[center][h1][b]Albert Prelati[/b][/h1]

Interacting with: Berserker ([@Grey])[/center]

[center][h2]Fuyuki Hyatt Hotel - 7:42 PM December 1st, 2012[/h2][/center]

[hider]Albert snorted. "Well if zat Togami snot is anyzing to go by, we'll be facing a lot of ze usual competition you'd expect from mages. Zat is to say arrogance, cowardice, and a bizarre flair for ze flamboyant."

He took a sip from his own glass, sighing as he adopted a more serious tone. 

"In all 'onesty ma chère, I do not know what we'll be facing in ze days to come. I did not 'ave long to know zese Masters, but zey are a mixed bag for certain, and zat's leaving out ze unpredictability of Servants and zeir own abilities. While I doubt we'll get much trouble from most of zem, zere are a few who worry me."

He tried to organize his thoughts into something coherent.

"Hmmmm... Zat woman, for one. Brynhilda was 'er name, I zink. She carries about 'er ze stench of blood, and I do mean zat literally. Believe me, as someone who specializes in familiars and ze kind of conjurations zat require ehh... certain sacrifices," he added for Berserker's benefit, omitting the grisly details, "I am used to ze smell. But it is so thick on 'er zat you can smell it even under a layer of soap and perfume. It's seeped into 'er skin. Zat tells me two zings, and I'm not sure I like either. She's eizer a lifetime practicioner of some sort of magecraft zat uses blood as ze key component, or she's a killer so soaked in ze stuff ze scent will never leave 'er. She may even be a vampire, and zat's just ze worst of both worlds. On top of zat she's summoned Rider which, and let's be frank about zis ma chère, is about as bad a matchup for you as Archer is. She is someone we will need to keep a close eye on, no doubt. Right now, what little we know about 'er is what is 'urting us most."

He continued, keeping up his momentum. Rooms reorganizing themselves in his head, he was getting a better idea of what his initial impressions were.

"Ze second name on my shitlist is zat mercenary, James. Call it somezing personal, like a gut feeling, but I find guns and ze people who use zem distasteful. It's 'ypocritical, I know, but I don't need a mage's upbringing to tell you zey are crude and brutish zings. Magecraft has a variety of practical uses besides violence. Even a sword can be used for fencing, decoration, or, 'ell, opening a wine bottle, but all a gun is good for is killing. Unlike ozer weapons, zere is literally nozing you can use zem for except to kill people. Zey 'ave no ozer purpose. It's barbaric." 

He stared at his reflection in the champagne before taking another sip. 

"So zere's zat, and I also zink 'e 'as a stick shoved so far up 'is ass 'e can't bend over. I have no idea if ze woman who was with 'im was also a Master, but I suppose it doesn't really matter. Takumi proved zat zere are some in zis war who do indeed conduct zeir business through intermediaries as I often do. I don't 'ave much to say about Leon or Jonathan 'owever, ozer zan zat Leon seems inexperienced and I zink 'e should watch 'is ass around zat man. 'E seems creepy."

He narrowed his eyes. "And now finally we get to ze Daily Double. Togami... for as much shit as I give 'im, and believe me, it's not nearly as much as 'e deserves, I could sense zat 'is abilities are no joke. Zat boy," he thought, having to remind himself that they were the same age, "is more zan just talk. Stupid as 'e is, ze impression I get from 'im is someone who is wet behind ze ears, but still trained from birth to do what we are all 'ere to do. 'Is family crest looks familiar as well. I shall be sure to take 'im up on 'is offer and do 'im ze 'onor of googling 'im and 'is family. Who knows? Could 'elp us plan a strategy. If we can catch 'im off-guard, we may never need to find out if my suspicions are warranted."

He leaned back into his seat, finished with his assessment. "Zat was my takeaway from ze whole ordeal. I've already started sending my familiars out into ze city, so we should know more soon. Now zen, concerning your Noble Phantasm, I 'ad a few-"

Albert stopped, digesting the last thing Berserker had said like he was swishing around another mouthful of the champagne. The glass clinked as he set it back down on the table. 

"Ma chère," he said questioningly. "What exactly do you mean by zat? 'Ze flowers of curteous combat'? You do know what zis is, don't you? Zis is ze 'Oly Grail War, not a duel between knights. While I'm sure ze opportunity to clash swords wiz ze ozer 'Eroic Spirits must excite you, and we'll get to zat eventually no doubt, you must remember zat zis is first and foremost a fight between magi for ze 'Oly Grail, and zey are [i]not[/i] going to be very curteous about it. Mages are by zeir very nature cunning and a little bit manipulative. If we want to win, we 'ave to zink like zey do, and sometimes zat's going to mean playing dirty."

Albert pinched his eyebrows, cursing that they were already having to have this conversation. "Look, you 'ave my word right now zat I'm not going to force you to do anyzing zat goes against your code of 'onor. I wouldn't make you do zat unless our lives depended on it. But I do expect you to adjust your expectations a bit, ma chère," he pleaded. "Not many of our enemies, not even ze Servants, are going to be willing to just come out and face you out in ze open. For one zing, zey know you outclass zem in one on one combat. You are Berserker, zat is what you do best. I highly doubt Caster or Assassin are going to feel like fighting you 'onorably, and Archer's entire schtick is killing people from a distance. If you're going to get any kind of fair fight, it'll only be from Saber, Lancer, or Rider, and zat's assuming zeir Masters don't try and interfere. I don't zink zat I'm being unfair, zose are just ze facts."
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