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A New Tenant
Tweet Topic Started: Jun 22 2011, 06:59 PM (154 Views)
Post #1 Jun 22 2011, 06:59 PM Silk
November 19th, 1974
Traditional Japanese Mansion


Time: 2200 GMT+9


Hikaru and David left the old Makiri Mansion. The suburb streets were empty, and only a few windows were lit. There was a chill in the air When they arrived inside the courtyard, Hikaru finally let out a breath of relief.

"Feels good to be home, huh?" David seemed to be in a contemplative mood, engrossed in his own thoughts.

"Yes," Hikaru replied, stretching her arms, "it has been an unexpectedly eventful night. Finally I could get away from it all."

"Looks like we'll have to be taking regular precautions now that there's someone I cannot detect... at least for now. Best to assume our location is already compromised." David finally explained what had been bothering him. "What do you think of Matou, by the way?"

"Matou? More reasonable than I expected someone from an old magi family." She pushed the sliding door and stepped into the living room, and turned on the lights with the switch beside the door. "You think that man is watching us right now?"

"He could be. Whatever he is, I would advise regular precautions. Closed curtains at all times, low light so silhouette wont be seen through curtains, scattering something in the yard and house to make loud noises... You know, the usual." the boy paused, locking the door, and removing his own shoes. "As for the girl, I meant for her idea of reanimating a corpse, as well as how well you think she could be trusted."

"Well, she is still a magi, no matter what." Hikaru gave a yawn and laid her back on the floor. "But she has enough sense to not compromise herself to the Church as far as I could tell." Hikaru thought for abit. "Doesn't mean we should trust her explicitly."

"Her word, I meant." David turned around, pouring himself a glass of juice, and taking a gulp. "Her word on not revealing what I am."

Hikaru shrugged her shoulders. “We made the first move. If they weren't what we expected, bad luck on us. But you should have us covered in that department, don't you?” She look nudgingly at his direction.

"That doesnt really answer my question but yes." David gave a large grin - "I do indeed. Except, please..." He made a dramatic gesture, holding one hand to his chest. "All skill here."

"Some do say luck is a skill. I don't think Napolean would agree. But then, he's a grumpy dude all over." Hikaru rambled. "Has anyone ever summoned him as a Servant? I bet he would be a load of pain to deal with."

"He wasnt grumpy, he was obsessed. He had a unit formed out of grumpy men, though. Guy had a superiority complex. Anyway..." David offered Hikaru a glass of juice as well, crossing the room to head into the hallway: "We needed to show her a degree of trust. Whether she takes it at face value or not... well, we can work with it either way." He paused. "Did you tell your friends to get out of where they are? It's a rather large axe we'd have to dodge if they end up being targeted, and..." He cut himself off. "Well, no matter."

"I called them with Haruka's phone awhile ago. They will leave in the morning. I thought travelling at this time wont be a good idea. With magi, Servants and whatnot prowling around." Hikaru bit her lip and muttered. "Should have caught that guy sooner.”

"Well, no matter. The war has just begun, we are barely through stage one." David removed his sweater, and had begun to unbutton his shirt, seeming to be back in his own world, considering what to do next. "I suppose tommorow we begin hunting in... what was that district name? Matou said she's going to the temple, so the one right beside it is..."

"Kinoku Lane. It's not far from here." answered Hikaru. She watched David peeling off his layers of clothing to reveal those perfect musculature underneath. Even though she had known what was coming, Hikaru felt the same odd mixture of excitement and nervousness as she did last night, when she summoned him. Fortunately, she did not replicate the same fainting spell.

David stretched, now rid of all the clothing, seeming to be relieved the cool touch of air. However, unlike when he had to borrow from Kyouya, he had neatly folded everything and placed it under his arm before finally speaking again: "Ahh... Much better. So much less constraint, and feels so much fresher this way... You really should try it someday." He half turned, smirking, before continuing the conversation: "Kinoku, right, thats where we are now. guess we're going to Tohsaka Manor first then. I suppose now we should spend some time preparing the house so we dont get taken unaware."

Hikaru flickered her eyes back and forth, trying not to stare. But proved to be difficult when the man seemed to be unconciously demanding attention to his naked form, and she also found her mind trailing off to a different set of thoughts, far removed from the topic at hand.

“Arorororooo...”

A strange, pitiful howl rose from beneath the floor. Hikaru's first reaction was an ambush. Then it became silly, when a series of whimpers followed. It was the most utterly undignified noise on earth, that she wouldn't imagine any Servant would throw away their pride to make it, nor any magi would create a familiar that would produce such a disgraceful sound.

"Hmmm..." David knelt on the floor, knocking on it lightly. The whimpering subsided for a moment, before resuming. The smirk he had before seemed to change into a smile: "Looks like we already have a tenant." The sound of a low, whistling song emerged as David had marched towards the door leading outside, only pausing for a moment: "Bring me a plate and a piece of meat." Resuming, he seemed to raise the tone, finally exiting, and crouching near the house's edge, extending his hand and snapping his fingers, while raising his finger to his lips for Hikaru to be quiet.

A plate and a piece of meat? Hikaru rolled her eyes. She wondered sometimes, between her and David, who is the real master. Because the term 'Master and Servant' were grossly misleading terms when it comes to describing their roles. Since the moment she summoned David, the 'Servant' took charge of her living quarters, her meals and even ordered her around. Not that it was entirely a bad thing. His decisions were all very well thought out, and Hikaru trusts his judgement. It's just a little annoying when someone suddenly appears in your life and starts bossing you around. Nevertheless, she knew better than to argue with David. She went to the new refridgerator, and extracted one slice of the beef from the freezer. Then went back to the verenda, where David was investigating the source of the heart-wrenching whimper beneath the house.

Accepting the plate, and continuing to whistle, David placed the plate on the ground, lightly tapping it and slowly moving backwards, continuing with the odd motion of snapping his fingers on his extended hand, then looking down at the plate with suddenly furrowed brows. Tossing Hikaru a disappointed look, he materialized a Black Key in his free hand and murmured something, pausing the whistling momentarily, while stabbing the knife into the meat. There was a sizzling sound and the meat bubbled and the scent of cooking meat began to spread. After a few seconds, the knife had vanished, and David moved the plate forward once more.

A pair of ears perked when the creature in question heard a whistle. He saw a human hand, making a motion that seemed it wanted him to follow. “Arorororooo.” he continued his low pitiful whine. The narrow space he had taken refuge, seemed much safer than the scary world, where he was chased by stray dogs, who did not take kindly to an unknown dog walking in their turf. Then there were cats, whom were still vehement to uphold their enimity with the canine race since the dawn of the two species creation, and they did not show mercy on him, even if they never seen him before.

So he stayed where he thought less harm would come to him, until his nose picked up the scent of meat. His stomach growled so loud, that his ears folded. He hadn't had anything for a couple of days. He had been unlucky in scavenging, when there were packs of dogs and cats hanging around the popular spots. There was a kind young girl who gave him a sausage, but it was not enough to sustain a large dog until morning. When morning came, he was pursued by the neigbourhood dogs again, and it was then when he took shelter in this place, and he hadn't come out since then.

He inched closer, and his nose twitched in excitement.The meat smelt good, but there was also frozen water surrounding it. Eating something cold and hard seemed unpleasant, so he stopped and whimpered again. The human apparently understood and immediately made the meat warm. Humans are always spectacular. They could do anything. Such as making the sky light at night. When the dog emerged from underneath the house, he took a sniff at the human. Male. Confirming that the food on the plate was for him – afterall, he was not a savage stray dog, he scooped the meat into his jaw and started eating.

David did not move, nor stop whistling, the notes taking on a more encouraging tone. He would have petted the dog, but did not want to scare it off - the animal seemed very hungry, and, good intentions or not, he didnt want to give it the impression of threatening to take its food away. First, he would have to eat his fill, and only then could he be interacted with normally. Thinking this, he looked at the dog, as if appraising it: he seemed friendly enough, and wasnt the kind that would snap at kind gestures. Still, letting him eat first was a simple courtesy. The dog seemed to be pure-bred, which seemed odd for a stray. Why was someone like him doing hiding under this old house?

Hikaru sat on the edge of the verenda and peered at their new 'tenant'. The dog spotted her, after he had finished the steak that he had been offered to him. Is she going to offer him another piece of fat steak too? He sat. Humans always give him something whenever he sat, even though he never knew why. But humans always seem to like dogs to sit. And so he did his perfect sit, with his bushy black tail swishing back and forth behind him, and hoped for another morsel of food.

"Another" Was all David commented, making his voice sound as friendly as possible. "Bring milk and a deeper plate, too. Poor fellow seems awful hungry." He turned back to the dog, studying it with a serious look. "So, how'd you end up here, huh?"

The dog perked his pointed ears, and turned to the boy. He seemed to be reffering to him, so he wagged his tail even more furiously, and relaxed his jaw to resemble a smile. Hikaru wondered how David could tell that the dog wanted more food, when he was just sitting there looking at her. Maybe he was just greeting her? Again, arguing with David never helps. So she went back to the kitchen took another piece of beef(this time, sizzled it warm in her hands, before placing it on plate), and complied the additional request of a bottle of milk and an empty cereal bowl.

David placed the new meat in front of the dog, and, waiting for it to start eating, poured a generous amount of milk into the bowl, before setting that ont he ground as well, and nodding to the dog. "Yeah, thats for you. Eat up." He seemed to be happy that the dog wasnt mistrustful of him even after he stopped the whistling, and merely watched what the dog would do next.

The dog paced his front paws in excitement when David held the re-filled plate. He sank his teeth into the juicy meat as soon as it touched the ground. Tail still wagging. Hikaru watched in facisnation. She remembered back when she was a child she used to watch Lady and the Tramp and 101 Dalmations. And because of these two cartoons, she wanted a dog when she was a little girl. Her mother didn't allow it as she was too young, and said she could have one when she was old enough to take care of it by herself. However, after her father died, and her mother left her in the care of his father's relatives, it became something impossible. It was out of the question that her relatives would let her have a dog. Hideki had an alsation, and he would unleashed the beast to chase her for fun. This led Hikaru to be wary of dogs afterwards. So she had never been close to a dog that was friendly and wouldn't snap at strangers like land pirahnas.

Breaking his stare away from the dog who seemed perfectly happy munching on their would-be breakfast, he looked up at Hikaru: "The dog has perfect timing, dont you think?"

"Perfect timing?" Hikaru turned with her eyebrows raised to David. "Timing for what?"

"Well, were just talking about alarms and traps, were we not?" He looked at the dog, smiling. "What's more foolproof than an animal given the very task of being such by God? We keep him - I think if we feed him, this guy's gonna be more than happy to stay. I mean, he doesnt seem like he wants to leave, to me. Why, do you have a problem with it? I thought, based on your reaction to the plushie, you'd be fine with someone as similar looking as this fellow."

The dog licked the last drops of milk from his lips and watched the two conversing humans. Were they talking about him? If they were, he hoped it'd be something good. The boy seemed to be very pleased with him, judging by his tone.

Hikaru stared at the dog's shaggy black face, and dark watery eyes seated in the middle of it. And pointed ears. He does resemble the pulshie David had presented her earlier, somewhat. "But what if he's lost? Shouldn't we take him to the police first? It's obvious that he belonged to someone. No stray would look as healthy as he is." The dog tilted his head sideways, trying his best to decipher what the girl meant with his canine mind. She doesn't seem to be displeased of him, but she wasn't liking him either. But where would that leave her then? He walked towards her and sat right in front, then raised his right paw and put it on her knee. Usually it would be a hand, but the girl wasn't reaching out like people usually did. Nevertheless, this was the trick humans seem to love him do. Maybe it would make her like him better?

"Check if he has a collar somewhere in all the fur. He seems comfortable with touching you." Suggested David, standing up. "If he does have one then its a good idea but if not... I think he'll just end up being sent to a shelter if we brought him in."

Hikaru slowly reached out for the dog. One part of her thought it was stupid. Afterall, she is a fully-fledged Executor, and could kill the dog with a touch. She didn't need to be afraid of it. Another tiny part of her was still scared of those large white teeth sinking into her arm. The dog did the opposite. At first, he did was touched his nose across her skin, sniffing the smells of what she is and where she had been. Once satisfied, he sat placidly with his tongue rolling out to the side, and watch the girl anticipatingly. "Nice doggy." Hikaru whispered before digging into the thick black fur.
She searched the base of his neck for a leathery and metal surface, but all she found was fur, fur and more fur. She let out a breathe of relief, which surprised herself. Even though she had been the who suggested that the dog should be taken to the police, she had secretly wanted a dog afterall. And she was finally in circumstances that would allow her, with the exception of being in a secret magical warfare, of course.

"Sent of God, indeed." she said, echoing David amusingly.

"Well, judging by the giant grin on your face, I would guess he has no collar." David pet the dog's head, ruffling its fur, its ears shifting back and fourth. "I guess he's a stray after all... Or maybe he was just abandoned." The boy shook his head scornfuly at his statement: "I wonder how its been since he had a proper meal? It seemed like quite a while, based on his appetite. Lets see..." He knelt near the dog and held his hand out. "If he's been trained, then he was definetly abandoned."

Sensing that girl had relaxed, thus meaning she had accepted him. He made his biggest doggy smile and licked her hand. The boy beside them moved over and offered his own hand. The dog turned his attention to the other person. It was a cue he knew too well. Whenever a human offers their hand with their plams up, it meant they want your paw. It was an unnatural gesture for dogs, but it didn't stop humans from teaching them. The dog shifted his position, and without any hesitation, put his left paw on the boy's right hand.

David chuckled, shaking the paw presented to him. "Certainly well-educated. Abandoned... well, I suppose there are other explainations, but I dont think it matters." He raised his eyes, letting go of the paw: "No problems with keeping him, Princess? I dont think he'll refuse us, but its up to you."

"No, of course not. He can't survive as a stray. He would have starved to death if we hadn't found him." She scratched the back of the dog's ears, whom appreciated it eyes closed. "Besides, who could say no to such a cutie? Aren't you, Pepper de Soufflé?"

David scoffed, getting back to his feet, and heading towards the house. "That is the most ridiculous name I've ever heard. It is far too long and needlessly complicated. Hmm. Yes, very well. 'Pep' is fine. Where should he sleep?"

"'Pep'? That's not even half a word. At least call him 'Pepper'. He needs a last name like everyone else. Don't you, Pepper de Soufflé?" The newly named Pepper, perked his ears as his soon as he heard the last few words. "See? He's already responding to it." said Hikaru triumphly. "Anyway, he's going to sleep in the house. He has been in the cold for too long. I'll give him one of my old cushions." She said without any room for argument. "Come, Pepper de Soufflé!" she beckoned the dog to follow her as they went back into the house. Once inside, Pepper began to sniff around his new enviroment. There were a lot of new smells. Some familiar, like food and water, but it was still vastly different from the previous human dwelling he lived in. For example, it was much quieter, since there were no human puppies. Hikaru went to a room at the back while Pepper was sniffing around, and came back with a large cushion with a worn cover. She pat the cushion. "Here, Pepper de Soufflé. This will be your new bed. I'll put this in the corner of our bedroom later. Better for him to stay there too."

"I see. Well, I suppose it wouldnt hurt to let him live in the house. After all, we have alot of free rooms... and it is pretty chilly and wet outside." David sighed for a moment, crossing his arms: "Its a pity the place has no fireplace... I rather enjoyed sitting in front of those. Anyway, now that the mystery is out of the way, I suppose I better let you know of what I picked up on when we were out. During the time we were in the church, there were a total of..." He paused, counting: "Twelve hostiles total." He walked over to the kitchen counter, pouring boiling water into the teapot and pouring two cups of tea. Taking them both, he walked back over to the girl, offering her one, before taking a sip and continuing: "This includes Matou as well as Enkidu, naturally. There were also three outside, only one of them known. Confirmed presences I've detected before are the girl who you sat on, Matou, Rider, those two in suits, Caster, and Fujimura." Fujimura, it should be noted, spent the entire time we've been in the church outside, motionless. Judging by elevation, and what I saw when I walked out, she had hid in a tree; i guess she has some sort of camophlage. Those two in suits.. feel like the ones that were under the ground at school, but not quite." David's expression darkened slightly as he continued: "There is also the fact that I know them both."

Hikaru stopped scratching Pepper's head, who was laying next to her in his new bed. "Know them?" That doesn't sound good. "Are they from your era?" She hoped the answer would be negative.

"Yes. But to be more precise..." David paused, and made a motion with his arm, gesturing at two objects that shimmered into existance from midair, hovering there. "Zelek of Ammon. Helez, of Beth-Palet." The objects had been two grey stones, polished and smooth, bearing a single name on each. "My loyal warriors. My personal elite guard. My Three of the Thirty."

Pepper got up to his feet and began sniffing at the general area of the two objects that have suddenly appeared. There was something odd about them, they didn't give off scent, yet they were there. They seemed to have originated from the boy, so they must be harmless. With that, he went back to where he was laying and curled in a ball, no longer interested in the strange floating objects.

Hikaru leaned forward across the table. "Did they regconize you?” It was one thing to reveal David's identity to Haruka, because Hikaru had known her from school and been to her mansion. But it was another thing if someone out there, whom she could not put a face on, did know that David is the King David of Isreal, and with Servants that might remember his skills. But there was something else that bothered her.

"I do not know. They did not show any sort of sign that they did, but then, they were my elites... If they wanted it to remain unknown to me that they recognized me, then it would be so. I did not look at them particularly, so maybe I avoided their eyes... Or maybe they simply do not remember me." David glanced at the cup he held in his hands, blowing on the surface briefly, before taking another sip. "It is unpleasant... but there's nothing to be done about it. We are all warriors, and should we meet on the battlefield, neither I nor they will give nor expect mercy."

"I'm not worried about that. Well, it's not all that of a good thing itself. However, wouldn't it put you in a disadvantageous position if they knew who you are and your abilities?"

"They wouldnt necessarily know my abilities, as I have not been granted many of them until I had actually 'died', or rather... That the abilites were given definite form. For example, they would know I am skilled with a sword, but couldnt tell that I had an ability that detects others. But yes, it is good to have allies. Speaking of them, however, what is your judgement on them based on your perspective?"

Hikaru tapped the side of her head, trying to wrap it around an inconsistancy that has been bugging her. "About that....” she started hesistantly, “You see, I thought I had them nailed down. According to the perspective, they were said to be the sons of Hercules. It would been easy to figure out from there. But since you know them, it threw all theories off the table.” She took a sip of tea then continued. “Other than that, with their stats, their physical attributes weren't impressive, but their stats in skills were more than enough to make up for it."

"The attributes dont surprize me, and their skill is unquestionable, but... Sons of Hercules?" The boy shifted his eyebrows together, biting his lip. "That is quite odd. The place is entirely different unless... No. I am not really certain what is the case here. Perhaps further interactions with them will bring something to light."

"If interactions meant like the one we had with Berserker, it would be lucky if we could learn anything. All I could remember was running before a wild man could make me fried mince." She frowned down her cup of tea. Then asked a completely unrelated question. “Do people fry mince?”

"I disagree, the encounter on the train was very informative. He is someone I've never met before int his war, for one - unregisted ... signiture of sorts. I know that he is extremely powerful, able to recover from the gravest of wounds, and I know I can stop his regeneration. But as a whole... His presence felt eerie." The Servant grimaced, as if remembering something unpleasant: "It was nauseating, that powerful, if muddied, demonic aura."

The description sent a shiver down Hikaru's spine. When she was running from Beserkers lightning sword thing, all she could think of was not getting crushed by the Servant. "And targetted me of all people." She scoffed. "I thought being unknown wouldn't have me singled out. I guess I was too naive."

"If it was truly mindless, and acted on instinct - which I do not believe to be true based on how well it handled itself... of course i could be wrong - anyway, perhaps if it was mindless, it targeted you specifically BECAUSE it sensed your nature, like I sensed its?"

"Like metal to magnet? And he's the metal and I'm the magnet. No wait, that isn't right. Positive to negative charges? Um, forget about that.” She swallowed the whole cup of tea and replaced the cup on the table, before continuing. “Still, that doesn't change that Berserker is aftering me, and keep trying until I'm dead. We might run into him again tomorrow night, me doing more running again. Someone should have put that in the manual somewhere before this whole darn thing started.” Hikaru smiled bitterly, as past emotion began to stir, but she stopped before they boil. The whimsical lights in her eyes returned and she asked David. “You have no problems sensing him, do you?"

"No, no trouble at all. That sort of presence practically screams at me as soon as it enters my field of detection."

David paused for a moment, before continuing: "However bizzare Berserker may be, it isnt him who worries me - it is that other one that I could not detect. Who he is, or what he is, I do not know, but to avoid my senses, which are absolute and unavoidable..."

"He might be on our roof at this moment,” scaid Hikaru. The words came out to be more serious than intended, and apathetic. Pepper lifted his head from her lap, looking at her quizzically, as if he sensed the slight change inside her.

"I doubt that." David pointed to the dog. "Our friend here would have noticed and started acting a bit off if that was the case."

Hikaru chuckled, “Pepper de Souffle to rescue! Isn't it?” She scratched the dog's ears affectionately, who landed his head on her lap again, with his eyes closed, enjoying the attention and the voices around him. For a dog, this was the most sublime heaven.

"Right. Either way... pick where you're sleeping. I suggest a large room with lots of space to dodge in case of attack, and not too close to entrance." David suddenly smirked, realizing something funny: "I suppose I dont have to tell you that I will not go and stay in another room. I might have, if we didnt meet that man earlier - maybe, but now, well..." He shrugged imperiously: "Get used to the idea, I guess."

Hikaru stared at him blankly. "Get used to what?"

"Me. Sleeping in the same room." David explained plainly, raising an eyebrow. "What on earth did you think I meant?"

"Wi- wi- with me?" Hikaru pointed at herself. “B-b-but....well...it makes sense....” She licked her lips and ran a hand through her hair, and accidentally undid her ponytail. Her hair set loose like a cloud of explosion. “It's just...um....." She stared the band around her finger, then flickered it away, looking away from David so he would not see her flustered face.

Pepper had sat up right, looking back and forth between the two humans and decided he probably best move out of the way and give himself a good long, lazy stretch. He let out and equally large yawn. It was almost time for bed. He then trailed after the boy and the girl, who were heading off to their sleeping area.

"...?" David cocked his head, trying to puzzle out why this was a problem. She had slept in the same room he was before, so why... "...Ah, I see." His face became clouded before returning back to its usual grinning state. Raising his hand, palm outward, he spoke: "I think you misunderstand, or perhaps I said it too literally?" He pointed at the corner: "I sleep there." He pointed at another. "You sleep there. Due to my inabilty to detect that man, I have to be alot closer to you to make it on time to protect you. Understand?"

"Ah, right, of course!" Hikaru slapped herself on the side of the head and laughed, shaking off her earlier fluster. "I know what you mean. Just got a little sidetracked. Ahahaha." She laughed awkwardly. 'Okay, Hikaru. Now get a grip!' she scolded herself.

"Naturally." David looked away for a moment, surprizingly not bursting into laughter nor teasing the girl about her new embarassment. When he spoke again, it was a business-like, serious tone, as if he had forgotten the earlier exchange: "Either way, I think tonight I will simply scatter some tinfoil around. For now, that will suffice - you and I both need to rest."

"Um, okay. I'll go change now." Hikaru slipped into the adjacent changing room after taking a blue, yellow-dotted pyjamas from her wardrobe.

David merely nodded, digging around in a drawer for the tinfoil roll and beginning to rip off pieces, crumpling them, and tossing them in the floor outside and around the room. Having completed his task, he returned, yawning, to the room, assuming a cross-legged position, leaning against a nearby wall.

Tomboy Girl In Love

When Hikaru returned, her futon was on the other side of the room as David said. Pepper had curled on the cushion at her foot. Threads of moonlight seeped through the curtains and lit on the resting man. It was as if they revealed his true age. He no longer seemed like a boy a few mere ages older than her, bossing her around, but something more. Ancient, regal, serene, wise, and at the same time, lonely. It was the very first impression that Hikaru saw of David, and it disappeared like footsteps on a beach.

"Aren't you cold there?" she blurted out all the sudden.

While she was gone, David had shut his eyes, adjusting to the feel of the room, its smell, sounds, and temperature. It was a sort of serene concentration he had performed before prayer - something that would be likely called meditation by the people in this country. He heard the girl return, and suddenly stop. Being used to it, he could tell that she was looking at him for some reason. Just about ready to make a joke, he was intercepted and caught slightly off-guard by her words: "Mmm." He opened his eyes. "This is supposed to be winter, but it is a rather warm country. It's slightly chilly, but its nothing to complain about."

"So, you're going to stay there all night?" It was another silly question. She didn't know why she started asking about the temperature. If David had a problem, he'd already dealt with it. Besides, that wasn't what she wanted to talk about. She tried to say what she truly wanted to say, but only silence came out of her mouth.

"Would you rather I stay elsewhere?" The Servant smirked, regaining his composure. "One spot is as good as another to me. Hmm..." David moved his head to the side slightly, scratching his cheek. "What's wrong?"

"It's- um- nothing. I just thought this is kind of a big room. Wouldn't it be better if you stayed closer to me, er, us, I mean. Me and Pepper." Hikaru said nervously.

"Mmm... I confess I'd rather not stay near the dog." David shook his head to hide a grin. "Then again... I dont mind moving. After all, it is a large room. Perhaps the floor is softer on the side you're sitting. Who knows?"

"It's the same tatami mat." Hikaru responded flatly, unamused. "If you're complaining about hardness, this will do." She removed another set of futon from the cupboard, and placed it a couple of feet away from hers. "There. Moving or not?"

David tossed both his hands up in an exaggerated, false gesture. "Fine, fine! Its more comfortable over there anyway." Getting up, he stretched, walked over, careful to avoid the scatted tinfoil, and took a seat: "Better now?" He patted the dog on the head.

Pepper sniffed at David's hand while half-awake, then fell back into his slumber. Hikaru slipped underneath her blanket, and rested her head on the pillow. There was some silence, then she took a deep breath and spoke. "You have been a Servant since your death, aren't you? Did you really live through those 3000 years?"

"Yep." David looked up, looking at her curiously: "Unbelievable to you? Well, its more of being yanked in and out of existance between summonings, but I do remember all of it, and from what I recall, I didnt get alot of nap time between summons."

Hikaru blinked, trying to imagine having lived for 3000 years and couldn't. "And this was all penance for God?"

"No." Came the laconic answer. "This was the price for a pact with the Grail, but as that was my wish, it wasnt really a price. Penance..." He sighed, then shook his head. "I suppose that would work too, but it is self-imposed, and more like a responsibility than a penance."

"For what reason?" Hikaru turned and propped her head on her arm, staring at her Servant like a child eagerly waiting for the next scene of a bedtime sorry.

"Hm." David rubbed his chin, considering how to best put the reason for the contract. "I wished to see how humanity would develop and progress, see with my own eyes how things would continue on after my reign. To do this, I would need to participate in every major battle and war that took place after my death."

"3000 years is a very long time. Don't you ever feel...." Hikaru paused, unsure if asking David his feelings would be the right thing to do. Would he get mad? Maybe some things are best left unsaid.

"Depends on what the left out word is." David shrugged, sighing. "Lonely? Yes, I suppose. At times. I am usually too busy to feel that way, but its more of a sense that I dont belong there. As time went by, though, I become more comfortable with it, and adapted. Regret?" He gave a chuckle: "Nope."

"Oh, I thought after all these years maybe you missed some things." Hikaru muttered, still uncertain. "Maybe I was imagining stuff."

"I do miss some things... I am not made of steel, despite how much that would have made things simple... It would also be highly stupid."

"So, did you...." Hikaru scrambled for words. "...did you feel anything? When we did the 'almost kissed', back on the train." Hikaru gagged. That didn't sound right at all. Funny how some things sounded perfect reasonable in your head, and become out of place when spoken aloud.

David was yet again forced to raise an eyebrow: "'Anything' is a little too out there, but lets make a few assumpions, and the answer becomes a question. 'Do you really think a guy who nearly kisses a pretty girl feels nothing', followed directly by 'Do you think just because I am old, I am this 'stone statue', heh?"

"No, no, that's not what I mean!" Hikaru waved her hands helplessly. She could hear her heart beating fast as her mind scurried to find something resemblence of what she wanted to express. "You know....stuff like in....stories...novels....Mikan likes reading those kinds of stories....things...."

"Err? Thats too unspecific, again... I have no clue what level of reading material Mikan reads." David raised his hands helplessly. "I dont know how advanced a type of novel she reads. Mmm..." He considered something for a second. "Well, if you cant come out and say it you could... Write it down on a piece of paper?"

Frustrated, Hikaru flung her pillow into his face. "Fine! If you can't figure it out then I'm not telling!" She then threw her blanket over herself, and hid underneath it.

"Oof." David let the pillow drop from his face after it impacted. "Deja vu. Never thought you loved tossing pillows so much. Well, whatever, I suppose I deserved that." He moved a bit closer, offering her her pillow. "Hey, at least take it back. I dont think you're one of the people who likes sleeping on their fist." David sat down again, dropping the pillow near her. "Oh come on, why get upset? I'm not a mindreader, I really dont know what levelof novels your friend reads. For all I know it might have been something involving..." He grimaced. "Nope, definetly not going to make that assumption. Uh-uh. But if you narrowed down the content of the novel, or at least the level, I could reply honestly - I cant lie, remember?"

Hikaru peeked out from under the covers. "You would?" At the same time, she was asking herself why she was doubting the person who she had entrusted her protection and life, in giving her an answer to her question. "Well, uh," She emerged from her covers, and scratched her head. "....when we were on the train, faking that...for a moment I thought it was going to be real. Cause it just seemed like you were serious about it. N-n-not saying that I didn't want it. It's just- very, very, veery...." She trailed off, looking at David hopelessly. "I just never had someone liking me before."

David let out a relieved sign that was so usual from his usual overexaggerated, false manner of expressing himself. Evidently, he had been a bit worried over what 'novel' would mean. "Haa... So thats all it was.Thank you for clarifying it."To answer your question, while kisses are not always expressions of romantic interest, that varies culture to culture and age to age, as I saw." He coughed into his fist. "Well, regarding the incident, though, I'd never have done that to some random girl without feeling something, you know? It just pegs me as the kind of guy who's fine with anyone. I am not usually serious about things, but THOSE sort of things are not included in that 'un-serious' pool. If that still doesnt quite clear it up, I can further clarify."

"So....you really do....like me?" Hikaru asked tentatively.

"Hm?" David scratched his cheek. "I guess I wasnt clear enough, huh? I am always serious in these matters. So..." He smiled without a trace of a smirk - a genuine smile with no false tones or exaggeration: "Yep, I do like you, Hikaru."

Hikaru could feel her face burning. If it weren't for the dark room, she might look like a boiling tomato. She hid under her blanket again and a muffled screeching cry could be heard.

Pepper, who was soundly asleep, raised his head to see what was the commotion. He flattened his ears against the screeching noise. Weren't they going to sleep? Why does the girl sound so excited now. Humans always changed so rapidly for no reason.

"Mmm..." David rubbed his chin. "Maybe I should have kept quiet after all...No, I suppose that wouldnt help. Hey, Hikaru?" He shook the blanket, looking around for an excuse, before his eyes feel on the yawning dog. "...You woke Pep up."

The blanket mound shook and said something. Then, Hikaru appeared out from underneath with her face an inch away from David. "So...um....I only want to make this clear: I like you to. Goodnight!" She then disappeared back under the covers and seemed to have dropped into a restful sleep.
Edited by Silk, Jun 22 2011, 07:03 PM.
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