Hibiscus Archer

by AnimeandFanficLover

A normal life. That is all she wanted. Is that really so much to ask? So why is she caught in the middle of this stupid Fifth Holy Grail War with a snarky Servant by her side? Sigh. Oh well. There's only one thing to do... Survive! That shouldn't be so hard to do. After all, she has gotten quite used to wars. What's one more?

7. Here Lies the End of a Normal Life

(A/N: Here's chapter 7! Yay! Orihime and EMIYA are finally interacting with each other!

MikeA65: Thanks for the review! I can see where you are coming from by lamenting that Orihime has no emotional stake for the war, but I could say the same about all the other Masters having no emotional stake for the war either. Well… Correction… All the more "heroic" Masters. Shirou and Rin have no emotional stakes either. Shirou is just doing what he can to survive [like all other Masters- unless his reckless, suicidal, "I have to save people" trigger button is push], and Rin is only in the war because it's mandatory for a Tohsaka to be a participant. Plus- she's a naturally competitive person- and only using the war to inflate her ego, pride, and family's honor as her only desire is to "win the competition". The only true emotional stake these two have is only showcased in Heaven's Feel when the Sakura vs. the world conflict pops up. When they have to choose between saving Sakura despite all the horror, blood, and tragedy she's responsible for, or kill someone they love and hold dearly for the greater good of the world. And if they are ready for the emotional and moral consequences that come with each action or inaction they make. And- as some Bad Endings imply- no, they are not. Killing Sakura leaves both Shirou and Rin broken in various ways. If Rin kills Sakura, Rin becomes much more cold-hearted [and- implied in a Bad End- somewhat crazy], and if Shirou does it [indirectly or not]- he becomes very insane and broken. In the end, Sakura dying results in Shirou and Rin becoming insane with grief and sorrow. You could also argue that Shirou has an emotional stake in the Unlimited Blade Works as well with him dealing with Archer mocking his ideals, then eventually learning that Archer is his future self who lost faith in his ideals and became a cynical asshole. But- like I said before- this isn't so much as an emotional stake, but more as Shirou desperately trying to repair his broken and injured pride because "a big, mean adult made fun of his dreams, so he's gonna prove that big, mean adult wrong". Shirou's whole issue in UBW is him trying to one-up Archer to prove that Archer is in the wrong and he is righteous [or self-righteous would be more accurate] and morally superior. It's just Shirou desperately trying to prove that he's more "holier than thou" than Archer. Like I said, cynical asshole vs. spoiled brat. Honestly- I won't deny that I have thought of having Hollow Ichigo summoned in the Berserker class- but scrapped it due to being fairly new to the Fate fandom. Don't want to put in more than what I could handle. Though- in hindsight- I guess you are right. Orihime's backstory is already tragic. Taking away from her Ichigo, her family, and her friends. She has that same melancholic, listlessness that Ichigo had during the Fullbring Arc- not knowing what to do with herself- despite "claiming" that she's content. Though, I did have another story idea. An Ichigo/Orihime idea in another Bleach/Fate crossover with the same premise as this with Orihime summoning Archer EMIYA. However- instead of Orihime dying and being reincarnated into the Fate universe then summoning Archer for the Grail War- Orihime summons EMIYA into the Bleach universe. This idea came about when I skimmed through a Bleach/Fate fanfic [forgot the name of it] where the Bleach characters are clashing with the Fate characters due to conflicting morals, then Hollows start suddenly appearing. While the Bleach characters are springing into action to stop and kill the Hollows, Fate characters are freaking the fuck out because they have no idea what the fuck Hollows are, what they do, or where they came from. Yeah, I have this crossover idea up as one of my challenges [if you or anyone else are interested in taking in]. It featured Orihime being her old cheerful, bubbly self instead of the melancholic, unmotivated girl we see her in this story.

Guest review [HookLeff]: Thanks for the review! Who would claim the kitchen? Orihime or EMIYA? Boy! That's something I've been waiting for awhile now. They are both supreme chefs, but have very different cooking styles. Archer is more of a- I won't say traditional- but a… conventional cook while Orihime likes- no greatly enjoys… experimenting in her cooking. Her foods are great, but the presentation or the ingredients used are… questionable. How should I say this? Archer would fall under the "Supreme Chef" trope- meanwhile- Orihime would fall under a mixture of "Supreme Chef" and "Cordon Bleugh Chef" tropes. I decided to have Orihime infuse mana into swords and stuff. It won't do much against Servants- yes [possibly]- but if it could give her and Archer a few seconds of an advantage… All the better I would say. Orihime has enough experience to know that even a microsecond of an opening is enough to change the tide of a battle. So unless something is deemed completely and utterly useless, she would use it. Yes, there's something similar in Bleach. It's called manipulating the spirit energy of objects around the person. Though it was kinda a concept that was brought up, then immediately dropped the next minute. A passing afterthought [mainly] if you will. Though, there was one thing I forgot to mention in one of your previous reviews- and it's the fact… that the more spirit pressure a Bleach character has- the stronger and more durable they are- including the human characters. I think that's the difference between Bleach characters and Fate magi. No matter how strong a magus is, they can still be easily killed by a stab to the chest [if they don't receive medical treatment immediately afterwards]. However- stab a Bleach character with high amounts of spirit energy- and they just shrug it off. I'm not saying they don't get injured or hurt, but they are… very sturdy and resilient. I was only saying that because that's how many Fate fanfic writers like to portray EMIYA. They like to have Archer wondering which route the story would take, and have him remember the important plot points of each route [which doesn't make sense], and then turn him into an obsessive, time traveling, Shirou-centric serial killer. As if killing Shirou and sarcasm are EMIYA's only defining character traits. It's… really annoying sometimes. Yeah, I can imagine characters mistaking Orihime's powers for True Magic as she lets her true abilities out. As for how she would fare against Servants… That would have to wait till later, won't it? Yes, Orihime has visited the park. It's mainly her lamenting the many meaningless deaths of innocent lives, and finding something fishy about the claim that it was all caused by a "mysterious fire".

HakuMai: Thanks for the review! Yeah- I couldn't imagine Orihime with anyone but Ichigo- so that's why… no pairings. And I'm not into Fate for the romance either, so that's another reason why there's no pairings. I don't really think I'll have Orihime do something like the flash step. Only because… I have never seen her do something like that before. Orihime would never want to use her powers to kill someone, even if they begged her to. Much less be actively involved in someone's suicide. They want to kill themselves, fine. Just don't use her to do it. Unless… She had no choice and had to perform a mercy kill of some kind. What would the Mage Association do with someone like Orihime and her powers once they discover her? That is something I'm dreading, and don't have the answer to yet. Why- thank you very much for the compliment- but I'm just mainly going by with my careful understanding and analysis of the characters and materials from the Fate/stay series and Fate/Zero. If there's anything changed, added, removed, or retconned in later Fate installments, I'm simply ignoring it for the most part. Like I said, not interested in other Fate installments. Was only interested in Fate/Zero and the Fate/stay night series.

Now enjoy the chapter!)

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Here Lies the End of a Normal Life

Archer watched with clear amusement on his expression as his Master's head was faced down on the dining table and her hands locked behind her head, a clear sign that she was distraught and bothered by the revelation that she was now a Master and had- unintentionally from what he could presume from her reaction- summoned her own Servant. He has not gotten into the clarification of the Grail War. All he merely did was explain the implications of summoning Servant, and that they are now in a Master-Servant contract. The border collie was by her side, glancing at her with concern.

"You should've known what you've gotten yourself into when you formed a contract with me, Master," Archer couldn't help but quip, not bothering to conceal the snicker of levity in his voice.

Orihime glared at him in annoyance. "I wasn't trying to summon a Servant, and I wasn't trying to make a contract with one," she yelled with clear frustration in her face before groaning again in depleasure, her head banging the table.

"I have spent all my life trying to not get involved with the affairs of magecraft and magi," she grumbled lowly under her breath, but the red Servant was able to hear her. "I was doing my best to live a normal, peaceful life. But it seems that some higher power up there decided to screw me over, and gave me this stupid tattoo!"

The red Servant was lazily sitting on the couch, his haughty smirk never leaving his face. He rose a fascinated, white brow at that. So she was- at least- aware of the existence of magi. Though he held back a snort at her naivety. He doesn't know what her abilities are, but it was rather ignorantly optimistic of her to believe she could hide under the radar of the Mage's Association forever.

Then again… Maybe not. From what little he remembered from his former human life, he was able to keep his Reality Marble a secret from the Mage's Association. If he hadn't, he would've been marked with a Sealing Designation- and more than likely experimented on to see how his Reality Marble works and functions.

His Master's abilities and why she wanted to keep it hidden could be addressed at another time. But one thing was clear to him. He was indeed stuck with a clueless Master. Clueless in a different sense, but clueless nonetheless as she didn't seem to know anything about the Grail Wars or the Heaven Feel's ritual.

"Those "stupid tattoo" as you called them are actually Command Seals." His smooth, gruff voice rang throughout the room, catching her attention.

She rose her head once more, and rose an inquisitive, auburn brow at him- indicating to her Servant to elaborate further. Might as well. She needed to know and understand everything about this stupid situation she had unwittingly gotten herself into. She had to know and gather as much information and knowledge as she could, if she was gonna survive whatever the heck was going on.

"What are Command Seals? What is a Servant? And what is a Master?" she asked the first 3 questions that came to mind, a serious expression adorning her face. She might as well start off simple, then go from there.

However, she really didn't like the irritatingly smug smirk he was shooting as he casually placed one leg over the over.

"I guess explanations are in order for my clueless Master," Archer enunciated, still keeping that same sarcastically smug tone in his voice.

She frowned. Was he actively trying to aggravate her? Well, he was gonna need to do better than that. She was not an emotional, temperamental teenager who throws a temper tantrum because life doesn't work out the way they want it to.

"I am an Archer class Servant who has come at the answer of your Summoning. Those red marks on your hand are Command Seals. It gives you absolute obedience over a Servant- meaning me- up to 3 times. It also symbolizes that you are one of the 7 Masters participating in this generation's Holy Grail War."

He paused a second as if to gauge her reaction. Though there was none. At least, no sign of what he was expecting. He was expecting to fly into rage or to panic in fear. She was calmly digesting and taking everything he said. He could admit that he was quite impressed. For a clueless Master, she sure was taking everything in stride. Though- that did bring quite a few questions in his head- but it ignored it for now.

"Servants are Heroic Spirits," he continued. "Heroic Spirits are beings who have achieved great feats in life, and have transcended to the Throne of Heroes."

"So you were some kinda great hero in life?" Orihime asked, curiously. She quirked an auburn brow when she noticed how he visibly stiffened- though only for a split second. His usual smirk was replaced with a solemn frown, however. He hesitated for a moment before he answered her.

"I am a Heroic Spirit. Not a hero."

He spoke in a very even, aloof voice, but there was something about the way he said "hero" that left a faint trace of bitterness in his tone. She'd file it away for later. Still… He hid it magnificently well. Most people probably wouldn't be able to detect it. However, she had always been frighteningly good at being extremely perceptive and keenly observant of people's moods and feelings. It's how she's so good at blending in with social crowds.

"What's the difference?" she inquired. She heard him sigh, exaggerated.

"Heroic Spirits are beings- people and things, historical figures- who have objects of worship after death after accomplishing some great deed in their life. They exist outside the constraints of time and space, and are removed from the cycle of reincarnation."

She nodded along with the explanation, quickly catching onto what he was hinting. "So you're saying that anyone or anything can become a Heroic Spirit? It doesn't matter if they are good or bad? Just as they make some sort of life-changing achievement, they can be accepted into the Throne of Heroes?"

"Oh?" He expressed clear, sarcastic amusement. "And here I thought you were just a simple, clueless Master. But there does seem to be a brain in that head of yours."

She merely rolled her silvery-gray eyes. "And you are an obnoxious, rude Heroic Spirit who apparently seems to have been equipped with an endless supply of smart remarks. Did you win the reward for being the biggest jerk in the universe? Is that how you became a Heroic Spirit?" she quipped back. She sighed, tiredly. She wondered if her ex-husband's snarkiness had rubbed off on her in some way. Or was this another small aspect of her slight change in personality that makes Orihime Nazuki different from Orihime Inoue?

He rose a white eyebrow as if he found her dry, snide comment humorously fascinating. She softly sighed once again, resisting the strong urge to pinch her nose or roll her eyes. It's a good thing she has a natural high tolerance and patience for many things- including stupidity and jerks. No doubt if her former husband was here- he'd snap in anger- quickly losing his patience and temper with this… sarcastic jerk of a Servant. Just thinking about him almost brought a happy yet wistful smile to her face. Almost. She has not forgotten where she was, and would like to keep those sentimental, yearning feelings and nostalgic, forlorn memories of hers private.

"Just get back to the topic, will you?" she urged. "You still haven't explained what Command Seals are? What a Master is? And does all this have to do with me?"

It was now the man's turn to sigh as if trying not to be mildly annoyed. "As I said before, Command Seals are what give Masters absolute dominion over their Servants. They are the ultimate crystallization of magical energy. It gives a Master the power to force their Servant to obey any command they issue to them up to 3 times."

She frowned. So basically Command Spells are a Servant's obedience collar? She really didn't like the sound of that- especially considering the fact that it's heavily implied to be invented by a magus. And it's no secret to her that magi are generally cold-hearted, self-serving creatures- which was why she wanted nothing to do with them.

Archer seemed to be on Orihime's uncomfortable dissatisfaction with Command Seals because he added, "Command Seals are precautions for Masters to keep their Servants under control. As you already suspected, there are some Servants or Heroic Spirits in the Throne of Heroes who are quite notorious or infamous for their crimes and misdeeds in life. Command Seals are a safety measure- so to speak- to keep Servants in line, and to not let them roam around- causing destruction and havoc without their Master's consent."

The auburn-haired woman could somewhat agree with that point of view- with that line of thinking- with that sensible logic. However, these Command Seals were made by magi. She highly doubted that preventing Servants from running around killing innocent lives was on the top of their priority list. They definitely weren't so good-natured, noble, or altruistic as that. Yes, she could believe that Command Seals are used to keep Servants in line and under control by their Masters. But it was more along the lines of Servants threatening to expose the existence of magi and magic in general- if they were left to run amok- rather than any sense of care for human lives. Plus, having absolute superiority over a being most definitely stronger and more powerful than them would inflate a magus' arrogant and conceited ego.

"You shouldn't think so poorly of Command Seals, Master. They are there for the benefit of the Master after all."

The auburn-haired healer shot him an incredulous look that asked the silent question of "How?".

The red Servant shifted in seat- getting more comfortable- and smirked. "Well- for instance- I am incapable of teleporting out of here. Naturally, teleportation magecraft almost falls in the realm of True Magic. However- with an order by the Command Seal- it would use both our magical energy to make the teleport possible, and I could be by your side in an instant. Though, there was one thing about Command Seals you should keep in mind. The less vague and broad an order is, the less effective a Command Seal would be. So I'd suggest keeping that in mind."

So? In other words, she should think of Command Seals as 3 emergency buttons or switches she should activate or turn on whenever she finds herself in an extremely dire situation? And she should also make her demands as straightforward to the point, and as precise as possible, huh? Hmm, it's almost like orders by Command Seals use exact words logic. There could be a fair amount of loophole abuse, if her demands are not accurate enough. She nodded in understanding, keeping that in mind.

"Command Seals are the ultimate tools for a Master in the Holy Grail War."

Orihime sat up straighter in her chair, a deep frown on her face. There he goes again. Bringing up some kinda war that's going on or going to go on behind the scenes. The "Holy Grail War" he called it. What is a Holy Grail War? Nothing good. Definitely nothing good. Anything labeled with the word "war" can be anything but good. Especially if this guy was summoned to practically be her bodyguard- a very rude one at that- for whatever… war she unwittingly found herself in.

However, she wasn't some amateur noob who couldn't handle herself whenever danger arose. She had grown quite accustomed to threats to her life- especially those of the supernatural variety. So much so that- from a normal person's perspective- she would nearly seem desensitized to it or uncannily and alarmingly unbothered by it.

Still though…

"What is this "Holy Grail War" you keep mentioning?" Orihime asked suspiciously. "I've never heard of it."

Yeah, she was fully aware that- by asking this question- she honestly admitted that she was inexperienced and ignorant about all this. If he wanted to insult her by calling her naive and stupid or something, then go ahead. She wasn't an immature idiot who couldn't take a few, insensitive, and callous insults. All she cared about at this point was getting all the information she could gather, so she could fully understand what she had gotten herself into. Besides- as far as the relationship with her new Servant goes- it would seem like she would have to be the bigger person- and not let his smug and insufferable rudeness get to her. Ugh, it's like she's been hit with another Tsubaki.

"I suppose you wouldn't know anything about the Holy Grail War, would you? I fully suspected that I would get dumped with a completely clueless Master," Archer asserted patronizingly. She ignored the urge to roll eyes, and listened to him intently. "I suppose I should give you the very basic rundown of it. The Holy Grail War is basically a secret war waged between 7 magi and their 7 Servants. It was a war created by magi to covet the Holy Grail- an all-powerful, omnipotent, wish granting device."

She kept herself from scowling angrily, or sighing and pinching her nose in utter annoyance and exasperation. It's a good thing she had an incredible sense of self-control. There it goes again. Magi… Why the heck was she not surprised? Of course this was all the work of self-centered magi. She should've known. Magi have always been a group of self-absorbed, heartless, narrow-minded sociopaths. They don't care about the lives they might or might not end up destroying, or how many people they hurt in the long run. The only thing that matters to them is their own interests and goals. This was why she tried so desperately hard not to get involved with them!

She did not say anything though- keeping her face as neutral as possible- and let him continue on with his explanation.

"In essence, a Master and Servant pair's goal is to defeat all the other Masters and Servants- and be the last ones standing at the end of the war," he finished.

"In other words- it's a no holds barred battle royale between 7 Masters and their Servants- and the last team standing wins. And all of this is being kept from the public's eyes," she summarized. However, there was one thing that somewhat bothered her. "To win- all we have to do is destroy all the other Servants, right?"

Archer narrowed his eyes at that in obvious disagreement with what she was insinuating. "Normally, yes," he answered, keeping the irritation in his voice at a minimum. "But it would be easier and more efficient to kill the Master."

"Why? If their Servant is gone, then wouldn't the Master be disqualified from the war? One Master and Servant pair gone? One less team to worry about?" she inquired puzzledly.

Her Servant leaned back on the blue couch and crossed his arms. "Not necessarily. If a Master loses their Servant, doesn't automatically mean they lost the war. They still have their Command Seals. As long as a Master bears even a single Command Seal, they could always potentially form another contract with a Masterless Servant- if the Servant could survive without a Master long enough to make a new pact with another Master," he elaborated.

"That's why the more pragmatic and swiftest route would be to take down the Master," the auburn-haired healer concluded, eyes narrowing. "Is that what you are saying to me?"

His silence was enough of confirmation.

She huffed, "Well, I'm not doing that."

Archer scowled at her. Not only was he stuck with an ignorant Master, but a foolish one as well. "It's that type of idiotic and naive foolishness that's gonna get you killed in the upcoming war, Master," he gritted his teeth, trying to keep his frustration at bay.

She shrugged her shoulders. "It may be foolish and naive, but it's my decision. The less people hurt in this stupid battle, the better."

He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off with a cool glare.

"Or would you rather have me use a Command Seal right now that prevents you from harming any of the Masters during the war?" A low blow- she knows- and the use of Command Seal to utterly bind someone to her will made utterly sick to her stomach. But if it would keep human lives from being hurt or killed, she would do it. Even if those lives were magi.

She was aware that- if people knew about the true extent of her powers- there would be no problem if Masters- other than her- are killed or not. Not with her prodigious healing powers. Heck- for her- reviving the dead shouldn't be an issue, right? So killing the Master of a Servant really should be the quickest and most efficient option for her. Once the Servant disappears after the death of their Master, she could just revive the Master.

But here's the problem with that. That's only if the Master hasn't been reported "dead". That's only if other people haven't seen the Master's corpse before they're able to take down the Servant or the Servant vanishes for being Masterless for too long- according to what her Servant clarified to her. Although- a Master being declared "missing" could have nearly the same connotations- it's a whole nother ball game if they were announced as "dead" with valuable proof to go along with that. If it ever came to that, then she would have no choice but to leave the Master as "dead". Otherwise, how could she or anyone explain bringing the dead back to life to mundane humans who don't know anything about magic or the supernatural? Not to mention, what would happen to those revived "dead" people- if they were brought back to life? She doesn't know for sure- and she doesn't want to know- because all she could picture were very, very, very horrific or unpleasant things that caused her spine to inwardly shiver.

That's why Orihime would like to avoid eliminating the Masters to save her and everyone else from that trouble. She might be taking the long and more difficult route- sure- but… it is what it is.

The red Servant grunted, making his annoyance clear. "Unbelievable. What cruel joke is this? To be stuck with a Master this hopeless and foolish?" he mumbled under his breath.

Orihime hummed uncaringly. Although, her new Archer class Servant apparently has great distaste towards acts of altruism it would seem. Maybe he has something against perceived acts of kindness and selflessness that has caused him to grow bitter. Perhaps he was tricked or betrayed by someone or something he trusted and held dearly in his life. It's often an open secret conception that the more someone loves something, the more hatred, anger, resentment, and bitterness that person would feel once that "love" was taken or betrayed. That's why many people consider love to be a very scary thing. The scariest emotion of all human emotions. Lots of bad people and villains have been driven to madness because of the loss of that "love", and others- good or bad- who are left incredibly broken because of it.

But if she was gonna be working with this guy for however long this war lasts, she should attempt to come to an agreement with him. Make the relationship between them more… amiable and less stifling. It would be pretty darn annoying and unproductive if they were to metaphorically butt heads all the time.

"Look," she stressed, speaking to him patiently and softly. "I know my strengths. I know my weaknesses. And I'm aware of my limitations. I'm just being me, and I would like to make decisions and life choices that don't compromise who I am. That's all there is to it."

He shot her a cold, intense, steel-gray eyed glare. It seems that this girl was every bit as naive and foolish as his younger, past self. Nothing ever comes from saving people. He should drill that into that idiotic head of hers before it ends up ruining her. "That soft-heartedness of yours is going to be your downfall in this collection of battles, Master."

"That's why you'll be there to scold me whenever you think my "weakness" would cause me to get needlessly injured, killed, or make a mistake, and I'll be there to scold you whenever you end up being too rude and cynical for your own good," she stated proudly.

Archer paused, staring at her with slightly wide, steel-gray eyes before turning his head a little and snorting.

She rose an auburn brow. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. I'm just taking in the fact that I've been paired up with a truly unique Master," he snorted, clearly amused.

Orihime shrugged. "You can call me "unique", if you want. Besides, it's not like I'm going out of my way to befriend the other Masters. I'm just greatly averse to killing them, is all. I'm not trying to be friends or buddy-buddies with them."

She pursed her lips in deep concentration. "Besides- more than 7 Servants can't be summoned into the war later down the line, correct?"

"That is normally the case, yes," her Servant answered. "Usually, there are no more than 7 Masters and 7 Servants participating in a Holy Grail War."

"See? Then there isn't a problem if we only go after and eliminate the Servants, is there? Even if a Master were to make a new contract with a new Servant, it doesn't change the fact that there is one less Servant in the war. One less Servant to deal with. One more team out of the running for the Holy Grail."

Archer frowned contemplatively. "Aren't you being a little too optimistic, Master? It's true that all the Servants are the biggest threats and obstacles during this war. But don't take this to mean that all the other Masters are as incompetent and inexperienced as you are. There are some Masters out there that could prove to be quite troublesome, and others they might end up being a very powerful magus," he forewarned her, trying to get her to see reason.

"And I just think you are too much of a cynical worry wart," she responded coolly. "Your viewpoint of the world is way too bleak. Too much "black", not enough "gray"." She wryly shook her head. "I get that what you are saying is that we don't have a clue on what the other Masters and Servants are like, but the same logic can go for them as well. The other Masters have no idea what I'm capable of as a Master, nor the fact you are my Servant. And I'm not being too optimistic. I'm being rational. I may be an ignorant Master, but I am not stupid."

The auburn-haired woman wisely kept her mouth shut about the fact that she had own fair share of experiences with… circumstances like this. So she was not being "too optimistic"- as her Servant puts it. She was using all her past experiences and knowledge to deal with this in a calm and rational way. A way that leads to as less bloodshed as possible without being too naively gullible as to believe they could come out of this Holy Grail War without any fighting. That a little bit of peace talking would cause everyone- with years of life-long ambitions- to instantly throw it all away at a moment's notice and hold hands around a campfire. Especially those of selfish magi. She was simply averse to using lethal force. That was all.

Her main and primary goal was to survive this Holy Grail War. Nothing more than that. Plus, she's used to having supernatural entities living in her house. All of this… was truly nothing new for her. She had a very clear-sighted view about certain subjects.

However… Be that as it may… That doesn't change the fact she's…

She exhaled through her nose annoyingly. She leaned in forward- slouching over the dining table- arms stretched forward. "You are a stupid Heroic Spirit who was summoned as a Servant in the stupid Archer class. Now I'm a stupid Master participating in this stupid Holy Grail War, fighting against 6 other stupid Masters and Servants. This whole thing is just stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid."

Archer quirked a white brow. His Master seemed fond of the word "stupid". Still though… There was no denying that his Master was too soft-hearted for her own good. And that soft-heartedness was gonna be the end of her. She needed to wake up and see the reality of her world. Hopefully, she will in due time. He could chalk this up to her being young and inexperienced. She'd wake up one day, and see reality for what it truly is.

He would go along and accept her as his Master for now. Honestly- other than her naive optimism- he truly hasn't found any faults with her as a Master. The mana feed he was receiving from her was outstandingly extraordinary and exceptional. He had high doubts he would ever find a Master with as great of a magical capacity as this young, auburn-haired woman before him. Going by what he learned of her so far during their conversation, he could only conclude that she was an untrained magus- she didn't know squat about the Grail Wars for starters- with very prodigiously high magical potential. Nevertheless- he still wondered in the back of his head if the person in his Reality Marble really was her- simply a figment of his imagination- or perhaps someone with an uncanny resemblance to her. She doesn't seem to remember their first "meeting" at all. And he would gladly ignore it by deeming it unimportant to delve into until the war is over.

Though, he would admit how odd it was for her to be taking all of this in stride. He doesn't remember much from the time he was a Master in his own Grail War. But he was pretty sure he was far from being as calm and collected as this Master was being right now. However, he did not comment on all this. He would leave it be for now. It meant that she was adaptable. That was what- he considered- a positive trait any Master should have. He just hoped that his Master doesn't lose that composure once the war actually begins. He had unpleasant experiences dealing with people with false bravado. They are always the first ones to cower in fear and run away or die once danger rears its ugly head.

Orihime stifled back a yawn. She was still a bit tired from being woken up earlier by an excited Blueberry. But now that the tension had left her body, that tiredness was coming to her full force. And there was still quite a bit she needed to do before her date with Hector Franz later in the afternoon at 3:30. Perhaps, she should have breakfast now- she was still undeniably hungry- go out and buy a new phone charger, then come back home and take a nap for an hour or two before meeting up with Hector at the Sandbox Theaters for their date.

She glanced down at her weirdly quiet dog- maybe because someone new and unfamiliar was here, she has been staring at her Servant intently this whole time- before she glanced over at the black, round clock on the wall. It was almost 8:30 in the morning. Guess, it would be as good a time as any to tale Blueberry out to potty.

The auburn-haired healer climbed out of her chair, and headed for the hallway- ignoring her Servant's curious gaze at her back. She walked up to the hall closet and opened the door. She quickly eyed the yellow dog leash that was sitting in its usual place in the closet. She reached over and grabbed it before leaning back again and shutting the closet close.

She returned to the living room, and tossed it over to her Servant who- while slightly surprised at the object being flung at him- had fast enough reflexes to catch it before it could smack him in the face. He stared at the yellow dog leash in his right hand in utter perplexity.

"Take my dog outside to potty," was the only thing she said to him- the only instruction she gave him.

But he didn't seem quite pleased to hear it, judging by the unhappy and disgruntled scowl on his face. "Now wait just a minute…! What the hell do you think Servants are?"

"Bodyguards for their Masters, right? Magical partners to help their Masters win the Holy Grail War, correct? But the thing is… another word for "servant" is "butler"," Orihime responded back smartly, placing her hands on her hips. "Besides- those who don't do work- don't get to eat, sleep, or stay in this apartment."

Staring at her in a mixture of stunned shock and mild annoyance, Archer relented. "I would do as you wish, Master, and you can go straight to hell," he grumbled irritably.

Satisfied, Orihime called Blueberry over. At her owner's call, white and light brown border collie eagerly scampered over to her. Orihime grabbed one end of the leash out of Archer's hand, and hooked it over Blueberry's pink dog collar.

However, when Blueberry noticed the Archer was one holding the leash instead of Orihime, she began hissing and growling at him- lips curled back angrily, and ears and tail standing upright. The white-haired man showed no signs of being bothered by this. His expression was totally neutral except for one raised white brow.

"Blueberry. Behave," she spoke in a neutral voice with a somewhat stern undertone.

That caused the border collie to quiet down with a soft, low whimper of compliance.

"Just take out to the back of the apartment complex towards some bushes. She'll be done with her business in several minutes," Orihime directed her Servant.

Archer rolled his steel-gray eyes at his Master's command before opening the door and pulling a reluctant Blueberry along with him outside.

She fixed him with a cold, threatening glare. "Do anything to my dog, and I'll personally erase your existence from the Throne of Heroes or whatever you call it," she warned him with an icy cold tone of voice, shooting daggers at him.

He smirked, clearly amused by her threat before slightly slamming the door shut once he and the dog made it to the stoop.

Orihime released a breathless sigh before shaking her head. That guy was almost as unruly as Tsubaki that it was not even funny or amusing. Sigh- well- she can't exactly say she disliked it. He wasn't boring at least. She'd give him credit for that. A very tiny part of her would admit that it was nostalgically refreshing.

Now- normally- she would have Blueberry potty by herself as per usual. But this was as good an opportunity as any for the border collie to get used to her Servant being here- for her to warm up to him a bit. If the red Servant was gonna stay here for awhile, then she would rather not have Blueberry barking up a storm whenever he's in the same vicinity as her. She does not want to wake up to constant headaches, thank you very much.

The auburn-haired woman stretched her arms above her head, letting out another yawn. Man, she was so tired. It was strange for her to be this tired. She knew she fell asleep late, and yesterday ended up being a very… hectic day for her- she highly doubted it simply her being out of practice- but it was still strange for her to feel this tired. She wasn't just tired. She was exhausted. It's like all her energy had been somewhat drained from her. Oh well. Good thing she had no work today. She could just sleep. Go on her date with Hector. Then come back home, ear, and sleep again.

Yeah, that all sounded like a good idea. But first… She needed to get something to eat.

---

Archer didn't like this. He really didn't like this.

The minute his Master was out of sight, her dog started growling and hissing at him again. He exhaled through his nose and ran a frustrated hand through his slick back, white hair. He really wasn't any good with animals. It would be even more troublesome if she started barking and disturbing all the neighbors around the area.

He decided to just screw it, and disappeared into his astral form. He could silently watch over his Master's hellspawn of a dog in this state without being annoyed by her constant angry growls. Honestly- he was a Servant- not a dog-sitter. He doesn't have the qualifications for it.

Whatever.

The instant he disappeared from her sights, Blueberry ceased her growling and tilted her head in confusion. She curiously and suspiciously sniffed the air around her.

Archer observed the border collie giving up on finding him before dashing down the steps and over to the back of the apartment where some bushes were.

He stared up at the clear, blue sky. The chilly air did not bother him one bit as Heroic Spirits were built differently from ordinary humans. More resilience, more endurance, and everything.

The Grail had fully adjusted him to this time period. This was not how he pictured things would turn out. At first, he was convinced that he was summoned to a different Grail War. Perhaps in a timeline where the Holy Grail War wasn't dismantled after the Fifth one. He really wasn't not expecting to be summoned into the Fifth Holy Grail War by an enigmatic woman. He searched through his memories of his own time, and he still didn't know who his Master was. She for sure wasn't the one who saved him in his own time- the one whose red pendant he carried with him even till this day.

He didn't know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. He didn't know what to make of it really. Then he wondered if he was some sorta alternate, unforeseen, and abnormal timeline of the Fifth War. Could he be? The Grail only gave him the general idea of this timeline. Just enough to easily immerse himself into it without causing a confusion, but not anything too specific or detailed.

If this really was some kinda derailed timeline of the Fifth Holy Grail War, does that mean that his younger, past self wasn't here? While he did scout out the area around his Master's apartment complex, he didn't really have time to check around Fuyuki City. If it does turn out that his younger self wasn't participating in this war- nor was he around- then he guessed he would simply have to forgo his personal objective, and focus all of his energy on helping his Master win the Holy Grail War. It was his duty as a Servant after all. Besides- as unfortunate as it may be- he lives for an eternity. There was always a next time to fulfill his goal. He would just need a little more patience.

Though… All this was purely speaking hypothetically. In the case that his younger, alternate self wasn't not here. If he was… And if still he clung to those foolish, naive ideals of his…

Well… He would see how all this played out.

He picked up the sound of a door opening, and his steel-gray eyes glanced below him and spotted an older couple coming out of a door adjacent from him. The husband was apparently off to work- if his nice clothes and the lunchbox he was carrying was any indication- while the wife was wishing her husband a good day. She gave her husband a quick peck on the lips before closing the door.

Now here was another thing that worried him. The fact that his Master lived in an apartment complex. Oh, he had no problem with the apartment itself. It's just… They were operating too close to other people to his discomfort. What if one of her neighbors was a magus? Another magus living right under her nose, and she didn't know it? A potential enemy Master living right next door to her? Call him a paranoid or whatever, but it was a highly warranted paranoia. Danger could be lurking around them at every corner at any given moment.

Even if that were not the case- if an enemy Master were to find out where his Master lived and decided to attack her through some means in her own home- how many people would get caught in the crossfire? There was no way he could protect the entire apartment complex. Should he simply grab his Master and escape, leaving others to their untimely doom? Should he sacrifice the neighborhood to keep his Master safe? The loss of innocent lives would be tragic, but it would be worth the cost to prevent other more unfortunate, vain, cruel, and less savory Masters from getting their greedy, overly ambitious hands on the Grail and causing a city-wide or global-wide destruction. The deaths of a few dozen people outbeats the deaths of a few hundred. After all it was a Servant's job- their duty- to protect their Master at any and all costs.

That was another thing… What was his Master's goal? He could assume she has nothing at the moment- nothing to wish for- seeing as she was an inexperienced newcomer to the Holy Grail War system and all. Most likely her only goal was to survive- the obvious natural conclusion and basic human instinct- and to keep casualties to a minimum as possible- if her opposition against harming enemy Masters was any indication- which was still incredibly foolish in his opinion.

But what about later? The Grail was supposedly an omnipotent, wish granting device- capable and powerful enough to grant anyone's heart's deepest desire. Once she gets her bearings, what if his Master's wish would lead to an untold catastrophe? What if his Master's wish had the potential of causing grave consequences for the world at large? What then? What would he do then?

Well, it would be a no brainer for what he would do, if the time ever came to that. There were many times he had to close off his heart- turn his heart to stone- transforming his mind into steel- to enable himself to become the "Hero of Justice" he needed to be. Kill one to save ten. Kill ten to save hundreds. Kill hundreds to save thousands. Sacrifice an entire country to save the world. It was the modus operandi he stood by in his life and afterlife. Always objectively killing off the minority to save the majority. It was what a "Hero of Justice" was meant to do. And this- if it came down to it- would be no exception.

There was no doubt what the Tohsakas, Einzberns, and Matous- the 3 Great Magi Families who created the Holy Grail War system, and were always mandatory Masters participating in the war- goals were for competing in the Grail War… To gain prestige for their family's glory. Mostly. As if what each individual Master would personally want- besides honor and glory for their respective families- was still up in the air.

Archer heard scurrying of feet running up the stairs, and observed his Master's dog happily pawing at the door- waiting for her owner to let her in. Guess, she was finished with her business. He materialized- but the minute he did- the dog became startled and started barking threateningly at him. Nevertheless- he ignored the barking and opened the door- and was greeted with an unusual sight.

---

"Master, do you mind telling me what you are doing?"

He observed his Master putting various foods into a blender with a deadpanned expression on his face. Foods that should not be put together, especially not into a blender.

"I'm making breakfast."

Archer frowned at her casual tone of voice. He could very much discern that. But why a blender? He must have said his question out loud…

Cause his Master's response was an offhand, "If you can put it in your mouth, you can put it into a blender," as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

He narrowed his eyes, grimacing as she tossed in some rice and curry into the blender. Now Archer did not take pride in many things. But what he did take pride in was being an excellent cook. And it hurts his eyes- man does it hurt his eyes seeing this… tomfoolery happening in the kitchen.

Her dog was happily eating the breakfast laid out for her. Her beef with him ceased when a good meal was out for her. She gobbled up her dog food at a moderate pace. Her hunger obviously outweighed any intolerance she had with him. At the moment.

Now his Master poured some ketchup- and what looked to be- spicy mustard was thrown into the mix.

His white brow twitched. "Master. You could've simply cooked some rice omelets. Or had some leftover rice from the fridge with miso soup and steamed vegetables," he suggested, cringing when red bean paste was added into the mixture next. The concoction was now turning an unappealing yellow color. Boy, was it taking all his might for him to keep his cool.

She paused, pursing her lips as if deep in thought before shrugging her shoulders. "I know. But when I saw this blender… inspiration just… came to me." She seemed oddly happy when she said it though- even with the eccentricities of her cooking happening right in front of him- despite the detached look on her face.

He watched her with hawk eyes as she pulled out a container filled with cooked meat. "Can meat go into a blender?" she inquired out loudly to herself, sniffing it experimentally. She shrugged. "Well- meat is edible- so into the blender it goes." She dumped a couple of small chunks of meat into the monstrosity she was making before closing the container and putting it back in the fridge.

Archer could feel his lips twitching, desperately trying hard to reign his furious cries of outrage in. He could not believe what he was seeing. This wasn't happening! This wasn't happening! This was not happening! This was not how a person should cook. This was not how a person should make food.

This was…! This was complete blasphemy! A complete and utter blasphemy! It hurts his pride as a chef to see this… abomination!

His Master dumped a few spices into the… concoction, and turned the blender on- watching stir and mix the… ingredients together. He had to tell her to stop. She was a complete mockery of the kitchen! It hurts his chef's pride to see this. Oh, it hurts so much.

"You do know that's not a blender should be used, Master?" he deadpanned.

She dismissed him. "I've cooked plenty of times. I know what I'm doing," Orihime said matter-of-factly. Now she added chocolate syrup into the mix.

He grimaced. Hands clenching and unclenching tightly. His mask of stoicism was almost breaking. The red Servant was really starting to believe that his Master was trying to poison herself. She must be! She really must be! How else could someone explain what the hell she was doing?! The creature she was attempting with a combination of frightful ingredients.

"Master, that-"

She cut him off with a slight irritation in her voice as if she was getting exasperated with his concerning questions. "If you can put it in your mouth, Servant," she stressed, "you can put it into a blender."

Lastly- she added whip cream- and once it was done thoroughly blending and mixing together- she poured the concoction into a cup. She sipped it experimentally, tasting the weird substance on her tongue and lips.

"This is weird. This is a weird flavor," she commented.

She gave it another try. Her expression held one of pure perplexity as if she couldn't make exactly what it tasted like. She tried it some more.

She tried it.

And tried it.

And tried it…!

Each time her face held the look of deep consideration.

"I don't know if I like it or if I dislike it."

She had finished it. Looking at the leftovers in the blender with thoughtful, ambivalent, silvery-gray eyes. She poured the rest in a cup.

Dear God! She was going for seconds?!

She sipped it. She hummed. She was trying to decipher how she felt the odd flavor tickling her taste buds.

"The taste of this is… very… interesting."

She won't stop drinking it!

She drank some more before looking at the cup and shrugging her shoulders resignedly.

"Well- it's not bad- so… I guess it's okay."

And then she finished it! All of it!

Archer couldn't take it anymore. He had never seen anything so disgustingly horrible in. His. Life! His pride as a chef be damned, if he had to sit here and watch this any longer. What he had seen in the kitchen would burn his eyes for years to come. Apparently, his Master would need a lesson- a long lesson- on how to properly and adequately use a kitchen in the appropriate manner it was meant to be used.

"Master," the red Servant called out to her, voice strained. His lips twitched up into a smile, yet it was anything but pleasant. A dark aura exuded from him.

She hummed in response, glancing over to her- pausing slightly at the menacing aura escaping from him. It only caused her to furrow her brows in confusion. What was he so mad about?

She opened her mouth to question him- however- she didn't get the chance to as she was harshly pulled from the kitchen.

"Step away from the kitchen," her Servant adjured her sternly.

Pulling her aside, Archer stepped around and entered the kitchen. She observed him with curious, silvery-gray orbs. Do Servants know how to operate a kitchen? Huh. She was under the impression that Servants were clueless about modern human equipment and technology just like most of her Soul Reaper friends in her old life. Guess not. Or was he simply hungry and wanted to make himself something to eat?

Now that caused a tiny shimmer of guilt to creep up inside her. Oh, no! And she drank her entire experimental breakfast puree without thinking of asking if he wanted some too- if he was hungry. It was not entirely her fault. He was partially to blame as well. If he was hungry, he should've just asked her.

Though, does he really know how to work a kitchen? She was feeling a bit apprehensive now. She doesn't want him to break or destroy anything. But watching him maneuvering around the kitchen as if it was natural to him as breathing, quenched some of that fear away.

Guess, she'd use this opportunity to go take a shower and change her clothes. After all, she was still dressed in a white T-shirt and yellow shorts. Plus, she was planning to go to the store later to buy a new phone charger after she had made herself something to eat. Guess, this was as good a time as any to start getting ready.

With that plan in mind, she walked out of the living room- leaving her Servant to make his own meal in the kitchen.

---

Orihime emerged back in the living room 30 mins later, showered, dressed, and ready to go for the day. She wore a yellow sweater, light blue jean shorts that only reached down to her thighs, black tights, and a pair of knee-length, brown boots. Her wallet, phone, and keys were in her back pocket along with her hair clips. After yesterday's incident, she decided to keep part of her Shun Shun Rikka powers on her at all times.

Something delicious wafted through the air, penetrating her nose with a mouth-watering, pleasant aroma. She just ate a quick, light breakfast, but- because it was so light- she could already feel herself getting hungry again. Her silvery-gray irises glanced over to the kitchen and was met with a somewhat astonishing scene.

Her Servant was dressed in a black, button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, dark gray trousers, and black shoes. Hmm…? When did he change clothes? That's not all. He was wearing her yellow apron with pink and white floral prints on it. It did not suit him at all. The girlish apron really contrasted with his manly image. She had to hold back a snicker. If it were Ichigo, he wouldn't be caught dead wearing something like that. He would rather just cook without an apron on than to wear something- too feminine in his opinion- like that. Back to the point at hand though… He seemed done cooking whatever he was… cooking as he was now diligently washing all the pots, pans, and kitchen utensils he just used.

What did he make? She gazed over to the dining table and saw a mountain of pancakes with some fried eggs at the side. She couldn't stop staring at the sight- being drawn to the tasty smell- and her mouth was beginning to water. She just ate, but she was feeling hungry all over again.

"Well? Aren't you going to eat?" She could feel the smirk in his voice.

Orihime didn't need to be told twice. She eagerly- but no showing just how eager outwardly- strolled over the chair and sat. She ignored the nagging question of- "Didn't he make the food for himself?"- and began to chow down. She wasted not a moment to pour some honey syrup over the pancakes, and took the first bite- humming in absolute delight the instant it entered her mouth- the delectable, soft texture melting on her tongue, tickling her taste receptors.

This was so good~! She hasn't tasted anything like this! Not at any of the local diners or restaurants she goes to. It was just pancakes and eggs, yet felt like it was made by a 5 star chef. It was simply heavenly~! No words could possibly describe the taste- the flavor! This was pure bliss! Absolute bliss!

Blueberry strolled over the auburn-haired woman, curiously eyeing the meal she was joyously partaking in. As the owner of the apartment continued to eat the delicious breakfast, she could feel her Servant smirking in satisfaction.

Though- suddenly- she stopped. Her dog was getting comfortable laying next to her. But that was beside the point. The auburn-haired healer felt that- despite how absolutely scrumptious these pancakes and fried eggs tasted- there was just something… missing.

She got up from her chair, and walked over to the kitchen. She paid no attention to the curious eyes on her back as she searched through her fridge. She made a bingo expression when she found what she was looking for. A bottle of chocolate syrup and a jar of strawberry jam. Grabbing those items, she turned around and reached over to where she kept the clean silverware, and grabbed herself a knife before kicking the fridge door closed with the back of her foot. She walked back over to her chair- placed the items on the table- and returned to her seat. She could feel a pair of sharp eyes glaring at her, but she disregarded it.

She poured a little bit of chocolate syrup over the pancakes, and spread some strawberry jam over the fried eggs. She could feel a pair of daggers burning holes into her, but promptly ignored it. She took a bite of the pancakes and eggs, and it tasted more delicious than it did before. She heard her Servant sigh deeply. One of those deep sighs one takes when they exhaustedly give up on something, or realize it's just not worth the energy to feel frustrated and angry. Done with his cleaning, he shuffled out of the kitchen and back to his spot on the living room couch- crossing one leg over the other.

Orihime noted that the TV was still turned off, but didn't really mind it. It's not like she could watch television from this position anyway. It was hard to find a proper place for the TV from where she could see it from both the living and dining rooms. The only place was by the front door- but she didn't want to risk her TV getting smashed and destroyed by accident every time the door opens- so she gave up. Sometimes- though- she likes turning on the television while she's eating. She could not see what was going on, but she could hear. It was almost like listening to a makeshift radio.

"I've noticed that only you live in this apartment, Master," Archer noted. "Yet I have seen pictures of your parents." Was he trying to start up a conversation? Well, she had no problem indulging him.

Orihime was starting to feel quite thirsty, got up from the table to grab herself a cup of orange juice. "My parents died 3 years ago. Right before I entered high school," she replied, opening the fridge door.

"You don't seem sad or unhappy about it."

She took out a half-filled gallon of orange juice and a cup, and poured it inside the cup- filling nearly to the brim. "Why should I? My parents are dead, and there's nothing to be done about it," she nonchalantly answered as if commenting on the weather. "What's done is done. We can't change the past. We are only human after all. Besides… Anger… Sadness… Grief… I've longed stopped feeling these emotions when thinking of my deceased mom and dad."

She placed the gallon back in the fridge, and closed the fridge- taking a small drink of the juice. "Yes, I get that most people would be feeling rage or sorrow at the loss of a loved one. Especially if it was recent. Hoping to reunite with them in some way or another, they are unable to cope with the reality that what they had with them- the love and bond cherished between them and the deceased- is gone. Never to come back. Yes. That's how most people would feel. I guess I simply don't fall into the category of "most people".

"Don't you feel lonely?" he inquired curiously, but there was some sorta hidden intent behind his tone. It felt as if he was searching for something by her answers.

His Master sat back down on the chair, her lips formed into a thin line. Lonely? Does she feel lonely? Of course she does! But not in the way he was imagining it. Yes, having dead parents sucked- yet she has gotten used to taking care of herself. This wouldn't be the first time she had to spend years living in an apartment by herself- taking care of herself. She had sadly gotten used to this lonely, mundane routine.

What she truly missed was her family. She missed her husband, Ichigo. She often found herself wondering if he was reborn here just like she was. Then just as often shook those thoughts away because it was nothing more than a wishful, hopeful, optimistic dream from a hopeless woman in love. It was a 1 in a million chance that he was. She missed her kids, Kazui and Hikari. She missed doting on them like a sweet, caring, loving mother. She missed her best friend, Tatsuki Arisawa, and her tough yet caring nature. She missed Rukia Kuchiki's strong-willed disposition and graceful beauty when fighting. She missed Yasutora Sado's strong, gentle presence. She missed Uryu Ishida's sensible and calm demeanor in any given situation, and analytical mind in times of crisis. There were many more people she missed. She missed them! She missed them all so much!

But- outwardly- she did not let her anguish show. She had years of practice- after all- keeping these emotions- these feelings of yearning wistfulness and desperate longing under lock and key- away from prying, inquisitive eyes and ears.

So- with an expertly cool, reserved mask- she shook her head. "Not really. I've gotten quite used to it," she answered smoothly, not letting any deep emotion show through her voice. She took the last few bites of her meal, finishing up her second breakfast. She took a quiet sip of her juice to help swallow down the food.

"Did you come from a small magi family?" Archer inquired with a quirked white brow.

It was nothing more than an innocent, inquisitive question. That's all it was really. Just a Servant curious to learn more about his Master.

However, that was not the kinda question the auburn-haired healer appreciated being asked. It was not because of the question itself, but what was associated with the question.

The woman slammed the cup on the table with more force than necessary. The force nearly shook the table, and the sound rang loudly and clearly throughout the room- throughout the entire apartment- almost like a mini explosion. There were small cracks on the cup with the juice spilling from the cracks and onto the table. Luckily- there was not much left- and simply formed a small puddle that could be wiped away in a few moments. Sensing her owner's icy wrath, Blueberry wisely scurried away in fear- yet stayed clear away from Archer.

She tilted her head and smiled at him. Her smile was sickeningly sweet, but there was a very dark aura behind it. "I am a healer- not a magus. And I would kindly appreciate it if you were to never call me a magus again. You got it?" she stated politely, but there was a suppressed cold fury behind her tone.

There was a moment of tense silence. It was so thick it could be cut with a sharp knife.

If Archer was startled or surprised by the tone shift or change in atmosphere, he didn't show it. He silently observed his Master, taking in and noting her reactions.

Orihime took a moment or two to calm herself down, breathing in deeply. She inwardly berated herself for losing her composure like that. He didn't mean harm by asking a question like that. At least, she hoped he didn't. It's just that… being associated within the same category as those… heartless, disdainful magi… really, really, really, really, really irked her. Still though… She pressed her hand to her forehead, elbow propped up on the table. She needed to keep calm. She shouldn't let her emotions go haywire like that.

Exhaling deeply through her nose, she finally answered Archer's inquiry in a calm and dignified manner, "No, not really. My mom and dad don't have any magical powers. I'm the only one in my family that goes. I didn't discover my powers until I was 6. Guess you could say I'm a first generation magic user. They died not knowing that their only daughter was a healer."

Archer remained silent. Most likely processing the information he just heard inside his head. Orihime took the moment to carry the empty plate and cup to the sink. She deposited the cup in the sink and the cup in the trash. It was severely cracked in several places. Can't use it anymore.

Now it was her turn to ask some questions. There were still a few things about this Holy Grail War she needed to know. Time to get it out of the way now.

But first…

"Did you change your clothes?" she asked curiously. "Because I swear you were wearing a different outfit when you were making breakfast." And it was true. Gone were the dark-colored shirt and trousers, and her Servant was once again in his black armor and red cloak.

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Let's just say… it's one of my abilities."

An auburn brow rose up slightly, almost incredulously. "One of your abilities is to magically change clothes whenever you want?" Huh. Why does it remind her of Animal Crossing? Character spins around, and magically changes clothes.

Okay… Now for a more serious topic. "You said that Servants had classes, right? And you are an Archer class Servant?"

"That's right."

"Are there any other classes?"

The red Servant uncrossed his legs and straightened his posture. "There are 7 classes in all," he informed her. "There are 3 knight classes- Saber- the Servant of the Sword, Archer- the Servant of the Bow, and Lancer- the Servant of the Lance- and 4 cavalry classes- Rider- the Servant of the Mount, Caster- the Servant of Magic, Assassin- the Servant of Assassination, and Berserker- the Servant of Madness. Saber is a class who specialize in swords and has a high balanced stats compared to the other classes- like Magic Resistance. The Lancer class consisted of those greatly proficient in welding a lance or a spear. They are incredibly nimble and agile when fighting and possess impressive speed. The Archer class- like myself- are those who specialize in the use of bows and arrows and projectiles. Compared to the previous 2 mentioned, they are more skilled in long-ranged combat. They also possess a skill called "Independent Action". It allows them to move and act independently, even without a Master. The Rider class are those who are associated with mounted vehicles in their life- such as chariots or mythical creatures- and have a higher Riding skill than the Saber class. The Caster class are basically magi with ridiculously high amounts of mana and use magic spells when battling. They are generally considered the weakest class in close quarters combat. The Assassin class are very skilled operating in the shadows. They mainly prefer to quickly target and eliminate enemy Masters because they are fairly weak compared to most of the other classes, except for- possibly- the Caster class. And the Berserker class are those who have exceptionally raw power, even being physically stronger than the Saber class. They also have a skill called "Mad Enhancement" that lets them trade their sanity for more raw power."

Orihime nodded her head, calmly taking all this information in. By the looks of it- while each class was troublesome in itself- the classes they most have to watch out for are the Berserker class, the Saber class, and the Lancer class. Oddly enough, the Berserker did kinda- sorta- reminded her of the 11th Division. Forgoing magic and fighting on pure brute strength and all that.

"I know Masters are generally magi, but do Masters have their own abilities? Or are they just there to provide support for their Servants?"

"Masters have something known as "Master's Clairvoyance". It lets them see the general stats of any Servant."

That piqued her interest. "How do I use it?"

"Just use your mana and focus on any Servant in your line of sight. You should be able to see their stats easily. That is if you are competent enough to see it," Archer instructed her with such a haughty attitude to boot, but she brushed it off.

She did as she was told, and focused entirely on him. Eventually, Orihime could see her Servant's stats just like he said. Each skill set was aligned with flower petals. She could quickly guess that the stronger the skill, the more flower petals corresponded to it.

Now… Let's see…

True Name: ?

Class: Archer

Master: Orihime Nazuki

Alignment: True Neutral

Strength: C

Endurance: C

Agility: C

Mana: A

Luck: B

Magic Resistance: C

Independent Action: A

Clairvoyance: C

Mind's Eye [True]: B

Magecraft: C-

Projection Magecraft: C- - conditionally A+

Noble Phantasm: ?

"You're a jack-of-all-trades kinda guy, huh?" the auburn-haired healer couldn't help but comment.

Archer simply smirked and nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders.

She observed his stats again. She could discern that- under some of the skills- there were descriptions to better describe what that particular skill does. She would carefully read, understand, and take note of them later. However, what she was most bewildered about was that her Servant's name came up blank. Why is that? Is it because she doesn't know his name yet? That… would make sense.

"Oh. One last thing, Master… Every Servant has his or her own Noble Phantasm."

She cooked her head in confusion. "Noble Phantasm?"

"Think of it as a special ability unique to that specific Servant. A Noble Phantasm could be anything corresponding with that Heroic Spirit's legend. It could be a powerful, magical weapon or a divine beast. A Noble Phantasm is the ultimate trump card of a Servant. However, most Servants would avoid using their Noble Phantasms until it is the very last resort in their arsenals."

She was puzzled by that, and she guessed it showed because swiftly answered her unasked question.

"A Noble Phantasm is like a double-edge sword. It's a very powerful and destructive technique- however- it also runs the risk of revealing the Servant's True Name to the other Servants and Masters. Once a Servant's True Name is revealed, practically all their strengths and weaknesses would be revealed as well- as anyone who knows that Servant's myth or legend would know their weaknesses and how to exploit it to defeat them. Basically, the use of a Noble Phantasm runs the incredibly dangerous risk of putting a Servant at a huge disadvantage throughout the rest of the war."

Ah. Was that why she couldn't see her Servant's name? Because it runs the risk of revealing his weaknesses along with it? It… kinda… makes sense. Still though…

There was one more question she wanted the answer to. And this would affect how she starts strategizing against the enemy Servants later. "Like humans, can Servants be hurt by ordinary guns and swords? Conventional human weaponry?"

"You are forgetting, Master, that Servants are Heroic Spirits- beings made from magical constructs given form inside of a vessel provided by the Grail. Modern weaponry won't work on a Servant. Only ones made of magical, spiritual, or divine power could affect them."

She hummed thoughtfully. So what he was saying was that conventional weaponry won't work on Servants. Only weapons from the magical or spiritual variety would work. Which meant her Shun Shun Rikka powers should still be effective against Servants. Hmm, it's almost like going back to fighting Hollows all over again- which brought a strange sense of nostalgia to her. Nevertheless- she wanted to avoid using her full powers- avoid tipping her hand as much as possible. If conventional weaponry won't work, she'd have to make it work.

Either way, she was satisfied. For now. She placed the freshly clean plate on the dish rack, and made her way back over to the living room. A quick side glance at the clock told her it was past 9:30. This is as good a time as any to get going.

She opened her mouth, but immediately closed it- however- auburn eyebrows knitted together. She was just now realizing she doesn't know what to call the white-haired man. She watched her Servant casually sitting on her couch with closed eyes. She felt sorta bad now. All this time she's been calling him "her Servant" in her mind. And it would be really awkward, if she continued to do that- especially if they were supposed to be partners in this… Holy Grail War. She can't believe her sense of courtesy slipped her mind.

Well… Better rectify it.

"Your name?"

"Hmm?" Archer hummed, cracking a steel-gray eye open.

"You never told me your name," she elaborated. "What is it?"

He stared up at the ceiling for a moment with his single eye as if contemplating deeply. "I hate to say this, Master, but I can't remember my own name," he finally responded coolly.

Now she was somewhat concerned. "Why's that?"

"It most likely has to do with your summoning. My memories are a jumble."

She was starting to feel a bit skeptical. Someone with apparent memory loss wouldn't be able to do what he did. Though, she could chalk up his fighting skills to muscle memory. And… perhaps… he doesn't have total memory loss. Just partial. Which explains why he's efficient in the kitchen, yet doesn't know his own name.

"Is it really because of the amnesia? Or do you just not want to tell me your name? Or maybe you achieved something so incredibly great in your life that it caused you to abandon your name in exchange? Or did you simply lose all sense of self-respect for yourself that you don't respect yourself enough to remember your own name?" she asked innocently. Guess, Orihime Nazuki doesn't have the same sense of tactfulness as Orihime Inoue. Ripping the bandage off without a second thought, huh? She was really beginning to realize how straightforward and blunt she could be. Pre-reincarnated Orihime would- despite noticing it- dance around or drop the issue in fear of causing the other person unnerving discomfort or insensitively hurting them. Or maybe- here- she was just that way to people she was not particularly close to yet. Maybe her former husband, Ichigo Kurosaki, really did influence her way too much.

Or was she trying to get back at him for his comment about her being a magus?

Who knows?

A moment of silence filled the air. The two were locked in a silent, tense staring contest.

At last, Archer cracked a cocky smirk with rivers of condescension behind it. "I'm just a nameless Heroic Spirit, Master. I can't say for sure if I really have a legend to my name. You can say that being summoned by an inexperienced Master does warrant a few problems here and there. But not to worry. It's only a trivial matter. It won't affect my abilities as a Servant."

He wasn't outwardly showing, but Orihime could tell that she made him a little bit… angry. Probably has something to do with the whole "no self-respect" remark. Brutal honesty can be so hurtful sometimes, huh? While he was informing her of the extent of his… issue, she also noted a few hidden, passive-aggressive jabs at her incompetence as a Master. Not that she didn't see it coming.

Though- once again- the auburn-haired healer internally chastised herself for her lack of tact. Normally, she would have more savoir faire than this. She does know how to almost flawlessly navigate through any social situation. It's true that- most of the time- she's reserved and likes to keep her distance from people- emotionally. Only talking when spoken to, and never one to generally and actively start up small talk. She's always able to decipher the mood of the atmosphere and swiftly pick up on the emotions of the people around, and act accordingly to that.

Guess, it's the fact that she has to deal with this so soon in the morning. And let's not forget he practically broke into her apartment- Servant bodyguarding his new Master or not. So she was probably- subconsciously- still a little miffed about that.

"Well, Master?"

Archer's voice snapped her out of her ruminations. "Well, what?"

"Aren't you going to tell me your name?" he prompted.

Oh. Right. "My name's Orihime," there was a small pause, "Nazuki," she finished. "You can call me whatever you like."

"Orihime… Nazuki?" He seemed to be testing, trying to see how it sounds like coming from his mouth. His white eyebrows knitted together in concentration as if he's thinking deeply about something. What? Was there something wrong with her name?

He turned back to her with a smirk. "Then I should call you "Hime"."

"Except for that!" she protested abruptly. "Don't call me that," she repeated more quietly this time, voice almost a whisper.

Hime. That was the nickname her ex-husband used to call her. He was the only one who ever addressed her like that, and so affectionate too. Being called that would remind her of him, and a swirling vortex of emotions would start resurfacing within her. It would hurt to be called by her old nickname only reserved for the one she loved. It would really and truly hurt. Because it would be a painful reminder that she would never see him again. Her beloved Ichigo.

"You don't like it?" the red Servant asked concerned- though- he didn't sound very concerned at all.

"No, I don't exactly dislike it, per se. It's just bringing up a lot of… nostalgia," she mumbled softly, looking off to the side. Even if it was just tiny silver, she never sounded so… vulnerable in her entire, post-reincarnated life. Except for the time her parents died.

She shook her head, getting rid of such… wistful thoughts. She began making her way towards the door.

"Where are we going, Princess?" he inquired curiously.

Wow. He was really trying to get back at her for that "no self-respect" comment, huh? She had definitely hit a nerve.

Sigh. Whatever. His annoying taunts don't faze her. She doesn't exactly mind if he called her that.

Then she perked up. Wait a minute… "We"?

"I'm going out for a moment to get a few things. You are staying here to watch my apartment and my dog while I'm gone," she apprised him, making things crystal clear.

He climbed up out of the blue couch, crossed his arms, and frowned in obvious disapproval- a white brow twitching slightly in irritation. "You don't expect me to sit here while my Master goes off somewhere alone? What if there are enemies lurking nearby?" And he'd be damned if he had to stay here and play dog-sitter. Seriously. What the hell does his Master think he is?

She nearly rolled her eyes at her Servant's disapproving and worrisome tone. "I am more than capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much," she replied sassily.

Archer smirked arrogantly and patronizingly. "Like the time you summoned me? You had that situation handled extraordinarily well," he said mockingly.

She grumbled- clearly annoyed- under her breath. He heard her mumble something about "being rusty", "way too lax", and "out of practice".

Orihime was well aware of her mistake. She didn't need a reminder. That was why she was keeping a part of her Shun Shun Rikka with her all times for added protection. But she didn't bother telling Archer that.

"I can't take you out with me. What would the neighbors think if they saw a random guy walking out of my apartment? Especially this early in the morning?" Orihime hissed. "Nearly everyone knows I live alone. I don't want any… annoying rumors spreading around, and gaining unwanted attention because of it."

She expected it was because it was so late at night and- therefore- incredibly dark out. So it didn't really cause any problems at the time.

His smirk widened as if he was really taking amusement and pleasure in her dilemma. Hmph. Jerk. He placed a hand on his hip.

"Servants can take on spirit form. It basically makes them invisible and untouchable to anything and everything. It also allows them to pass through walls. And- although- they can pass through objects, they can't exactly hold things in astral form."

At that he received an oddly, wide-eyed look from her in response.

"Is something the matter, Princess?"

"No. It's just… nostalgia," she said softly. "Lots and lots of… nostalgia."

He cooked a brow in puzzlement. What a weird Master he had?

"By the way… What should I call you?" the auburn-haired woman asked. "I don't know your name, and it'll make me feel bad if I simply called you "Servant" all the time. So what should I call you? What do you want to be called?"

"You can me "Archer", Princess," the red Servant responded nonchalantly. "Most of the Servants are referred to by their class names anyway. Keeps enemies from knowing their true identity."

She nodded in understanding to that. Then a weird, bizarre thought came to her at the notion of Servants being invisible and intangible in their astral forms.

A picture of prehistoric times came to mind. Human civilization hadn't exactly thrived yet, so the earth was filled with nothing but greenery. Tall grass, tall bushes, and tall trees. And dinosaurs roamed the lands. Many kinds from all shapes and sizes.

Then…! Absurdly enough, several Servants appeared out of nowhere- and- almost just as quickly- disappeared. Every dinosaur stopped in their tracks, unsure and uncertain about what the heck happened. It led to a massive dino panic breaking out.

And that's how the dinosaurs went extinct.

"Wait. Didn't a meteorite cause the dinosaurs' extinction?" she questioned herself before her eyes widened- internally of course. "It's like a paradox. A self-fulfilling prophecy."

Silvery-gray irises gazed at the strange expression on Archer's face once she was snapped back to reality. It 's almost like he was trying to hold in his laughter.

"Why is Archer? He's looking at me weird? Why? Is there something on my face? Wait. What am I trying to figure this out? Not any of my business. Wait. If all Servants can turn invisible, does that mean…?"

Her mind flashed with images of Servants using their powers for… naughty purposes.

A deep scowl marred her face. "Walking through walls, my butt. A perfect opportunity to give yourself a free show, you creep. A-And more Servants means more creepers. The ultimate power of a stalker."

"Relax, Princess. I would do nothing so crude as that."

"Good because Ichigo is the only person- the only man allowed to see me like that."

She paused for a few moments. She was taken aback, staring at her Servant in stunned surprise. "Did I just bear your thoughts inside my head, Archer?" she asked him in flabbergasted awe.

"It's the mental link connection between Masters and their Servants, Princess," Archer explained, demonstrating it for her. "It allows for us to communicate with each other telepathically."

The auburn-haired woman made an "oh" sound of comprehension. Then a horrid realization came to her.

"Wait a minute…! Does that mean… you were…?" She does not dare to finish that thought, her insides burning with embarrassment.

A smugly mirthful smirk was all she received in response.

There was a moment of silence.

Orihime's auburn brows furrowed. She scowled at him. "Never speak of this. Ever."

She was so incredibly lucky that she wasn't accidentally sending her Servant telepathic thoughts of her past life as Orihime Inoue. So ridiculously close. She would have to be careful in the future with this Master-Servant mental link connection. Sigh. Well- at least- she was now aware of this Master-Servant bond. So she should be more conscious of her… wild thoughts from now on. Don't want anything… too private to be unknowingly revealed.

The threat only served to cause Archer's smirk to widen.

She sighed. What sorta mess did she get herself into?

---

(A/N: That's the end of chapter 7! Did you guys enjoy it? Despite the new reincarnated life, Orihime is still… Orihime. And- thus- still has Orihime's… eccentricities and quirkiness. Whoa…! This chapter went a lot differently than what I was expecting. And this was one of the chapters I had planned when I started writing this crossover fanfic. This chapter was supposed to be Archer explaining to Orihime the basics of the Grail War, and then Orihime goes on her date with Hector. But I… didn't know how long the exposition would be. So Orihime's date with Hector would have to wait until the next chapter. I also was not expecting the chapter to be this long for a prologue chapter. So don't expect other prologue chapters to be this long [maybe].

Initially, Archer was supposed to be a lot more… insulting towards Orihime. A lot more sarcastic, condescending, and smug. Belittling her competence as a Master and a partner for the Grail War without getting to know her fully. Basically the same way he treated Rin in the prologue that caused her to lose her temper and use her Command Seal on him for something as so petty as "who's in charge". But that all went away once he realized that Orihime is much more cool and level-headed. She isn't as easily riled up with his insults as Rin is. She has this… "mature" aura about her that he could detect. I guess the difference is… Rin pretends to be mature [trying {and sometimes failing} to be an elegant, sophisticated, prim and proper magus and all]. Orihime actually is mature [even if you don't take her being reincarnated into the account- Orihime was very mature for her age in Bleach]. Not to mention that- by this point- Archer has grown more than accustomed to the high levels of mana feed he is receiving from Orihime. I noticed that part of the reason Archer looked down on Rin and belittled her was because he wasn't accustomed to her yet as his Master. He simply saw her as a young, naive teenage girl, and mocked her for that. From what I can gather from the anime, it seems like it takes a few hours or so for a Servant to get acclimated with their Master's mana. Because once Archer did, he started having a tiny slimmer of begrudging respect for Rin because he realized that she was a strong magus. But here… Archer had a whole night to get used to Orihime's mana. So that step and process was thrown out the window. Besides- from Archer's perspective- I think he would stick to being Orihime's Servant for now because it's the pragmatic option for him to do so. Not just because if he loses her, he would basically lose the war as well- but because… Archer never knows when or if he would ever get another Master with as much magical energy as her. He may be a cynical asshole, but he is a very pragmatic person. Let's just say the mana feed he's getting from her is very incredible. Beyond all his expectations, especially coming from an inexperienced and clueless Master. Archer is impressed and has already grown to mildly respect Orihime. Much faster than he did with Rin. The only problem he seems to have with Orihime as a Master- at this point- is her- or what he perceives to be- naive sense of heroism. Orihime may be more melancholic and reserved, but Orihime is still Orihime. Kind-hearted, compassionate Orihime. I did say that this was one issue that Archer would not take kindly with her. How would this affect their relationship later down the line? *shrugs* Who knows? He's only mildly annoyed with it for now, but who knows if it would grow and fester because Orihime hasn't seen the "error" in her way of thinking? To Archer, there is no such thing as a hero- and being a hero is a completely hopeless occupation. There always is a joke going around that Archer is a male tsundere. Especially apparent in later Fate installments.

As for Orihime, she was supposed to come off as really cold, aloof, and somewhat dismissive of Archer- telling him to shoo and go away and to stop "haunting" her. A complete and total ice queen. Thinking and trying to come up with ways to get rid of Archer- without dumping him onto someone else. After all, she is still a very responsible person- despite her outward demeanor- and doesn't like throwing her responsibilities onto someone else [and Archer is her responsibility to take care of]. She doesn't like the opposite to happen to her either. So- in her mind, initially- if she couldn't force Archer back to the Throne of Heroes or whatever he came from- then she was begrudgingly stuck with him until the Grail War was over. That was my initial portrayal of their "first" proper interaction.

However, it didn't turn out that way. As I kept writing and writing, I didn't have the heart to write Orihime as being that cold. Because she isn't. Post-reincarnation and differing personalities or not, she is still Orihime. At least, she may only seem "cold" to the people who don't know her very well because she gives off the outward appearance of being melancholic, aloof, and distant. I guess this Orihime isn't as very "emotional" [as some reviewers like to put it] as her pre-reincarnated self, but she is still very mild-mannered and very level-headed. She is not easily irritated and she is not quick to anger- which caused this chapter and the Orihime/Archer dynamic to go an entirely different way than how I first pictured it. There was supposed to be more- how should I put it- "tsun tsun" between them before the "dere dere" comes in a few chapters later. *shrugs shoulders* But hey… Things happen. And I like this so much better! It seems more in-character for Orihime [her new melancholic self and all] instead of her coming off as unnecessarily dismissively cold- and so… un-Orihime-like. She's cool, collected, and calm, and I like it- especially given Orihime's prior experiences with these sorts of things [while still showcasing her many bizarre quirks and eccentricities].

The Orihime and EMIYA dynamic is also something I'm looking forward to along with her dynamic with all the other Fate characters. Because I realized something. And this goes back to why it was so hard to scale Orihime's power levels in accordance with the Fate series. Unlike Fate characters where they are either born lucky or naturally gifted in magecraft, and have to experiment to grow and increase their powers- the same isn't for Orihime. The way Bleach characters grow in power is by accepting who they are as a person. It is learning to accept all their strengths, weaknesses, limitations, character traits, personality flaws, etc. Ignoring, denying, or just plain unwilling to accept their more ugly, unpleasant, and [sometimes] darker parts of themselves- I won't exactly say weakens them- but keeps Orihime and other Bleach characters from reaching their full potential. I guess I'm saying their power increases and grows as they literally undergo a character development [or- at least- have that potential]. They have to reach a sense of… enlightenment with themselves to become stronger [if not from an outside source]. That's what I'm saying. Because Orihime has already reached that level of enlightenment- spiritual and emotional maturity. She knows her strengths and her flaws. She knows who she is as a person. That's why I suspect when Fate characters try to mock, ridicule, or call out Orihime on her flaws, she would just ignore them. Not that she's trying to deny or rebuttal what they say [if it's not being played for comedic effect], but they are simply telling her what she already knows- something she's long since accepted. It's like telling someone they are ugly [Orihime is not ugly!], and the person going "Yeah, I'm ugly. So what?". Being this emotionally mature is not what a lot of Fate characters have- not even the Servants. Because it seems like Fate characters like to use their traumas as an excuse to remain inactive- hoping for some outside force to fix all their problems for them [like Sakura], to wallow in a never-ending pool of self-pity, guilt, rage, anger, etc. [like Shirou, Archer, and Rin- *hint hint*- they all have this "I work alone" or "I do this my way or no one's way" mentality], or to run away from their problems [like Saber- yes- Saber, I'm calling you out]. Likewise, I can image Orihime getting angry and/or upset and tell them off about their flaws- not to mock them or ridicule them- but because they are either trying to ignore it or run away from it [because people might reject them for their flaws, the flaws they have anger or scare them, because of daddy issues, or whatever other excuse they come up with]- instead of learning to accept and deal with them. She won't mind if the trauma affects them and them only, but when it becomes a problem to those close to them and starts hurting them [unintentionally or not]- it very much annoys her. Like- let's say for example- Shirou pushing and blatantly ignoring his friends' help and concerns due to the trauma of his survivor's guilt and thinking his undeserving of help because of it, yet hypocritically going on about how his friends need his help- need him to be a "Hero of Justice" for them. I'm not saying Orihime can't get new flaws down the line [she might even have one right now, given that she holds great disdain for magi, and- although justified- can be seen- from a certain perspective- as racism]. She just isn't the time to fully ignore them once she realizes them. I suspect Orihime would be taking a big sister or motherly role to the Fate characters [or-at least- the ones she allies with- if she does]. She might come off as somewhat cold and detached due to her melancholic persona, but it would all happen in due time [possibly]. At least, I suspect this to be Orihime and EMIYA's dynamic [before other Fate characters start entering the picture]. While it might come off as Archer being the aloof big brother to Orihime's unmotivated little sister- once Orihime let's her true self through [on occasions]- it's really Orihime being the caring and understanding big sister to Archer's moody and self-loathing little brother [despite him- technically- being older than her- since he lives for an eternity compared to Orihime's mental age of 50 or 60- despite her physical age being 18]. They are both quiet and introverted, yet caring and selfless people. But EMIYA's quietness is him being stoic and aloof while Orihime's is her being melancholic and very reserved, and their traumas and experiences with wars led them to very contrasting paths. EMIYA's has led him to be nihilistic and extremely self-loathing- so much so that he wants to commit suicide in a roundabout way. Orihime's has led her to the belief that the world might be a dark place, but there is always a ray of hope down the line- a person just either has to find it or make it. That's why I said Orihime is the middle ground between Shirou's suicidal idealism and Archer's jerkish cynicism. She's a rational idealist. These reasonings [among other things] are why Orihime is extremely good at reading people. She knows how to read the room almost perfectly [due to her own experiences of secretly being an insecure, people-pleaser] and put up near-perfect facades and masks to accommodate [which is why she is so good at her job and social situations despite being so melancholic deep down]. She knows enough about human psychology to detect when someone is lying, acting, or how they tick- which is why she quickly picks up on EMIYA's self-loathing issues- but doesn't say anything because she doesn't know how he'd react or pry because it's none of her business. Hmm, I'm just now realizing that all of this could make Orihime a very scary manipulator [if she desired to]. She's already highly intelligent.

The power leveling is also another reason I'm uncomfortable putting Ichigo in the Fate series- especially as a Servant. Because Ichigo was a candidate to be a replacement Soul King. Meaning that he is so strong, his power level would be equivalent to a God to- not just worlds, various planets, or abstract concepts- but God to an entire universe. Granted, Orihime has similar potential. She does have a piece of the Soul King inside her [as stated by canon]. She just has the power flaw of having a ridiculously weak attack power- something Ichigo doesn't have. If I were to put Ichigo in the story as a Servant, I would really, really, really, really have to downplay his power level. Otherwise, he would be so OP, he would trash all the Servants- including Gilgamesh. Besides, I don't know any other Master- besides Orihime- who could control him. I guess the only good thing about- if Ichigo as a Servant- is that it would force Orihime to talk about her past. Her whole past. Though I don't know if you guys know my stance on this or not, but I hate when people talk to other characters about their pasts. I like it when they want to. But when they are forced to do it under some plot contrivance just so other characters can be up to speed on what's going on and whatnot, no. Big no. I'm a big believer of "things being personal for a reason". Orihime would remain tight-lipped- which would cause some friction between her Servant and allies. But it's not happening, so all this drama won't happen either.

Another thing I have thought of, and now have questions on. Wouldn't Orihime be a perfect counter to Caster? Similarly to how Shirou and Archer are perfect counters to Gilgamesh. Because I have been imagining how the Grail War would go and the different fight scenes, and I can't help but to think that Orihime's Origin [as I explained in last chapter's author's notes] and her natural powers to simply cut through, deny, negate, and reject dimensions and realities. For example, Caster's Territorial Creation usually prevents Masters and Servants from entering her territory except through a specific point- but Orihime can just walk right in any time she wants as if she's taking a casual stroll on the beach. Caster escapes through another dimension [or something similar as she teleports]? Well, just borrow Archer's bow and arrows or enchant them and have Archer do it, and seamlessly have the arrows pass through that dimension to take a shot at Caster [though there will be a very limited amount of time]. The only thing Caster has that Orihime can't counter in some way [excluding her weak offensive power] is her Innate Time Control. Which she doesn't use to finish her opponents off anyway, so it doesn't matter. As I keep coming up with different ideas and paths the Grail War could take, I can't help but think Orihime and Caster would be arch-enemies during the war- not due to Orihime holding a grudge or resentment towards Caster [don't know about Caster's side of things- not fully developed- besides unwittingly making Orihime summon her own Servant and her reluctantly joining the Fifth Holy Grail War due that]- but simply because Orihime is Caster's natural enemy. Orihime may be a far inexperienced magus compared to Caster- and even Rin- but she knows how her own powers work and knows how to use them frighteningly well. Whenever I say Orihime is an inexperienced magus, I mean she's inexperienced in other methods of magecraft. Like for example- if Orihime were to learn fire or ice magecraft- she would have start from lv 1 [not lv 99 or 100]. Like being a lv 1 ice user. How fast she grows in levels really depends on her aptitude for it. Like would she grow from lv 1 - lv 2 in a week, or lv 1 - lv 10 or 20 in a single day [she is still a strong but unskilled/inexperienced magus]? That's where I'm getting at. And whether Archer betrays Orihime to join Caster- like he did to Rin in Unlimited Blade Works- is still up for debate.

Any comments or questions would be much appreciated, and thanks for reading!

P.S. Never watched/read the visual novel, but I have seen the prologue a few times. And boy, does it take awhile for Rin and Archer to establish their Master and Servant relationship. A whole 30 minutes- more or less- of them going back and forth. No wonder it was condensed to a measly 8 - 10 minutes in the anime. But now I know why the Fate/stay night visual novel takes 600+ hours to complete [100% completion and all]. It takes so damn long to get to the fucking point.

P.P.S. I'm thinking about having chapters switching point of views- switching perspectives later on. Like how I did with EMIYA. Have chapters that focus on Shirou, Rin, Saber's, etc. perspectives. Though, this won't happen until later- until the Grail War officially starts. What I want to say is that I won't have scenes and chapters focusing on the Orihime/Archer duo all the time. However, Orihime/Archer [EMIYA] are still the main Master-Servant pairing. I'm not going to throw them into the backburner [and suddenly have them be supporting characters] the minute Shirou is introduced [and suddenly have him be the main character out of fucking nowhere] like a lot of Fate stories tend to do.

P.P.P.S. The prologue arc is two-thirds of the way over [or- at least- I think it is]. Normally, I would say there are just a few more chapters to go. Orihime's date with Hector, more working at Cafe Angel, preparations for the upcoming Fifth Holy Grail War, etc. Honestly, I'm still deciding if Orihime should undergo some sorta training arc, or to just skip it and show segments of her training in flashbacks. As for timeline- the Grail War is still several weeks to a month away- so the only Servants that have been summoned so far are Archer, Caster, and Assassin- by extension of Caster- for those who wanted to know.

P.P.P.P.S. I have thought of having Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka communicate with Archer telepathically whenever Orihime and Archer have their mental link conversations. But decided to drop it since it's shown- in Bleach- that Orihime's fairy spirits never seem to talk to Orihime this way. They always have to be manifested in some way or the other. So it wouldn't make sense for them to talk to Archer this way, but not Orihime.

P.P.P.P.P.S. I decided to stick to calling Orihime's Origin "Rejection".