The Princess and The Fool

Breath in and out. Aufeia could slowly feel herself regaining the bit of strength that she would need for the rest of her trip. Granted, she still couldn't decide where to go but she needed to get better nonetheless. A moment of meditation could work wonders for young Arcosian, that's why she tried to close herself off from her surroundings and dive into her thoughts.

Yet, a moment of peace wasn't granted her today.

Something was happening around them. A commotion emerged and what was most surprising, it picked the people whom she was mindful about with her mind's eye. Aufeia opened her eyes, at the same time listening to the distant yelling and she scanned her surroundings. The thoughts of neglect, trickery, deception, and harm - one by one their owners were either presented with dismay or disappeared, simply knocked out. Did guards start taking care of the scumbags around the station..? The way a couple of them ran around, frantically looking for something, told her that it wasn't this.

Slowly, Aufeia stood up from the seat, walking towards the edge of the gathering crowd. People were curious and so was she - though for completely different reasons than others.

It was quite a spectacle. An invisible force was making short work out of the guards and people who needed to spend a night at the guards' post. Punching, kicking, slicing with something sharp - and yet she couldn't see anything. There was a presence, alright, she could sense a steely resolve, though her eyes were failing her. And many others, which told her that there wasn't anything wrong with her sight.

A murmur from the crowd made people tense when suddenly a person responsible for this commotion appeared.

The initiator of ongoing confusion and chaos turned out to be a teenager, probably around her age. Messy hair, lean posture, dark tail... Was he a young Saiyan? He landed right in front of the side of the crowd where Aufeia was standing, presenting a sword and a battle stance. With a bold statement and even bolder nerve, he loudly announced how repulsive he found the guards' duties. Or rather, their lack of dutifulness... Aufeia had to agree, though not fully. It was true that a lot of things were in dire need of change, though pointing them out in such a way would have the opposite effect. Not to mention that as many as guards were assigned here - it would still be impossible to get rid of every shady individual. A Sisyphean task, as Earthlings say. And some of them were doing their work... Even if in the sea of civilians it was a drop of very needed protection.

The girl ever so slightly narrowed her eyes, watching carefully from the darkness of her hood what was going to happen. If she were to act in any way, the young Arcosian had to be mindful of her surroundings - and quick. Very quick.

Kronos was easily annoying guards, and yet his demeanor was far from nonchalance. Perhaps it seemed like it but something in his stance struck her as determined - maybe to the point of exaggeration... It wasn't forced in any way. Kronos, as he announced himself, spoke with full conviction that he was going to help take care of every unsightly individual on this Space Station. That... Was a great offer, if it only wouldn't be supported by a calmer approach and without angering the guards. With this loud announcement, he not only warned other scammers of his plans but also attracted the attention of all the guards - perhaps even those who were actually doing their job. And yet, so uncompromising he was, that it felt like this resolve was crystallizing in his mind. Aufeia was in no way a mind reader but this one was obvious even without special abilities. A great heart and noble intentions... Yet poor choice of execution.

And more guards were coming. She could sense it. Some of them were annoyed at the disturbance to the point that their minds shone dangerously with violent intent. This was getting bad. Aufeia gently pulled the hood deeper on her face. The ability to turn invisible was usually a clever one, though there always were people able to sense one's energy signature. And if that would fail, heat detectors and incapacitating gas would do the trick. She knew too well that as efficient as the Empire's laws were, they would deem it necessary to use force to stop the disruption that could have harmed civilians further. Even if in reality, the only ones being harmed were those with less than noble intentions... But in all the heroic endeavors, in the attempt to seize Kronos, someone else could get hurt. Someone who didn't deserve it at all in this commotion... Aufeia slowly closed her eyes, trying to figure out the best solution out of this mess. For her, it would be to simply keep her distance, and yet - that would only endanger others. On the other hand, if anything happened to her, she would be taken to the medical bay with wounded, and information of her whereabouts could reach the ears of her family or their lackeys. That was something she wanted to avoid above all.

It might have been too late to solve this situation peacefully. She could sense guards approaching and the crowd was confused by what was going on. Soon enough the line of six guards could double in numbers and then... Then things could get ugly.

Not many of the Arcosian soldiers wanted to shoot, probably fearing repercussions if anyone would be injured after such actions. They were tasked with helping the evacuation of proud citizens of the Empire... And yet, not every guard had that thought. At least two of them were going to pull the trigger and as soon as they tried, they found their guns jammed for some reason. The mechanisms were stuck, or rather their fingers wouldn't move even an inch to activate the guns. Huh, no idea how did that happen. Not a clue. At all. Aufeia especially didn't have the slightest hint why, when they held the guns closer to their heads, squinting their eyes to check these malfunctions - their weapons started to rapidly smack their faces. Up and down, up and down, breaking the glass of their helmets, and oh, one of the guards knocked himself out. Good grief, that's what he gets from not minding firing a round straight into civilians in the crowd.

Using that moment of confusion, Aufeia took half a step forward.

"More guards are coming," she warned Kronos in a low, gentle, but oh-so-stoic voice. Disapproving voice. "They won't hesitate to harm civilians while trying to annihilate the threat, for the sake of the safety of the majority," she shot a glance at the other five guards, one of them talking to someone through the link in their helmet. The footsteps were getting closer and by the movement on the other side, it was clear that more soldiers were making their way here through the crowd. "Some will avoid resorting to that, some might not. I'm sorry to say that, but by Arcosian's protocols, you are proving yourself to be the most dangerous person here," Aufeia remarked, narrowing her eyes while focusing.

It was the right moment for Kronos to choose what to do next.

Suddenly all of the present soldiers in front of the crowd started to lose their balance. Huh, how weird, it was as if they all started to get cramps in their calves and had trouble straightening their legs.

No clue why that happened either.

Aufeia raised her hand, rubbing her temple slowly. She started feeling a little dizzy... But she wasn't going to let herself stay on the side without doing anything. The question was - what she could even do?

---

PL - 3,000 | Antisense On
WC - 1,310
TWC - 2,204

"... I feel like you mistook my warning for a compliment, did you not?" Aufeia couldn't help but worry how this could even happen but she hadn't a chance to explain what she meant. "Please, don't-" she started but was abruptly stopped when Kronos bounced off to prove himself with the art of butt-kicking. Which was of course unnecessary.

The next scene in this mayhem play was starting. Aufeia watched how the guards were being knocked off in a display of efficiency and showing off because, of course, it would look like that. Kronos was as eager to fight with the soldiers as he was to display his skills. It was obvious that he had the upper hand, but for how long? The guards were of different experience and skills, these now walking among civilians were at the bottom of the hierarchy - and surely some more were deployed to keep their eye on the Space Station. Someone much stronger could get fed up with the commotion and appear here to take care of the ongoing mess. And then things could be harder to deal with. Aufeia's eyes followed the young warrior's movements... Just to be safe. The guards' weapons were missing Kronos because he was fast and agile - but also because she was pushing them a little toward the other direction. A swing was slightly off, pulled in a different direction as if a magnetic field was acting out. That was the least she could do considering her state and present circumstances. Using more of her energy could prove fatal - for her condition and for being found out.

After making sure that the lasers also weren't working as well as they should, Aufeia took a deep breath, pulling the hood deeper over her face. Kronos turned himself invisible and the screams and murmurs were only growing more restless. The guards were also furious, looking all around the place and pushing through the crowds.

Soon enough a familiar voice was heard right by her head. There was a compliment that made her slightly narrow her eyes and even more confusing and worrying statements.

... Was Aufeia really that unlucky to get entangled in this mess?

"I'm sorry to say that, but I am very tempted to point at you then," she replied calmly with her gentle tone, though without a shred of hesitation or doubt. An honest response to his question, that's all. Aufeia lightly lowered her head, sensing the area thoroughly with her mind's sight and her earlier conclusion was right. "Listen," in the shade of her hood the pink eyes were illuminated by the shine of the Station's lighting when she looked at Kronos. "Those people are not on this side of The Moins Space Station anymore. Even if they are, they do not have any desire to deceive others at the moment, given the ruckus you've created." That should have been self-explanatory enough. "With guards busy, they could do just that... I assume they don't want to risk selling anything for a while, aware that an invisible vigilante is running around with a sword." That was said not with contempt or irritation, but with concern. Aufeia was simply stating the obvious, though she was beginning to worry more about the whole situation occurring in front of her eyes. As usual.

The projectile shot in their direction made her step back, but the beam of light was swiftly deflected. Not good... It was like she feared, invisibility wasn't the greatest weapon against guards able to sense life signatures. Herself, Aufeia hadn't learned this skill yet, but it was an ability to feel the energy with the sixth sense. Eyes, ears, and nose could be deceived this way... But not this aptitude. Still, the situation could turn worse very quickly and everything pointed to the vigilante Kronos not slowing down with his actions at all. Aufeia wanted to avoid chaos growing any bigger, for the sake of civilians around and herself. If this continues, guards might have to use extreme security protocols, like checking each and every person present to see if they were connected to this commotion. That could prove troubling if they could confirm her identity. From that it was only one call and her freedom was over before it began.

So far from not attracting any unwanted attention...

"Please, wait," Aufeia gently raised her voice for a split second as the teen was saying that he was going to sneak in again to talk more. Like it was a casual party... "Kronos," she slowly shook her head. "Please. You've created enough commotion for guards to look after you everywhere, and in the process of searching through the crowd they will find the unsavory individuals you wish to lock away," she started explaining her point of view, hoping that the reality of the present circumstances could cool off a bit this hotheaded but genuine approach of fighting scammers. "You've done enough. I mean it." Despite the ongoing tension, Aufeia smiled lightly, her face softening... Yet her eyes' expression turned back to worried so easily. "Please," she repeated. "I strongly suggest you stop, let them work now, and leave before you could get hurt."

She barely finished speaking and something suddenly stirred her mind. This was different. A foreign intent of malice shot like a lighting and Aufeia froze for a moment. So far she had done everything to not stand out from the crowd, holding her telekinetic power at bay, using just enough to slow down and inconvenience guards, all in hopes of avoiding the bloodshed. Yet hitting them with the head with their own weapons, changing the trajectory of the hits and blasts, all that wasn't that hard... But after a long day, exhaustion was setting in.

The massive Arcosian guard practically leaped towards the crowd where Kronos and Aufeia were standing. How and when it didn't matter. Their hands were glowing with Ki and the bloodshed eyes betrayed the intent within. The impact of gathered energy that cracked like electricity during the storm, well, it will be devastating... Even if Kronos dodged or countered, the clash would hurt people around with tremendous power. But how to stop that? Dragging someone by one point, be it an arm or a tail was easy enough but blocking a whole body, a moving body - no, that wasn't simple. Their trajectory and vector of speed, the Ki that she had to hold or deflect, all summed up the required energy. It was more than Aufeia had to spare at this moment - but sometimes it was logical to act on the raw feelings.

Her body moved on her own, the cloak rustled when she raised both of her hands. The energy the young Arcosian used so sparingly so far now thickened around her palms with a faint neon-pink glow. The same light solidified in the air, a couple of feet above the crowd, creating a solid wall that was meant to hold off the attacker. On any given day, it might have worked as intended... But Aufeia could tell by her breathing and by the shivering of her hands that she wasn't in the right state to do so. And exactly what she expected happened.

The shield broke into shards of glass-like pink energy that faded into the air quickly. The worst was avoided... Yet the impact of that collision sent a force wave that shoved Aufeia back into the crowd, the hood fell off her head and she stumbled, trying to maintain her balance. To not disgracefully fall onto the ground, she got down on one knee, catching a raspy breath.

It wasn't successful but the Force Field Nu could at least slow down the attacker and perhaps give Kronos a chance to retaliate, pushing the overeager guard away from the civilians.

---

PL - 3,000 | Antisense On
WC - 1,300
TWC - 3,504

It wasn't going to be even remotely easy, was it? Aufeia could sense the stirred minds around them, brimming with confusion, cautiousness, and antipathy. It was clear to her that the intentions were pure here, Kronos genuinely wanted to help - yet the execution was far from perfect. That, right away, created more mixed feelings appearing through the crowds... The longer the whole situation dragged on, the more it was possible that this could get out of hand. And she too had a bit of agenda here, to stay incognito and far away from curious eyes. With a troubling situation like this, she will be at a disadvantage.

"I mean it, please," Aufeia repeated herself, but to no avail. The uncalled scowl didn't even make her flinch, only causing her to look at the hero-to-be more cautiously. He was taken aback by her words and it looked as if she offended him... Or at least caused quite the irritation. It would be a lie if she'd said she expected that, that's why she gently curled her hands into fists under the cloak. Disbelief was something common and she wouldn't blame him for not taking advice from a stranger, just... For a moment, as brief as it was, she could sense a faint hostility from Kronos, masked under the tense laughter. Something that was tainted with a strong and bitter feeling... And the words - Aufeia heard it all before. The accusation of pretending to care painted her honesty as fake and deceitful in others' eyes. But... The last sentences, rambling, shaking, were hinting at something.

It made her open her eyes wider, looking at him with consternation and upset gleam in the pink color in her gaze.

"It's not an act," Aufeia responded to his accusation firmly, but her tone mellowed to a whisper when the weight of what he said was sinking in. "... How are you-" she stopped abruptly when the faintest crack could be heard in her voice. It doesn't matter if he gets hurt? Then why could he get so furious for the sake of others and yet push his well-being out of the picture? Why wasn't he getting angry for his sake too..? "...How are you able to say something like this..?"

Perhaps Aufeia won't ever get the answer to that question... Because of a sudden attack, she made a shield to prevent the guard from hitting Kronos, her, and civilians in the crowd - but it backfired. The impact of her technique breaking sent her to the ground and barely, barely she was about to rise from the floor... And then Kronos grabbed her unapologetically, making stunned Aufeia gasp. She had no chance to react. She barely blinked in shock when he simply tossed her deeper into the middle of gathering people. That was outrageous but it was no time or place to express her discomfort... Because she landed on a group of people and was still out of breath from the last strain of her energy. Aufeia saw nothing but black spots dancing in front of her eyes.

The noises of mayhem and destruction, as well as scared murmurs and nervous cries of people, were all coming to her ears. The young Arcosian was able to get up and back on her legs with kind civilians' help. Thanking them with a soft smile, Aufeia placed a hand on her tightened chest, sensing her elevated heartbeat. The ground felt unstable for some reason... The breathing was getting harder and an occasional cough told her, that she should rest immediately - or she would spook bystanders with blood. And that could be the plan, and yet, when Aufeia raised her eyes at the hall of the space station when a loud crashing noise alerted her again, she saw... The damage. Oh no.

The ground was shaking. People were screaming, some were unlucky enough to suffer injuries in the middle of this chaos. Bridges, stairs, nothing was saved from the path of the guard and... Was that Kronos? There wouldn't be any other reason for soldiers to fight with someone else and the way the hairy ape-creature was shouting, Aufeia could easily figure out that it was the troublemaker in the new flesh. The pillars were destroyed one by one as they danced in that dangerous fight... The Arcosian partially floated and partially ran there as quickly as she could, raising both of her hands. Energy gleamed softly, too weak for her liking but she had to push it... Otherwise, this side of the space station could collapse. Aufeia grunted under her breath, feeling a drop of sweat running down her cheek. So she tried to hold the broken pillars and layers of ground and walls, saving them from failing - but it wasn't that easy. How could Kronos be so reckless... No matter how much he disliked the guards, the one battling with him was telling the truth. He was close to destroying the place if it continued. And yet, his loud response told her that the guy wasn't doing any sort of self-reflection at the moment.

She needed more energy to hold these spots together - but from where? Her body had none, she didn't know magic and the level of her Ki was laughable - but she still had her mind. She just needed to sharpen it like a sword... To reach for the layers of potential that were lying dormant in her core. The young lady trembled when a shivering sensation flew through her body, following the hastened heart and the bloodstream, her eyes snapping wide and lit with light. It hurt like fire but that wasn't important right now. Her energy started to pulse and grow, more and more... The elements of construction that were ready to cave in stopped obediently. Then they started to twist and coil around each other for support, making a makeshift pillar. Perhaps she wasn't an architect or a designer but Aufeia at least could fix the falling-apart places, minimizing the danger as much as it was possible.

After that, it was time to take care of the root of this devastation.

Another yell, another crush, another problem. The wrecked roof that was sliced by Kronos was about to fall on the guard... Was suspended in the air. It was like time stopped and the pieces that were to bury an Arcosian and a couple of bystanders were locked in place. The fragments bigger and smaller were frozen in midair, tiny rubble scattered around like a grey, misshapen rain.

Something got a hold of Kronos and the guard he was so desperately fighting against. An unseen and implacable force without a warning slammed both of them, head-first into the ground. It wasn't enough to cause them any significant damage, it was just the amount needed to be like a slap on the back of the head. All to help them snap out of this berserk state... Or rather, to aid one to come to their senses. Kronos was the most dangerous one here, indeed - but if the guard would be let loose, he would end up injuring the Teen of Tomorrow without a doubt. That's why both of them were immobilized by a potent telekinesis. The energy was preventing them from using their muscles in a bit of paralysis, pinning them to the cracked floor.

Amidst the confusion and the dust settling, Aufeia was walking towards them slowly. Her eyes were set ablaze with a pastel yet very vivid and striking pink color. The cape and hood were softly floating around her, even if there was no breeze to move them. The similar but neon hue was dancing around her hands, no, it lit up her whole silhouette. With one hand, pointing up, she was supporting the roof above them. The other hand was aimed at the ground - Aufeia was pinning the two warriors to the floor as if gravity had increased on their bodies.

"That's enough," she spoke calmly, her raspy voice mercilessly betraying the shortness of breath... Her chest was barely moving when she talked. A strange, faint echo repeated her every word. "Please, look around," lowering her hand, Aufeia carefully placed the part of the sliced roof on the ground, making sure not to cause any more damage by doing so. The place was already wrecked, with collapsed pillars, bridges, and people crying for help. How many wounded were there..? "... You wanted to help. Then why are you being an even bigger threat to these people than the scammers..?" Despite not addressing Kronos, it was clear that she spoke to him. After all, she stopped a couple of feet in front of them, so they could hear her calm, albeit weak voice. She didn't want to make a scene but she had to stop Kronos - and the guards - before anything worse could happen. They were in outer space for goodness sake, this port was supposed to be a safe place for civilians of Arcose. Not all of them could survive extreme temperatures and pressure. "If the station gets damaged to the point of the outer layer breaking... People here will die in the vacuum of space." Aufeia closed her eyes. "Please..."

The tone was raspy, calm, gentle but... It started to grow cold.

Her strength was leaving her. Maybe because she was holding Kronos and the soldier down for the duration of her little speech... Possibly because Aufeia was also pushing away any other guard that tried to approach them? Or the work she did in the station trying to ease the damage here and fix what she could. Or perhaps it was the state of heightened senses that sharpened her power for the time being that she hadn't used in the last three years.

"Stop fighting-" she murmured with a cracking voice, not sure what she even said. Her white face paled and looked more translucent, greyish even. "Just stop, I beg of-" her voice turned quiet and abruptly stopped - so did the force holding the guards and Kronos down.

It let go in an instant, like a rope that was pulled too strongly and released after a while. The blazing color vanished from Aufeia's eyes and everything was back to normal, aside from the fact that the dizziness made her stumble in place. The strain was greater than before, and she just hoped that they would, in fact, stop fighting. Whether Kronos would run away or get caught, he seemed too smart for the latter and too stubborn for the first... Yet, she hoped that after everything, he would at least reflect on his actions. A bit. However, it wasn't time to worry about that... The tightness in her chest told her that she had to leave, no matter the outcome of her peace talks.

Aufeia's legs started to shake and she faltered, trying to pull the hood on her face before the bright red nosebleed would be any more noticeable on her white face. She couldn't let herself faint here and be taken to the medical bay or dragged for interrogation or- no, no, she dreaded what would her family do if she were discovered here. Pressing her hand against the lower side of her face, Aufeia was looking around, taking a careful step back.

She had to run... She had to leave before she would be approached or most likely, caught by the guards. To reach the pod and fly away, that was her objective, yeah... It would be a good idea if it only wasn't so impossible with her weak body.

That was enough unwanted attention for a decade. Aufeia had to move, now, yet her body wasn't listening that well. By the gods, were those legs frail and shaking...

---

PL - 3,000 | Antisense On
Pacemaker Epsilon On/Off - 18,000 PL, active for around half of the post
WC - 1,954
TWC - 5,458

The things around them were falling apart - not in a dramatic metaphorical sense but quite literally. The sound of rubble and structures topping over was loud and Aufeia, still wanting to do something, wasn't even able to. Her power had run dry alongside her stamina. Her legs were giving in and she had just enough energy to try and pull the hood over her face and draw a handkerchief from the inner pocket of her cape. She pressed it against her nose, saving others from the unsightly look of blood dripping down her face. Leave, she had to leave...

Kronos walking up to her and embracing her was a saving grace, even if he wasn't aware of that. Just when Aufeia's legs were to stumble, she was caught and held, preventing her from an unpleasant meeting with the floor. Her eyes widened a little in surprise but she had no energy to oppose or to say anything. Kronos picked her up gently. With half-open eyes and through throbbing headache, Aufeia somehow noticed the gust of wind and their movement, as they left the crowded area. The air soon changed and the light went out, the signs of hostile and uneasy thoughts melted away from her reach. It was getting quiet and there was a bit of a chill in the air, indicating that Kronos decided to find them a shelter under the storage area, underground. Aufeia didn't say anything, nor did she have enough energy to do so at that moment. It didn't take him long to find the place, a small, clearly abandoned, and dusty room, hidden away between awkwardly placed walls. With guards being so busy right now, it was unlikely that anyone would give chase. This spot, despite the circumstances, was ideal - she would hate to visit any guard room or hospital area in the station. Despite what she was looking like, wiping the red stain under her nose, Aufeia couldn't afford to go where people were. Not with all the attention. Not when she was so close to leaving Arcose territory.

In this room, she was placed gently on the ground by the wall in this quiet, cool room. The silence, compared to the havoc above, was almost deafening.

Pressing a handkerchief to her nose, Aufeia was breathing calmly, though the shallow, short breaths were making it harder on the tight chest. With closed eyes and focused on her breathing, she didn't seem like she was paying that much attention to the voice speaking, but... In the dimly lit room, she opened her eyes slowly, orbs reflected in the pale color of her gaze. Kronos was smiling. That wasn't the thing she expected to see - a face marked by bloody scratches, smeared with tears and dust, with a gaze expressing the opposite of what a makeshift smile was supposed to mean. It seemed uneasy and it must have felt even worse.

"Don't force yourself to smile," she remarked weakly without realizing what she was saying. However, the facade was short-lived as Kronos, in an attempt to explain himself - or to justify his actions - started talking again and fresh tears rolled down his cheeks.

A series of sobs followed as he sat nearby, bringing back the question she asked him before things slipped out of control. With her head resting against the wall, Aufeia was observing the outlines of his face, barely lit up by the floating orbs of blue gleam. There was a mosaic of emotions left and right. Kronos was stubborn, he was hurt, sad, annoyed, bitter, and resentful, and it was not like she could hold anything against him. The rambling wasn't just the muttering of a hot-headed teenager, there was a reason behind it... And in a way, it made part of his intentions clear now. Of course, Aufeia knew about the conflict between Saiyans and Tuffles. She was aware of the impact it had on both sides of the planet, the races, and the further development of the Plant... The hours spent learning everything she could didn't go to waste. So she knew, that a hybrid mixing two hostile sides must have been met with nothing but harshness all around. Kronos couldn't be older than her, could he, and yet - why it seemed that he felt the need to prove himself to the world, as a hero? To outshine his heritage? Even if that wasn't the case, it felt like this. There wasn't anything else she could pinpoint as the cause of this drive to shoulder everything, then again... She didn't know Kronos that well.

Yet, she knew enough.

"What you are doesn't define you," she said with a weak, though confident voice. Aufeia pulled herself up a little, resting her back against the wall behind her with a soundless sigh. Ever so slightly, her body shivered, barely gaining some strength back after the exhaustion. The world was slowly stopping spinning but she still needed deep breaths between speaking. "I'm sorry that you met so much contempt... Because of things that were out of your control," the corner of her mouth curled up in a small, sad smile. She knew how it felt to be hated because of being born in a certain way. It's almost like people loved hating on everything that wasn't fitting the mold. "I guess we might have one thing in common..." This quiet remark was left as it was. Right now, things weren't about her. Slightly lowering her head, Aufeia's gaze stopped at her hands, at the bloodied handkerchief tucked between her palms. Her fingers started folding the fabric, hiding the worst stain from their eyes. "People will pretend that you're a bad person because they don't want to feel guilty about the things they do to you. And if you listen too much, you might start believing them. To be completely fair..." Aufeia raised her eyes to meet Kronos's gaze. She gave him a worn-out but gentle smile. "You're far from being a monster. Earlier, Kronos, you had great intentions but very poor execution, I have to say that. Next time... Better practice your performance," the young Arcosian chuckled softly.

Not being familiar with that type of bonding, she seemed puzzled when Kronos moved closer to her. With his heart now lighter, he seemed to be doing better... Sitting side by side wasn't the weird thing, no. Out of the blue, he placed his hand on Aufeia's head, rubbing it with his knuckles... And that was - just what manner of activity was this?

"... Excuse you?" Aufeia looked at Kronos puzzled and slightly offended, not understanding the reasoning behind cursing her out of a sudden. After giving him a side-eye, she understood enough from his speech. This was his way of showing friendliness and sympathy, albeit veiled in this... Scruffy fashion. "Mhm... My name is Aufeia," she replied, realizing that she never had a chance to properly introduce herself, curtsy and bowing weren't exactly possible right now. The girl could still feel her head throbbing, though she was grateful that at least the nosebleed wasn't messier than it was. "I apologize too. I showed you something... Unsightly," covering the handkerchief with her hands, she lowered her head. A glass cannon, huh...

That was something she felt guilty about. True, she ended up like this because she intervened, though Aufeia should have more self-control to know her limits. The bitterness here was that she pushed through them and that was the result.

Truth be told... She didn't expect to end up in a dark, dusty room somewhere deep under the main Space Station building, with a teenage hero-to-be opening up to her like that.

"Was it that obvious that I'm on the run?" Aufeia chuckled lightly, her head moved from one side to another, resting on Kronos's arm. Friend, huh? The offer was tempting, plus, if they would leave together she at least would be sure that he wasn't staying behind, getting into trouble again... When the arms wrapped around her, she was close to questioning why was Kronos so sure she was going to reject his offer, hence the last hug, though something else caught her attention. "Does it feel that terrible to hug me..?" she chuckled, asking him with amused curiosity and gently patting his elbow. She wasn't the one that needed an embrace after everything that happened... Though she didn't want to let go. "Don't force yourself then, though I think I could use a hug for the time being..." Aufeia lowered her voice, glancing at her arm. The white hand was shaking quite visibly, so she placed it back on her lap, joining her fingers together to mask the shivering. She closed her eyes.

"I apologize," the girl said after a quiet moment, and when Aufiea spoke again her tone was masking uneasiness so well it was obvious she wasn't doing that good. "I need some more time before I can move again. Unfortunetly... My stamina is paper-thin. I should be alright after a bit of rest," she stopped to take a deeper breath again. "That's normal for me, so please don't worry too much. I've never left Arcose before, so the whole trip might have been me pushing my luck."

With all honesty, Aufeia didn't want to leave her home planet. She wanted to stay, learn, prove something - and yet, it wasn't given to her. Only because she was this weak and her family had the last word about everything. Even about her future...

"But I need to keep my distance for the time being," she whispered with closed eyes.

---

PL - 3,000 | Antisense On
WC - 1,597
TWC - 7,055