KING OF THORNS.

Warriors instinct, huh? For some reason that struck her as silly . . It just sounded corny. But she hid the small smile on her face as she made her way back into the kitchen. Once inside, she does some minor clean up before making herself something to eat. Soon walking back out to the couch while balancing the plate on one hand.

She pauses, a somewhat sour expression twisting her visage at his last statement, “ No, this is you. This is how you act without madness enhancement getting in your way. Just because it’s different . . Or because you feel different doesn’t mean it’s not you. ”  She didn’t like it when he compared himself to the other versions. Sure, they were all supposed to be the same person but . . They weren’t. And she knew his thought process . . She didn’t want him to sink back into that, ‘I’m only a corrupt copy,’ mindset. 

Plopping down beside him with a huff, she shoves a large bite of pancake into her mouth, “ . . And, everyone processes things differently. I doubt your thought process and his are all that similar. I’ve gone on missions with him around, you’re really not all that much alike.”

Not as hungry anymore? Well, she’d certainly made enough for seconds . . But that aside, that just meant he felt tired now, right? Perhaps nap time was in order.

“ You can have more if you’re still feeling peckish, that being said . . It shouldn’t hurt to take it easy for a little bit. Given we haven’t had any trouble this far, I doubt we’ll find any unless we go looking for it ourselves.” Now that he was here and safe . . She was in no rush to leave. Strange as that may have sounded coming from her, this place felt comfortable . . And for once they weren’t having to worry about Chaldea in some way, shape, or form.

Giving the top of his head a quick pat, she takes the plate back into the kitchen and takes to making herself something to eat as well.

“I don’t think so. My instincts are telling me that there’s something lurking that’ll make us fight again. A warrior’s instinct is never wrong, but I’m...fine with taking things easy for now. For some reason, I feel oddly peaceful right now.” Coming from a Berserker, and him especially, of all things was so strange...but it was the truth. 

When his head is pat, he pushes himself against her hand briefly.

“ Breakfast. ” And she looks rather proud of it, too. It was . . Interesting watching him investigate the food. What did he think it was? She made it, so it wasn’t like it was going to hurt him . . Had he never seen a pancake before?

Admittedly, she’s a bit surprised seeing how fast he scarfs the food down. But the sight is something she could relate to, she still needed to go make herself a plate. Regardless . . She’d never been scared by any of his points: So, before he manages to use his arm to clean his face off, she places her hand on it and pushes it away. Reaching out with a napkin in her free hand to wipe his face off instead.

“ Well, I’m glad you liked it. ” Smiling, she pulls back once again. Taking the empty plate in her hands, “ Feel any better now? ”

Yeah, she thought he’d say something like that. Thinking back on it herself, there wasn’t much she could remember him actually eating that he really seemed to enjoy either. Standing in front of the fridge, she takes a few more moments to consider what she was going to do next, then nods to herself before grabbing the ingredients she’d need from within and placing them on the counter.

After rummaging around the cupboards once again, she rolls her sleeves up and gets to work. It was still around breakfast time, so this should be fine. That aside, given the general aura of this place . . It made her want to make food like they used to back home.

After a while the sound of a frying pan being used and a generally good smell waft from the kitchen. It doesn’t take much longer than that before she’s trotting proudly out of the kitchen with a plate in hand and a bit of pancake batter on her face. Making her way to the couch, she holds it out for him to take.

“ Here. You’ll probably like this. ” A general breakfast plate: Pancakes, an egg, and some bacon. It had been a while since she’d actually cooked stuff like this . . It was strangely relaxing getting to do so again.

“...What even is this?” The bacon and eggs he knew of - after all, they needed to feed Selena for the time she was in the American Singularity; but this strange, flat-dough looking pastry..this was new. Taking it from her hands, he pokes at the pancake with his tail and sniffs it. When he was Servant, this never seemed appetizing to him; but looking at it now..?

Without further thought, he begins scooping the eggs into his mouth, followed by the bacon -- and then stuffs the entire pancake in. It was then that he began chewing, and soon after, swallowed it all down. While it’s true he was no longer a Servant, he was still considered a monster; and his teeth remained sharper than knives. 

She was much more surprised than she probably should have been to find that there was, indeed, already food stocked up. After checking each cupboard available, she could confirm . . They had enough food to last them for a while. However, there was no telling whether or not any of it was safe to eat. Then again, as she’d been telling herself this entire time . . If whatever put them here had wanted to kill them, it would have by now. And there was no reason to provide them with a fully furnished abode, note, key, and all, if they were just going to kill them off immediately.

Sighing, she turns to the fridge now. Opening it up: More food. Alright. Now the question was, what would he want to eat, “ . . There’s a lot of food. Anything, within reason, that you want to eat in particular? ” She calls to him from over her shoulder. Chances were, if it were something normal, they had what they needed to make it.

Come to think of it, she hadn’t eaten either. She’d been pacing around this apartment for the passed couple hours, waiting for something to happen, (and for him to show up.)

...Was there anything he wanted? No, not particularly. He had no care for any food, since he didn’t actually need to eat before..what did the real Cú Chulainn eat? Boar? Surely. Meat was probably the general food that he ate...maybe he should say something with meat? ..No, being like him was something to avoid - even if meat were to taste good, it shouldn’t be what he first asks for. 

Her suspicions were confirmed, and this made things even more complicated. With an anxious hum, she tilts her head and glances at his head one more time before meeting his gaze. Tired and . . Hungry ? And he wasn’t joking or anything ? Things just kept getting stranger.

“ Well . . Luckily for us this place is fully furnished, so there’s no lack of places to sleep but . . I’ve yet to check the fridge or cupboards. ” There was no use in questioning why these things were happening right now. If he was, in fact, hungry and tired, it was more important to make sure he ate and had some rest before they did anything else. Especially given these were new sensations, there was no telling how it’d affect him.

“ Alright . . Assuming you’re just as lost as I am with all this . . Go sit down and I’ll look around. If whoever, or whatever, stuck us here was nice enough to give us a whole apartment, you’d think they’d have stuck food somewhere here too. ” She rocks to her toes in order to place a short kiss on his lips (read as: chin and maybe lower lip,) before stepping back and moving to begin rummaging through the kitchen area.

“I can see that.” This was still so surreal to him, and likely her too. He was apparently no longer a Servant, he feels normal pain but none of the pain he used to - he’s tired. He hated this, though he’d probably not tell her that; being a Servant had more benefits. At least, that’s what it felt like; being hungry felt like it was a downside more than anything. The fact they were pre-furnished was even stranger. 

“..Right.” Sit down, huh? Well, that was easy - there was a couch right there, so he can just go sit on that. As she kisses his chin (and just barely his lower lip), he pets her head softly. Being so gentle has never been his style, but he wasn’t lying about his exhaustion; he had to get used to this now. 

He could say that again, but strange as it was, they had both found themselves in worse places before, and the only thing that mattered to her right now was the fact that he was there and not . . Not there. Easily shifted back into the apartment, the (former) magus snivels once again, turning a red, bleary face upwards at him. She’d been worried . . Could he blame her? For someone in her position, the loss of command seals could usually only mean one thing, and she was in no way ready for that yet.

She was, however, relieved and overjoyed to find that by some miracle, the expected had not occurred. With her hand now pressed against his lips, Selena gives a final, moist sniffle, before sighing. Reaching up with her other hand, she presses her palm to his cheek, soon shifting her other to to cup the opposite. 

Using her thumbs to caress his face gently, something peculiar snags her mind, “ . . Wait . . Did . . Did that hurt ? ” She turns her gaze to the small read mark on his forehead. For anyone else, the answer would have been obvious, but for someone like him . . He shouldn’t have had as much of a reaction to the collision as he had . . And that mark would’ve been gone by now. 

So then, it would be safe to assume they had both lost their powers, “ . . You’re okay, right ? Do you feel weird, or anything ? ”

It felt..nice, to be touched by her again like this. It hadn’t been long since he last felt her touch, but it felt like an eternity for some reason; so he simply pushes into the pressing against his cheeks. Her question confuses him for a second, but he realizes that she means the doorframe and nods. “..Yeah, not much but; I felt it. Unlike usual. It’s...a pain in the ass.” Was he actually alive? Naturally, given his Servant capabilities were stripped away, it makes sense to assume that he’s been incarnated. 

..Feel weird? Come to think of it..his eyes were a bit heavy right now. “I think I’m tired. That’s about the only weird thing I’m feeling now; and maybe a bit hungry..” ..Hunger? That was a new one. He didn’t like it. 

“ … ”

She’d sat up straight the moment she’d heard the door knob jostle, and the familiar voice that had followed shocked her into silence. Staring at him from her seat, it takes a moment for her to process what had just happened: But once she had, she was immediately out of her seat and upon him. Throwing her arms around him as best she could, she quickly shoves her face into his front side. Partly to hide the tears, and partly because she was trying to make sure he was actually there.

Completely ignoring the fact that they were standing in the doorway, therefore visible to any and all who passed by, she starts to sniffle. Rubbing her face up against him, Selena proceeds to quietly sob in between shaken sentences.

“ I th - thought you - . .” Hiccup, “ B - Because the . . The seals are - ” She’s not able to get full sentences out, but . . He got the point.

As usual, when she takes to running at him and throwing herself onto him, he just stands there and doesn’t budge at all given the size differences. But, that didn’t really matter; what does matter, however, is that she was crying. ..Why? Well, that question was answered for him. Upon inspection (and listening to her shaky words), he could tell that she lost her Command Seals. “..This place is fuckin’ weird.” With a sigh, he pulls his hood back over his head and ducks his head under the door as he enters properly (with the blueberry attached to his waist).

Reaching down, he grabs her arm and lifts her up; then, he brings her hand to his mouth and presses it against his mouth.

So, what was she supposed to do now? With a sigh, she flips the note in her hand over once again, inspecting both sides and rereading the short passage on the front. No matter how many times she read it, she still didn’t understand, and that frustrated her. If she hadn’t known any better she’d have thought this was some sort of late April fool’s joke by the staff . . Then again, they knew better than to try this sort of thing with her.

Sighing once more, Selena sits back against her chair: Not a singularity? Not a prank? Then what was this? And more importantly . . Why was she alone? Not that she minded the newfound quiet but . . Allowing her head to flop back with a groan, she stares at the ceiling for a moment before the weight of the situation began to really hit her. Throat tightening up, she scrunches her face up in an attempt to keep the tears at bay.

“ Why’s this sort of thing always gotta happen to me . . ? ”

@rinadealga​

The last thing he could remember was how he was about to be sent off into yet another mission, killing for sport. Everything after that was...a blur. And when he awoke? He had the knowledge of some room he was staying in; Room 2B of whatever the hell the Anemone Apartments were. Though the latter didn’t matter, it appeared that he had woken up just outside of Room 2B -- Selena was here too, right? He didn’t need to be too angry if that really was the case. 

Regardless, the Berserker stood up to his full height; only to realize one thing. He was no longer in agonizing pain. He retained his physical features such as his tail and the thorny spikes that ran along it, but the pain was gone. Moving felt...much more freeing, now that he didn’t need to focus on bearing the feeling of thousands of spears piercing into him. It felt suspicious to him, but he couldn’t lie and say it wasn’t nice.

Either way, he reaches down to the doorknob and turns it; it was unlocked, so it began to open. “Oi, Blueberry. Are you in he--” Before he could finish, his head hits the top of the door frame (promptly knocking his hood down). “....”