(A/N: Here's chapter two! Wow! It amazes me how much people are finding interest in this story. Thank you! I never expected this. I was just writing this story because I simply couldn't get it out of my mind [after adding a new husbando to my collection]. Thank you for the support! Like always, I would need much support from people intimately familiar with the Fate series. On with the chapter!

OriginalName1: Thanks for the review! And thanks for clearing that up for me.

Spoodster21: Thanks for the review! Yeah, I've been planning since the beginning to keep the relationship strictly platonic. Does this mean I'm a Archer/Saber or Archer/Rin fan [because I know some people are going to ask me that or expect the story to have some sort of pairing with Archer]? The answer is a hard "no". Don't get me wrong. I respect the dynamic Archer has with Rin, but I never once saw them in a romantic light. It's more like a smug, annoying, older brother and his overbearing, trying to be controlling, younger sister kinda thing. In hindsight, nobody should expect any pairings at all in this story. I don't care for Shirou/Saber, Shirou/Rin, or Shirou/Sakura. And definitely do not expect this to be Shirou/Orihime. I have never cared for the romance in Fate, and I won't start now. If romance does happen, then it'll mostly just be dependent on canon- like one-sided crushes or already established relationships before the plot got rolling. Like how Sakura has a crush on Shirou before the beginning of the series. This story would simply "go with the flow" when it comes to romance [if there ends up being it]. If it happens, it happens, If it doesn't, it doesn't. Just don't expect romance to be the main priority or even a secondary priority. Shirou has shown to be a chauvinistic, misogynistic dill when with Saber. I feel like Rin and Shirou are nothing more than "spur of the moment" romance built on emotional weaknesses, insecurities, and vulnerabilities and we all know those don't truly last long. And- lastly- Shirou and Sakura seemed toxic and self-destructive. I'm guessing those characters you mentioned are from Fate/Grand Order. Never played it, but I have seen some clips to get more insight into Archer's character [I have also read the Fate Wiki and the TV Tropes page to get even more of an insight]. Did this to help me better understand his character and how his interactions with Orihime would affect him. I never intended to let him be too snarky at Orihime, who would simply brush his snarks away for the most part. But I also have to remember that this is before his character development- before he found peace and content with his life as a Counter Guardian- and snarking is part of Archer's coping mechanism to deal with his self-loathing issues and regret. At least that's how I always saw it- considering that Archer snarks less [ and is also less stoic and aloof, no matter how hard he tries to be] in Fate/Grand Order- which has the same EMIYA. The same EMIYA after the events of Fate/stay night [also implied to be Unlimited Blade Works route version]. Side note: It's a little sad that EMIYA seems self-aware that he was a main character who would later get demoted to minor character status in Fate/Grand Order. He just shrugs it off because he's too used to being hurt and betrayed. That is so sad. Someone give this man a hug. Please! Back on topic… I'm not sure how Archer's dynamic with Orihime would change him. That's something we are all going to have to wait and see. For example, I know Orihime won't approve of Archer wanting to kill Shirou, but she won't stop him either [if it ever comes to that- not sure yet]. You can say she is too used to the principles and philosophies of the Soul Society in regards to this. Who can forget the 11th Division's one-on-one battles to the death? Or the philosophical differences between fighting for one's life vs. fighting for one's honor and pride that was a huge part of Rukia's backstory? So yeah… Though I do think Orihime's idealism would kinda get on Archer's nerves sometimes. Don't get it wrong. She isn't an idealistic nutcase like Shirou. But she also isn't a cynical prick like Archer. She's more of a middle ground. A rational idealist I should say. And another thing... I also know bits and pieces of Archer's past. Like how Archer's past follows somewhat similarly to the Fate route of Fate/stay night except he couldn't "save Saber's heart" [whatever that means]. I always jokingly thought it meant he didn't get Saber's affection points high enough before he completed said route. There wasn't enough "Power of Love". Well, whatever… That's enough ranting.

bloody sleeping dragon: Thanks for the review! Yeah, this is the Orihime after the Thousand-Year Blood War arc [at least the reincarnation of her who went through it]. An Orihime who married Ichigo and had a son named Kazuki in her past life. That Orihime. Yep. I am well aware of how OP Orihime would be [at least when it comes to her healing and shielding powers]. Plus, it's been confirmed in the Bleach light novel [which is canon] that Orihime has a very small piece- tiny sliver of a fragment- of the Soul King's soul inside her. So, with all of this, I have yet to determine Orihime's magical potential. How many magic circuits she should have and whatnot. Still not enough of a Fate expert to figure out these things. All I know is that Rin has 40 [had to look up] and she is a magus prodigy, so I think Orihime should definitely have more than that. How much more? I don't know.

Thanks to everyone else who reviewed and followed this story. Enjoy the chapter!)

The Totally Normal Life of a Not-So Non-Magus

It was Monday, and that means Orihime had no work today. Oh, great. That meant… she has a free day today. A free day meant… being stuck at home doing nothing. No school. No work. Just sitting in her apartment alone doing nothing. Although, having nothing to do was not necessarily a bad thing. It also meant a whole relaxing day of peace and quiet. It's the one day she does not have to worry about any day-to-day responsibilities.

Which Orihime was taking full advantage of right now. She was dressed in a pair of black shorts and a long-sleeved, yellow shirt. Her hairpins were hanging on her left breast pocket. She leisurely patted Blueberry's back. The light brown and white border collie was happily curled up on her lap, gnawing on her dog bone-shaped chew toy. She was casually leaning back on the blue couch, watching some TV. She was half-paying attention to some news channel that was dreadfully informing citizens of some crazy, mysterious serial killer going around and stabbing people to death indiscriminately.

She eyed the blue GameCube sitting in front of the TV. The wires and cords were already connected to the TV, so that she could play it at any time. She had two controllers for it. A blue one- which was already plugged into the GameCube- and a black spare that has left unopened in the medium-sized, black wooden drawer the TV is standing on top of. She had games like Mario Kart: Double Dash, Pokemon Colosseum, Mario Party 6, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, Animal Crossing, Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Luigi's Mansion, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, Metroid Prime, Naruto: Clash of Ninja, Pikmin, Resident Evil 1 and 2, Star Fox Adventures, and many other games neatly stuffed inside one of the drawers.

But yeah… She had a lot of video games. She was not particularly picky about her games. She'll play almost anything. From role-playing games to first-person shooter games. From sports games to party games. From action-adventure games to survival horror games. And everything in between. As long as the game doesn't bore her to tears, she'll play it. If it does it end up being stupidly boring, she'd usually send it back for a refund on her next day off. She constantly bought and played games to keep herself entertained in her apartment.

Though video games weren't the only things she played. She also had a variety of board games. In the large, black wooden cupboard behind the couch, she had board games such as chess and checkers. Along with Monopoly, Battleship, The Game of Life, Risk, Mouse Trap, Candy Land, and Scrabble. Sometimes when she would get bored of those games, she would just create new made-up games. She also had a couple of decks of cards to play Poker, Black Jack, Goldfish, Concentration, and a few other card games with. She had a bunch of other things in the cupboard that she might get to later.

She also has plenty of books too. From fantasy to action books. From murder-mysterious to horror books. From educational reading materials like math, science and other textbooks. She books on marine biology, plant life, and other small trivia books on various animals. Her collection of books also included books on health and medicine. She also had books on a variety of Greek and Japanese myths and lores that interest her like King Arthur and the folklore of Izanami and Izanagi- because of so not being a magus, she needed to familiarize herself with plenty of different legends. She even had a couple of dictionaries and encyclopedia books.

All in all, the auburn haired woman always had an assortment of things to keep her entertained in her apartment. She always amazes her how much games she has because she never had this much back in her old life. She wondered if it's a combination of her constant desire to escape boredom and her anti-social tendencies Namani thinks she has- which she does not- that caused her to be more of a gamer in her new life compared to her old one?

Ever wondered where her parents were? Thought she moved out or something due to being a legal adult or something? Nope. They are dead. Completely and utterly dead. Yeah, both died in a car accident before she entered high school. Was she sad? Of course she was! What person wouldn't be mourning over the loss of a family member or a loved one? She loved her parents dearly. She finally had the mother-daughter and father-daughter bonds she was deprived of in her previous life. At last, she knows what it's like to have a proper mom and dad.

Although her parents raised her with love and care- no at all like her old, abusive ones, thank god- her mother and father were both ordinary humans. Yep. She was technically a magus born into a family of non-magi. Would she be considered a first generation magus? She does not recall having any other relatives displaying magical abilities. Though she could hardly consider herself a magus. To clarify, the only reason she could was because she still had practically the same powers as she did in her past life.

Orihime's memory of her past life came back to her when she was 6 years old. Yet- since she was 3- she could feel a mysterious source inside her soul. There was a tingling sensation of a powerful, enigmatic force waiting to burst out from within her being. And she swore she could hear voices inside her head!

Yes, she would repeat that again.

Voices!

She could hear voices inside her head!

She thought she was going crazy! She was known for having an overactive, eccentric imagination, but hearing voices was beyond freakishly outlandish. Even for her!

At first, the somewhat frightened auburn haired child considered confessing to her parents about the scary voices. Then she thought against it. She didn't want her parents deeming her crazy or something, and sending her to a physiatric ward for a 'mental check-up'. And besides, something about the voices felt strangely… nostalgic.

She might sound even crazier for saying this, but something about the voices was weirdly familiar. It was like something in the very deep depths of her soul was calling out to her. Eventually, she learned to distinguish the distinctive voices in her head. So much so that she could easily make out each of the voices strikingly different and unique personalities. A cheerful and outgoing feminine voice, another feminine voice that sounded extremely shy and timid yet sweet and caring at the same time, and there was a mean, aggressive, and abrasive masculine voice. To name a few.

There was another thing that greatly bothered the auburn haired woman at the time.

The floral hairpins… Where did they come from?

Orihime had asked her mother if she had bought the hairpins for her. Her confused mother was unsure if she had bought the hairpins for her daughter. They looked cute- she had admitted- and looked like something she would buy for her adorable baby girl. Her parents had bought her a lot of baby clothes, hair accessories, and toys before she was born. The hairpins could've been one of those hair accessories.

However, Orihime was unsure about that. It felt like the hairpins appeared in her desk drawer one day. When she discovered the hairpins, that's when she started hearing the familiar voices. And something about the hairpins brought a sense of bittersweet nostalgia to her. She didn't know why at the time, but the hairpins gave her the odd sense of sadness yet comfort. It was hard to explain it. It was like the hairpins were excruciatingly important to her, and she was an utter fool for forgetting the reason why. A lot of precious memories were held within the hairpins- memories that made her who she was today.

All in all, the auburn haired woman was extremely happy and proud to have her memories and Shun Shun Rikka powers back. When her parents were away from home, she would practice extensively with her powers. She slowly learned that the spiritual powers she had in her past life were converted to magical energy- or mana for short. It was this world's power system. Other than that, her powers still worked relatively the same. The power to reject events and phenomena. It was so great to see Shun'o, Ayame, Tsubaki, and all the others again!

She took her time in her younger years getting reacquainted with the use of her powers through the usage of mana. Thankfully for her, the process worked relatively the same. She had to learn to channel her energy through her magic circuits. She had constantly practiced with her powers- relearning the same techniques she had in her previous life. She even learned how to channel her healing powers through her hands without fully casting Soten Kisshun- in the same vein as Captain Unohana taught her. Her hands simply glow a bright yellowish-orange color. It's great for healing minor cuts and injuries, and a good way not to conserve mana.

Speaking of mana and magi, there was one concept she never understood about magi culture. Why do they forsake the advancements of technology so much? She was acutely aware that some people are old-fashioned and traditionalists. But the magi culture- of what her fairy sprites were able to spy and find out for her- take traditionalism to a whole nother level. They look down on technology like it's a curse for simply existing and daring to grow in its achievements. To magi, magic is the end all be all to everything. Talk about a major superiority complex. For magi daring to step out of the traditionalist and embrace what the world of modern technology has to offer, those magi are considered scum and a disgrace to magi everywhere.

It's so dumb, it goes beyond laughable!

Orihime is sensible enough to know that every culture has their own preferences and way of life. But she never thought it would be this bad to the point of xenophobia. It's not to say they dislike all technology. They just consider modern technology worth less than the mystifying nature of magic. She sighed exasperatedly. Couldn't they find a way to compromise? Couldn't they find a reason to accept both magic and technology? Why pick one over the other?

Despite living in an old, traditional style of Japanese culture, her Soul Reaper friends were always fascinated by the advancements of human society. So much so they tried incorporating it into the Soul Society. Urahara created the TV for the Soul Society!

Well, enough of that. Why does a normal girl like her care about mage society? She's not a mage.

Gray eyes glanced over to the clock on the well. Hmm, it was only 2:30 pm. Guess, that's enough reminiscing for now.

Orihime wondered if she should take Blueberry out for a walk? But even if she were to take her dog out for a walk, where would she go? To the park?

Suddenly, a high-pitched beeping notification sound of her phone snapped her out of her musings. Blueberry's ears twitched as she perked up at the sound. She stretched her furry body. When her owner stretched her legs, Blueberry hopped off her lap and onto the floor.

The auburn haired woman dug inside her pocket to pull out her cell phone. She flipped it open to witness a text from an unknown number. Normally, she would immediately ignore and delete it. Getting random messages from people she doesn't know about can be kinda annoying. Then she remembered that she gave her number to Hector Franz yesterday. The guy she was going on a date with in two days.

The thought still doesn't elicit any excitement or thrill from her. Usually, a girl would be overwhelmed by giddy happiness or nervous shyness on the prospect of dating and the romantic conceptions it bores. However, all she felt was bored indifference. As the way things were progressing, she was simply going with the flow. She truly had wondered if she had become melancholic and cold-hearted? Is this what people call being apathetic?

She gazed at the text from Hector that read "Movie. Wednesday at 3:30. Is that okay with you?"

After replying back with a simple "Sure.", she closed her phone and pocketed it- remembering to save Hector's number beforehand. She felt that there was no need for a lengthy response.

Maybe she should take Blueberry out for a walk. Who knows? Maybe she'd find something to do while exploring the city.

Making up her mind, Orihime got off the couch. She headed down the hallway. Turning on her left, she opened the door- which turned out to be the hall closet. On the floor- in the right corner of the closet- she spotted a yellow dog leash.

She closed the closet, and headed to her room to grab her wallet. There's no point in going out without her keys and wallet. She quickly grabbed what she needed from one of her desk drawers, and left her room. When she entered the living room again, Blueberry was busy playfully chewing on her toy. The minute the border collie spotted her leash, she ran around in circles in pure joy. She jotted towards the front and waited- tail wagging happily as she waited.

Orihime silently giggled at her dog's antics. She bent down on her knees to hook the yellow leash around Blueberry's pink collar.

Just then she heard her phone beep as a sign of another notification. It was another text from Hector. She scanned the text carefully. Let's see… "Great! Meet me at the Sandbox Theaters?"

She replied with a quick "Sounds fine with me." before closing her phone, and placing it back in her pocket. She grabbed her yellow jacket off the hook by the door, and proceeded to put it on.

"Let's go, Blueberry." She readjusted the leash in her hand, opened the door. She walked on onto the front of the steps. Blueberry happily followed her, and Orihime closed the door and locked it- stuffing the key into her pocket.

Now she guessed she'd just aimlessly take a stroll across the city. If she finds something that grabs her interest, great. If not, whatever. It'll depend on how the day goes.

With that in mind, she tugged Blueberry along with her down the stairway.

Orihime quietly walked along the sidewalk with Blueberry in tow, passing by various familiar buildings. It was times like this where she missed her husband, Ichigo, her son, Kazuki, her best friend, Tatsuki, and all her other friends. She is not going to lament about how all her friends are doing. What would be the point? She had died. And- sooner and later- all her family and loved ones had probably died as well. She was just the only one who was lucky enough to begin a second life in this new world.

Everyday, the world went by- forever unchanging. The world goes by listlessly like you. Yes, she was perfectly content with this life. The absolute normal life of an average human being. No magical adventures. No supernatural threats. No worry about being in a constant life-or-death situation. No paranormal wars to decide the fate of the entire universe. Just living in blissful, ignorant peace.

She kept on her walk with Blueberry taking the lead, stopping on occasion whenever something piqued the border collie's interest. It was amusing to watch her dog sniff at every little pile of trash, at every stick, and at every miscellaneous object she sees.

The auburn haired woman was starting to feel a little famished. Maybe she should stop by at a nice cafe or something, and have herself some nice, tasting cake and coffee. Luckily, she managed to spot a small diner nearby. She briskly walked towards the diner. She felt a little sad for doing this, but she tied Blueberry's leash around a pole outside the diner. After giving her a nice pat on the head and telling her she would get a tasty treat if she behaved like a good dog, she entered the diner.

The diner appeared to have a pleasant, comfy autosphere to it. It wasn't anything too fancy. She carefully walked towards an empty booth, ignoring the conversations of other customers around her. Frankly, she didn't appreciate the leers she was receiving from obviously horny guys. Well, hopefully they won't bother her.

She took a seat at the booth, and patiently waited for a waiter to bring her a menu. It was a good thing she was by a window. Who knows how long it'd take before a waiter is ready to take her order? The weather did really look nice today though.

She heard her phone beep again with another notification. "Hmmm, probably another text from Hector," she muttered to herself. She pulled out a phone and was surprised to see that it was a text from Namani instead.

"At the break room," the message started, "it's been a little slow and boring today compared to yesterday. Watcha doing?"

She smiled, her slender fingers quickly typing up a response on the phone's buttons. "Nothing much. Just taking Blueberry out for a walk."

"Your dog? Blueberry is always so adorable. Too bad she doesn't like me. Why doesn't she like me?" Orihime softly chuckled. She could practically feel Namani pouting from the text.

"She just doesn't trust people she does not know. Give her time," she had texted back.

The auburn haired woman heard the clicking of footsteps approaching her. Gray eyes glanced up to gaze at a blonde haired male waiter. He wordlessly handed her a menu. She saw that his cheeks were slightly flushed pink, but paid no mind to it. She also ignored the beeping of her, informing her of another notification. Her eyes quickly flickered through the menu, scanning the dessert and drink sections- the things she came here for. She ordered a slice of chocolate mousse cake with vanilla buttercream frosting and a medium-sized cup of vanilla latte. The waiter wrote down her order on his tiny notepad, bowed his head slightly, and left to hand her order to the chef.

She turned her attention back on her phone. "But how long though?" the text from Namani said, obviously pouting, "It's been 2 months!" The auburn haired woman could practically hear her sighing. "Anyway, guess what? Lora got herself another boyfriend!"

"Another one? How many times has it been this month? 3?" The text back made her sound either uncaring or exasperated.

A few seconds later, and an immediate response back. "Yes. Sounds about right. It was 5 last month." There was a slight pause before another text appeared.

During that moment, the same waiter arrived at her table. "Here you go, ma'am," he said politely. He set down her chocolate mousse cake with vanilla buttercream frosting and her cup of vanilla latte down in front of her- along with a fork, straw, and some napkins. He bowed and walked away.

"Speaking of boyfriend, how did you go with that boy the other day?"

Orihime internally sighed. She knew the question was coming sooner or later. She did have the option of ignoring it or deflecting the subject, but she saw no point. It was bound to happen someday, given what a romantic nut Namani is. "It was fine, I guess. He asked me out on a date?"

A near immediate response as she expected. "Really?! When?! Where?! Please tell me you said 'yes'. You need to get out and learn to live a little, Orihime!"

The auburn haired woman resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "I said 'yes'," was her simple, curt reply.

She waited a while- silently enjoying her cake and coffee- but she never got a response back. Several minutes flew by, and still no reply. "Huh. Her lunch break must be over," she inwardly concluded, closing her phone and pocketing it.

She continued to quietly enjoy her coffee break in peace. That is…

Until she heard the sound of multiple footsteps approaching her.

Dear god. No.

Orihime could practically feel the lustful glares she was receiving without looking up from her dessert. She had thought these obnoxious guys would know better than to bother her in a diner full of people. Looks like her hopes that they won't follow whatever horny fantasies of her they conjure up, or have left the diner earlier were annoyingly dashed.

"Hey, there, beautiful."

"What are you doing here by yourself?"

She continued to ignore them and eat, hoping they would get the memo and leave her alone. But nope! That didn't happen. No, they had the displeasing audacity to surround her and take unwanted seats on either side of her- as if to prevent her from running away.

In her past life, Orihime used to be ignorantly oblivious to the amorous attention she got from men… and sometimes girls. Although she was somewhat aware of how much boys were attracted to her, she had her eyes set on Ichigo and only Ichigo. Nevertheless, the infatuated boys were frighteningly afraid to approach her in fear of incurring the wrath of her protective friends- more specifically Ichigo and Tatsuki. So they stuck to admiring from afar. In the end, it never really bothered her much because of her blissfully unawareness. Unless they made their overtly perverted tendencies obvious- like blatantly staring at her large breasts when she talks to them.

But here though… Here in this new life… It has become incredibly, incredibly aggravating! It all started the moment she began puberty. Again. Guys started flocking to her like moths to a flame. However- this time- without any fiery-tempered, fearsome bodyguard at her side- they became rather disgustingly bold in their advances. There are some that would ask her out while leering at her figure, making their true intentions obvious. Others who would dare try to cup a feel, but- unfortunately for them- they are unaware that she is a black belt martial artist. They are left black, blue, broken, and left stranded in a deserted, dark alley.

Yeah, she was not much of a pacifist as she was in her previous life. Though, she was still heavily against killing. She guessed doing lethal harm to anyone was something she was fundamentally incapable of. No matter what- first and foremost- Orihime Inoue was healer above everything else.

Anyway, there were some she tried giving a chance. Then the so-called "nice guys" turned out to be the same. They butter her up with flowery words and shallow gifts, which she returned with disinterested, fake smiles she has perfected. Then they go one simple. A small dinner at a diner or something. Nothing to fancy. After the date- or sometimes during it- is when they make their true objective known. They act like one little date is enough of a permission to get inside her pants.

Horny boys like that have really started to infuriate her! Like these men right now. Why do all guys tend to think with their lower brain in her presence?

"C'mon, beautiful. Let's get out of here, and go somewhere more fun."

Tch. It's always the same. Is this the curse of being a beautiful woman with a hot body? What about her makes men turn into brainless horn dogs?

Then an idea struck her.

Orihime glanced up from her finished dessert, smiling sweetly at the rugged guy. "Maybe I would like to have some fun." She snuggled up to the guy, hand and fingers rubbing his arm sensually. Hmm. Maybe Rangiku Matsumoto really did teach her a thing or two about seduction.

"I have been quite lonely lately, you see." She played up her flirtatious act by batting her eyelashes. Men were suckers for that stuff apparently, according to Rangiku. She sensually licked her lips to add more into her charming, feminine wiles. "I haven't had a man to please me in such a long time."

The men looked rather pleased by her assertion. Filthy perverts. They seemed rather eager to grab her and drag her to whatever love hotel they had in mind. It was relatively easy to make men like these putty into her hands by saying the words they desperately wanted any pretty girl to say to them.

Orihime hid the burning anger she felt when a daring hand began brushing against her leg under the table. Her auburn brow twitched. Did they seriously think she was that kinda woman? An exhibitionist who would start foreplaying in a public setting? She knows some people would enjoy that sort of thing. But that was not her kink!

She slapped the hand away, but not too roughly- despite how much she wanted to- to showcase that now was not the time. They should do it somewhere more private. When the guy on her left was about to speak, she simply silenced him by placing a slender finger on his lip.

"Not now," she whispered seductively. "I need to get ready first. You have a pen?"

The man across from her dug into his pocket and pulled out a pen as she had requested. He handed it to her with a sly grin. Ignoring the bubble of nauseating revulsion in the pit of her stomach, she grabbed the pen from his hand. She wanted to avoid brushing his hand when she took, but the guy seemed to take the initiative. She forced her eyes to look around for something to write on, so she won't see that disgusting face he was making. She was sure if she saw him shoot her a flirty wink or something, she would lean over the table and punch him.

The auburn haired woman grabbed an unused napkin, and got to work. She quickly wrote down the name of a random hotel on the far outskirts of town, and gave it to the guy on her right. "Meet me there. At 8."

At a place she was never going to.

As expected, he took it eagerly. He gripped her chin- leaning in for a kiss- but she stopped. There was no way she was letting her first- in this new life- kiss be stolen by a filthy scumbag.

"Not now," she whispered meekly, playing up her shyness to add to her beguiling charm. She pulled his hand away from, sincerely wishing to rip his arm out of his sockets. "When we get to the hotel. I'm sorry. But I'm the type of girl who wants the mood to be just right."

The man smirked excitedly. "Don't worry, beautiful. Tonight would be a night you won't soon be forgetting," he promised hotly. He had a hungry glint in his eyes, and he left with his friends to a hotel she had no intention of going to.

Dumb idiots.

Orihime breathed out a deep sigh of relief through her nose. Finally. The annoying pests were gone.

Tch. She came here for a relaxing coffee break, and they totally ruined it. She sighed again. Unfortunately, her coffee has gone cold and she does not care to drink the rest of it. She kindly asked for a waiter to come by with her bill and patiently waited. Luckily, she didn't have to wait long before the same waiter arrived at her table.

"May I have the bill?" the auburn haired woman requested politely.

"Yes, of course," the man said. He went to quickly collect her bill from the cashier's counter, and swiftly returned. "Here you go, ma'am," he said, handing her the bill.

She gazed at her bill and dug into her pocket to pull out her wallet. Taking out a 1000 yen bill, and handed it to him. She waited as he collected her 23.20 yen worth of change back. She thanked the waiter, and returned with a hopeful expression of seeing her eat at the diner again sometime before returning to his duties. She placed the coins into the coin section of her wallet and closed her wallet.

Putting her wallet back into her pocket- and seeing no reason to stay in the restaurant any longer- she left.

The minute Orihime stepped out of the diner, Blueberry trotted up to happily greet her owner- though her leash was still tied to the pole. She smiled, gently patted the border collie on the head, and praised her for being a good girl. She proceeded to untie the leash from the pole.

As she was doing this, Orihime wondered if she should go home, or continue with walking her dog? After a moment of contemplation, she decided to continue her walk. She reasoned that it wasn't dark yet. The sun was still shining brightly in the sky. Plus, it's not like she has much to do in her apartment for a reason for her to rush back there.

With her decision made, she tugged Blueberry along the streets of Fuyuki City, Japan.

It was nearly almost sundown when the auburn haired woman arrived at an empty park. A very familiar and distinctive-looking park. Normally, a park would not be anything particular special. It'll be an ordinary place where parents would take their kids to play, hopefully interacting and getting friendly with other kids their age. Where pet owners play fetch with their dogs or relax on the bench with their cats. Even couples would take their significant other on a romantic walk, holding hands together, or enjoying a nice picnic.

A park would give off an unassuming autosphere of peace and calm. It was only natural. It was not a place to provoke any feelings of worry and fear. How can it be when it's usually filled with the joys of children laughing, the sweetness of couples on a picnic date, and the bliss of family get-togethers? A person could hardly call a place that's supposed to invoke pleasantly positive emotions a cause for any kind of concern. At least during the day.

Not at night though…

Most people have the natural self-preservation sense to know to avoid going to a park in the dead of night. There was no sunlight illuminating the area. More often than not, no street lamps to provide a minimal amount of sanctuary from the dark. It was only logical for people to stray away from places that are covered in nearly absolute darkness. For a person to be in a park alone and at night is just asking for something very bad and unfortunate to happen to them.

This park… was not that kinda park.

This park gave off bad vibes no matter what time of the day it was. The weather and season also did not change or clear away the ominous sensation that exudes from this park. It was a park that was haunted by a horrific tragedy 10 years ago.

And it shows!

Twisted and burnt dead trees littered the area. The lifeless trees gave off the hollow, empty feeling of hopelessness and sorrow. The tall, wild, and untamed blades of grass that swayed listlessly in the cool wind. Nasty scorched marks smeared the ground in various places.

It was obvious to anyone with eyes that fire had occurred. And not just any regular campfire or a small, spontaneous fire that starts by accident and could be easily doused with a bucket of water. No, this was a huge one. A fire large enough to destroy the whole area, and only leave death and destruction in its wake.

A disaster that killed over 500 people.

Orihime always hated coming here. A place that was devoid of any and all aspects of life. A hollow shell of its former self. The despair… The grief… The sorrow… They all permeated the soil, the vegetation, and even the autosphere of the park. An ugly tragedy that would forever scar the world.

Everything flows by. Everything continues on with their normal lives and daily routines. The town, the people, and even her. Time goes by aimlessly. Everything moves in an unchanging circular motion. Their day-to- day lives carry on without any major interruptions. People continue chatting… Birds continue chirping… Clouds continue to float by uncaring about the change that goes on down below… Everything… Everything. Just. Flows. By.

This park… This park is the only place that's stuck in time. Almost nothing comes by here anymore. No people… No animals… Not even a single insect… This has been the only place where time remains forever frozen. The only place that has tragically lost in the past. The only place that has yet to move past its damaged state. The only place that has… yet to stop grieving the past.

She truly never liked coming here.

So why did she?

She questioned herself as she wandered aimlessly through the dead, empty park. Blueberry was even less enthusiastic about treading through, but did so because she did not want to leave her owner alone.

The auburn haired woman stared at her surroundings with vacant, gray eyes. The smell of death violates her nose. She could imagine the agonizing screams of the dying that they desperately wished to be saved. This is but one of many mysterious disasters that haunts this world. A tragedy that could not be explained.

And she hates it!

She hates it with a pure, burning passion!

She hates it because she was powerless to stop it.

She was powerless to save anyone.

Something that happened that happened right in her own hometown, and she couldn't do anything.

It might be unrealistic for her to feel this way. After all, she was only 8 years old at the time. What can a child do in the face of a natural disaster? It's not like anyone she knows or cares about died in the tragedy that has been dubbed for a long time as "The Great Fuyuki Fire". Any normal person would be happy that the fire has absolutely nothing to do with them and move on, right? There was no reason for her to needlessly fret about the tragic fates of meaningless strangers.

The media had passed this incident off as an unfortunate natural disaster. A huge calamity no one has any control over. Earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis… These were all cruel, uncontrollable things that Mother Nature rains down with an iron fist to quell the human race. It can't be stopped. It can only be predicted, and hopefully that prediction can save as many lives as possible.

But still… She can't help thinking she could've done something. Anything! If only she fully remembered and regained control of her powers sooner, then she could have saved a lot of people- she had thought. She was a healer. It was her job to heal the injured and protect them from the cold clutches of death.

Her powers were forged from her very desires to help people. Don't get the wrong idea. She had no interest in being a superhero or some other nonsense. She had no such aspirations and never will. She simply wanted to help people. Nothing more.

She was once Orihime Inoue. A girl who couldn't bear the thought of anyone she cared about getting hurt. That's why she developed her healing powers to their absolute limit. And maybe not even that. She could give life back to the recently dead for crying out loud!

It was who she was! A kind, compassionate soul deep in her core. That was something that would never change, no matter how many lifetimes passed.

It was never really her dream or anything. She just did it because she could. Because it was the right thing to do. It was as simple as that. She was an empathetic and soft-hearted woman who has always done what she believed to be right.

That's why there was something… supernatural about this that she won't forgive. That she cannot forgive. For endangering the lives of innocent people. She could understand if it was done for the greater good. She has gotten intimately used to the shadier parts of the Soul Society. She never agreed with their methods, but she could understand them.

But this… This was wrong.

There was seemingly nothing about this incident that screamed "it can't be helped" or "it's unavoidable" for the sake of saving as many lives as possible. People died simply because they were coincidentally caught up in someone else's careless actions. A cold person or people who showed zero sympathy on the disaster they caused. Cruel people who showed little to no remorse for the pain their actions have caused. An unsympathetic group who let hundreds of people suffer and die for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

That was something Orihime Nazuki cannot forgive with every fiber of her being.

She breathed out harshly through her nose, trying to suppress her anger. It was done. It was in the past. There was no longer any point in getting mad over something that has long since been over with.

She glanced down at her dog, who gazed back at her with a curious cock of her head. "C'mon. Let's go home, Blueberry," Orihime said emotionlessly, tugging her dog with her and away from the dreaded park.

She could only give one last forlorn look at the empty park before silently walking away.

(A/N: Well, that's it. The end of another chapter. I'm starting to think this is going to be a long prologue arc. The more I write, the more things just… come out. Don't worry, Orihime will summon Archer in the next chapter. I hope. Or the chapter after that. Might as well do that "three episode mark". This chapter is simply showcasing more of Orihime's normal life before the Holy Grail war. I should clarify EMIYA will be summoned, but the prologue arc [perhaps it should be called by a different name] does not end until the Holy Grail war officially starts. When all seven Servants are summoned, judging by Fate/stay night and Fate/Zero.

Also I have been looking at EMIYA's character sheet, and some facts about him are so weird and interesting. Who knew that EMIYA is a talented figure skater. That's some information I can't get out of my head because I have to see it now. My curiosity would never go away if I don't. *snorts* Just imagine stoic, aloof EMIYA doing a triple axel while wearing a frilly male outfit. *trying to hold back laughter* I have to see it! *coughs in hand* Anyway… I also read that EMIYA's natural enemies are Rin, Sakura, and Illya? I get Rin seeing how much of an obstacle she was in getting in the way of his objective of killing Shirou- the guy she happened to fall in love with. But Sakura and Illya? I can understand Illya as she is the first mark on his list of failures. But Sakura? I'm starting to think that Archer is just uneasy about harems. I mean, it does say on his character sheet that the romantic advances of women make him uncomfortable [even if he doesn't show it], and considering that these are all women [except Saber since she's optional in that Shirou has to pursue her first] who start his harem… Yeah, I can see that. I guess that's another thing Orihime and Archer have in common. Their uneasiness and/or annoyance at the romantic advances of the opposite sex.

I should probably get onto the more important stuff now.

This is Archer's stat sheet. Tell me what you guys think, and if any correction needs to be made. It's not permanent until after he is summoned. So I give until the next two or three chapters for you guys to say your piece before the stats become unchangeable.

Servant: EMIYA

Class: Archer

Master: Orihime Nazuki

Alignment: True Neutral

Strength: D+

Endurance: C+

Agility: C+

Magic Resistance: C Rank

Independent Action: B+ Rank

Clairvoyance: C+ Rank

Mind's Eye [True]: A- Rank

Magecraft: C- Rank

Projection Magecraft: C - conditionally A+

I hope this is alright for Archer's renewed stats. Like how everyone agreed, I boosted his stats 1 - 3 ranks [ like C going to C+ and C+ going B- and B- going to B and B going B+, etc., etc.] due to a combination of Orihime being his Master instead of Rin, her OP rejection abilities and barrier-themed powers, and her own experiences with war. There are some stats I left the same- like his magecraft. And the reason for that is simple, Orihime being Archer's new Master does not make Archer himself a better mage or learn more and/or better magecraft. I don't know how Orihime being Archer's Master would affect Archer's past [as Shirou Emiya] or his life as a Counter Guardian. Unless, he has met an alternate universe version of Orihime [than the one of this timeline- the current one I'm writing] in his time as a Guardian [since- as a Guardian- he has been to all eras, past, future, and possible alternate timelines- if my knowledge about Guardians is correct]. *shrugs* Who knows? The story is still a work in progress. If you guys are up to that idea- the idea of Archer having met Orihime before [or a version of her should be more accurate], I'm down for it. It'll probably help explain why he was summoned as her Servant instead of her [though still well within her powers] simply subconsciously rejecting reality to fit "her needs at the heat of the moment". It'll help explain a catalyst used, if I use one. Then again, her powers could be the catalyst.

I also don't know if it's necessary for Master's to have a character sheet as well. All I know is that Orihime's alignment would be Neutral Good.

Now, this is something I need to get off my chest. If you are not interested in seeing me rant then skip this part.

I'm going to make a few of my gripes about Fate/stay night known because I'd rather do it sooner rather than later. First of all, the characters. While I do like almost all the others, I find myself facepalming mostly at Shirou and Rin and their so-called "war strategies". This is all pertaining to mostly what I have seen from Unlimited Blade Works [I've seen 3 times while I only seen the Heaven's Feel movies once and the Studio Deen Fate/stay night- in other words- the Fate route once- which ufotable should get to remaking a better version right away because it's going to be killer if I have sit through the 2006 Fate/stay night again]. Most of Shirou and Rin's "strategies" I find myself shaking my head at because I just knew it's going to fail. And- most of the time- I'm right. And it fails because of the simple matter is that they refuse to compromise. Any opposition shown to them is treated as nothing more than "the character being a stupid, mean adult who don't let kids do what they want to do" in their eyes, making them sound like spoiled brats- especially Rin. Rin tries to present herself as a Master strategist because- apparently being a genius in magic equates to being a skillful tactician and a master at military tactics- which she is clearly not. Archer even points this out to her- but to the surprise of no one- it doesn't stick. Because- in a typical tsundere fashion- only her main love interest can get to her to understand. So when Archer betrayed her halfway through the anime, I was genuinely surprised and at the same time not [I should let the record know that I was spoiled as to what Archer's true identity is, but not his betrayal of Rin nor his true intentions/motive]. At first, I was shocked at Archer's betrayal. But when I thought about it long and hard, I can say I knew it was coming and was just shocked that it actually did come to pass and was not some fake out. I want to make the rest of this section short. In short, a large part of me can see Archer's betrayal of Rin as a huge long-time karma coming due to Archer being a shady guy with unknown motives and Rin's refusal to compromise and actually have a heart-to-heart talk with her Servant. In the end- while it is sad to see Rin almost bursting into tears- it got Rin to finally admit that she absolutely sucks at planning. She has the right idea, but very, very poor execution- which relies heavily on dumb luck at the end of the day. Especially since I've heard that Archer not betraying Rin in that instance- because of Shirou's unwanted interference before he could- leads to Rin, Shirou, and Archer all being killed and thus a Bad Ending.

They also say Archer is supposedly still loyal to Rin, even after the betrayal. But how much loyalty are we talking about here? Because there's never any indication of Archer having undying loyalty to her, and there are different levels of loyalty. In my opinion, Archer's loyalty falls under begrudging respect or obligated loyalty [that all Servants seem to have] more than anything else. He wants her to win, but it seems to me like he considers Rin to be the only "good" option to let have the Grail because everyone else is just terrible and he hates Shirou. Ultimately, Rin in UBW is a character who tries and fails at being a leader due to her naivete, ignorance, and arrogance. In other words, she fails because she is a know-nothing know-it-all. Overall, Rin's shortcomings in UBW comes from the false belief that people would automatically just do what she says because she is too prideful and arrogant to compromise and take other people's opinions- that dare to oppose her- into consideration. Though I would say it is kinda good because Rin's failures showcase how emotionally inept she is at understanding other people. She is a teenager, after all. This makes her a deep contrast to Shirou because- if Rin is supposed to be the representation of prideful teenage magi and selfishness- then Shirou is the opposite. Shirou represents- being a purely selfless magus and trying to use his skills for the greater good of the world.

Now let's get onto Shirou. And boy… do I have a lot to say about this guy. This guy… is so annoying! That is all I really have to say. He's stupid and annoying. You all know why. I don't need to explain it. I would admit. He does have his shining moments like when he pulls out Unlimited Blade Works on Gilgamesh. Awesome climactic ending! But when Shirou gets annoying, he gets really annoying! I find myself wondering why the fuck is this guy the main character? Why can't Rin or Saber or Archer be the main character? Or hell, even Kirei? Turn this story into a villain protagonist journey? Why couldn't Archer and Rin be the main Master-Servant duo?

This is in no way me having any disdain for these characters. At least, not Rin. Don't get me wrong. In all honesty, I like the fact that Rin's failures and shortcomings come from the simple matter that she is a typical, bossy Type-A tsundere. I like that another part of Rin's failures come from the fact that she just doesn't understand the concept of free will. When Archer explains in the first episode of Unlimited Blade Works [or prologue episode if you want to call it that instead- it is episode 0] that no one can force absolute obedience on anyone, I found myself going- especially after knowing how stories like these goes- "Uh, Rin. That was a red flag. Archer was not giving you advice. He was giving you a warning. You better watch out." And then Rin just keeps on triggering red flag after red flag until all comes crashing down on her hard. When it came time for Archer's betrayal- while feeling bad for Rin- all I could say was "Rin. With all the red flags you triggered and stupidly ignored due to the fact that you just don't understand not everything is going to go your way and that you can't expect everyone to obey you 100% of the time, you had this coming. Karma bit you in the ass in the most brutal way possible." It is like having this friend who is dated/associated with a bad person, and you try to warn them- yet they blatantly ignore all warnings because they falsely believe that they can change a person through enough kindness, love, force, or whatever. Then all you say is "I told you so" for said friend suffering the consequences of their actions because of their unwillingness to listen and take advice.

Rin really is like her father, isn't she? They both fail in similarly the same way. Rin and her father, Tokiomi [or however his name is spelled] are both smart people. However, I think their respective downfall comes from the fact that they think they are smarter than they actually are due to their pride and sheer arrogance (and ignorance and inexperience on Rin's part). They are genius magi, but they are not chessmasters- no matter how much they believe they are. Especially when it becomes apparent when other characters are smarter and more perceptive than them. They are both incapable of dealing with things that don't go their way. The only difference is that EMIYA is well intentioned and supposedly loyal to Rin. That's how Rin managed to survive the war, unlike her father. You are still as cute as a button though, Rin.

Though I do feel pretty guilty for this. When Archer backhanded Rin, I laughed. Then I felt bad for doing so, considering the seriousness of the scene. Then I felt slightly less guilty when I wasn't the only one. Archer, you asshole! That backhand was so unnecessary. Poor Rin.

Rin: Attack, Archer!

Archer: Move out the way, bitch. [backhands Rin]

Me: [trying hold chortle behind hand]

Archer is a bastard. A huge asshole. But he's just the type of asshole that is so hard to hate. Even worse, he is the type of asshole who is endearing. An irritatingly smug and arrogant bastard, yet cute and endearing all at the same time. Great. Another husbando to add to the list of husbandos that goes into the "every girl wants bad boys" and "evil [or- in this case- anti-heroism] is sexy" tropes. It's true what they say… that tall, dark, handsome, and snarky really are attractive traits. EVERYONE IS GAY FOR ARCHER! Don't deny it! EVERYONE IS!

Though it is sweet that- despite everything that happened between them- Rin still wants to renew her Master-Servant contract with Archer to save him from his eternal life as a Counter Guardian. But Archer refuses because he has finally grown somewhat content with his life. Despite the tragic consequences of what his choices in life have led him to, he- at last- came to the hopeful realization that "he was not wrong", kinda- somewhat- renewing some of his idealism in the process. Aww [not romantically]! Rin is such a tsundere~! Seriously, why couldn't Rin and Archer be the main Master-Servant duo instead of Shirou and Saber?

Who is my favorite waifu? Because I know you all are going to ask me that. I would say Illya. Between the four main girls from Fate/stay night, I like Illya the best. Illya, then Saber, Rin after her, and finally Sakura last. But between Fate/stay night and Fate/Zero, the best waifu hands down is Irisviel. Hands down! No contest! Love Iri! Too bad her husband is a cheating asshole [love him too though]!

As for my favorite pairing? Don't really have one. Yeah, I didn't really watch Fate/stay night or Fate/Zero for the romance, nor did I care for it. Also, I love the first opening to Unlimited Blade Works better than the second. There. I said it.

Overall, I really do like the cast. I can see why people like them. I can see their strong points and their weak points. I can really see why people like the Fate series. I greatly enjoyed watching Fate/stay night and Fate/Zero! This is just me pointing out my two major gripes with the overall Fate/stay night series. I do have some minor gripes, but they are nothing more than nitpicks. Everyone has them. Although, I do find myself thinking I would have enjoyed it quite a lot more- if I had watched it 5 - 8 years ago.

Anyway, that's all. Thank you for reading, and leave any comments and questions in a review!

P.S. I have SO many questions about the Fate series in general. Things that just seem to contradict itself or make no sense. But I feel like I'm going to get a headache, so I won't bother asking. I'm just going to stick to what I know and understand from Fate/stay night [the anime, not the visual novel] and Fate/Zero and just add my own fanon spin when necessary. If I mess up, please tell me. Politely, I might add.)