Fate/Regalia (RP)

[Kuroyuki]

Himari Aoyama
Location: Athena Academy - Hallways
Time: 15:06 PM - Afternoon
Date: April 17th - Friday

I didn't have to wait long because they were really that distracted despite the person we were talking about quickly following after me with no problem. After she got out safely, I gave out a sigh before laughing with Sakhmet. Seems like we both feel the same about this. Sure it was just friends who were just busybodies, but we still had this feeling that we escaped from a maximum security prison.

"Just a little bit, but honestly I'm glad we're away."

That's when Sakhmet introduced herself instead of just the pseudo introduction from her friends. I know they know my name due to me being new and I introduced myself like a traditional Japanese transfer student. However, I should reintroduce myself again.

"My name is Himari Aoyama. It's nice to meet you Sakhmet. I didn't specifically mean to cause that, but you're welcome."

That’s when she offered me a drink… But the vending machine was gone. So she thought about getting me a dessert from the head chef. Which then led her to wonder if I could eat sweets due to my religion… Then she realized that some people and cultures hated receiving unwanted gifts. By the end of it, she was panicking because she might have irritated me inadvertently. Consequently I was in a panic myself because I caused someone to panic.

“It’s fine! I tend to do the same thing! I’m sorry that I confused when you were trying to give me a gift! I’m fine with whatever you think would be a great place. I’m sincerely sorry for troubling you!”

Now I’m bowing to her because I inadvertently caused my classmate trouble.

[Zagrin]

Stanistaw Król
Location: Demeter Market - A La Mode
Time: 16:38 - Afternoon
Date: April 17th - Friday

"As long as you know your mistake, I can allow you to catch a break. Well, only once, no more than that. I don't want my... date... acting like a rat. If I'm to descend among all these goons racing to their graves, I might as well be ready to make some waves. So, I'm being a conformist just this one night. As my... date... you better treat me right."

Conformist? Goons racing to their graves? Well it seems like Honeko had a unique take on the festivities surrounding the meteor shower, that's for certain and that wasn't all either. I didn't pay it much mind earlier, but it's becoming more noticeable as the conversation has continued. It seems that she speaks entirely in...rhyme? Huh, I wonder if there's any special reason for it or perhaps it just related to that whole 'conformist' thing? Well whatever the case it's not likely to cause any issues, though it does seem to be related to a cause for laughter going by Rachel's reaction.

Still not quite sure what's so hilarious, kind of feel like the joke is going right over my head at the moment.

"She's interesting, no? One of the more... unique... girls of our dorms. And what's more, looks like she's warming up to you already."

Interesting and unique are the words to describe her at the moment, yes although I'm not quite sure about the part where she's warming up to me comes from. Then again Lea has known her longer than me, so there's probably some truth to what he's saying even if she said otherwise.

"Anyways, Stan? Did you have any place in mind for your date? Me and Rachel were about to head to catch a bite, perhaps, and then spend our time doing this and that before the Meteor Shower. It starts at 10pm anyhow, so we'll have plenty of time."

Do I have any idea where to go? Well that was a good question, I mean it's not like I'd come over here without doing any sort of preparation whatsoever, I had taken some time to identify possible places one would go to on a "date." It's just that...well there was one problem in trying to prepare for this thing: up until this point I hadn't even met Honeko, let alone had an idea as to where she would like to spend her time so I wasn't able to make any sort of concrete plan thanks to that.

"I was also thinking about something along those lines, with grabbing a bite to eat first and then so one and so forth, but if you've got anywhere you'd like to suggest what with today being the meteor shower and all I'm all ears."

Perhaps now I can obtain the hint I need to make this a succes!? That or I'm going to end up looking quite foolish, one or the other.

[Verg Avesta]

Location: Athena Academy - Drama Club
Time: 12:06 - Lunch Break
Day: April 17th - Friday

"Her appearance is not alarming at all. Everything about you is quite lovely, I cannot spot any real flaws, and your eyes in particular are especially enchanting, I'm almost jealous~"

Thanks to Irmina's compliments, the pink-haired girl let out an odd squee of a sound and spun around, her hair wildly flailing around everywhere. Almost as if it had its own will, it managed to avoid most of the people (somehow still slapping the bespectacled Master in the face) and still land perfectly so that all of its overgrown glory was presented to anyone who happened to look at Nadai.

"Waii~," Nadai beamed at Irmina, clasping her hands and shaking them up and down. "I like this new girl's style, mm, mm~! She calls 'em like she sees 'em!"

"And thank you for the compliment, those were rather rare, back home. I'm pleased that my efforts to look presentable have had some effect."

Nadai chuckled and made a wavy gesture with her hand.

"Think nothing of it," she said with a big smile. "If a girl puts in some effort, she should be praised for it~! Too bad only Prez here has the courtesy of doing that these days..."

Hearing that, Herbert made an awkward shrug at the girls.

"I at least try to stick to the etiquette, be the times as modern as they are..." he said, as if that was some sort of explanation.

"Forgive me, I did not wish to ruin your own introduction. My name is Irmina Von Einzbern, perhaps your Servant and I will be comrades in the theatrical arts soon."

For a moment, the red-haired young woman stared dubiously at Irmina. It was the stare of a predator who did not know whether or not this new presence was a threat or not. Eventually she decided to bare her fangs, however, as she pulled her Servant even closer, as if to shield the young boy from Irmina's grasp.

"Forget it, sister," the redhead hissed. "I won't be handing Seerie-Weerie over to anyone! Not especially to a hussy like you!"

"Oh come on, Master, she's just trying to--" Her Servant tried to defend Irmina, but got crushed against the exceptional chest-area of his Master.

"Oh I know immoral women such as her, looking at young boys like you with their beastly eyes, drool upon their lips!" the redhead announced, eyes still glued to Irmina with hostility. "And I won't allow her to lay a finger on you! I shall not! Seerie-Weerie, you need no one but your own Master, so worry not! I shall protect you from all harm!"

Letting out a frustrated groan, the Servant went limp in the arms of his Master, managing this way to pry himself a little off of her. Establishing his own eye-connection to the Great Doctor, the Servant made a vague gesture towards himself and the woman embracing him.

"Anyways, I'm Servant Seer. Pleasure to meet you, and whatever," he said, before pointing at the redhead. "And this is my Master, Alyri Nukis. Try to put up with her craziness, if you could."





Location - Athena Academy - Outdoors
Time - Afternoon - 15:18
Day: April 17th – Friday

"My apologies, I always get so out of sorts when using honorifics, I'm never sure if I should follow suit."

The mask-wearing girl smiled with quiet amusement.

"Worry not. Just 'Ryuuan' is quite fine with me. if we do not make accommodations with all the different nationalities and customs in this city, we would have hard time getting along whatsoever," she said and chuckled huskily. "I hope this mean it is alright for me to call you 'Elaine', as well? Or would you prefer Ms. D'Normandy? Oh... unless there is a Mr. D'Normandy. In that case it should be Mrs. D'Normandy, no? I must say, as badly-acquainted you are with Japanese honorifics, I am even worse when it comes to Western ones. I blame my upbringing, but... ah, look at me. Here I go, rambling again."

Ryuuan gave a theatrical shrug to downplay her social faux pas. Meanwhile, Nashiko beamed at the two for getting along quite well from the get-go. Once the introductions were done, she rolled up her sleeves almost as if to say that she was going all-in now, and adopted a heroic pose with her hands on her hips, and eyes glued to the horizon.

"Well then!" she spoke out. "The talk was of a walkabout, right? Any wishes as to where we should go first? I know just about everyone there are to know around here, so leave it to ol' Nashiko to guide you to the best places!"

Ryuuan put a finger to her chin, thinking.

"Hmm... social gathering places are always interesting, I admit..." she started. "I admit, I have not had many opportunities to spend free time with people of my age before. It is a rather new concept, in a way."





Location: Demeter Market - Ice Cream Shoppe of Sorrows
Time: 15:24 - Afternoon
Day: April 17th – Friday

"Juanita, worry not. Ice cream is nothing to fear, certainly not in a place such as this, blessed by Valentinaherself! She is the patron saint of plagues and couples, and what is the most famous condition in human history if not the love-sickness which is so impossible to cure? Face your fears and trials head-on, like the brave Jager. She has not let failure discourage her, and neither should you. Perhaps you too shall find what you seek... so long as it isn't other people's wallets."

"That's because the frilly-monster behind the counter doesn't think of Jäger as her personal wind-up toy, esé!" Juanita complained from under the table, still hugging her knees. "She doesn't know the true horrors of this place!"

"That being said, Erwin..." Jäger commented from the sidelines, hands crossed and a dry expression on her face. "Could you stop talking about other people's love-lives like they were some sort of conga of humiliation? I haven't met with failure enough times for it to be considered a norm, much less an example for others to learn about."

"Or so she says," Vara quipped, still grinning. "But in truth, you've been here just abo--GAH!"

At some point, L-A1KA had snuck up behind Vara, and now chomped down hard on his left buttock. As the silver-haired boy ran around screaming, the mechanical dog still holding its death-roll grip on his ass, Jäger turned her attention back to Agape almost as if his familiar had not just assaulted his friend. And judging from how even the ice-cream proprietor did not comment on this, it must have not been the first time.

"...well, I had to give it a shot, at least. Miss Anteros, I would be bolder and request your sage advice personally, but I think Juanita is more in need of guidance than myself, so if you have any wisdom to dispense, please make it about her instead. Besides that, we are on a mission of absolute importance. Miss Jager shall explain the details, perhaps over a plate of that ice cream you're so famous for. Vara, shall you have some, now that you're here?"

"My. Looks like Vara is not able to enjoy a plate of ice-cream right now," Agape said and flashed another gentle smile, hand on her cheek. "That being said, if you are here for information as Jäger said, it might take a long time. If you have nothing against it, I can prepare you a special of the house, Mr.Schwert. Though I have to warn you that unless you are suffering from a broken heart right now, you might not enjoy it overmuch..."

"Give him a small portion," Jäger suggested. "I doubt his curiosity will allow him to pass that chance."

"Alright. Wait just a moment, then," Agape said and nodded.

About ten minutes later, the three of them were sitting around the table where Juanita was hiding under. Vara had disappeared somewhere, the robotic dog still firmly glued to his behind. Before sitting down, Agape placed an absolutely gorgeous looking old glass plate before Erwin. On it, an arrangement of three ice-cream balls had been prepared. They seemed to be of liquorice variety, and on top of them, some sort of honey-like substance had been poured. The arrangement was topped with shaved almond and some herbs that Erwin did not recognize. That being said, the combination made for a very Victorian-era-esque sight... like just about everything else at the ice cream parlor.

"Now then..." Agape said as she sat down. "You said you were here for business of information, right, Jäger?"

"Yes," the alchemist answered, leaning on the table with her elbows. "I'd like to hear what you know about the strange text message everyone got today. You know, the one about a princess-hunt."







Location: Athena Academy - Courtyard
Time: 12:59 - Lunchtime
Day: April 17th - Friday

"Okay! Nevermind, I'll be glad to show you two around! You two will attract unwanted attention, well, like that, but don't worry, I've got a plan. Meet me at the entrance of Pandasia Mall in about three hours after class is over... I'm sure I can find there what we need to sneak in. But... care to tell me what do you mean exactly by, um, marking?"

"Three hours? Gotcha!" Baltis said, slapping his hands together in excitement. "I gotta make sure to pack some pinwheels with me. Oh, this is gonna be great! I can't wait to see what sort of place... Oh? Marking?"

Baltis chuckled and gestured towards Dali, who had just finished rubbing her cheek against Drake. Now the strange green creature sat there, hovering slightly above the air and looking rather pleased with herself. Or, at the very least her dial-up-tone-like sound had changed to something more like the humming of an old computer, with all those small clicks and whirls they often produced.

"Oh, Dali here is just extremely territorial," Baltis explained. "She likes to mark everything new she likes with her pheromones so that no other... umm, person... like her tries to take it to themselves. I think you have some creatures here that do the same, no? Like, like... oh, cats! Yeah, like cats! That's exactly it."

As if that had explained everything, Baltis nodded satisfied. Meanwhile, Dali only stared at Drake with that unreadable, alien stare of hers.






Location: Athena Academy - Library
Time: 12:53 – School Day
Day: April 17th – Friday

“Oooooh, did I make a mistake and you actually meant that you were willing the teach me? If that is it then yes please I would very much like to learn what this hooky is!”

Jumping down from her perch on top of the shelf, the girl raises her eyebrows lazily at Ichirou as he blabbers on. Eventually he comes to a conclusion of some sort. Taking in what she just heard, the girl takes a drag from her pipe once more, before nodding to herself. She then gestures the boy to follow her, as she begins slowly walking towards the exit of the small library.

"Not too bright, are you, boy? Well, I don't hate that," she spoke as she led Ichirou out to the corridor. "I like people more when they are simple. Makes conversations quick and to-the-point. Plus simpler people are often easier to talk with. With others there's so much of that... social interaction nonsense, it makes me sick."

Suddenly, the girl looked over her shoulder at Ichirou, and flashed another mysterious smile.

"By the way. My name is Peri Kereteka, of the Middle-Eastern Faction," she introduced herself. "But you may just refer to me as 'Lady'. It's a title of sorts, and it's easier to remember."

Looking ahead once more, Peri led Ichirou to the main lobby area with the staircase.

"Now then, about playing hooky... it is quite simple, actually," she explained. "It all starts with leaving your classroom while the classes are still going on. In other words, you'll be doing something else while others are in school. And more often than not..."

Peri's mouth twisted into a grin.

"... this 'something else' is much more fun."






Location: Hephaestus District - The Forge
Time: 16:16 - Afternoon
Day: April 17th - Friday

"Very well! Retta!"

At Tetsuyama's command, the KRATOS officer behind them suddenly saluted and let out a loud yell of: "Yes, Ma'am!" Looking satisfied, the master-smith took one more glance at the remnants of Juliana's gun.

"Take these fragments and follow me to The Forge! I shall begin the repairs immediately!" Tetsuyama announced with a booming voice. Her whole demeanor was changed. Now she truly resembled one of her stature, a smith who was said to be able to create Noble Phantasms. "Show utmost respect to this weapon! It has fallen in a battle against the abominations of Maxwellia Arothron, and thus, we shall treat is as a comrade of our own!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" Retta replied, standing in attention and saluting her superior.

After the KRATOS officer had procured a ornamental, thin pillow from somewhere, she allowed Juliana to place the fragments and remnants of her gun upon its silky surface. After every bit of the gun had been loaded there, Retta moved carefully to Tetsuyama's side, awaiting further commands. After inspecting that no piece had been forgotten, Tetsuyama turned back to look at the owner of the weapon. That is, Juliana.

"It will take me approximately four hours to finish. What you do during that time is up to you. Just be here on time for the unveiling of your weapon," the master-smith spoke, patting the alchemist once on the shoulder. "I will see you two then."

Having said that, Tetsuyama turned around, grabbing something that looked like a heavy cloak from her throne as she did. The cloak, as it turned out, was made out of incredibly thick leather, and it was most likely meant to shield her from the sparks and heat of the forge. Then, with a flurry of said cape as she put it on, Tetsuyama marched towards the wall behind the massive iron throne, Retta following her closely. Without any verbal command, the wall before them started to melt like molten metal, sliding away and revealing a long pathway behind it. At the end of that corridor, Juliana and Vielyna could see something fiery, and something incredibly bright. Even here they could feel the scorching heat that washed over the room as the door to the innermost sanctum of Tetsuyama's court was opened.

And then, just like that...

... the heat was gone.

Tetsuyama Rin and Retta Propyne stepped through the newly-created doorway, and the wall behind the closed. This left Juliana and Vielyna alone in the now much emptier throne room.

"W-well..." Vielyna eventually broke the silence, glancing at the alchemist. "What shall we do in the meantime?"






Location: Asakami Dormitories
Time: 07:22 - Morning
Day: April 17th - Friday

"Lessons start at... nine, right? Still over an hour left... What do you guys usually do until then?"

Elaine glanced at Ritsu and giggled.

"Ritsu here is a good student and is early to class every day," she said with a mischievous grin. "She likes to do stuff like review her homework and talk with her other goody-two-shoes friends annn-waaaAAAAHAHAHA~!"

Avoiding barely a frying pan that had swung just where head had been, Elina retreated from the table while sticking her tongue out to the fuming Ritsu. The latter had been in the process of collecting the plates and dishes from the table when the verbal poking had begun, and thus she had been armed when it became too much. Chuckling to herself, Elina hid behind Aiko.

"Whereas I like to stop by Demeter Market to see if something fun's going on~" she said, still grinning despite the obviously angry Ritsu. "There's so much to see in this city, just the school isn't enough for me."

"And that's why you're dragging behind in subjects like maths!" Ritsu growled, pointing at Elina with the frying pan. "You should try taking school seriously, sometimes!"

"Geh, now you're starting to sound like my mother..." Elina groaned.






Location: Demeter Market - NOTUS Airstrip & Control Center
Time: 18:51 – Afternoon
Day: April 17^th - Friday

“I am glad that everyone’s troubles have been allayed, and so I think it might be best for me to leave you to whatever better affairs you had meant to attend. I do not mean to seem anxious to leave, but I have disturbed enough of your plans for the evening; on the night of a celebration no less. By your lead, Miss Lindbergh—I’d not presume to trust myself to navigate out of a military compound. And I do hope that we may meet again, Miss Celandine and Cassandra.”

"Understood, Mr. Lacere-Ran," Holly said with a grin. "The guards would have been upon you like a tsunami upon a coastal town if you had been out there without me, anyways. So, if there's nothing else to take care of, we can start--"

"O-oh! Just a moment!"

Cassie's sudden interruption came as a surprise to just about everyone. She proceeded to quickly learn towards her older sister and whisper to her ear. Celandine's eyebrows just about space-shotted when she heard what Cassie had to say, but after a moment of thinking, she smiled and nodded. "Why not?" was the verdict the eldest of the Minx Sisters' came to. Looking satisfied, Cassie turned towards Fiore, her beaming smile having returned once more.

"Umm, since I caused you so much trouble these past few weeks, could I repay it to you?" Cassie started. "You see, there's an ARES award ceremony later today. They'll be giving medals to some of the more heroic of ARES members who acted bravely during the incident at Crystal City some time ago. There will also be an official meteor-shower gazing event later in that same location, from the rooftop. I may not be an ARES member myself, but I've gotten an invitation. And since that invitation allows bringing a 'Plus One', I was thinking..."

Her cheeks flushed slightly, Cassie fidgeted with her fingers before continuing.

"Would you want to attend as my Plus One?" she asked, clearly a bit embarrassed.

Before Fiore could answer, he suddenly felt someone's tiny elbow nudge at his side. Unsurprisingly it was Holly, grinning from ear to ear.

"They're serving great food there, you know?" she said with a hushed tone and a wink. "I can speak from experience."

[Airen]

Location: Athena Academy - Drama Club
Time: 12:04 - Lunch Break
Day: April 17th - Friday

Slowly, perhaps awkwardly, the silver haired doctor retracts her hand as the red-haired woman, Alyri Nukis, has a reaction that was quite out of range of the responses she had expected from her. While she was not sure of the meaning behind the word "hussy," the reactions of the Servant upon hearing it, as well as the context that came with the rest of her words, made it quite clear that it was an insult of some sort. Rather than being annoyed or angry however, the doctor is simply baffled, wondering what she had done to be labeled as immoral, she was a doctor, and also a member of a noble family, her presence itself should be 'noble,' so accusations of being immoral simply cannot be true.

At least, she had yet to do anything strange. There had been that time in the past where she had gotten a bit too eager to examine one of her siblings back at the mansion, but it was his fault for falling out of the window and pretending like he hadn't somehow shattered his ribs upon impact.

Actually, the more she thought about it, the more annoying it got... Bringing her hand completely back to her side, the doctor frowns for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to firmly explain to the woman exactly why it was impossible for her to be immoral in this instance, but-

"Anyways, I'm Servant Seer. Pleasure to meet you, and whatever," he said, before pointing at the redhead. "And this is my Master, Alyri Nukis. Try to put up with her craziness, if you could."

Ah.

Slight insanity.

That explained it.

She wouldn't hold it against the woman.

She liked Nadai and the president a lot more though.

"It's fine, it is just as much the job of the Master to protect the Servant, as it is the job of the Servant to protect the Master. I am an unknown, so I suppose I can understand her feelings."

[Ivan The Mouse]

Juliana Petronova
Location: Hephaestus District - The Forge
Time: 16:18 - Afternoon
Day: April 17th - Friday

After the aristocratic homunculus asked her about what they should do, Juliana started to counting with her fingers that time should they arrive back in this supernaturally industrial place to finally get the gun. Lady Rin had made it quite clear to her that they should arrive on time when the weapon will be assembled again, and she will work on it for four hours. The mute alchemist honestly did not quite expect for the gun to be restored in such a short amount of time, as she initially thought that, with the extent of damage the firearm has sustained from the dragon-like creature, it might actually take longer.

And then, after pondering on what to do to pass the time for four hours, she finally took out here HECATE-phone and sent a message to Vielyna.

"Well, Miss von Einzbern, I honestly have no specific idea of what to do to spend these following four hours before the weapon is finished. But what I do have right now are two things. First, I think we should arrive earlier than what is expected to us, around 10 to 15 minutes before the exact time. Second, I was generally thinking we should get something to eat and then do something about the Literature Club, now that we are involved in a project that was decided in an impromptu manner. Well, I'm pretty much sure that Miss President will not be pleased to hear about the fact that a project of that scale has been decided without any input or consultation from her, but we do have to discuss the matter with her.

Thus, I do have a couple questions to you, Miss von Einzbern. First is do you know any good establishment where we could have a good meal? I am still fairly new to the city, and I do like salad and white meat most of all. Second, what should we do first: eating or club activities? If you have any more ideas that I do miss but will otherwise be better, please do say them. But until then, we shall eat and then meet our fellow members, or vice versa."

[Egophobia]

Fiore Lacere-Ran
Location: Demeter Market - NOTUS Airstrip & Control Center
Time: 18:54 – Evening
Day: April 17^th

Cassie’s interruption came as a surprise, but not nearly as much as what followed. That she was startlingly cute when fumbling awkwardly for words was a distant thought in the back of Fiore’s mind as the girl asked—

"Would you want to attend as my Plus One?"

Fiore started, not having time to steady himself, and reddened faintly. His immediate impulse was to ask her not to feel so indebted for something which had equally been his own fault but the demon warred against him internally. Had the Young Lady not beseeched him to learn to be around other people? Habit forced him to concede to her judgment, but still he felt unsure—about what? Whether he wanted to go? No, rather if he should accept. Celandine had given her blessing, it seemed, and Holly in her own way, but it seemed too quick.

"It is neither ‘too sudden’ nor anything more than what you make of it, boy, unless you’ve already cause to think it significant, hm?" she teased. "We both wish to go, and so you know how this ends, don’t you?"

He had been all but bedridden for the better part of a week, with aught but his foolishness in participating in the summoning ritual to dwell on. A festival sounded…nice, and Cassie’s company better for either of them than their shared thoughts which neither of them could properly decipher. The demon laughed airily to herself and interjected that at the very least they deserved a lavish meal at the academy’s expense, for the troubles they’d seen. Picking words carefully seemed an ardor and he spoke as mindfully as he could while tripping over his feelings for the invitation.

“I—that you would consider myself—us—palatable company for the celebration, I might resent myself if I refused,” he said, bowing deeply to the girl and feeling a little embarrassed for the display. Suddenly his formality felt a bit extreme and archaic even to him, and he rose awkwardly, gesturing vaguely again to himself. “I mean, I would be happy to attend—both of us very much so.”

He floundered for some other platform from which to speak and the demon took pity on him and returned Holly’s nudge as subtly as she could in a petition for rescue. Though she inclined her head slightly to regard the advice of the smaller girl, her and Fiore’s attention remained fixed on Cassie. Neither of them seemed to have a way out without the two senior members of the group intervening, and the demon was certainly enjoying herself too much to shake the status quo.

[Antary]

Asakami Aiko
Location: Asakami Dormitories
Time: 07:23 - Morning
Day: April 17th - Friday

Aiko lifted her eyebrows as she watched Ritsu's masterful handling of the frying pan against Elina's face, and managed to miss the latter's graceful dodge through a blink of the eyes. Either it was a particularly rough morning that made everything seem that much more dangerous and quicker than it really was, or those two had plenty of practice scuffling like that. For all she knew, it could have been both.

Well, either way, Aiko silently decided to try her best not to make Ritsu angry from then on.

"It's... my first day, so getting ready for school isn't really a concern for me." She judged out loud, staring down the frying pan, almost as if she was justifying herself to it. It wasn't pointing at her directly, but it still felt like it. The girl raised her eyes a bit to look at Ritsu and continued. "Actually, a small tour around town would be good. Elina, I'll come with you."

Aiko stood up from her seat, stepping a little ways to the side so as to not stand directly in the path of the frying pan. ...Actually, in hindsight, saying those things and indirectly encouraging Elina's laziness may not have been the best way to go through with what she had decided just a moment ago in regards to not making Ritsu mad; but, well, that's what Aiko had really thought, and she hadn't managed to keep herself from saying it.

[Ayakashi]

Location: Athena Academy - Class 1-D
Time: 12:06 - Lunch Break
Day: April 17th - Friday

The bell rang, and the homeroom teacher, Nevelie Joy, signalled to the class that everyone could go enjoy their lunch break.
Sitting all alone at her desk, the Elethia wasn't exactly feeling down, but the girl was at the very least facing a certain degree of loneliness and fright. She knew no one here, and even though she had introduced herself to the class smoothly, the inquisitive stares of her fellow classmates still hadn't left her mind. She already knew it, but it was still an uncomfortable reminder for timid Elethia that no matter what she did, she was still someone from the Valley of Mercury dorm, and thus would always be quite the centre of attention for some time before her fellow classmates here would get used to her.

Now finding herself with free time and no idea how to spend it, Elethia decided that she should maybe first of all thank the young lady in white that had come to her aid in finding the class. Truth to be told, the little girl couldn't really get Irmina Von Einzbern out of her head, so great was the first impression she had gotten out of the 'Great Doctor'. More importantly, Elethia had realised that because of how late both Irmina and her were to their respective classes, there had been no proper time for thanks. This greatly troubled her mind, and was a mistake she had to fix at any cost.

After asking directions from a nearby classmate, and being told that Irmina was probably located on the floor above, Elethia quickly set out to go find out where her beloved helper had gone, 'walking' out of the class with haste.

Of course, the problem remained that...



Location: Athena Academy - ???
Time: 12:11 - Lunch Break
Day: April 17th - Friday

...Elethia didn't exactly have a good sense of direction.

[Vritra]

Ichirou Tama
Time: 12:53 – School Day
Day: April 17th – Friday

Bright, simple, like, hate or even that smoke making thing, though I don’t think I understand the full meaning of her words I can at least understand that I was wrong again, I can’t freely ask question and learn that way. Shame that would be so much more efficient, at least she is still willing to show me the merits of ‘fun’.

Following after her I follow her example.

“Lady, so your lady and I’m Tama.”

Pointing at myself to reinforce it before speaking the rest of the greeting as we exit the building.

“Nice to meet you.”

[Bloble]

Erwin E. Schwert
Location: Demeter Market - Ice Cream Shoppe of Sorrows
Time: 15:24 - Afternoon
Day: April 17th – Friday

It's just ice cream, right?

...right?

I may have been a bit overeager. Now that this glorious dish is before me, I can feel a stirring of uncertainty. Am I backing down? Against food, of all things?

No! Erwin shall not fall before such a foe!

Besides, I'm still curious.

...

...

Mm.

I think I may have missed it. Or blanked out. The taste may be very subtle. Yes, I'll try another bite.

...

Strange. It has no taste at all. Like that "tofu" thing Brother Snake brought back from the East, one time. Is this tofu ice cream? No, that wouldn't make sense. There are toppings, but I can't feel them at all.

Well, perhaps another bite. It's getting hot in here, so at least it'll cool me down.

"I'd like to hear what you know about the strange text message everyone got today. You know, the one about a princess-hunt."

I swallow a mouthful of less-than-thirst-quenching ice cream.

"Indeed, Miss Agape, we would be most grateful." My tongue is a bit numb, but that's probably just the cold. "I've no doubt there will be all sorts of charlatans after this princess. We cannot stand and watch as someone is exploited by others in such a sick manner. I am grateful for this ice cream, but I'd be even more grateful if you could lend us your wisdom."

Even more numb. Isn't talking supposed to help with that?

Well, I'll stop eating this ice cream now. It's no good for me, I'm afraid.

...

Ah. It's hot. My mouth, it's dry. And numb. And hot. It's drying up. Tongue cracking. Need... moisture!

Another mouthful. But it doesn't help! It's as if I'm eating a desert!

No. It's not working.

Why? Some curse from the Middle-Eastern heretics? No, such a thing is unlikely. But I can't have anymore. Even if it's rude, eating something this spicy will kill me for sure.

And so...

"Also..." I tug my collar down and wipe the rapidly sweat from my brow. "Er, m-may I go to the back and get myself a glass of water? Just to cool off - er, warm up. The flavour is rather... overp-powering, though n-not entirely unpleasant. If this is what love t-tastes like, I've simply yet to acclimatize to its strength."

[RacingeR]

Fujou Shizuka
Location: Athena Academy – Girls’ Bathrooms
Time: 12:42 – Lunchtime
April 17th – Friday
Turn: 1 / Round: 4

“…”

Was this girl daft? Was she just an idiot? Had she no real way to perceive her situation? Shizuka’s frustration, as well as the strange feeling of negativity that swelled inside her, increased limitlessly. She didn’t even have anything to do with this situation, and didn’t even want anything to do with it. This girl had just kept complicating her situation by herself and had dragged the demon huntress into it by sheer idiocy. And then she had attacked her, she had become an actual threat, something to be neutralized, and had made herself into an enemy.

Had it been another day, in another time, and hadn’t the events of today transpired, Shizuka’s response would’ve been different. Maybe she had tried to reason with Marie, talked to her like a kind older sister, and wrapped this situation up with words. Maybe. But that was not going to happen today, because there was a problem most unexpected.

A problem called rage.

Shizuka had lived into a void of emotions. Since emotions, and the existence of an actual personality had gotten her brother killed, her father had been strict in having his daughters avoid that same fate. They were not to be ‘persons’ but ‘blades’, drawn to kill the enemies of the clan. Weapons, existences made purely for death. There was no space for emotion in such a mindset, in such an existence. Shizuka was not to be a person; she was to be a sword aimed straight to the heart of her enemies, because that was the only way to survive, the only way to live in the day to day bloodshed and the constant, insane training.

Of course, her father had failed. As long as one was human, true emotionlessness was impossible. Humans were emotional beings by nature, and it took a lot of trauma to even dull that, to push them to the brink, to real nothingness. Shizuka had emotions, she had, as minimal as it was, contact with other people. Her sisters. Rei. The others in the clan. And now Satoko, Mei, Luthor, Lacey... more people. When she had been sent into OLYMPUS, she had willingly discarded her existence as a blade, the mask of cold emptiness that wasn’t her true self yet at the same time it was, and she had thrown it to the depths of her mind, leaving it to fester. That cold madness was only to be used in life or death battles, like it had once been wielded against Kagura, not many nights ago. It was the symbol of the wrongness within Fujou Shizuka, someone that had been sent up here to be a mere weapon for her clan.

But without that cold mask of death, all that had been left was an awkward girl that knew little of emotions and little of how to interact with others, someone who knew less of the world than she would ever admit. And she, who had lived in a void of emotions, scarcely had ever contacted one of the most primal ones that existed within humans. Shizuka Fujou had never been truly angry in her life. She had known frustration and irritation, but she had never known rage.

Until that night days ago, when she had been defeated so effortlessly. Until today, when Reaver had insulted her friend and family, until she had been forced into this stupid situation while having more important things to deal with, until she had faced that inscrutable toilet-monster, that confusing winged girl and this stubborn, stupid glasses girl that was unable to understand the situation she had cornered herself into.

Shizuka Fujou didn’t know how to cope with anger. She didn’t know how to manage her rage, and how to deal with the wave of negativity that crawled within her mind. But that by itself wouldn’t have been enough to make her lose herself. There was something else. Something that pulsed within her and slowly pushed her over the edge, something that shouldn’t have been there on the first place, and that made all the difference.

The demon huntress’ rage boiled over, accompanied by something else. Her world turned red with anger and fury, as it spun around her like she was in a drunken carousel ride, making her stomach form a knot. For the first time since this whole thing had started, Shizuka’s murderous intent filled the room with enough strength to make even a Servant hesitate. Because it came from one who cared little about the concepts of life and death, one who simply killed.

And along with the fury came a cold voice, one that was hers and at the same time was not, one that whispered directly to her mind. The voice of what she had chosen to discard and that had become another within her.

“Kill them. Kill the three of them.” Said the nameless voice.

“Why?” Asked Shizuka.

“Because they’re threats. They’re enemies, they attacked and threatened you. Eliminating them is the rational thing to do.” Replied the nameless voice.

“But the monster girl didn’t attack me.” Objected Shizuka.

“Then kill the other two, they attacked you.” Answered the nameless, emotionless voice.

“But the winged girl is disabled, and hasn’t done anything after that. She is not a threat anymore.” Argued Shizuka, who refused to let go.

“Then just kill the girl that annoyed you. She has attacked you, she has reduced your possibilities of survival by breaking your equipment. She is a threat, and she doesn’t understand her situation. She won’t surrender.” Sentenced the nameless voice, cold as the coldest of winters.

“No.”

“Explain.”

“I will give her one more chance.” Determined Shizuka. And she turned her back to the one who represented her former self and faced the enemy that awaited ahead, riding the sheer wave of emotion, the bloody rage that burned within her. So she faced a world that refused to stay still, that spun and turned and twisted and refused to let her see. But she didn’t need to see. After all, she hadn’t moved one centimeter. She closed her eyes, that she didn’t need anymore, because Marie also had not moved. The spell had been launched, but the situation had not changed in the slightest. She grasped the metallic snake still connecting them, and she felt it fragile as always. Fragile as this whole world that she could mold at will, a world so fragile that sometimes she feared it would break under her feet and swallow her forever. But it wouldn’t happen. It wouldn’t happen because it was under her control.

So she reshaped it once again. Her enemy hadn’t moved, Shizuka hadn’t moved, so it was the same as before, her aim might be off by a few millimeters, but it wouldn’t matter.

From the ‘dagger’ coiled around Marie, from the extreme before the bends that held her and her arms in place, a spike of metal surged forth. It pierced the air with a serpentine hiss and passed just to the side of the girl. Shizuka had intended for it to not touch her, but as predicted, her aim had been slightly off due to the effects of the spell, and it cut the right of shoulder of the church agent slightly, drawing some blood. It didn’t matter… it might have made its point better that way.

“Do you understand your situation now? Or do I need to actually hurt you?” Shizuka’s voice had changed completely. Gone was the calmness and kindness from it, and all that was left was a bestial, almost demonic growl. It wasn’t a state natural in her… but it was something that was hers, either way.

And now, the answer the girl would give would determine what would happen. If Marie insisted in continuing this fight, then she would die, and that would almost be merciful, given the kind of city they were standing on. Shizuka’s patience, in this angry and bitter day, had reached its limit.

Wise up!

Stats:

STR: C
END: B
AGI: A
CAS: -
PRA: C

Perks:

Mystic Eyes of Threat Perception:
An activable set of Mystic Eyes that Shizuka received as a fluke of genetics. When activated, those Mystic Eyes lend her the power to perceive the "Threat" of everything that is in her range of vision.
Threat levels are represented by a colored aura of the green-yellow-red spectrum, that she sees around everything that can be a threat. Those who are pure green represent no threat at all, while those who are the strongest red, present immense amounts of threat. With this, not only she can know how much threat her opponent presents, but also she can analyze separately the threat level of their attacks, following the same color scheme.

Primal Visage (Upgraded from Primal Instincts)
Cost: 25 AP
Your battle instincts have become those of an animal, to the point where your mind hunts like one. Whenever confronted with a surprise attack that would otherwise be an instant kill, you are able to dodge that attack and suffer less damage than you usually would. In addition, your ambushes grant you a single additional Turn. However, your presence makes others steer clear of you, impairing your R.Link progress slightly.

Synchronizer
Cost: 15 AP
You are capable of transferring energy from yourself to another being and vice versa. This happens through exchange of bodily fluids, and the effect depends on the fluid itself. In other words, you can heal others through your own life-force, but you are
weakened in the process. There are other usages too, like with Half-Bloods…

???
Unknown. Seems to be modifying Shizuka’s attitude and personality somehow.

Abilities:

Psychokinesis? ESP, Rank B (A against Half-bloods):
Seems to allow manipulation of the floor as Shizuka wishes to.
Seems to allow to augment the weight of the enemy, reducing their AGI by two ranks.

Equipment:

50 Throwing Knives Set
Rank: D
Cost: 30 AP
Description: A conceptual set of throwing knives inherited of her father. Their origins are unknown, but they have been used for a long time by him. Actual effects are unknown as of yet.

[Optimus]

Drake Walker
Pandasia Mall - Entrance
Time: 15:59
Day: April 17th - Day 1

As the blonde magus waited for the two aliens to show up, he reviewed his brilliant plan in his head. So, they had a problem, and it was that as aliens, his two partners in crime would attract attention as they stroll around the wards, and no amount of cheap props (nor good ones for that matter) could make Dali look any more human. However, his brilliant mind had devised a plan for that contingency!

Rather than dress up as humans, all they had to do is dress up as people pretending to be aliens!

If there was one thing he'd learned in his travels, it was that most people, even magi, just see what they'd like to see and hear what they already expect to hear. If you pretend to be a dumb blond green foreigner with absolutely no idea how things work, you can scout places and get away with it with being just a drunkard, or doing things stupid people do. In their case, he and his friends would wear as many outright silly props as possible in order to serve as camouflage. Rather than pretend, all those two had to do is be. Only that in Drake's case, he'd be doing an extremely poor job at it.

And thus he waited, munching down on his takeout lunch as he pondered how to solve the next question. How the hell was he supposed to communicate with Dali? Baltis spoke human language more or less, but on the other hand... Dali didn't. Would signs work? Written language? He'd have to find out once she got there, most likely.

[Verg Avesta]

Location: Hephaestus District - Meitetsu Hoshin
Time: 13: 43 - School Time​
Day: April 17th – Friday

"Well then, Hansei, I do not intend to go back on my word. If you are willing to help me, then I'll do whatever I can to help Hachi and you back. Hmm... No. Finding our friend is of utmost importance, so I am afraid I do not have a lot of time to spare, but... If you two ever need some help, I know I can free some time. My door will be open regardless of whether you choose to help me or not."

Hearing these words, suddenly, a sly smile of a sort spread to Hachi's lips. Seeing this, Byakuren recoiled a bit. He had seen his bit of the world, and a look like that on woman's face never told of anything good. Slowly, he started shuffling backwards, putting some distance between himself and the girls. After all, he was the only guy present; something he was now painfully aware of.

"Oh, in that case, I know exactly what you can give us in exchange for this information," Hachi said and snaked her way closer to Rei. Then, with a brisk move, she put her hand on the shoulder of the blind girl, followed by doing the same with Hansei. "If you take Hansei here as part of your club and whip her back to acting like a decent person, not to mention attend the school again, you've got yourself a deal!"

This suggestion caused to rather different reactions. Byakuren let out a snort that almost sounded like he was about to choke on his own cackles. Hansei, on the other hand, slammed her fists against the table in protest.

"What~!? Me, back to school~!? No way~! I don't wanna~!" the girl protested.

She was quickly shut down by the glare the dog-eared shrine maiden gave her.

"Yes you do, Hansei," Hachi admonished her co-worker. "You've been slacking off ever since your father left, and it's beginning to be unsightly! If it takes some decent people like this young woman here can make you grow a backbone once again, then so be it. My methods have clearly been too lax, and now it's time for some outside help."

Then, with her tail swishing excitedly back and forth, Hachi turned to look back at Rei.

"So, what do you say?" she asked.




Location: Demeter Market - Shopping District
Time: 21:30 - Evening
Day: April 17th - Friday

"You tell me to betray my blood, rough up someone who I should look out for and then you cowardly come at us four against two? There's not a single drop of honor in your body. Allow me to teach you."

"Oo, I'm right shaking in my custom-made cobra-skin boots, you chivalrous nutter, you," Teresa mocked Akio as she swung the weapon from her back to the front, gripping it tightly. "You say just right words to drive a woman wield, don'cha?"

Seeing the blue-haired girl get prepared, Banri got up to speed as well. Once more she grasped the ring on her hand, seemingly twisting ever so slightly. Once she had done that, she put her hand in her bag, drawing forth a rather unexpected object. It was as an absolutely ordinary can of air duster. However, the way the girl brandished it, it was clearly a weapon of some sort for her.

"You, hybrid. If this wasn't your work, run. It's not as easy as two against four. I count for three shades of red. And my buddy here can do some really awful stuff to our kind...same for your colleagues actually. I can't guarantee anything."

The delinquent on the left, the one wielding a steel pipe, snickered and brushed his brown hair off his face.

"Not likely to happen, mate," he cockily threw back Akio's words. "We already busted up one of your kind. One more ain't gonna be much of a difference."

The one on the right cracked his knuckles, taking a better hold of his baseball bat. He eyed Akio in an arrogant way, his blue eyes glowing slightly in the dark. Cruel smile played on his lips.

"Plus, cap'n here is gonna make short work of the twintail bitch," he cackled. "A little slut like her is easy pickings for Teresa."

"Now now, boys," the white-haired boy, the Kishu, said with quiet and cold voice, before smirking at Akio. "Let's behave. He's giving us a chance to run away, you have to appreciate that. But then again..."

A wicked sneer rose to his face, and he let his demonic aura gush forth.

"... You'd have to be a total retard not to take advantage of such a bleedin' heart idiot!"

Letting out a roar, the white-haired Kishu charged forth, brandishing his fists forth, ready to strike at Akio. The boy with the baseball bat circled to the right, ready to strike at Akio from the side. For some reason, the final boy stayed back, but even that cleared up in just a fraction of a second. Akio saw that the boy's left hand was suddenly engulfed in flames; in other words, he was a magus.

Realizing all hell was about to break loose, Banri quickly barked an order to Akio.

"Deal with 'em, newt!" she growled. "I'll go plant my boot so far up this chav's rectum she's never gonna sit 'gain!"

Anger in her eyes, Banri charged at Teresa, leaving Akio alone with the three delinquents.

-------------------------------------
Akio Saiki & Banri Sabikiba vs. Teresa Aseret & Delinquent Three

Call of thy soul raised a legend
Reflection of victor only in crystals of thy anima
Yes, this is fight or fall
Let this be a battle of the death of another
Battle, BEGIN!

Akio -AGI A- VS Delinquents -AGI D/C/C-
TURN 1: Akio

Location: Demeter Market - Sky Majestic Hotel
Time: 15:40 - Afternoon
Day: April 17th – Friday

"Off the top of my head, I suppose using the marriage as the an excuse would be best. Perhaps we should say that there have been some sudden developments with the current arrangements and need to discuss matters?"

Kultaranta swallowed hard, and nodded. He then began a robotic walk through the doors of the Sky Majestic... only to end up going in circles as it happened to be a revolving door. The poor aide seemed to be too nervous about this whole ordeal to even think straight anymore. That was why it wasn't looking good when he eventually approached one of the tall guards in black suits that seemed to be dotting the lobby.

And speaking of which, it was a very fancy-looking lobby, mixing and matching both old and new in its style. While it had a rather cold look to it thanks to the mostly white color scheme, it had been brightened up with dashes of blue in forms of aquatic tanks full of exotic fishes. They seemed to be rather gigantic ones as well, as the tanks continued ever upwards in smaller, transparent pipes half emerging from the walls. Perhaps every tank in every floor was connected?

"U-um... Mister? Sir? It is I, Kultaranta. Um, you know, the chamberlain of Crown Prince Väinö," Kultaranta introduced himself. "Me and my friend here have come to speak with Her Highness regarding the wedding tonight. Apparently, something rather sudden has happened regarding the arrangements, and, erm, we'd need to talk it over with her..."

Trying to seem as innocent as possible, Kultaranta was simply met with a silent stare from behind the sunglasses of the bodyguard, clearly suspicious of both him and especially the vampire trailing after him.

But as the long silence grew ever more unbearable...

"Oh. Hello there, Kultaranta," a curt, yet civilized, male voice called out to the chamberlain. "Looks like my men are giving you trouble again. Something up?"

Though he did not look as imposing or dressed-up as the other men in suits, as Agent November walked forth from around the corner and stopped before Four and Kultaranta, hands in pockets, he radiated a very similar aura. Only, instead of clearly manufactured sense of stoical confidence, his was all natural.

"And whom might this be?" he asked, nodding towards Four. "A Dead Apostle? Since when did the Finnish royal family have friends in the afterlife?"




Location: Clock Tower Dormatories, Commons
Time: 19:34 - Evening
Day: April 17th - Friday

"Excuse me but I couldn't help but notice this, um, predicament. Perhaps we could let bygones be bygones and just... clean up? I mean, we can't exactly let these books just sit like this along with all these pot pieces."

The blonde boy sighed and gave a tired smile at Luis. The look was not shared by the young girl, as she seemed to grow even more aggravated by the fact that someone else had decided to butt into the brewing argument.

"Finally, a voice of reason. Thank you," the boy said and nodded at Luis. "Why don't we do as he suggests, Coahoma? After ruining them, the least you can do is help me save some of my boo-"

"Can't! I'm in a hurry!" the girl, apparently named Coahoma, protested and pouted angrily. "You saw me running, right?"

"... Indeed I did," the boy said flatly, his eyebrow twitching a little. "Still, it would not take awfully long, and the longer we stay here and argue, the less time-"

"Ugh, shaddap!" Coahoma exclaimed in annoyance and kicked the boy in the shin. "You're the one who screwed everything up, you fix your own mess!"

While the boy was jumping around, yelping in pain, Coahoma took this as a distraction and tried to flee past Luis, into the staircase outside.




Location: Athena Academy – Mystery Research Club
Time: 15:25 - Afternoon
Day: April 17th – Friday

“It’s.. it’s fine, really. Comments like that aren’t really that big of deal, really, as long as you don’t repeat them. It’s much more important that we all get along. Right?”

"E-exactly!" Souyon was quick to latch onto Lapis' words. "Hella more important! So let's be a big happy family, eh? Eh?"

The grin he was showing to the homunculus was far from genuine, but his desperation clearly was. Plus, one couldn't help but to get a feeling that Souyon's motormouth was a constant source of trouble for him, so this kind of incident should be expected every once in a while when dealing with him.

“I—I went a bit overboard, I guess. You just… hit a button of mine, but even so, those words had a point. Just… keep that in mind.”

"A'ight, a'ight, I get it!" Souyon stated, raising his hands defensively. He even scooted a bit closer to Lapis, as if the girl could protect her from Will. "I'll memorize everything!"

“Anyhow, if the club president accepts your terms of surrender, let’s get down to business. Who is Firo, his faction, any idea on when he summoned his Servant, all that jazz. If you want answers, it’s only fair to give us a starting point.”

Will's further words caused a clear change in the atmosphere of the club room once more. Nu Vi and Euris adopted a more professional appearance, faces in stoic masks with their eyes boring into Souyon, as if searching for something. The tall man himself let out a derisive snort at the question, which made his Servant roll his eyes.

"No idea!" he said, grinning proudly as he did. "That's why I want to hire you! I dunno anything else about him, other than he's gonna get stomped by yours truly! But when you eggheads find out his weakspots and all that jive, it's gonna make the defeat even tastier, and show everyone not to mess with Tachikaze Souyon!"

Nu Vi grimaced and rubbed his temples. Euris, on the other hand, patted the boy on the shoulder in a comforting manner. Things were right back where they had started, apparently.

"From what I know, Firo Prochainezo summoned his Servant, Lancer, 15 days ago," Nu Vi mumbled, as if reciting a grocery list. "He's a member of the Sea of Estray, and like all magi, fancies himself a bit of a schemer. He's already extending his reach to Student Council, at the very least. Plus he's started a mercenary group named Kairos with four students. Himself, two from the Clock Tower, one from your faction, Lapis. A computer-genius named Evolve."

"See! That's nerds for you!" Souyon laughed happily, causing the club president to audibly groan. "Took you, like, two seconds when you put your mind to it! I'm impressed, gaha!"




Location: China Order Dormitories - Corridor
Time: 07:18 - Morning
Day: April 17th - Friday

"But still, I'm impressed, Dao. This 'Rai' must be an outstanding guy if he could save someone as strong as you, and then become your boyfriend so quickly! It must be nice to have someone who genuinely cares about you in that special way."

"Of course-course!" Dao smiled from ear to ear. "I'd only go-go out with the best! And since Rai's the strongest and the hunkiest, he super-super qualifies! I mean, after all..."

Dao giggled, sounding terrifyingly like a lovestruck maiden completely ignorant of the world around her for a moment.

"... Rai's a Servant!"

A some sort of odd silence seemed to fall upon the corridor. Like there had been something that desperately needed to be said, but as one looked at the dumb little smile on Dao's face, it would get harder and harder to blurt out the obvious. Indeed, the girl even hummed and skipped a few steps as the two of them approached the entrance.

"Oh, that reminds me-me! I need your help, Mei-Mei!" Dao said as she opened the door to the outside air, revealing the beautiful vista of OLYMPUS bathed in morning light. "You know any way-way I could steal Rai from Misora-sora? It kinda puts a damper to things-things since Rai's got another girl-girl as his Master."

To emphasize her point, Dao put her hands on her hips and pouted a little.




Location: Athena Academy - Hallways (Goofs Edition)
Time: 15:08 - Afternoon
Date: April 17th - Friday

“It’s fine! I tend to do the same thing! I’m sorry that I confused when you were trying to give me a gift! I’m fine with whatever you think would be a great place. I’m sincerely sorry for troubling you!”

"No-no-no-no! You don't have to be sorry about anything!" Sakhmet hurried to explain, waving her hands. "And n-no need to bow either, you really didn't do anything wrong! I was just being stupid myself and got ahead of myself and then I started babbling like I do whenever I'm nervous which I guess makes it a nervous habit but I really meant just to see if youwantedtogetsomethingtoeatorperhapssomedessertss inceyoukindahelpedmeinapinchand-"

Her lips going fifty miles per second, Sakhmet eventually managed to stop herself by inhaling deeply and loudly, looking like a puffed-up penguin for a second. Then she breathed out, putting her hands on her chest as if to calm down her rapidly beating heart. Once she was finished, she let only silence reign for a moment, setting into a much slower pace.

Once everything was back to normal, Sakhmet gave a sheepish grin at Himari, and blushed quite magnificently.

"S-sorry. I'm a bit neurotic in this way, I suppose," she said and laughed sheepishly. "I'm just not that good at this, um, social interaction business so if I do something weird, just say. You seem like a nice girl, so I'd like to be friends and not ruin everything by doing something rude because I didn't know better."

Sakhmet scratched the back of her head, trying to ease the awkwardness. Then she perked up a little, and gestured towards the corridor waiting for them.

"Um... so... desserts?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at Himari. "I know they had some pudding made today."




Location: Demeter Market - A La Mode
Time: 16:38 - Afternoon
Date: April 17th - Friday

"I was also thinking about something along those lines, with grabbing a bite to eat first and then so one and so forth, but if you've got anywhere you'd like to suggest what with today being the meteor shower and all I'm all ears."

"Ah, spoken like a true gentleman," Lea said with a smile, putting his arm over Stan's shoulders and drawing him a bit further away so that the girls couldn't properly hear them talking. "There's great many restaurants around here, it seems, so definitely take Honeko to one of them. She's Japanese, so you might want to see about those places."

Then, lowering his voice a little bit, Lea leaned in closer. It was like they were now two conspirators conversing in secrets, out of the fear they might be found out. And... in a way, they were. At least Rachel was eyeing them with a raised eyebrow. Meanwhile Honeko seemed to be practicing rude glares at passers-by.

"You might have noticed, but Honeko's real big on poetry. There's this store called 'Dead Sea Scrolls' in Demeter Market, which she'd probably like. Rare texts in there, after all," Lea explained. "Other than that, I'm not sure how much you know about fashion, but the clothes Honeko wears... I'm pretty sure they've been bought from this one store called 'Edgy on Purpose', not far away from here. If you really want to impress her, take her there."

Lea seemed to shiver for some reason, however. Or perhaps he was just suppressing a chuckle.

"Just watch out for the people who shop there. They're... an interesting bunch."




Location: Athena Academy - Drama Club
Time: 12:06 - Lunch Break
Day: April 17th - Friday

"It's fine, it is just as much the job of the Master to protect the Servant, as it is the job of the Servant to protect the Master. I am an unknown, so I suppose I can understand her feelings."

Seer shrugged, well, as much as he could shrug, and made a troubled face. Still, it seemed that Irmina's reaction to Alyri's antics had been taken favorably by the Servant. That most likely counted as some sort of win, even in this odd situation.

"What a saint you are, Einzbern," the Servant spoke with dry humor, his words half-muffled by the bosom of his Master. "World needs more people like you, and less like my Mast-GAH!"

"Seerie-weerie, stop talking to that woman of ill reputation! Who knows what perverted things she will teach you to take away your innocence!" Alyri proclaimed, rather loudly. She then proceeded to let out a hiss towards Irmina, and retreat ever so slightly to keep the Servant out of the homunculus' reach.

It seemed that the hustle and bustle would continue. But just when Irmina seemed to get a hold of how things were set at the Drama Club, something unexpected occurred.

{Interesting pair, those two.}

A voice, oddly familiar though with much less emotion, suddenly rang up inside Irmina's head. She immediately recognized it to belong to the pink-haired ball of energy that was the vice president of the Drama Club. However, when looking at Nadai, Irmina found out that the girl wasn't even paying any attention to her.

... What she did notice, though, was that at some point, one of the impossibly long locks of Nadai's hair had wrapped itself around her silver bangs, like a snake or a vine around a tree.

{Oh, don't be alarmed. I just figured it might avoid unnecessary conflict if I we talked this way. If you want to answer, you just need to think of the words, I'll hear them,} the much calmer and colder voice of Nadai continued to talk inside Irmina's head. {While Alyri Nukis continues to harass her Servant, I suppose I should pose you a question, if you are to join this club.}

The tension seemed to grow, despite nothing in the room really changing.

{If you're joining the club as a pretense to get to Herbert, don't bother. You won't get to him as long as I'm alive. And trust me, I'm very tough to kill. So? Why are you really here?}




Location: Hephaestus District - The Forge
Time: 16:20 - Afternoon
Day: April 17th - Friday

Vielyna pondered for a moment, holding her chin with her thumb and index finger in a very refined pose. Eventually she smiled and nodded to Juliana, having made her decision.

"Why don't we eat first? It is never a good idea to ponder upon things with an empty stomach; it simply invites more headaches and misfortunes all around," she said. "And we can do some preliminary ruminations as we dine, and then present a more comprehensible and more thought-out... hum, report, to Miss Arothron. After all, as you said, she will not be happy to hear how things have spiraled out of control, most likely."

Then, turning around, Vielyna started to lead the two of them out of the throne room of the Deva. The homunculus was clearly happy to get out of the hot, steam-filled room and even though the outside air was not immediately better, since The Forget was not a small building by any scale, the sunlight streaming from above was a welcome change. And not far away, the welcoming streets of Hephaestus Ward were already waiting.

"As for a place to eat... well, there is a small French place not far from here called 'Mon Petit Lapin'," Vielyna told Juliana as they continued walking. "I usually dine there whenever I have business here, or with Miss Tetsuyama. And though they serve absolutely fabulous rabbit and hare, as the name of the establishment suggests, I hear stories that their salads are great too. And it is quite affordable as well. Though I do wish they would put a bit more thought into their wine selection. With those prices, one wonders if they could not..."

And so the homunculus continued to drone on as the two of them walked slowly towards the restaurant.




Location: Demeter Market - NOTUS Airstrip & Control Center
Time: 18:56 – Evening
Day: April 17th

“I—that you would consider myself—us—palatable company for the celebration, I might resent myself if I refused. I mean, I would be happy to attend—both of us very much so.”

"Um, g-good! Then it's settled!" Cassie said with an embarrassed smile.

... and for a good five seconds, the group experienced the most awkward silence they probably ever had. While it lasted only but a moment, for Fiore and Cassie it seemed to stretch on for eternity, neither having really a way to recover from this mire of verbal fumbling they had gotten themselves into.

It was not until Holly, clearly enjoying watching the two marinade in their own juices, came to the rescue. The little girl slapped Fiore hard on the back and laughed a bit.

"Alright, then it's settled! We'll be picking you up at 20:30, sharp, so you better get changed and wait for us outside your dormitory," Holly said with a knowing grin. "I'll be taking Mr. Lacere-Ran out of here, then, if there's nothing else?"

Celandine, barely hiding her own smirk, nodded at the blonde.

"Nothing on my part, Flight Lieutenant. Dismissed," Celandine said, and saluted the shorter girl curtly. Holly returned the gesture playfully.

"I'll see you t-then," Cassie smiled at Fiore, and gave him a little wave as Holly started, a bit forcefully, guiding the boy out of the training area.

It was not until they were inside the main office once more, safely out of reach of the ears of the Minx sisters, that Holly spoke up again. She directed her sly grin towards Fiore, and cocked an eyebrow.

"Well now, Casanova. Looks like you managed to score something good out of your troubles, after all," she said, clearly enjoying this whole situation.




Location: Asakami Dormitories
Time: 07:25 - Morning
Day: April 17th - Friday

"It's... my first day, so getting ready for school isn't really a concern for me. Actually, a small tour around town would be good. Elina, I'll come with you."

"See!" Elina said, beaming at Ritsu. "I'm not just goofing around, this time I can help out Aiko-chan here, too! You know she needs to know her way around the town, or she'll get in trouble before we know it!"

Ritsu grumbled, but even she had to admit that Elina had a point. That, of course, didn't mean she had to like it. Putting away the frying pan, Ritsu stomped back to the kitchen, mumbling angry sentences under her breath as she did. As Elina watched the other girl's receding back, she made an odd, and a bit troubled, face. It was an expression with quite much hidden underneath it.

"... You know, let's buy her some chocolate while we're out and about," Elina said with a quiet voice so that Ritsu wouldn't hear. "That'll cheer her up. I'd hate it if she were angry the whole day."

Then, after slapping her hands together, Elina continued with a more loud voice.

"Alrighty, then! Get ready, Aiko-chan, the girls are hitting the streets!" she announced with a hint of faux-positive bravado. "First things first, we'll be swinging by my favorite store in whole of OLYMPUS: A La Mode!"




Location: Athena Academy - ???
Time: 12:15 - Lunch Break
Day: April 17th - Friday

Getting lost in Athena Academy was not that uncommon, at the end of the day. Especially those who had not spent that much time in there often found themselves confused by the deceivingly simple-looking interior designs, and thus becoming hopelessly unsure as to where they were supposed to go in the first place. This time this unfortunate turn of events happened upon Elethia, and she was left traversing the corridors, trying to get to the floor above where she would, perhaps, catch up with Irmina.

But instead of the familiar-looking doctor, what the young girl found was something that looked much more threatening, at least by initial glance.

"Riel, darling, you really should try to be more outgoing," a female voice, sophisticated and with a hint of posh laziness, said to someone else just around the corner. "The rumors are abundant, as you very well know."

"I don't care," a voice of a man answered her, this one without much emotion. Indeed, it sounded even a bit cold. "People can say what they want. What matters at the end of the day are deeds, not words."

"Think like that, darling, and it will prove to be your undoing..." the female voice said, mockery clear in its tone. "That is the problem with you brusque men. You never think of the consequences..."

As Elethia approached the source of the conversation, the oddity of it began to dawn upon her. Judging from the looks of the corridor, this was a rather secluded area of the school. So why were these two people in here, talking with such a foreboding atmosphere hanging around them? Only people with secrets did something like that, and whatever was going on in here... well, it didn't seem the friendliest of conversation. The animosity between the woman and the man was clear.

"And you never think of what truly matters, Victoria," the man nearly spat back.

A quick peek around the corner revealed the appearances of these two, Riel and Victoria, to Elethia. The man was one with flowing, brown hair and blue, clear eyes. He was rather handsome, and aura of strict chivalry and knight-like poise hung around him. However, just one glance at his face told that this was one emotionless person.

The female student he was talking with was like a polar opposite of the young man. Her blonde, long hair, sunglasses and provocatively opened shirt screamed of a seductress, as did that cat-like lazy smile on her lips. She was like a snake, coiled in the warm grass.

So far, the two of them had not noticed Elethia. Thus, the ball was in her corner at the moment.




Location: Athena Academy - Corridor
Time: 12:55 – School Day
Day: April 17th – Friday

“Nice to meet you.”

"Yes. Very nice, indeed," Peri said and chuckled quietly, leading the two of them down the corridor, and into the staircase that would take them to the lowest floor. "Looks like it was a lucky day for us both, now wasn't it?"

It took the two of them a short while to walk the spiraling staircase down, and once they got outside of the Athena Academy, they were greeted by the midday sun and the warmth only spring could bring, until it was replaced by the hot humidity of summer. Peri walked with a sense and purpose, clearly knowing where she was heading. She never bothered to look back, clearly expecting Ichirou to keep up with her.

Not that following her wasn't easy. The alluring fragrance of the smoke from her pipe struck out sharply in Ichirou's senses.

"Tell me, Ichirou," Peri said as she slowly but surely headed towards the bus stop. "Have you heard of the 'Devas' that more or less rule this city, or its parts? And if not, what images does the idea of such leaders bring to your mind?"

It sounded a bit too innocent to be just casual conversation. Clearly, this 'Lady' had some reason she asked such a weird question out of the blue.




Location: Demeter Market - Ice Cream Shoppe of Sorrows
Time: 15:27 - Afternoon
Day: April 17th – Friday

"Also...Er, m-may I go to the back and get myself a glass of water? Just to cool off - er, warm up. The flavour is rather... overp-powering, though n-not entirely unpleasant. If this is what love t-tastes like, I've simply yet to acclimatize to its strength."

"Why, of course, Mr. Schwert," Agape said with a smile, though her eyes told she clearly understood the pain the boy was going through. "Though I must say that I did warn you. Though skilled I may be, it seems that when it comes to my passion of creating elaborate plates of ice cream I am cursed to be only found delectable by poor souls with broken hearts."

"Oh come now, Agape," Jäger said and smiled at the girl. "You've done a lot good for people who are depressed and sad. Don't say it like that's a bad thing."

"Jäger... thank you. That means a lot to me," Agape said, showing a bit of a relieved smile.

"On the other hand, esé, she's also good at torturing us normal folk! Two sides of a coin, I say!" Juanita complained from under the table, earning a confused 'oh my' from Agape.

While Erwin took off to get himself a glass of water, Jäger and Agape finally got down to business. They started with getting a rough idea of the situation surrounding the creation and sending of the strange mail that reached out to just about every student on OLYMPUS. The girls agreed that whoever it had been had to have used one of the few secret services created by the more tech-savvy students just for situations like this. Members of the Radio Club, the student-run radio stations themselves, and people behind Duel Chart were raised as a possibility. A name 'Numerica Loch' was also mentioned.

After thinking about those possibilities, the girls moved on the contents themselves, and especially this 'princess' the message talked about. While Jäger had no idea what it meant, it seemed that this was where Agape's expertize came to play. This became even clearer, as Erwin returned to the table with his glass of water, and catched what they were talking about.

"... It has been rumored for some time now, actually. They say that this girl is a direct descendant of a lineage created solely to destroy this Heroic Spirit. Therefore, she is an invaluable asset to anyone who would want to remove a threat from Duel Chart," Agape softly spoke, staring at her cup of tea. "Apparently she was first found by a group of Einzberns not too long ago, but alas they... were taken out. It was not long till the Dead Man's Hands Society found out about what had passed, and soon the story started spreading, eventually taking the form of the message we all received."

"A specialized weapon against a certain Servant... Unbelievable," Jäger muttered, stroking her chin. "I mean, you hear lots of odd things on OLYMPUS but this... it's rather absurd."

"You tell me," Juanita commented, now on her knees on the grass, leaning on the table with her elbows. "Esas son mamadas. Though, I used to say the same 'bout robot dogs, so what do I know...?"




Location: Athena Academy – Girls’ Bathrooms
Time: 12:43 – Lunchtime
April 17th – Friday
Turn: 3 / Round: 4

“Do you understand your situation now? Or do I need to actually hurt you?”

"Yeah, I understand that you're all total nutjobs!"

For a moment, something pierced the veil of the smoke covering the bathroom. It was light that should not have been there, emerging from the glasses on Marie's face. Then, that light was replaced by the sight of something emerging from nothingness, like a film of glass completely covering the world before the small girl, encompassing it and bringing it under control.

And then it all shattered.

The film of glass, like a rose-colored window of a church, intricate and beautiful. The snake of steel, coiled around Marie and having drawn her blood already. Even the handle of the dagger on Shizuka's hand, connected to said amorphous blade. It all shattered, releasing Marie from her predicament in an instant of confusion and momentary shock from all sides.

But the girl was already on the move. Throwing all caution in the wind, she grabbed the bag she had been holding all this time; the bag of Para-Eitr that had started this whole fiasco. It was opened with a single swift move, and then Marie proceeded to cram all of its alluring, if a bit sickly-looking, content into her mouth. She salivated, swallowed, and took it in, all before anyone could stop her.

"Monsters, psychos and some wandering idiot...! Screw you guys! Ain't no way I'm gonna get dragged in this!" Marie announced, and within the smog, both girls could see her eyes suddenly flare with a greenish-blue neon glow, like lamps in the night. The substance was starting to affect the bespectacled girl. "So that's why..."

A swift kick.

The goo was finally gone.

The door of the bathroom was kicked open...

"... Stay there and rot! Smell ya later!"

... And Marie rushed through, escaping to the corridors of Athena Academy.

Wise-Up!

Name: Marie Lynchester
Faction: Holy Church – Chivalric Orders

Attributes:
STR – C
END – ?
AGI – C
CAS – C
PRA – D (0/100)

Perks:
Addictive Boost (Para-Eitr)
Cost: 15 AP
Effects and penalties unknown.

Divine Protection
Cost: 20 AP

• Holy Church only. Thanks to your utmost devotion to the Lord, you have been given a protection -from up above. This miraculous thing can save your life, even when faced with certain death. You are protected from some wounds and can avoid some fatal injuries, thanks to this holy power. However, this requires a solid faith, and you can be sensed by those whose natural enemies are agents of the church.

Primal Instincts
Cost: 15 AP

• Your battle instincts are honed to perfection, even though you might not even realize it yourself. Whenever confronted with a surprise attack that would otherwise be an instant kill, you are able to dodge that attack at least so much that your life is saved. You can also sense rapid changes in killing intent of others. However, your presence makes other wary.

Rites
Cost: 5 per type
Requires Black Keys. You are capable of adding certain effects through rites into your Black Keys. These vary from burning the target into petrifying them, and so forth. The rites themselves count as C-ranked spells that do damage separate from the Black Keys to the target. You need a decent level of ability in magecraft to be able to use these. Does not count towards the maximum limit of Perks.

• Illumination Rite: Creates a flashbang that blinds and deafens all enemies for one round if not prepared to. Usual manners of defense can block the effects.

Equipment:
Conceptual Weapon: Black Keys
Cost: 10 AP
Rank: C
A standard low rank weapon used by many Church members. Though they have mostly ornamental purposes, Black Keys are effective weapons that excel in spiritual interference and take many shapes and forms. Marie’s Black Keys take the form of long, spiraling needles she uses.


Spells:
Ashes to Ashes
Rank: C
A simple spell that creates a medium-sized cloud of heavy, thick fog. The fog is irritating to lungs, making it almost impossible to cast voice-based magecraft unless properly shielded (with gasmask or some such.) The cloud also smells heavily like ash and is pitch black, making seeing in it almost impossible. Perfect for quick getaways. Lasts for 3 Rounds.

Twists to Twists
Rank: D
A audiovisual hallucination spell. When it hits the enemy, it checks against their PRA. If the rank of this spell is higher than their PRA, the enemy are hit with a nauseating view of their world twisting into a twirling cacophony of colours and sounds. In other words, it becomes hard to decipher anything that’s going on or act in any way, unless the effects are purged via healing spell. If the PRA rank is higher than the spell, they experience heavy disorientation and proper movement becomes exceedingly hard. An B-rank PRA completely negates this spell. It lasts for 5 turns.

Conceptual Weapon: Saint Barbara’s Spectacles
Cost: 30 AP
Rank: B
Uses: 10
A pair of glasses that Marie always wears on her head. While they do make her see better, that’s not the actual power of the glasses. That seems to be denial of attacks, or perhaps negating them. Other information is pending.

Location: Demeter Market - Pandasia Mall Entrance
Time: 16:02 - Afternoon
Day: April 17th - Friday

"Ah! There he is!" Drake suddenly heard a familiar voice shout from small distance. "Heeeey! Over here!"

Looking over at the crowd, he saw a familiar-looking young boy jump up and down, waving his hands and trying to get his attention. Indeed, it was Baltis, smiling from ear to ear and absolutely brimming with excitement. To dampen the spirits a little, Dali was right next to him, hovering like some sort of weird doomsday device and with no discernable emotion on her face. But, at least she had come? It was hard to tell what was going on the female alien's head.

However, while Drake did spot the two aliens he had been waiting for... he also noticed something else.

Namely, an odd sight of Yamato Kushina, walking not far away from where Baltis and Dali were. Now, that itself wasn't odd; the red-haired boy had every right to be walking there, and use the mall. However, he was currently engaged in a rather one-sided conversation (as Yamato's parts seemed to be mostly just dreamy grunts and agreeing-sounding noises) with a dumbfounded look on his face.

And the other person, the one he was talking with? A rather cute-looking young girl with flaxen hair, talking with animated fervor and peppiness, and apparently completely oblivious to the effect she was having on poor Yamato.

[Airen]

Location: Athena Academy - Drama Club
Time: 12:06 - Lunch Break
Day: April 17th - Friday

It seemed that this was the sort of place where things took unexpected turns at unexpected moments; but it was the thirst for just that sort of unexpected plot development that had drawn the silver haired doctor here in the first place.

{Thoughts like this I suppose? My, your hair isn't just pretty, it's remarkably useful as well, I really am beginning to feel a bit jealous.}

A form of telepathy enabled by physical contact. Ordinarily, most people would probably be rather concerned about the sudden unexpected invasion into one's mind, it was the sort of thing that could end badly in quite a number of ways, not just as a magus, but also as a student... The mind is a sanctuary, the things, the words and feelings that appear there should stay safely beyond the grasp of all but their owners...

Yes, this would probably be the thought process of a normal person.

But for Irmina, the temporary intrusion was acceptable, simply because it was a new, fascinating experience. It seemed that her motivations were being read incorrectly by most of the club members, but that was alright, it was only natural that the brilliance of her existence would take some time to truly be able to see into, it was a simple matter of correcting a misunderstanding, no more, no less.

{Well, I did not lie earlier my dear. I came here to witness the passions of everyone's hearts, no more, no less. The art of theater is one that requires devotion, I simply wished to see how pure that devotion was in this place... Really, when it comes down to it, I guess you could just call it a whim.}

While the other girl may think of the situation as being one steeped in tension, to the silver haired doctor, it is nothing so rough as to get herself worked up about it.

{I am not really the type who pursues a partner, I am more akin to one who is pursued. Regardless, I am not here for any sort of romance, as a doctor, I have little time for such things... At least in terms of myself, I have always wanted to play the role of cupid for others.}

Smiling gently, even as the other girl ignores her presence, the silver haired doctor just takes in everything in the room with that same, persistent smile, one eye closed in an amused sort of way.

{I'm not that difficult a person dear. I'm just here to have fun. And so far, it's been quite amusing, I've never thought of myself as pretty enough to be overly desirable, but it seems I'm actually quite charming... Well, that's neither here nor there, you have no need to worry, I'm not here to steal anyone away. Friends are much more easy to manage than romantic prospects.}

A small laugh, quiet, but sincere.

[Mormarth]

Elaine Rousseau D'Normandy
Location - Athena Academy - Outdoors
Time - Afternoon - 15:18
Day: April 17th – Friday

A small smile blossomed at my fretting, "Worry not. Just 'Ryuuan' is quite fine with me. if we do not make accommodations with all the different nationalities and customs in this city, we would have hard time getting along whatsoever."

A deep-throated chuckle swept out into the air, "I hope this mean it is alright for me to call you 'Elaine', as well? Or would you prefer Ms. D'Normandy? Oh... unless there is a Mr. D'Normandy. In that case it should be Mrs. D'Normandy, no? I must say, as badly-acquainted you are with Japanese honorifics, I am even worse when it comes to Western ones. I blame my upbringing, but... ah, look at me. Here I go, rambling again."

She shrugged, clearly comfortable with poking fun at herself.

I smiled, "Elaine is fine, or Ms. D'Normandy if you wish to be formal. But we're all simply students here, so let's just go with some refreshing informality."

The mention of a 'Mr' did cause some quietly sleeping pains to stir in their beds, but she probably didn't mean anything by it. Nothing to get all upset about, and doubly no need to go and kill the mood with talk of the long-since-deceased.

Nashiko seemed as boisterously pleased as always, clearly bolstered (if such a thing was possible) by our good meeting, she took a gallant pose, looking off into the distance as if she was some brave Errant about to go on a long exciting adventure, figure brimming with confidence and enthusiasm.

"Well then! The talk was of a walkabout, right? Any wishes as to where we should go first? I know just about everyone there are to know around here, so leave it to ol' Nashiko to guide you to the best places!"

I had only a few places in mind, but no particular landmarks off-hand, I glanced to Ryuuan, deferring the question for the moment.

She put a finger to chin, thinking for a moment, "Hmm... social gathering places are always interesting, I admit... I admit, I have not had many opportunities to spend free time with people of my age before. It is a rather new concept, in a way."

Most of my peers aren't the kind of people I like to spend any length of social interaction with, so I couldn't really relate on that part.

But still, good to meet fellow students and people I will be interacting with during my time here, get a feel for the 'local flavor' as it were!

I nodded amiably, "I agree, it's always refreshing to meet new people, why, just a few hours ago I made some new acquaintances in a bit of a harrowing situation, but it all ended pleasantly enough for all involved. Even got a free drink out of the occasion."

[Ivan The Mouse]

Juliana Petronova
Location: Hephaestus District - Mon Petit Lapin
Time: 16:30 - Afternoon
Day: April 17th - Friday

Juliana listened to Vielyna as she went on and on about the restaurant she was talking about, which was serving rabbit or hare dishes. It wasn't really new to her to hear such creatures being consumed for food, but she never had tasted meat of such kind. She was more interested with the affordable salads they have, as Vielyna told they had. But since it seemed to be a gourmet place, she decided to try a salad and a rabbit dish once they get there. After all, she knew that the serving sizes of such places weren't particularly large enough to bloat the belly, especially in the case of salads.

Meanwhile, Vielyna kept talking as they walked out of the fiery Forge of the Deva Rin Tetsuyama. In as much as this kind of attitude can be percieved as obnoxious and inconsiderate by some people, Juliana didn't mind it. She didn't have much to say and has lost the ability to orally do so long ago, so the droning of Vielyna was a nice way to break the silence between them, even if it simply was about the restaurant they were about it visit. She thought to herself that this was a good contrast between them, the mute and the talkative woman.

As soon as they arrived and have taken seats in Mon Petit Lapin, Juliana knew what she was looking for when she saw the menu. She ordered for a rabbit stew with a green salad as a side dish. Vielyna made a comment about their wine selection and Juliana's taste buds weren't readily familiar to wine, so she opted for an glass of fresh orange juice instead.

While they were waiting for their dishes, Juliana sent this message to Vielyna.

"Now, Miss von Einzbern, since we have settled down here in Mon Petit Lapin, I believe we could have a very thorough discussion about how to approach the very situation of reporting the project we accepted without any input or even explicit approval from Miss President to her. I and, by extension, everyone in the club so far knew that her personality does not lend itself very well to presenting before a large audience yet, so far, the crowd that saw us that day displayed a very enthusiastic response to the prospect of watching a live-action cosplay battle.

I think it would not even be a stretch to say that Miss President might not even be glad to collaborate with Kotobuki Haru, given that she has a penchant of making works the involve eroticism between prominent and well-known personalities here in our beloved Academy City.

And, in addition to all of that, we don't even have any idea of who will be the fifth official member of the Literature Club. We are involved in a fairly large project now, so I don't know if we will still have the time to look for new recruits.

What do you think of our situation right now, Miss von Einzbern?"

[Bloble]

Erwin E. Schwert
Location: Demeter Market - Ice Cream Shoppe of Sorrows
Time: 15:30 - Afternoon
Day: April 17th – Friday

Ah, the cooling embrace of aqua vitae... how sweet even the humblest things can be after suffering through the fires of love! Truly, pain only brings sweet relief in the long run. If more people understood, they wouldn't so zealously avoid it.

But enough musing; let's see how the progress goes with our glorious mission.

...hm.

I return just in time, it seems, to catch the tail end of a rather serious conversation.

"... It has been rumored for some time now, actually. They say that this girl is a direct descendant of a lineage created solely to destroy this Heroic Spirit. Therefore, she is an invaluable asset to anyone who would want to remove a threat from Duel Chart. Apparently she was first found by a group of Einzberns not too long ago, but alas they... were taken out. It was not long till the Dead Man's Hands Society found out about what had passed, and soon the story started spreading, eventually taking the form of the message we all received."

A weapon?

...something is throbbing, in my chest.

A weapon to destroy a Servant?

It must've been the ice cream, because the feeling is almost exactly the same as then.

An entire lineage, weaponized for such a purpose?

Erwin, be still. Control your weaker self. Control it.

And I do. The shaking in my hands stops, and I approach as comfortable as I usually appear to be.

"A specialized weapon against a certain Servant... Unbelievable. I mean, you hear lots of odd things on OLYMPUS but this... it's rather absurd."

"You tell me. Esas son mamadas. Though, I used to say the same 'bout robot dogs, so what do I know...?"

"Oh? Am I the only one who thinks this is the least strange thing about the situation?"

It isn't like me to make dramatic entrances, but in these circumstances, even placing a cup of water on the table and taking a seat would qualify as dramatic. Juanita, your attempt at lightening the tension is much appreciated, if doomed to failure.

I have something to say, and so I shall offer my thoughts on the matter. Lord, I pray they are not misguided.

"Specialized lineages aren't such an unusual thing in our world. Are there not Demon Hunters who develop specialized, heritable abilities specifically to combat their foes? Do the magi not cruelly prune their family trees in pursuit of some misguided, far-off goal? I am no expert in such things, but they are no special secret, either."

Yes. The heretics warp their own flesh and blood in their madness. The goals do not matter; all flesh is sacred, and to taint it with magic before it is given chance to live is a grave sin, not only on the child but even more so on the parent. Curse the cutters and pity those who were cut: such is what I was taught.

"What truly strikes me as strange is the existence of this message and the huge fuss surrounding our damsel in distress. Or, more accurately, the fact that she is in distress at all."

This group is full of intelligence. Surely they grasp what I am saying, no?

"I mean, I do not claim to understand the intricacies of the Duel Chart or Servant battles, but does it truly matter so much who eliminates a Servant, as long as they are gone from the War? Even if there is some sort of bonus or prize, it cannot be such that every single person on Olympus should be made aware of its existence and desperately seek it. A weapon exists that can kill a dragon. Who wields it isn't important so long as the dragon is killed in the end. Especially if said weapon can wield itself."

I steeple my fingers under my nose and stare into the rippling surface of the water I fetched.

The heat in my chest is still there. Do I feel bad about what's going on? Surely not.

"In a war where allies are scarce and enemies common, squabbling over who lands the finishing blow is pointless... unless the current wielder of that weapon will not use it."

Yes, that must be the biggest problem. I know it too well. People make excellent weapons, but...

"Bringing attention to those who would want a particular Servant dead... the person who sent this message must be calling upon those of like mind. They wish to use the people who respond as disposable reinforcements to stack the deck in their favour, and ensure the Servant is eliminated."

The biggest sin of all regarding specialized lineages like this one is the removal of a certain key aspect. The Church has grasped its importance from day one. A weapon that does not choose to be wielded is no weapon at all. I have devoted my life to God and thus I will freely become his sword. It is this aspect that gives an action value, the idea that the act of choosing is more important than the result.

If there is no choice, then the action itself is meaningless.

If there is no choice, there cannot be good or evil.

If there is no choice, there is no sin or virtue.

"Our Princess, fleeing and pursued by all of OLYMPUS that wants to take advantage of her, probably wishes not to be used at all."

[Vritra]

Ichirou Tama
Location: Athena Academy - Corridor
Time: 12:57 – School Day
Day: April 17th – Friday

Skipping after Lady down corridors, stairs and more I follow as she leads us down a winding path through the entire school and beyond! A landscape of strange materials that I’ve never seen before coming here it truly is an interesting thing, strange substances that I’ve never seen before form a base while metal is used to reinforce and enhance, I think, and everywhere is covered in even more things! Wood, paper and more are arranged on surfaces, full of words and information I truly don’t get how everyone has time to understand it all …people truly are amazing aren’t they instructor. It even defies the worlds environment, cool as opposed to the warm of the outside, truly, truly amazing.

Continuing on through all the distractions, both big and small, that emerge as we wonder towards whatever this hooky that Lady seeks I am thankful that despite the stealth that she showed before it isn’t hard to follow her, the sweet and strangely overwhelming scent of her smoke is incredibly easy to locate. Yet, yet it still makes me wary, like so many other things I have never seen, smelled, tasted, or interacted with anything like this. An unknown, what is it, why is it there, how to avoid, how to counter, how to analyze it, countless thoughts drift through my mind as I gaze at her back as free of the building I begin to step from perch to perch, a railing, a tree, a structure on the sidewalk, staying away from the smoke as much as possible, maintaining a distance and staying in a dead angle. Taking advantage of the possibilities that opened up when we left the building I move through this strange city in an easy pursuit as Lady leads me onward until she opens up once again.

"Tell me, Ichirou," Peri said as she slowly but surely headed towards the bus stop. "Have you heard of the 'Devas' that more or less rule this city, or its parts? And if not, what images does the idea of such leaders bring to your mind?"

“Devas? Devas, devas, devas… Yes I think I know of them.” Repeating the word over and over again I think back on what I was reading just a short time ago. “They are four powerful people who have gathered a large amount of followers with most of them integrating themselves into the functioning of the city, Maxwellia Arothron heads a group, Bia that deals with researching creatures. Tetsuyama Rin leads a group that not only controls an entire area and its military but also controls most of forging of artifacts and weapons, I think she was said to be even able to create things that rival the Noble Phantasms of Servants. Kujaku Senhime is the leader of a group, Nemesis, that controls the Nike Casino” whatever a ‘Casino’ is “and Lord Wolf has a villa where he meets with Servants and …hunts? Everything was really vague with him, would have liked it if there was more. But just what would those people look like? Hmm give me a few moments to think.” What would people who can conquer parts of a city that sits in the sky like a heaven that’s, …really hard I just don’t know where to begin I find it difficult to even picture normal people let great one who could fight heroes and rules a place like this yet it is something I shall do, and so I begin searching my mind for memories of what great heroes looked like and qualities that would make ruler. “Hmmm, power, charisma, wisdom, awareness, abilities, exceptional things, wealth, and maybe even other things, I don’t know much about what it would take to rule but the stories of heroes and things always had stuff like. Sooo if they could rule a flying city and fight Servants then they must possess truly great power right? Power was often accompanied by things like big size, so maybe they stand as big as houses or buildings, hmm that would probably fit with them doing things like cutting down armies or mountains and if they were wise or had keen awareness then… Hmm then maybe they were like those eastern people who had many heads to do things like see in multiple directions or solve multiple problems. Exceptional abilities and trails are often things like invulnerable bodies, breathing fire, a variety of skin and hair colors, seeing the future and the past and commanding weather and disease and charisma to command means to be radiant right? A radiance that sparkles and shines like a sun and makes everyone obey them. Ah, thinking about that bit they would probably sparkle and glow like you do wouldn’t they Lady.

“So! Devas must be towering giants armored in invulnerable scales with hair and skin tones like a rainbow possessing countless head which they use to fully understand the world, fighting heroes, destroying mountains and beating armies with summoned weather and plagues, claws that cut through anything, fire breath, eye beams and every type of weapon in the world and after they fight the heroes they retire to their palaces of solid gold full of all their servants who they command with their sparkling and radiance!” Yeah that should be it, constructing the mental image piece by piece I begin to admire these deva more and more as it is completed, countless abilities that can rival people who saved the world and fought gods, wealth and servants to command, the more I picture it the more I’m drawn in. “Ahahaha Devas are amazing aren’t they Lady.” Laughing out in amazement and excitement I begin to believe Ladies statement about this being a lucky day more and more. I got to learn about the Devas who rule this city and I am currently able to avoid being near all the people goes about, its just so worrying having to do that. What should I do when I’m near them, what if they’re enemies, so many things that I still lack but today is lucky because I’m able to learn a few more things from Lady, first is Devas then will be hooky, accomplishment!

[DB-L]

Liu Long Mei
Location: China Order Dormitories - Corridor
Time: 07:19 - Morning
Day: April 17th - Friday

"... Rai's a Servant!"

"Oh."

That pretty much summed up all I could muster at that sudden reveal. Even in the supernatural world where strange becomes the new norm, there are always little things like these that leave me completely dumbstruck. A very long, drawn-out moment of awkward silence passed as all I could do was stare at her in bewilderment. I could even hear Bert shifting around behind me, as if he had something to say.

"Oh, that reminds me-me! I need your help, Mei-Mei! You know any way-way I could steal Rai from Misora-sora? It kinda puts a damper to things-things since Rai's got another girl-girl as his Master."

"Forgive my intrusion, but that is a certain invitation for tragedy." Bert spoke up. "We Servants are bound by sacred contract through the Command Seals and the Throne. Our very existence in the living world is even more ephemeral than mortal life, as our corporeal forms dissipate without a massive source of power like the Grail. What you ask of my Master is a more perilous matter as that would suggest an attempt to sever-"

*AHEM*

"What Bert here is trying to say is that you need a careful approach to this." I interrupted Bert before the conversation could take a turn for the worst. "This doesn't have to end in any...unsavory business. You said that Misora is Rai's Master, right? That doesn't necessarily mean that they are any more intimate than the average Master-Servant team. For example, you certainly don't have that kind of relationship to Artificer, and he's your Servant. I'm sure you can talk something out with Misora."

[RacingeR]

Fujou Shizuka
Location: Athena Academy – Girls’ Bathrooms
Time: 12:42 – Lunchtime
April 17th – Friday
Turn: 1 / Round: 5

The sound of her weapon shattering reached her ears for the second time in the battle. Shizuka let out an annoyed and surprised sound as the girl moved away, and prepared herself. This time, she was going straight for the kill: her patience with Marie had run out. However, it seemed that the goo blocking the bathroom was finally gone, and the small girl, going onto some sort of drug overdose, kicked the door open and escaped.

“But you are the one that started this whole thing..!” Shizuka’s mumbled to someone that was already gone.

She sighed. That girl was a complete idiot, she had started this whole incident all on her own, and despite it all, hadn’t understood what had happened nor how close she had been to getting killed. Randomly picking up a fight with an unknown quantity… she could’ve ended up crossing a Master, or someone with less regards towards life. Well, she counted in the latter category as well. Hell, she had given her a free lesson regarding what’d happen if she continued like that! Wasn’t she the most generous of all?

Shizuka made a weird, bitter expression, finding her thoughts funny. The psychopathic burst from before was completely gone, but not forgotten. She had no idea of what had come over her, what that incredibly cold voice that sounded like her own was, why she had acted like that… but… she couldn’t ignore it. Something was happening within her. Something bad.

She couldn’t even feel anything towards her first actual victory since she had arrived on the city. Hopefully, the girl would remember that Shizuka could have killed her had she wanted to, and be more careful in the future: but one thing was clear… the next time they met, if it became a fight, she’d kill her without a doubt. There were no more chances she could give to her.

Although… well, she really hadn’t cared about the drugs or whatever illegal malarkey that girl had gotten up to, but she had broken not one but two of her daggers, daggers she’d have to take to Tetsuyama to repair, and that’d cost at least a bit to fix. She hadn’t planned to do much about that, but, given the situation, she’d have to give her friend in ARES a call about what had transpired here. She doubted the case would be given any priority given everything that was happening now, but… yeah. That girl would’ve been much better off if she hadn’t tried to start a stupid fight: now she’d need to deal with its consequences.

Shizuka placed her fingers on the dagger that still held captive the winged girl, and the weapon moved by itself, retracting until it recovered its original shape, and disappearing within her sleeve. She really needed to go now and get out of this annoying situation, but the annoying spell from before still had its effect on her.

So, rather tiredly, still dizzy and afflicted by the spell, she started to collect the fragments of her two broken knives.