[[ Kiko- C H A N and Sno - C H A N ]] - Private 1x1

[shigatsusan]

Ⓚⓘⓚⓞ ◦ кєιкσ

xxxxKeiko didn’t notice much the nurses and patients alike who were eying the both of them as they were lead further back into the hospital. Perhaps it was odd for the people of Mars to have one of Rei’s daughter’s wandering the halls of their infirmary, but the light senshi was focused to the point where she wasn’t seeing much else aside from the men infected with darkness lying just in the other room.

xxxxShe turned to watch Aleks as he gave her a bit of encouragement, feeling relief knowing he too was getting some crash course training with Aphrodite. She was already unconfident in her own abilities to heal these men; having another healer close-by settled her nerves just enough to get her in to the room. The man they approached first stirred from his painful slumber, about to inquire who they were, but Aleks took care of it quickly. Keiko made quick work of pinning up her short locks in a loose bun behind her head, and was at the man’s other side not a moment later. She was smiling down at the man, reaching out a gentle hand to rest against his forehead. He was hot, feverish no doubt, but Keiko remained smiling, "My name is Keiko, sir. And this is my friend Aleks. We’re healers who can help, alright?" despite knowing the man would probably forget their names not two seconds after hearing them, it still made the light senshi feel better having established some sort of familiarity with him.

xxxxHer eyes immediately took in the infection once Aleks exposed the cut from its bandages. The original cut itself didn’t look life-threatening; had it been a normal blade that struck the blow, it would have most likely healed up on its own by now. But that was not the issue, it was the dark energy that had been used along with it. His skin was black and almost charred looking, flaking away from the still open and infected cut. The veins under the man’s pale skin were bulging and dark, a sure sign his blood was already starting to carry the dark energy to and from his heart. He must have been infected for weeks. They did not have much time. With a single nod to Aleks, Keiko brought up one of her hands to rest over top the center of the infection along the man’s waist. "This is going to be a bit…invasive, but the calmer you remain, the quicker it will be over, ok?" she spoke softly to the man slipping in and out of consciousness. He nodded weakly, and that was all the response the light user was going to get.

xxxxShe let her eyes slip closed as she let her energy pool in her hand, concentrating the power in the limb until it completely covered in light. Her skin lost its color, leaving only a brilliant white outline of the woman’s hand. When her eyes opened again, they too were shrouded in the same white light. Her hand disappeared into the man’s wound, manipulating her energy to seamlessly pass through the tainted flesh and bone. Almost instantly she felt the man tense and resist, but he tried his best to remain still. His own will along with Aleks' help made concentrating a bit easier.

xxxxThe dark energy mulling around inside of him latched on to the new light that had invaded its host; Keiko could feel the way it settled on her hand like a weight. She ignored its persistent creep and need to multiply, keeping the energy contained long enough to pull it along with her hand back up and out of the patient’s wound. Once out in the open, the white hand that had disappeared into the man’s side was replaced by a dark, murky shadow, swirling and searching for a new host. White eyes closed and Keiko clenched her fist, pouring even more of her own energy into the darkness until it dissipated into thin air.

xxxxZevaal. The name would not leave Kiko’s head no matter how much she willed it to. Just the name alone had her uncomfortable, and knew it was not merely by coincidence. It meant something, it had to. She could hear Sno clacking away on her laptop beside her as Youta went on to explain how Zevaal came about and what he was like, but didn’t dare look at the woman. She had a feeling her best friend was having similar thoughts, and Kiko was wanting to just shuffle this all under the rug for the time being. Youta didn’t catch this obviously, for he went on, "It was, no doubt, a darker time in Mars’ history…but the blade has never been concerned with a person’s character traits. It chooses the person most capable of harnessing its power." The way he talked about the Pyrotiem like a living thing had Kiko watching her hand, as if expecting it to appear without her knowing.

xxxxShe was snapped from her daze when Sno went on to speak. Even before the woman got further into the story, Kiko had a feeling she knew where it was going. The wielder before Sno was far too similar to the state the woman had reached back when they were retrieving Aleks’ soul. She watched Sno, her mouth pulled into a thin line, not sure of how to respond…

xxxx"Your second transformations?" Youta couldn’t help his curiosity. Kiko shrugged her shoulders, giving the man a side-long glance before staring down at her hands again, "Our fuku’s change and we gain greater strength for a period of time. We also…tend to lose sight of our own being. We become something else." she didn’t know how else to describe what happened when in that state. Kiko had only been in it twice before, and didn’t want to cross that threshold ever again. Youta seemed to make sense of it thought, for he gave a soft nod and a look of realization fell over his features. "It’s a temporary boost of power given to you by the swords themselves. When the blade feels like its owner is in danger, it calls forth the souls and strength of past wielders. I’ve only studied the idea in theory, I’ve never seen it physically done, but I that could explain why you feel as though you lose yourself in the transformation."

xxxxYouta looked as if this information was helpful and positive, like he’d solved some big mystery for them. In reality, it was. They had wanted to know more about what happened to them under such power, right? But Kiko didn’t like the answer. He was trying to say that some guy, some…evil a*****e could just randomly take over from the sword whenever he felt like Kiko wasn’t strong enough? She shook her head and pushed one of the still closed books away from her, "Why am I even given the sword if some ******** from the past can still pull the strings? I chose me, right? So why can’t I control that to not happen?"

[Sno Magicka]

Α ℓєкsαи∂єя ● S иσ

Aleks watched as Keiko started channeling her energy into the very spell he remembered Aphrodite using on him. Watching the other light user pulling it together so masterfully put a small smile on his face, considering it was such a complex, difficult spell, and Keiko had managed to learn it in less than a year. Then again, Aleks was use to Kiko, who got pissed off and impatient when it came to learning anything new that was remotely different. Once again, he just had to remind himself that while the twins looked the same, they were still different in many ways.

While her spell was 'starting up', Aleks began concentrating his own magic into the spell he had been taught. It was one that didn't require as much energy or healing proficiency that Keiko was using, but still was helpful...in assisting someone who was using the very spell the light user in front of him was performing. Seriously, it creeped the Venus man out sometime with how Aphrodite just seemed to 'know things'. No doubt that the older woman had been teaching both light users at the same time spells that would compliment the others. Other times, Aleks just rolled with how intuitive his adviser seemed to be. This time, it was a mixture of both.

Resting his hand on the mans forehead, light began gently pulsating from his palm just as Keiko sunk her ethereal hand into the man's abdomen. His spell was meant to help calm the person, act like sort of a pain killer, and he could tell it was helping when the injured didn't jump off the table or freak out like he himself had done those many months ago. It also made him glad that he knew this spell, because in all honesty, he wasn't about to jump up on the table and straddle the man like Kiko had done for him. He was 100% sure this warrior wouldn't enjoy Aleks straddling him nearly as much as the Venus man had enjoyed Kiko performing the action on him.

The spell took a few minutes, Aleks forcing some extra energy into the spell he was performing when he felt the patient getting a little restless from the discomfort. As Keiko withdrew her hand though, managing to banish the darkness with a little concentration, Aleks let up on his magic. While the patient seemed to have fallen asleep almost immediately after Keiko had finished, it was easy to tell they were sleeping peacefully, not pained like moments ago. Opening his mouth to say something, another voice beat him to the punch.

"Wow, that was amazing princess!" Turning to look at the sound of the voice, Aleks almost gasped. A younger man stood in the doorway of the wing, watching them with wide eyes and a big smile on his face, his outfit that of a medic in the hospital. What really threw the Venus man off though was his striking resemblance to his own son. The younger man looked almost exactly like Yori, mussy red hair, freckles...the only difference was his eyes, an emerald green like Youta's. A small pang of sadness ran through him at the thought of his son being back in the future, but quickly shook it off. Yori would be back someday, but in this time, as a baby and not a teenager. The young man quickly scooted his way over next to Keiko, examining the man's stomach before nodding his head cheerfully. "Job well done your highness!" he chirped.

Sno listened intently as Youta spoke of the research that he had already done. In all honesty, Rei's adviser was a man after her own heart, no matter how spacey he seemed he could be sometimes. Some little voice in her wished she could one day have an adviser like the shorter orange haired man, but it didn't take much for her to mute that voice. It wasn't the time for her to think of that. When she was one day Queen of Mercury, when Amy stepped down, when she had Jirou at her side as her husband and King, then, then would be the time to worry about such things.

Entering the bit of data she just received, Sno watched Kiko's frustration out of the corner of her eye at the thought of someone else controlling them from a time long past. Breathing deeply through her nose, the ice senshi closed her eyes for a moment as she thought. It only took a minute of this concentration before she opened her eyes and looked over at her best friend. "Because every time we've reached that level, reached into that power from the sword, from those souls and spirits of those before us, we've done it out of desperation. We were either in danger beyond our normal capabilities to handle, or our emotions were so out of whack that the sword felt we needed its help," she stated, turning completely in her chair to face Kiko before continuing. "We've never tried to summon the magic, the power on our own, of our accord and our own free will. Even for someone like me, desperation overrides the ability to think straight and concentrate, and that's when the wielders before us, whose souls are in the sword, have the chance to take over."

Remaining quite a moment more, her eyes trailed off to look at a bookshelf near her. The thought she had was one that scared her, one that had a probability of going awry easily, but she also felt like it was a risk they should take. If they managed to pull off what she was thinking, it would help them both out incredibly. "Next time we train together, we need to try pulling on the energy on our terms, not on the ones before us. We need to try and reach that level on our own when we're thinking clearly and not in danger."

[shigatsusan]

Ⓚⓘⓚⓞ ◦ кєιкσ

xxxxThe training process with Aphrodite to perfect neutralizing dark energy had been long and arduious, that much was true. But the results were obviously worth it. The man, although having passed out from the strain of the procedure, almost immediately looked better. His skin didn’t have such a sickly white look to it any longer, and the wound at his side lacked the almost fungal looking black energy keeping it from closing up. He would be alright. Aleks’ help along the way made it a lot less difficult than Keiko had originally thought, but she still had to step back a moment to gather her energy after the technique was complete. It was a very intricate procedure and Keiko brought up the back of her hand to wipe the beads of sweat that had gathered at her forehead.

xxxxShe was about to give Aleks her thanks at his help when the voice behind her caught her attention. Her first thoughts at seeing the medic there went to Yori as well, but there were obvious differences. Not to mention, the child wasn’t even born in this time, it couldn’t have possibly been him. Still, Keiko exchanged a small glance with Aleks before turning back to the other. Thinking of Yori obviously connected the woman's mind to Hikara, and she glanced down at the floor for a second as her mind wandered.

The medic coming over had her looking up again. She gave a bow of thanks after he gave the patient a once over, "Thank you. I’m sorry for just…barging in, this was probably your patient. But I figured you are short staffed and could use some help."

xxxxSno had a point. She always did. Each time Kiko could remember losing herself to the sword’s power, it had been out of a desperate need to survive. Youta was explaining the Pyrotiem as if it had a life of its own, being able to chose who could wield it and what not, so of course it would do just about anything to protect its own existence. Forcing the will and soul a past wielder into her body was a good way of doing that. It all made sense. But Kiko still didn’t like it.

xxxxThe fire senshi didn’t look over to see if Youta had been attempting to speak before responding to Sno, "I’m not even sure I want to tap into it. There’s no guarantee we can bring it out or, when we do, that we’ll be able to have some control just because we triggered it." On the chance that something went wrong, that they lost themselves to a impulsive lunatic or an evil warrior, there was no telling what would happen. Kiko wasn’t sure if she wanted to risk it at all.

xxxx"I understand your hesitation Princess, but the only way to achieve the Pyrotiem’s full power…you need to completely open yourself up to its energy. You need to let it become a part of you and you become a part of it." He was making a vague motion with his hands, like two objects circling each other. And then he motioned to Sno, "I believe her Majesty is on to something, and it is worth looking into."

[Sno Magicka]

Α ℓєкsαи∂єя ● S иσ

The medic just started chuckling as Keiko made her comment, with her small bow and all. "No, I thank you your highness! I've been having such a problem with these shadow wounds...and now I can handle them with the dark energy gone!" Pulling his hands forward, he closed his eyes, concentrating for a moment before the healing light both of the others were so used to began to emit from his palms. Opening his eyes, they were covered in a pale light orange color, though it wasn't as strong as Keiko's and in result made it so one could see his pupils underneath. Only a few moments passed and the wounds closed up even further, only light pinks marks remaining where they had once been. Taking a deep breath through his nose, the light finished and the boy closed his eyes, opening them back up to reveal the brilliant emerald green that they were.

Aleks watched with curiosity, having noticed the look in Keiko's eyes before his attention averted back to the young boy. As he healed, it reminded him of Keiko's powers, but the Venus man couldn't help but notice something about the other male. It came out as a question before he could stop himself. "How old are you? You have a pretty good grasp on the lighter side of the Mars fire," he quipped, and the boy looked up at Aleks with a smile on his face. "Fifteen sir." He knew his facial expression changed, but he couldn't help it. Yori had been fifteen when he came back after all, and the boys similarity to his son in looks already had the Venus man a little off kilter. Quickly snapping himself out of it, Aleks replaced whatever look was on his face with a smile, nodding in his understanding. The boy seemed oblivious to the others reaction though, instead turning to Keiko. "I've heard so much about your powers your highness. I've been training with teachings based off the knowledge of your prowess, your strength," he said, smiling broadly.

Sno watched Kiko's face, how she seemed haunted by the thought of willingy calling that terrible power forward, but she couldn't help and agree with Youta as he spoke. They really needed to figure this out, because if the power they had while wielding the sword was equally part themselves and part the sword, they could hold control over it all and not be controlled instead. Sno felt her nerves jump a little when the formal title escaped through Youta's lips though. While she accepted that she was going to take the position of Queen of Mercury someday and didn't mind the title of princess in the mean time, 'Your Highness' just hit an odd chord in the ice senshi's mind.

Laughing a little half heartedly, Sno shook her head. "Pull back a little Youta, princess is just..." she started, just as the look in her eyes gave away that another thought had hit her. Looking over to Youta suddenly, an inquisitive look fell over her face. "Mars...why didn't you guys appoint a ruler right away? Why didn't you contact the twins right after Neivra went down to bring in the new leadership? Aleks was brought in to replace his father only two days after he passed...Kiko should have been here in Rei's stead," she said. She hadn't even really thought about it, something in her mind just assumed that Kiko would be the one to take over the leadership of Mars. She was the wielder of the twins, plus she was apparently ruling in the future after all.

[shigatsusan]

Ⓚⓘⓚⓞ ◦ кєιкσ

xxxxEven though she was Rei’s daughter and of royal blood, Keiko still felt the need to be polite. The boy didn’t seem to mind her sudden presence, actually went on to praise her for her help, causing the light senshi to smile sheepishly with another nod. She watched with intrigue as the boy went about healing the rest of the man’s wound, making quick work of it now that the dark energy was fully out of his system. From what she understood of her powers, being able to harness the actual light and life of fire was difficult for those born from Mars. This boy managed to find a good balance, for he looked at ease while healing the soldier.

xxxxAleks seemed to catch her curiosity and asked how old the boy was. It was almost uncanny, how he too was fifteen. Just like her nephew when he had first arrived here in this time with Hikara. The smile that spread across her face at the thought was wistful, and she let her mind wander back to her daughter for a few moments. It was sad, to know the girl was gone and in a future she still wasn’t sure they had fixed or not, but she took comfort in knowing she would have a daughter very soon. She would be back, just in a different timeline. She noted the far-off look in Aleks’ eyes, and placed a hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner before turning back to the boy, "Really?" she blushed gently at this, not used to hearing such words of praise. She couldn’t fight like Sno or Kiko, she didn’t have speed like Aleks or Kesiom, but her prowess in the ability to heal was unmatched. Of course, being the humble woman she was, Keiko never thought about things like that. "You show great promise in healing, don’t ever stop perfecting your craft." she smiled, "We planned to be here for a few days. If you would like, I can teach you a few techniques to help keep these shadow scars under control."

xxxxKiko could recall every second of her fight with the Dark Queen. It wasn’t as if, when Zevaal took over, she was pushed aside and her own consciousness took a back-seat; no, it had been like being a prisoner in her own mind. She was aware of everything that she was doing, aware of the raw power coursing through her body, but someone else had been in control. It was one of the scariest experiences the senshi could remember experiencing, only seconded to seeing Aleks lifeless after having his soul stolen. Despite this crippling fear, Kiko was a warrior. She knew strength was her greatest asset, and the Pyrotiem could give that to her. Was it worth potentially losing herself to another being? She still wasn’t sure.

xxxxWhen Sno spoke up, Kiko was a bit surprised at the sudden change in topic. But now that she thought of it, it was a valid question. Not a day after Aleks’ father died, he was summoned to take his title. It had been a year since her mother’s death, and even longer since her father had perished. Why was no one appointed ruler? As curious as she was, Kiko didn’t like this topic any more than the one previous. She had made it very obvious from the beginning she didn’t feel prepared to become Queen of anything.

xxxxYouta didn’t catch her unease because he went on to answer regardless, "Rei gave me specific instructions to wait until Mars was on the mend, and her daughters found their way here, to place a new order. She wanted to make sure they were both ready and strong enough to take on such a load. The council Rei left has been taking care of things in her absence, pretty well I might add," he gave another confident smile at this; he was the head of the council after all. "Well, we’re here now, and things are being patched up, but…I’m not ready." This was hard for the senshi to admit, you could tell in the way her mouth dipped in a frown and her brows furrowed.

xxxxYouta replied to this with a gentle smile and a shake of his head, "You don’t have to be, Princess. It’s your sister who needs to be prepared." This got Kiko glancing over at the man with a confused gaze. She had always been under the impression she was to be Queen, considering that’s what Yori and the others had informed them after coming from the future. "Your sister was born first, and that technically makes her next in line."

[Sno Magicka]

Α ℓєкsαи∂єя ● S иσ

Nodding his head ever so slightly, Aleks tried his best at giving the impression that he was fine, not wanting the other light user to worry about him. Watching the two exchange conversation made him smile though, and the young man's eagerness to learn made his grin widened. Just another thing that reminded him of Yori...the month that he had been in this time, he had picked Kiko clean of her knowledge of the Pyrotiem and control over the firey element that resided in both of them. "My name is Rouyo by the way," the young man spouted, leading the small group over to another patient that was obviously in discomfort also. Standing across from the light based pair, the young man grinned widely. "So, how do I do this?" he asked cheerfully.

The next hour was spent in the ICU, mostly with Keiko teaching Rouyo what she could by example on the patients, and Aleks assisting when needed. All three of them were tired by the time the last critical patient was taken care, but Aleks didn't let it stop him from smiling. They had helped a lot, and the patients that were the worst off were doing fine. Rouyo never lost his cheerful smile, wiping the sweat from his forehead before producing a bow toward the two. "Thank you both. It was an honor to work alongside two people of your status and knowledge," he said, and Aleks just shrugged. "We're just helping where we are needed."

Just then, the guard from that morning came into the room, performing a bow similar to Rouyo's before speaking. "Your presence has been requested back at the castle. Lunch is to be served soon," he said. Aleks just nodded before looking back over to the young medic. "I'll be fine, I've got some magic to practice!" he said cheerfully. Nodding, the Venus man turned back toward Keiko, holding his arm out for her to take once more. "Shall we?"

Sno couldn't stop the smile that came to her face at the slight smugness that Youta presented with his statement, but it quickly fell away as Kiko spoke. Watching her best friend, she could see the worry, the nervousness hanging about her like a cloud. While Kiko was a tough, thick skinned warrior, she was just that, a warrior. Plus she had seen her own boyfriend, the man she loved, be suddenly thrust into a position of importance and the resulting stress it had caused him. Sno wasn't even sure Aleks was completely accepting of his position, even after so many months had come and gone since he was crowned King on Venus.

When Youta spoke again though, the ice senshi also felt a brief flash of confusion until the fact he quickly stated next ran across her mind. That was right, Keiko, no matter how short of a time it was, had been born before Kiko. While it was obvious that at this time, the other twin would be more suited for the role, it didn't necessarily mean that she was ready to accept it either. Just as Sno's thoughts began to trail off, a knight approached the table they were sitting at. "Sir, your majesties, lunch is served."

Deciding food was a much needed thing in order to continue any such studying, Sno quickly piled the books up she had retrieved into a neat pile at the corner of the table before following the others back toward the dining hall. Along the way, Aleks and Keiko ended up joining them in the main hall, and Sno just smiled before noticing they both seemed a little drained. "You two have fun?" she asked, and Aleks nodded, letting go of the Keiko's arm to make his way over next to Kiko. Giving her a light kiss as they continued forward, he turned back to Sno to speak. "Two light users and an eager Mars medic can make quite a dent in the hurt population at the hospital," he said.

Youta chimed in then, his smile growing. "Oh, I assume you met Rouyo then? He's quite the spitfire, isn't he? He takes the best traits from his father if I do say," he said, smiling broadly at the last statement. Aleks couldn't help the confused but amused look on his face. "Is Rouyo your son?" he asked, and Youta simply nodded his head to confirm. No wonder the Venus man had noticed the similarity in the eye color. Also, now that he knew the connection, their cheerful manner was definitely the same between father and son.

Soon they reached the doors to the dining hall, sitting at the large table, which had been covered with food once more. As they began to pull food onto their plates, Sno couldn't help the nervous feeling inside her. She knew the conversation about Queen had to take place now, but she honestly hated the thought of dropping the bomb on Keiko like that. Sure, the girl probably knew that the conversation was going to happen eventually, but like both her and Kiko had already assumed, she probably thought the conversation wasn't going to get directed toward her. Looking over to Youta for a second, her gaze then switched to Kiko, and Aleks couldn't help but notice. "What's wrong Sno?" he asked, and Sno just shook her head slightly. "Oh...uh..."

[shigatsusan]

Ⓚⓘⓚⓞ ◦ кєιкσ

xxxxKeiko gave a soft nod in Aleks’ direction, her small way of saying she understood. He was thinking a bit more in depth than he wanted to let on, but like the moment they shared in the garden back on Venus, Keiko let this moment pass. She knew it was something neither needed to discuss. She smiled in the boy’s direction and bowed her head in respect, "It’s nice to meet you, Rouyo."

xxxxThough she never had the opportinuty before, Keiko’s passion for healing came into light as the hour passed. She was genueinly excited to know another person was interested in learning what she knew, and showed such promise at it. Though it wasn’t something one could pick up over night, Rouyo managed to harness the general idea of manipulating dark energy within the first half hour. She almost didn’t notice the time passing by until a guard entered the room and informed them lunch was being served. She made sure to thank Rouyo once again before taking Aleks’ offered arm and following him toward the dinning hall.

xxxxKiko couldn’t deny her relief when the approaching guard came in with a perfect topic change. Although she knew her sister possessed the qualities needed to be in such a position of power, Kiko had been weighing heavily the idea of taking the throne herself since the children first arrived in their time. Knowing, all of a sudden, the weight was gone…it was an eerie feeling. She followed the small group out without much conversation until they met up with the others in the halls. Seeing Aleks getting along with Keiko as well as they did made her happy. In the back of her mind she realized Keiko (and possibly Sno) was the only person she could stand seeing on the man’s arm. Still, she felt her mood brighten just a bit when Aleks came over toward her, giving her a kiss in greeting.

xxxxShe noted her sister’s slightly sluggish gate as well, a sign she had been busy. Aleks' response was reason enough, but Youta chiming in had Kiko turning to glance at the man. For some reason, she hadn’t thought of the idea of him having a child, what with him so…child-like himself. But he must have been older than Kiko, he had been her mother’s advisor after all. "He’s a wonderful boy, Youta. You must be very proud." Keiko chimed in with her usual grin. The rest of the walk to the dining hall was spent listening to Youta go on about Rouyo and how proud he was when he discovered his son was a healer, and how he took after his old man.

xxxxOnce they all filed in to the dining hall, Kiko wasted no time in fixing herself a plate. She hadn’t eaten breakfast that morning, what with Sno’s eagerness to get to some research. She was just about to dig in when Aleks noted Sno’s demeanor. He was rather insightful, something Kiko loved and hated about the man. Youta took the sudden awkwardness in stride though, and sat up a bit in his seat.

xxxx"We were talking earlier about the current situation regarding Mars’ leadership." he opened, glancing around the table for a moment before his eyes settled on Keiko, "Your mother left the ruling in the hands of the Council, leaving specific instructions to only crown a new Queen when her daughters were ready." The light senshi shifted in her seat, glancing toward her sister, who was staring intently into her bowl of soup as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. "I believe you are ready, Princess." his green eyes were still staring at Keiko, and the woman couldn’t help but look over her shoulder. He had to have been talking to someone else, right?

xxxxHe was still watching her. Keiko shook her head, "Me? I…I thought…Kiko was…?" Her twin cut her off, arms crossing over her chest, "You were born first, remember? You’re the next in line." She didn’t sound very conflicted when saying this. Did she not care? Keiko shook her head again, not really sure what else to do. "Well, that may be true but…still…me? I’m not…prepared for...something like that." She didn’t have the iron will like her sister. While she was smart, she was nowhere near as intellectually inclined as Sno. She had gotten comfortable in her place, being the support but never the front-runner.

xxxx"Kei, stop. I know what you’re thinking and you’re wrong. You’re way better suited for this job than I am." she glanced over toward Aleks, lingering a moment before watching Sno. Her way of asking for their help, their own two cents. She knew her sister had all the qualities necessary to take over Mars, but also knew the woman would have a hard time believing that.

[Sno Magicka]

Α ℓєкsαи∂єя ● S иσ

Sno knew a grimaced had fallen over her face as soon as Youta started talking. Looking across the table, she realized Kiko was acting in a similar fashion, managing to avoid eye contact with anyone else until Keiko spoke up. Her words, the frantic edge to her tone of voice, had a sadness falling the ice senshi, and out of instinct, she reached her hand out and laid it gently over the top of Keiko's.

Aleks remained confused for a moment, noticing that along with Sno looking tense, his own girlfriend was acting odd, until Youta spoke. In all honesty, he had been expecting what the others had been, what the other light user stated, that Kiko would be stepping up into the position. Watching Keiko's face though, and hearing what she said, it was an eerie reminder of how he had been when presented with the position that had been presented for him to step into when his father had passed. He had been scared out of his mind, and never before had he thought one person could have so many doubts about themselves. Thankfully, he had been quickly reminded in those two days that he wasn't alone in the burden that had been placed on him.

Sno caught Kiko's look, a small half smile covering her lips as her hand tightened over Keiko's. "You know, your sister does know what she's talking about," she said, a small smirk replacing her smile. "You are a beautiful, intelligent woman Keiko, and you aren't giving yourself nearly as much credit as you deserve. You are one of the smartest people I know, and coming from someone who's practically a freak of nature because of her own brain..." she said, trailing off with a small shrug. Sno honestly didn't like to put herself in comparison with others in regards to intelligence. She knew she was a genius, and it wasn't fair for anyone else to even think of comparing themselves with her. The ice senshi was practically unnatural, and outlier compared to the general populace.

Aleks nodded once Sno was finished, raising his hand in a silly little affirmative gesture. "I second that. Plus..." his voice became more serious, his face a tad more tense, "I know what you're feeling right now. I put on a facade for everyone after my father died, but I was scared out of my mind when I was told I was to take his place." Aleks had never spoken of how he had felt about his position on Venus, but he knew he was the best person to relate to what Keiko was going through at the moment, and might as well put it out on the table. "The one thing I didn't realize right away though...is you're not alone. You've got an entire group of people willing to help you at a moment's notice. My mother and I, Aphrodite, we'll be there to help. I'm sure Sno and her parents will offer their support," Sno nodded her head at this, "And while he might be a bit confused at first, I know Kesiom will be there for you, not to mention your soon to mother-in-law and brother-in-law. You've got a more than competent council to look to, plus, even though she isn't wearing the crown, Kiko will be right beside you," he said, lifting up Kiko's hand and giving it a brief kiss, "like she was for me."

Aleks gave his girlfriend a brief smile before turning back to Keiko. "Once you realize that you don't have to do everything on your own, you also realize that what you're doing is helping give your people hope, someone to look to for strength and guidance." While having practically spilled his guts to the entire table felt a little odd, considering the man never really talked about his more deeper feelings, it felt like a small weight had left his shoulders, and he could only hope his words had helped the other light user's shaky confidence.

[shigatsusan]

Ⓚⓘⓚⓞ ◦ кєιкσ

xxxxKeiko hadn’t voiced her doubts in the hopes that her friends would suddenly jump to her aid and boost her moral. She was merely speaking her honest opinion. Becoming Queen of Mars? It seemed so outlandish for someone like her. To rule, one had to be smart and yet strong and courageous. These words seemed to describe Sno or Kiko, but not herself. Still, when Sno’s hand dropped over her own and she went on to explain the qualities she saw in the other senshi, Keiko couldn’t help the pleased look on her face. They were good friends, this much was true, but Keiko really wasn’t aware Sno thought half of those things about her. It just never came up. She wanted to come back with something like her intelligence was nowhere near the Mercury senshi’s, but Aleks piped up to give his two cents as well.

xxxxHe had a point, and it was obvious he knew from experience what a decision like this was like and what it could do to a person’s confidence. She let herself recall the moment she had shared with Aleks back on Venus, trying to give him a bit of encouragement for his situation like he was now; in essence, it proved his example. Aleks’ hadn’t been alone then, and Keiko wasn’t going to be alone now. She gave a single, soft nod when Aleks finished speaking, her way of letting the others know she had heard everyone and understood, but she still found words to be a challenge at the moment.

xxxxKiko just watched her sister with a difficult expression on her face. She wanted to just jump up and shake the woman, demanding she not be so humble all the damn time and admit she would be perfect for this job. But Kiko knew her sister better than anyone, and could practically hear all the thoughts zooming around her head as she let the prospect of becoming Queen settle in her mind. She didn’t say anything for a moment, and eventually Youta chimed in to break the silence, "You may think about it for the rest of the evening, of course. Eat, relax, and let it grow for awhile. We’ll talk again in the morning, alright?" he smiled cheerfully.

xxxxThis seemed to settle Keiko somewhat, for she nodded again, this time a bit more enthusiastically, "Right." Not only was it a huge decision to be made, it was a huge decision she would need to tell Kesiom about. Suddenly, she wasn’t very hungry anymore, but Keiko remained at the table out of courtesy until the majority had finished their meal. She excused herself quietly, only to ask one of the guards where the closest communications room was. She wanted to speak with Kesiom. He needed to know about this of course, but she mainly wanted his advice and support. It was something the light senshi had grown to count on.

xxxxKiko watched her sister go, giving her head a light shake and letting out a sigh once the girl had left the room, "I wish she’d believe in herself a bit more sometimes. She’s worse than you, Sno." this last bit came out in a much lighter tone, an obvious joke, and Kiko cast her best friend a smirk across the table.

((it's short and it's crap but OMG here it is .__. ))

[Sno Magicka]

Α ℓєкsαи∂єя ● S иσ ● K єsισм

Sno kept her hand steady over Keiko's as Aleks talked, remembering only briefly the small happenings on Venus when the man had gone through the same ordeal. Obviously Sno hadn't been out in the garden when the two light users talked, but when he was finished, the chaos the others energy was spiking at seemed to calm ever so slightly. While she wasn't happy for the stress the blonde haired man had to go through back then, she was glad that he at least had a good grasp on what Keiko was going through and could put those feelings into words. She couldn't have said it better herself, and as usual, that was saying something. As Youta spoke, the ice senshi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. He was just a tad too cheery sometimes it seemed, making it sound like such a life altering conversation like that was no big deal, like talking about the weather or something.

Aleks simply watched the other light user, understanding why she didn't respond very openly. It had taken him a lot of self control to open up to her back then, and it had only been them at the time. Plus, while both of them were going through the same thing, they definitely weren't emotionally the same. As Keiko left the room though, the man felt an urge to follow, but quelled it, knowing what exactly she was off to do. In the back of his mind, hadn't Kesiom been available to her, he would've provided the same support for her that she had done for him. Sno simply rolled her eyes at Kiko's comment. "That's hard to believe," she retorted, though somewhere in the back of her tone of voice, there was something that gave away she wasn't completely joking in return.

That night, as everyone settled into their rooms, Sno realized that her roommate didn't return to the room until much later. Even then, she still looked worn out, like she had a lot on her mind, and the ice senshi was quick to give the other a hug. "We'll be back on earth tomorrow, and until then..." she said, breaking the hug and walking over to her bag to pull the communicator out from last night. "Keep him on it until you fall asleep. Jirou's done it for me plenty of times, I know Kesiom wouldn't mind," she said, gently placing the device in the others hand.

Morning came around fast, and Sno made sure to keep close to the other senshi as they went to breakfast to finish up the loose ends as needed. Once in the dining hall, it was determined that the official coronation, while not being very big, would take place at a later date, when the group could all be assembled for the event. Sno noticed another notch down in Keiko's energy level with that, as though the time between now and then was a buffer for her to really let it soak in. Once the last few good-byes were given, Aleks being unable to hold back a smile as even Rouyo came out to bid them farewell, the group was gone in the typical flash of light given off by Aleks' heart crystal. The moment they landed in the back yard of the house, their feet had barely touched the ground before the members of their group that had stayed behind were walking up to them, Kesiom almost running to quickly bring Keiko into a hug, one that lasted for a good five minutes at least.

Sno couldn't help but smile over at the others before paying her attention to Jirou, giving the taller man a broad smile before wrapping her arms around his waist. She hated being away from her knight, even when she knew it was necessary like the trip they had just gone on. To a lot of people outside their relationship, it seemed like they were fine when apart, but then again, neither of them were people to make a display or talk much to other people about how they felt, especially about those sort of things. None the less, every time Sno got to see Jirou after being apart from him for more than 24 hours, it was like she had missed him for a month.

It had only taken a few days for the regular routine to settle back into the group, consisting of work and school. During that time, Hotaru had decided it was time to return back to Saturn, and once more, the group was settled in the backyard, everyone facing Valerick and Hotaru once more as they said their last good-byes. Suddenly a look came over Hotaru's face as she looked over to Valerick, an obvious conversation going between them before she turned back to Sno. "One last thing. I received correspondence from my adviser last night. Apparently, someone from Neptune has been looking to meet with the Mercury Princess, you, Sno," she said casually, and a look of confusion ran over the ice senshi's face. It didn't surprise her that someone wanted to meet with her...alright, maybe it did a little, but the fact that she had found out through Hotaru was odd. If someone wanted to meet her, why didn't they just contact her mother? While she didn't see Amy very often, she kept regular contact with her and in result it would be the quickest way to reach Sno.

Keeping her smile on her face, Sno simply nodded her head. "Thank you Hotaru, I'll keep an ear out for any word from Neptune," she said briefly. While it looked as though Sno was fine with the information on the outside, the arm she had around Jirou's waist at the moment tightened its grip ever so slightly. Something settled inside of the woman, and it was not something good, a feeling of foreboding she wasn't fond of. Even after the Saturn group had left that day, Sno still had class, and in result, with a good-bye to everyone, had her bag over her shoulder and was gone in a whirl of ice in the background. Landing in the alley outside of the building she took the class in, she swiftly walked to the front and in the door, making her way to the room and taking her typical seat, front and center, in the class.

15 minutes later, the class was starting, and as soon as the first question arose, Sno raised her hand to answer as usual, expecting to be called on considering she was normally the only one to have an answer. As soon as someone else other than the teacher started talking though, Sno snapped out of her studious state of mind and looked over to look for the source of the voice. Immediately her gaze locked with a mans, his teal eyes practically boring into her own blue ones once his head turned toward the woman. That, paired with his teal colored hair, had Sno staring almost rudely. It was odd, normally Sno was the only one in her field of study that had a wild color for hair, but it was also apparent it was natural for this man, something that matched his eyes. Over-all, he was good looking, handsome and broad shouldered, though soft at the same time. Since being with Jirou, she learned she favored her boyfriend's physique of trained muscles over the softness of other men she had dated in the past, and in result, didn't find the other as attractive as a lot of other woman probably would have.

Pulling her gaze away, Sno shook her head a little, her eyes focusing down on the text of the book in front of her. The rest of class was silent on her end, though it seemed to be unnoticed, considering the mystery man was answering every question presented like she normally would. When the teacher announced the homework for next time, Sno barely caught the words in order to remember them before standing up and packing her items away. The entire time she was loading her bag, she felt eyes on her, and just before she went to leave the room, her gaze locked with the man's once more, a tingle of unpleasantness running down Sno's spine. Quickly making her way out to the front of the building, something told her transporting was a bad idea, as though the man might see her, and in result took the bus home. As usual, Jirou was waiting inside for her, catching onto the worry that seemed to hover around her instantly. When Sno looked up to meet his eyes though and saw the question in them, she just shook her head briefly and gave a small smile. "It's nothing, just got...confused in class, that's all." It was a lame excuse, and the ice senshi knew it, but before Jirou had time to question it, the woman simply gave him a quick hug before darting up the stairs and to their room, quickly pulling her books out and starting on the homework that wasn't due until next week.

After that small incident, work was the next thing on the agenda a few days later for the ice senshi. When she had gotten there though, she had noticed the same man located inside the diner, and had felt him watching her again as she tried her best not to let his presence get to her as she greeted customers as they came in. With the end of her shift, Sno asked one of her friends to walk her to the bus stop, the uneasy edge of someone watching her refusing to leave the back of her mind even the man had left at least a half hour before she had. This time, as she got home though, she knew it would be impossible to hide her feelings from Jirou, something that was obvious as he kept his grip tight on her when she gave him a hug.

Looking up to him as she pulled back a little, the woman closed her eyes and breathed deeply before speaking. "Someone's been following me, watching me. It's unnerving, he was in my class two days ago, and he was there at the diner for my entire shift today..." she said quietly, trembling slightly at the thought of being 'stalked'. She wasn't like her best friend. Sno couldn't just go up to this guy and demand to know what he wanted like Kiko had with Aleks back in the day. She had to work again tomorrow, but she was scared. What if he was there again, watching her like he had done today, like two days ago? The thought had a shaky breath leaving from Sno's lips. The thought of holing up in her house seemed like a plausible idea, but what stopped him from finding her there? Sno's gaze fell down to the floor between them. She hated being weak, she hated being scared, but she couldn't help it.

[shigatsusan]

Ⓚⓘⓚⓞ ◦ кєιкσ

xxxxThe time on Mars had bee productive, sure, but hectic on top of that. Keiko had disappeared for the rest of the evening, and as much as Kiko wanted to go out looking for her twin, she knew the best option was to leave her to her thoughts. It wasn’t often Keiko decided not to talk things out with her friends, she found talking about emotions and things like that a lot easier to do than Kiko; but every once in awhile she would need her solitude, and it was best to just give it to her.

xxxxAfter speaking with Kesiom in one of the communication rooms, the elder Mars daughter came to the conclusion that taking lead of the planet for the time being was a good option. Despite her hesitance in her own strength, Keiko knew she was capable of keeping things under control, if only because she cared so much. She loved her home far too much to let something happen to it. This was something Kesiom had to remind her of, and she was rather thankful for his encouragement. She still had a lot on her mind the time she headed back into her and Sno’s room. The woman never ceased to amaze her, and she made sure to give Sno a firm hug around the shoulders and a thank you before taking the compact and spending the rest of the evening speaking with Kesiom.

xxxxThe next morning went by rather smoothly, something Kiko was a little surprised about to be honest. She had been expecting some giant coronation or big legal hoopla after Keiko agreed to becoming Queen. Instead, Youta proclaimed they would be meeting again at a later date once everything was finalized. He needed to gather not only the head council of Mars, but a few allies from neighboring planets at witnesses to the event. Despite it going to be a rather small ceremony, it still apparently took time to wrangle together. Keiko didn’t say anything when they were informed they’d have to come back in a few months to finish the process, but her twin could sense the ease that fell over her features. She had more time to digest all of this, which was what she needed most.

xxxxWhen they finally found their way back to Earth, Keiko didn’t bother to hide the look of relief that fell over her face when Kesiom was there beside her, wrapping her up in a hug she had grown to miss even though she’d been gone for a few days. It felt like years. Jirou was there as well, having opted for a normal gait toward his partner considering his legs were long enough to close the distance relatively quickly. He had the woman in his arms within a second of being in her presence, and relished in her familiar comfort. She’d only been gone a few days, but he would never take for granted each time she came back. Being a Knight, he knew just how precious time together was.

xxxxA normal routine established over the next few days. Well, as normal as their group could reach. No big enemies had come up, renovations back home were going well, and Keiko even managed to get some more plans for her wedding finished. She’d even been hemming and hawing over the idea of having the ceremony either on Mars or Saturn…Jirou had taken to working overtime to fill in the free time. He didn’t like being away from Sno but she kept busy as well, with school and her own job. He didn't like just sitting around, he always liked to feel useful, so it was only natural that he picked up a few more shifts than normal. He had been lucky (or unlucky enough, he wasn’t sure which it was) to be home when Hotaru left, but not before mentioning someone from Neptune was looking to meet with Sno. Aside from a small furrow of his brows, he didn’t appear to react. But he was thinking. What would someone from Neptune want to meet Sno for? Why on Earth? Maybe it was just something royalty felt the need to do, something Jirou wouldn’t understand. Sno’s arm tightened around his just a bit, and Jirou watched her from the corner of his eye but said nothing. He dropped the subject all together, hoping it was nothing to be concerned about.

xxxxWhen Sno came home from class, something was obviously off about her. Jirou might not have been able to digest his own emotions, but he was close enough to the other woman to be able to read hers without much effort. Something had unnerved her, but she shrugged it off and went upstairs. As concerned as he was, Sno never forced Jirou to open up when he couldn’t, and he wasn’t going to force her either. If she needed him, he would be there like always.

xxxxEventually, the time did come when she asked for help. Something Jirou was relieved about, considering he could tell this time when she came home from work a few days later, she wasn’t just unnerved, she was shaken. Afraid, almost. He held her close as she explained someone had been following her for the last few days, his grip tightening minutely at the news. Without much hesitation, he pulled back a bit to rest his hands on the woman’s shoulders, dipping his head down a bit so he could look her in the eyes, "I’ll come with you tomorrow. Your boss already knows me, I don’t think he’ll mind." Even if he did, it wasn’t like that would stop Jirou from coming along with Sno on her shift; boss or his own work be damned. Normal people might have called the cops or something during a situation like this, but they were certainly not normal people. If this creep tried anything while Jirou was around, he was certain he could do far more damage than the police.

[Sno Magicka]

S иσ

As soon as she heard the words come from Jirou's mouth, Sno's first reaction was tell him he didn't have to. He had his own job, his own things to worry about during the day that, by tagging along with her to work tomorrow, he would obviously be putting off to the side. Much like her best friend, Sno's mouth opened for a moment until one thought crossed her mind, something Jirou had always told her when anything like this came up. Time and time again, the man had told her she was the reason for everything in his life. If it meant making sure she was happy, safe and secure, he would put everything else aside to ensure said objectives were taken care of.

To some others, such a proclamation could seem intense or overbearing, but Sno understood the reasoning behind it. His entire life, he had been searching for her, the one person he had been trained to protect, just as his father protected her mother. The fact that they had fallen in love in result only strengthened their bond, and taking a day off of his own life to make sure she was alright was practically a non-event for the man. Shutting her mouth, Sno simply gave a small smile, gently nodding her head and wrapping her arms around the others waist once more. "Thank you..." she whispered. It had never really crossed her mind before, but a thought sprung up in the back of Sno's mind. How could someone as perfect as Jirou been destined for her? While she had always had more enthusiasm for dating and guys and the such than Kiko, she always had that lingering feeling, thanks to life she led, that she'd never actually find someone to grow old with. Yet, here he was, making her feel safe and secure and loved all at the same time without barely doing anything that was out of the ordinary for them.

That night, Sno kept herself as close to the other as possible. It was always comforting to have Jirou laying in bed next to her, though she had originally been worried since he was suppose to have been at work in the early morning. Like he had said though, he had called in that night, and in result, the ice senshi was able to find solace in her knight through the simple touch of cuddling close to him as she dozed off.

The next morning, Sno found herself reluctant to get out of bed. The thought of just remaining under the sheets with Jirou for the rest of the day seemed so much more appealing than a possible confrontation with her stalker, but it was something she needed to get over with. While it would be unnerving to possibly confront this man, she had Jirou there at her side this time, plus it meant there was a good chance he would leave her alone in the end. Finishing the last few buttons on her blouse and checking her hair in the mirror, Sno stepped out of the bathroom, giving the other a wide grin. "Ready?" she asked, reaching her hand out to take his.

[shigatsusan]

ʝȋʀɸϑ

xxxxEven if Sno was going to try and protest, maybe use some of her Sno Logic to try and get Jirou to stay his own course, it wouldn’t have worked. He was one of the few people alive that could go against any sort of the woman’s reasoning if his own mind was set. Not only was Sno his charge, his reason for being a Knight and being in general, he was in love with her. Hopelessly so, and no matter what she could have come up with wouldn’t have been more important than that simple fact.

xxxxWhen Sno reached forward again to hug him, Jirou leaned against her just so, resisting the urge to tell her thanks weren’t necessary. He’d told her that more times than he could remember, that he didn’t do these things for her expecting gratitude but because he genuinely wanted to, but he knew Sno better than himself. It was just in her nature to be grateful. He simply nodded and held her in turn. They didn’t bring up the subject again for the rest of the day and after an oddly unsatisfying night of sleep (he couldn’t seem to turn his mind off) they were getting ready for the next day.

xxxxHe wasn’t used to waking up at what was considered a normal hour. He worked nights usually, sometimes 14 hour shifts and slept through most of the daylight. But he adapted quickly, and a pair of black dress slacks and one white button up later, he was nodding to Sno, "Yep. Let’s go." he even tried at a smile as he took her hand. He knew the way to Sno’s work by heart already, and even though he was aware Sno obviously did as well, he didn’t mind taking the lead. Someone was possibly watching the senshi, so he wasn’t going to suggest a transport. Instead, he opted for the bus, taking a seat at the back of the vehicle with Sno closest to the window. A trick of the trade, you could say. No one could come from behind them.

xxxxFinally at the proper stop, it was barely a three minute walk until they arrived at their destination. Still holding Sno’s hand, he glanced over at her, trying to gauge her comfort level before heading inside. He didn’t need to explain much to the manager on duty; he rather liked Jirou, and knew his handsome presence at the in-house bar would attract some customers. As he went about his own business, Jirou turned to Sno before letting her off for her shift, "Do you see him here now?" he asked quietly, gaze shifting from the woman in front of him to around the space every so often. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was looking for, but knew Sno would be able to tell right away.

((lets say he's not there just yet but you can have him show up randomly a few hours into her shift or summat.))

[Sno Magicka]

S иσ

As soon as the others hand was in her own, it was like a safety net coming around her. Nothing would, could touch her as long as Jirou was around. It was the same reassurance she felt being around her knight on a daily basis, but on day like the one she was about to go through, it was a vitally more important factor than normal. Once more, it did nothing to bother the blue haired female as she was guided in her normal routine, unable to stop the small smile that came over her lips when Jirou specifically picked out their seats on the bus. While the senshi didn't have the same training that her knight did, her own intelligence was enough to pick up on why such seats were chosen, and it only proved to lighten her mood thinking about the others instinctively protective nature.

Letting her head rest against the others shoulder as the trip to the cafe passed quietly, Sno simply focused her mind in on the presence of the other instead of what loomed ahead of her. Her shift started an hour after the cafe opened after all, the time when a hostess was actually starting to be needed, and there was a chance; a chance that he could be there. A small shiver passed down her spine as the bus came to a stop, gladly taking the others hand once they had exited the bus once more. When they reached and entered the cafe, Sno took only a moment to listen to Jirou's words before scanning the surroundings. Her eyes waited to catch that giveaway teal color of the man's hair, but found a small sigh of relief escaping her lips once she saw no such thing. "No, he's not," she quickly relayed back.

Give his hand a gentle squeeze, Sno let the other go before leaning up to give him a kiss. Not wanting to make it seem that her 'Tall and Handsome' was staring down all the customers, the woman quickly rustled up a newspaper from that morning, handing it the other before giving him a brief smile and making her way to the front podium. She doubted the other would actually get much reading out of the paper, but knowing Jirou, he could look completely enraptured by the news in front of him while still keeping an eye on his surroundings. As for her, the mornings were generally always slow, so a lot of her shift was spent wrapping the silverware placed next to her station into napkins with the intermittent customer needing to be seated here and there.

Once, when the line managed to get a few people long, Sno started to write people's names down on the seating chart of the restaurant, the sign that the day was getting busier. Using the dry eraser marker to write in the name of a husband of a family of four on a table as another waiter seated them, she saw the shape of another person approach her podium. "How many will be se-" she started, only stopping with a gasp and her eyes getting wider as she looked up, right into teal eyes with equally bright hair. The pen that had been firmly in her grasp dropped from her grip, clanking on the floor as it fell off the podium, Sno managing to take a step back as she tried to keep a determined look on her face. "Wh-what do you want?" she said, trying to keep her voice steady, even when she wanted to scream the statement at the man in front of her.

[shigatsusan]

ʝȋʀɸϑ

xxxxIt took Jirou a good thirty minutes or so after initially sitting down to get himself comfortable with the task ahead. His mind was running a mile a minute, trying to keep Sno in the forefront but still remain aware of what was going on around him. He took Sno’s advice and became engrossed in the morning’s paper, or what appeared to be. He spent a good deal of training on observation skills, and he was very good at remaining inconspicuous.

xxxxAfter a little while, he eased up a little, even letting himself actually read a few lines in one of the larger articles. Not like any of it sunk in, anyway. He was still on his guard, but he knew he couldn’t very well be a ball of nerves the entire time. He had been doing a scan of the entire dining room even thirty seconds, and another five at the other entrance. By the time he glanced back to the podium, where was once an innocent looking family, a man stood. His features were striking, Jirou could tell even from his distance, and as if that weren’t enough reason, Sno’s reaction gave away that was the guy. He couldn’t even see her all that well, it was as if he could physically feel her tense from where he sat. He was standing, remaining calm as to not start a scene as his long legs carried him closer.

xxxxThe man in front of Sno put on a charming grin, and he bowed his head lightly as the Senshi seemed to tense and turn sour. "Do not be alarmed, Princess. I mean you no harm." If it weren’t for the whole stalker aspect, he could have seemed rather poised. "My name is Michiro. I’ve come all the way from Neptune just to see you. It was certainly worth the trip, your beauty is a gift alone!" Teal eyes narrowed and glanced to Sno’s side just as Jirou came up to stand behind her. He reached a hand out to wrap around her waist, acting as if he needed to speak with her, "Everything alright?" he murmured, turning them both a few degrees to try and box the other out.

xxxx"Is this your Knight, princess?" his tone was a mixture of feigned politeness and disinterest. Jirou turned back to the other, face blank as usual, though his eyes did focus very intently on him. This guy called her Princess, and him a Knight. He must have been like them. Either that, or he was some freak who followed them all around and knew all about their powers. The former seemed a bit more likely. He tried his best to ignore the way the man was looking at him; despite being at least three inches shorter than Jirou, he still managed to give off a feel of looking down on him. "I know we can’t talk here," Michiro went on, not noticing or not caring the way Jirou seemed to be glaring at him, "But please grace me with your presence tomorrow evening. A place of your choosing, you’re the resident after all." teal eyes spared a halfhearted glance at Jirou, and vaguely gestured with a shrug of his shoulder, "I understand if you wish to bring your protection."

xxxxJirou’s hand, still resting along Sno’s back, clenched slowly into a fist.