pullmeoutalive | Fate/Echo's Call

Fate/Echo's Call

[ She hadn't wanted this. She had disagreed with her father's plan, to participate in the Holy Grail war at all, but perhaps it hadn't been loud enough.

(Perhaps, Haru thinks, tiredly now, as though she didn't know that it had been nowhere near loud.)

But with mages hearing the stirrings of a powerful man ready to put Tokyo beneath his heel, she ought to have expected this. Instead, she had come home and found her father, face-down on the ivory shag carpet, body having long since grown cold. But the armor. The armor was still where he had hidden it, five sets of hidden drawers locked with a seal only a member of the Okumura family could undo.

She hadn't wanted this. But things couldn't stay as they were, and only a few days after his funeral, Haru had finished preparations. The circle, etched carefully and painstakingly on the floor with care given to each individual symbol. The armor, placed in the center.

... She can't shake the feeling that she is still her father's subservient puppet, but as she finishes chanting--

The room explodes in light and her hand burns as the lines of three Command Seals engrave themselves onto her skin.

Much to her embarrassment, she's tipped over backwards from the shock. ]

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[ Haru's expression has become a little more guarded in response, her eyes shadowed as she takes Arenvald's hand and rises to her feet. She's nowhere near as tall, but she does feel a little better when she can lift her chin and meet Sugimura's eyes. ]

I hadn't heard you arrive.

[ "Clearly." He smirks, shaking his head. "I see you were... distracted. But I additionally see you've yet to teach your Servant proper manners. I don't believe I gave you the right to address me, Saber. In fact, you ought to bow your head in the presence of a Master." ]

I don't believe you have any right to tell my Servant what he should or shouldn't be doing.

[ Haru's voice is soft and steely. Again, Sugimura scoffs.

"Haru, I realize you're rather enamored with your new toy, but enough is enough. You're in over your head, and I need you to be the subservient little wife you were bred to be, so no more of this nonsense." ]

Wh--!

[ Give her a minute, she's flinching as though he's just gone and slapped her. ]

[ He’ll let Sugimura say whatever he likes about him, that doesn’t bother him in the least, but the instant his poison tongue speaks ill about Haru, Arenvald’s hackles are up. How dare this… this cretin talk about her that way, when he has no idea about who she is, about the strength of her conviction or the depths of her kindness.

He strides towards the doorway, tall and broad with a challenge in his eyes. ]

Say that again.

[ He fucking dares you, bro. ]

[ Haru stays where she is, hands slowly balling into shaking fists at her side, but Sugimura only tilts his head and glares back at the approaching Servant.

"And here I thought the Saber class was meant to be impressive. Very well; I'll say it slowly so you can hear me properly. Your 'Master' is little more than an ornamental doll, for how much use she'll be to you. So I'd recommend maybe settling for a stronger Master." ]

[ Arenvald could probably kill this man right here if he wanted to, but wanton murder has never been his style. He did what he had to do to survive, and nothing more. Still, the way this man speaks about Haru makes him see red, makes him angry enough to consider the possibility for a split second, but the last thing in this world he wants to do is cause Haru pain.

So instead of summoning his blade and running this absolute creep of a man through, Arenvald cocks a fist back and slams it into Sugimura’s nose. He doesn’t put his Servant’s strength behind the blow – in fact, it’s a perfectly human-powered punch, but it still comes from a human that stands at six feet tall and is built like a brick house. ]

Utter those words again and I’ll cave your windpipe in next, do you understand or do you need me to say it slower?

[ Haru's eyes go wide as the sound of crunching bone is drowned out only by Sugimura's pained shriek; he doubles over instantly, cradling his bloody nose and sputtering something incoherently in a sobbing rage.

Before Haru can say a word, the man staggers out of the room. Distantly, the door slams, leaving her standing there, still very much stunned. ]

Arenvald...?

[ That was oddly satisfying, the way Sugimura recoils and yelps, blood spurting from his nose onto the front of his no doubt expensive garb. Arenvald watches him go, fists clenched and frame tense.

He probably would have stared a hole into the door had Haru's soft uttering of his name not pulled him back to reality. His shoulders relax and he turns to face her. ]

Haru, I... I'm sorry. I just... I couldn't let him talk about you like that.

No, you... you don't need to apologize.

[ Haru smiles up at him, a little tremulously. ]

He's said so many things about me that I was starting to hope that I'd become immune to them. But... no one's ever gotten so angry about it, for my sake.

... So, thank you.

You don't have to thank me.

[ His heart breaks for her, honestly. What has her life been like up to this point that no one has even dared to put down a simpering brat for speaking ill of her? ]

No one should have to listen to that, least of all you. You're so much more than what he thinks you are.

I'd like to prove that. If you're all right with it, of course-- I think the best course of action would be to target Caster next and remove Sugimura-san from this war.

... I can't forgive him for badmouthing you.

[ Arenvald is so more than a tool, a Servant. ]

Heh. Is that so?

[ He doubts her decision is fully for his own benefit, but he still finds something endearing about the gesture. ]

I can't say I disagree with you. He'll probably come calling once his nose has healed up some.

That gives us some time, then. I imagine he'll likely hide behind his Servant, but I don't intend to let him.

[ She might be mad. ]

[ Hell hath no fury, as they say. ]

Do you know the true identity of his Servant? That might serve to give us a bit of an advantage.

He bragged about him being a Greek king... so I'm sure if I look into it, I can narrow it down.

If there's anything at all I can do to help, please let me know.

Thank you, but I don't think you'd find too much enjoyment in looking through very dusty volumes of Greek mythology and history...

I might surprise you.

[ He flashes her a teasing grin. It’s true, books were never really his thing – he always left the heavy mental lifting to Alphinaud. ]

But I can certainly keep watch over the property instead, just in case he comes back.

I suppose that's for the best... it's a little distracting when you're like this.

[ ... shirtless. ]

Like...? Oh.

[ Oh. There's a flash of light that somehow comes off as sheepish, leaving Arenvald fully dressed in his usual casual clothes. ]

Sorry, I didn't even consider... [ Cough. How awkward. ]

No, it's all right! It wasn't anything bad!

[ She's suddenly aware she should probably stop talking, so Haru quickly shuts up, brushing a few curls away from her eyes. ]

[ There's something about the way she kind of shies away, brushing her hair from her face that he finds endearing. The awkward tension seems to drain out of him as he chuckles, resting a hand on her shoulder. ]

Call me if you need anything at all.

[ With that, he dissipates, off to find a nice vantage point to perch on to keep an eye on things. ]

[ He's much more casual about this than she is, and Haru only sighs under her breath once she's well and truly convinced that Arenvald is no longer in the room with her.

... And then she's off to unearth many, many books to pore through, a task that leaves her occupied for a good two hours and very exasperated with just how many Greek kings there are. She'd only met Caster once, but there had been something she'd taken note of, something that had unsettled her, and that's what finally unlocks it for her.

Haru leans back finally, rubbing her forehead. ]

Arenvald?

[ Arenvald busies himself around the Okumura estate, perching on rooftops in his best ~~dragoon~~ Lancer impersonation or hanging out on the walls around the property. Thankfully, it seems that Sugimura is too busy licking his wounds to launch any kind of offensive, or else he thinks he can bully Haru into an apology later.

So it's just as mind-numbing a couple of hours for him as it is for her, so he's glad to hear her call his name. He doesn't yet leave his spot in a tree near the front gate but he does respond, ]

Yes? Is everything okay?

Yes, everything's fine.

[ She sounds a little tired, but she'll force herself to inject just enough reassurance in her tone. ]

I think I might have found something about Caster's True Name.

[ Oh, that's encouraging! And enough to get him to leave his post for now. He shimmers into being across from Haru a short moment later. ]

What have you got?

[ Haru offers him a smile-- and also a book, about the same size and weight as the other heavy volumes surrounding her. It's open to a certain page, but she'll point to it anyway. ]

Lycurgus of Thrace-- a king who angered Dionysus by treating him rudely and was driven mad as punishment. He murdered his son and his wife, and then killed himself... well, there are a few sources that say different things, of course, but he's largely known as a king who brought ruin upon himself and his country for his behavior.

Caster... had a trace of madness to him, when our paths crossed. And a very strong aversion to wine. It's just a hunch, but...

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