oh shit, there's a horse in the hospital

[bloodplay]

WHO: Staff, patients, and visitors at the Import Clinic!
WHERE: Import Clinic, Manhattan
WHEN: The entire month of September! We’re going all out, baby.
WARNINGS: Injuries? Probably not much.
SUMMARY: A general and entirely open mingling log for goings-on and CR-building at the clinic! That's really all there is to this. Maybe you want to RP a character getting or giving medical help after a particularly rough night of vigilante action! Maybe you want to establish some hanging-out with coworkers! Maybe your character just lost half an arm! The clinic open log is here for you.
FORMAT: whateva whateva you do what you want

The Import Clinic is a three-story medical facility in Manhattan founded, staffed, and administered principally but not exclusively by Imports. It provides a wide range of medical services to Imports and native humans alike. Thanks to the special technologies and powers possessed by Imports, in many cases the Clinic can offer a higher level of treatment than conventional human medicine.

The Clinic operates with generous funding from private donors, principally a large trust fund previously set up by the Rossum Corporation. This allows it to provide its services for free. Staff members at the Clinic are generally volunteers, but thanks to the facility’s funding they do receive some benefits. All of the Clinic’s machines and equipment are the top-of-the-line, and it’s fully equipped for scientific research as well as treatment. It’s open 24/7 and always has at least someone available to take patients.

Comments

[swordedpast]

It might be hard to tell for Kiritsugu in his current state, but as Archer approaches it's clearer and clearer that despite that frown, he's a little more light of heart than he was the last time they spoke. Is that hope in his eyes?

(That might be asking a bit much, but at least it's not despair as usual.)

Archer stands awkwardly next to the chair where Kiritsugu sits, staring down at him. "Don't tell me you've hurt yourself." He sounds a little resigned, though. He knows it's nothing so simple.

[failedprotagonist]

Kiritsugu notices that Archer seems to be in something of a better mood than he was last time they spoke, but for now, he files that information away without mentioning it.

The subject Archer brings up is one he finds awkward, because he doesn't enjoy talking about his condition. He's never told anyone about it. He's been trying to think of how to discuss it with a doctor--really, he has no hope for traditional medicine, but perhaps someone has a special power that could help--long shot that it is.

"No, I thought it was time for a checkup." He's aware that this isn't the most believable statement and doesn't expect to be believed, which is why he can't stop the trace of wryness from creeping into his tone.

[swordedpast]

"I see." He folds his arms and continues to stare down at Kiritsugu, more and more disapproval creeping into his gaze. "That's really health-conscious of you, Kiritsugu Emiya. Really responsible."

He taps his foot. "I get it, you've been replaced by what they call a 'pod person.'"

[failedprotagonist]

"So, you've finally found me out. I decided that what I wanted was to live Kiritsugu Emiya's life, so I took it over." Kiritsugu appears to remain oblivious to that growing disapproval. "You don't need to worry, I'll go quietly. It wasn't at all what I thought it would be."

[swordedpast]

"Yeah, you should go quietly," Archer affirms, nodding. Then he leans on the chair next to Kiritsugu and adds, more softly, "Kiritsugu Emiya's life here should be happier, but that isn't for any pod people to take. What is it like?"

He shifts gears so abruptly. "No, you probably shouldn't tell me. It's something to do with the grail's curse, right? That's all I need to know."

[failedprotagonist]

"His life here is what it is," says Kiritsugu, who doesn't particularly think he deserves happiness or any reward. Then, after a moment, he nods in response to Archer's question, not meeting his gaze.

He knows he was right to reject the Grail. If he hadn't, everyone would have died. The Grail would have used his own flawed desire to kill them. So he had done the only thing he could have done. As a result, he had lost everything: his wife, his daughter, himself. But maybe that's fitting, in a way. He'd been willing to give up everything, and that was what had happened.

He probably shouldn't be here at all. He doesn't know why he came. But he's here, so he stays where he is.

[swordedpast]

Archer regards him with serious and troubled eyes. He can't be that many years younger than Kiritsugu himself, and still those serious and troubled eyes look like those of the boy who scolded his father for not cleaning up the guest room properly or for neglecting his vegetables at supper.

He sits down in the chair next to Kiritsugu.

"Then you want something that would stem a curse. Something holy."

[failedprotagonist]

Kiritsugu notices that familiar look, and the ghost of a smile plays across his lips.

"Holy." He doesn't look particularly impressed by the idea. Is anything really holy? He's hardly a believer. He knows the Church does have its miracles, but he's not particularly well disposed toward the Church at the moment.

"I don't know if there's anything like that around here." Part of the problem is that the Grail is powerful. It won't be so easy to undo its curse. He had thought that maybe a force that was strong but completely other would have a chance of working, if he could find something like that.

He probably can't.

[swordedpast]

"If there isn't anything like that in the world--"

Archer hesitates for a split-second. He's about to say something idealistic and foolish. But he has to, in order to help this man--and live up to the dream he left. Stupid; he thought he'd abandoned that dream. He thought it was broken. But he's here in the City at Rin's side and this man is in front of him, so...

"--I will imagine it in my head and create it."

He lifts his fingers to his temple.

[failedprotagonist]

Kiritsugu wasn't expecting that, but his expression doesn't reveal his surprise. He glances down at his hands. He was never able to make anything (excepting his daughter); his abilities had allowed him only to kill. When he returns his gaze to Archer, his expression is curious, maybe even faintly hopeful.

"Is that what you do, Archer?" There are still things he doesn't know about the man Shirou became. He does want to know more about him. This is still his son, after all.

[swordedpast]

"Don't you remember?" Archer's expression is oddly innocent, and so is his voice. "When you started teaching me magecraft. I--" And here his voice catches. It's painful for him to talk of that time. It's painful for him to acknowledge the boy he once was as a part of him.

But he continues, because this is his father, and his happiness is at stake. "I could only use projection, but you told me to use reinforcement instead, because it was a waste. Something like that...do you remember?"

[failedprotagonist]

"I do remember." It wasn't so long ago, for him. He'd never wanted to teach Shirou magecraft in the first place. What kind of a teacher was he, anyway? What did he know?

He's quiet for a moment, not wanting to risk doing something that might cause the openness in Archer's voice to shut off again. He'd meant to ask whether that was Archer's special skill as a Heroic Spirit, if that was how he fought, but he hasn't forgotten Shirou's magecraft.

"Maybe I was mistaken." It wouldn't be the first time. "Usually it is useless."

[swordedpast]

A weary and cynical smile graces Archer's face. "In the long run, it was useless, of course. Nothing I did ever achieved anything of worth except that pointless, stupid ideal." His voice is soft, more resigned than angry now. Something of late has dimmed the rage.

"But in the short run, I am a master of projection. Especially of swords. If it can be imagined, I can create the blade with these hands."

[failedprotagonist]

"Hm." Kiritsugu makes a noncommittal noise. Everything he'd done had been useless, so he can relate. Like father, like son?

The question of the ideal is one he can't make up his mind on. Is it stupid, or not? Is it just that they'd made mistakes, or is it inherently flawed? But Kiritsugu doesn't comment on it.

"Impressive." Usually the cost of projection is so high, it's not worth the energy it takes. He supposes he can do something similiar now with guns, as odd as that seems. Not that he particularly wants to create limitless arms. He'd been hoping to get away from so much violence. "A holy blade?" He glances down at his hands. "I don't know if anything holy can touch it." Would it summon a Servant capable of purifying it? "But I'm willing to try."

[swordedpast]

Archer just nods, quickly casting his gaze away for a moment. Still, he can't quite hide the faint flush that comes to his cheeks at Kiritsugu's praise.

(Was that really all he ever wanted? To know he made this man happy. For a moment, it feels like it.)

"It's a curse, isn't it? So perhaps something holy can soothe it. One moment." Without further warning, Archer rises back to his feet and strides over to the receptionist, with whom he exchanges a few soft words--mostly reassurances that the sword about to appear isn't actually going to be used to harm anyone.

Then he walks back to Kiritsugu. He stands there in silence for a second, and then he says simply, "Durandal." A shining blade appears in his hands without any fuss. "Take it."