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

[steelmyself]

Ah...

[ The smug smirk fades into a more practical frown. ]

You noticed while we were working on the kitchen, huh? Yeah, normally it shouldn't be an issue at all, but here it seems I can only make five of anything in a day.

[onlypath]

So that's it...

[as if Archer had just confirmed a suspicion that he and Tohsaka had]

So this place is like some bounded field that acts like a limiter after all.

[steelmyself]

That was obvious from the moment Rin lost her fire magecraft, Shirou Emiya. Don't tell me you're just figuring it out now from your own travails.

[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.

[steelmyself]

You believe you can fix it?

[onlypath]

Yeah. [without a shred of doubt] I haven't figured out how, and it might not be me who changes it, but the least I can do is try and find an answer.

[steelmyself]

Ugh...

[onlypath]

[he knows why it hurts Archer to listen to this. to be faced with this again. to be forced to look at some old and faded picture. still...]

You don't have to thank me when I figure it out, Archer. Since this'll be good for both of us.

[he'll do it. if not that, he won't give up even if someone does figure it out before he does]

[steelmyself]

You shouldn't expect me to thank you for anything, Shirou Emiya.

[onlypath]

I won't.

[steelmyself]

Then continue working on your foolish quests. We'll see what comes of them.