[center][h2]Dave Rogerson[/h2]
[@HereComesTheSnow][/center]

[i]Oh [b]fuck.[/b][/i]

An old adage in fictional circles that Dave always imagined a magus would appreciate sprang to mind. Do not call up that which you cannot put down. Archer was definitely something he could not put down. It was a thought that occurred as, quick as lightning, the Servant yanked him in close. For a heartbeat he thought he'd misjudged. Rather than paralyse him, the fear galvanized him; his left hand shot up to grab Archer's wrist, interposing his watch between their chests. The timepiece's gears ground audibly, spinning up to do their job. If he could free his hand, he could draw his weapon. He was still dead, but Archer would work for-

Then the Servant spoke.

His heartbeat would need another minute to settle, but the defiance went out of his eyes. It came into focus. Who he had summoned. Why the sudden movements. The symmetry, whether he realized or not, in using Maxie's bark to cover his name. He nodded, a short, sharp motion. He let go of the Servant's wrist, too; he could've freed it easily, beyond a doubt. But confrontation was unnecessary.

He gave Archer another nod, silently signaling both his respect and his returning calm. Dave wasn't one to grow speechless, but Archer had managed it. If his intentions had really been hostile, there wouldn't have been a damned thing he could do. And every Servant out there would be just as strong. The moment was sobering, to be sure, but not fearful; it was clarity. The older man would never truly raise a hand against him, not as long as they were allied. But his strength was something to be respected. The Servant showed [i]him[/i] that respect, too. By shaking, by revealing his True Name, by referring to Dave as such; Archer had acknowledged him as his Master. 

While Dave mulled that over, Maxie was thinking something similar.

The canine regarded Archer cautiously, cocking his head a little and glancing towards Dave. The Aussie inclined his head, a little color returning to his face. Maxwell got a faint grin with the nod, and the German Shepherd considered that his answer. The dog looked back to Archer, and solemnly offered his paw.