[R] Confidence builder (Arsinoe and Red Cliff)

[oneironym]

If nothing else, Red Cliff was growing more comfortable with heights. Being able to get up onto roofs in the first place had provoked curiosity, and, well, from there, the Page had gotten to exploring around the city little by little, night by night.

He had not grown much more confident in his sense of direction, though, especially when he had quickly realized that everything looked a lot different from up above. The Page of Mars kept primarily to places nearby and that he already knew well on the ground. This meant, primarily, the library. Going from his home to the library and back felt like an adequate patrol for now; as he settled more physically into his new-found role, Red Cliff figured he could venture further afield.

Confidence was the sticking point, though, ultimately. Red Cliff dreaded running into a youma, because he still felt untested, and he had not gotten whatever senshi magic he had been expecting when he had asked Zinkenite and Camelot for a taste of power to defend himself. He had armor ... and a feather duster. And still felt too troublingly much like Ian inside to really feel confident in his ability to make a difference in battle.

So he hopped his way from roof to rooftop, heading for the library, and testing out his joints again and again to try to get accustomed to the light armor his uniform provided. Red Cliff thought tonight maybe he could try to work through one of his tai chi forms on the library roof, and then call it a night. With any luck, once again avoiding anything that wanted to fight.  

[TheMadHatter]

He had decided not to go out on patrol with Arachne, despite being asked, figuring that the other senshi would end up hunting down a youma on purpose. He hadn't dealt with any of them lately but after all the trouble with the Gladiator battles he was really done with fighting. Sure they hadn't been real fights, and somehow he'd won, but he didn't really want to fight anymore. He wanted to sit back and watch.

Arachne called him a voyeur once but at least the spider senshi had understood that Arsinoe had a point. He had even let him teach him a few things though he could still wipe the floor with him in a chess game.

So instead of patroling he was sitting on the roof of the library watching the flurries fall and being glad that he hadn't gotten one of the tiny costumes that the girls had. At least he was still warmish. He had figured that the night was going to be slow and boring until he felt a presence coming toward him. The super senshi stood up and looked toward the sensation. It wasn't a senshi but it still felt 'good' so it had to be one of the knights.  

[oneironym]

Flurries started showering down at some point on the way to the library, and Red Cliff paused on a roof near the library to blink off the ones that had stuck to his eyelashes. He was fairly sure nothing would accumulate, and glanced off the edge of the building on which he stood to see if the snow was even reaching the ground.

Then he realized he felt something up ahead, like the sensation he had felt from Camelot after his awakening, but different. Fortunately also different from the youma that night, as well, which was the only thing that kept the fresh Page from running away.

After determining that he could see nothing from where he was, Red Cliff got a running start and jumped the last stretch of open space to the roof of the library.

A moment of silence, then he attempted, "Uhh, hello?"  

[TheMadHatter]

"Hello." He hadn't expected to see the Knight jumping across from another roof, used to others being a little more careful about approaching others, but new wasn't always bad. At least it wasn't someone who looked like they were going to be rude. He held his lantern up, the warm light making it easier to see in the night, and grinned slightly.

"You must be a, page was it?" He hadn't seen much of the pages yet but knew at least a little about them. He was very glad that despite the small size that his light gave off a good amount of heat. Being a senshi sucked in winter.  

[oneironym]

Red Cliff studied the senshi's uniform, mentally comparing it to those of the few senshi he had met so far, but really, the indescribable feeling of the stranger's energy was sufficiently reassuring to the fledgeling Page. He smiled back in the light of the lantern.

"Yeah," he replied, feeling immediately awkward. "I'm Red Cliff, Page of Mars," he declared, pointing to the planet's emblem etched on the bit of armor that covered his shoulder. He stepped closer to the light as well, sensing warmth from it through the gooseflesh on his bare arms. The thought crossed his mind that fighting or sparring might get his blood flowing to warm him up, but he was not sure he was desperate enough for an actual battle tonight.

"I'm kind of new at all of it," the boy sheepishly admitted then, scratching behind one ear with a finger. "I guess you're a senshi? It's not rude or anything to ask what you're senshi of, is it?"