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

Interacting with: Berserker ([@Grey]), Leon & Saber ([@vancexentan])[/center]

[center][h2]An internet cafe across the street from Ahnenerbe - 2:00 PM December 2nd, 2012[/h2][/center]

[hider]Albert chuckled. "As always ma chère, you cut to ze chase quicker zan you cut zrough your enemies. I suppose zere isn't much more to be said zan, is zere? Until ze defeat of Assassin, you have my goodwill and my Servant's blade. On loan only, of course."

Smiling, he stuck out his recently-threatened hand. 

"In place of a contract, shall we shake on it for now? Also, I will 'ave some more coffee, ma chère. I'm still recovering from our evening out last night," he said, yawning. "Two sugars and cream, if you would."
[/hider]

[center][h1][b]Ren Mizushima[/b][/h1]

Interacting with: Rider ([@1Charak2])[/center]

[center][h2]Fuyuki City, Miyama Town - 1:30 AM December 2nd, 2012[/h2][/center]

[hider]Ren nodded, not really taking it all in but pretending he did as he stared distractedly at the blindfold.

[i]How does she see? Is that some sort of Mystic Code? It doesn't look like a normal blindfold. What's that symbol on her forehead mean?[/i]

"Okay, so ummm... bear with me here, because I know this gonna sound [i]really[/i] weird if I'm wrong, but you wouldn't happen to be a-"

[i]Servant.[/i]

"-Servant, would you?"

He finally finished processing everything he'd half-heard her say while he was distracted, and the truth hit home [i]hard[/i]. His eyes opened wide and his palms began to sweat. He was talking to a Servant! A Heroic Spirit! It made him so excited and nervous he almost felt nauseous.

"Y-You are! You're a..."

Not that he hadn't expected it of course (at least a little bit, anyway). He'd known something was up with this woman from the moment they'd met. There were the obvious signs of course, like her attire and appearance, but the biggest indicator was how he hadn't been able to read her, not even while she was unconscious. The professor had once explained to him that once a mage was aware they were being read by his eyes, they could employ the principles of Thaumaturgical Resistance to block the influence of his magic. But he'd never met someone who'd started out a completely closed book, even without having to be told he was trying to read her. Even while she was unconscious she remained a total enigma, which should never have been the case. It implied a level of Thaumaturgical Resistance that really shouldn't exist in this day and age, barring a few exceptional cases.

But to think she really was... Here he'd come to Japan thinking he'd merely be acting as an accessory to all the dangerous and exciting Holy Grail War stuff the professor had come here to do, but on his very first day back home he'd met a stray Servant! He doubted the professor had even summoned his own yet! And wait did she really just ask him if he wanted to be her Master?

"I-I'd be honored!" he blurted, balking at his own good fortune. "To be your Master, I mean!"

Perhaps it was foolish of him to idealize the violence of the Holy Grail War in such a way. Perhaps he wasn't ready to understand the dangers involved in becoming a true participant in this War, rather than a lowly assistant. But he did understand two things very clearly. The first was that refusing a Servant, especially one you weren't contracted to, under any circumstances was a bad, bad idea. They were superhuman existences beyond the boundaries of normal humanity, and more than that they were soul-eaters. He had a disquieting suspicion that the "meal" she'd spoken of had consisted of partial if not whole human souls. While it was hard to swallow, he tried not to hold it against her. He was confident she'd only done what was necessary for her to survive without a Master, given the state he'd found her in. And if he didn't want to become her Master, he would likely meet a similar fate. The tone and tolerant friendliness with which she spoke to him made him think he was right in believing that she wasn't really a bad person who'd hurt people for no reason, but she would have [i]every[/i] reason if he didn't agree to start supplying her with a more constant source of mana.

The second thing he understood was that chances like this didn't just present themselves all that often, and that if he turned it down now, he'd be consigning himself permanently to a life as a lowly apprentice. Make no mistake, he was grateful to the professor, and even thought of him like an uncle or surrogate father (but not like that). But like in every student/teacher relationship, the professor dictated exactly how much Ren was permitted to learn and what pace. Even though Ren felt like he was ready to learn so much more, and desperately wanted to, the professor had kept his teachings hidden except for the fundamentals  of what they needed to survive while they traveled around the world digging up ancient ruins. If he ever wanted to move out of the professor's shadow and convince him he was ready to become a real magus, this was the only way. Something drastic, something powerful. 

And he could help! I mean really help. If the professor was going to fight in the Holy Grail War, then it wouldn't it be an enormous boon to have another ally amongst the Masters who could lend him the combined power of two Servants? The thought didn't occur to him that the professor might not like this. The Grail War itself seemed different this time. They'd all heard as much from the priest. So maybe...

That "maybe" allowed him to believe that this Grail War might not end in tragedy. That by forging this contract, he wouldn't eventually have to fight and kill his own master, or risk losing his Servant and his life. It gave him the strength to swallow his fears and say,

"So what do I have to do?"

Time would only tell if he was right.
[/hider]