Oxford with Iris Part II

[balancingminds]

As the rain kept falling, they stayed in Charles' hideaway in the library.

Finally though hunger and a touch of stiffness made it seem wise to move on and Charles led Iris to one of his favorite pubs that's close to the river.

It's a place frequented not by scholars of his discipline but my scholars of the mind where he can pick up on new topics without having to worry about having to talk too much about his own work.

They get rained on a little bit and he's laughing as he pulls her into the pub and to a cozy booth near the fire.

Comments

[chrysopteron]

Iris understands taverns. The lady Aphrodite would likely make a joke about the local color upon knowing this, but it doesn't occur to Iris at the moment. She'll ask for a cider when a servant appears.

Were there gods here?

[balancingminds]

I don't know. We have stories of many gods but its hard to know what's real and what's a story.

When the server comes by, Charles orders a cider for himself along with one order of fish and chips and one of shepherd's pie.

[chrysopteron]

Hmm. "I do not know if I just cannot hear anything from the river, or if there is...no one home."

[balancingminds]

"We can go closer after we've eaten and you can try again. Its possible to rent punts and quite popular though on a day like today, there won't be too many people out there,"

The rain will help them have some privacy.

[chrysopteron]

"It's not a requirement Charles," Iris backpedals, food arriving. "We have other things beyond my curiosity here."

[balancingminds]

"It's the most important thing today as I'm showing you Oxford,"

He kisses her cheek and hugs her.

[chrysopteron]

"You're new around here?" The server overhears the conversation, putting the drinks and food down on the table from her tray. There are better places for a date, I'd think!

Iris misses any tone from the server while reaching for her drink.

[balancingminds]

Charles talks to the server with a grin,

"She loves rivers and I want to show her that Oxford has a proper one. Thank you."

The server shrugs as she does look happy and you never know what someone will like.

[chrysopteron]

Iris missed something.

To Charles: "I do not understand what just happened there."

[balancingminds]

Once the server is away with a shake of his head at them, Charles leans towards her to say,

"He didn't think my choices were the best for a date. I was explaining that we were doing what you wanted."

[chrysopteron]

"Like it is any of his business." A pursed-mouth frump at the back of the server, who has likely already forgotten the conversation even taking place.

[balancingminds]

"No, but there were some thoughts of how he could show you a better time than me. Have some fish and chips,"

He smiles at her frump as he starts on his food.

[chrysopteron]

He was not nearly as appealing.

The cider is good, but the fish and chips is a little...foreign tasting. Not bad.

[balancingminds]

Thank you.

Since there's space for it, he hugs her before taking a bite of the shepherd's pie.

[chrysopteron]

"I have a question for you," Iris starts, "But I wonder if I might sound too much like a philosopher myself with it." Or if it shouldn't be a conversation held like this instead.

[balancingminds]

Tell me what it is here and I'll figure out how best to answer it.

[chrysopteron]

She's smiling, all façades all the while for any potential onlookers, but, You seem to always crave such contact. Did your parents


Did they just not?

[balancingminds]

He's quiet before he answers her, drinking some of his cider and thinking of growing up surrounded by many.

My parents didn't, but my Nanny did. Not that much as I got older but it was there. As with Raven, she likes being hugged and held though she doesn't like me in her head. I like being close in as many ways as I can.

[chrysopteron]

It is a new thing for me. I like it, but sometimes I think about it rather than enjoying the experience.

[balancingminds]

Tell me what you think about it.

He stays leaning against her, watching her face.

[chrysopteron]

Listening and listening and listening. It creates a

The chips get to be appealing after a time. Iris pops a couple more of those.

separation. And I think you try to compensate for that with physical closeness. That is not a bad thing, but it is very different on Olympus. Mentality is the only closeness there is at times. Physicality is an illusion, or at most an act without other expression.

We would benefit from such physical intimacy in my world.

[balancingminds]

It's a fairly accurate reading of him and he wonders what she means about physicality being an illusion.

What feels more real to you, connecting here or touching?

[chrysopteron]

"With you?" she speaks as a question.

Communication in this way is closer to normal for me, so normality brings its own version of real.

But this, placing her fingers over Charles' between them, is wholly unique, and real, but so surreal as well, given how rare a thing it is.

[balancingminds]

"While for me its the other way around. This is what I normally have with other people as the other part is one sided,"

He leans down to kiss her fingers, she amazes him in how easily she slips between thought and word. Its how he sees the world but few others do.

[chrysopteron]

"Perhaps this is why we found each other."