>Well we can't match her energy, we can match her course. Do likewise.
>Trailing lethargically behind Kyouko, you hand in your own ticket and ascend the gangway after her.
>?I'm going to take a look around!? she says as you step onto the ferry and is almost halfway across the deck before you can even finish replying.
>While your energetic companion explores her new surroundings, you head straight for your cabin and dump your pack onto the floor with a weary sigh. You've hardly been up yet today, and already the bed looks tempting. You swear someone's been loading your pack down with rocks; just how much of this stuff do you even need for the rest of the trip, anyway? You collapse heavily on the edge of your berth and peer out the window. What a useless, grey, and blurry day it is. At least you don't have to go anywhere or do anything for another 28 hours or so; maybe you can squeeze a few days worth of rest into one and actually have enough energy to make it back to Yuuka's.
>Time passes. You don't really have much to occupy your attention, but the idea of milling around with your fellow travellers holds even less appeal. Your room, at least, is peaceful, private, and quiet ? well, mostly. Your ears are still in better shape than your eyes, and every now and again you can hear Kyouko's excitable voice floating to you from one end of the ferry and then the other. Is she stopping to strike up a conversation with every single person on the boat? Well, that's fine, you guess. You even find yourself smiling a little. This isn't a funeral march, after all. ...at least not for her.
>Eventually, you hear the rumble of the engines spinning up as your ship begins its departure. For want of anything else to do, you stare out the window and watch the city drift by, but the longer you struggle with your dying eyesight, the more frustrated you become, and eventually just yank the curtain closed again. Somewhere overhead, Kyouko seems to be vigorously debating her favorite variety of orange.
>At some point, you may have nodded off ? the malaise in your mind makes little distinction between waking and sleep ? but the pang in your stomach grows more insistent the longer you ignore it. You've actually eaten very little lately, and haven't really wanted to eat any more than that, to be honest, but it seems your body isn't quite ready to subsist on mist just yet. With a leaden sigh, you hoist yourself off the berth and step outside your little sanctuary in search of food. Your timing is uncanny.
>?Oh! Hi, Nazrin!? Kyouko waves from the staircase at the end of the hall, and is beside you in just a couple of breaths. ?I was just going to go get something to eat. Do you want to have supper together??
>Strictly speaking, you don't really want to have supper where anyone else can see you, but... well.... Maybe you'll make an exception this once. For her.
>?Great!? Kyouko's face lights up; even her ears seem to mirror her smile. You might have asked just how prehensile those really are, if she hadn't started marching down the hallway almost immediately.
?I hear their alfredo is really, really good, and every time I've walked past the dining room, I've just gotten hungrier and hungrier. How do the cooks handle it, I wonder? I know if I was a cook, it'd take all the willpower I had not to keep stopping to eat my own work.? She giggles.
>The ship's restaurant is a little busy when you arrive, and bright enough with idle chatter to be grating, but you still manage to find an unoccupied table a comfortable distance from your fellow travellers. Kyouko defers to your choice without complaint, though you're sure she'd be just as happy to sit in the middle of the bustle.
>?How are you feeling?? she asks in a more subdued tone.
>Not great, of course. Maybe a little better for your idleness, maybe not. Probably as good as you can expect under the circumstances. Though she can't quite keep the stirrings of concern from her face, she nods, and then the waiter is there to take your orders.
>You reprise last trip's meal, and even then only make it through your sandwich a nibble at a time, though it does satisfy. Kyouko, on the other hand.... Well, the alferdo's a must, and the grilled chicken veloute sounds awfully tasty, and you say the red pepper bisque comes highly recommended? Well, I'll have a bowl of that, too, and some of those little crostini things, and that strawberry cheesecake the woman over there is eating looks delicious, and sure I'll have a glass of sherry! Ooo, lemony!
>?Would almost be worth the trip just to eat here,? she says as she puckers her lips at the astringent aftertaste. ?I've never really been on a cruise before, so I ought to try and enjoy it to the fullest, don't you think? Waiter, another glass of sherry!?
>And so the meal passes, pleasant food and pleasant company. Though half-blind and weary to your soul, for just a moment you could almost forget what lies ahead and find something in the now worth enjoying. It's... not a bad feeling.
>?You want to go look at the stars? There's a full moon out, and the clouds were all gone last time I was on deck.? She swirls the last of the sherry in her glass, watching the lights dance upon its surface.
>There's a dozen reasons to say no. The crowds, the exhaustion, the fact that you need every bit of rest you can get if you're going to survive the next few days. It's not like you haven't seen stars before; they haven't moved in an awfully long time, after all.
>And yet, you say none of these things. At first, you're not even sure why. You can't blame the alcohol this time ? Kyouko's the only one who's been drinking. You can't even blame the blight, and the way it's left your mind addled and foggy ? not if you're honest with yourself. In truth, the reason is as simple as it is sentimental.
>You said yes because you didn't want to leave.
>And so Kyouko deposits her glass beside the stack of empty dishes, the two of you settle your bill, and then she leads you up to the furthest tip of the observation deck, nearly to the end of the bow. The scent of fresh spray tickles your nose as the ferry churns the river before it. Along either side, forested hills drift gently by. The night air is cool, but there is a peaceful cheer on Kyouko's face as she gazes up at the sky.
>?They're so pretty, aren't they? Out here, away from all the lights of the city.?
>You don't have the heart to tell her that you can't see them anymore. Even the full moon is just a vague suggestion of light now. But, of all the people you've met on this journey, if this is the one with whom you spend your last peaceful evening... well, you suppose that's not so bad. Before you even realize what you're doing, your fingers have crept along the railing to brush against hers. You hesitate, and then she places her hand on top of yours and holds it gently, delicate fingers slipping in between your own. You swallow.
>?Yeah. Yeah, they are.?
>The light of the next day is already fading when you hear the first gentle knock upon your door, though in truth, you've already been awake for a while ? just not quite awake enough to leave the comfort of your bed. But the engines have slowed nearly to a crawl now, and you know you must be close to your destination. You take a deep breath and steel yourself. It's time to go get that flower and put an end to this.
