Fate oath/alternative (Festival of Epics Reboot)

Tammy

"You so are tiny!"

She giggled.

Then she took a look at the book.

Oh. Oh. Oh. Memories from that day began flooding into her. She dropped the book. It took a while, but at last she could speak again.

"W-well, Goshujin-Sama, I'm flattered and all, b-but it's not something I want to talk about..."

She could still see the Emperor, the armies....everything.

Wes

Wes reacted quickly. Shit he'd upset her. Idiot!

"I-I'm sorry! I don't know what I was thinking! I should've known... I-I didn't mean to upset you. I just thought, y'know, you might want to hang on to it or something. I was being stupid..."

Great way to start a relationship with your Servant, Wes. Remind them of past trauma. Way. To. Go. Still panicking, he gently took hold of her shoulder, trying to calm her down. "Let's... not talk about this anymore. It was my fault for bringing it up." He paused. "Do you wanna just call it a night?"

edited 18th Jun '12 10:46:23 PM by KSPAM

Tammy

"D-don't worry! I'm okay now!"

She sighed. "Really, I am."

After another sigh, she put on one of her trademark fox grins, albeit a forced one.

"Okay, then. Let's call it a night. Do you want to share a beeeeeed,Goshujin-Sama~?"

Wes

Well she recovered quickly. But her comment caught Wes a little off-guard.

"W-wha? Servants sleep?" More than that, she wanted to sleep in the same bed as him. Normally, he would've thrown that suggestion right out of the window, but he didn't want to risk upsetting her any further after making such a big mistake.

"I-If that's what you want," he said, obviously embarrassed by this turn of events.

edited 18th Jun '12 10:58:28 PM by KSPAM

Tammy

Okay. That cheered her up.

"Well, we don't need to, but I want to."

"Goshujin-Sama! I'll keep you sooooooooooo warm!"

Wes

Wes didn't really need to be kept warm, because he was already blushing like a motherfucker. Life with Tamamo... was not going to be easy, Grail War aside. But after upsetting her the way he did, he supposed he owed her this much.

They arrived at the bedroom◊, and Wes left for the bathroom to get changed. He emerged in a set of striped pajamas, still red as a tomato. Well, one thing was for certain. If he didn't look tiny and adorable before, he did now.

Tammy

And Tamamo squealed. Squealed like a fangirl on Twilight's opening night.

"Goshujin-Samaaaaaaaaa~! So adorableeeeeeee~!"

"To the bed! Now!"

Wes

Wes didn't even have time to express his disbelief before Tamamo tackled him onto the bed, and began getting very, very cuddly.

"Tamamo!" he sputtered. "Ease up a little, will ya?"

Tammy

"I don't wanna~!"

Without further ado, she proceeded to smother him and....you know what? This is just shameless fanservice anyway. I won't bother describing it. Use your imagination.

Anyway, that was probably the most awkward night ever for Wes, as Tamamo fell asleep still cuddling him, with his head nestled in her chest.

Jessica, Harway Manor, Redrock Town

"So those swords aren't your Noble Phantasms then." the young girl tried to piece together what sort of hero he was.

A blacksmith heroic spirit? His magic is obviously Projection, which is primarly useless to modern Magi. It recreates something and vanishes soon after. What sort of Archer is he...?, the girl lost herself in thought, staring at the newly projected swords before her.

Who are you? What was your past life like...? This is going to gnaw at me forever., she sighed, raising her shoulders up nonchalantly.

"Archer, would you care for some tea?" Jessica walked on over and toward the stares. The girl placed one hand on the rail and turned to look at the white-haired Heroic Spirit once more. "Well?"

Wes

Wes lay there, still being hugged into submission by Tamamo like the world's most life-like body pillow. Well... that happened. Honestly, Wes was beginning to think that if this kept up, he'd be used to being manhandled by the time this war was done.

That's when it hit him. This girl (or was it woman? He couldn't really tell her age) was his Servant. As in, capital S Servant. The legendary Tamamo no Mae. At that sudden realization, Wes burst out laughing, the sound somewhat muffled considering his... position. He couldn't help it, it was just too funny.

When he'd first been told his family had been participating in the Grail War, he was awed. A battle between heroes. This was monumental, truly epic in the sense the word had been intended for. These warriors, saviors, these gods among men would be coming here, to fight in honorable combat for the greatest prize. It was like everything he'd ever read was leaping out at him from the page. But the thing about what was found on the page was that it was often far from reality. Legends are always more concerned with the deed than the man. He'd been expecting a god, an unmovable force of nature. What he'd gotten was... surprisingly human. Human in an incredibly clingy way, but exceedingly, quirkily, funnily human. He'd said and believed he would be satisfied with whatever came of his family's participation, but honestly? He found he liked that his expectations had been defied.

Archer

"Why not?" Archer said cooly, shrugging. He could see the inquisitiveness in his new Master's eyes. It would probably do him good to deflect that for the time being.

Motioning that he'd prepare the tea for them, he climbed the stairs, and began brewing, awaiting Jessica. He finished pouring the tea just as Jessica caught up, and he dressed it up in the usual manner, or at least the one best known to him. Opting to stand instead of sit, Archer began to sip at the tea.

"So," he began in-between sips, "What would your name be, Master?" Well, so much for sharing the same courtesy she'd shown him.

Tammy

The laughter,of course, half-waked said clingy fox-girl.

"Um...Goshujin-Sama? What's with the laughing?"

She yawned and shifted her position, keeping the Master's face nestled.

Truly an arrangement most young men would kill for.

Jessica, Harway Manor, Redrock Town

She followed her Servant up stairs and he prepared the tea for her. How curtious, she thought as she sat down. With her own cup in hand, she took a sip before sighing in delight. The tea was amazing, very much so in that regard. Whoever this man was in his past life, he certainly knew how to brew fine tea. "Jessica Beatrice Harway, but Jessica will do just fine." the youth sat the tea down onto the table. She had a nice, comfortable chair but Archer seemed to be fine on his own two feet.

"Now then, Archer... shall we discuss the War? I've already thought on the scope of my abilities and how I'll fair against other Masters and Servants." she looked at the tea in her cup with slit eyes. "And I've yet to take your abilities into consideration so... I apologize." she realized that she may be able to break Archer's swords, but fighting seriously with another Servant is another ordeal.

"I can keep up with a Servant in speed for only a minute or so before my body breaks down... after all, we're on two different levels." as much as it pained her to admit, she can't do everything. A Servant would tear her to pieces, given a moment or so.

Wes

Wes wriggled a little so he had some breathing room. He wasn't even going to try to deny he enjoyed the treatment he was getting from Tamamo on some level (he was only human), but talking into her chest would just make him unintelligible. Besides, sleeping was one thing. While she was awake... still pretty awkward in his mind, although she didn't seem to think so.

"Nothing, it's just... today. Today was..." He didn't really know how to describe it, or even how he felt about it. It was still so much to sift through. Sensory overload. But at least for now, it seemed it had struck him in the face in a good way, as his spirits were still pretty high.

"Today was weird."

Archer

"Jessica... yeah, I like that better than 'Master'. Jessica it is then." Archer sipped his tea, continuing his casual disrespect. Even after pledging his loyalty, he was still acting like a shit.

"Your abilities are certainly impressive for a human, I'll give you that. I haven't seen many people before who are capable of making me go on the defensive, even for just one blow. In regards to ability, you are doubtlessly exceptional."

Okay, complimenting time over. "But that doesn't win battles. A flawless plan of attack is just as important as an amazing army. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that an amazing army without one is easily overcome by the pitiful army with one. What do you have on our opposition?"

edited 19th Jun '12 12:52:00 AM by KSPAM

Tammy

She yawned.

"Weird? Maybe a bit...And maybe a lil bit awkward,right, Goshujin-Sama?"

Understatement of the year, that was.

"Don't worry, Master~! This is only the beginning..."

Tamamo yawned again, and promptly fell asleep again.

Jessica

"A plan of attack? It's kind of hard to plan something around seven different classes. And each Servant has their own unique set of skills, so making thousands of plans for a hero you may or may not summon seems like a large waste of time, no?" she smiled before taking another sip of her tea. Down it went onto the table with a nice cling. "Now that I understand your abilities and, if your class implies it, you can snipe targets, right?" Jessica frowned at saying that. The idea of killing another person STILL did not sit well with her but then again, it was either her or them. Wait.. Archer...

"Hahahaha.." Jessica laughed to herself, realizing some sort of joke. "Archer and Archer's Peak... kind of hilarious."

Wes

"Yeah, no kiddin-wha!" And he was quickly pulled under again. "Tamamo!" he said, struggling futilely against her death grip, "Stop doing that! I was trying to talk to you!"

He didn't care he really should be sleeping right now, he was too awake. And besides, after the chaos and awkwardness of initial introductions, he'd forgotten he'd barely had time to talk to Tamamo about anything but business. Well, except for the book, but that turned out brilliantly, didn't it?

Point was, he had a real, live Servant right here. After all the awkwardness she'd put him through, he at least deserved a little time to indulge in his childhood fantasies, no?

Archer

"Archer's Peak...?" he said before getting it. "Oh yeah, that lighthouse. It is a rather ideal spot for my line of work. But we needn't be so constricted. I'm far more adaptable than that."

He sipped his tea. "You seem uncomfortable with that idea anyway. Would you prefer it if I killed them up close and personal then?"

Tammy

"Eh? What?!"

Tamamo was awake again, ready to bring down righteous vengeance on the foul villain who disturbed her sleep.

Oh. It was only the Master.

"...You still want to talk, Goshujin-Sama?"

Jessica

"If I did that, I wouldn't be taking advantage of your innate abilities, would I?" Jessica found the thought rather peculiar. An Archer.. fighting up close with, say, Saber's and Rider's? Really now? But, then again, Archer did summon swords that weren't his Noble Phantasms. What WAS his Noble Phantasm, anyway?

Oh right, "N-no, I'm still uncomfortable with the idea of killing in general, be it Servant or Master. I'm sorry but I have something that other magus lack and that's moral." she said as she closed her eyes.

Another sip of tea.

"Archer, you can snipe targets or go in up close, if you like. I doubt you'd get into fights that you couldn't win." Jessica said with a smirk.

Wes

"Of course! We didn't really get the chance to talk much before!" Wes said, as if this conversation was totally normal. "So..." he trailed off, kind of hoping Tamamo would be in the mood to pick it back up. He wanted to talk, but he didn't want to force the conversation too much.

Archer

"Heh. That's certainly unusual. A magus with a heart." Archer said. "The path of a magus is one filled with nothing but bloodshed. How can you say that you're not accustomed to killing and yet call yourself a magus? It's contradictory." He spoke as if he had all the experience in the world in the subject.

Jessica

"My definition of what a Magus is and should be are two different things, Archer. Someone with the power to help someone yet choose not to are no more than nothing to me. They don't deserve the title of magus. Call me insane, if you want, my father already has." she closed her eyes again and sipped her tea. "To quote him, You are a magus, Jessica. You live for one purpose and one purpose only. For the Harway family and the Harway name." she let out a deep sigh. She was tired of it, tired of her Father and tired of this magus business. But she has to do it.

"Archer, may I tell you something? How I truly think of this magic business, how I think of the goal of reaching the Akashe? It's laughable." Jessica said with a slight smile, her eyes on the tea that sit on the table. "A child's dream or rather, a nightmare. The Akashe is made up of everything, knowledge of the past and future, the power to know everything. What's going to happen, what will happen. Even if one obtains that, what then? You can't change it. You can't rewrite what's already happened and I doubt humans are even allowed to touch it." she took another sip and set the cup down.

Another deep breath.

"And it's a trap. I sincerely believe that thing is an unnecessary evil in the lives of both magi and humans alike. It's there to tempt others to push themselves further and further still into madness only for one objective. And I think... once they get there, what then? Their life loses meaning and they'll crumble. Hahahaha... I apologize for this little rant, Archer, but it's how I feel." she raised the glass up for a third time and she took another sip.

Cling, the tea cup is sat upon the table once more by the tired magus.

Archer

Archer frowned. "Then your wish for the Grail... it isn't to obtain Akasha?" This was troubling. This girl, she was

the same

He sighed. Exactly the damn same. "I see. If that's how you feel about your wish, I certainly have no objections. But I'd advise you to tread carefully. Especially around other magi." Let it go.

edited 19th Jun '12 1:40:42 AM by KSPAM

Jessica

"The other magi are enemies though, aren't they, Archer?" Jessica lie back in her chair, falling into it. Her head fell back and she found herself staring at the ceiling. The white tiles, the light, it was a bit mesmerizing but it must be the late hour taking its toll on her. "However, I see your point. I can handle myself, don't fret." the magus perked herself back up in the chair, her back straight and her hands on her lap.

"Ah, no, my wish for the Grail isn't for the Akasha, that's worthless to me."

She hesitated for a moment.

"I wish for the power to save this world."

And there she said it.

Archer

Archer almost choked on his tea, if that was possible. He sputtered, coughing, before wiping his mouth with his sleeve, and setting the empty cup on the table.

"... How?" He said solemnly, suddenly very serious. "How exactly do you intend to do that?"

Jessica

"I've thought about this for quite a while, if I could wish for something, what would it be? Then, I came to the conclusion that what I truly love is being of use to people. Helping them, being there for them, that kind of thing. What would my wish be... I would want to save the world, of course. Save it from itself. Stop wars. Everything." Jessica closed her eyes, imagining a world where everyone could smile and be together in never-ending happiness... no, that's not the world she wants. That's a frozen world. A world that doesn't need to exist.

"And my answer? I will wish for future generations to take great care of this world, or as.. best as they can. I won't be around forever and I don't want to be around forever." another sip of tea and it was soon gone. "Now Archer, why did you choke on your tea? Don't breathe when you're downing it, Archer, I thought you would know something that simple." she chuckled to herself whole-heartily.