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The cooking class had sort of spiraled. She liked knowing what went into her food before she ate it; sometimes it made it a little easier to motivate herself. But cooking meat disgusted her. She didn't like the feel of some of the slimier vegetables, and she'd already cheese gratered herself twice. Maman hadn't even batted an eye when she'd asked to go to baking classes instead.

Tonight, she had a half-dozen vanilla cupcakes made from scratch. The rose tops were too large, and looked more like cabbages. The color of the icing was patchy. For all she could only see the flaws, Carson had looked critically and said that they were beautiful. She supposed they might be tasty, but she hadn't tried them and didn't plan to.

Someone had forgotten to tell the Negaverse she was done with them and moving on, unfortunately. She rounded the corner, tucked close under Carson's arm, and stopped. Finely-honed senses snapped onto the monster chewing its way through a car and she started to rapidly back up, jamming her free hand into Carson's pocket to drag him with her. "No no no," she breathed, "This is not good." The chances of someone coming upon them right now were bad. Her recent encounter with Alphard had made it abundantly clear that she wasn't capable of outrunning a youma.

It was looking their way now, eyes flashing white. "No no no," she said, and she was shaking now, because--who cared if she died--it was Carson who didn't deserve this.

Castor had been fine with watching the youma destroy property. Not his car, not his problem. Though he did hope that insurance would cover the poor owner. Still, after a while, he knew he couldn't just let it wander about, and he'd have to take action. Tapping his tiara he felt it was about time he took a more old school approach. Nothing a right hook couldn't hurt.

But then it's attention shifted curiously and when Castor saw why he cursed. Civilians certain complicated matters. Jumping towards the couple he figured it was time to really old school it.
"Justice rains down from the heavens!" A dramatic jump from roof top to the street he landed rather gracefully. As in not stumbling. "I am Sailor Castor, and it's time for your judgement." He grinned, the words rolling off his tongue with practiced ease. Turning back to the civilians he winked not bothing to really notice who one of them was.
"Don't worry you two, I've got this-" The youma swung and hit him squarely in the side, sending him into a nearby ********-" It kept getting closer to the couple, not in a rush now that it had disposed of the only defense.

Well, he'd made an attempt, thought Carson, looking up only briefly as the presumably-magical man swooped in. He looked very little like the pair he'd seen a few nights ago - another faction, perhaps? Elke said they were going to be fine, so whoever the guy was, Carson was glad to see him.

"Okay," he said, his arms tightening around Elke. The senshi had just been thrown into a parked car. Carson cringed and picked up the pace a little.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, dropping an arm to collect her cupcakes before wiggling out of Carson's arms. "We're fine."

She tipped her chin upwards, daring Castor to say anything about her changing circumstances. "We're fine," she said again. "There's nothing wrong." His expression was nothing short of thunderous, and she wondered why. The youma was dusted, everything was fine except the two cars... She hadn't missed his wince, but there was nothing they could have done...

He didn't think that her situation was Carson's fault, did he?

"Thank you for helping us, Castor." She gave him a little curtsey, plucking at the short hem of her dress to complete the illusion. "Did you get hurt banging into that car?"

"Prince." Castor clarified, even if he knew his tone was arrogant and hostile towards the man. "It's Prince Castor. And as for you."

His pointed gaze kept faltering, flicking more and more towards concern. "...You were most certainly not fine five minutes ago and you aren't right now." He didn't reach out. Elke, Virgo, was one of the closest to Chronos, and he knew his standing with them.

"I am fine as usual. A few internal bruises, maybe something cracked? Nothing I've not had worse- or won't feel later. Still have the rush so pain hasn't set in yet." He was being honest, he would likely have a very nice purple back tomorrow.
He sighed, finally giving in. "Should I be concerned about this guy?" Elke was a good judge of character, and the man's lack of raw fear at the youma left a few possibilities open.
"Or should I remove him from our conversation temporarily?"

Carson didn't like the cut of this man's jib. Carson seldom liked the cut of anyone's jib. His pressed down tighter over Elke's fingers, feeling possessive. Whatever relationship she'd had to this man before leaving Destiny City, friends or whatever, it didn't sound as though Elke had expected it to continue. Once, she'd said. Castor might think he was one of the good guys in whatever bullshit war he was fighting, but Carson knew better than to count on that. Elke had left the gang - surely there would be repercussions to that.

"I'm not going anywhere," he said, and - her fingers dropped from his.

Carson didn't know anything about princesses or Cosmos or pens. What he did know was there was distress in Elke's voice, and he'd be damned if he didn't stand up for her against this holier-than-thou a*****e who seemed to distrust him on sight.

"She's fine," he repeated, grip firm on Elke's shoulder. "And unless you want a cupcake, we're going home. No further discussion needed."

No further discussion needed, Carson had said. Going home, he'd said. Elke couldn't stop the tears that welled up in her eyes, but she could smudge them away on the sleeves of her spring coat, and she did. She fixed her gaze--all the greener now for the red of her scrubbing--on Castor's face.

"I did my duty," she said, and her voice came out hoarse and scratched from the effort it took her not to scream. If she started screaming, she would never stop. If she started screaming, she would never stop, and this stupid war wasn't worth that, it wasn't worth her life, it never had been. "I did my duty for seven years, Castor, I died! Three times, I laid down my life, I gave it up for you and all of you ungrateful White Moon bastards, I gave up my baby, and my lover, and my home, I gave it all up."

What would happen if she failed? "I've already failed. I failed so long ago that there aren't even words for how deeply and terribly I failed. If the Zodiac had held, then Beryl never would have had the power to do what she did--and we didn't. We died." She had died alone, afraid, first of all the senshi to fall.

Elke's laugh was bitter and ragged, half a sob. "You think I don't know what I did? I know. I know better than anyone." She held out a hand. It had nothing on it but the clear half-moon shapes of her nails, tiny rivulets of blood. Her skin was paper-thin, and they burned with pain. "I have worn nothing but blood and death for years. I have fought every battle the White Moon asked of me and more. I don't cry anymore when I kill. I haven't since I was twelve.

"You say I'm a deserter?... Fine. Then I am. But don't say for a moment that I made this decision unknowingly. Don't tell me that I gave it up for something as stupid as c**k. I didn't." The sneer that rippled over her face was inhuman, unfamiliar. It warped her face in ways that looked wrong on someone so young--the expression was better fitting a combat veteran of sixty years, someone who had seen horrors--it aged her.

She'd given it up for herself. To live. To separate herself from who she had been, from all of it. She dropped her hands to her skirt, clenched them in the fabric, cupcakes splattering between her feet. "You know nothing of pain. You've never seen anyone you love begging you to run so you can live while they die." Elke hadn't run. She would never run from Chronos. "I won't even hear your displeasure, Prince."

Guilt was becoming a steady emotion Castor felt. Be cold, be harsh and unyielding. Be what you were born to represent- the fury of the heavens, hard, brutal and unstoppable.

He let the guilt die inside him, swallowed down until it settled into the pit of his self loathing.

"You have no idea. You're a child compared to her. To me. Ignorant, blundering about, blind to the world and what is taking place." He snapped at Carson.

"Elke-" Castor let out a long breath, trying to bit back the hints of his anger, his sadness, his regret. Sorrow was too gentle a feeling, it was loss in his voice. The sound of memories and a lifetime relived with memories of a fate he mourned. "-I'm not white moon. I haven't been for.. a long time. If Chronos hasn't told you yet I will tell you now. Castor has declared war on Earth. Until it is free of Chaos's grasp, I will stand against it. I no longer ally myself with the sol system's court or kingdom. I'm going to kill chaos, or destroy anything that they might use against us- even if that means-" He hesitated. "I do not want to die. But if it will save us, save our future, then I will die the final death. Breaking your pen only delays your fate. We are bound to our very souls. You know this. You know better than so many the price of this war, and the fate of us all if we lose. My displeasure is not in your wish to be free, to find happiness, but your selfishness to even cast aside everything that you are. Your fate is as sealed as mine. You can't defy the laws of the cosmos. No matter how hard we might wish otherwise."

He felt his shoulders sink, his posture weaken.
"I regret your pain, your memories are likely as vivid as mine. But you're wrong. I have watched someone I loved die so I could live. But I didn't live. I died just as you did. We live and we die. That is our fate and our destiny."

"...." He stared at her lover? Boyfriend? He was human, civilian. "You say I don't understand, but your ignorance is what keeps you safe. If she's to live as you do... then know she will never escape what she is, no matter how hard she will try, her fate was written before she was born into this life. If you love her, then remember you'll be the one who has to stand for her when she falls. I can't respect her decision. But I can leave her and you alone."

A sad smile, the echo of the smile he once had. "I'll miss you Elke. You always were someone I-" He scoffed at himself. He moved in a familiar way, reaching out briefly he cupped the side of her face, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Addio Innocenza, amico mio." He backed away trying to mask his feelings.
"I will watch to see you leave the area safely. Nothing more."