[IC] Fate/Reborn 2.0 First War

[Chevaleresse]

Archer & James 

 

"Wait, what?" She wanted to go to the cultural district because it was. . . fun? "I mean, uh, shouldn't we try to take out our most powerful opponent first, before they have a chance to set up their defenses? You're an Archer, you should be able to just blow them up from a distance no problem, right?" It occurred to him that he'd never stopped to really consider what her Noble Phantasm actually did. An Anti-Fortress attack . . . "I mean, your Noble Phantasm is strong enough, right? All we have to do is take our strongest opponent by surprise and we win."

 

Saber & Nadia

 

Masaru nodded. "Fight off the other Servants, grab the Grail. Just another day's work. Now, though, what's the name of the lovely woman calling on Yamaguchi Masaru?" He flashed his best roguish grin at the mage. He wondered whether the woman would be receptive or not. . . Likely not, mages tended to be stuffy types, but hey, it couldn't hurt to try, could it?

[Twinwolf]

Erica - [Rider and Erica]

 

The newly-minted Master looks up through the hole that Rider had left in the roof. "...Well, that explains your class... I think in this particular case, Rider will be just fine." she says. She stands back as the Servant bows, before returning the gesture - only the polite thing to do. "A pleasure to meet you, Ignacio. I'll call you Rider if it's just the same to you - every advantage can help and the enemy not knowing you is an advantage. Although... I'm sure they'll recognize you quickly. The ship's pretty noticeable. Anyway, I look forward to working with you. And thank you for the compliment, Cojiro."

 

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

[Nadia and Saber]

 

"Oh, hehehe. Saber. My name is Nadia. But I am your master." she said seemingly serious however her eyes definitely betrayed her real intentions. The next words out of her mouth did as well. "Therefore... you're mine to stare at all I want, not the other way around." She put her right hand to his cheek, the one she had cut earlier. No blood soaked through the glove, though she did feel a sting as she did it, but it hardly bothered her. He would feel the light sensation of a fine velvety texture, the touch easily being that of a loving embrace. "You'll fight for me, my beautiful knight. We will fight together and make such beautiful carnage... I don't really like killing but... if they think they can stop me from having my grail, their lives are forfeit. Isn't that right Saber?" She licked her lips after saying this.

[Rider and Erica]

 

"RAAWK! Your Welcome! WELCOME!" the bird shrieked his answer back. He apparently, wasn't a very quiet bird. Ignacio quickly rolled his eyes at the parrot before returning them to his master. "Tis' fine enough for now girlie. And the Mango? Eh, she's plenty inconspicuous, our opponents would have to look up. Theeeey ain't got time for lookin' up. Hopefully they'll be killin' each other something fierce and we can open fire on the fight. The landlubbers won't know what 'it 'em. Aye... I do love me the smell o' powder in the mornin' and the smell of dead landlubber."

He stopped talking for a moment as he heaved up his great mass onto the anchor, planting both feet firmly on the side he was standing on. He took a firm grasp of the chain in his right hand, tugging on it ever so slightly. Cojiro hopped up onto his hat, and for a moment Erica saw his long scarf like tail curl up as he leapt to his new perch. "Alright, next order of business, to the ship. Come along now." He said holding out an arm as if indicating she grab onto him.

[Strider]

[Archer & Kevin]

"Yeah, I've got a gun." Darien pulled aside his brown coat to reveal a gun hanging at his side. It seemed to be a rather ordinary submachine gun, though it seemed a little shinier than would be expected, and it would be obvious to the practiced eye that it was magically enhanced. The other thing that would be noticed is that the gun looked pitifully small compared to Darien's size. He gave the tool a loving pat before letting his coat fall back. "But! More guns are ALWAYS better. I'm also gonna need something a little less puny. Anyways, the shrine's got no defences, you say? That's not good. We'll definitely need to fix that sometime...Before the Grail appears, right? Or this will all be a big waste of time!" The troll bellowed out a laugh, then continued. "Alliances are good. Lancer or Assassin? Tough choice, both have dangers. So tell me, Master Kevin, are we gonna backstab first, or are you going to let them go first?" Darien knew what he wanted to hear, which was that they were going to be the first to betray--the other option was just plain stupid--but Kevin was the master, and their choice of an ally would be affected by whether they expected to make the first move in breaking the alliance. "And, definitely. more drones coming right up!" It was currently almost imperceptible, but there began to appear a slight shimmering growing a few inches above Darien's head as he followed his new master to the car.

 

[Alexander/Ciri]

"That is understandable. Everyone has their own mistake, or their own failing--the reason why they fight this bloody war for the grail. I will not ask that question again, unless you want to share in the future. I have my own reasons for seeking the grail...To put it simply, I want to fix a relationship from my childhood. I am curious, what does it feel like to be a heroic spirit?" When the two reached the garage, the car appeared to have been loaded up. Nothing could be seen in the windows, as they were decently tinted, and it was night. However, as soon as the passenger door was opened, it was apparent that great preparations had been made, as two thirds of the back seat was crammed with assorted equipment, ranging from camping gear to a generator to assorted papers to makeup to guns to a large flood light. One might wonder if Corwin would even be able to use the rear view mirror. The trunk was probably filled with even more stuff. "Do you wish to remain in physical form, or to go into spiritual form? Either is acceptable, as there is still some room in the back seat. It's up to you." Alexander seated himself in the passenger seat, waiting for Ciri to make her decision.

Edited June 25, 2017 by Strider

[Twinwolf]

Erica - [Rider and Erica]

 

"Right, then..." Erica mutters, grabbing onto Ignacio's arm and holding tight. It simply wouldn't do to fall to her death after going so far as to summon her Servant. "Up we go."

 

Ciri - [Alexander/Ciri]

 

Ciri nods, and climbs into the back seat. "I'd prefer physical form for now at least." she says. "I'll take spirit form when it comes time to leave the car - I'd probably scare anyone not involved in the War. And ideally, the people that are in it too." she looks around the vehicle. Her Master had been prepared - he might be having difficulty providing her the mana she required, but his participation in the War was evidently not a spur of the moment thing.

[Chevaleresse]

Saber & Nadia

 

The man's eyebrow lifted at the comment on who would be staring at who. So that's how she wants to play this game, eh? This'll make for an interesting outing. "Of course, Nadia. The Grail is yours. . . as am I." Masaru wondered at the back of his mind what the woman's motivations were. A mage that wasn't stuffy tended to be of the tricky sort instead. . . was she simply enjoying the view he offered as much as he was the one she put on, or was it some sort of way to ensure his loyalty? 

 

He let the thought slide to the back of his mind, for the moment. Regardless, she was his Master and he was his Servant; mutual trust was something you needed with any partner with this many dangerous opponents around. "So where do we begin?"

[Shamitako]

Kevin

 

Kevin found Darien's weapon rather impressive, despite the Archer insisting that it was puny. He couldn't argue with more being better, but attempting to acquire weaponry here would be rather conspicuous. "Actually no, setting up defenses here would just make us a bigger target. In fact staying here at all is a poor decision. Right now we're kings of the hill, and while we want to be here at the end of the game, trying to stay on top the whole time would just wear us out." He explained. He hopped into his minivan, it was a good bit too small for Darien, but once the seats in the back were removed he was able to squeeze in. "There won't be any backstabbing," he said, "it's much more likely that another servant will kill them before we have to. In the case that this does not occur, we'll shoot them the instant the last opponent is out of our way. But if they decide to turn on us before then, we'll just have to be prepared. It's likely that a Lancer would be less likely to turn on us, but an Assassin would be much easier to take out if they do."

 

Merlin

 

Merlin waved at James dismissively, "No, rushing into a fight is a bad idea. And I want to try South American cuisine." Merlin appraised her master carefully, he definitely had something to prove. It reminded her of things she'd rather forget. "You're not a girl, are you?" She asked suddenly. In a poor attempt to avoid continuing that subject, she quickly went back to her Noble Phantasm, "My Noble Phantasm is only useful once I'm already at an advantage. And I'm no good at surprise attacks anyways. Now, can we please go eat? I want to enjoy myself while I can." She started walking in a random direction (coincidentally, this was directly away from the cultural district), it was clear that she had no intention of fighting anytime soon.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

[Rider and Erica]

Erica would first notice, the strange cacophony of smells that immediately assaulted her nostrils upon getting near her Servant. It was a lot to process what with the scents of waterlogged clothes, general dampness and a strange sickly sweet note on the back end. Was it... mangoes? Either way the smell wasn't... unpleasant but it certainly wasn't good either unless you were a rather strange person. The second thing she'd notice would be the octopus man's immense strength. He held her to his side with his arm arm quite well. He was powerful, and it was clear he trying his bast not to squish her. He looked up and yelled up at the ship. the smell of mangoes strengthening as he opened his mouth. ((it was definitely mangoes.)) "OI!!! BRING US UP! IF NOT IT'S THE SCUPPERS FOR YOU!"

Clearly whoever was working the anchor didn't want to meet that fate as it started to be pulled up immediately as Ignacio finished what he was saying. The speed as quite fast but Erica never felt like she was falling in Ignacio's grasp. His tumble earlier seemed to not be because he couldn't handle it, but probably because he was trying to do some kind of trick and messed up the execution.

[Nadia and Saber]

 

"That is the question isn't it?" Nadia did seem to drop her infatuation for the moment. Clearly able to focus when needed. She was serious about this war, she'd win if it was the last thing she'd do. "We could try and gather information on our quarry first but... it's not really my style to sit back and wait. Why I'm... lucky to have gotten you." Her mouth ever so slightly smiling at the utterance of last statement. Her eyes matched it, a playfulness to them.

"After all, you are Saber. Not something that requires the need to hide or stick to the shadows. The most powerful of the knight classes. Though that does not mean to throw caution entirely to the wind. My magic can bolster your ability to fight... I am more what you'd call a mage killer. No other master should be a match for me. I'm sure the weaker servants I could easily destroy myself as well. I propose that we be proactive though. I choose this location as it was out of the way in case of drawing Assassin or Caster... it's far from any leylines and not somewhere likely for the others to look. However, being gifted you means I can be more... hehe... forward in my approach." 

[Noir]

 

Orin and Debronee

 

A man was summoned forth from what remained after the ritual, a towering, lean figure dressed in a diaphanous black from head to toe. Orin could not see his face beyond a purple eye, the single facial feature that he allowed vision from the spiked masked he adorned, defying too his long hair of an odd silver and gold coloration. From beneath his hidden arms behind his poncho there were traces of armor-esque plates on several parts of his body, and a sleek, though larger than most, blade of unknown origin hung from his waist, running down his right shin. One would presume he would be human until they noticed the sharper, pointed ears, hidden like hares in his grassy field of messy hair.

 

For a man seemingly summoned out of thin air, he seemingly knew why he was there. His head brimmed with purpose; his right hand remained locked on the sheath of his blade the instant he had appeared. What a purpose a man would have with a sword in hand if not to fight?

 

“That it would be that you are the only one here,” He eyed Orin attentively, a gaze that almost seemed intimidating, but solemn and acquiescent, even behind the shield of his mask. “I take it that you are my Master. In that you would perhaps be aware of why and how you had brought me here, and your purpose in this War akin to my own. My name is Debronee, and I am at your service as your sword and shield, to the very end.”

 

Eleonore and the Twins

 

“Oui,” She began, “That I would be, though I had not imagined that I would have gotten…a pair of Servants,” Eleonore managed, remaining in her disbelief of the fact that she had summoned herself two servants rather than one. She imagined how much the odds were in her favour having chanced upon these two by luck…

 

…Though she too wasn’t entirely comfortable with a pair of servants that were odd in their attire, slang, and most of all, she had summoned herself Berserkers – she had summoned Servants that were heavily contrasting in their demeanour to her own. As much as she had steeled herself to fight in this war, she had wanted to partake in it in a more…humane way. And these twins certainly weren’t the type to play nice.

 

“My name is Eleonore,” She bowed, an odd thing to do for a Master. Most of her surprise was now gone, deciding that the benefits outweighed the issues. “Eleonore Lefebrve. And please, if you find the name difficult, call me Elen. I would prefer it if you addressed me by my name rather than Master, as I do not forsee myself locking you two in a house or…anything of the sort, I’d hope.  Enchant-“ She unconsciously returned to French before she realized they would probably not understand the language, and immediately corrected herself. “I’m sorry, I mean to say I am…pleased to make your acquaintance, and I consider myself very blessed to be in the guard of two fine gentlemen such as yourselves…” She did her best to be polite, not knowing that her face obviously defied her sincerity at the lattermost statement, but blessed was indeed with her choice of Servants in this war, come what may.

 

“Fighting can…come later. I do not think anyone is particularly near right now, and heading to the next districts to roam would take a lot of time, as I’m not good with distances…So…can you tell me more about yourselves? Can I call you two by name?”

 

[Strider]

[Archer & Kevin]

“You've definitely got a lot figured, boy. It pays to be clever in this war, and you definitely seem clever. Ah, there we go!” Darien tossed the seat the seat out effortlessly, then frowned. “Just leave it there? Can't hurt, right?” He then slid into the back of the van. The vehicle rocked a bit as the tires compressed, but otherwise, he seemed to fit, and hopefully wouldn't cause too much trouble. The drones that had been buzzing about his head settled down in the trunk, occasionally whirring slightly then settling back down. And of course, the newest creation was becoming increasingly visible, though it was still mostly tranparent and lacking substance. “Are we just gonna drive about the city until we run into a servant? Kill them if they're weaker, run if they're stronger, and talk nice if they're Lancer or Assassin? Or have you got a trick up your sleeve?”

 

 

[Alexander/Ciri]

She preferred physical form. Alexander remained mostly silent as Corwin opened the garage door, and headed down the driveway. When they reached the end, Corwin quietly inquired as to the direction they would take. “North. We're going to see Terrence Highlark. Caster, your territory will be amplified at the place where leylines meet? That is good.” Corwin drove onwards, through the mingled manors and upper class dwellings, heading to the house of another prominent mage family. Alexander meanwhile, remained motionless, staring straight ahead. “We haven't seen or sensed any other servants, but they must be out there. They will be most dangerous tonight, I think, when we know the least about them. We will need luck to win. Luck and skill. But luck is the one we can't control."

Edited June 22, 2017 by Strider

[ElfCollaborator]

 

Sophie - [Lancer and Sophie]

Sophie breathes in deeply, trying to process exactly what just happened. She stares at Klaren strangely, studying who, exactly, she'd just summoned. And, apparently, what she just got herself involved in.

 

"So....let me get this straight. You're my Servant from some place I've never heard of and.....I'm supposed to be using you to fight for, I assume, the Holy Grail. Which, by the way, doesn't exist. Or apparently does, since I can summon you- assuming this isn't some Faust kinda deal and I'm actually signing my soul away to Satan- to go fight for it. For me. I think. I dunno, I assume something called the Holy Grail War would be that, unless of course it's actually like the Olympics or something. Which I doubt, because you have a massive spear.

 

.....oh boy what did I get myself into."

Sophie groans audibly, grabbing a chair and sitting down in it. She rests her head on her temple, trying to avoid looking at Klaren.

 

"Okay, Sophie. This is ALL just a dream. You got yourself drunk, you're not actually talking to a masochist with a giant lance that you just summoned with a magical pentagram you sprayed pig's blood over, you're still asleep with a bad hangover the night before you go on vacation. and this is ALL because of a bad pint. Yes. That makes perfect sense. More sense than what's going on right now."

 

Nick and Jack Sloane - [Berserkers and Eleonore]

"Oh, luv, you can call me anything you-oof!"

The man with the chains around his neck is elbowed by his brother, who rolls his eyes. The flirtatious brother shoots him a glare.

"Oi, Jack! I was just playin'! Not like the lady can't 'andle herself, right?"

"And you ain't got a chance with 'er, mate. You couldn't pull girls when we were alive, 'ow do you think you gonna get 'em when they call us? 'Sides, you probably ain't her type anyway."

"Like you'd know, bruv! You and me be twins, mate! If I ain't no girl's type, neither are you!"

The squabbling goes on for a few more sentences, before they remember that they are, in fact, being addressed by their Master. Sharing another look, they clear their throats in perfect unison

"Luv, you can call me Nick."

"I'm Jack. Me and Nick 'ere, we're brothers. Twins, you see, identical. We live together, fight together and do everything together. Together 'til the end and all that, yeah?"

"And you can quit with the look, Elen. We ain't no gentlemen. We're not the smartest, yeah, but we know that much."

"Like, we just like us a good fight, yeah? Killin' ain't one of our fort-ays- is that 'ow you say that-, but fightin', yeah, we're good at that."

"Still, luv, you got nothin' to worry 'bout, 'long as you stay behind us, yeah? We like fights, but we stick with our own, mate. All part of our Code, you see."

"Long as we're 'ere, you got anything else?"

Edited June 21, 2017 by ElfCollaborator

[Chevaleresse]

Saber & Nadia

 

"Let's head out then. You know the area better than I do, so you'd have a better idea of where the other Masters are summoning at." He offered Nadia another smile. "I have to say, I like the direct approach." Whether he meant the method of going for the other Servants or something else was left up to one's imagination. "I should ask; do you want me to stay in spirit form unless needed? Because I, for one, like to keep things a bit more. . . physical."

 

Archer & James  

 

The mage's mouth just sort of hung open for a moment before he sputtered. "W-what? Of course I'm not a girl, what the hell does that mean?" His consternation and confusion were not helped when his Servant began to do all of the wrong things. "Where are you going? We're supposed to be preparing to fight the other Servants. Even if you're not good at surprise attacks, I can just set traps for them and. . ." He noticed her direction of travel, and more specifically where it would not take her. "That's not even how you get to the cultural district. . ."

[Shamitako]

Merlin

 

Merlin froze in place. Not because she was going the wrong way, that was easily correctable. What caught her was her master's mention of setting traps. It was too much to be a coincidence. She half expected him to pull out a giant magical cannon at any second. She sighed loudly. "You know, you remind me of someone important to me." She said sorrowfully, "Because of this I have a question, please answer honestly: What would you wish of the Holy Grail?" If it came down to it, Merlin would go so far as to kill herself to prevent this master from acquiring the Grail. If only she had learned, if only she could understand how to teach him. She had done many great things throughout her life, but the greatest of them all was not a great success but a great failure. It might already be too late, but she refused to have any part in this boy's descent. It did cross her mind that perhaps he was different, that he might be more willing to learn, but her own fear quickly quelled that thought.

[Bfroger6]

Orin

 

Not a moment's respite passed from when Orin laid eyes on the Servant standing before him that he took notice of the fingers wrapped around the blade at the man's waist. He instinctively took a step back and extended his arm towards him, Command Seals glistening on the back of his hand. "Nothing funny, ok?" He uttered, trying to sound intimidating. Meanwhile, he really wasn't sure how to react to the apparition. He knew this was going to happen and now that it has, it didn't make him feel any different.

 

It was after the Servant's words that he lowered his stance. "My name is Orin." He shook his head. "Sorry for what just happened..." He scratched the back of his head but didn't let his eyes sway from Debronee. His hands were bloodied and covered with dirt. He'd left his shades on the floor. For another couple moments, he just stood like that. Debronee was clearly not human, and not just in the Servant sense. That could mean there were more special elements he could make use of in this war. "You're an Assassin? That works. Not the best, but..." He shrugged. He wasn't the best either, so this was probably the only way it would've worked. "Do you know the city map?" He asked. He wasn't sure how much information the Servants were given upon summoning.

 

 

Lancer

 

The talk was dragging on and Klaren quickly lost attention. He picked his spear up and started picking under the nails on his hands with its tip, all while humming a melody. "Pretty much~ I bet it'd be really really cool if the War was actually a sports event, but haha, killing people works too~!" He leaned the lance back up on the wall. He stretched his arms, squatted a couple of times for good measure and walked over to her, pushing himself into her field of vision.

 

"What's a hangover? Who's Faust? You used pig's blood? You know pig's blood is fattening, right? I gotta check my line now! Do I look fate to you? Or swollen? It looks bad to me..." He unbuckled the ropes tied around his torso and raised his now unveiled robes to reveal his belly to her. He poked it a couple of times but didn't seem satisfied with the wiggly result. "Mmm...." He closed his eyes. "Why would you use pig's blood?" He said in a voice that sounded as if he was gonna start crying any moment now. "There are so many better animals to uuuuse..."

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

[Nadia and Saber]

 

"As do I Saber..." she said placing her hand on his chest, she slid it down to about his belly button, just staring as she did. But, she drew it back and looked him in the eyes "However, for now it's probably for the best you don't make your presence known. We'd not want them to see us together would we? Prying eyes might be filled with envy after all." she said, her emerald eyes seemingly glittering in the candlelight. "Until we learn more about our quarry... I'm sure you understand. Besides, you'll still be with me. There shall be times you may come out to play~"

[Twinwolf]

Erica - [Rider and Erica]

 

Erica's pretty quiet on the ride up - she's not the sort to scream at this kind of thing. Her friends have told her that she can be quite boring to go on roller coasters with because of it. Regardless, she remains remarkably calm as she's brought up to the ship.

 

Ciri - [Alexander/Ciri]

 

Ciri nods. "While I can make my Territory without being directly over a mana line, it is more intensive in mana and I have access to less myself - nevermind that being situated directly over such an intersection would make it easier for you to maintain me."

[Chevaleresse]

Archer & Merlin

 

"What do I want from the Grail? I want those stuffed shirts at the Clock Tower to admit that you don't need to have a ten-generation pedigree in order to be a good mage." He crossed his arms. "They wouldn't know good magecraft if it set them on fire. Besides, I might not even need a wish; if I can win this war, it'll prove that a mage with no pedigree at all can compete on a higher level than the bluebloods if he uses his head." Something about the way Merlin had asked the question clicked in his head. His irritated expression turned to a concerned frown. "Why do you ask?"

 

Saber & Nadia

 

"Very well then." The man started to fade into a glowing blue dust, starting at his toes and slowly moving upward. He reached out to caress Nadia's cheek gently, with the side of his finger. "Just let me know if you. . . need me." And with that, he was completely gone, his last words echoing slightly as he entered spirit form. This Grail War was going to be. . . interesting, to say the least.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

[Rider and Erica]

 

It didn't take too long to ascend however they were on the side of the ship and would have to climb up. Well, that would be if Ignacio had the patience for such a thing. He didn't. "Alroight, flying time~" He heaved her with all of his strength and flung her over the railing of the ship. One would think she'd end up crashing into the deck however, Ignacio had already planned ahead and standing in wait was a skeletal crew member with a load of cushioned material, more or less what looked like an old spring mattress. She landed on it bouncing up and down a few times. Ignacio himself swung his massive body around on the anchor chain wrung up just enough momentum to get himself up and over. He crash landed onto his face but he managed. He quickly stood up and dusted himself off.
 

"Weeelcome abroad the Iron Mango! Aye... ain't she a beaut? A sight for sore eyes... it warms the barnacles that arrrr slowly encrusting me 'eart."

 

[Nadia and Saber]

 

"Of course. We're in this together after all.~" Nadia said, she wasn't quite sure if Saber could hear her but she could definitely still feel his presence. So, she took it as much that he could. She gathered up her things, mostly just Blank. She was gong to go into the city at large now, perhaps get a better lay of the land, maybe relax some if other masters didn't notice her. It'd been awhile since she'd had time too, and perhaps she could get some in before the combat really started. It was most definitely an overzealous wish but... it never hurt to dream big. She wondered if there were any bathhouses in the city, especially ones with private rooms. She found heat helped her to heal her wounds faster... she wasn't highly skilled at healing magecrafts and heat seemed to her at the very least to at least help the process. Maybe just in her head. But, she needed the wound on her hand closed, she had to be able to swing Blank if needed. While she still could it would definitely effect her form.

And that was certainly no good when she had summoned a swordsman...

[Shamitako]

Kevin

 

"Well, I don't have a plan for which servant we find, so how we respond is pretty much how you say. We may try to fight someone stronger for a little bit, but we'll run eventually." Kevin explained, "I've got a friend with a knack for finding people. We're gonna ask her for help and see how it goes." If Shiori couldn't find any of the other servants then Kevin had to admit he was at a bit of a loss. He was pretty sure they could hole up with her for a while and keep looking, but that still ran the risk of someone finding them first. He didn't want to get caught flat-footed, especially not with an Archer as his servant.

 

Merlin

 

Merlin shook her head. As she feared, this boy was just too great a risk. Perhaps a better teacher could guide him on a successful path, but she was not the servant to do that. "You really are the same. And I was really looking forward to playing games and trying food, darn." She said as fireballs began to form around her, "But I've already made the mistake of giving in once, I'm sticking to my guns this time. I refuse to help you in trying to achieve such a foolish goal." The fireballs, already numbering in the dozens, began to converge on Merlin as even more formed around her and followed suit.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

[Nadia and Saber]

 

Nadia figured the most likely place she'd find what she was looking for would be the cultural section of the city. She'd not really been there before, it was a bit lively of an area for her. But, it that made it the best place to find such things. It was more or less the true heart of this place, at least the heart of the people that wished to share their small parts of the world with this community. She remembered that no leylines really converged within it's heart so it was rather unlikely for any of the other masters to currently be there. It simply wasn't located near any fonts of power. Even if one was going for her own method of hiding out of sight, t was too busy and lively an area for such. You couldn't lay low there.

However, it was the district above it that struck interest from a scouting perspective. To get to her desired goal, Nadia would have to pass through the Industrial District. If their were masters hiding nearby this would be the place... there was quite few overlaps in leylines, and it was decently remote due to t's sheer size compared to the rest of the districts. She could easily use this as an excuse to cover her tracks from Saber before it was too late for him to object to them.

And she did. She made like she was searching the place, though it wasn't hard since she truly was. She didn't want to be taken off-guard by a foe, but it seemed none were here. Nadia still felt her connection to Saber and she had received information about him when she summoned him prior... was there some sort of connection they had...? She tried to focus her thoughts through that connection. "Saber? I'm not entirely certain if you can hear me... however, it seems we have no quarry here. I don't sense any signs of obvious magecraft nor any leftovers from a summoning ritual. I will be moving onto the next sector. It is the cultural sector I believe. I doubt any masters would've summoned there seeing as it's too lively an area... but a look wouldn't hurt would it? Besides, there is something I require from there so I could kill two birds with one stone."

[Strider]

[Archer & Kevin]

Darien grunted in response. It seemed the boy had things pretty well planned out. Contacts were always good, though one always had to be prepared for the knife in the back that inevitably came from needing other people's help. “You got a wish for the grail, boy? You don't need to answer that, if you don't want. People are kinda private about those things sometimes. Anyway, back to that plan of yours. We gonna get a nest or something? A high perch to watch from? I'm all for searching the city for allies and enemies, but I'm gonna be best if I've got some visuals on the city. Gives me clear shots, and a bit of info on who's in and who's out of the war, and where people are hiding. Speaking of, how many are in this war? Do you know? I got a feeling this war is a little odd.”

 

[Alexander/Ciri]

Alexander nodded, and soon the car came to a stop in another long driveway leading up to a manor. Corwin stepped out, circled the car, and opened the doors for Alex and Caster. “Please go into spiritual form now. The Highlarks are a wealthy family, well-versed in many strange arts, but even they would be surprised by your appearance.”

 

When they had arrived inside, Alex was greeted by a well-built old man. His hair was entirely gray, but he seemed unnaturally fit for a man who seemed to be at least seventy. His hands were hidden in his pockets, but it was quite obvious that he had some form of defense ready to go at a moment's notice. “Is that you, Alex? It's been quite some time since you've paid me a visit! Sally has been asking about you. She's in bed now, of course, but it would please my granddaughter if you'd come over a bit more.” Alexander nodded, and smiled graciously. “I am sorry, sir. I do enjoy spending time with Sally. She's quite an intelligent girl. However, I've been...busy for the last few weeks."

The man, who seemed to be the Terrence Highlark that Alexander mentioned earlier, began to frown intently. “You're busy. I see. I suppose that's why you've come here tonight? For a favor? I must say, I'm a little disappointed, Alex. Well, I suppose we must discuss it. I'm not going to refuse it on principle, so come on in.” Terrence lead the way to the drawing room, where he gestured for Alex to take a seat, after which he followed suit.

“Thank you, sir, for your time. I'll be brief. I want to borrow your lab, on the leyline conjunction for a month. I need to do some research, in private.” Terrence stood up from his chair, and began to pace.

“That's quite the favor. You know how fast research progresses, right? Two weeks might be enough to put me behind my competitors. And what about my workers? I suppose I could pass it off as a vacation...There's still the problem of why I should give you a favor that might cost me...” He thought for a moment, counting on fingers, “...as much as six million? That's exorbitant, I'm sorry to say.”

Alexander's expression did not change. He had expected this. “Hmm, perhaps this is too much. You see, sir, I need a little time to get an edge over some competitors. You know what that is like, I'm certain. I will make some form of fiscal compensation to you. I can't offer you more than a million right now, though.” Alex himself stood up, and stepped over to the mantle, and picked up one of the pictures. “Jasper is looking well, I see. He was in Heidelberg last I remember? His studies were going well if I recall, top of the class, I think? You must be very proud of your son.” It was almost indiscernible, but Terrence Highlark's expression subtly changed, carrying just the tiny hint of fear in it. “I see. I'm glad to hear that Jasper is doing well, and I hope he continues to do so. On thinking about it, a million should be fine, but I can only give you the lab for a week or two. I'll get you set up to bypass the wards, and no one should bother you for two weeks. If you're done before then, please tell me so I can get back to work.”

Alexander reached out, and shook the man's hand. “Thank you, sir. It means a lot to me. And, if I discover something revolutionary, I'll be sure to give you some credit.” The slight tinge of fear slowly disappeared from the face of the old man, and he imitated Alexander's calm. “Thank you, Alex. I'll see you out. Oh, and be certain to come visit Sally soon, will you?” After the pleasantries had been observed, a few spells were cast on Alexander to prevent the alarms and traps in the lab from going off, and he was escorted out of the house.

When they had arrived back at the car, and the gentleman had departed, Alexander said, "You can appear now, Caster."

Edited June 22, 2017 by Strider

[Chevaleresse]

Archer & James

 

James's first reaction was stunned shock. I knew Servants threatening to kill their masters was a risk, but this. . .? It only took the impact of the first fireball to shake him out of his stupor. He held his left hand out toward Merlin. "By the authority of my Command Seal, I order you to stop right now!" The red tattoos flashed, sending a pulse of crimson light outward. A burning sensation on his hand announced the disappearance of one of the Seals; the right portion of the stylized lunar design had faded away, leaving a crescent moon in place of the full one.

 

Saber & Nadia

 

"Sounds good to me. Just be careful. You know as well as I do that good mages can cover their tracks if they want to." Masaru's response was almost immediate. "If you wanted to cover more ground, I could explore the rest of the city independently. I'm a mage too, you know, if a rather unconventional one by this era's standards. It wouldn't be too hard for me to search out other Servants with the way I am now."

[Noir]

Orin and Debronee

 

Debronee resisted the urge to flinch at his Master's presumptions of his own inadequacy, but hit his tongue before the thoughts of contempt towards his admittedly out-of-shape master began to fester. “Sad to say, no.” Debronee replied, truthfully. While he had a grasp of directionality and could pinpoint the directions of other Masters, he did not have the intelligence to cook up a sort of mental map or any sort, nor was he fully familiar with the information of the War’s battleground the first instance he appeared here. “That I do apologize.”

 

The tall man then cut to the chase after exchanging the awkward pleasantries, “Well, then, Master, your orders?”

 

Eleonore and the Twins

 

Eleonore composed herself again, befuddled and slightly intimidated by the twins’ quarrel. Regardless, she calmed herself as they gave her their names. “Very well – Jacques, and Nic – do apologize for the especial name, as it is how it would be pronounced in my native tongue, which is French…” She addressed Jack, knowing that she was only accustomed to pronouncing the name in her own mother tongue. “And I’m sorry for…what I said earlier,” Her tone turned sheepish, seemingly embarrassed at her not-so-great start for sparkling conversation.

 

“It is relieving to hear you fight more than kill, if only for my sake..." Her thoughts began to drift off, though she quickly returned to their final question at hand, "I think I've known you two well enough thus far, and I hope to work well with the both of you. To introduce my capabilities, please do consult me when either of your are injured, as I-" As she paused her sentence mid-way, she extended a hand which then glowed a luminescent blue, exuding what was mana, mana that contained a warmth meant to aid and heal, "have the power to heal injuries better than most. If we're going to work together, I think we should have some organized rules and strategies...we shall embark on our journey as soon as this is finished but, erm...I know this sounds strange, but can the two of you promise me to never act violently out of any accord until I deem it appropriate? I am sorry to be a rather soft Master...but as much as I have resolve in this war, taking lives...hurting others..the whole thing still takes time to settle in, and I hope that it can fade bit by bit as we progress, but not in a too..rushed way..." The means for summoning the two of them disgusted the kind-hearted girl enough; she knew she needed to be strong, however, but would ask that her Servants strengthen her with her, as well. 

Edited June 22, 2017 by Noir

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

[Nadia and Saber]

"I'd prefer if you stay with me right now... I'll be honest, I need you to keep watch for me." Nadia seemed rather concerned, her thoughts a little panicked. If it had been a conversation Saber would've never noticed t, but due to it being over the telepathic link he'd feel a slight wavering in her smeeingly stalwart outward appearance pass over the connection. Nadia wasn't sure if she should tell him but, trust was important in this. They were more or less one now. "What I'm doing requires me to lose focus. Which may not make a lot of sense but I'll try to explain." Nadia took a deep sigh to gather herself. "I miscalculated the ritual earlier. I didn't have enough blood to seal the circle. I had to improvise... it was short notice so I just... used my own. Normally, this not be an issue for a mage. A small wound, nothng that'd preventor hinder the use of magecraft. But, I'm not an ordinary mage. I will not be able to wield my sword properly if I don't heal this wound. However my magic is ill-suited for this purpose. It's better at making wounds worse than it is better." She trailed off for a moment seemingly piecing together her thoughts.

"I need a quiet or relaxed place where I can focus on restoring myself to peak condition. Preferably somewhere warm, but.... that's not important. What is important is I need you to stay with me right now. I know where I'm headed, and I am capable of fixing this wound but... I need time to do so." 

[Bfroger6]

Orin

 

Orin frowned. He was getting a weird feeling from his Servant, like getting measured up, so he pulled his pants higher and assumed a stout posture with his arms crossed. "Then I know the city, you know the other Masters." He said, pulling a map stuck in the back of his pants. "We can go up to the roof and you'll show me where you feel the Masters are. Then I'll mark it." He began walking out of the basement, making sure to kick the bloodied bottle away into the debris scattered all over the place.