Too many line breaks. And I'll be honest, I barely skimmed most of your post. I'll read it properly after you prove you're capable of updating.

[x] Lancer

[x] Caster

Oh, so you're that guy in /gensokyo/ eh? Well, good luck on becoming a new writefag. You've chosen a long and arduous road, with little to no rewards in the end.

>Byakuran

Advice #1: Get the names right. Grammar is one thing, but making that kind of mistake can quickly destroy your credibility.

Unless you really meant another woman priest who just happened to have a letter different in her name. But I find the possibility unlikely.

[x] Rider

>>39793
Little to no rewards, perhaps, but given that it's the only path, he shouldn't have any regrets.

Anyways, funnily enough I'd already tried to 'class' a few Touhou characters (I'm assuming we're summoning Touhou characters here.)
Saber: Youmu/Momiji/Tenshi/Keine
Archer: Erin (both archery and independence)
Lancer: Remilia/Komachi/Shou
Rider: PC98Reimu/Minamitsu
Caster: Anyone (Marisa/Patchy?)
Assassin: Sakuya/Nue
Berserker: Flan/Yuuka/Suika/Yuugi (Jesus this class...)
Of course, this is all total guesswork and likely to be wrong.

[X] Lancer. Would vote 'serker, but then all the dialogue between the pair would be rather one-sided.

>>39795
Don't forget Komachi and her boat for Rider.

[x] Lancer

I think he's imitating the style of FSN, with each line being a text box. It's an interesting style, if one that's a little bit annoying in this format until you get used to it.

Still, I'm getting major FSN vibes, which is nice. He's got the Nasu diction down. Or possibly just took the game's script and modified it.

My favorite servant was Lancer due to him having the best Noble Phantasm, but I really hope we don't get Remilia. Because I don't really like Remilia as a character. Shou would be neat though.

>>39795
What about Reisen for Archer and Marisa(on broom) for Rider?

[x] Lancer
Go for Shou!

[X]Assassin

Not sure how you'd settle on which of the girls would take up the role.

As >>39792 mentions earlier, I'd hope you'll have some reasonable consistency on your update speed.

[x] Archer
No question.

[x] Lancer

You do realize that by posting the first update and it being somewhat interesting, you've agreed to a dark contract in which you provide regular updates in return for our readership and votes.

But if you fail to update or dip in quality, you will suffer a terrible curse - that of complaining posts in your thread and being accosted if you ever bother to go on IRC.

[x] Avenger

[x] Lancer

The hope of getting someone half as bro as Cú Chulainn compels me.

[x] Archer

[X] Archer

[X]Lancer

It almost feels like I'm rolling dice to see who'd be summoned.

Cmon...Remilia!

[x] Assassin

[X] Archer

>>39796
>>39800
Marisa's broom doesn't fit the criteria for a legendary mount. It's not legendary, it's (possibly) not magical, it doesn't have a name or sentience, Marisa could have Riding D, I suppose. Komachi does fit Rider, but her abilities, weapon and bad luck make her more appropriate for Lancer (distance control=withdraw skill, scythe=polearm in Nasuverse, bad luck=REPENTthwacks).

[x] Lancer

I don't think Shou's been heavily featured in any stories so far. I hope we get her.

[x] Lancer

Called, now writing. Lancer wins.

>>39806
I should be able to update every 2-3 days.

[X] Lancer

I step into the circle, and it begins to glow.
The conditions are perfect.
As is the catalyst.

—A bloodstained teacup, made of porcelain and slightly chipped.
The Tohsaka magus gave it to me when I agreed to fight for them.
According to Byakuren, this teacup is an archaeological treasure, unearthed from the ruins of an ancient mansion in France.
I don’t know what bearing that has, but...
Well, it should be sufficient to summon quite a powerful Servant.
With this, and my increased level of prana—

I close my eyes, lay down the box and began to incant.

“—Silver and iron to the origin.
Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone.
The ancestor is my great master Schweinorg.”

—The glow intensifies, and I can see the Command Spell forming on my hand—

“—The alighted wind becomes a wall.
The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate.
Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut.
Repeat every five times.
Simply, let it shatter once filled.”

—The magic circle is rising, and I can feel it—

“—I announce.
Your self is under me, my fate lies with your sword.
In accordance with the resort of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer.
Here is my oath.
I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead.
You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance—!”

There is a sharp pain in my hand—

Something knocks me off balance, and I fall—
As I land, my hands behind me to break my fall, I look up.

There, standing in front of me—

“...I ask of you. Are you my Master?”

—Is a girl.
A girl dressed in pale pink.
On her back is a pair of batlike wings, large enough to block most of the doorway.
She eyes me with a smile, and I can see moonlight glinting off her fangs.
...She’s a vampire.

...My voice won’t work.
I do the only thing I can, and lift up my right hand.
On it is the Command Spell, still shining blood-red.

The girl smiles.
She looks just like a playful child.
“—The contract is now complete.”

I let out a breath of relief.

—I’ve done it.
I’m a Master now.
And this girl— this vampire— she is my Servant, my ally who will fight with me in the Grail War.

As if detecting my feelings, the girl walks over and helps me up.
And in those sweet tones of hers, she speaks.
“My name is Remilia.
You may call me Lancer.”

———

I take a while to introduce myself to Remilia properly.
—It’s hard to believe that a child like her could be a powerful Servant.
Her wings, though, are unmistakable proof of her power.
...As is her bloodlust.

—Remilia Tepes Scarlet.
The Scarlet Devil.
I’ve heard stories of an abandoned mansion in France, legends of a vampire who once lived there.
In some stories, he was said to be Dracula.
In others, he was merely a descendant.
But in all the stories, he was male, and known only as the Scarlet Lord.
So now, to see this little girl claiming that title—

“—I’d like a cup of tea.”
Remilia’s voice startles me.
I look up to see her calmly seated at the table, watching me.
...She looks like she’s expecting something.
“Preferably red tea, with a tinge of blood.”

…Oh.
She wants me to serve her tea.
“I don’t have any tea.”
I look her in the eye as I continue speaking.
“—And you’re not allowed to feed on anyone around.”

She stares at me for a moment, then smiles.
...I swallow.
I don’t like the look of that smile.

“—Well then, your blood will have to do, won’t it?”

“...”
Come to think of it, the teacup must have been hers.
And now she wants my blood.
...In all the stories, the Scarlet Lord is described as a light eater.
Even so...

As if sensing my discomfort, she smiles again.
“Think of it as giving me prana.”

[ ] Let her drink your blood.
[ ] Don’t let her drink your blood.
[ ] Custom

Also, you need a name.
[ ] __________

———

I considered having Shou as Lancer instead, but in the end I don't think I can do her justice.

[x]A cup of tea with the blood.
If nobody else agrees, [x] Let her drink your blood.

Well, we should get along with our servant, shouldn't we?
I wonder who we might have summoned if we chose the other options.

[x] Let her drink your blood.

>>39857
Don't worry, if this continues we'll be seeing plenty of the other Servants. Maybe some Touhous as Masters too, if Byakuren is any indication. Perhaps she has a Nue hiding in the basement? please don't do this

[x] Don’t let her drink your blood.
[x] Grey

[X]Let her drink your blood.
Letting her feed from us is much better and also less trouble than having her go after others. Besides,she's a light eater.
[X]Minato

[x] Don’t let her drink your blood.

She will feed on the blood of our enemies.

[x] Shinji.

[X]Let her drink your blood.

Pretty clear to me: if we don't let her drink the blood of others, then we have to give ours to feed her.

[x] Let her drink

No shou? Well, Remi is fine too~
Anyway, does this count as "mana transfer" or whatever it's called?

[x] Ler her drink your blood, this time. Next time, it shall be the blood of your enemies! Or random passerbys.

[X] Let her drink your blood.
[X] Gabriel

Why not

too soon?

[x] Let her drink your blood.
[x] Gabriel

>>39871
This is amusing enough to second.

[x] Let her drink your blood.
[x] Gabriel
I'm having flashbacks about the good, old, times.

[x] Let her drink your blood.
[x] Kotomine Kirei

Troll for the Troll God

>>39795
I guess we'll find out, but considering F/SN servant personalities, my tentative list is this:

-Saber-Youmu. Prideful, obstinate, delicate
-Archer-Eirin. Only one with the weapon, independent, wiseass, loyal.
-Lancer-Remilia. Haughty, Sarcastic, and more than eager to jump into a(ny) fight.
-Rider- Komachi. Silent, hardworking, patient, (blood)lusty. Maybe marisa, but she lacks patience.
-Caster- Komeiji. Machiavelic, sentimental, smart, cunning, shortsighted.
-Assasin- Sakuya. Cynic, Joker, Abnegated.
-Berserker- Flandre. Mindless, Violent, Insane. It could be anyone: Yuuka is a strong candidate too, but it is more interesting to have related servants.
See Fate/Zero for Saber/Berserker and Fate/Stay Night for a subverted version with Caster/Berserker and a straight version with the MC and Archer. Fate/Extra has another wasted one with (Playable) Caster and (Rani's Route's) Berserker.

[x] Let her drink your blood.
-[x] Gabriel

Works for me~!

[x] Don't let her drink your blood.
-[x] Gabriel
Yeah no question. We'll get her to drink our blood-eventually.
I'd rather be a blood-tsundere if you don't mind.

[x] Don't let her drink your blood.
-[x] Gabriel

[x] Let her drink your blood.

[x] Let her drink your blood.
-[x] Gabriel

Master that cannot bond with his servant is a Master soon to be defeated.

[x] Don't let her drink your blood.
-[x] Gabriel

[x] Let her drink your blood, for now.
[x] Constant

>>39857 here,
forgot to add [x]Find out about Remilia's stats.
-[x]What skills do we have?
Need to know what we can do.

>>39920
Remilia's stats:

Strength - B
Endurance - D
Agility - A
Mana - C
Luck - B

Class Skills:
Independent Action - B
Can remain in this world for 2 days without a contract, and live on for a short period of time after suffering extensive damage to spiritual core. Remilia, as a vampire, can boost this to A+ rank by regularly feeding on magi.
Magic Resistance - C

Personal Skills:
Charisma - C
Can lead a large army, although Remilia’s appearance as a child causes morale to decrease slightly.
Night Walker - D
Going out in direct sunlight causes the Servant to burn. However, as Remilia has spent centuries building up a resistance to sunlight, all it does is give her a sunburn and decrease all stats by 1 rank.
Regeneration - A
Can quickly heal wounds, although doing so uses up prana. In Remilia’s case, she can quickly regenerate her full body from a single bat.
Shapeshift - E
Can only shapeshift into bats.
Thread of Fate - E
Can slightly influence future events. However, as Remilia is unaware of this, its rank is reduced and only gives her a permanant Luck bonus.

Noble Phantasm:
??"

Your own skills:
Basic Magecraft. You can cast simple spells with ease.

>>39922
So, with Remilia, we'll have to mainly fight in the night or somehow block out the sun. Got it.
Well, now there's a good reason to give her blood.

>>39922
Is that B in luck with or without the fate bonus?

Heh, looks like Remi managed to dodge the Lancer's curse. Or at least, her stats indicate that (B Luck and all). In any case, she seems a pretty standard Lancer other than luck, but we've yet to see her Phantasms, so they might be strong (personally hoping for something like Gae Bolg). Her skills are kinda poor though (Cha is pretty pointless, Thread is okish, as extra luck for Lancers never hurts, esp if we run into something like Gae Bolg. Regen is nice, but given that Servants are already capable of it (as long as critical locations are safe) with sufficient mana it's not brilliant. Indep Action is high, but given that's the ability to survive we die, use up our seals or got Rule Broke it’s not great for us. Her ability to turn into a bat could be useful, but does it come with any ranks of Presence Concealment? If not, she loses combat ability without losing the ability to be noticed)

Anything on her alignment, or if she can fly? Or is that being saved up for later?

>>39924
With.

>>39930
Nope, no Presence Concealment whatsoever. Alignment is Chaotic Neutral, and yes, she can fly. Sorry, forgot to mention that.

Aw man, Remilia?

Oh well. Probably for the best if you're not sure on characterization.

[x] Let her drink your blood.
-[x] Gabriel Kanbaku

We need a last name too. Kanbaku is a combination of the names of Archer's swords, which is as good a name as any.

[x] Let her drink your blood.
-[x] Gabriel Kanbaku

If we get a bad end, do we get a Hakutaku Dojo?

>>39931
With no Presence Concealment, the Bat form has become pretty pointless. Servants can go spirit-form vs muggles, and Servants could detect the suddenly defenceless Batmelia without too much difficulty.

Back onto what we're doing next...we're giving a Chaotic Neutral Vampire the ability to gain Independent Action A+ (meaning complete and utter independence from the summoner). And the cost for doing this is our on blood.

What could POSSIBLY go wrong?

Meh, given this is a FSN fic, getting all the bad ends will probably get us a reward of some kind (Realta Nua, just switching Avalon for Gensokyo?).

[X] Let her drink your blood.
[X] Gabriel Kanbaku

“...”
Very well.
If this will stop her from attacking others, then—

I reach up and pull the collar of my shirt aside.
I can see the excitement in her eyes as she licks her lips, her gaze focused on my exposed neck.
I shiver at the unbridled hunger in her expression.
—But to be honest, it makes me feel a little excited.
To be stared at by a cute girl like that—

“Oh? I didn’t expect you to give in so fast.”
Remilia’s voice is teasing, and another shiver goes through me when I hear it.
“Are you sure about this?”

—I nod.
Some part of me is still apprehensive about this, but the rest of me has already decided.
It’s not just to satiate her appetite.
...It seems, somehow, that doing this may strengthen the bond between us.

“—You won’t kill me, right?”
...Even so, I have to check.

Remilia shakes her head.
The smile on her lips has morphed into a full-fledged grin.
I can’t help but think that she looks like an excited child who just gained a new toy.
...Although in this situation, that toy would be me.

In any case, I have nothing to lose here.
So—

I take a deep breath and nod to her.
—The grin on Remilia’s face widens.
She lunges—

—Ahh.
Instead of the pain I expected, I feel my body suddenly heat up.
My heart beats faster, as if to more quickly supply Remilia with food.
Something hot and wet is fastened to my neck, and I find myself unable to move.
All I can do now is wait for her to finish—

—Time seems to slow.
The only sounds in the room are her sucking and my erratic breaths.

“—Ah, hah...”
I can’t help it.
The moan escapes my lips as she sucks noisily at my neck.
Her body is flush against my side, and I can feel her warmth against my arm.
I can feel her tongue softly licking at my neck, lapping up the blood flowing from my veins—

—And just like that, it’s over.
I barely notice when Remilia steps back, her lips and chin stained red.
I’m not sure if it’s due to blood loss or just shock, but I feel dizzy.
What just happened seems so... unreal...

...I slowly raise a hand to my neck.
I can feel two bite marks there, though the bleeding already seems to be stopping.
Something in her saliva, probably.

“...”
I... can’t think.
My head feels like it’s been filled with wool.
I... feel dizzy...
I...

…
… …
… … …
...What... happened..."
I’m... lying down... on my bed..."

“—Remi...lia?”
I call her name softly as I look around.
It’s still dark, but there’s no sign of her.
So... she must have gone out.
“...Damn.”
Surely, she couldn’t have gone out to feed—?

The sound of flapping wings interrupts my thoughts
A small black shape flies into the room, and seems to dissolve into shadow.
The shadow then congeals again, back into the from of Remilia.
I can’t see her face from where I’m lying, so I push myself into a sitting position.

“—Where did you go?”
That’s the most important thing right now.
Even if she is my Servant, I can’t have a vampire attacking innocent civilians—

“Just to look around. This city is pretty interesting.”
Remilia answers without turning.
“Don’t worry, I didn’t feed on anyone. Besides...”
She finally turns around, and that smile is back on her face.
“...I think I like your blood more.”

So...
...I’m now her personal bloodbag?!
...Not that I’m going to complain...

“Anyway, get up.”
Remilia’s smile morphs into an impatient expression.
“...Gabriel, was it? I still want some good tea.”

—Urgh.
I guess I have no choice.
I don’t know when it was decided, but it seems now that I’m only her Master in name.
Otherwise, she treats me like her servant.
“Like I said, I don’t have tea.”
...Even though I said that, I’m still getting up.

“Then get some. There should still be some shops open at this time, right?”
I look at the clock.
It’s nearly six in the morning.
—Well, there probably are, but...

…
… …
Eventually, I go to a 24 hour convenience store nearby.
At Remilia’s insistence, I buy several bags of the highest quality tea leaves they have available, and a few boxes of some strange French snack.
I also take the chance to stock up on food.
What with the Grail War soon approaching, I’m afraid I might not be able to go out grocery shopping as often.
Dying of starvation in my own house would be a really stupid war to lose the war.
...I’m probably being paranoid, but there’s no harm in it.

The sun has begun to rise on the way back.
Becase of that, Remilia stays in spirit form as we walk back, leaving me to carry all the shopping.
...Although, I’d probably have to carry it all even if she weren’t in spirit form.

“—Gabriel. I sense a Servant nearby.”
Remilia’s sudden words are said tersely, instead of in her usual playful tone.
It is this, rather than the words themselves, that cause me to snap to attention.

—Damn.
I can’t sense any Masters.
Well, with my mediocre level of magic, I didn’t really expect to anyway.
I can only hope that the enemy Master can’t sense us either.
Either way, I should hurry back.
Remilia would be at a huge disadvantage, if we were to fight in broad daylight.

“...Berserker.”
I hear Remilia speak softly, as if to herself.
I want to ask her more, but my breath is better spent quickly walking back.
Anything else can wait until I’m back to safety—

…
Thankfully, I arrive at the house without incident.
Remilia materializes once she enters the shade.
I look to her, and open my mouth.
—But before I can say anything, she shakes her head.

...Well, that’s a relief.
With any luck, Berserker and his Master didn’t sense us at all.
Anyway, Berserker being summoned still leaves five slots open.
Until then, the war won’t start, so I should have at least one more day to prepare.
As will Remi—no, Lancer.

—I have to remember not to call Remilia— Lancer— by her name.
Once a Servant’s name is known, so are their weaknesses.
And for the more renowned heroic sprits, so is every detail of their Noble Phantasms—
No, this is something I cannot afford to risk.

Anyway, I have a whole day ahead.
I should do something during this time...

[ ] Custom

———

Regarding bad ends, I’m thinking of doing something for them, but I’m still undecided as to what. Any suggestions? A Tiger Dojo-esque short is one possibility.

[x] Have some breakfast, regular eating is a must if Remilia is going to drink from you every so often.

I figure this is a decent start.

[x] Is there any lingering wooziness from the bloodsucking?
[x] Prepare single-use casting items. Or multi-use items, if you do that.

By single-use casting items I mean stuff like those gems Rin had with spells in them.
As for bad ends, I say go with Hakutaku Dojo.

[x] Have some breakfast, regular eating is a must if Remilia is going to drink from you every so often.
[x] Discuss capabilities and tactics. Tell Lancer what you can do, and vice versa.

I'm worried about Berserker. Nearly all the Touhou characters who really go berserk are frighteningly powerful. There's a chance that this Berserker might not be worf effected (poor BerserCar) but actually be a major enemy. Oh, and it's likely that the other Master isn't keeping Madness Enhancement on, so this Berserker could actually do more than spam attack.

Tiger Dojo sounds fine. Perhaps Yukari could play a role, with Ran or Reimu as the straight man?

>>40003
I agree about Hakutaku Dojo, but with Akyuu as the assistant.

[x] Have some breakfast, regular eating is a must if Remilia is going to drink from you every so often.
-[x] Discuss capabilities and tactics. Tell Lancer what you can do, and vice versa.

In regards to the possible dojo bit, I'd like to be surprised.

[x] Have some breakfast, regular eating is a must if Lancer is going to drink from you every so often.
-[x] Is there any lingering wooziness from the bloodsucking?
[x] Discuss capabilities and tactics. Tell Lancer what you can do, and vice versa.

>>40004
I thought Madness Enhancement wasn't optional?

Anyway, Hakutaku Dojo with Akyuu assistant sounds good to me. But the characters are just a preference, I'm fine with whatever works.

>>40019
It's a summoner-activated ability. Related quote: "Ilya triggered his Mad Enhancement shortly after his summoning and always kept it active to spite him for the pain it was causing her." She also kept it active to stop Herserker disobeying her. In any case, it doesn't need to be activated constantly, but it's the only ability the Berserker class has (Sabers have Magic Resistance and the best stats, Riders have superNPs, Archers have Independent Action, Assassins have Presence Concealment, Casters have Territory Creation), so without it, they’d be depriving themselves of their only advantage.

In any case, the main reason I'm worried about 'serker more than any other class else it that most of the people from Gensokyo who qualify are already in the top melee tier (Flan, Oni, Yuuka). While this makes the stat bonuses a bit redundant (almost like making Hercules as Berser-ohwait), THAT means the Master, provided (s)he’s more sane than Ilya, mightn't feel the need to activate them constantly, leaving us up against a (comparatively) sane Flan/Yuuka (both of whom probably already have Remi trumped, stat-wise) who can still use abilities. A bit less of a big deal with Yuuka (‘only’ self-cloning and sparking, and perhaps a Mugenkan Reality Marble, given she’s as much about flowers as Shirou is about swords) or the Onis (black holes, mist form, miniclones), but Flan has Four-of-a-Kind and the whole ‘eye’ business, and even if Magic Resistance does provide protection against that, the Masters all lack that. It would be a funny War where Berserker makes the best Master-sniper.

Of course, the idea of Sakuya as an Assassin is almost a scary (Presence Concealment+Time Stop+Spatial Manipulation=Broken), but she’s only one possibility for that class, whereas most of the possibilities for Berserker are scary. Hoping, for Gabriel's sake, for a nameless Oni mook, but I have a feeling that Kirandra wouldn't feel that'd make a good story.

>>40021
I think it's gonna be Yuugi in some sort of drunken rage. She has the focus on pure power that pairs well with Berserker.

Flandre would be best. You don't want to kill your sister, Remilia? Too bad, eat Command Seal.

>>40024
Berserker isn't always about power, see Zero Berserker who could basically take any weapon and use it as if he's known it all its life, including JETS and MACHINE GUNS.

>>40027
To be accurate, most Berserkers ARE power over skill. Lancelot was the broken exception, as he had a passive NP that turned anything that could be used as a weapon into a low powered NP, with instant Mastery of the weapon. As far as it normally works, the more powerful the Mad Enhancement the more mental ability is lost. At A ranked Mad Enhancement, Berserker loses all mental functions, but gains a major stat boost to everything, while at C the Servant gains a boost to all but Mana and Luck, but loses the ability to communicate. It really depends on the Servant, given that Nasu makes characters that break the 'rules' of FSN all the time.

>>40028
Zero Berserker had a skill that preserves his skill no matter what.

Remilia is actually a pretty good Lancer, at night. As a member of one of the Knight classes, and the first known to be summoned, she has a good shot at winning against average opponents, even disregarding whatever her NPs are; though in keeping with the class lore, Lancer is best used to gauge other Servant's abilities, before committing to a pitched battle. Obviously, it's Gabe that is the weak link here, so we should try to use Remilia aggressively, but at a distance.

Basic parameters of Berserker class are pretty low: Strength C, Endurance D, Agility D, Mana E, and Luck E. The Grail War has degenerated to the case where the three main lines have none of their own magi to enter, so we should be expecting 'average' servants like our own. As mentioned, 'Mad Enhancement' is an activated ability that requires a large amount of prana, so we might do well to try to eliminate Berserker early before its Master is capable of acquiring and storing mass amounts of prana. With Lancer's Agility, we might harry Berserker at night time and force its Master to repeatedly expend power striking at a target capable of dodging its strikes, and then flee, assuming Remilia is not burdened by Gabe's presence.

Remilia's very high Independent Action and Agility make her perfect for testing out the power of other Servants. Lack of Presence Concealment isn't a liability if we keep her distant from us. Since Gabe is a poor magi without much established power, he should be hard to detect if he stays home. At night, Remilia would be a beacon to keep dangerous Masters and Servants away from Gabe. Since Remilia has good Luck, Agility, but ranks down during the day time, she should be relatively difficult to find when she's weakest; her Charisma means she can charm her way through human social situations. Good Magic Resistance makes her effective against Masters as well.

Giving her Gabe's blood prevented a possible trail of victims from showing up locally, and as a mediocre mage, he gains no advantage from running around town, so even if he ends up bed-bound, it's not really much of a loss. Remilia is capable of staying active for days on end with a good blood supply. However, it's made me suspicious as to whether Gabe is or isn't falling into Remilia's control as a thrall or even a Dead Apostle himself, which might reverse their authority, which she is liable to take advantage of given her alignment. In any case I think it's best to keep Remilia fed and entertained so that it won't become an issue. Depending on the danger Gabe comes into personally, it may actually turn out advantageous.

Foremost in my mind is getting the details on Remilia's Noble Phantasms.

[⚜] Have some breakfast, regular eating is a must if Lancer is going to drink from you every so often.
-[⚜] Ask Lancer to tell you what her Noble Phantasms are. Threaten to use a Command Seal if she refuses you.
[⚜] Have Lancer search for a favored hotel with a nice view of the city.
-[⚜] She will use her Charisma to book the penthouse suite in the name of 'Mr. & Mrs. Reddington' for the next two weeks.
-[⚜] The story is that she is on honeymoon, though 'Mr. Reddington' will be arriving later with the luggage.
-[⚜] She is staying there during the day, free to max-out your credit cards, so long as she keeps her wings concealed and doesn't eat the bellhop.
[⚜] You have some things you can do yourself.
-[⚜] Start stockpiling your own blood by refrigerating it in vials to obviate the problem of direct feeding.
-[⚜] Set up rudimentary wards around the windows and doors. Rituals supplant the need for prana.
-[⚜] Seek out Byakuren to determine the activity of the other Masters or any anomalies. You need to know (hypothetically) if a Dead Apostle in the Grail War would necessarily involve the Burial Agency.
[⚜] Arrange a table for two at an expensive restaurant at 7:00 PM. You and Lancer will meet there and discuss your plans for the coming night.

Given Lancer Remilia is decidedly a 'lone wolf' type servant, you should consider using a perspective switch where necessary. Can't wait to meet Byakuren Kirei, though.

>>40057
You are credit to team, Plananon. Your plan does assume that we aren't school aged and can deal with a maxed out credit card, but I'm pretty sure most mages in the war are adults, and seeing as was can do magic, we can almost certainly find some way to pay it off once the war's over. I've just got two suggestions, though. We might want to get her a cell phone if Servanthood doesn't come with telepathic communication. Also, it might cause a little suspicion if Mrs. Reddington uses a credit card with the name Gabriel Kanbaku on it. Not to mention such would be a link back to us.

Also, this is just a matter of taste, but I changed the fake name to Amarante, which according to the internet is French for a "dark purple-red".

[x] Have some breakfast, regular eating is a must if Lancer is going to drink from you every so often.
-[x] Ask Lancer to tell you what her Noble Phantasms are. Offer to use a Command Seal if she refuses you.
[x] Go with Lancer to open a new account in the name of Mrs. Charlotte Amarante.
[x] Have Lancer search for a favored hotel with a nice view of the city.
-[x] She will use her Charisma to book the penthouse suite in the name of 'Mr. & Mrs. Amarante' for the next two weeks.
-[x] The story is that she is on honeymoon, though 'Mr. Amarante' will be arriving later with the luggage.
-[x] She is staying there during the day, free to max-out your credit cards, so long as she keeps her wings concealed and doesn't eat the bellhop.
[x] You have some things you can do yourself.
-[x] Start stockpiling your own blood by refrigerating it in vials to obviate the problem of direct feeding.
-[x] Set up rudimentary wards around the windows and doors. Rituals supplant the need for prana.
-[x] Buy a cell phone for Lancer if you can't speak with her telepathically.
-[x] Seek out Byakuren to determine the activity of the other Masters or any anomalies. You need to know (hypothetically) if a Dead Apostle in the Grail War would necessarily involve the Burial Agency.
[x] Arrange a table for two at an expensive restaurant at 7:00 PM. You and Lancer will meet there and discuss your plans for the coming night.

Hopefully this isn't too big a vote for you, Kirandra. If it's any consolation, big votes are how we show our love.

Do we or Remilia have a parasol? Or failing that, a spell that can block out the sun?

It's not that easy to fight while holding a parasol, and a spell to block out the sun would draw plenty of attention, but it could save our skin if we end up having to fight during the day.

Also, I'm not sure if Remilia can hide her wings, since they're "large enough to block most of the doorway". Hopefully she can make them go away or at least make them small enough to hide in her clothing, since in addition to being hard to explain to hotel staff, they're a pretty big hint to her vampiric nature.

That said, she can still move around in spirit form, right? We can just have her haunt someplace reasonably far from us in the daytime. Though not too far, just in case one of us gets into trouble.

[X] Have some breakfast, regular eating is a must if Remilia is going to drink from you every so often.
[X] Discuss capabilities and tactics. Tell Lancer what you can do, and vice versa.

...But first, I need to eat.
Remilia’s drink last night— morning?— left me feeling dizzy, and although I’ve slept a little, I still feel weak.
I don’t know when she will want to drink from me again, so I’d best keep myself healthy.
After all, I don’t want to faint during a critical battle or anything.
For that matter, I’d better collect a little blood and leave it in the fridge, in case she needs it and I’m unavailable.

—The phrase ‘Dead Apostle’ suddenly enters my head.
If I remember correctly, it’s what happens to humans who are injected with the blood of vampires.
...I don’t think Remilia gave me any of her blood, but I make a mental note to ask Byakuren about it sometime anyway.

For now, I’ll just make breakfast.
I enter the kitchen and head to the fridge.
The groceries I bought earlier have already been placed in it.
I hesitate for a while, then decide to make myself a simple breakfast of eggs and bacon.

I busy myself frying the eggs, while leaving a cup of tea to steep for Remilia.
Once the eggs are done, I start on the bacon.
I’ve made an extra portion for Remilia, and even if she doesn’t want to eat it, I can always use the extra nutrition.
Anyway, it’s not long before breakfast is done.
I bring it out and set it down at the table, where Remilia is waiting.

Breakfast is a quiet affair.
Remilia sips at her tea without comment, although she only picks slightly at the food.
She seems troubled, probably from the near encounter with Berserker.
I eat my own breakfast in silence, my thoughts similarly occupied by said encounter.
...If nothing else, it reminds me that the war will start soon.
I need to form a strategy, and that means talking with Remilia.
I need to know all I can about her abilities, and she mine.

“...”
After I’m done with breakfast, I clear the table in silence.
I need to talk with her, but I’m not sure how to break this awkward silence.
...Well, it’s not really awkward, but it’s still not the kind of silence I’d want to disturb.

“—Hey. Gabriel.”
Thankfully, the problem is solved when Remilia calls to me first.

“Hm?”
I answer from the kitchen, where I am washing up.

“I was thinking... we need to plan. Strategize.”
Remilia’s thoughts match my own exactly.
I quickly finish the washing up, then make myself a cup of tea and return to the dining room.

“—So. We need to know each other’s skills before we can start working out a strategy.”
I speak as I sip at the tea, savouring its exotic taste.

Remilia does likewise, and we begin talking.

…
… …
It takes a while, but eventually I think I understand her skills, as well as her weaknesses.
Honestly, she doesn’t seem to have many weaknesses.
She has the usual aversion to fire and silver weapons, but then again, it’s not really a weakness if it’ll kill her regardless of whether she’s a vampire.
Her inability to cross flowing water is slightly more annoying, since she can’t go out on rainy days, but at least flying or walking over the river dividing the city is no problem.

She doesn’t have a way to hide her wings, so she’ll have to stay in spirit form around other people.
—That means my half-formed plan of hiding here and simply sending Remilia out won’t work.
I’ll have to go out myself, and possibly risk running into other Masters in the process.
Well, as long as Remilia accompanies me, it should be all right...

As for her skills, there’s not much I don’t already know.
According to her, vampires have high strength and high speed.
However, her main advantage lies in being able to transform into a great number of bats at once.
As long as just one of those bats escapes with its head intact, she can regenerate her entire body from it.
—Of course, doing so will cost her prana.

Other than that, I think I already know all her other skills.
I tried asking about her Noble Phantasm, but all she said was that it’s called Gungnir, and it’s a spear that will never miss.
Well, I guess that’s all I need to know for now.
She also seems to be hinting at other, more sinister blood-related abilities, but I don’t really think I’ll need those for now.
—Neither, for that matter, do I want to use them.

As for me, I don’t really have many skills to speak of.
Although I was trained as a magus, having being born of no bloodline means that I have few Magic Crests.
I can cast simple spells easily enough, but anything more powerful leaves me a little drained.
It goes without saying that A-ranked spells are out of my league, especially now that I have to supply prana to Remilia as well.

—Remilia looks a little disappointed when she hears this.
I guess she wanted a more powerful Master.
Well, it can’t be helped.
I may not be the strongest Master, but I’ll definitely win this war, together with her.

...Oh, I forgot.
The Tohsaka magus gave me two jewels when I agreed to fight for them.
According to her, each one should contain enough power to cast a single A-rank spell.
So in the end, I’m not completely useless as a magus after all—

“—It’s time for lunch.”
Remilia says this suddenly, breaking from the conversation to look meaningfully at me.

—I look up at the clock.
Our talk took the whole morning, and a little of the afternoon as well.
In any case, I should go and prepare lunch.
We can continue planning as we eat.

I enter the kitchen and open the fridge.
Remilia doesn’t look like she’ll appreciate Japanese food, so I decide to make a simple Western-style meal instead.
I find some pasta and put it in a pot to boil.
While it’s boiling, I prepare the sauce as well.
Once its done, I divide the pasta and spoon the sauce onto it, and leave it to cool slightly while cutting up vegetables for salad.

...There.
It’s a simple meal, but tasty.
I carry it out, and set the table for lunch.

—As I prepare to eat, a small bell hanging in the doorway tinkles.
I freeze.
The residence of any magus is surrounded by a boundary field to warn of intruders, and this house is no exception.
That the bell is ringing can only mean one thing.

—Someone broke in.

I turn to Remilia, who is already standing, her position that of one who is ready to pounce.
Similarly, I prepare to shoot Gandr at the enemy Master coming through the doorway, even though I doubt it can do much—

“—Yooooo! Kirisame Marisa, Master of Rider, is here!”

...What?
What kind of Master announces their presence like that?!
On top of that, I can hear her knocking— well, hammering— at the door.
Is she here to fight, or chat?!

I look at Remilia, and see that she too has been surprised.
Her mouth is slightly open, and her stance has relaxed slightly.
Still, when I move towards the door, she grabs my sleeve and walks ahead.

Remilia opens the door, and I see a girl with blonde hair standing outside.
She smiles cheerfully at me, a broom grasped in one hand.
I can’t see any Servant standing around her, although I’m unsure if that’s a good thing.

“—Why are you here?”
Remilia speaks guardedly, one hand still on the doorknob.

In response, the blonde girl just grins widely at me.
“Well, you’re a Master too, right? What about forming an alliance?
I’ve even left Rider at home, as a show of faith. So, what about it?”

—Whaa..."
What kind of Master breaks into an enemy’s house just to offer an alliance?!
Alone, at that?!
Is she suicidal, or something?

“...Give me one reason why I shouldn’t strike you down right now.”
Remilia’s voice is deadly serious, although she seems to have relaxed slightly.
I guess that means Rider really isn’t around.
For this Master to come alone, though, she must be either stupid, or really powerful.

...For now, I’ll act as if it’s the latter.
I motion to Remilia to stand back, and speak.
“Tell me, why should I ally myself with you?”

“...Well, you’re a rather poor magus, for one. Your wards were ridiculously easy to bypass.”
—Ouch.
Oblivious to my internal pain, she continues.
“For another, your Servant is useless in the day.”
—This time, it’s Remilia’s turn to narrow her eyes and glare.
“So basically, you don’t have much chance of surviving alone.”

Well, that’s a rather pessimistic way of putting it...
Still, I can’t deny that she has a point.
Kind of.
A little.

“—Hey, is that lunch I smell?”
Her attention, it seems, has shifted to the smell of pasta drifting out from my dining room.
Grinning, she tries to step into the house, only to be pushed back by Remilia.
“Come on, we can at least discuss this over lunch, right?”

“...”
Well, it would be easy enough to make another portion of lunch...
And since her Servant isn’t here, Remilia will be able to take her easily should she try anything funny.

—Still, I’m slightly wary of allowing an enemy Master into my house.

[ ] Let her in for lunch
-About her offer...
--[ ] Think about forming an alliance
--[ ] Don’t even consider it
-[ ] Anything else to talk about?
[ ] Turn her away
[ ] Custom

———

The huge votes were awesome to read. Sadly, it’s a bit impossible to fit it all in, not to mention some of it goes against what I’d already planned. Still, keep them coming!

[x] Let her in for lunch
-About her offer...
--[x] Think about forming an alliance

Marisa isn't a backstabbing type at all. If she wanted to attack us, it'd be hard to miss.

For people who don't know Fate, Berserkers are usually weak servants who almost manage to match up to other via Mad Enhacement, and also are a danger to their masters whom are bound to die because Berserkers require craploads of prana.

>>40057
>>40058
What the hell is the hotel for? Servants are supposed to follow their masters in spirit form at all times, for protection.

Also, we're a below average magus right? Any chance we can get a firearm?

Someone say something about cellphones, but it's most likely we don't even know what those are.

[x]Make some tea, mix up some blood unless you're still dizzy.
[x]Discuss tactics.
-[x]Check if Lancer can transform into many bats.
--[x]If yes, have her watch important locations, specially deserted places where magi are bound to fight.
-[x]Ask her to tell you about her Noble Phantasms, if she thinks it's wise.
--[x]Whether she tells you or not, think up a password she can use in the middle of battle to tell you to use a Command Seal to boost her noble phantasm, if necessary.
---[x]A command like: Anihile/destroy/kill your opponent in one attack, or simply put, WIN; obviously it would depend on her NP.

Man, you know it's Marisa so she's cool but she's a magus and we don't know what impact this has on her character... So is she gonna rob us or kill us? That's the question.

[x] Let her in for lunch
-[x] Think about forming an alliance.
--[x] What does she get out of this, if you're such a bad mage?
--[x] The most pressing question is what happens when you're the only two left.
--[x] Any alliance would have to come with help - at the very least, her own wards at your place. In addition to yours, just in case she flaws them deliberately.
-[x] How did she find you?

From a Touhou fan's viewpoint, Marisa probably won't betray us.

From Gabe's viewpoint, she could just as easily have blown off the roof to let in the sun just before a full-scale attack or bypassed the bell and stabbed us in our sleep. I think, I don't know how wards work or what kind of structure Gabe's living in. Not to mention she knows our location now, and will keep that knowledge if we make an enemy of her. It's pretty much either join her or kill her, and if she's the sort to go meet an enemy unprotected she's probably not prone to betrayal.

>all she said was that it’s called Gungnir, and it’s a spear that will never miss.
Isn't this nice, we have something like Gae Bulg, though probably not as good as it, but its useful.
[x] Let her in for lunch
-[x] Think about forming an alliance.
--[x] What does she get out of this, if you're such a bad mage?
--[x] The most pressing question is what happens when you're the only two left.
--[x] Any alliance would have to come with help - at the very least, her own wards at your place. In addition to yours, just in case she flaws them deliberately.
-[x] How did she find you?
-[x]Keep full alert, just in case.

>>40079
Type-Moon Gungnir is the closest weapon to Gae Bolg, but it isn't quite as good: lacks the heart-autohit (still autohits the target though, just not specified where) and internal-thorn-sprouting properites of Bolg. Basically, it's closer to the "Soaring Spear that Strikes with Death" than the the "Barbed Spear that Pierces with Death". Then again, if this is Remilia's Gungnir it might be totally different, or it could take properties from both Touhou and Nasu, like using fate manipulation rather than causality hax to hit.

[x]"Can I have a moment, please?"
-[x]Quietly check with Remilia to make sure she isn't feeling anything too odd here - a Caster could pass as a magus to human perceptions without too much trouble, and letting an enemy Servant into your house could be disastrous.

Assuming Remi isn't picking up any inhuman wavelengths from her,
[x] Let her in for lunch
-About her offer...
--[x] Think about forming an alliance... possibly.
---[x] "So, why exactly would you come to me? Could it be your Rider has issues with fighting at night?"
----[x]Regardless of Marisa's reaction to the question, give an 'a-ha' smirk. If you were on the money it'll be more likely to force an admission from her than the question itself, and if you were wrong it'll make you look less cunning than you really are.
--[x] Pay close attention if she offers to set wards - you want to be sure they won't be something she can use against you.

I strongly suspect she has a specific goal in allying with us, like making up for Komachi - the most likely Rider by far - being asleep all night.

[x] Get the thumbs up/thumbs down from Lancer on her threat level.
[x] Let her in for lunch.
-[x] Think about forming an alliance.
--[x] What does she get out of this, if you're such a bad mage?
---[x] Could it be her Rider has issues with fighting at night?
--[x] The most pressing question is what happens when you're the only two left.
--[x] Any alliance would have to come with help - at the very least, her own wards at your place. In addition to yours, just in case she flaws them deliberately.
-[x] How did she find you?

I assume we're going to have her install her wards separate from ours, and would at least be able to tell if they were set to bring down ours somehow.

>>40075
that's what the class was made for, but people decided "why not use strong servants and make them stronger?"

>>40080
Gungnir in the type moon verse is considered stronger than Gae Bolg as it's the older weapon of that type (weapons which strike true). So while it might not have Gae Bolg's instant kill or "nuke mode" (which is indeed stronger than anything Gungnir can do), its power as a normal weapon is stronger.

But as a general rule if a NP goes against its ancestor, it'll lose.

Rider's basic parameters and class properties aren't a particular problem. She doesn't have Presence Concealment, and immediately summoning her servant from cross town would require a Command Seal, in which case we'd have the advantage to use an extra Command Seal to reinforce our servant's abilities, which would make up for her daylight weakness.

Rider's Magic Resistance isn't a big deal when we're not a serious magus to begin with, and in case she's going to fight us herself, I think you guys are forgetting of our own servant's Rank C Magic Resistance. I sincerely doubt a modern magus has the capability to get off High Thaumaturgery faster than her A-rank agility can put a spear in her gut. Gungnir should be especially dangerous given Remilia's high Luck.

Riding could be trouble, if we were forced to hunt Rider and her master down. In that regard, Marisa seems to have presented us with an unprecedented opportunity. Even if we were gravely injured or killed in the scuffle, Remilia's Independent Action and blood-feeding to augment it makes its very unlikely Marisa could escape for long. No Rider yet has had Independent Action and the only other master we know of is that of Berserker, who could hardly afford a second servant, so killing Marisa would effectively put Rider out of the game for good. NPs could be an issue, but unlikely to be from across town. As to whether she would do this or not, based on her alignment is unlikely, but Marisa shouldn't know that.

Still, we can kill her before she leaves. Moreover, I think at least as much as we need to determine what we can benefit from Marisa, half of this is proving to Lancer that we're a magus who is capable of winning this War. We have shown her nothing of our own sense of ambition, intelligence, perceptibility, pride, power, charisma, or personal empathy. In short nothing that shows we're a good candidate for winning the grail war. So far, there's not much to stop her from betraying us, and then finding a better master, and after the dressing-down we just took, this should seem like as good an opportunity as any. I mean, Caster did it, and she didn't even have Independent Action.

>>40078
>From a Touhou fan's viewpoint, Marisa probably won't betray us.

Are you serious? Canon Marisa is a consummate liar and thief. Her disrespect and insults here could be called 'honesty' but bragging about her abilities compared to our own without mentioning how she could actually help us only sound like overtures toward our servant. Don't forget that this is a game where almost everyone must be betrayed in the end.

[x] "Just to be certain you a master and not some mind-controlled lackey, you won't mind showing me your Command Seals?"
[x] Let her in for lunch.
-[x] Tell Lancer to guard the door.
-[x] "It was polite of you to leave your servant behind. That way if I don't like what you have to offer, 'Lancer' can just kill you."
-[x] Reassure that the food isn't poisoned, even if she doesn't ask.
[x] She has you at something of an information advantage. For a deal to be made on equal footing requires equal disclosure.
-[x] First, ask what lead her to believe that Lancer was weak to the daylight.
-[x] Second, ask her why she would leave her 'Rider' away, even if you were a weak magus and your servant did have a vulnerability. Why would she feel comfortable fighting even a weakened servant she doesn't know the identity of? What if the ward were intentionally weak to attract the attention of a magus that were gullible, weak, or desperate enough to seek alliance?
-[x] Inquire whether her offer has anything to do with the recent activity of Berserker.
-[x] Obviously, Grail War can only have one winner, but multiple survivors are not unheard of, and there is the possibility of masters wishing for common goals. No matter if you have not made a decision yourself, what is Marisa's reason for staking her life on entering the Grail War? For skilled magi, power, fame, and fortune would come on their own anyway.
-[x] Ask whether she is acting at the behest of one of the three families? Is she from the Academy?
[x] Since the only two end results are her death and an alliance, for your part, do your best to answer her own questions, with a few exceptions:
-[x] Your servant's name.
-[x] Your servant's Noble Phantasm.

Having her show us her Command Seals confirms she's a Master, as they are rather difficult to acquire and transfer, and while it tells us nothing about the identity of her 'Rider', it tells us whether or not she's been forced to use any Seals thus far.

Telling her that our servant is Lancer, one that is very fast, generally stronger than Rider, and particularly adept at killing masters, is so that she doesn't gain any smart ideas about trying to kill us then fucking off real fast. Plus, I'd like for her to put her effort into her explanation; if she's just an overconfident but powerful idiot, she's bound to ruin us at an important future juncture regardless.

Still, the potential benefits are high or even necessary, especially if Berserker proves an exceptional servant. A more survivable magus that could act as a stronger public face, as well as set down much stronger magical wards than our own. Her privileged knowledge of our servant is intriguing. As always, the biggest worry to a weak master is Assassin, and if Marisa is around to take the heat off us and let us move more freely or maintain a strategically better position--like some compound with a long history with strong leylines to help sustain Remilia and the prana for her NP (e.g., the Ryuudouji temple).

So long as she doesn't somehow vanish in a cloud deus ex machina, there should be plenty of time to hammer out the details of the day and the deal once we have everything we need to know.

Gungnir: The Declaration of the Elder God. Can't wait to see stats.

Why do we want to win this war anyway?
It'd be nice to know our motives.

[x] "Just to be certain you a master and not some mind-controlled lackey/Caster, you won't mind showing me your Command Seals?"
[x] Let her in for lunch.
[x] Keep Lancer with you at all times, we only have her word that her servant is Rider,it could be Assassin or another which can hide their presence.
[x] She goes straight from the door to the dinner table, and stays their for the duration, any funny business and lancer goes for the kill.
[x] Any deal involves some degree of of her information and sources.
[x] We either deal, or she dies(don't tell her this.)
-[x] If it comes to this drain her blood afterwards and put it in the fride for later, she won't be needing it anymore.

A note for later, if Gungir always hits it's target, can she "target" a specific body part, or something she shouldn't be able to hit normally?
If the latter is possible it would give us crazy sneak attacks, the former would give us an effect similar to gae bolg, only with much more flexibility.

It would also be worth seeing what the maximum range is, if any. This could lead to some crazy assassination possibilities, say Lancer "targets" a master (or specifically their head) from across town with a telescope in one hand to lock on and the spear in the other. Combined with independent action we can use her like an archer if we wanted.

I am >>40078. If it's not too much trouble, could you please add the following to my vote?

[x] "Mind showing me your Command Seals?"
[x] She has no business being anywhere in your house except the path to the dinner table.
-[x] This, unfortunately, includes the bathroom. You might want to warn her that she'll have to leave if she wants to go. Or at least have Lancer go inside with her, but you doubt Lancer'd be willing.

>>40104
She may not be honest, but her style of combat is very blatant and if she's the type if she wanted to attack, she'd have done so.

As it stands now, the MC might have to check his books after she leaves.

That leaves the vote... rather varied...

Going with >>40078, but I'll try to mix in as much of the other votes as possible.

>>40190
>try to mix in as much of the other votes as possible
It's much appreciated.

Also:
Hooray!

[X] Let her in for lunch
-[X] Think about forming an alliance.
--[X] What does she get out of this, if you're such a bad mage?
--[X] The most pressing question is what happens when you're the only two left.
--[X] Any alliance would have to come with help - at the very least, her own wards at your place. In addition to yours, just in case she flaws them deliberately.
-[X] How did she find you?

...Well, just lunch should be fine.
But first there’s something I need to confirm.
“Would you mind showing me your Command Spells? I need to check that you’re really a Master.”

She grins and shifts her broom to her left hand before holding up her right.
On her hand shine 3 Command Spells.
“That should be alright, yeah? By the way, what’s your name?”

—Now that she mentions it, I didn’t quite catch hers earlier.
“Gabriel. Gabriel Kanbaku. And this is Lancer.”
I gesture to Remilia, who politely inclines her head.
“And you are...?”

“Kirisame Marisa, Master of Rider!”
Marisa grins widely at me as she says this.
I let her in, and lead her to the dining table.
Remilia is left to entertain her while I head back to the kitchen to prepare another serving of pasta.

—It’s not long before the pasta is done, and I carry it out to the dining room to find Marisa talking animatedly with Remilia.
...Or rather, I find Marisa talking animatedly at Remilia, who is politely nodding at intervals and trying her utmost to mantain a look of interest.
She shoots me a look of relief as I approach the table, and I have to suppress a grin as I set down the plate.

Lunch is a surprisingly boisterous affair.
Marisa seems quite intent on discussing magecraft with me, and although I try not to reveal too much about my own abilities, her skills are obviously on a completely different level from mine.
She wants to join the Association, but apparently they won’t let her because she doesn’t have a prominent bloodline.
...Well, that explains why I’ve never heard of her family before.

Naturally, the conversation turns quickly to Marisa’s proposal.
Honestly, it doesn’t seem like a bad idea.
Allying with Marisa gives me a way of defending myself in the day, and possibly a decoy if I need one.

“—Anyway.”
I set aside my pasta for the moment, and face Marisa squarely.
“I have several questions to ask before I decide on this alliance you propose.”

“Of course.”
Marisa continues gulping down her pasta while speaking, constantly shooting me glances over her plate.
“I have a few of my own for you too.
How about we take turns asking questions?
You can start, since I’m the one who wants to ally.”

Well... that seems fair.
“Firstly...”
I return to eating my pasta, while slowly framing the question in my mind.
“If I’m as bad a magus as you said earlier, then why would you want to ally?
In other words, what would you get out of this?”

Marisa gives me a appraising look, then breaks into a grin.
“Direct, aren’t you?
Well... let’s just say I’m interested in the Tohsaka.
I know you’re fighting for them, and I’ll have a favor to ask of you after we win the Grail War.
Well, basically, I’m not actually interested in the Grail. Just winning the war.”

That... doesn’t really answer my question.
I still don’t know what exactly she wants, but I guess it’ll have to do for now.
Still, this only opens up more questions of my own.
For example, how did she know I’m fighting on behalf of the Tohsaka?

—I don’t have much time to think on it, as Marisa launches straight into her question.
“Alright! My question is simple— what do you expect out of this alliance?”

—I’m thrown.
I didn’t expect her to ask something like this.
Something like Why did you enter the war? would have been easy to answer, but this...
Well, I have to come up with an answer on the spot.

[ ] Answer the question!

———

Short update, because writer’s block. No voting for further questions now since there’re still unasked ones. Updates will probably continue being short for the length of the questioning.

I (and by the looks of things, the rest of anon) cannot think of anything. As a character we have been given nothing no motivation and no in-story challenge or wishes beyond "win the grail war," and that was trusted upon us (in-story).

If noone else vote and you don't give us a goal retroactively I suggest taking this lack of motivation and running with it as a plot point, why ARE we in this war, was this all Byakuren's idea? Why are we being used like this?!

Just advice from someone who can see where this is going.

>>40205
I though hte question was "What do you expect out of the alliance?"

[x] If we make it? A useful ally.

Being of use to the other party is kinda what alliances are for.

[x] A quick and clean victory.
Let's try a no-nonsense approach. But this guy is as empty as Kotomine.

[x] "My answer is simple, a reliable ally"

Well, this seems OK, but since we don't even know anything besides "Go and win the grail war" and "Don't get yourself killed" (unless we want bonus hakutaku dojo or something) this is the only I can come up with.

[x] A reliable ally.

Easy.

[x] Mutual trust, no backstabbing bullshit.

[x] "A reliable ally. Which may evolve into a friend. Which might also include 'benefits'."

>...Or rather, I find Marisa talking animatedly at Remilia, who is politely nodding at intervals and trying her utmost to mantain a look of interest.
>She shoots me a look of relief as I approach the table, and I have to suppress a grin as I set down the plate.

This points against Lancer eloping with another master. Or at least just this one. Remilia's Independent Action makes her similar to Gilgamesh--it's possible for her to survive the Grail War and live on indefinitely. Hence, she has relatively less to gain from winning the Grail compared to the other servants, so I wouldn't expect any Machiavellian maneuvers from her side. This also, however, makes her less motivated. We have to do our best to keep her entertained.

>She wants to join the Association, but apparently they won’t let her because she doesn’t have a prominent bloodline.

She can always marry into one. I guess that's why she's interested in the Tohsaka family?

[x] "All other things being equal, I'd have one less magus who is my enemy after the Grail War ends. What use is winning here if it sparks a blood debt with powerful magi that spans generations?"

After winning the war comes winning the peace. Without a servant, we wouldn't have any kind of leverage against the surviving magi. This will show Remilia that we're far-sighted and capable of planning for the worst. It fits her high Independent Action, making taking the shortcut of killing us a relatively risky proposition, because then they'd possibly have to defeat Lancer anyway. A rational, informed opponent would choose to attack our servant directly, and not go through us first. Since we personally are not of one of the major bloodlines, they have little reason to fear an act of retribution on our part, and would be more likely to write us off as a threat.

We'd also want someone around in case the Tohsaka plan on backstabbing us once we get the Grail, and with a powerful magus like Marisa, they'd have a good shot at reviving their bloodline regardless of the War's outcome; i.e., even if we lose Lancer, Marisa makes a good door prize.

Man, and I liked this story too.

Oh well, I guess.

[X] “A reliable ally.”

I decide to go with the most obvious answer.
“—It’s an alliance, so I’d expect to gain an ally.
A reliable one, of course. Mutual trust included.
Besides, all other things being equal, I'd have one less magus who is my enemy after the Grail War ends.
What use is winning here if it sparks a blood debt with powerful magi that spans generations?"

Marisa looks at me wryly, then grins.
“Well, I actually was asking more about what you’d expect me to do and such.”

...Oh.
“In that case, I’d at least expect you to add your wards around this place.
You mentioned that they were weak, did you not?”

“Seems reasonable enough. I’ll do it after lunch.”
As if reminded of lunch, she goes back to gulping down pasta.

—Well, it’s my turn to ask a question.
In that case...
“Assuming we do form this alliance and survive, what happens when we’re the last two left?”

“Hm? Oh, like I said, you can have the Grail.
I won’t fight you for it. I’m not interested in it.”
Marisa doesn’t even seem to think about it before answering offhand.

...On one hand, this makes the alliance sound a lot more attractive.
On the other, it sounds—

“—too good to be true.”
Remilia seemingly finishes my thought, while staring suspiciously at Marisa.
“You would willing give up the Grail after fighting to the end for it?”

“Eh, I did say I’m more interested in winning the war than actually obtaining the Grail.
Put it this way— I want to be declared the victor, but you can have the Grail.
Is that better?”

—I don’t know, but I’m more inclined to agree with Remilia.
Even if Marisa really means what she says, there’s bound to be a catch hidden somewhere.
After all, this is the Holy Grail War.
Why would she participate, if not for the Grail..."

More importantly, she wants to be declared the victor.
Even if she intends to give up the Holy Grail, I don’t know if the church would allow such a thing...
There’s the Tohsaka, too.
They want the Grail, but would they want it under these circumstances..."

Anyway, I’ll just keep that in mind for now.
We haven’t finished questioning each other yet, so I might still learn something later.
There’s still time for me to ask her more, before I decide.
In any case, it’s her turn.

“Well...”
Marisa has finished her pasta, and sets her plate aside.
“Assuming we do ally, how far would you be willing to go to help me?”

[ ] Answer the question!

———
I’m not dead, just fighting off writer’s block. Sorry for another short update.

Oh, good.

I'd vote immediately, but it's 5 in the morning where I am and this is something you have to think about.

No problem about short update - it's better than no update and you did say meeting updates would be short.

[x] Watch your back, share information.

This is just a rough start, though I can't say too much more as we don't know about Marisa's servant.

[x] Watch your back, share information, assist in battle. Same as you'd expect from her.

I'll go with this.

[x] Watch backs, share information, assist in battle. Same as you'd expect from her.

So would she count being part of the winning team as victory? If not, there's no point.

[x] Watch backs, share information, assist in battle. Same as you'd expect from her.

[X] Watch your back, share information, assist in battle. Same as you'd expect from her.

—Well.
“I’d at least help you in battle.
Plus, I’ll share any information I get about enemy Masters freely with you.
Of course, I expect that you will do as much?”

“Of course, of course.”
Marisa waves my answers away.
“I mean, that’s only expected.
Would you, however, sacrifice a Command Spell to help me?”

A Command Spell...
“Only if it were absolutely necessary.
If either you or Rider were in mortal danger, perhaps.”
I answer firmly.

“Then I’ll do the same.
Anyway, your question?”
Marisa looks at me, waiting.

“—How did you find us?”
It’s something that’s I’ve been wondering ever since she showed up.
I haven’t participated in any battles yet, or even used any magic beyond the summoning, so how..."

“Eh? Oh, I’ve always been aware of the magi in this town.
There aren’t many, so it’s easy to keep track of who’s where.”
Marisa shoots me a grin as she says this.
“Then I sensed a summoning from this area, and with Lancer flying around last night...”

Remilia is listening intently at this.
Again, the attractiveness of this possible alliance increases.
After all, knowing the identities of our enemies this early in the game could give us a huge advantage.
If nothing else, it’ll temporarily remove the threat of an enemy Master who knows too much.
Besides, Marisa doesn’t seem like a bad person...

“—So? What about it?”
Marisa is still grinning at me.
Before I can answer, she continues.
“Well, I suppose you have more to ask me, but I’m out of questions for now, so go ahead.
Oh, but is there anything to drink?”

———

—A while later, I’ve cleared the dishes from lunch, and brought out a pot of tea and some of that strange French snack.
Marisa looks like she’s making herself comfortable here, munching on snacks and pouring herself tea.
Even Remilia seems to have relaxed, and is sipping tea with her eyes closed.

Anyway, there’re still things I want to ask Marisa about.
“—So, what led you to believe that Lancer is weak to daylight?
And for that matter, why would you feel comfortable leaving your Servant at home?”

“The wings make it obvious that she’s a vampire.”
Marisa gestures vaguely towards Remilia.
“And just because I came alone doesn’t mean I came unprepared.”
She answers through a mouthful of pastry, and I see her free hand slip into her pocket.
She’s probably carrying some kind of weapon in there.
Whatever it is, if she believes it can help her go toe-to-toe with a Servant, even a weakened one, it must be powerful.

“—In that case.”
Remilia seems to have thought of something, and suddenly interrupts.
“Could it be that you came because your Servant is weak at night?”

“Eh? I can see why you’d think that, but no.”
Remilia finishes the last mouthful of her pastry and washes it down with a gulp of tea.
“Well, if you’ve nothing else to ask, what about it?
Yes, or no?”

[ ] You can ask one last question, if you wish.
After that..
[ ] Form the alliance
[ ] Don’t form the alliance
[ ] Custom

———

Finally, the plot progresses!

>>40205
A plot point it shall become. But not now.

[x] You said you wanted victory. Does that count simply being on the winning team?
[x] Form the alliance if yes.
[x] Make sure she installs her wards separate from yours.

I still don't completely trust Marisa, but this seems like a good idea.

[x] You said you wanted victory. Does that count simply being on the winning team?
[x] Form the alliance if yes.

>Remilia Marisa finishes the last mouthful of her pastry and washes it down with a gulp of tea.
Whoops, fixed.

She could want to be recognized as the winner of the War probably so that she, a hedge wizard, will be officially acknowledged by the Mage Association.

The most troubling part is that she doesn't seem to care what our wish for the grail is.

[♰] "Why is being seen as the winner of this conflict so important that you'd risk your life for it? If you're as gifted and canny a magus as you seem, can't you take a more conventional path to fame?"
[♰] "If you're aware of all the magi in the local area, do you have an idea of who the other Masters may be? Berserker's, for example?"
[♰] She may be a powerful magus, but she could be trying to make up for a weak servant. You'll agree to a non-aggression pact until you can see Rider in action.
-[♰] Even if it's just a sparring match against Lancer (at night).

We shouldn't be seen as willing to blow a command seal on an unknown & unproven servant.

However, I have no problem with letting Marisa take all the credit publicly. Our orders were to secure the Grail for the Tohsaka. In fact, being seen as the 'winner' of the Grail War could be disadvantageous in that it's basically an invitation for other magi to kick your ass just so they can achieve a greater measure of fame.

Hopefully we'll see Byakuren soon.

[X] You said you wanted victory. Does that count simply being on the winning team?
[X] Form the alliance if yes.
[X] Make sure she installs her wards separate from yours.

Well...
It does sound extremely attractive.
Still, there’s one last thing I have to make sure of.
“—You said you wanted victory. Does that count simply being on the winning team?”

Marisa’s smile falters slightly.
“—Yes, and no. I said I wanted to be declared the victor.
The only victor.
...Well, I’ll accept winning as a team if it’s made clear that I was responsible for the victory.”

In other words, she wants the spotlight all to herself.
...I don’t know if I can agree to this.
On one hand, I was only told to win the Grail for the Tohsaka, which Marisa has already agreed to let me have.
So that’s not a problem.

On the other hand...
I don’t like the idea of letting her claim all the credit.
I don’t know why, but the idea of it just bothers me.

—Well, there’s no guarantee that we’ll win at all, though.
I can deal with this when the time comes— if it comes at all.
For now, it would probably be best to ally.

“Alright. I’ll ally with you.”

Marisa breaks into a grin, then gets up quickly from the table.
“Great! I’ll go get my things, then—”

“Wait. I have a final condition.”
Remilia interrupts suddenly.
She seems to have been thinking hard about something.
“Swear, by Gungnir, that you will not betray us.”

Gungnir..."
Isn’t that her Noble Phantasm?
Why would she say something like that?
I almost open my mouth to ask Remilia what she’s doing, but I manage to restrain myself in time.
No need to let Marisa know that she’s dangerously close to learning Lancer’s identity.

“—Gungnir, huh.”
Unfortunately, she seems to have reached that conclusion by herself.
However, she doesn’t comment on it, and just agrees cheerfully.
“I swear on Gungnir that I will not betray this alliance unless you betray me first.
I suppose that’s fine?”

Remilia nods, seemingly satsified.
She doesn’t say anything more, just goes back to drinking tea.
Well, it’s up to me to speak, then.
“I believe you were saying something...?”

“Ah, yes. Like I said, I’ll go get my things now.
I should be back in less than an hour, so until then!”

Without waiting for my response, Marisa waves at me and leaves.
I hear the front door opening, and her walking out.
Well, that’s that.
More importantly—

“—Oaths sworn on the tip of Gungnir are unbreakable.
I would rather let her have that knowledge than risk a betrayal in future.”

—Remilia has already anticipated my question, and answers it.
I turn to look at her.
She sighs, then drains the last of her tea, places down the cup and gets up from the dining table.

“Well, I’m going to sleep for a bit.
Wake me up at night.”
With that, she leaves the room.

I begin to clear the table.
Marisa said something about returning in an hour..."
In any case, it’s nearly three.
I should check on the wards first, and see if Marisa has installed hers like she said she would yet.

After that, though, there’s still time to burn until she returns.
I don’t think I can make it to the church and back by four, but I can probably do a quick round of shopping for anything I might need.
Or I could just do something while waiting here, but what?

[ ] Custom

———

Marisa route open! Don’t worry though, you’re not locked into any routes yet.

Wait, Lancer went to sleep.

[x] Check wards.
[x] Remember to ask Lancer:
-[x]Can Lancer turn only part of her body into bats? If so, leaving one at home, and one with you might be a good idea, since she can only truly be defeated if every bat is eradicated.
-[x] Ask Lancer who judges an oath sworn on Gungnir to be broken.
[x] Buy some sunscreen, and a parasol/umbrella if Lancer doesn't have one already.

That oath is only slightly better than nothing if it's up to the oathee. Betrayal could easily be rationalized to be something as simple as not wearing the team colors. It's a different matter if the oathee has to honestly believe, deep down, that the oath wasn't broken, though.

Also, it's only a matter of time before Lancer gets caught out in the daytime, and only a slightly longer matter of time before her umbrella gets cut in half. Best to be prepared for that.

There is probably more useful stuff we can also buy, I just can't think of anything.

[x] Check wards.
[x] Remember to ask Lancer:
-[x]Can Lancer turn only part of her body into bats? If so, leaving one at home, and one with you might be a good idea, since she can only truly be defeated if every bat is eradicated.
-[x] Ask Lancer who judges an oath sworn on Gungnir to be broken.
[x] Buy some sunscreen, and a parasol/umbrella if Lancer doesn't have one already.

I'd say we should buy a gun, but this is Japan and they have really restrictive gun laws.

>“—Oaths sworn on the tip of Gungnir are unbreakable.
>I would rather let her have that knowledge than risk a betrayal in future.”

I guess now is the time to extrapolate other things about Gungnir from legend.

Gungnir will strike any target, no matter the skill or strength of the the user according to the Eddas. This means it's unlikely to have much downgrade at ranged use even in the daytime. Even we could conceivable hurl Gungnir and hit our target, though that might take more prana than we have.

It's inscribed with 17 (18 according to TM lore) magic runes which he activated by stabbing himself with it through to Yggdrasil according to the Havamal. Went out to procure foodstuffs and supplies in preparation for meeting the mediator tonight. Tell Lancer I'll be back before nightfall, and if an emergency comes up, I'll use a command seal.
[x] Shopping!
-[x] Electronics: Four pre-paid, disposable cellphones. One for you, Marisa, Lancer, and (possibly) Rider. Enter each of the other 3 numbers into the phones' memory with the names 'ML', 'MR', 'L', and 'R', respectively.
-[x] Medical supply store. You'll need glass vials with stoppers to build up a reasonable back-up of your own blood.
-[x] Department/sporting goods store. You need luggage in case you & your ally need to bug-out in a hurry--e.g., two gym bags or backpacks. Mountain bear mace. Maximum SPF sunblock.
-[x] Grocery. Three days supply of bottled water and meal replacement bars for two people. Along with enough groceries to feed a family of four. Finally, if there are any cookbooks or magazines on French cuisine.

Shouldn't have too much trouble carrying all this considering you can carry a lot of it in the luggage. Servants are automatically familiar with standard technology of the era, so I'm thinking we should be at least as resourceful as the average drug dealer.

If we're going to approach this like some ghetto Kitsurugu, much more shopping will have to be done. A fertilizer bomb is the simplest, most destructive tool I can think of. Sitting at home with a pretty face is not conducive to winning the War.

To be saved for later:
>Ask Byakuren against Dead Apostles?
>Ask Byakuren the results of the last Grail War (winner and survivors)?
>Ask Byakuren about the activity of the other masters?
>Who is Rider?
>The range on Lancer's Gungnir?
>Marisa's address (although yours is probably at lower risk)?
>Other mages known by Marisa to be active in the area?
>What Lancer's wish for the Grail is?
>How many bats can Lancer regenerate from?

>>42736
Don't Master and Servant get telepathy or something, though?

>>42739

Yeah, but we don't with Marisa, Marisa doesn't with Lancer, Lancer doesn't with Rider, and Rider doesn't with us.

>Leave a note on the door: Went out to procure foodstuffs and supplies in preparation for meeting the mediator tonight. Tell Lancer I'll be back before nightfall, and if an emergency comes up, I'll use a command seal.

>Leaving a publicly visible notice that we're a Master, and one that also calls out our Servant's Class

Dude, no. This is a sure way to make ourselves the center of an enemy's attention even more rapidly than we drew Marisa's. Being a noted weak magus, we don't want that in the slightest.

[x] Check wards.
[x] Remember to ask Lancer:
-[x]Can Lancer turn only part of her body into bats? If so, leaving one at home, and one with you might be a good idea, since she can only truly be defeated if every bat is eradicated.
-[x] Ask Lancer what determines an oath sworn on Gungnir to be broken. Specifically, what kind of weaselry would enable our good friend Marisa to slip out of it?
[x] Shopping!
-[x] Medical supply store. You'll need glass vials with stoppers to build up a reasonable back-up of your own blood.
-[x] Department/sporting goods store. You need luggage in case you & your ally need to bug-out in a hurry--e.g., two gym bags or backpacks. Mountain bear mace. Maximum SPF sunblock.
-[x] Grocery. Three days supply of bottled water and meal replacement bars for two people. Along with enough groceries to feed a family of four. Finally, if there are any, cookbooks or magazines on French cuisine.

-[x] Electronics: Four pre-paid, disposable cellphones. One for you, Marisa, Lancer, and (possibly) Rider. Enter each of the other 3 numbers into the phones' memory.
-[x] Electronics: Four pre-paid, disposable cellphones. One for you, Marisa, Lancer, and (possibly) Rider. Enter each of the other 3 numbers into the phones' memory with the names 'MC', 'MD', 'C', and 'D', respectively.

By using the third-to-last letter of the Servants' classes instead of the first, we make things slightly less obvious to any enemies who may acquire the phones and flip through the address book.

[x] Check wards.
[x] Remember to ask Lancer:
-[x]Can Lancer turn only part of her body into bats? If so, leaving one at home, and one with you might be a good idea, since she can only truly be defeated if every bat is eradicated.
-[x] Ask Lancer what determines an oath sworn on Gungnir to be broken. Specifically, what kind of weaselry would enable our good friend Marisa to slip out of it?
[x] Shopping!
-[x] Medical supply store. You'll need glass vials with stoppers to build up a reasonable back-up of your own blood.
-[x] Department/sporting goods store. You need luggage in case you & your ally need to bug-out in a hurry--e.g., two gym bags or backpacks. Mountain bear mace. Maximum SPF sunblock.
-[x] Grocery. Three days supply of bottled water and meal replacement bars for two people. Along with enough groceries to feed a family of four. Finally, if there are any, cookbooks or magazines on French cuisine.

-[x] Electronics: Four pre-paid, disposable cellphones. One for you, Marisa, Lancer, and (possibly) Rider. Enter each of the other 3 numbers into the phones' memory.
-[x] Electronics: Four pre-paid, disposable cellphones. One for you, Marisa, Lancer, and (possibly) Rider. Enter each of the other 3 numbers into the phones' memory with the names 'MC', 'MD', 'C', and 'D', respectively.

First:
>using "MC" for Gabe's number
Oh you.

Second:
Most magi generally aren't too technologically-oriented, though. I know Gabe is pretty weak, magically, but still. Hell, that's part of why Kiritsugu was so deadly-- he used any and all means available to him and saw no problem with using modern technology to give himself an edge when no other magus would dream of doing so.

>Mages looking down on technology

We're far enough into The Future (TM) that the three families of the Grail War are out of their own contestants. People might have wised up a little since Kiritsugu's day... and all it takes is one with a brain to crack open what little informational security we have.

>"MC"

I honestly didn't think of that until after you pointed it out.

>>42865
>Dude, no. This is a sure way to make ourselves the center of an enemy's attention even more rapidly than we drew Marisa's. Being a noted weak magus, we don't want that in the slightest.

On second thought, you're right, I rescind the suggestion. If someone were spying on us that we can't detect (i.e., Assassin), it would reveal that we're going out alone, and hence any confrontation, however brief or uneventful will result in the loss of a seal for recalling Remilia. Any enemy who plans to win by attrition (e.g., a Caster class) would take this opportunity. Moreover, the note confirms an alliance was made and that our servant is indeed a Lancer class.

However, you could get the same effect by leaving something saying you went out shopping on a table, where wards are in place. Knowing Marisa, she'd bust on in anyway, note or no note.

[X] Check wards.
[X] Remember to ask Lancer:
-[X]Can Lancer turn only part of her body into bats? If so, leaving one at home, and one with you might be a good idea, since she can only truly be defeated if every bat is eradicated.
-[X] Ask Lancer what determines an oath sworn on Gungnir to be broken. Specifically, what kind of weaselry would enable our good friend Marisa to slip out of it?
[X] Shopping!
-[X] Medical supply store. You'll need glass vials with stoppers to build up a reasonable back-up of your own blood.
-[X] Department/sporting goods store. You need luggage in case you & your ally need to bug-out in a hurry--e.g., two gym bags or backpacks. Mountain bear mace. Maximum SPF sunblock.
-[X] Grocery. Three days supply of bottled water and meal replacement bars for two people. Along with enough groceries to feed a family of four. Finally, if there are any, cookbooks or magazines on French cuisine.
-[X] Electronics: Four pre-paid, disposable cellphones. One for you, Marisa, Lancer, and (possibly) Rider. Enter each of the other 3 numbers into the phones' memory with the names 'MC', 'MD', 'C', and 'D', respectively.

—Anyway, I should check on my wards.
After that...
Well, I went shopping earlier this morning, but it was only for tea and snacks.
There are still several things I need to buy, if I intend to fight this war seriously.
Now would probably be a good time.

“...”
The wards around the house seem undisturbed.
Marisa doesn’t seem to have added her wards yet.
Well, I’ll remember to ask her about it later.
For now, I’ll go shopping.

I write a short note and leave it on a small table beside the door, in case Marisa returns before me.
“Went out to procure foodstuffs and supplies in preparation for meeting the mediator tonight. Tell Lancer I'll be back before nightfall, and if an emergency comes up, I'll use a command seal.”
That settled, I leave for the shopping district.

—First, groceries.
Well, this much should be enough to feed us for several days, even if Marisa keeps coming over.
I also buy a box of bottled water and meal replacement bars, in case we need to run.
On the way to the cashier, a French cookbook catches my eye, so I buy that too.
The recipes in it look simple enough, but at the same time tasty.

I’ll also need proper supplies for fighting this war.
Remilia will need a way of going out into the sun, and I don’t think she has her own umbrella.
Well, even if she does, a backup is always useful.
As for myself, I’ll need some form of defense.
The sports shop should sell pepper spray.
It won’t do much against Servants, but it might be of use against Masters.

—That in mind, I step into a sporting store.
Aside from an umbrella, I also get two large gym bags, and sunblock of the highest SPF I can find.
The shop also sells bear-grade pepper spray, which I get.

Next I go to a second-hand phone shop, and get 4 of the cheapest phones.
I load them all with prepaid cards, and enter the number of the other 3 phones into each phone.
I then assign each of them names— “MC” for myself, “C” for Remilia, “MD” for Marisa and “D” for Rider.

As an afterthought, I stop by a pharmacy on the way back to pick up several stoppered glass vials.
It won’t hurt to have a backup of blood for Remilia’s consumption.

—Ugh, all this costs quite a bit.
Well, it’s not like I can’t afford it, but I’m just unused to spending so much money at once.

I check the time just before heading back.
It’s already slightly past 4, so Marisa should be there already.
Walking back takes me a little longer than it did walking there as I am laden with plastic bags.
Maybe I’m just paranoid, but I can’t shake the feeling that someone— or something— is watching me.
I look around, but I can’t see anyone it might be.
Still, I’d better keep my guard up in case it’s an enemy.

—Eventually, I reach home untouched.
The first thing I notice when entering is that the wards have changed.
It’s hard to describe, but it feels more powerful, and slightly threatening.
I can’t really tell what exactly Marisa has done, but she’s definitely strengthened the boundary field over the house, at least.
It’s on a completely different level from mine.
Well, I can pass through it with no problems though.

I enter the house.
There are two extra pairs of shoes already there, which means that Marisa and Rider have already arrived.
A pink-haired girl walks out, and on seeing me, shouts something towards the rooms.
“Marisa, I think he’s back!”

—This must be Rider.
Her pink hair falls towards her shoulders, although most of it is tied up in two Chinese-style buns.
She’s wearing some sort of brown flap of cloth over a white blouse and green skirt.
What catches my eye, though, is the large rose below her collar and the bandages covering her right arm.
She smiles at me, and speaks.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Rider.
Do you need help with that?”

“Um, nice to meet you too.
Could you help me carry this to the kitchen...?”
I hand her the bags of groceries, with quick instructions on where to put what, and bring the rest to my room—

“—What.”
Marisa is there, along with several large boxes and a broom.
That’s not the problem, though.
The problem is that she’s set up a gas stove in one corner of the room and is stirring a rather large pot on it.
One of my pots, at that.
She looks up as I enter, and grin.

“Oh, you’re back. I think—”

“—What is that?”
I interrupt her, walking up to the pot and pointing at it.
Colored smoke is rising slightly from it, and when I lean in, a sickly sweet smell assaults my nostrils.
Coughing, I move away slightly.

“A simple healing potion. If I boil it overnight, it should be ready by tomorrow.
I think I made enough for about two doses per person?”
Marisa peers into the pot, then turns to face me.
“By the way, I’m here because Lancer kicked me out of her room.”
She gestures vaguely in the direction of the guest room, and I sigh.

...I’ll sort this mess out in a bit.
For now, I begin to pack the supplies I bought into the two gym bags.
If it comes to it, all I’ll have to do is grab one and run.
The meal replacement bars and water should last about three days, I think.

Marisa goes back to stirring her potion while I consider the other supplies.
The pepper spray... I tuck that into my pocket.
I’ll probably keep it on me constantly.
I should distribute the cellphones, and pass the sunblock to Remilia.

As for the vials...
I grimace.
The thought of cutting myself doesn’t appeal to me in the least.
Still, I’ll have to get it over with eventually.

—Anyway, there’s still a little while until dinner.

[ ] Talk to Rider. She seems nice enough.
-[ ] What about?
[ ] ...Do something about the state of your room, and Marisa being in it.
-[ ] She’ll need someplace else to set her things up though...
[ ] A strategy meeting would be good... but Remilia’s asleep.
[ ] Custom

———

>>42739
Nope. Not so much telepathy as a general sense of each other’s presence.

[x] The potion thing is fine as long as it isn't likely to cause a fire and the smoke doesn't build up.
[x] Mention to Marisa you have a hunch you're being observed. Is she able to make a false weak point in the wards to lure an intruder in?
[x] Talk with Marisa about magic.

Kasen as Rider? In retrospect, it makes so much sense I can't believe I didn't think of it before.

It seems we're being watched by an enemy. The wise thing to do would be to feign weakness and destroy them.

[x] The potion thing is fine where it is as long as it isn't likely to cause a fire and the smoke doesn't build up.
[x] Mention to Marisa you have a hunch you're being observed. Is she able to make a false weak point in the wards to lure an intruder in?
[x] Talk with Marisa about magic.

It occurs to me that our watcher has seen us buy sunscreen, an umbrella, and a book on French cuisine. Next time we go out, we should at least get some other national cookbooks to expand the place our servant comes from than France. Probably one at a time, a bunch at once would look odd. I'd also suggest getting a fireproof suit or a shock bracelet or whatever to obfuscate our weaknesses, but I have the feeling our resources aren't quite so vast as to make that worthwhile, especially since Marisa could tell Lancer was a vampire immediately after seeing her, and any stakeout worth its salt will get a glimpse of Lancer at some point when she's out at night.

Marisa might not like setting up traps, but it's the best way to defend against people that are trying to kill you when you're unprepared.

[x] The potion thing is fine where it is as long as it isn't likely to cause a fire and the smoke doesn't build up.
[x] Mention to Marisa you have a hunch you're being observed. Is she able to make a false weak point in the wards to lure an intruder in?
[x] Talk with Marisa about magic.

[X] The potion thing is fine where it is as long as it isn't likely to cause a fire and the smoke doesn't build up.
[X] Mention to Marisa you have a hunch you're being observed. Is she able to make a false weak point in the wards to lure an intruder in?
[X] Talk with Marisa about magic.
l
—First, Marisa and that potion she’s brewing.
Well, I guess it can stay, so long as it’s not a fire hazard or anything.
I’ll have to remember to open some windows to let the smoke out later, though.

I settle myself down on the floor, some distance away from the gas stove.
“Um, Marisa.”
I’m a bit unsure of how to approach the topic.
“Your wards... what exactly are they? I sensed them as I was coming back, but...”

“Hm?”
Marisa doesn’t look up from her stirring.
“Oh, I changed them a little.
Instead of just sensing an intruder and warning you, I made them attack any unauthorized mages entering.
It’s not a particularly strong attack, just a slight blast of energy.
Well, right now only the four of us are authorized.
Also, it’ll warn not only you, but all four of us.”

...Well, that’s certainly useful to have.
At the very least, it’ll stop someone barging in again like Marisa did.
Still, this could easily give away our location.
Although, any magi who try to enter would likely have found us already anyway...

—Ah, that reminds me.
That strange feeling of being watched I had on the way back—
Maybe it’s just paranoia, but better to be safe than sorry.
I should ask Marisa about trying to lure any watchers in.

“You look troubled. What’s up?”
I look up, startled, and see Marisa holding a cup of that potion.
The potion in the cup is no longer steaming, but it’s still a suspiciously bright pink.

“I felt like someone was watching me on the way back.
Well, if they’ve found this place, then...
Would it be possible to lure them in?
Perhaps by creating a weak point, or something like that...”
I muse aloud to myself, trying to recall the feeling I had then.

—It felt like I was being watched.
Not just being watched by any ordinary person, but by a magus of significant power.
Well, for me to have detected them, they would have to be quite powerful.
The more pressing question, though, is why they did not attack.
Were they just keeping an eye on us, and don’t plan to actively attack?
Or was there some reason— like Remilia being a vampire, in my case— that stops them attacking during the day?
Or maybe I’m really just paranoid...

“—I don’t remember there being any other magi in this area before.
Well, things could have changed since it’s the Grail War and all, but I’m sure I would have sensed any Master-level magi around.”
Marisa looks thoughtful, and is blowing lightly on the surface of the potion.
It seems to have cooled from shockingly pink to a pale red.

So... either it’s an extremely powerful Master who slipped under Marisa’s radar, or it’s one of the rare non-magi Masters.
Or it could just be an ordinary magi, but what reason would there be for them to watch me..."
Gah, I’m overthinking things—!

As for luring them in... well, it’s not a bad idea.
I mention it to Marisa, who is still doing... something to her potion.
“Well, I can do it, but... it’s suspicious if a boundary field has only one specific weak point.
So I’ll have to weaken it all around evenly, but won’t that defeat the purpose..."
Also, just making it look weak instead of actually weakening it would take a lot more magic, and possibly let any other magi around know we’re here...”

—I guess I’ll have to think about it a bit further.
Anyway, since Marisa’s here, there’re some things I want to ask her about.
For example, her magic.
It’s clear that she’s an extremely powerful magus, but I’m curious about how she learnt magic.
Everything points to her being self-taught, but for a self-taught magi to reach such levels of power...

I ask Marisa about this, and she shrugs.
“I mostly taught myself by studying magic textbooks.
Well, Reimu has plenty of those tucked away in her shrine, but since she’s the naturally talented type, she doesn’t really use them much.
So I just borrowed them for myself.
There used to be a ghost called Mima who haunted Reimu’s shrine and taught me a bit too, but I haven’t seen her in a while.”

Wow...
As expected, she really is good.
I’m sure I’ve said this before, but her magic is on a completely different level from mine—!
Anyway, we eventually end up discussing magic in general.

I say discussing, but in reality, it’s more like I’m telling her about magic theory and she’s giving me tips on how to use magic practically.
Because she’s self-taught, she mostly learnt by trial-and-error, which means she doesn’t really know much about magic theory and the like.
On the other hand, she’s definitely a lot more well-versed in actually using magic than a traditionally-trained magus like I am, especially in fights and whatnot.
Well... how should I put this?
Because she wasn’t trained normally, she doesn’t follow the usual code of honor that most Association magi hold up with pride.
Still, she seems to lean towards particularly flashy spells, particularly anything that involves explosions.

Well, that’s not to say she won’t do things like backstab people.
She’s just more likely to blow up their house than put poison in their tea, I guess..."
Seeing as we’re allied, I’m not sure if that’s a good thing...

Anyway, it’s almost dinner.

[ ] What do you do?

———

I think the quality of this is starting to go downhill very quickly. Oops...

>I think the quality of this is starting to go downhill very quickly. Oops...

I suspect you may have noticed how awkward it is to format your work in a style that apes VNs. Which isn't to say that I don't find it highly appropriate for the subject matter; it's just kind of awkward to look at when it's all there on one screen instead of needing to be advanced through a line at a time.

Anyways:
[x]Prepare a meal using whichever ingredients have the shortest shelf life.
[x]Verify whether or not your dwelling is being scryed, being as discreet in the process as possible.
-[x]If the apartment is informationally secure, discuss tactics.
-[x]If being scryed such that the enemy can detect your checking, refrain from tactical discussions.
-[x]If being scryed in a fashion which does not detect your check:
--[x]Inform Remilia and your allies in a fashion that the scrying will not pick up.
--[x]Carry out false, misleading tactical discussion.

[x]Prepare a meal using whichever ingredients have the shortest shelf life.
[x]Verify whether or not your dwelling is being scryed, being as discreet in the process as possible.
-[x]If the apartment is informationally secure, discuss tactics.
-[x]If being scryed such that the enemy can detect your checking, refrain from tactical discussions.
-[x]If being scryed in a fashion which does not detect your check:
--[x]Inform Remilia and your allies in a fashion that the scrying will not pick up.
--[x]Carry out false, misleading tactical discussion.
[x] Ask Remilia those questions you wanted to ask her unless dwelling is being scryed.
[x] Send Remilia out for the night, drain blood and go to sleep.

I still like the formatting. And I haven't really seen a drop in quality in this story. It's a bit boring for those not already following it since it's been talking for a while, but things always happen eventually.

[x]Prepare a meal using whichever ingredients have the shortest shelf life.
[x]Verify whether or not your dwelling is being scryed, being as discreet in the process as possible.
-[x]If the apartment is informationally secure, discuss tactics.
-[x]If being scryed such that the enemy can detect your checking, refrain from tactical discussions.
-[x]If being scryed in a fashion which does not detect your check:
--[x]Inform Remilia and your allies in a fashion that the scrying will not pick up.
--[x]Carry out false, misleading tactical discussion.
[x] Ask Remilia those questions you wanted to ask her unless dwelling is being scryed.
[x] Send Remilia out for the night, drain blood and go to sleep.