|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 3:57 pm
Candice stretched one arm at a time as she stepped out of her apartment onto the street. The regular school year had started again and she hadn't had much time to walk Cotton during the day so had moved their daily walks to the evening. Cotton, the white ball of fluff, ran around her feet happily, almost tangling her up a few times. Candice laughed, never getting tired of the energetic dog that seemed to be growing a lot more recently.
Grabbing Cotton's leash, Candice headed down the street with Cotton walking next to her. They both were watching the sun set and Candice realized how much she appreciated what she already had in life. There had been sorrow and anger right when she got back from the Surrounding, but she now had school to look forward to despite most people not liking it, and Cotton, whom was the love of her life and she'd never stop loving her.
She sighed and continued walking as Cotton stuck her head into different things, sniffing them, and sometimes marking her spot. The walk had just started and Candice felt like the walk would be the same as all the other ones she'd been on.Kyuseisha no Hikari (( ALSO PLAYING THE YOUMA XD ))
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2012 9:25 am
Candice was unlucky in that this would not be like any walk she had ever seen.
She would not be able to appreciate the cool breeze that wafted through the air, or the fragrant aroma of the now blossoming Tuberoses. She wouldn't be able to enjoy the calming chirp of crickets or allow her thoughts to wander.
Bigger things than thoughts of school were awaiting her—literally.
Narrowed eyes locked on the girl as soon as she turned the corner, though as any good hunter would know, the time to strike was something you had to wait for. This thing knew how to wait. For the past two hours it had lay, massive tail twitching as it crouched in the trees of the park. There was no telling how many victims had wandered into its path already this evening, though Candice was next on its list.
When the girl, oblivious to its presence neared, the excitement was too much for it to handle and it stood, revealing itself. By no means was the youma only a few short yards away from Candice an attractive creature; it moved from four legs to rest on two, presenting its strange, taloned hands as if to grip her. The body looked to be some grotesque mutation of a bull and a bird—but even more horrifying than its appearance was its cry.
Upon locking eyes with Candice, the feathers that flanked its face in a strange sort of mane raised and it let out a great bellow—a noise that sounded like two slabs of metal crushing against each other, screeching and piercing into the otherwise quiet night.
And then it lunged.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2012 7:34 pm
As Candice walked down the street, she was surprised to see Cotton pause as they turned the corner. It wasn't very often that she paused. "Cotton, what's wrong?" When Candice looked up from Cotton to see what she saw, Candice gasped. The large shape in front of her was definitely not normal and reminded her very much of the things she saw at the Surrounding.
Candice quickly bent over and picked up Cotton, hugging the dog tightly in her arms. Backing up slowly, she wished that the thing would just go away and leave her alone, but the wish was short lived when the youma lounged at her.
She screamed and fell back on her bottom, letting go of Cotton whom ran away. Candice turned to the direction Cotton was running, but was too late to grasp the dog's leash. "No! COTTON!" Candice knew that calling for the dog was futile, but had to try anyways. But now, Candice looked back at the thing in front of her. What in the world was she going to do?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2012 9:50 pm
Remarque was across the park when he heard the cry, and even though he was in the process of stalking an order signature he figured to be a cat—and was hot on the trail, too—that was not a screech he could just ignore.
He looked at the mirror a few years away, mentally tracing a map to locate the mirror nearest to where he assumed the screech originated from—and ran. His curiosity was getting the best of him more and more now, and while he was nagged that that was not a human noise, he still bolted through the mirror and out the other side.
Though he had a good idea of the park, Remarque's estimation was by no means perfect and he still had to run a bit of a way to reach the screech—and instead of getting him into trouble, this time his curiosity paid out.
He arrived just in time to see the creature charging at Candice and the dog, flapping it's mangled, too-small wings. It wouldn't do much but give it an extra boost of speed--and create a terrifying sight.
Cotton was either too small for the creature to register—or too small for it to care; it had its full attention on Candice.
Since Eos' corruption, Remarque had been somewhat less enthusiastic in attacking youma—even if there wasn’t a Negaverser around to see it. A very short reasoning told him that this was a special occasion. Teeth grit, he clenched his hands and then shouted, "Captive Audience!"
He hadn't the foggiest if the attack would be as useful on a youma than any other opponent, but the second that strings descended around the creature, hooking around it's grotesque joints, he figured it didn't really matter; he didn't want to stick around to find out how effective they were.
Running to Candice while the creature struggled in confusion, he hooked his arms under her, heaved her up, and bolted back towards the mirror.
Mirrorwalking was second nature to him—and though it could be disorienting, he had long since shaken off the odd sensation that came with it. Now, it was comforting. Getting Candice away from the youma had been his primary concern—but keeping distance between the two was equally important to him. He mirrorwalked to a safer location in the park—further away from the youma than from where he'd first heard its distant screech.
To his surprise, the signature for a cat was even stronger here—and he didn't know whether to curse Candice or be glad that she had—albeit not intentionally—gotten him closer to his target. "—You're always getting into trouble, whenever I see you. Are you all right?" he asked. His first matter of duty was to get her feet on the ground and make sure if she was in one piece—or to find out if he ought to be getting right back in that mirror and dropping her off in the Emergency Room.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2012 11:18 am
Candice was surprised when she heard the voice of another. It was familiar, but couldn't associate it with anyone until she saw the guy's face. "Oh! It's him from before!"
Whatever he had called out for seemed to have worked, and the thing was stuck in its tracks. It didn't take long before the guy picked her up and led her through... A mirror? When they were inside that 'space', Candice was confused but in awe of what she saw. It was definitely different and something she hadn't seen before. "Maybe this place is like the Surrounding from before? Though the Surrounding did seem a lot prettier." All she knew that this was one of the magical places and wasn't sure if she liked it. Soon, though, the guy bought her out of there and they landed in the park a fair distance away from the youma.
"Thank you," she paused and gave him a smile.. "A lot. Your name... Re-... Remarque? I know it's not the first time you helped me out" Candice stayed there, sitting on the ground. But something seemed like it should be there with her...
Then she realized it. Looking around her, she didn't see her white fluff ball. She looked up at Remarque again and although the youma was gone, she was more scared than ever. "Cotton... She's gone!" Candice knew that the dog had been afraid, but she wanted to try now more than before.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 4:52 pm
…Well, ********. The dog.
Remarque hadn't even seen the ball of fluff he'd grown so fond of since Candice adopted her, but he had plenty of reason to head back.
But the cat was so close—so ******** white dog?" he prompted, feigning ignorance. He hadn't seen what direction she had run off in, but he'd have much rather gone to look for her than send Candice back over near the youma. "…Yeah, don't worry about her. I can go check. But in the mean time," he glanced over his shoulder at where the youma was; it was a long distance off, and he hardly figured it would be any sort of trouble for her over here. "…You should probably stay put and catch your breath. It'll be safer over here. Just—scream if something happens. I'll go try and find your dog before something gets to it. You'll be okay here?" he asked, already stepping away from her and towards the mirror.
…He seriously didn't want to get there too late and find Cotton nothing but a pile of youma chow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 7:39 pm
Candice watched as she sat there, Remarque disappearing into a mirror again. She had heard before that many with the mostly black uniforms were evil, but how could Remarque be evil. "He's going out to save my beloved Cotton!" It might have been the shock of the moment, but Candice was smiling and crying, unable to sort out her emotions.
That was, until she heard the roar from the youma again.
She had thought Remarque had gotten her far enough away that the thing wouldn't find her again, but when she looked up off the ground, she was staring up at the eyes of the youma. "Oh d-dear... How did you find me again?" Candice was still on the ground, but she scooted slowly away from youma until her back hit a tree.
"My luck is definitely horrible today..."
Suddenly, a small cat appeared. In its mouth it held a... Pen? The cat had given Candice the pen and then had dashed off again. "Why in the world would I need a pen," Candice said out loud. Before she could think and before the youma could attack again, words came to her.
"TianGuan power, Make Up!" Candice felt a rush of energy around her as she closed her eyes and embraced it. When she opened her eyes again, she wasn't in her HITS uniform anymore, but dressed in a bodice and skirt. It was... Odd. Candice was going to look over herself some more, but then she remembered. "The youma..."
She... Candice? 'TianGuan'? Stood there, staring at it, not sure of what to do.Kyuseisha no Hikari Wrote
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 2:45 am
The transformation had surprised the youma; it had lost track of the girl for a bit, but it was by pure fluke that the creature had found her. After Remarque's attack had worn off, it had simply charged to the most well lit region. Unfortunately, Remarque had assumed she would be safest in a well lit area.
The youma had been drawn, like a moth to the flame, and whereas it once had pure confidence in hunting the girl, when it was staring down at TianGuan, it seemed to be rethinking its choices.
A second ticked by. Another.
It blinked, eyelid making a wet noise as it slowly slid across the moist surface of the creature's eyes. It's pupils dilated and it took a single step back—an affect of breathing in a large breath—and then took two steps forward so it could roar viciously at the senshi in front of it.
It's feathered mane trembled from the force, and large flecks of spit went flying towards the senshi before it. It's talons dug into the paved ground beneath it, and its tail sliced through the air. When it hit the ground, it cracked like a whip and the noise seemed to startle the creature into a charge. It lowered it's head and barreled towards TianGuan, screeching as it beelined straight towards her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:33 pm
Tian stood there staring at the youma. All the memories of the Surrounding came back to her. That was the first time she had seen things like this one. She had been attacked then too and was helpless. So helpless... The one thing she couldn't forget was that she had died.
Her mind kept racing; she couldn't think of what to do. Tian was alive now, and with something new within her, but what to do? Almost like second nature to her, she spoke again. "TianGuan, Mask Mixup!" Through the tears of fear that stream down her cheeks, she could see a bright, white light just above her eyes and then it raised up into the sky. Tian watched as the bright white mask spun in the sky and eventually landed on the youma, causing the beast to roar once again.
She was still unsure of what to do, but her heart told her body to charge, and that is what she did. Though small, the attack was filled with a sort of energy that Tian had not felt before. It caused the youma to fall back and disappear. Tian had done it, but what exactly did she do?
The tears now streamed faster down her cheek. "I don't want to be a part of this again. I don't want it. GO AWAY!" Her mind kept screaming that over and over again. Until suddenly Candice opened her eyes again and was once again 'Candice'
Candice fell to her knees crying. Why was this happening to her? Why was everything going back to then?! She just sat there, sobbing, unsure of what just happened and temporary forgetting about her frightened dog.
With that, Candice failed to notice that there was a few extra things in her coat pocket now: a Henshin pen as well as a new cellphone...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 2:36 am
Chasing down Cotton had not been as easy as Remarque would have liked, and he was pleased that no one had been around to see how ridiculous he must have looked. The youma appeared to have left, for which he was grateful; it certainly made finding the dog a lot easier for him. Cotton had found a bench to hide under, a good distance away from where he'd started—in the complete opposite direction of Candice.
He scooped the dog up in his arms with an exasperated sigh, cradled the creature in his arms and walked back to the mirror so he could return to Candice. He hadn't wanted to leave the girl alone for so long, but the situation had called for it. Mirrorwalking was effortless for him, and while he had prepared himself to deliver Cotton and ask if she was doing all right, from the second he stepped through the glass, he could tell that it wasn't.
Of course, a blind man could have seen that a girl sitting on the ground sobbing wasn't all right. "Hey," he said, voice a shade softer than he often provided. Crying girls immediately put him on edge. "…Candice, it's all right. I've got Cotton. Here," he said, moving close to her and holding out the dog.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 10:11 am
Candice had just sat there, crying. It somehow felt like she had died all over again, this time, becoming something new. She didn't know if it was a good or bad feeling though. "Was this the reason I even survived the Surrounding?"
Tears kept streaming down her face until she heard someone talking to her. It was Remarque and he was back with Cotton. Oh her sweet dog was safe. That was one thing she could relax about. Candice wiped her eyes with her arms and stretched out her arms to receive the frightened dog.
When Cotton was first in her arms, Candice didn't feel the little thing shaking in her arms. That was because she was shaking herself, both from the youma once again as well as... Powering up? Either way, she dug her face into the familiar scent of Cotton. It helped both Candice and Cotton calm down a little bit before Candice spoke and the dog's tail was wagging again.
"Thank you... So much... Again, I think." She smiled weakly at him. It was definitely not the first time the supposed 'evil' being saved her. Realizing that they were now supposed to be of different sides made her sad; they would have to fight if he ever met her as 'TianGuan' now, right?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 3:34 pm
"It's not a problem. Do you want some help getting home?" he offered; he hadn't the faintest idea that she had vanquished the youma, so as far as he knew, it was still in the area. After that whole ordeal, the last thing he wanted to do was send her home with a youma still on the loose.
He reached out a hand for her to help her up; sitting out in the park wasn't going to be any safer for her just because one youma was gone. For all Remarque knew, there was a whole park of them out there waiting to pick up where the other one had left off. "…I can take you back to your building. Or your block, at least, if you're worried about me trying to follow you home or something. I'm sure Cotton's had enough of a walk for the evening. You'll be safe back home, nothing can get you there," he tried to reassure; he knew Candice had already had a rough time from the Surrounding, and the last thing he wanted was for her to start living in fear because a youma got one up on her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2012 1:55 pm
Candice continued to rub her face in Cotton's fur as Remarque offered to take her home. She looked up at him and smiled again. "I... I think I'm okay. As long as that... Thing is gone for good, I can make it." She realized now that, although the youma disappeared after she had charged it, but was it really gone? Candice didn't feel like it was the best thing to ask Remarque about, however.
She did, however, decide to take his hand as Remarque helped her to her feet. "I... trust you," Candice told him, somewhat shakily. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, but more so if she should or shouldn't trust him. The conflicting ideas upset her a little bit. "Ugh... I'm probably need to talk to someone about this eventually..."
Cotton's shaking was slowly subsiding, but Candice still didn't want to put her down just yet. "Well, my house is in that direction," Candice told Remarque as she pointed to the west. "I guess we could walk together until you... Need to go home?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 4:31 pm
"I'll be out for a while," he replied, "I've got a lot to take care of tonight. But I'm headed in that direction, so," he nodded towards where Candice had pointed. "Let's just make sure you don't have another scare tonight."
He waited for her to start walking, and kept his place next to her. There was a mirror nearby, though with how tonight had already gone, he didn't want to give her more to worry about. Mirrorwalking was somewhat strange to get used to, though it had been a long time since he'd adjusted to the sensation. She wasn't even powered—just a civilian—so he wasn't sure if it was any harder for her to deal with. "I can at least make sure you get home safely. Do you have anyone to call, someone to maybe come over and keep you company, or do you think you'll be fine?" he asked, trying to keep conversation going. He wasn't going to let there be some sort of awkward silence, and if he could distract Candice in some way, he'd consider tonight a job well done.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 11:28 pm
"Thank you... That means a lot to me. I'm pretty sure it means a lot to Cotton too!" The dog was relaxed again and wagged her tail, giving a small bark of thanks to their hero. "I hope that I don't keep you that long then! I would hate it if you didn't get everything done that you had to," Candice told him with a firm nod.
Candice put Cotton on the floor, knowing that she would never be able to walk home quickly caring the ever-larger dog. Instead of wandering a bit a head, Cotton was close to her legs, treading more carefully than ever. Candice saw this and was a tad worried, hoping that her darling would soon grow to be less afraid again.
She quickly walked towards her apartment building, sometimes glancing at Cotton, and then other times at Remarque. Candice eventually made it to her street. It wasn't that far off when she turned around and expressed her thanks to Remarque again.
"Well, my apartment is just a ways up now, thank you again for walking me home!" Candice wasn't sure if it was the safest thing for him to know exactly where she lived, so this was probably as far as she was willing to go despite her feeling as though he would never do any harm to her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
