Fortunately, it just so happened to be Kira’s day off work. It was odd how things fell into place like that, but she wasn’t complaining. She carried the diary tucked under her arm as she strode out into the parking lot. Hercules remained close to her side, and she was struck by the odd sensation of being simultaneously chilled and warmed. She considered her car for a moment, shaking her head and continuing to the sidewalk.
"I could use a workout. I'm getting a little too much booty," she grumbled, and Hercules could only laugh in response.
"I wasn't aware there was such a thing as too much booty. I personally think yours is rather nice," he said boldly. She felt her cheeks grow warm at the open flirtation but tried to pay it little mind. Getting turned on by a ghost was the last of her priorities. She was vaguely aware that he began to lag behind her, if only slightly. She could feel his eyes upon her and struggled to keep her embarrassment to herself. It wasn't as if he could actually make love to her, so his appreciation was negligible at best. At least, she didn't suppose that was possible. It wasn't something she would turn down, though the ethics of making love to a ghost were arguable at best.
Reddening, she tried to shake off those thoughts. She could scarcely believe she was entertaining such crass imaginings in the first place. She could only blame the ghost of a man who floated along just behind her. She began to walk at a swifter pace, increasingly eager to get to her auntie’s house. It wasn’t as if she didn’t trust Hercules, it was more that she could not trust herself. She’d never felt this way about a man before, and it was just her luck that their time would likely be very limited.
“Is there something on your mind, Kira?” He murmured, falling into place beside her once more. She considered him from the corner of her eye, and he looked briefly ashamed. “I should not have been so bold. I will try to contain myself,” he apologized, and her eyes widened in surprise.
“No, n-no. That’s fine. It’s not a problem, Hercules. Really,” she said earnestly, feeling her face grow warm once more. “This is just… uncharted territory for me,” she explained, and he rumbled a soft laugh.
"I imagine it would be uncharted territory for most people. I suppose ghosts don't have a tendency to flirt with the living," he chuckled. She smiled to herself, keeping silent about the fact that she'd never felt this way about anyone before-- ghost or otherwise. She was drawn from her thoughts as she realized they were growing nearer her auntie's house. She swallowed the sense of unease creeping up the back of her throat, jolting in surprise as the front door to the small home was thrown open. An older woman with graying hair flew out the front door, smiling a nearly toothless grin.
"Kira, honey! I was wondering when you would finally show up," the older woman crowed, and Kira could only smile awkwardly in response. "And Hercules, you as well. I've been waiting for the two of you," the older woman continued, addressing the ghost man. Kira's eyes bulged from her head, and she exchanged a look with the man at her side.
“You… You can see me as well?” He inquired hesitantly, stepping towards the other woman. She watched him with amusement dancing in her eyes, and her smile only seemed to grow.
“Oh, you’ll find that Auntie has a lot of tricks up her sleeve, young man,” the older woman say cryptically. She turned her attention to Kira, gesturing to the diary held gripped in her hand. “Bring that on inside, I’ll make some tea for us. At least, those of us among the living,” she said with a booming laugh. Kira watched as her auntie turned her back upon the two of them, slipping back inside her small and relatively run down house. Hercules hesitated at the door, looking to her for assurance that she wasn’t certain she could give. Though she hadn’t known what to expect, she certainly could have never expected this.
"I suppose we should head inside. Maybe we'll get some answers," Kira murmured. The ghost man nodded his agreement but was clearly uneasy about being seen by someone besides the woman at his side. Kira stepped through the front door, Hercules floating behind her. The lights inside the home were dimmed, but it was just bright enough to make out the odd trinkets scattered across the older woman's house. Animal bones were strung up along the walls, punctuated by skulls above every doorway. There was a weird herbal smell that permeated the building, and Kira could only hope it was the tea her auntie had mentioned. She wasn't particularly fond of tea, sweet tea being the exception, but she could only wonder what the scent would if not tea. Hercules seemed rather uneasy in the home as well, and Kira had to swallow a snort as his face twisted in disdain at the strange decor.
"Children, children, come on in the kitchen," Kira's Auntie called, and Kira swallowed her nervousness, following the sound of the other woman's voice. The kitchen was a bit brighter than the rest of the house, with lit candles scattered across every surface. A cup of warm tea waited for Kira at the table, and she breathed a sigh, lifting the cup to her lips and taking a sip. It had a rather earthy taste but was not altogether unpleasant.
“How… how did you know we were coming?” Hercules inquired softly. Kira’s Auntie offered him another toothless smile.
"Tell me, Hercules. Just how much do you know about curses?" She said slyly. Glass shattered as Kira's cup dropped to the floor.