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"No," Scylla said after a moment. "I stayed outside. With Caedus. My particular skill set is based around some unique defensive abilities that I hoped would come in handy if they tried to get the portal..." she inhaled, lips thinning. She knew what it was to have nightmares. Scylla reached out for the other senshi, brushing slim, soft fingers over her cheek before leaning in, body shifting to tug the other girl into a hug as she wiped at her tears.

It wasn't fair. Moments like this Sabine looked, perhaps... Young. Oh, Jada knew she was hardly a grandmother as far as ages went, but she felt it. Old. And it grew into a slow, progressively resignation that sometimes flared up into fury. None of them should be in this fight. Too many of them were children, and breaking too soon.

"I need a hug," she lied simply, same as she would when her children cried, "I hope you don't mind."

The other senshi leaned into the hug and Jada felt something in her core crack and give way. When was the last time she had such simple contact from someone close to her own age? Casual hugging for the sake of touch, with no sensual goal in mind? Was it Elzo, way back in January? Fiona, perhaps, or a brief shoulder bump with Ida? Something more than twined arms and a casual lean.

Scylla was touch starved, and she was terrified to think of how clearly it showed in the way she leaned in to Sabine's hug, eyes closing and trying not to shake. Such casual contact was frowned upon, frequently, and she just didn't have people close enough to her anymore to impose. The book had said it best- All my Friends are Dead.

Clearly, this was another sign she needed to make new ones.

"Sabine, I understand the need for a little bit of a breakdown now and then." she used to cope with alcohol. Now she was starting to cope with Scylla. Aggression. Violence. Contact, any way she could get it that wasn't booze and drugs. "I awakened at 17, and I ran away from responsibility for a while. My family couldn't handle the lies, the missed holidays. The hospital stays. How many times could I be attacked by terrorists, honestly."

She didn't let go of Sabine, talking into the other woman's hair. "They say nothing worth doing is easy, but ******** this s**t sometimes."

So young. Scylla closed her eyes. "Too young to have to worry about this s**t, and yet here we are. We have chibis, whatever the hell that really means, and- Sabine, you should be having to start thinking bout what college you want to go to and checking your prerequisites, not having to worry about some freak trying to kill you at 2:00 in the morning." tanbned arms tightened briefly around the younger woman.

"Keeping up two lives is hard. And trying to decide between the two is hard. On one hand, if you disconnect yourself too much from one, you lose sight of what you're fighting for." Scylla fought for her family. For four little siblings who had lost their mother and their sister to a war they didn't even know was going on. For someone she loved to have a future, even if it wasn't with her. For her father, in hopes it wasn't too late, that she wouldn't have to look at him and realize he had been corrupted by her mortal enemies. For the best friends she had lost.

But now she had nothing left for when the fight was over. Her friends were gone, her family was falling apart, and while it couldn't be blamed on the war, the war was at fault for driving her to the places she had gone. "You just need to make sure there is something left of where you started that you can go home to when the war is over."

Pursing her lips, Jada hazarded, "I think therapy is a good way to start," she said at last. "I tried to go without it. And I know adults tell you all the time to listen, but... get in early. You can't therapy everything, you can't tell everything, so it won't be as effective, but... "As for the rest, you're welcome to add me to your senshi phone," she agreed with a smile, "I'd love to get someone to patrol with on occasion."

Scylla nodded weakly, but approvingly, as Sabine agreed to check out therapy. "You might be surprised just how much it might help," she said honestly, "Not just your parents, but you." Scylla knew that sigh far too well. She had made that same noise more than once over the years that led up to her eventual withdrawal from senshi life- at least for a while.

As the other girl pulled out her phone, Scylla did the same, double-checking to see if Sabine was in her senshi-phone contacts from her earlier homework, to identify who went with what names and try to find appropriate contacts for her little thank you notes. "I'll take both the numbers," she agreed, "But Sabine, I'm twenrty-four. I can't imagine your parents would embrace you striking up a friendship with someone my age unless they thought you were babysitting for me."

Her lips quirked. "But you're right. As senshi and as people, sticking together is a great idea. There's no one who can better understand what we go through than each other." It was hardly professional, but it was better than falling to alcohol like she had done. "Maybe one day we'll get a psychiatrist trained up who can handle magical warzones." red lips quirked wryly.

Scylla laughed as Sabine began to list off all her adult friends, and nodded along with each one. At the end, she mildly ommented, "But not one of those mentioned was listed as a terribly underpaid model." or an heiress, though anything was possible; but neither of those professions screamed 'good influence' to most parents, at least as far as random strangers as friends went.

"As a general rule, I think most people don't like their friends' exes, though there are exceptions. I know my friends have dated some dirtbags." It was easier to avoid discussion of networking. "No need to worry about cattiness." She patted Sabine on the shoulder with a grin.

Fake it til I make it. It was what Jada did. She sucked at it. She didn't share. Sabine developing more support than Jada had, at a much younger age. She would be alright. "I wonder if we can bribe a cat to go degree-hunting, start sniffing around all the psych students looking for a likely senshi?"

Selfish was definitely one way to put it. Scylla just gave the girl a toothy smile, tucking her hair back behind her ear. "Phychiatrists and moral implications aside, the fact is we need everyone we can get on our side right now. Alliances and networking is more important than ever." she nodded her head. "That little card I gave you- use it to take a friend out to dinner or something."

Scylla would need to think about doing something like that herself. She was growing her list of potential friends and allies, and now the time would be coming to water them and turn them into a network of actual friends of something. (And yet, not one of them as Jada.)

And yet she still needed so many hugs. Stretching out her legs, she considered the time on her cell phone.

She had invaded the other senshi's privacy; and she usually wouldn't be powered up on this particular night. "Did you have any questions for me, Sabine?"

It was a valid point she hated having to make. This war was a mess, and it seemed like it would never come to an end. Or if it did, it would be an end that was tragic for everyone. Sabine's nod was a relief- moments of happiness as simple as a free dinner with a friend or two made all the difference in keeping this from consuming you. Or so she assumed- she'd always let it consume her, and this time... she was doing something similar.

"I appreciate that, Sabine," Scylla told the younger senshi with a warm, genuine smile, that hovered close to lighting her eyes. "And I can offer you the same thing. I typically go to Scylla on Wednesdays, meet a friend on Thursdays, and don't power up most Saturday evenings because of my wards, but my phone is always at hand for emergencies or I can adapt my plans with warning.

Standing, she dusted her hands over her thighs, brushing away imagined dirt. "I will... Mercy. And if you think of anything I can do to help, or any questions I can try and answer, you know how to reach me now." Scylla hadn't given her own personal information yet, but she spent so many nights as Scylla, she was fairly sure she could be reached easily enough. Maybe... soon.

But she needed to be a little more cautious, now. For Giulia. For Aidan. Not that she thought Mercy was... but... she bit into her lip with straight white teeth and said, lowly, "Jada. And... if you come across anyone on our side who is in a situation where they need help in their civilian life- newly purified, or needs a job, whatever, tell them they can reach out to Scylla, okay?"

Sabine would pass the message along, and Scylla inhaled with a soft shake to the breath at how much potential damage- the risk, danger, the kids, what if Sabine told the wrong person-- But she couldn't live shrouded in doubt. She had come back intending to care for the twins and take a stand like she hadn't in that Dystopian Future. "Thank you," she told the younger woman.

"Just don't worry so much about what defines an actual emergency that it turns into one." Scylla gave her an amused smile. "With what I do for a living, an odd schedule is to be expected, so it wouldn't be hard to hide it if I have to run here and there to help you out. As for a sitter, I can add you to the rotation if you're actually interested in extra income. I'll send you a text if it comes up."

Sabine stood, and Jada's eyes lit. Another Crystal girl, hmm? "If you find yourself in need, I know a few old ways in and out that I used back in my day." she made sure to drawl out the back in my day for extra old-woman emphasis. "A couple got closed off when their students kept getting stabbed, but there are always sneaky ways. And you're right- not going to school won't do. Remember- make sure you have something left for when the war is over."

She gave the other senshi a broad smile. "Yes. We'll need to meet again, Sabine. I look forward to it."