“[color=add8e6]Uh, yes, I object,[/color]” Scarlett says, raising her hand. “[color=add8e6]I need to resupply what I’ve spent to secure this little apartment-house,[/color]” she says, “[color=add8e6]The idea of going straight to another location - especially one that is uncharted - displeases me. Immensely.[/color]” Scarlett dropped her hand, “[color=add8e6]My suggestion, you three go check out what could potentially just lead to disaster, and I’ll stay here in this house I’ve secured, restocking myself,[/color] she glanced over, cutting her eyes at them, “[color=add8e6]Char and I can defend this house. The halls and rooms are small enough that close-quarters combat favors the range of my bullets and the thrust-based combat of a Lancer over the shambling sword users we’ve faced so face.[/color]”

Establishing a safehouse was something Scarlett was used to, and it boiled down to three requirements:

> Ease of defense

> Ease of escape

> Ease of maintenance

The small attachment to the apartment complex was all those things, as it was, a single bedroom with two doors, two windows to the front room, and three to the back - one for the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchenette. It had a pull-down access that led to the attic, which led onto the rooftop of the complex itself, and afforded multiple routes of escape.

Each window could be barred, as could the doors, with a fair bit of Alchemy, and that would allow her time to commit to her escape. If the skeletons could slam through the walls, there was time enough their to escape. And, due to the fact it was, for all intents and purposes, abandoned, there was little to maintain, and even less reason to bother - the kitchenette was the perfect size for a field workshop.

“[color=add8e6]I’m curious, though, since you haven’t shut up about it since we arrived, what’s gotten you so scared, Saber,[/color]” Scarlett says. “[color=add8e6]Why are you in such a rush? Afraid a skeleton might turn you into a frightened bitch or something,[/color]” she asks, “[color=add8e6]or did you get summoned in a weakened state, and you don’t know if you can actually hold you ground in prolonged combat?[/color]”

“[color=add8e6]Doesn’t bother me, either or, but your incessant whining about how “uncomfortable” you are is getting old, Goldilocks. So, cry about it later in your diary, and stop distracting every conversation with it. Have some pride as a Knight of the Round, at least.[/color]”

Already seeing where this was going, Celtchar would get between Elise and Scarlett, putting his hands up. [color=8dc73f][b]"Woah there Master, let’s not go slinging mud when we barely have a stream to wash ourselves in. Even if this place is bad news, we gotta keep our heads on straight. Scarlett needs some time to restock like she said, so…I’ll stick around and guard her. That is assuming that you trust me enough to handle anything that could come and threaten the little base we’re gonna establish."[/b][/color]

Celtchar had to admit, picking a fight with Mordred was just about the worst thing his Master could do. But he at least had an idea of how to ease it up a bit. [color=8dc73f][b]"Mordred, when we get back, how about a couple sparring matches? That way if nothing in this place is a fun fight, you’ll at least get a half-decent challenge."[/b][/color]

As a dishonorable knight in life, Celtchar was used to saying things to get out of bad situations. He was absolutely the type to apologize without meaning it, do a task and bitch about it, and silently nurse a grudge for a lifetime. But right now, regardless of the circumstance, he didn’t want his Master pissing Mordred off enough to start an actual fight. Even if the Lancer was confident that he could severely wound Mordred if the fight went on long enough, any Knight of the Round Table was a top class Heroic Spirit, especially the one that killed the King of Knights. 

Scarlett huffed, and relaxed... looking out into the distance. ‘[color=add8e6][i]Dock. Station. South. Four Saint Graphs detached. Origins, unknown. Classes, unknown. Suspected Assassin. Two together. Two alone...[/i][/color]’ she recounted the current intel, before shifting her attention towards the south...

[color=add8e6][i]South...[/i][/color] That’s where Caster all but ordered them to go, where Saber was pushing them to go, where Elise volunteered to go, where Capricorn elected to go, and where Libra was reluctantly issuing the command to go - everyone was dead set on the south, on the vague notion that, maybe, just maybe, an ally was there in need.

‘[color=add8e6][i]...[/i][/color]’ Scarlett was lost for thoughts; too many variables to track; too many possibilities to consider[color=add8e6][i]... tactical advisor, my ass...[/i][/color] An shift to the north, to the station, the well of mana. ‘[color=add8e6][i]Caster? Berserker? Saber? Distraction? Bait? Why would they be presenting Mana so blatantly? As if, they are taunting someone; looking to be caught; vying for a fair on their terms... or maybe not? It could be a Summoning Ritual? A Master trying to recover a Servant, bring a new one to light, or enforce their will on a wild one. I can't --[/i][/color]’ Scarlett gripped her head, and brought her knees to her chin. ‘[color=add8e6][i]Stop thinking. Stop thinking. Stop thinking. Stop, so you can start thinking....[/i][/color]’

[color=add8e6][i]Kill me.[/i][/color]

Growing concerned, Elise would go over and lay a hand on Scarlett’s back. [color=fdc68a][b]"...You okay there?"[/b][/color]

Elise would find Heartbeat pressed to her forehead; a wide-eyed Scarlett spun around, and prepared to tackle the sudden threat, before she registered who it was.

“[color=add8e6]Elise...[/color]” she breathed, drawing back, and hostlering her Mystic Code, “[color=add8e6]Sorry.[/color]”

Elise flinched initially at having a gun aimed at her, but was glad that Scarlett came to her senses. [color=fdc68a][b]"...Leon, I’m seconding her staying behind to resupply. We can’t run around all night and day, so having a place be potentially safe enough to rest up will help."[/b][/color] It was a bad sign when a friend pulled a gun on you, and had it in a perfect position to kill you before you could make a move to stop them.

“[color=add8e6]More so, if you do find a Team A Master or Servant,[/color]” Scarlett says, as if nothing had happened, “[color=add8e6]You can't rely solely on Elise to heal on the road. Having a place to lay low is better for the long term,[/color]” she says, “[color=add8e6]Even a temporary one, since I can just scout out a new safehouse and defense it, as many times as needed. Such is the boon of Alchemy.[/color]”

Bunbuku hummed, as she watched and listened. ‘[color=6B573B][b][i]How curious a friend you made, Master. Do you attract broken butterflies? Ugly moths like us, knowing nothing better than to fly, thinking we, too, are beautiful and not scorned by our reality...[/i][/b][/color]’ she pondered, ‘[color=6B573B][b][i]Or, is it your Origin? The best of friends, after all, can be found at the bottom of a bottle, or a barrel, in some cases.[/i][/b][/color]’

‘[color=6B573B][b][i]Hm~[/i][/b][/color]’ she smirked, ‘[color=6B573B][b][i]Either or, I'll let this transgression slide... I don't want to kill someone I haven't served tea to, after all... That would just be rude.[/i][/b][/color]’

Bunbuku bonked Elise in the head. “[color=6B573B][b][i]Baaaka~[/i][/b][/color]” she drawled, very Kansai region, as she chides, “[color=6B573B][b]That trusting nature of your is more dangerous than your Magecraft. You should sneak up on people, if you aren't going to kill them. Honestly, you could serve to be a bit more lady-like.[/b][/color]”

Elise recoiled as she was hit on the head, saying: [color=fdc68a][b]"You just let me worry about that…also, fucking, OW."[/b][/color]

“[color=6B573B][b]Pain is our[/b][/color] [color=add8e6]greatest teacher,[/color]” both Bunbuku and Scarlett quoted, “[color=add8e6]Confucius[/color] [color=6B573B][b]said that.[/b][/color]”

A moment of silence passed, before Master and Caster started attempting to "jinx" each other and racking up a vending machine's worth of sodas.

Elise would stare in abject confusion, before looking to Leon. [color=fdc68a][b]"...Uh, Leon, I think we should go before Scarlett manages to steal my Servant from me."[/b][/color]

[color=8dc73f][b]"Back off, tea-kettle, that’s my Master!"[/b][/color] Celtchar said.[hr]Dialogue from [@The Irish Tree]