exsilium | [video]

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[video]

[The image first shows an open book lying on a table. It seems to be open at the very back, though looking at the page on the left would show that it's full of text so it obviously was supposed to continue where the cover now is. Closer observation would show that several pages after that one were apparently ripped out.

It stays on this image for several moments, or at least what the person showing it thinks is long enough for said observations to be made. Finally, the screen does a very quick 180 to show a livid Elliot.]

WHO IS THE CRIMINAL RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS?!

Library books are the property of EVERYONE WHO USES THAT LIBRARY! YOU CAN'T JUST TEAR OUT PAGES WHEREVER YOU SEE FIT! IT'S COMMON COURTESY!

ESPECIALLY NOT IN THE FINAL BOOK OF ONE OF THE GREATEST SERIES EVER WRITTEN!!!

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[ Oh. Wow. He had.... actually forgotten about that.

Cue seventeen seconds of giggling: ]

Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

WHAT'S SO FUNNY?!

[ forgive him, it's going to take him a while to catch his breath. ]

Ah-haha-haaaa!

It's that--

It's that you think Holy Knight is one of the "greatest series ever written"!

NOT THIS AGAIN, XERXES BREAK! YOU NEED TO READ IT PROPERLY BEFORE YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT!

[ With a very definite sort of emphasis. ]

I have.

OBVIOUSLY NOT! HOW COULD YOU EVEN READ IT IN THIS CONDITION?!

How could I, indeed? It's a mystery.

[ A smug little pause. ]

I could tell you how it ends, if you like.

YOU CAN'T-!

[Luckily for you, Elliot's not a total idiot and knows how to take a hint. He actually falls silent for a moment in disbelief.]

Xerxes Break, you... YOU DIDN'T! NOT YOU!

[ His expression flickers (fortunately Elliot can't see it). This had been part of plan to realize his life's work and find out the truth.

... ]

What a slow reader you are. I'm surprised it took you this long to notice.

[ Ignorance was bliss. ]

I WANTED TO READ THE ENTIRE SERIES AT ONCE SO I DIDN'T MISS ANYTHING SUBTLE! AND EVERYTHING GOES CRAZY HERE EVERY TWO WEEKS ANYWAY! I'M LUCKY I'VE HAD TIME TO READ HERE AT ALL!

But...you couldn't have done this! YOU'RE THE STRONGEST FIGHTER IN PANDORA! [These two statements are totally related.]

[ Softly, in contrast to Elliot's shouting: ]

I doubt you would have liked the final plot twists. Sometimes things don't turn out the way one expects.

[ And then, more brightly: ]

You really ought to be thanking meeeeeeee. I've saved you the disappointment of a unsatisfying ending!

SO YOU ADMIT THERE ARE PLOT TWISTS!

YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT KIND OF ENDING I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO! AS LONG AS IT WAS WRITTEN WELL AND FIT THE TONE OF THE STORY, I DOUBT IT WOULD HAVE BOTHERED ME!

You don't know that. You--

[ What is he even saying? Why is he even having this conversation?

The person he ought to be talking to isn't Elliot. The person he ought to be talking to is a person who's conveniently away, who he'd been very short with before he'd gone. Even though this person had said something this time, even though he's clearly trying...

A person who isn't a person. ]

You don't know anything.

WELL I WOULD IF THE ENDING WERE STILL IN THIS BOOK!

And you're going to insist upon telling me that this was your doing, Xerxes Break?!

[ At this point, holding back the final pages of Holy Knight is nothing more than an act of malicious mischief. ]

I'd give the pages back to yoooou....

[ Which works for him. ]

But Gilbert was tidying, and I think he might have thrown them away~!

[...Oh crap, that embarrassment of an older brother really would do something like that... No no, he's not giving up even if he's involved!]

EVEN GILBERT SHOULD HAVE REALIZED WHAT SERIES THEY WERE FROM! I DOUBT HE'D JUST CARELESSLY DISCARD THEM!

This is Gilbert we're talking about.

I KNOW! SO UNLESS HE COULDN'T SEE THEM AT ALL...

[...Yeah, he was pretty sure Gilbert would throw out a stack of things without paying attention to what was in it. Dammit.

Just...let him growl in frustration for a few moments as he realizes just how likely it is that they're gone.]