Fandom Fate/Drifters IC

[wdinatx]

Berserker of Dark with Clux and The Kitty​

The servants didn’t seem to notice the cat nor their master’s response but the Servent wasn’t so oblivious. At first they just noticed Clux’s reaction and, changing into a really young guy, he said “Huh, I don’t see any...” But then he noticed the cat, then changing back to his normal form he went “Oh, I see (yelling) come out mage, tell us, what side are you on?” Of course, not having heard the message, Berserker couldn’t have known what their motives for coming were nor what group they were with. Therefore berserker took a defense stance, just in case.

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Ava wasn't usually the type to dream. On beds of brambles and branches, her body had long since taught itself to not fall so soundly into the depths of sleep as to enter a state of such vulnerability. When she rested, it was shallow, her senses ever alert and ever listening for the silent stalking of predators, be they man or beast.

So then, when she opened her eyes and was met with not only a sight more unfamiliar than she had ever seen before, but also a thick veil of tears, her mind spun in confusion. In its subconscious state, it scrambled to dredge itself back up to the depths of consciousness, as if the tragedy before it was the deepest of nightmares. But no matter how hard it struggled, the scene never cleared. Screams of anguish, the slow dribble of life leaving her body, pain, pain, and more pain, all of these sensations were foreign, washing over her in a mind boggling assault of emotions more raw and primal than any it'd ever experienced before.

Next, came the cold. The burning pain of loss, the warmth of freshly spilled blood, both were cut down by the embrace of death. One moment, she'd been there, and the next moment she wasn't. She lay upon the cool stone floor, her eyes laid upon the lump of flesh the dream insisted she called 'father', obstructed only by the quickly encroaching veil of darkness that sought to drag her away from the world of the living.

Long after that darkness swallowed her up, Ava's mind still lingered. The sights, the sounds, the smells of what it'd just witnessed played over in front of her again and again, and with each cycle, it only sunk deeper and deeper into confusion. These thoughts and feelings that didn't belong to her, couldn't belong to her, danced about, an unrecognizable torrent of emotion that, her mind was sure, could only exist to be oppressed.

...​

Despite the rudeness of her awakening, Ava awoke from her dream with a slow, groggy crawl. Her mind, her heart, her body and her soul all felt as if they'd been shackled, bound by chains that sought to drag her down, to bind her, to... She wasn't sure. Before she could figure out their purpose, or even their presence, they faded away, swallowed up by the sensation of freezing water splashing across her body, and the eerily familiar screams of a girl she hardly even knew.

"Faf... Nir?" The girl in front of her was hardly recognizable. Crying, screaming, and frantic with panic, Ava wasn't even sure if she was looking at the same girl that she'd summoned not even a day before. Her face was twisted into a expression she'd never seen before, one that she was surprised that the boisterous little lizard could even put on.

"Hey... Uh..." Both in the face of the crying girl in front of her, and the dream-borne emotions that still rattled about in her chest, Ava's speech was uncharacteristically stunted. "I'm fine... What do you... Mean? Eat you?" With each word that fell from her lips, Ava's senses returned to her more and more. Fafnir aside, her eyes wandered about the scenery around her. She was still here, in Fafnir's overwhelmingly golden lair.

The last thing she could remember was coming here. She'd had the boss in tow, and they were on their way to... No, she was on her way to discuss the war. They'd entered the cave, had a conversation, and then...

She couldn't recall.

Where the memories of Fafnir's charm, and Milberga's swift assault should have been, she instead found that dream. That strange, bizarre dream. Had she just stepped on a loose pile of gold, or had she done something to piss the boss off? She wasn't sure, but whatever it was, it seemed like Fafnir was involved. Even she wasn't dense enough to not be able to connect the dots between an apology, and her sudden plunged into unconsciousness.

"Hey, hey... No problem." Ava rose from her bed of gold with a stumble and a smile. "I'm fine, see? Uh. So relax, okay? Whatever happened, I'm sure the boss has done worse before." Even though she spoke to calm the dragon, she didn't move to comfort her. The clearer and clearer Ava's mind became, the less and less of a concern Fafnir's state seemed. Her tantrum only a few moments after being summoned came to mind. The more she thought about it, the less unusual the scene in front of her seemed, and before long she could hardly bring herself to worry at all.

A much more pressing concern soon rose to mind; The growling of her stomach. Exactly how long had she been out for? It was hard to tell in this cave, but the pangs of hunger that had already started to radiate out from her stomach made it seem that it hadn't exactly just been a minute or two. Fafnir's mention of pizza came to mind, and the scent of bread and cheese suddenly made itself clear in the air. Brushing past the mess of a girl that stood been her and it, hardly even a second had passed before Ava had found her meal, and was cramming it into her mouth with a hint of shame.

"Uh, anyway." She spoke in between bites, eyeing Fafnir with the same eyes that she had when they'd first spoken to one another. Whatever amount of concern that had laced her words up until now, it seemed, was completely lost. "What's up with the lightshow? Was I out for so long that Christmas went and started without me?"

LostHaven

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Jack Randal
Jack’s eyes widened in horror at the sight before him—an sight that nearly made him want to gag in fact. Saber’s sword ran straight through Rider’s open torso, blood dripping from the tip of the blade. No hesitation whatsoever. As soon as an opening was left, Saber struck true, ramming her weapon into the open invitation with little remorse. It was a move that would kill any normal Servant. Had he lost Rider already?

They'd only just met.

Jack checked his command seals in resignation, waiting for it to disappear.

And waited.

And waited.

Blinking in confusion, he looked up in time to see Saber removing the blade from Rider’s body, her expression cold as she glided back, flicking the blood from the sword with a single motion of her arm. Her eyes never left her opponent . She didn’t look particularly surprised that he was still alive either. “I know what you are, hound, though we’ve never met in life. None who claim to serve Odin could not at least hear of tales of the ones shackled to Helsheim. However, it matters not to me. I think it you who forget who you currently are. You exist in this world only because of the mana supplied to you by your Master. You are Rider. I am Saber. We are Servants from a time long past summoned to this era to do battle for the Holy Grail. Regardless, of what skills you possess, or what your history be, I have no intention of backing down or shirking my duties. I am here to bring my Master victory or die trying—all the more because I am aware of what lies in beyond this war should I fail.”

Gaze dropping briefly to the weapon thrust into the ground, Saber’s tone was scornful as she looked back at her opponent. “Pick up your sword. One who willingly drops their sword in a battlefield does not deserve to call themselves a swordsman. It shows a lack of respect towards the heroic spirits that would challenge you.”

Prince_
At Ludenburg Manor
“Do not cry...I was able to locate you because an ally of ours has great precognitive abilities—one that will surely give our faction an advantage in this war.”

The cat licked its paws. “As for your first question, I am not a cat. The cat is simply a tool with which I use to deliver my message. I am the Master of Saber. The Master of Lancer and I have made an alliance, on that proves beneficial to the both of us. We would like to invite you, the Master of Berserker, to join us.”

The cat scratched its ear. “Rest assured, there is no consequence for rejecting our offer. Whether you assist us or not, that doesn’t change the fact that you are fellow Master of Darkness, and we gain nothing from causing you harm. However, should you agree, keep this animal with you. It will provide a means of communication and lead you to us.”

Looking up at Clux and the transforming Berserker, the feline remained in its sitting position and tilted its head. It had finished its grooming.

Nenma Takashi , wdinatx

 

[Takumi98]

Shani - Berserker of Light
Woods Behind Hudson Home - Jackson, Michigan
​

That... Shani answered between gasps for breath, was my Noble Phantasm. I... put as much power into it... as I safely could and... discharged it all... into the air. It's... not meant to be... used that way, so... I have no clue how effective... it was. On top of that dry-firing her power like that had caused some recoil and her whole body ached like she just had a building dropped on her (something the Berserker had actually been through), but she was too proud to let Hakan know that.

Gritting her teeth, Shani slowly climbed to her feet, literally digging her fingers into the tree she was using for support, and started limping her way back to the house. I don't know how far it will go... but if another Heroic Spirit noticed it they shouldn't... be able to resist taking such a display as an invitation. Let's just hope, in case they're an enemy, that they don't show up before you've had time to recover. And herself, she added but didn't broadcast.

Speaking of, how's your mana level?

Takumi98

That was her Noble Phantasm? Even if it wasn't used how it was supposed to be used, it seemed rather powerful. He was a bit concerned on how it'd be when used properly. He might die before the war ends if he's not careful definitely.

'I'm a bit low, but I should recover fine with rest. What about you, are you alright? You sound as tired as I feel.' He thought in a worried tone, quickly shifting the focus of the conversation from himself to her. Did she end up being effected as much as him and didn't warn him that would happen? If so, that wouldn't do.

Grunting softly, he grabbed onto one of the couches in the living room as support before carefully making his way towards the back door. He wasn't sure where Dov went to since the shaking ended, but he didn't much care about the man's whereabouts currently.

Ian Temero

 

[LostHaven]

Caster of Light
Fafnir's Lair | The One Eyed Bandit Ian Temero Takumi98

Was she alive? A wave of relief washed over Caster's pained expression, as she saw Ava rise from her sleep. However, even after Ava's attempt at words of comfort, Fafnir's stream of tears showed no sign of relent. "I-I thought I g-got you... K-k-killed..." A slur of jumbled words came out of Fafnir's mouth in between sobs and sniffles. "Why does everyone around me..." She burst into another round of tears before she could even finish the sentence. She came to a sudden halt as Ava got up on her feet nonchalantly, and already found herself a meal, chowing down on a pizza at a speed that even Fafnir would be proud of.

She quickly wiped her tears off her face as Ava made the comment about the 'light shows', realizing her spell had likely reacted to a huge mana disturbance. Still clearly upset, Caster crossed her arms and turned to the other direction. "T-that never happened, ok?! Forget about that right now!" Her attention shifted toward the globe, giving it a small glance. Even Caster herself seemed visibly surprised by the fact that the detected disturbance was all the way across the sea?! Were they friend or foe? Had a fight between servants broke out between members of both factions? Did somebody blow their Noble Phantasm?

Well, it was worth a try, Caster thought. It's not like there is any way they could hurt her via communication magic, was there? Caster gave the ring on her finger a quick look, as she began to draw a ring of runes on the ground. They began glowing azure, as a reflective mirror of light appeared in the center of the ring of runes. "Amazing, right? Seidr magic is so convenient, right?" Caster looked into the mirror, looking at the scenery on the other side (or as much as she could make out). It didn't seem like a fight had occurred, was the servant who was responsible for this still near the center of the anomaly?

Shani would likely notice rocks and broken branches rise from the ground, and form a narrow, door-like archway. The empty space in the door-like arch began filling with blue light, as Caster's blurred and shimmering image appeared in the mirror-like construct. "Hello?" Caster attempted to call into the mirror. However, due to the absurd range the spell spanned over, her voice was muffled and somewhat difficult to make out. "Is there a servant somewhere here? Helloooo?"

God knows what made this stupid dragon think it'll work out...

 

[Ian Temero]

Shani - Berserker of Light
Woods Behind Hudson Home - Jackson, Michigan
​

Aw, he was worried about her. How sweet. It really was to bad he was a man otherwise she might develop a crush. I probably am. Wasn't going to force all the burden on you, so I used my own mana supply as well, as small as it was. Shani definitely wasn't going to let him know about the recoil, though her Honor of the Battered skill had already almost repaired all the damage, since he'd just worry more. I'm going to go into spirit mode now. Should make recovery easier for both of us. She informed him, closing her eyes and surrendering her senses, allowing her physical form to disperse.

At least, that's what should have happened. Instead she could still feel the ache in her muscles and the ground below her feet, feel the wind in her hair, hear the rustle of the leaves, and smell the musk of the forest. Confused she opened her eyes and found that she was still completely physical. Cursing she tried again with no change. The fuck? I can't enter my spiritual form! The hell kind of ritual did you use? She snapped at her summoner, You used a fucking catalyst, righ- Hold on... something's happening....

She was about to break out into a sprint back to the house when the ground near her began to stir, the forest debris lifting into some form of portal which began to glow and a voice came through. It was a little difficult to make out what was being said, but she managed to catch most of it. Hakan you may want to get out here. She told him excitedly, putting the matter of her inability to shift on hold, I think I've made contact with another Servant.

Taking a moment to make sure her hair wasn't a complete mess, the crimsonette stepped out in front of the portal and grinned at the figure on the other side. "Thank heavens someone noticed that light show! Thought I was going to have wasted all that mana for nothing!" She freely exclaimed. The image was blurry but she could make out that the person she was talking was was a girl, a cute looking one too, though it looked like she might of had horns growing out of her head and... were those wings? Definitely not human (still cute though) which practically confirmed that she was a Servant, and if this glowing door...thing was her doing then it was pretty safe to assume which class she was.

"Well, I didn't know Casters could be so lovely!" Shani announced, only slightly flirting. (Okay she was flirting quite heavily.) "Which faction do you answer to, sweetie? I'm Berserker of the Light."

Takumi98 LostHaven

 

[LostHaven]

Caster of Light
Fafnir's Lair | Ian Temero The One Eyed Bandit Takumi98

A smug grin appeared across Caster's face, who seemed rather impressed at herself for having made contact with another Servant of Light. "I am Caster of Li-" Caster's face suddenly went beetroot red in an instant. What did that Berserker call her again? Lovely? Why would she be happy to hear that from another woman? What in the world was wrong with this Berserker?! "W-w-w-w-w-w-WHAT?! What are you thinking? Are you even sane? I-idiot!" Caster suddenly blurted out a series of half-baked insults in a panic, unable to think of a better reply to Berserker's flirting. Shaking her head and clearing her throat, Caster attempted to introduce herself again. She crossed her arms and looked down at the short girl almost condescendingly.

"As I was saying... I am the Caster of Light! Quake in awe, for you stand before the Guardian of the House of Gold, Dragon Lord of Glimmering Gold, Fafnir!" Caster said out loudly, full of self-conceit. Almost no sign of the pitiful, crying mess of a girl from mere moments ago remained. Indeed, this stupid dragon had just given away her true name without any consideration for any other factors, like for example, Berserker was actually of the Dark faction. Caster turned from the mirror-like spell, toward Ava who was eating her pizza. "Hey, I just established communication with Berserker of Light! Praise me! Wait, leave some pizza for me, you stupid, gluttonous dead apostle thing!" As Caster frantically called out for Ava to leave pizza for her, she came to the horrifying realization as she finally realized which pizza Ava had taken. "Hey! That's my bbq meatlovers! Baka!" Yes, she did just say that.

Just what sort of hell was Berserker getting herself and Hakan roped into?

 

[Takumi98]

Shani - Berserker of Light
Woods Behind Hudson Home - Jackson, Michigan
​

Aw, he was worried about her. How sweet. It really was to bad he was a man otherwise she might develop a crush. I probably am. Wasn't going to force all the burden on you, so I used my own mana supply as well, as small as it was. Shani definitely wasn't going to let him know about the recoil, though her Honor of the Battered skill had already almost repaired all the damage, since he'd just worry more. I'm going to go into spirit mode now. Should make recovery easier for both of us. She informed him, closing her eyes and surrendering her senses, allowing her physical form to disperse.

At least, that's what should have happened. Instead she could still feel the ache in her muscles and the ground below her feet, feel the wind in her hair, hear the rustle of the leaves, and smell the musk of the forest. Confused she opened her eyes and found that she was still completely physical. Cursing she tried again with no change. The fuck? I can't enter my spiritual form! The hell kind of ritual did you use? She snapped at her summoner, You used a fucking catalyst, righ- Hold on... something's happening....

She was about to break out into a sprint back to the house when the ground near her began to stir, the forest debris lifting into some form of portal which began to glow and a voice came through. It was a little difficult to make out what was being said, but she managed to catch most of it. Hakan you may want to get out here. She told him excitedly, putting the matter of her inability to shift on hold, I think I've made contact with another Servant.

Taking a moment to make sure her hair wasn't a complete mess, the crimsonette stepped out in front of the portal and grinned at the figure on the other side. "Thank heavens someone noticed that light show! Thought I was going to have wasted all that mana for nothing!" She freely exclaimed. The image was blurry but she could make out that the person she was talking was was a girl, a cute looking one too, though it looked like she might of had horns growing out of her head and... were those wings? Definitely not human (still cute though) which practically confirmed that she was a Servant, and if this glowing door...thing was her doing then it was pretty safe to assume which class she was.

"Well, I didn't know Casters could be so lovely!" Shani announced, only slightly flirting. (Okay she was flirting quite heavily.) "Which faction do you answer to, sweetie? I'm Berserker of the Light."

Takumi98 LostHaven

'Uh, I-' Hakan stopped mid-step on his way to the back door when Shani asked if he used a catalyst, and suddenly felt his hands begin to sweat a bit out of a sudden feeling of nervousness. How mad would she be if he told her that he didn't? Because apparently, he fucked up somewhere, but luckily for him she didn't stay on the subject, and mentioned something he should see. Heading out the door he made his way to her and grew both curious and confused by the odd door she stood near.

Eventually he was by her side and seeing the somewhat blurry image of a girl with....horns?

Who apparently was yelling at someone about pizza, given that he caught on to the end of what Fafnir was saying.

"Is this an ally or an opponent?" He asked, scratching the back of his head briefly. Either way, she seemed rather...odd, other than the horns and such, which somehow didn't seem like the oddest thing he's even seen today.

Ian Temero LostHaven

 

[Ian Temero]

Shani - Berserker of Light
Woods Behind Hudson Home - Jackson, Michigan
​

Shani laughed as she watched the Caster's freak-out. What an interesting reaction. Most women would have just brushed off a complement like that from another girl as flattery, but the fact that this dragon girl got flustered instead meant that she might have a chance. The insults meant she might need to break through a shell or two, but there was promise.

The other Servant turned away to shout at her Master over pizza as Shani's own joined her at the mirror. "Oh she's on our side, and she seems like a fun one." she chuckled, scooting over to give him room. "She's our caster and apparently Fafnir, the 'Dragon of Glimmering Gold'". Certainly explained the horns and wings and the mountain of treasure pilled up behind her, but what were the chances of such a cute girl being an actual dragon?

"Well Fafnir, feel free to call me Shani. And this..." she introduced, throwing an arm over her partner's shoulders. Well, she tried anyways. The height difference made things a little difficult so she settled for resting a hand on the closest shoulder instead. "...is Hakan. Have you manage to contact any of the others? And do we have a place we're supposed to be gathering?"

Takumi98 LostHaven The One Eyed Bandit

 

[Prince_]

Rider of Dark

Rider put his hand over his wound, before retreating it to the side of his body. He snatched the hilt and drew it from the ground, the earth clinging to the sword, and dust rising as he prepared to attack once more. He was seemingly unphased by the strike against him. "Maiden, thy fair face art better suited to stealing the hearts of men in the halls of Valhalla than carving them from cold, unbeating chests." He grabbed it, and once more his feet began to glow with magical energy, and he again launched himself at Saber, but instead of striking her, he dropped to his knees, and slid right by, smacking her hip with the flat end of the sword.

It would be impossible to tell due to the mask he wore over his face, but he was smiling, as one would imagine a cat might've, toying with a mouse. "Woe is me. But now, I am finally free to feel pain, toil, and sweat! I can't remember when I last walked this world... oh how it has changed. Yes. the air is now impure, and filthy, and stone towers above tree's, yet I still shall try my best to adapt to this new life... Now, let us continue in our duel!" He put one foot backward, bowed mockingly, and then started assuming a more defensive stance, then continuing in a taunting fashion, with one hand, gestured for her to attack him.


QuirkyAngel​

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Kicking about Fafnir's pile of treasures, Ava watched her companion's negotiations with a halfhearted interest. As it seemed, she'd gotten over whatever had gotten her crying pretty quickly, thank god, and she was already back to her usual, noisy self. Her apologies had already turned into complaints, something about eating her pizza, but despite having known her for not even a day, Ava was pretty sure that it was nothing for her to actually be concerned about.

Unlike the boss, Fafnir had pretty much no backbone to speak of, after all.

"Hey hey, relax, my lovely. You can just eat the other one, it'll still be hot, or whatever." With a slice in one hand, and the pizza box in the other, Ava slid down a slope of coins and to Fafnir's side; chewing all the while, she stared into the Servant's illusion, and scanned Shani's image up and down.

"So uh, hey. Where are you guys at exactly? Do all Servants act like Fafnir here does? Have you guys killed anybody yet?" Intruding on their flirting, Ava ignored Shani's questions and begun off every one of her own that came to mind. Whoever these guys were, there was something about them that made Ava want to shake them down. Maybe it was Shani's know it all attitude, or maybe it was something else, she wasn't sure. "I only just summoned little Faffy here this morning, so we don't really know what's going on yet. What about you guys?"

Ian Temero LostHaven Takumi98

 

[Takumi98]

Shani - Berserker of Light
Woods Behind Hudson Home - Jackson, Michigan
​

Shani laughed as she watched the Caster's freak-out. What an interesting reaction. Most women would have just brushed off a complement like that from another girl as flattery, but the fact that this dragon girl got flustered instead meant that she might have a chance. The insults meant she might need to break through a shell or two, but there was promise.

The other Servant turned away to shout at her Master over pizza as Shani's own joined her at the mirror. "Oh she's on our side, and she seems like a fun one." she chuckled, scooting over to give him room. "She's our caster and apparently Fafnir, the 'Dragon of Glimmering Gold'". Certainly explained the horns and wings and the mountain of treasure pilled up behind her, but what were the chances of such a cute girl being an actual dragon?

"Well Fafnir, feel free to call me Shani. And this..." she introduced, throwing an arm over her partner's shoulders. Well, she tried anyways. The height difference made things a little difficult so she settled for resting a hand on the closest shoulder instead. "...is Hakan. Have you manage to contact any of the others? And do we have a place we're supposed to be gathering?"

Takumi98 LostHaven The One Eyed Bandit

Kicking about Fafnir's pile of treasures, Ava watched her companion's negotiations with a halfhearted interest. As it seemed, she'd gotten over whatever had gotten her crying pretty quickly, thank god, and she was already back to her usual, noisy self. Her apologies had already turned into complaints, something about eating her pizza, but despite having known her for not even a day, Ava was pretty sure that it was nothing for her to actually be concerned about.

Unlike the boss, Fafnir had pretty much no backbone to speak of, after all.

"Hey hey, relax, my lovely. You can just eat the other one, it'll still be hot, or whatever." With a slice in one hand, and the pizza box in the other, Ava slid down a slope of coins and to Fafnir's side; chewing all the while, she stared into the Servant's illusion, and scanned Shani's image up and down.

"So uh, hey. Where are you guys at exactly? Do all Servants act like Fafnir here does? Have you guys killed anybody yet?" Intruding on their flirting, Ava ignored Shani's questions and begun off every one of her own that came to mind. Whoever these guys were, there was something about them that made Ava want to shake them down. Maybe it was Shani's know it all attitude, or maybe it was something else, she wasn't sure. "I only just summoned little Faffy here this morning, so we don't really know what's going on yet. What about you guys?"

Ian Temero LostHaven Takumi98

Hakan leaned a bit so Shani could have a slightly better time trying to wrap an arm around his shoulders, but grew pretty amused with the end results. As Ava ignored Shani's questions and fired off her own, Hakan decided to answer them, and if Shani wanted to jump in or something, she was more than welcome to.

"We're in Jackson Michigan of the US, and no not every servant acts like Fafnir to my knowledge. Depends on the servant in question really." He answered. "We haven't killed anyone yet, we haven't ran into any of the Dark masters," this question gave the slightest sour taste in his mouth, "and from what we know is that we need to keep the world from being reset-by doing the caretakers work for them."

"Where are you guys?" He asked after a brief breath.

Ian Temero LostHaven The One Eyed Bandit

 

[Misuteeku]

Rider
​

Rider observed the rather prickly master. Well it couldn't be helped due to the current circumstances and consider impulsive the other Rider can be at times. "Sorry, but I afraid I wasn't there when you were talking to my younger sister." The Older Rider ran a hand through her hair, "I don't know what happened between you and my sister, but please do listen to what I have to say." Hopefully, their master would listen to what she had to say. "First, can you stop referring us as kids... Well maybe not my sister, she's still young in the inside." A soft sigh was heard in the back of her head, courtesy to her who was eavesdropping in the room.

"Either way as long as you have those marks on your hand, you won't be able to resign your participation in this Holy Grail War," The Older Rider pointed at the Command Spells that were on her hand. "Even if you were to get rid of them, you would still be stuck with us due to our contract." Deciding to look around the room, while she talked, she observed Vita's items for a few minutes before setting her eyes back onto Vita. "Though if it helps, they're six other people who will assist us in this war. Though I doubt that will soothe your thoughts." Rider lacked any evidence to support her claim about potential allies. For all she knew, all six masters of darkness could of spawned in this continent.

"So what will you do?" Rider asked. "If you don't want to fight, then that's fine. We'll try to avoid dragging any trouble, if that is what you desire."

Xel

 

[Xel]

Vita RichterSeptember 15th - 9:25pm​

'Younger sister', eh? That alone felt like it'd be a headache to deal with, never knowing which is which. Still, she remained silent as the self-proclaimed older girl spoke. The most she did was give a small roll of her eye at the kid comment. The two of them sure as hell weren't adults. At the mention of her command seals she held her hand in front of her, looking down at the markings. Even if she got rid of them she'd still be stuck, huh? These two were adamant that they weren't going to take no for an answer that much was clear. She didn't really pay attention to Rider looking around her room. By all accounts it was fairly normal, a computer on her desk. More than a few bits of makeup and accessories adorning her dresser. Posters of celebrities, singers, and action heroes alike covering her walls with a collection of a dozen stuffed animals at the head of her bed stretching down along the wall it was pressed up against. With a sigh she took a few steps back and plopped down on the edge of the bed

Even with the mention of allies none of this sat too well with her, but it was the final question that finally got her to look up at the girl. Her gaze held it's usual fiery glare when dealing with these 'servants'. "What CAN I do? You wont leave me alone even when I tell you to fuck off. Even if I got rid of these stupid tattoos you'll still be here. Even if I wanted to stay out of it some crazy world-ending cultist freaks will try to kill me because I'm your Master. You haven't exactly left me any options, so why even bother asking that!?" She threw her arm out for emphasis before bringing it back to rub her face in her hand with a sigh. That sigh quickly turning into a frustrated groan as she swept her hand up through her hair. "Argh, fine, whatever, fuck it! Have it your way." She jumped to her feet, pointing accusingly at the young girl. "I'll be your Master, alright!? So let's go fight the bad guys and save the world!" Almost immediately upon saying that she flopped back into bed and shimmied under her comforter.

"Tomorrow." She let out, now completely encased by her blankets. Only sticking a hand out like a submarine's periscope to wave the girl away. "You go do whatever it is you do, I'm going to sleep." Of course she might say that but she was wide awake beneath that mound of fabric, staring into the blackness as her mind raced over everything. No matter how you cut it this was way too much for someone like her. Shouldn't they just call the police? The army? This was America, surely they could spare a few bombs for some world-ending terrorists. Why did it have to fall on her shoulders? With another sigh she shook her head and closed her eyes. She always did her best to cut herself off when thinking about stuff in bed, wasn't like she could act on any of it now so all it'd do is keep her awake.

Richter Residence
Interactions: Misuteeku (Rider)​

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Saber of Light
“Disgraceful, Cur!” Saber snarled, her eyes alight with fury at the meaning behind his words. If there was any doubt that Rider’s compliment had any deeper meaning, it was dispelled the moment the flat of his sword touched her hip. Clearly he had no intention of respecting her as a fighter. However, even more irritating was the insinuation that she would even attempt to steal the heart of another with her appearance. “You think I would betray the one I’ve sworn my vows to? I chose him, named him, and fought by his side, shielding him from harm!”

Wings spread, Saber shot high into the sky. Her shield vanished as she gripped the hilt of her sword—her lover’s sword—in both hands and raised it over her head. “Let me show you the extent of my feelings for him!”

A large amount of mana gathered into the blade, causing it to shine a brilliant golden as she poured more and more of her feelings for her chosen hero into his weapon. The very weapon she bade him to find and use. Unbothered the blinding luminescence that exuded from the sword, since her gaze was locked on her speck of a target, Saber started to chant.

“In the hilt is fame,

In the haft is courage,

In the point is fear,

For it’s owner’s foes--“​

Saber stop!

The power of her Noble Pantasm drained, flicking out like a light bulb, as a command seal was used. Saber’s eyes widened.

Master, why?

It’d be waste to use one of your shots here. Whatever skill he possesses seems to allow him to survive the even fatal wounds. There’s no guarantee your Noble Phantasm can finish him. But, more importantly—

Saber never got to hear the rest because the storage shed exploded. “MASTER!”

Ignoring Rider, Saber flew straight into the burning wreckage.

Jack Randal
Rider, we’re leaving.

Jack didn’t use a command seal, but he would if he had to. Sophia’s storage room was full of explosives. It was just like the former mercenary to have an emergency escape route hidden in one of her bases.

Where was she? Jack hadn’t a clue. Sophia Rasputin just shoved him down the trapdoor before activating the spell that detonated all the explosives. He didn’t even know where the underground passage he was walking down led to. Some place safe, hopefully.

You should be able to sense where I am via our connection. It shouldn’t be hard getting here in your spirit form.

Assuming he summoned Rider correctly. If not, he might have to use a command seal after all. Who knew what sort of monsters lurked in secret underground caverns? Jack sighed. It was the first time he’d seen a Servant battle. The intensity of it was more than he’d expected…and he thought it was over the moment Rider rammed her sword into his Servant.

Luckily he seemed to have summoned a strong one.

Rider appears to know Saber as well…were they both Nordic? Saber had mentioned something about him being shackled as well.

Poor guy.

No wonder he seemed so happy.

Saber on the other hand seemed to have a temper.

Jack snorted. Getting all bright and glowy just because Rider said she looked cute. Even when Jack tried to tell her he didn’t want to be a Master in some mysterious Grail War, she forced his hand. Should he go to the church? Hide in Scandinavia or something until the war was over? Norway? Whichever country Rider was strongest in would be best.

Why did she want him dead so much anyway?

In a normal grail war, attacking a Master before they’ve summoned a Servant was against the rules, wasn’t it? Most mages he’d met at the Clocktower were too “noble” to fight dirty like that. Too proud. Saber seemed like the proud sort as well

Wiping the bloody scratch from his cheek, which he received when Sophia shoved him down the dark tunnel, Jack continued until he came upon a forked road.

Wonderful.

He lifted his glowing bracelet to better see the two paths. Should he flip a coin or bet on Rider’s luck? From what he saw of Rider’s luck stat, it was rather shitty. However, considering what’s been happening to him so far, Jack couldn’t say his luck was any better.

Prince_

 

[Jean Otus]

Archer of Darkness
​

Archer cracked a wry, irritated smile when his master broached the topic of revenge. He was not a child needing admonition from an elder, no, he was a man on a mission. Revenge was something that was central to this form of being. This seemed to be a simple misunderstanding between them; however, there would be time to explain himself after he had answered his master's question. It was true that this was not the standard Holy Grail War of Fuyuki, nor was it even a normal Great Holy Grail War. No, this was something much more substantial.

"You, my Master, have been selected from all the masters across the world to fight in a secret Great Holy Grail war on behalf of the Caretaker of Darkness, for the sake of remaking the world in a more perfect image. In this war, we fight to rest the grail away from those who would preserve the world in all its profane suffering and serve to benefit from the suffering of the people they claim to protect." He drew on his charisma, the skill of speechmaking that allowed him to make stirring speeches during his life. For this partnership to work, his master would have to understand this dream of rebirth that they fought for. "The fate of the new world has been placed in our hands, Master. So, therefore, we must be willing to crush everyone who stands in the way of this dream.

Archer paused for a moment to breathe before pivoting to the misunderstanding between him and his master. "Therefore, you must understand that the reason for which I was summoned was that I loathe this world, the world which tore down my kingdom and built new empires on its ashes. I am the Archer of Darkness as I want to destroy those who profited at the destruction of my legacy. So when you say that my vengeance is pointless, or that it will detract from my focus, you question the true purpose we persecute this war! I am fighting for revenge, but I am taking revenge against the world, for the hope that my wish will come true in the new one!"

Archer bit back his words before he tumbled into a rant and trigged his own madness enhancement, he didn't need to breach any more conduct than he already had. He took another breath and placed a hand over his heart. "Forgive me for my candor, master, but that is a core of my being. It is woven into my Spirit Origin. I will fight for you and win this war but keep in mind that our wishes will come forth in a new world, one free of strife."

CrimsonEclipse

 

[Misuteeku]

Rider
​

Rider watched as her Master collapsed onto her, awaiting the peaceful feeling of sleep to set in. It was enviable that her Master could sleep. While it was possible for Heroic Spirits like herself could sleep, it wasn't the same when being alive. Going over and looking towards the light switch, she eyed it for a few second and two. Pressing down the button caused the lights to shut off, leaving the room almost pitch black, the door still being left open. She closed the door before become incorporeal and leaving her Master's room. '***, I would like a word with you.' The Older Rider said as she sent it telepathically over their link. The younger sister's exasperation could been felt by a mile away, but she obeyed to what her sister had to say.

Appearing at least a few blocks away from her Master's house. It was dark and nobody seemed to be dwelling on the streets as of right now. The two materialized. The younger Rider seemed to look away from the older Rider, like a child who wanted to avoid their parent's ire. The older Rider still retained her calm disposition, but she seemed slightly annoyed by her sister's earlier antics. "***, please stop being so rash, you need to learn how to control yourself." The frown on the younger Rider's face grew. It sucked to be lectured by the older siblings, especially the type of person her sister was.

"I know, I know, I just-" Her sister stared at her making her shut up. A soft sigh escaped the older Rider's lips as she massage the bridge of her nose. "Please be more gentle with others, ***. I cannot cover for you all of the time." The younger sister simply looked down in regret. "Don't make mess up, we can't afford any mistakes." The older Rider said as she started to turn her back to her sister. "I'll take the west, and you'll take the east. We'll have this city-state under our control in a few hours." With that she was gone. Turned into her incorporeal as she departed to rouse more people to their cause. The younger Rider sighed as she looked back at their Master's before she to turned incorporeal. If only she wasn't such a burden to her sister.

Xel

 

[LostHaven]

Caster of Light
Fafnir's Lair | The One Eyed Bandit Ian Temero Takumi98

Fafnir wasn't one to easily forgive one for taking her BBQ Meatlovers pizza, but this was more or less a special occasion. The servants and masters of light were slowly beginning to resemble somewhat of a team, after all! Fafnir wondered when the last time she had seen more than two people gathered in one place. Sitting on top of a pile of money and sleeping gets lonely, after all. Fafnir's smug grin softened, gentle, almost as if she were genuinely ha-

Any thoughts would be interrupted as Ava chimed in on the whole 'my lovely' thing. Caster's face reddened again, as she turned away in an attempt to hide her pink face. To no avail. "Idiot! Don't call me that! You should be worshipping me as the great dragon I am, not sullying my radiance with your stupid nicknames!" Fafnir soon began pouting again, puffing her cheeks and gazing into the mirror, just in time for Hakan to inform them of their location. Somebody named Jackson, USA? Michigan? Caster had not the foggiest idea what this more than ordinary man was babbling about, other than USA. And if Caster remembered correctly, it was an entire ocean away?

"You're so far..." Caster complained, now dreading the idea of having to fly all the way to pick two people up. She suggested the idea anyway. "I am a dragon, I could probably make it to you in one night." Caster put her hands over her hips and smiled triumphantly, for no absolute reason. "Indeed! I, the great Dragon Lord has offered to escort you two personally to Italy!"

Though Caster seemed to be overflowing with confidence out of nowhere, she was now beginning to have an internal panic. She really didn't want to fly all the way to USA. It would be the biggest pain the rear ever, not to mention she'd have to leave her storeroom. Given, Andvaranaut contained enough mana for her to maintain her dragon form for the trip to and back. People were pretty modest these days, right? No way in Hel would somebody actually accept an offer for somebody to fly all the way across the sea by wings, just to pick two people up... And no way would Ava actually make Fafnir do that, right? She glanced at Ava nervously.

This wasn't going to end very well for the dragon.

 

[Ian Temero]

??????
??????
- ?????? -​

Judgment. That’s what it was to be a leader. When crimes were brought into her tent she judged them fairly. When she was turned to to settle disputes, she judged who was right and wrong. And when enemies came to her tribe she judged them with a sword. But she was not the only one judging. Their eyes, always on the back of her head. Their tongues, always whispering behind her back. Their egos, always questioning her choices. It didn’t matter what she did, whether it was right or wrong. They didn’t care. They judged her because she was a woman. A woman couldn’t lead. A woman couldn’t fight. A woman couldn’t free them. She was sick of it. So she left. If she could not find love from her own people then perhaps she should look somewhere else.

Fire. Burning. Rage. She watched as the fields before her blazed, the flames being dragged through the crops, lit torch in hand. They brought this on themselves, those men who thought they could cheat her game. Even after she had given them their ill earned prize, though not from the source they hoped, they robbed her still. Her family’s wealth to host them. Her people’s animals to feed them. Her hospitality to host them. And now they took her. Her wife. She found a girl wiling to wed and a father willing to bless two women together. And he gave her away, his daughter, her wife, to another man. To those thieves.

Justice. They deserved this, she told herself, the glow of the flames setting her hair ablaze. She walked down the road, passing panicking farmhands in their futile attempt to save their livelihoods. But it was deserved. Each stalk that withered, each olive that shriveled, each plot that burned could not equal the wrongs these people had done to hers. But as she walked down the road and the flames fell behind her she found her anger quelling. Not for the men who had wronged her, but for her wife and father-in-law. They had done nothing out of spite, her wife had just been afraid and the father simply a foolish man. She could forgive them and they could still be a family. But as the house of her bride came into view she saw those men and smelled burning flesh in the air.

Blood. That’s all there was from then on. Blood from the men who killed her wife and father-in-law as she tore them limb from limb. Blood from the soldiers that chased after, as she cleaved through them with a large, bone handled sword. Blood from those who sought money for her head. And between the battles were the women she ran to at night, filling their pockets with coin as she tried to fill the hole these people had carved. And in the morning; blood again.

Love. The softness of her lips. The warmth of her arms around her. The pleasure of their nights. Once more she had found a woman who could love her, though could not be hers alone. But she was happy again. And those tiny hands that clasped her fingers. A child of another man and her lover, but she did not care. It was the way her lover lived, but the child was so small, fragile, and pure in her hands. She had not known that she could love another as much as she did her lover, but somehow this baby, this precious existence, had found room in her heart for one more. Clutching the boy to her chest she claimed him as her family and swore to protect him.

Betrayal. How had she not seen it coming? The visits home, the strange attacks. She had just taken them for coincidences. How had she been so blind? She tried to fight. To slay the men as she always had before. But her strength was gone. It had left her and the soldiers beat her to the ground. Why hadn’t she told her? She knew something had been wrong but she chose to be blind. She tore away from the men, crying as she reached for her lover who reached for her, tears in her eyes as she too was held back. Silver coins scattered among crimson strands. Then there was a flash of iron and everything went dark.

Pain. The pain of treachery. The pain of losing her family. The pain where her sight had once been. The pain of the loads she was forced to bare. That was all she had left. Even amidst the screams and the stones smashing on the ground as she brought those people world crashing down on their heads, the very last thing she felt…

…was pain.

Shani - Berserker of Light
Ortley Beach - Toms River, New Jersey
- The next morning -​

"Wake up, Hakan. We're here."

Opening up the driver side door, Shani stepped out of the car and stretched, all of her joint complaining about the movement. Sure, as a heroic spirit she didn't need sleep, which was why she was chosen as the one to drive the vehicle, but even she could not sit in the same position for around ten hours strait. Hell she doubted even a god could manage that feat. Groaning she gave her upper half a few sharp twist to pop her vertebrae back into motion, feeling the more modern clothing she had been given move strangely on her body; the 'jeans' specifically. It was so so weird how tight they were on her body. The pockets were ingenious, but it was all still weird. And the shirt! She kept having to tug it down to insure she wasn't showing her bellybutton like some kind of harlot! Not that there was anything wrong with harlots, having 'known' some herself. She just wasn't interested in looking like one.

The car ride itself had been an adventure all on its own. Not having the Riding skill meant that Shani couldn't just hop behind the wheel and take off, so they had to sit her down and teach her how to drive. Luckily she was a quick study and an hour later she understood the car well enough that they felt it safe enough to pack up and start on their trip. It didn't take too long however to discover that she still hadn't quite caught onto the concept of a 'speed limit' or 'traffic lights'. Honestly the were lucky there weren't many people on the road that night, or cops, or their trip would have ended a lot sooner. By the time they reached the I-90 however she managed to get her head wrapped around everything and they managed to make the rest of the trip without indecent, arriving at the beach just as the sun was starting to rise; save the one time when they ran out of gas just over the Pennsylvania boarder and Shani ended up single-handedly pushing the car to the next gas stop.

Her joints sufficiently mobile again, Shani walked around the car and rapped on Hakan's window. "Come on, dude. Up and at 'em." She called again before walking towards the beach. Climbing the steps of the boardwalk that separated the road from the sand she paused and marveled at the scene before her. The salt smell in the air. The crashing of the waves on the shore. The wind tearing at her hair. The morning sun painting both the sky and sea a vibrant red. "So this is the ocean?" She asked no one in particular, leaning against the wooden railing. "It's so beautiful."

She then sighed, resting her cheek on the palm of her hand and added, almost too quietly to be heard. "She would have loved this..."

Takumi98 LostHaven The One Eyed Bandit

 

[Prince_]

Rider of Dark ​

"Thou art devoted a man whose fate were altered by a meager curse of a trifling troll. Such death art not worthy of the halls of Valhalla, but I congratulate thee for thy blind affection if nothing else." Rider said, squinting at the explosion, before chuckling as he felt the heat of the explosion's wind kiss his face, or rather, the area of his faces that wasn't covered by his mask. However, Rider's chuckle evolved into a laugh, a mocking laugh rang out loud for all the world to hear, even as explosions sounded out throughout the shed. Even as Saber fled with her Master's own life, Rider continued to cackle in a wicked glee that was driven to the brink of madness through sheer boredom.

"Flee, thou frail maidservant of the Gods! Who art the faithful lapdog here, blind servant of the one-eyed Allfather?! Run, as the powerless animal thou art! If thou art the fair and glimmering swan, I art the crimson-soaked hound that brings thy undoing!" Rider said, before calming, the rush of the battle draining from him, as he heard Jack's command to return. He only just realized the pain in his chest, and winced, before vanishing, and reappearing by Jack's side.


"Salutations, what be your name, mortal?" Rider said, watching Jack. "Du er min herre? Jeg ville ha forventet noen med mer... muskler. Dost thou knows any healing magic? I hast seemed to gained a wound between my ribs... It would be most helpful if thou hast the abilities to mend flesh and muscle." Rider put his palm over the stab wound, gesturing to the... quite obvious damage done to him.

QuirkyAngel

 

[LostHaven]

Caster of Light
Ortley Beach, Tom's River, New Jersey | Ian Temero Takumi98 The One Eyed Bandit

Caster groaned angrily as a chilling morning breeze brushed passed her. How in the bitter winds of Hel did the proud and mighty Fafnir let herself be convinced to fly all the way across a damned ocean just to pick two nobodies up?! And the worse part was, Fafnir had to concoct some method to make herself invisible to the eyes of nonmagical beholders. And the dragon wasn't very happy about having to go through all the trouble just to pick two randos up? Couldn't they have just used a -what's it called- an airplane or something? Grumbling annoyedly, Caster gazed down at the landscape underneath her. A few glimmers of light, and a distinct absence of murder. Back when Fafnir was alive, all those goddamned Vikings did was go around in every mode of transportation available, and murder everything they see in search of their stupid, 'honorable' death worthy of Valhalla. If one asked Fafnir, the whole system was quite flawed, wouldn't the ideology of being granted access to the hall of heroes through death in battle cause some serious dents in the population? It did, however, annoy her that if she were to fly out without any form of cloaking against commoner's eyes, she'd likely have bullets put into her wings. And from what she'd heard, those things were nastier than arrows.

Right, that damned Berserker of Light. She was hopping up and down in the prospect of riding a dragon. As she neared the appointed spot, Caster spotted a distinct figure with a head of red hair, and the mediocre-looking man that was Berserker's master. The duo would most likely notice a very large beast flying in the air...

And headed straight for them...

As Fafnir descended onto the ground, the sheer force of her beating wings blew up a sandstorm. Fafnir landed in the water and began to take earth-tremoring steps onto the beach. The moment she had reached dry land, Caster had left her draconic form behind. The dragon's body shrunk as it stood on two legs, scales became clothing, and it all happened in an instant. In no more than a few seconds, the towering beast was replaced by a young girl, with few distinguishable features that set her aside from ordinary humans (besides the lack of pants).

Fafnir puffed her cheeks angrily at Berserker and Hakan.

"Idiot! Do you know how long I had to fly to get here?! You better be grateful!" Fafnir complained as she walked toward Hakan and Shani. As she made her way toward Shani and her master, Caster somehow managed to trip herself over air, faceplanting straight into the sand.

Silence.

And more awkward silence.

Then, it was suddenly interrupted by a distinct groaning, with Caster at its source. Fafnir gazed up pleadingly at the two, her attitude had seemingly performed a one-eighty. "Uwaaaah~ I'm so hungry... I haven't eaten all night...~" She whined, staring at Shani with giant, teary kitten eyes.

 

[Takumi98]

??????
??????
- ?????? -​

Judgment. That’s what it was to be a leader. When crimes were brought into her tent she judged them fairly. When she was turned to to settle disputes, she judged who was right and wrong. And when enemies came to her tribe she judged them with a sword. But she was not the only one judging. Their eyes, always on the back of her head. Their tongues, always whispering behind her back. Their egos, always questioning her choices. It didn’t matter what she did, whether it was right or wrong. They didn’t care. They judged her because she was a woman. A woman couldn’t lead. A woman couldn’t fight. A woman couldn’t free them. She was sick of it. So she left. If she could not find love from her own people then perhaps she should look somewhere else.

Fire. Burning. Rage. She watched as the fields before her blazed, the flames being dragged through the crops, lit torch in hand. They brought this on themselves, those men who thought they could cheat her game. Even after she had given them their ill earned prize, though not from the source they hoped, they robbed her still. Her family’s wealth to host them. Her people’s animals to feed them. Her hospitality to host them. And now they took her. Her wife. She found a girl wiling to wed and a father willing to bless two women together. And he gave her away, his daughter, her wife, to another man. To those thieves.

Justice. They deserved this, she told herself, the glow of the flames setting her hair ablaze. She walked down the road, passing panicking farmhands in their futile attempt to save their livelihoods. But it was deserved. Each stalk that withered, each olive that shriveled, each plot that burned could not equal the wrongs these people had done to hers. But as she walked down the road and the flames fell behind her she found her anger quelling. Not for the men who had wronged her, but for her wife and father-in-law. They had done nothing out of spite, her wife had just been afraid and the father simply a foolish man. She could forgive them and they could still be a family. But as the house of her bride came into view she saw those men and smelled burning flesh in the air.

Blood. That’s all there was from then on. Blood from the men who killed her wife and father-in-law as she tore them limb from limb. Blood from the soldiers that chased after, as she cleaved through them with a large, bone handled sword. Blood from those who sought money for her head. And between the battles were the women she ran to at night, filling their pockets with coin as she tried to fill the hole these people had carved. And in the morning; blood again.

Love. The softness of her lips. The warmth of her arms around her. The pleasure of their nights. Once more she had found a woman who could love her, though could not be hers alone. But she was happy again. And those tiny hands that clasped her fingers. A child of another man and her lover, but she did not care. It was the way her lover lived, but the child was so small, fragile, and pure in her hands. She had not known that she could love another as much as she did her lover, but somehow this baby, this precious existence, had found room in her heart for one more. Clutching the boy to her chest she claimed him as her family and swore to protect him.

Betrayal. How had she not seen it coming? The visits home, the strange attacks. She had just taken them for coincidences. How had she been so blind? She tried to fight. To slay the men as she always had before. But her strength was gone. It had left her and the soldiers beat her to the ground. Why hadn’t she told her? She knew something had been wrong but she chose to be blind. She tore away from the men, crying as she reached for her lover who reached for her, tears in her eyes as she too was held back. Silver coins scattered among crimson strands. Then there was a flash of iron and everything went dark.

Pain. The pain of treachery. The pain of losing her family. The pain where her sight had once been. The pain of the loads she was forced to bare. That was all she had left. Even amidst the screams and the stones smashing on the ground as she brought those people world crashing down on their heads, the very last thing she felt…

…was pain.

Shani - Berserker of Light
Ortley Beach - Toms River, New Jersey
- The next morning -​

"Wake up, Hakan. We're here."

Opening up the driver side door, Shani stepped out of the car and stretched, all of her joint complaining about the movement. Sure, as a heroic spirit she didn't need sleep, which was why she was chosen as the one to drive the vehicle, but even she could not sit in the same position for around ten hours strait. Hell she doubted even a god could manage that feat. Groaning she gave her upper half a few sharp twist to pop her vertebrae back into motion, feeling the more modern clothing she had been given move strangely on her body; the 'jeans' specifically. It was so so weird how tight they were on her body. The pockets were ingenious, but it was all still weird. And the shirt! She kept having to tug it down to insure she wasn't showing her bellybutton like some kind of harlot! Not that there was anything wrong with harlots, having 'known' some herself. She just wasn't interested in looking like one.

The car ride itself had been an adventure all on its own. Not having the Riding skill meant that Shani couldn't just hop behind the wheel and take off, so they had to sit her down and teach her how to drive. Luckily she was a quick study and an hour later she understood the car well enough that they felt it safe enough to pack up and start on their trip. It didn't take too long however to discover that she still hadn't quite caught onto the concept of a 'speed limit' or 'traffic lights'. Honestly the were lucky there weren't many people on the road that night, or cops, or their trip would have ended a lot sooner. By the time they reached the I-90 however she managed to get her head wrapped around everything and they managed to make the rest of the trip without indecent, arriving at the beach just as the sun was starting to rise; save the one time when they ran out of gas just over the Pennsylvania boarder and Shani ended up single-handedly pushing the car to the next gas stop.

Her joints sufficiently mobile again, Shani walked around the car and rapped on Hakan's window. "Come on, dude. Up and at 'em." She called again before walking towards the beach. Climbing the steps of the boardwalk that separated the road from the sand she paused and marveled at the scene before her. The salt smell in the air. The crashing of the waves on the shore. The wind tearing at her hair. The morning sun painting both the sky and sea a vibrant red. "So this is the ocean?" She asked no one in particular, leaning against the wooden railing. "It's so beautiful."

She then sighed, resting her cheek on the palm of her hand and added, almost too quietly to be heard. "She would have loved this..."

Takumi98 LostHaven The One Eyed Bandit

Hakan had, at one point fallen asleep. Luckily any worry over getting pulled over by cops and the like couldn't keep him from eventually succumbing to the much needed sleep following the long day.

The dream, if one could call it such, that came was a tragic one, leaving a hole in his heart. Fire, blood, rage, anger- so much goddamn anger-towards those that deseved everything they got- but despite it all, a moment of peace, of love, of having a family, the sense of joy and pride holding a young one in your arms, so many feelings swelled up in his chest an made it hard to breath.

Then it all cane full circle, happiness for some didn't last long, and in the end came the betrayal and heartache, the fear and sadness and blood, the feeling of loss and so much pain.

He was holding back tears, his brows furrowing over closed brown eyes as he registered the sharp pain that felt like it was going through his whole being. Shani's voice roused him then, pulling his mind closer to the state of awakening from it's half aware state. He didn't move, however, and only stirred slightly in response. Upon her knocking at his window and urging him to get a move on he sat up and brought up a hand to wipe away unshed tears once fully aware and moving. Luckily his bangs hid them from her, it'd be kind of embarrasing to cry in front of her for what she might assume was no reason. Sure, he cried over (what his father at least considered) trivial things. He would cry until no more tears could be shed and he felt tired but oddly content, he'd vent his frustration on pillows as rarely as that happened. Here and now, he kept his tears at bay so things wouldn't potentially be awkward for the pair.

Getting out, he eventually stood beside her as she admired the sea, and while she did, he simply frowned at it. He internally debated with himself on letting her know he couldn't swim and sure as hell wasn't going to step any closer to the water, but he didn't want to ruin her moment, as bittersweet as it seemed. He turned to look at Shani, and opened his mouth to ask who she spoke of, despite having a guess at who.

Fafnir's arrival however, threw that thought to the back of his mind for later.

Caster of Light
Ortley Beach, Tom's River, New Jersey | Ian Temero Takumi98 The One Eyed Bandit

Caster groaned angrily as a chilling morning breeze brushed passed her. How in the bitter winds of Hel did the proud and mighty Fafnir let herself be convinced to fly all the way across a damned ocean just to pick two nobodies up?! And the worse part was, Fafnir had to concoct some method to make herself invisible to the eyes of nonmagical beholders. And the dragon wasn't very happy about having to go through all the trouble just to pick two randos up? Couldn't they have just used a -what's it called- an airplane or something? Grumbling annoyedly, Caster gazed down at the landscape underneath her. A few glimmers of light, and a distinct absence of murder. Back when Fafnir was alive, all those goddamned Vikings did was go around in every mode of transportation available, and murder everything they see in search of their stupid, 'honorable' death worthy of Valhalla. If one asked Fafnir, the whole system was quite flawed, wouldn't the ideology of being granted access to the hall of heroes through death in battle cause some serious dents in the population? It did, however, annoy her that if she were to fly out without any form of cloaking against commoner's eyes, she'd likely have bullets put into her wings. And from what she'd heard, those things were nastier than arrows.

Right, that damned Berserker of Light. She was hopping up and down in the prospect of riding a dragon. As she neared the appointed spot, Caster spotted a distinct figure with a head of red hair, and the mediocre-looking man that was Berserker's master. The duo would most likely notice a very large beast flying in the air...

And headed straight for them...

As Fafnir descended onto the ground, the sheer force of her beating wings blew up a sandstorm. Fafnir landed in the water and began to take earth-tremoring steps onto the beach. The moment she had reached dry land, Caster had left her draconic form behind. The dragon's body shrunk as it stood on two legs, scales became clothing, and it all happened in an instant. In no more than a few seconds, the towering beast was replaced by a young girl, with few distinguishable features that set her aside from ordinary humans (besides the lack of pants).

Fafnir puffed her cheeks angrily at Berserker and Hakan.

"Idiot! Do you know how long I had to fly to get here?! You better be grateful!" Fafnir complained as she walked toward Hakan and Shani. As she made her way toward Shani and her master, Caster somehow managed to trip herself over air, faceplanting straight into the sand.

Silence.

And more awkward silence.

Then, it was suddenly interrupted by a distinct groaning, with Caster at its source. Fafnir gazed up pleadingly at the two, her attitude had seemingly performed a one-eighty. "Uwaaaah~ I'm so hungry... I haven't eaten all night...~" She whined, staring at Shani with giant, teary kitten eyes.

Hakan had no words as Fafnir insulted them (really, idiot was a rather tame choice of words) and quietly sighed to himself as she changed subjects on a dime.

"There's a few snacks in the car but not much." He offered, though he almost extended it to buying the dragon actual food he wasn't sure if they even had the time to look for local places-this being new territory for the master as much as for the servants in his company.

Ian Temero LostHaven

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Alan Martin + Saber of Darkness Location: United States, California

​

“So you guys managed to find and take out Assassin of Light? Impressive.” The boy didn’t look away from his screen as he said this. Saber doubted he even cared. Hunched forward on the couch with his tongue stuck out in concentration, the young Master of Assassin was too focused on the imaginary characters in front of him to give the visiting ally Servant much mind. Too busy mashing the buttons on his controller in rapid furry. “Gah! Assassin, hurry and help shoot ‘em down! I need to raise my achievement for the next level else all my efforts are meaningless!”

Saber sighed. To think he took a flight on a human contraption all the way across the ocean for this. Master had told him their ally of darkness would be young, but he hadn’t expected this young. The boy looked no older than 12. He’d also been expecting a girl. Not some kid called Alan Martin. Had their so-called seer made a mistake?

“Amelia’s too busy with school to participate in the grail war so she gave the command seals to me.” The child spoke as if reading his mind. Though, it was more likely that Saber’s face gave way to his confusion. “The Caretaker guy agreed to it.”

“You’ve met with the Caretaker?”

“Only briefly,” Alan shrugged. “He appeared in my mind the moment the command seals were transferred. Gave me the okay as a Master.”

Then what would’ve happened to the boy if the Caretaker hadn’t given his consent for the transfer? Saber left that question unvoiced. It wasn’t as if he cared all that much for the answer. It was irrelevant to the topic at hand. “So...your answer?”

“Sure. An alliance sounds fun enough.” Grinning, Alan tossed aside his controller and finally deigned to look upon the Servant that addressed him. Saber was dressed liked like a human. Glamour covered his ears and lightened his skin tone so he looked more human as well. “We’re on the same side of this game anyhow.” Pause. “And you showed up at a good time.”

“What do you mean?”

A rolled up newspaper was pulled out from under the couch and tossed at Saber who caught it with ease.

“Page 17, the last section. It's the one with the cute girl”

Saber unraveled the newspaper. “Adorable girl in Cheyenne captivates the city with a plea to save the world…”

The picture of the child seemed to be taken at a park, where she roused a large audience.

“Sounds like she’s talking about the grail war, no?” Alan giggled. “Few normal people in their right mind would take her speech seriously—which suggests magic is involved. And with something that can affect an entire city, I suspect a Servant. Possibly a very strong magus having a bit of fun, but most strong mages nowadays belong in the Association, and those guys know better than to involve innocent people in the grail war.”

“You suspect a Servant then?”

“Yes. Though there’s no way to tell if the girl in the picture is a Master or a Servant. The Servant could be hiding, weaving their charm spells, while the Master takes the front page. There’s no way to know which faction the Servant/Master is on either. Both sides are pretty much ‘saving the world’, amirite?”

Saber nodded, though he didn’t care about saving the world as much as fixing his mistake. Resetting the world was the only way that his wish could be granted. He doubted a normal grail had the capacity to do so.

“That’s why I want to send Assassin there to investigate.” Alan glanced at Amelia’s servant. His Servant now. Seriously, Assassin’s summon was a testament to Amelia’s skill as a magus. Assassins with magic resistance were a rare breed, especially for one that died in 2002. Plus, he was cool looking. What more could a boy ask for?

“Want my assistance?”

“Nah, Assassin works best on his own.” Jumping off the couch, Alan browsed through a shelf full of video games. “Though I’ll leave the decision-making to Assassin on the field. This is his specialty after all. If he thinks there’s a chance a fight might break out, the extra back up might come in handy.”

Inserting a new game into the system, Alan picked up the controller as he addressed Assassin. “Make sure the normals don’t accidentally see you, okay Assassin? If they do, you’ll have to kill them. It’s in the grail war rules regarding civilians, I think.” Alan smirked. “Then again, this can’t be called a regular grail war, so I’ll leave that up to you as well. Kill or don’t kill whoever you deem fit to win us this game.”

Arms folded , Saber looked to Assassin, awaiting the scar-faced man’s decision regarding his participation in the Cheyenne investigation. He didn’t care one way or the other.

simj26
(mentioned: Amyleii , Xel , Misuteeku )

 

[Xel]

Vita RichterSeptember 16th - 7:30pm​

The chirping of birds heralded the arrival of dawn. The first peaks of light poking over the horizon and giving the room barely enough brightness to see. Soft moans and the rustling of sheets were the only sound to challenge the birds. Those moans quickly took on a tone of aggravation as the rustling intensified. Before long Vita found herself splayed across her bed, her blankets in disarray and barely clinging to her form. Her head hung over the edge of her bed, her upside down gaze staring at her window. With a sigh she flopped an arm over her face, recalling the events of yesterday. There was the real possibility it was all a dream. A very stupid dream. Lifting her arm to stare at the markings on her hand she wondered if she just made it all up to justify these weird markings. After a few seconds of staring she again let her arm fall to her face with a sigh. "Not likely..."

With a sigh she rolled over and eventually pulled herself out of bed. She quickly made her way over to her closet, snatching up her clothes to get ready for school. Once she actually had clothes on she took a glance around the room. Just to test she opened her mouth to speak only to immediately pause. "What were their names again...?" She muttered under her breath, thinking it over for a few seconds. "Whatever, are you twins around? Hello?" She called out to the empty room. She knew they had telepathy and teleportation, but beyond that she hadn't a clue what they could do. But the silence lingered, dragging on for several agonizingly long seconds before eliciting another sigh from her. "What am I even doing?" Content that she was simply going crazy and there was, indeed, no one else there she finished getting ready for school before quickly making her way downstairs.

After a quick breakfast with her Mom and Dad she was off to school. The streets were far more lively in the morning. Cars buzzed to and fro, people making their way down the sidewalks to wherever they were headed. Vita's route took her through some of the emptier streets during the morning commute and it was on one such street that she found herself to be the only person. With a yet another sigh she looked down at the symbols on her hand. Felt like since those twins showed up she'd been doing nothing but sighing and staring at her hand. She still toyed with the notion that it was all just a weird dream, none of it had properly sunk in just yet. Turning her gaze skyward to the cloudy, grey skies above she was about to let out yet another one of those sighs before catching herself, the very fact that she had to catch herself caused her to click her tongue in frustration. "Argh, Goddamnit! Why'd you have to pick me!?"

Richter Residence
Interactions: Misuteeku (Rider)​

 

[Misuteeku]

Rider
​

Prior to the waking of her Master, the Older Rider had gone out to 'interrogate' the mage that was bounded onto the ceiling. He seemed rather nervous when he saw her walking up into his workplace. Well, he had every right to be she thought. They did cause several injuries, that should probably be tended to, and was suspended up in the air dangling above a spike. As much to her displeasure, the mage didn't seem to cooperate. He refused to even tell if he had any acquaintances or such that could be helpful to their endeavor. So, she did what she had to do. To cut loose ends, she ended up having to end his life with a quick death from her sword. She stared at the body for a second before burying the body somewhere within the house. From there she scavenged if the guy had a list of contacts. Much to her chagrin there were hardly any contacts. Damn mages and their isolationist ways to perfect their magecraft. She promptly left the house after finding nothing of use.

Rider then left to go to her Master's house... Or would have if she decided to go observe the clothing stores. Rather than 'observe' she went in, bought some clothes, and left. Where did she get the money? She didn't get it from the dead mage, that would be too disrespectful. Instead, she used a 'small' bit of Vita's allowance that she found when looking over her room. So now the Older Rider was now walking in some jeans, a tan t-shirt that had a bunny act as a marshmallow in the smore, and had her hair undone. So now, she went over towards her Vita's house and coincidentally was going on the same route Vita was going. Walking up to her, she greeted the girl. "Good Morning, Master. How are you doing?" The Older Rider asked as she stopped in front of Vita. "Also, I used some of your money, but here." The Older Rider said, giving Vita the amount she had used up. "I found this on the ground, while I was walking by." In truth, she didn't find it on the floor. A person, who she recognized was from the crowd of people she had roused, had given her money when she had just payed for the items. Of course, Rider tried to decline but it went back in forth and she ended up losing the battle.

The younger Rider on the underhand was making her way towards a city called 'Laramie.' It was an hour away from Wyoming, but that didn't really matter. She could always go incorporeal, but that wasn't fun. Instead she did something else. While she did not walk there, she was getting there by a much more fun method. She took a bicycle and rode there. No one knew where she got it from, but now she was biking towards Laramie. While Laramie was still an hour away, the time was still reduce due to the boons of being a Heroic Spirits. However she had to be discreet, so that definitely had to put on some time towards here destination. In the end, when she did arrive, she would 'discreetly' use her Noble Phantasm on the civilians.

Xel