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Elpis had to sneak out of her own damned house.

She understood her father being paranoid - the man was a knight - but really. She somehow had a feeling if she ran into a fight, she could handle it - be it because she survived before or something about being a magical girl she wasn't sure, but she didn't have any problem going out to patrol, moving much like a stalking cat and less like a civilian, though sometimes she shook it up and sauntered. It really kind of was a tossup, but she wasn't staying in.

Tonight was a fine exampe as the newly minted senshi jumped between buildings, not out of exerience, but to practice and knowing enough not to fall, and she otherwise watched for danger. She didn't yet know how to tell auras nor identify the agents of the Negaverse at range, but she knew truble and what to generally watch for visually from her experiences as a civilian, and the Senshi of Metal walked at a calm, even pace across rooftops, humming to herself for amusement.

So far, she didn't run into anything, but one never knew.

Elpis was distracted looking the exact opposite direction when she felt like something was close - something unsettling and off and - what was this Not a feeling she recognized, and she looked around before spotting a dark figure moving her direction, and she blinked.

Was that a Negaverse officer? Was she going to get eaten or something?

Although she wanted to bolt or immediately draw her magic to lash out, she did neither, instead watching to see what he did. Some of them were rather odd after all, or just indecidive, and she blinked, crossing her arms idly.

"Hi there." She greeted. "What are you up to?"

A question that could go either direction, really.

"Oh, you knw. TYrying to make sure i'm not going to get thrown off a roof," She shrugged idly. "Would be nice not to have someone trying to kick my a** for once."

She shrugged in a 'I have no idea really' gesture and nodded in his direction. As long as he didn't attack she could... Be nice... Really.

No seriously was he TALKING and not acting this was new.

"Otherwise making sure nobody's trying to kill anyone else. Kind of ruins people's days, dying. You?"

Her voice shook, but she wasn't wanting a fight if she could help it. Glass and cuts and terror flickered, but didn't hold, and she remained idly alert of the Negaverse agent. Were they all weird if they stayed there? Was that a thing?

Elpis blinked, listening before titing her head.

"Well, there's some people who like killing, but usually those people need to ust. Die in my opinion." She shrugged, but seeing no danger, seemed to loosen her stance, shrugging again.

"Not directly? How do you indirectly kill someone outside of it being negligence?"

She scratched her heade curiously, but she didn't move to turn hostile. She'd never spoken with - an agent without arguing or panicking.

It was odd.

Unless that one bird guy counted. But that was she had no idea.

"To be fair I've never had a conversation weith someone on your side before." She shrugged. "A friend of mine mentioned some horror stories, so - I. Hm."

Awkward moment.

"I apologize for so many questions, I guess. Nobody tells you s**t in this."

Curiouser and curiouser. Another confusing one, but if she'd known what was in his head she'd have likely tried to have a long conversation with him about 'change' and tried to help. Still, she was wondering what she wasn't catching - he killed, but pinned it on his higher ups, or - blamed himself for his higher ups? She blinked and lowered her arms slowly in a show of good faith, shaking her head.

"So - correct me if I'm wrong - you're soldiers?" Her head tilted curiously, the inner scientist nudging forwards. "You can't take responsibility for your higherups though. That's not fair to you."

Was he - what the hell WAS the Nega who kept her hostage to bait Helicon anyhow? He seemed eager to please his commander but not get her truly killed. This one didn't look like a major fan of fighting either. Internally, she nodded.

"Your bosses are assholes." She said outloud before thinking, then looked embarressed, couching. "I mean - sorry, out of line, I've never met them - just I keep hearing all kinds of weird events regarding your side and not much concrete. Some seem - decent and some seem like sociopaths. I'm guessing you're not a nutjob. "

She threw her hands up apologetically.

"Sorry, I'm bad talking sometimes. Uhm. So... What do you - do there? I really don't know why all the fighting fully beyond one team bites civilians and one doesn't seem to? Uhm. That and there's a lot of bad stuff with some of your coworkers."

[i[WINDOWS.

She vaguely remembered talking to the winged man? - person? - again, and suddenly she was holding herself more calmly. Not vulnerable - but her pose wasn't one to attak as she listened, not ushing for what he couldn't say. It made sense he wasn't going to tell her everything - they were supposed to be enemies - but he seemed unhappy and like he needed someone to talk to.

And really, some of it sounded like propeganda, and she raised both brows. Yes, he was - okay. Not great but not slime.

"Hey. Just stick to what your comfortable with." She said, tone slowly becoming more soothing, like she was talking down her brother or cousin.

"As for good, believe me, I'm not a painting of holy sanctity, but the true good people in this world aren't here often and most seem to be religious icons. We're people - that's all we are, and all we can be is the best we can be."

She half0grinned.

"I mean, come on. What do you want to be - Mother Theresa?"

She remained half-smiling before she bowed, and offered a hand.

"I'm Sailor elpis, by the way."

A pause.

"What's a Starseed? And why kill us? I mean - I can see smacking some people around, yeah. No patron saint here, like I said, if someone crosses me, supposed to be my side or not, I will sock him one - but - well why all of us?"

THAT she didn't get.

Elpis nodded, listening raptly, letting him speak fully before responding.

"It's nice to meet you really, Captain. Or do you prefer Merlinite?" She asked. t was only polite - he was being polite, and being considerate back was not a real issue so long as he was.

She blinked, loooking down at her chest.

"Well s**t, so that's what rattling in there? I thought I was growing a noticeable heart." She joked gently, before looking back to Merlinite and grinned a bit.

"Well - I don't know about anyone aside a couple people, but I know I was born on this planet." She shrugged. "And much as I'm easily entertained by the notion, world domination is too much effort, so I guess we don't have much of a fight, unless you include mock-fighting. Sparring. Whatever you want to call it."

A good natured shrug, and a grin. She was slowly becoming okay with this conversation, away from 'what am I doing', and really - it was interesting.

"As for not knowing, I believe that. Ignorance makes training a loyal soldier easier."

Her tone didn't condone or condemn it, however.

"Nothing saying you can't." Elpis shrugged. She heard too many stories of people returning to school, aqdults in their golden years. Her uncle took classes, even.

"Not too late to be a cop. And we can pretend we're people dressed in stupid costumes tonight, right now, just having a conversation, Merlinite."

She shrugged again, thinking long and hard on her answer.

"Much as I wish I could give some heroic speech bullshit, I fight to protect my family and my own a**. Though y'know? I'm so damn new I only know stories from a friend" - TOTAL bullshit, but he wasn't getting her civilian identity! - "And what I see. I'm not afraid to defend myself, right? But I'd rather not move first. Mostly, though... Family. Friends. I just want them safe. Might include more to it eventually, if there's even a reason of any decency."

she shrugged again, but seemed entirely unterpentant it was likely a selfish reason. She saw no merit in 'greater good' really. Some people weren't worth fighting for - she would be glad to rid Destiny City of them herself.