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

[1stknight]

[Honestly, it was probably Excalibur that had kept Bedivere from dying of stress and grief. Fifteen hundred years was a long time to carry those regrets, and there had been so much trouble outside of that too.]

He certainly is. I do have to thank him for everything, I would have died on the shores of Avalon if not for his intervention.

[It was just like him to take the humor and turn it into genuine praise.

When his chin was tipped up, Bedivere did look to Dazai. The smile made him smile in return, but his eyes were still heavy with sadness. It was such a difficult thing to talk about, but he knew he had to do it.

Still, he reached up to cover Dazai's hand with his own.]

I do love her, very much so. She is my king, and even now as a Servant she still has my undying loyalty.

...I failed her. I disobeyed her orders, and she had to suffer for 1,500 years until I finally found her again. By the time I found her, her personality had been so eroded by Rhongomyniad's influence that she was a shell of her former self. She-

[He stopped abruptly, his voice cracking mid-sentence. He had to swallow hard to regain control of himself, though there was a bit of wetness at the corners of his eyes now too.]

Well. You saw the memories. My king was no longer my king. And I had to stop her, and the rest of the Round Table.

That is my legend, which made me eligible to be summoned as a heroic spirit. Not my time in the far past, traveling with my fellow knights, but the time when I had to stand up to all of them to fix my mistakes. And it is why Airgetlám is my Noble Phantasm, even though I never carried this silver arm during any of the legends of the past.

[neverwashere]

Bedivere...

[This conversation hit a little too close to home. He ran his thumb on the corner of Bedivere's eye, the dull ache in his chest growing.]

I understand what you're saying and why you believe it's your fault. However, you have no way of knowing what exactly transpired between your final trip to the lake and you finding her in that other kingdom.

[As far as Dazai could tell, at least, it didn't make sense for the king to not wait for Bedivere unless something else had happened.]

More importantly: you were able to complete your quest. [Seeing Bedivere like this was painful, and he couldn't help but kiss his brow.] You're more than worthy of being a heroic spirit, you know? Very few will have been able to endure as you did, and it's worthy of admiration.

['I admire you for that' was his actual meaning, even if he was still a little overwhelmed by that revelation.]

[1stknight]

[Bedivere wanted to argue, to protest that it was his fault, if he had followed Artoria's orders then none of this would have happened.

But that touch was gentle, and those words reassuring. It was hard to keep berating himself when such warmth existed right in front of him.

(How long had it been since he had been with someone who could pull him out of those self-depreciating spirals?)

He exhaled, closing his eyes. He also pressed his face against Dazai's hand, craving that physical contact. It was rare for him to be treated so gently, and he was soaking it right up. He might even cry for real, if he weren't careful.]

...thank you.

[He could get that actual meaning, and it made his heart feel warm too.

(He really, really wanted to kiss Dazai there. But he held back, respecting Dazai's previous words about it.)]

[neverwashere]

Mn.

[Dazai still wasn't used to being thanked for something like this.

He lingered a little more, tucking a lock of hair behind Bedivere's ear before taking his hand back and stopping himself from sighing. They still had much to do.

The image of Bedivere leaning into his hand, he'd remember for a long time.]

I suppose we should start preparing for the day.

[Could he leave Bedivere like this? He could, actually, but Dazai knew the expression of someone who needed comfort, even if they didn't ask for it. There were a dozen excuses he could come up with to justify this next offer, although they'd all ring half-hearted to his ears.

Dazai stood up and extended his hand.]

Care to join me in the shower?

[It was going to be a bit cramped, but they could manage.]

[1stknight]

That sounds lovely.

[He took that hand, and he let Dazai lead him to the bathroom to shower. It wouldn't be a quick shower, though. Being in cramped quarters meant touching a lot, and it was hard to resist the temptation to touch Dazai all over. Odds were high that Dazai would end up with a couple additional hickeys, and that Bedivere would come out of the situation looking quite satisfied.

Of course, he still had to tame his hair after, and would likely be going out with wet braids. But that was fine. It was well worth it to spend more time with Dazai.

It helped to chase away the dark memories too, which had no doubt been Dazai's goal. Bedivere appreciated it, he didn't need to be distracted during the fight that day. He would have felt horrible if he had died due to being morose.]

[neverwashere]

[Additional hickeys were more than welcome. Bedivere's boldness continued to surprise him, and were it not for the cramped space and their long day ahead, he might've given in to the impulse to go down on his knees to show his appreciation.

Ah, well. He still gave as good as he got, and helped Bedivere towel pat and fan-dry his hair. Behold: the wonders of localized artificial wind.

Dazai stretched his arms above his head as soon as they were out the door after breakfast. Feeling this calm and content this early in the morning was an unusual experience, and he had to remind himself to not link arms with Bedivere on the way to the Agency before heading to Port Mafia's territory.

Any news on suspicious cult activity and the like?]

[1stknight]

[There were no reports on cult activity, though apparently there had been some sort of kerfuffle at the local government office overnight? Something about several people being arrested suddenly, and when Dazai checked his phone he would see a message from Ango that said 'the usual, 8pm'. Someone wanted to talk in person, it seemed.

But that was much later in the day. For now, Dazai's main worry (other than the fight in the near future) was a nervous Atsushi who was holding the files Dazai wanted. He definitely had something on his mind, but he seemed reluctant to bring it up. He was just stammering more than usual, a sure indication of his own indecisiveness over speaking up.]

There are- um- the reports?

[neverwashere]

[Arrests? From a government office? Without any announced changes to upper management? Dazai had to take care to not let his expression slip - either someone was busy, or the palm grease hadn't been enough to let things slide.

In any case - yes, he'd meet Ango later, although he wouldn't reply to that text unless he had to change the plan. This also meant he and Bedivere couldn't afford any extended fights.]

Thanks.

[He grasped one end of the file. Instead of taking it, though, he paused for a moment, examining that nervous face with a raised eyebrow. Not the kind of greeting he expected - if Atsushi was bothered with him and Bedivere banging, Dazai would've seen more blushing and stammering.]

Something the matter, Atsushi-kun?

[1stknight]

[Yeah, it was a huge mess and Ango had Quite A Story for Dazai. But later.

For now, Dazai had a nervous-looking Atsushi in front of him. And he wasn't nervous about the banging, no. Something else was on his mind.]

I just...well...Please accept this!

[And he shoved a small bag at Dazai before running away. That boy could be fast when he wanted to be.

If Dazai looked inside the bag, it contained two large spools of a thick cord, similar to cooking twine. Too thin to be used to tie up a person, but thick enough not to be cut easily.]

[neverwashere]

...ah?

[Guess who looked like an idiot with a stack of papers in one hand and a small bag in the other. Because that scene, right there? It would've looked like some clumsy confession scene, the kind where Person A shoves a letter in Person B's hands before running away, complete with a scenic sakura tree in full bloom.

Dazai, of course, looked at the bag, and was very confused to find cord. Not food or anything, but cord. He looked around to check if anyone else saw that - did anyone have a clue?

He'd figure it out when they faced a certain Servant, and he'd have lots of questions. For now, however, he tossed one of the spools in Bedivere's direction - might as well? - before pocketing the small bag and skimming through the report.]

Well. [And it was like he couldn't concentrate on the words he was reading unless he verbalized this thought, even as a mutter.] That was weird.

[1stknight]

[Ranpo might have had an idea, but Ranpo was not in the office at that moment. Everyone else there had blank looks on their face too. Atsushi had, once again, befuddled everyone.

Bedivere was also confused, and he squinted down at the spool of cord in his hands. Was this something meaningful? Or if not, was it a gift meant to confuse? Bedivere couldn't make heads or tails of it, so he just looked to Dazai and shrugged.]

You can ask him about it later?

[It wasn't like Atsushi lived that far away.]

[neverwashere]

I guess.

[The thing about Atsushi was that he was thoughtful and spendthrift. Dazai knew, without a doubt, that if Atsushi thought purchasing two spools of thread were necessary, there had to be some sort of reason for it.]

Maybe he figured something out.

[Hi report, what do you have to say for yourself?]

[1stknight]

From this?

[Bedivere stepped over to peer over Dazai's shoulder at the reports.

Said reports were about the port area specifically. Several bodies had been found in the area in the last two days, horribly maimed and mutilated. Most seemed to be cut with a large axe, but at least some had injuries that seemed to come from other humans. It was as if they had been convinced to attack each other, and then something else finished the job.]

How brutal...I think that answers the question as to the Servant's class, at least.

[neverwashere]

Berserker.

[Like hell would an Assassin or a Caster have those kinds of kills. Rider, of course, was already accounted for.]

Then the one with the gun was Archer? Unless he didn't use Presence Concealment immediately.

[Also, Dazai skimmed the report a second time. What about this gave Atsushi the idea that a ball of yarn was relevant? And actually, how much of this did he already know? Dazai didn't really mind Atsushi figuring out what this Grail War was about (minus the possibility of Dazai being a casualty more than usual). On the other hand, Atsushi usually volunteered information.

He absently chewed on the corner of his lower lip. Why was this different..?

If the report didn't show anything new, Dazai figured he'd ask Atsushi in the evening, assuming that the talk with Ango didn't take too long.

Also, well. Time to investigate the mess Q left! Hopefully there were no new victims today. If there were, it was time to find the body crumb trail leading to the kid witch's house.]

[1stknight]

[Bedivere nodded in agreement. Definitely a berserker with those kinds of wounds. The people attacking each other, though, those were strange. So he tapped that part of the notes as he spoke:]

This is the mark of the Master, yes?

[He didn't want to say Q's name out loud, but he wanted confirmation that his ability could make people attack each other.

But after that question was answered, they could travel to the port to go look for that master and servant pair. Not much information to go on meant looking for signs of the servant themselves. The docks were very quiet that day, though, which was odd because it was the middle of the week and regular workers should have been out and about. But no, it was very quiet.

It made Bedivere feel uneasy, and he stayed close to Dazai, ready to defend him at a moment's notice.]

[neverwashere]

Yeah.

[He glanced at Bedivere, glad they were on the same page.

This wasn't going to be a fun day, and it wasn't even noon yet. Having no one at the docks only served to solidify that impression, and Dazai's expression remained neutral.

This was quiet, even for Q.

For now, he walked along the wide loading area, paying careful attention to his periphery: the ships to one side, the narrow alleys and warehouses at the other. This could be a trap, of course, so the next best step was to figure out where to duck for cover. The string, he figured, he could bind Q's arms with if he ever got the opportunity.

Now. Would he have to wait long? Or would he have to start checking the warehouses one by one?]

[1stknight]

[They would have to start checking the warehouses, unfortunately. Whatever Q had planned, it wouldn't happen while they were outside. Once Bedivere realized this, he pointed to the nearest warehouse, one with a giant '4' on it. Maybe they could start there?

Unfortunately, regardless of what warehouse they started in, the end result would be the same: once they stepped in, a maze of walls would snap into place in front of them, and the door behind them would slam shut, trapping them in darkness.]

[neverwashere]

[Sure, let's go through the door numbered with death, it was absolutely 100% safe!

Except this happened, and Dazai clucked his tongue - why was this too much like a horror movie scenario?]

How...

[Typical, he wanted to mutter, reaching out to touch one of the walls to see if he could deactivate it with his ability. Grasping Bedivere's arm to not lose him would've been the better option, were they not in danger of being attacked in a -]

...a maze.

[Dazai blinked - would he be able to see something once his eyes adjusted to the dark? Provided that the new walls remained to be a maze, there was only one myth he could think of that necessitated a spool of thread.

If his suspicion was correct, his next conversation with Atsushi was going to be very interesting.]

Bedivere. [He was whispering. If he could feel the wall next to him, he'd put a hand behind him to see if he could still touch the door.] Still have that surprise gift from earlier with you?

[1stknight]

[They would have been in complete darkness, but Bedivere said a few choice words and his silver arm started to glow softly. It wasn't a lot of light, but it was better than pure darkness.

Dazai would also find that Bedivere had shifted to his Servant outfit, which left the silver arm fully uncovered, providing a bit more light. Once their eyes adjusted to the low light, they would be able to see their immediate area at least.]

I do.

[His human hand held up the spool he had been given.]

Are you thinking it's that legend? But your co-worker, he couldn't possibly have known, could he?

[neverwashere]

We won't know how he thought to give us these until later.

[Because how the hell do you pick out the Minotaur from every single axe user in the Mediterranean? Unless Atsushi came across intel that wasn't in the report. But if that was the case, why didn't Atsushi mention something?

Dazai exhaled. Before they could even ask those questions, they first needed to survive. Already they were in a disadvantageous position, and his Ability wasn't working on the walls. In other words, this was just like Q: Dazai needed to get close to the Minotaur or whoever else controlled the labyrinth.]

In any case, it's the most popular myth about this sort of puzzle from that region, and I doubt we're meeting the inventor who built it or the princess.

That said, if this is that myth, we know a warrior can defeat what's in here.

[Dazai got out his own spool from his pocket. Thanks for the convenient torch - now, could he still see the door? Or had it been transformed into a dead end?]

[1stknight]

[Luckily, the door was still there! It just was very locked. They would have to navigate the maze and find the center to have any hope at escaping.]

Master, tie one of the spools to my waist, and then to you. We cannot touch right now, but we should stay connected somehow. And the second spool can be tied to the door.

[Getting separated here was a death sentence for them, so they needed to stay together at all costs. And Bedivere didn't trust the walls not to shift around.]

[neverwashere]

[Yep, that was why he was looking to see if the door was still around - to securely tie one end of string there. After an attempt to pick the lock, of course, just to confirm if they were really stuck.]

There's no guarantee someone will cut this one, but it's better than nothing.

[One down - the spool for the door handle went to his pocket. Then he took the second spool and began to tie Bedivere's waist, then to his own, allowing a decent length of string between them for maneuverability, and he handed the coils to Bedivere. For this one, Dazai took take extra care to avoid skin contact.]

There we go.

After you board your ship, don't leave me on an island for the god of wine to find, hmm? Or local knock-off is rather short-tempered.

[He might've said that for the mythology joke, but seriously - don't, even if the chances of Chuuya showing up to this were rather low.]

[1stknight]

[Lock picking did not work, nope. They were stuck. Though tying the string to the doorknob would work.

Walking through the maze was daunting, though. Even with the light from Bedivere's arm, it was still eerily quiet, and the shadows seemed to hold secrets that would scare any ordinary man. Even Bedivere himself was feeling a bit unnerved, though he tried to hold it together for Dazai's sake.

And while Bedivere didn't get the reference to Chuuya, he did understand the historical reference, and he chuckled.]

Don't worry. If I escape, I will be scooping you up into my arms and carrying you with me.

[The words echoed through the maze, becoming twisted into a garbled mess with just a few bounces.]

[neverwashere]

[They didn't need to announce that wouldn't work. No need to give Q an advantage.

That tactical thought did nothing to stop a flush from blooming on Dazai's cheeks, and he had to turn away for a moment, thankful that maybe the light from Bedivere's arm wasn't enough to expose him. He hadn't expected that offer nor the mental image he got.]

Wonderfully noble of you.

[As for Dazai, his focus was divided on everything else and on turning the spool with every pace they took. Not for the first time, he wondered how Ariadne's thread had never run out.]

How do you suppose they made this maze? A skill to recreate that story?

[1stknight]

Possibly a Noble Phantasm. Not all of them are like mine. Some don't even attack the enemy directly. Something that changes the area to a maze is definitely possible.

[It was still worrying. They needed to stay together, but that also meant Dazai would be tied to him when the fight started. He could cut the cord quickly between them when needed, but that meant they could be separated by the maze. It felt like he had to walk a tight line to keep Dazai safe and still have a chance at coming out alive too.

Bedivere was so focused on going forward and finding a way out that he didn't even notice how easily the maze walls could be damaged. Even the rub of the cord against any corners they turned chipped of tiny bits of the stone. But Bedivere had no clue that was significant at all, and just continued forward, looking for the monster at the middle of the maze.]