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Ilmari really needed a win.

Unfortunate, he thought, that his default state in so many things, so much of the time seemed to be <******** me, I really need a win for once”—but so things had gone since the start of the summer. (Honestly, since a little bit before then, too. Baz’s parents had been on so much bullshit about trying to push him into doing all kinds of things that they seemed to think, without even asking how he felt in any way that he acknowledged as valid, would be better for him and it was getting a bit difficult to keep everything straight.)

Most of the time, Ilmari felt perfectly content with just draining energy. He could cover for everyone on the team, that way. If he did somehow allow any lapses to escape his notice, then it was probably fine because Ms. Hestia was also incredibly on top of her duties (a true role model in all things related to being a senshi and serving the Negaverse, always). But the dog days of summer were upon Destiny City, and with the stifling humidity came a claustrophobic sense that Ilmari wasn’t doing enough. Needed to do something bigger—something more—to prove that he wasn’t some weak b***h who could get pushed around by Order.

Picking a civilian to steal a starseed from was easy. Ilmari didn’t recognize them, but they were stupid enough to be alone, in the middle of the night, completely absorbed in their phone. Maybe they were playing one of those stupid mobile games like Pokémon Go. Whatever the case, they didn’t notice Ilmari sweeping in until he shoved his hand into their chest. In turn, however, Ilmari didn’t notice that they were not alone until he heard a voice behind him.

But—wait, he knew that voice. Or he was pretty sure he did.

Glancing back over his shoulder, Ilmari smirked. Oh, yes, he had known that voice.

“It’s called starseeding,” he said silkily, pulling his hand out and letting the civilian hit the pavement with a dull, meaty thud. Turning toward Kylian with the air of a spider who very badly wanted to entice someone into her parlor, Ilmari held out his hand and showed off the little glittering gem. “Beautiful, isn’t it? It’s something even you could do, if you wanted.”

All Ilmari would’ve needed to do was take Kylian to a General-Sovereign. If he had a senshi starseed, then the Negaverse gained a new senshi like Ilmari and Ms. Hestia. If not, then they got a new agent like Ms. Jadarite or Litharge. Either way, a distinct win for the Negaverse (and by extension for Ilmari himself).

It had been time to check in on Andromeda, and by check-in Creedence meant stalk Vivian and see if she was being a FailSenshi in need of some special training. And the answer was...

From on high, the cat let out a gusty sigh and bapped at the bronze horse's head. "Well, you can't expect people to learn to be a proper caster in a month." It was said in a tone that made it clear that you definitely could expect that, but that she was willing to be generous to her latest sprout. But, once again, Andromeda did show initiative!

Tail lashing she watched to see how things would play out. A chaos super wasn't as big of a problem as an eternal but the advantage was still pretty steep. She might have to laser beam from the peanut gallery this time. Especially if NPC Boy didn't get out of the0hey wait a minute!

Squinting, Creedence leaned forward and urged the spiritual version of a yellow exclamation point to float above her head. Run and hide you stupid! Beautiful! Newbie!

Kylian’s reaction was distinctly not what Ilmari wanted to hear or see from him.

They knew each other. Not like this, not yet, but as Baz and Kylian, they’d slept together last year, shortly after Kylian had come to Destiny City. They were as close to friends as Baz got with anyone who wasn’t either part of his team in the Negaverse (or a respected colleague from an entirely different team), one of his precious few neighbors like Shuangxu and his oversized guard-dog of a boyfriend who weren’t completely awful, technically one of Baz’s siblings more so than a friend, or one of his special friends online, the ones who also had “I’m not endorsing anything dangerous or self-harming, this is just my venting space, leave me alone” disclaimers all over their BlueSky and tumblr accounts.

“It’s not gross,” Ilmari protested, following Kylian as he stepped back and ignoring the flare-up of two nearby Order auras that otherwise might have told him that this would probably not be going his way tonight. “It’s power, and sure, it’s overwhelming at first. But you don’t have to—”

And that was when the fist came flying at Ilmari’s face.

“EXCUSE YOU,” he snapped, staggering back a couple steps, and glaring in Perfectly Justified Outrage at the ginger-haired Order senshi, whoever she thought she was. Cute dress, admittedly. Lucky for her, she had the legs and the slender figure who could wear some poofy jellyfish-looking little number like that without it making her look too big. God, Ilmari could imagine how some of the fuller-figured senshi in this town would have looked in that dress, and he did. not. like. it. “Don’t they teach you any manners at the White Moon Academy for useless screw-ups?”

All thoughts of Kylian temporarily forgotten, Ilmari focused on the little redhead senshi. “The summer heat’s really getting to you, isn’t it,” he said, and blew her a kiss to summon up his magic.

"That," a voice rang out in the alleyway, coming from...his feet? "That was a Chaos D-lister trying to use you, either as a lackey or a battery."

A passing car lit up the alley, revealing a dark, fluffy cat with a star on its forehead. "But you know what? There's a secret third option. So let me ask you, Kylian, do you want to be strong?" And with those words something else appeared by the cat, something that didn't quite glow but also held a light that meant something more. Meant something for him.

Or at least, who he could be.