#engodly

nanami frowned, of course tomoe would say that. few things concerned him, the shrine and mikage and that was about it. through the shrine he was occasionally worried about her as well, but just insofar  as he didn't want her to embarras the shrine he loved so much. or for her to die and then he'd be left without a master again.  he'd be able to walk past about anyone crying so long as it did not directly concern him.

she looked up at him and folded her arms over her chest, of course she could order him to help, but there was no need. she'd just help the little kappa herself. "helping people doesn't make things harder for me," she said. "and i'd do my little harebrained scheme again, thank you. the kawauso needed to find its way back to its river and its parents, and i was happy to help. and i'm going to be happy to help again. you can just go home, i'll do it myself," she snapped, whirling away from him.

and then he agrees that they can help and she turns to look at him again, the smile on her face bright. "thank you tomoe!" she said, "i'm not going to push myself, we just need to fill the sara back up with water. how hard can it be?"

nanami walked over to the kappa, crouching down to reach over and put a hand on it's shoulder as if she were a parent comforting a child. "it's okay, we're gonna help you," she said. "just point us to the direction of your river," her voice calm, and warm. that soft soothing way that nanami always seemed to have that could turn about anyone into her ally.

"i probably shouldn't complain about companionship," she said, knowing that it made her sound ungrateful for the love and support of those around her. what other person could speak to the emperor so informally? what other consort didn't have to perform nightly duties? she had friends who cared for her, who wanted to see her safe and even more than that happy.

people who cared about you came with their own set of complications. like she feared death now, when she hadn't before, when there had been no one to care about her. when no one would have been hurt by her absence.

and she found herself wanting to help more. she saw the people she herself cared about in pain, struggling, and so she stepped in to alleviate it when she could.

perhaps she could justify doing it for gaojun who so frequently brought her sweets that it was if he paid the toll for any service she could provide over and over again.

"i think the greater issue is i don't know how to be around other people," she said. so much of her life had been spent in solitude with few others for company. her mother or liniang. solitary people who were company none the less. but she had never had friends before this.

The woman before her was tall, and beautiful, Fumi's eyes strayed down just a little bellow the neckline and ... and she was stacked. The young girl could have cried. Why was every woman she met more blessed with god given assets and she was just cursed to be flat as a pancake! Fumi would weep about it later.

Right now she had to figure out where the door had lead her. "Hello," she said, giving a friendly little wave before she remembered her manners and bowed. "Um, I think I've gotten here by mistake," she said, turning to look about the shop she was in.

❝ it never truly stands still, doesn't it? ❞

whether humanity liked it or not, life still goes on, although it was possible to reverse events through the usage of magic, but the effects on the perpetrator were not always positive or favorable on those who have been impacted & especially the individual who had caused the turning back in time in the first place. time does not wait for anyone they say.

although it appeared that a certain dimensional witch & magician have evaded the clenches of father time.

the physical forms did not accurately reflect their true ages due to the kind of magical power they had been blessed with or perhaps it was a curse. eriol had use his magic to maintain his youth appearance when the time was right to test the new mistress of his former incarnation's creations. as for the far-eastern witch, her ability to live forever & not age was bestowed by an accidental wish to stay alive for an untold amount of time but death always finds a way to catch up eventually. it will also catch up to mortals too, however, that is the part of the circle of life.

a sigh, ❝ even if we do not age, the world around us & our loved ones most certainly will. time does not stand still for them. i know one day the people we hold dear will not be with me anymore... but at least the memories we have shared with them will stay in our hearts. we should cherish the time we are given to spend with them... ❞

❝ isn't that right, ichihara-san? ❞