[Bazett is also walking around town, doing her best to avoid several people. Three days ago, she had interacted with them while hallucinating heavily from eating strange mushrooms. Even after all the time had passed, she still felt awkward at the thought of meeting them again.]
[In her haste to avoid any awkward encounters, she does not notice Archer until she bumps into him. She raises her head to see who she just walked into and finds herself facing a man who looks both like the Archer Card of her world and the magical construct bound to it.]
[If this had been a couple days ago, she would not have hesitated to attack him. With his appearance and behavior, she would have assumed him to be a Card or a person using one. However, after her encounter with Lancer, she had learned of Alternate Universes and directly summoned Heroic Spirits. She wonders which one this man is.]
You. Archer, right? What world are you from? Are you a Heroic Spirit, or just a Card User?
[If he gives the wrong answer, she will attack him.]
[ At the sudden encounter, he takes a short moment- a few seconds at most- to observe the stranger and to survey the situation; he wonders just who is this person, what exactly and how much she knows-- and he comes to a simple conclusion; it's really best just to answer honestly. He's curious as to what she means and what she's talking about, but he needn't lie, in this case. ]
Archer- yes, that would be me. A Servant of the Fifth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki. While I do not know what you mean by Card User, miss, I am indeed a Heroic Spirit.
[ Oh, and at that, he narrows his eyes. Then he smiles, not too pleasantly. ] ...You know about that, huh? I'm not quite sure how to feel about this unknown woman I never met before already knowing that I'm a Heroic Spirit without a legend. But if you're smart, you'll also know not to go spreading this information around, because it will be quite inconvenient for me indeed.
[ And that brief moment of hostility fades away as though it was never there. It was just a warning, after all. His enemies thinking he has a legend to figure out gave them a false hope. And turned into a very convenient tool to manipulate them with when they desperately tried to figure out who the hell he is. It didn't gave a huge advantage, really, but it gave him an edge in battle. That, and more people knowing that he's a Heroic Spirit without a legend can never lead to anything good. If they know he's not a legend, it will make figuring out who he is far easier. ]You are correct, but I've had everything explained to me by now. Strange town in the fifties,
( ... )
Do not worry. Those that do and do not know about what you are does not concern me. The other residents of this town can think whatever they want about you and I will not care.
However, I am curious. Which Grail War world did you come from? It seems there are at least two of those.
[She nods when she hears this.]
Good. Then it seems that you do not require my aid after all.
...Given that I already said that I'm from the Fifth War, I'm assuming you're speaking of something else entirely, in which case I can only answer with "I have no idea what you're talking about".
[For a second, she wonders if he is trying drag information out of her the same way Tohsaka tried when she first arrived. However, he seems genuinely confused, so she decides to answer his question.]
I have encountered at least two people here from the Fifth Grail War. Both of them were from alternate, but similar universes. Both of them are also copies of beings from my home universe.
Were you aware of a Rin Tosaka or Lancer or Ilyasviel Von Einzbern during your version of the Grail War?
[The last name is thrown in a distractor. Hopefully, he will not be able to figure out which of the two she had actually met in this town. She is not sure if this man is an ally or enemy of Tohsaka or her servant. For Lancer's sake, she will protect their identities until she is sure that this man would not harm Lancer or his master.]
[ It's the second name that gets a very light flinch out of him. It works quite well as a distraction, so much that he doesn't even consider thinking about whether she met them or not. His expression remains as earlier, but he speaks up a little slowly. ]
... Alternate universes, huh? Damn that Second Magic, how troublesome. Still, if it's alternate universes, it explains things nicely. Well, at any rate, that would be correct. I was. [ He decides not to elaborate, just in case. ]
[She knows that this man is being careful. Like her, he is a new arrival and does not know who he can trust. Add in the fact that he has never seen her before in his home universe, so he has even less incentive to explain himself to her.]
[However, it is still frustrating when he dodges around her questions or gives the least informative answer.]
Yes, it is indeed troublesome. I mistook them for the ones of my home universe at first. Thankfully, I was able to clear up the misunderstanding later.
Misunderstandings are a source of a great deal of troubles. All the more so when you don't clear them up. So it's a smart choice. Make sure not to let that happen later.
[ Being a jerk, or genuinely praising her? Both, probably. And the lack of an informative answer is both for the sake of being a jerk and being deliberately frustrating, and both to be careful. ]
...Tohsaka Rin is my Master. As for Ilyasviel von Einzbern, we have no relationship, [ a direct lie, made all the more easier to tell by making sure to use her full name ] but I am aware that she is one of the Masters. [ Though, considering what probably happened to Berserker, she's likely not to be any longer, but he doesn't say that. ]
[This man is almost as frustrating to deal with as her superior. All of his words could have been taken in two different ways. She could not be sure if he was purposely antagonizing her or not.]
[She nods at his answer. So this man is Tohsaka's original Servant. If he had a personality more like Lancer's, then she would be able to trust him at this point. However, from what she can see from his personality, she cannot trust him just yet.]
I see. What is your personal opinion of your Master then? If, theoretically, your contract with her no longer existed, then what would you do to her?
And if I told you that here, you might encounter not just your former Master but former enemy Masters and Servants like Lancer or Ilyasviel Von Einzbern, what would you do? What if I told you that you might be put into situations where you need to ally with them?
Rin? To put it in nicely, she's troublesome, sour and cranky, spoiled, prideful, immature and childish, unapproachable and not the most pleasant of people at best, bossy and loud, but the most fitting Master for me and undoubtedly among the strongest Masters. But there would be no reason for me to do anything to her unless she gives me one. And I think we both know that it's not exactly a theoretic situation anymore.
Well, that's obvious. If I were put in a situation where I must ally with them, then I were to do so. Of course, only if there weren't any better allies available.
[She can see that this man is loyal to Tohsaka, at least. This means that she can actually tell him about her experiences with Tohsaka and her current Servant.]
Remember the two people from the Fifth Grail War that I have encountered here? One of them is your former Master, Tohsaka Rin. The other one is her current Servant, Lancer.
[She watches him for a reaction.]
I understand that as her former Servant, you might be concerned about this fact, but I can assure you that he is absolutely loyal to her. They also work well together, though Tohsaka has some issues with trusting her Servant.
As for me, I am currently allied with them, however loosely, as long as we have the same goal of returning home. I suppose that alliance might extend to you as well.
[ He stares at her for a while. There's a long silence, and then... ]
...That's it? That's all you wanted to tell me? I already knew all that. [ BUT ARCHER DID YOU HAVE TO BE SUCH A JERK ABOUT IT (answer: it's archer, so yes apparently) ] Frankly, as long as he's loyal, does a good job, and Lancer is a pretty strong Servant, doesn't cause her any unnecessary trouble, and she's satisfied with him, I really don't care about who her Servant is. I greatly prefer not being bound by the contract like that anyway. Servants are just slaves, in the end. [ Though he will have to figure out what to do once he's a Servant again... but he doesn't mention that. ]
[She does the best to restrain herself and not attempt to punch a hole in his stomach the way she did to the Archer card of her world. It is almost exactly like the multiple times her superior had provoked her in her native world.]
I am glad to hear that you have no problems with this arrangement.
[Lancer deserves a good Master, and for all her faults, Tohsaka was currently the best possible Master for him. Even if she was not, he was still happy to serve her, so it was enough. Bazett would do her best to preserve their relationship because it made Lancer happy.]
I suppose I should introduce myself if we are to be allies. I am Bazett Fraga McRemitz, Church First Rank Combat Specialist: Sealing Designation Enforcer. I come from a world where the Grail War was never fought.
[After a little bit of deliberation, she decides to ask him the question.]
What was the Grail War in your world like? And what was Kotomine Kirei's role in it?
[In her haste to avoid any awkward encounters, she does not notice Archer until she bumps into him. She raises her head to see who she just walked into and finds herself facing a man who looks both like the Archer Card of her world and the magical construct bound to it.]
[If this had been a couple days ago, she would not have hesitated to attack him. With his appearance and behavior, she would have assumed him to be a Card or a person using one. However, after her encounter with Lancer, she had learned of Alternate Universes and directly summoned Heroic Spirits. She wonders which one this man is.]
You. Archer, right? What world are you from? Are you a Heroic Spirit, or just a Card User?
[If he gives the wrong answer, she will attack him.]
Reply
Archer- yes, that would be me. A Servant of the Fifth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki. While I do not know what you mean by Card User, miss, I am indeed a Heroic Spirit.
Reply
Reply
[ And that brief moment of hostility fades away as though it was never there. It was just a warning, after all. His enemies thinking he has a legend to figure out gave them a false hope. And turned into a very convenient tool to manipulate them with when they desperately tried to figure out who the hell he is. It didn't gave a huge advantage, really, but it gave him an edge in battle. That, and more people knowing that he's a Heroic Spirit without a legend can never lead to anything good. If they know he's not a legend, it will make figuring out who he is far easier. ]You are correct, but I've had everything explained to me by now. Strange town in the fifties, ( ... )
Reply
Do not worry. Those that do and do not know about what you are does not concern me. The other residents of this town can think whatever they want about you and I will not care.
However, I am curious. Which Grail War world did you come from? It seems there are at least two of those.
[She nods when she hears this.]
Good. Then it seems that you do not require my aid after all.
Reply
[ Dat smile is making it really hard to tell if he's making fun of her or not. ]
Reply
...Given that I already said that I'm from the Fifth War, I'm assuming you're speaking of something else entirely, in which case I can only answer with "I have no idea what you're talking about".
Reply
I have encountered at least two people here from the Fifth Grail War. Both of them were from alternate, but similar universes. Both of them are also copies of beings from my home universe.
Were you aware of a Rin Tosaka or Lancer or Ilyasviel Von Einzbern during your version of the Grail War?
[The last name is thrown in a distractor. Hopefully, he will not be able to figure out which of the two she had actually met in this town. She is not sure if this man is an ally or enemy of Tohsaka or her servant. For Lancer's sake, she will protect their identities until she is sure that this man would not harm Lancer or his master.]
Reply
... Alternate universes, huh? Damn that Second Magic, how troublesome. Still, if it's alternate universes, it explains things nicely. Well, at any rate, that would be correct. I was. [ He decides not to elaborate, just in case. ]
Reply
[However, it is still frustrating when he dodges around her questions or gives the least informative answer.]
Yes, it is indeed troublesome. I mistook them for the ones of my home universe at first. Thankfully, I was able to clear up the misunderstanding later.
So what was your relationship to these people?
Reply
[ Being a jerk, or genuinely praising her? Both, probably. And the lack of an informative answer is both for the sake of being a jerk and being deliberately frustrating, and both to be careful. ]
...Tohsaka Rin is my Master. As for Ilyasviel von Einzbern, we have no relationship, [ a direct lie, made all the more easier to tell by making sure to use her full name ] but I am aware that she is one of the Masters. [ Though, considering what probably happened to Berserker, she's likely not to be any longer, but he doesn't say that. ]
Reply
[She nods at his answer. So this man is Tohsaka's original Servant. If he had a personality more like Lancer's, then she would be able to trust him at this point. However, from what she can see from his personality, she cannot trust him just yet.]
I see. What is your personal opinion of your Master then? If, theoretically, your contract with her no longer existed, then what would you do to her?
And if I told you that here, you might encounter not just your former Master but former enemy Masters and Servants like Lancer or Ilyasviel Von Einzbern, what would you do? What if I told you that you might be put into situations where you need to ally with them?
Reply
Well, that's obvious. If I were put in a situation where I must ally with them, then I were to do so. Of course, only if there weren't any better allies available.
Reply
Remember the two people from the Fifth Grail War that I have encountered here? One of them is your former Master, Tohsaka Rin. The other one is her current Servant, Lancer.
[She watches him for a reaction.]
I understand that as her former Servant, you might be concerned about this fact, but I can assure you that he is absolutely loyal to her. They also work well together, though Tohsaka has some issues with trusting her Servant.
As for me, I am currently allied with them, however loosely, as long as we have the same goal of returning home. I suppose that alliance might extend to you as well.
Reply
...That's it? That's all you wanted to tell me? I already knew all that. [ BUT ARCHER DID YOU HAVE TO BE SUCH A JERK ABOUT IT (answer: it's archer, so yes apparently) ] Frankly, as long as he's loyal, does a good job, and Lancer is a pretty strong Servant, doesn't cause her any unnecessary trouble, and she's satisfied with him, I really don't care about who her Servant is. I greatly prefer not being bound by the contract like that anyway. Servants are just slaves, in the end. [ Though he will have to figure out what to do once he's a Servant again... but he doesn't mention that. ]
Reply
[She does the best to restrain herself and not attempt to punch a hole in his stomach the way she did to the Archer card of her world. It is almost exactly like the multiple times her superior had provoked her in her native world.]
I am glad to hear that you have no problems with this arrangement.
[Lancer deserves a good Master, and for all her faults, Tohsaka was currently the best possible Master for him. Even if she was not, he was still happy to serve her, so it was enough. Bazett would do her best to preserve their relationship because it made Lancer happy.]
I suppose I should introduce myself if we are to be allies. I am Bazett Fraga McRemitz, Church First Rank Combat Specialist: Sealing Designation Enforcer. I come from a world where the Grail War was never fought.
[After a little bit of deliberation, she decides to ask him the question.]
What was the Grail War in your world like? And what was Kotomine Kirei's role in it?
Reply
Leave a comment