A shrill cry had rippled through the air towards him and in that moment he had made the mistake of turning round to face it. Struck by the magic, he felt it wash over him and with it the quiet and despairing voice. Imploring and no more than a simple 'ask', it didn't do much to him in those moments except to give him a moment to pause. With no inclination towards hostility he hadn't even been in the position to do damage and yet he now stood face to face with his assailant.
An assailant that was smaller than he, yet with a set jaw and determined eyes. Fearful though she might have been it seemed that she had the instinct to at least defend herself in an otherwise uncertain world. His brow had furrowed in those moments and it was with a shake of his head that he dispelled the magic and straightened. His approach towards the edge of the forest otherwise stalled as he examined the woman who stood in his midst.
"Was that strictly necessary?" he asked at last and slipped both of his thumbs into his sash. He would refrain from being completely blunt, but it was safe to say that the man had the capacity to break the woman in half if he genuinely wanted to. Senshi she might have been, but he was still much bigger than her and in the grant scheme of things their own magical abilities could only do so much to improve their chances. Had he wanted to, she would have met the same fate as any other chaotic entity who deemed it appropriate to lash out.
...But right now he saw no reason to fight.
Right now, he had a rare moment of clarity in which all of them were lost and in many cases, afraid.
"Your kind don't like mine, I was warned," she replied at last, having remembered herself and found the ability to speak. She made no attempts to move forward as she took a moment to observe the larger man. She had expected her magic to do more to him and for the time being she couldn't quite comprehend why he had brushed it off so easily. She considered it a blessing that even if it hadn't stopped him completely, he also didn't seem to be entirely interested in pursuing a more aggressive response.
"I see," Athalia replied smoothly.
"No one trusts us," she added, a remark that resulted in a quirked brow and an expression she couldn't quite read. Perhaps he wasn't necessarily familiar with her kind, perhaps he hadn't been exposed to the whims of the Dark Mirror yet, but when the chips were down...neither Negaverse or Order seemed to have issues with taking them out. At least this was what she had been advised of, she was to proceed with caution and when in doubt it was vital that she keep herself safe.
New to this game, Shaowei had yet to learn how to survive and all that her kind had at their disposal. In her small world magic was all she had, and when that failed, she had very little to fall back on.
"Generally speaking I trust no one with a chaotic aura," Athalia agreed and pursed his lips. "But now really isn't the time to be ripping out vulnerable souls or snapping necks to preserve innocent lives," he pointed. He would make no secrets of what war lurked within Destiny City, he wasn't one for games and in the end he would always be an honest soul. Whether she chose to regard him as genuine was up to her, but in this particular instance he had little interest in pursuing his more aggressive stance.
If they ever got out of here though, he would make no promises.
"Where are your friends?" he said finally, noting her solitary stance.
"I didn't arrive with any," she conceded and pursed her lips. The one evening in which she had chosen to experiment with who and what she had become had been the instance in which she had been torn from the world she knew and deposited into something that was far beyond her comprehension. "Not that I really know anyone anyway," she added.
Should she have told him that?
Probably not.
Nevertheless she had noted that he seemed to be genuine and in those moments she recognised that perhaps it was appropriate to provide him with the same level of respect. His stance hadn't changed since she had attacked him and he had made no attempt to bridge the distance, thus it stood to reason that perhaps she was safe from him for now.
"A common trait, it would seem," he observed, though she may not necessarily understand the context for now. "Solitude is likely to end in death," he added and released a sigh. "And I know one particular woman who would be decidedly unhappy with me if I left someone to that fate," he continued and shook his head. In the end, that Eternal's idealism might very well be the death of him, but in this one she had a point. "Provided you keep your magic to yourself I suspect she would welcome you," he finished.
"Welcome me where...?" She remained cautious as one couldn't be sure that traps didn't lurk behind even the kindest expression.
"To find sanctuary with us," he said finally and lifted a hand to point a thumb behind him. Those he had gathered were nearby, preparing to look for and discuss the merits of individual housing options and what one might be best for them to stake a claim to. "There is safety in numbers and there always will be," he pointed out. "Though we might be on opposing sides, when the City plays these games we are always on the the same side," he continued with a tone that indicated he didn't appreciate the machinations of Destiny City in the slightest.
"This has happened before?"
"It is a disturbingly frequent occurence," he replied softly and gave a nod to beckon her forward. "And it never turns out to be pleasant," he added gently. "Now more than ever, you would be better served by having people to call out to for aid," he finished as he turned on his heel.
"And in return...?" She was already falling into step slowly behind him, though she couldn't quite work out why. Perhaps it was instinct, but the practicality of his words spoke volumes to her and he seems too frank to be quite so cruel...or at least that was her hope.
"If we cry out, then you come to our aid too," he replied with a quick glance towards her.
Could she do that?
She wasn't entirely convinced if she had the capacity to do so, but even before she'd become this she had never quite been one to ignore something that needed to be done. Provided she hadn't lost that part of her when she had been cast through the mirror, then perhaps she could at least guarantee that.
"A fair arrangement," she agreed in a soft voice. "But I can't promise miracles."
"No one can," he didn't look back as he kept walking. "All you can do is try and that is all that we can every ask for."
A silent, yet agreeable nod followed those words as they moved to rejoin whatever group the senshi had gathered. She could only assume that introductions would follow once they had arrived at their destination...
Total Words: 1261
Shaowei: 538
Athalia: 732
Shaowei: 538
Athalia: 732
