Florence
Résidence Eleusium is the most remote of the dormitory halls in the *Academy,* Offering small, apartment-style living-spaces, and is typically used for transfer students, those studying abroad, or graduates and upperclassmen preferring a quieter lifestyle. It is split into level A, B, and C.

Room B-11 of the Eleusium hall is reserved for a particular long-term scholarship student: "Starweaver" Vatēs. Despite his eccentricity, it has been kept relatively simple. The somewhat cramped apartment-style living-space is incredibly modest, and, besides the slight Elizabethan interior design, seems to sharply contrast the extravagance of the mage who lives within.

A lamp in the corner of the room is kept perpetually on at all hours of the day. Stacks of books left half-lazily, half-orderly are strewn about the apartment.
Thomas
Early into a Tuesday afternoon, the mage sits with his legs dangling over the edge of the end of a thinly-blanketed mattress upon an unassuming frame of stained poplar — the thing that served as his bed — his eye peering between the parts of his slightly-messy, black locks at the words lain across the page ahead of him. There was a sort of broken focus and gloss in his gaze that came with one who lazily read a book, a magazine, or a newspaper — or any form of literature, for that matter — for a reason other than to enjoy its contents: it was the blank stare of one who was simply killing time. Vatēs scanned across the text once; his eyes went blurry, and they flicked back to where they started; he scanned across the text twice; and again his eyes went blurry, and they then again flicked back to where they started; he scanned across the text thrice...

*`The cessation of any action, the extinction of any keen desire, or of any opinion, is as it were a death to them. This is no evil. Turn, now to your different ages; such as childhood, youth, manhood, old-age; for every change of these is a death.`*

He blinked, slowly.

*`Is there any thing alarming here? Go, now, to your life; first as it was under your grand-father, then as it was under your mother; and then as it was under your father: and, as you find there many other alterations, changes, and endings, ask yourself, was there any thing in these to alarm me? `*

He squinted, lightly.

*`Thus, neither is there, in the ending, ceasing, and change, of your whole life.`*

It was then that he clapped the book shut with the hand he used to support it, leaning up from his reclined position on his bed.
_ _

```ini
[ "None of this... Makes sense." ]```

_ _
Vates stood upright from his bed, stretching. He was clothed in little more than a loose-fitting, undecorated white-cotton shirt, and similarly unassuming trousers. His hair was messy, and had not yet been combed or tied—his appearance seemed quite like he had just woken up, despite the fact it was already shortly past 1-o'-clock. A sort of frustration was fixed upon his visage.
_ _

```ini
[ "This is so... BORING!!" ]```

_ _
He both announced and struck a pose, pointing at the opposite side of a room, where a mirror was situated. He walked—stumbled—across the room, gently setting down the book, before pacing toward the kitchen. The mini-fridge door croaked as it opened, Vates swooping down into a kneel to inspect its contents...

`99% Empty`
There was a single carton of milk in the fridge: a single serving, one cup. It was decorated with a cartoonish depiction of a cow mascot.

At record speed, he snatched the thing up and unsealed the thing, gracelessly knocking back a swig as he paced toward the door. His left hand furled about the handle as he swung it open without even having wiped the drink from his lips. His eyes descended upon what lied beyond as his head lowered from his drinking, where he then might see something that would give him great shock.
James
``". . .Mhmmmm, this should be it, pretty sure. B-11."`` She muttered, staring at the number above the doorway. This was definitely it.

An entrusted academy student makes her way down the dormitory hallway of Astra Cantum with purpose, the sort particularly designated for all transfers and fellow students studying broad, or the ever-privileged upperclassman. Having gone up one flight of stairs, she quickly located the correctly informed 'B-11' label down the row of doorways within the Eleusium hall, and then stopping in her tracks just a few feet away after approaching said destination. It looked no different then any other dorm entry, but its current resident is what was significant, and also was the reason she was here, naturally. Her stoppage served to give a moment of thought with said reason primarily in mind.

Earlier today, Nano was asked a simple favor by one of the faculty members between classes. It concerned another student named Vatēs, a highly. . . *Unique* Yet nonetheless talented peer who's most recent notoriety came from a rumored outburst during a lecture last month, thus leading to an apparent academy suspension excluding his own dorm. Incidentally, he so happened to possesses a special technique based in **SOUL** Analysis that even the most prestigious of academy magicians had little to no understanding of, and for some amount of time, had scheduled appointments dedicated to researching this affinity of his. However, in light of his recent suspension, Vatēs has been stubbornly refusing to attend said appointments out of presumed pettiness and immaturity— mind that these are the words of the *Faculty member* In question, and not Nano herself.

_ _
Nano didn't know a lot about him other then his unfavorable reputation and general consensus, but even with that, she wasn't one to jump onto unfair assumptions or conclusions about others. It merely was in her nature to avoid that on principal, not until she'd seen it for herself. Despite having never met him, she was inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt, as she does with everyone, because she felt people judged too quickly and without context. Eccentric, egotistical, attention seeking, disruptive. All adjectives of the Starweaver that was likely behind the door she stood in front. Her pause mainly centered around how to approach someone like this. Sure, there wasn't tremendous risk in setting him off, but one the reasons she was asked to do this was because the administration felt she was mature enough to handle someone of his temperant. She certainly didn't want to disappoint, nor to fail decent expectations. It was a little stressful, honestly, but no smoking today, which was a little rough.

The actual 'favor' was straightforward; convince Vatēs to allow *Her* To do a study on his technique, and maybe also persuade him to attend his next meeting. Another reason she was given this oppertunity— and was thankful for it, as well— was because she herself had done extensive work with **SOUL** Analysis methodology. His is apparently head and shoulders above the rest, which meant that this could be an excellent learning experience, if nothing else. She was optimistic it'd be more then that.

_ _
It was now the afternoon, and Nano had gone out with some friends shopping before returning. She wore a tan-colored coat that stopped a little below her knees, and a white, subtly cheap-woven fabric sweater underneath. Slightly faded out gray jeans and cedar-colored ankle boots filled out her lower half— it was a clean, relatively presentable appearance ignoring the fact that it was considerably less expensive and high-end then it looked. Her brown hair was short today, and this time, no shades were needed to cover up her eyes devoid of that sinister redness. No need to cover up a certain recreational stench, either. All clean, although she felt a little. . . Itchy.

_ _
Tucked between her right hand against the side of her torso was a white binder that she picked up while shopping, of which contained neatly lined paper. Nano intended to take notes so as to adequately conduct the research she hopefully would be able to do. A blue ballpoint pen was attached to the side of said binder, and it also contained some of her own study notes on her own **SOUL** Analysis technique as a cross reference. Granted, it wouldn't be all note taking or answer questions, and she was well aware of that. After all, yet another good reason she was selected to do this was because she was expertly at this sort of task— analyzing the techniques of others with her own developed methods. It's what made her standout a little more, and while one could argue she had reason to almost *Envy* Vatēs in the sense that he had what she had, but better, she didn't feel that way.

All of that being said, she didn't have the whole day. Nano felt she'd pondered on her approach long enough, and that things would work out fine— she took a short sigh, nodded to herself, and approached the doorway. At the end of the day, she prided herself on her composure, and she hadn't met many people out there enough to grind her gears. Being friends with people like Jenova certainly helped with that. She was the one for the job, right? Proving the higher-ups right was something she did on a regular basis.

Nano stepped forward, raising her unoccupied hand and extending her fist so as to knock on his door, before—

*``. . .Oh. Alright then.``* She was a little surprised by his sudden appearance, having been a little worried she'd ignore potential knocking, but nonetheless quickly regathered herself into a greeting, lowering her arm. Wasn't he not supposed to leave? Well, whatever. He must've been grabbing something. Sweet milkstashe.

``"Heyy. You're Vatēs, yeah? I'm Yuen Hanano. Little sudden, but can we chat for a bit? Won't be long."`` Nano wouldn't mention the milk on his lips, and her cordial smile alongside a casual tone was able up to cover up the smirk that nearly formed on her face, or the giggle stuck in her throat. It was kind of funny.
Thomas
There beyond the door was not immediately the varnished paneling and the white plasterwork of the empty hall, afire with the pale glint of the sun — the tired blonde glow of a Tuesday at mid-afternoon. There was not the peace, the undisturbed atmosphere moved by the tides of wind that pushed through the cracked-open window. There was not the calm ambiancé at the threshold of Vatēs' door as he had expected it, but rather...
_ _

```ini
[ "...Huh?" ]```

_ _
His hair, frayed at the edges, was uneven. It was cut so it could be styled in a very particular manner — individualistic and in a way that fit Vatēs well — but now betrayed his dispreparedness by granting him an unusually unorderly appearance, its blunt-cuts curling into rogue locks that twisted and parted any-which-way they pleased, uneven in length across the width of his brow such that one eye was revealed much less than the other. It was Vatēs' left eye, through that mess of hair, that first met Hanano's own — his right was hidden by the bulk of it all — and so, in a sense, it was her **SOUL** That he saw first, not her face. The lucid hue of a blue spirit sparkled in his sight in all its familiar beauty...

His expression started with a surprise that quickly became shock—it was strange to see Vatēs, so frequently described as vain, this thoroughly beyond his element. His head swayed and his hair loosely fell beyond his right eye, revealing the pastel-blue contrast to the sharp-and-distinct azure of his left.
_ _

```ini
[ "E-E—" ]
[ "Excusez-moi!" ] —Vatēs interjected, before slamming the door shut. It would remain so for some time.```

_ _


...


The door cracked open. Vatēs' fingers sifted through the hair that lingered along the arch of his eyes. He emerged from the other side of the door at an angle, leaning to stare at the visitor through the slight crack that formed the opening in the door. This time, it was a pale, pale-blue right eye that first greeted her, strands of hair suspended above the browline between the slender fingers of the mage now gazing with a delicate sense of humility at Hanano.
_ _

```ini
[ "A—hahaha..." ] Vatēs chuckled lightly.
[ "Hahaha!" ] — he laughed again, louder, and with that seemed to regain some composure, [ "Désolé! I wasn't expecting a visitor today." ]```

_ _
Vatēs opened the door completely. Though admittedly not as presentable as he typically would have kept himself, he emerged with a much more proper self-presentation: his hair was quickly but suitably combed, a ruffled, white lace-up day-shirt replacing the oversized tunic that served as his pyjamas. His trousers, however, remained the same as they were, but lent themselves much better to fashionability when paired with the semblance of a man who, himself, seemed more prepared—in his element. Even if it was only by that slight bit more.
_ _

```ini
[ "Mm!" ] —now he agreed. [ "Yes, I am Vatēs! I see you've heard of me??" ]```

_ _
He grinned lightly; there was a sense of accomplishment on his face. He flicked his hand through his hair in a flourish, folding one arm under his elbow to form some semblance of pose.
_ _

```ini
[ "So——! What was it you wanted to talk about? A discussion on magic? Expert insight on an inquiry? An opinion? To seek my advice...?" ]```
James
*``. . .Huh. Did I upset him?``*
﻿
Nano was about to interject, but Vatēs had suddenly slammed the door in her face. Was it. . . Something she said? That was about as casual a greeting as she could muster. Her confusion would be short-lived, as not too long after, said door slowly began to creak back open. The Starweaver's fingers creeped and nestled across his hair just above his blue-pale eyes so as to keep it leveled above them, of which Nano's own spectacles would exchange humbling glances with more concisely this time around. Then, he reopened the door fully, reigniting the encounter.
﻿
Looks like he was a little embarrassed about the way he was dressed in front of someone else, having changed into something more suitable between a combed hairstyle, a decent albeit not totally smooth white lace-up shirt, and trousers better complimenting the aforementioned changes as opposed to what he had on before. Obviously, Nano didn't mind regardless, but who to blame someone for wanting to look presentable? She wondered if the milk thing also had something to do with it— she did her best to bottle up a smirk and/or a laugh. Such a thing exemplified one of her better social qualities and greatly contributed to her lauded maturity; restraint in any capacity, especially emotional and within adherence to appropriate manner, though excluding two specific habits, of course. Perhaps that served to denounce it as a false attribute of hers, but that was overthinking it, right?

Vatēs seemed much more confident and in control once swapping attire. The Starweaver chuckled somewhat nervously and a little forcefully, but explained he wasn't anticipating visitors— though she initially thought he wouldn't be the type to care too much about what others saw or thought of him given what she was told about him. He properly introduced himself, his face pleased and seeming overall joyed that she knew of him, making what she thought was an adorable gesture in reaction with his hand, flicking it across his locks and posing. This seemed more like what he was described as earlier. That's pretty cute. She replied with a simple nod to reinforce his glee.
﻿
. . .Oh, right. It just now occurred to her, because she'd totally forgotten about it: don't Jenova and Kiyo hate this guy? That's a little mean of them, although they naturally know him better then she did at the moment. Maybe she could also find out why. . . Or even help reconcile one another. Actually, that's a little far fetched. In any case, Vatēs continued and inquired about what it was she was here for, providing multiple possible reasons that served to flatter himself. Admittedly, her saying 'won't be long' earlier wasn't a guarantee. This could very well take a while, if required.

_ _
``"I'd say the first thing, oui."`` Nano answered, clutching that binder she was holding against the bottom-half of her torso slightly tighter and dragging her left hand across her body so as to have both situated on top of it. It wasn't to indicate nervousness, but a subconscious action representing affirmation of what she was set to do here. She paused for a moment, before continuing with her calmed smile and expression increasing emphasis marginally, yet another natural mannerism. Subtle things, but they were ingrained into her mind at this point. Also, she added a little French 'yes' at the end, which is the only word she knows in the language. Imitation is flattery, right?

``"I got a tip from someone that you have a really neat ability related to SOUL reading. Just something I'm interested in, so I was wondering if I could pick your brain about it, if that's cool?"`` She shrugged her shoulders somewhat coyishly, but her brown irises narrowed themselves toward his ever-standout left pupil that she was informed was enchanted with said special ability. How it appeared obviously confirmed that, bearing a differing, glistening and bright appearance to his right. It was pretty to look at, for sure, but she stopped to look back at him. Don't wanna make it weird.

Now, there was something to be said about the level of dishonesty here. *Technically*, nothing Nano said was lies, but there was certainly some omission of reality that, if included, may or may not have served to otherwise disturb someone like Vatēs— the whole being sent to issue testing that he didn't want done on him, and everything. This wasn't of her own volition, and rather the specific instruction of the faculty member to not let him know why she was *Actually* Here, at least to that extent. Doing this, to be frank, kind of bothered her, and had she a choice, she'd be truthful. But, when it comes to doing what the superiors asked of her, as it relates to her family. . . She'll do it, even if its a bit compromising. Excluding the moral reservations she had about it, she also just thought it was a bad approach.
Thomas
With his hair parted on either side of his center-brow, it became much easier to meet Vatēs' eyes, each in their own distinct, blue tone. Faded rays of sun seeped in from the open window and dispersed as they struck across the invisible facets of the gemstone embedded within his prosthesis — the smooth jewel that served as its iris — refracting into lustrous glints of deep-blue light that twinkled alight with each subtle shift of his gaze. It was a mystifying thing to stare into, and not only for its dazzling appearance: the `Eye` was inhabited by an unbelievably complex enchantment, white streams of mana overflowing from the ringed codices of enchantment that encircled the pearly orb. Any fine level of mana detection could sense the exquisite intricacy of the spell embedded into the `Eye`, fluctuating subtly, orderly—as though it were, itself, an animate thing.

Vatēs' head titled leftward, only that same left eye remaining level with Hanano's gaze, as he had taken notice of her moment of focus upon it. The small and satisfied smile upon his face became an antic grin as he hummed curiously under his breath, his hand folding loosely beneath his chin as he leaned lightly inward. Her little touch of French amused him some slightly, but his ears perked at the word "Interested", and his attention was captivated at the notion someone wished to hear more of him—about him. Attention was the sucrose of his life; its flavor always touched sweet on his tongue, and he had never quite had enough.
_ _

```ini
[ "About this fantastical little Azure Eye, humm...?" ]```

_ _
His hand slid up and over his right eye as he shut tight the vision of his pale-blue iris, all his apperception of the mundane world fading away, leaving nothing behind but the open enchanted orb and its clairvoyance that pierced into the realm of spirits. ***`The Soul-Seeing Eye.`*** Often, when others brought attention to it, it felt as though they were bringing up some adjacent subject to Vatēs himself — something he was only lumped together with. It was not him, but a part of him, that most were interested in, and so the sweetness of that sucrose—*Attention*—faded, just slightly; neither changed nor soured nor disappeared entirely, merely faded, ever-only in slight. His smile remained.
_ _

```ini
[ "This extraordinary thing, I must say, can do much more than SOUL-reading..." ] 
[ "It sees the hidden cosmos lying before it——reveals things you could not even 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 seeing!" ] Vatēs boasted, his hand outstretching at his side in a more dramatic motion.
[ "It reveals mana, spells, Spirit, Vessel, and SOUL impartially. For example, you, I see," ] he tilted his head again, the gemlike fire of his eye shimmering with the changing angles of the incident sunlight, [ "Possess a fine, blue SOUL——not unlike my own!" ]
[ "Miss Hanano, you see: there is a reason why I am known at the Academy as... The 𝘌𝘺𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎—" ] Ah, wait. He's not allowed to use that sobriquet anymore... [ "...Uh, nevermind." ]```

_ _
It seemed her subtle dishonesty had flown straight under Vatēs' radar, even despite his *`Soulsight`* That remained active even now. As Vatēs' right eye opened again, he nodded to himself following his lengthy exposition, the gaze of his mundane eye focusing upon Nano's visage, as though to confirm her own shared sense of awe with the world he had just described... As well as expectantly observing whether or not she was impressed with his one-of-a-kind ability. He seemed the type especially vulnerable to flattery, enough so that he would not make observations well within his own ability to make if they were even vaguely neighboring a statement that complimented him.

Vatēs folded his arms and briefly closed his eyes, his head leaning back as he seemed to remain in a very brief moment of thought.
*`...This is a perfect opportunity, actually...!`*
...He grinned.
_ _

```ini
[ "Say, Hanano!" ]
[ "With all the stories it holds, I could go on for hours about this Eye of mine. So——!" ]
[ "Why don't we actually chat over this over a bit of coffee? Tea? Perhaps at a café...??" ]```
Joseph
The bestowed clarity upon Vatēs enchanted eye from parted locks indeed reinforced admiration for its glistening, intricately detailed appearance. Between the defined, contrast yet complimenting coloration surrounding the iris of the prosthesis, as if a runic item or artifact in and of itself in its glinting, gem-like or jeweled design, and the overflowing, deeply and miraculously refined mana beaming from its sheer presence, granting it some quality of liveliness— only viably identified because of her own proficiency in magic detection, that in mind— it was truly a marvel and gift to exchange glances with, let alone take notes on or conduct testing. Nano certainly was not one to disregard the beauty in especially advanced forms of sorcery, nor to act stoically or reserved in the face of impressive magical displays; as stated, she was genuinely interested in this *Because* Of how the technique was described, as opposed to merely, impersonally fulfilling tasks asked from the school faculty. Even with that, seeing it *In* Person was different. Sometimes, things like this brought out the child in her that was never freed. That unique, innocent sense of wonder, that untouched conceptualization of imagination unbothered by the restraints of the demanding world. What a joy it'd be to feel such a way. . .

_ _ 
. . .But nevermind that, she was getting off-topic. Nano tilted her head so as to convey curiosity and nodded concisely with each bit of emphatically phrased information Vatēs revealed about his Azure Eye, about how it could transcend the barrier of SOUL-reading. The idea of uncovering the vessel and SOUL impartially in particular stood out as things unique to him and inaccessible to her, not to insinuate jealousy, of course. Should she be writing this down? Well, she could likely ask him to restate things when necessary, preferring not to interrupt his amusing, charmingly dramatized exposition. To be frank, the simple exhibit of the eye itself did more work to impress her then his vivid description, whereas she found his spiel and enthusiasm more-so endearing, if not simply adorable aligned with the rest of his general mannerisms thus far— still, the intent to 'wow' her was effective regardless and excluding any attached sense of factitiousness. She did smirk slightly at his walking back of the dropped sobriquet, though.

_ _
``"Mmhmm? That all so? Sounds even more refined than they said. I think they undersold you, Mr. Starweaver."`` Nano tilted her head the other direction and made an enthused 'okay' gesture by bending her right-hand fingers together, offering an assuring grin that was a mix of calm amiability and anticipated amazement from his clearly intentional observation. Such choice of wording was almost *Too good* Of an effort to deliver high praise to a praise-seeker, but rest assured, the only somewhat ingenuine thing she'd done thus far was omit certain information per request of who sent her here. This was merely her nature— to uplift and admire others, nevermind if it was deserved nor that it slightly shedded her otherwise cool-headed disposition. It was the sort of courtesy she was taught as a young girl.

Before Nano could continue, watching as Vatēs briefly folded his hands together and leaned his head back, he expressed excitement regarding a proposition: carry forward their conversation outside the bounds of the academy, preferably in a cafe setting evidenced by his emphasis on the word. This actually wasn't too excessive of a demand relative to what she was told to expect of him– and naturally, repeatedly told not to give in– but generally, so long as he didn't go anywhere deeper into the campus itself so as to honor his suspension, taking him outside school grounds wasn't an issue. Even that said and as a matter of fact, the words of the anonymous faculty member specifically instructed, *'as long as he complies, it doesn't matter where it happens'*. Provided that sentiment, it seemed like a fairly simple and viable request to oblige. She's using *His* Time, after all.

_ _
``"Sure, that's cool. Anywhere specific in mind?– and you can just call me Nano, Hana or Ms. Yuen if you want."`` Nano did consider the fact that she was out with some friends earlier at the local galleria, and that she *Did* Pay for everything, as per usual. Because of that, funds are a little low today. It's only a cafe, right?. How pricey could it be? Also, 'Ms. Yuen' wasn't a typical way to address her, but she felt Vatēs the sort inclined to speak more formally.
Thomas
Vatēs nodded to himself as he saw his small pursuit for affirmation fulfilled, as one does when they search and find something right where they believed it to be. He nodded again when it was said that he exceeded her expectations, and again and again when she used his title. Pride, of course, was the strongest of his traits, and while he actively sought out external confirmation of his talent and efforts, there was nothing he was more certain of than his own greatness; he nodded because it was only natural for her to say, but indeed pleasant for him to hear. Nano's nature thus shared a great affinity for someone as egoistic as Vatēs: when he is lifted up, he finds himself most comfortably in his element—acknowledged as he believes he should be—and from there offers all the pleasance of his characters voluntarily. He is a most pleasant person when pleased.

*...Hm, wait... Undersold him...? Undersold by whom?*
*...Nevermind the thought.*
_ _

```ini
[ "Mmhmm." ]
[ "Mm-hm!" ]```

_ _
When Hanano had agreed to his plan, Vatēs covered his mouth, sounding two small approvals as he slightly averted his gaze before closing his eyes. There was another soft nod, and he kept on a calm and agreeing appearance. His second *Mm-hm* Came with some force, his smile growing beneath the palm that hid it as he paced unconsciously perpendicular to the open door, making a small turn on his foot, stylishly pivoting to face away from the visitor. In truth, he attempting to play it cool, his pivot to face away from Hanano rather impassioned while he barely kept it subtle enough to maintain a sense of suaveness—but in truth, the gesture itself was dramatic enough that it betrayed the truth; it was an effort to conceal the swelling anticipation that was uncontrollably surfacing on his face.
_ _

*```ini
[ "So, it's a date...!" ]```*

_ _
It had been so long since he had been to a café! So long since he had enjoyed the ambience of a lounge, enjoyed the fine music: the cello, violin, the piano and the woodwind... So long since he had tasted of deep-roast coffee, of fresh-baked pastry! It had been so long since he had walked *Pōns Valois* And savored a social atmosphere. *Yes—it was a date!*

Indeed, in many ways, Vatēs had greatly accelerated the tempo of this whole ordeal in a single quickening statement that owed itself to many ways of misinterpretation. Since his suspension, these sorts of things became quick to excite him, and excite him heavily they did—it had been a whole month since he had done something fun like this, after all. And to such a hot-blooded mage as Vatēs, that one month may as well have been a decade...
_ _

*```ini
[ "Please," ] he spoke suddenly as he turned, a theatric change of pace now placing a sober expression on his face. [ "Just a moment." ]
[ "I will... Make myself ready!" ]```*

_ _
He faced Hanano and paced toward her on the forefront of his feet, each step precisely ahead of the other, as though he treaded the walkway of a stage. And just before he would step beyond the door, he stopped, his arm extending up and his fingers wrapping around the upper part of the door, itself. Vatēs was, in all his mannerisms, exuding a small sense of dramatism, one that gave off an almost comical, but still charming effect. Yet still, it could also have the inverse of either: melodramatic, overbearing, or perhaps absurd. His eyes wide open and his gaze fixed on Hanano, he gave one last large and genuine smile that broke the stagely-serious semblance that he had put on, before thusly slamming the door on her for the second time this visit.
_ _

It would remain shut for some time.
He needed to make himself ready, after all...

. . .

The door creaks open, and behind it is revealed Vatēs, in all the properness of his full attire. He now donned a black overcoat, a cravat, fine black trousers, his hair neatly and specially fashioned as was typical of his style, two teardrop-shaped gem earrings suspended from his ears. His attire epitomized the heart of *Evening Star* Culture and all his own extravagance—it was remarkable that he could throw together such seemly accouterment in what felt like only two or three minutes.

```ini
[ "Much more suitable, isn't it?" ] He spoke with a grin, now greeting Hanano once more.
[ "...Shall we go, Hana?" ]```
Joseph
Nano continued to run along with Vatēs eccentricity, encouraged to witness that so far, their interaction has been nothing but pleasant. There was no malicious intent in delivering him praise, and yet she couldn't ignore how effective it was. His theatrical nature was quite honestly a refresher, though— not as to say others were uninteresting, but more-so that he was especially dedicated to his performance. And indeed, she'd be one of those charmed and endeared as opposed to overwhelmed by his dramatic mannerisms, his grandiose explanation and declarations. His excitement made *Her* Excited. That was the kind of person she was, one who tried to feed off the welcoming energy others whilst emitting the same herself demeanor regardless if it was fully returned. In this instance, it was.

When The Starweaver referred to this as a 'date', it made her feel a little bad about the underlying objective in mind and how it sort of opposed the innocent nature of the encounter— in fact, she had to remind herself that she was *Asked* To be here. Her thoughts also droned over to *Her* Idea of what a 'date' was in the typical sense, and. . . Well, best not to get too detailed about *That* Stuff right now. 

``"Sure, take your time. You'll pick out something nice, I'm sure."`` Nano relaxed her hands and gave an eye-shutting grin as he announced his changed of attire, maintaining his thespian propensity in spinning and twirling around, before shutting the door abruptly. The moment he did so, however, she reopened her eyes, slightly sighed, and stared at the nearby wall in brief contemplation.

_ _
*``Oof. Almost messed up. . .``* Nano had pushed it off her mind temporarily, but it was no less a fact; she *Almost* Slipped right there. Mentioning that 'undersold' almost completely gave her away. She was a little surprised that Vatēs didn't catch on— or maybe he just didn't say anything— and was concerned knowing that certain variations of SOUL-seeing abilities are capable of discerning truth and lies. Hiding things was not her forate, even in spite of the fact that she hadn't really 'lied' in the conventional sense during the conversation. 

Her tempermant nearly *Inclined* Her to blurt out the wholehearted truth subconciously. She'd certainly be a horrible secret keeper for all the calm she exudes, particuarly ones of nefarious nature. Regardless, nevermind that. Just be more aware, and that's all. Everything's going well, and she'll have a nice coffee date with a no-longer-to-be stranger. The binder tucked into her arms retightened slightly from her increased grasp, as she looked back at the door in anticipation.

_ _
``"Wow, you're fast. Suitable for sure, pretty chique. I guess I'm a little underdressed, huh?"`` Hanano shruged her shoulders in gleeful shame as she took note of Vatēs attire, and was visibly surprised at how quick he was getting his things together. She wasn't exaggerating, really; her mall thrift shop clothes regardless if one could tell how cheap they actually were paled in comparison to his fine, clearly thought-out choice of wardrobe. It appeared sophiscated and grand, fitting of his character. She couldn't imagine affording anything like that.

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``"Where to, Mr. Starweaver? I'm up for anywhere."`` Ms. Yuen took a slight step back, extending her arm out and making a 'please lead' gesture, bowing laxly, yet playfully, an example of the aforementioned reciprocation. She didn't lose her air of distinct cool and laid-backness, yet attempted to replicate the eccentric sort of mannerism of who stood across from her. She was generally indifferent towards drinking caffeine, coffee or tea, generally prefering other stimulants/depressants like. . . Marijuana, or just water, but cafe's are usually, to put it less advanced terms, a 'vibe'. She only now thought about how it was likely Vatēs hadn't gone out for a while. No wonder he was so excited, then.