Cross Effects 3.0 - June 23, 2016—April 02, 2018

[Kotomine_Rin]

Vanguard

Vanguard met her piercing gaze with one of his own. The only places that came to mind were Relius's base and her's. Either was undesirable in their own way, but especially her. The possibility of being witnessed in such a pathetic state by her was simply inconceivable, he would not allow it.

"I would have given the order if I knew it. I have nowhere to return to, so why does it matter?" He asked in a bitterly blunt tone.  He was silent for a bit, but he finally overcame the hesitation. How deplorable, to ask such a thing.

"Perhaps I would be able to rest in your home a bit."

[Thedoctor]

William

She responded back through her own powers, intruiging, intruiging indeed.  "Oh really, I have needs for someone with your kind of power. What is your name?" He sounded far more demanding this time, the facade of politeness was gone. He looked at expactantly, his aura coming to the surface.

[Umbra of Chaos]

Erica

What a foolish person she was carrying. Did he truly hesitate and become so moody over such a meaningless thing? She remembered to sigh. Her acting coach told her to do such a thing in social situations to show her irritation. "That is acceptable. You will remain there until you have been repaired."

The Mantle spread out into wings once more and Erica took flight once more. She swirled and spun through the air as she carried her package for a little while until she arrived at an unassuming residence. Then she unlocked it to reveal a startlingly bare home. It contained the bare essentials of life. As if something that was completely self sufficient faked at humanity. There was a chair sitting in an empty room and some appliances in the kitchen, but that was all.

Erica had started walking now that she had gotten a bit deeper into the house. There she opened the door to her room, and the dissonance from the other rooms was incredibly distinct. The walls and ceiling were plastered with works of art. All of them of one girl. Small statues had been carved and sat on furniture with the same color scheme as Her. Dolls and plushies filled the boxes on the floor and under the bed, and another set of them rested along the pillow.

With a small grimace Erica plucked up each of them and dropped them into the open hand of the Claw before depositing her burden onto the bed.


Lucy

That just managed to make her look a bit happier. "Ah, how forward. To ask a lady her name without giving your own first. No matter." One by one the Messengers slipped back under her skin. Every one of them hiding in the sea of her broiling soul, just waiting for a reason to emerge again.

"I am Lucy."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Vanguard

Vanguard was almost surprised by the sheer austerity of the construct's home. It was quite simple, almost rudimentary, the sort of playhouse fitting for a doll. Actually, he had seen it coming a mile away.

What he did not see coming was the interior of her room. He would be lying if he said he had never seen anything quite like it, but the sheer ridiculousness of it all combined with the individual in question he was dealing with was... amusing. Truth be told, he was impressed with the neatness and organization of this shrine dedicated to a single being, whoever it was. Such dedication was something he could acknowledge as admirable, even for something as perverse as this. So this was her hobby...

As he was laid on the bed, Vanguard could feel something hard yet squishy under his weight. He glanced around to examine this little world of Erica's, then focused on the mystery under the bedsheets. What he found was nothing more than ordinary, just a doll like the countless ones that had littered her bedroom. The idea that a doll would play with other dolls was truly an amusing one, he couldn't help but chuckle.

Lying on the bed comfortably, he lifted the plush up so he could have a clear view, treating it like some sort of sacred relic of the past and examining every nook and cranny. Truly, how intriguing, the grand mystery had finally been unraveled.

"What a fascinating object." He said in a snide, lighthearted tone. "I might just keep it."

[Panda]

Michael

"Hmph. You are right about the result," Michael said with a bemused chuckle, "But the path there would have been one of five. There would have been some entertainment in seeing which one we ended up following, but I can understand your boredom."

The immortal sat there for a moment, giving the antler-headed girl a quick look over just to have something to do before deciding to say something more.

"If we're being so candid with each other, I must admit that I'm a little impressed," he continued, "You managed reach something that required years in a matter of months. I'm curious now, what is it like to truly fake something?"

[Thedoctor]

William

"It is only proper that you obey your new master, Lucy. I am William Hightower, greatest mage in the Nexus and you will do well to remember that." He spoke out loud this time, commanding her with his deep voice. "Of course I am not a cruel master. I will grant you anything you desire if you fulfill my expectations. That is however if you do manage to fulfill them."

[Umbra of Chaos]

Erica

A dark look suddenly crossed Erica's face at the idea. Her hand reached out towards to toy to remove it from his hand as her Claws gently placed the rest of them inside one of the empty boxes. "No. You won't."


Oren

"Bleh." She stuck out her tongue. Maybe Stick Man just didn't get it. If it was five paths or one it didn't really matter. The point of being is that you think you can do anything, be anything! That each day has a point because you chose it to be and that it ended that way because of your choice. If you realized that what you did didn't matter in the end then why play at all?

Oren did perk up a bit at the other question. "You think about it wrong, Stick Man! I bet you think of faking like acting. Faking isn't about pretending; it's about creation and destruction. I destroy the old me and become something else. When I'm copying you I destroy 'Oren'. Then become the action itself."


Lucy

Oh my. This was all kinds of exciting. He even managed to remind her of, well, herself. Perhaps a bit stern but a generous ruler. So long as her servants did as she willed them to. This wouldn't be so bad. Well, not unless he was a liar, but there were ways around that. "Very well, master. What is it you desire? Your loyal servant will do all she can to aid you in achieving whatever it is that you wish for."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Vanguard

Vanguard gasped at her sudden reaction and despaired as Erica tore the plushie away from him. He looked incredulous, stunned. This was as furthest away from his persona as heaven and earth, but even for a while, he didn't mind playing a bit like this. The way the once emotionless, dignified construct reacted like this for the sake of a mere object was almost fun.

 Leering at her, he folded his arms and pouted.  "Life. Is simply unfair." He said in a theatrical, falsely melodramatic fashion. Then, he dropped down backwards on the bed once more and looked up. He wouldn't be surprised if that woman's face suddenly burst from the ceiling at this point.

Good grief, women were truly a difficult thing, and a woman's wrath was the last place he wanted to be in.

"So, is ogling at perverted replicas all you do in your spare time?" He asked her casually, still lying on the bed like a half beaten log, minus the half.

[Umbra of Chaos]

Erica

The construct hugged the plush close to her. Then she looked over it, meticulously checking every spot for damage. Seeing that there was none she gently placed ot with the others and shut the lid. "They are not perverse. I do not have such feelings. There are only specific circumstances in which I would attempt to feel such thing. And they are made to represent the attributes of the person theh were modeled after. There is nothing twisted about them."

[Panda]

Michael

"Hm. Seems rather inefficient from where I'm standing," the immortal said after taking a few moments to consider what Oren said, "Why destroy yourself entirely when you can simply draw upon your experiences to fit whatever role you wish to play? Then again, having enough time to have tried almost everything doesn't seem like it would the norm."

All the same, Michael found himself wondering about it. In his innumerable years, had he ever truly destroyed himself? It seemed unlikely. No matter what role he may have played, there was always something of him in there. Perhaps he'd even taken pride in that at one time. At the fact that no matter what guise he took, it was always still him under the mask. That it would always be Michael, and no one else, no matter how little of him showed in the mask itself.

"No, that doesn't seem like something I could do," Michael said, shaking his head with a chuckle, "Besides, I don't really see the point. If I want to fake something, that would be something that I want to do. But what would be the point if I destroy myself in doing so?"

[Kotomine_Rin]

Shipguard

"Sure. Foolish little Erica, I wasn't born yesterday, were you aware?" He rolled across the bed and laid flat on his belly, dangling his legs excitably. Aaah, the foolish joys of youth. It was quite enviable, this sort of eccentricity reminded him untroubled times. It was sad, but he was glad that he had someone to remind him such foolish thoughts for once.

"Besides, there is nothing twisted about love, it's actually quite cute. Can you really tell me you never imagined this, to hold her tight across her chest, to  have tour slender neck kissed over and over again, to have your silky blue hair stroked lovingly by the one who stole your heart. Fufufu...  If such a wish is to be impure, then perhaps we ought corrupt the whole world." He said teasingly.

[Umbra of Chaos]

Oren

Blah, blah, blah. Stick Man was talking about dumb things again. How could someone so old be so... well maybe it was because he was old. Stagnant, empty head in the end. Just like those old people at retirement homes!

"You're not a very smart man, Stick Man. Faking isn't about efficiency. If you want to be something else then anything that's 'you' is worthless. If you faked you wouldn't be the role. You would just be Stick Man playing a role. There's no point!"

[Umbra of Chaos]

Erica

She paused for a moment. Erica never blushed, not unless she willed it. So she didn't do so now. That still didn't help with the momentary distraction that the images had called for.

The blue haired girl exhaled sharply. Almost unconsciously. "It was not a matter of physical desire. Not for me. It would merely by evidence on Her part that she loved me, but I do not require that. Words would be more than I need, and the opportunity to love her is enough for me."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Vanguard

"Really..." He said halfheartedly, not paying his tone much mind. But that answer, he didn't approve of it. Suddenly, he turned serious.

"Then what if she dies tomorrow? A love unfulfilled, a dance unfinished, would you be able to bear with this regret for all eternity? Only an idiot would throw away his small happiness to settle for scraps, a coward. You would deny yourself your true feelings, only to cower under her effigies? Disgusting!"

[Panda]

Michael

"Hmph. Perhaps," Michael said after a few moments, "Though if that's the case, then I don't think faking something so completely is something I would like to try."

With that, the immortal stretched his arms up, taking a few moments to work out some minor aches before they got worse.

"In any case," he continued, "You never did answer my first question. So what's it like to become a role entirely? Or perhaps the end result of your charade is the thing that makes it worthwhile, rather than the becoming itself."