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[swordboning]

...you've reached Archer. Leave a message and if it's suitable, I'll get back to you.

Comments

[codere]

You can buy them for me then. [ Even if they draw from the same pool of money, it's the gesture that counts in her mind. ]

We can even eat out at the food court.

[ Now she's being bold. ]

[swordboning]

I'll pay for the clothes I'd like you to wear but we're not eating out.

[A man has to have standards.]

Dessert is fine but if you want a meal, we can make one perfectly fine here.

[codere]

You never let us eat out. [ For obvious reasons, but she'll throw the fit regardless. ]

[swordboning]

What's the point in eating out when I can cook better than what restaurants provide? Paying extra money for lower quality food isn't worth it.

[Logic though.]

[codere]

For the social aspect of us sitting somewhere surrounded by others doing the same.

[ She huffs up a little. ] You don't eat with me.

[swordboning]

Fine but we're only getting dessert.

[A parfait or something. Rin doesn't get fat.]

[codere]

No, I want to go shopping and then I want to eat supper after!

[ There's no winning this. ] We have spent a few days apart and could use the time together!

[swordboning]

Shopping and dessert. We'll still be spending time together and not wasting money either.

[codere]

Well, I'm eating out! You can just go back home by yourself with all of my shopping bags if you don't want to eat at the food court.

[ She hasn't won an argument in what feels like forever. ]

[swordboning]

So you'd rather skip having dessert with me in your anger?

[Just making sure. Maybe he'll just get a delicious parfait.]

[codere]

I'm not angry! [ Except she is and just can't bring herself to say why. ]

I just wanted to do something normal and you want to be weird about it!

[swordboning]

I'm not being weird and my reasoning is perfectly fine. Besides, I'm willing to do normal things with you, just not exactly what you want.

[codere]

It's just that Lancer promised me he'd take me out one night when things settled down...

[ Kicking at the ground a bit.

She expects him to be pleased that he's gone, but that was her not!Servant. The bond they had at one point had to have been strong if she wrote about him even if she's not able to recall it entirely. ]

[swordboning]

And he's not here anymore, is he?

[He's not entirely pleased. It's one less weapon he can rely on help out. Which is important!]

...fine. If it'll make you happy.

[Unfortunately, he's easily guilted into things.]

[codere]

It won't. [ A somewhat honest confession from her as she lifts her head to meet his gaze , frustrated at the situation. ]

I just had no other way of telling you.

[ Using her words?? What is this madness? ]

[swordboning]

Then what exactly do you want?

[May as well see if her words will continue.]

[codere]

To understand why some people disappear and why others remain. If we're all salvaged pieces of data that's been fixed enough to exist in this colony, then why isn't that the case for everyone who arrives here?

[ It's a puzzle and she hates not having the answers. Her fingers flex a little as she tries to contain her anger about the situation, focusing more on her explanation. ] You're from the same world as Lancer, weren't you? And Saber.

At first I thought CERES was attacking me, but now it seems too sporadic. If they wanted to distract me, they would have removed my stronger allies which means there's something more stable in our code than there is in the code of others.

[swordboning]

First, I doubt they're targeting you specifically in this manner. Second, I don't think its random or has much to do with coding. Perhaps when someone has completed an unsaid task, they're then taken away and stored in some environment for use later.

[codere]

[ Don't poke fun at her paranoia and narcissism. CERES is out to get her and only her!! ]

If that's true, then I'd like to locate this environment and restore them.

[swordboning]

No.

[That was less a short no and more one where Archer definitely had questions in mind.]

Something still doesn't sit right with me.

[codere]

If they took me, you'd be eager to get right to it. [ Squeezing her fingers a bit as she says that, nervous over the idea. ]

I'll trust your judgement as my Servant.

[swordboning]

I won't deny that but until we understand the consequences, we have to stay our hand. It's crude and possibly cruel but perhaps we should be rescuing someone we don't care about first. That way, if something goes wrong, we can identify the problem and test it again until perfected. Then we can jump to the top of your list of priorities.

[codere]

As if I wouldn't rescue everyone that's disappeared...

[ She's no hero, but it doesn't feel right saving one while leaving the others. ] There's... someone that's special to me. If that person shows up here, we have to save them above all else. I owe it to them so until that happens...

I guess everyone else can wait.

[swordboning]

You may as well just say it. You're talking about my mysterious, unknown other Master.

[codere]

[ Rolling her eyes. ] What of it?

They saved me so it's only fair that I save them in return. I can't sit around being indebted to a person for all of my life so the sooner I pay it off, the less interest a favor like that would accumulate.