[IC] Fate/Eigengrau

A TV flickered on and off from within the window of a small hole-in-the-wall store. It apparently sold all types of electronics, but the recent news, as broadcasted on the TV, had done a number on the economy and decreased foot traffic heavily turning a city that never slept into one of eternal slumber.

The white noise eventually found root in a nearby news station, featuring a man in his late 30s. A meteorologist, apparently. He spoke of the obvious catastrophic event, the recent volcano eruption which has hidden the sun and darkened the sky.

"We've never seen anything quite like this? Have we? Some superstitious citizens claim it is an omen of bad things yet to come. The volcano erupted a month ago, and still, Japan as a whole is suffering from its aftermath. People from all over have begun to call this period of time..."

The TV paused briefly before kicking back on.

"Black summer."
"Black summer."
"Black summer."

A hundred different voices, one from the TV, another from a radio. There wasn't a single person within Fuyuki City unaffected by the event. Businesses that had been around forever were forced to close. Crime rates had skyrocketed. None of this was surprising but it left everyone wondering... when would it come to an end? Though it mattered to the citizens, it made no difference to those who had recently arrived within the city of despair. They weren't trying to solve mother natures mystery; they had a war to fight. But there was one man among them, though far from a new arrival; still a participant in the war none the less who wished to answer that question.

---

Overseer

"What an unfortunate coincidence, Japan thrown into a time of turmoil right as the war begins..." He shook his head, "No. Not coincidence. Divine intervention." In his hand was a dancing wine of glass, swirling as he moved it in a circular motion, a tidal wave within a crimson sea.

The masters had been selected, the servants summoned. "A wish must be worth one's life. It is a gamble? Is it not?" He was talking to no one; himself aloud; perhaps God. Unexplainable really. He took a sip of his wine. "I hope to meet these prospects. The lambs God has selected for the slaughter. Surely the connection exists? A war founded on heresy and a black cloud that has plunged these sacred lands into wickedness." He sighed, closing the bible in front of him to reveal a stack of newspapers referencing the eruption. That topic of conversation was inescapable.

If all goes well, the heretics will take care of themselves. Well... until then." He abandoned the cup of wine, and everything else on his desk, footsteps echoing through the church.

It was a beautiful building, with a natural glow that poured through the stained glass in just the right way. He had walked towards this spotlight, his feet gliding across a velvet carpet and passing pew after pew; allowing that lighting to paint him in his best form. "Let night one begin..."

[FatPrincess]

Parenthia carried herself with poise and grace, her arrival in Japan was not one of shock. She kept up with recent world events, as irrelevant as they were to her daily life. Knowledge was power and if the world was to end, she would like to know. Alas, the world was not ending. Japan was merely brought into a lull, a time of slowness and depression that history has often bred. Though this was not due to poor leadership or human ignorance but mother nature herself. Parenthia truly did not care. Whether Japan recover from this or not, it did not affect her. She did not live here nor did she have any desire to. This location, Fuyuki City specifically, was nothing more than an arena to the woman. A place to battle and be done with it!

Having found herself in possession of Command Spells, she was thrilled to be a master of this war and was given a catalyst by her family in order to summon a quote-unquote powerful servant. Though the Metaxas line had never participated in a true grail war, they had always been prepared for one and it was for that very same reason that they possessed an estate within Fuyuki, though not near as grand and immaculate as other families it got the job done.

Once the ritual was completed, she stared blankly. Sitting at a table in a cozy living room. "Oh, it's you." She said, so nonchalantly, so casual! Nearly any Heroic Spirit would have been disrespected by her tone. "To be frank I was hoping for your sister, but I suppose one shouldn't complain about summoning a servant of the Saber class. Would you care for some tea?" She questioned, lifting the kettle and tilting her head ever so slightly.

[Duoya]

The dark skies seemed to stretch on forever as Iris stared from her balcony. Over the last few weeks she had spent in Japan, she had grown quite accustomed to the lack of sunlight. If this nation wasn’t such a backwater for magecraft, Iris would expect Dead Apostles to have started flocking here. But even though the skies were dark and barren, the buildings and streets far below were alive with light and activity.

Fuyuki City. Normally Iris would never arrive at a place like this, not without hearing rumors of Mystic Eyes. But this depressing city was apparently the host of a grand ritual, the likes of which Iris had only learned about during her time in the Clocktower.

Iris turned her head back, looking into the penthouse behind her. The room that was once immaculate was now completely wrecked, graffiti sprayed across nearly every inch of the walls and a giant summoning circle dominating the center of the room. It had cost quite a pretty penny to rent such a luxurious room in the Hyatt Hotel - but for a Master like Iris, the expense was well worth it. While not as bustling as it was before the eruption, the hotel still hosted dozens or even hundreds of patrons - scientists who have come to study the eruptions' influences, travelers who wished to see the devastation, and even a few diplomats who have come to discuss foreign aid.

They would serve as excellent shields, barriers to prevent other Masters from reaching Iris and her Servant. The woman turned back to the devastated city, calling out to her Servant as she did so.

“Archer - tonight is the beginning of the war. As a conqueror, how do you suggest we start?”

The servant chuckled at the words of his so-called master. It was a soft but noticeable sound, one that traveled clearly along the midnight breeze. It wasn’t often that he found himself consulted like this. Upon being summoned, he was almost certain he’d be met with a master not to his liking. Needless to say, he was pleasantly surprised by their current arrangement. Archer found his hands reaching up to meet his chin, stroking it in a manner that showed he was deep in thought.

There were multiple things to consider in a situation such as this. He had no doubt that he wasn’t the first to be called into this new era. That thought unnerved him, if only slightly but was what allowed him to respond suitably.

“We already have a nice place set up, a base of operations. My first thought, since that is complete, would be to survey the area and get a feel for just what we’re up against. To beat an enemy, we first have to know them.”

Archer’s brows knitted themselves together, worry was written on his face. His hands seemed to cling onto the railings with even more vigor, all while his head geared itself toward the sky. Now facing the moon, his features were on full display. Sun-kissed skin was illuminated by the faint light of the sun’s other half. With how lively and full of vitality he looked, you could almost say he looked human, but how far from the truth that was. More accurately, he was a conqueror, a beast whose only purpose was to decimate the battlefield. How fitting, he found it that he was again to be used as a tool of war.

“May the games begin.”

He muttered the words under his breath, a small smile snaking its way onto his face. Things would soon get far more interesting than he could even imagine.

[Daisuki]

The afterglow of everscent lingers within the atmosphere of the damp caverns and wet walls echoing smithereens of curses and wailings of the dead for the living to keep out of in order for the souls to rest. The dead speaks in tongues for those who do not listen. The bidding tears of the stairs that led into the circles of purgatory lingered and layered with fogs as extension of its ethereal like being, an heavenly-like existence that harbours the fuel that fires the cages of the Underworld. The duties of the princess that protects the labyrinths, the crossroads of life.

“Ah.. um… m-master, I’m back… ii….”

The formation of old and new magic that connects two spaces together. From above and below, satanic magical circles form and rotate, and finally intertwine with each other. Air compressed into pressures of aerodynamic quadrennial slices that feels dense enough to slice through the atmosphere . The space now was shaken by a loud burst of rippled rift that popped the sound barrier. Allowing a being of pure ether in the body to materialise more clearly, such a thing of course, was a distasteful lie.

“It’s come to my attention, dear master. That my beloved scrys spotted possible connections. Leyline convergences. All of which by the looks of it could very well birth a god of the elements. Ready for the taking as my dominion. By which, we will secure great advantage.”

A beautiful woman, with pearly skin and eyes that could entrance even mythical beasts. She speaks in soft intonation. Bound by her sheepish nature, she mustered the courage to speak. Respectful and authoritative-like, as if she was raised to command and inspire. Within this space, she radiates an aura befitting a figure from the old era. Her hand stretches, wary, touches her master’s hand and places it in hers. Leaning in to the touch, Caster puts her heart into comforting her master. Regardless of her mood. Embracing the moment with love and disdain. It wasn’t for them, but her. The comfort.

[ManyThings]

He definitely gave off the impression of being a person from a distant time.

Well, that was appropriate for a Heroic Spirit, but even among them, there were many who came from eras that could be better understood by living humans, or who melded better with the modern world when they arrived. In comparison, standing next to this Rider was more like--

--It was like gazing towards a vast sea, blanketed with fog. There was a serenity, but also a weight to his presence. For the magus who had summoned him, it must have seemed impossible to guess what he was thinking.

Was he sad?

The place where they were, as Rider understood it, was a sort of shop for food and drink where a person could sit down and enjoy anything they bought straightaway. There were various unfamiliar drinks and pastries on the menu, all advertised in an unfamiliar script, but thanks to the Grail he knew what it said, and he knew what they were, approximately. This wasn't the sort of place he had expected to be summoned to, and indeed, the nature of the young man who had called him here didn't reflect Rider's own expectation of what a Master would be. As a mage, he had enough power, but his life and the way he presented himself were different. He had not ordered Rider to venture out and destroy an enemy base, nor to sit on his hands and wait for a development. But that suited the hero just as well.

"Battles between Servants are confined to the night," There was a deep strength in Rider's voice, but he sounded too peaceful. Restrained? "But with the state this land is in, that concept loses its meaning. Darkness is nearly everywhere. The limit... Where we can and can't fight begins to break down."

There was no joy in speaking about the way things were in Japan, but it was ever-present. The grace of sunlight was all but absent, and that fact was reflected in the hearts of the people. For Rider, whose memories were filled with vibrant blue skies, open seas, and lush islands, it was heart-wrenching. He didn't speak about the lack of distinguishable day and night as an advantage in war, but only as a sorrowful observation.

"...Come, Master. By now, I'm sure every one of the Servants has been summoned. So, I'm going." The Heroic Spirit stood tall, glancing out at the dismal city through the broad windows of the coffee shop.

In a free-for-all war, there was no advantage to being the first one to enter into combat. Energy would be spent, and his strength would be revealed. Hiding in a secure base and observing the movements of foolish competitors would be the superior strategy in most scenarios. But with a mindset like that, Theseus never would have undertaken any of the deeds that made him a hero in the first place. In his understanding of his Master's motivations, Rider was sure that Shane would have no problem accompanying him. The little bell above the shop's door chimed when Rider pulled it open. He threw a cloak on, took up his staff, and stepped into the volcanic twilight.

[Daisuki]

“I would not let a man who knew the value of nothing make me doubt the value of myself. I summon the powers of hades, fury of Athena and spirit of Dionysus. Allign the stars to the cost, bring forth the webs of fate weaved in etched gory. Mirror thee the proclamation of the pits.”

The walls glitters with an ethereal glow that lusters over its surface like a cloak of dust and morsels. The dimension or nature surrounding the place itself was otherworldly. Threads that elongated like spider webs enthralls the texture of reality and alters the space to a more fitting court of the Queen of Fairies. The estate itself has a supernatural tinge to its english beauty that surpasses any British gardens. More kin to overcome the very aesthetics of fantasy and dark academia aesthetics.

All of this was done by the work of Caster who simply orchestrated the interior and layers of bounded field by the ancient magics of the gods. However, a very intriguing and annoying presence slapped her out of her headspace. This is just inconvenience. A pleasant one perhaps.

the walls glitters with an ethereal glow that lusters over its surface like a cloak of dust and morsels. The dimension or nature surrounding the lake itself was otherworldly. Threads that elongated like spider webs enthralls the texture of reality and alters the space to a more fitting court of the Queen of Fairies. The estate itself has a supernatural tinge to its Japanese beauty that surpasses any British gardens. More kin to overcome the very aesthetics of fantasy and dark aesthetics.

“H-He told me once that one lifetime of human love was worth the loss. I danced for the end of everything I knew and the beginning of everything I did not. Yet..."

She sees into the orb of her scry. Inching every weave of her magical thread to be tied unto pigeons and ravens, flying across the city.

"It matters not. To remember... to remember... the past. I wish for... for the pain I had to be relieved. Deliver justice. Adorn me, lover of mine. Dionysus I pray to. Scorn my wrath into dark incarnate, burned by the fury I once possessed. Then, master. I know you... will not judge me. W-what I want to say is... thank you for housing me! My prayers and weaving activities are complete, for now. Trust the p-process."

Looking out into the orb, reveals the city's outlines in the most arcane method possible surpassing the use of an ancient spirit board.The war has only begun but, she feels a certain bond edging on her strings. Collecting essence in the air where the birds flew by.

Ariadne.

[Teyao]

There was this old tale told among the younger Fraga children, that centuries ago their family had been inflicted one of the worse curses tere can be.

Bad luck

A seemingly innocuous curse but sometimes a little bit of bad luck was all it took to ruin a day, a year or even a life. He was living proof of that, even after all the debacle with his family the world couldn’t let him rest. Oh you are traveling to the USA to escape your family? Whoopsie-daisies your contact mixed your tickets and you ended in japan without knowing the language, Oh you were trying to open a bar? Well too bad you accidentally filled the forms for a café instead, Oh your small business is having a success greater than you anticipated? Here, an unprecedented natural disaster Just. For. You.

And to top it all now he had to deal with a god-forsaken holy grail.

Letting out a sigh he continued to follow Rider, the guy seemed a little crazy seeking to fight an unknown enemy in the middle of the night but perhaps all Heroic Spirits were like that, no that he was really complaining being that Rider appeared to be a High class Servant.

Maybe his luck was finally turning around, and maybe he could even get a quiet night… but he took a step closer to Rider.

Just in case

[Vertigo]

𝕾𝖆𝖇𝖊𝖗

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It begun as a tug at the edge of his consciousness, then turned into a pull, a demand, a wish for his existence in a time far removed from his own. Another war it was, then. But this time, would there be a---

Saber found himself materializing into a well-furnished living room; an area for relaxation, as it were. The irony. To think that a war would start from such a cozy place... he could only hope that in between clashes of steel and magic, he'd be afforded moments of peace as well. He and his-- ah, yes.

The king looked around the room in search for another, eager, wary, curious; all things, all at once. Memories swirled in his head of a master long past, and the sight of golden locks stunned him in place for a moment. But then he saw the fiery eyes that burned with unfamiliar ambition, and caught the look of discontent reflected in them. She spoke before he could, seemingly disappointed at the sight of him - despite knowing who he was. Now that was... certainly a first.

Saber chuckled, even if the mention of his sister made him uneasy. It stirred another memory, another act that he wished to leave forgotten. But far be it from a knight to let such personal matters mar his smile, much less in the presence of his Master.

"I'm afraid you will have to settle for me," he sounded more amused than insulted, pressing a hand to his chest and offering the slightest of bows. "I would not turn down tea - or your name, Master."

мαrι yαмαмoтo

__________________________________________________

Had... it worked?

Mari only dared lower her arms once everything had settled. The sounds, the lights, the swirl of magic all around the room. A bedroom, to be precise; small, quaint and in an awful state of disarray. It had been messy far before she had turned it into a summoning ground, and the powerful magic that had filled it a moment prior hadn't exactly helped matters. Pieces of paper still floated down from the ceiling like giant flakes of snow, and she was pretty sure most of her makeup was broken beyond repair. Why, oh why, had she left the powder on the table again?!

"H-hello?" She called out into the darkness. The lights had broken in the summoning process, and the closed curtains didn't let much natural light filter through. She saw a figure, she supposed, but it was difficult to make out the details. Or maybe she was just imagining seeing anything at all. "I'm-- I'm Mari. Hello! I'm your Master, nice to meet you!"

Her brows furrowed, and her voice lowered into a quiet mumble to herself. "Hm, why do they call us masters, anyway? Like, it's kind of a weird term... and shouldn't it be a mistress? Who came up with this stuff?"