"How does it feel?" Luna asked with a smile.
"It feels good."
Luna turned away. "That's wonderful. If you ever feel lonely or anxious again, feel free to touch me a few more times. I don't mind."
Clorinde remained noncommittal, thinking, Wouldn't that be like petting a pet?
Certain aspects of Luna did resemble a cat, but applying the saying "When life gets tough, pet a cat" to her felt... strange.
"You've arrived just in time," Luna said. "I need you to play a role."
Luna lifted a chair and placed it in the center of the room.
"Sit," she gestured.
Clorinde sat down without much thought.
"What role?"
"A doll."
"...A doll?"
Clorinde was taken aback.
The kind that moves, or the kind that doesn't?
The kind from a horror movie, or a comedy?
Noticing Clorinde's confusion, Luna explained, "The kind that can move, but not entirely."
"I see... I don't understand."
Luna chuckled. "Imagine a human soul trapped inside a doll. You can feel, you can think, but you can't move—that's the feeling."
Now Clorinde understood.
So I need to act as if my mind is active, but my body is paralyzed?
That's quite difficult.
Luna elaborated, "The main focus is on the eyes. No matter how much you struggle internally, the audience won't know unless it shows on your face."
Clorinde nodded slightly. "I'll do my best."
"Alright, let's begin. You can stop when I say 'cut'."
"Understood."
Clorinde sat perfectly still, her body motionless, her eyes unblinking. She truly looked like an exquisite doll.
She's even holding her breath!
Luna couldn't help but sigh. "You don't need to hold your breath, you know."
"Alright."
Clorinde started breathing again.
So dedicated.
Luna moved behind the chair, her expression instantly shifting as she seamlessly slipped into character.
She placed her hands on Clorinde's shoulders.
"'My lovely doll, can you feel me? Say something. I long for your voice, your hatred, your rage.'"
Luna's tone was calm yet tinged with madness. She lifted a strand of Clorinde's hair, her fingers slowly sliding down to press against her neck.
"'The soul is already inside. Why hasn't the heart begun to beat?'"
In a sudden burst of alarm, Luna hurried around to the front of Clorinde. She took her hand, adjusted her head—all the while, Clorinde remained utterly lifeless, showing not a single spark of vitality.
But as Luna touched her, Clorinde couldn't help but blink, her pupils shifting.
This feels so strange.
No matter what Luna did to her, she couldn't move, only silently accept the warmth of another's touch on her skin.
"No, wait! I saw the fire in her eyes!" Luna exclaimed with delight, cupping Clorinde's face and leaning in abruptly.
Her acting is incredible, Clorinde marveled silently.
But... this was a little too close.
So close she could faintly feel Luna's breath on her skin.
Luna, however, seemed completely oblivious to any awkwardness. She simply stared intently into Clorinde's eyes from this intimate distance.
Clorinde stared back, feeling as if they were locked in a staring contest.
But holding eye contact for so long was starting to feel embarrassing. Clorinde instinctively tried to lean back.
Thud!
Her vision spun, and a dull ache spread across her back.
"Clorinde, why did you pull away?"
"..."
She had fallen over.
Realizing this, Clorinde looked up. Luna was propped up on her hands on either side of Clorinde's head, looking somewhat exasperated.
Still, Clorinde remained silent. Luna hadn't called "cut."
"Clorinde?"
"..."
Does she really expect me to keep acting if she doesn't say "cut"?
Wow, she's so dedicated!
It was the first time Luna had met someone like this. Or maybe Clorinde was just special. After all, Luna had always felt there was something... earnestly oblivious about her.
In that case... A smile spread across Luna's face. This is the perfect opportunity to tease her.
"Your eyes are truly beautiful, Clorinde."
She settled onto Clorinde's stomach in a w-sit, her neatly trimmed nails gently tracing the corners of Clorinde's eyes.
"..."
Is this still part of the act? Clorinde wondered, bewildered.
But she remained silent and motionless.
"Your lips, too."
Luna's fingers brushed over Clorinde's lips.
"..."
This is getting embarrassing. Clorinde subtly averted her gaze.
Luna watched her with amusement. "Your eyebrows have such a distinct shape. A little thick, which is probably why you look so dashing whenever you frown."
"..."
Being complimented wasn't bad, but under these circumstances, the praise felt... strange. It was hard to describe the mix of pleasure and awkwardness.
Worse, since she'd fallen backward from the chair, Luna was now pinning her down. From the side, their position must look anything but proper.
If someone walked in right now, they'd definitely get the wrong idea.
Isn't this enough? Clorinde thought desperately.
"Are you feeling shy?"
Luna asked with a beaming smile.
Of course.
"But I don't see you blushing, Clorinde."
So she wasn't satisfied yet.
Luna leaned close to Clorinde's face, nuzzled her nose, then moved to her ear and whispered softly, "Why don't you savor this feeling? If you burn every part of me into your heart, you won't have nightmares anymore. This method of mine is foolproof, you know."
A faint blush finally crept up the tips of Clorinde's ears.
Only then did Luna say with satisfaction, "Cut."
"...You completely stopped acting halfway through." Clorinde sighed softly.
"Because I wasn't acting. I just wanted to see your reaction. You were brilliant, Clorinde. You'd make a great actor—a specialized one, that is."
For instance, Clorinde could play Lynette, but she could never play Navia.
She could only handle roles that didn't require much emotional expression.
Luna pulled Clorinde to her feet and smiled. "Thanks for playing along. I had a lot of fun."
"That's good."
Clorinde nodded, her expression unchanged.
The blush on her ears hadn't faded yet. Noticing Luna's gaze, she pulled down a few strands of hair to cover them. Being seen would only make it more embarrassing.
"Alright, I'm going to go chat with Navia for a bit..."
Before Clorinde could finish, the door was thrown open.
Furina stood there with her hands on her hips. "Luna, you have a visitor!"
Navia appeared beside her. "And it's someone you know! Huh?"
The next moment, both of them noticed the overturned chair and the dust clinging to Clorinde's stockings and the hem of Luna's skirt.
Why does this feel so familiar?
It was just like that day when they'd pushed open the door to find Clorinde sitting on Lulu's bed, biting a ribbon as she tied up her hair, looking utterly post-coital.
Navia's gaze darted back and forth between Clorinde and Luna.
"It's not what you think," Clorinde immediately explained.
"Then what is it?" Navia asked.
Furina desperately wanted to ask the same question.
Spit it out!
Clorinde stated calmly, "We were just acting."
"...Acting to the point where you're both covered in dust and the chair is overturned?" Furina crossed her arms.
"Yes," Luna replied with a smile.
Furina enunciated slowly, "Lu. Na."
Navia drew out her words. "Lulu~?"
"I'm telling the truth!" Luna insisted.
"Yes," Clorinde added. "We just accidentally fell."
Aren't you just making it sound worse?