Yankee

Kimetsu no Yaiba - Shingetsu

I'm fairly interested! In the interest check you mentioned characters of varied backgrounds/upbringings, and I have a pretty weird idea I'd like to get your opinion on @Haruharara if you don't mind a PM?

Fate/『 』Märchen

Master: Mercedes

Workshop, City Outskirts, Tokyo | Night One

Mercedes smiled back at Archer, and kept seated for a few moments. Though the grail supported it's Masters in their summoning, she was still not used to supplying a familiar so powerful with mana, let alone the hounds he had summoned. 'It's not that bad, might take a little getting used to. It's good to get this out of the way,' she thought. A night of the twenty dogs roaming around would get her used to the mana drain. Familiarcraft was not her forte, as she had reminded herself multiple times throughout the night.

"Alright, while the puppies are out to play..." she began, standing with a small flourish after she felt she had rested enough. She walked over to the board holding the map and the potential master suspects. She took the latter down from the wall, swiftly skimming over her notes again. "Finding out the enemy servant's identities are important, but if I can suss out their masters' identities too, it will give us an advantage - however small." Mercedes scrutinized the sheets, already mentally crossing some people off the list. She glanced up at Archer briefly whilst doing so. "If I can figure some of them out, and we use your hounds to catch a trail, we can corner them.

"Oh - but, don't worry, I have full faith in your strength too, Archer. If we get intercepted by a servant, I'm gonna leave that to you." She grinned as she continued. The enforcer turned to the map then and considered it. "I was thinking we should keep a few other safe houses in the city. We can use them for anything we need... hmm, maybe here," she brushed her fingers over a neighborhood closer to Tokyo's center. Another base to return to, even just one more, opened up many opportunities. It could be stocked with supplies of any variety, serve as a quick area to escape to should things turn south for her, or even make for a dummy workshop to lure in other participants. She'd get to work on securing them as soon as possible, so that the next night after the hounds brought back any information they could, she and Archer could launch a strategic attack. If she had learned anything during her years as an enforcer, it was that magi were just as routine as they were unpredictable. The sentiment may seem oxymoronic, but in her experience, it was true.

"I have some ideas, but I'd appreciate your input, Archer. You and I are strangers to this city, but if you see an area you might like as a bowman's perch just say the..." She blinked, realizing what she was about to say. She didn't worry about offending the man (she very much doubted any spirit would be at something as small as that), only brought the issue of their communication back to the fore front of her mind. She walked back over to the table, placing her notes down and picking the journal and pen up. She turned and held them out to her partner.

"You can use this - or anything else I've got in here - to communicate anything more complex than 'yes or no,'" she explained, "Sometimes I can... feel something, through our bond, but in the mean time I'll be working on understanding you better. And... there's something important I need to know."

She fixed Archer with an easy-going smile, and to anyone else that's all it would appear to be. It was an expression she wore to put others at ease. However, like Mercedes was able to feel something from Archer, if Archer were able to feel anything from Mercedes he may sense the serious nature her aura seemed to take. Whatever his answer may be, they would work with it, but it was something that bothered Mercedes in the back of her mind.

"It's my understanding that a noble phantasm's true strength comes from calling out it's true name. Can you use your noble phantasm to it's full ability like this, Archer?"

@King Cosmos

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

Belisendé
Evening | Stables | Garleton, Lothian Empire

A sudden shout from the right startled the young woman. Thankfully she'd already loosed her arrow, it's aim would be unaffected by her sudden start. Bel snapped her head toward the sound of the voice, finding it's owner to be a young man astride a beautiful black mare. She watched as the horse and rider paced forward before yet another sound reached her ears. A thud of something heavy falling to the ground. Slowly, Bel turned back to the where the woman had been just a few moments before, and where the bandit now lay on the ground with an arrow stuck in his neck. The few moments she'd taken her eyes off the enemy - something that might prove a grave mistake on a true battlefield - had resulted in a man's death. He... he's dead? That woman is safe? That rider... She turned back towards the young man, intending to - do what? Thank him, question him? Tell him to escape? She didn't get the chance as she spotted a sinister silhouette sneak into view behind the fellow squire. "Ah - behind you!" She meant to call out, but her voiced was drowned by a large gray and dappled horse exploding onto the scene. Sunbeam had crashed his way into the area, braying loudly and angrily, and when he stopped just in front of Bel she could have cried from relief. He was safe! "Sunbeam!" She mounted the horse faster than she'd ever done in her life, and Sunbeam practically sailed over to the other pair, standing tall beside the black mare. Even with his tail adorned with a cute pink ribbon, the stallion cut an imposing figure, snorting brutishly and glaring at the bandit before him. Belisendé silently glanced at the other rider, looking for the more confident of the two of them to take the lead. She hoped the sight of two armed people on horseback would be enough to get the bandit to back down so that they could escape to the castle.

_________________________ Status: Alive & Not so well Class: Squire EXP: 5 Inventory: Iron Bow (3/3) Vulnerary (3/3) Stats END: E STR: E MAG: D DEX: C +2 SPD: D DEF: E RES: D LCK: C Supports N/A With: Kyran @CriticalHit

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

@Sho Minazuki no problem! Would it help in the future to tag you?

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

I was waiting for the conclusion of the high stakes Stables arc with Kyran before I made a post! The arrow is already en route, I don't think I can do much else without your decision of the battle outcome, Sho?

Fate/『 』Märchen

Master: Mercedes

Workshop, City Outskirts, Tokyo | Night

Mercedes watching her servant intently as he gestured to her. She surmised that it was a sign language of some kind. Magi had found many ways to communicate without words, and so many had never bothered to learn any kind of modern pedestrian sign language. She didn't know if that's what this was, but she got the gist of what he meant more or less. It was true, he couldn't speak. Most likely he couldn't even talk to her through their bond, or he would have done so already. She nodded to herself as he turned away from her, thinking of what could be done. In truth, they didn't need to speak to each other. Archer was a great hero of the past, more than likely he was a hunter, he could function perfectly fine on his own and he'd already demonstrated that he was attentive and willing to work with her. Mercedes, likewise, was more than used to fighting solo, but... they were partners now. She had no doubt that if she came up with a plan and Archer had his problems with it, he'd let her know somehow. However, if things went wrong while they were separated, it would be a lot harder for him to fill her in on the situation.

A small smirk came to her lips. 'This will be an interesting challenge,' she thought, her eyes finding Archer's form once more as he waved his hand. She felt a pull of her mana before three dogs materialized before her. Curious, she moved closer to them, but didn't dare reach out the touch them. They were big, and looked well trained. Hunting dogs, familiars of her own familiar. She looked back at Archer, and after just a beat her eyes shined with understanding as he gestured to the map of the city.

"These pups here are probably some of the best scouts a girl could have in this situation - am I right, Archer?" Mercedes said, glancing back at the hounds. "If you trust them, I trust them. By all means, let them hunt down the enemies and bring back any information they can. We can rework our map after that. No doubt there will be some eager masters looking to test their new servant's strength tonight."

The woman magus moved around to the room then, digging through some desk drawers and drawing out a few items. Walking back to the table, she placed a journal and a deck of cards down on it. The journal was not personal in nature, instead it was filled with theories, strategies, and experiments. She flipped to a blank page and quickly scribbled some things into it. 'An archer, a hunter, can summon hounds, mute...'

"Would you have enjoyed card games in life, I wonder?" she addressed Archer somewhat randomly without looking at him. She reached for the deck of cards, shuffling them elaborately, letting the cards waterfall from one hand to the other. "I love card games, but there are a lot more uses for them. For example..." Mercedes finished her shuffle, and in a flash pulled a card from the middle of the deck and slapped it onto the table. It was the four of spades: a card of stability. Mercedes smiled lightly and, seemingly satisfied, she circled an entry in the journal and ripped the page out. She held the paper out for Archer to read.

It was a list of names, and the one circled upon it was Actaeon.

"Cards can give you certain prophecies. This one told me we'll be just fine together," she mused, and as soon as she could tell Archer had read it, set the page ablaze with a flick of her wrist. "That is if you believe in that stuff, of course."

@King Cosmos

Fate/『 』Märchen

Master: Mercedes

City Outskirts, Tokyo | Night

When Archer still did not to speak to her, Mercedes moved on quietly. Several thoughts swirled around her mind, some about the Grail War she presently found herself in, but most relating to her servant. Though he was invisible to her eye now, she could feel him through their bond. In the attic room, she'd gotten a faint feeling of... something through it, but not a clear message. As she'd talked about herself to him as they walked, she'd gotten what felt like a hint of kinship. The servant was still with her, they had already shaken hands and made a pact through the Grail together. He didn't dislike - or so she assumed. Why did he not speak? As she thought over the summoning ritual, wondering if her lack of expertise in that area of magecraft had somehow affected the servant, a sudden epiphany came to her.

What if he couldn't speak? There were many heroes of history rendered mute through injury of the body or mind, or had curses laid upon them that stole their voice. Was Archer just such a hero?

Her mind changed direction, bringing up every historical figure she could think of that met that description. Most magi studied the history and theory of Grail Wars, and read up on heroic spirits in hopes to one day fight in one. Mercedes had no such day dreams, but she wasn't totally ignorant to the heroes of the past. She was once a young mage too. Still, the answer didn't immediately come to her. A mystery to solve once they returned to her base. The wonderings of the Grail War fresh in her mind, she was reminded that since she was chosen by the Grail to compete, she must have some desire for it. She supposed that was true. Some selfish wish, deep down within herself... another mystery, for another time.

Mercedes said nothing more as she worked her way closer to the city's edge, moving quickly and idly drawing runes in front of her from time to time. They were small spells of deflection, designed to keep curious pedestrian eyes from lingering on her for too long. They wouldn't fool any half-decent magus, but they didn't need to. After an hour of walking, the red haired woman approached an old gravel trail, leading up a small hill. She climbed the trail and came upon a small ramshackle building. From the outside it appeared as what could only be described as an abandoned shed. The area wasn't devoid of homes by any means, and the city was perfectly visible from it. Behind the shed was a field and some broken fence work. The previous owners of the property had likely been homesteaders that preferred to move up country when the bright lights of the city began to reach all the way toward their little farm. Now, it belonged to the Fomonar family, hastily but confidentially acquired as soon as the burning red marks had appeared on the woman's hand.

"Home sweet home," she laughed, checking up on the runes carved into the earth around the building. A bounded field. After a quick touch-up, she opened the door which led immediately to a few short steps downward. The area opened up to a much larger space, well lit and cozy with a large plush futon and a fur pelt of some kind laid on the floor. Mercedes' workshop.

Besides the futon and pelt, a large wooden table stood in the center of the room with a few chairs tucked beneath it. A few empty take-out containers still sat on the table, and Mercedes scooped them up and dumped them into a wastebasket nearby. "I'm not exactly a Michelin star chef," she chuckled as she did so. Above the wastebasket, mounted to the wall, was a huge board with the map of Tokyo Prefecture. There were several places on the map circled or outlined, and beside it were documents pinned to the board. Missing mages, potential participants in the War. Areas where magi were likely to gather. Although Mercedes hadn't planned to be a part of this War, she was diligently preparing for it.

"Archer," she called, waiting for the man to give her his attention before continuing, "I've been thinking about it. You can't actually speak, can you?"

@King Cosmos

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

Yep, Bel will be heading back to the castle as soon as her lil situation is resolved

Fate/『 』Märchen

Master: Mercedes

???, Tokyo | Night

The woman's smile only grew wider when Archer took her hand. Relief overcame her and assuaged a worry she didn't even know she had. The servant accepted her as his master, his silence wasn't a rejection. And the sincere look in his eyes... this was good. Though the man had yet to say a word, she got the feeling he had a reason not to - or at the very least, he wasn't trying to be a jerk.

"Good," she said, more to herself than anything, and after a firm handshake she gestured for Archer to leave the magic circle as she began collecting the candles and rubbing away the chalk with the heel of her boot. Though they were abandoning this location soon, she wanted to take some steps to protect them as they moved. If another mage had felt the draw of mana here and found the circle, there were certain ways they may be able to identify the summoner. If they did that, she would be at a disadvantage. It was unlikely, but she had to be sure. When she was through, she glanced back at Archer with a grin.

"Strong silent type, I take it? No worries. My name is Mercedes Fomonar, just to let you know. Even though I'm your master, I'm having a little... well, trouble, seeing your true name. It would help me to know it so I could come up with a proper battle plan for us." Although she made the request of him, Mercedes didn't stand around waiting for his answer. With the room cleaned out, she pulled her cloak on a little tighter and made for the exit. There was no time to waste. She headed back down the narrow stair well, fully expecting Archer to follow her either as he was or in his incorporeal form. The man wouldn't exactly blend in with the way he looked now, but the chill in the air and the late hour kept most people from roaming the streets anyway.

"As for me, I'm a 'take the fight to the enemy' kind of gal. Hunting magi down is kind of my profession," she spoke as she walked, her volume low though she expected the other could hear her either way, no matter if it was a servant's enhanced senses or the quasi-psychic link they now shared. As she expected, the street was barren.

"That said, I'd like to get you acquainted with our base of operations. We're a team now, Archer, and I expect we'll make a good one, but it might be a good idea to get any information tonight while we can." She made her thoughts known to the man as she walked briskly down the street and through alleys, heading South.

@King Cosmos

Fate/『 』Märchen

Master: Mercedes

???, Tokyo | Night

As the swell of magic dissipated and the visage of a man appeared before, Mercedes quickly appraised the - servant, right? She'd actually managed to summon a servant despite her poor skill with summon and familiar crafts. The pull of her mana wasn't as much as she expected to be either. She supposed that the Holy Grail had helped on both fronts. Back to the being in front of her, she watched as he silently looked around. He was clad in leather and had a bow with him. That fact, coupled with the relatively little mana he seemed to draw from her, seemed to imply that he was of the Archer class. When she focused on him, information slowly began to drift into her mind. Information about the person before her. Archer, indeed. She found that a name did not come to her, but she didn't let it bother her. His lack of greeting did not upset her either. Maybe he was just the shy type.

Mercedes said nothing for the moment, instead turning to follow Archer's eyes around the room. She had rented the small space a few days ago in preparation for the ritual, and it was little more than a barren attic room with a single window letting the moonlight in.

"Depressing, huh?" she tried, looking back over at the servant. She grinned at him before continuing. "It's temporary though. I've got a place closer to the edge of the city. We'll be heading there soon... if... that's alright with you. Archer, was it?"

Mercedes held out her hand, emblazoned with the command spells, toward the spirit with a warm smile.

@King Cosmos