amber ♠ 02

[steelmyself]

I really have to wonder at how quickly we're destroying this place.

[ Archer announces himself over the amber with that casual and dire remark. His tone is bored. ]

First of all, we've upset the balance of nature by killing a predator and allowing defenseless prey animals to multiply unchecked. Those rabbits will probably suffer once they meet the cruel reality of life beyond this tree, you know.

And now we've nearly destroyed the tree itself with our meddling. Isn't that impressive?

[ Now his voice is just dripping sarcasm. ]

Well done, everyone. Whoever brought us all here should really have expected these results. It's exactly what human beings do, after all.

Comments

[gandere]

And what will I wear to bed? No doubt your blood has soaked through to my skin.

[ At least she doesn't sound too annoyed by it. ]

[steelmyself]

...should I scrub you off, Rin?

[ He's poker-faced. ]

[onlypath]

Hey, I was just curious because... ['you and I...' ah forget about it]

Anyway, the more I know about what's being done to us in this world, the better. It'll make things easier to figure out what's happening and how to fix it sometime.

[gandere]

... is that something you would like to do?

[ At least that's more romantic than drinking blood. Right? ]

[steelmyself]

Yeah, I'd like to make sure you're clean and don't have to worry about messing up the bed.

[ --he answers seriously, without a trace of lascivious intent. ]

[alley_kit]

Which mean that you'd rather just sit there and make fun of everybody else rather than actually trying to do anything useful yourself.

[She's onto you, Mr.]

[cocooned]

I thought maybe if we did solve the riddles, maybe a way out would appear...

[ She frowns. ]

I want to find a way out as much as everyone else. How does someone defeat mist, though? But I suppose digging is possible.

[gandere]

[ Of course. He's every bit the Emiya he tries to deny. Valuing her life a bit too much, she won't point out that she would expect that sort of nonsense to come out of Shirou's mouth instead of his own. Instead, she rises shakily to her feet and looks around for her tunic and leafy slippers she's made. Finding them tucked away in a corner she's designated as her own, she heads over towards them to take them with her. ]

I'll go clean up and you can take my dirty laundry as usual.

[steelmyself]

[ It pains him that she's so shaky--after all, he's the one who just gave up blood, not her. She should be better than ever.

No, he can't do this again. He'll most certainly have to find a better way to give her prana. ]

Of course, Rin.

[ --but that's all he says for now. ]

[gandere]

[ Everything will be fine, so she tells herself. There's nothing abnormal about this, is there? If it had been Rider drinking her blood or even Archer himself, it would have been acceptable. What's so wrong with the recipient being flipped around?

Nothing. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it.

Still she's behaving rather entitled over the subject and recognizes it belatedly. With a fresh change of clothing in hand--if it can be called that--she faces him fully with a faint smile. ]

Thank you, Archer.

[steelmyself]

[ Still, he blinks at that. ]

You're thanking me, Rin?

[ No, that was too earnest. That was too open. He has to follow it up with some sort of sarcastic comment. ]

Expressing gratitude...are you sure you haven't taken ill?

[isolophobia]

Most can't see me, or hear me. So I have had my fill of remaining hidden, thank you.

I suppose you are going to tell me you are a spirit that is easily seen by anyone?

[gandere]

Are you saying there's something tainted within your blood? Please don't tell me this was a poor attempt to poison me when you've had plenty of opportunities to silently dispose of me much sooner.

[ Her sense of humor is a bit twisted, but that works just fine with a man who is every bit bent himself. ]

No, I am feeling much better. While I don't have my jewels here to help heal my wound, I'm certain now the circuits within my body will work on the natural healing. I just need a moment to consider what I've done and sort through it--didn't you experience that at one point?

There's no harm in taking reprieve to consider the weight of consequences.

[steelmyself]

Hmmm?

[ He raises his brows. ]

Only some people? Aren't most people capable of terrible things, in the end?

Perhaps a few are very pure, but they're outliers.

[steelmyself]

I'm not interested in holding you to anything, but surely your own guilt would be punishment enough.

[steelmyself]

[ SLAMS THE AMBER DOWN. ]

[steelmyself]

Lure animals?

I was thinking it might part the way for us all to leave and go home, guided by your beautiful ideals. It might really be that easy.

[ His voice is quite mocking. ]

[steelmyself]

You believe you can fix it?

[steelmyself]

Jeez, if I wanted to get rid of you I could always take your gem and drop you from a height, Rin. It's that simple.

[ He recovers quickly, though he looks troubled at her latter statement. ]

Well, we are alike as Master and Servant.

[ But, he hopes, not too much alike. He can't bear to see Rin broken by regret. ]

[steelmyself]

Hmm, what a pity for you...that's right. I can be seen when I want to be seen, and not seen when I don't want to be seen. It's that simple.

[steelmyself]

So you'd rely on the path our captors set before us? How pitiful.

The first step is finding out more about what this mist is.

[steelmyself]

Yes, that's correct. Congratulations: you've figured me out, young...

What are you?

[knight_king]

Archer. Are you proposing that I should use Excalibur against the barrier?

[steelmyself]

[ His smirk fades quickly. ]

No. You're already using too much prana as it is. It's too much of a risk.

[knight_king]

...

[ He's right. It is because unlike Archer, she cannot cancel her materialization to give it a rest. Her attacks are also all prana intensive. ]

Even so, if that is what it takes to set these people free, I would not mind to give it a try.