[ There's shuffling inside, before Ritsuka opens the door.
She looks him over carefully, then nods, satisfied. Yeah, she knows this face, and she immediately breaks into a little smile. It's a relief, honestly, to have another person she recognizes who also actually knows her. ]
Hey. It is you. C'mon.
[ And saying that, she steps aside to let him enter. ]
[ A term that they both knew was pretty loaded, and yet... it was affirming, all the same, for that to be the first thing she said to him. He reached to adjust his cap, let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and stepped within. ]
I'm... I dunno if I should say I'm sorry I didn't realize you were here earlier or what, but...
[ It takes so little to make her happy right now. A familiar face, a shared recognition, and she's glad.
On closer inspection, the dimmer lighting of the room makes some things obvious that might be less so, in healthy sunshine: she's got some dark circles under her eyes, and she's paler than usual. ]
Anyway, seriously, don't worry about it. I think I've left this room like... twice since I got here. Like I said, I've spent a lot of time asleep.
[ She makes a noise that's sort of the verbal equivalent of the >o< face, a startled squeak before she covers her nose with her hand, sticking her tongue out briefly. It's purely childish, and she follows it up with another little laugh. ]
I'm definitely me. And you guys would worry whether I said anything or not, so I'm just preemptively saying it. I'm fine. I'm just enjoying not being woken up at weird hours because something's broken, or breaking, or maybe is about to break.
[ Kipposhi raised his arms to cross behind his head, strolling his way towards a chair before plopping himself down, uninvited, and taking in the sight of her room. It was... pretty identical to his own. In roughly the same state of "lived in", too. She'd definitely been spending most of her time resting... ]
Right now, this Avalon is in a sorry state. The king doesn't know which way he's pissing, and if there's an actual clear idea on how it is all of us are meant to unmake this Calamity.
But I've been making a list of worthwhile people... people I can trust to get work done should it come in need.
[ Which sounded... dangerous close to him making a go at conquering the place. ]
[ It's her turn, now, to reach out, though what she does is gently grab the brim of his hat, tugging on it. ]
I've seen kings holding onto things in a worse state than this.
[ Maybe it's because she's spent most of her time trying to sleep off her poison recovery. She's already been asked by Gawain to not go wandering too far without telling him, and she hasn't quite yet had the energy to disregard that. But so far, at least, Uruk had seemed a lot more on the knife's edge than this Avalon. ]
...I'm not saying no, okay? But at least give me a bit to see what this place is like. You know I'll tell you what I really think, right?
[ He should have expected as much. While he and Ritsuka were so... so alike (almost painfully, in many ways), he knew she didn't have much tolerance for his more destructive habits. Probably because she understood how shallow they could be, in many ways. It's not as if he wanted Avalon... honestly, he'd just wanted his way back. ]
Hmph. I'm an Avenger, it's not as if your 'no' holds that much weight.
[ Said through flushed cheeks, and lacking any real punch to it. ]
You should at least meet my tactician... she's an astrologer. Honestly, you'd probably tickle her fascination something awful, given how wound up your own fate has become.
[ She doesn't have any real authority here; the Command Seals are still there, bright red on the back of her hand, but there's no power to them.
(Mostly, to be honest, Ritsuka is worried about her inability to act as support, if and when the time comes. What good is she going to be, if she can't provide a proper boost?) ]
But you should introduce us either way. If she's someone you trust, I'd like to at least get along with her.
I intend to! [ Kipposhi chuckled, adjusting himself in the seat, going from a relaxed posture to push his shoulders forward, almost lean in as he spoke, a clear spike of excitement in his tone. ]
Her name is Mona Megistus. She's absolutely brilliant, with a passion for her work that comes through in everything she does! To be honest, I mostly just saw her as a target of teasing at first, but she really put me on my ass with just how much of a genius she is. An absolutely amazing woman, through and through!
[ Kipposhi did have a tendency to brag about his various vassals, even the ones whose loyalty had slipped in his lifetime, but this felt... different. ]
[ It's different, even if Ritsuka can't immediately put a finger on why; she raises an eyebrow partly, though she's still smiling. This is definitely preferable to him skirting against talk of a coup. ]
Yeah? Sign me up for sure, then.
[ Let's face it: Ritsuka isn't stupid, but she's ultimately a heart-over-head person, someone who only kind of middling paid attention to her classes (and the lectures Da Vinci has given her ovre the years). She operates more on instinct than intelligence, and she admires people who are the reverse of that. ]
You know, you and her have quite a few similarities... particularly the fun to tease part.
[ Kipposhi chuckled, settling back into the chair and leaning himself more into it, once more settling his arms behind his head, crossing his legs at the ankle and kicking them up to rest on whatever furniture was closest. ]
[ Kipposhi chuckled, recovering from the flick easily enough and letting his hand settle over his (constantly) exposed abs. ]
I could crawl onto that bed with you and see just how serious you are. I've been itching to do some conquering...
[ It was... easy to tell how little weight he was putting into those words, but it was at least familiar territory. ]
Better yet, why don't we hit the town? I make good money at the host club, and I'm better suited for showing you the real heart of this city than any of those others from Chaldea.
[ And just like that, the deadpan breaks, and she comes out with that embarrassing little squeak. Why are Servants like this! Why is she like this, when she knows better than to take it seriously! ]
...I wouldn't mind a tour, though. Or, uh.
[ She can probably admit this to him. He's not going to lose his mind motherhenning if she says it, right? ]
...Uh, dinner would be nice... I'm still pretty broke.
[ A full chested laugh, even leaning forward again to slap his knee. That didn't even last a single few exchanges, and he already put her on the ropes. Ah well, point made... ]
Not a problem. Hell, I'll foot your food bills until you can get some income of your own, or get sick of hotel food.
Though I have some bad news; there's not a single proper Japanese place in town. Which I guess is unsurprising, but with all these offworlders here, you'd think a Japanese chef wouldn't be too much to ask.
[ It's partly an attempt to get back to her earlier sarcasm, but it's also sincere. She's saved! Turns out, even though she doesn't have to eat to maintain enough energy for her Servants, she still needs to eat? Wow, rude, having a fallible human body that needs things like proper food at regular intervals. ]
Right now, I'd be happy with anything that's available! --But there's also Emi--uh, Archer, right? It's not the one we know, but he should still know how to cook, right? Maybe he still takes special requests.
[ But that's an admittedly small pool, and she knows it. Mash gets it, she gets it, and then the child Servants, and that's it. Between him and Atalante, there's no shortage of that. ]
I dunno, are there like--classifieds here? There might be people who know what they're doing, they just don't know you're looking. I'd volunteer to help with cleanup, if you find one.
[ There it is! There's (one of) the magic word(s)! Ritsuka immediately bounces to her feet, bright-eyed and eager. If she had a tail right now, it'd be wagging. ]
[ Kipposhi chuckled, giving himself a moment before he uncrossed his legs and plant them to the floor to stand himself up, doing so with a small, showy flourish before reaching to adjust his cap. ]
My Fool of a Master is here, and all seems a bit more right with the world...
You say that, but I don't doubt you would have made your way, all the same. You've got that special charisma, an intangible magnetism. Tokugawa had it, too.
[ He reached to fluff his hand into her hair, scattering locks here and to, his smile softening. ]
I won't fuss with the other Servants here, I barely know most of them, but if you need anything at all, I will be your Avenger, still...
[ She laughs, allowing the ruffling for a second before she bats at his hand, kitten-ineffectual. ]
--I'm not gonna ask you guys to deal with each other unless you want to! I promise.
But... thanks. It means a lot.
[ She knows herself; she would have been a thousand--a hundred thousand!--times more anxious on her own. It isn't even a fear of being able to handle herself, just that she knows how lonely she would be otherwise. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fujimaru
no subject
Date: 2021-08-12 03:35 am (UTC)[ There's shuffling inside, before Ritsuka opens the door.
She looks him over carefully, then nods, satisfied. Yeah, she knows this face, and she immediately breaks into a little smile. It's a relief, honestly, to have another person she recognizes who also actually knows her. ]
Hey. It is you. C'mon.
[ And saying that, she steps aside to let him enter. ]
no subject
Date: 2021-08-12 03:39 am (UTC)[ A term that they both knew was pretty loaded, and yet... it was affirming, all the same, for that to be the first thing she said to him. He reached to adjust his cap, let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and stepped within. ]
I'm... I dunno if I should say I'm sorry I didn't realize you were here earlier or what, but...
no subject
Date: 2021-08-12 03:49 am (UTC)[ It takes so little to make her happy right now. A familiar face, a shared recognition, and she's glad.
On closer inspection, the dimmer lighting of the room makes some things obvious that might be less so, in healthy sunshine: she's got some dark circles under her eyes, and she's paler than usual. ]
Anyway, seriously, don't worry about it. I think I've left this room like... twice since I got here. Like I said, I've spent a lot of time asleep.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-12 04:12 am (UTC)You say don't worry about it, and immediately follow it with something worrisome...
[ He reached up to lightly flick at her nose, chuckling. ]
Same old Master, that's for sure. No mistaking you for anyone else.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-12 04:31 am (UTC)I'm definitely me. And you guys would worry whether I said anything or not, so I'm just preemptively saying it. I'm fine. I'm just enjoying not being woken up at weird hours because something's broken, or breaking, or maybe is about to break.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-12 04:43 am (UTC)[ Kipposhi raised his arms to cross behind his head, strolling his way towards a chair before plopping himself down, uninvited, and taking in the sight of her room. It was... pretty identical to his own. In roughly the same state of "lived in", too. She'd definitely been spending most of her time resting... ]
Right now, this Avalon is in a sorry state. The king doesn't know which way he's pissing, and if there's an actual clear idea on how it is all of us are meant to unmake this Calamity.
But I've been making a list of worthwhile people... people I can trust to get work done should it come in need.
[ Which sounded... dangerous close to him making a go at conquering the place. ]
no subject
Date: 2021-08-12 04:54 am (UTC)[ It's her turn, now, to reach out, though what she does is gently grab the brim of his hat, tugging on it. ]
I've seen kings holding onto things in a worse state than this.
[ Maybe it's because she's spent most of her time trying to sleep off her poison recovery. She's already been asked by Gawain to not go wandering too far without telling him, and she hasn't quite yet had the energy to disregard that. But so far, at least, Uruk had seemed a lot more on the knife's edge than this Avalon. ]
...I'm not saying no, okay? But at least give me a bit to see what this place is like. You know I'll tell you what I really think, right?
no subject
Date: 2021-08-12 04:59 am (UTC)Hmph. I'm an Avenger, it's not as if your 'no' holds that much weight.
[ Said through flushed cheeks, and lacking any real punch to it. ]
You should at least meet my tactician... she's an astrologer. Honestly, you'd probably tickle her fascination something awful, given how wound up your own fate has become.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-12 05:17 am (UTC)[ She doesn't have any real authority here; the Command Seals are still there, bright red on the back of her hand, but there's no power to them.
(Mostly, to be honest, Ritsuka is worried about her inability to act as support, if and when the time comes. What good is she going to be, if she can't provide a proper boost?) ]
But you should introduce us either way. If she's someone you trust, I'd like to at least get along with her.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-12 05:21 am (UTC)Her name is Mona Megistus. She's absolutely brilliant, with a passion for her work that comes through in everything she does! To be honest, I mostly just saw her as a target of teasing at first, but she really put me on my ass with just how much of a genius she is. An absolutely amazing woman, through and through!
[ Kipposhi did have a tendency to brag about his various vassals, even the ones whose loyalty had slipped in his lifetime, but this felt... different. ]
no subject
Date: 2021-08-12 06:30 pm (UTC)Yeah? Sign me up for sure, then.
[ Let's face it: Ritsuka isn't stupid, but she's ultimately a heart-over-head person, someone who only kind of middling paid attention to her classes (and the lectures Da Vinci has given her ovre the years). She operates more on instinct than intelligence, and she admires people who are the reverse of that. ]
Anyone you vouch for that much is fine by me.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-13 12:16 am (UTC)[ Kipposhi chuckled, settling back into the chair and leaning himself more into it, once more settling his arms behind his head, crossing his legs at the ankle and kicking them up to rest on whatever furniture was closest. ]
I know a fellow Fool like me will understand...
no subject
Date: 2021-08-13 04:02 am (UTC)Who're you calling easy to tease, huh? I'm always perfectly serious.
[ Ritsuka is always honest, except for when she's settled comfortably in deadpan sarcasm. ]
I'm the most serious person you'll ever meet.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-13 04:41 am (UTC)I could crawl onto that bed with you and see just how serious you are. I've been itching to do some conquering...
[ It was... easy to tell how little weight he was putting into those words, but it was at least familiar territory. ]
Better yet, why don't we hit the town? I make good money at the host club, and I'm better suited for showing you the real heart of this city than any of those others from Chaldea.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-13 05:03 am (UTC)[ And just like that, the deadpan breaks, and she comes out with that embarrassing little squeak. Why are Servants like this! Why is she like this, when she knows better than to take it seriously! ]
...I wouldn't mind a tour, though. Or, uh.
[ She can probably admit this to him. He's not going to lose his mind motherhenning if she says it, right? ]
...Uh, dinner would be nice... I'm still pretty broke.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-13 05:06 am (UTC)Not a problem. Hell, I'll foot your food bills until you can get some income of your own, or get sick of hotel food.
Though I have some bad news; there's not a single proper Japanese place in town. Which I guess is unsurprising, but with all these offworlders here, you'd think a Japanese chef wouldn't be too much to ask.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-13 07:55 pm (UTC)[ It's partly an attempt to get back to her earlier sarcasm, but it's also sincere. She's saved! Turns out, even though she doesn't have to eat to maintain enough energy for her Servants, she still needs to eat? Wow, rude, having a fallible human body that needs things like proper food at regular intervals. ]
Right now, I'd be happy with anything that's available! --But there's also Emi--uh, Archer, right? It's not the one we know, but he should still know how to cook, right? Maybe he still takes special requests.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-14 05:11 am (UTC)[ Between Okita Alter and Ryouma... he'd just rather not. ]
Besides, I want a proper chef, not some guy who's overcompensating for his terrible personality.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-14 09:56 pm (UTC)[ But that's an admittedly small pool, and she knows it. Mash gets it, she gets it, and then the child Servants, and that's it. Between him and Atalante, there's no shortage of that. ]
I dunno, are there like--classifieds here? There might be people who know what they're doing, they just don't know you're looking. I'd volunteer to help with cleanup, if you find one.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-14 11:10 pm (UTC)[ Kipposhi straightened himself out again, smirking. ]
I'm taking you out for steak. It's the one thing this place does exceptionally well.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-15 07:32 pm (UTC)[ There it is! There's (one of) the magic word(s)! Ritsuka immediately bounces to her feet, bright-eyed and eager. If she had a tail right now, it'd be wagging. ]
I'm ready, lead the way!
no subject
Date: 2021-08-15 10:18 pm (UTC)[ Kipposhi chuckled, giving himself a moment before he uncrossed his legs and plant them to the floor to stand himself up, doing so with a small, showy flourish before reaching to adjust his cap. ]
My Fool of a Master is here, and all seems a bit more right with the world...
no subject
Date: 2021-08-16 12:36 am (UTC)As long as it's that and not causing trouble, I'll take it. ...I don't really know what I'm doing here so far, but--... I'm glad you're here too.
I probably would've gone a little crazy with no familiar faces.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-16 12:59 am (UTC)[ He reached to fluff his hand into her hair, scattering locks here and to, his smile softening. ]
I won't fuss with the other Servants here, I barely know most of them, but if you need anything at all, I will be your Avenger, still...
no subject
Date: 2021-08-16 07:27 pm (UTC)--I'm not gonna ask you guys to deal with each other unless you want to! I promise.
But... thanks. It means a lot.
[ She knows herself; she would have been a thousand--a hundred thousand!--times more anxious on her own. It isn't even a fear of being able to handle herself, just that she knows how lonely she would be otherwise. ]