"...And that's all for today's lecture. Remember: next week will be a vacation for all of you, but I suggest you continue preparing for your exams regardless of that fact. I've sent you all some review materials on the off-chance that you do decide to review. Class dismissed."

With the teacher's final words, the entirety of the class—Jason included—packed away their belongings and began to slip out of the room in short order. A few stayed behind to ask questions of their own, regardless of whether they were warranted or not, but as far as 'days that vacation began' went, this one was fairly uneventful.

The laid-back chattering of students occasionally slipped by Jason's ears as he eavesdropped every so often: the next Servant Tournament matchups and participants, the popularity of the Masters at the school itself... In fact, everyone present seemed to be swept up in that sort of mood.

It was awkward to Jason, though, that all of his friends had split off elsewhere. Though he had arrived seven years ago to Fusang City and made his share of friends, that group had ended up being split up to go to various other schools across the city. Last he had checked, there was something about how the city had sorted its students based on some criteria yet unknown to him that had caused all of this, but the younger Jason didn't know anywhere near enough about the bureaucracy to make heads or tails of it. Even now, he still didn't understand it, but by now all of them had made their own new cliques and were spending time with new friends instead.

Except for him, of course.

While Jason was on speaking terms with everyone else in his class (to the point where he could have a casual conversation without regard to something like class projects or extracurriculars), to say that he had a close group of friends to confide in now would be a bit of a lie. To put it simply, his school—Ertroine High School—was a place founded by magi and intended for magi. Of course, the higher ups in the city had declared an ultimatum to allow for other students to apply for more "standard" curriculums, but the core of the systems were in place. While discrimination was officially against the code of conduct, the sheer amount of students hailing from magi families that decided not to send their children off to the Clock Tower (for whatever reason) and their general upbringing was enough to make him stand out.

With no reason to stay at the school for the moment, Jason wasted no time in leaving the premises and heading off to the nearby convenience store to buy himself a snack. Once there, though, the radios installed in the building seemed to speak, as if on cue.

"Sigurd has managed to defeat Gawain in this week's Featured Match, brough to you today by..."

"Oh, he actually won that matchup?" Jason asked himself, picking up a sandwich and moving over to the counter to purchase it. "I'm impressed. Wish I could've seen it live..."

Of course, it wasn't as if he could actually have gone to the venue; given how destructive battles between Servants were, only those who had summoned Servants were allowed to attend in the first place.

That... Was likely one of his biggest regrets to date. Not one that could have been avoided, all things considered, but one that he would throw his whole being into fixing if given the chance.

To be honest, she felt a little guilty.

She hadn't gone to class today. She'd claimed she was sick, and given she hadn't taken a sick day before now they'd believed her. But the truth was something completely different.

The truth was that Mihama Nanako had a plan. Unfortunately, that plan had to unfold today, of all days. There wasn't really any way to get around it, she had to target the time of the month, the time of day, when her power as a magus was at its peak. That happened to be during the school day, today. So she didn't really have any choice.

She couldn't really lie to herself and claim she wasn't nervous. The last time she'd attempted something like this... well... she didn't really like to think about it. But now, things were going to be different. She was going to summon a Servant! Nanako could barely contain her excitement at the prospect. She was really going to summon someone... she'd been trying to obtain a catalyst, but that was easier said then done. Nanako supposed that finding an ancient artifact tied to a specific heroic spirit was going to be pretty difficult, after all.

Most of the day until now had been spent cleaning her apartment. It hadn't exactly been easy, not because her apartment was messy(it wasn't! It really wasn't!) but because locating a position to place the circle was kind of difficult. There wasn't a ton of room where she lived, and on top of that it wasn't really possible to make a circle on carpet. So she'd ended up settling for doing it in the kitchen. It was a little on the cramped side, she'd probably end up apologizing to whoever it was she managed to summon...

But Nanako was still really excited! This time she was more prepared. Having to use chicken blood was a little gross, but for rituals like this some kind of sacrifice was usually required. If you couldn't fill it in with mana, you had to use something else. And Nanako was hardly a fountain of mana. She was sure she could sustain a Servant, but she didn't really have the means to fill out the ritual like that.

And so chicken blood it was! As gross as it was to work with, spilling it all over her kitchen floor, onto the circle.

Aaah... what historical figure would she summon? What were they going to be like!? Nanako had looked at other students at her school, those who had successfully summoned Servants already, and couldn't help but want the same kind of relationship. So she was going to make friends with whoever it was she summoned, no matter what!

... Well, maybe not if it was something like that creepy evil Caster that had to be taken out a month ago... She'd go right to the authorities if she got someone like that. But otherwise...

She was going to make friends with them!

Nanako tried to calm herself, however. She had to get this right. She had to take it seriously. Even though her heart was pounding in her chest, it was time.

The brunette took a deep breath. She'd practiced the chant every night, just in case.

"Silver and iron to the origin..."

She could already feel the mana flowing through her body.

Nanako was certain...

This time she'd succeed!

@PKMNB0Y

Attention, we have begun final approach to Fusang International Airport's main runway. Passengers are advised to return to their seats and buckle in. Thank you for flying with Rocktech Private Airlines, and we hope to see you again.

The voice of the captain, a jovial fellow, came over the intercom, echoing throughout the rather sizeable private airliner, closer to a large passenger jet merged with a cargo plane, rather than a well, private jet. This was a testament to the funds at the hands of the Drakos family, and of course, the overall number of personnel and cargo being flown in from the Americas. They'd had to make a few stops along the way of course, given where the city-state was located, and even aerial refuel at one point with a tanker aircraft, but here they were, making the final approach. Relief personnel moved about the aircraft, checking cargo in the back bays, attendants checking with the passengers who were part of the "delegation" to Fusang.

But one person had been alone for almost the entire flight. Whether out of respect, following orders, or just not knowing how to handle the Professor's heir, Serene Drakos had been left alone in her private cabin, sans of course a communications relay via the satellite network back to Rocktech HQ in upstate New York. It wasn't to talk to her father, but rather to talk to the one person she considered a friend...if you could call a state of the art near military grade advisory AI a person. Or a friend at that. Her father was off on some adventure, the board of directors handling the day to day, odds were he was either once again hunting a rare magical artifact, or was legitimately just at some state function. She almost felt bad for the mages who might incur his ire...But enough of that.

The captain's words reached even Serene, the young heir, and mostly alright magus despite her average circuits(which were ironic given the rumors about her maternal heritage, but one digresses), starting from what she had been doing. She hadn't been talking to Drake, she'd just been staring at the box in her hands, with its multiple compartments. This box, or chest rather, wasn't holding the mystic code her father had left her, no, that was on her head, snugly in place, ready to be used if the need arose, there hadn't been time apparently for other Mystic Codes, and her adversion to blades made an Azoth sword out of question. Nay, this box was from her grandmother, and contained...cataylsts. Handpicked, as the note from her grandmother stated that these were intended to help her summon a servant most suitable to her. From what she gathered, some of these were worth a fortune. None were as grand as say a piece of the round table, but well, she had a lot of items belonging to more modern servants. Example being an original copy of one of Edison's patents, another being an item from Sir Charles Babagge's lab, and a fragment of Tesla's coil. She understood why her grandmother had gone for more recent servants, those within the past thousand years, they were more "predictable" more likely to aid the family in their ends. And less likely to draw undue attention. This was the most kindness she'd been shown in awhile. But it wasn't any of those prior mentioned items that most interested her. No, it was the actual handwriting of one of mankind's greatest geniuses that drove her to excitement.

Somehow, somehow her grandmother had managed to acquire an original drawing of Da Vinci, the legendary pioneer who had hid his own work to avoid being discovered. Sure, there were no regents for Archimedes, as she would have liked to have a shot at summoning that great figure, but all information pointed to the servants mentioned being ones who actually existed. And a city like Fusang...where servants could be summoned freely? Why, it was a chance to document them all, and send her findings back home. But enough, she had to take on her role. She had been raised to rule with an iron fist, there was no room for error. There was no room for kindness, softness. She was the Blood Iron Princess, as her public persona had been designed. The Iron Fist that would lead the Drakos family forward. She secured the box, and secured her own seat, and waited.

Fusang International Airport.

To an outsider, it was a bustling airport like any other, but to those in the know, it was the future of the magus community, if not the entire world. The past and present coming together, to reach for the future? A dream come true. And for many, a chance to meet their idols. It was a bit cloudy, but not enough to make one worry about storms. And then, it came into view. Painted in the gray and silver color scheme, the Rocktech airliner, resembling almost a 747 in appearance, engines humming as the high tech hybrid descended. Wheels deployed from casings, locking into place, flaps shifting to assist in descending. Then, touchdown occurred, the plane bouncing once, before wheels bit into the tarmac, shaking the plane and its occupants a tad, but not too badly, as it began to rapidly deaccelerate, the g-force palptable, before it reached a safe taxiing speed, and began to pull off of the runway once it was ready, and began to approach the private terminal set aside for it.

Pulling into place, cargo transported rolled out, as the plane's back began to open, akin to most standard cargo vessels, revealing a rather nice cargo bay, raw materials mixed with new tech, and personal belongings for the relief staff beginning to be unloaded. Inside, crew began to disembark, personnel following, as the portable ramp was brought up, the portable item in question being placed against the raised door out, as it then depressurized, and opened, allowing people to begin to leave. But no one did, instead moving to one side or the other of the main hallway, allowing a specific person to step out.

Inside her quarters, Serene had gotten to her feet as soon as the all clear was given, and began packing up everything else she needed. On her back went her backpack, containing all her equipment that wasn't stored in the main cargo bay, aka her laptop and portable gaming consoles. She made sure the chest was secure alongside the gaming consoles in the one suitcase, and she turned, glad that the clothes she had and other belongings would be taken care of. She left her room, walking past the people lined up, internally her heart in turmoil, she felt so...off about all this, but her face was a poker, giving nothing away. She reached the outside door, steadied herself, and began to descend, moving quickly down the ramp, towards the tarmac, where a small delegation were already waiting, likely a mix of Drakos related personnel, and whoever official people were required. Onwards, she supposed.

Streets of Fusang City

The meetup had gone well, she'd gone through all that was required, retaining the stone cold approach, and was glad that her overall appearance, mystic code that people mistook for actual horns, worked in her favor. Now, seated in the back of a family limo, Serene glanced outside, as the silent pair of security staff faced her, an aide beside her, talking about various things, Serene able to hold the conservation even without looking. Finally, she glanced over and faintly smiled as the aide confirmed that all paperwork had been handled, and that the summoning room at the family estate in the city was ready for usage as soon as Serene wished to summon, should she desire to. In response, Serene nodded to the suitcase at her feet, the aide confused at first, before realizing as Serene gave an almost sharktoothed smile, what it meant.

I see you came prepared. We've noticed Central Administration that you are ready to start proper classes as soon as needed. And that they should expect a servant to be registered in your name. Do you have one already in mind, your eminence? Serene didn't respond at first, then slowly, she chuckled, an almost villianous undertone to her laughter.

"Yes, yes I have. I know exactly who I wish to summon. Have a space prepared, preferably large enough for a servant to set up a workshop within. Don't want them expending extra effort to construct their workshop if I can help it." This elicited an almost look of fear from the aide, as the young woman realized that whoever the Princess was summoning, it had to be important. Serene silenced any response further with a hand, as she leaned back, to enjoy the sights outside. For a new chapter had started.

Watch out Fusang City, the Blood Iron Princess has arrived...

//Part 1 of ?. Further parts will entail proper setup and summoning of Da Vinci, which will be a collab between me and Caster, to save on posts.

The ensuing cloud of smoke that shrouded the kitchen room soon gave way to the arrival of a Servant very distinctly different from most of the ones that lived in Fusang City. The long purple hair and odd prosthetic heels would most certainly not match with the city's Servant database—or any database, for that matter.

With a somewhat irate look on her face, the Servant glanced over her apparent Master and let out a sight.

"This doesn't seem to be the Moon Cell... Well, it's fine. Alter Ego of pleasure, Meltryllis. Though it disgusts me from the bottom of my heart, it seems that you've summoned me here. So..."

With a bit of a frown, the Servant crossed her arms and bent down to look at the girl who had brought her here and smirked.

"You should feel honored. You are my Master, correct? So? Who do you want me to kill for you? I'll melt them down and consume them without leaving a trace, you know."

@VitaVitaAR

There was the mist! The circle was glowing! It was working! She could feel it working! She could see someone materializing, there was really a Servant appearing in her kitchen! She'd really succeeded!

Her heart hammering in her chest as she completed the ritual, Nanako tried to wave some of the mist away to get a better look at the Servant she'd summoned. Almost immediately, she was completely bewildered. The sight that greeted her didn't match any known Servants. The city's database had been formatted to catalog every mythological and historical figure that should be eligible. She'd poured over it again and again leading up to her summoning. But this...

A young girl, her age or perhaps somewhat younger. Incredibly beautiful and cute, which would be much easier to focus on if not for the fact that the way she was speaking was so... so... killing someone!? That... that wasn't unexpected, not really, Servants were often individuals who had killed others, but the way she spoke about it, as if it was the first thing she expected...

On top of that, weren't there a lot of other problems here?! Alter Ego class?! What was an Alter Ego!? Was she okay? It looked like she didn't have any legs after a certain point, instead replaced by the enormous stilt-like prosthetic limbs.

"I... I am your Master, but... but first...!" it wasn't difficult to pick up on the disdainful tone in Meltryllis's(who was that even?!) voice, "I don't want you to kill anyone! Can... we just talk first? It seems like you're really confused, er... So we need to talk things... out..."

Nanako trailed off.

What... was Meltryllis wearing? That was... just a plate... attached to her... her...

The brunette's cheeks immediately went bright red.

"... Y-you... a-also need a skirt... b-but first!" she shook her head. Dwelling on the crotch plate right now was definitely not a good idea! Meltryllis might have been literally no-one that Nanako expected, but that didn't mean she wasn't a Servant, and it didn't mean she wasn't someone worthy of respect and kindness.

After all, Nanako wanted to be friends with whoever she summoned! Even... Even if they outright said they were disgusted to be here at all!

"Do you want to sit down?" she asked, tearing her eyes away from the crotch plate, "I'm really happy you answered my summons, but I'm also really confused, so, um... we should really figure all this out!"

@PKMNB0Y

With the end of class upon the students at last, one in particular had left the classroom in an almost stealthy manner. Not because the student was looking to avoid contact with her fellow humans - if anything, Kishinami Hakuno would welcome more interaction with her classmates.Her presence was just so minuscule, the brunette tended to be seen as more of a backdrop than an actual person. Unfortunate, but she was used to it.

And besides, she had work to do.

Exiting the school building, Hakuno rose on her toes, arms raised skyward as she stretched away the fatigue in her bones, dropping back down with a small sigh. She didn't recall it being much of an issue growing up, but Hakuno had found sitting in class oddly draining as of late. Maybe being a tad more active led to her becoming restless when sitting still? Or maybe maintaining a Servant with her meagre abilities was just taking its' toll on her. Ah, speaking of which...

"Ready, Saber?" Hakuno quietly asked. She had already gotten used to the small, adorable Saber being by her side instantly. Servants were truly amazing. Especially when it came to the... unexpected spirit Hakuno had ended up calling.

@VitaVitaAR

Also in the convenience store was a strangely... uninteresting looking man. The purple hair could be considered somewhat unusual, but the rest of his features gave the impression of someone that had been carefully edited to seem unobtrusive and unremarkable. Dressed smart-casual, the most interesting thing about him was the strangely large mound of snacks that he had seemed to acquire--surely too much for one person, even a reasonably large one.

He seemed to regard the radio announcement oddly, before providing a hopefully-enlightening comment to the young man in front of him: "Sir Gawain has a troublesome habit of thinking that his boosts should be enough to carry a fight. If his opponent can endure until they expire, he is briefly more vulnerable whilst he adjusts."

The strangely bland man was, of course, Lancelot doing his best to not look obtrusive. Unlike Gawain, he had no interest in formally entering the fights--with restrictions in place to not accidentally level a swathe of the city, a series of one-on-one duels became unfairly slanted to favour his own capabilities. Informally, various minor historical figures had registered and showed an unexpected amount of success before being eliminated due to an inability to keep up without exercising their full abilities.

Maybe Sir Kay, next time, there had been no indication he was around...

Patience was one of many virtues that was should be possessed by one who desired to be both a judge and an innkeeper. A judge was one who patiently listened to testimonies and would be able to deliver a fair verdict. After all, it was the difference between condemnation and salvation, between punishment and reward. An innkeeper had to be patient with their guests, listen to their needs and complaints, and respond accordingly. Ideally, a good innkeeper would have no complaints, but an accurate prediction of the future, of what may happen, was impossible. And of course, patience was indeed something required of someone currently waiting for their Master to conclude their important lessons.

Thankfully, the Saber-class Servant Benienma had plenty of patience. In order to accompany her Master to school, for her Master's benefit(and because they were on-duty after classes) she had assigned some of her assistants to care for the inn. As of now, the tiny, redheaded girl was wearing an outfit that her Master had purchased for her. Initially, she had asserted that such a thing wasn't necessary, but Hakuno had insisted... and... ah! It was... it was perfect! The shirt even featured a picture of a lovely bird upon it, and the skirt was quite easy to move in! The thigh-high stockings were similar to her usual legwear, and while these shoes were quite different from the geta she had been used to they were very comfortable.

The kindness of her Master, buying her this outfit even though it was not required, was something that would be held near and dear to Benienma's heart.

The only sign of her usual clothing was her hat. Within it, as usual, sat one of her sparrows, currently preening itself and peering about as Beni waited for her Master. Their duties as part of Fusang's volunteer law enforcement were incredibly important, in order to preserve the safety of the innocent!

Indeed, her Master's drive to do such a thing had solidified Kishinami Hakuno as someone Benienma was proud to serve.

Soon enough, her Master had exited the school, and the small girl immediately greeted her.

"Of course I am, Master," she responded to Hakuno's question with a smile, "Our duty is of the utmost importance dechi. If I wasn't ready, I would't be serving properly as a Servant dechi."

The matters seemed rather serious, but Benienma spoke rather brightly about them. After all, she was pleased to be taking part in such an important duty. While her love of serving as an innkeeper was strong, she would never forget her duty to the innocent.

@RolePlayerRoxas

---

The letter she'd received that morning had soured her entire day.

'We hope will soon find someone to continue our bloodline with.'

It was obvious what her parents truly cared about, what they were pushing her towards. Why she was here. Even during her lessons, Seria had been unhappy. It was likely her Servant had picked up on her irritation, though she hadn't mentioned a single word to the knight. She was too proud to begin laying her problems on Mordred. Besides, she had no intent of acting on her parents' urging, for as long as she could manage. There was no need to go telling her Servant about this.

Still, the fact that she claimed to be feeling unwell towards her club as an excuse to head home early was hardly something the knight would fail to notice. Even if she was a rather rough delinquent-type, she did still make claims to knightliness... at the moment, Seria hoped that Mordred wasn't going to try and make any comments about it. She didn't want to talk about the subject.

Noting that she felt rather hungry, Seria begrudgingly decided to head to the convenience store. Maybe they'd have a candy bar or something to keep her Servant's mind off of her sour mood...

As she entered the store, she couldn't help but hear an announcement over the radio.

"... Gawain lost that fight?" she asked, "... Heh, I knew his Master was too confident. Pride doesn't mean stupidity."

Come to think of it, her Servant had known Gawain in life, hadn't she...?

@KoL@PKMNB0Y@Raineh Daze

Hye Kyou

It was true that Hye liked to study and found some aspects of magecraft highly interesting despite his obvious inability to use it, but those who were looking at Hye right now would never believe such words. The only thing that could differ Hye from a black hoodie that someone forgot on top of the desk were a few locks of a long black hair hanging from the borders of the same. Awakening due to the noise of the other students getting up and packing their things, Hye unceremoniously stretched himself, getting up from the completely empty desk he was standing in.

Truth be told, Hye didn't really need to attend that specific lecture. The classes he needed to attend were much more advanced than the one he was currently in but since he had nothing else to do on that day, due to being late for his own lecture and not allowed to get in the class, he choose to watch that one instead. Unfortunately, he already had pretty much all the content of that particular lecture memorized in his head due to him being forced to study when he was still on the Kyou family's main house. The aspects he was interested, unlike that particular lecture, were much more practical. Often things related to actual combat and, strangely enough for someone who couldn't actually use magic, regarding the very construction of spells and magecraft.

Despite the fact that he had obviously slept for the most part of the lecture, he woke up in the exact moment to hear the teacher mentioning the fact that they would have the next week free. Unsurprisingly, be it for simple lack of attention or maybe some type of selective hearing he developed in order to slack off more efficiently, he failed to hear the rest of what the teacher had to say, regarding the exams.

"That was... quite boring..." Hye mumbled to himself, yawning as he got up, taking off the hoodie that was covering his head.

As the other, obviously more motivated students, passed by the still sleepy Hye, he overheard some comments. Unsurprisingly, most of them were centered about servants. The number one reason for most mages to move to Fusang City. Be it the tournament, servant popularity in the school & etc, he rarely heard anything that wasn't about servants. Unlike most others, Hye wasn't there to summon a servant. After all... Even Hye himself had already accepted the fact that despite his incredibly high quality magic circuits, he was nothing more than a 'failure as a mage'. Despite that, it was undeniable that most mages didn't have that much of a chance against him in a fight as he was trained for the sole purpose of defeating them.

It was undeniable though that Hye was somewhat interested in servants... just like most others who were in Fusang City. The biggest difference was only that it wasn't his primary objective and his motives weren't not exciting. He was simply curious as he was never allowed to watch the battles between servants despite his combat training due to how destructive they could get. That and well... He never had the opportunity of having a friendly spar against a servant. Not that he didn't knew the outcome, of course... But still, it would be interesting to learn from a legend.

Finally free from today's lecture, Hye discreetly got the headphones he kept on his pocket, putting them on and playing some music as he calmly walked out of the classroom, whistling carelessly as he did so.

"Maybe I should try summoning a servant? Who knows... Maybe even a failure like me will be able to summon someone..." Hye said to himself with a chuckle, mocking the way as the head of the Kyou family used to call him as he exited the classroom.

"My living room should be big enough to do the ritual... I hope..." Hye thought, whistling as he decided to try summoning a servant.

Drakos Estate; Summoning Chamber

Even with the preparations her people had gone through before hand, Serene had decided to go through the checks again herself. The circle etched into the ground, she checked to make sure it was perfect, or as close as possible. It checked. She rechecked the chant, confirming that the book on site matched the records. She checked to confirm she had her catalyst, which she did. She checked to make sure that...the blood was ready. PETA be damned, blood was potent. She felt almost bad for the chicken soon to die, but everything had to be perfect.

She’d dismissed her staff, letting them go do their own thing, but ready incase something went horribly wrong. She looked at the small pair of knives on the table set outside the circle. One was for the animal, the other...was for something else. She took in a breath, then let it out. She grabbed the chicken, and with the other hand, grabbed the first knife. With skill, she slit the creatures throat, letting the rich blood drop into the circle, fill as needed. She could feel the faint energy starting to flow, called by the blood magic. She tossed the carcass aside, already feeling dirty. She took the other knife, and carefully...pricked her finger, squeezing a few drops into the circle. It was extra, but hopefully her mana/prana rich blood would assist in summoning. She grabbed the book from the other table, and began to follow the words written down in red ink...she hoped it was red ink and not blood.

Let silver and steel be the essence.
Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.

The chant started out soft, but rose in volume and strength, line by line, word by word. The circle would begin to glow and respond in turn, the summoning ritual igniting, the catalyst placed in the center, the drawing of the “perfect man” the food that would guide her wish towards the Throne of Heroes. The more she spoke, the faster this went, until finally, the response came, a blazing surge of energy that became a blinding light, as the servant was ripped from the throne...and light engulfed the room, leaving Serene for the moment, disoriented…
@1charak2

Standing there in a neutral posture clad in beautifully coloured robes of red blues and golds, blinking softly as if pulled from a lulling dream straight into the present, the mind of the thinker began to whir. Passively looking down at herself for a moment, looking behind herself to check everything was in order. Gently flexing each one of her fingers as if relishing the feeling of her body and looking at her gauntlet that clutched an ornate looking staff. Before breathing out once feeling the air moving in her lungs. Exhaling the small sigh as she looked up and smiled at her master. Stunning blue eyes that could only be conceived of as beautiful gazed at her master in a manner that seemed to analysing the character of the woman before her. All this occurring within a few seconds following the summoning before servant had even opened her mouth to speak.

“Nice to meet you master~ I’m the Caster servant, Leonardo Da Vinci and from now on I’ll be Da Vinci-chan only for you~” She said her voice acutely feminine with a tone that seemed deliberately womanly, Da Vinci’s words accompanied by a flawless smile that could only invoke images of her most famous piece of art.

Serene had been expecting a man, a brilliant historical figure clad in humble clothing, like the paintings of him. What she hadn’t expected was...for Leonardo Da Vinci to be a woman. Had the historical records gotten it wrong? Had she somehow been tricked? No...a second look, once Serene had of course recovered enough to stare forward, revealed what she was looking at. The Mona Lisa, she’d know that piece anywhere. But...Da Vinci, was the Mona Lisa? That was creating a mental disconcert between her knowledge of history, and what stood before her. It was only when she realized she’d just been standing there, staring blankly at Caster, for who knew how long, that Serene started, refocusing on the heroic spirit.

”Well I uh...hello there?” She stood there, motionless, barely breathing, just processing the situation further, before going on with her words. “If you don’t mind me asking...why do you look like the Mona Lisa? No offense intended but…I’m just a tad confused.” From being incredibly confident, if not a terrifying persona to now...being starkly and clearly a fair bit confused. It was interesting, all things considered, to see how people reacted when afraid, what becomes their true self.

With her apparent Master's flustered reply, the purple-haired Servant raised an eyebrow out of curiosity and shook her head. There were a lot of questions at hand for both parties, it seemed, and as far as Meltryllis could tell this was most definitely not the Moon Cell. The reasoning for that conclusion was simple enough: the density of mana in the air was a far cry from the artificial world she was so used to.

Even more than that, though...

"Very well, then. Though I question your intent for summoning a monster like me in the first place if not for murder, it won't do either of us any harm to answer a few questions," Meltryllis said, walking over to the living room before taking a seat on the couch there. "But first, let me make this clear: I am not as confused as you make me out to be, Master; I am as aware of my own identity as any other Servant that might have been summoned to this place—maybe even more so. The only thing up for debate is where this is—more specifically, when. Do you understand?"

The Alter Ego was used to the odd glances at her equipment by now, and she found it far less of an issue to 'cover up' than her Master apparently did. But ignoring that minor issue, nothing about this place made sense to her chronologically. In her records, the place known as 'Earth' should have long since last all traces of mana by 2030—a far cry from this little hovel, which was so full of it.

Hopefully, the quivering, blushing mess that was her Master could regain enough of her ability to speak coherently... For both their sakes. It would do the Alter Ego no good if she was incompetent at speaking to her own Servant, much less giving orders or answering simple questions.

@VitaVitaAR

Monster...? Even if her Servant had said some kind of scary things, she definitely didn't seem to be a monster. There was no way that Nanako could consider her Servant to be a monster. Hopefully she would stop saying things that were quite so frightening, though. As Meltryllis headed over to the living room and sat on the couch, the brunette followed. and sat across from her.

"I'm sorry for assuming you were confused, Alter E... Meruto... um... is there anything you'd prefer to be called?" asked Nanako, scratching the back of her head with a light, awkward chuckle. Now that she had summoned her Servant, not only was she experiencing something entirely new, but Meltryllis certainly wasn't any hero out of history. Something strange was going on, but regardless of that she wanted to try and get to know her Servant. "But um, anyway, it's Spring Vacation, 2019!"

Nanako smiled at her Servant, this time completely avoiding staring at her crotch plate. It helped that she was sitting down now.

"Hmm, I thought Servants got a bit more information on what was going on..." she paused for a moment. Was she mistaken? It was the only time she'd ever managed to do this successfully... then again, that was how it was for anyone om Fusang, wasn't it? You usually didn't get a do over. "This is Fusang. It's an artificial island in the pacific ocean. I don't know all the details, but what matters is that this is a place where almost anyone can summon a Servant. Even someone like me!"

Meltryllis was a lot easier to talk to when she was sitting down. In fact, now... her Servant seemed like she was shorter then Nanako herself when they were sitting. But her legs took up a lot of room... and looked kind of dangerous. Were they Meltryllis's weapon?

"I guess if I had to describe Fusang, it's... kind of like a high-tech wonderland! But it's magical, too... honestly, it's kind of hard to believe somewhere like this exists, but here we are!" Nanako continued, brightly, "Um... I think some of my clothes will fit you well enough for now, so if you wanted to look around, I could give you a tour!"

Any subtle insults that might have been lobbed Nanako's way were lost in the girl's excitement. She had also failed to notice just how badly her kitchen floor had been mutilated.

@PKMNB0Y

Hakuno gave her small Servant a small smile as they left the school grounds. With her current look, it'd be impossible to tell Saber was a super-powerful spirit at all! Her very presence was reassuring for the mage, to be able to befriend such a wonderful person. She had found herself standing a little taller when patrolling with Benienma, now! Not that it seemed to help much with her presence, but still!

"Okay, we'll stop by the office first, maybe get a quick bite, and get started?" Hakuno pondered aloud. Honestly, she was itching to just dive into work immediately, but she had to contain the excitement. It probably wasn't proper to be rushing into it like a child eager to play. Law Enforcement was more dignified than that!

She cast a glance at the small Servant once more, a little proud of her choice of clothes for Benienma. Her reasons for such a look were completely pure, of course, but the cuteness had exceeded her expectations. And then there was the little bird in Saber's hat. Come to think of it, had it ever left its roost there?

@VitaVitaAR



"Wow, a knight of the round table lost..." Spoke a young woman in awe,staring at the aftermath of the battle with starry eyes. Looking very much unlike a fighter herself, with long, silky-black hair tied into a ponytail. Ever since the match began broadcasting, the Berserker hadn't looked away from the screen, wowed and moved by the extreme finesse and power behind both Saber-class Servants. Naturally, they were absolutely nothing when compared to the overwhelming might of Guan Yu, but their fighting styles would hopefully expand the woman's own knowledge of battler and warfare.

"That was amazing, wasn't it, Master?!" she asked, rounding on her young Master with all the cheer and pep of a fangirl seeing her long-absent beloved character on-screen for a brief moment. The rush from such a climactic clash between mastersof the sword had briefly overridden the Berserker's self-restraint, possibly drawing eyes from other contenders in the arena's waiting room.

@Dblade26

"That sounds like an excellent plan, Master!" declared the petite little redheaded girl with a smile. Indeed, nutrition was important, and Benienma had already planned ahead. As a Servant, she didn't require food(although she did enjoy it, and it helped replenish her mana supply without taxing her Master further). Making certain that her Master was not hungry before beginning a patrol was simply another one of the duties she had as a Servant. "As it happens, I have already prepared a bento box for you dechi."

She patted her bag as she spoke. She'd spent the morning preparing them. It wasn't the most varied meal, but it was both delicious and nutritious, and Benienma had put everything she had into ensuring its quality. No-one could say she had done anything less then the absolute best! The hell oni was certain of this.

"I prepared for you a plethora of onigiri dechi," continued Benienma, proudly, "Each one has a different filling, so I would like to refer to it as Benienma's Onigiri Sampler Bento dechi."

@RolePlayerRoxas

"Ah..."

Oh, this was not good! This wasn't good at all! Alice had only taken her eyes off her for a moment, and then she was gone! Vanished! Spirited away! They were supposed to go out for tea today, but how could they do that together if they were seperated like this?

"No, no... Where are you? Alice can't find you!"

The small girl Servant hurried down the street, her fluffy white hair bobbing around her agitated face. Where had Dorothy gone? She'd disappeared and left Alice all on her own...

"Dorothy! Dorothy, Dorothy, come out wherever you are!" No answer. Oh, where could she be? Alice didn't want to be alone, and Dorothy was always there for her!

Ah... She'd been so worried that she hadn't even been paying attention to where she herself was, so when she found herself on a crowded street outside a school... Oh, now she'd never find her! No, no, never, not ever!

However, it didn't take long for her to spot an opportunity. Yes, yes, those two girls, the kind of cute but plain looking brunette and the little redhead with a silly hat! They were wearing those weird armbands, which meant they had to be members of... Of... Well, Alice couldn't actually remember what they called themselves, but they helped out people! And since she needed help right now...

"Um... Hello!" Alice said, rushing up towards them and curtsying. "You have to help Alice! Alice lost Dorothy! I don't know where she is and I need help finding her! Please help, please!"

@VitaVitaAR
@RolePlayerRoxas

hat look, it was one that made Da Vinci nod her head and smile, the second gaze. Ah it seemed her master was just barely processing the sight of the beauty before her and that made Da Vinci smile wider. She knew what her master was likely experting, a man or a boy, whom was handsome most likely but a beauty such as she was now was probably far out from what her master thought. This pleased her indeed and it was with pleasure that she answered her masters question. “This?” She said giving her master a little twirl, the bird on her shoulder slightly wobbling at the speed of the twirl, in order to show off her well crafted form before Da Vinci would briskly turn back to face them “I thought it necessary that my body aptly showcases what is beautiful, and there is no greater beauty to I then that shown by my greatest work, The Mona Lisa, and thus I modelled my body after it, because for a genius such as myself, gender and appearances are mere contrivances compared to embodying beauty.” Da Vinci would say, giving her master a well thought out grin as if to say ‘Is there any problem with that?~’

She’d let that hang in the air for a moment before moving briskly on. “So now I have arrived wouldn’t it be best if you showed me your amazing establishment master?” Da Vinci said in a manner much like a person trying to move the conversation along to its logical next step. That is to say that the awkwardness of the situation was rather stifling.

Mordred wasn’t the type to follow her Master to school. The Red Knight couldn’t see the point of such places to begin with, not when tutoring would probably yield better results for anyone involved. The mere idea of being crammed in a place like that made her skin crawl. Instead of that, she waited for Seira while spending most of her free time in a nearby park, mostly playing with the local kids. In fact, it didn’t take long after she was summoned for Mordred to be regarded as some sort of cool older sibling by the neighborhood’s youth. By now, she was pretty much the leader of a ‘gang’ of prepubescent children. Which was only natural considering that she’s none other than the Great Mordred.

And, just like every day, Mordred parted ways with her followers as soon as it as the time to pick up her Master. The only difference from usual being the fact that Seira’s mood was way more sour than usual. Mordred wouldn’t go out of her way to pry what was clouding the other girl’s mind. Nevertheless, she made sure to put on her best impression of confidence even as they found their way to a convenience store, hoping that it would at least put her Master at ease.

Said impression of pride didn’t last for long. Soon enough, Mordred would be spitting a mouthful of the contents of a soda can that she picked on their way to the counter as soon as she heard the news that everyone was commenting about. “Pfft… Hahaha! So the Knight of the Suck lost to that Four-Eyed Bastard? Why didn’t I go watch this one?” she said while doubling over in laughter. Mordred didn’t want to be insensitive to Seira’s problems but, goddamn, how could she avoid laughing like crazy after listening to something so fun?

In fact, Mordred was laughing so hard that she failed to notice pipsqueak talking with a suspiciously familiar purple-haired guy, a little closer to the counter than she and Seira were.


Even though she had the opportunity to live many luxurious lifetimes before, Hinami had to admit that her ‘Servant’s’ choice of housing was on a whole other level. In fact, she disliked the idea of thinking about summoned Heroic Spirits as Servants. She didn’t know if the ones who chose this term were the Einzbern or the Makiri, but it had a definite sour taste to it. The notion of partnership, especially in a situation where the concept of a Holy Grail War is irrelevant, was much more appealing to her. And that’s not even taking into account the fact that there’s no being on the Earth or the Skies that can conceivably enforce the notion of servitude on that man.

“Anyway, ruminating about these topics won’t get anything done,” Hinami said to herself as she made her way to the living room, supposing that that would be the place where she was most likely to find Gilgamesh. And, even if it wasn’t, she was sure that he would be aware of her presence, no matter wherever he’s. “I’m leaving to Fusang City’s University. I’ve received news that an important teacher from the Clock Tower will be arriving soon. I want to see if I can get a meeting with him. If you have any plans for the evening that require my presence, just give me a call,” she said just as if she were talking with a roommate, which wasn’t that far from the truth as far as Hinami was concerned.

Before leaving, she waited for the King of Heroes’ answer. After all, she knew that Gilgamesh always liked to have the last word, letting him have it his way isn’t that bad (most of the time).

Lyubov sat in the shade of a tree in the school's courtyard, stroking the chin of a cat stretched out across her lap. Her broom was leaned up against the tree. She was still incredibly overwhelmed. People speaking languages she'd never even heard of before. There were buildings twice- maybe even three times- as tall as the family barn! And on top of that, all these paved roads and cement slabs and glass and so little greenery. The ever-present clucking of chickens, bleating of goats, and gentle sounds of the forests were replaced with distinctly urban ones. And so many people talking to those weird rectangles. Yes, it was confusing, but here, in the shade of a tree, stroking Mr. Tater the tabby cat, she found a moment of respite.

Technically, her schooling didn't start until after the break. Her birthday was coming up in a few days too, but she wasn't sure about summoning a Servant. They would most likely be human, another stranger to get used to. For now, she was quite content beneath the tree.