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He hadn't powered up much since the night that he had been purified, needing more time to recover from the injuries that he had sustained the night Cordelia, Sailor Corvus, had discovered him-- And a bit longer than that to come to terms with the things that he could no longer remember. Cord--Corvus seemed to think that it was for the best that he could remember nothing of the time he had spent in the Negaverse but it had to have meant something or he wouldn't have asked her to hold on to the medals that he now turned over idly between his fingers.

Sighing softly, Mag Mell leaned back against the park bench, pocketing the medals. He could feel another aura nearby and if it was a friend (could he consider those aligned with Order friends now when he knew nothing else?) he did not want to alarm them by showing of the symbols of his former self-- Not yet, at least. He sat and waited, wondering if the other presence would join him or continue passing by.

He felt the power signature like a gentle wash of warmth through the air; not quite familiar, but not Chaotic either, which Celsus appreciated. He was still not fully back to himself, and it was taking longer than he had thought to return to normal life.

The park was still his favorite place to patrol. Celsus was currently resting in one of his former hiding spots, up on a low slung branch, legs stretched out in front of him with one ankle crossed over the other. His hands were resting in his lap, and he was mostly covered by the shade of thick green leaves that were finally beginning to show signs of spring.

There was someone on a park bench a short distance away. Celsus saw him slump down into it, signature radiating outwards, and he eased himself off of the branch and climbed back down, brushing stray twigs off of his uniform in the process.

He made his way towards the figure, lacking the ability to do so quietly because of the golden coins.

"Good evening," he said lightly. "A fine evening."


"A fine evening it is indeed," Mag Mell nodded, tipping his head up in order to greet the other man with a soft, friendly smile. He reached out to gather his cloak, tucking it aside so that it wasn't taking up as much of the bench, leaving space for the other knight to join him should he wish to do so.

"Weather's finally taken a turn; still cool in the evening, but not cold. I'd say that Spring's finally sprung... Care to have a seat?"

It still felt so strange to know that he was a powered individual having conversations with other powered individuals; that he had been doing so for years while working for the other side-- Strange, but natural. Conversations in the dark; talking, not fighting... Better than the alternative.

"Mag Mell, Knight of Cosmos. And you are?"

Celsus's smile grew a little stronger as he padded up, taking the offered seat on the bench beside the other knight. The power signature was as strong as his own was, though he wasn't familiar. Cosmos, by the looks of his uniform, which Celsus now glanced a little more curiously at.

"Thank you," he said lightly, and reclined back, crossing one leg over the other and resting with his fingers linked together in his lap. Celsus tilted his head back to look up at the sky, taking a deep breath of the clean, fresh spring air before he returned his attentions back to the other man.

"Celsus," he said amicably, and held out his hand. "Of Chronos. A pleasure, Mag Mell. What brings you out this lovely evening?"

"Celsus of Chronos," he repeated the name slowly, mulling it over in his muddled mind for a moment to see if anything about it would ring a bell as being familiar. Nothing from the past-- Of course not, why would there be? But... Celsus.

A soft smirk touched his lips, followed by a light laugh as he shook his head. "A little bird told me your name... Well, I don't suppose crows are really little birds, but she would definitely take offense to being called a big bird, so in the name of peace keeping."

The laughter had left a smile behind on his lips, an easy light in his eyes as he glanced at the other knight. "Enjoying the change in weather, attempting to make myself familiar with places I might have been before. Amnesia. Haven't figured out yet if it's a blessing or a curse. Beautiful night, though," he paused, leaning back to cross his hands behind his head. "And you?"

It took him a moment to understand the meaning behind the words.

"Ah," said Celsus, giving a nod, a little smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Well, I'm glad the little crow has mentioned me, though I hope it's all good things and not about how I should stop eating all of her Twizzlers and drinking all of her tea."

He ran his fingers idly over one sleeve, glancing out at the green grass that spread in front of them before his eyes flickered back to Mag Mell.

"I'm merely out patrolling, looking for amnesiac knights to speak to," said Celsus lightly. "When you say amnesic, are you, perhaps...referring to purification? I hope that's not an offensive thing to ask," he added quickly. "I just know someone who's suffered through it as well."

"Amazingly, she mentioned neither the Twizzlers or the tea, but now I feel like she's holding out on me." His smirk remained light and he tucked that bit of knowledge away, making a mental note to pester their mutual friend about snacking habits.

The mention of purification made his expression shift, the smirk sliding into a smile that didn't make it all the way up to his eyes. "Yes. I don't remember enough of it to say that I suffered through it, but... It's certainly something that happened." He slid his hand back into his pocket, drawing out the medals that he had been turning in his hands; stars and bars for his rank and years of service.

"Five years, and I don't remember any of it... The someone you know-- Did they serve for long?"

Mag Mell was perfectly pleasant company, Celsus decided, as his gaze flickered towards the other man. He knew Corvus, of course, and it felt very comfortable sitting here with him, not only just because he felt he had a deeper understanding of his situation than he might have before.

He gave a small nod.

"Five years is a long time," said Celsus, eyes widening a little behind his glasses. They went briefly to the medals, gaze tracing over the metal and the colors. "My brother was only in it for a few months before I found out what had happened, but...it was enough to change him."

He absently twisted one of the pendants around his neck.

"How do you feel now, where you are?"

"It is, was... Must have been. I assume that it had changed me as well. I was distant." His fingers closed around the medals holding on to them again as though somehow the action would do something to spark his memory of things. "I was distant, but I don't know if it was the Corruption that made me so, or if it was just a rough patch." A phase.

Mag Mell shook his head slowly before tilting his head to glance at the other man. "I feel," he paused, lips quirking into a light smirk as he laughed, despite it all. "How odd is it to say that I feel more at peace with things now than I recall feeling in... Well, possibly ever? The darkness may have been a part of me, but it didn't win and now? Well, now maybe I can do something about it. Maybe I can help fight back. I..."

He sighed softly, shifting back against the bench as he clenched the medals, ignoring how the angles pressed against his palm. "I told Corvus that there were good people in the Negaverse. I don't remember saying that to her, but if I did say that it lends to the idea that maybe some of them are worth saving too."

Celsus glanced sideways at Mag Mell, frowning slightly in thought. "It's...hard, I suppose, to try and gauge things when you have no memory of part of your life up until now," he said, rubbing fingers over the sigil of Chronos around his neck. "My brother says there are large gaps in his thoughts that confuse him."

His expression softened a little.

"It's not odd," said Celsus, "It brings you peace of mind, and that's a good thing. You can help in the war, and on the side that makes you feel as you do now, and that's nothing to feel awkward or odd about. It's not easy transitioning, I'm sure, but...you have a place where you feel good."

He leaned back against the bench, crossing one leg absently over the other. Celsus's smile was kind.

"There are good people in the Negaverse," said Celsus softly. "Not all of them are so steeped in evil that they can't be saved. Some are far past the point of knowing good from evil, but there are some who are willing to at least talk to people like us."

"I'd like to hope that I was one of those good people, but..." He shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment. Not being able to remember made things difficult. It didn't help that even his civilian memories were muddled thanks to the beating he'd taken that had landed him in Destiny City Memorial Hospital.

"Knowing our mutual friend, I don't think she would have taken the risk she did if she didn't think I was worth it-- It helps, keeping that in mind." Mag Mell paused for a moment, glancing over at the other man with a soft smirk on his lips. "It also helps knowing that there are good people on this side of things too; that I've heard enough about a handful of you characters that I can feel comfortable having a conversation like this."

"I can't pretend to know any better, but I hope you were one of those good people as well," said Celsus, with a gentle smile. "And if anything, you are where you are now because you wanted better for yourself, isn't that right? So you must have had some goodness in you before."

A laugh escaped, and he gave a shake of his head. "Corvus is a stubborn one," said Celsus, "and I agree with that sentiment. She must have seen something worthwhile with you, so take heart, my friend; it seems you were worth the trouble after all."

He lifted a hand and patted Mag Mell's shoulder before dropping it again, Celsus absently running fingers along the sigil of Chronos. A little smile tugged at his lips.

"There are some on this side I could do with seeing slightly less often," he said dryly. "But I can breathe here."

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me," said Celsus, a note of amusement in his voice. He relaxed back against the bench, feeling comfortable and safe in Mag Mell's presence; he seemed to be a good man, after all, and the fact that he'd been purified only heightened Celsus's respect for him. "If by 'another friend,' you mean her partner in crime, then by all means you have my understanding, my friend."

He turned his head, grinning at the other knight. It shifted a little at his question, and he titled his face skyward, exhaling a breath.

"Ah," said Celsus, laughing a little. "Well. It seems as though no matter what we do, there is dissension among us. Some in Order seem to feel as though they know better than the rest of us, and while it's not a crime nor a problem to want to share knowledge and experience, there is also a right way and a wrong way to go about doing that."

He closed his eyes, thinking of the meetings with Caedus, the hostility.

"If we spend as much time arguing as we did actually working to save those we can, we might get farther," Celsus murmured.

He laughed, the sound feeling pleasant even to his own ears, because it felt like ages since he had laughed at all about anything. Mag Mell's presence was nicely calm, and he knew Corvus and Denebola, which made Celsus trust him almost instinctively.

"Yes, Denebola," he said now, lips quirking up as he glanced at the knight. "She's a dear friend of mine. I think I've met Chariklo before; the name sounds familiar, but I don't quite recall a face."

Celsus leaned back against the bench, toying with the Chronos sigil again. "It would be nice if there was more respect among us all," he said, staring up at the cloudy sky. "I have the utmost respect and loyalty to the White Moon; it took me a while to understand how to be one of them, but I cannot say I would want it any other way. If everyone would just...understand that it is possible to fight together, then we could do so much more."

He rubbed the back of his neck ruefully.

"There is so many more things we could better expend our energies upon than arguing amongst ourselves."

"That is a very true statement, yes," admitted Celsus, with a sideways glance at Mag Mell. "A team is an extension of oneself, I presume; something akin to a family of sorts. But that doesn't necessarily extend to all others, which I believe is part of the problem."

He let out a breath and then laughed, because it sounded exactly like something Corvus would say. "Well, she and I are relatively like-minded n some ways," he said. "And I'm pretty sure that she's called me an idiot at least once in the time I've known her, perhaps twice."

A pause, and then,

"Denebola, on the other hand, I'm sure calls me an idiot at least twice a week."

It was said with fondness, however, and Celsus looked at the knight beside him again, his brows raising. An idea flickered across his mind, surprise registering on his face, but it was accompanied by a smile that tugged at his lips.

"Actually," he said curiously, shifting slightly so that he could see Mag Mell better. "I've already got that...and you would be an excellent addition, I think, to it all, if you would be interested. It's called a brigade, and ours is still needing a name, but it's a group of...'like-minded idiots' such as myself who are interested in encouraging purification."

Something in Celsus unwound a little at Mag Mell's quiet curiosity in the brigade. Celsus had been putting it together for some time, painstakingly working with the others to get to where he needed to be - where they all needed to be. Mag Mell did seem the perfect addition, after all.

"Good," he said, with a small bit of relief, Celsus nodding. "I'm glad. And yes, doesn't it seem so? It's a perfect night for change and for new beginnings, I'd say."