Cross Effects 3.0 - October 21, 2015—June 23, 2016

[Elf]

Forest

“I said stop.”  Forest fell still at Kenzo's words.  Then he said to her, “Forest, I am not helpless. I said it was fine, so please stop treating me like a kid who can’t take care of himself. There’s a thin line between being nice and being condescending and you are crossing it.”

Then he turned to the girl and said, “As for you, Kurosawa, stop it. I'm sorry for unsettling you earlier, but we don’t want to fight anyone, so you can stand there with those two pals of yours doing nothing like an annoying idiot or you can leave. If you follow the road, you shouldn’t get lost, killed or eaten. Alternatively, you can come in eat with us and rest. If you’re lost, its not like you’ll have anywhere to stay for a while. Either way, I don't really care."

He turned and then headed inside the house.

Forest sighed, held out the hand she hadn't mutilated and said, "Look, we got off on the wrong foot.  I'm Forest.  If you want to come in side, I can pull a map out on my phone that'll give you some sort of point of reference to this place.  Just the signal out here sucks the almighty."

[SINIB]

Sakura

“You should just carry us both, it’ll be faster.” Sakura said. “Carrying us shouldn’t be difficult for you at all, right?”

[Elf]

Rin

"Wouldn't it be awkward though? Super strength or not, she still only has two arms.  Unless one of us rode piggy back which would be . . . interesting," Rin said with a tilt of her head.

"And besides, would it be awful for us to walk back?"

[SINIB]

Sakura

"Bu-but I want to get back as fast as possible so I can… you know… I'm sure Rider can handle it."

[Cherry Lover]

Shirou and Sakura

Sakura glared at Shirou, dumbfounded at the stupidity of his comment. Shirou, for a moment, wondered what the problem was, until he heard Irisviel's response. As soon as he did, he frowned deeply, and looked down to the floor, feeling utterly awful for being so insensitive.

"I..I'm sorry", he said, clearly extremely contrite.

He paused for a few moments, and then spoke some more.

"Are you O.... Sorry, sorry, sorry", he said, catching his stupidity this time.

"Shirou, please, just stop talking", Sakura said, rebuking him for his stupidity.

Sakura wasn't angry with him, as such. After all, he was only trying to help. She was more disappointed and annoyed at his stupidity. As a mother, she knew how it would feel if she was told her child was dead, even an alternate version, and she certainly sympathised with Irisviel's plight.

However, despite her sympathy, she had no idea how to react. How do you comfort someone who just learnt that their child was dead? Instead, she simply approached Irisviel, offering to take the woman into a comforting hug if she desired.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Vanguard

Vanguard turned as a newcomer walked up to them and spoke. An unfamiliar face concealed in a mask, an odd limping sight. As if he would be fooled by such a cheap act, however...

If that stranger meddled in such a fashion, he ought be either a particular individual or a fool with a death wish. Either way, it was clear this was just an act to get closer to him. Any savant or scholar with a shred of competence would be intrigued by his sight, it was something Vanguard expected.

Very well, he would play that game. However, he would have to deduct points from Noriko once this was done. Her loudness and lack of subtility could, after all, cause issues. Not that he was any better himself, he admitted. With that, he turned to the masked man and spoke.

"Intruding in a conversation like that, quite audacious I must say. At the very least, you seem enthusiastic enough. However, the least you could do after butting in so rudely is to present yourself." Je said with an equally absent tone, if not utterly uncaring.

[yinsukin]

Relius Clover

Much to his intrigue, it was not the girl who spoke up first, but the armor.  Still, the way he spoke contradicted his eagerness to speak.  Relius turned around, slowly looking up at the towering armor.  He moved his head steadily so he had time to examine the sturdiness of the armor but fast enough to be subtle.  Once his eyes landed on what looked like the head, he formed a response.

"Yes of course, where are my manners?"  Relius responded, bowing as best as he could with crutches. "My name is Relius clover, a scholar researching the nature of the city.  I apologize but it sounded like an intellectually arousing conversation. And well, my achilles heel is my curiosity."  He said politely, his voice booming as theatrically as a pompous theater enthusiast playing a crippled man.

Then, he looked around the emporium, pretending to think.  "It couldn't have been anything too exclusive if you are congregating here yes?"  He added, with a bit of whimsy.

[Cherry Lover]

Rider

Rider was about to respond to Sakura's question when Rin spoke up in response, seemingly uncomfortable with the idea of Rider carrying them both. Whilst she could, of course, carry both Sakura and Rin with no difficulty whatsoever, she wasn't sure if she could do it in a way that was comfortable and safe, especially given how she moved. And, given how far away the house was, Rin did have a point, there really wasn't any reason not to walk.

However, just as Rider was about to point this out, Sakura spoke once more.

"Bu-but I want to get back as fast as possible so I can… you know… I'm sure Rider can handle it", she said.

A curious look came over Rider's face on hearing her words.

Can what? she thought.

It was obviously something Sakura wanted to do fairly urgently and, given that the only thing at the house of real importance to her was Shirou, it likely involved him.

Hmm, I guess she must be horny..., Rider reasoned, somewhat uncertainly. After all, what else could she want with such urgency?
 
Still, even if it was just that, if Sakura was this desperate to get back, then Rider would gladly accomodate her.

"Yes, I can handle it. I'll get you back home so you can do.. that.. with Shirou as soon as I can", she said with a slightly amused smile.

"So, how would you like me to carry you?" she asked, readying herself to pick them up once they agreed between theirselves how best to travel.

[SINIB]

Forest

“I said stop.”  Forest fell still at Kenzo's words.  Then he said to her, “Forest, I am not helpless. I said it was fine, so please stop treating me like a kid who can’t take care of himself. There’s a thin line between being nice and being condescending and you are crossing it.”

Then he turned to the girl and said, “As for you, Kurosawa, stop it. I'm sorry for unsettling you earlier, but we don’t want to fight anyone, so you can stand there with those two pals of yours doing nothing like an annoying idiot or you can leave. If you follow the road, you shouldn’t get lost, killed or eaten. Alternatively, you can come in eat with us and rest. If you’re lost, its not like you’ll have anywhere to stay for a while. Either way, I don't really care."

He turned and then headed inside the house.

Forest sighed, held out the hand she hadn't mutilated and said, "Look, we got off on the wrong foot.  I'm Forest.  If you want to come in side, I can pull a map out on my phone that'll give you some sort of point of reference to this place.  Just the signal out here sucks the almighty."

Oka

Oka looked at this insane woman with a look of incredulousness that surpassed description. Why in the world would she go into a house in the middle of the woods with a bunch of crazy and dangerous lunatics? Actually how retarded is this woman to think I'm this much of a moron? Oka wondered. She loved a good adventure, sure, but this? This?

"No, I think I'll pass, thanks." She said with a smile before turning tail and running away as fast as she could with her running shoes.

[Kat]

Rikuyo

The priest escaped, and Rikuyo pursued his trail, now untransformed. She had to conserve her strength for the moment when she could find him and stomp his head into the ground. However, she eventually lost track of him.

When the flashy spectacle involving fake suns happened, she was too distracted by hunger to care. She did loot a strange box that kept everything freezing for food, but fighting only made her hungry again. And there was no food around. Maybe there would be some wild game in outskirts, she wondered. So she made her way into local mountainous area, in search of anything that she could kill and eat. Or a passerby she could bully into sharing food with her.

While exploring the forest growing in the shade of local mountains, she stumbled on a middle sized cottage, steam coming from behind the building implying it could be hot-springs. Where there were hot-springs, there could be food. So naturally she would bother anyone inside. After all, there were lights on.

The doors were shut, but no closed. Naive guys. Why anyone would not keep doors closed in a middle of wilderness? Not that some doors would stop her. Looking around for any signs of food, Rikuyo went in without any invitation.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Sakagami Kenzo

Finally, the two had entered in his domain. His sweet, sweet home. Well, it wasn't really his. That was a huge waste of his time, one that he bitterly regretted. At the very least, he hoped she and her wormy would be fine, but it wasn't really his problem. Still, it was a waste. She seemed interesting, he would've liked to share a meal with her two. Looks like it would be a slightly more lonely twosome after all-

Weird, the two had entered, and yet he heard the door open again. Naturally, he turned around and ended up before an odd sight. A girl, without a single wound or bruise on her body. Normally, he would't be concerned if it wasn't for her torn clothes. Perhaps she was a yokai as well.

Looking at her carefully, he waved hi lazily before laying his hand on his waist. Then, a puzzled look grew on his face and he spoke.

"Never seen ya around here before. What's up?" He said before giving her a friendly grin.

[Kat]

Rikuyo

The man with red spiky hair whose face was covered in blood greeted her. He smelled of iron and smoke, which made her think of roasted meat. Forest dwelling cannibals luring in travelers. And she even could smell a human corpse somewhere in the cottage. Normal person would try to get away as fast as possible. But she didn't give a slightest fuck about that.

"Yo, spikey haired dude. Got some grub?" Hopefully something different than long pork. Killing fellow humans in a fight was something she didn't care about much, but eating them felt a bit awkward for her. A self respecting hunter should prey on other species for food rather than eat its fellows. "I know you are hiding some, you won't fool me. Just bring me some fresh food."

[Elf]

Forest

Forest was quiet as she entered the cottage with Kenzo, fiddling slightly with the cuff of her sleeve.  She absently noted she should redo her nails again; the metallic purple was starting to flake off in parts.  Maybe gunmetal this time.  Or blue. 

She hoped that the girl with her creatures wouldn't do something stupid and walk off the path.  It was easier gaining someone's trust after blowing off the face of a werewolf that was about to ravage and eat them.  She'd forgotten how hard it was to deal with mortals, even in a place like Nexus.  Most people you show them super natural and they run screaming the other way.  Even alive Forest had been at least on the edges of the supernatural; her cousin could heal with a mere touch and Forest herself could hear thoughts.

Maybe I am crazy, she thought as suddenly someone else burst into the cabin.  She headed to the front to see if it was trouble or just something else that was going to go horribly wrong.

Kenzo, still bloody, said, "Never seen ya around here before. What's up?"

Forest peered at the newcomer as she said, "Yo, spikey haired dude. Got some grub?  I know you are hiding some, you won't fool me. Just bring me some fresh food."

"Geeze a please might be nice," Forest grumbled to herself.  She looked at Kenzo.  It was his house, his rules. If he wanted to bring this girl food then that was up to him.


Rin


"Ah, yes so you can get that super precious item back to Shirou so he can give it back to you," Rin said with a chuckle.  It was a rather backwards proposal, but from what she'd seen of this Sakura, she wasn't exactly surprised.

"And then you can show it off and celebrate and people can toast the couple," Rin said.  She looked at Rider and explained, "Sakura wants to get back to Shirou, but probably not for the reason you're thinking.  Well, that would come later, right Sakura?"

[The Man With All The Cute Boats]

In a moment, the world around Ragna changed.

Used to the sensation, he took a quick look around, to see he was now on a skyscraper. The city was made for ants, or some such, as the metaphor went. On the skyscraper itself, however, were two other familiar people; Rachel, who'd appeared there with him, and Noel, who was a short distance away, Behind some person, or something that looked like a person.

They both seemed to face the strange sun, which expelled a few balls of light, which quickly focused into beams and blasted towards them.

In an instant, Ragna understood the situation. In that instant, Noel had pulled up up a barrier and he realized he couldn't really help her. Not, at least, on the front she was facing. The sun being evil would be retarded, therefore...

Ragna took a few steps forward and yelled out to Noel.

"Hey! Hey Noel, you idiot! Where's the guy controlling that bright ball of shit!?"

[Kat]

Rikuyo

What her keen senses recognized as a human corpse just walked in and talked. And scolded her for her lack of manners. She didn't feel repentant at all, better to blunt than indirect. And so she pointed out something to the red haired man. "Oi, a ghost possessed the body you kept there. Is it some haunted place, dude?"

She knew that the priest couldn't be hiding here, so she didn't make a move to smash the talking cadaver apart. But what sort of cannibal would let the food walk around? He must have been another kind of weirdo. Maybe he liked them cold but not too rotten? She didn't smell of rot, but like a freshly dead body after all. 

Noriko

It looked like someone had been eavesdropping on them. How careless on her part. She got too lax, using such low key magic to fool mundanes around and talk in open. But it probably didn't matter if she was sloppy or not, such a trick wouldn't fool a man like him, or so she felt.

"Good evening, Mr. Clover." she greeted him back, eavesdropper or not, it was still in good manners to do so. "I understand you have grasp of the topics we brought up? Or are you curious because you don't deal with the undead often?"