waiting | ♗ IC CONTACT

So you play with your boss's things when she isn't around.

[ Wait that came out wrong, didn't it. ]

Th-that's not what I meant! I wouldn't dream of interrupting Rin's magecraft.

[ It doesn't occur to him that's not what Bradbury means, either. ]

Come on, not even once?

[ Just as well, because Bradbury's happy to not pursue that line of conversation. ]

Only if she's doing something stupid with it.

[ A sigh. ]

I was looking for games to entertain her, as it happens. I found this.

What counts as stupid?

[ A beat. ]

You should buy it for her. She might get a kick out of it.

[ Bradbury's logic being: she has enough trouble just working the comms, meaning she'll probably force Archer to play it for her while she leans over his shoulder and offer unhelpful comments.

Bradbury likes Archer. This doesn't mean he won't enjoy seeing him squirm. ]

...something that'd get her hurt. Well, there are other sorts of stupidity, but I'll let her indulge in those.

[ He pauses to take in the suggestion, innocently and in good faith. ]

Really?

Why not? It's not like I'd play it, but she is kind of the target market, right?

[ a.k.a. girls. ]

Might wanna make sure there's no porn in it first, though.

The porn is only in the ones for boys!

[ Oh, how innocent he is. ]

[ Can you feel the weight of his silent judgement. ]

So you've played some of those, huh?

[ Somehow, he can. ]

I've heard of them.

You know an awful lot about this shit.

...I was summoned into the world with any knowledge necessary for my task. I guess these games are also necessary.

[ Alternately: he was once a teenage boy in the early 2000s. But he's not going to admit that part. ]

Huh.

[ YEAH LIKE HE BUYS THAT, ARCHER, BUT... ]

The hell do you play these things on anyway? The comms?

They're for phones, so they're easily enough adopted to the comms.

[ He makes a thoughtful, noncommittal noise. ]

Good to know.

[ A beat. ]

Been a while since we talked. How are things holding up on your end?

[ Oh, good. They're off the topic of visual novels. Wait, that means now Archer's expected to talk about himself. ]

...it's fine.

[ He speaks in a grudging tone. ]

Business as usual, huh?

There are more people here from my world, Bradbury.

[ His voice is suddenly frustrated. ]

Lemme guess: these guys ain't your friends.

How insightful.

One of them is no threat. An irritant at worst. The other--I do not know.

[ He pauses. ]

A priest. His name is Kirei Kotomine. If I should be separated from Rin, she will be left in his care...but I do not trust the man.

A priest? [ He sounds so quizzical. ]

What's fishy about him?

Yeah, a priest. Don't tell me the Church is never suspicious in your world?

But the truth is I'm not certain.

More like I'm not sure what a priest would be doin' lookin after her. Don't they have a thing against magic or something?

[ A beat. ]

Just got a gut feeling, huh?

It's complicated.

...Yeah. There's something about this guy.

What does he have to do with Tohsaka?

♗ IC CONTACT

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