Until the Time Is Up

[a_meebo]

Who: Mikleo a_meebo, Mary immobileyes, & Sorey unwaverings
When: Before the November book event
Where: The Zesty Abode
What: Mikleo invited Mary over to meet Sorey back during the ViViD intro. So, here they are, ready for this meeting.
Rating/Warning: G

[Mikleo's been a very busy bee these past few days. Getting adjusted to the technology, figuring out where everything is in the city, checking in with some people he's recently met, figuring out if other humans can see him outside of ViViD, making snacks for two humans and four seraphim (including himself), stealing Sorey's history books for some light reading....

The list goes on.

This, however, is something he's been keen on getting ready for. Mary and Sorey meeting for the first time. True to his word, he hasn't told Sorey about the fact that Mary isn't human. He simply tells his friend that he wants him to meet someone he ran into when he first arrived.

Then he calls Mary to schedule it and starts making some snacks for her to take home afterwards.

Look, he really loves this oven and the fact that temperature is no longer an issue for him because of this wonderful technology. Hope Mary likes butter cookies.

When she arrives, Mikleo's just finished putting the cookies on the cooling rack and answers the door, calling over his shoulder:]

Sorey, would you turn off the oven, please?

[He stands aside for Mary to enter, a small smile on his face.]

Hi, Mary. Come on in and make yourself at home.

[Okay, maybe Mikleo is a little excited for the two of them to meet. Maybe. He just thinks Mary deserves more loving friends, alright?]

Comments

[a_meebo]

What are you two whispering about?

[It's probably about him. So. He'll reach over and break off a piece of Sorey's cookie and eat it. That's the punishment he gets. Mary will have no such punishment.

Clearly, he's nicer to Mary than he is to Sorey.]

[immobileyes]

It's a secret!

[ No, it's fairly obvious...

And she loses no cookies, even better. ]

[unwaverings]

[ Wow Mikleo you're supposed to be his best friend and you up and steal part of his cookie. This relationship is clearly spiraling. ]

H-Hey! Mikleo, that was mine! [ Auuuugh. ] Now it's definitely a secret!

[ And he's never telling you. Huff. ]

[a_meebo]

[Clearly.]

Sorey, need I remind you that I usually find out your secrets eventually?

[Can't hide anything from your best bro forever, Shepherd.]

There's more where that came from and it's not like I just took a bite out of it. [don't be a baby]

[immobileyes]

A-ah-- [ NERVOUS HAND FLAP. ] You shouldn't fight!!

[unwaverings]

Not this one!

[ It wasn't even that big of a deal anyway.

But — ah, Mary, please ... He turns to her with a sort of embarrassed smile on his face, holding his hands up a little. C-Calm down ... ]

H-Hey, Mary, it's fine. We're not fighting.

[ They're just play arguing like usual. Stealing part of his cookie isn't going to ruin their friendship ... ]

[a_meebo]

[Mikleo crosses his arms and smiles slightly at Mary. Given her personality traits so far, he's not so surprised that she'd think it was a real argument between them.]

I promise, it's not a real argument between us. We just bicker like this.

[A lot.]

Our arguments are usually on more serious topics, like...my decision to be Lailah's Sub-Lord and join Sorey on his journey without being a liability to everyone. That was a while ago, though, and the two of us made up after that.

[After throwing his stubbornness at Sorey until he understood why Mikleo wanted to do that.]

[immobileyes]

[ So they're not about to descend into fisticuffs-- okay, good. Mary remembers many a BL manga ending with one or both parts of the couple storming off in a passionate rage, but if this isn't a real argument, she feels a lot better about it.

But also faintly confused. ]

Sub-Lord?

[unwaverings]

[ Don't worry, Mary, they won't storm off in any passionate rages any time soon. They're just children.

But ah ... ] Yeah, that was a long time ago. [ No need to bring it up again, silly!

He'll gently explain that for Mary, though. ]

It's kind of like he made a contract so he could help me out on my journey.

[a_meebo]

[He gently bumps his shoulder against Sorey's.]

Just because all's forgiven doesn't mean we should forget it happened.

[It's how they learn. Looking into the history of their world has taught Mikleo this lesson, and their journey really only reinforced that.]

Right. My contract is with Lailah, so I share some of her power. She'd be what we call a Prime Lord. In turn, Sorey gets some of my power, too. [Ah, but he remembers his discussion with Hiro on this very topic.] There's no class system or other form of hierarchy in seraph culture. We're all equal. Even though ultimately the Prime Lord can force compulsory commands, the pact is made with mutual trust between the seraphim. I trust Lailah to know when she needs to use those commands on me, and she trusts that she'll never have to use them.

[immobileyes]

So there's one seraph that's a Prime Lord, and to help Sorey use their power, the other seraphim become Sub-Lords?

[ Is... that how it works? ]

[unwaverings]

[ Sorey listens to Mikleo's explanation and then nods. ]

Yeah, pretty much. Mikleo and I can do some pretty neat stuff thanks to it!

[ Like become magical boys together. ]

[a_meebo]

[Mikleo also nods.]

It's generally a good idea for the Shepherd to have a seraph for each element. So, I'm not the only one he can do some 'pretty neat stuff' with.

[...It's just more common.]

[immobileyes]

... So like Dezel?

[ Well, that's the only other one she's met so far. ]

[unwaverings]

[ Smiling and nodding at Mikleo's words.

But he looks kind of shocked at Mary's question. ]

You've met Dezel? [ Huh. Returning to smiling though. ] Yeah, Dezel's the same as Mikleo. [ What with having a pact with Lailah and all. ] Except he's a wind seraph, so the things I can do with him are different from what I can do with Mikleo.

[a_meebo]

[Judging by how casually she says Dezel's name, he can guess that the two of them are getting along well enough.]

Lailah is a fire seraph, and the earth seraph with us is named Edna.

[immobileyes]

[ Oddly enough, yes, she's already very fond of Dezel. She wonders at Sorey's shock, briefly-- but oh well. ]

So you have one of every element! Doesn't that make you really powerful?

[unwaverings]

[ He seems pretty amused at that deduction. ]

Heh heh, yeah, I guess so! [ And as a small note. ] But I'd never use it for anything bad, so don't worry!

[ He knows she doesn't know him well, and him being powerful could be taken the wrong way. And he knows he's gotten some concerned looks in the past over his power. ]

[a_meebo]

[It's subtle and possibly unconscious, but Mikleo leans a little closer to Sorey, a gesture of comfort and support.]

Please, as if we'd let you use our power for bad reasons. Besides that, you stop to listen to us if we have reservations about it.

[immobileyes]

[ ... kyaaaaaaaaaaaa. ♥ ]

It's okay! Mikleo trusts you, so you're definitely not a bad person.

[ This is it, this decides her. ]

[unwaverings]

[ ... Ah. Thanks, Mikleo.

He merely nods in response. ] Yeah. [ He knows Mikleo'd never let him use him for bad anyway, and of course he listens to his friends' opinions!

But he looks a little shocked for a moment at Mary, and then he smiles wide. ]

I'm glad you think so, Mary!

[ That ... really does make him happy to hear. ]

[a_meebo]

[Mikleo's got his back.

Mary's assessment makes him feel both a little embarrassed and a little pleased. It's really nice to know that she trusts the seraph that much.]

It means a lot to hear you say that.

[immobileyes]

[ ... Oh. Did she make the both of them happy? ]

T-that's... I mean, it's true...

[unwaverings]

[ Pfftt ... He gives a nod. ]

Yup! Mikleo doesn't just trust people for nothing!

[ Mikleo is the one out of the two of them who thinks before he places trust, after all ...... ]

[a_meebo]

[He sighs.]

One of us has to be a little more reserved. Still, there's no one I trust more than Sorey.