Words: 1253
Backdated to December 1st, 2014



"Pssssssst"

Jack ignored the sound, a clear herald of someone wanting someone's attention. But people rarely (never) seemed to want Jack's attention unless it was stage-involved. Not that the privacy was a bitter thing. It simply was. Outside of makeup and costume, average people just blended in with each other, and Jack was pretty average. There needed to be people who could blend in order to make things go smoothly.

"Psssssssssssssssssssst." There was a soft pushing against the pocket that held ipod and headphones. Jack shifted in seat in the student union to look around. There was no one nearby- the table was in a corner with four chairs (with Jack the only occupant.) There were some plants, the floor-to-ceiling windows of the front of the student supply store. There was a few people over across the Lobby near the vending machines and charging stations. More pushes, and Jack looked down around the bottom of chair. The Blithedale Romance slid off lap and thocked on the floor to startle both the revealed jellicle cat and Jack both.

"Easy on!" The cat whispered harshly, tailed a bristle-brush from the noise.

Jack blinked. Looked around again, then back under chair. "Hi cat."

"Not so loud! Do you want everyone to hear?"
"Do you?"
"No, just you. Just you, I'm looking for. "
"I haven't eaten any black bread you know. I haven't smoked up. Where's the camera, okay?"
"No deal, I'm real- this isn't a trick."
"See, when you have to say that, it kinda gives the exact opposite impression. " The metal arm of the chair was digging into ribs, so Jack sat up again for a spell, trying to reason out what exactly was going on.

The cat didn't stop talking, though, even not being looked at, "Look, do you think you could come outside with me? Or hey, one of the meeting rooms on the second floor. Just out of sight is all. I need to give you something. It's really important. "

Go with a talking cat. Sure. If by that you mean find the camera crew and they say 'hey you're on candid, can you sign these release forms and not sue us?' There no one around looking to be on the sly and ventriloquizing. I don't think there's even a vaudeville club on campus anywhere. It's a pretty dead art. And that cat was flapping its jaws in time. Is it an animatronic? No...no its totally real. The cat came out from under seat, licking at its shoulder a moment before trotting a few steps and turning to look expectant. Jack snagged book from floor and got up to follow. Cargopant saddle pocket stored the reading in the meanwhile. The cat went to the stairs, not the elevator, thank god.

Imagine just standing there in an elevator, no one else, just a talking cat. And it just sitting there like its going to wait for floor 5 and making small talk. Whaaaaat is going on. Jack pushed the stair door for them both. The cat took the stairs up and waited on the landings with the same patient, beckoning eagerness. It wasn't wearing any collar or anything, though there was a funny star on its head. Maybe that's the transmitter or training device?

Another door out of the stairwell, a jaunt down the hall to the first unoccupied group room with blonde, fake wood tables and folding chairs. They both entered. "Alright. Spill it. Where's the scientist or film crew or whatever is going on? What's with that star? What is going on."

"Nothing like that. I'm not a cat. I'm a Mauvian, from the planet Mau. You humans would call us aliens. But that isn't the important part. Just bear with me–"

Jack was making a really, really dubious face, and plainly was ready to head for the door again. Alien my a**.

"Look, think about it. The Milky Way galaxy is one of 50 or 100 billion other galaxies in the universe. Sol is exactly one solar system in billions of stars that make up the Milky Way. The Earth is only one tiny planet out of the 88 objects that are over 200 miles. Over. Not even counting the ones smaller. Think about that likelihood that earth is alone in having life. Hell, there's more than humans that are intelligent enough to solve problems on Earth. Well. I'm a Mauvian. We can be cats, or cat people. But that's no good for here, cause it'll attract enemies. "

"Argument's sake, point made. Alright, alien cat. What do you want from ME out of all the billions of people on this blue rock?"

"There's these bestial monsters out there, Youma, and they kill people. There's people who control the Youma, the Negaverse agents, that are killing people and stealing energy from them. That's what all the reports are about. It's really bad for the Earth, and everyone on it. They have to be stopped. And Mauvian's have the technology to do it, but not everyone can use it. I sensed you're one of the someone's who can. " The cat produced two glittering trinkets with a quick roll on the floor. "Take these."

Alright. Where did those come from. Jack crouched and picked them up- a weird, 90s style flip cellphone and a Lisa Frank looking pen. This was special technology? "You're kidding right? I could buy this stuff at the Dollar General. For Junior High cousins."

"Just stay with me. Keep that henshin pen in hand and say with all your heart 'Sandrine Power, Make-Up!' That's your other name, Sandrine."

"My other name? Like my other white meat?" Jack stood, twirling the thing from palm to knuckles. "If you're taping this, there's more than one way to skin a cat, ya know?"

Lines were easy, as was projecting heart, however silly it felt to do it in an empty room with a weirdo hallucinatory cat. "Sandrine Power, Make-Up!"

WHY AM I DANCING. I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT DANCING. There was glowing red liquid oozing along limbs out of nowhere like some Lovecraft horror show. What seemed like magicky glittery godblood exploded everywhere and it was suddenly done and Jack was a few inches more North. And in what was probably the weirdest swimsuit and hard rock get up ever. "Where are my clothes! What the heck IS this?"

"Now you're Sailor Sandrine. Senshi of Execution. You're faster, stronger, better able to take hits, faster healing, and all over more...well..better than regular humans. You can fight the Youma and the Negaverse. You can protect people and drive back Chaos. Your magic, when you need it as a weapon, will be calling out 'By the Sword!', just like your transformation. The rest will happen. "

"The rest will happen? Why can't I just do whatever hocus pocus in my regular clothes? Are the elevator shoes really a deal breaker without ? C'mon cat!" But the creature had gone to the door Jack had neglected to close. Out the door and gone down the hall like a shot. "Hey! You gotta tell me what's going on with this!"

But the cat was gone. Cat? Mauvian? Sandrine looked down. The clothes weren't vanishing, even if the strange creature had. Clutching the henshin pen, the senshi yelled at the inanimate object like it had any sort of awareness. "How do I get out of this s**t? Stop it with the glitter business okay?"