Summary: Just because it is one of the last days of Luluhawa leading up to ServantFes during one of many cycles — doesn't mean it has to be a bad one. Even if one of the nearby Servants gets tired of a specific couple's pining when finding them.
Note: Inspired by my first experiences paddleboarding with my family at the local beaches in Summer 2022. The Summer 3 rerun had already long past then, but it was still fun and I wanted to explore those memories again. Especially with Lostbelt 6 coming up (as of May 30, 2023, when this note was first written) and its many emotional downers — had to return to my fluff roots somewhere.
For those wondering? This "beach-episode" takes place during the original Summer 3 event, before the advent of the Lostbelts. So, no big spoilers!
The theme for this aptly named "beach-episode" chapter is This Side of Paradise by Bree Sharp, the English insert song for the Pokemon: Destiny Deoxys movie. Had to go back to an old childhood favorite for this. For alternatives, I'll point you to: (1) the map theme that was used during the original Summer 3 event, aptly titled Servant Summer Festival! Map Theme Song; (2) Kaze no Message from the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl anime; and (3) Reason by ReoNa, the last insert song used for the anime adaptation Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online and the song behind Movements and Melodies — a story I still genuinely love from Carim's many works on AO3.
Carim? This is for you.
Please enjoy!
Day 64: This Side of Paradise
There were a lot of things Robin had to memorize when it came to being the manager of Gespenst Ketzer. The best eatery locations, the best farming locations (especially when it came to chickens, grotesque octopus-like monsters, and crabs — inspiration could come from the weirdest of enemies, seriously), the best places to avoid BB — all on his mind just to keep the chaos to a minimum.
The last thing he expected to handle, though, were entertainment rentals.
Now, part of what made the original Hawaii so inviting to tourists (for better or for worse, depending on the locals who probably — most likely, maybe — wished they could be left in peace with all the intrusions) was the sheer amount of activities someone could choose to do. Eating, drinking, hiking, surfing, diving — almost anything could be on the table when it came to the beach. And with BB having combined the islands into her own mockery of "Luluhawa," it meant that the rental facilities for getting various gear — wetsuits, surf boards, snorkeling gear, so on and so forth — were a lot closer to their main hotel than they would be otherwise.
It's why Robin can't be fully surprised when Vy finds her attention snared by one such facility, considering how many cycles they had been through already trying to make the best-selling doujin at ServantFes. Their latest attempt had even taken from her parents' own love story (with Vy and himself being "volunteered" to be the models for the starring couple in the book, damn that Jalter), and despite it being so close, still lost to Medb's latest batch of self-serving photos. Add in BB's meddling in trying to play "matchmaker," stress was bound to happen. It's no wonder that in the middle of the next cycle, Vy's gaze wanders away from him while holding onto his arm on a walk through the beach.
"Paddleboards for rent! Paddleboards for rent!" The salesman yells out the words through a plastic cone to make up for the lack of a speaker, wiping sweat from his brow past his cap with his free hand. "Comes in all sizes for all kinds of people! 50 BB bucks for 2-3 hours!"
Despite the outrageous price tag (Robin can't help but wonder if this was yet another thing BB set up with her status as the "shadow event organizer"), there's no mistaking the sparkles that surface in Vy's brown eyes past her glasses and cute sun hat when hearing the offer. Heck, Robin can't deny the fond smile tugging at his lips once Vy turns to him with those same sparkles. "Big Robin?" Even the sound of his nickname comes out with wonder and anticipation, Vy unconsciously reaching up to tug at one of his sleeves to emphasize the incoming question. "Can we?"
"Did you want to try it, little sparrow?" He humors her, tucking his free hand in one of the pockets of his hoodie for keeping his mental fortitude and to discreetly check how much money he has at the moment. The last cycle did give him more funds than usual (no thanks to Jalter's attempt at showing their relationship somehow becoming a bestseller overnight with most of the convention attendees, even if it didn't win them the Grail), so… "We have enough for one-two trips."
The sparkles in Vy's bespectacled brown eyes merely grow in intensity, just as the sun shines in the right way to frame her face past her hat. Uh-oh. "Pretty please?" She tugs at his sleeve again. "We can go together!"
Too bright.
Robin had to avert his gaze for a moment, digging into his weakening fortitude. Cuteness had to be a crime, because that face was unfair. And how were two people supposed to fit on one board? Maybe if one of them sat on it while the other actually rowed, but…
Still, what comes out of his mouth is a quiet, "…Sure." Because how could he say "no" after Vy asked him so honestly in what felt like the first time since, well, since these cycles started? If he did, it honestly would've felt like kicking a puppy or something.
No amount of fortitude, though, helps him once Vy lets out a happy squee (something along the lines of a high-pitched "YAY!") and closes what little distance there is between them to wrap her arms around his middle to just hug. Yep. She was too cute, and it wasn't even on purpose.
The mumbled, "Thankie, Big Robin," in his chest is just an extra cherry to the cake.
Past his sudden warm armfuls of little sparrow, Robin meets the salesman's glittering eye with a wry grin. "Hey, sir? Think we could get one?"
"Ayup!"
"Make sure to zip up your life jacket, Vy."
"Aye."
"And don't try to go out too far, okay? Even with the leg strap keeping you to the board, we have no clue if BB even rigged the water around here. So make sure to come back if there's any sign of danger."
Vy holds up the borrowed oar the salesman gave her with a face, but still nods dutifully while he slowly pushes the paddleboard out onto the water from the beach shore. For a rental board, it's well taken care of with the shiny gloss finish and lack of scratches on the fins, so Robin makes extra sure not to drop it before it hits the sea. Thankfully, his strength as a Servant meant that wasn't a problem, and getting Vy's admiring gaze on him was a nice bonus after the pouting she gave him earlier for his nagging.
"…You sure you don't want to come with, Big Robin?" Vy still twirls the oar between her fingers when he eventually turns back to her, the life jacket placed over her sundress making her look smaller than usual when posing the question. "I've been training with Martha and Art-san, so I can row enough for the both of us…"
"Doesn't mean I want you collapsing out on the sea from the effort, little sparrow," Robin deflects, glancing away for a minute (just to hide the heat starting to climb up the back of his neck that's not from the sun overhead) while slipping his hands into his pockets. "Besides, someone should be watching the shoreline in case BB or that robot-looking Foreigner decides to come back and mess up something." It sounds more and more like excuses once Robin sees Vy's face fall, but he still steels himself, putting on a smile while reaching over to pat her head through her sunhat. Least he could do was ease whatever worries were starting to surface in her mind. She needed less stress than that, especially on vacation. "Just go have fun, Vy. I'll be okay — just be waiting right here for you to come back."
Vy blinked at him past the brim of her jostled hat, unintentionally batting her eyelashes as she murmured in a softer voice, "…Promise you'll be okay?"
Robin couldn't stop his smile from widening. Because from the looks of things, she was getting worried again, even when it was supposed to be her vacation. Typical Vy. "I promise."
Despite his words, Vy still hesitated, tightening her grip on the borrowed oar for a brief moment as she ducked her head. Then, to Robin's surprise, she tossed the oar to the sand without hesitation, running on her sandals to close the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his middle for a warm, almost desperate squeeze of a hug. Her hair tickles his chest and neck as she settles into his front, making Robin blink at her from the shock. It doesn't help that his arms suddenly feel like lead had been injected in them as Vy continued to hold onto him, jostling her sunhat more when pressing her ear to right above where his heart beat hard against his ribcage. "…I won't be too far," she whispers, squeezing him tight enough for the zippers of her life jacket to start making indents in his skin. Like she didn't want to let go. "I'll come back soon."
Robin doesn't get the chance to reply before Vy pulls away, breaking off the hug, but there's no mistaking the familiar lovely pink dusting her cheeks and the tips of her ears as she smiles bashfully at him.
His chest is tightening again, but all Robin finds himself doing is smiling back. "Believe me, Vy," he says in a softer voice, "I know."
Despite the earlier warmth, watching Vy get onto the paddleboard was almost like watching a toddler struggle to take their first steps. Pain and pride and all. Slowly sitting on her knees against the middle of the board as he fully pushed it out onto the water, then carefully standing up on her bare feet to full height once it was far away enough from the sand to float. Robin couldn't stop his heart from skipping as he saw her wobble mid-stand, enough to make the board itself shake, but once he could catch Vy's gaze as she turned back to him with those sparkles in her eyes, he smiled back.
Look at me! I'm actually doing it! I'm paddleboarding, Big Robin, I'm really paddleboarding! Her eyes seemed to say, joy clearly outlined on her face as she lifted one hand from the guiding oar to wave at him. Thankie, Big Robin!
Without hesitation, Robin waved at her in return. Her sandals seemed so small near his hand once he sat down in the sand, matching her figure becoming smaller and smaller with each new stroke of her oar further out into the water. The physical effort wasn't enough to make her tired from the looks of things, so maybe he didn't have to be worried?
At least she's having fun… this vacation was supposed to be for…
A few seconds, then a few minutes, and then underneath the shade of the one umbrella he found at the beach, Robin closed his eyes. It was an open beach and Vy knew how to swim. She should be fine.
Right?
The last thing Robin expected was for an air horn to go off in his ear.
"WHAT THE F—" His ears are ringing, something's definitely bleeding (hopefully not his eardrum because OW), but he can still make out Jeanne Alter's cackling face as he reels back into wakefulness, nearly hitting his head on the pole of the umbrella he was leaning on from the whiplash. "What was that for?!"
"You wouldn't wake up otherwise!" Even in her swimsuit, Alter looked unrepentant as she lowered the guilty airhorn in question, smirk dimming on her face as she took him in. What was going on? "Besides, Master was supposed to be with you, but she's not here and you're the dutiful bodyguard to ask if you're not gonna admit to being her boyfriend, asshat!"
"Of course she's not here! Relationship or not, she went out paddleboarding after we rented one—" Robin cuts himself off once Alter shoves a small hand-held clock into his face, the minute and hour hands reading off 1:30 pm rather mockingly. With a click of his tongue, Robin muttered, "…You wanted us back by 1, didn't you?"
Alter merely glowered at him over the clock's face with an expression that clearly read, What do you think?! To make it worse, her yellow eyes were flashing maliciously, as if already starting to plot whatever new doujin idea that could involve him and Vy modeling together for something. Again.
"Knew it," Robin answered before Alter could open her mouth, getting up from his makeshift seat near the umbrella while stretching his arms. A satisfying pop echoed in his ears, enough to dull the guilty roaring of his blood as he slowly turned back to the beach horizon. "But calm down, Alty. Knowing Vy, she should be coming back anytime now—"
His heart stopped before he could finish his sentence, all his attention zeroing in on the shoreline and the eerie, distinct lack of Vy. Robin already knew without turning around that Alter was freezing too once she noticed a very familiar sunhat pointedly floating up to the sand not even a second later. A very familiar, straw, cute-looking sunhat.
"…What was that about calling me 'Alty' and Master coming back again?" Alter deadpanned to break the silence, her sentence being the last thing Robin heard before he ran over to pick up the accessory. The rims of the hat were a bit wet from the ocean water, but otherwise the hat itself was unharmed. It definitely floated back to the shore on its own, but if the hat was here, then where was—
Robin glanced over his shoulder. Ignoring Alter's persistent glare, he considered his options. The salesman from earlier merely waved at him past Alter's shoulder, so maybe getting another paddleboard to chase after the little sparrow was an idea. But then again, the rentals didn't seem so fast compared to actual boats, and it didn't help that Vy had been gone for at least two hours. She could be anywhere now if her hat was the only thing to make it back.
And if she was by herself—!
Robin vigorously shook his head. It wasn't the time to berate himself for falling asleep earlier.
What about swimming? Maybe he could jump in and dive around the nearby caves to look for her? Or what about calling Achilles? Rider had fast feet — surely he could run on top of water like Saber could claim she could do thanks to the Lady of the Lake's Blessing! Or what about Ushiwaka—?!
"Enya-totto… enya-totto…"
…Huh?
A "Bwuh?" is all that leaves his lips once the back of his mind registered the sound of that familiar sweet high pitch floating through the air. Heck, his ears barely make out Alter's following screech (something along the lines of, "Is that a fucking old-timer Japanese rowing rhyme?! That's so cheesy, Vy!") in response to a very flushed, very happy-looking Vy slowly yet suddenly emerging from the shadow of the nearby rocks, paddleboard oar still in both hands.
Vy… little sparrow, you're—
"Enya-totto… enya-totto…" Vy mutters aloud, not even noticing the commotion nor all the stares pointed in her direction as she adjusted her grip on the oar, using the paddle portion to pointedly push the board away from the rockier part of the shore with the next forward stroke. "Enya-totto…" A determined smile adorned her face once she started approaching the sand with her rowing, the lack of her hat seemingly not bothering her as she raised a hand to wipe some sweat from her forehead. "Almost there… enya-totto…" Continuing to murmur that odd yet cute phrase to herself, Vy persisted in guiding the paddleboard back to the sand, her concentrated posture not even faltering once she got closer to the safer areas of shallow water. "Enya-totto… enya-totto…"
If he didn't know any better, Vy would've resembled a professional paddleboarder, successfully bringing her little "ship" around the rock projectiles with practiced rowing ease in spite of the growing wind. It was why Robin could do nothing but watch in half awe, half shock once his little Master docked the rental paddleboard back onto the shore, carefully climbing off the thing to unclasp the Velcro safety strap tied to her ankle. The hems of her sundress barely touched the water once her bare feet hit the shallow tides, and it's when Vy takes off her lifejacket and ties it and the oar back to the paddleboard that she sees him.
"Big Robin!" Seemingly not noticing Jeanne Alter behind him gaping in shock, stars shine in Vy's bespectacled eyes as she straightens her back and brushes stray hairs out of her face, joy clear in her voice as she runs over. Could she only see him? "Did you see that? I really paddleboarded around one-eighth to one-fourth of the island and I didn't fall once! And, and I got to see a lot of the nearby caves and some sea lions and dolphins and—!"
It's when Vy is accidentally tripping over a nearby sand dune from her over-abundant enthusiasm that Robin feels his heart give out of his chest. And, without hesitation, he steps forward.
The sunhat that unintentionally started all the panic falls from his hands to land in the sand below with a soft whump.
Catching Vy is instinctual at this point, but feeling her full weight leaning against his chest from the previous dash's momentum surprisingly lightens the growing tightness of his ribcage as his arms wrap around her waist and hands for the sake of steadying her. The lack of distance is what lets him feel Vy's heartbeat through the waist of her dress and the skin of her elbows, growing quick and flustered to contrast the slow relief of his own pulse as her nose bumps his collarbone.
You're here. You're okay. You're here, you're okay—
Robin feels himself tighten his grip before he realized he was doing it, Vy shifting in his hold from what felt like a mix of surprise and embarrassment. "…I-I'm sorry," is the soft whisper that brushes his ear, tiny hands pressing against his chest enough to start resembling growing hot coals from how close they are. Like Vy is attempting to push back a little. "I didn't mean to fall on you, Big Robin." A sheepish giggle follows the words, and when Robin tips his head to meet those star-filled brown eyes, Vy blushes while scratching her cheek. "I-I guess I was standing on the paddleboard longer than I thought I did because my feet hurt now." Another giggle punctuated her words as she went on with a lighter, "O-Oh, and thankie for picking up my hat too, by the way! A wind blew it off before I knew what was happening and by the time I saw it, it was too far away for me to reach with the oar…"
A shaky breath in and out is all Robin can muster for a semblance of a reply before he raises a hand to press it against the back of Vy's head, pulling her closer to him while shutting his eyes, unintentionally cutting her off from saying anymore. If he concentrated hard enough, he could still smell the familiar fruity Hawaiian-brand shampoo and conditioner in her hair that Chaldea's gotten used to buying since these time loops started. The soft tenderness of his little sparrow, safe in his arms and now successfully away from the seasalt and rocks.
Bubbles suddenly surfaced in the back of his mind's eye, and Robin instinctively tightened his grip to drown out the bad feelings that came with those bubbles. How long is this going to last?
How long am I going to last?
A second is all it takes for Vy to shift again with a prolonged little Muu noise, sounding more tentative and confused the longer the hug persists. The fact that she's not pushing him away, though, seems to be a sign she can't seem to find it in herself to let go. Robin's not entirely sure why he feels relieved at that. Or, no, he knows why thanks to so many calculations, but it definitely wasn't from fulfilling his duties as a loyal Servant. This feeling was—
"…Big Robin?" The soft high pitch (a voice just for him) is back again, unintentionally interrupting his thoughts as one of those tiny hands reaches out past his own to pat his back through his hoodie. "Are you okay?"
"…Yeah. Just, did you have fun?" comes out in a voice he's never heard from himself before — a breathy, vulnerable sort of voice that sounds more human than hero as he inhales more of that fruity scent of Hawaiian hair products. As his palm instinctively smoothes down a part of Vy's long brown hair, easing out tangles that formed from sweat and the saltiness of the seawater, he exhales, "Were you happy out there, Vy?"
A tiny, shaky breath brushed his neck, past his silver necklace enough to tickle, and then those tiny hands were pushing at his chest again, making him pull back to look into those brown eyes. A softer, happier smile is what greets him as he does, Vy looking so much cuter with her crooked glasses as she nods. "Aye. I got to see a lot when paddling around, and it really was a lot of fun," she whispers, joy making her voice rise a few decibels in pitch as she meets his gaze proudly. The same stars from before shine in those brown irises as she pushes her glasses up her nose and says, "Even if it was a fourth of the island, the dolphins were really nice in showing me the way back." Her left hand then reaches up to tug at his sleeve, pulling him closer as she leaned in to press her cheek against his collarbone, wrapping both arms around him properly once she's close enough for her liking. "…I honestly wish you could've gone with me."
Lub-dub, lub-dub.
Oh crap, I'm really… Robin chuckles to hide the growing heat of his face, instinctually ducking his head to press his mouth against the crown of her brown hair, breathing in more of that soft scent for composure. Whether or not Vy notices his lapse in response, he's not sure. But he can't deny how she leans into him, resting her head against his chest and tightening her grip on the back of his hoodie like it's natural. Like being with him is the most natural thing to do. "Next time. As long as you don't fall, little sparrow, I won't worry. Besides, Alter was getting on my ass to bring you back home after I fell asleep on watch duty, so we should probably get going to work on the next doujin."
Even when Vy stiffens in his arms at his weak attempt at a tug back to reality, Robin tightens his grip, hugging her close while tilting his head to rest it against hers in the hopes of providing some comfort. Because she really is so small in his arms. Small, soft, and so, so fragile in spite of her kindness that let her save Proper Human History from its forced Incineration. Kindness that ultimately let her save a rogue with no name like him.
More work and stress piling on those thin shoulders was something she honestly didn't deserve.
"…I'm sorry if I did worry you," is the whisper that brushes his skin, ticklish and warm in spite of the concern tinging the words. "I really didn't mean to be out for so long, and I did say I'd come back." It's thanks to their closeness that Robin can feel Vy puff her cheeks against his chest, her voice coming out more childish and honest as she mutters, "I just wanted to let you have fun too once I came back…"
Robin can't help the growing smile on his face as he presses his cheek into her hair. "Then don't move for a while, little sparrow." Smoothing a hand over the small of her back, he finishes with a weaker, "I'd like to stay like this for a bit longer."
Despite her grip weakening from taking in his idea, the reply he gets is subdued yet considerate — just like the tiny girl who summoned him more than a year ago. "…You sure? We still have an hour left with the rental, Big Robin."
"Yeah."
The paddleboard doesn't matter when I have you with me again.
Robin does his best to ignore the surge of relief coursing through his veins once Vy slowly nods and those soft tiny hands hug him back. He can handle Jalter "secretly" taking pictures of their scene later. Consent for reference material was important, dammit. He could at least call her out on the lack of any tact in this case because if she kept going, she'd be no better than motherfucking BB, and that Moon Cancer actually had kids who hated her guts as much as he did.
Still. In the end, with no pesky AI choosing to show up for once (was it out of fear of the possible flying hiking stick from Vy?), what mattered more was who was leaning against him right now. And when feeling his little sparrow snuggle up to him — place her safety of mind with him — the May King-turned-manager of Gespenst Ketzer let himself recharge with her warmth, holding his little sparrow in his arms like all was right in the world for as long as it lasted.
More cynically, feeling her lean against him was really the closest to an "I love you" the nameless rogue could ever get in this Summoning. Even then, he knew he'd take it. Just this once.
Note: True story, the first time my family took out our inflatable paddleboard to the beach, both my cousin and her best friend fell off. Me? Nope. Not even a little wobble. I even went on and paddled as far as underneath the freeway bridge a few beaches away downtown. Saying "enya-totto, enya-totto" and all, taken from Patty Thompson of Soul Eater. Mom back then panicked when she couldn't see me and sent Dad after me in the kayak, but I made it back just like how Vy did to Robin here. So there you go.
I'll see you all at the next update (hopefully something Lostbelt 6 related now that the fluff is out of my system).