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Whenever Aithne left places (for example, the Mercenary Headquarters), at utterly insane hours of the night (cue glare at Pollux) she'd taken to walking back in her senshi form. If she'd learned anything these past few weeks it was this. Exposing your identity was giving someone major leverage and powered and otherwise unnatural things liked to prowl around Destiny City at night.

Crux was aware of something. She wasn't sure what it was, but it sent a sinister tingle down her spine. Looking left, she saw nothing. She looked to the right. In an alley, she could make out the silhouette of two figures. A man, a girl and lots of bad vibes. She saw the girl slump. Ah, suddenly Crux thought of the night outside DCU library. Was this energy sucking? She watched. The girl didn't seem to be in immediate danger. Though there was a sinister aura in the air, it was a weak one. If Crux was to trust her gut, it said that this was no biggie. It wasn't her responsibility to intervene every time some person decided to wander around at night. They knew the risks. They took them. If something had happened along the way...well, it wasn't her responsibility either way. She shifted, must have brought her foot unwittingly down upon a twig because there was a resounding snap.

The man's head shot up. He looked around trying to find the source of the noise. Crux tensed. He gave up, withdrawing into the shadows where her eyes could not follow. The girl seemed fine, she was still leaning against the wall.

No harm done. Crux moved on. She could almost feel the softness of her bed, of the down comforter and soft quilt rising up to meet her.

She imagined it in her mind: soft down comforter, a warm cotton blanket, plush pillows and the smell of clean linen. Crux could imagine sinking into her bed, could hear the creak of her bones so worn and tired, could imagine never getting up again. She was tired, tired and grumpy.

The sudden call made her tense. What if the negaverse agent had not truly left? Had they felt her presence, had they known she was there, had they set a trap to catch her? An inward groan, she didn't want to fight. Crux wanted to sleep. Her mind raced through all the possible scenarios, that when she turned around, ready for a fight, it was almost more of a shock to see the senshi.

Crux turned slightly. She was looking back at the senshi who had flagged her down. In the dim light, she was aware of the bared thighs, stomach and shoulders. If the senshi was cold, she gave no indication of it. Her face had an apathetic almost stern expression. Whoever was calling her out at this hour better have something worthwhile to say, to be keeping Crux from her rest.

[ I think we decided that she didn't have to go Princess, but we can see where the RP leads! 'v' ]

Immediately, Crux scowled. The hand on her hip, the icy tone that implied seniority. She didn't really like the way the other senshi spoke to her, as if she were more powerful and higher. She didn't like the way her body language seemed to imply that Crux had done something wrong. Last she checked, there was no one assigned to baby-sit her, nor watch over her every action. And she certainly didn't like the accusation of cowardice that girl seemed to be imply. If there was anything Crux hated more than being talked down to, it was being called a coward.

"She's still standing and still alive. What else is there to 'check on'?"

Her tone was harsh and cold, retaining the touch of tired apathy. Whoever this girl was, her tone and manner irked Crux, and the senshi had lost her patience long before this encounter. Turning her head, Crux was ready to walk away. The night was stretching on too long for her.

"And why should I look?" Crux asked. She had to resist the urge to bring her hand to her hip. Instead, the senshi shifted her weight to the left.

"DO you see any blood? Even I can tell it was just a energy-draining thing. And even if she had been hurt, it isn't my job to do anything. I don't remember being given conditions upon being awoken."

There were certain types of people that Aithne disliked. On the top of the list might be ones like this senshi. People who suffered from some kind of hero syndrome, who sat atop a moral high horse. Self-righteousness wasn't a trait that she liked.

"If you want to run around making everyone's business your own, then go ahead. If it makes you feel better sticking your nose into every situation, if it gives you a feeling of righteousness, then go ahead."

Crux raised her hand and rubbed the back of her neck. Maybe she should just leave it at that and leave. It was getting later and later and the girl was getting colder and crankier by the minute. "In the end, you're just following your own pretty little ideals."

If this girl really wanted to protect civilians, then she should, in Crux's opinion, be out hunting Negaverse agents and youma, not coddling every single "injured" person she saw, and certainly not walking around ragging on other people.

Light suddenly burst from Polaris' chest, so bright that Crux had to look away for a moment. She felt the power surge over her, crawl across her arms. When the light faded and Crux could look back, the midriff-baring Sailor had been replaced by a different girl. No. Not a different girl, the same girl. Just in a different dress.

There was a stern expression on her face, one that made Aithne think of a mother about to lecture a child on his mistakes. Though in this scenario, she supposed the expression on Polaris' face was one of a child who's naive beliefs had been called into question.

Crux did not mind listening to Polaris' lecture in part because she did not feel chastised at all. It was obviously the girl's intention but she did not have the patience to argue out the specifics of the other's claims. They could go on and on about that, each arguing their own points. Crux knew that they would never see eye-to-eye.

But if the lecture on "general concern" and "kindergarten vitue" didn't touch a nerve, Polaris' declarations of duty certainly did. Crux did not know much about her past life. But she knew one thing for sure.

"I didn't ask for this!"

She said louder than she wished. The declaration echoed through against the brick walls. She took a breath. She hadn't meant to say that. Luckily, Polaris went on to blab about goodness and light, something that Crux certainly could argue about. She redirected the conversation away from herself.

"Goodness and light? Are you joking? Do you think you can win this war by virtue of morals alone? Do you honestly think that if you rescue these random civilians that you will win this war? Do you think wars are won like that?"

Crux looked straight into the Princess' eyes.

"Are you winning?"

She asked quietly, a question that both knew the answer to.