inheirit

[inheirit]

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Hmm.⠀ ❜ ⠀⠀IT ⠀wasn't a thoughtful hum so much as a chiding grunt.     ❛ ⠀You really don't see the irony in that, do you ? After all, you aren't the type to be deliberately obtuse.⠀❜ ⠀

⠀⠀⠀The heel of Rin's shoe grinds especially hard against the gravel as she comes to a halt just ahead of Saber; facing her with her hands on her hips, there's an illusion of impasse.     ❛ ⠀Did you forget that you're a guest yourself, Saber ? What's possible and what's probable are two different things; knowing that, most of the guests in there can go on about their night. Why are you not able to multitask all of a sudden ?⠀❜ ⠀

An unblinking gaze monitored Rin's assessment, believing it sufficient to have arrived at the same point, and thus skirting a proverbial tug-of-war on the matter. Someone standing guard and patrolling the city, both on the smaller isle and the mainland, would be a calculation factored in by any potential threat. however, dealing with them would be another issue — and without any constraints remaining, the King of Knights would be a tremendous obstacle to overcome.

"Those in attendance have done so with the expectation of relaxation and enjoyment. They should feel wholeheartedly that comfort without a shade of dread against which to be guarded. Should you see any whose mind appears to have wandered, you may pass on that assurance".

[inheirit]

⠀⠀⠀HONESTLY, ⠀that text immediately roused her suspicions. What could the Alien God have to talk about in the first place— running for unofficial president of Spirale ? Whatever the case, the version of Olga that she's come to know wouldn't bother to text her about having something to say an hour from now. It was much more likely she'd just show up unannounced and spit it out bluntly, hardly missing a beat.

⠀⠀⠀Despite that feeling that buoyed between suspicion and dread, Rin couldn't have remotely been prepared for this. The moment she turns to face her, hand braced on her hip like so many times in the past, the mage's stomach does flips. She wants to manage her expectations, not dare to assume some miraculous reverse of fortune— but Olga steamrolls any attempt at rationality right away.

⠀⠀⠀It's... almost embarrassing, how many emotions are broiling around in her stomach right now. At first, all Rin can manage to do is exhale sharply and turn her head— old habits and all that. But she's softened considerably since she and her old friend were last face-to-face— judging by that laugh, so has Olga— and she allows the warmth and relief to permeate the air between them.

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀How about: 'took you long enough' ?⠀ ❜ ⠀⠀

TO: R. Tohsaka FROM. Olga Marie

[txt] Meet me at the pier in an hour. [txt] There's something I have to tell you.

she sent that text an hour again and yet it's felt like an eternity standing there, watching the waves as the sun starts its slow descent out of the sky, coloring the waters in a golden and orange hue. droplets of water caress her cheeks from the gentle waves and the sea air is oddly refreshing. honestly, olga marie can't remember the last time she's felt this...........light. of course, she is worried– she is no stranger to the chaos amnesia has caused. not only for herself but those she had the treasure of calling friends. and she saw it every day. the way their eyes saw her and yet never stopped looking for what she thought could never be again.

olga marie never blamed them for that. she understood– it is simpy human nature to miss what's gone. and truth be told, she's not entirely the same as she once was. she stands a little taller, her shoulders are a little straighter, and that voice that haunted her every step was no longer. of course, the alien god is still here. that person is still here. but rather than a fragmented, unsure existence, it feels whole. perhaps this is what being a living servant was like, perhaps not, but she supposed that it didn't really matter.

in the long run, it was still her, still olga marie. something she hasn't thought in years.

besides, that person is here. she can hear their hurried foosteps, steps which start to slow to an unsure walk. ah. of course. lips are pulled into a smile which for the first time in her life didn't feel forced. she takes a deep breath, turning on her heel, meeting the vibrant blue eyes of what she can consider her best friend.

" Tohsaka." begins the mage, one hand resting on her hip and it takes everything in olga marie to try and restrain the nervous excitement. gone are the colors she used to see around the mage but there's no sadness in that. " Rin, I should say." there's a gentle laugh. " What should we call this– 'long time no see'? Or 'nice to see you again'– what do you think?"

@inheirit

[inheirit]

i think it's been a while, so i'd like to put out a small starter call for spiralefes before it ends ! i'll cap at 3 for non-castmates; castmates can like over the cap, but i'll prioritize new interactions first overall !

[inheirit]

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Why do you know what a volcano feels like... ? … Well, at any rate— days like these are too hot even for the pool. All they're good for is laying around indoors and eating fresh watermelon.⠀ ❜ ⠀⠀

" The volcano in Mictlān had a similair heat level to the city currently......it wouldn't hurt for the Stars to at least place more....what are those things called– ah, air conditioners– around the place."

[inheirit]

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀I get the feeling that isn't a lofty name for a janitor's union.⠀ ❜ ⠀

" Tch at least the Organization would pay me for taking out the trash." she's annoyed. very, very annoyed. wasn't having just one evil twin enough?

[inheirit]

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀I don't know— I've seen her several times now, so I guess I've already accepted it as fact.⠀ ❜ ⠀⠀RIN ⠀waves her fingers as if swatting his own mental image away, leaning forward to let the steam of her cup waft into her face.       ❛ ⠀I have to assume she already inhaled all of that soup. … No, it's probably more likely that she has it all stockpiled in some den like a dragon's hoard. Otherwise, the glass jars would've probably exploded from the force her legs were generating.⠀❜ ⠀

⠀⠀⠀She takes a slow sip of her tea, replaying the encounter in her mind. It was one of several, all of which stood out for their own reasons...     ❛ ⠀You'd have to see that weapon to believe it, though. She may as well have been packing a laser-focused nuke for when she gets serious.⠀❜ ⠀Nor did the woman hesitate to use less powerful shots to take out Infected... but Shirou didn't need to hear about that— certainly not in detail and unprompted.

⠀⠀⠀⠀"Hmm..." The description doesn't ring any bells for him— and it isn't the sort of appearance one would forget, if Rin's account is anything to go by. He really shouldn't be doubting her story, given how many strange things have come in and out of there lives so far— both in their world and on this strange island. ... And yet— soup and guns just don't seem... compatible.

⠀⠀⠀⠀"It's not that I doubt what you're saying, Rin. We've come across plenty of strange stuff already— both here and back home." A brief pause, for emphasis. "... But you do see how hard it is to picture that, right?"

[inheirit]

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀It's good to know summer is something of a beyond-universal constant. But, I guess in theory, you aren't wrong; you can write or catch up on the phone. It's not really the same as seeing someone in person, though, is it ? Especially not if you're used to seeing them every single day. Letters take time to get where they're going, and phone calls depend entirely on schedules that might not line up. All of which is a lot more complicated than just chatting in the hallway or going out for lunch.⠀❜  ⠀

❝ Mm. I suppose such makes sense... but it is not as if they cannot keep in touch with one another during their departure, no? Letters to be written, or those fancy devices to speak through. I agree that many have much time on their hands during this season, though... 'summer vacation' is popular, even back in Terra. ❞

[inheirit]

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Well, when you think about it, a lot of people end up parting ways during the summer— school takes a break, or maybe they go on a long vacation. That, and... well, there's less to do, so people have too much time on their hands and not enough plans.⠀❜  ⠀

❝ ... why is it whenever summer arrives, there is always talk of this 'summertime sadness.' Isn't that season meant to be upbeat or the like? ❞

[inheirit]

⠀⠀⠀RIN ⠀can't decide if she's relieved or not by how empty this apartment building seems. She's picking up the pace as much as she can, sprinting from one room to the next and doing as quick a room search as she can without running the risk of missing something; even then, she can feel the clock ticking each time one of her shoes hit the linoleum.

⠀⠀⠀Some of these rooms are fairly vacant or lack much beyond the minimalist furniture given on arrival, but more often than not the mage stumbles across a life interrupted. Dishes are still in the sink, or even on a table spread with unfinished food in varying states of decay; toys are scattered on the ground, an indicator that Spirale natives must also live here— and could be among the ones attacking Olga Marie this very second. Some rooms look like a struggle occurred, and some of the clutter from those struggles spill out into the hallway through apartment doors left wide open. This well and truly feels like searching for hope in the wake of a natural disaster; unwillingly, her mind goes back to the scar that still lingers in the center of Fuyuki. Trying to dispel the images ripped from her imagination, her voice carries a little more sharply than she'd like.

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀I'm going as fast as I can !⠀❜  ⠀Tohsaka snaps back through a shattered window, little more than a dark-haired blur that flits left to right above Olga. She knows the self-proclaimed President is right, and that her level of restraint is a bane for both of them more than anything—Rin doesn't think she could blame her for doing what she has to do, especially when both of their abilities are drained considerably. Even so, seeing these bits of life left behind... She needs to hurry before Olga's left with little choice.

⠀⠀⠀No sooner did the thought enter her mind than she felt the walls shake. Rin throws herself to the ground out of instinct just as what little remaining lighting swells and then explodes, leaving the hallway in utter darkness as fragments of glass and dislodged bricks go flying. When the immediate danger passes, she lifts her head from beneath her arms and looks to the right— the sudden draft she feels is the result of a massive hole blown into the wall. Olga warns not to touch anything metal nearby, but Rin is far more focused on finding her phone to use as a light. Somewhere nearby, only slightly audible among all the chaos of the explosion, the mage had heard a scream that didn't belong.

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Hello— ?! … Olga, hold on— I think there is someone still up here... !⠀❜  ⠀

honestly, it was annoying. to be expected to hold back when these things were actively trying to kill anything that remained free from infection was a tall order. the plants and creatures altered from their normal state was one thing– turning them to ash meant nothing to her. but the citizens turned into glitch.......

olga marie didn't care whether they got caught in the crossfire or not, but her companion did. and damned if she didn't harbor a soft spot for the mage, which was as much of a nuisance as it was a blessing. she agreed to help Rin clear out this sector of the Sunset Circuit– the infection spread across the water to the branches in no time, which meant survivors could still be trapped. and such a task was not without danger, danger which the alien god was dealing with while the other was searching through the apartment building behind her.

" Hurry it up! Any longer and I can't guaruntee they won't die." because she can feel her powers being sapped away little by little (temporary, she hopes) as she shouts her warning. a hand sweeps away a few glitchedvhumans by altering the gravity, sending them into a ditch. lightning sparks at the tips of her other hand, firing off in arcs of neon blue and yellow, striking the mutated creature that was about to try and rip her head off. it easily turns it to ash, but arcs of lightning go haywire, striking the second floor of the apartment building. an explosion of bricks, shattered glass, and concrete rain down from the newfound hole in the wall and she curses beneath her breath as her companion shouts in surprise.

" Don't touch anything metal near that opening!" that voltage would fry the mage alive, even with any protections she could conjure up. " Hurry– that explosion is bound to draw more attention!"

@inheirit - to die for

[inheirit]

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀You're right.⠀ ❜ ⠀⠀REGARDLESS ⠀of her personal feelings on... the entirety of how Saber's been conducting herself lately, Rin rarely finds herself not on the same page tactically — why should it be any different now ? In one pocket, a gem slides between the cracks in her fingers back and forth; just one of several precautions she never leaves home without.

   ⠀  ❛ ⠀If disaster struck again— as it loves to do on this island— this would be the ideal time and place. I suppose you're right in that they could get up to no good elsewhere... but if I were to stir up trouble, I'd want to make sure all the heavy-hitters were incapacitated.⠀❜ ⠀Rin jerks her thumb toward the ongoing party up the widening slope. Swelling strings from the orchestra carry easily through the crisp evening air, enveloping them only faintly the further they trace the perimeter.      ❛ ⠀So I suppose it's a good thing you're here, Saber. … Although, if you and I thought about all of that, odds are pretty good at least a handful of guests in there thought the same thing.⠀❜ ⠀

Anyone familiar with the Tohsaka bloodline understood the futility of intending to sway one from a goal they'd in mind — if Rin intended to keep the Servant company, nothing short of another swooping in was about to stop her. Even though, Saber was aware even that would not suffice. Leaving her little option but to relent, wordlessly accepting the invitation.

"Not long". Outside the Chateau, at least. Though to include all locales, the answer would have been since roughly noon. "It is a precaution. This gala might not strip away the abilities of its attendees like some the Stars themselves host, but a great number are gathered within one location. those conditions might make this a site targeted, or entice criminals to act in a region across the main island, where reacting to their deeds would be impossible".

[inheirit]

⠀⠀⠀THIS ⠀is obviously one of the worst-case scenarios when it comes to everything she's seen on the island thus far. Familiar, friendly faces are now foes, and they're so aggressive that it's difficult to avoid bloodshed— in fact, she does so only to her detriment. It was pure pandemonium anywhere you went and nowhere on the island was entirely safe unless it was cleared out by capable people. Which, of course, is still only a temporary solution.

⠀⠀⠀She knows all this, but that doesn't mean the smaller one needs to be so damn loud about it. The more she screeches, the deeper Rin frowns as they sprint for their lives. Her abilities are weakening much faster than they should, but the temptation is still pretty strong to just—

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀—Bwah— ?!⠀❜  ⠀A wayward Paimon is soaring her way like a football— it's a good thing Tohsaka's instincts demand she open her arms. Although still maintaining a running start, her pace is slowing down considerably as she holds the flailing... entity... at arm's length.    ❛ ⠀Knock it off ! If you get us both caught up in that, I'm tossing you straight into the crowd— !!⠀❜ ⠀

@inheirit ✧ hooooooooarde

of course something like this was bound to happen. and of course it would be when they were practically out of power. such overwhelming numbers stampeding on their heels meant there was pretty much no option but to run. one arm swung by Lumine's side, while the other clamped a screaming Paimon to her chest.

there might have been some relief that they weren't entirely alone, but for the raven-haired woman, the feeling would have been anything but. between their scramble to escape and the combination of Paimon's squealing mixed with the soundtrack of pursuit, she looked at her wits' end. and understandably so.

"here," Lumine called, giving the mage little time to react before she tossed Paimon her way, invoking even more terrified shrieks, with some flailing added to the mix. "this is the last shot I've got".

once the toe of her left boot hit the ground, the Traveler leaped and used the momentum to spin, igniting the ember rest on the palm of her hand into a small flame that she launched backward. it hit the ground before the feet of the hoard's frontrunners, but at best, the stragglers would bowl them down and climb over.

[inheirit]

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Damn—!⠀ ❜ ⠀⠀THERE'S ⠀no need to check her phone to know what sort of condition she's been confronted with; as if suddenly being blessed with a spell from afar, the horde hot on her trail has gained incredible speed. It's her fault for taking a wrong turn, finding herself confronted with far more Glitched than she'd been expecting... Well, actually, this whole situation was nowhere near her fault— but her carelessness cost her all the same.

⠀⠀⠀Thankfully, Rin's never one to leave herself without options. Their speed is a problem... but it isn't as enhanced as, say, Lancer's was during the Grail War. It was a simple matter to use Reinforcement to her advantage, legs glowing turquoise as she launches across the pavement — but she still isn't leaving them in the dust as thoroughly as she'd like. Not to mention that she can feel her stamina being sapped from her at a much more pronounced rate than usual; for whatever reason, her mana recovery each night has been practically nonexistent. Even her plentiful reserves would be scraping the bottom of the barrel at some point, but if things keep up like this...

   ⠀... Hold on.

   ⠀  ❛ ⠀... Hah—?⠀❜ ⠀Tohsaka has to do a double-take. That white-haired woman she's encountered a couple times, the one that's usually chugging soup or extorting holiday candy... is moving at the same exact speed as her— Rin, who must be approaching the speed of a car by now— but about to pass her as they go in opposite directions.    ❛ ⠀Hey— there's a whole bunch of 'em back there !⠀❜ ⠀She shouts by way of greeting, although that must be abundantly clear.

⤷ @whitememory : to die for / call them runners.

[inheirit]

   ⠀❛ ⠀I've been saying for a while now that this place needs more water parks— year-round ones. But a personal pool is the next best thing... One your friends can use any time, right ?⠀❜ ⠀

" Ah, it's starting to get hot out......I wonder if I should invest in getting a pool...." sure, she could go swimming in the ocean but a pool sounds so much nicer.

[inheirit]

⠀⠀⠀THE ⠀silence feels a little too thick as she leans forward, peering at the phone as if she were in desperate need of glasses. The one with the bow...

   ⠀❛ ⠀I don't see it,⠀❜ ⠀Rin replies flatly, turning up her nose at the suggestion. For some reason, the very thought irritates her. Greatly.    ❛ ⠀That one looks like a lot of trouble. Haughty, too— nothing like me at all. … But bows are plenty reliable in their own right. She's a good one to have. Probably.⠀❜ ⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀"— It's hard to tell who's suppose to be good or not. And the last sword one I tried for never showed up no matter how many times I tried." ... There's a pause as he glances between the younger girl and his phone screen, the original topic fading out in favor of another train of thought. "Hold on—" Now he's cycling through some menus to pull up a list of characters the game has, dragging his finger repeatedly to scroll through the list. Eventually he gets to the spot he needs, opening up a specific profile before showing it to the other woman.

⠀⠀⠀⠀"Look at this one with the bow— doesn't this one kinda... look like you?"

[inheirit]

   ⠀❛ ⠀You stick out like a sore thumb, you know.⠀❜ ⠀

⠀⠀⠀IT'S ⠀not often Rin finds herself this far into the canyon that makes up the bulk of Fibonacci — but she's pretty sure she's nowhere near as flashy and out-of-place as the Berserker. It's been so long since they crossed paths that from a distance the mage almost mistook her for a hallucination, the lower levels being as dark as they are... but there's no mistaking the presence of a Servant. They weren't exactly on the friendliest of terms, but the curiosity was too strong to ignore.

   ⠀❛ ⠀Did you take a few wrong turns on your way to the top, or what ?⠀❜ ⠀

⤷ @ashrain

[inheirit]

⠀⠀⠀SHE ⠀normally doesn't find herself mingling all too long with any one person in a library this expansive. Sometimes, if she's particularly absorbed that day, she can go hours without seeing anyone up close. Having said that, there's a small ripple of delight at being asked in the first place — if there's one thing Rin can get behind, it's the never-ending pursuit to broaden one's horizons.

   ⠀❛ ⠀That depends on what you're in the market for,⠀❜ ⠀she says, resting her fist beneath her chin as she stares up at the shelves. They dwarf her, but they dwarf damn-near everyone.   ❛ ⠀If you're hoping to learn new spells or anything like that, you should quit while you're ahead. I haven't met a single person that can figure out what they say, and there's all walks of people around here. But if you're looking for more information about the plants and herbs around here, there's a whole buffet right under your nose.⠀❜ ⠀She runs her fingers over the spines, quickly skimming the titles until she finds what she's looking for — and then crouches down slightly to pluck it from the shelf.

   ⠀❛ ⠀This one's a pretty good '101'-type book — easy for a beginner to digest. If you want some more advanced ones, though...⠀❜ ⠀

@inheirit

" It's almost unbelievable. A library full of arcane books and scrolls-- this is something beyond anybody's imagination, " he mutters to himself, tome after tome pulled off of the shelves. Ryo thumbs through the pages of a heavy textbook filled to the brim with old herbal spells and brews, internally buzzing with curiosity.

Matters such as these were considered nonsense at home, but magic coursed through this world so naturally.

His gaze is torn away from the book when he notices someone else step into the same aisle as him. Ryo considered the stranger for a moment, before speaking up:

" Have you ready any of these before? Do you have any recommendations? "

[inheirit]

⠀⠀⠀'TO' ⠀my dear daughter,' huh ? Rin is more than capable of putting two and two together — the sentimental inscription, the desperation that's only barely been tempered. There was no need to sit and ponder the serendipity of the moment, or wax poetic about the chord it strikes within her. Really, it was irrelevant; everyone knows that a gift should stay with the recipient, especially if it's a memento. That's just common sense. Returning it is the only priority right now, not the yawning sensation in the pit of her stomach.

 ⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀There's plenty of questionable people in this place, but it would take a special kind of twisted to pocket something that specific.⠀❜ ⠀The girl's secondary point remains true, though. Who sees a notebook, not a novel, with an inscription and decides it needs to be sorted ? Her gaze is far more intense than before, studying the room's layout with scrutiny — the place where the blonde had been sitting, the shelves that form a makeshift fence around them. How could someone sort it properly without looking at it ? Even if they didn't use the decimal system, they'd at least need to check the spine for a title or...

 ⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Wait. You said it yourself — how would someone mistake it for a novel unless they weren't looking at it ? So we have to assume they didn't really look. By that logic, they probably didn't sort it either… so odds are they left it on a book cart for someone else to shelve. Find the right cart and we'll find the notebook.⠀❜ ⠀

The panic and anger Cheryl had nearly become overwhelmed by eased, if only for a moment; finally, someone that might actually help her. A relieved exhale escaped her, but she hesitated in her words.

"I... yeah."

Yes, she was asking about a notebook in a giant library; yes, it was a personal notebook; yes, she had left her most precious possession unattended, even if only for a few moments; and, yes, it likely got shelved by mistake by an employee or some passersby who thought they were helping. Those were all things that were obvious in general, but especially so to Cheryl in this moment.

"Well, I was just sitting at that table," Cheryl finally began to speak, unable to hide the embarrassment in her tone, and gestured back towards the table she had been previously sitting at. "I went to go put a book back when I was done with it, but when I got back... my notebook was gone."

"I don't think anybody messed with my bag, so... Yeah, I guess no one was trying to steal from me..."

Cheryl had been looking down, but now her gaze moved to meet the other teen's. Sure, she wasn't as frantic anymore, but now she was just annoyed at the whole situation. Wasn't it funny how quickly teens moods could change?

"It says, 'To my dear daughter' on the front-- I don't know how anyone would mistake that for a novel or anything unless they just weren't looking at it."