((this rp takes place on the 6th March, in the same period as this rp, but later through the day))

Wakefulness was something that had come slowly, as reluctant eyelids drifting slowly up and then down and then eventually up again–

But eventually Athene had woken up enough to sit up and blink somewhat owlishly at his surroundings - and somewhat longer for it to dawn on him that he was still on his asteroid.

It came back slowly, as he reluctantly shifted and forced himself to stand up.

A thermos cup of what was left of the hot chocolate had helped, even if by then the 'hot' had been something of a misnomer.

Athene managed to rummage up another cookie from the bag that he'd packed and munched on it absently as he glanced around his surroundings - and he still wasn't sure just what it was about this particular building had drawn him to it, given its similarity to the other buildings outside–

But there was there was something about this place.. Something that felt almost...

Peaceful.

Athene shook his head slightly as he finished up the cookie and started to munch on another.

And it seemed like a dwelling of some sort, even if like the other buildings it was long empty.

Although it wasn't as if he'd seemed to mind, he reminded himself ruefully, not given the way that he'd upped and fallen asleep.

The ground floor hadn't been too bad inside, although the front door had been missing, but parts of the room on the first floor had been a mess.

There hadn't been a second floor.

Well okay there may have once been a second floor, given that there had been a staircase leading upwards that Athene hadn't quite been confident enough to dare try–

But given that it had been pretty clear said staircase had led up and into open daylight, it seemed relatively safe to assume that the second floor was long gone.

And whist he hadn't been able to find out what it was about this building that seemed to give off an almost peaceful feeling, Athene had at least managed to find out that it only seemed to be this particular building that made him feel this way - because he had taken the time to walk back to a couple of the other buildings that he had walked by earlier along the way.

However he hadn't felt quite ready to make the trip back to Destiny City, so he had found himself instead puttering around inside - nothing big or anything, just stacking up a little of the rubble in a pile outside–

And then at some point his sleepless night must have finally caught up with him given the way that he had sat and drifted off, although given that it had come on top of a few such nights, maybe it wasn't too surprising.

Mayhaps.

But the last time that he'd fallen asleep on his asteroid had been more of a deliberate thing, after he and Thraen had visited that one time.

Although it had been some time since Athene had last seen the Senshi of Gardens and he hadn't really stayed overnight at his asteroid since–

And if truth-be-told, Athene wasn't sure if he could see that changing given that he never managed to find the same connection to his home world as some of the others had - like Ida had.

But perhaps he would come here again.

Perhaps.

But for now it was probably time to return back home to Destiny City, given that he had stayed much later than planned.

Athene finished munching on the cookie and put the empty bag bag back into subspace before picking up the empty thermos–

And then he pulled his senshi phone from out of subspace and used the star app to take him back to Destiny City.

-- 626 words --