indeed i did! while not my greatest work, my reputation as a poet and an artist is far greater than that of my reign as emperor. i am pleased to hear that you are a fan of mine!
and no need to ask - of course i would autograph any editions of my writing you might have.
[ ... monika doesn't even know where to start. she wants to clarify that she never said she was a fan, but she gets the feeling this person wouldn't listen even if she did.
that's fine though, monika can go with the flow for now. ]
So you're telling me that you're the *actual* Nero from Roman history? [ you'd think after finding out that she's just code in a game made to be tortured and terrified that monika would be more open to the idea of historical figures appearing here in a place like this, but some things just. just!!! ] I guess I shouldn't be baffled by something like this, but I'm having a hard time believing it.
[ ... she wants proof, but the poem enough should be proof... right? ]
beautiful indeed! for it was too much for history to record. and because of the jealous and the envious, many have attempted to portray me as something i was not.
[ and Nero....doesn't entirely follow through because look, she's an artist and a statesman, not a scientist. and what she does know is that she has to keep a steady hand on Hakuno's hand, touching the soft skin gently while she talks. extending out her will to make this better. ]
I see. ...yes, of course, of course.
[ she still has to put up the appearance of following through quantum physics and programming though.
the night was winding around and around. there space had grown quieter as guests departed or drew inward. Nero swept tears aside, but her smile had turned...shadowed. ]
Well I have decided.
[ turning over Hakuno's hand to hold with both of hers. with a brightness in her look that does not wholly match the dip at the edges of her smile. for how could she? this was not her Master - that contract no longer pulled at her, but the loyalty did not evaporate overnight. ]
As your Saber is not beside you now, I am forced to imagine what she would feel, knowing her Master is adrift and unprotected. So until you can be returned to her....I will be your Saber in her place! [ gripping that hand, nodding, certain beyond certainties. ] I may not have her memories, or her experiences, but I should understand her feelings if she and I are indeed the same -
So please, allow me to be your Servant, and to protect you in this city! Until I can return you to your Nero, let me keep you safe!
The yearning is clear on her face, as keen as a knife, before she tries to reign it in. Her hand trembles in that gentle grasp, her deepest, most heartfelt desire warring viciously with her desire to do right by Nero, in all forms.
When she speaks, it's a stumbling, faltering thing, but she gets the words out all the same.]
I want that more than anything, honestly. But... there's a Servant I contracted with here, so you... you don't have to feel obligated, and I... I never want you to feel like you have to live up to somebody else, or, or make you think that I'm not looking at the you in front of me. A-Are... are you really okay, doing this with me?
[ is her voice wavering? have her hands gone weak or begun to shake?
Nero might have been summoned by another Master, in a different time. still had Ritsuka Fujimaru....no, that Master was not here. and in front of her was a woman with an aching heart. there were a hundred Servants in Chaldea.
there was no Saber for Hakuno. ]
Do you want this more than anything? Then accept it. Do not question what your heart is telling you.
[ for guidance, she will place their cupped hands together, against Nero's chest. where the steady, but quick, thumping can be felt through her skin. yes, it is not her brightest smile. yes, there is a tightness in her breath. but do not look into the past and have ghosts make you question. ]
If I am her and she is me - then I would never want my Master to be left alone. Unless you do not want me in her place - then I will understand why you say no. Then.... I will have to watch over you from afar! Your guardian angel! [ a furtive nod. fire in her eyes, a determined grit into that brightening smile. once it's been lit, she is not so easily distinguished. ]
...my heart is telling me that even if I want to, more than anything... I shouldn't push this onto you. Not... not when you're still so new, and adjusting. It's not fair.
[Being severed from... from her Master, being brought here, being piled with new rules and laws and customs, and then dumping all of Hakuno's baggage on top of it all as well?
...that's not how you treat somebody you love. Nero, even one that doesn't know her—especially one that doesn't know her—deserves better.]
Can—I mean, I want—so badly—
[She takes a deep breath, shakes her head, and when she opens her eyes again they are utterly resolute.]
I think... I think we should table that for a week or two, so you can adjust. Then... then, if you still want to, we can contract.
[She can't take advantage of Nero's overwhelming enthusiasm. It isn't right, or fair.]
no this was not what she intended. not to bring more pain or stuttering. Nero felt, in this moment, absent of words. it was a time of action, and action she would take.
by wrapping her small arms tightly around Hakuno's. a strong embrace, despite her stature, that squeezes tight around each shoulder. to steady and to secure, even when she had to rise on tip-toes to match the mourner's height. there is quiet. broken only by Hakuno's deep breathing, fraught struggles to secure her heartbeat.
had her word not been enough? had she let doubt creep into her pronouncements, no matter how hard she had kept them out? Nero had not lied, not told a single falsehood. even if, cruelly, against the workings of the Throne, she could recall her last Master....she could not let this heartache exist, and not try to rectify it.
not when Nero herself was at the root of it. ]
...I understand you are hesitant, and need to take your time.
Whenever you are ready, you may come and speak to me. Even if it is to tell me no -
[ and the smile has dimmed. but it has not disappeared. ]
- though please, shed no more tears. It does not suit your face, to cover kindness with deep sorrow.
[ ...it is strange, to be jealous of yourself. Nero does not envy her human life. that Nero had been pitiable, she thinks. but this other, third, unfamiliar Nero? who had been spoken of so fondly and with such defensiveness? so that even the smallest slight earned a harsh reproach?
there was an ache inside her chest.
she would force herself, if need would be. force herself to be the partner Hakuno had been robbed of. ]
I may not understand, but - it is your right to choose whom you take as Servant. Though you are missing the opportunity to take a very fine Saber under your command! [ a bit of levity, to go with both the smile and the final quick hug to pass it along. ]
There. Now that is a beautiful smile for a beautiful woman.
[ what more can be said? Nero must find a way to satisfy herself with that which she has never dealt well with - rejection. but this was no occasion to tantrum or demand. this was....she could be sure it was the right decision. it was why the pain was felt so keenly.
but nor could she walk away without a final phrase. ]
Should you come to need - company for a lonely night, or an ear which can listen for long hours - you may consider me available. There is this wondrous device they've provided us -
[ she probably already knows what a phone is, but Nero is happy to fill this awkward silence with all the merits of the network and emoji. off in their own little corner, as the night winds down... ]
[They might have missed each other, the first couple of nights, since despite being ill, Eichi was up to so many things at once. Either locked away in his room or out in the city— but he had taken no time at all in adding his own additions to the house. The cabinets were now stocked with just about every tea imaginable, there was a proper tea set, and there were some flowers in pots here or there, to add to the pleasantness. That was about it. The tea was all he needed.
He's drinking it now, whenever Nero either emerges from her room or enters from outside. Sitting up elegantly, holding his teacup proper, his eyes shine as they move over to the unfamiliar face. He's smiling, a calm and relaxed thing, and despite all of this, there's something powerful about him in his energy. He's been called angelic, intimidating, radiant.
But the truth is that he looks a little pale, too, and he's hiding the way his hands shake by having both of them wrap around the teacup once he sets it down.]
You must be my roommate, then. Would you like to join me for some tea? [There is, in fact, another place set up, as if he knew... Or maybe he was just lonely.] I suppose I should introduce myself, as well. My name is Eichi Tenshouin. I'm in your care. ♪
[ missed each other? almost assuredly. the benefit to being a Servant is the lack of need for food or sleep, so Nero can explore endlessly. which really means SHOPPING. some fool gave her a credit card and a bank account and both are....
well it takes a bit before she remembers that there's a house that she can store all her things in now.
so Nero has to kick open the door, for her hands are filled with a thousand bags of varying materials and sizes. clothes! housewares! a few bouquets of roses and vases to put them in! and a doorman carrying one emperor-sized giant cat pillow to rest beside the door. Nero is a giant blur of activity and noise and loud laughter and -
- oh.
someone is sitting at the table she puts a few bags down onto. ]
A roommate!?
[ good thing she'd bought enough cake for two and three and four. so Nero puts it in front of her new roommate with a smile that could split her face in half. ]
This city has chosen to bless me for I have a beautiful gentleman to share my living quarters with! [ tea may have become custom after her reign, but Nero takes a seat with finery that seems a strange match for her excitement. back straight, cup held carefully with both hands. until a sip is had and sugar added, where she extends her fingers as though there's a ring he ought to kiss. there isn't because again - after her time. ]
Count yourself among the fortunate, Eichi Tenshouin, for I am Nero Claudius. Yes, indeed - the very Nero Claudius that you have heard of.
[ at least if you are a student of Roman history. in which case there might be more questions. ]
[Oh, she's cute, isn't she? At least until that introduction settles in, and Eichi considers it for a moment. He may not know everything about history, but Emperors and all sorts of rulers are his forte. He's studied them for hours on end.]
Nero Claudius, is it? The extravagant Emperor that ruled in tyranny over Rome? That's quite the claim...
[He wonders how to approach something like this, looking her over again, tilting his head to one side.] But, perhaps I'm recalling incorrectly... I never thought that Nero Claudius would actually be a cute girl? Is there something I'm missing?
[ RUDE. Nero puffs her cheeks and scowls a bit at the tyranny part. ]
Well, it is surely not my fault if your history instruction was fraught with misconceptions and poor emphasis! My artistic achievements and statesmanship far outweighed crimes and accusations.
[ maybe she'll take that cake back!!
or just sip the tea. ]
Since this is our first meeting I will forgive your confusion - many have thought me nothing more than a cruel despot, or mistook me for a nobleman. But it is no mere claim! For I am the benevolent Emperor of Roses - and if we will be living together, you may simply call me 'Nero'.
[ oh! roses!
good thing she remembered them, because they need to be put in vases and water before they wilted. one whole bag is nothing but bouquets - she lifts it now and heads into the kitchen to fill some vases. all red roses. ]
It appears we both have fine taste in flowers. Yes, despite your rudeness in bringing up rumors, I think we will get along just fine.
[To call her Nero-chan? Well, he's doing it for now, at least. He doesn't follow after her, since he's resting currently, but his gaze does.] I do recall that you had a love for music, as well as things like acting and poetry... Then, allow me to extend my own introduction a bit.
I'm Yumenosaki Academy's top idol, the so-called "Emperor" who was chased from his throne. Though I was called that, and sometimes still am, and though I was a bit of a tyrant myself, the truth is that I'm simply a boy in high school, nearing his graduation.
[He had placed his hand over his chest to get her a little bow from where he's seated, low and appropriate.]
I wonder if those in charge of our rooming have a sense of humor. [He's thinking so.] In any case, it's a pleasure to meet such a famous Emperor such as yourself. As you can see, I enjoy flowers deeply... and tea, as well.
As long as you can put up with my sickly body existing in the same space as yours, then I don't believe we'll have a problem at all. Red roses... they mean "love," one of the most well-known flower language definitions. They're beautiful.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
for defragmenting: tdm overflow
[ Nero nods. but Monika couldn't see that... ]
indeed i did! while not my greatest work, my reputation as a poet and an artist is far greater than that of my reign as emperor. i am pleased to hear that you are a fan of mine!
and no need to ask - of course i would autograph any editions of my writing you might have.
SLAMS IN HERE.
that's fine though, monika can go with the flow for now. ]
So you're telling me that you're the *actual* Nero from Roman history? [ you'd think after finding out that she's just code in a game made to be tortured and terrified that monika would be more open to the idea of historical figures appearing here in a place like this, but some things just. just!!! ] I guess I shouldn't be baffled by something like this, but I'm having a hard time believing it.
[ ... she wants proof, but the poem enough should be proof... right? ]
Wait, how do I know you're not just teasing me?
BRACES
Augustus Germanicus of the eternal empire!!!!!!
[ so she does know how to use caps.
BUT -]
do you doubt me?!?! then i shall show you proof!
[ in selfie form ]
no subject
Okay, now I *know* you're messing with me.
Nero wasn't a beautiful woman. It's a nice joke though! I did laugh, so I guess you helped me relax a little.
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beautiful indeed! for it was too much for history to record. and because of the jealous and the envious, many have attempted to portray me as something i was not.
but you gaze upon the true Emperor of Roses!
no substitutes or impersonators will suffice!
for sealeted: tdm overflow
[ and Nero....doesn't entirely follow through because look, she's an artist and a statesman, not a scientist. and what she does know is that she has to keep a steady hand on Hakuno's hand, touching the soft skin gently while she talks. extending out her will to make this better. ]
I see. ...yes, of course, of course.
[ she still has to put up the appearance of following through quantum physics and programming though.
the night was winding around and around. there space had grown quieter as guests departed or drew inward. Nero swept tears aside, but her smile had turned...shadowed. ]
Well I have decided.
[ turning over Hakuno's hand to hold with both of hers. with a brightness in her look that does not wholly match the dip at the edges of her smile. for how could she? this was not her Master - that contract no longer pulled at her, but the loyalty did not evaporate overnight. ]
As your Saber is not beside you now, I am forced to imagine what she would feel, knowing her Master is adrift and unprotected. So until you can be returned to her....I will be your Saber in her place! [ gripping that hand, nodding, certain beyond certainties. ] I may not have her memories, or her experiences, but I should understand her feelings if she and I are indeed the same -
So please, allow me to be your Servant, and to protect you in this city! Until I can return you to your Nero, let me keep you safe!
no subject
[Yes. Yes. Please, God, yes.
The yearning is clear on her face, as keen as a knife, before she tries to reign it in. Her hand trembles in that gentle grasp, her deepest, most heartfelt desire warring viciously with her desire to do right by Nero, in all forms.
When she speaks, it's a stumbling, faltering thing, but she gets the words out all the same.]
I want that more than anything, honestly. But... there's a Servant I contracted with here, so you... you don't have to feel obligated, and I... I never want you to feel like you have to live up to somebody else, or, or make you think that I'm not looking at the you in front of me. A-Are... are you really okay, doing this with me?
no subject
Nero might have been summoned by another Master, in a different time. still had Ritsuka Fujimaru....no, that Master was not here. and in front of her was a woman with an aching heart. there were a hundred Servants in Chaldea.
there was no Saber for Hakuno. ]
Do you want this more than anything? Then accept it. Do not question what your heart is telling you.
[ for guidance, she will place their cupped hands together, against Nero's chest. where the steady, but quick, thumping can be felt through her skin. yes, it is not her brightest smile. yes, there is a tightness in her breath. but do not look into the past and have ghosts make you question. ]
If I am her and she is me - then I would never want my Master to be left alone. Unless you do not want me in her place - then I will understand why you say no. Then.... I will have to watch over you from afar! Your guardian angel! [ a furtive nod. fire in her eyes, a determined grit into that brightening smile. once it's been lit, she is not so easily distinguished. ]
Yes - Hakuno Kishinami - become my Master!
no subject
[Being severed from... from her Master, being brought here, being piled with new rules and laws and customs, and then dumping all of Hakuno's baggage on top of it all as well?
...that's not how you treat somebody you love. Nero, even one that doesn't know her—especially one that doesn't know her—deserves better.]
Can—I mean, I want—so badly—
[She takes a deep breath, shakes her head, and when she opens her eyes again they are utterly resolute.]
I think... I think we should table that for a week or two, so you can adjust. Then... then, if you still want to, we can contract.
[She can't take advantage of Nero's overwhelming enthusiasm. It isn't right, or fair.]
no subject
no this was not what she intended. not to bring more pain or stuttering. Nero felt, in this moment, absent of words. it was a time of action, and action she would take.
by wrapping her small arms tightly around Hakuno's. a strong embrace, despite her stature, that squeezes tight around each shoulder. to steady and to secure, even when she had to rise on tip-toes to match the mourner's height. there is quiet. broken only by Hakuno's deep breathing, fraught struggles to secure her heartbeat.
had her word not been enough? had she let doubt creep into her pronouncements, no matter how hard she had kept them out? Nero had not lied, not told a single falsehood. even if, cruelly, against the workings of the Throne, she could recall her last Master....she could not let this heartache exist, and not try to rectify it.
not when Nero herself was at the root of it. ]
...I understand you are hesitant, and need to take your time.
Whenever you are ready, you may come and speak to me. Even if it is to tell me no -
[ and the smile has dimmed. but it has not disappeared. ]
- though please, shed no more tears. It does not suit your face, to cover kindness with deep sorrow.
no subject
[It's a soft, honest answer, open and aching.]
I... I just don't feel like I have the right to say yes, in this situation. ...not now.
[Her forehead drops to Nero's shoulder, and she takes another deep breath.]
I'll, I'll keep it together now. No more tears, tonight.
[Not in front of Nero. She can smile, for Nero.]
no subject
there was an ache inside her chest.
she would force herself, if need would be. force herself to be the partner Hakuno had been robbed of. ]
I may not understand, but - it is your right to choose whom you take as Servant. Though you are missing the opportunity to take a very fine Saber under your command! [ a bit of levity, to go with both the smile and the final quick hug to pass it along. ]
There. Now that is a beautiful smile for a beautiful woman.
[ what more can be said? Nero must find a way to satisfy herself with that which she has never dealt well with - rejection. but this was no occasion to tantrum or demand. this was....she could be sure it was the right decision. it was why the pain was felt so keenly.
but nor could she walk away without a final phrase. ]
Should you come to need - company for a lonely night, or an ear which can listen for long hours - you may consider me available. There is this wondrous device they've provided us -
[ she probably already knows what a phone is, but Nero is happy to fill this awkward silence with all the merits of the network and emoji. off in their own little corner, as the night winds down... ]
no subject
He's drinking it now, whenever Nero either emerges from her room or enters from outside. Sitting up elegantly, holding his teacup proper, his eyes shine as they move over to the unfamiliar face. He's smiling, a calm and relaxed thing, and despite all of this, there's something powerful about him in his energy. He's been called angelic, intimidating, radiant.
But the truth is that he looks a little pale, too, and he's hiding the way his hands shake by having both of them wrap around the teacup once he sets it down.]
You must be my roommate, then. Would you like to join me for some tea? [There is, in fact, another place set up, as if he knew... Or maybe he was just lonely.] I suppose I should introduce myself, as well. My name is Eichi Tenshouin. I'm in your care. ♪
no subject
well it takes a bit before she remembers that there's a house that she can store all her things in now.
so Nero has to kick open the door, for her hands are filled with a thousand bags of varying materials and sizes. clothes! housewares! a few bouquets of roses and vases to put them in! and a doorman carrying one emperor-sized giant cat pillow to rest beside the door. Nero is a giant blur of activity and noise and loud laughter and -
- oh.
someone is sitting at the table she puts a few bags down onto. ]
A roommate!?
[ good thing she'd bought enough cake for two
and three and four. so Nero puts it in front of her new roommate with a smile that could split her face in half. ]This city has chosen to bless me for I have a beautiful gentleman to share my living quarters with! [ tea may have become custom after her reign, but Nero takes a seat with finery that seems a strange match for her excitement. back straight, cup held carefully with both hands. until a sip is had and sugar added, where she extends her fingers as though there's a ring he ought to kiss. there isn't because again - after her time. ]
Count yourself among the fortunate, Eichi Tenshouin, for I am Nero Claudius. Yes, indeed - the very Nero Claudius that you have heard of.
[ at least if you are a student of Roman history. in which case there might be more questions. ]
no subject
Nero Claudius, is it? The extravagant Emperor that ruled in tyranny over Rome? That's quite the claim...
[He wonders how to approach something like this, looking her over again, tilting his head to one side.] But, perhaps I'm recalling incorrectly... I never thought that Nero Claudius would actually be a cute girl? Is there something I'm missing?
no subject
Well, it is surely not my fault if your history instruction was fraught with misconceptions and poor emphasis! My artistic achievements and statesmanship far outweighed crimes and accusations.
[ maybe she'll take that cake back!!
or just sip the tea. ]
Since this is our first meeting I will forgive your confusion - many have thought me nothing more than a cruel despot, or mistook me for a nobleman. But it is no mere claim! For I am the benevolent Emperor of Roses - and if we will be living together, you may simply call me 'Nero'.
[ oh! roses!
good thing she remembered them, because they need to be put in vases and water before they wilted. one whole bag is nothing but bouquets - she lifts it now and heads into the kitchen to fill some vases. all red roses. ]
It appears we both have fine taste in flowers. Yes, despite your rudeness in bringing up rumors, I think we will get along just fine.
no subject
[To call her Nero-chan? Well, he's doing it for now, at least. He doesn't follow after her, since he's resting currently, but his gaze does.] I do recall that you had a love for music, as well as things like acting and poetry... Then, allow me to extend my own introduction a bit.
I'm Yumenosaki Academy's top idol, the so-called "Emperor" who was chased from his throne. Though I was called that, and sometimes still am, and though I was a bit of a tyrant myself, the truth is that I'm simply a boy in high school, nearing his graduation.
[He had placed his hand over his chest to get her a little bow from where he's seated, low and appropriate.]
I wonder if those in charge of our rooming have a sense of humor. [He's thinking so.] In any case, it's a pleasure to meet such a famous Emperor such as yourself. As you can see, I enjoy flowers deeply... and tea, as well.
As long as you can put up with my sickly body existing in the same space as yours, then I don't believe we'll have a problem at all. Red roses... they mean "love," one of the most well-known flower language definitions. They're beautiful.