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]

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.

[gandere]

I'm not so flimsy as to break if you hold me firmly, Archer. [ It's a quiet sort of confession towards her desire to be in his arms so she lowers her head, basically ashamed of it.

She hasn't had enough experience in her life to differentiate between shameful and shameless when it comes to her feeling so she just barrels through in an attempt to make something of this moment. They don't have the Lifestream to influence them this time so it's a challenge to bring forth the honesty. ]

... but there's doubt about it. I'll fall apart if you let go.

[steelmyself]

I know you won't break.

[ He speaks softly, a little ruefully. He first saw her at a time when she might have broken--when she might have done something she couldn't take back, that would break her forever. But she's grown past that now. ]

You've a strong woman now, Rin. I--

[ He blinks. ]

I treasure the time I get to spend with you, so it's in my benefit too to not let go.

So, selfishly, I won't.

[gandere]

[ It's alright, Rin's thoughts are gentle when it comes to precious things he's saying to her. With Shirou, it's sudden and leaves them both fumbling as awkward teenagers are prone to do. Archer is different and must be approached calmly as to not scare him away from these things. It must be intimidating for someone like him to expose his weaknesses before a woman like her. ]

That's precisely what I thought. [ No, that wasn't what she thought at all.

No point in letting him see her weakness. Before him, she has to be brave and confident. Nothing else. ]

[steelmyself]

[ He catches her hesitation. He knows she was uncertain.

But he lets her entertain the lie. ]

Of course. You're a perceptive woman as well as a strong one.

[ He lifts one hand to touch her hair. ]

Rin...