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Her shift at the Cat's Paw had been a long one, as was often the case the night of a stage show. Cordelia was exhausted. The tables had been filled, the bar busy, and all she had wanted to do when her night ended was kick off her heels, slip into a comfortable sweater and go home.

That would not happen, however. She had made other plans; a promise to herself that she was determined to uphold.

Cordelia was in her apartment long enough to drop off the bag containing her work attire, swapping it for a large thermos that she filled with a soothing herbal tea blend and a fleece blanket carefully rolled to make it easier to travel with. Both items had been set aside on the rooftop as she henshined up, checking her phone for any messages before heading to the park.

The night air was bitter, cold enough to n** at her skin even through the enchantments provided by her magical girl attire. When she made it to the park she was grateful for the shelter provided by the plastic dome of the playground equipment. It was such a terrible idea to be out. No one would be out on a night like this -- But if they were, if he was she wanted to be there.

Corvus unrolled the blanket after clearing the platform of snow that had swept up beneath the cover of the castle roof, pondering setting it down to sit on. Just as she made to spread the blanket out a gust of wind kicked up, whistling through the plastic tunnels and rattling the ropes. It nearly took the blanket from her fingers and she cursed. Loudly. So much for that idea.

The Senshi of Vengeance wrapped the blanket around herself instead only to flop down unceremoniously onto the metal weave floor of the castle platform. Blessing magic and the many layers of her skirts along with the fleece blanket for keeping her backside warm she stuck one arm out to open the thermos to pour a cup of tea for herself. Corvus left it open for a moment as if somehow the scent would waft up and out to draw the knight to her as an opened can of food might call out to a stray cat.

It didn't. It wouldn't.

Corvus capped the thermos after that moment had passed, not wanting to let all of its warmth escape in one go. At this rate, foolish as she was being, she might want more of the tea to warm herself up later. Stupid. "Tired, not stupid," she muttered in response to herself, bringing the cup up to take a small sip of its still steaming contents. The burning sting of the liquid found the cup lowered quickly; so quickly that she nearly spilled it in her lap.

"Fine mess you're making, Corvus."

The Senshi of Vengeance had a long history of being too hard on herself, as did the young woman who drew power from the constellation Corvus to become her. When she had first powered up she had claimed, quite proudly, that she did not need anyone. She could do it on her own. There was no need to put anyone at risk over her. Then she had met Eridanus. Arsinoe. Alshain. Saiph. Her stomach clenched at the thought of those she had once relied on so strongly and she closed her eyes, willing the lump in her throat to go back down.

Eridanus, as far as she knew, was still safe. Arsinoe was safe. Saiph. Alshain -- gone. The heartache wasn't as raw anymore, seeming more distant than real. Seeing Celsus so broken had brought it back to the surface again. What if she had wandered, as he wandered, lost and alone? What if Eridanus hadn't stepped in to save her from Zinkenite? What if Denebola hadn't waited on a bench for someone to join her as she now sat and waited for Celsus? Would she still be just as lost? Would she still be just as alone?

Her shoulders fell as she shrank back into the blanket, shifting it just enough around her shoulders to nestle in. She brought the cup to her lips, taking a slower sip this time. The warmth spread through her slowly and reached to fill in the emptiness that was threatening her again. It didn't matter what had and what had not been. All that mattered was what was.

Eridanus had saved her and Denebola had been there. Now it was her turn to be there -- And she would be.

Corvus lingered in the park that night until the cold started to sink in. The warmth from the tea was long gone and wind had picked up, bringing bitterness with it. She stood with a soft groan, stretching out her limbs before stooping down to pick the thermos up. The Senshi of Vengeance kept herself wrapped up in the blanket for the trek home, making a mental note for next time to find something a little bit thicker than fleece.

"Celsus, if you're out there tonight... I hope you're somewhere warm."