6173/Heroic

Heroic
Date of Scene:	20 November 2018
Location:	Moon Cell
Synopsis:	Archer discusses some things with Jeanne d'Arc Alter in an attempt to "help" her.
Cast of Characters:	Archer, 6802

---

Archer has posed:
     Fuyuki City. A Japanese city where the Holy Grail War took place. That's not what this place was, but those familiar with the place would recognize what Moon Cell was emulating.

Thankfully, it's an extremely abridged version of the place, so if Jeanne wasn't able to remember the directions she was given, she could easily brute force her way into finding the Emiya estate.

Once inside, she'd find the place that Archer lived in looked a lot bigger on the outside than the inside, only containing two rooms and a bathroom. Most of the contents of the house were seemingly packed away in boxes, save for a kotatsu that was laid dead center in the opening room, a tea pot and pair of filled cups resting on the traditional Japanese table.

Archer was nowhere to be seen at the moment, but given the sounds coming from the other room, one could easily guess that he was still preparing something.

Jeanne Alter (6802) has posed:
     Of course Jeanne remembered which way the Emiya estate was! She simply chose not to take the most direct path there is all. She had plenty of time to decide on her next path of action, anyway, so Archer could stand to wait a little while until she figured out where it was she needed to go.

     Somehow, it would still take her quite a bit of time even with the reduced size of the emulation. At least she wasn't burning anything, right?

     Upon finding the place (finally), Jeanne wasn't really sure what to actually do once she stepped inside. He had called her over for a talk, and she was there, so... Now what? She was still decked out in her usual black armor with black fur and black trim, her cursed flag was still resting on her shoulder, and her decorated sword was still worn at her side.

     "... I am here, Archer. What is it you wanted to speak about?" Opting for the most direct approach, apparently.

Archer has posed:
     "Hold on."

     The benefit of paper walls is that it's easy to hear people in separate rooms. The sounds of food being prepared stop, and soon after the nameless spirit comes out with a plate of rice balls.

     He sets the plate down on the table before taking a seat, motioning for Jeanne to do the same as he takes a quick sip from one of the tea cups.

     "I wasn't sure if a simple farm girl like you knew how to cook, so I took it upon myself to prepare a simple meal. Unfortunately I didn't anticipate you coming here this early, I'd have thought you'd burn half of Moon Cell at the very least before arriving."

     Archer chuckles a very smug chuckle as he places the cup back down, his face becoming slightly more serious.

     "Anyway, I'm a bit sick of people trying to tell you what's best for you. I hate to admit it, but we're something of kindred spirits, even if we chose to deal with our betrayal differently."

     "So this is what I have planned, you tell me about yourself Avenger, and at the end I'll recommend you a place to crash where you're free to live and figure out things by yourself."

Jeanne Alter (6802) has posed:
He told her to.. Wait? He had food for her to eat? This is getting too strange too quickly. There's only one explanation for all of this, of course, and Jeanne's face shifts into a smug grin in return. "What's your angle, Archer? You know what I'm capable of. Are you trying to bribe me while you plead for your life? You should know better than that."

She says as she takes a seat and a bite of a rice ball. There's a long pause as she looks from Archer to the rice ball, back up at Archer, then takes another bite of that rice ball.

"... I'll humor you for now. THere's no reason for me to burn the Moon Cell yet. Aside from Servants, who else even knows of the place?" She sounds dismissive of the idea. "If I'm going to destroy something, it would be something worth destroying. Something deserving of my hatred."

Like a museum. Or a castle. Probably not a house. "What of yourself? If you expect me to tell you so much, then you should at least tell me what you hope to gain out of all this. Otherwise..." She flicks her free hand, a purple flame gathering above it. "I might just take you up on turning the Moon Cell into ash~"

... And then she takes another bite.

Archer has posed:
     "I've got nothing to gain and no real angle, I'm just discontent with people treating you like an angry child or curiosity."

Archer takes another sip, seemingly unconcerned with Jeanne d'Arc's threats. Like he's dealt with women that had hair trigger tempers.

     "Now maybe you need therapy, and maybe you'd actually be happy murdering God and starting Ragnarok. I can't say, I'm not you. But I'd rather you come to that conclusion yourself rather than people constantly trying to offer things to tip you over to their side."

     SIP

     "You can call it pitying, or call it needless worrying over someone who I shouldn't. Don't call it bribing or pleading though, I wouldn't have even called you here if I was worried about my life."

Jeanne Alter (6802) has posed:
    "Hmph. So you're one of those people." Jeanne doesn't elaborate as she finishes that first rice ball, moving to pick up a second rather quickly and even sampling that tea.
    
    The tea doesn't get quite the same reaction as the rice balls did, but it's still something to drink.
    
    "That Caster mentioned therapy as well. There's nothing to fix. Destroying God himself would be a..." She pauses, a thoughtful frown crossing her face. Would it even be possible? Surely more impossible things have been attempted, but to hear it so casually from another person...
    
    Come to think of it, didn't other people bring that up as well? As if something could be done so casually, even. There's another pause, and then Jeanne laughs. It's slightly less crazed than her usual, but it's still distinctly crazed within expectations. "If it can be done, then it will happen in time with or without outside help."
    
    Chew.
    
    "So. What did you want to know?"

Archer has posed:
     Archer laughs.

     "Yes, I'm one of /those/ people."

     While he's not sure what kind of person she meant when she said that, he's pretty sure that he probably is one.

     "Anyway, I just want to know. I want to know why you chose revengeance when you were wronged. Why someone who was revered as a saint would suddenly choose a path like yours."

     Archer sets his cup aside, clearly finished for now.

     "Of course, you're free not to tell me if you don't want. If that's the case, I'll just direct you to the poor sap I have in mind."

Jeanne Alter (6802) has posed:
     "Very much so." Jeanne is quite descriptive.

     She doesn't answer right away, but not because of any sort of thought. She may have been raised as a simple peasant, but she's learned enough that talking with your mouth full is both impolite and makes you look stupid!

     Once she's finished chewing, though, she answers properly. "Because I'm not that saint everyone looks up to. If I have to burn the world down to make sure everyone knows that, then so be it."

     The grin returns. "Are you still thinking of putting me up with someone else after all that?"

Archer has posed:
     "I see..."

     Archer raps his fingers against the table, seemingly in thought. He's still not certain if she's some sort of alternate reality Jeanne, a fake, or if the saint's mind actually snapped after being burned at the stake.

Well, whatever it is, the fine details aren't all that important. Probably.

     "Personally, I'd be more worried about yourself than the kid I'm dumping you on. That said, he's the kind of person to let you do what you want, but not WHAT you want... If that makes any sense?"

He slides the farm girl a picture of UQ Holder base, along with some easy to read directions.

Jeanne Alter (6802) has posed:
    Jeanne doesn't seem to share Archer's thoughts in the slightest as she's more concerned with figuring out just where he's trying to send her.
    
    Also, eating more rice balls without looking like she's just been eating the entire time. She does pause, however, when Archer mentions that he's dumping her on a "Kid? You meant ot tell me that you're suggesting I live with a /child/?"
    
    Says the girl that died at nineteen. She narrows her eyes slightly as she takes the picture, squinting a few times while holding it closer to really get a good look at it. "That doesn't make sense, no. What do you mean? And which room is this in?"
    
    Another pause, and then she looks up. "... Not that I'm accepting. I'm simply curious as to how stupid this can get."

Archer has posed:
     "Last I recall, you started your divine crusade somewhere around the age of sixteen. Anyway, he's mature, if a bit naive. He's also probably the only person with no motivations who'd put up with you."

     Archer's face is less then amused at the Avenger's lack of self awareness, but he's used to dealing with dense people so he just let's it slide.

"Anyway, you're going to have to explain what doesn't make sense. If you mean what kind of place it is, it's a shelter for war orphaned freaks."

Jeanne Alter (6802) has posed:
    "That's right. France needed a savor, and I foolishly obliged." Jeanne replies with a distant look flickering in her eyes, only lasting for a moment until she smirks once more. "I'm not sure whether you're overestimating the child or underestimating me, then, but... We shall see."
    
    That's technically a yes. Maybe.
    
    Unlike Archer, Jeanne doesn't seem quite so worried about that lack of self-awareness.  She's perfectly lacking in it and confident in continuing to do so!
    
    "It makes a little more sense now. I'll consider it, but I'll have to see if this shelter is worthy of standing. If not, then you'll have to pick him out of the corpses." She scoffs lightly, then smirks again while take a drink of that tea.
    
    Not sipping. Not slurping. Just drinking. "Tell me, though. Archer. What is /your/ real reason for all this? I find it hard to believe even a meddler would go this far for someone that's a proven risk. There has to be something you're seeking with all this." Jeanne leans back in her seat, then crosses her arms slowly. "You're free not to answer, of course. But... I have my doubts."

Archer has posed:
     "I'm not underestimating or overestimating either of you. Well, perhaps I'm overestimating the boy just a bit. I have a soft spot for dumb kids as well as women it seems.

     Archer chuckles once again, assumedly at himself because he's just that kind of person.

     "Anyway, if anyone is overestimating anyone here, you're doing it to me. I already laid my intentions bare. I want you to come to your own conclusions by yourself without anyone bossing you around. If you're going to continue to burn down churches and feast on the souls of the innocent, I'll eventually have to stop you. But at the moment that's currently not happening."

     Archer pauses, before deciding to sum it up more clearly.

     "Basically, I'm an idiot."

Jeanne Alter (6802) has posed:
    Even though Archer's answer hasn't changed, Jeanne still doesn't seem satisfied. She stands up, steps right up to him, then leans in and stares directly at him. That answer didn't really seem to satisfy her, but after staring for a good couple of seconds, she lets out an exasperated sigh and steps back.
    
    "... Either you're impenetrable, or you really are an idiot."  She laughs again, although it's more of a resigned sort of laugh rather than a mocking one. "I have no interest in... Feasting on souls, you said I'm not a /devil/. But so long as people expect Jeanne d'Arc to be a paragon of holiness..."
    
    She draws her sword, holding it in front of herself pointed upwards. "... Then I will remind them of the Dragon Witch they condemned for being 'evil'. Burning down churches is fine, too."
    
    She... Has limits, it seems.

Archer has posed:
     "If I wasn't an idiot I wouldn't be dead. Anyway, the souls thing was a joke, if it wasn't clear."

     Archer stands shortly after Jeanne, dusting off his pants of dirt. He had expected for things to go a lot less swimmingly than they had, given his absolute inability to say the right thing around women. His house is still standing though, so he'll consider that a win.

     "I think everything that's needed to be said has been said at this point. It's probably best we stop here before we start going around in circles. Though if you're really eager to burn a church on your way out, we have a 'priest' that no one will miss."

     It's actually kinda hard to tell if Archer is joking or not about the church thing.

Jeanne Alter (6802) has posed:
     "Hm... Perhaps." Is that an answer to the dead thing, the souls thing, or both?

     Yes.

     "Agreed. This trip wasn't as much of a waste of time as expected, so this place can stay." Picking her things back up and sheathing her sword, Jeanne raises an eyebrow slightly when Archer suggests murdering a priest. "A tempting offer. If there truly is someone of that sort that needs to be judged and hasn't by his peers, though..."

     A pause for dramatic effect. Again. "I cannot promise that his peers will not be judged just as harshly. If that's alright, then lead the way."

Archer has posed:
     Archer silently contemplates if he really wants to deal with the aftermath of having to clean up after burning down a church. Ultimately he decides why the fuck not, it's not like destroying one building will actually damage Moon Cell.

     "All right."

     Archer leads the way through the condensed Fuyuki as if he knew the place like the back of his hand. Which he does, for multiple reasons.

     Unfortunately for both Archer and Jeanne, the Church appears to be empty. And locked.

     "Oh..."