[ empatheias ] message box

[opportunitycosts]

Alvin will have acquired his own little carrier pigeon to send messages, so he'll have one stationed at the main carrier pigeon place that will come and find him.

In the meanwhile, this is the entry for any private messages that are delivered via the carrier pigeon system.

Comments

[miraculo]

Mm, I'll be at your office in a few minutes.

[ The gift of flight is a convenient one.

Just as she says, she arrives at From the Hearth, knocking on the door to his office. Which is weird, because as he's part owner of the restaurant, she always imagined him to be more like a chef than a manager. Oh well.

Anyway, when she's let in, she'll go ahead and take a seat, settling in. She's also probably distracted by any decorations or awards he might have. As well as any health inspection certificates. ]

[opportunitycosts]

[The chef is Milla. He runs the actual business—it's actually a pretty good set-up. No rewards, really—kind of too young of a business for that. The only thing she should notice about his office is that it's probably more well-kept than what one might expect from Alvin. He's organized, but this is tidy. There also may be traces of a sweet smell like perfume...

Yep, definitely feminine handiwork has been done to this office. Said lady is not around, though, so they should have some time.]

So, what's on your mind?

[miraculo]

[ Sanae should get herself some of that perfume. And that fashion sense, tbh. Someone still wouldn't notice her, though. ]

Well, a little over a month ago-- in Ennea [ December. ]-- Lu Meng was.... well, he was well. Better than I've ever seen him, actually! [ She looks up at Alvin, smiling softly and with a soft, proud fondness in her eyes when speaking of her dear friend. ] You know how he... was. With any sort of contact. [ Her brow furrows again momentarily. ] we had been ice skating, and we crashed and fell. [ The worry ceases, and she's back to smiling. If he has any flowers in his office, they will be blooming and closing over and over again with her story. ] But do you know what--? He was actually fine! [ Her tone picks up, excited. ] I mean, besides the crashing bit-- that wasn't so nice-- but he had no reaction whatsoever, no blacking out, no hitting me, no-- anything! In fact-- in fact, he actually allowed me to hug him!

[ Her golden eyes sparkle like summer suns, the air warming up around her. Spring can't get here soon enough. ] And he embraced me in return, do you know how amazing, that is? Before he wouldn't even have allowed that much, but he did this time, and-- and I feel as if he really felt comfortable with it!

[ As she finishes that part of the story, her hand goes to tug at a lock of her hair, pulling it over her shoulder to comb through it. The uncertainty returns in her voice, and she sits back in her chair, casting her eyes lower. Likewise, the warmth recedes as quickly as fog in the late morning, drawn back into herself. ] A few days later we were planning a date between Peromei and Elios. We were at a restaurant, and--... [ The uncertainty in her voice returns, as does the puzzlement. ] He's changed since then. He's become more distant, and I don't know wh--

[ A moment passes where her eyes widen, as if she just realized something. And then a new emotion reflects in her tone, her eyes, and even in the shine of her green hair. Her shoulders slump, and she lowers her hand to her lap. ] No.

I think I know why.

[opportunitycosts]

[No, don't copy Presa, Sanae, that is definitely not your style.

And as a matter of fact, he does have plants in his office so this is going to be kind of fascinating to notice from his peripheral vision as he listens to her story. Which is one he definitely had not expected, and he has to hold himself back from making a joke about why she's telling him about her little "date" with Lu Meng.

But just like the plants, Sanae is also kind of amazing (and amusing) to watch. She is the poster child for wearing one's heart on their sleeve, so for a guy like Alvin, rather than being able to read her like a book, it's like reading a picture book. So he just lets her go through it all and when she reaches the end—]

What is it?

[Now, he doesn't know all the details. Of course Lu Meng hasn't told him anything, and Sanae has only talked about what she just told him. So he isn't quite making the connection just yet.]

[miraculo]

[ After a moment's delay, she breathes out. ] I told him that I was a god.

[ She leans forward, running her hands through her hair, expression nothing less than defeated. Lu Meng's reaction is exactly why she is so cautious of revealing her godhood in Empatheias. Not that she remembers she is a god 100% of the time, but she has refrained multiple times from revealing as much when certain topics arise in conversations. ]

[opportunitycosts]

[—That makes a lot of sense as he thinks about it. Since Alvin was never one to really "revere" gods, one primary reason being that he's kind of friends with one, he never felt that way toward Sanae. But for a man like Lu Meng, whose very bones seem to be made out of some hard core traditional values...well...]

So you think he now feels as if he must treat you with some kind of reverence and respect instead of who you are.

[miraculo]

...Yes. He even said so-- that he would treat me differently than he would a human. That he'd treat me no differently than the other gods here. [ She sighs, watching the plant in his office wilt further.

Unable to tolerate its leaves drooping, she looks the other way. There's the corner of his desk. Yes, that's interesting. ] Even if he said he still admires and likes me for who I am.

[opportunitycosts]

[Don't make his desk droop. He actually likes it.]

But you don't want that, right?

[Sighs.]

Personally I think Lu Meng needs to get that stick out of his ass.

[miraculo]

[ She nods affirmatively at the question. Yes, she regrets telling him of her divinity. As if it weren't difficult enough to get him to stop her "Priestess" instead of just "Sanae"!

Then she looks up sharply, not expecting the... blunt remark from Alvin. The plant stops wilting, at least. ] Er--... yes. He's very formal, isn't he?

[opportunitycosts]

Too formal. You can hardly believe we're roughly the same age with that attitude he has.

Anyway, you should talk to him about it. Some deities may like the respect, but you're still your own individual. If you don't like it, then he's being disrespectful to your own feelings about it.

[miraculo]

[ Record scratch, and hold that good advice on the second part. ]

----How old are you?

[opportunitycosts]

Twenty-eight.

[And STILL acts like a college frat boy. ...Which is actually not as unusual as one might think.]

[miraculo]

So--- so--... Lu Meng is--??!

[ SHE THINKS LU MENG IS AT LEAST 36. ]

[opportunitycosts]

Twenty-nine or thirty by now.

1/6

[miraculo]

[ These ]

[miraculo]

[ icons ]

[miraculo]

[ speak ]

[miraculo]

[ for ]

[miraculo]

[ themselves. ]

done

[miraculo]

[ Sanae chuckles awkwardly at length, finally closing her mouth from her surprise, shock, and disbelief. Static has filled the air around her, and a few-- no, many strands of her hair stand on end. ] That's... that's-- I'd have never guessed. He should play one of those guess-my-age games at a festival! [ And win a lot of money because of it. ]

wow

[opportunitycosts]

[...Yeah, okay, sorry, but Alvin is too busy laughing over here because WOW THAT'S A GREAT REACTION.]

Y-Yeah, he sure—would—[PFFFFFFFT HAHAHAHAHA.]

[miraculo]

[ A flustered sigh. ] Don't-- don't tell him I--

[ That she reacted that way.

Because honestly she's not one to speak. Everyone thinks she's still a teenager! ]

[opportunitycosts]

[Being thought to be younger is better than older.]

I won't. [Okay, he's stopped laughing. ...He's just chuckling a little now.]

But it's hard to believe, right? Even I thought he was like forty with how he carries himself.

[miraculo]

[ Well she feels a little bit better. A Lu Meng's expense. Which makes her feel a little bit guilty. So that awkward smile continues. ] Mmm, well--.... guess I can't think of him as a father-figure anymore, huh?

[opportunitycosts]

Depends. He certainly does feel like a father. If I were a few years younger, even still in my twenties, I'd probably be tempted to do that.

Less about the age and more about behavior.