Grasslands

[Apollymi]

'Ugh...' Miki's mind was full of groans. Of course, he'd bring up not being one for groups. That was part of his melancholic charm... apparently. He did things alone after fleeing from the Kingdom of Eonis and found his peace doing them. Felt like he was atoning or some such nonsense. Whatever the case, Miki had to keep dodging around being direct about the problems she was trying to fix and the things she was facing. She had to bring up anything they had in common and get him to offer himself to the cause before she mentioned what it was really. "I wasn't much for groups either... people never really seemed to get me. You seem like you'd do alright though. You've been friendly to me..." she said softly. "Besides, being alone all the time is peaceful but boring..." she said. Her statement was a bit too factual for her liking, but she'd found that this man took his lone movements as a form of martyrdom so she'd not question it directly.

There was more prodding to do, more gentle nudges required. It was tedious, but she couldn't be direct in demanding he come back either, since apparently it was traumatic for him. 'Ugh...' she thought again as her face maintained a smile. To her it looked fake, but perhaps, her dealings with real smiles had softened this look around the edges a bit? Made it a bit more believable to one who didn't know her. "I'm, not really alone. I mean... my wolf and I travel together. And I sometimes work with others... if I can. But there is a bit more to me than─" she paused. It was mostly for dramatic effect, she needed him to question her directly. "Oh well, I'm pretty weird actually... I don't really mean to go on and on about me," she offered softly. "What about you? Do you really like, adventuring out here on your own?"

[Bloodedge]

"I think I know just what you mean," he said, knowing others never quite understood him either. They were kindred spirits in a way, it seemed. Perhaps he could open up to this one a bit more. He had to agree that loneliness was not necessarily an ideal option, and it certainly wasn't his preference in this life. Alas, he hadn't been given a choice. He was a prince, but a curse, a slight upon the family name Eon. He could only know this solitude outside of the kingdom, lest he invite an even greater stain to its name.

"It is quite boring, I agree. Sometimes, being bored is for the best though, is it not? One can't always lead a life of thrills and excitement; some must take the silent path for the sake of others," he claimed. The girl appeared to be on the verge of unveiling her purpose, yet she stopped shy of doing so. As an alternative, she questioned whether he enjoyed adventuring or not. In response, he shook his head. "Sadly, I do not. I am fine with it, but I would not call it something I like. What about you? Are you alright being here alone, even though you occasionally have companions?"

[Apollymi]

He understood her? Maybe a bit more than she'd like to admit. Miki would have done some soul searching about what she actually found annoying about this Prince. It was what they had in common which made the girl's skin crawl, a little, when she spoke to him. Perhaps his self-sacrificing attitude made her sigh uncontrollably because all he really needed to do was have a five second conversation with someone who mattered to find out he'd run off for nothing. His words were annoying to her. Sure some people couldn't lead a life of excitement, but he was literally crippling his own lifestyle simply because he felt it was best without ever asking anyone else. If Miki were more herself she might have punched him already or slapped him for making such an assumption. But no, the softer approach was needed here today. To get this lad to travel back to Eonis with her, she had to understand him, and in turn get him to understand her.

"I can't really say," Miki mentioned as her body fell back onto her pillow and it began to float around as she pondered over his question. "I think doing the right thing, is often more complicated than we'd like to believe. And sometimes, what we see as best, is only one way to look at it," she said. This was a round about way of stating that his opinion lacked proper depth, but it wasn't meant to cut him off. Instead it was meant to make him think, she paused before him for just a moment and offered a smile. She gotten to the meat of it now. 'Ugh, almost there.... almost there...' she encouraged herself. He didn't enjoy being alone, and thought to question whether she did. There was only one real way to answer his question and strangely, it was truthful.

"Me? Well, I don't like being alone. But I'm alright with this here and now, because I'm not alone─" she said softly only to laugh a little at herself, but it seemed to feed into the moment. "I mean, some journeys I started alone but... while alone I gained perspective. Lots of things can change when you're out on your own, I've learned. How you view things, how others view you, your goals and dreams─" she explained of herself. "All of those things and rise and fall, just like the sun..." she mentioned looking out at the horizon now bathed in the deep orange light as the purples of twilight crept up around the edges. This conversation was annoying, but perhaps she'd be able to give another nudge and get the lad talking. "Oops, I said too much I guess..." she mentioned staring off into the sunset. "Did you? I mean did you figure out anything from being out here alone, besides knowing that you don't really like it?"

[Bloodedge]

She shared with him her beliefs about the path of loneliness versus right and wrong choices. She made a fair bit of sense, but there was no amount of thought to sway his interpretation. His personal choice was carefully decided based on his own origins, and he found it ideal for the safety of his family and kingdom in the future. His lonely travels were no different. Others who found his identity, who thought to return him to Eonis, put the entire kingdom in danger.

There was something intriguing about the way this girl spoke. When she said she wasn't alone, was he the company she spoke of? Did she latch on to the company of him, not as the Prince of Eonis, but as an individual? It was so endearing, he was at a loss for words. "You're not alone─" he repeated with a slight upward inflection. As for her inquiry, he hadn't particularly learned a thing in his lonely travels. He merely... existed, thinking it was for the best. If there was one thing that could have been considered a learning experience, it was exactly what he intended to share. "I learned... that it is not loneliness I desire, even though I must not return home. That is all."

[Apollymi]

Miki could have choked on the amount of nice and dodgy she was being about topics at hand. She preferred to speak in a much more straight-forward manner. In fact, being direct was likely one of the few things she did, that could be considered a flaw, and in her line of business it wasn't even considered such. Beyond all of these points, the lad at least seemed to understand enough of what she had to say, to think her earlier statement endearing. She could tell this by his extra questioning. Good. "Mmhm... " she said offering the lad her full attention. The conclusion he'd come to, was that he still couldn't go home. This was exactly the moment she'd been dreading. In fact, she knew it was possible for him to feel this way but it was exactly this which had made her reload her save file over and over again. "Oh? That's pretty sad..." she said softly. But, this wasn't so much a game anymore, and she had several more experiences and prying bits of information from him. She knew of his status.

A Prince, who thought himself cursed because of how he was. She might have been considered the same, given her own status as a Gatekeeper, which wasn't considered part of the natural order to Druids. Hm, perhaps that could help. "I didn't think I could go home either... but I had a problem I couldn't solve alone, so I did─" she said softly. "I thought they'd reject me because my path was far from normal... It's kind of a secret actually, but I'll tell you... though you might look at me differently afterwards..." she explained of herself, her eyes seemed to plead for acceptance. She twirled a lock of hair around her index finger as if nervous and she was, but for a completely different reason than what she was saying. But knowing the Prince's background perhaps sharing this information about herself would make it a bit easier and cut down on the talk time a bit.

She primed herself to reveal a secret. "I walk a path where death walks beside me. I'm kind of a Necromancer..." she said as if expecting a negative judgement. After all, this was probably one of the darkest forms of magic one could possess and sharing such a secret could be considered a place to bond. Managing to look a tad embarrassed, even though this was what she'd chosen herself. "But through my travels, I was shown the path I walked was mine alone. I found out if I wasn't this way, I couldn't really have helped the people I did. So, I guess sometimes you just have to take the long way around... to be able to go back home," she offered. She knew this Prince had to come to the decision himself to go back, and it'd taken her quite a long time to say the right things before to make it so. Maybe this could help? It couldn't really hurt considering the time restraints they were now under. Though it was definitely an exaggeration of what she'd been doing in the Migrating Vale, perhaps he didn't need to know that. She definitely would have preferred sharing such information with Kou instead, but the Prince might have needed a relatable tale a bit more.

[Bloodedge]

The girl seemed shy, even reserved about some dark secret she intended to reveal about herself. Eyes fixed on her, the prince boasted a soft gaze, seemingly as if he admired he expression while showing these apprehensions, or even her willingness to push beyond them. How dark could her secret be? Well, the moment she spoke of Necromancy, it became very clear to him... they were more alike than he previously imagined. "A Necromancer, really?" he questioned, his eyes alight with wonder. In his very next breath, he also stepped closer to the blonde. His left hand rose, taking hold of the hand which twirled her hair. A smile graced his face as his other hand reached out as well, both working in unison by taking Miki's singular hand between them. "I understand. You have gone beyond limitations set upon you by your surroundings. I envy that. You seem to be a woman of great bravery, and incredible grace. I imagine anyone to have you at their side would be capable of anything. If I may be so bold, are you..."

[Apollymi]

She'd confessed her Necromancy, and in so doing had gained an amount of favor with the Prince that she didn't expect. 'Huh, that really worked. I suppose I would have had an extra dialogue option if I'd actually finished the Gatekeepers stuff first...' her mind wandered back to game play to avoid a bit of the shocking reality of the moment. She needed this man to behave a certain way and to get it, she was manipulating him. It didn't have malicious intent behind it, but it was still well beyond what Miki or even Kimiko would have considered normal for her swaying of individuals to her causes. He'd stepped closer to her after questioning her life as a Necromancer but seemed to be a fair bit interested beyond that point. 'Ah the start of the romance...' she thought. It'd taken her quite a while longer to manage this in-game, but here and now he took up her hand. He claimed he saw her as gracious and brave, both of which were things she didn't currently feel.

She had the grace to look embarrassed but this was mostly because she was fighting the urge to pull her hand away. "I... well..." she stumbled a bit in her speech. "There is no need to envy me. I simply walked the path before me, to the best of my ability. There is nothing too special about knowing me..." she finally managed feeling strange about starting up a romance but knowing it was necessary to get the Prince to showcase his full abilities. "You are too kind really. I─" she said, for added clarity she tentatively reached up with her free hand and rested it against the back of his. "I realize I don't even know your name. Though I feel a bit strange telling you mine knowing how dangerous it could be to associate with me... especially when my path carries me into dangers most never face," she said softly. She was really playing into this semi-tragic love story. Tsukiko would be thrilled by a story line like this. 'Ugh, by the end of this, I might hate myself...' Her thoughts stemmed back to the idea that moments like this were much easier to play out, when she didn't have to physically be involved with them.

[Bloodedge]

Her embarrassed state only further drove the prince to believe this would work in his favor. Surely, she was in such a state because she had some desire for him, right? It had to be. Already, there was so much chemistry between them, so much which made them similar. These facts only grew the more the blonde spoke, even to the point of mentioning that she feared offering her own name. He grew more excited by the prospect, nearly bouncing on his feet as his hands shook hers. "No, no, it is fine! My name is also shrouded in misfortunes yet to occur. I am Prince Aeronius Eon of Eonis. I ran from my homeland because I was born with the blood of the Devil, and I have been running from my curse all this time. But... you, you are a Necromancer. You understand what it is like to be considered a curse as well. If it is you, we could... we could begin a new kingdom of the misunderstood! No one would question or ridicule those who have good intentions, but lack the pure souls of others, if everyone is the same. Children would not grow up as we did, feeling as if they don't belong in their own skin or home! Even if you would not become Queen, does this appeal to you at all?"

[Apollymi]

Was Miki interested in this man at all? No. No, she wasn't. Did she need him to come back to Eonis so that they could slay the Demon King? Yes, yes she did. There was something particularly repulsive to her, about playing up to gaming stereotypes within her own body. At least, she'd be able to commiserate with Kou when they finally got some time to be together and discuss it later. Still, the Prince before her bounced on his feet with his hands clasping hers. He immediately went on to give his whole name, life story and ambitions without any further prompting. She looked reasonably shocked by the revelation, not because she didn't already know exactly who he was. No, nothing that simple was in her emotional depth. Instead she was genuinely surprised that so small a gesture had turned him into one who raved as if he would return to his Kingdom immediately. He'd truly meant what he said about not wishing to be alone, that much was obvious. 'Ugh, if you weren't so annoying this probably wouldn't feel like such a drag...' she thought. He obviously had good intentions. She could even back his desire to make sure that children didn't have to feel as outcast as he had when he was growing up.

"That is quite a surprising bit of news. Fortune does smile upon us it seems..." she said softly. "My name is..." again a pause, for dramatic effect. "Miki... and it has been nothing but a pleasure to meet one so like-minded. I did not know what I would find when I came here, but I am glad it was you..." she said softly. This sentence was earnest, making the blonde lass feel less like a manipulative sociopath. "I wish only for the world to know balance... titles and the like do not concern me. If you wish to see your home a place where the intentions of people and not their birth determines how they are judged, then I would see that too─" she said with brightness in her eyes which was for the idea that this leg of her journey might be reaching its end. This was also left purposefully vague so she didn't accidentally agree to marry this man. "I do not wish to bear you bad news but... there is something you should know..." she gave pause to let the seriousness of the moment settle in. Finding out about the King and current state of Eonis was something which was necessary. There was a good chance that it, plus her potential for romance would make it so the lad would be a proper contributor to the fight at hand.

[Bloodedge]

Everything was coming together in a spectacular fashion. The girl introduced herself by the name Miki, and seemed to be accepting of his plan. She agreed to the concept of a kingdom free of judgement, even going so far as to say she wished to see it with her own eyes. Did this mean she would become his Queen? That wasn't clear, but he had hope. For the moment, the girl named Miki took pause to mention that there was something of importance she needed to address. What could it have been? Did she happen to be infertile? If this were the case, any potential heirs would be out of the question. Ah, but in such a kingdom... surely they could take heirs from elsewhere! It would suit the fairness of the land's structure if they did something like that anyway. Yes, yes, a simple gesture of adoption! Ah... but was that even what she had to say? The prince had taken his thoughts a bit out of hand for a moment, being caught up in the idea of creating a just kingdom. In all the time he stood there thinking about heirs that may or may not ever happen, he forgot to even ask what she wanted to say. "Ah─ what news?"