Scene Listing || Scene Schedule || Scene Schedule RSS
Owner Pose
Eryl Fairfax     The Master of the Paradox Assassin has gone to ground since his last two attempts. However, there isn't much you can do to hide an 8-foot wall of necrotic flesh. Reports of such a hulking figure have been cropping up around a Shijuku ward, occasionally seen going to and from an underground mall. Local vagrants claim to see nothing, but their eyes betray their nervousness when they state that.

    Investigations would yield evidence of great footprints heading into maintenance tunnels. One jimmied or broken lock later, that evidence becomes more and more apparent as that titanic Assassin would have had to squeeze through narrow corridors and past jutting pipes.

    However, at a certain point, a voice echoes from down the hall, tinny and amplified by some kind of loudspeaker. However, all that distortion cannot hide the youth in that voice, nor the arrogance. "Stop right there," they command. "Any further, and you come into the range of my traps. We can speak from here, and if I like what you have to say, I'll lower them."

    "Why have you come looking for me?"
Seifer Almasy      "I dunno," Seifer says as he saunters forward, one hand on his hip, blade on his shoulder, "Can't think of *any* reason I'd wanna come lookin' for you."

     He's dressed in his usual today - his white coat with the red templar crosses on the sleeves, his black pants, his black boots, his black fingerless gloves. The red of his command spells - one on both hand - is easily visible. He's not making any effort to hide it - he's a Master and this is a war.

     "Can't be your giant fuckin' murder monster," Seifer says, unslinging his odd-looking gunblade and tapping it against the wall, "Or the trail you left that's a mile fuckin' long. If we could find you, anybody could. Hell, I'm not even a sorceress or whatever the word is, I just followed your fuckin' tracks. Basic tracking."

     "You gotta start clearing that better." He slings the blade back over his shoulder. "Gotta start wiping footprints, gotta start checkin' for witnesses. You're a kid, ain'tcha? Or at least you're not older'n I am, that's for damn sure. These are kid mistakes, not professional mistakes."

     Seifer squats on his haunches. He's checking for traps ahead like a professional even as he talks. "Way I figure you're probably a kid in over his head. So you should be glad we found you first. We're the Concord, and we're willing to deal."

     "The other guys...they'll lock your ass up. Or put a bullet in your head."

     "An' don't get me wrong. So will we, if we don't like what we're hearin'." Seifer stands. "Or if you fuck with us. Or if you fuck us over."

     "But right now you should thank your lucky stars an' instead of askin' 'why have you come lookin' for me' in a fucking Grail War you should ask 'why aren't we fighting right now.'"

     "'cause that's a way more productive question."

     Seifer puts his hand on his hip. "Jus' call us talent scouts."
Tamamo no Mae     Tamamo's right behind Seifer, a small grin upon her face. The Mirror of Uka floats around her as her Husband/Master/Partner-in-Crime starts speaking. "I am Caster. NOt your Grail War's Caster mind, but a Caster none the less." she states after Seifer goes off.

    "Talent scouts would be the right word for it. We're part of a large orginization full of like minded people. We have an interest in Masters in various Grail Wars to help further our goal and their goal too." Tamamo steps forward slightly, not enough to trigger traps but definitely close. "After all. I've won /my/ war."

    Tamamo hmms, a bit, "Master of Assassin, I believe we can both align our goals together. YOu want to win this war, we want to help. It's that simple."
Tanya Degurechaff     "Talent scouts..." A young girl's voice repeats. From behind Tamamo and Seifer, a twelve year old blonde emerges. It's Tanya von Degurechaff, Major of the Imperial Army Mage Corps, clad in her more presentable dress uniform rather than the battle coverall one might have expected. Though there is a rifle slung over her shoulder, she makes no motion to unsling it.

    Arms folded, eyes closed, she mutters, "If our profession was entertainment, I could agree with it. As things stand, I'd rather refer to this as 'human resources'." An eye opens, glowing faintly blue in the dim light, "The corret labeling is important, after all. We wouldn't want to give the wrong impression."

    Stepping abreast of Seifer and Tamamo, the young girl unfolds one hand, gesturing with an open palm facing upward, "It is as my comrades said, though; We're here to talk. If we wanted to kill you, this conversation wouldn't be happening."

    No, she'd just start bombarding the surface until the mall collapsed, with guards posted at the exits. Which is still not completely off the table, as far as she's concerned.

    "Let's make a deal."
Eryl Fairfax     The sullen adolescent fury is palpable as Seifer calls the Master an amateur. Looking ahead doesn't reveal any obvious traps or triggers like trip lines, but there are a lot of blind spots behind pipes, electrical panels and the like. But as the Concord is dropped, he lets out an audible gasp someone petty would make when they've been handed a way to be contrarian while also sounding like they have a point.

    "The Concord? Oh yes, I take it you mean the Concord that has very clearly backed Saber to win. The Concord lead by Saber's own flesh and blood? You come as members of that Concord?" He laughs, a smug and infuriating laugh. "Oh yes, talent scouts of the boxing variety I'm sure. 'You can make it big kid, ya just gotta take a dive for me!'"

    The sound of the boy slamming a surface reverberates through the halls. "Do not take me for a fool. If your offer is just that, you had best make yourselves scarce. If it something other than that though, perhaps you are insurrectionists, I may be willing to listen."
Seifer Almasy      "Okay."

     Seifer taps his foot on the ground. "So here's the thing. What do you want that you even need the Grail for? Me, I ain't got a wish. I got everything I want right here. But you, you probably got somethin' you want. Money? Power? Women? Fame? Fortune? Knowledge?"

     "The Concord's a path to that. Faster'n the Grail, an' safer, too."

     "Now," Seifer gestures, "I'm really not all that invested here. I'm here to help Saber win. Hands on the table, I got offered somethin' I want in exchange for that win, an', honestly, that knighthood's worth more to me than your life. So if I gotta go through you to get it, kid, I'm gonna."

     "I'd rather *not*," Seifer admits, "The thought of killin' some punk kid don't sit well with me, but, y'know, you signed up. You're in this with me. It ends one of two ways. Either you die or your Servant dies."

     "You're welcome to think you can kill me but I can already tell you can't. An' you're welcome to think your Servant can kill me but I've already fought Servants an' won. So..." Seifer shrugs. "Your move."

     "You wanna get laid and paid, or you wanna get...uh, slayed?"
Tamamo no Mae     "Insurrectionists?" Tamamo looks towards Seifer as another voice hits her foxears. "Major." she comments, "True, we may have Saber, and it may be publicly backed by our boss, but our intent is there, we do wish to assist. I mean, after all, I could parrot what they said but I think you understand." there's a pause, "Take a dive for us? Oh no, no no no. We don't have our members take a dive for the ones higher up. That's just ... uncouth practice."

    "My Master and the Major are right though, we only wish to obtain assistance from individuals that we think can help further the Concord's goals and your own." she pauses a moment, "My Master's question does beg to be answered, what is it that /you/ want, and we can definitely make this happen."

    Tamamo foot aps a bit, "I'm not above assisting you with other Masters and Servants, if that's what you would like. Except Saber, That I will not help with." cough. "But if there's something you're interested in, let us know, we can see if it's feasable."
Tanya Degurechaff     "Disloyalty is not in my character," Tanya comments, eyes closing briefly, "But diplomacy is." An eyebrow lifts towards Seifer and Tamamo, who seem to already be hot on the heels of selling the Concord's benefits for its members. Once both have said their pieces, the girl lifts a hand to gesture to them, "Caster and Seifer are correct. We do not abandon our own."

    It's at this point that the little girl unslings her rifle, barrel aimed down at the corridor floor while she racks the bolt to slot a round into place.

    "However, we also don't take kindly to threats or bluster from people outside of our organization. So I advise you to think about that, and don't respond carelessly, when considering what this offer truly means for you and your goals."

    She lifts her eyes, peering down the corridor again, "For one, you would no longer need to live in a condemned commercial district."
Eryl Fairfax     There's a sharp intake of breath from the Master ahead, but they pause. The sounds of drumming fingers is heard as they mull over what is being offered. A means of granting his own wish without the Grail. "A tempting offer," he concedes. "My wish is the resurrection and total domination of a certain corporation that specialised in biomedical science, genetic engineering, and the creation of biological weapons. With the Concord's aid, that could very well be possible..."

    He's quiet for a long moment, before speaking again. "Come forward. Don't worry about the traps." Upon advancing, bottles would be visible in all those blind spots, but there doesn't seem to be any kind of mechanism for triggering them. Around a corner, and the Master and Assassin both are visible. They've occupied an open area within the tunnels. Assassin squats in a corner, quiet and unmoving, his one visible eyes staring blankly at the visitors. The Master, one Hikari Toromaru, occupies a busted office chair surrounded by empty instant ramen bowls. He too, has but one eye that he uses to measure up the three.

    "It is time for specifics, I think. What exactly do you want out of me, and what can you offer?"
Seifer Almasy      "Up front," Seifer says as he walks forward, still swaggering a bit - he's always swaggering a bit, especially when he's backed by two powerful Casters, "I can offer some of my own personal assets. It sounds like an investment worth puttin' some money into, an' as a Hand of the Concord, I got a lotta money. Shift some assets around, talk to that funds manager guy I apparently got-"

     "An' at the very least you got me interested in puttin' some money behind you for a stake."

     Seifer pats his chest. "That's totally unrelated to whatever the boss lady's willin' to part with, but knowin' her? It's real generous. She's the kinda person who knows useful when she sees it, like we are."

     "So I think we can make that happen. Get you back on your feet, get your corporation back on its feet, an' get you in a position to help us not just in the Grail War but in the future. You sound like the kinda guy we can make a real powerhouse."
Tamamo no Mae     Tamamo's eyeing all the bottles out of curiosity, were these the /traps/? There's a hmm coming from the fox-caster as she becomes visible to the Assassin and its Master. Tamamo's hmming softly, eyeing the Master and Assassin, sizing them up a bit, "Hmmm." she thinks a moment on this, "If I may be bold to ask, what is this corporation, I am a bit curious on this. Though, having an Assassin-Class Servant with a, hopefully competent, Master is useful, knowing everything about this corporation could maybe even sweeten our deals for it. As they say, 'you brush my tail, I brush yours.'.

    she looks between Seifer and Tanya, "Though, these two are more than capable of offering things. I'm just a Caster. Just in case things get dicey."
Tanya Degurechaff     When the other party capitulates to a face-to-face conversation, Tanya pauses, then lifts her rifle and slings it back on her shoulder. It's still loaded, but harmless enough like this. In the opened-up tunnel section, the girl maintains her distance from the hulking brute in the corner, instead focusing her attention on the teen surrounded by junk food containers.

    It takes a great deal of Tanya's willpower to avoid making a disgusted face at the slovenly condition of the hideout.

    Instead, she lifts a hand to indicate herself, "Major Tanya von Degurechaff, Imperial Army Mage Corps." Her own command seal is clear on the back of her hand, though she had drawn no attention to it, "I represent the Empire, a nation currently caught in war, in the local year of 1925. This alone could net your corporation a major source of income as a medical supplier." Eyes closing, she gestures dismissively with that same hand, "Though I cannot speak for any interest in the bioweapons side-- this would have to go through my superiors."

    Hand lowering, the little girl comments, "So we have interests in funding and potential customers for this corporation laid out on the table. I also have experience in human resources, if you feel you'd need help avoiding any unsavory or useless hires. So I'll put that talent on offer as well."
Seifer Almasy      "You can tell she's good at it 'cause she uses terms like *human resources*," Seifer adds.
Eryl Fairfax     Hikari puts a hand to his chin and considers the man and two women before him. "It's easy," he begins. "To commit promises and support that aren't 'yours.' You're offering the Concord's financial backing - save for you," he gestures at Seifer. "You've promised your own money as well. I respect someone who can pitch their personal support as well."

    "But you two," he looks to Caster and Tanya, "Both have something I'd like. From you, Caster of another war, I would like magecraft training. I am entirely self-taught right now; consider the threat I could be with ample training."

    "As for you, Major," he says to Tanya. "Your country is at war, yes? I expect you have plenty of P.O.Ws and political prisoners you're not using. Can you promise me a supply of human test subjects once we're off the ground?"

    He cracks a grin. "If these are copacetic, then I think we have a deal."
Seifer Almasy      Seifer shrugs. "I think it's a good investment, so I'm willin' to make it. Nothin' wrong with that."

     Seifer then looks up at the ceiling and scratches his face. If someone had a vantage point on him they'd see he was blushing. He also mumbled something.

     Then he looks back at the Master of Assassin. "But you're askin' an awful lot. We better get return out of this. An' I'm gonna underline - you /do not/ wanna cross us."
Tamamo no Mae     "Witchcraft is different than traditional magecraft but, if you're willing to undergo the training, I don't see the issue. It should help you with mana control and helping Assassin here." she nods, "I will say I'm a bit reluctant to teach you, I assume you understand right?" there's a foot tap, "But as long as you don't betray my trust in this, I think we can be amiacble about all this."

    Tamamo thinks a moment, then reaches and whaps Seifer on the back of the head. "Huff. He's right though, we help our own and bend over backwards for some endeavours... but if you have thoughts of betrayal..." there's a look at the Assassin servant, "Caster will /not/ be happy. Meaning, my husband won't be happy... meaning /she/..." she hovers a hand over Tanya, "won't be happy."

    "Other than that stipulation... I think we can agree on this."
Seifer Almasy      "Ow!"

     Seifer rubs the back of his head. "I'm the husband, not her," he adds, jerking his head back in Tanya's direction.
Tanya Degurechaff     "Prisoners of war have no inherent value to a military state," Tanya states evenly. Judging by her tone, she means that, too. She just casually discarded those human lives, "They have far too high of a risk of inciting rebellion to be assimilated into normal society, and merely absorb resources until their parent nations bargain for their return. Which often does not happen."

    She lifts a hand, rubbing her chin in thought, "With this in mind, I will put the necessary wheels in motion. I am more interested in the improvements that enhanced modern medicine can bring to my country. The lives of a few worthless parasites is a simple sacrifice to make for that."

    Seifer and Tamamo settle things on their end, and Tanya simply closes her eyes, "Aren't I too young to think about stuff like that anyway?"
Seifer Almasy      "I was just bein' clear!" Seifer adds at Tanya.
Tamamo no Mae     "Mmhmm, once you become close to my age, then you can start thinking about stuff like that... but that's a conversation for another time...." comes Tamamo's reply. She coughs slightly then looks towards Hikaru. "I shall prepare the Moon Cell for your arrival and ready training sessions soon."
Eryl Fairfax     "I know it's much to ask, that's why I'm asking it. You are 'talent scouts' after all. How much are you, personally, willing to invest in me? I wanted to find out, and I have my answer. Come Assassin." The hulking Servant rises up, but still has to bend over to not hit his head while Hikaru seals the deal with a formal handshake with everyone.

    "Worry not, you're investing in the best," he says with a cocky smirk. "Just let me do my thing and I'll be compliant." He begins to leave with the three, watching the sitcom-esque exchange with a mild look of incredulity. Assassin is unperturbed, as usual.
Tamamo no Mae     "We expect the best then, Master of Assassin." Tamamo comments, shaking the hand firmly, "I look forward to our training sessions. You're not the only one who I need totrain up then in that case." her tails twitch a bit and she looks between Assassin and its Master.

    Soon, a rice paper door makes its appearance. "Major, Husband. Shall we be off then?"
Tanya Degurechaff     Tanya's handshake is about what one would expect from a tiny, waifish twelve year old girl. But the deal is made either way. Her eyes travel to Assassin when the monster stands up, eyes narrowing slightly. Aren't Heroic Spirits supposed to be human heroes and warriors from history? So why the monster?

    Or was this monster a man, once? Could this be forshadowing the biological weapons this Master had talked about, rather than the diseases she had assumed? A hand touches her chin in thought, once more. Her expression shifts to mask her inner thoughts as she turns back around, "Yes, I believe we're finished here. Let's show our new comrade to a nicer dormatory."