sweethymns | ғaтe/alт.dιѕтorтιon ii

[ It's a little endearing, all of this: the sibling back-and-forth. Cu isn't quiet as attentive to the quality of either of their voices as much as he's somewhat enamored by the playful bickering— it's strange, that this War has both sisters as participants.

(That had the potential to go very, very wrong. The saving grace is that this War is irregular, otherwise Cu might not have been so generous with either one of them. Something to think about on a rainy day.) ]

I look around and see it isn't so, oh no! ♫

[Lien takes Ai's hand pulling it up so she herself could twirl around. She almost nearly falls over, but Ai steadies her, shaking her head.]

"Some people want to fill the world with silly love songs... ♬"

[It's like a strange visual of their relationship as siblings. Both had their unbalances and at times would knock the other off balance, but in the end they grounded each other as sisters and as the one tangible connection they had in this world.]

Edited 2015-06-29 06:13 (UTC)

[Lien sweeps her arm towards the sky in a grand fashion as her other arm wraps around Ai's shoulder.]

"Love lifts us up where we belong!
Where eagles fly on a mountain high...!! ♬"

[Oh... What a terrible song her twin chose. There's a noticeable pause as Ai remains quiet. Her head turns as if wanting to glance at Diarmuid, but she stops herself, just opting to play along with Lien.]

... Love makes us act like we are fools...♬

[She sings this softly, almost like a whisper and she leans against her sister's shoulder.]

Throw our lives away,
For one happy day.

[ The song hits a little close to home... but of course, Diarmuid knows it's not meant to be a jab, or a hint, and so he watches with a slight smile. Family is important, he knows that much, and with how big Ai's heart is, he knows that even her exasperation is something to be fond about, with regard to Lien. ]

... How wonderful life is... Hm.

[Lien, as if comforting her sister, rubs her head again, and hums the rest by herself. The breeze is growing stronger and even her senses, dulled by alcohol, can tell that there's something amiss as they approach the harbor.]

... Ah. Someone's been waiting for us.

[There's a slender humanoid figure, standing in the distance. Its shape was human, but there was no discernible sex as it was dressed in ambiguous white robes, lined with gold. Their hair was dark as was their eyes, dark and empty as it watches the two Masters and their Servants silently.]

Mmmm. Doesn't seem hostile, right?

—Huh. I thought we weren't doing fighting today, so what the hell's this about?

[ Cu squints in the dark, watches the figure turn their gaze on him with a slight sense of disquiet. He or she seems almost disarmingly neutral, which leaves more questions to be answered than if the figure were to have shown outright hostility from the get-go. ]

What do we do, then. You're the Master, give some directions.

[Ai here is on alert as she places herself next to Diarmuid again, trying to keep a clear head as she studies the figure from afar.]

It's... It's not human, but I don't think it's a Servant.

[As she speaks, the figure approaches them taking light steps on the ground until it stops a fair distance away from the group.]

... Don't act yet. It seems like they have something to say.

...Behind me, Master. You're not in a condition for combat tonight.

[ Just in case, and also a little insistently. He saw what Ai did to that flowerpot, ok... he doesn't want her being reckless. ]

[Ai moves behind Diarmuid, but unlike her Lien takes a step forward, peering at the person with her arms crossed.]

Haaaah? Blocking the way now are you? Whoever sent you could have just met us face to face you know.

[Lien, don't encourage this... Surprisingly, the person bows its head respectfully towards them before speaking up in a smooth tone of voice, that yet again did not lean towards either male or female.]

"Our apologies. But preparations have not been completed. Please do not encroach this area until tomorrow."

Edited 2015-06-29 07:31 (UTC)

Preparations?

[ The politeness is...again, kind of off, and Cu drops Lien one of those dubious looks that says 'are we really gonna just, leave?' ]

What, are you setting up traps? You don't expect us to just walk away if that's the case, huh?

"You will be graciously granted an audience tomorrow. If you decide to cross the boundary now, we will take great offense to that. That is our final answer. Please leave."

...

[Lien, being the ever so classy person simply walks up to the person, pulling her gloves off...

And reaches out with both hands to squish the person's cheeks.]

Bloop. Let's see who sent you then.

[Cue Ai face palming. To Lien's credit though, she was right about the person not being hostile and it stands there coolly despite looking ridiculous.]

Edited 2015-06-30 01:03 (UTC)

—What? Hey!

[ It might have worked, but Cu is of the opinion that that move was monumentally stupid, all things considered. Hostility can be subtle, especially with someone who literally just expressed an inclination to be unhappy over boundaries being crossed.

He almost aims Gae Bolg directly at the other figure, but it's only because it doesn't move that he stops.

He's definitely not happy about this move, though. ]

[Lien's eyes have become blank, a sign of her trance as she reads the structure of this being.

Something dark... Hair...

Blood...

Prana... This thing was pure...

It's on its knees and it looks up at the woman who created it, someone of magnificent and almost blinding radiance...

Lien lets go looking dazed.]

Ah... An extension. Of a Servant. Neat.

[She sways and Ai runs over to catch Lien in her arms because she's tired herself out. The "extension" or more appropriately, the familiar stares at the group passively and then bows its head.]

"Come to the harbor tomorrow. My creator will be expecting you all.

As you have all realized, this Holy Grail War has gone unstructured for far too long. Since you are the pairs that have survived the longest, we find it more productive in exchanging information and finding a way to end it all with as little disruption as possible."

[ His hackles rise even further when Lien collapses and Ai rushes to catch her; it's not that he doesn't believe that there's a good or productive way to end this, but something about this entire situation rubs him the wrong way. The coolness of the neutral figure's stance, the delivery of something that sounds impartial at first glance but come from a distinct aura of advantage.

It doesn't sit well with him: it never has. His wars have always been about loyalty and country, of standing his ground and meeting his fate headon. Having something to fight for, no matter how trivial.

So. His mood soured, he turns on his heels and shrugs. ]

Tell your creator that this isn't the kind of welcome I like. It's a good thing some hounds know how to wait.

[The familiar closes its eyes thoughtfully, and then bows its head, before also turning its back.]

"Until then."

[It walks away before glancing at Ai Thao specifically, who holds her sister closely and protectively as the familiar turns its attention to her.

When it speaks up again, its voice is that of a woman, the one who created it, as if she was speaking through her familiar.]

"You should ask your sister this: How many times has she spoken to the shadows?"

[The questions seems to hit a spot in Ai who has no idea why she's suddenly fearful.]

What... What are you saying?

"... Farewell. We hope you realize your own answers soon."

[An with a burst of light, the familiar disappears.]

[ There's a tension in the air that Diarmuid is hard-pressed to dispel. He sees the stiffening in his fellow Servant's shoulders, the question that hangs heavily, left without an answer.

Calmly, he moves towards Ai and inspects Lien, shoots Cu a look. ]

...This is too much to deal with here, at this moment in time. Returning to our bases is the best course of action.

... Yes.

[Ai is looking at her sister, gently brushing her bangs out of her face. She has a feeling that there is more to come. That everything that has happened up until now has yet to culminate into the finale. But what kind of outcome is it supposed to be?

And did Sensei just send me to Fuyuki by chance...??

Another unsettling thought. Another thought Ai doesn't want to bring up because it only makes things more convoluted.]

Let's go home then. Lien... Lien, wake up.

[She shakes her sister awake.]

[Lien's eyes open halfway as Ai pulls her over to Cu. Her head is beginning to ache again and she's not sure why. Sure she drank enough to get buzzed as hell, but that combined with that one reading she just did shouldn't have been enough to make her feel so unsettled.

More importantly though, she mutters...]

... Caster.

We're going to meet up with Caster.

[ Cu is... well, he's still Not Happy about this entire ordeal, and even the information Lien relays to him is met with neutral half-disinterest, as if the issue of this hokey war is the last thing on his mind. It isn't, but. There's a time and place.

Instead of looking excited or revelatory, he reaches out and flicks Lien between her eyes, on the bridge of her glasses. ]

What you did? That, that was stupid.

[ Blunt, honest. ]

Oh.

[She accepts the flick between her eyes blinking as her glasses go lopsided.]

... Are you mad?

[She asks with apprehension.]

Mad? Yeah. A little.

[ Again, honest: he doesn't see a need to be passive about this at all, apparently. ]

Listen, I've been drunk out on the field before. But unlike you, I have battle experience.

Ah...

[For once, Lien actually looks... Incredibly guilty. People have gotten mad or frustrated with her plenty of times, but even she knows when she's crossed the line.

She doesn't have her gloves on, but she reaches out to lightly brush his fingers with her own.]

Sorry.

We'll go home then. Ai, stay safe.

[ It isn't in his nature to stay angry with someone, as long as they haven't earned his disdain through, say, being Kotomine Kirei. So his reaction is to look exasperated for precisely three seconds, feel her fingers searching for his, and grab her hand to nearly haul her down the street. ]

Some Master you are, little lady.

[ And while that may sound harsh, he doesn't mean it maliciously; Diarmuid can hear the faint concession in the other Servant's tone, and his shoulders relax.

He's pretty sure they'll be fine, which relieves him despite everything. ]

Ah...! Wait, my...

[My hand.

Skin against skin. His hand feels rough against hers, just as she imagined it. It's warm although that could be her prana (and by some luck, Lien isn't reading anything). But it feels safe. Secure.

How many times...? How many times have I wanted to reach out for something? For someone? How many times have I told myself that it wasn't worth it in the end?

And in the end, she must have realized she had been lying to herself.

Lien wants to say something else, but no words come out and instead she feels her eyes mist up. She grabs her glasses and hides her face, but the a single tear escapes, falling to the ground.]

Never mind.

[ He could've been prepared with a thousand lectures on not dying, prepared with some sort of ammunition to strike her down with, but there's nothing he can say to that smile or that look—

—or those tears, something that makes him freeze mid-step and double-take. Indelicate, but again: honest.

He knows what these hands are, the soft, smooth, unweathered hands that wrap around his calloused, war-torn palm. This outspoken, bright, but scared girl, with the weak grip that asks for someone to keep it there anyway. To not let it slip.

His feet stop entirely, and he lets go only so he can tilt Lien's chin up. ]

What.

Was I that scary?

[ It's a gentle joke, in lieu of a 'it's fine'. ]

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