The lines seemed blurred anymore, Aruna felt. When it all started, when she first awakened as Sailor Aruna, it seemed so black and white, so cut and dry between Order and Chaos, between "good" and "evil". But not so much anymore. Now, it all seemed like shades of grey for the senshi of landslides. There were people on the side of "order" who would apparently kill those of the opposing faction without hesitation or care, and there were those on the side of "chaos" who would save civilians and those who were technically their enemies from getting smashed by a snowman monster or a youma. Though the latter was most likely for the sake of saving the youma, Aruna assumed, thinking back to Tempesti having told her about the unusually kind corrupted senshi that had swooped in and yanked her out of danger.

Sighing softly to herself, she ran a hand through her hair and allowed her feet to carry her, not paying overly much attention to where she was walking. She was stronger now, a Super senshi they had called it. She could protect herself reasonably so should she find herself in trouble. Could protect those she cared about, hopefully. Could actually make a difference next time she found herself in an utter s**t show like the sos. That still weighed heavily on her mind, especially after having revisited the location only to receive her power-up. So now, she didn't worry nearly as much when she wandered while lost in thought. As she was tonight, letting herself take whatever route seemed to suit her whim, not caring horribly so about getting lost. Or so she thought, at least. Only when she felt the distinct prickle of "chaos" on her skin did she bother to look up and gather her surroundings, spine straightening just a little more as she looked around to try and find the source of her discomfort. It was just her luck, after all, to think she wouldn't be afraid only to be immediately confronted by said worry.

Not too far away, close enough to throw a rock at and hit, stood a senshi clad in black and red, sitting atop a dome shaped jungle gym and staring into the distance as if lost deeply in thought. Aruna eyed her warily as she approached, curious if this was the same one her friend had spoken of, the oddly amicable one who called herself Ako. She cleared her throat lightly, not wanting to startle the corrupt senshi in case she were to attack. When her head lifted and turned, Aruna felt herself freeze as amber-orange colored eyes fixed on her. Words died in her throat, her nerve seeming to vanish. This was a horrible idea. Absolutely stupid. Right up there with some of the top most stupid decisions she had ever made. As the red and black senshi seemed to uncurl herself, Aruna found herself wishing she could run, wishing that she had absolutely not decided to go out that night. Why was she always so utterly foolish?
---
Ako felt the arrival of the other senshi before she heard or saw her. She didn't bother looking over at her as she approached, not until the girl cleared her throat. She slowly turned her head, looking the girl up and down. Dark sage green, off black, and an almost plum red seemed to decorate her slightly ornate fuku, and Ako internally made a face at the ridiculous decadence of the order aligned super senshi. The girl herself seemed almost ghostly in the moonlight, any color of her hair and eyes getting washed further out by the moonlight, and her pale skin did her no further favors either. She was slim and small, almost as if she was a fragile little doll, and Ako briefly had the intrusive thought of wondering how easily she might be able to break her should she be forced to fight.

As she unfurled from her comfortable position of her chin on her knee, Ako continued to hold the girls gaze until she hopped down from the play structure. "Did you need something? If it's a fight you're looking for, I hate to disappoint you and say that I'd rather decline." Though the girl did look just oh so breakable. Something about her delicate features really pissed the firestorm senshi off, though she wasn't entirely sure why. Perhaps it was that she looked so delicate and dainty without even trying, that it was an effortless sort of existence.

She watched with half amusement as the girl seemed to squirm beneath her gaze, arching a brow as she waited for her to manage to stammer out a few words.

"Were....were you the one who saved a senshi from a youma?"

Even her voice was soft and delicate, and it made Ako snort. Still, her question was valid, and she supposed the girl deserved an answer. "I think I know what you're talking about. Few weeks back, yeah? Yeah, that was me. Looked like a lose lose situation and I was worried her and the youma would finish each other off. I'm Ako. You are...?"

Ako waited almost patiently for the girl to give her reply, finally affording her a real smile when she managed to properly introduce herself. "S-super Sailor Aruna. You're... not going to attack me, right?"

The question earned a snort from Ako and she shook her head. "No. Already said as much. I don't really enjoy fighting any more than I need to. I don't see any point in fighting when talking can be done instead." She was admittedly less warm than she normally was, and part of her felt bad for that, but she had had a rough day and her niceties were all but used up. Still, perhaps this could be good. Maybe this girl could be useful, if not to her personally, then perhaps to Chalcanthite. She supposed she should force herself to try and at least be a little bit kinder to the girl.

"My apologies, you've caught me after a rather long day. I assure you I do not mean to be rude or short with you."

Aruna shook her head and gave the other girl a small, warm yet timid smile. "It's fine. I'm... not upset or anything. I just... wanted to talk, if you would allow?" This made Ako's brow arch again, nearly vanishing into her bangs. The girl wanted to talk? Was she wanting to try and manipulate information out of her in return? Or was she as innocent as she seemed? "I wouldn't be opposed. Was there something specific you wanted to know?"

The order senshi shook her head, frowned, then chewed her lip. "I... just want to understand, I suppose. My friend said she spoke to you, and that you told her you aligned with Chaos willingly. I... want to understand why someone would do that, why they would forfeit their memories and entire life to side with something that is, at least from where I stand, an objectively bad side."

Ah. So she was naive as well as innocent. There were a thousand different lies she could tell the girl, a thousand different ways she could manipulate her. But somehow, Ako settled on the truth. "I don't remember. Or rather, that was the entire goal. All I remember before meeting my boss is that i was in pain and wanted to die. I was alone, and i was suffering. I remember the desperation to want it all to end. I remember the feeling of hopelessness. Faintly, but I still remember. Like how you can remember you had a bruise, I suppose. And then I was given an offer. For the first time, someone offered me a hand, and offered me a way to be free of all of that pain. So I took it. There is not a day that has gone by since then that I regret it. I have people I care about now, and who care about me in return. People who took me in and call me their family now. And I will fight to my last breath to protect that happiness, to protect those people." She watched Aruna carefully, judging her reaction to see how much more she should reveal.

Aruna listened quietly, absorbing what the woman before her said. Her heart ached for her, ached that she had been so alone and in so much pain. If she had known her before, could she have helped her? She mentally shook the thought from her head, refusing to let herself go down that rabbit hole. "You are.... happy now, then? I'm glad for you, that you were able to find peace." She knew it was a strange thing to say to the supposed enemy, but she also knew what finding happiness felt like. "You.. also said you don't like fighting. If.... if I can ask another question... are there others like you? Who don't enjoy fighting and would rather have a discussion?"

Ako laughed again and nodded. "Yeah, it takes all kinds, yknow? Lemme guess, your lot paints us all as bloodthirsty and ready to rip out your starseed or something, right? Ready and willing to terrorize innocent civilians and order folk, yeah? I mean, sure, some of us might be like that, but some of you lot are just as brutal. It's... more shades of grey, in all honesty." Ako watched as that last phrase seemed to resonate with the girl, secretly satisfied that she had managed to say something to begin to win her over.

"Yes! Exactly! It's all shades of grey!" Aruna's eyes widened and she nodded enthusiastically, visibly relieved that Ako seemed to have the same sort of mindset. "It isn't like everyone on your sided is automatically evil and everyone on my side is automatically good, as much as some want to portray it. I assume it's similarly portrayed by your side as well?" She seemed pleased when Ako nodded in affirmation.

"Something like that. Though it's more complex than that for us." She seemed thoughtful as she checked her phone, making a face when she noted the time. "As delightful as this has been, I unfortunately need to take my leave. That being said, I would not be opposed to speaking with you again, Aruna. You are... odd but refreshing, I think." She winked at the girl almost playfully, her foul mood from earlier having seemingly lifted. "Should we meet again, I hope it is under similar peaceful circumstances."

Ako stood and stretched, glancing at the stars almost thoughtfully before looking back to the younger senshi. Perhaps, should she gain her trust, this girl could be used. Even better, perhaps she could pass her name along to Chalcanthite as someone he could use as well. After all, she did seem incredibly too trusting, and that would make Chalcanthite's honeyed words all the more easy to sway her. With a friendly wave, she turned and left the girl to her own devices.

Aruna found herself smiling, despite feeling almost insulted. Ako was... strange, in her eyes. A chaos aligned senshi who had no interest in fighting and who spoke peacefully. It was decidedly opposite of everything she had so far believed about the Negaverse and those within it, yet another reason giving her pause in the grand scheme of things. She already knew that things were not so black and white, so staunchly good versus evil, but meeting and speaking to Ako solidified that even further. As the corrupt senshi of firestorms took her leave, Aruna nodded and watched her go. With any luck, perhaps they really would meet again under similar circumstances, and maybe somehow she could learn more from her, about the negaverse and chaos in general. For now though, she was content to know that there were those on that side who were quite civil.