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Fate/Lunaterra ~ RP Thread

Discussion in 'Freeform Roleplays' started by Shadow, May 9, 2017.

  1. Lancer raised an eyebrow at first, but his look transformed into one of understanding as Valerie came up to him and offered him a necklace. Already, he could tell with a glance that there was power within it, most likely soaked within the structure of the gem in the form of Mana waiting to take the form of a magiological effect. He reflected her grin, carefully accepting the item out of her hands, and clutching it in his right hand. He briefly considered probing into the spell system embedded in its very structure, but decided that he could do so later, probably while he was out and scouting.

    "Don't worry." Lancer said, chuckling slightly, "What kind of Servant would I be, leaving my Master as soon as the War begins? I'll consider this to be a good luck token, at most."

    Still, he dutifully made the display of tucking it neatly and nicely in one the frontal pockets of his jacket—his left pocket, to be stored near his heart. If anything, that action made it clear enough that Lancer took Valerie's precautions seriously. "I'll do my best." he said, and with that ending note, he turned around and began walking away, towards the door.

    It was in this moment, with a clear view and good illumination, that one could observe the strangeness of Lancer's cloak: the wavering was not an illusion or trick, but was in fact the cloak itself seemingly flowing into adjacent space to occupy it, as if it was some kind of immaterial liquid that somehow maintained a consistent form. Although it definitely had a physical presence in the way that it was worn by Lancer, nothing suggested that the cloak was actually made of something tangible... or even composed of ordinary matter. Was this his Noble Phantasm?

    Lancer stopped by the doorframe, a motion that suggested that he had in fact something else to say, or do. Or both. "Ah... I almost forgot. You gave me this necklace," he told her, tapping his breast pocket for emphasis, "so I'll give you something in return."

    Having said this, Lancer reached into his cloak, his hand practically disappearing within the black material, and making it quite apparent that it did not conform to the laws of space as they were commonly seen. Within seconds, he retrieved a small object—the distance plus size making it difficult to discern what it was in Lancer's hand—and, with a smooth motion, he threw it in an arc for Valerie to catch.

    "Somewhat of a Noble Phantasm that doesn't belong to me, I suppose." he explained, his expression fairly unreadable, "It was given to me long ago by..." he trailed off, shaking his head, and quickly resuming, "Well, it's something I have no use for anymore. I was intending to give it to my Master from the beginning... so, it belongs to you now." Lancer concluded with a small smile.

    It was an innocuous, ordinary-looking red pouch.

    "I'd explain what it is," Lancer said, turning back to face the doorway, "but it's fairly straightforward, really. I'm sure you'll figure it out in no time, Master."

    With that and a small wave, Lancer stepped out of view.
     
  2. Valerie swiftly reacts in catching a small red pouch thrown from Lancer's position from the doorway- a reaction quite beyond typical reaction time. Although aware to Valerie that this was a throw any ordinary person wouldn't have reacted to properly, she simply shrugged it off. Considering it was a pouch, it wouldn't have hurt anyway to have been struck with it. She nodded to Lancer's last words, replying with a quick "thank you," before turning to her bed and sitting down on the side.

    There, Valerie shifted the pouch from hand to hand. It felt virtually weightless despite feeling as if something was contained inside it. Curious, she held it upright and reached for the gold lacing. Then, she stopped suddenly as a thought came to mind. She needed to make a call first. Placing the pouch on the bed, she got up quickly and walked to the computer where she had carelessly left her cell phone. It was a small, thin device that looked incredibly fragile, and yet Valerie picked it up and handled it like it was nothing. Dialing in a private set of numbers, the neutral dial tone rang for a few seconds.

    That was, until the other end picked up.

    "Hey," she said over the phone, hardly able to contain a smile, "I'm in. My servant is en route to meet the other servants. Looks like I'm in the race."

    ----------------

    Caedes sighed as he completed his walk around the house's perimeter. He had already found plenty of glyphs about the property, whether on the bordering stone and iron fencing making the border of the property or on almost all of the trees that dotted the field within. Luckily he only went only a total of 30 meters from the house, where he placed, in decent spaces apart, rune stones he had taken from a box left for him in his room by Valerie herself.

    Ever since he had been staying with her a year or two ago, his perspective - and really his life - really flipped. Nothing was the same anymore. Now instead of looking to the prospect of research and progression in techology as many of the Knights dream of, he was now looking at markings on stones that made magical things happen. Instead of learning science by his brothers, he was placing rocks as a border around a house. What a twist of fate.

    That being said, Caedes felt a little grateful at the end of the day. Life at home just wasn't going to be the same anymore; in fact, it's what forced him out in the first place to stay with Valerie. Ever since that incident years ago, things just haven't been the same, he thought, And I don't know if they were will. Once Alex and I knew Brian was gone, it was like the glue in the family disappeared and the pieces fell. I still don't get why he pushed me away like he did.... I still think it was grieving, but it just doesn't seem right, or even fair....

    Caedes shook his head. A night of reflection wasn't what he needed right now. Even though the remarkable events were overwhelming already, it seemed like it only excited his mind to think more. Given time to think with no distractions, Caedes only expected his mind to wander back to the biggest prevailing problem facing him.

    Approaching the doors back into the home, Caedes pulled the massive door open and walked forward-- only to walk right into another person. With a reactionary "oof" Caedes fumbled back a few steps to stabilize himself. Right in front of him was the servant that Valerie had just summoned. Scratching his head, he gave off a light chuckle.

    "S-Sorry there," Caedes apologized, "I didn't realize you were heading somewhere so late. You getting her groceries or something?"
     
  3. Oh perfect, he's already been at work. What a charming little ruffian. "Alright, I'll trust to your confidence." She added with a smile. She supposed he wasn't so bad... of course she had to constantly remind herself that he probably killed his master. She followed after him, strangely comfortable in his presence. She felt protected, like she had a guard dog- er, dragon. Still strange. She made a mental note to learn everything she could on dragons in the future.

    "Also, if it helps, we have a slight early advantage in addition to your foreknowledge. New contracts usually come with the ebb and flow of new mana flows from master and servant. But in the event of urgent need, I was able to harness a portion of the ritual's power. It was really quite impressive how much power the grail had, I was completely caught off guard. I tried redirecting the power through concentration rods of my own design and harness it into... um..." She realized she was probably talking more than she needed to, a common fault of hers. Get her going on aether theory and dimensional shenanigans and there's no turning her off. "Ah, sorry. What I mean to say is if you need extra, raw mana, it's stored in my gauntlets. Either inform me or just press the red button should I be incapacitated."

    ---
    The ritual responded with a warm, orange, aetheric lighting, like a newborn flame rising to life. The mana-flame began in the center of the ritual circle and gradually, lazily, grew larger and brighter. It gave off a sensation of warmth and calm. The ritual took much longer than was likely usual, the lazy mana-flame grew at its own pace, ignoring any possible prodding from external sources. It simply grew. In time, it finally enveloped the entirety of the ritual circle. Its flames danced about as if it were alive, and now at its seeming full strength, began shift throughout the color spectrum. It was almost as if it were showing off, like it wanted to be recognized for its beauty.

    And without warning, the flame dispersed.

    What remained was an almost eight-foot humanoid that could only be best described as a Demon, without many of the Terran staples such as horns or a tail. He was more of a dark bronze, hide-skinned, broad-bat-winged man with some kind of feline-lizard form of eyes that shimmered like the mana-fire they came from, before its colorful dance. Those eyes radiated that same warmth and calm as the flames, in addition to a glimmer of depth and knowledge. The Demon stood with no more clothes than a pair of well-kept, plain black shorts. His hair was shaggy and black, but not disorderly. He bore no weapons.

    The Demon regarded his summoner with those amber-flame eyes. Then, he bent down and one-by-one collected each of the artificial candles. He rose, wrapping the candles into one of his massive fists and ground them into so much cheap dust.

    "This ritual is bland." His voice was like the rumble of thunder, yet calm at the same time. He spoke with no sign of distaste or ill-will. Just a statement of fact. "How interesting you were able to summon me with it." Again he regarded his summoner with patient eyes. "I am Saber. Do you accept me as your Servant?"
     
  4. "The police? Ha! I've had many a run-in with that group of incompetent buffoons." Berserker replied, laughing for a solid fifteen seconds straight before finishing the thought, "Turns out no matter where you are, they don't take kindly to rioting. To this day, though, none of them have managed to stop me from doing it." She placed her fingers on her chin in the classic thinking emoji fashion, and tilted her head slightly to the left. "I suppose they learned not to mess with me after I smashed a few dozen of them with my hammer in one motion, though." she said, and with a raise of her cybernetic arm and a sound eerily familiar to that of glass shattering as a similarly cybernetic-looking hammer with the very same Mana channels present in her arm--as well as a set of rocket boosters in the non-business end--just seemed to pop into existence and land in her palm, "Specifically, this hammer. It has a name, but that's not important for now." She lowered the hammer to her side before releasing it again, causing it to disappear without much fanfare, "It's mostly a formality at this point, but I figured it'd be best to ask if you accept me as your Servant."
     
  5. Llerse's eyes widened, and his mouth slightly opened at the mention that Assassin could be summoned as Caster. He didn't consider the possibility of something like this. He wasn't sure something like this was even possible. But the fact that his Servant- this Assassin- could be summoned as the class he sought... Did the Grail take his goal into account when he was summoning? It was also too good to be true.

    However, despite this, he didn't let this overwhelm his mindset. As quickly as he processed this, Llerse recomposed himself as Assassin continued. He was aware of what he was dealing with. As he finished, Llerse spoke. His grin returning.

    "Yeah well, the fact that you seem to be intentionally waiting to discuss your terms until we forge the contract is a bit suspicious," Llerse spoke. "Even if you're telling me I can override with my Command Spells, I'd rather not have to resort to that. And at the same time, I can't help but feel like you're trying to screw me over." He paused. "I can sense the malintent off of you." He then glanced around, eying each of the statues. "Not that I'm a saint by comparison," he continued, chuckling.

    "Still, I can't be too careful around businessmen. Especially on a planet full of the shady sort. And you're no exception." He paused. "I am your Master, aren't I? If you have terms, I should be allowed to know of them upfront and voice my opinions on them before we get too deep into this." He glanced at a clock on the wall, observing the time displayed. "We've still got time. So... how about it?"

    ----------------------------------------------------------​

    Caster momentarily looked back at the platform, watching as several men in hazmat suits entered the room to clean it following the summoning process. She especially took notice of the bodies that were lying on the floor. Hmm... She turned away from the scene and began to follow after Malden. What an unfortunate waste of minions... Wouldn't you agree? She paused. ...? As she followed Malden down the hall, she sensed that something was missing. No. Someone was missing. Or was it something? Really, who knew considering her.

    And then it hit her why she was feeling this. Someone was missing from the equation. But at the same time, she could feel that she was still in the process of being summoned forth. How slow as per usual... I guess she'll come soon, but... She was preoccupied that initially, she didn't realize Malden had addressed her. Even with a quick glance, it was obvious she was lost in her thoughts. It took a few seconds for her to catch up to it. "Oh um, did you say something?" She paused. "... Yes, I suppose that would be fine..." Even with that, she still seemed to be preoccupied.
     
    #45 Lord X-Giga-X, May 14, 2017 at 8:56 PM
    Last edited: May 15, 2017
  6. Rider nods as they exit the church. "Understood. I'll keep that in mind- it might be useful once you see my Noble Phantasm." He pauses. "Not now, though, I think. You'll see it soon enough, but it's not the kind of thing one uses in the middle of a city of a society that doesn't understand magic. No offense." He glances at Kalonia with this last part, before slowing briefly to let her walk with him rather than ehind him.

    "Also, I'll assume that "trusting to my confidence" means that you're willing to let me find where the other Masters are." A dry grin. Rider looks quite pleased with himself, or perhaps simply confident, as he continues. "While as Rider I might not be quite as good at this as Caster or Assassin, in life I was quite the tracker. Prey can't hide from the predator forever." He looks ahead, at the city before the church. The boy's head tilts slightly, and he is silent for a moment as he considers the options before him.

    "We need to consider that some Masters and Servants will be roaming the city, doing what we are about to do," he says suddenly, now giving Kalonia a serious look. It is not an unfriendly one, but it is firm. "I need to know you're ready for there to be a fight if we happen across them."

    ----------

    Lucas finishes scratching out his summoning array before he answers Berserker's question, ignoring her tirade. "Of course I accept you as my Servant." He raises his free hand, showing the back of it to Berserker- a red tattoo-like pattern adorns it. It superficially resembles a stylized bear claw of sorts, that twists in on itself into a sort of vortex. The mage lowers his hand, looking around to make sure he is not missing anything, then nods.

    "I want to find a base of operations to plan from." He speaks this sentiment simply. "A standard house isn't a good place to keep a Berserker. However, I think we can afford to be a little reckless this first night-" he looks at her as he continues- "the other Masters don't know each other, they will be too busy scouting each other out or resting up for the night, and I believe they will be hesitant to attack a Berserker."

    ----------

    Assassin gives another bow. "Of course, Master." If he is annoyed or impatient, he does not show it. "You are an intelligent man, to wish to- shall we say, read the contract before you sign it." His voice drips with confidence and he gives Llerse a smirk. "I see now why the Grail thought to partner us. I assure you that I have no intention of harming you, as that would harm my own chances at the Grail, but your suspicion is well-founded. After all, who trusts an Assassin?" He chuckles.

    But onto business. Assassin withdraws his hand to clasp it in his other again, causing the red snake to hiss loudly in irritation. The man almost unconsciously soothes the irate serpent with a low sound of his own, a sort of cross between a hiss and a "shh". The snake flicks her tongue out almost petulantly- can a snake pout?- as Assassin turns his attention back to Llerse.

    "The primary term I wish to establish is the usage of Command Spells." He seems to anticipate skepticism and so grins as he continues. "It's nothing extreme, I promise you, Master. I simply wish to ensure that your Command Spells are used when needed, rather than for frivolous or in-the-moment reasons. You wouldn't believe how many wars are lost because the Master used his Command Spells up for less than necessary reasons." He pauses to let Llerse process this, then continues. "My first term of our contract is this: Command Spells are to be used in dire situations, such as one of our lives being threatened. If I do or do not attack something, it is for a reason. I vow to never attack you- of course not. But should you need me to be at your side instantly, I would that the Command Spell be used for that rather than to force me to stop attacking another Servant."

    He finishes speaking, and seems to be waiting for Llerse's input before he gives his next condition.
     
  7. By the time Saber looked upon his master, she had already reverted into a human form. Best not to give her servant too many questions to ask, she had originally thought. What a pointless thing to think, it turned out. Distra had been given the impression that the servants would be humans, what with all the lectures about not letting civilians know the true races of her or her teammates. She tried to mask her surprise as her servant spoke.

    "This ritual is bland."
    “How interesting you were able to summon me with it.”


    Distra smiled. Despite his demonic appearance something seemed comforting about her servant, like a the warmth of a bonfire that was frighteningly large. “Hah! You must be a boring servant then.” She said in a playful sarcastic tone. It was clear enough that this was not the case. As the residual light from the fiery ritual faded, Distra opened the door to the room again, basking them both with a stale florescent light. “Actually, I agree. Let’s get out of here.”

    Distra continued talking as she walked out into the hall. “I accept you as my partner in this ‘Holy Grail War’ if you will extend the same to me, heroic swordsman.” She turned around, gesturing to Saber to follow her. “But walk and talk with me, I want you to meet my other ‘servants.’” With that last sarcastic remark, Distra disappeared out the doorframe, silently hoping it wasn’t too small for her servant to comfortably follow.
     
  8. "You getting her groceries or something?"

    Lancer had blinked as Caedes had stumbled into him, stopping to give him a few seconds to recover. Upon hearing this, however, the Servant could not help but let out a short laugh in immediate response. "Yeah," he replied nonchalantly, but with a light smirk in his expression, "If "groceries" means fighting Servant after Servant until morning."

    He was exaggerating, of course. His own course of action was decidedly much less reckless than that (probably), although it still involved engaging as many unknown Servants as possible in combat. Lancer let the boy process this as he stepped forward—outside the house, now—and slightly around him. He did not seem to be immediately leaving, though, as he stopped a few meters in front of the house to look around and examine his surroundings... either out of the same inherent curiosity he had displayed for the house, or because this was part of his new, practically self-imposed task.

    All that was visible, though, or at least all he could identify in this albeit limited vantage point, were a plethora of trees scattered around the property, and he could vaguely discern some of its physical boundaries in the form of stone borders and iron fences. Less tangibly, he could also identify the presence of not only one, but three well-maintained Bounded Fields just as Valerie had said, to such extent that he felt he could touch the Magic by extending his hand. No, he corrected himself, not even most Servants would be able to sense it this well, if at all. I've been analyzing it almost subconsciously.

    "Caedes, right?" Lancer suddenly asked, glancing at the blonde-haired boy. His question was phrased as if he wanted to confirm his name, but he gave the impression that he already knew. The Servant probably had caught his name in passing, back in the basement. "You were replenishing the wards just now... I think I had at least a little right in calling you an assistant back then." he said jokingly, but in a friendly way.

    -----~---~---~-----

    He had to admit he was getting a little worried about the lack of a call.

    Evan Fellsword patiently tapped his foot on the pavement. A sleek black sedan, supplied by crazEcorp, was parked behind him, facing the road. The drive towards his destination had been quite uneventful: there was considerably little traffic in the city for this hour, and even the street he was on, flanked by towering buildings, could effectively be considered deserted. It was not the first time he had seen this phenomenon before, but it still puzzled and somewhat awed him how such an effect could be generated in this sort of subtle, but overwhelming magnitude.

    A wave of nostalgia overtook him for a second. It was a déjà vu, almost, as he recalled Brian's explanation of the phenomenon from back then: a type of ward, or vaguely-delimited Bounded Field, blanketing the city in a cocktail of subconscious effects and memetic agents designed to aid maintain the secrecy of the Holy Grail War. Although the Thaumaturgic Church had neither confirmed or denied it, it was practically common knowledge that this subtle psychological effect—the Veil—was actively maintained by them for every iteration of the War, greatly increasing the likelihood of the bloodshed going unnoticed and of civilians remaining out of the equation.

    Some of the more skeptic magi, however, held the theory that they were primarily borrowing the Grail's power to attain this function, much like Masters borrowed their Command Spells and even their Servants from it.

    Still, it unnerved him, somewhat. It was as if the city felt less real now that the Veil was coming into being, or that he and all involved parties were being submerged into an alternate, empty reflection of Calescen. It was at times like this that Evan wondered how exactly the Veil distinguished between uninvolved civilians, magi associated with the War, and the Masters themselves. He was certainly no Master in this Holy Grail War, but—

    The flat and professional ringtone of his work phone practically startled him out of his thoughts. Retrieving his work phone from his right pocket, the crazEcorp agent grinned, quickly accepting the call and bringing the device to his ear.

    Evan appeared to be in his early twenties, with tousled, light blonde hair that only became more apparent under the light of the streetlamps, and green eyes that gave the impression that they were the color of emeralds: not completely saturated with the color, but rather subdued by several shades while nonetheless remaining vivid. He was dressed professionally, with a black agent's suit that doubled as an overcoat, a white dress shirt beneath that, and black trousers. On his hands were white gloves, and a dull cerulean tie hung from the neck of his shirt.

    "Hah! Knew you could do it, kiddo." he replied with probably more enthusiasm that Valerie had let on. "So, who was it? Did you end up summoning Saber like you wanted? I swear, I was almost going to drive back to see what was up."

    -----~---~---~-----

    The overseer watched as Kalonia and Rider stepped away and eventually exited the chapel in unison. He allowed himself to sigh, as he briefly considered all manners that this unexpected sequence of events could have made this much, much problematic for him. If Rider had chosen appear even slightly latter, then the Contract would have certainly not been fulfilled before the beginning of the Holy Grail War.

    He asked, then, why the Grail chose Kalonia in this exact manner. The fact she had been selected much prior to the beginning of the War was a nonissue: the Grail was known to preemptively select various candidates in what numerous circles of magi (including the Church itself) called an explicit selection. The exact criteria and requirements were still widely debated, though Crux believed that it might as well be impossible to decipher the Grail's will. He even distinctly recalled the fact that one of the Masters in this War had received her mark an unprecedented three years ago.

    So, why, then, did the Grail allow the faux-summon to occur? Why did the Grail operate under the presumption that an eight Master was necessary, and allowed them to establish a semblance of a Contract with Rider? Nothing in the history of the Holy Grail War, even within the Thaumaturgic Church's extensive archives, indicated that the Grail could predict the future. It simply existed, like some force of nature that sought its own manifestation. This irregularity, on top of several others, had been what led the Church to send him here, to Calescen. He may have been the Overseer in an official capacity, but he was also an envoy officially sent to investigate the irregularity of the Grail.

    Now that the Holy Grail War had began, though, he was on a time limit.

    I must find the anomaly, Crux thought, as he retreated into the depths of the church.
     
    #48 Shadow, May 15, 2017 at 3:01 AM
    Last edited: May 15, 2017
  9. Azar was taken aback by Archer's introduction done in Genitian. He wasn't in any position to judge Archer's accent, as his wasn't perfect to say the least. His parents spoke quick and with such powerful, confident tones and pronunciations. Azar almost sounded causal, smooth, when he opened his mouth to reply, but hung on to his words silently once he observed Archer more closely.

    /Primitive weaponry. A Class-9 Handgun and a peacekeeper.....those../


    "Standard military items." Azar blurts out, pointing to the handgun. "Class-9 High Performance Handgun, most commonly known as the jewel of the 9th Dagger Brigade." He draws his finger to point at the other gun. "And that is a Rebel Peacekeeper, assigned to what were the Bounty Hunters of Kiyon." Then to Archer's left arm. "Union Arm Band belonging to-- mmmm...was it the Western Serpent Alliance or the Eastern Regal Pact....?"

    A hum resonates in his throat while he identifies more telltale signs about Archer that gave weight to his comment about kinship. "Never thought I would meet someone from the origin world. So I take it that we were meant to work together, servant." Azar gives a civil smile. "I am Azar Lacroix."


    ---------------------------------
    *9th Dagger Brigade is a major military formation composing of 4 battalions. They were well regarded as the most tactical and efficient at their duties. It is here that the Zhennka Shi Unit started off in (Originally as a Fireteam, then expanded to a Battalion.) The name comes from a Kirenyun folktale named "The Dagger Cutting the End of the World."

    *Class-9 High Performance Handguns are modified handguns built with a heavier damage output, descending from the Class-8 Handguns standard to the Rosean Empire Army.

    *The Bounty Hunters of Kiyon were famous for eliminating military targets. They were known to carry around playing cards with photos of their targets glued onto one side. They also would carry mementos of their fallen targets as proof for their payment.
     
  10. Caedes scoffed. "Whatever," he waved nonchalantly, "I'm not even into this mage stuff."

    That being said, he let Lancer pass him in order for both to go to their intended destinations. As Caedes was going to enter, Lancer turned and made quite a comment.

    "You were replenishing the wards just now... I think I had at least a little right in calling you an assistant back then."

    Caedes scowled at Lancer. "It's called family service!" And with that, Caedes walked in and shut the door, albeit a little harder than necessary.

    Master's assistant... he thought as he walked his way to the staircase leading upstairs. It's just kindness for my cousin. Bah, he doesn't understand!

    Upstairs, Valerie heard the door shut quite audibly. Still, she continued the call. "Well," she started, "I actually got Lancer. Not that that's a disappointment. He should be very useful in taking care of other servants. This does turn out to be a plus for me... In fact, he's already headed out tonight to contend with the other servants."

    Then, there was a pause. "You should be careful out there, Evan," Valerie spoke with a hint of concern in her voice.

    ----------------

    Malden's smirk diminished only slightly to Caster's distracted state. As they entered the elevator that would take them to the surface, he waited until the doors closed to readjust his gloves. The elevator picked up speed very quickly. They were at least taking 10 floors a second, making it to the base floor within only a few seconds. The elevator slowed progressively before the doors opened, revealing an elegant and expansive lobby. The scheme was that of silver, blue and black. The tiling of the floor was made of exquisite rock, perhaps finely-cut marble. The walls were nothing more than massive windows that spanned the building's diameter, interrupted occasionally by massive foundation frame pillars to the structure.

    James Malden proceeded down the steps that came from the elevator to the floor of the level. The front desk is unmanned; unusual for one of crazEcorp's busiest buildings. In fact, the building itself felt unusually empty.

    "I hope you're not distracted, Caster," Malden spoke, taking audible prominence over the clack of his suede shoes over stone tiling. "I need your mind for this war. In fact, I'll need all of your services."

    Slowing his pace enough that they weren't quite reaching the main doors leading to the outside, Malden stared over at the dark, green-haired woman with interest, but also a depth of intensity.

    "What is your phantasm, Caster?"
     
  11. Archer smirked as his master, Azar, grew more passionate about the weapons at Archer's side. It seemed that military history may have been some kind of hobby for Azar. As Azar finished his own introduction, Archer drew the handgun, nearly caressing it, even.

    "9b, actually." he corrected, for the time seeming to ignore his master's introduction, "The manufacture of the barrel was tightened, making the gun even more precise than it already was, and a stronger material was developed for the frame, giving it greater durability as well." Archer pointed to each part as he spoke about it, he himself becoming passionate, if only perhaps following on his master's cue. "The gun has served me well, but part of me prefers Shèng." he pulled out the revolver at this point, a sign that Shèng was the name he gave the gun. "Also," he continued, "It is the Western Regal Pact. More specifically, I was part of the Zhenka Shi Unit."

    Archer then gave a small, awkward pause. "Excuse me, sir, perhaps I am overstepping my bounds," it was at this point that Archer knelt down before Azar, "I offer fealty to you, Azar Lacroix," he said with a sudden deference that contrasted with the "conversation" previous. "I may not be quite as powerful as other Servants, but I feel I have the wits and flexibility to guide us to victory."
     
  12. "Of course." She responded, perhaps a little too quickly. Kal had been training in simulations for years, more than aware the Grail may select her. But those were only simulations. She even had a dedicated projection room where mana phantasms were projected into form, their combat abilities directly replicated from knowledge gleamed from the world's finest martial artists and weapon masters. But those were only simulations. In this last year she had modified the projectors to also release semi-random magical projections to simulate flames, ranged slashes and other magical abilities. But those were only simulations. As the reality of the Holy Grail War sunk into her mind, the less sure she gradually became. Even in the simulations there were many times where her opponent struck her down. But thankfully those were only simulations.

    "I've been training most of my life for this war. And while I may have tried to bypass it today in order to claim the grail without bloodshed, that doesn't mean I'm not fixated on my goal. This is life or death, and I'm prepared to live." She was fairly familiar with the area already, but she trusted to Rider's direction as he seemed confident in his tracking abilities. "I'd wager Assassin and Archer are already on the prowl. The one to take the element of surprise and the other to do exactly as we are."

    ---​

    Saber seemed entirely unperturbed by his Master's sarcasm and haste. He simply nodded and followed. That is, as best he could. He had to completely fold his wings, duck down and turn a little sideways to fit through the doorway. "This world is too small." He stated plainly as he scrunched through the door to follow. He found his master intriguing, as other races are often caught off-guard at the sight of one such as he, even thrown into fear. He casually crossed his arms, each covered in its own, seemingly luminescent tattoo. His right arm had the feel of cracked magma as its orange markings were sharp and straight, whereas the left arm held spirals and intricate patterns of a silvery blue. "From what I understand of this 'Terra' my appearance is likely to give me away as a Servant. Is this a concern for you, Master?"
     
  13. Llerse's grin vanished again as his face displayed a serious look, prepared to listen to Assassin's terms. It slightly reassured him that he knew where he was coming from. Still, he couldn't be too careful, even now. Almost expectedly, he raised an eyebrow when Assassin's first term involved the usage of Command Spells. But listening to him, it definitely wasn't as bad as he was expecting. In fact, it was definitely a reasonable term.

    "Hmm... Fair enough," Llerse responded as soon as Assassin had finished. "Even I can understand how truly precious these Command Spells are. Especially if I've only been given three of them right off the bat." He paused. "Those are pretty much the only reasons I would want to use them on. Anything less of a priority than that would be an absolute waste of them."

    ----------------------------------------------------------

    In response to Malden's first statement, the eye on the back of Caster's hand gave the man a somewhat impatient glance. Caster returned the glance, seemingly telling it to ignore him. Even though she was slightly inclined to agree with it. Malden spoke of how he needed all of her services. So it would be concerning if all of her services weren't present at this time.

    Then Malden requested of her knowledge of her Phantasm. Caster chuckled for a moment. "My Phantasm?" she answered rather shrewdly, raising her right hand to meet her chin. "Hmm... can't say I've heard of one of those..." She seemed to be mulling it over for a moment, as if trying to figure out what he was talking about. Of course, she was feigning it. The eye on her hand continued its glance. Eventually, she shrugged, revealing a visible chunk of her right arm. At least in her Master's eyes, her arm seemed to be covered in a black, semi-transparent crystalline structure. "Nope, I have no idea what you're talking about," she continued, her tone unchanging. In reality however, she was hoping at this point that Malden had caught on to her act.
     
  14. Lancer watched Caedes' rather hasty exit with a raised eyebrow, then shrugged, and focused on the task at hand.

    The property itself was actually quite larger than he had initially expected, and he had to resort to using his Noble Phantasm to shorten the distance in a timely manner. A neat and tidy gravel road patched the ground, extending from the porch and delineating a path towards what he assumed was the main entrance: a large, ornate iron gate concatenated into the same iron fencing that he had discerned moments prior. The more he approached the perimeter, the more the density of the trees and shrubbery scattering the area increased, creating the illusion or at least establishing the impression that Valerie's house was in the middle of a clearing in an otherwise unassuming forest.

    Although he observed what looked like an illuminated, circular roundabout that connected to the main gate, he choose to deviate from the gravel path and instead approached the fencing itself. It was indeed an iron fence, painted black, fashioned with wrought iron and pickets that fittingly resembled blades near the top. It towered at least half a meter above him, but an invisible impulse from below allowed Lancer to jump over and behind it, landing smoothly on the other side.

    From there, Lancer aligned himself with what appeared to be the main road, prominent and of ample size. While he did not exactly have time to thoroughly investigate the area, it gave him the distinct impression that it was somehow detached of metropolitan civilization, and existed in its own rural form. Although he came across a number of gated properties as he traveled, he could count the number of times a house or mansion could be visible from the road with a single hand, due to the wilderness surrounding it. It was a location that spoke more of nature than of the progressive advances of mankind.

    Then, Lancer understood. The asphalt road curved to the side, and before he knew it, the scenery had transformed into that of a coastline, with the road running somewhat parallel to the visible shore. But rather than appreciating the minute details of the beach, his focus was almost entirely on the horizon: beyond this brief expanse of sea, the lights of Calescen illuminated the near distance. An island, huh... the Servant thought, his gaze following the contour of the road and settling on a single, prominent structure that stretched over the water, not too far from where he was standing. It was a large, concrete bridge, elegant and streamlined in design, presumably lined with light posts and similar electrical sources as it was clearly visible even in the dead of the night.

    He found that quite amusing. The only physical connection between this sanctuary and the mainland—the proper city—was the bridge, and now, as a Servant, he was unofficially its gatekeeper. But not tonight.

    After all, he could get there with a jump.

    It took Lancer only a split second after that decision for him to make a single command to his Noble Phantasm, which caused him to practically catapult towards the air at an angle. He was careful not to attempt this on the road itself: the sheer strength and pressure of the initial impulse would have cracked and broken the asphalt instantaneously, and he had to be careful in not leaving any evidence that a Servant existed in this coastal island. Instead, a medium-sized cloud of sand particulates briefly erupted from his initial position before settling down, as Lancer crossed the distance to the approximate middle of the bridge in a matter of seconds.

    With the superhuman speed he had propelled himself at, one would have thought that his landing would be particularly destructive, but Lancer managed to inexplicably and significantly slow down only mere meters away from making contact, as if his acceleration had been counteracted or cushioned by an unseen force, and he touched ground as smoothly and fluidly as if he had only descended several feet in height.

    "Well, then." he exhaled, smirking to himself. The bridge was appropriately deserted, with no cars or pedestrians to be seen in either direction. Even the private toll gate at the island's end appeared to be unmanned and closed, although this probably could be attributed to the time. Exactly twelve o' clock. The Servant turned around and faced the city. "Let's find out what the competition is like."

    I'll win you this Grail, I swear. Lancer thought, as his Noble Phantasm accelerated him towards the city.

    -----~---~---~-----

    Evan listened intently to what Valerie had to say over the phone. "Oh, huh... so it was Lancer." he considered, "Heh, kind of fitting, don't you think? A sword and a lance."

    The agent glanced at the building his car was stationed in front of. One of the busiest crazEcorp buildings stationed near the heart of the city, the crazEcorp company logo brandished and proudly displayed atop the entrance, and he was pretty sure he had caught a glimpse of another logo situated in one of the upper faces of the impeccable, modern building. But more particularly, he focused on the illuminated, but empty lobby—or at least formerly empty, as the shape of two figures could be seen within it.

    He had a pretty good idea of who they were.

    "You should be careful out there, Evan."

    "Don't even have to tell me that." Evan reassured the girl, his expression instinctively softening, "If there's any time to be more careful than ever, it starts right now. We've waited for a while... but you're finally a Master, and we can finally finish what Brian started. No way I'll slip before then," he chuckled a little, "I'm tougher than I look, remember?"

    A pause. He wished he could somehow extend the call, but just as it was Valerie's role to become a Master, he had a role to fulfill, as well.

    "Alright, sorry to have to cut the call short, kiddo, but I need to make myself useful. I'd ask you more about your Servant," he said, "but I have to find out just what sort of Servant Malden's summoned. I'll call you tomorrow, promise." And with that, he tapped the screen and ended the call.

    He put away his phone. He had mentioned little about what this last statement implied, but what would Valerie have said if he had told her that he, unarmed and almost entirely unequipped, was in front of the designated location where James Malden had almost certainly summoned his Servant? Certainly, this situation was very appropriate to label as one that needed him to be "careful".

    Double agent Evan Fellsword straightened, and waited for his boss to exit the building.
     
    #54 Shadow, May 16, 2017 at 1:15 AM
    Last edited: May 16, 2017
  15. "Archer, at least, is someone I'll be able to sense a long way coming," Rider comments nonchalantly. His expression is relatively emotionless as he flicks his gaze around, as if looking for other Servants that might happen to be in the immediate area. "It's Assassin I'm worried about the most, but in direct combat I should be able to take them. The issue lies in the fact that Assassin specializes in going after you rather than me." A light sigh. Best not to dwell over these facts, but they're something that must be said, for his Master's own protection.

    Rider shakes his head, then confidently strides towards the main city, signalling for Kalonia to follow him. "Well, let's go. We can cover a lot of ground if we-- wait, how are you on sleep?" Rider blinks; this has only just occurred to him. Why did Masters always insist on getting ready at night, anyway? It would have been so much less of an issue if she'd come during the day.

    "Er." The Servant puts his hand on his chin as if thinking things over; this is the first time he's displayed any sort of uncertainty, but it quickly passes. He looks at the city, then- for some reason- at the open sky above it. Finally, Rider shrugs. "Well, whatever. Let me know if you get tired. I think I have a solution for that."

    ----------

    Assassin smirks, as if Llerse's response was completely expected. "Excellent. I knew you were reasonable, Master." He chuckles briefly, before continuing. "The second matter is that of Mana." The man's expression turns slightly more serious. "The Grail already creates a flow between us, which I am certain you know already. But this is a matter of insurance." He pauses briefly, letting this sink in.

    "My strongest Noble Phantasm needs a large amount of Mana to be sustained, but it is well worth the cost," he continues. "It is very potent, highly destructive, and another sign that I can be Caster rather than Assassin- it is decidedly more geared towards multiple targets and other Servants, rather than an enemy Master." He shakes his head. "I need to be certain that you are willing to maintain that cost when the Noble Phantasm had need to be used. You may be able to find a way to use the Command Spells to mitigate it, in fact- after all, the Command Spells use the Grail's Mana, rather than the Master's, in order to force a Servant to complete the assigned task."
     
  16. Valerie nods with a confirming hum. "Okay," she replied, "Thank you for the update. Talk to you tomorrow."

    With that, Valerie placed her phone back down and let out a sigh. A surge of determination suddenly flowed through her. She was going to finish the job.

    Valerie turned off the computer before walking back to her bed. There, she took the rod she had left there into her hands, fiddling with it for a moment as she thought on a few things. Deciding there was nothing better to do, she climbed onto her bed and sat down at the top while using her pillows as a cushion against the head board of the bed. She then reached over to the same drawer of the night stand she had used. Retrieving another stone, she decided on a side as she placed the rod parallel to her forearm with her fingers wrapped around the rod for stability. Her index finger placed perfectly into the indent near the tip and her thumb held the other side for directing the rod's tip.

    Taking the tip to the stone, she focused into a sort of relaxed state as the rod glowed slightly. At the head of the rod, it glowed much greater while Valerie moved the rod in a particular pattern. The light from the rod looked as though it was transferring to the stone, embedding itself in and leaving a glowing path.

    As Caedes reached the top of the staircase, he let out a huff of air. Quite an eventful night. It was time to get some shut-eye. That being said, he turned from the hallway Valerie's room was at and headed the opposite direction, to a room that appeared to be symmetrical in structure and design. Zipping off his jacket and changing into some more comfortable clothes, he walked to his bed and hit the mattress with a grunt. Time for sleep.

    -----------------------------------------------

    Malden paused before they neared the doors. He turned to look at Caster. His eyes portrayed somewhat irritation, but quickly replaced to be one of curiosity. Observing the servant, he made sure to keep note of her arm. A strange gleam came to his eye as he smirked.

    "A trickster, I suppose?" he responded, his voice teasing. "If you wish to play the naive, I do hope it won't be for long. There are many obstacles ahead, and I wouldn't like our progress impeded." he then paused. "Perhaps you would like to discuss the terms of our pact? I can't imagine anything that could refrain you from fulfilling the pact itself."
     
  17. "Hmm..." Llerse pondered this for a few seconds before starting an actual answer. "Alright, I suppose that's fine. If it's truly as powerful as you make it out, then it would make sense that it would require that much Mana. And consequently, that you'd want to ensure you can use it when absolutely necessary." He paused. "Besides... I have as much to benefit from the flow of Mana between us. Somehow, I can feel it. The Grail understood my frustration in regards to my magical prowess. It's the only reason I can think of why I was selected for this war." He paused. "I suppose it's only fair for me to return the favor."

    ----------------------------------------------------------

    Caster smirked. "If you want my terms..." A pause as she seemed to have blurred forward, stopping just mere inches away from Malden. The index finger of her right hand pressed against the man's forehead, slightly poking him. Her smirk and amused look were replaced with a terrifying intensity. "Not a term exactly, but rather a warning. Be extremely careful who you try to act all high and mighty around."

    Having said that, Caster peeked around him, noticing someone standing outside the door. Normally, this would be of concern seeing how her right arm was exposed. But strange enough, it wasn't. While Malden was somewhat aware of what he was seeing, to just about anyone else- including this outsider- it would appear to be indistinguishable from her left arm. Perhaps a product of the arm itself for the purpose of disguising it for the intent of the war?

    "Beyond that," Caster resumed, slowly backing from her Master. "There is really only one term I have." She then stopped, then gestured a hand toward the desk. "I'm sure that by now, you've come to notice how empty this place is. Even at this time of night, wouldn't you claim it unusual for the type of place that would seem to be rather busy?"
     
  18. Malden stayed in place as Caster's form drastically shifted to his position. Perhaps faster than he could really recognize. With Caster that close, he could see a dangerous aura within her eyes. James Malden's smirk disappeared, but he maintained his stance entirely. The tension in the room increased drastically. Malden shifted his hands behind his back, one balling into a fist while the other gripped the wrist.

    As Caster peeled herself away from Malden's position, he smirked. "You're a dangerous woman, Caster. It only begs further the question of your true identity. And with that, that power you possess."

    "The reason for the lack of an.. audience, you could say, is due to the Veil. The Grail wishes for the least amount of obstacles for the war to move forward-- after all, it requires a victor."

    Malden smirked. This woman seethes with power and seeks all to know of it... she must have ruled at some point in time, somewhere in the world. There is no doubting that the Grail has given me a worthy servant.

    He shifted on his feet. "If you wish to show yourself to this city, perhaps may I suggest at a more calculated time. Perhaps when I can provide the ideal situation for both of us?" His eyes narrowed. "My respect for you only goes as far as my own intentions." He then raised an arm and motioned to the door. "Please enjoy what I may provide for you."
     
  19. Berserker nodded at Lucas' response to her mostly rhetorical query. "Yeah, I'd imagine so." she said, pacing back and forth for a few dozen steps. Stopping in front of a doorway, she posed another important question; "Just how reckless can we afford to be?" Walking to a front window and looking outside into the street, "I say this because, depending on how bold we are, we might be able to find somewhere relatively out of the way to set up a base of operations." She then turned around to face Lucas again, intending to offer a suggestion or two. "Now, obviously, going out of our way to cause a stink this early is probably not the greatest idea, but if we're going out into the open to look, an industrial area would be a good place to start." she stated, making a vague sort of warehouse shape with her hands, "An abandoned warehouse might work, lots of space in there. Thoughts?"
     
  20. Assassin nods confidently. At some invisible prompt, the calmer of the two snakes lifts his head to look at the Servant, but does no more than this. The red snake flicks her tongue out again. "A wise choice, Master, it makes matters so much simpler." He gives a cold chuckle. If Llerse sensed Assassin's malintent before, his demeanor now would certainly set that off again- but the Servant himself merely appears content with the proceedings, and now gives Llerse an amused look.

    "Now, finally, my third term." Assassin narrows his eyes in an almost predatory way, but keeps his calm, cool composure. "This planet... lacks a god. Or, at the very least, its god is absent, or not involved in its own creation. No matter the cause, there is no deity presiding over this world." He pauses to let this seemingly irrelevant piece of information sink in, before...

    "My entire goal here is to change that."

    Assassin chuckles again. "You see, Master, I am your Servant, but our pact is not the only one I hold. I told you that I specialize on contract magic, you'll recall?" He makes a grand gesture with the arm that holds the less-patient scarlet serpent, who rears back her head in a hiss as if not expecting the movement, or to punctuate it. "Have you heard of a distant planet, where crystal formations dot the skies? A world where a god of souls forces humanity to reset, again, and again, until perfection can be achieved?" He puts his arm down, a dangerously clever glint in his snakelike eyes.

    "My third term is my wish. I am going to spread my true master's influence to this godless world, and you are going to aid me in that goal."

    ----------

    "Sounds like a plan to me," Lucas replies almost noncomittally, but at a glance the reason for this tone seems to be that he is now checking the state of his handgun. "As long as it's sustainable for the two of us to set up base there, then there shouldn't be too much of an issue. We just need to be sure that it's a suitable location." After a moment he looks up, at Berserker. "Then let's go. If we're out in the open for too long, we may or may not be attacked. Particularly not directly- I expect Assassin is on the prowl and his Master might want to eliminate the more dangerout Servant classes- you, Saber, and possibly Lancer- first."

    He strides towards the city without waiting for a response, clicking his gun- it is unclear whether the safety is on or off now- before holstering it again. He leaves the cage in a shallow ditch nearby in favor of readjusting his jacket and lighting a cigarette. He glances back once, to make sure Berserker is following... before suddenly asking a question as he walks. "Berserker, what is it you would wish of the Grail?"
     

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