[se] could be ghosts or monsters or a robot-vampire

Nikolai

We are only haunted by the things we refuse to accept
-Bridgett Devoue

Nikolai took a step back cautiously, eyeing Wessex for half a moment as if she might strike. He had clearly chosen his words poorly. "I didn't mean it like that. They were tyrants or idiots, not queens. Some were both." Nikolai scowled as the water from Wessex's puddle hit his leg, looking not unlike a grumpy alley cat. "Really?" He deadpanned to cover up the fact that the sensation surprised him. Or more specifically, how diluted the sensation was for the new Ascended.

Still scowling, the disgruntled youth eyed the queen and her house. "No. Not many. And it certainly is a big house. Overcompensating for something?" He froze, eyes going wide with both surprise and rising terror when he realized he'd said his thoughts aloud. That, that question was not meant to be said out loud. "I...I... fuck, I... shit."

Resilience is born even when we feel like we are dying
-Alex Elle