Enjoy a drink with Niki.

You both sip your drink. It's incredibly sweet, but it also hits you hard with a sharp burn. You munch the mango slice, and it helps soften the effect. The cheeses are tasty as well, though Niki is already eating them rather quickly. He drink is half gone as well. You chuckle as you treat yourself to a few cubes of various cheeses before looking to her.

"Don't eat too fast," you say.

"But I always eat fast," she replies.

Niki looks a little more relaxed now. It's probably the drink.

"Hey--"

"Kyle? I just wanted to say something." Niki drags her finger around the rim of her glass. "You might be a little weird, but we're all weird, and I thank Goa every day that I'm able to spend my life with you and the others. You especially. I don't think anyone else would have come all this way just to help me with my family. And when we first met, all I did was try to use you to grab a muffin from a place that wouldn't let me inside."

"A lot happened since then." You pause for a moment. "Hey, Niki. What happens if we have to fight each other in the tournament? Should one of us throw? I don't know if we'd really want to fi--"

"I'll kick your ass of course!"

Of course.

"Maybe it won't come to that anyway," you say.

Niki grins and snickers. "Yeah. Maybe you'll go out the first round."

"You seem to be back to your old self."

"Oh?" She lifts her drink up to her lips. "I guess..."

"I don't know if you know this, Niki, but I saw some things when we were inside of my mind, back with that dream magic. I saw you begging someone to have a second mark. This Rite seems to be so important to your people. Why is it you wanted another so badly?"

"You did, huh? I don't know. I've heard legends of people being allowed to have two marks, and I wanted to get stronger. I wanted to be able to protect the people I care about. I admit I can be a little bit... hotheaded."

"This is true."

"And I know it was dangerous too. I don't always make the best decisions, okay! I didn't have you!"

A long pause passes by.

"Niki... you don't regret it, do you?" you ask.

She holds her glass with both hands. "No." Her eyes rise up to meet yours. "I don't regret it."

"Good."

She looks surprised. "But if you were there back then, you would have stopped me."

"I don't make all the best decisions either, Niki. I probably would have though, yeah."

Niki cups her hands around her breastplate. "If it wasn't for these, I wouldn't be where I am today."

Definitely a strange image. Maybe saying it will lighten the mood. "Your chest, eh?"

She stares at you, and then bursts into a fit of laughter. After she calms down, she looks you straight in the eyes. It almost makes you blush. "If that's what you say."

You snicker. "You are beautiful, as much as you might think you're just a tomboy."

After not hearing a reply for a moment, you look to her worried that you offended her in some way. Though when you inspect her, you can see that she's blushing, and can't seem to find the right words to say.

"People don't often call me that," she whispers.

"Maybe try walking around dressed like Eva."

"But then people might see my marks!"

That's what you're concerned about?