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Being the Holy Grail is Suffering... [Worm/FSN Quest]

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Well, there is a pretty clear winner here. I'm going to start writing right now.

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Adhoc vote count started by Summer Bones on Mar 23, 2018 at 12:42 PM, finished with 68 posts and 36 votes.
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You know, it's not often that I find Dinah's that get a worse deal than in canon. I know it's probably debatable which has it worse, canon or here, but the simple fact that it's in the running....

Why did we summon Mephistopheles again?
 
Eh..
Majority choose Meph because they wanted Bakuda to suffer from inferiority complex or jealousy.
The "evil bastard" thing was in effect already when we made Bakuda a Master, regardless of Servant she possess.
 
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I chose him because I wanted a servant that could case as much mayhem as possible the fact that bakuda is he's master is a plus.
 
GRA4 said:
Eh..
Majority choose Meph because they wanted Bakuda to suffer from inferiority complex or jealousy.
The "evil bastard" thing was in effect already when we made Bakuda a Master, regardless of Servant she possess.
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Click to shrink...
I just thought he was the more interesting choice out of the three
I didn't see anyone talking about making Bakuda suffer an inferiority complex or be jealous?
 
Sorry ya'll. Something came up last minute, so it looks like I'm going to have to post the next chapter tomorrow morning. Sorry
 
Haha didn't expect to see Danganronpa at all so that was a pleasant surprise. Also a Winslow class went missing and there's been some bombings so Meph and Bakuda have been busy. It should make the other Master/Servant pairs leap into action and stop resting on their laurels. Looks like Meph's preparing his first insurance plan for when Bakuda is taken out with Dinah. Oh and should be entertaining and retrieving Canary in a flashy way will put a target on her back when the War starts.

RexHeller said:
You know, it's not often that I find Dinah's that get a worse deal than in canon. I know it's probably debatable which has it worse, canon or here, but the simple fact that it's in the running....

Why did we summon Mephistopheles again?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

GRA4 said:
Eh..
Majority choose Meph because they wanted Bakuda to suffer from inferiority complex or jealousy.
The "evil bastard" thing was in effect already when we made Bakuda a Master, regardless of Servant she possess.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Well we needed a Master/Servant pair that would force the rest to participate in the War. Otherwise, we would be stuck with everyone just doing their own thing, which wouldn't make a very interesting Holy Grail War since there would be no conflict. In that regard, they're perfect since they have no problems with collateral damage or involving people. Casualties are pretty much expected to happen it's just Meph has pushed forward the time table for that.

Also I'm pretty sure no one mentioned wanting Bakuda to suffer from her inferiority complex or jealousy. While it could have been possible depending on the Servant summoned, Meph and Bakuda have great synergy so he's more likely to egg Bakuda on to commit bad deeds. Of course that's gonna lead to her downfall so...
 
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Release 3.2
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    • Release 3.2​

    Angra Mainyu held their phone up to their face. On the screen, BB smiled, waving one hand over her head in greeting. "Hey~ sempai!"

    "I think we need a distraction, and I really would like to see that 'pet' of yours."

    BB pursed her lips as she crossed her arms under her bust. "Aw...and here I thought you just wanted to have a nice chat with your kohai…"

    [NEVER]

    Angra Mainyu laughed. "Oh I would love to, but really, I'm kind of excited to get things done! That walk was so boring! So come on! Let's get to work!"

    "Oh wow! Sempai is so motivated! I'm getting pumped up too!" BB held her fists up by her face as she hopped in place. "Okay then! Prepare to be even more amazed by your lovely Ruler!"

    …

    "Ah, it has to get there first…" She shifted about a bit. "...so you should probably start walking instead of just waiting for it." BB, at least, looked a little embarrassed by that. "Anyways...I'll just direct you towards where Canary is being kept. Stay to the alleys so you don't get arrested on the way!"

    New York was considered to be one of the, if not the, cape capital of the world. The sheer number of heroes and villains was staggering, and many with incredibly flashy powers. It was the location of the PRT and Protectorate main headquarters, a popular landmark and tourist stop that is over seventy stories high located downtown between Wall Street and the water.

    Where the Rig at Brockton Bay was a veritable fortress, the PRT building in New York was an open hallway. The building had several tunnels running underneath it that connected to the subway system, and they even had their own private shuttles which connected the building to much smaller PRT offices located all around the city. Protectorate offices were on the highest floors, with access from the roof.

    It was due to how open the office was that villains were not normally held there. However, sometimes there were special cases. Less dangerous criminals were sometimes held there for short periods of time before being transferred elsewhere, while capes who the Protectorate wished to recruit as probationary members were sometimes kept in an isolated part of the building to reduce the amount of influence other, more dangerous villains may have on their decision.

    Canary was a special case. Due in part to the politics surrounding her case and the lobbying of Dragon, the PRT decided to hold her there as opposed to sending her to the building on Staten Island which was primarily used for holding villains in confinement.

    Really though, between all the heroes constantly cycling through the building could Astrologer be blamed for not being alarmed by the unfamiliar pink and silver cape flying towards the building?

    She landed on the roof in front of the Protectorate cape, and Astrologer began to get the sense that she wasn't dealing with a hero from out of town. The being in front of her was very clearly made of metal, colored primarily silver and grey with pink accents and "hair".

    It had grey metal forming a caricature of a dress, with a short skirt that didn't fall down but instead flared out around its hips like a tutu. It had on what appeared to be boots but that ended at points with pink spikes jutting out from where the feet should be. Strangest of all, however, were the grey horns, metallic wings and long bladed tail the "girl" had.

    Either this was a Case53, or Astrologer had just met a robot.

    "Loading...Loading...Loading...all systems operational...destination...reached."

    Oh yeah, definitely a robot.

    "I am Magus Aegis Elizabeth Channel." Despite its initial monotone voice, the robot suddenly adopted a more human like inflection, a sort of haughty tone like an arrogant highschool brat. "But that is too long. So then, you have my permission to call me Mecha Eli-chan."

    Astrologer would do no such thing. That name was too silly.

    "Why are you here?" The robot seemed friendly enough. Maybe some new Tinker sent it along to represent themselves and they wanted to be a new cape?

    ...wishful thinking. Astrologer had already pressed the panic button on her communicator to ask for backup.

    "I have been given a mission by the Ruler. I, as her humble protector, I, who am the greatest and most fearsome of warriors, have been sent for one single purpose!" She began to hover in the air as fire erupted from her feet. Her hands pointed forward, and her pink fingertips opened. "How did she ask me to phrase it? … Oh! Yes! Exterminate!"

    Astrologer threw herself out of the ways as machine gun rounds peppered the spot she once occupied. The robot let out a sound like an amused laugh as she toyed with her, slowly chasing Astrologer around as the woman tried desperately to crawl away.

    A large projectile, like a great stone cylinder, fell from the sky. Mecha Eli-Chan looked up...and didn't react as the cylinder broke apart upon impact, doing nothing to her hard exterior.

    ...Astrologer kind of could only do that, so it is only natural that, when the other heroes showed up, she just went inside to alert everyone she could. Later she would be arrested for driving under the influence after she tried to drown her power envy and overall self esteem problems which had been dredged back up by this "fight".

    That's right. Astrologer is the type of person that, if she showed up in a web serial, she would only be referred to in passing and wouldn't even get any description beyond "she drops things on people from the sky".

    When Adamant and Prism arrived they did not even hesitate upon seeing the robot. New York was fucking weird. Just that morning the two saw a group of guys walking around dressed as elves and another guy dragging around nine foot long foam dicks, and don't even get them started on the capes! It was ridiculous!

    So yeah, this didn't shock them too badly.

    Adamant, dressed in a suit of metal armor that resembled power armor due to its size stepped in front of Prism, whose skin tight costume didn't offer much protection. "Stop! This is the Protectorate and-"

    A large beam of energy struck him in the chest, sending him backwards into Prism and then both of them off of the building. Elsewhere one of Prisms clones, now her main body, jerked in her seat at a restaurant across the street. "God damnit Adamant. Every time…"

    Back on the roof, Mecha Eli-Chan lowered her tail, the pink blade attached to it still crackling with energy. "Are there really no champions capable of facing me?"

    "Can I give it a try?"

    The robot rotated one hundred and eighty degrees...then got blasted in the face by a large laser, sending her back several yard. She hovered in the air above the street below as she reorientated herself. Before her was a man dressed in a skin tight white and blue costume with a lightning motif. He floated in the air, one hand stretched out palm forward towards her. He smiled. "I really suggest you surrender."

    Eli-Chan's skirt began to spin, and she fired one hundred missiles at Legend.

    "So…" Angra Mainyu threw one of his fang grinders at yet another camera. It wasn't necessary given BB's support, but it was fun. "A robot Elizabeth Bathory, huh?"

    "I remembered her from the Moon Cell War." BB shrugged. "Besides! Me and Dragon made her together! She's our baby! It is only natural for the result to be part dragon!" In the background a voice could be heard shouting in denial, but BB, rolling her eyes, waved her hand and said a quiet "mute" and the shouting stopped.

    The sound of explosions reverberated through the building as Angra Mainyu navigated their way through the building's depths.

    "Left here aaaaand...STOP! Right here, sempai! Canary is in that room!"

    Angra Mainyu grinned, placing a hand on the door and began to channel prana into it.

    The door opened on its own. "Sempai, making the door explode would call too much attention, and you might hurt the potential Master."

    All the World's Evils pouted. "I never get to do anything fun…"

    Outside Legend, semi corporeal, tackled Mecha Eli-Chan through a skyscraper. "Breast cannon", the robot intoned and Legend found himself blasted in the face. "Motorboating is prohibited!"

    Back to the Grail.

    The holding cell was brightly lit, harshly so, to the point that Angra Mainyu suspected that it was purposefully made so to make it difficult for the single inmate to sleep. Keeping prisoners awake to insure that they were too exhausted to try to escape wasn't exactly a new tactic by any stretch of the imagination, so it wasn't beyond the realm of possibilities.

    The room was separated into two halves by a glass wall. On the side Angra Mainyu was on the room was unpainted, with concrete walls with mounted security cameras that Angra Mainyu would trust BB to have dealt with. On the other side of the glass the room was white, with a single desk and chair as well as a small cot. On the desk were two books resting on top of each other on the desk. From their position the Grail could make out the title of the top book. Kafka's The Trial.

    A bit on the nose, Dragon, don't you think?

    Fine, they could use that.

    There was also a small television on the floor next to the cot. Sitting in front of it on the bed, a rather hard surface judging by how little it sagged under her weight, Canary sat dressed in an all white outfit, a loose fitted pair of pants and a long sleeved shirt, with a muzzle strapped over her face.

    She looked up when they entered, explosions rumbling overhead. The glass wall lifted, forcing the two dissonant halves of the room to meet.

    Angra Mainyu grinned while they stepped forward. Canary stood up, eyes narrowed as she took a half a step back. The Grail walked around her and slowly undid the latches on her muzzle. Straps, zippers, buttons...one by one they all came undone until finally the leather harness fell to the ground with a soft thud. Canary rose a hand to her face as she stretched and adjusted her jaw, soft pops sounding through the room as she did so. She watched the Grail out of the corner of her eye as they returned to their part of the room. They turned to her and spoke.

    "I have some questions I want to ask you."

    Canary hesitated. "Do you know who I am?"

    "Of course I do. You are Canary, you are being tried for using your power to make your boyfriend mutilate himself, and you are innocent." The Grail paused. From their understanding Canary was a relatively upstanding individual. They would need to present this in a certain way. "That is why I want to set you free. This sham trial is a grave miscarriage of justice, and it cannot be allowed to go through. But before I do so, I want to ask some questions."

    "So...you aren't as sure of my innocence as you say." Canary frowned.

    "No, I am not so sure of your...worthiness, I suppose. My offer...is limited. I can't give what I want to give to you to everyone."

    "Freedom?"

    "A wish." The grinned. "No, an opportunity. A chance to get what you desire most. Tell me, what is it that you wish for."

    She didn't respond for a long moment. She merely stood there, massaging her jaw with one hand. "All I want is for things to go back to normal. I just want to play music. That's all."

    "But you can't do that if you are in jail."

    "I can't do that if I am a criminal." She walked to her bed and sat back down. "And that is exactly what I'll be if I leave here with you."

    Angra Mainyu frowned. "I'm giving you the chance to start over. The chance to get power and take what you want. Freedom. To prove your innocence. Heck, you can even get fame-"

    Canary laughed, a sort of hoarse tinkling sound, like windchimes through a wood chipper. "What makes you think I want fame?"

    "You get the power to beguile people with your voice, and you use it to become a singer. Concerts, record deals, celebrity talk shows…" Angra Mainyu rose a single eyebrow. "You used it to become famous.

    That laugh again. "If I wanted to be famous I'd become a hero. Way flashier."

    "Riskier too."

    "Yes, yes I guess it is." Canary frowned. "But I didn't become a singer to be famous. I already loved music, I was already a musician. Nothing changed when I got my power there, it just so happened that people wanted to listen more." She arched her back and rolled her shoulders. "It wasn't fame. It was passion."

    "Passion?"

    "Yeah. You know. Joy. Love. The high of doing something you somehow know you were meant to do." She paused. "Like...a divine calling. Like what you are doing is the center of your being and you can't imagine doing anything else."

    "Yet, when you are convicted and sent to jail you will lose the freedom to pursue that passion."

    "If I am convicted."

    "When."

    She laughed again. "Innocent until proven guilty, right? The legal system is made to be in the defendant's favor. Even if I know things aren't great, I have faith in the system."

    The Grail scoffed. "The system is flawed, made by flawed people utilized by flawed people."

    "And I'm a flawed person." Canary's smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "So in a away it is the perfect system to judge me by."

    This particular line of questioning was leading them in circles. "What if they put you to death." Canary froze. "It is a real possibility. Your powers aren't exactly useful against those big monsters you guys have running around, and people are scared of you."

    Canary did not speak for a long moment, just stared down at her hands while she hummed in the back of her throat. Then, slowly, her eyes drifted up. The Grail shifted to follow her gaze. The two books on her desk. Angra Mainyu could now see the title of the second book written on its spine. Plato's The Apology.

    The blonde woman's face returned to a sort of serene smile, even as she was forced to wipe her eyes with her sleeve. She took a deep breath to steady herself. "The difficulty is not in avoiding death, but in avoiding unrighteousness; for that runs faster than death."

    Angra Mainyu scowled. A story about a trial where Socrates is sentenced to death, and even when given the chance to flee he follows his morals and refuses. Great.

    This Grail felt that it had some idea of Canary's character. A genuinely good person who allows herself to be guided by her heart. Someone who holds onto hope. Would she be able to maintain this attitude if she really were condemned to such a fate? They were unsure, but she had the strength of character to hold on right up until that point, it seemed. At least, she would without a bit of a push.

    Mecha Eli-Chan looked down at her shoulder. Sparks flew from the gaping wound, and her ability to manipulate that appendage was gone. BB's voice sounded in her head. "Oh no! Are you okay, baby? Don't push yourself! Its okay to admit defeat."

    The mechanical girl would have frowned if she could. "Have faith in me, Ruler."

    "Oh please, call me Mommy!"

    "No."

    "Aww…"

    The Grail could just leave Canary, give up and return, or they could push. This would come down to a philosophical debate. Kafka versus Plato. Jaded absurdity versus logical virtue. The condemnation of one protagonist versus the condemnation of another. Could the devil convince an angel to sin?

    OPTIONS:

    [] Debate with Canary

    [] Leave Canary behind

    AN: This is not a Master choice yet. Just wanted to make that clear.

    EDIT: To make things more clear, debating her would make her more willing to escape, in which case we can still decide not to make her a Master, but she would escape anyways. Otherwise, if we leave now, she stays here and goes through her trial and conviction as normal (mostly).
     
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    • I knew the 'pet' was Mecha Eli-chan! :D

    [x] Leave Canary behind

    I knew Canary was too boring of a choice of a Master. She has no wish/willingness to fight and kill for and her sole desire can be solved by Dragon. She has a Cauldron debt, thus being a liability.

    We have Faultline and Dinah as potential Masters. Come on! Let's make even more conflict!
     
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