PSL (closed)

[1stknight]

[Honestly, being summoned was quite the surprise to Bedivere. Being a saber, he knew he was at a disadvantage. After all, there were so many more sabers even just from the Round Table who were much more famous, so surely they would have been summoned over him. In fact, he was sure it had happened countless times before. That one master he had met, the one from Chaldea, they had spoken of singularities and grail wars to span several worlds and timelines. And with so many fine Sabers to choose from, he was sure that he hadn't ever been summoned before. The short time between the 'creation of his legend' and 'now' notwithstanding.

It made him feel a touch inadequate, if he was being truthful. After all, he was a simple knight. The master who had summoned him, he deserved better than someone like him. But if he was the one who was summoned, then he would fulfill his duty to this new master. Nothing would be done in half-steps, never again.

So as his form solidified in the summoning circle, Bedivere offered his new master a warm smile. Once again, his life was sworn to someone else's. Whatever his master wished for, Bedivere would help him achieve it.]

Saber, Bedivere. I am honored to be summoned by you. From now on, I shall be your Servant.

['I am honored to be summoned at all' was the truth, but he didn't speak that.

Then he paused, and he took a survey of the situation. The summoning circle was expertly made, but this man in front of him...well. He didn't look like a mage. He looked like a normal person. Perhaps it was a disguise? Or maybe there was more to this situation than he could see immediately. He would have to wait for his new master to respond in order to find out more.]

Comments

[neverwashere]

[Waiting for Fukuzawa's reply was a very convenient excuse to not answer Bedivere. If anything, Dazai looked suspiciously innocent.

They did get that approval, though, and he dipped his head in acknowledgment.]

Of course, sachou.

['Thank you,' his tone said. Minimizing the collateral damage was already a given.]

Now, do you have any questions for Saber? And, Saber - anything you'd like to add?

[1stknight]

Just that I plan to be by your side throughout all of this, and I will keep you safe. Grail Wars can be dangerous, though, so it is for the best to be discreet.

[Of course a knight would insist on protecting their Master. He was too good to not.

But the fact that he could make such declarations with a straight face said a lot about him. Fukuzawa wasn't sure if he was impressed or bemused.]

No questions for now. We're going to run this where the Grail War is primarily your duty, Dazai-kun. Call on the Agency as you need help, but until the resources are needed, we will act as if we are not involved. That way the others underestimate your capabilities, if they discover who you are.

[neverwashere]

[Dazai might or might not be beaming, somewhere in that fine line of amusement and delight. It was a similar expression to the one he wore when he heard Atsushi make similar declarations during non-serious circumstances, or in the few seconds after announcing that he was pulling Kunikida's leg.

Ah, the joys of finding pockets of sincerity.

To Fukuzawa:]

Got it.

[It was nice having a boss who was on the same page.

If there was nothing else - time to head back to the dorm after saying their goodbyes, and he hummed once the elevator doors closed.]

Well? What do you think?

[1stknight]

[Bedivere was sure he was still being teased. But he also didn't sense any malice, so he could handle the teasing.

By the time they were back at the dorm, Bedivere was back in his borrowed clothes and following after Dazai a bit too obediently to be written off as 'just a friendship'. He really needed to work on the whole 'acting casual' part. But he was trying.

He did notice a certain someone peeking out of one of the other dorm apartments as they stepped into Dazai's, though. He made a note to remember those yellow and purple eyes.]

I think your neighbor is suspicious of me.

[Ah, but that didn't answer Dazai's question.]

Your boss seems like an honorable man. He also has a keen eye, so I don't think anything will slip his notice. You can trust him to warn you if something happens.

[neverwashere]

You mean Atsushi-kun? [Yeah, he noticed that too. Talking to Kyouka was definitely on the table tomorrow.] I'd like to say he's just curious given that I've never brought anyone else over to the dorms, but he has been acting strange today.

[The cleaning incident from earlier was on his mind. Though, to be fair, Atsushi had a very obvious pull - or was yearning the right word here? - in getting to know Dazai in spite of Dazai's slippery ways.

While Bedivere shared his thoughts, Dazai gestured for the guy to sit at the low table while he made made tea and brought out a sake bottle. Grail War or no, nothing short of being out on the field or ending up in prison would keep him from his usual night cap.]

That he is. Fukuzawa-sachou's a level-headed and reliable man, and I don't say that lightly. In the unlikely but not improbable event that we get separated, look for him or Atsushi-kun.

[After the Grail War was settled, that last part might become something of an inside joke.]

[1stknight]

[Oh, these low tables were interesting. It was not the kind of table Bedivere had grown up using, but in his travels he had seen them from time to time. Sitting seiza-style was very difficult, though, so he opted to sit cross-legged.

Though Dazai's proposition was a problem for several reasons. Bedivere realized that he had much to explain still, so while Dazai worked on making the drinks he started to talk again.]

I will keep that in mind, though it may not be too helpful. I can't actually go that far away from you. We're bound together, you and I. Where you go, I go.

Some servants can travel further on their own- Archers, for example, are known for this- but I am not one of those who can. So you are, unfortunately, stuck with me.

[neverwashere]

[News to him!

He looked at Bedivere in consideration from where he was pouring hot water from an electric kettle to the teapot.]

That is awfully convenient, unless our opponent has some type of vehicle. ['Rider' was one of the classes mentioned, after all. After asking for an estimated maximum distance that they can be apart in case of battle, his next question was:] Would you know if there's another Servant nearby? Or if four more have already been summoned, for that matter.

[1stknight]

Some do have vehicles, but hopefully the Rider in this grail war doesn't. Machines are harder to stop than living creatures.

[Ishtar and her moped, for example. Bedivere preferred live horses for his own use. He was still unfamiliar with technology, as the way he watched the electric kettle heat up water may have given away. But he could at least answer Dazai's question before letting curiosity get the better of him.]

I can sense them if they're not hiding, yes. Remember when I went into spirit form? That is how Servants can avoid detection.

But Master, how did you hear up the water without putting the kettle over fire?

[neverwashere]

-- machines? [He rubbed his chin.] You mean like a tank?

[That was way too unsubtle.

So was a chariot, actually, but there was a chance that might be mistaken as a spectacle instead of something that needed the military's attention.

That extra bit of usefulness about Bedivere staying in spirit form, he filed for later. See, that new question was innocent to a tooth-rotting degree, and Dazai wondered how much of Bedivere's overall appearance influenced that impression.]

With electricity. [Speaking of which - don't think he forgot that talk over dinner earlier. Dazai pointed at the base of the kettle.] It heats a metal coil hidden in here, which, in turn, boils the water in the compartment above it.

I'd normally use a stove, but this is much faster.

[1stknight]

Or a...motorcycle? The one with two wheels in a row.

[There was no end to what a Rider could ride. Bedivere was still hoping it was a more traditional Rider, that would be easier to deal with.

While Dazai explained the kettle, Bedivere watched closely. Luckily he didn't completely lack the context to understand what Dazai was saying, so he was able to grasp the way it worked. At the end of it, he nodded once to show his understanding.]

It must be easier, too, than managing the level of fire in a stove. But it sounds so fantastical, like it must be one of Da Vinci's inventions.

[Her 'car' came to mind when he said that.]

[neverwashere]

Those, too, though I'm hard-pressed to remember any legendary figures who own motorcycles.

[That was the main reason he suggested tanks: war heroes were aplenty in a world that just got through a war ten years ago. Just ask Fukuchi.

Now that the tea was done, it took him two trips to first bring the teapot and cups to the table, followed by the sake.]

You're not wrong: there are thermometers and whatnot built-in.

How do you know of Leonardo Da Vinci, anyway? [There was only one famous inventor with that name.] Didn't he live a few centuries after your time? Or do well-known historical figures have this afterlife mingling room if they have the potential to become Servants?

[1stknight]

[Someday Dazai would learn of a certain motorcycle man. But today was not that day, not when discussions of the greatest mechanical mind ever were to happen.]

Actually, I have met Da Vinci before, in my travels. I, ah, I lived much longer than a human would live. It was one of the side effects of being near Excalibur for so long, I stopped aging entirely.

Da Vinci was an interesting person. Such a brilliant mind and a knack for inventions, though a little...odd. And much shorter than you would expect.

But I met Da Vinci in life. After death, heroic spirits go to a place called 'the Throne of Heroes'. You can think of it as a library of sorts, where heroic spirits wait to be summoned. Da Vinci is also in the Throne of Heroes by now, I think.

[neverwashere]

'Odd' is the right territory for discovery, I would think.

[...yep, he really had to brush up on Arthurian legends talk of magic swords would continue to be a thing.

(In life, Bedivere said, and something in Dazai's chest twinged. That wasn't about not having Excalibur, but at the thought of living for too long as a solitary being. Did the perks of meeting history's up-and-coming hall of fame even make up for it?)]

The Throne sounds like Valhalla: a good party spot until one wonders how any previous grudges are actually settled there.

[He passed Bedivere a cup of freshly brewed tea before pouring a cup of sake for himself - did his guest want to try? There was a second cup available.]

What class would Da Vinci be if he ever was summoned?

[1stknight]

Caster, actually. Caster is a class for those who can imagine great things into reality, so you see a lot of artists and authors there. Though someone like Da Vinci might classify as a Rider too. Wasn't she known for trying to invent flying machines?

['She'.

Bedivere took the cup of tea with a quiet thanks. He didn't go for the alcohol yet, instead preferring the warm, mellow drink that late at night. Not that he needed to sleep or anything, but old preferences still leaked into his behaviors as a heroic spirit, and he was never one for getting drunk and rowdy. The most vanilla of the knights, this one.]

Valhalla...I suppose that's a fair comparison. Though there was a lot less 'fighting' and a lot more 'waiting'. I think a lot of heroic spirits used being summoned for Grail Wars and such to sort out their disagreements.

[neverwashere]

Amongst other things. [The guy also had wanted to contribute to the war effort, so.] 'She?'

[This arrangement was fine - that simply meant Dazai had more alcohol to go with the company - and he took a sip, exhaling. Yeah. He needed that after one of the odder afternoons he's ever had.]

Must be therapeutic, unless their actual aim is to not kill each other. I assume it's worse if, say, two lovers had to cross swords or re-enact some sort of tragic legend.

[1stknight]

[Bedivere nodded in response to that 'she'. Yes, the Da Vinci he knew was a woman. That seemed self-explanatory enough.

Hearing Dazai's suggestion of two lovers, though. That made Bedivere's look turn sad, and he glanced down at his cup to look away from Dazai.]

Sometimes that can be the outcome, yes.

[Or you can be forced to kill your sworn friends and allies, and even fight your king to the death. Yeah, that pain still lingered, even if Camelot was far away by now.]

But given how many heroic spirits there are, it's not likely to happen.

[neverwashere]

Saber. [No, it really wasn't self-explanatory.] Leonardo Da Vinci is historically known as a man with possible homosexual inclinations. You're not one to joke about something like this, so! Is this a case of her hiding her sex while she was alive [all the portraits showed Da Vinci having a beard though?] or her having her gender wrongfully interpreted?

[If it was the latter, Dazai probably wasn't too cynical in blaming the same crowd who praised Achilles and Patroclus for their 'very close friendship.'

Yeah.

Seeing Bedivere look sad, on the other hand, was a sharp reminder for Dazai to not think about the Throne in purely hypothetical terms. He nudged the teapot in Bedivere's direction and held his tongue before he could point out that the likelihood of Bedivere facing his King in a Grail War wasn't that big... right?]

Glad to hear that.

...say, what do you know about traditional mages? [An abrupt shift of topic, but this one might not be as awkward.] I don't think I've come across one. That's saying something, given how Yokohama seems to attract all types of ability users.

[1stknight]

[The surprise of Dazai's statement there was enough to pull Bedivere out of his moment of sad thoughts about the Round Table. Leonardo Da Vinci, a man? Bedivere wasn't from a time where he had gone to Chaldea, so he didn't know Da Vinci's tale of using magecraft to make a body she saw as ideal. All he had was what he had seen.]

I...Do not know. She never said "are you surprised to see me as a woman" or anything like that. I thought she was always a woman.

And as for mages, well, I knew Merlin?

[Which was honestly a pretty important figure to magecraft, given his penchant for showing up all the damn time and being his garbage self. Dazai and Merlin might have been two peas in a pod, honestly.

But with the teapot being nudged in his direction, Bedivere took a moment to pour himself some more tea. Thanks Dazai.]

[neverwashere]

Alright, that's fair.

[Sorry Bedi. He knew you tried, and it was really only from a modern-day perspective that he could see all these nice opportunities to learn more.

Sighing, Dazai downed his sake cup and refilled it. Right. Yes. Please crush these stereotypes with an eyewitness account, because no cows were too sacred to be slaughtered.]

What's he like? He's an old wrinkly druid in most Western depictions until pop culture became a thing.

[1stknight]

He's...interesting.

['He's egotistical and sticks his fingers in too many pies.']

Talking to him feels like being talked down to, most of the time. But I don't think he does that intentionally. He's a prophet, so he can see everything, and with that comes more knowledge than the average person would know what to do with.

I suspect he would be a Caster too, but he shouldn't be dead yet, and you can't be a servant until you die.

[neverwashere]

Talk about having a life devoid of surprises. On a scale of one to infinity, how bored out of his mind is he?

[Yep, that was the first thing he focused on.

Dazai was more than aware of what people said about him, a consequence of a need-turned-habit for predicting the movement of people around him. Imagine having actual clairvoyance on top of that.

The brief firmness in the line of his mouth let slip what he felt on the matter.

To distract himself, he shut his right eye and peered Bedivere from above the rim of his sake cup with his left.]

Yes, Caster would fit the bill for one of the most popular mages of all time. [Back to teasing!] Unless he has a temper none of us modern day fools know about and goes on a rampage.

That's what Berserkers do, yes?

[Do correct him if he guessed wrong. Four years wasn't enough to fully mellow out his competitive streak, and he was starting to sell himself on the idea that he could participate in this Grail War on his own terms. Gathering information was a good place to start.

Tomorrow, he'd find more details about those other two sites.]

[1stknight]

I, ah, I wouldn't know if he is bored or not. He never said as much.

[Though with the way these conversations were going, and with how Merlin was nosy all the time, Dazai may yet have a chance to ask him. If anyone could find a way to communicate across worlds, it was Merlin.

Bedivere conveniently took a sip of his drink at the same time Dazai peered at him. Maybe it was to avoid looking at Dazai entirely. Dazai had a calculating mind, and Bedivere was not that great at hiding secrets. ]

Most of them do, yes. To be honest, depending on which Berserker is summoned, I might not be able to defeat them. Caution is best, until we figure out who it is.

[neverwashere]

[Now that, too, would be an interesting meeting.]

What, they don't all go 'smash?'

[A half-joke, because while there were ways to deal with brute force tactics, that still depended on how well they were prepared.

Speaking of preparation -]

What happens to both Servant and Master once all three Command Seals are used up?

[1stknight]

I know, it was surprising to me too.

[The half-joke got a half-joke in response.]

If you somehow used up all three Command Seals, the contract between Master and Servant is ended. Command Seals are a very useful tool for pulling off incredible feats during the Grail War, so it's worth saving them. Though, ah, you can also use them to force me to do any action. If you use a Command Seal, I can't disobey.

[Bedivere did look uncomfortable as he said that, though.]

[neverwashere]

[Dazai simply nodded. Making any promises that equated to 'I won't make you do anything you don't want' was simply unrealistic: he was, for one, a known proponent of acting first, maybe apologize later.

The first part of Bedivere's answer, on the other hand, was a potential solution for something he'd wondered about for the past few hours.]

If a contract between Master and Servant has ended, does that automatically mean they're disqualified from the War? Furthermore, will they be replaced assuming that neither of them died?