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 Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 7:38 am
The full name of the shop was Rhododendron Bakery, but no one ever called it that. It was the only bakery in town and right along the main street to the docks, so almost everyone just referred to it as "the bakery" or by food type, as in "do you want me to grab you a bagel while I'm there?" Even the long white work apron Ina wore over her clothes was branded simply with "Bakery" and an image of the bright pink flowers.
Ina typically worked the early morning shifts because the other counter girls, who were the baker's oldest two daughters, were still in high school and had classes. She didn't mind, though. The rush of sailors and fishermen grabbing something to eat after bringing in the night's catch to the market kept her busy, and busy meant she didn't have to think about what she was going to do about the transformation from the past weekend.
"Not that I don't want to think about it," Ina whispered to herself as she tossed a trashbag into the dumpster alongside the building, but she had no idea where to start with something obviously magical like this. She doubted her father or brother would believe her, and she didn't know how to make it work again, or if she even should. She suspected that the topaz pendant had something to do with it, and she had kept it in her pocket ever since.
Dusting her hands off on her apron, she walked back to the front door of the bakery, breathing in the chilly air and seeing who else was wandering the street that morning.
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Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 11:01 pm
Within half an hour of her starting to clean out the hold, one of the other crewman walked up the gangplank. "Hey Runey, yer Da asked if ye could swing by the bakery and grab us some bagels an' scones!" He called down, making her jump a mile and nearly crack her head on the top of the low-hanging metal support beams. She cursed under her breath, making her way above deck.
"Got it! Wait, how'd you know I was here, Brian?" The burly man grinned at her and thumbed at the door to the helm. "Saw the pot o' coffee and figured you'd be the only one up this early. Go on then, off with ye! I'll keep cleaning while you're busy." Rune grinned back and threw the mop up to him, making her way down the gangplank after grabbing her wallet.
"You drink all the coffee, you owe me a new batch of grounds!" She called back to him, earning a laugh and a rude gesture in response; the drink always seemed to be in short supply on the boat, and not everyone was a morning person like Rune was. Humming to herself, she made her way down the docks toward the bakery, making sure to scrub off her hands in the ocean first-- she didn't want them smelling of fish or grease. Content she didn't smell like work, she pushed open the door and smiled at Ina.
"Morning!"
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Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2016 4:33 pm
Though Ina had only lived in Rose Falls for a few months, she was getting pretty good at recognizing most of the regulars to the bakery - and their typical orders. Rune, though, was one of the people that always stood out. Not only because she was one of the few girls that Ina had met that was actually taller than she was, but because they were close in age and the young woman spent most of her time down by the docks. Many of the others their age, especially the girls, had to be cajoled by their parents to help out with the family boats. Not Rune. From what Ina could tell, she seemed to put in as much time as any seasoned sailor or fisherman.
In a way, she was a little jealous. Rune seemed to know what she wanted to do with her life, and she wished she could say the same.
Ina smiled back. "And to you." It was always nice to talk with another morning person. Some of the customers were nothing but points and grunts until noon. "What can I get ready for you today?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2016 6:45 pm
"A dozen everything bagels and raspberry scones, and a blueberry muffin if it's not too much trouble?" Rune needed something sweet for herself after her conversation with Rose earlier. Her smile faded as her mind went back to the discussion, her hand unconsciously going to the pendant tucked back underneath her shirt while her eyes dipped to the counter. Was it her imagination, or was it getting warmer?
'Stop that. Don't make Ina think you're a space case!'
She forced herself to smile again as her gaze returned to the blonde girl. "How's the morning crowd been so far? If Papa's crew've been rude, just let me know and I'll send them for a swim."
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Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2016 7:38 pm
"Ha!" Ina laughed, looking back over her shoulder at Rune as she bustled around getting the girl's order ready. "I believe you'd do it! But don't worry, they're all great, even if a few of them can't string together two words before they've had a coffee." She was lucky in this job, almost never dealing with rude behavior. That hadn't been the case where she worked before she had moved, and the gesture was appreciated.
Setting everything on the counter, she noticed the brunette gripping something under her shirt. It was then that she realized the soft humming sound she was hearing was not in fact the warming case next to the counter. "Huh?"
Reaching down to the pocket of her skirt, she gripped the topaz pendant she was keeping there. It was practically vibrating with quiet energy, something it hadn't done since it had come to her a few days ago. "What the-?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2016 8:17 pm
"Glad to hear, Papa'd probably throw me overboard as well if I tried to pull that on the guys." Rune grinned, though it quickly faded when she followed Ina's gaze. "What's wrong?"
Wait. Rose had said her... Boss had mentioned finding others. Not "another", but plural. And with how her own pendant was reacting again, just as it had done in Rose's presence...
Her mouth went dry, her eyes widening slightly. She gripped her pendant through her thin shirt.
"I-Ina...?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 5:00 am
Unlike Rune, Ina had no reason to think there would be others. All she could do was silently hope that the pendant didn't start working again on it's own. If it did, and she transformed again, she wasn't sure what would happen. Was there a monster somewhere? Wasn't that what had made it work the last time? Her boss probably wouldn't be thrilled about her having to fight something supernatural in the middle of the bakery...
"Sorry, Rune, don't think I'm crazy, but this... pendant of mine, it's... well, it's humming."
Ina pulled the stone from her skirt pocket, holding it in her open hand. It sat there, unassuming to the naked eye, the vibrating energy something she could feel rather than see. "I wonder if I actually am losing my mind..." she muttered.
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 1:19 pm
Rune stared at the topaz pendant in Ina's hand, her mind churning like the waves on a stormy sea. The design of it wasn't unlike her own, unassuming in its own right but undoubtedly holding secrets within the shimmering stone. She couldn't deny the sense of power she felt just from looking at it. Then it must be true: Ina was just like Rose and Rune...
"I-I believe you. I... um..." Rune reached up and unclasped her own pendant, pulling it out from her shirt and holding it out to Ina. "Mine is too..." She gnawed on her lower lip, her hand shaking slightly. "Something h-happened for you to get that, yes?"-- "This place is so boring! What was Ent thinking?" Oleander grumbled as she continued her way around town, staying in the shadows even as the sun slowly rose higher into the sky. There was nothing for her to do! No stray children to kidnap, no curious bystanders in need of an execution, no new substances for her to take back home for her chemistry set...! She pouted beneath her hood, shoving her hands further into her pockets as she stepped through to another area, finding herself behind a bakery. Her nose twitched as the delicious scents filled it, her stomach growling loudly.
Ooh, now there was a thought. She snapped her fingers, the shadows around her coalescing until they formed a creature that looked like an assassin from Arabic fairytales.
"Cassim, be a dear and get me some lunch, will you? Then burn this place to the ground." The creature dipped into a deep bow, disappearing back into the shadows before reappearing within those of the bakery. The various baked goods began suddenly vanishing into darkness, like an invisible hand was plucking them out of existence.
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 4:51 am
“Well, damn.”
Ina sucked in a breath, shocked. Rune was not only confirming that she hadn’t gone crazy, but that she wasn’t alone in this… whatever it was, either. She nodded at the other girl’s question. “Mmmhmm. Just a few nights ago. I… well… afterwards, I still had the stone.” She got the feeling that Rune didn’t want to talk about it in public, even if they were the only two in the front of the store. She didn’t blame her. “I didn’t know there were others. Do these things always do this?” She gestured to the pendant Rune held from a chain as well as the one in her palm, indicating that she meant the humming. Did the energy, or the magic, or whatever it was that was resonating between the two gemstones, call out to each other? But these were objects, that couldn’t be possible.
But then again, neither could transforming and fighting off monsters…
This was insane. But it wasn’t at the same time. It made almost a sort of sense, that something existed beyond the ‘normal.’ Pondering it out while trying to keep from bombarding Rune with hundreds of questions, Ina didn’t notice right away that trays of neatly-stacked breads were emptying themselves into nothingness behind her.
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 4:44 pm
That settled it, then. Ina was one of them. To think that Rune would go from thinking she was alone to finding out there were two others like her in just a matter of hours...
"I-I don't know, I only just found out this morning that I wasn't the only one who..." Rune's voice trailed off as she noticed the shelves gradually emptying. "What the hell?!"
She took a step back, her eyes going wide. Another monster?! But the one that had attacked her on her father's ship had been actively trying to kill her. This was just... baked goods vanishing into shadows. Maybe it was just... hungry? Do monsters even eat?The shadows started engulfing the food items more rapidly, as though it realized it had been discovered.
"Leave." A masculine voice hissed, sounding like it came from just over Rune and Ina's shoulders.
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 5:51 pm
"What the hell?!"Ina spun around, following Rune's gaze. It took a moment for her to notice what was happening, and by then most of the stock had already disappeared. "Hey!" she snapped, though nothing was there for her to yell at. Where was her boss? Was he still in the back?"Leave," the low voice hissed, and Ina felt her heart start to pound, though it didn't feel like fear. No, this was more the adrenaline rush that kicked in before a bout with her brother. She always lost - she always knew she was going to lose - but even knowing that, she still fought.
"Show yourself!" she shouted back, trying to display more confidence than she felt. A monster had taken her by surprise from behind. She was not going to let that happen again if she could help it, even if she had only fought as a whatever-it-was once, and now she had someone else with her. She gave a quick glance to Rune. Can we do this? Her hand closed around her pendant.
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 6:24 pm
"Rose."
Rose had been busy working at her computer when she heard the voice pop up on her phone. It made her jump almost out of her skin before she realized who it was. Frowning, the pink haired woman picked up the phone and stood.
"Boss?"
"Rose, it is time. Another has appeared."
"What?" She gasped, "Already?"
"They are here at these coordinates."
A map appeared and she breathed otu shakily, before heading out. "That's the bakery!"
"And one more thing, Rose." Boss's voice came back again.
"What is it?" her pace slowed, "What's the matter?"
"The enemy has appeared."
Oh...wonderful. Rose shook her head and transformed anyway. She hoped she could be of some help to the newly found girl. Though as she neared the bakery, she could sense it. A dark foreboding aura coming from the place, and all around it. People were avoiding it, hurrying off, not even going in , with a look of fear on their face.
Whatever it was, Rose, now Sailor Morganite, would have to help defeat it. If she can.
Dropping down in the Alley, she felt the presence there,
"Who's here? Show yourself!" Morganite called out.
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 10:30 pm
Rune cursed softly in German, her eyes narrowing at a pool of shadows that seemed to shift slightly across the floor, edging closer to the door. If it got out and ended up hurting someone, or worse, stayed behind and attacked Ina...
She made her decision there and then. She slipped her pendant back on, gripping it tightly.
"Aquamarine Crystal Power, Makeup!" The pendant threw off a brilliant blue light, enveloping her with its glow as the roar of the ocean surrounded her, crashing to a climax before it revealed her standing as Sailor Aquamarine. The shadow stopped, shivering before drawing itself into the air and compressing itself, forming a blackened assassin wrapped in ragged cloth from head to toe."What's this? I didn't think I'd have the joy of encountering one of your kind here." He hissed, the rags around his face curling up where his mouth should be. An arm-shaped bundle of cloth appeared from beneath his tattered robe, ending in a wicked looking leaf-shaped blade. "This should be fun."-- 'Eh? A senshi? Here?' Lady Oleander examined Morganite with curiosity from her hideout in the shadows as she scarfed down one of the stolen bagels-- it was almost a shame she'd told Cassim to burn the bakery down, the food was damn good. It was even more curious that this particular girl seemed to be able to sense the hidden woman's presence. Now how did that work? Normally her shadows were foolproof in their cloaking!
Maybe she could take this one back to dissect?
Nah, she'd just watch her for now. She still had a whole box of donuts with her name on it.
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 4:38 pm
Rune answered her question by transforming, disappearing into a brilliant blue light that morphed her clothing into some type of uniform similar to what Ina had been changed into a few nights before. So they were the same...
"What's this? I didn't think I'd have the joy of encountering one of your kind here."
"She's not alone," Ina retorted. "Topaz Crystal Power, Makeup!" She kissed the pendant in her hand and long streaks of shadow shot out from the yellow stone, snaking their way around her body. She placed the topaz on her chest, and it blazed with bright yellow light. The shadows on her body fled, leaving her once more in that strange uniform.
Ina gritted her teeth, jaw set. The assassin's blade looked sinister. This could possibly go very badly, but she wasn't about to let Rune face the monster alone.
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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 5:59 pm
Sailor Morganite peered into the alley, looking every which way she could to figure out her enemy's location. They're here somewhere, she could feel it. It's just the matter of finding them. Inwardly, she worried about the other two that she could sense and wondered if they would be alright. Then again if the new girl was anything like Rune, then maybe they'd be alright. Maybe they could defeat it by themselves?
At least she hoped so.
Still, she had to flush out the enemy she sensed in this place. At least so they wouldn't be overwhelmed yet. Summoning to her hand, a crossbow that she lifted up. She fired the crossbow in all directions. surely the enemy would give away their position with this, right?
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