Welcome to Gaia! ::

( backdated to January 29th )


An 'x' marked the date on her calendar for the day she'd made her first visit to Corvus, a second for the following week when she’d gone to explore a bit more on her own without the curious gaze of Arsinoe. In the time since then she had spent time preparing for another return trip-- Nothing as extravagant as the camping gear that her cousin had settled on Arsinoe (not yet, at least), but she wanted to have supplies. Her most recent purchases were added to her travel pack; a charcoal paper sketchbook, charcoal and pencils. How long had it been since she'd drawn anything?

Too long…

The charcoal was mostly for taking rubbings of some carvings that she had stumbled across during her first visit. She wanted to show them to Lucien and without being able to get her phone to focus properly in the dim light the old-fashioned way seemed to be the best route to go. If she was fortunate she'd have better timing on this trip and not arrive at twilight.

What if it's always twilight? That could be how we lived…

Cordelia scooped up her phone, opening up her message folder before selecting the chain of texts shared with one Fritz St. James. A day or two, maybe more, had passed since their last correspondence; something that she was chastising herself for. It had become far too tempting to check in with him more frequently; not because she was worried about him, but because she found that she was starting to look forward to hearing from him in return.

Stop thinking about it. Honestly, Cordy…

[ Text to Fritz: We're still on for today? ]

Message sent through, she set her phone down on the counter so she could finish the last minute side of preparations. Along with the 'survival and exploration' kit that her backpack had become, Cordelia had decided to toss together a small cooler to take along to the homeworld of Sailor Corvus as well. She had no idea how long they would be up there, but given how she'd had to bribe Celsus with food before it couldn't possibly hurt to have something to snack on.

Bribery? Pff. You're just trying to make it look like you're not planning a picnic date on a strange planet.

Cordelia groaned at herself as she shut the cooler, plucking her phone from the counter on her way to the sofa, She tossed herself down against the cushions , setting the mobile device beside her in the event it chimed with a notification. "This is so stupid. It's just space," she spoke aloud as if that would make the words more true than just saying them in her head.

It didn't.

Giving voice to those words only confirmed that it was important. She had extended the offer for Celsus to join her on a homeworld that she had only just recently started exploring on her own. Her cousin had explained to her that the more she made a habit of visiting Corvus the more likely she was to remember things about what had once been before. It was a personal trip and that she wanted Celsus to be there, even if something like that were to happen and she were to be caught off guard, spoke to how much she had grown to trust him-- Not just with herself, but with her world.



It had been a long time - a very, very long time - since Fritz had been to an actual homeworld. He’d been to some before, and plenty of Wonders; but never Corvus, and he knew she was worried - if that was even the right term, it didn’t quite feel as though it was, but it was good enough at the moment.

So he was going, because he knew it was important, for several reasons. His growing levels of comfort with Cordelia made it easier to bear the gnawing guilt and anxiety that always seemed to weigh Fritz down at the worst and most inopportune moments. More than once, Hitch and Rhys had come to visit, only to find Fritz in the midst of one of his attacks.

But he was getting better - slowly. It felt agonizingly slow, if he was being entirely honest with himself, but progress was still progress.

The text was sent back to Cordy with a certain amount of hesitation, if only because Fritz did not want to ruin this day for her, in whatever way; it was important to her, so it was important to him too, by default.



The text cut off in the middle, because Fritz was not exactly known for his technological abilities. He made a face at the small screened mobile - a flip version that probably hadn’t been seen in years - and painstakingly typed out the rest of the message, ignoring the small throb his hand gave at the cramped typing position.





Her phone chirped with the incoming message and she shifted to grab it, unlocking it in order to check her message. She shook her head, laughing softly at the two texts from Fritz before sending a quick one back his way.

[ Text to Fritz: Wonderful. I’ll see you soon. : ) ]

Cordelia’s texting skills were a bit better, as were her use of emoticons to try and soften situations and attempting to make it seem as though her own anxiousness wasn’t running high. It didn’t always work, of course. When talking to Lucien, for example, the little smileys often came off as sarcastic more than friendly or reassuring.

She hoped that wasn’t the case with Fritz.

Once the confirmation was set Cordelia rose to her feet. She slid into the kitchen, scooping up her pack from the floor and her keys from the counter only to head out to her car. From her apartment it was only a short drive to the park she preferred to patrol. She’d picked there as a meeting place, as opposed to her apartment, due to a certain clearing containing a strange tree that had been growing almost as long as she had been a senshi. She found it easy to relax there both as herself and Sailor Corvus; a place to commune with those past as well as meditate. Hopefully it would make travel to Corvus easier, even with company.



Fritz was, if possible, the worst person on the planet when it came to technology - other than Lorne. He was averse to anything new and shiny, and resolutely refused to get a higher upgraded phone, in spite of Rhys and Hitch’s continued and exasperated attempts at buying him one.

There’s nothing wrong with this one, he thought now, giving the ancient flip phone a look before tucking it away into a pocket of his khakis.

As Celsus, the park was a place that he spent a great deal of time patrolling, if only because it was both incredibly peaceful and ultimately familiar enough for him to feel comfortable in. It was easy to find Corvus there, her blazing power signature reaching him before he saw her, and Celsus pushed aside the low hanging branches of a tree before stepping out to greet her.

“Corvus,” he said with a smile, and bent his head, brushing his lips over her cheek in the briefest of greetings before leaning back again, Celsus looking almost relaxed.

“I hope you’re faring well this evening. Do you think you’re all set to go?”


“Celsus.” She smiled in return as she reached out to lightly grasp his forearm, giving it a gentle squeeze as he kissed her cheek. The friendly little gestures had become a normal thing between them and she took great comfort in them, likely more than she let on.

“A little anxious, but it seems like the anxiousness is less nerves and more excitement with every trip I make. Beyond that? Happy to have company this time around. You don’t quite realize just how lonely it is out there until you’re exploring for hours on your own.” Corvus stepped back in order to pick up her bag, settling it over her shoulders. She adjusted the straps a bit before she held her hand out to the Knight of Chronos.

“I’m ready if you are.”



Her fleeting touch was appreciated; if anything, just because it was making Celsus slightly more accustomed to physical touch and quiet, simple greetings that involved hugging or touching or anything of the sort. It was still not something he did frequently; but it was enough that it was making it a little more easier to bear with each day that passed.

“You’ll be fine,” Celsus said now, reassuringly. “It’s - well, I’m sure it’s intimidating, it’s very daunting to be out in space all on your own. But you won’t be alone this time, I’ll be there with you.”

Corvus was given a small smile. Celsus gave a nod, then, after a moment’s hesitation, extended his arm out towards her.

“Shall we go, then? Lead on, fair lady.”



“Of course I’ll be fine. I have you accompanying me.” Her smile was soft as she looked up to the Chronos knight while sliding her arm through his. Corvus took a step closer to him as she took his arm, crowding his space more than she intended only to take a small step back to make up for it.

Her eyes closed and she cleared her mind, drawing in a deep breath and releasing it slowly. The knight’s presence made it easier to relax, something about his smile and warmth making the idea of traveling to the stars seem more natural. You can do this…

The first trip had found her in a room that time had forgotten with crumbled walls and broken shelves. Exploration had lead she and Sailor Arsinoe to other rooms that had fared much the same. The courtyard, however, had been different and it was the courtyard that she focused on traveling to with the Knight Celsus in tow.

While Winter was still present in Destiny City, it was late spring on Corvus… Or as close to that as she could guess based on temperature alone. It was likely that at one point the courtyard had housed a variety of plantlife-- Obvious if only thanks to the chipped marble planters and patches of grass, mostly dried and dead. In the center of the courtyard stood a fountain that had been magnificent at one point, she was sure, even if it was hard to make out any of the features of the statue at the center of it, worn by the weather as it had been.

Gently she let go of her friend’s arm as she opened her eyes, giving him a gentle nudge and a soft smile. “Welcome to Corvus.”



He was very grateful for Corvus’s patience; for the fact that she did not seem to mind that he was hesitant about touching, or about simply being close in general. Celsus knew that friendships did not necessarily equate to physical closeness, but it had been an integral part of who he had once been, even if that was not who he was now.

He sucked in a sharp breath at the sudden closeness; but a second later, Corvus had stepped back, and he could breathe easier, and then they were gone.

And found, once more.

Celsus’s first thought was simply how beautiful Corvus’s homeworld was. It was long abandoned, of course; the marble was cracked, the plants were dead, but it didn’t matter, not to Celsus. It spoke of magnificence and beauty and wonder all at the same time; it spoke of things lovely and long gone, and yet so grand that Celsus took a moment to look around.

His arm slid away from Corvus’s, half out of a need to stop touching, and half because Celsus had taken a step forward to stare, eyes wide, his cape rustling through the deadened leaves that were spread across the courtyard.

“Beautiful,” he said, and turned back to look at Corvus, a smile touching Celsus’s lips.

“It’s beautiful.”



“Are you flattering me, Celsus? Or talking about the courtyard?” Her tone was light and teasing as she slid the soft pack cooler off of her shoulder and onto the ground, setting her knapsack down beside it. Performance anxiety shifted into an easy confidence now that they’d made it safely to the place she’d intended to bring them, although it wasn’t long before she was glancing away while tucking a strand of raven black hair behind her ear.

Flirting was something that she had done years ago-- In another lifetime it almost seemed, if she were being honest with herself. It tried to work its way back into her life from time to time, but there wasn’t a place for it. The world was too dangerous and…

Life is too short for hesitation and reservation.

Corvus tensed at the interruption to her thoughts. A flash of insight? A memory. Wise words, all in all. It would likely do her some good to mind them.

“You may look around, if you’d like. On my last visit I managed to clear enough debris that there shouldn’t be anything to trip over. I’d like to see if I can figure out what’s blocking the flow of water to the fountain at some point.” Wishful thinking. Hopeful. She didn’t have the same passion to see her homeworld restored that her cousin had-- Not yet, at least. There were parts of it, however, that she could only imagine how wonderful they would be if returned to their former glory.

“Judging by the sky, there should be light enough to look around for a bit while I get the lanterns.”




For some reason, the question made his chest feel strangely tight. Celsus gave a small laugh and shook his head, ignoring the sensation, the unsettling uncertainty that was making his thoughts feel scattered, confusing. Like something was off kilter, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on why it was.

“It’s a lovely representation of a lovely person,” he said, flashing Corvus a smile. “You’ve been to Celsus, it’s simply one building in one place. I should have loved to have a bit of nature with mine, but such as the case, there is none there. I have always admired those places that have more to it.”

Not that he didn’t like his Wonder. Celsus had a difficult relationship to it, though the adventures he’d had recently made it better, less complicated.

He took a few steps forward, lifting a hand, letting his fingers drift along one of the columns, tangling in the vines. They felt stiff and sleek under his touch, long since overgrown, as though the planet itself was drawing everything in it back to its roots.

“What would you do?” Celsus asked, then realized it wasn’t quite a full question. “I mean, if it came back? Do you think you’d ever want to see it restored again?”



“Celsus is far more than one building in one place. Celsus is a library filled with books. That instantly makes it as many buildings and places as there are books about them. Who knows, maybe somewhere in one of your many rooms there’s a book on botany that might have some suggestions for helping things here grow again.” As she spoke Corvus made her way around the courtyard, pausing at several posts that had been driven into the ground. Each post held a battery operated lantern that she switched into the ‘on’ position until a soft, warm glow illuminated the area.

The Senshi of Vengeance pondered the question that Celsus asked before powering down, layers of black and white and stormy ruffles shimmering away to leave behind Cordelia. She felt less imposing like this and, oddly enough, more at home. It was easier to move about, that was for certain. Without the wing-like bows making her backside seem even broader she had a much easier time stooping down to draw a patchwork blanket from her bag, giving it a light toss into the air to spread it out before letting it lie flat on the ground.

“I-- Honestly? I don’t know. Until that one time when we were all called out to the Surrounding I hadn’t put any thought into space travel at all. Everything that had happened to us had happened on Earth and it was about defending our homes there. I knew we came from somewhere, but…” She was talking without answering the question and knowing that was frustrating. Cordelia paused, drawing her scrunchy out of her hair only to pull it back up into a messy bun again.

“Yes. Yes. I would like to see it restored again. I’d like to see life and laughter fill every nook and cranny that has seen death and destruction… But I’m not sure if Vengeance has a place in a world of peace.”



Corvus was given a small smile over Celsus’s shoulder. Far be it from him to disagree with her, it was more that he disagreed with the assessment of Celsus itself. The Wonder was a beautiful place, certainly; complex and lovely and with all the books he could want - and yet it did not have this. It did not have nature, or life, or anything of the like.

He felt Corvus’s power signature disappear, and then there was Cordy, moving around to put things together. Celsus turned to watch her, leaning against one of the pillars with his arms folded loosely across his chest, his head tilting slightly so that it rested alongside the pillar as well.

“You are the Senshi of Vengeance, but that doesn’t mean it has to be only what you are,” said Celsus gently, fingers absently curling around the medallion hanging from his neck. “You are far, far more than that, I hope you realize that.”

He took a few steps forward, and the glamour melted as well, leaving him only as Fritz as he came towards the blanket and peered curiously down at it, at everything.

“I think you should do it,” he said, after a moment. “Or at least, I think you should try to restore at least some of it.”



“I was hoping there might be enough daylight left to explore inside a little-- I haven’t figured out enough of a pattern between here and Earth yet to plot sunrise and sunset.” Even when she had been here for hours, the time had been spent inside mapping the hallways of the Keep along with what rooms she had been able to get in and out of. Then she’d found the courtyard and, well....

“I’ve been doing some research on the constellation and the star system, though. Well, research probably isn’t the best way to put it.” Wikipedia articles were hardly scholarly enough to be considered ‘research’. “I…”

Cordelia had felt the Knight’s eyes on her as she continued to move while they spoke, smiling at the soft jingling sound his coins made as he shifted to cross his arms over his chest. She wondered what he was thinking, but didn’t ask, instead tucking a strand of hair back behind her ear only to glance up and see Fritz.

“Thank you.” Her voice was soft as she responded to him, a light breath passing her lips to carry the words. “Sometimes I think it must be easier for senshi who draw their powers from objects or things as opposed to concepts and emotion.” If she had awoken as Sailor Corvus, Senshi of Crows, she would hardly question her place in a world without fighting. There would always be birds, they were signs of more than just sorrow.

She wouldn’t dwell on that now, though-- Dwelling wasn’t why they’d come to her home world..

“Did you know that Corvus has its own meteor showers?”




”Worlds can be confusing,” Fritz admitted. “And so can Wonders, for that matter.”

This was added in a slightly dry tone of voice, because his own relationship with his Wonder was particularly complicated. He ran a hand through his messy hair, and added, “Research is good, or even if it’s not research, anything is good, I suppose, because you’re making an effort, aren’t you?”

It was more than what he could have said about himself for a while. Fritz looked down at Cordy with a gentle expression on his face, and for a moment, he wasn’t aware that he was still looking at her, silently letting his gaze flicker across her features, her words not even directed fully at him, but about her homeworld, her planet, about the senshi.

Fritz dragged his gaze away, feeling strangely off balance. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again and said, “Perhaps it is. But easier doesn’t necessarily make it better, you know.”

His head turned towards hers at the mention of meteor showers, eyes wide behind the glasses, brows raised.

“Really?”



A soft smile lit her lips as she unzipped the cooler that had been slung over her shoulder until they’d arrived in the courtyard. It was set down on the edge of the blanket and she straightened herself up afterwards. Cordelia took a moment to let her eyes drift up to Fritz’s face, her smile broadening into a grin as his eyes went wide.

“Really. At least according to information that I was able to dig up on this part of space. If the Corvids-- Corvidians? If the people who lived here before kept record of it themselves I haven’t found it. Stars, there’s no guarantee I’d be able to read it if I did find record, given everything I’ve heard from Arsinoe about the library on his planet… ” Cordelia was getting distracted again and it came out easily in the way her words just rambled forth. When she realized it she paused, stepping around the blanket to tilt her head up to the sky.

“The last time they were spotted was years ago, at least according to Earth records, but without the proper planetary plotting equipment there’s no way to tell where Corvus is in reference to where the meteor showers were spotted by our scientists. I thought I saw something the last time I was out here working on clearing the courtyard, but….” Cordelia turned on her heel, glancing back to Fritz with a smile. “I thought you of all people would appreciate it if we were fortunate enough to be here for one of them.”




Something in his chest hurt, though he couldn’t quite figure out why. Fritz let himself listen to what Cordelia was saying instead, his eyes tracing the lines of the space around them, listening to the gentle movements as she shifted on the blanket, moving things around, unpacking items of various importance.

He didn’t mind the rambling. It was sweet, in a way, and it was helping to ease him more into a state of relaxation. Fritz let out a small breath, a sound of pleasure, rather than a sigh.

“That sounds wonderful,” he admitted. “I would appreciate that. And I would very much like to see one if we could, though as you’ve said, there’s no telling where or when one would be. Still…”

His voice had taken on a slightly wistful tone. Fritz glanced at the bag.

“Did you need help with anything? Forgive my rudeness, I seem to have forgotten my manners.”



“Stars, Fritz, you aren’t being rude.” Cordelia shook her head before glancing up to him. “You’re my guest here and you’re more than welcome to explore the courtyard-- More than that, honestly, if you’d like, I just wouldn’t do so without a flashlight until I can figure out how to get the lanterns inside working.” That little glimmer of hope was in her voice again; the idea that she might be able to restore something to make everything else a little easier to investigate and explore.

“If you’d like, though, you can pass me a bottle of water. All of this talking makes the air seem a bit dryer,” she teased, face lightly flushed. “And then, maybe, you can tell me a little bit more about where you started to explore the first time you paid visit to Celsus, so that we’re not just listening to me talk all night?”




”Even if I would explore, I wouldn’t do so without you on your own home planet,” said Fritz with a smile. ”That would be rude. I’m sure you’ll be able to figure out how to get things going again, don’t you agree? You’ve got the mind and the willpower to do so, and I know you, Cordelia. You’ll do lovely things here. You’ll bring it to life again.”

He padded over to where the bottles were and dug one out, Fritz trying to ignore the persistent feeling growing in his chest. After a few seconds, he found one, and came over to give to her before easing himself down onto the blankets, Fritz drawing his legs up to his chest and wrapping his arms around his knees.

“I don’t mind listening to you talk,” he said lightly. “And as for when I first started exploring my Wonder...well, I ran into Aurelius first thing, for one. It was a little...strange.”


“You said that Aurelius was your ancestor… So your family line can be traced back to his at some point?” Cordelia twisted the cap free from the bottle of water, sending a small prayer to whatever cosmic being might be out there listening that in the low lantern light Fritz wouldn’t notice the way his words had drawn the flush from her face up through to the tips of her ears. She was well used to receiving compliments on her appearance; superficial things that meant far less now that she was an adult than they had when she’d been a preening teenager starved for attention and approval. When Fritz said things it always seemed like he meant them, truly. It was different. It…

She took a small sip from the bottle of water once she remembered that she’d opened it, holding it in front of her for a moment longer before capping it again. An anxiousness that she couldn’t put a finger on the source of was starting to well up within her and rather than shuffle her feet or pace in a way that might pass the nonsensical worry on to Fritz as well she took a seat on the blanket herself. It was easy enough to position herself in a way that she was sitting on the opposite corner, facing him and leaning back on her hands to look at the sky above.

“Are all knights descended? How-- Fritz, look!” Whatever train of thought she’d been questioning derailed as she pointed to the sky. Since their arrival twilight had given way to dusk and in the slightly darkened sky she’d caught a flash of light followed by a streak of white. It happened quickly enough that she thought she might have been imagining things simply because she wanted them to be there, but a second streak soon followed. “Stars and stones…”



”I assume so,” said Fritz, idly tugging on a stray lock of his hair. “I wasn’t reincarnated from him, at the very least, which means that he must have been around, living, however many decades or centuries ago. It’s a little daunting, I must admit...I wasn’t sure I could live up to what he had offered.”

It was easier to talk to Cordelia about this than anyone else; she had been there at his lowest points, after all. She had walked him through things, kept him afloat. Sometimes it felt almost as though that time in the park, upon their first meeting, had been some sort of...beginning to everything.

It was hard to keep focused on that; it made something in his chest unwind.

“Not all are descended,” said Fritz, “Reincarnation is a popular thing, though I haven’t met very many…”

He trailed off as she pointed up, his gaze immediately drawn skyward. Fritz sucked in a breath, his heart pounding in excitement, and he had moved without realizing it, half crouched on the blanket with one hand braced to keep his balance, his eyes searching the skies.

“Did - was it a meteor? I thought I saw it too - “



In her own excitement Cordelia had shifted to her knees, rising up just a bit on them as though doing so would somehow give her a better vantage point. The only thing it truly seemed to make easier was reaching out to lightly take hold of Fritz’s wrist as another ‘star’ shot across the sky.

Every time an event like this was set to happen on Earth she tried her best to catch it. Meteor showers, super moons, eclipse-- If it was the first time in a hundred years, or a once in a lifetime occurrence that had to do with the sky she wanted to see it, to know that she’d been a part of its passing, especially knowing now how close her ties to the stars above were. It felt magical there, but here? On her own planet?

The courtyard had obviously been built with viewing the meteor shower in mind. The walls were low enough to leave a clear view of the sky, but tall enough to frame everything with dark around the edges, making each glimmer and shine seem like a work of art. It was hard to believe that the fantastically beautiful thing they were seeing was little more than space rock and debris passing through the atmosphere when it seemed like so much more.

“Look! Look at the stars! They’re falling! Oh, it’s so beautiful.”

“It is, child-- One of the most beautiful things you will see here on Corvus.” The voice was soft, yet familiar; old and wise. “It’s a reminder, my dear, that while there are many trials ahead there are things to look forward to, even if they are brief. Now be a dear and make a wish before it’s over.”

Cordelia opened her eyes, not realizing that she had closed them until she found herself looking to the sky again. Her gentle hold on her companion’s hand had loosened, drifting away as she caught her breath. “Make a wish before it’s over, Fritz.”




He did not realize he’d even been holding his breath until he felt the light flutter of Cordy’s fingers against his wrist. The initial and instinctive response was to jerk, was to pull away; but Fritz made himself breathe, made himself calm, and for once, he almost felt settled with it, his chest tightening as he stared up at the skies.

“I thought I saw - there!”

They came like rain, once - then twice - then a third, streaking through the sky. Fritz made a sound in the back of his throat, his eyes wide, an expression of utter wonder on his face as they streaked through the inky black. He could almost feel the sense of amazement radiating off of Cordy, and by extension, Corvus itself, and he turned his head to look at her.

Her eyes were closed. The lights of the meteors were flushing her cheeks faintly with color, and there was something almost reverent in the way she was sitting, face upturned to the night sky, half crouched beside him in the dark. Fritz’s gaze flickered across her dark lashes, and the feeling in his chest tightened, grew more pronounced.

He was aware of her fingers, on his wrist. Aware of her closeness. Aware of -

He tamped it down. Pushed it away, even as the feeling of disappointment started to well as Cordy’s fingers slipped away.

“It was…” Fritz forcibly turned back to look at the sky. “It’s beautiful.”

I have too many wishes, he thought, and closed his eyes.



Slowly she drew her eyes back from the sky, drawing her gaze away from the glitter of the stars above to level it back on Fritz-- Fritz, with his eyes closed, his own head tilted just so. She wanted to ask him about wishes; whether or not he believed in them, what he was wishing for, if he was making a wish at all. She wanted to take his hand in hers again, fingers twining, warm, steady and reassuring. She--

Cordelia was holding her breath and she hadn’t realized it until she released it, exhaling slowly in an attempt to clear the haze from her mind. Part of it was from the memory, she was certain, but the rest?

“Thank you, Fritz.” When she finally spoke her voice was soft, still edging on breathless with wonder, face still lightly flushed. Her hands had fallen to rest in her lap, fingers lightly twined and tugging at each other in an effort to keep them from wandering or reaching. Everything was so still, so quiet… He wouldn’t be able to hear her heart thundering the way she could? It didn’t work that way, right? “I… I should probably get us back down to Earth, shouldn’t I.”



It took him a moment to open his eyes again, his gaze flicking sideways towards Cordelia. Her cheeks were a little reddened; some small, unknown, unfamiliar part of Fritz almost wanted to reach out and touch his fingertips to her face and see if it felt warm, but the thought flitted away almost as soon as it had come.

“Yes,” he said, after a moment, and took another breath, offering Cordy a small, slightly self conscious smile. He climbed to his feet and then, after only a few seconds of hesitation, held out his hand towards her to help her up.