nysalogs | ( closed. )

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Who: kotomine kirei (

fakers), with some special guest cameos
What: just two guys hanging out, being buds (disclaimer: this may be slightly inaccurate)
When: shortly after the beach event
Where: olympia after dark
Warning(s): violence, gratuitous typemoon power level babbling

[ closed log for confrontation between archer and kotomine, and the ensuing aftermath. starters below. ]

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[ no master then. it's makes sense, and she assumes that the injuries he's sustained only makes his disposition worse. it wouldn't have been as bad if he had a master, then? would he have managed to survive otherwise? zero realizes she may be thinking too deeply into it, but it can't be helped. when losing someone or something, one has to think about all the wrong turns they'd made in life— zero has died (and nearly died) enough times to burn the idea, but she has to wonder if archer would have liked another chance.

as archer collapses toward her, she instinctively drops her blade to support him. ] H-hey!

[ he's heavy with the dead weight of fatigue, and she only barely manages to smoothly transition them down. ]

Shit. [ sigh. ] Are you usually this sappy?

[ she has him laid across her thighs. she doesn't even attempt to move him at this point; if he's going to fade, she'll be free soon enough. ]

Why couldn't you get yourself a damn Master anyway? [ she sort of assumes it has to do with his pride, but... who really knows. ] Can't be that hard.

[ why hadn't he? it's a fair question at a time like this. he'd of course considered it - especially when he'd learned that the other Servants here had taken masters. but the power and security that came from having a Master never seemed worth it to him. going from battlefield to battlefield, forced to do the bidding of another... even if forming a contract didn't necessarily mean that bleak of a fate, they were similar enough in his mind. ]

Sappy, huh? [ normally, that comment probably would bother him. ] What a shame, it seems I'm hurting my image.

[ though he tries to pull himself up a bit, he finds he doesn't even have the strength to manage that. ]

Choosing someone to walk beside, following the same path. It's hardly an easy decision to make. [ he's speaking more hypothetically than anything else, and there's far more to it than that... but for now that's enough. ]

After working so hard to maintain that image, too... you dumbass.

[ she doesn't know why she's getting angry, now. she hasn't been here long, but he's by far considered one of her more pleasant company. not only because they found eachother in the simulations, but because of his strange tendencies to worry in an entirely roundabout way. he reminds her a little bit of michael who often scolds her for her unabashed behavior. she decides to stick to that reasoning to justify why she's suddenly sentimental...

but it comes with a price. with the association, she's reminded that michael sacrificed himself to save her, and then mikhail following him. these dragons she cares about continually dying before her. zero doesn't feel nearly the same about archer as she does with the dragons, but there's a guilt there: her failure to save them in return. that these dragons selflessly helped her of their own volition and fell for it.

she doesn't know what archer had done to get himself in this position, but that hardly matters now. he seems like the type who would risk his life to save another regardless, if she's understanding him correctly.

zero glances down to archer's face, staying silent. her heart thumps loudly against her chest when she remembers them. the source of her nightmares and guilt. she finally speaks, almost uncharacteristically soft: ] Hey, Archer.

[ he may realize it's the first time she calls him by name. ]

If you were given another chance, would you take it?

[ though he'd like to project the image of a ruthless, uncaring killer... sadly, he knows that's just a front. at the core, he's still the same person he always was, on some level.

how irritating.

her question catches him off guard, if only because it's a question he's long considered before. in life, when given a second chance, he'd taken it. he chose to become a counter guardian, living a second life in servitude of his planet. he'd come to regret that decision over time... the heaps of sins he was forced to commit would way heavily on his soul, or whatever remained of it.

he'd gone as far as trying to erase his own existence, in a plan he recognized now had always been doomed to failure. as painful as his life had become, it had still had meaning. he had saved people through his actions, even if those actions damaged him to his very core. here, he thought he had learned from his mistakes - that he could move forward and change himself.

had he succeeded? given how he had ended up, probably not. so really, perhaps simply given in to slumber was the right choice. he had long wanted rest; why refuse it now that it was upon him? others could take up his fight, take over the things he'd left unfinished. simply accepting his fate was the smart move. ]

Yes.

[ his voice is firm where it once wavered, finding a strange strength that the rest of him has lost. ]

There are still things I must protect.

Is that so.

[ the next thing she is going to say should be more obvious as she drags out the silence between them. in truth, she's thinking; she hasn't once seriously considered the possibility of taking in a disciple until this very moment.

she continues to watch him die slowly... or fade, whichever it is that'll come first, she supposes, and abruptly turns to face the other way. has no idea what time it is at night, but it surprises her how quiet the residential district is compared to the wildness on the other side of town. perhaps they're simply all there.

besides silence is the gentle whistle of what she assumes to be crickets, or whatever the el nysa equivalent of those things are. and she doesn't so much hear his heartbeat as much as she feels it against him. faint and again, dying. with a sigh, she shifts him, placing her arms under his and hauls him into a seated position, then resting his back against the wall at last. she sits across from him— maybe something about this is a little reminiscent of their time in the vr, but she does this so that they can face one another. ]

I was thinking, [ she starts tentatively, as she scoots in close against him. ] About how we can kill two birds.

[ zero places a hand on his cheek, then drags a thumb across a still-wet stream of blood from the corner of his lips. ]

Look, I don't care about what you do, if you want to stay alive to protect something or destroy something. But you need a Master, and I need a Disciple. So if you're desperate, then walk beside me.

[ while he vaguely remembers her words about disciples before, he hadn't paid it much mind. he understands that she'd had followers at some point, but not much beyond that. like most things, they generally resisted prying too much in each others' respective histories. the past could remain in the past.

but perhaps he should have paid it much more attention; perhaps he should have inquired further. neither truly knows the nature of the other. he'd told her about Servants only in the vaguest of terms, while she'd said nothing about herself. what she is, why she is the way she is, the power she holds... all of those questions rise in his mind now.

he'd absolutely refused to be bound to the will of another, especially someone he didn't know. in truth, he still did not know zero very well. any closeness between the two of them had been manufactured and false, the result of machinations out of either of their control. that had been enough for him to keep an eye on her after she'd awoken, but that was all.

so why would he even consider this idea? never mind whether or not it's even possible, she's hardly a fitting Master for a Servant.

so perhaps that's why she makes a suitable Master for someone who shouldn't be a Servant in the first place. ]

An... interesting idea. [ he opens his eyes again, looking up and studying her expression. it's hard to read, though the concern is still obvious. for whatever reason, she does genuinely seem to care whether he lives or dies. ] Perhaps it wouldn't be so terrible serving someone like you.

But do you really think you have what it takes? There is a cost. [ the connection between the two of them will last until their pact is severed. since she isn't a proper magus, he isn't sure what exactly that means for her. ]

[ she doesn't particularly feel the same way; while their meeting was manufactured, zero wouldn't say that she would have done anything different if they were really stuck in a cave in the middle of a blizzard— but that's just her, always seeking physical pleasure. that often times means that she would not only want to sleep with someone, but need to, regardless of how she feels about them. it's nothing she feels shame about, having the kind of past that she does, and unfortunately that hasn't changed since the natha intervened.

zero expected to be turned down; that seems to be the sort of person archer is, gunning for logic and rationale, while zero likes to stick with instinct and impulse. she doesn't even know what being a "master" entails entirely, only the vaguest idea that a Master and Servant are somewhat synonymous to an Intoner and her Disciple. she doesn't really care about any of the in-between details.

but for some reason, she does care about this guy. zero doesn't want to attribute it to anything emotional — god, no — but she's likened it to returning a favor to someone who has honest to god kept a good eye on her. and she doesn't want to owe anyone shit. ]

Whatever it entails, I've gone through worse.

[ it's a simple truth, and she is more confident the more he doubts her. ]

Tell me what I have to do.

[ her words don't sound like empty confidence. there's a weariness there that betrays her. while he might not know what she's had to endure, it's clear she's faced much suffering in her life.

his eyes focus on the flower on her face, drawn to it. of course, she's always wondered what it signifies; it's perhaps her most striking feature. it's never particularly alarmed him, as it might some (*cough*), but he senses there is something more it than a simple decoration. her power is difficult for him to understand, but he feels it keenly now. something more than human, even approaching the realm of minor divinity... perhaps that's why she'd have disciples who follow her. ]

It may not work.

[ it's not really a warning, but a statement of fact. her magical energy is different than what he knows, even if his body is drawn to it just as it would the mana of a magus. ]

But if you are certain, simply announce the terms of your contract. If I accept... that should be that.

[ though its faint, the outlines of a magical circle have already begun to form underneath them both. he's always been uncertain what called him forth here, but perhaps even the greater grail remains somewhere in stasis aboard thesa: an unsettling thought, but convenient enough at the moment. ]

If it doesn't work, you die. That's all.

[ just like his isn't a warning, hers isn't much of remorse. both of them know that archer doesn't have much of a choice now, but it isn't as though zero is bleeding for a disciple. she realizes then that she's doing this for the sake of the dying man rather than her own good, but that's something she can explore when certain time restraints are lifted.

zero barely notices the illumination of the magic circle under them, but she can sense what it means. there's nothing so fancy when it comes to disciples; in fact, the extravagance comes only after each individual intoner figured how to summon their respective beasts. zero feels it's tacky in every way, and yet all of the disciples - dito, decadus, octa, and cent - they'd all called forth their beasts the same way. which is why she is at a loss when archer tells her to name the terms of the contract.

how the hell is she supposed to know something like that.

she glances down at the circle below them, then closes her eye. unfortunately, she only has the flower as guidance, and when her eye open again, there's force of song magic that bursts from her person. she places a hand on his chest. ] Heed my call!

[ the flower is dormant, so nothing is necessarily being drawn from it, but she continues regardless. the light below them illuminates further despite the conflicting chants. ]

By the power of my song, I hereby forge a pact, to make this Servant a Disciple of my own. Gods of the East, Goddesses of the West; I hereby offer the flames of my life in order to protect his—

[ the ritual as she knows it is complete, and she doesn't know if this will suffice, but... she observes archer, seeing if he would accept after all. ]

[ while he opens his lips to try and make some snappy comeback, he finds he no longer has the ability to do even that. instead, all he can do is quietly listen.

though he'd realized at some point she was capable of feats of magic, the power radiating from her manages to surprise him. it's more raw than anything he's felt before, yet at the same time somehow personal. he knows she's merely improvising, but the form of the contract truly doesn't matter: instead, it's the sentiment behind the words that creates the bond between master and servant.

offer the flames of my life... though the pact is hardly complete, he can feel connections beginning to form. mana begins to slowly flow from her to him, trickling through the hand she's placed on his chest. it's enough to at least begin stabilizing him; his wounds, which had until then simply remained bleeding, begin to close.

whether its because her magical power is more potent than that of others, or just because he's forced himself to go for so long with so little, the effects are nearly instantaneous. he's hardly fully recovered, but it's enough that he can lift himself up once more, moving his body somewhat freely. while her hand remains on his chest, he goes to one knee.

it's almost awkward, forcing himself into a gesture of respect, but in this moment he cannot deny that she is his savior. for that, at the very least, she deserves the same consideration she's shown him thus far. ]

I accept your oath under the name of Archer. My bow shall target your enemies, my blades shall safeguard your domain. I entrust my fate to your will.

I accept you as my master, Zero.

[ the second the words are said, the connection between them solidifies. though it isn't an entirely new sensation for archer, it's nonetheless gratifying - only now can he truly appreciate just how weakened he had been before now. the fully extent of the contract is still unclear, but for now it's enough to keep him anchored to this world a while longer.

and in return, three red seals appear upon zero's hand. he probably should have mentioned something about that sooner, but oh well... ]

[ it isn't lost to her to see how quickly his wounds are healing. the ritual she does is one that roots from the flower, and it surprises her that it translates so fluidly despite the fundamental differences. the light continues to glow, eventually doming over them. normally, this would have been something that is great concern to zero, but she is only channeling what she has rather than using the flower entirely.

as archer gets on his knee, she slowly rises to her feet, hand still extended toward him as the song magic intertwines with and soars archer's person, effectively reviving and giving him strength to accept the contract.

in that instant, she feels a small connection between them intially. she doesn't know if it had started with the beating of his heart or otherwise, but a bond is being forged, completely strengthened by the time he calls her master. she finds herself gasping when it's complete, uncertain what she was expecting, but the sensation of being directly connected to someone is strange to her. she didn't know what to expect.

the back of her hand stings as an outline of a flower appears upon it, and as much as she resents another symbol upon her, she knows it's related to whatever this master business is.

the light surrounding them fades, thus completing the ritual. she brings her hand closer to herself, taking a look at the seal curiously. ]

So that's it, huh? I'm your Master. [ she sound amused by this revelation, despite being the one to suggest it in the first place. ] You live to fight another day.

[ although they've already gone through the motions and he's said the words, the reality of what's happened doesn't sink in until he hears that final phrase. "I'm your Master." until then, there remained some slight possibility that this hadn't truly worked; that something could still go wrong. he isn't even sure how a contract is formed in this world, only that others have done it... so it stood to reason that it was possible for him to do so as well.

he remains on one knee for some time, simply allowing his body to slowly soak in the fact that, for the first time in a long time, it's receiving the magical power it needs in order to stay alive.

there will surely be complications to this decision. it isn't one he'd thought out, and it's hardly ideal. there were probably others in this place better suited to being his Master. people that would would be easier to work with. he finally turns his gaze back upwards, transfixing it on the girl he's now sworn an oath to protect. ]

It seems that way. I suppose thanks are in order.

[ for better or worse, he never was the type to choose the easy path. while he already foresees headaches to come, serving her doesn't seem such a terrible fate. he finally raises himself back up to his feet, though his balance is still unsteady. his wounds remain serious, even if they are healing. ]

Though this isn't quite what I expected, I look forward to fighting alongside you.

[ it's not often that he lets himself smile a true, genuine smile. but pretense seems pointless now... he is genuinely happy to still be alive, and there's no harm in showing that. ]

Right... save it.

[ the thanks, she means. as far as she's concerned, this just makes them even. but now that the dust has settled, the reality of their contract is dawning down on her. it doesn't scare her by any means, but it does make her wonder what will happen onward. what it means for the two of them, who barely know each other, who barely understand one another's motivations. now they'll "fight alongside" one another. she leans down and nonchalantly picks up her sword, sheathing it behind her shortly after.

zero supposes this is the kind of gamble he has to make every time he "contracts" a new master.

she'd taken disciples after she killed their respective intoners. they had no choice but to stay by her side in order to keep their form and their wills. archer is in a similar situation; he has chosen her as a master because he was dying, because he still wants to live, because he has things (or people) he wishes to protect. while he's under oath to protect her, it's obvious that it's not the reason... so she sees no reason to fake it. it's not like anyone is policing it, right?

but it makes her curious. would someone else have found him, or would he have chosen death regardless?

zero finds herself furrowing her brows when he smiles. it's strange, after becoming so accustomed to his disapproval. she was in a more vulnerable position when he was dying in her arms, and she was struct by rare sentiment inspired by events from home. it was different when she didn't know that it'd work. but now that he stands before her, smiling, her walls are back in place. she clicks her tongue and turns the other way. ]

Go get some rest. You can explain this Master business with me when you've recovered completely. [ she begins walking away before turning back, only to say: ] Keep your ass out of trouble in the meantime, will you?

[ the change in attitude is hardly unexpected. now that they're no longer in a life or death situation, both are quick to settle back into their... more customary demeanor. but there is a difference now. whereas before he couldn't be sure what to make of zero's bravado and curtness, now it makes more sense to him. a defense mechanism. it's not like being rude to others in order to keep them at a distance is a foreign concept to him. ]

Very well. I'll find some other way to show my appreciation.

[ while the sentiment is still genuine, there's more than a hint of mocking back in his tone now. as if the magical energy rejuvenating him has brought him back to his normal state, beyond simply healing his injuries.

back when death seemed certain, he'd allowed his guard to mostly drop. and now the best he can do is play that off as a fluke; something to be disregarded. fortunately, she seems to be mostly of the same mind. it's difficult dealing with a Master that has trouble expressing herself, but it's not like he's inexperienced with that either. ]

I'll do my best to avoid getting myself killed in the near future. I wouldn't want to waste your efforts.

[ with that said, he slowly fades back into spirit form, now that he's more readily able to do so. though she can sense he's still there, to anyone it would simply seem like he had disappeared entirely into the night. ]

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