Newgrange held a certain fondness for the big city, metropolis scene he found himself working in and around, but in the constant haze of light and noise, sometimes you just needed to get away. There were several parks he'd visited before, some only briefly and some long before he'd even known what a Knight was, but he'd put it on his list of things to do when you were out too late, up to no good.
Not that hunting youma was particularly 'up to no good', but it was hardly something you'd brag to your mother about.
He had expected solitude, wandering through the heavily wooded area, but when the aura of a page appeared on his radar, he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. Flitting between trees, he picked up his pace, trying to figure out just who was out here with him. Finding people wasn't as easy in the woods as it was in clearer areas of the city, and coupled with the dark shadows looming on the horizon, it made it difficult to find anyone. But the aura felt so close...
After only a few more seconds of skimming the area with his eyes, as quick to give up his silent search and cleared his throat before calling out, "I am Newgrange, Page of Earth. You're...a knight too, right? Are you hiding from me or is my ability to navigate these woods just really, really bad?"
She felt him before he appeared, of course, but didn't make an effort to go and find him, whoever he was. Instead Sherwood continued to do whatever it was Sherwood had it in her mind to do and let him seek her out if he wanted. Which, as it turned out, he did. She wasn't hiding, either, not really. It just might have appeared that way since she wasn't putting herself in plain sight. She popped up somewhere behind his left shoulder. "It's pretty bad." She conceded. "You don't spend a lot of time in the woods, do you?" She spent every summer at Miss Goddards so the woods were no stranger to her. "So you're from Earth, too..." Not that the matching symbols they bore weren't a dead give away to that...
Newgrange jumped, just a bit; her voice was unexpected and he turned quickly. Her outfit was familiar, if only because it shared similar colors and symbols to his own. He breathed a sign of relief and smiled. "I am, from Earth. You would think I knew it better, but," he laughed, only slightly awkwardly. He hadn't expected her to be right behind him, so couldn't help but be a bit embarrassed. "I admit, these woods aren't my usual getaway. I like the mountains a bit more. If I'd met you there, I'm sure I would have made a better first impression."
He held out a hand in greeting. "It's nice to meet you, though. Do you always patrol here?"
"I'm Sherwood." She reached out and offered her hand in return, grinning at him. "The mountains have woods on them, right? If not I want to go to the mountains you go to just to see them. I'm all for skulking in new environments." She laughed. "Not always here, no, but I do like being off the beaten path."
Newgrange just smiled. "They have woods. Or, rather, forests. I'm not sure how you differentiate one from the other, to be honest. There are a few good areas for mountain climbing, if that's your interest, but I'm mostly in it for the hiking. And canoeing. Lovely rivers." He gave her hand a good, firm shake before withdrawing it. "It's good to meet another page. To be honest, I think the only other knights I've met have been stronger than me. And then, I suppose a few senshi, I've met. I'm...still sort of new to this," he confessed. "Still coming to terms with it, I suppose. There's just so much to take in."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I haven't really met anybody. At least, not really. You're the first person from Earth I've met." Sherwood still wasn't sure what to think about this whole thing but she was trying. "I've heard its a war but I haven't seen much to support that."
"I met...one other? But that was a while ago. Though, to be honest, I haven't met anyone not from Earth. So far as knights, at least. But I understand that senshi are not entirely of this world, so...Guess I'm lucky I got born on the right planet, right?"
He laughed, though it was humorless. "Not really happy about the whole war thing people talk about. To be honest, I see a lot of youma? Well, now that I'm looking for them, at least. But the people that we're supposed to be fighting...doesn't really seem like they're all that dangerous if they never come out of the woodwork, you know?"
"Seems kind of stupid to fight someone just cause. The youma suck but, you know, it's both sides fighting a losing battle. Who knows how these things get started. Probably so old no one really remembers." She shrugged, as if they were just philosophizing on the Hatfields and the McCoys instead of a war they were now both part of. She hadn't chosen this. She didn't have any loyalties to maintain yet, no allies to help or protect. "Is it luck? I mean, why us? Why now? Who gets to decide?"
"I have no idea." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I only got dragged into this because a youma attacked my sister and I while I was walking her home. A cat jumped out. She's a senshi, my sister," he explained. "But I guess something else decided that I needed to get involved too. The cat, Julienne, had some information, but I don't think she knew much about knights. I don't even know who or where I'm supposed to go to find things out. I just sort of stumble around in the dark, waiting to bump into someone else like me. Or, us," he corrected a second later.
"Your sister huh?" KD didn't have any siblings. She was the only kid of only kids. Their family was kind of singular like that. "All I know is this thing just appeared. No real rhyme or reason, it was just there." She lifted the bow she held, slim and wooden. She didn't know that on the night in question there'd been a youma attacking a victim. She hadn't been able to read the auras the first time she powered up. The guy was killed by the monster and she had no idea. "No cats with mine. I wonder if that's normal. Are we different than senshi, aside from the obvious? Are they better somehow?" She didn't know the magical hierarchy.
"I don't know," he said again. "I spoke with the cat and she had more information for me, but I think she just happens to know more about senshi than knights. I'm sure there's someone out there who can help us, I just...don't know where they're hiding. I was sort of hoping to find someone who had been around for longer and ask them, but it seems like everyone I've met is just sort of wandering around, trying to figure the same things out. The man I met before probably knew a lot, but...I wasn't powered up then and didn't know the right questions to ask. So far as I know though, the senshi and knights are both trying to work for the same thing, right? Just...trying to keep people safe. I don't know if there's anything more to it than that."
"You've met more than I have. It's just been me out here most nights. I've been trying to practice my archery but this thing didn't come with arrows. I guess I could bring some of my own with me." She had plenty of them around at home, anyway. It wouldn't be too hard to strap some to her back in a quiver. "That's another thing that wigs me. I sort of get the impression we're not supposed to tell anyone who we are really. I mean, I power up and I'm not me anymore. I know I'm Sherwood. But I am still me, you know?" She sighed. This whole dual life thing hadn't come into play yet but she still didn't get it. Why not just be Caydence, Page of Earth? Superman was still Clark Kent, you know? She leaned against a nearby tree. "What did the cat say? And when did cats start talking, anyway?"
Newgrange shrugged, not wanting to repeat 'I don't know,' for the third time in a row. "The cat I met was different than an ordinary cat. She had a star on her forehead and talked about a lot of things. I might have to look for more, see if they know anything else. So far as I know, you're you behind a mask, just to keep you safe. I was someone else before I was Newgrange, and I'll be someone else long after I'm Newgrange. I think."
There was hesitation in his voice, like he wasn't sure; he hadn't been doing this for long enough to know what was going to happen. Would he still be himself, or was this some all-consuming role he didn't get a say in?
"Is there an after? I mean in the long run..." She was musing mostly to herself and not really to him. She didn't expect Newgrange to have any answers to her endless questions, he was more just a sounding board for Sherwood to bounce all of her thoughts off of. "Hey! Maybe we could be partner, just until we figure this thing out, you know? I'm a painter in my 9-5 but I usually wander around at night. Strength in numbers, right?" Which wasn't entirely true and yet it was. She was a student in her 9-5 but her passion was really art, painting mostly, but any form of art made her happy and the hours of 9-5 were close enough to being true that she didn't feel like she'd mislead him in any significant way, just a little in age.
Now, Newgrange had to bite his lip when she asked about the after. It was another 'I don't know', and it was an uncomfortable reminder that he had no idea what he was doing. Thankfully, he didn't have to dwell for long. "I wouldn't mind making a habit of patrolling. I'm at work, nine to five, but I've got some wiggle room. I work at a bakery, so if you've ever got a sweet tooth for something, I can hook you up. But, ah, paint?"
He seemed more interested in that than anything. "You'll have to tell me more about that. I'm a dabbler. There's a gallery nearby, the Freimont Gallery? It accepts local submissions and does themed displays, so sometimes I like to get critique there." He opened his mouth to say more though quickly closed it, biting down on his tongue; he had a tendency to get wordy when he got excited, and considering he'd just met Sherwood in the past few moments, he didn't want to chase her away so soon.
"I know that gallery. I go there all the time! I've probably seen you." Not that she'd know it from what she gathered. She didn't look like herself, or maybe she did and just no one ever got to see it. She wasn't sure. "I've submitted there before but, well, not often. I love to paint." In fact it was one of the few real passions she had. Nothing made her happier than to see a blank canvas in front of her just begging for color. She was usually all too happy to spend an obscene amount of time painting exactly what she felt. Her teachers all said the same thing: something about having talent but no real refinement of her technique. That was probably why her submissions were never accepted but someday.
"Bakery you say? That sounds delicious. How does someone get into that gig?"
She still had no idea what she was going to do with her life yet, practically speaking. Her mother kept telling her that artists can't make a living anymore and that she'd have to cultivate other options but KD knew, just knew, that she was destined to be an artist. She knew it with every fiber of her being. But being in a bakery sounded like fun, too, and heck! A guy that baked couldn't be half bad, right? If they were going to be partners it made sense to get to know him, right? The page grinned.
"Have I neglected to mention that you're cute?"
Newgrange was almost eager to discuss the Freimont gallery, though seemed taken aback by her last statement. His mouth was pursed as though he were going to speak, but the blank look on his face was a blatant giveaway. He struggled to respond for a few seconds and his face flushed with color. "I--Well, I...Well, thank you, that's awfully kind of you."
Was he supposed to return the compliment? She seemed a bit young to him, but he'd always been bad with guessing ages. "You," he began, and then hastily added, "Well, you look nice, yourself."
He couldn't linger on the topic for long and blurted, "Baking is good, though, I got out of school a little over a year ago, worked in a bakery with a friend. I own one--sort of. Well, I'm a partner in owning one. A&H Bakeries, if you're ever in the area. I teach baking classes on Thursday, I could probably get more into 'how to get into the baking gig' then if you were really curious."
KD laughed. "I wasn't expecting a return." Besides, nice was the neutral kiss of death. She'd have rather he said she looked terrible than nice. The page wasn't one to enjoy other people's misery but she was rather blunt in her thoughts. She thought it so she said it, as simple as that. Anyway, the moment seemed to be over as he found his tongue again to answer her question. With a smile and a shrug she let the topic go as easily as it had come up. No shame in this one...
"Sure. There's nothing much out here tonight. You're the first person I've come across, civilian or otherwise."
She wanted to do something and talking to him was about the most entertaining thing she could think of at the moment. She didn't really want to run into another youma, one was quite enough for her. She wandered toward civilization, indicating that he should walk with her. A moonlight stroll with a fellow night was certainly innocent, right? She certainly wasn't going to make the mistake of powering down in front of someone again. She was pretty sure that was in the handbook as a bad thing.
"When do we get the handbook?" She muttered, mostly to herself.
Newgrange blinked; he almost hadn't heard the last few things she said, be he immediately sympathized. "Do you think there is one?"
He looked around; it didn't matter how long he'd spent in forests or mountains in his lifetime; this environment was not familiar with him. He almost couldn't even tell what direction he'd come in from. If Sherwood knew these woods well, he wanted to stick close to her. He would rather not be lost all night.
"I mean, if there was, I would have thought--hoped--that we'd have gotten it already. Doesn't feel like it's going to do us a lot of good if we don't get it soon. Do you know any senshi, or have any idea just how big this war is? Or...who is leading it?"
"You never know. I can't even figure out who's in charge of it all. Is there a Head Page or something? I don't know. You'd think there would be some instruction somewhere. Soldiers at least get boot camp, for Pete's sake."
She hadn't met a single person that seemed to know what they were doing, much less anyone in any sort of leadership capacity. It didn't seem like much of a way to conduct a war, soldiers without leadership or even a proper idea of what they were fighting for and why. She sighed, already a bit dubious about this whole thing. She'd much rather use whatever she had to help everyday people. Or was that the point?
"If you find someone in charge let me know. Maybe they have the handbook. And if not that maybe they have a clue of what we're doing."
Newgrange nodded somewhat absentmindedly. A part of him hoped that they didn't have instructions somewhere just because he didn't want to feel like he was left out…but the other part of him very desperately wanted to know just what it was they were supposed to be doing out here.
"I will," he promised, though seemed to realize that sans wandering in the woods, he wouldn't have any way to get in contact with her. "Actually, do you want to swap phone numbers or something? Emails? I can contact you if I find out anything, and if you find anything, you can let me know? Or, I mean, if you want company while you're out here or something." He flashed a brief smile and then clarified, obviously worried he was being too forward about this. He might not have had any ulterior motives, but a guy saying that to a younger girl in the middle of the woods, totally alone? As if being a page wasn't weird enough, he didn't need to be giving off creepy vibes, too.
"Yeah, sure." She nodded. "We can trade email addresses." There was nothing wrong with that, right? Surely if they were breaking rules lightning would have already struck them or something by now. Not that she had paper to write it down with. He didn't seem that much older than she was and if he gave out weird vibes she wasn't getting them. To her he was just a guy in the same boat she was in. "Ummm..." She powered down and was back as she was and couldn't feel his aura anymore. She felt a little weird now but looked for something to write her number down on.
Newgrange lingered as he was, not sure if he should power down or not. He still had a long way before he got home, but it seemed only fair that if she was revealing her identity—not that he could see much of it—he ought to do the same. He reasoned it easily, partially to make sure she didn't feel uncomfortable and partially because maybe he needed to be reminded that he had work in the morning and probably shouldn't stay out fighting crime or whatever for too much longer.
Immediately, he started fishing in his pockets, relieved to feel the hard paper of a business card in his pocket. He pulled it out and squinted in the darkness, though running his finger over the textured surface let him know that it was most certainly one from the bakery. "Here," he said, holding out the card. "It's for the Bakery, but it's got a number and email, so if you just ask for 'Arias', I mean—that's the quickest way to get a hold of me. I've got some extras here, ah, if you want to jot something down so I can reach you," he said, pulling out another, slightly more crumpled business card.
Caydence had a pen but not much else. She took his card first and squinted at it, little moonlight managing to make its way through the dense canopy. "Arias. I'll remember that." She usually did, making each new name an art piece in her mind without really thinking about it. Immediately she took the other card and scribbled her information on it, the main email address she used for roleplaying which was a bit nerdy. Maybe he'd get the reference, maybe not. Handing back she smiled. "I'm Caydence but almost everyone calls me KD."
"KD? If you can remember Arias, I think I can remember that," he said with a smile; he didn't try to read the card in the darkness, but carefully put it in his pocket and gave it a pat to make sure it was safe.
"Are you going to stay out here for a while more? It's a nice night, I just don't know if I've got it in me to stay up so late. Gotta wake up early to get things going at the bakery, so I admit, I'm not used to late night," he laughed. He wasn't old enough that late nights were too hard for him, but Arias liked the comforts of home. And if he had to wake up before the crack of dawn, a few extra hours of sleep was pretty nice, too.
"If you want to go home I can take care of myself." Unlike Arias KD usually didn't have any more responsibilities than school to prepare for and generally stayed up late anyway. It was in her nature, or so she believed, and didn't know why schools insisted on starting at the butt crack of dawn. She was also used to being alone because she liked going to raves by herself. Probably not the smartest move but now that she was in her civilian clothes a can of pepper spray was in her pocket. "It was nice to meet you. I mean that. I'll see you soon?"
Arias found himself smiling; he raised a hand to wave at the girl. "Yeah, definitely. Nice to meet you too, so I'll see you soon! Take care!"
He was a bit reluctant to just leave her there, but she seemed totally capable--and he didn't want to be overbearing or come across as any more of a worrywort as he already was. After a second of waving he figured it was a good enough farewell; they could meet again in the future--and he looked forward to it.
For now, it was a good time to head home. He could figure the rest out in the morning.
ZaiaFantasy
