saudade; raiden ei

xxᴠɪɪ. discussion

'She's simply attractive.' Ei frowned to herself as she hiked up the mountain, towards the Grand Narukami Shrine. It was already after dark but she desperately needed to see Yae.

She strode forwards at a swift pace, unbothered by the long climb as she blocked out the world around her. Ei needed a second opinion, one to which she could relay the whole picture without being judged...

Well, not judged much. Miko was never afraid to be honest, but that's precisely what made her the perfect person to talk to.

When Ei reached the top, the shrine was silent aside from the rustling of the leaves in the soft mountaintop wind. As one slowly drifted towards the floor before her eyes, she gave a soft smile.

This was the beautiful aspect of human life that she had missed during her time in the Plane of Euthymia.

Moving further inside, the Archon heard a pair of quiet voices. A young girl swept the floor, and the Guuji herself walked towards her.

"Hisa..." she sighed. This behaviour was typical of the child, as she spent every free moment at the shrine, despite being too young to be officially employed there.

Honestly, her dedication was admirable.

"...Isn't it time that you went home? It's getting late."

Hisa smiled. "it's okay, Guuji Yae. Really. I'd prefer to continue helping you, and I'm sure my sister wouldn't mind."

"Well then, you can help by going home. If it gets any darker it'll be too dangerous for a child like you to be out alone. It's risky enough as it is, so you'll have to stick to the path."

Hisa pouted. "Boo. You're no fun. Besides, I'm not a child! I'm twelve!"

Yae didn't appear to be impressed. In fact, in the instant that she snatched the brush away from the girl, she almost appeared exhausted.

Almost. This was the infamous Yae Miko, after all. However, this sort of interaction between the pair clearly wasn't a new occurance.

"Hey! I haven't finished working!"

"You've done enough! Next time, I won't even let your sister drop you here!"

Hisa gasped. "You wouldn't dare..."

Yae smirked. "Would I~"

"Fine. I'm leaving." The girl huffed. She strolled past Ei without even giving her a glance, her face contorted into a sour expression.

"You have a guest, by the way." She added over her shoulder, her cold voice imitating that of a sulking child. Which she technically was.

Looking up, Yae's eyes widened for a moment when she noticed the Archon. "My, look who it is. I wasn't expecting you, Ei~"

The woman in question came to stand before her. "Is she... going to be alright?"

Yae simply smirked, her eyes sparkling in amusement. "Yes, this is the way that Hisa has always been... She leaves in a spiteful mood and comes back with twice the enthusiasm the next morning."

Ei smiled, giving her a pointed glance. "That was awfully caring of you."

Yae mirrored her look. "Yes, well. There are some people that force you to be direct, as they care more for their duties than themselves."

Pausing, her smile turned wistful.

"Truthfully, her dedication reminds me of how Y/n used to be..."

Ei looked down, feeling guilty for the soldier's change. To be honest, the fact that Y/n was meant to be living another life always ate at her thoughts.