Perfect. And then, when, eventually, he discovers that being able to generate your own power doesn't do much when obnoxious people keep attacking you and forcing you to spend it faster than you make it, well, Ilya will be in trouble of her own...
And I just realized who'd be perfect for that last Assassin slot - Perseus.
"So you're to be my Master," said a woman's voice in the dark, and Tohsaka Rin snapped the book in her hand closed as she spun to face it.
Her Servant was quite a lot of very pretty woman with a metallic looking mask over her eyes and even more straight, brilliantly lavender hair sweeping down and almost hiding the fact that she was wearing... not very much leather at all, really. With the spiked daggers in her hands and the chains draping down from them, it made her look like something straight out of a rather disturbing ecchi manga. The faintly sinister smile she was wearing only made the comparison worse. "I am Servant Rider, here by your summons."
...Dammit, Rin thought.
A few minutes later, once the introductions had been made, she set a filled teacup in front of her guest and apologised. "I'm sorry for reacting the way I did a moment ago. It's no reflection on you; I'm simply... irritated with myself for missing the mark I had aimed for all these years."
"Ah," said Rider, and tried the tea. It wasn't bad, actually, either as a refreshment or a peace offering. "I'm not offended. What do you plan to do about the war?"
Her Master took a sip from her own cup. "The first step is for us to learn to work together, to come to know each other's abilities and reactions. Once that's accomplished, we'll begin to sweep through the city, looking to locate other Servants."
"An active approach, then. Using momentum, or avoiding surprise?" There was no clue in her voice what she thought of the matter.
"Both. And also, this city is my home. I've lived here all my life, and since most of our opponents will have come from far away, that will give us an advantage. The longer they have to become comfortable here, though, the smaller that will become. I mean to make the most of it."
An interesting approach to the War - to win it by making the ground on which it took place your own, rather than going directly to seize the goal. There was something old-fashioned, almost traditional about it. To be honest, it felt rather homey. She drank some more of her tea and considered the girl who had summoned her.
The latest heir to the family was a youngish woman - well, an older girl, she supposed, given the way standards seemed to've changed - with the slight build and night-of-the-new-moon hair that were so typical for this island chain and a beautifully symmetrical face that wouldn't have been typical anywhere. There was a lively intelligence and iron will behind the startlingly light eyes that set off her hair and clothes so well, and the Servant allowed herself a small bit of optimism. "All right. Where do we start?"
The subject of her regard smiled. "Names, I think. Mine is Tohsaka Rin."
She had been summoned to take part in this contest once before, and was certain that she had heard the name 'Tohsaka' attached to one of the mages responsible for setting up the entire affair. That the family had had sufficient power and skill to be involved in such a venture, then survive the years from that day to this, spoke well of their mutual chances... so long as the blood had bred true. "And I," she answered, "am Medusa."
"Sou ka," Rin said, and brought her cup up, not so much for the sake of thirst as to give herself a moment to process her thoughts. "In that case, you'd have been in the first Holy Grail War, correct? If I remember the records cor-"
The doorbell rang, and interrupted her. "Hide yourself," she told Rider, setting her drink down with enough force to rattle its saucer. "I will answer that."
"And if it is another Master? Or their Servant?" was the answer, with a strictly professional sort of concern in its speaker's voice.
The human of the two smiled coldly, and stood. "I can take care myself long enough for you to react."
Rider stood also, then bowed slightly and faded away.
Rin's heart nearly stopped in her chest when she saw who was at the door. "K...konbanwa, Senpai," stuttered her guest, who wouldn't meet her eyes. "I... need a place to stay."
Heheh. Yes, that is, indeed, her.
Ja, -n
===============================================
"Puripuri puripuri... Bang!"
And I just realized who'd be perfect for that last Assassin slot - Perseus.
"So you're to be my Master," said a woman's voice in the dark, and Tohsaka Rin snapped the book in her hand closed as she spun to face it.
Her Servant was quite a lot of very pretty woman with a metallic looking mask over her eyes and even more straight, brilliantly lavender hair sweeping down and almost hiding the fact that she was wearing... not very much leather at all, really. With the spiked daggers in her hands and the chains draping down from them, it made her look like something straight out of a rather disturbing ecchi manga. The faintly sinister smile she was wearing only made the comparison worse. "I am Servant Rider, here by your summons."
...Dammit, Rin thought.
A few minutes later, once the introductions had been made, she set a filled teacup in front of her guest and apologised. "I'm sorry for reacting the way I did a moment ago. It's no reflection on you; I'm simply... irritated with myself for missing the mark I had aimed for all these years."
"Ah," said Rider, and tried the tea. It wasn't bad, actually, either as a refreshment or a peace offering. "I'm not offended. What do you plan to do about the war?"
Her Master took a sip from her own cup. "The first step is for us to learn to work together, to come to know each other's abilities and reactions. Once that's accomplished, we'll begin to sweep through the city, looking to locate other Servants."
"An active approach, then. Using momentum, or avoiding surprise?" There was no clue in her voice what she thought of the matter.
"Both. And also, this city is my home. I've lived here all my life, and since most of our opponents will have come from far away, that will give us an advantage. The longer they have to become comfortable here, though, the smaller that will become. I mean to make the most of it."
An interesting approach to the War - to win it by making the ground on which it took place your own, rather than going directly to seize the goal. There was something old-fashioned, almost traditional about it. To be honest, it felt rather homey. She drank some more of her tea and considered the girl who had summoned her.
The latest heir to the family was a youngish woman - well, an older girl, she supposed, given the way standards seemed to've changed - with the slight build and night-of-the-new-moon hair that were so typical for this island chain and a beautifully symmetrical face that wouldn't have been typical anywhere. There was a lively intelligence and iron will behind the startlingly light eyes that set off her hair and clothes so well, and the Servant allowed herself a small bit of optimism. "All right. Where do we start?"
The subject of her regard smiled. "Names, I think. Mine is Tohsaka Rin."
She had been summoned to take part in this contest once before, and was certain that she had heard the name 'Tohsaka' attached to one of the mages responsible for setting up the entire affair. That the family had had sufficient power and skill to be involved in such a venture, then survive the years from that day to this, spoke well of their mutual chances... so long as the blood had bred true. "And I," she answered, "am Medusa."
"Sou ka," Rin said, and brought her cup up, not so much for the sake of thirst as to give herself a moment to process her thoughts. "In that case, you'd have been in the first Holy Grail War, correct? If I remember the records cor-"
The doorbell rang, and interrupted her. "Hide yourself," she told Rider, setting her drink down with enough force to rattle its saucer. "I will answer that."
"And if it is another Master? Or their Servant?" was the answer, with a strictly professional sort of concern in its speaker's voice.
The human of the two smiled coldly, and stood. "I can take care myself long enough for you to react."
Rider stood also, then bowed slightly and faded away.
Rin's heart nearly stopped in her chest when she saw who was at the door. "K...konbanwa, Senpai," stuttered her guest, who wouldn't meet her eyes. "I... need a place to stay."
Heheh. Yes, that is, indeed, her.
Ja, -n
===============================================
"Puripuri puripuri... Bang!"