Fate / Stained Inheritance

-Spend time with Gray

"...I'm happier to hear that than you might think." You catch a glimpse of a faint smile beneath Grays hood. "I can understand you wanting rid of your old clothes- why that outfit?"

"Yeah- kinda lewd ain't it?" A muffled interjection comes from inside Grays cloak, quickly muffled as she frantically smothers her caged cube in fabric.

"Big talk from a small box" Ruler prods the muffled cage as you flush slightly.

"-No money. Had to ask Kiara for help." You mumble. You're glad of the veil. It's got to hide at least some of your blush, your eyes looking everywhere but Gray and Ruler. "… It's better than what I had before. People don't see me in it."

"I understand. It's okay" Grays voice is soft, calming.

You're glad. It's a relief to hear that. You almost smile.

"Thank you." A mutter under your breath, barely audible.

Why are you acting like this? This isn't like you'd usually be, you've never been awkward before-

Oh.

You've… never really had this sort of interaction before. Even last night, you had stayed on the fringes of the conversation, and that was just meaningless talk.

This is… different. You're just not certain how.


"Still- if you're comfortable with those clothes… we have time, and I know a nice place nearby- it's out of the way. My treat." Gray interrupts your musing, only for Ruler to cut in before you reply.

"Sounds good- we're in, aren't we Master."

"Oh- yes." You reply, before Gray starts leading the three of you along a few different side streets, eventually arriving at a little sit in restaurant- a dessert place going by the sign. There's a few people in, but not too many. Your group attracts a few glances as you enter and take a seat, but nothing beyond that.

Taking a seat, you're presented with a fairly large assortment of various desserts all with illustrations, your mouth watering as you flick between the menu pages. There's sooo much choice. You catch a brief glimpse of Gray and Ruler smiling over on the other side of the table as you pore over it, but you don't pay too much mind to it because food food food there's so much food. You're still poring over it by the time your order's taken. Gray takes something small, Ruler just having what she's having. You end up just having a medium sized sundae, mostly because it's the first thing your eyes land on after you tear them away from the largest thing on the menu. A surprisingly short time later, the food arrives. It's a bit bigger than you expected. It's also a fair bit bigger than what the others have, you realise as you glance over to the others.

"Go on." Gray gives you a small nod, before taking a dainty bite out of her own dessert.

"This is living, my Master- what's life if you aren't going to enjoy yourself- you're free, do what you want." Ruler says in agreement, before taking a significantly less dainty bite. Closer to just eating half of it in one go really.

Drooling, you greedily tuck into your sundae- it's delicious- it's so sweet- fluffy whipped cream smooth icecream chocolate sauce bits of wafer biscuit a bit of brownie a dash of caramel all just blending in your mouth so cool and refreshing it's so goooooood. You're shifting back and forth in your seat as you eat, audibly mmmmming as you lick every spoonful clean. You don't care how it must look to anyone else right now it's so good that nothing else matters.

You're maybe two thirds of the way through it when you realise that the others have already been finished for a while and they've just been watching you eat. You glance down at what's left of your dish for a moment, before wordlessly pushing it towards them, glancing away awkwardly. "Here."

Gray thanks you, before taking it and daintily finishing off the last bit of it, before going up and paying your bill, the three of you leave the building, standing on the pavement outside. Gray's the first to speak up. "We should probably head back."

Back to that den of mages. You shudder slightly. You know who's there… But you need to settle your position here. You can't just stay on the fringes forever in this war. You nod.

"That's it, my Master. You've got steel in you. Don't let go of it, even if your fingers bleed. Don't be chained by anything." Ruler whispers to you, patting you on the shoulder as Gray starts leading you back to the big building from the morning.

"You missed Svin getting stuck in a hedge this morning." She breaks the silence. "Flat must have mentioned Sir had got hurt, so Svin ran over as fast as he could, then tripped over right outside."

"Who's Svin?" You say after being silent for a bit.

Gray smiles slightly, before going into a bit more detail about her daily life. Eventually, you tell her about Ruler breaking windows and stealing food, Ruler chipping in to add a few embellishments. It helps break the tension on the walk back; two girls who hide their faces sharing something about their life.
Passing by a large hole in a hedge, you arrive back at the grand building from this morning. You don't feel quite so out of place this time. As Gray goes to the door, you call out to her awkwardly. "Um- about that treat… thank you...Gray."

She quickly turns back to the door and opens it…. But not before you catch a glimpse of genuine joy on her face.


For the strategy meeting, Votes will be tallied by line, rather than as a block. This is a more serious vote, so please do contribute.

[] Be in the same room as Lord El-Melloi
[] Keep a room of distance between you.

How much are you willing to associate with this group

[] Keep current association- you're not prepared to work with Lancer or Lord El-Melloi as of now, but you're not going to treat each other as hostiles. The war is too serious to break away and go it alone.
[] Partially associate closer- You're willing to coordinate with Flat and Lancer. This war is dangerous. It's safer to have someone else on your side. You can handle
[] Fully align yourself. Gray trusts them. You'll put your trust in her. You might not like it, but you'll do it. You want everyone you can get on your side. You're willing to work with Flat and Lancer, and, if Gray is present, with Lord El-Melloi.

Do you mention Izbetha's offer to them

[] Yes
[] No

-Keep distance
-Full aligning
-Bring up the offer

The three of you enter the building, entering into the back lobby of what looks like a relatively decent block of apartments; not quite so high class to have private security, but fancy enough to have some decent decor and what you recognise as some sturdy doors. You've spent enough time staring at one to know what a good door looks like.

Your eyes flicker about the lobby as you walk towards the lifts, ignoring Rulers appreciative "hmmmms" about the artwork, instead watching for movement. You don't know what could be here. Even with Gray, you can't let your guard down. As Gray calls the elevator, you put yourself behind Ruler, tensing up for anything to be on the other side of the doors. You sigh in relief as the doors open to reveal nothing, the three of you getting into the elevator.

"Distance." You say as the elevator starts to rise.

"Oh?" Gray makes a questioning noise.

"When we're there- I'll need some." You're all tensed up. You really want to run. To get away. You know who you'll be meeting with here. It'd be so much simpler to run and run and run. To be anywhere but here. You wouldn't be taking this risk. You wouldn't be dealing with a Lord. But the war's just as dangerous. Risk or risk. This one at least has a chance of getting something from it.

You can't run forever.

You can't run now.

You won't run now.

There's a reason. Gray. You trust her. If she trusts this Lord, and Lancers Master… you can work with them. You can try this. Even if it means doing something that would have scared you half to death a week ago.

"I can- I can talk with him." Your mouth is dry. Your breathing shaky. Your hands are clutching into claws. If you were holding anything you'd be leaving dents in it. "I just- need space- not seeing right off some barrier anything."

"Easy, easy there Master." Ruler slips a hand into yours, not caring about you taking it in a white-knuckle grip. "Breathe in, breathe out. Don't burn yourself out."

"Of course. He'll understand." Gray nods as you try and focus on Ruler's instructions, her presence giving you some sort of distraction as the elevator doors open, Gray leading you down to one of the two apartments here. She motions for you to stand a little bit away from the door as she knocks on the door. After a bit, the door opens.
"We're back. Ah- Sir- Could you step away?" Gray makes a shooing motion at the door. "No no, further- you saw her last night."

There's a groan from the other side of the door, and you hear footsteps trudging away, Gray following. After a minute, she returns to the corridor. "You can come in now."

You follow Gray into the apartment; it's a fair bit larger than the one the pair of you stayed in last night, you can see at least 3 other rooms to it. The door's reinforced, and you can feel the faint fuzz of wards as you enter. One of the doors is open, the grunting of someone shifting a chair coming through it, along with the faint hint of cigar smoke. Meanwhile, in the middle of this room, several chairs have been moved aside to clear a space in the middle of it. In that space is Flat, that's his name you think. He is currently red in the face as he holds himself in a plank, Lancer sitting on his back, her legs crossed as she taps her spear on her shoulders, shifting her weight around slightly with an assessing humm.

"Oh- Hi agaAAAGH" Seeing you enter, Flat waves to you, which promptly causes him to lose balance and collapse to the ground, Lancer crashing down atop him, before picking herself up from the groaning, flattened, Flat.

"Four minutes, with the use of magecraft to assist, and a sloppy failure. I won't be satisfied until fifteen." Dismissing Flat, Lancer turns towards you, sizing you up. There's still hostility there, but not as naked as it was last night. "Found some backbone? Interesting."

You don't tense at Lancers words, if only because you're about a tense as you can get; you've already scanned the room and you know your best way out is the way you came. What does get your attention now is Lancers spear. It's… shifting somewhat. There's a faint fog around the blade. It feels hungry.

"Iiiiif you're talking backbone, you should probably avoid crushing your Masters'." Ruler steps forwards, interposing herself between you and Lancer, seconds before Gray gets in the middle of them, blocking off any more hostilities.

"This isn't why we're here." Grays' voice is surprisingly loud in the room as Flat picks himself up from the floor, furiously nodding in agreement. Lancer almost looks disappointed.

"There's only one reason you would be here." His voice from the other room. Serious. Matter-of-fact. Not quite deep enough to be stony or gravelly, but still with some weight to it. Purposeful. "Since my assistant has no intention of leaving you by yourself, you wish to talk things out."

"More or less~" Ruler calls out, interrupting you before you can force out an agreement.

"Talking's good- Much better than fighting especially since Gray likes you." Flat's fairly animated by the prospect. Lancer, less so. "I mean, that way nobody has to get hurt."

"Since my student is the one with the Servant, my own input into this matter is… limited." El-mellois voice again. "But- since Gray has taken such a liking to you, I have no objections to a deal. The ball is in your court."

"Well then Master- it's all up to you. What's it going to be?" Ruler turns back to you.

You swallow. Your throat's dry. The air feels like mud as you breathe. Your guts feel all knotted up from the tension, a steel wire coiling ever tighter inside you.

"Gray."

You have to force the word past your lips, Gray turning to face you as you speak. You're having to force air into your lungs- it feels that way at least.

"Gray trusts you. I can- It's good enough. To try. To work with. To ally. Too dangerous alone."

The wire snaps, the nervous energy that had been keeping you going up until now draining away. You sag forwards, both Ruler and Gray dashing in to catch you, before dumping you in a rather comfortable armchair.

Flat, meanwhile, is ecstatic at the news, excitedly pacing around the room, both dashing towards you as you flop and then backing off a bit. "That's great, that's excellent yeah yup we're a team now four-five six? More heads are better than less! Oh wait we need a team name now uh what to pick what works..."

You just flop back for a bit as Flat goes into deliberations about a team name. That could have gone worse.


After you've recovered, what topics do you bring up to start more serious talks?
QM note- update was getting long, the note about Izabetha's offer fits better in this segment so it's getting put in as an auto point next update.

[PRE SELECTED] Izabethas offer.

Pick 2 other topics- Highest two individual topics will get picked.

[] Discuss your magic- they might be able to give a better idea about what Kiara found earlier.
[] Discuss Assassin- Izabetha mentioned something was off with them, and this group had a run-in last night as well.
[] Bring up how Flat got Lancer- You recall something about it was off, in a way that sticks in your mind.
[] Bring up Caster- You've had a run in with him and his master, you don't think the others know them yet.
[] Discuss oddities in the grail war. Everything points to something being amiss compared to how a "normal" war goes. It's worth giving that some thought.