Welcome to Gaia! ::

As it turned out, the Eternal was wanting to confront him.

Encke would not oft leave the aura of a Negaverse agent alone, and that night was no exception, especially not in this park. A popular place for civilians and the members of Order who watched over them alike, Encke was unwilling to let it go unchecked. The last thing he wanted was to be responsible for another life being lost when he could have prevented it--

His steps were smooth and quick toward the source, and he stopped a short distance away.

Interesting.

The captain wasn't doing anything, at least.

That didn't mean he wasn't holding any starseeds on his person, and Encke would be hesitant to say this man was innocent of that until he could actually speak to him.

"Captain!" called Encke, crossing his arms and keeping his distance for the moment as he shifted from one foot to the other, unable to fully remain still. "What brings you out here?"

He hadn't been expecting purification to be the words out of his mouth. Had been a while since Encke heard that plea.

It could have been a trap. He had no reason to believe that this captain was telling the truth. He also had no reason to believe that he wasn't. His defensive stance settled, but he thought back to the routine he used to have with Stillwaterite in particular. If she wished to talk, she needed to let him inspect her. Check for starseeds. If she had any, Encke would return them either to their owner or work to send them back off to the Cauldron.

"Well. I do know about purification," he offered, checking his six and his sides before turning back toward the captain. "I will speak to you about it, if you're being earnest. But you have to do something for me, first."

Encke gestured the captain to come closer.

"Have a procedure for this. You let me check you for starseeds. If I find nothing, we can keep talking."

"Have no interest in funny business," was Encke's confirmation as the captain came closer to him. Encke kept his stance nonthreatening, keeping his arms away from his person, palms facing toward the captain to prove he had nothing in them.

And then he approached.

It was like getting searched at the airport.

Encke, when permitted, patted him down and checked any pockets, checking for any starseeds he might have been keeping anywhere on his person. He couldn't believe he was doing this again. He remembered the little smirk of the corrupt senshi he had done this with, once. Gonna check down the front of my corset? The faintest bit of a smile edged on his lips.

He missed her.

... Hoped she was doing well.

When he was done, he backed off. He, indeed, hadn't tried any funny business.

"So what would you like to know?"

He had.

It was why he did it.

"That's a lot. I'll start from the top." Encke gestured for the captain to join him sitting on a bench. He was right; this park was frequented enough by Order that he felt safer talking openly here. Perhaps that was something he should watch out for. If this place as a safe haven made it back to the Negaverse, they would need to cycle for a new safe spot, and then the cycle would continue. "It sounds like you know you'll be forgetting some part of your life -- that's good. A lot of people don't know that before they enter any of this."

He leaned forward where he sat, pressing his arms into his knees. "If I may make a recommendation? Another person I helped purify -- right before she did, she wrote down everything she could remember, everything from both sides." Encke offered the captain a smile. "That other half -- it won't feel like your life anymore, but it will give you the perspective you need. Give the writings to someone you trust. Have them give them back to you once you're purified. Work on the writings in both forms so you remember doing them.

"Oh, and, before we go any further," Encke offered his hand, "Transcendent Eternal Sailor Encke of Plasma. Suppose I should tell you who I am after, ah, checking you like that."

"Geocronite," Encke repeated, taking note of the name. He wasn't sure if Geocronite would remember it on the other side, but it was at least a way to keep track of him in the interim, and a way to address him in the present if he sought him out again or even after.

"Sadly, I don't think there's a way to know your knight name before your purification. Those mineral names obscure what you truly are without the influence of Chaos -- a false name because the true name have been stolen from you." His true belief -- none of the mineral names felt right. He had called out Stillwaterite as a fake name. He believed the same as Geocronite's. "You'll learn it once you purify. From what I understand, knight names just come to them."

That's how it had been for his husband, at least. Richard had been very suddenly and obviously aware he was Basiluzzo.

"I wouldn't look into contacting a royal until you're fully ready, which should include writing out those notes to yourself and giving them to the appropriate party." It could even be himself if he wanted, but Encke had a feeling that if Geocronite had been actively looking for someone in the park, he likely already knew someone who would suit better. "My contacts who have purified have used someone named," he leaned in a bit closer, for a moment, dropping his voice a bit lower as if there might be someone listening in the trees, "Sailor Cosmos, though. If you call to her, she will respond."

"Pendour!"

It was like Geocronite had said a magic word.

Encke's form immediately relaxed further, a grin coming to his face as Geocronite had just unlocked a door with a key that he didn't know he had. "I do know Pendour, actually. I consider her a good friend of mine. She'll be a good connection for you to have on the other side, I think."

Encke and Pendour had similar priorities in their powered lives, with a focus on space and restoring their wonders. It had bonded them to each other quickly, not even including the natural friendly chemistry he felt with her. Pendour brought Encke joy. He hoped he did the same for her.

"Knights have a lot of variety. I'm familiar with a few -- one, a Uranian knight," his husband, Richard Arra Bell, the love of his life, the one whom he wouldn't name specifically to this Geocronite until he was solidly on the other side, "He looks a lot different from Pendour. He looks a lot different from the Saturn knight I know. I think the Negaverse wants to keep you all looking very military, very the same. Being of Order shows the diversity of space and the diversity of the people who used to live there."

Encke offered a smile, relaxed and friendly.

"It's not a problem at all. Every member on our side is one less member on their side, right? I'll help where I can," he paused, took in a deep breath, and then offered, "you mentioned you might need a place to hide, yeah? Do you know anyone else who has offered yet?"

"Be careful living with Pendour," it was a tease, light and mild, and he couldn't even keep the warning even remotely serious as he looked to Geocronite with his eyes sparkling, "she might feed you too much."

She still owed him a wedding cake, actually--

Not that he was bothered about it.

Encke fell silent for a moment, pondering.

And then, quietly, "The house I live in used to house a lot more. Have some empty space." He wasn't going to be explicit. The fact that he told Geocronite that he had a larger house was probably already too much information. The Negaverse could have been listening in the trees for all he knew. "If you can't find safe harbor with Pendour or someone else, let me know. Can probably set you up for a bit while you get situated."

He had a guardian cat, too. She could help him get his documents in order.