Fate/Moon White Redux (RP)

[Verg Avesta]

Location: Yamaichi Shrine
Phase: Night
Time: 1:43
Day: January 13^th

“I'm done here. Show me the way, Servant.”

Ruler cackled quietly in the darkness of the main chamber. He put aside the shamisen that he had been holding, his golden eyes momentarily floating over to Sourokurou, as if to ask her a confirmation. Quietly, the priestess nodded her head, allowing the Servant-in-blue to do as ordered. With a simple nod towards the back door of the chamber, Ruler invited Kirame to follow him.

"Let's go, boy," Ruler said. "You've got another long walk ahead of you, and I don't have all night."

With that, the Servant pushed open the sliding door and disappeared into the corridor that awaited behind it. He did not even look back, clearly expecting Kirame to follow him without a question. Or rather, he did not leave any chance for protests. What the young man left behind was a quietly roaring fire pit, dancing flames and shadows, and the darkness of the main chamber where only a single shrine maiden remained. The tall visage of Sourokurou Mochizuki gazed after Kirame, and a chilling smile spread to her face.

Just as Kirame left the chamber, he could hear the final words of the supervisor.

"------ Rejoice, boy. Your wish will finally come true."

[Mellon]

Maker
Location - Harbor - Family House - Basement
Phase - Night
Time - 22:25
Day - January 12

"I wish we had some sweets to go with the tea..."

“Unfortunately, my talents in bakery are limited at best, Master. I was never much for cooking, I’m afraid.” The Servant’s amused eyes crossed with those her master. “I felt far more at home with a needle, than I ever did with a spatula or a spoon.”

By the time those word had reached Anna, Maker had already walked over to the whistling teapot, took it off the heater and was now reaching towards the tea box a bit further along the counter. The white Servants actions on the kitchen carried with it a certain sense of practised ease. It seemed that while she thought relatively little of her own talent in the area, she was, at the very least somewhat knowledgeable on the matter.

Setting the tea leaves in a smaller, ceramic teapot, she poured the hot water onto the leaves, before setting the entire teapot aside to brew. For her, this age was truly miraculous, far more so than the days of her life. Some might disagree, of course. Magecraft was still far more stronger in her day and the supernatural more tangible, but… for her none of that could compare. The slight smell of brewing black tea in the air, the way the street-lights outside illuminated the pavement with a soft glow, the heater that did not need an open fire to cook things. All of these things were truly a testament to the ingenuity of mankind, far more so then any grand ritual or wondrous supernatural miracle.

And perhaps that was the true failing of magecraft. A miracle for just a few. Something that could not be used by many, lest it lose its power, but neither could be allowed to fade into obscurity, lest it be forgotten.

It was obvious that such a fragile and limited thing could never stand up to the onslaught of science which touched and changed the lives of every person on this planet.

Her eyes glanced at the large, cross adorned, clock on the wall.

Four minutes. Perfect.

Taking the teapot and two nearby teacups into her hands, Maker headed back from the kitchen and into the living room, before placing the ceramic teapot on the teatable in front of the couch.

“Master, the tea is re….”

Maker’s voice faded into silence as she her eyes saw the sleeping form of her Master. It seems that she had taken tad too long with the tea. Though it was probably for the best that the young blue haired girl got some rest. There would be many trials to come and it was better to face them with a clear mind and a sound body. They would have plenty of time to talk in the morning, should it be required.

Clasping the teapot she had just taken seconds earlier, Maker poured herself a cup of tea, before distancing herself from her sleeping Master and entering what seemed, judging from the rather dusty writing table and shelves filled to the brim with thick tomes, to be a rather unused study. Well, that much was to be expected. Maker could already tell that her master was not the scholarly-type. Well, this was more convenient honestly.

She didn’t want to wake her Master, after all.

A golden glow of pulsing brilliant light erupted around Maker’s extended right hand, while she casually took a sip of tea with her left.

“Well then. No time to dally. After all, the devil makes work for idle hands.”

Day One END-----

[Spinach]

Ryougi Kirame
Location: Yamaichi Shrine
Phase: Night
Time: 1:44
Day: January 13^th

"Let's go, boy," Ruler said. "You've got another long walk ahead of you, and I don't have all night."

“Nothing but long walks since I came here.” Kirame complained to the Servant’s disappearing back, following after him.

A cold weight pressed against his back as he passed through the opened door. The warm air of the fire-lit chamber faded from his back, leaving only the chilling presence behind him. He knew what it was. The sensation of being watched.

He didn’t look back once, disappearing into the chamber. He wouldn’t acknowledge the eyes at his back.

"------ Rejoice, boy.”

The voice called out from the chamber behind him. For a reason he didn’t understand, he stood in place and listened to the last words of Sourokurou.

“Your wish will finally come true."

Kirame grinned into the dim corridor and began walking again.

The Command Seals hidden under his sleeve were taken by the grip of his right hand. He held the brands in his hand, the same way he would soon holy the Holy Grail.

“In a way,” he spoke quietly, only to himself, “it already has.”

Location: Old Town – Base
Phase: Night
Time: 3:22
Day: January 13^th

As he was used to Kirame was welcomed back by the repeated clink of hammers hitting metal. From the other end of the house the sound carried through the property, now twice as fast, twice as numerous than before.

With his shoes kicked off of his feet Kirame went to the living room, settling himself under the kotatsu again. The swords he had went out with were scattered about in their sheaths, laying unceremoniously over the floor, all within an arm’s reach.

All the better to sleep beside.

Kirame laid back, half of his body stuffed under the kotatsu, the other sprawled out over the cold wooden floor. Staring at the ceiling, Kirame brought his arm up. Red brands revealed theirselves as his sleeve came down.

A purpose, right in front of his eyes. A reason to fight. One worth dying for.

“Yeah.” He smiled again, the three crimson swords reflecting in his steel eyes. The last words of Sourokurou echoed in his mind. “It already has.”

DAY 1 END

[Mormarth]

Francis York(?) Morgan [does this even fucking matter anymore]
Location - Outskirts - Winding Path
Phase - Night
Time - 20:40

I walked up the mountain stairs, past some stuff that probably didn't matter all that much and into the main chamber.

[Verg Avesta]

Francis York(?) Morgan
Location - Outskirts - Winding Path
Phase - Night
Time - 20:55

Following the young, blindfolded miko in white, York was eventually taken to the plateau at the top of the Winding Path where the Yamaichi Shrine waited like some sort of ancient beast, hibernating through the winter with nothing but the faith of the locals to keep it fed. The snowfall had picked up during the late hours on the island, and now the blackened sky was filled with white flecks slowly drifting to the ground. At this height, this removed from the main source of civilization on Tengetsu, and with an army of trees between them, it seemed almost as if the snow had been only source of light in the darkness. However, it was only the faint moonlight it reflected, nothing more.

"... The supervisor is waiting inside."

Saying those quiet words, the blindfolded girl bowed to York and headed back to the stairs, apparently determined head back to the torii where she had been initially waiting for the man. This left him with no choice but the head on forth, into the depths of the sleeping shrine where the darkness seemed, if possibly, only thicker.

One that you could cut through with a knife.

Inside, the confusing layout of the building quickly became apparent. It took some time to navigate through the empty corridors and rooms, which seemed to form a maze with only one purpose: have the journey to the main chamber continue even longer. It was like a pilgrimage, meant to test the patience of the ones traversing through it, driving them to their limits before bringing them to the salvation. This salvation, at least in this shrine, was the grand double doors, only ones of its kind in here, that announced that the main chamber was just beyond them.

There, York met face-to-face with two chilly black eyes, and the imposing figure of the tall priestess waiting for him.

"Welcome, o' Chosen Master," the priestess said with a deep tone. Her moonlit lake-like eyes gazing at the person who had arrived. "I welcome you to Yamaichi Shrine."

This was not a chance meeting. A Master and the supervisor of the Holy Grail War... it was fated that they would meet. Even the Servant hiding in the darkness at the edges of the room grinned. Ruler, the storm-eyed watcher of this war's rules, quietly observed as the two mortals begun talking. It was not a long talk, but not a short one either. Every Master had things they wanted to make sure, things they wanted to shine some light upon... and if anything, the supervisor Sourokurou Mochizuki had answers. How much of her knowledge she really shared, though, that was another tale altogether. Most of the times it seemed almost as if she went out of her way to make her answers more cryptic, most likely simply to frustrate the man before her.

... Which might have been the reason the discussion eventually came to a halt.

At this point, Ruler knew his time had come. With a shift in the authorative prana in the shrine maiden's body, the hidden path behind the shrine once again shimmered into existence, allowing another Master leave the mountain without having the danger of running into another one of his or her kind. Ruler gestured York to follow him. He knew that the walk back to the foot of the mountain would be just as long, and that unlike Ruler himself, these mortals could not keep up a considerable speed.

However, before the two of them had completely disappeared from the chamber, the husky voice of the shrine maiden called out to York one last time.

"------ Rejoice, boy. Your wish will finally come true."

Her announcement came with dark delight.

And so, the two of them, a Servant who observed the war, and the Master who participated in it, began their long descend back to the civilization.

Day 1: END

[Verg Avesta]

---

Location: Residential District - Fujimura Estate
Phase: Day 1/3
Time: 06:30
Day: January 13^th
Average Temperature: -22 C
Weather: Sunny

What broke the pleasant, quiet atmosphere of the crisp and cool Wednesday morning was something akin to a roar. A roar and the pounding of the wooden door that led to Kirisaki's room. It came with heavy hands, hands that sounded like they were ready to strangle the boy at any minute. Indeed, it was hard to imagine that it was anything human that was waiting for him beyond that flimsy sliding door without even a lock to protect it. No, out here, in the tundras of northernmost of Japan, the creature beyond that door could only be one thing...

-------- A fearsome Bengal Tiger!

"Get up Homura-kun, ya lazy bastard! How long do I have to wait for ya each morning!? If the breakfast gets cold while we wait for yer sorry ass, Aneja is gonna make you take a dip in the sea before heading to school!"

Location: School District - Ichifuji Hotel
Phase: Day 1/3
Time: 07:00
Day: January 13^th


At seven in the morning, the peace of the early morning at Astrid Hildebrandt's room was broken by the sudden sound of a cellphone's alarm. It was not that surprising, considering she was a person with many contacts... though the caller ID displayed on the screen of the cellphone might have been something of a surprise. For some reason, it seemed that the police commissioner of Tengetsu, Myoujingata Meiji, had taken it upon himself to call Astrid the first thing in the morning.

[Leftovers]

Astrid Hildebrandt
Location: School District - Ichifuji Hotel
Phase: Day 1/3
Time: 07:00
Day: January 13th

She liked the dawn.

There was something in the clarity of an early morning, illuminated but not yet awash with the light of a new day, that appealed deeply to her inner sense of purpose. Like a seer seeking counsel in the elements, seeking hidden meaning in a birdsong or the pattern of a cloud, she sometimes took to gazing into the rose-tinted horizon as if within that vast expanse there could be found an omen bespeak, a sign bespeaking destiny yet to come.

Unfortunately, the winter nights in Tengetsu were long, yielding way to the sun far too late for any fairly busy person to indulge in celestial observation; none being more preoccupied than an investigator-turned-participant in a deathmatch between veritably monstrous opposition. If anything, unusual activities at unorthodox hours would inevitably draw attention, idly curious or otherwise.

Not that the ringtone shattering the silence in the hotel room had left any credence of probability in that scenario. Circumstances had a way of conspiring to ensure the weary never grew complacent of their rest.

A single eye cracked open blearily, directing an equally uncoordinated arm towards the source of the sounds to the best of both their abilities. Navigating the nightstand took a few blind gropes, until the occupant of the bed held the offending item in her hand, squinting slightly at the brightness of the screen. The name displayed there was enough to clear the fog of sleep from her mind in an instant, and she propped herself to a seated position off the side of the bed, sliding her finger on the touch screen to answer the call.

She didn't think that Meiji was the type to call before daylight just to chat. Something had urged the man to contact her at the earliest convenience, and the thought was enough to straighten her spine and temper her voice to a clipped tone.

"Tell me."

[Dranes]

Kirisaki Homura
Location: Residential District - Fujimura Estate
Phase: Day 1/3
Time: 06:30
Day: January 13^th

Hmmm...it's noisy.

...

...Oh come on it's too early to get up and I feel like I was just hit by a truck, can the noise just stop? I just want a day where I can sleep in. I haven't been able to sleep like this since-

Wait.

I think I've made a terrible mistake.

Another loud crash causes me to open my eyes wide, I'm on alert but it's already too late. No longer is my room the haven I've made of it, no...now it's simply another hunting ground for a monstrous predator, ready to strike if given the chance. Even with that simple door being all that stands between us I can already make out the black and white that I've begun to associate with her and with that she lets loose another roar, one that would send any simple student reeling with fear. There was no way I could go back now, the distant dream of another five minutes has just become ever more distant.

"Get up Homura-kun, ya lazy bastard! How long do I have to wait for ya each morning!? If the breakfast gets cold while we wait for yer sorry ass, Aneja is gonna make you take a dip in the sea before heading to school!"

Into the sea?! Isn't that a bit extreme in this weather?!

"I'm up, I'm up!"

I yell to answer her as I almost leap out of bed, time was short and I had to act fast. I leave the blanket that kept me warm all this night to rest on the floor and look to my cupboard past my bed.

Wait, that doesn't seem right? I went to bed so why is my bed over there?

Glancing behind me I see my couch...

"Weird...I thought..."

I let those words leave me, thinking out loud about this current and somewhat creepy situation, all this is doing is reminding me of that weird dream with super girls who could run, fly and whatever else and some war. I guess I must have sleep walked to my couch, that's the only way I could make sense out of all this, after all it couldn't have been real...there's just no way that something like that could have happened.

BANG!!!

Damnit, I shouldn't be thinking about these things now! That door could break down at any minute! Weird dreams can wait, school uniform and breakfast now!

Shirt, pants, socks, jacket, all here. At this rate I think I'm going to set a new world record.

...

Okay, done. Room is tidy and I'm ready, Aneja hasn't broken down the door yet so I'll call this one a success.

I glance behind me to the window in my room, another cold day of course, expecting something else is plain dumb.

I move over to the door, even if I'm ready there's no chance that this couldn't end badly. A tiger is a fierce beast after all.

Time for a leap of faith.

I slide the door open, I ready myself for the visage of contrasting colors.

"Morning, I'm up so there's no need for a cold dip!"

But I can't stop there, I can't give her a chance for a counter attack.

"So lets get going, what's for breakfast anyways?"

Weird dreams, weird mornings, such is my life on this frozen island.

[Bloble]

Location: Old Town - Base
Phase: Day 1/3
Time: 07:00
Day: January 13^th

It was a fresh morning.

Not often did the winter pull back and allow those in its grasp to wake up gently, but this day, for whatever reason, opened peacefully. The storm swirling around the edges of the island abated, allowing the sun to shine for a brief period of time. Winds died down, and the only sound that entered through the window was that of a town slowly coming to life.

"Master."

The roaring of a fire counteracted the creeping cold. The inside of the shack had been a battleground all night, and only now did the flames finally eke out a majority. Yes, that fire had not stopped for a moment, and neither had the man standing before it. His upper body was bare and covered with a sheen of sweat, and his robes were tied around his waist. Every time he exhaled a cloud of vapour escaped his inhuman lungs.

"Master, it is time to wake."

Punctuating the sentence was the sound of metal creaking as Artificer closed the door of the oven, shutting the fledgeling sword inside. Most of the work had been done during the night, in a frantic haze that had consumed Artificer until the weak light of dawn chased it away. At some point his apprentice had wandered over to a chair and fallen asleep quietly, unable to take match her teacher's pace. He had paused only to drape a blanked over her shoulders before returning to his forge. Despite the noise, none of the other occupants of the building had been woken, nor had their sleep been disturbed. By contrast, the sound of metal on metal and of roaring flames was a lullaby that had quickly lured them to sleep.

Now, however, it was time to rise.

"Master, I bid you open those eyes, less I be forced to persuade with blade rather than tongue." Upon seeing no response, Artificer took a puff of his pipe, then blew it unceremoniously into Ryougi Kirame's face, drawing out a mighty sneeze from the snoring Master and causing him to flail wildly for a moment, inadvertently flipping over the kotatsu that had served as his blanket.

Artificer took a single look at the comical sight, nodded, and put the pipe back in his mouth.

"Hm. Quite vulnerable to assassins, you are."

[Tobias]

Servant Caster
Location: Outskirts - Graveyard
Phase: Day 1/3
Time: 6:30
Day: January 13th

"...Eat, girl." It was the first words that passed the old monk's mouth since his instruction on the way the night before. Rising placidly to his feet, the walls and floor of the RV around him began to twist and contort. The damp cave wall once more became hard metal and tools, soft cloth and supplies for the practice of medicine. The light and warmth of a small hearth became the cold mechanical light fixture of this modern world. As if paying respect to the evoked image from times past, fading once more, Caster...almost...nodded his head in respect. At the very least, the large sigh that whistled out of his frame like a bellows fire being stoked by the smith had a definite feel of nostalgia.

"Stretch out your legs. Let the flow of energy move through your body and restore your vitality. Eat, drink." Caster's eyes gleamed with a trace of malicious amusement. "Take a piss if you need," he added. As his master began to get up and take care of her body which was surely aching from hours in an unfamiliar posture, Caster continued to lecture in his coarse voice.

"This night was to center your mind. Remember the three parts of Unity, child. The body, which is the well of strength that must be tempered so that you can focus your mind. Your mind, which must reach peace and truth in equal measure to tame the spirit, and the spirit, which when in balance, controls the urges of the body which can lead you from the path. This night you have trained your mind, in a moment, we will train your body. However, right now..."

Caster held out a well muscled, scarred hand, his palm idly up as if something rounded were resting within it. Though at first glance his hand held only air, there was a definite under current of prana in the air, subtly different then the mana gathering from the leyline, or even the threads of power from which he constructed his territory. No, what this magic was, was something unique to Caster. An essential and vital part of who he was. After a moment, another Daruma doll formed, starting from the wide, rounded base, to the red painted head with two white, unpainted eyes poking out from beneath a hood. Streaks of black around the frowning mouth indicated a stylized beard to complete the picture.

"This is my flesh." Caster intoned. "Take of my body, temper it, master it, and thus master your wavering spirit."

wise up!

Keyword found: Daruma doll

[Spinach]

Ryougi Kirame
Location: Old Town - Base
Phase: Day 1/3
Time: 07:03
Day: January 13^th

Master… to wake… you open those eyes… persuade with blade...

An annoying voice called to him from somewhere. It probably didn’t have anything important to say, so he ignored it, mumbling something in his sleep. Whatever the man speaking to him had to say could wait. For now, he just needed sleep.

He wouldn’t admit it, but the ritual last night had taken more out of him than he initially thought. As soon as he had allowed himself to rest it became clear how tired the summoning left him. In the first place, it was a ritual he should never have been able to complete. He wasn’t a magus of any sort, it should have been impossible for him to ever summon a Servant. To summon one in spite of that and only get off with fatigue was almost cheating.

A wave of something soft touched his face. It wrapped around his nose and sunk into his throat.

There was a taste of something ash-like. Something smoky. The aroma of something burnt permeated his face.

It wasn’t an unpleasant smell. But.

The kotatsu flipped over as he lurched up, sneezing away the smoke that had snuck down his nose. The cold air of Tengetsu’s mornings hit him for the first time as he knocked the kotatsu away, eyes finally coming open to find what was burning.

The forge?

Had Nozomi and Artificer made some impossible mistake? It was unthinkable. The blacksmith Heroic Spirit could never make such a mistake. No, even Nozomi would never mess up in such a way.

Then was it an attack from an enemy? Smoking Kirame out of his shelter? But how had he been found on the morning following his summoning? Had he been trailed from the shrine? He had never sensed a presence, but it was possible that-

"Hm. Quite vulnerable to assassins, you are."

Standing in the living room, Artificer calmly observed the frantic awakening of the half-asleep Kirame.

He looked at the pipe in the Servant’s mouth.

“Artificer.” He regarded the Servant in a grumpy tone. With a frown Kirame put the kotatsu back in place, situating under it again to get back to its warmth, though this time with eyes wide open. Even with the warmth of the forge radiating from the other end of the house the cold air of Tengetsu’s retreating night managed to hold onto its place in the old smithy, like a cat with its claws dug into carpet refusing to budge.

He looked up at the Servant’s exposed body, glistening with sweat from working the forge. The sight of Artificer seeming unfazed by spending the entire night hard at work came as a reminder that the man was very much not a human, even if hundreds of years ago he had been one. What was standing over him was a spirit of the highest rank. A man immortalized in legend forevermore. An existence beyond anything he had ever seen before.

“You look like you’ve been hard at work over a hot stove.” Legend though he may be, with the awakening he had given him all Kirame felt was the need to strike back. “Did you make breakfast for me?”

He yawned, emphasizing how tired he was.

“You must have been worried it would get cold.” He added, staring up at the Servant, still frowning. “Bring it here then. My breakfast.”

[Bloble]

Artificer
Location: Old Town - Base
Phase: Day 1/3
Time: 07:05
Day: January 13^th

Artificer raised an eyebrow.

"I've not left the forge until just now," he said calmly. "Steel and food don't share well, and there's but one oven. Also, your fridge is empty. A marvelous invention, I might add, save for the fact that the local weather conditions have left it entirely redundant. The total food in this building amounts to a rather moldy loaf of bread, a half-bag of uncooked rice, and salt. Road salt, that is."

Having said that, Artificer picked up a chipped bowl full of hastily-cooked rice and placed it on the table before his Master. It was followed by a cup full of water that had been melted from the morning snow. Swords were one thing, but he'd never been a particularly good cook. Self-sufficiency could only take a man to the point of being able to keep himself alive, and this one had gone no further.

"Oh, and this."

Artificer reached into one of his sleeves and in a flash, whipped something towards Kirame.

Fast.

No time. None. In an instant, an attack faster than the human eye could perceive was launched. Fresh from a deep sleep, there was nothing the Ryougi could do to stop his own death-!

The object embedded itself into the table, an inch from the bowl. It quivered for a good five seconds before coming to a halt.

From the other side of the room, Nozomi's soft snoring came to a rather croaky halt as the sound pierced her dreams.

"That, Master, is a priceless artifact. What you see before you is a Phantasm that represents the height of its craft. None others like it have existed, and none will. Enjoy. 'Tis but a small gift, as your other blade cools."

It was a fork. A rather shiny fork, but still a fork.

Completely oblivious to that fact, Artificer took another, rather smug puff of his pipe and blew sharp shapes into the air. He stood before Kirame with his usual stoic expression, but there was something different. It was as if Artificer expected some kind of response.

Was... was he waiting to be praised?

[Spinach]

Ryougi Kirame
Location: Old Town - Base
Phase: Day 1/3
Time: 07:07
Day: January 13^th

Kirame took the fork in his hand, plucking it from the table like a flower made of fine steel.

“Incredible.” He remarked, inspecting the silverware. The deadly weapon that could have struck him down seconds before. “It’s well made,” Kirame twirled the fork around his fingers. “No. It’s perfection.” He corrected himself.

“You live up to your name, Artificer.” The Ryougi offered his heartfelt thoughts to the Heroic Spirit of small stature who stood over him, looking like a stoic hound waiting to receive the kind words of his master. “But…”

Kirame cut his words short, launching his own counterattack suddenly. A flash of steel shot like a bullet. The air was pierced three times over by the tines as the sure kill attack ripped through the cold morning to end Artificer’s short rebirth.

A sneak attack launched by his own Master. Not even the Heroic Spirit of the Forge could offer resistance as the silverware transformed into lightning...!

… And struck the ceiling. Vibrating as before, the fork embedded itself into the wood overhead.

“Mornin’…” From the other end of the room a sleepy Nozomi offered a quiet response to the battle, rubbing her eyes.

“No Japanese man eats rice with a fork.” Kirame said, lifting the bowl of rice as he complained. Pinching a few grains between his fingers he tasted the rice.

“And this rice is overcooked.” He raised the bowl up so that Artificer could see his blunder. “It looks like you tried to get it done fast and never lowered the flame.” Despite not being anything close to a capable cook himself, Kirame pushed the bowl upwards again as he complained about the Servant’s work.

As a matter of fact, had he done it himself the result would have been pitch black and utterly inedible.

“Well.” He set the bowl back down and took the cup of water. “I appreciate the effort.”

Saying so plainly the Ryougi took a sip of the water.

“The water’s good though.”

[Bloble]

Artificer
Location: Old Town - Base
Phase: Day 1/3
Time: 07:10
Day: January 13^th

Oh boy. His Master was a handful.

Artificer didn't even move as the projectile passed by his head.

“No Japanese man eats rice with a fork.”

Artificer shrugged. "According to the information I was summoned with, this piece of cutlery is an adequate replacement for chopsticks used world-wide. Being that metal is a poor material for traditional chopsticks, I assumed there would be no protest. Of course, if my Master's tastes are more strict, accommodations can be made."

And then the brat had the nerve to insult his cooking. It wasn't something Artificer had much pride in, but...

That was supposed to have been his own breakfast!

The Servant sighed. This was likely his fault, he supposed. Some samurai were like this. They immediately saw anyone other than direct commander as an inferior to be ordered around without question. With that boy's youth and arrogance, it wasn't a surprise that he would act like this.

"Good morning, Apprentice," he addressed Nozomi without moving from his spot. The pipe puffed, and this time a handful of red sparks joined the smoke it released into the air. "You performed admirably last night. I release you from any responsibilities until you feel prepared for further instruction."

"As for you, Master..."

Yes, it was time to make some things clear.

Artificer stared Kirame in the eyes as the latter sat picking through the rice with his fingers.

"I may be your Servant, but the terms of our contract are not such that I am beholden to obey each one of your commands with mind and soul. I will freely create for you. I will protect whatever place you choose with the full extent of my abilities. I will even lend my expertise to teach your allies what I know. All this I do in order to seek the Holy Grail."

And there was the problem. If he was to put it in simpler terms, there was something he was owed.

"If you want me to cook for you in addition to my actual duties... 'please' is a good place to start."

[Spinach]

Ryougi Kirame
Location: Old Town - Base
Phase: Day 1/3
Time: 07:14
Day: January 13^th

“Yes, shishou.”

As Nozomi answered Artificer, Kirame stood up from the kotatsu, reaching to the ceiling and grabbing the fork. Yanking it out of the wood Kirame looked at the tongs, not hiding how impressed he was at the tines’ durability and sharpness as he gave it another, closer inspection. With a nod of respect for the craftsmanship, he looked back to the Servant.

“No,” Kirame plainly said, meeting Artificer’s eyes as he seated himself again, gathering up a forkful of rice and eating it. “If you cook rice like this then I don’t want you cooking for the three of us.”

Without batting an eyelash Kirame delivered his verdict, having given the rice a second chance.

“What’re y’all bickerin’ ‘bout?” The girl asked, looking between the two as Kirame chewed. Without saying a word Kirame held the chipped bowl toward her, urging her to try it. Taking the fork, which she paused for a few seconds to admire the craftsmanship of, Nozomi took a bite of the rice.

“Dry ‘n overcooked.” A blunt, short response, but the truth. Crossing her arms the girl looked up to Artificer.

“Ya made this, shishou?” She asked.

“He did.” Kirame answered in place of the Servant. Taking the bowl back, Kirame took another bite, eating more of the rice despite his complaints.

“Well, s’not poisonous, unlike a certain someone’s cookin’, don’ let it get t’ ya.” The eyes of Nozomi fell down onto Kirame, narrowing as they found the person she was referring to. “Still, shishou, ya don’ need t’ be worryin’ ‘bout takin’ care’ve feedin’ this numbskull.”

Beneath her sharpened eyes a small smile began to bud.

“Y’see, he’ll eat anythin’ ya put in front’ve ‘im, then complain the whole time.” As if to illustrate her point Kirame gathered up another forkful of rice and ate it. “Ya get used t’ it n’time if ya really wanna, but yer best off jus’ lettin’ me handle it.”

She looked up to the Servant, a sympathetic smile on her face. She had run through the exact same thing Artificer was about to put himself through, so she knew exactly what he was feeling.

“N’ s’ not like he can even cook either.” Kirame silently nodded as he agreed with Nozomi’s statement, his mouth full of rice. “Ya might think I don’ look the part, but after a year with Kirame-nii I’m pretty confiden’ in my cookin’, so just leave it t’ me. Woulda died’a food poisonin’ a long time ago if I hadn’ learnt a thing’re two ‘bout cookin’, travelin’ with this musclebrain.”

“Exactly.” Kirame added, finishing off the bowl of rice. The entire serving had been mercilessly cut down by the man who had eaten only half a mandarin the previous day. Not even a single grain of rice remained in the barren bowl. “Our cooking is terrible.”

He looked up to Artificer. As someone who truly could not work in the kitchen, he could see that the Servant was like himself.

“Just let Nozomi take care of it.” Kirame concluded, placing the bowl back on the table without even a hint of appreciation for the food. “She doesn’t mind.”

Nozomi glared at the Ryougi like she wanted to say something about that last part, but held herself back, simply giving him the evil eye in silence.

[Ayakashi]

Character(s) Invoker Location Miyamoto Shrine - Garden Phase ----- Morning Time ------ 08:00 Day ------- January 13th

The occasional bird chirp and car engine punctuates the cold morning of the Old Town. The frigid air is however, not unwelcome at Miyamoto Shrine. Legs dangling off the ledge of the shrine's open veranda, this woman clad in a finely crafted yukata of black is the most cheerful of moods and could be taken for a usual resident of the shrine – none would think that this was a Servant, especially with such a laid back aura surrounding her.

But well, a lot of things have happened on the night before, a lot of things. Life is a very ephemeral thing – if one doesn't take a pause once in a while to appreciate its beauty, then it is quite the shame for them to be missing such ; or so Invoker believes.

'The ritual has been fine tuned, and I suppose that it is already doing its job, judging from the state of the link between us...' ponders Invoker as the Servant extends their paper fan to scoop up some of the falling snowflakes. It is a childish sentiment that has spurred this act, but then, looking at the crystallized white melt into nothingness and be absorbed into the fabric of the fan... it happens to be rather poetic. Perhaps a foreshadowing of what is to come.

Her eyes trail off towards the sky, in the direction of the clouds that shine brighter than the rest – namely, where the sun is. Even if it is blotted out by a rather thick mass of white, the Servant can easily guess the time based on its position. Her eyes are far more preceptive than a regular human's after all.

'My, it's already this late,' Invoker notes, realising that she might have spent a bit too long enjoying the scenery. Not only the view Miyamoto Shrine's snow-covered grounds, but the one of the entire Old Town and Tengetsu's cityscape marred in white.

She had many eyes all over the place in the end...

Snickering, Invoker snaps her fan close, brutally crushing the rest of the snowflakes that haven't melted yet on its surface. She knows that she should get going and check up on her Master, but the latter simply appears to not be waking up at all, even if it's already that late in the morning. While there were expectations of Kiyoko being the rather careless type, based on Invoker's 'sampling' of the shrine maiden's personality yesterday, this was simply going a bit past acceptable levels...

------

Miyamoto Shrine
Kiyoko's Room
Morhing Phase, 08:01


Hugging her pillow with affection and dreaming of fantasies that are most fit for a pure girl of her age, Kiyoko is like an adorable babe holding on to their mother. To the spirit that has phased through the wall though, such an endearing thing happens to be something that must be dealt with... alongside the Master themselves of course.

Kiyoko might have felt the cold sensation of steel pressing against her neck, and maybe even realize that something just pushed her down on the bed, locking Kiyoko in place and preventing her from moving--

“Do you have any last words before I lop your head off, Master of Invoker?”

Hopefully Kiyoko would keep her head on her shoulders and make a good decision.

[Bloble]

Artificer
Location: Old Town - Base
Phase: Day 1/3
Time: 07:15
Day: January 13^th

Children.

Artificer sighed.

He'd been summoned by children. Well, no, that wasn't very fair. The girl was at least self-sufficient, but the boy was as blunt as they came. Certainly, he was a perfect fit for the Japan of hundreds of years ago, where it was completely suitable to waltz through one's fields in search of somebody to fight. A bunch of grown children, those samurai were.

"Master," Artificer said bluntly. "All tomfoolery aside, I do have a question for you. It should have been asked yesterday, but I was too preoccupied with acclimatizing myself to this place to voice it."

He removed the pipe and deposited it somewhere in his robes, which he shrugged back on upon seeing Nozomi walking about. The atmosphere was rather light. The heaviness of a War's burden had yet to descend upon his Master's shoulders. Indeed, perhaps the boy did not even understand the true scope of what he'd involved himself in. Not that Artificer minded. It wasn't as if he'd ever fought in a war himself.

"I'm not picky with the characteristics of my Master. A blacksmith does not choose who wields his weapons. You passed the few qualifications I demanded adequately enough that I have no complaints. All the same, since you plan to fight, I would like to know: What does 'sword' mean to you?"

[Snax]

Trickster
Location: School District - Ichifuji Hotel, Bathroom
Phase: Day 1/3
Time: 06:50
Day: January 13th

Trickster was standing in the bathroom, naked, looking into the mirror in deep concentration - something near to a trance. As she continued to look on, she had to laugh - after all, she was no narcissist - but even she was blinded by her own beauty. Well, it was nothing new. She had always been something coveted - a trophy to be won. What worth was a trophy if it was not covetful?

Her face took on a more sardonic twist as she thought about her past, but well, it was nothing important. She had already taken her revenge during her life, and she had no real regrets - although that may have been a lie, for she had given up any hopes of happiness in order for her goal and her revenge. She, who had achieved everything, had also not achieved anything but the void…

She had wished to erase herself at some points. Was it this beauty of hers that was the cause of it? She was never to live a normal life because of it? If so, wasn’t it better just to do away with it?

Trickster chuckled, her face half-laughing, half frowning. That would indeed be a waste, although it wasn’t like she hadn’t tried before, although then she was too scared about after effects and whatnot.

Now, however, perhaps it was possible - without any drawbacks.

As she looked into the mirror and slowly murmured to herself, an interesting change came up around her…

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

Aisaka Sayo
Location: School District - Ichifuji Hotel
Phase: Day 1/3
Time: 07:00
Day: January 13th

A few minutes later, a black-haired woman, or rather, girl, stepped out of the bathroom. If Astrid hadn’t been too busy with the phone, she might have just as well dropped it - for it was a completely different person without an ounce of the presence of a servant that stood there. Plain, but silky, black hair fell over her shoulders. No longer was there the flamboyant looks of the golden servant - all that remained was a silent, solemn air around her. Even her breasts had shrunk far in size, and what was left was flat as a washboard, one could say.

“....Hm, I see you’re quite busy, sir. Well then, I won’t bother you.”

Even her voice was different - not to mention her personality. There was no teasing, no batting of the eyelashes. A simple and brusque attitude, befitting that of a jaded individual who disliked waste of energy.

Sitting on a simple chair near the windowsill, the black haired girl looks outside of the windowsill, merely gazing into the horizon.

Somewhere, a jester was chuckling at the future events to come.

[hero]

Azama Tae
Location: Upasmike Forest - Tae's Cabin
Phase: Morning
Time: 5:05 1/3
Day: January 13^th


"..."

Lately I've grown anxious, restless... Insomniac to such extent that an event like this where I am able to sleep over six hours becomes an incredibly rare occurrence. It should be of no surprise, considering the things I had to go through these past three to four years and the poor decisions I've made during that time. Even so, the same decisions have been what's kept me alive for so long. There is no use in denying that.

This quest I pursue is one not meant for an individual like me, who never desired any sort of involvement with the supernatural world. Reality reminds me of this fact with every chance it gets. Its reasoning is not incorrect. I cannot take the path that belongs to those who have accepted themselves while denying myself. And yet I still do... It's the contradiction I face every day, for the sake of finding my friend who disappeared without a trace years ago.

It has become a harsh battle against despair, as hope wears thinner with every minute that goes by. I am certain that more than one believes my search to be hopeless at this point. After so much time... Finding Yomi alive would be nothing short of a miracle. Naturally, I am more than aware of this... But as her friend, the least I can do is firmly believe in that chance, no matter how slim it might be.

And so, I devote a big part of my days to looking for her. Today will be no different.

"..."

After double-checking that Saber is not inside the cabin, I get off the bed and quickly change into my usual attire. As I make myself some coffee, I ponder about my plans for the day and how I want to go about them. It goes without saying that I need to visit the shrine at some point, both to meet the supervisor of the war and to learn about the orphan girl who lived there. However, it would not be shocking to think that the other Masters could have their eyes glued to that location, as it seems to be one every participant must visit to receive the final blessing that will mark the start of the war. If my identity is found out this early on, my sole advantage will disappear.

I could send Saber in my stead, but can I really trust her with the task that really matters to me...?

"..."

I read yesterday's newspaper. As I've chosen not to involve Otsue-san with the Holy Grail War, this is one of the best sources of information I have at hand. It's not something to depend on entirely, but you'd be surprised just how much you can gather from glancing at a few pages every day. Naturally, it would make more sense for me to be reading today's newspaper instead but, as you might have guessed, I don't have access to it right now. I didn't have much time to read the last one carefully, so now is actually a good opportunity to catch up. There was some kind of murder last I recall...

I turned the pages on by one, reading at the light of a candle.

[Elyrin]

Servant Saber
Location: Upasmike Forest - Tae's Cabin
Phase: Morning
Time: 4:50 1/3
Day: January 13^th


Well before the sun began to rise, I heard a faint stirring from inside the cabin. It wasn't normal in the modern day to be awake this early, was it? Hopefully it was intentional and not an unforeseen problem, but I was in no position to guess. In a flash I gathered a handful of essentials from inside, leaving a small pot over the fire holding only snow, and was back out before Tae could even notice. Maybe she was expecting breakfast, or maybe not, but I was planning to eat and to only cook half of our food was a terrible waste.

The otter Tae had caught for the summoning ritual were still in good shape. I'd prepared them during the night and made sure the meat would stay safe from the frost, but still cool. It took just a few moments to slice the best parts of the meat into bite-sized chunks suitable for an dish. There wasn't much for seasoning the stew, but salt and pepper were enough for all but the greatest complainers.

The night had been cold, even for me, but I had been on guard duty. Rather than throw away the last of my dignity and sit in the snow - or worse, go back inside and risk being caught - I had gathered some spare firewood and made my own carefully hidden blaze a short distance from the cabin. A few more larger branches and a jab or two from my sword and it was roaring again. Perfect for quickly searing the otter before throwing it in the stewpot.

----

5:05

The meat was done, and the fire quelled with a wave of my impromptu fire poker. A handful of snow as well as a few nudges of nearby piles removed the evidence of the cooking fire, and I returned to the cabin and my now hopefully awake Master.

"Oh, Master~" I opened the door and called out with a cheery sing-song voice, loud enough to hear but not loud enough to wake. "I hope you weren't planning to let this otter go to waste!"

She was awake, thankfully. Sitting there with a cup of coffee and a... newspaper? With all the technology of the modern world, people relied on things like this to get their knowledge of the world? Maybe it was just because Tengetsu was an out of the way place. Surely the more advanced and populated areas would have better options?

"Good morning, Tae. I hope you're well-rested for all the work ahead of us. Before we get to business, though, we have breakfast! The water should be boiling by now... unless you would prefer some other method?"