[ When she says the word father, Mordred's voice fills with the usual combination of hostility, animosity, and admiration... though, for once, she doesn't seem a hair away from wanting to kill Gray for broaching the topic. Whether the other girl realizes it or not, she's earned the right to (almost) be seen as an equal: not because of her face, but for her persistence, and her lack of cowardice in the face of what would have sent much (self-proclaimed) braver knights running. ]
All that I require is the restoration of Britain, and the chance to challenge the sword of selection. Anything else is worthless dross to me.
[ Surpassing her father is a logical goal in light of Mordred's place in history. Whether that drive was born from admiration or hatred, she clearly had something to say by staging the rebellion that became King Arthur's downfall.
The more specific goal to also challenge the sword of selection that King Arthur famously drew is a more curious one. Gray can see the glimmer of logic there — the closest thing to an objective evaluation of whether Mordred could be as worthy as her father... though Gray isn't sure if being an "equal" is the same as "surpassing." It seems to Gray like a roundabout way of proving herself. ]
Wouldn't it be simpler to fight King Arthur directly and make him, um, yield?
[ A valiant attempt to not condone (re-)patricide... ]
[ With the verbal equivalent of an eyeroll: ] Simpler? Perhaps. But you fail to understand the true purpose of my wish, mouse.
[ Roundabout or not, she's clearly given it a lot of thought. As she talks, she continues to stare off into the distance; finding it difficult to look her father's face in the eye. ]
On the battlefield, might makes right, but kingship is a far more complicated matter. During my time as regent and king, I had to deal with dozens of political squabbles; things that no amount of strength alone could solve. [ Which sounds more impressive than it truly was, given she knew the end of Britain would come long before all her promises and threats could catch up to her, but she's at least speaking from "experience". ] In that, and everything else, I was my father's equal. No... his superior. And drawing the sword from the stone will force him to acknowledge it.
[ Gray listens attentively. She's thought that the world of noble kings and knights should be fundamentally different from that of the shadowy Clock Tower, but it sounds like neither can escape politics. It's a bit jarring to hear that Mordred was that involved with the political side of things given her general demeanor, but Gray supposes being brash and forceful doesn't exclude cunning. ]
In that case... if you want to challenge the same sword of selection and your father, shouldn't you join Meridian? The world that Zenith would build would be something new.
No way. Those Meridian guys... they only wanna put the world back the way it was. What's the point in that? [ For a second, it sounds as if she's talking about something deeper than just her selfish wish... but she shrugs without elaborating. ] ... Besides, it's all way too good to be true. People like that Cyrus guy are always hiding something, mouse — but I guess you haven't lived long enough to figure that out yet.
[ Luckily for Mordred, Gray has no reason to think her age hasn't yet hit double digits. Meanwhile, Gray has done enough time in the Clock Tower to know better than to think that anyone in high power has the luxury of being kind, whatever their personal wishes. ]
That one's easy. [ She grins. ] I already know I hate her. But as long as we're using each other... no, as long as I'm the one using her, then it's fine. She won't suspect a thing.
[ Overconfidence? Maybe Definitely. But if there's one thing Mordred's never been short on, from the moment she was born, it's bravado. ]
[ Gray is stunned into silence. That confidence... where does it come from?? Then again, Mordred is notoriously the Knight of Treachery. Maybe she just can't help herself. Gray feels like cooperating in a more straightforward manner would be easier for everyone all around, but that's also why she could never attempt to play at politics. ]
... Well, it's not like we've actually met. [ Which should immediately invalidate everything else she says, but hey, she's never been afraid to jump to conclusions about people before. ] At least not outside that weird dream. I swear, listening to those two bozos talk gave me a freakin' headache.
[ But she hasn't answered the question. Or rather, she's purposely avoiding it — until she finally relents with a sigh. ]
She just reminds me of someone else. That's all. [ The pettiest reason in the world, but Gray is the only person who might know who Mordred's talking about, and why that alone is enough to shape her entire opinion. ] No matter what happens, you should keep your distance from her, mouse.
[ Gray isn't really sure what to make of that. Mordred's reasoning is blatantly subjective from every angle, but Gray can't ignore Mordred's hard-won experience either. For now, she'll call the advice taken under consideration and leave it at that. ]
I'll be careful. [...] Thank you for always worrying about me. Though I'm with Meridian, so maybe we'll end up on opposite sides in the end.
[ It's sad to think about so soon after finding Mordred again. A faint cloud of melancholy descends on her. Even after all this time, her heart isn't cut out for the tragedies requisite of war. ]
[ She burrs up at the implication that she's worrying about the other girl, but the sombreness of what follows is like a slap to the face. It's not as if she'd expected them to be allies again, but it's only now that she realizes that part of her had, perhaps, been hoping for it.
How stupid. ]
I don't know why you're surprised. With that face of yours, it was bound to happen. [ An odd thing to say, when she's long been adamant about Gray being the furthest thing possible from her father... but it's comforting to blame something other than her own naivety. Hating Gray is hard, but hating King Arthur is easy. ] You shouldn't have been happy to see me in the first place.
[ Fated to fight because of the faces they were given. It should be a stupid and dramatic statement, but Gray feels that it's a fact. Her encounter with the Corpse King felt just as inevitable. They're all bound by strings, moving at will but never free of their center. King Arthur's legend was a parade of conflicts, and all that has followed has been more of the same.
Even so. For everything her body represents, Gray is in essence an outsider to King Arthur's world, an impostor with no avenue of escape. ]
You're the only other person here who understands why this face is worth hating. It gets a bit lonely, being the only person to think so.
[ Most people would find it a blessing to be given a "cute" face, and Gray understands that. There are far worse problems in the world. Which is why she couldn't possibly try to convince anyone that her feelings on the matter are sane or valid, and she doesn't try. She's an only child, but she imagines that the automatic understanding she and Mordred have (at least in this one topic) is like something siblings would share. ]
You're wrong, [ she says, like she's going to argue. Instead: ] It's not just worth hating. It's worth despising, loathing, and resenting.
[ The truth is, she's never hated it. She hates what it represents — not just the king, but another person cursed to live in his shadow. Gray might hide her face by choice, rather than fear of execution like Mordred once did, but when they look in the mirror, it's always someone else looking back.
Who wouldn't despise seeing that face? Who wouldn't loathe having that face? Who wouldn't resent that face for ever existing? ]
Whether we're enemies or allies, that won't change. I won't ever stop being mad about your face. [ This is meant to be reassuring, maybe. ]
[ It is meant to be reassuring and only in this specific case does it succeed, prompting a small, grateful smile from Gray. ]
Please do.
[ Said with careful sincerity, like the renewal of a vow. It's reassuring to know that even if Mordred's been gone a while, she's more or less the same.
For the rest of today, at least. I doubt I'll be welcome once night falls.
[ And while a lack of an invitation keeping her at bay is laughable, it's a (not so) subtle cover for her current lack of strength. She's already designated herself as a future enemy, so Gray would be well within her rights to kill her before she becomes a real threat — but Mordred knows she won't. (As for whether Mordred could say the same if their situations were reversed... it's best not to ask.) ]
... I have no intention of being a Zenith spy, if that's what you're wondering. I only came here to satisfy my own curiosity.
[ Though she won't be surprised if Mordred later uses whatever she learns here to her advantage. Coming here for the express purpose of being a spy doesn't seem like Mordred's style. Especially when she doesn't have her powers back yet. ]
I was just wondering if you wanted some company while you're here.
[ Because, she doesn't say out loud, it can get dangerous on the island...... but Mordred probably wouldn't like the insinuation that she'd need protection. ]
[ Even when she was around others, she was still alone. It's something she long since accepted as necessary: that since her father always was, she always would be, too. That a requirement of kingship was to stand so far ahead of everyone else that you couldn't even see them as people anymore, much less as comrades, friends, equals.
But despite her acceptance of that solitary future, and the fact the next time they meet, it'll be as enemies, Mordred finds herself unable to say no to Gray's offer. Her face cycles through a series of expressions, most of them constipated looking, before she finally turns her back so she can scoff without her own emotions betraying her. ]
... Fine. But keep your hood up, and follow all of my instructions. I'll let you act as my squire for today.
[ As ever, it's fascinating to see how Mordred's face contorts their shared visage into configurations Gray never could have foreseen. The part of her that flinches at her own face is too bewildered to look away from Mordred's. But eventually, Mordred does the job for her by turning away.
A squire, is it... how quaint. But Gray doesn't hate the idea, and she dutifully tugs her hood a bit lower down. Actually, acting as a faceless follower is Gray's most comfy zone. ]
Y'know... normal squire stuff. [ She was one of the few knights who never had one, given her acerbic attitude and need for complete privacy, but she doesn't want Gray to know that. ] Usually, that means you'd be in charge of my armour and weapons... but I don't really need any help with those. Or you could look after my horse...
[ ... if she had one here. Exasperated: ]
Look, it's just a title, alright? One that gives you a good reason for hangin' around me.
[ Sounds a bit sus, but Gray is accepting enough of her own ignorance to take Mordred at face value and not make the outlandish assumption that a Knight of the Round Table never actually had a single squire. ]
Alright.
[ Though she thinks no one will buy that Mordred is a knight without her armor. ]
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no subject
Date: 2023-03-18 08:29 am (UTC)[ When she says the word father, Mordred's voice fills with the usual combination of hostility, animosity, and admiration... though, for once, she doesn't seem a hair away from wanting to kill Gray for broaching the topic. Whether the other girl realizes it or not, she's earned the right to (almost) be seen as an equal: not because of her face, but for her persistence, and her lack of cowardice in the face of what would have sent much (self-proclaimed) braver knights running. ]
All that I require is the restoration of Britain, and the chance to challenge the sword of selection. Anything else is worthless dross to me.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-19 03:13 am (UTC)The more specific goal to also challenge the sword of selection that King Arthur famously drew is a more curious one. Gray can see the glimmer of logic there — the closest thing to an objective evaluation of whether Mordred could be as worthy as her father... though Gray isn't sure if being an "equal" is the same as "surpassing." It seems to Gray like a roundabout way of proving herself. ]
Wouldn't it be simpler to fight King Arthur directly and make him, um, yield?
[ A valiant attempt to not condone (re-)patricide... ]
no subject
Date: 2023-03-19 05:53 am (UTC)[ Roundabout or not, she's clearly given it a lot of thought. As she talks, she continues to stare off into the distance; finding it difficult to look her father's face in the eye. ]
On the battlefield, might makes right, but kingship is a far more complicated matter. During my time as regent and king, I had to deal with dozens of political squabbles; things that no amount of strength alone could solve. [ Which sounds more impressive than it truly was, given she knew the end of Britain would come long before all her promises and threats could catch up to her, but she's at least speaking from "experience". ] In that, and everything else, I was my father's equal. No... his superior. And drawing the sword from the stone will force him to acknowledge it.
[ Acknowledge her. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-03-21 12:17 am (UTC)In that case... if you want to challenge the same sword of selection and your father, shouldn't you join Meridian? The world that Zenith would build would be something new.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-21 05:37 am (UTC)No way. Those Meridian guys... they only wanna put the world back the way it was. What's the point in that? [ For a second, it sounds as if she's talking about something deeper than just her selfish wish... but she shrugs without elaborating. ] ... Besides, it's all way too good to be true. People like that Cyrus guy are always hiding something, mouse — but I guess you haven't lived long enough to figure that out yet.
[ YOU ARE HALF HER AGE SHUT UP ]
no subject
Date: 2023-03-21 05:22 pm (UTC)Isn't it the same with Miss Yima?
[ Too good to be true either way... ]
no subject
Date: 2023-03-22 06:56 am (UTC)[ Overconfidence?
MaybeDefinitely. But if there's one thing Mordred's never been short on, from the moment she was born, it's bravado. ]no subject
Date: 2023-03-22 08:25 am (UTC)Why do you hate her so much?
no subject
Date: 2023-03-22 12:13 pm (UTC)[ But she hasn't answered the question. Or rather, she's purposely avoiding it — until she finally relents with a sigh. ]
She just reminds me of someone else. That's all. [ The pettiest reason in the world, but Gray is the only person who might know who Mordred's talking about, and why that alone is enough to shape her entire opinion. ] No matter what happens, you should keep your distance from her, mouse.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-23 03:27 am (UTC)I'll be careful. [...] Thank you for always worrying about me. Though I'm with Meridian, so maybe we'll end up on opposite sides in the end.
[ It's sad to think about so soon after finding Mordred again. A faint cloud of melancholy descends on her. Even after all this time, her heart isn't cut out for the tragedies requisite of war. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-03-23 04:54 am (UTC)How stupid. ]
I don't know why you're surprised. With that face of yours, it was bound to happen. [ An odd thing to say, when she's long been adamant about Gray being the furthest thing possible from her father... but it's comforting to blame something other than her own naivety. Hating Gray is hard, but hating King Arthur is easy. ] You shouldn't have been happy to see me in the first place.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-23 05:44 am (UTC)Even so. For everything her body represents, Gray is in essence an outsider to King Arthur's world, an impostor with no avenue of escape. ]
You're the only other person here who understands why this face is worth hating. It gets a bit lonely, being the only person to think so.
[ Most people would find it a blessing to be given a "cute" face, and Gray understands that. There are far worse problems in the world. Which is why she couldn't possibly try to convince anyone that her feelings on the matter are sane or valid, and she doesn't try. She's an only child, but she imagines that the automatic understanding she and Mordred have (at least in this one topic) is like something siblings would share. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-03-23 07:25 am (UTC)[ The truth is, she's never hated it. She hates what it represents — not just the king, but another person cursed to live in his shadow. Gray might hide her face by choice, rather than fear of execution like Mordred once did, but when they look in the mirror, it's always someone else looking back.
Who wouldn't despise seeing that face? Who wouldn't loathe having that face? Who wouldn't resent that face for ever existing? ]
Whether we're enemies or allies, that won't change. I won't ever stop being mad about your face. [ This is meant to be reassuring, maybe. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-03-24 03:59 am (UTC)Please do.
[ Said with careful sincerity, like the renewal of a vow. It's reassuring to know that even if Mordred's been gone a while, she's more or less the same.
Anywho........ ]
Will you be staying on the island for very long?
no subject
Date: 2023-03-25 07:02 am (UTC)[ And while a lack of an invitation keeping her at bay is laughable, it's a (not so) subtle cover for her current lack of strength. She's already designated herself as a future enemy, so Gray would be well within her rights to kill her before she becomes a real threat — but Mordred knows she won't. (As for whether Mordred could say the same if their situations were reversed... it's best not to ask.) ]
... I have no intention of being a Zenith spy, if that's what you're wondering. I only came here to satisfy my own curiosity.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-26 03:53 am (UTC)[ Though she won't be surprised if Mordred later uses whatever she learns here to her advantage. Coming here for the express purpose of being a spy doesn't seem like Mordred's style. Especially when she doesn't have her powers back yet. ]
I was just wondering if you wanted some company while you're here.
[ Because, she doesn't say out loud, it can get dangerous on the island...... but Mordred probably wouldn't like the insinuation that she'd need protection. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-03-29 03:46 pm (UTC)[ Even when she was around others, she was still alone. It's something she long since accepted as necessary: that since her father always was, she always would be, too. That a requirement of kingship was to stand so far ahead of everyone else that you couldn't even see them as people anymore, much less as comrades, friends, equals.
But despite her acceptance of that solitary future, and the fact the next time they meet, it'll be as enemies, Mordred finds herself unable to say no to Gray's offer. Her face cycles through a series of expressions, most of them constipated looking, before she finally turns her back so she can scoff without her own emotions betraying her. ]
... Fine. But keep your hood up, and follow all of my instructions. I'll let you act as my squire for today.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-30 07:04 am (UTC)A squire, is it... how quaint. But Gray doesn't hate the idea, and she dutifully tugs her hood a bit lower down. Actually, acting as a faceless follower is Gray's most comfy zone. ]
What would squires usually do for you?
no subject
Date: 2023-03-30 11:04 am (UTC)[ ... if she had one here. Exasperated: ]
Look, it's just a title, alright? One that gives you a good reason for hangin' around me.
no subject
Date: 2023-04-01 05:01 am (UTC)Alright.
[ Though she thinks no one will buy that Mordred is a knight without her armor. ]
Are you still going by "Saber"?
no subject
Date: 2023-04-01 10:17 am (UTC)Gonna tell all your Meridian friends who I really am?
no subject
Date: 2023-04-01 01:46 pm (UTC)[ She's trying to get IC over here... ]
no subject
Date: 2023-04-02 10:27 am (UTC).............................. ]
W-well... if you're my squire, it'd have to be "Sir Mordred", right? I'm pretty sure that's how it works.
no subject
Date: 2023-04-04 03:59 am (UTC)[ Even Gray is starting to have suspicions at this point............. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-04-04 01:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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