"Alright, alright, I surrender!"

Sprawled out on the ground with the breath near enough knocked out of him, Patroclus looked up at Achilles. Backlit against the sun like that, for a moment Achilles' hair looked almost fiery, the way it had been in their old life and Patroclus found himself dazzled. But then Achilles laughed and held out his hand, and Patroclus laughed too as he grabbed ahold of it and pulled himself up. He did not let go when he got up, however, instead looking at their hands. He remembered what it had been to be flesh and blood, to feel the warmth of Achilles' skin against his. There was nothing in his old life that could have prepared him for a body like this, nothing at all. His hands, his legs-they did not feel like his own sometimes.

Not with Achilles though. With him, it didn't matter that the sensation of their hands together now was different to then. It didn't matter that they both looked different. They were still them. Sometimes, he just needed to know that, to really know it right down to his innermost wiring. So he held onto Achilles hand for just a moment longer before bending down and picking up the wooden swords that they had been practicing with.

"These really are quite good, aren't they?" he asked.

Achilles grinned back as he took back his sword and then said:

"I suppose then Ares really is a swordsmith now. Well, a carpenter. That'll annoy him more, we should tell him that."

Patroclus shook his head, even though he was smiling. Achilles was exactly right about that. Patroclus remembered the spectacle of Ares and Shinnou attempting to make the swords well. They'd both grumbled about being the ones who used swords, not made them and had spent more time standing around frowning than apparently doing anything. Yet, somehow, they'd managed it.

"Let's just praise them for now, leave the annoyance for another day."

"Sure. Shall we go and find them now?" Achilles asked

"I mean, sure, why not?" Patroclus shrugged. "But first, I need a drink."

He went to get the water bottle they'd left by the base of a tree when they'd started their first swordfight practise and took a few big gulps from it, before then tucking the bottle into the pocket of his tunic. Achilles did the same, and together they set off in search of Shinnou, Ares or the both of them.

When they got to the main courtyard, it was initially empty save for Kazuhiro, sitting near to where part of the forest bordered the area, his wolves around him. Patroclus kept his distance, knowing that Achilles wouldn't want to go too close. However, Kazuhiro did not notice them, seemingly absorbed in petting his wolves. He did, however look up when a small figure emerged from the shrine and headed straight towards them. Patroclus' heart-or what resembled a heart in this body- lifted a little when he noticed that it was Nora. He watched as she went to the wolves, petting them for a moment, and felt that same feeling again, like a heart lifting. The feeling strengthened when she looked up from the wolves and noticed him and Achilles, face lighting up. She waved, and then jumped up, and by that time he wondered that he was not floating above the ground.

"Hi!" she said when she approached them.

"Hello, little Nora." Achilles said. "Were you looking for us?"

"Not initially, but yes! I wanted to ask you-do you want some beef gyūdon? Wei-san, Nyo and I are going out to get some for everybody. That is, all the yokai. "

Patroclus and Achilles exchanged a look, before Achilles then asked:

"Sorry, what is… gyūdon? Is it a special type of food for people like you?"

"Oh! You've not seen us eat it before?" Nora frowned. "Well, maybe you haven't. Anyway it's not so much that it's special to us. I mean, it kind of is, but it didn't start out that way-it was ordinary food before! Just something you'd have as an ordinary meal."

"Aha, so it's a Japanese thing then?" Patroclus realised.

"Yes!" Nora said with a smile. "That's exactly it. As for what it is, it's basically beef and onions in this sauce that's sweet and savoury at the same time, and served with rice. So sweet beef rice, basically. It tastes really good, and honestly, yokai make it better than humans ever did. I think you'd like it!"

"Is that so?" Achilles asked.

Nora nodded earnestly, and Patroclus reached out to pat her tufty black hair.

"Well, in that case…."

"We can hardly refuse you, can we, little Nora?" Achilles finished. "In fact, I'm pretty curious. I'd love to try some."

"Would it not be too much trouble to get extra for us?" Patroclus asked.

"Oh no," Nora shook her head, blushing. "Not at all! I was thinking ask the others too. Besides, we always get extra for Jun so if it comes down to it we can just use him as our cover story! The other yokai out there kinda know he eats a lot by now anyway, so they're used to it."

"Did someone say extra gyūdon for me?"

As if summoned, Jun seemed to appear from nowhere before Patroclus could thank Nora, peering right over the girl's shoulder. She shrieked and jumped to the side, then giggled a little nervously. Patroclus prepared to shield her, but she seemed to recover quickly as she said:

"No. Well, yes. But we're getting some for them, too. And the others. But you're the cover story as to why."

Nora pointed to Patroclus and Achilles. Jun fixed his grey-blue eyes on them both and stared, making Patroclus feel twitchy for a moment. Then, suddenly, Jun tipped his head back and cackled:

"Sure, whatever. But if I'm being your cover, you have to get extra, extra, 'kay?"

"You're lucky we get extra for you at all." Kazuhiro called over. "I bet the only reason they do it is to try and stop you from stealing."

"Psssh, that never works! I steal it anyway!"

"Then, why…?" Patroclus asked.

"Why what? Why extra? Because, it's the closest damn thing to human flesh! Not anywhere near as tasty but it does the job. Good bloody thing too, I'm always so hungry these days!"

Patroclus stared.

"I…sorry?"

"How have you been here and you don't know what this raving little idiot is?" Kazuhiro snarled. "He's a moryo!"

Apparently, this annoyed Kazuhiro so much that he stalked off further into the trees, disappearing as he did so. Patroclus blinked, and Achilles frowned.

"Is that…Little Nora is an ikiryo, is it the same sort of thing?"

"Naaaaah, not even vaguely," Jun said. "Nora's just a ghost, but her body, I probably could have eaten that. Didn't, by the way, but I'm not a ghost. I'm a moryo!"

Patroclus noticed Nora wince, and moved to shield her very, very slightly. Achilles did similar, but also asked:

"Which means…you eat human corpses?"

"Precisely that. On top of it, he is a despicable thief too. Nora, I was wondering where you got to."

This came from Wei, who was approaching from the direction of the bay, dragging a wooden cart. Nyo was in the wooden cart, sitting up and looking very pleased with herself. When she spotted them she waved cheerily, and Patroclus waved back, mostly because he didn't really know what to do with what he had just learnt about Jun. He'd always assumed that he was of a similar kind to the likes of Arisa and Mono, based on the ears and tail.

"Sorry, Wei-san," Nora apologised. "I wanted to ask them if they wanted us to get some gyūdon for them, too."

Wei nodded.

"Yes, that's a fine idea. I would be more than happy to get some for you and your friends."

"As we told little Nora, we've never had gyūdon before, but we would like to try some." Patroclus said politely.

"Then, it will be no trouble to get you some. And you, don't you dare try to take it when we get back or you know what will happen." Wei threatened Jun, glaring viciously at him.

"Maaan, karasutengu, stop being scary!" Jun whined. "I said I wouldn't! I like my limbs, thank you very much! "

"It's okay though; there'll be enough for everyone." Nyo piped up.

"Oh, goody!" Jun exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

"What I want to know is," Achilles said. "How is a human corpse better than sweet beef with rice? The idea of eating a corpse is disgusting! Especially as I assume you go digging them up?"

"I mean, it's easy if they're just left there like on a battlefield but sure, back in the day I mostly dug them up from the graves. It's the whole thrill of the chase thing, you know?"

"Um…"

"ANYWAY," Jun yelled suddenly, making them all jump. "What's the big deal? Why're you creeped out? All meat is corpses, right? It's not like your gyūdon's gonna be made from live cow."

There was a moment of silence as the assembled group all just stood there, genuinely stumped. Eventually, Nora spoke up:

"I…think you have a point."

"He does, doesn't he?" Wei sighed. "How irritating."

Jun, for his part, cackled with laughter before running off in a random direction. Wei rubbed her forehead and muttered something inaudible. Patroclus rather suspected that it was something to do with feeling sorry for whoever Jun would stumble across next. After all, he was thinking that himself. However, Wei soon straightened and turned to Nora, brisk and composed once again:

"Come, we should get going."

Nora nodded. She gave Patroclus a one-armed hug, then did the same to Achilles, before scampering forward to stand beside Wei, helping her to pull the handle of Nyo's cart. Not that Patroclus imagined that Nora could actually help, as insubstantial as she was. Even her hug had felt like little more than a soothing breeze. Yet it was still the realest, most comforting thing (asides from Achilles) and he stood there watching her until she had gone.

"You know," Achilles said after a moment. "It would have been nice to go with them. I know we can't but…"

"Because it would have been a trip with little Nora, yes?" Patroclus asked.

"Yeah."

And Achilles didn't need to say anything more than that. Patroclus took his hand again.

"We still have each other. Come, let's go annoy Ares, how you wanted to."

…

They did not see when Nora arrived back with the others and the beef gyūdon, as they had ended up having a fierce debate with Shinnou and Ares about the nature of warfare. However, she soon came to get them, looking more than slightly frazzled even as she smiled at them.

"Are you alright, little Nora?" Patroclus asked.

"Yeah…."

She didn't sound upset, more just tired. She linked arms with both him and Achilles and dragged them forward while Ares and Shinnou followed behind. When they emerged into the courtyard, Patroclus realised that Nora's apparent weariness had been down to Jun's antics, for he could see Wei tying him to a tree, while nearby Hyouka knelt, hissing while Cassandra stood nearby with her hands hovering over the snow woman's shoulders.

Persephone, Orpheus and Aether were also there, standing near to Cassandra somewhat awkwardly.

"We've got no idea," Orpheus said immediately upon noticing them. "what's going on. Obviously Cass isn't saying anything but…it's sorted, at least."

Of course, it was at this point that Jun whined:

"But I want my fooood!"

"Oh for crying out loud, yes, you're getting your food," Wei snapped. "But you're staying there until I decide to let you go."

As most of the other yokai came to join them, Patroclus helped Nora and Wei hand out steaming bowls, as well as chopsticks and spoons.

"What are you going to use?"

"Um…"

"Oh, let's be adventurous, Patroclus," Achilles said, bounding up to them on his spring-loaded feet. "let's try using chopsticks this time."

"Um…."

"It's alright," Nora said gently. "I'll show you how."

Once they had sat down, she did indeed show them how, and Patroclus tasted beef gyūdon for the first time. Some parts of it, he could easily match to a word for a particular sensation-warm, intense, tender, flavoursome. Others made him think of meat roasted over a fire or warming broths from his old life. But there were other parts that were utterly inexplicable to him.

"Mmmm, this is good!" Achilles exclaimed after swallowing. "What do you think?"

Patroclus swallowed his own mouthful, and looked between Achilles and Nora. Some of the flavours still lingered in his mouth, their strangeness stark against his tongue. If he had ever come across such a thing on his own, he was not sure if he would have ever tried it.

"I like it a lot." He said eventually.

Nora clapped her hands together:

"Oh good, I'm glad. I think there's more. Would you like me to get some?"

"I should finish this bowl first, little Nora."

"Oh…right."

The three of them chatted together as they ate, but then after Nora got them their second servings they paid attention to the conversation that was gradually dominating all the others, led by Mono, who was apparently switching between chopsticks and spoons while eating, and for some reason choosing to juggle the cutlery between bites whenever they spoke.

"There's another group of rebellious androids rising up, you know," Mono was saying. "They call themselves the Neutrals and they hijacked some broadcast. Unfortunately, I didn't get to watch all of it, but they're also talking about trying to revive humanity. Or at least, restore the world. Do you want to know what's really funny about them?"

"What?" Persephone wanted to ask.

"They're named after old stories too. Old gods. One of them is even called Susanoo!"

At this, Mono seemed to nearly dissolve into a puddle of laughter.

"Um…" Patroclus said. "I thought in your case, the gods that the humans of this country believed in did not exist, and what they thought was the power of a god was just you, and others like all of you?"

"Yes, that's right!" Mono said between wheezy bouts of laughter. "That's exactly right! That's why it's so funny. There's also an 'Astraeus' and that sounds like a name that one of you lot'd be called-does it mean anything to you?"

"Selene's brother-in-law, father to four winds and a bunch of planets." Orpheus said immediately.

"That sums it up, yes." Persephone said drily.

"Huh," Mono said. "Well, I doubt that this Astraeus is actually Selene's brother-in-law. They contain emotions, just as you all do, but the fact that there is a Susanoo amongst them does rather disprove that possibility. Anyway, where is the dear Selene?"

"Sulking." Orpheus said.

"Staring at her phone." Persephone said at the same time.

"Both of those things," Orpheus clarified. "She seems to have something on her mind, but she won't tell us."

"Let her sulk-she's screwed us around when we were trying to find somewhere to go." Ares scoffed.

"That wasn't her fault," Persephone protested. "Besides, we're here now, aren't we? And we're safe."

"That you most certainly are," Arisa assured them. "And please do tell Selene-san to come and find me should she have any worries."

"Yeah, or Wei-nee!" Nyo put in.

"Sure, sure," Orpheus laughed. "We'll do that, Nyo-san. But anyway, if they're named after the old stories, then maybe they'll be more receptive to us? I say if we're venturing out it should be for them."

"I would advise caution, as I'd like to find out more about them from Mono-shi, but yes. Do RAKJEL or AVAL0N know of this new group?" Wei asked.

"They've only just emerged, so it's unclear, but if they didn't then I am sure at least one of them will know by now." Mono said. "After all, when it comes down to it they all have similar goals. And they're all interested in humanity."

"So, we might actually be able to bring them back?" Nora asked hesitantly.

"Perhaps, perhaps my dear." Mono said. "We shall just have to…what was the parlance of modern humans, my dear? Perceive this…area?"

Nora's face scrunched up adorably:

"Do you mean 'watch this space'?"

Mono looked confused for a moment, uncovered eye blinking rapidly. Patroclus exchanged looks with Achilles and Nora and pulled a face at them.

"You know," Aether said suddenly. "Have we really thought about after?"

"What do you mean?" Arisa asked.

"Well, we're talking about bringing humans back and how we're getting closer to that. But if we are, and then we do bring them back-then what? What happens next? For that matter, how will the humans come back?"

"That is what we are here to solve, dear one." Mono said silkily, having apparently recovered from the confusion.

Aether narrowed her pretty eyes at them, but then elaborated:

"What I mean is, will the actual people, the last humans who were here before they finally perished, come back to life? Will new people just grow out of the ground? Or are they going to be born in some way?"

This question was met by several seconds of confused silence. Patroclus noticed that it was enough for Mono's spoon to stop twirling, and so it wasn't that surprising when they were the one to answer:

"Well, I highly doubt we will reanimate the dead. That would not be humanity, but a travesty of it." Mono said. "What do you think, our dear Arisa? Or Wei-chan?"

"Me?"

Both Arisa and Wei asked this almost at the same time, and startled, looking at each other. Wei nodded to Arisa.

"Go ahead, please."

Arisa smiled gently, and looked at them all, considering her answer:

"Well, in one way or another, we were all born, were we not? I can only imagine that the new humans would also be re-born."

"Ooooh, babies!" Nyo exclaimed. "That would be so cute."

"…babies cry, Nyo-chan. That's troublesome." Kotone yawned, mouth half-full.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Kotone-shi." Wei scolded, though not harshly. "I suppose she has a point though. If humans are reborn as infants, what are we going to do?"

"Tch, isn't that obvious?"

Startled by this, Patroclus turned to see that Kazuhiro had, at some point, come to join them, along with a number of his wolves. The littlest one had already run up to Nora, who was patting it with one hand as she balanced her bowl in her lap and continued to scoop up the remains of her gyūdon. He wasn't sure how he'd failed to notice that, but when Nora noticed him looking and beamed at him he couldn't help but smile back. Hesitantly, encouraged by that beam, he attempted to pat the little wolf.

"Kazuhiro, would you like to join us?" Arisa asked, getting up.

Kazuhiro clicked his tongue, and came to sit down relatively near to Patroclus and Achilles, though still a distance away. Patroclus immediately felt Achilles stiffen beside him.

"They like little Nora," he murmured into Achilles' ear. "It is fine."

Achilles relaxed very slightly, but shuffled closer to Patroclus, turning his head away from the other wolves (and Kazuhiro) and only looking at the littlest one snuggling happily beside Nora. Once Kazuhiro had accepted a bowl (with some reluctance) from Arisa and sat down beside his wolves, Mono asked.

"Come now, are you not going to enlighten us with what is obvious?"

Kazuhiro growled, and Arisa chided Mono:

"Come now, let him settle first."

"It's fine, just to get him off my back I'll say it," Kazuhiro said. "Though I don't understand what's so difficult to understand about how when you bring something into the world, you bloody well take care of it."

"What's that supposed ta mean?" Momoiro drawled, frowning.

"Presumably, that we would need to be the ones raising the human children?" Wei asked.

"Us?" Momoiro spluttered. "Us? With kids? Nuh-uh, no way! I don't want to be a mother, thanks very much."

"Whyever not?" Shinnou asked.

Momoiro glared, flames appearing to dance in her eyes. Indeed, a dark cloud seemed to be rising around her as she put down her bowl and got right in Shinnou's face.

"Hah? Are you saying that 'cos I was a woman?"

"Momoiro." Arisa cautioned.

Shinnou, however, simply looked wistful.

"My wife and I, we never did have the chance to have children of our own before I…before she…"

Shinnou stopped, took a breath.

"All things considered, I suppose that it was for the best that we did not. After all, any child of mine would have been a child of hers too. What sort of a father would have made me?"

Patroclus frowned at this, not fully understanding. Despite the in-depth discussions that he'd had with Shinnou, he was perfectly aware he did not know very much about him. Indeed, if his previous encounter with Jun had shown him anything it was how much he did not understand about this shrine's inhabitants. However, it seemed as if Momoiro did understand Shinnou, for she leant back, the clouds diminishing. She patted Shinnou's sleeve briefly then looked over at everyone else, particularly Patroclus, Achilles and the rest of their group:

"What about y'all?"

"What about us?" Aether asked.

"She's asking if any of us were parents," Orpheus said. "And sadly in my case, no. Tragically we too did not have that chance. And like you, Shinnou-san I wonder if it were not for the best, in a way. Any children would surely have been forsaken in my all-consuming grief."

"Ah. Well, I suppose I was a parent, in a manner of speaking." Aether said simply. "I do not think, however, our kind are known for happy families."

"Well, that doesn't seem very promising." Mono remarked.

"But…that doesn't mean that we can't."

Patroclus didn't even know that he had thought the thought, let alone voiced it, until he realised that everybody was staring at him. He looked first at Nora, who had her head tilted in concern and then to Achilles. Achilles, the only one who was not looking at him but instead at his lap, at his empty bowl and surely not even seeing those. Seeing only the tatters of his past, the two children that he'd had and barely known. The beings he had made but not looked after, and the weight of all he had done wrong. Because Achilles had done much that was wrong, and Patroclus was not so blinded by devotion to not have seen this. But Achilles knew that, Patroclus had seen that with his own eyes, heard him talking to their little Nora about it even though he'd pretended to still be asleep.

"I want to be something else though, this time around. Something better. I want to be that something better with Patroclus."

Those words, he'd known them to be true all along, but hearing them spoken to little Nora had changed something in him, solidified the resolution. And he did not know if this was the answer to anything, but listening to them all talk about it really made him imagine it. Even if Achilles had been a better parent, and even if Patroclus could have had the chance to be a parent himself, they would not have been able to do that together back in their old lives. But those rules didn't apply here-and what better way to build a new life than to become a family? Oh, it was suddenly so easy to imagine, the small warm weight of an infant in his arms, the trusting grasp of a child's hand, a smile of love beaming up at him the way little Nora's did. And with the imagination came a desire that made him ache.

If I say it, maybe that will go some way towards willing that future into existence. To making Achilles believe it. Fully aware that they were all waiting for him to respond, he took in a breath and tried to continue:

"Perhaps…perhaps we cannot make up for the children we failed in our past lives, or the children that we never did have. But we can try again, can't we? We can take care of the new lives we make, regardless of if they are infants or if they are fully-formed. For they will be new, won't they? New and scared and vulnerable -and they'll need guiding in this new world. "

A brief silence followed, before Wei then cleared her throat.

"Certainly, yes, we will have to give the humans guidance," She said. "It will all be for naught if they simply re-create what they did in the past and bring the world to the brink once more. Arisa-shi, I imagine that it would be something you are skilled at. Keeping people safe is a part of raising young, is it not?"

"Oh, well, that's…."

"Oh, yes, I do agree," Nora exclaimed. "I have always felt safe with you, and you've helped me to get used to being an ikiryo too! I'll always miss my own mother, but you have been like a parent to me all of these years."

Arisa blushed at this and ducked her head very slightly, murmuring something about being flattered, how she was just doing her duty and how Nora was indeed like a child to her. Nora smiled and hugged her and the conversation moved onto other topics, but Patroclus found himself feeling unexpectedly hurt. Swirling around what remained of his beef gyūdon, he wasn't sure that he had the appetite for it anymore.

Foolish of me though, isn't it? He thought sorrowfully to himself. She is not obligated to think of us as we think of her…

"Achilles, are you finished?"

"Hmmm?"

Achilles looked up, his eyes flickering slightly.

"Patroclus, what you just sai-"

"Achilles, Patroclus."

Both of them jumped slightly as Nora seemed to appear in front of them, kneeling.

"L-little Nora, you scared us!" Achilles yelped.

But even so, his eyes had started to brighten up again, the flicker steadying back into the familiar, beloved green glow. Nora blushed, but then reached out. With one hand she reached out for Achilles hand, with the other she took Patroclus' hand. Her touch was feather-light, yet for a moment it seemed to be the only thing he could feel.

"I think you two would be good parents too." She said.

"You do?"

Nora nodded vigorously.

"I do. I think you should try. I think….I think I'd like to try too. Do you think…do you think I'd be good at it? I can't imagine it, I'm just a kid."

"A 'kid' who has lived for centuries, now. And don't be mistaken, even if you are a ghost now you are living. Just as we are now, too." Achilles said.

Achilles used his free hand to take Patroclus' free hand, so that they were all now joined together in a circle. Patroclus gripped both Nora's and Achilles' hands tighter as he said:

"Yes, I agree. I think you can do it. And…if needed, we can help you? Right, Achilles?"

"Yes, we can."

"We'll be a team!" Nora exclaimed.

"Yes," Patroclus said. "A team. I rather like the sound of that."

They sat there for a moment, all still holding hands, until suddenly there was a shriek, and a few screams. They all jumped nearly out of their skin, and then heard Wei yell:

"WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET SAKE FROM?!"

All three of them looked over to see that Wei leaning over Jun threateningly, but slightly above ground. The reason for this seemed to not be the overturned bowls or the many bottles of sake already drained and discarded…but the fact that Jun's lower body had apparently turned into a puddle. Jun did not seem vaguely perturbed by this-rather, he was cackling as he always did, paying precisely no attention to Wei as he kept drinking.

Patroclus blinked a couple of times, not quite sure he could believe what he was seeing. But then Nora began to giggle, and Achilles did too, and he could not help but join in as well.

…

Much later, when Jun had sobered up enough for his legs to solidify again and all the bowls had been tidied and cleaned, Patroclus and Achilles went for a walk. The sky had become dark by this time, radiant with stars and as they climbed up a tree to see them better, he could not help but reach out as if to touch them.

"Beautiful, aren't they?"

Patroclus glanced over at Achilles, who was also gazing at the stars as he settled on a branch. He seemed wistful, and after a few moments he met Patroclus' eyes.

"If we did…you know, end up having to look after new humans, would you really want to do it with me?"

"Of course," Patroclus said, surprised. "Why wouldn't I?"

"No, I…I just…"

Achilles sighed, but did not finish his thought. Patroclus leant down and kissed his forehead before then leaning his forehead against Achilles':

"A future with you, that's all I've ever wanted. "

"I wanted it, too. I wanted it so much."

"So, here we are. What we're going through might not be over yet, but we're already on our way to that future, don't you think? I'd like to think that the potential to become a family too will be a part of that. So, let us do it."

"You make it sound so simple."

"That's because it is. Imagine it, Achilles. Imagine it."

Patroclus eased back and Achilles closed his eyes. His fingers tapped against the branch he was sitting on.

"A little girl."

Patroclus frowned. Achilles opened his eyes again and looked right at him:

"A little girl. Like our little Nora. After all, it's really because of her that you started imagining, isn't it?"

"I…yes, it is."

Achilles smiled.

"I knew it." he declared with a laugh. "So, imagine this. A little girl, like our little Nora, both because of her and because now in this world daughters should have much worth as sons. And a daughter of ours, she'll know her worth, won't she? She'll grow up kind and happy and brave, and we'll be there from the beginning right up until the end. And her name….actually, what should we name her? You were always the intelligent one, you come up with something."

Patroclus thought about this for a moment.

"Pandora?"

"Pandora? After Hephaestus' Pandora?"

"Yes, but remember what it means?"

"'All-gifted' or 'all the gifts', yes, but still, the connotations…What about Menodora, 'gift of the moon?"

"It's a pretty meaning, but I don't like the sound of it…"

And so they carried on. Sitting high up in that tree, under the stars, debating names for a future daughter as the night stretched onwards. Constructing, word by word, their dreams for that future daughter, and for their own future.

Dreams that would surely come true.