Welcome to Gaia! ::

Axinite’s office was as warm and welcoming as usual, and smelled just as pleasant.

“Faustite?” he repeated and gave her a quick look over. He hadn’t known–

Oh, of course.

He smiled warmly and stood up from his seat, offering a hand to shake in greeting. “It’s a pleasure, yes. It’s nice to meet you, Lysithea. It’s a perfectly good time, I’m glad you stopped by. Your cookies smell delightful. Usually I’m the one offering cookies. Would you like any?” he asked, and gestured towards a tray on his desk. He didn’t seem to expect that she might, not if she was baking, but he offered all the same and seemed happy with the ones she had offered.

Axinite watched her, not uncomfortably, as he opened her cookies and helped himself to one. If he were honest, he didn't really have much of a sweet tooth, but it was rare that anyone ever baked for him and he certainly wasn’t going to be rude about it. He wasn’t surprised that it was good, and after he chewed and swallowed his first bite he told her, “This is very good, thank you. Good texture, I like that.”

…Although, she hadn’t come here to talk about cookies, he was certain.

“You’ve been through so much,” he said, falling into line. He didn't know Faustite’s lie, and if he were honest with himself he suspected Faustite was avoiding him. He was surprised, but not unhappy, to hear that he’d spoken to his–new–sister about him.

“The both of you. I hope you’ve been able to convince him to take it easy, at least a bit. But he works so hard. Must run in the family.”

He finished off her cookie in small, easy bites, and put the rest of them off to the side so he could focus on business. And, getting to know this new senshi of hers.

“I think, the anger stems from the unknown. They have no support system. They are small, barely structured groups. No one knows what their overarching goal is. I don’t even know if they understand how wrong they are. How misguided. I have been asking myself for so long what the best way to save them is. But, the sad thing is, I don’t think most of them even want to be saved. We’ll do the best we can, we’ll take care of our own, though. It’s a start. How are you and your brother doing? I’ve been worried.”

Axinite was a clever man, it wasn’t hard to pick up that there was something going on. He didn't know and he didn't press the issue further. He was worried about Faustite, he hadn’t seen him in far too long, and at this point he didn’t know what to do. The professional thing to do was carry on as if nothing was wrong, but the personal side of that made things difficult because he was worried about him.

Worried about all of this.

“It’s a difficult job,” Axinite confessed. “Especially when so many of them are quick to take action–doesn’t matter if it’s the right one or not, they just need to do something. Lepidolite is something of an expert in that field.” But then, he needed to be, as a General King in Infiltration.

“How many have you spoken to so far?” he asked, settling back into his chair a bit as if he were ready for as long of a conversation as she wanted. “Have they been giving you a hard time already?”

Axinite shook his head quickly as if to reassure. “No, no. This isn’t a report. You’re showing concern for someone you care for. I don’t fault you for that.”

And, with Faustite avoiding him (or was Axinite just paranoid?) he was desperate to hear about anything that he could. He worried about Faustite, he couldn’t help it. There was a rift between them, and he didn’t know how to fix it, but he worried.

Lysithea was obviously worrying, too.

“It can be a dangerous thing, trying to win someone over. If you give them too much trust, they can use it against you. Too often have I seen ambushes, or attacks, on those who were only trying to help. Not all Senshi who show weakness have weakness. They’re just trying to exploit yours. I mean no offense, of course. It’s just a dangerous balance. When I worked in Special Operatives, there were some who were even persuaded by the White Moon. Tricked, or blackmailed. An unsavory business, I assure you. It’s best to tread with caution. I trust you,” he said, because it was always important to build a relationship on trust.

She might have been new to him, but this relationship had to start somewhere.

“Faustite is rooted in his ways, but he has always done his best. Life has not been kind to him. I hope you won’t hold too much against him. I think, he might be better off to have someone like you in his life. Maybe you can help him heal.”

Axinite didn't seem to be judging her in the slightest; he looked sympathetic and nodded along as she spoke. Honestly, it was better this way. Let her voice her frustrations and concerns now; he didn’t want her to bottle them up and let them fester.

“I’m sorry. That sounds frustrating. But, you have my support, Lysithea. I have absolute faith in you. I think everyone’s been a bit shaken in these past few months. The adjustment period can be difficult. If you want to curate your own team, I support you. Maybe I can help connect you to some agents who share your sentiments? It might give you something to focus on while Faustite works all of this out. He seems like he tries to push people away so they don’t get hurt, doesn’t he?”

He pushed a boxes of tissues a bit closer to her, offering them if she needed.

“I don’t know if you want to hear it, but I don’t think he really wants to be rid of you. If he’s scared, if he’s overprotective…” His voice trailed off. “...I will ask you only for a little time, Lysithea. And if things aren’t working out, you can always come speak to me. I’ll do my best to support you, to support both of you. I know it’s frustrating now, but it’ll be okay. You’re strong. I’m sorry things are so difficult right now. But, I believe in you. I’ll do everything I can to make sure you’re taken care of.”