1stknight | PSL (closed)

[Numbers could be exchanged! Steinbeck had a burner phone, so they could be in contact.

Later, when they were leaving the forest, Bedivere seemed dissatisfied. Even praise from Dazai and a meal didn't pick up his mood at all.]

I wasn't careful. If you hadn't struck a deal with that Master, he would have overwhelmed me. And if they hadn't been going for a capture instead of a kill, I would have been eliminated. My skills have gotten rusty.

[It seemed he was his own worst critic. Even takoyaki didn't help his mood.]

[Perfect. Now to figure out how to break the news to the Agency later. Maybe it was good thing Tanizaki wasn't involved - that kid probably still held a grudge against Steinbeck.

Bedivere's reaction? Not perfect. Dazai poked him between the eyebrows. This spot here? No creases allowed! And it's a good thing Dazai's had practice on holding back his old harshness thanks to Atsushi.]

Well, yes, we both walked into a bad spot. As a strategist, finding myself in such a disadvantageous spot can be taken as a mark against me. As far as your participation ties into that, however - is your assessment really all that there is?

I don't know how much your journey has affected your fighting style, but the matter of fact is that your fundamentals are based on formal training. [Something, Dazai suspected, wasn't forgotten easily given how being a knight was tightly wound into Bedivere's identity.] The same probably goes for most of the wars you've fought in, and even then you wouldn't have had to deal with individual mercenaries for extended periods of time.

In contrast, a pirate wouldn't have plenty of constraints in what tools they used to win. Rider's a good swordsman from the looks of it, but he's also likely had more exposure to people who'd bring something like a broken bottle and a whip to a sword fight.

At least we now have a better idea of what we're up against, yes? Next time you meet Rider in a match, you can give him your own surprise.

[Bedivere blinked in surprise, pulling his head back slightly from the poke. He glanced upwards and rubbed at that spot while he listened to Dazai talk. He wasn't wrong, though: in a clash between the formal training of a knight and the more chaotic fighting skills of a pirate, the pirate could win if they had the element of surprise. Bedivere had also held back on his true strength, which was a quick, decisive victory. He was not suited to long battles, and that was part of why he had suggested stockpiling mana last night. Having a Noble Phantasm ready to use in emergency was always good.

Dazai's thoughts on the fight were also good. That he accepted their stalemate results that could have been a defeat, also good. Dazai had a caring heart, it seemed, which helped put Bedivere's mind at ease. Those creases really did melt away from his face.

But still, Bedivere couldn't help remembering the dream last night, or the display Dazai had given before. Just how genuine were those kind words?]

...

[It was best not to worry about them right now, maybe.]

I feel lucky, to have such an accepting strategist as a Master.

You are right, though. We can take this time to better prepare for our next fight. Even if we don't know Rider's identity, we know he's a pirate, and as such we can prepare surprises for dealing with him.

Thank you.

[For both accepting the results without ridiculing Bedivere, and for pulling Bedivere out of his spiral of overthinking.]

What for? This is merely laying out an assessment of the situation.

[If Bedivere stuck around long enough with the Agency, he might see the ways Dazai tended to pull away from getting too close to others. Dodging thanks was one of them, partly because he didn't view himself as a kind person.

Nor did he, in his own opinion, have a caring heart. Whatever affections he held for other people were best left unspoken or never directly referenced.]

Anyway - were you able to get a good look at his sword earlier? Or the butt of his pistol, for that matter. Their make is a good start in identifying what century he's possibly from.

[Someone with that particular look, after all, might be from the European Age of Exploration.

This was a good topic as any to recollect themselves before dipping back into the unsavory topic that was having to handle Q.]

[They would have to agree to disagree on opinions about Dazai's character. Bedivere was already fond of what he saw, even if the shadows cast here and there did worry him. Ironically, that was a trait he shared with Atsushi, and it was funny that Dazai hadn't made the connection yet.

But weapons. Yes, Bedivere had seen the weapons.]

I believe it was a type of cutlass? It had the curve to it, and it was a bit too thick to be a sabre. That would fit for a pirate too, it was a common weapon out at sea. The pistol was flintlock, which also fits the time period.

Getting the jump on a pirate won't be easy. An Assassin's help would be preferable, they even have an advantage over Riders. Ahh, but making so many alliances may not be a good idea, depending on who Assassin's Master ends up being.

[He paused there, though, because a particular food vendor caught his eye. It was one selling ice cream bars on sticks. The curious look on Bedivere's face gave him away, he wanted to know what those things were.]

[Bedivere would have every right to make fun of Dazai for missing the obvious clues. In Dazai's defense, however, the height and arm changes were pretty significant.]

Indeed. And Rider's master can be pretty ruthless when push comes to shove.

[In other words, he didn't expect this arrangement to stick if Steinbeck decided there was another Master out there who'd give him better chances for victory. In fact, leaving Q alone for a while longer might artificially extend the duration of their partnership.

Whatever the case: no hard feelings.

But what's this - Bedivere, distracted? Dazai followed Saber's gaze and had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from grinning too much. Such childlike wonder was refreshing to watch.]

Ice cream. As the name implies, it's cold and creamy. [He tipped his head in the direction of the vendor and began to walk in that direction, expecting Bedivere to follow.] There's also the frozen fruit juice variety.

Which one would you like to try?

Ah- is it alright?

[It was a silly question, Bedivere was sure. And he had certainly heard of cold fruit desserts before. But this was a different shape and consistency than anything he had seen before, and he was almost mystified by it.

He followed after Dazai, though. Even if he was unsure of the ice cream, he would still trust Dazai not to lead him astray.]

Maybe the fruit one?

[Just to have something that would actually taste familiar.]

Sure.

[Maybe Bedivere had the right idea. Something nice and cool was great after all that walking.

There were several flavors to pick from, not just the standard strawberry or melon because this was Japan. Yoghurt, matcha, grape, kiwi, soda, choco banana, yuzu - there was even a pasta-flavored one released a few years ago, and wasn't that a monstrosity?

Dazai waited for Bedivere to pick, grinning unabashedly while he watched, before getting a ramune pop for himself, paying for the both of them, and ripping off the wrapper to demonstrate.]

How is it?

[Bedivere opted for the strawberry, because he did like strawberries. And as it turned out, the popsicle was a fair bit sweeter than the berries he was familiar with. Carefully he held the stick with his gloved hand, inspecting the popsicle closely before holding it close to his mouth to give it an experimental lick.]

Oh, it's very sweet! And cold.

[He sounded both surprised and interested. It was good, but how did he eat it? Was it like that one fruit, the banana?

He stuck the end of the popsicle in his mouth and tried to bite it, but it was too cold to bite and chew. So all he could do was suck on it a bit, letting the popsicle melt into his mouth so he could swallow down the juices.

Oh, but his hair was going to stick to the part of the popsicle that wasn't in his mouth! So he reached up with his free hand to tuck his hair behind his ear, holding it back as he ate.

The whole scene took maybe five seconds. Bedivere did not know just how suggestive it all looked.]

You like it?

[That surprise? Very cute. Dazai had to quash the sudden urge to smoosh Bedivere's cheeks and held himself back by starting on his own popsicle -]

[- except Bedivere looked like he was giving his ice cream head and oh god, it was already red, Bedivere's attractive lips were stained red, the only way this could be more obscene was if the popsicle was the fleshy-pink of something peach flavored.

Something cold and solid hit his chin. He missed his mouth in spite of his jaw dropping as he made a strangled choke.

If he survived this, could he become the popsicle?

Someone behind him - the vendor, probably - cleared his throat.

The sound made him jump and jarred him into action. Dazai gripped Bedivere's free arm by the wrist and power-walked to the far end of the sidewalk, his face still red red red, determined to not look at Bedivere until they reached a spot secluded behind a thick tree trunk.]

From the side. [Still not looking. Dazai had yet to let go of Bedivere's wrist. He sounded like a dying frog.] Easier to eat from the side. If you're learning. Yes.

Edited 2020-10-27 15:26 (UTC)

[Bedivere didn't notice Dazai's staring at first, because he was so focused on his own treat. Even if it was odd to eat, it tasted good. Bedivere suspected that it wasn't very filling, though, and that it was more meant to end a heartier meal.

His train of thought was interrupted by the cleared throat, and then Dazai suddenly grabbing him. Dragging him off was easy, because he was surprised by the action in the first place. What had happened? Why was Dazai so red?]

Ah? Dazai, are you alright?

[The explanation of 'from the side' made sense, but he would try that in a moment. If his Master was suddenly ill, then they needed to return home immediately.]

Me? Absolutely fine.

[He laughed a bit. Okay, maybe he sounded a bit strained. The popsicle was dripping on his knuckles, and his grin felt all wobbly.]

Just interested. [He turned his head a fraction of an inch. How much could he see Bedivere's expression? This was a mistake, he realized, when it gave him more time to stare at Bedivere's colored mouth.] Haven't tried your flavor before.

[Welp.]

Or the one I got, either!

[That was an absolute lie, but who needed to know?

Dazai shoved his own popsicle in his mouth to shut himself up and fuck that turned out to be a mistake because the non-melty chunk of popsicle was cold and his nerve endings were doing all the screaming he couldn't do, focused as he was in arranging his lips into his best innocent dumbass smile before turning to Bedivere.

This was not the best way to cool his face.

In fact, it was the absolute worst.]

My flavor...?

[That didn't sound like it was about popsicles. Was Dazai being lewd again? He probably was, but Bedivere couldn't figure out what he meant, and thus he wasn't sure if he should be offended.

Maybe he meant mouth crimes, Bedivere figured. If you kissed someone, you would taste them.]

I think I would taste like strawberry right now.

[Speaking of which, Bedivere finally tipped the popsicle sideways to eat it. Or, well. Lick a long strip up it, going from base to tip. That probably didn't help with the mental images, huh?]

[Lewd? Dazai? Not at all. Nothing to see here, just someone dying on the inside and hysterically wondering if Ango knew an ability user who could turn humans into popsicles while his own mouth turned numb and ramune-flavored.]

Ghhhhh.

[Alternatively, he could get down on his knees right now and give a biblical demonstration on how else popsicles could be sucked with some desperate hope for reciprocation, and the thought of Bedivere pinning him down with his foot to stop him was more enticing than he expected.

Dazai swallowed. Of course. Can't talk with the icy thing in his mouth. He took it out. Why did he do this again?]

Can I try?

[Right. That was why.]

You have your own, Dazai.

[His eyes danced with amusement as he said that though. Was Dazai just upset that he hadn't gotten the strawberry one? Well, if that was the case, Bedivere could share. Even if it was a little odd for two people to eat from the same popsicle, it was ok if it was his Master who shared with him, right?

So he held out the popsicle, offering it to Dazai, none the wiser to Dazai's biblical thoughts. Would Dazai physically take it, or would he just eat it while Bedivere held it?]

But it's different!

[And oh boy did Bedivere's offer make his pulse speed up.

Later, he couldn't name what possessed him, but after he crossed the distance between them in a second, Dazai clutched Bedivere's wrist as he proceeded to demonstrate why that first ice cream eating attempt was deadly: a languid lick up the popsicle that ended with sucking the tip, all the while keeping a half-lidded gaze on Bedivere.

Maybe it was because it was just the two of them. Somehow, being sort of alone with Bedivere and not having anyone else from the Agency around encouraged Dazai to be just a little more shameless.

He winked as he pulled back. It wasn't as smooth as he'd like - his flush from earlier hadn't faded yet.]

Thanks.

[He didn't understand the gesture, specifically. Bedivere was...vanilla-minded, to put it gently. He thought sex involved missionary position in a bed, and mouths didn't go on other body parts like that.

The look Dazai gave him, though. That was one he understood, and his cheeks burned brightly as his mind finally, slowly, connected the dots. Those were bedroom eyes, and he was licking something like this...

The blush that spread to Bedivere's cheeks was not subtle at all. Nor was his choked shout.]

Dazai! That's not appropriate!

[He knew that, at some point, they would need to have sex. Unless Bedivere was the first Servant to perish, they would need to exchange mana for him to keep fighting. But that was private! And Bedivere nearly dropped the popsicle in surprise.]

[It was easy to adjust his grip to hold Bedivere's. No popsicles were going to be dropped today.]

Just following your example, my dear Ellis.

[Turning the tables around like this was so satisfying - darling vanilla Bedivere finally got it, eh? Dazai wasn't yet aware that sex functioned as a mana exchange, so right now he was simply taking all that he could get.

At the moment, he thought he knew who Bedivere was interested in bedding given the chance and lack of obligation, and it wasn't him.]

Our lips might match now, but I dare say yours look prettier.

[Thank you for the blessing, food coloring.]

You-

[Bedivere made a frustrated noise. Trapped in Dazai's grasp, but unwilling to go into spirit form when someone might see. He would have to endure the teasing.]

We don't even have to do any of that yet, you know. The war hasn't started in earnest yet.

[He had forgotten to tell Dazai about the sex part, and in the moment he also forgot that he hadn't told Dazai about the sex part. This conversation was about to get worse.]

'Yet?'

[His brain froze.

Wait.

Wait just a goddamn minute.

Did Mr. 'Handholding is Scandalous' Bedivere just -]

You hate it when I tease you.

[Later, he'd curse how honest his breathlessness was.]

You've actually thought about it? Why mention the war?

[Oh no.]

I-

[Oh no.]

Th-this isn't something we should discuss in public!

[Not that there was anyone close enough to them to hear what they were saying, so long as they talked in low voices. But Bedivere would probably die right then and there if he had to explain mana transfers after Dazai had acted so lewdly.]

[Oh come now, Dazai can't possibly wait until after their train ride to get an answer!

A quick glance around provided a solution to their predicament. Nodding to himself, Dazai shoved his own popsicle back in his mouth and pulled Bedivere even further down the street and into a phone booth, squeezing in after Bedivere and closing the door behind him.

He pulled the popsicle out of his mouth with a relish.]

There. [The height difference meant little, he told himself, if he was the one pushing Bedivere up the wall. Sort of. Feeling his Servant's solid build pressed against him absolutely no favors. Fuck.] We're not in public.

[They were indeed not in public, but that didn't make Bedivere any less mortified. This phone booth was small and they were close and his popsicle was melting all over his hand. He swore he could feel a knee or something pressed up against him in an absolutely obscene way.]

I-I-I-

[Oh, look at how he stuttered when he was flustered. It was not unlike what Atsushi would do, though it took much more to get it out of a strong knight like Bedivere.]

Dazai, this is too close! We can't talk about c-carnal relations like this!

Oh, but we can.

[Freeing his other arm without bumping his elbow was a challenge, but worth the tap he left on the tip of Bedivere's nose in case it flustered him more.

Truly, his Servant was unfairly adorable.]

See, I was under the impression that you weren't interested. [In him, to be specific, but Dazai wasn't about to mention that strange, honeyed dream from this morning.] Then it turns out you are, and I'm not waiting for an hour to hear why.

[He innocently dragged the tip of his tongue up his own popsicle. If there was a next time he could do this, he was sticking to a lollipop.]

Anything change your mind?

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