611/A Rider of Blue's Appearence

A Rider of Blue's Appearence
Date of Scene:	17 September 2014
Location:	The Tundra
Synopsis:	A new Servant and his Master get lost in the Tundra and stumble upon the locals.
Cast of Characters:	12, 76, 346, 482, 518, Sir Gawain, 560, 566, 567

---

Rider of Blue (567) has posed:
    The Tundra! A slightly desolate landscape where not that many people live, so it's kind of odd to hear the loud roar of a sport touring motorcycle over the mostly quiet sounds of nature. Even odder is the fact that its driver, who is currently clad in blue motorcycle leathers and a full faced helmet, is somehow managing to navigate the roadless landscape with supreme ease, ensuring a safe and pleasant ride for himself and his passenger.

    After a while, however, the driver simply stops, looking around. After surveying the landscape for a moment, he turns over his shoulder to speak to his passenger, taking his hands off the handlebars to shrug.

    "I think we're lost. Well, at least, we're not where we were. Though where we were is kind of questionable." came a muffled voice from inside the helmet.

    "Though, I know we're in a place that's said to be magical, yes?"

Sieg (566) has posed:
    There is a second rider on the motorcycle. A heavy coat is worn over the top of exceedingly formal clothing. In terms of physical stature, he's small. Short and weakly-built for a teenager, but that's probably the age range he's in. Throughout the ride, the Homunculus has simply been holding on and observing in silence. It is difficult to get good conversation out of him, because he's only just become a person in a meaningful fashion to begin with. Now that they're stopped, he raises his hands to take off the fully enclosed helmet that he's wearing.

    Moderate-length sandy hair spills out, a mess from being stuffed in the helmet. The Homunculus shakes his head a bit and looks up towards Rider. Large red eyes blink slowly, then turn back towards the environment.

    "Locale has a high concentration of circulating mana. Not stagnant. Routine activity likely." The Homunculus speaks in a way that people just don't speak. Like he learned the language in a strange and exceedingly awkward kind of way.

    A moment passes, and the Homunculus clears his throat as he tries to speak like a normal person, "It's probably dangerous to be here. We should be careful or leave."

Mordred (12) has posed:
    Dangerous, yes!
    Though the cause of danger varies.

    The area shakes, briefly, and the snow is suddenly kicked up, as something evidently charges through it and causes a hell of a ruckus on its way towards the motorcycle. Large amounts of snow and ice are sent up in every direction, as though an ice breaking boat making its presence known by going full throttle.

    The closer it gets the more obvious it is it is no machine or vehicle but rather a very large beast on four legs, trudging along at a mad pace. It comes to a full halt as the snow cover becomes rarer around the beaten roads.

    Once the snow isn't causing a big white curtain to hide whatever it is, a massive hound of ice, evidently some sort of feral ice elemental, stands there, glowering at the lost duo. Silver and red armor covers some of it-- not a natural feature, and not steel either. Prana. A gift from the rider, a blonde teenager glancing at them from atop her mount. Mordred, wearing very light white and blue snow clothes meant to vaguely act as camouflage in the area, complete with cool goggles atop her head, but no gloves, raises a brow.

    Seems she is playing scout today.

    "How th'hell did you drive a motorcycle here long enough to get lost?" Normal humans probably couldn't, but she's not actually paying enough attention to tell a Servant from a human right now.

Onikaze Kenshin (76) has posed:
    A curious traveller walks the road. A man in the outfit of a wandering ronin marches across the tundra. The heavy cloaks move around him as he marches and a straw hat conceals the upper half of face while cloth covers the lower half. Snow crunches under foot with every step. But most curiously, and perhaps most oddly, is that the whipping winds and icy gales seem to not touch him. They move around him, past him, over him. But he is never disturbed by them.

    There's also the fact that his walk is a stutter. Not in the sense that he walks strangely, but more in the sense that he seems to blink out of existence for moments at a time only to reappear hundreds of yards ahead of where he was moments ago. That's actually probably the most odd thing, so forget that wind part, which is still pretty odd.

    Whether the bike saw him before now is up to the two riders. If they did see him, it's very odd for him to have kept pace despite his walk seeming a slow and deliberate march across the snowy plains. His robes trail around him as he seems to walk right by the two figures. He first touches two fingers to the brim of his hat, not lifting his head as he walks by. Of course, his progress is halted as the giant ice beast shows up.

    He stops to observe the creature.

Saber (346) has posed:
     From the opposite direction, another motorcycle -- a Yamaha V-Max -- approached. This rider likewise easily guided the vehicle otherwise completely unsuited to the terrain and road conditions with steady, practised hands. And, of course, a little bit of prana. The rider was surely not human...not any more.

     Even from within the walls of Dun Realtai, the Servant Saber had sensed that unmistakeable winds of prana as they approached from the Tundra, beyond the more familiar traces of the other two Sabers living there. Within a matter of minutes, the petite blonde was dressed in the three-piece black suit she wore for riding her Yamaha V-Max -- albeit with a black trenchcoat over it for the sake of warmth -- and heading out into the snow-covered lands which lay beyond the thawing fields and pasturelands to investigate.

     It was entirely possible that the source of that prana was there by accident...though it was equally as likely that it was deliberate. And the petite blonde was not in the mood to take chances when it came to any potential threat to her new home.

     The motorbike came to an easy halt a short distance away, evaluating the strangers with critical jade eyes.

     At least, until the Saber of Red came bounding out of the snowy abyss mounted on another one of the corrupted ice hounds. Arturia blinked in mild surprise; she certainly hadn't expected /that/. Certainly not that Mordred had managed to wrangle another one.

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
The Yamaha V-Max has two passengers, actually. The second is a much taller figure, riding just behind the motorcycle's driver... but the difference is that Bedivere of Dun Realtai is not accustomed to such things. He wears a three-piece suit much like Arturia's, but his is more of a charcoal grey, with a coat of his own thrown over it, and a white scarf wound around his neck.

He'd cut a dashing figure if he didn't look bloodless and terrified, gripping Arturia as tightly around her torso as he dares, clinging for dear life. It's his first time on a motorcycle, especially in such inclement terrain, and to say that he looks shaken when she finally pulls the vehicle to a halt is probably an understatement. Still, she hadn't been reckless; it was more a measure of the unfamiliarity of such a mode of transportation than a reflection on Saber's (admittedly excellent) driving skill.

That doesn't stop him from sliding off quickly, though. Over his shoulder is his longsword in its scabbard, distinctly anachronistic against the backdrop of the modern suit; he squints, regarding the Rider of Blue and his passenger for some time, though there's no evident familiarity.

Bedivere is wearing gloves, at least, and that disguises the command seal on his hand. He flicks a brief glance to Arturia. /Are they the source of what you had felt?/

Still, he looks over to them, studying both the Rider of Blue and Sieg warily -- but he makes no motion for his sword, and...

Oh, look, Mordred found a demon dog. Bedivere casts her a blank look. Of course she would show up on something like that. A normal motorcycle just isn't good enough for her, is it?

Shaking his head, he looks around to the strangers, then, thinning his lips as he decides what to do about this. He's not certain he wants to extend hospitality and invoke Brehon Law -- besides which, they're no longer quite on Dun Realtai's lands. Instead, he glances back to Arturia; a subtle motion. /What should we do?/

Sir Gawain has posed:
Following not far behind the Yamaha and its rider is another motorcycle, driven with the same precision and prana-cheating as the other. The white motorcycle could seem almost disguised in the snow, if not for the sounds of the engine and for the fact it is going past the normal safe speed limit.

This bike was carrying both a driver and a passenger, a blonde hair man in a gray suit with a golden tie at the helm of the bike, forgoing silly things such as coats, either because he's daring or because he's an idiot. Stopping not far from Arturia and Bedivere, Sir Gawain pulls Gringalot II, his bike, to a halt, extending a hand to help the passenger off, before turning to Arturia and Bedivere, and then to those around.

He squints over at Rider of Blue and Sieg, looking over both them and their bike for a few moments, before he opens his mouth to speak to his King and Marshal.

But then, knight on a hellhound! Sir Gawain /stares/ in Mordred's direction, a slightly unhappy look on his face, before he speaks. "Good lord above, is she riding Kepas' older brother or something?".

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    The passenger of Gawain's Motorcycle is none other than Emiya Shirou, red-haired, amber-eyed, amateur magus. He's in a thick coat himself, but beneath that is an armored vest lifted from the Union inventory. Made of some mighty tough yet light fiber weave, with durability and impact absorbtion factors easily comparable to plate mail. But only a vest, to guard his vitals.

    "Th-thanks!" The Magus stammers as he accepts the help off the bike. In this frigid climate, after such a dizzying ride, he kinda needs it.

    He might need it even more once he takes stock of the crowd Arturia's lead them all to.

    Oh great. More monstrous spirits. Shirou gapes, but quickly slams his mouth shut. This place is beyond dangerous. Hopefully it doesn't get nasty for some reason or another.

    "You know her?" He asks Gawain, regarding Mordred. He takes another good peer at the elemental rider, barely peeling his attention away from Rider of Blue to do so.

Rider of Blue (567) has posed:
    The man in the motorcycle helmet paused as he saw the gigantic ice hound coming up in front of him, and the man stood up from the motorcycle. "You said there was circulating mana around here, right?" he said to his companion, and without bothering to wait on his response, he strode forward towards Mordred, pointing a gloved hand at the girl.

    "Well, my dear, the only question I have for you is this!"

    His accent and voice, while audible, was still muffled and somewhat hard to make out.

    "What do you know about the Holy Grail War? I happen to be looking for it, on a quest, you might say, so I would appreciate any assistance that you or, uh...well, anyone else...ah. Hmm."

    He looked around at all the strangers, before taking a step back and looking towards the man with the robes and the hat.

    "I think we may have just walked into an ambush. I should've kept our tracks more hidden. Sieg, stay back, this is going to get ugly, I think!"

    One of the saddlebags of the big beefy tourer was kicked open, and...an assault rifle flew into the air, quickly grabbed by the mysterious man in the helmet and motorcycle leathers. Training it on Mordred while stepping back, while keeping an eye on everyone, including the stranger in the robes, the man spoke again."

    "So. I'm going to ask again: What do you know about the Holy Grail War?"

Sieg (566) has posed:
    The Homunculus tenses at the approach of so many other people. It isn't that he doesn't like people in and of itself. It's that he recognizes what these people are, by and large. Familiars, including a Master-Servant relationship. The strange status screen that Masters in all Grail Wars intuit upon viewing servants flickers into his mind over and over again. There is also something else, a strange sort of psuedo-sorcery at work nearby. A man stutters here and there, bridging gaps in impossible fragments of time. The surroundings should be squashing such effects, but it's just not happening with that guy. If not for the fact that there are just too many eyes on them, the homunculus would signal Rider somehow. But, he thinks it's probably not necessary.

    It's Mordred that gets the least uneasy look. She's familiar, in a strange sort of way that the homunculus doesn't quite realize just yet. He twists the helmet in his hands nervously, not willing to be the first to act. Instead, he looks to Rider, like a child seeking advice from his parent. There's no way this is about to go as bad as it looks like it is, is there?

    This kind of gathering of spirits has only limited possibilities to it. Heroic Spirits do make alliances based on master associations, but there aren't enough magi in the vicinity. Master-based associations don't do loose coordination. Therefore, it must be an alliance of heroic spirits. The question, then, is what alliance of heroic spirits? The Red Branch Knights, perhaps?

    There aren't nearly enough spears here for that.

    The Homunculus, evidently called Sieg, dismounts the motorcycle. He takes up a position next to Rider and looks around at those gathered here. He drones to Rider, "Multiple Saber-class containers present. One Master-Servant connection. All other connections are imperceptible."

    Sieg doesn't adopt a threatening demeanor like Rider does. He just keeps twisting his helmet in his hands.

Mordred (12) has posed:
    It is worth noting, for Sieg, that Mordred's stats are all blank, besides her class. The familiarity isn't missed on her end though-- can homunculi tell one another apart? Probably not, but there's always that weird tingle that something's familiar about the other. Maybe they can bond over it, later. More likely they'll be bonding over food, because that's how she functions.

    Many glances are given as people arrive. Mordred kind of huffs an idle "WHY is everyone glancing at me like I'm riding a monster, I'm riding a perfectly well behaved beast I found in the snow". She should have brought her bike, too. Oh well.

    The Servant gets a cross look on her face at the mention of the Grail, though. For someone to come all the way out here, seeking the Grail, they would have to be looking for opponents. And now that she thinks about that, that man is a Servant.

    "Oh? Well, if you seek the Grail, come and get it!"

    A dazzling silver sword appears in Mordred's hand, and she stirs the hound underneath her. It makes a mad charge for Rider and Sieg's motorcycle, wide grin on the teen-Saber's face.

Yuuki Kuran (518) has posed:
    The mountainous Tundra areas of the multiverse, lower than the glacial peaks and little valleys that hid all sorts of hidden castles and rustic villages and worlds just beyond the snowy veils and powdered fluff that falls freely through the air, holds many a hidden encounter.

    This encounter, though, is anything but hidden. The senses of a Hunter would be over-sufficent for finding this conflux of magical beings and contained arcana, and the predatory feelings of a Vampire would rear back at the sheer force and power present.

    However, Yuuki Kuran is a huge idiot.

    Today, she wants to make sure people treat each other decently, like a real hero. Nothing like what she Actually Is. But that's okay! She's totally Not A Vampire. She does however, appear out of nowhere, just sort of wandering up out of the snowy landscape.

    "Um..." She calls out, raising her hand like a schoolchild. "Excuse me! Hello?" She asks, before turning to Kenshin, standing on the path towards the direction she came from.

    "What's going on?" She asks to the Mystery Ronin.

Onikaze Kenshin (76) has posed:
    The man in the robes and sakkat looks around between all the gathered figures. Many thoughts go through his head. First is that these people riding out to meet him must be the lords of this land. The second is that these strangers believe him to be in servitude to this lands lords. The third is that one of those two people are wielding a weapon he has not seen since his worlds rebirth. He tries to recall the name...

    "... assault rifle..." He murmurs quietly under his breath. He looks to the girl who approaches him, responding softly, "Misunderstandings. Be careful, I would not wish to see you harmed." He says to her in a tone that carries a quiet concern. And then he flickers and vanishes from all sight.

    He reappears a moment later with a pointed and notable ruffling and whirling of robes. In his right hand he holds a sheathed katana, gripping it tightly by the saya as he rbings it up towards Mordred's warbeast, seeking to strike it squarely in the concept of movement with a powerful sorcery geared towards stopping it dead in its tracks with a massive pulse of power that blows the snow clear around him in a heavy pulse of counter-force to his spell. A bleeding effect of trying to stop something so large. Its efficacy is also up to Mordred, but he hopes to stop it in its tracks.

    He slowly pulls back the cloth covering his mouth and lets his hat fall to rest against his back as he states, "When hasted words leave the mouth of one recklessly, they may carry into an unnecessary storm, where once there could be a gentle breeze."

    He looks up to Mordred, "My teachings forbid me draw my blade, lest I use it to kill. Please cease now, I do not wish to stain the ground red."

Saber (346) has posed:
     Sea-green eyes flicked to the tall platinum-blonde man who had accompanied her. She did not so much as part her lips to speak, though affirmed his unspoken question with a subtle nod. /it would appear so. One is a Servant, I have no doubt. That would mean the other is most likely his Master./

     She studied them for a brief moment. /Perhaps we.../

     Her gaze flicked to Gawain at his exclamation. "She has apparently found one of the remaining corrupted ice hounds," Arturia explained. "We were forced to put as many as we could down before they destroyed the village completely."

     She turned back to Mordred. "I am more curious as to where you located one..."

     It seemed the day was not quite out of surprises just yet. The Master and Servant -- at least, that seemed to be the only logical explanation -- were another displaced pair? But then, where was /their/ Unified world? They should have appeared in Fuyuki City or one of the other locations of their particular War.

     She regarded the sandy-haired man through slightly narrowed eyes, taking a slightly more defensive stance and slightly in front of Bedivere, though she remained in her suit and coat. Not that he would particularly like that, but that was her job as a Servant, after all.

     But it was the sudden demand which made for a much more difficult situation.

     "Hold," the petite knight told the stranger wielding the assault rifle with a hint of command, though sounding vaguely puzzled when she spoke next. "There...is no Holy Grail War in this place. There are those..."

     ...And there went Mordred. Arturia was not entirely surprised; for all she knew, these were combatants in her own War. On the other hand, just charging in was a fool's errand.

     She summoned Excalibur -- cloaked in Wind King -- to her hand yet remained in her suit, standing directly in front of her Master now. She had no fight to wage with this new Master-Servant pair, but neither was she about to let anyone harm her knight.

     She was not, however, expecting the honourable ronin's interception. Yet, she found herself grateful. "I thank you, Master Samurai," she responded. "I would prefer for blood not to be spilled, especially not in this place."

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
The tall man in the suit hesitates at the stranger's words. He seems equally undecided about the red-eyed homunculus, studying them both warily. He himself remains peaceble, though, and he makes no move for the sword over his shoulder.

That gun causes him to hesitate. He might not be that familiar with firearms, but he knows they're devastating weapons. He takes a step back, hands upraised. "Peace," he says, tone so gentle it sounds almost feminine, though loud enough to carry. "I did not come here seeking a battle. I am merely curious, for you are crossing near to my lands."

Bedivere is definitely not a Servant. If anything, there's barely anything supernatural about him at all. If he registers as a Master, it's weak and oddly vague; the flicker of a guttering candle, rather than the floodlight of a talented magus.

That also explains why he doesn't complain at Arturia's defensive stance in front of him. He knows he would have no hope of survival against a Servant with deadly intent.

And then Mordred charges forward on her hound, prompting him to take two steps back, hastily. Far be it for him to shy away from battle, but this is neither the time nor the place to fight, and he isn't wearing any form of armour. Truly, he'd only taken his sword as a deterrent. It's a mortal, nameless blade wielded by a mortal hand.

But he does not draw. Instead, he flicks a brief, alarmed look to Arturia. His left hand flexes, a gesture of clear agitation. /I cannot stand against a Servant, and I would not drag you down in my defense. If this is to be open war, we should retreat./

Fortunately Kenshin steps in, and Bedivere inclines his head to the swordsman, grateful, however subtle the gesture may be.

But he watches, tense; apparently deciding that he doesn't feel like talking over any of the others. Antoher quick glance is flicked at Arturia.

/Perahps we should let Sir Gawain investigate; he is, after all, a Servant. I do not think it wise for you and I to linger here. No matter my training, I cannot stand as an equal to a Servant.../

Sir Gawain has posed:
"A Holy Grail War? I know of it, but why do you ask? There is none going on in this location.". Sir Gawain stares at Rider of Blue, until Rider of Blue draws his weapon. Gawain also has the hunch that this is a pair of Master and Servant, and dashes to the side. "I do not wish to combat you, please put down your arms.".

And then Mordred and Demon Hound attack! Sir Gawain grimaces, as a veil surrounds him for all but a second, disappearing and revealing armor, floral printed with blue underclothes. At his side is an ornate blade in a hilt, which he draws, but points towards Mordred and her beast, not Rider of Blue and Sieg.

The blade is one of legend, and whilst it barely resembles it, it is not Excalibur, but infact its' sister blade, Excalibur Galatine. Sir Gawain shouts towards Mordred, as he leaps onto his bike, for it be his steed, and starts the engine.

"Saber of Red! I do not know why you are here, but you are escalating things too fast, too far!". Gawain grimaces, and even with all his stupid moments, he's not dumb enough to out Mordred in front of another Servant. He only hopes she can share the same respect to him.

Turning to Shirou, Gawain speaks. "Sir Emiya. Would you like to join me on my steed into combat? If not, perhaps see to the Master and Servant pair? I will deal with Saber of Red.". He speaks of confidence, perhaps overconfidence, as he waits several seconds for an answer, and eitherway, he ramps up his engine, before charging himself and the bike straight at Mordred, blade outstretched. He does not speak to Kenshin, though he is noticably attempting to stay out of his path, aiming for Mordred and her beast primarily.

He's probably going to need to take this in for repairs after today.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    The Holy Grail War. There's that phase again. The one that supposedly takes place in HIS HOME CITY, freakily enough. Although the Multiverse taught him that, it also pointed out that there are others, so maybe it's not that freaky?

    No, anything that involves summoning heroes of legend and having them duke it out for a wish is pretty freaky, no matter where you put it. It wouldn't be any freakier even if it took place on the moon.

    A bit late, Shirou realizes he might be mistaken for Gawain's Master in this situation. Maybe. It's kind of laughable to imagine, but over there is Bedivere and Arturia!

    "You're going to just up and fight?!" Even when the newcomers aren't necessarily hostile? He's staying away from the motorcycle. "I'd just slow you down, um... Saber." No using the real name, right! Not in front of a foreign Servant.

    But it feels awkward. There's only one Saber in his vocabulary, it's not the boisterous and hot-blooded Gawain. Somehow.

    Or Mordred over there.

    Still, he'd better be ready in case anything weird happens. "Trace, on." The magus mutters.

    Golden light streams from his palms as he brings them together, and it swiftly forms into... an ancient relic of a blade. It's forged out of dark metal, with a spiky grip that's only manageable thanks to leather wrapping. The blade is simple, never mind the upswept double-winged pommel - a rather odd design. No, the strange things about the minimally-ornamented blade is the POWER it contains. It's a Noble Phantasm, no mistake.

    As proof, wind gathers idly around it, though SHirou makes no move to attack or anything. He's frightened considerably by Onikaze's display, but even so, he has one question for the odd pair.

    "Are you two aware you're in the Multiverse right now? A collection of different worlds and times?" It may be important! Since maybe they're just lost...

Sieg (566) has posed:
    "No Grail War." The homunculus called Sieg repeats, staring towards Saber. It doesn't seem to perturb him that he can't ascertain much about Mordred. Maybe he didn't look close enough to figure it out. The question is etched in his face before he asks it. "If there is no Grail War here, then why have you been summoned?" It doesn't make sense for such costly familiars to be in existence entirely independently. Then again, one of them here definitely isn't a spiritual body. He's got to be a master. Were there grail wars in the distant past? Maybe so, but not THAT far back.

    If he is a Master, then he's a poor one. He makes no move to get out of the way of the fighting, and seems to have no ability of his own beyond identifying magical phenomenon around him. Red eyes flick between Saber and Bedivere. The connection is something he can discern, but it doesn't make sense either at a closer look. The man isn't even an adequate battery, much less a good master.

    So why...

    One of the other Saber-class servants steps in. Sieg looks towards Gawain, and then towards his weapons and armor. Not unexpected, though the homunculus is not familiar with the weapon. After a moment, he asides to Bedivere, "Battlefield conditions sub-optimal. You won't become involved unless you go out of your way to get involved. Um... did you say you live out here?" He looks around at the surroundings, his expression incredulous. As if to say: Why would you do that to yourself?

    Shirou catches his attention with an incantation. Sieg stares at him unblinking as he works his magic, and tilts his head to one side. "Gradation Air, variant. Amount of power invested is disproportionate to end result. Not possible with ordinary magecraft." This kid soaks up magic on observation like a sponge.

    Lastly, his gaze falls upon Yuuki. Sieg blinks a few times, and then raises his fingers to his lips and WHISTLES sharply. It's a piercing thing, perhaps augmented a LITTLE bit by magecraft. Improvised, to be sure, though anybody with a sense for it gets a sudden glimpse at just how deep this kid's mana supply runs. The answer is, 'Arbitrarily.', and, 'You can't actually see the bottom.' He points towards Yuuki.

    "Involvement of non-Magi in Grail War conflicts is strictly prohibited. A cease-fire is called for!" Sieg announces, to everyone at large.

Rider of Blue (567) has posed:
    The man with the assault rifle kept the weapon up, but grinned under the visor of the motorcycle helmet as Mordred drew her blade. "I see! So it seems the girl has some tee-" And then the...samurai comes in? Servant? Maybe. "Uh...huh. I don't know why you're doing this, but if this isn't your fight...well, you know what? If you're willing to do that, why don't you help me out here. Well. Unless you're in this with the rest of us as well. In which case, I can't say I won't be fighting you as well!"

    "One, two, three, four...how many Sabers do we have? And a master who thinks he can fight as well?" the man said, backpedaling extremely slowly. "This is getting interesting. I thought I already knew of two...maybe this entire war just has a good number of them!"

    The finger was just about to squeeze the trigger, and the man had hunched over, ready to take the first step in a sprinting advance, before Sieg's piercing whistle cut through the air. He froze, right on his toe, flailing a bit before catching himself.

    "Sieg! Is this really the time or place to be making with the rules right now?" came a shout from within the motorcycle helmet. "You know there are people who don't care about those!"

    The weapon remained raised as the man circled over to behind the red-eyed homunculus, ready to engage the first person who made a move towards him. "We could've just poked them enough to learn what they're capable of, rescued the girl and ran, you know."

Sieg (566) has posed:
    "Three Sabers, one non-magus master, one sorcerer, one magus, and one civilian." Sieg repeats for Rider's benefit. He's classifying Kenshin as a sorcerer because he has no other way to explain the nonsense that he's been pulling off. He looks up to Rider, "One Saber is hanging back, another has come to our defense, and the third is the only attacker. This is not an ambush. I believe that man there is probably telling the truth." He nods towards Bedivere.

    "For some reason, some of these people choose to live out here." He adds, simply.

Mordred (12) has posed:
    Kenshin's slash cuts the hound's concept of movement in half. Literally in half, as its speed crawls to a near-stop, the Servant upon it realizing her mount has been rendered more than useless already. If her Riding skill were higher, maybe she could bleed her Magic Resistance into it, and it wouldn't be such a big deal-- but it is not, and so the best she can do is provide the hound with a layer of armor not unlike the one she SHOULD be wearing.

    Come to think of it, she kind of forgot.

    Probably for the better, since it causes her to reconsider going on the offensive right now. What with Gawain beelining for her, her father being present, Bedivere... being Bedivere, that mysterious wiseman, the two unknown, the girl-- okay, this is a weird gathering, officially.

    Having stopped, it'll be fairly trivial for Gawain to ride in front of the hound and point his sword at her, though. Mordred frowns, and her bright red and silver armor shimmers on top of her body, deciding that it, suddenly, exists. The helmet is not visually present, although its effects linger anyhow, obscuring her status screen. She'd have to shed that protection if the fight got serious, though right now it seems like it might not.

    The Knight of Treachery grins, hopping off her mount. She points at Rider of Blue. "You! I really like the way you think. Well, not the running part, but making the most out of the moment. Rules, though, huh... MY Grail War doesn't have any of those, so maybe you're offcourse coming to look here." (Spoiler: technically hers does, but since the factions haven't made themselves known, nobody from any official agency has even appeared, and all of the involved Masters are outsiders... whoops.)

    "Fine, fine. Chivalry code, if you call for talking I can't lift my sword against you. Y'hear that blondie?" She glances towards Gawain, lowering Clarent to her side. Just to make sure he does not continue to pursue her. Fun as it would be to spar with him, it's not the place! Or time.

    "So sure, let's talk. And yeah well about that, supposedly it's not ALWAYS winter here, but I'm still skeptical of that and awaiting proof."

Sieg (566) has posed:
    "That one will probably break the rules once everybody else is looking away." Sieg adds, once Mordred is done talking. He's nodding at her.

Yuuki Kuran (518) has posed:
    Yuuki blinks, at the back of the crowd, seeming confused. The whistle was a piercing sort, and there was a fight beraking out that seems to have just dissipated. As everything goes from 'going to absolute shit' to 'nice' once more, Yuuki pleasantly approaches Rider of Blue and Sieg, looking curiously up at the giant ice dog, and then Gawain...

    Then she drops her fist into her open palm. "I remember now! You're the magic knights from that castle, that saved that little town from the ice-monsters." She offers, raising a finger and nodding sagely.

    "I was wondering why so many people were gathering in the tundra, but then again, a few worlds find their entrances here. Like mine! My mansion is back..." She gestures generally behind her. "That way. And... Civilian?" She wonders, before reaching for her right bicep where a certain band of cloth is not. She looks a bit embarrased. "Well, I'm a guardian of sorts. Though I'm not as great as my bodyguard at the whole job. But I thought if I wanted to get better at things, I would need practice!" She balls her fists and gives a very anime 'gutsy fighting determination pose'. "So here I am! Ready to solve your problems, and help you out!"

    She steps closer, looking confused. "I'm not a Civilain, though... I'm... A guardian! That's right. And what's a Grail?"

Yuuki Kuran (518) has posed:
    "Also, because maybe some of us have remote mountain mansions? I mean, where would you build your secret seclude mansion?" She asks to Shirou with complete seriousness.

Saber (346) has posed:
     Saber shook her head. "No, there is not. The truth of the matter is that...I suspect that this is not the world of your origin. Nor is it ours, in truth."

     The Servant frowned slightly; Sieg hardly seemed a proper Master, but the same could certainly be said of her third one. A command seal would answer that question, but his hands remained hidden.

     /There is something peculiar about this one,/ Arturia inflected to Bedivere with a telling glance. /I cannot ascertain with any certainty that he *is* a Master, or a decoy as Irisviel was for my first Master./ Speculation, of course, but there seemed something inexplicably *off* about the two.

     As things excalated abruptly, she nodded to her marshal. /I agree. I will not risk you over such a thing. You are right...I would have Sir Gawain look into this./

     The said knight may have been a bit on the silly side at times, but he could always be counted upon when it mattered. Just as she would have asked, the Knight of the Sun kept Mordred's true identity hidden, regardless of whether 'father' and homunculus 'son' remained at odds or not. However, the King of Knights had yet to explain to the knight of Orkney that the Saber of Red had been offered a place at the rebuilt Round Table. That is, if Arturia ultimately decided to rebuild it.

     It remained a possibility, though something of a dream. At present, there was only the three of them, and she had not seen Lancelot for some time. Aside from that, she remained uncertain; dedication to the virtues of chivalry and the desire to bring them to the people of the multiverse did not necessitate a renewed knightly Order. But perhaps, the reformation might serve as an inspiration? There remained a number of considerations before she called the knights to service once more.

     And for the moment, she had more pressing matters.

     She frowned slightly when Shirou traced what would have been a Noble Phantasm -- she had seen a similar sword launched out of Archer's treasury -- partly because that was the first time she had seen such magic and partly because stepping even tangentially into a Servant battle was not the best of tactics for a mortal, even a magi. On the other hand, he /was/ able to start impressing upon the pair that they were in the multiverse now.

     Fortunately, just as things looked as if they were about to take a turn for the violent, not only did Sieg call for a sudden halt, but Mordred stopped as well. Maybe that talk of some days ago had at least some kind of effect, even if she wasn't entirely sure things could be solved as simply as that. There were still a lot of Issues.

     With a stifled sigh of relief, Saber dismissed Excalibur, the traces of prana winds surrounding it likewise gone. She was not entirely sure why the sudden ceasefire, but...

     Oh. There was a Perfectly Ordinary Girl there. "Ah. Greetings, Lady Yuuki. You are correct, we are the protectors of Dun Realtai. It is good to see you again."

     The King of Knights turned her gaze once more to the strange gathering. There was likely little need to remain, having completed her impromptu investigation.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Shirou is not a Master. He has no intuitive sense for the Servants and their insane abilities around him. He has only the sense of a Magus - that these are insanely powerful spirits who could splat him if they so much as tried.

    And he still went and armed himself for whatever reason. And the Servant and Honmonculus completely ignored his question, annoyingly enough. Still, with Mordred calming down, maybe he won't need that weapon. Good. A fight here would just jeapordize Dun realtai's recovery, after all.

    But then.... OWWWW, his ears. Shirou nearly drops his weapon for more than a few reasons. His eyes snap to Sieg, flickering with alarm, as though saying 'who IS he?!'

    "I'll second that. There's no reason to fight out in this frozen nowhere. I'm really looking forward to spring." Mutter mutter.

    Injecting some normalcy into this, maybe it'll help matters.

    And THEN Yuuki has to go and stun him with an incredibly ridiculous question. He gawks at her. Though the look turns amazed, in a somewhat unnerved way.

    Oh. So he and Bedivere are the only humans here. Maybe that 'Sieg' person over there too. Maybe. What human could have such bottomless prana supplies, though?

    "Um..." But if she looks at him so seriously, he can't help but try and think through the issue. "Maybe underground, near a city or something." Wait, why is he even taking that question seriously...?

Onikaze Kenshin (76) has posed:
    Sheathed sword in hand, still not drawing it from that saya, Kenshin slowly lowers the undrawn weapon he was using as a spell focus as he looks to Saber when she vocally thanks him, "You are welcome, though I am no samurai. Simply a ronin and disciple of the wind." His hand goes back to pull up the jingasa pressing against his back, putting the hat back atop his head.

    To the Rider of Blue, Kenshin says very simply, "The wind blows for no master. The storms are its own and while many may request its boons, it will decide the path it takes. That path will often seek equilibrium." Which is Kenshin-speak for 'I don't really fight for them, but I'm also not going to fight for you. I mostly fought to stop a fight'.

    Shirou does get a brief look from him, not for any reason other than the sword he wields. Kenshin silently thinks something to himself and then turning back towards Sieg and giving him a curious look. Kenshin realizes his position is one that could see him struck from multiple angles and seems to vanish from the spot. In actuality, he's just now standing where he was, arm vanishing underneath the folds of his cloak.

Sir Gawain has posed:
As Sieg whistles and Mordred stops her assault, Gawain quickly steers his bike to a halt, skid marks made in the snow, though he's still glaring at her. "I am Saber of Gold, /Blondie/.". Maybe a slight smirk after that.

Gawain turns to Rider of Blue and Sieg, waving a hand at Saber. "She tells the truth! We are in what is a 'Multiverse', many worlds combined into one. I am from a Holy Grail War, but from neither of their's, and possibly not yours. There is no reason to start a battle here, when the situation is not even known!".

Sir Gawain turns towards Shirou. "Sadly, autumn is just ending. Winter is coming. Again.".

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
The knight in modern attire shifts his weight uncomfortably, violet eyes flicking between all of the instigators in this potential conflict. Arturia would sense his unease and discomfort; indeed, even Gawain may be able to sense the marshal's agitation. It isn't so much that he is afraid of battle, but he knows when he's outmatched, and he would not risk himself -- or Arturia -- over so petty a reason as this.

Bedivere's gaze flicks from one person to the next, trying to gauge them, study them; watch their every move even as he keeps himself carefully manoeuvred away from their position. He's not precisely hiding behind Arturia, but he's careful not to expose himself within reach of their weapons. Or, in the case of the Rider of Blue, a direct line of sight.

Arturia can probably tank a bullet, even from something that might be a Noble Phantasm. Bedivere... cannot.

There is thankfully a call for cease-fire before he can worry any more over the outcome. He listens as they sort things out amongst themselves, but perhaps he's still a little concerned. He follows closely when Arturia moves toward her motorcycle, and though he's a bit awkward about it, he straddles the vehicle once more behind her.

"Well, we have satisfied our curiosity, so I believe we shall take our leave." His violet eyes flick toward Sieg and Rider of Blue as he leans forward, arms locking around Arturia's waist -- this is an incredibly embarrassing and inappropriate mode of transport, he decides -- as he does. To a lesser extent, he also glances to Onikaze and Yuuki. "Near to here you will find a fortress on a hill, and a village on its slope. It is the stronghold of Dun Realtai, and that is my land. You are welcome as visitors, though I ask that you leave your conflict behind. I should welcome you as guests, if you should choose to go there"

He looks forward, shaking his head. "For now, though, there is no more reason for us to be here. Good eve."

With a faint nod to those he knows here, the two take their leave as Arturia starts up the engine and guides the vehicle away.

Soon, they're just a faint point on the horizon and a trail of disturbed snow -- and soon even that's gone.

Sieg (566) has posed:
    It's Yuuki that Sieg chooses to focus on for a while, there. Why? Because she's talking about everybody assembled here, which happens to include a bunch of potential enemy servants. They're knights, which is a given, and they defended a village selflessly. It doesn't narrow it down too much, but it does concretely establish them as proper heroic spirits... with an anti-hero homunculus in their midst. Saber of Red is the key to discovering who all the rest of them are, he concludes. Vexingly, she is also the only one whose identity appears to be somehow shrouded. So much so in fact that he does not even neatly observe the similarities between her and the other two Sabers.

    "The Holy Grail War is a contest over a wish-granting device. It is called the Holy Grail. A number of Servants are paired with a number of Masters, and they fight to defeat or death. The last one standing gets their wish. Ordinarily, non-participants are not supposed to be involved for reasons of secrecy and safety." He explains to her, simply. It's not a very informative explanation, but it's good enough in the short term.

    Sieg nestles his helmet underneath one arm, exposing his hands a little more. There are in fact command spells there, but they look strange. They're not altogether foreign, but they're definitely "special". He observes the exchange between Kenshin and Rider, frowning slightly.

    "You aren't a sorcerer?" He asks, more out of curiosity than true need.

    In regard to the lack of productivity in conflict between them, Sieg notes, "The fuel system of the Holy Grail War is most likely not immediately interdimensional. Conflicts within the borders of our realities would be productive, but out here I don't think success could occur for any side." It's a roundabout way of explaining something horrible. If the Grail doesn't have dominion over the war, then where does the servant's mana go at the end of it?

    "Goodbye, Sir. We'll come visit you eventually." Sieg says to Bedivere, raising a hand to wave at him. It's a bit childish-looking of him, really.

Mordred (12) has posed:
    "That and the more spread out the Servants are the least likely they are to fight, and then you just went from a tense war for a wish, to a slice of life that might, sometimes, have fightin' in it," Mordred adds to Sieg's final bit there-- perhaps, just a bit, complaining about the fact the snail's pace of her Grail War has become such that it can't even be called a war anymore. It has its advantages-- a second life, the chance to work out her issues with her father, find a master she actually enjoys the company of and doesn't mind living with. On the other hand, the thrill's gone.

    Maybe that's why she jumped the gun on Rider.

    OR MAYBE MORDRED IS JUST KIND OF A LOOSE CANNON.
    50/50, take your pick.

    She does, incidently, choose to ignore Sieg's earlier lack of social filters. He's kind of right. She takes no offense at it, and just seems to keep grinning at the comment.

    "So you're his Master then? Why'd you give him a firearm? What kind of Servant just hauls an assault rifle around? Where's your magic sword of shooting laser beams? No, actually, let's skip to the interesting part. Gun, motorcycle... Archer? Rider?" She could have guessed Saber, too, but Sieg didn't seem too surprised there were so many Sabers about already. At least, not in a way that indicates 'how are these Sabers, my guy is a Saber!'.

Mordred (12) has posed:
    And to Gawain, Mordred-- creeps in closer.
    And wraps an arm around his shoulder.
    Yes, she's like a foot smaller than him, shut up. She still pulls him in tight. "Yer freaking adorable when yer rebellious. Leave that to me, it ill-suits you, mister Saber of Gold."

Rider of Blue (567) has posed:
    There was an uncomfortable pause as the man in the all-covering motorcycle leathers and helmet remained hunched over, before he finally straightened up, raising his weapon. "Well, your Grail War and my Grail War are...wait. Multiple...Sieg, do you think that's part of it? I told you about what Ruler said, so, maybe we can use these other 'Grails.'" As Mordred continued talking and Yuuki chipped in, the man tilted his head slightly. "Ah, you are all knights? How quaint! Though, I suppose birds of a feather do flock together."

    When Yuuki got into her ANIME FIGHTAN POSE, the man came forward, confident enough that nobody would jump Sieg, and looked down at her through the visor of the helmet. "I think you are a tiny bit out of your league, though not for lack of trying! If you know those others, though..." He turned to look at the odd collection of servants and magi. "The Grail...or a Grail, is a magical object which grants a wish. Simple enough, no? Unfortunately, our particular Grail is the subject of a competition of arms."

    "Though, tell me this then, Master who thinks he can fight: why do you parade yourself so openly? Is there an alliance binding all of you? You know as well as I that there can only be one victor." The 'sorceror' received a shrug. Apparently, motorcycle-man was not a fan of the way he spoke. "Suit yourself, though a man whose alleigances are shrouded cannot be trusted."

    As Gawain said his piece and attempted to explain the situation, the man shrugged again. "You may speak truth, but I know my situation perfectly well. I must consider you all potential threats, or at least, those of you who are Servants. But then again, it does not mean we have to be unfriendly."

    As Arturia and Bedivere ride off, the man in blue called after them: "Only if you promise that there's wine!" before turning to Mordred. "Telling would leave all the fun out of it, no? Perhaps I am a Caster, and this is merely a facade. Or, I am simply a Noble Phantasm myself, an Assassin's projection." Mordred could almost just feel the grin behind the visor as he spoke.

Sir Gawain has posed:
"I have not even met any Servants of my war yet. And I do not know how long it will be until I do.". Sir Gawain adds to Mordred's statement. He hasn't been in the Multiverse game long, though, so she probably knows more about it than he does.

And then GAwain turns to Rider of Blue, as he speaks of alliances. "No. We are all of different wars, of different worlds, for different grails. Killing each other is not beneficial to us. Though, I would not be surprised if /she/ did it anyways.". Gawain glares at Mordred, before he caught off-guard by her wrapping her arm around his shoulder, a very low growl. "I can be plenty rebellious /whenever I want/, Saber of Red. I could probably be better at it than you, if I tried.~". Yup. Gawain still totally sees her as the ultimate rival in everything ever. But also one that he can't necessarily trust.

"No, we do not. There should be wine. And I will not force you of your class. It might make itself apparent eventually."

Onikaze Kenshin (76) has posed:
    Kenshin looks to Sieg, "I am, but I do not believe I am the same type of sorcerer you think me to be," He says in a non-commital way. He bows at the waist to Sieg, "They call me Onikaze Kenshin, the name I took for myself after my world was reborn. I am one who pursues a concept, and I taught myself the arts of sorcery to pursue that. When you seek the wind, you find that it enlightens you to many limtations you may discard."

    To the Rider of Blue, he corrects rather simply, "You mistake what you cannot see for obfuscation. The wind moves, and you can feel it, yet you cannot see it. Does that make its actions shrouded?" He tilts his head thoughtfully, "I have an allegiance, and that allegiance is to my pursuit of the wind. I follow its teachings and model my life after it. My alliances are to that and to my personal bushido."

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    "Yeah, I know." Shirou barks back at Gawain, irritably. Two winters, geeze, how ridiculous...

    Though, what's more ridiculous is how this turned into a strange meet and greet out in the middle of nowhere. A whirlwind of broken socializing over the weirdest topics. It's so bizarre that Shirou just ends up blinking a few times at Sieg's telling of the matter.

    At least things seem to be calming down. Or so he'd think.

    Then the Servant who reeks strangely of blood in a way he can't quite describe is right over there with Gawain acting chummy. Shirou makes a choking noise, stammers out a bit of nonsense, and stares at the exchange.

    He's gonna have questions for the Knights after this... seriously. Especially because Bedivere and Arturia are leaving in this mess....

    By now, Kusanagi has begun eroding. The tip down, it's just not lasting at all.

Mordred (12) has posed:
    "You could not be rebellious if a dragon told you it was that or the princess dies," Mordred says to Gawain, all too happy to banter back. She couldn't predict the result of a swordfight with him, but she could predict the result of a rebel-off with him. Probably. She's pretty sure she could. Gawain is many things! A rebel he is not. Mouthy, maybe.

    Then to the mysterious Servant, finally letting go of Gawain. Clarent disappears, and Mordred walks closer to Rider of Blue, inspecting him. No, she's definitely not seen that look before. Did this clown try jumping into a flaming hoop from a ramp on a motorcycle and die, and do it so amazingly he became a hero? Might just be a casual look too, but... biker leather, really?

    "Well, he's right, anyway. Since we're in different wars, killing each other has no benefit except the fun and thrill of it. And don't get me wrong, that would be worth every injury suffered, but I guess there'll be plenty of time to kill each other for the throne when we've all won our wars, hm? If you want to duke it out though, just say the word."

    She backs away, since there's nothing to see.

    "Ruler, huh... now there's a name that sounds familiar, but I can't place it. Well! Whatever. We'll figure this out as we go along. I ain't the exposition type. So back to the first question! The hell'd you come all the way here for? Sure ain't a prime vacation spot."

Yuuki Kuran (518) has posed:
    "What good is a mansion if it's underground? Then it's just a cave..." Yuuki mumbles, seeming lost in thought. She was an inhuman monster on the inside, but still, she had been reading stories of vampires from other realities, and she felt no need to hang upside down, or in a coffin, or scree like a bat or turn into mist or ANY of that. So a cave? Even a cave of bats was pretty much 100 percent not her speed. "But, I mean, I guess that's what you'd do?" She offers with a bright smile, not putting hom down. Then... "A device that grants wishes? Well, I wouldn't know about that. But the knights of Dun Realtai... Which is over that-a-way." She gestures off into the snow. "Seem to be good people. They had a nice party a while ago. Weren't you invited?" She wonders, obviously having no idea how everything works. "I'd say he's more... A wordsmith." She offers, on the subject of Kenshin, with a little grin and a thoughtful tap of her chin.

    Then... Rider of Blue addresses her, looking down upon her shortness. "Out of my league? I have wishes too, you know." She shoots back, a bit grumpily. "Though I don't think I'd want another contest of arms. All I want is peace and to help people. I can find a way to get my wish without hurting anybody else - I know it. I just have to find the way."

Sieg (566) has posed:
    "Placing a container inside of a container isn't productive." Sieg remarks to Rider, when it comes to matters of multiple Holy Grails. "I don't object if you want to look into it, but it involves having many more enemies than we will already." Particularly the people who are gathered here, since they've heard them plotting about this openly just now. Having already discussed this much in the open, he decides to continue talking shop to Rider.

    "They are associated with a place called Dun Realtai. Miss Guardian..." He inclines his head respectfully to Yuuki, "... Stated that she has seen them all working together in concert for the benefit of others, making it likely that they are true heroic spirits and not anti-heroes. 'Magic Knights.', she said. If they have back-up, it is most likely in the form of other Sabers, Lancers, and Archers."

    "Since they are maintaining a fortress and a society, it is safe to assume that they have a reliable source of local mana and monetary backing. Based on behavior, they are not exploiting the souls of humans for power. Additionally, if they claim to be a part of separate Grail Wars, then it is likely their obligations will see them either depart in unison and in force together... or split apart at indetermine junctures." In other words, they can count on this many not being present at some point in time.

    "The one who drew a weapon that could not be seen greatly resembles this one," Sieg points towards Gawain, "and they appear to have a standing relationship with Saber of Red, who has some kind of anti-surveillance effect sitting on her. Judging by the fact that she and the Saber that just left both conceal their identities more thoroughly than most servants, it is likely that their identities are even more critical lynchpins than is ordinary for a servant. Since they come from separate Grail Wars according to their own story, they are either lying and have a standing post-war relationship... or their relationship began in their own legends."

    "All of that is irrelevant, though. I know how to identify them now." Sieg says, without any kind of pride. His focus returns to Kenshin. The things that he says don't really make sense to the homunculus, except that he's not exactly what Sieg thinks he is. Mostly. Acting in imitation, Sieg bows in turn at the waist.

    "They called me homunculus, but I've got a real name now. It's Sieg." The homunculus introduces himself, awkwardly. But there's something there, at the edges of him. The seed of a regal bearing that hasn't yet born fruit. Right now a light breeze could bowl him over, but it's certain that that won't last. Eventually, he'll be a great man. If he makes it that long. It's in his heartbeat.

    The whisper of greatness passes. Sieg looks flatly at Yuuki.

    "Insulation." He explains the benefits of underground housing in a single word.

Sir Gawain has posed:
"I could too!". Gawain can't seem to figure out a witty response to this, so just says the first thing to come to mind. He most definitely would lose a rebel-off with Mordred, though. But he'd try!

As Mordred disperses Clarent, Gawain finally sheathes Galatine, maybe taking a few steps away from Mordred. "Ruler? I have not heard of that title. Most definitely not from my war, if you have a class such as that in it.".

Sir Gawain would probably tell Sieg that they are actually the only Servants or so there, and that they only had Sabers, but that could be detrimental in the end. Instead, he slightly glares at Sieg as he speaks. "I am /not lying/. I do not lie, for it would tarnish my honor to do so!". Honor: protected. Identity: possibly unprotected.

Sir Gawain turns to Yuuki. "That is an honorable goal, my lady. Sometimes I wish all battles could be solved by peaceful means. I wish you luck in finding your wish without causing harm.". A warm smile as he says this, as well.

Mordred (12) has posed:
    "God damn your Master likes to talk," Mordred tells Rider, before her bright green eyes lock onto Sieg. There is a hint, a spark, a tiny ember of hostility. The kind that says, if they were to end up on opposite sides, he just made himself a very, very obvious target. He's far too cunning for a Master-- that sort of talk and observation can turn any Servant dangerous. Therefore, lop the Master's head off, it is much simpler.

    "But he's good. Really good! Not gonna lie, most of us are really awful at keeping our identities under our hats now. Been here too long. Everyone knows us. Made friends, enemies. Got to the point where calling each other by name was just easier-- and not as dangerous. If you think Masters who can fight Servants are odd, you're in for a rough surprise, but it plays in yer favor too. You make enough friends, and an army can come to your rescue anytime you need it. In those conditions, y'don't have to hide your name anymore."

    Fact is, Sieg could probably Google 'Saber of Red' and find Union and Confederate articles on Mordred at this stage. And from there find radio logs of her shouting at Gawain and 'father' and Bedivere and-- well, you get the idea.

    On the other hand maybe Sieg prefers the challenge of figuring it out!
    Or might not think to do something that simple.

    A glance towards Yuuki and Gawain, and Mordred sticks her tongue out. "Peace is fun and honorable, my lady! Now I must go save orphans and nuns from a burning building while fencing with this dark lord," she parrots.
    Prod prod. God she missed doing this IN PERSON.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    "erm..." Yuuki has a point, Shirou mentally notes. He blinks at her. ".... Okay, that answer didn't et much thought." He begrudgingly acknowledges. "Anyways, 'where to put your super secret mansion' isn't a question most people will end up thinking about." Most meaning normal, the unsaid thing. But there's no frustration or accusation in his tone aimed her way.

    Yuuki's manner is so pure and honest it's absolutely stunning to behold amidst this chaos, even if she's clearly inhuman to his gut feelings on the matter.

    What really gets him gawking is her stated wish. That.

    That's not very far from what he'd like to see. Not far at all.

    Almost as an afterthought, Shirou tosses the fading Kusanagi into the tundra ground. No reason to cart around.

    The boy just carelessly ditched a Noble Phantasm. It means nothing to him, apparently.

    "I'm Emiya Shirou, and I'm just a magus staying with the Knights of Dun Realtai. The village needs every pair of hands it can get to prepare for winter. I'm not a Master." As if to prove it, he shows off both his arms. They're bare of Command Spells.

    He ends up glaring at Mordred though. She is pissing him off . Hugely. Saber of Red is affored a glare filled with so much bit-back hostility she might be able to sense it. But Shirou says nothing about it. He'll need to leave when Gawain does, lest he be stuck out in the cold.

    "Sieg... that's a pretty weird name. I don't want to imagine this might be the case, but were you raised by a hardcore magus family or something? Talking that way will cause issues, if you do it all the time." It's like he's worried about the unfamiliar Magus, if only a little.

    Yeah, Shirou's not currently considering the two newcomers enemies at all. Not like he is Mordred.

Onikaze Kenshin (76) has posed:
    Kenshin extends a hand from under his cloaks and robes and places it on Sieg's shoulder, "Sieg. Well met." He looks at the homunculus, appraising him with careful eyes, "Even the mightiest of maelstroms can begin with a simple gust." He pauses and then states, "I hope to cross paths with you again during my travels, for they take me many places." And then he releases the shoulder unless Sieg had backed away before that.

    To Yuuki, he offers a bit more elaboration, "A wordsmith is one term." He smiles gently, "Many cultures have stories of the man who travels to the top of a mountain to contemplate existence, and whom then becomes an enlightened sage. This is similar to myself, though my journey is only in its youth."

Rider of Blue (567) has posed:
    "Ah, well, Sieg. I know the experience of having many, many enemies." said Rider, before coming up to Mordred and Gawain. "Why we came? Simple. We are in search of other things that relate to our quest." Apparently, he had gotten the hint for Sieg to stop talking shop. Considering the lengths he had gone to conceal his own identity, maybe he was planning on being vague all this time. As Gawain shot back at Mordred, the man slung his rifle and chuckled. "Perhaps you two should start your own show! I hear comedy is a rather well paying business in these days."

    In response to Yuuki, the man paused. "Obtaining a goal without hurting anyone else is a very hard thing to do. You may be able to do it for the wishes of one, but what of the wishes of many? Of a country? The more people you involve, the more that will stand in your way. It is simply the way of things." To Kenshin, another shrug. "Your 'bushido' sounds like it is defined by you, and only you. Perhaps you are suited to yourself, and that is all."

    NotEvelKnievel circled back to Sieg as Mordred said her piece, and he shook his head before folding his arms. "It depends. An army, eh? I know more than a little bit about those sort of things." Shirou would feel the Servant's eyes watching him just chunk away Kusanagi like a piece of trash, but nothing was said on that, nor Sieg's background. That was not for him to comment on.

Sieg (566) has posed:
    "When the things you can do best are observe and talk, you do those things a lot." Sieg says to Mordred, perhaps a little bitterly. He doesn't really know how things are out in the Multiverse, so he's just using what little talent he has to soak up information and use it. The fact that it makes him a target hadn't occurred to him at all. Or, maybe, it didn't really matter to him. He shifts his helmet, holding it by the straps and letting it dangle from both hands. Physically, there's no doubt that he's weak as they come. It's hard to imagine him being very useful at a servan't side.

    Mordred's mockery of Gawain and Yuuki gets a bit of chuckle out of Sieg. Even though she's being kind of hostile to him, he apparently likes her well enough. It's the similarity between them that's doing that, more than her attitude or anything else.

    The discarded projection that Shirou made earns Sieg's attention briefly, but he can't make heads or tails of it. It's not an ability that someone should have, and even if they did, it should use them up and kill them immediately.

    "No one raised me."

    Sieg looks up at Shirou.

    "I was made to be a battery for a servant. There is no use in naming a battery. The person who helped save me died when I ran, so I thought... maybe, I should take his name to repay him." He explains to the spellcaster. His voice has a shocked quality to it, but it's not quite normal. Sieg isn't developed enough to completely register the feeling, even though it's there in the distance. Like an echo from the depths of his own mind.

Onikaze Kenshin (76) has posed:
    Kenshin almost immediately whirls on his feet and faces the Rider of Blue, giving him a serious look, "Bushido has Eight Virtues which guide you in all aspects of life."

    He pauses, "Virtue One: Rectitude, ones power to decide upon a course of conduct in accordance with reason, without wavering; to die when to die is right and to strike when to strike is right."

    He continues, "Virtue Two: Courage. Courage is only worthy of being counted when it is exercised for righteousness and Rectitude. Perceiving what is right and allowing it to go undone reveals a man with no courage."

    No pause, "Virtue Three: Benevolence. A man with the power to command and the power to kill should also have the power to love. No man should be given a measure of power lest he show himself capable of being magnanimous."

    He states firmly, "Virtue Four: Politeness. Courtesy and good manners should be noticed by all who would meet a follower of bushido. More importantly, one should desire to be polite out of a desire to be a better person. One who is polite purely to avoid offending good taste does not understand this virtue. One must believe it in their heart."

    He recites once more, "Virtue Five: Honesty. One who follows bushido understands thrift, for the abstinence from a desire for money promotes an honest heart behind all action motivated, not by greed or self-serving. All actions should be motivated by the true intent of a follower of bushido."

    He continues reciting, "Virtue Six: Honor. One must remain ever-conscious of personal dignity and worth. Value the duties and privileges of your power, and disgrace should rest above your neck like the sword of your most dangerous foe. For honor, you should be willing to bear the unbearable."

    More firmly, he says, "Virtue Seven: Loyalty:. Never betray those who trust you. If you undertake a task for another, their task becomes more important than your life until you see it to completion. Your loyalty will define your Honor."

    He states with finality, "Virtue Eight: Character. One should behave according to an absolute moral standard. More than logic, you must know what is right and what is wrong. Prudence, intelligence, and understanding of ones personal moral code will define all other aspects of Bushido. Without Character, all of Bushido is worthless."

    He stares at Rider of Blue for a long moment before turning back to Sieg briskly and bowing apologetically, "I apologize for allowing my attention to be drawn. Honoring and repaying the sacrifice of one who gave his life for yours is noble, and I commend you for that. I, on the other hand, left my own name when I pursued the path I walk now. Kenshin serves as my new one."

Sir Gawain has posed:
"When did you learn to fence?", Gawain quickly quips back at Mordred, a noticably mischevious tone in his voice. He laughs slightly at Rider of Blue, responding happily. "I think they'd boo her off the stage within minutes of the act.~".

Gawain then turns to Sieg. "And I expect that he is proud, Sir Sieg. Your honor is admirable.". Sir Gawain smiles brightly at the homunculus, before turning his attention to Kenshin. "I see. It's similar to the Code of Chivalry. Perhaps I'll research more of your Bushido in the future.".

Sir Gawain leaps back onto Gringalot II, turning his head to Shirou. "Master Emiya. I believe we should be returning soon, it's far too cold to stand out here chatting!". He turns to Rider of Blue and Sieg, and then tips his head to Kenshin and Yuuki to acknowledge them too "You are welcome to join us, as my lord has said before.". And then Gawain turns to Mordred, a small grimace. "And it would be rude to not invite you as well..but I would advise against bringing the mutt.".

Rider of Blue (567) has posed:
    Rider quite politely sat through Kenshin's entire speech on his code and virtues, choosing not to interrupt. Finally, he spoke after the man was done. "It sounds like an honorable and stringent code to follow. That is, for a soldier."

    Turning to Gawain and Shirou, he nodded. "Leaving, then? It was interesting meeting you. To tell the truth, I am relieved that you are not from our little war, but still....perhaps we should involve you as little as possible in our affairs. More servants may fuel the flames of our war even further."

    A glance to Sieg was given after he explained his past. Well, he said it and put it out there. Maybe it'd help the boy. Or at least prod some new feelings into him.

Mordred (12) has posed:
    "Now there's a familiar song. I WONDER where I've heard it sung before," Mordred muses, as Sieg explains his background. If anything, he's very informative. Honest. He's observant but he's not a dick about it. Points in his favor. She's all too familiar with his story though. She's been there. Made for a purpose, nothing else matters. You're trash, really. Looks like he got out of it, at least.

    Ah well. Mordred turns towards Rider, and then jerks her thumb towards Gawain. "He'd put the punchline before the joke, wouldn't work." At least they are agreed on this.

    She seems to pay Shirou no mind. Either she can't notice his cringing, either she doesn't care. It's hard to tell. Maybe it's better for him all around. Sooner or later they'll meet up in Dun Realtai and the realization he has to interact with her (and also she is Saber's son/daughter) is going to sink in.

    "Yeah, well, careful. Whoever commands your war's Assassin is probably going to target you first, with those eyes. You don't look like you could fend 'em off, either." Helpful? Mordred? Let's just blame it on them both being similar people who went through the same rough shit.

    'The Mutt' has been kind of quiet since Mordred dismounted. Just sitting in the snow. Waiting. Big, loyal ice elemental doggy. An effect that'll wear off eventually, though. "Yeah, yeah, I'll either off it or find it some place away from the castle before returning." Returning. Not coming over. Now there's an interesting word choice.

    "Which I should do soon. Master to report to and all. Answer to your question, by the way. We have mana because we have good Masters. Harvesting people might be a nice backup but shit's highly inefficient when you just have a good battery." Choice of word intended.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    "No one--" What. WHAT. Those words slam into Shirou like some kind of monster from the depths. 'That's ridiculous!' He wants to blurt. It's even written all over his face. But he chokes on that urge.

    Shirou's shoulders slump a little. "I see." His tone's lost a lot of the spirit and roughness.

    Though Mordred's choice of words is again stewing up irritation in him. People are not batteries. And they most certainly should NOT be 'harvested.'

    That's the last straw. "For someone who wields such a dazzling weapon, your attitude is as bloody as it gets." He spits out Mordred's way, overcoming his own gut feelings of DO NOT AGGRAVATE THAT PERSON, SHE WILL STAB YOU.

    After all, someone over there's ranting about how anyone who doesn't do the right thing when they know what it is, is a coward.

    But this does seem like a really dumb moment to risk himself, when Dun Realtai's counting on him.

    "I've wondered about it from the moment I saw you. Heroic Spirits are supposed to be noble heroes, aren't they? Well, they wouldn't be saying that so callously..." He will never get along with Mordred. Ever. It's just how it is, apparently.

    He tears his attention away from her though, for just a bit, to aside to Sieg, "Listen to their advice and come visit! If your life's really been like that so far...." He lets the offer hang in the air, largely because he can't quite tear his attention away from Mordred too much even as he hops on the motorcycle with Gawain.

Yuuki Kuran (518) has posed:
    "You dropped your sword." Yuuki notes towards Shirou, going to pick it up. Hopefully she doesn't, like, get exploded on. Becuase she's a horrible monster! And sometimes, weapons do that to her. Anti-vampire weapons, specifically.

    "Oh. It's cold? I... Huh, right." She offers, with a big, bright smile. "If you're cold, I will see you another time! I don't really notice the cold. I suppose that's why I like the mansion in the mountains?" She wonders, befoer waving goodbye to Gawain and Shirou. "Some other time!"

    Then, back to Sieg, Rider, Kenshin, and Mordred, frowning deeply at Mordred. She looks really sour at Mordred's comments, but she doesn't lash out or anything.

    "You shouldn't be so mean to someone you like. If you two are always at odds, suppressing how you really feel..." She offers to Mordred, glancing at the departing Gawain.

    She totally thinks Mordred and Gawain are like her and Zero. Unfortunately, not everyone is a weird foster-sibling vampire princess bullshit shojo wangst. BUT SHE CAN ONLY PROJECT ON OTHERS!

Sieg (566) has posed:
    People praise him for his choice, and Sieg looks content at that. Not happy, but definitely content. He wishes that the man hadn't died on his behalf, but he supposes it's alright to act in his place. He smiles and says, "It's alright, Kenshin. There's too much going on, and I'm talking to a lot of people too. I think it's probably time for us to get going, though..." He looks towards Rider. Everybody is leaving, so now's the time at which they're at the most risk. One of them can double back and try to engage them just about any time.

    "We'll come visit soon." He says, to Gawain.

    As for Mordred's words, they are considered with more weight. "Assassins. Multiple. I'm not in danger for now. I know you're just trying to bother me, ma'am. I don't really mind being made like that. Because of it, I am. I can talk to you. I can see things, and read, and learn. If I'd stayed, I would've died. I know it's different for humans, but I can still be grateful for being born, even if it was for a bad reason."

    "Maybe it's not the same for you." He wonders aloud.

    To Shirou, he turns and says, "I'll come visit eventually. Don't burn yourself out."

    Sieg puts his helmet back on and climbs onto the back of Rider's motorcycle. He frowns a little, and points at Yuuki. "Miss? Do you need a ride home? ... Can you give us directions? I just realized that all this happened and we only know where one thing is now..."

    Sieg is not aware that he's offering help to a vampire that just wandered over out of curiosity. Rider is sure to scold him for this if he notices the problem.

Onikaze Kenshin (76) has posed:
    Kenshin will take what minimal concessions he can get from the Rider of Blue, not saying much more on the topic as he calmly stands there across from Sieg. To Gawain he replies simply, "Yes, I noticed many similarities when I studied it before the world ended." He simply notes with a flat tone, "It is interesting that disparate locations would create similar rules for their warrior-commanders."

    "Farewell, though." He notes to Gawain before also nodding to Sieg. As Sieg says that it will be time to depart soon, Kenshin takes out a small flower and holds it out to Sieg, "The wind rarely comes when beckoned, but it may for those who truly need it. Should you need the wind, toss this and the breeze will carry it to its origin."

    He lets himself smile slightly. Mari Hime will be happy he made a new friend today, and possibly a rather ironic anchor to his humanity in a homunculus. Still, she does like him to socialize. He pulls his jingasa tight atop his head and then ties the fabric back around his mouth once more to fully shield him from the wind.

    "If all are departing, I shall journey on as well."

Sieg (566) has posed:
    Sieg blinks behind the visor of his helmet. He takes Kenshin's offering, feeling it out magically as he touches it. "T-thank you..." He mutters, uncertain as to what he did that warrants such attention. The flower is tucked away inside his coat's pocket. It will get used, in time. And turning down a potential get-out-of-death-free card is hardly smart.

Mordred (12) has posed:
    "Maybe," Mordred replies to Shirou, grinning.
    She has no trouble looking him in the eye, despite being shorter. The midget knight leaks bloodlust, but doesn't seem like she's about to do anything about it. Nonetheless, it's there. If Shirou were playing narrator he might comment about it. That killing intent so great he can feel Clarent piercing his chest, but then snaps out of it and there's nothing happening at all.

    Or maybe not.
    He's certainly gotten brave, after all.

    "You could say I'm the hero best known for not being a hero at all. You could say I'm the hero whose greatest achievement was betraying everything they stood for. Feast your eyes upon me! I will allow you to gawk." Haughty now? It's fake! A forced tone. Not entirely out of character, but intentionally pushed just to nag at Shirou.

    Right then, Yuuki's turn.
    And by Yuuki's turn we mean Mordred almost chokes on her own saliva at the idle comment, glaring towards Gawain, then the Shojo Princess Vampire, then back at Gawain, then back at Yuuki. "What, no! We're related, there aren't any weird feelings! We just, you know, bicker. 'cuz it's hilarious."

    Right. She shakes her head. Better clear her mind.
    Damnit Yuuki.

    Sieg's more serious answers manage it well enough at least. "Yeah, I guess I am. I still mean it though, kid. Any hero worth his salt knows to kill a beast you cut the head off, and with that sort of brain, eyes and mouth, you're a hell of a head. As for that... who knows. Maybe you're right about me."

    She loses her cocky grin and just frowns a bit.

Sir Gawain has posed:
"Way to make this awkward, Red!". Sir Gawain grins at Mordred, even though she actually didn't start this, before revving his engine. "She's barely tolerable when she's not trying to stab you, though.~". This is to the general area of everyone-but-Mordred.

"Alright, let us be off! Hold onto your pants, Sir Emiya!". And then, Sir Gawain accelerates the bike, off towards Dun Realtai. He is driving fast enough that he could possibly cause a passenger nightmares.

He should not be driving a motorcycle.

Rider of Blue (567) has posed:
    "Yes, well. If you're like us, then your past is the past. It is long gone, and while it may not be forgotten...it is certainly too far away to be material anymore." The mysterious Rider made his way to the big and burly tourer motorcycle, stowing his weapon, and waved to Yuuki. "If you need transport home, you should be able to fit. You don't look like you have the running ability of the Samurai, so...feel free to hop on."

    "We'll also probably find some sort of civilization that is not a rural village. Somewhere with running water, baths, alcohol...ah, the creature comforts of life." The motorcycle roared to life, Rider giving it a few good revs. "We also need to reconsider our position, I think."

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    "That's nothing to be proud about!" Shirou blurts Mordred's way even more vehemently. He flinches at the sudden sensation, but the boy is definitely brave. Stupidly so.

    And then he's handed the sword. He blinks. "Thanks, miss... but it'll just disappear even if I keep it with me. Look..." A few taps from him, the whole thing shatters into little pieces that fade away. He still smiles at Yuuki though - he can totally approve of her. Until she goes and suggests some weird relationship going on here. "WHAT?!" Is that true? No, judging by the reactions... definitely not.

    So she gets an even more amazed look. But then Gawain's calling for him... yeah, right. "Girls shouldn't be wandering out here alone... but I guess you're comfortable enough getting out here. Be careful going home, okay?"

    Yeah, he's gota head back to Dun Realtai.

    And Mordred's not getting any sympathy or consideration. She's not a girl, she's a monster.

    Even the vampire is getting this consideration, though.

    Oh well."BUuWAAoooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

    At these speeds, even if his pants ARE ON, sheer friction threatens to tear them.

    SHirou's yell drifts off into nowhere the further away Gawain gets.

Sieg (566) has posed:
    "Yeah, but..."

    Sieg looks back at Mordred. "Even if I wasn't all used up, I was only going to live a few years. The amount of time I have now is still greater than anything I could have had before. It's not that I'm not being careful with my life, it's just..." He raises a hand to his chest.

    "Every heartbeat is one more than I was going to have anyway, so whatever happens to me, it's still an okay deal. And... I think, if somebody who's like me can be a hero, then maybe I can too." It's such a feeble hope, but...

    For some reason, when this boy says it, it's not hard to believe that he could make it come true. Perhaps for that reason, it may seem even more urgent to kill Sieg before he becomes too much.

Yuuki Kuran (518) has posed:
    "I'm related to the person I care a lot and fight a lot with too." Yuuki replies, beaming at Mordred. YOUR OBJECTIONS, THEY MAKE ME FEEL MORE RIGHT! YOU CANNOT DENY MY NEW HEADCANON.

    "So it's good to have someoene who cares about you, that will take a little of your abuse too." She offers, grinning a bit guiltily as she scratches the back of her neck.

    "I wish you, and your bushido, well, wandering wind-man!" She offers to kenshin, before wandering over to Sieg, Rider, and the Bike.

    "Sure, it's just over the next valley. You can come in for tea!"