"Not really. But I want to try anyway, while things are calmer," Hamuko shrugged a bit, nibbling on another piece of sushi.

You know what a Palace signifies?

She'd learned by now, yeah... she'd even seen little glimpses of something... off, with Maruki. Not malicious, not like Ikutsuki, which had her head spinning. He was... different, in a strange way.

"A connection to someone else... it can be empowering and grounding. Especially if that other person is grounded, already. Good influences can make a lot of difference, especially over time... and since I'm one of the few people he never personally hurt, I have a much easier time connecting. Consider me the bollard for his mooring line, I guess."