[ 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
...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. ]
no subject
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.
no subject
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. ]
no subject
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.
no subject
[ 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.
no subject
[ 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?
no subject
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. ]
no subject
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.
no subject
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. ]
no subject
[ you think she needs fae eyes to see that??? ]
no subject
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? ]
no subject
[ 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...
no subject
[ 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. ]
no subject
[ 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.
no subject
[ 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? ]