Fate/Reclamation (IC)

[Mellon]

Arwyn Cadfael Penrith
16th of December, 2004
Einzbern Baths
Morning (Phase 2-1)

“I had introduced myself to Saver last night, after I made the acquaintance of your daughter, Ilyasviel.

"It seems that he has spoken of this to you.”

“Amongst other things, yes.” A certain wry undercurrent was clearly present in the dark-haired man's tone. “As a father, I’m somewhat obligated to keep an eye on my willful daughter, you see.”

Kiritsugu’s tone held a certain lightness to it, though it could hardly override the somber gravitas naturally present in his tone. Either way, it was clear that the Japanese man didn’t feel the need to actually elaborate on the specific details of his conversation with Saver. Though whether it was due his lack of trust in Arwyn or simply because he considered it not pertinent to mention remained unclear. Saver, for his part, remained uncharacteristically quiet, merely content to close his eyes and bask in the warmness of the bath soaking into his muscles

Emiya Kiritsugu was a hard man. This much was evident even after the couple sentences of casual conversation between the two of you. Leaving aside the lattice of scars present on his body, which clearly indicated that he had seen considerable fighting during his lifetime, Kiritsugu’s voice and demeanor carried with it a weight that was impossible to ignore. In a way, it almost reminded you of Father Kotomine. However, whereas the heaviness in that priest’s voice seemed to be an echo of what he knew to be right, in this case, it seemed to be born out of the sheer weight of countless failures.

A man who was absolutely confident in the answer he had come upon contrasted with a man who found such answers to be futile to begin with.

“And you, Mr. Emiya?”

“…May I assume that you are also an ally of your daughter, Ilya?”

“I will protect my family. Nothing more needs to be said.”

A shadow momentarily flickered over his eyes.

“I will be whatever is required of me for that.”

His eyes met momentarily with Arwyn and in those dark orbs, he could make out a momentary flash of hardness. Almost akin to withdrawing velvet on a steel blade.

“But you are too naive, Mr. Prosecutor. Perhaps you are reading more into what being a Master on this side actually entails, but… realistically there is no difference between the two.”

“It's a semantic argument at best. Though I suppose it’s exactly what I should expect from a trained lawyer.”

“Following my daughter will not allow you to avoid taking a stance in this War. You have already done so. By choosing that path, Mr. Penrith, you are already on this side, whether you want it or not.”

A wry sigh escaped Kiritsugu’s lips.

“At least for the time being.”

Aila Einzbern
16th of December, 2004
Aila's Mansion
Morning (Phase 2-1)

"I suppose something simple will suffice. A nice bratwurst with some eggs and rye. Oh... And nice honey spread to go with it. I'd also like some freshly sliced strawberries with just a drizzle of chocolate. Dark. And for the drink... A nice hot cup of coffee with milk and extra sugar."

Still dealing with a rather hefty blush on her face, Lapis let out a small, slightly embarrassed, cough, clearly somewhat gathering her bearings from the brief exchange that had just passed. While there were certainly some inside the family who would consider such emotional outbursts “design defects” (the patriarch being one of them), they most assuredly also held their own charm. Her face returning to her normal pale hue, Lapis gave her master a brief bow.

“I shall forward your requests to Lila, milady.”

In the brief moment, your eyes had left Lapis, the female butler had already produced a small notepad and was quickly writing down your specified breakfast. A moment later, Aila could see a small satisfied smile flicker momentarily on Lapis’s face, as she gave the notepad one last tap with her pencil and placed it back in her pocket.

"That aside... Is there anything on my agenda for the day, Lapis? If not, I would like to get in contact with Master Kiritsugu so that I may discuss our findings last night."

“It would fit perfectly with your agenda, milady. In fact, Master Kiritsugu called earlier in the morning in order to ask whether you could visit the main manor at some point today.”

“I think he is planning to outline the family’s general strategy for the War, as well as ask for Milady’s input on the matter.”

The butler’s eyes turned towards Aila.



“Shall I order a taxi, milady?” The butler gave a brief pause and Aila could see something shift in the depths of those ruby eyes. “Or would we be taking the... car?”

[Reiu]

Arwyn Cadfael Penrith
16th of December, 2004
Einzbern Baths
Morning(Phase 2-1)


“But you are too naive, Mr. Prosecutor.”

—Like father, like daughter?
It was quite the uncanny resemblance to something Ilya said in last night’s exchange, down to the very wording of it.
At that, even in the face of Kiritsugu’s steely gaze, Arwyn's expression softens into a sheepish smile in spite of himself, recalling the girl.


Nonetheless, his tone soon resumes its air of solemnity.


“…I understand. I concede that it is a matter of feelings and sentiment, rather than of factual basis.
But as you no doubt have a better grasp of those latter circumstances than I——I endeavored to be sincere for my own part.

“If only as a logistical consideration, it seemed to me that it would be more convenient for you as well that my stance is known, rather than withheld.
It is of little importance otherwise, and freely disregardable.”

Arwyn bows his head quietly.

“To the extent that it may be of assistance rather than hindrance, Saber and I will be working alongside you and Saver.”


…He gives a small nod in Saver’s direction, before looking back to Kiritsugu.


Emiya Kiritsugu, the man who declared he would be whatever is required of him in order to protect his family.
In a strange way, more than any sugar-coated pleasantry, that candid resolve was—if not one that entirely made Arwyn feel at ease—then, perhaps, one he was appreciative of.

No—more than that, he was humbled by it. That was all there was to it.

By this man who was so absolutely confident in the answer he attained——

[Mellon]

Gendou Matou
16th of December, 2004
The House in Red - Residence of the Matou Family
Morning (Phase 2-1)

“Now, now. It ill suits you to be so dismissive, boy. The truest form of art is to imitate life, after all.”

A soft chuckle echoed behind Gendou as he made his way up the staircase.

“...And in the end, we are all dancing on someone’s stage.”

The upper floors themselves didn’t seem particularly expansive, mainly seemingly composing of a hallway and a couple of rooms. Definitely smaller than the mansion in Fuyuki. Then again, considering the real estate prices in a major metropolis like London, this was probably the best that the family could do, all things considered. Wouldn’t even be a surprise if Kariya had to pull some strings here and there to even get this place.

It didn’t take you long to find the door that led to Kariya’s room, especially since you could already make out the white-haired man’s mild coughs in the hallway.

Your knock on the door was followed by an inquisitive voice from inside.

“Hmh? ….Enter.”

The bedroom itself wasn’t overly large, more minimalistic if anything. Most members of the Matou family weren’t really fond of overtly elaborate interior decoration, that was something of a Tohsaka trait really. And Kariya, well…. was an exemplary Matou. At least when it came to something like this. And in other areas… well, he barely qualified. In fact, when it came to family patriarchs, he was probably the odd one out. In any case, the room was composed of a large king-sized bed, a couple of drawers and little else.

“...Gendou?"

“I see. I thought it was someone other ….cough… then Saber. That woman never knocks.”

The Matou patriarch was sitting upright in his bed, his complexion pale and with tired lines clearly visible in his face. Anyone else would have probably just discounted it as some sickness but considering who you were speaking of here, it was most likely physical feedback caused by over usage of Crest Worms. Which was interesting in itself. Kariya’s own reserves weren’t exceptional by any measure, but his affinity for the Matou family familiars meant that when it came down to moment-to-moment generation of prana, he shouldn’t really lose to anyone. Granted, Gendou could see the side-effects in front of his very eyes, but...

It seemed weird. Did Saber’s upkeep really require such an extensive amount of prana?

The white-haired man let out a couple of preemptive coughs, clearly aimed at clearing his throat before speaking.

“Sorry, I’m a bit under the weather, as you can see.” Kariya gave Gendou a small apologetic smile. “The strain on my body has been slightly larger than I originally expected.”

“What brings you here today?”

[Sei]

Aila Einzbern

16th of December, 2004
Aila's Mansion
Morning (Phase 2-1)

Now there's something that I wasn't necessarily counting on. To think that the Einzbern family would entrust Master Kiritsugu with a 'war council'. To my understanding, this Grail War is of higher importance than the typical outing. Though Master Kiritsugu does share an intimate relationship with Lady Iri- with Mama- he is still an outsider as far as the family is concerned. Based on what knowledge I have of the family's politics, things aren't quite adding up. Then again... I'm not exactly high up in the hierarchy. There's truly no telling what dealings the heads are having.

Nevertheless, it's just as Lapis says. The fact that Master Kiritsugu is having a strategy meeting couldn't work out any better for me. I know little of the man personally; however, I have heard a fair bit of hearsay during my time in the homeland. Ruthless, pragmatic, and dangerously effective... These are just a few of the terms used to describe the man known as 'Magus Killer'. He's an expert in anti-spellcaster strategies and supposedly supplements his abilities with modern weapons. As a mage, he is to be considered deplorable... But as a dog of war, I can think of no better asset to have on your team. Perhaps the family heads share that same train of thought.

"Hmmm... Well if my presence is being requested, it only makes sense that I try to arrive as soon as possible. To that end, I think taking one of our own vehicles would be a better use of time than waiting on a taxi."

Still mulling over the prospects of a council, I merely state the thing that makes the most sense to me. A lingering sense of caution occupies my thoughts, but nothing arises from memory to connect the threads.

"Yes. Once I've had a nutritious breakfast, I'll be heading to the main manor as soon as possible."

My morning plans are set. Now that only leaves one matter of business to attend to.

"Caster," Pressing two fingers against my temple, I call for the one who has been absent this whole time, "Good morning, Caster. Would you please come to my room? I would like to talk to you. Also Lapis is making preparations for breakfast. You should join us."

[Ayakashi]

--- --- Day: Time: Location: --- Wounds: Mana: --- Status Effects:

Caster of White --- 15th of December, 2004 Morning (Phase 2-1) Aila's Mansion, Somewhere in London (???) ------ ?? ?? ------------- None

With the knowledge granted to her by the spell, Caster took a while to simply sit upon the roof and sort through all that had been revealed to her. Some useful information, some less useful, but information was information nonetheless. For now, she had nothing specific to look out for, and no one was a fool enough to make themselves noticeable enough at such a time of the day.

Conveniently, the moment she had finished her 'archiving' of all the knowledge she had acquired, Caster the Master-Servant connection resonate as Aila's voice echoed in her head:

Good morning, Caster. Would you please come to my room? I would like to talk to you. Also Lapis is making preparations for breakfast. You should join us.

"It would be my pleasure."

Not one to keep her Master waiting, Caster immediately made her way down to where Aila was. She had in fact been aware that her Master had awoken, but figured that it was better that she did not immediately intrude upon the conversation Aila was having with Lapis, perhaps as respect for her privacy. Their relationship was still fairly new, and while the groundwork had already been laid and appeared fairly solid, Caster most likely preferred not to take things for granted and awaited Aila's invitation.

In an instant, golden particles flocked to where Aila and Lapis were, as Caster materialized her physical form.

"Good morning, Aila. I take it that you had a pleasant sleep?"

------

She had watched over her sleeping Master during the night for quite a while after all, like a mother watching over a daughter. A detail not worth mentioning, but then it was perhaps because Caster had been a mother in her own life, so this was merely instinctual.

"Ah, and thank you for your hard work," Caster added as she gave a respectful nod to Lapis, acknowledging her efforts in preparing a suitable breakfast.

"As Lapis has prepared food for our stomachs, I have prepared some food for our thoughts... though, I daresay that what I offer is not as appetizing as hers."

A bright smile to Lapis... a sign of appreciation for what she had done, a wordless 'thank you' for her service. That was Caster's morning gift to the woman that took care and nurtured Aila like how an exemplary head maid would care for their lord's child -- dutifully, wholeheartedly.

"I took the liberty of peering upon the City of London, performing a sort of forecast of what we may come to expect of our ventures..."

Stat Screen - Caster of White

List of Spells

Create Familiar (Light) Type: Evocation | Rank: B

Creates a familiar made of sunlight. Though light by modern standards should be entirely incorporeal, these familiars, taking the shape of golden hawks, [...], possess mass and are entirely able to interact with the ‘real’ world. [...], they are quite useless against Servants and are better off as scouts. [...]

Molded Light Type: Illusion | Rank: C

Bends and twists light to the point where one can make themselves look like whatever they wish -- potentially the perfect form of disguise, if it wasn’t for the fact that this is simply an optical illusion. There is no actual modification to the target’s physique, and such, people who do not rely on sight / have very keen senses can probably see through this spell.

Eye of the Sun God Type: Divination | Rank: B

A special spell that links one’s sight to the rays of light descending upon the earth. In a similar fashion to how the Sun God oversees all, the user of this spell is able to scry upon a massive area as if they had the most powerful form of Clairvoyance. But... [redacted] An advanced mage such as Caster can process a lot more information and use it to its fullest, being able to avoid information overload.

Summons

Golden Falcon	Stats (Master Level)
A falcon seemingly woven out of gold, but that is in fact crystallized sunlight. Its radiance should technically make it ill-suited for reconnaissance [...] Due to being heavily specialised in scouting, the Golden Falcon does not really have any other uses, and is barely apt for combat. The greatest threat it could present to non-servants would be using its nimbleness and agility to go for an attack onto the target’s exposed eyes.	STR AGI END MAG LCK	E C E D C