1stknight | PSL (closed)

[All in due time, good knight. ~~Read: in a few hours.~~

Meat was doable, and soon they were seated at a teppanyaki place. This was like an extension of lunch, now that Dazai thought about it: the bamboo skewers were still in his coat pocket.

Well, whatever. His coat was due for a wash anyway, and he had spares with the same style.]

How is it?

[If Bedivere was a human instead of a heroic spirit, Dazai had no doubt the knight's appetite would be healthy. Maybe not to Atsushi-levels of fast plate cleaning given, but the potential was there.]

When you were travelling, [before dying] how much energy did you need to make up for with that arm of yours?

[Bedivere's appetite was indeed healthy, but he tried his best to keep it in check. The food did nothing for him nutritionally, after all, and it was Dazai who needed the energy. But he did like the taste, and the act of eating made him feel slightly more human.

Still, he kept an eye on Dazai, to make sure he ate plenty too. And if he was slow to eat, Bedivere would be shifting bits of meat from his plate to Dazai's.]

Not as much as you would think, actually. It functions like a normal arm, and the mana drain to use it as such was minimal. I only ever had to stockpile energy after a large fight.

[He looked down to his arm, flexing his fingers a bit as he continued.]

It was certainly harder to travel before I got this. Needless to say, prosthetics at the time were not as sophisticated. What I had before was basically a long piece of inflexible metal that was used to hold a shield while I fought. And when I didn't need the shield, I went with nothing.

[He saw those extra slices, Bedi. Dazai, the pinnacle of maturity, puffed his cheek and ate the beef like a threatening ten-year-old.

Being fussed over was always strange, and he only let it slide this time because of the necessity. Promise.]

Fighting like that sounds incredibly inconvenient. That you pulled it off, however, does mean you're pretty skilled.

[Sure, Bedivere wasn't Lancelot, or Gawain, or someone renowned for swordfighting. That didn't mean the guy had zero chance of improving in who knows how long he's travelled. This was the line Dazai had decided to draw in his mind, separating legend from actual knight.]

[And Bedivere smiled like the mother who would not take that child's bait, and instead would praise him for finishing his plate.]

It means I am ambidextrous too, which we might be able to use to our advantage.

[Bedivere was reserved, but he would also be honest about his skills when it came to evaluating what was needed for a fight. He didn't want Dazai to be caught unaware and without all the information.]

What are you thinking, for how the confrontation will happen?

[Boo. Just for that, Bedivere could have the extra vegetables Dazai now transferred to his plate.]

Well, our train station assailant has no qualms in making unfortunate public declarations. The mere fact that they followed me around for a while, however, gives us a very slight chance that they'll follow us to a less populated area.

['Miniscule,' because that person might not be so foolish as to follow Dazai into a potential trap unless they were very foolish or very confident.]

The younger Master, on the other hand - their boss will want to keep any wide-scale conflict away from their territory.

[The way Kouyou talked about it kept coming back to his mind. Even Mori wouldn't fully kill off the city he coveted unless he was pushed, would he? Unless he was taking a page from Fitzgerald's book and, well. Making enough chaos so he could also gain access to the Book while everyone was scrambling to win or survive the Grail War.

Mind, the only reason Dazai was comfortable talking about this in public was because they were at an otherwise secluded booth at the restaurant. Even as he explained, there would always be a part of his brain filtering out or twisting words 'just in case.']

They could, in theory, lure a Master or even a Servant with the cute act and see if that kid's ability will work. It's not a clean mind control, but enough to lead a person to self-destruct until the curse is lifted. The Servant's, ah, final attack will likely be reserved for emergency or unexpected confrontations.

[Not quite the answer Bedivere asked for, but important for context.]

So you want to put that blonde woman and the child against each other, and let our enemies take each other out.

[It was a smart move. The less battles they fought in, the more likely they were to win. It was a bit underhanded, and that didn't sit well with Bedivere, but sometimes smoke and mirror tactics were needed. Especially when both enemies seemed dangerous.]

If we force the train station assailant into the other's territory, they will have no choice but to respond. It could be done, though.

If that Servant is Lancer, then I would have the advantage over them. If I pursued them, we could force them into a trap, I think. Lancer would want to avoid a conflict with me, because it is the fight I could win most easily.

Ideally. [Then, with a rueful smile,] Shame that this other Master's tactics give the impression that she won't negotiate nicely.

[Or maybe he could be wrong about that woman. But how else should he interpret that challenging call other than serial killer tactics? There's a reason why that story about a serial killer having their romantic interest attending two funerals exists.]

I'll keep that in mind. That said, avoiding open combat doesn't discount ambush tactics.

Dare I presume you're better equipped to handle an endurance match as opposed to a powerful burst attack?

More traditional mages would, because there is a strength in numbers. They are the masters of forging temporary alliances. I get the feeling that we won't be seeing many mages here, though.

[As for Dazai's second comment, he considered his personal skills, as well as the limitations of Dazai's mana. He could do endurance, sure, but there were risks with that. Risks Dazai should be aware of.]

My Noble Phantasm is a powerful burst attack, actually. Given your capabilities as a mage, I will probably only be able to use it once before we need a full day to recharge it. I can hold my own in an endurance match, but it would be best to fight defensively until there is an opening to use my Noble Phantasm.

However, because of that, facing two enemies at once is a bad idea. As loathe as I am to use such tactics, doing 'cleanup' after someone else's fight might be for the best.

Ah. Maybe there's something in Yokohama's water.

[There was a bit of an inside joke there that his smile hinted at, and he wasn't just referring to Lovecraft. The city was a hotbed for Ability users engaged in criminal activity.

He made a thoughtful sound as Bedivere talked about cleanup and took a moment to savor his mouthful of food. Honorable yet practical. Or should it be 'and?' That nod to the reality of the situation still ended up being a reaffirmation of ideals.

Dazai liked it.]

Got it.

We'll make every use count.

[Comparing himself to a certain pipsqueak after activating Corruption was terrible, but well. That was the kind of scenario Dazai might face if Bedivere used his Noble Phantasm. They'd need decent getaway plans to account for that kind of exhaustion.]

Let me know later what other skills you have that I should be aware of.

And we should make sure to have a secret base prepared too. I'm not joking around when I say we will need a full day to recharge after. Since you don't know the magic spells, there's only the old fashioned way, which means holding hands and not doing much else.

[There was always that, but Bedivere wasn't going to suggest it. Not unless it was absolutely needed. Even the thought of it flustered him.

As for the rest, Bedivere tapped his chin thoughtfully as he considered it.]

Ah, well... I'm resistant to magics that would harm me, or alter my perception of the world. I'm not completely immune, but it's more difficult for me to be affected. I can also recharge my Noble Phantasm more quickly than most, which is why it would only take one day for us to do. For others, it would take several.

Oh! And if we know we're going into a fight, we can prepare ahead of time. I can stockpile mana from my Master to use to strengthen my Noble Phantasm. Though it would require the same hand-holding and staying inside for a while.

Ah, yes, the delightfully scintillating act of handholding. [Was it just him, or was Bedivere shy about something?] Very scandalous. The peak of steamy purple prose and the highlight of regency fiction. Certainly not for the faint-hearted. To think mine comes with the added bonus of repelling the effects of most abilities.

['Most,' because fuck Goncharov's virus and Dostoevsky in general.]

I suppose we better start stockpiling tonight, hmm? It's better to be prepared for emergencies, too.

[Unfortunately for Dazai, dream sharing was a two-way street. He wasn't even aware Bedivere saw a memory from his past last night. Having Q and Q's history with the Port Mafia on his mind later might lead to something unexpected.]

You say that, but I'll have you know that holding a fair maiden's hand and gracing the back of it with a kiss used to be quite scandalous indeed!

[Bedivere absolutely had ruffled feathers over how Dazai was teasing him. The scowl on his face wasn't truly angry, though. Just flustered, and a touch embarrassed.

He also started moving vegetables back over to Dazai's plate.]

If we're stockpiling tonight, then eat up. No leaving until your plate is clean.

My dear Ellis, you're in a country where, until a few decades ago, the baring of ankles and napes was considered a form of nakedness. [His smile widened. Flustered was a good look on Bedivere.] Shall I hook my foot around yours instead? That'll really get the crowd going.

[Well, no, but playing footsie counted as PDA.

Shame the flirting couldn't keep him from pouting again once the veggies were back. He glumly prodded them on his plate with his chopsticks.]

'kay.

[A beat. Now, this wasn't his kink, but if it meant making Bedivere blush more -]

Daddy.

We're at a table, nobody would see that well enough to be scandalized. [A pause.] But still, please do not do it.

[And then there was the daddy comment and Bedivere couldn't fight the grimace. Instead he held up his hand to his mouth, as someone would do to cough politely, but instead he just pressed the curled hand to his face. Be patient, Bedivere. Dazai was trying to get under his skin.]

Caring about your well-being does not make me your father.

[Bedivere said to not do it, but Dazai heard 'I dare you.' Maybe after this: not causing a scene was beneficial.]

Oh, I wasn't talking about you being my actual father.

[Fried vegetable wasn't the sexiest food ever, but Dazai would be damned if he didn't try to hype it up as such. He gave Bedivere a sultry look as he bit in to make up for the lack of food sexy points. Whether he succeeded was up for debate.]

Makes me wonder in what other ways your care extends to.

[To his credit, Bedivere kept a straight face and didn't react in a large way to Dazai's attempts at being sexy. But his tenseness absolutely gave away that he was trying to remain disciplined and not react, rather than not feeling a reaction to Dazai's antics at all. A weaker-willed man may have run from the shop in embarrassment. Bedivere, however, took it all without his voice cracking.]

That, Dazai, is not appropriate talk during dinner.

[...mostly without cracking.

Be strong, Bedivere. Be strong for England.]

[How that very slight crack seemed amplified, noticeable only because Dazai had been looking for it. He licked the tip of a soy-sauce dipped vegetable before taking it in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.

The smile on his face spelled trouble. Unfortunately for Bedivere, Dazai had remembered Kunikida's earlier reaction before leaving for lunch.]

What, then, does my dear Champion suggest?

[While he might have to refrain from using the words 'Servant' and 'knight' out here, loaded synonyms were acceptable substitutes. Doubly so for those that had period-relevant references.]

How about you tell me about yourself? We have been inseparable for two days now, and yet I barely know you.

[The topic choice was deliberate. Bedivere was asking politely, and nobody would mistake his words for being rude. But for a man like Dazai, the question was a very personal one. Either Dazai would talk and Bedivere would learn more about him, or Dazai would nope away from flirting to avoid the conversation.

Bedivere did not consider that Dazai might flirt more, though. Or that Dazai might get angry.]

[Shame. Dazai could acknowledge it was his own fault for leaving an opening.

He would talk as Bedivere wanted. Unfortunately, Dazai was also used to leaving non-answers and wasn't above to using his charm to deflect certain topics.]

Well then! I'm a detective and an admirer of beauty, grace, and delectable seafood. [That the first two wasn't new information was irrelevant. The last one was a non-incriminating throwaway for the sake of listing three things.] You're certainly the first two, and comparable to the finest pearls from the depths.

[And he just KEEPS GOING this is sending Bedivere's soul somewhere.

He just. Let his forehead fall into his hand, and he sighed.]

Dazai.

Please stop complimenting me.

[Maybe the 'please' there would help because Bedivere was definitely getting flustered by all of this. Why flustered? Maybe because he knew they were strangers and that Dazai just had to be the flirty type, since Bedivere was nothing like the compliments he was getting.

...well okay, he would accept 'graceful'. Bedivere did take a small bit of pride in how he fought and how he carried himself. But the rest were superfluous in his mind.]

Why?

[Nom nom veggies.

Accept the praise, Bedi. Or don't and blush more. Dazai was happy with either option.]

Because I have known you for all of two days, and I can tell from the ease at which they tumble out of your mouth that you use flirting to get what you want from people.

You are my master. You don't have to con your way into getting what you want from me. I will follow your commands even without the use of a command seal. All I ask in return is that you treat me like your servant and ally, rather than some obstacle to overcome.

[He hadn't meant to be harsh, but sometimes a firm reminder of the situation was needed.

It wasn't that Bedivere disliked the flirting, necessarily. It was that he didn't believe it to be genuine. And for someone like Bedivere, who took matters of the heart seriously, he didn't want to get used to flirting that would mean nothing in the end.]

[-- !?]

...Ellis. [Dazai placed his chopsticks on the its rest, a neutral smile melting in to replace his surprise.] Where did you get the idea I treat you like an obstacle? Moreover, if I wanted to con you, we wouldn't be speaking like this.

[It was true.

It also didn't address the small problem that Dazai has little idea of how to handle this kind of prolonged contact without joking or flirting. Even back in the days when he hung out more often at the Lupin, personal details were glossed over or kept to unacknowledged observation. After Odasaku's death and his falling out with Ango, there never had been a good enough reason to let himself be that comfortable with just anyone, without pretense.]

[He did feel bad for how the conversation was going, though. Had he misjudged Dazai's intentions? Unfortunately, Bedivere did not hold himself in high regard, so he assumed nobody else did either. He had always assumed that any attraction would come after months of working together, or after a long courtship. Not two days in to a stressful Grail War.

The possibility of being wrong was there, but Bedivere had been alive for 1,500 years and thought he knew how the universe worked.]

Then please, enlighten me. How would you be speaking to me if you wanted to con me.

[An empty smile was easy to pull off with his current mood. All he needed to do to add the right touch of emptiness was to recall how he had to explain to Chuuya the first time around that, no, they weren't executing an uncontrollable eight-year-old for killing off the very first squad that had been assigned to the pipsqueak, and shouldn't he be kissing Dazai's shoes in thanks for not letting Q thin more of their numbers?

Something like that. It had been a very bad day, and goading Chuuya was automatic.]

Wouldn't you like to know?

[He cocked his head just so and wondered if this was enough to halt Bedivere's line of questioning. Dazai so disliked any circumstances that necessitated using this mask.]

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