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"As long as you're fine." She lifted her eyes back up, to look at him, and sighed softly. She recognized his discomfort, and his desire to not talk about what made him discomfited, and gave him a small smile, though it was also a real smile.

She knew how hard it could be to not want to talk about things, when people were insisting on asking questions about them.

"Yeah. I'm not sure where to start." She paused. "No, wait. Yes I am. When we last met, there was a lot you told me, but it was in... bits and pieces, which meant I was kinda confused at times. But I really appreciated it, nonetheless. However, I want to know what this business about 'Royals' is, and who that Camelot you mentioned is, and who the ******** gave anyone the idea that just because we're Knights... or, well, knight-to-be, in my case... we have to follow some Senshi's orders."

"Also, why do they get magic right away? Someone told me we get magic, but I certainly don't seem to have it, and so being out there, fighting, with a tiny wand you could give to a kid to play with as a 'weapon' is ******** class="quote">

She sipped her tea, leaning on her hand as he spoke. She had chosen not to bring up his drinking, nor ask about it. It was not her business unless he made it her business. Otherwise... She would be non-judgmental. Everyone had their ******** up s**t around here, far as she could tell, and she did not pry.

"Hmmm I see. So Royals, Royal Knights, and General Kings/Queens are the most powerful, and people I mostly want to avoid, then. I'd rather not risk the attention of something with more power than the general I met the other night." Her fingers drummed along her chin, and her eyes were half closed as she processed this.

"Why did the Knights serve the Senshi? Why not be free of them, entirely, and serve Order in our own way, without some sort of ridiculous servitor/master relationship?" Her tone made it clear that this was going to be a hang up for her, the idea of serving someone else.

His comment about relying on her weapon had her setting her cup down, and burying her face in her hands. "I am looking into classes on fighting, because I have all the fighting abilities of a confused baby hippo on a good day, I swear. I'm not trying to rely on it... I mean, it's a STUPID thing to have as a weapon... I just think it's ridiculous that, as a weak newbie, we are put in this position of crappy weapon, no skill, no magic to speak of... But we're still targets for destruction or conversion, and Good Luck, Kid, it's tough out there!"

Just for once in her life, she wanted to not feel like the Powers That Be, whatever they were, were expecting her to deal with the s**t hand of cards.

"Huh. So they once actually had a real training program, a real way for us to learn what to do, and how to do it. What a pity everything fell apart." She sighed. "Ugh, politics, though. Life is politics, and all that s**t, but it sounds to me like the politics got to be a mess, from the various things you've said about it. That the people in power didn't stop to care about the people that depended on them."

She sighed, her eyes dropping to her chai. "Sounds too much like the world now, really."

She took a few sips of her tea, considering that last statement. Finally, she said "Wait. How did the Moon Princess's power corrupt people? Was she not on the side of Order?" She sounded confused again.

"Marrying the Princess of the Moon signed over the... Freedom? How? Was it some sort of alliance that left the Prince of Earth as the weaker power?" Her brows came together in confusion. "That would make no sense, his planet was far larger and more populous, so it should have been the greater power, thus indebting the Moon's power to ou... Erm. Earth's." She said, then wrinkled her nose. "Of course, that's me trying to assign logic to people who clearly had very little."

She closed her eyes again, thinking about all this, her cup cradled between her hands to keep them warm as she processed it all. Her head was bowed, and some hair came loose from the braid it was in to fall into her face... and across part of the table, and her lap and seat...

"I wish I could think of a way to rectify that without both the Negaverse trying to find it and get in, or the Senshi trying to control it so that Knights would be trained to think they needed feel obligated to them. A pity that seems impossible." She lifted her head again, and sighed. "Do you know of groups who will help new knights train, at least? It would be good to have a place to go to learn to fight."

"Hmmm. That is... a bizarre thing. I feel like there has to be more to this but. It's millennium old and who the ******** actually knows the whole damn story? I doubt anyone alive today, I would think." She sighed a little, and shook her head, hating a lack of a full story to make something make SENSE.

Then again, there was a reason she liked Science. It used logic, and even if they did not have the whole story, they were working to learn it.

"I guess that makes sense. You do have a point. It was small, but for all I know, it was the North Korea of planets, small but ready to destroy everyone if annoyed." She took a slow sip, reminding herself, once again, she had to keep in mind this was another time. A VERY different other time.

She blinked, her eyes widening a little. "I... Huh. I wonder if the tower is big enough for that... I mean. It's BIG, but for a whole Academy?" She sounded like she was seriously considering his suggestion, and her eyes were distant.

"Oh? That would make it a lot easier, if I had help." Her eyes refocused on him, curious and thoughtful. "How often are we able to go to our Wonders?" She asked, curiously. That seemed like an important detail, for the ability to go back to it, work on it, repair it.

It was, for something so old, in fairly good physical shape. It still stood tall, and the stuff inside seemed to be ok... Until one touched it. She did not want to make any more cushions evaporate, or anything. She wanted the beautiful things preserved. She did not know how to do so. She got the feeling that her Wonder had been mostly abandoned, almost like everyone left to go... do... something, and never came back, despite intending to. But she did not know. She had not had any of the memories others spoke of.

"But you're right, that sounds... Like something we need, something we, as Knights, could really use."

She blinked at his offer, and gave him a warm smile of thanks. "I'm good... I still have most of my chai. And the coffee is free refills for up to three I think?" And while their pastries were good, they just weren't up to her baking standard, not that she would say it out loud.

"Huh. I see." He was never a Page? That was... an odd, but interesting fact. She wanted to ask him more about that, but that got into personal territory, rather than the more general knowledge she needed to learn about this world. But it made her wonder, for sure.

She was pondering that, and other things, like logistics, finding a Knight who had been a page and thus could answer questions about going from Page to Squire to Knight in a personal experience kind of way, when he returned, her cup settled in front of her. Her expression was abstract, and focused.

When he spoke, she half jumped, blinking at him for a long moment. "Ah? Ah! Yes. That would be nice. Sore is normal enough for learning new exercise, and bruised isn't too uncommon, so I'm not surprised that learning to fight involves both. As long as I don't walk away with broken skin or bones, nor any serious sprains, I am fine with that. Just..." A pause, and a shadow passed across her face for a moment. "Realistic is fine... please don't shout at me, though?" A tremble occurred for a moment.

She did not want a flash back related panic attack during training. That might get questions.