[ Blanca suddenly skitters out from under his cloak, and the instant she's out, Robin Goodfellow returns and promptly hops onto the large white moth's back. ]
Be nice to the good doctor here! Ah, but don't talk to him too much, he might snap out of the suggestion! Bye!
[ And with all the speed of a moth that can inexplicably fly at mach speeds, zips out of the room with that. ]
[ Aaaand he's already gone. And Ai's left with the cleanup. Wonderful.
... no, that's not fair, is it? Pretty much everything Oberon's been doing since last night has been cleanup. She wonders, with a sudden pang of anxiety in her chest, if he's lost his patience with her. If she'd misread him last night and that indelicate gentleness had been nothing more than a way to get her back on her feet so he could handle the rest of it without his pathetic Master falling apart.
It'd make things a whole lot less complicated. But it makes her stomach twist for some reason, regardless.
So she does her best to make the whole thing as painless as possible. She doesn't speak up any more than necessary, only when prompted and cooperates as quickly with everything she's directed to do as she can. Really, the whole thing is more painless than she expected - a sharp scratch when the needle goes in and after that, it's a whole lot of sitting around while nothing happens. Something certainly feels different by the time it's done, but she doesn't quite know for sure if she feels better just yet. But her legs aren't quite as wobbly when she finally stands up and her head isn't spinning as much. So it's a start.
No sign of Oberon quite yet, as the nurses start herding her towards the exit now she's done. For the second time today, she tries not to let herself be too disappointed. ]
[ Objectively, Oberon wouldn't say she's wrong, this is cleanup. His patience is short, he's frustrated, he's literally flying around at mach speeds to make sure everything gets fixed properly...
...but if he had lost patience with her then he wouldn't be doing this in the first place. He'd be lounging around doing fuck-all as usual and saying something along the lines of "if you want my help, then make me help with one of your command seals".
But that's not the case. He'll complain, he'll curse up a storm, and he'll snipe at her and tell her to be grateful... but he does it anyway.
...this doesn't mean he's going to start cleaning up around the house, though.
Case and point, while Ai was being treated, Robin Goodfellow was zipping through the hospital and working his tiny little butt off. Charming enough of the significant staff members so that questions aren't asked, messing with records to cover up the unexplainable and unrecorded usage of blood for a transfusion, fucking with the cameras, etc etc.
The plan was not simple in the slightest, it never was. It's perhaps because of this that Oberon doesn't immediately reappear once Ai is herded outside without a word.
He does still appear after some delay, though, in the form of Robin Goodfellow suddenly falling onto the top of her head from out of nowhere without any warning. ]
Aaah... I worked hard... sleepy...
[ And seemingly falling asleep upright on her head in broad fucking daylight. ]
[ Ai thinks she's been pretty composed through all this. There was that embarrassing little blip last night, sure, but considering all the feelings it'd clawed out of her brain, she's pretty proud of herself for not having a complete meltdown. But it also means all that pent up tension is still coiled up in her heart with no release.
And what that means is that when he plonks right down on her head, she jumps so violently that her feet actually leave the floor and she has to clap both hands over her mouth to stop a scream from bleeding out. For a split second, she's certain that she's being attacked again while Oberon's not here to help - and it's only when he tumbles forward off her head and she instinctively reaches to catch him that she realizes what's actually happened. ]
Wh... hold on, are you really...?
[ Nope, there he goes. Honk shoo, right in her hands.
Ai stares down at him for a moment, entirely unsure of what to do. Then a thin noise bubbles up from her throat that doesn't quite become a laugh. Now who's the handful?
But that's fine. He's the one who's been cleaning up after her mess today. So, stubbornly avoiding any sidelong looks from passersby, she sets out for home, carrying him carefully in her hands.
She tells herself she doesn't feel that lingering disappointment in her chest even a little. ]
[ He is, at the very least, small enough to comfortably ride on the back of a moth the size of a small dog. Hiding him from view isn't hard, and it's entirely possible that he's doing this intentionally just the fuck with her..
Fortunately, it's as Ai starts to approach their apartment building again that he wakes up, suddenly squirming out of her grip. ]
[ Ai meets his gaze readily and feels something unfamiliar when she does - a spike of irritation. She doesn't even understand why, just that she feels it, steely and sharp in her throat. For the first time in a while, she finds herself thinking about Nino. That horrible fight. She hears "Why don't you just drop dead already?!" as clearly as if she'd been screaming it in Ai's face all over again.
She doesn't know why. She just knows that, suddenly - maybe that dead, pained look Nino had walked out of the room with hadn't been quite so inexplicable after all.
She swallows and does her best to keep her voice steady. ]
Well. They didn't take any more blood out of me, at least.
[ The joke lands just as flatly as her voice does. She tries to brighten it. ]
And... it doesn't look like anybody was following us, or anything like that.
[ Oberon stares at her for a moment, but if he can see that spike of irritation, he doesn't seem to do anything about it. He just keeps smiling that same smile and continues on with... well, any topic that doesn't directly involve those feelings. ]
Mm, good. I doubt things are going to escalate quite so quickly, but it's good to be careful.
[ Seriously, trying to rush a Grail War as unorthodox as this one without understanding it... the Assassin's master must be some fool. ]
But for now, we should fortify our own base. Let's be off, Master.
[ "Master", huh? That's what he calls her before starting off towards the building in order to head inside. ]
She stays rooted to the spot, staring after him and trying to tell herself that the churning nausea in her stomach is anything but what it is. Even with regular people, she's no good at reading their feelings, reading between the lines or reading the room - she's hopeless at all of it. And Oberon almost seems to delight in making it that much harder for her.
But even a girl as hopelessly, miserably clueless as Ai knows what rejection is.
She's had a lot of time to learn, after all. ]
Is this-
[ She starts forward a few hesitant steps. The wind gusts her hair up into her face and even with her coat, it feels like it's blowing right through to her bones. The sun's shining so brightly today and yet it's so horribly cold out. ]
Is this how it's going to be now? Is this how you're going to be, all the time?
There's a moment of silence, and with Oberon's back facing Ai, there's no way to tell what kind of expression he has on his face.
At least, until he sucks in a deep breath and turns around with his usual smile. ]
...would that trouble you?
[ His face, his smile, all completely still. He has it easier than Ai. It's unfair to compare them in their abilities to remain smiling no matter what, but that doesn't make it any less similar.
Blanca, the beautiful white moth who led her to him last night, sits perched on his shoulder. Not that insects have much in the way of expressions, but she is almost certainly staring at Ai. ]
[ All of a sudden, Ai feels like she can't breathe. She's gotten used to him turning that expression on the others, placating and warm, disarming and utterly void of any human feeling whatsoever. She knows that smile inside and out because it's the one she'd practiced every day since she was twelve years old up to the day she died. That's why having it turned on her now is so unbearably suffocating. The sight of it makes her want to-
Oh, Nino-chan, she thinks. No wonder you hated me so much. ]
Yes, it would!
[ The words come exploding out of her before she can control herself. She takes another step forward and without thinking at all, she clutches her hand in the other - the one marked with her Command Seal. The one he'd held tight enough to bruise, once. ]
Didn't you tell me not to lie to you?! I've been trying my best, so - how is this fair?!
[ It's not like Oberon knows about whoever "Nino" is. He saw the memories of her death, not her life. Yet as he stands there with his unchanging smile... as if mirroring that very same day. ]
Sorry, but you're right, it's not fair. But it can't be helped, Ai.
[ He doesn't take a step forward, he just continues to smile. ]
I am Oberon. The Faerie King Oberon. The Great Liar, Oberon. You may not understand what that means yet, but that's fine, you don't have to. Lies are love, right? Things will go back to normal, just like you want. Well, I won't deny that there might be an adjustment period, but you're human. You'll get over it.
[ "- want normal" is what she means to say but the words go dry in her throat before they can make it the rest of the way out. Because... that had been what she'd wanted. Right? An excuse to pretend that nothing had happened. Like part of her heart hadn't cracked open in his hands and bled all over him. Like he hadn't just let it happen. He's given her exactly what she'd asked for and now that she's being faced with it, she can't stand it.
Don't hate me. Don't touch me. Don't hurt me. Don't be kind to me.
"Decide on what you want already, damn it."
I don't know. Sorry. I've never been able to figure that out either. ]
... Maybe I did want that. Maybe I still do, but- this... isn't normal for us.
[ Us. It comes out more damning that she means it to. But it's the truth all the same. Whatever this bond is, forced on them by circumstance as it is, it's still a bond all the same. There's a person on the other end she'd started to think she could understand and now he's gone.
[ The smile drops. Whether that's a good thing or not is up for debate, though. ]
...that 'normal' is gone, Ai. It won't come back. Lie to yourself all you want, but that still won't change.
[ There's absolutely no way in hell. The human heart changes, but for better or worse, Oberon's heart—despite being that of a Faerie—has changed as well. What, she thinks they can go back to their original relationship without ever thinking about what happened? Wow, are you some kind of masochist? Because that sounds painful as hell. ]
This is what's best. For both you and me.
[ ... ]
...but if that's not what you want, then prove it to me.
[ There it is again. That horrible feeling of his gaze flaying her to bone and marrow, burrowing deep into muscle and tissue and every ugly, grisly part of her insides. Usually, she can't bring herself to hold it for more than a few seconds but this time she manages to hold her ground. This time, she manages to look right at him.
How is she supposed to say it? Telling people pretty lies they want to hear is her forte but what Oberon wants is the truth. And isn't that hilarious? He's just as much of a liar as she is - worse, even - and now he's asking her to say something real. He must know it's impossible. Maybe that's exactly why he's saying it.
But she can't bring herself not to try.
So she swallows. Wets her lips nervously, like she's about to deliver a line from a script she hasn't quite memorized yet. But there's no pretense in her gaze, nothing in the way of guile or flattery and the words she finally manages to find - ]
[ He's silent. His expression unchanging as usual. It's impossible to tell what he thinks of her answer as his eyes stare her down, flaying her down and stripping her of every single lie she's covered herself with until he sees the truth that she hides deep within.
...still nothing, no change. Is he disappointed? Upset? Relieved? It's impossible to tell.
But then finally... finally... he lets out a sigh. ]
[ In exasperation, he finally breaks eye contact and practically groans as if in defeat. ]
It could use work. Average score at best, but fine. I'll take it.
[ Black insects start to appear from the ground and swarm his body... a grim sight, the complete opposite of what you would expect from the Faerie King, surrounded by butterflies and moths and various other, prettier insects. With that said, as grotesque as it might be, it'll be familiar to Ai. ]
[ ...and as the insects finish swarming him completely like they would a corpse, they begin to retreat, skittering off onto the ground and disappearing, leaving exactly what Ai wanted. ]
[ Though her skin crawls, Ai doesn't let herself look away. Maybe it's a trick, a lie to placate her and keep her quiet. It's not until the cloud of bugs parts and she sees him properly, scowling and miserable that something comes unfurled in her chest.
Relief. Gratitude. And whatever you call the feeling that settles into your lungs when you step inside and say I'm home.
When she beams at him in return, her smile isn't a lie either. ]
[ What the absolute hell is wrong with... no, not with her. What the hell is wrong with him.
He's pissed, he's definitely upset... but that damn smile. Objectively it looks the same as any other smile, but...
...his heart rises.
...this is exactly why he tried to do what he did. ]
Oh, shut it. What kind of person actually prefers this? I know you already said that you idols aren't sane, but you're on another damn level, you know that?
[ His usual barbs. There really isn't anything different about his words now compared to any other time he's casually tossed an insult her way, but... ]
[ It's not even a little funny but she almost wants to laugh. She manages to bite it back - he definitely wouldn't be happy to hear it when he's in a mood like his - but it makes her smile wobble so obviously all the same. ]
You were the one who wanted me to tell you the truth. I just think, if I'm gonna do that, shouldn't we both do the same? Ah, don't get me wrong, I know you're definitely still lying now... but at least this way, fair's still fair, right?
[ She gives him a little grin, evidently pleased with her little victory and finally breezes past him to make for the apartment - but then she pauses and glances back, her expression still bright. ]
Come on. Let's go home. I haven't eaten anything since yesterday and I'm starving.
[ Fair's still fair, huh? Well, she's not wrong about that... though Oberon sure doesn't feel that way. There's nothing fair about the way he makes him feel, he thinks.
Though, then again, that probably just evens it out when it comes to dealing with him. ]
Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, my pain-in-the-ass Master.
[ So he follows, follows his Master who still thinks it was mere coincidence that brought them together. He has no clue what to do now that she's rejected their easy-way-out to their feelings, but...
...well, it's not like he's unused to having to improvise on the fly. ]
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2/2
[ Blanca suddenly skitters out from under his cloak, and the instant she's out, Robin Goodfellow returns and promptly hops onto the large white moth's back. ]
Be nice to the good doctor here! Ah, but don't talk to him too much, he might snap out of the suggestion! Bye!
[ And with all the speed of a moth that can inexplicably fly at mach speeds, zips out of the room with that. ]
no subject
[ Aaaand he's already gone. And Ai's left with the cleanup. Wonderful.
... no, that's not fair, is it? Pretty much everything Oberon's been doing since last night has been cleanup. She wonders, with a sudden pang of anxiety in her chest, if he's lost his patience with her. If she'd misread him last night and that indelicate gentleness had been nothing more than a way to get her back on her feet so he could handle the rest of it without his pathetic Master falling apart.
It'd make things a whole lot less complicated. But it makes her stomach twist for some reason, regardless.
So she does her best to make the whole thing as painless as possible. She doesn't speak up any more than necessary, only when prompted and cooperates as quickly with everything she's directed to do as she can. Really, the whole thing is more painless than she expected - a sharp scratch when the needle goes in and after that, it's a whole lot of sitting around while nothing happens. Something certainly feels different by the time it's done, but she doesn't quite know for sure if she feels better just yet. But her legs aren't quite as wobbly when she finally stands up and her head isn't spinning as much. So it's a start.
No sign of Oberon quite yet, as the nurses start herding her towards the exit now she's done. For the second time today, she tries not to let herself be too disappointed. ]
no subject
...but if he had lost patience with her then he wouldn't be doing this in the first place. He'd be lounging around doing fuck-all as usual and saying something along the lines of "if you want my help, then make me help with one of your command seals".
But that's not the case. He'll complain, he'll curse up a storm, and he'll snipe at her and tell her to be grateful... but he does it anyway.
...this doesn't mean he's going to start cleaning up around the house, though.
Case and point, while Ai was being treated, Robin Goodfellow was zipping through the hospital and working his tiny little butt off. Charming enough of the significant staff members so that questions aren't asked, messing with records to cover up the unexplainable and unrecorded usage of blood for a transfusion, fucking with the cameras, etc etc.
The plan was not simple in the slightest, it never was. It's perhaps because of this that Oberon doesn't immediately reappear once Ai is herded outside without a word.
He does still appear after some delay, though, in the form of Robin Goodfellow suddenly falling onto the top of her head from out of nowhere without any warning. ]
Aaah... I worked hard... sleepy...
[ And seemingly falling asleep upright on her head in broad fucking daylight. ]
no subject
And what that means is that when he plonks right down on her head, she jumps so violently that her feet actually leave the floor and she has to clap both hands over her mouth to stop a scream from bleeding out. For a split second, she's certain that she's being attacked again while Oberon's not here to help - and it's only when he tumbles forward off her head and she instinctively reaches to catch him that she realizes what's actually happened. ]
Wh... hold on, are you really...?
[ Nope, there he goes. Honk shoo, right in her hands.
Ai stares down at him for a moment, entirely unsure of what to do. Then a thin noise bubbles up from her throat that doesn't quite become a laugh. Now who's the handful?
But that's fine. He's the one who's been cleaning up after her mess today. So, stubbornly avoiding any sidelong looks from passersby, she sets out for home, carrying him carefully in her hands.
She tells herself she doesn't feel that lingering disappointment in her chest even a little. ]
1/2
Fortunately, it's as Ai starts to approach their apartment building again that he wakes up, suddenly squirming out of her grip. ]
Aah... that was nice!
2/2
...sorry, it's easier getting around like that, but I really do get a lot more airheaded like that.
[ Still, after clearing his throat to get rid of what seems like embarrassment... ]
...still! It looks like everything went well. That's good, it's all I could ask for.
no subject
She doesn't know why. She just knows that, suddenly - maybe that dead, pained look Nino had walked out of the room with hadn't been quite so inexplicable after all.
She swallows and does her best to keep her voice steady. ]
Well. They didn't take any more blood out of me, at least.
[ The joke lands just as flatly as her voice does. She tries to brighten it. ]
And... it doesn't look like anybody was following us, or anything like that.
no subject
Mm, good. I doubt things are going to escalate quite so quickly, but it's good to be careful.
[ Seriously, trying to rush a Grail War as unorthodox as this one without understanding it... the Assassin's master must be some fool. ]
But for now, we should fortify our own base. Let's be off, Master.
[ "Master", huh? That's what he calls her before starting off towards the building in order to head inside. ]
no subject
She stays rooted to the spot, staring after him and trying to tell herself that the churning nausea in her stomach is anything but what it is. Even with regular people, she's no good at reading their feelings, reading between the lines or reading the room - she's hopeless at all of it. And Oberon almost seems to delight in making it that much harder for her.
But even a girl as hopelessly, miserably clueless as Ai knows what rejection is.
She's had a lot of time to learn, after all. ]
Is this-
[ She starts forward a few hesitant steps. The wind gusts her hair up into her face and even with her coat, it feels like it's blowing right through to her bones. The sun's shining so brightly today and yet it's so horribly cold out. ]
Is this how it's going to be now? Is this how you're going to be, all the time?
no subject
Oberon, the Fairy King, stops in his tracks.
There's a moment of silence, and with Oberon's back facing Ai, there's no way to tell what kind of expression he has on his face.
At least, until he sucks in a deep breath and turns around with his usual smile. ]
...would that trouble you?
[ His face, his smile, all completely still. He has it easier than Ai. It's unfair to compare them in their abilities to remain smiling no matter what, but that doesn't make it any less similar.
Blanca, the beautiful white moth who led her to him last night, sits perched on his shoulder. Not that insects have much in the way of expressions, but she is almost certainly staring at Ai. ]
no subject
Oh, Nino-chan, she thinks. No wonder you hated me so much. ]
Yes, it would!
[ The words come exploding out of her before she can control herself. She takes another step forward and without thinking at all, she clutches her hand in the other - the one marked with her Command Seal. The one he'd held tight enough to bruise, once. ]
Didn't you tell me not to lie to you?! I've been trying my best, so - how is this fair?!
no subject
Sorry, but you're right, it's not fair. But it can't be helped, Ai.
[ He doesn't take a step forward, he just continues to smile. ]
I am Oberon. The Faerie King Oberon. The Great Liar, Oberon. You may not understand what that means yet, but that's fine, you don't have to. Lies are love, right? Things will go back to normal, just like you want. Well, I won't deny that there might be an adjustment period, but you're human. You'll get over it.
no subject
[ "- want normal" is what she means to say but the words go dry in her throat before they can make it the rest of the way out. Because... that had been what she'd wanted. Right? An excuse to pretend that nothing had happened. Like part of her heart hadn't cracked open in his hands and bled all over him. Like he hadn't just let it happen. He's given her exactly what she'd asked for and now that she's being faced with it, she can't stand it.
Don't hate me. Don't touch me. Don't hurt me. Don't be kind to me.
"Decide on what you want already, damn it."
I don't know. Sorry. I've never been able to figure that out either. ]
... Maybe I did want that. Maybe I still do, but- this... isn't normal for us.
[ Us. It comes out more damning that she means it to. But it's the truth all the same. Whatever this bond is, forced on them by circumstance as it is, it's still a bond all the same. There's a person on the other end she'd started to think she could understand and now he's gone.
How could that possibly be 'normal'? ]
no subject
...that 'normal' is gone, Ai. It won't come back. Lie to yourself all you want, but that still won't change.
[ There's absolutely no way in hell. The human heart changes, but for better or worse, Oberon's heart—despite being that of a Faerie—has changed as well. What, she thinks they can go back to their original relationship without ever thinking about what happened? Wow, are you some kind of masochist? Because that sounds painful as hell. ]
This is what's best. For both you and me.
[ ... ]
...but if that's not what you want, then prove it to me.
[ His Fae Eyes stare into hers. ]
Say it.
no subject
How is she supposed to say it? Telling people pretty lies they want to hear is her forte but what Oberon wants is the truth. And isn't that hilarious? He's just as much of a liar as she is - worse, even - and now he's asking her to say something real. He must know it's impossible. Maybe that's exactly why he's saying it.
But she can't bring herself not to try.
So she swallows. Wets her lips nervously, like she's about to deliver a line from a script she hasn't quite memorized yet. But there's no pretense in her gaze, nothing in the way of guile or flattery and the words she finally manages to find - ]
I want you the way you always are.
[ - aren't in any way a lie. ]
1/3
...still nothing, no change. Is he disappointed? Upset? Relieved? It's impossible to tell.
But then finally... finally... he lets out a sigh. ]
2/3
[ In exasperation, he finally breaks eye contact and practically groans as if in defeat. ]
It could use work. Average score at best, but fine. I'll take it.
[ Black insects start to appear from the ground and swarm his body... a grim sight, the complete opposite of what you would expect from the Faerie King, surrounded by butterflies and moths and various other, prettier insects. With that said, as grotesque as it might be, it'll be familiar to Ai. ]
3/3
...there? Happy now?
[ ...oh he looks like he's in a bad mood, huh? ]
no subject
Relief. Gratitude. And whatever you call the feeling that settles into your lungs when you step inside and say I'm home.
When she beams at him in return, her smile isn't a lie either. ]
Mmhm. Black hair suits you best, you know.
no subject
He's pissed, he's definitely upset... but that damn smile. Objectively it looks the same as any other smile, but...
...his heart rises.
...this is exactly why he tried to do what he did. ]
Oh, shut it. What kind of person actually prefers this? I know you already said that you idols aren't sane, but you're on another damn level, you know that?
[ His usual barbs. There really isn't anything different about his words now compared to any other time he's casually tossed an insult her way, but... ]
...don't complain to me later.
no subject
You were the one who wanted me to tell you the truth. I just think, if I'm gonna do that, shouldn't we both do the same? Ah, don't get me wrong, I know you're definitely still lying now... but at least this way, fair's still fair, right?
[ She gives him a little grin, evidently pleased with her little victory and finally breezes past him to make for the apartment - but then she pauses and glances back, her expression still bright. ]
Come on. Let's go home. I haven't eaten anything since yesterday and I'm starving.
no subject
Though, then again, that probably just evens it out when it comes to dealing with him. ]
Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, my pain-in-the-ass Master.
[ So he follows, follows his Master who still thinks it was mere coincidence that brought them together. He has no clue what to do now that she's rejected their easy-way-out to their feelings, but...
...well, it's not like he's unused to having to improvise on the fly. ]