"Oh, but you look so thirsty! What will satisfy you tonight, fair night bird?"
Wynn smiled at the woman holding her hand, straightening up slightly. The contact was pleasant, perhaps even more so. Wynn replied in kind by resting her other hand on the one grasping hers, gently rubbing her thumb on the top of her wrist.
"Your observation is astute," Wynn replied, "I am quite parched. Perchance, do you have absinthe, briar dear?"
If she knows how to properly serve absinthe, I will be insanely pleased, Wynn thought, giving the briar's hand a tiny, friendly squeeze.
******
Lancer frowned as Rider approached, not at Rider herself, but at the situation. Then Jack, looking like utter shit, came along as well. Both Servant and blood sucker were perplexed, and poor Millie decided to just flash herself at that moment.
It was understandable. There was Ruu's remains and Jack was a mess of paste and bones sticking out from him. The stick made some comment but patted her back. Lancer knelt beside her and pulled her hair back as she emptied her stomach.
"Easy now," he said soothingly.
Then Jack threw up as well, the stench of blood and rancid whiskey strong enough to make Lancer's nose burn. He didn't gag at the stench, but his nose did curl up at it. Once the vampire was finished, he said, "And I don't give a shit, at the moment. Any blood. Anything at all. I'm in serious pain over here."
Lancer cocked his eyebrows at the vampire and said, "What, wasn't my Landlady offering you her vein good enough for ya?"
He was about to add something else when the sound of movement caught his ear. Then the howl of challenge rang out and he stepped out into the early morning air. He looked at Rider and said, "Look lively love, we've got company."
Then with a smirk, he charged off to face the the skeleton warriors with a loud bellow of his own, Gae Bolg materializing in his hands.
******
So, you thought I was responsible for all the vampire here and hurting the world, Forest thought to herself as she continued to get her answers. He blamed her for the Earth's pain and decided she needed to die or something. Which was outright ridiculous; for Lord and Lady's sake she still worshiped The Morrigan regularly and had one of the most Green compounds in the city. She might not have been an active Druid, but she respected the Earth like any Druid born Celt.
Then Lucas attempted to overwhelm her with all the pain and sensory overload that he'd been given since arriving. It would have worked on a lesser telepath, but Forest was use to that trick. In fact, she had mastered it back when she had been alive. If anything it just broke on her black tourmaline-like mental defenses as he continued to wail in protest. The sound was almost deafening, but she continued, getting her answers.
He hadn't killed Isa and Shuya.
However his presence triggered what did.
DiE ALoNe aND UnlOvEd!
I think not, Tom's mental voice reached her.
Forest disconnected as Lucas and Satoshi holding him, were hoisted up into the air. Aloud she snorted to Lucas, "Been there and done that. Try to be just a little more original in your curses, okay?"
She noticed that Rin and her dark paramour entered the scene as well as well as Archer and Hakuno.
Poor Hakuno looked white as a sheet and barely on her feet. Rin herself didn't look any better, so Forest bet they were now aware of Isa's death. She gave the girls a sad look as Tom sent out, [We need to pin him to the wall like he was before. The swords weakened him because of the iron in them, is there anyone here that can produce swords out of thin air just like Shirou could?
"I can. Stand back, I'll pin up your fae for you." The non-asshole version of Archer stepped up. The cute one that had been wearing the bondage gear earlier.
"Like shooting fish in a barrel," Archer muttered to himself. "Not my cup of tea, but... It looks like there's not much choice here."
With that, Archer produced a pair of swords out of thin air, and threw them at Lucas' shoulders, pinning him there.
Off to the side, Rin quietly snuck over to where the darkened Archer stood.
Forest eyed Satoshi and asked, "Now why the fuck did you heal him? If you give me some bullshite answer involving morality and kindness I will knock your sodding teeth in."
******
"We need to make sure that idiot over there doesn't mess things up again," Rin whispered, low enough so only Archer could hear. "Knowing what I've seen of him so far, it wouldn't shock me if he did."
Archer nodded at his lover and said, "Well, he does seem violently retarded."
Then Forest made her point and he had to smile. "Well, Apostle-chan's taking it into her own hands, however . . ."
He walked up to the Fae and said, "Pinning him up by his shoulders is going to cause a lot of stress there and it might rip him free. Considering his insane healing factor we should stabilize his weight so that doesn't happen, freeing him to regenerate."
Hands held out to his sides he imagined the seven pieces in his mind. Then he combined the seven pieces into the one composite and said, "Trace On." Durandal appeared in his right hand and El Sid in his right. He pivoted in a graceful movement, imbedding Durandal in Lucas' left leg and El Sid in his right, further pinning him to the wall. He took a step away from the pinned Earthbound.
He said, "And if he becomes a problem again, I can just set those swords to explode."
******
Gabriel pulled Angel out of the Shadows in front of Godmother's compound to see pandemonium reigning. Considering his Godmother it wasn't entirely surprising, however these rejects from a Ray Harryhousen film were vexing. Luckily, Angel was fast and extremely good with that sword.
"Are we really fighting skeleton men?" the vampire asked, his face transforming again.
Gabriel's eyes narrowed as he saw the girl with the camera. He said, "Hold that thought, if you please." He then stepped into the Shadows and walked to the vampire girl. He emerged so he was in front of her, a smile on his face.
He looked directly into the camera and asked, "Now, is this on?"