It was late afternoon when Arian let himself into the apartment.

He'd spent the day visiting his cousin and had taken her out to one of those little tea shops that she so loved.

He had told her about his classes and she had asked whether he was planning to come over on November 5th for the little sparkler party that they had had every year since the November of his first year in Destiny City.

Neither of them had talked about the panicked call that he had put through about a week ago in the early hours of the morning, even though Saffy had wanted to. It had been obvious she had in the way that she had looked at him as if she had been about to push and in the way that at the end of the visit that she had hugged him and told him that he could tell her anything - that they were family.

She hadn't pushed though and it was something he was grateful for, not particularly wanting to talk about the nightmare he had had in which he had witnessed her being brutally killed - a nightmare that had seemed so absolutely and terrifyingly real that he had ended up picking up the phone and calling her without even stopping to check what time it was.

And he had hugged her back, maybe not quite as fiercely but certainly a little tighter than normal, a part of him needing the confirmation that she was here and real - mostly that she was here. And even as he confirmed that 'yes' he would be there for their yearly sparkler party and random movie party of two, he had known that he had made the right decision in taking up Orah's offer to flat share.

The apartment had been quiet when he had got in, with everyone else out except Lola, who he had found lying at the top of the cat tree that he had bought for the apartment when he walked past the kitchen area into the living room space but she had quickly abandoned it in favour of wriggling into his lap when he flopped down onto the couch.

He had homework he could be doing - a project that he was working on for class, but Arian didn't get it out - at least not immediately.

Truth be told he was worried. Worried about Orah and worried about Liryn. Ever since the night where they had all had the shared nightmare the little tabby bobcat had been much quieter than normal and even though he was still cheerful around there were times when that cheerfulness seemed forced.

He didn't like it, found himself missing the cat that would get underfoot because he had to poke his nose into absolutely everything, found himself even missing the fact that the small mauvian seemed to have stopped messing around with his clocks to the point where the replacement one that he'd bought for the next time the little bobtail managed to once again break his alarm clock was still in its factory-sealed box.

However despite his worry for his team mates, he also didn't know how to help them and was worried that he wasn't doing enough even with him trying his hardest to be there for him if they needed him.

Then there was the fact that Liryn and Orah had mentioned stuff about their nightmares that suggested that he had been there, but they were things that he had no recollection of - like the stage Orah had mentioned that night her brown eyes haunted and a burning camp.

And he couldn't help but wonder - if Liryn and Orah remembered then why couldn't he?

Why them and not him? Was it because of him? Something he had done?

All he had were questions and he didn't want to bother the people who had answers, didn't want to stir things up.

He looked thoughtful, but mayhaps he could do something for Liryn and maybe for Orah and take them to see the asteroid from which he - well rather his powered counterpart - took his name.

It wouldn't solve the problems - Arian didn't kid himself that they could be so easily solved - but it would be something different, a change of scenery. He could bring a few treats and make sure to bring something to drink - make an afternoon or evening of it. And he could take them to the city ruins, something he had already promised Liryn that he would do.

He nodded to himself and then lifted Lola out of his lap so that he could shift and finally reach for his rucksack, ignoring the feline grumbles she sent his way and knowing that she would most likely just wriggle her way back in once he was settled again anyway.

He'd broach the topic of an asteroid trip when he saw Orah and Liryn next and mayhaps, just mayhaps he'd see some real cheerfulness from the little mauvian.

--- 830 words ---