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It was much too cold for ice cream, Sutai decided. With a frown, she tugged at the heavy winter coat she brought along for this patrol. Unlike Delphi, she didn’t receive a fluffy coat when she powered up. Sure, she still looked the part of a Polaris knight - mostly - and had little fluffy bits to tie her to her Princess. But in times like these, she desperately wished whoever was in charge of their outfits would consider different versions for different seasons.
With a huff, Sutai stood atop a building overlooking a Cold Stone Creamery, which happened to be right next to a burger joint and across the street from a coffee shop. It seemed like this end of town was ripe with college students looking for a way to unwind after a long day of work and classes. Anandi could relate to that. There was even a bar about a block from her current position, which seemed to be showing a sports game on one of its many big-screen televisions. It was pointed through a window and towards the street, the bright crispness of the picture being very distracting.
The squire frowned. She couldn’t very well order food in this getup, nor was there anywhere private to power down. Dang!
On the other hand, Alphubel was nice and comfy with his powered outfit. He would probably be regretting it later, but for now it worked for the cold the cold season that the city was currently enduring and so he was able to stay quite warm and could concentrate on what he was doing. Tonight he had decided to go somewhere new and try a little rooftop hopping. He hadn’t ever done it before, and when he first tried it he missed a couple of times. Luckily when he was powered up he didn’t get broken bones as easily because he surely would have with the falls he had been enduring.
Eventually he had gotten it though and was having a bit of fun until he felt the aura of another knight, a squire this time. And had decided to check it out. With a little more rooftop hopping he finally spotted her and made his way over. He tried to make his aura stand out as much as possible so he didn’t surprise her. And when he got a little closer he was surprised at her outfit. She seemed to be a Polaris knight, however her outfit seemed to be showing quite a bit of skin. Not that it was bad, but since he hadn’t seen another Polaris knight before, he thought that others might look more like him.
Well, it certainly was interesting that the outfits could have such a variety! However he felt a bit bad for her because she seemed to be a bit cold and he wasn’t sure if there was anything he could do to help. Approaching her slowly, he tried to start a conversation. “Uh, hello. Anything going on around here?” He would have asked if he could help her, but seeing as she was a squire and he was just a lowly little Page, he wasn’t sure if he could do anything that would count as ‘helping’.
Sutai seemed to have realized another person was approaching, but not who they were, nor what their purpose was. With an excited squeak, she turned about quickly and spied a Page! Usually it was her speaking to or interacting with folks who had tenure over her, not the other way around. The squire happily bounced over to the newcomer to closely inspect his outfit.
“Oh, nothing out of the ordinary, fortunately, Mister… umm…” This prompted Sutai to realize she didn’t know this boy’s name. His outfit, upon closer inspection, definitely proved him to be a Polaris knight, just like herself! Miss Delphi was right - their little family of knights was certainly growing! That made four that Sutai herself was aware of, and perhaps there were more out in Destiny City, dotting the cityscape like the stars in the sky.
Dancing back to face the blond, Sutai gave him a curtsey. “I’m Sutai, Squire of Polaris! What’s your name? Are you new? If so, welcome! It’s kind of scary out there if you’re by yourself, but you came to the right place! Princess Polaris wants to make sure we’re all safe and sound, no doubt about it. You’re the first Polaris Page I’ve ever met, so that’s exciting! What can I do for you??”
Every new sentence seemed to make her enthusiasm grow that much more, the dilemma over ice cream long forgotten.
Alphubel was quite happy that the other knight seemed to be so happy to meet him. Of course, he hadn’t really met another knight who had been annoyed by his presence, but one never knew, he was sure that there were some who weren’t the nicest of people. It seemed however that he had scared her a bit. How come that keeps happening? He thought, feeling guilty that once again he had managed to sneak up on someone accidentally.
“Alphubel. You can just call me Alphubel.” He replied, smiling. “It’s nice to meet you Sutai! And it’s finally nice to see another Polaris knight! Felt like I was the only one there for a bit, though I know that’s not true.” He tried to gather his thoughts to answer her other questions. “Yeah I’m pretty new! Just a little over a month since I awakened. Never seen the princess though, but I hope to meet her one day!” The princess sounded nice at least!
He was still surprised at her last question though. “Oh I… well I just wanted to see what you were doing. I really like getting to know other knights and when I felt your aura I decided to see what’s up and here you were… and if there’s any way I can help, that would be cool too! But… if you could, is there any way you could inform me more of what a Polaris knight actually is? Or maybe the princess?” He didn’t even know they had a princess until now.
“Oh wow you are very new, Mister Alphubel! Don't you worry, there are plenty of Polaris knights that will help keep the city safe, so you're not alone! There is me, and Miss Delphi -- she's a Squire too! -- and Mister Whisler. And you, that makes four!” Sutai nodded enthusiastically more to herself than to Alphubel, but it was all the same. “It's a shame you haven't yet met Princess Polaris but don't you worry, Mister Alphubel, she will come around again sometime soon, I'm sure of it!”
The squire swayed back and forth, gleeful that she could help someone new! It wasn't often that she had more information than someone else, and Sutai prided herself on being friendly and welcoming to old and new Order members. Polaris knights had a special place in her heart.
“Polaris knights serve the star in the sky, Polaris. The North Star!” The Squire pointed to the sky, about where Polaris should have been visible, but it was covered by a passing cloud. “Sailor Polaris -- that’s our princess! -- she serves the star too. When she became a princess, that's when we knights started popping up. I don't know how she became a princess, but without her, you and I would not be here!”
And since Alphubel was so new, Sutai thought it best to present her weapon. With some mild concentration, a metallic sextant appeared in Sutai’s hand. “We use magic like Sailor Polaris does, its magnetism. It's our job to protect the city and keep people safe, along with the senshi! How you met senshi before, Mister Alphubel?” Best to find out what he did and did not know about the others on the side of Order!
“Oh, you don’t have to call me Mister. That seems to be a bit formal. Just Alphubel is fine.” And he was a bit embarrassed being addressed like that. It made him seem a more important than he really was. “I would like to meet the other two though! And of course the Princess, but it might be easier to meet other knights first.” Heck, he hadn’t even been to his wonder yet.
He followed her hand when she pointed, and was a bit disappointed when he couldn’t see the star. However, he knew where it was already considering his astronomy hobby, but it was nice to try and see it anyway. “I’ll have to look it up some time. I think I have an app on my phone that could help me.” He used it way too much. There were many times he had to make emergency calls to his brother to come pick him up because the battery had gotten dangerously low.
But, what Sutai said next was news to him. Senshi’s could become rulers? He had heard that they were reincarnations from a long time ago, but to become rulers of their planet? That was interesting. Luckily though he was a knight and didn’t have to worry about anything like that. Way too much stress and responsibility to him.
His eyes widened a bit as he took a closer look at the sextant she was using. “Wow…” Was all he could really say. It seemed that they did indeed gain magic when they became a squire! That was interesting. He couldn’t wait to become one! Though he hadn’t really done much of anything to be promoted yet. He certainly didn’t think of anything he had done yet of much significance. He would have produced his own “weapon” but considering it was a small piece of round glass, it wasn’t much to look at. He nodded to her though. “Yes, actually when I awakened I was with a senshi! And I’ve learned a bit more by talking to a few, but it’s always interesting meeting them!”
Sutai giggled as Alphubel fidgeted slightly. “Oh, I call everyone mister or miss. It's only polite, you know! But if it bothers you, I'll try my best not to say it, okay?”
Now that the introductions were out of the way, Sutai had to come up with a way to get Alphubel together with Delphi and Mister Whisler. She could easily contact Winterlynn via cellphone but she had no way to contact Whisler. She didn't even know his civilian side! The squire would have to make due with what information she had. “Well, Miss Delphi has a huuuuuuuge--” and the squire made the appropriate gesture with her arms to physically encompass just how huge the complex really was. “--Wonder on Polaris. Have you been to yours, Mister Alphubel?”
She squeaked. “Oops!”
The squire cleared her throat, pushes some errant hairs from her face. “Mine is a mountain, you see. I'm afraid to climb it though, to be honest.” Sutai seemed incredibly embarrassed by that admission. “I'm trying though. I don't want to disappoint the princess! She's quite lovely, you would like her very much! She's fluffy and like a big sister. I heard she got married to a Saturn knight some time ago. I couldn't go to the wedding but it sounded lovely!”
With a shake of her head, Sutai realized she was rambling useless information. Best to be concise. “Right! Have you been to your Wonder yet, Mister Alphubel? Oops!”
“It’s all right if you can’t help it. I just didn’t want you to feel like you had to call me by something so formal.” If it was a habit of hers that was okay, he just felt a bit embarrassed being called mister since she was definitely his senior.
He shook his head, a bit of a sad face forming. “No, not yet. I’m a bit nervous to see it. I’ve seen another Wonder already and I’m hoping I won’t be disappointed by it. I’m not even sure what it looks like. May… may I ask what yours looks like? You said it was a mountain, but is that it? The one I went too was a Chronos Wonder and it was a huge library!” He chuckled weakly, but he was nervous about going. He really didn’t want to disheartened if it was just a regular old mountain or something without anything on it. It sounded lonely. ‘See the Wonder of Alphubel! It looks like all of the other mountains!’ He realized he may have insulted her. “I… sorry. I don’t mean to be mean, I’m sure your wonder is amazing!”
He was glad for the information from the squire. At least he knew a bit about their princess now so he hopefully wouldn’t embarrass himself in front of her if he ever got to meet her.
The squire patted Alphubel gently on the shoulder. “Now, now, don’t you worry.” she said, wagging a finger while smiling. “You’re not being mean! Miss Delphi, her Wonder is a series of buildings, all metal and stone, and it has a small library and a courthouse! Not everybody can have an interesting Wonder such as that. Some of us have caves and mountains and things like that.” Sutai stood back and leaned contrapposto, chin in her palm. “It has a staircase leading up into the sky. I have a feeling it’s very, very tall, but--”
She huffed in an exaggerated fashion, her tutu bouncing with the movement. The squire’s cheeks puffed. “I’m a computer programmer, not a mountaineer!”
With that being said, the squire fidgeted slightly. “At least… Miss Delphi offered to come with me. That way, it isn’t so scary. I didn’t get a nice fur coat like you did, Mister Alphubel. Delphi has one too! But anyway, it’s just not a very safe idea to climb a mountain all by yourself, especially when you don’t have mountain-climbing experience. So we’re preparing to head off soon... “ Sutai fussed with some of the crystalline accessories adorning her outfit. “...I’ve been procrastinating because it’s rather scary, you know? Not all of us are super brave like Miss Delphi and Mister Nysa.”
That admission, she hoped, would give Alphubel a bit of comfort - knowing not all knights were incredible fighters with prowess to spare. Many of them were regular people, with fears and hopes and aspirations, leaning on each other for support. Clenching her fists, Sutai smiled. “But I will try! Sometime you will feel the need to travel to your Wonder but if you are scared, please call on one of us. We will go with you! Princess Polaris would want us all to support each other, just like she supports us!”
Alphubel felt better that he hadn’t insulter her. But… it was interesting to hear that it wasn’t just mountains that could be a wonder. And the fact that Sutai hadn’t even climbed the mountain that was her wonder… there could be something amazing at the top! He could understand her hesitation though. Mountains could be intimidating and if they were anything like they were here on Earth, even with a staircase that could mean less oxygen as they went up, which would make it harder to climb. And if one didn’t have the experience, then it would be even more terrifying trying to get to the top.
He shifted on one foot, thinking. Well, it wouldn’t hurt right? He faced her again. “Well… I could go with you too? It might make me want to visit my Wonder more and the more people there are, well, it couldn’t hurt right? We would be able to help each other at least.” He wasn’t a mountaineer himself, but he was an outdoorsman so he would at least have some climbing experience. But the fact that she was so nervous about her Wonder made him feel better.
He moved the scarf away from his mouth a bit, and smiled at her. “Sure! If you guys would be willing to come, I would love some company when visiting my Wonder! Might be better than visiting it all by myself first at least.” If they didn’t want to go that was of course, fine. Sutai seemed the type of knight that would be happy to go, but of course there was always the possibility that she would pass on it.
The squire seemed overjoyed at the idea of a mountaineering expedition. The more people who climbed with them, the greater chance they had at reaching the top! Everyone brought their own expertise (save for Sutai herself, who had a difficult time overcoming her fear of ascending the mountain in the first place). “Miss Delphi will be there, she will be bringing food and some camping supplies, and I will bring um…” She thought for a moment, wondering what she had available to contribute. It was her Wonder, after all, and she had little in the way of outdoor equipment.
A few moments of silence passed before Sutai perked up again. “Ah! I’ll use Mama’s spicy recipes. I do hope you like traditional Indian food, Mister Alphubel, because Mama prefers it traditional, and I cannot think of something that would keep your belly warmer for longer!”
The thought of fellow Polaris knights assisting each other with Wonder visits filled her heart with glee so much that it seemed Sutai couldn’t physically contain it. She snatched up Alphubel’s hands and bounced merrily in place. “Oh yes, that would be wonderful, Mister Alphubel! We could all go on an expedition and keep each other safe! Yes, that sounds most excellent. I bet the Princess would be so very proud of us!”
Before she forgot, the squire fumbled around in her coat pocket for her civilian cellphone. “Ah, Mister Alphubel, would you mind trading phone numbers? I can text you a day or so before we’re going to leave, so you can come with us if you want? Then, we can also meet up for patrols later! It’s always best to patrol in groups whenever possible!”
“Indian Food? Interesting. I’m looking forward to it.” He certainly wasn’t against it. He didn’t mind spicy things at least, it would be good to have on the trip. “I can bring some more supplies too and anything else you guys may need but can’t get or something.” He didn’t want to assume after all, they would probably have to get together later and figure all of this out together.
He was glad that she was happy though, and was excited for this himself, even if he didn’t express it as much as she did. He was also pleasantly surprised that she brought out her civilian phone. At least they could not communicate with each other. He fumbled a bit looking around for his, but eventually found it and pulled it out himself. “I would love to exchange numbers!” He replied enthusiastically. This was great! He loved being able to meet up with other senshis and knights, it was nice to know he wasn’t alone in all of this at least.
Sutai quickly punched in the Page’s number and labeled him, “Mister Alphubel”. With a smile, she closed her phone. “I'll call as soon as I talk to Miss Delphi. I want to make sure we’re all on the same page and we can all travel together safely, okay?”
She poked her cheek absently. As a Page, Alphubel would need protection and training to make sure nothing terrible happened to him as he practiced his abilities and became more comfortable. “You can call or text any time, okay? I usually work during the day but I will answer as soon as I can. If you can avoid it, please don't patrol by yourself, it can be very dangerous!”
The squire had no idea just how much Alphubel knew. Finding that out, finding the limits of his knowledge, would be key to his success. “Maybe we can do lunch sometime! That would be fun!
Alphubel did the same with his phone, however he put her name under Sutai Squire, just so he could remember her a bit easier. “Thank you, it really helps to know that I can talk to someone about all of this.” He said sincerely. He had known that there were probably other Polaris knights out there, but until he had met another one, he had felt quite alone. And it was a squire who had actually met their princess too! Sure, he didn’t know that they had a princess, but hey, it was just something else he was learning about!
“I’ll take your advice though, I’ve already run into some… bad situations patrolling, but until now I didn’t really have anyone to do it with.” And considering that he had no magic at this point, it had been quite difficult whenever he had run into another agent. And he hadn’t met another youma yet, but he wasn’t too sure how well he would do against those either. “I would love lunch together though!” He said excitedly.
Suddenly though he felt quite tired. Perhaps he had been up here for a while, but it seemed that he was going to have to go to bed soon, he did after all have classes tomorrow. “Sutai, I’m sorry, it seems I need to go pretty soon.”
The Squire squeaked in excitement. “Oh yes, call or text anytime! I’ll do my best to answer as soon as possible.” She poked her cheek, flipping his phone around with the other hand. “I know sometimes it’s so very hard to talk to someone else about it, especially if they are not a Knight or are not under the Polaris star.” she said, nodded every so often. In truth, without the Princess’ guidance, or the support and shoulder of Delphi, Sutai wouldn’t be where she was today. The least she could do was pass that onto a Page in such a familiar position.
“Will you let me know how your schedule is, so we can do lunch?” She seemed incredibly happy with this idea, getting to know someone who was so new to everything. Sutai frowned though when Alphubel mentioned getting into bad situations. Luckily, she and Delphi and the other knights would be here to help prevent that from happening again! “Yes, please be ever so careful, okay? It’s very dangerous when you’re by yourself but sometimes we just don’t know what else to do. But now, you have a support system and we will help you however we can! And someday, when Princess Polaris comes back, you will meet her!”
Alphubel’s yawn was infectious and Sutai shook her head to clear the sleepiness, just a little. “Yes, it is pretty late. We should probably both head home to warm beds. You be careful, okay Mister Alphubel? Promise me we’ll see each other again!”
He quietly put his phone away and smiled at the squire. “Yes, thank you so much. It really means a lot. Or maybe we can just vent to each other sometime.” He replied, chuckling a bit and wrapping his scarf around a bit tighter. It was starting to get a bit colder according to his nose.
“I’ll tell you as soon as I can. Luckily it’s pretty set with school being in full swing already, but if I have anything else going on I’ll let you know!” He should have plenty of time, but then again, he had to study quite a bit more here than he did back home. Though it came to him easily enough and besides, one needed a break every once in a while, right? He was glad he could get to know a fellow Polaris knight. Sure, he had gotten to know a few other knights, but it wasn’t quite the same when they weren’t the same faction that you were. “I hope so. I would love to meet her.” Though he didn’t know quite how to act in front of a Princess, it couldn't be that hard right?
He nodded again at her and stepped back a bit. “You be careful too! And although I know I probably won’t be much help, you can contact me if you need some assistance! Nice to meet you Ms. Sutai!” He replied before heading off in the direction of his dorms. If he didn’t get there quickly they might lock the place up and then he would be in real trouble.
