The Tale of Sir Lancelot - part 1. Dolorous Guard

[chevalier_mal_fet]

Characters: Sir Lancelot, aka the Servant Berserker, and All & Sundry
Setting: All Around the Tower
Format: Prose and Action are Both Welcome
Summary: Having just lately arrived, Sir Lancelot is in search of his Master
Warnings: No Warnings at Present. Unless you are a Monster, then look out.

Your world has been destroyed...

Lancelot, for he knows himself at the moment, is largely unmoved by the strange letters. He destroyed his own world long ago.

At the moment he is more concerned with his immediate surroundings, the mysterious clothing (and the collar) on his body, and the absence of his Master. His last memories before waking are of fire, of wind, and of thwarted rage. But he feels nothing now save a grim wariness. If this is indeed a Reality Marble, it is a mysterious one, and might contain anything. If an event caused by the Grail itself, then he can only meet what will come. If a device of his Master's-- Lancelot finds himself less than pleased with the idea.

Alone in the room where he has woken, he wastes no time in materializing his armor, and, as the situation seems an unusually urgent one, his sword. Both are as black as ever. His helm he leaves, as in carrying his blade he will be known regardless. He does not open the chest.

Reaching out to his Master, Lancelot is gratified to detect a faint pull. He will follow it, wherever it leads.


The Dormitory Hallways
Lancelot makes his way along the hallways nearby, but not limited to, 3-02. Any monsters he encounters, he will fight and slay. Any people he encounters, he will speak with.


The Cafeteria
Unable to pinpoint his Master's location, Lancelot proceeds to the bottom of the Tower. He is intrigued by the Cafeteria, and also by the idea of eating, which he has not done since he was living. He finds the idea of eating food in this place to be problematic, as he wonders if it might not be cursed or enchanted in some way. Being reared by Faeries will leave one with such ideas. Still, he's aware how important it can be to abide by the rules of magic in a possibly magical place. You'll find him stirring his oatmeal contemplatively.


Floor 10: The Aquarium
In the midst of continuing his search, Lancelot is distracted in the Aquarium. Water draws him like nothing else. He finds it calming, even now, in spite of his agitation at following his Master's poor prana signature. This water, obviously enchanted as it is not contained, is full of life. He shouldn't dally long here, but the sight is lovely, and it's difficult to resist stopping a moment.


Floor 25: The Meadow
This would indeed be an odd place for Lancelot to find his Master. Usually, the magus huddles unseen in dark corners, sewers, alleyways, and the like. He's searched in such places, and slain some few Monsters in the process, but has yet to find his Master. Still, there is a refreshing breeze here, and no obvious threat.

Comments

Floor 25

[vermicompost]

[Kariya is lying in the meadow as he often does, peacefully, when suddenly he feels what can only be described as a tug, on both his body and soul. The worms twitch, he convulses, and suddenly there's blood on his lips. He reaches up to wipe it away.

What...?

But he doesn't need to ask what. He knows what this is. It's a feeling both painful and familiar. This drain on him only comes from keeping his Servant manifested. It's not as much of a drain as it's been in the past, but it's undeniably there, pulling away at his magical energy.

Berserker.

He gazes down at the Command Spells on his hand, wonderingly. Has Berserker really arrived here? In spite of the fact that there are other Servants here, somehow, he hadn't thought it was possible. What can he do? He'd made his way to this floor by himself, but now he's weakened, and at any moment, the demand on his energies might increase to the intensity of before, when Berserker was in battle. So he stays where he is, waiting among the flowers.]

Re: Floor 25

[chevalier_mal_fet]

[The Meadow proves an assault on his senses. The rustling of the grass, the warmth of the sun-- and the smell of blood, the thread of his Master's prana thickening, snapping tight.

There.

The man lies as if fallen, with blood on his mouth. A familiar enough sight, but for that it is more usual in some dark, dank place. His Master is weakened, yes, but not as badly off as Lancelot had expected to find him. He sheathes his sword before dropping to one knee beside his Master, his gaze is unwavering, stern and assessing. Now that he has found the man, he will have answers.]

Master. Have you brought us to this place?

[vermicompost]

[Kariya can feel his Servant's approach once he's near enough. They're connected, after all. He's almost afraid. No, he is afraid. He remembers what Berserker's like, and he knows Berserker can't be fond of him. The way they're always struggling against each other, Kariya wanting to go one way and Berserker another. What if the Command Spells can't protect him here?

But then he sees him, and he half forgets his fear in surprise. The Servant's helmet is off, and he's gazing down at him, his face a normal human face, and, if not untroubled, at least relatively calm. He has long, dark hair. There's intelligence in his gaze, and strength. So the Mad Enhancement isn't operative? That's a relief. No wonder the drain on him is so much less.

Master, Berserker calls him, and he's never heard him speak so clearly. Kariya feels uncomfortable under the weight of that stern gaze. Berserker, like this, is both familiar and unfamiliar.]

I– No, I haven't. I didn't bring us here. The administrators did. I didn't know you were going to come.

[Maybe not the clearest answer, but his thinking isn't at its clearest.]

We're prisoners here. Trapped. I don't want to be here.

aquarium

[puppy_lancer]

[Lancer yawns as he regards the penguins swimming in the water, either blissfully unaware or having long since adjusted to their strange neighbors.]

[This is a calm, relaxing place. A nice place for someone to rest. Having not gone back to his room for several days, he's gradually become fatigued.]

[However, he tenses up as he feels the presence of another Servant. He throws a casual glance over his shoulder, quickly noting that it's not any of the Servants who he knows.]

Well, it seems like there's a new one in the Tower...

Re: aquarium

[chevalier_mal_fet]

[This Servant (for he can feel that much) isn't known to him, and so he does not draw his blade. He turns to face the man, feeling a fleeting regret that the silence he enjoyed has been broken-- but he must find his Master, and he should be more wary of ease and pleasure in such a place as this.

He gives a courteous nod of greeting. Given that he lacks his helm and goes uncloaked, he sees no need to withhold his name.]

I am called Sir Lancelot. I do not know you, or whom you serve, but perhaps you can tell me whether or not this is a place of the Grail. There must be other Servants here, for you to speak as you have done.

Dormitory floors

[pinnaculum]

[At the sight of the man in armor, Sephiroth, who is traversing the halls in his usual birdlike way: not quite walking, not quite hopping, not quite teleporting, comes to a complete standstill.

That armor. That sword. His eyes light up. Literally as well as figuratively. If cool were a term he was likely to use, he would use it to describe the man before him.

Not at all intimidated by sword, armor, or the size of the man, he heads toward him, walking normally now. He knows he has to speak to him.]

Hello.

[He carries a sword of his own, sheathed, although it's a slight weapon compared to Lancelot's blade.]

Re: Dormitory floors

[chevalier_mal_fet]

[Not a monster. At least not outright. But he would swear the child, for it is a child, was Fae. His bright, strange eyes and light feet, his bold demeanor and his fair face-- Lancelot has not seen anything like this child since he was nearly one himself.

As the boy's sword is sheathed and his greeting is courteous, Lancelot lowers his own blade. He nods gravely in greeting.]

Hello. Tell me, are you captive here, or are you of this place?
I am called Lancelot.

Cafeteria

[tohko_amano]

Every now and then, Tohko would wander into the cafeteria to eat some normal food. She couldn't taste it, but she had to keep up appearances. However, when she saw a man stirring a bowl of oatmeal, she guessed he was new, and she was never one to ignore a newcomer.

Or anyone else in need, really.

"Sir? Pardon, but are you a newcomer here?"

Re: Cafeteria

[chevalier_mal_fet]

The porridge had proved to remain unimproved by stirring. It seemed all the more awkward to break a fast of centuries on such a dish, but he would see this done without losing more time to the task.

Half-glad of the interruption, Lancelot regards the young lady evenly He half-rises from his seat, bowing his head in greeting before taking it once more.

"I am lately arrived, yes. I am called Sir Lancelot-- your servant, lady."

[Dorm Hallways]

[faithstaynight]

[Ruler had long since gotten used to the twinge at the back of her neck that meant the appearance of a new Servant in the tower. But this time wasn't so much a twinge as it was a full-on shudder shooting straight down her spine. This one was different, and oh boy, she hoped he'd be easy to deal with.

So she makes her way through the halls of the dormitory level, her aura calm and her face blank, until she spots him. And he's... familiar. Sort of. She can still recognize that unique black armor from her Grail-given memories. But he's not thrashing about wildly in the insanity that so fiercely gripped most Berserkers...

She pushes back the confusion, though, and cautiously approaches, her own sword held loose and pointing down in a posture of non-aggression.]

You are new here. Have you been informed of what exactly is going on?

Re: [Dorm Hallways]

[chevalier_mal_fet]

[He does not know her face. But he can feel her-- can sense something Other in her.
Lancelot knows far better than to discount a woman, no matter how fair or slight, and so with his eyes on her sword, he lowers his blade in kind.]

Yes, I am lately arrived-- I seek my Master, for I sense him here.

As for this place, I have read the letters left for me, lady, but give them little credence. Can you tell me then, is this a place of the Grail?

Floor 25: The Meadow

[oathshackledbird]

Ever since he's started making himself rest, when not in his room, the Meadow has been one of the places Diarmuid has spent a lot of time. Though he's been unsure about seeing Kariya since they haven't spoken since the mermaid incident, he kind of hopes to run into him today. Diarmuid's mood is actually kind of light, and he is hoping they might have the chance to do a little writing together. He still remembers the man mentioning during the experiment that he had once done some writing and since Diarmuid himself writes a bit off and on, it is something he figures they can do together.

What he finds when he arrives in the Meadow, though, quickly crushes his good mood. His eyes narrow in anger and his hands close tightly around his sketchbook. Still, he doesn't quite call his armor to himself choosing to remain in his casual clothes--white dress car and black pants. Berserker's presence might be darkening the Meadow, but he doesn't seem the same as the other times they met during the war.

He's not raging at least...

"So this place has seen fit to torture him even more by bringing you here. Why am I not surprised."

Re: Floor 25: The Meadow

[chevalier_mal_fet]

The face that greets him when he turns to face the speaker is a familiar one. At last, a Servant known to him-- even if seen originally through a veil of fog and madness.

Though oddly dressed, Lancer is unarmed, and so he does not draw his sword (the Meadow had not seemed a place for a bared blade, and so he had sheathed Arondight).

The man's-- concern for his Master is somewhat curious, to say the least.

"Lancer."

"Yes, I am lately come here, if that is what you mean. If you know of my Master, then tell me where I may find him."

[Floor 10]

[wirefu]

[If the Black Knight could remember anything from the haze of insanity that had gripped him during the Grail War, he might recognize notice the silver-haired woman standing a ways away, seemingly lost in thought as she stared at the fish swimming idly by. Her attention is dragged away from the sight, though, when she senses the presence of a nearby Servant, and her eyes widen in surprise when she notices just who it was.]

You're...

[Berserker? But... no, something was wrong. That aura of darkness was gone, as was his helmet...]

Re: [Floor 10]

[chevalier_mal_fet]

[A word and a flash of white light break his reverie-- and he turns to see her. Arthur's Master. The water wavers before his eyes, but he only nods. Courtesy was the first thing to leave him, but it comes more easily now.]

Sir Lancelot, lady. I know your face, if not your name.
I am lately come to this place, and I seek my Master. I can sense his presence, but have not found him yet.

[It burns him, the desire to ask if Arthur is here. But he resists.]

Floor 25, the Meadow

[greyerrant]

No obvious threat until now, anyway. A tremendous figure clad in grey war-plate looms in the meadow, some 8 feet in armor that hums and purrs with life. He reeks of slain monster himself, and holds himself in an almost feral manner, a monstrous blade of grinding, rotating teeth in one hand, and a huge cannon-like weapon in the other.

He stalks across the meadow, but pauses, briefly. Another knight. A dark one, to his grey. His red eyeslits gleam as they stare at Berserker.

Re: Floor 25, the Meadow

[chevalier_mal_fet]

Ah. The Meadow is less empty than he had supposed. A fell Knight has come, a giant with strange weapons.

Lancelot does not know if the Knight is a creature of the Tower, or some world other than his own, but he does not fall back. Though the Knight is armed, he does not yet unsheathe his sword, instead cataloguing the properties of the strange blade the giant holds. There is time yet to draw Arondight, and he does wonder what it would be like to wield such a strange blade as the giant carries. Should the Knight attempt to strike him with it, then he will learn.

He calls out in greeting.

"I am called Sir Lancelot. What manner of Knight might you be, to walk here ready for Battle?"

dormitory halls

[fuhgeddaboudit]

[Labrys was still a little twitchy from being shorted out by an encounter with some monsters, so her steps were awkward. It was that which led a girl made of metal with a double-headed axe folded on her back to stumble, bumping into Berserker's shoulder.]

Oh--geez, I'm sorry 'bout that. I ain't too steady on my feet today.

Re: dormitory halls

[chevalier_mal_fet]

[He would think the lady a fantastic creation of the Tower, but that she speaks-- and charmingly, at that. He reaches out to steady her with a gauntleted hand behind her shoulder.]

I assure you no harm has been done, lady. Are you well?

Dormitory hallways

[white_knightin]

[ Gawain was still trying to get used to the dormitories when he spotted one of the few people he had hoped to never see again. ]

Lancelot...

Re: Dormitory hallways

[chevalier_mal_fet]

[This is a sight indeed. Gawain, a Servant. His armor as bright as ever.
Lancelot's blade is drawn, and he does not sheathe it, but neither does he raise it. He awaits Gawain's pleasure.

He does not bow his head in greeting.]

Gawain.

Aquarium

[scorchedchivalry]

[Saber stood, clad in the suit she wore during the Fourth War, away from the others on the floor watching the fish. This was one of the places where she tended to not run into people she knew that was peaceful.

...the king was secluding herself again, distancing herself before her anger became too much. She'd been in a foul mood since Waver's stupidity a few weeks prior and only the presence and efforts of a few had kept her mind off of many things.

Lately, she'd been thinking about what she would do with herself if the Administrators were correct and the Holy Grail was not present in the Tower and would never be present. What would she do? How would she be able to continue staving off the corruption that had invaded her soul if her goal was no longer attainable?

When she felt the presence of another Servant nearby, she didn't even bother to look. There were so many in the Tower these days and none were foolish enough to attack her unprovoked. So, back with a tail of blonde hair falling down it to Berserker, the King of Knights continued to watch the sea life. And think.]

Re: Aquarium

[chevalier_mal_fet]

[The flashing of the water lulls him. Were he not armored, he would feel nearly one of the living once more. Not that he wishes this were so. Some things, some harm, all years-- cannot be undone.

He can sense the thin song of his Master's life and the murmurs of the Souls of other Servants nearby. Their voices blend with the water, for the most part. But for one that is nearest, and most familiar, though still strange to him.

Looking up, though her hair hangs down upon it in a tail, though it is clothed in black-- he would know Arthur's back (his King's back) no matter how altered from the familiar.

Words desert him, as they do when they please. He only speaks her name.]

Arthur.

floor 25; did someone specifically for a monster? :D

[peoplediewhenikillthem]

[ The atmosphere of the meadow shifts when Shiki decides to pay it a visit. Not that she cares about disturbing others here, but she did want to pick some flowers for a grave. It seems the proper thing to do for a girl that shares her last name, so here she is without a thought towards any of the other inhabitants.

Save for one man.

She can tell a Servant from a distance due to the Moon Cell's modifications, but he doesn't seem openly hostile. Is he alone possibly? The thought rests on her mind as she shoves a hand lazily into the pocket of her jacket. ]

Yo, you over there. Dark and brooding.

Monsters are welcome! ;D

[chevalier_mal_fet]

[The atmosphere of the Meadow seems suddenly changed-- shadowed and distorted. Lancelot is reminded not a little of his own black veil, but that follows him only, and does not wander over Meadows alone.

A voice speaks as he turns to view the field, and the words are as odd as the speaker.
There is Power here, surely, but it is strange as well, and unfamilar to him.]

Dark I may be, lady, but this seems an ill-place to brood. Even for myself.
You've gained my notice-- say then what you want of me, though I do not know you.