decorator | a stolen fruit; a childish sin has taken root

[ Ai just laughs. ]

That's fine by me. Honestly, if you suddenly decided you wanted to go splashing around in the sea or playing volleyball or something I'd be all kinds of concerned...

[ She's keeping her expectations moderately realistic, at least for the time being... ]

Then how about I go get us something to eat? Someone's grilling up some yakitori and I just know somebody'll be selling yakisoba, too. It's summer, isn't it? Ah, or maybe you want something sweet? I definitely saw a ice cream place on the way down here.

[ it's like she's trying to make up for all the summer energy he doesn't have... ]

[ God help everyone when the Servants start playing volleyball... ]

Yeah, yeah... ah, if you get something sweet, look for melon flavor. Melon.

[ Hey, she's definitely doing a good job of it. Besides, it's not like she can't have fun just because her Servant is a grump... he's sure she'll get roped into some kind of shenanigans with the other Masters and Servants, though he'll of course have to keep an eye on her just in case.

He's content to just kick back and relax. Personally, he'd prefer doing that in the comfort of their home, but if it makes her happy, he doesn't mind doing it at the beach... even though his outfit clearly conveys an utter lack of desire to even touch the water. ]

[ For the first time since they got to the beach, her sunny disposition falters a bit and she huffs at him. ]

Tch. Party pooper. Not that I was expecting anything different, but...

[ ... her words aren't necessarily a lie, but they ring with the tone of something insincere, anyway. Almost like they're covering for her actual feelings. But before they can leak out any more, she stands up. ]

Fine, fine. Melon soda and yaki-something coming up. Laze about here as long as you want.

[ And off she goes. It's a busy day, so she's probably going to be gone for a little while.

... a little while, I said. Sure, the beach is busy but... isn't she taking just a little bit too long for something this simple? ]

[ Honestly, he finds himself reaching a feeling of concern far before it reaches the point where she's been gone for too long. She's not in any danger, he knows this... and she's perfectly capable of taking care of herself. That's what he tells himself as he lazes about, but... ]

...Blanca, watch our things.

[ Nevermind the question of what a silkmoth would be doing at the beach, how long she should be taking stops being a factor, as Oberon is finding it impossible to even relax without her with him. Thus, with his trusty silkmoth watching over their belongings, Oberon starts to look for his Master.

He imagines he'll have to deal with more teasing from Ai for this, but oh what the hell. ]

[ She's not too hard to find, at least - there's a section of the beach pretty thoroughly dedicated to food and drinks so if she's anywhere, of course it'd be there. The crowd's pretty thick and Ai's plenty small so spotting her is a bit of a chore but eventually, the throng of people parts at just the right time for her to be visible, with her back to him.

What makes this image less encouraging is that she's been... cornered, let's call it by a pair of guys who seem to be doing a whole lot of talking. Over the bustle, it's hard to hear what they're saying but going by their expressions and... well, the fact that this is Ai in a swimsuit, it's not that hard to guess what's going on here. ]

[ God. Damn it. He should've seen this coming. Rage flares in his chest and his hand twitches, but... he can handle this. He shouldn't have let her go off on her own in the first place, he's realizing, and that frustration mixed with his rage at those who have cornered her almost makes him want to take... drastic action, but no.

No, he can handle this in a better, more satisfying way... and hey, maybe even get back at Ai for all the teasing before she starts. ]

Oi...

[ From the perspective of Ai and the pair of guys, it's like he appeared out of nowhere... reaching a long arm past and dragging his Master out from where she's been cornered, pulling her into his chest and wrapping an arm around her waist. ]

You aren't harassing my woman, are you?

[ Oh he's picking his word-choice intentionally, isn't he? He's even flashing his creepiest grin. ]

[ As he approaches, it's a little easier to pick up on the conversation - the taller guy seems to be coming out with something about not letting a cute girl wander around on her own, talking pretty neatly over Ai's polite but increasingly strained protests that she's very much not on her own -

At least until she's pulled back against Oberon with a little help. The drinks she'd been carrying jostle in her hands but thankfully, she manages not to spill any. ]

Oberon...? Ah, um, I thought you were...

"Uh, now who's harassing her?" [ So says the slightly shorter guy who has the energy of someone who doesn't know when to shut up. ] "Is talking to a girl at the beach a crime now?'

Uh huh, a heinous crime, especially talking to one who's already taken.

[ Oberon's tone is jovial as usual, as if this is all just one big joke, something to laugh off... and yet somehow, it's still clearly dripping with venom.

His arm wraps around Ai possessively, holding her tight and frankly invading her personal space far more than they were, but unlike them he's allowed to do that. His tone remains jovial, but. ]

Let's cut the crap, shall we? How about you move along and I won't remember your faces, hm?

[ The fact that he still sounds so cheerful should make it obvious, at least to Ai, how pissed he is. ]

[ For just a second, it looks like things might escalate - the guy with the doesn't-know-when-to-shut-up vibes snorts derisively and squares his shoulders a little. But it's the taller guy, surprisingly, who makes the wiser call. He squints at the two of them for a second and clearly does some kind of mental math before deciding that the whole thing is simply not worth it. ]

"Drop it. C'mon." [ He directs that to the shorter guy, taking a step away as he does. ] "There's other girls."

[ And with that, the two of them retreat while doing their very best to not look like they're retreating.

Ai stares after them for a long moment and once it's clear they won't be turning back around, she lets out a long slow breath as if she'd been holding it this whole time. ]

I guess it really only counts when the guy says you're taken...

[ She peeks up at him - and then gives him a little grin. ]

"Your woman", huh?

[ "Nobody like this one" Oberon thinks, but chooses not to say. He had been considering a few things to do to them if things escalated... a few less than pleasant experiences, so it's a good thing that the other guy wisely chose to turn tail. ]

Bye bye!

[ His uncharacteristically joyous voice is probably more mocking than is necessary, but he doesn't particularly care to be polite. Still, he lets out a sigh as he drops the facade. ]

Seriously, I can't let you out of my sight for a second...

[ That's humanity for you, he supposes. Granted, it's not like she's being held by the most upstanding guy right now either. Surprisingly, though, he grins down at her when she brings up his choice in words. ]

Yeah, you're my woman. What, don't like it? Too cliché for you?

[ And Ai just beams at him in response. He, uh, was trying to get out ahead of the teasing here, wasn't he? ]

No, not exactly. I guess I was just a little surprised to hear it, that's all.

[ "Surprised" sure is one word for it. Surprised that she likes the sound of it, maybe. Not that she should be encouraging him to be any more clingy or possessive than he already is, but...

She belongs to everybody else as an idol. That was the whole reason Ai of B-Komachi even existed to begin with - for everybody else's sake but her own. The idea of Hoshino Ai belonging to just one particular person by contrast...

It's nice.

So she turns in his arms as best she can. It's just busy enough that nobody's paying them any attention and she only feels a tiny twinge of embarrassment in her belly when she rises up on her toes and presses a kiss to his cheek. ]

You sure moved pretty fast after you said you were staying over there all day, huh. ... But I'm glad. Thanks.

[ She really shouldn't encourage further possessiveness... she shouldn't and yet that's exactly what's happening, isn't it? Especially with that kiss to his cheek. ]

You should be. Such a high-maintenance Master you are... maybe I should mark you again so nobody else gets the same idea.

[ He is trying to get out of being teased, so he'll be going on the offensive, leaning down and lightly biting her ear. She thinks kissing him on the cheek in public is embarrassing? Try this on for size... ]

[ Entirely unsurprisingly, a surprised little squeak comes out of her - sweet and girlish and definitely embarrassed. ]

Wh- hey...!

[ She immediately grabs his face, smashing his cheeks in her hands. No biting!!! ]

Who's calling who high maintenance? I really wasn't kidding when I said I'd get mad, you know!

[ Huff puff, pout pout. It's a little hard to take her all that seriously in the cute swimsuit, but still... ]

If you're that worried, actually come with me instead of sulking off by yourself!

[ It's hard to take her seriously in general when her huffs and pouts are so cute... even though she is smushing his face with her hands, and suddenly their refreshments are in his care rather than hers. ]

What, it's just a little nibble...

[ He says, his voice distorted because of her cheek squishing. He's teasing, of course, since he accomplished his main goal... said-goal being showing off to the public yet again. Quite a few red faces were spawned from that ear nibble and the noise she made. ]

Fine, fine... I suppose someone needs to scare the unsavory ones away. Make sure they know who you belong to.

I hate to break it to you [ does she really tho ] but you're counting as one of the unsavory ones right now.

[ Only right now, she says...

With another of those little huffs, she takes her drink back from him (of course hers has a cute little umbrella in it...) and turns on her heel to start leading him further into the crowd. ]

Come on, then. You said you wanted something to eat, right? So let's go.

[ Looks like Ai's the one who's sulking a little this time. ]

Edited 2024-05-09 06:02 (UTC)

Really? I'm hurt, Ai...

[ He says, not looking hurt at all as he follows after her... clearly satisfied with having reminded her that she's just as easily bullied as he is. It seems he's finally enjoying himself at least... all it took was bullying Ai a little, though. ]

To think my own Master considers me unsavory... ah, I don't think I'll ever recover...

[ Someone is having fun playing this up... ]

At least pretend to sound less happy about it. Besides, you can't complain about people thinking you're unsavoury when you came to the beach dressed like that. You're basically advertising that you're up to no good.

[ Not that he's actually caused any trouble yet, but she knows full well it's just a matter of time.

For a moment, it seems like she's just going to walk on ahead of him in a bit of a huff but finally, she slows down enough for him to catch up. Once he does, she turns to him properly and offers her free hand. ]

Here. It's busy and I don't want you to have to pick another fight if we get separated again.

[ Or rather... she'll forgive him for now so long as he behaves himself. In front of everyone else, at least. ]

[ He has every possible bad vibe a person can have. Though it fits him more than say, a normal beach outfit, that's for sure. ]

Oh, alright...

[ Still, he's all too glad to take her hand in his again before sipping at his own drink... melon soda, just as he asked. At least he's consistent when it comes to taste in sweet things. ]

I'll try to behave... for now, at least.

[ Emphasis on "for now", huh? ]

That's probably the best I can expect from you, huh...

[ But she does look a little mollified now that they're making their way along hand in hand. She'd meant it one hundred percent when she wasn't expecting him to throw himself into... whatever summery activities people do on the beach, but having him sit and sulk about the whole thing had dampened her mood a bit.

This, though - holding hands and walking up and down the beach together - it's more than enough for her. It's as close to acting like a normal couple the two of them can get, even if it's only playacting. But even this is more than she ever would've been allowed to do back home.

It's a good thing they're holding onto each other, too - it's busy enough here that they'd definitely get separated if their hands weren't linked. ]

You know, I've been meaning to ask... what exactly did Nagiko-chan mean when she said summer was "cursed"? It's busy, but everyone looks like they're having a good time.

Ah, that... well, let's just say that summers at Chaldea tend to get rather... out of hand.

[ Maybe one day when they sleep, she'll find herself in that theater again, and instead of a showing of Avalon le Fae, there'll be a showing of that crazed Artoria-themed Servafes. He can't say he's not fond of continuations of a story, after all. ]

I mean, you saw her, right? It's ridiculous to think that a Servant can change their entire spirit origin by putting on a swimsuit, and yet now she's a Berserker. Having a "swimsuit spirit origin" became a trend of all things.

[ An organization dedicated to the preservation of the human order, where countless Heroic Spirits gather... if it feels like a joke, then that's because it is. ]

...Well, for the most part, it's all fun and games for the most part. Except there always tends to be some kind of threat that has to be dealt with. Not that I have any experience with that kind of thing.

[ ~~Fucking liar.~~ ]

[ . . . There's a long moment where Ai just looks at him with an expression of someone transparently trying to work out whether or not she's being bullshitted. Nagiko's definitely a little more... more than usual, but the idea that putting on a swimsuit is enough to do that...

She mulls over it all for a few seconds... then sighs. ]

You know, I've heard enough about Chaldea at this point that I'm not even questioning it. You guys can't have even one normal week there, can you?

[ She peers up at him curiously. ]

You haven't changed a bit, though... [ which is to say, he's exactly as much of a grouch as always. ] I guess you're not wearing a swimsuit, though.

[ Believe him, he gets it. ]

Yep, I'm the same as always. I don't care for trends, after all. I'll be keeping my spirit origin the same way it's always been, regardless of what I'm wearing.

[ That and by virtue of being a Pretender, his spirit origin is already in a constant state of change. ]

Well, I wouldn't worry too much. Sure, the chances of an uneventful summer with Servants around are slim, but you should just enjoy yourself however you want in the meantime.

[ If nothing else, it's guaranteed to be fun. ]

You of all people saying it like that just makes it feel like we're begging to get jinxed...

[ But she sounds more fondly bemused than anything. Things get crazy here... all the time. She's used to it by now. At least there... probably won't be any nobbus again. Probably. ]

But either way, I'm glad you're just sticking to being yourself. [ She gives him a little smile. S-somehow, it's even brighter than usual coming off her sulking... ] Call it bad taste if you want, but I prefer you like this to... whatever's going on with Nagiko-chan right now.

[ Summer Nobbus… horrifying. It’s already tragic enough that Ai has gotten a taste of the Nobbu farming experience, let’s not put her through that again…

Although in terms of truly cursed holidays, she is in no way prepared for Halloween. ]

Hm? Ah, well…

[ He masks it with grumpiness, but… her words are more than just a little flattering. He refuses to let it show on his face, but he squeezes her hand back anyway. ]

…Whatever floats your boat.

[ At least with whatever’s happening to Nagiko… shes still having fun? Hopefully the same can be said for her poor Master… Hibiki, who must now contend with her “delinquent” Servant.

…that or with Nagiko forfeiting the brain cell, they’ve become an unstoppable force of chaos in the form of two lesbians. Hm. ]

[ She gives him another of those just-barely-too-bright smiles - the kind you can practically see sparkling in the sun - before her attention finally gets pulled away from him. ]

- ahah! There we go!

[ Off she goes, tugging him along to a food stall surrounded by people. How she managed to work out what they were selling without being able to actually see it is a mystery but she sounds pretty confident as she declares - ]

Yakitori...! It's not summer without that.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject