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Once upon a time, it had seemed strange to Alkaid that others sought her out. Maybe some looked for her on purpose, maybe others simply stumbled across her energy and let their curiosity get the better of them. No matter the how or why, it had happened again and again and again. She was no longer surprised by it even if it seemed, to her, that every face was new and unfamiliar.

This girl was no exception to that.

Alkaid's bright eyes shifted away from the fire to look at her though they seemed no less eerie without the dance of flames reflected in them. It was only silence at first that greeted the corrupt, a long, pregnant pause while the ascendant took in who was speaking to her and drew herself out of her shell to focus upon the words that had been said to her.

"Yes."

She didn't move from where she sat, nor did she bother to invite the other to join her. Her hands were folded in her lap and her cloak was drawn up, sprawled out along the cushion next to her so it did not pull on its clasps. Nothing about her fit the threadbare couch or the sparsely decorated room but then, apart from her own realm, she seldom looked like she belonged anywhere.

Those bright eyes narrowed, though not unkindly so much as curious.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

Alkaid would have needed to be blind not to notice how absolutely uncomfortable the girl was in her presence and, even then, she was pretty sure she would have been able to feel the discomfort rolling off of her in waves. It was a palpable thing in the air between them, charging it like electric volts, so strong that she fought an urge to lift her hand to try and grasp the current.

"Sapphirine."

She repeated the name but whether or not she cared was hidden from her face; it told her very little about the uncertain senshi apart from the fact that she had given up whatever her true name was so that she could fit into the ranks. It annoyed her, just like it always did when they introduced themselves under a false guise, but there was a better name on her lips - one she cared about.

"Ascended is the word that you're looking for, not cracked or touched or broken," she knew that Haumea had succeeded. She hadn't worked up the courage to look him in his face yet, she wasn't sure she knew what would be waiting for her when she did, but she had known the moment his starseed joined Metallia's unyielding energy. She'd felt it, like she often could when she was close enough to the tower. "Haumea has given up himself to serve something great and thus, he is something greater than himself."

It was a simple explanation, simple and to the point. Alkaid didn't move to stand or get closer to her but she watched the timid thing, locking her in her sights and picking apart every broken sentence, digesting every uncomfortable shift. This wasn't how Haumea or Ate had ever looked at her, it wasn't the same as any other senshi she had hoped would follow in her place and yet, despite it, she was still standing there. Still talking.

"Does it frighten you?" Her head tilted a fraction as she asked, but that was all the motion she bothered with.