Fate/Endeavour

[Phoenix]

Yulia stared right back at the birds for a moment, trying to figure out if she should do a practice speech in her head, for fear of them flying off with a few botched attempts stored in them, or if they would be able to tell she wasn't being serious at first. In the end, she felt erring on the side of caution wouldn't produce anything decent, and she really wanted to hear herself aloud. Hearing her own words would provoke deeper thought on the matter than keeping everything internalized, and hopefully, this would let her a much better introduction. This wasn't what she signed on for, but she wasn't complaining, either.

"Ahem," she began by clearing her throat, "Masters ... I- ... we ..." That was a good question; was this message from her, from Kouichi, or both of them? Roll with it, she decided. If they knew the mediator had helpers, they were that much less likely to try and nuke her or her father on sight. In theory. "... welcome you to the Fifth Holy Grail War." Completing this message would require quickly recalling some of the things she'd heard about the war from Stan and Roza, but she felt she could keep things flowing well as long as she didn't have to correct herself. "As you probably already know, the Holy Church will be mediating in this war, and will function as a neutral zone and sanctuary for defeated masters. Fighting of any sort in this area will be strictly prohibited." Anything relevant after that suddenly left her, and Yulia stood there for half a second, completely stumped. She quickly threw out her hands at the birds in an urging gesture. "That's the end of part one," she insisted, "give me a minute to figure out the rest." She was never going to live this down if she heard some joke from a master later on about broken up messages ....

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

Resheph's eyes opened little by little as he became increasingly aware of his surroundings. It took a couple of minutes, but he soon remembered everything that had transpired the previous day. He and Nimoeph had successfully summoned a servant, Berserker. Looking back on the summoning, Resheph was somewhat amused with the way things turned out, but he was downright intimidated at the time. In that moment, he'd expected Berserker to complete the contract by asking him if he was his master. What happened instead was almost comical in hindsight.

As the bellowed wails of the mad warrior, Berserker, rang forth, Resheph took a big gulp and leaned back ever so slightly. Under different circumstances, he might have backed off, but he had help of all sorts, and he wasn't going to back down. Not now. "I am ... we ... are your masters," Resheph forced an affirmative nod Berserker's way. He glanced over at Nimoeph and nodded at her as well, reassuringly. This was it, this was the culmination of their work. All that was left was to secure the Holy Grail.

"Hmm," Resheph held up his right hand and thoughtfully examined his three command seals. They were often seen as disposable enhancement spells, but Resheph didn't see them quite that way, not when he and his assistant had summoned a servant of the infamous Berserker class. Each of these command seals would be precious in the coming days.

Something else that was precious in this war was time, and Resheph realized he'd wasted enough of it sleeping. It was time to get a move on, freshen up, have some breakfast, and discuss the plan going forward with Nimoeph ... and Berserker, though he doubted his servant would be able to contribute quite as much to the discussion as he'd probably like to at present, not if yesterday's introduction was any indication.

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

Firmia scowled as she stared down at her breakfast. Sitting beside her was the very cousin she had offered to teach as a part of her ruse. Unfortunately, things hadn't turned out quite like she'd planned. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid ... She'd planned on sneaking out to meet Basilia ... but instead, she'd fallen asleep sometime after eleven o'clock in the evening. Now she couldn't wipe the disgust from her face and her cousins, aunt, and uncle, had been inquiring about it all morning. Eventually, they just assumed she was extremely cranky in the morning. Granted, she absolutely was, but that was beside the point; Basilia had probably given up on her and gone off to insert herself into the war on her own after that huge failure. Or perhaps she was laughing it off somewhere.

It wasn't all bad, however. In hindsight, Firmia now realized that disappearing too early in all of this could have caused a number of problems in the long term, especially with her father and older sister helping the church. It was probably better to just keep in loose contact until there was actually a need to help out directly. She was already tired of spending time with the Kurosawas, though, and desperately wanted to go home. The Kurosawas weren't bad people, or even an uninteresting bunch, but Firmia always felt uneasy around Yasu, her uncle, and his wife. She could sense the barely contained resentment the both of them held for her mother, Roza. Even when they were inquiring after Firmia's health, she could tell they weren't as concerned as they seemed. The sooner she was back home, the better, even if Roza would be there watching her every move.

[eclipse]

She watched intently as Levi chopped and assembled everything. Instant fire, from a stove - it's certainly convenient! "The flavors of the world, eh?" she said to herself, as she followed Levi outside. As long as leaves or bugs didn't find their way into her food, she didn't mind where she ate. Oh, and enemies. Nothing like having a perfectly good meal interrupted by a bunch of people out for your blood. "This is definitely different," she said, looking at the breakfast wraps. "I suppose I should see how much of this world you put in breakfast." She took a bite, and silently thanked the Servant's rules that made her immune to things like burnt tongues. Once the heat dissipated, she chewed on her food, savoring each new flavor. The mildness of the wrap was accented by the various vegetables, and the egg. She let out a childish yelp as she swallowed. "Hey, this is good!" With no care for table manners, Lancer polished off her breakfast wrap.

[Bluedoom]

Nathalie carefully listened to what Rider had to say about the knife. Of course she knew about the potential of this knife, given that she had researched a lot on this topic months before the War even started. He knows what he's talking about, I'll give him that.

"I agree with what you say, Rider, and I do think with my magical prowess I should be able to tap into the mystical potential of this knife. I ought to ask, however, about you. You seem highly enthusiastic while we're preparing for war. What is that all about?"

[Snowy_One]

"My dear, in my life I have seen much of war from many sides. I have fought alongside both foes and friends alike. But I have also experienced peace and joy. Winning a battle is not just about charging in head-long and hoping for the best, but about understanding everything around you and how it works. Treating an enemy well can turn a foe into a friend, and treating a friend poorly can turn them into a foe. But there is more than that."

He then gave a deep sigh as he seemed to slump backwards a bit. "And it has to do with my wish. A wish that cannot be granted by the grail. It is something that only you and I can attain on our own and obtaining it rests upon these battles. Truth be told I would much rather be out, seeing what your world is like, what it can offer, and how fantastic this land is. Alas, to do so would put my lady at risk and her death would likely mean my wish would not become true."

[FrostyFireMage]

Appearing on the staircase near his Master, Assassin frowned. "Hmm... I guess it will do. Still, we should be careful how we proceed. Now, did you have anything pressing that you needed to get done today?"

Ryouma pondered the question. "Uh...I suppose some scouting? I think the optimal thing to do right now is search for other Masters and Servants. ...Hopefully we can find a way to defeat them without having to resort to...killing them."

Despite his desire to compete, the idea of murder was still an unsavory thought to him. "...Is that an option?" he added.

[scorri]

Assassin rolled his eyes. "Please. You're a Master in the Holy Grail War. Killing is an inherent part of it. If you can't deal with that... you shouldn't have joined. How I got stuck with a Master like you... Hmmph."

[Bluedoom]

"Ah...well, unfortunately, we can't afford to make our enemies our friends. This is a fight to the death, but I'm sure you were aware of that. We'll have to eliminate the other masters when the chance arises...and I'm worried that your chivalry might get in the way of say, taking out a defenseless master, should it come to that."

[Snowy_One]

"And if said master were a defenseless child whom fell in over their heads, or a person seeking to do honest good in the world? Would you end their lives simply because they were swept up in a war they did not understand or, maybe, did not even know was happening? Would you turn aside an honest and honorable servant in favor of fighting a powerful and corrupt foe alone simply because you may have to fight them later? My lady, all knights know that they may face each other on the battlefield at some point or that their manners may cause their own downfall, but to deny that would be to deny who and what they are. Should you seek to wield my full power you should learn this. There is more to victory than simply defeating a foe upon the battlefield."

[Ace Tactician]

Having developed a taste for spicy foods hadn't come to him overnight, rather it was something Levi had aquired over time as he grew up. It allowed him to enjoy the mildly spicy flavor profile of the breakfast wraps without being too overly bothered by the heat his tongue was feeling from each bite. He was feeling rather proud of the New Orleans inspiration he had put together in this recipe, his only regret was that he didn't make seconds. Oh well, it was all in the spirit of not sending his grocery bill through the roof each month.

He smiled as he observed Lancer polish off her plate. It made him feel happy as it meant he had successfully cooked a delicious breakfast. He himself took his time in polishing off his own plate, savoring the flavors in the food as his mind turned to the important question of where to look first today? He could ride around town leisurely until he or Lancer caught sense of another master. Though he didnt expect to win his battles to come on strength alone. He couldn't help but wonder how many masters would aim to simply off their competitors rather than seek out an ally? He reasoned he'd have a better chance of convincing someone who had been caught off guard by the war over someone who was as prepared for it as he was. He was thinking about this all the while polishing off his own plate.

[MRDRHAWK]

Berserker was still trying to get accustomed to his new surroundings. Well, at best as someone of his... affliction could, at any rate. What was a wall, what was something that his Masters may not want broken... Everything truthfully blurred into a sea of destructable objects; things to destroy and people to kill.

All different kinds of red, and Berserker was barely aware of which shades meant what. That would have to change soon. He also needed to figure out a way to communicate... roars and body language seemed to be all he had at his disposal, though...

[eclipse]

"For someone who finally got a chance to enjoy his own work, you seem troubled," Lancer mused. "I've never had anything like this kind of food, but if this is what your world can offer, then I look forward to future meals!" They'd had a day to work out the mundane details, as did the other pairs. Perhaps some had taken the time to get acquainted with the world. Perhaps they went straight to strategy. Perhaps some of them had already made contact. But as long as Levi's attention was anywhere but front and present, they'd be in danger. She could sense if things went horribly south, but two pairs of eyes were better than one (or so the saying goes, I think).

[Elyn]

Nanae nodded. "Then I guess that'll do." She heads towards the back door to that would lead to the outdoors. "To be honest, Archer, I'm not very good with technology, especially cars. So the ride to the stores in town might be, to uh, say the least..." She grips the handle and opens the door, letting a bit of the dawn's morning light seep into the dull apartment room. Nanae takes a deep breath. "...Bumpy?" The apartment was on the side of a road that swept through a slightly wooded patch of land. While it certainly wasn't the boonies, the air certainly felt nicer than it did in a city. Not too far away from the building, the car was parked, somewhat beaten up already from Nanae's travels.

[AnonymousSpeed]

"Right then, well, I'll meet you outside," the man answered before turning towards one of the side rooms. "Hm?" Archer stopped to listen to his masters words. "Oh, I'm sure it will be quite alright. A few bumps and bounces won't be the end of us, will they? Besides, I'm sure you know better about how to operate one of these metal carts than I would, yes? Now, if I might have a minute, can't go out looking like this, now can I?"

Archer disappeared into the other room and closed the door behind him. A few minutes later, he reappeared with a far more civilian look. His armor, from the helmet to the greaves, had been removed, his tunic was tucked in so it looked a bit more like a common long sleeve shirt, and the red cloth had been fashioned into a scarf. Leaving his gear in the room, he walked outside to meet Nanae. Though no mechanic, he could tell the car wasn't in ideal condition. "Well," he began, clearing his throat, "it looks like it can withstand a fair bit."

[Phoenix]

Feeling refreshed after his bath and other morning rituals, Resheph made his way toward the kitchen, hoping to see to breakfast. All the while, he was thinking about Berserker. His servant hadn't attacked him, yet, but he wasn't sure what to make of that. The very nature of a servant was in the name, however, a Berserker's inherent nature made them difficult to control. Was Berserker desperately resisting the urge to crush him underfoot, or genuinely cooperating with him despite the Mad Enhancement likely dominating much of his mind? If he could just figure that out, he could approach the situation with some confidence. If he screwed it up, however, he might wind up paying for it with a command seal ...

Another matter he wanted to attend to before things got too dangerous was paying a visit to his pen-pal. It was thanks to her that he had some passable japanese speaking skills under his belt, after all ... and should the worst come to pass, he would have at least liked to have met her once in person.

The matter of breakfast seemed to be the only issue that solved itself, or at the very least, it was the easiest for Resheph to settle on. It was probably a recommendation for those living mostly on seafood, but he'd read in more than a few places that fish for breakfast was a perfectly acceptable and often desirable practice, and he knew how to prepare it, himself. After that, he would tend to his morning jog. Carefully, of course. Perhaps that would be the best time to try and converse with Berserker and learn more about him. Otherwise, he and Nimoeph would have to finagle something instead.

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

Breakfast was over quickly, at least for Firmia. She had finished hers well before anyone else. "Thank you for this meal," she said rather formally as she stood from the table. She had to stop herself from taking all of her dishes to the kitchen to wash them herself, the tradition at the Alkaev residence. She didn't want to give her aunt and uncle even more reason to be annoyed with her.

"You aren't leaving, now, are you?" her younger cousin asked, looking up pleadingly at her.

Firmia regarded him, wondering why he was being so transparent. She wasn't supposed to be teaching him anything, but rather his older brother. It wouldn't have surprised her if Yasu or his wife, Ran, had already figured out what they were up to ... "I should get back soon, but I was just going to step outside for a minute."

"I'll go with you," he replied swiftly, but just as he began to rise from the table, Yasu slammed his hand down. "Sit down, Jirou," he hissed. Only Ran and the eldest son, Noburu, didn't flinch at the sudden reaction. Once Yasu regained his composure, he calmly pointed to Jirou's food and said, "do you want more or not?"

"Uh ... I-I'm good," Jirou stammered as Firmia walked away.

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

Once she reached the front door, Firmia put her shoes on, and quietly stepped outside. The sun struck her with all of its fury as she stepped into the light. Given recent events, she found it ironic that the sun was bothering her this much. She turned her back to it and guarded her face with one hand as she made her way down the road. Using the other hand, she took out her phone and looked up the bogus contact she'd made for Basilia and began prepping a lengthy text message.

Firmia didn't like to waste time, and so even though she was uncomfortable at the breakfast table, she had been giving the matter of helping Basilia a great deal of thought. The Holy Grail War was a great opportunity, even for those not chosen to be masters. People like her could still benefit just from the fact that there was a competition of this nature. The more she thought about this, however, the more she realized that her options for obtaining what she wanted from all of this were extremely limited. Basilia didn't seem to have a preference among servants, but Firmia most certainly did, and if they were going to both get what they wanted, she would have to make that known to the woman as soon as possible.

"... Caster. That's the one we have to find," she mused aloud as she typed in the message with those very words. Firmia cited some tactical advantages to her preference, such as how having such a servant would balance out her own abilities and increase their chances of winning. She didn't, however, make any mention of the ancient knowledge she wanted, figuring that Basilia would figure that out immediately.

[Starman]

Cara recollects of that night she went to leave with Saber:

At that night, she was curious of Sabers potential abilities in combat rising, Cara replied after finishing her last sip of tea "Sure, this will be our test run." Cara accepted the map that Saber had handed her, storing it in a safe place. She rose up from her seat and started walking off with Saber into the then night.

that trial run went...

a bit on the dull side. But there is still hope that both can continue to practice enough to continue into the Holy Grail war

Edited April 10, 2015 by Shockmaster

[Ace Tactician]

"My apologies, I got too wrapped up in the little details," Levi replied, feeling rather silly for thinking too deeply on that and potentially setting himself up to be caught offguard and find himself caught in an unsavory situation. "The world of cuisine is vast and I can invoke the feel of a particular place in the world simply by the food I prepare," he said, thinking back to the tales his Father would tell over dinner of the places he had been to from his work and of the local eats there. It was what got Levi fascinated with the entire world of global cuisine. Perhaps if he lived through this war, he'd like to see the world and the sights nature had to offer in the vast world.

Levi collected the empty breakfast dishes which he brought inside to wash them. He then had a thought while washing the dishes, he was already familiar with the layout of Fuyuki City having been a resident for most of his life so he was all settled in and ready to go but what of his rivals? If he made a move now, he would more than likely catch a few unawares or still getting settled in. Or walk into a trap in the worst case scenario. He had to be careful not to freely walk into any traps either. "No sense rushing in too recklessly now." Levi mused aloud. "Let's see just how well the rest have settled in."

[Lance Masayoshi]

im just gonna quote this

Assassin rolled his eyes. "Please. You're a Master in the Holy Grail War. Killing is an inherent part of it. If you can't deal with that... you shouldn't have joined. How I got stuck with a Master like you... Hmmph."

"I know, I know.. The Grail War comes first, and with that, winning." Said Ryouta, who sighed. "Of course, WHEN we will win the Grail is a different story, we'll get there, eventually."

Being paired up with Assassin was something that was against Ryouta's nature, and he wasn't trying to win the Grail for any purpose he could think of. So he really didn't need to use Assassin's tricks. 'Of course, I could use it for when I needed it but.. No.' He thought. 'I have no interest in Assassin's tricks.' He said, closing his eyes in distressed thoughts.

Edited April 9, 2015 by Kazami Decim

[scorri]

"Well, if you have no need of my tricks, I suppose I can just walk away, relax and such. I mean, you'll probably die that way, but you have no need of my tricks, right?" He was rapidly becoming bored of this Master. He'd been interested in the War at first, if only for the sake of perhaps getting to use his wiles to defeat some strong opponents, but if this was his Master, his chances of even that were seeming to be extremely unlikely.

[MRDRHAWK]

As Berserker continued his seemingly aimless wandering, he caught the scent of something... unusual. Foreign, at least to what was expected. It smelled like some sort of animal, though his mind was too clouded to tell what specifically it was. Making his way to the source of the scent, he saw a familiar shade of red - with the bit of sense he had left, he determined this particular shade to be a way to identify his Master from all the other red in his view - and attempted to speak to him.

Attempted being the operative word, of course, as all the came from Berserker's mouth was a series of guttural growls.

[Phoenix]

"Hmm ..." Yulia pondered the rest of the message while the familiars waited, eerily staring at her. It only made it that much harder for her to focus on her task. "Okay, part two, you creepy birds. Are you ready?" With nothing but awkward silence, Yulia sighed and began again. "To obtain the Holy Grail and receive your wish, you must defeat all of the other masters and their servants." Yulia was quite deliberate with her wording, trying not to imply anything more than what she meant. "When only one master and their servant remain in this war, they will be declared the winners, and the Grail will grant their wish." Something ... didn't feel right about what she'd just said. She paused for awhile to say the words again in her head several times.

When they're declared the winners, the Grail will grant their wish. Grant their wish ... I don't know ... She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about the last surviving pair was bothering her. It likely wouldn't matter since all the previous wars didn't even have real victors. Maybe that's what was bothering her about this. Would the Fifth Holy Grail War be any different, or would another fiasco undermine the whole thing?

Either way, it was time to wrap this up. "We wish you all good fortune, and will be in touch ... should any pressing matters that threaten the war emerge." Yulia quickly motioned at the birds, urging them to stop recording or whatever they were doing. "Okay we're done. Stay here while I go let Kouichi know." She grabbed her coffee on the way out. I can't wait until I'm just doing recon. I'm not a spokesperson.

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

Just as Resheph was about to begin getting things out of the pantry and fridge to get started on his own breakfast, he heard that familiar and unsettling manner of speech Berserker was saddled with. Smoothly but quickly turning around, he saw Berserker standing right there. It wasn't like the previous day; Resheph was much more calm this time around. He couldn't force a smile just yet, but he was elated to see that his servant seemed to be trying to communicate nonviolently. Now wasn't the time for overly familiar or casual chitchat, though.

Straightening up and facing his servant head on, Resheph said, "Good morning, Berserker. I'm sorry you can't speak. It's a necessary sacrifice for your class. Nimoeph and I will try to find a way around that problem at some point. For now, it's far more important that you can understand me. Will you be able to follow my instructions in the heat of battle?" Berserker was more than capable of holding his own, with or without direction from Resheph. He could tell that much based on his current parameters. Still, it wouldn't do to be outmaneuvered by a master who could properly direct their servant.

Edited April 10, 2015 by Phoenix

[Lance Masayoshi]

"Well, if you have no need of my tricks, I suppose I can just walk away, relax and such. I mean, you'll probably die that way, but you have no need of my tricks, right?" He was rapidly becoming bored of this Master. He'd been interested in the War at first, if only for the sake of perhaps getting to use his wiles to defeat some strong opponents, but if this was his Master, his chances of even that were seeming to be extremely unlikely.

"Dying, relaxed eh?" Ryouta said to himself. "That sounds, rather painful, with all things considered, but assure yourself, I have no intentions to die. I don't have need for your tricks now.. but later.." He was talking to himself, even though Ryouta was still hesitant in using Assassin's devious tricks. But he didn't want to die in the Grail War, even if he had no life to lose.

"Hey, Assassin." Ryouta said, finally opening his eyes. "Why are you fighting for the Grail? I have no interests in it, but if we manage to win.. what's your wish?"

[eclipse]

"So we wait here?" Lancer replied, not feeling particularly guilty about leaving Levi with the dishes. That is true scullery work. I'd rather be the one preparing meals, but he's better at it than I am. "Not that I mind, since it'll give us more time to devise a strategy. Masters don't come out of thin air, and your travels yesterday indicated that you know this place well. Can you think of anyone else who lives here that would be powerful enough to summon a Servant, and ambitious enough to try?" Right or wrong, a little more information wouldn't hurt.

[scorri]

Assassin frowned, staring at his Master for a few long seconds, before slowly answering, "My wish... Mmm, I want to prove that I can do this more than have a final goal I suppose. If we win... Who knows what I'll wish for? That's not really the important part to me to be quite honest. The interesting part is taking down those who feel they're better."

Edited April 11, 2015 by scorri

[Ace Tactician]

Yes, waiting to devise a plan of attack seemed to be his best option at this early point. "Yes. A little patience never hurts anyone." Levi replied smiling. "The more aggressive players are likely to be out on the prowl while the more crafty ones are more selective of their actions. Their actions are what moves the cards into play." Levi said, and he couldn't afford to play his hand without a solid plan in place.

Which lead to the question of who among Fuyuki's Mage clans had the strength and ambition to call upon a Servant like himself while he was drying the dishes. Names immediately slide into mind that would be ambitious enough to summon a Servant, one particular name stood apart from the list he was drafting in his head. (There's no doubt I'll be facing one of the Tohsaka family, it's only a matter of when.) The very thought made Levi grin with excitement as he began looking forward to it.

[Lance Masayoshi]

Assassin frowned, staring at his Master for a few long seconds, before slowly answering, "My wish... Mmm, I want to prove that I can do this more than have a final goal I suppose. If we win... Who knows what I'll wish for? That's not really the important part to me to be quite honest. The interesting part is taking down those who feel they're better."

"See?" Ryouta said with a grin, holding his hand out. "That's one thing we have in common. I have no reason to, but since you're my servant and I'm your master, its needed for us to get along. So, I'll play along with you, but if your tricks and strategies go too far.." His voice faded and returned back with a confident look. "We'll worry about that when it comes. Assassin. Could you find info on the other Masters for me?" He closed his eyes again. This time in a more lazy state.