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 Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2023 5:14 pm
Quote: Predatory Puddles (11) : Summer rains aren’t uncommon, so finding puddles dotting your path isn’t in itself particularly surprising or abnormal. However, as you walk past them, you feel the sensation of being watched, like eyes are on you. If you look into the puddles, you don’t see your reflection--nor the reflection of anything familiar to you. Instead, you see strange, decayed buildings, and odd, rotting plants. Something is watching you through the puddles, but before you can investigate, between one blink and the next, it’s all gone. When you look back, the puddles are oddly non-reflective, and then in the next blink, they’re all gone. The feeling of being watched doesn’t fade, though.
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Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2023 5:16 pm
Iðavöllr hadn’t really thought much about the first puddle as she walked along the path that cut across the centre of the park - after all it had rained a couple of times earlier on, and well puddles wasn’t something that was particularly uncommon or strange after a rain shower–
The sensation of being watched was something that was strange however, especially given that there was no one there - well at least no one that she could see.
Iðavöllr huffed as she walked past another puddle, the prickling sensation still there–
Almost as if someone or something was staring at her.
The park still looked empty however and it wasn’t as she’d been picking up on any auras.
In fact there was nothing there–
Unless you counted the puddles. But whilst the staring was annoying, Iðavöllr didn’t think she was quite at the point of accusing the puddles.
At least not yet.
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Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2023 6:22 pm
Selinur had decided to enjoy the cool rain, even if he didn't much like being wet, it was cool out and that was what mattered. The previous dya had been too warm, andhe'd even been uncomfortable sleeping, so when the rain had started and the tempature broke he was happy to be out in the wet weather. The ancient senshi had brought an umbrella with him, he didn't like the smell of wet fur, so he could keep how wet he became to a minimum.
His uniform would keep him from getting sick, thankfully, and while there weren't many people outside he could take advantage of that and walk around without too much worry. He knew he stood out, he didn't look altogether normal, but as he headed towards the park the deep space senshi let himself enjoy the cool air as it brushed against his fair skin.
It was an odd feeling, one he hadn't felt in a very long time, but when he felt it he knew what it was. Someone was watching him...but who? Looking around, even straining his ears to pick up everything they could, he didn't see or hear anyone around him. But someone was watching.
Sniffing the air also proved useless.
"Damn it..." Under his breath he cursed, in English and his own native language, as he ocntinued on his way but now on alert and watching for anything which may turn up. Something was out there - he was certain of it.
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Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2023 3:05 pm
Iðavöllr paused a few steps past the fourth puddle as she picked up on the flare of aura, and whilst the warmth of the aura would normally mean that she would think nothing of it, the prickling sensation of being stared at had her feeling much more wary than she was normally wont.
"Who’s there?" She called out, a slight edge to her voice, because the other aura kind of felt like it might be close–
And the prickling sensation of being stared at didn’t seem to be going away.
She walked past another puddle, her fifth, the prickling sensation seeming to intensify, and only just suppressed the urge to look down.
"Because if this is some sort of joke then it’s really not funny."
Of course there was a chance that she was imagining the other aura, or that the source of it wasn’t quite as close as she thought–
And if that was the case then Iðavöllr was going to feel very, very silly.
The sense of feeling like something or someone was staring at her was getting to her though–
Especially as she was yet to find a source.
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Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2023 6:06 pm
He could hear something, someone, not too far off by his estimates but he didn't want to go shouting when someone might be watching him. He felt an aura but only one, only an order aura, but they wouldn't be watching him - right? They were on the same side of this disaster of a war so he didn't need to worry about them. But he felt like he was being watched and did need to worry...so not the knight he felt.
It wasn't chaos though either, no youma or officer, there was nothing he could feel other than feeling like eyes were on him. He kept glancing about, being as discreet as possible. He didn't want whatever, or whoever, was watching him to catch on.
It wasn't until he was closer, until he could see the knight, not too far off. They seemed to be looking all around as well, as if something was following them. Could they be the one being followed and not him? he was just being watched because he was close to them? But still he picked up no other auras so who would be watching either of them?
Picking up the pace he approached the kngith while finally calling out, since he was close enough. "I'm here, knight."
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Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2023 7:03 am
Despite picking up on the other’s aura Iðavöllr still found herself looking startled as the other (presumably the source of the other aura) stepped into view–
Although in truth that had more to do with the silver-furred fox ears atop the other’s head as she had become somewhat more used to auras, if not particularly great at them.
Was the stranger in front of her really the source of the other aura?
Her senses or whatever it was that allowed her to pick up on auras said yes, so Iðavöllr could only assume that the other was, but–
She tensed as the prickling between her shoulder blades suggested that whatever or whoever was staring at her was still out there somewhere and she somehow doubted that it was the approaching person with the fox ears who seemed to be dressed as poorly for summer weather as she was.
"I don’t suppose you’ve happened to come across any creepers who happen to like staring at people have you?" Iðavöllr finally asked at last, because whilst she’d never met the fox-eared person before, she was loathe to think of the other as said creeper–
Even if it was in part down to the part the fox ears were kind of cute and made her kind of think of Liryn that one time when he’d shifted out of his normal cat form.
It was thoughts of Liryn that prompted the next question "Are you a mauvian?"
Because whilst she’d thought that mauvians were felines and the other was lacking a star, there was nothing to say that the other wasn’t a mauvian.
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Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2023 11:28 pm
"No, but I feel like something it out there watching. I cannot see nor hear anything, though I am limited in both aspects." Much to his dismay right now especially, because right now his actual senses would be great, having them so dulled by this planet was a hindrance right now and it bothered him more than usual. It was something he often was botehred by but not normally as much as he was now.
"No, I'm not a Mauvian. I'm a Selinorian, the last remaining one." Somethign which in time would change, he was certain of it, he had to change his planets fate and fix things. He needed there to be more people on his planet one day, hopefully while he was still alive. He might be old, ancient when compared to these people, but his body was so young. He hoped those thousand years didn't count against him and he'd start to age from eighteen when he did start aging again; if he hadn't already started to age again. He needed time to bring his planet back and see life again...to see more of his people.
"A call went out, across space, a surge of energy over a year ago. It allowed several senshi trapped on their homeworlds to come here. Our worlds are dead and we've been trapped, our planets keeping us alive, that energy surge allowed us pasage here. So us ancient senshi have joined the fight against the chaos here. We're here to help." Nodding his head firmly as he spoke, a confidence and sureness to his words. "I'm Selinur, senshi of glaze." It explained why he looked like a fox, and not a Mauvian, he was an alien...an actual living alien on Earth. Some people he heard claimed aliens weren't real, how silly they were, but here he was an alien. He'd heard that on a video online, youtube was the site he'd seen it on, and he'd not been able to help his laughter over it. How silly were humans! With so many planets it was impossible for there not to be other life.
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Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2023 2:48 pm
Iðavöllr hadn’t really expected the other to answer in the affirmative, and had found herself loath to think of the other as said creeper so it had been easy enough for her to take his comments at face value.
"I…" Iðavöllr hesitated when the other mentioned that he was a Selinorian, because truthfully she had no idea who or what a Selinorian was. It was perhaps something that her cousin would have known given that he had been involved in powered life for so much longer than she’d been–
But it wasn’t as if Athene was exactly around for her to ask, and regardless of her lack of knowledge she couldn’t help but feel sympathetic - because what the other was describing sounded horrible.
"I’m sorry to hear that" she said, and the sentiment in her voice was honest. Genuine. "And I can’t say that I know what that’s like" her voice turned firm as she added "But that’s not something that I’d wish on anyone."
She tried her best to ignore the prickling that was itching across her shoulder blades as she added "It’s nice to meet you though Selinur" because whilst the incessant staring was irritating, it wasn’t as if it was Selinur’s fault "I’m Iðavöllr. Iðavöllr, Page of Polaris."
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Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 6:42 pm
"You should be glad you do not know what I have lived through. But it is good that I am here to help; that others like myself are here." Other ancient senshi had arrived as well and he had met a few of them. It was a surprise to him how many had been like himself, trapped on their home planets unable to leave a dying world, that they had all arrived due to the same event that had brought him here. It had carried many of them here.
"It is nice to meet you, knight of Polaris." A hand to his chest and a bow in greeting given to her. "Perhaps for tonight we should stick together, something seems to be watching us." But not doing anything, he was certain of this. He certainly felt like he was being watched but nothing was making noise and he'd not seen anything either, though perhaps if his ears and eyes worked as they once had he'd see or hear something. This planet was not suited for him...nor for this knight, at least not in that outfit.
"Polaris I remember was a cold planet, very cold, this sumemr weather must be killing you as it is me."
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Posted: Sat Jul 01, 2023 4:09 pm
"It’s nice to meet you as well Selinur" Iðavöllr said in return as she managed a small, but friendly smile.
"And I wouldn’t be opposed to some company tonight" she admitted, her smile turning wry "Especially given that something seems to be out there."
Out there and still staring, even if whoever or (perhaps it was more accurate to say ‘whatever’) was behind the staring had yet to do more than stare from wherever it was that they were hiding.
"My cousin’s mauvian accompanies me sometimes when I’m out" she added, because it was often the case that Liryn would invite himself along when she was out on patrol, although the small mauvian had been busy with something else and Iðavöllr hadn’t wanted to disturb him.
Selinur’s comment about the weather startled a small laugh of agreement out of her, the wry smile still on her lips as Iðavöllr admitted "My outfit isn’t really summer weather suitable."
It was why she tried to avoid being out and about earlier on in the day "And yes my…"
Iðavöllr looked down automatically so as to avoid stepping into a nearby puddle only for the words to dry up in her throat as she found herself staring right down into a scene of twisted and rotting plants surrounding a set of strange crumbling buildings.
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Posted: Sat Jul 01, 2023 11:00 pm
"A Mauvian here would be useful, their senses are very good." Better than his own here and now. A Mauvian would hopefully be able to see whatever was out there watching them, as they were a cat and could see in the dark. They could also perhaps hear what neither of them could hear. "I've met a few Mauvians and I do appreciate them, I am surprised that so many live here, same for senshi and knights. This planet is a miracle of sorts."
As she started to speak again, something perhaps about Polaris, she seemed to stop and get lost but in what he didn't know. Stepping in front of her, following her gaze down to a puddle, she waved his hand in front of her face. "What's going on?" He questioned as he bent at the knees and peered up at her, as he bent so he was lower than her face.
"Iðavöllr." What a hard name to wrap his tongue around.
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Posted: Sun Jul 02, 2023 4:58 pm
The image of rotten plants and crumbling buildings was suddenly broken as Selinur stepped in between her and the puddle, as Iðavöllr reflectively tried to swallow with a throat that felt far too dry.
"I.." She started, then swallowed once more before trying again.
"Did you see that? The buildings?" She hesitated for a moment before adding "And the rotting plants."
Because something about the scene in the puddle had been disturbing with a capital 'D'.
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Posted: Sun Jul 02, 2023 10:11 pm
"Buildings...?" He questioned ,trailing off as he seemed unsure of the word. Really he just wasn't sure what she was talking about, and if somehow he'd misheard her. What building was she talking about? She'd been staring into a puddle.
"What happened? You were just looking into a puddle, you weren't blinking. You just stopped speaking and stared." Something obviously happened, something big for her, and he wanted to know what. Whatever had happened might lead to something more, something bigger, somehow and at some point.
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2023 12:50 pm
"Yes," Iðavöllr said as she stepped around Selinur to better point "Down in…"
She reached out an arm to point down at the puddle that she’d been staring down into only for the words to dry up in her throat–
Because the rotting plants and crumbling buildings, all of it was just.. Gone.
Gone, but it had been right there just a moment ago, had been like–
"Like looking into a mirror" the words were murmured quietly, Iðavöllr unaware that she’d been speaking them aloud.
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2023 7:23 pm
Staring at the puddle he nodded slowly to her words, he did believe her, but he wished he could see it to or that he knew what she was seeing. If he knew exactly what she was seeing, it could be useful to himself somehow.
"Maybe not a mirror, thatg reflects things, but a window perhaps. To see past and out of. But what, or where, were you looking at." Or was it not where but when perhaps?
"Did the buildings look like ones here? Maybe not this city but what you'd see on this planet?" As opposed to the various styles seen on other planets, though some did have some similar styles to here. But it at least might help depending on the answer.
"Perhaps we should avoid the puddles."
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