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[arturiarex]

SABER text / audio / video / action "Of what worth is a king who fails to protect the powerless?" art credit code credit

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text

[lucubrates]

Dear Saber,
The moon is quite soon, already high over our heads. How are you faring? I grow worried, thinking of the changes on the horizon.

As for myself, I feel I must report to you that I had an encounter with an infected beast. I am quite fine, the threat has been dispelled, and I am being kept safe for the evening. However... It did sit well with me, to keep this information from you. Though you are strong, I would like you to avoid a similar fate. Please keep safe, and perhaps stick to the city as much as possible.

HRH Princess Zelda of Hyrule

[arturiarex]

[ It's probably the first time that Saber's watch chimes at her and it's a personal message, not something on the wider community board. She reads it quietly, eyes scanning the text. Her expression creases slightly in a frown. She doesn't like the idea of her friend going into danger, but - well. She seemed sturdy enough.

The signature line makes her pause.

A princess. Should she reveal more of who she really is? Would that matter? ]

Your Royal Highness,

Thank you for the message; I have been well enough and staying within the confines of the city. There are people here who seem to know me, but I do not know them. It has been unsettling, but I have not allowed it to disturb me more than necessary.

I am glad to hear that you are safe and that the encounter has left you uninjured. If you require assistance in the future, let me know. I have said I will offer you my sword and I meant those words.

As to the change - I have recently sprouted a lion's tail, quite unexpectedly. It is not painful, but it has made dressing myself something of a challenge.

-Saber

mid feoveuer, memoria intensifies

[ua_duibhne]

[The apartment is emptier and colder than normal and not simply because it’s missing one of its occupants but Diarmuid doesn’t allow himself the luxury of lingering on it. He keeps his days packed, either working extra hours, studying at the Coven or doing chores.

The lattermost option is what occupies his time today. When he finally gets to the market, it’s around midday- later than he’d like but he’s actively tried to avoid crowds since that mishap turned his hair pink- but there’s still plenty of interest to be found. As usual, the stalls line the street so thickly that there’s barely room between them; stopping to peer at one will usually result in the owner of its neighbour trying to entice you over to theirs instead. But it’s pleasant enough. Diarmuid is happy to chat and barter, albeit with nowhere near the success of more seasoned hagglers. He was never famed for his way with words, after all.

Regardless, it’s with enormous curiosity that he pauses beside one particular stand. Each crate brims with fruit- with a colourful twist. The apples are the deepest purple and blushed with violet-blue, the peaches a candyfloss pink with a frosty white fuzz. Even the grapes are impressive, each one glinting like a little sapphire on their bunch.

Naturally, the vendor spots him gawping immediately. With a laugh, she leans forward, earrings jingling.

”Interested, are you? I can promise they’re the sweetest you’ll find in this whole market!”]

You caught me out. [Smiling, he reaches for his coin purse. Berserker might have enough in the way of edible offerings to last him an entire season but he might appreciate a little novelty. Waver certainly will.] Four apples and some of the peaches, please.

[He’s still tucking change away when another shadow falls across the stall. Automatically, he glances up.

Coins ring against the floor as they slip out of his crasp.

”And what about you, young lady? Anything take your fancy?”

Blonde hair with a single lock of hair refusing to lie flat. A slight build. But it’s those unmistakable, bright, seafoam-coloured eyes that he recognises before anything else. Saber.

In a vague way, Diarmuid had hoped that his encounter with Arthur would have prepared him for this but the surge of emotion in him is every bit as visceral and raw. Anger. Hurt. Shame. It’s dizzying in its intensity, catching him off guard with the violence of a sucker punch. And yet while every instinct, every drop of pride in his body, demands he speak, that he do something, he just can’t make himself move. All he can do is stare at her, eyes wide and lips slightly parted with words that refuse to leave them.]

[arturiarex]

[ She's adjusting to this place, still. She needs to eat now and she has a voracious appetite. There's no one here to prepare food for her and so she has been doing it herself, making shopping trips to keep herself busy. Even with everything else that's going on around her, she has to hammer out a routine. She trains in the mornings, practices her sword skills, works on keeping herself in fighting shape.

She can't afford to slack.

She adjusts to the new tail she's sprouted - golden-furred and tufted, like a lion's. She tries to figure out the strange city she's landed in. She thinks about the Grail War, which to her was only a few weeks ago. Even if she tries not to dwell on it, there's too much to think about and at times it keeps her up at night.

She tells no one of this, of course, and focuses on her day-to-day. To stop, to pause, would be a failure.

The market doesn't make her feel uncomfortable, but it's busy and bustling and full of laughter and chattering, whereas she is silent and closed-off. She doesn't haggle - instead, if something is too expensive, she simply walks away. So she's moving from stall to stall, trying to find something worth while. The brightly colored fruit is what catches her interest and while the shock of pink hair also catches her eye, she doesn't realize that it's someone familiar. Not at first.

It's the color that throws her off. The shopkeeper is talking to her, but her neighbor has dropped his change and without thinking, she stoops to pick it up and then stands to offer it back. It's only then that she sees his face and recognition dawns on her features. The beauty mark, the way his hair falls, the line of his jaw. Despite her self-control, there's a mixture of emotions that run over her expression - horror, sadness, regret, confusion, anger. She finds that she cannot speak for a moment, hand still extended to return his coins.

Saber makes a noise in her chest and finally forces the word out, even as the vendor glances at the two of them, apparently confused. ]

Lancer.

[ She should've suspected he'd be here, but she hadn't thought about it. Memories of the last time she saw him come rushing back. The way he had cursed her name as he died. Does he remember that? ]

I did not expect to find you here. [ The words aren't quite strangled, but they're hoarse. Almost whispered. ]

text;

[chiastic]

I have heard there is to be an expedition setting out from the city. Will you be with it?

-Dr. PXW

[Has he connected the dots, or was this person just marginally helpful in response to his housing dilemma? Spoilers: it's the second one.]

text;

[arturiarex]

Doctor,

I intend to be. I am not one to be idle. Are you also intending on going along?

-Saber

action | end of feb, beginning of mar

[manlet]

[For much of the month, Andersen has kept his nose out the streets of Aefenglom. Oh, he grills his Bonded about any noteworthy events, just gossip to keep himself entertained, but it's always a pleasant (and a tad worrying) surprise to hear that another Servant has shown up. He hadn't thought it possible for so many to be in one place without a Master, much less a Grail -- he supposes that just goes to show how strange this world was.

In any case, he does some digging. Picks out the finest wine he can afford, tucks it into a basket, and heads out to Saber's place in his best attire. Though he isn't afraid to spit at the feet of kings, he knows there is some modicum of respect due.

He knocks upon the door and calls out rather cheerfully:]

Hello, hello! I'm here for Saber!

[arturiarex]

[ Saber, for her part, is actually still holding down a spartan room in the barracks. It's not much, but it works for her. She doesn't get many visitors, so she's a little surprised when there's a knock on the door - and then someone asking for her by name. She opens the door wit ha blink. She's dressed in a simple trousers and shirt and she's been doing a bit of cleaning.

She blinks down at Andersen, a tufted lion's tail flicking out from behind her. ]

I am Saber. Who are you?

un: hakunon | text

[sealeted]

Saber?

I talked to Gilgamesh.

How are you holding up?

[arturiarex]

[ Well, she can guess what they talked about after her conversation with Gilgamesh. ]

As well as I can.

Your concern is appreciated. However, I have already apologized to Gilgamesh.

the night before litha

[lucubrates]

What familiarity do you have with dating, Saber?

[ At least she isn't signing her texts like letters anymore. ]

[arturiarex]

[ Well, this is a surprise. ]

Dating? You mean in the romantic sense?

-Saber

text | un: Taru

[seemstressed]

Saber! How have you been keeping?

[arturiarex]

Miss Taru,

I am well enough, although it seems some of my old troubles have followed me here lately.

What can I do for you?

Text, Some time mid month

[unyieldingmarch]

[Well, after her exchange with another Saber...Edelgard is not going to just leave it alone. That's not wise, in her experience.]

Good evening, Saber.
Have you a moment to speak with me?

[arturiarex]

Of course.

What can I do for you?

text.

[battlebound]

Saber! are you going into the wilde?

( read: he wants to go but going alone is bad news. )

[arturiarex]

[ wait, what.

Saber stares at her watch, brow furrowed. ]

Steak?

voice!

[gilgamess]

Hmm.

It would seem that this device is in operation, after all.

[ there is a slight pause, the sound of rustling movement against something soft.

yet this time, bereft of the bright apparition of his being, the motions of the shadows at night are left to the imagination.

still, perhaps she can hear the smile in his voice. ]

Have you been well, King of Knights?

[arturiarex]

[ Wait, is that really...? ]

Archer?

[ She sounds a little incredulous. ]

You've returned. Your friend will be pleased to hear it.

action, cough

[battlebound]

( he takes back to hours in DiplomaTea as if he's never been gone, and why wouldn't he? that's just what Steak does. besides, he was only gone five minutes.

point is that he's just leaving the place, taking a walk for his lunch break, when he runs into a familiar face. )

Saber! ( hey. it's, uh. been a minute... )

[arturiarex]

[ Saber blinks. She really should've expected to see him again, especially in this area of town. She pulls up short with a nod. ]

Steak. Are you well? It's been a little bit.

[ Since, you know. ]

modranicht

[scatmaam]

A handcrafted perfume, notes of earth, rose, ash, and cloves. She also gifts her a leather, knotted bracelet scented with the same perfume, marked with runes to represent both honor and beauty. A note written not in Gaelic, but Latin;

"To warm a cold winter"

[arturiarex]

She receives a note in reply.

Scathach,

My thanks for your favor and the gift; I regret I have only my gratitude to give on this occasion. Thank you, all the same.

-Arturia

modranicht

[ua_duibhne]

[Diarmuid's present is simple and without pretence. He hands a small wicker basket to Saber with a smile and a short but respectful bow, joking that he's never sure what to gift royalty. Inside is a batch of freshly baked honey and blueberry scones and a sapphire blue hair ribbon, its ends tipped with gold.]

[arturiarex]

[ Saber is a little surprised to receive the gift, but she thanks Diarmuid profusely. It's enough. ]

Modranicht gift

[thejoyrider]

[On the day of the holiday, a plate of homemade cookies and a sample of herbal tea mysteriously appears on her doorstep. The wrapping is decorated with a fresh lily flower (actually a Fae magic product, designed to fade away from existence in a few hours) and a ribbon. The attached handwritten note reads as follows:]

Happy Modranicht! Let’s have another great year here in Aefenglom!

M⚜️

modranicht

[peacewithouttyranny]

[Immediately after Soundwave finds that someone had left some gift to him on his doorsteps, he makes his way over to Saber's place of residence, bringing his gift along to share them with her and stopping by at some shops to buy his own presents for Saber, as thanks for being his friend and his Bonded. It's the custom for the holidays, as he had learned. But... he is puzzled as to what he should get her.

Well, can't get wrong with food, he thinks. So, he decided to buy a vanilla chocolate-covered cake and finds a large elephant plush doll in a toy store, to share his love for this Earth animal with her. Once he reaches his destination in his holoavatar, he knocks on her door, one hand carrying the snacks and cake and the elephant plush hugged in the other arm.]

[arturiarex]

[ Saber hasn't been thinking about gift-giving, alas, but she has received one or two small tokens. Perhaps she should've expected more of them. Especially from her bonded. She's not entirely surprised, thanks to that bond, but she still looks a touch startled when she opens the door to find him on her doorstep. ]

Soundwave - how are you?

text; u know what this is.

[battlebound]

( sent at like, 1am; )

are you still up?

lordt

[arturiarex]

[ There's a bit of a delay. ]

I am.

Is something wrong?

[backdated like wHOA to Modranicht / voice ]

[gilgamess]

[ some time has passed since the masquerade and since their evening with one another... though certain of the details are still fresh within Gilgamesh's mind. how could he forget the hue of Saber's dress, or the soft scent of her, or the feeling of her delicate fingers as she had clasped -- however experimentally -- his own hand in dance. a kingly clasp, of course, and elegant: a touch aloof, that of a leader rather than a lover, even on the dance floor.

yet as their bodies had swayed and twirled, as the music had intensified and the others in the ballroom had looked on (some even clapping in approval, at the more energetic moments of the dance)... Gilgamesh had at times wondered about Saber's thoughts towards him. behind those green eyes of hers, just what had the Winter King been thinking? there were moments when she seemed to let her guard down, however slightly -- and such moments had occurred during that evening of drink and song and fountains beneath the moonlight.

they have not spoken to one another since, but now, with Modranicht afoot... hmph.

It is not an excuse, not with the King of Heroes: rather, it is merely a reason to display his extravagance. he may behave himself now... slightly more... or at least keep certain thoughts to himself a little more. it may be that he has a certain thought more towards Arturia's, Saber's, own feelings.

yet.

a certain flame still burns within him now -- a certain red-eyed serpent sits, coiled and pliant, within.

something in the rush of the ballroom... Gilgamesh would taste a little more of it, and risk a little more.

innocently enough, Saber will hear -- ]

This holiday must occasion a certain recollection in you, must it not, King of Knights?

[ its name, after all, is identical to a similar holiday of ancient origins in her own kingdom... in Britain.

how amusing, that. to think Geardagas should have a holiday of identical name. but then, certain affectations of the language here did have some uncanny familiarity to Gilgamesh. ]

[arturiarex]

[ The end of the masque had been a swirling, competitive dance. She'd been determined not to let him sweep her off of her feet. Not when he had always promised to do so - well, not in so many words. She would hold her own, as a king in her own right, rather than be a prize. It had been a long time since she'd truly danced and some of the steps they'd shared were alien to her, but... she'd managed. Earning applause from others had been a surprise and she'd given them a shocked look, not quite aware they'd had so much of an audience.

Although in those moments, Gilgamesh had almost seemed more his noble self than the one she knew with more familiarity. It has been weeks since and she has been preoccupied, although occasionally she remembers the evening. Then there's a chime from her watch, and- ]

Gilgamesh.

[ She sounds a touch surprised. ]

I... suppose it does remind me of Christmas in some ways. The turning of the seasons and the cheer to get people through the dark cold of winter. Why do you ask? Did they have such a festival in Uruk?

action, early white day gifts bc i can

[battlebound]

( ever since he found himself pulled from the stupor of mind control, Steak has... not been outgoing. understandably. instead, he's dedicated his time to learning magic, because surely the best way to counter such future attacks is by knowing how to wield this power he's been given.

it leaves a somewhat bitter taste in his mouth, a blow to his pride to be sure, but Steak didn't get summoned into existence to not be the best warrior he can be, so he'll take this advantage he never asked for.

but more importantly, and a day before the White Day flower orders begin, Steak has one particular personal delivery to make.

knock knock Saber. someone's here, and they're all dressed up for the occasion. )

[arturiarex]

[ She's kept her own distance. That can't have been easy for him and she knows, even if only a little, what it's like to have choice wrenched from you and turned against you. His visit, however, is completely unexpected. ]

...Steak?

[ She seems surprised. ]

I wasn't expecting you.