Charles Patricius

"... Cake frosting?" Charlemagne questioned without hesitation. Angelica had chosen the most obscure, yet understandable analogy for Anu's involvement in her birth. Frankly, he wasn't sure whether he should call it weird, or perfectly sensible. In the end, what he decided was... "Weird reference, but I'll allow it." At least it was understandable. Too many things from the mouths of these goddesses had been completely out of the blue for him. At this point, he'd rather have Angelica doing all of the explaining.

Charles was the name of someone having an issue. That, too, was accurate ─ even to the lad himself if one recalled his grandfather and namesake. "Can't argue with that for a few reasons," he said quickly. Charlemagne did have to work on actively using his senses. Lately though, it was so far from the forefront of his mind that it may as well have been lost entirely. Still, he couldn't argue that it would be a boon. It would be considered at the very least. "Yeah, I get the concept. I don't need a push to do the thing; I need time to slow down and focus on the things that aren't slapping me in the face," he said with an exasperated sigh. So many times recently, he'd been pushed unnecessarily to develop this or that skill or habit. Life was too hectic to address so many obscure things. No matter. As Angelica crossed her arms, Charlemagne placed his free hand on his hip. She didn't know who Luviagelita was? He'd remind her. "You know, I'm not entirely sure myself. But it's got bratty 'princess in a castle' vibes," he quipped.

Soon enough, there were two hands planted on either side of his face. Much like Sakura, Angelica couldn't get a grasp on his relationship status-related issues. She didn't agree that he'd done something wrong, and insisted that he hadn't. They didn't get it. Both goddesses seemed so hung-up on the monogamy preached by Father An being his issue, but the true problem was rooted in his very being, and something else entirely. "No," he argued. "It's not about it being normal in France, and it's not about any of that other stuff. It's about the fact that I said one thing, and did another thing. I didn't even talk to you about it first. Neither of you seems to get that. Breaking promises isn't cool, so... even if you're fine with everything that happened, I owed you an explanation ─ and I should be held responsible by making it up to you. That's the problem," he explained.

Apparently the metaphor chosen by Angelica was weird, but it would be allowed. She frowned slightly at his words, "I mean we both understand it. Food is easy," she said seemingly displeased by the idea that her thought was weird. She did often get hung up on smaller things, but she wasn't actually displeased. What was more the lad even agreed with her grip concerned a lad called Charles. At least he understood his issues, even if he was apparently displeased. Moreover, there was the claim that he understood the concept of things, but wasn't in need of a push to look into or develop things. What he needed apparently was time, and for things not to be slapping him in the face. "No one said it had to be right just now or anything..." she commented, figuring the lad would simply keep it in mind for later at some point.

Oddly enough Charlemagne still had snark to offer the lass, when she claimed not to know Luviagelita, he described her as a bratty 'princess in a castle' type. Another moment would occur where her nose turned up in the air as she had an equally snarky reply. "I will have you know, the princess is roaming the castle grounds. Bratty behavior unchecked!" she claimed as if triumphant.

Ah, but the light-heartness would fade at least slightly as Charlemagne seemed keen to clarify his issues of his personal nature. He apparently wasn't too upset about the lack of monogamy but instead took issue with saying and doing different things. He took issue with not discussing it with anyone first. He felt the need to explain and make up for it because of this. Angelica heard him out in the moment. He seemed to be really honest about it, but it also didn't make too much sense to her, maybe it was because of the different ways the viewed the world. Even with her own limited understanding of how the world worked she understood something different. "If you feel the need to make it up to me, I won't stop you... but I still think you're being too hard on yourself in considering it the way you do. I am also sure both Sakura and I see it from a perspective that is innately inhuman," she explained. "I am not telling you to run around and break promises or anything like that," she clarified. In truth, Angelica thought he was being quite unfair to himself, as what he'd promised and what he thought he promised were two very different things, in the goddess's mind. He also seemed to be in a strange state of distaste concerning the whole of it. But it wasn't like when she was mad at him for not visiting, his options were literally life or lack of existence. Besides that, given the fact that his intentions weren't in question his actions were far from problematic, especially when one considered he hadn't figured out how to fully navigate his new life, body and soul.

Angelica was sticking with her food-based analogy, not at all to Charlemagne's distaste. It was still a bit queer, but she was right. "Food is easy. Food is good. That's why I'll let it slide, but it's still really random. I guess you've probably been cooking stuff this past couple of days though, huh?" he said, figuring food analogies were perhaps not as obscure as he thought. Angelica did eat, and while hiding away in the labyrinth, she probably had to prepare her own food as well. "Wait, can you like... actually cook? I've never seen you cook," he said. Of course, that was a given whether Angelica could be called a proper cook or not. He did often drag her around to other floors, experiencing foods cooked by others in Aincrad. Moving on to how he dealt with things, or rather how he couldn't deal with many things of late, Angelica insisted that it wasn't a rush. "I get that too, it's just... so much. For the past few days, I just keep getting hit with teachings, guidance, suggestions and... ugh! It all just feels so forced that I get annoyed by it. I just need a minute, and the world and everyone in it disagrees."

As if to take that aforementioned minute right away, Charlemagne fell silent for a few seconds. In that time, he inhaled deeply... and exhaled slowly. If nothing else, he could always rely on Angelica for broken tension. Their chats always involved these little moments of jabs, laughs, and generally precious moments. In fact, he was experiencing on internally as Angelica claimed the princess was now roaming the castle grounds with her bratty behavior unchecked. He could only laugh upon hearing such ridiculousness. "The castle grounds, really? That's still the castle. I think the princess should check her privilege instead. Maybe she'll realize she still hasn't seen the world."

She wouldn't stop him from setting things right. Conversely, she didn't think it necessary due to the belief that Charlemagne was being too hard on himself. Angelica and Sakura certainly saw things in a very inhuman way. That was part of their charm as individuals, but also something Charlemagne couldn't agree with. "I'm sure you do think that. But, I have to hold myself to a standard. Our morals are what make us who we are. If I don't follow my own rules, I'm letting down all those guys that already made the dumb decision to follow me. That would make me as bad a leader as Father An, and... I've felt some of the things he did before as a god. I never want to become that."

The lighter conversations which could happen between Angelica and Charles were likely rather good for the lad. He did seem to agree that food was easy and good, which is why he'd accepted her metaphor even though it thought it was oddly placed. It seemed that Charlemagne thought about the fact that she might have been cooking more in the last couple of days. "Well, it's more survival fare than cooking but yet," she said of her time in the labyrinth as for if she could actually cook, she looked a little sly. "I dabble a bit. I mean, I couldn't just ask the people who look after me to make stuff I've seen on our adventures. They might have turned me in for sneaking out," she said carefully. But what was dabbling when you had an almost infinite lifespan? Well, the truth of the matter was, that Angelica was actually a fairly accomplished baker and a fairly good cook. "Of course you've never seen it, we've only really spent time together on my floor the once. Should I be thinking about cooking for you? Is that a good thing to do?" she wondered. Oddly enough the girl was a bit less sure of how to navigate the situation but she'd cook for Charlemagne and Sakura and quite a few others if they wanted.

The lightness of the conversation, was one which could continue. The snarky attitude of Angelica met Charlemagne's quirkiness and they seemed to bounce off each other. He claimed she should check her privilege and realize she hadn't really seen the world yet. "Well maybe, but the world isn't going anywhere, and it's not like you shouldn't fully explore home before branching out~" she mused as if it was a perfectly normal thing to do. In a moment like this, she could almost ignore that she was on the run in Aincrad and that her guardian was some sort of creep. Speaking of that creep, apparently, Charlemagne thought he was holding himself to a standard. He thought that morals made people. She heard the lad claim that he didn't want to become the type of person that An had been as a god, especially while having knowledge of some of those things. "Well, if you don't want to become like that... then don't. I can tell you from my current perspective I already understand the difference even if you don't. You're nothing like him and that is spectacular. Be yourself, even if I don't really get it," she affirmed the lad the way she always would.

To no one's surprise, Angelica wasn't doing much by way of cooking recently. Few knew better than Charlemagne how different survival cooking was to anything done in a kitchen. Most times, he found it involved simply throwing something over a fire until it was neither disgusting nor dangerous... and at times, it managed only to avoid the danger part. "That's fair. Being in the wilderness is limiting. I'm guessing you've avoided using magic to keep the sensors from pinning your location?" he wondered. That assumption aside, it seemed Angelica had performed some cooking-related experiments over the centuries. He supposed it made sense; she did show great favoritism to some foods tasted during their rendezvous. Boring as life on a single floor seemed to be, it only made sense that she pick up a hobby or two related to their adventures. Charlemagne seemed quite satisfied by this new information. "Look at you! Way to go, Angie! I'd love to try something you've made, if you're willing to do it!" he agreed.

Furthermore, Angelica argued that exploring one's home was important before any world exploration occurred. He couldn't have argued that a few days ago, but with recent information, perhaps it wasn't the best idea. "I think that part should probably get a retcon. Y'know, since home is kind of garbage in this case," he said absently. It was likely that none of them would ever return to that 'home' after this adventure was over, but he supposed the memories within it were worth keeping. "Or maybe not. We did all have some good times there," he surmised. That, too, was something Charlemagne wished to hold on to. Memories were important. As for his desire to avoid becoming another Father An, Angelica concurred, but adamantly stated that he and An were not alike. "Well that's the point, isn't it? I won't become like that because I'm sticking to my guns. These are my guns. Deal with it~"

It wasn't really surprising that Charlemagne understood what Angelica was currently going through. She found it particularly nice that she finally had life experiences worth commiserating about. In the moment she was so pleased bit she couldn't help but smile despite the more dire situations going on. "Yeah, I've been trying to make sure I am not being tracked in the traditional sense, and I have pretty good senses I can tell when someone is a bit too close," she said of her own personage. "I've been making small fires and cooking fish or other small creatures, if Junipero brings them to me. I think he thinks I am bad at hunting," she said of her bird familiar. Beyond that, it seemed that she wasn't the only one pleased by their conversation, Charlemagne had praises to share with the lass, and even offered to try her cooking if she wished to make him something. "Of course! I didn't know anyone would be interested. Thanks, Charlie!~" she chimed simply beaming with her own excitement, a slight hint of a blush on the girl's face. Oddly, she was still quite unused to praise or appreciation of her works, but she was trying to unlearn a bit of the bratty behavior which surrounded that particular issue.

According to Charlemagne, Angelica needed a retcon, whatever that was, because home was garbage. That was pretty true but it seemed after a few seconds he decided their good memories outweighed the negative ones. "I was going to say I don't know retcon, but I agree. I am letting my happy memories remain so I don't hate it. I think it's better to be more focused when you don't like things..." she said with a firm not. She wouldn't want her opinion negatively influenced if it didn't have to be. Moving on, Charlemagne's point was that he and An weren't alike and he thought this was because of his 'sticking to his guns' as he put it. Angelica saw that as fundamentally untrue. But she was pretty sure it wasn't one of the things she could explain in a way which would have it be understood. After being a victim, even minimally of her guardian's machinations, she realized that there was something far deeper than 'morality' which defined the difference between Charlemagne and An. "I feel that's still missing something, but since I can't qualify it, fine. But when I figure out what it is... I'm definitely going to make sure you understand!" she claimed. Such was her nature. A bit boorish but her heart was in the right place. She didn't want Charlemagne limited himself because of how he saw things, but she knew he was also missing pieces to the picture. It wasn't something which could be conquered immediately but that was fine. She continued to look at the lad, seemingly pleased.

Angelica was about the last person he ever thought he'd hear of living off the land, cooking her own food. She even had her familiar helping with the gathering part of survival. All things considered, it sounded like she was excelling. "Good strat. And... he probably thinks that because you are. Not that I have the data on it or anything, but when have you ever hunted for anything but an excuse?" he asked in jovial fashion. He would apparently be trying whatever form of cooking Angelica had at her disposal, eventually. He wasn't sure whether that was exciting or frightening, but he'd remain optimistic until given reason to believe otherwise.

So long as they kept their positive memories of Aincrad, it didn't matter if the place itself was the most toxic environment Charlemagne had ever seen. In those specific moments, Aincrad was the best place to be ─ and they would only move on to bigger and better places in future. For some reason, Angelica thought his mental processes were still missing a detail. She deemed it inconsequential for the time being, but insisted upon making him understand the nuances of her general point. "Uh-huh..." he said, dragging it out a bit. "Or, y'know... you could just... not. I'm pretty sure I don't need another person trying to tell me their views on how I deal with myself. You don't get it, you don't need to get it. I don't get why you people think this is such a big deal, and I'm not even sure I want to at this point."

Charlemagne was apparently still in a rather happy and joking mood. The lad seemed to think that Angelica wasn't a particularly talented hunter, and that was why her familiar was content to do it for her. He claimed it was a good strategy. While also jabbing that she'd only hunted for excuses. "Well excuses are much harder to capture... I think that means small animals are well within my ability level," she said while turning her nose up. She was never really upset about anything, well that wasn't exactly true. She was prone to bratty outbursts and rather snide replies to things that annoyed her, but for the most part Charlemagne didn't do anything like that.

Most part, being the most operative part of that statement. According to the lad she could leave her explanation of something alone. He didn't need anyone else telling him how to deal with himself. He claimed that they didn't have to understand it, and that he didn't know why everyone else was so concerned. Moreover he claimed he wasn't sure he wanted to know if there was a proper reason for everyone else's interest at this point. "Oh? And who is being prone to bratty behavior now?" she sassed back, her tone still rather light. To her it was completely obvious that if multiple people were trying to help him with this issue of self, then it was actually a lot more important than he was giving it credit for. Whatever way he needed to come to terms with it, was his own to consider. She had different issues, so she understood wanting to work things out for herself in that sort of context. "Like I said, I don't know why I think its important about it... but I feel like it is, here," she said pointing to her own heart. Surely he would get it at some point, maybe someone better at voicing their opinions could help him identify the real problems with him existing as a highly a magical being full of doubt and undeserved self-judgement. "But again, I won't pretend to completely understand this stance," she said shaking it off. If he didn't want to talk about it now, perhaps some other time it would come up and it'd be a thing. She was still more than willing to leave it, brash though she was, she was less likely to trample over him to make her point, "Anyway, what's actually going on with you guys?" she asked about him and his party. It was likely a bit more flexible a topic and less him focused.

Excuses were hard to capture, according to Angelica. Obviously, she was just bad at it. Charlemagne himself couldn't claim to be an expert, but excuses appeared in the mind more quickly than the truth in the society he'd originally grown up in. "That so? Angie, are you sure you're not just bad at making excuses?" he questioned. As he saw things, she was always the type to brazenly declare her intentions and actions as if there was never a thing wrong with her behavior. Those types never had need of excuses, so they probably didn't even think of them very often. "Though when you do have an excuse for something, it's pretty fun to see. It's been a while, but... what was it? Furrowed brow, beet-red face, little twitch of the mouth? Pure tsundere, great visual," he tried to recall. Whether his memory was accurate or not, was entirely up to Angelica to confirm or deny.

Yet again, there was additional and unnecessary addressing of a pointless topic. These divinities seemed almost obsessed at times with their queer outlooks, as if his view of self and moral code were the product of negativity or something. Apparently, his rejection of the topic was bratty behavior. In what way? He didn't know; it made no sense. "It's called disagreeing, Angie. You're hearing what I'm saying, but you're not listening. Just... listen," he reiterated. This repetition was becoming an annoyance for the lad, but perhaps Angelica would be the one to actually understand what he was getting at. Someone had to put to rest the idea that he was in some fixable crisis. "You know how you like to create? I'd guess any time you make something, you know ahead of time what you want it to be like, right? Well that's me! I want to be the kind of guy who makes promises and sticks to them. I'm not having some massive issue with my outlook; I'm holding myself to a standard I can appreciate. Can't you get that? Because I need somebody to get that," he ranted. A deep sigh followed as Charlemagne doubted any headway would be made. He'd just move on to addressing Angelica's question. "We're in a carriage bound for the surface world. There's a guy who has a gate leading to the world we came from. We have some mechanics to figure out, but the plan is to use that while tracking the next Holy Grail. By the way, that's going to take about two years."

Angelica had mentioned that excuses were hard to catch, and Charlemagne countered with them being... something she was bad at making. Of course she wasn't good at making them. She was a straightforward individual. In truth, excuses weren't really part of her normal thought processes. She didn't justify her own actions, she simply committed to them... it was her nature. "I'm not bad at making them, they're unnecessary!" she declared arms crossing over her chest. This was definitely on its way to the exact kind of 'tsundere' outburst that Charlemagne was speaking of. In fact, her face was a gentle shade of red, as he continued to describe a situation she seemed to be remembering it a bit. Her brow often furrowed when she was caught off guard. Did her mouth really twitch? Well right at the moment her bottom lip was twitching but she steeled her jaw and turned up her nose. "I don't even know what one of those words means, it's not like I have any idea what my face does when I am speaking anyway!" she proclaimed. That was the truth, also an excuse, also terribly tsundere.

Moving on from that, there was something of a rant coming from Charlemagne. Angelica was quite used to these especially over the last few days. The lad seemed to find himself worked up quite a bit and then spewing words from his mouth that likely didn't make much sense to anyone. What he wanted was for someone to hear what he was saying actually listen to his point. He then gave an analogy which she could understand a bit better. He claimed the only thing he wished of himself was that he make promises and keep them. He claimed that he wasn't experiencing any massive issues of self, but he was holding himself to a standard. For himself. "Actually, I do get that a bit more. If you're doing it just for you, it's a bit different then how it sounds initially..." she said giving it a bit more thought. He was completely allowed to feel any way he wanted, but if his aim in life was to avoid becoming an old man stuck in his ways, it would be better for him not to give himself too many hard opinions. But if he was sure he wasn't actually upset or suffering from some weird, 'I broke a promise. I am scum and thus will be freaking out about it periodically' thing, well that was fine to Angelica. Beyond this point, they were now talking about, according to Charlemagne he and his group were headed to the lower world and about to, cross over and back to Gaia the world he'd come from. He also stated that it would be taking a couple of years for him to actually manage to rescue her. That didn't appear to currently be a problem. "Oh? You're going home for a while? That's good. Two years is a way shorter time than the last kind of adventure. And I've heard from you more in the last couple of days then over the course of your last couple of adventures. So, that is fine. I hope you guys manage everything. Have some fun and make sure to take care of yourselves~" she said seeming to be very happy for the group at large. She knew because of their earlier talks that a lot of people came from that other world. She imagined it would be like home for them.

"Sure they're unnecessary for someone like you. You're also bad at making them," Charlemagne countered as Angelica argued. She continued to prove his point with an additional upturn of her nose. At the current rate, she'd develop quite the problem if she kept doing that. "You bend your neck like that one more time, and your head might be upside-down and backwards. Mindful of how heavy all that hair must be," he said, viewing the young goddess while tilting his own head. She was definitely reacting exactly the way he recalled, much to his satisfaction. Actually, every point was nailed in a single breath. "There it is. That's awesome!" he stated.

As for the more volatile subject they spoke on, Angelica did seem to understand his point, at least a bit. He could deal with that. Another sigh passed Charlemagne's lips, but that was more progress than he'd gotten from anyone else outside the Twelve Peers. "Well, that's something. Having to explain it without anyone getting the point was about to drive me crazy," he griped. Exasperated by it all, Charlemagne ran a hand through his hair. He could relax now, and go about discussions of more immediate importance. The two-year journey he embarked on with some others was just beginning, all to find Aincrad in the end. Being able to meet Angelica this way was a massive boon to his sanity and general wellbeing, but it wasn't the same. Luckily for Charlemagne, the plan would make this trip much shorter than two years for himself and the others. "It is way shorter, and it might be even shorter for us. It seems like there's a time difference between the two worlds, so we should be able to pass that two years in as little as a few weeks on that end. If things work out the way I'm thinking, our time here will be mostly travel. But... are you gonna be alright? I was thinking two years is a pretty long time to be in hiding. You're the one who should be taking care of yourself. Don't go getting caught and falling into any of the Father's traps. If that happens, well... I guess I don't even have a threat for that, but it won't be pretty!"

Charlemagne agreed that excuses were unnecessary for someone like Angelica. Ah, but he wouldn't let go of the idea that she was bad at making them. What was more, he decided to point out the constant craning of her neck, which immediately caused her to snap it to the side, looking away from him. "Hmphf, the state of my neck isn't really a problem this hair is natural to me. It isn't heavy... as long as it's dry," she gave another explanation, excuse... whatever. Whatever the case, this exact reaction was what he'd been looking for and he had a pleasant reaction to it. Awesome he called it. Well... she'd never heard that applied to anything bad, so she'd move on with her life while knowing she could feel comfortable within her own natural reactions. "It isn't like I was trying to do anything like that... but it's fine I guess," tsundere was definitely something which could have been applied to Angelica.

Moving on, the less light side of their conversation seemed to be finding some resolution. Charlemagne had apparently been trying to explain himself quite a bit... and having it not make sense to others, to the point of madness. "I understand that kind of frustration," she said honestly. And it was true, as a person who wasn't necessarily the best at communicating, she could understand. Perhaps, Charlemagne had simply gotten a bit rusty with meeting and working with people outside of his established group in all those long missions being dished out by Father An? It was worth some consideration at least, moving on... it seemed that the plan was to exploit the difference in time between the worlds to keep their travel group safe and allow for an easier time doing what they were supposed to. That was a pretty good plan as far as Angelica understood it. What was more, he seemed more concerned with her safety during this time, and she could only sigh. "Well, I am being as careful as I can. I'll let you know if anything changes with my situation... but for now this is as good a plan as any. And I'm fine, actually I feel pretty good not being as trapped as I was before," she explained of herself. She was cautiously optimistic. Even so, there was something quite nice about knowing that Charlemagne was willing to make an ambiguous threat on her behalf.

Angelica insisted that the ridiculous bend to her neck was no issue; nor was all that hair unless it was wet. He had half a mind to drench her for a laugh, if that was the case. Actually, upon giving it consideration, he could imagine the event taking place. Seeing that same expression on Angelica's face after such a drenching would be quite the sight to behold ─ even arousing. Suddenly, he realized it wasn't just Sakura having some supernatural effect on him. Maybe he really had become a degenerate? No, this was nothing new; he'd seen Angelica in such a light numerous times before any relationship between them became a proper topic. He was probably always a degenerate on the inside, and it took a pair of goddesses to make it surface.

That was nothing to waste valuable time and brainpower on, though. Angelica knew what he was getting at in terms of frustration, just as he hoped. In terms of relatability, she'd always been a surprising example second only to the likes of Jeanne d'Arc at times. "That's good. Well... not good, but... well... you know," he blabbered. That mess of a response aside, their meeting was approaching its end as well-wishes were exchanged between the two. For two years in this world, it seemed this would be their method of conversing. Of course they had gone much longer without interaction, even circa a few days before the present. Still, this may have been the worst time for separation of such magnitude. "As long as you're good, everything will be alright. I don't know if your body is still on the other side or not. If it is, that might be a problem. Should we say... same time tomorrow? It wouldn't be good to risk many random calls of your consciousness or anything, and your dad would know to look after your body if it's still there."

Was Charlemagne a degenerate? Not by the standards of gods in this world. To be interested in goddesses was a natural thing. To wish to join with them, give to them or take from them was also a perfectly reasonable thing to do. Actually... in truth Angelica found herself inching closer to the lad even as he looked her over. She'd remembered being attracted to him, but over the last few days of seeing him she was certain it was something else entirely. Her 'guardian' would have called it the 'Call of Creation'. Such was apparently a very normal thing... but given the time and place she doubted it was worth it to provoke the lad purposefully. He'd been through quite the struggle already, she didn't want to add to his problems.

Instead, Angelica would aim to be his light. Even as he blabbered a bit trying to convey his ideas about this whole thing. He was worried about the placement of her body and spoke of perhaps talking to her the next day. She'd make sure to ask her father about her status during the whole of this situation lest she end up with herself in a bad situation. "I'll make sure to see if I am disappearing completely or not. No worries, I'll be on the look out for tomorrow," she said softly. She opened her arms and wrapped the around the lad once more. Really happy for the contact and moreover relaxing against his form for a very solid hug. "Take care of yourself, Charlie..." she offered the lad as she squeezed him just a bit. She really wanted him to relax a bit and though it did seem quite a problem right now she was sure they'd be fine. She'd hold him until it was truly time for them to separate and only then would she had back the way she'd came to... the Labyrinth within Aincrad.

There was so little time left for the current meeting. Even so, Charlemagne was already thinking ahead to the next day, when he'd be calling upon Angelica once more. This would at least be a good way to end the nights during their journey to the lower world, so long as it didn't interfere with Angelica's ability to remain hidden. She'd begun moving closer to him long before it seemed normal to do so, interestingly while his mind was racing on topics of debauchery. Were things soon to become interesting? No, he couldn't make that sort of move; he didn't even know if she was physical. He'd know the next day, however. "Mm... yeah, good idea. I'll keep track of the time and make sure I'm not pulling you here at random. Hey! If you're completely here, it might even be easier to just move you into the Nexus!" he considered. Ah, if only.

Dreams aside, a second embrace occurred between the two. Charlemagne banished his Holy Grail this time around, fully sinking into the blonde until her hair was accidentally dragged into his nostrils mid-breath. It seemed he didn't mind that turn of events at all. "Always do. Stay safe, Angie," he said. Those final words were not the final moments. A few minutes would pass before Charlemagne appeared in the carriage's sitting room once more ─ arriving to a dinner already in progress. His plate was set, but some others were visibly halfway done with their meals. No matter. Charlemagne walked up to the table, immediately sharing some new information as he took a seat. "I found something. Father An is powerful ─ too powerful. Jeanne is the only one able to really stop him. Our job now is... to find out how we stop him instead, because that can't be allowed," he announced.

Charlemagne and Angelica shared a nice long embrace. No matter what kind of strange places their thoughts went to, they were both simply happy to be together, even for just this one moment. Ah, and it seemed it would be commented upon, if she was actually within this space, it might be possible for her to actually move into it. That would be an interesting thing to have happen, it might even be worth consideration. "That sounds almost too good to be true, but I'll hope for that sort of thing too!~" she mused as they fully enjoyed the embrace they shared. Soon, all too soon, it would be coming to an end, with both of them agreeing to take care of themselves. After they parted, Charlemagne would be alone for a bit, but soon enough he'd return to the place they'd been before.

Within that sitting area where dinner was currently taking place and a bowl was set for him. Martha and Sakura were eating peacefully while, Anais still had Yume in her lap and was eating round her for whatever reason. All the while, Yume seemed to be rather tickled pink and the group at large seemed to be making decent meal progress. Charlemagne returned with news to tell... and apparently it wasn't necessarily good. Martha heard what he had to say, apparently the Father God whom and wronged Jeanne could only really be killed by her and they needed to figure out how to intervene so that she didn't have to. There were potentially a lot of reasons for that, but oddly enough it'd be Yume who asked about it between bites. "Why? Are their lives linked?" asked Yume, it seemed to her the best idea to use the weapons at one's disposal and if there was a ready made answer to their problem then letting that person handle it didn't seem like a truly negative idea. "Hm, is it a matter of pure strength or is it a weapon thing?" asked Anais for extra clarification. Given Charlemagne's general MO, she had at least a minor assumption as to why he wouldn't want Jeanne d'Arc to have to face the man who'd killed her, even if she could slay him herself with relative ease. Martha had a pretty good idea, but she was willing to hear him out at least, if only because it wasn't obvious when Jeanne would be available again.

As Charlemagne sat and spoke, some listened with an understanding of his speech's greater purpose. Father An was too much to handle for anyone but Jeanne d'Arc. A couple of individuals at this table seemed to grasp why she couldn't be the one to climb that proverbial mountain, but others raised questions instead. As Yume and Anais were the only ones with questions, he decided they would receive their answers first. "No, their lives aren't linked. Well... they might be, but not like that. I'm linked to him without a doubt. Every now and then, I think I can feel it," he said to Yume. As for Anais's query, there were a few more layers to the answer.

What was the cause behind Jeanne's ability? Well, he could call it neither strength nor weapon, but instead... design. "... Energy? I had the misfortune of feeling it myself, and I've still got the burns from it. It's like... because she was sacrificed, she's got a special power that's anti-Father An. And, because I'm just a mixing pot of An stuff now, it's anti-me as well! But that's not important," he said, choosing to avoid a tangent to instead clarify some details. "The important thing is, Jeanne can't be the one to take him down. She's not herself right now. That attitude, and that look she keeps in her eye ─ they're not good. If she kills Father An, there's no going back. Besides, I promised to save her from that ─ twice ─ so that's what we're doing even if I have no idea how yet!" he exclaimed. "Though there's also some sort of prophecy about how Father An and I can only die by absorbing each other, with Jeanne as the variable who could kill either of us," he added. Finally done with the bulk of the talking, Charlemagne took a moment to stretch. His spirits were oddly high in comparison to his previous appearance in this room, unbeknownst to the male himself. "Dinner looks great! Don't mind if I do!" he said, fully prepared to assault his own serving even after admitting things were far more grim than they previously seemed.

According to Charlemagne, it wasn't likely that Jeanne was linked directly to the Father. Instead, he was linked directly to the Father, and he thought occasionally he could feel it. That would explain something that she'd witnessed earlier. A strange annoyance that settled into his form, it wasn't simply void influence which Yume would have recognized as home. No... it was something altogether different, like a crochety old man who was spending too much time around this 'damnable youth'. Yeah, that was closer to it. Her brain began working on it, but all she came to about the connection is that they would have an easier time killing Charlemagne himself than they would this father god.

In the meantime the lad spewed happy-go-lucky information about the dire situation they were currently in. He confirmed himself to be as much 'An' as anything else, which wasn't making Yume's overall thought much better. But the explanation of energy caught her attention enough that she had eyes on him while she continued casually eating from her bowl. 'Mi-chan!~ Is this Charlie punch drunk?' she asked directly. 'Iie, he's... normally like this. It's actually quite relieving. You'll know he's him when he's talking about how cool or awesome stuff is,' she added for the one less versed in Charlemagne's general demeanor. What was more, the lad claimed that the difference in Jeanne was too much. "I didn't know her, but if her journals were anything to go by, it sounds like she changed rather drastically," said Anais. "If you've already promised and there is a prophecy then we don't have much of a choice. Train and think of counter-strategies?" said Anais as she began giving thoughts to strategy. "She's definitely very different. All she wants is to kill that guy... No that isn't right. She wants to punish him. She wants him to suffer, I'd call it poetic justice if I didn't know what she was like before," Martha mentioned, choosing to ignore the mention of prophecy as a thing which didn't need any extra weight just yet. Willing to even go along with breaking a supposedly all-powerful god if it would return the Queen of Saints to her proper alignment. "Eh? That sounds karmic~" Yume said afterwards. "Sou ka, that's why it reminded me of Oyajii yesterday," Sakura stated between bites.

Indeed, the difference between one Jeanne d'Arc and the other was like night and day. Both utilized the sun's light to illuminate, but for one, an understanding of where the moon's rays originated was required to know the truth. Without that understanding, there were no similarities to be seen at all. Either way, Charlemagne was content to enjoy his dinner. It was still warm, luckily enough. "Ooh! This is actually awesome!" he chanted, fork in mouth and a sparkle in his eye. They were best off strategizing, but... not at this exact moment; not the way they were presently. "We should... maybe do that," he said. Charlemagne wasn't unsure by any means, but it was an option dependent on another thing yet to be broached. Before that, however, there was something else. . .

According to Martha, Jeanne didn't simply want to end the Father. She wanted him to suffer a great punishment ─ a painful ordeal the likes of which she'd been through at his hands. Charlemagne nodded. He'd felt a small sample of that very suffering with his own flesh, and the marks remained on his person today. "What she wants to do, is flip the script. It's badass, but it's not Jeanne," he assured. He'd grown up with Jeanne in this world, so there was no doubt in his mind that Jeanne didn't believe in such aggression, such darkness that he felt through those injuries. "Right. If there's one thing we need to do, it's what the gods we're fighting against didn't do. We've got ourselves a couple of secret weapons they forgot the purpose of, and one's sitting right here!" With that announcement made, Charlemagne removed the fork from his mouth. What would he be doing with it? Well, he'd first take another bite of rice and egg before removing it again. Once that was done, he pointed the utensil at... Sakura. "Knowledge is power, so Wisdom is our Holy Sword! We're up against a prophecy and about three impossibilities. Saku, what are the chances of flipping it around in two years?"

Charlemagne was enjoying his dinner. So was everyone else, in fact, Martha was almost done with her own bowl. And though they were going at a much slower pace given their seating arrangement both Yume and Anais were making decent progress on theirs. "It really is quite good. I would assume it was rather difficult to meet so many variations on preferences... I'm pleased," Anais mentioned happily. And Yume nodded as well. 'So this is baseline, Charlie, huh?' asked Yume in their silent shared chat space. 'Hai hai, much more him than he's been most of the last few days,' she concluded.

Still, it would be one of those interesting conversations as they carried on. Perhaps they should strategize, or maybe they could learn about the person they were trying to save. Apparently, Charlemagne thought the idea of making one suffered as they had was badass, but not really suited to Jeanne who he'd grown up with in France. "I suppose not, but you never really know what is going to get to you. If you feel betrayed by someone you trusted, someone you believed in, spite is delicious," she said knowing she'd cursed her boyfriend on a similar route. But she'd never been very light leaning to start with. Moving on they had a couple of secret weapons, which were mostly wisdom as the gods of this world had all but abandoned wisdom directly. While she was moving towards her last bite, Sakura was addressed directly. "A prophecy, three impossibilities, and two years?" Sakura repeated those numbers and began to sort though them, though not directly. Sakura's best ability to calculate would come from interacting directly with her Imaginary Number Space. The truth was, she saw the threads, which started even before this conversation and moved towards the end of the two year gap. Charlemagne wanted to save Jeanne d'Arc. He'd promised to save her from her darkness, and he had two years to move all necessary pieces into the right place. She followed the strings of the potential choices of every one in this room. Some good things had already happened some positive changes were already in line. Some others hadn't been made yet. And others had more time or space. Two years was relatively short on the cosmic scale, but so many decisions existed on those strings. Her eyes seemed almost blank. Her pupils moving around in a sea of red as she followed lines, curled them, discarded the false ones. An impossible number of choices, activities, power ups and ability shifts had to be made. And then... A full two minutes after her eyes started moving, they stopped. "14,000,605 possible outcomes and one of them ends the way you'd like," she offered the lad the calculation as she saw it. And even did her part, not revealing too much information about what she'd seen to help it along. After all... in the futures she'd seen if she gave more information than that... they turned out badly. And just like that she went back for her last few bites and then pushed her bowl away.

Charlemagne didn't seem too bothered by much of anything, bar the completion of a meal. This day had to reach its end, that the next day might begin, and so-on. A plan was in place. It all started with the utilization of Sakura, continued with an eventual visit to Munetsuchi, and ended with constructing a proper game plan to proceed with. Until they reached that point, there was little worth stressing. Besides, he had one less thing plaguing his subconscious at all times. There was no longer some massive personal issue weighing on Charlemagne's shoulder while he climbed a veritable mountain of god-slaying, so he could take the climb itself at pace.

So then, what would Sakura have to say? Apparently, she had more to do ─ more to see through some strange method of prediction. "Uh... alright. I wasn't expecting a Sharingan freak-out," he mumbled to no one in particular. In watching Sakura process, he seemed slightly taken aback. Her eyes moved erratically as if she'd started following a gnat around the immediate area. Once those movements settled, though, she spoke a ridiculously high number. That number... was the list of possibilities for their ongoing journey's end. Over 14 million, she counted. In that grand count, Sakura alleged only a single outcome that fit his ideal ending. "Damn. I thought gachas were predatory," he said with a sigh. Unlike previously, Charlemagne stared into space and did some thinking of his own. The odds were even more abysmal than he'd previously considered, and yet... they were not absolutely on one of the 14,000,604 suboptimal outcomes, and even those weren't certain negatives, he thought. "So, strategizing. The plan to test the gate is still on. While we're traveling, we should also check-in with Munetsuchi. As long as there's still a chance, we have to go for it. Everyone onboard?"

It seemed that all was mostly well. While Sakura processed her predictions, Yume happily consumed the rest of her food before sliding back so that Anais could more easily access her own bowl as well. None had questioned the girl for occupying the other's lap and she'd found that more amusing than most normal things she could do. Speaking of oddities, the movements of Sakura's eyes were likened to a media thing which Yume had some knowledge of. "Oh? A sharingan... are there Uchiha here? Does this world have Uchiha? 'Cause that'd be pretty awesome!~" she squealed. This, of course made Anais sign as she finished her own meal and sat back finally sated by the empty bowl before her. "I'm sure you'd be the first person to figure it out..."

When Sakura finally spoke the news was taken better than most would have expected. Charlemagne claimed gacha rates were predatory and Yume could only casually shrug. "I wouldn't know... I'm no longer allowed to download things to my phone," she said with a gentle shrug. "I play them but... they are considered pretty predatory and these are definitely worse rates," she said of the one in millions chance of success. Still, if she knew Charlemagne and she did, he had to try. And that attitude of his, she also admired so she would do her best to help, this was all she could offer. "I'm with you Charlie, as always..." Anais said cheerily as ever. Though the thought of trying something impossible rocked her to her core, there were worse things in her own mind. "I am fine with the plan..." Martha mentioned. If there was even a chance of helping Jeanne she had to see it through, she felt it her duty as a saint. "Of course~" chimed Yume who seemed more than pleased to be along despite the dire situations. In truth, she'd considered ending her own life over much more trivial things than returning someone to their rightful selves. This was a far better use of her time than most things. "I am onboard as well..." Sakura confirmed a gentle smile on her face. They weren't going to do anything but what they needed to.

"Probably," Charlemagne said following Yume's inquiry. This world had a great many things, so the popular Uchiha clan from a certain series probably existed somewhere. Astolfo thought to add to that topic. "Everything's out there somewhere. Tech is rare!" he chimed. In terms of magical abilities one might find in popular anime, manga and video games, magecraft and magic made many things possible. Things leaning more on the science fiction side, however, were more difficult to spot... though Astolfo doubted Yume concerned herself with that part much.

On the same topic of Yume, or rather Kaguya's lack of technological leaning, the demoness admitted to being disallowed from mobile game installations. Charlemagne looked toward the girl, his brow raised. "So... like an old person? You sound like one of those people who didn't realize they were spending money while spending money," he observed. Moving on though, it seemed Anais hadn't changed her mind about the two-year agenda. Martha was also onboard, and Yume confirmed her involvement as well. The same could be said of Sakura, but what of the other three? Charlemagne's gaze fell upon Astolfo, who seemed perplexed by the glance. "Huh? Wait, was that a real question?" the pink-haired male asked, essentially confirming his agreement. Yuuya supposed it was time he chimed in as well. "Well... with odds like that, it's best to have all the help you can get, right? I'll do my best," the newest addition claimed. Ailen had been silent for some time, merely eating in the most dignified manner seen since old royalty. His eyes were even closed as he spoke through a handkerchief used to dab food residue from his lip. "It goes without saying, no? My daughter and apprentice are here; I am willing to involve myself if necessary," claimed the elf, though he originally intended no involvement outside of a few studies. With all that was at stake, Ailen figured it would be necessary for him to act at some point.

For someone like Yume, or more specifically, Shinomiya Kaguya, her life in the magical world seemed to be very much about hunting down the magics of her dreams and maybe partaking in a few for the sake of expanding her magical girl repertoire. The idea that the Uchiha clan might be found somewhere was practically music to her ears. Astolfo's confirmation made her nearly giddy. "I don't care about tech, if I wanted tech, I'd stay home~" she claimed in a rather amused way. Beyond that there was the matter of her apparent lack of gacha usage and what Charlemagne had to say it reminded him of. It would be Anais who spoke up on the matter. "Yes, she is exactly that person. She literally ran up her phone bill playing Candy Crush. Ai-nee is constantly on her case and running tech support because she's problematic," Anais confessed for the girl. Still in a good humor Yume could only tease. "Wow, Mi-chan tell me how you really feel~" she said sarcastically. Sakura would look up at that moment and see smiles on both girls' faces and conclude something. "That's sarcasm," she said while giving a firm nod. She'd get it completely eventuallly.

Soon enough though, the conversation had shifted to something more serious. All the girls and agreed to their continued adventure and then all the men did the same. Surprisingly enough, even Ailen who'd been quietly eating with impeccable table manners offered to step in to help if need be for the sake of his apprentice and his daughter. 'Shishou!~' the thought that passed the mind of an almost starry eyed Anais as she marveled at the elf. She was slowly coming around to all aspects of care she'd be offered but, it was still rather reassuring to know. It was always more than comforting to have someone competent to rely on in sticky situations, which were only made more sticky by the volatility of the group. 'He's getting extra ruined on the trip!' this was the confirmation of her inner voice which made Yume have to stifle a laugh. "Woops~ Anyway, got anything else we might need to know for our immediate future preparations?" she asked seeming to wonder if she should just continue winging her own developments or if he required something specific from her. She was willing to be flexible about it, either way.

Apparently, Yume was the type to waste money in ignorance when playing mobile games. Charlemagne wasn't surprised, and Astolfo was even less so. With a mouthful of food, the latter added to the discussion once more. "I heard about that," Astolfo mentioned. Strangely, he remembered that in the moment, even though he'd forgotten having a twin sister until an earlier conversation. No matter. While Astolfo showed no consistency in his own memories, Charlemagne found himself looking in Sakura's direction again. Once more, the young goddess acknowledged a moment of sarcasm as if trying to memorize its uses. "It is, yeah," he said.

Strange though it was that Sakura remained focused on sarcasm and its applications, it was interesting to see her latch on to something. Charlemagne consumed in relative silence after his response, thinking it best to let the girl keep at it. Besides, Yume had presented another question. What else did they need to know? Charlemagne took a moment to think, having nothing immediately come to mind. "Hmm. Is there? Can't kill An, two year journey to grail spawn, avoid letting Jeanne go full avenger, uh... figure out what being King of Faith means," he ranted, finally remembering something else that had come up. "Oh! There's nothing else I needed to tell you guys, but I just remembered I'm supposed to be figuring out how my title works. I should probably also try figuring out this whole Power of Order thing, but... one at a time. Anyway, you guys can relax. I'm gonna work on becoming more awesome to win that one-in-fourteen million chance~"

It would seem that Yume was indeed the type who spent money in games strangely. Even Astolfo had heard of her exploits in this regard which made Anais nod her head at the lass. "Yeah, I did do that... it was a fun game though~" she said as if it was a perfectly normal thing to do. In truth, she wasn't too worried about the amount of money she spent in a game like Candy Crush. It'd basically gone unnoticed by anyone who would have been upset about it. It was simply her friends trying to make sure she had... internet literacy or something like that. Beyond this point, Sakura seemed to be catching on rather quickly to the whole of sarcasm as it was popping up. That was good, conversations would be admittedly less awkward if explanations of sarcasm could be avoided in most cases. Extra confirmation left the girl smiling happy about having caught on to the whole of it. One day true understanding would be reached.

Until that day, there was the happy little matters that the group had to get to. Charlemagne listed momentarily a group of things he had to share with them. "King of Faith? And here I thought the oddest ones were Construction and Composition," said Martha. The others she'd heard the titles of, were more concrete with obvious leanings. Queen of Saints, Queen of Knights, King of Heroes. These were all more easily understandable things. King of Faith seemed like it could encompass quite a bit and mostly be subjective in nature. Still the lad had rather swiftly returned to his happy go-lucky self and it was almsot contagious. Anais was pleased, he'd been not quite himself for the last few days. She smiled pleased at the change in his attitude. 'Nice, Charlie's back!~' she squealed internally. Still, there was much to take in from the whole of things. "I don't necessarily get the King and Queen thing, but... I'll offer my assistance regardless. I don't have to understand stuff completely. I have a pretty good knack for magic~" Yume offered the lad. 'Eh? He's like this normally? Mi-chan that is more of a drastic difference than you show sometimes~' she hummed to the girl internally. Even so she'd stay helpful and open. Maybe the lad could use some magical advisement or maybe he wouldn't need to at all.

Martha wasn't the first to comment on the flexibility of Charlemagne's title. Artoria Pendragon herself had something similar to say, though it was her who advised that he look into it. "I thought so too, and then suddenly I'm watching Albertus Animusphere give me a title I can't even fathom," he said. Whatever abilities he had from this new identity, perhaps they could prove useful. He'd surely find out eventually. Apparently, that would happen with some assistance from Yume. She didn't have a grasp on the concept of such titles, but she did have innate magical abilities that were seldom, if ever, seen in the world. Surely she could be of some assistance, though he believed Sakura had a higher chance of success. Oh well; he'd take all the help sent his way at this point. With that in mind, his meal continued until its end.

With dinner of the first night ending, time passed as if this rag-tag group had gone along with the idea of a strange sleepover. A bit of chatting, a few laughs and a few serious moments preceded the group's separation. Charlemagne found himself in bed with the Holy Grail in hand. He stared into the empty vessel as if curious, and in fact, he had another curiosity to consider. Meanwhile, Astolfo wandered around the carriage as if to make a few discoveries. Yuuya had no obvious intentions of sleeping. In fact, he managed at some point to sit at the table once more, seeming content to sit around and fiddle with his stats. Since there was such a great challenge ahead of the group, he thought it best to improve himself where possible.

A conversation over dinner had the crew of this particular space enjoying some conversation about powers and abilities. Charlemagne would take the help offered to him, and the others would spend time figuring out important information. By the end of the night, Martha had found a gym within the space and had gone on to punch bags and do some thinking, which was alright with her. Sakura was content to occupy the same bed with Charlemagne and see what sleep would be like without her soul expressing the need.

In truth, Anais was quite relieved by the current casual setting they were now in, and with the day winding down and into night she'd find herself in a room which seemed to be very much designed with her mentor and her in mind. She'd easily find herself stripping down and getting ready for bed, with Yume also lying about as if unperturbed. "Eh? I can't believe it, I thought you were all wired for the night walking," said Yume as the girl in just another thong slipped into bed behind her. "I usually am, but I feel quite at ease now. And I feel like I should sleep if I have the desire to..." she said softly. "Besides, I still have a lot to go through in my head, so... I want to give myself some time undistracted by sounds to figure out my thoughts," she admitted. She knew she was behaving strangely but she'd still been a bit too worried to calm down the previous few days. Today, she'd think about a few things. While Anais went through her thoughts, Yume allowed herself to rest. Interesting that her friend wanted to go through her own thoughts. Perhaps, she'd let the girl organize before making the trip into her soul? Yes, that sounded fair.

In the meantime, Anais quietly allowing her thoughts to move about within her mind. Boxes of things, she'd closed in the last few days for the sake of carrying on, began to open. The first of such thoughts, was about her behavior surrounding the Myouou. 'I kinda jumped at the opportunities of those moments. I guess after everything I've learned that isn't too weird, it just felt a bit jarring after not really feeling anything like that for so long...' she thought rationalizing her own behavior. 'I feel bad for forgetting about my childhood dream... but also bad for practically throwing myself at strangers, but also... satisfied? Maybe I'm weird? Or indulging in things I actuallly want after not remembering them isn't a bad thing? I guess that should be fine...' she thought quietly. 'Charlie is finally okay and adjusting. I'm happy he's more back to his normal self... I should keep an eye on him,' she thought on a completely different train. 'I can't believe Kaguya-senpai is here. I didn't remember her really until she was in front of me, but I definitely missed her. She's probably where that thought about liking girls came from. I'm glad she's here...' her mind kept drifting. 'Maybe I shouldn't worry about morals the way I considered them at all... Shishou said I can do what I want, so I think I should... figure out exactly what those things are. And why I'm so afraid of them,' she gave consideration to that... and her mind continued to wander.

Late night, drifting minds were frequently the cause of sleep. In sleep, there were dreams. In dreams, there were ripples in reality that reached out to other worlds, other timelines, other dimensions entirely. Anais's recent dealings had left her more susceptible to such oddities. As she drifted off, the girl would find herself passing two recognizable torii gates leading into the shrine she'd once frequented at least annually. Within said shrine, there was a well whose water was alleged to have mystical properties. A sea of faceless individuals meandered around the shrine. One in particular, however, was not so faceless at all.

By the well known as Seimei-i, there was a boy roughly the same age as one Iino Miko. His lithe form was adorned by... what appeared to be a cosplay of Abe no Seimei himself, though seemingly one that adopted a bone motif. Perhaps he'd taken a more fantasy-inspired approach this time? Whatever the case, she knew his identity once, and maybe she could recall it now. Dark hair was distinguished by purple undertones that matched his eyes, as well as a strange tuft of blonde in the lad's fringe. If not by his looks, the male could perhaps be identified by the disregard he showed for established norms. It was once said that an old tea master brewed with the waters of the Seimei-i, so of course... this young man was doing exactly that at the moment. Set atop the well he leaned against was a teapot, a box, and two distinct cups featuring pentagram designs in the shrine's likeness. Both cups had been filled. One of those cups, he was already drinking from.

The drifting of Anais's mind would indeed cause sleep, but not in the way she'd become used to over the last three hundred years. Where there was once darkness and a vast space filled with no sound, no light and emptiness... there were now two torii gates which she found herself casually walking through. Quite familiar with the Seimei Shrine was a lass once known as Iino Miko and here she felt quite at home. Even if she only visited once a year, even if every visit was exactly the same, they burned rather deeply uncovered by her wandering mind.

A small girl now dressed in red hakama and a white and red trimmed kimono top. She had billowing sleeves and a little clog shoes. She was moving through rather absently atop her toes, pushing her way through crowds of people. Ah, small once again was the brown haired girl with eyes which were also brown in color. Strangely though she wouldn't have noticed it herself, there was something of a light in those eyes, giving them the appearance of glowing candlelight. Her brown hair in two rather thin pigtails thrown over her shoulders so casually, she made her way to the place she usually went. Towards a well at the center, in a sea of faceless individuals... there was one person she knew. "Waah!~" she gasped as she watched a lad drinking tea from the edge of the well. She approached, she knew this face. She saw the whole of him for the first time in centuries and wasn't sure how to react. 'He's hot! Have I always thought he was hot?' she wondered as her thoughts patterns shifted once more. 'Is he drinking from the well?' she queried. 'Why does he have two tea cups?' she wondered. 'Why can I actually see him?' she questioned. In approaching more directly she stood nearby, realizing he was quite a bit taller than her, even from this angle. 'Am I being weird? Should I say something?' she questioned herself. Ah... unlike her mind as Anais, this version of herself was much more cohesive, a single voice uniquely hers rang in her own head. Ah, but something else didn't change, the gentle tapping of her finger tips as she mind went several directions and then converged. "Is it sacrilege to drink from the Seimei-i?" she settled on that one as she found herself across from the lad, looking into his face. He really was mesmerizing. Had she simply not noticed before?

At long last, Iino Miko arrived. This male had been waiting far too long for this exact moment, this exact reunion. How many cups of tea had he been through by himself? There were many dreams, many cups, and nary a Miko joining him. Now was finally the time. That brown-haired girl arrived just as he remembered her from that life oh so long ago. Ah, but there was one difference. It seemed her second life had an effect on the lass ─ one that shone through the eyes. What it didn't affect, was the core of her personality. That nervous finger-tapping, that uncertain broaching of a topic she gave consideration to... those things wouldn't change.

Regardless, she'd never been one to outright run away from most things. This core variant of the girl made her way eventually, deciding to question an act of sacrilege. What sort of answer would she receive? Well... it would be a question. "Is it? But I am Seimei, so it's my shrine. Doesn't that make it normal?" the lad asked while glancing in Miko's direction, a peculiar gleam in his eye. One cup remained full. "Though I've undergone a few changes in attire. What do you think? Does it work?" he asked before addressing more important matters. "By the way, yours is going to go cold if you stand around wondering if it's acceptable to drink. There's enough room to sit," the lad added as his rear was settled upon one edge of the well.

A meeting held up in time, space and multiple worlds was taking place in the middle of the Seimei Shrine around a well. Such a meeting had happened a few times in her previous life, but never quite like this. Still... she couldn't help but move forward, and so that was what she did. She took in the visage of this boy of her own age, while she broached at least part of the conversation she'd been having alone in her overactive mind. And what kind of answer would she receive to her question? Well, simply put, it'd be another question. The purple-eyed lad was content to counter her question with questions, is it sacrilege. He was Seimei so the shrine is his... so, it should be normal. A small smile broke across Miko's lips. She couldn't help it. She remembered moments like this and this lad took his LARPing pretty seriously. Well, she had an active role to play in such a thing, and she wasn't exactly the type to ruin anyone's fun. There was a certain gleam in the lad's eye, and it made the girl acutely aware of herself. She was sure she was blushing once again but only just managed to look away, closing her eyes and exhaling a held breath. "Well, I guess if you're Seimei and it's your shrine then it should be quite normal. Carry on, then," she managed in an almost sarcastic manner, but the words as always were light.

Moving on from this her eyes would eventually open again, a gentle flickering of that glow behind her eyes would occur as she gazed upon the lad. He claimed a few changes in attire and he wanted her opinion. She gave herself a moment to unabashedly stare. 'Take it all in! He's hot and he wants us to look!' she seemed to be affirming her own desires in a quiet moment. But aloud those words would be a bit more tame. "It definitely works. You have a bit of a mysterious magical almost rogue mage thing going. Definitely, a great look for you!" she confirmed. She'd taken her stare, she'd calmed her heart for the most part, and he'd pointed out the other cup of tea was for her? "Waah?! It's mine?!" she seemed shocked by it, but she wouldn't really turn him down. She moved to join him. His rear settled against the edge, and she found herself moving in a similar fashion but across from him. 'It'd be pushy to sit in his lap, and I'd miss looking at him that way...' she thought absently as she sat across from him. On the edge of the well, her feet dangled a decent bit off the ground. "Thank you... how have you been?" she asked of him, as she moved to take her first sip of tea.

As he'd come to expect, Miko responded to the lad's claim of being Abe no Seimei as if it were normal. She thought of him as roleplaying since childhood, but still permitted his antics. Such an interesting person she was. She told him to carry on, and carry on he would. "That's the spirit," he said casually, raising his cup in a faux toast. One thing didn't go unnoticed, though. There was a redness upon the brunette's face as she turned away from him. He continued watching as if aware of some greater meaning, but nothing was said just yet.

Eventually, Miko's eyes fell upon the lad again. She inspected him as per a request to judge his new look. It seemed she was doing a little bit more than checking his outfit, but that was more than fine. In fact, he was smiling throughout the appraisal, and gave her a once-over to boot. Apparently, the look was good. "Perfect. If that's what my very own miko has to say, it's a look worth keeping," he said as a matter of course. "Your new developments are also enchanting. You've filled out very nicely, Iino~" he chanted most casually. As Miko seated herself, his eyes tracked her as if he could hear her speaking. Even his words may have seemed connected to things unsaid. "There, eh? Interesting," was the comment he chose regarding her seat of choice. One might wonder if he thought her selection was a good one. "I've been... patient. You've been busy, though. The long wait for your return may have been worthwhile after all. But... that was always going to be the case, wasn't it? You were always going to return here."

This lad was interesting. So prone to his LARPing but so free spirited. Miko couldn't really stand in his way, and in truth she could do nothing but admire his moxy. It'd always been this way, she was certain. The pair of them meeting up at this shrine year after year. Though, she was pretty conscious of her lack of recent arrivals, she was still quite pleased to see him. She'd even gone about appraising him as he desired and as her own mind wished to do. And what did she receive in return? Well... some solid feedback. Apparently, as his miko, he'd take that appraisal and keep the look. 'I am pretty sure he meant the shrine maiden thing... Still, being his doesn't seem odd at all. I might like it as an idea!~' she thought while blushing. Of course, her mouth said something a bit different. "It's definitely worth keeping," she said as she sipped her tea, one leg gently swinging back and forth.

How strange, Iino Miko sat across from this lad, and had him, in turn make a few claims about her as well. She'd not wanted any sort of appraisal, she was fairly certain she knew what she looked like... but perhaps beauty was in the eye of the beholder? 'WAAAH!~ He's looking at us now, and he likes it!? We're hot aren't we?!~' why was she so pleased by that. She was certain it wasn't anything so special, her particular developments never seemed to be very intense. "That's really embarrassing, but if you say so... I have no choice but to believe you," she added. Ah, she couldn't see the thickening of her own form. The curves that pushed at those robes, the hair that had its own special luster and shine. No... she still just saw herself, the tiny girl with the slightly less tiny attitude. Her seat across from him was noted, and she had very little to say about it, rather... she had no idea why he chose to comment like that. "I thought it was pretty normal..." she said of the choice. 'I can't exactly just sit in your lap facing you... or actually that doesn't sound like too bad an idea except it's completely outrageous!' she needed to calm her mind. More tea, closed eyes. Perhaps she just needed to not be thinking about him being so attractive. Perhaps she just needed to focus on something else. So, she'd listen... to the sound of his voice as he answered her question about the state of his being. He'd been patient, waiting for her to return. "I do like it here, it's possibly my favorite place. And you're definitely one of my favorite people... I'm sorry you've been waiting for me... it's been really crazy for me lately," she offered the lad earnestly. She didn't really know if she understood why he'd been waiting for her. Nor did she think she was worth the wait entirely, but... she was still pleased to be so close to him again.

Miko didn't seem certain about his meaning. Her assumption was that he spoke of her as a miko, not as her name. In truth, neither option was wrong. He understood that Miko herself minded neither, of course, but she did not speak of the matter aloud. Instead, she reiterated that his current ensemble was worth keeping. That would suffice for the time being. "Then I'll keep it. Maybe it'll even be important for us one day," he replied. His meaning would not be explained for some time to come. Perhaps Miko would even reach understanding on her own when the proper moment arrived.

The girl was embarrassed. That was about par for the course, but it wouldn't stop his approach at all. Miko hadn't noticed her own growth? If anyone would make her do so, he'd be that person. "Of course you don't; I'm only speaking the truth. Even someone without eyes could tell how you've grown. I could prove it," he said cheekily. Her seating choice may have been what one considered normal in platonic environments, but what of them? By this lad's account, they had a very different type of relationship to what Miko herself may have believed. Sitting so far apart wasn't normal at all... though perhaps that thought was tainted by the difference between worlds. Regardless, Miko offered an apology for his wait. Things had indeed been rather hectic for her over the past 300 years, especially of late. Either way, the lad did nothing but shake his head. "An apology? Hmm, I guess that's normal for you. I'll let you make it up to me, Ii~no~ Mi~ko~chan~♪" he teased over another sip of tea. What did he intend? Time would tell, but it seemed he was only becoming more relaxed against the well as moments passed.

Miko seemed to be somewhat content, though admittedly, she'd begun to feel antsy. Such feelings were mostly normal for her, but... there was always an added feeling of oddity when this particular lad was involved. Perhaps she'd not given herself enough credit as a child for all her wishes perhaps she'd been ignoring things. That did happen, it was difficult to focus on the right things when one had both ADHD and OCD. It was hard enough just to keep herself sane. An exhale occurred as she thought it over. "Important for us? Really?" she asked incredulously. Surely a choice in outfit couldn't be quite so impactful.

Or maybe it was? He had more cheeky commentary for her, even in her current state of embarrassment. Even someone without eyes could tell how much she'd grown, and he could prove it. That flush in her face wouldn't seem to go away. There was an immediate tremble to her lower lip "Waah? Why... I..." she was at a loss. 'It's so weird. I want to know how, but I'm also scared to question it!' her brain was on fire. This lad was always such a challenge. Even when she thought he was just younger than her and being weird. Now, she thought he was flirting with her, 'Wait is this flirting? Are we flirting? Did I misread this whole thing? Have I been misreading this whole thing?!' Miko was probably about thirty seconds away from having some sort of panic attack. And it oddly wouldn't be helped by the lad's following words. Words which graced her ears with odd tones and cadence. She'd offered the lad an apology for having to wait on her, and he'd spoken about it like it was normal but also foreign as an idea. "Make it up to you?" she said those words specifically. Perhaps she should... She really didn't like the idea of being late to things. Nor misinterpreting things... perhaps she could make it up to him. She had some time now... after all. She could hear her heart beating in her ears now. Surely they were red too, covered only by brown locks and probably not thoroughly. She managed to bury her face in the depths of her cup. 'I should have taken that seat the way I wanted to... I could bury my face in his chest and not feel so embarrassed. But maybe that is a different kind of embarrassing now, if we're actually flirting?' The questions Iino Miko had in her head were numerous always and somewhat perverted if she was being honest. 'Still, I quite like the way he says my name... it's so nice on my ears!~' she would have squealed audibly if her mouth wasn't full of tea. She managed to swallow cautiously but she definitely wouldn't be making eye contact for a few moments yet. She needed to focus on something. Anything except all the places her mind was currently traveling.

"For us, yes. Don't you agree?" he asked teasingly. There were things in this reality that had much greater impact than one might give them credit for. Even something as simple as an ensemble could have world-ending, or world-saving consequences under the right circumstance. His choice to keep the outfit because Miko approved of it, may well save millions in the near or distant future.

As for his offer to prove a simple point, Miko had nothing very direct to say. Her time in another world had yet to open all avenues of her mind, sadly enough. Or... perhaps it wasn't sad at all. Maybe development was slowed simply to grant him a more entertaining experience overall. Fate often worked in such strange ways, though none could be sure right away. "You...?" he replied. There was little room to wonder what Miko intended to say, but apparently much room for her to think about the exchange overall. Miko even went on to repeat his previous claim, making it sound as if making things up to him may have been a good idea. However she intended to do that, he was interested to know. The way things would actually be set right, however, was preordained. "Yes. That's how things are done, right? If there's something worth apologizing for, there's something worth doing to create a balance. The question is... what is that thing? What corrects lifetimes of neglect? And what... are you thinking so much for, without saying anything aloud?" he asked at last. He may have had an idea, or he may have known for certain what Miko's thoughts were. None of that mattered. Thoughts were simple and often unfiltered. What escaped one's mouth, with all filters applied, was what drove human interaction.

"I don't know. I guess fashion choices can be quite important in the grand scheme of things... and if stuff is going to be looked at it might as well be cool," she said with a small smile crossing her face. She couldn't know how potentially important such a thing could be. Even so, she'd recently learned to appreciate a certain amount of thoughtfulness put into clothing that others would be witnessing, even things traditionally thought of as unmentionable.

As their conversation continued, she realized she was having quite a hard time. How was she supposed to behave, to converse. She used to find such things quite easy, now she'd all but folded in on herself. There was a certain amount of mystery applied even to her own actions at this point. And given the situation and amount of trust she placed in this lad in particular she supposed she could just try and be more straightforward. "How? How would you prove a blind person could tell I've grown?" she questioned directly. Of course, she couldn't actually let it go. She seemed to suffer from that as a problem even within the quiet space of her mind. But it wasn't just this point she couldn't let go of, she'd apologized for leaving this lad waiting for her. But he'd claimed she should make it up to him. Perhaps she should, but what all would something like that involve? It seemed that he wouldn't be saying just now. No, he claimed simply that something should be balancing the scales of lifetimes of neglect. "I mean yeah, that is how things are done but this is a bit different," she said seeming to think about it a bit, but not for long. Eventually that cup would be sat in front of her empty as she looked at the lad directly fully processing his words. "Lifetimes? Has it been that long for you too? That makes it more difficult, doesn't it?" she asked before rubbing a hand over her face. And he was asking about her continued quiet thinking over her use of words. 'He's on to us!' she exclaimed in her head. "I... well, inside voices are inside for a reason. I feel like I've been doing that for quite a while now... I don't know what to share so much anymore," she admitted. Miko was shier than she used to be, of this she was certain, but she was also considering a lot more things than she had before.

If something would be viewed, it should be... cool. Such was the claim of Miko, though it may not have been the phrasing agreed upon. He did concur on one thing ─ he agreed that seen things should have an appeal to them. "That sounds nice. If it's cool, it should be seen... right?" he questioned in response. Surely flipping the clause around would have the same meaning, right? If not, perhaps he was winking for nothing. Oh well.

Miko finally showed the gall to express some of the things she wondered about. She wondered aloud how he'd prove a blind person's ability to determine her growth. In doing so, she established the course of events for herself. The male initially offered only a sly chuckle as response, deciding to finish his cup of tea before acting. In the meantime, Miko settled her thoughts regarding this apparent apology she signed up for. This was different, she claimed. It was more difficult because of the time passed, she added. Inside voices were inside for a reason, she declared. Miko had so many things to say, but she still wasn't speaking her mind. Well... this lad was one of action. Words were important, but only their effects on the world had meaning. "Yare yare. Inside voices are inside for a reason." He did agree with that sentence. In doing so, the lad pushed away from the well. His eyes were notably closed as he turned toward Miko, cup lowered and both arms outstretched. Those hands would be finding their way onto her body, initially finding themselves at her midriff and feeling their way around. Such was his answer to her earlier question. As for the more recently-addressed matter, he'd continue speaking. "Like the mind's eye alerting us to things not discernable to the body, the inner voice speaks to us desires we've yet to realize. We all have an inside voice. Mine speaks to me quite frequently, even now. Can you guess what it says, Mi-kan?"

Miko's words were heard by this lad, but the inversion of the parts of her sentence made the meaning of it slightly different. Of course, the various meanings of that inversion couldn't actually be missed by Miko. Her brain was already too far gone, to do anything but interpret those words, and that wink as some sort of flirtation. Definitely, at least, the implication that something cool... should be seen. Her face flushed as she caught sight of that wink, and she struggled to give the words past her own embarrassment. "I suppose it would be fair and still accurate to say it that way..." she admitted.

Still so shy, Miko hadn't at all thought about what these sorts of meetings would be like once she fully understood people were interested in her. It was like everything said to her was no longer completely platonic. Was it possible it'd never been platonic, that she'd simply been interpreted it that way? Very possible, values often determined how words and phrases were received even if their meaning was always clear. Now she was wondering if she should have been assuming a certain amount of seriousness from this lad from the beginning. Given this, that little push which made her call his bluff and the sly chuckle afterward felt somewhat ominous, but also so very inviting. 'I feel like I signed up for something, a lot of something. It doesn't feel wrong though...' she gave herself encouragement. She didn't think badly of anything that might happen with this person. She was nervous but not... afraid. She was curious.

So curious in fact that she was listening to the lad and watching as he finished his tea and pushed off from the well. She noted his closed eyes and figured there was some explanation coming. To her surprise he acknowledged the goodness or purpose of inside voices. Apparently the inside voices spoke of desires unrealized and moreover acted autonomously like extrasensory organs. She could deal with that. He even admitted to his own inside voice speaking to him quite frequently and wished her to guess what it said. Ah, but it wasn't just that he'd said, he'd called her a name that only he called her. Strange though it was, it seemed to caress her very soul, causing goosebumps to appear on her flesh, but those had a secondary cause. 'We love that name! It's been so long~' she chimed inside her own head. His hands which had started off around her midriff upon making contact began to explore. "Eh? I... don't know, make her blush or something. You seem to do that a lot. Waah!~ where are your hands going, Sei-chan?" she asked as the redness of her face and the molestation of her body began properly. Somehow the sensation of hands exploring her body felt excruciatingly delightful suddenly. Something she wouldn't run away from, even as she'd initially felt awkward.