[center][color=red][h1]Shade[/h1][/color]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/MT7dudz.jpg[/img]

[color=red]"Shine bright, lesser stars!"[/color]
[/center]

Shade was not a delusional being who believed that her cutesy exterior was gaining anybody's actual trust. It was merely a defensive plating to deflect accusations away from her were they to be fired by the magical girl she had fought before. At least, there was the smallest chance this disguise could work and keep people from being hostile were she to bring up the one who originally sabotaged this vessel, and that's all Shade required. She did not need someone's trust, she did not desire their friendship, and she certainly expected no benefits other than no outright aggression towards her. 

But deep inside, she truly resonated with a single individual aboard the ship. Enough so that, despite them not actually proclaiming what was on their mind, Shade understood them perfectly. And that person was none other than the costumed Alexander Shields, though she was not currently privy to his name. The way he appeared to be clueless as to whom he should flock to was, in no uncertain terms, the most relateable thing she'd seen in another individual that wasn't Veronica. It was endearing to the point that had Shade been a normal girl, she might've swooned right then and there. Of course, perhaps to the untrained eye this simply wasn't as obvious as it was to her. She had a habit of tracking just about anything in her immediate area and keeping tabs, so that might've played into her realization that she and he were kindred spirits in a sense. 

[color=red][i]What a terrible crew this is. How do they expect anything to get done at this rate?[/i][/color] 

She mentally stated a simple truth. They really were a mess. She'd been thinking that a lot already, but it was so blatant it was hard not to keep realizing this. Shade noticed a lot of things right now, but Alexander's deal was probably the most pointless yet interesting thing that didn't immediately pertain to the fight that was going on. Portals being flung everywhere and the others reacting to their newfound foe was not something that required wits or years of training to spot. It was pretty damn obvious and she most definitely did not miss it. The problem was that she had no way of assisting these individuals in the fight while all that stuff was going on. Without her blade (even with it, honestly) her involvement would be a detriment. She would be at a huge risk of friendly fire by all the commotion, so instead Shade assumed a supportive role in this case. 

Drawing closer to the portal-flinging Mariette, she equipped her fists and merely waited while watching the fight unfold. If there was an attempt to attack Mariette, Shade would assist in her defense.