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 Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2025 6:23 pm
Quote: Starfish Scares (13) : Starfish live in the sea. They do not live in freshwater rivers, lakes, or reservoirs with no connection to the ocean. Starfish are also not social creatures. And yet, here they are–in hoards. They can be found near any water source–and far from it. These starfish seem to be a unique species that are eager to travel and don’t seem quite bound to water, though they will seek it out. The starfish will latch onto just about anything they can to hitch a ride, even though they’re fast. They secrete an itchy, oozy slime after they’ve latched onto something, and though it seems as though they can absorb nutrients from any living creature, these starfish have an odd penchant for blood. You might as well have a colorful leech stuck to you as soon as you think one of these things crawling your way. Their bites are sharp and will leave the nearby skin itchy and painful. They are a bit difficult to remove but they can be killed; as soon as they have perished, they will rapidly dry out and crumble. However, it’s far more likely that they’ll escape before you can get your hands on them. Be vigilant; these things are pests–and smart enough to cling to people and vehicles alike if it means getting to where they want to go. "Aw come the ******** on! Leave me alone!" All Alanna wanted was a nice peaceful walk on the beach by the reservoir. It was such a nice day, and it was Destiny City's Star Festival, her favorite festival of the year, and despite the sometimes weird s**t that went on during Star Fest, it seemed like – she hoped – that there wouldn't be any weirdnesses down here for once. Oh, how very wrong she was. Instead of a pleasant waterside stroll, she found herself being actively pursued by brightly colored starfish. Starfish! They shouldn't have even been there – they were ocean dwellers! Nevermind that these things were out of the fresh water of the reservoir, in great numbers, and moving way too fast for starfish. Al was practically running at this point, struggling in her Birkenstocks in the loose sand, trying to keep ahead of them. They seemed really aggressive, too; one had gotten close enough to latch onto her ankle and damn it stung! And itched! She had pried it off with some effort, at which point it had quickly shrivelled up into a crumbly mess. She wanted nothing to do with these things. And yet they kept chasing after her. Suddenly the ground opened up beneath her, and she fell into a rather deep hole in the beach. "s**t!" she barked, writhing in surprise and a bit of pain. What kind of ******** would dig a hole on the beach and hide it behind a mound of sand? What was wrong with people? The hole didn't seem to slow the starfish down much; they continued to approach her, crawling down the sides of the sand pit. "Go away, you little bastards! Git! Shoo!" As she shouted, she grabbed those she could and flung them away, and pushed sand at those she couldn't grab, kicking and flailing. "Um, is there anyone around who could give me a hand here?" she yelled. "Anyone? Help I guess?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 7:58 am
Cuan had been following a… well? It wasn’t exactly a scent, more of a feeling. But it sounded silly to say that she was following a feeling. So. Scent it was. And it was an interesting one at that. She’d decided to take a bit of a breather and explore the area around the reservoir. There had been whispers of things causing trouble around there and she’d wanted to check it out.
She hadn’t seen anything and had been ready to give up and turn back when she’d felt it. Close but still far enough that she was having to focus to find the source. Teeth baring in frustration, she sped up her pace. The feeling, scent, whatever was stronger now and she could hear an odd skittering, scuttling sound. Speeding up, the kitten ran now, forehead star feeling warm as she realized what, exactly she was feeling.
The starseed of a potential senshi.
As she rounded a small hill in the sand, she was in time to see a young woman being chased by… Cuan blinked, looked again. No, those were starfish. Hundreds of them and moving fast, all towards the girl. She wasn’t going to be fast enough to outrun the things and Cuan raced over the sand, just in time to see the girl suddenly vanish down into a pit, starfish following eagerly. She heard the girl yelling for help and smiled a little grimly. One of the benefits of being small and light was that she could be fast when needed. And the need was great right now.
As she neared the pit, she leapt into the air, twisting and turning as she fell, her forehead laser cutting through the starfish closest to the girl. Landing neatly on the ground in front of the girl, the little lykoi’s back arched as she hissed angrily at the starfish. They might not be the smartest things, but they at least seemed to sense that she might be a danger. But once they realized their numbers made them dangerous, they’d surge forward. She had very little time for what had to be done.
“You,” she growled, though not at the girl. “You called me! You must move quickly when I say or we will be eaten alive. Can you do this for me?”
It was important to establish qualifications as quickly as possible. Some of the starfish crawled forward boldly and with an angry yowl, Cuan fired her laser beam again. She only hoped that the girl wouldn’t waste time with silliness like, ‘oh my god you can talk’ otherwise, the kitten would have no energy left to do her job.
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 8:28 am
Nevermind that the strange-looking kitten that suddenly appeared was talking. Nevermind that the kitten was shooting laser beams at the starfish horde from a star-shaped mark on its forehead. The kitten was making sense, therefore Alanna listened and obeyed its instructions. She nodded at the little animal. "Yeah, I can run." Truth be told, she wasn't sure she could, but she had to try. Doing her best to scramble to her feet, she eyed the sand pit she'd ended up in and decided the least difficult incline to climb out of. Another starfish scuttled toward her, and she kicked it away with a snarl. Hopefully this kitten had a way to destroy those weird starfish, or at least chase them off. That one bite she'd gotten still hurt and itched like mad. "Ready," she called to the kitten, crouching down so she could scale the wall of sand.
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 8:41 am
Well, it wasn’t exactly running that she needed from the girl, but that was on her for not taking the time to explain properly. Though, running would be needed eventually.
“Good girl,” she said, keeping her eyes on the starfish. Tail lashing the air, she turned suddenly, running towards one of the the sandy walls in order to jump up and use the wall as a bit of a springboard. Twisting gracefully in the air, she concentrated, focusing on the starseed screaming out to her. As she turned, a bubble of light seemed to appear, only to pop and reveal a henshin pen that floated for half a breath before dropping.
“Catch it,” Cuan shouted, voice shrill. She fell and landed lightly on the girl’s shoulder, clinging on tight. “Quickly now, hold it and focus on it. Let your heart connect with it.”
They had so little time left. She could feel who this girl was, but she had to be the one to say it. Cuan could only mediate here.
“Call for your power and embrace it, girl,” she whispered coaxingly. “You know what you say. Your heart has always known. Just please do it before we’re eaten alive!”
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 8:51 am
Alanna stared at the strange pen-looking thing hovering in the air in front of her. It was green and a dark blue-grey, with some kind of gate thing on the top and an arrow wrapping around it. "Whoa…" she said as it dropped to the sand. She reached out and picked it up… and suddenly the words, the power, the name came to her unbidden. Holding the pen aloft, she shouted the words. " Robinhood power, make-up!!" A whoosh and a spin and the kitten clinging to the shoulder of her vest-thing, and Robinhood stood in the place of Alanna. "Whoa…" she said again, looking down at herself. She looked like a refugee from the Ren Faire. "What the actual ******** sort it out later, though. Glancing at the kitten, she nodded. "What now?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 9:00 am
Keeping her sense of relief firmly on the inside, Cuan smiled encouragingly at Robinhood and tapped a tiny paw on the senshi’s shoulder, somewhat imperiously.
“Well, you might get us out of here. Just jump, dear. It’s well within your limits now.”
Still clinging to the girl’s vest, Cuan wondered what form Robinhood’s magic would take. If it was something that could get rid of the starfish that would be ideal. Especially as she only had just enough juice left to produce a phone before she’d end up falling on her face and sleeping for a day.
And the phone would have to wait until they were safely out of this pit.
“I can explain more once we’re not in quite such immediate danger!”
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 9:11 am
"Jump?" Robinhood looked at the lip of the sand pit and shrugged. "Okay…" She jumped… and cleared the edge easily. "Whoa, I can do that now? Whoa!" The newly-awakened Robinhood looked over at the kitten with a grin. "I think I know what to do." Something that came instinctively to her, and that had come instinctively to her namesake. Hopefully it would work against the starfish mob. Holding out her arm, a glowing green archery bow appeared in her hand. She held up her other hand, and a glowing green arrow manifested. Quickly she knocked the arrow and drew the bow (mmmm, nice draw to it, just perfect, she mused) and as she released the arrow she muttered, " Dig a Hole." The arrow struck the sand; immediately a green glow spread, opening a deep, dark hole beneath the creatures. Unable to gain purchase in the sand, almost all of them fell into it. The rest scuttled away. "Yeah!" Robinhood cheered, pumping her fist in the air as the magical bow disappeared. "We did it, kitty!"
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 9:32 am
Feeling that the situation called for at least a small purr, Cuan did just that, rumbling contentedly as they not only got free of the hole, but Robinhood produced a magic that was, frankly, a bit alarming. Still, it had removed the crowd of starfish rather handily, so Cuan wasn’t going to complain.
Well, no. Maybe she would complain a tiny bit, but not about the magic.
Jumping from shoulder to ground, the kitten damped a paw and began to wash her ears. She was very proud of Robinhood, of course.
“My name is not kitty,” she said smoothly. “But as we didn’t really have time for proper introductions, we can take care of that now. My name,” she declared, forgoing her ear cleaning to stand up and bow gracefully, “is Cuan Oilean. I am a guardian cat, or Mauvian if you prefer, of the White Moon. My duty is to find senshi like yourself and awaken them to their power so that they can protect themselves and the world. Now, before I continue, let me pull one more trick out of my hat.”
Oh, she was tired. But she’d gotten this far and her sense of duty wouldn’t allow her to slink away for a nap just yet. Assuming an air of unconcern, she leapt into the air one last time, spinning once or twice as another energy bubble appeared and popped. This time, as Cuan landed (rather more shakily that she liked), a phone fell to the ground with her. Thankfully, making sure it was the latest tech wasn’t too difficult. She only had to seize it in her teeth and focus for a moment, feeling it alter. Once that was done, she dropped it and nodded to Robinhood.
“Go ahead and take it. The phone will allow you to communicate with others on our side. Not to mention accessing our databases and other handy tricks.”
She wasn’t going to mention space travel just yet. She’d take it slowly and give Robinhood time to consider. But now, she really did need to sit down and did so.
“You may ask questions now, Sailor Robinhood.”
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 9:45 am
A phone? A magical cellphone? Robinhood hesitantly took the phone from the kitten's – from Cuan Oilean's mouth and examined it. Dark bluish-grey, the screen background one of those medieval iron gates like on the pen thing, and buttons for several pre-loaded apps. "Huh, this White Moon group has a pretty cool bunch of tech," she grinned lopsidedly at Cuan. Magical bows and arrows, magical cellphones and pens… A girl could get used to this. But yes, questions. There were a ton of them. "Okay, so. What's a Senshi? What are we protecting the world from? How can you talk – oh nevermind, it's probably that Mauve thing you said. So is this – " she indicated her new look "-- permanent? You said there are others? How can I find them?" Robinhood took a breath. Maybe she needed to sit down too. "Oh yeah huh. So why me? I'm just a dumb musician, a stupid college kid…" She flopped onto her butt on the sand, folding her legs into a lap. Hopefully that wasn't too much for Cuan to answer….
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 10:49 am
Laughing a little as she laid down with her paws tucked neatly under her body, Cuan shook her head. Humans really were so interesting. “Not at all shy, are you? Well, that’s all to the good. Now let me see…”
Making sure that she was comfortable, the kitten considered each question carefully, trying to sort them into easiest first. She nodded in approval as the newly minted senshi sat down as well. Better to sit now than collapse in stunned amazement later.
“Well, it should. Mauvians are the ones who created it,” she offered with a faint smile. Then, her expression became more serious and she focused on Robinhood with bright, blue-green eyes. “As to what a senshi is, the simplest answer is you are a reincarnated warrior from what is known as the Silver Millenium. And before you need to ask about that, it’s just a name for a different time. Every planet, every star, every comet and moon had a senshi at one point. They were typically the rulers of their respective worlds and they used specialized magic to protect their homes and people. Please do understand,” Cuan paused a moment and sighed a little sadly, “I am giving you the most basic of outlines. I can’t speak much about what happened back then because I wasn’t there and simply don’t know. Mauvians are given the gist of things so we can advise and help you lot. We come from Mau, by the way, not Mauve.”
The kitten was silent for a moment, clearly thinking hard and considering her next words. Only the tip of her tail betrayed any life as it twitched.
“All guardian cats can talk. We’re not… modified earth cats. As I said, we are from Mau originally, though I was born on Earth. It’s rather complicated and not really pertinent here. Now, at the fall of the Silver Millenium, there was a great war, and to be blunt, there really weren’t survivors. Whole worlds and civilizations died. But, the starseeds of those who died went to what we call the Cauldron. And from the Cauldron, you were reborn on Earth. And you were reborn here because Earth is where Chaos took root and was reborn. Chaos is… well?”
Cuan paused, not really sure how to explain Chaos as a whole. After a moment, she gave up trying to find the words and continued on, “Chaos is evil. It is darkness everlasting and it is personified by a being called Metallia. She would devour the cosmos if it weren’t for the senshi fighting back against her. But as the White Moon has it’s senshi, Metallia has her forces as well. Humans they’ve recruited and corrupted with their lies. That is who and what we fight. We fight for this world and the worlds that were lost, but might be recovered someday. And,” she continued, voice growing grim, “we fight for every precious starseed so that they are not drowned in the dark. I’ve no wish to scare you, my dear. But I refuse to let you do this without as much information as I can reliably provide. Starseeds and souls… the terms are, as far as I can tell, interchangeable. Corrupt the starseed and the soul wallows in evil. Destroy the starseed,” Cuan paused again, this time a look of distress flickering across her face.
“We call Metallia’s folk the Negaverse. They are humans like you, but corrupted. There are even senshi among their ranks. You will meet and fight, it is inevitable. Some can be coaxed back to the light. Don’t ever make the mistake of thinking they all can. Or that they want to. They are able to steal starseeds. Sometimes, we’re lucky and we can recover what was taken in time and return it where it belongs. Other times, well. If the starseed is consumed or destroyed, that soul is gone. It will never go back to the Cauldron to be reborn. That is who and why we fight. Why we must protect this world.”
Cuan move then, standing up and pacing to Robinhood, crawling into her lap until the kitten could rear up and rest her tiny forepaw upon the senshi’s chest. Just over her heart.
“This is how you will find others and know who to be wary of. Your starseed knows and will tell you. It senses the energy, the aura of anyone who is powered up and nearby. And yes, it’s permanent. You will always be Sailor Robinhood whether you power up or not. It is not an office that can be given up. It is who you are on the deepest and most spiritual levels.”
Now, Cuan offered a reassuring purr and dipped in to bonk her head against Robinhood’s chin.
“Why you? Because your starseed called out to me in a moment of peril and demanded to be awakened. I simply answered its call.”
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 11:34 am
Robinhood nodded, listening intently to Cuan's explanations. "So Senshi were some kind of warrior princesses who died in this Silver Millennium thing, defending their homeworlds and s**t, and their starseed things went to the Cauldron and were reborn on Earth? Wow… no wonder I never fit in with my family," she grinned. Her grin faded, though, when Cuan described Chaos and their quest to collect and destroy starseeds. "Wow, that's harsh. Guess they're the bad guys, huh? This Metallica and her people. The Negaverse." She shook her head. She had no idea all this was going on all around them all this time. Something registered in her mind then, how her Uncle Alan had passed away last year. He had been her favorite relative; he'd given her her first guitar and always encouraged her to make music. He was the only one who had accepted her when she'd come out as gay. Uncle Alan was found in an alley in a weird catatonic state from which he'd never awakened. He languished in hospital for a few days, then he was gone. Had… had one of Metallia's Negaverse agents taken his starseed? The doctors had never found anything wrong with him, just this weird state he was found in. If these people had killed her beloved Uncle Alan….. There was nowhere they could hide to escape her wrath. Cuan then climbed into her lap and put one tiny paw on her chest, right over her heart. "That….. That makes sense, I guess. If I have one of those Senshi starseeds, which I guess I do. I have to use it for good, to destroy Chaos. Stop Metallia from doing whatever the ******** she's doing. And this is forever…" The kitten headbonked her chin with a purr, and Robinhood smiled and brought one hand up to stroke the little Mauvian's fur. "All right, I'm convinced. I'm in."
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 12:08 pm
Feeling a great deal of pride in how quickly Robinhood accepted things, Cuan began to purr intensely as her fur was stroked. Oh, she’d found a very good one, indeed! Maybe not quite as good as Saiph, but no one was ever going to be that good in her eyes. Regardless, Robinhood had a determined look upon her face that did not bode well for any Negaverse officer she might encounter. Thus, it was now time to put out some cautions.
“That’s my brave girl,” she churred. “But don’t let that bravery get in the way of sense. If you can, always patrol with backup just in case there’s a General or worse out prowling. And not everyone within the Negaverse is out to actively cause harm.”
Like that corrupted senshi that Saiph loved so much. If she hadn’t seen the girl doing her best to defend a group of what should have been sworn enemies from the Hallow with her own eyes, she never would have believed it possible. As much as it puzzled her, Ilmare had genuinely wanted to keep them safe. And darling Ekstrom had vouched for her at the time as well…
“If you come across a talker and they aren’t hurting anyone, it never hurts to plant some thought seedlings. I do think some of them can be saved. But never forget the talkers will be trying to plant seeds of their own. Under the corruption, they’re still people and people, regardless of side, can be good or bad.”
Sighing a little, Cuan hooded her eyes. Fortunately for her conscience, Robinhood was fully grown. She could at least walk into this with her eyes wide open and not be susceptible to the idea of Yay Magic the way Saiph had been.
“If you’ll take my advice? Talk to people, find the ones whose values align closest with your own. Fight when you must, but never be ashamed if you have to run. And don’t ever be afraid to ask for help. We must all take care of and support each other.”
Bonking her head once more against Robinhood, Cuan couldn’t resist a tiny hint of mischief. Smiling widely, she actually chuckled, “And never forget that this town is sometimes a magnet for the unexplainably weird.”
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 12:23 pm
"Oh yeah, don't worry, I don't get into fights I can't finish," Robinhood grinned. "I know my limitations." In truth, she rarely got into fights any longer, not since she'd gotten out of her toxic family environment and graduated from Meadowview. Her fists and face were grateful. Turning back to the cat, she nodded at the mention of talkers. So not all of the Negaverse people were completely bad, huh? Maybe she could win someone over to the White Moon side. And the mention of supporting each other made her nod even more enthusiastically. s**t, this whole White Moon thing was beginning to sound more and more like the punk scene: belligerent on the surface, but looking out for everyone, taking care of business and taking care of the community. She really liked this idea. Like all normies weren't stupid assholes. There were some good, decent normies out there. She felt Cuan bonk her again and smiled. Cat bonks were the best. Then she laughed out loud. "Sometimes a weirdness magnet? Ahahahahaha, try all the time! Destiny City makes places like Las Vegas look tame!" She petted Cuan's fur, enjoying the purrs she felt. "Thank you for like all the explanation, Cuan. And for giving me all the cool s**t. Don't know yet how I feel about the outfit, but I don't guess there's a lot I can do about it, huh?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 12:52 pm
”I’m sure you could take it up with whomever does tailoring for the Cauldron on your next go around,” Cuan replied drily, please with Robinhood’s quick wit. “But I hope that is far, far, far into the future. And sadly, never having been to Vegas, I can’t hazard an opinion. Destiny City is all I’ve known. Even then, I have to wonder if there’s something in the water here. I’ve talked to people who’ve been very good at reassuring me that not all cities are Like This.”
The kitten honestly couldn’t imagine living anywhere where youma didn’t pop up every Tuesday or there weren’t cosmic catastrophes just over the horizon. She thought that it all sounded very peaceful. Giving herself a little shake, she brought herself back to business.
“And you’re very welcome, dear. I suspect that you’ve the makings to be very great, indeed. I think I’ll enjoy watching you grow. Ah! And there is one other thing. On your phone, there will be a sort of Home button. Be mindful hitting that one. It gives you access to your homeworld. Now! Do you have any other questions for me?”
Cuan thought that she’d managed to cover all the important points. Anything else could be learned gradually.
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 12:59 pm
Homeworld! She could visit her homeworld? The planet where the original Sailor Robinhood had lived? She would be very very careful around that button…. To press it and see this place whenever she could. "I don't think I have any more questions for now," Robinhood shook her head. She felt pretty sure that if she came up with anything else, either the phone or other Senshi she'd meet would know the answers. Or other magical talking cats! "You've been so nice to me, being a newbie and all. I hope I get to see you around again."
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