(no subject)

[scorchedchivalry]

Characters: Saber (Alter) and You! (One prompt will have both Saber (Alter) and Irisviel von Einzbern, still open to anyone who wishes to talk to them both.)
Setting: various floors over Dec 14th - 17th (4th, Cafeteria, 47th, 8th and 25th)
Format: Starting Action, but I'll match.
Summary: Saber is sick and takes a moment of indulgence, which leads to problems for the king knight.
Warnings: Stage 2 symptoms involving hallucinations which may lead to violence for the prompts after the first. Also, Fate/Zero spoilers in the 3rd prompt.


[Dec 14th - Floor 4 - with Irisviel (OPEN)]

[With the heat out in the Tower and her lady sick, Saber felt the need to see to Irisviel as best as she could. Never mind that the knight was sick herself - at least she didn't have a fever - her prana still made her the equivalent of a space heater. So it was with the desire to keep the Einzbern magus warm that one could find Saber and Irisviel sitting quite close together on a couch. Draped over them both was Saber's royal blue and fur trimmed greatcloak. The cloak mostly hid the way Saber had her arm about the woman, holding her tenderly against her.

She needed to keep Irisviel warm, after all, and this was quite... relaxing. Even so, the knight watched the passage of the others, coughing a little now and then.]

[ooc: Responses in this prompt will come from both Saber and Irisviel.]


[Dec 15th - Cafeteria]

[Saber was crossing the cafeteria when she suddenly stopped upon the sight of someone. Eyes going wide as if she had seen a ghost, Saber half-reached a hand out before closing it into a fist at her side. She then strode purposefully toward an occupied table with a few empty seats still. Once there, she put both hands on the table.]

My knig--

[She then cut herself off, eyes blinking rapidly as she looked over the empty seats with confusion, paying little attention to those actually sitting there... for the moment.]


[Dec 15th - Floor 47]

[In full armor, Saber moved through the hanging curtains as if searching for something.]

Wait! You and I must speak! I must know if I was the one responsible!

[She suddenly spins around, a look of caution and... paranoia on her face before pulling a sheet aside. Instantly, a monster descends upon her, but the King of Knights was a powerful Servant and the monster was cut down almost as quickly as it appeared by a sword obscured by swirling black and red prana, making it neigh impossible to determine it's exact shape or size.

Once dead, the sword disappears and Saber suddenly looks to the side. Heading that way, she calls out again.]

I am your king! You must heed me. Halt, Lancelot!

[A moment later, Saber stops with a disgruntled sound in the back of her throat, hand coming up to massage her temple. Was she seeing things? Lancelot wasn't there. He couldn't be. She would've felt his presence. Right? So why was she seeing him?]


[Dec 16th - Floor 8]

[She'd seen him go into this maze. The mental puzzle was something that certainly would've appealed to him. She would find him. He would have answers for her.

...and she sorely wished to see her old teacher again, the wise man of great magics that guided her when she was young. If only she could FIND him. Saber wandered through the maze, in search of him, sometimes speeding up, sometimes slowing down. Perhaps someone would come upon her when she stopped, hand on the wall, brow furrowed in thought as she caught her breath.]


[Dec 17th - Floor 25]

[Saber sought out the refuge of the meadow. She sat looking very much unlike the strong, stoic knight she normally was. Arms propped on her knees, she held her head in her hands, bowed with her eyes closed. Her greatcloak spread out across the grass as it hung from her shoulders, and her pale hair was fully down, loose about her shoulders.

...she was going insane. She had to be. Why else would she be seeing them?

Feeling a presence nearby, she glanced up at something in front of her. Oh. Him. She felt the phantom pain in her side where his blade had pierced her, striking a fatal wound in another life.]

Go away, son. I have nothing left to say to you that I can put into words. Please... leave me be.

Comments

Floor 25

[isthatashortjoke]

[Veigar had begun taking refuge in this floor more and more often. His powers seemingly being sapped away as the illness continued he really had nowhere to go or no one to go to. This was the last and only sanctuary he had ever known... Even if it was one person empty.

But today it wasn't, he raised a brow at the voice as he looked through the colorful spots in his vision.]

Saber? I'm not your son... I didn't even know you had one...

Floor 25

[scorchedchivalry]

[At the voice, Saber raised her head and looked over at the source.]

Veigar.

...my apologies. I mistook you as another.

Floor 4

[wirefu]

[To be quite honest... Irisviel was surprised. She didn't think homunculi like herself could get sick - being artificially made for specific purposes, one would assume that their creators would take precautions to avoid anything that might damage their creations in some way or another before it could achieve that purpose.

But here she was. Despite the warmth provide by both her knight's body and the cloak wrapped around them she couldn't stop herself from trembling every so often, and the exhaustion taking over her meant she could do little else besides lean against Saber and rest her head on her shoulder.

... It reminded her of that night, late in the war, when she had to (literally) lean on Maiya for support as they made their way home. But she refused to let that memory bother her, and tried her best to keep herself happy.]

Thank you for this, Saber... [Her voice sounds somewhat rough, thanks to how dry her throat currently feels, but she's smiling.] Playing caretaker must be a new role for you... I'll have to be sure to make it up to you when this passes.

December 14 floor 4

[puppy_lancer]

Yo, Saber.

[Lancer walks over, peeking at the king of knights above his armful of beaten-up beer cans with plants of all shapes and sizes jammed in.]

I dunno which ones are the dandylions you wanted because none of the flowers are blooming right now. So I just got you whichever ones had the right leaves.

[He holds the repurposed beer cans out to her.]

[scorchedchivalry]

[Idly, Saber stroked a bit of Irisviel's hair with her free hand, giving into the temptation. She hoped it would give the woman comfort.]

New but not unwelcome. [cough cough] To prevent you further suffering, I would gladly step into this role again.

I wish I could heal you, but Avalon...

[isthatashortjoke]

[Veigar looked over at her, shaking off the odd spots before he could focus, waving a dismissive hand.]

No worries... In this place it wouldn't be all that odd all things considered.

You... don't look so well. [Not that he was doing so hot himself but at least the usual shadows and his outfit concealed much of how he looked.]

[scorchedchivalry]

[Saber looks up at Lancer, instinctively holding Irisviel a bit tighter with another Servant present.

...then she gawks at the flowers a moment before coughing and regaining her composure.]

Did any of them attempt to bite you?

[scorchedchivalry]

Something is very wrong. I... I am either inflicted by an ancient curse able to overcome my Magic Resistance or I am losing my mind.

[She wiped her face with her hand, pushing her loose hair out of her face as she attempted to look more presentable.]

[wirefu]

[It's soothing, yes. Irisviel certainly doesn't seem to mind.]

... It's strange, isn't it? [A curious look crosses her face.] Does Avalon normally protect against sickness and infections?

[It had such miraculous power, so it could probably protect against anything that would be deadly. But a sickness a bit less so...?]

[scorchedchivalry]

[Saber knew the sheath wasn't working because of her own corruption. She was no longer worthy of the noble phantasm.]

Avalon protects the one that possesses it from all harm. When Shirou possessed it, he was granted a miraculous regenerative ability allowing to recover from grievous within a few days.

I believe as a direct connection to my prana - normally - you would not have become ill at all.

Cafeteria

[tohko_amano]

[Once again, Tohko managed to wander into the cafeteria. She had been staying close to the library and the cafeteria, as she wasn't quite sure what to do, now that most of her senses were gone. She was about to bang on a nearby counter when she heard Saber speak.]

Saber? Is that you? What knight are you talking to?

[isthatashortjoke]

Could be either considering where we are... But from what I've learned ov being here, it'll... Eventually go away.

[Or at least he hoped and he brought up a gauntleted hand up to his face, flexing his fingers in disbelief. They have to come back... I will not allow them to take them away! Veigar sighed.]

I've... slowly been losing my powers. When did yours start? I started noticing changes when I caught that illness that's been running amock.

[puppy_lancer]

[He was so focused on the flowers that for now, he couldn't notice the other woman bundled up in Saber's cloak.]

I don't think they did. Or maybe they nipped me and I couldn't tell because of the cold.

[He holds up a dirty hand, trying to see if he had been bitten.]

[scorchedchivalry]

[It took a moment for Saber to acknowledge that she was being spoken to. Looking over to find her roommate, the knight shook her head.]

N-no one. I appear to have been mistaken.

[scorchedchivalry]

You would certainly know if a dandylion bit you; it would have taken some of your prana.

[She looks the plants over.]

None of these are dandylions. Was it necessary to uproot them? You could have directed me toward them.

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko sighed and smacked her hand on the counter. Hearing a small nutrition bar on it rustle, she moved her hand until she heard the two touch.]

I see..if you're having hallucination, you might want to go to the clinic. Hearing and seeing things isn't good.

[scorchedchivalry]

It cannot go away soon enough. I am supposed to be impervious to illness.

I was mildly ill for a few days, but things... changed two days ago. I've been seeing those that I know to be dead.

[adorably_evilish]

Yesss, it seems they are able to overcome immunities... like taking my power which is supposed to be infinite.

But, if you know they are dead. Would it be easier knowing that they are dead? It's a simple illusion and better than thinking someone as strong as you is going insane.

[scorchedchivalry]

I doubt the clinic can help me. What of yourself?

[The clumsiness wasn't missed.]

[scorchedchivalry]

Yet, one I know to be dead is also here. I can touch her, talk to her... If my subjects were simple illusions, I would not even be affected by it. Magic must be upon a very high level to even begin to affect me.

I do not wish to see these people.

[puppy_lancer]

I was just trying to save you some work. Plus, I said I'd get you one, so if I found any, it only makes sense to bring it to you.

[scorchedchivalry]

But you did not find one and now all these flowers will die.

...still [cough cough] you have my thanks for attempting to find one. Though, where did you acquire those cans?

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko sighed again as she grabbed the bar and, using her memory, managed to open the wrapper. Using her ears, she could tell that she was successful.]

I don't think the clinic can help me either. I'm not sure what can. The flu I had has taken away my sight, my taste, and my ability to feel things. It's quite a pain.

[Tohko then bit into the bar, chewed, and swallowed.]

[puppy_lancer]

Ah...these? Well, I kinda emptied my stash sometimes after I got here and didn't have anywhere to throw the cans. So they were lying around and I decided that I might as well as use them as flower pots. And then I went back and asked someone else for their beers cans when I ran out of my own.

[He frowns a little when he hears her cough.]

...You too, Saber?

[scorchedchivalry]

The flu does not do that. You are suffering from something far greater than the flu to lose senses. That is typically the work of poison or magic.