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]

[ NEARLY DROPS HER. ]

[gandere]

Don't drop me, you idiot!

[ First he admits his incompetence with sexual pleasure, now he's almost letting go of her. Guess that mirror really got to him. ]

[steelmyself]

Don't talk about pleasuring yourself and I won't drop you.

[ He's still bright red. ]

[gandere]

Masturbation is a healthy activity that helps a person feel better about themselves.

Plus it's great to do when you're bored to tears! [ She's just going to keep talking about it. ]

[steelmyself]

Huh? You're bored here?

[ He latches onto another thing in that statement. ]

[gandere]

I didn't claim to engage in that sort of activity here!

[ Swiftly defending herself. ] I live with children, Archer. Children!

[steelmyself]

Oh? Should I find a way to entertain the children and leave you your "alone time," then?

[ He has the upper ground now, so he can talk about indecent things. ]

[gandere]

I don't need alone time when I could get a b-boyfriend!

[ He asked for this. ]

[steelmyself]

You could what?

[gandere]

I could have sex with someone! [ Two different things. ]

Geez, why are you so interested in what I do in my spare time anyway?! Shouldn't you be focused on your archery or making swords?!

[steelmyself]

Rin, having a boyfriend is about more than having sex. It's--

[ His grip on her tightens slightly for a moment. ]

Ah, there's no point in my discussing this with you. Of course, I can focus on something more productive.

[gandere]

For a moment there, I was afraid you were going to scold me as a father would.

[ That would have been awkward and no doubt a turn on at the same time. Which would make it even more awkward. Don't slip into that role, Archer! ]

[steelmyself]

I'm--I'm not old enough to be your father. Jeez, why would you think of that right now...

[ And he lands on their balcony. ]

[gandere]

[ She said as a father would, not that she views him as one. Though now she's looking over him carefully in what little light there is as if trying to determine his age. The absence of facial hair made him look much younger, but clashed with the hair drained of all color. ]

No, you're like a mama cat bringing a kitten back to where she wants it to be.

[steelmyself]

What?!

[ He stares at her aghast. ]

No, that's much worse.

[gandere]

It is?

[ She's not quite following along, but she'll look hurt all the same. ]

[steelmyself]

Yeah, for one thing, it's an insult to me as a man, Rin.

[ He realizes, too late, just what he said. ]

--not that I am a man; I'm a spirit and a hero first, as I've said.

[gandere]

A spirit and a hero can't love another being, can they? [ She blurts out the question, unsure of the answer herself. ]

I rather you be a man than either of those things.

[steelmyself]

Tohsaka--

[ His eyes widen and he just looks at her for a long moment, his expression peculiarly pure and boyish.

He lifts one hand and reaches for her, his fingertips brushing her hair at the side of her face. ]

[gandere]

Ah... [ It's odd and refreshing both at the same time to hear him call her that. ]

I'm saying weird things again, aren't I?

[steelmyself]

I'm fond of the weird things you say. To be honest, I'm really fond of you.

[ His hand settles against her cheek, warm enough to belong to a man even if he claims to be a spirit and a hero. ]

You know, Rin. That plan I confessed to, that foolish wish.

It really went awry, and sometimes I wonder what would have happened if it hadn't.

[ And then, abruptly, he's drawing her close to him. His arms wrap around her, he gathers her to his body. ]

But I suspect I could never have completed it anyway. Not with you at my side.

I really--

[ His throat closes up. He wants to tell her he loves her, but he doesn't know if he has the right to speak the word. He only knows that if he has any wish still left to him, he wants to stay at her side. ]

[gandere]

[ She's unaware of what he's trying to say to her because when it comes to confessions of that nature, she's used to hearing them from boys who can hardly look her in the eye. In her own, he's always barked at her and refused to take her insults without making her feel silly for blurting out with them in the first place. ]

That's because I would have stopped you. [ Sakura... really loves that boy and here she was, doing what exactly? Indulging in a fantasy that in some world, he chose her instead of her little sister? ]

... but Archer, if that was your plan all along, why didn't you stop me that night at the school?

[steelmyself]

Yeah, you would've.

[ He's smiling a little as he holds her. ]

Ah--?

That wouldn't have been the same. I wanted...

[ He falls silent, unable to explain exactly what he wanted from his stupid plan. ]

[gandere]

You wanted what? [ She misses the finer details during their conversation due to her eagerness to understand what drives him. That's just to be expected of a woman like her. ]

To have done it yourself?

[steelmyself]

It's something like that. With my own hands, I wanted to erase that existence and so purify the world and find peace...right, it's like that.

I shouldn't hold you, Rin.

[ He says that, but he doesn't let go of her. ]

That's not the sort of thing I should be doing at all.