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Lily was sitting on the bench in one of the smaller court yards on campus, enjoying the lazy fall afternoon. It was a nice temperature, so she opted for a cute shorts outfit with tights for warmth, one of her fall favorites. She didn't really have anything planned until ballet class and she didn't really feel like leaving campus, so she just sat with a book in hand reading. There was nothing wrong with having a little time to oneself every now and then, even if she technically wasn't completely alone. Afterall she was outside on a college campus, during class hours.

It was hard to imagine that in just a few short months, Ülane would finally be graduating this University! What did it mean, by chance? Well, simply put, the only thing that would change was the fact that he no longer would be on this campus. No, instead, he would be at his own school, not as a student but as a full time teacher! Oh how very exciting it was all to be! But for now, he was stuck here, moseying though campus with his normal t-shirt and jeans on. Perhap not quite the proper attire for a teacher, but right now, he was just a student. A tired student with a coffee and the need to rest. Of course, on days like these, EVERYONE and their mother was outside, using whatever they could find to plop their rumps down on. And that was a problem. Especially since Ülane wasn't one to just go and sit with random strangers. In fact, he'd rather be alone.. It couldn't hurt to take a stroll around, right? That girl overthere, with the red hair.. She looked sorta familiar..

"Hey, you're.. Uh.. Lily, right? We had Home Ec together, remember? All the fires and everything! Mind if I sit down with you? All the other good spaces are taken."

Lily looked up from her book, dual colored eyes taking in the face of the guy that just spoke to her. She remember him right away, that home ec class had been before she gotten cooking lessons from Johnny, who was a much more patient teacher than her professor. "Yes, I'm Lily. I remember quite well our disastrous attempts at what one might call cooking. Lost an apron or two in the process."

She gave a small giggle and motioned for him to sit down, closing her book happy to partake in a conversation with him. It had been too long and she didn't often get to see her classmates or play catch up. "How have you been Ulane? Not setting fires to kitchens I hope." Though she had to admit disastrous cooking was pretty tame for her being a senshi. Much easier to grab an extinguisher than to battle a youma. Or one of those copies.

"Lost an apron, a couple of Oven mits.. A couple of eyebrows, but it was all great fun, wasn't it?" Ulane went ahead and sat down beside her, taking a sip of the warm coffee he had in his hands. "Oh, you know me.. Still setting fires off while boiling water. Classic, right? I did loose most of my hair recently to some fire." He pointed to the back of his head, where he once had long, curly brown hair that went nearly past his rump. Now it was short. Far too short, though his head felt amazingly lighter.

"But my eyebrows are still on my face! Geesh, I did get good with that make up pencil after a while though. But enough about me and my mishaps, how are you doing, Lily? Classes and everything doing alright?"

Lily couldn't help, but to laugh because it was all very true. Neither of them had been very good at home ec and had set several fires. It was a wonder that they made it through the class at all and Lily suspected they may have passed so they never had to take the class again. "Definitely classic," she said before taking on a slightly surprised face and blushing in embarrassment at not noticing before. "I'm sorry I didn't even notice. All that pretty hair. What made you cut it, or was it a cooking incident related cut? Either way, you hair is still lovely."

She sat back and grinned, "well I can say that I did finally learn to cook. I had a roommate who was amazing in the kitchen and well at everything else household wise." She smiled fondly thinking back on her roommate trying not to think about his death, that had left her so sad. "I also got a hair cut as well," she said shaking her short curly red locks.

"It's not a problem at all! It was always tied up and back during class anyway. I think I was more cautious back then too. Though.. I don't think it helped too much, did it? Hehe.. But yeah, my hair got singed off during this weird, kind of thing that happened not even a week ago! So there I was, walking home from working at the Elementary school, you know, as a student teacher, and then BAM these girls were fighting. It was this weird girl with either orange hair.. And wings that seemed to be attached at her til bone. And they were just going at it! "

He paused for a moment, setting his coffee down on the ground beside him, so that he could better use his hands to describe what he saw.

"And get this! The girls, were EXACTLY the same looking.  So I go in, and I try to break up the fight between these two girls. Then all of a sudden, the girl I try to pull away first ended up saying that the other one was evil, so then I look around, wondering if there are cameras or something nearby. Nothing. Then as I turn to talk to the one girl, the other starts breathing FIRE at me! And you know me plus fire equals terrible things. So my long flowing locks just got singed right off. Smelled like death, I tell ya." Shaking his head, he looked over to Lily, grinning a bit wider. "

Okay Lily was instantly a little freaked,  she knew several senshi that could fit the discription, thankfully it wasn't her. She didn't like that Ulane had been subjected to such a thing and she could fully relate.The first real hair cut or her own mostly free will 4 years ago was because of a senshi battle. She would never forget that corrupted senshi. "Sounds like you got introduced to Destiny City nighttime oddity."

Lily saw no point in pretending she didn't know, but she was very surprised he had a run in the one of the doubles. Her eyes went a little wide and she had to admit, "that is stranger than usual." She racked her head for orange hair senshi with fire attack and she could only think of two, both had bow wings, to but she hadn't seen one in over a year, maybe two. She couldn't help but to start snickering however and began laughing at his joke. "I can imagine. I can't say that has happened to me, flamed off hair, but I can say you might not want to run around alone at night."

"Stranger than normal? Don't tell me you have had those run ins too?" That was a little scary.. Sure, for the most part, he could handle himself. Twelve years of Judo wasn't just for show. But what about Lily? Then again, he couldn't just assume anything. He didn't know what she did outside of classes, except not set things on fire.

"Yeah.. I wish I could avoid going home at night.. But now that the daylight goes away so much faster, and with how long it takes for me to do things at the elementary school, there's no avoiding it, I suppose. I'll just have to keep some Tasers on me or something. Maybe even get a concealed weapon liscense.. It's just not safe."

Lily looked at him and went quite for a moment, those apart of the war didn't go spouting out to random friends their experience and she was wondering if this was like a sign for her right now. She looked to her fire starting friend and frowned before nodding, "Ive had encounters too and know probably more than I would like to about what its all about." She was going with her gut here and her voice was lower than normal, but she didn't want Ulane telling someone who turned about to be chaos aligned this same thing and lying to him and possibly bringing him into their fold. If she could prevent she should, right?

"Ulane," she said softly looking at him with a guarded but curious expression, "what do you think about all this? About what happened? About what you saw?" She was out on a limb here and praying to cosmos that this gut feeling was a good one.

This was.. Peculiar, and the astonished reaction Ulane had was quite evident in that. What was she trying to say? Was she a part of that too? Naaw, not this girl who was just as bumbling at cooking as he was! She was too sweet! Too pretty! Too Smart to be part of it. Or she was one of those secret agents, like the Men in Black or something, someone who knew something more than they should.

"Well.. Honestly, I still think that carrying a gun is a good idea. I can't compete with people blowing fire. And my brain can't quite wrap around seeing evil Clones running around. She didn't say too much about it all. Like, the girl.. Uh.. I think she said her name was Popoma.. Papaya.. Something like that. She said that there was this whole thing like a war going on, and that she was trying to defend the world from the Megapurse. I dunno what to do think, except that it's bizarre and Unreal and feels like a bad movie script."

Hearing his words her hunch was confirmed and she was thankful to Pomona for telling Ulane about the war. It her know for sure that her hunch was a good one, for the time being. "Pomona is her name and what she told you is very true." She looked around briefly before rising and motioning for Ulane to follow her. She didn't at all trust anyone enough to say what she was about to say in a courtyard where anyone could here. They had enough of this conversation here, "I'm hungry. Mind if we grab a bite to eat. My dorms not too far. Or we could get something off campus."

She hoped Ulane would get and come along. She would never hurt him, of course, but her paranoia levels were a little high.

Lily looked indiginant now, "hey I can cook now. I can. Johnny taught me, really! But it's okay, we can get take out or fast food instead." The statement ended with a pout, but Lily headed toward the parking lot where she parked her truck with a smile on her face. They could talk and eat in the trunk, it was more private anyway, guarantee no ease droppers.

When she reached the car she pointed and clicked, to unlock and motioned for her friend to climb in. "I really am hungry, so we can grab something real quick. As for the other thing, we can talk while I drive and stuff. As for the butt winged people. I have met plenty."

She got into the drivers side and buckled up, "been saved by a few too. Thats how I know for sure. Ive met the bad guys too. The negaverse, but there is more than just them, so says some others." She was partially lying of course, because she was a butt winged warrior, but she wasn't comfortable enough to reveal that, but maybe in the future.

"Well, if Johnny can teach you, you should hook me up with that guy. I'm certain I can't get as good as you've become, but I can try." He gave a little half step to catch up with the pouting red head, grinning a bit to himself. As much as he loved truck burritos, it couldn't be good for him.

"Wow.. A truck? Pretty hard core if you ask me. I don't even have a license. Never really needed one in this city, everything was always close by." He could honestly say he was impressed by the vehicle. Trucks were always awesome to him. Such power behind the while. And he couldn't help but find the younger woman quite adorable behind it. Okay, no, maybe adorable was the wrong word. It was powerful!  But then there was the part about the butt winged folk, that caused his smile to fade a wee bit as he buckled up.

"More than just the Negaverse and the buttwinged folk? Are there alot of them both? I mean, I knew this city was slowly getting more and more sketchy.. But all of this. Just so odd."

Lily's face darkened and she looked like she would burst into tears, "I can't he's dead." A single tear slipped down her cheek as she tried to refocus her attention. His words about her truck seemed to help and she gave him a tear eyed smile. "My parents got it for me for my 16th birthday. I was a surprising present, but I probably should have been so surprised, my brother and sister got the same for there's. You ought to get your licence you know, than maybe you'd not be walking home. Though if you like I could drive you home from time to time."

She smiled, but with the change in the conversation she started the car and became serious again, "yes, um lets see," she said pretending to think on it. "There is the negaverse, bad guys, um the senshi in black, bad guys. Also the senshi is white, good guys and the knight guys, also good. Oh and the cats. I think that's everyone." She gave a small laugh, "bit of a circus if you ask me."

"Damn, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories, I didn't know." What could he even say to make everything better in this situation! A girl was starting to cry, and he just felt a bit useless.. And driving emotionally was NOT a good idea. Just as bad as them cooking! But see seemed to be calming down, and Ulane let out a breath he was holding, worried for her, but not pressing further. It just didn't seem right to go ahead and ask anything else.

"I uh.. I don't think I make enough to actually validate the expense of a car. There's gas and insurance and maintenance and just not enough money, you know? Thanks for the offer, though, I'll have to grab your number again, so when winter comes, I can hit you up for that." Yes! She was smiling! She had such a lovely smile, actually a bit brighter than what he had remembered. Then again, he remembered them both being blinded by smoke and covered in flour or sauce or whatever they were using at the time.

"Okay... But what makes them the good guys or the bad guys?" He thought for a moment, thinking it over.. It seemed a bit.. Wrong to just assume someone in black is a bad person.. And everyone in white being a good person too seemed wrong.

"It's okay, it just hard. I moved out of the house we lived in because of it. I would just stand in his room or at his door and stare blankly. It wasn't healthy," she admitted softly. "I should talk about it more, but I just can't yet ..." She paused for a second and shifted gears again going back to the car conversation. "Yeah I guess I'm lucky. I dont have to make enough, my dad pays for everything, but I'm happy to share the wealth." She laughed, "come winter you will be warm and toasty on your journey's home." She'd be picking up her friend to make sure he was safe even if it meant delaying training or patrol a little.

She frowned as she stopped at a red light thinking for a moment, "what makes anyone the bad guys? Their actions, against the city, against its people. I dont believe all of them are inherently good or bad. There is good and bad in everyone, but actions often make is very clear where the line is drawn."

She looked to Ulane as as the light turned green just for a second, "I know a great place hat has really good pie."

Ulane was not going to press the subject further, opting ton only nod and offer her a small smile, though her eyes were on the road. "Warm, toasty, and with great company. What more could a guy ask for?"  There was no way he was going to refuse such a kind offer. What reason was there to do so in the first place? If she offered, and it made her happy to do so, then he'd go right on ahead. He'd have to think up of something to give to her in return.. But that was for when the time came around to think about. For now, he could still walk!

"Hrm... You know, by that logic, maybe some of them are good, but just on the wrong side. On every side of a war, there are crazies. Bad apples that just make everyone look bad, and because their underlings fear them, they go along with the bad things that happen." He paused, reflecting on his words, then laughing out loud at himself. "For a teacher, I'm not very eloquent with my words! Sometimes simpler is better-er. Pies sounds amazing right now. I hope they have cherry. Or Boston Cream. Or just straight up chocolate!"

Lily was grateful that the subject wasn't pushed, she really wasnt ready just yet to bare it all. There was a lot about it that she still didn't understand, too much. She grinned and laughed at his warm and toast comment, "Thanks. I can say the same about you, you know even we you and I are accidently setting fire to things." She laughed lightly feeling a bit lighter even with the current discussion, it was nice to be able to hang out with a friend.

Lily thought about it for a second and nodded, "yeah I guess your right. So if they can get them to see the light, so to speak and deal with the bad eggs than things might turn around in this war." Of course she knew that to an extent, but it made her think about it just a little harder. Wise words from an outside source. "Just be careful of them okay, if they've got mostly black fabrics, stay away from them."

She grinned happy to leave it at that, "well I dont know about straight chocolate, but I do know they have the other too and I could really go for a bit of pie. So let's head there, eat and head back. Sound like a plan to you?"

"Well, fire is warm and amazing, just like we are, so it all works out in the end, I'd say!" With the air so much lighter between then, he finally allowed himself to relax, sitting back fully in his side of the vehicle.

"And.. Stay away from the people in black, got it. Luckily, that Pomona girl was not one of them. I wonder how that would have turned out..?

Atleast everything is well, and safe, for what it's worth. Daylight brings peace, I think. Maybe what this town needs a permanent day time. No more night, no more suspicious activity, no more pain or chaos, I'd think. But.. For now, Pie sounds great! And if you could drop me off at the Elementary school, that would be even better! I won't even have to walk home! Hehe.. This turned out to be quite a good day, huh?"

Lily couldn't help but give a warm smile and feel very good and just happy at Ulane's words and his optimism was quite nice as well. She remembered he was the same in class, it kept her from being worried and freaked that they's set fire to something yet again.

She grinned and nodded, "sound like a plan. We'll have pie and I'll drop you off then I can head back to campus for ballet, win win right." Win win indeed, she was very happy to have run into Ulane again, she had to remember to make sure to give him her number before she dropped him off.