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So you just... patrol? That's it you just kind of... sometimes just... go out and explore the city and maybe you'll find something, maybe you won't? Andromeda still wasn't entirely sure how this worked, and some of it was still difficult to comprehend and believe, but there was a part of her that felt oddly complete. Well, maybe not complete. It still felt like there was something missing, but the last few nights had been the first nights since coming back to the city that she didn't have night terrors.

Tonight she had decided to take a break from leaping roof to roof, which she had to admit was actually really fun, to walk the streets. It was still kind of weird to her to be walking the streets in this... dress. Uniform. Fuku. Whatever they called it.

A car drove by and backfired as it did, but it wasn't until the driver seemed to spook themselves and scrape their car against another in a minor collision that Andromeda stopped in her tracks. Metal scraping against metal, cars colliding, the screech of tires driving away. For a moment her heart stopped and her skin felt cold, the hairs at the back of her neck beginning to prickle and her ribcage feeling too tight around her chest and heart--

What was that?

That was a new thing.

The world had slowed for a moment, but it seemed to come back to reality at double the speed as she whirled around in search of the new sensation that had caught her attention. Andromeda turned from the street to leap up onto a small hut, a nearby closed concession stand for hot dogs and ice cream. It'd be a better vantage point.

Okay. This... this feeling. It didn't feel bad. It felt.. friend? Was that the way to put it?

Oh.

Wait.

Really?

Her brow furrowed as she eyed the boy not too far off in the distance, one who also seemed to be looking for her, she assumed. This was a boy. Like, a small child boy. He had to be like ten or something, there was no way. "Uh... hey there! Hi!" She stepped forward to drop down from the stand's roof, landing gracefully and taking a few steps forward without pause, as if such a maneuver came naturally to her. "You on your own out here?"

Oh, he seemed absolutely precious. Andromeda couldn't help but smile as she ventured closer to the boy, his presence being enough to distract her away from the episode she had nearly had. "You know what, fair enough. It's nice to see someone else, I'm not usually one to walk around this late at night on my own." Her eyes widened slightly as he introduced himself. "Totoro?" Don't say it don't say it don't say it don't say-- "Like the cartoon?!" Damnit, Andromeda. But she looked absolutely delighted by this discovery. Gloved hands came together for tiny little claps of the tips of her fingers, making little sound but enough to convey her joy.

"Oh. Right. I'm V--Andromeda. I'm Andromeda, Senshi of.. Jellyfish." She nodded slowly as she introduced herself in turn, needing a moment to recall it. Her smile softened, her arms moving to hug around her own waist. "That's fair, I can't imagine what you're wearing is terribly comfortable in this heat. I kind of dread when late Autumn and Winter hits. But ah... I'm just.. getting adjusted? I'm very new at this, to be honest. So I'm mostly just getting myself used to.. being Andromeda?" He was so young... did Senshi typically start around his age? How late was she to the game... it was difficult not to feel a little self conscious about it. "I figured doing some simple night patrols might help me get used to the feeling of it all. Luckily so far the only unfortunate encounter I've had has been with some crazy chick called Hestia."

"I wouldn't say I watch many, but I'll never pass up a Studio Ghibli. In fact, I did my audition for my college to A Walk in the Skies from Howl's Moving Castle. Figured it has enough of the main theme to be recognizable, without being 'like every other girl' and also the different sections allowed--" He doesn't care, Andromeda. She suddenly cleared her throat and smiled again.

Andromeda looked down while he spoke of winter to inspect her own fuku. She'd done it several times since that first night, so she was getting rather familiar with the pieces of it. Sensible shoes? Well, thankfully it was July. Her shoes were just fine. "I mean, not like I got to choose how it looked, right?" She chuckled. "This could look pretty cute with a little jacket, huh? I've got a few that could work. Imagine though? If I like, tossed on a casual hoodie over this and that's how I show up to like some big fight with a youma?" Honestly? It could be a vibe.

At his question her eyes widened somewhat, and she managed another smile and a slight shrug. "Hestia is a... I think they said Corrupted Senshi? Black hair, black wings, dressed like a maid. Careful of her, the first thing she did was blind me. The next thing I did was mace her, so I guess we're even. But uh, yeah. I guess I am new to this.." Guess was something of an understatement. "I'm told I'm just a late bloomer. Needed some extra time to cook, apparently. Not sure how I slipped under the radar, but I did leave the city when I graduated high school to go to college, so maybe that threw everybody off. I mean, I guess it makes sense? I've always felt a little... off. I feel better since awakening, so I'm guessing that this was part of my problem?" Her head then tilted a little bit as she looked the boy over. He really was just a kid, huh? If most senshi were teens and he called himself a 'Chibi'... "Can I ask how old you are, Totoro?"