Cross Effects > Cross Effects 1.0 Archive
Cross Effects- The RP
lantzblades:
"about time Bruce, did Alfred forget to fuel up the batmobile again?" Satoshi laughed. turning away from the reference he waited out the minor tirade the two women were on until it finished and collected himself as his thoughts came together.
"my name proper is Satoshi Alexander Emiya Pendragon. I am the prince of knights, king of heroes, heir to the house Einzbern and the dragon. The second of my titles was earned defeating Gilgamesh and stripping him of such. Emiya Shirou is my father and my mother is Arturia Pendragon the king of knights, most know her as king Arthur, history got the male part wrong because Merlin used magic. And no, Rider usually thinks about any current book she's reading. As for my world every one is alive, I would give a full list but that would take too long for the current situation but my grandfather and your master are very much among them as well as Rin there being the head of the mage association. As to the issue here I'm afraid your outrage is a little misplaced. While killing innocent people is wrong tactically speaking it was Shirous only choice, I say this because I'm well aware of what happens to a person drained by vampirisms cold touch, both in the case of your method Rider as your sisters attacked me and by the standard vampire means. Also please keep something in mind Forest, you are a western vampire, the eastern ones are much more horrific when you are drained by them, you can become a zombie, ghoul or even another vampire but eastern vampires have little in the way of self control due to their bodies constantly deterioration leaving them in agony. It's not a thing I would wish on any one , Shirou did what he thought was right and given that I understand what it is to be powerless I can't blame him for picking the option with the best odds of survival and spare a victim torturous pains. Also Rider you'll have to accept that worlds like his counter balance yours and mine, cosmically speaking you cannot blame him for the hand of fate. More importantly though is the fact that he sugar coated it which says that he thinks what he does is at it's basic level wrong. This means he isn't completely gone and I think you of all people should see the merits of a second chance" his small speech finished he waited for those who would protest.
OPOI:
"And, to top it off, you have the gall to twist the truth to try to turn her servant on the very person who saved her. The only person here who ever had any designs on her life is you. All I wanted was to take a bit of her prana, I had no intention of killing the poor girl. Whilst you're obviously from a world very different to my own and I can't work out who your mother could possibly be, you're still Shirou's son, and you seem to have your head screwed on right unlike that idiot over there. If you need help in 'punching the stupid' out of him, I'll be more than happy to join you."
"Yeah, the reasonable thing to do would have been to attack the fucking monsters, not the victim! Buuuutttt noooo, destroy the food source to keep the monsters from fighting. Good plan, lad, excellent sodding plan."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Once Satoshi's (his son? He never had a son, least of all with Saber: they had maybe been friends, then she was eaten by the Shadow....Sakura) speech ended, Shirou spoke up, intending to clear up his mistake.
"Thank you...Satoshi. If nothing else, I'm glad that you're not another idealistic idiot like I used to be, and can actually try to see the bigger picture. I guess Saber raised you well," Shirou spoke softly as he smiled slightly at the man, thankful for his attempt to help him. His eyes soon turned cold as he faced Forest and Rider, seething internally at how the Servant had effectively manipulated everyone onto her side despite her own fault in the matter, making herself out to be some sort of selfless hero who saved the girl. Already, she had managed to sink her claws into Hakuno and the vampire, both of whom seemed to consider the Servant as their friend. And also a small part of him raged at the no doubt dirty things Rider planned to do to Hakuno and Rin if Forest's blush and remark was any indication. He didn't used to think so, but no matter how tragic the circumstances which had forced her into becoming an anti-hero, it was a role well suited for her.
"Well...I wasn't quite planning on aggravating everyone, so I better explain myself a bit better," he said, carefully noting the expressions of those around him, in particular the anger in Archer, Hakuno and Forest's eyes. Quite righteous anger actually, which is why he was so adamant on talking and not simply walking away like that lunatic Touzaki had. He couldn't quite bear to look at Tohsaka though: his confusion at her continued existence, mixed in with his happiness at her miraculous survival and guilt at having been forced to kill her in the first place, would distract him far too much from what needed to be said.
"First off," he addressed the blond vampire, voice slightly sarcastic, "You said shoot the monsters, not the victim. If that option was available to me, in a way which didn't cause complete collateral damage, we wouldn't be here talking right now. I was not close enough to directly intervene, nor did I have allies whom I could have directed to your location. And, let's be honest, do you really think a mere high-velocity sniper bullet to the head would have stopped you, who had appeared at the time to be a Dead Apostle; and Rider, a full blown Servant capable of moving at speeds beyond most cars and tougher than a stainless steel vault? Well, maybe you, I don't know what you're capable of and what your weaknesses are, but definitely not a Servant. If anything, it might cause one of you to run away with the girl, or feed on her quicker so you could gain enough power to fight off a possible threat. And I wasn't going to leave Hakuno in your hands so you could make her into your Dead slave, or in Rider's hands where she would literally suffer a fate worse than death. So your suggestion is out. Unless you think it would have been a good idea to shoot a Noble Phantasm into an alleyway literally next to the city centre on the off chance that I manage to kill at least one of you. Not that it would have anyway, you would have detected it long before I could fire."
Shirou hesitated, before bowing slightly in appreciation to the vampire, remarking,"I do have to thank you though for delaying Rider, now that I know what your true intentions were. I'm sorry I over-complicated this matter."
Shirou then turned to Rider, who appeared to be ignoring him, instead eyeing Rin like a piece of meat. Her tense posture, which screamed anger in every curve, gave her away though: he could tell she was listening intently to his every word, seeking for some weakness in his argument.
"And you. You have some nerve to lecture me on my choice, to be outraged at my actions. The one who should be outraged is me," he said, his voice trembling slightly in barely repressed anger, "You say I have no sense. That what you're the one responsible for saving Hakuno and thus bears no blame in this matter. How dare you! You were only going to take a little bit of prana? That's bullshit and you know it!"
He walked a little closer to the Servant, eyes steely as he continued his explanation.
"The easiest and quickest choice for you would be to gain prana would have been by eating her soul, leaving her a lifeless shell, capable of only the bare minimum to survive. Don't think I've forgotten what you did to Mitsuzuri. Tohsaka managed to save my friend Ayako from this fate, but even now she's suffering from the side effects. She suffers nightmares of the incident every night, and even if she can't remember what exactly happened, she's developed a phobia to the point that every time she's alone in a dark room, she's overcome with petrifying fear until someone comes to her aid. Or maybe you were going to go the slow way. Maybe, force a tantric ritual with a girl who seemingly had at best, a small untapped pool of prana in her body. Use your eyes to petrify her so she can't resist, or just brute force her onto the ground, then have your way with her until you were satisfied, on the off chance that you somehow gained mana from a schoolgirl who you knew was not a magus. And afterwards, to cover up your tracks, because I know you can't wipe people's memories; you would have no choice but to kill her right there and then or take her away to your lair, where you can do it again and again until she had no more prana left. Is that what you planned to do if the vampire here hadn't stopped you?" Shirou asked, fists clenching at the thought.
"How on earth could I possibly just let you do that? How on earth could I just let a girl suffer either that or the experience of becoming the Dead in attempting to shoot the two of you down with a rifle? Yes, call me a murderer, but if I had absolutely no choice, I would much rather kill someone painlessly than to leave an innocent person to experience such a fate," Shirou growled, his voice rough, anger lacing his every word.
Shirou stopped for a second, taking deep breaths as he forced himself to calm down. He had to keep in control if this situation was going to be settled peacefully. He addressed Rider once again.
"Lastly...and the thing I find most unforgivable. You claim that you had no choice, that you're only trying to get prana to continue protecting a boy who you claim is my son. Well then, out of all the possible secluded alleys, all the possible deserving criminals and so-called scum with reasonable levels of prana you could have picked from, hell just in this nearby area, let alone this vast city...why did you decide to attack a harmless ordinary schoolgirl with small mana reserves who had just walked out of the city centre?" Shirou asked, voice harsh and unforgiving, his silver eyes boring into the Servant's face mask.
Daiki:
--- Quote ---"Uuoruuocon eh? Well that's a bloody mouthful. Let's just call you Ruu for short then. People call me Lancer."
--- End quote ---
The small individual answered to that with a neutral look. "Wolfy Lancer." He then nodded."Uuoruuoc-... Ruu will remember it." He corrected himself just in time
--- Quote ---"Nah, Fore's not my Master. As fond as I am of her, I wouldn't want her my Master even if I was a Servant. She gives me a place to stay, a roof over my head and all the spirits a man could ask for. So, you could say she's more of my Lady, one I dedicate my spear to."
"Even though she destroys every fucking pack of smokes I get, Brigid's Titties."
--- End quote ---
"..."
Ruu noticed the positive change that bloomed on Lancer's face, frowning slightly for himself. He kept silent, envying the man without realizing it.
For a being like him, concepts as simple as friendship, love or any kind of attachment were superfluous. He could experience a variety of feelings but affections and the likes were beyond his understanding. He protected nature and creatures that were unable to defend themselves but it was only applying his purpose, by doing so, as much as he felt the urge to do so, it was only emulation. No real wish existed in him because he was far from being human. Only a tool denied of free will.
Still there was something fascinating which he could only share through his natural empathy ability. The simple warm he felt was something precious, something he wanted to feel again, something he longed for. And this desire translated as a painful memory for him, right now.
The pain would be tenfold that would he extend his sense towards Lancer, that's why he didn't try reading him. Instead, he rubbed his temple in a manner that he hoped would chase away the unfamiliar sensation but nothing happened.
--- Quote ---"Come on, let's go meet her. She can help with your arm."
--- End quote ---
Ruu noticed the arm extended in his direction and blinked. He accepted the hand and got up, and they started moving. His eyes didn't meet the ex-Servant as he wondered why Lancer and the Landlady would consider helping him.
"Why would Landlady want to fix Ruu's arm? It doesn't belong to her." His limited knowledge of social interaction showed up like a beacon, impossible to miss. Even with this confusion in mind, the familiar didn't let go of Lancer's grip. He did accept to follow the man knowing that he could heal by himself. "It can heal by itself." He added clumsily.
----
--- Quote ---"I can't only imagine it, I've lived in such a world. I've seen the very same people revered as heroes for murdering people on the whims of the gods. I've seen 'hero' after 'hero' come seeking out me and my sisters even as we lived in seclusion on our island, just to claim the glory and spoils of defeating us. I killed every single one to protect my sisters, until I eventually turned into a real monster"
--- End quote ---
There had been anger and bitterness in the tone in such a genuine display that it triggered Isabella's guilt.
"I'm sorry, I said something rather insensitive. Didn't mean to remember you of something bad." She said on an apologetic tone.
Her eyes focused on Rider for a bit.
--- Quote ---"I am not a Caster, no, but in my time knowledge of magic was normal even for people who didn't specialise in it. I am no expert, but I can at least teach her the basics."
--- End quote ---
Made sense. Some heroic spirits could be very old, those of the legendary Age of Gods era would have especially extended knowledge of not only magecraft but magic as well. She expected as much.
--- Quote ---"As for my master, well at this precise moment she's either making love to her husband...
--- End quote ---
That, she didn't expect however. Isabella became crimson at the mention of such an act. Not only was she no good at romance stuff, but it was even worse when it was dropped in the middle of a conversation. Turning her gaze on the ground without knowing how to react to that, she listen to what the Servant still had to say.
--- Quote ---"...frantically searching for a way to rescue her son or telling off her sister for screwing up and sending us here in the first place. It depends if they've got word to her yet.
She'll probably find a way to this world eventually, her sister does possess the ability to traverse dimensions, and nothing will stand in the way of her protecting her children.
--- End quote ---
Yes, Rider, as Shirou's son called her, mentioned a child earlier. Apparently, Emiya Shirou was the father, well another Shirou was, and the Master was the mother. What happened to Rider and the kid was kinda similar to what happened to her and Vanessa. Although in their case, it was mostly thanks to her sister's limitless curiosity.
--- Quote ---"But, until she does, I'm without a prana source, and I can't trust anyone else to release me from any contract I might make when she does arrive. And, this place is too dangerous to leave her little boy unprotected. She would never recover if any harm came to him. So, I need prana."
--- End quote ---
Isabella looked at the Servant with a brand new appreciation. She didn't want to steal prana from people, but she had no choice but to resort to it. All came down from the simplest of need. Prana would be an issue for most Servant cut from their link formed through the pact of summoning with their Master. Like Rider said, without a prana supply she would have to repeat this process. Which explained why she was reluctant to fight against the sword freak. She couldn't afford to spent what she had left, without risking to disappear and thus condemning the child to end up alone.
Far from what she initially judged her. The magus bowed slightly.
"I misjudged you, for that, I ask your pardon."
She wanted to add something but Hakuno chose that moment to speak up.
--- Quote ---"Thank you very much, both of you. And thank you for healing me, I appreciate it."
--- End quote ---
The girl seemed to cheer up, something pleasing Isabella.
"That's not much." Answered the fourteen year-old with an impish grin.
--- Quote ---"Isa's a pretty name. It's nice to meet you too! I'm Kishinami Hakuno. Most people just call me Hakuno, but if you have a nickname for me, that's fine too."
--- End quote ---
Isabella smiled strangely at these words.
"Well, thanks. However I'm not sure how I should call you. You're older than me and obviously japanese. So, erm... I'll use Hakuno-san if you don't mind." The black-haired girl added with a grimace. "Though I do not recommend asking for a nickname to my sis."
It would indeed be a bad idea. Her older sister's were so lame after all.
--- Quote ---I'm fine, thanks. I do need a prana supply, though, if you're still offering."
--- End quote ---
Isabella nervously bit on her lip when she heard what Rider said to Forest.
Such a measure wouldn't help in the long term. She thought, peering at the Servant.
With the end of the spell cast on Hakuno, the twin walked.
Last time they stopped before it escalated thanks to Forest intervention. That's why Isabella decided to stand by her side, clearly stating where she stood in that argument. From up close, the italian girl could see the whole extent of the gorgeous woman. Although pale in complexion, she looked genuinely hot. Even as a girl, Isabella had no shame admitting she was impressed, even after interacting with Rider which was also a jewel in her own category. But in spite of her good looks, there was no mistake she was a vampire, and a pretty powerful one, at that.
The magus studied her discreetly. Not a lot people could get that close to a Dead Apostle in her world. Although a vampire, it seemed like the woman standing here was able to keep her soul. The whole idea was strange and a bit destabilizing. How many adventures did she live? What amazing things did she saw? How could be the point of view of an immortal?
"..."
She had tons of questions for her but now was not the right time.
Two people suddenly appeared. The first one, was a tall man with a solid build, gray eyes, white hair somewhat reminiscent of Emiya Shirou. The other, she was surprised to recognize.
"Tohsaka-san!" The girl waved a hand in pattern to salute the superior magus. Even though it had been years they had met, the japanese genius left such a strong impression on the twins that there would be no way they would forget her. "It's been a while." Smiling like a little girl, she could not help fidgeting where she stood.
That's pretty much when Hakuno dashed to the man, efficiently tackling him an affectionate hug. She heard Hakuno's words and Archer's declaration of loyalty and couldn't help but smile even as a bystanders.
"That's pretty cute, don't you thi-...Huh?" She stopped when he saw Forest's face.
A glimpse of sadness appeared for an instant and Isabella understood without words. Loneliness. For someone like the magus, who always had her sister to rely upon, it was difficult to apprehend how alone people could be, especially after becoming... different. Did she have to deal with discrimination all the time? Did she had to stay on the move? Did people despise her because of her nature? How many times did she have to prove her worth? Did she had to bury her lover? Did she see each of her friends wither and disappear? Did she ever found people who understood her? Did she even felt happiness at all? As other thoughts raced through her mind, she felt deep sadness for the woman standing here and tears rolled over her cheeks in a non-stop stream.
In an attempt to show support for Forest, her fingers sealed around the woman's palm in a gentle gesture. Cold feeling transmitted to Isabella but didn't let go.
Something simple, but meaningful. Only an instant, sharing a little of her own warmth in the vain hope it would alleviate the pain. After a moment, she cut the contact while looking down.
With the back of her hand, she wiped her face in order to gather some dignity again. She wasn't that emotive usually, but the overall tension had gotten the best of her
and when she let the guard down, she cried silently for someone she barely knew yet understood enough that Forest felt pain without, maybe, a way to express it.
Of course when Archer walked to Forest, the twin slightly stepping back from the Servant's presence. Then, the guy looked around and let the question he had kept for him until now.
--- Quote ---"Anyone care to tell me what exactly happened here? While I doubt this alleyway was particularly charming to look at to begin with, it looks like an absolute mess now."
--- End quote ---
"I think we shou-...."
She was, however, cut by the voice of the Shirou who had been so quiet, Isabella almost forgot about him.
--- Quote ---"Well...it's a bit hard to explain..."
--- End quote ---
He seemed to search his words.
--- Quote ---"Let's just say your Master was attacked by Rider, then stopped by the vampire over there. I...misinterpreted the situation, and attempted to save her in the most painless and least damaging way from what I perceived to be a bloodthirsty vampire and a soul-eating Servant. Let's just say it snowballed from there..."
--- End quote ---
Isabella sent an alarmed look at Archer, fearing a bold reaction.
"Wait a second it wa-..."
But it seemed she wouldn't have time to speak this time again, Rider jumping immediately in.
--- Quote ---"What do you mean you attempted to save her? You tried to put a bullet in her head. If you were so determined to save her as you claim, why didn't you attack what you percieved as the actual threats, rather than the innocent victim? That's what a real hero would do, what the Shirou I know would have done.
But, no, not you. You didn't even attempt to save the girl, your very first act was to try to put a bullet in her head. Even if we had been what you thought we were she was not going to die immediately. But, you knew that if we did fight there could be massive destruction, and you tried to prevent it in the most efficient way you know, which was to attempt to take out the source of conflict. The fact that that source was a human being didn't seem to factor into your thoughts one bit. She was just a number to you, nothing more.
And, to top it off, you have the gall to twist the truth to try to turn her servant on the very person who saved her. The only person here who ever had any designs on her life is you. All I wanted was to take a bit of her prana, I had no intention of killing the poor girl."
--- End quote ---
Isabella rubbed her temples, at that reaction. While Rider said the truth, she knew it would only serve to aggravate the situation. She walked to Archer, trying to get his attention.
"Please, listen to m-..."
This time, it was Forest who spoke.
--- Quote ---Yeah, the reasonable thing to do would have been to attack the fucking monsters, not the victim! Buuuutttt noooo, destroy the food source to keep the monsters from fighting. Good plan, lad, excellent sodding plan."
--- End quote ---
Fair points were given, in the mean time Rider turned to Shirou's son.
--- Quote ---"Whilst you're obviously from a world very different to my own and I can't work out who your mother could possibly be, you're still Shirou's son, and you seem to have your head screwed on right unlike that idiot over there. If you need help in 'punching the stupid' out of him, I'll be more than happy to join you."
--- End quote ---
"Please everyone, just wai-..."
Forest wasn't finished.
--- Quote ---"Look, I understand your path hasn't been an easy one, possibly with Joss Whedon levels of tragedy and angst, which I know the reference just went right over everyone's heads here, but! Innocent blood isn't something that should be so easily shed. If you're going to be here in my city, then you're going to play by a better set of rules than that grimdark vigilante bull shit."
--- End quote ---
"..."
Who's Joss Whedon? Thought the teenager before shaking her head. Then it was Shirou's son to talk.
--- Quote ---"my name proper is Satoshi Alexander Emiya Pendragon. I am the prince of knights, king of heroes, heir to the house Einzbern and the dragon. The second of my titles was earned defeating Gilgamesh and stripping him of such. Emiya Shirou is my father and my mother is Arturia Pendragon the king of knights, most know her as king Arthur, history got the male part wrong because Merlin used magic. And no, Rider usually thinks about any current book she's reading. As for my world every one is alive, I would give a full list but that would take too long for the current situation but my grandfather and your master are very much among them as well as Rin there being the head of the mage association. As to the issue here I'm afraid your outrage is a little misplaced. While killing innocent people is wrong tactically speaking it was Shirous only choice, I say this because I'm well aware of what happens to a person drained by vampirisms cold touch, both in the case of your method Rider as your sisters attacked me and by the standard vampire means. Also please keep something in mind Forest, you are a western vampire, the eastern ones are much more horrific when you are drained by them, you can become a zombie, ghoul or even another vampire but eastern vampires have little in the way of self control due to their bodies constantly deterioration leaving them in agony. It's not a thing I would wish on any one , Shirou did what he thought was right and given that I understand what it is to be powerless I can't blame him for picking the option with the best odds of survival and spare a victim torturous pains. Also Rider you'll have to accept that worlds like his counter balance yours and mine, cosmically speaking you cannot blame him for the hand of fate. More importantly though is the fact that he sugar coated it which says that he thinks what he does is at it's basic level wrong. This means he isn't completely gone and I think you of all people should see the merits of a second chance" his small speech finished he waited for those who would protest."
--- End quote ---
Well, for someone who didn't talk much until now, he sure gave his opinion.
Shirou chose this time to answer.
--- Quote ---"Thank you...Satoshi. If nothing else, I'm glad that you're not another idealistic idiot like I used to be, and can actually try to see the bigger picture."
--- End quote ---
The smile appeared only briefly. A pause. He looked at Forest.
--- Quote ---"Well...I better explain myself a bit better.
First off, You say shoot the monsters. If I could have, I would have taken it. But, let's be honest, do you really think a bullet to the head would stop you, who had appeared at the time to be a Dead Apostle, and Rider, a full blown Servant? Well, maybe you, I don't know what you're capable of, but definitely not a Servant. If anything, it might cause one of you to run away with the girl, or feed on her quicker so you could gain power quicker, be it prana or blood. And I wasn't going to leave Hakuno in your hands so you could make her into your Dead slave, or in Rider's hands where she would suffer a fate worse than death. So your suggestion is out. Unless you think it would have been a good idea to shoot a Noble Phantasm into an alleyway literally next to the city centre on the off chance that I manage to kill at least one of you."
--- End quote ---
He made some points, explaining himself. His attention shifted to Rider.
--- Quote ---"And you. You have some nerve to lecture me on my choice, to be outraged at my actions. The one who should be outraged is me, you say I have no sense. That what you're the one responsible for saving Hakuno and thus bears no blame in this matter. How dare you! You were only going to take a little bit of prana? That's bullshit and you know it!"
--- End quote ---
His anger raised in a sudden burst as he closed the distance with the purple-haired girl.
--- Quote ---The easiest and quickest choice for you would be to gain prana by eating her soul, leaving her a lifeless shell who can only do her best to breathe. Tohsaka managed to save my friend Ayako from this fate, but even now she's suffering from the side effects. She can't sleep at night, and even if she can't remember what happened, everytime she's alone, she's overcome with petrifying fear until someone comes to her aid. Or maybe you were going to go the slow way. Maybe, a tantric ritual with a girl who seemingly had no magic at all. Maybe use your eyes to petrify her so she can't resist, then have your way with her until you were satisfied, on the off chance that you somehow gained mana from a non-magus. And afterwards, to cover up your tracks, you would have no choice but to kill her or take her away to your lair. Is that what you planned to do if the vampire here hadn't stopped you? How on earth could I possibly just let you do that? Yes, call me a murderer, but if I had absolutely no choice, I would much rather kill to save them from such a fate."
--- End quote ---
He took a second, apparently trying to cool down.
--- Quote ---"Lastly...and the thing I find most unforgivable. You claim that you had no choice, that you're only trying to get prana to continue protecting a boy. Well then, out of all the possible secluded alleys, all the possible criminals and so-called scum you could have picked from...why did you decide to attack a schoolgirl who had just walked out of the city centre?"
--- End quote ---
"..."
Isabella waited to see if he was done. Then, she started to clap her hands in a very loud way as she placed herself between Rider and Shirou in order to avoid another argument. The teenager watched Shirou, then Rider, then Shirou again. When she started to speak up, her voice was low.
"Are we finally done?" She asked calmly. "Because in case you didn't notice, Hakuno-san is safe." She addressed at Rider a glance. "Sure we could spend time pointing fingers about what COULD HAVE HAPPENED." Her voice erupted violently in the alley. "WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM GUYS??? LOOK AT THE VICTIM. She yelled. YEAH, SHE'S SHAKEN BUT STOP TREATING HER LIKE A CHILD, DAMMIT. SHE'S FINE NOW. SO WE CAN EITHER DECIDE WHO'S THE ONE WHO SCREWED THE MOST OR DECIDE TO MOVE ON WITH THIS TOPIC AND TRY TO FIND A SOLUTION IN ORDER TO AVOID SUCH A RESULT TO HAPPEN AGAIN WHICH IS TO PROVIDE A WAY TO SUPPLY RIDER WITH PRANA."
Teary eyes fell on each of the people present.
"What will it be?" She asked still trembling from her outburst.
Alice:
Normally Rin would have had a rather indignant response to Rider's little proposition- not so much at the offer itself as at the insinuation that she needed comforting to begin with. The offer she could potentially work with. Plus there was the matter of Rider's question as well. Normally she would have told Rider without hesitation the answers to her questions. But for now the young Magus didn't respond, but rather continued to focus on her former Servant, watching him carefully. Something told her she would potentially have to intervene soon....
For all that time, Archer stood there, listening to various participants speak of the events that had transpired in varying tones depending on context, mostly anger at each other's actions. But one person's words in particular caught the bowman's attention, affected him more than the words of anyone else who spoke. And the more he heard him speak, the more absolutely livid the Servant became.
It wasn't just that he'd attempted to shoot his Master in cold blood, oh no- while that alone made him particularly hostile towards this twisted version of his past self, what pushed Archer over the limit was everything involved with his attempt to shoot Hakuno. His reasoning, his justifications... everything about it made the silver haired man's blood boil.
As much as he wasn't pleased with Rider's attempt to drain his Master of her Prana, at least he could see why. Did he really like it? No, but he could see it. Plus, she'd saved Hakuno's life, and given her outburst, there was a chance she would not have just left the girl to die. The Servant quite sympathized with the outbursts from the vampire and his fellow Servant really- though if were so bold as to think so, it didn't nearly match the outrage that he himself was feeling...
Archer was about to speak up when he was cut off by the voice of a young girl, now standing between the bastard who called himself Emiya Shirou and Rider.
"Are we finally done? Because in case you didn't notice, Hakuno-san is safe. Sure we could spend time pointing fingers about what COULD HAVE HAPPENED." The girl then started to shout, clearly upset. "WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM GUYS??? LOOK AT THE VICTIM. YEAH, SHE'S SHAKEN BUT STOP TREATING HER LIKE A CHILD, DAMMIT. SHE'S FINE NOW. SO WE CAN EITHER DECIDE WHO'S THE ONE WHO SCREWED THE MOST OR DECIDE TO MOVE ON WITH THIS TOPIC AND TRY TO FIND A SOLUTION IN ORDER TO AVOID SUCH A RESULT TO HAPPEN AGAIN WHICH IS TO PROVIDE A WAY TO SUPPLY RIDER WITH PRANA."
Despite his seething anger, Archer couldn't help but smile a bit at the girl's words. He didn't know this girl very well, but while he potentially took issue with the point that Hakuno was completely fine, he found that he was inclined to like this girl.
Rin certainly liked her, and hoped beyond hope that her fellow magus's outburst would get Archer to calm down some. Plus Isa had given her a rather nice and enthusiastic greeting, and while she distinctly remembered the girl being much younger the last time she saw her, needless to say, seeing someone else from the Association was a bit of a comfort. "I may not be too happy with Emiya-kun myself, but Isa's right. It's over now. So let's just resolve what's left to be resolved and move on with our lives."
Archer looked to Isa and then to Rin. Normally he gladly would have let the matter drop. But this... no, even if he agreed with the two magi, he still had buisness to settle with the man that resembled his past self. "My apologies, to both of you. But..." He looked at Shirou, anger blazing up once more. "He and I need to have a few words."
Rin tensed at this. Even though he was outwardly as calm as usual, in his voice was an undercurrent of rage. Rin frowned as she looked at the target of the Blacksmith Hero's rage. This Shirou's attitude... it was nothing like that of the Emiya-kun she knew. There was no way this could be Archer's past self either. No, even for him, his views were too different. Archer wouldn't be so angry if that were the case.
It didn't take long for Rin to surmise that this place was a sort of crossroads for various dimensions and timelines. This Shirou had to be from an unique timeline. So then... what had happened to turn him into this?
Rin quickly spared a glance at Hakuno, who'd been silent all this time. She seemed to have picked up on the same thing Rin herself had and was looking at her Servant with concern. For some reason, Kishinami-chan had recognized her, even had seemed pleased to see her. While Rin didn't really know the girl, it was safe to assume that she'd be willing to listen to what Rin had to say. She went over by Hakuno's side, looking her in the eyes.
"I'm a bit worried Archer's going to go after that version of Emiya-kun," Rin whispered. "How many Command Seals do you have left?"
Hakuno's eyes widened a bit. "Just one..." the teenager whispered back.
Rin winced. "That's not good... we can't waste your last Command Seal on this, then we really won't have any way to control him." Hesitantly, Rin offered Hakuno her hand. "If it comes to that... will you work with me to stop him?"
Hakuno took Rin's hand in hers, and nodded. With that, the two girls turned back to look at the Servant they both cared for, who was now closer to Shirou.
Satisfied with the distance he had between the target of his hatred and himself, Archer began to speak.
"So then... You thought you'd stop the big bad monsters from feeding on an innocent girl. By doing what, killing her?" A sardonic smile crossed the Servant's lips. "Oh, it'd certainly do the trick. Can't feed on her when she's dead, now can they? Makes it easy." His eyes narrowed, the light behind them like the molten glow from steel being heated in a forge. "You don't have to worry about protecting a corpse. Just kill the monsters, pat yourself on the back and tell yourself it was what you had to do, move on with your life. Done. Certainly nothing can go wrong with that. An angry vampire and Servant, surely you can just lead them back out of the way of any innocent civilians with no problems whatsoever."
More anger creeped into Archer's voice. "But here's the thing. It doesn't work that way. Do you know what the results really would have been had you not missed? What you would have had was a dead girl who got to pay the price for your own goddamn stupidity, with possibly more casualties on top of her! Plus if you're so naive as to think there was a guaranteed chance that you could have survived on your own against those two, guess again! You claim to have thought everything through about your actions, but in reality you didn't consider a damn thing!"
Archer's eyes lowered for a moment, his voice now tinged with bitterness. "I won't say I didn't take lives. My hands are stained with blood, and I regret every death. But what they say is true... you can't save everyone. I tried, oh did I ever try. But I failed. In the end, I had to focus on saving everyone I could, even if it meant someone else had to pay the price." He looked back up, his gaze boring into the grey eyes of the young man before him. "But I always made damn sure that my options were truly that limited. The less unnecessary deaths, the better."
Archer's hands formed themselves into fists. "But you... you think it through carefully, and what's your first solution? Put a bullet through the hostage's brain, that'll solve everything! No, no, even though they wasn't even a god damn fight yet, clearly the situation was so far gone that the innocent victim had to die to resolve it!"
The Servant's voice became dangerous. "You... you claim to act in the name of Justice, in the name of protecting others, and while I lost the faith in my ideals that I once had, even I can see that you are no more than a broken, twisted, pathetic excuse for a human being that claims to be doing the world a favor via your actions." The familiar twin blades materialized in Archer's hands, his voice calm, but even darker than before. "Furthermore... your other sins aside, you attempted to take the life of the girl I've sworn to protect. And then you just write it all off as a 'misunderstanding.' Therefore..."
Archer shifted into a fighting stance. The two girls looked at each other in alarm. Rin looked grimly at the enraged Servant. I let him talk for too long. If we don't stop him now, we may have a whole big mess again. She gave Hakuno a quick look before turning back to the Servant and addressing him sharply. "Archer! You're smarter than this- you have every right to be angry, but killing this twisted version of Emiya-kun will only make things worse!"
Hakuno had gotten Rin's cue and ran towards her Servant. She couldn't use her Command Seal, but, it didn't stop her from appealing to his senses in another way. She grabbed hold of his arm, taking care to avoid the sharp blade. "Archer, please stop! I've had enough of all this fighting!" She looked him in the eyes, firmly holding his gaze. "I'm tired, Archer... I just want to rest. I've been through worse than this but... I've had enough for one night."
Archer's eyes softened a great deal. The twin blades were withdrawn as Archer spoke. "Heh, and here I go priding myself on self control. I don't really regret anything I've said, but the fact that I nearly restarted this whole mess is quite embarrassing. I don't regret my actions enough to feel that I need to apologize, though I have the feeling my master will have me make it up to you ladies in some way, shape or form later, so I wouldn't take it too much to heart."
But Archer turned back to Shirou one last time, his eyes hardening again. "You're lucky this time. Good for you. You're free now to do whatever it is you do. Endanger enough people, and maybe I'll stop you, but otherwise, I'm done with you for now. However...." Once more his eyes narrowed. In spite of the biker jacket and collar, Archer did his best to try to appear as intimidating as possible. "If your plans for 'saving people' involve my Master enduring some form of bodily harm again, I'm going to do the public a service by separating your head from your torso. Is that clear?"
Tension was thick as Archer's last threat remained heavy in the air. In a desperate attempt to try to clear it, Rin turned to Rider. "Ah ha... So you asked me how Sakura is doing, earlier huh? She's doing great! Fantastic even! She and the Emiya-kun from my world are dating even! Called them before I left for this world, and they're doing just fine. As is the version of you that lives there."
Hakuno looked over at Rin, startled. Rin and Sakura... sisters? Is she like the Sakura from the Moon Cell as well? Is that even possible? And there's a Rider where she comes from too? Hakuno couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed- she thought this was the Rin she knew from the Moon Cell. They certainly seemed quite similar. She wasn't too disappointed though. She seemed pretty similar to the Rin she knew, so she hoped that they could strike a friendship between each other just as she'd been able to with the version in the Moon Cell.
Rin continued, her tone still painfully cheerful, but also a touch flustered. "A-and I don't really have any idea why you think I need comforting or a-anything, but I guess I can consider it if I ever need it! Sooo then..."
Rin clapped her hands together. "About that peacekeeping thing! Let's get this all wrapped up then so we can get out of this stupid alley, shall we?" She turned to Forest. "Forest, is it? So you've agreed to provide Rider with Prana? Have you ever done this sort of thing before? I can try to help you with any questions you might have, and even the transfer itself if need be. Even if I haven't been actively involved with what went on here, it'd be irresponsible of me to not offer to help however I can."
Xamusel:
--- Quote from: Daiki on July 24, 2013, 03:14:35 PM ---"Woooooah, fiery, fiery!!" Exclaimed a young girl standing next to Sephiroth. It seemed she did appear out of nowhere to you but it may simply have to do with you being too busy fighting the Zack look-a-like to notice. As she looked with an amused expression the man rolling over the ground in an attempt to extinguish the remnants flames, you can throw her a side glance.
She looks young, a teenager as it seems. Wearing a thin black top, white jeans and a pair of white sneakers. She addresses Sephiroth a genuine smile and you can see her purples eyes meeting yours. She doesn't seem to care in the slightest that you wear an extremely long sword nor that you did cast a fire spell in the middle of the place.
"You know any of these guys, sir?" She asked on a curious tone while pointing her left thumb towards the general direction of the "Enforcers" as they called themselves. "Because they surely don't look like the Enforcers I know."
--- End quote ---
Sephiroth turned his head in the general direction of the Enforcers to see what amounted to high-tech police officers wielding semi-automatic rifles and strange body armor that was of an unfamiliar style to him. Also, near where the back of the formation was, he could see....
'Is that... a TANK?!' Sephiroth thought to himself.
However, before Sephiroth could do anything, Gatou Nonji stood back up painfully, before he himself downed a bottle of liquid that looked suspiciously like an X-Potion to Sephiroth. After finishing the contents of the potion, Gatou drew his sword from behind his back and yelled, "SOLAR STRIKER!!"
Upon yelling that, he jumped really high into the air and landed sword-first in the mass of Enforcers, causing another explosion that erupted from the impact zone to 500 meters away.
Sephiroth, intending to keep the young teenage girl safe, activated his single wing, grabbed onto the girl, and started flying away from the blast radius. Fortunately, the explosion was one of those slower ones, so even Sephiroth could out-fly the blast radius.
Within the blast radius, Gatou began chanting a spell of lightning plasma to rain down on Sephiroth, thinking that he'd be near the blast radius. Upon finishing the chant, lightning plasma shot down from the clouds and...
...missed Sephiroth by a few meters?
XxX
After a few minutes of lightning plasma falling around the city, Sephiroth put the girl down on the ground, before he asked her, "What's your name?"
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