[ Objectively speaking, going for an entire night must have been a mind-blowing experience for Ai. Possibly the most exhausting experience in her life, sure, but still mind-blowing. Somehow, for better or worse, Oberon is good at what he does... especially when Ai has such a vulnerable M-streak to her.
Weird to think about when you consider that... that may as well have been his first time. It's not like he ever did anything like that at any point during his time in Faerie Britain, least of all Chaldea, and now he's done it here. One can only suppose that it just comes with the trait of being Oberon. It all just came naturally to him.
The price of that mind-blowing night, however, is that it is currently a few hours past noon... and Ai is going to be waking up to the sorest body she's ever felt in her life. Forget feeling sore after exercise and stamina training... she has to deal with both the physical fatigue, and the fact that her body is covered in bites.
The amount of bite marks on her body only increased as the night went on, spreading to her thighs and even her arms. They were already dark after Oberon gave them to her, and they've gotten even darker as they slept. Finally, there's the fact that at no point during the night was Oberon anything but rough... and for how long they went, it doesn't even need to be said what state that particular part of her body is in.
She's as ruined as she can possibly be, and that might be the point... hell, since it's Oberon, he's probably proud of it too.
Speaking of... ]
Morning~
[ ...being a Servant who doesn't need to sleep, and also a piece of shit, means he woke up before Ai and has been laying here with her, arms wrapped around her from behind as the big spoon to her much littler spoon, for god knows how long. He's quiet, letting her sleep for as long as she wants, but once he sees her open her eyes... the urge to tease could not be resisted. Hell, it's not even morning anymore! They fucked into early morning! It's well past noon, you liar!
At the very least, it had been very touching when Oberon finally exhausted himself and laid there with her in his arms. Even if they don't need sleep, they still can, and it's one of the best ways to deal with exhaustion. He had fallen asleep close to her, just as she wanted. ]
[ When Ai finally peels her eyes open, it takes a long, long moment for her to even register that she is awake. The fatigue hanging over her is so thick that she's still halfway in her dreams even now - she remembers the clicking of a projector, bright overblown images cast larger than life on a screen but anything that might have been playing out there is gone.
Her whole body feels heavy and sore. Definitely worse than any live show she's ever put on. All the bites he's left on her skin are still tingling and there's so many all over her at this point that her whole body feels like it's humming.
She feels... burned down, like a candle lit until it scorched the wax. She's been so roughly used that her whole body aches from it and she knows without even having to look (though her blurry vision helpfully zeroes in on a few of those bites down her arm) that she must be an utterly disgraceful sight by now.
Unacceptably filthy. Unforgivably sullied and impure. For Ai of B-Komachi, anyway.
The thought makes a smile settle into place on her face. ]
Good afternoon.
[ She doesn't even have to look at the time to know that's bullshit. Her voice, perhaps unsurprisingly, is raspy and worn. Almost like she'd, uh, been using it loudly and at length all through last night.
She sort of wants to roll over and face him, but every muscle in her body at once protests even the thought of it, so instead she settles for curling a little more tightly around the arms wrapped around her. ]
Or maybe it's even evening at this point. I kind of lost track.
[ For better or worse, he's opened up to her. Her mind will get used to the occasional dreamwalk into that special theater playing stories of another world. Of an incinerated history, of a bleached planet... she may not remember any of it now, but she's the Master of someone who lives within dreams. It's only a matter of time.
Not that it's important right now. Her response turns his smile into a grin, and his arms tighten a little more to hold her close as she curls up against him. ]
Hah... you're welcome for the unforgettable experience.
[ In stark contrast to how rough he was last night, as well as the teasing tone in his voice, his hands are gentle on her skin. Unacceptably filthy, sullied and impure... who cares? She's beautiful to him. Her voice, even while raspy and worn, sends warmth through what he feels is his cold heart.
He rests his head on her shoulder, pressing tender kisses to the bite marks that he himself left behind. ]
Heh... that Archer is going to be furious with me. Well, it was worth it, so who cares...
[ "Treat women more gently" or something along those lines, right? Never mind that Ai enjoyed it just as much as he did, if not more. Hm? Something else about delicacy? Nah, screw that. ]
Don't get ahead of yourself. I'm definitely not thanking you yet.
[ Though maybe she should at least consider it?! Wrung out and exhausted as she is now, it's not like he was the only one who was so greedy for more that it almost hurt. If she'd told him to stop at any point and really meant it, he would have stopped then and there.
But she didn't. So neither did he. So really, this is all her own fault.
Still though. Is it always like that with a Servant? Compatability or not, there's no way mages spend that much time on mana transfers, right? And it really would be just like Oberon to be particularly troublesome in that regard as well. Finding new ways to give her a headache is practically his number one hobby. ]
And you especially shouldn't be talking about other girls right now, you know. Even a girl like Nagiko-chan.
[ Even Lesbians Are Off Limits ]
... But I do feel different. While we were doing all that, I felt...
[ Her voice trails off. But somehow, the truth comes leaking out anyway.
A corpse's heart can't race. So for him to have made her feel the way she did all through those hours then what can she be but alive again? ]
[ Well, most mages have higher mana output than Ai, as well as more mana in general. When your ability as a mage is what it is, Ai, then the primitive methods are your best bet.
That and he does enjoy giving her a headache. It wasn't entirely without purpose... Oberon uses an immense amount of mana fighting, and now he has an abundance of it filling his body.
...but really, all of those reasons are just side-effects of the main reason why. That reason being... he had lost himself in her. She offered herself to him, he partook in her, and he was addicted in an instant.
He wanted her, plain and simple. ]
Hah! Fair enough...
[ Even lesbians, huh? Is that her possessiveness talking, then? He grins and brings his mouth to her ear so he can give it a little nibble. His mention of a lesbian aside, his eyes are only on her right now.
But more than that, he hears her words... sees her truth behind them, and smiles. ]
Of course...
[ "Of course you are" he thinks... and he will ensure that it stays that way. Even if it was part of why they were drawn to each other, he will turn the words "Ai Hoshino is dead" into a lie. ]
Should you ever lose that feeling, come to me... I'll remind you as many times as you need.
[ ...what an extremely roundabout way to say that he'll gladly do this with her as many times as she wants. ]
[ And that makes a little groan rise up from her throat. ]
No. Absolutely not. Not if it's going to end up like this every time.
[ It probably won't. She doesn't imagine their shared restraint will snap quite so violently next time this has to happen but she also wouldn't put it past him to make this kind of production about it every single time just to make a point of things. ]
There's no way I'll be able to even think about it for at least a week. Maybe two. Don't you think you were having a little too much fun? Idols are tougher than people think but even that's pushing it.
[ She's kidding. ... Mostly. As good as it'd been, the idea of an repeat performance anytime soon is... well, it's not happening, plain and simple! Seriously, she's got his teeth printed all up and down her thighs, can't she at least recover from that before he starts thinking about an encore...?!
Even as she speaks, though, she pulls her arms in and settles them around his. For as much as she's fussing about the idea of being touched again, her real feelings are clear even before she speaks. ]
... This is enough. Until we have to do it again. [ 'have to'. sure. ] Just hold onto me like this and call me by my name. That way, I won't forget.
[ That gets another laugh out of him, louder this time. He figured as much already, but can you really blame him for bringing it up? She's cute when she gets huffy, after all. ]
Oh, don't tell me you didn't love every second of it. But if you insist, I'll be sure to hold back next time.
[ Except he's a liar, so... no he won't. At the very least, he'll try to avoid turning it into a marathon, since that was exhausting even for him... but the biting and bullying and roughness... yeah, fat chance. He wouldn't want to disappoint her, after all. Really, there's only one way for Ai to avoid it... and that's to strike first.
Still, for now, he just holds her close and gladly does as she says. ]
Whatever you say, Ai...
[ He settles his own arms on Ai's body... one wrapped around her chest and the other wrapped her navel, his palms open and flat against her skin so as to touch her like she wants. For once, he feels perfectly safe in doing so... both because of a surprising lack of hesitation on his part, and the fact that honestly? Servant or not, after last night, even he's not feeling up to an encore anytime soon. It feels like he essentially just unloaded all of the feelings he had for her in the span of a single night. ]
I don't believe that for a second. Knowing you, you'll be even worse.
[ And yet, he's being so gentle with her right now. It's strange. Maybe it's just out of necessity - even he must know there's only so much her body can actually take, no matter how much her feelings might want something - but adjusting to it is still...
He'll always be a liar, just the same way she will. He'll always be cruel and callous and sharp, an ill suited match for her in just about any other circumstance. Maybe closing her eyes to all the rest of it makes her a fool. Maybe it makes her selfish.
But when Oberon says her name like that - when he reminds her that she's still here, breathing and living despite everything, she starts to think that maybe it's okay for her to be a little selfish.
With some effort, she finally rolls over. As expected, her muscles protest but this is something she can't say while avoiding his gaze. They're so close as it is that when she turns, they're practically nose to nose but her eyes are surprisingly serious. ]
... If I'm going to get my wish, that means I have to win. But more than that, it means everyone else has to lose. Even...
[ Even Hibiki and Nagiko. Even everyone else she's made a friend of here. She can't pretend that even considering it isn't the worst kind of betrayal. ]
It's selfish. I know it is and there's no point in pretending it's not. But I'm starting to think... maybe it's okay for me to do that. And even if it's not okay... maybe I still want to do it anyway.
[ He loosens his grip so that she can roll over, wrapping them around her again once she's turned herself around. His eyes, cold as ever, recognize the seriousness in her eyes and turn serious as well.
...she's right. There's still a lot of mystery to this grail war, but with the way things are going, it's only a matter of time before things reach a boiling point. Once it truly becomes a battle royale, alliances are destined to crumble eventually. His grin turns downward, knowing who she's thinking of when she considers that.
...he's delightfully surprised at the words—the truth—that come out. He smiles... and yes, a smile, not a smug grin. ]
...good.
[ He lifts a hand up to brush some of her hair—still messy from last night—away from her face and caress her cheek. ]
That's how a mother should be, isn't it?
[ Not that he'd know what a mother's love is like, but it's only right that a mother should want to see her children again... to see them grow up, isn't it? Besides, he can't imagine that either Tachibana Hibiki or Sei Shounagon have the capacity to hold a grudge... especially if they knew of her wish. For better or worse, those two are blindingly bright and blindingly honest... the opposite of them, really. ]
[ Oh. Hearing him say that makes a breath catch in her throat.
If he's been able to see her for what she really is all this time then it shouldn't be a surprise that he'd know that, too. After all, before she's an idol, maybe before she's even a person full stop, she's Aqua and Ruby's mother.
If that's what he sees, then it must be the truth.
Maybe it wasn't Hoshino Ai who died in that hallway, then. Maybe Ai of B-Komachi can be the one left behind - the rotting remains of a chrysalis. And what survives can be...
What, exactly?
She doesn't quite know yet. But maybe it's okay if this is how she finds out. ]
Mm. [ Her mouth pulls into a tight line. ] It should be. ... It will be.
[ This isn't just her selfishness anymore, if that's the case. She's fighting for Aqua and Ruby and if that's how it is, then she owes them nothing less than her everything. No matter how much it scares her, no matter how ill suited and undeserving and utterly underwhelming she is as a Master, now that she has this chance...
What kind of mother would she be if she wasted it? ]
Oberon.
[ Just like last night, her raspy voice takes on the tone of a command - maybe a little uncertain, still, but no less firm. She meets his gaze, too. From this close, it's almost unbearable to be looked into so deeply but if she's holding that gaze then she can't make herself lie. ]
[ She willingly meets his gaze, his eyes that tear away her lies and sees her for what she really is. He can see her resolve, her determination... he trust in him, a liar of all people.
If this is her resolve, then it's only right that he responds in kind as her Servant... but his eyes see something more.
Where her eyes normally shine like stars, he sees a flicker of darkness... small, yet deep and endless. It is, of course, familiar to him... how could it not be?
It's the seed he all but planted in her himself. ]
Ai...
[ ...for the briefest of moments, his eyes widen, but only for that moment. It only takes that briefest of moments for him to understand. This is the price of his decision to give into his feelings for her. He nurtured the seed all this time, refusing to plant it... until now.
What it will grow into... will it become a wretched plant that overgrows and takes her over, or will it become something that will empower her from now on? Well, his eyes may be able to see the truth, but they can't see the future. This is the price paid in order to accept these feelings...
...whatever the consequences of his decision will be, it's too late for him to do anything about it. He's given her his word, sworn to her that he will grant her wish. Whatever path he's set her down... he will follow her on it until the end, no matter who or what she becomes as a result. ]
...yeah, the two of us.
[ He is certain of one thing at least... and it's that if she's his Titania, the one who can love him despite how twisted he is... then it's only right that he does the same. No matter what happens.
...Ah, could this be a semblance of how you felt, Blanca?
He tightens his hold around her, pressing her small frame up against his body as he closes that tiny gap between them in a kiss. ]
[ She'd been reminded of it over and over last night but - she really is small and slight in comparison to him, isn't she? That's the case for almost everybody when it comes to her, but being pressed up against him so tightly with nothing else to distract her makes it really obvious. Once, that'd cowed her - proximity to him alone felt like a threat.
Now, though...
A little breath of laughter puffs against his lips before Ai pulls back first, her eyes twinkling with mischief. ]
Heehee. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were softening up a little.
[ She grins, looking entirely too pleased with herself. He'd done a very good job of keeping the upper hand last night but she can't resist the urge to prod and poke at him a little right now. ]
[ Him? Cute? Oh shut up... but she's not wrong. It's clear that he's softened up to her, and it shows in how eager he is to touch her. All things considered, touch being his love language would make sense, wouldn't it? His words and tone are harsh, but the way he's so eager to hold her gives away the truth.
Though with that said, some embarassment definitely leaked out for a second before he recomposed himself. ]
Oh, you will? [ Entirely too blithe and matter-of-fact for a girl whose stomach and thighs are still marred with his teeth. You could almost believe it, too, if it wasn't for the way her eyes are sparkling that ruin the effect of her guileless expression just a bit. ] That's supposed to be a threat, right? You were having so much fun doing it last night, it almost sounds like you're asking for more.
[ He was having fun with it last night. Yeah. Sure. ]
I really didn't think you were the type to fish for compliments so shamelessly... but I guess that's pretty cute. Aah, what do they call it again... gap something?
[ Her eyebrows raise and once again, her expression is sweet, blithe and innocent. ]
Hm? When did I say I wasn't?
[ And totally fake, of course. ]
Don't get me wrong. You're absolutely the worst kind of bully for having so much fun with it... and for leaving so many of them. Don't you think you got a little carried away?
[ ... Her lips are twitching a bit like she's struggling not to smile. ]
[ Fakeness... lies... those are part of who they are. Who both of them are, but... that's fine, isn't it? Because even if they're both fake, even if they're both liars... they can understand each other. ]
Hah. Nah... I think I left just enough.
[ ...he'd have put even more on her last night if he could've, wouldn't he?
After all, to him... Ai has never looked more beautiful. ]
[ Mildly; ] I know you're always lying because I'm the same, but even if you were anybody else, I'd know for a fact you're lying right now.
[ She's definitely playing with fire a little, but. Getting to prod a reaction out of him like this is a little new. She's kind of having fun with it. ]
You didn't touch my back at all. And there's definitely spots on my thighs you missed. So it's not a case of running out of space.
[ She heaves a biiiiiiiiiig dramatic sigh. ]
I guess you'll just have to do a better job next time...
[ His arms tighten around her, as if to prevent escape... not that he imagines she could have much success regardless, considering the state she's already in. He understands the enjoyment of prodding for a reaction... it's all he ever does with her, after all.
But she'd better be ready for the potential consequences. ]
See? This is exactly what I mean. No patience whatsoever. It was already obviously a lie in the first place but jeez...
[ She says it like she's scolding him but really, she's just playing. There's no way she could stand even an abbreviated repeat of anything they'd gotten up to last night but...
Strangely, even if it's only in jest, knowing he wants to makes her feel glad.
People love her because she's clean and pure. When they want her, it's in the manner of wanting a decoration. Something to look at but never touch for fear of leaving fingerprints. So someone wanting her even knowing she's dirty and wanting to make her even dirtier in the process is...
It's new. It's strange. It's still a little scary to think about. Because even if he didn't choose to come here and find her... in some way, he's still chosen her. If he ever decides to discard her, what will she do?
She ends up popping her forehead onto his shoulder, hiding her face so he can't see whatever expression she ends up making as she speaks. ]
I really meant it when I said it, you know. You have to stay with me right up until the end. That's my one and only order for you as a Master.
[ Being understood like this is... strange to say the least. He can count the number of times he's been understood on one hand. The Avalon le Fae, the Master of Chaldea... and now Hoshino Ai.
He remembers discarding such love before... carelessly tossing aside the body of an Autumn Princess that did everything for him. That had been, in his own way, his respect for that love... by discarding it, he ensured it would never be tainted by his lies.
Could he even do the same if it became necessary here...? For once he's... not sure. ]
...Yes, my Master.
[ ...but if it's his Master's orders, then he has no choice but to obey, right? ]
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no subject
Weird to think about when you consider that... that may as well have been his first time. It's not like he ever did anything like that at any point during his time in Faerie Britain, least of all Chaldea, and now he's done it here. One can only suppose that it just comes with the trait of being Oberon. It all just came naturally to him.
The price of that mind-blowing night, however, is that it is currently a few hours past noon... and Ai is going to be waking up to the sorest body she's ever felt in her life. Forget feeling sore after exercise and stamina training... she has to deal with both the physical fatigue, and the fact that her body is covered in bites.
The amount of bite marks on her body only increased as the night went on, spreading to her thighs and even her arms. They were already dark after Oberon gave them to her, and they've gotten even darker as they slept. Finally, there's the fact that at no point during the night was Oberon anything but rough... and for how long they went, it doesn't even need to be said what state that particular part of her body is in.
She's as ruined as she can possibly be, and that might be the point... hell, since it's Oberon, he's probably proud of it too.
Speaking of... ]
Morning~
[ ...being a Servant who doesn't need to sleep, and also a piece of shit, means he woke up before Ai and has been laying here with her, arms wrapped around her from behind as the big spoon to her much littler spoon, for god knows how long. He's quiet, letting her sleep for as long as she wants, but once he sees her open her eyes... the urge to tease could not be resisted.
Hell, it's not even morning anymore! They fucked into early morning! It's well past noon, you liar!At the very least, it had been very touching when Oberon finally exhausted himself and laid there with her in his arms. Even if they don't need sleep, they still can, and it's one of the best ways to deal with exhaustion. He had fallen asleep close to her, just as she wanted. ]
no subject
Her whole body feels heavy and sore. Definitely worse than any live show she's ever put on. All the bites he's left on her skin are still tingling and there's so many all over her at this point that her whole body feels like it's humming.
She feels... burned down, like a candle lit until it scorched the wax. She's been so roughly used that her whole body aches from it and she knows without even having to look (though her blurry vision helpfully zeroes in on a few of those bites down her arm) that she must be an utterly disgraceful sight by now.
Unacceptably filthy. Unforgivably sullied and impure. For Ai of B-Komachi, anyway.
The thought makes a smile settle into place on her face. ]
Good afternoon.
[ She doesn't even have to look at the time to know that's bullshit. Her voice, perhaps unsurprisingly, is raspy and worn. Almost like she'd, uh, been using it loudly and at length all through last night.
She sort of wants to roll over and face him, but every muscle in her body at once protests even the thought of it, so instead she settles for curling a little more tightly around the arms wrapped around her. ]
Or maybe it's even evening at this point. I kind of lost track.
no subject
Not that it's important right now. Her response turns his smile into a grin, and his arms tighten a little more to hold her close as she curls up against him. ]
Hah... you're welcome for the unforgettable experience.
[ In stark contrast to how rough he was last night, as well as the teasing tone in his voice, his hands are gentle on her skin. Unacceptably filthy, sullied and impure... who cares? She's beautiful to him. Her voice, even while raspy and worn, sends warmth through what he feels is his cold heart.
He rests his head on her shoulder, pressing tender kisses to the bite marks that he himself left behind. ]
Heh... that Archer is going to be furious with me. Well, it was worth it, so who cares...
[ "Treat women more gently" or something along those lines, right? Never mind that Ai enjoyed it just as much as he did, if not more. Hm? Something else about delicacy? Nah, screw that. ]
no subject
[ Though maybe she should at least consider it?! Wrung out and exhausted as she is now, it's not like he was the only one who was so greedy for more that it almost hurt. If she'd told him to stop at any point and really meant it, he would have stopped then and there.
But she didn't. So neither did he. So really, this is all her own fault.
Still though. Is it always like that with a Servant? Compatability or not, there's no way mages spend that much time on mana transfers, right? And it really would be just like Oberon to be particularly troublesome in that regard as well. Finding new ways to give her a headache is practically his number one hobby. ]
And you especially shouldn't be talking about other girls right now, you know. Even a girl like Nagiko-chan.
[ Even Lesbians Are Off Limits ]
... But I do feel different. While we were doing all that, I felt...
[ Her voice trails off. But somehow, the truth comes leaking out anyway.
A corpse's heart can't race. So for him to have made her feel the way she did all through those hours then what can she be but alive again? ]
no subject
That and he does enjoy giving her a headache. It wasn't entirely without purpose... Oberon uses an immense amount of mana fighting, and now he has an abundance of it filling his body.
...but really, all of those reasons are just side-effects of the main reason why. That reason being... he had lost himself in her. She offered herself to him, he partook in her, and he was addicted in an instant.
He wanted her, plain and simple. ]
Hah! Fair enough...
[ Even lesbians, huh? Is that her possessiveness talking, then? He grins and brings his mouth to her ear so he can give it a little nibble. His mention of a lesbian aside, his eyes are only on her right now.
But more than that, he hears her words... sees her truth behind them, and smiles. ]
Of course...
[ "Of course you are" he thinks... and he will ensure that it stays that way. Even if it was part of why they were drawn to each other, he will turn the words "Ai Hoshino is dead" into a lie. ]
Should you ever lose that feeling, come to me... I'll remind you as many times as you need.
[ ...what an extremely roundabout way to say that he'll gladly do this with her as many times as she wants. ]
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No. Absolutely not. Not if it's going to end up like this every time.
[ It probably won't. She doesn't imagine their shared restraint will snap quite so violently next time this has to happen but she also wouldn't put it past him to make this kind of production about it every single time just to make a point of things. ]
There's no way I'll be able to even think about it for at least a week. Maybe two. Don't you think you were having a little too much fun? Idols are tougher than people think but even that's pushing it.
[ She's kidding. ... Mostly. As good as it'd been, the idea of an repeat performance anytime soon is... well, it's not happening, plain and simple! Seriously, she's got his teeth printed all up and down her thighs, can't she at least recover from that before he starts thinking about an encore...?!
Even as she speaks, though, she pulls her arms in and settles them around his. For as much as she's fussing about the idea of being touched again, her real feelings are clear even before she speaks. ]
... This is enough. Until we have to do it again. [ 'have to'. sure. ] Just hold onto me like this and call me by my name. That way, I won't forget.
no subject
[ That gets another laugh out of him, louder this time. He figured as much already, but can you really blame him for bringing it up? She's cute when she gets huffy, after all. ]
Oh, don't tell me you didn't love every second of it. But if you insist, I'll be sure to hold back next time.
[ Except he's a liar, so... no he won't. At the very least, he'll try to avoid turning it into a marathon, since that was exhausting even for him... but the biting and bullying and roughness... yeah, fat chance. He wouldn't want to disappoint her, after all.
Really, there's only one way for Ai to avoid it... and that's to strike first.Still, for now, he just holds her close and gladly does as she says. ]
Whatever you say, Ai...
[ He settles his own arms on Ai's body... one wrapped around her chest and the other wrapped her navel, his palms open and flat against her skin so as to touch her like she wants. For once, he feels perfectly safe in doing so... both because of a surprising lack of hesitation on his part, and the fact that honestly? Servant or not, after last night, even he's not feeling up to an encore anytime soon. It feels like he essentially just unloaded all of the feelings he had for her in the span of a single night. ]
no subject
[ And yet, he's being so gentle with her right now. It's strange. Maybe it's just out of necessity - even he must know there's only so much her body can actually take, no matter how much her feelings might want something - but adjusting to it is still...
He'll always be a liar, just the same way she will. He'll always be cruel and callous and sharp, an ill suited match for her in just about any other circumstance. Maybe closing her eyes to all the rest of it makes her a fool. Maybe it makes her selfish.
But when Oberon says her name like that - when he reminds her that she's still here, breathing and living despite everything, she starts to think that maybe it's okay for her to be a little selfish.
With some effort, she finally rolls over. As expected, her muscles protest but this is something she can't say while avoiding his gaze. They're so close as it is that when she turns, they're practically nose to nose but her eyes are surprisingly serious. ]
... If I'm going to get my wish, that means I have to win. But more than that, it means everyone else has to lose. Even...
[ Even Hibiki and Nagiko. Even everyone else she's made a friend of here. She can't pretend that even considering it isn't the worst kind of betrayal. ]
It's selfish. I know it is and there's no point in pretending it's not. But I'm starting to think... maybe it's okay for me to do that. And even if it's not okay... maybe I still want to do it anyway.
no subject
...she's right. There's still a lot of mystery to this grail war, but with the way things are going, it's only a matter of time before things reach a boiling point. Once it truly becomes a battle royale, alliances are destined to crumble eventually. His grin turns downward, knowing who she's thinking of when she considers that.
...he's delightfully surprised at the words—the truth—that come out. He smiles... and yes, a smile, not a smug grin. ]
...good.
[ He lifts a hand up to brush some of her hair—still messy from last night—away from her face and caress her cheek. ]
That's how a mother should be, isn't it?
[ Not that he'd know what a mother's love is like, but it's only right that a mother should want to see her children again... to see them grow up, isn't it? Besides, he can't imagine that either Tachibana Hibiki or Sei Shounagon have the capacity to hold a grudge... especially if they knew of her wish. For better or worse, those two are blindingly bright and blindingly honest... the opposite of them, really. ]
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If he's been able to see her for what she really is all this time then it shouldn't be a surprise that he'd know that, too. After all, before she's an idol, maybe before she's even a person full stop, she's Aqua and Ruby's mother.
If that's what he sees, then it must be the truth.
Maybe it wasn't Hoshino Ai who died in that hallway, then. Maybe Ai of B-Komachi can be the one left behind - the rotting remains of a chrysalis. And what survives can be...
What, exactly?
She doesn't quite know yet. But maybe it's okay if this is how she finds out. ]
Mm. [ Her mouth pulls into a tight line. ] It should be. ... It will be.
[ This isn't just her selfishness anymore, if that's the case. She's fighting for Aqua and Ruby and if that's how it is, then she owes them nothing less than her everything. No matter how much it scares her, no matter how ill suited and undeserving and utterly underwhelming she is as a Master, now that she has this chance...
What kind of mother would she be if she wasted it? ]
Oberon.
[ Just like last night, her raspy voice takes on the tone of a command - maybe a little uncertain, still, but no less firm. She meets his gaze, too. From this close, it's almost unbearable to be looked into so deeply but if she's holding that gaze then she can't make herself lie. ]
If it's the two of us, then we'll win.
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If this is her resolve, then it's only right that he responds in kind as her Servant... but his eyes see something more.
Where her eyes normally shine like stars, he sees a flicker of darkness... small, yet deep and endless. It is, of course, familiar to him... how could it not be?
It's the seed he all but planted in her himself. ]
Ai...
[ ...for the briefest of moments, his eyes widen, but only for that moment. It only takes that briefest of moments for him to understand. This is the price of his decision to give into his feelings for her. He nurtured the seed all this time, refusing to plant it... until now.
What it will grow into... will it become a wretched plant that overgrows and takes her over, or will it become something that will empower her from now on? Well, his eyes may be able to see the truth, but they can't see the future. This is the price paid in order to accept these feelings...
...whatever the consequences of his decision will be, it's too late for him to do anything about it. He's given her his word, sworn to her that he will grant her wish. Whatever path he's set her down... he will follow her on it until the end, no matter who or what she becomes as a result. ]
...yeah, the two of us.
[ He is certain of one thing at least... and it's that if she's his Titania, the one who can love him despite how twisted he is... then it's only right that he does the same. No matter what happens.
...Ah, could this be a semblance of how you felt, Blanca?He tightens his hold around her, pressing her small frame up against his body as he closes that tiny gap between them in a kiss. ]
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Now, though...
A little breath of laughter puffs against his lips before Ai pulls back first, her eyes twinkling with mischief. ]
Heehee. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were softening up a little.
[ She grins, looking entirely too pleased with herself. He'd done a very good job of keeping the upper hand last night but she can't resist the urge to prod and poke at him a little right now. ]
You're almost cute like this.
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[ Him? Cute? Oh shut up... but she's not wrong. It's clear that he's softened up to her, and it shows in how eager he is to touch her. All things considered, touch being his love language would make sense, wouldn't it? His words and tone are harsh, but the way he's so eager to hold her gives away the truth.
Though with that said, some embarassment definitely leaked out for a second before he recomposed himself. ]
...Oh, shut up. I'll bite you again, you know.
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[ He was having fun with it last night. Yeah. Sure. ]
I really didn't think you were the type to fish for compliments so shamelessly... but I guess that's pretty cute. Aah, what do they call it again... gap something?
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Oh, and you weren't? I could've sworn you were making some very sweet sounds last night... I suppose that must have been my imagination, then?
[ He traces one of the bites he left on her body with his finger, running along the tender and darkening skin where he marked her as his. ]
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Hm? When did I say I wasn't?
[ And totally fake, of course. ]
Don't get me wrong. You're absolutely the worst kind of bully for having so much fun with it... and for leaving so many of them. Don't you think you got a little carried away?
[ ... Her lips are twitching a bit like she's struggling not to smile. ]
But none of that means I didn't like it.
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Hah. Nah... I think I left just enough.
[ ...he'd have put even more on her last night if he could've, wouldn't he?
After all, to him... Ai has never looked more beautiful. ]
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[ you think she needs fae eyes to see that??? ]
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What? Nooooo. Is that what you think of me?
[ His tone is, as usual, too genuine-sounding for words that are 100% sarcastic. ]
Well, don’t worry, I can recognize when I’ve run out of space… I can be patient.
[ Can he, though? ]
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[ She's definitely playing with fire a little, but. Getting to prod a reaction out of him like this is a little new. She's kind of having fun with it. ]
You didn't touch my back at all. And there's definitely spots on my thighs you missed. So it's not a case of running out of space.
[ She heaves a biiiiiiiiiig dramatic sigh. ]
I guess you'll just have to do a better job next time...
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[ Well, that makes two of them, then. ]
I could amend that right now, if you want...
[ His arms tighten around her, as if to prevent escape... not that he imagines she could have much success regardless, considering the state she's already in. He understands the enjoyment of prodding for a reaction... it's all he ever does with her, after all.
But she'd better be ready for the potential consequences. ]
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[ She says it like she's scolding him but really, she's just playing. There's no way she could stand even an abbreviated repeat of anything they'd gotten up to last night but...
Strangely, even if it's only in jest, knowing he wants to makes her feel glad.
People love her because she's clean and pure. When they want her, it's in the manner of wanting a decoration. Something to look at but never touch for fear of leaving fingerprints. So someone wanting her even knowing she's dirty and wanting to make her even dirtier in the process is...
It's new. It's strange. It's still a little scary to think about. Because even if he didn't choose to come here and find her... in some way, he's still chosen her. If he ever decides to discard her, what will she do?
She ends up popping her forehead onto his shoulder, hiding her face so he can't see whatever expression she ends up making as she speaks. ]
I really meant it when I said it, you know. You have to stay with me right up until the end. That's my one and only order for you as a Master.
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[ Being understood like this is... strange to say the least. He can count the number of times he's been understood on one hand. The Avalon le Fae, the Master of Chaldea... and now Hoshino Ai.
He remembers discarding such love before... carelessly tossing aside the body of an Autumn Princess that did everything for him. That had been, in his own way, his respect for that love... by discarding it, he ensured it would never be tainted by his lies.
Could he even do the same if it became necessary here...? For once he's... not sure. ]
...Yes, my Master.
[ ...but if it's his Master's orders, then he has no choice but to obey, right? ]