| An exquisite, small manor hidden in the thick foilage of the Moorwood forest on the Mourning Hill. It is protected by a strong barrier; throughout the gardens, there are stone statues spread. They are, in fact, gargoyles. Greatly detailed ones. They are programmed to attack and defend the house if an attack was going to be deployed. Here resides Rheasviel von Einzbern, her Servant, Berserker, and her four "bodymaids" - bodyguard/maid homunculi. |
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| That first night of the war, a shade of the old world lurked where it was most unwelcome. The obstacles in its path being as air before it. There was what appeared to be hired help, but they hardly noticed it. It was a master of subterfuge, after all. The first almost did indeed notice, alluding to the fact that these were no ordinary maids. It renewed its efforts shortly after knocking her unconscious and stuffing her into a nearby closet. The manor was like a maze, but also not...much like every other manor. The layout makes little sense to plebes, but those with authority, or were used to it, could move around without getting lost. Yes. This was one such person. The shadow quietly enters a room, a bedroom with a sweet young albino girl sleeping soundly. The girl was adorable in her own way, but she still needed to be eliminated. It had killed all manner of people, young and old, mother and even child...but something felt different. Then it hit the shadow, or almost did. With an anguished, maddening cry, a sword almost cut the shadow in twain. The shadow laughs and conceals its presence no longer. It was...Assassin. |
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| Mordred raged, moving to stand in-between his Master and the intruder. Swiftly, he growls again, anguish in the tone. Rheasviel is woken up by the commotion. She blinks the sleep away, swiftly getting out of the bed, a red nightgown pooling nicely around her, down to her knees. She looks confused from Mordred to Jack, keeping a safe distance from the latter and standing to the former's left. She furrows her eyebrows up cutely. "What...what are you doing here, Ms. Assassin?" Mordred growls furiously. This is no time for talking, Princess... |
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| Assassin stands and chuckles. "I would prefer that you use the name I gave you, Rhea~" "My master wants me to kill you...it was indeed naive of her to not use a command seal. Now I have the chance to...play with my food, if you will?" Jack had not once drawn a weapon, and she shows as much by holding up her pale hands. "But my is your servant rude. Attacking an unarmed opponent, and a WOMAN at that!" She pouts. "Such a brute~" |
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| "Very well, Jack," Rheasviel says, a hand flying up to her heart, the other arm wrapping itself around her underbust. She swallows a bit too thickly. Mordred decides to speak. "Woman or no woman, nobody threatens my Master. You're just as bad for trying to murder a sleeping lady - but it's expected from assassins, now, isn't it?" he growls deeply. Rheasviel steps forward lightly, putting a hand on his forearm. Mordred still has his sword poised to strike. Her touch, however, is light and comforting. It shakes off the uneasiness. "What do you want, Jack?" Rhea asks. |
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| "The reason I am here so late is because it took FOREVER for my employer to fall asleep. I thought I would give you information as a gesture of good will, actually." Jack replies, ignoring Mordred entirely. "About the newest addition to the war, in fact. I watched her summon a servant without even trying. Wouldn't such a person naturally interest the Townsends to try to recruit her? My employer doesn't know about this yet, as it just happened about an hour ago." Jack's motives for this information were unclear, but a gesture of good will was highly unlikely. |
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| Rheasviel's left eyebrow rose slightly. She wasn't trusting this at all...But. "Lisbeth!" she called out, and the dutiful maid presented herself. "Yes, Mistress?" "Bring me my coat, and some shoes." The maid complies. Mordred turns slightly to her, still keeping Jack in his line of vision. What are you doing? he incredulously growled inside her head. She gave him a calm side glance. Taking a chance, she responded softly. Lisbeth, the maid, is back with the requested items. Rheasviel shrugs inside the black coat she was brought, slipping on the black flats. Her red negligee is too thin to protect her against the cold, but it will have to do. "Take us to this new Master you have spoken of, then," she addresses Jack. Mordred lowers his sword, and gives her a frustrated growl; regardless, he's still willing to lift her up and carry her on her reckless midnight stunt. |
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| "Now now. If I did that, you would be on constant guard and might spook the newcomer. I suggest you and your servant head there on your lonesome. Head south from the center of town until you reach a villa at the edge of the forest." Jack bows politely. "Oh right. Let us discuss the price for this information...let's see...The name of your berserker will do nicely. It's a tad unfair you know who I am but I have no idea who you are, Sir Knight." |
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| Rhea tilts her head, smiling somewhat whimsically. An index finger flies to her lips, and she suppresses a chuckle. "My~ But you never specified before giving us the information that we have to repay you, now, did you? Besides...war is always unfair," she winks, and Mordred grunts, reluctantly picking her up bridal-style. Mordred looks at Assassin without her seeing his expression. "My identity is none of your concern - you gave us information without us requesting to." Rheasviel nods. "You seem to dislike your Master, Miss Jack. It's never too late to switch sides, you know?" she says with a smile before she and her Servant prepare to leave. |
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| Jack bursts into laughter. "I dislike everyone, Rheasviel von Einzbern. Just kick my employer down a peg and we'll call it even~" And with that, Jack seemed to get blurry and then vanish altogether, leaving Mordred with his princess. Mordred shakes his head and starts walking. "For the record, I don't like this either." |
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| Rheasviel giggles quietly, seemingly not bothered at all by how cold the metal-clad man's armor is against her scantily clad body. She leans against him fully, making herself as comfortable as possible. His hold seems to tighten, somewhat, almost as if he's unconsciously afraid she'd slip from his arms. She gives a breathy whisper before they disappear into the night. "I actually think I'm starting to like Assassin." //Rhea and Mordred exit~// |
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| //Rheasviel, Morgana, Mordred & Mircea enter// Four pairs of curious, blood-red eyes watch as their Mistress returns. Four identical-looking, uniform-clad women bow in tempo. Their white hair is of varying lengths and apparels, but they still look like sisters - and, a lot like Rhea. Said homunculus ushers them to rise. "Layra?" "Yes, Mistress?" "Me and my allies -" she says, pointing to the two strangers (Mircea gives a polite salute, coupled with curious, mismatched eyes) to ease the tension in her guards"- would like some lunch. Something high on calories, if possible." "Right away, Mistress - Lydia, come." Two of the maids shuffle away, presumably to the kitchens. Lisbeth, another maid, takes the clothes from Mordred's full arms. "Where should I take these to, Mistress?" "My bedroom. They need some sorting." "Yes, Mistress." Rheasviel seems to smile sadly. Mircea thinks he understands - the woman isn't much a woman...but she's still feeling sympathy for her kin. Somehow, his respect for her seems to blossom. The fourth maid, Leila, signs for them to follow. She leads them too the living room. |
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| Morgana ditches the shoes at the first opportunity, always feeling awkward wearing them indoors. "Can we get something to drink? I'd prefer soda, personally." She asks, not particularly worried who answers the question. Mordred relaxes, finally being rid of the Mount Everest of clothes he had to carry, and yet he remained uneasy. There was another master, whom he did not like, in his masters home. And although Morgana had the land itself at her back to make sure Rhea had no ill intent, he was not certain of Morgana's intent. As though reading his mind, or at least his body language, Morgana reassures Mordred. "If I vanted to harm you or Rhea, then my contract vould have been nullified. Disrespecting the land includes spilling the blood of a guest. Not zat I'd vant to anyvay...I like my floors and blood is hard to clean~" |
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| The maid nods, and returns shortly after with assorted drinks: wine for three and a bottle of 1,5L of Pepsi for Morgana. Rheasviel thanks her, and down three deep sips of the lovely alcoholic beverage. Mircea sniffs the rim. It reminds him of home and of Moldavian wine he got as gifts. Lord knows that thing tastes like Nirvana...He takes a sip from his glass. The taste explodes pleasantly in his mouth, and he hums in satisfaction. Rhea chuckles at his reaction. The maid smiles softly. Then, there is a ring of the doorbell. |
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| //Feng and Yue Fei enter// "You know, I'm surprised that those two didn't notice me trying to leave," Feng commented as he walked up to the manor with the sound of a car driving off in the distance. "It's not like I was actually invisible or anything." "They were much too involved in their own squabble to have taken notice, I presume." Yue Fei replied. "I guess. But man, this place is defended like a fortress... Infiltrating this place wouldn't have been easy." "Feng, I believe you underestimate your skills. You have been expertly avoiding all the traps, statues, and you even made it through the barrier without incidence. "That's only because I've been eyeing this place since I first got here. This place reeks of magical power, I couldn't just ignore it after all," Feng replied and then rang the doorbell. "Why are you alerting them to your presence?" "It's more of a show of skill because they've contacted me before about an offer. It's only now that I've started seriously considering going to see them." |
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| A maid soon opens. It is Leila, the same one who attends as a waitress of sorts to the Lady. She blinks curious eyes, much like a doll, at the visitor. Then, she remembers who the man is; she purses her lips together almost imperceptibly. "Follow me, sir Yue." She leads the Asian man to the living room. There, Rheasviel welcomes him with a soft smile. |
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| Morgana seems a tad preoccupied. Having been inspired by the lair of Rhea Einzbern, she took to writing, slapping on a pair of glasses as she wrote on any scrap of paper she could get her hands on. Fortunately, one of the maids caught on and gave her a notebook. Morgana just kept writing like a fiend. Mordred's opinion of Morgana rose ever so slightly. He could respect her determination in her chosen field. |
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| As Feng was welcomed into the living room by Rheasviel, he bowed slightly in response. "Thank you for having me, Ms. Einzbern," he said, while also noting the presence of another young woman he had never seen before who was writing furiously in a notebook as well as the two other Servants in the room. "I have considered your proposal but I would like for us to go over the terms once more before I accept." "Feng..." Yue Fei started. Yes, I know. Feng thought back. He was well aware that he was being carefully watched by various vigilant eyes. |
Newmn84Oct 18, 2013 3:13 PM
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| The Einzbern woman takes notice of Morgana's writing frenzy. She even has a peek at what she is writing; the shock of discovering familiar things almost has her gasping. T.L. Karlsen... But she has no time to do anything about having her favorite modern author in her living room; Leila brings in the visitor, and she smiles pleasantly in an instant. Ah, he finally came to discuss the offer. Rheasviel waves Feng in the direction of a seat; "Please, Mr. Yue, sit down," she ushers, equally polite and equally honest. She doesn't like having people stand rigid in her home. Gods know Acht was rigid enough for the whole planet. "And do call me Rheasviel - or Rhea, if you prefer." Mircea watches curiously from his seat next to his Master. He isn't tense; simply relaxed. The sound of Morgana's writing calms his senses, somewhat - the woman has a messy handwriting: a sign of an intelligent person, some say. He smiles slightly, his eyes still focused more on the newcomer. |
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| Morgana keeps writing, but her concentration isn't as strong as before due to being aware of Mircea watching her. "I'm not the only guest, hmm? Vell zat's fine. I still got mah sody pop~" She drinks from the glass bottle. Due to her anxious and somewhat paranoid nature, she published her book as T.L. Karlsen, a pen name meant to mask her identity. She also declined every interview and only answers questions from fans via the anonymity of the internet. It was fortuitous that a bestselling author known for secrecy would even write in someone elses home, jeopardizing said secrecy. Mordred did not know of Morgana's alter ego, but he did know of her book. He read it actually while Rhea was sleeping. He genuinely liked it. |
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| "As you wish, Rhea," Feng replied as he took a seat where he could easily see both Servants and both Masters. "While I usually keep things professional, since I am referring to you on a first-name basis, if you wish, you may call me by my given name, Feng." Feng briefly examined the people in the room. The writer certainly seemed eccentric as many with an artistic mind seem to be and her Servant seemed relaxed though his eyes were focused on him. Rhea had a very noble aura around her and seemed like she was a genuinely good person but her Servant was a complete enigma to him, hopefully he'd never have the misfortune of fighting against them since he was sure that behind her sweet demeanor was the mind of a strategist. Yue Fei kept quiet during this exchange but remained vigilant. They were in unfamiliar territory and even if their present company seemed friendly, there was no telling what they may do. |
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| Rhea's smile widened. She clapped her hands together. "Perfekt," she said with glee in a clear Germanic accent. "Then, Feng," she begun, now back to an accent-lacking English, "I hope you have considered my offer?" she asks, eyes wide, curious, and ruby in color. Mircea listens in intently. Offer? "I am willing to pay you the offered price - or more, if you consider it is not enough? - and provide housing for you for the duration of the War. That, in exchange of your services; you will be directly under my command and my command alone. Does that appeal to you?" Ahh, Mircea smiles inwardly. She is gathering a team. |
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| Feng nodded a couple times affirming that he had indeed considered. "I have considered and your offer definitely appeals to me but, I would like to add one condition, if that is acceptable. I would like to ask that you also compensate for any additional supplies and munitions I may need. And a decent internet connection would be nice." Feng didn't mind going into the unknown as long as he felt prepared and even though he had hidden caches throughout the city, having his potential employer pay for anything else he may need would be a nice bonus. Plus, being in the company of two beautiful women was always nice, as long as they weren't trying to kill him that is. "Feng, it would be best if you control your urges around these women," Yue Fei commented. Since when do I have "urges"? "Do not think I do not know that you frequent lustful websites on your computer." Oh come on. That kind of thing is completely normal for men these days. Besides, there have been studies that show that access to porn actually decreases sexual urges in public. "... I find that extremely hard to believe..." Porn provides an outlet for sexual desire in private so that it doesn't spill out into the public space. Studies have shown that the access to porn in an area is inversely proportional to the rate of rape in an area. "Very well then... Let us not speak of this again. Sure thing. |
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| "That is a given; plus, the mansionette is already connected to the Internet. My family insists we keep in permanent touch," Rheasviel replies, smiling and unaware of Feng's inner debate with his Servant. Mircea inwardly grimaces. Wars would have been so much easier if they were led by women like Lady Einzbern, he thinks to himself; he is honestly starting to hold a lot of respect for the homunculus pseudo-woman. Rhea sighs in content. "Well, now that is out of the way - Feng, I would like you to meet my allies; through extension, they are your allies, as well," she says with a tilt of the head in Morgana and Mircea's direction. Then, she remembers her manners. "Would you like something to drink, or perhaps a snack?" |
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| Morgana waves lazily, more concerned about writing her ideas down as quickly as possible. |
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| "Then it's settled," Feng replied with a smile of his own. "I'm in your service." When Rhea introduced his new allies, he bowed towards them slightly and says "Pleased to meet you, I hope we work well together." And when she asked him if he would like a drink or snack, he replied "A glass of wine would be nice. And if you would kindly also pour a glass for my Servant, I would be most grateful." And to thin air, he said, "Have a seat. There is no need to stay hidden any longer. We are among allies." "As you wish," Yue Fei replied as he materialized before them and took a seat next to Feng. On top of his fine set of armor, he wore a white robe and a red cape and on his ornate helmet stood a red plume. He did not trust easily but he would trust Feng's judgement and honor their alliance. |
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| Rheasviel smiled easily; the corners of her mouth stretched up in a lovely curve. "Alright, then. I guess you have some luggage deposited at the place you were staying before, correct, Feng?" she asks, but doesn't wait for a reply, "Feel free to bring them here. I'll have one of my maids set up your room upstairs in one of the spare bedrooms." Mircea watched silently, paying increasingly more attention to his master's furious scribbling rather than to their host. He liked what he was reading so far... |
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| If it were anyone else, they're heads would have exploded by now, but Morgana was not anyone else. Her writing goes on for a moment before one final line is written. "FINALLY!" She shouts, then holds her wrist in pain. "OWW! GOD DAMMIT!" She shouts, walking out of the room and swearing more than enough to make a sailor blush like a japanese schoolgirl. She left the notebook behind. Mordred let out a soft chuckle, finding some humor in her reaction. |
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| "Thank you," Feng replied to Rheasviel and took a sip of of his wine before he continued. "I'll get my things here within the day." When Morgana shouted out, Feng briefly raised an eyebrow and watched her go while Yue Fei paid her little to no heed, merely sitting there and enjoying the wine. Feng judged his initial impression of the girl to be correct, for the most part anyway; one never knew what lay just beneath the surface. Feng took another sip of his wine and then said: "Are there any other guests I should be aware of? While I was at the Knight and Rook, there seemed to be unnecessary conflict between a cross-dressing vampire and an Executor who was unabashedly trying to recruit people to the Tohsaka's cause as well as a strange woman who used her magic to put all the non-mages in the pub to sleep. It was a lot more eventful than I would have ever suspected." |
Newmn84Oct 27, 2013 3:29 PM
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| The Einzbern woman laughed. "No guest, no. Not for now, at the very least," she smiled, her lips curling into the beginning of a lazy smirk. "A cross-dressing vampire and an Executor? Masters, then. The odd woman was blond, by any chance? If she was, then she was a Townsend - their representative in the war. I deeply dislike her, myself, and I would like you to keep an eye on her if possible." Her orders were concise, straight to the point. She picked up the discarded notebook, avidly scanning to it with a fan's fervor. She smiled without wanting, batting her eyelashes curiously just like she had done when Mordred had chuckled. Mircea sighed, and went after his master. "Thank you for cooperating with me, too, Feng; I really am not confident when I stand alone in the face of such a mess," Rhea added as an after-thought, her eyes rising from her lecture. She slipped the notebook in one of her pockets, giving her newest employee an unreadable, faint smile that did not quite reach her eyes. |
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| "Yeah, she was definitely blonde... Maria Townsend..." Feng replied as he went though his mental archives to see if there was anything already there on her- unfortunately there wasn't much so he'd have to do some research on the subject. "Unfortunately, she disappeared without a trace along with another person, most likely her Servant. I'll try my best to keep track of her but if she's able to disappear at will like she did, there's really not much I can do other than try and track her down again; really good for her but really crappy for us. And there's no need to thank me, withholding information can get people killed and, now that I'm on your side, your chances of winning this war have increased." He finished off the rest of his wine before continuing. "Speaking of information, something strange happened when the Townsend showed herself, boots randomly and instantly hit both of the vampire and the Executioner in the head. It seemed too fast for normal human magic so I think it's probably one of her Servant's Noble Phantasms. So, either this Noble Phantasm can instantly create anything from scratch or just throw stuff in the surrounding area really fast; and if it's the former, that's really something to fear..." Feng also noticed that Rheasviel was extremely interested in the contents of Morgana's notebook but decided not to comment. |
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| Mordred looks over to Rhea, as though asking her if it was a good idea to tell him what they already knew. Morgana leans against a wall, kneading her wrist with her thumb. "It's ok, Lancer...It's just a cramp is all." She dismisses it as she shows him a scar on her palm. |
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| Leila refilled Rheasviel's glass, preparing to refill Feng's if he desired it so. Her mistress smirked lightly, taking a sip of the delicious pinot noir. She nodded lightly, almost imperceptibly, in Mordred's direction, and she knew he got the point. Returning her eyes to her newest employee, the woman spoke with ease on a soft tone. "The Townsend woman is dangerous. I am not very sure, but it is probably a combined force of her and her Servant that allows her to appear out of seemingly nowhere. As for her Servant - worry not. She doesn't seem all that excited to be under that...that...that snob's command." She sniffed with displeasure. "Matter of fact, I actually want her to join my side...with time," she smiled, an odd sort of smile that sent strange tremors down all present's spines. She looked positively otherworldly, positively dangerous when she did that. Meanwhile, Mircea gently took his Master's shoulders, softly whisking her into his embrace. "It's not okay, but we'll discuss this later. Something tells me you don't feel like talking about it," he softly whispers in response, his warm palm going up and down her back soothingly. Damn it, he misses his wife. She was always better at comforting the kids. |
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| Feng respectfully declined another glass of wine and nodded in understanding to her comment and smiled her otherworldly smile. Looks like I made a deal with the devil... And it turned out to be the right choice, Feng thought to himself with a visible smirk on his lips. "Well, now that that's settled, if you'll excuse me, I'll go get my things," Feng said as he stood up from his chair. "I imagine it'll be a great pleasure working with you, Rhea." Shortly after Feng stood up, Yue Fei finished his last drop of wine, placed his glass gently back down on the table, and stood up as well. Shortly after catching up with him, he faded back into ethereal form to follow him out. "Your employer, despite seeming very kind, is truly wicked..." Yue Fei commented though their mental link. Yeah, and that's what I like about her. Feng replied with a smirk on his face as he left the hall. //Feng and Yue Fei exit// |
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| The hum of an engine could be heard in the distance, and it was growing louder with every passing second. It wasn't long before the source of the noise came into view. A motorcycle, a Harley Davidson, was driving towards the Einzbern Manor. The vechiles driver was a tail man, with gray hair tied in a short ponytail. He would a brown leather jacket over a white t-shirt, with jeans and a pair of black boots. Sunglasses obscured his eyes from view. And he wasn't alone. His companion sat on the back. A scarlet haired 'woman', wearing red and black dress. She was smiling as she held on to the driver. |
 Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| "I shall see you later, then," Rheasviel smiled pleasantly at Feng, all earlier traces of deviousness gone, a now genuine smile on her face. Leila saw the two to and out the door, returning to attend to her beloved lady right after she bowed politely her goodbye to the Asiatic man. Upon the doorbell being rung, Chief Maid Lisbeth opened the door with a lazy, owlish blink; Mistress' guest had just left - had he forgotten something? Poking her head out the door, the homunculus was met with the sight of a beautiful redhaired female and a tall man with white hair. She furrowed her eyebrows minimally in mild confusion, before remembering who the redhead is - and that she is not a he. She made a small bow. "Welcome; please follow me. The Mistress was not expecting you to be here this early." The door was held open for the two to pass in and follow the maid down the hall and into the living room where Rheasviel was now quietly sipping wine in the company of her Servant and maids. Morgana and Mircea had yet to return to the setting. |
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| Morgana suddenly pecks Mircea on the cheek. Such a tease. "You worry too much~" She chuckles. "Just a little accident vhen I vas younger is all it is~" At that, she breaks free from Mircea's hold and heads back to the living room to collect the notebook. She passes by a couple of guests, who would probably think this young maiden who just ran passed them airplane style was insane. |
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| Having parked the motorcycle in front of the manor, Alinda did as was asked, following the Homunculus as she led him through the building. Rider followed, keeping a respectable two step distance behind his Master. He was still wearing the causal clothes provided for him, but had removed the sunglasses, revealing a pair of sharp dark blue eyes. As they walked, Alinda's gazed wondered around the Manor with open curiosity. His red eyes took it all in, and he would at times show his approval of the decor with a nod. He giggled when a woman and a man rushed pasted in a hurry. Rider remained quiet, but aware. Eventually, the maid into the Living room. There sat another Homunculus, sipping tea with a Servant. "Hello there" Alinda said, peeking his head round the door, a smile on his face. He stepped into the room, with his hands behind his back. "You must be Rheasviel, correct?" |
| Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| Rheasviel looked up and blinked owlishly at the two new guests. The wine in her glass swirled around as she tilted it. "That would be me," she confirmed with a brief nod, rising to greet the visitor properly. Crimson hair, black and red garments. "Oh! Are you the one Acht was speaking about a while ago?" she asks, a sudden thought passing through her mind as she folds her hands before her. |
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| "I believe so?" Alinda asks rhetorically, tilting his head to the side and placing a finger on his face. Naturally, he had know why of knowing if the person Acht told her about was indeed him. Though he assumed it was, judging from Rhea's reaction. Moving his right arm around in front of him, Alinda bows respectfully, an act that look edslightly odd considering his appearance. " I am Alinda Brecht De Keizer. I've ben hired to assist you in this Grail War." |
| Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| Rheasviel responded with a reverence. Her white hair shoshed around her face, falling forward in smooth, matte waves as it slithered over her shoulders, framing her beautiful features like a curtain of snow. "Then, indeed, you are the one whom Jubstacheit contacted over the Elders' suggestion. The Rouge Rosa of Ultrecht..." the young woman trails off with a smile, and then gives a charming, light hybrid of a chuckle and a giggle. "Pardon me; I have been told a lot of stories about your efficiency. I am a bit overwhelmed to meet you in person," she adds lightly. "I am Rheasviel von Einzbern, as you seem to know. Feel free to call me Rhea - I dislike formalities; if you wish so, of course. I do not mind much any way of addressing as long as it is not insulting." She motions to an empty seat in front of her. "Please, do take a seat," she invites warmly; "there are contract details needing to be gone over, as well as some more casual chat - if you can call strategy casual chat," she says, and smiles a tad lost. Lisbeth prepares to serve the newest guest with wine if he would so desire. Meanwhile, Mircea is chasing after his master and getting quite lost inside the confines of the manor (Why is it so much bigger on the inside?!). |
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| "Don't mind if I do" Alinda replied cheerfully, sitting down on one of the spare seats. He sat opposite Rhea, with the table between them. When the maid offered him some wine, he asked for red, of course, and graciously accepted the glass. He smelled the aroma, taking a sip and savouring the taste. Rider stood to attention behind him, ever silent. Placing the glass on the table, Alinda crossed his legs and placed his hands, interlocked, on his lap. "So, Miss Rhea, where shall we begin?" |
| Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| Rheasviel grinned, before slipping into a more professional stance. Her back straightened instinctively, and she allowed her forearms to rest on the plushy arms of her cozy, rouge plush armchair. She really liked red. "With the payment, I suppose," she begun with ease; "I believe there was a price already forwarded when you got the proposition. Is it satisfying, or...?" |
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| "Oh, most satisfactory" Alinda replied. A hint of sadness seemed to enter his voice as he said those words. The 'payment' she mentioned had arrived roughly a week before he left for England. He had carried it with him ever since. Reaching into his dress, Alinda pulled out the pendant he wore around his neck. It was obviously old, the shine of the golden frame long since faded. But the middle remained as beautiful as the day it was made. A crystal, carved into the shape of a rose. Alinda held it in his hand, looking at it with sorrow and remembrance. "It can't have been easy to find" |
| Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| Rheasviel smiled sadly, with understanding. "Indeed, it has not; finding it was one, but getting it back from the person in whose possession it was proved to be the most difficult part," she said softly, before recovering; "Even so, it wasn't that much of a bother. It was done with pleasure, given who the chief of the retrieving team was," she giggled quietly, remembering just what maniacal treasure hunter said chief was. The maids watched the exchange quietly. "Well, the payment being settled, I suppose it's time for the living arrangements. Would you prefer to stay here, with me and my other employee, or would you rather have me find you a separate place?" |
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| With the topic closed, the sadness in his expressions disappeared, replaced with the cheerfulness from before. A smile returned to his face, as he placed the pendant back down his dress, out of view. He picked up his glass and took another sip. "It would be more convenient if I were to stay here. I could aid you better if I was close by. Having a place of my own might have its advantages, but if the manor were to come under attack, it would take time to get here. Besides, this is a lovely home. I would enjoy the chance to explore it more" |
| Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| Rheasviel nodded in understanding, frankly preferring that Alinda would move in rather than locate him elsewhere. She gave Lisbeth a meaningful look; after an owlish blink, the other homunculus seemed to understand what her Mistress was transmitting, for she walked out of the room and into an adjacent study. From there, she retrieved a bank card; with said item in hand, she returned to the living room and presented the scarlet-haired crossdressing Dead Apostle with it. "For any expenses you might have, such as clothes or ammunition. I do not fancy having you to come to me for the littlest of things; it's best that you can buy them when you need them," she explained with a soft smile. "After all, the cost of everything you sacrifice in my name and under my banner should be on the house," she winked with a giggle. She finished her wine. The Einzbern homunculus had lost the count of how much she had drank - what was the point, anyway? She couldn't get drunk even if she wanted. "Now, would you like a tour of the house?" |
|
| Feng returned to his new hideout with his things. It didn't take him very long to do so because he already lived fairly close by and since he was almost always on the move, he never really carried much with him at one time, plus his things where always neatly packed away- something that he prided himself in. He approached the door with his large backpack, a single small suitcase tailing behind him, and a rectangular guitar case in his other hand. Yue Fei had offered to provide assistance to Feng but he politely declined stating that he had managed before he was summoned so he could manage now. Feng placed his guitar case down and opened the doors to the manor, probably to the surprise of some maids. However, when they recognized that it was him, they helped him with his things and lead him over to where Rhea and another person was. It was the cross-dressing vampire from before. Feng hid his surprise fairly well and greeted them with a bow as he said: "Excuse my interruption but I'm back. I'm pleased to see that we have a new guest." |
|
| Alinda accepted the card, placing it in a pocket for safekeeping. He doubted he would have to use it much. His firearm didn't need ammunition. It was one of the main reasons why he preferred it over a regular gun. Bullets were messy, and they left evidence. But it was a good thing to have, just in case. He perked up when Rheasiviel mentioned a tour of the house. Having found it interesting from the moment he arrived, he relished the chance to see more of it. He drained his glass. "Why Yes, I would love a tour" he replied. Right after, another guest appeared. A young man from Asia. Judging from the way he spoke, Alinda assumed it was another person hired by the Einzberns. A comrade, for now "Hello" Alinda said, standing up and offering his hand to the stranger. "Alinda Brecht De Keizer, pleasure to meet you" |
| Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| Rheasviel smiled widely. She clapped her hands together. "It is no interruption, Feng," she greeted pleasantly once the man politely introduced himself to the red-haired Dead Apostle. "Well, you arrived just in time," she informed cheerily. "This way I can give you both the tour and have you settled in, Feng; Alinda, you should bring in whatever belongings you have here, as well. Now, if you two would be kind enough to follow me - Leila, please take Feng's belongings to his new quarters." "Rightaway, Mistress." |
|
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