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 Posted: Wed May 11, 2022 10:22 pm
Hati hadn't been doing enough lately. Though he hardly had been since the thing with the aliens last year, anyway. Fighting... it was just exhausting. The way things always seemed to go. He could never... He could never get anything right enough, it seemed, as if he was always picking the middling option in an RPG game. It wasn't so bad, because at least he wasn't always stumbling into the worst option, but he'd like to hit the jackpot good option every once in a while. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair as he did one of his patrol rotations, going through an area of the city he wasn't in too much. Then he sensed an aura, and he moved swiftly in their direction. He needed to see if he could save someone tonight. He had to.
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2022 8:26 pm
Valjean hummed. It had been a good night for draining, and he felt pretty pleased with himself. And in that sort of mood, apparently, he was quick on the draw to rip a starseed out of the chest of someone getting in his face. Some middle-aged harpy, screeching about his clothes, about how indecent they were and how dare he be out (late at night???) and his sinful lifestyle--
Honestly. Valjean knew he wasn't too far from a very nice gay bar, and he'd sort of been counting on the cover, but he hadn't expected some obnoxious KAren to get in his face.
It was with a hefty sigh that he let her drop to the ground.
At least there were garbage bags to catch her.
He heard someone else approaching, felt a bright white aura, and sighed.
"Yes?" His tone was dry. Bland. Unimpressed.
They all thought they were such terribly brave heroes, didn't they.
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2022 8:40 pm
Hati stared him down, glancing between the body in the garbage bags and the hand that held the starseed that had been pulled. "I think it's obvious what I want," he said calmly, raising his eyebrows, "But just in case you're exceptionally stupid: put. the starseed. Back." He shifted his stance, ready for a fight, planting his feet and digging his heels in. He wouldn't allow himself to get knocked over so easily, and he needed to save the life of this civillian. No matter who they were. He couldn't let this just happen right in front of him. No way, no how.
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2022 9:13 pm
Valjean tilted his head to the side. Juggled the starseed from one hand to the other. Hummed.
"Why should I?" His tone was simple. Distant. Almost bored. He looked down at the unconscious woman. "She came just short of calling me every slur for queer in the book, before I decided I'd had enough. why should I let such a menace walk away?"
This Senshi looked much more interested in punching than talking. Valjean certainly wasn't afraid of a fight, but....well, it would be much better to avoid one.
"And before you attack me," he said, "you might consider that a fight could make me get very....clumsy."
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2022 9:37 pm
"It's not your right to take a life, no matter how bitchy the lifeforce its attached to is," he said archly, eyebrows raised still. He remained unmoving, only intending to attack if Valjean made any sudden moves. "There's always a better way to deal with someone like her," he said quietly. "Especially since if you do return her starseed, what lesson would she learn from this? She's not going to remember anything. Honestly, scaring her would be way more fun, wouldn't it?" ...Ugh. He hated trying to get into the brains of the way these people worked. This wasn't fun for him to be suggesting at all. And he wasn't even sure if would work out the way he wanted.
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2022 11:01 pm
"The assumption that I care about teaching her a lesson when I could instead put her starseed to use for the glory of the Negaverse is a fascinating assumption for you to make," Valjean said, flatly. "One of my comrades might use this to recover from an injury, which I think is an infinitely better use than anything she was doing with her pathetic, miserable life."
He tossed the starseed to his other hand.
"Why don't I make you an offer," Valjean said, cheerily. "I'd like to get something out of this evening. Agree to corrupt, and I'll put the starseed back. After all, the Negaverse still gets something useful out of the exchange, then."
It had worked with Ingrid. Maybe Valjean would get lucky and it would work again.
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2022 11:22 pm
Hati didn't want to consider it, but many thoughts flashed in his brain at once, almost too quickly for him to understand, but long enough to hold a little weight. Saving people was what he was here for, no matter how garbage their gutter souls might've been. He couldn't just knowingly sacrifice a life. Yet, corrupting also went against everything he knew, everything he wanted to accomplish. And Asmodeus and Skoll would both probably come kill him for being a complete moron. Corrupting would mean leaving the civ life he had behind, and he didn't want that. He gazed down at the person amongst the garbage, almost dispassionately. Perhaps if she'd been a better type of person, he would consider it more deeply, weight her life with more than his own, but... He had powers, she didn't, he needed to keep trying to save the entire universe, and corrupting wasn't in the cards for that. Playing judge, jury, and executioner felt horrible, but there was only so much he could do. There wasn't really a choice here. "The Negaverse can have her," he said finally, sighing. "Because there's no way in hell I'm corrupting."
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2022 11:29 pm
Valjean sighed.
"Too bad," he said, "you'd have been a much better prize, but I'll take what I can get." Now, he just had to get past the Senshi and leave. Perhaps, then, it was time for a little bit of zeal.
"A Song of Angry Men." He tapped his fist against his chest, and let his magic go to work. Hopefully, the distraction would provoke a little stupidity, and he could take advantage. Get a starseed and a corruption all in one.Quote: Valjean speaks the name of his attack, and taps his fist to his chest. A ripple of red light bursts from him and fades away, and everyone within 8 feet of him feels seized by a sense of righteous, revolutionary zeal--conflicts are magnified, be they with enemies or allies, and all feel worthy of aggressive responses. Those affected by the magic are convinced that their cause is righteous, and whatever ends they must take to carry it out are valid. These effects last for 25 seconds, and Valjean can cast this spell three times per battle.
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2022 11:39 pm
Hati howled in anger as the magic swept over him, whipping him up into a frenzy. He needed to, suddenly, beat this a*****e into the ground and put the starseed back. He had to. "Moor Stalk!" he shouted, using the stance he'd been ready in to launch himself forward, springing with the intensity of a frog being chased by a scorpion, and spinning a kick into Valjean's stomach. Noir Songbird A deafening silence settles over everyone within a ten foot radius. Shortly after the silence falls, a single, deep bark echoes through the area, and suddenly every enemy within the radius feels like they are being watched by a large, dangerous creature. The silence can be disorienting; no matter how loud anything is, while the magic is in effect they cannot hear anything but the bark--and maybe the sound of something heavy breathing just behind them. Paranoia, anxiety and fear for the invisible thread are prominent for the duration of the magic, and may persist for longer if the player desires. This attack affects all enemies within ten feet and lasts for twenty five seconds; it can be used three time per battle.
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2022 11:44 pm
Valjean was not prepared for the other Senshi's magic. He should have been--stupid to expect that someone whose heart was whipped into a righteous frenzy wouldn't pull it out, but. Well. It wasn't as if he had any idea what sort of Senshi this was, or to expect sudden silence, and creeping horror.
He spun, looking for the bark, and--
And he wasn't prepared for the kick. It knocked him off balance, sent the starseed flying from his hand, and he looked for it, but there was no sound. No telltale tinkle to follow, when it hit the ground, which meant he had no hint as to where to ********," he snarled, even though he couldn't hear his own voice.
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2022 11:50 pm
Hati smirked as Valjean stumbled and looked around, frantic. Perfect. The starseed hit the ground with a soft tink that Valjean wouldn't be able to hear, and he dove for it, snatching it up and making for the woman's body. He'd put it back, because that was all that his cause was about. Saving lives. Not revenge. He wanted to make some kind of dumb quip, but refrained—Valjean wouldn't be able to hear him anyway, and that would only provide an in for Valjean to try and get the starseed back anyway, if he could heear. He thrust the starseed back towards the chest of the woman who'd lost it, praying it would get sucked in quickly enough that he'd be able to turn around and protect her sorry a** from Valjean and his evil hands.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2022 12:01 am
Sound came back in a rush and an assault, and Valjean winced--just in time for him to watch the Senshi pop the starseed back into his victim's chest.
He hissed, bitterly. Damn it, damn it, damn it.
"You win tonight," he said, and he began to retreat. No sense risking more of a brawl. "But I'll remember you, I can promise that."
There were rooftops nearby. Valjean turned, leapt onto one,s tarted running. Hoped the Senshi didn't bother following, since he couldn't teleport yet.
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