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]

Weak? [ Gritting her teeth a bit at that. ]

Who says I'm weak?!

[steelmyself]

[ The ghost of a smile flickers over his face. ]

I don't mind if you're a little weak now and then. I'll cover for you and keep it a secret--there's no reason anyone needs to know my Master has something like a flaw.

But you've been giving up prana to that kid, haven't you? That's a kind of weakness that irritates me.

[gandere]

[ Her teeth grind a little more at his words. ] Why is that, Archer?

Is it because Emiya and I agreed to be allies? I thought that sort of thing was beneath us now that we're no longer involved in the Holy Grail War.

[ Or is it because of what they had to do to create such a connection in the first place? ]

[steelmyself]

That's a little bothersome.

[ --he acknowledges with a faint frown. He's not really thinking much about what the two of them did to form that connection--he still barely dares think of Rin and physical intimacy in the same breath. It's not what he asks of her and he knows it shouldn't be. But... ]

After all, this version of Shirou Emiya has chosen to ally himself with justice, not you, Rin.

[ He gives a small shrug. ]

But I will support your choice, Rin...as I am your Servant. No, that isn't what worries me.

We're in a strange world with unknown dangers, and you're sacrificing your own energy at a steady rate.

[ And he squares his shoulders. ]

I propose a natural solution.

[gandere]

It isn't that bad, is it? [ Though if he's picked up on it, then it's undoubtedly bothersome. The last thing she wants to deal with is Archer attacking Shirou for whatever reason he has in mind. ]

I'll hear out your solution, but I'm not going to consent to it until I have further details.

[steelmyself]

Of course; you're a reasonable woman, after all.

[ He nods decisively. ]

You must have figured out--since we don't share a magical connection here ourselves, something else is supplying me with prana. It looks like it's the tree itself, or something like that.

My mana rank is quite good, so I can easily afford to share prana with you.

[gandere]

[ Guh! ] T-That is..!

[ How far will she sink during her stay here? First she has sex with her sister's love interest who is currently pining for her, then she has all of her work washed away in a single rainfall, and now her magical familiar is offering to give her his magical energy out of concern for her. ]

I don't need it! I, I, I'm doing perfectly fine on my own!

[steelmyself]

Hmmm.

[ He stares down at her in judgment. ]

This is a problem...this is a real problem. My Master's a terrible liar but she's trying to do it anyway.

[gandere]

You're the one who is going to be lying, Archer! Lying on the ground as I step all over you!

[ Nailed it. ]

[steelmyself]

Huh?

[ He blinks, briefly derailed. ]

Is that really your kink, Rin?

[gandere]

I'm not going to discuss my kinks with you.

[ Back onto the rails the conversation goes. ] How can you tell?

[steelmyself]

Yeah, let's forget I ever said that word.

[ For once, they are in quiet and firm agreement. ]

You've been eating poorly and sleeping too much; your body's in no state to produce prana properly. In addition, as this is a different world, you're totally unfamiliar with the magical lay of the land. You're used to living on top of an old place of power, and now you're here.

[gandere]

M-Maybe I'm drawing power from the same source as you!

[ It's a lie, but since she used 'maybe' that prevents it from being one outright and instead makes it speculation. She's getting better at her deceit. Soon she'll be a proper magus. ]

I'm recovering from being stabbed in the stomach by my little sister so it's okay for me to suffer a little! After all the pain she's been through, it's all right for me to be inconvenienced a little!

[steelmyself]

[ He starts to give her his best unimpressed stare, which is really quite good, but-- ]

By her?

[ She seems to have given something vital away...slow understanding transforms his face. ]

Rin...

[gandere]

[ Rin recognizes when she's made a critical error, but her pride keeps her from acknowledging out loud. Her body language however shifts into embarrassed shame as her nose dips downwards and her hair follows to shield the sides of her face to provide relief against his incriminating gaze. She knows it's wrong, but yet... ]

I survived so that's all that matters, isn't it? [ Make it about the present instead of the questionable past. ] I'm here now with you, so the faults of the past shouldn't be thrown into either of our faces.

[steelmyself]

[ Before he can think about it, he lifts one hand and starts to reach for her, to touch her hair and offer comfort.

He stops himself with his fingers still a few inches from her face. ]

We probably can't escape faults like that. Even brilliant people like us can be foolish sometimes.

Still, it troubles me to see you in pain, so I selfishly think you should give up on this penitence business of yours and let yourself heal. If you need more prana for that, I'll give it to you. I'll bleed for you if you wish.

[ He speaks calmly and straightforwardly, as if he hadn't just offered something as absurd as letting her drink his blood. ]

[gandere]

I most likely would have healed if I had the energy my first day here! [ She points out, only further proving her condition since arriving has deteriorated mentally.

It's too easy right now, getting answers from a frazzled magus and exploiting her heart so effortlessly. Whatever defense she may have had was brought down when she pulled up Sakura's pain as a foundation and now she has to scramble to keep up with her Servant's absurdity. ]

If you bleed... geez, then wouldn't we both be hurt? That's not an ideal position for us to be in especially if a threat returns.

[steelmyself]

It's fine, Rin. The alternative is more absurd, so we won't speak of it.

[ He means sex, of course. ]

You know, in the future of our world, there are books about vampires who sparkle. I think that would suit you.

[gandere]

As though they were diamonds? [ Her face lights up at the thought.

She's only now discovering how much she misses literate of any kind. There's absolutely nothing at all to read here! ]

I'm not sure why vampires would need to sparkle, but it does sound interesting. Are you implying I should become one that does?

[steelmyself]

That's right. In these books, the reason vampires can't go out into the sun is they glitter like gems when the sunlight hits them.

I think something like that is true of a woman like you as well.

[ A beat. ]

I mean that it suits you to be a bloodsucking fiend, of course.

[gandere]

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[gandere]

[ Lowering her voice just a bit as if she's afraid of being overheard. ]

A-A-A-A-Archer, is there something you're not telling me? Were you... made a victim of a ghoul here? [ He's pretty sentient for a vampire, but maybe it's because he's a Heroic Spirit.

At this point he's just going to have to gently grab the back of her head and slam her mouth into his neck. ]

[steelmyself]

...

[ He sighs. ]

Rin, I'm going to give you prana. Feeding you my blood is the most sensible way to do it, so forget about ghouls and such and just bite me.

[gandere]

Archer, are you out of your damn mind?! [ The remark is so absurd it causes her to be just as unreasonable with her language. ]

I can't just suck your blood! What if I bite into a vein and you bleed out suddenly? I don't have any of my jewels here that can help recover the damage so it'd be embarrassing to have to call for aid over the amber due to me biting my own partner's jugular!

1/2

[steelmyself]

What if I just put my blood in your soup--