Pine Garden

[Bern]

Amanda

"And then we feast!"

She spun in reverse, repeating a phantom mirage of the familiar song and dance until once more the owner of the house was seated at the table of the feast.

"Come on, I didn't cook all of this so that it would remain uneaten and get cold. You aren't denying your host her most most generously offered meal are you?"

[SINIB]

Emiya

"Well, I'll get the water on the stove.  One thing about Western tea is that you actually don't want the water boiling.  Just steaming with a couple of bubbles in it is good enough.  Too hot and it scorches the leaves," Emiya said as he started to get the tea kettle.

He filled it with filtered water and set it on the stove.

"While I'm getting that ready, why don't you start cutting the chicken?" he said as he gestured to the refrigerator.

Tsumiko

As he turned around to tell her to begin cutting, he saw her already chopping away. "Well, um... I already was..."

She blushed, not sure why she was so synced up with him.

[Elf]

Emiya

Emiya blinked and then smirked at the sight of Tsumiko already preparing the chicken.

"Good, just remember to change out the chopping board before having to cut something else," he said as he turned on the burner.

He nodded to himself and said, "I think we can splurge a bit today, since this will be your first time drinking Western tea.  I'm going to use the loose leaf."

[SINIB]

Emiya

Emiya blinked and then smirked at the sight of Tsumiko already preparing the chicken.

"Good, just remember to change out the chopping board before having to cut something else," he said as he turned on the burner.

He nodded to himself and said, "I think we can splurge a bit today, since this will be your first time drinking Western tea.  I'm going to use the loose leaf."

Tsumiko

Tsumiko seemed to perk up at that. She turned around and a shadow continued cutting the food. She wrapped her arms around Archer's waist and pressed herself against him. "What's that, what's that? Tell me, tell me!"

[Elf]

Emiya

Emiya blinked as Tsumiko wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed against him.

He laughed and said, "It's tea that isn't in a tea bag.  It's fresher and allows more water to flow through the leaves, making a better cup of tea.  Plus, it allows me to show off."

The shocked look on Rin's face when she first tried his tea was always a treasured memory of his.

[SINIB]

Emiya

Emiya blinked as Tsumiko wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed against him.

He laughed and said, "It's tea that isn't in a tea bag.  It's fresher and allows more water to flow through the leaves, making a better cup of tea.  Plus, it allows me to show off."

The shocked look on Rin's face when she first tried his tea was always a treasured memory of his.

Tsumiko

"Consider your off shown." She replied, pressing her face against the back of his neck. "You telling me this feels nostalgic, kinda."

[Elf]

Emiya

His smile felt fragile, even to him.  Nostalgia was something he knew all too well about.  "Well, I'm glad," Emiya said in a soft voice as he patted her arms.

[Aiden]

Amanda

"And then we feast!"

She spun in reverse, repeating a phantom mirage of the familiar song and dance until once more the owner of the house was seated at the table of the feast.

"Come on, I didn't cook all of this so that it would remain uneaten and get cold. You aren't denying your host her most most generously offered meal are you?"

Sage

"..."

Sage's hands were clenching into fists beneath the table, but her face was once more as impassive as a smooth cliff.

Let us not linger long in this place.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Shinji

Air slashed and cleaved the rooftop to bits, sending rock and rubble flying upwards like bullets. A piece of rubble caved in and fell down the church floor.

Revealing the man just relaxing. His expression darkened, the juice spilled due to the shock. The damage was already done.

"Rude."

He didn't seem to be interested in fighting any longer.

[SINIB]

Amanda

"And then we feast!"

She spun in reverse, repeating a phantom mirage of the familiar song and dance until once more the owner of the house was seated at the table of the feast.

"Come on, I didn't cook all of this so that it would remain uneaten and get cold. You aren't denying your host her most most generously offered meal are you?"

Sage

"..."

Sage's hands were clenching into fists beneath the table, but her face was once more as impassive as a smooth cliff.

Let us not linger long in this place.

Eruraviel

In her mind, Sage could feel Eru's presence soothing her, enveloping her with her great intellect and making her feel together with her lover. I need her expertise, Sage. I need to find out what she's seen, and to get her eyes, so I can make her power my own and elevate myself further.

Eru sat down next to Amanda, across from sage, and gave her a look. She began eating the food, keeping an eye on Amanda at all times.

Something had happened that had changed her, and she'd figure out how to gain control of it, like she had everything else in her life.

[YOLF]

Justice
12:30 AM

They left the highway and the smell of smoke behind, but the presence blood still clung to them. They abandoned their original goal, and Punishment's turns took them through tight streets and alleyways on the darker part of Pine Garden, for what passed as the suburbs at the border to the next district. Only once they were hidden between the shadows of unassuming buildings, the skies watched by spectral wings, did they stop.

A translucent crow perched on Justice's glove, and as it dismissed itself in a puff, he turned his eyes to the still-recovering spider.

"Wherever you want to start, feel free," he said. "Did your bosses even want to clear out that murder? Or was it just convenient to make it seem like that?"

[yinsukin]

Shinji

Air slashed and cleaved the rooftop to bits, sending rock and rubble flying upwards like bullets. A piece of rubble caved in and fell down the church floor.

Revealing the man just relaxing. His expression darkened, the juice spilled due to the shock. The damage was already done.

"Rude."

He didn't seem to be interested in fighting any longer.

Entheo

I cannot believe this...

With Gezo gone, Entheo stared at the man.  The guandao dematerialized, Entheo himself sitting down on the ground.  "Tell me about yourself weird zombie man," he said.  "Why are you beating up kids in graveyards?"

[Kotomine_Rin]

Shinji

Somehow, he managed to glower, grunt and sigh all at once.

"Weren't you paying attention? I was sent here to get rid of a monster haunting the graveyard, all paid by the district. Seeing as you're just a snot nosed brat, I decided there's no point to it. But I can't just quit."

He got up like a tired teenager out of his bed, sour and annoyed. "Oh well. Looks like you beat me, so no complaints from my employer."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Justice
12:30 AM

They left the highway and the smell of smoke behind, but the presence blood still clung to them. They abandoned their original goal, and Punishment's turns took them through tight streets and alleyways on the darker part of Pine Garden, for what passed as the suburbs at the border to the next district. Only once they were hidden between the shadows of unassuming buildings, the skies watched by spectral wings, did they stop.

A translucent crow perched on Justice's glove, and as it dismissed itself in a puff, he turned his eyes to the still-recovering spider.

"Wherever you want to start, feel free," he said. "Did your bosses even want to clear out that murder? Or was it just convenient to make it seem like that?"

Spidey

He was dumped on the ground with the grace of a turnip. So much for the hospitality. And worst was... he deserved all of it.

"I can't believe I've gotta spell it out. Well... you're half right I guess."

He stretched, his arm going past his face and over it... and the expression that showed itself was almost completely different.

"Yes, it's true. We've been chosen as the lambs to throw in the slaughterhouse. The fact is, the boss has decided we can't afford the time to wait for a culprit. We've been chosen as the convenient scapegoat to draw the ire of the organization, and as long as it can focus its anger and hatred towards something, it will be too occupied to worry about silly things like infighting.  As far as everyone's concerned... You're the one whodunnit. Which makes us both accomplices. That way, suspicion won't be drawn. Isn't that just convenient?"

He glanced at Suerte, then back at Justice... and then the ground. To make things worse, he had no choice in this, he lacked the freedom to oppose the boss directly. That is why...

"Of course, if you knew that from the getgo, you'd just refuse the job. We still need to find out the real culprit, so your name can be cleared. We just need to find the actual killer while avoiding getting killed ourselves... But I don't want that. Even if after I die, I'll just get rebuilt, I'll still lose my memories. I won't be me anymore. So I was hoping for a different outcome. One even the boss couldn't see coming."

He tilted his head and gave both an innocent expression.

"What if we just killed them first? They're just NPCs, it's not like they matter. As long as we work together, no one has to die."

[yinsukin]

Entheo

Entheo merely chuckled.  "Like I care about any of that," he said, waving his hand in front of his face as if to shoo the thought.  "Life is short.  Well... for most people.  I suppose for you its longer huh?  But even then, there is always a way to die.  C'mon why are you really doing all this?  You can tell me."

Entheo smiled at the lazy man, leaning forward like a child waiting to be told a story.