[color=olive][h2]Richard Montag[/h2][/color]
[@GreenGoat] [@Flamelord]  [@Beloss]

He waited for Walgrave and his Servant to depart in the same stolid state he had conversed with the old mage. While he'd never say it aloud, there was something akin to disappointment welling up inside Richard in regards to Walgrave. Everything from his confidence, linear thinking, and casual disregard for his own wealth spoke of a typical magus in the upper echelons of their society. Everything would serve as a means to the End for a man like that, and that kind of goal leaves one with no compunction about severing their worldly ties if they felt even the tiniest inkling of progress was possible.

[color=olive]"I shouldn't be surprised someone thought this would be their ticket to the Root."[/color] Richard said when he was certain Walgrave was well away and his Servant went off to blatantly poach another Assassin in the hopes to get a better deal. He reclaimed the wine bottle and seemed intent to pour over the label while he spoke to the gentlemen he summoned.

[color=olive]"You know what I find fascinating about this stuff? It's not that its a great conversation starter, and I am by no means an alcoholic either. What's so very amusing about this is that Wine predates everything in this room. It predates the idea of heroes, Dead Apostles, and even magecraft itself. This has been consumed by the most heinous and the most righteous of men and woman, a shared link from before the tales of Uruk to present day and encircling the entire world."

"You may say that there are commonalities that simply must exist to survive, such as eating and breathing, yet wine should not be among them. Inebriation should not be the building block of any life form, yet here are still suckling from the grape vine. A unifying force that can be understood and appreciated by every soul, whether they be mundane, magical, divine, or undead. Even the Wizard Marshall would take his blood in a wine glass. I can tell you with absolute certainty if I had not been born with the capability for magecraft, I would have gone to start my own vineyard."[/color]

Regardless of whether or not Assassin had consumed their fill, Richard chose to refill both their glasses and savor a hearty mouthful of the mortal ambrosia. [color=olive]"Wine is such a splendid thing, with so many uses. It will loosen the tongue and unshackle inhibitions just as well as it carries the poison to assassinate a monarch. Personally, I find it to work as a lens to perceive people's intentions, and what Walgrave's glass told me is that we have aligned ourselves with a man who can find no joy in the world of the grape vine. I don't believe he will settle for anything less then stealing the chalice of ambrosia straight from the gods hands like most magi would."[/color]

Most would call this a laudable goal. Most. But Richard believed that he knew better then to try and reach the Root through a means devised by Zelretch. After all, he was a Sorcerer far older and more experienced then Walgrave, with the very multiverse at his fingertips and connections to every noble house and Dead Apostle Ancestor alive. If he wasn't showing the slightest interest in forsaking this world for the root of creation, then it was either a case of the Root being less then desired, or the world possessing more value then they give it credit for.

[i][color=olive]I'd like to believe in the latter.[/color][/i] 

Regardless of wistful philosophy and dour predictions for the alliance's conclusion, Richard rose from his seat with nary a wobble from the liquor. 

[color=olive]"Now then, Assassin. Best not to spend this entire time being shut ins. I'm going to see about finding that witch the cat girl screamed about, so feel free to join me or mingle among the others."[/color] The magus said, leaving the bottle beside Assassin. [color=olive]"I'd rather not have you try and out-wrestle the goliaths, but if you find a deck of cards then they could be distracted from destroying the room with a game from your own era. Regardless, do enjoy yourself."[/color]

And with that, Richard excused himself from the table to seek out the parties who were likely still in the summoning room. 

It was a credit to late Princess of Colchis that Richard paused at the door way and stared in amazement to find she'd already stabbed another Servant. This could only mean good things for the potential cabal.
[hr] 

[color=C71585][h2]Tamamo No Mae[/h2][/color]
[@KoL]  [@ADamnFiddle] [@Nanashi Ninanai]

[color=C71585]"Tama is perfect, Master. I will cherish the nick name always."[/color] Tamamo said with a radiant smile aimed at the Norwegian beside her. She was gladdened to see Seyrun had entered familiar ground and was perfectly at ease getting acquainted with Ravel. Confident that her Master could discuss things amongst themselves without Tamamo's advisory, she could finally indulge in being reunited with her errant priestess. 

There were a great many things that Tamamo would like to discuss with the veiled woman, primarily regarding the blatant discussion of 'heirs' and 'curses' once they had seated across from the Servant who possessed the radar dish ears of a fox, but for the sake of not spooking the queen she choose to address a minor discrepancy she believed to be behind Himiko's adorable stutter. 
 
[color=C71585]"Himiko- Or would you rather Caster for now?- while we do know each other in a way, I want you to know now that I am not the Amaterasu that you worshipped. Well, I am, but I'm also not. I'm Tamamo No Mae, an aspect of her that..."[/color] Tamamo paused, eye flickering to her Master for an infinitesimal second before returning to staring at her reflection in Himiko's mirror. [color=C71585]"Chose to live among the mortal world. Summoned as I am, and believe me this is no easy admission, but I am not the full Goddess you had devoted yourself towards."[/color]

[color=C71585]"However, I think that is better for us. I've learned many things among the Imperial Court, just as I have on the Throne, and they all tell me that we can get along far better as two Servants of equal standing then as Priestess and Goddess!"[/color] Her voice rose along with the exuberance behind it, leaning over the table to the point she may as well have crawled atop and gotten into Himiko's face. She reached out, eager to clasp the Queen's hands in newly kindled friendship.

[color=C71585]"So what do you say, Himiko?"[/color]