tvk | ⚓ 003; [video]

[It's the Dark Hour. Do you know where your Rider is?]

[Because as it happens, she is out and about fighting Shadows with no more than a pair of flintlock pistols. Which happen to be a pain to reload when your ammunition isn't magical in nature, so she might be in a little trouble. Not that she seems to mind, based on the huge grin on her face and all that laughing she's doing. Amidst the chaos of cackling and one last Visceral Maya that just won't go down, an ethereal figure about six feet tall appeared in front of Rider. With it came a sudden rush of water, dissolving the last Shadow and clearing the street.]

I̹̟̹̟ͮ ̺̤̻̜̞̼͖ͣͮͩá̤̥̣̻̓̏̿m͔̹̟̥͍͎̟̓͂ͫ ̭͎ͥ͛̒̚tͫḫ͈̫̳̗o̼̻̭̞u̺̳̬̝̺͇̜̎͌ ̠̣̯͚ͩ͋ͯ͌ā̹̟̭̙͆̉ͯ̔̚n͓͍̗̭͔̣ͭ̽ͨd̹̦̹̦ͤ͒̄̐ ͕̪̳̹̘̝̔̾̈́͑ͧ̅̓ͅt̖̮̗̟̺h͎͖͑́ͮ̓ó͎̯͕̝̹͇́ͬͪ̄̇̚ȕ̜̩͈͙̹ͤ ̼͋̅̎̀́a̟̹͕̗ͥ̍̈́r̮͂ͯͩ̆ͪ͂t̺̝͕̱̫ͅ ̫̤͉̪̤͖͍͑̆͋I͇̞̺̭͕͈͗̿ͣ̇͋̽.̓̆ͦ̌.̜̠̺̩̃ͥ͊.̼̪͎̦̍
̠̟̪̙̤̣ͅT͆̋͆̒ͥ̏h̻̞̗̑̓̇̌ͭ̓̚a͔̗̥ͮͅt̹͉͚̠̰ ͙͔̳ͣͅͅi̯̲̔ͅs͙̬͕͋ͫ̉ͮ̄ ̜̦̟̘̼̱̟̏̃́ͮn͉̞̦͈͚͌ͨŏ̼̥̙̥̟͇͒̅ͩ̔͑̍t̠ ̜̦̾͗ͭ̄d͙͇͌̂ͩ̓̒͑͊ẻ̚a̯̦͙̼̣͔̒̄̈́d̤̣̟̙̥̦ ̙̪̪̂̈̉ͩ̑ͭ̓w̰͎͙̲̤̦h̰̠̦ͮ͒̂̈́̌͊ͬi̘̇̈c̖̤̦̣̒ͪͅh̘̳ͩ̏̇͋ͭͦ ͇͎̉͐͑c͔̣̣̯̖͔͐ͤ͊ͅā̳ͫ̌ͯͩͫn͕ ̦̟̱̯͚̭̌̂ͅẽ͎̯̺̃ͤ̾̚t̜̆̏͋̉̇̍͌e̤̲͇̅̉́ͨr̺͕ͬ͊̀n͖̤͖̻͕̓̅ͩͅă̊ͮl̼̜̯ ̳̞̤̟̠̳̒͂̾ͥͅl͉͇̞͉̺͍̗͑i͆ë͇̻̹̰͖̗̒ͪ̓̄ͦͩͅ,̥̩̹ͬ͛͂͗ͧ
̖̇̉ͅẠ̫̝͒n̙͖̤͙̟̮͂̋́̽̆ͩd̥̹̯̳͎̆̽͋ͩ̈́̾̚ ͖̪̼̦ͮͪw͓̜̙̤̗̹̐ͥͪͤḯ̼̎t̻̪̬̘̯h̬̩̠͍̰́̂̌̏́̈́ ͔̳͑ͨͮͭs͚̬͚̿̊͆ͫ̈́ͬ͐t͇r̹̦̬̺̳ͩă̞̆͛n̮̤ͩ̋ͫͬg͖͉͙̃̂̎ê̑ ̹̩̫̞ͪͦ̐̎͒̒ͫa̮̻̳e̹͈̙̻̲͋̾́ͧ̊ͅo̟ͭͮͬ̚n̜̮s̭̲͋̊ͦ͌̓ ̹̳̥̘̌̊e̥̬̒̆ͨ̃͗̄̍v̪̥̫̥̥̈͂ͭ̔̏ͤͪe͎̞̓n ̘̭͈͍̋ͨͤ̍̉d̯̘͈̞̝ͦ̓͋̎ͬͮͤe̥͈ͮ̿ạ̾̍̐ͦ͊͊̆t̓ͯh̟̰̮̺͙̓ͮ̊́ ̘͍̘̱̲̺m̳͙̗̤̪̈́̃a͂̏ͦͯy̩͇͔̜̩̪͒ͨ̉͆̉̚ ͔͚̝̟͈̟̩ͦ̄ͤ͒͂̒̚d̲̜̉̋ͯ̓̐i̻̖̫̤̭ͫ̃̋̂ͭͬ̂e̝̦̮͖̼̽ͭ͛̍̈́ͫͫ.̻͇̹͎̓ͨ̂̋̆̽̃

...You want to run that by me again? [With that, the figure vanishes and the video cuts out.]

[...And turns on just after the Dark Hour ends, voluntarily this time. Rider seems to have taken over a couch in a house someone will find familiar (hi Waver~). She's got a cigar in her mouth and is smoking like a goddamn chimney.]

That was pretty different. Never had an octopus help me in a fight before.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Drake... It vaguely reminds him of something, but he decides to not push it for now. ]

That will do then, Drake. If I am allowed, then I ask you once again, those creatures that you were facing, what are they? [ Because someone here just avoided them... ]

'Shadows', I think they're called. Strangest thing, they just pop out of nowhere for an hour or so, then disappear.

A surprise indeed, to have this kind of existence appear just for one hour then. I suppose that's the villain in this script where the fearless warriors confront it...? [ He sounds quite calm. ] It could have some work, but it is to be expected from this stage.

You don't seem too bothered by it, stranger.

I do not find it a bother, more like I'm looking forward for the outcome. An empty script would be far from entertaining for someone like me, if I may say.

Excuse my etiquette since I have yet to introduce myself. Before arriving here I was under the name of Caster, but since it is pointless here, you may address me as William Shakespeare, Miss Drake.

. . .

You're shittin' me. A writer got summoned as a Caster? How's that even work?

I was a Rider. And my first name? It's Francis. I can say it's interesting to meet you, at least.

[ At least he got to meet Arturia first, if not he would be kind of a bit brain dead because of that. Instead of that? He laughs a bit, truly amused. ]

Though you are not the first Servant I meet in this stage, I am quite intrigued of how many of us are here.

You would be speechless at my works, coming back to life, Francis Drake. Having reading about you in books, your legend is quite known in England itself.

Seems like we're crawling all over the place here.

I can certainly say I've heard of you, even if I wasn't kept reasonably up to date on Heroic Spirits and their legends. Never thought I'd see a poet as a Servant. How d'you even expect to hold up in a fight?

I would not be surprised if more were to come, the actors getting ready for their turn in scene!

[ More people to troll. ]

I am quite known in a different way than you, I must say. Thus why the Grail would seek for me in a different War I have forgotten. [ Not that he seems really... bothered, except for the fact of missing the pieces. ] To be fair, I expect to control from the outside. The battlefield I seek works quite different from yours, Francis Drake.

[ Aka: Let him play God from behind and not fight. ]

Is that right, now~? I'm listening, Shakespeare. Just what kind of battlefield is it you are after?

As a writer I cannot help myself but want to play with this Stage. Simple as that, I do find my joy in observing and moving the pieces from the outside. Just as you performed your battles in the sea, mine lies in the script of the world.

A spectator? Hah! I can't imagine ever getting any fulfillment from something so passive. I wonder if perhaps you need to get some proper enjoyment out of life, while we have it.

Do not mistake me. As an spectator I take great joy, but I was known for playing many roles on the stage when I was living in England as well. I do enjoy the pleasure of one of the roles of the script as well, though I find myself enjoying the power of writing the fates of mine pieces in many tragedies.

[ He chuckles at that. ] Your concern is quite entertaining as well.

Suppose it's better to be a leader than a follower.

Concern? Nah, it's just that nobody in this mess seems to know how to enjoy themselves. It's boring.

Indeed it is. Some are born as leaders while others are just born to follow orders.

Hoe intriguing. You have been here for longer then mine self and yet you have not found anything to entertain yourself for a long time?

⚓ 003; [video]

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[ video ] can I say I love this CR....?

[ video ] TWO SERVANTS, NO FUCKS GIVEN

[ video ] TWO TROLLS, ALL THE VICTIMS...!

[ video ] LET US TROLL ALL THE PEOPLE, MY COUNTRYMAN

[ video ] PROSPERO DOESN'T HAVE A CHANCE AGAINST US

[ video ] THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD

[ video ] OH GOD I HAD THIS MENTAL IMAGE OF THEM LIVING TOGETHER WTF ME

[ video ] WELL SHE IS A HUGE FREELOADER

[ video ] I CAN SEE THIS BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP GROWING UP...