Day 60: Recreational Field (Third Shift)

[razing_phoenix]

It was definitely a good thing that Tear had tracked him down, seeing how she'd had a wealth of interesting information for him. Granted, a lot of it he could have guessed himself, especially the details about Landel's capabilities, but it was always good to have it confirmed by a trustworthy source

Comments

[kingofknights]

Every time the intercom blared its message, Saber grimaced. This Head Doctor, their jailer, hid safely all the while taunting the mass of people he'd no doubt used extensive sorcery to imprison. Such cowardice nearly made her ill, and as a result she opted for a bit of fresh air during this "free" shift. With her prepared rations in hand, she stepped out onto the field, appreciating the feel of the sun spilling directly over her body even in such a place.

There weren't many patients outside just yet, so the Servant took to walking the grounds that were open to her, picking off a piece of the lunch provided to her as she walked. For once, it seemed, she was took preoccupied with her own thoughts to inhale a meal. Much as she tried to keep her expression neutral, it was difficult not to let a troubled look surface the more she mulled over her conversation with Yomi.

[Free!]

[ninelivesonce]

The air was cool and bracing. Taura stretched and walked out over the field, letting the sun warm her face.

She could try to organize something -- or go for a run -- but this body didn't heal quite as quickly. She'd felt better the day after being in a minor shuttle crash. And the insides of her lips were still kind of shredded. Breakfast had gone down without noticing the pain, but she'd eaten enough that lunch seemed less crucial.

She wasn't the only one out on the field, though. A young woman was brooding her way around the same edge of the field that Taura was walking. Or at least if it was one of her friends it would be brooding -- maybe she was just shy. Couldn't hurt to ask.

"Hey. Everything all right over there?"

[kingofknights]

Saber paused, stopping as she heard another woman's voice call out to her. At first she wasn't sure what she'd done to warrant another's concern. It was only when she noticed how stiff she was that the Servant realized her mistake and allowed both her posture and expression to become more neutral. It wouldn't do to make such an example of herself here. Now, more than ever, she needed to recapture the kingly presence she had once worked so hard to attain.

"I am fine," Saber answered, her voice firm but not abrasive. It was hard to maintain a regal bearing in such an outfit, but she managed to square her shoulders and keep her chin up. "You need not be troubled on my behalf. I am simply trying to adjust to my current surroundings." A fair statement, one even her jailers probably would've considered appropriate.

[ninelivesonce]

"Doing better than most of the people here, then." That was going out on a limb, but Taura was learning. It was easier to learn how to get to know new people when they didn't run away screaming from an accidental fang-filled smile.

"At least it's a nice day. I've been on too many ships and stations. Weather still makes me nervous." Even on Jackson's Whole, they hadn't exactly been allowed to go outside, much. Not at all, once they'd gotten too big to pass for adults, which had been half a lifetime ago. Literally.

Talking about the weather was safe, right? She didn't actually want to make the woman angry. Just let her know she didn't have to be so on-edge as to accidentally cut people she might need as allies.

[kingofknights]

Saber relaxed a little as the conversation took a more casual tone. She certainly didn't know much how to carry on such light-hearted banter, but it did serve to ease the pressure of the predicament, one they all shared, weighing heavily on her mind. She nodded, perhaps not quite understanding the nature of ships and stations as the other woman spoke of them.

"Weather can turn the tide of any battle if you are not prepared," she answered. "A healthy fear or respect for it is probably more wise than assuming it cannot effect you." There was a pause. "I do not mind the cold. It reminds me of my homeland." Her voice came a touch softer, though her expression didn't change. "You must forgive me. I seem to lack manners in this place. You may call me Saber."

[ninelivesonce]

"Taura." She held out her right hand, which had fared better than her left in avoiding the patchwork of tiny bandages. "It reminds me of where I grew up, too, but I think you like yours better than I, mine." She wrinkled up her nose, which made her lip sting more than she'd expected it to, but she ignored it. "If I never go back there, it will be too soon

[kingofknights]

Space? How did one battle in such an environment? Even in Shirou's time, man had not yet learned how swiftly traverse the stars. But then people from all times and worlds had been ripped our of their lives and brought here, hadn't they? Still, provided they remained in contact, Saber found herself interested to hear stories of space warfare from Taura. For the moment, she chose not to pursue it, instead reaching out to firmly shake the other woman's hand.

"It is an honor," she answered. Her eyes drifted to Taura's other hand. She didn't seem in the best condition. "You were on the battlefield last night?"

[ninelivesonce]

"If by battlefield you mean this entire place, yeah. Hell of a fight." Some of which had been against her own companions, but that hadn't been her fault. Whatever that thing was, it had taken over her body completely for a few terrifying minutes. She was just glad Rita and Goku had been quick on the uptake.

It had meant a complete distraction from tracking the soldiers, which had probably been the goal all along. Just because it hit too close to some personal nightmares, didn't mean it had been chosen for them. "Are you a soldier?"

[kingofknights]

A shame Saber hadn't awoken early enough to make a difference in the battle. At full strength, she was certain to have at least made a sizable dent in their jailers' defenses. Now, uncertain as to whether or not she would truly have access to her powers as a Servant, she wasn't certain how much of an impact her efforts would have, though of course simply not trying wasn't an option.

Taura's next question caught her a bit off guard. She found herself unsure of how to answer it truthfully, given the complicated nature of her time as a Servant and her reign as the king of Britain. The faraway look that clouded her eyes was almost impossible to mask.

"I was. I am no stranger to war," Saber replied simply, choosing not to speak of her time as a king. The answer was true enough whether applied to her life as a king and her existence as a Servant in the war for the Grail.

[ninelivesonce]

"Oh, good," she said. She would have smiled, but her lips were still burning from a dozen little (and not-so-little) cuts. At least it had been better than what would have happened if she'd actually bitten Rita.

"There's a lot of people here who don't know the first thing about fighting. This isn't the place for them." People liked to hate mercenaries, but when they did the fighting, they knew what they were getting into. Taura had had less of a choice; she could have done something else with her life, but she'd been designed as a soldier, and she'd spent her adult life proving that she was one. They'd been discarded as failures; Taura had proven them wrong, and did so again with every new day.

Even when she didn't have the body in question. Hah. That showed them, didn't it? That soldier wasn't something you could be born, but something you could become.