Cross Effects- The RP

[Elf]

Lancer relaxed somewhat and said, "The place we ordered from is really fantastic."  He frowned and added, "But no matter how much I offer to pay them, they still won't bring their brews.  They have this one, gods, it's . . . It has to be brewed by Brigid herself.  Just amazing."

He shook his head and said, "Are ya sure you want to pay?  We ordered a lot.  Fore has cashed stashed for me in case I need it."

******

"T-tom, Tom," she cried out between kisses, holding on to him as tightly as she could. 

Each thrust propelled her higher and higher, the tension deeper than before.  She felt herself clinch around him, tiny little sporadic movements she couldn't control as she rode him.  A strange bit of light headedness was washing over her,  and the rest of her felt that tense-yet-weightlessness feeling that had over come her many times tonight.  Yet it was different.  Deeper somehow in a way she couldn't put into words.

She tried to fight it, not fall so easily, but her nerves were tingling, each movement inside of her and on her skin artfully bringing her to the breaking point.  Her rocking became faster, less controlled as she held onto him.  He was so hot inside of her, and thick and long and her thrusts became more and more frantic.  Tiny gasps and cries were being forced from her lips as the weightless tension began to close in on her more and more, her head spinning with the feeling of it.

Then once again, she felt herself be pulled into the undertow, shattering yet again.

Her cries became a loud scream as she arched hard, muscles tense as her inner walls greedily collapsed around her lover.  She clung onto him, her body helpless as she shuddered in bliss.  Ripples of ecstasy rang out from her core and through out her entire body.  Everything was lost to her, except the feeling of Tom inside of her and around her, and her body's complete and utter surrender to him.

******

"I think your hopes are going to be dashed, Rin," Archer said with a sigh as they headed towards the kitchen.

He let Rin's hand go as he saw what looked like to be an older version of Rin.  She was still beautiful, but there were a few lines around her aquamarine eyes and mouth.  He looked at his Rin and whispered, "You might want to stay here."

Then he heard Lancer say, "Are ya sure you want to pay?  We ordered a lot.  Fore has cashed stashed for me in case I need it."

That's my cue, the corrupted Servant thought with a smirk as he walked into the kitchen.

"So, you're freeloading off your vampire then?  Well, at least this master is a lot more attractive than your last one," Archer said as he frowned at the mixture of what look like swamp water on the stove.

Lancer glared and said, "Bugger off."

"What's this?" Archer said, gesturing to the questionable mixture on the stove, "Someone deiced to boil swamp water for drinking?"

"Bugger, it's Millie's tea," the Celt said, grabbing a mug and a strainer, "It'll help with her headache.  Can't do anything about the prana drain in her condition, but after some sleep she'll do better."

Archer smirked and replied, "I thought someone with your reputation would know all about prana restoration."

"Unlike you, I'm not going to take a girl when she's helpless and ill," Lancer replied, crimson eyes narrowed, "Arse."

[lantzblades]

Rin took a deep breathe. "ok now, you" she pointed at Lancer "stop the swearing there's children present, do one better and stop this fight before it starts and I'll get my brother in law to send over a crate of beer." she added.

turning to Kiyoshi she smiled "Ok kiddo, do me a favor and take Connor and Taiga out of here, it's about to get crowded with stuff."

she then turn turned to the darkened version of her former servant and current husband. " this" she motioned to his face and eyes "how and are you ok with it?" she asked peeking into the mostly empty fridge.

"And yes Lancer I'll pay, I'll expense it when I get back home" she finished awaiting Archer and Lancer's replies.

[Elf]

"I'm not censoring my fucking language just because there's kids present.  Hell, the little ankle biters have already heard worse and this one," he pointed at Kiyoshi, "Has already cut a guy up."  He gave the redheaded boy a little salute at that.

"So, I don't think my fucking language is a fucking problem," Lancer replied before putting a strainer into a mug and pouring the "swamp water" into it. 

Archer smirked and said, "Don't worry Rin, we're not going to start a fight indoors.  Lancer's 'Landlady's' leash is too tight for that."

"Fuck off you cheating asshole," Lancer said extending his middle finger as he threw the contents of the strainer into the trash.

He gestured at his face, mirroring her movements and asked, "What?  You don't appreciate my new body art?  That version of your little sister had to work so hard to get it to take, but then again, that's just something else on her extensive lists of sins."

[Alice]

Rin nodded and watched her lover/former (or perhaps even current, depending on one's point of view) Servant walk into the kitchen. It was probably a good idea, because she didn't like the looks of this older version of herself. Something felt... off.

And it seemed her fears were validated, because she could still hear what was being said, and Rin was already beginning to dislike her supposed older self. Must be from his world... she thought to herself.

Rubbing her temples, and knowing full well she may well have to break up a fight between two Servants soon enough, she walked in and turned to Lancer. "I'll go ahead and pay for the pizzas. I owe Forest that much for letting me stay here."

She heard what the Darkened Archer said about her sister and frowned. So Sakura must have never been freed from Angra Manyu's control then, not in his world anyway. That's the only explanation.

She walked over and gave Archer an overly pleasant smile, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze. The me from Satoshi's world must be pretty unstable, from what her daughter was like. Time for a distraction. "Archer, do you mind making the two of us some tea? I could definitely use some, I haven't had a chance to just sit down and relax with a cup all day. Something good, but strong, I want a cup of it to be sent up to Mille too when Lancer delivers his, with my regards." She looked at Lancer's concoction and wrinkled her nose a bit. "I think she'll want something to wash down Lancer's medicinal tea with."

***

Ryoko had gotten little sleep, she knew that much. Her sleep had been restless, and in spite of the whiskey, the shouting that now came from below yet again had made it short lived. Thankfully the effects of the alcohol hadn't quite worn off yet, so no hangover at least yet, but she still wasn't feeling that great, regardless.

She was about to go back to sleep when she realized something. ...Crap, the pizza! Even if she couldn't pay for it herself, she still needed to leave the money down there.

The magus found the trip down the stairs a bit of a treacherous one due to her somewhat drunken state, but she managed. She rushed her way to the kitchen.

"Lancer, wait! I forgot to give you the pizza money!"

Money in hand, she was about to hand it over to the Irishman when she froze mid-step. Even drunk as she was, the lovely girl in the red t-shirt and slacks, the tall, handsome man with the signs of Angra Manyu's taint painted on his body... Mom... Dad... She stood there speechless, the money still firmly in hand.

Rin turned in the direction of the shout and found herself similarly speechless. Wait... no way, it can't be....

Mother and daughter stared at each other in shock. And then both were unconscious.

[YOLF]

A streak of white light dashed through the night sky of Nexus City. To any regular person looking up, it would've looked just like that. But to him, a winged white animal being ridden by someone or something was distinguishable. He didn't understand the sight, and it almost felt like an illusion or trick of the light to him, but he could definitely still recognize that.

His gloved hands clenched tighter around the newspaper he had looked up from. Then he sighed with an unnecessary breath. He let go of the paper pages with one hand and lifted it to his forehead, rubbing softly over one eyebrow, as if expecting a migraine. He didn't have one, of course. The dead didn't have headaches. Not physically, at least.

But if psychological migraines existed, Maximillian Achterberg was certainly feeling one coming.

He stopped rubbing his skull to just bend forward, place his elbow on his leg, and support his head with the back of his fist. He forgot he was reading the newspaper to begin with and his other hand's grip on it loosened. He then (uselessly) tried to organize his thoughts.

Just the other night, Max had been incautious and fed a little too heavily from a drunk thug who looked entirely too uncoordinated to walk even before he sank his fangs into him. As a Kindred, he wasn't that used to feeling the drink hit him. At least not as heavily as it did. So the end result was that he stumbled into a ditch, and decided to just sink into the ground and pass his daysleep there.

And then Max had awoken in some place he didn't recognize, but that was definitely not Berlin, nor in Germany for one. He later learned, over the course of two nights, that this town was called Nexus City, was in the USA but no one knew in which state, Euros were accepted as currency for whatever reason, and it was a place where private companies ran most of everything.

Oh, and as he found out from snooping around, the supernatural was common knowledge but willfully ignored, an inconclusive bloodbath that made front page had actually been a werewolf slaughter, and there was a group of vampires running something behind the scenes and in actual control of a great deal of things in town.

After discovering all that, there was a moment where he actually wished all of this was just a crazy torpor dream. He would've honestly welcomed it at that point. But the world decided to brutally dash Max's hopes this very night by allowing him to witness what was apparently some kind of mystical flying being and its rider. He brought his peaked cap down to cover his eyes with another sigh.

'How weirder can this get?' he mentally asked himself with a shake of his head.

Smoothing down his trench coat and dark grey uniform, he got up, folded his newspaper and stuffed it into a pocket. He smoothed back his dirty blonde hair before readjusting his peaked cap and looked up to the skyline. Max knew it was no use to be restricted by his logic right now. So the best thing he could do, was to put it to some use and proceed as he normally would.

He began to walk away from the park, preparing to dive back into Nexus City and uncover its secrets.

[Alice]

"T-tom, Tom," she cried out between kisses, holding on to him as tightly as she could. 

Each thrust propelled her higher and higher, the tension deeper than before.  She felt herself clinch around him, tiny little sporadic movements she couldn't control as she rode him.  A strange bit of light headedness was washing over her,  and the rest of her felt that tense-yet-weightlessness feeling that had over come her many times tonight.  Yet it was different.  Deeper somehow in a way she couldn't put into words.

She tried to fight it, not fall so easily, but her nerves were tingling, each movement inside of her and on her skin artfully bringing her to the breaking point.  Her rocking became faster, less controlled as she held onto him.  He was so hot inside of her, and thick and long and her thrusts became more and more frantic.  Tiny gasps and cries were being forced from her lips as the weightless tension began to close in on her more and more, her head spinning with the feeling of it.

Then once again, she felt herself be pulled into the undertow, shattering yet again.

Her cries became a loud scream as she arched hard, muscles tense as her inner walls greedily collapsed around her lover.  She clung onto him, her body helpless as she shuddered in bliss.  Ripples of ecstasy rang out from her core and through out her entire body.  Everything was lost to her, except the feeling of Tom inside of her and around her, and her body's complete and utter surrender to him.

Tom's movements remained in synch with Forest's, even as she lost control, even as he himself was starting to completely lose control. He felt like he could barely feel his body, only aware of the thrusts and rocking and her body against his and the tightness around him that held him like a vice. If he had made any sound of his own in his euphoria, he did not know, because all he knew was how gloriously high he was, his length feeling harder and harder by the minute until he thought he would explode.

She screamed in ecstasy, and as she shattered, so too did he. He cried out as he experienced sweet release, awareness of all else except her and his presence inside her vanishing into the ether.

Consciousness slowly returned to him, and he looked past her shoulder to look at the two of them joined. Inside him the beast howled its triumph- his conquering had been absolute. His arms enveloped her torso, his lips gently brushing her neck before his head rested lightly on her shoulder. A dark smile crossed his lips from the beast within him assuring him that she was now indeed completely and utterly his.

[Cherry Lover]

Kiyoshi nodded.

“I understand that you want to be safe, but please don't leave, Aunty Rin”, he said with a smile. “And, thanks for paying for the pizza, I wouldn't want to disturb Ryoko-nee.”

Then, he turned to Taiga, a frown on his face.

“Are you sure you don't want any food?” he asked. “You can't have eaten for hours.”

Kiyoshi stood and listened as Lancer spoke up, before an odd-looking man entered. He looked a little like Kiyoshi's father, but his face had weird red lines that looked rather similar to the lines in his swords.

Kiyoshi listened as the man bickered with Lancer. He couldn't help but laugh at his description of the horrible-looking liquid that was apparently tea.

Well, I guess tea isn't native to Ireland, so I can't really blame him, he thought.

Then, his Aunty Rin spoke up. Kiyoshi nodded at her request to take Taiga and Connor out of the room. However, before he could turn to Taiga and ask her to come with him, he heard Lancer speak.

"I'm not censoring my fucking language just because there's kids present.  Hell, the little ankle biters have already heard worse and this one has already cut a guy up”, he said, pointing at Kiyoshi and saluting.

“So, I don't think my fucking language is a fucking problem".

Kiyoshi looked at the man, unsure of what to say. He did not share Lancer's enthusiasm for pointless violence, and did not see his statement about “cutting a guy up” as a complement.

“Well, of course I know all those words, I'm not deaf. Mummy would go mad if she heard you using them in front of me, though. And, I don't hurt people for fun, I only did it to protect my family and friends”, he said.

Then, though, the Darkened Archer spoke up.

"What?  You don't appreciate my new body art?  That version of your little sister had to work so hard to get it to take, but then again, that's just something else on her extensive lists of sins”, he said.

Kiyoshi glared at him angrily, and then looked at Rin, who had asked about the lines, making it clear that he expected a response from her too.

How dare he insult mummy like that? he thought, considering whether or not he should summon up his swords in response to the insult.

Before he could say anything, though, the younger version of his Aunt walked into the room and, smiling at the idiot who had insulted his mother, took his hand.

What? Why is she holding his hand after he just said that?, Kiyoshi thought, angrily.

She spoke to Archer, asking him to make tea. When she was finished, though, Kiyoshi finally spoke, the anger and hurt clear in his voice.

“Don't dare talk about my mother like that. She's kind, loving and caring, she would never hurt anyone”, he said, shouting at the darkened servant.

Then he turned to the younger Rin.

“Did you not hear what he said about mummy?” Kiyoshi said angrily. “He insulted her like that and then you hold his hand and smile at him? What is wron...”

Suddenly, though, a cry of "Lancer, wait! I forgot to give you the pizza money!" interrupted his tirade, followed by thump as Ryoko and Rin both collapsed to the floor.

“Ryoko-nee? Aunty Rin? Are you OK?” he said, concerned, as he ran towards them.

[lantzblades]

Rin sighed "Kiyoshi calm down, they just fainted and Archer is going through the stage one process of his condition, it's called silent outrage. He's not moved to stage two yet so he's still prone to snapping on about it. Don't go off and make his condition worse by drawing attention to it."

she paused "you two boys hurry up and find a place to lay down those two and it would be best to do so separately if this is any indication. And everyone out of the kitchen, we seriously don't have the room for how much I'm bringing in. And let the kid keep her money, I'm paying."

she then paused again and smile "hurry now, and Archer, if you have it in you, I would very much like tea and your view on what has occurred"

[Arch-Magos Winter]

*JACK*

I noticed the big flying animal incoming towards the compound while floating upwards on a thermal. In the distance, towards the downtown, the Beast rose its hackles, smoke and fire visible. Far enough away not to set me off, but close enough to put my teeth on edge metaphorically speaking. Brianna and my office lay at least out of the firestorm, but down there, it must be a nightmare for any kindred living above ground.

If the fires raised the hackles of the Beast, so did the incoming animal and Rider. The stench of blood clung to both as they flew towards the building I just left.

I could not, in good conscience, let Forest be blindsided by this arrival, especially considering how I'd left her at a disadvantage. At least Lancer should know. Pulling an immelman turn (in bird form no less) I swooped down towards the compound, and back through the open window as fast as I could, shifting back and smashing into the table as I arrived.

Vampires being eerily graceful is bullshit.

*RAUL*

Raul sipped from a bottle of hotsauce as he regarded the group of Lizardmen that surrounded him. They were unlike the Reptilians he knew of, less humanoid facially, more like an actual reptile.

Oh, and they had swords. That was different as well.

Hissing, one swung at him with a sword... far too slow. Raul was already out of the way, elbow swinging up to crush a windpipe, as another lizardman wiffed his attempted stab only to run into his fellows blade. Raul, with an eerie grace, plucked the screaming lizardman's dropped blade out of the air and running him through with it before turning to its now rather less confident fellows. The sound of the first lizardman convulsing to death as its choking attempts to breath started to splutter out underscored Raul's smiling words. "Sorry. If you weren't the cause of all this slaughter, you might have lived longer."

Blood and screams from the alley of quite a different variety from those of the surrounding neighborhood.

Search and destroy. That's what Raul was made to do. The hunt was on.

[Elf]

“Don't dare talk about my mother like that. She's kind, loving and caring, she would never hurt anyone," Kiyoshi shouted, his voice raising over the clamor.

D. Archer raised his eyebrows at the kid before smirking, leaning forward ever so slightly.  "So you're her kid then?  If I was able to, I'd pity you.  Your mother has a darkness to her, kid.  I know because she put it in me."

"Archer, do you mind making the two of us some tea? I could definitely use some, I haven't had a chance to just sit down and relax with a cup all day. Something good, but strong, I want a cup of it to be sent up to Mille too when Lancer delivers his, with my regards." She looked at Lancer's concoction and wrinkled her nose a bit. "I think she'll want something to wash down Lancer's medicinal tea with."

Archer smiled as Rin took his hand and gave it a little, "Please don't get into a fight with Lancer right here or provoke him anymore," squeeze.  He looked at Lancer's swamp water and said, "That would not be a problem.  Hopefully Lancer's Landlady has something palatable."

"It's medicinal, it's not suppose to taste good," Lancer said with a scowl, "For Dana's sake, it has willow bark in it."

"Lancer, wait! I forgot to give you the pizza money!"

Lancer grinned and said, "Ah, thanks Ryoko . . ."

Before he finished, "Mother" and "daughter's" matching aquamarine eyes made contact with each other.  Archer blinked, surprised at how the young woman's features were a perfect mix of Rin's and . . . his.  Complete with coppery red hair.  Then both young women fainted dead away.

Archer reacted, lunging forward to make sure that Rin didn't hit the floor.  Lancer had done the same, cradling the redheaded girl in one arm and his cup of swamp water in the other.  Both men frowned at each other as they rose to their full heights, cradling their precious cargo.

Archer frowned and asked, "How the hell did making eye contact . . ."

Lancer smirked and asked, "What, can't recognize your own daughter?

"I don't have a daughter, even though it would be plausible.  I do have a physical body now so my semen may be valid now," the corrupted Servant said thoughtfully as he realized that he had unprotected sex with Rin.  The corrupted part of him rejoiced at the memory, the part that was still Emiya Shirou was starting to freak because he and Rin could have conceived tonight.

He kissed his Rin's forehead and said, "I'll make her comfortable, but I don't want to leave her side."

Then a giant crow crashed into the table and Archer stared at it. 

Lancer blinked and said, "Jack, you know you really shouldn't be here."

******

Forest moaned at the rush of warmth that spilled into her with each pulse of Tom's release.  She leaned into him, holding onto him as he lost himself as well.  His arms crept around her waist and she felt him smile against her shoulder.

She snuggled into his embrace and stroked his hair and back, kissing the side of his face.  Languidness filled her body as she bathed in the afterglow, smiling in contentment.  Movement would have been impossible at this point, so she just held him.

Besides, she didn't know what to say either.  Yeah, I doubt saying, "I didn't know it could be like this!" would really be apt.  Especially with someone I barely know . . . Even though I like what I've seen so far.  And, it didn't hurt, she thought in wonderment.

[Arch-Magos Winter]

I shifted back into human in time to do a dignified faceplant into the table.

"Fuck you on that one, the bitch is the truly uninvited guest here. I've got news. Probably bad." I paused, noticing the two unconcious women on the floor in front of me. The hell was that about? "...I'm not sure what's going on so I'll make this quick. There's some woman smelling like blood and riding some crazy ass thing coming towards the place."

Giving a fanged grin to the standing woman in red, I snarked at her, "Miss me Satan Bitch?"

[Alice]

A sound not unlike a TV being turned on was in Rin's ears as consciousness returned to her. A buzz filled her ears as she forced her eyes open, almost a watery sound, as Archer's face came into view. Well, sort of, it was turned away from her, looking at something. The way his features came into focus was unnatural, and everything seemed overly bright and maybe just a touch fuzzy.

"Ugh... A-Archer? What happened?"

***

Forest moaned at the rush of warmth that spilled into her with each pulse of Tom's release.  She leaned into him, holding onto him as he lost himself as well.  His arms crept around her waist and she felt him smile against her shoulder.

She snuggled into his embrace and stroked his hair and back, kissing the side of his face.  Languidness filled her body as she bathed in the afterglow, smiling in contentment.  Movement would have been impossible at this point, so she just held him.

Besides, she didn't know what to say either.  Yeah, I doubt saying, "I didn't know it could be like this!" would really be apt.  Especially with someone I barely know . . . Even though I like what I've seen so far.  And, it didn't hurt, she thought in wonderment.

Tom sighed in his contentment, enjoying Forest's fingers in his hair, her body held so tightly in his arms, the soft kiss on his cheek. Had he been in his true form, he would have been purring.

He heard her thought and laughed against her shoulder, the predator still active enough in him to give him that sort of confidence. He hadn't laughed in genuine, joyful amusement in so long, it made him nearly giddy.

Honestly, I didn't know either. Though then, this is only my second time, and my only other time's been upstairs with you. But I think I rather have to agree with you, I'm rather liking what I've experienced so far. And... He found himself blushing, and was for a moment glad that his face was still buried into her neck. E-even if we haven't known each other that long... To be perfectly honest, I'm glad it was with you.

[Elf]

Archer watched as the crow morphed, rather painfully with some unusual crunching noises, into a swarthy, dark complected man.  Said man looked at the elder Rin and said, "Fuck you on that one, the bitch is the truly uninvited guest here. I've got news. Probably bad." He then paused, noticing the two unconcious women on the floor in front of him. "...I'm not sure what's going on so I'll make this quick. There's some woman smelling like blood and riding some crazy ass thing coming towards the place."

Giving a fanged grin to the standing woman in red, he snarked at her, "Miss me Satan Bitch?"

At the sight of the fangs being bared to Rin, even though she wasn't his Rin, put Archer on edge.  Considering the shapeshifting he'd just witnessed, this newcomer wasn't some adorable Friendly Neighborhood Vampire like Lancer's Landlady was.  If his hands hadn't been full of his Rin, his blades would have been out right about now.

Instead Archer said, "It would be 'Satan Bitch-sama', Apostle.  And that woman on her way is just Rider.  She's not a threat unless you're a school girl with delicious blood, but I bet that's something you know about isn't it?"

Then he felt a stirring in his arms and saw a familiar pair of aquamarine eyes slowly open.

"Ugh... A-Archer? What happened?"

Archer answered, "You fainted.  Gave me a bit of a scare."  Not caring who saw, he gently kissed her forehead.  Then he looked at the other Rin and said, "I'm sure you have a theory, care to share it?"

Lancer sighed and shook his head.

******

Tom laughed against her shoulder and Forest blinked, frowning at him slightly.  Then she remembered that he was just as telepathic as she was, and she was probably projecting to him.  She felt the lightness in his laugh, the surprised joy of it and she giggled in return.

Honestly, I didn't know either. Though then, this is only my second time, and my only other time's been upstairs with you. But I think I rather have to agree with you, I'm rather liking what I've experienced so far. And... His face was warm against her neck, she realized he was probably blushing and stroked his hair and back more. E-even if we haven't known each other that long... To be perfectly honest, I'm glad it was with you.

She blinked at that and found herself blushing as well.  She moved back so she could look him in the eye and ask, Really?  You are?  Even though you were tricked into it and everything?

[Arch-Magos Winter]

Archer watched as the crow morphed, rather painfully with some unusual crunching noises, into a swarthy, dark complected man.  Said man looked at the elder Rin and said, "Fuck you on that one, the bitch is the truly uninvited guest here. I've got news. Probably bad." He then paused, noticing the two unconcious women on the floor in front of him. "...I'm not sure what's going on so I'll make this quick. There's some woman smelling like blood and riding some crazy ass thing coming towards the place."

Giving a fanged grin to the standing woman in red, he snarked at her, "Miss me Satan Bitch?"

At the sight of the fangs being bared to Rin, even though she wasn't his Rin, put Archer on edge.  Considering the shapeshifting he'd just witnessed, this newcomer wasn't some adorable Friendly Neighborhood Vampire like Lancer's Landlady was.  If his hands hadn't been full of his Rin, his blades would have been out right about now.

Instead Archer said, "It would be 'Satan Bitch-sama', Apostle.  And that woman on her way is just Rider.  She's not a threat unless you're a school girl with delicious blood, but I bet that's something you know about isn't it?"

Then he felt a stirring in his arms and saw a familiar pair of aquamarine eyes slowly open.

"Ugh... A-Archer? What happened?"

Archer answered, "You fainted.  Gave me a bit of a scare."  Not caring who saw, he gently kissed her forehead.  Then he looked at the other Rin and said, "I'm sure you have a theory, care to share it?"

Lancer sighed and shook his head.

I frowned, pulling myself off the table and grabbing a washcloth and turning on the sink. As the cloth soaked up cold water, I spoke up again. "No clue what you just said friend,  but I'm no Apostle. Whatever that is. Besides, schoolgirls aren't my type. I think I'll be having a talk with this Rider then..."

Tossing the cloth to Lancer, I pointed out Ryoko. "Help her out will you? I think your friend will try to beat me to final death if I get close to her."

I realized my mistake once I noticed Lancer holding a cup of... something as well. Something hot. Shit.

[Alice]

Archer answered, "You fainted.  Gave me a bit of a scare."  Not caring who saw, he gently kissed her forehead.

Still disoriented, Rin blushed from the kiss, but frowned a bit regardless. "I... I did? But what made me..." She noticed him start talking to someone else and she leaned back in Archer's arms, still trying to get her bearings.

***

She blinked at that and found herself blushing as well.  She moved back so she could look him in the eye and ask, Really?  You are?  Even though you were tricked into it and everything?

Violet clashed with indigo as their eyes met. He did not shy away from her gaze in the slightest as he nodded. I was not happy about being tricked, no, but... well, in spite of all that, I don't regret my time with you, not in the slightest. I may still be somewhat displeased with Ryoko for deceiving me like she did, but... well, if it weren't for her doing so I never would have... His eyes widened a little in surprise. Do you think... Do you think this was Ryoko's intention all along?