Welcome to Gaia! ::

Cybele heard footsteps coming up close behind her, and as she glanced over her shoulder and away from the computer screen, she was a bit surprised to see that it was Lysithea who had come to talk to her. It wasn’t an unwelcome sight, though, and as Sessrumnir and Alastor left for a private moment, and the door clicked shut behind them, Cybele turned to give the unicorn senshi her full attention.

The offer brought a smile to her face, even if it was a smile that was ever-so-slightly strained by the past nature of their relationship.

“You’re very kind,” she said.

A part of her wondered if it might be a liability that she was here, if she was still a bit off balance, if someone might have to carry her, if Alastor was having to take pains to keep her away from total darkness. She was glad that nobody was being odd about it, just quietly supportive.

“I owe you thanks for my being able to be here on my own two feet at all,” she said, and then went quiet for a moment, lips pressing thin, before she added, “I also owe you an apology.”

She hadn’t noticed the difference in aura with everyone else around, but now her eyes flicked to the wings on the other woman’s waist. “And congratulations, it seems. I owe you all sorts of things, really.”

“You won’t at least accept the congratulations?” asked Cybele, the carefully posed smile on her face edging sideways into something more natural, something almost teasing. “They suit you.”

If anyone deserved wings, it was Lysithea. The unicorn theme of her outfit already made her look angelic enough, and the feathers were beautiful. The power suited her, too. Even though Cybele had never met her before her corruption, she could tell just by her attitude that she felt more like herself now that she had white wings again.

“I understand,” she said. “I was always telling myself it was worth it to be weak if I was free from Chaos, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t terrible.”

She was glad that everything was starting to settle between them now that they were equals at full power again. “I want to be friends, too,” she continued, quietly. “I don’t want the past to keep that from happening. I mean, you were under the influence of Chaos for half of it.”

As if to prove her sincerity, she waved a hand at the others in the room. “This is my family, by the way,” she said. “At least, most of them are, and Alastor is my friend. I know things are about to start happening, so you can just stick with me for now, but afterwards, I can make some introductions. That way, next time you don’t have to feel so alone.”

“Oh, you’ve already met the ones I know the best, then,” said Cybele, her eyes flicking towards the closed door. “Sessrumnir barely ever comes out to family things, and I think the boys just recently came into their lives recently.

It was all said casually. Any embarrassment or apologetic tone was gone. Just like that, it felt like she was talking to a friend.

“I didn’t know you had a court,” she added, then paused. “I suppose I don’t know that much about you in general, but I’d love to learn. I’d love to meet them. Ilse’s lovely.”

Also, any time Order could work together, it was something to be admired.

“And yes, I think we’ll be good. I’ve fought Chaos on a few homeworlds already, and this mission seems better organized than most of the others.”