017

[madamemoiselle]

{A bit away from the main traffic of the plane, Diva appears sitting in a chair. She's dressed for a rehearsal, sitting primly in costume. Diva doesn't move at all, just stares ahead blankly. It's times like this that being called a 'doll' doesn't seem too far off. In the dated clothing and her perfectly beautiful features, she looks like she's made of porcelain rather than flesh and blood.}

Comments

[madamemoiselle]

{This time it's Diva who is very stiff in his arms before she slumps enough to let her head rest on his shoulder} It's tiring. I'm tired of being the "villain".

[contract_star]

[Gives her a little squeeze. He's good at hugs when he's the one giving them.] I know. I know it is. But you're not the villain, not here.

[madamemoiselle]

But I can't stay here forever. I'll just go back home and it'll be the same.

{Hugs him back, burying her face into his shoulder} My Chevalier, my knights, they're almost all gone. Saya will come kill me too and...I don't want to die! Not now!

[contract_star]

I...I know. It's the same for me. But this place will always be here. Whenever you need to get away from that, we'll be here.

[He could tell her that she's not going to die, that he'll help her, that maybe Saya will see reason, that Diva could run--but he knows how pointless all of that is. So he just holds her tightly.]

[madamemoiselle]

{Softly again} I'm...sorry. I'm sorry, but thank you anyways. It's...It'll be better tomorrow. It always has been.

[contract_star]

You don't have to apologize. [Pulls away a bit so that he can look at her.] You're right, though. Things are always a little bit better the next day.

[madamemoiselle]

{Smiles halfheartedly} Absolutely. I don't know how I'd life if it weren't like that.

[contract_star]

Me neither. There'd be no point in getting up in the morning if you didn't think things could...could change, even just a little.

[madamemoiselle]

...But even so...I think I'll be sad now, even if only for a little while.

Solomon especially...he was my favorite.

[contract_star]

That's fine. It's...okay to be sad.

Would talking about him help?

[madamemoiselle]

No. No...he...it would be better if he just became a memory too. I don't want to remember.

[contract_star]

Memory is all you're going to have of him now. You...you should keep that alive.

[madamemoiselle]

It's not like I'd forget him. Maybe the next time I wake up, I can remember Solomon and James...but for now, I just want to be cold like I used to.

[contract_star]

Because it's safer that way. [It's not a question.]

[madamemoiselle]

Of course. I think that Hei understands that part, ne?

I used to always be cold. That's why I'm going to come cry here instead. If Amshel sees that...Ah, well, Amshel is scary when I'm involved. If I can at least pretend to be the same...Amshel will never force me to tell about Sam.

[contract_star]

[Smiles a bit and nods.]

Probably a smart thing to do, then. It's...best for the others in our own realities not to be involved with this place. And vice versa.

[madamemoiselle]

You know...

{Pauses, then softly} Before I came here...things were easier. I didn't mind my Chevalier and what they did at all. I didn't care if people died. I didn't care if anyone died. I said I would never fall in love again after Josef hurt me. I was tired of caring, so I just decided that the final performance would be just that. It's not hard to die when you expect it.

{She looks down} But, ne, because I promised to change, and I guess because I am, old wounds that I closed a long time ago are bleeding again. Living isn't so painful when you don't know that nothing had changed since being locked up in that tower.

Is it really worth it?

[contract_star]

[He's silent awhile before answering.] It...was easier for me too. Things made sense. But now I'm starting to think that maybe...maybe everything I know about my world isn't right. That things are different than how I thought they were...or that things can change.

And it... [Thinks of the people he's met here, the people who and what he is, of all that's happened, of the Gate, of Misaki.] It's painful. It means you have to take a fresh look at things and deal with...deal with things you told yourself you'd never deal with again.

But...I think it's worth it. I think it's...I think it's important.

[madamemoiselle]

And now I know that how I'm living is "wrong" or bad. It didn't seem like it even...a week ago. But if there's the chance that I could be liked, I guess it's worth that. It's been lonely all this time, after all. So it's nice, besides all the bad things that happen.

[contract_star]

No. This place has changed my mind a lot, too.

I suppose it is nice though, isn't it?

[madamemoiselle]

It's lovely. Despite anything that happens...it seems like this place is always here. This is home more than home, for me.

[contract_star]

Home? Yeah?

[Looks skyward and falls silent.]

[madamemoiselle]

Sometimes...I kind of wish I could just stay here. But...I don't think I could. The times when no one is here, that's very lonely. I don't like it so much then. But if I could just...stay here, or go somewhere else, I think it'd be better. But that's impossible.

[contract_star]

...I kind of like the peace and quiet when no one's around. But, you're right. Sometimes I wouldn't mind just staying here all the time.