I want to apologize for the delay. This chapter, in some areas, was particularly irritating to write. I found myself second guessing some things, rewriting, and ultimately being unsatisfied with a lot of things, especially in the first half. Hell, this chapter was supposed to have more content, but I felt like there was too much here already. I think this is a lot better, and I'm somewhat comfortable with this. So, yeah, I hope this is adequate enough to accommodate for the delay.
Also, yes, apparently 'amiright' is a word. Yes, this is relevant.
More notes at the end. Hope you all enjoy.
Chapter 6: To The Future
Subaru and Pandora, after realizing how much they'd messed up, sat together silently in the bath. The atmosphere was comfortable yet a little awkward, with neither of them sure as to what they should do. They even delayed their time of exiting the bath due to the sheer embarrassment they both felt.
Now, what was this predicament they found themselves in? The two, after finding out that they carried such a horrid stench, had rushed to take a bath. However, they had run off without properly considering some essential things, like the pair of love-struck idiots that they were.
So, now, the two soaked together in a bath full of awkwardness. It was mostly due to the fact that they were both completely bare for the other to gawk at if they so desire. In the back of their minds they considered it as something nice, or something that they could potentially be happy about. Hell, they both secretly held out a bit of hope that the other would look. Did that stop the embarrassment they felt, though? No, no it did not. Other than embarrassment being a natural human response to being nude in front of someone, they each had their own personal reasons for it too.
For Pandora, she personally had never been put into this type of situation before. It was ironic, in a sense. She always used to dress in just a simple cloth that went over herself. No more, no less. That's what she wore for the past hundreds of years of her life, never once feeling embarrassed or insecure about herself for it. Oh, how it all felt so different now. Being completely exposed next to Subaru, the person she cared for the most, was terrifying to her.
Normally, people always fawned over her looks. When normal people looked at her, they immediately saw something gorgeous, beautiful, extravagant… but Subaru wasn't like a normal person. He didn't get affected by her appearance like normal people did, which was something she loved but yet at the same time felt concerned about. Him not being enthralled by her looks only made her consider — what people would say are — normal girl issues. Like, what would he say or think about her? Would he not like the way she looks? Does he like girls with bigger chests? Bigger butts? She had none of those qualities; in fact, she was as flat as a board on all fronts.
For a moment, she stopped thinking about those things. She suddenly felt silly. Why was she so afraid, really? This was Subaru, her Subaru, that she was talking about. Their pledged love to one another went beyond that of the normal scope of just any normal couple, going as far as to be labeled as 'Eternal Partners' due to their shared experiences together. She was being paranoid for no reason. She loved him, and he loved her. He would love and accept her for how she is, just as she would for him. That was something she firmly believed in.
As Pandora started to smile in her newfound resolve, her mind beginning to wander onto other things, Subaru was panicking in his own mind. The raven-haired, nasty-eyed boy was embarrassed because of his insecurities more than anything else. His body wasn't something anyone would particularly gawk at; in fact, it could be labeled as undesirable to most people. Subaru's figure was average, at best, with little to no muscle backing him up. The only thing he really had going for him was his slim, moderately fit figure, but as it was it was still nothing impressive. Among other things, Subaru felt that his body was just too inadequate to make her happy.
After a while, he started to think that, perhaps, it was idiotic to think so negatively; after all, she had seen him in his entirety before. However, those were also under different circumstances. Who's to say that her opinion hasn't changed, or whether she'd even be satisfied with him now?
He mentally brought himself out of the negativity hole that he was falling into. Why was he being so negative? That kind of self-doubt was something everyone disliked about him, including Pandora herself. Why was he even doubting things in the first place? The more he considered it, the more he realized that he had little to nothing to fear at all. Pandora, before they'd even gotten into the bath, seemed completely willing to see him in his entirety and vice versa. After everything she'd done for him already, there was nothing to doubt about her feelings regarding any part of him anymore, including his body.
At that, Subaru joined Pandora in smiling. The two both became completely confident in their conclusions, as if they had reached the same mental wavelength. They trusted each other to the fullest, unwilling to ever let that be doubted again.
The two collapsed into each other as comfortably as they could, basking in the silence of each other's company. The feeling of just simply being alone together without talking or doing anything was something that just simply could never get old to them.
However, their comfortable silence didn't last for long. Their extended time in the bath had produced some rather uncomfortable side effects. The water, which had previously felt warm, was now seeming cold to the touch with their skin beginning to wrinkle in some areas, a clear result of being soaked in the water for too long.
At that moment, the two turned their heads to look at each other. Mutual understanding presented itself on both of their faces, and without wasting much time the two of them climbed out of the bath that they resided in. They hurriedly made their way to the dressing room, both of them grabbing a towel and wrapping it around themselves the best they could before they became too distracted.
As the two started to dry themselves off, they sat themselves on a small bench in the room. Both of them were a bit red in the face for having just gone through another embarrassing ordeal. Despite the confidence they had in the other's opinion, it didn't quite ease the natural embarrassment they felt. They'd have to talk about everything at some point, though.
After some time, when the two felt dry enough, they encountered their next issue: they had absolutely nothing to change into. Pandora had already completely tore up her old piece of 'clothing', and Subaru's old clothes stank of the stench he had before.
With no other options, the two opted to venture out into the mansion in nothing but their towels in search of optimal clothing. Subaru figured that their best bet would be to head to his and Beatrice's room, where there should be at least something for him to wear in there. Unless Beatrice went through the closet and got rid of a bunch of his clothes, that is. For Pandora, he figured that, at least for the time being, he could just lend her some of his clothes until they could get something more suited for her. That's all he could really think to do with no other viable options present within the mansion itself.
Eventually, after a quite lengthy and embarrassing trek through the mansion, the two found themselves back at the very same room they had woken up in. Subaru slowly cracked open the door, peeking inside to the best of his ability. The last thing they wanted was to end up walking in on Beatrice while both he and Pandora were only wrapped in a towel. After scanning the room a few times and being completely sure that the coast was clear, he opened the door fully and led Pandora inside.
After closing the door behind them, the two went over to the closet in search of something to wear. When Subaru opened the door, he found himself surprised by the sheer amount of tracksuits that hang within. They all looked nice, clean and completely identical.
At first he found himself confused. He only had one tracksuit, that much was certain, so why would there be more than one? He pondered on the idea for a little while, only ever reaching one plausible conclusion, "Ah, Beako…" he trailed off, shaking his head with a small smile on his face. "You should have told me you practiced making clothes for me. I'm so proud of you!"
He spoke his thoughts aloud, grabbing at his original — or what he believed was his original — tracksuit with his free hand. He felt the material of that one, then felt the material of the rest. They all felt and looked the same. He remembered her mentioning that she made clothing for herself while he was in the seal, but she didn't mention anything about this. Subaru wondered if the spirit girl was just using his tracksuit for practice, or whether she was preparing this for his return.
He mentally shrugged off the thought, taking one of them off the rack. It hardly mattered now, but he still appreciated the extra sets. He'd be sure to thank her later.
Subaru's gaze shifted over to Pandora, who was looking at his many tracksuit copies with invested eyes. At that moment, Subaru wasn't quite sure of what she was thinking. "Dora, do you mind if I get changed?"
She quickly looked at him, her face slightly tinted in red. She nodded at him in confirmation before directing her gaze down to their conjoined hands in a questioning manner. Subaru followed her shifted gaze, him too now looking at their hands in thought. The same question made itself known to both of their minds; how would they get dressed with their hands together?
It didn't take Subaru long to come up with an idea, one that subsequently made his face turn a slight shade of red. Pandora noticed this sudden change, drifting her gaze up to him again with a concerned look. "Say, Dora," he started, his voice conveying how unsure he was. "I have an idea, is it alright if I test it?"
She just sort of blinked her eyes at him for a few seconds, slightly confused. Why did he sound so unsure and nervous? In a way, it made her feel the same way. She could only give him another nod in approval.
With that approval, Subaru, suddenly without any verbal warning, put his foot on top of hers while decoupling their hands at the same time. The sudden new form of contact made her let out a slight yelp, clearly not having expected it. Subaru let out a nervous chuckle, thinking the noise she made was cute, "Sorry, Dora. My idea was to see if our… problem could be solved through any kind of direct physical contact." He looked down at said new form of physical contact, "And, uh… looks like it worked."
She looked down too. She supposed that it was a good thing to find out now as opposed to later. She looked away, her gaze now directed back to the closet. "S'fine," she gave a slight pout as he looked back up at her. "Just warn me next time, Baru."
He lightly chuckled at her behavior, promising to next time warn her before he did something like that again. She smiled at him, satisfied with his answer as the two refocused on the clothes inside of the closet. Pandora's mind started to drift away again as she stared ahead of her, all while Subaru went back to deciding which tracksuit to put on.
A lot of thoughts were going through her head at that moment. However, they mainly consisted of how she felt about this new discovery. In all honesty, her feelings were a bit out of control; all she really knew was that it felt weird. This particular type of physical contact just felt weird to her in a way she was unable to explain, even to herself. Was it because it was new, or was there more to it? She could feel her body tingle, her heart beat faster and her face heat up as she focused on it more and more.
Pandora only snapped out of it when Subaru noisily took one of his tracksuit sets off of the rack. He was leaning quite far forward to reach it, too. She supposed that, while the new form of contact freed their hands, it didn't do much for mobility. Even though it made her sad, she found it necessary to talk to Subaru about their situation. Having to be in constant direct physical contact with each other at all times could quickly become a hindrance, as it already was to some extent now.
She found herself studying his face and body movements, looking to see if he was visibly showing any signs of feeling anything similar to how she was. Unfortunately for her, he seemed to be completely fine. It made her think; was something wrong with her? She would have to talk to him about that later, too.
The best thing she could do now was get her mind off of the new feeling, so that is what she strived to do. She refocused her mind to the thoughts she was having before, her gaze similarly refocusing onto Subaru's many sets of tracksuits.
Subaru slipped his tracksuit jacket on, zipping it up all the way before triumphantly putting his hands on his hips, "Ah, now this just feels better." Even though he still hadn't put on any undergarments or the tracksuit bottoms — something which the towel still covered — it still felt comfortable to him. He began to turn to Pandora, "Say, Dora, I don't think you've seen me in my outfit from home yet, what do you- hm, what're you staring at?"
He cut himself off once he realized that Pandora was blankly staring into the closet. He followed her gaze, but couldn't determine what she wanted or was thinking about at first. He looked back at her, then back to the closet again before he understood. He smiled to himself, amused in a sense, as he leaned back into the closet and took out another tracksuit set, something which caught her eye. When he handed it out to her, she finally fully snapped out of it.
"Go on, try it on," Subaru insisted, gesturing to the set in his hand. Pandora looked at him, seeing his merry and encouraging smile before looking back down at the tracksuit set in his hand. With a slight bit of red on her face, she took it into her right hand as her left started to undo the towel around her body.
Subaru immediately redirected his gaze. His action proved to have been just in time, as he heard the sound of the towel hitting the floor. She may have felt confident in revealing herself to him, but he was not ready or in any way prepared for it yet. His face turned red as he heard her fiddle with the jacket, keeping it turned even as he heard the zipper go up.
"Baru, how do I look?" He heard an angelic sounding voice speak to him. Subaru, now knowing she was covered, turned his head back to face her. His mouth went agape, his eyes widened and his face reddened itself even more.
In front of him, Pandora wore the tracksuit jacket he had given her. It was a little too big for her; the sleeves slightly went over her hands, which were pulling down at the bottom of the jacket to keep her under area covered. She hadn't bothered to zip it up all the way, the zipper itself resting just below her breasts. This caused Subaru to unwillingly be able to see the sides of them. He had a feeling that she had done it on purpose, just for that reason. When he directed his gaze up toward her face, he noticed that her cheeks held a light blush and that she displayed a playful smile which rested comfortably on her face. When he met her eyes with his, she playfully winked at him.
Subaru, at that moment, believed that this girl was going to kill him just with her antics. He could never deny how attractive and cute she was, but he mentally couldn't take it. So, whilst slightly averting his gaze, he leaned forward with his hands out and grabbed the zipper of her jacket. From there, he pulled it up all the way for her, much to her silent disappointment.
After that minor debacle, the two conjoined their hands again. With their upper halves dressed, they now needed to dress the bottom. This proved to be a lot less of a problem as initially believed. Subaru simply just slipped on his undergarments and his tracksuit bottoms, with Pandora doing similar. It was a bit irritating to do with just one hand, but the two of them had done it quickly enough and without any kind of other distraction.
Currently, the two found themselves seated on the bed, Subaru's left hand joined to Pandora's right. They sat in relative silence, which helped the two relax and collect their thoughts more comfortably. With their previous situation sorted, both of them thought that it was best to start addressing some other things.
Subaru found the courage to start speaking first, his head turning toward her, "Hey, Dora." Upon hearing him call her by her new nickname, she too turned her head toward him. "How do you feel about… well, this," he lifted their conjoined hands to provide reference to it in conjunction to his statement.
At that, Pandora knew that Subaru was thinking similarly to how she had been before. When she quickly studied his expression, she could see the bits of nervousness and lack of certainty within it. Pandora could guess that the reason lay in the possible result of both of their feelings, so she began to give him her honest opinion, "I enjoy holding your hand, Baru. I love the feeling of knowing that you are right here next to me at all times." She gave it a minor squeeze to show her sincerity, something he appreciated. She continued, "However, I will not disagree that it is and will continue to be a hindrance."
Subaru nodded, seemingly agreeing with her. He didn't verbally respond right away, though. If they continued as such, even living their lives normally could be a bit of a problem. For example: using the bathroom, or other mundane everyday tasks in life. If they had to stay in contact during everything, it would do more harm than good in the long run.
He took some time to consider what they could possibly do to help with the problem. Having not reached any type of conclusion, he decided to ask Pandora for her opinion: "Do you think we can do anything about it?"
She hummed thoughtfully. She considered the prospect seriously to herself for a few moments before responding, "I truthfully do not know. I have never personally experienced this before, nor have I had connections to anyone that did."
He chuckled a little, "Yeah, same here." They went silent again for a while, neither of them sure of what to say in addition to the conversation. Truthfully, the two of them were lost on what to do. Neither of them knew or had any clue of what could even be done to help themselves with their problem.
However, Subaru had a thought; one in which he doubted, so he decided to ask Pandora for her opinion once more, "Do you think we could maybe train ourselves to get over it?" His sudden suggestion caught Pandora's attention. "Like, training our body and mind to get used to not being connected all the time?" He then rapidly shook his head, turning away as if he were ashamed of suggesting such a thing, "No, never mind. That's stupid."
His notion made Pandora think, seriously considering the possibility. Truthfully, she didn't know if that was even how it worked, or if it was even possible. Though, it couldn't hurt to try, right? "Actually, Baru, I think it could perhaps work." Her face changed to a questioning expression as she slightly tilted her head to the side, "Would you like to give it a try?"
He looked back at her, slightly surprised. But after he collected his thoughts together, it didn't take long for Subaru to reply, "As long as you're willing."
Pandora nodded, signifying that she was very much okay with it. She was the one to suggest that they try, after all. The two climbed further onto the bed until they reached the center, sitting in opposite spots that allowed them to face one another in a cross-legged position. They held their conjoined hands out in front of them, prepared to separate them once they were ready.
Both of them understood what they were trying to do and how they were going to try handling it, but that didn't stop the nervous feeling from creeping up inside of them. Both of them knew what it felt like to be separated; the feeling was not pleasant at all. In a sense, it made them slightly afraid. Despite that, after a few more moments of silent preparation, the two only nodded to one another as a signal to begin. Simultaneously they separated their hands, no longer in any kind of direct contact with each other.
For the first few seconds, they didn't feel much of any difference. However, once those few precious seconds were up, the changes in their bodies hit fast and hard. They could feel their heart rate increase, the temperature rising, their breaths become heavier and the unsteady shaking of their forms. The feeling of panic made itself immensely known to the both of them, unrivaled to anything else.
The two of them did their best to quell that feeling. They tried to mentally reassure themselves as much as they could. Thoughts like, "He/She is right in front of you, don't panic, you're okay," flowed through their minds constantly. It did little to ease them of their suffering, however, as their conditions only worsened with each passing second. The bed itself even started to squeak and move due to their constant shaking and movement. On top of that, it was getting increasingly hard to breathe as they felt themselves start to become lightheaded. Eventually, the panic and feeling of imminent death became so bad that the two simultaneously reached for the other's hands.
When their hands joined together, the effects of their condition began to steadily subside. They began to become more aware of their heavy breaths and the feeling of their hearts pounding against their chests. They loosened their respective grips on the bed sheet, something which they'd unconsciously done during their freak out without noticing. Both of them would agree, that was an experience that neither of them wanted to go through again.
It took a while for them to completely calm down. The most prominent issue for them was their breathing, which during their separation had become increasingly harder for them. They, of course, didn't think that overcoming their situation would be easy, but the amount of backlash the two were experiencing did nothing short of exceed their expectations for how bad it would be.
"That was…"
"…horrible."
Pandora started and Subaru finished, their bodies and breaths still shaky. Their grip on each other's hands was tight and firm, a subconscious and reflexive act from the both of them after the ordeal they'd just gone through.
Neither of them knew what to do now. While they both wanted to keep trying, another part of them didn't. In a way, they felt really motivated yet immensely afraid at the same time. It created a sort of stalemate within themselves that they didn't quite know how to overcome.
"Do you wish to try again?" Pandora somehow found the courage to ask him through unsteady breaths. A mix of a concerned and questioning look found itself within her pretty eyes as she lifted her head, moving it to look at him.
Subaru looked up at her to meet her eyes. Behind the concern he saw a burning fire, one that was fueled by a sense of determination. Subaru thought that if she was so willing and determined to try again, then he should be too. He then found himself fired up, more willing and determined than before, matching the fire she held with his own. He didn't want to disappoint her. Though in reality, Pandora was fired up mainly because she actually didn't want to disappoint him. In the end, they ended up silently motivating each other through their desire of wanting to make the other happy.
Subaru nodded in reply to her question, finally, even though Pandora was easily able to see his response just through his eyes, just as he was able to do for her. The two straightened themselves after fully recovering from their previous attempt, taking deep breaths in preparation before separating their hands again.
Thus the process repeated itself over and over and over again. The two of them simply could not find it in themselves to quit, repetitively trying in hopes there would be some kind of improvement. They couldn't tell how much time had passed since starting, nor was it something they wanted to discover. Their focus lay dead centered on achieving their desired outcome and goal. Perhaps they were going about things the wrong way. Maybe they weren't thinking things through clearly enough as they repeated their sufferings over and over again. They hadn't even thought of the possibility that the actions they were currently partaking in could kill them. But, to them, it was the only possible option that had the potential to work, and that was all that mattered.
Shockingly, they were able to notice some subtle change after some time. It wasn't much, but the two of them seemed to somehow stretch their time limit out; this allowed them to have even just a little more time separated from one another. Right after that attempt, having acknowledged the possible development, the two brought themselves as close to the other as possible and sat themselves at the edge of the bed, dangling their legs off of the bedside. Pandora leaned her head onto his shoulder, with Subaru following by lightly resting his head atop hers. They held one another snugly and close, their eyes closed as they focused solely on recovering.
After each attempt, it became harder and harder to calm themselves down. It made sense, and it showed clear signs of danger should they proceed, yet the two of them couldn't bring themselves to stop. Though, having finally realized a potential change in their tolerance made everything feel worth it. After having repeated the process so many times, the two of them were adept at considering how long they could last without contact after fully recovering each time. Having noticed even a mere few seconds increase in tolerance was a big deal to them. Then again, the two held some doubt and considered the fact that they could simply just be imagining things. Subaru and Pandora both supposed that they would have to keep practicing to find out if that was true or not.
As the two tried their best to relax in the other's hold, the door to the room opened with a light creak. Through the crack between the door and the wall, an eyeball peered into the room. Once the eye caught sight of the both of them, the door began to open all the way.
Once the door opened, Subaru cracked his eyes open to look at who was coming in; though, the answer should have been obvious from the start. He saw his contracted spirit walk into the room before shutting the door behind her. When the spirit turned to look at them, she sighed, "Betty will never get used to seeing the two of you like that, I suppose."
Subaru smiled a little at her comment, enjoying the small comment from her whilst ignoring the incoherent and irritated mumbling that followed it. Pandora too opened her eyes, watching as Beatrice closed the distance between them. Subaru's small smile then shifted into a frown, accompanied by a look of concern, "Beako, why are you wearing… that?"
He lifted his free arm up to point at the eyepatch she wore. It was black, matching her outfit, and wrapped around the spirit's left eye. Beatrice physically jumped a little, not having expected Subaru to ask about it so soon. She directed her gaze downward as if she were ashamed, unwilling to meet Subaru's eyes.
Subaru slightly tilted his head to the side, "If you don't want to talk about it, then I understand. Just know that if you ever do want to talk about it, you can. I'll listen to everything you have to say, anytime." His voice was soft and caring, the reassurance not lost in his words. Even though Subaru knew that Beatrice omitted some details from her story, he was also considerate of her reasons for doing so. He thought that, perhaps, she just wasn't ready to share those details, and he would respect that.
Beatrice only nodded in response, showing that she understood. At the same time, she slowly lifted her left hand up to the eyepatch. As if it were a delicate object, she gently placed her middle and index fingers onto it to lightly feel it's surface. She put her hand back down a few seconds after, lifting her head back up to look at the pair.
Beatrice's gaze seemed to harden as she narrowed her eye — presumably the other eye too under the eyepatch — at them. It was as if her mind and attitude did a complete turnaround, as she started talking about a completely different topic, "Would you be so kind as to enlighten Betty on why you two are wearing the same outfit, I suppose?"
Subaru could immediately tell, mainly by the look she was giving them, that she wasn't the happiest spirit in the world at the moment. He let out a light chuckle, attempting to alleviate the moderately tense atmosphere, "Well, uh, she didn't have anything else to wear sooo…"
"So you gave her your clothes?" Beatrice raised an eyebrow at him, as if questioning his decision. Subaru only nodded at her, sighing a little at her snarky tone. What was he supposed to do, let her go around in nothing but a towel? She sighed too, as if reluctantly accepting that fact, "Very well, Betty will forgive you due to your lack of options. Be grateful, in fact!" With her declaration, she made sure to point her right index finger at him.
At that, Subaru let himself crack a smile, "Yes, yes. Thank you, Great Beatrice-sama."
"Hmph, good," now she seemed satisfied and smug. She lowered her right arm, only to raise her left and point at Pandora, "But as soon as Betty gets the chance, she is getting you alternative clothing, in fact!"
Pandora blinked at her a few times. She clearly understood why Beatrice was so adamant about the subject, and thus Pandora felt the need to rub it in a little bit. Pandora's mouth developed into a small, satisfied and teasing smile as she leaned into Subaru's shoulder, winking at the Great Spirit. If Beatrice's face could show veins in correspondence to how angry she felt, that moment would have been perfect for it.
Subaru kept his smile, enjoying the moment to its fullest. Moments like these didn't seem to happen as frequently anymore. He audibly let out a laugh, something which caught both girl's attention. Beatrice seemed to relax herself at the sight of Subaru being genuinely happy and enjoying the moment; it made her smile a little too. Pandora's expression failed to falter as she enjoyed the sound of his laugh, comfortably snuggling into her partner a little more.
As Subaru's laugh subsided, he found himself snuggling back into Pandora. As a result, the two ended up in another comfortable cuddling session. That is, until Subaru remembered that Beatrice was in the room too. He looked at her, a smile still resting on his face, "Beako, sorry to make you feel left out." He opened his free arm out wide, as if inviting her to come in, "Come on and join us!"
Beatrice seemed a bit taken back by the sudden offer, clearing her throat with a fist to her mouth, "Ehem, Betty would rather not- WAAAH."
She didn't have time to finish her sentence as Subaru leaned forward, putting his arm around her and pulling her into an embrace. Having pulled her into their little cuddle, Beatrice was reluctantly forced to relax herself and return the embrace. Even though she would rather not have shared this moment with her, the spirit did enjoy holding her contractor in an embrace again.
The moment persisted for a long while, before the trio separated. Surprisingly, it was Pandora who pulled away first. Her unexpected movement caused Subaru to break away too, then followed by Beatrice. Subaru gave Pandora a confused look, concerned as to why she broke away so quickly. Once he noticed her expression, his look turned into one of worry.
Beatrice went back to her previous spot, standing in front of the both of them. Pandora's gaze blankly shifted to Beatrice, something that made the spirit slightly uneasy and defensive. "Beatrice," Pandora spoke, the normal tone of her voice altered in a way to convey major seriousness, mixed with many other unreadable emotions; it made the spirit flinch. "May I ask a question?"
The spirit narrowed her eyes, "Yes, you may." She answered simply, her form stiffening with her increase of suspicion.
Pandora's gaze seemed to darken as she gathered her words, something that only made Subaru worry more. When he noticed that her breath was becoming unsteady and shaky, he squeezed her hand. The subtle sign of reassurance and support seemed to help her enough to speak again, "What of the cult during our time away?"
As that question slowly registered itself within Subaru's mind, his expression turned to one of surprise while his eyes began to widen. He turned to face Beatrice, who was still standing defensively with narrowed eye(s) pointed dangerously at the Witch in his arms. She seemed to hesitate in answering, glancing at Subaru in hopes of obtaining some kind of guidance. However, once she saw his expression, she felt inclined to answer, "Their activity has been random. It's as if they run without a single true motive."
"I see…" she glared ahead of her, her expression still dark and serious. "And of the Archbishops?" She asked immediately, once again catching Beatrice off guard.
Beatrice stuttered at first before she was able to formulate a properly conducted answer. Subaru thought that she may have been slightly intimidated as she spoke, "U-Uhm, B-Betty believes that the Archbishops are in a similar state. They run more so in ordinance with their own objectives, contrary to how they operated before, in fact."
"I see…" she stated again, her glare only increasing. "Have any died?"
Beatrice, although confused, started to become even more suspicious of Pandora's intentions. Deciding to see where the Witch will go with this, she chose to answer the question, "As far as Betty is aware, none have."
"Hm," she hummed as if in thought. It didn't take her long to say something again, "We must find them."
Beatrice glared at her immediately, as if her suspicions were confirmed at that moment. "Why would we need to do that?" She questioned seriously, doing her best to intimidate the Witch in front of her through her look and posture. "For all Betty knows, this could be a trick, a ruse for you to run back to your cult, taking Betty's Subaru with you so that he can be used as a tool for you, in fact."
Her accusation was like a match; a match that lit a huge fire within Pandora to make her react in a way Subaru hadn't expected. His partner stood up immediately, her glare challenging Beatrice's own. As the distance between the two became less and less, Subaru quickly stood up and put himself between them. Beatrice's face possessed hostility of the highest margin, all whilst Pandora held an uncharacteristically dark and hateful glare. Both of their looks cut like daggers into the target, neither of them seemingly willing to let it falter. Beatrice began to raise her hand, as if in preparation to cast an offensive spell, while Pandora's grip on Subaru's hand tightened. She squeezed to such an extent that the sheer rage she conveyed through the intense pressure was impossible to ignore.
Subaru made it a point to squeeze Pandora's hand back, hoping that the action would help calm her down. Similarly, he put a hand on Beatrice's head in hopes he could distract her from the situation. When those actions did little to nothing for him, he spoke, "Woah, woah, both of you please calm down."
That too didn't seem to work, as both girls ignored him entirely and continued to glare daggers at one another. Inwardly Subaru began to panic, having no idea as to what to do. He looked down to Beatrice, thinking of the next best thing.
He took a deep breath before he began, "Listen, Beako." He saw her gaze shift to look at him for a split second. That was good, it showed she was listening to him. "I know you don't trust her, and I can understand why. I really can."
He moved his head over to look at his partner, the expression on her face remaining unchanged nor did her glare redirect itself. As an act of reassurance to her, he started to caress his thumb along the back of her hand. He hoped it would at least comfort or ease her, even just by a small margin.
He looked back to Beatrice, his gaze meeting her eyes even though hers failed to meet him back. "But, I know you trust me. And trust me when I say she isn't like that anymore. She's come a long way, and we've both changed," at those words, he felt a change of pressure on his hand. Her grip lightened and her thumb slightly moved itself along the back of his hand in appreciation. "Beako, look into my eyes. Look into my eyes and tell me that you don't trust what I say."
At his comment Beatrice finally moved her gaze to him. She did as he instructed, looking deeply into his eyes for any reason to distrust his words: a sign of being forced to say those words, mind control, anything. However, the only thing she found in those eyes was genuine sincerity. They were the same nasty looking eyes that belonged to the very same person she trusted to take her hand all that time ago. After a few moments, her glare softened as she let out a deep breath. She spoke in a heavy tone, "Fine, Betty does not doubt you, in fact. But Betty wants a full explanation from her!"
Her glare somewhat came back as she demanded an explanation. Subaru sighed in relief, thankful that a potential crisis was averted. He looked over to Pandora, only to quickly grow worried again when he noticed that her expression hadn't changed much, if at all.
Before Subaru had time to say anything, she voiced, "You will get your explanation." Her tone was serious, borderline threatening. Pandora leant down, making sure to get close to Beatrice's face so the spirit could clearly see her entire expression. Her eyes gave an impression of craziness, stuck in a sort of wide-eyed glare, accompanied by a blank and almost murderous expression on her face. Pandora spoke again, "Do not doubt my love for Subaru ever again."
Subaru was shocked, to say the least, as he became locked in place. He now understood why she had gotten so triggered. Pandora had been offended by Beatrice's accusation, but it wasn't about her. It was about him. When Beatrice accused Pandora of wanting to use him as a tool, she snapped.
The platinum haired girl backed herself up, lightly dragging Subaru's arm with her, as she sat herself back down on the bed. He was still frozen in place, his gaze being the only thing that completely followed her. He still didn't quite know how to process her outburst. He understood her anger; if someone had insulted his love for her, he would be angry too. However, the tone she spoke in, the face she made and the aura she expulsed was terrifying.
He mentally slapped himself, snapping out of his thoughts. Once he did so, he noticed Pandora's condition: she was having a breakdown. He felt his insides start to churn, his concern for her kicking in at that moment as he quickly sat down next to her and attempted to do his best to calm her down. He put his free hand behind her head, gently bringing it closer as he pressed his against hers. She was lightly starting to cry, for reasons he didn't even know why or understand; he'd never seen her act this way before. Even after she embraced him tightly, starting to calm down in his arms, he felt useless. He wanted to do more for her, but he couldn't.
As her crying began to subside, her hold on him loosening, he moved his head back to look at her. His hand found itself on her cheek as he carefully asked, "Dora, are you feeling any better?"
It took a moment, but she nodded. When she picked her head up to look at him, he could visibly see the sadness laced within. Not only that, but he saw fear too. Pandora was afraid of something, and he didn't even know how to help.
"I… I am okay, Baru," she gave him a forceful smile, something that pained Subaru to see. He wouldn't push the issue, though. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable, nor did he want to impose and make things worse. He firmly believed that she would talk to him when she was ready. Pandora took a deep breath, readying herself to speak again, "I do believe I owe you both an explanation, then?"
Neither Subaru or Beatrice responded, instead opting to remain silent. Beatrice, who had been silently watching the entire time, didn't know what to think. In her mind, as Subaru sometimes used to say, she had just been on a wildly terrifying roller coaster. Pandora was currently like an enigma to her, and it was best not to potentially provoke something she didn't fully understand.
Pandora, noticing their silence, proceeded with her speech, "I propose that we hunt down and eliminate the remnants of the cult."
Subaru and Beatrice could not hide their surprise. Though, they still stayed silent as Pandora stared aimlessly at the floor. Her free hand played with the sleeve of her tracksuit, as if she were nervous. Subaru kept rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand, hoping to soothe her nerves.
Beatrice was the first one to speak, "What brought this on, I wonder?" Despite the fact that she only asked one question, it was clear that she harbored more.
"I…" she tried to speak, but couldn't find the will to do so. Her toes curled into the floor and her hands began clenching as her nerves only increased.
"Dora." The call of her nickname was unexpected to her. She mentally jumped, turning her head so she could look at Subaru. When she did so, his grip on her hand momentarily tightened into hers. The emotion displayed in his eyes could only be described as loving and caring. His mouth began to open, and she waited in anticipation for his next words, "Don't force yourself. Take as much time as you need." His eyes softened, a small and sincere smile developing on his face, "It doesn't matter how long it takes. I'll be here for you, always."
She stared at him for a few seconds, before she gave him a small, genuine smile of her own. It was almost contagious; the way he smiled, made her relax and calm down. She was truly lucky to have him… too lucky.
She took a deep breath, her gaze shifting back to the floor as she prepared herself to speak; Subaru and Beatrice silently and patiently waiting for her. She didn't have a planned speech for this, but she knew what she had to say, "I… I know that it is not enough to make up for my past actions." She glanced at Subaru for a second, then moved her eyes to Beatrice. "But… I owe it to you, to everyone, to remedy at least one of the mistakes that I have made in my lifetime."
The two listeners were silent to her words at first, taking time to process her confession. This time, it was Subaru who spoke up first, "So you want to take out the cult because you regret your involvement with them? Did I understand that right?"
Pandora turned to him, giving him a slight nod, "That is part of it, yes."
Subaru tilted his head a little, "What other reason is there, then?"
At that, she smiled, "The past is not something we can change or recover, but we can work on achieving the best future possible. That is my goal. I wish to face the mistakes of my past. I wish to make the future something I can feel satisfied with."
Subaru looked at her with a neutral expression for a moment, but before long he smiled back at her. He couldn't help but think that she used him as inspiration for that mindset. In response, he returned, "If you're going through hell, keep going, amiright?"
She lightly hit his arm with her free hand in retaliation for that comment, both of them laughing with one another. Her words had touched Subaru. Of course, he'd told her about his time in the Sanctuary when they were trapped in the seal together. He'd told her about how he'd found closure with his parents there, how he'd faced his past and looked into the future. Seeing that same resolve in her made him happy, proud even.
As they softly laughed together, the sound of someone clearing their throat made itself prominently known. "I hope you didn't forget about Betty, I suppose!" Their laughter started to die down as the spirit crossed her arms, closing her eye(s) in thought. "If you're going after the cult, Betty will surely assist, in fact."
Subaru looked at his contracted spirit with an appreciative smile on his face. Even after all of the things she's been through, all the pain she was experiencing, she was still willing to help them. "Thanks Beako, you're the best."
"Hmph!" She proudly puffed out her chest, a smirk on her face as her palms pressed themselves against her waist. "Betty is indeed the best!"
Subaru chuckled at Beatrice's behavior. He was glad that the mood had lightened up; it felt so much livelier than it once did. He turned to Pandora, his smile now dominatingly possessing a feeling of uncertainty as he spoke, "I don't know how much help I'll be, though. I'm not really a fighter and I'm not really strong enough to be one. The best I can do is whip them from a distance, probably."
As Subaru nervously chuckled at his own joke, Pandora looked at him, "Actually, Baru, you have the potential to possess more than enough combat power."
Following her comment, he became confused. However, before he could question it, Beatrice spoke up, "You're talking about his latent Authorities, I wonder?"
Pandora looked at Beatrice and nodded in confirmation. Subaru was still confused, though, and decided to question their statements, "What're you two talking about? The Authorities I have basically give me little to no power. Hell, most of the time I get hurt trying to use them! "
Pandora turned to him, shaking her head in denial, "That is not true, Baru. You, unlike the Archbishops you took them from, are compatible with them. You just require training and practice, something that I- we… can help you with."
"Wait, wait, so hold on," Subaru interjected, moving his free hand wildly in a stopping motion. "So, you're telling me that this whole time I could have just trained myself to use them better?! That would have solved all of my issues?!"
She nodded, lightly giggling at his exaggerated antics, "Yes, that is correct. As an example, let us use your Authority of Sloth. You say it hurts to use, yes? I believe that is because you have not purified, or properly bonded with, the Authority yet."
Subaru wanted to facepalm, to hit his head against the wall a few times. Why hadn't he thought of this? He couldn't believe himself for not considering this. He could have at least tried! He turned to Beatrice, an expression that feigned frustration plastered on his face, "And why didn't you say anything?"
The Great Spirit shrugged, "Betty wasn't aware of this either, I suppose. As much as Betty hates to admit it, this is out of Betty's area of expertise."
Subaru sighed; of course she wasn't aware. Pandora giggled again, drawing his attention to her, "Do not worry, Baru. I shall do my best to teach you!"
Man her smile was intoxicating. Even though it basically shone as bright as the sun and practically blinded his eyes, he couldn't help but look mesmerizingly into it. Suddenly, after looking at her smile, he found himself highly motivated; he stood up, right hand and index finger pointed up at the ceiling, "Well, let's get started! No time to lose!"
"No!" Beatrice screamed, immediately making him jump back. "You buffon, idiot, moron! It's already late, you need to sleep, in fact!"
"…Huh?" Subaru uttered, confused as to what the spirit was talking about. Pandora was also confused, tilting her head cutely to the side as she looked at Beatrice curiously. In response, Beatrice only walked to the nearest window and quickly pulled the curtain aside.
"Oh."
"Oh."
Both Pandora and Subaru mumbled, now having a great view of the pitch black darkness outside. Beatrice closed the curtains, walking back over to them. "Yeah, 'oh'," she mocked. "Whatever you two did together took all day, in fact. Now get to bed!"
With that, the trio properly climbed into the bed. Despite the fact that Pandora and Subaru were wearing their tracksuits, it was actually quite easy for them to get comfortable. They faced one another in the bed, pulling each other in as much as possible to the point that their heads touched. That was how they cuddled; arms wrapped around the other's form while legs were tangled together. Somehow, they were comfortable. Beatrice wrapped herself around Subaru's back, with both her arms firmly around his backside. That was how they fell asleep.
"Hnng…" Beatrice mumbled, stirring a little bit as she slept. She felt a light tap on her cheek, making her regain some of her sense of mind. She didn't want to wake up, not when she felt so comfortable. Maybe if she just ignored the feeling, it would just go away eventually.
When she felt the tap again, she finally felt annoyed enough to fully open her eyes. She quickly sat up, clear frustration on her face. Just as she was about to loudly complain about the annoyance, a hand covered her mouth. It scared Beatrice enough to make her jump, prompting her to frantically look for the source.
Through the darkness she saw a long set of 'shiny' hair, platinum in color, attached to a face that was looking directly at her. It was hard to see it, but the face held a fairly serious expression presented on it. "Shhh," the figure quietly shushed her, gesturing their head to the side toward another figure. This one was sleeping, however, and it was clear that the first figure didn't want to wake the second.
When Beatrice regained her composure, having started to fully wake up, she realized that her assailant was actually the 'former' Witch Pandora. Beatrice gave her a frustrated glare before nodding. Pandora released her hand from Beatrice's mouth, something in which the spirit was thankful for. Though, she felt the need to wash her mouth now.
In a whisper, Beatrice inquired, "What do you want, I wonder?" She didn't respond right away. Beatrice wasn't too particularly patient at the moment, especially since she'd just woken up, so when Pandora failed to respond within the next few seconds, she was tempted to irritatingly repeat herself. "What is it, Witch? "Betty would like to get back to sleep, in fact."
Pandora let out a low and light sigh, her eyes closing for a moment as she thought. Soon enough, they opened again as the girl prepared herself to speak in a similar whisper, "I need your assistance."
Beatrice rolled her eyes, "Surely this can wait until morning. Betty is going to-"
As Beatrice moved to lay back down, a hand grabbed her arm. It was quite the firm hold, one that made her anxious and uncomfortable. Beatrice looked back to Pandora, who's expression hadn't changed, "It cannot."
Beatrice blankly looked at her for a few moments, contemplating the implications of those words. Eventually, she sighed and sat back up, looking at Pandora with an unreadable expression, "Betty guesses that you don't want to involve her Subaru in this matter, I suppose."
Pandora stared at her for a second before nodding, "Yes, that is correct."
Beatrice sighed again. She was confused, perhaps even a bit distrustful, but she was willing to give her a chance. Though, that didn't mean she would be nice, "Then speak, quickly."
Pandora went silent again, perhaps thinking to herself. Another sigh soon followed, "I would like to request a favor from you, if you are willing to look into it."
"It would depend on what you want, I suppose," Beatrice responded matter-of-factly.
Silence once again. It was starting to bother Beatrice, just a little bit. "Is there… any possible way you could lock or seal away my Authority?"
Beatrice did a double take at the question, almost physically recoiling due to her surprise. "Where did such a request come from, I wonder? Do you think that your abilities won't be useful in the coming conflicts? Why so suddenly ask this, what is your goal…"
As Beatrice trailed off, her words lined with suspicion, Pandora averted her gaze, "I do not trust myself."
At that, the Great Spirit looked at her as if she'd grown another head. It was clear that the answer she received wasn't the one she would have expected. Beatrice ended up softening her gaze, continuing to prod into the situation, "Does this have anything to do with your mental breakdown, I wonder?"
Pandora gave her a few small little nods in reply, "Partially. I am having trouble understanding myself, at the moment."
"In what way do you mean?" Beatrice questioned, unsure as to what Pandora fully meant.
The former Witch looked at the spirit, unsure as to whether she could freely talk about her issues. Beatrice hardly trusted her, and often grew suspicious of anything she said or did. What would make Beatrice believe her now? And even so, she hadn't even talked to Subaru about it yet. Telling Beatrice before Subaru was a big deal for her. However, she only didn't want to inform Subaru because of him potentially fearing her, or making him worry too much for her. She was more concerned about the latter, though.
In the end, after considering all of her options and feelings on the matter at hand, she took a deep breath and spoke, "I'm not how I once was. I think differently, I feel different, and I want different things."
Pandora looked at her hand, clenching and unclenching it a few times. Memories of her past invaded her mind. Despite how much she wanted to forget them, she knew she couldn't entirely do that. For the most part, they would be stuck with her indefinitely. The best thing she could do would be to move on and start something new, which was something she was trying to do.
"I will be truthful with you," Pandora started bluntly, raising her head to look at Beatrice once more. "My care for you is only as an extension of Subaru's. As long as Subaru cares for you, I do as well. I will be kind to you as long as you continue to be dear to him. I do not doubt that you feel a similar way in relation to me. However, despite our feelings about one another, I believe we can work together for his well-being."
She said nothing but the truth to the spirit. In a way, it was hard for Pandora to do so. In actuality, as an individual herself, she couldn't care less about Beatrice. As she said, the only reason she cared for her was because of Subaru. As long as he, the only person she held dear, cared about her, then she did her best to be accommodating for him.
Truthfully, when she first started to change, Subaru had helped her more than she'd ever expected. He helped her forget about her past, helped her try to move on, and focus on how she could be in the future. Even though they were trapped in a box, stranded in an empty void where time was irrelevant, the aspect of change and the future felt impactful to her. Subaru made her open her eyes, to see things she'd never thought to have seen before. The joy in life, in love, and in so many other things. She remembered every conversation they had and held them close to her heart. That was why Subaru was and would continue to be the only person she'd ever truly love and care for.
"Since I've been released, I have felt myself exist as the halves of two people," she continued, Beatrice still listening intently. "I prefer to distinguish these people as separate entities. There is the version of me that you are currently speaking with; I like to refer to myself as just Pandora, or Dora. Then, there is the version of me from the past, the one in which I consider the Witch of Vainglory."
Beatrice was slightly surprised by the prospect, but seemed to understand the basics of what Pandora was saying. "So, what you're saying is that you have split personalities?"
Pandora slouched a bit, "Something similar to that, I believe. I cannot be certain, though. But… earlier, when you accused me of using Subaru, I felt a small part of my past self returning in that moment. It felt as if I were a completely different person."
She let out a long huff after she finished speaking. Saying that was difficult for her, and trusting someone she didn't necessarily care for with such sensitive information didn't make her feel comfortable either. She'd never felt so vulnerable before.
Though, everything she said was the truth. She didn't understand it herself, in all honesty, and that scared her. Whether there were two people, two personalities, inhabiting the same body; or, whether it was her behaving in a similar way to her past self as a response to certain situations… it didn't matter. What truly mattered to her was the potential consequences of it. She thought that, just maybe, sealing her Authority away would help her retain herself. It was a stretch, but she was desperate; she couldn't take the risk of something happening if she left things alone.
"That is why I would like your help," she prompted, looking at Beatrice with a slight bit of hope. "I do not want to do something I will end up regretting. I… I do not want to hurt him," her gaze shifted to Subaru's sleeping form. Her eyes softened as her free hand lovingly laid itself on his arm. "I have confidence that you can find some way to seal or block my Authority from being used, even just partially."
Beatrice stayed silent, as if absorbing all of the information Pandora had just dumped on her. "Hm," she hummed, putting a hand to her chin in thought. Subaru trusted her, and Beatrice trusted Subaru, so she was willing to try and be receptive to things. She could understand what Pandora was saying, but one thing didn't make sense to her, "Betty must ask: why didn't you talk to Betty's Subaru about this first, I wonder?"
Pandora never moved her eyes away from him, moving her hand to his cheek. She smiled sweetly, adoring his peaceful state of slumber. "I do not want to hurt him, to make him worry. He has helped me so much already… he deserves a break."
At that, Beatrice too moved her eyes to look at her sleeping contractor. She moved a hand to his hair and gently pulled a strand of it away from his eyes. Beatrice let herself smile too, "Betty's Subaru is amazing. He is always trying to help people, even though sometimes he's a complete moron about it, in fact." Memories of Subaru sealing himself away began to resurface, but before she could become distracted by them she spoke again, "Betty's Subaru has a self-sacrificing habit that he really needs to get rid of." She paused in her words, turning to look at Pandora again, "Betty can agree with you. Subaru needs a break; time in which he does not have to suffer for others."
It was at that moment Pandora knew that Beatrice had no idea. She had no idea of how much he had already suffered, how much pain he'd gone through, just for the sake of his friends and the people he loved. She remembered when he first told her about his curse: Return by Death. She remembered when he told her about his first deaths, his first loops and experiences in this world. She remembered how emotional he had gotten, especially during certain parts of his story. She wanted to let him rest, just this once.
"Will you lend me your aid, then?" Pandora asked the spirit, her eyes finally shifting from Subaru to Beatrice, containing a sense of hope.
Beatrice stared at her for a few seconds, as if she were thinking, before responding to the question, "Betty will help you, I suppose. Betty will do some research through the coming days and will inform you on any progress or updates."
Pandora nodded, a genuinely grateful smile on her face, "Thank you."
Beatrice seemed stunned at such a genuine sounding form of gratitude from her, but accepted it nonetheless, only nodding in acknowledgment. From there, the two had nothing else to say to one another. It was then that the two of them decided to try and sleep once more, doing their best to become comfortable once again.
A sudden jolt shook the bed before the two had a chance to fall asleep again. At first, they were confused, unsure as to whether it was just their imagination or if it was something else. Their first choice was to ignore it, opting to try and fall asleep again. However, once two more jolts happened, both occurring in rapid succession of one another, the two decided to sit up.
They looked around the room and at the bed, even at each other, both unsure of what was causing the issue. Though, when they felt another jolt and saw Subaru's leg rapidly move, they understood. Quickly they grew worried and concerned, both girls trying to check on him as he slept. Pandora rolled him off of his side, making him lay flat on his back, as Beatrice examined his condition further.
Along with seemingly random jolts in his sleep, he was sweating a lot. And as the seconds passed, his grip on Pandora's hand began to tighten as he started to shift his head from side to side, making light grunting noises, almost as if he were in pain or feeling something unpleasant. Pandora got above him to get a clear view of his face, putting her hand on his cheek, "Baru! Baru, please, wake up!"
Subaru couldn't hear her calls. Instead, he found himself floating in pure darkness. Everything around him, no matter where he looked, was dark. He was lost in a void, and, in a way, it was kind of nostalgic to him.
"Liar…"
A loud female voice boomed, echoing around him in the abyss he floated in. It made him gasp as he jolted back, feeling a sense of fear suddenly as he began looking in desperation around himself for the voice's source. He found nothing but the void, though.
Suddenly, a bright light shone from above him. It was blinding, but he could only look up at it. It seemed to be coming closer, and before he knew it the darkness was replaced by the light. He closed his eyes, overwhelmed by the brightness, and when he reopened them he found himself floating in a desert.
When he turned around, he found himself facing the familiar sight of the Pleiades Watchtower. He took deep breaths, eyes shifting at everything in sight out of confusion and desperation. That was when dark shadows began to rapidly emerge from inside the tower, swallowing the entirety of it in its dark grasp. The shadows wasted no time, rapidly and very quickly expanding outward into the massive desert, consuming everything in its path.
"You shared our secret…"
The female voice boomed again, echoing around him. He could tell that she was upset… no, not only upset, she was livid too. He felt himself panicking on the inside, unsure as to what he could even possibly do. He didn't even know what was happening.
"You told… her…!"
The voice boomed and echoed once more. It filled his anxiety, made him nervous. When he closed his eyes, attempting to try and escape this warped reality, the sound of many different whispers suddenly invaded his ears. When he tried to open his eyes, he couldn't; it was if they had become glued shut. The whispers were overwhelming enough to make him cover his ears, but that didn't stop them from coming. He couldn't understand any of them, but he knew that they were afraid. Scared, sad, angry… dying.
After the onslaught of voices, he finally found himself able to open his eyes. He was staring at the ceiling inside of a dark room. When he sat up, he found himself alone in his bedroom. He looked at his hand, lost and confused, feeling like he was missing something. He started to move to the edge of the bed, dangling his legs off of the side. He looked around the room; nothing seemed to have physically changed.
"You must leave, my beloved!" A voice boomed and echoed again, this time with a different tone. This one was softer, almost kind. However, when they tried to continue, it was as if something was interfering, "I…much…don't…time…strong…!"
After those words, Subaru found himself suddenly drawn to look at the desk in the room. On it lay a book, one of the books Beatrice had brought back from the dungeon. It was closed, too far for Subaru to read the title. Though he got up, beginning to make his way toward it.
The book opened on its own, momentarily startling him. He kept his advance, however, as the book flipped through itself until it landed on a specific page. Some of the words started to glow, highlighting themselves on the page like someone was reading them out.
He was suddenly taken back by the sudden appearance of something he couldn't explain. Above the book appeared a mesh of colors, existing in shapes that appeared to him as a sea of constantly shifting prisms. The sight was mesmerizing, but confusing to him. What did it mean?
He kept inching closer, trying his best to peer into the book in hopes of attaining answers. Before he could, the book suddenly began to shake, it's color draining and being stained in nothing but black, making it unreadable. Suddenly, Subaru was violently pulled backward until he hit the wall. He tried to move, to struggle, to escape, but to no avail. He was stuck against the wall, pinned by an invisible force as dark shadows began to seep into the room from every corner and crevice possible. They began consuming everything in the room, leaving nothing behind until it was only him left.
When the shadows finally engulfed him, he found himself back in the void he started. His anxiety rose as an eerie silence overwhelmed him. Then, the feeling of something creeping next to his left ear gave him chills. He couldn't see it, but he felt a presence. It was then he felt a tickle of breath hit his ear, as a voice whispered:
"I love you."
Subaru sprang up in the bed, gasping for air. When he frantically looked around, he saw the concerned looks of both Pandora and Beatrice. Both of them hugged him, bombarding him with worried questions and statements. He hardly had time to answer one question before they started to ask him another.
It took him some time to calm down and reassure them that he was okay, insisting that it was only a nightmare. He was sure that they didn't believe him, but that was fine. They didn't pressure him about it, even though he could tell that they wanted to. Though, even if he wanted to, he couldn't bring himself to talk about what he'd just experienced. Whether it was out of fear or something else, he wasn't sure, but he had a strong feeling that he shouldn't even attempt to do so, or else he may end up regretting it.
Subaru apologized for disturbing and worrying them — even though they blatantly denied that it was an issue — and, in the end, the trio agreed to surrender themselves to sleep once again. Subaru found it a bit troubling to fall asleep again, his mind plagued by his previous nightmare and afraid he'd go through it all again. He ended up holding onto Pandora a little tighter than he meant to, but it was something she gladly reciprocated.
When morning came Subaru felt a lot better, which was something that surprised him at first. After some thought, he decided to simply live in the moment for now. He chose to focus on their current goal instead of worrying about something else, especially when it could've just been a nightmare. It was wishful thinking, and perhaps even foolish, but currently the most important thing to him was Pandora's happiness. He wanted to help her, so that's what he planned to do.
The same routine as the previous day played out. The trio awoke at around the same time, then proceeded to the dining room. Beatrice served them some of her special remedy once more, something they all shared the pleasure in drinking, before the spirit disappeared. Once again, Subaru and Pandora were left alone before they could even finish their drinks.
When Subaru looked at her, he saw a light smile on her face. She was happy, and that made him happy too. He cracked a similar smile, as if hers was contagious. Together they silently enjoyed the rest of their drink, which apparently satiated their hunger along with their thirst and a few other bodily needs. Who knew, right?
Once they were finished, the two decided to head back to their room. Later they would begin Subaru's training with Beatrice, so there was currently nothing to completely occupy themselves with. Just as they were approaching the door, Pandora seemed to halt in her place. Subaru stopped too, looking at her with a slightly concerned look.
Though, she kept her smile, "Say, Subaru." Her voice was sweet and angelic, almost even excited. It made Subaru ease himself, developing a smile of his own as he recited their usual way interacting.
"Yes, Dora?"
She moved her eyes slightly upward to look toward the ceiling, as if in deep thought, "Do you remember all we talked about yesterday? Of the future?"
Subaru nodded, "I do."
She looked at him, her expression never changing, "It made me remember when we were together, in the seal. We used to converse about the future a lot. We mused about possibilities if we ever got released; always talking about what we would do afterward. Do you remember that?"
He closed his eyes, recalling the fond memories of the conversations he had with her, "Of course I do."
"I have been thinking, Baru," she said, suddenly a little more cheerful. Subaru could feel her eagerness as she grabbed his other hand, intertwining it with hers as she looked up into his eyes. "If you are willing, I would like to start that future with you."
"Dora…" he uttered, trailing off as he looked back into her eyes. Even though he had a horrible experience during the night, the girl in front of him made him forget it all at that moment. It was as if all of his problems faded away as he solely focused on her. He spoke to her from the heart, "I'd love to."
She beamed at him. It was mesmerizing; Subaru felt like he could die from the overwhelming exposure to such a bright smile. She squeezed his hands a little tighter, her face mixing into a slightly different expression suddenly, as if she were nervous, "Baru…" she trailed off, her eyes glancing slightly to the side as she seemed embarrassed to say her next sentence. Subaru gave her hands a light squeeze to comfort and reassure her, something that must've helped her regain enough courage to continue with her question, "Just to make sure that your thoughts on the subject have not changed… how do you feel about… having children?"
He could only bring himself to blink at her for a few moments. Subaru was truly baffled on what he could say in response, slightly embarrassed by the question as she was.
His stunned expression and lack of reply seemed to make Pandora reconsider her decision in asking, "Sorry, Baru. I should not have asked." She shook her head, her expression turning into one that better resembled guilt.
Subaru, seeing her change in mood, quickly interjected, "No, Dora, that's not it. I was just surprised by the question, that's all." She looked back up at him again. He could see the remnants of hope in her eyes as he brought himself to continue, "But, yes, my thoughts haven't changed."
He smiled kindly at her as her expression started to beam again, a light blush appearing on her cheeks. He loved seeing her happy, it always brightened his mood. Well, they always copied the other's mood. If one was happy, the other was too. If one was sad, then the other would be sad too. It was how they were, and Subaru wouldn't dare change that.
"Baru, shall we get started now?"
Subaru froze, his cheeks heating up at the sudden and very eager proclamation. She let go of one of his hands, quickly starting to move forward again and subsequently dragging him along with her. He wasn't mentally prepared for this.
As she made it to the bedroom door, beginning to open it, he did his best to plead, "Hey- Hey, Dora. Dora… Dora, wait. Wait. Waaaaait!"
His cries fell on deaf ears as he got dragged into the room, the door closing behind them.
Just wanted to start off by saying that whatever questions you may have, or anything like that, will probably be answered in the next chapter.
Even though some of the reasoning for Subaru basically ignoring that 'nightmare' was explained here, it will also be explored more in the next chapter.
Should I put "Vainglory IF" into the description? I feel like it's valid, but what do you all think?
Your feedback has been received. I'm going to be doing a special chapter after this one, which will feature explicit content (if you couldn't tell by the ending of this one). It will be entirely optional to read, in case it's not something you're interested in.
That's all! Hope this was adequate enough. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. See you next time!