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His ribs were aching, more each day- the fault of not enough rest and honestly? Too much time spent in a corset. He was fairly certain that medical professionals did not intend, when wrapping and caring for broken ribs, that the patient in question should then spend 6 hours or more a night wearing a classic, high-waist cincher.

It made breathing feel like fire. Patrolling was still a touch-and-go cause, but he had to keep at least the University safe. Thankfully it seemed that tonight was relatively quiet, unlike many before. He was not taking any of the advice he'd foisted on Medea- he had at least met and scanned a handful of other senshi, but still he'd never called them, messaged them, or anything else. He needed allies, a team, a partner, something. Something or what happened with that captain was going to repeat, and the next time he wasn't going to have the dumb luck to make it out alive.

It wasn't like there was a giant pin board somewhere with vacancies, benefits and wages listed. He had no idea who were on what teams, what the names where, what differentiated them- what was the point in different teams? He imagined ideology, as was the usual wont, and maybe the fact that smaller base structures allowed from more efficient maneuvering. But again...it seemed futile. Maia had been fairly clear, as had Athene, as was the primer- there was no leader. Nothing even in a general sense of a steward or communications relay.

A pang doubled him over, hands on knees, and he made it to a wall to lean against- he needed a break for a second. Maybe the cincher could just come off? It was embarrassing to only think of it months on, but he'd never actually tried to modify or fuss with his uniform other than to make annoyed, imperious, tired faces at it. He worked at the fastenings to see if he could viably loosen the stupid petal thing, or even just take it off entirely.

"Ease...I'm alright, " he hadn't expected another senshi out of the blue, and realised he'd been fairly well distracted. "If you could help...with these fastenings on the corset, I'd be obliged. "

"Its more than a month old. But fractures take at the very least 6 weeks the doctors said, and that just for fractures. I haven't helped with carrying on all this time. Broken ribs." He gave a smile to reassure the strange new girl, "Nothing out of the ordinary, right?"

"Who are you? I didn't feel you come up. Granted, that was my fault not being attentive. It's-, " just out of the blue helping some random senshi she saw? "Very generous. "

"It would if you have them to spare," he wheezed a chuckle, then gave a relieved and shuddering breath as soon as the fastening was loosed. There didn't seen to be any vines regrowing it together, so at least the cinch could come off. Live and learn. "Super? Well...it's a pleasure now that I can think, Irene. "

"A bit mundane of a 'rescue' but I'm thankful. I'm Thraen, of Gardens."
"Ideally, I would hope we all would. That would require anyone being around, though, wouldn't it? It's a big city, and no regular organization or check in system. It isn't like a palace guard. No bobby whistles to echo in the night and call for help. And those phones are only helpful if you have someone scanned in to call and they chance to be near th e ohone and near enough to where you are to make it in time. "

"Not an ideal system, at least not so far as I've experienced." He motioned to her supply 'kit', "Not like that. That's a good idea. "

He accepted the suggestion of naproxen, retrieving two pills before offering the bottle back. He didn't need water or a drink to take them.

"No." The word was emphasized with a slow shake of his head, "I don't have a team. "
"I've heard of teams existing, only insofar as that they exist and the person I met was on them. I don't know the team names, or any of the other people on them, or what they stand for. I don't know why they are teams as opposed to just a part of the so-called White Moon Court, not that it is a court." He lifted his hand to rub the bridge of his nose as though he were wearing glasses, even though he wasn't. I sound more disillusion than is likely good for trying to be friendly.

"There's a primer on the phones that explains the bare bones of some of it, and I've had the good luck to be saved by a few others that happened on me by chance. Aegir gave me some pointers and helped me figure out my magic, Athene helped me learn how to scan others into my phone, Maia gave me a one-on-one crash course on how to punch, kick and dodge. That's been about it for classroom studies. The rest has been trial by fire."

"If you have a team, why are you out alone? "

"*********! Juven-"

"tas.."

It had started happy, then stuttered and failed. ********* organized a team of scouts, whenever it was. However it was. Eight-no-nine members.

Thraen closed his eyes, letting his bangs shroud them. "********* gave me my pen. Maybe half a year ago now. "

"I haven't seen her since." She never mentioned you. Any of you. Didn't mention a team. I'm not invited, not privy to the names of its members, nor a part of it. Some of us just left to the outside- 'fend for yourselves.' We're worth enough to be handed a gun and sent to die as bad as the Draft. When he opened his eyes again, they were clear and hard.

I know my worth. What will be will be, and what isn't I will make.
"I guess we aren't all so lucky. "

"I don't particularly like fighting, actually. It couldn't be further from what I do outside of this. How lucky to be on a team where you always have a partner at the least. My magic has nothing to do with fighting, really. " She was just powered to get home safetly? It was prudent in a way. "With all the Youma and Wraiths, and Agents out, I can understand just using the senses and speed to get home safe. And the mundane dangers, such as they are. "

" I could walk with you until you're a few blocks from your destination. Stopping a but a ways keeps your secrets intact. No need to tell me where, but I'm still willing to help an ally feel safe. Like Darzee's wife, I make a good decoy."

The declaration was one coming from under the protective umbrella of the guardians, which made it maybe more ironically entertaining than otherwise should have been. Thraen's expression stayed stony. At least she was trying, and declaring an intention to try. "I haven't relied on the Guardians for anything yet, not even organizing, so I can't say I can relate. I know a few other scouts, equally teamless, and thankfully had the opportunity to scan them. It takes a few meetings to build up enough rapport though- suggesting a partnership or team on first meetings apparently is some sort of instinctual faux pax- scouts all seem a little hedgepig dilemma when it comes to the wisdom of groups in my experience. "

"Maybe it is the age range. Teens aren't known for their willingness to follow hierarchy structures, despite establishing them naturally in their little cliques. Having anyone on a team out there espousing the benefits of it and suggesting it to new scouts, whether they listen at first or no, is something. It's an admirable goal, Irene." He hoped that the recognition of the positive aspects would lessen the bitter earlier words. He didn't regret his feelings, but it could be misconstrued as bitterness at her, which it wasn't. In fact, short of our own human fallibility, I doubt there's anyone 'responsible'. Its just a bad situation.

He maneuvered the taken-off cincher over his forearm and shifted himself more proper-postured to fall into step with her as they walked. "It isn't hard, no. There's a lot of ego and uncertainty, if I was going to put my finger on it. Societal upbringing maybe? If taking the sociological evaluation. Americans are brought up to value independence and standing on ones own- maybe a lot of starting out scouts feel they have to 'earn their stripes' or prove themselves somehow worthy to some vague ideal before leaning on help would be okay. As for what the more experienced scouts are doing, and why they're hard to talk to? I don't know. They do feel unapproachable. I want to find and talk to some of the royals that supposedly exist myself, but then ...what can I say to them? Culpability is also a cruel thing, and neither myself nor most of the others could know the situations of the older senshi. Accusing them of not being better leaders without having an idea and proof of what they ARE spending their time doing ....I don't think it is the way to go about it. Not yet, anyway. "

"There does need to be leadership, though. "

"Strong leadership. And stiff necks need to bend and realize that sometimes having a direction or answer of some sort, even if it isn't the 'best answer' is better than no one acting at all. There isn't time on the battlefield for democracy and voting. And no one has set up any stewardship for the 'White Moon Court' to determine 'policy' by Democratic vote if that was what was wanted anyway. "

"Do you know the existing teams? Could a council be set up with a representative of each? Or would you be in a position to find them out? "

How to go about it indeed...

He liked problem solving, in a way, because it involved coming up with a lot of ideas. Thraen, and Quenton, loved learning and ideas best of all. It didn't really sound like she was soliciting advice on how to go about it, just making conversation, so he'd need to be careful about how he presented his thoughts on the matter to not seem ...bossy or like he was trying to tell her what to do. All the more because he had about as much clue as anyone else what woudl even have a chance of success. He had a feeling she'd met more than he had, to get an idea of what the sailor culture as a whole was like. "There's the phones for a start? Every senshi has one, so why waste the time footwork chasing everyone down door to door when you could call them up? I mean, obviously none of us know ever single other, but pyramid system-ing organization to get a meeting or a start is an idea. You call everyone you know, they call everyone they know, and so forth, and seven-degrees from Kevin Bacon later all the scouts there are might have a clue about someone trying to arrange something."

"And what about the cats? Do they know who made the phones? If there were a way to do something like the old TV emergency broadcast system and tap every phone out there, that could be faster go after the investment of making one."

After that...? "It seems like a meeting of team leaders and those willing to come would be a good investment of setting up policy and establishing the Moon Court for real. Or whatever we all want to call it. We all are so bloody visible and make torches of ourselves with that...spidey sense. Is there any way to dampen that? Or if everyone could get to someone's planet or asteroid over the course of a few trips. Or the Moon, however one even gets there. The Primer doesn't say. "

Once they turned the corner he brightened a bit, "I'd love to meet this Iris, if you'd be willing to arrange it. I probably have nothing but dumb questions she's sick of answering, but its better to ask and be dumb for a day than not to ask and be dumb for a lifetime. I'm not worried if she's rough. We all have our quirks, so if she can put up with me, I can certainly have the graces to deal with her. "

"Could we ....trade scanning each other, so that we can get a hold of each other easier?" He wondered if it was offensive to ask. Athene had offered it when he'd taught him, and it seemed like something that was possibly gauche- like asking what prices were for things in a restaurant that didn't have them on the menu.

A meeting gone awry before. When did it happen? Who was there? We don't even have a roster of our own kind to know and send searches for our own. To know whom to hold vigil for.

Arguing the benefit of a monarchy was pointless when he himself didn't know a great deal about differing forms of governance. He was an artist, not a politician. Seeking to unify the senshi in any method or fashion may require them, and it was a good point- he would need to read a lot about a lot if he was going to have any hope of answering difficult questions.

"I'd love to meet with you again...Don't hesitate to call if you ever have want or need. Or even just casually. I have a lot to learn, and I'd appreciate being able to ask you about all the things you know- the meetings you've seen and the senshi you know. Consolidation and sharing of information. " Thraen shifted, flatting one of his hands on his ribs, "And thank you. For the help."