He was so warm and nice and she was sleepy. For a moment she forgot about the angry spirits, felt the temptation to lean her head on his shoulder and fall asleep. But then he straightened and announced that ‘it’ was gone, and at first she had no idea what ‘it’ was, and then the door creaked and Nikos yelled, making her jump at least a meter while still clutching him.

Drunkenly she tried to reach for her blade, and then got confused when she couldn’t summon it, forgetting that she wasn’t transformed. Had someone stolen her blade?!

Then the cutest furry creature she had ever seen waltzed in front of them, seemingly without a care in the world.

“A CAT!” she announced, perhaps too loudly and excitedly. “I LOVE CATS. I have a cat-morphing friend. Who was sort of the boyfriend of Sailor Andromeda—not me, the other one before me. It was really cute. Well, not cute because she died and all—it’s more of a tragedy really, but then he got to meet her ghost and they kissed—I think?—and it was beautiful.”

She completely ignored the fact that she just dropped Percy’s life story on a stranger, then scampered after the cat. “Let’s get the cat! I wanna keep him! Or her! Ooh! What should we name it? Mr. Fluffytails?”

Kira's sudden burst of sound and enthusiasm nearly made him jump out of his skin. His whole body jolting at once, he panted to take in breath, his pulse racing a mile a minute as she continued. His eyes wide open, his ears hearing things only below the sound of his blood rushing through his ears, he caught pieces of her story behind the heart-pounding near panic that he hadn't felt since before the senshi had left over a week ago. Androktsiai? No problem. Sudden girl noises?! Apparently a problem. His wide golden eyes staring at her, he slowly calmed down, the phrases "boyfriend of Sailor Andromeda" "the other one" "died and all" and something about kissing ghosts being beautiful fighting for mental space and understanding but resulted in him just reeling in the sudden influx of information. 

Then, just as suddenly as she started her explanation, she was gone, pushing past him to chase the cat; he looked after her, his mouth open as three questions and an answer tried to escape at the same time, ending in him staggering to follow her, his steps becoming more steady as his brain set to that task, mouth closing until it could figure out what he wanted to say first. She wanted to keep the cat - okay. "Fluffytails sounds good?" he replied, the end upturning in a question as some part of his head decided that then was a good time to point out that if they found and kept the cat, she'd have to come back periodically and visit it. .... or take it with her and have a piece of Enyalius with her to remember him by. But that was the sad option COMING BACK TO VISIT IT WAS A MUCH BETTER MINDSET. "LET'S FInd Mr. Fluffytails_!" he declared, his declaration losing volume as the realization that yelling at a cat was perhaps not the smart move when you were trying to catch it cropped up.

Creeping around a corner, he tried back with his other question, eyes open wide for the hint of a cat in the dark. "So you have a boyfriend that's a ghost?" he asked, trying to sound casual about it.

The cat was fast. She really thought she was, too, but apparently not as fast as a cat. And also, being drunk kind of made it hard to stay on a straight path. She kept bumping into walls, sconces, and random things, letting out small noises of pain as she tried to keep up, the cat's fluffy tail the only thing left on her field of vision.

The cat scampered around the corner, and as she followed, there was no hint of it anywhere. She deflated. "Mr. Fluffytails is gone," she announced sadly.

When she heard Nikos' question, she frowned. "Huh? No. Where did you hear...? Oh. The ghost was Sailor Andromeda - the previous one before me. My friend, Percy, who can turn into a cat, is kind of her boyfriend. He lost her when she died, but recently we saw her ghost and he got to say a proper goodbye. It was nice."

She continued walking down the hall, searching for anything suspicious. "I don't have a boyfriend, ghost or otherwise," she added unnecessarily.

But it felt necessary.

Every time she bumped into something and sounded out in pain he reeled, head at first having problems relating the noise to non-life-threatening pain, and then trying to figure out what exactly she had run into and whether he could see more so he could point them out, but it was useless. It pretty much ended with each of her notes of surprised pain echoed with a quiet gasp from him as he followed her and that was about it. 

She came to a stop once rounding a corner and he almost ran into her, his arms wheeling so he wouldn't lose his tricky balance and fall into her by accident. Her sad announcement made him frown sympathetically, and then her answer to his question - the one he would forget he asked but then frantically remember he asked as they chased the little critter - made his insides turn to stone as he quickly remembered what it was about: she had a Boyfriend. Maybe. Possibly a ghost boyfriend? But the manner in which she replied made him feel better. Until she said it again. Kinda? The previous Sailor Andromeda? It clicked with that. He nodded his head, understanding what she meant with a parallel: Kenna. 

He barely followed along with the incredible story, wondering if he was actually hearing what he was hearing, wanting to interrupt to ask the question he had really worried about -- but then she offered it without needing the question, and his heart surged. 

She didn't have a boyfriend. 

He hadn't ever really thought about it before - somehow - and that not long after the consideration came to mind it it was answered was a blessing by the gods, but still - even if she didn't have a boyfriend it could be she had someone in mind and maybe that was why things would never work out between them and --

"Do you want one?" he heard himself saying, and hIS EYES DOUBLED IN SIZE AND HE QUICKLY WORKED TO BACK TRACK THE BOLD IMPLICATION -- oh gods why was he drunk in this situation? -- "I mean - is there anyone you like?!" he asked in a louder and faster than necessary fashion, and had to cONTINUE MORE, "I mean you asked if there was anyone I liked so hahaha right back at you," he finished lamely, his anxious laughter back in play.

oh gods what had he done.

His question made her stop short and almost lost her balance in the process. She grabbed the nearest doorjamb and righted herself. Did she want a boyfriend? She’d never really thought about it before. Romance had never had room in her thoughts, between saving planets and the war and Enya and all that. But… the idea of having someone beside her, someone who loved her, who thought she was the most important person in their world… That must be nice, right?

“I suppose having one would be nice,” she blurted out. His second question caught her off guard, again. Her eyes strayed to his face and she felt her cheeks warm, grateful for the darkness that hid the color. “I… maybe. It’s still very early but…” He continued rambling, and she laughed despite herself. “He’s… sweet, and he’s stronger than he knows, and sometimes overly neurotic, but… adorable. And he has nice muscles,” she added dreamily.

But then the memory of what he’d said earlier crashed through that dream. He had his own goddess of the sea. And he would never be hers.

“But he likes someone else,” she added with a shrug, then moved along ahead of him. “Let’s go find those royal quarters. I am super tired.”

She hadn't taken it as an offer.

He was still reeling from the potentially completely embarrassing blunder and nearly missed her responses in his anxious mental freak-out, but somehow they made it through. She didn't outright not want one, which was... good? Right? ... Almost. ... Not really... Because - from before -- 

She looked at him and he met her gaze, the odd sensation of butterflies and weightlessness she gave to him only highlighting what his mind was trying to convey. If she was open to having a boyfriend, but he was sure from before that she wasn't interested in him, then he'd either have to let her go or risk ruining any future friendship with her over jealousy. But gods, he didn't want to let the dream of her go. Not just yet. He never should have asked her the question he did - about whom she might like - because as she answered that there could be someone he felt a stab of jealousy in his abdomen and he had brought it on himself. He kept her gaze as long as she cared to keep his, fighting to keep his expression neutral rather than doing what he wanted to do - which, honestly, was to run away to deal with his stupidity privately before facing her again. He felt like he was doing a good job as she described the man she might like -- though he couldn't help his curious expression at her potential crush being 'sometimes overly neurotic' -- but it was harder to meet her eyes when she admitted she thought he was adorable, whomever 'he' was. The airy way she mentioned his physique didn't help him out either, but, to him, it fit that she'd be attracted to someone that was strong. He'd have to be to hope of being anywhere near her equal. She deserved someone who would be able to protect her, even as she was protecting everything else. 

But he likes someone else. 

His attention snapped back to her, completely unable to accept that. The little shrug of her shoulders suddenly made her seem more vulnerable, somehow, which... he never really considered her able to be. She was Sailor Andromeda, Hero of Enyalius - his hero, solely responsible for his being alive today. Solely responsible for his getting through everything that he had within the last week. She was the reason he had been able to do what he had been able to do here. She was intelligent yet caring, patient and kind, strong and yet self-sacrificing - there was no way this person didn't like her back. 

He followed after her as she started towards their original goal again, but loudly scoffed, "There's no way he doesn't like you back," he stated, his eyes drawn to the scroll work where the walls met the ceiling, easier to say such a thing in whomever's defense without staring at her... but if she was going to be gone and never - if he'd never get to... he swallowed, eyes finding her again, barely able to discern the color of her hair in the half light but knowing its shades by heart already, and stated without thinking, "but if he truly doesn't, he's an idiot and doesn't deserve your time."

He looked away quickly, lest she look back, but time had triggered a question he couldn't keep to himself. "So..." he trailed, noting the long distance between doors and getting an inkling that they were close, "how long are you staying?"

She paused at Nikos’ bold declaration—unbeknownst to him—about himself. There’s no way he doesn’t like you back. That was easy to say about a stranger, wasn’t it? She wondered what he would say if she told him it was about him. She could almost see his reaction in her mind’s eye. Shocked, frozen solid, and then spluttering, followed by nonsensical rambling that dug himself deeper and deeper and embarrassing them both. It would just end in her heart being broken and her never wanting to come back here again. And she wasn’t ready to lose this relationship… whatever it was currently. Despite his sometimes tendency towards… insanity, he had really endeared himself to her, and she realized that she did not want to lose him.

She turned towards him and smiled. “Yeah, he would be, wouldn’t he?” Warmth filled her, though whether or not it was from the excessive alcohol, she had no idea. Right now, though, she wanted to spend time with him, even if he might not deserve it.

“Oh, I have no idea, actually,” she admitted at the question of her length of stay. “I figured a few days. I was just going to check on you and your… progress towards building Enyalius. But I suppose I can stay as long as I like, for as long as I am welcome.”

Potentially a few days. 

He relaxed, the tension of having to figure things out now, before she left, suddenly loosening. They had more than tonight. Er - he had more than tonight. -- he and she had more --- what was this even?! There was time to figure it out. Period. But figure what ou--- he put one hand on top of his head to stop thinking. There was nothing to figure out. Maybe. She didn't like him and that was that. Probably. She'd leave in a couple of days and things would just go back to the way they were before. ... Which wasn't bad, so there was no reason to feel melancholy about it. It hadn't even happened yet. She liked somebody else, anyway, and a couple of days wouldn't ---

Then it hit him. A few days? That... that was more time than they had spent together before. 

He swallowed, suddenly nervous. "Y-you're more than welcome," he stated, moving forward quickly to get to the door to the next room before she had to open it herself. "Stay as long as you'd like - I can show you around, even -" nerves jumping at the offer, he opened the door and stepped in ahead of her, looking around for any sign of the undead and finding none in the starlight that entered through the large windows of the expansive bedroom. He sloppily put his hands on his hips in triumph. "Tada! The King's bedroom," he preened, then modified, just as proudly, "Or close enough." The room was huge and there was a bed and - "Hey, look at that!" he said in joyful surprise, approaching the large and well dressed mattress to stare down at it to be sure. He looked back at her with a grin - "there isn't even any blood on it, lucky you!" 

He suddenly yawned, the completion of their "quest" quickly stamping down whatever adrenaline that had been at work to keep him awake this late.
Exhaustion stole strength from him and he rubbed at his face to wake up. "Can I get you anything else?"

She waited as he opened the door in front of them, tensing slightly in case anything was going to jump out, whether it was cat or zombies. His offer distracted her momentarily, though. “I’d like that,” she replied softly, already thinking about a nice romantic walk under the su—wait, did she say romantic? No, just a walk. A friendly walk under the sun in a planet previously ravaged by death. Yes. Not romantic at all.

She curiously followed him, her eyes adjusting to the darkness and finding the room’s luxurious amenities easily even among the dust and debris from who knew what. It wasn’t as fancy as it used to be, for sure, but like Nikos said, close enough. She laughed at his excitement upon finding no blood, thinking at first his joy was simply for the expansive bed. He must not be used to this kind of luxury, anyway. She wondered what it felt like to suddenly be tossed into a position of power and groomed to be the King when yesterday he was a nobody.

Kira walked to the bed and sat on it, testing it with a few bounces. Comfortable, to be sure. Then she looked up at him when he asked if he could get her anything else. “No, but… where are you going to sleep? Not going back to that tent, I hope?” she asked, feeling wary about being left alone in this deserted castle.

“I… this is silly, but… I don’t want to be alone here.”

Her question about his sleeping arrangements confused him - his tent? of course? - but then she said she hoped not his tent? What was wrong with his tent? Nothing was wrong with his tent - it was comfortable and he had just gotten the furs right and his armor was down there and - but she couldn't have meant it that way. He thought hard, though it felt like he was spinning, and -- aha! "The stairs, huh?" he replied, "I think I can make it down without too much trouble - maybe I"ll just scoot down them, not like anyone's watching or --" 

His rambling was cut short by her soft explanation, her vulnerability showing itself once again, the idea that she would be... afraid? ...nervous? ...filled with trepidation? something like that - over the idea of staying here alone once again against the image he had painted of her in his head, this other side of her something he never knew existed. He understood her concern - just a week ago, he'd never've been caught dead in this place. ... Ha! or maybe he would have! Hahaha. He couldn't help the smile. In any case, she, who had been nothing but strong and capable and independent in front of all of the other senshi last time, was showing him that she wasn't always that, and it made him feel... well, special, but it also decided for him what he would do. If she trusted him with that knowledge, he was going to do what he could to make her feel better. 

"Or," he continued, turning and nonchalantly flopping onto the end of her bed, "maybe I'll just sleep right here. It's safer, honestly." He quickly turned the conversation so she wouldn't think he thought it wasn't safe up here to begin with - if she was scared, he didn't want to add to that, but he didn't want her thinking he thought she was scared to directly address that, either. "I may be "the last man on this planet to die"" he did his best imitation of Enyo, complete with a furrowed-brow glare up at the ceiling above them, before turning his head to see her better and shrugging, "but if I break my neck tripping down some stairs I won't be nearly as useful." 

Lying down was... nice. He blinked slowly, heavily. Sleepily. "Just think of me like a dog at the end of your bed. Ha! I'll even bark if something tries to come in," he laughed sleepily, the sound easy and relaxed and very little like the nervous tics or anxiety-ridden sounds that usually came out. He crossed his arms over his stomach, his sandaled feet still solidly on the ground, and looked like he could drift off at any minute.

She blinked when Nikos flopped onto the end of her bed like a cat. He was rambling again, about being safe, but for her or for him she wasn’t sure. There probably wasn’t much danger in this planet for him, thanks to Enyo’s curse, as he pointed out, but now that he mentioned breaking his neck, she wondered if accidents or any attempt to kill himself would still work. Not that she thought he would want that. But accidents did happen. And he was drunk. She didn’t know how big of a drinker he was, but she suspected he wasn’t as good as she was in holding his liquor.

However, she wasn’t sure she was happy about his own designation for himself. A dog? She certainly didn’t want to treat him like a pet. He was lying down with his feet still on the ground, for gods’ sake. That couldn’t be comfortable.

“Don’t be silly. The bed is big enough for three people. Get over here,” she scooted over to the other side and patted the empty spot beside her. “You’ll probably be the next person to use this bed anyway, if your people have anything to say about it. Might as well start enjoying it now.”

She wondered if he’d feel weird about sharing the bed with her, but she honestly thought it was fine. Maybe even pleasant. In fact… she kind of looked forward to it, for reasons she couldn’t fathom. “Don’t worry, I won’t bite,” she added with a playful wink.

'Don't be silly,' she said, and he answered hyperintelligently with a sleepy "Hmm?" his brain turning on just long enough to understand what she wanted him to do, though he didn't really catch up with her until she said she wouldn't bite. He grinned sleepily at her and, without thinking more about it, he rolled over onto his stomach, twisted to get his knees up on top of the bed, and crawled up to the space she had just occupied, dropping down in a huff once his head hit the general pillow position, his face turned towards her. The bed was nice. Perfectly balanced between soft and firm, the pillow was clean and - he breathed in - smelled like... her. Andromeda. Kira. He blinked sleepily up at her, not exactly believing she was there, and the rest of what she said clicked into place: that he'd probably be the next person to use this bed because Methodios wanted him to be king. His nose wrinkled at the idea. "Hey," he said, but his voice was muffled with his throat pressed against the pillow, so he worked his tired muscles to get his arms beneath him to prop himself up, then twisted over onto his side to face her, folding one arm to use his bicep as an additional pillow to prop his head up higher. "So you've been a Princess your entire life, right?" He asked, his voice matching quiet tone of late night conversations held in the dark - completely open, completely honest, and completely without filter. "If I do become King, could you help me with it?"

The moment he put his head down on the pillow, their faces suddenly so close together, Kira felt warmth creeping upon her cheeks, and she wondered if it was all the alcohol. She did feel very sleepy and only half awake at this point. And his presence felt so calming... comforting. She even felt the urge to cuddle.

His question caught her off guard, and she nodded to confirm that yes, she had been a princess all her life.

"Of course I can help you," she said without hesitation. "Although I'm not sure the way your government works is the same as mine. But for general ruling stuff, I guess I can help. Even though I haven't been queen yet. It's probably not that different, right?" she giggled, thinking about herself as his advisor.

She observed his sleepy face; so soft, so open, so vulnerable. So handsome. "I think you're going to be a great King, Nikos. You just need some confidence."

An urge to close the gap between them bloomed within her.

She'd help him. That definitely made him feel better. He relaxed a little more, sinking into his arm above the pillow and relaxing into the bedcover beneath him; Methodios was great at telling him how to act and what to do and was quick to correct him whenever he fumbled, but having Kira's guidance was an outside perspective he'd really appreciate, especially considering that... well it was her. She did the right thing even in the face of Enyo, when it would have been easy to just let others handle things, especially as the others with her seemed, for the most part, to be much older than she was. She hadn't let that stop her, and he wanted... well if he was to be a King, he wanted to be one like her: not afraid to do what was right, even if it wasn't easy, and even if people more experienced than he hesitated to act. 

She thought he'd be great. He swallowed, proud to have her support, but her note on confidence broke his eye contact. 

He had to admit, maybe, that asking her if she'd help him wasn't entirely about guidance. He wanted... he wanted her to keep coming back. Even if she wasn't interested in a romantic relationship with him, he wanted her as a friend, more than a muse and a dream. He wanted her there when... if... 

"Is it true that senshi can live longer than the usual lifespan?" he asked quietly.

“Some do and some don’t,” she answered with a yawn. “I believe the Earth senshi are at least a thousand years old. People of my planet have an average lifespan of 300 Earth years. I don’t know if being a senshi extends it—the last known Sailor Andromeda was killed too early.”

She still felt that pang of pain every time she remembered Nerida and her tragic story. But the knowledge that she was back where she belonged now made her feel somewhat better.

“What about your people?” she asked, wondering if one of them would soon grow old before the other. That would certainly suck if he was going to age faster than she did. She also didn’t know how she was supposed to be both a queen and a senshi. Was she supposed to retire from being a senshi when it came time to take the throne? A queen wouldn’t be able to journey all over the universe anytime she pleased. She had a duty to her people first and foremost. And yet… did she even want to be queen anymore? When now, being a senshi felt like the core of who she was? Was she supposed to just ignore the call of a planet in dire need of help to govern her kingdom?

She didn’t know if she could do that. And if Nikos was going to be king of Enyalius… a relationship between a king and a queen would not work out unless one of them moved to the other’s kingdom and became their consort.

Not that she had any reason to think about all that, seeing that he was not interested in her.

One. Thousand years? Old?? 


Three hundred years. Average lifespan on her planet was three hundred years?! He had meant to offer her some sort of comfort over hearing about the last Andromeda, but his mind still reeled over that information. Three hundred years. Her question prodded him out of trying to imagine what that was like - "Methodios is almost sixty," he replied quietly, "Some elders have been rumored to get to eighty, but most of us, well... if we were able to get older we probably won't find out for a long while now." And he may never know for certain how long he'd... 

Three hundred. 

"Say, would you -" he paused, the words sticking in his throat. He swallowed, feeling like it was now or never. "Would you keep coming back? Not like -" he hurried though, "Not like now or anything, or even in the near future - I mean unless you'd like to - I mean I'd like that but - what I mean is -" He was fumbling it all up. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath through his nose, and tried again. "Years from now, could you visit periodically - just to check in, you know? Like every five years? ... Or ten. Or fifty or a hundred or however many or whenever -" He stopped to take a quick breath, eyes opening but looking towards the elbow beneath his head rather than at her. "I don't want to be a burden but it's a little intimidating, you know? Two weeks ago I figured that if I survived my time in the war, I'd come back here and marry and start a family and maybe, if I was lucky, live to see sixty and get to know grandchildren, but now? Now it's... what if I age and just linger? What if I grow sick and weak and never recover, just continue to live, you know? And even if I don't age, I'd have to be there while everybody else..." He was being selfish for asking, but he felt like if he couldn't ask her, he couldn't ask anyone to do that for him.

"You wouldn't have to come alone or anything," he finished, his free arm curled in tight against his chest, the rest of his body having grown tense when he started his fumbling, bumbling request. "You could bring whomever you wanted," Even if it was the person you like, "I'd just... I'd really appreciate knowing that someone that I know from now would be coming to see me periodically then, you know?"

"If you were able to get older?" Andromeda frowned, wondering what he was talking about. Was it about his curse? But he said 'most of us', so it musn't be... Did Enyo leave some long-lasting effect she didn't know about?

However, her attention quickly switched to the next thing he said. He was doing his rambling again, and... whether or not she would visit. Five years? Ten? Fifty or a hundred? There was no way she was going to take that long to visit him again. She already didn't want to leave.

Her heart skipped a beat at the word 'marry', but let him continue on, hearing the fear and uncertainty in his voice and feeling his pain. It was her fault, really, that he had the curse. It was her stubbornness that had led to this. What if she'd ruined his life?

"Nikos, of course I would visit. Even when you're King and you've figured everything out, I would still visit. We're... friends now, and that's what friends do. We keep in touch with each other. Heck, you can and should come to my planet too, sometime. Although... I haven't quite figured out how. Maybe I'll have to take you there."

Seeing that he wasn't a senshi and able to do space travel on his own and all. But she really wanted to show off Andromeda to him.

"And... I'm sorry. Enyo's curse was my fault. If I hadn't challenged her, this wouldn't have happened. What if I robbed your chance of having a normal life? Obviously I didn't mean for this to happen, but..." Guilt wracked her, and she had to bite her lip to not cry. "I'm so sorry."

of course I would visit. 

It was like his whole being collected itself, knowing that if nothing else in his future was guaranteed, Kira would be. Even if things didn't work out the way he had secretly hoped, knowing that he could count on seeing her periodically was like putting down a tent post in the middle of a windstorm - something comforting, a place to take shelter. As she spoke he started to relax, taking in her words to reinforce the solace, though he felt nothing but greedy in doing so. He offered her a smile for offer of going to her planet. He did want to see it, though the very idea of flying made him nervous; fighting gravity with a jump was one thing, but fighting it to escape to the stars and beyond?

I'm sorry.

His eyes met hers, dark brows furrowing as he listened, and reached out to take her hand before the thought of doing so could cross his mind. She looked so sad and unsure of herself and she should never feel like that, especially when it pertained to this. Without realizing it, he had gently pulled her hand across the small space between them and softly kissed the back of it. "Please don't ever regret that," he said softly, golden eyes on hers, "You saved my life, Kira. And through what happened you let me save the lives of so many other people. I'm sorry If I made you feel like my life changing was something I lamented - it's not. The path I'm on now is new and it makes me nervous because I don't know what's going to happen, but that's infinitely better than the alternative; please don't be sorry."

The tingling warmth that radiated from the point of contact between his lips and the back of her hand was so surprisingly pleasant, it comforted her and made her insides feel like jelly all at once. His eyes captured and mesmerized her, his words strengthening her, and all of a sudden all she wanted was to hold him close and never let him go.

The alternative he spoke of was, probably, him being dead, but really, anything was better than death, right? Well, almost anything. Of course, being King probably wouldn't be so bad, but... she never wanted him to suffer.

"I just... can't help but feel responsible. The curse was obviously not what I meant to do. But maybe we... maybe you can make it into something good. Your people obviously look up to you."

She frowned, remembering what he had said earlier. "What did you mean when you said 'if we were able to get older'? Why wouldn't you be?"

The idea that he would grow old way before she did made her sad, especially if he was going to reach the end of his life before she was even reaching the middle of hers.

He didn't exactly realize he had kissed her hand until she asked her question again and, having to think about what she meant, his mind reset. If he could have, he would have chosen to sleep like that: with her hand in his, held close, so very nearly like a blush-inducing half-dream he had had once, just less than a week ago.

It was just after they had left; he had fought his way out of the city, clearing the way and finding that, at last, the dead stayed dead when killed one final time. As he cut down these people for the last time he called for survivors until his voice was raw, but no voices met his. When finally he reached the gates just before sunrise, he collapsed to his knees and fell face first into the dirt upon which his squad mates had died less than 48 hours before. Coated in stale blood and sweat and bone tired, he just stayed there, forcing himself to believe that he'd be safe despite the fear that still electrified him. He knew he had to calm down, he had to let it go and rest, to trust that the curse would keep him safe but it was so hard to do - each shuffle in the dirt woke his tired mind, the instinct to fight or fly making his arms and legs twitch reflexively, but just as the sky lightened in the east he saw her: Andromeda. He had known then that she was a hallucination, but still his imagined image of her laying across from him, watching over him, had been exactly what his tired mind needed to release his hold on the waking world and sleep. 

Now here she was, Kira, actually across from him in an impossibly soft bed, and letting him hold her hand. It was that comforting hallucination come true, and that - and the alcohol - was making it hard to stay awake. He half-smiled at her alluding to the whole "king" thing, and blinked sleepily at her question, thinking back, brows furrowing... and remembered. He shook his head, "Mmn," he said sleepily. "I said it weird; I meant that if we can live longer than 80 we'd have to wait until we were over 80 to find out. And if I can get older I'll probably have to wait another five or ten years to find out." His mind drifted, wondering if he would age normally and what that would mean, but his mind wandered back to her, meandering that way easily in the space more towards asleep than awake. She would age gracefully, he could tell; even when she was three hundred and her face wrinkled with wisdom, she'd still captivate him. Keeping her hand in his, he reached out for her with his free hand and brushed strands of her hair out of her face, tucking them behind her ear and murmuring, "You're beautiful," before his eyes became too heavy to open again. His fingers traced the line of her jaw before falling heavily to her pillow, his breathing deep and even and obviously unconscious. 

He didn't dream; reality had been better than anything his subconscious could come up with.

OOC:

The alcohol was making it hard to math, and his numbers went over her head as he tried to explain. However, one thing didn't. He called her beautiful. She heard that, loud and clear, and she also felt it clearly when he brushed the hair out of her face, his own face so close to her. Kira stared into his slowly closing eyes, feeling his warm breath on her skin, and suddenly felt really, really warm and sleepy. As his fingers ran across her jaw, it left a trail of tingling sensations on her flesh, and she moved closer to him subconsciously, her eyes fixed on his lips...

Then her head lolled and she fell into a deep sleep.

When she opened her eyes again, hours later, for a moment she couldn't see much. The room's curtains were still drawn, and she was surrounded by darkness, but it was warm and comfortable. The memories hadn't returned, and she assumed she was home in her own bed, waking up as usual.

Then she realized she could feel the presence of someone else in the bed with her. Alarm shot adrenaline through her, and instantly her head throbbed from the hangover. She flinched, tried to move, then her hand swiped against another's flesh, and she let out a yelp. Where was she?! Had she been kidnapped?!

The memories of the trauma long forgotten, from the night she was taken forcibly from her bed, came rushing back in, and she suddenly found it hard to breathe. She tried to scramble away from the other person, and got tangled in the sheets without knowing which way was up or down. 

She had to get out of there.

His body reacted before his head really woke up. Something touched him and let out a cry and he instinctively jerked backwards, right off the edge of the bed, and his eyes flew open. He spun as he fell, rolled when he landed, pushed up on a knee and twisted back around to see what it was he was fighting and where he was fighting it, reaching for his weapons only to find himself not only unarmed but unarmored, wearing naught but his chiton and sandals and - he grabbed his head, pressing fingers against both sides of his curly-haired head as his mind threatened to break, throbbing and resounding as though being stabbed with a thousand knives from a thousand different directions. Through the haze of pain and the faint light around the curtains of the unfamiliar place, he saw a ghostly figure on the bed, near where he had slept. 

A spirit.

He fell back onto his rear, the pain impossible to deal with - "Peace, Keres!" he called, his voice strained with the pain of her attack on his consciousness. How had it found him, and why had it gotten so close?! "Know you who I am and leave this place!" The attempt was desperate, caused his head to hurt more and was potentially flawed on top of all that - he had yet to run into a Keres. Makhai and Hysminai spirits would fight him and only do as he bid if he won, falling back and causing more havoc if they bested him without killing him; Keres, however, had no honor and had never been bound by the military; he wondered if Enyalius had allied herself with them to begin with or if they had been attracted to the madness of her war. If the curse held through this encounter should not kill him, but being driven mad would be much worse than death, in his situation.