Welcome to Gaia! ::

Kallichore had nestled herself under a tree with a good view of the Moon, knowing full well that she couldn’t mask an energy signature from other powered individuals. She could have hidden from the plainclothes criminals that stalked the streets at night, but perhaps seeing her in plain sight would dissuade them, just this once. In her lap sat a well-worn leather journal, into which she was writing from time to time. A thought would come to her, she would pen it, then look up at the moon. It held so many secrets from the past, secrets that she so enjoyed discovering, analyzing, and unraveling.

Her thoughts were disrupted by the sudden appearance of a Super signature on her mental horizon, which was rapidly moving in her direction. Kallichore peered over her shoulder, hearing and sensing the person well before they were seen. Suddenly, a brightly-colored senshi appeared in her peripheral vision. The red they wore was cheerful, even under the dimming blue light of the moon.

She placed the pen in the spine of the book and closed it. “Hello.” came a cool reply, Kallichore tilting her head at the senshi she’s never seen before. “Are you out for a patrol? Or are you looking for someone?” This senshi seemed like they were on a mission, at least from the strength with which they burst through the trees.

The eternal shook her head and quietly closed the journal, taking Caia's hand and standing before him. Brown eyes seemed to inspect his outfit closely, noting she had not seen this senshi before. So many were awakened now that it was impossible to know of all of them. "There's no need to apologize, Caia." Kallichore had left the journal at the base of the tree, lacking a decent place to keep it otherwise. "Trust me when I say that I know disheveled when I see it. You should have seen me at Super."

A quiet chuckle escaped then. "My name is Kallichore. It's... a pleasure to meet you."

She clasped her hands together and regarded Caia curiously. "...I apologize if I am intimidating. There is no need prostrate yourself like this. Is there something I can help you with, Caia?" There wasn't any excitement in her voice. No, Kallichore was speaking to Caia with a hint of warmth but without excessive energy. She was never known as being particularly friendly in the past, but was working diligently to at least be more approachable and less... ghoulish. "Do you patrol alone frequently?"

Kallichore seemed unfazed by Caia's complements, simply tilting her head.

"I admire your dedication to the cause. Truly, patrolling alone despite the risks is very brave of you. You don't seem like a person who doesn't understand the severity of the war... I patrol alone frequently myself. It's important to find your reason for patrolling, and hold onto it."

Friends, family, a bid for power, a love for the city... whatever the reason, everyone powered up at night with that thought in their hearts. The reason might change over time, as it did with Kallichore, but one did not simply stop being a knight or a senshi without serious consideration. Power was a blessing in a way, granting those who have it the ability to change the city, night by night. Some people used it for their own selfish gains, some did not, and it wasn't even simple black-and-white matter of Order versus Chaos.

There were so many shades of gray.

She seemed intrigued by something to Caia's left, but still spoke as if she were looking directly at him. "A good job is in the eye of the beholder, really." Linking her fingers together, the eternal senshi thought for a moment. "Do you believe you are doing a good job? And what defines good for you?" The intent wasn't to antagonize the super senshi, but have him closely examine his actions and desires.

Caia's concerns for his homeworld rejecting him caused Kallichore's gaze to lock onto him, curiosity flashing freely across her face. "Rejecting you? That's a very distinctive feeling. As senshi, we are uniquely attuned to our homeworlds. I imagine there must be a reason for this feeling you're experiencing. I can also understand not wanting to return, especially if you couldn't breathe. Could you tell me more about that, Caia?"

The thought that awakening to power was a mistake caused the eternal senshi to shake her head. "No, I firmly believe everything happens for a reason. The universe is a curious, perhaps unknowable thing, but it does not make mistakes. You awoke as a senshi because it was your time to do so. Perhaps there is something you must do that has not yet been done...?"

Kallichore didn’t consider herself a warm person by nature, lacking the personable attractiveness she could very easily see in others like Pasiphae or Nepthys. In many ways, Caia, too, was a warm and inviting individual, made more so by his sunny outfit and rather honest disposition. It was heartbreaking and all too familiar to hear of his self-doubt.

“The first time I visited my moon, I was too frightened to return for months.” came an easy reply. It had been so many years since that day, discovering that Derpaline and Albali hadn’t lied about civilizations existing in the past. It was a horrifying and nauseating experience to find the skeletal remains of a small village where people had lived and died happily in the arms of loved ones. “I didn’t have a vision. There was terrible weather, or bone-chilling cold. Simply verifying that life once existed there was enough to scare me off.”

A self-deprecating chuckle escaped her then. “A horrified coward, really. Simply existing was enough to drive me away.”

She nodded as Caia confessed these innermost doubts and worries, things she herself had struggled with mere months ago. Their journeys as senshi were all marred with the scars of turmoil. It simply took perspective to see them as badges of honor.

Kallichore tilted her head, expression more serene than anything else. “Do you suppose you see greatness in others… because it’s easier to look outward than to look within?” She clasped her hands together, regarding Caia with a quiet curiosity. “I, too, saw the greatness in others, and wished desperately to emulate them. I wanted wings like I cannot describe. Ironically, just recently, I was able to meet face-to-face with one of my idols from six years ago - Sailor Scylla. She was magnificent. I was always below her in rank, you see, and looked up to her greatness. In speaking with her, she became more… flawed, more human. Her flaws made her greater in a way, more relatable, less… perfection.”

The eternal shook her head. Maybe she’d wandered off on a tangent. “I suppose, my point is that… greatness is easy to behold in others. It is much less so in ourselves, especially when we believe ourselves to be lost and without purpose. Would you believe me if I told you that it took me six years to find my own purpose? Do you suppose it would ease your mind if someone were to assist you in finding yours?”

Kallichore was quiet for a moment, tilting her head at Caia. She seemed to ponder him and what he was saying.

"...I would assist, if you would be so inclined. I must warn you, though. I'm not... the most personable of senshi. Touchy-feely isn't my realm of expertise. But, if you would have me, I will teach you all that you are willing to learn."

Really, this was Sibyl's job in the past - she did her very best to guide the people who sought out her assistance. She opened the will of the universe to them, allowing their own souls and minds to travel to the solution on their own. Sibyl simply oversaw the process. The Kallichore of the present day didn't have such abilities, nor the social graces to navigate that process, but... for Nephthys, and for Caia, she would try.

She seemed uncomfortable for a moment, out of her element, lacking the grace her previous incarnation carried herself with. With a shake of her head, Kallichore attempted to clear those thoughts. She was not Sibyl, nor would she ever be. "If you had all the time in the world, what would you work on first?"

"I think it's my purpose, Caia." she replied quietly, looking away for a moment, at some distant point to the cardinal senshi's right side. "I spent a great deal of time searching for that purpose, and the universe has revealed it to me. I would be... honored... to assist you, in whatever way I can."

Caia's explanation of having a cop for a brother and being used to that tough-guy exterior seemed to satisfy Kallichore. She simply wasn't emotional and prone to hug people, which gave off a aloof and detached air. That Caia wasn't phased by such a thing was a blessing.

"Overcoming the self-preservation instinct is a difficult thing, Caia. It's built into our DNA - some more so than others. People like us and people like your brother, are in a position where self-preservation may act against us. Naturally, we cannot protect someone if we are injured, or worse..." She tilted her head, thinking almost fondly of Sailor Tsui, whose method was to rush in and pummel whatever the problem was, asking questions later. "...it's a delicate balance, one that can be learned."

Looking up at the cityscape lit by the moon, Kallichore seemed to nod to herself. "Would you mind if I joined you, for the remainder of your patrol?"

"I hope I have something to teach, Caia."

She tilted her head as he admitted to a fear of spiders, the dark, robbers and loud noises. All relatively normal things for a human being to fear, regardless of gender or occupation. Gloved hands were crossed over her midsection as she regarded Caia curiously. "I am not sure self-preservation can be entirely overcome. Even I still hesitate on occasion. I think that's a natural response. Despite being senshi, we are still human. Aren't the police still afraid? They've firearms and body armor. We do not."

Slowly, the senshi turned to start a very slow and leisurely walk, gesturing for Caia to follow. "...cowardice takes on many different forms, Caia." Kallichore nodded, almost to herself, looking up at the sky with a curious squint. "If I can overcome my own cowardice, I certainly believe you can as well. Your fear of the dark is natural and ingrained in our DNA. Your fear of robbers seems reasonable as well, being that they are typically armed. What do you suppose you could do to take steps towards overcoming these fears?"

The eternal senshi stopped for a moment and turned to look at Caia. "Sometimes it is experience that overcomes a fear, or knowledge. In my case, it was knowledge. Perhaps having someone with you will allow you to feel safer in overcoming your fears?"