaline. Sweat was already running down his face, brought on entirely by stress rather than exertion. He stood absolutely still for a long moment, debating with himself over his next move. Silence continued, and he decided to take a step.
One step toward the mouth of the alley.
The clattering of a can nearby made him jump, and he was certain he had left his pants, socks, or skin behind. Finding none of those allegorically leaped out of, however, he settled on the idea that he had just narrowly avoided a heart attack. Swallowing hard, still finding his throat blocked by his heart, he moved toward the sound.
"Come out!" he yelled, his voice too high to sound particularly threatening. He tried again, in a deeper baritone completely forced, "I'm not scared of you!"
Famous last words.
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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:08 pm
xxxxxThe youma laughed at the human's stupidity. She stared at him for a moment, so cornered and helpless. Most youmas were unthinking beings, just devouring on whatever they saw. Not this youma; she liked to play with her food. She would get to his starseed of course, but first for some fun.
xxxxxShe glided over to the man and slashed with her claws. Not enough to kill him, that would be far too easy. Playing with the mouse was the entire goal, right? She giggled and disappeared back into the shrouded mist. Her white kimono aided her well in blending in, as the fog was a key part of her attack Now she was standing directly in front of him, only a few feet away from him, really, but the fog was so thick, he might not even notice. Would the human be able to see her?
xxxxxUnfortunately for the youma, a gust of wind decided to blow directly into the alleyway, almost like a god was just gently sighing into the hole in the wall. The youma grimaced, because although her hair fluttered rather handsomely, her position was now completely given away for the moment. Her disappearing act was foiled until more fog set in.
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Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 11:19 am
Tony was sure that the monster was messing with him, just from the giggling and the mist. When it appeared and slashed at him, sending him stumbling backwards in a ditch effort to avoid the attack, he was confirmed in his suspicions.
He was not going to be the mouse in this game, if he could help it. Whatever the cat was thinking, he was going to out smart it. Maybe. These things were animals, weren't they? He just had to fight it off and show it that he was not going to be the easy meal it must have thought he was.
Sweat rolling down his face, knuckles white from gripping the trashcan lid and the cane, his body shook from the tension of his muscles. His senses prickled, his heart a thudding lump in his throat.
He couldn't see her, and had no idea she was in front of him.
And then she was, by a gust of wind. He seized the moment, instincts more than thought, charging at her with a loud cry as he swung the cane as hard as he could at it, still gripping the lid in front of him for protection. The sound he made was desperate but determined, a thrill of adrenaline and raw survival instinct coupled with a confidence that had been building in him without his being aware of it.
He was not scared of the youma or of dying. He was scared of losing, regardless of consequence, and it moving on to hurt someone else. The fight had to end with him, no matter what. This monster was not going to be feeding on any more citizens of Destiny City.
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Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 8:28 pm
xxxxxWith the gust of wind, the youma's fate was sealed. Tony's cane hit her square across the face, and she flew, twisting backwards. Pain exuded from her body, and she could feel part of her fake face peeling off. She ripped a shred of it off, revealing a dark hole underneath it.
xxxxxOf course, it wasn't quite time for that yet.
xxxxxShe picked herself up off the ground, her hair flying everywhere, as if it was living, and she drudged towards tony. She looked like something straight out of the grudge. She had a ghostly aura about her, and her head was tilted at an unusual angle.
xxxxxAs if nothing had happened, as if the giant tear on her face didn't exist, she simply lunged at the man again. This time she went straight for his shield- best to knock his defenses out of the way as soon as possible. What a pathetic thing, using a shield. Shields were weak; offense was everything.
xxxxxHer claw-like nails scraped against the garbage can, creating that annoying nails-on-a-chalkboard sound. She grinned; it was like music to this youma's ears. Did she even have ears? She wasn't sure. Either way, this man's starseed was about to become hers; and then they could be together forever. Permanently.
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Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:23 am
Tony might have been more relaxed about her appearance if he had, in fact, seen the Grudge. a movie to reference would have made it seem fake. Easier, some how, like he could deal with it just because a bad movie made it familiar.
Of course, this theory wouldn't keep him safe. If he came across a vampire like Dracula, he would still probably get his blood drained. Quicker, in fact, because his instincts would be to treat the situation like it was just a movie.
No, this was real. This was a youma, and he knew very well what they were capable of. He also knew that he had beaten some before, admittedly they had been quiet weak, and he would stand his ground and do it again if he had to. Or until a senshi came in to save him, as they often did. He was learning, lesson by lesson, that he could not rely on them, however.
It wasn't fair of him, expecting them to jump into danger for him. He had to fight for himself. For them.
"Oh!" He let out a surprised yelp when the youma charged. His ears burned as the sound of claws scraping down metal echoed in the darkness, and he felt her weight against the garbage lid shield. He braced himself and held his ground, pulling his arm up over his head while he was hiding behind that shield and stabbing it down at the youma on the other side.
He hoped the thing that looked like a head was, in fact, as important to her as his was to himself. And a good target for smashing.
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 4:42 pm
xxxxxFor such a small, adorably pathetic thing, he sure could hold his own. The youma wasn't sure she liked this. She pushed harder on the shield but to no avail. He just couldn't be budged.
xxxxxIt was only too late that she noticed his cane come swinging out from behind the makeshift shield. As it hit her head repeatedly, she started to see stars. The pain ebbed across her head slowly, and soon she felt blood trickle down her scalp, mixing with her raven black hair. It was horribly degrading for someone as beautiful as her. As much as she adored this man, he needed to die. Couldn't he see that his starseed inside of her left them connected forever?
xxxxxShe was done getting hurt now. With her free arm she reached up and ripped off her face. That's right, she ripped the flesh completely off her skull. What was left was a horribly grotesque sight.
xxxxxA set of razor sharp teeth divided her mouth from ear to ear. Rows upon rows of teeth were stacked ominously chewing and crunching the air repeatedly in her mouth. She let go of her grip on the shield and instead place her focus on grabbing the cane. Once successful, she held it straight and chomped down on the very end of it, eating it like a paper shredder. She grinned without any need for her eyes, and cooed softly as if mocking the man. Now he would surely want to be with him.
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 9:18 pm
Tony felt a surge of triumph coursing through him, a pride that steeled his nerves and drove him on in the fight, hoping she might turn to dust as he continued to batter her with the cane. Not that he considered it a her, as he wasn't aware youma could have genders. Or if they really did, or just looked that way.
"Jesus ********!"
Tony was not usually one for cursing. He worked in a library, so yelling and cursing were not exactly daily occurrences for him. But when something ripped off its own face he was bound to let a few swears slip. And loudly. He was lucky he didn't pee himself, as startled as he was by the sudden skull staring at him in the face.
And it had teeth. Seemingly hundreds of teeth. If it had been almost female before, it certainly wasn't anything close now. It was a monster, in its truest form, and Tony felt a fear tearing through him. Terror. But he couldn't simply cower or try to run: it would only end in his getting hurt. His death? Likely. And someone else coming across the beast later.
No, he had to stand his ground. He had to kill this thing, if no senshi would find him.
"Hey, not my cane!" He cried out in frustration, though it was too late to save the thing now. He let her have it, hearing the strange sounds she made and shuddering. It almost sounded like... he could not think of an apt comparison, but it made his stomach drop and his skin crawl. His only option was to attack with the lid of the garbage can. While the youma chomped on his cane like it was candy, he surged forward and tried to slam the shield into the protruding end of the cane, hoping to drive the whole thing in turn into the youma's mouth.
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 8:35 pm
xxxxxShe snickered as he screamed out in surprise from her true form. It was always fun to play with your food before eating it, right? She squealed with rage when he let go of the cane though. This was not what she wanted. What she wanted was for him to suffer. She tugged her clothing to get away from the now offensive-playing tony, but it was too late.
xxxxxThe youma shrieked again as pain now split her head in two. The cane had lodged itself in the roof of her "mouth" for a moment or two, before it popped out of her mouth, spewing purple blood everywhere. Unnatural blood.
xxxxxOut of anger, the youma swiped at the man again, but with less strength this time. Her energy was running out. She was growing weak. With a feeble cry she rammed herself into the shield, unable to knock it out of his hands.
xxxxxFog had stopped filling the alley, due to her lack of strength. Light filled the alley from the streetlamps in the next street over, providing no cover for her. Worried, she retreated back into the shadows, hoping to buy herself some time to heal. This human was proving to be more and more difficult. A daunting thought dawned on her- she might not survive this. Quickly the youma pushed the thought away. Of course she would live.
xxxxxOne more time she leapt out from shadows and clawed at him with all her fury. She put the brute force of her offense into this attack. Teeth bit furiously at his head, trying to get a morsel of his skin. True, human skins didn't taste that nice, but if it would stop him from moving so she could take his starseed, c'est la vie.
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Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 7:11 pm
Tony let out a yelp of surprise and disgust as the head burst open. He stumbled backwards, trying not to gag or drop either of his weapons, watching with wide, horrified eyes as purple blood sprayed everywhere. It was quite the show, and he wished he had not been forced to witness it.
Red blood was bad enough. Somehow, the sickly purple was even worse.
He was relieved, at least, when the light filtered into the alley. He had certainly missed it, and it gave him some hope to see the fog lifting. It must mean the youma, what with the gaping face injury, was dying. The sooner he could turn it into a pile of dust the better, at this point.
Watching her escape, he thought the fight was over. For a moment he thought he didn't have to kill it, but it donned on him that the thing would just menace someone else. Scare them and have more success killing them, perhaps. He couldn't just run away because he was scared.
He let out a yelp when teeth grazed his forehead, drawing blood. His forehead. What was it, some kind of zombie?! He let out a cry and swung the cane again in defense, pushing back with the trashcan lid to shove it away and take a good, clear swing at its head. He put all his strength into the swing.
Whatever relief he felt when the fog lifted was gone. He just wanted the youma dusted.
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