Welcome to Gaia! ::

He swept down the streets with his collar up turned, his hands in his pockets and the thick fabric of his mask down around his neck as though it were nothing more useful than a turtleneck. The goggles might have been curious, as might the designs on his coat but a friendly greeting and the hot cup of tea clutched in his hand seemed to do something to alleviate the nervousness of many. He didn’t swagger, or glower at them, though he very much wanted to, and the carefully observant would notice that the smile that lifted the corners of his moth had not once reached his eyes.

He was ready to vanish at a moments notice in truth; he was not out to fight or to kill, not this time. He simply needed away from the deepest recesses of the Dark Kingdom. He needed to hear other voices than the clamor and the questions that there still were about the restructuring.

He sat down on a park bench and tipped his head back to stare at the stars, at the moon that glowed with the stolen light of the sun. He lifted his teacup in a quiet and mocking salute but said nothing, even as he lowered the cup and let out a prolonged sigh. Whatever thought now crossed his mind though as he swirled the steaming liquid in the white ring of Styrofoam made his eyes glitter. It pushed the small smile that had been in truth a grimace before into a true smile.

“Your move….” He said at last, barely a whisper and almost wholly to himself. “Your move.” He repeated and took a long sip of tea, closing his eyes and listening to the sounds of the city, the passing footsteps and the whisper of voices wondering at him and his odd clothing. “Should have brought my violin.” He told the night.

The fact that he had not previously felt the power suggested that the senshi he now felt had powered up, that or it was that infernal senshi who made portals in odd locations. He stretched casually to take the opportunity to look around and glanced across the park, then upward towards the rooftops that overlooked it searching for the familiar flash of ‘white’ that would give them away. The colors they combined that with might help him identify the senshi but right now just wanted to know who this mid rank senshi was that he felt.

He took another long sip of tea and exhaled softly. Irritating, they were just sort of ‘there’, watching him. He had no real way of knowing if they had called re-enforcements but he wasn’t sure he truly cared, he’d just vanish if they tried anything.

He toyed with the temptation of dropping the whole park by draining their energy, but that rather defeated the purpose of recent developments so he refrained himself. He scanned the park and the rooftops again. He knew full well that the whole city must know that he was out and about this evening. Rank alone would give him away if whatever methods they could use to communicate would not.

He tilted his head imagining that he had finally caught a glimpse of white at the edge of the roof just there. He smiled and lifted a hand, in a small wave. If they moved, he was right, if they didn’t, well…perhaps it was just a sheet being dried in the wind.

He stood up, tossing the last of his tea in a trash bin, the polite and world-friendly thing to do, even if white foam cup hadn’t been. He moved away to find a secret place from what prying eyes still littered the streets at this time of night and casually teleported to the roof. Sheets didn’t jump like startled cats. He strolled out again his hands folded behind his back and his expression neutral to even… friendly. Curiosity killed the cat, but he was much better prepared than some feline.

“We’re you trying to be stealthy?” He asked tilting his head owlishly to one side as he took in her uniform. Hadn’t the last time he’d seen her…hadn’t she been a base level senshi? How curious. Hmm…yes he did seem to recall issuing orders in regards to her as well. The thought made his amusement rise a little more. Poor scared little thing, he hadn’t seen her, or heard reports of her in some time.

“I’m afraid that that’s nearly as impossible for you as It is for me… perhaps more so since your power has a fairly certain radius to it, never mind the predominant color of senshi uniforms.” He cast about for a place to sit before sweeping it off with a gloved hand and sitting casually down to inspect her again.

“So… are you watching for a reason? Did you call back up and you’re waiting to try and ‘take me down’? Out to ‘save the city’ by ‘justified homicide’?” His tone was slightly mocking in the later questions but he didn’t feel the need to elaborate on his own bitter opinions of the senshi and their rather diverse yet curious view on their rolls towards the city and its inhabitants.

“I wouldn’t say I –happily- told you, I informed, but very few of them make me ‘happy’.” He shook his head slightly. “Those that do, wear a darker color than you.” He said with a small inclination of his head towards the white uniform again.

“As for what I was doing, honestly…I just wanted some fresh air. Spend too long ‘plotting the destruction of life as we know it’” he said with a wry quirk to the corner of his mouth at the humor of his statement. “And you start wanting to stretch your legs. If anyone needed me, they have means of contacting me, and if its truly serious, there are a few who could summon me.”

“What about you? What brings you to this particular rooftop? What brings you out after so long? I haven’t heard from you in quite a while. I do hope I didn’t –entirely- put you off. It’s so nice to have someone who listens rather than simply tries to cast senshi magic at me.”

“I am, I want every good for this world.” He replied his voice growing softer. “I have dreams of everything we could do for this world. So many things that I wish to put to rights.” He shook his head with a soft chuckle though at her offer to cast her magic. “No, I am happy enough not hearing you ‘honk’ at me, I prefer quite well that you can’t set me on fire.” He watched her face, the darting of her eyes, the thoughtful expressions that crossed her face.

“If I had found you before *********, I fear that it would have at that time been chance. There are almost always choices though. I could offer the oath of allegiance to almost any. Perhaps I should offer you a way to find me, something to think about in the times when you find yourself doubting. When you wish perhaps to, ask me further questions.”

He did not press the idea of joining them, merely watered the seeds of doubt that were growing there. The seeds that found hope in cool dark places.

“Perhaps one day, those Senshi who will not join us in preserving –this- world, will return to their own and try and rebuild. It would be a hard task I think but perhaps one day they will see. I wonder, if they did somehow drive us out would they then fight among themselves. Speak your mind Albireo, tell me your thoughts, I won’t mock them.”

“Unfortunately, I can’t offer a cell phone, but I can give you a place to leave me messages, or, if you need me immediately then you could wait there as well.” He took a small breath and then pointed out across the city. “There is a cemetery, that way, it has several old crypts, and my personal favorite a stone angel. The angel has a hand curled just so, If you are careful then you can you can press a message into the curl of its hand. It will stay dry enough if you put it in a small bag, If you leave me a time and a place, and date I will meet you when you ask.”

He glanced back to watch her face as he imparted the information. “Mind you, I’ll be careful of traps” A smile quirked at the corner of his mouth in good humor.

“Just in case someone coerces the information out of you. I don’t think they will, but I haven’t lived this long without being careful.” He murmured. “Would you find that an acceptable solution?”

“I’ll check it each night if that’s what you prefer, I won’t give you a time, I’m afraid I have a great deal that can call me away at a moments notice. But I will make time to check it once a night. I ask only that you be careful.” He lifted a hand, hesitating before letting his fingers brush lightly against your shoulder and and drawing back.

“I have seen people tortured, I do not wish to see that again for any reason. Do you understand? I am putting you at risk by being civil to you.”

“if you have someone you trust, then I will trust them to.” He said with a small nod of concession. “If that helps you… I think you may remember a certain lieutenant as well, if you think you can trust him then simply tell him that “Zinkenite sends his regards”, I think he will understand that we have spoken then.” He gave her a wider smile, it curved the corners of his mouth handsomely though the faded blue of his eyes remained their familiar icy blue.

“I should likely not remain much longer tonight or someone will track down where I am, I’m afraid I’m in no mood to battle tonight, and I would rather not have you caught too early. Will you be alright Albireo?”