Talking to Seven
[X] See if you can contact anything inside the weapon.
-[X] Be polite.


You sit down beside the gun and lay a hand on it. You close your eyes and try to think at it, sort of like you when you talk to Headless. "Hello? Can you hear me? My name if Flandre Scarlet." It's best to be polite, in case you're dealing with something powerful … but for several seconds, there's no response.

"La, la, I can't understand you, go away! La la, lala la!" You blink and sit contemplatively for a bit. It sounds like the weapon is speaking French, although it doesn't sound quite like the French you know. Some of that is dialect, but part of it seems to be both accent and … deliberate obfuscation on the weapon's part. Of course, it's not that strange that it's using French - they were quite friendly with the Church for a long time, after all - and you can't help but wonder if the reason the woman didn't respond was because she didn't know Japanese. Oh well! You take a deep breath and focus on the weapon once again, and you send your thoughts in French this time.

"Hello! My name is Flandre Scarlet - what's your name?" There's a squeak of fright - a sound that's quite amusing - and you get a fleeting semi-sight of a blonde girl with four dots tattooed on her forehead ducking behind something. You sink deeper into the trance-like state, and vague impressions of the interior of a temple form.

"Ooh! I said go away! I don't like you!" The girl peeks up from behind a pew and glares ineffectually at you. You try to put forth a reassuring presence, 'approaching' her peacefully, but she whines and retreats behind another pew, and you draw back as she sets her hoofs on the top of the pew and tries to hide her trembling.

"Well, why is it that you don't like me? I haven't done anything to you - and you're the one who attacked me." Her shaking is more obvious, although part of it seems to be indignation, in addition to the fear.

"You're a vampire! And you killed my master!" Her world solidifies and you look around the temple - walls of gold and ivory, high ceilings, statues in the walls - and the youkai girl's demeanor changes dramatically. "I said go away!" A bolt of fire leaps at you - easily avoided - and she collapses to her knees. You wait for a moment in case she's planning something, then walk up to the pew and help her to sit down. She stares at you, completely confused, and you sit down next to her. The dots on her forehead look more like scars, now that you're closer.

"Well, I don't see why you should dislike me just because I'm a vampire, and if your master is the church woman who tried to use you against me, I think I should point out that I did try to talk to her, and she's the one who escalated the situation." She hunches her shoulders, like she wants to defend the woman but can't figure out how to. "Anyway, I've told you my name. What's your name?" She scoots away from you, and when you lean toward her she scoots a little more, so you scoot away yourself and turn so you're looking at her.

"… Seven." You tilt your head - it's certainly an odd name - but she doesn't elaborate, and the two of you sit in silence for a short while.

"Well, Seven, is there anything I can do?" She glares at you sullenly.

"You can go away and leave me alone," she says, and you sigh.

"I probably will, but I meant … hm, you said I killed your master, so is there a successor you're supposed to go to, or anyone you want to send a message to? I can't really use you, because you're so big, but I know someone who can, so I think I'll take you along until I can give you to her, but if you have something important you want to tell anyone, I might be able to help you." Something twitches your attention away from Seven, and the temple fades in immediacy. "Well, maybe I'll come talk again, but for now it looks like you're getting what you want. Bye, Seven." You shake yourself awake - then you push Ershin's oversized mitten off your head and look up at a worried Deis.

"You didn't respond when we tried talking to you, and it seemed like something in there was trying to absorb your energy, so … I hope I didn't interrupt anything important." You frown - it doesn't really feel like you're missing any energy, and you're not any more tired than you were before you started talking to Seven. Still, maybe she was trying something?

"Hm. Well, it was kind of a good stopping point, anyway. Did something happen, or did you just want to talk?" Deis frowns at your flippancy, but sighs rather than bring it up.

"No, nothing's happened; just felt like getting outside for a bit. Weird, isn't it? Maybe I'm just getting impatient … but after so long, one more night shouldn't be anything special, and I'm not even sure how much I'll really be able to do with her body, so I shouldn't get my hopes up. Ah, don't get like that, Flan. I'll be fine, promise." She grins at you and you can't help but smile back. Hmm … if she needs something to keep her busy, maybe you could tell her about Seven? Deis isn't a vampire, after all, so Seven shouldn't dislike her, although she is your friend. Then again, it might make Deis feel weird if you tell her about the servant of the person whose corpse she's going to possess.


What do you do?

[ ] Ask Deis if she wants to talk to Seven.
- [ ] Stay with them in case anything happens.
- [ ] Go to sleep.
- [ ] Go to the church.
- [ ] Go bother Tohsaka.

[ ] Keep talking with Deis.
- About?

[ ] Go to sleep.

[ ] Keep watch with Caster.
- Try to talk with her about anything?

[ ] Go to the church.

[ ] Go bother Tohsaka.

[ ] Other?
 
I wonder what Seven will have to say about Sakuya Izayoi - a supposed vampire huntress who is now a maid of the last Vampire Lady of her own Earth?
 
Man I'm still worried about Caster checking Ciel's body for surprises....I don't think we ever told Deis that Caster seemed to leave hooks in us. And Caster likes us more than Deis. I can't help but think that Deis' new body, assuming Ciel doesn't rez, is going to be trapped to hell and back.
 
[X] Ask Deis if she wants to talk to Seven.
-[X] Stay with them in case anything happens.

Just where IS Gilgamesh anyway?
 
I wonder what Seven will have to say about Sakuya Izayoi - a supposed vampire huntress who is now a maid of the last Vampire Lady of her own Earth?
"Why is she making me dust? Doesn't she know that dust gets in my tail? ... She does know! That's why she's making me dust!"

Man I'm still worried about Caster checking Ciel's body for surprises....I don't think we ever told Deis that Caster seemed to leave hooks in us. And Caster likes us more than Deis. I can't help but think that Deis' new body, assuming Ciel doesn't rez, is going to be trapped to hell and back.
Hmm ... if you were Caster, what sort of traps would you use?

*unobtrusively takes out notepad*

Just where IS Gilgamesh anyway?
He's probably doing Gilgamesh-related things. Best not to bother him when he's indulging in his favorite subject.
 
[X] Ask Deis if she wants to talk to Seven.
-[X] Stay with them in case anything happens.
 
Man I'm still worried about Caster checking Ciel's body for surprises....I don't think we ever told Deis that Caster seemed to leave hooks in us. And Caster likes us more than Deis. I can't help but think that Deis' new body, assuming Ciel doesn't rez, is going to be trapped to hell and back.
I've been assuming Ciel's been alternately resurrecting and drowning this whole time.
 
[X] Ask Deis if she wants to talk to Seven.
-[X] Stay with them in case anything happens.
 
Hmm ... if you were Caster, what sort of traps would you use?

*unobtrusively takes out notepad*

Not sure if I should share...Caster is lacking in enlightened self-interest, so even if I could give you ideas to nudge Caster in the direction of traps that won't hinder the party as long as everything sticks to the agreements, I doubt Caster would use them. As soon as she's in a position of power, she tends to aim for seizing control rather than measured debate. Yay for trust issues.

...More seriously, if Flan gets cold feet about actually killing Berserker, Caster can probably force our hand via Deis.

I actually hope Seven could potentially negate the traps laid in Deis. Not....entirely impossible, I think, but probably very unlikely.



Also if Caster is able, she is probably stealing the fuck outta those Command Seals on Ciel. Maybe to give them to Souchiro-sama, but more likely to help ensure Saber's compliance.

Kind of a shame, it'd be nice if Flan could use them to contract with Lancer.
 
Hmm ... if you were Caster, what sort of traps would you use?

*unobtrusively takes out notepad*

The granddaughter of Helios would go with three effects I think:
-Solar flare bomb charge to terminate flan if she goes hostile.
-Remote Viewing tag to watch and learn. Flan is surprisingly friendly in a homicidal way, so people talk around her.
-Gravity crush(the one used to debuff Heracles) to immobilize her OR immobilize people around her. This is in case Flan goes on a bloodlust rampage or in case she nerds to take someone down. Gravity spell would seriously hinder Flan, but anyone short of Heracles would be pinned or outright pulped.

She'd avoid mind control due to split personality, and any damage that doesn't disable Flan in the opening shot.

On the other hand, Flan gets her in the feels, so it'd take something big.

I've been assuming Ciel's been alternately resurrecting and drowning this whole time.

Well, we buried that agent.
 
Well, we buried that agent.
It's actually kind of amazing that one of Ciel's greatest strengths revolves around vampires not giving a shit about the people they kill and would totally fall apart if she ran into one that buried her out of respect (in Flandre's case she had other motives, which means Ciel still has a chance to break free when they haul her up).

Actually, I wonder how often the Catholic Church has to go dig her up?
 
The granddaughter of Helios would go with three effects I think:
-Solar flare bomb charge to terminate flan if she goes hostile.
-Remote Viewing tag to watch and learn. Flan is surprisingly friendly in a homicidal way, so people talk around her.
-Gravity crush(the one used to debuff Heracles) to immobilize her OR immobilize people around her. This is in case Flan goes on a bloodlust rampage or in case she nerds to take someone down. Gravity spell would seriously hinder Flan, but anyone short of Heracles would be pinned or outright pulped.

She'd avoid mind control due to split personality, and any damage that doesn't disable Flan in the opening shot.

On the other hand, Flan gets her in the feels, so it'd take something big.

Pretty sure @Entropy Judge was talking about traps Medea would put in Ciel's body, soon to be Deis' body.
 
Oh, Ciel's body is easier. Spycam, control hijack, paralysis.

Assuming nobody notices the Buried Agent is still alive.

It's actually kind of amazing that one of Ciel's greatest strengths revolves around vampires not giving a shit about the people they kill and would totally fall apart if she ran into one that buried her out of respect (in Flandre's case she had other motives, which means Ciel still has a chance to break free when they haul her up).

Actually, I wonder how often the Catholic Church has to go dig her up?
Pretty rare, Nasuverse vampires generate so many corpses they tend to be pretty cavalier about those
 
Deis Talks to Seven
[X] Ask Deis if she wants to talk to Seven.
- [X] Stay with them in case anything happens.


"Well … why don't you try talking to her?" Deis frowns and cocks her head, and you gesture at the gun beside you. "There's someone inside here. Her name is Seven … she doesn't like me very much, but maybe you could talk to her and see if you can find anything out?" She stares at you for a moment before glancing at the weapon and shrugging.

"Sure, why not? Can't really do any work with Caster on her toes, after all. Anything I should know about her?" You look up, thinking.

"The woman from the Church seems to have been her master, so maybe don't tell her you're planning on using her body for a bit? Or maybe she wouldn't mind, I don't know … oh, she tried setting me on fire a couple times, but she's not that good, so don't worry too much about that." Deis gives you a look and chuckles.

"Alright, then. I guess I'll see you in a bit, then." You giggle as she disappears and Ershin moves next to the weapon. You help it rest the weapon against its helmet and flop onto your back to wait … but that doesn't last long. If only Archer would come by and either try to kill you or something - or you could just beat him to death when he's not expecting anything! Or even Berserker or Lancer would be fine. You sigh and look at Ershin, sitting there with the gun leaning against it.

"Hey, Ershin. What are you going to do when Deis gets a body of her own again?"

"… Deis has told me what will happen. She has created a system that will enable me to survive for a time after her departure, because she is not sure that the bodies she can acquire here will support her well enough. In this way, I can keep helping Deis! I will be sad when she is gone." You frown.

"And what happens after the system's timer ends?"

"If Deis still finds me useful, even if she is not inside me she can replenish the energy I need to function. If I am not useful, she will let me end." On the one hand, you can't blame Deis that much - Ershin is where she was imprisoned and she never intended for it to become alive. On the other, it's still her responsibility and it's quite loyal, so it at least deserves something better than 'letting' it end. That implies a level of uncaring that … you don't think Deis would apply to you, but she might apply to other people even if you care about them. Still, Ershin is hers, so you can't rightfully interfere unless she asks for your thoughts. You sigh, bored, and look up at the sky, and start identifying stars and constellations. It's something to keep you busy, at least for a while, and doesn't distract you too much.


An hour and a half after you stop trying to figure out the constellations, Ershin finally moves, taking the weapon away from its helmet, and you flop over to look at it. After a moment, Deis appears, leaning over the armor. "Flan, have you really been lying there for the past couple hours?" You shrug and nod.

"Nothing wrong with that. And if anything happened, I'd be right here to help you." Deis shakes her head. "Besides, this way I get to look cute and ask if you found out anything interesting!" You pout at her and she laughs.

"Alright, alright." You roll over and stare interestedly. "Well, you remember when we talked to Illyasviel about me? That bit about 'Guardian Spirits?' That's what she is, and while I can see the similarities, but there are a couple differences that are kind of important, so I just want to make sure that if we do end up trying that, she doesn't try making something that's designed to host a Guardian Spirit. That aside …." She rolls onto her back. "It's got to be tomorrow by now, right? Do you really think that Archer is going to show up tonight?"

"Hmm … a bit after, yeah. So it's Saturday, and we've been here almost a week." Deis tilts her head for moment, then laughs. You look at her in confusion, and she waves her hand.

"Oh, just thinking about scale. We've been here almost a week, and we haven't left the city. Less than a week after you'd met me, you'd all but declared war on a continent-spanning empire and blown up on of their most important bases." You giggle as you recall the memories. That had been quite fun, although the lack of things able to fight you was a bit of a damper. Even if you haven't shown your entire force here, at least some things are capable of standing up to you. You shrug as your laughter fades.

"… As for Archer, I don't know. I mean, if I were the one challenging some intruder, I wouldn't have set the bar for 'entertainment' on how that person performs against someone else, I'd be playing with them myself - if I gave a warning like that, it'd be so that the intruder isn't surprised and can deal with the interference quickly and then come play with me. But I don't know anything about this Archer, so I don't know if that's what he wants or if it's something else. And if he was the one to stop Caster from scrying on the church, why did he do that? Just to keep his privacy? If it's supposed to be a message of some kind - apart from "Stop spying on this place," - then it's too ambiguous. Is it saying "Come here and find out what happened," or "Stay away or this will happen to you"? If I knew where Archer is - or at least where he isn't - I might be more willing to go do stuff, but without knowing his intentions it's kind of difficult to figure out what's worth doing and what's going to get me a few dozen spears in the back." You shrug. "And at least staying here there should be some protection against a sneak attack." Deis nods approvingly.

"Pretty much treating him like a magician instead of a warrior and trying to make sure you aren't getting on his bad side? And he seems like the kind of guy who'd keep a girl waiting just because he knows he can. Well, if you want my advice, I'd say just take a nap or something. If anything happens we can wake you up, right? And if this Archer is strong enough that the current defenses can take Caster and me out before either of us can warn you … well, I don't think having forewarning is going to help too much in that case." She glances at the weapon for a moment. "Did you have anything special planned for this? I'd rather not mess around with its shape for now, but if you don't want to do anything with it I can bury it, too." Well, if Seven didn't say anything to Deis, she probably doesn't have anything she wants, at least not immediately. And it's not like you can use the gun effectively, so there isn't much point to keeping it out ….


What do you do?

[ ] Let Deis bury it.
- [ ] Go to sleep.
- [ ] Go to the church.
- [ ] Go bother Tohsaka.

[ ] Keep it out.
- [ ] Go to sleep.
- [ ] Go to the church.
- [ ] Go bother Tohsaka.

[ ] Other?
 
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