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Apparently they weren't intangible at all, at least after Archer's UBW ended if not since the beginning of the battle.
Confringentur, Mk.2; a Madoka Magica / Fate/Stay Night crossover
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We actually didn't need UBW to safely fight the familiars.
The familiars we fought before were intangible because they were shadows cast by the 'real' familiars inside of Elsa Maria's labyrinth. The sunburst iconography was needed to keep the door open for the shadows to get out into the real world (because, as Alina said, you need light - the sunburst - to cast a shadow - the familiars) but once Elsa Maria was strong enough to break free of her labyrinth the 'real' familiars, which are metaphorical shadows cast by the Black Mountain, all went with her, and those are the ones we're fighting now. The people in Mitakihara currently being eaten alive aren't so lucky; those are still shadows. Fortunately, those will go away once the corresponding 'real' familiar is defeated, so by cleaning up here we're actually saving lives elsewhere.
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I do hope you have a Kyuubey/Military & News POV omake in mind once this is all over and done with. It'll be interesting to see how Kyuubey's attempting to handle the situation, and the public's perception of this whole debacle and the massacre of a chunk of Mitakihara's population which may or may not include some very important people.
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I had plans for some mention of the aftermath starting morning of Day 32, but no plans for a full omake. But now that you mention it it may be something I might want to do when I have the time and the right words.
You're hoping Oriko's uncle is one of those very important people, aren't you?
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Actually, not really, no. That would probably just cause Oriko further grief despite his dismissive actions against her, and he really hasn't done anything that bad to warrant death of all things as far as we know. I was mostly considering the fact that important public figures might have been taken out, and important people in the local Mitakihara businesses might have been killed as well (who knows, maybe Madoka's Mom will be getting that promotion sooner than we thought, though definitely not in a way that anyone would have liked?). If such people are killed - especially if a lot of them were - then it'll be incredibly difficult to just disappear this whole situation, be it through the actions of Kyuubey, the Clocktower, or the Church.
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I mean, her uncle is in Tokyo right now, so it's not even possible for him to have been eaten. But I've been really mean to Oriko in this quest so far possibly more so than any of the other girls thus far. Only sometimes is it intentional. Outside of a relaxing beach trip, what can I do for her to make up for it?
So, assuming magical intervention is incoming from the moonlit world, what are some names the girls should be scared of meeting?
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I mean, if Lorelei gets wind that things like Elsa Maria are around in Mitakihara, she might come solely to satiate her muderboner for big bad monstrous things (she usually goes on Dead Apostle (technically not Ancestors in this timeline) hunts whenever a hostile Ancestor-level one pops up).
Aozaki Aoko is an obvious one, being a True Magic user who's very... odd and whimsical if her appearances in Tsukihime are anything to go by.
Though the Animusphere family is aware of the Grail not being functional as they would have hoped, they may still investigate the anomaly that's occurring in Mitakihara thinking that another functional Grail has been set up by another faction in hopes of getting a wish - if not in this War then perhaps in a future one assuming they think this is a separate Grail. The Separate Grail theory, at least on the outsider side of things, is supported by the fact that the old Grail technically hasn't had time to build up the magical energy necessary to be doing all these Grail shenanigans, though such people also probably wouldn't be too aware of the Kaleidoscope shenanigans that Avenger pulled, nor that the Puella Magi are taking up the brunt of the magical energy cost in maintaining their Servants.
Zelretch is another obvious one, and he's not above interfering in a massive way like when he went to Mitakihara personally to dismantle the Grail after the Fourth Holy Grail War in the Prisma Illya timeline.
Any number of freelancers, like Shishigou Kairi, could be sent by other Magi families investigating the rumors of another Grail War that may or may not be another Grail set up by another group of Magi. More Enforcers could be sent as backup as well considering Bazett certainly did not have this whole situation in the bag considering the catastrophe that's currently happening.
The Einzberns are definitely going to send some Homunculi to investigate this Grail War if they get wind of it, no question. That's if they haven't been wiped out for whatever reason between Hollow Ataraxia and the present, that is.
Not sure if Homura and co would be afraid of him, but Waver will definitely try to petition himself to investigate things once things have settled down instead of sending more Enforcers. Whether he brings some of his merry band, I can't say, though if Gray's still around (only watched the anime) then she'll definitely tag along as best as she can to keep him safe.
Any number of acclaimed Church members or particularly powerful Dead Apostle (Ancestors) could go to Mitakihara on a whim or for their own gain. That goes for plenty of Magi families as well, though presumably via proxy and without letting the Clocktower in on things.
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The big problem with all of these is that, while fine suggestions, I don't think I can comfortably capture the right voice to write any of them. Maybe Aoko, but that's kind of a hard maybe because I'm not even sure I wrote a convincing Touko.
I want to, but I can't bring Kairi in because if I do I will feel compelled to bring Best Girl with him, and I don't think it would be fair to overbalance the number of Apo servants, much as I would love to bring Best Girl in.
They dead. 'Nuf said.
Homura wouldn't be afraid of Waver, because she actually knows him. Her dad was a diplomat who worked at the Macedonian embassy in Tokyo, and he and Waver struck up a friendship. He might bring one or two of the Goon Squad with him, but Gray won' be with them because I don't acknowledge Gray's existence.
I do actually want to have Ciel poke her head in to see what the hell is going on, but similar to my first problem, I don't think I can write a convincing Ciel.
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Now tell us where the Saberface hurt you, SVS. /s
You actually do have an advantage in writing these characters, in that it's been years since we last read/watched them in-universe. If you look up a few scenes in their visual novels on YouTube and get a general grasp on how they speak, I'm sure you could easily do it. You can take a lot of liberties with the in this quest due to when it's set in the scheme of things. Ciel in particular is an oddball, considering Tsukihime isn't a thing and who knows how the whole Roa situation happened, if it even happened at all, so you can write her as you want to.
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On the field of Camlann, when Worst Father murdered her own son(female) in cold blood, is where the Saberface hurt me.
I'm not sure if this is like that "There is no Tsukihime anime" thing I hear so much about, or if you're saying that Tsukihime actually didn't happen in this universe.
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I was referring to the grey Saberface.
The latter.
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Oh, that. To make a long story short, I have problems with Gray's existence because there's no way she could actually be descended from Arthur as is claimed, because Arthur never had children until Mordred was somehow retconned from being his nephew into being his incest-bastard offspring (descendence from either Morgan/Morgause or Uther is more likely, but even then she would have to come from an otherwise unremarkable bastard that never even made it into the canon), and on top of which she feels like a pointless attempt to shove a Saberface where there otherwise isn't need for one.
That, and there is only one descendant of Arthur that I recognize. Mordred Did Nothing Wrong.
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In all fairness, it could've been a Morgan plot before she was shut down, or one of Merlin's schemes where he gives Arturia the proper equipment for the job and devizes an elixir to put into her drink to "get her to relax"; it'd be completely in character for both characters to do such a thing. Heck, it could've just been that some Magus got a hold of Arturia's DNA after she "died" and created a homunculus/clone for the sole purpose of bearing a child. The Nasuverse is a crazy place, after all.
I personally like Gray's character ignoring any connection she may have with Arturia - her personality and ideals/life goals are wildly different in than Arturia or any other Saberface in the first place - and I find the struggle of her becoming more and more a clone of Arturia due to using Rhongomyniad and losing more and more of her identity to be quite interesting, not to mention the whole Cult plot that wants to erase her very being and overwrite her existence with Arturia's once Gray has become more of a clone of her making Gray presumably dislike the King in the process. I also like her and Waver's dynamic in the grand scheme of things, and her interactions with people like Reines and Luvia.
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I already dislike Seibah for all the hoops that have to be jumped through to have Arthur being a woman make sense given the actual Arthurian canon. I barely put up with Merlin's Magic Penis as it is, and only because I like Mordred too much to ignore the way Seibah sired her; and having to jump through even more hoops like you're proposing to justify the existence of Gray is more than I'm willing to give her, because she's not Mordred and doesn't deserve the same hoop-jumping from me that Mordred gets.
Hey, you do you all you want. I'm not hating on you for liking her, but she's not a character I'd ever go out of my way to include in a story set in the Nasuverse.
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Alright, as I said last night, since I was unable to eke a full post out of the vote, I wrote what I could and then amended it to the end of the last post. Elsa Maria is finally dead, we have a watermelon-sized Grief Seed to distribute among the team, and Bazett has flipped her shit and wants Cu back no matter the cost. We need some diplomatic options, and fast.
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Uhhh... quick have a plan!
[X] Plan People Die When They Are Killed, Let's Make Sure That Doesn't Happen Today
-[X] Time-stop
--[X] Grab Mami and bring her into time-stop; have Mami tie her ribbons to your whole team to bring everyone into time-stop at once, obviously sans Bazett, Caren, and Caren's Lancer
---[X] Inform everyone that you're probably going to lie a bit in regards to Elsa Maria's Grief Seed; you can't afford this seed hatching or being given to the Incubator if it gets filled enough, so you're going to indefinitely keep it in stasis in your shield until anyone in the team really needs it
----[X] If anyone has any objections about you storing the Grief Seed, ask them if they have any better ideas that won't result in either the Witch hatching eventually or the Incubator being able to experiment with it in the future; you're amiable to just sticking it in Caster's treasury if he wants it, and if it keeps it from accumulating Grief, and you're not above having people use the seed to dispense Grief if absolutely necessary. Also remind everyone what Archer told you about the denizens of the Moonlit World, and how dangerous it would be to let Bazett or Caren bring the seed to their respective organizations; have Archer back you up with the knowledge he knows of their respective organizations if necessary.
---[X] Grab the Grief Seed and place it within your shield for safe keeping, unless there were any other good ideas someone else might have come up with
---[X] Ask Mami and Caster if Caster could use his Sha Naqba Imuru to figure out what Bazett and Caren's situation is like, and who between the two is most deserving of Caren's Lancer in his opinion
---[X] Inform everyone that you're going to have both of them restrained as it looks like they may get violent, either towards each other or in pursuit of Elsa Maria's Grief Seed; you're going to let them go very soon once you manage to calm things down a notch and figure this whole thing out
---[X] Have Lancer use Age of Gods shenanigans to restrain both Bazett and Caren to an absurd degree, ideally. Have Lancer also draw up something on a Mami ribbon that'll cut off the connection of Caren's Command Seals when tied above or over them if possible, even if it's only temporary.
----[X] Don't prevent any of your team members from drawing on either of their faces; don't prevent Archer from drawing on Caren's Lancer's face
-----[X] (Archer) Draw on Caren's Lancer's face the features of a dog with a projected marker; if you could keep Rin's necklace projected for an entire Grail War, you could maintain some ink until Lancer washes it off - luckily it'll be made up of magical energy, so Lancer won't be able to simply astralize it off
---[X] While you and your teammates are conversing with Bazett and Caren, have the Servants that aren't doing anything or aren't needed to maintain stuff, like Archer, Berserker, Rider, and Assassin, start mopping up what remains of Elsa Maria's forces while time is still stopped
---[X] Plug in the Mami connection and bring Bazett and Caren into time-stop
----[X] Lie to them that you've sent Elsa Maria's Grief Seed forward in time near the time of the heat death of the universe in order to prevent a great catastrophe from occurring if the seed is given to any organization such as the Clocktower or the Church, or even if it's left alone; tell them truthfully that the seed would've eventually hatched once more with the Witch much stronger than it was before it was last defeated, so it was for the best
----[X] Let Caster take the stand and have him inform them, in his authority as the King of Heroes, who gets to have the 3-star Lancer Servant
I'm fairly certain that Caren's ability doesn't allow her to detect lies and Homura has maxed out her Poker Face skill at Level 100, so things should turn out fine in regards to the Grief Seed dilemma, hopefully.
Also did you know that in Grand Order Caren's Lancer has the "Brynhildr's Beloved" trait? That'll go down well, I'm sure.
In regards to Caster's statement to the two of them, we'll get to the hows when we get a gauge on their reactions and general dispositions at such a time. Caren probably doesn't even really care about having Lancer in the first place anyway, she just keeps him to get on Bazett's nerves.
EDIT: Edited in that the Servants not doing anything will start taking out the remnants of Elsa Maria's forces while time is still stopped.
[X] Dewit. You know you want to. Give in to the dark side of the force temptation, Archer.
[X] Plan People Die When They Are Killed, Let's Make Sure That Doesn't Happen Today
-[X] Time-stop
--[X] Grab Mami and bring her into time-stop; have Mami tie her ribbons to your whole team to bring everyone into time-stop at once, obviously sans Bazett, Caren, and Caren's Lancer
---[X] Inform everyone that you're probably going to lie a bit in regards to Elsa Maria's Grief Seed; you can't afford this seed hatching or being given to the Incubator if it gets filled enough, so you're going to indefinitely keep it in stasis in your shield until anyone in the team really needs it
----[X] If anyone has any objections about you storing the Grief Seed, ask them if they have any better ideas that won't result in either the Witch hatching eventually or the Incubator being able to experiment with it in the future; you're amiable to just sticking it in Caster's treasury if he wants it, and if it keeps it from accumulating Grief, and you're not above having people use the seed to dispense Grief if absolutely necessary. Also remind everyone what Archer told you about the denizens of the Moonlit World, and how dangerous it would be to let Bazett or Caren bring the seed to their respective organizations; have Archer back you up with the knowledge he knows of their respective organizations if necessary.
---[X] Grab the Grief Seed and place it within your shield for safe keeping, unless there were any other good ideas someone else might have come up with
---[X] Ask Mami and Caster if Caster could use his Sha Naqba Imuru to figure out what Bazett and Caren's situation is like, and who between the two is most deserving of Caren's Lancer in his opinion
---[X] Inform everyone that you're going to have both of them restrained as it looks like they may get violent, either towards each other or in pursuit of Elsa Maria's Grief Seed; you're going to let them go very soon once you manage to calm things down a notch and figure this whole thing out
---[X] Have Lancer use Age of Gods shenanigans to restrain both Bazett and Caren to an absurd degree, ideally. Have Lancer also draw up something on a Mami ribbon that'll cut off the connection of Caren's Command Seals when tied above or over them if possible, even if it's only temporary.
----[X] Don't prevent any of your team members from drawing on either of their faces; don't prevent Archer from drawing on Caren's Lancer's face
-----[X] (Archer) Draw on Caren's Lancer's face the features of a dog with a projected marker; if you could keep Rin's necklace projected for an entire Grail War, you could maintain some ink until Lancer washes it off - luckily it'll be made up of magical energy, so Lancer won't be able to simply astralize it off
---[X] While you and your teammates are conversing with Bazett and Caren, have the Servants that aren't doing anything or aren't needed to maintain stuff, like Archer, Berserker, Rider, and Assassin, start mopping up what remains of Elsa Maria's forces while time is still stopped
---[X] Plug in the Mami connection and bring Bazett and Caren into time-stop
----[X] Lie to them that you've sent Elsa Maria's Grief Seed forward in time near the time of the heat death of the universe in order to prevent a great catastrophe from occurring if the seed is given to any organization such as the Clocktower or the Church, or even if it's left alone; tell them truthfully that the seed would've eventually hatched once more with the Witch much stronger than it was before it was last defeated, so it was for the best
----[X] Let Caster take the stand and have him inform them, in his authority as the King of Heroes, who gets to have the 3-star Lancer Servant
I'm fairly certain that Caren's ability doesn't allow her to detect lies and Homura has maxed out her Poker Face skill at Level 100, so things should turn out fine in regards to the Grief Seed dilemma, hopefully.
Also did you know that in Grand Order Caren's Lancer has the "Brynhildr's Beloved" trait? That'll go down well, I'm sure.
In regards to Caster's statement to the two of them, we'll get to the hows when we get a gauge on their reactions and general dispositions at such a time. Caren probably doesn't even really care about having Lancer in the first place anyway, she just keeps him to get on Bazett's nerves.
Oh hi distress signal to Walpurgisnacht, how are you this evening?
EDIT: Edited in that the Servants not doing anything will start taking out the remnants of Elsa Maria's forces while time is still stopped.
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What's with the drawing on faces bit? Where's that coming from?
We don't know that Caren is a member of the Church, or even that the Church is a part of the moonlit world. As far as we know, she's just the school nurse who's involved in some really shady shit on the side.
So do all our other male servants, I'm pretty sure, and yet Lancer hasn't tried to murder/rape any of them yet. So yes, it has been going down well, I'm sure.
If you were in Caster's golden size 12s, who would you say has more of a right to Doggo?
I don't get this.
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Just some humor, and Archer's petty and holds grudges; kinda channeling his inner Carnival Phantasm for this. I'd assume Kirika and/or Kyoko might want to join in on the fun once they see Archer drawing on Cu's face.
Archer would easily recognize just how Caren was fighting and be able to point out that she's probably a member of the Church; also when Caster might reveal info about Bazett and Caren's relationship he could also reveal such info as it supports their clashing dynamic.
... hm, it depends largely on meta knowledge, really. Who's going to use Lancer best? We already know that Bazett and Lancer have good synergy with one another, so that'll be taken into account when Caster's making his decision on "who best deserves" him, specifically. It's really up to you to decide what Bazett and what Caren would do with Lancer in the future, the answers to it playing a large factor in who Caster chooses to wield Lancer. I'd personally say Bazett, as they have the best synergy and Caren doesn't even really care about having Lancer, but maybe Caren will do something great with Lancer in the future?
Hm, I assumed that that was a distress call to any nearby Witches and what-not.
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No, no meta knowledge for you. Bad Enetious, very bad!
In all seriousness, I'm asking for your input without knowing any of my plans for the future. Both parties will have their use for La Cú Caracha regardless of who walks away with his leash tonight, and there will likely be consequences for either call that gets made. And we will have to live with those consequences, no matter what they are. So call or fold, Entey; call or fold?
And what witches, pray tell, would those be? All of the remaining ... Uh, three? I think there's only three left, witches are locked behind certain flags, so they aren't going to be crawling out of the woodwork just because one of them called for help. And it's definitely not Walpol, whose appearance date is locked-in no matter what flags we hit.
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Hm... as long as Lancer's serving Caren, Lancer's not going to be serving at his best out of sheer pettiness at the whole situation, but Lancer would probably give it his all under his chosen Master (aka Bazett). Therefor Lancer will be much more effective and willing to follow orders under Bazett's command than Caren's. I'd say probably Bazett, if I had to choose between the two without thought of the many "what-ifs" that may occur in the future. Bazett would probably also be slightly grateful (and only slightly, due to the whole restrained situation) at being granted Lancer somewhat peacefully by Homura and co.
As for any benefits to the Holy Quintet, siding with Caren would lower Bazett's opinion of the group and Caren's would remain unchanging, while if they side with Bazett Bazett's opinion of the group would rise and Caren's would remain unchanged, if only a bit disappointed that her fun has ended. It's also just beneficial to everyone to side with Bazett on this case as well.
Overall, siding with Bazett is just better overall in every case, assuming Caren wasn't going to do something great with Lancer in the future that outweighs what Bazett could do with him.
However one thing might make Caster side with Caren, in that Caren's overall goals are to do as much good in the world as possible while Bazett's an Enforcer that mostly indiscriminately does her job, though since this is a decision over who most "deserves" Lancer rather than who would "do the most good" with him, that might not matter all that much.
WanderingTwix
Posting something good once in a full moon
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I would normally be against a drastic action like restraining, but I think anything less would end even worse than just souring relations from said action.
[X] Plan People Die When They Are Killed, Let's Make Sure That Doesn't Happen Today
[X] Plan People Die When They Are Killed, Let's Make Sure That Doesn't Happen Today
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Yeah, I agree. There's also the fact that these two could probably pull some tricky stuff that'll bypass anything less than what's being used against them as well; if you want an example of just how absurd Bazett alone is look up the fight between her, Rin, Luvia, Illya, and Miyu in Prisma Illya. I'm sure Caren would have something equally as tricky, if more esoteric rather than physical, if she doesn't have some other artifact from the Church that she's picked up over the years since Hollow Ataraxia.
Straight up diplomacy without restraining them won't work, especially with Caren around who will continue to egg Bazett on.
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It's her business if it distracts two powerhouses and a Servant from aiding them in clearing out the familiars that are assailing the city. Homura and co aren't aware that killing the familiars that were spawned by Elsa Maria will kill the "shadows" of them, after all.
Day 31 Chapter 17
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[X] Plan People Die When They Are Killed, Let's Make Sure That Doesn't Happen Today
What happened took place in the span of a single instant, with no time for you to react. McRemitz-san has drawn her sword of light, angling it at Nurse Ortensia's throat, but it's been blocked from reaching her by a triple-layered barrier brought up by Mikuni Oriko. The blue Lancer stands off to the side, looking as though he desperately hopes he doesn't have to get involved. "I've been waiting politely and patiently for six years; and now that he's finally within arm's reach you think I'm just going to let you walk away from me with my servant in tow? Give him back to me, now."
"Tomoe-san, I need you to tie some ribbons around the entire team, as soon as possible."
"Oh, my," From behind the defensive barrier raised by her near-identical cousin - and seriously, you would not have seen that coming if it hadn't been explicitly pointed out to you - Nurse Ortensia smirks, clearly pleased at the reaction her history with McRemitz-san has provoked; whatever that history may be. You only know the bare minimum, after all. "That's quite a strong reaction from you." She turns to her servant, saying "Lancer, be a dear and take care of this for me."
"Agreed. Things are looking rather bad right now; we need to do something before one of them gets hurt."
"No way," the other Lancer says, taking a step back as he raises his hands in a defensive gesture. "The last time I got involved with two girls and their feud, I ended up killing my own son. I'm not too keen on repeating that mistake."
"Or worse. The both of them can be made into valuable allies, if we can ever trust them farther than we can throw them; and losing one or more of them would just be a waste.
"And which of us do you see bearing you a child in this scenario?" At the rate at which she's running her mouth, you expect something very bad to befall Nurse Ortensia very soon. "It wouldn't be me, I hope. That would be rather out of character for you, wouldn't it?"
"Alright Akemi-san, we're all set; whenever you're ready."
As soon as Tomoe-san gives you the signal, you turn your shield and stop time, drawing your entire team into the grey world of frozen time in an instant. "First thing's first," you say, directing your team's attention to the massive Grief Seed dropped by the witch, "We need to do something about this. We can't keep it the way we might keep a normal-sized Grief Seed- There's too much risk that the Incubator may try to do something to it that could undermine our efforts; but we can't let McRemitz-san take it with her either. Archer hasn't given me a very friendly impression of the 'Association' that McRemitz-san works for."
"You might want to add Ortensia to that list as well," Archer adds, sauntering over to your side with his arms crossed, pausing only to consider the blue Lancer's face with a marker in his hand, though he decides against drawing anything in the end. "Based on the way she fought, I'm positive that she's a member of the Holy Church working undercover in this city; and if they get wind of what's going on here you can kiss every last soul in the city goodbye- That is, anyone that the witch hasn't already killed."
That's right; you still don't know what the death toll throughout the city is. Hundreds, for certain, but any more than that and you're only able to make guesses. You'll still have to deal with any stray familiars left in the wake of the witch's demise.
"Why is that?" Mikuni Oriko asks; you don't want to make any judgements, but of course the only practicing Christian among your group would take umbrage to Archer's insinuation. "Why would an institution devoted to the word of God want to wipe an entire city out like you suggest?"
"You wouldn't know this, but the Church keeps an elite squad of covert monster-hunters on the company payroll. When word gets out of things like vampire infestations or, in our case, a city seemingly overrun by wraiths, that's when they call in the Executors to wipe everything out. And don't think you'd be spared just because you pray to the same God they do- By the nature of your existence as one who sold their soul for magic powers, you've branded yourself a heretic, making you fair game along with the rest."
Kyouko spits, barely able to contain the smug smirk on her face as she says to Mikuni Oriko "See? What'd I tell ya? Religion ain't all it's cracked up ta be. Better just ta be loyal ta yerself and the people in front of ya, 'cause ain't nobody else gunna do it for ya."
"Still... Caren-san is family; even though we've only just met, I don't want to believe that she'd do something like that."
"That's why we need to keep this Grief Seed out of the hands of anybody we can't trust. That means the Incubator, that means McRemitz-san, and-" you turn to Mikuni Oriko, saying "-that also means Nurse Ortensia, if Archer's guess as to her allegiance is correct." You spare a second glace towards the white-haired member of your team, and say "We're going to have to lie to them about the Seed's ultimate fate, and unless someone has a better idea I'd like to keep it inside my shield's storage until we can think of a better place for it where it can't hatch into another witch." Once was enough for you; you'll be keeping an open eye for the Elsa Marias of future timelines, just in case another tragedy like this one can be averted.
"What about inside Caster's treasury?" Tomoe-san suggests. "A Grief Seed of this size must be worth something, so I'm sure he wouldn't be averse to holding it for us in safekeeping, and we can always use it as we would a normal Grief Seed." Her golden eyes dart to her shoulder, still accustomed to the Incubator's presence in her life despite recent events. "Though I'm not sure how Kyubey would discard of it. It's certainly too big to fit into his little back-pocket, isn't it?"
You've seen the Incubator eats the corpse of its own body before; a corpse composed of matter more close in appearance to marshmallow candy than to flesh and muscle. "I'm sure the Incubator would find a way to dispose of it, even if it can't fit through the usual hole." That you're loathe to see for yourself how it might accomplish such a feat. "And speaking of Caster, I have need of his abilities."
"What for, Akemi-san?"
You look back at Nurse Ortensia and McRemitz-san, frozen as they were. "We need to come up with a peaceful solution to this whole Lancer business between them. I want Caster to look at what's going on between them, and I'd also like his opinion on what we can do about it. One of them has a better claim to the other Lancer-" your eyes stop on McRemitz-san "-and if we can sort out who that is, and make sure they leave with the other Lancer, we can hopefully prevent any further blood from being spilled this night." Kami-sama knows that more than enough blood has been spilled; you don't need to contribute to any more.
"And if they don't comply?"
"Then we'll tie them up, just like we did to Asako Koito and her friends, until we've made them comply." You give the pair one more look; you have no idea how strong McRemitz-san's sword of light is, and whether or not it can punch through Mikuni Oriko's barriers to reach Nurse Ortensia's throat without her there to keep them standing. "Actually-" you gesture to Tomoe-san, pointing your head in their direction "-why don't we tie them up regardless. I'd like for them to be able to hear Caster's deliberation on the other Lancer, and I don't want them killing each other while he's speaking."
"You think that could happen?"
"I'd rather not take the chance that it could." Tomoe-san nods, sending her ribbons out to tightly bind the pair in their frozen feud, while Mikuni Oriko gestures for Lancer to reinforce their bindings with many runes, just as she had done for Sister Hope. That's right; when this is all over, you'll have to remember to let her go back to her father; and for the pair to decide whether to keep their memories of what they've done, or to let them walk away having forgotten everything.
"We should seal her ability to give commands to Lancer as well," Mikuni Oriko says, though clearly reluctantly to turn her servant against her own family. "Lancer-" she gestures to Nurse Ortensia's arm, and Lancer complies, sealing her arms with fire-ringed Berkano runes. You don't see any Command Seals on either of her hands, so like Mikuni Oriko, they must be hiding on her arm.
"Good work," you say to Tomoe-san and Mikuni Oriko. Next, you turn to your servant with a new set of orders in mind. "While we're talking things out with these two, I want you to take Assassin, Rider, and Berserker. Comb through the city, and mop up any stray familiars that you see. If even one of them gets away we'll be in serious trouble."
"Understood."
You take a deep breath and exhale loudly; there's only one thing left to do now, and that's to make sure that the other Lancer leaves with the most deserving master without further bloodshed. You're really going to need that beach vacation when this is all over. With no use in delaying any longer, you relent, bringing Nurse Ortensia and McRemitz-san inside the frozen time.
Obviously, the results are mixed. McRemitz-san struggles, trying to break free of her rune-strengthened bindings, while Nurse Ortensia simply smiles and goes along with things as they come. "What the hell is this?" McRemitz-san exclaims. "Get me the hell out of here right now! I've still got to pry her grubby little paws off of my servant!"
"Neither of you will be doing any such thing," Caster says; his voice draws immediately obedience from McRemitz-san, who shrinks in the presence of the golden servant. "It shall be upon the judgement of I, the King, to decide with whom the fate of Cú Chulainn rests."
"So, you're here too, Gilgamesh?" Nurse Ortensia asks, staring at Tomoe-san's servant. "I don't recall saying you could leave Fuyuki; but since you're here, why don't you free me and take care of-"
"Who gave you permission to speak to me in such a manner?" Caster interrupts Nurse Ortensia in a manner you had not been expecting. Arrogant, yes, but you've never heard Caster be outright disrespectful before. "I am not the Second Archer servant of Fuyuki; I am the Caster servant of Mitakihara. My master is Tomoe Mami, not you; and if you presume to command I, the King again, I shall cut out your eyes and tongue and you shall live the rest of your life among the swine."
You can feel the bristling remark that wants to escape Nurse Ortensia's lips, but she wisely holds her tongue lest she lose it forever. "Now, because the two of you could not settle your petty squabbles like proper adults, it falls to I, the King, to decide for you." Caster looks down at Nurse Ortensia, smiling as he says "You, woman of the Church; you are familiar with the judgement of King Solomon, I presume?"
"In other words, you're asking if we'd be okay with cutting Lancer in half if one of us is unwilling to cede our claim to him; is that right?" Caster nods, and Nurse Ortensia adds "Then there shouldn't be any problem. I have Lancer's Command Seals. McRemitz has no claim to him to be ceded."
"And yet, you were not the one to summon Lancer from the Throne of Heroes; you only hold his Command Seals by the inheritance of your father, who took them from the arm of this one-" Caster gestures to McRemitz-san, who vigourously nods her approval of Caster's wisdom. "Your pact with Lancer is maintained by a Command which was not even issued by you, but by your father, who is no longer among the living."
"Even so, Lancer obeys me."
"Any dog will obey the one who holds his leash, if he is well-behaved; but does that mean the dog is truly yours, or that it has no choice but to obey?" A golden portal opens beside Caster's right hand, into which he reaches. Your body tightens; for an instant, it looks like he really is going to cut the other Lancer in half if neither Nurse Ortensia or McRemitz-san will cede their claim. But, rather than a blade, Caster instead takes out a single gold coin, which he then shows to both women, saying "Both of your claims to Cú Chulainn are valid, for their own worth. So, instead of attempting to force one or both of you to cede your claim to him, I shall make the only truly impartial judgement that I can, and allow the whim of Fate to decide."
"That's not fair!" McRemitz-san cries out, struggling against her bindings as if she really believes that there's anything she could do to stop Caster. "I've been waiting my whole life for this, and you want me to be okay with a- A coin toss?"
"Be silent," Caster says, shooting McRemitz-san a glare that says "I won't tell you again." Without another word, Caster flicks the coin high into the air, catching it to reveal "Fate has spoken. The daughter of the house Fraga shall be the one to command Cú Chulainn from hence forward." His decision made, Caster unceremoniously drops the coin into your hand, adding "Keep that, master of Archer, in case either woman needs to be reminded of Fate's judgement."
"Well, you heard Caster," Tomoe-san says, freeing McRemitz-san and Nurse Ortensia with a hearty tug on her ribbons. "Nurse Ortensia, if you would please."
"Fine." Nurse Ortensia rolls her eyes, but outnumbered far too many to one, she relents, holding out her hand as she says "It's not like I really wanted to keep Lancer; he was a useful toy, nothing more. I'm sure I'll find someone else to take his place." Placing her hand over the flesh hand of McRemitz-san, she whispers a few words under her breath, as the telltale crimson light of an activating Command Seal washes over them both. When she pulls her hand back and says "There. I hope I've made all your childhood dreams come true," McRemitz-san is sporting three Command Seals on the back of her hand.
[ ] Wat do?
What happened took place in the span of a single instant, with no time for you to react. McRemitz-san has drawn her sword of light, angling it at Nurse Ortensia's throat, but it's been blocked from reaching her by a triple-layered barrier brought up by Mikuni Oriko. The blue Lancer stands off to the side, looking as though he desperately hopes he doesn't have to get involved. "I've been waiting politely and patiently for six years; and now that he's finally within arm's reach you think I'm just going to let you walk away from me with my servant in tow? Give him back to me, now."
"Tomoe-san, I need you to tie some ribbons around the entire team, as soon as possible."
"Oh, my," From behind the defensive barrier raised by her near-identical cousin - and seriously, you would not have seen that coming if it hadn't been explicitly pointed out to you - Nurse Ortensia smirks, clearly pleased at the reaction her history with McRemitz-san has provoked; whatever that history may be. You only know the bare minimum, after all. "That's quite a strong reaction from you." She turns to her servant, saying "Lancer, be a dear and take care of this for me."
"Agreed. Things are looking rather bad right now; we need to do something before one of them gets hurt."
"No way," the other Lancer says, taking a step back as he raises his hands in a defensive gesture. "The last time I got involved with two girls and their feud, I ended up killing my own son. I'm not too keen on repeating that mistake."
"Or worse. The both of them can be made into valuable allies, if we can ever trust them farther than we can throw them; and losing one or more of them would just be a waste.
"And which of us do you see bearing you a child in this scenario?" At the rate at which she's running her mouth, you expect something very bad to befall Nurse Ortensia very soon. "It wouldn't be me, I hope. That would be rather out of character for you, wouldn't it?"
"Alright Akemi-san, we're all set; whenever you're ready."
As soon as Tomoe-san gives you the signal, you turn your shield and stop time, drawing your entire team into the grey world of frozen time in an instant. "First thing's first," you say, directing your team's attention to the massive Grief Seed dropped by the witch, "We need to do something about this. We can't keep it the way we might keep a normal-sized Grief Seed- There's too much risk that the Incubator may try to do something to it that could undermine our efforts; but we can't let McRemitz-san take it with her either. Archer hasn't given me a very friendly impression of the 'Association' that McRemitz-san works for."
"You might want to add Ortensia to that list as well," Archer adds, sauntering over to your side with his arms crossed, pausing only to consider the blue Lancer's face with a marker in his hand, though he decides against drawing anything in the end. "Based on the way she fought, I'm positive that she's a member of the Holy Church working undercover in this city; and if they get wind of what's going on here you can kiss every last soul in the city goodbye- That is, anyone that the witch hasn't already killed."
That's right; you still don't know what the death toll throughout the city is. Hundreds, for certain, but any more than that and you're only able to make guesses. You'll still have to deal with any stray familiars left in the wake of the witch's demise.
"Why is that?" Mikuni Oriko asks; you don't want to make any judgements, but of course the only practicing Christian among your group would take umbrage to Archer's insinuation. "Why would an institution devoted to the word of God want to wipe an entire city out like you suggest?"
"You wouldn't know this, but the Church keeps an elite squad of covert monster-hunters on the company payroll. When word gets out of things like vampire infestations or, in our case, a city seemingly overrun by wraiths, that's when they call in the Executors to wipe everything out. And don't think you'd be spared just because you pray to the same God they do- By the nature of your existence as one who sold their soul for magic powers, you've branded yourself a heretic, making you fair game along with the rest."
Kyouko spits, barely able to contain the smug smirk on her face as she says to Mikuni Oriko "See? What'd I tell ya? Religion ain't all it's cracked up ta be. Better just ta be loyal ta yerself and the people in front of ya, 'cause ain't nobody else gunna do it for ya."
"Still... Caren-san is family; even though we've only just met, I don't want to believe that she'd do something like that."
"That's why we need to keep this Grief Seed out of the hands of anybody we can't trust. That means the Incubator, that means McRemitz-san, and-" you turn to Mikuni Oriko, saying "-that also means Nurse Ortensia, if Archer's guess as to her allegiance is correct." You spare a second glace towards the white-haired member of your team, and say "We're going to have to lie to them about the Seed's ultimate fate, and unless someone has a better idea I'd like to keep it inside my shield's storage until we can think of a better place for it where it can't hatch into another witch." Once was enough for you; you'll be keeping an open eye for the Elsa Marias of future timelines, just in case another tragedy like this one can be averted.
"What about inside Caster's treasury?" Tomoe-san suggests. "A Grief Seed of this size must be worth something, so I'm sure he wouldn't be averse to holding it for us in safekeeping, and we can always use it as we would a normal Grief Seed." Her golden eyes dart to her shoulder, still accustomed to the Incubator's presence in her life despite recent events. "Though I'm not sure how Kyubey would discard of it. It's certainly too big to fit into his little back-pocket, isn't it?"
You've seen the Incubator eats the corpse of its own body before; a corpse composed of matter more close in appearance to marshmallow candy than to flesh and muscle. "I'm sure the Incubator would find a way to dispose of it, even if it can't fit through the usual hole." That you're loathe to see for yourself how it might accomplish such a feat. "And speaking of Caster, I have need of his abilities."
"What for, Akemi-san?"
You look back at Nurse Ortensia and McRemitz-san, frozen as they were. "We need to come up with a peaceful solution to this whole Lancer business between them. I want Caster to look at what's going on between them, and I'd also like his opinion on what we can do about it. One of them has a better claim to the other Lancer-" your eyes stop on McRemitz-san "-and if we can sort out who that is, and make sure they leave with the other Lancer, we can hopefully prevent any further blood from being spilled this night." Kami-sama knows that more than enough blood has been spilled; you don't need to contribute to any more.
"And if they don't comply?"
"Then we'll tie them up, just like we did to Asako Koito and her friends, until we've made them comply." You give the pair one more look; you have no idea how strong McRemitz-san's sword of light is, and whether or not it can punch through Mikuni Oriko's barriers to reach Nurse Ortensia's throat without her there to keep them standing. "Actually-" you gesture to Tomoe-san, pointing your head in their direction "-why don't we tie them up regardless. I'd like for them to be able to hear Caster's deliberation on the other Lancer, and I don't want them killing each other while he's speaking."
"You think that could happen?"
"I'd rather not take the chance that it could." Tomoe-san nods, sending her ribbons out to tightly bind the pair in their frozen feud, while Mikuni Oriko gestures for Lancer to reinforce their bindings with many runes, just as she had done for Sister Hope. That's right; when this is all over, you'll have to remember to let her go back to her father; and for the pair to decide whether to keep their memories of what they've done, or to let them walk away having forgotten everything.
"We should seal her ability to give commands to Lancer as well," Mikuni Oriko says, though clearly reluctantly to turn her servant against her own family. "Lancer-" she gestures to Nurse Ortensia's arm, and Lancer complies, sealing her arms with fire-ringed Berkano runes. You don't see any Command Seals on either of her hands, so like Mikuni Oriko, they must be hiding on her arm.
"Good work," you say to Tomoe-san and Mikuni Oriko. Next, you turn to your servant with a new set of orders in mind. "While we're talking things out with these two, I want you to take Assassin, Rider, and Berserker. Comb through the city, and mop up any stray familiars that you see. If even one of them gets away we'll be in serious trouble."
"Understood."
You take a deep breath and exhale loudly; there's only one thing left to do now, and that's to make sure that the other Lancer leaves with the most deserving master without further bloodshed. You're really going to need that beach vacation when this is all over. With no use in delaying any longer, you relent, bringing Nurse Ortensia and McRemitz-san inside the frozen time.
Obviously, the results are mixed. McRemitz-san struggles, trying to break free of her rune-strengthened bindings, while Nurse Ortensia simply smiles and goes along with things as they come. "What the hell is this?" McRemitz-san exclaims. "Get me the hell out of here right now! I've still got to pry her grubby little paws off of my servant!"
"Neither of you will be doing any such thing," Caster says; his voice draws immediately obedience from McRemitz-san, who shrinks in the presence of the golden servant. "It shall be upon the judgement of I, the King, to decide with whom the fate of Cú Chulainn rests."
"So, you're here too, Gilgamesh?" Nurse Ortensia asks, staring at Tomoe-san's servant. "I don't recall saying you could leave Fuyuki; but since you're here, why don't you free me and take care of-"
"Who gave you permission to speak to me in such a manner?" Caster interrupts Nurse Ortensia in a manner you had not been expecting. Arrogant, yes, but you've never heard Caster be outright disrespectful before. "I am not the Second Archer servant of Fuyuki; I am the Caster servant of Mitakihara. My master is Tomoe Mami, not you; and if you presume to command I, the King again, I shall cut out your eyes and tongue and you shall live the rest of your life among the swine."
You can feel the bristling remark that wants to escape Nurse Ortensia's lips, but she wisely holds her tongue lest she lose it forever. "Now, because the two of you could not settle your petty squabbles like proper adults, it falls to I, the King, to decide for you." Caster looks down at Nurse Ortensia, smiling as he says "You, woman of the Church; you are familiar with the judgement of King Solomon, I presume?"
"In other words, you're asking if we'd be okay with cutting Lancer in half if one of us is unwilling to cede our claim to him; is that right?" Caster nods, and Nurse Ortensia adds "Then there shouldn't be any problem. I have Lancer's Command Seals. McRemitz has no claim to him to be ceded."
"And yet, you were not the one to summon Lancer from the Throne of Heroes; you only hold his Command Seals by the inheritance of your father, who took them from the arm of this one-" Caster gestures to McRemitz-san, who vigourously nods her approval of Caster's wisdom. "Your pact with Lancer is maintained by a Command which was not even issued by you, but by your father, who is no longer among the living."
"Even so, Lancer obeys me."
"Any dog will obey the one who holds his leash, if he is well-behaved; but does that mean the dog is truly yours, or that it has no choice but to obey?" A golden portal opens beside Caster's right hand, into which he reaches. Your body tightens; for an instant, it looks like he really is going to cut the other Lancer in half if neither Nurse Ortensia or McRemitz-san will cede their claim. But, rather than a blade, Caster instead takes out a single gold coin, which he then shows to both women, saying "Both of your claims to Cú Chulainn are valid, for their own worth. So, instead of attempting to force one or both of you to cede your claim to him, I shall make the only truly impartial judgement that I can, and allow the whim of Fate to decide."
"That's not fair!" McRemitz-san cries out, struggling against her bindings as if she really believes that there's anything she could do to stop Caster. "I've been waiting my whole life for this, and you want me to be okay with a- A coin toss?"
"Be silent," Caster says, shooting McRemitz-san a glare that says "I won't tell you again." Without another word, Caster flicks the coin high into the air, catching it to reveal "Fate has spoken. The daughter of the house Fraga shall be the one to command Cú Chulainn from hence forward." His decision made, Caster unceremoniously drops the coin into your hand, adding "Keep that, master of Archer, in case either woman needs to be reminded of Fate's judgement."
"Well, you heard Caster," Tomoe-san says, freeing McRemitz-san and Nurse Ortensia with a hearty tug on her ribbons. "Nurse Ortensia, if you would please."
"Fine." Nurse Ortensia rolls her eyes, but outnumbered far too many to one, she relents, holding out her hand as she says "It's not like I really wanted to keep Lancer; he was a useful toy, nothing more. I'm sure I'll find someone else to take his place." Placing her hand over the flesh hand of McRemitz-san, she whispers a few words under her breath, as the telltale crimson light of an activating Command Seal washes over them both. When she pulls her hand back and says "There. I hope I've made all your childhood dreams come true," McRemitz-san is sporting three Command Seals on the back of her hand.
[ ] Wat do?
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