Scene #5604:

Owner	Pose
Kotone Shiomi	Having some time off from school, Kotone Shiomi has decided to do a little research into worlds and phenomena with troubles similar to her own. As such, there's a stack of books piled next to the table she's sitting at, but based on the pile of used up tea bags and the frustrated expression on her face, the Japanese high schooler has not been making any meaningful progress over an extended period of time. She sighs, and pours herself another cup of tea and picks up the next book, starting to go through it with little hope on her face.
Xiaomu	"Uuuuuuuuuuuuugh, I hate paperwork. Even if there's no actual 'paper' involved, it's still a drag." This grousing comes from a certain blonde foxgirl sitting at a computer carrel, wearing a black qipao with a red vest over it. Xiaomu doesn't look like she particularly cares who overhears her; she does look like she could probably use a mug of coffee or something. Then again, this is technically the 'library' and beverages probably aren't approved of in this area.
Karna	A newly summoned servant of the Holy Grail, Karna, Hero of Charity, stands looking at the piles and piles of books available in the library. Humming a small moment as his beautiful eyes take in the scene. "Hm...how the modern world has changed some...or is it simply the reality in which I was summoned?" he ponders to himself. His Master was presently away, and Karna was permitted to look around. Though he sees Xiaomu and Kotone, he makes no moves to greet them, but he does move in their direction, making his presence officially known.
Mei Hatsume	"Paper's so much easier to take notes on, though. There's too much loading time on laptops, and touch screens get too smudgy..." Not too far from the high-schooler and the fox is... Someone that also looks like a high-schooler! Or a college student? Maybe an intern. It's hard to really tell since Mei's not exactly in a uniform, but instead donning a tank top and overalls while tinkering with some sort of oversized boot. She also doesn't have any books or paper near her at all. Hearing Karna's approach, the pink-haired inventor doesn't even look up before pointing a screwdriver towards him. "You there! What's your shoe size?"
Kotone Shiomi	"It's not the paperwork I mind, it's the feeling that we're never going to solve this mystery." Kotone answers Xiaomu, looking up and thereby noticing the new face. She gets up and slowly walks towards him. "Hey, don't think I've seen you around before and you don't look like library staff." She then remembers to bow politely, "Kotone Shiomi, Field Leader of the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad."
Xiaomu	"Mortals just have this thing about leaving records," Xiaomu rebuts to Mei, "whether making them costs trees or sheep or polluting the environment ... but it's easier than hauling around stone tablets, if anyone ever actually did that." She hits the Enter key harder than she technically needs to, then scoots back from the keyboard, turning to look around at the others who are here. "Hey new guy," she greets Karna. "I think it's common to the modern world in most realities, at least out of the ones I've seen since my world Unified." She casually kicks out of the chair to land in a standing position, the skirt-flaps of her qipao fluttering a bit (apart from the zipper which weighs down the corner of the front panel). "I'm Xiaomu, agent of Shinra, good to meet you!"
Karna	Karna seems just a tad surprised that these people that he doesn't know come to greet him...then again, in his actual life such things didn't happen...but this is quite the welcome surprise. He gives a small smile to Xiaomu and Kotone and he bows softly. "A pleasure to meet you both...Xiaomu, Kotone Shiomi. I am the Lancer of Red." perhaps a little hesitant to say his true name until he hears word from his Master at the present, which he turns his head to as if to hear properly. "...Karna. THe Hero of Charity. That is my name." Then Mei gets his attention and he tilts his head. "...my shoe size?"
Mei Hatsume	"Solving mysteries takes time. It's not a matter of if, just when!" Mei shouts in encouragement to Kotone, grinning confidently despite the high likelihood of herself being in violation of volume rules. Well, she can't follow them all. "I guess that's the one good thing about using tablets. Less paper waste, but all those messed up screen protectors..." Mei makes a weighing motion with her hands towards Xiaomu, then fiddles with her boot again. Hearing those introductions, however, finally prompts her to rise and approach Karna with that same grin and a close stare from behind her goggles. "A fellow Hero, hmm~? Well! My name is Mei Hatsume, inventor and student of U.A.'s support department!" She leans in to peer at Karna again, then looks down at his feet. "Your shoe size. Data gathering's important for making sure just about anyone can use my babies, after all!"
Kotone Shiomi	"Hero of Charity? Sounds nice." Kotone smiles and heads back towards her stack of books, "Anyone care for some tea? I've got extra." She glances towards the others, and smiles at Xiaomu but responds to Mei. "Well, if you're willing to help. I'm looking into patterns where legends and myth come to life in a hidden to most conflict with high stakes. I'm not sure how high but something about a 'great catastrophe'"
Xiaomu	"Tea sounds good," Xiaomu says, "especially if they aren't going to come down on you for having tea in the library." She could DEFINITELY use a cup or two. And she actually finished the reports she was working on, so she doesn't mind rewarding herself.
Karna	Lancer gives Kotone and Xiaomu a kind smile. Thank goodness Servants are summoned with knowledge of the world. He nods softly at the offer of tea. "Tea sounds adequate...my thanks." He looks then to Mei as she introduces herself...and he gives her a bow. "Are you a Servant also?" he ponders.
Mei Hatsume	"Tea? Hm... The caffeine hit should help if we're going to be digging into mythology, sure. Thanks~" Mei beams at Kotone, then raises an eyebrow at Karna when he asks her about being a Servant. "Eh? Well, I guess in a roundabout way. Heroes are basically servants of the public, right?" Mei pauses to stroke her chin, then squats in place and reaches over to try and feel Karna's boots. "Although... I don't really work for anyone specifically, no. Are you already working for someone?"
Kotone Shiomi	Kotone pours tea for the others, then takes a sip of her own. She also points towards the stack of unread books. "IF you want to help, those are the ones I haven't dug through yet." She mentions, then glances towards Karna again. "So tell me about yourself, if you don't mind? And if you have any questions, just ask."
Xiaomu	Xiaomu takes a sip of her tea, then looks at Kotone. "You might want to look in the fiction stacks," she suggests mildly. "Either that, or - do we have any of the old Union's records? I heard there were a couple of other Grail Wars previously ..." Another sip. "This is pretty good. Any specific blend, or is it personal custom?"
Karna	Karna glances at Mei almost confusedly when she starts looking at his feet and shoes, which are covered in a golden armor. Regardless, he looks at Kotone, a small smile for her then. "About me? What is it you would like to know?" he asks with a tilt of his head. Then Xiomu speaks of the Holy Grail war. "There have been more than a few." his attention then falls on Mei. "ah...not the Servant in the meaning I intend. I see. Never the matter. I Serve my Master."
Mei Hatsume	"That's a lot right there. Hm... Ah, I'll get to it in a second, then." Mei nods towards Kotone once more, then takes a sip of the tea and breathes in slowly before setting her cup aside to continue inspecting Karna's boots. "Judging from the size of these..." It seems as though the gears are already turning in her head! She does look over at Xiaomu when she mentions a war, though, tilting her head just a bit. "You know what he's talking about, then? I'll have to pick your brain about that, too." Mei chuckles again, then turns back to Karna while taking a seat at Kotone's table. "I take it this... These wars have special meanings attached to those words, then? How did you get picked?"
Kotone Shiomi	"Dunno anything about grail wars. I'm looking into things like my own home world's. I know there's at least one more world with similar issues." Kotone begins to explain. "Basically drawn some people can summon figures from old legends and myths, and they're fighting the shadows which are also drawn from those old legends and myth. At least, all of the people who do that I know of fight. I'm one of those people." She explains, "But if Grail Wars anything like that, maybe I should look into those." She glances towards Karna curiously. "Also the tea is just some basic store blend, maybe I let it steep the wrong time?"
Xiaomu	"Nah, the tea's fine," Xiaomu replies to Kotone. "Just a regular off-the-shelf blend ... I might have to pick up a box or two if I'm in your world sometime." She nurses her tea a little more, mulling over Kotone's situation vs. Karna's situation, as best she's understanding them. "It could be that the myths and legends you're dealing with just aren't as old and dusty as you think they are," she suggests. "I mean, Reiji and I deal with creatures out of folklore six or seven days a week, that's basically our day job. Not that we get to tell the public what we're doing - keeping the masquerade up is part of the job too. But you're talking about specific individuals out of your worlds' old stories, right? Not just given species of supernatural animals or spirits."
Karna	Karna looks at Kotone. "Grail wars are complicatingly simple." he offers that paradoxical explanation that is possibly more confusing than anything else. Despite that, he nods at her explanation "Hm..you have sufficient knowledge." he nods then, his way of saying she knows what she needs to, before he glances to Xiaomu, nodding in agreement. "Ah...I see, you deal with supernatural creatures. I am from legend, having died far...far into the past." he states easily enough. "Thus do we fight for a wish to place on the Holy Grail."