Fandom Fate/Drifters Part 2 IC

[QuirkyAngel]

Chapter 1: The Third Side Enters!
Location: Hong Kong, China, Wu Shu Xue Building, conference room #7, 4pm

Conference room #7 of the Mage Association branch in Hong Kong was fairly bare. Four white walls and a long table at the center made up the majority of it. A simple room, just as it was intended to be. Nothing in the room detracted attention away from the speaker. Besides a couple of calligraphy hangings that roughly translated to ‘Work Hard’ in written Cantonese and a flat TV screen plastered to the front wall, there simply wasn’t much else to look at. Whether it was the Board of Asian Magicians or the Committee of Magical Health and Wellness, all brought to the room were able to focus on their task with little distraction.

This time, the room was host to the seven chosen participants of the 8th official Holy Grail War—a fact that the entire branch buzzing with excitement. Not Director Alan though. It just meant more work for him. Fortunately, his secretary Johnny was adept driving away curious onlookers.

The war itself was a supposed to be a relatively private affair, after all.

Why was a small, newly founded branch like theirs host for such a spectacular event that was supposed to happen every 60 years? Why was he the overseer of the 8th (technically) Holy Grail War instead of some unsecular priest? How had all seven masters been gathered together in a relatively short timeframe since their selection? Why were potential enemies all gathered in the same room? The answer sat next to him wearing a revealing, white toga and bored expression on her face. Ruler had come to them 3 years prior—summoned by the Holy Grail— with information. Lots of information. Since then, plans had been made to take advantage of the situation, bring to all involved masters to Wu Shu Xue, and ensure that the grail war concluded as smoothly as possible.

“…and that’s the Holy Grail War in a nutshell. If you need anything repeated, Ruler will be happy to help. She knows more about these things than I do anyway.” Alan gestured a gloved hand at the redhead before returning his gaze to the other seven pairs of eyes looking at him. “The battle will be taking place here in the bustling city of Hong Kong. Please keep in mind that such confrontations should occur at night and beyond civilian eyes. The secrecy and safety of our society depends on your cooperation and your ability to handle the Servants you summon. That’s why these rules exist. Breaking them will come with some serious consequences.”

Alan paused to let the information sink in.

“And, speaking of rules, there will be some new ones for this grail war. My peers in the association are a bit…miffed…at the recent terrorist attacks that have been occurring these last 10 years. I’m sure you’ve heard of them?” None of the Master portfolios mentioned any of them living under a rock, but little details were sometimes missed or got lost along the way. “If not, we’ll go over them with more detail later. Anyway, we’ve worked things out with Ruler and decided to assign you all missions to deal with them. In many of these missions, you’ll be required to work together with fellow grail competitors to complete the task so now’s a good enough time as any to get to know each other. During these missions you are not allowed to bring harm to each other or act in any way to impede the progression of the mission. The mission must be completed before the Grail War can continue. Rewards will be distributed in the form of command seals based on individual contribution and the success of the mission.”

Alan pulled up the sleeve of his left arm to reveal a prosthetic arm laced with command seals left from the previous wars. “While working with potential enemies might sound counterproductive, it also comes with its own benefits. Whether you make use of these benefits is up to you.”

The Wu Shu Xue director didn’t go into detail. “I know this is a lot to take in. Being chosen as the master of a Holy Grail War is both a once-in-life time opportunity and a great risk. I should know.” The memory of how he’d lost his arm still burned--as well as the cold eyes of the perpetrator who had done the deed (mentioned: Arne ) He was lucky to have escaped alive. “I wouldn’t blame you if you decided to back out now. Simply declare your withdrawl from the grail war in front of everyone here and you’ll be under Wu Shu Xue protection for the duration of the war. There’s no consequence for doing so. A flight will be arranged for you to return to your home country once the war is over. However, if you do decide to participate, please follow either my assistant, Johnny Lee, or my student, Pailing, to the individual rooms prepared for you to summon your Servant. Once you do, you are to return to this room, with your Servant, for farther explanations. If need help drawing a summoning circle both Johnny and Pailing know the procedure. If you desire a catalyst of some sort, our magical artifacts department is at your disposal assuming you ask nicely. We at Wu Shu Xue are here to help so the 8th Holy Grail war finishes as smoothly and problemless-ly as possible. Therefore don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions. ”

Alan glanced at Ruler who seemed lost in thought. “Is there anything else I’m forgetting?”

“No, Director Martin, you’ve said enough.” The red-haired Servant looked around the table with calm, yet knowing eyes. Eyes that seemed to see too much. “I’d only like to add that the future of your world lies in your decision, so I’d advise you to choose wisely.”

Alan sighed. Pythia was definitely laying it on a bit too thick, especially since the masters of the 8th grail war had only just arrived at Hong Kong, but he supposed that was normal for the Oracle of Delphi. He could only hope she didn’t scare them away with her ominous way of speaking. As for whether her revelations were true or not…he’d just have to wait to see.

Hanarei , IG42 , EMIYAman jakey simj26 Fill Father Gigantor

The Necessary Summoning and Introduction Arc! For this round of posts, the only content requirement is that Masters choose one of two npcs (Johnny or Pailing) to follow, design your rooms (your private quarters in Wu Shu Xue), and summon your servants (so they can rp. Be sure to tag them when you do). Writing it all in one post or breaking it into multiple posts is up to you. Questions, interactions, and details about how your character got to Hong Kong is optional but definitely welcome. None of you have summoned your servant yet. In fact, you got the letter inviting you to Wu Shu Xue for the grail war as soon as the command seals appeared on you. The Old Returning Players Your characters can be anywhere and do anything. Just remember to include location in your post and that being near the area of action is usually easier to interact with other players. Xel Gundam Watcher 27 Arne Ian Temero The Rules! Can't post here until your character is accepted. Posts must be a min of 2 paragraphs. Servants should wait until their master has summoned them to post ( LostHaven , FoldedPages , RavenAlice , Gunnhildr , Takumi98 , The One Eyed Bandit , Crow ) Do your best to read each others posts and try not to contradict each other. Keep OOC out of IC thread. Have fun. [/bock]

 

[Gundam Watcher 27]

Ryuga Tohsaka
( LostHaven @QuirkyAngel|WTF is playing Faffy
Mentions: Prince_ )

The ruins of an building in Italy

Amidst the ruins of a long collapsed estate, a young looking male of apparant teen age years was looking at the night sky. Parts of the starry sky was covered by black clouds, but the boy knew better. He knew that the one person he came here for, the one girl who had feelings for him, and truly didn't despise himself for his appearance, or blood, was here.

She was lost to the beast that appeared due to herself being driven into a berserk state. She was gone because he couldn't reach her in time. He swore since that he would get stronger in order to save her. That's why he was training with Rider for the past ten years wasn't it?

I swear.... I will save you.... Whatever it takes...

He would grip the lance in his right hand tight, as a shield appeared on his left, which was cleverly disguised as a normal gold bracer until it was activated.

Taking a deep breath, he soon shouted out, calling for the beast who possessed her.

"Fafnir!!! Show yourself!!!" ​

 

[Hanarei]

Lorina​

Lorina had remained quiet during the meeting, her lips parting to let out a tired yawn her fangs flashing ever so briefly as she suppressed the sound her red eyes glancing out tiredly from the dark sunglasses she wore. Her black was buttoned up looking a bit elaborate given the meeting though given how the Magus types tended to be it wasn't likely all that gaudy. Her hair was down for once reflecting how haphazard she was in showing up primarily due to the fact it was rather early for her to be awake. 4 PM was a few hours earlier then she liked to get up if all possible. Her pale skin didn't do much to likely hide the fact she wasn't one who tended to favor the sun much. Just being under its rays tended to make her feel a bit drained and only furthered that tired feeling that much more. Her foot very lightly tapped at the floor not making a sound despite the motion. with her black pants covering down her legs.

While some weren't likely fully aware of all the events going around with the war, Lorina was much more alert of them. While the idea of having a wish granted wasn't something she would just throw away, it wasn't of her own volition she was put into the war. The Church and its members tended to not get involved in the war, acting typically more as supervisors. In this case the need was dire enough to cause the burial agency in particular to send someone in order to help the cause... along side with finding a 'run-away pup' and putting it 'out of its misery'. It was a task Lorina had no hesitation for doing it. She acted her part to serve the Almighty and to purge the world of any that might go against his will. The wish was just a nice bonus to right a wrong in herself, one that in the end was minor compared to enforcing His will and ridding of the scum who ran from their duty.

With all affairs of the meeting concluded and it being time to head out to do the summoning, Lorina finally yawned allowing it to escape her lips unfiltered not having to worry about interrupting anything as she stretched being quite casual despite the formal front she put on moments ago.

"May god bless you in your summoning." She spoke her words coming off almost half-hearted in passing. Being a bit tired tended to tkae some of her enthusiasm out of her voice though it also mixed with not knowing any of the people in the room. All she knew were they were all Magus of some sort, and as far as her experience went there were many heathens among them that deserved death. It was something she would just have to wait and see and likely deal with along the way. He work in the Burial Agency required doing some work that she might not be the fondest of sometimes after all, the important part was it served the lord's will in the end. She elected to follow Pailing figuring she might not have as much to say to bother her still feeling a little sleepy slowly waking up.

Lorina entered into the room for the summoning glancing about glad to see it was quite dark in there. She undid her jacket a bit, slipping her hand into her cleavage to fish out a scrap of paper. She unfolded it glancing down looking upon the summoning circle written upon it. She hadn't done all that much in preparing for the job, just learning the bare basics, after all the grail war wasn't something one of her standing typically cared about. She did at least some studying and learning to get the basics of the summoning down. She began work etching the circle onto the ground using the materials provided to her to do so. While she wasn't familiar with the particular ritual and wasn't a heavy practitioner in magecraft herself, she at least had experience in doing such things with some of the various tools and practices she learned as part of the Church so she had some practice. After a short work ensuring everything was perfect she finally finished it off completely taking a step back double checking the page to ensure it was all perfect.

The Dhampir glanced back wandering up to the nearby table taking off her shades. She grabbed her black ribbon using it to tie her hair up in a ponytail rather swiftly despite not having a mirror to work with managing to do so quite elegantly. She turned to the side grabbing the catalyst covered by a brown cloth placing it down close to the circle. She stepped back in the center lifting her fingers up. She didn't seem to flinch as she jabbed her sharp ring finger nail into her left palm, holding it down in place as to bleed not allowing the wound to have the chance to seal back up. Her blood dripped into the circle rich in Od. She released her nail, the wound she inflicted quickly dissipating as if it hadn't been there in the first place. She backed up from the circle standing in place beside it. Her other hand held the piece of paper still glancing upon it once more before being satisfied letting it fall back to the side behind her. She held her hand up in gesture for the summoning.

"Let silver and steel be the essence.
Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.
Let God's will be my guide.
Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall.
Let the four cardinal gates close.
Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom circulate."

As the words escaped her lips, the etchings began to glow starting from the center filling out the entire circle. Her hand remained open keeping focused reciting the words from memory. As the circle fully glowed she remained concentrated upon the ritual with each line causing it to glow brighter and radiate out with greater luminosity.

"Heed my words, My will creates your body,
And your sword creates my destiny.
If you heed the Grail's call, And obey my will and reason,
Then answer my summoning!
I hereby swear, That I shall be all the good in the world,
That I shall defeat all evil in the world!
Seventh heaven clad, And the great words of power,
Come forth from the circle of bindings, Guardian of Scales!"

The light from the circle was blinding as Lorina squinted unable to keep her gaze fully locked on. If only she had kept her sunglasses on. None the less the light reverberated through the room filling it as the summoning ritual was complete the bright flash making way for whatever servant that it was she had summoned from the throne.

Mentioned: FoldedPages QuirkyAngel (Every master Really with her 'kind blessing' at the meeting)

 

[EMIYAman]

Wilfred​

Wilfred was having quite the long day. He had traveled all the way from England to China and then took a train near the airport to Hong Kong. While a day had passed, he had also been traveling the entire time and had not slept a wink. He wasn't necessarily tired especially due to the excitement of all the new things around him. Wilfred had read up on the modern world and it cultures as best as he could to prepare himself for his journey since all he had known was his family home and not even the land near it. He had read about cars and planes and other such machinery, but to see them and even ride within one was quite the experience. It was hard for Wilfred to imagine that his mentor Bianca had once traveled like this seeing all these wondrous things! His current situation however was quite serious and not at all what he was expecting. Wilfred was in a fairly average meeting room with Masters of all kinds around him. These people were to be his enemies in this Grail War. He wasn't sure if he was ready for that despite his training the people around him seemed to be in leagues of their own. Wilfred was lost in his own thoughts all the while in his standard outfit consisting of mostly white, black and gold lining with his red tie being the outlier among the rest of the colors. He was told to not bring his sword which left him anxious, the others around him were similarly unarmed though which gave some assurance to Wilfred.

He was pushed out of his thoughts when the Magus known as "Director Martin" had finally stopped his instructions, only for Ruler to chime in. Her words left and impression on Wilfred.

“I’d only like to add that the future of your world lies in your decision, so I’d advise you to choose wisely.”

Such word weren't normally spoken lightly but from Ruler they flowed just as easily as any other. Wilfred was taken aback by this, he knew the Holy Grail was a powerful artifact but the idea of the course of the world shifting just due to this single event was jarring to say the least. It was a heavy responsibility with many chances for mistakes especially when factoring in the choices and free will of seven Mages and their Servants. Wilfred took this time to examine Ruler. To put it simple she was impossible, that is what Wilfred's every instinct told him. Every movement or look she made seemed unnatural not in a sense that she wasn't human but more that her existence felt... off. She was beautiful but in a way that seemed otherworldly, and the look in her eyes was enough to put him on edge. It reminded him of his mentor Bianca whenever they used to spar; eyes that saw through you and could tell your every action. This is what it means to encounter a Servant.

Wilfred was once again pulled back into reality when one of the soon to be Masters passed by his field of vision. He narrowed his eyes and got a better look at them. They were female, had unnaturally pale skin and wore clothing he had never encountered before. Despite her lack of weapons in this place he could tell she moved with the grace of a fighter, there was no doubt in Wilfred's mind that this women wielded a blade. She was strong and different from the average Magus. As she walked out past the other Masters including himself she gave half-hearted words of good fortune.

"May god bless you in your summoning."

Ah so was a member of the church, or so Wilfred assumed based on her words. His gaze stay locked onto her, as he was too intrigued and nervous to make any response she simply walked out with the Director's student to proceed with the summoning. As she left the room Wilfred decided he should also proceed with the summoning ritual; he could get rest once this is in order. He was also excited at the prospect of meeting a famous hero his hand twitched in anticipation at the possibility of who he would summon. As he made his way to the other rooms he was met with Pailing the student, who noticed his intentions and guided him to another room after she finished aiding the previous Mage. Wilfred took the time to grab his sword as the meeting was over for now and he would need it for the ritual. He follow her and was led to a door, he thanked her with a smile despite the butterflies in his stomach and bid her goodbye.

The room was rather spartan and dimly lit but it was enough. He needed no reminder as the circle was already etched into his mind, and set to work. He drew his blade and channeled his Od to the tip of his blade causing it to glow with green light. He engraved the intricate circle into the ground making sure to be as exact as possible. He possessed no catalyst unfortunately so the product of the summoning ritual was entirely up to the Grail. He finished etching out the circle and got started on the rest of the preparations. Wilfred shrugged off his jacket and placed it on a nearby table. He took his sword and did a horizontal slash along his palm drawing blood, he let the blood drip down onto the circle until he was satisfied before finally healing the cut with magic and initializing the summoning. Thus Wilfred began the chant.

"Let silver and steel be the essence.
Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.
Let the Perfect Knight Galahad be the ancestor.
Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall.
Let the four cardinal gates close.
Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate."

"Let it be declared now;
your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword.
Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail.
Answer, if you would adhere to this will and this dream."

"An oath shall be sworn here.
I shall become all virtues of all of Heaven;
I shall have victory over all evils of all of Hell."

"From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power,
come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!"

The light emanating from the circle was blinding and as he finished the chant Wilfred reflexively covered his eyes from it.



After the bright flash of light, the signal that the summoning was a success, vision slowly returned to Wilfred as he longed to see the results. As if to calm his nerves he squeezed tighter onto his blade hoping for a reprieve from his rising curiosity. The light finally subsided and Wilfred felt a tingle on the back of his hand he gazed into the circle hoping to catch a glimpse of the hero of old now bound to him.

Mentioned: QuirkyAngel , Hanarei , Gunnhildr

 

[Ian Temero]

Zephyrus Anemoi
Grail War Chronicler​

At the back of the room, standing apart from the seven masters, a young man with silver hair leaned against the wall with a tablet. As the director talked he occasionally put his free hand to his headphones and the four small drones hovering around the room adjusted themselves. They moved silently, suspended and powered by magecraft rather than propellers and batteries, a perfect blend of modern technology and magic.

Now anyone who knew Zephyr either as his internet personality or in real life might be surprised by how quiet he was being. This boy, who was infamous for leaking magus secrets and freely expressing his opinions, had not said a single word the entire meeting. The main difference was that normally it was either his (side) job to talk or he wasn't in front of a camera. But right now this was his job, to record the upcoming events in their entirety and that did not require his opinions. Of course that did not mean that it would never come in, trying to keep Zeph quiet was like trying to herd cats, but for now it just didn't belong.

As the briefing came to a temporary close Zeph pushed off the wall and, sticking to the edge of the room to stay out of the way of the master as the left, made his way to the front. "Hey boss, mind if I pick your brain while we have a minute?" He asked Alan, motioning one of the drones over. "I'd like to get your thoughts on the Masters and maybe air a concern or two I might have?" He turned to the woman sitting next to the director and paled a little. "Y-you're- you're free to p-pipe in too... if you want. M-Miss Ruler ma'am." He was trying real hard to keep his eyes on... appropriate places.

QuirkyAngel

 

[LostHaven]

Caster of Light

Ruined Lair - Italy | Gundam Watcher 27​

"You can't just go around killing your dad! You're really a big idiot, aren't you?!"

Once upon a time, there was a dragon of avarice, naught but a wicked beast fated to be slain at the hands of a hero. Alas, that was her sad, pitiful existence - the moment she donned Andvaranaut, her ruinous end had been set in stone, and though she had long steeled her heart to bear her vile transgressions until the end of time, even still, nothing in the world could steel even the most stalwart of souls against the pain of loss.

There wasn't a doubt in her mind, that, that man - the accursed child of black horns and crimson eyes who bore the blood of a vile dragon of antiquity; had they existed in the same era, had they not been milennia apart, perhaps, things would have came about different.

But alas, though the great World Tree connected all worlds, time was an obstacle not even the legendary Yggdrasil could conquer. In her mind, she knew, though she wouldn't accept it - though her frozen heart, colder and harder than the frost of Niflheim had at last been thawed, these fleeting moments were naught but a short-lived miracle.

And thusly, she died once more.

And no matter how many times she perished, the pain wouldn't subside. Once more, she fell, without the warm embrace of her father she murdered, nor the smile of the brother she had lost.

All that remained once more was the despair, cutting deeper than the abysses of Helheim. With her final breath, the dragon bellowed...

​

As if in response to Ryuga's cries, a low-pitched growl rang from within the dark cavern, behind the set of long-crumbled stone gates. Then came the tremors as the earth trembled.

Finally, the beast revealed itself. Limbs covered by ebon scales dredged onward a body that should have long perished. From the creature's maw billowed forth a dark miasma, filled with the stench of death. It let out a scream. Though, it was neither a show of intimidation, nor a cry for salvation. The creature had done so simply because it could.

Gripped by the chains of undying madness, all semblance to the Caster of Light, the girl, was gone. All that was left was the Dragon of Greed, its body shackled to a tortured consciousness. It didn't speak, nor attempted to communicate. Perhaps it couldn't, or had long forgotten how. To the tiny man that had challenged the beast, it was clear the creature had long lost all reason, clouded by the veil of madness.

And, that it could no longer recognize Ryuga.

If he hadn't accepted it, then what would follow would make that fact clearer than day. The underside of the creature's throat lit orange bright as the sun as the beast claimed the first move. Its jaws split open as a stream of purgatorial flame poured forth like a flamethrower, scorching the already-ruined land and Ryuga with it.

That man; he was either brave, or downright idiotic.

 

[Gundam Watcher 27]

Ryuga Tohsaka
( LostHaven )

Ryugas' heart for a quick second stopped as the undead dragon had approached him from within the ruins. His eyes would quickly shift colors to a amber color as they read the creatures' movements, as he ran forward, as Fafnir fired a stream of flames from her mouth at him.

His arms and legs started forming glowing circuit lines as his own speed immediately doubled, as he quickly side jumped to the left and with the end of his lance, used it to vault up into the air towards Fafnir, before landing on the ground and continuing to run at the beast.

He would drop to the ground in a slide maneuver as he lowered his lance and aimed it at the undead dragon's neck, before thrusting.

In the back of his head, he thought about why his entire life he had to suffer. How many people he was close to had died? How much pain did he deal with from others viewing him as a freak of nature? Why was it him that always had the short end of the stick?

He lost his childhood friend, his partnered Servant, and now, he was fighting what used to be the girl he loved, if only for a moment. He wouldn't let his cycle of misery continue, and he won't have those he cared about die if he can help it. Wasn't that why he became a master of Darkness to begin with?

​

 

[IG42]

Franz Schattenberg
Perched nervously on the edge of his seat Franz caught himself staring at Ruler for the third time since she had entered the room, some might have simply assumed he had been instantly infatuated by the redhead but anyone who looked closer would see the telltale glow of his mystic eyes as he examined the Heroic Spirit, while the summoning of spirits had been his family's field he had never thought he would ever see a heroic one. When the Command Spells had first appeared and he had been invited to participate he half-suspected it was a ploy by someone in the Association to investigate his condition but he had come regardless, taking a look around the room he wondered if any of them could already tell he was possessed.

When the pale woman stood he glanced at her wondering why she was wearing sunglasses indoors, she surely couldn't have been irresponsible enough to have gotten drunk the previous night? The thought was a slightly hypocritical one since he had been sleeping off a hangover of his own thanks to Inu taking his body into a nightclub on a whim when the Command Spells appeared. As she left his head whipped around at her parting comment, no magus would ever make a comment like that except in jest but the idea of someone from the Church being involved in a Mage's ritual was absurd. Why would someone from the Church be here? Are they here for us? Picking up on his turmoil the spirit entangled with his soul stirred, it responded wordlessly with muddled feelings of it's own concern, an attempt to soothe him, excitement at the upcoming summoning and curiosity about the people around them. But what if she's hunting usyoume? Nonono it'll be alright Iyouwe can do this! Propping his elbows on the table he held his head in his hands as two sets of racing thoughts clashed and mingled together.

Realising that he was making a show of himself in front of the other Masters Franz stood and quickly left the room, seeing the possible Church agent trailing behind the branch head's student he nodded to the assistant. "Please, lead the way." As they walked he found his eyes looking the assistant up and down appraisingly, abruptly his posture shifted adding a slight swagger to his walk. "Say are you doing anything after this?" He said with a shameless smirk that held for few seconds then collapsed into one of mortification. "Nononono what are you doing? Stop it!" Looking away he hissed under his breath then looked back at the other man. "I'm so sorry it's just-never mind, just ignore that please." Arriving at the room set aside for him he hurriedly thanked the assistant and shut himself inside.

Safely alone Franz managed to relax a little and immersed himself in the task of creating his summoning array, as much as he came to abhor summoning unwilling spirits he had learned a lot about the theory behind it and he had been able to apply a good deal of that knowledge to summoning a Servant. Partway through drawing the circle he paused feeling a sharp pain in his head and back, a moment later he reached up and touched one of the pointed canine ears on top of his head that had once again replaced his normal human ones, sighing he resumed his work thankful that it hadn't happened around anyone else and he supposed he wouldn't be able to hide it from whoever he summoned.

With the circle drawn out he unwrapped the catalyst he had picked out beforehand, a dragon's scale, while it wasn't to his knowledge from a dragon of particular renown as much as a beast of it's calibre could be of little note he felt it would be enough to attract a hero connected to dragons which would be a capable one. Placing the scale in the circle he pricked his finger with a small knife and dripped his blood into the circle.

"Let silver and steel be the essence.
Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.
Let my soul and this spirit speak as one.
Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall.
Let the four cardinal gates close.
Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom circulate."

As the circle began to glow his Mystic Eyes gleamed and his voice seemed to overlap with another.

"Heed Our words, Our will creates your body,
And your sword creates Our destiny.
If you heed the Grail's call, And obey Our will and reason,
Then answer Our summoning!
We hereby swear, That We shall be all the good in the world,
That We shall defeat all evil in the world!
Seventh heaven clad, And the great words of power,
Come forth from the circle of bindings, Guardian of Scales!"

The circle pulsed with light and as he averted his eyes he hoped the changes he had made to summoning spell wouldn't cause problems, if all went well Inu would function as a secondary Master allowing the Servant to draw on it's mana pool and keep the connection stable even when his own personality submerged.

QuirkyAngel Hanarei RavenAlice

 

[Xel]

Naomi LexingtonConference Room

Naomi leaned back in her chair, hands folded behind her head, her gaze only half-heartedly on the guy rambling on. She knew enough about the war. Indeed the only reason she was even paying attention at all is because of the changes made. Working together? Hunting down the fake servants running amok for the past ten years? Seemed like less of a Holy Grail War and more like something better left to the hush hush types of the Church and Association. Still, the promise of command seals was good enough reward for her. As the man prattled on her eyes skimmed around at the other Masters assembled.

As the talking head finished she all but threw herself forward, quickly getting to her feet with little more than a "Good luck~" to her fellow Masters as she went off to the aforementioned room. The mention of catalysts and such was a great relief to her. She knew better than to rely on some random summoning. And of course she'd go for the strongest servant she could and you couldn't get stronger than a son of Briton. With the small rock in hand she made her way to the center of the room and dutifully began placing down the magic circle needed for the summoning. Even with a catalyst it was still largely up to random chance on who you got. King Arthur? Any of the knights of the round would be here choice, really. "How many people could be tied to this little stone anyways?" She looked down as she rolled the rock in her hand before her gaze shifted lower still to the now completed circle.

With a deep breath to calm her nerves she placed the stone at the center of the circle and took a few steps back to it's outer edge. Another breath followed before a loud clap resounded through the room. Her cheeks now red from the harsh slap she gave herself a little double fist-pump as she loudly exclaimed "Alright! Let's do this!" Finished pepping herself up she took up the small knife laying on a nearby table and with a click slice across her palm she began to drip droplets of blood down onto the circle as she recited the chant. Even as she spoke all she could think was one repeating wish of 'Please be strong, please be strong, please be strong'. Her words remained steady even as the circle glowed a bright blue and winds began to whip around in the confined space.

As the whirlwind and the light reached it's apex she called out in a loud voice "Come forth from the circle of bindings, Guardian of Scales!". The light becoming blindingly bright, forcing her to bring an arm up to shield her eyes to even have a chance of seeing what was happening. All she could do is wait with bated breath to see who would answer her call, her mind racing with the possibilities as she reflexively took a step back.

Private Room
Interactions: @variousMasters
Mentions: Crow (Rider)

 

[simj26]

JacobBy the GODS, did this hurt his poor back. Maybe he shouldn’t have spent all those nights clearing up paperwork, hunched over his desk. Man, they were really working him to the bone. He arched backwards, and swore he could hear something crack as he did. He let out a groan of pain and fell back onto the floor in exhaustion. Really, this was the worst. He glanced at his watch. It was only half past five. “Dammmiiiiiitt.” He let out another groan. This was the worst. He would have liked to start at maybe midnight, at the twelfth chime of the bell, or perhaps the witching hour itself. Now, he had to work even harder to make it work. He hated those words in any combination- Hard, and work. Maybe he didn't think this through enough. There was no way he was qualified to take part in this war. Would the Grail even answer his call? Would any Servant even be spat out from that thing? There was every chance that it could see through his disguise and just reject him outright if he didn’t get this right. It might even explode or blow up in his face. That wouldn’t be a pretty sight. He sat up and brushed his unruly hair aside. Ugh, whatever. He was going to see this through. He slowly got to his feet, and set his jacket on a nearby chair. He tugged his black gloves off of his hands, and took in a deep breath.

"Alright, here goes then." He flicked his fingers outwards repetitively and hopped on one feet to the next, as if he was warming out for a bout, steadied himself, paused, then continued to psyche himself up. "Okay, right, yeah, I can do this. Nothing wrong's gonna happen to me. It won't blow up in my face. Alright, WHOO! Let's do this!" With a gleam of a knife, he cut himself across his palm, letting blood flow. He set the knife down, and removed a vial from his pocket, glowing a light blue even in the light of the overhead lamp. He uncorked it with his thumb, and dripped a few drops of the container’s contents into his blood, where it turned crimson on contact, like the rest of his blood. There was no more hesitation. The vial set down, he raised his hand over the summoning circle, letting the contaminated blood drip into it.

"Let silver and steel be the essence.
Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation
Let the breath of this soul freely be the proof of purification!
Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall
Let the four cardinal gates close.
Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.

I hereby declare.
Your body shall serve under me.
My fate shall be your sword.
Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail
If you will submit to this will and this reason…Then answer this call!
An oath shall be sworn here!
I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven.
I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell!"

As the words were spoken, the circle at his feet began to envelop itself in a bright, blinding light. In its burning glow, it was almost impossible to see his eyes change colour, transforming into a golden shade as he continued to pour his energy into the summoning. An image flashed in his eyes, and for a second, he hesitated. It was the same as hers. Should he? He gritted his teeth, and reached out with his mind.

"From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power,
Come forth from the ring of restraints,
Protector of the Something Or Another!"

An explosion of light blasted him backwards as he completed the chant, sending him crashing into the wall behind him. He made a sound that was a cross between a very anguished yelp and a very anguished quack as he struck the wall. Scrambling to his fours, he patted the floor around him in search of his glasses that had been knocked off his face in the explosion. He managed to find the fragile piece of glass and metal and returned it to his face post-haste, blinking away the stars in his eyes, trying to catch a look at his Servant. Did it work?! Did it really blow up in his face?! He glanced down at the back of his palm, where three red marks had appeared upon it, resembling three petals of a lotus, and taking the shape of one. At the very least, he believed it was a lotus. The normally dull lines now glowed slightly. His Servant! Holy Gods! Did he manage to do it? Did he manage to pull off the impossible?

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Elsewhere...​

"Ah, so, as I was saying. My husband is just never home nowadays..." From across the bartop, a regular customer prattled on about something or another. She was in her fifties, well-off, impossibly shrill, and seemed to have even less friends than her solitary, white-haired audience member. Thrice a week she'd show up on her doorstep, order the most expensive thing on the menu, and get to talking her ear off. The woman had taken to calling it 'girl talk' as of late, but her designated listener felt more like it was just some sort of one sided venting.

"Mmm. Yeah. That's awful." She mumbled inbetween the patron's breaths. Trudy, she was pretty sure that wasn't her name, was certainly a good source of income. Both a faultless alcoholic and a great tipper, but by the gods she was boring. Just yesterday she'd had a much more interesting customer. He'd gone on rambling about all sorts of things. Ghosts, movies, monsters, some urban myth about a cafe purgatory, and even an eyeball selling train. She was pretty sure that the guy was just out of his mind, but at least he'd been entertaining and spared her from hearing about...

"Oh! And don't even get me started on Trudy!" Right, that. Also, Trudy was her friend's name, apparently. "She had the gall to COMMIT TERROR at my STATES OF garden!" The bartender blinked. Had she heard that right? No, no, there was no way. Snapping herself out of her daze, her head jerked up and her eyes met with those of the woman. Then, they drifted across the room, eventually settling on the television nestled in the corner. It was time for the News. That explained things.

Her hands shifted beneath the counter, and the channel switched to display some foreign soap opera.

"Right, then..." This was a sign. Usually when she started hearing things like that, it meant she needed to eat. "Sorry Tr-" As an appetizer, she bit her own tongue. "Er, uh. Dearie. Sorry, it's time for my break. Keiny should be able to take care of you, though."

As she wandered out from behind the bar and out the front door, she could feel a pair of stink eyes fixed to her back. Was that lady going to complain about her while she was gone? Probably. Did she mind? Probably not.

Head down the gravel road, take the second right, take two lefts, walk for twenty meters and then head up two flights of stairs. Those were the directions to the Guizhou's Worst Bartender's favorite noodle shop, if you're curious.

"Singapore-style noodles. Pork. Double- Mm. Sorry, triple portion. No vegetables. Thanks." As she arrived, the woman listed off her order like she'd had it committed to memory. Because she did. It'd been seven months since she started coming here, and she'd still only eaten about three things off of the menu. A young girl behind the counter nodded as she jotted the instructions down, and then yelled them over her own shoulder.

If she remembered correctly, this was the owner's granddaughter. Hopefully she wouldn't slow things down too much. If she wasn't back at the shop before six, her dear partner was going to be holding it over her head all night.

Arne simj26

 

[Gunnhildr]

Ignited inside the room that was barely lit, from the circle of summoning was sparks of lightning. They quickly subsided, however, leaving an earthy scent filling the space within the walls. Stood before Wilfred, and on the magical circuit was a woman standing around her twenties; structure-wise that is. Unlike her grey hair that gave off the vibe of an old lady, or even the antique, medieval-looking clothes that covered most of her. Her posture was straight and looked like she was in spurt of massive health.

Her once closed eyes revealed themselves underneath the grey-colored eyelashes. And soon she stared at the only living human inside the room with intensity. Despite the room that’s dimly lit, she was still able to make out the appearance of the man she’s facing. He looked like knight, not only appearance-wise, but as well the vibe radiating from him, she admitted. Not long after, she did a light courtesy to him before proceeding to introduce herself.

“My name is Mary Anning, a berserker."

"From now on, I shall be in your care, ..sir Master."

If one would notice, there was a hesitation in her tone, one that brought along awkwardness. Could she really be blamed, though?

This was, after all, her first time battling for the Holy Grail. And her first time to call an entity a "Master".

EMIYAman

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Location: China, Hong Kong, Wu Shu Xue building.


Alan Martin had just reached for his water bottle, after his long, grueling spiel about the grail war, when he felt a presence approach him. Gripping the plastic so it was snug in his hand, Alan turned to face a mage who, by all rights and purposes, shouldn’t even be in the room. Why Johnny had let him in at when he had driven away all the other curious onlookers in the building, Alan could only guess. Likely a matter of politics and bureaucracy. The guy had “friends” in high places as a leading specialist in the field of technomancy and an internet celebrity…of sorts. Making an enemy of many of the old families with his obscure channel that had been gaining a bit of popularity these last 10 years was certainly one way to gain fame.

Truthfully, Alan had nothing against Zephyrus Anemoi. They were both roughly the same age and relative experts in their field. He’d even watched a couple of Arcane_Hawxz’s streams. Found the guy’s internet personality incredibly funny. He could even get behind technomancy if it meant combining the two things he loved most: games and magecraft. Taking virtual reality a step further by incorporating magecraft in the mix to create a magical video games was definitely something he didn’t mind tossing funds into.

Still.

Business was business and reality was reality.

Alan had grown a lot since he was inducted into the “secret grail war” 10 years ago. He was no longer the ignorant kid who thought he was smarter than every else because magecraft came easily to him. Who had thought himself invincible. It had been all fun and games until he got his arm cut off. If Zephyr kept doing what he was doing, he was very likely to die. If not killed by his own people then by the non-mages who hated or feared his magic. History had proven time and time again that secrecy was necessary to maintain the order and structure of their society—one that was in peril even as they spoke.

Alan drank the water, letting cool liquid moisten his throat, before setting down the bottle and answering. “Zephyrus, right?”

He placed a prosthetic hand on the drone that closed in on him. “I don’t know how things are done in Clocktower,” He did. “But here in Wu Shu Xue, we don’t let in outside cameras or appreciate media interference in our affairs. It’s to protect the privacy of our students, you see, as well as the magecraft practiced here.”

Electricity buzzed from the tips of his fingers, slipping into any circuit boards and causing the drone to short circuit, dropping it to the ground. A glance at the other three drones caused them to react in a similar manner. The fact that Zephyr was even able to get such technology into a building full of mages and saturated with mana was a testament to his skills in technomancy. “In the future, I hope you’ll be so kind as to ask for permission before making any recordings within Wu Shu Xue premises. In addition, I would appreciate it if any recordings made about the 8th Grail War go through me, or my personal assistant, Mr. Lee before being made public. This is for the safety and privacy of all the participants who've come to China to compete for the grail as well as any involved staff.”

His eyes flickered to Pythia’s scantily dressed form meaningfully, a knowing expression on his face, before shifting away as Johnny and Pailing once more returned from leading the willing Masters down the West Hall and East Hall respectively. Most of them were more tame than he expected them to be given the more rigid structure compared to previous wars. Then again, perhaps some of them might’ve already been pre-warned of the changes that resulted from rouge Servants and Masters causing havoc. No matter how sneaky they thought they were about these things, it always seemed to have a way of “getting out”. Especially with the church’s desire to win and characters like Zephyr running amok.

Gaze returning to Zephyrus, Alan smiled. “But it's not as if I don't understand your curiosity. Work with me and I will answer all questions to the best of my ability. Otherwise, I must ask you to leave.”

Ian Temero

Neither Pailing nor Johnny stayed in the individual rooms they lead the Masters to for very long. They stuck around for a bit in case any help was needed or catalysts requested. However, when it came to the actual summoning and individual interactions with Servants, the Masters were left to their own privacy. To excessively assist or interfere with a summoning was a breach of their impartiality as overseers, after all.

“Hehe, I heard that Johnny-Gēgē~” Pailing Lao giggled. “Luc-key! I think he likes you~”

Johnny rolled his eyes. Pailing might not have noticed the strange way Franz Schattenberg spoke, but it hadn’t gone pass him. The tone. The manner of speaking. It was as if he had—for a split second—become an entirely different person. According to the dossier they had, Franz Schattenberg was wanted by the Church for the murder of his family after a failed possession ritual. It wasn’t really hard to put two and two together. Ruler would be able to tell for certain with her Noble Phantasm whether or not Shattenberg was a murderer. Such a person was unlikely to make a good wish to benefit the world. Many of them Johnny doubted would make good wishes at all. Yet the heroic spirit, famed for her wisdom and revelations in life, had insisted that each of masters had a role to play in the path towards the best future—whatever that best future may be.

Such visions were far beyond what a regular human like him could comprehend.

“You need to brush up on your English a bit more, Pailing. Your accent is showing.”

“Lǎoshī thinks it good enough. That’s good enough for Pailing!”

“Dǎoxiàng qì is soft on you.”

Pailing stuck out her tongue childishly. Then she changed the subject. “Who, do you think will win, Johnny-Gēgē?”

“Who knows…”

More important was whether the Masters and summoned Servants would be able to help them in the calamity to come.

(mentioned: IG42 )

 

[LostHaven]

Caster of Light

Ruined Lair - Italy | Gundam Watcher 27 ​

Normally, what followed would be shock from the prideful dragon as Ryuga, by some miracle, came out unscathed from Fafnir's fire breath. Alas, the girl was no longer there, all that remained was a spiteful body driven by madness and the thirst to destroy.

In the place of an egotistical remark was a savage and ferocious tail swipe that flew at him in a crescent manner sweep, as the beast responded swiftly to Ryuga's fleet footwork - who, unfortunately was far too deep in, and committed to his attack to easily dodge an attack of such diameter.

What followed next would defy all logical thinking - or perhaps, expected because of the beast's lack of reason. Regardless of whether the attack landed or not, the beast would let out a roar that shattered even the sky. It then extended its wings, as it suddenly took to the sky. Then, it let another screech as it stopped its ascent and hovered in the air, as it raised its head backward, the underside of its throat lighting up in a deep blue.

An immeasurable amount of pressure permeating the air, as all those beneath would be filled with an overwhelming dread, as if their instinct to survive was going ballistic. This would be doubly true for Ryuga as the draconic blood within his veins would likely be trembling before a dragon larger, more ferocious, and infinitely more powerful than himself.

The creature had used it once before, and was the sole culprit for the barren, toxic desert that was once a city which plagued Ryuga's surroundings; Fafnir's Noble Phantasm: Akafiloga Agrise ○ Vindictive Dragon's Breath <Incineration of Being>.

Now, all that was left to flee in vain, or bow one's head and accept purgation.

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

True Caster​

The sea-salty smell of brine, and the acrid stench of brimstone. Starkly contrasting, yet equally intertwined a set of scents fill the enclosed office space. Sharply, the pungent smell of sulfur cuts into the cool, conditioned air. The scent of punishment, turmoil, and the afterlife. Beneath it hides a series of notes more complex. Moss, seaweed, salt, the ocean, the sweat off of a hardworking sailor's back, vanishing into the tumultuous depths below.

Within the Master's half-twisted magicks, a window to the past is torn open. With him as the center, cracks in reality ripple out as blindingly pure veins of light. Fed by the steady drip of his magic, the room pulses with a verdant liveliness. As the light brightens and coalesces, the window does too. Memories are transcribed into thought, thought into atoms, and atoms into life.

Briefly the crack is split wide, and the overwhelming stench of ozone spills forth, before the room is once again plunged into normalcy.

For a scant few moments, there is silence. Before her summoner, a woman clad in clothes hardly two centuries old stands, quietly observant. Around the room a pair of enchanting, purple eyes wander, decorated by a set of unsightly rings, one of the few signs of tarnish upon an otherwise flawless complexion. First, they drift about the room, curiously studying the architecture of the new age. The manufactured carpeting, the robotically painted walls, each bringing with it a set of foreign sensations. Following suit with her eyes, the woman herself behind to wander too. Still silently, she shuffles around the room, taking in quirks, messiness, and all.

Finally, after what seems like an eon, she comes to settle on the star of the show, and her expression splits into a charming grin.

"Lovecraft. I assume we'll be working together?" Locking eyes with her summoner, the woman speaks plainly and professionally, though to the trained ear a hint of predatory glee might haven been heard slipping through.

simj26

 

[Gundam Watcher 27]

Ryuga Tohsaka
( LostHaven )

Ryuga was too focused to pay attention to the tail swipe that was aimed at him. He got struck on his side, the sound of something cracking filling his head as he flew into the dirt and skidded a couple of meters.

Ryuga slowly got up, his left hand on the area where the tail had struck, as he watched Fafnir fly off into the air, before she... No, before the monster that used to be her, was preparing an all too familiar attack, one that nearly took his own life were it not for one of the other Servants coming in to save him.

Regardless, Ryuga looked up at the Dragon, and the flames gathering in its mouth. He clenched the fist that was on his side, as he couldn't do anything. The attack which nearly killed him, was going to happen again....​

 

[FoldedPages]

Saber

​

A sudden urge and calling coursed through the veins of the invoked servant, her body manifesting in the summoning circle. As a blinding light veiled the room in warmth, a swift gust of wind encircled the servant, her rose-hued hair, and dark tangerine clothes following the direction of the wind. As both the light and draft subsided, the young woman descended gracefully on the ground, her hair and clothes settling in their rightful place. A rather large sword, its structure resembling that of a large bone, was perched lackadaisically on the woman's right shoulder. Slowly, the woman opened her eyes to reveal kind, but unwavering deep crimson irises, her pupils dilating to adjust to the darkness. They immediately locked onto the woman before them, and the newly summoned Saber tilted her head curiously.

"Oh?" She hummed with delight, "It seems that I've been called upon by such a cute master." The statement was light-hearted, but the servant was not convinced if the woman was truly worthy of her blade quite yet. While pondering the situation, she tapped the dull side of her blade carelessly on her shoulder. Despite her nonchalant demeanor, an air of superiority radiated off Saber, her mere presence commanding. Cautiously, she stepped forward, examining her master all the while. Saber could sense something was... off about this master. Though she appeared human, the atmosphere around her begged to differ. This piqued Saber's interest.

"I am Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians," She introduced herself, a confident smile brightening her face. "Your wish and mine are now one, but are you worthy of my blade, master?"

​

​

​

​

​

Interactions: Hanarei ​

 

[LostHaven]

Rider of Dark

Ruined Lair - Italy | Gundam Watcher 27 ​

The Dragon prepared to unleash its Noble Phantasm. Yet, at the same time, footsteps sounded in the distance. Somebody was rushing toward Ryuga, though the frequency of which this 'person' was striking the ground with their feet would suggest that what was rushing toward Ryuga was not a man, but another beast.

Sure enough, in the distance, an enormous black wolf the size of around a car was bounding toward Ryuga, leaping high into the air. Then, while it was midair, its form shifted to that of a humanoid clad in jet-black armour. He was Garmr, the Rider of Dark. As Garmr rushed toward Ryuga, he also appeared to be chanting something under his breath.

"I art the Guardian of Hel's Gate,
Hereby I bar thee dishonoured from these Gates.
Thus wander this mortal plane until the death of time!"

Immediately after Garmr had spoken those words, a rune appeared in the ground underneath Ryuga as icy fog poured forth from it. A circle of purple light manifested itself around the rune, drawing an area around the duo of 150 meter diameter - his own Noble Phantasm.

Then, Fafnir unleashed her Noble Phantasm, and the sky was lit with the deep blue flame that descended upon the two like as if the sky itself had been set aflame, and was collapsing down upon them. Even as the fires of avarice set aflame even the barren ground, melting the earth around them, Ryuga would realize his consciousness did not fade, though, neither he nor Garmr would be spared the hellish agony of having their beings incinerated through and through, until not even ashes remained.

The wicked flames took no more than a few minutes to die down, and when it did, all that was left was the small circular platform of earth Garmr and Ryuga stood upon, and the ruins of Fafnir's lair before them. All else around them had once again been turned to a molten hellscape, and miraculously, Ryuga and Garmr seemed to be completely fine - as if the tortuous agony from mere moments ago were simply a dream.

Garmr's eyes stared Ryuga with animalistic ferocity, as Garmr clasped his deathly chill gauntlet around Ryuga's collar. "Thou art a blundering idiot!" He yelled at Ryuga, seemingly disgruntled. "I warned thee of my most ruinous luck, and yet thou would think to then test thine own?! If only thou inherited the wisdom of an ancient dragon too!" He continued to yell angrily at Ryuga, icy fog pouring forth from the sides of their mask as they shouted at the man.

Garmr came to a halt however, as both him and Ryuga were alerted to the beating of wings as Fafnir descended down to deal the killing blow. "Thy stupidity hath doomed us both," Garmr snarled as he clasped Ryuga by the side, hauling Ryuga over his shoulder like baggage, before making a break for it.

As Garmr ran across the molten earth and sand, their greaves made a 'hiss' each time they struck the ground for a fraction of a second. "It cannot chase us far as it needs to remain near the lair. Do not try this again, or I shall make stew with thy head." Garmr warned as he continued to flee the maddened Dragon.

 

[Gundam Watcher 27]

Ryuga Tohsaka
I'm Dead! Oh wait....
LostHaven

Ryuga's heart beat rapidly as Fafnir had shot its flames at him. Ryuga felt as if time was slowing down, every second becoming just five seconds more, and his own memory fading, as he heard footsteps. Wait, Footsteps? But there shouldn't be anyone or anything else here....

A black wolf had Somehow gotten into the battlefield, and was running at him. He suddenly remembered everything. That wolf was....
It quickly transformed into a human, a knight clad in dark armor, and wore a mask that conceled his Lowe face, as he spoke a chant. Suddenly, a rune appeared under them as the inferno struck, Ryuga feeling himself burning to nothingness.

Ryuga, was quiet. He laughed at himself, before thinking.
It's just like when I was with Caster... To think I'd end up getting saved again.....

His smile then died, becoming a frown as his hair concealed his eyes.

After the flames died, Ryuga was all fine and well, except for the bruised side due to the tail swipe. Rider had taken this brief moment to yell at him, and he was reminded yet again that he wasn't a luck generator himself. And to add he was also called a half-breed.

I'm not a true Dragon... I Know that... But I needed to... I had to...

They were Quickly alerted to the dragon coming towards them, as Garm lifted Ryuga up Mikazuki Augus style, as he raced off away from the dragon, while issuing a small threat.

Ryuga would reply with a simple, "Understood."



​

 

[Hanarei]

Lorina​

Lorina's eyes adjusted once again as the light dimmed and the Servant she had summoned appeared before her. Her appearance was... perhaps a bit unexpected. While the catalyst helped to determine who would be drawn to appear, it wasn't as if she really had a clear idea of her appearance. She didn't seem to portray that of a fighter off a quick glance, though she could feel a rather command aura emanating from her simply being in the room. It was one that she had to admit she might of been swept up in herself had it not been her strong dedication to a higher power that guided her.

The Dhampir was a little surprised by her first choice of words, tilting her head almost as if mimicking the servants own gesture seconds ago as she was called cute. It was a rather unusual thing for her to be called. Sure, she had drawn the attention of... unsavory types... but she typically spent much of her time working or isolated away. The night tended to be the time she was most active and the ones who usually saw her didn't have much to say afterwards for... obvious reasons. She watched as Saber approached her feeling her eyes linger upon her. Lorina's red eyes remained unflinching looking directly into the heroic spirit's eyes unwavering even as she introduced herself and asked of her worthiness.

"My name is Lorina, servant of the Holy Church. My job is to serve the almighty's will in purging evil from this world." She spoke as an introduction to herself bowing her head lightly as to show she could be humble. She picked her head back up looking at her once more. Just a moment of thought was all she needed.

"How should one prove themselves to you? If my claim to my duty in life might not be enough, do you seek me to bow before you in servitude? If so, I have no desire to do such a thing for i serve only for His call and what he so desires. I will say equally so I have no desire to have you bow before me as well for I seek not power over you but you cooperation in serving the greater good before any selfish desires. Getting to the point of fighting for my own selfish wish, I leave it open to you rejecting me forthright as something of a separate matter." She finished speaking for a moment seeming to be in thought a bit more.

"Perhaps a show of dedication to this cause might deem my worthiness?" She spoke as she walked to the side, grabbing one of her large revolvers. She opened the cylinder taking out the ammunition giving it a glance over before inserting one single bullet in, spinning it before locking it back in place pointing the large barrel directly at her head.

"A pull of the trigger to show my dedication to this cause... would that elicit my worth?" She spoke as her voice made it clear she wasn't attempting to be snarky at all and was being quite serious. She kept a stern look upon her face showing her resolve. Naturally, there wasn't any threat to Lorina's life though if she did have to pull the trigger it was far from the most pleasant experiences to have... particularly given the larger ammunition her weapons used then a typical pistol or revolver.

Mentioned: FoldedPages

 

[Father Gigantor]

Amberley Manning
​

The door to the summoning room shut behind Amberley, as she moved from the decidedly unflattering conference room into an area far more comforting to her. Poor lighting, four walls and a suitable place for her to rest her bum, the only thing that stopped the room from being potential lodging for her was a lack of internet connectivity. The slothful Homunculus took advantage of the newfound isolation to sprawl herself out on the floor with a groan, now that there was no need to maintain appearances. The bright red wig that sat on her firmly bound mop of hair slipped off as she did so, much to her relief. It had begun to itch something fierce which, on top of the previous hour or so spent in the company of other sentient beings, had made the afternoon quite the misery. Ordinarily simple dye and contacts got the job done, but the missive she'd received at her residence in Lyon just days prior was quite chillingly, not addressed to Amberley Manning, but instead to one Mykhaila Yakivna Andrusyak.

"Mykhaila Yakivna Andrusyak..."

She repeated the name once more aloud, the first time in just shy of a century. Amberley had hoped her birth name would remain nothing more than a simple footnote in the recesses of her memory, but instead it lay before her, plainly written in black ink on an archaic piece of parchment paper. The rest of the letter's contents mattered little, because the name of the addressee told her all she needed to know; the senders wanted her compliance, and if she valued her own skin, she'd give it quietly. An enigmatic threat, with enigmiatic motives. How very typical of the Mage's Association.

Though the association might have sussed her out, there was certainly no guarantee her competitors would have, meaning necessary precautions would have to be taken. The getup that she adorned herself in was a far cry from the casual slacks and hoodies that she was so fond of. The red wig that was previously sat atop her crown was the most elaborate one she could find in the store, and the lilac dress she wore was exceedingly garish and gaudy, reflecting the snobbishness and lack of good taste that was very characteristic of most self-important magi. Her opponents in the war would likely be nothing less than cutthroat opportunists, and the less they truly knew about her the better.

Newly rejuvenated thanks to her five minute stint of floorbound inactivity, Amberley returned to her feet and refocused herself on the task of summoning her servant. Some actual knowledge of the entire process would probably be useful in the situation, but now wasn't the time to get worked up on trivalities, it was far too late for that. There was also the other minor issue of her being entirely unable to perform magecraft at all, but once again, details details. At worst she'd just leave without accomplishing anything with a free hotel breakfast, hardly the end of the world. If she could replicate her father's favorite varenyky recipe just from observations and memory, how hard could this be?

First up was the summoning circle, easy enough to do. The magi of Andrusyak manor never ever cleaned up after themselves, so Amberley had plenty of experience cleaning the drawn circles up once they inevitably failed at their endeavours. Ten minutes passed and Amberley stopped to admire her handiwork. The connecting lines could probably have been straighter, and she wasn't entirely certain the runes in the centre were supposed to resemble text emojis so closely, but it looked pretty damn good for an eyeballed job.

The second problem was a trickier task to tackle. Though she had confidence she could parrot at least 70% of the Andrusyak summoning chant from memory, she didn't quite feel like taking her chances with an incomplete ritual. Her only other option was a catalyst with which to bypass the chant, but she had failed borrow one during the meeting, preoccupied with scarfing down the oyster omelette that she had procured for lunch. She set about to scanning her belongings for anything that could vaguely be used as a catalyst, but unless her garments were woven with the finest ancient egyptian cotton, she was likely out of luck.

Scanning the length of her abdomen, her gaze fell upon her holstered pistol concealed beneath the frills of her dress.

An original model CZ 75, this Czech made, polished black pistol once belonged to an Andrusyak hired goon and was one of the things Mykhalia had purrloined from the manor's premises during that fateful day in 1986. Amberley had no knowledge of any Czechoslovakian heroes, or if any even existed, but the pistol was about the only 'historical' thing within the confines of the dark room. She had little choice but to take her chances, because the alternative was being forced to return outside and endure further prolonged bouts of social interaction. Amberley placed the firearm in the centre of the circle, shutting her eyes and raising her arm in preparation. Though the ritual certainly lacked... ceremonial flair, the foolhardy Homunculus girl nonetheless steeled her confidence and began to focus.

Amberley's head began to uncomfortably swim.

The Andrusyak family crest, carved cleanly onto her left shoulder blade, seemed to emit several melodic humming voices. The humming shortly after turned into chanting, the voices chanting the forgotten incantations in place of Amberley's own voice. She mentally followed alongside as the chanting voice, ignoring the increasingly rapidly beating of her heart. As they entered the final verse, she instinctively opened her mouth, and gave voice to the words that came to her.

"Come forth from the ring of restraint, Protector of the Balance!"

A flash of light bled through her closed eyelids as she uttered the words. She felt a wave of force impact her entire body, forcing her back onto her right foot and sending her belongings flying across the room. As the light assaulting her face began to subside, a burning sensation crept up her dominant hand, same as the one she felt when her red seals manifested. Could it really be happening? A success beyond her wildest dreams? Amberley steeled herself for the sight that would greet her, before opening her eyes to gaze upon the figure before her.

LostHaven

 

[LostHaven]

True Assassin

Wu Shu Xue Building - Hong Kong | Father Gigantor ​

A shining pyre of light glared from the centre of the summoning circle, followed by an inexplicably forceful gust of wind. As the light began to subside, a single silhouette made itself known. The first noticeable feature was the servant's headgear, which upon first inspection would be immediately recognizable as a military peaked cap, blatantly clueing towards the Heroic Spirit's identity.

As the light subsided, the servant's full visage would be revealed - golden hair that flowed with the wind, and eyes blue as the sky, scouring Amberley through and through. The servant was clad in a black military uniform, with an ornamental sabre sitting on their belt to the left. However, most noticeable was the red band that sat on their left arm, decorated with a white circle with a black swastika with its arms facing clockwise - the unmistakable symbol of the Third Reich.

The servant's stoic expression shifted to a small smirk as they dipped downward into a bow before the one to be their master. "Now zen, zis is qvite intriguing, it seems zough ve vill be partners henceforth," they spoke out in a heavy German accent. "Ze Butcher of Prague, Reinhard Tristen Eugen Heydrich, at your service. I am ze Assassin-class servant of zis var."

Finally, Assassin raised her head as her gleaming eyes met with Amberley's. "So, tell me, master, vhat is it zat you vish for?"

 

[LostHaven]

Rider of Dark

Fleeing the Ruined Lair - Italy | Gundam Watcher 27 ​

"Thou hast better understand if thou wishes to keep thy organs where they belong," Garmr growled beneath his mask, still sprinting at an absurd speed. Behind them, the Dragon seemed to relent in its pursuit of Ryuga and Garmr, as they continued distancing themselves from Fafnir's lair.

In one last stretch, mana gathered in the heels of Garmr's greaves, releasing as Garmr leapt to propel the black knight, and Ryuga into the sky. They landed some considerable distance further, as Rider of Dark too relented to a much less frightening pace. Before too long, Garmr and Ryuga had arrived outside the barricaded-off wasteland that was a result of Fafnir's Noble Phantasm. A sleek, jet-black car with the shining 'Ferrari' brand at the front and rear was parked not too far in the distance. As they drew closer to the car (with Ryuga still hauled over Rider's shoulder), the number plate on the back would become legible, seemingly spelling out: 'GARM0B1L3'.

From out of nowhere, Rider seemingly retrieved a set of keys as he pointed toward the black car, pressing one of many buttons as the car's lights clicked to life, before practically tossing Ryuga into the back seat before slamming the door on him. "Fasten thine seatbelt," Garmr snarled as he propped himself comfortably into the driver's seat as the engines began to screech. "I tread at the edge of losing mine licence," he warned as he slammed the accelerator, then literally breaking the speed limit by reaching 179 km/hr.

"I receieved a letter from a mage alliance of some nature that urged us to depart to a land called 'Hong Kong'. Thy kind are quite obsessed with sending cryptic letters as a means of communications," Garmr told Ryuga some ten minutes since he had began driving, pulling out a letter from the storage compartment in between the front seats, and handed it to Ryuga while looking back, completely neglecting to look in front of him while driving.

"Perhaps thou ought to test thine luck with them, and find allies to assist thy cause?" Rider suggested. By some miracle, he had not yet driven his overpriced car off the road. Thankfully, due to Fafnir's undying rampage, literally nobody dares to come near the area anymore.

 

[Crow]

True Rider

"Ahahahaha... AHAHAHAGAGAGAGA! GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

A being materialized from Naomi's summoning, its cackling very audible. This being could not be called a man. It had a pumpkin for a head and it wore fine armour, rusted from the ethereal flames that continued to burn, yet its cape was cold.

"How ironic. I am the one who calls fiends from beyond, yet this time, I am the fiend being called from beyond. Nevertheless, I am most amused by my circumstances..."

The pumpkin-headed thing leans his pumpkin head towards Naomi.

"Not even I know my true name, or perhaps I have many, all of which are real, but for now, I am to be known as Rider. As a member of this servant class, I am the incarnation of speed, conquering and exploration. I hope to conquer and explore something by the end of this Grail War. Mmhmmhmm..."

The pumpkin thing places his armour-coated fingers under Naomi's chin.

"I ask of you...

... are you my Master?"

Xel​

 

[Gundam Watcher 27]

Ryuga Tohsaka
LostHaven

Ryuga was brought to the edge of the quarantine zone where Rider would then stop at a vehicle Ryuga couldn't forget about.

"I'm surprised you didn't drive into the area with the Garmmobile."

He didn't respond to his statement and instead just tossed him into the backseat before being reminded to buckle up.

Several minutes later, Ryuga was quiet, thinking about how he could save Fafnir, when Garm brought something up that Ryuga wasn't told of.

"A Mage Alliance? What would a group of Mages be doing in Hong Kong with this war going on? This all sounds suspicious if you ask me."

Garm would then ask if he wanted to depart for there to test his luck. Ryuga was about to answer when his heart skipped a beat for a moment, as his eyes looked.... Different, if only for a second, but they returned to normal afterwards.

​