"'You noticed'? Really? Is that your excuse?"

The Alter Ego might have let the problem slide (however slightly) if the girl had been doing it subconsciously, but hearing her confession and halfhearted admission of fault and attempted justification only served to irritate her further.

"No, no, Meltryllis. Calm yourself. This child isn't something worth losing your temper over."

With a deep breath, the purple-haired Servant straightened her back and continued to train her eyes on her Master. Her legs, jutting in front of her, almost acted like a barricade of sorts to prevent the target of her ire from even attempting to take a seat on the other side.

"Hmph. Well, if you have the mental capacity to realize how rude you are, then I suppose it's a start," Meltryllis replied, watching as the girl walked off somewhere, only to return with a glass of water. The sight of that, of course, gave the Servant an idea—one that would, in theory, fix most of her problems in one swoop.

Pushing herself off of the couch, the Alter Ego brushed herself off and brushed past her Master, allowing a few drops of diluted poison to fall into the glass cup in her hand. The result of that was obvious, but if anything, it'd give the both of them some time to think about what to do from here on out.

"I'm going to go look around this place you call a 'home'. Go reflect on what you've done, and I may find it in myself to forgive you this once."

@VitaVitaAR

When Nanako moved, to get her glass of water, her motions were stiff. There was nothing she could say. Nothing she could do. She'd really blown it, hadn't she? She'd wanted to try and explain herself and apologize. But she'd said it in the worst possible way, hadn't she? When she sat, she simply clutched quietly at the hem of her skirt, after placing her glass of water on the table. There were no excuses that she could make. She din't want to make excuses in the first place. She wanted to simply try and explain herself. She didn't expect a simple explanation to make things right, but she hoped it would help with her apology.

It hadn't.

All Nanako had wanted to do was try and foster a good relationship with her Servant, to try and be her friend. That's what she had wanted from the start. But this entire day she'd just kept making mistakes, hadn't she? There was little she could have done that would have been worse. All she did when Meltryllis walked past her was slowly nod.

How could she try and salvage this? As bad as she felt now, she wasn't going to give up. She couldn't. She'd finally summoned a Servant, no matter how strange the situation was she had to make her happy. Even if the circumstances were bizarre, Meltryllis had allowed herself to be summoned, hadn't she? So she had to repay her by making things right.

Nanako simply didn't know how.

Slowly, she picked up her glass of water.

Yes, no matter what, she had to make up for it!

Nanako took a sip.

What happened next, she couldn't understand. It was difficult for her to even grasp what was happening to her. Everything went black for a moment, and then she was on the floor, fallen beside her table. But that wasn't all. The sensation racing through her nervous system, it was like every part of her body, her skin, muscles, bones, it was as if absolutely every part of her was being torn apart and rebuilt with every instant. She let out a strangled cry.

What was happening? Why? Her body felt like it was on fire, she couldn't hold back tears. The absolute agony rushing through her was unlike anything she had ever felt before, and everything went black again moments later.

This pattern was to continue for the entire night.

@PKMNB0Y

Their movements--and Alkyrieaze's not so subtle prompting that she wanted to go where you were allowed to touch the fluffy things--had eventually taken the white-haired pair most of the way around the zoo. Strangely, the longest diversion had not been her own interest in the petting zoo. No, it had been when they had been near some horses. And Altera had stared. And stared some more. Before claiming that it was nothing and moving on.

She really didn't understand that Servant; for the so-called Scourge of God she had such little interest in history. Occasionally a bit too soft, as well...

They were passing by the exhibits when she saw something that made her stare. And stare some more. Alkyrieaze even had to glance back at Altera to make sure that what she was noticing matched up, but there was no doubt about it: the woman in front of her was undoubtedly a Servant.

"The subject of a painting would never qualify to be a Heroic Spirit, how is the Mona Lisa walking around?" Best to go for the direct approach.

@1Charak2@DocRock

It took her a few moments after being questioned by her servant for Serene to respond. It wasn't that she hadn't heard Da Vinci, rather that she couldn't bear to tear her vision away from the antics of the adorable Red Pandas. But finally, she tore her eyes away, looking back over to Caster...then past her. Something had caught her eye. "Yeah, that's fine, we should have plenty of time, but hey, Caster, who's that servant?" Serene gestured past her partner, towards Altera, having not noticed the Master just yet. Something about the white hired servant unnerved Serene, and she had no idea why. Despite this, she tried to keep a calm look, as if she was her usual public image...

@1Charak2@Raineh Daze

@Raineh Daze@DocRock

---

"Ah, it appears we have Company master." She said speaking up before realising that they were going to speak and thus Da Vinci fell silent, her eyes looking over at the woman whom even when they were trying to portray Civilities gave away the aura of a warlord. A servant most definitely. "I don't know too clearly master, but I can guess they are a warlord of some kind by their mannerisms." She said with her sharp eye for details. "But there are hundreds upon hundreds of noticeable warlords in history." Da Vinci said not answering the other woman's question as to why the Mona Lisa was walking around,.

For a moment, Mordred's words faltered her. As she grasped for what to say, Lancelot went ahead and spoke. His voice and demeanor were nothing like what she remembers from the last time they met, not long before the black knight's flight along with Guinevere. All the time up to this day, Mordred had to wonder what would have happened if this man had stayed in Camelot? Not only him but Tristan as well. How would their story have ended if the Knights of the Round Table never disbanded and the tragedy that followed it never happened?

"Hmm, hmm, worrying about the past won't change anything. That much I know already," she thought, shaking her head to dispel any further doubts, as the Knight of the Lake fell silent once more.

"Fath-- I mean, King Arthur," Mordred said, steadying her voice as she brought a hand to her chest, a habit that she had unconsciously acquired from her father. "I'll not ask you to forgive me for what I have done. The Kingdom you fought for was brought to ruin not because King couldn't understand the hearts of others, but because we couldn't understand yours. Just like Sir Lancelot said, you were a flawless king. I'm sure that all of our other comrades, wherever and whenever they are, share this same feeling. I understand now that I would never be able to endure the wish I asked for in that bloody hill."

"So, I beg of you, allow me to serve you once again. I may be a Servant now, but if I cannot have your blessing... I'll never be able to call myself a Knight of the Round Table, and the proud son of King Arthur ever again," Mordred lowered her head as she finished her plea. She couldn't bring herself to kneel before her father even if that was her first instinct. As a Servant now, she had an oath first to Seria and then to her King. Even if the latter would accept her back, that didn't mean her loyalty towards her current Master would change. Any knight that was capable of switching sides like this wasn't deserving of their title, after all.


"Hmm, I sure believe it if you are saying so," Othis replied to Holmes in her usual deadpan tone. "But sometimes, I can feel like I really empathize with Doctor Watson's plight. Being your partner is certainly very... exciting," she said-- without a trace of anything that even resembled excitement in her voice.

"I just have a few more routine tests to run, but they can wait until later. I'll do that through the night," Othis said, replying to her partner's question about her plans for the next few hours. "Why don't we walk around and see what we can find? I'm sure that, in a city like this, there is no shortage of cases that would require the assistance of the World's Greatest Detective," she added. In fact, accompanying Holmes whenever she wasn't doing her own work had become a habit of Othis and, no doubt, Holmes would also know of her late-night hobby of writing about whatever they would come across.

Maybe, once she got enough material, Othis could bring the stories of Sherlock Holmes to a new era?

"By the way, I heard that they are finishing the most recent expansion of the London based district after a mysterious knight won a tournament that would decide which district was going to be the next one expanded in their favor. According to the blueprints uploaded to the city's network, it seems that there's a place you'll probably want to check," the silver-haired mage said, basically admitting that she had been snooping around the city's archives, as she produced a holographic screen projecting the number of a certain address that her detective friend was sure to be well acquainted with.


"Ahh, yes. The last thing that I would call that is a Master and Servant relationship," Hinami replied to Gray after placing her own order which was a lot more loaded -- and spicier -- than the dish ordered by the hooded girl before her. However, since her companion wasn't in the mood for drinking, Hinami complimented her order with just some tea for the two of them.

"I suppose that I can say that it has been alright so far. For someone who can be considered the world's oldest playboy, Gilgamesh is rather... tame, I guess? At least until something picks her attention, then he becomes as unstoppable as a juggernaut," the dark-haired mage said without a hint of shame or fear in her voice. "Now that I think about it, I wonder if he does have any literal ones in his treasury?" she added, thinking out loud.

"Either way, there's one thing I'm sure of. I'm certainly thankful for him even if he doesn't know about it. After all, it's only thanks to Gilgamesh that I'm able to settle here and not have to worry with the Association trying to dissect me like a lab rat," Hinami added in a sincere tone. "I mean, it's not because I can't die that it means that I can't be killed as well. And, I'm not looking forward to knowing the truth about this one," she jested, despite the gravity of having a Sealing Designation targetted towards her.

"But, so much for this digression. If you want some tips for the future, I guess that there's something I can tell you. Try to impose yourself. By the looks of it, you have a hectic future ahead of yourself and, it's in situations like that you need to remember that, ever since the ancient past, all men always seek us when they need stability. as long as you remember to not let yourself be dragged along in their crazy stunts, you should be alright."

"By the way, aren't you going to order anything for your friend?" Hinami said, pointing to Add.

For a moment, the blonde girl's breath hitched.

'You were the greatest of kings.'

Her hands clenched into fists. She averted her eyes. The greatest of kings... it was strange. There was pride. The pride of the lone king that had done everything she could and given her whole self to her country. But there was guilt. Guilt for, as she still felt even now, not having fully understood others. For having a heart closed off from the emotions of others. Surely, surely, this is what had lead Camelot to its final ruin. Certainly this was the cause. And yet... Lancelot. Her friend and knight, the man she had seen driven to the class of Berserker, he stood before her and told her she was the greatest of kings with unwavering loyalty.

But that wasn't it.

Mordred. The Knight of Betrayal, the one who had been so damaged by her cold words that she began a rebellion... Mordred stepped forward and pledged her loyalty. Pledged her loyalty. Understood her decision, even if the words were ones the King of Knights regretted.

Arturia raised one clenching hand to her chest, and then for a few moments turned away.

What had she done? For all the ways in which she had failed her knights, what had she done to deserve such praise? Even for her pride, she had no illusion about the ways in which she had failed all those around her.

And yet...

And yet...

What the Saber-class Servant's knights... what King Arthur's knights desired... what they wished for...

It was not for her to blame herself. It was not for her to say she was not worthy of such praise.

It was for her to accept their loyalty.

Ah, this feeling...

Arturia's hand clenched tighter against her chest, and she slowly turned back to face her knights.

"... Sir Lancelot, I... I cannot speak of such praise, but... I am so very happy to speak with you once again. Your place among my knights was something I have never regretted, and never will."

The King of Knights paused for a moment. It was difficult to find her words. She had wanted to try and reassure Lancelot, but at the same time... ah, how could she? She could not act as if she no longer felt guilt, simply because of the words of her knights.

But...

There was something she could do.

There was no way to avoid the fact that Mordred's appearance, her origins, the last actions she undertook in life, still made her uneasy. But never once had she hated her. Never once had she felt it was her fault, rather than her own.

"... Sir Mordred... then, you pledge to serve with honor at the utmost loyalty? To myself, and to the one who has summoned you?" she asked, "Understand that with every step, your will be asked to push yourself harder and harder to such an end."

The King of Knights looked as resplendent as she ever had... and yet, to onlookers, it was possible that a somewhat different shine could be seen in the corners of her eyes. A shine that glistened like the surface of the lake.

Seria stood beside her Servant. There was little she could do, now, thought she hoped Mordred's offer would be accepted fully accepted. Certainly, she felt as if the knight deserved it. She'd made it pretty clear that she felt loyalty, didn't she!? Even after her past... And it was looking like it would be...

@KoL@Raineh Daze

---

Benienma waved her hand towards the girls, smiling as she approached.

"She didn't even had to take a drink... she was like a little doll!" she heard Nursery commenting half to herself for a moment, before Hakuno pointed out their approach. Almost immediately the hat-wearing Servant turned, and the instant she caught sight of Dorothy...

"Dorothy!"

"Alice!"

Both girls immediately ran towards one another, throwing their arms around each other in a tight hug. Benienma's smile grew wider. Excellent! It was wonderful to see both of the little girls so happy. The tiny enma nodded to herself, satisfied at such a conclusion.

"Thank you, thank you!" cried the silver-haired little girl, "I was so worried we'd get all mixed up and never find one another!"

"You're welcome dechi," responded the red-headed Saber, "But I was simply doing my duty, and I am hardly the only one you should thank dechi. This woma-ah... I'm afraid I don't know your name yet dechi. My apologies dechi."

"My name is Sessyoin Kiara," the nun introduced herself, bowing her head, "And there's no need to thank me, there was no way I could allow a little girl to wander alone, crying to herself."

"I-I wasn't cryin'!" protested Dorothy, suddenly, "I-I was just worried about Alice 'cause she's a real big crybaby!"

"Of course, Dorothy, how could I forget," responded Kiara, smiling as she did.

@RolePlayerRoxas@PKMNB0Y@Rin

---

The fallen Berserker was greeted with a blade pointed towards her face.

The small oni stood over her, fangs showing in her grin as fire seemed to burn the air itself behind her.

"... You put up a good fight, but you're no match for a blazing hot oni like me," said the blonde-haired, horned girl as she cocked her head to one side, "This is how it ends!"

And indeed, it was. Perhaps to prevent Ibaraki from following through with that comment(after all, you could never quite tell with an oni), the announcer quickly called the fight to an end.

@RolePlayerRoxas

---

The Administrator simply nodded towards Lord El-Melloi with a smile, resting her head on her hands as she watched the two kings and the bartender.

My my, this certainly sounded amusing, didn't it...?

@RolePlayerRoxas@PKMNB0Y@Raineh Daze@DocRock

With all of the doors in the apartment left slightly open, Meltryllis found no issue in simply walking in and out of every room she found. Most of them were tasteless and bland, which was to be expected from a Master like her own. Completely average, like that one person, except with a far smaller willpower.

"Really, to be summoned by such a person... Isn't this discrimination against someone like me?" she complained, calmly walking back towards the living room before hearing the sound of glass shattering on the floor. A few steps forward was all that she needed to see how her plan had panned out. Her Master, now slumped against the leg of the nearest table, was already fading in and out of consciousness; the glass in her hand had since shattered and spread out in shards all across the floor in turn.

Honestly, the Alter Ego couldn't have hoped for a better outcome. Well, bar the glass shards scattered about the floor; it'd have been better if her Master had been using plastic instead, but she could definitely understand the appeal of the crystalline beauty of such a cup.

"I hope you don't think too poorly of me after this—or maybe you should, dear Master," she said, a cruel smile barely sneaking onto her face as she casually lifted her Master's limp body with one of the spikes on her knee and, with a few graceful movements, carried it over to the nearby bedroom. With a careless flick, Meltryllis lobbed the body onto the bed with wanton abandon before letting out a slight laugh.

"Yes, this is how it should be, shouldn't it? The look of agony on your face—it's almost unbearably amusing to look at," she said, not caring about whether or not the girl heard her in the first place. Even if she could, the pain would make attempting to speak a worthless endeavor, which meant that she was free to vent without fear of some glance of pity or disdain. "Yes, a being like me has no right—no, no reason to consort with you like this. This is a contract, but you are no more than an obligation for bringing me here in the first place. Far from my Master, the sort of relationship that we share is nowhere near equal. Unless, of course, you feel the urge to use a Command Seal on me to kill myself once dawn breaks, that shall remain the same. Fear me, loathe me—this is how you should treat a monster. Unless, of course, you're a sexual deviant who likes this sort of pain?"

With a cruel gaze, Meltryllis slowly drove one of her legs into Nanako's stomach, only deciding to pull back once she was about to pierce the skin.

"But yes, this poison of mine shall last until morning; I believe it should be nine parts pain, one part pleasure? Just enough to keep you conscious, and barely on a level where you can maintain some lower-level thought. I hope you had no further plans for tonight, because you'll barely be able to move an inch until this is over."

@VitaVitaAR


Holmes simply smiled and let out a light chuckle as his Master mentioned his old acquaintance. Surely, Watson could have been a bit more observant, but there was certainly something different about working with him as compared to what might be seen as a pupil with potential. The subsequent statement, on the other hand, was enough to cause Holmes to pause and shake his head.

"Miss Obberhausen, remember that I am not necessarily a charity worker. Though they may require aid, sometimes a simple request from law enforcement is enough to resolve even the trickiest of matters in this land of scientific wonder. I take on cases that interest me and those that are brought to me; after all, some people desire to solve their own mysteries every so often. Would you not agree?"

With that said, though, the Ruler did take a moment to lean forward and scan the information that his Master was presenting in turn. While the location did catch his fancy, an evening visit was rarely a good time to pry into unsolicited matters.

"Rather, would it not be more interesting to run some simulations of that world that Miss Meltryllis spoke of? I could only imagine how drastically the world would change with a lack of mana in the air, especially if we consider that such an era extended into the future—no, not even just that, but the concept of 'time travel' no longer being bound to the realm of simple science fiction... It certainly piques one's interest, does it not?"

---

---

"Old's... Worldest... Playboy..." Gray parroted, trying to make sense of how casual Hinami was being about being the technical 'Master' of the King of Heroes. Granted, the relationship seemed a fair deal less one-sided than what she had heard about the Fourth Holy Grail War from Lord El-Melloi II, but it was still a bit jarring to hear about it from someone firsthand. The mention of a Sealing Designation also caused her to pause, though, as there were some minor similarities that the young woman could draw between both their situations. The words of wisdom that came soon after, though, caused Gray to hesitate for a few moments before replying.

"Mmm... I'll keep that in mind, then. As for Add... Well, Add doesn't eat. It's... Complicated, but you can think of him as an artificial familiar under my control rather than something contracted to me. I hope that makes sense," she stated, watching as two plates of piping-hot yakisoba and a pair of cups of tea was brought to their table. With an exchange of bills and a nod, Gray turned towards her meal, then at the tea, before looking off at her companion's distinctly redder food.

"Er... That looks... Dangerous," she said, quietly looking at her food and glancing at the utensils presented thus. Luckily, it seemed like it was obvious enough that she would need to use a fork, which the waiter had so graciously provided, and with a hesitant forkful of noodles, Gray took a bite of the yakisoba in front of her.

"...Huh. It is a bit oily, but not unbearably so. This is actually quite nicer than what I had expected..."

@KoL

"I am Altera," the tanned woman replied, keeping it short and avoiding any unnecessary information. Unfortunately, as far as answers went, it was completely useless for answering the question: who was Altera, and why was this Altera person a Servant? Fortunately for Da Vinci and Serene, the swordswoman's Master was quite irrate at being ignored.

"Altera, better known as the Scourge of God, Attila the Hun," Alkyrieaze interjected, ignoring the annoyed look from her own Servant, and pointing at Serene, "Saber-class Servant and far more than just some warlord! But what about you two? Do you think that just because I'm young, you can ignore me? That I don't count as a proper Master even though I'm far better at this than anyone else will ever be? That's the problem with all you newcomer Masters, thinking that just because you can make a summonhere you're special or accomplished!"

It was far from the wisest decision, but the girl was even advancing on Da Vinci, continuing to jab her finger in her general direction, "And what about you? Are you one of thoxe Servants that thinks you're better than the rest of us just because people liked to write about you in books? Think that a handful of nice achievements in history make you so special? So many Heroic Spirits without even two hundred years to their name, and yet they think they're too good for the rest of us, even if we have magic and memories that go back to Charlemagne!

"So tell me! Who! Are! You! The subject of a portrait wouldn't be a hero!"

@1Charak2@DocRock

"Really!? Erm... I mean, of course, I could ask for nothing else," Mordred said as her eyes flared like a puppy that had just been petted, right after being reprimanded for causing a ruckus. It was almost jarring to see how her mood could swing so fast merely thanks to a few words of her beloved father.

She thumped a fist against her chest as she said, "Enduring hardship is what I do best, after all. Just like that day when I walked up the shaft of the holy spear and-- Well, I guess that's not the best way of explaining it, but you get the intention... I guess?" Mordred caught herself scratching the back of her head and letting out a terse laugh after saying things without thinking again.

"Now, I guess that all that's left to do is reunite everyone that has been summoned here already and tell them the news, right? What a better way to celebrate the return of King Arthur than having the first meeting of the Round Table in 1500 years? Aren't you with me on that, Lance? Oh man, I can't wait until the others get to know the truth about Father and I!" Mordred proposed, poking Lancelot's side with her elbow while letting out one of her characteristic big grins that actually no one in the Round Table other than her father had seen before. "Of course, that includes our new Masters too, right Seria?" she added, pulling the other girl into a sudden hug.

@VitaVitaAR@PKMNB0Y@Raineh Daze

Truth be told, Serene hadn't even noticed the master in the confusion and her own focus on the Pandas at first. It was only when the other...rather rudely one might say, interjected, that Serene turned her attention to the other. She hadn't even expected the other Servant to hear her, let alone the apparent master. Already off on a rough foot, that wasn't at all ideal. She took in a breath, then slowly let it out, allowing the other to have her moment in the sun with her tirade, before finally, Serene spoke, her voice crisp, and relaxed.

"Terribly sorry, I didn't see you there in the flow of people. I apologize if that made you jump to unfounded conclusions." An adjustment of posture, even as she bite back any sort of scathing or dis-constructing remark about the other's behavior that wasn't a politely worded one. "I was rather lucky the ritual actually worked, given we're not exactly in a Grail War. Let alone that the regent I used summoned who I wished to meet. But all that aside, my name is Serene Drakos, and well, this is my Caster, though I'm not sure if she wishes to introduce herself, or if I should give away her true name. Trust me, she's not 'just some portrait.' She's someone special." Was there a bit of an edge there now? It wasn't too clear, given the very cheerful and professional smile given to the other, all while the smile...didn't reach her eyes. While Da Vinci had managed to break some of the ice around the Blood Iron Princess, she was still...a little frosty when it came to new people. Especially ones she got off on the wrong foot with...

@1Charak2@Raineh Daze

@Raineh Daze@DocRock

"Calling me special huh master?" Da Vinci said with a soft smirk at her masters words as she looked down at the obvious facet of Einzbern creation. "Come now Miss Einzbern, is that any reason to approach a lady that knew of your own family when it was much younger?" Da Vinci side striding forward poking back against the homunculus. "You think that an Einzbern like you would have respect for a modern day heroic spirit like myself. Honestly, did the Einzberns forgo implanting manners into their Homunculi?" A scowl on her face

A hand on her hip as she frowned at the youthful probably not young but youthful looking girl. "That said." Her smile almost instantly reappeared. "If It wasn't for the fact already know who your family is and their general good standing. I'd be slightly more adverse to talking to you but ya know. What do I know. Its not like I'm Leonardo Da Vinci or anything~" She said with a flourish.

Ah, this was just too... she knew it was a serious moment and all, but it was so hard to keep a lid on maintaining your Servant's dignity when they were just being a walking bundle of adorable. Saber's instincts might give her a very strong sensation of something about to happen... something completely non-dangerous... and then the substantially taller blonde was sweeping her up in a hug. "Ah, even in a suit you're adorable! So tiny and regal and hungry but hopelessly cute!"

She had to be hungry, right? There was no way that anyone could have that massive pile of snacks nearby and her Saber couldn't be hungry.

Lancelot, on the other hand, seemed to have developed features carved out of stone, though he was at least smiling. It was quite possible that the idea of thinking of Arturia as adorable was something that was quite beyond the realms of comprehension but, perhaps, it showed a good thing--that since his second death, and in whatever events had transpired since, someone had been able to free the king of the bonds of acting so utterly inhuman. If they were to ever meet, then he must have something to offer that person... even if all he had was his swordsmanship.

"Ah, yes... I believe we should have everyone gather if possible, though I cannot say if my Master will be able to spare the time to make it," the purple-haired knight said, loosening up a little and the smile becoming less forced, "We cannot let Sir Gawain's defeat go ignored. Perhaps we should all join this tournament and make sure no false impressions are given?"

---

The girl's face went through a variety of emotions before settling on deadpan: "I would say something about your choice of appearance but in most regards you're still more normal than grandfather will ever be. But as you say, you must have known Justeaze, and your learning ability is deserving of some respect..."

And someone that had ever met the Holy Maiden of Winter could potentially be of use rebuilding the key components of the ritual to complete it. Yes, Da Vinci or Paracelsus could indeed be of use to an alchemist such as herself.

"I am Alkyrieaze von Einzbern, nine years old, Master of Altera, and functional head of the Einzbern within this city, although Jubstacheit holds that title until I reach adulthood," she replied--but her attention had started to drift, with her Servant already walking over to the nearby cage. Red pandas, huh...? They were somewhat cute, she supposed, but...

"The big ones look fluffier..." Who cared that they were bears? She had ways of dealing with something like that. Fluffy was important.

Of course, the King of Knights couldn't approve of the example that Mordred started to use, even if the red knight caught herself before finishing. However, it was impossible to ignore the fact that her wish to be loyal, to show herself as one who was truly repentant for her actions. As such, there was no way that Arturia could reprimand her for the earnest display. Indeed, she would do quite the opposite. On top of that, if Mordred and Lancelot were so eager to see her once more... then...

Did she feel as if she had the right to face the knights she felt she failed? Arturia could not say so. But if it was what they desired, she couldn't deprive them of such a thing.

Mordred's proposal was a sound one. For the Knights of the Round Table to meet once again. And the Saber-class Servant could hardly deny there was part of her that desired the same, to see all those who had been summoned who were also her knights. To be reunited with them once more...

Before she could speak, however, she felt a sudden prickle along her spine as if something was about to happen... and then she was suddenly swept into a hug by her Master. Unable to stop her cheeks from coloring with embarrassment, Arturia immediately attempted to pull away.

"M-Master! Th-this is highly inappopriate!" she declared, managing to wiggle free of the taller girl's grip. It was... it was the wrong time! Arturia wasn't sure there was ever a right time for this! Trying to regain her composure, the blonde knight took a deep breath and attempted to refocus.

"... Ah... yes, I... I believe it would be... I... I wish to see my knights once again," Arturia said, finally.

It had gone well. Seria couldn't hide her happiness. She had been hopeful that this wouldn't go poorly for Mordred, deep down, and her hope had paid off. The King of Knights had accepted her Servant's loyalty once again, in spite of their history together, and Mordred was overjoyed. The pigtailed girl almost smiled, until she was suddenly hugged.

"H-h-hey! Just because you're happy d-doesn't mean we need to get all touchy-feely where people can see!" she protested, cheeks going bright red.

@KoL@Raineh Daze

"I suppose I could have given more, but oh well." A shrug came from Serene as she spoke, her smile fading just a tad. An Einzbern, that explained both the behavior, and the previously unknown servant. She considered various factors, before her head turned, following the same direction as the young midget. She couldn't help but chuckle lightly. "Just don't mess with their babies, and an adult Panda won't beat you up. But the Red Pandas you can hold, they're adorable." This time, the smile was genuine, enjoying seeing someone who could be dangerous, be instead mesmerized by the frolicking Red Pandas. So adorable.

@1Charak2@Raineh Daze

@Raineh Daze@DocRock

Da vinci who nodded at the affirmatory nature of the little einzbern head, would soon turn away from her to look at the red pandas once more. It wasn't to her taste to look at land-based creatures. Preferring those of the avian variety But it was nice to be hanging out with her master at least. That was the type of thing that made her happy regardless of what they were doing and she was most certainly grateful they weren't in a large scale grail war.

"''But'', the big ones are fluffier..." the girl insisted, frowning. Okay, these were pretty fluffy, but they weren't ''as'' fluffy. Nor were they deadly, and the lack of some sort of lethal risk took all the fun out of it. It was rather like having Altera around, she supposed. "Hmph. To make up for poor first impressions, if you ever need more specialised alchemical knowledge than your Servant can provide, I may be able to give you some advice... unless Hohenheim shows up, there is nobody better in the city than I. And most magi would ''beg'' for any of our homunculi knowledge."

... if not, she'd have to find some excuse to find ''them''. There weren't many fun people to talk to, and Da Vinci was one of the few Servants who could be reasonably assumed to know anything of interest to the child.

Lips twisted into a stronger smile at what was offered by the smaller Magi, a respectful, and appreciative nod given. While she wasn't sure if the need would arise right away, it was something worth considering. "I can see that working, and you're more than welcome to stop by my family's home, if you need tech support and don't want to bother others." It was a not so subtle jab at some mages who didn't even know how to operate a basic television, but one meant in good fun. Besides, some folks just weren't technology savvy. "We could also trade cell numbers, if you have a cell, or home phone, that works as well." That totally couldn't go badly. But either way, bad first impressions aside, they were off to the races it seemed. This was an excellen first day...

@1Charak2@Raineh Daze

Blood.

The smell of blood and burning gunpowder was seared into his memory, as was the girl who was splayed out across the floor of a small apartment living room. To the left, a tall man, wearing a black kimono and carefully training his rifle at the body, quietly stared at him. The dust in the room had yet to settle, and the magical energy seemed to hum for a moment before finally beginning to fade away.

"Wh-wha—?"

"You," the man finally said, lowering the weapon as he turned towards Jason. "We're leaving. Now."

"You just—I mean, but you—" Jason said, sputtering out a few words as the man calmly sheathed his weapon as the girl seemed to twitch. Almost as if that action, that near-unconscious motion, was enough to spur him into action, the man—no, the Servant—picked up Jason and left the room in short order. It was as if there was no need for any sort of cleaning up, despite the distinct summoning circle laid out upon the linoleum floor.

---

It had been four hours since then—four hours of moving alongside the Servant he had apparently summoned, and one who was responsible for the injury of one of his classmates. To say he was rattled by the situation would be an understatement, and though it felt as if his lungs were beating out of his chest, his head was filled with mixed emotions.

"Why did he shoot Mary?
Why am I running away with him?
How did it even come to this?"

9 AM on a Saturday morning, and the young man was already at a loss for words. The subtle dread that he might die if he didn't follow the Servant's—his Servant's directions—was outweighed ever so slightly by the fact that he had finally succeeded. Though, well...

To be frank, given the current situation it wasn't particularly likely that this dream would last for long at all.


With her Master out of commission, Meltryllis took to sleeping on the couch instead of one of the guest bedrooms. It was an interesting experience, but given that she wasn't going to be an idiot and sleep next to the girl who was likely thrashing about in the room over, this would have to do. The sensation called 'sleep' might have been a bit more refreshing had she actually slept on a bed of some variety, but there would be a chance to do that in the future. Probably.

"Mmm... Well, the poison should be wearing off right about now. I wonder how that girl will respond... Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't leave her room for the entire day," the Alter Ego remarked, kicking her legs up on top of one of the couch's armrests and crossing her arms. "I wouldn't mind; better than being driven around by that BB all day on some sort of errand..."

@VitaVitaAR

---

---

The night had ended for both Grey and Lord El-Melloi II without any further incident, though it went without saying that the latter had ended up being dragged back by Iskandar (who, as it turned out, didn't particularly mind trying to do something crazy once the stakes had been lowered as far as they had). Construction had begun that night, and while the Lord himself had been thrown (quite literally) into his bed before the Rider had made himself scarce, Grey was still quietly contemplating Hinami's words from the night prior.

When morning came, however, Iskandar was the first to arrive to their place of residence, at which point he promptly threw a half-asleep El-Melloi II into his chariot and rode off to wherever it was that Gilgamesh and the others were waiting. Grey, of course, was left bewildered all the same; the cup of tea in her hand and singular piece of toast on the table meant that she had expected this to some degree, but not to this level of chaos.


With a steady tapping of his cane onto the floor of their shared home, Holmes quietly read over the morning news from the comfort of his reclining chair. It was interesting, how technology had come so far a ways from the days he had been alive to bring even the luxuries of upholstery to the masses, but that was a lesser thought in his mind as he skimmed through the headlines.

"Hm... 'New underwater formation discovered near eastern coast of Fusang', or so it says," the Servant recited, glancing off to the side as he looked at his Master dealing with her own work before beginning to read through the rest of the article. After a few moments, the Ruler continued to speak, almost as if monologuing to Othis (who may or may not have been paying attention at all).

"To be frank, something seems off about this; even in a world such as ours—no, rather, especially in a world like ours, the discovery of a new object of interest so close to our shores warrants a bit of curiosity on my behalf. This newspaper company is not so shallow so as to only report on minor scientific discoveries when the boundaries thereof are being tested every day—or so I would hope—so I may go and see if any vessels are planning to head towards that region later today. Would that be of interest to you as well, Miss Obberhausen?"

@KoL

The first thing she heard was that song.

For a few moments, both the protest of her still-agonized body and her bleary, sleep-deprived mind made it nearly impossible to recognize. But then, after a few moments she slowly began to piece together a few basic facts. The first being that the song was coming from her phone, and the second that she did recognize it.

It was the theme that BB had used, playing in place of her usual morning alarm.

"... Ah..."

Nanako's body felt like lead. She hadn't slept, not really. She felt as if, perhaps, she had passed out for a very brief period of time, but the alarm had jogged her out of it. That night... the whole night was pain. She had never imagined it was possible to feel that kind of pain. And it had all been because... because...

Because Meltryllis hated her. She'd wanted to try and forge a bond with her Servant. She'd wanted to try and make her Servant happy to have been summoned by her, to make sure it was a good partnership. But in reality, all she had done was destroy her own chances at such an outcome, hadn't she? Nanako had no idea what to think of Meltryllis's actions. But certainly, unquestionably, they were the result of the things that Nanako herself had done.

She had failed. She'd finally summoned a Servant, and failed utterly to become someone that Servant could be satisfied with as her Master.

Unsteadily, operating on a night without true sleep, Nanako made her way wordlessly to the shower.

She spent a considerable amount of time in there, alone, far longer then usual. When she finally left, she dressed herself rather haphazardly and slowly made her way out of her bedroom.

She didn't try to make breakfast. She didn't even try to speak to Meltryllis. If her Servant hated her that much, then why would she even want to talk to her?

@PKMNB0Y