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 Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2022 9:49 pm
It was a normal Saturday, and Aerin was at the museum. Not doing her normal job- the security guard had called in sick, and since she was here and boring and all the job really entailed was sitting in the room with the security cameras, making periodic announcements over the intercom system for the next IMAX whale movie start time, and taking care of the Lost and found, she said yes. So, she grabbed her phone and her computer from the car and settled down in the worn chair to do some algebra homework- just because she loved math because it was the language of the universe and adored the equations of Newtonian physics for all they'd done for humanity didn't mean she was any good at math. The extra time was practically a blessing. The first few hours were largely uneventful, and filled mostly with listening to music on her slowly decharging phone and doing work- Someone delivered a lost purse to Lost and Found, and Aerin had the responsibility of making an announcement about it on the intercom. It was a small thing, but handing it back to the relieved woman who had lost it was a relief. It was 2pm, right after she had returned from her lunch break at the cafeteria- the tacos there were unusually good, thank you very much- and the building rocked like there had been an earthquake, stuff falling off the shelves and onto the floors. A glass root beer bottle shattered on the floor. An earthquake. On the East Coast. Far away from any fault lines or fracking. s**t. The exhibits might be destroyed. People could be trapped.
Aerin righted herself, checking the cameras for anyone who could need help. Some of the exhibits were destroyed- the replica dinosaur skeletons were toppled, the bones scattered everywhere. People were panicking. And in one of the cameras, there was a gaping hole in the wall and- something. "What the ********. What the hell is that." Aerin didn't know what that thing was. Actually, she was pretty sure nobody knew what that thing was, or she would have heard of it before. Maybe some kind of… escaped government experiment? That sounded… wild, even to consider- what was this, some kind of dystopian YA novel? But anything else was even more wild. No matter what the ******** this thing was- Aerin was pretty sure it was dangerous. She had to do something, and- and- she couldn't just say what this thing was. People would panic, even if she knew what this… thing was. I have to do something.This was- Aerin could say this was a terrorist attack, like on TV. She had to say something, get people out of the museum. Away from whatever this was. Aerin takes a deep breath. When all of this is over, I need to be sure that I've done everything I can. She turns on the intercom, voice shaking. "Hello? If you're in the museum, you need to get out and call the police now. That- that was a terrorist attack." Aerin's voice cracked, and she faltered. God, what the hell was she doing? "I have an idea. This should help cover the sounds of people moving, ok? Sorry about the volume. Just get the hell out of here. Please." Aerin upped the volume of the intercom as high as it would go, and shoved her phone next to it, putting her library on shuffle. Music blasted through the building, and Aerin allowed herself a second to contemplate the fact hundreds of people would now know about her cringe music tastes. 🎶Do androids dream of electric sheep...🎵"Okay. That's done. You've done something. Hold it together." This was a monster, and she had spent her whole life dreaming of monsters and heroes and villains. But- there was no way she could beat this thing. It was huge.She checked the cameras again, trying to figure out what the creature was doing, and sucked in a gasp of horror. It was almost in the kid's section. There were- there were kids in there. No. No, she had to do something. She couldn't just let kids die. She knew some of these kids. They were regulars at the museum, and even the ones she didn't- those were kids. There was only one thing to do. There was only thing Aerin could do, the only thing that was right. Nobody would blame Aerin for running away, saving herself. Nobody but her. There was no way she could defeat that thing. But maybe Aerin could slow it down, keep it away from the kids.
(In her heart, there was a sick, pooling terror that says You are going to buy their lives with blood, and an even deeper one that said, you have no other choice.)The camera feeds screeched and went out, dissolving into static. [FOOTAGE LOST]- great. The whole thing was probably fried and would need to be replaced- the museum didn't have that kind of money. "God damnit." Aerin punched the screens, which didn't do anything, because computers don't magically turn out when you punch them. Right. Weapons. What did she have in the office that could possibly be used as a weapon against a ******** huge monster about to murder some six year olds? Aerin looked around, and choked on despair. Six pens and a couple of paperweights. I'm going to fight this thing with six pens and some ******** paperweights.
🎶Do we have a soul? Can it exceed the speed of light? Can it escape black holes? Do we still have a chance to fight?🎶Six pens and paperweights it would be. 🎶Results are still uncertain, what follows final curtains.🎶Aerin grabbed her pens and paperweight, shoves open the door, and ran for the children's area. On the way, she spotted the janitor's cart, overturned by the explosion. It had brooms, and Aerin struggled to pull it up and pull one of them out. 🎶Is this an exercise in futility? How do you theorize we cheat gravity?🎶
Six pencils, paperweights and a broom. Sure.
...I'm gonna die.
🎶Is it finally time we accept our fates, say our sayonaras, and call it a day?🎶Aerin sucked in another shaky breath, trying to calm her nerves. It wasn't working, but- "If Vash hadn't done something just because it was impossible, he wouldn't have been Vash."All her life, she'd dreamed of simple, uncomplicated heroism. Of making the world a better place. It was why she loved science, loved Opportunity and the Voyager Golden Record. Pull it together, Aerin.
🎶The same as with death, until our last breath...🎶
🎶Chances are non-zero.🎶She started running again, reaching the kid's area. There was screaming, and a trail of destruction leading to it. Aerin charged in, and threw the paperweight at the creature. It looked- odd. Half-human, if an alien thought humans looked like at the nightmare stop-motion models in Coraline and concluded that was what humans looked like, half massive worm, and huge. 🎶Engage boosters in 3, 2, 1...🎶The song switched. Aerin threw the paperweight at the monster. It traveled in a clean arc, beaning it square in the back of the head. She then fished the other one out of her pocket. "HEY! a*****e! OVER HERE! COME PICK ON SOMEONE YOUR OWN SIZE!" As if Aerin was anywhere close to its size. She chucked it through the big glass windows patterned with molecules and elements, shattering it. "RUN!" The creature hissed, and turned to face Aerin. 🎶How are you supposed to feel when your dreams and nightmares come true? 🎶The previously trapped kids scattered, running for the now-open window. Aerin tried to look and sound braver than she felt, pointing her broom at the creature. "Eat my entire a**, ********! I'm not dying today." It smiled at her, in the most chilling way Aerin had ever been smiled at, and charged. She managed to dodge it, but her broom shattered against it- snapped clean in half. 🎶I wanna fear, I wanna cry, but what if my friends and I all die?🎶
s**t. Aerin backed off quickly- the creature didn't seem to be able to turn very well. Okay. Maybe she didn't have to beat it. Maybe she could just survive and keep its attention long enough for the police to get here. She grabs the pens, and formulated a plan. It's sides looked soft. Maybe she could bait it to charging at her, and stab it then? Worth a shot. "HEY a*****e! IS THAT THE BEST YOU GOT? CAN'T EVEN BEAT ME? I'M JUST SOME GUY!" It hissed in rage again, and closed the distance, fast- but this time, Aerin is prepared. She managed to barely dodge it again, and plunged the pens she's holding in both hands into its side, and the creature screamed. 🎶At this point we have nothing left to do but fight.🎶
Don't get greedy. This is an endurance fight. She backed off, creating distance between her and it, and got more of her pens out. The creature looked positively enraged, now, and Aerin counted that as a win. Well. At least I'm enough to piss it off. "I'm going to enjoy killing you, brat." "I already told you, a*****e. I'm not dying today." 🎶Give them hell, give them hell, for everyone in shell!🎶The creature charged again, faster this time. Internally, Aerin prayed to any god that would listen, and dodged out of the way again. Four pens left. Gotta make them count. The creature thrashed, and Aerin spotted an opportunity- last time, she had a bit of a window she could have used. Again, Aerin stabbed the creature- unfortunately, she didn't have enough time to execute on her little plan. The creature whipped around, faster than something should have been able to bend, and grabbed her. "Got you." 🎶For all the birds in the stands...🎶It's smile was mocking. There was a burning in her chest. No.
No. No. No. No. No.
I refuse.
I won't die. There's still so much I have left to do. So much I have left to see. So much I have left to do. People I want to protect. I won't die!🎶For all your teammates who fell!🎶"I WON'T DIE!"🎶Give them hell, give them hell!🎶
Aerin kicked the creature square in the face, causing it to screech and drop her. Okay. You can do this. You've hit it, at least. THERE. The broom handle had been snapped off into- well, it wasn't sharp, but it would do. Aerin scooped it up, and turned on heel, and plunged it into the creature, scrambling back when it broke apart into dust. The music cut out. Evidently, her phone had died. She should probably go charge it. Instead of doing that, Aerin sank onto her knees- now that the threat was gone, she was pretty sure her bones had been transmuted into a new brand of jelly, or perhaps some exotic 9th form of matter. She had done it. She was alive. Problem one, solved. Problem two- "What the hell was that."
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Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2022 12:33 am
"Thank you for taking me with you," Viatrix's sing-song voice as she leaned toward Ignacio, her curls pushing against his arm, was almost enough to grate him. Almost. He instead rolled his eyes, shook his head, and focused on what he was interested in. There was a new exhibit at the museum, one on the cometary landing from a few years back, and as a senshi from a comet himself, his interest might have been especially piqued. He wondered if the comet had just been one that was functionally space debris or a place without a connected starseed in space. He wondered if it just hadn't been awoken yet. He wondered about the people who might have lived there, if they were anything like the people that wandered through his memories, if they were their own, if there were never any at all -- and he was also fascinated by the technology required to pull off such a feat by humanity without the access to magic that was a button press away-- "You only got like thirty minutes left, you know. Then I have to find something to hide you in." "Pfft, easy, your hair is red, I'm red-- Ig?" "Oh no." Without really answering her concern, Ignacio grabbed her arm and rounded a corner, pressing both of them against the wall. "There's a youma here. I can feel it." "In the museum?" Ignacio had been replaced with Eternal Sailor Encke before he answered with a, "Yes." This was supposed to be a relaxing afternoon, usually established places like this were at least safer-- He opened his mouth to respond further, but there was someone warning everyone that they should get moving, and then music that followed-- maybe there was another senshi here, but he didn't really feel one when he henshined up. Perhaps he wasn't close enough. "We should go back them up." Viatrix had reluctantly let go of her civilian guise, hopping up on Encke's shoulder and grabbing on. "Alright. Lead the way, steed." "I am not your--" Encke didn't bother finishing his statement, priorities taking control as he pursued where he felt the sensation. Unfortunately, being a museum, it wasn't like getting to where he felt the youma was straightforward. He had to exit the exhibit they were currently in and attempt to navigate the web of other exhibits to where he felt the pull of the youma the strongest. He had to dodge a few civilians along the way, screaming civilians at that, and took an occasional pause in an attempt to redirect them outward much like a security guard. As he wove through the museum with his cat companion, it started to become more obvious that he wasn't feeling any senshi or knight at all, and that was alarming. He picked up his pace. By the stars, this was the kids' area-- "Does that say kids? Encke, hurry up!" He picked up his pace to hear someone scream that they weren't going to die. Encke had been expecting to see a civilian and a youma that they were fighting against and needing back up for, but as he skidded to a stop, he realized all he saw was a youma bursting into dust and a civilian on their knees. Viatrix let out a laugh of delight. "The civilian got the youma!" "Should probably go check on them, though--," Encke swatted at his shoulder in her direction, slowly advancing toward the civilian but keeping his distance in case he was just as alarming as the monster had been-- "Are you alright?" Viatrix kept her mouth shut. For now.
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2022 5:53 am
God, how am I going to explain this to my mom? "Hi, there was a terrorist attack at the museum but you should definitely still let me keep working there." Yeah, right, like that'll-
OH s**t.
The adrenaline that had left Aerin made of 9th dimensional goo on the ground made a full resurgence at the sound of footsteps, and someone approaching her. Two someones?
Oh god, oh ********, how the hell do I even explain this, also that thing was an escaped government experiment probably. Hopefully?
Aerin jumped to her feet and scrambled away, grabbing the snapped off broom handle and pointing it at Encke and Viatrix. Honestly, she barely even paid attention to what was said, aside to file the word youma away for later googling. Mostly, she just cared there was a person in the room with her.
Step one of self defense with weapons: Put the sharp object between you and the potential threat. Check.
Panic. Say something, goddamnit!
"Are you from the government to disappear me for knowing too much? Because if so I won't- go….?"
Wait.
That was a glowy man in a bright pink and blue costume and a cat with a sticker on its forehead. A. Talking cat? Aerin had definitely heard two voices, and she didn't see anyone else. The cat had to be talking. That, or this guy was ******** with her for no reason, and that seemed unlikely.
Aerin blinked once. Then again, two more times, the panicked whirring of her brain cells as she tried to concoct a plan to get out of this one came to a screeching halt upon processing what the hell she was actually looking at.
"What."
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Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2022 7:53 pm
Encke put one of his hands up to show he was harmless -- well, to her, anyway -- when she whipped around and pointed at him with a broom handle. Alright. Keeping his distance was probably the right idea, even if Viatrix was purring up a storm and pushing on his shoulder gently to encourage him closer. She probably just wanted pets-- The question derailed his attempts to show himself as innocuous, and he couldn't help the chortle of a laugh. "No, not from the government. Thankfully." He dropped his hand, adding with a roll of the eyes, "They're not terribly useful." He wasn't unconvinced that the government wasn't in some ways influenced by the Negaverse, but that was neither here nor there-- Either that or just stubborn non-believers-- Viatrix padded from one of Encke's shoulders to the other, resettling on them like the liquid she was. She kept her eyes on the civilian, watching the way she reacted, watching her as if trying to decipher something. The sense of what she was looking for was starting to get far more familiar, especially over recent weeks, but she just couldn't quite be sure yet-- She tapped Encke's chest, this time. Encke ignored her again. "I was here to help you take out the monster, actually, but it seems you already got it. Good job." He stayed where he was, but he put on a disarming smile, figuring now was as good of a time as any to hopefully calm the civilian down and perhaps attempt telling a civilian the realities of the situation. "Thanks for getting everyone else out of here, by the way. I helped point some of the panicking ones toward an exit on the way over."
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 12:02 am
"...So that isn't some kind of escaped government experiment?"
Okay. Okay. One thing at a time. This guy didn't seem to be a threat. And probably wasn't from the government. If he was, he would probably not be dressed like that, and also inexplicably glowing.
Aerin lowered her broom, then thought for a second and dropped it. This guy seemed to know what was going on, and also seemed unlikely to attack her, especially if he said he was coming to back her up.
Aerin paused for a second when Encke complimented her on doing something about it when the monster appeared. This guy was probably her best shot to figuring out what that thing was, and also what the hell she was gonna do next.
"...Oh. Uh."
"It was the right thing to do? I mean, it's not like if I could do nothing, if there's a giant monster in the museum."
"...I wasn't really expecting to get this far." There's a level of pain that seeps into saying that- it's hard, to look at the fact you willingly chose to do something that you thought would kill you straight on.
Okay. That's- not relevant. Moving on.
C'mon, you have so many questions. Ask one of them. Any of them?
Aerin rubbed her temples and attempted to get her brain cells turning again- to ask one of the so many questions in her head- what the hell was that, why are you dressed like that, what's going on?
Instead, Aerin found herself blurting, "Why does your cat have a sticker on its head? Can I pet it?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 12:24 am
Encke couldn't help the wry thought that, depending, it could have been an experiment of some sort. Not from the government. The government excused what he came from as an organ ring. It was something he kept to himself for now; no need to delve into the history of what the origins of the youma were. The main concern, for now, was making sure the civilian was alright. Seemed relatively uninjured, though perhaps coming to the realization of the reality of what had just been seen. "That's very selfless of you." It was. A lot of the civilians he had run into when they saw youma were happy to disperse or hide, and there wasn't a part of him that blamed them. The ones that stayed and fought, though, held a special place in his heart. Like the woman who had helped Encke save Basiluzzo. He had expected more questions and was willing and patient and able to answer them, but he didn't expect-- Viatrix purred like the motor of an ATV, launching off Encke and landing on the ground with a loud chirp. He stumbled back for a moment, but didn't stop her, watching her warily as she sauntered her way over to the civilian and started to wind herself around. At the very least, Viatrix had learned her lesson from Sailor Ran. While she hadn't kept entirely quiet during their adventure, she wasn't saying anything yet, which would probably be much less overwhelming than running at someone and saying 'Hi!' At the very least, the purring and the headbutting just made her seem more like an extremely affectionate cat-- He probably should have expected-- "I think Viatrix was waiting for the chance," he muttered, tracking her. That was what he suspected, anyway, though... why did it look like Viatrix was staring at the civilian so particularly? "She won't bite, you're welcome to pet her. Just my little manx cat." Viatrix scoffed quietly at 'just'.
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 12:46 am
"It was the right thing to do."
Aerin crouched down, gently petting Viatrix's head- she didn't have a cat at home, but they did have a special place in her heart, and it was nice to pet a cat at the moment. Even a weird one that could probably talk.
"Sorry. It was the first thing that came to mind."
Okay. Ask an actual question this time, please?
"Are there more of those things? Those giant monsters? I don't know what it was doing here, or what it was gonna so to those kids, but. It can't have been anything good."
"...Or what it was gonna do to me after it grabbed me."
Then, after a second of deliberation, "Why the hell are you dressed like that? And glowing." At the very least, it made this guy stick out like a sore thumb, and if these monsters were secret, they were secret for a reason. Aerin had read enough paranormal YA novels to be pretty sure of that. Shouldn't he be wearing something even like- 20% less weird?
Also, she was pretty sure being straight up, actually glowing would interfere with stealth.
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 1:07 am
Encke liked this one. Defending the innocent was his general modus operandi. He was pretty sure Viatrix's was demanding pets. Viatrix was certainly enjoying the pets, and she purred and bumped the civilian's hand with her head to show that appreciation and to perhaps ensure she would get more. Getting this close confirmed her theories, too; no wonder the youma was attracted to this museum. The starseed was practically screaming. Needed to be awoken before it attracted any worse attention, like one of those smelly oyster Negacats-- She shot Encke a look, and Encke wasn't entirely sure he understood it between listening to the civilian's understandable pile of questions and the inexplicit communication from a face that couldn't really make expressions very well. He did his best to focus on one thing at a time; the youma, mainly, though the commentary on his outfit drew a laugh and a, "Oh, this? I can't actually control the outfit. If it were up to me I'd probably have chosen something a little less," well. Honestly, the main thing he would have gotten rid of was the damn buttwings. Not the point. "Anyway. You might not like the answer, but yes," he sighed, "there's a lot more of those things. And they generally don't mean well. I've spent the better part of the last," he held out his fingers for a moment, muttering to himself, "thirteen years fighting them and their handlers off." His gaze shifted to the side. "You should be glad you managed to dust it before it got to you. It was probably looking for your energy or," "Your starseed," completed Viatrix, deciding that Encke wasn't going to get the message. "It's basically your soul."
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 1:24 am
Aerin kept petting Viatrix, though she did regard the cat with a careful eye. She was pretty sure she had heard someone who was probably the cat talking earlier, but she wasn't doing it right now. Weird.
"Wait, why can't you choose your clothes-" Aerin cut herself off, evidently having decided to Not Question it. She had so many more questions to ask. That was absolutely the least important one.
When Encke explained that there were more of them, Aerin bit her lip. She didn't want to face death again. The prospect terrified her, actually but it's not like she could find out those things existed and not help. It was the right thing to do, and it wasn't like she could just go back to normal after this.
Maybe she could do it with something mildly more useful than some pens and a broom.
"Okay. How do I fight them, because I can't just-"
Viatrix's words cut her off- I KNEW that cat could talk- but the contents of what she was actually saying were a Lot.
The terrifying monster could steal souls? Also souls were real? That had some implications Aerin was scared of touching- was magic real also?
"It wanted my what now? Me?" A pause. "Like, me specifically?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 1:37 am
To some degree, Encke was glad that the thing about choosing his clothing wasn't questioned further, but it seemed Viatrix had a way to get that particular question answered, too. He was now giving her a look in turn, and it was a bit more obvious of one than the one she had attempted to shoot him while under such nice and lovely pets. She also probably had an answer for how she could fight them further-- "Yes," Encke said this slowly like he knew this was a lot to take in. Just because he had a rude awakening to the whole thing didn't mean that everyone had to, though taking down a giant monster by oneself probably counted as a rude awakening on its own. "They need those to survive. Starseeds and energy. Souls and life force, essentially." He rubbed his neck. "Their handlers, primarily people in dark military uniforms but also occasionally in darker versions of this," he motioned to what he was wearing, "also collect these things to help power their organization and their leader's goals--" "Luckily for you!" Viatrix cut him off as slowly pawed her way up so she could tap her paw against the civilian's chest. "I do have a better way for you to fight those things off! You know the uniform he can't choose? Yeah, I can grant one of those to you!" Somehow, that didn't sound like the sales pitch she thought it was. Encke quirked a brow at her. "Uh! You're a senshi like he is, you just need someone to unlock it. Then you can get magic." That was better. "Lucky for you, I can do that!"
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 1:53 am
Aerin rubbed her temples again. "Okay. So there's- an evil shadow organization, that's stealing people's souls and life force for. Reasons. And unleashing monsters on places, to do the same thing." That was... bad. That sounded bad.
"And they also dress in weird outfits? But goth this time." Well, at least having a uniform made them easier to identify. And punch in the face.
Aerin's thoughts came to a screeching halt when Viatrix stood up and tapped her.
"I don't know if I want weird clothes, I think my normal clothes are fine, and better for stealth- What."
So magic was real. And Aerin could use it.
Aerin tried very hard not look too excited about magic being real. She had grown up on sword and sorcery novels and D&D, ok?
She had spent a long time being sad about magic not existing. And then it actually did the whole time?
"...What is a senshi, and do wizards exist? Like an I cast fireball sort of thing? Or magic swords. And quests."
What kind of story is this?
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 2:08 am
The description was basic but it was also apt. The reasons he could delve a bit more into, at least so far as he understood them, "Metallia, the Negaverse's--I know--leader, I get the impression her only motivation is malice. They think they're protecting the Earth because Chaos tells them they are, but they're mining from its citizens to power a force that destroys humanity." There wasn't a nice way to really put it. Encke's heart went out to some of those in the Negaverse, knowing what it was like to be stuck under that influence considering he remembered the desire to consume that still gave him chills, knowing several people who had been -- though it didn't excuse any of it, and it didn't stop him from doing what needed to be done when necessary. Maybe this wasn't the best time to be explaining something that somber, though; Viatrix looked like she was dealing with someone who was at least a bit excited about this part of the concept. To Viatrix, it reminded her of Encke's little sister, Anser, who seemed to have a boundless enthusiasm toward being a superhero until it had twisted into a determination to end what had haunted her life. "A senshi is kinda like a wizard, I think, except your power comes from a place in space. His sister calls it a lot like being a superhero." She tapped her chin with a paw as she settled back down. "Basically you get a fancy uniform, no one can tell who you are unless you tell them or they see you henshin, and you get some magic based on one concept. His, for instance," she motioned to Encke, "is plasma." Encke rubbed his neck. "The state of matter kind, not the blood kind." "And I know a few others, like Games, Hercules Beetles, Yuki-Onna..." Viatrix paused for a moment, played with her paws, and produced a pen which she held out toward Aerin. "Yours is Epicyon. And if you say Raksha Power, Make-up, you can unlock that!" Her bonded made sure to add, "You can also focus on it. That works for me."
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 2:28 am
Yikes!
That was… somewhat worse than she thought, but also somewhat better? Metallia sounded awful, actually, but if the people under her control thought she was the good guy…
"Space? Like, Ceres, Charon, main-belt asteroids, comets, that sort of thing?"
You can have space powers? You can be a space wizard?
Holy s**t this guy has plasma powers.
"Plasma? Like, the ionized gas? The fourth state of matter? The stuff in stars? The most common form of visible matter in the universe?" Aerin was incredibly visibly excited about that- it took a lot of effort to not start immediately excitedly chattering about science.
Like a lot of effort.
Aerin blinked when Viatrix pulled a pen out of nowhere, gingerly accepting it. Okay, something magic could do was apparently just… create magic pens from thin air.
Wait, Epicyon? Like the creature?
Okay, she can't hide the fact she thinks that's cool as hell.
"You can have magic powers related to BONE-CRUSHING DOGS?"
...If you say a silly thing.
"..."
"I'm just gonna think it really hard and hope something happens."
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 2:40 am
The comets made Encke's eyes light up, "Yeah, exactly! I'm Transcendent Sailor Encke, actually. Of Encke's Comet." Encke's Comet, Encke's pride and joy, Encke's home, the place he had poured years of his life into making sure was a thriving place once more. It even no longer felt like a ghost town; there was still no one living there, not really, but there were animals and-- He was getting distracted, which meant it was a good place for Viatrix to pick up. "Yeah, that! His magic involves a lot of burning. And electricity." She seemed to ponder this for a moment as the soon-to-be Sailor Raksha took the pen from her. Her general enthusiasm was met with a smattering of giggles from Viatrix and a hope from Encke that she wouldn't end up emotionally crushed the way Anser had been-- "Yeah! That's what yours are." Viatrix bumped her leg with her head once more. " I think the phrase is useful as a channel," she side-eyed Encke, who rolled his eyes in a manner that seemed more playful than anything, "but do what works for you! I'll wait here. So we can see the results, of course." They probably also had a bit more to tell her after she woke up, honestly-- Encke, for one, noticed her interest in space and almost immediately wanted to capitalize on that. After all, realizing one could go to space was the first step in falling in love with one's homeworld.
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 3:11 am
"That one? As in, the comet with the shortest period of orbiting the sun?"
That was... *incredibly* cool. All those astronomical objects out there had *people* out there? People with connections to them, that they got magic from?
That was... *incredible.* She was gonna have a lot more questions about that.
"Oh, I have to go over there? Uh. One second." Probably something about keeping identities secret, though they could... probably really easily find her name.
Right.
Aerin glanced around. Right, there was a staff closet right over there, for materials for kids experiments and things.
She could just go in there.
Aerin pulled a staff key out of her pocket, then went over, unlocked the door, and stepped in, before closing it.
Okay, moment of truth.
Aerin held the pen, staring at it, before closing her eyes and thinking the phrase Viatrix had given her very hard.
Raksha Power, Make-up!
It wasn't a particularly dramatic transformation, her clothes just melting away in a flash of light into her senshi uniform.
What was important, however, was that she felt powerful, right, like something had just clicked into place that she hadn't realized she needed and hadn't known was missing. Also, she looked pretty damn cool.
The bracers and boots were fun. As well as the rest of it.
I... could get used to this.
.....Raksha was kind of nervous to come out of the closet, but there was no time like the present, and they didn't have all day.
"Uh. Hi?"
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