Bite me.

♐  ] Now they’ve hit issue on the head, with a rather loud thud at that. “Perhaps you have indeed.” Left to fend for himself, wasn’t so much out the ordinary. Even if personality usually called for no disturbance, even he felt solidarity from time to time when motion rung it’s chime. “I have no ill wishes against Saber, I do believe her to be the superior fighter though my patience is at an end with the boy.” Such a waste of space truly made him sick. “Even so.. companionship between us is rather rough. I believe two rocks have a better chance of hitting it off.” Still up to date with metaphors, humor settled. “I take it you’re enjoying yourself, aren’t you?”

⚜.  

［ ＡＮＯＮＹＭＯＵＳ ＭＥＳＳＡＧＥ ＩＮＣＯＭＩＮＧ：］        Ｗａｒｎｉｎｇ！ Ｓｉｇｎａｌ ｕｎｓｔａｂｌｅ， ｓｉｇｎａｌ ｕｎｓｔａｂｌｅ，          ｓｉｇｎａｌ ｕｎｓｔａｂｌｅ．        Ｒｅ－ｃｏｎｎｅｃｔ ａｎｄ ｔｒｙ ａｇａｉｎ？

       𝚃.𝚁: 𝙷𝚎𝚢, 𝚢𝚘𝚞. 𝙸𝚝’𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚊 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎, 𝚑𝚊𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚒𝚝?        𝚃.𝚁: 𝙷𝚘𝚠’𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐? 𝙸𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚔𝚊𝚢? 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚗'𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚌𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎, 𝚗𝚘𝚠.        𝚃.𝚁: 𝙸 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚟𝚘𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚍𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚜. 𝙸𝚝’𝚜 𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚎... 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚙...  𝙱𝚞𝚝.        𝚃.𝚁: 𝙸'𝚖 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚍, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠?        𝚃.𝚁: 𝙸 𝚐𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝'𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚎, 𝚑𝚊𝚑𝚊... 𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚒𝚏 𝙸 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚍, 𝚘𝚛 𝚒𝚏 𝙸 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚍. 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚎. 𝙸𝚗 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜.

⚜.  

     “That my strength surpasses your expectations flatters me! …but I warned you that servants are not butlers, didn’t I.”

Don’t feel, conceal. Lancer grinned widely, hiding his embarrassment by standing with chest held high in the middle of the rubble. Though, that slight shame turned into a form of unease when she revealed her plan.

     “I’m not sure what you mean by adding delicacy to my image! I stand in front of you as warrior! That is the image I am trying to evoke, so lacking these qualities is exactly what I’ve been aiming for. Brute, brutal. Of course I can change my image to fit what you wish for, but… do you really want that…?”

⚜.  

      “W-Well, when you put it like that...” Guilt trip, much? As a result of his absences from the battlefield, it could’ve possibly been ingrained that his desired brutality translated closer to something akin to clumsiness. Unpredictability suited enemies better than it did tables and furniture. For better or for worse, it warranted a series of unrelenting whispers from the neighboring Servants -- something Rin troubled herself with --  but she meant well. Honestly.

      “No, Lancer. That is not what I want. Ideally, I want you to be more fluent with others. But I suppose that’s not an issue meant to be remedied. It’s only your personality, and if others find it difficult to mingle with, it isn’t your fault. So, I guess?”

■■■ @rubengloria

     “What did you expect?”

Putting this question into the room, the son of the dragon stood still as he peered at the emerald-eyed mage. Brows furrowed, he breathed out deeply through his nose, straightened up and forced a lopsided smirk.

    “Your reaction is understandable, but I’d truly like to know what you were hoping for.”

⚜.  

    Unbelievable. How could this have happened? What was a composed and tidy branch of the organization amassed to nothing but rubble before her feet. Suppose the damage is minimal considering it was a recreational portion that was often neglected by most, but still. It was best to lay low in the director’s blind spots. A hazy eye opens to a shard of porcelain resting against her heel, near mourning how its beautiful engravings have succumbed to an undeserved fate. Fine China is a luxury now, you know?

♐ ] “Don’t be so difficult now, Master. You simply gave the rules upon which you cannot expect me for taking full advantage of.” As if the pot had permission to be sicken with the kettle’s choices, when such an entity in itself mirrored those qualities even further magnified. Though pursing lips as her mention, as slick in between from the bottom slid with ease before clumsy placing at the top. “Have you now? Luckily for you, in my misadventures while you continue your fraternization with the pathetic excuse of a magus I’ve discovered a few outlets out in town.” Exotics included, suggestions minded and if not. “Though if you rather a bit of home cook, I could prepare some pastries in your sleep. Lest you believe sweetness to be more importance than vigilance.” Jab in humor, nothing aimed. 

⚜.  

“ I made an attempt to show mild affection to a cat wandering the streets. In my best efforts - I offered food, attention and company…All of which it seemed to reject outright. However, after capitulating to the notion it desired none of these, I began to leave it be and go my own way…  then it began demanding my attention as it had done before. … My conclusion from this, Miss Tohsaka was a cat in a previous life.” 

⚜.  

    "...I’ll have you know, felines had a large role of importance in Ancient Egypt. They were sacred beings!” Therefore, they deserved to be treated with the utmost respect in order to garner attention! Not just anyone could swoon them. Hey, what did he even mean by all that?! She knows he wasn’t trying to imply the same thing everyone else did of her!

          Aoi’s mind was often absent, with some moments of lucidity. Though she wouldn’t remember much during those times. She looked towards her daughter in Green eyes that had long lost their sparkle, the loss of her daughter, husband and sanity taking that away. She smiled some as she clasped her hands in her lap. “Oh? Will your Father come out from the basement to join us?” She asked, often forgetting he was gone.

⚜.  

      "Ah, no, Mother. He’s far too busy tonight.” A typical response for a typical day. How many uses left in this age-old alibi? It was bound to wear down sooner than later-- though to be honest, she much preferred when her Mother wasn’t conscious of certain things. Every realization she had would seem to bring Rin closer to the events that unfolded when she left for the church that one, fateful day, and she always had this ominous feeling it wasn’t something she wanted to know.

      A go-getter. Rin was a bit of something they liked to call ‘Miss Perfect’. Achieve when necessary, and overachieve even when it’s not. Paired along with a no-nonsense attitude and a taste for the finer things in life, she was like a glass of fine wine. And fine wine should only be accompanied by the best and stay as the center of everyone’s admiration, rather than share its spotlight with lesser-than-grand side dishes like these miscreants misbehaving in the school cafeteria.

      So maybe Miss Honor Roll shouldn’t be trying to fight among students for that roll of curry bread. Maybe people would have expected her to have her own thing (after all, nobody knew of her inner sloth and how she truly was at home), but no, she didn’t. Instead, she’s blockaded by a group of boys, who may or may not even be arguing about lunch to begin with. Honestly, it just looked like they wanted a fight.

      Either way, she’s just going to wade between them and claim that last piece of bread. And usually, she’d just part ways and ignore them, but she’s feeling a bit frisky today. She’ll pass a dismissive glance over her shoulder and target it at their ‘leader’, before taunting her prize between her fingers. A sort of, ‘come and get it’, gesture. If you may.

      ⊰☼⊱—; Sneezes.

      “…no, it’s nothing.”

⚜.  

    He doesn’t make a habit of being seen, usually dematerialised lest Kayneth desired his presence. Yet despite his dutiful ways, even he holds some curiosity about this modern era. Though given basic knowledge, not everything made perfect sense for a hero from times long past. So while he guards the outer-perimeter of their safe house, an inquisitiveness takes over if only briefly, to take in this period of time he was summoned to. A few moments is all that’s needed for him to be seen however, or rather unintentionally knocked into.

    The visage of a small girl almost instantly draws his mind to the daughter he left behind, and though it was potentially dangerous to remain out in the open he couldn’t just shrug her off.

    “I’m afraid not,” leaning forward to carefully inspect the toy creature in her hands. “But perhaps he’d be content with you as his owner?”  

⚜.  

      "I don’t think I’m allowed to keep him...” Mother was a gracious woman, but stern nonetheless. “I tried rescuing a stray kitten once, but Mother said no animals allowed. I don’t understand! In order to be a good person, one must help others in their times of need, isn’t that right, mister?” Despite her dialect being clearly underdeveloped, it was evident that she tried to make the best use of formalities to boast her image as much as possible. This was what it meant to be a lady, wasn’t it? A proper lady of the Tohsaka does not sneak out of the house! Oh, how her voice resonates even now. Goodness gracious, think of the trouble she’ll be in!

        Mumble, grumble, wumble..                      “I think she said not to talk to strangers, either...”

♐ ] “The intent is to win this game, is it not?” An expanded form of chess with different realm of strategy, though formula had been all the same. Stay steps ahead of your opponent to where they couldn’t keep up. Tactical ability well advanced in said department to be playing said game. “Methods aren’t a discussion, whatever works, works.” Eliminate your opponent before they could grow too strong. Not exactly in the whole supporting each other and building trust as planned, eh? One more act of sabotage, yet again as disdainful look would shoot. “You said win. I’m following said order.”

⚜.  

       Everyone always said, ‘mother knows best’. ‘Listen to your mother.’ ‘Be kind to your mother.’ ‘One day, you’ll grow up to be just like your mother.’ Though really... most of these were just formalities bestowed upon her by kind strangers who took note of her mother’s beauty. Anyone who’d any idea of her lineage knew she was to follow in her father’s footsteps and bring honor to the family, whereas Aoi was moreso often a vessel for producing children of great, magus blood.

    Funny how things turn out. Now that father had passed, nobody spoke much of him anymore. Mother was bound to a wheelchair, and barely conscious to most events that unfolded past that. Any words received from her elders were now scarce and limited, glances received often reduced to that of sympathy and grief, and sometimes... relief. Rin, who was now at the age of twelve, had gotten used to looking after her. She didn’t consider it to be a burden, but she knew what she felt towards her was a bit lacking for what it should have been.

                            “Mother! It’s time for dinner, and then your daily hair routine.”

      Celebrity trends and fashion evolution mattered very little to her. She couldn’t tell whether it was the product of her upbringing or not, surviving with barely sufficient funds due to Kotomine’s poor handling of her wealth and all, but she just wasn’t invested in materialistic things. Sure, she loved to live like a princess, but if she didn’t have something, she didn’t have something. Giving attention to starlets and media meant giving birth to potential greed for the things she didn’t own, and she just didn’t want that. 

      However, it didn’t stop her fellow classmates from gossiping about them every now and then. These foreign names would enter her head, and with them, these stories of fame and fortune, and how they were blessed with unattainable beauty and luck. So talk about luck, when she finds this chick in this convenience store, trying to buy a quick snack with what she hopes isn’t her idea of a disguise.

          “Aren’t you that one singer? Armani...? Amani? Or something of the sort?”

       Something has gone terribly, terribly wrong. No, seriously! TERRIBLY, terribly wrong!

                “Saber! Do something!”

       It’d all started out innocently. She swears to God, it did! They were just bored, (well, Rin was), and home alone, with Archer and Shirou gone for the day in an attempt to torture force them to get along. It just happened to be around the same time she wanted to practice magic, and showcase a few things for Saber to see! The original command was to conjure a true meal worthy for a King, as Saber had been starving, and God knows Rin would have set the world to fire if she’d been allowed in the kitchen, but... what she got wasn’t that. Well, no, she did get all the meat in the room for her to eat, but... it wasn’t cooked. The meal had been brought raw. So raw it still had skin on it, and fur, and ears, and bounced around as if it were alive.

               It was alive. They were alive. All four hundred and sixty-seven of these gosh darNED RABBITS SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL INSIDE THE EMIYA HOUSEHOLD. 

             “They’re multiplying, they’re multiplying!!”