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Horatio knew nothing about the heavy thoughts that swirled around the mind of her newest prank target. She kew that she should probably be doing something more lethal against a Senshi that stunk of loser Chaos juice, but this one wasn't like the other she had encounter so far. The crazy lady had been choking an innocent girl at the bus stop and that kind of rough housing just could not be tolerated! That said girl at bus stop had turned out to be a winner had only further deepened the dislike. But this guy? He was just sullenly chilling at the playground and didn't look like he was out to hurt anyone. He might have lots of energy in his bag, but he had no blood or anything on his hands and no starseeds. So he hadn't been out to hurt anybody in the first place, as far as she could tell.

Of course, the more childish and immature reason she didn't strike out was because he was covered in toys. Every step he took, every movement he made was accompanied by jingles. Bells. So. Many. Bells. How could she not taunt him?

So, while he gloomed and doomed, the cream-colored Himalayan had snuck up and yoinked at his sleeve. Then, before he could catch a glimpse, she retreated behind his back. She had covered her mouth with her paws to keep from giggling the first time. Then, right when he seemed to relax? She grabbed the sleeves again!

When he asked her to stop, she knew the gig was up. "No way, sad loser!" The Mauvian grabbed onto the sleeve one more time for good measure to hear the jingle jangle that she loved. It filled her already boisterous heart with laughter, and that laughter exploded from her belly to fill the air. She pulled back behind his coat tails again so that he could no longer see her, but that didn't mean the motor mouth was going to stop talking. "What you are super sad about tonight? You've got lots of open swings and a nice slide and even a teeter-totter you could be playing on instead of moping over here! You sad because no one will play with someone who makes their tummies churn? I'll play with you!"

The bells contined to gleam gold in the lamp light, and it was really only a matter of tiime before she pounced on them again. But she had given him fair warning, right?

"So go on the slide or the tettertotter - long legs can't get in your way there. Although I guess the bells scraping against the metal of the slide might not sound too good, but hey, there's still the teetertotter and you and I can bounce and listen to the bells and it'll be great!" Horatio was all about play time and it showed as she grabbed the bells on the sleeve again. She was never going to get tired of this game!

"Oh, I could go and find a winner, but I thought maybe you could use--wait, what did you just say about my team? Pfffft. Pffffffft. Are you serious?" Horatio slid out from behind the green-and-black robed Senshi to leap into his lap. She pressed her fluffy paws to his cheeks and looked him dead in the eyes. There was still laughter in her eyes, even if her voice was more serious. "There's not a single loser on my team. Nothing but winners with warm hearts and the ability to kick Chaos losers in the pants. Unless they're wearing skirts. Or dresses. Then they get kicked in the skirts or dresses."

Her cream-colored tail flicked in the air, waving the checkered racing flag attached to it. "I'm Horatio, and I'd say nice to meet you but... you're kind of a drag at the moment. How can you be covered with shiny, wonderful bells--I mean, you're practically a walking toy, okay, and that's about the best thing I can think off--and still be a grump? Are we going to play or what? Because if you're going to just sit here like a sad Chaos lump, then I think you're pretty much wasting a nice night. And that's just terrible."

Horatio rolled her eyes and lowered her fluffy paws. She then used them to push her peppermint goggles up above her head to nestle against her ears. This movement made her teal eyes even more prominent as she stared at him. Really? He was really asking her if a warm heart was important? Really? "Um, yes, only super important, silly Spinel! See, right now, you don't have a warm heart. You're all filled with toxic Chaos gunk and it makes you reek like a skunk rolling around in yesterday's garbage and all your other people have the same stuff inside. Not really surprising that you aren't getting hugs and yummy snacks from them."

She mewled in protest whenever he moved her off his comfy lap! The flag began to swirl even faster as her tail flicked about, fluttering up into the air and then back to the ground as Horatio settled in and listened to her companion's belly aching. She sort of wished he would exchange belly aching for belly rubbing, but he seemed pretty upset. He had the opportunity for petting on his own but had instead settled her onto the ground. Lame, lame, laaaaaame. No playing, no petting, just... talking, and she wasn't even the one to do the talking at this point!

Well, she could at least change that last part. She licked at one of her front paws and rubbed it at her face as she asked, "Well, I'm not bloodthirsty or torturous and none of the winners I've met are that way either so maybe you should come with me instead, be a part of the winning team. You were born to be a winner, not a loser."

The Himalayan merely grinned and continued grooming her face for a few minutes the first time he asked the question. It most certainly was possible, but he had put her on the ground and she wasn't quick to forget that! Besides, this was a classic play gambit. If someone suddenly had something they wanted to know, you didn't just give it to them - you waited for them to come to you! Reel them in, like fishing, but with people. Oh, it was a great game.

A fluffy paw reached out to boop his nose. It was the teeniest tiniest invitation to play she had, and she was really, really trying to concentrate on not playing but she just couldn't. He seemed really eager and nice and had potential. If she just left him, what kind of Guardian Cat would she be? He didn't even know the rules of the game! No wonder he was miserable and not using his shiny bell goodness to its true potential. Her voice was a scoff, but a gentle one, as she lowered her paw again, "Hear from who? The Negacreeps? They're the ones that corrupted you in the first place, so they're probably not going to advertise that you can check out any time you like and yes, you can even leave!"

Her tail curled around her seated form, the checkered flag uncharacteristically still. In fact, her entire form was rather still, neither advancing forward to try and ingratiate herself nor retreating to show fear at how close he was. If nothing else, that stillness indicated how seriously she was taking this conversation, nose boops and childish terminology aside. Her face squinched up as she tried to explain, "It's not all that complicated in theory, but it's kinda hard to put into practice. I can't do it for you, or I would, believe me. See, you need a Princes to do it, and... well, I'm sure there are some other rules."

Okay, staying still? Not working, especially when she was getting much more excited. She reared up onto her rear paws to get closer to his face, her voice almost a whisper, as though she were sharing the biggest secret in the world, "But I know a Princess, if you want to meet one? No one's going to force you to switch teams if you don't want to, but she'd know more about it then me and maybe could tell you more what to expect. C'moooon it'll be fun!"

Whether or not Princess Iris would agree with her was not something that the tiny Mauvian really thought about. She was playing this game to win!

Hm. This game was tougher than it initially appeared. On the one paw, she had succeeded in getting back into warm, spacious lap, and that was definitely a win! She stretched out to her full length, her tiny paws kneading against the Corrupted Senshi's legs slightly although she kept her claws sheathed. On the other paw... he still did not seem convinced about switching teams and had flat out rejected meeting a Princess, who could help him even more than the cream colored cat could. So that was kind of a set back... but maybe not a total defeat! "Well, okay... but for the record, I don't know anyone who want you dead, and if I did, I'd bop them upside their tiara-bearing head because as of right now, you're under my protection."

She tilted her head slightly at his question. "Knights? Sure, I know a couple." Horatio began to purr in satisfaction. Valhalla or Sessrumnir could definitely set this guy straight and then secure them the victory for sure. "You want me to bring them to you? Or maybe just one? You seem kind of nervous, so maybe just one. Valhalla's really nice and I know he definitely wouldn't want you dead. Would that be alright? I'll be there too, so you don't have to worry about being alone!"