tvklogs | I still can't trust everything. [OPEN]

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lancer (diarmuid ua duibhne)

I still can't trust everything. [OPEN]

WHO: Ainosuke Tanaka (

hidari_me) and whoever shows up.
WHAT: Wasting time and observing his surroundings.
WHEN: June 27th, just before the Dark Hour
WHERE: Bayview Hotel, Lobby
RATING: PG-13
WARNINGS: None yet.

One week had passed.

One week had passed and Ainosuke still knew little more than he had when he had arrived. There didn't seem to be any sort of pattern between the arrivals. His theory on the entire thing being an experiment seemed more believable than anything else, though he hadn't seen anyone who might have been responsible for it and hadn't been personally prompted for anything. If his brother was behind any of it, Ainosuke was sure he would have heard from him by now. The other always did enjoy holding things over his head. However, it hadn't happened. People were reporting strange hallucinations and losing their abilities... There was also the fact of what happened every night at midnight. Every night. There wasn't anyone he could ask about how long this had been happening either, because no one seemed to be aware of it other than the group he was part of.

Tonight, Ainosuke had settled himself in the lobby, various drawings spread out on the table in front of him. They consisted of the shadows he'd seen, the coffins, the buildings, as well as lists and arrows trying to connect everything together. There had to be a connection, an explanation somewhere, but he couldn't find it just yet.

The Dark Hour was approaching soon. Ainosuke sank down into his seat, sketching at a new drawing as he occasionally glanced up at the clock and around the room. No one looked particularly suspicious yet, but he was doing his best to investigate.

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No one looked suspicious, huh?

How about the guy in armor trying to avoid being seen by anyone? Because as it turned out, being in armor was itself quite an odd thing in this era.

Sure, Lancer had told Ainosuke he'd let the other know when he was planning to go out past midnight. He just didn't specify if it would be every single time. However, it was a bit difficult to leave without Ainosuke's knowledge when that would involve walking past not ten feet away from him.

"...Are you going out tonight?" Lancer approached as if that had been his intention all along, sitting down nearby.

No, that would look fairly suspicious.

Ainosuke had been occupying himself with his drawing, but only half paying attention to it because he was intent on noticing if anyone like this happened to walk past. When he saw the familiar figure out of the corner of his eye, Ainosuke raised his head and watched Lancer until the other came over to him.

If Ainosuke knew the other was planning on leaving without telling him, he wasn't saying anything about it just yet.

"... I'm not going out there unless someone's with me." Though Lancer was here now, so he technically could go. And he hadn't been out since the first night... Maybe he would notice something new.

"I wanted to see who all was going out tonight."

"I was considering the idea." To say the least. "I managed to find a temporary weapon, so I assume I'll stand more of a chance against those things."

"I don't have any experience fighting with anything but these." Ainosuke raised one hand up and shook it for emphasis. He'd always had a fascination with boxing and had picked up shadow boxing as a habit, just for fun. Since then it had actually served him well a few times, like the nights at the concert where he had been forced to toss people around to protect his friends.

"I'll go with you, though. Maybe we can look around some more."

Without waiting for an answer, Ainosuke started gathering his papers up, casting another look around the interior of the lobby. No one suspicious had shown up yet, at least that he'd noticed, but sometimes it was hard to tell who was capable of being dangerous.

"Very well. Perhaps we'll find an explanation for that strange apparition I saw."

Lancer stood up, waiting for Ainosuke to follow before he continued.

"...It seems I haven't been the only one."

Ainosuke shoved everything into his bag, closing it and slinging it over one shoulder. He considered leaving it behind, since it didn't have anything particularly valuable in it, but he still didn't want to risk having it stolen. His only concern was his ability to fight while carrying it.

"I've talked to one or two others who have, but I haven't gone out since that night. We can see if it'll happen again. Maybe I'll see something."

Ainosuke wasn't sure he wanted to, but it was worth trying. He trailed closely after the other, keeping just as much space between them as he had his first night there. Though he tried to act more brave than he was, sometimes it was obvious how bothered he was by situations like this.

"It's a possibility, though I've not been able to make it appear a second time."

Which kind of bothered him somewhat--how was he supposed to know what was real and what wasn't if he couldn't replicate such a phenomenon? Lancer checked the time on his cellphone--he did at least know how to do that much. Five minutes to midnight, plenty of time.

"...Give me just a moment, I left something over here so I wouldn't draw too much more attention to myself." Once they were outside, Lancer stepped into the alley beside the hotel. Odd looks and double-takes got tiresome after a while.

A thin metal pipe laid on the ground; in one swift motion Lancer kicked it unto the air in front of him, caught it in one hand, and twirled it a few times as if it weighed little more than paper. It was the skilled motion of an expert, and even in a foreign body Lancer's motions seemed as natural as the flowing of water.

"It isn't much as far as weaponry goes, but it's better than if I was to fight with nothing at all."

"What happened the first time it showed up? I could try to help you recreate it." Ainosuke trailed behind, remembering now that the night that hallucination had happened was the same night Lancer had ended up injured. That was something he didn't necessarily want to try recreating and he didn't want to put either of them in harms way, but there had to be something they could do to spark it again. Maybe. ... it was hard to tell exactly what it was and what other influences there might have been.

The way the other handled the pipe both surprised and impressed him. He had seen the other fighting before of course, on the first night they had met, but he'd never seen the other wield a weapon before. Lancer was certainly a fighter.

"I don't think I'm good with anything except these." Ainosuke held his hands up, moving his fingers and forming his hands into fists. Then again, he'd never done anything but shadowboxing and had never been in this threatening of an environment before.

"I was cornered by three or four of those things--not really a situation I'd advise replicating. One second I'm trying to find a way out and the next they're gone and I'm staring at someone that shouldn't be there."

He held the pipe at this side; it was practically made of cardboard compared to his Noble Phantasms, but in this environment he could do far worse.

"That's fine. I've met plenty of skilled fighters who were just as good without weapons as those that fought armed."

It was still interesting to hear everyone's version of that story. Ainosuke was sure it had happened to more people than who had admitted it so far, but he was becoming less and less inclined to going around and asking people for details. Once he started hitting dead ends with most of what he was investigating, he had sort of lost his motivation.

Tilting his head back against the wall, Ainosuke sighed heavily. He wondered how his body would react to being around those creatures again, though part of him wanted to avoid them at all costs. Staying inside wouldn't help anything and he still wanted to be around to help Lancer.

"How much longer do we have?"

"Less than five minutes."

Lancer didn't seem particularly concerned; by now he'd almost gotten used to the distorted colors and unusual creatures running around. It was becoming less and less likely that Caster was responsible for this, which was admittedly a reassuring thought. If that had been the case, one powerless Servant would have stood no chance at taking him out.

"...Are you going to be alright?"

"Mm. I'll be fine." He hoped, at least. Ainosuke was sure that he could... mostly take care of himself, if things were as calm as the first night. But with as much as people were going out and moving around during this extra hour, it was hard to tell if the shadows were getting more and more worked up or territorial. Lancer had been attacked by a group before and Ainosuke was sure he wasn't the only one. As long as they were together, he kept hope that they would be fine.

Still, Ainosuke looked a little nervous, shifting awkwardly against the wall and refusing to look at Lancer, though he managed a small smile.

"Are you sure about that? You seem a little uneasy."

No, he wasn't sure at all. Part of him still felt strange, having someone stronger than him around for once. He still felt compelled to get stronger and be able to keep up with the other. A lot of the people who had arrived seemed more powerful than him, even if all of their abilities were gone.

"Just a little nervous, I guess. It's been awhile."

"There's nothing to be nervous about."

Even though Lancer knew there probably was.

"If nothing else, we're better prepared now than we were the first time."

"... you're right." Ainosuke didn't look very comforted, but he moved his hands to tightly hold the strap of the bag slung over his shoulder. He took a deep breath, straightening his posture, before looking back at Lancer again.

"Should we go on out, then?"

"I'm ready when you are." he replied with a confident smirk. "I'd estimate things will start changing any minute now."

Ready as he'd ever be, Ainosuke figured. He slowly shuffled out onto the sidewalk, then out a bit more until he was standing just on the edge of the street. It would be interesting to see the transformation, since he'd only been inside whenever it had happened. ... it probably would be better for him not to watch, but he was still curious.

He held tight to the strap of his bag, trying to convince himself that he was making things out to be a lot worse than they actually were. It's not like they'd been attacked by hordes of shadows on their first night, but maybe things were a little more restless now.

"I'm ready."

Lancer followed half a step behind, looking around as if to evaluate their surroundings. He opened his mouth to say something, but whatever it might have been was forgotten as the lights flickered and died around them--the whole change only took a matter of seconds, as sudden as if someone had flipped a switch.

"...well. I suppose whether we're prepared or not is irrelevant now."

Ainosuke also wondered if maybe he should have thought this through a little more. What exactly did he intend to do aside from walking around in circles and looking at things? Having a particular goal in mind might have helped, though... he wanted to see if he could experience the same hallucination everyone else seemed to be having.

Instinctively, he took a step back onto the sidewalk, visibly bristling. At least the moon was out. He didn't want to think of what the streets would be like if they didn't have that light.

"Is there anywhere specific you had in mind?"

"Not in particular--I'm still learning the layout of this city, myself."

Lancer seemed completely calm--in the daylight he felt awkward and out of place, which more than likely showed one way or another. But in a place like this where they could be attacked at any time? This environment felt as natural to him as his homeland.

"What about you? Anywhere specific?"

It was fortunate that Lancer felt that way, considering the fact that Ainosuke was more and more uncomfortable with this particular setting. He still didn't feel as though he fit anywhere since arriving on the island, but that was fine with him. There was no intention of him staying any longer than he had to.

"I want to see if we can get any more hints about those hallucinations." He hesitated for a moment, trying to think about what else he could do now that he was out here.

"Someone mentioned the other night about seeing a strange building, didn't they? Do you remember if they said where it was? ... I don't want to go in, I just want to see it."

"That may be the best option for now--I haven't been able to do it a second time, at least not yet."

Which annoyed him somewhat; if someone Lancer practically idolized was going to appear to him, the knight would quite like to understand just why such a thing happened.

"I believe they said it was somewhere in the business district. But it'll probably be dangerous to go near it, if there are as many of those creatures as it sounds like."

"You said you didn't want to try recreating the situation. I can't really blame you, but... maybe if we get some more people together at some point. We could try to figure something out..." Ainosuke was already turning over a few ideas in his head, though nothing they could work on for quite awhile. ... if they could even manage it. Ainosuke didn't trust anyone enough to help them. Honestly, he'd barely spoken to anyone except Lancer since arriving.

Ainosuke looked around himself, making sure nothing was going to suddenly jump out at him, before he started off in the direction of the business district. He walked slow enough so that Lancer would be able to keep next to him, or a little bit ahead.

"We won't get too close."

"I would imagine that any combat situation stressful enough might be able to cause it to happen again. At least, that would be my guess."

It seemed to make sense--it happened once when he was cornered, so if the situation was dire enough it could happen a second time. Lancer walked beside Ainosuke, just as casual as someone might be when discussing the weather.

"Very well. I was just making sure you knew what we could be getting into. It's perfectly fine with me if we should get into a fight."

"That's what it seems like." Ainosuke really did wonder if there was another way to spark it, but it would be dealt with later. He kept close to Lancer, still surprised that the other was so calm about everything that was going on. It reminded him that while the two of them had come from Japan, he still didn't quite know what Lancer's story was. Knowing Lancer's real name helped him feel a little better about that, though. There was still quite a bit of trust between them even when they couldn't be completely honest.

"I'm starting to wonder if you're asking for it." The confidence Lancer always seemed to have worked in favor of that theory.

"Asking for it?" he repeated with a quiet laugh.

Maybe that was the case--fighting these creatures seemed more likely to result in answers than simply doing nothing. And as a knight he could hardly just allow things like this to wander and potentially hurt unarmed civilians.

Maybe he was looking to draw their attention and keep them away from those that couldn't fight by making them focus on one who could. In that sense, Ainosuke was probably right.

"...I guess it's a possibility."

More than what Lancer was thinking, Ainosuke was workingmore along the lines that Lancer was a fighter -- and that a fighter would naturally want to keep fighting. Still, he believed that Lancer was a good person, of course, and that he would work to protect people. Ainosuke was the type who would always work to protect people and would gladly put himself in harms way if it meant saving someone else. The problem was that he knew he wasn't strong (though it never stopped him before).

That was also why it felt so strange to have someone stronger than him around for once. Being protected was something he wasn't used to and that was why he was intent on doing everything he could to help.

"I think it's more than a possibility." Ainosuke's tone wasn't annoyed at all, but a bit playful. He managed a smile, though he kept looking straight ahead. Talking seemed to help keep him calm.

"I hope you're not implying I'm so reckless that I might be foolish." Lancer replied in a light tone. "I know when retreat is the better option if nothing else."

Which was true enough--he knew when it was the better option, but that didn't mean he'd take it.

"I'm not saying you're reckless." Now Ainosuke almost sounded like he was pouting. "I trust you." ... well. Not completely, but significantly more than anyone else he knew. That counted for something.

His pace slowed after awhile and then he came to a complete stop, taking the time to look around them. "... what's this place supposed to look like? Or do you think it'll be obvious?"

"Glad to hear it." And he was, of course--even if he wasn't being completely honest just yet, Lancer would have been concerned if he'd seemed untrustworthy.

"...I'm not sure, I didn't get a detailed description." He stopped walking as well, looking thoughtful. "All I know is that the architecture of the building changes, apparently."

"I've been around a bit, but not too much. Just enough to grab food." Ainosuke started walking again, trying to remember what he'd heard before. He'd thought about taking written notes on their situation instead of just drawing out things. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea. There were some scribbled things in his notebook, but mostly whatever had been on his mind at the time and he'd only ended up going in circles.

After making sure that nothing around him seemed too out of place, Ainosuke continued on, stopping again once he hit the end of the block. Halfway up the next block of buildings, the software store was to their right, the building twisted and certainly not architecture one would expect to see in a small town like this.

What made Ainosuke stop wasn't noticing the building. He wasn't even aware it was there yet, but he was staring at the street ahead of them. Though nothing seemed to be there, Ainosuke's instinct was telling him not to go any further. To be safe, he took a few steps back so that Lancer was ahead of him.

"Likewise, I've not gone all that far just yet. I'm familiar with the immediate area around the hotel, but little else."

He didn't mention that he'd managed to get a job at a bookstore under an alias. It was a rare stroke of luck for him, really. Even without his curse in effect, Lancer could be damn charming when it was necessary. Lancer had chosen that particular location mainly so that he could learn a little more about the era and country he was in without seeming suspicious.

And partially because hey, apparently needing money was a thing. Go figure.

Lancer stopped in front of Ainosuke, hand tightening on the metal pipe at his side. He'd expected tonight wouldn't exactly see them wander around unchallenged; it was all a question of just when they'd meet some opposition.

"...I was starting to wonder what was taking them so long."

"Do you want to stay, or should we go?" They didn't have to be there, after all. It was just investigation, though Ainosuke knew he could use the fighting experience. He just didn't want them to end up in a situation where they would be outnumbered and he didn't want Lancer to end up injured again. Before he received a response, Ainosuke already moved into a defensive position, his back to Lancer's as he'd done the previous time they'd fought together.

Nothing was coming from his direction yet, but he didn't want to leave the other's back exposed. Not that Ainosuke didn't think the other couldn't handle it, but it was still a good thing to do as his battle partner.

"If you think retreat would be better, then we'll leave. I would just as soon stand and fight."

Lancer twirled the metal pipe in his hand again, getting better used to the weight and balance of it before shifting into a fighting stance of his own.

"It's not like I'm going to be able to run every time we run into something. As long as you're here, we might as well see what we can do." Ainosuke knew the bag he was carrying might work against him, but hoped it wouldn't get in the way too much. If all else failed, he could take a moment to toss it aside.

Shifting his weight from one leg to the other, he shook out his hands and took a deep breath. His voice still sounded unsure when he spoke, hinting at how little confidence he had in his ability to hold his own.

"I need to do this."

"Understood." The shadows nearby moved and shifted, three of the masked creatures slowly manifesting from nothing a short distance away.

"Try to stay close. It's when they outnumber and corner their target that they're dangerous."

"Got it." Ainosuke didn't bother looking behind him. If anything was appearing on that side, he couldn't see it, but he trusted Lancer to watch his back for him. The ground in front of Ainosuke shifted a bit and he was dashing forward before the creature even had a moment to materialize, swinging a hit at it. He'd forgotten how solid they were, despite their appearance.

There were two on his own end. He would dodge a strike, still showing a strong talent for being able to avoid hits, then deliver a strong counterattack. At every moment he had, Ainosuke was reminding himself not to turn his back away from Lancer. He couldn't let anything get between them.

"...Shall we, then?" Lancer spoke more to the approaching shadows than anything else, pointing the makeshift weapon in his hand at the adversaries before him.

Lancer moved before the others could, intent on getting the first strike--armed combat was his specialty, even if the lance he held wasn't exactly a lance at all. The former Servant moved quickly and naturally, as if the object in his hand was an extension of his arm instead of a weapon. Each strike was careful and precise, driving back two in order to have the space to disable the third.

This was, very obviously, his area of expertise.

Ainosuke would have appreciated the chance to watch Lancer fight. It really was fascinating to watch someone else move like that and the only time he'd ever seen someone else fight, in any form, was boxing. Still, he knew it could wait until another time when he could afford to take his eyes off what was in front of him.

The bag wasn't in his way as much as he had expected. Ainosuke still managed to keep his balance and swing hits without allowing the extra weight on one side, small as it was, to throw him off. He looked behind him only to confirm how much room was between him and Lancer, and only when he could afford the seconds it took.

The fight also went faster than Ainosuke expected. While he only took a couple hits (a result of getting too close and his enemies attempting to pile on top of him), they'd backed off without him taking too much damage. He stood still, shaking his hands out, and doing his best to pay attention to what Lancer was doing while keeping an eye on the surrounding area. It was getting a little easier to fight them, though his confidence wasn't improving.

Lancer trusted Ainosuke to watch his back while simultaneously doing the same for him; the knight spared only a second or two at a time making sure he wasn't in imminent mortal danger. Most of his concentration was directed at the shadows, makeshift lance twirling and striking like a tornado focused on driving them back.

Lancer's movements were slow, by his standards--by those of a human, he'd probably have looked like an out-of-practice expert with a substandard weapon. Lancer's motions were precise as he forced two to retreat, spinning the pipe around in his hand before landing a solid hit on the third. It recoiled, seemingly dazed for a moment before thinking much better of what it was doing and following the others.

"Are you alright?" He lowered the metal pipe, looking back at Ainosuke with a small smirk on his face.

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I still can't trust everything. [OPEN]

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