[X] Thank them for speaking to you and leave.
-[X] Go back to the temple and talk with Deis about Spell Cards.
You stand up and curtsy. "Well, thank you for taking the time to speak with me; it was very enlightening. Unless you wish me to stay for another reason, I shall take my leave." Emiya nods and stands up while Saber rises silently.
"I'll see you to the door, then," he says, and you smile. Saber follows behind him, forming a small caravan, and you shake your head. You pause partway through putting on your shoes to look up at Emiya, but his mouth twists unhappily and he looks away. It seems like he wants to say something but can't figure out what it is, or how to phrase it. You finish putting on your shoes and stand up.
"Well, thank you once again. Perhaps we'll meet again, and even if you don't like Caster, do reconsider the offer in light of Archer's reappearance. If you have some conditions for even such a short alliance, I'm sure I or another would be willing to serve as intermediary. Farewell." You bow your head slightly and leave as Saber glares at you. Your leisurely flight back to the temple is uneventful, and just to say you've done it, you walk up the long stairway to the gate after dismissing Loki. Sasaki materializes as you cross the last landing before the top. He simply acknowledges your presence but you clap your hands as you remember something important, and he gives you a curious look. "It seems I'm supposed to expect a visitor of some kind tomorrow. Since this is where I'm staying, they'll probably come here at some point."
"Oh? Hoping I'll deal with your enemy for you?" You give him a look and he smirks.
"Of course not; I'm warning you because I don't want you to deal with someone who's supposed to meet with me. Since I don't know who's supposed to visit me or when, it's kind of hard to give you any firm details, though." He chuckles and leans back against the gate.
"Well, if they want to enter through this gate, I must fight them, but if this mysterious visitor is willing to explain themselves, I suppose I can notify you."
"Thank you." He vanishes as you walk past him and into the temple courtyard. Now, where would Deis be …? You stroll along to Caster's building and creep in, endeavoring to avoid notice. Caster seems absorbed in her magic still, and you slip by without being noticed. When you open your door, however, Ershin is sitting so that it's looking right at anyone who enters. "Hello, Ershin. Is Deis awake?"
"Yes, Deis has been waiting for you. She doesn't want to disrupt Caster's preparations, however, so she can't come out." You nod and fish Caster's gem out. Has Deis been working with Ershin, or is it a result of traveling with you? It used to simply repeat her statements … or is it speaking on its own instead of relaying her thoughts? Once you get within a few meters of the armor, however, Deis appears, looking a bit relieved.
"See, Deis, I'm fine – I didn't even get into any fights while I was out." She shakes her head as you grin.
"I can see. I hope it wasn't a wasted trip." You shake your head and nestle against Ershin.
"Nope. Well, I could have learned more, I suppose, but it wasn't wasted. Archer is a relic from the last War – the Servant of Tohsaka's father, in fact. And Saber is the Servant of Emiya Kiritsugu. And his decision to destroy the Grail seems to have been based on some information gained only right at the end of the War, and it took Saber by surprise as well. Archer may have survived because of some interaction with the Grail when it was destroyed, since he was near it. And I think it's more likely than not that Archer and the priest are cooperating in some fashion." You look up at the ceiling. "Oh, and Saber and Emiya don't seem to like me much, probably because I'm a vampire. And I may have insulted Saber more deeply than I'd intended to." Deis stares at you, speechless, then shakes her head and suppresses a laugh.
"Flan, you're wonderful, but sometimes I wonder if you should be allowed out on your own." You smile back at her, but it's a little sad, a little remorseful. Remilia never forbade you from leaving your room, or even the mansion proper, but she did ask that you not leave the grounds without her to accompany you after you settled in Gensokyo.
"Anyway, I wanted to talk about Spell Cards a bit, if you don't mind." Deis frowns at you.
"Those games that aren't magic? Shouldn't you be more concerned about getting ready for whatever's going to happen tomorrow?" You grin at her.
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong! Archer said he wanted to be entertained, remember? And Spell Cards are fun and beautiful, so wouldn't that be entertaining?" Deis looks conflicted.
"Well … maybe. Why don't you tell me what they're for, and then maybe give a demonstration, and I'll give you my thoughts. Is that fair?" You make a show of thinking about it, then snicker.
"Okay~! So, Spell Cards are used in the danmaku game, and are basically a way for weaklings to fight strong people without the stronger side winning easily. In Gensokyo, there are lots of strong people in a small space, so if they fought for real, they'd risk destroying it. You've seen me use danmaku, before, but that kind of danmaku isn't like Spell Card danmaku. The 'strength' of a Spell Card isn't necessarily in the user's power or the number of bullets, but in its … its elegance and beauty. It's a pattern that shows something, not just trying to beat your opponent. Spell Cards have some restrictions – they force you to move in certain ways, and they're all timed – but the cardinal rule of a proper Spell Card is that they have to be fair and beatable."
"And they're just little scraps of paper that put you into a trance?" You shrug.
"Well … mine are paper, and I think most are. But any solid surface can be used, it's just that paper Spell Cards burn up when you use them, so it's a good way to make sure you aren't reusing the same ones in a single duel. That's against the rules." You tap your lips. "I'm pretty sure you don't need a physical Spell Card, even, if you're good enough. But that would need more power and would probably be riskier if you make a mistake." You take out a Maze of Love Spell Card. Since it doesn't need a target, it's a good one to demonstrate with.
"And you said you can make more of your Spell Cards … can you make different Spell Cards?" You shake your head.
"The only Spell Cards I've gotten a good look at, besides my own, are my sister's, and it's been long enough that I don't think I could get any of them right. And I'm not sure how to go about designing a Spell Card from scratch – modifying a Spell Card that you know all the variables for is one thing, but if you change it too much it gets unbalanced and I'm not sure how that would turn out. Although … there is another type of Spell Card, although they aren't called that. Patchouli called them 'bombs.' Instead of long patterns, they just create an effect that lasts a few seconds at most. One of my sister's is a lot like radiating power, for example – a cross-shaped flare of energy. Those are potentially lethal, which is probably why they aren't usually counted as Spell Cards. I don't have any of those, but I could probably make one or two … especially if I had the help of a wonderful and amazing magician who's also really smart and pretty!" You smile dazzlingly at Deis and she sighs, shaking her head.
"We'll see. Hmph. I suppose these Spell Cards are pretty visible, huh?" You nod, grinning, and she sighs again. "Well, I guess we'll just have to hope no one comes around. Come on, let's go find somewhere we won't accidentally trigger something of Caster's." After leaving the temple through the front gate and telling Sasaki what you're doing, you carry Ershin to where Lancer and Berserker fought. The road is, oddly enough, back to how it was before the fight, but that's probably something Caster did – no sense alarming the monks with unexplainable destruction, after all. Hopefully this won't make too much of a mess for her …. You fly up and back, giving Ershin and Deis plenty of space to watch safely, and then activate the Maze of Love. The first spiral starts spinning around you, the green chaser bullets and the blue confining bullets, swirling around with predictable breaks to keep another person from being forced out of the area. Then the second spiral, gold and red, splitting off perpendicular to the first wave and spinning in the other direction. They switch back and forth, and as the Spell Card ends you glide down toward your friends. They clap for your performance.
"So, what do you think?"
"Very pretty, Flan. Kind of unfair if the other person can't fly, though." You giggle – everyone who's anyone in Gensokyo can fly, after all!
"Still, normal Spell Cards don't kill, so if they can't get away it's their own problem how much it hurts. But do you think I should use one tomorrow?" Deis makes a face and your enthusiasm dwindles.
"It's not that I think it would be a bad idea, but without knowing who you're going to be meeting and what that Archer finds amusing, it's kind of risky. I mean, we don't even know if this visitor is going to try fighting or if he's going to do something else." You stare at her – you hadn't even thought about that. It's just so obvious that he would want you to fight that you didn't even think he might want something else …. "I guess if you think it's a good idea, go for it."
What do you do?
[ ] Ask Deis if she can help you make bomb-type Spell Cards.
[ ] Make some extra normal Spell Cards just in case.
[ ] Just get some rest and make sure you're ready to go.
[ ] Other?
