Yankee

Root River: A Wonderful Life!

---

^{❀ Spring 1 • Year 1 ❀}
_{Location: General Store}

---

The thought that the general store owner of a little town like Root River made and sold their own goods wasn't really that surprising, but it still brought a warm feeling to Xavier's chest. That kind of thing was what he really appreciated about small towns, and part of the reason why he'd moved back. In the city, you could find just about anything you wanted, but you'd be hard pressed to go to a grocery store and pick up something homemade. It was really nice, an impressive too. The young not-yet-a-doctor told her as much.

"That's amazing," he said with a smile, "you're a woman of many talents! ...I, um, won't tell anyone, of course."

Better safe than sorry after all. He supposed that her threat about divulging her cooking hobby most likely extended to the handmade items for same in the shop. As far as BigCo., that only made sense. They would be direct competitors for nearly all the shops in town. Even so, it was pretty noble especially for one that seemed to hate Root River as much as Luna did. He wanted to ask about that but... it didn't really seem appropriate. Instead, he doubled down on the cleaning duty and soon enough, most of the grime was cleaned.

"I wonder where that soot even came from," Xavier wondered aloud. Even if she didn't seem to like it, Luna obviously took some pride in her store. A child's prank, maybe? "anyway, I'll run these groceries back home real quick and come back for your baking demonstration! Unless you'd prefer to make a mess of my kitchen? ...If the offer is still there, of course."

---

^@Inkarnate

Quest to End the Wars of Oblivion

4. Isabella
5. Option D
Color: Maybe like an in-between? (#DA70D6)

Project Zasshu

Ah, see Archon/abilities were to be left blank I assumed that they would be decided by GM. I don't mind working on it though!

Fate/Lost Epoch

_{Shinto -> Miyama}
Fuyuki Bridge
^{_________________________________}

The new master tilted his head slightly, listening to Saber as the man's whole demeanor seemed to change. 'Bad luck?' Jigen had only known the spirit for barely ten minutes and he didn't think that was true. After all, he'd been summoned in a wreath of light by a magical ritual. What were the chances of that happening? Seemed like good luck to him, but...

"The-se-us," the student tried this new name on. It was a little familiar sounding, and judging by the rest of the foreign words the man used it wasn't hard to guess that the name belonged to a Greek hero. Once again Jigen was struck by how utterly awesome the being in front of him was, and how amazing the fact he'd appeared at all was too. Still, Theseus claimed they needed to have a talk, so Jigen listened with unwavering attention.

...

Saber's story was unbelievable. A secret mage war that involved summoning the souls of dead heroes for a battle royale, the grand prize being the winner's wish granted. It was the kind of lame plot taken right out of a visual novel. Still, it had to be true - after all, Saber was right there in front of him, and on Jigen's own right hand was a bold red mark signifying that he was a Master in said war. Whether he liked it or not, he was involved now. Suddenly learning something like that... that was a good enough reason to skip school, right? He'd already missed homeroom. Even if he did feel a little guilty about it.

That was the reason the duo eventually found themselves on the bridge from Shinto Town to Miyama Town, Jigen having subconsciously led them in that direction as Saber told him everything he needed to know. Honestly, it was scary. As they climbed out of the canal and moved closer to town in order to cross the bridge, the marks on his hand - command spells - grew hot. They were a reminder that yes, this was really real. He could be attacked at any time. He could die.

...yes, it was scary, he didn't really want to die, but... at the same time, he didn't really feel like backing down. This 'Grail War' was the most exciting thing that ever happened to him. It made Jigen feel like he was part of something big - and he was, sort of. Even if he felt a little afraid, he also felt exhilarated. Plus, he wasn't alone - he had a partner!

Jigen glanced at Theseus - who'd instructed him to call him by Saber to protect his identity. The student felt he was crazy strong, somehow. Like he could read the man's stats like he was a videogame character. It was an odd sensation but not unpleasant. Still, if Saber had been summoned by someone else, he probably would have been even stronger.

"...sorry you got paired with me, Saber," he said, folding his arms behind his head as they walked along the bridge, the sound of water moving beneath them, "but I promise I'll work hard to make your dream come true!" That was the truth, too. The boy smiled, and a thought came to his head.

"Oh, maybe we should get you a different outfit? If you're supposed to be under cover. You kind of look like a comic book hero! Really cool, but kind of sticks out."

Jigen stuck out a little himself, being a school-aged boy not currently in class on a school day. Thankfully he didn't have his uniform on so he didn't draw too many eyes, but Saber would have been the bigger draw anyway. "You're, like... all muscle, though. Might be hard to find something that fits, heh."

_@Breo

---

_{<yare yare>}
Commerce District Yo-Yo Show
^{_________________________________}

Of course, Berserker stayed by his master's side as the man rushed towards the center of the rumor. Silent, invisible to the naked eye in his spirit form, he listened as Markansas taunted the hero. Thankfully, he seemed to have the mind not to start a direct fight with "Hercules" at the moment, instead inviting the servant to battle on the city's edge. Very smart, master.

...or very dumb, considering there seemed to be many more servants in the area than just Hercules and himself. By extension he was inviting them all out there - but that was probably something the man would take joy in, heroes banding together to defeat an "evil" such as himself. Then again, the Pharaoh and his Master could simply choose not to show up, pitting those same heroes against each other. Ah, looping back around to smart. Wait... why am I trying so hard to understand him?

I had better not be one of these Calamitous Kings you refer to, Berserker thought to his master, was I not your right hand, or some such like that?

Berserker's tone wasn't teasing because he didn't do teasing, he was a majestic Pharaoh, cursed or not. Still, his voice lacked malice. That slight pitch of Markansas' voice that betrayed his bluff wasn't missed by his servant. Berserker thought perhaps it best to play along just a little, reassure the fool, and escape to fight again later. Well, he had thought that.

Then, a spell on the breeze seemed to make his master into something resembling a threat. An illusion - that much was obvious to the servant of the enchanted one, but a convincing illusion nonetheless. Funny, Markansas would probably have loved the change. However, it was dangerous. The massive yo-yo master before them might get the wrong idea, let alone the other servants that seemed to be gathering... and Berserker couldn't do anything in his spirit form.

With a growl of aggravation, Berserker manifested himself in front of the Lord of Infinite Hells for the rest of the world to see: a young tan boy draped in white, blue and gold with the stern gaze of a King. The boy was hunched slightly, and standing close by a servant many times larger than he was made the Pharaoh look a little like a guard dog. Still, Berserker stood firm and cast his eyes around the area, seeking the prankster while bracing himself for any sudden movement. It was broad daylight, there were civilians all around... how troublesome.

_{@SSW@Over Illusion@ReallyDumb@Flood@Crusader Lord}

Forsaken

"Hey, letter."

Flicker was barely through the door when his landlord and loathed neighbor spoke up from her big cozy rocking chair in the living room. She pointed to the little table by the door where a letter was laying. Mialee was an older Wood Elf, and when Flick first rented the upstairs room in her home he'd thought they might get along... and they did for a little while. Turns out when the only thing two people had in common were both things they hated it made for surprisingly fun conversation. However it could only last so long and frankly, she was a huge jerk just like nearly every other Elf he'd met. That, and...

"It's been opened," Flick observed with annoyance as he picked up the opened envelope with the mystery letter inside, "ugh, and chewed on!"

"Yup. Innil likes to teeth."

The Genasi let out a loud, irritated sigh but the Elven matriarch ignored him. Just before taking the contents of the envelope out, Flick cast a suspicious look at the woman and jabbed a finger in her direction. "There better not be anythin' missin' from this."

"If there was anything in it worth stealing I wouldn't have told you about it in the first place."

Good gracious she was annoying, and her little changeling baby too. No wonder her husband was out all day. Eager to leave her presence, Flick stuffed the letter into his vest before climbing the stairs up to his room. The home was in the Southern part of the city, but not too far from it's center. The rent was cheap because no one wanted to to deal with the landlord. Most of the time Flick could tolerate her and Innil, who lived in the room directly across from his, but he wasn't exactly in the mood today. He was tired, having just returned from a totally unsuccessful job. Four days he was out in the frontier with a group of would-be heroes, trying to claim the mayor's reward, and not one lead. Good, he'd thought at the time, I don't want to have to deal with some deranged outlaws. However, the lack of any clues meant his clients felt he had "failed" them and didn't want to have to pay. Naturally, this lead to an argument, which then led to a fight, which lead to Flicker currently nursing his jaw as he played with his key ring until he found the one for his room. Once inside, he threw his bag onto the desk and himself into the bed. After a few minutes of laying face down in the blanket, the young man picked himself up and withdrew the letter.

'Dear Sir, It is of the utmost importance that your respond to this letter promptly. Perhaps you have heard of the strange happenings...'

"Great," Flick said to himself with a roll of his eyes. Another fruitless job offer! His curiosity was the only thing that prevented him from crumpling the letter right then, and as he got to the end of it his eyes were again lit up with opportunity, forgetting his earlier fatigue. He couldn't pass up a job that paid in advance, could he?

"Ol' Flick is gettin' some recognition, huh? About time." He hummed in approval and got up to wash and change. The Carraway Inn wasn't one of his usual stomping grounds, but he knew exactly where it was. As soon as he deemed himself good enough looking to go out, he did.

In the end, the Genasi went with something that he thought might make him look a little more rugged. After all, if he was being hired for his abilities, if he showed up in all his fanciest clothes the mystery benefactor might reconsider. With his long hair tied up, Flick arrived at the inn and went right through the front doors. There didn't seem to be anything out of place about it - there were patrons drinking, talking and arguing, women in bright revealing clothes milling about, a bartender who gave the Genasi a once over before nodding to him. Flick nodded back, he looked a little familiar but the man's name escaped him for now. Oh well, his goal was upstairs - after he got his advanced payment he'd come back down, order a drink and get the man's name.

He climbed the second set of stairs today, greeting a couple that were on their way down. On the third floor there was hardly a soul to be seen. Now the room number... Flick quickly referenced the letter again. 310. He moved down the hall and was surprised to find the door open and two people already inside.

Is that an otter?

Scratch that, three people. Flick slowly leaned back out of the doorway to double check the room number. Yup, this was the place. He glanced over the other occupants again. Otter, human, and another Genasi - interesting.

"Right," he chuckled, "well, to be honest none of you really look like an A.G."

Yankee's Characters: Past & Present

Reorganizing . . .

Fate/Lost Epoch

_{Early Morning}
Shinto Town, Canals
^{_________________________________}

As mana collected around the circle and spawned a brilliant, dazzling light, Jigen stumbled backward in surprise. He landed with a thud on the ground behind him and stared up at the bright glow until it took the form of a man. Really, more than a man the guy in front of him was like some kind of Western painting or... wrestling advertisement. Still, he was cool as hell! Before Jigen could greet him properly, the spirit - was he a spirit? - motioned for a moment of silence and went about trying out his new body. At least, that's what it seemed like to the school boy. He watched the man throw strikes that split the air and couldn't believe that the ritual had actually worked. No, really...

It worked?! I - I did it! Good job, me!! I summoned a... a super hero! Or something!

The hero in question lifted his belt high over his head and called out an impressive introduction, and Jigen jumped back onto his feet with sparkles in his eyes and a big grin on his face. The student threw his arms up in celebration of whatever victory he'd apparently had. That suspicious old book had been real all along (narrator: it wasn't) and now he had this giant Westerner to... do something with! Jigen had originally done the ritual with the intent to get some life advice, maybe he'd get some kind of diet and training regime from this guy?

"Amazing!" Jigen cheered, running a quick circle around the muscled man, "Really, you're amazing! Sei-ba? That's your name? Nice to meet you Saber! I'm Saito! Saito Jigen! I - "

The boy slowed his enthusiasm after trying the foreign word on his tongue, as he thought about what the man - Saber - had actually said.

"Wait, what war?"

_@Breo

---

_{<He can be thoughtful too?>}
Shinto Town -> Commerce District
^{_________________________________}

Berserker listened to his master prattle about his supposed illusion and quickly wrote it off as a lie. So a normal hotel, then, if fortified. Perhaps lie was a little strong of a word, he'd have to stick with delusion. Then as Markansas continued after the explanation about his Noble Phantasm, Berserker was very nearly about to just turn his brain off until he was actually needed, but the genuine tone of his master's voice stopped him.

He didn't say anything beyond a mere "Hm," to show he'd heard the magus, but Berserker quietly contemplated his master's words. So, the fool could be insightful when he wanted to. That was... reassuring, somehow. He was an enigma, but for now, Berserker couldn't say he hated the man. Besides, he was right. As terrible as it was, as unsightly as it was, as awesome and fearsome as it was, they wielded that power for their own sake. ...Well said, Master.

Before too long the rumor of a modern day "Hercules" seemed to reach their ears. A little suspicious given the circumstances. It came as no shock to Berserker that Markansas intended to find and confront the man. The thought of facing down a hero such as Herakles was stupid at best, suicidal at worst, but the Pharaoh did just hint that being able to get a lucky hit in on a powerful foe early on might be a good course of action.

"Fine," Berserker said, making his hesitant agreement with his master's plan known with a click of his tongue through their link, "Let us evildoers challenge a hero."

_@SSW

Cardinal Rift

Rhy̢thmia L̛ap̢şe҉u͘s

Moving through the Tower's wreckage

---

For a moment, neither thoughts nor breath moved through the two Lapeseans left behind in the broken bedroom. Melodia had gone through the portal - or what might be a portal but very well could have been some kind of miniature collapsed star that tore her molecule from molecule. Rhythmia and Vati stared at the dark void, speechless, before a distant scream from somewhere brought them out of their stunned bewilderment.

"My... my lady - !"

Vati made to jump in after his mistress but the remaining Lord of House Lapseus snatched him by the collar and threw him backwards into the room. She used a little more force than she'd intended, and the raven haired man was flung hard and landed among the busted furniture with a pained grunt. Without checking to make sure he was okay, Rhythmia looked back and forth between the portal and the vertical drop. Her body was tense and she breathed out hard through her nose, forcing herself to calm down. Her sister was alive. Even if she wasn't (she was), Rhythmia couldn't let Vati throw his life away, and she couldn't throw hers away either. It would be an insult to all the sisters had worked for over the years. It was worrying that Melodia didn't return, but it was alright - she was alive, somewhere. They were twins. She'd know.

Right?

"Lady Rhythmia!"

Ah, apparently Vati had climbed out of the pile of debris and was back at the doorway. He looked halfway between affronted and panicked, moving suspiciously toward the portal again. "We need to go after her! She-"

"No."

"But - !" His voice was pitched with emotions; disbelief, worry, obligation, even anger. Vati kept his eyes on the spinning black mist until Rhythmia clamped a hand on his shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. When he looked at her, she silenced him with her dark expression. He swallowed thick and stood down, giving Rhythmia a short nod.

"Okay. Hold on."

"What - "

Rhythmia shifted her gun onto her shoulder, a comical sight given how large it was when compared to her. Then, she grabbed the bodyguard and threw him over her other shoulder and stepped out of the room, plummeting down the corrupted residency hall. To his credit, Vati didn't let out so much as a gasp beyond his initial confusion. He clung to Rhythmia's back as they fell. Mercifully, the Tower being so disjointed meant that they didn't need to fall all the way down at once. The borders of rooms jutted out into the hall, and Rhythmia landed on cracked stone or crumbling wood before jumping down again and again. The final stretch was the longest - the Lapsean shifted into a more lateral fall and when the bottom of the tower came rushing toward them she landed hard on her prosthetic limbs, letting them absorb most of the impact. She could feel them creak as the stone below them split open, and the flesh-covering of her deep black arm was shredded, but they held. It would have been a surprise if they didn't.

On solid ground now, Vati let go of his impromptu ride and stood up straight at attention just before bringing a hand up to cover his nose and mouth. There were corpses everywhere, people that fell from the hall as it twisted skyward. Among them were survivors: some unconscious and breathing, others barely awake and writhing with sickness. It was horrible.

The duo didn't stop to tend to any of them at all. They stepped around the dead and suffering alike, not bothering to wake any that were unconscious, they'd die soon enough. Even crumbled, twisted and destroyed they could tell that the large area was the Grand Hall - or what was once the Hall, anyway. Outside where light was filtering in from, they could hear the shouting of others. Desperate screams and urgent orders. They ignored them, as their goal was still somewhere inside the tower.

As the two Lapseans turned away from the exit, the sound of scraping caught their attention. A large collapsed portion of a wall was pushed outwards and from behind it stepped a beautiful woman. In a crisis like this, Rhythmia would have probably ignored any mages, but something about the woman caught her eye: the bright red hair that was the tell tale sign of those born in the North. She was vaguely familiar, hovering around one Southern heir or another, but she looked as if she'd come from deeper inside the Tower. Maybe she'd seen something. With a jerk of her head, Rhythmia sent Vati over to her and followed behind him a bit, casting her gaze about for anything... well, everything was out of the ordinary, but she looked for anything or anyone that might have been the cause of the explosion.

"Hey," the bodyguard called over to the woman, intending on seeing what she knew, "where did you come from, what's going on?"

^@Meleck

Fate/Lost Epoch

_{<Really, is this guy an idiot?>}
Wandering through Shinto Town
^{_________________________________}

"Lair of sin," Berserker repeated, almost believing his master for a moment. After all, the feeling his magic radiated was the real deal even if his personality was... over the top. Hard to grasp. Super annoying. The Pharaoh's irritation was quickly building after his master smashed the glass and with every word he said after. To desecrate a grave right in front of Berserker while knowing his identity... a show of power or the actions of an idiot? Though in truth Berserker cared very little for the resting places of those other than his own citizens, it was still plain rude. When Markansas got to the part about a hell of his own creation Berserker couldn't quite take it anymore. He swiftly crossed his arms and give the man a look of pity before disappearing, taking his spirit form.

As a true invisible ghost, Berserker followed his master through the streets. He noticed a lot of little things about the town and the man before him, things that left him confused but didn't do anything to quell his annoyance. How could he get through to his fool of a master? His master who seemed in control of dark forces yet seemed glad to summon a child and leave a burial grounds. His master who acted an idiot yet had the foresight to make a body double? Markansas was as perplexing as he was exasperating. Berserker was loathe to indulge in whatever delusions he had going on, but...

...will I be able to see it? Berserker inquired. Though incorporeal, it was no issue to communicate through their master-servant bond. It was easy to note though that the Pharaoh didn't sound genuinely curious at all. That 'hell.' I am no mere mortal, Master.

As they went along, Berserker deemed it appropriate to continue with his earlier line of thought. Then, once back at his master's workshop they could properly think of a plan. Or at least, attempt it... he really didn't know with this man.

You already know my True Name. Now, I'll tell you about my power as your familiar. A curse is my Noble Phantasm, and my Noble Phantasm is my curse... He didn't mean it to come out sounding so much like something his master would say, and if he weren't in his spirit form Berserker would be rolled his eyes at himself. He'd never admit it would be a little fun to talk like that, even if it wasn't about the curse that he hated more than anything. Still, he went on, I see you worry not about drawing the attention of others. That is fine. The earlier I use my Noble Phantasm to lay that curse upon another servant, the easier it will be for us in the long run. Feed me your energy and keep me alive while the curse takes it's toll on whomever touches me. That's the only way for a servant such as I to succeed.

^@SSW

Root River: A Wonderful Life!

---

^{❀ Spring 1 • Year 1 ❀}
_{Location: General Store}

---

Xavier's small joy at seeming to catch the store owner in a good mood was quickly taken over by some other feelings. Confusion, fear. Definitely fear. "Oh."

He stared at Luna, taken aback at pretty much everything she said. The half-admission, the threat, the offer to show him a recipe - a very nice offer, but also, a threat? That was a threat, right? She looked away and Xavier laughed nervously, voice a bit higher pitched than he would have liked. Everyone in town could gather that Luna wasn't particularly happy with their little down, but for some reason she wanted to keep something she liked a secret?

"I don't want to go missing," he said. Yep, real smart. Still, his voice had gone back to normal and the tone of his statement said he took her words seriously. He wouldn't divulge her secret. At least not on purpose. He'd try his best. He didn't want to give her one more reason to hate Root River - besides, it'd make doctor's visits really awkward. Almost as awkward as this store clean-up was threatening to become. Xavier didn't think he could ignore the threat on his life quite as easily as the one who made it, but if she'd moved on already then best to follow suite... and think about some self-defense classes, maybe. "That would be good. I'm a more hands-on learner, anyway."

Xavier tried to keep his mind focused on the task at hand but after a little while his eyes wandered around the store. People buy it, the pink-haired girl had said. Were there any Abernova originals in the shop now? "...so you sell your own handmade things?"

---

^@Inkarnate