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Getting a text from Kari was pretty high up on Themisto's "awesome things that could happen" list, but her message was cryptic and strange. At first, he was t sure if the message was even sent from Kari, but conceded the fact that he didn't know her particularly well. Maybe this is just how she communicated? Maybe the agent military people were monitoring their phones too...

...how creepy.

The boy tried hard to focus on something other than overwhelming paranoia, considering everything he'd been told by the guardian cat Katya, and his good geta-buddy Cetus. At least Kari was a welcome change in the nightly routine of run-away-from-anything-more-powerful-than-you.

With some difficulty, Themisto was finally able to locate the bench Kari spoke about in her message, having arrived in Nike kicks that clashed horribly with his obviously-Asian outfit. Once he was within eyesight of her, he tossed a gesture behind him. "Don't worry, I ditched the stupid shoes so your ears wouldn't explode when I got within a block of here. CLUNK CLUNK, hahaha!"

He sounded quite jovial, and he was. Kari was a welcome reprieve.

Themisto flopped himself down onto the bench next to Kari, stretching out all four limbs with a contented sigh. "Well, to be fair, it's like walking on a speed bump attached to a two-by-four, and then you add in the oh hey look it's Themisto let's go eat him! ear-splitting monster-beacon noise." He chuckled then, shoulders rolling forward with the laughter. "Honestly, i'd take your boots any day. Aren't heels supposed to make your legs fabulous and work your butt or something?"

He got up suddenly and in boyish fashion, struck a supermodel pose, his back to the super senshi, winking at her over his shoulder. "I dunno, do my glutes need more work?"

Another round of chuckling and he planted himself back down on the bench, resting an ankle on his other knee. His Nikes weren't all that cool - well-worn and tired, but functional. "Anyway, butt-talk aside, what's up? Is this the time where I take you out and buy you dinner 'cuz you're a superhero that saved my life? Cuz I got cash in my not-tied-up-in-weird-rope outfit, and there's this great Mexican place a few blocks from here."

He gave her a smile, hoping she at least liked Mexican.

Themisto acted as if Kari's suggestion was golden and snapped his fingers, eyes dazzling with determination. "Oh man, do you think so?" he asked, turning to face her fully, rapt in attention. "Maybe I should write a petition to the Senshi Sorting Hat and be like,"

He stood up to dramatically orate this supposed petition.

"Senshi Sorting Hat, as a reward for my hard work, I need some sick platform heels. Open-toe, preferably. I gotta be fierce while fighting evil. Thanks! Love, Themisto.

P.S. This'll make up for the clunky geta."

With that performance out of the way, he sat back down. A thought crossed his mind and he flushed for a moment. "Ah, I have a sister. That's how I know about shoes. But anyway, I'd settle for cleats at the very least. If I get badass stilettos, that means I'd need a pedicure. Can't have gnarly feet in stilettos!" Or so he assumed. His geta showed off his feet, but geta weren't meant to be sexy.

Or maybe they were and he just didn't know the difference.

Kari's sudden apprehension over dinner gave Themisto pause. "Oh, do you not like Mexican? I mean, a guy's gotta thank his knight in shining armor somehow, right?" Themisto leaned back on the bench, latching his hands behind his head. "Unless you do like something fancy? I can make that happen." He dropped her a wink and a smile. "I can clean up nice, I promise. But seriously, you don't just save someone's butt like that and not get thanked! Besides, you're a pretty girl with awesome superpowers. A schmuck like me's real lucky to even be sitting here right now!"

Themisto seemed puzzled for a moment. If there wasn't a senshi sorting hat, how did all this nonsense come to be? Someone had to be in charge of makeup and wardrobe, Themisto was sure of it. Maybe Kari simply didn't know who it was. Regardless, Themisto made up his mind to write a strongly-worded email to whoever-it-was to complain about the terrible choice in footwear.

When Kari mentioned having someone else in her life, Themisto visibly wilted like a flower starving for light. "Ahh... shoulda known." He snapped his fingers at his luck. What was that, oh-for-four now? Powered ladies were hot commodities, the young man had come to find. They'd been snatched up like hot cakes. "Someone as lovely as you, Kari, I'm not surprise. Shoulda seen it coming."

Her questions seemed genuine, honest, as if Kari wasn't sure where this particular relationship might be headed. That he could commiserate with, and while Themisto may not have stood a chance in Kari's eyes, he wouldn't turn down a request for clarity. He gave her a warm smile and settled a friendly hand on hers.

"I think that's pretty normal." he started out, looking high into the night sky. "You've got to get to know someone before you decide to have a relationship with them, I think. Sometimes it's dates, sometimes it's just hangin' out. Some people make it more complicated than it needs to be." With a nod, Themisto's mood seemed to have leveled out. "Sometimes it's okay to take a break from that person too, especially if you can't figure out your feelings for 'em, you know?"

Themisto suddenly nodded in understanding. No Wonder he didn't stand a chance with Kari - wrong gender! That actually made him feel a little bit better about himself. It wasn't his fault he was born outside of Kari's preferences. His demeanor had relaxed for a moment as the super senshi tittered on adorably about her maybe/maybe not relationship...

...until she got to the part about the Negaverse.

If he had been drinking something, Themisto would have spit it out immediately. He coughed a little, leaning forward to try and mask his sudden displeasure with a nervous chuckle. "Ah, uh... yeah. Stellerite..." Suddenly his lessons from Ember, Katya, Cetus and Denebola came flooding to him, followed by a swift Star Trek-esque red alert noise. What was Kari thinking, hanging out with and dating the enemy?! Was she bonkers?!

Themisto swallowed the lump in his throats and was uncharacteristically silent, mulling over just want to say for a few moments. When he'd figured it out, he leaned back into a more comfortable position, though no less terrified for Kari's safety. "....yeah I uh... sure, I'll meet Stellerite."

The senshi was rather shocked the agents could get to someone as powerful as Kari, and had Kari giving them energy, no less. "Why does Stellerite need energy, Kari?" His voice quivered a bit, for he was truly frightened for Kari. This could be a dark road she was gleefully skipping down, all thanks to some Negaverse agent...

Themisto didn't consider himself a player, he couldn't do that to another person. As much as he really questioned Kari's association with this "Stellerite" of the Negaverse, he just didn't think she knew what she was getting into, or really knew what she was doing. When Kari squeezed his hand and kissed him on the cheek, he felt more confused than ever. Didn't she just say she had a thing for Stellerite? The Negaverse agent? Now she was smooching him too?

Her words about giving energy willingly, donating was the word she used, made him nauseated. Kari didn't even ask why they needed it, did she? Themisto had so many more questions for Kari than when he sat down on the bench to speak with her. Things got so much more complex, more complicated.

More dangerous.

Themisto nodded when Kari started to walk away. Maybe it was better they didn't go to dinner - he wasn't sure he could eat now anyway. "Have a good night, Kari..."

He let her go. Was there anything he could do? Anything he could have said likely wouldn't have made a difference. In school, he'd had friends who dated people who were obviously a trainwreck and no matter what anyone else said, the person had to discover that their significant other was a dumpster fire on their own. Themisto sighed, leaning over to hold his face in his hands when Kari was too far away to see him.

Dating in high school wasn't deadly. Dating the Negaverse was.