oberon can't stand being interpreted. being cursed with midsummer nights dream means he contains no "truth" and everything he says is open for interpretation. a story with as many meanings as there are readers. he finds this incredibly painful and heavy to bear, because as story he's compelled to respond to those interpretations. the bugs believing in the story of the fairytale prince oberon compelled him to become the oberon they believed in. every story gives back what you read into it, he contains no truth so every interpretation is real. it's to the point where he won't even let merlin perceive him, lest he risk being interpreted by the person (whose take on stories) he hates most.
"when all the readers are gone, let's go somewhere where everyone's perspective is equally important" let's find somewhere we won't be pressured by the wishes placed in us, somewhere we can simply be. oberon is exhausted from trying to live up to the faith placed in him. he's not suited for this, he's an abyss of lies, in terms of skill he could keep up the lie forever but emotionally he's at his fucking limit. so he invites nursery rhyme to come seek a respite with him, because he believes her to be in a similar predicament.
like oberon, nursery rhyme is a story without form shaped entirely by her interpretations. like oberon, she has her current form as a young girl because there was someone powerless who wished for her to be such. but unlike oberon nursery rhyme takes great joy in responding to those wishes. she wouldn't even have an identity if it weren't for her friend alice putting her faith in her.
"sorry, my dear prince, but I like seeing our readers radiant and happy" nursery rhyme is able to keep going precisely because there is someone who believed in her. there is someone who needed her. and she tells oberon he is the same. he was only able to keep going because there was someone powerless who needed him. there is someone who believes that he is indeed the fairytale prince, even knowing that he is just a story.
oberon wants a respite from the readers because his curse carries the assumption that "it was just a story, therefore it didn't matter" but nursery rhyme's very core is that stories matter. so she's not having that tea party with him. it's the readers who give us meaning, that's why you're still the fairy king, idiot.
yeah. go figure.
