Scene Listing || Scene Schedule || Scene Schedule RSS
Owner Pose
Kazusa Ujikane     There are times when Kazusa remembers that, hey, technically she has responsibilities. Like, say, being the Master of a Servant in a Holy Grail War. And thus needing to a.) get to know the Fuyuki that (her) Saber's Grail War takes place in, and b.) help search for the missing Servants and their Masters that have disappeared. To that end, the nerdy girl has decided to embark upon a trip out to Gin's Fuyuki, and not at all because she heard Saber mentioning the totally sweet arcade out on the Shinto side of the river. Not in the least.

    Okay so that was entirely why.

    But to be fair, she did (eventually) suggest getting a look at the docks, and possibly other such abandoned-ish areas if they have the time this evening! And the docks sure are sparse this time of night. As booming as the freight industry in Fuyuki is, there's apparently not much work going on at night.

    "...It sorta feels like we're in some horror movie," Kazusa murmurs, reaching up to adjust her glasses. "Kinda cool."
Moonlit Saber It has been some time since she's been in Fuyuki City, but the silver-haired Saber seems rather familiar with the surroundings, at least. Her swords aren't visible, but she's still wearing her usual kimono, thus drawing a few stares... though in the modern day, wearing traditional clothes like this out in public is more than anything just likely to make others think she's eccentric. Which she is, in a way.

"Mmm... I suppose. I was never really fond of those horror films, though." She tilts her head slightly as they walk along the docks, occasionally pointing out locations of importance along the way. "Have you heard from Kotomine lately? She's supposed to inform us once all the other Servants have been summoned and the Grail War is ready to begin."
Gawain First Sir Gawain heard about an arcade, and then he heard about a Holy Grail War. He didn't necessarily want to get involved in a Grail War, but his desires for the arcade overweighed, and so he came along. He's dressed in fitting clothing, which is a t-shirt with a cartoon dog on it, a pair of jeans, and a pair of sunglasses, despite it being night-ish. This is the reason he usually only wore a suit, because he has absolutely no fashion sense. "I don't really like horror movies! They always end the same way, so after the eighth series, I got bored!" Yet he does not mention that he /finished/ each series before he got bored. "What are we looking for? Leylines? A workshop? Magical residue? Giant sign saying 'LOOKING FOR SERVANT'?" Gawain is also treating each potential answer seriously! After all, if he was looking for enemy Servants, he would /certainly/ put up a sign for them!
Lancer of Silver     "Is this the ideal location to establish a workshop?" Lancer asks as he stands nearby his near-sighted Master. He is dressed sharply, in a charcoal-gray suit with a lighter-gray undershirt, and black neck-tie. His dark-purple hair extends down to his shoulders, and he wears dark-colored gloves on his hands. He is presently keeping an eye out for trouble as Gina Shinonome tries to establish some Bounded Fields within a warehouse in one section of the docks. When completed, people will find other places to store things, they won't come looking for anything that might normally be kept here, and they won't think twice about the building or anything to do with it. Suggestion-based Bounded Fields are pretty useful, though their usage is not necessarily anything that Lancer is familiar with.

    He obtained some more modern accoutrements in order to blend in better, but a pale-haired girl in a black and purple gothic-looking gown accompanied by a tall foreign man in a suit is not entirely the height of subtlety.

    For her part, Gina seems oblivious to the nuances of visual perception as she hums to herself. "Oh, this is not intended to be a primary base of operations, just one of many safehouses that we can use! Anywhere in this city that we could potentially wind up fighting, there should be at least one place that we can duck into--Oh, um, maybe more like me, because there is no way you would ever need to hide of course!--on short notice! If I can make this location dampen our presences then...!"

    Gina pauses as her cellphone she doesn't know the first thing about using begins producing a ringtone of small dogs woofing to the sound of jingle bells. She can't remember where she put it or when she even set that ringtone...!

    "Your phone appears to be barking," Lancer supplies helpfully.

    Gina searches herself, in the folds of her dress, in a hip pouch, through PROPER magus communication tools, all while going, "Err... Yes... It's just... Aah...!" Eventually she finds it, and fumbles to open it. "Moshi moshi!" she calls out into the ear piece because it's upside-down. There's a pause, and then she frowns as she hears the dial tone. "...They hung up?" Well, that was weird! ...And she doesn't like it. Why does she even have one of these again? She'll ask for a magecraft-oriented communicator from the Union when she finishes here. She should have done that in the first place. Isn't it possible to locate someone by their phone or something?

    Basically, modern technology is just super sketchy.

    So she's already slightly on-edge as she tries to finish establishing her defensive barriers. Lancer suggested that they at least invite some of their new acquaintances from Dun Realtai to see this Fuyuki City. A place obscured from the detection of other Masters seems like an ideal meeting place, which is why she's in such a hurry to get this one set up, tracing the floor with chalk and melted silver.

    ...But wait, if it's hidden how will Saber find them!?
Kazusa Ujikane     "...she was supposed to call us?" Kazusa replies to Saber, blinking in mild surprise. "I'd forgotten you gave her my number..." She reaches up and adjusts her glasses again, and then replies to Gawain with a cheerful, "Dunno! I don't know any of the magical stuff, so I'm just hoping between the three of us we won't miss anything major." She was entirely too happy to give an answer like that.

    "...like, for example, a warehouse where all the lights are on when there shouldn't be," she adds with an entirely too smug tone. As if it needed to be done, she points directly ahead, grinning ear to ear with a perfect sense of victory. "I mean, it /could/ just be some kind of shady drug deal or black market meeting... or maybe the yakuza are having a get-together for the first time in over a decade to deal with some young upstart gang, that's new on the street and making a name for themselves..." Uh-oh. Saber will know that look in her eye all too well. She's going off on a wild tangent.

    "...and have a one-on-one fight in the pouring rain, up on top of a skyscraper..."
Saber      And when Sir Gawain had decidedto go along, it became necessary for someone to keep him out of trouble. Namely, his aunt and king. While his enthusiasm was rather remarkable and did wonders for overall morale, there were times when it could get him into trouble. It usually fell to Arturia to fish him out in the absence of the majority of her knights, and Sir Bedivere was currently busy managing the affairs of Dun Realtai.

     Yet, she didn't terribly mind it, especially following the mysterious end of Gawain's Grail War. The usually chatty golden-haired knight had become strangely reticent on the subject, and Saber hadn't attempted to pry the conclusion out of him. Perhaps he would talk when he was ready, but for the moment, he could probably use a distraction.

     Then again, what he considered 'a distraction' had the capacity to end explosively.

     Dressed in her usual three-piece suit with her hair tied back in a low ponytail, she walked silently beside her nephew without comment on the subject of horror movies. After all, she had not seen any and did not find the idea of them especially interesting. Martial arts movies, on the other hand...

     "They will appear soon enough," she commented on a more immediate subject. "When even a few Servants have been summoned, it is not long before the War begins. Some Servants may even be eliminated before all have been summoned."
Gawain Sir Gawain certainly has not been open about his Grail War, no. He seems entirely jaded about them, which sounds odd as he's someone who /never/ gets jaded. The most he has said of his own is 'it was awful', and to his king, 'it reminded me of Camlann'. And besides that, he was still usually cheerful, and the same person as always!

"And the Yakuza have samurai swords! As they begin their battle, a handsome young boy interrupts...his father killed by the leader, here to avenge him. His blade tastes of vengeance...and the boss knows that this is his fate!~" Sir Gawain is pulled into the fantasizing, having watched way too many movies. "...Should have we brought samurai swords?!"
Moonlit Saber "It wouldn't do for a Master in the Holy Grail War to be out of the loop. I don't want you taken unawares." The silver-haired Saber glances at her suited counterpart... and glances away quickly. Learning what she did hasn't changed some things. "Is... that how it works, then? I thought we'd have to wait for a signal to begin..." It seems that any traces of foul play haven't even crossed this Saber's mind. How could a Master in such an honorable competition cheat like that?

The kimono-clad Saber peers ahead at the indicated warehouse. "That does seem out of place. Let me check it out first--" Saber pauses and slowly looks back at Kazusa and Gawain, blinking owlishly. Just because she's familiar with Kazusa's weird flights of imagination doesn't mean she's used to them yet. "...Master. It's not raining and there are no buildings more than two stories tall here." Wet blanket, thy name is Saber.

Taking a deep breath, she takes the lead, striding toward the warehouse, which probably sets off just about every single early warning detection Gina might have up.
Lancer of Silver     Gina has handed over the phone to Lancer to deal with, who dutifully places it in a pocket of his suit. He may not be accustomed to such devices, but he is more willing to use them than a magus. And right then, Gina jolts as she turns quickly to face the direction several magecraft alarms are sounding from. A trespasser! And even worse, a Servant or someone like it, judging by the intensity of their presence!

    It's likely that Saber of Silver will likewise detect Lancer if she continues to close in, but by that point...

    "Lancer! That..." She takes a deep breath and then smiles broadly as she squeals and says, "...Must be King Arthur! I didn't get to meet him before, but this time for sure...!--Or wait, was he actually a woman? I've forgotten! Either way, they've accepted my invitation! I don't think Sir Bedivere would, because he didn't want to get involved in any more Grail Wars, and that's the only other person we've met from there, so this is the ONLY PERSON IT COULD BE."

    Gina clenches a fist assuredly! "The absolutely ONLY PERSON." A pause. "...But just incase, can you please check before I open the door?"

    Lancer nods as his excitable Master shows she is not a fool and has a proper sense of caution for something as serious as a Grail War, no matter how enthusiastic she may be. He bows briefly, and then dematerializes in wisps of shadow. Shortly, there will be an invisible, intangible Servant observing who is outside the warehouse's walls by passing through them... And discovering all is not quite as-expected.

    Should he act, or wait to see what the others do? Saber is with them, and then there's... There's...

    Well, the Knight of the Lake hadn't been aware that the Knight of the Sun was also around. He should have asked Bedivere who else of the Round Table was alive now. Or 'around' at least. Despite the crushing sense of guilt, this is no time to be burdened in such a manner.

    "Master, my king and three companions approach. There are two additional Servants. They may be allies. I know one of them. What course of action would you have me take?" Lancer asks as he moves back inside.

    Gina isn't sure what to do now. So the person they invited and three others...? That's... If it was anyone other than King Arthur, she'd feel that this was SUPER SKETCH and vote to bail out of there if possible. But...

    "...I suppose you should invite them in. If the worst comes to worst, King Arthur will definitely side with one of her own knights." she eventually decides.

    Eventually, after Saber of Silver and the others present have had time to continue approaching during this dialogue, a Servant is likely to be sensed by those gathered, and a black knight manifests just inside the sensory dampening barriers, clouded with a black mist that defies identification by a Master's clairvoyance, and makes mundane gaze seem to slip from it. Lancer has chosen to appear like this because to forestall conflict. Wisely, he feels that just appearing before Gawain before there is a chance to explain, and being recognized, could result in nothing but a poor response. Not that being identified will be much better, but maybe violence can be avoided. And the unrecognized Servant... He has no idea how she will react, nor how trustworthy she is. Exposing his identity to a stranger like that, and the other woman accompanying them, is simply a poor decision at this juncture.

    Not that a menacing black knight suddenly appearing is necessarily likely to engender a sense of safety and comraderie, but better than the alternatives presently available.

    As crimson light, like glowing madness, radiates from within the armor, the mysterious Servant calls out, in a voice disguised, "Hold, travellers. Not all here are known, but the company that you keep has afforded you welcome, provided it is done in peace."

    What he is truly feeling behind the gruff, distorted way he sounds, is quite different.
Kazusa Ujikane     "You understand, you totally understand!" Kazusa has been pulled out of her daydream to look at Gawain with wide, wondrous eyes... only for Silver to completely ruin the atmosphere with a harsh dose of reality. "W-well it's not like they'd /stay/ here, that's what the car chase is for..." Mutter mumble.

    Her Servant is taking the lead in approaching the warehouse, though, and that means Kazusa has to at least /try/ to be on her guard! So she sort of backs a step or two away, settling in behind the three Heroic Spirits she's come here with, and that's about the moment the Black Knight shows himself and her eyes go wide. Holy /crap/ that looks a little intimidating. Okay maybe more than a little. Like, 'she's glad she's behind three Sabers right now' intimidating. But his offer seems to be one of peaceableness, so she forces herself to swallow the nerves, take a closer look, and...

    "...whoaaaa..." The nerdy girl reaches up to adjust her glasses. "Are you some kind of dark knight? Calling upon powers of shadow and the void to fight against the tyranny of the church, using a tainted power to do works of good?!" Pause. "Wait, I can't even think of any legendary heroes like that..."
Saber      Saber sighed at the Knight of the Sun. "It would not have made any difference," she told him in a soft monotone, her eyes flicking to Kazusa before closing them. It was bad enough that Gawain was getting carried away, he didn't need encouragement.

     Sea-green eyes then flicked to the Saber of Silver, whose behaviour seemed somehow...odd. But as with Gawain's War, she refrained from bringing up the subject. "No, there is no such signal," she replied with a shake of her head. "I had been escorting my decoy 'Master' in the early evening when Lancer appeared to challenge me. The only necessity is simply for two Servants to face one another in battle."

     However, the King of Knights did not have the opportunity to elaborate further. She sensed the presence before all else, the unmistakeable pull of prana when another Servant was in the vicinity. With Saber of Silver and Gawain already next to her, she could easily tell they would be joined soon by a fourth, whether amiable or hostile.

     Though she might not have seemed to even so much as move, the silver-haired Saber and the Knight of the Sun both would notice the subtle shift in her stance, ready to call forth her armour and her legendary sword should that new presence appear as an enemy immediately.

     And yet, it was unnecessary the moment the black-armoured knight appeared. Saber visibly relaxed, only to tense slightly again as her gaze flicked to Gawain again. It would appear that her concerns were now of a different sort.

     Her expression, while not the cold when facing a dishonourable enemy, was placid, neutral. "It is good to see you again," she replied, as if waiting to see how the knight accompanying her would respond...
Gawain As the black knight approaches, Gawain is slightly confused, but grins, bowing in approach. "Well-met...I am Sir Gawain, of Dun Realtai. It is a pleasure to meet you." He is the same Gawain of 1400 years ago, that is for sure. He has no idea why this knight knows his king, or vice versa, and he can't quite put together the clues, likely because of whatever is hiding his identity. Gawain looks to Kazusa, and then back to Lancelot, a large grin on his face. "A dark knight! ...Do you fight with the powers of shadow, good sir?"

However, Saber's speaking to him over the radio is making him even more confused. Difficult for him? Complicated matter? What's going on here? The Knight of the Sun turns from his king to Lancelot, looking cautious. "...What's going on? My king? Sir Knight?"
Moonlit Saber Something about this isn't right. The kimono-clad Saber can feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as they approach. While her own combat instincts are not as high as many others', Saber still knows danger when it's near. "...stay behind me, Master."

Her fears are confirmed when a knight in black armor, shrouded by dark mists, is suddenly right there. In a flash, the Honjo Masamune is in her hands, her entire body tense. This is it. Her first encounter with another Servant from her own Grail War! Why else would a Servant be in this Fuyuki if they weren't involved? (Or, you know, if they weren't specifically brought to visit... but other Sabers are by definition not part of the conflict here!)

And then she pauses as Kazusa makes up a backstory for the night. "...Master, he is our enemy." Green eyes squint to peer at the black knight for a moment. She can't see any weapons, so she doesn't know what class he might be. That alone leaves her at a disadvantage, but she doesn't back down, holding her katana in preparation to strike. "Identify yourself..." says the silver-haired Saber, somewhat softly. She's nervous, but trying not to show it too much. "If your intent was to ambush us unaware, then it's not going to work! I--"

Pause. Blink. She freezes for a moment, glancing toward the shorter blonde Saber. "...you know this Servant?"
Lancer of Silver     It's clear what the Saber that Lancer knows wants from him. And it's clear what he must do. Honor demands that he reveal his identity. But the duty to his Master demands he not offer his name to a strange Servant who has just declared him an enemy and drawn a weapon. The black knight does not draw a weapon in turn, though the streamer of black protruding from the top-rear of his helmet, like a ribbon of shadow, turns to indicate the direction that crimson-filled visor is looking.

    To deceive and disguise for a noble cause, such as to afford fame to another, is quite a different matter than hiding one's identity because the imminent explosion from someone said kngiht has wronged will be unpleasant. But as much as he may wish to follow both the Code of Chivalry, and the implied direction of his King...

    "...I can not expose my identity at this time," the harsh echoes resound from the black steel armor. It's not even necessarily clear whether the Servant in question is male or female, though it is easy to assume male based off general height and build. But even there, armor can lie. "Without knowing the allegiance of this one who calls me enemy, my duty to my Master prevents me. And if enemy she be, then my duty also requires that I forbid entry."

    There is no answer to the question of if he wields shadow or not. There is no answer to Gawain's growing confusion, though THAT at least, is a problem that Lancer is fine with putting off for the moment, even if he knows he can not continue to do so indefinitely. Instead, the Black Knight walks over to where a lamp post protrudes from the ground, grabs it in a gauntleted hand, and tears it right up out of the concrete. The twenty-foot tall length of metal is then spun expertly at a dizzying pace, until the Servant comes to rest in a stance ready to fight. The lamp post is held in both hands, pointed towards Saber of Silver, but also at an angle where it is more at the ground than the other Servant. It appears to have gained molten red cracks across its surface, and to have shifted towards deep black like volcanic soil everywhere else.

    "It is not the wish of my Master that I fight you. I urge you to stand down."
Kazusa Ujikane     Still standing back behind Saber and Gawain, Kazusa is quickly feeling some of that anxiety and tension slipping back in, and her hand remains somewhere close to her purse. Whatever he did to that lamppost, she's absolutely sure it's now some sort of powerful weapon. He's like some kind of... weaponmaster, so skilled that he has to use a lamp just for his enemies to have a sporting chance, and even that lamp is a deadly weapon in his- no, no, /focus/, Kazusa, focus.

    But he, or she, speaks again, and Kazusa frowns. "Uh... um. If... if you /swear/ that this is neutral ground and we have an honorable accord not to harm each other for the rest of the night, I'll tell my servant to stand down." Quickly, she glances between the mystery knight, her Saber, the other Saber, and Gawain, as if to confirm this is the right course of action. It /is/, right?
Saber      The situation had certainly -- though not unexpectedly -- escalated quickly. Given that a Servant's first duty was to his Master, it was somewhat predictable. And outside the multiverse, it was the predetermined outcome. No matter how reluctant two Servants were to fight, there could be but one victor...and no Servant remaining at the end of it.

     That fact made her all the more concerned about Gawain's War, but that was a matter for another time. For the moment, Saber had a fight to prevent.

     "Hold," she ordered both Servants in a soft yet commanding voice, drawing herself up to her full (yet still infuriatingly petite) regal height. Had she been anyone other than who she was, the authority with which she commanded /everyone/ present would likely not go over very well. In fact, there had been times when her authority had not been especially respected, primarily due to those involved not being familiar with her legend. But in this moment, all knew her as King Arthur, the King of Knights.

     "Participants in the Holy Grail War who are members of the Union are forbidden from battling one another," she stated with a deceptive mildness. "The Mages Association has no say in the matter regarding allies."

     If there was any doubt she knew the black knight in some way, this removed it.
Gawain Sir Gawain's confusion rapidly turns to worry as Lancer of Silver rips the lamppost fromt he ground and it /changes/. It's no longer normal, and not just an impromptu weapon, but something /magical/. He leaps backwards, summoning his blade, but not his armor, as a precaution. "Knight! Put down your weapon! There will be no combat here!" Lancer will most definitely recognize this blade. It is the holy sister of Excalibur, a blade of faerie make, Excalibur Galatine, and Gawain's trusty blade, the same one he used until his death. "I will not hesitate to defend my allies if need-"

Wait, Union? What's going on? How much is Saber hiding?! "My king..." Sir Gawain wants to know what is going on, /very badly/, and it actually shows on his face. He's frustrated. But, he'll let his king do whatever she needs to do, as he's been promised answers. "Lady Kazusa,there is nothing to fear. This will all end peacefully, I assure you!"
Moonlit Saber The fact that the Saber in the suit seems to know this black knight and isn't on guard makes the silver-haired Saber give pause.

The fact that the black knight so casually just uprooted a lamppost with one hand also gives her pause. That's some impressive strength.

Still, her Master is here, and she's going to protect Kazusa with her life. Green eyes flick back to her Master, then toward the black knight to see his reaction. "If you declare this neutral ground for the evening, I will honor that agreement." Still, she does not lower her weapon just yet. She has no idea how fast this Servant is, and she wouldn't want to be caught offguard, not when he already has the advantage of reach on her.

It's somewhat of a relief, then, when the King of Knights gives her command. Saber glances toward her, blinking several times in confusion. "He's--" Her voice cracks, and she pauses to clear her throat. "He's an ally of the Union?" Green eyes narrow, and she focuses on the back knight again. "If this is true, then she is correct. We're forbidden to fight." At least she isn't the only one confused by all this, but at least she knows that she has allies on her side... not that she has special need of them if this is all true. Slowly, she lowers her sword, though she doesn't sheath it just yet. She wants to make sure this black knight understands as well that there will be no fighting tonight.
Lancer of Silver     Well, that resolves that. Lancer says, "My Master has invited you as guests, and understands that at least one of her guests is a warrior of honor. She would not make such an offer if she intended to violate it, regardless of her individual character. Such would be to invite the justice of the King of Knights. Therefor, on my honor, this is neutral ground. Though knowing that we are allies in at least one capacity means neutrality exists far longer than just this night."

    And the fact that Servants are not allowed to fight each other in the Union even if they are competitors in the same Grail War... Now Lancer feels that to expose his identity with that assurance, now that he is 'safe' from the Knight of the Sun, could seem like cowardice. Ah, well. He doubts that Gawain's opinion of him can sink any lower.

    Speaking of sinking, as Saber of Silver lowers her weapon, Lancer lowers his improvised one as well. "I am Lancer," he offers. "A more proper introduction can wait until we are within the defenses being readied, rather than exposed to the eyes and ears of those not our allies." He tosses the lamp post aside with a clatter. Eventually, its altered appearance bleeds out of it as whatever mana was invested into it departs. But for awhile there, at least... It was not just a lamp post.

    Turning, Lancer leads the way to the warehouse entrance, and holds open the doors for the others to enter while he keeps an eye out. The hardest part has yet to come. "It is a pleasure to meet you all," he says, lowering his head in a bow to Kazusa and Saber of Silver... Though not to Gawain or Arturia, since he already knows them apparently. He still lowers his head, but not in a bow.

    The hardest part has yet to come.