|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2020 5:55 pm
 |
|
|
 |
Parisite was exhausted, life outside of uniform had gotten at least marginally smoother, but the dogs kept ‘going off’ at the oddest hours. Top that off with long hours at his paying job and late nights gathering energy to prove, to himself if no one else, that it was worth having promoted him to ‘Captain,’ and he was about ready to pick a pocket for the second time, all in the name of getting himself a coffee.
He hadn’t yet; he was preoccupied dragging the latest person he’d drained energy from to shelter where they’d stay warm despite the clearly inclement weather. One thing he did have to say for the strange ‘superhero’ costume that he’d gotten, it was pretty good at keeping him, well… comfortable if not warm.
He dropped the ‘victim’ into a chair of a 24-hour laundromat, still warm and steamy from the day's laundry; he’d picked it because no one else was in the place currently. And while he figured the ‘glamor’ seemed to be a legitimate thing, but he didn’t especially want in-person witnesses. The cameras couldn’t be helped, but as long as he came off as a good Samaritan, they might not look too close.
“There you go, buddy… thanks for the energy, stay warm, Happy Holidays and all that.
He stepped out a wished, not for the first time that he had pockets, and satisfied himself by tucking hands into the wide sash instead, glancing up and down the street and considering if he should try and score another round of energy, or if he could afford to investigate the mystery of who had thrown hone of his Boyfriends off a roof.
Maybe he’d still stop back in and get the cash for that coffee too… hell, the ‘coffee’ vending machine was sounding good right now. He glanced back inside the laundromat with its buzzing fluorescents. He decided just against it before realizing he felt that strange ‘skin-crawling’ sensation that he’d started to associate with ‘the other team.’
He braced himself and looked around, cautious and fearful that he’d smell cinnamon as his only warning before an assault.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2020 3:38 pm
|
|
|
|
Saiph was out patrolling alone and very much against her cat's wishes. She'd been searching for Ilmare and had decided to try deeper within the city this time. And when she'd felt the grating aura of Chaos across her senses, she'd tracked it down almost cheerfully. Ilmare had had a similar feeling about her.
Only, Saiph was dismayed to find, it wasn't her. And now that she was closer, the aura felt much stronger and, well, bad. Hiding within the shadows across the street, she watched the oddly dressed man drag another person into the laundromat and then start to leave. Gulping a little, she watched him freeze and wondered if he could tell she was there.
Granted, he wasn't doing anything that looked bad. Everything about him just felt bad. And there was the person she'd seen him take into the laundromat... What if they had been hurt?
Swallowing hard, she crept out of the shadows and into the light. Then, in a small, but clear voice, she asked, "Did you hurt him?"
She was trying very hard to be brave and do her job. But in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder if this strange man was going to be the Jasper or Bismuth to her first season Steven.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2020 3:50 pm
|
|
|
|
“What? No! Why do you all ask that!” He said sounding exasperated, turning to find the source of the voice, to pinpoint that skin-crawling sensation, and saw…
A kid.
He blinked at her dumbfounded.
“… do you not have, like, a curfew? Or are you like some secret, boss level something that only looks like a little kid?”
It was probably terrible that after his run-ins with Gelria that he didn’t trust a kid, sorry, ‘youth’, to not try and strangle him or break his neck. But, Lupus or…no, Sorry, Lupi? Lupu?…. The dude in purple. He’d been alright.
“But…no, I didn’t hurt him, I just took some energy. I put him in the laundromat cause it’s COLD.”
He had a tone that said he rather felt that logic should have been obvious, but maybe it really wasn't.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2020 4:05 pm
|
|
|
|
"I asked because you're dressed funnier than me," Saiph retorted. "And your aura feels all wrong. Like greasy sandpaper."
Moving a little closer so she could peep into the laundromat, she spared the man another glance, this time her brow furrowing in thought.
"And because Cuan said that people who feel like you hurt people and send monsters out to do bad stuff. And how do you know taking energy didn't hurt him?" she pressed on. Then, because she had to acknowledge that it was, in fact, really cold, she added, "Though I guess it was nice of you to get him out of the cold. Cuan said that Negaverse people are all bad and merciless. Are you a Negaverser?"
Really, the chibi senshi couldn't see how he could be anything but. And since he lacked the creepy head and chest holes Ilmare had sported, he couldn't be a corrupted senshi. So what exactly was he then?
Well, other than a lot bigger and stronger than her. For a moment, Saiph wished she'd stayed hidden. Or picked a different area to snoop around. If she had to fight, she didn't think she'd do very well against an actual grown adult.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2020 4:18 pm
|
|
|
|
“HEY…” He looked offended. “I mean, your’s feels like worms under my skin so…fair I guess but, ew. I’d…argue the outfit but, I don’t think I can.” He made a face and glanced down at the ‘skirt-pants’ as he’d taken to calling them.
“I don’t… think it does?” He said carefully. “…hmm, they don’t seem hurt when I do it, it’s more like when you do too much, and you’re exhausted after is what it looks like.”
He rubbed the bridge of his nose, thumbing the old scar as he thought.
“I have been repeatedly informed in my life that I am human garbage, so, yeah, I’m probably s**t….. I mean,… ********! I … mmm, are you old enough to curse around?”
He groaned, and his shoulders sagged. “Yes, I’m part of the negaverse; let’s pretend that’s why I swear so much, ok? Are you sure you should be out here? You seem super young…”
He hesitated, staring suspiciously, and then looked worried.
“You’re not homeless, are you? I mean, you have a place to go… right? Do I need to get you food or something? s**t.”
DaisyMilk Sorry! Parisite is at least 50% swears by volume.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2020 4:53 pm
|
|
|
|
For a moment, Saiph wondered if she should be offended or not. Maybe this guy just didn't like worms. She did though. Worms were fun to watch after it rained.
"Worms are cute though," she protested. "But I guess worms crawling under your skin would be super creepy and feel pretty bad. Does my aura really feel that icky? How weird."
Inching closer, she smiled a little in vicotry as even he acknowledged his own outfit was pretty out there. And he seemed willing to explain what he'd done to the man in the laundromat. And it honestly didn't sound too bad. Not super great, but not as bad as she'd thought.
"But you promise he's not really hurt?" she asked insistently. "You wouldn't take so much he'd end up dying, right?"
Her brow furrowed again as he talked about being human garbage and then she laughed outright as he swore and then seemed so worried about it.
"I don't understand how a person could be garbage. YOu're just a person. Kind of a weird person, though. Why do you care if someone calls you a thing you're not? An' Tommy at school says swears are just words that only grownups care about. Spongebob called them sentence enhancers and I thought Momma was going to hurt herself laughing when she watched that episode with me."
Almost immediately, Saiph went silent. Had she said too much? She didn't think so, but she couldn't be sure. It was better to make this guy talk. Though she doubted that swearing had anything to do with the Negaverse.
His questions were something she'd expect from a normal, nice grownup though. And he actually looked worried about her! This didn't match up at all with the things Cuan had taught her.
"I have to be out here. I'm supposed to patrol and do my best to protect people," she answered. Then, with a little sniff, she said tartly, "I'm almost ten. I'm not that young. And I live with my Momma and Cuan. I have my own room and everything."
By this point, Saiph was just confused. Why did he care if she had a home to go to or not? And getting her food? That just sounded funny and made her think of all the stranger danger videos they watched in school. A quick glance didn't reveal any creepy white vans nearby, though. Finally, she chalked some of it up to him not having any little brothers or sisters.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2020 5:37 pm
|
|
|
|
“I mean, I guess it makes sense if we’re supposed to be fighting each other that we feel like… awful to each other.” He rubbed the back of his neck thinking.
He took half a step back as she got closer and stopped himself. She was a kid, or well… She looked like a kid, and she just said she watched SPONGE Bob. Probably not a neck-breaking type… probably.
“Saying a person is…garbage is like, saying they aren’t worth associating with, like… no redeemable qualities, you know? Like…lazy and mean, and just no good at anything. Stuff like that.”
He half sagged with relief when she said she had a home through like he’d been legitimately worried she might not have one.
“Having your own room is really cool though, but… No, I promise they aren’t hurt. Everyone’s still breathing, it’s just warm and they can get hot if shitty… I mean… damn it, I mean… gahh… they can get a coffee!”
He was half sure that the ‘other side’ using kids was psychological warfare.
He was pretty sure if Gelria showed up and heard him swearing in front of a ten-year-old he’d never be able to get home because he’d be being chased by the psycho all over the city.
“So.. ok… can’t you… patrol earlier or…damn, I guess not if you have family they’d be kinda worried I guess.” He made a face.
“It’s just… LATE.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2020 9:48 am
|
|
|
|
Face screwing up in confusion as the officer explained, Saiph simply couldn't understand why peolpe would say things like that. It seemed like being mean just to be mean. No good reason.
"Well," she said thoughtfully, "I'm not saying things like that. Why should I? I don't know you and you're not scary, just dressed funny. Why should I think you're garbage because you dress funny? You didn't hurt the man in there and you're not trying to hurt me, so you're probably okay."
She didn't quite understand why he seemed to suddenly sage down, but put it up to general grownup weirdness. And she couldn't help it. She started to giggle uncontrollably as he swore again and tried to stop. Only to swear more. Putting her hands over her mouth, her eyes sparkled merrily.
"They're just words, mister. I think Tommy was right though. You're a grownup and you're the only one who seems to care about them."
She liked that he seemed so concerned about her not hearing bad words. She liked it even more that he cared about the homeless man keeping warm and being able to get a hot drink once he woke up. Between him and Ilmare, maybe the negaverse wasn't all bad people. Maybe.
"I have to wait until Momma's asleep or at work to patrol, otherwise she'd try to stop me," Saiph said reasonably. "And I can't let her know about this because it could get her hurt and I don't want that. Besides, it's the weekend and I don't have to worry about school in the morning. So it's okay."
Perfectly logical.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2020 4:04 pm
|
|
|
|
"She's my cat and she looks like a tiny werewolf and it's very cool. Sometimes, she lets me watch the movies she likes with her, but sometimes she won't because she says they're not age appropriate," Saiph was pretty pleased with herself for using such a mature sounding phrase. "But she only talks when Momma's not around. Which is too bad because sometimes she thinks of things that are pretty smart."
She decided it as all much more impressive if she left out the fact that Cuan was only a kitten. Smiling at dimpling up at the idea of him buying her hot chocolate, Saiph shook her head.
"Negaverse people and senshi shouldn't be seen together," she said as if reciting someone else's words. "It could be dangerous if the wrong people saw an' I don't want you to get in trouble. I'm not that far from home and I'll just go there. I know a lot of good shortcuts."
Which was true enough. Mostly though, she wanted to be alone to think about all the things he'd said and to share them with Cuan. She was sure the cat would have a fit, but between the two of them, they'd go over every bit of this encounter and pull all the useful stuf they could from it.
"I'd tell them to leave you alone anyway," she said. "You're nice and I don't think you're garbage at all. And I'll kick anyone who says you are!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2020 4:41 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
