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Athene didn’t particularly like patrolling in the later months of the year because his senshi outfit was not one that was exactly suited for patrol in the cold–

But even though he didn’t particularly like patrolling in the cold that wasn’t to say that he didn’t patrol.

He was out on patrol now, albeit early into it, his hands covered in the grey gloves that he had brought specifically for winter patrol and curled around the mostly full takeaway cup of hot chocolate that he had picked up prior to powering up–

And whilst he was currently alone, he wasn’t planning to actually patrol alone, having promised to meet Liryn at the small park that was pretty much just around the corner.

The brisk pace at which he was walking meant that it didn’t take long to reach the park or to reach the row of benches near the entrance where he had promised to meet the tabby bobtail that was his friend and team mate, Athene freeing a gloved hand from the cup in order to raise it in a wave as he called out to the small mauvian "Hi Liryn."


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Liryn was bored - as in very bored - a part of him mauvian wishing that he had waited to go along with Athene instead of making plans to meet up with him later.

Or at the very least for them to have picked a more interesting place to meet–

But he had wanted to stop by HQ for a bit and spend some time in his room there going through a few notes - well okay make that going through a few notes and maybe doing a bit of tinkering with some of the bits and pieces that he had stashed there.

He had finished up a little earlier than planned and so had found himself waiting at the meeting spot by the benches.

Waiting and being bored.

He had reached the point where he was about to pull out his cat comm and shoot the dark-haired senshi’s aura that he was waiting for a message when he finally picked up on the flare of an eternal’s aura.

Although interestingly enough he found himself picking up on a couple more auras as well - the new auras seemingly belong to a Squire and Basic senshi respectively - well at least by the feel of it.

Athene’s voice called out to him before Liryn could actually dwell on it, the dark-haired senshi stepping into view, one hand raised in a wave.

Liryn padded over to meet him even as Athene continued to step closer, but thoughts of the two auras lingered in his mind as he brushed himself against the eternal senshi’s boots in cheerful greeting.


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Bundled up in a coat, feather filled and warm, the senshi of talismans walked at her elder cousins side as the two of them continued to patrol. They hadn’t been out for long, she’d had a lot of homework and papers to work on. It wasn’t that she couldn’t handle it all, that was easy really, it was just that she wanted to give the proper amount of time to each piece of schoolwork.

She was talking, softly, to the other about school and how her lessons were going. She was due to graduate at the end of the school year, she was excited to graduate, but with the holiday break fast approaching the professors had decided to load them down with work, work she intended to get done before the holidays started. She didn’t want to let the school work infringe upon her ability to enjoy the holidays, she already had to bounce between spending it with her uncle and aunt as well as Seung-oppa since he wasn’t welcome in their apartment.

As Seung interrupted her, something he normally didn’t do, she stopped and looked at him with concern in her dark eyes. He could sense more than her...had he sensed something bad? She didn’t wait long to find out that he sensed a senshi and something else...but definitely an eternal senshi. “We should go look oppa.”


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“We will.” Nodding once to his cousin he turned a bit and directed them in the direction he felt the auras were in, though he could be wrong, he certainly hoped they found the owners of the auras. He didn’t want to go walking about hunting them down all night.

“It’s likely people we don’t know.” But that was the point - meeting new people. Meeting people they didn’t previously know was a good thing, a helpful thing, as it could mean a new allie. It was good to have plenty of people you could contact in case of an emergency of some sort, this city seemed to be prone to dangerous situations and all manner of other trouble.

His hands, ungloved, slipped into the pockets of his coat where he had heat packs so he could keep his hands nice and warm. The packs, both ones you shook to activate, kept the rest of him warm also and he was thankful for finding them in a store a few days back. He had bought a supply of them, he really had surprised the woman behind the check out till he’d explained it was for his whole family, and than distributed them to his cousins, his husband and Terry’s family.

It was in the small pack he carried with him, right now tucked into an inside pocket of his coat, that he carried a few extra heat packs incase they ran into anyone who might have a want or a need for them. He’d seen some senshi who had even more skin showing than his cousin and he felt for them. If he ran into any he would be handing out a heat pack or two in order to help them.

“We should be close...I think.”


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As it turned out Athene had also picked up on the two auras and had been amenable enough about his suggestion that the two of check out the source - or at least try to - because it wasn’t if there was an exact science to trying to track down auras.

The two auras felt close enough however, that Liryn had a good feeling about them being able to uncover their source - particular as Athene had been pretty insistent about him going a-shoulder rather than opting for his usual paws on the ground–

And whilst it was true that Athene had eternal speed on his side - which meant that the pair of them would be able to cover ground faster, Liryn rather suspected the request was more down to the fact that he had a nice warm winter coat and thus would be warm.

Still Liryn didn’t really mind, given that the two of them were off the same mind in trying to uncover the source of the two auras - especially when Athene kept sneaking in little absent-minded scritches from time to time as he walked.


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As it so happened, Liryn was right about Athene’s reason for wanting the the small mauvian to sit a-shoulder - well at least in part - because it really was true that he could walk so much faster powered up as he was–

And whilst it was true that he found the solid weight of the small tabby bobtail on his right shoulder nice, it wasn’t something that he was about to admit to - at least not out loud.

It seemed however, that the source of the two auras had been closer than he’d thought, because as he turned a corner he spotted a couple of figures further down the alley from where they were.

He raised his left arm in a small wave and was about to call out to the duo, only to blink as Liryn launched himself from off his shoulder and trotted down the alleyway towards the pair.


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Whilst Liryn had thought the two auras close, he hadn’t thought that them quite that close, but as they turned the corner from one alley to the next there they were and–

And one of them looked… No make that was familiar.

"Hamal!" His voice was cheerful as he called out to the purple and white garbed senshi as he launched himself off from Athene’s shoulder and trotted down the alley towards the pair, a part of him aware of Athene following up behind him "Hi Hamal."


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“People you don’t know.” She said as soon as the familiar voice of Liryn hit her ears. She knew that voice and it was confirmed, as it should be, the moment she turned and spotted the tabby headed their way. Bending, her skirt touching the dirty ground, the senshi of talismans opened her arms in offering for the cat. “It’s good to see you Liryn.”

She had told her cousins about Liryn and his help in upgrading her phone, she had also told them about the eternal who had been with Liryn. Spotting Athene, as she glanced up, she flashed him a soft smile. “It’s good to see you again Athene.” She hadn’t thought they were so close, though she wasn’t as good with picking up energy signatures, that was her elder cousins thing. She would, in time, get better at it just as everything took time to improve upon so too did this.


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But apparently his cousin knew them, as he listened to her greet the cat. Turning slowly he took in the scene of his little cousin on the ground waiting for the guardian cat to climb up into her arms, it really was cute, he shook his head a bit. “It’s good to meet you both, my cousin mentioned you both to me.” And to their elder cousin, but he didn’t mention that.

“I’m glad to know my cousin has another senshi as a friend.” The more friends the safer she would hopefully be, since he and Hyeon couldn’t always be there for her. “Would you two like to join us? Since it seems Hamal would like it.” His own accent was heavier than his cousins, a few slips where letters sounded off...like other letters. But his English was getting good...and he’d taken it slow just now in order to ensure they understood him.


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Liryn didn’t hesitate, instead taking the opened arms as an invitation as he bounded closer to white and purple clad senshi "It’s good to see you again too" he said cheerfully, a purr in his voice as his purplish eyes glanced towards the Squire with her in curiosity for a moment before turning back towards her as he asked "Who’s your friend?"


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Athene watched the pair, his lips tilting up in a small smile of amusement as he watched Liryn’s antics "It’s good to see you too Hamal" he said, his words echoing and agreeing with those spoken by Liryn.

He glanced at her companion assuming from the taller Squire’s words that the other was one of the Knight cousins that Hamal had mentioned, recognising the symbol as being that of Ganymede - although that was more down to the fact that he knew Princess Ganymede for all that it had been a while since their paths had crossed - and then nodded at his question about them joining them "I’d like that he’d said and I’m…" his voice trailed off for a moment at the very enthusiastic yes that came from Liryn’s direction - another amused smile forming as he continued "And it looks like Liryn would as well."


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Watching his cousin stand up, guardian cat in her arms, he held a hand out towards the cat slowly. “Venice...I’m her older cousin. We have another older cousin who is also a knight.” It seemed to run in their family. Two knights and a senshi...their family was, he figured anyway, not so normal in this whole thing. He doubted it was common for families to have multiple powered individuals...though he really didn’t know a lot of people.

Nodding to Athene. “We’ll follow you then.” The other had rank over them both plus it really was a matter of where the eternal was comfortable going. Some places in this city were dangerous and he didn’t think it polite to put someone else at risk, and he wasn’t about to risk his cousin.


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Gently scratching behind Liryn’s ears as she stood up, snuggling the cat in her arms, she let her cousin answer for himself. “Kim Seung is my cousin here’s name. He’s one of my older cousins who live here.” And as he said he was one of two knights in her family, both being elder cousins of hers.

“You’ve been well Athene?” She asked gently while preparing to follow the eternal, since it seemed they would be patrolling with him tonight and letting him lead the way. She had no problem with this, she was comfortable with this group and anywhere they went, she just wanted to follow along and if anything happened she would of course help. She was honestly hoping nothing happened though.

“We should get moving, I wouldn’t think having us all in the same place for a long time is a good thing.”


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Liryn used one of his paws to wave at Venice from his position in Hamal’s arms "It’s nice to meet you Venice" he said and his voice was as cheerful as the wave, "Hamal’s mentioned that both of her cousins are Knights."

Purplish eyes studied the symbols on the other’s uniform in interest, recognising it as the Ganymede symbol, a curious note slipping into his voice as he asked "Is your cousin a Ganymede knight as well?"


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Athene gave Venice a nod of his own at the Squire’s suggestion that he and Hamal follow them "Sure" he said quietly, because as he had said earlier, he was happy to have the two join them "Liryn and I were planning to patrol the streets around the bakery and the shops around there, but if the two of you have somewhere that you’d prefer to go more then we’d be equally happy to patrol there."

He made sure to glance at Liryn as he spoke, noticing the small mauvian nodding from his position in Hamal’s arms, only to find himself glancing back at Hamal at her mention of her cousin’s name.

"Seung?" And he couldn’t help but be a little startled, because whilst it was probably coincidence, her cousin had the exact same name as the person who had tutored in English for a time back when he had still been at DCU–

But it was almost certainly coincidence, because seriously what were the odds…?

He shook his head slightly as he started walking, because Hamal was right - it really wasn’t a good idea for all of them to stand around in the same place "I’ve been well thank you" he said with a small smile as he answered her question, "How about you?"


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"I’ve been well too" Liryn said, piping up cheerfully, although he couldn’t help but give Athene a curious glance because he was sure that the dark-haired eternal had mentioned something about tutoring someone called Seung on a few occasions as part of his 'Arian' stuff.


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“No, my older cousin is a knight of Polaris.” He answered. He knew how mixed up it likely made their family line. A Polaris and Ganymede knight plus a senshi...it meant way back in their family were several powered people, such as now, who went back a long time. It meant there was some crossover or something perhaps.

“Mmm, yes - Seung. Kim Seung.” He answered with a smile, fingers running through his hair as he moved to follow Athene, keeping close to the senshi’s side.


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"I haven’t met many Polaris knights" Liryn admitted, "But I know Snowball and Athene’s talked about Polaris" there was a mischievous look in his purplish eyes as he added "The two of them used to be on a team together."


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Athene sipped at his hot chocolate as he walked "I’m glad that you’ve been well too" he said quietly to Hamal with a small smile "And I’m always happy to come out with you if you ever want a patrol partner."


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"As am I" Liryn added cheerfully, because he enjoyed being out and about and out and about was always better with company. "Have you been to your wonder Venice?"


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Athene glanced over at Liryn and Hamal at the small mauvian’s statement "It was a while ago, but yes I was" he admitted "Polaris was very kind to me when I was just starting out." His lips quirked in amusement at Liryn’s next, and for the mauvian rather predictable question, "Liryn is very interested in space travel" he said, before his attention shifted to the taller squire walking next to him as the other mentioned his full name.

What were the chances?

"This is probably going to sound really odd Venice" he said, a rueful note slipping into his voice "But you do you happen to know an Arian Laith by any chance Venice?"

And whilst he couldn’t be certain, not with the glamour, and for all he knew Kim Seung could just happen to be a common Korean name - it was such a coincidence that Athene couldn’t help but ask.


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“Oh! I never met Polaris, Venice-hyung did though.” And she was sure she’d mentioned that once before to Athene or the cat in her arms, maybe both. “I heard she is lovely...and friendly.” Hadn’t her cousin been to her wedding...up on Polaris? She was sure her cousin had told her as much. The idea of a wedding, or any event with lots of people, up in space was wondrous in a magical fairytale sense to her. A place with magic...far removed from the normal world...and a place where people once had been but no more. To bring some life and spirit to the place - it must have been amazing. She wondered, not for the first time, about her own homeworld.

She wanted to go, and knew she should, but she was nervous over what would remain there...what she would find. It troubled her and kept her from jumping to go.

“We should patrol more often then...if you don’t mind Athene...Liryn.” She wanted that, to patrol with other people. She didn’t want to do it on her own, she wanted to be with other people.


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“I have...many times. It is a grand theater. Ahh, I see. Liryn, if you want we can go soon - together to my wonder.” The offer was made with ease as he smiled towards the cat in his younger cousins arms. “But light is big problem...natural light does not get past entrance room...theater is all dark.” As was the rest of the building. The lack of light was a big issue and one he needed to fix, he was working on it. He had a lot to fix and it was slow going...but he was working on it.

The eternals question had him staring for a moment. “I do...why do you ask?” He already had a feeling he knew where this was going though, it was something right out of a drama...really it was. “You are him?” He asked then, almost sure he knew the answer.


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"She is" Athene said quietly, his quiet words an agreement to both comments because Princess Polaris was both friendly and an all out lovely person - at least as far as he was concerned.

"I haven’t seen her in a while though" he admitted, "Although that is probably to be expected" because Polaris had always seemed busy "But she has always made time when she can."

He couldn’t help but glance over at Liryn as Venice made his offer, the amused look back on his face as the small mauvian piped up in agreement almost on cue, a purr touching his words as purplish eyes looked over at Venice.


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"I’d love that" Liryn said, his purplish eyes excited "I always enjoy visiting new places and I’m not worried about a bit of dark."

And he wasn’t because after all he was a cat - well at least in this form he was.

His attention shifted to Hamal "And I’d love to patrol with you too."


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"I’d be happy to come out on patrol with you as well Hamal" Athene agreed with a nod, "Or even just chat about powered stuff."

His attention shifted back to Venice as the other stared at him following his question, but at Venice’s counter question he nodded "My non senshi name is Arian Laith" he admitted quietly "And whilst I know that it might be a complete coincidence I did happen to do some English tutoring sessions with a Kim Seung."


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“I’ll take you soon then Liryn. I only worry because it is a mess and the darkness does not help.” Not if something is missed. He knew cats had good night vision, everyone did really, but how good? There was really no way to fully know just how well a cat or dog saw, since they didn’t have the same eyesight, through science and such did have a good idea. He figured they weren’t likely to be spot on. “I’ve been working on cleaning and decorating...new things to make it better.“ To update it and bring it around….make it comfortable. It was a slow process though - very slow. It was worth it though, it was turning out nice.

Turning his focus from the cat and back onto the eternal senshi his head nodded once. “I thought so; your question told me that. It is good to see you are well and to know you here as well now. Your English lessons have helped a lot.” And they had, he had gotten better. It wasn’t something ever taught in school back in Korea. They learned for the exams...not much beyond that. So he’d had to work on the rest and Arian, Athene, had helped a lot with that.


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“Please, I would appreciate that. I don’t really like the idea of patrolling alone..and I don’t want to ask my family all the time.” She spoke softly, smiling at her elder cousin, as he seemed to know the eternal. That was nice to see, Seung-hyung needed more friends especially amongst the senshi and knight community. He had his family but how many did he know outside of his family? It didn’t seem like a lot to her, not that she was any better...she was worse in fact. She knew no one but her family and the two here with them.

“I’d like to have you both as friends...to talk to and patrol with. Maybe even just...as civilians…” She really didn’t have many friends….any friends actually. She just was silent in class and kept to her books and tried to ignore the few who teased her, because it did happen.

“Ummm...we can also go to my planet sometime...I haven’t yet….I’m just nervous.” She didn’t want to see what had been lost...what destruction might be there waiting for her. It made her nervous and it bothered her, emotionally.


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Liryn gave Hamal a gentle head butt "But of course" he said, his cheerful voice matter of fact, because he already considered her a friend "And I’m always happy for you to give me a call - and not just for senshi stuff - you can call me anytime..."

He closed one purplish eye in a deliberate wink before adding "And I’d love to see your planet too."


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Athene nodded in agreement, "I’d be happy to come out on patrol with you if you ever want the company" he said quietly, lips tilted in a small smile "And you’re always welcome by my apartment - I can’t remember if I mentioned it but my flatmate is a senshi too and totally won’t mind."

He pulled out his senshi phone and tapped out a quick message before hitting send, one that Hamal would find had all his civilian contact details as Arian once she opened it.

"And I’m also happy for us to be friends" and whilst Athene wasn’t quite as exuberant as Liryn had been, the quiet words were equally as genuine.


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“Thank you Liryn, that means a lot.” Especially the part about it not needing to be senshi stuff she called him for. She could use some friends outside of being a senshi, not that she really had any senshi or knight friends either. But it was nice to have friends as a civilian...even if it was a talking cat, and she was limited in what they could do and where. She was sure she could take him shopping with her, in a carrier of some sort, maybe get whispered opinions from him.

“It’s hard to meet people here...or maybe it’s just me.” Shrugging a bit the dark haired female smiled gently at the cat. “Thank you Athene, I’d like that a lot. I don’t think I could handle a fight if I got into one ever...I’m actually a bit scared to be honest.” It was why she typically went out with her cousins, or cousin in law, and that was it. She would, in time perhaps, start going out on her own. But that would take time, she knew it, until then though having more people she could go on patrol with was good - needed even.

“You did mention your flatmate. I’d like to meet them I think.” Figuring on they were nice, otherwise she didn’t think Athene would be friends with a mean person. “I’d like to feel a bit more….apart of things I guess...less alone.” And less separate from things.


Sleet Tempest Snape