[ As Saber recounts her favorite story, Magilou skims the book until she finds Sir Gareth's tale written in Saber's concise script, handwritten with the attention and care that her voice carries with it. Saber might think that she's being boring, but Magilou loves a good story - who knows, she might be able to use it for an act someday...
But that wouldn't be giving Saber enough credit. All these writings are of her knights, their moments captured and catalogued like a family member would do with her precious memories scrapbook, and something about it is charming. Earnest and heartfelt, even, and Magilou can't help but smile warmly as she flips the pages and listens to Saber's retelling as she follows along, her finger hovering over each line that Saber recounts. Sir Gareth keeping mum about her nobility, and then besting every knight and evil word that stood in her path... ]
What a lovely legend of lore, and it's all right here to explore! Have you ever thought of being a storyteller? I know these are true, but you've got a knack for set design and scriptwriting! That's why the tales of love and loss are so poignant - how can you keep from sobbing at every misstep and cheering with every reunion?! Emotions are a plaything for the author, but the good wordsmith never abused her tools.
[ For a moment, she stops flipping through the book and looks up, her finger caught between two of the pages. There's a bit of a fire in her eyes, as if something that hadn't made sense to her before has finally clicked. ]
You know... If we ever get out of here, the first thing I need to do is give that old man a piece of my mind. But after that, I feel like there's a lot of stories everyone's going to need to hear about what really happened with the Lord of Calamity. [ She glances down at the book in her hands, almost wondrously. Arriving here was random chance, and making connections even moreso. But it all adds up to a sum total that means something, with the book as physical proof. Saber's gift is much more profound than she might have realized. ] Maybe being a storyteller - writer, historian, whatever... Maybe that's what should become of the Mayvin name. Not some faded ancestry with more sunspots than a garden of false flowers. Something honest.
[ Saber would have to deny her own talent as a storyteller. She's only repeating the stories that came through Camelot's halls, told by knights much more riveting than she. Camelot was a great gathering place not only for heroes, but fantastic tales from every corner of Britain. As the person most knights sought to impress with their stories, it's only natural that she picked up the rhythm of a competent story through osmosis.
But before she can voice that thought, Magilou seems to be taken by a thought of her own. Unlike the wild sparks that often lead to outlandish turns of phrase or mischievous agendas, the light that glows in Magilou now seems sincere and radiant. Warmed, Saber's expression softens. ]
I think that would be an admirable path to pursue. And I know you would be wonderful at it. Stories are best spread when they are so compelling that they beg to be retold, and I have never known a more wily wielder of words than you.
[ Of course, Magilou's been spinning yarns and performing verbal acrobatics since day one, but Saber gets the sense that she wants to shift away from using language as a veil to distract and toward using it as a light to illuminate. Wonderful... Really, it's wonderful. Saber can't help her heart swelling with pride for her quietly earnest Master. ]
If I may say so, I think honesty suits you, Magilou.
[ Magilou is accustomed to the frankness with which Saber expresses herself from time to time - calling her open might not have been entirely accurate before, but she definitely doesn't mince her words. So it's a surprise when the warmth in that last comment... actually manages to make her feel the tiniest bit bashful.
Saber knows now that Magilou's cheerfulness - her ego - is an act most days and pure nihilism on the others. It was born from a sutured heart that Magillanica left behind. To hear, in all sincerity, that honesty suits her...
It's not something she ever expected, but it doesn't sound bad, either. Maybe she should try it out more often. Saber already knows the worst; anything else Magilou could share would be rehashing what she's seen. Hm.
She laughs. It's an actual, full laugh, and it spills over before she can stop herself. She doesn't bother trying to hide it. ]
Now that's a new one! I'm almost expecting a punchline here. Witches aren't supposed to be honest, you know.
[ But maybe this one can try. Once in a while. ]
I'll give you a full play-by-play one of these days to dictate the story before it gets sealed in ink. Deal?
[ Magilou's laughter washes over Saber like an afternoon breeze and resounds in her like a drumbeat. A rare sound she resolves to hold close to her heart. ]
Deal. It would be my honor and pleasure to hear it.
[ She folds her hands under the table, thumbs pressing together self-consciously. If Magilou is willing to share more of her history, then it seems like Saber's prying wasn't out of line after all. Thank goodness... ]
In that vein, I hope you will always feel free to be forthright with me. Yes, witches are not typically honest, but I have not found you to be a very good witch.
Oh, boo. I try my hardest to get respect around here, and now I get told I'm not a good witch! I'm going to have to step up my game so that I get taken seriously from now on.
[ It's all in jest, of course, like her posturing usually is. But it's so much more sincere than it was even just yesterday - Saber must know now where her jokes end and her heart begins. Magilou has never worn her heart on her sleeve, and she can't start immediately, but for once... it's easier to be honest than it is to shudder away and keep her true intentions left in the spaces between her words.
She's not good at it yet - the words still come out half-formed, hidden behind dramatics and a mask that could rival a member of a masquerade ball - but she's trying. Saber makes her want to try. ]
Hmph! Next time I'm going to have to come up with a grandiose tale, the kind that only a fantastic witch could craft. You'll be sorry!
My standards might be unusually high, as my own sister was an infamous witch, but I wish you the best of luck.
[ Not at being anything like Morgan le Fay, who may or may not have engineered all of the greatest losses in Artoria's life, but Saber genuinely looks forward to whatever Magilou will cook up... ]
[ But more importantly!! The atmosphere may have lightened up, but Saber feels she should address something before the moment has totally passed... She takes a breath and manages to sit up even more straight than usual, to awkward effect. ]
In any case... I hope I did not overstep any boundaries by delving further into your past. At the very least, I hope speaking about it has helped you in some manner.
[ It's a little hard to tell since Magilou's memories seem to have left a deep mark on her, so maybe Saber ended up dragging them up for her own benefit and Magilou's detriment... ]
[ Almost immediately, Magilou waves a hand in front of her face, as if to dismiss both Saber's worries and her own memories. Breaking through the fog of the past isn't always so literal, but the motion is sharp and quick enough to be like the blade of a knife. ]
Doesn't bother me. You didn't even have to sleep if you didn't want to, but it's no skin off my back.
[ It actually has helped, even in some small way. The lingering emotions from Magillanica that she kept buried would burst someday. If anything, it's better that it was in Chroma, away from Melchior himself. She can sort out how she feels and then return to give him a piece of her mind later. ]
In fact, it's given me some great ideas of what to say to that old man when I see him again. You have to warm up your words if you wanted to have any hope of breaking through a frozen heart like his.
[ Oh. Saber brightens and relaxes, her shoulders lowering visibly. Magilou's reply is easy enough that it seems sincere, more than a polite platitude as might come from other people. ]
Thank goodness.
[ She didn't completely fail at helping someone else navigate the matters of their heart... Is this a first? Very possibly. All the better that it was for Magilou; she doesn't deserve to have her heart mishandled any more than it already has been. ]
Ah, if it is a verbal showdown you are preparing for, I would be happy to coach you on your technique. Of course, you already have a strong foundation, but there is always room for improvement.
[ Let her help!! She never thought a decade of smack talking other kings might one day become a relatable life skill... ]
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no subject
But that wouldn't be giving Saber enough credit. All these writings are of her knights, their moments captured and catalogued like a family member would do with her precious memories scrapbook, and something about it is charming. Earnest and heartfelt, even, and Magilou can't help but smile warmly as she flips the pages and listens to Saber's retelling as she follows along, her finger hovering over each line that Saber recounts. Sir Gareth keeping mum about her nobility, and then besting every knight and evil word that stood in her path... ]
What a lovely legend of lore, and it's all right here to explore! Have you ever thought of being a storyteller? I know these are true, but you've got a knack for set design and scriptwriting! That's why the tales of love and loss are so poignant - how can you keep from sobbing at every misstep and cheering with every reunion?! Emotions are a plaything for the author, but the good wordsmith never abused her tools.
[ For a moment, she stops flipping through the book and looks up, her finger caught between two of the pages. There's a bit of a fire in her eyes, as if something that hadn't made sense to her before has finally clicked. ]
You know... If we ever get out of here, the first thing I need to do is give that old man a piece of my mind. But after that, I feel like there's a lot of stories everyone's going to need to hear about what really happened with the Lord of Calamity. [ She glances down at the book in her hands, almost wondrously. Arriving here was random chance, and making connections even moreso. But it all adds up to a sum total that means something, with the book as physical proof. Saber's gift is much more profound than she might have realized. ] Maybe being a storyteller - writer, historian, whatever... Maybe that's what should become of the Mayvin name. Not some faded ancestry with more sunspots than a garden of false flowers. Something honest.
no subject
But before she can voice that thought, Magilou seems to be taken by a thought of her own. Unlike the wild sparks that often lead to outlandish turns of phrase or mischievous agendas, the light that glows in Magilou now seems sincere and radiant. Warmed, Saber's expression softens. ]
I think that would be an admirable path to pursue. And I know you would be wonderful at it. Stories are best spread when they are so compelling that they beg to be retold, and I have never known a more wily wielder of words than you.
[ Of course, Magilou's been spinning yarns and performing verbal acrobatics since day one, but Saber gets the sense that she wants to shift away from using language as a veil to distract and toward using it as a light to illuminate. Wonderful... Really, it's wonderful. Saber can't help her heart swelling with pride for her quietly earnest Master. ]
If I may say so, I think honesty suits you, Magilou.
no subject
Saber knows now that Magilou's cheerfulness - her ego - is an act most days and pure nihilism on the others. It was born from a sutured heart that Magillanica left behind. To hear, in all sincerity, that honesty suits her...
It's not something she ever expected, but it doesn't sound bad, either. Maybe she should try it out more often. Saber already knows the worst; anything else Magilou could share would be rehashing what she's seen. Hm.
She laughs. It's an actual, full laugh, and it spills over before she can stop herself. She doesn't bother trying to hide it. ]
Now that's a new one! I'm almost expecting a punchline here. Witches aren't supposed to be honest, you know.
[ But maybe this one can try. Once in a while. ]
I'll give you a full play-by-play one of these days to dictate the story before it gets sealed in ink. Deal?
no subject
Deal. It would be my honor and pleasure to hear it.
[ She folds her hands under the table, thumbs pressing together self-consciously. If Magilou is willing to share more of her history, then it seems like Saber's prying wasn't out of line after all. Thank goodness... ]
In that vein, I hope you will always feel free to be forthright with me. Yes, witches are not typically honest, but I have not found you to be a very good witch.
no subject
[ It's all in jest, of course, like her posturing usually is. But it's so much more sincere than it was even just yesterday - Saber must know now where her jokes end and her heart begins. Magilou has never worn her heart on her sleeve, and she can't start immediately, but for once... it's easier to be honest than it is to shudder away and keep her true intentions left in the spaces between her words.
She's not good at it yet - the words still come out half-formed, hidden behind dramatics and a mask that could rival a member of a masquerade ball - but she's trying. Saber makes her want to try. ]
Hmph! Next time I'm going to have to come up with a grandiose tale, the kind that only a fantastic witch could craft. You'll be sorry!
1/2
[ Not at being anything like Morgan le Fay, who may or may not have engineered all of the greatest losses in Artoria's life, but Saber genuinely looks forward to whatever Magilou will cook up... ]
2/2
In any case... I hope I did not overstep any boundaries by delving further into your past. At the very least, I hope speaking about it has helped you in some manner.
[ It's a little hard to tell since Magilou's memories seem to have left a deep mark on her, so maybe Saber ended up dragging them up for her own benefit and Magilou's detriment... ]
no subject
Doesn't bother me. You didn't even have to sleep if you didn't want to, but it's no skin off my back.
[ It actually has helped, even in some small way. The lingering emotions from Magillanica that she kept buried would burst someday. If anything, it's better that it was in Chroma, away from Melchior himself. She can sort out how she feels and then return to give him a piece of her mind later. ]
In fact, it's given me some great ideas of what to say to that old man when I see him again. You have to warm up your words if you wanted to have any hope of breaking through a frozen heart like his.
no subject
Thank goodness.
[ She didn't completely fail at helping someone else navigate the matters of their heart... Is this a first? Very possibly. All the better that it was for Magilou; she doesn't deserve to have her heart mishandled any more than it already has been. ]
Ah, if it is a verbal showdown you are preparing for, I would be happy to coach you on your technique. Of course, you already have a strong foundation, but there is always room for improvement.
[ Let her help!! She never thought a decade of smack talking other kings might one day become a relatable life skill... ]