Welcome to Gaia! ::

Unlike her twin, Eleonora was not immune to the cold. If anything, as the Senshi of Heat, it made her that much weaker to it.

Knees bouncing so uncontrollably that she almost resembled one of those wind-up children's toys jiggering across the floor. Teeth chattering loud enough that if it wasn’t that she diligently brushed them twice a day then it would have sounded like they were about to break. Never in this lifetime would she be accused of being like Elsa because good lord the cold did bother her every day.

Why oh why couldn’t her sphere grant her some sort of immunity to it, just exude a natural heat so she didn’t have to tote around a fleece blanket which was wrapped snugly around her. Sure, it kept her shoulders warm and ears as well - can’t forget about those. Her legs, however, had no such luck. Wind slipped past the fold and the sandals she wore offered no protection to the compacted snow she stood upon.

Try as she might to enjoy the ribbons of colors above her, Eleonora desired to be someplace where she could admire it from behind a widow with a heater pointed directly at her. Hell, she’d resort to using a hairdryer to warm up her extremities if that’s what it took. But before she could abandon the meeting place, the Senshi of Heat felt a familiar aura.

“Li-li-i-liry-ry-nnnnn” Lips pulled into a trembling smile, the pale-haired Senshi hustled in haphazard haste to close the distance between them so she could scoop him up and save his little toe beans from possible frostbite.

Eleonora could feel the sting of hot tears pricking the corner of her eyes. She batted them away with a swipe of the blanket she held onto closely before Liryn could see them. Until this singular moment, she didn’t quite realize how much she missed the bobtail Mauvian let alone how much she desperately needed to see him.

Since the fight she had with Fiona regarding the aliens, Ele really didn’t feel like she had anyone else to turn to or confide her thoughts in. Athene was no doubt someone she could trust but the worry was that he shared similar thoughts as her sister. It’s not to say she didn’t value his opinion; of everyone, he was probably one of the most level-headed people she knew. But right now she just wanted someone who could understand where she had been coming from when making the decisions that kind of brought her to this point.

“God I’ve missed you!” Her voice was full of complex emotions as she crouched down low, not enough to sink her knees into the snow, but they were close enough to fill the chilling bite of the ground beneath them, and held her arms out in a wordless request for a hug from a kind-hearted friend. “I’m so glad you’re safe.” Eleonora wasn’t sure what she would have done if he had fallen victim to the chaotic energy that overflowed from the generators that night.

Sometimes all a person needs is a hug to lift the burdens of life from their weary shoulders or to hear the sound of a cat's purr to bring peace to a tired soul. Fortunately, Liryn had both to offer in spades and in this singular moment, Eleonora felt calmer than she had been since the Vanguard arrived.

“I- I take it Athene told you what happened?” The Senshi of Heat rose, the fleece blanket draped around her shoulders and hung just an inch above her feet. Chunks of snow clung to the fibers and it took a little elbow bump to shake them off.

The expression she wore looked full of guilt.

Since their return from the moon, Eleonora had worried over her sister endlessly. Keeping a bit of a distance if only to avoid another fight but still just watching to make sure that Fiona was still herself not some soon-to-be monster. Because of this, she had yet to check on Athene, to see if he was alright. Caught up in the panicked moment, desperation grabbed hold of her with a vice-like grip. Only vaguely did she remember catching a glimpse of the black that bled into his uniform as it was into her own.

Still, that was a paltry excuse to not check in with him and for that, she felt shame and regret.

“Hey now,” Ele hooked a finger under Liryn’s chin, encouraging him to look up at her. “You have nothing to be apologetic for. I think we can all agree that we’re glad you were safe.”

Last time they had followed Caedus’ instructions and entered the Dark Kingdom to retrieve the Code, amongst other priceless items including several starseeds, their small group of four had nearly becom two when the ground beneath them began fracturing. To this day she clearly remembered watching Alcor scoop the bob-tailed mauvian up in her arms as she ran towards the door where her and Athene were standing.

There was a ‘twin moment’ that was unspoken communication that was impossible to explain how exactly it worked. Alcor later confessed that she truly didn’t think she’d make it and almost tossed Liryn at them. Eleonora knew. She caught a glimpse of that panicked look in her sister's eyes and knew exactly what she was about to do.

Fortunately, the ground held together long enough for them to rejoin at the bottom of the stairwell and retreat away from the crumbling battlefield.

“It feels so surreal. What happened in the ambush. Alcor,” The Senshi of Heat swallowed thickly. “She wasn’t turning into a corrupt like Athene and I,” her eyes saddened. “Her hands had claws and it was like her magic was trying to escape her; I don’t know how else to explain.” There had been a circle of ice around them as if a puddle had suddenly frozen over.

“She won’t talk to me about it. We’re still kind of… fighting.” Despite her best efforts to apologize, Fiona seemed to be actively avoiding her. “I messed up... Big time. But if she won’t talk to me then maybe she’ll talk to you.” Liryn was always easy to open up to

It had been a while since Eleonora had a chance to talk with Athene, at least one on one, so the mention that there was something going on with his father came at a bit of a surprise and left her feeling significantly worried. Guilt gnawed at her for letting time slip by so easily and for not taking the initiative to reach out, not as a senshi, but as a friend. To check-in and make sure everything was alright or to simply hang out.

“I think she would appreciate talking to either of you. Or both really.” She couldn’t say with certainty anymore since it was hard to tell what was on Alcor’s mind these days. But in terms of advice, she was always more receptive to what Athene and Liryn had to say.

There were many things she wished to say, emotions she needed to parse through. But Ele's voice hitched in her throat and silence fell between them for a long moment. This level of fear, of sadness, of uncertainty… it was unfamiliar to her and instead of asking for help, she kissed the star atop his head and offered a weak smile.

“You’re my little light, Liryn. Even in our darkest hour, I keep looking to you to bring us back together.” It wasn’t fair to put such a weight upon him but in times of joy and times of sorrow, the little bob-tailed mauvian was the one she turned to most often. And so, all she could think to add was a quiet “Thank you.”

“I think you’re right, it’d be wise to let Athene talk to Alcor first.” He was there when it happened and could perhaps relate or sympathize with her sister’s experience in a way that she could not. Between the two of them, there was a disconnect and Eleonora hoped that they would be able to help repair what was broken. “Their personalities are somewhat similar enough that I think it’d be easier for her to open up to him at least.”

Eleonora was still obviously saddened by this whole situation and yet she still tried to smile, if not for herself than for Liryn who was always so sweet and kind to them. How in the world they were blessed to have him as their guardian was beyond her but she was thankful for it every day.

“It’s freezing out here.” An obvious statement to make but she didn’t want to keep dwelling on sad moments. “Would you like to come over for a while? I can make us some cocoa with marshmallows or tea if you’d prefer.” Something hot to hold before her fingers fell off from frostbite.