(no subject)

[scorchedchivalry]

Characters: Saber (Alter) and You!
Setting: Dorms (Room 1-09), Graveyard (floor 48) and Forest (Floor 32)
Format: Starting Action, but I'll match.
Summary: A 'gift' from home makes Saber think on the past maybe a bit too much.
Warnings: none expected, but remember no superpowers on 32nd floor

[Dorm]

[When Saber had seen the basket of food, she was quite happy. After having been ill and with the limited food, she'd barely eaten anything all month. Of course, being a Servant, she didn't require food, but she so did love to eat. And then she saw what kind of food it was in the basket - things she hadn't had since she walked the hills of her homeland.

It made her go to hide it in her trunk and that's when she saw it. Wrought of the finest gold, sparkling sapphires inlaid into the band... it was her crown. The royal crown of King Arthur. She picked it up and held it before her, pale eyes drinking in the treasure. She could tell it was hers and not a reproduction; a king knows his crown.

Walking away from the trunk, she hesitantly put it on her head. It fit as she remembered, the weight as it should be and it rest perfectly. And then her eyes widened and she snatched the crown off her head. No, no, no, she didn't want to be king anymore. She wanted to reset things, change her destiny... redo the selection. Save Britain from herself.

So it was laying on her back holding the crown above her, turning it slowly in her hands with a distant look in her eyes, Saber would be found in Room 1-09. The door was half-open, unnoticed by Saber, as she thought about the past.]


[Graveyard]

[Saber walked through the graveyard, past stones, until she came to one that was broken. In rubble at her feet - the letters S BE visible in a few pieces - she stared down at the stone. She now knew who this grave belonged to. It was her own, but not her own. And so, thinking she was alone, she spoke to it in a quiet voice.]

A battle has been fought and is now over. Place your sword upon the ground and rest in the temporal peace. After dozing in the warmth of a dream, a new day will begin. The days keep passing by...

And we still chase the same star we once saw.

[Saber folded her hands into her greatcloak and bowed her head.]


Forest Floor 32]

[To clear her mind, Saber chose the forest where she felt the most human. Here her prana was quiet and she had to rely on skills and knowledge learned from her childhood, her time as a squire, and not the might of a Heroic Spirit. It was calming.

Quietly, she moved through the forest, downwind, as she tried to sneak up on a grazing deer. She was close, waiting patiently behind cover, when something made the deer raise his head, antlers brushing the branches above. And then it took off, having noticed whoever came upon Saber in her game of skill.

Sighing, she stood up, revealing her concealed presence.]

...great.

Comments

[scorchedchivalry]

[Saber smirked a little.]

You will find Archer far more stubborn than you believe he is. He is an idiot that still thinks he can be the hero and save the pretty girl. He cannot save me no more than he can save you.

[Her finger runs along Rin's hair again.]

Why is it that you want my true name so much? Is it worth ruining the only one willing to serve you? And you would ruin him. You are not Sakura.

[angramaintsu]

[ Just like she ruined Lancer. ]

Then the sooner I cut him from that idealistic behavior, the better. I'll reform him to be a better weapon and in doing so, I'll get the information I wanted.

[ Saber may be tracing her hair, but her own fingers are lingering towards something different. It'll be too easy now to take this from her and use it against her. What would come of it? Besting a Servant is no easy feat and it might earn her respect or completely abolish it. ]

You fascinate me. That's why I want to know.

[ Cocking her head to the side. ] Were you expecting a far greater response that was full of complicated feelings? I'm a fairly simple girl, Saber.

[scorchedchivalry]

You cannot accomplish that. You are not a weaponsmith or a bowyer. You are a Matou magus; they only exist to destroy, not create. Had you been a Tohsaka magus, then you could create. The only one that can cut Archer from his ideology is himself.

[Saber's eyes do not move from Rin's, though she is aware of where the magus' free hand was moving. She was curious if Rin would take the ready weapon, though without strength to gore her with it, the antlers made a poor weapon.

She pulls Rin even closer, their fronts brushing.]

You are far from a simple girl and fascination is a complicated feeling. What is it about me that draws you so?

[angramaintsu]

[ "You are a Matou magus; they only exist to destroy, not create."

"Tohsaka, you really are a good person."

A glaring contradiction presents itself in her mind, twisting the dagger of conflict deeper in her gut, as her hand lowers. It would have been too easy to grab the antler and drive it into Saber's own gut in retaliation, but she can't.

Because someone out there believes she's a good person. Even if it's not her and some other person he knew. ]

You're wrong. [ Something impulsive rears it's head. ] I'm both which means if I want to destroy, I will destroy and if I want to create, then I will create. You can't just take something and give it a new name in hopes it'll erase everything it was before.

[ She's said more than she's wanted to say. So much so that she's forgotten about Saber's other question and chooses instead to just gaze in horror at the woman.

Saber is more of a threat than Archer will ever be. She realizes this too late. ]

[scorchedchivalry]

[Something sparked in Saber's eyes and her hand moved from Rin's hair to cup the back of the girl's neck, her other hand releasing the wrist it held captive only to come to rest on her hip.]

There you are. I was wondering when I was going to get to see the real you and not the black mud of your armor. Shall I strike true with the chinks in your armor exposed? Find your heart that is as black and silver as mine?

We can never escape or forget our true name, Rin Tohsaka, heir of the Matou.

[angramaintsu]

[ Standing like this with her was reminiscent of stories she's read about, where a knight held his princess nice and safe. A gesture to help her feel well guarded.

When Saber does it, Rin feels like the sort of princess trapped in a tower with no escape other than the plummet to her death. ]

I'd have to have a heart first in order for it to be discovered, Saber. [ Slipping back into the veil of wit she keeps around her so easily. ] Even Archer knows that much.

[scorchedchivalry]

[That makes Saber laugh.]

You were not born a Matou, Rin. I know you have a heart. As do you and that lost Servant of yours. If you truly had no heart, Archer would not be wasting his time with you and would only concentrate on eliminating the boy.

Don your armor all you wish, but this knight, this king, knows true. And it is black and silver, like mine.

[angramaintsu]

That boy... I won't allow him to eliminate him no matter what.

[ In her world, she let Lancer kill him without second guessing it. Here? Here she was told he had been saved by her and that was what made her a good person. So if she were to prove herself to anyone, to pay for the atrocities she committed back on Earth, then it was by keeping Shirou Emiya alive. ]

Hmph, you shouldn't compare yourself a monster like me. People might get the wrong idea, Saber. Then you'll be in a lot of trouble.

[ For now she can just fight back with her words, what little of them she does have. ]

[scorchedchivalry]

Are we not both drenched in Angra Mainyu? If Sakura had commanded I kill all those you have, I would have - one way or another. The difference is, I still maintain my honor and like to others to think you have none.

And you never answered my question: what about me fascinates you so?

[angramaintsu]

If it could easily be explained, don't you think I would have answered it?

[ Rin dives in on the free escape from the previous topic with her question this time, dipping her head in towards her's. ]

Your charisma just draws me in. Is that a special ability of yours?

[scorchedchivalry]

[Rank E is still something.]

Only you [and a succubus] would be so drawn in by something that inspires so much terror. I almost pity you not having known the silver knight of another life. Heh. You may have swooned.

[angramaintsu]

I'm not scared of anything so I imagine that's why I can't view you as a threat, Saber.

[ That's all talk. ] A silver knight, huh? Is that why you're holding me in this manner? I thought knights swore an oath of chastity.

[scorchedchivalry]

Do you always lie to yourself? I am most certain you view me as a threat. You would be a fool to forget that I am of the Saber Class and not yours.

Knights are sworn to an oath of chivalry. Chastity is not part of that code nor am I ignorant in matters of the flesh. A king will do as he wishes.

[angramaintsu]

A Servant lost in the forest with someone who's destroyed an entire world? I have nothing to fear.

[ The logical part of her mind argues that a knight would know how to fight without a weapon and besides, she must have something to have gotten those antlers. ]

As for the rest of that... tch, you're really starting to piss me off.

[scorchedchivalry]

I apologize that your own ignorance irritates you so. [mocking? maybe] Perhaps you should learn more about knights when you are not wandering without cause.

Or is it that you still want things you cannot have? [She moves her hand from Rin's neck to caress her cheek briefly before fully releasing her.]

[angramaintsu]

If I wanted to have you, I would.

[ Don't tempt her Saber. She's been good in holding herself back despite the pain and they aren't helping when she cuts them off like so. ]

Don't you know it's rude to provoke someone? I can't be held responsible for what I might do if this continues.

[scorchedchivalry]

[Distraction, distraction, distraction... That's what drives Saber at the moment. She needs the distraction and baiting Rin is doing wonders to distract her from her past.]

You act as if whatever you could do here is anything that worries me. I know what you are, and I am most likely the only one here more than willing to take your head off if necessary. There is nothing you can do now that I am not prepared for.

And perhaps it is you that is provoking me. If you seek innocence to feast upon, you will not find it here.

[angramaintsu]

Is that so.

[ It isn't a question. Rin realizes now that if she fails to step up to her reputation and take matters into her own hands that Saber will never come to respect her.

Something snaps within her and this time it's her reaching out to grab Saber with less care than the Servant showed her. ]

If you thought I was provoking you before, then I'm going to blow your mind.

[scorchedchivalry]

[Something flared in Saber's eyes and her muscles coiled as if preparing for battle. One hand comes to Rin's waist, but the other stays down at her side. For now.]

Are you still going to refuse to take responsibility for your actions then? You cannot expect a knight's blood to rise and there be no consequences.

okay now that I know how this is probably going to end <3

[angramaintsu]

Is that all you have to say knowing that I'm at my limits, Saber? You seem to be familiar enough with my "ailment".

[ Leaning her face in towards her own, Rin can't stop the grin that's forming. ]

<3

[scorchedchivalry]

I am familiar with your sister's 'ailment'. I wonder how your stamina compares to hers...

[She's just going to use that implication to bait Rin further.]

I would rather not be... disappointed.

[angramaintsu]

You'll find it superior just as I am in every way in comparison to her.

[ She doesn't want to be disappointed? Then she'll be sure to please her in every way. Rin's only dreamed about how nice it would be to run her fingers down this Servant's body, but now? Now she has the opportunity to make every single one of those dreams come true. Not much of a risk taker, she hesitates only because it's Saber.

And for some reason unknown to her, she doesn't want to lose her outright. ]

Are you in love with someone, Saber? [ So she asks a dumb question to delay the inevitable. Only just a bit. ]

[scorchedchivalry]

[Wut. Her eye twitches before she could school her expression.]

What is the purpose in asking me that?

[angramaintsu]

I think I ruined the last person for a relationship so I thought I'd ask. That's... that's all!

[ She's still a good person underneath the shroud of despair. ]

[scorchedchivalry]

You cannot ruin me.

[Yes, she loves the woman in white, but she cannot have her, eternally cockblocked by the ghost of a man she despises. And she's not entirely sure what is really going on between her and the succubus. But she does know that she's frustrated and in need of a distraction. And there was always something appealing in Rin, even the Rin Tohsaka she knew...]

Heh. And here you always boast about just taking what you want. Perhaps you really are all talk.