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After the giant waste of time that had masqueraded as an all-senshi meeting, Foramen was more than willing to follow Astraea's order of de-transforming and splitting the area. Like he wanted to mingle with the others, or be spotted powering down and have his cover blown. (And sure, he knew it was coming eventually, especially considering the original agreement with Bearcat-Awoken-From-Hibernation and her nicer companion had been to keep his gender a secret, not his identity -- but that didn't mean he wasn't going to hold it off for as long as he possibly could.)

His plan of leaving has just hit one road-block. An armor-clad, purple-haired, furry-eared and -tailed road-block.

"Zue!" Foramen was calling out before he realised it. "Wait up!"

Chasing after the Zodiac Cat, Foramen took the opportunity to study Sue's latest form. It appeared the Cat Whisperer had moved beyond speaking and into the realms of becoming a Cat Metamorphmagus. Foramen wondered if this meant a fully feline form was to follow. Well, he was standing right on front of the easiest place to get answers...

Perhaps due to his armor-envy, Foramen gave an innocent smile (that fooled no one) and asked, "What's new, pussycat?"

(He could sing the rest, but decided to spare Zue. No one liked a Tom Jones impressionist, especially from a boy who passed as a girl.)

Foramen didn't bother to take any offense at Zue's less-than-amused rejoinder. The redhead would have had far worse to say if someone tried that kind of s**t on him. He didn't pay much attention to insults anyway, even when coming from one of the few, few people respected and liked didn't hate the company of.

Plus, it had been a shitty day. Foramen wasn't expecting it get any better.

... Though it could clearly get much, much worse. Shuddering at the mention of the Geminis, Foramen nodded quickly. "God, yes. Now. Five minutes ago. Just don't make me deal with those two today."

Transforming again seemed to have made his fractured left arm feel slightly better, but Foramen was still favouring it slightly. Or at least, ensuring it wasn't jostled, or the arm closest to anyone that might reach out and touch.

"You have somewhere in mind?" he asked Zue. "We could head to mine... I've got daylight to kill, and a day like today needs beer to dull the pain." Literally and figuratively. At least Kirin had the perks of no parents (or housemates) and a fridge packed with alcohol. For emergencies. Like now.

Foramen gave a tiny smile as Zue accepted the offer. It would be more relaxing for Foramen to be on home ground, and there'd be no chance of anyone overhearing sensitive talk like there would be in a public place. His brain flagged the minor detail that he didn't seem at all worried about inviting someone else into his sanctuary - Foramen noted it and tucked it away for later perusal. Now was the time for beer, not for examining motives and reactions more closely.

He waited until Zue powered down to Sue. Checking the streets and rooftops and alleyways (oh god, there was so many places people could hide in this city!) to make sure there were no prying eyes, Foramen followed suit.

Hopefully Sue hadn't been repressing or forgetting about Kirin's crossdressing. He was in a skirt-over-jeans like usual, and wore a baggy sweater that didn't quite conceal a cast on his left arm.

"I guess?" Kirin raised an eyebrow as school became the topic of choice. It beat the weather, he supposed. "I've just been going straight to and from classes. I'm being 'ever-so-subtly' checked up on, after the excuses I made for hospitalisation after BP. It should let up soon, and then I can take my time getting home again, without anyone thinking I've passed out in a ditch somewhere."

School was kind of a non-event. People didn't really know him, and so they didn't bother him. Not like Sue who had half the Zodiacs attending and aware of his identity. "What's it like schooling with the terrible duo?" Kirin remained thankful for staying off their radar (so far).

There was a minute pause when Sue mentioned his mother, but it was gone quick enough. Kirin flashed an uneasy smile. "I guess. My grades were up and down all over the place for the past year or two, so I guess no credit doesn't seem so strange on my record." Other than that, Kirin couldn't really relate to having someone check over his grades and hassle him at home... He didn't bother to explain now, they'd be at Kirin's place soon enough.

Sue's suddenly intense gaze right after mentioning extra senshi belonging to the Zodiac court had Kirin ready to start panicking. Eyes wide, he was prepared to run and hide when Sue gave his verdict. Kirin wondered if Sue knew what mixed signals he was giving out - 'damn' and 'lucky' in the same breath, like Sue couldn't decide if he felt let down or not. Kirin was feeling very firmly on the 'lucky' side, though.

"Thank god," he said, heartfelt. In case that sounded too anti-Zodiac, he added, "If I was connected to your princess somehow, I'd want to be feeling a stronger connection to her than I did when she went all butterfly on us." Nothing like the instant worship he'd felt for Serenity-possessing-Chronos. Not that Kirin really wanted to feel that again. Goddamn brainwashing.

"Up here," Kirin nodded to apartment building they were coming up to. It was small for the area, but a far cry from the welfare ones a few suburbs away. Kirin was up on the fourth of six floors, unreachable by uninvited guests... unless they happened to be small and agile, with the ability to make long or tall leaps, and then squeeze through a barely-open window. Say, like a cat.

Kirin was still in the dark about the significance of Astraea's wardrobe change. For such an "important" meeting, they sure hadn't been given any useful information. Oh wait, they had a former traitor among them (yay!) and now had to work in groups because the secret enemy was even more dangerous (double yay!). Not to mention Kirin's favourite part, phones that let all other senshi know when he was transformed into Foramen and close by, and let them CALL HIM. What the ******** the senshi had all been such giant suck-ups - and stupid suck-ups, at that - except for the black feathered girl who didn't want to work with others any more than Kirin did. Hmph. If he had to work with anyone, maybe he should try her. At least she wouldn't expect to become bosom buddies after battle.

"Yeah, I definitely wouldn't have guessed that either, " he told Sue. "Considering I have zero clue who Luna is or what the hell was going on there. Another case of possession, like Serenity?" Though Luna hadn't inspired any more devotion that Astraea did, which was to say, none at all.

"Who else...?" came the weak echo. Eyesbrows raised, Kirin gave Sue a beseeching look. Please say Sue didn't mean more crazy possessions or weirdos popping up. There had been more senshi at that meeting than Kirin could (be bothered to) count. They didn't need more. Especially not weird magical-catgirl wardrobe changes, complete with new hairdo and coloured contacts.

Kirin shook his head. "There needs to be much more beer before this conversation," he decided. Thankfully they'd reached the fourth floor and made their way to the end of the hall. After digging around in his pocket for his keys, Kirin opened the door and gestured Sue inside.

If the apartment seemed like nothing much on the outside, the apartments themselves were a surprise. Larger than average for the area, and mostly left alone as would-be burglers targeted blocks that had the fancy outside to match. Plus, spending less on the apartment itself meant more money left over for furnishing it.

"It's nothing too grand, but make yourself at home. Mi casa es su casa, and all that crap." Spanish. Not Kirin's strong point. Making a beeline for the fridge, Kirin left Sue to explore or find a seat.

With his head inside the fridge, it took Kirin a moment to parse Sue's question. Kirin stilled. A harsh breath echoed in the small, chilled space. This was, he told himself, all his own fault. He not only invited someone to his home, his sanctuary, but was stupid enough to let down his armor. Was it really so surprising to feel the pain of that question like a steel grip around his heart.

Closing his eyes, Kirin focused on rebuilding up the layer of ice that surrounded him, his shield, his armor, your ******** casket, his mind intruded. The cans of beer felt warm in his hands. That startled him back into action. Grabbing two different cans, he made his way back to the couches and passed a can off. A raised eyebrow dared Sue to comment on the brand name - though Kirin half expected one anyway, after his earlier jibe at Sue.

"It's just me here," he said, taking a seat on the free couch. Calm and cool, Kirin gave off the impression that there was nothing to see here, these aren't the droids you're looking for, move along. "Thankfully the apartment was already bought a long time ago. Now my grandfather pays the rest of the bills - says I should get an education before I worry about a job." He also had a lot to say about what sort of jobs Kirin should be aiming for, but Kirin didn't care about that any more than Sue would.

Kirin cracked open his beer and drank. "So, what's this whole Luna thing about? Since Astraea was her usual level of helpful - not at all."

More guardian cats? Kirin grimaced at the description of a yet-to-appear cat as an 'arrogant so-and-so'. "And Luna - I mean, Astraea - isn't?" he replied archly. "He'd either have to have the patient of a saint, or be an even bigger b*****d than she is, to tolerate working on the same team as her."

At least Sue didn't have to worry about extra cats. "Heh. I suppose your Zodiac team could be worse after all. Could be more Zodiac cats trying to butt into your business."

Though, really, could anything top the Geminis? Well, maybe a Guardian Cat for the Geminis that shared the same spaztastic, hive-mind that Andeon and Mackenzie did. That earned a full-body shudder.

"How's the whole thing going, anyway? I notice you finally grew ears and tail. And some nice armor," he added as an afterthought. Of course Sue got armor while Kirin was running around in sparkly bows and skirts.

Meanwhile, Kirin was starting to relax a little. Sue had once again proved he wasn't into the whole prying, touchy-feely, talk-about-your-feelings thing. He just kept on racking up points in Kirin's book.

"Yeah," Kirin drawled, "they were all up on their high horses about that. Not that it seems to keep them alive any better."

And oh crap, that was the wrong thing to say, he realised as the 'losing Sagittarius' comment finally parsed. A look of faint shock turned into an apologetic glance morphed back into Kirin's usual calm expression.

"Least you're trying. That's more than Astraea does. She - or Luna-her - managed to lose an entire team, and she still can't be assed to do anything other than insult anyone. Besides," another gulp of beer, "much as I hate to say anything that might get Bitchcat off the hook, at some point senshi have to take responsibility for their own ********. Some senshi get by just fine without any kind of Guardian Cat."

A quick, if not entirely reassuring, grin. "Like me."

He scratched at his head. Uncomplicated... really? He shrugged. "Well, nobody's died. Yet." A short, bitter laugh escaped. "Touch and go, maybe. I guess we'll see..."

Still a few more hours to kill. Nightfall meant all the visitors would be gone, the rounds minimal and predictable. Easy for a teleporter to sneak in, try a few starseeds, sneak back out.