A Chain of Debt (A Matou Shinji AU Quest)

[Malorius]

[x] Go back to Fuyuki

I wish to travel paths untreaded, to stay in tune with the Muggle world, to look for some money-making schemes maybe. The possibilities are endless, and the alternative is just, uh, stay and train? As usual? Doesn't sound all that interesting currently.

I desire to talk to Sakura. The reunion will sure be heartworming.

[Addam]

[x] Go back to Fuyuki

[Dracueri]

[x]Go back to Fuyuki

[alfheimwanderer]

[x]Go back to Fuyuki

---

Ah, Fuyuki. Home sweet...actually it's nothing of the sort, given that it is there that his oppressor lives - she who holds the chains of his debt. Though he supposed that wasn't entirely fair to say, now, as it implied that he only had one major debt to pay off. Which wasn't true anymore, given that he had made a deal with the...being that called herself Vivian, which had granted him great knowledge in certain areas at quite a heavy price.

Well, in any case, it was where Tohsaka lived. Where he would be lodging, in the guest bedroom of the house of the Second Owner.

...when he put it that way, it made it seem less like he had sold himself into indentured servitude for a paltry sum to a girl his age, and more like he was an honored guest of someone high and mighty.

Speaking of his servitude, however, what is his approach towards his duties?

[ ] Actively resistant - Avoid the house (and Tohsaka) as much as possible. She can't make him work if she can't find him
[ ] Reluctantly dutiful - He will do whatever the Tohsaka heiress asks of him, but only what she explicitly asks of him, not a single thing more
[ ] Anticipating Needs - Taking care of things before Tohsaka asks, as this will probably lead to her being in a better mood and asking less of him - or getting comfortable and letting things slip

[Addam]

[X] Reluctantly dutiful



,
Finish your work and then move to other pleace as quick as posible.

[Skull Leader]

[X] Reluctantly dutiful

Doing the letter of the law vs the intent of the law. In this case doing only what is required and not a darn thing more. If she wants better help, then she should have treated him better. Passive resistance.

[Malorius]

[x] Actively resistant - Avoid the house (and Tohsaka) as much as possible. She can't make him work if she can't find him

First order of business: find someone gullible enough to take us in/make mony of them to find our own place.
Financial independence ahoy!

[Dracueri]

[X]Reluctantly dutiful

[alfheimwanderer]

[X] Reluctantly dutiful

---

Indeed. Having made an agreement with Tohsaka, it would be wise for him to stick to it in all of its particulars - doing exactly what she asks of him, and not one thing further. This leaves him with a decent amount of time on his hands to do as he pleases, given that Tohsaka isn't exactly up to asking anyone for anything before her morning coffee, and spends much of her evening working on her own projects - projects she isn't exactly too open about, though he knows they leave her rather stressed.

What else would he like to spend his time doing during the break? (choose up to two)

[ ] Checking out the Church on the Hill - after learning that Kotomine Kirei is not only a priest, but an Executor of the Church, his curiosity is piqued
[ ] Trying to find what Tohsaka is up to at night - perhaps there's something he could benefit from?
[ ] Improve his cooking abilities - now that he can make quite a good cup of tea, he needs to be able to cook a meal fit to accompany it
[ ] Preparing a number of potions - especially sedatives. One can never have too many of those around...
[ ] Walk around Fuyuki with his Dodo - there have to be some easy marks around
[ ] Spy on the Matou House - see what the Usurper is up to
[ ] (write-in)

[Addam]

[ ] Checking out the Church on the Hill - after learning that Kotomine Kirei is not only a priest, but an Executor of the Church, his curiosity is piqued

[x]Preparing a number of Potions-especially sedatives. One can never have to many of those around...

[Skull Leader]

[X] Walk around Fuyuki with his Dodo - there have to be some easy marks around

Ain't no rest for the wicked, Money don't grow on trees, I got bills to pay...

Time to make some money~

[X] Preparing a number of potions - especially sedatives. One can never have too many of those around...

[Dracueri]

[x]Checking out the church on the Hill-after learning that Kotomine Kirei is not only a priest, but an Executer of the Church, his curiosity is piqued

[x]Preparing a number of Potions-especially sedatives. One can never have to many of those around...

Interested in seeing what Kirei will have to offer a young Shinji. Time to see test out improved Potion abilities and practice making stuff for future business.

[Daiki]

[x] Walk around Fuyuki with his Dodo - there have to be some easy marks around.

Time with the familiar + roaming around town for interesting stuff.


[x] Checking out the Church on the Hill - after learning that Kotomine Kirei is not only a priest, but an Executor of the Church, his curiosity is piqued.

[alfheimwanderer]

[x]Checking out the church on the Hill-after learning that Kotomine Kirei is not only a priest, but an Executer of the Church, his curiosity is piqued
[x]Preparing a number of Potions-especially sedatives. One can never have to many of those around...

---

Chance favored the prepared mind. So Shinji had heard, and certainly remembered, given that the History Professor was prone to quoting it whenever the opportunity arose. And with it being likely that the Vittle Broker would confront him once he returned to Hogwarts, it wouldn't do for him to waste his holidays relaxing like some common person. Not that he would be able to, entirely, given Tohsaka's twisted interests (and he'd learned the hard way that his wandcraft didn't exactly work on the girl - as opposed to her gandr spells, which certainly did work on him - with effects that would have been horrifying if he hadn't brewed some Wiggenweld potion and Girding Potions ahead of time).

After seeing him recover quickly from being struck with a volley, Tohsaka had seemed a bit interested in his potions, given that potions (and curses) were two well-known parts of traditional witchcraft.

"You really are getting my money's worth, huh?" she'd asked him, with the boy being rather annoyed that she was once again rubbing the fact that it was her money he was spending in his face. "You already got a Mystic Code and can cast with it after just a few months? That's...surprising, given how you didn't have enough talent to be heir of your family, and had to be replaced."

"I don't have a family," Shinji replied, almost sneering. "Not now, and I'm not sure I ever really did."

"What a thing to say about your father!" She didn't mention Zouken of course, as she knew as well as Shinji that the old worm didn't really consider anyone family, but at least his father was still alive, right? Unlike hers.

"I have no father." Shinji's response was cold and curt.

There was an awkward pause for a moment, before Tohsaka spoke up.

"Tell you what, since we have this...arrangement of ours, how about you teach me a couple of useful potions, and I actually teach you Bajiquan. The basics, at least?" she proposed.

[ ] Accept enthusiastically
[ ] Accept warily
[ ] Reject

Then there was the loose end of Kotomine Kirei, who had proven to be not just a priest, but an Executor of the Church. The man had, in fact, revealed himself to be such while saving Shinji from a pack of ghouls (and at least one very annoyed vampire), so it was probably the least the boy could do to thank him. And maybe get some training on how to use the Black Key he'd been given in the bargain (if the man didn't just take it back from him, that was. He had to admit that that was unfortunately a possibility).

Still, either way, he needed to at least thank the man, and after his sparring and chores were done for the day, he had resolved to do just that when the doorbell rang, with the priest himself at the door!

...holding a cage containing a (very unhappy-looking) dodo.

"Is the Second Owner in?" the priest inquired mildly, with Shinji feeling somehow on edge just from that simple question.

"She's in the shower," the boy replied. "I, uh, would you like to wait inside?" He frowned. "And why do you have my pet?"

The priest looked at him for a moment, an expression that somehow managed to mingle disdain and curiosity in equal measure.

"This is yours, then?"

"...yes?"

"And you allowed your pet - a magical creature that bears a remarkable resemblance to the extinct dodo - to run around Fuyuki, unsupervised?"

"Uh, I..."

"I see. You didn't allow it. It escaped. That speaks quite poorly of you as its owner - and of your patron, the Second Owner of Fuyuki, who should have instructed you on the basics of what is expected while you are a guest in her lands." He paused. "Though as former child of the Matou, you should already know this."

"Uh..."

"Well, I suppose it would not be a surprise that the man who fathered you was a poor teacher. He was rather poor at everything else, after all, much like the rest of his family," Kotomine conceded, with Shinji feeling somehow offended even if he no longer identified with the Matous. "Still, if the Second Owner has failed in her duties as well, I suppose it falls to me to give you proper guidance about how one acts as a guest in another person's territory. And how it is a rather terrible idea to allow your creature to run loose during the day, given the presence of security cameras and witnesses whose memories needed expunging."

"I--"

"Given my ward has apparently been frolicking with you instead of seeing to her responsibilities, I am here to correct your ignorance of yours. We will discuss your error, and the penance to be made, over a meal."

"I...I don't exactly have much money on--"

"You needn't worry. I will pay for the meal. You must simply pay for your sins."



What would Shinji like to talk to Kotomine about over lunch, before they come to the...inevitable instruction?

[ ] What the dodo was doing that Kotomine noticed it
[ ] About the man's life as an executor - surely even a priest can be distracted
[ ] About Christianity and the teachings of the Church
[ ] Apologize for the trouble he caused, given that he is actually rather new to this whole thing
[ ] Nothing. He can barely talk as it is, given his mouth feels like it is on fire

[Addam]

[x] About the man's life as an executor - surely even a priest can be distracted



[ ] Accept enthusiastically

[Daiki]

[x] Accept warily.
[x] About the man's life as an executor - surely even a priest can be distracted.

[Dracueri]

[X]Accept warily

[X]About the man's life as an executor - surely even a priest can be distracted.

[Malorius]

[X]Accept warily

Only because enthusiasm is not IC here. But I'm totally enthusiastic for you, Shinji. Time to bond with Tohsaka with our fists. (Mostly fists on Shinji's face, but details.)

Keep your enemy close.

[x] What the dodo was doing that Kotomine noticed it

given the presence of security cameras and witnesses whose memories needed expunging

Um. We may need to actually set some ground rules here. Also, if there is something obvious we're missing - like usual - better learn it now. Serves to better ground ua in Muggle world, which is something I desire from this run.

[Skull Leader]

[X] Accept warily

Cause anything more is out of character even if I want to learn all the martial arts possible.

[x] What the dodo was doing that Kotomine noticed it

Even if this choice does not win, I really want to know the answer to this. What was our dear bird doing? Somehow I think our bird is a better adventurer than we are.

[alfheimwanderer]

[x] Accept warily.
[x] About the man's life as an executor - surely even a priest can be distracted.

---

Given what had happened between them before, of course, Shinji, was not inclined to jump into any deal with Tohsaka wholeheartedly. That meant that he would be rather cautious about what he taught her, so she couldn't use that knowledge against him. No letting her look through his textbook for things she wanted - he'd control what he taught, and when.

What two potions will you teach Tohsaka to make?

[ ] (Write-in)