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Archer EMIYA      Moon Cell: A wonderful and chaotic digital landscape where your wildest dreams can possibly become reality. It is also a place home to vicious attack programs, multiple Heroic Spirits, and various warring parties, but it still looks wonderful so it's okay to give that a pass.

Luckily for Riku, despite Moon Cell's chaotic appearance, the directions he's been provided are easy enough to follow that not even an illiterate farmer girl could get lost following them, possibly because he doesn't have much faith in visitors, but also because he's not exactly sure what the hell Riku's level of reading is.

     Traversing the streets of a mostly empty and slightly abridged Fuyuki City, the Dark Warrior would eventually come across Archer's estate. It's surprisingly big, if a bit old fashioned. Clearly meant to be more of a place to vacation at, or alternatively just show off how RICH a person is.

     Stepping inside however reveals the place to be a lot less impressive. It feels significantly smaller on the inside, no more than possibly half of what it should actually be. The choice of decor isn't much better either. Various red tarps have been thrown over multiple boxes in an attempt to quickly cover them up, though the strong smell of citrus probably gives a good clue as to what's hidden inside them.

     Dead in the center, Archer sits in a hastily thrown together throne. Made from the same boxes and covered in the same crimson tarp as everything else.

     "Ah. Sorry for the mess, the person I had housekeep decided to use my place as a dumping grounds. Please, take a seat, I promise I don't bite. Much, anyway."

Archer gives a dry chuckle as he motions towards the only normal seat in the room. A padded wooden chair. It doesn't really match the room in any capacity though, so it's pretty clear he only had time to grab it at the last second. From where though is anyone's guess.
Riku The Moon Cell: A wonderful and chaotic landscape that has a lot of power to be taken, says the word on the street. And Riku is interested in that power for Reasons. The problem is, you apparently need a Servant to do anything in the Moon Cell. Lacking a Servant and the knowledge to summon one himself, a potential arrangement offered itself up to him before he would get into Trouble: A sassy Archer offered to make a contract with him. Riku decided he'd do something intelligent for a change and find out what this entails.

Thus he's here, walking along in his casuals as he steps around through the unstable areas and follows the directions given. When he arrives, turns to examine the estate before him. "Huh." He says to himself. Richer than his blood ever was. But it doesn't intimidate him, as he steps inside.

Inside is much more familiar. The smaller, more cramped areas. The decor. The messiness. Archer, sitting in a throne of boxes. "Huh. If I didn't know better, I'd call you a hoarder." He says, sitting down on the chaid and licking a leg up. "So. Name's Riku. Nice to meet you." He says, glancing through the room once again and looking back to Archer. "You don't use this place much, do you."
Archer EMIYA      "Ha. I've been a away for a while from Moon Cell for quite a while, but even when I lived here I suppose I didn't. That said, I can assure you the place actually looked like a home."

     There's the slightest hint of a smirk on the servant's face, but his voice remains the same regardless. Dry, sarcastic, and with the slightest hint of condescension. He now hunches forward in his throne of boxes, his large hands clasped firmly together as his head rests slightly above them.

     "Well, since we're introducing ourselves. Archer. of the Archer class. I'm certain you weren't actually expecting to get my actual name, but sorry to disappoint you on the off chance you were. Anyway, I take it we're both big enough boys to tone back the smart Aleck bits so we can get this conversation going. You want power, and I'm willing to provide.Yet you're not stupid enough to accept a contract with a random stranger blindly, so ask what you want and I'll answer them to the best of my ability. Just expect some questions of my own."
Riku Riku, at least, seems reasonably chill. If he has a problem with the dry sarcasm, he doesn't say anything about it. Yet. "Whatever works for you. I've slept in worse. And you have too, as far as I can tell."

There's a wry grin as he introduces himself. "Well, you're certainly straightforward. An archer is as an archer does, I guess." He scratches against the back of his head. "Yeah, that's fine. I have nothing to prove." Where have we heard that before? "And it's okay if you don't feel comfortable trusting me with your actual name. I hear that's a big thing with Servants. We'll take this one step at a time."

He leans forward, resting an elbow on one leg. "Ask anything you want. We're trying to set up an agreement and we can't do that if we're operating in the dark. That said, I'd like to know about Servants. What are you supposed to be, really, and what does it mean to make a contract? What do I get out of it? What do you get? Is there anything I'm supposed to be concerned about?" He looks around, gesturing at the house. "And how does this empower us in the Moon Cell? The others have been pretty cagey so far... Which makes sense, since we're basically competition."
Archer EMIYA      "Pretty refreshing to meet someone who understands the concept of privacy. Glad to know there are places that still teach their kids basic manners."

     The tanned servant chuckles for a brief moment before adopting a somewhat annoyed expression on his face at the series of questions he's given. He's not annoyed at the questions themselves, mind, more that he has to explain these concepts to someone who doesn't have a basic concept of his world's magecraft or rules. He breathes deeply before leaning back into his seat and closing his eyes, filling the room with empty noise as several minutes go by.

     "Hoo boy. You really know how to ask them."

     Archer finally breaks the silence. "Well then. Heroic Spirits are, as the name implies, spirits. Particularly of the heroic kind, but you'll find just as many anti-heroes and villains as you do actual heroes. All of them broken down into seven main classes and several abnormal classes for ease of summoning. Now normally, you'd need a special magical construct to summon a Heroic Spirit, and normally only seven ever get summoned, but the Moon Cell has not only emulated said magical construct, but it vastly increased the amount of servants it could summon."

     There's another pause as Archer takes a breath. So this is what it feels like to be in this particular role of the exposition dump? Though he can't remember their faces, he's pretty sure at least one of them would be laughing at them.

     "As for the benefits. It's simple. You get three magical seals on which to boss me around that will regenerate on a daily basis, and I get a stable mana supply, as Heroic Spirits require a magic supply to exist...Think of it like an upkeep cost, like for a summon in a JRPG. Kids your age still play those, yes? Anyway, thankfully as an Archer, my mana upkeep is reasonably on the lower end. So you don't have to worry about me draining you dry unless I go all out."

     Almost finished explaining everything, a somewhat wicked smile spreads across the servant's face as he does so.

     "As for why it empowers you... Well, I suppose it's because not only do you get a powerful ally, but that servant with a master is no longer beholden to their authority. Simply put, it's quite easy to rebel when you have a plan B for making sure you stay within the realm of existence. If there's anything else that is making them cagey however, that's beyond my knowledge. I'm not all knowing, even if I work here."
Riku "I feel like I'm the only one of my friends who did." Riku grunts, a little acidly at that. He spreads his hands, a wordless shrug Archer's answer to his complaint at having to Explain Everything. "My world has magic stuff too, but I have no idea how it compares... And I certainly don't know everything about how my own world works."

He nods at the explanation. "Seems straightforward enough. So a lot of famous people are getting summoned back from the dead so they can fight. I can learn about the classes and stuff later. You don't have to give me the in depth knowledge unless I need it." He nods his head. "I /do/ know how to read."

He leans back, then, as the benefits are listed out. "Mmm. I have lots of energy. I'm pretty self-reliant usually so I should be able to keep up fine unless the scale you're talking about is completely crazy. Though I'm not sure what I would even boss you around to do." He smiles a little at that. "Seems like you'd want to do what I'd want most of the time anyway."

He nods at the final explanation. "All right. So you get a backup plan and they can't cut you off from what you need to survive. You've probably been on thin rations anyway considering you mention your low power usage as a plus. And frankly, I'd be more worried about you if you said you DID know everything about this place. You know how it is with know-it-alls."

He leans forward again, folding his hands before him. "This sounds like a good deal all around so far. And if we make a contract, we get to start doing stuff in the Moon Cell, right? Feel free to ask me what you want to know, too."
Archer EMIYA      "Caster and Saber are malicious,though not so much as to leave me dry. But I like to be prepared regardless. That said, I haven't been particularly hurting for mana, but current accommodations make me feel like a bit of a free loader. If I'm taking hand outs I'd rather work for them. Anyway glad you're quick on the uptake, it makes things simple."

     Archer lets out a small grunt as he pushes himself up out of his makeshift throne, standing at his full height. "I don't need your life story, or what you plan to do with your power. I can already tell you aren't an idiot I have to worry about too hard. So my questions are more a terms of service more than anything." Archer reaches out a massive hand to Riku, a completely stoic look plastered on his face.


"Are you willing to accept the consequences of your own actions? To accept whatever fate may have in store for following your own ideals? If yes, then I ask you one more simple question..."

     There's a dramatic pause, and despite Archer's best effort, he can't help but crack a smile. It's a surprisingly sincere one, and seems almost out of character for the usually sarcastic servant. Perhaps he's actually taken a genuine liking to the kid in front of him, or maybe he's just nostalgic. Whatever it is, he doesn't say, he simply follows through with his question.

     "Are you my Master?"
Riku Riku is quiet as he watches the way Archer makes his stand, says his piece. There's a little smile as he declines prying into everything Riku is. "I'm sure you'll find all that out soon enough. If it was up to me, I'd do this solo. But since I gotta have a Servant... I think you would be the kind of person I'd want to work with."

He stands and looks up. Archer is taller than he is, the full-grown man easily bigger than the teen. Still, Riku looks up and matches Archer's gaze, treating this with the gravity such a situation deserves. He doesn't reply immediately, but he waits for that question. That very important question.

"I have to. To do anything less would be a betrayal of everything I've worked for so far. And unlike some people..." He gets a grim look on his face, like a shadow passing over it. "I won't do that."

He reaches out and offers his hand. "I will be your Master." He says... And then pauses, watching for some kind of lead on what he's supposed to do next.
Archer EMIYA      "No need. It's already done."

     Archer doesn't elaborate more than that, but he really doesn't have to. He tightens his hold on the boy's hand just a bit before letting go. There's a moment of nothingness before a sudden sharp, burning pain takes place in Riku's hand, as if he's been branded.

     With a sudden flash of bright red, an intricate design takes hold on the back of their hand. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it takes the familiar shape of the Heartless symbol with various thorny vines. The vines are broken up into various sections, specifically three in total, making it rather easy for anyone to count how many he has left.

     If they try to rub it off, they'll find it is very much like a tattoo. A part of them that they can't get rid of. Unfortunately for Riku, he can't remove this with a laser though.

     "Ah..."

     Archer's brow suddenly furrows as he looks Riku dead in the eyes. There's a legitimate look of concern for a brief moment.

     "And here I thought you were asking what the catch is because you were smart. No matter, we can talk about that later if it ever becomes a problem, though I'm running on blind faith and assume you have it under control."

     The look of concern passes for the moment as he tries to lighten the mood. A contract should be a somewhat joyous occasion, especially since there aren't any Irish dogs to ruin the moment.

     "Anywho, welcome to the digital hell that is Moon Cell. I can't quite promise you guaranteed victory, but I can guarantee you that if we go down we're going to go down taking at least one person with us."
Riku The sharp pain resonates through Archer, and suddenly Riku feels some of his energy being drawn out. Archer can practically taste the timbre of it. A shadowy well that seems to rise eternal from within the teen... And as he feared, there is a presence of /something else/ there. Still, it lurks, either cowed by the steel will behind Riku's eyes... or simply biding its time.

He looks down at the insignia on his hand and frowns. "I was afraid that would happen. And I did give the chance to ask before you got entangled with me." He shakes his head. "It won't matter. I have it under control. Eventually, it won't be a problem anymore." He simply clenches his fist, and then lowers it, dropping it back to his side. With a lack of Lancers and their class advantage to cause trouble, Riku nods. "Anyone who thinks victory is guaranteed is just being lazy. Let's see how much we can take advantage of that fact." He punches his palm, then, a smirk forming on his face. "Let's make an impression and show that there's a new power in town. Once we're established, we can roll things up."
Archer EMIYA      "Let's be real for a moment chief, 'are you potentially a host for Satan' isn't exactly a question you ask. It's fine though, just tell them I said 'hello' and we'll probably all get along just fine."

     Archer is either not taking this very seriously, or possibly just trying to downplay Riku's situation to make it not as big a deal. Whatever the case, he's quick to move on from it.

     "Well. We'll set up base here for now I suppose. We can see about taking the rest of Fuyuki and what not later. For now just go outside and get yourself acquainted. I'll clean out these boxes for now and begin moving out... Yeesh, moving twice in under a year. At least it should go a bit faster this time, I never bothered unpacking everything as I don't trust little girls with guns and knives."