This planet was different. The lights and sounds weren’t magical, something else was powering them and she could feel it as she drew close to some of the glass bulbs she saw. Another thing she noticed, was how short they seemed to be. Weak. That’s what it made her think and she took to avoiding them.

There were structures all over, with light visible through their windows and the inhabitants living whatever lives they seemed to be living. It sickened her how oblivious they seemed. Didn’t they know that planets had died? Ignorance seemed blissful but it sickened her.

Her heels clacked on the pavement as she walked through quieter areas where no people stood around to stare. They looked at her as if she was some sort of outsider, which wasn’t wrong, but she didn’t like the idea of attention being drawn to her.

As much as she hated being Portia, she knew that mantle held power and if needed she could call on it to force any onlookers away.

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Desiree took to wandering a bit off the beaten path after she’d finished babysitting Hedwig again. With her civilian glamor in place, she strode with a purpose in her gait. It was chilly but her coat was nice and warm as she noticed a lack of civilians.

There had been someone who warned her, stating that some giant woman was causing trouble and to avoid the area, but if anything it had her curiosity piqued.

Searching around as she walked, she spotted what she could definitely describe as a rather tall woman who looked unpleasant. They seemed to be muttering to themself as they wandered, not quite paying attention as she stepped closer.

“Hello, are you lost dear?” Speaking softly and cautiously as she stood on the decorative path through the park.

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Startled slightly out of his thoughts, Portia turned and at first, didn’t see anyone in her line of sight. Then she looked down a little bit and saw a woman… or was it? It was hard for her to tell but the one thing she could tell is that they were probably unable to see out of one eye.

The question of being lost almost made her laugh as she narrowed her eyes at the woman. They seemed to be a human, that’s what the beings here were called if she remembered correctly. They were only a footnote, an oddity mentioned in one of the mundane books stored in the great library she’d been trapped in.

“No, I know exactly where I’m going.” Moving along, she kept going down the path towards some buildings that looked worse for wear. This place didn’t seem as nice as where she’d started to wander but given the lack of people it worked in her favor. At least once she shook off this one.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blinking slowly, she might have growled at being brushed off if she was in her other form. Instead, she followed along as they seemed to walk towards that area of run-down homes. It wasn’t a place people lived so she tried again to catch up to the woman’s long stride.

Pulling something from her coat, something that she’d made a few of while Liam and Aloysius were practicing their Italian, she offered it to the woman. “Here, this will help you. I can tell you’re new to this area, maybe from another country where this isn’t your normal language?” She still spoke with that sense of kindness in her voice even as she sized up this woman for Aloysius. He’d mentioned the alien senshi and how he had a theory about fixing one’s magic.

“It can translate written words if English isn’t your first language. You just look like you’re not from here and I want to help. I’m from another place too.” Acting innocent as she curled her free hand into the scarf she’d stolen from Aloysius.

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As the woman followed, she growled slightly under her breath, turning to shove them but stopping as they held something out to her. It looked like a pen, not very detailed, but if it did what they said it did…. That would do very well at helping her figure out things here. All the books and words weren’t like any cipher she’d ever decrypted and she found it frustrating just like everything else had been since she’d arrived.

Taking the thing, she almost argued that she wasn’t from another country but then wondered how that might go. If she was an outsider, it would draw more attention and she didn’t want that. But if this half-blind woman wanted to help her then maybe she could allow for just a smidge of it.

“That’s my home over there, if you come to visit, knock thrice first.” Pointing to the one that had an odd little spire and a hole through the roof, she felt it would work for now to keep out of the rain and weather.

“Thank you, for this.” Holding the little thing up, she didn’t leave room for any other questioning as she quickly made her way towards her chosen abode. “Goodbye.”

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So they were cautious, she liked that as much as she hated it, but it meant she could work with it. At least there was an offering for meeting up in the future, something she would take advantage of when she could. It might require a bit of finagling to make her way out here with enough time left as a civilian to interact with the woman but she was willing to put in the effort.

Waving the woman off, still without a name, she turned and made he way back towards the university so she could catch a ride with Aloysius. It wasn’t time to tell him about her finding but she would work this little case and get it all wrapped up neatly for him.

She was pleased with this detour, very pleased, and it had her smiling as she pulled her phone out to look over little books that she might leave this new alien. If she could slightly sway them over time that way, to make it more viable for them to talk with chaos, then it would make things much easier to get them to come to the negaverse. One more senshi she would be watching over and one less member of Order to worry about.