"You know, Nova, if you keep eating snacks like that, you're going to get fat." Nichrom said, trying to get a dig at her.

"You mean like your head? I'm surprised that headband of yours fits round it, cos of your big ego."

"Damn!" Peyote exclaimed. "What will Lord Hao make of this when he gets here?"

"He won't make much of it. This is a matter between siblings after all, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't at least a little bit entertaining."

"What good is having a younger brother if you can't wind him up now and again?" Nova laughed, which annoyed Nichrom even more. "Oh come now, Nichi, you know I'm only messing around. Besides, I've never had snacks like this before, I'm just enjoying myself. I appreciate the concern for my health."

"That wasn't it at all!"

"Well that's how im taking it."

"So you're spending dinner with us this evening?" Brocken piped up.

"Yes, sir, if that's okay?" He was thrown aback by her calling him sir and asking his permission.

"It is entirely up to Lord Hao, I for one, have no objections in the slightest." Hao knew what he was really thinking though. When it was just him and Brocken, Hao decided to question him on it.

"You're cautious of Nova."

"I just want to be sure she has your best interest as a priority."

"As my surrogate father, I appreciate that. However, you have nothing to worry about. Nova is almost as pure as Opacho."

"Lord Hao?"

"What I mean is, they both wear their hearts on their sleeve, as it were. They are both open and honest about their feelings, only difference is Nova will sometimes hide small details if she deems them unnecessary or that they will cause conflict. She tends to be a bit more careful of what she says and how, whereas Opacho will just say it, not that there's anything wrong with that. But I can sense that Nova, unlike Opacho. Has done some bad things too, much like I have."

"You think she's a little bit like you?"

"Yes, in a way. We certainly have a lot in common and a mutual understanding of each others feelings and reasons for what we do. And I enjoy her company."

"You really like her, don't you?"

"I do. So please try not to give her a hard time, okay? Treat her with the same respect you do me. After all, she is the future wife of the Shaman King."

"Understood, Lord Hao."

Later that evening they were all sat having a meal that several of them had prepared.

"Nova, you made it!" Opacho ran up and hugged her leg.

"I wouldn't miss this for anything, my shift ran a little late, I do apologise. I hope I didn't keep you all waiting too long."

"We just sat down, come, sit with me." Hao gestured to the spot next to him.

"This all looks amazing!" Her eyes lit up as she saw the wide variety of food, foods she'd never seen before. There's was Chinese and Mexican as well as some Japanese.

They began eating and she wanted to try a bit of everything.

"Uh... Nova!"

"What is it, Nichrom?" She was slightly irritated at him for interrupting such a delicious meal.

"Are you still vegetarian?"

"Always, why?"

"Because what you're eating there isn't."

"What do you mean?" She turned to Hao. They both heard Nichrom's thoughts.

"Oh my god! Noooooooo!" She ran from the eating area and behind a bush she threw up as much as she could.

"We were raised vegetarian and I thought perhaps she'd abandoned all that after being away for so long. I was wrong, and to be honest I feel kinda bad I didn't say anything sooner."

"I'll go check on her." Hao started to get up.

"I appreciate that Lord Hao, but please allow me, she is my sister after all."

"Very well. And I know you're wondering what me and her talked about talk night in my room, it was nothing more than all the adventures she's had over the years. Also you should know, she really cares about you as her little brother, she's quite protective in fact." Hearing this made Nichrom smiled half heartedly, he felt happy but also guilty because now he felt like a rubbish brother, but he tried to think of how to make it up to her.

"Hey, you okay?" He put his hand on her shoulder, she was crouched down with her head in her hands. It was then that he noticed she was crying.

"I swore I'd never eat meat. I love and respect animals too much and I don't think they should die just for us to eat, you know?"

"Yeah I know, I'm the same. It's how we were raised, but if you did want to let go of that belief I wouldn't be mad."

"You wouldn't?" She was confused, since when was Nichrom understanding?

"Not at all, you're your own person now, if you want to follow a different path, who am I to stop you?" She wiped her tears away and hugged him.

"Thank you. But I still stand by it, I just feel awful cos I ate meat and I enjoyed it... I hope the spirit of that animal will forgive me."

"Better than killing for sport though. At least this way the animal's body is going to some use."

"You're right, I just hope they won't waste any."

"They never do, have you seen Zhang?" They both laughed.

"Thank you, Nichrom. I still feel bad but I need to learn from my mistakes and look forward."

"I'll make you up a plate of vegetarian stuff. Come on." He took her hand and pulled her up. When they returned to the group, Zhang, Peyote and Luchist apologised for not warning her.

"It was our ignorance, Lady Nova, please accept our humblest apologies. We will make sure this doesn't happen again." Luchist bowed to her.

"It's my fault I should have said, I'm so used to eating alone that I forget that people eat meat sometimes."

"Wait so what did you eat last night?" Zhang asked.

"Just something called sushi? It was like mostly rice, with seaweed and vegetables and something else I've never had before." They all went quiet when they realised what she meant.

"Nova, that would have been fish."

"Actually that's the one thing our parents let us have once a week, but as I grew older I stopped having it myself. I don't know about Nova."

"Apparently I still eat it sometimes... Nichrom I think you need to keep an eye on me at meal times so I don't accidentally eat animals again. What's done is done. But I can do better moving forward. I feel so stupid not realising it was fish."

"You could still eat fish if you want, some people do, they're called pescatarians." Hao explained.

"No I don't want to eat any animal at all, but thank you." She turned to Nichrom. "Thank you, for looking out for me. I'm lucky to have you as a brother." He felt a sense of brotherly pride, that for the first time in over a decade he'd done something nice for his sister.

Hao called on Nova to stop by his room that night.

"Lord Hao, you wanted to see me again?"

"Yes, come in." She entered and the door closed behind her. Hao was sat on his bed with a stern look on his face. He got up and walked towards her.

"What are you...?" She gasped as he got closer and she moved backwards.

"I thought you were different for a minute, but you're just like everyone else."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're afraid of me, aren't you?"

"Not at all." She said firmly.

"Don't lie to me." His eyes narrowed.

"I'm not afraid of you!" She said more forcefully, grabbing him by the collar.

"Is that why you're shaking?"

"You really can't think of another reason why a woman might tremble in the presence of a man, especially when that man comes towards her like you did, and pins her against a wall."

"Oh? So what is the reason?"

"Oh, Hao." She sighed and closed her eyes. When she opened the again she kissed him on the lips. "Don't you understand?

"I think I do, but I'd much prefer you explain to me."

"Enough playing games. When I said I like you, I meant it. I get it though, you've got so used to being able to hear people's thoughts and know what they're truly feeling, but with me you can't, and I think that scares you a little bit. It's kinda the same for me with you, I can't hear your thoughts so I can only go off what you say to me, and I choose to believe you'll tell me the truth, and I want you to believe that I will tell you the truth, always."

"I know you keep saying it, and I want to believe it, it's just, for the first time in a thousand years I can't hear someone's thoughts, and your thoughts are the ones I want to hear more than anything. It frustrates me."

"You really want to know what I'm thinking that badly?"

"Yes, tell me what you're thinking right now."

"I'm thinking... how much I want you to kiss me right now. And hold me against you. I'm also thinking of asking you if... if I could stay here tonight?

"R-really?" He was shocked to hear her say that.

"Yes, really. Unless you don't want me to?"

"No, it's okay. I'll get everything ready for you." He made the bed for her.

"Um, I should probably tell you, although I'm sure you've figured it out already. I don't actually own any clothes, what you see is an oversoul."

"Yeah I noticed that. So what?"

"So I don't own any pyjamas."

"You mean...?"

"Yup."

"You can borrow mine if you want?"

"Then what would you wear?"

"Good point."

"Either way, one of us is gonna be in their birthday suit."

"Well it's not like we haven't bathed together before." He realised he didn't know when her birthday was so he planned to ask Nichrom the next day. The two went to bed together.