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?

8. A Melancholic's Content

(A/N: Here's chapter 8!

alexc123: Thank you for the review! I enjoyed his reaction! I really did look forward to writing it!

izyendor: Thank you for the review! I'm sorry, dude. First of all: I did not know that. Second of all: It had to do with Orihime being Archer's Master now. Let's just say, she has some influence on his Luck stat. Third of all: Well, I've been asking everybody to share their opinions on what Archer's stats should be like. I even had previews of Archer's stats at the beginning or end of the author's notes in the past few chapters that very few people commented on [thanks again to those people who actually did and helped me out]. All I can say now is that it's too late to change it. I'm sorry, man, but it is what it is. This is one of those situations where it's better to say something before it's too late.

Guest review [HookLeff]: Thanks for the review! No, Illya has not summoned Berserker yet. Yes, that does include Caster's Rule Breaker into the equation. Although- Orihime would mostly remain unaffected by it- Caster could still break her Master-Servant contract with Archer if she were to stab him with it. It always feels like Caster needs to stab the Servants instead of the Masters with Rule Breaker in order for it to be effective. I mean, she had Shirou in her clutches during that one scene in UBW. She could have stabbed him with Rule Breaker in order to get Saber. Instead she chose to try to steal Shirou's Command Seals the old-fashioned way. It made me wonder that maybe hitting Masters with Rule Breaker would not nullify their pact with their Servants. Caster has to inflict Rule Breaker on the Servants themselves in order to break the contract between Masters and Servants. Sorry- but I don't know anything about Caster's past- besides what I read from the Fate wiki or Fate TvTropes. It shouldn't be forgotten that Orihime is an expert martial artist, quite accomplished with a sword, and has extensive knowledge in the medical field. I mean, even the best of [spiritual entity] doctors have stated she has more skill than them when it comes to healing and she once married into a family who owns a local clinic. There's no doubt that Orihime carries knowledge on how to perform first-aid, how to decipher and treat different types of poisons [even spiritual and magical ones], how to perform the most grueling of surgeries, and everything in between. She was also shown to be a bit of a tech savvy in canon. Not to mention, she has decades of battle experience. Yes- she might not be as fast and strong as a Servant- but she does possess faster reflexes than the average human or the average magus- even without using magecraft to further enhance her physical capabilities. With her raw magical prowess- compared to the general magi- Orihime is strong but unskilled in terms of magic capabilities [that doesn't include her Shun Shun Rikka powers]. Though- from a Servant's POV- Orihime may appear weak [not counting her Shun Shun Rikka] but very skilled. This is probably another thing that Orihime has in common with EMIYA. They both have "magic" that are only proficient in 1 or 2 things. For Orihime, it's her incredible defensive and healing abilities [not counting her attack power because it's so weak]- and- for Archer- it's his Reinforcement and Projection magecraft [anything to do with his Origin]. While their skill sets in magic are very limited compared to the average magus [who probably knows several techniques in magecraft compared to these two], they make up for it with masterful skill [in what they do know- among other things] and tons of experience. What I'm saying is that Orihime may not be able to beat a Servant in a straight up fight- excluding Caster and Assassin class Servants- but if she can't last 5 - 10 minutes against them, then there's a serious problem. Like you said, the only thing holding Orihime back from being truly deadly is her pacifism [has no problem using self-defense and kicking butt, but hesitant to use lethal force] and being out of practice [the latter she tends to make up for with several weeks of training before the Holy Grail War officially begins]. Though, she will be one of the most formidable Masters during the war. From a certain perspective- Orihime and EMIYA do make quite the dangerous, weak but skilled Master-Servant pair. Yeah- Orihime has visited the park- and she was suspicious of the circumstances- given that the bizarre cover up was something she was very familiar with in her old life- minus the city-wide memory wipe. She just can't figure out what truly happened. She was too young at the time. She was more focused on reconnecting and retraining herself with her powers than anything else. That's why she does not know that the mysterious fire was caused by the conclusion of the Fourth Holy Grail War. She only had her old memories and Shun Shun Rikka powers back for 2 years during that time.

Zabkiel: Thanks for being the 200th person to follow this story! Here's a cookie!

Now enjoy the chapter!)

---

A Melancholic's Content

Orihime strolled through the streets of a local shopping district in Fuyuki. She was unbothered by the chilly mid-winter air. Usually… This would be another ordinary day for the young, auburn-haired woman. She would do whatever business she has that needs to be done, then go home to rest until her date appointment. The day would pass her by as listlessly and nearly uneventful as it always does. However, she would be content with it. She would be content with living a normal, average life of no adventure, no excitement, and no thrills or dangers.

Key word… Usually.

Now she was being accompanied by a magical being known as a "Servant"- who was dressed in red and black. Not to mention, she unwittingly found herself being a participant in a war she did not sign up for. The white-haired man was currently in his ghost form- astral form- or whatever he wanted to call it. She could sense him walking right next to her or a little bit behind her.

By the way, she wanted to keep him at the apartment, but he insisted on coming along. According to his logic, what moronic Master would publicly walk around in the open without their Servant by their side? He really was a stubborn, rude, arrogant, and sarcastic man. She could take care of herself just fine. She wasn't as weak and fragile as she looked.

She had only relented because it would be as good of an opportunity as any for him to get a small glimpse of the city. With her busy schedule, she never knew when she would ever have the time to take him to go sightseeing around the city. So she could only sporadically take him out to certain areas of the city at a time just so he could get a feel of the layout of what would be their battlefield for the Fifth Holy Grail War.

Thankfully- he had been quiet throughout most of the walk- letting her enjoy the quiet calmness of the atmosphere in peace. The old, pre-reincarnated her would have been uncomfortable with the silence, and would've found it awkward and nerve-wracking. The new her welcomed it. It gave her the chance to immerse herself in her thoughts. Besides, she had always been the type that kept to herself. Mostly. Nothing new. So this works better for her.

She had to prepare for the upcoming Grail War. She knew she had to. But she just doesn't have time right now. She had other obligations that needed to be met. She had her date with Hector and then she had work tomorrow. While being off work wasn't an option- she was acutely aware that she could flake off on her date. But she just couldn't do it. She just couldn't text Hector and tell him she canceled their date because "something came up" at the last minute. That would be a pretty lousy thing to do. She had no romantic interest in him- sure- nor did she have any interest in continuing this any further. But she promised him a date, and- right now- she was obligated to keep that promise. It's too late to back out now. She was already prepared to tell Hector she had no interest in going out with him after their date was finished. This was only a one time thing. Nothing more.

"Princess? Where are we going?" Archer asked his Master through their shared mental connection.

Orihime wondered if he got bored with the silence. Though she had no problem with answering a few of his questions and indulging him. "We are going to a nearby electronics store. My phone charger is busted, and I need to get a replacement," she telepathically answered simply.

"..." The red Servant felt as if he wanted to say something, but decided not to.

"Is there a problem?"

"No, but… couldn't you just fix it? I find it to be a waste to buy a new one."

"That's true, and I would usually agree with you that it's a waste of money to buy a new charger. But the old charger is completely ruined. I tried it, and it doesn't work anymore. So I'm getting a new one. Plus, it's cheaper to just buy a new one than to go to an electronic mechanic to fix it."

The auburn-haired healer stopped when something caught her eye.

"What is it, Princess?" Archer mentally asked- voice slightly on edge- sharp eyes searching around for any signs of danger.

She didn't provide him with an answer, instead wordlessly crossing the street. The Servant observed his Master head towards a random cafe. This cafe had a bright and colorful sign outside its doors that showed a picture of a dessert with words underneath it that said "limited time only". His Master opened the door and walked inside the cafe- quietly taking a seat at a nearby empty table.

"Uh, Princess? What are we doing here? Weren't you headed to the electronics store?" he inquired, slightly confused by the turn of events.

She didn't respond to him as a waiter walked up to her table with a menu in head. He could tell that the waiter was nervous, fidgety, and flustered as he spoke to her. As he was talking to her, he couldn't stop ogling her figure and curves.

Archer could not blame him for that. He was more than aware of his Master's- uhm- assets. She was a beautiful woman. A very beautiful and attractive, young lady. There was no denying that. He was a man himself, so he could admit that. He knows an attractive woman when he sees one. She had the figure, body type, and… assets most women would either die for or be envious of, and men would drool and kill over.

Still though… This was too much. The waiter was a nervous wreck just being within the same vicinity as his Master.

He listened as Orihime spoke to him with the politeness and courtesy of a cool, dignified, patient, and considerate woman. He almost snorted at that. She wasn't like that with him this morning. She was calm and collected- yes- but she was also incredibly blunt, outspoken, and sometimes a little snarky when speaking.

She finished her order, and the man bowed before retreating back to the kitchen.

"Now that you are done… Mind telling me what you are doing here, Princess?" Archer questioned. If he were materialized, he'd be crossing his arms over his chest.

"Nothing much. Just stopping for a quick coffee break," she replied simply.

Archer rose a metaphoric, white brow. "You just ate," he deadpanned.

She waved him off. "Archer?"

The red clad Servant hummed, indicating that he was listening.

"You said that Servants are Heroic Spirits, right? And Heroic Spirits come from the Throne of Heroes, correct?"

"That's right."

"What's it like up there?" the auburn-haired woman asked curiously. "In the Throne of Heroes, I mean?"

"What's it like in the Throne of Heroes? Excuse me, Princess, but I don't exactly understand the question," he said mildly confused. "What's with the curiosity, if I may ask?"

Orihime's mind flashed through otherworldly places like the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. The same waiter with her order, and gently placed it on the table before her.

"Here you go, ma'am. Enjoy," he said with a nervous smile- his cheeks tinted with a light pink hue- before bowing and retreating back to the kitchen. It was a simple lemon cake decorated with white frosting and a slice of lemon to complete the look. There was a cup of coffee at the side with a couple of cups of cream.

Archer deadpanned at the dessert. His Master was busy opening up the packs of cream, and pouring them inside the coffee. "Isn't it too early for dessert, Princess?" He recognized the cake as the "limited time only" addition that had been advertised outside the cafe. So that's what she came in here for?

She pish poshed her Servant, and calmly stirred her coffee. She carefully cut a tiny slice of her cake with her fork and popped it in her mouth- chewing on it slowly. The cake was soft and chewy with a sweet and tangy taste. It easily melted it in her mouth.

"I'm beginning to wonder about your nutritional diet, Princess," he commented sardonically, still grimacing at the nightmarish concoction she made and drank this morning along with the little… changes she put on the breakfast he made for her. He was still a little miffed about that.

She brushed off his dry remark. She took another bite of her cake and swig of her coffee. "Pardon me for asking, Archer, but aren't you worried?"

If Archer wasn't in spirit form, he'd be quirking his brow at her. "Worried about what?"

"Well, all Servants come from the Throne of Heroes, yes? That's what you told me. What if…? What if you end up having to fight someone you know? A friend from the Throne?" she wondered, truly being concerned and considered for her Servant's perceived plight.

"Your worry is unnecessary, Princess," he replied.

"Unnecessary?" she questioned with a curious tilt of her head. "Why is it unnecessary? I know we are in this Grail War to fight other Masters and Servants, but don't you hang out with friends in the Throne of Heroes?" She took another bite of her cake.

She thought about how Soul Reapers have drinking parties and stuff. Sure, they are busy fighting Hollows and other supernatural threats, but they always reserve time to hang out with their friends and squad mates. They drink and have idle chit-chat. They hold celebrations, and launch fireworks on special occasions. They smile, laugh, and- overall- just have fun together in various ways. Sometimes in twisted ways for certain individuals. She wondered if the Throne of Heroes was anything like that.

"Your question is unfounded, Princess. I find it rather odd and peculiar. I don't know what kinda place you imagine the Throne of Heroes to be, but the Throne is nothing more than a metaphysical void existing outside time and space where Legendary Souls are kept. Nothing more than that."

So it was merely a timeless void where Legendary Souls are left in a frozen and stagnated state until they are summoned back into the world for one reason or another? That's…

"That's… kinda sad."

Orihime took another tiny drink of her coffee before placing it back down. She dug into her back pocket and grabbed her wallet. She took out the appropriate amount of bills and placed the money on the table. Afterwards- she climbed out of the table and left- hearing a "Thank you for coming!" in the distance as she walked out the door- leaving her unfinished cake and coffee along with the payment for the little coffee break on the table.

"I noticed you left the cake unfinished, Princess," Archer mentally noted to her. "Was it not to your liking?"

"No. It's nothing like that. Just got bored of the taste, is all," she answered plainly.

The short walk to the electronics store was silent but more comfortable and peaceful than last time.

Archer opted to stay quiet and observe his Master throughout the rest of the day. His Master was sorta of the cool and reserved type, wasn't she? Not that he didn't expect. She gave off that impression this morning. She mostly kept to herself- not interacting with anyone. Though, it really wasn't surprising. Most magi are like that. They stayed clear away from ordinary or kept them at arm's length- even if they were friends with some regular, non-magi humans.

Nevertheless, the red clad Servant couldn't help but to ponder over the strange question she asked him earlier. Does he have friends in the Throne of Heroes? It wasn't uncommon for friends or even blood relatives to enter the Throne. But the way she worded the question meant that she wasn't asking that, was she? No, it genuinely sounded like she was asking him if he talked and made acquaintances and friends in the Throne. He can't help but feel a little annoyed at her naivety, but he was never one to lose control of his emotions. Yet, he was once again reminded of his Master's soft-heartedness. Sigh. There was no getting around though. He could only hope that she loses that soft-heartedness of hers in the upcoming battles to come. Otherwise, she won't make it very far in the war and would be eventually led to her own destruction by the harsh realities of the world.

Just like he was.

"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."

Despite being foolishly idealistic, his Master does seem to have a sensible and logical side to her. So he would let her aggravating optimism and soft-heartedness slide for awhile. Besides, she doesn't seem to be that bad of a Master- despite a few flaws here and there and her inexperience. Nothing that won't cause too much of a hindrance, excluding her soft-hearted nature.

Hopefully.

---

The trip to the electronics store turned out to be pretty uneventful for the most part. Orihime bought the phone charger that she needed, and they quickly went on their way back home.

"I'm gonna take a nap," the auburn-haired woman announced once she opened the door to the apartment and closed it behind her. Archer dematerialized since there was no reason to stay hidden any longer at the moment.

Her gray irises glanced over at the black, round clock and saw that it was just a little bit past 1:00 p.m.. "Wake me up in an hour, Archer." She petted Blueberry, and headed to her room to take a quick nap before her date with Hector.

Okay…

Archer was honestly beginning to wonder if the princess was perhaps too calm, wasn't taking the Grail War as seriously as a life-or-death all out battle against 7 Masters and their 7 Servants are supposed to be taken- or was in denial about the whole Grail War and her being a Master.

Well, it's not as if the Grail War has officially started yet. From what he could sense only a couple of the Servants have been summoned thus far. It wasn't particularly unusual for Servants to be summoned weeks in advance of the war. Although- most of the time- Masters prefer to summon their Servants the day before or the day of the Grail War.

His Master really does remain an enigma. He could get the general idea of her personality- of what kinda woman she is- but nothing concrete. She doesn't behave like a typical magus. She had the persona of being withdrawn and distant- sure- but didn't seem to be the side effect of haughty arrogance or supercilious pride. Not to mention, she welcomes technology with open arms. He noticed how she seemed to have a fair amount of knowledge and understanding of modern technology. Enough to easily navigate through the store without any trouble or need to call for help or assistance.

He doesn't mind technology himself, yet he never goes out of his way for it. He was fine only using technology when absolutely necessary or if it's the more convenient route when it comes to something he can't do himself, but nothing more than. For instance, from what little he remembered of his old, human life, he never had a computer or a laptop at his house. If he ever needed to use one though, he would always head to the library or something and use one of their computers.

There's also the possibility of his Master's mindset deferring from most magi because she was not raised from a true magus family. She had told him that she was the only magus in her family. Well- "healer"- as she scornfully corrected him in an icy cold tone of voice- making her disdain for being referred to as a magus very vehemently clear. That was the only time her calm and collected mask cracked just a little bit. That was one thing that was very, very apparent to him this morning. His Master does not magi in high regard. At all.

Nevertheless- if Orihime really was a first generation magus as she claimed- then she was ridiculously powerful for a magus. He could sense from their Master-Servant bond that she had more magical energy than most magi with generations and generations of family magecraft, history, and research under their belt. It was really unbelievable. So much so that he was a bit skeptical of her claims, and was having a hard time believing her statement to be true or even accurate. There could be the possibility of her parents keeping their status as magi a secret from her. They could have been magi who have abandoned their family traditions and the magi lifestyle to run away and elope together.

There were many possibilities, but nothing concrete. Only assumptions and theories. He would have to ask his Master more details about her family later. It was not something he was worried about or anything. Just wanting to sate a simple curiosity is all. He hasn't heard of any first generation magus being that powerful since the Age of God's.

Though, that does not change the fact that Orihime was an inexperienced Master. She has a very enormous amount of mana- yes- but does she know any actual magecraft? She was aware of magi- despite being a first generation magus. So- naturally- that she must know about magecraft. Whether she could perform it or not is another thing entirely. And that was why he highly doubted she could use magecraft because everyone knows how dangerous magecraft could. If she did know magecraft, then that would imply that she was self-taught- which would be completely idiotic and suicidal. One wrong move when performing, then the person could either end up accidentally crippling themselves or- worse- kill themselves.

Nonetheless, it was not entirely so bad. She was calm and level-headed, despite her inexperience. Almost so. She was an exceptional mana battery. Even if she couldn't fight or perform magecraft, that's okay. Servants are the ones who do all the fighting anyway. It was a Servant's duty to protect their Master at all costs. Whether his Master knows magecraft or not didn't make a difference to that. Besides, it's not like most Masters stand a chance against a Servant anyway. It would really just come down to how his Master would fare against other Masters. Well- if she ever were in danger because of an enemy Master- she could always use a Command Seal to summon him to her side.

Archer figured that there was nothing left for him to do here. Orihime had ordered him to wake her up an hour from her nap, so until then he should probably scout out the city and keep watch outside. There was no Bounded Field set in place, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep an eye out.

So- with that plan of action in mind- the red clad Servant dematerialized- leaving behind a confused white and light brown border collie once again.

---

"Archer," Orihime called out to him, "I want you to stay here tonight. I'm going out. I'll be back late in the evening."

Archer frowned in obvious displeasure at the command. His stern, steel-gray orbs stared down at her. "And- pray tell- do I need to stay put here?" he challenged. "Have you forgotten already, Princess, that leaving without the protection of your Servant is utterly foolish."

"The only reason I let you come with me, Archer, was because I was merely going to the electronics store. Nothing more," she countered calmly. "And because it would be a good opportunity for you to see a little bit of the city."

"But this time's different. I'm doing something a bit more… private."

He cocked a white brow. "Private?"

"I'm going on a date," she answered nonchalantly.

A date, huh? Well, that explained the reason for his Master's nice and somewhat fancy attire. She was dressed in a light pink, sleeveless dress that reached all the way down to her knees with black tights underneath. She had on a long white, coat and white, ankle-length, 1-inch heel boots adorned her feet. She had on a white beaded bracelet on her left wrist and a pink wristwatch on her right in the reverse position. Some strands of her hair were braided and were tied back with a pink and white floral hair pin. She carried a white, fancy purse along with her.

Her Servant's frown deepened at that. That meant his Master purposefully planning to hang out all day with someone could potentially be an enemy for the upcoming war. Alone. What she was beyond stupid.

Orihime's eyes narrowed at the incredulous look he was giving her. "If you want me to cancel it, it's too late now. I had made plans for it before I got caught in up in this stupid Holy Grail War."

"So you think it's a good idea to go off somewhere? Alone? Without your Servant?" he questioned with a sarcastic drip in his tone.

"What do you want me to say? "Sorry, I accidentally entered a magic showdown to the death with 14 other people in order to obtain the ultimate magic chalice? That's why I have to cancel our date"?" the auburn-haired healer countered dryly. "Not happening. I'm going on the date, and you are staying here."

He smirked irritatingly. "And why would I miss seeing my normally serious and calm Master's cute and adorable side?" he questioned. His voice shifted in a way that was clearly mocking her. "Something tells me I would never have another chance like this again."

She scoffed. "As if. I'm only going on this date, so someone else would stop pestering me for awhile."

He gazed at her charily. "And yet you think it's a good idea to go out in public without your Servant?"

She sighed tiredly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I guess you wouldn't understand the concept of a date, do you? That's right. I keep forgetting that you're a magical ghost who probably died centuries ago."

She had almost forgotten the possibility that Archer may have come from a time where "dating" wasn't a thing. She should have known that it was a possibility. Some of her Soul Reaper friends needed to be taught the norms, conventions, and customs of human society. Perhaps Archer was the same way. Plus, she gets that he's concerned because… anyone around could potentially be an enemy for the war.

But he was being annoyingly suffocating right now. How many times must she say that she. Is. Perfectly. Fine. Taking. Care. Of. Herself. Before it gets through to that thick and stubborn head of his? She was not some weak, fragile woman who needed protecting 24/7. She couldn't last several minutes against a Servant… Heck- if she could not outsmart and out beat another Master- then she must seriously be lacking in her training. She really has gotten rusty and way too lax at that point! If she had her Shun Shun Rikka, sword, or a proper weapon of some kind, she could've effortlessly taken down those skeleton monsters.

Even so…! Was it really too much to ask for a few more days to enjoy and say goodbye to her normal life?! She doesn't think so! Who knows what would happen during the war? Much less, what would come after it? Her only hope was that she wouldn't have to resort to using her Shun Shun Rikka powers during the whole entire war. But her expectations for that possibility weren't very high.

"Servant," Archer corrected her, snapping his Master out of his displeased musings.

She casually placed a hand on her hip. "Basically the same thing," the auburn-haired woman commented disinterestedly. "Listen, okay?"

She watched Archer cross his arms, now feeling irritatingly amused for some reason- but ignored it. It wouldn't do her any good to comment in the first place. She's only known her Servant for a few hours, and was quick to realize that dealing with him can be quite frustrating at times. He seemed to have a natural knack for causing people annoying headaches. His ever present, signature, cocky smirk didn't really help matters either. She could guess that a lot of people would find it incredibly irksome. Her Servant seemed to have a natural knack for getting under people's skin.

"A date is where a boy and girl go out and do things together. Alone," Orihime stressed- speaking in a clinical tone- making every word that came out of her mouth very clear and pronounced. "They hang out and spend time and have fun together. Alone." She crossed her arms. "Look, I don't know what era or time period you lived or died in-" Archer's smirk only widened as if he really was getting some kinda enjoyment out of her explanation. "-but dating is basically when a boy and girl get to… know each other better," she clarified in a way that would make it easier for him to comprehend what she was telling him. "You know? Romantically. Do you know what "romance" means?"

"Indeed. I have heard of the term. Yes."

She frowned, not liking the sarcastic and condescending tone he was taking with her with his ever present, irritatingly cocky smirk to boot. But she's gotten quite used to her Servant's insolent and incredibly rude attitude at this point, so decided to ignore it and continue on.

"Good. I think the simplest term I should put it… is that the guy is trying to court me, and I'm trying to see if he is suitable or not. Understand? That's why I don't need you tonight. Having you there would just make things awkward. I may be disinterested, but I know dating or courting doesn't include 3 people."

"I did not know any of this," he replied, eyes closed and arms crossed as if he were in deep concentration. She could already tell he was being mocking and sarcastic. "I'll be sure to take your wise words of wisdom to heart, Princess."

Orihime glared at him. Why does she get the feeling he knew what a "date" was, and was just messing with her by being a sarcastic, annoying prick? He seemed to get some kinda sick kick out of teasing her or trying to rile her up. She sighed exasperatedly. After all, she doesn't know exactly when he died. He could be someone from the modern era or perhaps from the distant future. She just assumed that he was someone from the past because he had said that Heroic Spirits are essentially "historical figures who have become famous or infamous during their life". But her past experiences have told her that there are always a few exceptions to every rule. Besides- according to Archer- he said that the Throne of Heroes existed outside time and space. So shouldn't the past, present, and future all be the same to it?

She shook her head. She doesn't have time for this.

The auburn-haired woman turned her wrist over to gaze at the time on her watch. It was already 2:41. "I don't have time for this. I'm going to be late at this rate. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Archer. If the guy does turn out to be an enemy, I'm quite capable of handling it. If you don't want to stay here, fine. But don't follow me, okay? Stay in ghost form and explore the city or whatever. Stay out of sight. You are an Archer, right? Go out and do… archer things."

"Archer things?" Archer snorted amused with one, white brow raised.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Go train or something. Go hunt in the forest. Just don't follow me and stay out of sight. Don't cause any trouble for people. If I don't make it home, be back by 7:30 to walk and feed Blueberry. Alright? I already showed you where Blueberry's food dish, water bowl, and dog food is." His smug smirk transformed into a deep scowl at the last command, but she ignored it. He was gonna have to get used to spending some time taking care of her dog- whether he liked it or not.

Orihime opened and closed the door, hoping that Archer was not following her in his astral form. Through their shared Master-Servant bond, she could sense him anywhere- even if he were invisible. When she still sensed him inside, she'd figured that the coast was clear. At least… for now.

Hmm, maybe she should ask him to train her. She had been planning to resume her training. But… not now. Right now she has a date to get to.

---

It was around 3:23 by the time Orihime arrived at the Sandbox Theaters. Phew. She barely made it on time. She gazed around, searching for her date.

"Hey! Orihime!" She heard male voice shout her name. "Over here!"

She turned to where the sound of the voice was coming from. She swiftly spotted Hector Franz waving at her amidst the large crowd. He was dressed in a nice and simple long-sleeved, white T-shirt, blue jeans, a long-sleeved black jacket, and black shoes. She approached him with hurried steps.

She smiled at him politely, and he blushed slightly. "Sorry, I'm late." She bowed her head apologetically.

Flustered, Hector waved his hands in front of his face frantically. "D-Don't worry about it. It's fine. You made it in time. That's all that matters."

His face flushed crimson. "Y-Y-You look very pretty," he stammered.

She let out a girlsh giggle and inwardly cringe at how forced and unnatural it sounded. Maybe it felt unpleasant to her because her heart still ached for Ichigo. Maybe it was the uncomfortable knot twisting inside her chest from being on a date with someone who wasn't her beloved ex-husband. "You look nice as well, Hector," she commented, expertly hiding her unease behind a gentle smile.

He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "The movie starts in a few minutes."

"Then we should get going, shouldn't we?" She smiled at him with the same kind, gentle way she had expertly mastered when serving a customer at Cafe Angel.

"Y-Yeah!"

Orihime watched him lead the way and followed behind him. She only had two hopes. One- that Archer still wasn't following her- and two- that Hector picked a movie that was decently interesting.

At last, only one of those two wishful desires were fulfilled. She didn't sense Archer anywhere near the theaters. And didn't seem to be watching her from the entryway or several rows behind or in front of her. But now she was deeply wishing he was here. At least, then she could have a mental conversation with him to escape the dreadful boredom that she found herself in. For Hector's sake- because he seemed like a genuinely decent guy- she demanded that Archer stay away- so her full attention would be on Hector during this date with no distractions. Now she was sincerely wondering if she regretted her decision or not.

To heck with the courtesies and norms of a date! She wished she had that sentiment earlier. The movie they were watching- the movie Hector chose- was a boring romantic chick flick. Just as she feared. She doesn't know whether to feel disappointed or mildly angry because he saw her as nothing more than a sweet and tender girl. Now- at least- she has another initiative to tell Hector she's not interested once this is over, and for Hector to stop crushing on her and develop an interest in a different girl. Though she partly couldn't blame him. That's probably the impression she gave all her customers at Cafe Angel. It's the best method to endear customers to her and they would be more likely to come and spend their money often.

The auburn-haired continued to watch the movie with bored indifference. She silently munched on some butter-flavored popcorn. Between her and Hector, they had 2 large buckets of popcorn 1 large-sized drink- hers- and 1 medium-sized drink- his. Hector had wanted to get only 1 bucket of popcorn, but she sweet talked him into 2. 1 would not be enough for her. Especially shared between the two of them. She had a large cup of orange soda mixed with some sprint and grape soda while Hector had a medium cup of melon soda.

Hector gazed at her nervously, probably to gauge her reactions towards the movie. It had already done that a few times before. Half the time, she pretends not to notice- being "too absorbed" in the movie to pay attention. The other half… She shoots him a sweet smile before returning her gaze back on the movie. It would be proper to pretend she was having a good time, even though she was not.

Orihime checked her watch and inwardly groaned when only 20 minutes of the movie passed. They still had- more or less- 90 minutes to go- given how long the average movie generally is. In all honesty- if she were by herself- she would've gotten up and walked out of the theater awhile ago. She had done that to few of the movies that have disinterested her. It's only because of her not wanting to be rude to Hector- he was a regular customer at Cafe Angel after all- that she was forcing herself to stay. That and- if it would get Nanami to stop bothering her for the next couple of months- then so be it. She could handle a little boredom in exchange for that.

Besides, she could use this opportunity to decide on what to do for the Holy Grail War, and to review everything Archer had informed her about it. It was better than staring blankly at the screen- bored outta her mind.

Let's see… Her Servant is from the Archer class, if she remembered correctly. A very rude, brazen, impudent, red cloaked, and white-haired man who carries a heavy dose of cynicism and smart aleck remarks with him. From what Archer described the Archer class, she could guess that he specializes in long-ranged combat- so he must be skilled in bows and arrows. Though she should be open-minded to the possibility that using a bow isn't the only thing he was good at. After all- when he saved her- he was using a black sword- which meant he had proficient swordsmanship. There's also the possibility that he was ambidextrous since he used his left hand when wielding his sword, but favored his right hand when cooking breakfast this morning.

What else is there…? Oh, yeah… He claimed to have amnesia, which she was a bit skeptical about- but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Whether he was telling the truth or not, didn't really affect her all that much. If he was indeed lying, then he must have a reason. And if one of the reasons was due to the lack of trust, she could hardly blame him. It's incredibly understandable. After all, she doesn't trust him enough to reveal her Shun Shun Rikka powers to him. They have literally only known each other for several hours! Trust is something that takes time, effort, and energy from both parties to build.

However- for some unexplainable reason- it is very difficult to stay mad at him for long. Yes, Archer could be somewhat annoying with his sarcastic remarks, but- most of the time- it hardly bothered her. She had tons of patience and tolerance under belt, and she had dealt with plenty of people like that- minus the absurd amount of cynicism that Archer seemed to carry with him. Her ex-husband, Ichigo, was a slew of snarky comments- though more teasing than anything else when directed at her. No, there was something itching in the back of her mind that made her unable to stay mad at her Servant for more than a few minutes- no matter how churlish, discourteous, and impolite he gets. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

Well, she could worry about it later. When she gets to know him better and all that…

The auburn-haired woman drifted back to when Archer briefed her about Noble Phantasms. A Noble Phantasm is a Servant's ultimate trump card, if she recalled. A very deadly destructive power, yet carried an enormous risk to the user. Noble Phantasms could anything and everything.

She wondered if a Servant's Noble Phantasm was as powerful and formidable as a Soul Reaper's Bankai or an Arrancar's Resurreccion form. If that were the case, then she needed to prepare for anything to happen. She had to be ready for any type of ability ranging from elemental powers to gravity or space manipulation. And even for outlandishly dangerous abilities that could affect time in some way- whether that be stopping it or changing the past or the future somehow. Mind control powers should be added to the list possibilities along with manipulating reality with a single, conscious thought. Okay… Basically, she needed to prepare for everything and anything.

Nevertheless, Noble Phantasms were not all-powerful, invincible attacks, correct? Each and everyone had its fair share of drawbacks- besides the whole "risk revealing the Servant's True Name" shtick. All she had to do was figure out what those weaknesses were and exploit it. It may not totally defeat the enemy Servants, but it could give them an advantage on how to overcome a Servant's Noble Phantasm. And the more powerful the Noble Phantasm was, the most likely it was to have a very significant weakness. It was true for even the most powerful of Bankais and Resurreccions. Rukia absolute zero Bankai ran the risk of killing her if left uncontrolled. There was even one Resurreccion that could kill the user as well, if somehow used against him.

The auburn-haired healer would jot it down for one of things to watch out for whenever a Servant decided to use their Noble Phantasm. Deadly and powerful tools, weapons, and attacks they may be- but if they failed to in destroying her- she would use whatever she observed from the Noble Phantasm- whether it would be how long it takes for it build up power and unleash it, its destructive force, if its animal-based or elemental-based and anything in between that would be useful information- to analyze every aspect of the Noble Phantasm, uncover its weaknesses, and exploit it for the next encounter.

Servants also had skill sets and parameters. She had only a vague idea of what ranking in each stat could be. Her Servant mostly had C-ranked stats all around- notwithstanding a few B-ranks and A-ranks here and there- which probably meant that- in terms of strength and prowess of a Servant- Archer was probably average. Hopefully, he could make it up with skill and guile. Although, that did make her realize that- if Archer felt as powerful as a Soul Reaper Lieutenant just for being a general C-ranked Servant- then that meant that Servants with B-ranked stats or higher could possibly be as powerful as a low-ranked Soul Reaper Captains to a very high-ranked Captains as strong as Bakuya Kuchiki or Kenpachi Zaraki.

At last, the boring movie was finally over as well as her popcorn and soda. It was nearly 5:30 and Orihime was readying to call it a day. She accomplished what she set out to do. She had gone on a movie date with Hector. No reason to stay any longer, right? However, it was kinda too early- and- generally- what comes after a couple watching a movie together was a small dinner for two- especially if it's too early to go home. No doubt that Hector would like to go to dinner with her.

"Did you enjoy the movie?" Hector asked her nervously.

"Yeah. It was quite fun," Orihime lied smoothly, smiling softly at him.

He grinned sheepishly in return, scratching the back of his head. He quickly adjusted his glasses. They both began to pack up their stuff, and leave the theater. They were walking out of the theater.

"W-Would you like to go get some dinner?" he asked her once they were outside the building.

She was right. But she wouldn't really pass up a chance for a free meal, so she would not mind having dinner with him.

"Yeah, sure. I don't mind. I'm feeling kinda hungry myself," she answered truthfully, hands tightening around her white purse.

Hector blushed, his heart beating loudly inside his chest- feelings of delightful elation swelling up inside him. "Great!" he yelled, a little too happily and enthusiastically. He quieted voice down out of sheer embarrassment when people began to stare in their direction. "I-I know a small diner near here. It's a little bit of a walk though."

Orihime placed a gentle hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "You don't have to be so nervous, Hector. I am having a great time."

That seemed to do the trick. With the blush still coating his cheeks, the brown-haired man managed to regain control of his nerves- despite how little it actually was. Being on a date with a cute girl like Orihime Nazuki would make any man easily nervous and flustered.

"It really is a bit of a walk though," Hector repeated as if he were self-conscious that she would be upset by something- trivial in her opinion- like that.

Orihime simply smiled and gestured for him to lead the way, which Hector happily did.

---

It took about 15 minutes, but the couple finally arrived at the diner Hector mentioned. It was a local Italian diner.

"You like Italian food, Hector?" Orihime asked curiously.

In response, Hector sheepishly adjusted his brown-framed glasses. "N-Not really. But I come here sometimes with my friends, and I quite enjoy the food," he replied.

"Shouldn't we go inside then?" Orihime prompted politely. "I am looking forward to trying the food out."

Hector grinned happily and led her inside, and she politely followed. Orihime could not help but to marvel at the inside of the diner. It was nice, quiet, and pleasant. She could see why Hector would come here often. It seemed like the type of place that's good for eating and studying. But- most importantly- it seemed like the kinda place her former husband, Ichigo, would take her.

Her ex-husband- formerly boyfriend at the time- had taken her to a nice dinner alone- just the two of them- on their 6 month anniversary of being boyfriend and girlfriend. What made it even better and more memorable was that it was in the middle of the holidays. Actually- every moment with her beloved was memorable- but that's beside the point. She had finished the semester and was back home in Karakura Town for winter break. They haven't seen each other since Rukia and Renji's wedding.

She had been giddy with nerves and excitement at the time. They haven't dated for a year yet, and they have barely seen each other. Their relationship- at the time- was mostly long-distance- only contacting each other through phone calls and emails. So finally getting to see each other- in what felt like… forever- brought both the orange-haired couple restless exhilaration.

The dinner was awkward yet comfortable. Fortunately, it didn't last long like that. Being with Ichigo filled her with pleasant warmth- her heart swelling with sheer happiness. Her former husband had tried to go all out, and make the date as sweet and romantic as possible. It explained why he was so nervous, apprehensive, and flustered. Admittedly, she had been worried and fearful that something had happened. She had never seen Ichigo so anxious and unsure of himself before. Not when it normally comes about when he started to have self-doubts about whether he could defeat an opponent or not and successfully protect the people he loved.

But Ichigo eventually shyly confessed that he simply wanted the date to be perfect since they have seen each other for months, it brought tears of joyful elation to her silvery-gray eyes. She had calmed him down and reassured him that just being with already making the date perfect. He didn't need to go or try so hard for him, yet Orihime was incredibly happy that he was. It meant that he still liked her and still harbored deep feelings for her. It also elevated some of her worries and insecurities. No one could blame her for her insecurities, right? Ichigo was the man she had been crushing on since the beginning of her high school days. It was her love for him and desire to be by his side and protect him that motivated her to improve herself and get stronger.

The auburn-haired healer inwardly sighed and shook her head. She wondered if she was starting to regret going on this date with a bespectacle man she barely knew outside of being a regular customer at her work- even if she was semi-forced to by her overzealous coworker. It brought her forlorn memories of longing… something she wished she could ignore but can't.

"Just a couple more hours… Just a couple more hours," she internally chanted to herself, "and the date would be over. I would never let Namani talk me into this again. How could anyone ever replace Ichigo in my heart? I have tried countless times to move on, but I… I just can't! I am not ready yet! I'm starting to doubt I'd ever be."

Orihime internally snapped herself out of her from her harrowing thoughts. Ichigo was not here. She berated herself for falling into a wistful nostalgia lane. She was on a date with another man. Yet she was yearning for her one true love. It wasn't fair to Hector. She should focus entirely on him and pretend to have some interest. At least for the next couple hours until the date was over.

She took a bite out of her fettuccine alfredo. She also had some farinata, cioppino, and orata al forno at the side. Hector had some mushroom risotto and saltimbocca alla romana. She had a cup of green tea while he simply had water. By his initial shocked expression, the brown-haired man was genuinely caught off guard by how big her appetite was. But he made no comment about- although- he made no remark regarding whether he liked it or not. There always were some negative connotations that girls don't or shouldn't eat a lot, and those that do are lacking in graceful manners and ladylike charm.

Unlike Ichigo, who finds it cute and endearing and so… her.

Urgh! There she goes again. Stop it! Stop thinking about her ex-husband! She would probably never see him again. She had come to terms with that a long time ago. She died and was reincarnated into a new world without him- making her lose hope that she would ever see him again or hear her voice. So… stop it!

"How's your dad's job going?" Orihime asked the first question that came to mind. More so to distract herself than sincerely wanting to start up a conversation.

Hector grinned, most definitely deeply happy that she was starting a conversation. They barely talked much in the theaters, and she had been engrossed in her meal and thoughts.

"My dad's doing well. He's a great artist, but a sucky writer," Hector responded brightening up tremendously. "He's the artist for the recent action-adventure/romance manga that came out. It's called "Topaz". I haven't read it myself, but I heard it's good." He smiled sheepishly yet proud of his father's work. "Granted, there's only 1 volume- so I can't vouch if it would maintain its quality and for how long," he stumbled over his words, nervously adjusting his glasses. "But you'll love my dad's artwork. He's the best!"

That piqued the auburn-haired healer's interest. She may have grown dispassionate about most things, but what she still enjoyed- besides cooking and experimenting with new recipes- was reading books of any kind- literature novels and manga- and playing games of any kind- video games and tabletop games. It provides her the tiniest bit of entertainment because each story and genre was never 100% the same as one another. She could always expect a different story every time she read a book or played a game. The tiny subtle changes between each media and entertainment was what always held her interest the most nowadays. The highly major to the very slight unpredictability of it was one of the few things she doesn't regard with bored indifference.

"I love to give it a read," she finally answered with a sweet smile. She took a bite of her farinata. It was crispy on the outside and tenderly moist on the inside. It easily melted in her mouth after some chews. It was light, soft, and had a very earthy taste to it. "Do you know where I can get a copy?" she asked once she finished swallowing her food.

The bespectacled man swallowed a bit of mushroom risotto. "I don't actually own a copy, but I heard that it's out in local bookstores."

"Hmm, I'll check it out sometime then," she said contemplatively.

The brown-haired man took a quick up of his water to help swallow down the saltimbocca. He fidgeted in his seat. He kept gazing between her and his food. He seemed to be hesitating to say something.

Orihime observed him carefully. He seemed to want to ask her something- judging by the way his crystal-blue eyes nervously darted to her- but was unsure how to ask her. "Is something on your mind, Hector?" she questioned, tilting her head curiously for emphasis. The way he squirmed even more apprehensively now was enough of an answer for her. "You want to ask me something, don't you? As long as it's not too personal, I don't mind. Go ahead and ask away," she encouraged him with a soft smile.

"I… umm…" He anxiously picked at his food as if it would help him slowly gather his thoughts. He gulped down a large lump that was beginning to grow in his throat. His face flushed as he plucked his glasses from his face and used some napkins to wipe off some imaginary fog from the lens. It was another way to distract himself to help ease himself and steadily summon his courage, Orihime noted. She patiently waited for him to steel his nerves enough to ask her what he wanted to ask her.

During that time, she wondered what Archer was up to. With her extended senses along with some of her Shun Shun Rikka spirits secretly watching over him from a distance- staying hidden and out of the red clad Servant's radar. After she had left, he had stayed at her apartment for over half an hour before leaving to apparently scout out the city- perhaps trying to get a good visual of the battlefield that would happen soon and memorize it. He seemed to be spending a lot of time roaming discreetly around the Miyami Town district of the city for some strange reason though.

That was not quite what caught her attention from her reports. Her Servant seemed to have a vague idea of where he was going, and he appeared to be actively trying to discern something. He scoured through the rooftops of the buildings with the expected behavior of a person getting accustomed to an unknown territory, yet he lingered mostly around a Japanese-style mansion with bittersweet familiarity. She's very acquainted with the fact that some amnesics- not all amnesics because amnesia is a very tricky and delicate case that varies between person to person- have a sense of… deja vu with things or people that have held some level of significance to them before they developed their amnesia. But why that house? Why does Archer seem to have an odd recognition with that house? Could her theory about Heroic Spirits coming from not only the past but the present and possible future be true? Hmm, she won't question him for now. Simply stay silent and keenly observe his character and his interaction and reaction to the world around him. It gave her more of an insight into his personality.

"D-Do you…?" Hector started, his timorous voice snapping the auburn-haired woman out of her contemplative musings about her Servant, "Do you still play the piano, Orihime?"

Orihime paused for a moment, unprepared- but not showing it outwardly too much- for that question. She hasn't played the piano since her elementary school days. She was mildly surprised when someone- besides her deceased parents or her old schoolmates- remembered that she used to play an instrument.

"How did you know I played the piano?" She couldn't help but ask outlloud. She has not told anyone since she quit that she could play the keyboard. Scratch that, she hardly told anyone. Most people had to find out by themselves. She played for music class during elementary school, then her teacher discussed her fairly surprising talents with the piano to her parents- and that's how her mom and dad discovered her knack for the instrument. Her teacher even recommended for her parents to take her to private piano lessons, so that their young daughter could compete in recitals. She had gone to 2 - 3 recitals before quickly getting bored of it and subsequently stopped playing. Her discouraged parents had questioned why she wanted to quit, and she simply told them she had lost interest. They had tried to get her to play again, but gave up when she wouldn't budge in her abrupt decision.

"You might not remember it, but… When-When I was young, I-I was at one of your recitals," he admitted bashfully, his face incredibly flushed.

"You did?" the auburn-haired healer tried to keep the surprise. Her last recital she had was when she was 10. She barely remembered it. All she could recall was that she ended up in 2nd place. She barely remembered the people she competed with- except that there were 20 or so kids whose age ranged between 8 - 13- and she ended up being second best out of all of them.

He nervously scratched the side of his head. "We didn't go to the same school, but I had an old friend who had competed in the piano recital at the time. I was only 13 at the time, attending my friend's last piano recital to support him."

Orihime silently finished her fettuccine alfredo as she listened to him ramble. She had already finished most of her dinner. She only had a little bit of orata al forno and green tea left. It was best to be patient in times like this. It was clear that her date was reminiscing back to something he felt nervous and flustered, yet his crystal-blue orbs shimmered with deep fondness for the memory and tone started to dip in bashful admiration.

"When I saw you on stage I was immediately mesmerized," Hector confessed, his cheeks blushing in embarrassment. "When I heard you playing, Orihime, it was the most beautiful melody I have ever heard." His expression twisted into one of sadness and disappointment. "Even though my friend stopped competing after that year, I came to the next recital just to see and hear you play again. As a child, I have never been more captivated by something in my life. I didn't know your name at the time. All I remembered was the color of your hair, Orihime, which was the color of the setting sun and that I loved the way you played the piano. So you can imagine how disheartened I was when I didn't see you anymore after that one recital."

He chewed and swallowed the last bit of his risotto. His brown eyebrows pinched together in discontent. "I thought I'd never see you again until I saw you working at Cafe Angel a few months ago." He paused to take a tiny sip of his water. "Why did you stop playing the piano?"

Orihime shrugged nonchalantly, eating the last bit of her food. "I lost interest," she stated simply, her tone casual and indifferent as if she was commenting on the weather.

She was somewhat surprised when the brown-haired man's face didn't show any signs of flabbergasted confoundment or impassioned dissatisfaction like she expected. Only respectful acquiesce. After his passionate confession, she had expected him to go on a fervid speech about how she shouldn't let such magnificent talent go to waste- vehemently attempting to goad her into playing the piano again. She was mildly shocked by his lack of theatrical reaction.

She quirked an auburn brow. "You don't seem surprised?"

Hector was taken aback- expression morphing as if he was apologizing for offended her somehow. "Oh! I didn't mean anything by it!" he stammered, frantically waving his hands in front of his face. "It-It's just… not my place to say you should have continued, y-you know?"

The auburn-haired woman silently hummed appreciatively and grew to mildly respect the bespectacled man more. Most people would proclaim why she quit, and whine or scold her that her reasons are merely because she had no ambitions or no motivation. Her entire life, she had people engraving their "knowledge and experience" onto her. Her melancholic lack of interest in most things came off as unnerving to most people who can't understand the cause or reason for it. Namani sure would. Orihime does care for the older, brown-haired friend and coworker, but that's one of the things she found aggravatingly annoying about her.

Guess, Hector was slightly pleasantly different from the rest. She started to see him in a slightly new light. Does it make her interested in him now? No. No, it doesn't.

She smiled gently at the brown-haired man. "I'm not mad," she pacified him with a small shake of her head. "I'm just curious as to why you think that."

"I…" Hector opened his mouth then clamped it shut, carefully processing his thoughts. "Umm… How should I put this…? Looking back on the memory, y-you didn't seem very happy while you were playing."

She listened to him intently. Not uttering a single word from her mouth to refute his claims. What was there to deny or proclaim as his false delusions? If that was what he saw, it was what he saw. She was not gonna deny it nor confirm it.

"How should I say it…? At the time- I was so enchanted by your music, Orihime- that I didn't notice how dispassionate you were while playing it. Almost as if you were completely detached and passive in the music you were playing."

She hummed, not revealing what she was thinking behind the cool mask. A moment of silence passed by. "I'm done with my dinner," she announced, pushing the finished cup and plate aside. If he wanted an answer from her- suffice it to say- he wasn't getting any.

Hector made a sound of disappointment. But- other than that- he didn't make any comments or complaints. Using his fingers, he properly readjusted his glasses on his nose. "I guess I should call on a waiter to take our check then."

A few moments later, a waiter came over. He shot her lustful glances, which the auburn-haired woman blatantly ignored- although it did kinda annoy the brown-haired man across from her. Through gritted teeth, Hector asked the waiter for the bill. It was only 5 minutes later that the waiter came back for the bill and he paid for it. Afterwards, they fled the diner.

Since the date was over, Orihime thought now would be a good idea as any to confess to break this off before it develops any further.

"I don't think we should do this anymore," she said with a light, even tone to her voice.

"Huh?"

"I don't think we should date, Hector," she clarified. "I'm sorry. But this doesn't feel right. You're a nice guy and all, Hector, and I did have a… pleasant time. But- to me- this just feels… wrong. Sorry, but I came to realize that I am not ready to start dating again. The only reason I gave it a shot was because my coworker won't stop pestering me about it," she told him honestly and bluntly. It was the truth. How can she date another guy when she was still in love with Ichigo Kurosaki? It's not fair to either party.

The auburn-haired woman observed the various emotions that crossed the bespectacled man's countenance with a neutral expression. Anger. Sadness. Rejection. All the emotions she expected for him to display once she confessed to him her disinterest in dating him. Whether he hated or not afterwards and wanted nothing more to do with her was of no concern to her.

His face fell at her admission. "Ah… I figured as much," he finally said. His crystal-blue orbs gazed at the ground with his slightly trembling hands balled tightly into a fist. He was obviously frustrated and somewhat heartbroken by her rejection. However, it was his problem to deal with. If she did anything- said anything- or showed any signs of comfort- it would give him nothing but false hope. "Well, do you mind if we can be friends then? And I hope you don't mind me visiting your work?" he- at last- asked with a hint of acquiesce and hopefulness in his tone.

She shrugged her shoulders, not caring either way. "Yeah, sure. I don't mind." She highly doubted she would be the one initiating their interaction. It was the same with all her old school friends. She has no problems with social interactions, but she never went out of her way looking for it. She could admit that was part of the reason she was no longer in touch with her old school buddies.

Nevertheless, Hector's expression brightened at that and he beamed. "Great!" He glanced around shyly and nervously now. "Ah… um… Do you want me to walk you home now? It's awfully late."

She checked her watch to see that it was indeed past 8:00. Not to mention how dark it was outside. Only the street lights and the lights of the buildings kept the city from plunging into total darkness. "I'm fine. Thank you for your time," she answered him neutrally. She made it sound as if she was leaving a business meeting rather than a date. "Goodnight." She left without waiting for a single reply or goodbye in return. The date was over- so there was no reason for her to stay- nor was she a fragile, hopeless, weak woman who needed protection from the creepy crawlies of the dark.

It was over and she had no obligation to stay. It was as simple as that.

Whether Hector Franz really wanted to continue to associate himself with her or not really. Was. Not. Any. Of. Her. Concern.

---

The moment his Master entered the door of her apartment, Archer dematerialized. His posture relaxed, both his eyes were closed, and he was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He practically exuded an aura of calm indifference. He lazily cracked a steel-gray eye open and watched as his Master sluggishly dragged her feet across the floor and clasped onto the blue couch- laying face down. She lazily used her feet to kick off her white boots and placed her white purse on the floor.

"Welcome back, Princess," he greeted her, "How was your date?"

~ Flashback ~

In the beginning, Archer had been watching Orihime from a fair distance away. With his sharp eyesight, it was relatively easy for him to spot anything from 4 km away. It would be utterly foolish to leave his Master unguarded and unprotected from a potential threat. So- ignoring orders- he had discreetly followed her. Of course, he made doubly sure to keep an eye out on his Master's "date". If he had tried anything, he'd be met with an arrow between the eyes. Honestly, Orihime was far too optimistic for his taste.

Fortunately, nothing of the sort happened. The guy didn't appear to be a threat at all. But the red clad Servant's years of experience as a Counter Guardian have taught him that looks could be deceiving. Therefore, he had listened in on their conversation. He was too far away to hear anything- nevertheless- he had learned to read the movements of their lips. It was a useful skill he had picked during his time as a freelancer. An incredibly useful trick for spying. And what he discovered was that… they really were on a date. Huh. How anti-climatic. The guy was obviously infatuated with his Master and she was just… going along with the ride.

With the brown-haired guy proved to be non-threatening, Archer turned his attention to scouting out the city. Mostly the Miyami Town district of Fuyuki City. There were a few things he wanted to confirm. His old house- the Emiya residence- was where it was supposed to be. Not only that, but his idiot past self was there.

Then this really was the Fifth Holy Grail War.

That confirmation just brought forth a slew of questions to him. His… investigation only reasserted the fact that this war was definitely different from the war he participated in. There were already some changes. First off, he does not recall an auburn-haired female Master. She had summoned an Archer class Servant instead of the brown-haired, twin-tailed female magus he still couldn't recall the name of. The war was already derailed from that simple act alone. Would his past self be a participant? Would he still end up summoning Saber just like he did? Would all the Masters and Servants in this war be different or switched around? If his Master had already gotten her hands on the Archer class Servant of the Holy Grail War, then that means this would be a timeline where the Fifth Holy Grail War would either feature new Masters and possibly Servants or the Master-Servant pairs would be partially different from his Holy Grail War.

Would these changes interfere with his chances of eliminating his younger self? Being near his old home caused old memories of bittersweet nostalgia and homesickness and regret to flash before his eyes. It was another reminder of his foolish mistake. It reminded him of the precious things he had given up just to pursue an impossible, idealistic dream. Another regret on the list of regrets that cursed his existence.

The white-haired man frowned, releasing himself from his forlorn thoughts. He took the time to scout out and do some investigating on the other Masters he had remembered during his Holy Grail War. Next up was the Tohsaka mansion.

He vaguely remembered the general direction of it. It was located where all the Western-style houses were. He had arrived at the mansion, but he didn't dare get any closer. He had sensed several Bounded Fields surrounding the area as expected from the Tohsaka residence. The war hasn't started yet, so he doesn't want to reveal himself to a potential enemy. However, he didn't feel a presence inside the two-story building. Either there was a Bounded Field that could block even the senses of a Servant, or the owner of the mansion was not home at the moment. It was barely 3:30, so the young girl was either still in school or had just left and was on her way home.

Using the fragmented memories of his former human life, Archer dematerialized and leapt across the rooftops of buildings towards the general direction of his old high school, Homurahara Academy.

Fortunately, he did not actually need to get anywhere near the school. He could spot the young female magus from miles away with his excellent vision. She was talking to one of her classmates or school friends. A brown-haired girl he does not recall the name or face of. He read the movements of the girl's lips as she waved goodbye to the twin-tailed magus.

Rin… Tohsaka…

When he "heard" the name, something inside of him clicked. As if he finally found the missing piece of a puzzle he had been working for some time now. The puzzle- at last- being complete as he fitted the last piece in.

"Ah… So that was the name," he mumbled to himself with a hint of insane fondness in his voice.

Rin Tohsaka. A respectable, prodigious magus- despite her young age. In his former life, she was once his tutor. She was one of the few people who helped him improve his mediocre magecraft. If she ended up being one of the Masters in this war- which would most likely happen due to a Tohsaka- one of the Founding Families of the Holy Grail Wars- being a mandatory participant for said war- then she would be one of the Masters to watch out for. She was a very competent and powerful magus. The only thing holding her back was her inexperience. She was still a young, somewhat naive teenager after all, no matter how much she tried to mask it with a prideful and sophisticated front. After all, the Rin of his war was a very capable ally whose lack of experience, overconfidence, and domineering attitude caused her to overlook tiny yet significant details and to make a few mistakes here and there.

If they were gonna go up against her during this upcoming Holy Grail War, then they needed to take full advantage of the Tohsaka heiress' inexperience. However, could they really do that when his own Master was more inexperienced and incompetent in magecraft than Rin? It was highly impossible for a first-generation magus to beat a magus who had decades and generations of family research under their belt. His Master had absurdly more potent and powerful Magic Circuits than Rin- which- once again- caused him to remember what a near-impossible abnormality his Master was. He could feel it as he observed the young girl do some shopping from a distance. However- raw power was no substitute for sheer skill- and Rin Tohsaka had Orihime Nazuki beat in that department.

The next question would be: Who would Rin's Servant be, if the Archer class Servant was taken? He had recalled that Rin had the Archer class Servant in his war. Unfortunately, it would not be the case this time. Would Rin end up getting the Saber class Servant this time around just like she wanted to? He shivered at the prospect. A Rin and a Saber Servant would be a very dangerous and formidable Master-Servant pair to deal with. Even if his stats were ridiculously buffed up by his current Master, he highly doubted if he would stand a chance against a Saber Servant buffed up by Rin Tohsaka. He was naturally weaker than most Servants due to him not being a true Heroic Spirit- which he then makes up for with his cunning, skill, tactics, and versatility.

Still, there was no denying that this would be one instance where he tried to warn and advise his Master that it would be easier and more efficient to take out the Master rather than the Servant. A Rin/Saber combo would be foolishly dangerous to take head on. In this sorta situation- it would be best to take out Rin when Saber was distracted- leaving her Master unguarded. He doesn't quite know for sure if Orihime would be able to defeat Rin. Rin was- after all- the better magus in his opinion- even if his Master had more magical energy than her. Not to mention his Master's idiotic, adamant refusal to kill the other Masters. In that case, he would have to be the one to take her out. After all- no matter how strong a Master and magus was- they were still weaker than a Servant. He would simply have to find a way to distract Saber and strike down her Master while both their guards are down.

A dishonorable way to win he knew, but he was never an honorable warrior to begin with. It would be a very difficult and tricky task, but not one impossible to complete.

He did some scouting around the city. He stayed in his astral form. He was a cautious person after all, being mindful to keep himself hidden and his presence concealed. He was being practically careful not to notify that damn priest that he'd been summoned too early into the game. That's why he had yet to inform Orihime that she needed to go to the Church to be officially acknowledged and registered as a Master of the Fifth Holy Grail War. It would save that info for when the war draws closer to its start.

He perched himself on top of the tallest skyscraper he could find. He had a clear view of the city. The people walking along the streets- going on with their lives- looked like ants to him. They were oblivious to the fact that soon- perhaps several weeks from now- the entire city would transform into a large-scale battlefield. His steel-gray gaze drifted to where he sensed his Master. She was apparently leaving the theaters along with her date. She appeared to be unscathed and unharmed. Maybe the guy really was harmless. After all, the darkness of the movie theater was the perfect opportunity for an enemy magus to strike.

Seeing nothing to worry about, his steel-gray gaze zeroed in on the general direction of the Matou family household. Another family that was highly more than likely to be a participant in the upcoming war. The Matou representative of the Fifth War would most likely be Shinji Matou. An inept magus of the Matou's declining bloodline who has a superiority-inferiority complex. He does not remember Shinji very much. All he recalls from the cowardly snake was that he was an annoying nuisance who acted smugly superior to everyone around him. It made him wonder how he tolerated him for so long. Another aspect of how naive and foolish his past self was in thinking that staying as Shinji's friend would allow him to "save the poor guy", despite horrible acts he committed before and during the war. As of now, Archer has no attachment to Shinji Matou. He couldn't care less if the coward actually dies in the war or not.

He had been the Master of the Rider class Servant during his war. That's the only major detail Archer remembered about the boy. Although- since this timeline of the Fifth Holy Grail War was already derailed from his own- who knows if he would actually still be Rider's Master this time around.

He remembered that Shinji also had a younger sister. However, the only thing Archer could remember was that her name was Sakura Matou. He had completely forgotten what she looked like, her personality, and if she had been an associate in the war or not.

He observed the bustling city. There were many things that have still remained the same and many things that have changed from what he could vaguely remember from his former human life. No that matters though. All that mattered to him was achieving his goal. Since he had confirmed his past self does in fact exist in this world… Well- at least- he knows he has something to achieve in this war- an objective to accomplish.

Because nobody was getting the way between him and his goal!

~ End of Flashback ~

"I want to see Hell."

The bizarre statement snapped Archer back to reality. His Master shifted around on the couch until she was facing him, staring him dead in the eye.

"I want to see Hell," Orihime repeated, "Can you open the Gates of Hell, Archer?"

He stared at her blankly. His mind reeled back for a second to make sure she had said what he thought she said. He narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. "No. Why?"

"Nothing. Just a morbid curiosity, is all," she said without a hint of emotion in her voice.

The auburn-haired woman couldn't tell her Servant that she wanted to know if this world's Hell was the same as her old world's. She had been to Hell once or twice, so remembered the general look of it. For a second, she had a tiny sliver of hope that- if this world's Hell was the same as her old one- then there might be some kinda connection between this world and her previous one. Guess, that hope was dashed. It would stupid enough for her to even consider that possibility. What was she gonna do? Traverse through the fiery depths of Hell, if it meant she could return to her previous world- return to Ichigo and all her friends? Knowing her, a blunt "yes" would be her reply.

"Did you take Blueberry out like I asked?"

"Yes, after completing my Archer things," Archer smirked, a hint of sarcasm dripping in his tone.

Orihime ignored his provocation. "Have you fed her?"

"Yes."

She twisted herself around and climbed out of the couch. "Guess, it's time for me to make dinner then.

---

30 minutes later…

Archer and Orihime were in the middle of an intense glaring contest.

He glared at her and at the abomination she dared to call "dinner" and she glared right back at him unflinchingly. Her dinner was some kinda blue-green sauce on a bed of rice.

"What?" she hissed irritably, taking a bite out of her curry. He had been glaring daggers at her food as if it had somehow offended him. "What are you looking at?" She popped another spoonful of rice and… the questionable sauce into her mouth.

Archer took a deep breath, fists clenched at his side- holding back his own aggravation. No more. He can't take this anymore. "Princess. You are never allowed to use the kitchen again."

"Huh?"

"From now on, I'll be cooking all of your meals," he sternly told her in a way that left no room for argument.

She shrugged her shoulders, indifferently continuing on with her meal.

---

(A/N: Finally! Finished with the 8th chapter of the story! I should say that I was starting to experience writer's burnout while working on this chapter. Especially around Orihime's date with Hector. I know. It sucks. I had wanted to go back and rewrite the scene, but decided to leave it as is. The reason was because- as unintentional as it was- my writer's burnout ran synonymous with Orihime's disinterest in dating Hector. I saw no reason to change it, except for a few minor details. So I decided to just leave it.

I'm trying to write Orihime and Archer as equally intelligent people but in different ways. Orihime is well-read and intimately perceptive of people's moods and feelings in a way that EMIYA isn't. She's also well-versed in medicines and the healing arts, has some level of human psychology, and is somewhat of a tech savvy. Archer- on the other hand- has a tactical, analytical mind that comes from eons and eons of battle experience and fighting in conflicts and wars. He probably knows more about military tactics and strategies better than Orihime does, but- although he has some level of understanding human behavior- it's not nearly on the same level as Orihime- mainly due to EMIYA being a lone wolf kinda guy and eventually losing his trust in other people because of his fall into nihilistic cynicism. I guess Orihime being more socially adept than Archer helps her in that category, and Archer being a more skilled warrior and tactician helps him in the tactical understandings of wars. Guess, I could say their differing intelligence would become more apparent in their manipulative tactics [if it ever gets to that point]. EMIYA would prefer to manipulate from the shadows using half-truths and cryptic, vague words that could easily be misinterpreted- and the fact that no one knows his identity as a Heroic Spirit and can't fully comprehend his fighting style [as shown in Unlimited Blade Works]. Orihime would use more interpersonal manipulation tactics- carefully deciphering a person's current mood and emotions and telling them exactly what they want to hear when they want to hear it, then simply waiting for them to do what she half-expects them to do [even if the choice comes with multiple options]. Well, Orihime is more like a guile heroine due to being a genuinely good person and her pacifistic attitude and Archer is more of a manipulative bastard because of his pragmatic wild card nature. Perhaps it goes hand-in-hand with their introverted personalities. Archer is stoic and aloof while Orihime is calm and reserved.

Since the Orihime/Archer are [in a way] a weak but skilled Master-Servant duo, they would rely on brains and tactics more than brute force and protagonist powers [you know, plot armor and plot contrivance] than other Master-Servant pairings. Although- I don't know if I'm being overly ambitious- but I can't help but to have Orihime and Archer try to outwit each other. Respect, companionship, and loyalty aside for both Master and Servant, I can't help but to think of having them play subtle mind games with and try to out-gambit each other. Maybe because- if this does follow some plot points of Unlimited Blade Works- and with how EMIYA tries to manipulate everyone- enemies and allies alike- behind the scenes and no one knows his true motives- I always thought of having Orihime figuring it out early on- not when it's too late like all the other characters. I mean she is already trying to piece together Archer's true identity and where he came from. But I don't know… Still figuring stuff out.

Though sometimes I think there might be disputes about making Orihime too smart [especially of those who think Orihime is no more than a ditzy air-head and can't comprehend that she's actually intelligent in canon]. The only thing I could offer as a retort is… What do you expect? Orihime is mentally- more or less- around 60-years-old. She's not a naive teenager who doesn't understand the concept of loophole abuse or exact words, or can't comprehend anything that doesn't agree with her worldview.

Yes, the Orihime vs Rin debate… Even Archer is thinking that Rin would beat Orihime. Why? Well… here's Archer's logic. In a straight up magic- wait- scratch that- magecraft fight, Rin would win against Orihime hands down. From his point-of-view, Orihime is a first-generation magus who is going up against someone with dozens of generations under her belt. Plus, the fact that- even though Orihime is the stronger magus- if she doesn't have the skill- then what's the point? Rin may be weaker than Orihime when it comes to raw power, but she is still a powerful magus with the skill to back it up- unlike Orihime. This is like saying a strong but unskilled person could beat a person that's both strong and skilled. I don't know how many of you believe this, but I don't. In this scenario- if Orihime can't take out Rin in either a surprise attack or in the first few seconds of the fight- then Rin would definitely win against her. If Rin was as weak a magus as Shirou, but still very skillful- then Orihime might stand more of an even chance against her. Like Archer said, raw power is no substitute for sheer skill. And Rin's got both in spades. That is Archer's thought process. And- no- he doesn't yet know what Orihime is truly capable of. To him, his Master is still a mystery. However, he knows better than to get his hopes up or rely too heavily on a "mysterious factor" when nothing is truly concrete about it. Although- he does truly want to root for his Master- Archer is still a very logical and pragmatic individual. Orihime could stand a chance against Rin if she was willing to use a few dirty tricks, but not in a head-to-head magecraft fight. He thinks realistically, not optimistically. I would reiterate once again that this is merely Archer's assumptions. From his perspective, Orihime is an incredibly strong magus but an inexpert in magecraft [which is- technically- true]. He has no idea about her Shun Shun Rikka powers as of yet.

Yes, Archer does still greatly disapproves and mocks Orihime for her "soft-heartedness", translating it as a naive sense of heroism and idealism- something he loathes. Archer is the type of person who buries his personal feelings to get the job done. Unbeknownst to him, Orihime has to be the complete opposite of him in this regard. Orihime gets the job done because of her personal feelings. She can't be as strong or motivated if she's not emotionally invested in something. Her Shun Shun Rikka powers relies on her being emotionally attached to something- whether it's something abstract, broad, very specific, an idea, a mere concept, or whatever- it doesn't matter. Her feelings literally make her stronger or weaker, depending on the circumstances. This is why Orihime- technically- can't be considered a true magus- in the world of Fate/stay night. It has been said countless times that magi are cold-blooded, self-absorbed, sociopathic creatures who toss their emotions aside in order to achieve their goals. They essentially discard their humanity in order to continue their research, no matter how unethical said research becomes [not all magi though, just most of them]. This is something Orihime is physically incapable of doing since disregarding her humanity basically weakens her in a sense. This is also why Orihime holds great disdain for magi in general- among other reasons.

Remember comments and questions are most appreciated. I need all the help I could get with this story, especially from avid and open-minded Fate fans. Thanks for reading!

P.S. I think I'm gonna take a small break from this story. Part of the reason is because of writer's burnout as I mentioned. The other part is because- truthfully- chapters would become longer and longer to update. Now that Orihime's date with Hector is gone and done with, all that's left is her preparation and training until the war actually starts. Then the Fifth Holy Grail War officially starting afterwards. Though I do want to say that I have read some Fate fanfics where characters or OCs [who know about the war beforehand] try to prepare by recruiting important Fate characters as allies. I just want to say… Orihime would be doing none of that.

P.P.S. I really want to change the cover page for this story. I'm down for anyone giving me artworks of Orihime and Heroic Spirit EMIYA or pictures of Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka hair pins with the Fate symbol.)