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(Backdated- Dec. 6th)

It was already too long, as with most things. Keeping up with schoolwork at the final push for winter graduation, medical tests required by his collapse, general senshi presence, the Watch, Alois and his being Bischofite problem, and consideration of graduate school made life impossible. They were all in stages of overdue. Doubling back to the last time he'd seen Zirconia on the Moon, and the business of the Moon, was just one more thing pushed to the shelf.

Further questions of crystals and research should wait no longer. Or questions of Zirconia herself. She is the last of her unique kind, and in desperation. As much be Aquarius, for all I have ever heard of more Zodiac. Kairatos can't have been the best of company to rely on in keeping Zirconia well. Her or the mirror. And I? Could I have done more than get in the way? Thraen tried to refocus, bringing mind around to the rainbow road and the woman found there at the fortress courtyard. He'd had questions and facts to double by the pure-mirror Mauvian, but their exacts remained lost in a medicinal haze. Most of the meeting with the Zodiac princess was, despite its significance or chronological proximity.

The eternal of gardens paused on a ledge. Concrete soles scrapped brick and mortar. The sky swam. While he couldn't fill his actual prescription, the general physician had given him two different sample packs of sleeping medications to try out. 'Do not operate a vehicle or heavy machinery until you know how this medication affects you.' No kidding. I'm missing hours and days all over my memory right now. It feels like thinking through Jell-o.

Checking on her and asking after her progress is an honest start. It will do. He pulled out his phone to call hers, or her answering machine, as before. What time was it? What would be convenient? "Zia, hi. Do you have time for a lunch break today at noonish? I will be around the roof decks of the Brashear Building, near Cloverbridge Center and its food court. For the afternoon. If not, I'd be glad to schedule something. "

He refrained from leaving his name this time. Thraen shook his head and continued on towards his planned respite and waiting place. It would be dangerous if any civilian or enemy came across it in her effects. My voice is distinctive...I think? Well, the secrecy of it would point to a uniform.

You've seen better days... Turning with a scrape, Thraen lifted a hand in like greeting. What has happened? Attempts on the Mirror by those who shouldn't play, or your own efforts? Or unrelated events entirely? No. It looks like questions would be as much an assault as fists have been.

"It has been too long since I checked in with you- my fault. I'd hoped to be more direct service in regards to your project in research. " He made a vague motion to the already deep black crescents of insomnia under his own eyes by way of explanation. "How has it been? Have you come across anything new?"

Should I be worried of the answer? Kairatos HAS been with her hasn't he? Gods, what does he look like? A mummy?

Which marks come from Iris, I wonder. "She's not hesitant about attacking allies for unexplained reasons." He took the moment to meet Zee's side and wrap an arm around her hip before jumping them both up a path to a more private rooftop. Then let her free again in her own power. "Espionage seems to happen in the plain open and in plain clothes fairly often, but I am not so clad."

"This is safer. For myself, nightmares overtop of other terrors. Sleep is nigh impossible, and medications only so much help against magic. "

"This isn't all Iris' mark on you I hope? What work was she interfering with? Rumor makes out that Castor may not be much a better choice to avoid troubles. "

Differing views colouring opinions couldn't be so starkly colored. Here, Zee weighs by worth in manipulations. Compare that to Hvergelmir's weight system...I know less what her criteria are. It is interesting to hear it stated plain. I wonder if I fall under usefully manipulable, obtuse, or some other category. I expect some other, that the point of value is being stated clearly. I can live with that. The finer points of exactly what Iris had done and Castor was estimated to not do narrowed the flame eyes in their gaze at the reflections on the glass of city windows. Charybis and Scylla for our choices in royalty. Death either way, in looking for guidance or help, just a matter of drowning or being eaten.

Thraen came close to lift hands under hers as he examined the burn patterns and edge wounds she revealed. "Damage to your very starseed...?"

"That its restored at all seems a marvel. It seems like damage to the starseed should be fatal- maybe? I've seen the picture of a partially youmafied starseed, so I suppose there's subtleties in what is damage or what is mutation. It's too much of a semantic game to be precise."

"Nothing is ruined until you're dead. It just means having to find a different work around- the damage worries me. Is there a way to repair starseeds of 'damage'? If yours was repaired, using a metaphor of batteries, it might be able to recover to its full capacity again. " Thraen resisted any impulse to touch her, whether on hand or over starseed, moving his own hands restlessly to his own hips to mash some flowers on the one side. "It does 'ruin' being able to do things alone."

You shouldn't have been trying to do that anyway, with so much unknown. That fire has taught its own lesson, so no point belaboring that point. It is a choice of expediency over wisdom. "Where can it go from here..." He shifted to a contrapposto, looking down at the ground for a second before closing his eyes to focus more keenly.

"If your starseed can't be healed. We know that raw energy from this side can't get the mirror to work on its own. Even with Iris at on the moon, you were the conduit. What about that as a starting point? You may still be able to conduit, if care was taken. Batteries...can you fashion items at all like the Mauvians of this world? Or could the crystal fragment be used itself as a battery of energy funneled though you to power what you need? It would be a matter of finding willing parties, and enough of them to contribute. Or finding a way to transfer the energy to begin with- the Negaverse and the Dark Mirror can take energy unwilling from targets. Our handicap in making use of our energy has always been our inability to channel it or gift it willing to each other to make use of for anything outside of our own magic. "

"I wonder if one of our Mauvians could make something for that...that either takes the energy directly, or that a senshi could cast their magic and it would collect and redirect the magic back to raw energy."

"Time is a factor in all of this?" He opened his eyes, looking at her directly. It was never explicitly stated that she was working so frantically for anything other than personal excitement and motivation- that of a prisoner seeing an open door beyond a fence. If that was the case, in truth, then they had more leeway than if there was some other constraining measure. Is there some limitation given by Cassandra when you spoke to her since about shards? Or about the mirror itself. Or some confluence of planets. Gods only know.

He opened his mouth at first, would have argued what defined guardianship and the truths of fit of title in practice versus how it was earned through works. Nothing came out as, and he closed his mouth again, eyes full on her in her shifting and admissions. I'm not...certain how to do this.

Just do it. It isn't rocket science to do. Its very normal. Thraen closed their personal spaces and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close in a hug while being careful not to step on or squish some wounded part of her. Constant, increasing pain. That won't help your concentration either. This deck is stacking the more cards are revealed.

He waited a moment to let her decide if she wished to take any comfort in it or not, before finally offering words again, "Survival necessitates much- you've the unique position of a neutral party. You've some connections with chaos members- What about Wolframite? Or others? Could you safely arrange one to drain from volunteers and offer you the energy ball?"

The dissipating balls from Buddingtonite's pockets when frisked came to mind, as did Thraen's own agreement long before of sessions with the Corrupted. "I would volunteer. It isn't a permanent solution, but it could buy a little time. "

Acrucis' magic heals the body, not starseeds. I've not heard of any that heal starseeds. Babylon....I remember him. The chain-mace-lantern...thing. Time. Racing the clock is the biggest thing, and then how to complete the crystal faster in finding the pieces its missing. "Politics is so much predictions. If she's waiting you out, not expecting it to be completed, do you think she's just writing it off as an acceptable loss ? You revealed the partial crystal. Or is it just a bonus that you will probably die, and she most likely expects to deal with whoever after completes it for its return?"

Polite deflection was no strange tactic, leaving only the question of where the disagreement was in the wake. Adonis would probably be willing enough to make a same arrangement again. Or some sort of arrangement of energy offered to him for fee of energy given back to her. Well. It can be reassessed later if it becomes necessary. Necessary? And she is already dying, so when is 'necessary'? Maybe never, pending her preference.

" The corrupted, Adonis, could be reasoned with as far as deals. It has been a while since I saw him last. People change. But it can wait." Friend. Have I been? Leaving you this long alone is hardly at your side. It is something to strive for. I would like if that would be a truth. If we could make it so. I think we both need friends.

So where is this all. The limitations are the damage to starseed leeching energy, life and creating too much pain. The crystal as it is incomplete. No one else can manipulate the mirror. Juggling between completeing the crystal and healing a starseed. Can regular royals heal a starseed not of this world? Or one half way of it and half way of another? They couldn't heal one half infected by a youma.

"Please excuse the vulgarity of terminology- but I wonder if a 'regular' royal crystal could even heal your starseed. Iris couldn't purify a half-youma alone. Not that what you have between Zirconia and Zee is very similar, being dimensional and not Chaos infection. But the severity of overlap and the two halves are similar. " Thraen didn't identify the woman as two people in his own mind. She was as she was, a person, and it was enough to work with. But the theory and practice of a condition of the sort did have appreciable effect on magic used.

" Did you have any plans then, for the short term, already on the proverbial stove? Is there anything I can offer in the way of actual footwork or help?"