The Grail Games IC

Payne, Illya - Kaiserpfalz

It seemed Saber couldn't care less about the reasons behind his Master's decision. Lancer frowned slightly, taking a dislike to Saber and his cold, arrogant behavior.

Lancer resisted the urge to back off when Saber approached her. She stared defiantly into his eyes, her expression cold and her eyes darkening when he touched her. In the blink of an eye, her hand was on his wrist, grasping it so tightly that her knuckles turned white, prepared to rip his hand away should he apply any more pressure. However, Saber let go only a moment later.

"Next time you touch my face, I might not let you keep your hand," Lancer hissed and crossed her arms, staring at him coldly.

When Saber and his Master disappeared from view, Lancer turned around and walked past Logan, though her expression not as threatening as before, it was still dark. "We're leaving."

Illya, Noin - Kaiserpfalz

Logan could feel the intensity of the moment when Saber reached for Lancer, but she reacted before he could. Dowth also seemed to realize exactly how tense things were, and he called Saber back almost instantly. The other man seemed fixed on him for a few moments, and Logan returned his stare, although the only thing visible beneath his hood were his glowing red eyes.

After a time, it seemed as if Dowth realized that a staring contest was getting them nowhere, and he turned away with Saber in tow. On another day, Logan would have gone after him, would have had Lancer clash with Saber while he and Dowth fought it out... Not today though. Enough had already been ventured, and although there had been gains, none of them were what he wanted.

Lancer's words brought Logan back to reality as she stepped past him. He hadn't even realized how deep in thought he'd been. That was dangerous, something he shouldn't make a habit of. He offered no response as he turned to follow her, weaving their way through town to the yacht.

Once they'd boarded it, Logan took it out of the river and back out into the port, where he anchored it off shore again. Satisfied that they would be somewhat safe once more, he retreated to the cabin, where he had a satellite phone hooked up. The agency would need to know about a possible power shift at Atlas, even if he didn't feel like making the call...

Meira: Shiyan Fu/Others (Warehouse 2)
 
 
She had chased them out. There was little privacy without a room. To be honest, she didn't expect the need for a second devil's castle. But it was the moment she laid eyes on a servant that she realized one wasn't enough. Especially not after she'd declare war. Meira Franz cared only a bit about appearances though. She only told them to go away. She didn't care if they listened or not. It was more for herself than her image. A one on one talk with her only friend.
 
"Guess I should appologize for breaking your jaw? Or maybe your mind already drifted past the point of acknowledging what's going on. Who knows. Not like you can even feel physical pain now. Tommorow... is a big day. If I let you go, I'll probably do it before the night ends." Of course Shiyan would know from their talks that saying 'if' really meant 'if.' No strings attached. No indication of yes or no. There would be no hope, only relief that one way or another. "Don't really have much to talk about tonight though... and it's really uncomfortable standing here. I feel like I'm saving a game or something. ... Yeah, you're lame right now if your only happiness is coming me being the slightest bit uncomfortable." She casually picked off the donut from Shiyan's mouth, dusting it off before biting in. "Maybe I was taunting you a bit too much. I know how much you actually love these things. ... And no, they're never used like that." The woman who carelessly cared looked down, her closed eye twitching. By now she couldn't even open it without considerable effort, the scar had the eyelid shut. "Well if you're going to spread the gospel of the True Meira, I suppose I should tell you the rest of the stuff about myself. Uncaring acting mother and a father I never knew, I suppose there was one more parental figure. Yeah, him. Drake Franz. The guy who's been giving you a hell of a time for nearly three decades. Surprisingly enough, no, he has no relation to any magus. Just an indominitable monster, the King of Beasts. Ruling, Crushing, and manipulating everyone as he sees fit. ... Yeah, that's fear in my voice. He certainly is the definition of imposing. He's holding everyone together, from rogue magus to those accustomed to the underworld."
 
She raised her head, and kept raising it until her vision reached the rafter. Meira... didn't seem to have much of anything in her voice now. "I was raised by that person. No... I raised myself. He was simply always in control. Even now, my heart is aching and panicking from the pressure. That I'm not doing what he ordered me to do. That I'm betraying him. Even when... I know he acknowledges me. It's not love. That man can't love. But he acknowledges everything I've done, everything I've become. The way I worked from the absolute bottom. That's why he sent me, with a worthless guard who I could probably kill in an instant. One didn't even show up, yet he didn't contact or scorn me. He... probably expects me to betray him. Probably preparing it..." Back to the sound of worry. But she casually shrugged, waving her hand off to the side. "Well, I'm pretty sure I'll exceed everyone's expectations. You're not useless. You're not a grandpa who can't understand modern magic. You know what's going on here." A quick ballerina spin, which seemed misleadingly happy despite her blank voice. "You know that expecting anything from me will always lead in underestimating me. In a year, how strong will I be? If I have the strength now after only twenty years. Five years? In ten years? How monsterous can I become, do you think? Ahah... But... The reason that I'm talking to you is even then, I won't be me. I'll be what I'm supposed to be, nothing more."
 
She hung her body forward, resting it on the statue and giving perhaps the most awkward hug. "I'm doing it even though I could full well just up and leave this place, change completely, and have no one go after me. The gift my mother gave me... A part of her magic crest. I have it, and I'm not using it to escape. I'm using it to embrace the purpose the world gave me. ..." She tried to cry. Not the fake tears she's learned. But real ones, ones with purpose. All she could manage was a half-strangled whimper, her single eye unable to even cringe or moisten. Her personality and everything she's been through did not let her feel any sort of despair anymore.
 
"It's the only thing that... Well, I suppose it's the only thing, isn't it? You see, we have a few things in common. Overbearing fathers is just one. I suppose you'll be happy to know that I'm as barren as you? Though I wasn't damaged. You know, it's kinda funny. First it was obvious I was too young to have children. Then I grew up, year by year. Still nothing. A late bloomer then, right? Still none. Even a quarter magus would have a use, so everything I accomplished to be useful didn't matter. Eventually they realized something was wrong and checked, and the intial results were obvious. Aha, it was hilarious to see my father, Drake Franz, get mad for something someone did to me. Even if it was ruining property, I imagine that was one of the moment where I was happy... and any normal person would be. But of course, it was revealed that I was born that way."
 
Another choked whimper. "Really, how is it could it be anything but something that was chosen for me? Even if I was raised in the kindest of homes, I would still have a twisted personality; I would still have no hope of a future with a family." Despite the whimpers and warm hug, it was clear Meira wasn't sad. She was only trying to be sad. Even a statue with most of its senses cut off could sense that. "Anyways, when they learned of that, it of course meant my value went down. So I had to work harder so they didn't just pawn me off. Simple magic wasn't enough. Fighting became necessary... and magic became more and more useless. I had to crush companies, trick stocks, secure shipments, send them out... I no longer had any obligations, so no one ever looked down on me, at least. I got by... And I guess here I am now?" She stepped back taking a look at the statue in front of her. "And here I am now? Whatever. I told the story, so it's yours now. If you live, it'll live on. And if you die... If I kill you, I kill the story. ... Thanks for listening, Shiyan."
 
Meira Franz turned around and walked away. She had tried her hardest to be sentimental, to be normal. Yet the only thing that made her anything close to sad was the fact that tommorow, she'd have to get rid of that beautifully twisted statue. All she wanted to do now was to get some fresh air, to stop hiding. Well, she could at least get some fresh air. Meira shoved her way past the Warehouse door, letting it be known that she was done inside. Her feet continued to step, and soon one lifted high. A blue orb formed and met it, and she continued. The woman was walking upwards. Soon enough, without a word, she would reach the roof and lay down. Watching and sleeping underneath the polluted night sky, staring at what stars shined past the barricade of the city.

Transition - Day VII

Plaza Hotel

"How dare you defy your Master that way!"

Jamie hurled another glass to shatter against the wall. Rider stared coldly at his Master, not flinching at the shower of shards that sprinkled past his shoulder.

"I was defied by my sister. I will not be defied by my Servant!" he roared, grabbing a clock from the wall and smashing it against the ground. Jamie's anger had reached its boiling point, and Rider's cold indifference seemed to exacerbate it. He rushed toward his Servant, hoping to strike at him, but Rider caught his hand effortlessly and held him in place.

"We attracted far too much attention," he said flatly. "Rather than Caster, it seems we have become a primary focus for many of the Masters and Servants. We will need to be cautious in the future."

"You don't give the orders here!" Jamie snarled, wrenching free from his grip.

"If you maintain this path, you won't be giving orders for long," Rider replied icily. Jamie glared back at him, trembling from suppressed anger.

"Fine, we'll play it your way," he breathed quietly. "For now."

They'd watched and wait for a more opportune moment. And then he would take his sister back, kicking and screaming.

--------------------

City Hall

Dowtj stared out over the city, feeling distinctly uneasy about the previous night's events. Appearing to care too much for Calisa was dangerous, as was moving against Clocktower's chosen. Even though they'd all agreed to this competition, knowing they would be enemies, he knew taking out their representative would have repercussions he could not afford if he wished to use his ties with them in the future.

But perhaps most disturbing was Saber's attitide. Dowth felt that his Servant was beginning to display flagrant disrespect for him. It was to be expected to a degree, given the hero's identity, but still... He could not have others picking up on that for fear of being thought weak.

"Saber," he called, his Servant appearing moments later. "Has Annabelle been checked on?"

"She's fine," Saber answered. "My mana supply is sufficient as usual."

That wasn't quite what Dowth meant, though it was the sort of response he'd come to expect.

--------------------

Payne, Noin - Streets

Annabelle moved through the streets with a swift, unnaturally brisk gait, as though her surroundings meant nothing to her and only her destination and goals mattered. She reached a small but expensive tea shop and entered, chosing a table in the corner to sit. With delicate refinement that seemed almost mechanical, she raised the white teacup to her lips and sipped, eyes staring dully at the passing activity in the street.

Illya, Noin - Streets

Logan let out a sigh as another group of people walked by. Some would say that silence is golden, but this was just awkward...

"You've not said a single word since 'We're leaving' last night..." He grumbled half-heartedly. "Not that I can't deal with it, but walking down the street together without carrying on any type of conversation just feels... wrong."

He chanced a look in her direction but quickly averted his gaze back to the road in front of them before letting out another sigh.

Payne, Illya - Streets

Lancer was walking next to Logan in her usual street outfit, her eyes drifting over the people they passed. However, this was only a secondary distraction, her other senses picked up on all the other things around her, mainly magi while she was on the lookout for the presence of other Servants. For the moment, things were rather calm.

Logan had decided they would venture out again, looking for Rider and his Master and anyone else really. Suddenly Logan addressed her. Lancer looked at him, her expression conveying surprise.

It was true, since last night she had kept quiet, but her anger about Saber's action soon moved to the back of her mind. She that eventually she would have the chance to pay him back for his impertinent and disrespectful actions. Sure, maybe she would've liked to attack him right then and there, but her rationality had won out and she had left.

"I didn't realize you needed me to talk," she said, her voice keeping the normal cheerful tone it usually had. "I thought you liked the quiet."

Without warning her attention shifted when they walked past a small tea house at the corner of the street. "Don't turn around now, but there's that woman again. The one from the drawing."

Meira: Berserker (Warehouse 2)

It was early morning, and she had her phone in hand. Today was the day. She would foil the illusion that the next few weeks would be a simple game. It would be war. She dialed the number, and was met with a machine. Of course she was, she had been sure to phone during the hours the Priest would be having service.

"O-Okay! I'm here in Dusseldorf. I'll... be there shortly. Master Fu. I really hope you're okay... okay? Please rest if you need to. I'm leaving the airport now!"

It was in the old mandarin language again. Berserker would not know what she said, but the tone of care and nervousness was unmistakeable. Because it was there. Meira cared for Meng Yui. It was not love, but a deep want. That want was what made Meira want to kill her. It was like a person hungry for the meat spiced and cooked in front of them, unaware that some animal died for it. Meira left an awkward pause, then closed her cellphone. "Well... I think it's time I make myself known. Berserker... let's go. You'll stay just outside the church." For once she didn't look at him while adressing him. It didn't seem like she was worried. She was, after all, smiling at the premise of seeing how Meng Yui was doing. But... it was clear she had much on her mind.


Meng Yui: Raphael (Chapel)

She woke up with a start. A horrible dream. She had lost her family, she had lost her mind. She had lost herself. She got up... apparantly. Dressed in clothes she didn't wear. Why? Why was she doing this? She could think... but that was all that had changed. Everything else... what was going on?

Why was she sitting in a church, listening to the preacher... Raphael, preach? Something was horrible wrong! She couldn't even control how often she blinked. She was locked in a horrible machine that was taking her somewhere. And that machine was her own body. The body her family loved. Her family... she remembered that they were safe. She would crawl out of this prison... she would see them. Everything else... all of these things that did not make sense... they didn't matter.

Meng Yui just wanted to see her family.

Gedo - Church

Raphael was not a stranger to some of Meng Yui's unusual moods. But today, her demeanor was particularly disturbing.

Almost absently, Raphael recited the words of his sermon as he watched her from the corner of is eye. She seemed pale and clammy, and yet her body movements seemed strangely mechnical, as though operating outside her control. But those eyes... they had the panic and distress of a trapped animal. What could be alarming her so?

By the movement of the people in the pews, he could tell that he had dismissed the service. His usual flock filtered out, the blonde siblings being the last to leave. When they had all gone, he approached Meng Yui with slow steps, stopping a few paces before her.

"Are you unwell?" Raphael asked quietly. "Or was the sermon simply too much for you? I understand that the concept of eternal damnation can be difficult to swallow, but you must understand that the judgment of our Father is always tempered with mercy."

His suspicion was that she had been listening to the words of his message at all, but her reaction would indicate as much for him.

Illya, Noin - Streets

Logan rolled his eyes at Lancer's words. "Not that I'm forcing you to converse with me, bu--!" His words died as she spoke again, this time drawing his interest away from their current search. If possible, he'd liked to have continued in their search for Rider and Jamie Lannister, but the girl was an unknown, and since Lancer couldn't sense her in the same manner as she could Rider, it would be more practical to observe the girl while they knew where to find her.

The next shop ahead was a book store, and Logan stopped out front, taking a few moments to look at the titles in the rack out by the street. He causally walked around to the other side of it and picked a book at random to pull from the rack. His eyes never glanced at the pages as he opened it up, but instead drifted past the cover to the tea house where the girl was seated.

Aside from the tea house itself, there weren't really that many places to blend in with the crowd on the street, and he would only be able to use the book as cover for so long...

Snapping the cover shut, Logan put it back into the shelf and turned to Lancer. "How would you feel about a cup of tea?"

"Shiyan Fu": Raphael (Chapel)

She looked up at the priest. Her words were clear and unfettered by emotion. "Is it really that odd? I'm already damned by my real family. And the person I love like a sister loves me like a man. I can't embrace her or push her away. I've been stuck here dreaming, ignoring my problems. The only way to sooth my problems in this life is to think about the next life. And I'm only thinking about that because I'm troubled. The normal me wouldn't care about any of this. She was brought up by her... family-" The word seemed stuck in her mouth, but the rest of her words remained clear. It was like she was picking them out one by one from her mind without connecting them. Without realizing their meaning. "And only cared about pleasing them. She loved them. More than any god. But now I'm in a dream, and I feel love for Him. But it's all illusory... The care I showed my family overshadowed anything I could feel now... all I can muster is a phantasm of devotion. Even though I mean it, my love for your god is fake. Right now... I'm a fake. I'm not Shiyan Fu. That life is dead. That life will haunt me sincerely while for the rest of my life I'm an empty shell insincere in everything I do."

She smiled. It wasn't a happy one, it wasn't bittersweet. Warm, was all it was. A smile like that of someone who had no perception of reality, who was lost in a haze. Comforted by the lack of anything real or defining. "She's going to come here today, isn't she?" The woman's eyes were hazy, as if the person that was supposed to be there was only an illusion.

Payne, Illya - Streets

Lancer stopped beside the book store and looked through the window without looking at the books. Even though she tried, it still looked quite awkward and she was almost relieved when Logan talked again.

Turning towards him, she shrugged. "Indifferent," she replied. "But I see where you are going with this. We can have tea if you want."

And with that she lead them towards the tea house and picked a quiet corner table for two where they had a good view of Annabelle.

Lancer picked up a menu and glanced at it. "What kind of tea do people here like to drink?" she asked Logan.

Gedo - Church

Raphael stared at Meng Yui as she spoke, her words oddly disturbing in their clarity and sincerity. Perhaps most startling of all was the simple and abrupt confession at the end of her confession.

"I'm not Shiyan Fu."

For a brief moment, Raphael had assumed that she meant these words figuratively. However, as he gazed at the dazedly warm and placid smile on this woman's face, he began to feel that it had been meant quite literally, without regards to what she was saying.

"You..." he muttered, eyes narrowing. It hardly seemed possible, but... there had never really been proof of her claim. She certainly appeared to be the same Master who had appeared during the opening ceremonies, and the arm where he had transferred the Command Spells was missing. But that was hardly impossible to fake. Could it be then that he had been fooled the entire time? But to what end?

"She's going to come here today, isn't she?"

Raphael froze, his instinctual sense of danger screaming to a peak. Something was very wrong here, and the idea of someone with a connection to this fake doing something as unorthodox as traveling to the safeguard for fallen Masters during the middle of the Games was beyond alarming.

"Who is she?" he demanded, catching her by the arm and pulling her close to him, his cold, hard eyes searching hers intently. "Tell me."

He needed to know now, needed to quickly decide how to act against this sudden development, or things could go very wrong very quickly.

To Raphael (Chapel)
Lucidity was lost as Raphael became forceful. The blank look turned in a displeased gaze, directed right at him. It was clear she was not expecting him to be forceful, nor did she like it very much.  In fact, where before she had looked upon him with fondess, now there was bitterness and distrust. "Mei is my servant. ... No, she's my friend." The silence wasn't long before the door opened, and a figure stood staring at the close pair. Two large luggage bags dropped to the floor, causing 'Shiyan Fu' to turn around. 'Mei' stood there, obviously dressed like a girl who thought she was going to go out on a date. The colorful and cute outfit did not fit her face. Scarred with only one eye that looked upon the scene, she seemed afraid. Stiff. The priest would even easily be able to find guilt on that expression.
 
And the eyes of 'Shiyan Fu' found a new target. "You..." At first it was gentle. But immeadiately it turned the opposite. Toxic words spat out. " Stupid girl! Unintelligent waif! You hateful... " The unfamiliarity with the language became too much of a barrier, and the woman lapsed into her more familiar old Mandarin. 'Mei' for her part seemed more hurt at the tone than the words themselves. She visiablly cringed, her guilty look only becoming more severe as she backed against the door and practically shrinked under the verbal tirade. Shiyan calmed down enough to turn to Raphael and speak in a language he could understand. "Mei is a stupid selfish and worthless girl who doesn't realize her place or her actions. She didn't think about how her Master might feel, and instead phones and visits, not caring that she might remind her Master that she failed. That her family that she had never dissapointed would now hate her. Reminding her that someday she has to leave this calming place and return to her..."
 
The guilty expression couldn't be any more hurt or panicked. But when Mei looked down at Shiyan's words... Shiyan Fu just changed her glance from Raphael to Mei once more. " ... Speak. ... ... ... SPEAK." Silence. ... "Come here. Dog." Mei slowly paced herself forward, like a dog who was called to a beating. Shiyan aggressively glared at the filthy foreigner outfit. Meant for normal, worthless people without a single worthwhile thought in ther mind. "Even that garbage you have on is too good for you. I should have never blessed you with my dress for the opening ceremony." Antagonizing words purely meant to hurt. And it was clear they did. Mei was dragging her feet now, cringing and trembling. Her gaze was directed downwards, and although she was clearly taller than the woman she approached, her stature made her shorter. She stopped and stood there while Shiyan wrested her arm away from Raphael if he still held it. "I said speak. Cur. Garbage. Scum. Filth." Silence again until Shiyan stomped her foot.
 
Mei almost broke. All she could do was manage to keep herself up and utter words that didn't even need speaking. "Your family... told you to... not bother coming back... They would... kill you... Or much worse." A sidelong glance. The family had definitely planned something more than simple death. Shiyan, for her part, was calm and collected. Until she tried slapping the tearyeyed wench in front of her. There was no hand to hit Mei's face, and the arm passed by silently.
 
Mei's eye widened and her tightened lips became slack. She just starred at the missing hand, and Shiyan felt the gaze. She suddenly shuddered, as if all of her failures had struck her like lightning.

Gedo - Church

Raphael had barely registered "Shiyan"'s reaction to his demand. At the sound of the door opening, he turned quickly and tensed to react, unsure of what to expect. The strange girl in the stylish clothes with the scarred face struck a strange image, but it was the recognition that gave Raphael a start.

"You..." he muttered, remembering her in a beautiful red gown, accompanying the woman beside him during the opening ceremonies as her translator.

The appearance of this mysterious woman seemed to trigger an unusual transformation in "Shiyan," who immediately began to berate and demean her quite viciously, even going as far as to attempt to strike her, until she realized that she had used the maimed arm accidentally.

But it was this girl Mei's words that were most catching. "Shiyan" could not leave then for fear of repercussion. She would have to stay.

"Then you wasted your time," Raphael said abruptly, having apparently been overlooked during the argument. "Shiyan must not leave for her own safety, whether that is from the other Masters or her own family. You should return to where you came from."

And then he would need to discover if there had been any truth to what "Shiyan" had been saying before.

Illya, Noin - Tea House

Logan followed Lancer into the tea house and, almost instinctively, pulled a chair out for her. After she was seated, he moved to the other side of the table and sat down as well, not bothering to pick up his own menu.

"I honestly wouldn't know..." He responded to her question softly. "My mother was the one who was always drinking tea. I took after my father though. We're coffee people."

"If I had to guess from looking at this place, I'd say pretty much anything you get here will be good though. It's pretty classy for a little tea house, and they've probably got a little of everything."

He paused for a moment and then raised a questioning eyebrow at Lancer. "Did they even have tea during your lifetime?"

Payne - Streets

Lancer, who had been studying the menu curiously, more from interest than actual want for tea, looked up at Logan's question. At first her expression was unreadable but then it turned into something that was close to disapproval when her bright eyes narrowed a little.

With a sudden movement she put down the menu and crossed her arms. "I don't know what I should question more. Your knowledge of history or lack of research after you summoned me," she said, her melodic voice mostly colored in confusion, rather than annoyance.

Sighing, she picked up the menu again. "Are they going to throw us out if I don't order anything?" she asked after a few seconds, back in her normal cheerful mood. "You don't drink tea, but it appears to be customary to order something when sitting down in a location like this..."

Meng Yui: Mei & Raphael (Chapel)
 
The preist's words unfroze them, but the pair of women remained silent. The one missing a hand managed to keep standing despite her grief. The one missing an eye, still looking down, simply said: "I can't." The woman posing as Shiyan Fu heaved her shoulders, taking a deep breath and a deep sigh. "Mei-Mei..." The situation seemed diffused but still sorrowful. The anger had been used up.
 
The one who had been so angry looked at Raphael now. "I apologize for my outburst. There's no one to blame but myself for my failures." The apology may have seemed misdirected, but 'Mei Mei' looked up, almost hopeful. "I will certainly stay here for the duration of these games. But this is a church, can it not also help those others in need?" A clear look told him that this woman wanted her friend to stay as well. "I plan to leave with her afterwards, so it's for my own selfish convenience. But we can share the same amenities so as to not inconvenience you."
 
A sob cause Meng Yui's body to turn around, and she was caught by surprise as Mei-Mei ran to her, tears flowing through her open eye. The taller girl clutched at her waist and cried on her shoulder. Meng was too surprised to keep her balance, and she stepped back against the priest. "WAAH! I'm so sorry! I couldn't do anything and... and..." Hopefully the priest would support the woman he knew as Shiyan Fu, as she was clearly unbalanced by the weight sobbing and blowing snot bubbles on her shoulder. She could, at least, respond. She had no family to go to anymore. But that weight in her gut, she could feel that it would soon be lifted away. "... I'm still going to get the lion's share of our meals thoug-"
 
 
 
Meira: Meng Yui & Raphael (Chapel)
 
It was so easy. It was like tearing through wet tissue. Her face was hidden. She was used to killing without showing anything, but she wanted to smile at this moment.  Even if he saw it hidden in Meng Yui's shoulder, it would be the same genuine smile that looked so innocent. The same one Berserker and Ro often saw. The weight inside Meng Yui was real. Tangible. It was not simple emotional baggage. Sure, she could break the Priest like a toy with only her hands, but she wanted to hear his story. Hear his emotions. Hear his howls of despair.
 
Meira's hand grasped the petrified dagger locked in the shocked woman's innards. She pushed through one body and went for the other, her feet kicking off the ground into a dash. The stone knife burst through Meng Yui's back. Meira looked up now, her eye shining a bright red, tears and snot stopped. The rocky knife was an incredibly blunt weapon. If the priest used any physical reinforcement magic, it wouldn't be a killing blow. Good. Meng Yui was in-between them, the surprise attack would be hard to block. The charge would make it hard for him to dodge backwards. Meira's aim was the man's chest cavity. Should the knife touch, Meira would use purge and banish the petrification from the dagger, transferring it to Raphael. She couldn't see her own attack due to the proximity, but she could hope it hit the mark Meira was aiming for. There was not much stone on the dagger, but it would be enough to reach part of his heart and lungs. It would be fatal. But he would have a few minutes to converse with his killer. Something she wanted just as much as the man's death.

Illya, Noin - Tea House

Logan gave Lancer an even look when she turned a disapproving gaze on him. "Well, most of my assignments and training have been about preventing things from happening in the future... As a result, history has never been one of my strong points. That aside, I'd rather hear about you from the source. It just seems more..." He paused for a moment, contemplating his word choice. "Personal." Logan finally decided.

He flashed her a teasing smile when she picked her menu back up. "I never said I didn't drink tea, just that I was a terrible person to ask about it because I don't know much." Logan picked up his own menu and browsed over the selections. "I wouldn't feel right getting something without offering you the same though. Even if you don't need the nutrients, you can still enjoy the taste, right?"

Payne - Streets

Lancer still looked slightly confused at Logan's reply but instead of inquiring further she decided to answer his first question. "Everybody knows tea originated in what you would call Asia now. And it didn't make it to the are of Europe until the late 16th century," she said with a light smile. "That should satisfy your curiosity."

She looked down on the menu again until the waitress came to take their order. Lancer simply picked whatever sounded least foreign to her. She still sat straight in her chair, her posture far from the relaxing atmosphere that the tea house tried to create.

When the waitress left after taking Logan's order, Lancer turned back towards him, twirling a strand of her long hair between her fingers. "I won't know if I enjoy the taste of this until I have tried it," she said thoughtfully.

Gedo - Church

Raphael had been right to trust his instincts and suspect something amiss. His only fault had been to doubt himself.

As the two women had embraced, the priest had wondered for a moment if he had judged the situation incorrectly. It was, perhaps, fortunate that when "Shiyan" had lost her balance, he had extended his arms to steady her upright, rather than allowing her to fall back against him. Those precious few inches meant the difference between life and death.

As Meira's hand grasping the stone knife burst through Meng Yui's back, Raphael gave a burst of strength to his legs, kicking back off the ground just out of reach of the dagger as it moved for his heart. But the charge had propelled Meira and Meng Yui forward, keeping him from truly gaining any ground. It did, however, provide just enough space for him to leap straight up, catching hold of one of the dangling chandeliers above and swinging with the chain to hurl himself across the chapel and skid to a halt, Black Keys already in hand.

"Who are you?!" he barked roughly, eyes moving from the red-eyed fiend to the bleeding body of the fallen woman on the floor.

Shiyan...

He should never have let that woman into his building. It had been his fault. And now all the strides he had made toward healing her soul had been fruitless. She would never know the peace of the Father, of eternal bliss...

"Father in Heaven, why?"

He had thought that the plans of selfish and wicked men had been turned to good. That perhaps through all this he could reach the soul of a broken woman in need. That even after all he'd endured, it would be worth it to know he made the difference - the greatest difference - in the life of one person.

But that hope bled out onto the floor, and with it the life of Shiyan Fu. No... of a woman he never really knew at all.

Illya, Noin - Tea House

Logan sighed at Lancer's explanation, glancing in the direction of the girl they had entered the tea house to watch. Unfortunately, she wasn't a very animated mark... Aside from sipping her tea and glancing out the window, she'd done pretty much nothing of interest since they'd sat down.

He mumbled the name of a tea he was somewhat familiar with when the waitress asked what he'd like. The woman seemed somewhat put out by the pair of them, and Logan gave her a wan smile as she took the menus.

"I guess that's a fair statement." Logan said, turning his gaze back to Lancer for a moment. "Relax a bit though. The way you're sitting looks suspicious, like you don't belong in the space that surrounds you."

Payne - Streets

Lancer threw him a dark look but made no move to relax her rigid posture. "I don't want to slouch down into these soft chairs like the other people," she said stubbornly. "It will make me pay less attention to my surroundings and this atmosphere will try to lull me in."

Just then the waitress came back to bring their order. With a smile she placed two pots of tea and the respective cups in front of Lancer and Logan.

When she left, Lancer filled her cup and smelled it before taking an experimental sip. Obviously she was satisfied with the smell and taste because she took another sip with a satisfied expression on her face.

"You know, you're not exactly blending in either," she said with a light smile after she took another look around and pointed at Logan's cloak. "The people here are dressed way differently than you or me."

Illya, Noin - Tea House

Logan raised an eyebrow at is companion as the waitress sat their tea on the table. The woman seemed unaware of the tension between them, or perhaps she simply ignored it in favor of getting back to the counter, where she'd left a novel open to whatever page she'd been reading.

He poured his own cup of tea as Lancer sipped hers, and when she commented on his attire, Logan looked down at his coat for a moment before turning his gaze back to her. "Considering I have shackles on under this, I think taking off my coat would probably make me blend in less, not more..." Logan responded as he took a sip of his tea.

"You, on the other hand, could actually blend in a little better by just relaxing a little. Don't worry about it lulling you a little. As long as you're aware of any Servants that come into the area, I'll worry about other possible threats. You're not solely responsible for keeping both of us safe at all times. So, let yourself relax a bit. Unless you're incapable?" He phrased the last comment as a question, seeing if she'd take the bait.

Meira: Raphael (Church)

"Who am I?" She sighed, but continued smiling innocently on. "I'm sure you mean what. You wouldn't care if my name was Baby-back Ribeye. What you do care about is that I'm the Demon Lord, and current Master of Berserker. I'm here to make a statement and cause a fuss. Now you don't necessairly need to die, though I do need to wreck up your place a little. Berserker's outside, so if you agree to end this peaceably he'll let you go and you can run off where-ever."

Shaggy hair, missing eye, and both cute clothes and a smile that didn't match the situation. "With the woman. I'm sure you cared about... someone that had her body, right?" She flicked and rubbed her wrist, splashing the dying woman with her own blood. With magic, she'd probably be able to survive. Meira was just glad her eyes weren't facing in the priest's direction. Those eyes were completely dead, even if the body wasn't. "And if you choose to fight... Well, judging by your earlier reflexes, my weakened form won't put up a challange. Especially with nothing but a blunt knife. But I'll be able to keep myself alive long enough for her to die, then escape to where Berserker can protect me. And you'll be the second person who's face I'll bother remembering for when I regain my power. Very bad thing. And if you don't care about her... Well I'd like to very much know what actually happened. It was all pre-scripted, no video camera after all. You can fight me off or run after a few questions."

And then she shrugged. "Or I can just stop the bleeding and close the wounds myself after you let me inflict a fatal wound on you. I'm already done with her after all. Self-sacrifice for the woman you don't even know. Your god would be proud, right?" A playful girl with no hint of sadism besides her previous actions and words. Her tone was hardly that of a villain, let alone the 'Demon Lord.' There wasn't even sarcasm in her last quip. It was a genuine question, and all the more mocking because of that fact. She seemed completely sincere. She didn't kick the fake, she didn't mock the Priest for his mistakes, nor did she even show regret that she wasn't able to kill him.

Payne - Tea House

It could've been his imagination, but it looked like Lancer actually blushed a little at his first comment. "That's not what I meant," she said, keeping her expression unreadable.

On a whim, Lancer added some cream to her tea and tried it again. Apparently it didn't quite taste as good, however she kept drinking it.

"Of course I'm capable of relaxing," she said, trying to sound dignified. "If I don't watch out for any threats, what else am I supposed to do?" she asked. However, to her credit, she relaxed her rigid pose a little, actually leaning back into the chair.

Her voice took a softer tone when she looked up to Logan again. "Besides, you know, I have to try. I can't let anything happen to you just yet."