Holy Templar Sanctum (Aincrad)

[Apollymi]

While they floated about in the water, Angelica got to hear about the vastness of the true sky. Charles was one of her favorite people to talk about such things with as his descriptions were always rather open. Beyond that, there was a great deal of information to be gained from his understanding of the entire thing. Particularly his words about the stars gave her a strange bit of longing. She really wanted to see the sky outside. She'd only ever known Aincrad and didn't know about everything else taking place in the world. Still it was something she could only know from stories like these. "Oh? Is it sad because I can't see it for myself? I think I understand that..." she said, there was always a bit of excitement in her when she heard the answers to the kinds of questions she had, but there was also always a hint of emptiness knowing she'd never see it herself. "Still, it sounds really unbelievable. I was once told that from the ground level, you can't even tell there are whole continents in sky... I just wondered how it looked..." she mentioned.

Ah, one of the things she enjoyed about Charles came to light in a moment like this. He eventually asked about her leaving his place. Of course he'd think of that, to her knowledge anyone who talked to her about things she wondered was the type to want to show her what the outside world was like. Too bad... "That's a sweet sentiment really but I can't," she said with a sarcastic little smirk crossing her face. "I don't mean I am afraid or anything. I've tried before. I can't leave Aincrad, it's impossible for me to step foot outside of it..." she explained of the situation. "Jeanne once tried to get me out of here. She said I'd enjoy meeting a bunch of people she knew, but I couldn't leave Aincrad at all..." she explained of the situation. That'd been quite a while ago, and had been part of the reason Jeanne kept up her visits to tell her about all the stuff that was going on in her life. Not that the lass wasn't always friendly, she also said it was sad she couldn't leave, so she tried her best to make sure she experienced the 'fun of girl time' in her own words.

[Bloodedge]

The sadness of this situation came from more than simply Angelica's inability to see the sky. There was so much more to the world, so many more nuances than one could count. A few of such things existed here in Aincrad, but it was nothing compared to the living, breathing, varied world outside. Perhaps Charlemagne was a bit biased due to his previous life in a world without magic... but it could only be a little. "That's the core reason. The sky is just one thing different about the outside, though. And, yeah... to the lower world, it's like Chaldea doesn't even exist. You won't even see a shadow of a continent from down there, as if they're all removed from the same reality or something," he explained.

As for the idea of taking Angelica outside even for a single trip, apparently, she couldn't leave. It was not fear that kept her, nor chance of consequences, but instead... a literal inability. Jeanne d'Arc herself had previously attempted to take Angelica out of this floating stronghold to no avail, and it seemed to Charlemagne like the reason was unknown. That couldn't be right; there had to be some sort of caveat. "Huh? This might sound rude, but I figured you were at least partially a shut-in by choice. What could be keeping you locked in here? If we can find out, I'm sure there's got to be some way of fixing it. If you like looking out at the stars, you deserve to see the real thing at least once. It's been a thousand years already Angie! Time to get out of the house!"

[Apollymi]

More descriptions came from Charles. They came with a caveat of sadness associated with her lack of exploration, but at the same time there was quite a bit of detail. She couldn't imagine the amount of space which needed to exist between the surface and Chaldea to make it so that those on the bottom didn't even know of its existence. The idea of that alone was rather startling. She was trying to imagine it, but her own world was so very finite she had a hard time wrapping her head around the sheer mass of such a thing. "I can't imagine it..." she said. Still there was a smile on her face, it sounded to strange but also so very interesting. She really wanted to understand such a truth for herself.

Ah, about her future in leaving this place, it seemed that Charles thought it was at least partly Angelica wanting to be on her own which kept her inside. To find out that she physically couldn't leave was shocking to the lad. A casual movement of angelica's hand happened as she aimed to splash the lad with water. "Of course it's rude Chuck. I am not trying to be alone all the time," she said slightly huffily. Ah, what could be keeping her locked in here, well the answer was obvious wasn't it, "I assume it is some kind of magic, likely the same kind that keeps me on my floor..." she said with a casual shrug. But that implication made it so that it was likely odd such a thing had to come from her father. "Whatever the case it feels wrong when I try to get out of Aincrad. Moving around inside with someone else is fine but, something at the core of my being feels wrong when I try to leave," she said, giving that as the best description she could. "I don't want to be trapped in here forever or anything. I seem to enjoy people a bit..." she said as she closed her eyes again.

[Bloodedge]

"That's the point. It's that stunning; a description doesn't really do it justice. You just have to see it for yourself," said Charlemagne regarding the natural brilliance of the world. As much time as he spent outside, he thought himself to be decent enough at explaining it. Even then, it was impossible to grasp with words alone.

Within moments, there was a splash of water aimed his way. Why? Apparently, it was for assuming Angelica was partially just a shut-in. "Oy, don't blame me for assuming you were an agoraphobe!" he said while sweeping his arm across the water's surface, aiming to send a revenge splash Angelica's way. Moving on, she presumed the magic that kept her bound to Floor 99 was somehow involved in her inability to leave Aincrad as a whole. That didn't seem like it would be too ridiculous a task to overcome. It felt wrong when she tried leaving? All they had to do was stop that feeling. Charlemagne seemed to be in deep contemplation. Something had to work out, right? "Hmm. If it were something evil, I would have felt it... or I should have. Even if I didn't, your old man would have to. Maybe it's a side-effect of something? I mean, you're basically the cornerstone of Aincrad, so it could have something to do with consecration. Or... your dad's overprotective? One of those might be harder to deal with than the other," he said, hoping for anything but the latter scenario. If Angelica being sealed in Aincrad was due to Father An being overprotective, marrying her would be about the only method of breaking whatever seal there was in place. . .

[Apollymi]

The sky outside was something she had to see for herself. Of course, that was the case, too bad that wasn't something that would happen any time soon. "I see..." she said seeming to find that whole thing worth leaving behind. Why not? It wasn't like she was in any great rush. She was only a thousand years old and not being able to see something apparently indescribable wasn't really abnormal.

Apparently, Charles wasn't to be blamed for assuming she was agoraphobic. "I don't even know what that means, but I feel like I should feel insulted!" claimed as she was hit by a retaliatory splash. Still she didn't seem to mind. Charles seemed to be deep in thought about the things that could be keeping her held within Aincrad. He went through the usual suspects of problems, evil would have been something felt by most if not all magically inclined inhabitants of Aincrad. "Yeah, I doubt it is anything evil... " she said seeming to appreciate that conclusion just a bit. A side-effect could have been interesting, "I guess it could be. I've been here for as long as I can remember," she said calmly. The bit about her father potentially being overprotective was odd to her. She was all alone except for servants, even the man himself didn't seem to be very interested in coming to see her nor getting to know her very well... given that the idea of him being overprotective was a bit outlandish. Her being a cornerstone made a bit more sense, but she was just a singular person, she doubted her existence here should be anything so important.

[Bloodedge]

Should Angelica feel insulted by being called agoraphobic? Well, he supposed it depended on the individual. Some would be heavily offended, while others would take pride in being a total shut-in. "It depends. You don't act like much of a shut-in, except for the whole 'locked in your room' thing. It's not such a bad thing, though," he replied. Whatever the case, he was more concerned with Angelica's inability to leave. To be more specific, he was trying to figure out a way to make it possible without ruining something else. Perhaps it was a good idea to speak with Father An.

Anything evil was certainly off the list. Angelica had nothing to say about how overprotective her father may or may not have been, but she did believe it was possibly a side-effect of something within the system. If that were the case, Charlemagne would consider it a stroke of good fortune. If not, well... he'd still think of some way to make things work. "I'm hoping for side-effect. Whatever it is though, we'll deal with it. You're gonna see some real stars!" he declared while backstroking his way toward the dock.

[Apollymi]

Apparently being shut away and to oneself could be considered an insult or could be a compliment and it mostly depended on the person. This only made Angelica wonder, what kind of person would take pride in being locked in a space by themselves for extended periods of time. Maybe one day, she'd get to know such individuals and could ask them about it. For now, she was content to know that her current situation wasn't really a deal breaker of any sort for Charles. "Well, if I am not bad off I won't worry about it," she said seeming to only concern herself with her ability to leave her room. How other people saw her leaving or not leaving her room wasn't really a huge deal to her, instead she wanted simpler things in life.

According to Charles he was hoping her being locked in was a simple side-effect of her current existence. He claimed that whatever the issue was, they'd handle it, that was a comforting thought wasn't it? Charles might not have thought himself 'husband material' but he was definitely seeming more and more like it as time went on. Actually, his ability to want to conquer a problem that was one she'd known her entire life, was something that made her appreciate him a bit more. He'd even said 'we' when referring to the problem as if he didn't see it as exclusively hers. And to her own knowledge, this was just over something as simple as her stating that she wanted to see the stars and sky... no more no less. "Thanks Charlie!~" she managed seeming to soften up quite a bit. She'd be content to lay about in the water, splashing and talking until it was time for food and her inevitable return to her own floor.

[Bloodedge]

In response to Angelica's offered thanks, Charlemagne only nodded affirmatively. There was little else to discuss on the topic until something was figured out. Without any other topics on the proverbial table, Charlemagne swam around casually while contemplating. What could really be sealing Angelica in Aincrad? Depending on what it was, how easily could it actually be overcome? Could it be managed without great sacrifice? These were the questions floating through his mind while he worked up an appetite and enjoyed the lake.

Of course, all things came to an end eventually. In this case, as in many others Charlemagne strived for, the end was a sign of brighter beginnings... namely food. He'd been swimming close enough to the dock to smell the fish when it was well-cooked. Once that scent reached his nose, the male reached up to grab the dock and pull himself onto it. "Smells like lunch!" he called out. With that, he walked along the dock and had a direct gaze at the fish's blackened scales. They'd been swimming for quite some time, it seemed; the fish was obviously thoroughly cooked. As such, he dislodged the stick holding it from the ground, holding it away from the flame to cool a bit. "You want first bite?" he asked.

[Apollymi]

A comfortable conversation was one thing that Angelica could always rely on Charles to give her. An affirmative nod came after her thanks and then she went on to smile up at the sky, trying and failing to imagine something like an endless sky. Whatever the case, eventually their fish was ready and she found herself swimming back towards the dock and pulling herself back up. She'd walk back towards Charles as she shook water out of her weighed down hair causing it to curl up a bit tighter as the water left it. Probably for the best lest it drag the ground.

Once by the fire she saw him remove the fish from the flames allowing it to cool She looked it over. It truly was blackened but it didn't smell like it would taste bad or anything like that. She'd find herself beside Charles looking at the fish as she was offered the first bite. "I mean if you want me to have it... I'll take it," she said. It was Charles' fish and she didn't mind being the first one to taste it. After it cooled a bit she'd go in for a small bite on top of the creature just below its upper fin so she could have a clean bite. She couldn't help her initially reaction. "Ho...ho...hot!" she managed.

[Bloodedge]

When Angelica emerged from the lake, Charlemagne took note of her first action. It made sense for her to seek an immediate drying of her hair. How she walked around with it even in a dry state, he couldn't fathom. He'd never seen it in anything but those massive drills, making him wonder now how long it was when straight. Who even managed the upkeep? "Your hair is..." he started, obviously having an epic realization for the first time. "Exciting." That wasn't exactly the word he was going for. Even so, it remained accurate. He'd undoubtedly go without mentioning why exciting was the word that came out, but that was an aside anyway.

Ah yes, lunch was at hand. Charlemagne had worked up an appetite, but he was fully content with the idea of Angelica having at the fish first. Sadly, she was fated to make a mistake that proved how very normal she was under all the pomp and gaudiness. She bit into a freshly-cooked fish that was obviously still too hot, and her immediate vocalization gave that truth away without fail. "... Really?!" he questioned, shocked that she'd actually done something like that. Laughter escaped him immediately, seemingly to no end even as he continued speaking. "That is singlehandedly the most hilarious, and weirdly cutest thing I've ever seen you do. How could you let yourself bite it so soon?!"

[Apollymi]

As she left the water, Charles took note of her hair. What he said specifically was it was exciting? That was a strange word to choose, of this Angelica was certain. Even so the hairstyle itself was one she'd come to like quite a bit and as it was naturally curly this style was one of the best she'd ever experienced. "Really, thanks, I think..." she said accepting the compliment at face value. "I used to think it was pretty boring or maybe childish, but I like it this way..." she mused. The curls themselves seemed to be almost naturally occuring the longer her hair got, tightening up so that it wouldn't drag the floor, though she still found herself playing with the curls themselves from time to time. Once upon a time, a night had been spent braiding it long so it could be measured, while Jeanne told her stories of how she and her sisters did each others' hair most days as they couldn't be bothered with their own heads.

Still the moved on and lunch was upon them. In a moment so relaxed as this, Angelica suffered quite the mishap, she approached a freshly cooked fish with too much enthusiasm and was forced into the slow cooling mouth process of breathing with something burning her tongue. All the while, Charles laughed at her but in a way that she took as uniquely good natured. "Ha...ha...ha..." she mumbled out having cooled the food enough to chew and swallow, she heard out Charles words and found him to be in a rather good humor. He even called her cute, she blushed. How could she not. She managed to look away with her nose turned up in the air. "Obviously, it was a matter of curiosity, Chuck. I wanted to try something new!" she claimed as if it was a perfectly good explanation, but it was mostly just her trying to cover a bit of her more rushed actions. She'd obviously gotten caught up in the moment a bit. "It is good though... just really hot!"

[Bloodedge]

"Childish?" Charlemagne questioned. To think of something like a hairstyle as childish was, while not a new concept to him, a little strange. Hair was far from what made one childish, and those giant spirals were far from boring as well. "It's definitely not boring, and what makes a hairstyle 'childish' anyway? I'd associate that hairstyle with you alone long before I thought of it as something a kid would wear. You've kinda made it your own thing. Besides, I can't imagine it being straightened in any way. . ." The more he thought about the ridiculousness of Angelica's hair, the more he imagined never seeing the end of it if it were uncurled. He'd pay a hefty sum just to find out exactly how long it was, actually. "Hmm. . ."

Charlemagne's random hair-ogling aside, there was a very important and hilariously overzealous consumption of fish occurring. With all the work he'd been doing, Charlemagne hadn't experienced a laugh so thorough in literal years. Angelica tried to play off the situation as a matter of curiosity, which she couldn't really be blamed for either way. "Yeah, I get it. I mean... it wouldn't hurt to be a bit more conservative, but... I get it. Glad you like it regardless! Your tongue still work?" he questioned, finally calming down from the laughter and leaning in various directions as if to get a glimpse of Angelica's tongue.

[Apollymi]

Apparently Charles thought to question the childishness of her hairstyle. It was one more commonly seen on children and curly hair tended to lean towards more immature faces and bodies. Much like pigtails it wasn't considered something which could be pulled off by mature individuals. He claimed he only truly associated the style with her and he didn't think it boring. "Thanks, I guess it's childish because it seems like the sort of things only kids get away with. Or maybe more like the kind of thing adults would force onto a kid and then call immature as they got older? I thought maybe I'd been clinging to it a bit but I think it suits me. It was braided before.... and long enough to wear like a scarf to keep it from dragging the floor," she expressed of it straight. It hadn't been that since but it was rather fun indeed at the time. Her face was still rather red and it was completely Charles' fault for being so sweet about something as simple as her choice in hairstyle.

As for the matter of her overzealous consumption of hot fish, Angelica could see the future humor in the situation. Charles words about it lightened the mood quite a bit and beyond that he seemed so genuinely happy in the moment she couldn't have taken that from him. Instead she played along seeming to take his advice. "Of course, Charlie. I am the epitome of caution," she claimed while sticking her tongue out for inspection. "I'm pretty sure it's fine... it only feels a little weird. I'll have another bite in a bit," she claimed.

[Bloodedge]

As for the alleged childishness of Angelica's hairstyle, Charlemagne didn't believe it was worth any additional thought. It worked, so she should keep it. Charlemagne could hardly imagine it in any other style, but lo, Angelica claimed she once had it braided and... used as a scarf? The mental image of such a thing was nonexistent, yet somehow intriguing as an idea. "Huh. I'd pay to see that too," he commented, failing to realize a slight verbal leak from his earlier train of thought.

While rolling with the humor of her minor mishap, Angelica claimed to be the epitome of caution. Alright, that was normal. What wasn't normal at all, was the sudden extension of her tongue. Nothing was off about the action, nor were there any implications to it, yet Charlemagne was taken aback for reasons he didn't previously expect. Another thought was worth silencing, apparently. "Um... yeah. Looks fine. Holy Princess, mouth closed, good idea," he rambled. At this point, Charlemagne was sure he'd be avoiding a third mug of beer; the second one was obviously affecting his brain in a way he'd rather avoid.

[Apollymi]

According to Charles, he'd pay to see the braided hairstyle she mentioned, but in addition to something else. She didn't know what he was talking about but assumed he'd mentioned a partial thought he'd not shared fully before. "Oh? Really? It seems a bit extreme to me, but you'd have to find me someone else willing to braid it and those people are few and far between," she said with a firm nod. Jeanne had been a very special kind of person, and she doubted others would feel inclined to do such random and girly things without prompting.

Whatever the case, she rolled with the humor of the moment, showing her tongue even for good measure. Strangely, Charles seemed to be spacing out a bit and doing some strange amount of rambling. This wasn't totally abnormal for him, though such behavior always seemed to occur when he was thinking too much about some random thing or another. "Maybe you should eat Chuck, you seem a bit spaced out..." she mentioned. Of course that could be taken a ton of ways but she meant it totally innocently. "Surely an experienced adventurer like yourself can manage it without nearly burning off your tongue~" she teased just a tad. She saw nothing wrong with his words and thus didn't feel the need to call him on them. They weren't that abnormal to her.