[ What a greedy woman... for all her hangups on it, she certainly seems eager to love as much as she can... even if it's all the sides of himself, even the ones he tends to keep tucked away. ]
So long as you're prepared for the troubles that'll come with that, then...
[ The movie continues, words are spoken that Ai has heard already, at the very least in passing. Though his words are, of course, still nothing but lies. The Abyssal Worm falls on the ship, plunging both it and the Master of Chaldea into the void. His birth is shown... though Ai is already intimately familiar with that, isn't she?
Yet even amidst the almost casual chat that they have when the Master of Chaldea wakes up, even as they fall down an endless void... a single star, unnoticed by Oberon, continues to shine in the distance. ]
"Come! Caster!!"
"...! You... No... No, it can't be!"
[ She appeared in a blinding flash of light, the powerful and imposing figure of a King... the protagonist of this story, even after the curtain fell on her performance. ]
"I have heard the foreign mage's summons, and come to her aid in accordance with our contract. If this battle is not to punish Britain, but to save the world... then I will cross even the ends of time to deliver this sword into her hands."
[ Simply chasing a single, small star that shone in the distance, an insignificantly small light amidst a storm... yet it kept her going, even now. ]
[ She'd promised she'd watch to the end. This part is hardest - her hand curls even tighter into the furs around his shoulders. Her forehead presses to the side of his neck. Maybe it's reassurance for both of them. But she'd promised, so she watches. ]
Maybe I shouldn't say it... but you were probably always going to lose here. If you were the villain in a story like this, there was no way you could've.
[ But it isn't a scolding - it's more gentle reassurance, somehow. ]
But I guess with the kind of story this was, nobody won.
Well, Chaldea certainly did. Even came out of this with their own Excalibur to use to fight against the Alien God. The world is rather ruined over on that side, after all.
[ He says it in a bitter tone of voice, but considering how he was summoned to their side afterwards, he doesn’t sound too bothered. ]
Still… I had my reasons, and I really did try my best. Seriously, that girl… I suppose I dug my own grave with her.
[ It’s almost funny how she proceeds to admonish him for his actions, her presence alone allowing the rest of Chaldea to stir from their slumbers and give them another fighting chance. ]
…well, as far as Deus Ex Machina’s go, it wasn’t terrible.
I guess. [ Her mouth twitches upwards into a tiny smile. ] I think if anyone deserved a chance to scold you after all the trouble you caused, it'd be her.
[ She's still lazily and gently coming her fingers though his stole, a soothing, repetitive motion. ]
Maybe I shouldn't say this while you're getting kicked around... [ artoria really is uh kind of beating his ass right now. ] But I'm glad it worked out like this.
[ Almost cautiously, she peeks up at him. ]
If you'd gotten your way... neither of us would be here. Right? I wouldn't have gotten a chance to meet you, let alone be your Master.
[ She combs her fingers through his stole, so at the same time, he runs his hands through her hair, gently caressing her in the process. It's... nice, having her here like this.
It's also nice having her be at least somewhat distracted while Artoria kicks his ass. To his credit, he's fighting just as well as he always does... hell, he's fighting even better, actually. He's a true threat, a powerful enemy... ]
"Round of Avalon!!"
"Gah!!"
[ In this clash between light and darkness in this void of perpetual falling, the combined efforts of the Avalon le Fae, the Faerie Knight Galahad, and the Last Master of Humanity... the final blow was struck.
Yet, just before that... the red-haired Master, just as ordinary as Ai herself, chooses to dream. ]
"Seriously? Just how shameless are you, you bastard?"
[ Ai was his, and Oberon was hers, that much they had confirmed to each other... but really, to be the Master of someone like Oberon... ]
"This is the end, right? What's the harm in being honest with me about how you feel now?"
"Are you kidding me!? You really are an idiot, aren't you? Even I'm not this bad. I've met insects with better memories than you."
"Hey, you're the one who said you're a liar, right?"
"...Okay, you've got me there. Well played."
[ That kind of attitude is necessary to be his Master, isn't it? ]
"You're right. I do feel strongly about some things. A lot of things, actually. Vortigern was Britain's destiny incarnate, and I was born as part of him... but I'm not just Vortigern, though. I'm Oberon, too. Did I ever tell you about what the land of the fae really is? It's all a big, well, fairy tale. A single story, nothing more.
A fourteen-thousand year picture book Morgan wrote just to have somewhere to belong, even if it had to be fictional. And you people rejected it, just like you have all the others. You said it was wrong—that it was meaningless.
I didn't like that. So much so that it even made me forget my disgust with everything. You make up characters who behave exactly how you want, put them in the kind of stories people dream about... stories so good they even change your very lives... then you just laugh and dismiss them as nothing more than flights of fancy."
"So... this is about stories?"
"That's right. There's still meaning to be found in even the most hackneyed of kingdoms, or the most unsung side characters. All those stories you people from reality just forgot the moment you finished the last page? They had every bit as much right to remain afterward as anything else.
...Oh well, there's no point in telling you this. You're human. You'll forget all about it once the next story comes along. Proper Human History's all about growth and progress, right? Nothing is permanent there. It all just keeps going forever. Me? I find all that stuff a huge pain in the ass.
I was absolutely livid; that's why I wanted to end everything. There. Happy? Now wake up already. You don't need a morning lark, or even an evening one. Not yet, anyway. All right, see you later, Asshole of Chaldea! This journey might've sucked, but at least it was full of surprises!"
"Where are you going? Where are you going? I'll come with you! I'll come with you! Goodbye, friend of Oberon! Come visit Oberon's woods again sometime!"
[ And just like that, it was over. The heroes struck him down, shattering his Spirit Core and knocking him off the side, sending him falling into the endless abyss. The Vile King was felled, and the dying remains of a dragon—no, a Faerie Knight—provided them the last miracle they needed to escape.
He had no strength left to fly after them... no, in the first place... ]
"The wings on my back are just for show... I could never fly, idiot...!"
[ Defeated after accomplishing his goal, he fell, looking up at the Chaldeans flying away and back into that blindingly bright sky. ]
"Go on, get out of here! It'll be a relief to not have to see your damn faces anymore!
...Oh well, who cares? What matters is that I killed Britain, just like I wanted. Although... I'm sorry, Titania. My fictional queen, who loved me in all my twisted ways. I couldn't get rid of those Proper Human History bastards for you."
[ Yet in the end... it was all motivated by love, wasn't it? For a fictional love that never existed. It was no wonder, then, that he fought so hard for that which was fictional... that which didn't exist.
In which case... Ai could never find another Servant who would be as loyal to her as him. Who would fight as hard as him... for her sake. ]
"You know, it's weird. Even though I got the ever-living shit kicked out of me... I still feel strangely at peace. Hmph. So that's Proper Human History's sky, huh. Dammit. It's so beautiful it makes me sick."
[ And thus, the curtains closed as the infinite hollow sealed and the Abyssal Worm fell towards a destination forever beyond his reach. ]
[ This is easily the worst part. Not because it's hard to watch him lose - though that certainly isn't pleasant - but because she feels like she's intruding. She shouldn't be seeing any of this. Especially not after the fall from the ship. Those aren't words for anyone else but here she is, eavesdropping all the same. She really is the worst.
And yet at the same time... something about it is soothing to hear. A balm to a stinging bruise she hadn't even realised was there until the pain let up. A fairy tale some foolish girl made up, just so she could try and have somewhere to belong, even if it had to be a story. Even if she had to lie with everything she had.
He really didn't have any choice but to answer her call, did he?
By now, her fingers have curled into his stole, gripping like she's a like little afraid he'll vanish if she doesn't. ]
You're such a troublemaker. All that for somebody else's story.
[ Her voice is low and soft again. That almost airily breathless tone. ]
[ He huffs, gripping her back as if to assure her that he won't disappear. For what it's worth, he knew what she would see, what she would hear by letting her stay. ]
Hmph, right? All that trouble, just for myself...
[ For a story he ended as well... but in the end, that's all he can do, isn't it? Destroy everything he doesn't like... be it faerie britain for it's sins or Proper Human History for rejecting it. It's all a being like him can do, and it's not like that's changed here.
Whatever it takes to grant her wish. He'll use his lies to grant her victory, or he'll die trying. ]
Well, of course... I could never refuse your call.
[ The story ends, the blue sky stretches out over a bleached earth, and the heroes continue on their journey. ]
All screenings for today have ended. Please make sure to take all of your belongings when leaving the theater. Once again, thank you for visiting us today, and we hope to see you again.
[ The lights come on, filling the theater as it does when a movie ends. It feels a little more embarrassing to have Ai in his lap with the lights on, but he keeps that to himself. ]
Aaaahh... I've seen this one so many times I've lost count, and it's always left me in the same refreshed-yet-terrible mood afterwards, but...
[ He brings his hand to Ai's chin so he can tilt her face up to look at him. ]
[ For once, they're on the exact same wavelength... it'd felt a little easier to forget where they were when the lights had been down and the noise and motion of the movie had seemed to shrink the whole room to just their seats but now it's a little... jeez, she really gets shameless when someone indulges her, doesn't she? ]
I'm not really a movie person but it wasn't so bad. It did get kind of miserable at some points, though. Definitely written by some kind of sadist.
[ Maybe it's a little mean to make jokes about it, but... she wonders if taking it too seriously will just be picking at the scab. For all he's pretending to be over it... there must be some ache left over for him to be watching it over and over like this.
It occurs to her that their faces are probably this close in reality, too. She wonders what faces they've been wearing in sleep this whole time.
She wonders if this strange little link will ever form again. ]
Oberon. [ Her voice is soft but she speaks so suddenly it surprises her. It's just like before - if she's going to say it, it has to be when he's looking at her with those eyes that won't let her lie to him. ] I don't... I don't know if someone like me can give you the thing you're looking for. I don't know if I can be...
[ She doesn't even want to say the name. Even though both of them know it. It took her this long to learn how to love her own children, after all - how can someone like her promise to love anybody?
But before her words can sting like rejection, she lifts her hands so she can cradle his face in her palms. Gently, like she's touching something precious. ]
But I'm glad it was you. I'm glad you came to find me. I wouldn't have ever wanted it to be anybody else.
[ Considering what he just did to her while they were awake... you know, biting, biting, and more biting... even drawing a little blood in the neck and plenty from her lips. Sadist isn't too far off.
She's not wrong that it's still sore. Of course it still aches to fail to realize your true goal at the very end of it all... but honestly? The ache and soreness... he doesn't mind it. Watching it over and over again may not be entertaining, but you take what you can get when falling endlessly, right?
He doesn't look away from her as she speaks, and honestly... even without his Fae Eyes, he'd have understood. They were the same, after all.
Honestly, the idea that she would be unsure at this point if she can love him is ridiculous for any number of reasons... but he keeps that to himself. He understands the feeling, at least... ]
Idiot, don't worry about that at this point...
[ Perhaps it's too convenient, that he's able to see through her words that could easily cause a misunderstanding so easily... but whatever. It's not like he could do anything about that anyway.
He leans down to kiss her... it's an awkward position, but so long as he can reach her lips, it's fine. ]
[ He frowns at her... though it's more of a pout than anything else. Of course he knows what the real her is like, it's who he's been looking at this whole time. ]
Except it's ridiculous to worry about that now, isn't it? You've already done it.
[ In the first place, if love was something you "knew" how to do, then humanity would be a whole lot less of a pain, wouldn't it? ]
And no, I don't just mean with your kids. Besides, as if I would have a problem with the real you at this point.
[ ... Her hand slowly lowers from the space between their mouths. ]
... Is it really okay, then?
[ She says it softly and tentatively enough that it comes out a little like a plea. ]
I don't know if I'll ever be able to say it. ... I'm still scared. I could only say it to Aqua and Ruby because I knew I'd never have another chance. And even then... I was so sure it'd be a lie.
[ It's all she knows how to do, after all. ]
... You've been looking for her all this time. It's the thing you've always wanted. ... Is it... is it really okay for it to be me?
[ Nobody ever chooses Hoshino Ai. She's a consolation prize, if they'll even take her in the first place. When she throws her love out into the crowd, all that reciprocation is strictly for Ai of B-Komachi.
Maybe that's why she's so captivating. She doesn't have any choice but to take your love by force because when has anyone ever given it freely?
Nobody ever chooses her. And they certainly don't ask her to choose them in return.
It's irresponsible. Selfish. She's just watched him tear apart a whole kingdom, she's seen first hand just how cruel and vicious he can be. In any way you can find to describe him, he's a villain. What does it say about her if she's willing to look past all that because he...?
Her throat goes a little tight. He isn't asking to be chosen. Even if he's like her and he can't ever say it, what Oberon is asking her for is reciprocation.
She doesn't bother trying to speak. Right now, she doesn't trust herself to come out with the right words. It's way too easy to lie with them, after all.
So instead, this time, it's Ai who closes the gap between them and kisses him. ]
[ If she's willing to look past all of that, then she must truly be Titania. He returns the kiss, closing the distance and meeting her halfway. If he's a villain, the evil king of a story, then would this make Ai his evil queen?
If that's the case, then he'll corrupt her all he wants. He's a villain, after all. Who else is better suited to claiming the idol of everyone's hearts for himself? ]
Ai...
[ There they are, kissing even as the credits finish rolling... what a terrible pair of movie-goers, aren't they? ]
[ It settles warmly in her throat every time she hears it - her name, the way Oberon says it. Right from the start, hearing it had made her feel... real again, maybe. It hadn't stopped the feeling that she was something dead walking around but it has stopped her from feeling like a ghost.
Now it makes her heart lift. That thought strikes her again - that for her heart to be stirred at all, then it's the proof that she's alive. ]
You have to keep saying my name like that. [ Another of those softly muttered commands into the breath between kisses. ] You have to keep reminding me that I'm here.
[ Because otherwise, she can't quite bring herself to believe it. ]
[ He'll say it again and again, he'll grace her ears with the sound of her name in his voice as much as she wants... until the world itself knows that Hoshino Ai is here and alive.
He kisses her, indulges in her here in this dream even after what they did in reality. Be it there or in a dream, he simply can't get enough of her... the feeling of her in his lap, her lips against his, her small frame in his hands...
So that even if the morning lark comes, he'll never forget her... so that she never becomes a midsummer night's dream. ]
[ She's known from the start that this was a dream, not anything tangible or physical but she's taken by the thought of just how real it all feels regardless. She's more than familiar wit his touch by now, familiar enough that she'd know if it felt wrong or off in any way - but she can't tell any difference. Even their kisses feel just as good as they had in reality.
Which is a really bad thought to let sit in her head. Especially since the only reason they'd actually slowed down and stopped last night (this morning...) was because they'd gotten too exhausted to continue. But here, even though her skin is still painted with the marks he'd left behind, she feels perfectly fine.
Hm. ]
So if it's this place... can be maybe a tiny bit more honest with me than usual?
[ Her voice is still soft, but... when she speaks in that kind of tone, there's no other word for it but trouble. ]
[ For once, he's found himself... confused at her choice of words and tone. He knows that voice, he knows that it's an indicator for trouble. ]
Huh? The hell is that supposed to...
[ ...but then he gets a proper look at her, and it starts to fall into place. There's... there's no way, right? I mean, sure, neither of them have the same fatigue that prompted them to pass out instead of continuing even as the sun rose, but... ]
Hm? [ She giggles and has the audacity to tilt her head, her expression perfectly innocent... even as she's sitting up in his lap, her knees bracketing his thighs in the seat. Of course, dream or not, Oberon could easily move her if he really wanted to, but... ] Wow, you really do have your mind in the gutter, huh?
[ as if she didn't start this... ]
I was just talking about you being a little more honest while we're here. [ with a grin like a cat who just got the cream: ] What were you thinking?
[ There she is, straddling his lap, looking up at him with that damn look in her eyes. Oh, oh she looks innocent, but her eyes say otherwise. Also?? The audacity to call him out on his mind being in the gutter?? You know he has fae eyes now, damn it!! ]
D-Don't give me that, you know what I see!
[ His face is unusually flushed... as though he genuinely hadn't seen this coming. He had expected her to at least still be mentally fatigued, but... ]
[ . . . Oh, this is way too cute. She'd only really meant to tease to get a rise out of him, a little bit of playful payback before both of them retreated but if he's going to look up at her with a face like that... ]
Wow. [ She sounds damningly matter-of-fact. ] Oberon, you're kind of more defenseless than I was expecting. It's cute.
[ Just saying that right to his face, are we... And of course, the way she's leaning in to kiss him again certainly isn't helping at all. ]
[ What the hell is this? Is this revenge? Revenge for how he treated her for hours and hours? This girl, who has an m-streak a mile wide, is now pulling this on him!?
Before he can even pull out a retort, she's claiming his lips with hers, effectively shutting him up and claiming the last laugh for herself. His hands are stiff with shock and an inability to process what's happening right now, but they stay on her waist...
...and with her straddling his lap like this, she gets to directly feel the results of her success. ]
[ It'd be beyond mean to laugh. She's the one prodding and provoking a response out of him, so it'd be awful of her to laugh when she's getting exactly what she asked for.
And yet... ]
Pfft...! [ Another giggle comes puffing out against his lips and she pulls back just enough to speak. ] I guess I did say I wanted you to be honest with me...
[ She shifts her hips a bit - just enough to press into him and make him very aware of all the places their bodies are touching. The little part of her brain that remembers how to be embarrassed does its best to speak up and remind her where they are but she shuts it up. They're in a dream. So why does it matter? ]
But I could always stop. If it's a little too much.
[ Oh, he was already hyper-aware of that. Now she's just driving him crazy. He lets out a soft grunt as she presses down on him, a noise that couldn't make it any clearer how that felt.
Are they the worst movie-goers or what? They talk during the movie, make out during the movie, are obnoxiously affectionate during the movie... and now here they are, doing this right in a public theater.
Not that there's anybody else there, but... ]
I... you...
[ Oh that's cruel of her, asking him if she should stop. There's only one answer he can give, and she's making him say it out loud? What did he do to deserve this? The hours he spent bullying her in much the same way, that's what. ]
Don't... don't ask that now, idiot...
[ He could easily turn the tables, hoist her up and reverse their positions, plow her silly for the rest of this dream so that she knows her place...
...but that look in her eyes somehow manages to keep him completely pinned. ]
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no subject
[ What a greedy woman... for all her hangups on it, she certainly seems eager to love as much as she can... even if it's all the sides of himself, even the ones he tends to keep tucked away. ]
So long as you're prepared for the troubles that'll come with that, then...
[ The movie continues, words are spoken that Ai has heard already, at the very least in passing. Though his words are, of course, still nothing but lies. The Abyssal Worm falls on the ship, plunging both it and the Master of Chaldea into the void. His birth is shown... though Ai is already intimately familiar with that, isn't she?
Yet even amidst the almost casual chat that they have when the Master of Chaldea wakes up, even as they fall down an endless void... a single star, unnoticed by Oberon, continues to shine in the distance. ]
"Come! Caster!!"
"...! You... No... No, it can't be!"
[ She appeared in a blinding flash of light, the powerful and imposing figure of a King... the protagonist of this story, even after the curtain fell on her performance. ]
"I have heard the foreign mage's summons, and come to her aid in accordance with our contract. If this battle is not to punish Britain, but to save the world... then I will cross even the ends of time to deliver this sword into her hands."
[ Simply chasing a single, small star that shone in the distance, an insignificantly small light amidst a storm... yet it kept her going, even now. ]
no subject
Maybe I shouldn't say it... but you were probably always going to lose here. If you were the villain in a story like this, there was no way you could've.
[ But it isn't a scolding - it's more gentle reassurance, somehow. ]
But I guess with the kind of story this was, nobody won.
no subject
[ He says it in a bitter tone of voice, but considering how he was summoned to their side afterwards, he doesn’t sound too bothered. ]
Still… I had my reasons, and I really did try my best. Seriously, that girl… I suppose I dug my own grave with her.
[ It’s almost funny how she proceeds to admonish him for his actions, her presence alone allowing the rest of Chaldea to stir from their slumbers and give them another fighting chance. ]
…well, as far as Deus Ex Machina’s go, it wasn’t terrible.
no subject
[ She's still lazily and gently coming her fingers though his stole, a soothing, repetitive motion. ]
Maybe I shouldn't say this while you're getting kicked around... [ artoria really is uh kind of beating his ass right now. ] But I'm glad it worked out like this.
[ Almost cautiously, she peeks up at him. ]
If you'd gotten your way... neither of us would be here. Right? I wouldn't have gotten a chance to meet you, let alone be your Master.
no subject
[ She combs her fingers through his stole, so at the same time, he runs his hands through her hair, gently caressing her in the process. It's... nice, having her here like this.
It's also nice having her be at least somewhat distracted while Artoria kicks his ass. To his credit, he's fighting just as well as he always does... hell, he's fighting even better, actually. He's a true threat, a powerful enemy... ]
"Round of Avalon!!"
"Gah!!"
[ In this clash between light and darkness in this void of perpetual falling, the combined efforts of the Avalon le Fae, the Faerie Knight Galahad, and the Last Master of Humanity... the final blow was struck.
Yet, just before that... the red-haired Master, just as ordinary as Ai herself, chooses to dream. ]
"Seriously? Just how shameless are you, you bastard?"
[ Ai was his, and Oberon was hers, that much they had confirmed to each other... but really, to be the Master of someone like Oberon... ]
"This is the end, right? What's the harm in being honest with me about how you feel now?"
"Are you kidding me!? You really are an idiot, aren't you? Even I'm not this bad. I've met insects with better memories than you."
"Hey, you're the one who said you're a liar, right?"
"...Okay, you've got me there. Well played."
[ That kind of attitude is necessary to be his Master, isn't it? ]
"You're right. I do feel strongly about some things. A lot of things, actually. Vortigern was Britain's destiny incarnate, and I was born as part of him... but I'm not just Vortigern, though. I'm Oberon, too. Did I ever tell you about what the land of the fae really is? It's all a big, well, fairy tale. A single story, nothing more.
A fourteen-thousand year picture book Morgan wrote just to have somewhere to belong, even if it had to be fictional. And you people rejected it, just like you have all the others. You said it was wrong—that it was meaningless.
I didn't like that. So much so that it even made me forget my disgust with everything. You make up characters who behave exactly how you want, put them in the kind of stories people dream about... stories so good they even change your very lives... then you just laugh and dismiss them as nothing more than flights of fancy."
"So... this is about stories?"
"That's right. There's still meaning to be found in even the most hackneyed of kingdoms, or the most unsung side characters. All those stories you people from reality just forgot the moment you finished the last page? They had every bit as much right to remain afterward as anything else.
...Oh well, there's no point in telling you this. You're human. You'll forget all about it once the next story comes along. Proper Human History's all about growth and progress, right? Nothing is permanent there. It all just keeps going forever. Me? I find all that stuff a huge pain in the ass.
I was absolutely livid; that's why I wanted to end everything. There. Happy? Now wake up already. You don't need a morning lark, or even an evening one. Not yet, anyway. All right, see you later, Asshole of Chaldea! This journey might've sucked, but at least it was full of surprises!"
"Where are you going? Where are you going? I'll come with you! I'll come with you! Goodbye, friend of Oberon! Come visit Oberon's woods again sometime!"
[ And just like that, it was over. The heroes struck him down, shattering his Spirit Core and knocking him off the side, sending him falling into the endless abyss. The Vile King was felled, and the dying remains of a dragon—no, a Faerie Knight—provided them the last miracle they needed to escape.
He had no strength left to fly after them... no, in the first place... ]
"The wings on my back are just for show... I could never fly, idiot...!"
[ Defeated after accomplishing his goal, he fell, looking up at the Chaldeans flying away and back into that blindingly bright sky. ]
"Go on, get out of here! It'll be a relief to not have to see your damn faces anymore!
...Oh well, who cares? What matters is that I killed Britain, just like I wanted. Although... I'm sorry, Titania. My fictional queen, who loved me in all my twisted ways. I couldn't get rid of those Proper Human History bastards for you."
[ Yet in the end... it was all motivated by love, wasn't it? For a fictional love that never existed. It was no wonder, then, that he fought so hard for that which was fictional... that which didn't exist.
In which case... Ai could never find another Servant who would be as loyal to her as him. Who would fight as hard as him... for her sake. ]
"You know, it's weird. Even though I got the ever-living shit kicked out of me... I still feel strangely at peace. Hmph. So that's Proper Human History's sky, huh. Dammit. It's so beautiful it makes me sick."
[ And thus, the curtains closed as the infinite hollow sealed and the Abyssal Worm fell towards a destination forever beyond his reach. ]
no subject
And yet at the same time... something about it is soothing to hear. A balm to a stinging bruise she hadn't even realised was there until the pain let up. A fairy tale some foolish girl made up, just so she could try and have somewhere to belong, even if it had to be a story. Even if she had to lie with everything she had.
He really didn't have any choice but to answer her call, did he?
By now, her fingers have curled into his stole, gripping like she's a like little afraid he'll vanish if she doesn't. ]
You're such a troublemaker. All that for somebody else's story.
[ Her voice is low and soft again. That almost airily breathless tone. ]
And then you came along for mine, too.
no subject
For what it's worth, he knew what she would see, what she would hear by letting her stay.]Hmph, right? All that trouble, just for myself...
[ For a story he ended as well... but in the end, that's all he can do, isn't it? Destroy everything he doesn't like... be it faerie britain for it's sins or Proper Human History for rejecting it. It's all a being like him can do, and it's not like that's changed here.
Whatever it takes to grant her wish. He'll use his lies to grant her victory, or he'll die trying. ]
Well, of course... I could never refuse your call.
[ The story ends, the blue sky stretches out over a bleached earth, and the heroes continue on their journey. ]
All screenings for today have ended. Please make sure to take all of your belongings when leaving the theater. Once again, thank you for visiting us today, and we hope to see you again.
[ The lights come on, filling the theater as it does when a movie ends. It feels a little more embarrassing to have Ai in his lap with the lights on, but he keeps that to himself. ]
Aaaahh... I've seen this one so many times I've lost count, and it's always left me in the same refreshed-yet-terrible mood afterwards, but...
[ He brings his hand to Ai's chin so he can tilt her face up to look at him. ]
...I guess having company isn't too bad.
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I'm not really a movie person but it wasn't so bad. It did get kind of miserable at some points, though. Definitely written by some kind of sadist.
[ Maybe it's a little mean to make jokes about it, but... she wonders if taking it too seriously will just be picking at the scab. For all he's pretending to be over it... there must be some ache left over for him to be watching it over and over like this.
It occurs to her that their faces are probably this close in reality, too. She wonders what faces they've been wearing in sleep this whole time.
She wonders if this strange little link will ever form again. ]
Oberon. [ Her voice is soft but she speaks so suddenly it surprises her. It's just like before - if she's going to say it, it has to be when he's looking at her with those eyes that won't let her lie to him. ] I don't... I don't know if someone like me can give you the thing you're looking for. I don't know if I can be...
[ She doesn't even want to say the name. Even though both of them know it. It took her this long to learn how to love her own children, after all - how can someone like her promise to love anybody?
But before her words can sting like rejection, she lifts her hands so she can cradle his face in her palms. Gently, like she's touching something precious. ]
But I'm glad it was you. I'm glad you came to find me. I wouldn't have ever wanted it to be anybody else.
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[ Considering what he just did to her while they were awake... you know, biting, biting, and more biting... even drawing a little blood in the neck and plenty from her lips. Sadist isn't too far off.
She's not wrong that it's still sore. Of course it still aches to fail to realize your true goal at the very end of it all... but honestly? The ache and soreness... he doesn't mind it. Watching it over and over again may not be entertaining, but you take what you can get when falling endlessly, right?
He doesn't look away from her as she speaks, and honestly... even without his Fae Eyes, he'd have understood. They were the same, after all.
Honestly, the idea that she would be unsure at this point if she can love him is ridiculous for any number of reasons... but he keeps that to himself. He understands the feeling, at least... ]
Idiot, don't worry about that at this point...
[ Perhaps it's too convenient, that he's able to see through her words that could easily cause a misunderstanding so easily... but whatever. It's not like he could do anything about that anyway.
He leans down to kiss her... it's an awkward position, but so long as he can reach her lips, it's fine. ]
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[ Just look how huffy she got all of a sudden. She even puts a hand between their mouths to stop him kissing her. ]
I'm serious, you know...! How am I supposed to not worry when I just say through that whole movie?
[ Ah, now she's the one who's sulking a bit. ]
You've already seen what kind of idol I am, right? ... You know what the real me is like.
[ She softens just a little but that self directed doubt is still in her eyes. ]
I just... don't want to promise you something I still don't know how to do. It's not fair.
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[ He frowns at her... though it's more of a pout than anything else. Of course he knows what the real her is like, it's who he's been looking at this whole time. ]
Except it's ridiculous to worry about that now, isn't it? You've already done it.
[ In the first place, if love was something you "knew" how to do, then humanity would be a whole lot less of a pain, wouldn't it? ]
And no, I don't just mean with your kids. Besides, as if I would have a problem with the real you at this point.
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... Is it really okay, then?
[ She says it softly and tentatively enough that it comes out a little like a plea. ]
I don't know if I'll ever be able to say it. ... I'm still scared. I could only say it to Aqua and Ruby because I knew I'd never have another chance. And even then... I was so sure it'd be a lie.
[ It's all she knows how to do, after all. ]
... You've been looking for her all this time. It's the thing you've always wanted. ... Is it... is it really okay for it to be me?
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…Yes. No, please…
[ Her hand lowers, but he doesn’t lean in for a kiss. He keeps his eyes firmly in hers. ]
This may be the only place I can acknowledge it… so please… if you’ll love someone as vile as myself, then…
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Maybe that's why she's so captivating. She doesn't have any choice but to take your love by force because when has anyone ever given it freely?
Nobody ever chooses her. And they certainly don't ask her to choose them in return.
It's irresponsible. Selfish. She's just watched him tear apart a whole kingdom, she's seen first hand just how cruel and vicious he can be. In any way you can find to describe him, he's a villain. What does it say about her if she's willing to look past all that because he...?
Her throat goes a little tight. He isn't asking to be chosen. Even if he's like her and he can't ever say it, what Oberon is asking her for is reciprocation.
She doesn't bother trying to speak. Right now, she doesn't trust herself to come out with the right words. It's way too easy to lie with them, after all.
So instead, this time, it's Ai who closes the gap between them and kisses him. ]
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If she's willing to look past all of that, then she must truly be Titania.He returns the kiss, closing the distance and meeting her halfway. If he's a villain, the evil king of a story, then would this make Ai his evil queen?If that's the case, then he'll corrupt her all he wants. He's a villain, after all. Who else is better suited to claiming the idol of everyone's hearts for himself? ]
Ai...
[ There they are, kissing even as the credits finish rolling... what a terrible pair of movie-goers, aren't they? ]
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Now it makes her heart lift. That thought strikes her again - that for her heart to be stirred at all, then it's the proof that she's alive. ]
You have to keep saying my name like that. [ Another of those softly muttered commands into the breath between kisses. ] You have to keep reminding me that I'm here.
[ Because otherwise, she can't quite bring herself to believe it. ]
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[ He'll say it again and again, he'll grace her ears with the sound of her name in his voice as much as she wants... until the world itself knows that Hoshino Ai is here and alive.
He kisses her, indulges in her here in this dream even after what they did in reality. Be it there or in a dream, he simply can't get enough of her... the feeling of her in his lap, her lips against his, her small frame in his hands...
So that even if the morning lark comes, he'll never forget her... so that she never becomes a midsummer night's dream. ]
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Which is a really bad thought to let sit in her head. Especially since the only reason they'd actually slowed down and stopped last night (this morning...) was because they'd gotten too exhausted to continue. But here, even though her skin is still painted with the marks he'd left behind, she feels perfectly fine.
Hm. ]
So if it's this place... can be maybe a tiny bit more honest with me than usual?
[ Her voice is still soft, but... when she speaks in that kind of tone, there's no other word for it but trouble. ]
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Huh? The hell is that supposed to...
[ ...but then he gets a proper look at her, and it starts to fall into place. There's... there's no way, right? I mean, sure, neither of them have the same fatigue that prompted them to pass out instead of continuing even as the sun rose, but... ]
O-Oi, seriously?
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[ as if she didn't start this... ]
I was just talking about you being a little more honest while we're here. [ with a grin like a cat who just got the cream: ] What were you thinking?
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[ There she is, straddling his lap, looking up at him with that damn look in her eyes. Oh, oh she looks innocent, but her eyes say otherwise. Also?? The audacity to call him out on his mind being in the gutter?? You know he has fae eyes now, damn it!! ]
D-Don't give me that, you know what I see!
[ His face is unusually flushed... as though he genuinely hadn't seen this coming. He had expected her to at least still be mentally fatigued, but... ]
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Wow. [ She sounds damningly matter-of-fact. ] Oberon, you're kind of more defenseless than I was expecting. It's cute.
[ Just saying that right to his face, are we... And of course, the way she's leaning in to kiss him again certainly isn't helping at all. ]
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[ What the hell is this? Is this revenge? Revenge for how he treated her for hours and hours? This girl, who has an m-streak a mile wide, is now pulling this on him!?
Before he can even pull out a retort, she's claiming his lips with hers, effectively shutting him up and claiming the last laugh for herself. His hands are stiff with shock and an inability to process what's happening right now, but they stay on her waist...
...and with her straddling his lap like this, she gets to directly feel the results of her success. ]
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And yet... ]
Pfft...! [ Another giggle comes puffing out against his lips and she pulls back just enough to speak. ] I guess I did say I wanted you to be honest with me...
[ She shifts her hips a bit - just enough to press into him and make him very aware of all the places their bodies are touching. The little part of her brain that remembers how to be embarrassed does its best to speak up and remind her where they are but she shuts it up. They're in a dream. So why does it matter? ]
But I could always stop. If it's a little too much.
[ She tilts her head. ]
So should I stop?
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Are they the worst movie-goers or what? They talk during the movie, make out during the movie, are obnoxiously affectionate during the movie... and now here they are, doing this right in a public theater.
Not that there's anybody else there, but... ]
I... you...
[ Oh that's cruel of her, asking him if she should stop. There's only one answer he can give, and she's making him say it out loud? What did he do to deserve this?
The hours he spent bullying her in much the same way, that's what.]Don't... don't ask that now, idiot...
[ He could easily turn the tables, hoist her up and reverse their positions, plow her silly for the rest of this dream so that she knows her place...
...but that look in her eyes somehow manages to keep him completely pinned. ]
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