|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 7:30 pm
February was not a fun time to be a Senshi. Better than January, sure, but it was still too damn cold to be run around in a skirt. And that was why Pomona was in the park, “patrolling.” She was only patrolling in the loosest sense of the word, namely that she was in an area well-known for “terrorist” activity. She wasn’t actually looking for a fight though, and wasn’t hiding in a bush or perching in a tree or any such nonsense. No, she was busy piling sticks on a barbeque pit in a picnic area.
One of the first things Pomona had discovered upon gaining booty wings was that she could breathe fire. And that was awesome, because that meant she could warm herself up. Also, it meant she had an excuse to make s’mores, and if she could kinda patrol, stay warm, and make s’mores? Yeah, no way she was going to pass that up.
Sticks gathered and nicely piled, she glanced around before pulling rummaging through the canvas bag she brought with her. Out came the graham cracker box, then the chocolate bars, then the bag of marshmellows, and finally a couple of wire hangers; never hurt to be prepared. Whistling to herself, she began unbending one of the hangers as fast as she could with her half-frozen fingers.
... eventually she realized that that was dumb, rolled her eyes at her own stupidity, and shouted "Pomona Fire Breath!" at the sticks before spewing fire at the grill. Fire crackling in the pit, the redhead nodded approvingly before going back to work on her hanger.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 7:44 pm
Wolframite was a bit better off than most to patrol around the colder months. He had several layers to his uniform, but that didn't mean he wasn't cold. He wanted a pair of thick gloves and a hat, and he continued to rub his hands. It didn't help holding a weapon when your fingers could barely curl. It had been hours since he had dinner, and he was thinking of a bakery that opened early and checked the clock in the park to see it would still be 3 hours until it opened. He could imagine biting into a apple cinnamon crumble muffin or even some hot, fresh, cookies.
Groaning, he continued to move through the trees when he noticed a strong signature of a senshi. Stopping, he changed directions and tried to warm his numb hands as fast as he could in case he needed to summon his weapon. Judging by the power signature, he probably would.
When he drew close to the picnic area, he noticed there was a fire and no one else around. Who would be having a picnic in the middle of the night in THIS weather? Even the homeless kept their barrels close to the areas they lived and not this far out. It didn't make sense for them to live in the park during the winter where there was no cover, and they usually found empty houses or stopes to sleep at night.
Stepping closer, he saw that the outfit was not that of tattered, stained clothes but that of a senshi. "You're not trying very hard to be stealthy?" He said, walking up and ready to make someone bleed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 8:15 pm
Ah, company. Pomona could sense a power signature approaching. She had expected someone would stumble across her, though she had to admit she had been hoping for someone not-Chaos-y. Or at least less Chaos-y. Still, it’d be a good time for to try a more friendly tactic.
“ Don’t need stealth to make s’mores!” She said happily, waiving a mostly-unbent hanger at her goodies. “ I’ve got extra stuff, if you want in?”
Pomona didn’t want to fight. No, not at all; she wanted a non-violent night of gooey goodness, and maybe some company. Friendly company would be nice, but any company that wasn’t trying to kill her would be alright. And if Pomona’s eyes briefly flicked to the General’s hands? Being optimistic didn't mean she was completely naïve.
The General did look familiar. Eyepatch, eyepatch... she'd remember eventually. That she hadn't instinctively run screaming at the sight of him was a good sign, she hoped.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 9:49 pm
"Smores?" He said, walking slowly towards her as he looked around the area. No other energy signatures - but they could be masked. They'd done it once before when they captured him. His hand opened just a bit. If any senshi appeared, he could summon his blade and stab the first one that tried to grab him. For a trap, this was rather stupid. What idiot made smores in the middle of the night and in this weather?
"Couldn't you do that as a civilian? I guess you senshi are rather laid back or maybe your princesses just don't want you all closely." Was their ruling that lax?
He stood just where the light reached the darkness and watched her. Was she so weak that she couldn't bend a coat hanger?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 1:42 pm
The idea of Iris and Polaris policing the Senshi actually made Pomona snort. Half the time they didn't bother, and when they did try, it was about as successful as herding cats. Probably a far cry from the Negaverse, if she had to guess.
“ Laid back sounds right. Only one ‘watching’ me is me; my and my pint-sized conscious.”
Pomona’s own conscious wouldn’t normally let her neglect her duties, and even if it did, imagining Lenka and Ambrosia’s disappointment was a sure-fired way to guilt her back on track.
“ Looked around a bit and didn’t find any trouble, but I didn’t want to turn in so early. This way I get some sweet goodness and can still keep an ear out, so to speak.”
The hanger was as straight as she was going to get it, so she tore open the marshmallow bag, stuck two marshmellows on her hanger, and held them over the fire. With her free hand she fished out one of the extra hangers and tossed it lazily to the side of the General (not directly at, because that seemed dumb).
“ I won’t bite. Well, not unless you bite me first.” That sounded kinda dirty; moving on! “ But let’s not do that, yeah? I just want some s’mores.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 2:59 pm
He stepped further in the light of the fire, the warmth welcoming and lighting up his one green eyes as he watched her. "Pint-sized conscious. Sounds like a senshi." He said, thinking of the senshi who barely had a consciousness at all.
"For looking around for trouble, you sure aren't doing much about it considering I'm here." What more could she think trouble was than a Negaverse General standing a few feet away from her?
When she tossed the hanger, he snatched it from the air and looked at it, noticing she was offering a hanger to him too. Taking it into his hands, he waited for them to warm a moment before he started to twist the metal away from the hook and then straightened it out. There were perks to being a General, and strength was one of them. It took him very little time to pull the hanger apart, but that didn't mean he didn't nick his finger.
Licking the cut on his thumb, he watched her and the fire with equal wariness. He didn't like fire all that much.
"Trust me. If I bite first, you wouldn't have time to bite me. I don't release when I bite down." He didn't look away from her. "Maybe that's why I'm named Wolframite."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 4:31 pm
“ Mm, yep; a little bossy one.” She shrugged, as if to say ‘what can you do’.
Testing the marshmellows, she decided to leave them longer – they weren’t burnt enough – but removed one of the packs of graham crackers from the box and replaced it with one of the extra candy bars. At the General’s statement of the obvious, Pomona arched an eyebrow.
“ Yeeees, but you’re just standing there. That’s not a crime. I’m, what, supposed to assault you for doing nothing?”
He was a General, and Pomona didn’t think for one second that he got to be a General by helping little old ladies cross the street. But after Realgar, Remarque/Lenka, and Bjorn, well, Pomona realized that words were nice, but she needed to actually do something. So she was trying.
“ I- okay.” Pomona pulled off one of the marshmellows and popped in her mouth, her face taking on a thoughtful, more serious look as she chewed.
“ Wolframite… We crossed paths when you were a Lieutenant. You’re a General now, your jump rope has evolved into serrated blades on a chain – ranged weapon - and you have good reason to hate Senshi.” There was no pity, or derision, or really, any sort of inflection; it was just a statement of facts. “ I’m Pomona, and with my butt wings came fire-breathing. I don’t like to fight, but that doesn’t mean I can’t.”
She raised one hand palm-up, and gave another shrug.
“ Your side hates my side, my side hates your side, and everyone suffers for it. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, so I’m trying something different. Baby steps.”
She pointedly kicked the box she'd stuffed with marshmellows, a chocolate bar, and graham crackers towards Wolframite.
Your move.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 4:46 pm
He smiled a moment. "Butt-wings. That's a cute way to describe them." He had thought of them as the same in a way, and picked up the box, popping two marshmallows on and letting the hanger close the distance to roast.
"That's a nice little profile there. I've met plenty of senshi who doesn't agree with what your side is doing, not to mention just wandering about by some vague order that they have no other choice. I doubt any on your side say that the Negaverse is always accepting, and that we have many senshi on our own side that we protect and treat as one of our own." Though Wolframite wasn't close to any of them on principle. He would follow orders, but he would not rest easy around one, their side or not.
Turning his marshmallows over, he watched her. "What is this something different your doing? Going to make smores with everyone? That's a tad dangerous and what do you hope to accomplish from it?" He pulled the marshmallows when they caught on fire and blew them out with some hesitation to bring it near his face. Well, they were a bit burnt but oh well.
He pulled one off and blew on it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 8:41 pm
“ Probably not the safest thing, but I tried answering some questions recently, and that got me thinking. If this war’s older than us – and I think we can agree on that – how effective have fists and magic been? Hence, talking. Might not- no, probably won’t solve anything, but I think it’d help. A little, at least.”
Off came a marshmallow, and in short order it was mushed between chocolate and cracker, and Pomona was bit off a corner with a happy sigh. Sweets really did make life better.
“ And you give a perfect example! You mentioned the Senshi on your side, make it sound like they’re nice and happy and all’s well. But that conflicts with what I’ve heard elsewhere; heard and seen. Tanzanite had some choice words on the matter, and I remember them quite vividly."
She gave Wolframite a look, because she had not imagined Wolframite's presence there, and wouldn't lied to on that. Then she took another bite of her s’mores, because Tanzanite’s threat and Castor’s screams? Yeah, nightmares.
“ Now I’ve seen Senshi fight with you all, and they don’t seem like mindless puppets, so there must be some small kernel of truth in what you’re saying, but how do you reconcile that with Tanzanite’s words?”
It was kinda confusing, so if for no other reason than a sort of scientific curiosity, Pomona did want an explanation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 7:15 pm
Wolframite did not make a smore, but licked his thumb free of marhsmallow goo before inspecting it to make sure it was clean. "Tanzanite says a lot of things so I don't know which one your talking about, but I fully back her on all of her statements. Whatever it is, she has reasons to say it. They probably weren't pretty as what your princesses say, but in the end, it's just how you stated it. We're in a war, Pomona."
He pulled the other marshmallow off. "Every senshi has the option to come over to our side and, if they do, they will be treated as one of us with open arms and be protected. However, if any senshi does not, they are an enemy, and we don't hold hands and sing songs with enemies. We don't have times for prisoners or spending time convincing any senshi what side is good if they are already brainwashed. We have a planet to save, and we don't jeopardize our own by giving too many chances. You're all dangerous, and what you think up is even worse." He looked up at her.
"Personally speaking, I'll rip out any starseed out without hesitation if they swear their allegiance to those princesses of yours. Even the little ones I see you have running about." He said this without a stutter or any emotional or mental debate.
He devoured the mashmallow as if the statement he made made the confection just as sweet.
Finishing the treat, he watched her. "...but that doesn't mean I do my duty and lay out the other option to come to our side if the senshi is willing to listen."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 5:55 pm
Pomona was, for once, quiet as she listened to what Wolframite had to say. A faint line appeared between her brows, a mild expression of “Does Not Compute”; what he was saying did not match up to Tanzanite’s threat. However, she kept her confusion to herself, preferring to let him speak further. The rest of his explanation was not any more heartening, and Pomona’s lips gradually thinned.
“ I can’t say I agree with what you’re saying, much less like it-” No, Pomona might’ve been confused, but she still firmly didn’t like what he said, especially about the Chibis, “ – but I understand it, at least.”
Figuring she’d spoken quite a bit and didn’t want to risk wearing this temporary, tentative truce too soon, she thought of the best way to word her question. She had many questions, but one that was the most pressing, and that she figured that Wolframite, as a General, could best answer.
“ Um, what exactly are we doing that you’re protecting Earth from, if you don’t mind me asking? ‘cause I’m… I’m not too clear on that. I’ve heard some of you call us aliens, so is it just a, a territory thing, or is there something more?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 7:48 pm
He set the stick aside, done using it. Marshmallows weren't his thing. He liked baked goods more than anything, and he really should keep space for dinner back at his place if Billy was going to go through the trouble of saving him some. Cleaning his hand, he considered her question, and had a few questions that had been nagging him for a while.
"They don't tell you much, do they? What do they say we're doing, your superiors? That we're just killers going around with no real plan or that we're trying to enslave the Earth?" He wasn't sure what they were being told. If he did, he might have a easier time recruiting more senshi to their side.
"A lot of senshi I've talked to since I was just a rookie have told me that just because they were born here, they belong here. However, you all have planets, and what is deep down in you, right at your center, was created somewhere else. Alien is just a easy way to describe it. I don't know how your princesses paint the picture, but I've walked the ruins of Earth that happened because of your Queen. People died, Pomona. Lots of people because your Queen didn't like rebels. People she called corrupted because we didn't follow her. A alien from another planet who wasn't satisfied staying on her own rock."
He watched her, the flames between them. "We're protecting this planet from whatever Queen will show up again to try and take over Earth. Fighting for our own freedom to belong to the people who actually belong here."
"So what is it that they tell you before they send all those children out at night to fight for them? To send small children to do their dirty work when they know they could die?" To have those people give the orders when they had no qualms with sending children out - how could the senshi even have faith in those people?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2013 9:23 pm
“ I- man! This would be a lot easier for me to address if you weren’t, you know, my enemy. Alright, hang on a sec.” Pomona grabbed a lock of her hair and tugged it, keeping a light but steady pull as she thought how to answer without giving away too much.
“ So, this horrible Queen we’re supposed to be bringing to rule Earth? Who says we’ll follow her? She’d have enough trouble trying to rule all the Scouts. If she started talking about trying to rule Earth? I’d fight her; heck, I’d come personally let you all know.”
The smore, held in Pomona’s other hand, had more or less been forgotten for the moment.
“ And you know, the civilians aren’t exactly defenseless. They have guns, and tanks, and missiles. If they want to protest, they’ve got the firepower. Kinda surprised they haven’t nuked this city yet, actually.” She trailed off thoughtfully.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:16 pm
"If not this Queen, then one of your princesses. You already follow a few of them, don't you? We've seen them when we jumped one of your meetings. You assemble together to plan, organize, and you have princesses you listen to. If you follow the princesses and they either become Queens or they follow the Moon Queen, then it becomes a problem."
But she was expressing a desire not to follow her senshi leaders. This was good. "If you don't want to follow them, why not join the Negaverse and fight for Earth?" He continued to push that idea.
"I'm not here to fight civilians to keep them from killing each other. That can be left to cops and soldiers and our government. I'm here to fight for what they can't fight against." He clarified.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 8:51 pm
“ Yeah, I listen to some of the Princesses, but not because out of, like awe or fealty or something. I knew some of them before anyone knew they were Princesses,” Actually, she had been roommates with one of them, but she wasn’t about to offer that tidbit; seemed like something that come back to bite her in the a**,“ so occasionally they’ll have a good idea and I’ll listen, but the rest the time I’m doing my own thing or trying to wrangle Chibis.”
Pomona stared at her neglected treat sadly. She had hoped for a sort of kumbaya moment, a I-won’t-kill-you-and-you-won’t-kill me sharing of sweets during an awkward-but-non-violent silence. Granted, the awkward-but-non-violent part had happened, but it wasn’t silent. Instead there was a lot of heavy discussion going on, and she found her appetite rapidly dwindling.
“ Why not? Because as the tally stands, I’d still choose the side I’m on. This side isn’t perfect, but your side’s… activities still weigh heavier to me. Now if, IF some evil Queen shows up, well…”
She trailed with an unhappy shrug, poking her treat. Honestly, she hadn’t given that sort of scenario much thought, as she assumed that the Senshi would fight any such threat. And starting down that train of thought gave her a headache, so she shoved it into the box of “thoughts to worry about when necessary.”
“ I’ll admit this wasn’t exactly what I’d had in mind when I set out tonight, but there wasn’t any unnecessary maiming, so… yay?”
Her boxes of goodies were packed up and put away in her little bag, and she chewed mindlessly on the remainder of her cold s’more and she bent her hanger back into a manageable shape. Then she stared at Wolframite, grasping to find the right.
“ Er, thank you for humoring me instead trying to kill me. Tonight, anyway. I… guess I’ll see you around? Man, that’s awkward.” She muttered, the last part mostly for herself. “ Nothing in etiquette classes about this.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
