((Collab between Dezuel and Letter B))

[b][i]Part One of Many[/i][/b]

Celine had walked for quite awhile through the various streets of the city, away from the direction of the trouble her fellow dolls had rushed into. They may have expected her to return to her master, Galbrek, alongside the other wounded doll Eve. But Celine had other plans, she couldn't seek refuge with Celestine nor Vittorio, neither could she stay with her creator. She had to find another ally, and that ally was.... now right in front of her on that very street. "I've been looking for you..."

William was arriving home from the trip to the laboratory; he was also contemplating how...selfish he was starting to become. Or probably always was. Despite how he saw or pitched himself, he now knew he had an ego problem, an ego problem that would lead to consequences down the line.

Upon finding Celine confronting him with another wounded doll in tow, the boy briefly wondered whether this was one of those consequences, before he blurted out: "People don't normally come for violence with wounded friends and allies in tow. Good."

A pause. "My father has woodworking equipment and my mother has a Grail of Corruption. If you come to me for help, then would you two trust me to come to my home?"

"What are you doing....?" Eve looked with narrowed eyes up at Celine who carried her. "Grail of corruption? Woodworking? What do you think we are? I saw what my master put out about you, I don't want to talk with you inside a building of all things." Celine stepped abit closer. "I do have something for you, but I want something in return. It is the least I could ask after you people had two of my friends die."

"I could show you to one of my master's bases where he may very likely be at, and give you a lead to who aided him against you." Celine looked around with a nervous expression. "What I ask in return will however be steep."

William nodded at that. "Either Galbrek's death or a way to become human, although I am only guessing at the latter."

He looked at her. "I am directly responsible for the death of two of your family - relative innocents created by your master to die." A sigh. "I can refuse you nothing."

William really couldn't; despite the immense burdens he was acquiring, [i]honor[/i] and the defense of Rhea demanded more.

"I want you and your friend. The girl Andras to empower my body and arm me with tools that will allow me to be on par with your kind. That is my only chance at surviving in this world in the long run." Celine set her eyes at William. "We have all been human at one point. But let us speak more of this over... there." She pointed to a nearby park.

William nodded, and walked over to said park and a nearby bench, before saying, "I am not Andras' master, and after your people attacked her, she might not want to help. However, empowerment and tools I can provide by myself."

A pause. "As I said, [i]I[/i] can refuse you nothing."

He stretched out his hand, as if grasping a spear sideways, and from both 'poles' of empty air extended the Spear of Heloid, imitated from Andras' recent draw.

"The Spear of Heloid," Ascot explained, "An artifact that increases attack and defense, and inflicts reciprocal damage on those who damage you. And now it is yours'."

Eve gritted her teeth. "Traitor! You are bartering with the enemy to betray master Galbrek." The heavily damaged doll spoke out, trying to get out of Celine's grasp, which she did but fellto the ground, lifting her form up as good as she could using one arm. Celine looked to Eve and then to William, her gaze ultimatelly falling on the spear William was offering. She attempted to take hold of it.

A rat would perk up in one of Celine's pockets, if William would look her over carefully.

William would let go of the spear as Celine grasped it; the imitation was powered by the God of Stories - that alone [i]might[/i] be enough to alter its workings just in case 'Perfect Alexandria' didn't allow transmission of artifacts to other wielders.

The boy noticed the rat, before turning to Eve and saying, "A master has his own obligations to his servants; a creator making sapient beings has their own obligation to their created."

Then back to Celine. "If the imitated Artifact works, can you take the courtesy of hearing [i]me[/i] out first? Recent news - including the news of your attack - has made me realize things about myself that I would have rejected in other days."

Celine nodded after gripping the spear in hand. Eve was on the ground, trying to get up on a nearby bench, crawling over there. She was obviously not enjoying her state of being or the company the slightest, but chose to remain quiet for now.

William smiled faintly, and said, "Thank you.

"As for what I want to vent, it's this plain and simple fact: I loathe myself, and call it selflessness. I have a small but fragile ego, and call it heroism. Self-loathing and a small and fragile ego; they make me a fraud that strives to be a hero regardless. Don't get me wrong, I still want to help people. I still want to help Vittorio as he's suffered more than anyone in Rhea, and I want to defend this city as well.

"But the fact remains, I am still a fraud. A fraud masquerading as an altruist." A sigh before new resolution glinted in Ascot's eyes. "But as Uncle Shirou once said, why can't I selfishly pursue selflessness?"

A light chuckle. "So, time for negotiations?"

Celine blinked her artificial eyes. "A hero. Why do you want to defend this city? And from who? And help Vittorio? None can help him.." Celine shook her head. "He's a soul without a body, even worse than us."

"Do you know what we are, William?" She looked the boy over.

"Maybe you should go to hideout charlie and find out..." She said in a low voice, attaching the spear on her back before reaching into her pockets. "Building sixty-six, on Luciel's street in the eastern district. The key is under a vase. Tread carefully."

"Our master was not alone." Celine fetched the number which Celestine had left her. "This number will call the masked one. That one is as broken as my creator. Broken in the head, beyond any repair." She stretched the number out to William.

Eve struggled and let out a angry rant. "Bastard! You are betraying master Galbrek! And you call yourself a doll... damn you... damn you... after all he gave you!"

Eve stretched out and attempted to grapple Celine with her remaining arm, but missed and fell faceplant into the ground, where she slammed her fist into it in anger.

William took the number and copied it onto his smartphone, before handing it back to Celine, before saying, "You might need this in the future, in the end. By the way, I haven't caught your name; what is it?"

Turning to Eve, the young man continued, "Your master gave you nothing good that he wasn't already obligated to give."

William then got up and said to Celine once more, "Well, I'll be going to 'Hideout Charlie', then. Thank you."

"My name was Celine. It still is." Celine said without looking at William, she instead looked ahead and thought of someplace good she could hide alongside the unwilling Eve.  She did take the number back which Celestine had given to her. [i]It is dangerous but at this rate they may kill each other off and that will free me from it all.[/i] She thought to herself, even as she felt a twinge of guilt using William in such a manner. But the feeling dullened as she remembered that Bertrand and Darla both died to him and his companions. They had to be avenged.

Eve was beginning to try reply to William but was struggling too much to raise her body up to provide a suitable answer.

William nodded as Celine took back the number, tempted to whisper something along the lines of, [i]I'm not blind.[/i]

For he wasn't. The lives of Celine's family could not be repaid with mere trinkets, nor can Andras bring them back like she could bring back Vittorio's family and friends. Walking in the direction of 'hideout Charlie', he turned back one last time, tempted to get back the last word, and spoke, "You're not the only one who should hate me, Ms. Celine."

And then he ran off.