[X] Head back to Ryuudou Temple.
- [X] Make Caster breakfast as a surprise present.
- - [X] Explain that it is a little apology for earlier, and a thank you present for letting us stay here.
- [X] Ask Caster if you can paint her portrait.
- - [X] Tell her that you won't ask her name to sign her portrait, until the grail war is over.
You make a mental note to go looking for the local vampire – it wouldn't do to infringe on his territory for too long without introducing yourself, after all – but for now, you should probably get back to the temple. The city isn't big, and you could probably walk from one side to the other in a few hours, but searching would probably take up more time than you have left, and you would probably be better off going visibly, which could lead to altercations with a Servant … which wouldn't necessarily be a problem, of course. But you have things to do. You consider tossing the boy into the water – leaving him out like this is messy, even if he survives – but it's not your problem, and you leave him as you head back to the temple. You glance at Sasaki as you drift over the steps, and return to visibility as you near the top. He acknowledges you with a slight nod before fading away himself. You aren't sure whether to be offended or not; he is the gate guard, but he hardly paid any attention to you! As you slip through the gate and examine the courtyard for potential spotters you resolve to not let it bother you. His service to his Master is more important than his attitude toward you, so long as he is respectful.
You make your way to Caster's building and sneak in; she probably knows you're here already, since you let Sasaki see you, but that doesn't mean you have to be loud. Besides, you have to season the frying pan before you start making the omelettes, and that might take a while. Fortunately, they do have a kitchen here – if you had to try and make omelettes with humans underfoot, it might end rather badly for everyone involved. But the seasoning goes well, and you start preparing the fillings, humming cheerfully to yourself.
"What are you doing?" You jump into the air and spin, pathetic knife in your right hand as your left curls into a claw, and you freeze as you recognize Souichirou. He just stands there, watching you.
"How did you do that?" You weren't that engrossed in the food, were you? He shouldn't have snuck up on you so easily – the door was closed! He doesn't respond to your outburst, however, and after a few seconds your face reddens with embarrassment and you relax your hand and put the knife back on the counter. "… I'm sorry. Um, I upset Caster last night, and I want to make an apology, so I was going to surprise her with breakfast. Omelettes. … Um, do you want some?" He watches you for a few more seconds before shaking his head and walking in. He moves a lot like Meiling does, too … but he still shouldn't have been able to sneak up on you the way he did. You clap your hands together, attracting his attention, and curtsy. "My name is Flandre Scarlet. Um, are you Caster's Master?"
"Yes. I am Kuzuki Souichirou. Is it important?" He reminds you of Patchouli when he looks at you like that. Shrugging the sensation off, you curtsy again.
"I have to thank you for allowing Deis and myself to stay here." He nods his head and goes back to preparing his meal. As you turn to your own food, you wonder whether the Servant/Master relationship is the way you assumed it was; Souichirou has Caster, Caster has Sasaki, Tohsaka has Archer, Shirou has Saber, and Berserker's Master is probably the little girl … and they're all paired male and female. You wonder if it's a coincidence or if it's something intentional in the summoning process. Souichirou finishes before you and leaves silently, and you keep working in peace.
When you sneak out of the kitchen to see where Caster is, she's already waiting in the dining area you talked in last night, back in her robes but with the hood still down. She doesn't seem to have noticed you, but you nearly smack yourself anyway as you return for the omelettes. You told her Master, and she's a magician herself – you couldn't have gotten away with actually surprising her in her own home! Not without being a lot more subtle. You set the platter down on the table and sit across from her; she seems almost as nervous as you are.
"Um, I didn't mean to upset you last night. I don't always think things through before I start doing them, and –" You break off as she raises a hand.
"It's not your fault. I was simply caught off-guard." She starts to say something else, then looks down at the table.
"… Anyway, um, to apologize and to thank you for letting us stay here, I made these." She seems surprised at your swift recovery, and you push the platter a little closer to her. She takes several, but she only picks at them, and you start to fret. If you did make a mistake …. "Is something wrong?" She shakes her head.
"I am a spiritual entity; I don't need food. And … I'm used to small breakfasts." You wring your hands under the table.
"So you like them?" She pauses and tilts her head as she looks at you.
"You would know if I disliked them," she says coldly, and you start to tense up. "… They do taste good." She starts to eat a little more quickly after muttering that, and you relax, letting out a long, quiet breath. She still doesn't finish any of them, though. Maybe you made a few too many? In any case, phase one is done … now for phase two. You take a deep breath.
"Um, Caster? Could I paint you? Your portrait, I mean." She stares at you, giving only a few short blinks, and you wait for her to recover a little before continuing. "Partly because I still want to apologize and thank you, and partly … well, you're beautiful, and your room is empty. At the least, you should have at least one good portrait of yourself." She touches her cheek with one gloved hand.
"My … portrait?" You nod hopefully.
"Mm. It wouldn't need to be signed, at least not if you don't want to, but I'll understand if don't want to …." You fall silent and wait for her to respond.
"… As part of – Souichirou-sama and I … we …." She blushes and looks down, regaining control of herself before looking up. "… With my hood on." You frown. "And if … if I like it, then … then, if I can get him to agree, could you do one of Souichirou-sama and me?" You blink.
"… With your hood down?" She nods slowly and a grin splits your face. "Sure! Let's start now, okay? Ah, let me clean up first. I'll be right there!" She seems a little surprised as you burst into action. Not wanting her face to be shown is fine – images and similarity principles can be just as dangerous as a name, after all. And it'll be easier and faster, you suppose. You clean the table and hurry into Caster's room. Deis is leaning over Ershin, watching a slightly nervous Caster try to find a good way to stand. You cluck your tongue. "No, no, not like that. You don't menacing. You want to stand neutrally, like you're just waiting for someone. Or lean! Leaning is fine, too." Eventually she leans back against one of the posts in a thinking or resting stance, and you go to work. Paints are good, the colors don't need to be changed any. You start off with a very light sketch of Caster from the waist up and the room behind her … then wave her away. She stares at you. "Oh, don't go away; but you don't need to stand there anymore if you don't want to. Just don't peek." She hesitates, then sits next to Deis, hood down. You can hear them whispering but you don't pay attention to your ears. One brush for her skin, another for her robe, another for her cloak … the only thing slowing you down is how long it takes the paint to dry. There are ways around that, too, but for now, this is enough.
… Then you lean back and stretch, and Caster pops to her feet. "Are you finished?" You nod and she hurries over.
"It's done so soon because we got to cheat," you say, and she frowns at your grin. "I sketched it first – I probably could have done it from memory – which helped a lot, and faces and hair always take more detailing, but with your hood up they aren't visible. Which makes the painting easier, but the painting itself isn't as nice. I'd need more time, and probably the subject staying in front of me, to do a face properly." You glance at Deis, but she shakes her head vigorously. That's no fun …. As Caster stares at the painting, you slip to the side. "Think about it, okay? Or I can do another painting of something if you want something to help make your mind up." She nods, still looking at the painting, and you frown. Is she looking for something?
What do you do?
[ ] Take a nap.
[ ] Curl up with one of the books.
[ ] Talk with Deis.
[ ] Other?
DM Note: Actual artists who are offended at my butchery of your craft, feel free to stab me through the internet.