[IC] Fate/stay Night - War of the Fourteen Magi - High Casual

[vancexentan]

@Turboshitter@Grey
"I specialize in combat oriented dueling not binding ritual contracts. I'm not very familiar with the ways they are made in and out. In order to make the one I had I used a manual written by a friend of mine. If it really matters all that much find me some god damn paper and I'll write out the most rudimentary version of the damn thing that I can." Leon said with frustration as he smacked the wall with his hand. "More over didn't this jackoff just say that he wouldn't sign it? The Geis Scroll on one's self requires a willingness to sign. I can't forge his name on the damn thing." Leon pointed out as Saber groaned as he placed his hand on his head. "There are few times when I missed my comrades' constant arguments on how things should be done. At least when they complained they knew what they were complaining about. If I may be so bold as to ask perhaps we should simply take the chance on this man's word? Or failing that hasn't he already accepted your previous terms? Beowulf, Berserker he may be, but he has his pride. Do you think a man like that would allow treachery to go.... Saber said as he turned to look at Albert.

"...Shield was still thriving when his time came
and he crossed over into the Lord's keeping.
His warrior band did what he bade them
when he laid down the law among the Danes:
they shouldered him out to the sea's flood,
the chief they revered who had long ruled them.
A ring-whorled prow rode in the harbour,
ice-clad, outbound, a craft for a prince.
They stretched their beloved lord in his boat,
laid out by the mast, amidships,
the great ring-giver. Far-fetched treasures
were piled upon him, and precious gear." Saber said as if quoting a book as he nodded his head.

"Would a man as beloved by his people as that, allow us to go into a trap so willingly after his master gave us their word?" Saber asked of Albert with a simple tone.

[Eklispe]

Lancer

_{Interacting with @Grey@Turboshitter@1Charak2}

---

Lancer patiently waited for his master to continue speaking, as he was under the assumption that the man was not suicidal, though you never really could know for sure. Lancer eyed Sos with a vague sense of amusement. "I may be a man from a time long past but I still have an understanding of how jokes work master." Lancer said with a friendly smile. His gaze shifted to Ren, "As master said, I have some experience with magic, enough to be summoned as a caster: So my knowledge may be useful to you."

Sos began pacing around while muttering to himself, while Lancer continued relaxing. Rider seemed very frustrated with the both of them, though she didn't say much in that regard. Of course perhaps the foot stomping was indication enough on its own. It seemed the servant and master were talking to each other however, as Ren dashed upstairs for a pair of glasses. Rider, or Medusa, put on the glasses and looked at them all, passing new judgments upon them. Lancer laughed upon receiving his own judgement, an open-ended insult but decidedly an insult none the less.

Rider asked for new clothes and the boy seemed to realize anew how she was dressed, hurriedly running off to get new clothes, obviously rather embarrassed. What an amusing duo, though relations forged amidst the war for the holy grail never seemed to end well, it wasn't really his place to give that advice. Rider hated him enough as was. "Anything you need from me? Or shall I leave you two alone and follow my wandering master?"

[Grey]

Berserker
11.5th Floor Hotel Room
Interacting with: @Turboshitter Albert Prelati, @VanceXentan Lancelot, Leon Winchester, Beowulf, Bozo the Suicide Bomber, Spoopy Skeltan Man

---

Roland was all smiles and calmness. Quite zen, all things considered - a battle derailed, two Servant identities out, the presence of religious heretics, and the sheer overall farcicality of this makeshift tea party. From her comfortable, if dusty, seat, she drank the cheap drink like she was in the midst of a manor’s salon.

Standing from her seat to get a refill, she spoke to Beowulf: “Yes, I am certainly an exceptional hero. Compliments to yourself likewise - not many can boast of withstanding the stroke of Durendal. But I’d hold my tongue about it; this ‘stupid blade’ is the sharpest one in all existence.” She dipped the low-quality bag into the heated water a few times, and continued, walking a circle around her blade, her finger anchoring her arc around the pommel until she let go gently. “Do remember there is no rule saying that the ‘teacher’-” she said the word disdainfully “-cannot be defeated by the ‘student’.”

Roland’s lips curled into a keen grin. “Though I will say your comment is quite interesting. The only warriors to bear this blade are myself, and my esteemed ancestor - your first enemy certainly wasn’t me, and if it is not him, well... “ She didn’t say anything else on that, but it was clear what the threat to this unspoken enemy was.

She addressed the masked leader next.

“Burn one of your Seals if you wish; trust is not something that comes easy - especially to a man who breaks his faith as easily as he asks others to keep theirs.”

Then, when Saber spoke, Roland didn’t waste a single second to answer his question, nor did she waste a single breath on an answer longer than it needed to be.

“Yes.”

It was an answer filled to the brim with a clear sense of rejection on part of the speaker. She knew not of Saber’s own experience with the machinations of man, but if there was anything she knew well, it was of the inherently disparate nature of humanity. Faith and goodness went hand in hand with the legend of the paladin, but so did betrayal and duplicity.

“Who regards ancient tomes as truth when actions speak truer? Who listens to the opinion of a populace held under rule of a tyrant?” she asked rhetorically, “The evidence lies before you thusly. You were paying attention, were you not? How can you be so naive? No man can serve two masters. Like God and wealth, one cannot act on behalf of both their warrior’s pride and the leadership of an honorless infidel.”

She side-eyed the man as she faced Team Saber.

“Would you endanger your liege so easily, Saber? It's better this way.”

[vancexentan]

@Grey@turboshitter
===
"A sniveling magus who only thinks of victory. A paladin with her ill placed righteousness towards others. God does not ask for wanton murder of those who follow his light. Only on those who would purposely seek to make the world a darker place should murder be always acceptable. The crusades were an embarrassment enough. How many died there to secure a small section of land? How many more are worth it? How many still go and kill each other now? What I represent is a justice. Justice for those who couldn't get past your master's kin, and magus's ill natures. The folly of the followers of the dead apostles led to murder, rape, and carnage upon innocents that should never have taken place. All through history what have you magus done if not make things worse? And you Paladin how much blood do you need to spill before you're satisfied? What reason do I have to trust a woman who forces peace with a sword? At least I'm up front with what I intend to do. I will not sign that contract. I will not give up this bomb. I will end us all if it means that I take some of you down with me. At least I can prevent at least two wishes that could be made of ill use on the grail. All you are is a walking shade of hypocrisy, none better than me, full of nothing but magical aura fed to you by your master. Beowulf is a tool. But he is a useful tool and one that I am glad to have. I've already given him the benefit of the doubt. He challenged you to combat on his own. And he failed as obvious as I have made my appearance here. I will not make the same mistake. So this is your last chance. Walk away, or cast your spell." the man growled as placed a gun to his own head. "I will not repeat myself again." he stated further as Saber sighed.

"What I have in experience with humanity is both the best, and the worst. Betrayal...hate...suffering. War, confliction, and sorrow. But I have also known brotherhood, hope, justice, glory, pride, and happiness. In life I gave an oath: I will develop my life for the greater good. I will place character above riches, and concern for others above personal wealth, I will never boast, but cherish humility instead, I will speak the truth at all times, and forever keep my word, I will defend those who cannot defend themselves, I will honor and respect women, and refute sexism in all its guises, I will uphold justice by being fair to all, I will be faithful in love and loyal in friendship, I will abhor scandals and gossip-neither partake nor delight in them, I will be generous to the poor and to those who need help, I will forgive when asked, that my own mistakes will be forgiven, I will live my life with courtesy and honor from this day forward. I may have in life sullied those words. But I will no longer hesitate. I will place my life, and Leon's in fate's hands. I will honor my pledge to my liege lord in death as I did once in life. Besides if need be my life is Leon's. If the sniper fires on me with that gun I can move faster than a bullet. And I will sacrifice my life for his. Keep on moving on with your path Sir Knight. I pray that you find it's conclusion as satisfying a result as you hope it to be." Saber said as turned his back on Roland, and the rest of the group.

"Saber...are you positive about this? I trust you with all my being. I won't force you to do something you don't want to do. Our all-" Leon began to speak as Saber walked over and grabbed Leon's shoulder. "My master. You are innocent of the darker ways of man in ways that I am not. I know what it looks like to see a nation fall. To watch helplessly as your world crumbles. To seek redemption, and to find darkness staring back at your face and laughing. The path Berserker travels is one far different than my own yet familiar in some ways. However I know from experience....that sometimes the best way to find victory is to simply refuse to accept the darkness in one's heart. To cherish one's own faith. And to understand that sometimes there is no way out other than to walk into darkness." Saber said to his master with a trusting smile as he let go of his master. Leon took one look back at the others and he felt conflicted.

He would surely make an enemy of Albert if he did this....maybe berserker too. He didn't trust the men in the masks. He didn't want to see more death than he had to. All of this...all of this was wearing down his will. But Saber...Saber's confidence, and loyalty to him made him feel stronger than he should be. Leon sighed and shook his head. "I trust you with my life Saber. I'm sorry Albert I really am. If you feel angry, or betrayed by this act than so be it. If this man is false than I will leave this building without my servant, and possibly my life. Berserker...I don't know what you've experienced. And I don't feel that I do. But I know you won't let go of it no matter what I, Beowulf, or anyone else here may have to say. I'm leaving with Saber." Leon said as Saber nodded at Leon. The two turned their backs to the group and went to find the stairway. Saber had left the broken piece of wood he had used to defend Albert right at his feet. If wasn't much but Saber hoped it would at least show Albert he meant no ill will by doing what he had just done. "Thank you my lord. I am grateful for your trust." Saber said to him simply as Leon smiled at Saber. "A lord needs to put trust, and faith in his vassals right? Well I'm giving you exactly that. No more than you would give me." Leon replied to his servant.

Bewoulf laughed even harder. "I can't see what's going on up there but it sounds like a bunch of worthless gossip, and small talk. Just do something, or don't. You waste my time, your time, and more importantly the time you can spend doing something productive in this war. If what Saber just said was actually truth then you're stuck with the....what do you call them now of days? Balls? Bah when I was a kid you used to throw rocks at each other not cheap 'plastic' things filled with air. It built character for when you needed to go hunting...so look I'm going to sit down tell me when you're all done talking like small children arguing over who stole daddy's sword." Berserker said flatly as he moved over the broken class and walked over to the sink to turn on the water in order to wash the blood of Jonathan's body off his hands.

[Turboshitter]

Albert Prelati

Interacting with: Berserker [Roland] (@Grey), Leon & Saber + the Padre & Berserker [Beowulf] (@vancexentan)

Jonathan's base of operations - 2:48 PM December 2nd, 2012

Hider

The tension in the room was reaching a slow boil. Saying the wrong words right now could topple the whole flimsy house of cards, a disturbingly literal metaphor in this case. But Albert was having the wrong reaction. He chuckled. At absolutely the wrong time, and the wrong place, he couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh zis is rich. You're just giving up? Some Master of Saber you are!" he yelled at the retreating Leon. "And zey say ze French are cowardly!"

Albert sighed, having gotten it all out of his system. Well that had been short-lived. However, at the end, they'd both said all that needed to be said about their relationship. He just couldn't work with someone who turned tail and ran so quickly against an opponent like this, that was all there was to it. Now he needed to save his words for someone else.

He craned his head back to look at the mercenary Executor.

"You up zere. 'Oly man," he said. "Before you pull ze trigger, why don't you riddle me zis. If I'm ze selfish, dis'onorable one, zen why aren't I up zere where you are, holding zat gun? If a magus is scum like you say, zen why is ze only one I see 'ere threatening ze lives of 'undreds of innocents just to prove some idiotic point ze man 'iding be'ind ze cross? Make your excuses all you want, padre. God will not show you 'is mercy when you go to 'ell. And neizer will I."

He stepped out into the open so his voice could be heard better. Loudly and clearly, he accused the man. Condemned him. Lectured him, even, as if he did indeed have the balls to insult an enemy to his face as Beowulf claimed.

"A necessary evil does not kill a 'otel full of people just to eliminate two magi. A man of ze cloth does not condemn ze blameless for ze sins of all mankind. And a hero of justice does not stoop to such cowardly actions for ze sake of zeir own personal vendetta! You're a liar if you zink you are any of zese zings." Albert pointed his finger up at the clown-faced man. "I was willing to negotiate wiz you before. I was willing to settle for leaving here wiz ze fairies if I needed to. But now I'm not. Because I see what you are now. You're not a righteous man, an Executor, or even a crusader."

Albert's eyes darkened as they took on a disdainful, almost savagely hateful look.

"You're just a shit'ead wiz a gun who zinks ze world is really as simple as black and white. And I cannot stand men like you."

He waited until he was sure Leon had left the building. Angry as he was at his fairweather friendship (not that they'd ever really been friends to begin with), he wasn't so petty that he'd deny him his chance to escape. Flourishing dramatically, Albert held his arms out at his sides like he was posing for the cross.

"Go a'ead and pull zat trigger, padre! Do it! Do it, you mozerfucker! Va te faire foutre!" he spat. "And when you do, both you and your Berserker will be dead, and we'll all get to see just how fast a Servant is compared to a bomb!"

Albert swallowed hard the lump in his throat.

Ma chère, he thought quietly. I trust you. Do you trust me?

[vancexentan]

@Turboshitter@GREY

===

"It's really amazing how much stupid words come out of the gaping holes in the faces of mages. Bah go on master blow up the building if you like if it shuts up the talking hamster then I'm fine with that." Berserker stated as he finished washing the blood off his hands and went waltzing back over to his master. He cracked his neck as he yawned boredly and looked Roland in the eyes. "Not that I'm one to talk but your master is as fickle as he is annoying. If you don't mind I'm taking mine and leaving now." Berserker growled as he waltzed over to his lord who looked back at him. "What are you going on about?" the man said to his servant as Beowulf suddenly smashed his fist into his master's body not delivering a fatal blow, or one that would give him a few broken bones. The end result was the same. The force of the blow was strong enough to reverse the blood towards the heart temporarily and a clicking noise was sounded. The man next to Albert shouted a number of obscenities before he used his gun and shot a hole in the window at the end of the hallway and booked it. Beowulf on the other hand quickly grabbed his master's rather limp body and the building shuttered moments after. Beowulf clutched one of his blades in his hand if Roland even for a moment went after Berserker he was ready to block and in that moment both she and them would be lost in the incoming explosive blast. "Run women let's see if you're good at that." Beowulf said as he rammed himself towards the nearest window as the building started to collapse on itself.

----

Leon had managed to get clear of the building and looked back up seeing that the civilians in it had apparently been evacuated before hand. No one had been in it, nor stopped him on the way down. He couldn't see what was happening up there anymore and he was glad for it. Leon smiled at Saber as he walked out he noticed no gunshot had gone off. "Looks like he was telling the truth." Leon said to Saber as he patted him on the back however a sudden quaking noise appeared as Saber grabbed Leon quickly before he had a moment to even register what was happening and sped off he may not have had mana burst but he certainly wasn't no frail fool. He couldn't afford to take the moment he needed to call upon Arondlight to assist him in increasing his speed. Most servants were quick enough to outrace some motor vehicles and Saber was no ordinary servant."Don't speak just let me focus!" Saber said as Leon gaped back at the carnage as the building began fall down into itself dust was already starting to accumulate and burst down in all directions as windows shattered and cracked. Leon wondered if Albert would survive this. "Stubborn asshole...well...you did try Saber..." Leon said as he shielded his eyes as Saber carried him away in his arms like a child.

[Grey]

Berserker
11.5th Floor Hotel Room
Interacting with: @Turboshitter Albert Prelati, @VanceXentan Lancelot, Leon Winchester, Beowulf, Bozo the Suicide Bomber, Spoopy Skeltan Man

---

Now, there were a lot of comments Roland took issue with, but she was capable of easily dismissing them as simply the ramblings of a heretical fool, the mask of a clown only completing such an image. And what king gets angry at their jester? Exactly, which was why the woman simply snorted and gave a dismissive handwave in response to the masked man’s tirade, explaining: “Cleansing heresy takes many forms, sometimes vampires and magi, sometimes Saracens and their eastern monsters. A monster who changes their body by the light of the moon, and a nation that consorts with devils are cut from the same cloth.”

She rested her chin on the pommel of Durendal, and turned her head to Beowulf. “What unique company you keep, Bear of the Geats,” she remarked. “As many issues as we have between ourselves, I pity your fortune, being leashed to someone who treats you as a tool to use.”

The next she was to address was Saber, whose knightly rhetoric resonated with the berserker’s chivalric nature. But regardless, she still had reservations trusting that anathemic abomination. Still… “Hn. I am used to taking leaps of faith, but it will be regretful to see someone of your ilk perish so dishonorably, should the worst come to past.” She placed her hand on the hilt of the blade, preparing to drop the boundary. “But like yourself, I do not speak on my own behalf - I shall see what my Master believes. Au revoir, Saber and Leon.”

And soon after, all hell broke loose.

“...Nice. ‘Doubling down’, as you say - I like it,” Berserker grinned, pulling the sword from the floor and disintegrating the field, just as Beowulf slammed his fist into his own Master, triggering the collapse of the building. The hotel swayed as its foundations burst. The enemy team had already made their escape, so now it was up to them to make their own; what a waste that bomb had ended up being.

Roland grabbed her Master by the collar, threw him over her shoulder, and kicked a hole in the opposite wall. Below them, twelve storeys of air, and then cold concrete lay. “Well, Master,” Roland said, “Hope you’re not afraid of heights.”

She leapt.

---

Prof. Sosthenes Antaeoi Kanakaris
Mizushima Household, 2:06AM
Interacting with: @Eklispe Cu Chulainn, @1Charak2 Medusa, @Turboshitter Ren Mizushima

---

Sosthenes could hear people talking shit downstairs, but fortunately he was a university professor so he was used to that kind of thing. They could throw all the shade they wanted, but he was still the beacon enlightening the masses and ensuring that they could live out the rest of their lives with a knowledge of things that may or may not be relevant in the future. So he let the haters hate, he would simply laugh because they were fake.

He popped into the room and fired a set of finger pistols at Medusa. “That’s just, like, your opinion, Rider,” he countered dismissively, “Now if you excuse me, I’m going to be contributing to the fortifications so Assassin or some such doesn’t slit our necks in our sleep!”

’Lancer, when you get the chance, can you set up some defensive rune arrays around the household?’ he asked, bending over in the basement to set up some standard defensive fields, ’Also, you have my permission to seek out a fight or scout out the competition if you so desire, so long as the house is ‘cleaned up’ as it were. I trust my apprentice well enough not to kill me in cold blood like the Brutus to my Caesar, and I trust the skills of a hero such as you to operate without my direct supervision.’

[The Red Seelie]

Taka Frederick & Assassin

Interacting with: @Shadow Daedalus

They had arrived at the safe house. It was pretty big. Bigger then taka had been previously expecting it to be. She thought he would lay completely low but the house appeared to have some luxury that she herself had been personally lacking. Now how did she explain to this man that she had no money and essentially would have to live off him like a lifeline? She would just keep it a secret until the last possible moment. So she certainly would have to enjoy living here. It was better than nothing, and Jack could finally experience at least a little more what it was like to be a child, In short, she loved it.

"Oh no silly, I don't need anything from my place." She laughed as though dodging saying why, "But yes I would like a drink, do you have coffee, I could really go for some coffee, oh and some milk for Jack please if you would." She said nodding over to her servant who was busy trying to figure out what to do with herself. "Oh and if you may, some painkillers would be nice for my neck as well."

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

Jack was lost. She really really really wanted to kill the man but she couldn't as he was now an ally to her mother. It was frustrating, very much so. She wanted to cut, chop and eviscerate this guy but his servant was in the room. Speaking of his servant, his clothing reminded her of the common Londoners of her time period. It certainly peaked her curiosity. It reminded her of home...

"Mr servant sir? What's your name?" She asked with a voice like a child in an attempt to throw him off guard. You never show your true tricks of the trade, unless you're going to kill them there and then. "You just look like your from London that's all." She said continuing her observation. Her head quickly turning at her mother's mention of milk...

[Shadow Daedalus]

And

Interacting with: Taka, Assassin (Jack) @1Charak2

Nodding to himself, James turned around and slipped into the kitchen, pulling 4 mugs out of one of the overhead cabinets and laying them out on a small wooden serving tray. Unscrewing a jar of instant coffee from another cupboard, he used a tea spoon to scoop two spoons of coffee into three of the cups before placing them down to pull out a small saucepan and placing it on the side. Pulling out a carton of milk, he poured some into the saucepan before putting it on the hob on a low heat. Filling the kettle and putting it on to boil, he brushed his hands together as he turned back to the living room and returned to his position of leaning on the dividing wall.

"Milk and sugar in that coffee? Anyway, I would expected you would need at least a few things, because believe it or not I don't stockpile women's underwear..."

As he spoke, he hoped against hope that he had remembered to removed the last of Aoi's own underwear, lest he look like a fool. Even so, his old mentor's clothes wouldn't have been a good fit for his new ally anyway, considering they were tailored for someone of a more... robust figure.

---

Van Helsing was a little surprise when the little assassin girl suddenly spoke up, having been quiet most of the trip here. Ordinarily, he wouldn't have even flirted with the idea of giving away the answer to what she wanted to know, but the way she spoke gave off an almost homesick undertone. As he listened closely, he could hear the familiar accent of the lower class London estates, recognised from his time as a genius physician. Yet, this served to raise more questions. What could a little girl from late 19th century London have done to qualify as a Hero for the grail war? Pushing the thought aside, he decided to give the girl a little benefit of the doubt with a kind smile as he pulled the cloth from over his mouth.

"How about, little one, I tell you my name, and you tell me yours? Is that ok with you? My name is Abraham, I was a doctor."

[Turboshitter]

Albert Prelati

Interacting with: Berserker (@Grey)

Outside Jonathan's base of operations - 2:51 PM December 2nd, 2012

Hider

As soon as the building had begun shaking in its death throes, Berserker had made her escape, her Master held tightly. She jumped from the hotel window, twelve stories up, and they were airborn in the time it took for a fly to flap its wings. Sadly, unlike a fly, they wouldn't remain that way for very long. The ground was rushing up to smash them like bugs. Or more accurately, smash Albert like a bug.

Servant or not, a normal human couldn't survive a twelve-story fall. Or rather, they couldn't survive landing. Inertia was a cruel, cruel mistress, and once you got going at terminal velocity, you were gonna need a long time to slow down if you didn't want to end up like a bird against a windshield. Far more time than concrete and asphalt would give you. Which is why Albert had thought ahead and prepared them something they could use to cushion the impact.

He groped in his back pocket for the item. That was a lie of course. How could he have known some raving lunatic would rig an entire building to explode, or that their only escape would be to jump from the twelfth story window of a hotel? Only a raving lunatic themselves would think to prepare for that. But thankfully, he did have enough points in Perception to realize what he had already brought with him could do the job nicely.

He found the wrapped leather flask and passed it to Berserker. It was a high-quality item, a portable Bounded Field he kept with him to contain a certain... something that tended to eat its way out of every container he tried putting it in. A Grand King Slime, a Gold-ranked Phantasmal Beast he'd made a contract with years ago for just such an occasion as the Holy Grail War. He almost never let it out of the flask due to its voracious appetite, but it would obey him and allow them to be swallowed safely without being digested... he hoped.

Albert unscrewed the cork. With any luck, the viscous slime would act like an expanding foam that would cushion them from the impact. That was the idea, anyway.

"Ma chère!" he shouted over the whipping wind. "You might want to take a deep breath!"

He flicked the lid open, and an ocean of gold came pouring out.

[vancexentan]

Leon barely registered that the dust around them had stopped someway back as Saber held him close shielding him. They stopped some distance away as they heard the sirens blaring off in the distance. He looked up at Saber who looked down at him. The man was silent and so was Leon. They both sat down in a park bench and contemplated what just happened. "So what now? Should we go check on them?" Leon asked as Saber shook his head. "Albert's stubbornness was paralleled by his own desire to win so much that he refused to even take his own way out of the situation. If he survived it's due to the efforts of Berserker. If he is dead then his arrogance got the best of him. Regardless we should avoid the general area for now. Until then we should be on the watch for the assassin class. They don't tend to attack in the middle of the open so we should pick a place where they'd be disadvantaged at fighting to go spend the rest of the day at that location. Then we may retire back to Satsuko's Residence." Saber said calmly as he considered his own options for the moment. Leon was wondering how Saber felt it was like him to worry over things but today's events rattled him. For now Leon's own thoughts on the day had subsided. "Saber where do you think we should go? And more importantly are you ok?" Leon asked as Saber who looked at him confused. "I am unharmed My Lord why would you ask? You mean my frustration? I as a knight am bound to fight for my honor, and yours by extension of your contractual holdings of my current form, having not taken the chance to eliminate the berserker from the equation bothers me but your health takes precedent over my own. I am just a pawn in the grand scheme of this world. You have much to live for where I do not. As for our destination...I have an idea. Take a moment to catch your breath though master I understand the situation at hand is unsettling at best." Saber stated to Leon who simply nodded at his servant.

[Grey]

Berserker
Plummeting down 11 storeys
Interacting with: @Turboshitter Albert Prelati

---

Berserker, with Albert in tow, accelerated through the air, cutting it like she was Durendal itself as the building crumbled behind them. The ground was rapidly encroaching upon them, or rather, they were encroaching upon it. And soon, they would be as a roach underfoot.

Well, survival was no issue for a spiritual body like herself, but her Master was not quite so lucky. Which meant that she herself was not so lucky as well.

Above the whistling wind, her ears registered something, but she couldn’t much hear what the boy was saying between the cutting wind and the loose, flapping fabrics of their respective clothing. As well as what was likely civilians screaming at the sight of a destroyed hotel and plummeting bodies, but Berserker knew they were worrying for naught. Her Master had a plan, and a bottle that he had just thrust into her possession.

A single eyebrow was raised, which quickly became two when the bottle, uncorked, began releasing a rapidly expanding golden gelatin of some variety? “The f-” she began before being immediately silenced. Fortunately, in making the “f” noise, her mouth had been closed enough for her to quickly bar entrance to the golden slime.

They fell some more, and landed with a noise that was presumably some type of ‘ploop!’ - not that she could tell, as the slime was currently suppressing her ability to hear much of anything. To her, it was like diving from the mast of a ship and into the maw of a giant sea creature -a comparison which evoked similarities to Jonah and his large fish, but adjusted to be more suitably awesome for a hero of similar nature. Unfortunately, such a comparison implied the grim reality that one was within the soft, slimy innards of a creature - the exact situation the Servant and Master pair had found themselves in to prevent the squishy Frenchman’s death at the cold hands of Newtonian physics.

Albert could feel Berserker’s guttural growling through the semi-solid substance, and then might be able to see her tear herself from (or, perhaps it would be better to say she swam out of it?) the slime. “Absolutely disgusting,” she groaned once free from the creature, side-eying the golden Phantasmal Beast in all its age and gross gelatinousness. ‘Let’s clean up and regroup elsewhere, Master,’ Berserker transmitted, hearing the sirens in the background quickly approaching the scene of the explosion, ‘I don’t think the presence of a golden… thing… is going to qualify as something within the ordinary.’

[Turboshitter]

Albert Prelati

Interacting with: Berserker (@Grey)

On the ground - 2:51 PM December 2nd, 2012

Hider

Albert dusted himself off, shaking dry much like a dog would as he cleared the remnants of slime from his vision. He spat a thick blob of golden mucosal goop onto the pavement, clearing his throat.

"What, you don't like being covered in my sticky goo?" he said in jest. "You 'urt me, ma chère. I zink it suits you. But fine, if you insist."

Before he could face any retaliation for his crude attempt at humor, he snapped his fingers, making a wet, sloshing sound. Slowly, the viscous fluid started sloughing off him of its own accord, merging with the puddle forming at Berserker's feet. Their clothes, their skin, even their hair slowly attained something resembling dryness, the slime crawling off them in thin rivulets like it was alive. In fact it was. And it seemed Albert had anticipated a scenario like this and taught it a few tricks.

The young Frenchman clapped his hands like a spoiled aristocrat calling for his butler, and the slime began to slink back inside the flask, leaving little indication that there had ever been anything anomalous about the two of them or the few square feet of ground where they stood, save for the smell of stomach acid and an almost unnoticeably thin film of shiny gold dew that clung to everything the slime had touched.

"Zere. Now we are boz clean and 'idden," he said. "'Owever it would probably still be in our best interests to make a break for it. Let's 'ead to ze forest. I'm not going back to ze Hyatt until I'm confident we're not being watched, and a wide-open space like zat ought to draw zeir fire if zey've still got sights trained on us. You can block ze shot, right?"

[The Red Seelie]

Interacting with:@Turboshitter@Grey@Eklispe

Something deep within Medusas psyche was stirring when after her master had given her the confirmation that she may call him by his real name, he had locked eyes with her. He didn't freeze. These glasses really did work. Her eyes narrowed to what amounted to both a reassuring look and a glare at the same time as she looked down at Ren, Her Master.

Interrupted Rider shrugged off the professor's reentry into the room as just a failed attempt to defend himself. He hadn't given the best first impressions to a noble spirit and if he didn't have such ties to her master... well Lancer might find himself a little lonely. She decided to get back to the thought at hand.

It turns out that her Master was also cursed with the gift of an altered vision from the commoners of this world. That was nice, having a master that could understand her. It reminded her of her old master somewhat but... that was the past she had to concentrate on the here and now. The here and know being the boy whom she had contracted with. It gave her some meaning for her to exist. Well, that and making sure the professor never touched her master's mother again without some serious pain involved. So it seemed luck was smiling down upon her.

Of course, Ren had to keep embarrassing himself in front of her as if she didn't have enough strength over the whims of a man already, he was literally throwing himself to her feet over and over again like some sort of sacrifice with a deathwish bigger then a giant tied to a rock. It was adorable but only because he was doing it towards her. Flattery was always appreciated. She would still have to lecture him on proper conduct on talk to ladies. Not to see that he was a complete fail case but even a deaf and blind man would be more effective at getting to the point. Still, she had to be patient. Her master probably wasn't used to such formalities.

His reaction to her asking for clothes to cover her well. Frankly, revealing attire was flatly adorable. In her mind, she could picture it like she was the snake coiling around the little sheep boy. Not squeezing him to death no. But just gripping him tightly enough that he was always in arms reach. It certainly was never a bad idea to make sure her master never left her sight. He seemed frailer than her last one so she had to make extra sure he didn't 'break'.

Soon after what was a rather adorable display. She was presented with the clothing of this time. A couple of cotton garments which one would wear as a top and a pair of stiff looking blue trousers. Certainly not the outfit she was used to wearing but she would have to make do with it. "Thank you Ren," She told him mentally as she did a small curtsy taking the clothing and looking for a location remote enough to get changed. She left her master to his own Devices as she walked upstairs to what she believe to be the latrine room. It had a suitable lock for her to have some privacy when she changed. She took off her Glasses as her vision began to tint again but only after she had locked the door. She didn't need anyone turning to stone by her own act of clumsiness.

A few minutes later

Medusa finished putting on her new outfit. The top was a little tight and showing some of her midriff above the line where the jean ended but it wasn't at the point where it was too revealing or too small. It seemed to fit a good niche in exemplifying her curves in her figure which didn't help because of her heritage, the jeans served to do a just the same. In reality, medusa, while fussing over how the clothes felt looked like something straight out of a teenage boy's wet dream. She slide back on her glasses and stepped back out into the house making with what could only be seen as an almost predatory walk.

Coming back to where Ren was she did a little twirl purposely to fluster the boy. "Is this good Master?" She asked wanting both a second opinion and a way to tease her master to no end. Though sometimes teasing had to be put on hold. It wasn't like they were going to win a grail war with teasing.

"That aside, if the house needs defense I could bring my home territory right here. Though it would require some set up with the lay lines" Medusa said as she tapped her lip. "My blood fort could effectively eliminate basically any non-magus in an instant without discrimination while supplying you Ren or myself with mana. Though you will have to make sure mummy isn't around."

Rider continued her train of thought. "Though if we set up the fort here, would making the base of operations an effective bait and death trap be a good idea?" She said in an open statement. As a servant, she was bound to the service of her master. So, in reality, it was Rens call to turn the house into a fortress or make the death trap that was Andromeda elsewhere.

[The Red Seelie]

Taka Frederick & Assassin

Interacting with: @Shadow Daedalus

Taka leaned against the kitchen top as she watched James prepare the drinks. "So. James. Got any skeletons in the closet you want to confess if we are to make this alliance more permanent." Taka said as she tapped her hand rhythmically on the kitchen top. Her eyes never once letting him out of her sight. It was safe to say she was partially paranoid at being in someone else's home. She needed more guarantees that her throat wouldn't be slit in her sleep. "I am up for an alliance myself, mostly because I doubt I could win the grail war by myself without an awfully high amount of luck." She said truthfully not liking to admit her situation.

James had gone back out towards the living room presumably to make sure everyone heard what he said. "Sure I'll be up for some milk and sugar but I don't think looping back to my place would be very wise currently," Taka said with a sigh. It had to do with the time of day. Daytime was actually less safe for her then the night because at night, her servant, her 'daughter', Jack was at full strength.

"Even so, I am sure a man like you could let me borrow some money to buy some clothes. Unless you want me to be forced to wash the same set over and over again like the poor girl I am." Taka said with a slight chuckle at what she was saying. She was trying to keep her mind off the fact that she was talking to a man whom could likely kill her if he wanted.

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

Jack sat watching her 'friend' a man who reminded her of her home... of London. It was as if she had a fragment of her home with her. It was nice certainly. If the city of London didn't reject her existence and killed her. Her love for her home was both positive and negative. She loved the streets, the brickwork, the architecture but the people that inhabited it was much more demonic than the wraiths that composed her very being.

She was a killer certainly but she wasn't a complete psychopath. She was capable of standard human function even if her entire existence was abnormal. She continued to think about who she was while watching the man until he spoke up with his voice. Clear cut and an accent which definitely some English present in it. Then he asked for her name.

Jack stood frozen as her mind was racing. What could she possibly do... If she told him would he be bound by creed to kill her? He looked like a hunter after all but if she didn't say anything he would get suspicious. Jack internal thoughts were all over the place.

"I'll tell you my name but only if you swear to ne'er tell a soul," Jack said quietly as she walked forward dragging the collar of the man down to her height. Though not forcefully enough for it to feel like she was attacking him. It was only with enough force that the man would get the idea to allow her to whisper into his ear, " if your from my time... you may have heard my name..." She began as she whispered. "Jack." She pulled away and sat down on the couch in the living room. "Anything else you want to say to me Abe?" She said with her face resting on its side which was held up by her arm.

[Turboshitter]

Ren Mizushima

Interacting with: Rider (@1Charak2), Sosthenes (@Grey), Lancer (@Eklispe)

Fuyuki City, Miyama Town - 2:10 PM December 2nd, 2012

Hider

Ren tried to look away but some long-buried male instinct seemed to physically hold the vertebrae of his neck in place. The only motions he could make with his head was to nod. Rider was so fucking-

Wait, what was that about a death trap?

"Eheheh... ehhh..." Ren laughed nervously, suddenly paying attention again. "Let's uhhh... not do that. I mean unless you think it's a good idea! It's just that I don't really want my mom or any of the neighbors getting caught up in that. The suburbs around here are..."

Ren wiped a small trickle of blood from his nose, looking out the window at the dozens of densely-packed prefab housing units that made up his neighborhood.

"... pretty packed."

Ren wondered why he'd never noticed that before. The houses around here were so close together. The buildings too. Would they really be okay when it came to collateral damage? Avoiding civilian casualties could be difficult in a country where the average inner-city wi-fi connection could reach a few million people.

His face contorted into a lop-sided half-grin. He'd never really thought about it in the last four years, but after spending some time abroad, Japan seemed kinda weird. It was amazing how much perspective a little glob-trotting could give you.

"How... big is this Bounded Field anyway?" he turned to ask Rider, fidgeting. "Do you think we could use inside the city? I mean, if it's the kind that blocks entrance from either side, we could use it to contain the collateral damage, r-right professor? If we can get the people out first, maybe we can use it to do something flashy without anyone noticing..."

Ren posed his suggestion awkwardly, expecting to get shot down by either Rider or the professor. Bounded Fields were his bread and butter, so he'd know better than anyone, except maybe Rider, if this... "Blood Fort" thing was safe to use.

He stopped and thought about that for a second. Blood Fort. It was called "Blood Fort". Yeah, there was no way that could be anything good. "Safe to use" was probably hoping for a bit much.

[Grey]

Berserker
Da Streets
Interacting with: @Turboshitter Albert Prelati

---

A blank, unamused stare, like a calm preceding a storm.

Fortunately though, Albert managed to act fast enough to avoid the spirit’s retribution. Shivering uncomfortably at the feeling of the slime snaking its way off her body, she clicked her tongue irately. But she would accept it for now. Loathe as she was to admit it, it was the only way out of that situation. But if it ever happened again…

But what was this? A challenge? “Pfft. Of course!” Roland huffed, “A bullet is a bullet. Even if they had Archer shooting at us, it would take more than that to claim my head.” Fired from an enchanted high penetration anti-materiel rifle or not, it still wouldn’t be fast enough to render moot a Servant’s reaction time. She grabbed Albert and threw him over her vaguely slime-slicken pauldron.

“Directions?” she asked before making a beeline to the forest.

---

Prof. Sosthenes Antaeoi Kanakaris
Mizushima Household
Interacting with: @Eklispe Cu Chulainn, @1Charak2 Medusa, @Turboshitter Ren Mizushima

---

So many preparations, and an uncertain amount of time by which to complete them. While nighttime was a standard for magus activity, it was the afternoon and sundown was rapidly approaching. Even then, most rules - especially the unofficial ones - tended to go out the window when you started evoking demigods from another plane of existence.

An enemy could come for them at any moment, so there was no time to waste. Fortunately, standard arrays were relatively quickly deployed by a magus of his calibre. It was the esoteric ones that took more time, but the basics should suffice, especially if they were to go out hunting in the night and especially since Lancer was also getting to work.

But, still crouching to the ground, immersed in the earth and the rich leylines of Fuyuki City, Sosthenes stopped and let his circuits cool. Elsewhere, in audible range, his apprentice had issued a question to him. The professor looked down to his handiwork, then in the direction to his apprentice. Deciding this was as good a time as any for a tea break and a small lesson, the professor headed into the kitchen and began boiling water.

As he waited, Sosthenes spoke: “It all depends on the mechanics behind your Bounded Field. How it’s made and how it functions, most of all.” A cop-out answer so far, but he wasn’t finished yet as Ren might expect from a master geomancer. “If, for example, you had to array boundary runes, the breadth of the array would influence the size of the field. But it’s best to have a wide field, else it’s liable to be only useful once your enemy’s on top of you.” He stopped speaking, as the water for his tea had come to boil. Pouring himself out a glass and dropping a bag inside, he continued. “But there are ways to make a large, static field useful in a crowded area. If it’s offensive - which I assume, given your concern - we could combine it with a battle censure Bounded Field beforehand, turn it into a trap by indicating it’s a dueling ground and springing it when the enemy enters range. Or, depending on how it works, you may be able to incorporate a conditional system.” He took a sip. “I recall encountering one in this town a few years ago, for example.”

[vancexentan]

Saber had taken Leon upon his back and had moved to transport him away from the billowing dust cloud behind them. No doubt the police where just about there along with the other departments. They had to keep away from anyone and thus they had to stay close to the ground. However he also had to make sure he traveled at a reasonable speed. Eventually Saber, and Leon had managed to get away from the crowd and Saber decided it would be best to take a look around the city. The sky scrapers would probably not be the best for all the helicopters now in the sky...so the bridge would have to do. Saber took Leon with him up the bridge quickly moving with quick grace. However at the top of it they were met with an individual with a green cloak around them. He had his hood down however and the wind blew around his orange hair. He was drinking from a bottle of what he could only assume was alcohol. The man was also a heroic spirit. Leon tensed up prepared to let Saber do his job however the other individual simply looked at them and grumbled. "Bloody...all well want a drink mates? I've had a long day I'd rather not get into a fight." the man said as Leon looked at the man and then at Saber. Saber frowned, "Trust is not given so easily-" Saber began as the other one frowned. "Cut the stupid shit. I may not have 'honor' like some heroic spirits but I got my own codes. When I offer someone a drink it's usually not poisoned." grumbled the other servant with disdain as he took another sip. Saber began to once more argue when Leon spoke up, "Enough Saber...I may not drink a lot but I could probably use one after our little incident over there." Leon said as he got off Saber's back and walked over to the other man. The servant pulled out two cups and poured them and gave them to Leon. "Cheers to shitty days eh bucko?" the servant said with a chuckle. "Master you-" Saber tried to say as Leon forced the other cup into his hands as Leon drunk from the cup he had himself before sitting down next to the servant. "Cheers to shitty days Archer." grumbled Leon reading the man's class as he sat next to him. Saber looked at the pair dumbfounded. Archer simply chuckled. "I like you kid...your a good sort." Archer commented to Leon whom he poured some more into his glass once Leon drank the whole sour tasting wine down in one big gulp. Saber sighed and resigned to this knowing further reasoning with his master wouldn't go anyway he sat down next to Leon, still cloaked as another man, and drank from his own glass.

[Eklispe]

Lancer

_{Interacting with @Grey@Turboshitter@1Charak2}

---

As Medusa went up to change Lancer took advantage of the time as well by working to set up some runes around the house along with Sosthenes, making sure they complimented rather they conflicted with each other. Upon hearing Medusa come back downstairs he stopped his work to see if anything else was pressing. Lancer's mouth curled in amusement as Medusa paraded herself in front of Ren even as she'd basically just told Sos and him to treat her like a lady. Well no need to point that out at the moment, she seemed to hate him enough already. Ren raised his concerns about raising the Blood Fort inside the city, worried about collateral, a fair enough point considering how much trouble that could cause. Lancer nodded at Sos's explanation "Basically we can use it here as long as we make it active situationally." The idea reminded him of Ath nGabla, setting that up inside the field and then triggering it would likely spell certain doom for whoever got caught in it. Of course it wouldn't be much of a fight and practically the whole point ruined. Still, Magus tended not to care much for whether he got a good fight or not.

[Shadow Daedalus]

And

Interacting with: Taka, Assassin (Jack) @1Charak2

Nodding as she agreed to milk and sugar, James crossed back over to the counter as the kettle clicked off, signifying that the water was boiled. Quickly putting two teaspoons of sugar into two of the coffee cups and another into the fourth mug, which was empty, he poured the boiling water into the three coffee mugs, with some milk going into the mug he had mental designated as Taka's. Placing the kettle back on its base, he flicked the heat off the hob and moved the pan of warm milk to pour it into the fourth mug. Using the teaspoon he had scooped the coffee with, he stirred the mugs of coffee.

As he stirred, James took a second to think about what Taka said to him, especially regarding the skeletons in his closet, of which their were plenty of. 'Well, to start, I killed my first man aged 12, and by the time I turned 14 that number had risen to 8, 9 counting the assisted suicide in Dubai.' Shaking his head lightly, he tried to clear his head of that particular train of thought. to his misforturne, His mind strayed to the most recent skeleton added to the veritable mausoleum that was his 'closet'. Amina. He wondered if it was wise to let his newest partner about her, but decided to let the topic rest for now, until there was a better time to talk about it.

Instead he finished stirring the drinks, placing them on a tray. Before he picked up the tray, he gave Taka a quick look at her mention of lending her money. Mulling it over in his head, he was hesitant to give money to someone he barely knew, but she was his ally and he need to start showing a little trust in some way. Not just that, but his previous experiences with women let him now that some of them can be particularly stubborn and will sometimes get... creative in order to get what they want.

"As long as you don't go overboard, It shouldn't be too much of a problem. You will pay me back though, one way or another."

With another light shake off his head, he picked up the tray of mugs and lead the woman back into the living room, grabbing 4 coasters as he walked. Placing the tray on the glass coffee table, he tossed a coaster in front of Jack and the other seating places before taking the mugs and placing them in front of their respective seats. The black coffee with sugar was placed in front of the armchair with James' coat resting on it, the other black coffee placed in front of the other armchair, signalling that seat was for Van Helsing. The warm milk was placing in front of the young Assassin, the white coffee beside it for Taka.

Sliding the tray onto the shelf below the table, James disappeared out of the room, only to return a minute later and toss a plastic packet of painkillers next to Taka's drink. Settling into his seat, he lightly waved his hand towards the drink and the medicine.

"For your neck."

That was all he offered in way of explaination, but it should have been sufficient. With nothing left to be said, he lifted his mug and took a mouthful of the hot drink, the sweet and bitter flavour helping him to relax a little.

---

Van Helsing was again a little surprised as the little girl hopped up and grabbed his collar, the height difference between the two making the action necessary for the white-haired Assassin. The apparent need for secrecy, even within the privacy of the bounded field encompassing the house, was surprising, but once the assassin's name slipped from her lips, it suddenly made sense, as well as her place in the poorly-named 'Throne of Heroes'. While a servant's true power stemmed from the name they take from their legends, few servants held the brutal, blood-covered reputation of the little girl currently resting on his Master's couch. His eyes gained an edged, predatory look out of reflex, before he caught himself and made himself relax a little. While the revelation was shocking, he reminded himself that the newly identified and ever-infamous Jack the Ripper was an ally, as opposed to an immediate threat to be hunted.

"Your crimes are long past, what's done is done. I have no right to judge your actions over a century ago, nor would doing so change the past. Besides, My quarrel is not with your kind to begin with. I am a hunter of beasts, not a hunter of men."

Taking a few steps closer towards the couch, He took off his weathered tricorn and ran a gloved hand through his blackish brown hair, a few streaks of greying silver making themselves known. He lowered his voice, so that only she could hear him but he wasn't quite whispering.

"In the interest of full disclosure, it is only fair that I introduce myself properly. So, Ms. Jack the Ripper, my name is Doctor Abraham Van Helsing, Physician and Monster Hunter. A pleasure to be working with you."

As he spoke, he placed the hat to his chest and gave her a small, polite bow, typical of the aristocrats of his time, or more accurately their time. He straightened up and slipped the hat back onto his head as James and Taka re-entered the room, waiting patiently for his own coffee to be placed on the table before seating himself and taking a sip of the unsweetened black coffee.