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 Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 7:44 pm
Camelot couldn't help the thrill that passed through him each time he powered up. It was like a rush of energy and strength, and something else. A sudden drive, a passion flaring to life each time he donned his chain mail and shield.
It made him feel young again.
Once before he had thought, in passing, that this might be some kind of crazy midlife crisis. That might not be too far from the truth. He was feeling jazzed. Scared when he ran into dangers, of course, but at the moment? He either wanted to find a youma, someone to save, or do something... well. Reckless.
Why not? He had leapt from rooftops. Dusted a monster. What else could he do?
He found himself wandering, thinking about things. He didn't want to 'use his powers for evil' but he did want to see their limits. How could he find that without getting himself killed by fighting someone much too strong for him? Why did he have to fight at all? He wanted to protect, preserve, and maintain life. He did not want to go out hunting bad guys like a youma hunt humans.
Looking around, he noticed he was on a familiar street, though he couldn't recall why. He found the driveway soon enough and remembered, as soon as his eyes fell on the car, the last time he had been here. He borrowed a beautiful muscle car for a spin around the neighborhood. And had gotten caught by a senshi.
Surely that wouldn't happen again?
He moved quietly toward the car, running his hand over the smooth paint.
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Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 9:19 pm
Asclepius' little white backpack had two new additions tonight: a flashlight and a little matchbook. Two full newspapers from the previous week functioned as a low seat for the girl seated on the roof of her house. Her phone was in her hand, but the button that was supposed to take her to her home asteroid apparently did not feel like working. Of course, Chaonis had mentioned when he had first instructed her how to travel to space that it would not work if she had already been out too recently, which she supposed maybe she had.
But when had she ever listened to him? The girl wanted to try it out herself anyway, just in case. First-hand experience was more scientific and all that.
Twenty minutes' time found her still seated on her roof facing the back yard on the stack of newspapers, legs stretched out in front of her down the shingles. With a sigh, she let the phone slip from her fingers. Where it obligingly slid down the slope and dropped off the edge into a bush in the back yard. Swearing softly, Asclepius got to her feet, meaning to go after it, but paused as she sensed an energy signature.
Honestly, the Senshi of Medicine was not sure what to make of it. It did not seem like someone from the Negaverse, much to her relief, but it was not a senshi, either. Crouching to help keep her balance on the slant, Asclepius wondered if she should get her phone first, just in case, or check out who- or what- ever was there.
She was not sure she heard any noises coming from up front, but something was definitely there.
Curiosity getting the better of her, she crept to the peak in the roof and peered down it to survey her front yard.
"Damn it, Daddy, can we please put it in the garage after we've waxed it?" she swore in a whisper, rolling her eyes. Not just someone after the car again, but someone who was apparently powered up.
Keeping low, the Senshi of Medicine decided just to watch him for the moment. At least try to get a better idea of just what he was, if neither senshi nor Negaverse.
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Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 8:42 am
Camelot couldn't help but want to take the car out for another spin. He was just battling his instincts. Wasn't he supposed to be more of a figure for good now? He was a Knight, apparently, and he was certain that came with specific responsibilities.
It certainly felt like it did, at the very least.
To him, his new status was meant to be for good alone. No midlife crisis, no goofing off and stealing cars. He could do that while he was powered down, couldn't he? In the back of his mind, though, he wanted to see how fast he could get the car to go. How much control he could have where before he was scared or just incapable.
A roaring engine flying down the road might not be too subtle, however. There were reasons he borrowed cars and brought them back. There were reasons he drove carefully, and made sure not to do any damage. Or at least as little as he could when he needed to hot wire. It wasn't just a matter of not getting caught, it was a matter of doing no harm.
Despite his new status, he was compelled to maintain that truth of himself.
Leaning on the car, he shook his head thoughtfully. His hands were on the hood of the car, and he was looking down at his reflection in the freshly waxed paint.
Finally, something tingled in the back of his head and he looked around. There was someone nearby, but he couldn't yet pinpoint where to look. He just felt a familiar sense in the air. A senshi, no doubt. Well, a little doubt, but only in his ability to recognize what he was feeling.
"Is someone there?" he asked, softly, not noticing the senshi on the roof nearby, and probably not talking loud enough to be heard fully by them.
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Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 12:06 pm
Asclepius watched the stranger over the peak in the roof, and tried to ignore the sensation of bits of grit from the shingles sticking to her legs. After several moments, his manner seemed to change, like he had noticed her, and she crouched lower. So far, at least, it did not seem like he had noticed her.
Coming straight over the roof felt a little too dramatic, and standing on the peak of it, even for just a moment, felt like she might be too out in the open. Asclepius settled on trying a different approach, and gave the stranger a careful look before pushing herself up and slinking down her side of the roof, out of his sight. Then she moved to the end of the house, and hopped into the tree there as gently as possible. And, from the branches, made herself known:
"I know some people think fancy cars have soul to them, but I highly doubt a Viper has a starseed."
He would be able to see her easily enough in the tree - probably even saw her land in it - but Asclepius felt safer with the branches around her.
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 1:55 pm
Camelot was sure he could feel someone nearby, but he also knew it was not a dangerous energy. The back of his mind felt like it was grinding, gears of memory slowly turning together. The last time he had been here, he had gotten caught by a senshi that patrolled the area.
He heard some rustling and turned at the voice, almost grinning instantly when he recognized the senshi in the tree. He had to hide it, though, a voice in the back of his head reminding him that she did not know him as the same person from before.
She, as far as she knew, had never met him before.
"I'm not looking for starseeds, though souls are nice," he said, smiling at her and trying to disarm any tension that she might have been coming at him with. He was not her enemy, and he already knew that, he just needed to convince her of it as well.
"I'm not here for any trouble, I was just looking at the car. My name is Camelot." He said, holding his hands up defenselessly, a show of peace, he hoped. He had the shield attached to his arm, but other than that there was nothing particularly intimidating about him.
And his smile was honest. He couldn't hide how amused he was.
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 2:53 pm
Asclepius was mildly amused as well. Seemed like whenever she found herself starting to doubt her ability to do anything productive as a senshi, her dad left the car out overnight for some reason, and she found herself attempting to defend his precious vehicles as stoically as possible ... using her magical star powers.
At least she had a bit of experience with this. That did not make it less weird, though. Especially since this was apparently a different guy? Powered up?
The Senshi of Medicine hopped down from the branch, keeping at the ready, but doing her best to convey through her body language that she was not really looking for violence, either. Frankly, she was pretty amused as well, though not for the same reason as this ... "Camelot". But the girl was also a lot better at hiding it; her face remained coolly unimpressed as she stepped forward.
"This only really seats two comfortably," she told him, peering past him and through the windscreen. "So I don't think it would work out as a vehicle for a Round Table, Camelot." After a moment, the girl crossed her arms and added, "I am Sailor Asclepius, and I like to keep an eye on this neighborhood." Completely unaware that introductions on her part were unnecessary.
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 8:08 pm
"It's a pleasure, Sailor Asclepius," he said, with confidence. He had stumbled through her name last time, unsure of his pronunciation, but he was certain now. Not just because he had just heard her say it again, either.
He was still smiling, like he knew something she didn't and was failing to hide it very well. Which was exactly the case.
"I think the only cars that would fit the Knights of the Round Table are a very large van. Or maybe a pick up truck." He could almost imagine that, a bunch of confused people like him, lumped in the back of a truck and driving less than gallantly to try and save the world.
Assuming there were no red lights.
"Is this your car?" he asked innocently, moving his hands away from the shiny surface so he didn't mar the fresh wax. He might have already left some smudges. Not like he could wipe it away with a shield or chain mail.
He was wondering if this was a test of his ability to keep a secret. At the moment, though, he felt like he was failing rather spectacularly.
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Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 1:39 pm
Those who had less trouble with her senshi name seemed to be the sort who were more educated, perhaps even also doctors. Or like Ilmenite. Whatever he was.
Please let this guy not be like Ilmenite. Asclepius had been trying to get to her home asteroid because she really was not up for dealing with Earth's crap right now. If this guy wanted to start in on her about being a doctor-warrior, then the girl's nerves just might give in to the warrior side.
"Not my car," she replied with firm honesty. "So it's probably not a good idea to leave fingerprints on it."
The senshi eyed him carefully, still not quite sure what to make of the sort of energy he felt like he was giving off. Something about this fellow tickled the back of her mind, too, but hell if she could place why he looked familiar; there were probably thousands of men about his age who liked cars and had brown hair within the boundaries of Destiny City. "Is there whole 'Round Table' of you yet?" Asclepius inquired after a moment.
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Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 7:09 pm
Camelot was not, fortunately, like Ilmenite, though the two did know each other. Or at least, Ilmenite knew Tony, and Tony knew Ever... but not in any other order. It was a fairly complicated situation, but not unfamiliar to any powered up person making civilian friends around this town.
It was always a crap shoot, if one ended up meeting a senshi or a nega, a knight or an actual civilian. And even when one thought they had it figured out, things changed.
Getting the answer he expected, he nodded his head almost a moment too soon.
"No Table yet, as far as I know, but now that you mention it... it might not be a bad idea to make one. Help you guys out, you know?" He grinned at that, though now he was actually considering it. Why not gather some knights, to help him fight? Or help each other. It wasn't a terrible idea, even if she was just teasing him for being Camelot.
If she only knew.
"I feel I've seen you before," he said offhandedly, not going to give himself away just yet, if at all. He shouldn't just give out his identity willy nilly, but he was still curious to see what she would do when he said he knew her.
Maybe he was playing around, just a little bit.
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Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 11:46 am
"'Us guys'," the girl repeated, quirking a brow at him. "Meaning the senshi? I can tell you're not one of us, but I must say, I've not seen anyone else quite like you yet."
She crossed her arms, shifting her weight to one foot as she added, "I guess knowing that we have help would be nice, though." Asclepius had been teasing him, but if he wanted to aid the senshi, then she would certainly let him. Still, though, she could not help but remain suspicious. Especially with the guy in her yard.
And his saying he had seen her before made the Senshi of Medicine tense again, though. "Do you remember where?" she asked, eyeing him carefully.
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Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 11:16 am
Camelot nodded his head, looking down at himself on instinct. No matter how many times he saw himself he wasn't used to seeing the Knight side of himself. He was in chain mail, with leather straps and these markings on his clothes... it was very strange.
But also cool. Tonight, he was finding himself confident, wanting to explore and play. It was just one of those moods that found him, where before he would steal cars. Now he had a new outlet.
"Well, you have this guy's help, at the very least. I can't speak for everyone like me, of course."
He tried not to say 'right here' when she asked him where he had seen her. He shook his head, scratching his head thoughtfully. He wasn't trying to recall the memory, of course, but come up with a good lie for it all. He looked at her.
"Well, I mean. Ah."
Crap. Bad liar. He shook his head, feigning defeat and innocence.
"I can't remember."
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Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 8:44 pm
Asclepius nodded, the beginnings of an appreciative smile forming on her lips as she stepped forward.
But then he stammered out that he could not remember where he had seen her. The senshi found herself a bit less inclined to believe Camelot, though she was not fully sure whether it was on the point that he had seen her, or the point that he could not recall.
Part of her wanted to lead him away from her house, just because Camelot's apparent interest in her father's car was starting to set her on edge. At the same time, though, Asclepius was willing enough to trust that he wanted to be an ally, and so was not about to beat him up. She also did not want to let on that this was her yard, either. Leading him away seemed like the easiest option, but the Senshi of Medicine was not sure how far she would have to take this fellow, and she really wanted to dig her cell phone out of the bushes before it was there for too long.
"Well," she began finally, "I was just out on a bit of patrol, if you'd like to join me?" As an afterthought, Asclepius added, "I was nearly done, but there's still a bit more ground to cover."
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 12:39 pm
"Patrol, hm? Certainly."
He smiled at her easily, not truly knowing her motives but understanding in a silent way that she wanted him away from the car. She had protected it before, after all, and probably didn't want a repeat of that whole awkward thing. Anyway, he didn't have his wallet on him in this form, so he couldn't very well pay for a tank of gas like last time.
Stepping down the drive, he glanced at her, wondering if she was uncomfortable.
"I've only just started on this whole patrol thing. I'm wrapping my head around actually going out looking for trouble, rather than simply getting sucked into it all the time." He sighed, sharing a bit more than he wanted to, but since he already felt like he knew her he was a bit more comfortable than normal.
He tapped on his shield.
"This thing, in particular, takes some getting used to. It's not as strong as I would have hoped."
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Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 3:47 pm
Truth be told, Asclepius was not much in the habit of patrolling, herself. Sort of still too afraid of running into something she could not handle. But, well, even lacking her phone, if this guy truly was an ally, then she should be alright. Maybe a little more practice was what she needed.
She followed him to the end of the driveway, then studied his shield when he drew her attention to it. "Is it magic or something?" the Senshi of Medicine asked. It seemed rather like one of the Negaverse weapons if it was, though Asclepius had not seen any Negaverse officers toting things that looked that ... defensive.
Not turning her back on him just yet, she rounded the corner onto the sidewalk and moved backwards - carefully, but she had had a fair amount of practice walking in these heels - leading him away from her house.
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Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2011 9:54 am
Camelot looked at his shield again, frowning at it as he tapped his finger against it.
"As far as I know, it's wood," he laughed, shaking his head. "It appeared when I first ah... transformed, but since then the only magic thing it's done is fix itself each time it shatters. And it does that a lot. I just have to uh power down and then next time it's fine."
He shook his head, not thinking that was a spectacular ability, in the scheme of things: his outfit did the same thing.
Watching her as she walked backwards, he smiled at her careful, keen gaze. She wasn't sure what to think of him, obviously, but he didn't mind. He knew she was a good senshi, and he liked her despite being caught last time while borrowing the car. His expression hardened, though, as they walked down the street a bit. He charged at her suddenly, his arm moving up, but he wasn't attacking. He grabbed her with one hand and pulled her to him, his body and shield arm moving in front of her as he pulled her back in defense.
A youma slammed into the shield, sending them both spilling backwards. It had a hard head, looking like a dinosaur in some respects, bald and very, very solid.
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