The steam from cardamon and ginger blew past SidO.
"You know.. This tea is what always gets me through the day." He said as took a sip from the cup in his hands and held it.
Memmia, who was sitting across the table from him, smiled in her demure composure and held her own tea cup and plate against her lap.
"I'm glad to hear that."
"Yea. It really is the only thing I can look forward to these days. SidO placed his cup on the plate in front of him at the table.
Memmia's expression softened.
"Oh.. I assumed that you would've gotten more comfortable after being here for a while." She presumed that Mikey was on his mind.
SidO became slightly startled and tried to change his statement.
"I-I didn't mean that I have any problems with your place! It's great actually. I am still grateful to you for having us here."
A brief chuckle escaped Memmia's lips.
"Okay. I'll take your word."
SidO rested back in his seat and tried to hide his embarrassment, looking away from Memmia as she continued to drink her tea, unperturbed.
A moment of silence went by.
His eyes drifted towards the wings that were resting on her back and another thought went through his mind.
"You.. don't have any thoughts about our.. arrangement?" He asked.
Memmia raised her brow in curiosity. "Not that I can think of no... Why do you ask?"
"I..."
SidO hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Well... You are an Enoch... and I am an Antas.."
He paused as Memmia looked at him with focused attention.
"This could cause problems for you right?.. I mean.. can't it affect your reputation?"
Memmia stared at SidO's tense face and spoke, as her tone became serious.
"I don't recall any new murmurs or gossip about me since I took you in. And even if there were.."
His expression relaxed as he watched her continue.
"It wouldn't matter. You being an Antas and me being an Enoch does not change my prerogative, which is to use my skills and abilities to help all Panpaidi.. Besides.
Perelgius used to be the home of the Antas for centuries. If its anywhere you belong. It's here. "
SidO looked down in his seat, relieved.
Memmia went back to her earlier demanour and smiled.
"I like having you actually."
A blush overtook his face as SidO tried to respond quickly.
"Oh. I appreciate that. It eases my worries about being an inconvenience."
Memmia took one more sip from her tea.
"Just clean your room more often will you?"
SidO's startled back again as his face flushed red, much to Memmia's continued amusement.
A flash of the old world went by his mind as he remembered an image of a loving woman telling him certain something similar.
Memmia's not that older than me.. She's in her twenties.. Why does she sound like my mom..
A few more moments went by as SidO sat silently twidling around with his tea and Memmia watched him while chipping away at hers.
Memmia broke the silence.
"There's something else on your mind isn't there.." She questioned him.
SidO looked back at her but then pointed his head down.
"Yea.. It's about Mikey.. He still hasn't woken up after a month.."
Memmia looked attentively as he responded with his own question.
"Have you found any ways to break a Charon induced coma yet?"
She put her tea down and answered quickly.
"I am sorry to say that I haven't unfortunately. At the time, the only thing that can help Mikey is a continued rest."
She then reaffirmed her promise.
"You have my word. You and him can stay here as long as you need to until he wakes up."
SidO smiled, feeling reassured.
"Thank you. Memmia."
Memmia smiled back as she watched him put his cup and plate on the table and get up from his chair.
"I'll head out and get some rest. I finished brewing those potions for later."
"Thanks. I appreciate the business."
SidO then headed for the stairs upstairs to take his leave.
He reached his room and fell in his bed.
Wandering thoughts went through his head as he tried to fall asleep.
Another day is over, and nothing has changed. But that's okay. I'll continue to hold out.
word count: 722
total: 722 + 903 = 1625