[ Objectively speaking, his expression isn't much different from his normal look... but in this moment, his attention entirely on the screen, his eyes narrow and his lips curl downward.
He's seen this countless times before, he's never reacted like this then... but it's different now. The impossible lady who tolerates him, the existence of a woman who can love him, is sitting right next to him... hand in hand.
He grips as if to ensure that she stays real, that she doesn't fade like the memories after waking from a dream... ironic to say, considering that this is a dream.
It's undoubtedly a pained expression, the look of a being made to long for a love that can never exist... and yet against all odds, that love he so desperately sought is sitting next to him right now.
For all her insistence, for her command that he stay with her until the very end... she's not the only one desperate for the other's presence anymore. ]
[ She doesn't mean to stare. Really, she doesn't. But the moment she catches sight of his expression she knows without even having to think about it at all that she's never seen a look like that on his face before. It's tender - but in the way a bruise is tender, something that aches all the more when you make the mistake of touching it. She knows without even having to think about it that she's worn a face like that before herself.
After all - a person who could tolerate her, accept her as she is... she didn't believe they could ever exist either.
Even though she knows they must be pressed close together in reality - it's how she fell asleep, after all - she suddenly wants to do the same here, too. Anything that'll stop him from making that pained face.
But she stays where she is. Her thumb starts a slow, steady sweep over the back of his hand, but that's it. ]
I know Masters and Servants are supposed to be compatible but this is a little silly. [ She murmurs it low and warm, quiet enough that he can pretend not to hear it. If he needs to. ] We really are the same.
[ It's the feeling of her thumb on the back of his hand that reminds him... they're both holding onto each other, aren't they? He doesn't respond, graciously taking the option to pretend he didn't hear her that she provided, but his expression clearly softens as a result.
In reality, almost certainly, his sleeping form pulls her a little closer as well.
The movie continues, and Oberon's hand—which had begun to squeeze a bit too tight, considering how his hand dwarfs hers in size—eases up and holds hers more gently. How cheesy, he knows. Are their hands going to be connected like this for the rest of the movie? Embarrassing to think about, but... he doesn't mind.
Honestly, for how fake the Faerie King must be in Ai's eyes, the hijinks he gets up to are strangely genuine. His boisterous entrance into the Salisbury Tavern followed by multiple faeries expressing how glad they are to see him and that he's yet to pay any of them back... really just tracks as typical Oberon behavior, considering his freeloading tendencies with Ai. ]
"Hahahahaha. Will you all cut that out!? Stop pointing out how popular I am! I'm here with some important friends today! Save the money talk for another time, all right!?"
"...What was that about a ten-thousand year tab?"
"So, you're poor? Even though you call yourself a king?"
[ If there's one thing that's clear, he wasn't exactly lying when he claimed the blonde faerie girl—Artoria being her name—was a pain in the ass... at least, she certainly was from his perspective. Ai can only see her through the medium that is this movie, but her willingness to drag the Faerie King at just about any opportunity, coupled with Oberon occasionally even firing back, made it clear exactly what their dynamic was like.
After that, she'd find that while Oberon remained silent for most of the time... with his mood having improved, she'll have to deal with the occasional stray bit of brief commentary—mostly when a new character is introduced, at which point he would voice his feelings on them.
Conversely, despite his insistence that she doesn't ask questions, he graciously answers them to the best of his ability. He supposes that, in a theater devoid of presence aside from themselves, there isn't too much of a need to follow movie etiquette. (Not that he ever did in the first place.) ]
[ For all that she'd joked otherwise, she's restrained enough when it comes to questions - outside of an occasional reminder as to which name goes with which face (she's always been so bad with them, after all) she seems to be following things well enough. It's the feelings that matter more than the details, after all, and for as bad as she is with people's feelings in real life it's easier in movies where everything's blown up so huge and telegraphed so obviously.
So she sees it it a little more clearly than she expects to. Or maybe she's just projecting. When it's the two of them, it's probably both. But when she sees just how well liked the Faerie King is, even with all the freeloading and the sniping...
Yeah. She remembers wanting to be like that too.
Maybe if she'd had a friend like Artoria it wouldn't have all ended in blood. ]
Ah, I get it now. "Pain in the ass" just means she sees right through you, huh?
[ She shoots him a cheeky little smile, amidst another round of on-screen squabbling. ]
You're right. I do like her. Anyone who can take you down a peg or two is alright by me.
Edited (noticing an autocorrect typo half an hour later dwbi) 2024-04-29 05:30 (UTC)
[ He can't resist the urge to click his tongue at that. ]
Tch. It's a good thing she's not here, then. Handling you both at the same time sounds like hell.
[ So he says in spite of the fondness he holds in his heart regardless. She has no idea just how right she is... that she can see right through him. Though at the very least, he's fairly certain that Artoria's eyes were less flaying than his own in regards to seeing the truth. His eyes are cold and violent, her eyes meanwhile...
...well, they were just the eyes of a teenage girl, weren't they?
The story continues... the meeting of a radiant faerie who Oberon remains strangely silent at her appearance, a battle with a powerful Faerie Knight and the sacrifice of their red-haired bowman, the shield maiden's journey...
...a glimpse of the High Queen Morgan, of her court, and of her cruel and sadistic daughter.
It's a story of high highs and low lows... a peculiar city where everything is turned on it's head, an auction for an old man in a youngster's body that would result in all-out brawl... ]
...honestly, it's a good thing it turned into a fight. Seriously, what the hell was I supposed to do if the bidding ended like that?
[ What an incredibly tomboyish, feral child she was. She had a bad habit of self-deprecation, yet when she started going, she wouldn't stop. She'd speak her mind and she'd speak it loud, even if the end result would be a panicked red face after figuratively shooting herself in the foot.
She was the "protagonist" of this story. She hates to lose, she's clumsy, she has a clear interest in blacksmithing of all things, she stumbles but always gets back to her feet, her magecraft is all weirdly specific and specialized in either convenience, committing crimes, or explosives. Wait, those last two might just be the same thing...
...It's impressive, really, considering how many holes in her cheerful facade one can spot the longer they watch her. The glimpses of the frail, timid, pessimistic girl on the inside that can be seen more and more as the story progresses. ]
It's not just because she knows she's seeing the opening act of a tragedy - though that certainly doesn't help. She doesn't know quite when the tables are going to turn, just that they are. It's like the agonizing quiet before a monster pops out in horror movie.
But that isn't the thing that Ai almost can't bear to watch.
It's that girl.
She's so bright - so that nobody gets a chance to look any closer. She's always smiling - so nobody ever notices how worn thin her smiles are getting. She always gets back up when she stumbles - quickly, so nobody notices just how bad the fall had hurt.
She's too familiar. Ai can't help but have the thought that a girl like that would make an incredible idol.
Then she feels a little sick. ]
We'd be in even bigger trouble if we tried a trick like that here. I don't think our apartment's worth anything.
[ ... At some point during the proceedings, she's moved a little in her seat, scooching to the side to get as close to his seat as she can with the arm rest between them. Almost like something's unsettled her enough to warrant the increased proximity. ]
... She's already all sorts of worn down, huh?
[ She doesn't think she has to clarify just who. ]
[ He can imagine what her reaction would be to wearing an idol costume. If the bunny outfit was any indication, her face might burn so red she'd catch fire. ]
Hahaha. Never mind we'd be homeless. Let's stay away from auctions, shall we?
[ It's obvious who she's talking about, but it almost amuses Oberon to think about how those words are fitting for more than just one of the girls onscreen. Though in the case of Fujimaru Ritsuka, it's harder to see just how worn a person is when they themselves aren't fully aware of it either.
He squeezes her hand, reminding her that he's right there next to her, and that he isn't leaving. ]
...Oh, you have no idea.
[ Except that's a lie, because she does have some idea, doesn't she? Perhaps not the details, they haven't reached that yet, but... ]
If it turns out you were even a little mean to her, I won't forgive you, you know. [ She's just teasing. Probably. ] Kicking a girl when she's down is the worst thing you can do.
[ She flashes him a little smile then turns her attention back to the screen. More fights, more butting heads. More progress, more characters to keep track of...
... She's getting better at keeping the main cast's names straight even if she has to keep being reminded of everyone else. There's a lot to keep track of, okay?!
It's by the time Artoria and her friends are greeted by the rebel army that Ai speaks up at last with a proper question - even if she sounds a little unsure of asking it. ]
The girl from Chaldea... was she your Master too?
[ She doesn't look away from the screen as she asks it. ]
[ He playfully shoots back his retort. Not that he was mean to her, but he is also the villain here you know.
He answers her questions, reminding her who's who. Seriously, it's a good thing there aren't an abundance of Artoria-lookalikes out there in reality... her faceblindness is already bad enough, though at the very least, most of them have the same name.
He's briefly silent at that last question, though. ]
...Yeah. Even though she knew exactly who I am and what I was, I found myself being resummoned to Chaldea when everything was said and done.
[ He sips from his empty cup again before continuing. ]
The Last Master of Humanity... I suppose dealing with so many Servants all the time is bound to drive anyone loopy. She's annoyingly genuine to a fault, I seriously couldn't believe it when she summoned me after all that... and you know what she said to me? "Glad to be working with you again."
Dealing with just you is enough hassle. I can't imagine handling a bunch of other Servants, too.
[ Still, that unsettled feeling still makes a home in her chest. She's not jealous - that girl from Chaldea is, after all, just a girl - but... that's two other people now she has to try and fill the shoes of, isn't it?
At least Titania had the good grace to not be real. ]
I hope she's ready to be disappointed if she ever turns up here, though. [ Another huff - whatever that feeling is, she's winding it up into a joke to try and dislodge it. ] You're my Servant now.
[ "You're mine." ]
I won't give you up to anybody.
[ At that she risks looking at him, with one of those smiles that's just a little too pretty to be true. ]
[ His eyes meet hers, and for a moment, they widen in surprise. Her eyes are as blinding as always, but... they're especially bright right now.
...but in response to that look in her eyes, that damn smile of hers, he can only laugh. ]
Hah... ahaha...!
[ He laughs... and he leans in, putting his face close to hers. ]
Hah... who taught you to be so possessive... wasn't I just making you scream not too long ago?
[ He taught her to be possessive. Literally his fault. Everything is his fault, always, and that's not a joke. He brings his hand up to brush away some of her hair while he grins at her. ]
Don't worry... I know. You're mine, and I'm yours. That won't change, Ai...
Who says I'm possessive? I'm not taking that from the guy who couldn't stop biting me just to make sure everyone knew who my Servant is.
[ ... But she does look a little mollified, at least. She knows full well her heart's too sensitive to any risk of change, any possibility of something she wants slipping out of her hands. ]
... Besides.
[ Her other hand comes up to make sure his face doesn't pull back. ]
No matter who your Master is, I'm the only one who gets to do this.
[ And she closes the gap between them with a kiss. ]
[ The movie doesn't pause, obviously. Even as Oberon returns the gesture and kisses her back, it keeps going... he'll have to explain the rebel army to her and who Percival is after this, isn't he?
Ah well... it doesn't matter. With how often he watches this movie... she can always just watch it again with him. Besides, with as much as Ai's watched so far, she deserves a little break. The rebel army won't be too hard to catch her up on.
So he kisses her deeply, returning her affection and neediness with his own. She's not wrong... this privilege is reserved solely for herself and nobody else. She is his Titania... his everything. He leans over the armrest separating them to do it... hell, at this point, why is she even sitting next to him?
It's that thought occurring to him that prompts him to suddenly reach over to put his hands on her waist—though he does take her tub of popcorn and put it aside on the other armrest. Snacks are important, especially since with this, he won't be getting up to get more—and pull her over onto his lap. She's small enough for it to work, after all, and it's easier to kiss her this way.
...god, they are the most obnoxious movie-goers, aren't they? ]
[ Somehow, she doesn't see it coming. Even though she'd been the one huffing and puffing to herself about the armrest between them, the second he lifts her out of her seat, she gives one of those surprised and not entirely dignified little noises. ]
Jeez, Oberon...! [ The cadence of her voice comes out like a complaint which probably isn't a surprise with how she's gone pink with embarrassment all the way to her ears. ] At least warn me before you go picking me up like that. You have way too much fun with it.
[ ... But it's certainly not a complaint. She settles herself in and goes right ahead in helping herself to another kiss. It is easier to do this when she's in his lap, huh... ]
It's a good job it's just us here. You'd get us thrown out.
[ Even if he wasn't a Servant, picking her up would be easy... and she fits perfectly and comfortably straddled in his lap, too. Really, they're just as bad as each other... ]
Oh, I'd figure something out...
[ Would he, though? It really is a good thing they're alone... there's truly nothing more distracting than a girl straddling her beloved in the middle of a movie in order to make out. Not that they've been the most gracious of movie goers in the first place, considering how openly they've been speaking from the get-go.
His arms wrap around her waist, he crashes his lips against hers and pushes his tongue in to dance with hers. Her privilege alone... and he'll show just how far that privilege goes.
By the time he pulls back to allow Ai to catch her breath, the group in the movie have long since reached the point of finishing up their strategizing for their next move. ]
[ Just as it always seems to go as of late, Ai doesn't mean it to go quite this far. She's distantly aware they're missing quite a chunk of the movie, but... well, Oberon's just very good at distracting her, that's all. She's totally not at fault here. What else is she supposed to do when her Servant is such a handful?
By the time he lets her go, forget her ears - she's flushed all the way to the roots of her hair again and she can feel her face burn with it. She knows full well that's a dangerous face to let him see so she turns - all the way in fact, settling herself sideways in his lap just to make it a little harder to give into temptation.
It seems a little strange to be kissed breathless in a dream. But then, what isn't strange about this whole situation? ]
If I missed anything, don't complain when you end up having to explain it later.
[ that's really all she has to say for herself?? ]
[ Honestly, at this point, the movie is the one thing keeping them from letting things get out of hand again. Just how badly smitten do you have to be to one another to get to this point in both reality and in a dream?
He relishes in seeing the look on her face, at least for as long as she allows him to before she turns herself sideways in order to hide it. ]
Yes, yes, I know.
[ He'll use his hands on her waist to turn her around the rest of the way, now seated facing the movie in his lap and his arms wrapped around her. She's larger enough than her that it works out fairly well, he thinks. ]
[ S-somehow being perched on his lap like this is all sorts of embarrassing even though there's nobody else around... are the two of them really so far gone that they can't keep their hands off each other even in a dream? And it's not like she can even blame him for this one...
Still. It's not unpleasant. It's not like she's exactly starved for his touch after what they spent all night doing but being held like this is still new. Maybe that makes her just a little pathetic but she's known that for a long, long while. ]
This is one of those parts of the movie, huh?
[ She pipes up with that after a little while of quiet. ]
Where it starts looking like everything's going right before it all goes wrong again.
[ Yes, yes they are so far gone. Never at any point will Ai have to worry about Oberon being stolen away by his former Master... they're practically locked in at this point. ]
...I suppose it is. We've coasted rather steadily along so far... even saved Norwich, but I suppose it is indeed from here... when things start to escalate.
[ It takes a little longer than that, at least. As far as movies go, this is a rather lengthy one, after all... but up Artoria's ringing of the first bell meant, as Morgan herself declared, the true beginning of the war... Mash's journey with Aesc, and of course... ]
"I don't want to see her. I don't want to be shown her. She's too much. I don't want to believe it. I don't want to acknowledge it.
After all.
She has no equal. Takes no refuge. No one who understands her. None who can comfort her.
She receives no reward. No goals. No rest. She cannot afford failure, not even a single mistake.
Ah—from the bottom of my heart, I think: "no."
Just how cruel must it be for everyone to smile and acknowledge a King like that?"
[ More of the girl who Ai understands all too well. ]
[ It's impossible to hide it now she's sat where she is - impossible to pretend she doesn't tense and go ramrod straight in his arms as those words pour out of the speakers.
It's too much. She's too much.
Yeah. She remembers.
A thin noise rises out of her throat and finally resolves into a laugh. You could almost mistake it for a real one. ]
Ah, she's not wrong. It really is cruel. So cruel you could be sick from it.
[ Her hand drifts up and once again - that spot on her stomach she can never truly stop thinking about, no matter how much time passes. ]
I guess a story like that doesn't change no matter where you go.
[ He feels her stiffen in his arms, and he responds by pulling her close again, his chest against her back. ]
Hah... that's right. Sickening, isn't it? Maybe it's just because I'm not from Proper Human History... but I never did understand that king. Perhaps nobody ever did...
[ Well, it's a good thing at least that those words are a lie, even if neither of them have a way of knowing it.
She wakes up as per usual, and at the very least, her pain is at least somewhat noticed by Fujimaru... and the Faerie King, who serves to reinvigorate the party.
It's strange to watch himself tell the others of his summoning, especially with Ai in his lap like this. Ai, who already knows the grotesque truth of his summoning, but...
The way he lets out a sigh when the group is informed of the encroaching army on the Welsh Forest... his forest...
Rather than pained, he sounds... resigned, almost. How many times has he watched this? ]
[ The question tumbles out of her mouth before she can stop it.
Sat like this, she can't see his face - and maybe that's a little kinder, all things considered. It means that whatever this pulls out of him, he doesn't need to hope Ai doesn't see it. But she knows the sound of a sigh like that. She's let out so many of her own that sound just the same, after all.
Again, the question surfaces in her mind: just how many times must you watch a tragedy play out before you get so... bored of it? ]
I'll stay to the end no matter what but... we don't have to keep watching.
[ He's glad she can't see his face. Perhaps it's selfish of him, considering what he's seen of her face, but... ]
...I hated them, you know. I hated how grotesque they were, the way they crawled along my body when I couldn't move, the way they clustered around my every step, the way they viewed me as their king... their savior. To them, the Child of Prophecy was a story... but I was their reality. I hated having that role thrust onto me by creatures so weak that it was only natural they were persecuted, faeries that didn't even have the intelligence to understand the injustices they were dealt.
[ The first tragedy plays out. A forest erupted in flames, the chitters of the creatures perishing within. "It hurts. It hurts. Please, stop. Please don't burn our forest. Please don't destroy Oberon's home." ]
...In the end, I saved none of them. Their deaths accomplished nothing, too. Watching to the end is the one and only respect I can grant them.
[ All of it. From Artoria's enraged screams, the battle with Faerie Knight Gawain, and even to Oberon's first participation in battle (yet another lie he had told, that he wasn't suited for combat)... he rests his chin on top of Ai's head, proof that through it all... not once does he look away. ]
...Well, I suppose I did return the favor in the end. Oh, whoops, spoilers.
[ His tone is so jovial with those last words they couldn't be anything but forced. ]
... It's all stories in the end, huh? Ones other people tell you. Or about you, I guess. You never really get a say in how it turns out.
[ She really can't draw a comparison between them. Oberon is so unfathomably old, a story playing out at a scale a tiny thing like her can barely even comprehend. Ai of B-Komachi was something she did to herself. Faerie King Oberon was burned into him like a brand. Everywhere you could even try to point to some way they're similar, Ai falls pathetically short every time.
But it still prickles at her skin like recognition. For the second time, she wonders if maybe she's just projecting. Then she decides it doesn't matter.
The hand that'd been gripping the front of her shirt at last slides down to settle atop his. When he'd lifted her into his lap, their hands had come unlinked but now she slides her fingers back into the gaps between his again. ]
I like the one we've been telling together. For what it's worth.
[ It's unfair to compare them. Ai's life, as tragic as it was, was the life of a human. She faced human troubles, human pain, and at the very end... she experienced human love as well. Oberon Vortigern is and always has been larger than that, whether he liked it or not. The will of Britain itself... it's wish for destruction. It's hard enough to comprehend for mages, nobody could blame Ai for struggling herself.
He was just one such iteration of that will... that the concept of "Oberon" washed ashore on the isle and used as the base for the next Vile King.
...But does that really matter? That she is merely a human idol, that he is a living doomsday device... who says that means they can't understand each other?
If an ordinary girl thrust into a larger-than-life role can do it... can come to an understanding with not only him, but countless others... then anything is possible, isn't it? ]
...Yeah, me too.
[ His hand links with hers again, this time with his clawed and monstrous hand... but still his hand nonetheless. He's inhuman, but he desires love the same as her.
The fire ends, and the Faerie King is left to mourn for his subjects. Unbeknownst to all, his true wrath is inflicted onto the single nearby individual that he needed out of the picture anyway. ]
"You... You! I know you! I recognize that horrible cursed scent! I smelled it during the war against the mors! No... This can't be. You're supposed to be dead... The high queen... I have to tell the high queen..."
[ It's a grim sight... the knight is completely devoured by a swarm of insects, of course it's grim. But for the first time during Ai's stay here, the rage of Hoshino Ai's true Servant can be seen onscreen. ]
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no subject
He's seen this countless times before, he's never reacted like this then... but it's different now. The impossible lady who tolerates him, the existence of a woman who can love him, is sitting right next to him... hand in hand.
He grips as if to ensure that she stays real, that she doesn't fade like the memories after waking from a dream... ironic to say, considering that this is a dream.
It's undoubtedly a pained expression, the look of a being made to long for a love that can never exist... and yet against all odds, that love he so desperately sought is sitting next to him right now.
For all her insistence, for her command that he stay with her until the very end... she's not the only one desperate for the other's presence anymore. ]
no subject
After all - a person who could tolerate her, accept her as she is... she didn't believe they could ever exist either.
Even though she knows they must be pressed close together in reality - it's how she fell asleep, after all - she suddenly wants to do the same here, too. Anything that'll stop him from making that pained face.
But she stays where she is. Her thumb starts a slow, steady sweep over the back of his hand, but that's it. ]
I know Masters and Servants are supposed to be compatible but this is a little silly. [ She murmurs it low and warm, quiet enough that he can pretend not to hear it. If he needs to. ] We really are the same.
no subject
[ It's the feeling of her thumb on the back of his hand that reminds him... they're both holding onto each other, aren't they? He doesn't respond, graciously taking the option to pretend he didn't hear her that she provided, but his expression clearly softens as a result.
In reality, almost certainly, his sleeping form pulls her a little closer as well.
The movie continues, and Oberon's hand—which had begun to squeeze a bit too tight, considering how his hand dwarfs hers in size—eases up and holds hers more gently. How cheesy, he knows. Are their hands going to be connected like this for the rest of the movie? Embarrassing to think about, but... he doesn't mind.
Honestly, for how fake the Faerie King must be in Ai's eyes, the hijinks he gets up to are strangely genuine. His boisterous entrance into the Salisbury Tavern followed by multiple faeries expressing how glad they are to see him and that he's yet to pay any of them back... really just tracks as typical Oberon behavior, considering his freeloading tendencies with Ai. ]
"Hahahahaha. Will you all cut that out!? Stop pointing out how popular I am! I'm here with some important friends today! Save the money talk for another time, all right!?"
"...What was that about a ten-thousand year tab?"
"So, you're poor? Even though you call yourself a king?"
[ If there's one thing that's clear, he wasn't exactly lying when he claimed the blonde faerie girl—Artoria being her name—was a pain in the ass... at least, she certainly was from his perspective. Ai can only see her through the medium that is this movie, but her willingness to drag the Faerie King at just about any opportunity, coupled with Oberon occasionally even firing back, made it clear exactly what their dynamic was like.
After that, she'd find that while Oberon remained silent for most of the time... with his mood having improved, she'll have to deal with the occasional stray bit of brief commentary—mostly when a new character is introduced, at which point he would voice his feelings on them.
Conversely, despite his insistence that she doesn't ask questions, he graciously answers them to the best of his ability. He supposes that, in a theater devoid of presence aside from themselves, there isn't too much of a need to follow movie etiquette. (Not that he ever did in the first place.) ]
no subject
So she sees it it a little more clearly than she expects to. Or maybe she's just projecting. When it's the two of them, it's probably both. But when she sees just how well liked the Faerie King is, even with all the freeloading and the sniping...
Yeah. She remembers wanting to be like that too.
Maybe if she'd had a friend like Artoria it wouldn't have all ended in blood. ]
Ah, I get it now. "Pain in the ass" just means she sees right through you, huh?
[ She shoots him a cheeky little smile, amidst another round of on-screen squabbling. ]
You're right. I do like her. Anyone who can take you down a peg or two is alright by me.
no subject
Tch. It's a good thing she's not here, then. Handling you both at the same time sounds like hell.
[ So he says in spite of the fondness he holds in his heart regardless. She has no idea just how right she is... that she can see right through him. Though at the very least, he's fairly certain that Artoria's eyes were less flaying than his own in regards to seeing the truth. His eyes are cold and violent, her eyes meanwhile...
...well, they were just the eyes of a teenage girl, weren't they?
The story continues... the meeting of a radiant faerie who Oberon remains strangely silent at her appearance, a battle with a powerful Faerie Knight and the sacrifice of their red-haired bowman, the shield maiden's journey...
...a glimpse of the High Queen Morgan, of her court, and of her cruel and sadistic daughter.
It's a story of high highs and low lows... a peculiar city where everything is turned on it's head, an auction for an old man in a youngster's body that would result in all-out brawl... ]
...honestly, it's a good thing it turned into a fight. Seriously, what the hell was I supposed to do if the bidding ended like that?
[ What an incredibly tomboyish, feral child she was. She had a bad habit of self-deprecation, yet when she started going, she wouldn't stop. She'd speak her mind and she'd speak it loud, even if the end result would be a panicked red face after figuratively shooting herself in the foot.
She was the "protagonist" of this story. She hates to lose, she's clumsy, she has a clear interest in blacksmithing of all things, she stumbles but always gets back to her feet, her magecraft is all weirdly specific and specialized in either convenience, committing crimes, or explosives. Wait, those last two might just be the same thing...
...It's impressive, really, considering how many holes in her cheerful facade one can spot the longer they watch her. The glimpses of the frail, timid, pessimistic girl on the inside that can be seen more and more as the story progresses. ]
no subject
It's not just because she knows she's seeing the opening act of a tragedy - though that certainly doesn't help. She doesn't know quite when the tables are going to turn, just that they are. It's like the agonizing quiet before a monster pops out in horror movie.
But that isn't the thing that Ai almost can't bear to watch.
It's that girl.
She's so bright - so that nobody gets a chance to look any closer. She's always smiling - so nobody ever notices how worn thin her smiles are getting. She always gets back up when she stumbles - quickly, so nobody notices just how bad the fall had hurt.
She's too familiar. Ai can't help but have the thought that a girl like that would make an incredible idol.
Then she feels a little sick. ]
We'd be in even bigger trouble if we tried a trick like that here. I don't think our apartment's worth anything.
[ ... At some point during the proceedings, she's moved a little in her seat, scooching to the side to get as close to his seat as she can with the arm rest between them. Almost like something's unsettled her enough to warrant the increased proximity. ]
... She's already all sorts of worn down, huh?
[ She doesn't think she has to clarify just who. ]
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He can imagine what her reaction would be to wearing an idol costume. If the bunny outfit was any indication, her face might burn so red she'd catch fire.]Hahaha. Never mind we'd be homeless. Let's stay away from auctions, shall we?
[ It's obvious who she's talking about, but it almost amuses Oberon to think about how those words are fitting for more than just one of the girls onscreen. Though in the case of Fujimaru Ritsuka, it's harder to see just how worn a person is when they themselves aren't fully aware of it either.
He squeezes her hand, reminding her that he's right there next to her, and that he isn't leaving. ]
...Oh, you have no idea.
[ Except that's a lie, because she does have some idea, doesn't she? Perhaps not the details, they haven't reached that yet, but... ]
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[ She flashes him a little smile then turns her attention back to the screen. More fights, more butting heads. More progress, more characters to keep track of...
... She's getting better at keeping the main cast's names straight even if she has to keep being reminded of everyone else. There's a lot to keep track of, okay?!
It's by the time Artoria and her friends are greeted by the rebel army that Ai speaks up at last with a proper question - even if she sounds a little unsure of asking it. ]
The girl from Chaldea... was she your Master too?
[ She doesn't look away from the screen as she asks it. ]
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[ He playfully shoots back his retort. Not that he was mean to her, but he is also the villain here you know.
He answers her questions, reminding her who's who. Seriously, it's a good thing there aren't an abundance of Artoria-lookalikes out there in reality... her faceblindness is already bad enough, though at the very least, most of them have the same name.
He's briefly silent at that last question, though. ]
...Yeah. Even though she knew exactly who I am and what I was, I found myself being resummoned to Chaldea when everything was said and done.
[ He sips from his empty cup again before continuing. ]
The Last Master of Humanity... I suppose dealing with so many Servants all the time is bound to drive anyone loopy. She's annoyingly genuine to a fault, I seriously couldn't believe it when she summoned me after all that... and you know what she said to me? "Glad to be working with you again."
[ He lets out a sigh. ]
...well, not that it matters now.
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Dealing with just you is enough hassle. I can't imagine handling a bunch of other Servants, too.
[ Still, that unsettled feeling still makes a home in her chest. She's not jealous - that girl from Chaldea is, after all, just a girl - but... that's two other people now she has to try and fill the shoes of, isn't it?
At least Titania had the good grace to not be real. ]
I hope she's ready to be disappointed if she ever turns up here, though. [ Another huff - whatever that feeling is, she's winding it up into a joke to try and dislodge it. ] You're my Servant now.
[ "You're mine." ]
I won't give you up to anybody.
[ At that she risks looking at him, with one of those smiles that's just a little too pretty to be true. ]
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...but in response to that look in her eyes, that damn smile of hers, he can only laugh. ]
Hah... ahaha...!
[ He laughs... and he leans in, putting his face close to hers. ]
Hah... who taught you to be so possessive... wasn't I just making you scream not too long ago?
[
He taught her to be possessive. Literally his fault. Everything is his fault, always, and that's not a joke.He brings his hand up to brush away some of her hair while he grins at her. ]Don't worry... I know. You're mine, and I'm yours. That won't change, Ai...
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Who says I'm possessive? I'm not taking that from the guy who couldn't stop biting me just to make sure everyone knew who my Servant is.
[ ... But she does look a little mollified, at least. She knows full well her heart's too sensitive to any risk of change, any possibility of something she wants slipping out of her hands. ]
... Besides.
[ Her other hand comes up to make sure his face doesn't pull back. ]
No matter who your Master is, I'm the only one who gets to do this.
[ And she closes the gap between them with a kiss. ]
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Ah well... it doesn't matter. With how often he watches this movie... she can always just watch it again with him. Besides, with as much as Ai's watched so far, she deserves a little break. The rebel army won't be too hard to catch her up on.
So he kisses her deeply, returning her affection and neediness with his own. She's not wrong... this privilege is reserved solely for herself and nobody else. She is his Titania... his everything. He leans over the armrest separating them to do it... hell, at this point, why is she even sitting next to him?
It's that thought occurring to him that prompts him to suddenly reach over to put his hands on her waist—though he does take her tub of popcorn and put it aside on the other armrest. Snacks are important, especially since with this, he won't be getting up to get more—and pull her over onto his lap. She's small enough for it to work, after all, and it's easier to kiss her this way.
...god, they are the most obnoxious movie-goers, aren't they? ]
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Jeez, Oberon...! [ The cadence of her voice comes out like a complaint which probably isn't a surprise with how she's gone pink with embarrassment all the way to her ears. ] At least warn me before you go picking me up like that. You have way too much fun with it.
[ ... But it's certainly not a complaint. She settles herself in and goes right ahead in helping herself to another kiss. It is easier to do this when she's in his lap, huh... ]
It's a good job it's just us here. You'd get us thrown out.
[ says the girl who started it... ]
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[ Even if he wasn't a Servant, picking her up would be easy... and she fits perfectly and comfortably straddled in his lap, too. Really, they're just as bad as each other... ]
Oh, I'd figure something out...
[ Would he, though? It really is a good thing they're alone... there's truly nothing more distracting than a girl straddling her beloved in the middle of a movie in order to make out. Not that they've been the most gracious of movie goers in the first place, considering how openly they've been speaking from the get-go.
His arms wrap around her waist, he crashes his lips against hers and pushes his tongue in to dance with hers. Her privilege alone... and he'll show just how far that privilege goes.
By the time he pulls back to allow Ai to catch her breath, the group in the movie have long since reached the point of finishing up their strategizing for their next move. ]
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By the time he lets her go, forget her ears - she's flushed all the way to the roots of her hair again and she can feel her face burn with it. She knows full well that's a dangerous face to let him see so she turns - all the way in fact, settling herself sideways in his lap just to make it a little harder to give into temptation.
It seems a little strange to be kissed breathless in a dream. But then, what isn't strange about this whole situation? ]
If I missed anything, don't complain when you end up having to explain it later.
[ that's really all she has to say for herself?? ]
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He relishes in seeing the look on her face, at least for as long as she allows him to before she turns herself sideways in order to hide it. ]
Yes, yes, I know.
[ He'll use his hands on her waist to turn her around the rest of the way, now seated facing the movie in his lap and his arms wrapped around her. She's larger enough than her that it works out fairly well, he thinks. ]
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Still. It's not unpleasant. It's not like she's exactly starved for his touch after what they spent all night doing but being held like this is still new. Maybe that makes her just a little pathetic but she's known that for a long, long while. ]
This is one of those parts of the movie, huh?
[ She pipes up with that after a little while of quiet. ]
Where it starts looking like everything's going right before it all goes wrong again.
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...I suppose it is. We've coasted rather steadily along so far... even saved Norwich, but I suppose it is indeed from here... when things start to escalate.
[ It takes a little longer than that, at least. As far as movies go, this is a rather lengthy one, after all... but up Artoria's ringing of the first bell meant, as Morgan herself declared, the true beginning of the war... Mash's journey with Aesc, and of course... ]
"I don't want to see her. I don't want to be shown her. She's too much. I don't want to believe it. I don't want to acknowledge it.
After all.
She has no equal. Takes no refuge. No one who understands her. None who can comfort her.
She receives no reward. No goals. No rest. She cannot afford failure, not even a single mistake.
Ah—from the bottom of my heart, I think: "no."
Just how cruel must it be for everyone to smile and acknowledge a King like that?"
[ More of the girl who Ai understands all too well. ]
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It's too much. She's too much.
Yeah. She remembers.
A thin noise rises out of her throat and finally resolves into a laugh. You could almost mistake it for a real one. ]
Ah, she's not wrong. It really is cruel. So cruel you could be sick from it.
[ Her hand drifts up and once again - that spot on her stomach she can never truly stop thinking about, no matter how much time passes. ]
I guess a story like that doesn't change no matter where you go.
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Hah... that's right. Sickening, isn't it? Maybe it's just because I'm not from Proper Human History... but I never did understand that king. Perhaps nobody ever did...
[
Well, it's a good thing at least that those words are a lie, even if neither of them have a way of knowing it.She wakes up as per usual, and at the very least, her pain is at least somewhat noticed by Fujimaru... and the Faerie King, who serves to reinvigorate the party.
It's strange to watch himself tell the others of his summoning, especially with Ai in his lap like this. Ai, who already knows the grotesque truth of his summoning, but...
The way he lets out a sigh when the group is informed of the encroaching army on the Welsh Forest... his forest...
Rather than pained, he sounds... resigned, almost. How many times has he watched this? ]
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[ The question tumbles out of her mouth before she can stop it.
Sat like this, she can't see his face - and maybe that's a little kinder, all things considered. It means that whatever this pulls out of him, he doesn't need to hope Ai doesn't see it. But she knows the sound of a sigh like that. She's let out so many of her own that sound just the same, after all.
Again, the question surfaces in her mind: just how many times must you watch a tragedy play out before you get so... bored of it? ]
I'll stay to the end no matter what but... we don't have to keep watching.
[ "Unless you want me to see." ]
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[ He's glad she can't see his face. Perhaps it's selfish of him, considering what he's seen of her face, but... ]
...I hated them, you know. I hated how grotesque they were, the way they crawled along my body when I couldn't move, the way they clustered around my every step, the way they viewed me as their king... their savior. To them, the Child of Prophecy was a story... but I was their reality. I hated having that role thrust onto me by creatures so weak that it was only natural they were persecuted, faeries that didn't even have the intelligence to understand the injustices they were dealt.
[ The first tragedy plays out. A forest erupted in flames, the chitters of the creatures perishing within. "It hurts. It hurts. Please, stop. Please don't burn our forest. Please don't destroy Oberon's home." ]
...In the end, I saved none of them. Their deaths accomplished nothing, too.
Watching to the end is the one and only respect I can grant them.
[ All of it. From Artoria's enraged screams, the battle with Faerie Knight Gawain, and even to Oberon's first participation in battle (yet another lie he had told, that he wasn't suited for combat)... he rests his chin on top of Ai's head, proof that through it all... not once does he look away. ]
...Well, I suppose I did return the favor in the end. Oh, whoops, spoilers.
[ His tone is so jovial with those last words they couldn't be anything but forced. ]
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[ She really can't draw a comparison between them. Oberon is so unfathomably old, a story playing out at a scale a tiny thing like her can barely even comprehend. Ai of B-Komachi was something she did to herself. Faerie King Oberon was burned into him like a brand. Everywhere you could even try to point to some way they're similar, Ai falls pathetically short every time.
But it still prickles at her skin like recognition. For the second time, she wonders if maybe she's just projecting. Then she decides it doesn't matter.
The hand that'd been gripping the front of her shirt at last slides down to settle atop his. When he'd lifted her into his lap, their hands had come unlinked but now she slides her fingers back into the gaps between his again. ]
I like the one we've been telling together. For what it's worth.
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He was just one such iteration of that will... that the concept of "Oberon" washed ashore on the isle and used as the base for the next Vile King.
...But does that really matter? That she is merely a human idol, that he is a living doomsday device... who says that means they can't understand each other?
If an ordinary girl thrust into a larger-than-life role can do it... can come to an understanding with not only him, but countless others... then anything is possible, isn't it? ]
...Yeah, me too.
[ His hand links with hers again, this time with his clawed and monstrous hand... but still his hand nonetheless. He's inhuman, but he desires love the same as her.
The fire ends, and the Faerie King is left to mourn for his subjects. Unbeknownst to all, his true wrath is inflicted onto the single nearby individual that he needed out of the picture anyway. ]
"You... You! I know you! I recognize that horrible cursed scent! I smelled it during the war against the mors! No... This can't be. You're supposed to be dead... The high queen... I have to tell the high queen..."
[ It's a grim sight... the knight is completely devoured by a swarm of insects, of course it's grim. But for the first time during Ai's stay here, the rage of Hoshino Ai's true Servant can be seen onscreen. ]
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