Holy Templar Sanctum (Aincrad)

[Bloodedge]

Charlemagne was infinitely satisfied to finally have his head through the shirt, going so far as to sigh contentment and stretch just to break it in a little. He wasn't going to harp on why his skin was being touched here and there. If anything, something about skin-to-skin contact with Angelica was far more pleasant than any random contact with others. Perhaps that had something to do with divinity, or something else he couldn't possibly understand in full.

He hadn't mentioned his workout routine to Angelica at all. How did Charlemagne acquire confirmation of that? She said the shirt was made because she thought it would look nice, and furthermore thought she'd been right. Charlemagne didn't even have a chance to react to that embarrassment, as Angelica immediately brought into question what a workout was. The shock value alone made him halt mid-stretch, staring, blinking intermittently, mouth slightly agape. "Well... it's conditioning the body. Some people do it to get stronger, some do it to make themselves relaxed, and some do it to hone their skills. Humans have to do that sort of thing for growth; our bodies are in a constant state of flux."

[Apollymi]

That nicely fitted shirt was one thing, and the comforting feeling to skin to skin contact was another. Angelica was already at least a little aware of why she seemed to enjoy the contact, as it gave her skin light tingles letting her know it was a pleasant interact of mana which she enjoyed in addition to the contact just being something she likely would have sought regardless. Beyond that point though, it seemed she'd managed to surprise Charles. Was it with her comment about his attractiveness in the attire she'd made for him? No. Not it was not, instead the man simply seemed baffled by the fact that she didn't understand the idea of working out.

Of course, it made sense that she had no idea what that was. Her own form didn't change after puberty had properly set in, and she didn't gain weight or lose physical power at all. Only her magical power seemed to fluctuate at all. Regardless his following explanation seemed to be quite odd to her ears. Everything he explained humans doing for the sake of physical conditioning could be accomplished in a single physical and magical interaction. "Hm, maybe it is the human thing, but that all seems like you could do it with a Mana Transfer and achieve the same end result," she said in the straightforward and socially abnormal way she said most things.

[Bloodedge]

Charlemagne offered his best explanation of workouts and their purpose, only for Angelica to receive it in a very strange way. What was she thinking of it? Probably something he'd be further baffled by, if he had to make assumptions. Only a brief silence ensued before Angelica affirmed just what he'd been thinking. She claimed the results of working out were all things acquirable via mana transfer. She certainly wasn't wrong, given what he knew about Heroic Spirits... but it was such an Angelica thing to say regardless of the facts.

"I─ well... yes," he accepted. Mana transfers were undoubtedly a method of achieving the same results as workouts, probably with additional benefits to boot. On the other hand, it wasn't like a mana transfer would have been a viable option. "But, mana transfers require other people and all that jazz. Working out is something you can do by yourself, and gives a really rewarding feeling at the end. Besides... mana transfers don't mean the same thing nowadays, remember? It's not like someone can just go out and ask someone for one, unless they're a Heroic Spirit talking to their Master," he explained. Surely someone of Angelica's status had no use of physical activity to sustain herself. Surely consistent mana transfers would allow anyone with enough mana quality to sustain themselves without exercise, but that wasn't a reasonable thing for humans to expect at all. Most wouldn't have even been capable of utilizing a mana transfer properly anyway. . .

[Apollymi]

Charles was unable to rebut the way Angelica thought about this workout that he explained. Mana Transfers would indeed cover all those things, but it seemed she'd forgotten how tied up humans seemed to be about the entire thing. Right, those words seemed to be tied directly to the human emotional bonding aspects of sex in general. That was fine as well, that also didn't technically change the way she thought about it. In fact a simple wave of her hand would occur. "Humans are simultaneously far too simple and far too complex," she claimed.

"Though I suppose there are merits to things done for one's own interest. I understand it for things like archery, but my body is how it is... Though I find yours pleasing so, if this working out thing is part of that, I wouldn't try to talk you out of it," she said with a casual shrug. There was an entire tirade in there somewhere. You know, concerning the fact that mana transfers were thought of oddly, and the fact that exchanging mana strengthens both individuals so long as their quality is similar. But there was the fact that humans couldn't really perceive mana in the same way. Perhaps honing their bodies was a way to show themselves as readily available even when their magic couldn't show it off for them.

[Bloodedge]

Simple, yet complex, was a rather effective way of addressing all humanity. Humans could be either at the perfect time, and they could be either at the most imperfect time just the same. It all depended on the moment, the situation, and the individual in question. "You're not wrong," Charlemagne agreed once more.

He was beginning to pick up his discarded articles and gather them all into a pile to carry along. His trousers were folded and placed atop the tunic, greaves atop that, and lastly his faulds and vambraces. Of course, some choice words by Angelica were a source of returning embarrassment. Was that the cause behind the skintight shirt? Suddenly, one of Charlemagne's braces hit the ground. In an effort to quickly save the moment and pick it up, more pieces of armor fell due to his leaning. "Eheh~" he laughed almost nervously while scrambling pieces back together. "Yeah, I guess I'll keep that up."

In a matter of moments, Charlemagne managed to gather his things anew into a proper stack. With all that talk of working out, Angelica confirmed her own state of physical stasis. Even with that being the case, he saw only positives to the idea of a good workout. "I think it's still worth trying either way. I mean, mana transfers can't always be the answer, right? Light workouts and yoga are a staple for just relaxing. Nothing like a good muscle stretching to start the day off, or to wind down from it."

[Apollymi]

Angelica was told her thoughts on humans weren't wrong. Of that she was already certain. Their lack of understanding and use of Mana meant that most humans weren't able to sense their own matches. Beyond that their social norms would keep them from harmonizing with another mana source enough to make them work and then there was the matter of their fleeting attraction and the rest. It seemed like a compounding issue as far as she was concerned but she wouldn't bother with it yet. No instead she was treated to a bit of clumsiness on Charles's part as he lost hold of his items because of something she said. He was so easily embarrassed she couldn't help but be amused a gentle chuckle leaving her lips. "Easy there Charlie, I don't really think I'm the teasing sort but you're making it far too fun~" she mused seeming to find his entire demeanor in moments like this rather adorable.

Ah, beyond that point the merits of workouts were apparently starting off the day with energy or being able to wind down at the end of it. Light work outs and yoga were a claim of his. "Yoga?" that word wasn't one she was familiar with and as such she needed an explanation. Whatever the case, she'd just as easily let Charles show her something like that and take it up if she found it interesting enough. She'd mastered many things, and even so, she would have fun doing anything if Charles was involved.

[Bloodedge]

Angelica expressed that she wasn't the type to tease, implying that she felt inclined to do so only because he made it fun. Charlemagne's eyes narrowed just slightly, curiously even. Was she not the type? He'd argue that she had the energy for it, and maybe she would have been if she knew more than a handful of people. Life functioning a bit differently for her could have made the Holy Princess essentially his school bully. "I'm not too sure about that. You've got your moments," he said almost huffily.

Charlemagne went on to list the minor benefits of workouts and yoga sessions that he thought anyone, of any species, could reap. In doing so, it seemed he'd rendered Angelica curious again. She questioned yoga as if it was a new word for her entirely. How strange. "Huh. That's surprising. I always figured Jeanne had to be doing yoga in her free time. Maybe she was, but... anyway! Think of yoga like an extended form of meditation that involves stretching and breathing techniques. You'd probably consider it another thing that could be done with just a mana transfer. You meditate, take on different ─ usually stretchy ─ poses, and really sync up the mind and body. You can use it to center yourself, or just to loosen up physically. It was considered really healthy in my old world, and in this world it seems to also be good for mana flow."

[Apollymi]

Charles seemed to be a bit disheveled. He went on to make the claim that she had her moments when it came to her nature. Hm, was she actually the type to tease outside of situations where it seemed like fun? She wasn't sure, perhaps, if she'd been a bit different the nuances of her personality might have shifted. But as it stood, she only seemed to find teasing Charles fun because he was so very soft in moments where he was paid a compliment. Ah, but she couldn't know that was a way of life for some in the world Charles came from. Without magic people tended to be a different sort of eccentric with their personalities. "I think it's safe to blame you for that, but it doesn't sound like you're complaining~" she mused. Ah well it was fun to bother Charles in the oddest sort of way. Maybe that would be a thing she asked about some other time.

Beyond this point, it was apparently an observation of Charles that he thought that Jeanne had to be a participant in yoga, which he described as stretches of various natures that on his side of the world were physical things, but on this side seemed to help with Mana flow among other things. A form of meditation and stretching is how it was described. Angelica's mind processed that information and came to one singular conclusion. "That just sounds like a way to prepare for a mana transfer..." she said, seeming to find human avoidance of a thing to be really strange. This couldn't all just be because of Father An's teachings either, this seemed to be rather deeply ingrained in people like Charles. "As for Jeanne, it was interesting in how she took care of herself, but I figured all that stuff was combat related. I couldn't bring myself to ask about it at the time, though she mentioned such things being pretty normal for the way her family functioned. Something about being antsy if she sat still too long," she said thinking of a moment or two where she'd seen Jeanne up early practicing arm and leg movements and swinging around a blunt instrument while lightly talking to herself. Only to sit down in a few different poses and have her mana shining. Actually, perhaps that was what he was getting at, though her mana was like that in general and particularly so when she'd mentioned the shift in her relationship with 'Sieg'.

[Bloodedge]

"Of course I get the blame," said Charlemagne. It wasn't as if Angelica had a ton of options for placing blame, but naturally, it would be expected that said blame came his way, if anywhere at all. Was it worth taking? Well... no, not really. He was set up by Angelica herself, which in-turn created the situation she wished to tease about. In a roundabout way, that would make her to blame, right? Right! Alas, Charlemagne figured it wasn't worth stating; she'd find some way to flip it around regardless.

Now then, how would Angelica receive the information he gave about yoga? He'd anticipated a comparison to mana transfer, but instead, she presented the idea of... yoga as preparation for such. How she reached that conclusion, he didn't know... though he could understand it in a way. The mana aspect of sexual endeavors had to reach a new level entirely if one or both participants had the enhanced mana flow from something like yoga. "That's... I─" What was he even supposed to say? In the end, he had nothing at all. As such, he moved on to the topic of Jeanne, and of course the confirmation that she utilized yoga for whatever purposes. "Knew it," he said triumphantly. "I used to think it was the most obvious thing ever."

Jeanne d'Arc did always have a particular glow about her, well beyond the mere visuals and personality ─ though surely she had an abundance of each. Charlemagne returned to a state of thought, forgetting the whole topic of yoga and mana transfers in favor of an ingenious idea. They had both been experiencing some very strange mana-related phenomena as of late, so maybe a bit of centering could help them both out a bit. "You know, now that I'm thinking about it... we should do that!" he said suddenly, thinking a bit of yoga would be a grand idea. . .

[Apollymi]

"I'm glad you understand," Angelica murmured. It should have been obvious to everyone that Charles would be to blame for her shifts in mood. It was all the better if he recognized this fact himself. Even so, it didn't seem to be a great sticking point for the lad regardless. In a few moments they'd moved on, and at least for her part in this, Angelica had managed to think only of the future of Mana Transfers. Deciding that the base level of human had to do some great amount of preparation to get ready, she seemed to come to terms with the skittishness of Charles around her. In addition to coming to understand the potential added aspects of mana transfer herself.

Apparently, Charles thought the idea of Jeanne doing yoga was the most obvious thing ever. If the Mana related understanding was anything to go by, many likely associated such a thought with the warm feeling of her mana and her accompanying glow. Though Angleica had a better understanding of the long term issue with Jeanne feeling divine, she also only barely understood its functionality. "She is quite the appealing person. Though I mean that in general, not just her mana," said Angelica about Jeanne in a way which implied she saw nothing odd about talking about another girl in that way. Whatever, it mattered very little overall.

Apparently getting his thoughts together on the subject made Charles offer to do it. Now what he could have meant by this, obviously it was yoga. But... Angelica was already misunderstanding the full purpose of this exercise that he mentioned. Even so, she'd do nothing but accept, maybe it would end in a very specific way and they could 'know' each other as their bodies and souls seemed to want to do. Yes, this was all fine... "Alright, if you want," she mentioned. Ah, she should probably change, she wandered back to her bedroom creating a straight bridge from their current position to the tower which housed it via a gem. Then she made her way over to her closet and figured Charles would follow as she figured out what she wished to wear. She'd strip out of her clothes and going for a less ornate outfit with stretchy pants and a top for compression similar to Charles, though the pants were blue and the top was white as per her general color scheme.

[Bloodedge]

Understanding wasn't exactly what he'd call the situation. In Charlemagne's opinion, he was more... forfeiting. The absolute travesty that was having a belief-based discussion with Angelica had been visited enough times this day, and he wanted to avoid yet another awkward miscommunication that led to embarrassment. "Sure, Angie. Whatever you say~" he said, chuckling. It was worthwhile to let the princess keep her belief from time to time.

Strangely, Angelica shared a similar belief to his own regarding Jeanne d'Arc. They, and many others, could easily agree upon the Holy Maiden possessing an unusual and unquestionable radiance. Of course, Charlemagne would have agreed long before anything akin to mana came into question, but... that was another matter entirely, and an ancient one to boot. "Huh. I wasn't going to say that, but yeah, I agree," he declared. With that, he was content to move on from that topic before it became strange on his part.

As for the ingenious idea of a yoga session, Angelica agreed without issue. He hadn't really partaken in yoga since a few old shared experiences with Olga, one of his companions. Charlemagne didn't have a ton of experience, but he figured he could function as a guide for beginners. As they ascended to the tower again, he gave great consideration to how things would start. He was already dressed well enough for yoga, but Angelica... oh. It seemed she was a step ahead. The place Angelica had been leading them to was a closet, and by the time Charlemagne realized where he was, Angelica was haphazardly discarding her clothes yet again. Charlemagne gulped and, almost regrettably, stared without halt. Soon enough, she was dressed in something similar to his own getup. Something about a skintight top on a buxom woman was the epitome of sin; he now understood that fully. Ah, but there was something else he'd noticed. "Alright... not even gonna talk about how you casually go for full nudity anymore. You're pretty um... full, though. I'm pretty sure a lot of people would cringe because you didn't put on a sports bra."

[Apollymi]

Charles's agreement in this case seemed to be a bit less genuine than normal. He wasn't understanding her point, he'd simply given up. But that wasn't something that Angelica would really think about too much. She'd decided a while prior to this one that certain things didn't need to be forced all the time. She had plenty of the future to make sure Charles understood her nature and the effectiveness of his own existence against her. Yes, she'd make a hobby of that next more than likely.

Moving on from her new hobby of teasing Charles to garner the strange reactions he had to offer, he offered another of a different sort. According to his own thoughts, he would have said something similar about Jeanne d'Arc ages ago. Or rather he had no desire to say such a thing though he agreed with it. "People are so strange," she said without further questioning taking place. In her humble opinion, it was an objective truth that Jeanne d'Arc was one of the most attractive people on the planet, for looks, for mana, for personality, she was just good. A shining beacon of light in a world of darkness. Why anyone would have a problem saying so was beyond Angelica's comprehension. She gave it only a few passing moments of thought as she ascended to her own closet once more and began rifling through to change into something more suited to this supposed workout.

As she did so, Charles chose to comment, not solely upon the fact that she had no qualms stripping naked in front of him, but about her choice in attire and in particular a missing article of clothing. A bit of extra thought ensued. He talked about her fullness, which she attributed to her figure and claimed that most would have been upset about her lack of 'sports bra'. What strange words, she knew what a bra was, but she figured those were a matter of decoration not functionality. Another thing she never thought to question past its visual appeal. "Bra? That thing like the bikini top? I figured those were just for decoration, something to match with underwear for whatever reason. Do they have some other function I don't know about?" she managed to ask as a point of genuine curiosity.

[Bloodedge]

People are strange, Angelica said. She'd likely had an additional line of thought about his admittance, though it wasn't pressed further. Good. He had no qualms admitting to Jeanne's quality as an individual, but as he was rather officially engaged to Angelica, addressing that topic in detail was an awkward idea. Besides, there were more important things to deal with... like the return of surprise nudity on Angelica's part, which he felt more inclined to watch than ever before. Strange ─ it was becoming easier by the moment. Could it have been the exposure during downtime? Maybe Angelica had some sort of passive effect as a Celestial, something like a succubus of a holy nature? What a ridiculous thought, he decided. . .

More imperative than the nudity in terms of conversation, was the lack of a sports bra. Of course, Charlemagne himself had no issue with it after everything else he'd seen. Something about that decision, however, registered as odd in the back of his mind. Little did Charlemagne realize, the discussion had him staring at Angelica's compression top... or perhaps not so specifically the top itself? Wherever his eyes were, his mind was elsewhere. Angelica didn't even understand the purpose of a bra beyond fashion. "Well... fashion was an afterthought for those things. Originally, they're for support. You know, that thing someone like you doesn't seem to need because gravity doesn't affect you or whatever," he said, waving one hand about in the air. "But the more well-endowed a human woman is, the more gravity's going to make her... assets sag. I guess they eventually decided to make them look fancy for... reasons."

[Apollymi]

The strangeness of people aside, there were many a great thing being discussed. For instance, Charles seemed to be a lot less shocked by Angelica's random bouts of nudity. Perhaps she'd shocked him enough with it earlier that he simply had no more surprise left to give. Or perhaps he was now getting used to seeing her naked and as such he wouldn't take the nudity as personally as he seemed to initially. There was something a bit bittersweet about that as a thought, but she figured he was easy enough to bother that it was likely just something he was trying not to actively think about. Yes, she'd think that instead of anything else.

And then the shift in conversation, took them towards the subject of 'bras' those pieses of clothing worn under clothes. Apparently, they weren't just for decoration, they were originally intended to fight the effects of gravity on the forms of well-endowed humans. Angelica knew herself to fall into such a category but she had at least two female friends so she wouldn't have gone her whole life without the realization. "Hm, that is another one of those backward things I think is weird. What is the point of having them be bigger if you have to create a thing to make them keep their shape? Mana is stored there so it's not that I am unaffected by gravity, it's just that my body doesn't really change," she stated as if this was just personal fact of her existence. She also felt no strain in her own body over its parts so... if she were to talk to a normal human she achived the best of both worlds. "They've also never gotten in the way of any activity I've undertaken, so I assume I'll be fine regardless," she stated firmly. She performed archery, ran with animals even flew with her familiar and none of those things had made her endowment seem like a punishment so she assumed she'd be fine for whatever exercise Charles had planned. "Anyway do we need anything in particular for this?" she asked, knowing that she could and would make anything necessary to help along their movements toward a convergence between their bodies.

[Bloodedge]

On the topic of bras, Charlemagne's eyes seemingly couldn't be drawn away from the obvious lack of one on Angelica. Moreover, she considered it strange that larger breasts being incapable of keeping shape was common. She said something odd ─ mana was stored in breasts? Charlemagne knew breastfeeding infants was somehow a way to ensure a child's mana stability, and that it was a possible source of mana transfer where possible... but why were her words so specific? "What do you mean 'mana is stored there'? It's not like that makes much of a difference. Or is that one of the many Holy Princess things that a lowly human like myself wouldn't understand?" he wondered.

Apparently, Angelica's endowments had never impeded her in any way. Why was he not surprised? Anyone should have been shocked to hear something like that while looking straight at the veritable melons affixed to her torso, yet Charlemagne could hardly be surprised by any claims she made by now. "Of course you'll be fine. Why wouldn't you be? I've given up even trying at this point," he said with a shrug. Moving on, Angelica wondered if they would be needing anything else for the activity of choice. There was one thing worthy of note. "Space is always a plus. Aside from that, a couple of floor mats, maybe meditation incense? The 'natural' light here is great, but if you'd personally prefer something more serene, that'd be fine too."