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 Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2013 7:19 pm
Energy gathering, ever since the fair event, had come easily to Cinnabar. Maybe it was a natural aptitude, maybe it was being a quick learner, but drawing out her quota never seemed to be terribly hard. It will be nice when she got upgraded... she'd heard that quotas for higher ups was less strenuous, and it would allow her to focus more on... other things. Things that were more fun.
With her quota filled for now and turned in, it left Cinnabar free to explore the city a little in her full gear, enjoying the strength and speed boost it gave her. The park was a good place to practice, offering a lot of obstacles to go over, under or around, and vegetation to pretend to hide behind. Years of martial art practice had taught her that only through rigorous practice did one truly master anything.
Leaping a bench, Cinnabar hit the ground and rolled, coming up behind a bush where she crouched low. Red eyes narrowed as she scanned the area, making sure no one had wandered into the area. Bad luck for them, if they did... snatching some extra energy over her quota might net her brownie points with her superiors, which just might speed her towards promotion.
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Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2013 7:55 pm
Khayman was a nervous mess. His powers as a guardian cat were largely untrained, and he felt as if he was somehow far behind the curve of where he was supposed to be. He had not upgraded or recruited any senshi at all, had not even come across one yet. Had not supported any agents in their endeavors, and couldn't even turn human to better care for their needs. All in all, he felt quite inept, and found himself cursing his regained intelligence and awareness of person.
As he mused these topics, he'd wandered aimlessly to the park, his feet leading him there mostly because of the ability to acrobatically jump to and fro, and the large amount of small animals to hunt there. He HAD been a stray before 'waking up' as luck would have it, and had come here often to eat and survive. Squirrels still chattered nervously at the thought of him visiting their hollows while birds warily weighed the options of chancing gathering food on the ground or staying safe in the trees.
His nose still worked though, and it wiggled without his bidding, drawing his gaze up gently until he blinked once, then twice, at the smell of another being here in his current territory. It had the acrid edge that the Negaverse energy carried with it, so he was unafraid and unintimidated. He was used to this smell. The apartments reeked of it, though it wasn't wholly unpleasant. More like fresh smoke or spices that burned the senses until you got used to it.
Clearing his throat, he paused in front of a bush, the rather human-like and deep sound the only indication he was anything other than a regular cat. Well, perhaps besides his scarf and star, but the star wasn't immediately visible from the side. He wondered if it was one of the many passing agents he'd seen at the apartments, of which many he wasn't not very familiar with to be fair, or some completely new face. Either way, he was itching to be of service to SOMEONE at least.
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Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2013 8:28 pm
Hearing a human voice so close to her hiding place made Cinnabar stiffen and her eyes darted for the source. She would have sworn that there were no people here, she had checked... so who had cleared their throat? Baring her teeth in an almost feral manner, the lieutenant eased backwards, still searching for her prey.
In her line of work, being snuck up on was never a good thing. Ariel had spent years honing the instinct for self preservation and every one of those instincts screamed at her to lash out with whatever weapons were at hand and ask questions later. It had saved her life in the past, but things were different now. Her strength and speed were as much a weapon as her gun or her taser. And what's more, people were prey now, useful prey. Their energy, their starseeds, were worth more than the thrill of killing them.
What Cinnabar found, though, rather than the human she was expecting, was a cat... and from the star on its forehead, it wasn't a normal cat either. What was a guardian doing here? A frown formed on her face as the lieutenant's posture shifted from 'attack' to 'defense' and she rocked back into her heels.
"Who are you?" Cinnabar said as she opened her senses, confirming this was actually a corrupt cat. The last one she'd met had been Order, and that had not been a pleasant experience.
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Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2013 8:59 pm
"I am indebted to your service by my very nature....my name is Khayman, Lady...." he answered automatically, deep voice smooth and calm, his speech dwindling as he raised a tiny eyebrow to allow her to introduce herself. He sat down in front of the bush, sitting ramrod straight, with perfect posture for a cat really. Every inch of him screamed 'I am here to please you', really. In all actuality, he'd even been brave enough to answer immediately, and with a rather long sentence too!
He didn't speak much. Not for a lack of loving spoken language, as he was getting more and more used to hearing his own voice now. But he always wondered what to do or say to illicit the best result. Even tempered but deathly shy, he was doing quite well in being assertive verbally today. Usually the best anyone at the apartments could get out of him was a tentative brush or weave between their legs to let them know he was there if they needed him. Perhaps his introspection had made him more social today?
He couldn't be sure, but he waited patiently for the female in front of him to put him to use at least. He wanted to feel as if he'd accomplished something today, and felt this was the best way to go about doing so.
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Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2013 9:38 pm
The combination of his chaos signature and the formal way he spoke to her eased Cinnabar's anxiety and she finally relaxed completely. A hint of a smile even crept onto her face as she sat back on her heels. Honestly, he was adorable... he looked so soft, his coat a beautifully rich shade of brown... Reaching forward on instinct as she would with any cat, Cinnabar offered him the back of her fingers to familiarize him with her scent.
"I am Lieutenant Cinnabar. I would like to say that its a pleasure to meet you... you are the very first cat of our side that I've met." It was so hard to resist picking him up to cuddle against her chest... enticing out a purr with a rub of her fingers along his cheeks and under his chin... Her fingers almost itched for it, but she had to remind herself that this wasn't an ordinary cat.
So, instead, she reached up to run her fingers through her ponytail, keeping her hands occupied.
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Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2013 10:24 pm
Khayman noticed the twitch in the Lieutenant's fingers, and momentarily hoped she'd pet him. He did so often crave attention and companionship, no matter the source. Secretly, he had to also admit to himself that he'd wanted to get closer to some of the nega-agents, if for no other reason than to find a roommate to share his time and living situation with. It got lonely by himself in the largely uninhabited areas of the apartment building.
Stepping forward, he bowed slightly, curling his tail around himself. He could not think of a logical step to continue the conversation, but judged by her stance and the vacant state of the park that she'd perhaps decided to train. He hoped he was right, or he'd look like a right fool. Swatting gently at her hanging hair he quickly darted away, leaping onto a jungle gym set, gracefully landing on the top of a monkey bar, balancing quite nicely while he looked back at her challengingly, raising an eyebrow and flicking his tail.
He loved both hunting, and balancing on things, perhaps he could take his own passions and use them to help hone the skills of his agents and dark senshi? Perhaps he had just been thinking the entire situation over TOO hard, not unusual for him he mused, and should conform the help and encouragement to his own personal skills rather than the other way around.
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Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2013 10:59 pm
Cinnabar watched as the cat stepped forward to bow to her, her head tilting in curiosity. Now that certainly wasn't cat-like... it just underscored how different, how strange he was. It was intriguing, really.
Her interest peaked, the dark-haired woman smiled as he swatted at her hair and darted away, pushing herself to her booted feet to follow along after him. Why was he so quiet? He had proved he could speak quite well... Red eyes met hazel, taking in what could be called a quirked eyebrow. That seemed like an invitation...
Darting forward, she jumped and came to land on top of the jungle gym, bracing her fists on her hips.
"Is that an invitation to play, perhaps?" She said as she tilted her head, dark hair spilling over her shoulders. Her balance was perfect, trained for years and enhanced by chaos energy.
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Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 1:40 pm
He wrinkled his nose at the word 'play'. This wasn't playtime, this was training. Or at least he hoped it would be. He didn't want his services to be completely ineffectual.
Watching her land on the jungle gym filled him with a swell of pride for her. Graceful as a cat. Yes, he could indeed claim this one and help her along her way. Darting forward, he rushed her, extending a claw and gracefully unlooping the chain at her belt from its clasp, taking it with him as he went, swinging it round his neck like a trophy. Making a beeline for the treeline of the park, he suppressed his own energy the best he could. He wasn't a pro yet, so he wasn't completely invisible, but he wasn't leaking like a siv anymore either. A bit of a challenge to find.
Leaping with strong legs into the branches of a nearby tree, he padded through the treetops and foliage, leaving pockets of energy here and there in various places to throw her off the hunt and hone her energy detection. They wouldn't last long, and Bast only knew how effective they'd be, but it was enough to start them on a good path.
"Take back what's yours, if you can, little kit," he challenged, denoting the start of their training session. It wasn't your usual battle, there'd likely be no fighting involved for if she cornered him he wouldn't harm her to escape. No, THIS was a battle of wills, intelligence, and instinct. A game that Khayman naturally played quite well even if he didn't take advantage of it in most situations. Time for the little lion to show him what she was worth, and more importantly, how he could help her.
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Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 3:24 pm
It actually took her somewhat by surprise when he rushed her, having thought maybe this would be a game of chase. She felt the cat swarm up her leg and then he was gone down the gym and across the playground, one of her chains as his prize. Well! Now she saw what he was doing.
A sharp smile curled on Cinnabar's face as she jumped down from the playground and darted over to the tree she had seen him run up. He had to be somewhere up in the branches... unless he had leaped to another tree already... And there, there was his voice calling her a challenge. Well now, she certainly intended to do just that, though she refrained from replying to him. That would give away her position, if he didn't know where she was.
The jump to a lower branch was child's play, though the tall woman had to be careful she didn't land on one that was too small to take her weight. Focusing in, she listened for movement in the branches, opening her senses to his slight signature. There... no there! He was moving and muddling her senses up, but Cinnabar didn't intend to let that stop her. She hunted men for a living, without her supernatural powers. She could afford to do this the old fashioned way.
Moving stealthily, she pulled herself up onto another branch, circling the trunk of the tree.
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Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 8:51 am
The little lion really wasn't a half bad hunter, the natural feline supposed. Her instincts were rough, not quite as natural as his own, but then he was a natural animal and she was not. She held a lot of potential though, and he had to admit a small part of him wanted to help her reach it.
He'd never taken on responsibility to guide and aid an agent so personally before, and it was a good feeling. A rush he wasn't sure why he'd denied himself of it for so long. It felt good to be needed, even if only for a while.
Noticing her caution, he chuckled quietly at his size advantage, and deliberately leaped from small branch to small branch cluster, making sure his place was juuuuust precarious enough to not support her weight. Having fun, he doubled back, staying to the smaller branches, until he was above her position curled in the tree. His fur was dark thankfully, so he blended fairly well, and he flicked her nose with the end of his tail playfully before bounding off again, making sure she heard the soft tingle of her chain clicking against his own hidden necklace.
Spotting a hollowed tree, he peered inside to discover it was hollow all the way down to the ground, rotted out no doubt, and he ducked inside, sequestering himself halfway down so he had a choice of escape routes should she find him.
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Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 8:43 pm
She could hear him tripping about up there... teasing her as he stuck to frail little twigs that kept her from easily following. Unlike some people, she didn't immediately try to chase him, instead picking a strong position and waiting to see where he went before she moved.
Sometimes, it wasn't worth running down prey... sometimes, they'd run themselves out all on their own, and THEN you made your move. That way, they used up their energy and you were still fresh for the real fight.
Hearing the tinkle of the chain, Cinnabar looked up in time to catch a tail to the face, tickling her nose before it was gone. She snaked a hand out to catch it but he slipped like water through her fingers, there and gone again... but at least this time, he'd slipped up a little. That close, she was able to track him with her eyes and she jumped after the cat, chasing him down into the hollow tree he had found. Well... how to deal with this.
An idea occurred and Cinnabar weighed it for only a moment before putting it into action. Choosing a likely spot that hopefully didn't have a cat inside of it, the lieutenant balled up her fist and steeled herself before she hauled back her arm and punched the trunk of the tree. It was a calculated risk, but she was gambling that her new strength would aid her. She was gratified that, though she felt her hand crack at the impact, the wood gave with a rotten snap and her wrist disappeared into the hole she had made. Red eyes sharpened, flying to check for a fleeing shape after her rude intrusion.
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