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 Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:09 am
(Backdated to May 31, 2021)
“Vile. Repulsive. Absolutely disgusting,” Gremlin seethed as he prowled the upper cornice along a tall building’s edge. He spat at the stone, then glared up at the man stalking steadily by his side. “I don’t get why it matters to me what some busybody human is doing in his free time. He’s not even White Moon-” (which Gremlin might understand stalking for information). “-or Negaverse!” He wasn’t a potential recruit. He wasn’t an enemy civilian aiding Order. He was just a filthy, worthless Mirror Rat! Gremlin couldn’t fathom why he’d waste any energy on a senshi from a useless and competing faction.
Rakovanite’s gaze faltered only slightly, a sharp glance from the nearby apartment building, to the cat, and back again. Something as close to an admittance of guilt as he was willing to give. He knew with all reason and rationality that this was not what he should be doing with his time or abilities. This was not appropriate behavior from one person to another, stalking after Basyl and Narcissus with a Mauvian concealing his aura, just to ensure- What, exactly?
His safety?
Or just to ensure that Rakovanite knew what the man he fancied was doing when left to his own devices? “It is disgusting,” he agreed in a soft murmur. He could only imagine what Basyl would think of him if he knew that Rakovanite was following him, watching him. At home, at work, and while he was powered up… Which seemed to be quite infrequent. For all that Rakovanite had visited several times to see if Basyl was likely to leave home for anything more than work, it didn’t seem like he did. When Rakovanite reached the edge of his building, he could look out and see the entrance to Basyl’s apartment.
He was aware that Narcissus could power up inside and use the mirror to travel, but even if he had, Rakovanite should have at least felt the first blip of a powered aura appearing nearby? But no. As far as he could understand, Basyl spent much of his time at work, he’d pick up a coffee at some point in the day, maybe run basic errands, and then…?
Nothing. He was a little of a homebody, even furthering the notion that Rakovanite was wasting his time by being here.
Gremlin snorted, perched himself on a corner ledge, with tail coiled around his paws. “As long as we’re in agreement…” And he knew he’d be getting a reward for coming all the way out here. Gremlin didn’t just leave the comfort of his home for nothing!
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:13 am
Basyl was a homebody, and he was not ashamed of it. He spent most of his time at the hospital, at work, actively interacting with dozens of ailing people who wanted answers and reassurances, and he was happy and eager to provide! It was all he could remember ever wanting for his future, to just be there when someone needed him, to be able to do something. But he was tired at the end of the day, and there were still exams on the horizon. His work hours weren’t “nine-to-five,” so the unpredictability made it hard for him to find time to do anything for himself.
When he was off and not studying, Basyl was almost completely mentally checked-out. He was content to sit on his couch with a coffee and a book and listen to the ambient noise of his running fishtank. The senshi thing was sort of an afterthought? It had never been in his life plans, and it contributed to his exhaustion a disproportionate amount to how much he actually powered up. Worrying about the magic and wellbeing of the Earth was… upsetting, much worse than just having unforgiving exams to study for.
It felt like they were abilities meant for someone else: not for him. Basyl enjoyed powering up when he did, usually (provided there wasn’t some city-destroying force at work) but Narcissus was… a different person.
It had been months since he’d had that memory of another boy in another place in another time, but it still rang in Basyl’s mind that it just wasn’t him. Centuries ago, Narcissus had been a murderer. He’d used his magic to kill. Basyl wasn’t that kind of person… He didn’t want to partake in something where the only thing to be gained was pain.
Maybe it was stress that made him weak and achy… Maybe it was being stuck inside all day or not eating properly, or the amount of pollen in the air. He was tired. He should just… go to bed.
But he didn’t. It felt suddenly stuffy in his house, like he couldn’t breathe. His chest was tight and head pounded, and he just wanted to take a good, deep inhale. So Basyl slipped outside into the darkness, locking his apartment door behind him as he scurried down the corridor of doors and slipped around the back of the complex to power up.
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:16 am
He’d taken up a post on the ledge, with legs dangling over the side and arms propped behind him for support. It was a bit of an obvious location, if anyone were to be looking for him, though he didn’t expect Basyl would so much as glance out his window. Any Order members would probably disregard him if they sensed no aura and saw no crime. So obvious or not, it felt safe in its own way.
But when a certain lavender-haired man appeared in the doorway, locking it behind him as he went, Rakovanite perked forward, leaning in to observe. He was almost surprised to see Basyl there. It was relatively late, with the moon hanging in the sky, but even given the hour, Basyl hadn’t been home long. Certainly not long enough between shifts for him to be going back to work, probably.
…Even Rakovanite was a little uncomfortable with himself, for all the assumptions he was making on Basyl’s lifestyle with information he’d gained from arguably unscrupulous means.
But since he was here and wasn’t turning away because of a little self-inflicted discomfort, Rakovanite dropped from the building top, followed at a distance, waited to see that Basyl did in fact power up. The feeling from seeing Narcissus wasn’t something Rakovanite knew how to properly describe. Not so intense as blatant happiness, but something with a soft, fluttery sort of sensation that was pleasant.
Despite this, it was not his intention to bring any unnecessary attention to himself. He didn’t think they needed to interact- that would give him away, surely. He would only go as far as he could, until Narcissus went through a mirror. And then he would wait to make sure he returned home safely-
“Something in him feels… wrong.” Rakovanite’s focus snapped to the Mauvian at Gremlin’s comment. The guardian was still at his side as they stalked through the shadowy alley, following Narcissus’ aura.
“What does that mean?” Rakovanite demanded softly.
Gremlin stared in the senshi’s direction. His ears were pinned, his lips pulled back to expose yellowed teeth. There was a pressure in this boy’s aura, unusual for someone who’d been a senshi so long- Or maybe not. Maybe it was only appropriate for someone who was awakened and neglectful. “Just as I said,” he snorted. “This guy’s aura ain’t right. I mean, did you see him? He don’t really look right either.”
Narcissus didn’t feel right? He didn’t look right? Rakovanite didn’t understand what Gremlin was saying. There was a decent chance he was saying it specifically to make Rakovanite react unreasonably. But what if he wasn’t? What if something really was… off? He reached with his own senses, trying to pick out what Gremlin felt, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary to him…
That was what made Rakovanite approach.
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:20 am
Narcissus drew in a breath, trying to suck in enough air to stretch his lungs with that full feeling, like he was actually getting enough oxygen. But it just felt like it wasn’t enough. His head throbbed and he felt warm. The only reasonable thing to assume was that he was sick? Or stressed? But for months? For months on end, right as he was nearing the end of his studies? Something was off, something was wrong. He could feel it in the jittery energy in his fingers, in his chest, in his heart.
But he didn’t know what, and he didn’t know how to relieve it.
Narcissus moved down the alleyway, toward the mirror he had stashed for transport. Where was he going? Well, he didn’t know. Away somewhere. He was suddenly desperate for it. Desperate for… for trees and water or-? He didn’t know. He was just confused and achy and wanted some kind of escape somewhere, somehow!
The footsteps behind him made him jump.
Maybe he hadn’t felt him before he’d seen him, but once Narcissus spun around and saw the agent standing there, his expression softened, but his stupid, bumbling feet still lurched as if he thought he was about to be attacked or something. People shouldn’t be coming up on him in the middle of a dark alley… “R-Rakovanite!” He stuttered. Fancy seeing him here. And everywhere. Rakovanite still didn’t know that Basyl had connected the dots about who he was.
“I-I was just- out. Out for some air for a moment…”
Though he hadn’t expected to see anyone for just the moment he was powered up, it was actually the company Rakovanite kept that was most surprising. A Mauvian. The only one Narcissus had ever seen prior was Chip, and this one was- Something else.
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:24 am
Rakovanite touched one hand to Narcissus’ forearm to steady him. The senshi always looked tired. He always looked a little unkempt. This was normal for him, and Rakovanite attributed to all the time he spent at the hospital, all the self Basyl put into being good at what he wanted to be good at. Their lives were hard when they had to divide them between civilian and powered activities. It was very much like having two full-time jobs. Breaks were few and far between, and not everyone could be as coded into self-care as Nataniel was.
Ignoring the way Narcissus smiled when he saw him, Rakovanite focused on the reason he’d revealed himself. “Are you well?” He asked softly.
It was like he didn’t even realize. Gremlin studied the Mirror Rat like he was looking at a particularly interesting cockroach, something he might swat around for a few minutes before killing. He was a shaggy-looking young man, clothes hanging off of him, tangled lavender hair, bags under his eyes so dark as to make him look nearly dead on his feet. Rakovanite thought that was normal for a human? Surely not. Even Gremlin recognized this as the appearance of someone unhealthy.
“You look terrible,” he rumbled, approaching the senshi with a critical eye, as he stalked a circle around the man’s legs. “Go out often?” He prompted. “Get enough exercise? Enough sun?” He doubted it, but that was hardly important.
Gremlin hopped up to a trash can lid, tail flicking as he took a good hard stare. He felt the turbulence in his aura, felt the writhing pressure of it, pressing on Gremlin’s senses, and almost certainly damaging this boy’s potential. If he didn’t go out for ‘exercise and sun,’ he wasn’t powering up often. “And you’re old for a Basic,” he commented in a sneer. Probably looked a bit older than he was, with his tired eyes and unshaven face.
That was the crux of the issue, probably. He was old. It felt like something in this boy’s aura was simmering, festering, something that tingled like poison. Narcissus had awoken later than was typical for senshi. If the info he’d been given was anything to go by, he didn’t power up often. His magic had had no outlet previously, and now that it did, Narcissus was blatantly denying it.
“It’s hurting you,” Gremlin deduced at last. And he could see that, too. Could see the pain in his expression and posture. “Headaches, probably. Nausea and dizziness. What are you doing about it?”
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:29 am
It was concerning that Rakovanite thought to ask him about his well-being, right? Right? That definitely wasn’t normal for him to care, and the offness somehow seemed more-? Obvious? When the agent initiated bringing it up. Basyl swallowed, he fumbled with his hair, scraping both hands along either side of his head to tuck the unruly strands behind his ears as the thoughts ticked away in his mind. Something wrong, something wrong. “I-I’m okay?” He stuttered at last, but even Narcissus could recognize how uncertain it sounded. “Happy you’re h-here?” He offered instead. It was the first time he’d seen Rakovanite specifically since the encounter with the youma.
Better to not bring up the weird, sickly sensations, Narcissus thought. There wasn’t anything Rakovanite or some cat could do about them, surely-
That plan was all but out the window as soon as the Mauvian started talking, though. The skin cat prowled circles around him, as if inspecting, judging. Narcissus only knew the basics of what guardians were capable of and how useful they could be, but this one… This one seemed like it was trying to make him uncomfortable. “Oh, uh, yeah- I d-don’t exercise very often?” He agreed, magenta gaze darting to Rakovanite (who he’d seen regularly exercise over the weeks they’d spent together during Halloween).
“And I go out sometimes? Not insanely often because I k-keep myself busy in other ways, and this is frankly a dangerous city that kinda lends itself to staying inside if you want to, uhm, be safe- I’m sorry, but who are y-you?” Narcissus asked uncertainly, brows furrowing as he stared down at the cat.
If these accusations were being thrown at him with such… bold confidence, at least there was no point in sticking to that ‘I’m fine,’ line. Even if he didn’t know what it had to do with anything the cat was saying. “I do feel… strange,” he admitted warily. “I don’t know if it has to d-do with me being old, or anything. Uhm. I wasn’t-? Really doing anything about it, I guess.”
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:33 am
He was right, then. Gremlin was right that something was off. For all the times Nataniel had watched Basyl stumbling in the hallways at the hospital, had offered support to him for his own benefit, for the offhanded complaints that Basyl felt drained or his head hurt, when he’d nearly passed out- Rakovanite had attributed it all to the stress of his work and had thought nothing more of it. His hand stayed where it was, perched lightly on Narcissus’ forearm, and his dark gaze was fixed there, as well. “I am happy to be here for you,” he whispered in response.
He should have expressed concern, or at least done more to encourage him that he should be well. Rest appropriately, take adequate nutrition breaks, something-
Not that it mattered. He should not be anything to Rakovanite.
Gremlin glanced to Rakovanite, watched the way the captain’s posture shifted toward the senshi, as if he wanted to do something but wasn’t sure what. The Mauvian didn’t need to hear Narcissus’ confirmation that he did, indeed, feel wrong. It was obvious, if only to him. A part of him wanted to blow it off. If neither of them cared to figure out what the cause was, why should he inform them? But there was a twinge in his spirit that made it feel as if it was compulsive to aid this senshi.
He was a Mauvian, after all.
Ignoring the boy’s stupid questions, he went on, “Your aura feels… toxic,” Gremlin commented, tail swaying. “Your pent-up magic is poisoning you, and I’d say it’s because you’re trying so hard to repress it and ignore it. First time you’ve powered up in a while, isn’t it?”
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:37 am
Why was he on trial, here?
Narcissus tried to let himself relax just a bit. Obviously the situation wasn’t comforting. Powering up in general was kind of a strain, and then this peculiar sickness on top of that, and also having this strange cat practically harassing him- But he didn’t think he was in any actual, immediate danger. He was happy to have a chance to see Rakovanite… He reached with his hand, letting it cover the agent’s where it hovered over him, and drew them down to his side, clasping their fingers together. “D-don’t sound like that.” His tone was quiet, the most gentle admonishment.
He couldn’t read Rakovanite’s mind, but they had spent quite a bit of time together, now. The month of Halloween, yes, but also as Nat and Basyl, hanging out at his apartment or eating lunch at work. Basyl’s peculiar ability let him sense what people were thinking of him when he looked into their eyes, and Narcissus thought he could maybe recognize something like uncertainty- or maybe even apology? In the way Rakovanite spoke to him now…
His weight tipped very slightly toward the agent, though he didn’t touch more than their hands. “I don’t use my magic very often,” he admitted. “Uh, it’s not really… it’s not a useful magic? I’m not sure what to do with it, honestly.”
Because Narcissus did not want to be out here engaging in fights. His magic hurt people- It would be one thing if it were a healing spell, or even some charm to make people experience comfortable emotions, but his magic was intended to make people feel worthless. It wouldn’t break anyone’s bones, or anything, but hearts and minds could be so delicate… He didn’t want it to be his fault that someone felt poorly.
Didn’t want it to be his fault that someone would act on those terrible feelings…
Fingers pinched more tightly where they held Rakovanite’s hand. “I used my magic twice, ever. Both on you,” he whispered, finicky gaze darting up to the agent’s eyes, though his head remained lowered. “And I h-haven’t, since then…”
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:45 am
Their fingers clasped together.
Rakovanite did not make a scene of it by drawing unnecessary attention to how strange and pleasant he found the behavior, but his heart thrummed a quick beat, quietly satisfied by Narcissus’ small gesture of acceptance and familiarity. Maybe he wasn’t “not anything” to Rakovanite, after all… His fingers clasped back a little squeeze of reassurance of his own. Whatever ails there were, they would find a solution.
“I would not have ever thought that was a possibility for someone to ‘not power up enough,’” Rakovanite admitted. “I have never spoken to anyone that had adverse effects from such a thing.” But then, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever spoken to anyone who ignored it to the degree Narcissus did. Negaverse senshi had a quota to meet. It was probably expected that they power up every week or so, at least. If what Narcissus admitted was true, then he hadn’t used his magic since Halloween, over six months ago.
Being that he wasn’t a senshi, Rakovanite wasn’t sure he understood how or why exactly this was happening? He’d never heard of it, so it couldn’t be prevalent to any conspicuous degree.
But it was hampering Narcissus’ life as Basyl, meaning it was bleeding into more than just his powered form.
He looked to the Mauvian. “You are familiar with this condition, then? Is it very typical for magic to “poison” senshi if they ignore it? Surely it must be more common among the White Moon, since they have an entire world trying to grab their attention. …Would Mirrorspace cause this?”
“Doubt it.” Gremlin rolled his eyes and scoffed. “I’d say it’s probably not about the world, this time. It’s this guy’s starseed. It’s not in tune with his magic, and like an ungrateful brat, he’s going out of his way to push it farther.” He turned his icy glare on Narcissus. “You were awakened late, you almost never power up, and you neglect your magic. It’s not surprising you feel sick. Your starseed is trying to… sync with you, basically. And you’re not letting it.”
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:55 am
“I’ve spoken to people who don’t power up often,” Narcissus grumbled, now twisting at a lock of hair with his finger. “But they n-never complained about it doing this. And the Mauvian who awakened me- He never mentioned I’d have to do anything extra to just be normal!” No one had mentioned he’d have to do anything with his senshi magic, or he’d poison himself! It was supposed to just be-
Just be a side activity! It wasn’t supposed to get in the way of his job or make him feel sick and shitty. It was what he’d had to do in the moment because Kibirev had needed his help, and how could he possibly say no when someone asked for his help?
In the same vein, he wanted to help his court and provide the resources they needed when he could, but it wasn’t his job! It wasn’t meant to be what he did with his life, for long periods of time! It just wasn’t right, it wasn’t right that it was happening to him! He felt his face heating in the first warning signs that his emotions were on the verge of getting the better of him, and he pinched his tongue between his teeth to try and stave off that uncomfortable feeling of hopelessness and desperation and throat-tightening and eyes blurring-
He scrubbed an arm over his eyes, the sleek metal of his bracer cool against his skin.
It was how it was. This was how it was, and he had to work with it or overcome it now. He just had to. He sniffled a bit, breath shuddering as he looked to the guardian for answers. “I-I don’t kn-know what I w-would have t-to d-do…”
The stuttering came worse than usual, and he was embarrassed of that, too. Embarrassed that Rakovanite was standing right next to him, holding his hand, probably wondering why he couldn’t get a freaking grip on himself for everything this weird magical world had already thrown at them, and this? This was what was going to make Narcissus start to crumble?
Yes.
The thought of being physically ill for the rest of his life, to the point where success at his job was crippled (that thing that was all he’d ever wanted to do), yes, that would ruin him worse than the potential of being trapped in a dreary world, worse than knowing he was partaking in a war of no winners, worse than the mind-boggling reality of how expansive the universe was and how he’d previously been a murderer in it. But this. This felt like everything was being taken from him.
He tried to slip his hand free of Rakovanite’s grasp.
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2022 8:01 am
He would have allowed it, would have allowed Narcissus to move away from him, if that was his intention. Rakovanite did not prefer to force people to be near to him if they wanted to be anywhere else. But he squeezed his hand, instead of letting him retreat.
He studied the senshi, watched the way his expression twisted and the way his gaze darted to Rakovanite and then away. Narcissus sniffled and stuttered under the Mauvian’s accusations. He did look terrible, must have felt terrible. Maybe he really did want room to breathe away from Rakovanite and Gremlin, but he also sounded nervous, maybe? Or scared, or uncertain? What would the space do for him?
’Basyl…’ was on the very tip of Rakovanite’s tongue before it caught in his throat, and he willed it away. “Narcissus,” he murmured instead. “You have seen me worse off,” Rakovanite reminded him gently. Rakovanite had been devastated, depressed for much of the weeks they’d spent together during autumn. He could not even begin to fathom what he might have done if he’d been alone. Narcissus had been there for him, had helped take care of him, had helped him take care of himself. “And you were there for me. I will support you, if there is any way for me to do so.”
Gremlin couldn’t suppress a groan at the promises being made here. Promises he was sure would fall to him to keep, as a guardian.
He glared at the boy, tail lashing. “Look, if you want to feel right again, you’ll need to get yourself sorted. I have a start in mind, but you probably won’t like it.” he warned. “ You have to sync with your starseed. Stop sniveling, you stupid brat. It’s not even that hard. It’s ingrained in your spirit, your very nature! That you would dare deny who and what you are is ******** disgusting. Proof that humans don’t deserve these powers. But you got ‘em, so I guess I have to deal with it.” It was his role as a Mauvian. He could no more deny his gifts than Narcissus could.
“I’ll unlock the potential in your starseed; that might give you a little breathing room from the sickness. You can think of it like water filling a space- when it gets full, you can’t add any more water without increasing the pressure, but I can get you a little more space until you find a means to drain the water. If you don’t work on it, it’ll keep filling up, and you’ll be in the same place again, understand? Once I do this, you’ll need the mirror for the rest of the process. It will complete the upgrade.”
Rakovanite was skeptical at best of the offer, though he knew better than to imply a Mauvian didn’t know what he was talking about. “And what do you get from the deal?”
“Cheeseburgers! All I can eat for a month! The tax for aiding a Mirror Rat ain’t cheap.”
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2022 8:05 am
’I will support you…’
He really might have cried, then. Really might have reached out and drawn himself close to Rakovanite because Narcissus did want someone there. He didn’t know what he was doing or how to fix this, and he needed help. But he held himself steady. An offer of support wasn’t an invitation to cry all over someone who Narcissus knew would not appreciate it. So he held it together, just staring watery magenta eyes at the ground so that Rakovanite wouldn’t have to see them. “Th-thank you…” He croaked. “I-it m-means… a l-lot to me…”
It did, even if he wouldn’t throw himself at Rakovanite for it.
With a shaky breath, he tried to calm himself. For all the times he’d freaked out over school pressure, Narcissus still wasn’t that great at finding zen for himself. But he was used to dealing with it mostly alone. Now he had an agent and a cat standing in front of him, offering help. Even if it did seem mostly unwilling from the grouchy Mauvian.
Narcissus tried to stand straight, tried to give Rakovanite’s hand a reassuring squeeze that he would be able to piece himself together, even if he ‘didn’t like’ what the Mauvian offered. “I’ll d-do anything you think would h-help,” he told the guardian. Because he had to. He had to do whatever he could to stave off the sickness and get his freaking life back, he had to. …Provided it didn’t harm someone else, of course. He wasn’t nearly so desperate.
Yet.
“You… you’re going to upgrade me?” He prompted uncertainly. He didn’t grasp the full backstory, but for most senshi, that was supposed to bring them more in tune with their planet, so maybe having that potential unlocked would resonate with his starseed… Or maybe it would just flood more water into a small room. The thought was a little uncomfortable, but what could he do besides trust what a Mauvian said.
He glanced down the alley behind his apartment complex. He had a mirror stashed here, in case he needed it. “I-I have one. Just th-there.” He gestured to the glint of glass behind a garbage bin.
“So, i-if this is what we have to do...”
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2022 8:09 am
“Not for nothing,” Gremlin sneered at the senshi. He was helping for the cheeseburgers, and nothing else. -Well, maybe that inkling of purpose he felt in his core, but no one needed to know about that! He certainly wasn’t going to share that intel with this sorry lot!
Rakovanite’s focus shifted to their entwined hands. Narcissus was still stuttering and trembling, but his grip felt sure. He felt like someone who was willing to do what was necessary, and- Rakovanite’s heart fluttered just slightly for it, for standing next to someone scared and worried, but determined. Fierce in his own way, even if he didn’t look it.
He reached with his free hand, lightly brushing his knuckles over the senshi’s cheek as he leaned in to touch lips to his jaw. They had kissed before. They had held each other. They had protected each other and feared for each other. It did not seem out of sorts to Rakovanite to give this small reassurance, either. “He is trustworthy,” Rakovanite promised, fearing that Gremlin’s foul attitude would detract from what he was offering, which Rakovanite expected was genuine in its value.
But because he could also stand to be slightly concerned for the outcome, he eyed the Mauvian. “As many cheeseburgers s you can ingest,” Rakovanite promised. “Will the process hurt? Are there any dangers to be awar-”
“Shut up,” Gremlin spat, glaring at the agent with animosity in his frosty eyes. “The process frankly doesn’t concern you. No one’s talking to you. You’re not important here. You’re a meal ticket, and nothing else. Mind your own business, not-senshi. Mirror Rat, let’s go.” With an agitated ’hrmph’, he leaped from the trash can lid, and trotted farther down the alley, toward the indicated mirror.
Rakovanite was hardly even stunned by the dismissal. It was true in the most basic sense of the claim. He wasn’t a senshi and had no knowledge of or power over what Narcissus would experience. Gremlin knew. Gremlin would be most useful to Basyl now.
The mirror was not someplace he’d go, he was sure. Doubted Narcissus really had the power to drag a bunch of excessive tagalongs for the trip.
He drew their hands to hip lips to kiss the back of Narcissus’ hand, then released him to allow the senshi to follow after Gremlin. “It will be okay,” he promised. “And I will be here when the two of you are finished.”
Gremlin snorted, lashed his tail, glared at the senshi boy. He’d hardly expected so much work would be demanded of him tonight, but he could tell when a starseed was ready for more, and it really should please him to smooth the process. “Alright, then, rat. Let’s get it over with.”
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