Welcome to Gaia! ::

Super Sailor Pasiphae didn't understand how other Senshi did it. Sure, her own fuku was warm enough--long tights, long gloves, full skirt--but even despite all of that her breath lingered as small, white puffs in the air and goose bumps covered any exposed skin. How did other Senshi survive the cold, especially those that wore far less?! She wasn't sure, but she vowed that the next time she came out on a winter's night she would bring a coat. It was only going to get colder as the season wore on.

Why was she out on a school night, shivering in the dark? Because Pasiphae was worried. That in and of itself was not altogether strange; the insecure teenager worried about an ever increasing list of things, personal and Senshi related. In particular, however, at this moment the Shame Senshi was acting on a worry that had been gnawing at her mind for awhile--ever since Ganymede had offhandedly mentioned that she was not the Senshi of Madness. No... the Senshi of Madness was, and always would be, Kallichore. And ever since then, she had worried in the back of her mind about Kallichore... about where the more experienced Senshi was and whether or not she was alright. Maybe it was the slaughter of civilians and Senshi before her eyes that had compounded this worry; maybe it was the nagging responsability Pasiphae felt for encouraging (rightly so, in her eyes) the other Senshi to abandon the Blood Moon Court. Maybe it was just some underlying facet of her normally anxious personality. Whatever the cause, the teenager knew at least one thing for certain:she had not seen her fellow Jovian since the meeting months ago, since they had come together over the threat of the newly created Dark Moon Court. And with everything that had happened... that was far too long to go without seeing someone.

So, Pasiphae had taken a step that was rare for her and intiated contact on her own, with no real reason or justification other than concern. She hated, fretted, over the feeling that she was probably blowing the matter out of proportion, that she would be bothering Kallichore needlessly. She did not want to do that... but at this point, the concern overpowered even this insecurity and had led her to send a message to the Senshi of Madness, asking her to meet on the library roof, where they had had their last private conversation. She bit her lip and waited, hoping that the call wasn't inappropriate... and that everything was okay.

Of all the welcomes she had been expecting to recieve when she turned to face Kallichore... this was certainly not one of them. The Shame Senshi was still adjusting, on some level, to the changes in her outfit, her abilities, and although those who had been with her during the battle to preserve the Surrounding had commented on the change... she did not feel like it was truly worthy of anyone's attention. So, her wind-blown cheeks grew heated under a small blush as she half-stammered, "Oh, um... it happened while I was in the Surrounding... when we were under attack... I guess my moon knew I needed the help."

More important, at least in Pasiphae's eyes, was that Kallichore had appeared. She was here. She was safe. (She was also, Pasiphae noted, somewhat wiser than she had been and come with a coat against the winter chill). She bridged the gap between them and took up the other Senshi's hands, breaking her own no-touching rule in her joy. "Thank you for coming... I was worried... so much has happened and I hadn't seen you in so long..."

Yet, even as she spoke... the teenager was keenly aware of a peculiar feeling in the aura that had announced her fellow Jovian's presence.Pasiphae recognized that feeling, and although she had not seen Kallichore for a while... she knew that, the last time they had met, her friend's aura had felt different. Her eyes immediately looked for the white wings that adorned other Eternal Senshi, but with the coat the Senshi of Madness had on, she could not see whether she had them or not. What she could see was a change in her gloves, in her foot wear, and so she hazarded an educated guess, "Although... it appears that I am not the only one who has grown?"

Pasiphae immediately protested whenever Kallichore draped her coat over her, "Oh, you don't need to give up your coat... I'll be fine, truly!" The removal of the coat, however, did allow the Super Senshi to get the full view of all of Kallichore's upgrades, her marroon eyes focusing especially on the flaring white wings that replaced the more typical bow. Still, there was much more to see, and the sight of her bare stomach made her increase her efforts to give back the coat. "I'll gladly tell you anything I can," she replied softly, in response to the goings on in the Surrounding and Destiny City since Kallichore had disappeared. She did not necessarily want to relive what she had experienced... but her friend deserved to know what had happened. All Senshi did.

The Shame Senshi could not say that she was proud, necessarily, in herself for growing stronger. She was glad to feel that she could be of further use, to know that she could better protect others by shielding them directly rather than just placing herself between them and danger. But proud? No... if only because while she knew she had grown stronger, granted more power by the distant moon from which she took her name, it did not make her feel more competent. Still, she could not blame her friend for her excitement, and she was glad to see her allies growing stronger, more able to guide her in her own struggles.

The mention of the Princess of the Dark Moon Court, while appropriate enough given the Madness Senshi's connection to her, made Pasiphae's smile fade somewhat. "Ares... has not come after any Jovians that I know of," Pasiphae reassured Kallichore quickly, but her words were quiet based on what she had seen in the Surrounding. "Ganymede, Europa, Valhalla, Sessrumnir, and Babylon... were all in the Surrounding, and they are all safe. I don't know about the others..."

No, the Jovians had not been directly affected... but that did not mean that the Dark Moon Court leader had not been busy. Her reassurance could not be complete based on what she had seen, but she tried to break the news as directly as possible. No amount of gentleness would fix this situation... but maybe doing it quickly, like ripping away a bandaid or reciving a flu shot, would make it marginally less painful. "But in the Surrounding she... corrupted several of the civilians who were there. There was no way to stop her... if she had her eyes on someone, she took them. I'm sorry, Kallichore..."

Pasiphae winced as she listened to her friend, her own voice drying up at the onslaught of emotions that cycled through Kallichore's facial features and voice. She felt guilty on some level for being the indirect cause of it all, but better to hear such news from a friend than not... or so she had always read in the books. Then again... Pasiphae was beginning to realize that the books left out a lot of what she was having to live through.

"Kallichore... even if you had been there, I'm not sure you could have done anything on your own. If anything... I think the events in the Surroundings show us that we need to work together." Pasiphae kept her voice soft, and although she didn't reach out to her friend again she did stand beside her to offer what little warmth and support she could provide. "We all attacked the Great Youma and the Negaverse forces as seperate units, either in small groups or as individuals. At times, we had to be both. But... what ended up actually defeating the enemy was all of us combining our powers, all of the energies from our planets, our stars... from whereever we draw out power into one large attack."

She licked her dry lips and paused for a moment. Her words so far had been informative more than reassuring... and what the Madness Senshi needed was reassurance. But the teenager knew that she could not understand, not completely, the way Kallichore felt, the pressure, the connection to Ares and those around her. If Pasiphae felt sorrow for those who had been corrupted, fear for the power that she had to stand against, the responsability to stop anyone else from falling into darkness... how much more did her fellow Jovian feel? She swallowed back her own feelings to pull out the words her friend needed to hear. So, she concluded with firmly, stating what she herself had to believe to sleep at night and hope that it aided Kallichore as well, "You don't have anything to be sorry for either, Kallichore. It's nothing you've failed to do, although it might seem that way. It's nothing... that we can't work to change. As long as we work together."

Pasiphae kept her gaze steadily locked on Kallichore's until the other Senshi turned away, but at first she said nothing. The Shame Senshi had asked herself many of the same questions, but for all her pondering she had few answers. It was disheartening, on some level, to hear Kallichore, an Eternal Senshi and someone who had told Pasiphae so much, sound so uncertain. The black-haired Senshi had become used to having Kallichore, Europa, or other, more experienced Senshi instruct her, reassure her, guide her. They had the answers, the power, and all she had to do was follow the dotted line they created, lend a helping hand in whatever task they tackled together.

But her outfit was not the only aspect of Pasiphae that had changed. Whatever she felt about her own abilities, she had seen a team work effectively together... and while she had always been willing to pull her own share, she was beginning to see just what that meant. It meant that, sometimes, no matter how little she liked it, she had to show a belief in herself, to verbally express her belief in others. It meant that she had to help find the answers and not just ask the question. It meant building relationships, if not friendships, and giving as much as taking. And, right now, it meant acting like a person of strength for someone who had always been there for her when she needed her. The Shame Senshi tapped a thoughtful finger against her chin, "I don't know for sure how purification works. I don't know who can save those that Chaos has corrupted... I don't know if it's a single Senshi, a team, or some... combination. I really don't even know what the procedure is, Kallichore--the only reason I know anything at all is because I overheard Castor and Knight Lina discussing who could be saved."

She paused here, her voice and demeanor becoming more self-concious; she was leaving the world of fact and entering that of opinion, "But I believe that they can be saved. I have to believe that they can be saved, that they're not just... lost. Whatever we need to do to save them, whatever we can do, we must. So... so I will continue to believe in the Senshi and the Knights, not just in our powers, but in us as people too."

"No!" The exclamation escaped from her mouth with far more force than she had intended, which caused the anxious teen to bite her bottom lip. The sentiment was not addressed as Kallichore but rather at the idea of forcing purification on an individual who did not want it. She thought that the matter had been laid behind her after discussing it with Ganymede, Valhalla, and Vindiamatrix. Yes, the Senshi of Madness had not been there to join in the discussion, but they had all come to the agreement so fast... she really should not have assumed anything with anyone else,but this was Kallicore. She paused her rushing thoughts in order to clarify for the other Senshi, an unusual steely look in her marroon eyes echoing her conviction, "Even if we could, physically, force them to be purified... ethically we couldn't. We wouldn't be any better than Chaos then."

Her voice softened somewhat as she continued, a sense of sadness welling within her. She was not the one to talk about strength, in her opinion, not wen she was only just beginning to build some confidence and understanding in who and what she was. But weakness? She knew about that, and she offered her explanation, "It is easy... to be weak, I think. It is easy to think you can do a bad thing beause you feel you have to, it is easy not to do something because you think its someone else's responsibility. And once you start down the path... I think it's far easier to stay on than to break away. We have a hard path, Kallichore, and you know that... probably better than me. But... we have each other, and together... we'll find a way."

A sudden gust of wind rustled her skirt and sent a chill across her legs, even with her long stockiing socks. It was only getting colder the later it got, and in the back of her mind she was thinking of how Chris had been concerned about them gathering too long in one place. She had already revealed herself to several of the other Jovians, and she had no real problem doing so with Kallichore. But how did one go about suggesting that? She did it, as she always did, somewhat hesitantly, scuffing the rooftop with the heel of her boot as she asked, "Valhalla's been worried about our energy attracting unwanted attention, if we linger together too long. So, if it's okay with you... I could power down? You don't... um, you don't have to tell me who you are, if you don't want to, but..." She broke off to look down at the bracelet she twisted nervously around her wrist before finishing in a rush, "But I trust you, and so it's okay with me if you know who I am."

Pasiphae was startled with the ease with which Kallichore left her powered form--but more than anything else, she was humbled. Here she was, making the situation overly dramatic and complicated and the Madness Senshi just... acted. She did not recognize the gray-haired teen that stood before her, but that was okay. Even if they hadn't known one another before... they knew each other now. That was what mattered. In response, she allowed her own power to fade away, bead and pearl detail disappearing into something far less extravagent.

Penelope Seneca was, in some ways, not so different from Pasiphae. Same quiet demeanor. Same insecurities. Same maroon eyes. In others, she was very different--no more glamour to add sophistication, no more mask behind which to hide. She released the deep breath she hadn't realized she was holding, a stream of steam escaping her lips before she smiled softly. This was... Kallichore, in front of her. But more than Kallichore, the better part... the human part. Penelope took the sign of trust for exactly what it was, and she wondered, as she always did, what she had done to deserve such trust. Not just from the Senshi of Madness, but from Chris, Tallulah, Aurora, Harper... so many.

The girl rubbed her arms, cold even through her knit pink sweater. She had chosen a brown velvet skirt that stretched above her boots to complement it, but even that thick fabric seemed inadequate in the night air. She approached the girl-behind-Kallichore and placed a gentle hand on her arm. Normally she would not be so bold, but... it was cold, and the other girl seemed so distraught. Kallichore had taught her so much, been the gateway to so much... and there was still the relief that she was safe, whole, in a world where not everyone could say that. "Let's get off the roof... and I'll finish telling you everything we talked about. Maybe you can suggest something we overlooked." Then, after a moment's hesitation, "I'm Penelope... Penelope Seneca. It's nice to meet you... again."

"Christa," Penelope repeated, commiting the name to memory. Christa. Short for Christabelle, but that part did not matter as much because it was not what the gray-haired teen wanted to be called. Christa. Just Christa.

She allowed herself to be led to the door, grateful on some level for the physical contact that she normally didn't seek. It was a small thing, really, and perhaps one that went unnoticed, but for Penelope it was a sign of their closeness that both could just allow contact so freely. She did break way, however, when reaching the door, holding it open so that the other teen could go in first. "Oh, well, I wouldn't call it a plan yet because we haven't... talked about it formally, with the whole Court. But Vin, Valhalla, Ganymede, and I met to talk and decided that we couldn't force anyone to be purified. And, um... about public relations, a little, a way to get good information about Senshi out, maybe through an anonymous podcast or something. So that the people of the city could learn better who to trust and how to protect themselves. But... I don't know if that'll happen."

She continued to fill the other Senshi in as the walked, grateful to be able to have someone else to discuss it all with. It helped crystallize that her friend, her ally, was safe. It made the terror of having to call her worth while.