FujiwaraPhoenix

The Epic of Beginnings - Fragments of a weathered scroll

With a pensive gaze, Misaki quietly considered the girl's words as she seemed to circle about. That childlike curiosity, if anything, was a bit refreshing after a few brushes past death, and if she was giving out all this information freely, then they would likely be all the better for it.

Of course, that natural curiosity had already given them enough to work with—a nearby village, travelers, and other people like herself further to the north—which already provided a starting point. Lazirha, as she had introduced herself, was already curious enough about them, after all; pulling out more information was probably the only thing they could do at the moment, anyhow.

"Lazirha... Was it?" the foxgirl asked, nodding her head before smiling. "You can call me... Right, I suppose family names might be a bit confusing for now, so Misaki it is, then. It's a pleasure to meet you. For now, though, uh... I'd be happy to answer your questions, but at the very least, can we move somewhere a bit warmer? The chill in the air is a bit..."

Of course, shelter took a bit more priority than information, but there was nothing saying they couldn't get both at once...

@VitaVitaAR@Crimson Paladin@Rune_Alchemist

The Epic of Beginnings - Fragments of a weathered scroll

As the group proceeded along their escape route, Misaki slowly found the strength to not need to rely upon Nobunaga for further support. Given that the worst of things (for her ears, at least) had come and gone, the foxgirl, having regained her full retinue of senses, began to observe the land more closely. Though the colossus at their backs was still a bit of a pressing concern, the three of them were still essentially foreigners to this land, which made at least trying to orient themselves a more pressing concern.

Of course, the briny smell of the coast gave at least a little away in terms of what sort of location they were in now. If anything, though, proximity to the ocean would prove valuable regardless of what they planned to do.

"Hm... I suppose this is our cue to..." she trailed off as the sound of something nearby immediately caught her interest. Of course, she herself was not aware that her ears had twitched the second they had caught wind of whatever that was, but it was an obvious enough tell to the source if they had deigned to look.

After a moment, Misaki turned towards the sound and, after motioning to the others to follow, walked forward to speak with the young girl. Nobunaga taking the lead in doing so was probably for the best, though, but given what she could see so far...

"I'd also ask if there's anywhere nearby where we can warm ourselves up a little. This place is a bit..." she trailed off, tail flicking back and forth as her gaze panned towards the blanket of white that seemed to cover everything in sight.

@VitaVitaAR@Crimson Paladin@Rune_Alchemist

Fate/Eternum — Reboot

Sorry for the delay; things are fine now. Ended up distracted by a myriad other things. Post up, all good. I think.

Fate/Eternum — Reboot

Uehara Mitsuki

The bluntness of the blonde girl's demands caused the young man to blink for a moment, unsure about how to react. Most of the time, a simple apology and response was well enough for everyone to be moving back on their way—such was city life, after all—and so to be suddenly accosted as a guide while on the way to go somewhere else...

"Ah, well..." he trailed off, turning away as he scratched the back of his neck before the mercury maid (or, at the very least, what seemed to be one) made herself known. Regardless of the actual status of the girl in front of him, there was something of an intimidation factor in having a Mystic Code like that pop out of nowhere next to its master. Of course, being in pursuit of her brother while being new to the city was a problem, but...

"Prota-hey, wait, what do you mean by that?" he asked, having turned towards the Archer after realizing what it was that she had said. "Coincidences are just coincidences, you know. But, well..."

Given that request, Mitsuki could in no way simply walk away at this point. Examining that escape room would have to wait, it seemed.

"In any case... Well, the two of us were heading somewhere, but if you're looking for someone, I suppose that I can at least try and help? Do you have some sort of mobile number or some other way to contact this brother of yours?"

Really, it would be ideal if he wasn't just dragged around the city, but something in the back of his mind told him that escaping this wasn't going to be likely...

@KoL@VitaVitaAR

Alter Ego — Meltryllis

"Of course. What sort of mess did that AI get us into this time...?"

The amount of annoyance in Meltryllis' voice was quite obvious as she moved in front of her Master, eyes narrow as she glared at the opposition preparing to take them out. It was clear that those below them were not exactly the most savory sort of people to be dealing with, but that did not so much as faze the Alter Ego. The Shadow Servants that were appearing were likely to be annoying to deal with as usual, of course, but her biggest worry was the fact that they were on a rooftop with strikingly little to use as proper cover.

"Well, in any case, I won't have you throwing yourself into danger again, right?" she continued, taking a few steps back as she rolled her shoulders. "They have actual weapons this time, so stay out of harm's way. If they make it up and you can't hold out, let me know and I'll come get you."

With that, the Alter Ego began to run, leaping off the building and spinning in midair as she aimed her legs towards the nearest thug with a gun. The landing, of course, was more than a little bit lethal (as would be expected from taking such an impact at such his speeds), but at this point, a few dead bodies was the least of her concern. Immediately, Meltryllis turned her attention towards the closest shadow Servant and, with a twirl after landing, launched her target through the closest wall of the warehouse.

"How garish. Really, couldn't you have at least picked something less ineffective as your foot soldiers?"

@VitaVitaAR

Fusang Streets

With Conner's own Servant taking that Saber's focus away from himself, Waver had enough time to take a deep breath and calm his nerves. Despite himself, the Fusang he was in now was most definitely not the Fuyuki of over two decades ago, and the Fourth Holy Grail War was only a memory. It was one that he treasured dearly even now, of course—the catalyst he had used then remained with him even now—but that did not mean that it had to grip him as it had the past.

"R-right. Well then..." he began, slowly forcing his body to stop tensing up as he turned towards those present. "I suppose that in my role as a professor, I should also hope that you have the requisite materials for the course..."

If anything, he had to keep his own worries in check. It was quite possible that the Saber in front of him wouldn't recognize him after all these years. Grey, on the other hand...

"...Though I suppose if there is nothing else, we should be off. I would rather not miss my appointment to check the Servant database of the city."

Of course, if Grey, silent as she was now, could escape without catching the attention of the King of Knights, that would be all the better...

@Rin@Rezod92@VitaVitaAR

Fate/Eternum — Reboot

@Rezod92: I guess it falls to me to ask, then. Could you edit to accommodate for that, please? Saber Alter shouldn't have existed in this continuity, so... Yeah.

I'll likely update once you do, though.

The Epic of Beginnings - Fragments of a weathered scroll

Still leaning on Nobunaga's shoulder for support, Misaki slowly continued onward with the others to leave the area. Of course, the first thing that caught her attention was the massive stone colossus that seemed more fitting in a video game or anime than it did any sort of reality. The sight alone had left her without breath, and it was only after a brief pause that it seemed to click that this was the sort of 'guardian' that had been referred to by that goddess in the first place.

Of course, actually fighting it was tantamount to suicide, and it seemed that the other two were well aware of that fact as well. Running away was the only prudent option, but with her still trying to get a hold of her senses and the giant on the apparent hunt for them...

Well, it was obvious that a swift course of action was necessary. Nobunaga's own assertion to keep moving, however reasonable, did not sit well with Misaki, though. Until she recovered, their slowed speed would make them prime targets to be swatted into the ground should they be sighted, and given how open the area was...

Honestly, it didn't hurt to suggest otherwise; their time, however short, seemed to afford them at least a moment to weigh their options.

"...That may be so, but that area being untouched could also provide us with some time to regroup. If there is something more fearsome deeper within, we could just as well hang around the outskirts of that formation, could we not?"

She would go along with whatever the others decided upon, of course, but even a little time to reassess the situation could help everyone present... Or, well, so she hoped.

@VitaVitaAR@Crimson Paladin@Rune_Alchemist

Fate/illuminated histoire

Lancer — Nagao Kagetora

Hearing her own Master's assessment of their personalities caused the Lancer to nod in agreement. It was true that she had never liked dealing with the type of cowards who refused to come out and fight her directly, but if her Master was not one of those types of people...

Well, who was she to deny her own freedom to act? Certainly, there were others who were likely more content with lurking in the shadows and only striking when they deemed it safe, but that only meant that if they were to be caught unaware...

"If you have no such qualms about charging into the fray, then I shall gladly bring you into battle as well, then!" she said cheerily, standing by as she watched her Master casually 'obtain' a passing vehicle for their own uses. The method used was, of course, a bit less forward than she was used to (though she would no sooner abandon her prided horse than bring it with her in the first place), but it did seem to be a less conspicuous method of transportation in this day and age.

"Mmm... Well, I certainly have the knowledge to use one, but if I had to be honest, I would prefer we simply ride to our destination on horseback..." she trailed off before shrugging her shoulders. "But, well, since you went through the trouble of obtaining it, I may as well try my hand at controlling this modern carriage myself. Would you prefer we move quickly or...?"

By this point, the white-haired woman had already moved into the driver's seat, her ever-present grin staring at her Master expectantly as she waited for an answer. Really, she could already tell how fast this vehicle could go, but whether or not it would place her Master in possible mortal peril...

Well, with all of the knowledge and rules of driving such a thing embedded into her already, such a thing would likely be a nonfactor.

@KoL

Fate/Eternum — Reboot

Uehara Mitsuki

With the week having gone by with nary an incident, Mitsuki found himself once again walking through the city without much worry at all. The week's lectures had come and gone as expected, and with nothing in particular to fret about, the young man found himself wandering about in search of something to catch his attention once more. There had been mention of a new escape room facility among his classmates, and given the way things were trending now...

Well, it didn't hurt to at least try and check one out with his Servant. A bigger group would be better, of course, but seeing the place first would go a long way in deciding if he actually wanted to take the time to try one out.

Glancing at his phone to check if he was going the right way, though, ended up causing the college student to accidentally bump into someone in front of him. Without thinking, Mitsuki apologized, only to see that there was no one in his direct line of sight. Panning his gaze downwards, though, brought a single blonde-haired girl into his field of vision. Small as she was, though, the outfit that she wore wasn't exactly one that people would associate with children in the first place...

"Er... Sorry about that," he said, scratching his cheek as he took a step back. "Are you all right?"

@KoL@VitaVitaAR

Alter Ego — Meltryllis

Hearing Nanako's reply towards BB's latest job brought the slightest of smirks to the Alter Ego's face as she rose out of her seat. As much as she disliked having to deal with the AI, having someone who shared that sentiment with her was somewhat satisfying, especially with BB's own apparent (mild) irritation at their response. Regardless of her response, though, it seemed but a given that her Master would take up the 'job' presented to them, which seemed to be enough for the one on the other side of the screen.

"Mmm... I suppose we should, then. Better than loitering about, if anything," she shrugged nonchalantly, glancing back briefly towards the TV before exiting the apartment. "As fast as carrying you there might be, we'd probably draw a bit too much attention to ourselves. With the way BB was speaking, though, I'm not sure we have all that much time. Get what you need and let's get going, all right?"

At the very least, with her Master's arm fixed and her head (hopefully) in order this time, getting into a fight wouldn't mean playing babysitter again...

@VitaVitaAR

Fusang Streets

Though Waver himself seemed to be walking somewhat single-mindedly en route to his destination, the sound of someone calling out his last name caused him to pause and turn towards the source, only to notice that it was one of his to-be students calling out to him. Of course, it was a bit of a surprise to find out that the university had already placed a profile of him front and center on their website, but at the very least his apparent recognition did not cause any sort of stir around him. There was some solace to be held in that fact, at least.

"Ah... Conner, correct?" he said, nodding his head as both he and his assistant moved to the side of the sidewalk so as to not impede anyone around them. "I was just on my way to go pick a few things up for next week's lecture, so—"

Before he could speak any further, though, the sight of an all-too-familiar Servant caught his gaze. Almost as if something had gripped his heart, the former Lord seemed to scarcely even breathe, his eyes narrow as they watched the visage of someone who looked unmistakably identical to the assistant at his side came into full view. A cold sweat seemed to break out across his forehead, and the stony look of worry on his face was clear for all to see.

"...She's here too, then..." he seemed to mutter under his breath as Grey turned towards him, worried.

"Teacher? Are you all right?" she asked, shaking him for a moment as she glanced towards what Waver seemed to be focused upon, only for her own eyes to widen in shock.

"That... That has to be..."

Really, given how well she knew her own current 'face', there was no other conclusion that Grey could draw from what she saw, either.

@Rezod92@VitaVitaAR@Rin

The Epic of Beginnings - Fragments of a weathered scroll

With her head still pounding from the cry from the bird earlier, Misaki could only watch as the other two dispatched the errant wildlife around her. Obviously, with them now dead (or close enough to it), there was no need for her to cover her ears; rather, it was more of a question about when they would recover from that.

As it turned out, that 'when' didn't take too long at all; the young woman found it surprising that she could even hear Nobunaga's words at this point, as she had been under the assumption that with her new vulpine ears came all the benefits and downsides thus.

She wasn't going to complain, though; even if it felt like someone was still ringing her head like a gong, she could at least try and move. The sensations of the earth shaking were not solely derived from sound, after all, and only something massive could produce shockwaves of this level.

Turning towards the black-haired girl as she placed a hand on her shoulder, Misaki slowly nodded and took Nobunaga's aid in helping herself get up. It was obvious that she was being a burden right now, but there was no reason to not try to get out of here as fast as possible, at the very least...

@VitaVitaAR@Rune_Alchemist@Crimson Paladin

Fate/illuminated histoire

Astrid Kim

As far as jobs went, this one was a bit odder than most. Astrid had by no means expected to be shipped out to Japan to participate in some sort of magical ritual, but the more that she heard of the matter, the more curious she became. The matter of the Holy Grail War was apparently somewhat common knowledge among most magi, but a proper magus she was not. So being called in to participate on behalf of the Mage's Association, on top of the fact that this was already apparently an irregular conflict to begin with...

Well, if anything, the Enforcer wouldn't be any less out of the loop compared to her peers. If anything, her proper experience on the battlefield might have meant that her role as reconnaissance at the moment was only really applicable to her.

It wasn't like most of the other people that the Association had put onto the job with her had much experience on their own, after all.

"There appear to be a multitude of familiars patrolling the premises. While I doubt that the enemy has set up any sort of base here of all places, they do not seem to be wandering around haphazardly. If possible, try to remain undetected and keep scouting the area; if you can launch a surprise attack on an opponent and obtain the advantage, then you can simply press forward and pressure any of their allies out of hiding."

Given who her Assassin was, Astrid had no doubt that this was the proper course of action here. In a situation like this, there was nothing to be done but make use of every possible advantage she could find and systematically break the opposition down...

@VitaVitaAR

Lancer — Nagao Kagetora

To say that her current situation was slowly wearing away at the Lancer's nerves was a bit of an understatement. It was undeniable that returning to life as a Servant for combat once more was an exciting prospect, especially after the Grail had promptly filled her head with all manner of information necessary for understanding the conflict. To fight peerless warriors and heroes from across time and space...

The smile that never left her face only seemed to grow wider as she mulled over this fact. Really, it was the only thing keeping her from summoning her trusty steed and charging around looking for a fight was the fact that they were nowhere to be found.

Well, that and the fact that she didn't actually know this modern city all that well in the first place. Not knowing the terrain and choosing to battle there would be the epitome of folly, but given how most of the time she had ended up simply charging into the fray and cutting down everyone and everything that stood in her way, it was only a minor inconvenience at worst.

"Mmm... Master, are you certain that we should not simply charge forth and hunt the enemy down ourselves?" she asked, fidgeting anxiously as the two of them walked down the empty streets of the city. "If they are so intent on hiding away, I am sure that their actual combat prowess shouldn't be anything too troublesome... No, rather, it might be a bit bori—Give them time to set up their own defenses! Yes, right, that's it; sieging against such opponents is always such a hassle, after all..."

@KoL