We Won't Give Up On Love [Romance/ Slice-of-Life]

[March 14, 2043]

Aina's voice was confident and serious, though she spoke in a low tone. "So, see here? This is the main character, Poppy. This is the beginning of the episode, so she's going to be a dog. But later, the farm is going to be under attack by some monster, and she's going to transform into a powerful magical girl and defend her owners."

"Alright," said Cal, leaning his head against his palm with an expression of intense concentration on his face as he studied the screen in front of them. "I'm with you so far. Why is the farm being attacked by these monsters?"

"What a silly question!" Aina grinned, gesturing at the television. "However, this is only season one, so I cannot reveal such details! You'll need to watch on to discover the secrets hidden in the narrative."

"Season one?" Cal looked suddenly concerned. "I agreed to watch this with you because I thought it had a limited run. How many seasons of Magical Canine Poppy! are there?"

"Tsk, tsk," Aina wagged a finger at him in an annoying fashion. "You're confused with the limited online run of episodes made by the original creator and animator. The property was picked up by a producer, and a full series was made from the concept, under the oversight of the original creator. That is what we are watching. As for how many seasons…"

She shrugged. "You'd have to ask Bridget. I had her go and get the full collection of episodes at some media store; the DVDs are upstairs in our room, somewhere. I got to season four before I got you on board. Now we'll watch together from the beginning."

"Ah."

"Hush, the first transformation sequence is happening! Look at her pink dress! Isn't it cute? I want to wear a dress like that. Ram told me there's a technique known as 'cosplay' which may make that wish possible, but she didn't elaborate. Apparently, it's popular for fans of those 'comic books' she is always reading."

"Wouldn't Ram like a show like this? You could have asked her to watch with us."

"As if that wasn't the first thing I tried, peasant! She… said it hit too close to home, and wasn't interested. I'm not sure what she meant. Be quiet now, Poppy is fighting the monster with her magic!"

"Actually, I need this clarified. I get that Poppy is a magic dog, but why? Her owners are just regular people, aren't they? Are all dogs magic in this world?"

"Don't be silly! Dogs are not sheep! They are not inherently magical beings! Clearly, there is something special about Poppy you have yet to discover!"

"Okay, okay. Don't yell. Ellie is sleeping upstairs…"

It was late as far as the inhabitants of Otter Manor were concerned, after ten at night, the typical time everyone retreated to their own rooms to go to sleep. It was also an unusual scenario, Cal and Aina alone together, watching a show in the living room, as during the evenings, the space was usually set up for horror movies of Mel's choosing. But Aina had pulled Cal off to a corner earlier today and made him promise to watch her favorite cartoon, to which he eventually relented after some heated discussion. Now, they were sitting together on the couch, a few inches apart, the flickering of the television chroma bouncing against their faces in the dark room. The light in the adjacent entry hall was still on, casting a few golden diagonally through the still-open door of the living room.

Aina was dressed in her typical white nightgown, though to account for the colder weather, she had on fuzzy socks and had a blanket tucked around her waist. Cal had taken off his coat and put on a sweatshirt, and removed his jeans for more comfortable sweatpants — leaving him dressed a lot more casually than Aina typically saw from him. Cal had also gotten a hairband from his pocket when he sat down and pulled some of his long dark hair away from his eyes to form a small ponytail. It had been a strangely hypnotic sight for Aina to watch Cal tie his hair up, for reasons she couldn't explain even to herself. It had changed the profile of his face dramatically, and as she watched the episode, she found herself stealing glances at him.

He really does look like Didi, she thought to herself, not for the first time. It's the way their eyes look. Dark and always thinking about something. But maybe I'm imagining it. Maybe I'm imagining a resemblance that isn't there.

The episode had ended, and the DVD began autoplaying the next one.

Aina turned to Cal. "Do you want to keep watching?"

He shrugged. "Sure."

That response left Aina dissatisfied, but she released the remote she had been holding and let the next episode of Magical Canine Poppy! begin. This episode, like all the episodes did, began with Poppy's daily life on the farm being interrupted by the appearance of a monster, in this case, a giant toad that wanted to eat Poppy's owners. Therefore, as happened in every episode, Poppy transformed into a magical girl and used her powers and intellect to defeat the monster. Usually, this was a formula that delighted Aina, but as the ending credits began to play, she couldn't help looking over at Cal's expressionless face, his eyes still fixed forward on the program.

"We can stop here, for today," Aina said, a little quietly, pressing pause on the remote. "It's getting late. Bridget will be wondering where I'm at."

Cal nodded and stretched his arms. "Okay."

"We don't need to watch more later, if you don't want to."

"What?"

Aina felt an empty, familiar feeling in her throat. "We don't need to continue with this. I just wanted to show you a little. I know you didn't like it very much."

Cal frowned, turning his body towards Aina, upon which she reflexively scooted away a little. "I didn't say I didn't like it. We only watched two episodes, and they're only twenty minutes long. I'm still forming an opinion. I like the animation, but the story is still developing."

"Just stop, Cal," Aina said, turning her face away from him even more. "It's fine. I wasn't really expecting you to like it anyway. I just wanted to show you something I enjoy, but… I mean, I'm used to it."

"Aina…" Cal seemed a little lost on what to say. "Did I do something that upset you?"

"No," she said shortly. "No. Nothing like that."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Nothing, peasant," Aina spat, trying to stay angry, because it was the only way she could prevent the tears from coming to her eyes. "I get it. I'm only tolerable to you all when I'm being humored. I'm used to it."

"Aina…" Sincere concern was coming into Cal's voice, though Aina still refused to look at him. "I didn't… I didn't say that…"

"You said it in the past."

"I… I didn't."

"You did." Aina's voice was between a hiss and breaking up from emotion entirely. "You called me spoiled and silly and all sorts of horrible things. You've been nice recently, but only because it's convenient. So that I won't annoy you or throw a tantrum. You hate me."

"I-I don't hate you." Cal was beginning to fumble his words, not prepared for the constant escalation of the conversation. "Look, we didn't always get along… do you want me to get Bridget?"

"Don't get Bridget!" Aina exclaimed, her green eyes widening in fear. "Don't get her! I don't want her to see me like this. She always sees me like this."

"Even so…"

"Don't get her, peasant!" Aina said, her voice with embarrassment and derision. "She hates me."

Now Cal was completely mystified. He raised his hands as if to touch Aina, but felt certain that it would make things worse. "What… what are you talking about? Bridget… she… she loves you. I mean, that's obvious to me. She loves you."

"She doesn't," Aina choked, desperate to stop the tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn't stand the thought of crying in front of Call once again. "She hates me. She's always hated me. And she's right to hate me. I've never treated her right. She's a better person than I am, and I've always resented her for it."

"Aina…"

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The eruption was swift. Aina twisted her body suddenly, remote in hand, and threw it. "I'm fucking sick of all this!"

It flew through the air rapidly and struck the screen of the television. A multi-colored crack appeared in it, and the picture instantly distorted around the impact, turning into black-and-white fractals, changing the color of the air in the dark room. There was a stunned silence for a moment. Aina was completely limp on the couch before slowly turning her head to finally look at Cal, her green eyes obscured by the way her long red hair was messily strewn about her face. "I'm sorry."

He looked at her in shock. "I know. We can get someone to fix it."

"It's not okay." Aina's voice was soft and toneless, her tears temporarily forgotten. "That television belongs to Mel's brother. It wasn't mine to break just because I'm upset. Mel uses it to watch movies. Now she can't until it's fixed."

Cal had no response to this truth.

Aina laughed quietly to herself, pressing a hand against her head. "I'm such a child. That's why I do childish things and watch childish things. That's why nobody cares otherwise. I'm…" She began shaking. "I'm a bad person. I'm evil. Why did it take so long for me to realize? My family are bad people. We hurt Bridget when she was a child. We've... hurt a lot of people. I... can't make up for any of it."

"You're not a bad person, Aina."

"I am! I-"

She flinched and looked up at him, startled. Cal was holding her shoulders, his dark eyes looking directly at her. The closeness was so completely unexpected that it sent a jolt up Aina's spine, her eyes widening again in shock. "Cal-"

"I'm going to hug you, right now," he informed her in his typically neutral way.

Aina instantly blushed crimson and began stammering. "Wait, w-what?-"

"If you don't want to, just tell me to go to hell or whatever."

Aina opened her mouth for a long moment and was ready to launch into a whole prepared speech, because, of course, it was impossible for a boy of another world to hug a princess of Luvunia. Then she closed her mouth. She felt her body tense in anticipation as Cal moved slowly, his arms encircling her waist and pulling her close to him. Aina gasped slightly, letting her hands fold against his chest. Cal wasn't very large, and there wasn't a lot of strength in his hug, but it was careful and gentle, as if he was asking permission over and over again with every movement that he made.

"You're not a bad person, Aina," he repeated, his face hidden from her view as the hug continued. "You're not evil. I know what evil looks like, how it talks, how it acts. It's not you. You're just trying your best. I'm sorry if my words hurt you in the past."

"D-don't apologize," Aina sobbed softly, tears running down her cheeks. She forgot her embarrassment and actually hugged Cal back, pressing her hands against his shoulder blades. "It's my fault."

"I was childish, too," he said in a voice like he was realizing this sincerely for the first time. "I interpreted your fear as ingratitude. I guess that was difficult for me to handle, because I felt like I had lost everything so many times over."

"W-what?"

Cal didn't elaborate. Instead, he pulled away from the embrace, though Aina would have been glad to stay in that position for a little longer. Then he took her hand and held it, trying to help her stop the shaking that was radiating in her limbs. It worked. After a time, the shaking stopped, and he released her hand as well. Then he fixed her with a serious look. "Are you feeling okay now?"

Aina sniffed and then suddenly grasped Cal's hand with her own again. "You were impertinent enough to embrace a princess. The least you can do is hold her hand until she is satisfied."

Cal blinked, but didn't move his hand, allowing Aina's to intertwine her fingers with his. Her hand was small but insistent. "As you say, princess."

She sniffed again, but in a way that indicated she was trying not to smile. "You're so cheeky, Cal. When you choose to be." Aina let her fingers pinch the back of his hand gently. "Since when do you initiate physical contact? I always assumed you were scared of touching others."

"I guess…" In the semi-darkness, Cal's eyes looked like two black circles cut out of a night sky. "I guess I'm like you. Little by little. Day by day. I'm trying to change a little."

Aina looked at him blankly, surprised at the words of honesty, which contained no irony that she could detect. Then, she shyly looked down and bit her lip. "Do you mean that? Do you.. really mean that? You're not making fun of me, are you? I'm… not as smart as the other girls. I can't always tell when someone means the words they say."

"I'm not. I promise. Being more honest is another change I'm trying to bring about in myself."

Aina felt another small sob build in her throat, and she swallowed hard, brushing her red hair out of her eyes. "I don't feel any different than before. I feel so immature and ridiculous... all the time. I recognize these qualities in myself. And yet I cannot change them. Why is that?"

"It's hard to be objective about yourself," Cal said. "It's just difficult and lonely. Even when you're moving, you feel stuck in one place."

"But I want to feel different," Aina responded, her voice halfway between petulance and anxiety. "I want to feel better about myself."

"I know. I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do about that. You just need to keep trying."

"I want…" Aina broke off, unable to describe her own emotions properly. "Like Poppy…"

"Like Poppy?" Cal asked, not following her meaning.

"She's… strong and powerful. She brings joy to those around her and always defeats the bad things that ail her. I want…" Aina's eyes glistened again, this time not with tears, but with a kind of determination emanating from within herself. "I want to be like that. I want to be a person whom I can be proud of."

"You can be," Cal spoke softly. "We both can be. I'll support you, if you want. And you can support me, if you want. We're friends, right? We do this together."

"Friends?" Aina gasped a little at the word, despite herself. "Yes. Yes! Yes, we are."

They stayed still for a long time, listening to the hum of the television. Slowly, as if trying to do so in a way so that Aina wouldn't notice, Cal slowly withdrew his hand from hers and scooted back to his original place on the couch. Aina watched it happen, in a vague state of dissociation, like she was viewing the action through a screen. She would have liked to continue to hold Cal's hand for a little longer, because it was warm and comforting and seemed to quiet the stirring in her chest, but she knew that forcibly taking his hand a second time would make him uncomfortable.

How had Bridget described Cal that one time? The memory made Aina smile a little. A sullen cat afraid to show its belly. That was it. An apposite description for a person who is so hard to understand sometimes.

Then suddenly, Aina felt unsatisfied all over again. "I'll pay for the television, of course," she said, trying to emulate her practiced superior manner. "It's the least I can do. And… I'm sorry. I feel like I must say that again. It's beneath me to act in such a way."

Cal nodded. "I'll call Mr. Frost in the morning, say there was an accident, and that the damage is being handled."

Aina clasped her hands together, annoyed at herself. "Why must I always be so emotional in your presence? Always raging and crying… it clashes with the cool-and-collected appearance of a princess that I intend to project to you."

Cal gave Aina a look, and without him even saying anything, Aina burst into a sudden fit of laughter — her emotions now utterly volatile. "Alright, alright, you need not say anything more!" She pounded her chest in order to prevent herself from doubling over with giggles. "I know. I know I have been especially unsuccessful so far in that endeavor… but!-"

She raised a finger and pointed it straight at Cal. "But… mark my words, Cal. One day, you shall bow to me and admit I'm a truly regal and worthy princess. I shall grow beyond your wildest dreams! Even my family will not recognize me."

Cal smirked, though he couldn't keep his amusement out of his expression. "Okay, princess. We'll see."

"Though truly…" Aina said to herself. "I must stop throwing things. That's how I got into this predicament in the first place."

When she noticed Cal's confused look, Aina did a double-take. "Oh, I forgot. I never told you. Yes… while, it's a little embarrassing to admit, that was the incident that expedited my departure from the castle in the first place, and my grandfather eventually decided upon this manor for my extended respite. It was simply too tense for me to stay in the castle anymore. Other long-standing factors led to my leaving, of course, but that was — to borrow a saying from this realm — the straw that broke the camel's back…"

Aina coughed. "Not that I know what a camel is."

"What happened?" asked Cal, leaning forward a little, like some juicy piece of gossip was being shared with him.

"Ah… well, you know…" Aina began evasively. "I… ahem… I suppose you could say… I threw a sugar cube at Father."

Cal shook his head. "What was that?"

Aina threw up her hands in exasperation. "I threw a sugar cube at my father, alright?! We were having a family dinner, and he was being especially mean to my youngest sister, Orla — and she's barely more than a child, so it was a very cruel thing for him to do, I thought — something about how she wasn't following the proper etiquette when she was eating a meal, and he would not stop shouting. As if such a thing matters to a four-year-old! And I was already quite angry from some earlier incident I now can't even remember, and even though Bridget was trying to calm me down, I grabbed a sugar cube from the ceramic bowl in front of me, and I-"

She mimed the action. "You know… I threw it at him. It was… an action resulting from a long history of antagonism with my father. It was not ladylike, but at that moment, I felt very justified in that action."

Cal looked as if he couldn't believe it, a smile creeping onto his lips. "You threw a sugar cube at the king of Luvinia?"

"It's no laughing matter, Cal!" Despite her words, Aina couldn't seem to keep a proud grin from her face. "It was a large incident! Mother shouted at me for about an hour! If I had been anyone else who wasn't a member of the royal family, I may have been executed!"

"Okay, okay," Cal said, but he was smiling again. "Did you hit him?"

Aina had a mischievous look on her face. "I hit him square in the forehead. I swear to you, I don't believe I've ever hurled an object with such precision or power in my whole life."

"You had the Goddess of Light on your side, it seems."

She laughed again. "Perhaps. Yes, perhaps."

"That's…" Cal's face shifted. He was still amused, but now it appeared his line of thinking was on the move. "That's a pretty cool thing you did, Aina."

Aina's green eyes were wide. "You think so?"

"I do," he nodded. "I'm glad you told me. I was surprised when I first heard it… but now…"

He shrugged. "I guess I understand how it's in your character. You see? Even back then… you were already beginning to change."

Gratitude shown in Aina's eyes. "You mean that? Yes… maybe… maybe I see what you mean."

They sat in silence for a moment, looking at the shattered screen of the television.