Princess and Knight

* Irune knocks on Akram's door a while later.
* Akram_El-Ghazzawy opens the door, smiling at Irune. "Business or..." he leans forward slightly, revealing a tantalizing view of his bare chest under his shirt. "Pleasure?" he purrs.
* Irune is probably pretty much exactly at eye-level for that, and blushes. "... er... it... was your discussion, s... so I think you're the one who has to answer that..."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Then I am in luck...every minute with you is pleasure itself~" Akram hums, welcoming Irune inside.
<Irune> "A... ah, er..." She steps in, blushing.
* Akram_El-Ghazzawy closes the door for privacy, and steps over to the couch, patting the seat beside him. "Before I continue in my ceaseless effort to sweep you off of your feet and into my arms, I have a few things to discuss with you."
* Irune swallows, taking a seat. "Ah... er..."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "The first...is unpleasant, but hopefully not a great surprise. You remember that disgusting Kaworu Nagisa, yes?"
* Irune sweatdrops. "Er... yes? What... about him...?"
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "I have heard from Helen earlier this day that he is assumed to be an Angel. Do you think that makes sense?"
* Irune hums. "... Well... my initial opinion was that we don't really know enough about the appropriate categories to make a solid estimate, but he _said_ he was one, so I'm... inclined to believe it. It fits the otherwise-available information."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Hmmm...I admit that I had thought it seemed too unreasonable, but...if you are sure. In any case, dear Irune, about tomorrow; you know the photo we are going to retrieve for Helen?"
* Irune nods. "I... yes?"
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "I...remember that you had a very strong reaction when you first saw the copy Helen has in her possession. Are you certain you will be alright seeing the original?"
* Irune closes her eyes, taking a deep breath. "... that reaction is the intention."
<Irune> "I... _need_ to remember. That's... any piece of Aintza Viteri's memories could be the key to saving the world."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Then...is the reaction dangerous?"
* Irune shakes her head. "I... no. Just... troubling. I... as long as I'm not distracted from something important, it won't be dangerous."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Then...I suppose that brings me to my next question organically enough. Dear Irune, do you want to kiss me?"
<Irune> "F-wha?! H-how was that organic?!"
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "I did say you drive me to distraction, beautiful Irune."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "I did say you drive me to distraction, beautiful Irune."
<Irune> "Th-that's a little too distracted!"
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "I am sure I will have no trouble focusing if you kiss me."
* Irune flushes, but just _looks_ at him, eyes half-lidded.
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Hm?"
<Irune> "... seriously?"
* Irune just sounds _very_ unconvinced by that one.
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Direct approach no good? Too bad; I had hoped changing tactic might produce results," Akram sighs, melodramatically.
* Irune frowns, looking up at him. "... Akram, if you're... seriously pursuing this... if you're just messing with me, that's fine, but... I... if you're seriously pursuing this, you... really should reconsider."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Why so?"
* Irune sighs, taking a deep breath. "... Akram, you're very attractive, but I'm four times your age. I'm in no position to even consider a relationship to begin with, and you'd be better off with someone else."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Unless I misunderstood, the procedure did not continue the life of Aintza Viteri from where it previously left off, with a new body and new name."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "It gave Aintza Viteri's soul a new life, and a chanc at her previous knowledge and skill, that she might make the most of it."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "New life can seek new love, can it not?"
<Irune> "I... that's... still a massive gap in experience, and... everything else is... still the case."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Irune, you are not an aged woman, trapping some foolish, naive boy with your wicked wiles. You are a sweet, lovely young woman with a fierce heart and shrewd mind. If you cannot conceive of a relationship, I dare say no one can."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "As for me, well; I am sure I could have settled for anyone, but I do not regret choosing you for an instant."
* Irune blushes. "I... I... Akram, e... even without the experience gap, I'm... please choose someone else." She rubs her eyes. "I... someone who hasn't done what I have, someone who _exists_, someone who's alive, I... please..."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Irune Mixelena. Unless I am mistaken, blood still pumps through your veins, and your heart still beats in your chest, just as you draw breath, even at this very moment. And more importantly, you are still that; Irune Mitxelena, born with the soul of Aintza Viteri, and a body cloned from the same. But still, you are Irune Mitxelena. You have not committed the sins that burden your memories.
* Irune swallows. "... you're right that I'm not really Aintza Viteri. I... remember her, but... I think differently than she does. But... there's nothing there _but_ her either. I'm just a ghost come to correct her mistakes."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> As a matter of fact, you have dedicated your life to making this world a better place, and strive to do so in the best way you know how. For that, I admire you. For that, and other reasons besides, I would like to support you."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Dear Irune, ghosts are taciturn, obsessed things. You are a bit too grim for your own good at times, but you are a dreamer. I know you would try to save the world whether you had self-imposed sins on your conscience or not. That you do not realize it yourself is surprising."
* Irune swallows, wrapping her arms around herself. "I... there's nothing there, I... Akram, I... other than Viteri, I'm a blank slate..."
<Irune> "P... please, choose someone else, I... d... don't get too attached to me..."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Then we will just have to help you find out what you want to fill yourself with, will we not? Even I do not truly know what kind of man I am going to be."
* Irune pauses, blinking slowly and cocking her head. "... Akram, was that intentional or are double-entendres a natural function for you?"
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "You have not even kissed me yet, why should I go about telling?"
* Irune flushes. "... yet, huh?"
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Today, tomorrow, or one fine day in the future, dear Irune, I will charm a kiss out of you."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Sure to be the first of many," Akram nods, with exaggerated self-assurance.
<Irune> "... Akram... please... don't fix on me. Find... find someone better for you."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Dear Irune, I can scarcely believe I am saying this. Give yourself a chance."
<Irune> "I... Akram, you're... very attractive, but I... I'm not in love with you. I... it could happen, with work, but... it shouldn't. Please... dedicate your efforts to someone else..."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "No. Of the many girls I have met, up to and including the most powerful girl in this hemisphere, you are the only one I have...pined for. I will try until I am capable of trying no more."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Then I think I just might succeed."
* Irune swallows. "... I... just... please, if you feel something... anything for anyone else... let yourself. Don't... don't focus everything on me..." She rubs her eyes again.
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Irune, are...you do not feel more pressure on yourself now, do you?" Akram asks, You do not...this is not...I am not trying to pressure you into this, I do not want you to debase yourself for me."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "This, I...you are safe with me, and you always will be, and I am not...not...expecting something of you, dear Irune."
<Irune> "No, it's... Akram, I'm... I'm in no way qualified for what you want... It's... it's not about me, it's about you. You _deserve better_."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Irune, I do not even deserve my little sister. I am not sure there are many better than you, and I know that I do not deserve them."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Everything I am has been chosen, groomed, and selected for maximum profit; if I deserve anything, it is money, and I already have that."
<Irune> "... no. That's everything you _present in public_. If that were at all true you wouldn't even be having this conversation. That's... that's why the first thing I asked you was to _have fun_. Not for money, for _yourself_."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Then why do you deny yourself? You deserve to show the world more of your cute smile, and the beautiful shade of red you turn when you are embarassed."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "If I deserve more than money, you deserve more than duty."
* Irune blushes, and swallows. "... I... that duty is lethal, Akram. It... the chances are very high it will kill me. I... you deserve happiness on the way, but I don't want you to get too attached to me because... A... and, I'm..."
* Irune trails off in a sigh.
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Irune, my chances are no better than yours. If you do not make it, I suspect I will be following you shortly, and I think we could both go much happier if we went knowing that we had something of worth together."
<Irune> "I... I... no, Akram." She closes her eyes, sighing, before opening them and meeting Akram's gaze directly. "Your chances are somewhat higher than mine because I will keep all of you alive even at the cost of my own life."
<Irune> "... The price may need to be paid to save the world. And... if anyone is to die... it should be the one who put it in danger in the first place."
<Irune> "... or at least, the ghost who's left to atone for her sins."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "That woman _did_ die, Irune Mitxelena. Now you are here, and if it is the last thing I do, I will make you happy, hopefully with the kiss I will have coaxed out of you with the second-to-last thing I do."
<Irune> "... please find someone else, Akram. I... until her mistake is fixed, my life is expendable. ... Everyone's life is expendable, but... mine first."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Then we will fix her mistake together, and at the very end, you will kiss me again, and with the rest of our lives in front of us, we shall see where to go from there, hm?"
<Irune> "... that... Akram, that's the fairy tale ending. It... fight for it. Don't give up a scrap of it until it's clawed out of your bleeding fingers. But..." She sighs, shaking her head. "... don't depend on it. The enemy gets a vote too."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Fair enough. Either way, let us fight for the fairy tale ending together, mm? All we need to do to take another step toward achieving it is for you to kiss me," Akram says, grinning.
* Irune looks at him through half-lidded eyes. "... Akram, even if we accept _all_ of that as a given, which is in no way resolved, I'm still not in love with you. I'll... say 'yet', because... it's possible if we dismiss all that, but 'possible' is all it is."
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> "Kiss me and I am sure your objections will come into surprising perspective."
* Irune shakes her head, chuckling slightly. "... close your eyes."
* Akram_El-Ghazzawy raises his eyebrows, but does as requested.
<Irune> You feel Irune's hand take yours. And the light brush of lips against the back of your hand.
<Akram_El-Ghazzawy> Eyes still closed, Akram chuckles. "Not the first step that I hoped for, but I believe the saying says that 'Nothing worth trying for is easy.' Unless you feel anything else important or deeply passionate dear Irune, I have nothing further to request of you."
* Irune steps out to the door. "... good night, Akram. And... if you won't give up on me... at least keep your eyes open to anyone else who might catch your eye."
* Irune steps out of the room, shutting the door behind her.