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"Perhaps" Athene agreed quietly. He knew that whether they did or not did not change the fact that he remained a poor fit for a soldier.

Subamara's next words told him by surprise and Athene couldn't help the startled expression that flitted across his face.

As a senshi Athene knew that there were better senshi than him, stronger senshi than him - other senshi who seemed to be better at fighting in this war that they had all been caught up in - a war that he had never been asked if he wanted to fight.

He didn't have grand goals. Had never had grand goals and whilst it had never stopped him from doing what he could - even when what he could had been little more than simply muddling on - Athene had never kidded himself that he was anything than one of the smaller pieces.

He wasn't used to people telling him that he'd given them hope.

Finally he managed a small, shy smile "I'm glad I could help." And he really was.

It was why he had decided on his path as an eternal senshi out of the wreckage that had been his upgrade - to help those who were new so that they wouldn't have to stumble-learn the way that he had had to.

I want to be more like you

And just like that Athene couldn’t help but find himself being taken by surprise for a second time that night.

Because he wasn’t used to people stating that they wanted to be more like him either.

Given that he managed to prevent himself from gaping like a startled fish however, he rather thought that he managed to hide his surprise better this time round as he stood up himself and took her offered hand.

“Thank you” he said in answer to her offer, “Actually there is one thing.” He hesitated for a moment before continuing. “Would you mind letting me scan you into my senshi phone contacts before you go?” It was something that he tended to ask when he met new senshi. “I’m happy to let you scan me back.”

Although given that she had been the one to contact him, he that the counter-offer was perhaps somewhat redundant.

“By the way this doesn’t have to be a one time thing” he added as he waited for her answer. “If you have things you want to ask me then you can ping me whenever and I can’t promise that I’ll know the answer, I can promise that I’ll answer to the best of my ability.”

“Thank you” Athene said simply as he summoned the jade and bronze colour phone that was his senshi phone.

His phone was a different model to the one coloured in shades of brown from light creamy brown to a dark coffee-coloured brown that Subamara held in her hand.

It was one however that he recognised given that, aside from the colour it resembled his former phone.

It didn’t take long for him to scan Subamara into his contacts and after doing so he waited for a bit in case she wanted to repeat in kind.

He didn’t immediately slip his phone away once done, instead saying quietly “I couldn’t help but notice that you have the older model of senshi phone, so I thought I’d mention that the cats have come up with a new upgrade to the senshi phones” he held out his phone as he spoke so that she could take a look at it if she wanted as he added. “If you’d like one then you can probably try asking one next time you cross paths with one and I’m sure that they’ll be able to upgrade it for you or alternatively I can ask for you.”

After all he did happen to live with a guardian cat and given how Liryn had become such an instant convert to the new phones he also knew that the mauvian would happily upgrade Subamara’s phone. However Athene also recognised that the senshi phone upgrade wasn’t necessarily for everyone - after all it hadn’t been for Irene who had chosen to keep the other model.

But given that Subamara seemed about ready to leave, it was kind of a moot point - well at least it was for tonight - and it was also kind of getting late.

So he said quietly “It’s been nice meeting you Subamara but I should probably be making a move unless you have any questions for me?” He made it a question and waited to see if she had before adding “Take care and have a good evening.”

He started to make his way back the way he came and paused before turning and looking back for a moment “By the way I meant it when I said that this doesn’t have to be a one time thing - if you have things you want to ask me then you can ping me whenever.”

Then with a small wave and a jump he was down on ground level and from there he made his way off into the evening.