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Raksha needed to be anywhere other than where she was. She wasn't really hurt, aside from a couple nasty bruises and a few scrapes, but- she also couldn't just go home. The thought of driving home, of trying to sneak in the window quietly and hope nobody noticed, of acting normal with the weight of the crushing, awful hollow numbness and the weight of there are three people dead, forever, because I wasn't good enough was unbearable. (Also unbearable was the burning fire of hatred, of awful, impotent fury that she hadn't been able to stop it, even when Raksha had done all could.)

She didn't, however, have to go home, and she didn't have to sit alone on a rooftop somewhere either.

Raksha was infinitely, absolutely grateful to Viatrix for giving her their address. It was simple to go find the car, power down, numbly text her parents that she was staying at a classmate's house to do math study, and drive to Encke's house while trying not to crash the car or think about what just happened (because it would probably make her crash the car.)

Once she got there, though… she hesitated. She didn't want to be a bother, and it was bad to wake people up in the middle of the night, but- she needed help, at least not to be alone, and there wasn't anywhere else she could go. So- she rang the doorbell, and waited.

The city was loud.

The city was especially loud for Ophelia, who was used to every slight sound meaning potential danger, on a long-dead world where the only things that moved besides her were monsters that very much wanted to eat her. So the ordinary noise of the city kept her awake, and movement downstairs had her up and out of bed, on a night she'd ostensibly intended to take for herself.

It was hushed, likely out of an intent to avoid disturbing others. And Ophelia supposed she sohuld have put on the clever little glamor that Viatrix had worked up for her--the one that hid her inhuman nature--but frankly, it was late, she was sleepy, and she absolutely could not be arsed.

So when she wandered downstairs, toward the front door, it was a six-foor-tall blue woman with multicolored hair, dressed in a long-sleeved pajama shirt with a design of a coffin and black-and-white plaid pants, who blinked and frowned to see a Senshi at the door.

"Is something wrong?" Ophelia asked, and she was immediately more alert. To arrive here powered up--whoever this Senshi was (Raksha?), it must be an emergency of some sort.

And Raksha was Aerin, just like that, but her mannerisms seemed considerably less enthusiastic than he might have expected event in normal circumstances. What happened? And ... she wasn't even really having much of a reaction to Ophelia, which considering Aerin's previous-to-being-a-senshi interest in space especially surprised him. It was a sign that something was definitely wrong, as Ophelia asked--

And then she said what was wrong.

Oh. Oh.

One of those types.

"Come in, come in," Ignacio ushered her in without quite asking, closing the door behind her and locking it quickly as if he was worried that perhaps someone might have thought to follow her. "She. An agent, I presume? Or one of the corrupted senshi?" He glanced over to Ophelia, for a moment, gaging how she might have been feeling and wondering if they should try to get some soundproofing installed in her room, before turning his gaze back toward Aerin.

"Just to make sure, she didn't follow you, right? You're safe?"

Because if she wasn't, he'd go do a quick run through the neighborhood to make sure no one else was around and to make sure she was sufficiently scared off--

Aerin was grateful- desperately grateful, to be brought inside, to hear the click of the door as it locked behind her, and to be led towards the living room. Luckily, she didn't appear very injured, aside from a couple bruises.

"I hurt her too badly for that, I think. After she killed the first guy. She probably has to go to the hospital now. Not that it stopped her from-" Aerin cut herself off, rubbing away the tears that had started pooling at the edge of her vision. There was a sort of vicious satisfaction, in having hurt the murderer as badly as she had, but it was hard to hold onto, given that it hadn't even mattered, in the end.

"I- can talk about it." It was better than keeping inside, in drowning in the impotent grief and fury, and maybe they could help. It was also easier to focus on talking than it was to focus on her own thoughts.

"An agent, I think. I just- went over to see what she was doing, cause I've met a few of them before and she didn't feel that powerful. And she killed someone, so. I attacked her. And it wasn't enough."

"...It was a lady in a fancy coat, with long hair and some buns. And a coin." That, at least, was helpful information. So they'd know who Aerin was talking about, if they saw her.

Ophelia's urge was to bundle Aerin up in a tight hug, to hold her close and pet her hair and soothe her tears. But perhaps Aerin wouldn't appreciate that from a stranger--so while Opherlia sat next to her, and kept a hand on her shoulder, she didn't pull her close, even though her mother's instinct screamed to.

"It sounds as if you did your best," Ophelia said, and there was a certainty in her voice. "I do not know the Negaverse well--but it seems as if they have powers we cannot touch. And it sounds as if this particular officer is very determined to do as much harm as possible."

She targeted civilians. That alone was despicable. But she had destroyed two starseeds, permanently--clearly she ha no sense or care for the consequences of her actions.

Langite had spoken of wanting to protect his world. Tristan spoke of love and connection. She wondered what either of them would say to a woman who murdered for joy, and who removed starseeds from the cycle of reincarnation simply to taunt her enemies.

"I am Ophelia. Sailor Dagon. And I will look for this agent--and look to destroy her, if I can. It sounds as if she is a very dangerous threat to this world. You did well to survive, I think, and to get here."

When she took the tea, he kept the glass of water nearby. Just in case. Also fished out the tissues and set them nearby too, in case she wanted them--

Ignacio nodded in agreement when Ophelia said the Negaverse had powers they couldn't touch. Too many, fueled by Chaos, oft creating an innate imbalance which explained why the Earth was in the state it was. This was one of the officers that was determined to do harm, and he had no doubts of that. Not after what he saw. Not after the confirmation and redoubling of it from Aerin -- who he was still carefully inspecting for any serious injuries --

"I agree with Ophelia. You survived, Aerin. And now you're here. I'm glad you thought to come to us."

Encke didn't take it as blame, the wry half-smile still on his face -- but even that crashed when she stated the goals of the agent, and his stomach turned in on itself for a moment as thoughts bubbled to his head. He thought of the unhoused he had run into over the years, even just on patrols that took him through alleyways. He made a habit of offering some of the food he had taken for his own patrols to them whenever he came across them, or whatever he had on him, really -- once, it had been a bedding set he had been intending to take to Encke's Comet. And that time of his life was a traumatized haze, but the time he lived in that shitty apartment he teetered dangerously close to falling through the cracks and becoming homeless himself-- Richard had pulled him away from that, but--

It was personal.

"That was pretty clever, utilizing gravity there." Ignacio buried down the urge under his expression of concern to go find the agent right at that moment; she likely teleported away, she likely already henshined down, his anger was unproductive, she likely-- "You did what you could with what you had available to you against someone who has a power you can't touch. What she did despite that isn't your failing. It's hers. I'm sorry."

He wanted to hug her too, and he spread his arms out a bit as an invite in case that was what she wanted.

Hearing her last statement made him pause and ponder for a moment, and he offered a, "--Would it help if I grabbed some snacks? I'm pretty sure Viatrix is asleep right now but I could go get her if you'd like, too."

Aerin accepted the hug, and it helped, genuinely. Enough to let out a sort of half-laugh at Encke asking if he should go get Viatrix. "I think Viatrix would be mad at you if you didn't get her. And-" Aerin hesitated, about the food. She was hungry, on account of jumping about the city and being in a fight burns a lot of calories, but. Aerin wasn't sure she could eat right now, so soon after the last thing she had seen eaten.

"Maybe. But you should definitely go get Viatrix, or you'll never hear the end of it."

Aerin released the hug so Encke could go get Viatrix, and turned over Ophelia's offer in her mind. She could learn how to stop this from ever happening again, if necessary. She thought back to what she had said, in the fight, when she had been trying to save those people.

The only category anyone has any right to judge any life by is how many lives would be saved if it was ended.

Aerin made a decision.

"I- don't want to hurt people just because they're Chaos. I've met some nice ones. Sylvite. Someone who works for her. He's a senshi, and I like him. I'm gonna take him up to my planet, cause the Negaverse doesn't let him up to his. Maybe to keep them from getting funny ideas of what if Chaos is bad actually."

"But-" Aerin hesitated, digging her nails into Encke's poor chair for emotional support. "That lady isn't going to stop. Not for anything. Not unless she's made to. And even if she did…" It wouldn't be worth it, to give her that chance. Not with how many lives would be ended forever in the meantime.

"I have to learn." It was the option that minimized the most harm. It was, as best she could tell, The Right Thing To Do.

Ophelia nodded.

"There are people who are foolish. Who do not understand what they are a part of. I have....met. Some of them." And they had shaken her resolve, had left her turned around and confused--but Aerin had reminded her of exactly why she hated what Chaos did. The people it chose. The power it gave them, to do violence and sow terror. "If there is a way to free them, it is worth pursuing. But not all, clearly, are like that."

She nodded to Ignacio when he left, and then reached over, gently squeezing Aerin's shoulder.

"I will show you. Quick ways, because those are better." Easier, too. "My knowledge of human anatomy is not perfect, but it is similar enough to what I have dealt with extensively."

She exhaled.

"Taking a life is a heavy responsibility. You must be prepared for it, not just with your physical skills." Ophelia had left such a long trail of death in her wake, it no longer seemed as if she had room to equivocate, for herself--but Aerin was young. It was different for her.