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To Encke's credit, he primarily felt bad. He could understand why she wouldn't have wanted her sister to be part of this, especially if she was a squire herself. No doubt she had seen this, no doubt she had seen the worst parts of the war and her sister was only a teenager. It would be easier if she wasn't part of this, easier if she could just escape, easier if they could both escape and be safe, assuredly.

But Encke had learned everything had always come back.

Viatrix heard how hoarse the squire sounded and determined she was more concerned about soon-to-be Cepheus because it didn't seem like the squire would actually get in her way. Her eyes lit up as she saw what Zee was wearing disappear and change into something much more senshi like, and also very cool--she appreciated the hat, the way her curls were split, the dripping and swirling design on her skirt--

"Cepheus!" Viatrix clapped her paws together in some form of applause. "There you are! How does it feel?"

She approached Cepheus carefully, bumping her in the leg with her head as a way of showing her affection, purring as an undercurrent to her words. "I love your fit! The hat, the boots, the dress--"

Encke looked between Cepheus -- who should have been feeling joy in this moment, and under the influence of Viatrix honestly would likely get an opportunity to feel that -- and Anakeion, who was understandably frustrated and defeated-- "I'm sorry," he decided to speak to the squire more, instead. "I'm not gonna try to make this better, because I can't," he had already tried and it hadn't worked, "but-- we'll help watch over her."

Encke got the message-- she was determined to protect her sister, and she was determined to make sure the people who pulled her into this at least kept her safe. That was fair. The accusing tone she used might have made Encke uncomfortable if he didn't get where she was coming from, because to be honest, if he had seen Anser be awakened he couldn't promise he wouldn't have been the same...

Well.

He wouldn't have come in with the threat to join the Negaverse, but.

"I'll do my best to prevent anything happening to her, alright?" He let out a quiet sigh. "And trust me, Viatrix takes care of all the senshi she claims. And-- by awakening her, I can assure you Viatrix has already claimed Cepheus."

Viatrix, who was listening to Cepheus' words carefully, pondering why she might have said nice as a question. She bumped Cepheus' leg again, still purring at her and mixing that with her words as she said, "It's okay if you don't have the words for it right now. Becoming a protector of a world is a lot, right?"

She sat down in front of her, wiggling as she got comfortable. "But you have a way to protect yourself and the people you love, now! And I can help you!" Next up, she produced a phone, reaching up to hand it to Cepheus. "This might help you out. It's a way to connect to us, see the database, call out distress signals if needed."

Viatrix might have taken offense to Anakeion's snarking about other guardians, but also she couldn't necessarily blame her. The fact that she had picked up so many senshi over the years--and not just people she had awakened, she had helped Keiko and Cybele too, for example--spoke to some of the truth of that. There was complication too, though; how many of their own had been taken by Chaos, and how many of their own had died from Chaos?

There wasn't any nice way they could protect themselves--

Viatrix chose not to address it and instead focused her attention fully on Cepheus beyond an annoyed glance back at Anakeion. She purred harder when she was pat, pushing her head into Cepheus' hand and happily letting her touch her. "The database! It's something my friends and I managed to get working right recently," she scrunched her nose, "but now it's where members of Order report people of the other side who are both friendly and not so friendly. Here, let me show you!"

She took the phone she had already set aside for Cepheus and opened up the database, holding it out to her with two paws. "See? You can scroll through it, I'll wait!"

Encke couldn't help his wry smile when Anakeion snarked on guardians, and he saw Viatrix's glare, but he figured it was best that he not lean into it. "I've only met a few guardians who I'd really recommend, honestly," and that was true--he obviously got along well with Viatrix, but there was also Julienne, and he supposed Viatrix's friends-- "But Vi's one of the good ones. Promise."

He glanced toward Viatrix and Cepheus, adding, "See, she's already showing her things."

Viatrix's world was narrowing down to Cepheus, too. Her bonded could handle whatever the knight was getting so upset about--though, with a glance, she could tell the knight's fight was flagging--she had a new senshi to help inform, to help train, to help protect. She quietly and eagerly watched Cepheus scroll through the database, ready to tag in and offer any explanations needed.

No point in rushing her. She was new and Viatrix wanted her to understand what was in front of her. She, admittedly, was eager to explain the whole space part, though--

Encke offered a lop-sided, sympathetic smile. A lot that she hadn't wanted just happened over the last half-hour or so, and he offered, "Thanks for being willing to trust me on this one."

He paused, fished in his subspace pocket, and held out a chocolate bar.

"We'll figure this out."