Welcome to Gaia! ::

He had the benefit, this summer, of not being asked by the department to pick up any of the summer courses as a Grad Assistant, rather his committee had asked him to focus on research responsibilities and his thesis. With the storefront so close to the campus, it was delightfully easy to get materials he needed from the library or archives and bring to the storefront to work with while minding the ebb and flow of traffic. The cats handled most of the hard work, as it was.

Even with as many adoptions as they’d managed since opening, he still had enough time with the Catfe fluffy staff to learn the individual voices and trills. One that didn’t register to his hindbrain as regular drew Quenton’s attention from the book stand he had propped next to the ipad ‘register’. Someone let one of the cats out? But no, that isn’t a normal— Ash!

How long had it been since he’d seen the burmilla? Each time was too long. I wonder if she’s claimed a specific senshi she stays with now. Or a team.

The blonde drew the pager-phone and sign from below the counter to set onto it, a cat shaped cookie from the day’s tray, and locked out the ipad and barista entry behind himself as he left the entry towards the catroom and the waiting silver body. Meeting her up he crouched, to allow her the decision of just a hello, a scooped carry in his arms, or a shoulder ride towards the plushness of the VIP lounge where she could freely chatter and eat the human-food cookie if she liked. Quenton didn’t smile, he never did anymore, but squeezed his eyes in warm greeting to her.

It took little to cross the space on long legs, and Ash was less than no burden while offering a pleasant thrumm. Quenton heeled the VIP door shut behind himself, leaning forward to gently tip the silver-grey puff onto the solid table in the center of the seating. For security's sake, he took a second moment to key the lock.

"If you want a drink I can go make one for you once a few minutes have passed. The cookie is Espresso-ganache Sablé, if you want it." He set it down near her, while finding a place himself on the near curve of loveseat. "But how have you been? Where have you been? You have been missed."

His tone lacked accusation of any sort, instead heavied with wistful welcome and earnest greetings like to Victorian ocean-liners found at dock after months away. "At least not wounded, from a glance. All one piece."

Nadia and Colin are home, then. Or alternatively so. Colin didn't say so much, but neither have I asked. I knew Tribble, well enough. Which Senshi or Knight is Nadia, I wonder? It was possible that the person was a civilian only, but there never seemed much play or likelihood of civilians being party to, supportive of, or deeply involved in the war as much as he'd used that very ruse himself with Knight Scholomance. Alois had become a convenient cloak as a corpse.

He had not expected admissions of guilt or accompanying implications of apology. How much is mincing, excuses, reasons in such things. Equivocating. We always all have reasons for the choices we make, if they hinder others. And seek pardon at least on the grounds of them. Understanding. It is all understandable, and owed no more to me than as a friend. "I am alive and in one piece as well, as you can see, Ash."

A hope of reassurance, with no need of showing new scars beneath the clothes that were as much armor as the stoicism he wore on face—pillar of calm, stone-hard sufficiency, succor, strength. Inhuman. "The mind and will need as much care, and healing, as a body. I am glad you took a breath, instead of incur damage. We all need you, Ash. A sabbatical is worth it, to have you back at full vigor. If there's ever anything I can do or offer, if you're feeling brittle again, let me know. "

" I have not heard of goings on at the Headquarters. Faust shares little of Mauvian goings on. " And it was better, conversationally, to hear news from a second source, and second point of view from Faust's on most occasions. All the more a source that could read. It was likely to please Ash, as well, to garner some sense of superiority over another Mauvian in helpfulness. Pleased Mauvians meant peaceable kingdoms. "What has happened? What was found?"

“A Puff of Mauvians…” The words trailed off, spoken softly anyway and not actually a part of active conversation. Even knowing that such things must happen from time to time, the mental imagery of so many gathered in one place was a temptation and sheer delight. As much as days when visiting one of the sister shelters to pick from the resident clowder of cats which would be new employees at the Catfe. So many delightful cats in need of snacks and adoration. And a Youma. Which is a dangerous thing to have to deal with in their very base. Imagine a youma on a senshi Homeworld, and the damage it could do…

“A robotic guard...an AI? Deactivated? Who programmed it and who made the HQ….” The fact that the place existed was already a mystery enough, but the history grew more ominous in context of all the rest of the mysterious war and it’s own origins, and Destiny City’s place in the whole of that. “I wonder if there was something here, on this part of Earth, at the time of the Silver Millennium. Something to give reason why such a headquarters would be here. Why so many senshi awaken here. Why the Negaverse has so many operatives here. What was Destiny City, or the land of it, before, where history books are dark and inaccurate. “

“Why it was blocked off is an excellent, and worrisome question as well. Why would such a thing be blocked off….and who did it?....”

“ ********* and Zirconia were my early sources for lore of any sort, for most of my early career as a senshi. Other Mauvians...Faust’s strength has never been pure Academia, like History. There was a fawn colored female (Cora) at the White Phoenix Offensive that upgraded me to an Eternal Senshi, but I never learned her name. Nor more about her as to where she patrolled, who she worked with. There were some corrupted ones that I’ve seen, with varying exposure to speaking...a red, dirty, somewhat smelly red cat that tried to give me plant bulb as a ‘Moon Pearl’. A white a black one at Wolframite’s meeting. There was another… I think she may have been of an older awakening. “ Quenton shifted, sorting through the possibilities until there was one that fit the possibility of being useful at all.

“She was small, a kitten in size, maybe. She introduced herself as ‘Diana, guardian of small lady.’ She said that Small Lady was gone, and not likely to ever come back, and it pained her. But she was staying now with a Sailor Pistol, and also spoke of a Mauvian Poseidon, who was cranky. She’d not known about the HQ, come to think of it. I checked back a few nights where I’d met her for a few weeks, but naught came of it after. I’d mentioned you and the HQ, and had hoped to meet with her and compare notes with Pistol and maybe even the mentioned Poseidon. “

He drummed fingers once along a knee as it crossed over the other when he leaned back in the plush seating. “I’d hoped as well that if meeting her again myself fell through, because of whatever reason, that they’d seek out the HQ and maybe come across you, as one of the other informed Mauvians about tech. I don’t think it was likely they had access to any of the Phone upgrades. Or knowledge of them. Have you heard of Diana or Poseidon? “

“A white capelet with elaborate gold trim and bow, darker than fawn ears and tail.” He confirmed to her asking. A gold star. I remember her star most of all, and earnest, roseate eyes. She was small, as a person. Changed between felid and hominid seamlessly. Perhaps not so different from another small, emerald-eyed Mauvian I know.”

Quenton was in no hurry to move his lap or spill her about, and kept her landing pad secure. There was a more grim reality that was possible in ‘joining her Small Lady’, and he hoped it was not the truth. Hopefully they were both just out there, busy with something, somewhere in the stars but still alive and still fighting. Like the Fawn Mauvian. Like whoever Poseidon was. “I think it a worthwhile call to put out. As a culture, people in Destiny City are good at quick answers and wanting to be heroes, and bad at sustained action and call for empathy. Being able to do a quick infodump is something more attainable …..unfortunately. Rather than prolonged archeological digs and research. “

“And new technology is always a help. It’s been long enough since it was developed that maybe some who had given up have retaken up their powers. And likely new entirely have been found by various mauvians.” He couldn’t say one way or another if Faust had figured out any of the tech available to any stage of senshi or mauvian. “I haven’t asked after it of him, meā culpā.”

“Have you...Ash, found any new senshi?”

Cora. A pleasant enough name. And missing, still, at least from my knowing. How many lives do we all touch a single time. I dwell so long on it. But knew ********* is something. And where has she been? Possibly kept apart of the necessity in keeping Iris. Hostage by friendship...if it is so much. ********* at least showed caring.

Aegir and Methone he knew, if wholly separately. Methone had been with Scholomance-Isaiah, and seemed pleasant. And spending a deal of time with them. Aegir has said nothing of a great closeness to a Mauvian, in a pairing sort of way. Maybe to Methone? Or another of the Ourobouros? Teams are as much the same sort of association as any senshi with a mauvian. I should not be jealous. I do not make her happy in a keeping sort of way.
As much as any person can keep another.
Only until our hands let go.
I wonder if it is only a game that she plays at double-standard jealousy, saying she spends all her time with a team, and asking if I have others.

“No, I have not met new or old. I scarce meet knights or senshi when I am out. Officers, if not a youma. I am not well suited, anymore, to others. A few months back I went to the Surrounding, to the Wonder of Celsus for revelry he hosted...it was unwell. I left before it had much begun. “ Quenton carefully laid left palm against the soft arch of her back, heavy and slow in stroke back.
"Are the Ourobouros your team, now?"

“Will you a** the information of the rooms and headquarters itself to the Primer for young senshi and mauvians to find?”