The Hound, The Blacksmith, and the Crow Drabbles

[Elf]

So, as a bit of a crack idea that sort of was a crossover between The Hound and the Blacksmith and The Law Unto Herself Chronicles a series of drabbles was born.  Here is that series of drabbles.

The Metal

[Elf]

The Metal

“Iron Maiden? Nightwish? Judas Priest?”

Rin blinked as she saw Luvia’s massive CD collection, reading through the names and seeing covers usually involving knights in armor fighting massive dragons or demons that even the Burial Agency would be afraid to face. Plum colored eyes met hers and a tiny smile graced Luvia’s exquisite face. Rin pushed a lock of her hair back and asked, “Why do have of these bands have names involving the words ‘Night’, ‘Black’, ‘Iron’, or some artsy musical words? I mean, isn’t this the stuff that you can play backwards and hear demons or something?”

Luvia blinked twice before reaching forward. The box in Rin’s hands was snatched away and the blond began to thumb thoughtfully through its contents. Those plum eyes narrowed at Rin as the Finish magus said, “Again, you are quite wrong about this, Rin. However I will teach you what proper heavy metal sounds like.”

“Wow, touchy about your metal then?” Rin asked with a grin as one white hand pushed a button on a device that utterly terrified the Japanese magus.

Luvia haughtily tilted her head and said, “I am from Finland. We take our heavy metal very seriously, and you would not know decent music unless it was shoved directly into your face.”

“So, what does your dad think about your taste in music?” Rin asked with a slight smile. Luvia scowled as she inserted the gleaming disk into a tray, pushed a button that inserted the tray back into the terrifying device, and then stared at a black screen with glowing green numbers while thoughtfully hitting other buttons. Rin stretched out as the green glow harmonized with Luvia’s eyes, making them appear more like amethysts.

Luvia frowned and said, “My father is ignorant of my taste in music.”

“I thought so,” Rin said before reaching out and stroking amber curls.

Luvia relaxed and her long, ivory fingers left the keypad for a moment before she leaned back into Rin’s touch. “There is quite a bit my father does not approve of or understand.”

“He’d probably hate me,” Rin said as she leaned forward, resting her chin on the larger girl’s shoulder. The smell of violets filled her nostrils as she inhaled Luvia’s very familiar perfume. Automatically she rubbed her face against the graceful column of Luvia’s throat, drawing a shuddering sigh from the other girl.

Luvia whispered, “Your family did steal from mine.”

“We’ll call this ‘history repeating itself’ then,” Rin said before kissing a silken cheek.

Luvia smiled, her eyes sparkling, and said, “Well, apparently your great grandmother was happy with your great grandfather.”

“Well, as happy as a couple of uptight magi could be together,” Rin said with a chuckle. Luvia chuckled as well before narrowing her eyes at the screen and hitting a button. Within moments, rousing and melodic music accompanied rich vocals filled the room.

Luvia’s fingers picked at Rin’s sleeves and she said, “My father would not approve of my choice. I am to marry a nobleman to preserve the Edelfelt name and to make it thrive. There is already a long list of magi from prospective families wanting my hand.”

Rin took Luvia’s hand and held it tightly. She knew the hold Luvia’s father had on her, Archer had explained it in great detail when she finally got him to open up. After hearing the sordid tale, she had made Archer a promise.

“I will make sure that Luvia has a better life this time than in yours.”

It was a promise she was going to intend to keep. She chuckled as she listened to the song Luvia had so tactfully chosen about an “Emerald Sword”. Once the song was over, Luvia pressed a button leaving them in silence. She looked at Rin with one graceful eyebrow and asked, “Well, what did you think?”

“. . . I liked it,” Rin said with a grin, “And I think I’d like to listen to more of it.”

[Elf]

Stupid Low Luck Rating

Archer was rather proud of the earrings he had picked out. There had been a couple of hours agonizing over the decision and pouring over a few selections that were in his price range and appropriate color. He was pretty sure the jeweler wanted to kick him out after taking so long for a purchase that wasn't that extravagant, especially not in comparison to some of the others who had been milling around in the store that day. Still, he wanted a pair that would make an impact.

Smiling, the blue velvet box was opened to reveal a simple pair of trilliant cut garnet earrings with just a bit of dangle set in silver. The garnet wasn't quite as true of a red as Rin's pendent, but it was a pretty raspberry shade none the less that caught the light and sparkled. It was simple yet elegant, and he figured Rin would adore it.

He shifted in his cramped airplane seat and glared at the man asleep in front of him with his seat back enough to all but be in Archer's lap. It's worth it, he thought to himself as he looked out of the window at the endless sky around them. The crystal blue seemingly stretched out forever, occasionally broken by a few fluffy white clouds drifting aimlessly through it. There was a loud click as he closed the box and slid it into his jacket pocket.

Getting onto the plane had been hell, and the earrings weren't the reason why the metal detectors kept setting of. They had ran him through it twice, used the wand three times then patted him down to find the only pieces of metal on him were his keys and the earrings. His Leatherman tool was secured in his luggage, it was too useful not to take, but the security attendants had been baffled about why he had set off the detector so much with nothing on him.

Lancer would have been laughing his head off at the extensive search one man did to try to figure out why Archer was such a security hazard. Considering the last time I flew on a plane and what happened it's really not surprising this is biting me in the ass, he thought as he shifted again, trying to relieve the pressure on his legs from the seat in front of him. He hoped that this flight would go better and that everything would go smoothly when he got to London.

******

Tohsaka Rin raised her eyebrows at the Finnish blond currently frowning at her.

Luvia's accent was thicker than usual when she said, "I am telling you Rin, your calculations are wrong."

"No, Luvia, you're the one who's wrong. Look again," Rin said as she poked the note pad with her finger.

Luvia swore softly in Finnish before leaning forward, large, spiral amber colored curls spilling onto the table. Plum eyes widened at Rin and Rin smirked. "See?" Rin said with a grin.

The taller girl snorted and said, "Don't get arrogant about it, Rin."

"Oh, and why's that, Eldefelt?" Rin all but sang out as she leaned forward the taller girl.

Luvia blinked and said, "Because you are insufferable when you are right."

"Bother you that much, Luvia?" Rin asked with a wink.

The blond's eyes narrowed and she said, "Do shut up."

"No," Rin said with a smile right as Luvia moved forward, closing the gap, and swept her mouth against Rin's.

Rin wrapped her arms around the larger girl, one hand entangling in those thick, glossy curls as Luvia's hands wandered down her back and sides. The smell of violets was thick in Rin's nostrils and she could taste the chocolate from the truffle the blond had just moments earlier. Rin pressed forward, giving her "rival" no mercy as they kissed.

In fact the world seemed to melt away other than Luvia as the kiss gentled to sweet caresses of lips and tongue. Rin's head swam with bliss as Luvia held her close, eager for contact as always. She stroked the surprising heaviness of Luvia's back and moved to kiss her cheek then down her throat. Luvia moaned as she arched her long, swan like neck for Rin to get better access.

She was briefly aware of the door opening and closing.

Then an all too familiar voice croaked out, "Rin?"

Rin and Luvia jumped away as if they had been burned, Rin heard her heart roaring in her ears as she looked up into a pair of wide, steel colored eyes.

******

"So, I bet we're going to get a call from the Bowman saying he's going to be in London for a while," Lancer said with a grin.

Ayako tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and grinned back. "You'd be happy if he did, wouldn't you?"

The Celt nodded, grabbed a computer chair, spun it around and straddled it from behind. He rested his arms on top of the back of the chair and nodded, his crimson eyes meeting Ayako's. "Of course, you didn't have to see them making Eyes at each other when the other one wasn't looking. Besides, Archer needs someone to get that massive stick from up his arse," Lancer replied with a shrug.

Ayako raised her eyebrows and said, "That's for damned sure. I have half a mind to just like trash his office to see him twitch."

"He's the best housewife who's ever lived," Lancer said with a chuckle.

Ayako looked around and rubbed the back of her neck. "I'll admit I'm really not good at straightening up or cooking."

"So? We've got Archer to do that. You look up stuff on that Devil Box," Lancer said with a glare towards the computer.

She chuckled and said, "It's called a computer."

"I call it a Devil Box," Lancer said with a glare, "It's full of all sorts of perverse and unnatural things. I've seen it. I stared into the abyss and ran away weeping."

"You know Minori warned you about going into /B/ alone," Ayako said with a sigh and a shake of her head.

Lancer threw up his hands and said, "I couldn't help it! I got curious and poked my nose right where I shouldn't, and now I'm scarred for life."

"What did you see anyway?" Ayako asked as she moved to turn the "Devil Box" on. She remembered one time Minori had forced her to see two women in a wading pool of baked beans doing stuff that she hadn't thought was physically possible. Or sticking things that were too big into places that they really shouldn't have gone into. Or maybe beans were a better lubricant than Ayako had initially thought.

A pained look passed Lancer's face and he said, "I loved my horses. I didn't love them like that."

"Eh, that's kinda tame," Ayako said with a grin as the Windows screen booted up.

Then the office door flew open and Lancer was on his feet in an instant while Ayako moved behind him. She blinked to see Archer standing there looking even surlier than normal. His eyes were narrowed, his jaw clinched so hard that she swore she heard his teeth grinding, and his fists were so tight the knuckles were white. He walked over to the desk and a little blue velvet box was slammed onto the desk hard enough to make it shake.

Lancer blinked and asked, "Everything okay, Bowman?"

Eyes like molten steel met Ayako's and Archer said in a rusty voice, "Call the punk. I need a sparring partner."

"Well, I'll spar with you," Lancer said as he all but grinned from ear to ear and flashed his fangs.

Archer's glare would have frozen water in July when he said, "No. I want to fight the boy." Then with that he stormed out of the office as quick as he had entered.

Ayako blinked and lifted up the blue velvet box. A flick of the wrist opened it and she blinked at the red stones gleaming in the fluorescent light and the flash of silver against dark velvet. She gently closed the box before looking at Lancer, who was frowning.

The Celt reached for the box, opened it, looked inside, and whistled. "I'll be damned, he's a sodding romantic," Lancer said with a sigh as he put the box down.

Ayako bit her lip, nodded, and replied, "And I think he got rejected."

"Or someone beat him to the punch," Lancer said in a soft voice.

Ayako crossed her arms and asked, "Should I call Emiya?"

"Aye and Sakura," Lancer said.

[Elf]

Blossoms and Carrion Birds

Matou Sakura felt her heart race as an icy chill ran through her veins. Blood roared in her ears, drowning out the taunts and demands of the scruffy looking punks around her. One of them reached out towards one of the grocery bags she was holding with a smirk showing grimy, yellowed teeth. Even at this distance she could smell his rank breath.

"What'cha got in the bag, babe?" he asked, his small, beady eyes moving up and down her form.

She swallowed and answered, "Groceries."

"Mind sharing with us?" one of the other punks asked before slowly licking his lips.

A spike of sheer heat shot up through the ice that was running through her veins as she took a deep, slow breath. Her eyes narrowed and she replied, "I'm already sharing with six other people. I'm sorry, but there's not any more room at the table."

"Hey, I recognize her. She's Emiya's girlfriend, aren't you baby?" the third and youngest punk said as he glared at her.

Sakura felt that heat quickly eat away at the ice from within and replied, "That's none of your business."

"Didn't Emiya kick your ass, Rao?" the leader asked with a slow grin.

Rao cracked his knuckles and said, "Yeah, that bastard did."

Knowing Sempai, he did for good reason, Sakura thought with narrowed eyes.

Rao pulled something from his jacket and Sakura almost groaned at the flash of steel in the street lights. She looked around, they had her cornered and backed up against the wall. She silently cursed and thought, This wouldn't happen to Nee-san.

"Now, if you're good Emiya's Girlfriend we'll let you go, if you fight . . . well, it's not going to be good for you," the leader said with a wide grin.

She bit her lip as she felt velvet darkness start to coat her veins. It was eager, ready and willing to do her bidding. The darkness ached to render each one of these idiots into parts that were unrecognizable. It wanted to shred and violate them.

Sakura whispered, "You should get away from me."

"Why's that?" Rao asked, "Your boyfriend gonna come save you?"

This caused a wave of laughter to bubble up from the other punks, as if it was the funniest thing that they'd ever heard.

No, because I'd kill you without breaking a sweat, she thought.

"No, because she'd either blast you to tiny bits where they'd have to seep you off the pavement with a sponge or something equally unpleasant," a low female voice with an odd accent said from the inside of the alley.

Sakura tilted her head to see a tall Caucasian woman that didn't look that much older than her saunter out of the shadows. She was dressed head to toe in black with a flowing leather duster. Blond hair woven in a braid that had seen better days caught the light as she approached.

Sakura shook her head and the blond girl winked at her.

Sakura blinked slowly as the foreigner folded her arms across her chest and said, "Now why don't the lot of you go run off and do something more constructive, eh. It'll lengthen your life expectancy."

"Who the hell do you think you are, telling us what to do?" the leader said with a glare.

Rao stared at the blond, lifted his knife and said, "I don't know Kenji, but she's kind of my type. For a foreigner."

"They're not really original, are they poppet?" the blond asked with one eyebrow raised.

Sakura blinked and asked, "What are you doing?"

"My usual. Not knowing when to butt out and sticking my nose where it doesn't belong because I can't let this sort of thing go," the blond said with a sigh before throwing out her fist.

Sakura blinked as Rao had been standing up right one moment and then the next he had been thrown across the alley. She'd barely seen the blond move it had been so fast. Inhumanly fast, Sakura thought as she took a step back and did the wise thing of staying out of an alley brawl.

******

Now, that right hurt.

The vampire who gave her name as Forest, also known from her point of origin as Law Unto Herself, hissed right as cold steel punctured right into her cold, undead flesh. Pain welled up sharply and made itself known as it traveled through her nervous system like wildfire. Her fangs throbbed in response as she growled low in her throat before reaching out to grab the little cunt with the knife.

His dark eyes widened as she drew him close.

“Didn’t your mum tell you that it’s bad to play with knives?” she asked in a low voice as she reached for the knife in his hand. His fingers uncurled easily when she pressed her thumb right into a point on his wrist that shorted out nerve impulses in a way she knew to be quite excruciating but ultimately harmless. There was a sharp clatter as the knife impacted the pavement.

The little pissant’s response was to scream loud enough to make her ears ring. She flinched at the pricing sound before darting forth. Fangs pierced sweaty and dirty flesh right before hot, sweet life splashed onto her tongue and down her throat. Her toes curled at the warmth flooding through her with each swallow and she heard him moan and arch towards her. An all too familiar smell of salt and musk filled the air as he gripped her arms to hold her in place.

Four days. Four days since I fell here. Three days before that since I fed. That’s pushing it even for me.

“Don’t stop, oh god please don’t stop,” the punk moaned as his fingers gripped the sleeves to her leather duster.

She licked the tiny punctures closed and he gave a full body shiver and moaned. He stared at her with wide eyes and said, “Do that again, please do that again.”

“No, I’ve taken my fill,” she said as she met his eyes.

Short term memories were easily dealt with, rearranging a bit here and there, and within moments he was wondering off in confusion with a giant stain in the front of his pants. The other two gangsters stared at her and she walked over to them. Their leader moved to pick up the knife, but a swift kick to the face halted that motion. He crumpled to the ground as she met the eyes of the one that really hadn’t caught much of her notice. Soon he was wandering around as well.

Then she turned to the violet haired girl who was staring with narrowed eyes. Forest put up her hands and said, “I won’t hurt you.”

“You wouldn’t get the chance,” the young woman said as she lifted her head defiantly. The smell of ozone and blood was stiflingly thick around her. Power was coiled around her like a second skin, the sort of power that Forest was use to seeing Fae wield and not some Japanese school girl with remarkably pretty hair.

And rather shapely to boot, and I thought the Japanese were slimmer than this. And normally don’t have purple hair and eyes, Forest thought with a frown, considering her all too slender form.

She replied, “I’d give you more of a fight than I’d let on. Besides, magic takes time to cast. I’m quick despite being dead.”

The girl moved from the wall, adjusting her burdens as she looked at Forest. Her eyes traveled up and down, widening at the tiny tears and dried blood that marred both her tank top and jeans. The vampire fidgeted with a loose lock of hair while she was thoroughly inspected. Suddenly the violet haired girl stepped up, gave a tiny bow, and said, “Thank you for your help.”

“Figured you didn’t want any more blood on your conscious,” Forest said with a shrug.

The girl’s eyes widened and she asked, “How did you . . .?”

“When someone with your sort of power hesitates they have reason to. Usually a personal one,” Forest said with a shrug. And you seem too nice to randomly lay waste to a bunch of punks.

The girl tilted her head and said, “My name’s Matou Sakura.”

“I’m called Forest,” the blond said with a polite bow. At least my Japanese isn’t rusty. It’s been over a century since I’ve stepped foot on these lands.

[Cherry Lover]

Hmm, these are really good. I especially like the one with Sakura and Forest. And the Luvia/Rin pairing seems really quite amusing.

[Elf]

First Impressions

    “So, you caught Tohsaka kissing that Finnish magus that offered her a maid position?”

    Archer’s hands curled around the cup of water in his hands as he glared down at its crystal contents. His response was a grunt and a nod. “Maybe it’s for the best,” a voice he knew all too well said after a long stretch of silence. Archer narrowed his eyes and stared at a face that he knew all too well because it use to be his own.

    However at this point Emiya Shirou had diverged so much from Archer’s original existence they just happened to be people who shared the same origin and genetic structure. It also meant that Archer couldn’t hate the boy as much as he apparently had in previous summonings and also envied him. He envied Emiya Shirou because he had made the right decision. Emiya Shirou had found someone to protect and love so much that the idea was changed and washed away.

    Emiya Shirou would always be kind hearted and help others in need, but he would not recklessly throw himself into heroism in the way Archer had. Emiya Shirou would also lead a good life with Sakura at his side and hopefully settle down and start a family with her. Again, things that Archer himself wanted but burrowed down in his ideal so much that it damned him.

    Now he was sitting on the dojo floor of the headquarters of “The Hound and The Blacksmith” with Emiya Shirou. Both of them were covered in a fine layer of sweat, breathing hard, and drinking from the same water kettle. Beating the kid just doesn’t bring the same satisfaction that it use to, Archer thought with a frown as Shirou’s words got through Archer’s intensive brooding.

    He blinked and asked, “What do you mean?”

    “That you weren’t grabbing at something from your past,” Shirou said as he took a slow drink.

    Archer gripped his cup and said, “I know that Rin wasn’t the Rin from my original life.”

    “That’s good then,” was the young man’s reply before nodding and taking another sip. Amber eyes met Archer’s before the kid asked, “So, are you going to refrain from trying to make me a greasy stain on the dojo floor?”

    Archer felt his lips twitch up ever so slightly and he answered, “Yeah. I don’t want to upset Sakura and Lancer and Mitsizuri are enough to clean up after.”

    “Besides, I’m not surprised that Tohsaka’s a lesbian,” Shirou said as redness flooded his face.

    Archer sighed and said, “That’s just my stupid low luck rating.”

    At that moment, the door flew open and Ayako was standing there. She rubbed the back of her neck and said, “Archer and Emiya-kun, you might want to get in here. Sakura brought something home.”

    “Groceries?” Shirou asked.

    Ayako’s lips quirked up and she answered, “Yeah, and . . . a vampire.”

    ******

    Archer was use to femme fatals in his life time. From Ciel the Executioner, the White Princess herself, Rider, and a very interesting sociopath he had butted heads with in the Middle East, not to mention the most recent, the Dead Apostle with a conscience, Eloise, Archer was well schooled on beautiful yet deadly women. When Ayako had told him that Sakura had brought a vampire in to the office, he was prepared for a coldly beautiful woman warily watching the room.

    He did not expect the blond girl wearing clothing a size too big sporting a braid that had seen better days picking at the black fingerless gloves she was wearing with nails painted bright purple and sporting chips in them as well. She was sitting at one of the chairs that was in front of Ayako's desk, the ones that were for customers. Sakura was standing beside her with a slight smile on her face as Lancer suddenly said something in a language that Archer had never heard before.

    With all the useless “ch” sounds, he figured it had to be Gaelic.

    What surprised him was that the blond girl smiled and replied in kind, becoming more animated as Lancer's own face lit up as well. The conversation in a language that had to have the most useless and overwrought pronunciations bounced back and forth. The girl's husky, smoky voice was at odds with her youthful appearance, but was made for the lyrical nature of Gaelic. Ayako was glaring from beside him as Sakura looked up at him and Shirou in confusion.

    Archer sighed, cleared his throat and said, “Now, would you two mind speaking in a language that everyone else in the room can understand?” Then he repeated it in English, in case the “vampire” didn't speak Japanese.

    “I can speak Japanese very well,” the blond replied with a frown. Her pronunciation was fine, but that odd, lyrical accent was thick as pea soup.

    He shrugged and said, “It's hard to tell with that accent.”

    “And then why would an Asian speak English like he spent time in London?” the blond replied as she shoved a lock of her hair back.

    Archer met her eyes and almost smiled at the gleam of anger he saw in eyes that were neither blue nor violet, but indigo. He replied, “Because I did live in London a long time ago.”

    Lancer said, “Hey Bowman, ease up a bit. Lass has had a rough few days.”

    “Obviously,” Archer replied as he looked down at her, noting the stains on her jeans and a myriad of tiny cuts in the tank top she was wearing.

    The blond jerked her thumb in his direction and said, “I don't think this guy's able to ease up.”

    “You're not wrong there,” Ayako mumbled.

    Archer looked at her and the young woman shrugged and moved over towards Lancer. Sakura said, “She needs your help, she's from another dimension.”

    “Then call your sister,” Archer said as he moved to leave the office, “She's the one who is in semi-regular contact with a wizard who can pass through dimensions.”

    A hand like iron was around Archer's arm and he glared at Lancer, who was currently gripping his bicept. I forgot he's even faster now than he was when he was a Servant, Archer thought as he looked at the glaring Irishman. “And where's she going to stay until Rin can be bothered to come back home? Listen, you know that helping a lost Leanan Sidhe isn't going to be that high on the lass's list of priorities right now.”

    “Lancer, I'm not a Leanan Sidhe,” the blond said before looking down and toying with her gloves again.

    Ayako said, “She doesn't have a reflection. Eloise and her crew did.”

    “Could be glamor,” Archer said as he looked at the blond who was glaring at him again.

    Sakura shook her head and said, “None. She's even less magically inclined than Sempai was before the War.”

    Ayako said, “I don't think she's hiding her power level too much. Besides, Sakura is going to be pissed if we don't help.”

    Shirou said, “I think she can hear us.”

    “So?” Archer replied with a glare towards the blond.

    Sakura glared at him and said, “She saved me tonight. No one asked her to, but she did. She saw something was wrong and went to go fix it. Sound familiar?”

    “And she's an idiot,” Archer said in a low voice.

    Lancer let him go and said, “Don't worry, we'll see you home somehow. No matter how long it takes. See, we're in the business of helping others.” Then he turned his brightest smile on the blond, who shyly looked away with a tiny smile.

    Archer resisted the urge to pound his head repeatedly into the wall.

[Elf]

Blossoms and Carrion Birds Part Two

“So, if you had been a few minutes later, what would have you done?”

Sakura bit her lip as soon as the words were out of her mouth and wrung her hands together. The blond currently sprawled on the floor and doing minor repairs on her leather duster looked up. Thoughtful indigo eyes met Sakura's as Forest drug the needle through the heavy leather with a tiny frown.

Forest answered, “I would have tried to save those punks and kept you from doing something you would have regretted.”

“You would have killed me,” Sakura said, her voice sounding hollow even to her. Not that I would blame her.

“No, I may have beaten you unconscious, left you with the equivalent of a physic hang over, or drank from you until you passed out, but I wouldn't have killed you,” Forest replied with a slightly lopsided grin. “If you didn't completely own my arse with your magic first.”

Sakura blinked, stared, and then asked, “But why?”

“Because people have bad stuff that happens to them and that leaves a mark that sort of never goes away. They get better, but then they have something that happens to them that makes them think its happening again, except they have the ability to respond with extreme prejudice and do, even though logically they know they don't have to, but they still do,” the blond replied with a shrug before looking down at her stitches.

There was the barest whisper as Sakura took another step closer to the vampire. She asked, “Something like that happen to you?”

“Sort of yes, but I've seen it a lot over the centuries as well. I have this friend who would have gone utterly berserk at those cunts circling you like a pack of dogs and it would have been really messy,” Forest answered, looking up at Sakura again with eyes that were far too old for the face that held them.

Sakura asked, “Why did you come help me anyway? I mean, you said you could sense that I could take care of myself.”

“Being able to act with Deadly Force and wanting to act with Deadly Force are two rather different things. And why act with Deadly Force at all when a few good blows and a bite does the trick and everyone goes home happy. Really happy in the case of that one bloke,” Forest said as her nose scrunched up.

Sakura chuckled at the memory and asked, “Where you meaning to do that?”

“No. It just sort of happens. It's right embarrassing,” the blond said with a shaky laugh before rubbing the back of her neck.

Sakura found herself smiling and replied, “Still, thank you. For saving me.”

“You're welcome,” Forest replied with a smile of her own, “And thank you for bringing me here. I'm really not fond of sewers, despite what popular culture likes to say about vampires. Hyper keen senses and poo water don't mix.”

“I know, Lancer complains a lot about stuff like that,” Sakura said with another chuckle.

Forest moved her coat to the side and said, “You can sit down if you want. I won't bite you.”

Sakura blinked at the invitation and sank close to the vampire. She sat on her knees and said, “Still, not everyone would be so inclined to act like you did.”

“Well, not everyone goes around patrolling to keep the forces of evil at bay either. I'm a bit daft like that,” the other woman replied with a shrug.

Heat filled Sakura's cheeks and she replied, “So is my boyfriend actually. He wanted to save everyone not too long ago.”

“The problem with that is not everyone deserves to be saved,” Forest said before jerking the needle through the worn leather.

Sakura smiled and said, “Maybe you're not as daft as you think you are.”

“I'll argue about that before I get distracted by something shiny,” Forest said with a tiny grin.

Sakura chuckled and replied, “I don't think it's that bad.”

“Something shinny and pretty and I'm pretty much gone,” Forest said as her grin grew into a smile, flashing even white teeth. Sakura noticed that Eloise and her troop had small fangs at all times, and Lancer and Rider's canines were pronounced in their sharpness, but the vampire before her grew fangs when she fed. Or rather her canines lengthened and sharpened to fangs when she needed them too. It's kind of fascinating, having a being from an entirely different dimension with a different set of rules here.

Sakura grinned and said, “Then don't look too closely at Lancer's earrings.”

"Looking too closely at Lancer's a bloody problem altogether," Forest muttered as she quickly looked down.

Sakura had to smile at the sight of the vampire sheepishly looking away as if she was blushing, but no color crossed those fair cheeks. She replied, "He's not exactly my type."

"Well, think of it this way, I grew up hearing stories about him. I wanted to be like him. He was like my childhood hero. It would be like you meeting Sailor Moon or something," Forest said with a sigh, "And yes, he's bloody gorgeous. And taken. All the good ones are taken. Or gay. Your beau is also too adorable for words."

Heat filled Sakura's cheeks and she found herself smiling as she asked, "You think Sempai's cute?"

"Poppet, that boy is beyond cute. Then again I have a fondness for well built redheads and he's a good guy to boot," Forest said before rolling her eyes.

Sakura found her smile stretching her face at the sheer joy that a supernatural creature found Sempai cute and Sempai didn't even notice her other than she was someone who needed help. Well after he asked if he could get something to eat when he thought she was starved. She almost chuckled at the memory and shook her head.

Forest said, "You hold tight to that one. Men like him don't come around that often."

"I wasn't planning on letting him go," Sakura replied with a smile before tilting her head thoughtfully.

After a moment she asked, "What about Archer?"

"The big brooding man with the stick shoved so far up his arse he's probably tasting his breakfast?" Forest asked before jabbing the duster with the needle as her face twisted in a snarl.

Sakura raised her eyebrows and said, "He's not that bad."

"I wanted to punch him," Forest said with narrowed eyes.

The violet haired girl chuckled at that, shook her head, and replied, "I think he wanted you to." Because Archer is tsundere. Very tsundere. And he likes strong willed women. If he starts teasing and taunting like that right after meeting someone new, then he either doesn't know how to handle her or he likes her. Or maybe a combination of both. Forest would be a foreign and new element for him. Someone who he has no base knowledge from his past to handle. Someone who isn't some bizarre sort of deja vu for him.

"Man seems to be getting over a death wish," Forest said with a sigh, "Has a giant chip on his shoulder and it's easier to get angry than to do anything constructive."

Sakura eyed her and said, "You're partially right. Archer has a very . . . troubled existence."

"Archer is a troubled existence," Forest said with narrowed eyes and a scowl.

Sakura smiled and said, "Maybe he's someone who needs help."

"Now you're not playing fair," Forest said with one gracefully raised eyebrow. She then sighed and said, "He's burned out. I know that look. Seen it far too often myself. He's burned out and lost, struggling to find his place in this crazy world. Which I can sympathize. Doesn't make me want to punch him less though."

Maybe Forest is a little tsundere too.

[Elf]

Reckless Heroics

“What the sodding hell is wrong with you? Are you just that much of an idiot or you want to die so badly that you’ll partake in failures that are so epic to get the job done because you don’t have the stones to eat a bullet?”

Archer blinked at the furious blond glaring at him, looking into fever bright indigo eyes and blood splattered pale skin. Pain radiated through his left side in sharp spikes, but he could breathe fairly easy so he assumed he was just bruised with nothing broken. His eyes narrowed as he folded his arms across his chest and replied, “Maybe I should ask you the same damned question. Or maybe you’re a masochist who enjoys getting a rebar pipe shoved through the chest?”

Forest’s eyes widened, she blinked, then scowled again and replied, “I regenerate and you and Lancer don’t. That was just a minor inconvenience if anything anyway.”

Not if you’re there to watch it happening, and then watch as small hands grab the metal and then yank it out in a spray of blood. He frowned at the memory as the sight of the previous fight with some steampunk magecraft monstrosity. No matter what damage they inflicted on it, the metal monster healed in an array of sparks, grinding gear, and plate metal. Despite its hulking size, the thing was damn fast and reinforced with a skill that most modern magi couldn’t touch.

One tiny slip had almost cost Archer his regained life, and Forest had taken the hit that had been meant for him. He could have dodged it, and it wasn’t as if he had frozen, but there had been that one split second thought. That thought to simply let go. He had fought long enough, fought with nothing really gained, and there was no real reason why he should stay in this world.

Except that Ilya wanted me to, he thought while surprising the urge to sigh.

She was watching him, a tiny frown on her face, and he wondered if she was reading his mind. He knew fully well that she had the talent to do so, but she had also said that when she was wearing his tail and mantle his mind was completely silent to her. She had a confused, upset look on her face when she had told him that, as if she couldn’t decide if it was a good or a bad thing to not be able to hear his thoughts.

He considered it a good thing. After all, his mind was a dark place to be. It was as if he was going through the motions in this second life. Lancer wanted to save him, wanted to make Archer relish the second chance of life (and potentially love because Lancer was stupidly romantic in his own way) as Lancer had. Sakura and Rin wanted him happy and alive, and he got the feeling he was the father figure they never really got to have. Which sort of disturbed him considering what he would have done in London if Luvia hadn’t had somehow made some sort of move first.

“Then you proceeded to beat that thing with the piece of metal that it just stabbed you with,” Archer said with a shake of his head.

Forest frowned and said, “And what the hell was I suppose to do? I have a really powerful pistol with absolutely no bullets and since this is Japan and not my world I don’t have the resources to get more made. Lancer has Gae Bolgat his beck and call and you pull swords repeatedly that can blow up from thin air. So I had to use something.”

“Because trying to kick and punch it was so obviously working,” Archer said with a shake of her head.

Her eyes narrowed at him again as she took a step towards him. He didn’t back away as she poked him right in the chest. “That mechanical monstrosity could have hurt people. I just couldn’t let it Hulk out in public,” she replied.

Archer shrugged and said, “It wasn’t your responsibility. You just said this wasn’t your world.”

“But I’m still here,” Forest said with her hands on her hips, “And I’m not just going to stand there with my thumb up my arse while I can do something.”

He eyed her and said, “Even if that something was getting in the way? With Lancer and my abilities, even as a vampire, you’re sort of a liability.”

“I could kick your ass right here, right now,” she said before slamming her hand on the kitchen table with enough force to make it jump.

Archer smiled at that, some perverse part of him enjoying how much he was needling this supposedly ancient creature. He leaned forward, close enough that he could smell the faint traces of orange and lavender that clung to her skin and hair, close enough that he knew she could feel his body heat, and close enough that his nose was almost brushing against her hair. He closed his eyes and whispered to her, “I’d pay to see you try.”

Then suddenly he was stumbling back, his arms spinning to right himself, and a sharp sizzle like something burning filled the air. A smell like burnt bacon caught his attention and he opened his eyes to see Forest’s hand smoking slightly as she was glaring at him with glowing red eyes. The blond was so tense she was all but trembling as her pinkened hand curled into a fist. Her lips were redder and slightly swollen, and when she opened her mouth he could see the delicate curve of fangs.

She said, “You’d pay dearly.”

He slid the red mantle off of his shoulders, carefully folded it and laid it upon the table. Next the heavy cloth of the tail around his waist followed suit before he stood there stripped of his holy cloth. Bare hands were extended as Archer spread his arms with a slight smirk. “I’ll even let you have the first blow,” he said before moving away from the kitchen table.