Old Maid
Summary: "Men seldom make passes / At girls who wear glasses" – Dorothy Parker. Set during "Loaded Guns."
Rating: PG
A/N: This one's for MannyPenPen. I'm a little nervous about it, so please let me know if you think our girl Miho is OOC.
I cannot believe that little shit called me old.
Oh, I'm sorry, forgive my language – but sometimes I get tired of being "Karasuma-san" all the time, when he and Michael and Yurika bicker like siblings. It's partly my fault, I know. I've deliberately cultivates the older-sibling image (well, someone has to around here! Amon certainly doesn't put much energy into human interaction.) And I suppose I do act quite a bit older than my colleagues. (Amon excluded, drat the man.) But I am far from being old and dried-up!
I started at STN-J when I was younger than Robin. Solomon likes to get its hunters as young as possible. Maybe it's because people whose Crafts have just awakened are often frightened and unstable, and more likely to accept Solomon's guidance. Perhaps young people are easier to recruit and train, and more likely to throw themselves into their work without questioning the way things are -- just look at my partner. Maybe it's just that the younger you are, the fewer ties you have and the easier they are break. This job doesn't leave much time for an outside life.
Not to mention, when I'm actually in a relationship, my Craft tends to cause all sorts of trouble. I know, I know – everyone wants to know what his or her partner is thinking all the time. Let me tell you, you're better off leaving it alone.
That isn't to say that I've never ... used my powers for less than noble purposes. It's rather convenient to be able to accept a drink from someone and tell, immediately, whether or not he's attracted to me. I can separate the wheat from the chaff a lot more easily, if you know what I mean. And when I'm with a lover – well, never mind that part! But all these were with men who didn't know about my powers. If they had known, they'd have run away as fast as they could. I can't say I blame them.
When you really think about it, my Craft is a terrible invasion of privacy, almost a violation. People spend most of their lives carefully guarding their emotions, deciding whom to let in and whom to keep out. I can slip though any barrier with a touch. Heady stuff – and one hell of a power to have over other people.
I guess I don't blame Solomon for recruiting me, for not letting me run around loose. If I face temptation every day as a Hunter, how much worse would it be as an unknown Witch? Sometimes, though, I'd trade it all for one week as a normal woman.
Maybe then I wouldn't be lying here alone.