Iris_virus
Busyness had been getting the better of her. It was a sad and unfortunate truth. Between summer classes, playing homemaker, and patrols Polaris had fell into a bit of a rut. She hadn't made enough attempts to pull together a full group meeting in quite awhile. The times in which she put together games and training events for her fellow allies were a lingering whisper in the back of her memories. She had, quite hypocritically, been being very much of a hermit over the past few months. And it was something that she was hoping to remedy and fix now that she'd finally come to terms with the fact that she'd well.. messed up. It was one thing to do this kind of thing.. but when you self proclaimed yourself a leader well.. you hardly had the luxury of such selfishness.

Aurora hadn't really set out looking for Howl as she set out to run her shopping errands for the week, but as she passed his place of work, she paused. Was he working today? It wouldn't hurt to pop in and say hello. In fact, it was probably a good start in her quest to reconnect!

Shifting her purse strap she made her way in, looking around optimistically. Unfortunately she didn't see him, and it's not like the unique Howl was easy to miss in a crowd. Drawing up her courage she asked one of the workers when he was scheduled to work next, though by the end of the conversation her face had fallen, politely thanking the person and excusing herself.

Howl was hurt...? Badly enough that he couldn't even work? It felt like a rock in her stomach as guilt and worry mingled, tightening her throat. How come she hadn't heard about it yet!? How badly was he hurt? She just knew it was something that happened while he was powered up. Could she have helped prevent this if she'd been around? Aughhhh!

Her brows furrowed in thought and worry Aurora headed out of the shop and onto her errands. Finish her errands and shopping and then she'd plan the best way to visit him. Was he home or at his parents or even... the hospital? Flowers were a must of course. Maybe one of the other Shepherds would be able to clue her in.


The web of lies wove itself quite thickly, all the threads connecting to Howl. However, it was a necessary thing to do at this point.

He could not just abandon his duties. No, not even after that strange senshi had attempted to dash all of his hopes would he turn his back to his princess. He may have been useless now as a weaponless Squire, but he still had every intention of locating the woman who he held so dear to his heart.

So with his mother moving in with him until he seemed to "improve" (and not in health), he had to find a way to get out of the condo without her causing too much of a fuss. She already had ruled that he was not allowed to go out in the evenings and if he went out during the day, it was only to be for work or with her accompanying him. Such an inconvenience really did make it nearly impossible to patrol.

However, with a convenient lie-tied-to-a-lie, his mother thought he was going to work, and work thought he was still too injured to come in and at home. There was a chance that his mother would eventually foil him, but at least he could perhaps milk an extra week out of him patrols.

It was a bit trickier to patrol during the daytime as Nysa, but it did not mean that he could not move about on foot as his usual self. If he noticed a senshi in the broad daylight, he could easily power up and give chase as needed to get the information he wanted.

He made his way through one shopping center in the commercial district, keeping a keen eye out for anything that seemed like a fuku when he noticed a familiar head of hair in a familiar hair style.

Miss Aurora Namid, Sailor Polaris

The words echoed in the back of his mind. She had no information last time, and he was quite certain she had no information this time as well. His lips remained in a neutral expression as he made no attempt to pursue her.

She would be a waste of his time.

Iris_virus
Aurora paused in her walking to glance at her watch and the time for a moment, before she began to slide through her list of places to visit. She needed to visit the grocery store for essentials and the school book store for some scantron sheets for an upcoming test. If she had time a quick pop into to admire the seasonal teaching supplies that were being put out in time for the upcoming school year was on her agenda too. And of course a last minute stop at the bakery. Because it was near impossible to go out and around town without bringing back something nice for Azzo.

Turning a little to try and plot the most logical and least round about way to hit all of her stops, her eyes squinted at a quick flash of teal. Was that...?

For a moment she thought she might have been imagining it, given that she had just been thinking about the young man. But when that handsomely placed and decorated teal ponytail remained even after a blink, she realized she wasn't just imagining it.

Making her way across the street she lifted a hand upwards, calling out lightly. "Howl?" It was still possible she had the wrong person but.. she really didn't think so.


Drat

He had been spotted. It was not as if he was hard to spot in a crowd, but the lad had hoped he could have been spared this potentially time consuming reunion.

Despite this inconvenience, the lad turned to face the young lady. "Good day, Miss Namid," he stated in a tone far more neutral than he usually used with this princess. It was quite off from his usual warm tones he had taken with her before. He nodded his head in her direction, as if silently asking why she was taking up his time.

Iris_virus
Ah it was him! Pleased to be saved the possible embarrassment of chasing the wrong person down she hardly noticed the change in his demeanor. And despite his less than warm nod, she launched in to chattering, backed up by a small wave of relief.

"I'm so happy to see you! I'd heard from your work that you weren't well, but you don't look so bad."

"Leave it to me to blow things out of proportion and over worry. Are you feeling better?" See, he wasn't missing an arm or on his death bed after all. That wouldn't clear her of all of her guilt, but it at least helped a little.

Of course he DID still seem a little under the weather, not nearly as chipper as usual. Shifting her purse once more and basically shoving her plans to the side for the moment, she smiled once more, basically inviting herself into his company.

"Are you on your way somewhere? The doctor or the pharmacy, perhaps? I'll walk you there if you like."


Were he a lesser man, he might have shifted uncomfortably as the girl seemed to invite herself to his own choice of activities. It was not as if he did not know how Miss Aurora Namid could be, however, her prattling on did little to soothe his emotions.

Folding both arms behind his back and linking his hands to his elbows, he waited for an actual opening in the conversation before attempting to speak. He tilted his head slightly to the side and kept his posture properly straight.

"I was placed in the hospital due to injury. I have recovered, though 'feeling better' has little to do with my current condition." He kept the specifics about his injuries vague. It was shameful that he suffered such an ugly injury, and it was not like he was about to go flaunting it about like a war medal.

He had more dignity than that.

He continued on, his tone still quite neutral like someone attempting to make the most politically correct interview responses while applying for a new job. "I have been patrolling, Miss Namid. However, patrolling as a Squire during the daytime is a foolish way to go about things. It would draw too much attention to myself."

Without even a shift in his tone, he then added "I would not like your company, since you will only impede me."

Iris_virus
Even through her chattering Howl's discomfort was becoming more and more obvious. The way he shifted and moved, the tone in his voice. To a stranger it might have gone unnoticed. Aurora figured it had something to do with physical discomfort and pain.

And when he began to explain about patrolling her eyes widened, suddenly wondering if he thought she was insisting that he needed to be patrolling. "Ohh.. I didn't mean..." She piped up with a momentary frown, though the statement faded off and wasn't finished.

Sure she could be a bit of nag and a little too exhuberent at times about the responsibilities of patrolling and doing one's duties. But she'd never dream of trying to force someone who was injured into it. Was that was he seemed upset...? Did he think she was hear to nag he into patrolling when he didn't feel up to it? "I'm glad to hear you've recovered enough to be out and about." It was the best that she could manage in her state of soft confusion.

And then it hit like a sack of bricks.

'Impede' him?

He felt she was impeding him? Whh.. why? And how? What was he possibly doing that she was going to get in the way of? Aurora didn't bother to hide her distressed expression, her fingers beginning to nervously fidget with her purse strap.

"There are kinder ways to shoo someone off Howl..." She stated, wounded. But he knew that. In fact.. of almost anyone that she knew.. Howl was the one she least expected to be so gruff and blunt. He was always so polite and gentile... It just.. She couldn't..

"What is wrong with you?" The words were a near hush, naggingly accusatory, under her breath as she stepped even closer, her eyes narrowing. What in the world had happened to her friend? Sure he didn't want her around.. and in other occassions she might have turned and ran off with her tail between her legs. But she was so flabbergasted and confused. Something wasn't right. This wasn't the Howl she knew, and that startling thought kept her planted obnoxiously in place.


She obviously had not liked his request. It was easy enough to see with her posture and how her fingers began to fuss with her purse. It was a terrible habit to have, since it made one's emotions quite evident.

"You did not like the answer..." he said in his still even tone "...so that must mean there is something wrong with me." It was merely a matter of perspective in his opinion, but he was not here to debate in circles with the young lady.

He had a Princess to locate, and this one before him was not he one he sought.

Howl looked to the girl's eyes, seemingly unphased by her close proximity. "I will take my leave. I need to use my time wisely to find her..." Calmly, he began to turn away, as if he felt that those words had been an appropriate farewell.

Iris_virus
"It isn't about that." She defended matter of factly. Howl's statement itself wasn't untrue of course. She wasn't really happy with his answer. But that wasn't the reason she had reacted to it.

She'd received criticism in her lifetime. She'd been told in no uncertain terms that she wasn't welcome. It was what happened when you were a nagging, over mothering, goody two shoes at boarding schools. She'd been called a joy kill and teachers pet more times then she could count and she never fought it. It wasn't worth it.

Now however, it WAS worth it. And he wasn't leaving that quickly. She didn't bother to stop him however, simply tailing after him in his attempt to leave.

"I've never seen you act like this. I've never seen you be anything but kind and polite." Sure they weren't the best of friends, so she couldn't claim to know everything about him, but they'd spent enough time together that she thought she had a pretty good handle on his personality. This was the man that had been kind and giving enough to take her prom so she wouldn't have to suffer the embarassment of going alone for goodness sakes!

Aurora was trying her best not to make a giant scene, trying to keep her voice even instead of shouting and involving everyone else around in what they probably would assume was some sordid 'lovers quarrel'. "I just can't believe that you'd be acting like this if something hadn't happened or changed. Your friends are here to help you. All you have to do is ask!"

"You pushing us away is what is going to impede you." Okay.. maybe that had taken it a little too far.


For a time, Howl continued to walk, seeming to pay no mind to the girl behind him as he kept his arms folded behind him. He made certain to steer out of the way of any oncoming pedestrians. Aurora certainly seemed to be keeping close to him, trying to get her point of view out in the open. He found himself disagreeing with plenty, but did not speak upon the matter.

There was one matter that he did need to clarify apparently.

Without turning back to face her, he waited for there to be an absence of pedestrians before speaking out clearly enough for his voice to be heard behind him. "Miss Namid, I consider you and your allies under the Celestial Shepherds to be acquaintances, not friends." In fact, only Aurora knew his identity as Howl Wickham. The rest of the team he had never introduced himself to in this light. As far as they knew, he was only Nysa, Squire of Neptune.

He had found something worthwhile to pursue finally, and now there were only two categories which his allies fit into. Informative and useless. The girl behind him had already proven herself to be in the secondary category, as did most senshi these days. The useless were just distractions.

With one step to the side, he finally turned himself to facing the young pale-haired lady behind him. Now that he was facing her, he made his stance quite clear in the same dettached tone he had taken the whole time. "You are not my Princess and I am not your Squire. Leave me be, Miss Namid."

Iris_virus
He'd might as well have slapped her. She cringed almost as if 'the assault' had been physical instead of verbal. And it was finally at that point that she was able to muster a similar coldness to match his own, her lips tightening.

"Well I'm sorry you feel that way."

She wouldn't yell and him and tell him to jump off a bridge. Wouldn't shout that maybe he shouldn't even BE a part of the team if he felt that way. Because she didn't really. What she felt was sick to her stomach.. and like this must have been a dream. And like she'd somehow failed him. All of that outweighed the anger, though that too tickled at the back of her neck.

"Apparently we have been under far too many misunderstandings and misinformations Howl, because I have never asked you to pledge yourself to me. Nor would I ask that of someone even from my star."

"But thank you for enlightening me as to how overbearing I am and how I am perceived. Consider me out of your way."

His wish was finally answered as she turned, quickly making her leave, her shoulders held high and firm.. just until she was far enough away that she thought he couldn't see her anymore. Then they dipped quite readily, matching the sudden down turn of her mouth and drooping of her eyes as she tried to fight back the pinpricks of tears.

Aurora still wasn't sure what the hell had just happened.. or how things could have flipped so quickly and suddenly. It would probably take her awhile to even wrap her head around any kind of explaination. Would she keep to her statement of staying out of his way? Only time would tell.. But at least for the time being if she saw him she'd go the other way. Be it Howl OR Nysa.


His teal gaze remined nearly as detached as his voice had been as the girl seemed to fight through her own emotions. She spoke her sentiments in an adult manner, then finally departed.

That girl wears her heart on her sleeve...

It was a stray observation from a young man who did quite the opposite. His emotions were buried deep inside of himself, and rarely got to see the light of day, even when he was the charming gentleman that Aurora Namid seemed to remember as Howl's true nature.

Despite his prior protests about needing to take all his time to seek out Neptune, he watched the girl as she forced herself to maintain her composure.

Are you doing the right thing?

It was a question that wandered through his thoughts.

And unfortunately, it was a question that would go unanswered as he finally turned away to continue on with the path he had selected for the day. He could sort out that answer another day.