[ 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]

[ 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.

[miraculo]

Mmmm, if we're thinking of everyone here as a family-- then he'd be the father, and-- [ Sizing him up. ]

You're more like an uncle than an older brother, even if you are just a few years older than me. [ It's the beard. ]

[opportunitycosts]

I can accept either roles. [He also thinks the same, so he's perfectly fine with it.]

[miraculo]

[ She giggles, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. ] ...Thank you, Alvin. [ A pause. ] You know, you can be like a father-figure too, with your advice. [ Maybe that's what being a father- or mother-figure is like. Just providing guidance and words of wisdom (as well as scoldings) from time to time. It really doesn't have to do with age at all. ]

--But you're right. I'll be sure to talk to him when I can.

[opportunitycosts]

[...Man, that just makes him feel weird.]

Now you're making me feel old. Save it for when I actually hit my thirties. [He still has a couple of years! Let him live it!!]

Just be honest, all right? You have a tendency to hold back for the sake of others, but in this case you should really let him have it. And if you want, I can also put a word in.

[miraculo]

Well... Maybe. [ She considers his offer. ] Let me try to speak with him first. [ She'll probably procrastinate on talking to him about it, though. Because she doesn't like confrontation.

Not that it is a confrontation. But it's an unpleasant topic to broach! ] And nothing changes, then I'll let you know, okay?

[opportunitycosts]

All right. Just don't take too long about it. [He knows you, Sanae. He knows.]

If I don't hear back from you in a week, I'm going to give you a call.

[miraculo]

[ Oh boy. ] ....I'm-- I'm sure it won't come down to that!

[ She reassures lamely. Even she doesn't believe her own words. Sanae coughs into her hand. ] In the meantime, do you need anything I can help with?

[opportunitycosts]

[Looking at you, Sanae.

But he eases up a bit and shakes his head.]

Nope, I'm pretty good here. You focus on your affairs.