QUEST III

[thecanopycrew]

Adventurers, join to free the Servant of the Tree.
Six of the Night.
Six of the Day.
Six of Twilight.
Gather your party and venture forwards.
The wagons will guide you there.

A treat will be given for each secret shared. 卌卌 II

Those that serve have earned the right of a name. Make them known. Confirm names.
[The words are gone, instead showing a crystal sword being broken into three pieces and reassembled again over and over.]

Comments

[steelmyself]

Am I?

[ He stares studiously up at the sky, not meeting her gaze. ]

Well, Typhon is a monster, you know? A hideous monster that had to be defeated to make the world safe for humanity.

[gandere]

You don't speak of this Typhon as a monster. [ No, she's seen how Archer treats the things he despises most.

After all, in the same breath he confessed to his foolish desire to eliminate himself. What a strange thing to hear him say even here. ]

You remind me of the little girl who is with us. [ There, that's adequately insulting enough. ]

[steelmyself]

What?!

[ He twitches a little, the corners of his mouth turning down, even as he still strives not to meet her gaze. ]

That's absurd. She's a naive child, and I'm--

[ --an equally naive child, in his own sad way. ]

--your Archer.

[gandere]

You're both stupid bug lovers to me. [ She's behaving like a child herself with this kind of talk, but it can't be helped.

There's just something about bugs that make her sick to her stomach. Worms especially. It's a vulnerability she can't allow others to see, but Archer? He knows. He was present with her when they entered that home. ]

[steelmyself]

[ He falls silent, then, remembering the same thing she is: the darkness of that house, and the things they found in it. ]

Well, whatever I may call the ugly creature, it's not something I cook on for you, Rin.

Your tea is made by sunlight, and your food without heat.

[gandere]

Really? [ It's an uncertainty only he is witness to.

She wouldn't be surprised if he was lying about it in order to make her feel better. Food (more importantly tea) is a necessity and being picky about it can cost someone their health. Especially if that someone is recovering from wounds dealt to them prior to their arrival. ]

[steelmyself]

Yeah.

Really.

[ Of course, he's not going to mention that sometimes he slips powdered earthworm into her jam. ]

[gandere]

[ It's all right, the Tohsaka family is used to being betrayed by their Servants... ]

Isn't that an oddity?

I thought you wouldn't concern yourself with these things.

[steelmyself]

If I cooked on the worms, you'd refuse to eat, and soon enough you'd starve. Then I'd have a dead Master on my hands.

Why would I subject myself to such shame?

[ He just admitted to wanting to kill himself, and this is what he says? ]

[gandere]

If I perished due to a stupid reason like that, wouldn't the fault be with me instead of with you?

[ Yeah, seriously Archer. What the hell? ] It makes no difference.

[steelmyself]

[ Finally, he looks at her straight on, with serious and earnest eyes. ]

I am your Servant, Rin, even if we lack a contract right now.

It falls to me to protect you. That is all.

[gandere]

You could say you want to protect me because you c-c-c... [ Cutting herself off, she finds that she's not capable of finishing that thought out loud.

Instead she'll hug her knees to her chest and watch him, interested in what else he has to say. ] You have more secrets as a Heroic Spirit, don't you? There's no point in hiding them when you could be paid for giving them up.

[steelmyself]

[ She's cute when she sits like that--

He tries not to think about it. ]

That's wrong, Rin. Those are the only secrets I have--

My name, and what I wished to do in the Holy Grail War.

[gandere]

Don't act coy around me. [ Motioning with a free hand to urge him to continue speaking. ]

Otherwise I'll have to jump start your memory by asking intrusive questions about your sex life or masturbation habits. Those are things you would keep secret as a man, right Archer?

[steelmyself]

[ The change in atmosphere when she says that is so surreal he wonders if he fell off the tree and hit his head when he wasn't paying attention.

But, no, that's Rin Tohsaka for you. ]

Those aren't secret at all.

I don't.

[ --and the sudden switch compels casual honesty out of him. ]

[gandere]

You don't what?

[ He couldn't possibly mean... ] You don't masturbate at all?

[steelmyself]

I don't. Wait, are we really discussing this, Rin?

[ He looks at her in alarm. ]

Here in public?

[gandere]

If you don't engage in it, then what's the point of being private about it? You claimed such activities weren't a secret in the first place.

[ Plus being inappropriate is what she's good at. ]

[steelmyself]

[ That's it. He's going to scoop her up in his arms, spread his wings, and take off into the air. ]

Be decent, Rin. I know it's difficult, but you should try.

[gandere]

[ She sulks a bit, unable to react. ] Why is it always so troubling for others to accept the truth..? I don't understand.

I don't understand it at all.

[steelmyself]

[ He continues flying. Anything to get away from the things he said to that stupid mirror-- ]

It is the truth, Rin. I don't concern myself with matters of the flesh.

[ This explains a lot about his sad, sad life. ]

[gandere]

No wonder you're so frustrated with yourself. All of that pent up sexual tension...

[ Rin speaks as if she's experienced in the frustrations of the male body. ]

[steelmyself]

Tch.

[ He blushes into the cool dark night and desperately hopes she can't see or feel it. ]

It's not as if you know anything about that, Rin.

[gandere]

That's because women don't need to engage in that sort of activity unless they want to indulge themselves.

[ Such an expert. ] If I wanted to, I would. It's that simple.

[steelmyself]

Do you even know how to give yourself an orgasm, Rin?

[ Oh, God, why is he discussing this with her? Why? ]