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 Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 10:51 pm
Recent encounters with the White Moon had left Remarque dissatisfied and unamused—not to mention how irritable this bout of sickness was making him. Twice, already, he’d skipped going out to collect energy in favor of going to bed early, hoping that would help him fight off his sickness. Nothing seemed to help, but he couldn’t bring himself to go see a doctor since his symptoms weren’t currently enough to kill him. Or, at least, so said the pharmacist he’d harassed for a good twenty minutes earlier that week.
Remarque had been periodically devouring cans of chicken noodle soup and downing glasses of orange juice, going to bed early and taking hot showers, staying indoors.
And he only seemed to be getting worse.
His sleeping schedule had been messed up for days now, so when he woke up at nine that evening, craving fast food, stifling coughs, and groping for a tissue from an empty box, he realized he had to go outside. If he went outside at this hour…
Well, he might as well try to gather some energy.
He had powered up, figuring it best if he got the actual work out of the picture and then rewarded himself with fast food and stopped at the convenience store on the way back. Two cups of coffee later, he was through the window and out in the park.
Luck was with him, that evening, at least as far as finding someone to drain. A portly, older looking man was wandering around in the park, and judging by his aroma, he hadn’t had a bath in a while. Remarque assumed that the alcohol clinging to him meant he’d be an easy catch, but the chase that ensued was far from easy.
The man saw him and screamed—and bolted.
Stunned by the reaction, Remarque had initially started running after him because he still seemed close enough to catch. Then he was just chasing him because his ego didn’t want to let him get away.
The man seemed to know his way around better than Remarque, and despite living outside in the cold, he wasn’t affected by the strange plague Remarque had contracted. It was an unfair advantage that frustrated Remarque phenomenally, who chased the male for as long as he could before he finally slowed, realizing he was in an entirely foreign, entirely creepy clearing. There was a building just slightly off in the distance—a church, he realized, judging by the cross atop the spire. And a number of strange rocks protruding in the grassy area in front of him.
The lights from the city were only slightly distant, hovering above the treetops in such a way that he could see only if he craned his neck. There was a cool breeze, and he distinctly heard the scrape of fallen leaves. But no footsteps. There wasn’t snow enough on the ground that he could follow any tracks, so he forced himself to stop and listen. There were branches cracking, in the distance, but he couldn’t hear well enough from where he was standing to pinpoint what direction exactly.
In approaching the center of the clearing, the overgrown grass clung to his feet, slowing him down. His hand brushed over one of the stones and he paused, frowning when he noticed some sort of engraving on the slab. It wasn’t light enough for him to clearly make out the words, but he realized, somewhat disdainfully, that he’d charged straight into a graveyard.
Well. That was just ******** awesome. He retracted his hand and wiped it on his pants, as if by doing so was going to brush away the very concept of death. Getting distracted was his downfall; by the time he looked around again, he couldn’t hear anything—couldn’t see anything. Even with the moon dipping out from behind the clouds to light the area a bit more, the extra light did little to make the place seem any more friendly. His nerves were already somewhat on edge as he slowly stepped through the graveyard, wondering—first of all—how his prey had eluded him and, second of all…
What was the quickest way back to civilization?
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2012 7:35 am
The waxing moon was high above the church sphere, tiny clouds threatened to gather force and unit against the deep black sky. The birds had gone silent, the stars were busy twinkling and somewhere behind a headstone a red furred cat was in deep, serious conversation.
"They just don't understand your thoughts, your minds, all of thems, they sing like cable wires. Do not fear, i will speak to them I will show them the way..." Her tail twitching side to side she waited for her response, the eerie atmosphere getting quieter as the answer came suddenly too her. "Meoo...sharp angle, good point. I see, I see. Where does it roam?...No one listens to that place any more, the ants have rulesss..." Her fur prickled with the comment her friend made and she started purring. Always such a joker that one. Silly Fred, always tempting the fates with his radical views on social economics!
With a furious shaking oh her limbs she bid the headstone adieu and walked towards the clearing. She knew the boy was there, his smell of wiggling things in his blood system had tainted her nose long before he had entered the woods. He was obviously ill an tired, she would comfort him, she would bring gifts, she would try and hack up a furball.
Watching him for a second she allowed her sing song voice to catch him off guard, she was certain he would not fear her, she hadn't upset anyone tay, there were no flys on her, no flys. Plus she had a beautiful singing voice.
"♬DaNCe for Meeeeee puPpEt-MastEr....lEt me SEE yoUr STringsssss♪" Her song rang out like nails on a chalk borad, her voice hitching at the worst possible time and there was no tune or beat, it was plain awful. But there sat by a tombstone shaped like a broken angel was a cat who looked strangle proud of herself.
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2012 9:36 pm
Remarque did not believe in ghosts, but in that instant, he thought he’d found one. The scenery—the timing—was too perfect.
And that voice.
Oh, God, that voice.
If that wasn’t the gates of hell opening, then he didn’t know what on earth it could have been.
Prepared to meet the Devil himself, Remarque’s hands curled into fists. He wasn’t about to go down without a fight, after all. His blood was rushing, from the chase and from the noise that had come as close to startling him as anything really could, and he turned.
And was strangely disappointed when he was met with no great red beast, no cloven-hooved monster. Instead, his eyes drifted downward after a brief second of confusion, and he found himself instead looking at a tiny little red monster.
That was a cat? A cat had made that ungodly wailing?
…Well, go figure, if any animal could, it would be those furry little menaces.
However, this one…This one had spoken. This one had an aura. That made her special, in a way, though Remarque found himself far from liking her in that moment. “What kind of cat hangs out in a graveyard?” he demanded in an effort to disguise how flustered the cat had made him. He didn’t like being seen in any state of surprise or shock, but god damn, this wasn't exactly a normal situation. He did a well enough job of hiding his initial surprise and unease after speaking, offering a scoff to emphasize his disapproval as he crossed his arms over his chest.
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Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 4:59 am
Lyssa ears flicked back and forth with joy as he spoke, her tail swishing across the broken ground as she watched him with wide eyes. He had found her! Simple marvellous! Yes they all found her in the end but it was always thrilling to see the chase in their eyes, the action of their noses and the grim determination in the hair follicles! What action! What suspense! She could hardly contain her glee as she took a step forward or two, her legs shaking at odd intervals as she made her way closer. She was like a vibrating stuffed toy by the time she reached his feet, head back and staring extensively at his frame above her. There was a hint of a smile which was…unnerving.
“The flashing lights are not so bright here, the stories not as bold. Whispers they tell from unseeing eyes. Terrible views on social norms, just terrible.”
The cat would have continuing blabbing if not for a terrible seizure that had taken hold of her lower body. She spent the next few seconds wrestling with her hind legs to remain seated while her tail tried to escape out of her backside. She didn’t seemed bother by it, if anything it look like she had to get it out of her system, like a bothersome itch. A dopy look descended over her face once it had finished as if nothing had happened.
“MiRRoR MiRRoR on tHe wAll, tHRee blind mice tAke A fAll, All tHe Queens hoRses And All tHe Kings men couldn't put tHe puppet bAck togetHeR AgAin.”
….well that was weird.
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Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 1:06 pm
At first, Remarque thought the cat was just a little odd—maybe she’d had a long day or gotten into some rat poisoning (he figured she looked like she could have crawled out of a trash can). She was easy enough to understand—up until her freakish spasm.
That just about sealed it—she was possessed.
Remarque had nearly taken a step back, rather concerned that there was something devilish about the cat. She seemed intelligent—at least, as far as he figured cats could be—and he didn’t want her running off, telling any senshi that a funny little cat had chased away a big, bad Dark Mirror Senshi. He assumed, from the energy signature radiating from her, that she was allied with Chaos, though the thought hardly comforted.
Deciding he wasn’t going to give her the pleasure of chasing him off, he considered nudging her with his toe to see if she was broken. “…Not big on fairy tales and kid’s stories, but, I think you’ve kinda gotten your stuff mixed up there,” he noted, the slightest bit of unease in his voice. He was still treating the cat like devil-spawn, after all—it would have been rather unbecoming not to be wary. “…And I hate to burst your bubble, but there’s not a puppet here that needs fixing. Unless that’s your attempt at some sort of threat, in which case I’ll remind you that I’m several times your size and could probably kick you over that tombstone over there.” He gestured, with his head, towards a towering slab of stone a good few yards away. It didn’t stand quite as tall as he did, but it still held quite a presence.
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 10:27 am
Lyssa turned her head slowly to the gravestone he motioned at, her eyes mere slits as she twisted her neck without moving her body. The act would surely prove painful but Lyssa’s remained still, fighting every twisting muscle until she could see what he was talking about. The grave in question was a favourite of Lyssa and her heart swelled with immense joy at the thought. This Senshi was so kind! He was willing for her to get an arial view of her friend! And what had she done for him? Nothing! NOTHING! Oh the shame, the shame of it all!
Purring she wrapped herself round his legs, becoming more animated if he tried to move away or release his feet from her fury embrace. If she was trying to produce electric shock with this tactic she was doing a good job as her hair stood on end with the frantic movement. She could smell his aura, it was strong but fragmented, broken even. Like the clouds that fought to stay together but drifted apart in the big blue puddle. Reckless they were, surly they would drown in the ocean that fell in drips and drabs. Lyssa was forever waiting for it to all come tumbling down. She hated the rain for that very reason...that and its horrible ability to flood her graveyards, how was one to dig? How was one to dig.
“Not broken, no, but hollow, yes, yes? I see, I see, ♬ fill him up to the top, don’t you spill a drop. Drippy drop, drippy drop, we all fall down…they will all fall down♪.” Her incessant mumblings were becoming more hysterical, faster paced and erratic. Words fell into each other as if trying to escape her mouth, her head caressing the side of his legs as she swirled round and around. Her movement was unpredictable but it was calming to her. She could think, she could hear her thoughts. She could block out all the others and there were a hell of a lot to start with. A gift was needed, a gift for the hollow puppet, a gift for the strong one, the fragmented one, a gift, make him stronger, a gift, make him better, a gift, make him whole again….. “OOOHHHH! MAKE HIM WHOLE!”
Of course for anyone seeing this would be viewing a cat screaming random words at the top of her voice and rolling away in excitement over her realisation. She paused terribly, waiting for him to catch on and start dancing with her, dancing for this amazing gift!
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:15 pm
Dogs were easy to understand. Dogs wagged their tail when they were happy, barked when they needed something, kept their tail between their legs when they were scared. Dogs didn’t talk. And yet, somehow, they still made more sense than the cat in front of him.
Remarque had been feeling rather inclined to follow through with his threat when the cat began molesting his ankles with her head—and even more so when she started speaking again. Her words made little sense, and he—a prideful person—was a bit annoyed when she had the gall to call him broken—as he was, in fact, clearly perfect.
He was not one to speak in tongues, though the cat, perhaps if only for her oddness, intrigued him. There was no way in hell he was going to mimic the cat’s strange little antics, but that didn’t stop him from kneeling and picking her up by the scruff of her neck. He stood up, holding her so that they were at eye level. “Cat,” he addressed the creature, knowing no name by which to call her. “Just where do you get off calling me hollow?”
Someone that knew him better could have called him a lot of things, though heartless was as close to hollow as he had ever heard. “Do I seriously look like a guy who isn’t already whole or are you still trying to pick a fight with me?”
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Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 4:06 pm
Lyssa hadn’t expected the unconventional hug from the human, not that she was complaining of course! Hugs were grand; hugs were amazing, if anything hugs made the world go round! And this one was extra special. Because even though there was no physical contact made other than his strong hand clutching the nape of her neck she could feel the hug. With his eyes.
Spinning slightly as she tried to bat a paw in his general direction she twisted her hips allowing her back legs to hang down, a slight tremble keeping her body from being entirely still. Her deep purrs vibrating in her neck made his hand the perfect conductor for him to feel just how happy she was that their friendship was truly blooming. She was certain now, as certain as the moon does dance that he deserved this wonderful gift.
“ Meeo - your circle is complete if not empty, the biscuit full if not tasteless. You are here but not there, you are hollow if not waiting. *purr-purr* I wish not to fight but only show you your feet are unhappy, your ears are sad with yearning, your eyes, they wink with despair. I can help you-ooowth. I can help you become more!” She struggled a bit now, not out of contempt but mere eagerness. She wanted to be let down, no matter how good the hug was she was unable to complete her gift if she couldn’t call forth her power.
“Release me to the whispering mini trees if you pleeeessssseeeee.” Her dopey face nodded to the ground where she half whistled to the soft moving grass beneath them, her eyes flashing in knowledge to what they told her.
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Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 2:27 pm
The cat’s purring and odd trembling made Remarque want to wrinkle his nose and drop her, to just walk away and try and forget this night had ever happened—and he might have, if not for one thing. ‘I can help you become more.’
He was about to dismiss the idea entirely—what could such a strange little cat do to help him with anything? What could she do, cover him with fleas or something? He watched as she dangled from his grip, somewhat amused at the cat’s actions if only because he’d rather find humor in them than allow them to continue creeping him out. The cat still made very little sense—if she hadn’t nodded towards the ground when speaking of ‘mini trees’, he might have thought she was just babbling.
“All right. But only because you asked nicely,” Remarque said in a somewhat stern tone. He knelt back down and carefully placed the cat on the ground, remaining perched. He crouched, elbows resting on his knees as he watched her. He couldn’t resist wiping off the hand that had touched her.
He really didn’t want fleas, even if she was offering them. "Now go on--what were you saying?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 11:46 am
Lyssa gave a long echoing sigh as she was placed back onto the ground she so dearly loved. Not that she didn’t like hanging and or being flinged though the air on occasion but there were rules. Terrible rules. Mainly those that involved the flying meat sticks. But that was a long disjointed thought for another day. Pads safely on mud she tested the ground with worryingly sticky paws, sweeping the grass before her as if clearing a path. She seemed mesmerised by her actions, watching every blade of grass move in the direction she pushed until she was satisfied with what she had done…sadly it was nothing to do with Sailor Remarque and his power up and as quickly as she has started she stopped and stared back up at him.
If the soldier was a betting man he may have placed his money on Lyssa having forgotten what she was doing, or at least what she was meant to do. And he was right. Usually the words came easy, the power and the song that echoed in her mind when a Sailor was to grow appeared instantaneously. But right now she was lost for words, lost for the actions and motions she was meant to display. She was also hungry which didn’t help. Looking at him she pondered his status, he was indeed a Sailor scout. He had the tinkering aura down to a Tee. But there was something not right, something she couldn’t access - or wasn’t allowed to access.
“The song won’t come; it is muffled in secrets, like the pink cotton clouds on a warm night…”
Her voice was tainted with sadness, like a great gift that had been snatched from her before she had the chance to bury it. If Lyssa had known that a guardian cat could unlock powers but not activate them in Dark Mirror Senshi she would have been much more understanding about this moment instead of wailing like a banshee before the sailor scout.
“YoUUU are NOT mineeeeEEEEIIII, You are NOOOT minnnneeee! I can not see you though the FROSTED glass of your KEEEPER. WHY! WHY! WHY! WHHHY! WHY! WHY!! – Oh wait…I can at least give you this.”
As if switching a light the screams stopped and the tears halted as Lyssa grinned deeply before him. Readying herself as if about to pounce she flung herself over, a spinning back flip that caused the ripples in the air to flash out. Echoes of time forgotten swirled within the area of space between the ground and Lyssa fast twirling body before she landed in a undignified heap. She never could stick the landing. As the magic pulled faster it gather into a single glowing ball, no bigger than a pearl it radiated turquoise strings, like tiny feelers sucking in the energy around it. It seemed to sing with a power that was both alarming and enchanting. Watching it made you dizzy, but the emotion it span with its tendrils hit at the back of your mind with a resounding push. It was scary, it was awe-inspiring, and it was coming straight for him. With a puff of air Lyssa blew the orb towards Remarque, watching as it bobbed along an invisible line before soaking straight into his heart.
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Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 1:22 am
Remarque had watched Lyssa paw at the ground with interest that quickly faded to confusion and then boredom. She might have been a guardian cat, but she was still just that—a cat. Strange, obnoxious, mean little creatures that never made any sense. He took the opportunity to reflect on the other guardian cats he’d met—and this one was, by far, the strangest. At least they didn’t speak in riddles.
And then she was screaming. More riddles.
And then some weird, tiny, pulsating pearl was coming straight at him—and before he could demand information and back away, it sank into his chest. It was a strange feeling that pulsed through him; not quite unpleasant, and yet it took his breath away. Either that or he’d been holding his breath for some time and only just now realized it.
Drawing in a shallow breath, he looked down at the cat as he tried to figure out if she’d poisoned him. A part of him had suspected her promise of a gift was just some ploy to give her a chance to escape before he could stomp on her, but now he just wasn’t sure what to make of it.
In a moment of weakness—or, perhaps, comfortableness—he rocked on his heels and then flopped on his a** onto the grass, still looking at the cat. “…You,” he said, pausing for a second to take a better breath, “Are one weird little cat. What the hell was that?”
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Posted: Thu May 10, 2012 10:02 am
The cat having opted to start licking her hind leg in a fit of excitement was balanced precariously on her backside, the offending limb protruding high into the air as she went to town. It was as if she had forgotten what she had just done or indeed what she was doing and only when the boy became eye level (or to the extent that one could when talking to a small red cat) did she stop and stare back at him, mulling over the question at hand.
“I opened your pools silly human, silly senshi. Your face speaks in riddles of conquests yet unknown! Tsk, tsk human, your mortality is showing, tsk tsk, tsk.” Her face was alight with emotions, some happy others worrying as she spoke absolute nonsense, but to her at least she was passing on great wisdom. Although subtle hints were poking at the corners of her minds advising her she needed to go into a little bit more detail. Those voices only came out when she got to eat the bits between her toes.
“Your power, I hear no song from you, your colours do not twinkle like my pigmy shrews. You belong to another, seek them out, seek them out. Find them and awaken yourself anew. Finish what I have started, step through the looking glass oh puppet master, step though and become anew.”
Her newly cleaned leg was now being rubbed into the dirt by an incontrollable itch but it didn’t seem to bother her as much as nodded towards the darken closure of the woods did. Explaining things would be so much easier if she just wasn’t mental.
“Return to the beginning! Find them and return. Only they can gift you with the final piece, step though the looking glass, step though.”
Oh the final word Lyssa’s back spasm so furiously she flung herself to the side, her whole body twisting in the dirt as if some demented worm had taken over her mind. Seriously cute though.
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 7:04 pm
If two things had been different, Remarque might have thought Lyssa was cute. The first, if he liked cats, the second, if he was some fickle little girl. He stared at the cat for a long moment and then just nodded, things slowly seeping in. Or, at least, he was pretending to let them seep in. He had vague assumptions about what was transpiring, and the whole event seemed not entirely unlike his last encounter with a guardian cat. Dahlia had certainly made more sense, but even she spoke in riddles, it seemed.
Stepping through the looking glass? If by ‘mirror’, sure, he could do that. As soon as he could find one. Which ought to be soon, given how weird this entire conversation was going. “Well, ah, cat,” he said, gesturing toward the little ball fluff. “I guess I owe you some thanks. That was a mighty fine gift you’ve given me, I’ll be sure to relish it. Do you have a name or something so I can thank you properly?”
…Or so that he could warn Lesath to watch out for so she didn’t have any awkward, nightmare-inducing encounters.
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 11:44 am
Lyssa would have preferred it if the human had given her some of those irresistible radioactive pulses he was sending out for thanks but beggars can’t be choosers and apparently most humans didn’t realise how toxic and yummy they were. Smiling, as much as one cat could, Lyssa nodded her head, a bouncing ungracious movement that seemed to last way too long. It was only with an attack of the tremors hit her ears did she cease her erratic movements long enough to answer back.
“I am Lyssa, oh cellophane one. I love to lick the tendrils of time that were once forgotten and then remembered. They never cease to disappoint or enchant the voices…AND I ENJOY THE SUBTLE TASTE OF MAYO.” In response she stared wildly up at him, licking her lips only to forget what she was doing before it hung unceremoniously from her jaw. She pulled away, stretching out her back with every fibre of her being. fur moving with her fluid motions as she twisted and stamped before eventually rolling onto her side, and somersaulting into the woods never to be seen again....
....sortof.
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 1:18 pm
For the longest moment, Remarque just stared after the cat. Mayonnaise still on the brain, he stood tall, brushed himself off, and decided it was definitely time to head home. Prey abandoned for the night, Remarque figured that his encounter with Lyssa had been more than enough excitement for the time being—and there was always tomorrow to gather energy.
He lingered for a very brief moment before he shook his head and turned away. For as eager as he was to get out of the place, he really wished Lyssa had stuck around long enough to give him directions back to civilization. Not that he was certain he could even trust the cat after that encounter.
A quick look at the skyline and Remarque picked a direction and set off.
Half an hour was more time than he’d like to have spent walking, but at the end of the day, this little encounter had been well worth it. The moment he stepped through that mirror and out again as something greater was tantalizing—the newfound power, the rush of energy?
Remarque regretted nothing. Even meeting Lyssa.
Though he suspected he might be having nightmares for a while.
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