Charles Patricius

[Bloodedge]

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.

[Apollymi]

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.

[Bloodedge]

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."

[Apollymi]

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.

[Bloodedge]

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.

[Apollymi]

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.

[Bloodedge]

"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.

[Apollymi]

"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.

[Bloodedge]

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?"

[Apollymi]

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.