The North Quarter

Knosis

Knosis

Grumpy Badger
Moderator
Benefactor
Lots of businesses in this area. Usually mostly food, but some other places like bars, clothing stores, surf shops and a few family owned businesses can be found here. There is also a main plaza here that is mostly a grocery shopping center for fresh fruits and vegetables where most go shopping during the day.
 
Rider sat upon one of the larger buildings within the city, peering down at the masses below him as his armoured legs swung in the breeze. Normally, he supposed people would question why some random man dressed in armour with a large wolf was sitting on top of a... cinema complex. Huh. Explained the flashing signs. The mordern world was so very interesting.

Anyway, he supposed that normally people would question such a sight if it weren’t for the invisibility his Master had granted him. Magic was useful for such things it seemed. A shame he had not had it during his own time. It would have sped up many a process.

De-materialising the mouthguard to his long lost helmet, Rider opens his skeletal mouth to bite down into a piping hot pie, relishing the feeling of the food as it floated within his jaws and followed the movements of a process he should have long since lost, blue light guiding it through his ribs and tearing it apart once it reached where his stomach should have been.

Behind him Revenant whined and pushed the back of his Rider with his snout. Letting out a small chuckle, Rider hurls the remains of the meat and onion pie into the air for his mount to snatch and swallow in one go, before reaching into a plastic bag filled with whatever pastries he had managed to appropriate from a nearby bakery when the owner wasn't looking. He left some money given to him on the counter, of course.

Plucking out a warm chicken curry pastie, he continues to munch on slightly too hard pastry as he gazed down at the city, watching as people went about their lives. Mothers and fathers guided children along as they went about their business whilst fresh faced young couples laughed and held hands. All that was missing was the shouts of vendors advertising their wares and he might've been able to pretend he was home.

Finishing his pastie Rider reaches into the bag, only to find it empty. Behind him the sound of snuffling could be heard as Revenant finished off the last of his stolen goods, before having the audacity to try and appear as innocent as an undead wulgar could look towards his Rider.

"You're not getting any next time now." Sighs Rider as he moves to sit on the bag, mouthpiece reappearing as he places his head on his free hand, gazing down at the city for something. Anything, really. Behind him Revenant whined in protest.
 
Jannik walked the streets of the Northern quarter of the city calmly. He wore his usual attire, which was more business casual than anything, and carried a small bag for a laptop with him. Unlike most bags of it's kind, however, it held several things that were not, in fact, a laptop. He had his scribe, several sheets of paper of different types and weights, a small piece of animal hide, a small collection of throwing darts, and, as of recently, a t-shirt.

He'd come this way to find his Servant, and was going off the diffuse feeling he got from the entity. It wasn't precise tracking at all, but the bond between them gave him a fairly rough idea of where Rider was set up. The streets were fairly packed, but he had no trouble in getting around to the back of the cinema complex, which had only been open for a short while so far today.

Once safely around the back of the building, he looked for any easy way up to the building's roof. Finding none, he sighed and debated casting a bit of magic to get himself there, but even that would likely be too flashy. He didn't need any more attention than Rider was already likely to draw from another Servant. With a sigh, he calmed himself and then looked at the simple stone of the building.

"Rider, I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm around the back of the building. I have something that might make your time as my Servant easier, but I can't come up without risking using too much magic and alerting any others mages nearby. Mind sending Revenant to help me up there?" He felt foolish, wishing he'd been more capable as a magus, but he tamped down his embarrassment, resigning himself to the jibes he would likely get once he got to where Rider was.
 
After a few seconds of silence, a figure leaps from the top of the building and rapidly descends towards Jannik. Crashing into the earth with enough force to shake it, Jannik came face to face with Revenant as the large wolf open its mouth to grab the mage by the collar, hoisting the young man up and tensing his legs.

Leaping forward with enough force to clear the height of the building, it only takes a few seconds for Revenant to land with lupine grace upon the top of the concrete building, refusing to let go of Jannik as the Wulgar proudly trotted its way towards Rider, who still had his back turned and was watching the city.

As a small bark from the Wulgar, Rider turns in his perch to see Jannik, his armour glinting in the mourning light. With what sounded suspiciously like a chuckle, the Spirit motions towards Revenant to put his Master down, to which the Wulgar obeyed by dropping the mage like a sack of potatoes.

Slapping his knees once, Rider scoots back from where he had been sitting and stands to face the magus, giving a deferential bow of the head before addressing him. "Hello Jannik. Didn't expect to see you so soon. What's happened?"
 
Jannik watched the mighty beast drop from the roof, but his slight bit of awe was very rapidly shifted to disbelief and anger as he was picked up like a chew toy. While safe, the grip was uncomfortable at best, as his jacket yanked hard into his armpits when Revenant leaped skyward once more. After trying to let himself down as he was walked toward Rider, so that he might be somewhat more presentable, Jannik gave up. The Wulgar's bite was like iron, and he wasn't going to risk more damage to his clothes for it.

After standing up and dusting himself off, the magus looked up at his Servant, meeting his gaze. He didn't look terribly happy as he straightened his jacket somewhat and cleared his throat.

"Nothing of any major note has happened, at least that I'm aware of, yet, Rider. I figured I would get away from the warehouse and see if you'd noticed anything. Speaking of, the first few layers of protection have gone in smoothly, and non-magic individuals will subconsciously stay away from it. We shouldn't have any issues with potential collateral fatalities in the area of our base." He spoke casually, though his tone still held a gruff edge from his rough treatment in order to be brought up here. Choosing not to make note of it, Jannik continued.

"That being said, I realized that while reconnaissance is absolutely necessary, you don't really have the easiest time of it, either with or without your armor. Since that's the case, I made you something that should help, though I didn't know what you looked like in your previous life, so I couldn't make it so you'd look like, well, yourself." He reached into the bag and pulled out the t-shirt, offering it at the end of an outstretched arm.

"It will make you appear to have flesh and the body of a living man, but it's not exactly the strongest piece of magic. I would avoid damaging it, if I were you. However, now you'll be able to walk among we mortals once more, allowing us to work in tandem more often." He stopped himself, keeping his cool rather than saying more and showing that, to some degree, he really did care. He might not have known Rider for more than a few hours, but their bond had clued him in on some very baseline traits that they shared, and he had to keep himself looking calm and in control if he was going to make it through this.
 
Surprise was something that flooded through Rider at the gift. Sure, it was entirely for the mission, something he respected, but still... It had been a long time since he was able to be near other people and visible. Reaching forward, he gently takes the shirt from Jannik, the fabric flooding a neutral grey once it touches him.

Looking up from the cloth in his hands, Rider couldn't help but give another deferential nod towards Jannik as thanks. Armour de-materialising around him, revealing the image of something from a horror game, the skeleton wreathed in ethereal blue light put the shirt over himself, the light rippling and holding the shirt in place where his skin woukd have once been, the fabric bollowing out as his armour re appeared.

For a moment nothing happened, and Rider looked up from where he had been watching so he could question Jannik, but then he felt a small... tingle. Looking down, the Spirit was greeted by the heavily muscled and large body of his past, covered in the same grey shirt and a pair of jeans and sneakers. Even his shield looked to be nothing more than a phone once he condensed it. The skin was the wrong colour, and the lack of scars was disconcerting, but to just see skin after so long.

"I... Thank you." The spirit manages to say as he approaches the back of the building, glancing back as he reaches the edge. "Revenant will take you back. Just climb on top and tell him where you want to go. He'll know what to do. I'll... i'll be gone for a few hours, but he'll make sure to guard you." He says, voice the same. He supposed not everything could be fixed.

With that, the spirit stepped off of the building and crashed into the earth below, before making his way into town. After so long... he was going to get a drink if it killed him. Again. He had seen a bar from up on the cinema, called 'The Silver Field'. Sounded as good a placd as any.
 
Jannik gave a small smile after Rider had passed by him. He looked at Revenant, a thought coming to mind, but he simply looked at the creatures massive fangs, resting at head height.

"Revenant, please allow me to climb upon your back. I wish to return tot he ground, with a little dignity, please." He paused for a moment, made a somewhat awkward bow, and then waited patiently. For a moment, it didn't seem like much would happen, but then the Wulgar relented, crouching so that the magus could clamber up onto his back. A single bound later, Jannik found himself on the ground once more. He thanked the mount of his Servant and urged him to discreetly follow after Rider, to keep him out of too much trouble.

With most of his business complete in the area, Jannik headed towards the antique shop he'd purchased the catalyst at. He'd had an idea while on his way from the warehouse, and it would serve both him and Rider well, if it worked out the way he hoped it would.
 
Rider gulped down yet another glass on whatever the drink in his hands was, body automatically moving to pour another one. Something fun about being dead is that it takes a lot to get drunk, as evidenced by the multitude of bottles in the bin out back, where the bartender had thrown them after he was finished. Of course, by fun he meant a crying shame.

Leaning forward, he hunches a little over the counter and taps the countertop twice, two which the bartender makes his way over. Having long since learnt that Rider was either telling the truth that he was okay or suicidal, the young man didn't bother asking him if he was okay, merely asking "Same as usual?", to which he recieved a nod and passed Rider another bottle of whisky. He would need to make a run for the store soon, as he was draining them dry.

Normally he would be concerned, but the man at the bar wasn't causing a fuss and paid for each bottle before drinking from it. Idly the bartender wondered if he should snap a photo with Dionysus reincarnate, before shaking his head with a small chuckle to himself.

Rider watched the man as he sorted through the cash given, recieving a nod once done, and he went back to his mission to get at least a little smashed before having to return, even if it meant draining this place dry. He could feel the effect ever so slowly creeping up on him. He just needed a little more, and so he reached for the bottle.
 
Jannik walked out of the antiques shop he'd purchased Rider's helm from, feeling strange. Buying the warehouse had been almost an afterthought, nothing to worry oneself about. It was, after all, necessary in the extreme to have a good base to plan from. Buying the shop, however, now that had been strange. Not only had he purchased the shop, offering the man a somewhat ridiculous amount of money to keep the information silent, but he'd also purchased all the items within it, telling the middle-aged owner that the items would be kept and sold at the same prices they were listed for.

All in all, the man had thought him insane at first, but a little bit of persuasion, and a simple charmed piece of money later, the man had been as amiable to the thought as he would have been if they'd been planning it for years. The magus couldn't help but thank magic for making his life as simple as it was.

As he locked the front door, having spent some time putting some runic writing along the inside of the shop before he left to keep it from providing any inkling that it was magical, he sighed. He couldn't tell anyone about this place, not even his Servant. While Rider was trustworthy, an obvious trait in most any heroic spirit that came with so much armor, Jannik wasn't going to even let the risk of his Servant mentioning the place happen. It just wouldn't be safe enough to do so.

Especially if the other Servants were out hunting.

With the somewhat nerve-wracking thought that another Servant might already be watching him, Jannik did his best to appear like any other person in the city. As he made his way back towards the Docks, he began planning his next course of action. There was still plenty to be done if he were to be able to say he was fully prepared for the Holy Grail War. A part of him wished he begun the preparations sooner, but he'd had to focus on things so much, that it had been difficult.
 
It had been a good few hours since Ira arrived in the North Quarter and began to acquaint himself with the local lifestyle. He'd hit the shops first, finding himself a new wardrobe more fitting to the locale. He could have just made himself new clothes, but the 'authentic' experience was always more satisfying - and besides, it was a waste of energy, however minor. His second stop was to pick up a phone (he didn't especially need one, but he figured it'd come in handy at some point) - picking out the shiniest and most expensive model he could find, and using a teensie little application of mind-fuckery to get it all set up despite his lack of local currency. And so newly clad in a loose-fitting white shirt (left fully unbuttoned, of course) and a pair of hawaiian-decal shorts, he turned his eye to entertainment and headed back to the beach.

It didn't take him all that long to start attracting attention - the right kind, thankfully, rather than the holy-grail-war kind. He set up shop at a beach-front bar and within half an hour had gathered himself a small crowd of new friends. Most of them were college-aged or a little older, tourists for the most part, in groups of two or three. It only took a few moments of inviting eye contact to lure over the first group, and once he got talking, it was easy enough to pull more in when they came to get drinks. His charisma was something that came easily after several millennia of practice charming the pants off (in some cases literally) of people to get his way.

Time passed quickly in a mix of flirting, drinking and laughing, and Ira basked in the various affections of his audience. Eventually, though, he decided he'd had enough of the beach as the evening started to approach, and announced his intent to head inland to find a bar or a club.

And that was how he ended up returning to the North Quarter with a pair of new friends in tow - a shy blonde boy called Arthur, and a feisty redheaded girl called Flo. He had his arms looped through theirs and was chatting happily away, up until the point where he first picked up on another servant's presence. He paused mid-sentence, tilting his head curiously at the at-once familiar and unfamiliar awareness.

"Uh, Ira?" Flo nudged him in the side. "Everything alright?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, all's good," he replied with a grin. "C'mon, let's head this way."

Banking on the rules of the war being enough to keep another servant attacking in the middle of a crowded public place, Ira veered towards the source of the energy. There were a few confused protests from Flo at the sudden change of direction, but he played it off as knowing a good place to head to. His search didn't last long before he arrived outside the door of a bar: 'The Silver Field'. He grinned - it seemed he wasn't the only servant around with a taste for mortal pleasures. Confident in the 'protection' that the relatively bustling establishment provided, he headed inside without a second thought.

Once in, Ira cast his eyes around with interest, taking in the bar's atmosphere. It was well-lit and spacious, but the wood and decor gave it a pleasantly old-timey feel to it despite the modern music and the well-sized dance floor. Not a bad place. It was no Monster Mash, that was for sure, but where was? Humming his appreciation, he made his way over to the bar with a practised nonchalance, paying no immediate attention to the giant of a man sat a few places to the right, who it was clear was the servant that he had sensed.

"So, what can I get you, my lovely companions?" he asked his new friends with a charming grin and a flick of his hair, propping himself up against the bar counter. Once the two had given him their requests, he turned to the bartender and made the order, before adding to the end: "... and another round of whatever my ripped-as-hell friend over there is drinking, because man he looks determined to get trashed, and I feel obliged to assist."

Paying little mind to the confusion of the bartender, Ira finally turned his gaze onto Rider, flashing him a smile once he'd made eye contact. "So, big guy... sup?"
 
He had felt the presence a while back, and for a moment Rider had been prepared to leave once it veered towards him. He almost had, until he remembered that with this many people around the spirit couldn't risk attacking. Plus, there had been the off chance they weren't actually hostile. Which seemed to be the case, he realised as his fellow spirit both bought him a drink (something all men appreciated) and tried to strike up a conversation with him.

Looking down at the seemingly young man, he couldn't help but compare his body with the one before him. It was almost parody, the gulf of difference between the two. Rider was willing to bet that if he smiled like that at someone, they might think their life in danger.

Looking back down at his cup, he takes one final gulp from it, emptying the glass as the smooth liquid trickles theough his body and was almost immediately torn apart by his slowly weakening internal magic. He could feel the pull of the alcohol more strongly now as the constant barrage of toxins ever so slowly wore down his barriers.

Looking towards the spirit once again, he finds himself smiling just a little. "Just getting a few drinks." He says, painfully aware of how his voice sounds as he shakes the glass in his hands for emphasis. "It's been a while since my last, and this place has some pretty strong stuff. I'm sure you get it." He nods in thanks at the midday bartender as she poured him another glass before resuming to stare at the newcomer.
 
Ira half-quirked an eyebrow when the other servant spoke and what emerged from his mouth was like stone scraping on gravel. It was somewhere between a rasp and a snarl, and with none of the friendliness of either. Still, he'd heard stranger voices before today, so he wasn't about to let it phase him. "Oh yeah, I get it," he answered with a chuckle. To the far side of him, his two companions gawped a little at the giant man and his somewhat terrifying voice, but stopped themselves staring after a moment when it was clear Ira wasn't bothered. A few moments later, the round of drinks arrived. Hesitating for a moment, Ira turned back to his human friends for a moment. "Hey, you guys, you want to wait for me in a booth over there? I won't be too long."

It seemed as though they were about to question his abrupt interest in this stranger, but before they did, Ira's eyes subtly flashed a slightly brighter gold. Turned away as he was from Rider, the other servant likely wouldn't notice, but he might feel the passing of some notably weak magic as the pair paused before speaking and simply nodded.

"Sure thing," Flo said, smiling. "C'mon Arty," she went on, motioning for the boy to follow her. He nodded, giving Ira his own smile and a small wave before the pair headed across the bar to set up in a booth.

Turning his attention back to the other servant, Ira grinned once more. "Well, pleasure to meet you, friend," he said, sticking out a hand to offer Rider to shake. "Name's Ira. And what should I call you?"
 
Rider breathed in, looking at Ira's face as he gauged the spirit, his companions obeying his orders near mindlessly. To give one's name out was a large step of trust, and to say it threw him off balance when this complete stranger just told him his would be an understatement. For a moment, he was tempted to deny him his request or even lie. He quelled those dishonourable thoughts quickly.

However, it wouldn't do to freely give his name out. Ira could be a codename or even just part of one. If that was so, it would do to simply give part of his in return. At least keep up the pretense of being subtle until his first battle and Revenant arrived. Something told him that not many heroes had giant wolves.

Reaching forward, Rider grasps the far smaller hand in a powerful grip, smiling at Ira. "Call me Mag. It's good to meet a fellow spirit, it both senses of the word." He says as cheerily as he could, releasing Ira's hand once he had deemed it long enough and returning to his drink.

Taking a sip, he looks towards Ira. "So, liking yours?"
 
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Valerie said nothing to Saber's small apology. It was clear the girl was coming down from the adrenaline that had pushed her through the day, and now she was turning numb to her grief. She said nothing as the servant guided them through into a northern city, though she gripped the seat rest tightly.

Her world had shifted in an instant. She had returned from the southern mountains hopeful, full questions and excitement for the task she'd soon get to complete. Now she felt nothing at all, and she had more questions than ever before. But she was still in the war. Her life purpose, at least, had not been stripped from her. Only the people that could guide her through it.

She glanced up at Saber as they lurched to a halt, her brows pinching. "I take it there were no cars in the afterlife," she mused. She stepped out, glancing carefully over her shoulder before jerking her chin for Saber to follow her in. "I would like to think any tail we might have had leaving the house was lost in those streets. Can't be too careful though, scope this place out?" Once Saber was gone she took a deep breath to steady herself and ran a hand through her disheveled hair. Gauchever's don't back down.

She went to check them in with what dwindling money she had on hand. She could have hired a car to bring her home once she had made it to the base of the mountains, but instead she opted for her own two feet. It had felt really good to stretch her legs on flat land, and she had been in no particular rush to go through the daunting task of meeting her family again for the first time. Her dalliance had likely saved her life. And it left her the small bit of cash she used to buy them the room for the night. She had enough to keep them going for another day, maybe two more. And then she'd have to figure something out.

She slowly dragged herself up the carpeted steps, glancing over her shoulder before turning towards the right room door and letting herself in. "Lady?" she called out.
 
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Lady exited the vehicle, stowing the keys in the pocket of her black jeans. The place looked reputable enough with a small guard..no..bellhop at the door... and a clean lobby manned by a quiet clerk. At her Mistress' words, she nodded. "I do not think we were followed, but it would be wise to scout. Find a room and speak to no one unless necessary. I will return."

With that, she dissipated into the morning light and scoped out the lobby first, tailing her mistress. No one was occupying the sitting area or the bar, and there were no strange presences to speak of as Valerie paid for herself a room. There were no presences in any of the floors either. At least none made by any of the other servants. Lady went further to the roof for a moment, and looked out over the city they had come to. The immediate area seemed to be for business and market. It was a far cry from the market areas of her own land. While they were large and plentiful, the human world bizarre lacked the sort of character she was used to. Focusing, she could feel a glimmer of something powerful. It sat ever so faintly at the edges of her instinct. Something was out there, not close, but there nonetheless. Noting the lay out of their area, she returned to find Valerie walking down a hallway on the 4th floor.

"Lady?"

Lady heard the call of her name from down the hall but did not re-materialize herself. It would be best for anyone watching, even casually to believe that Valerie was in the room alone. Only one woman coming and one woman going was less noticeable than two. Yes, Mistress? she replied, her voice echoing in the mind of the woman. The area is clear, but I do feel a presence far from the building.

Valerie glanced around... then relaxed, nodding to the air. She closed her room door behind her, a small sense of relief lightening her tension. "Another participant in the war, maybe? Help me ward? I don't want them finding us." She stalked throughout the room, opening doors and looking under furniture.

Once Valerie was safe inside the room, Lady made her herself know, filtering into view in front of the woman. A look of concern etched on her face as she stepped forward. It was worrisome that her mistress could not ward her own keep. " Apologies, but I am no Caster, Mistress. Are there no spells of protection in your training?"

Valerie shot her a sharp, weary look. "Of course there are. I just assumed you had them too." Her need to rest was becoming more pressing, but she pushed it back. She huffed to herself as she walked the room, mumbling under her breath. The wards went up. She pulled off her ashy long-sleeve shirt, revealing a more comfortable undershirt, unstained by soot. The command seals shone against her clean collarbone. She brought herself to the bathroom, grabbing a towel and turning on the sink. "What can you do then?" she eyed the servant in the mirror, wetting the towel before bringing it to her face.

It was sharp words coming the girl who had asked her not 2 hours before what she was meant to do in the Holy Grail War. Lady raised a challenging brow at her Mistress while the woman cleaned herself off. The temptation to make a staunch point flickered in her mind, but she realized that Valerie was still staggering from a terrible loss. "Win the Grail and keep you alive long enough to use it," Lady replied with a cool edge to her voice. Valerie put the towel to her face and she waited until that was done before grabbing her shoulder. Spinning her Mistress to look her in the eye Lady gave her a hard gaze back. "To do that you must trust in my abilities, even if I do not tell you what they are until the the time comes. There is no room for doubt in this war, least of all in me." Having made her point, Lady's eyes softened and her grip loosened.

Valerie yanked back, a hard look being leveled up at Lady as she made her point. "Trust is a two way street, how can I prepare for what I've barely been informed about if I don't even know what my partner is capable of? Or who I'm going up against?" Her voice was rising, past a reasonable level. But Lady was right to assume that her temperament was coming from today's events. Still, she couldn't calm herself, snapping. "There's a person out there that knew my family's intentions. Which means they know of me, while I do not know of them. They murdered my whole family just to get a place in this war and they will not be pleased to discovered I still made it through. They could know everything about me while I sit here, blind and dumb. And you ask me to simply trust that you'll pull through? No. I am not a child. I will not follow orders. I need answers, I need to be prepared, I-" A sharp burst of fire erupted in her fist. She clenched it, putting it out. She took a deep breath, speaking through her teeth. "You ask for too much trust when I do not even know your name. I could die. This is not a time for boundaries, you must trust in me too."

A little smile came over Lady's face and she gave a Valerie a bow, her long braid sweeping over her shoulder, before rising again. "That is the attitude of a woman who will win this war," she stated without a hint of offense, "You could die and I could never redeem myself, but as a team we can avoid that. I can assure you, Mistress we will find the one who killed your family. I have sworn my soul to that end. " She picked up the cloth from the sink and offered it to Valerie. "And I do trust you, I would never have sworn the gifts of my blade to you if I did not." Lady backed away from the room and let the woman finish cleaning off, standing at the ready. When she emerged from the bathroom, Lady nodded. "I await your instructions."

Oh. Valerie slowly closed the door, realizing the servant had intended to rally her out of her self-pity. And rightly so... This was not a time to mourn, this was the war. Finally, it was happening. She could cry over her lost future later. She had work to do. She bathed, taking her clothes with her in the shower and washing the soot from them too. It would be best to not stick out. She was hoping her long seclusion would make her hard to identify out in the busy streets of the city. She left her clothing hanging to dry on hooks in the bathroom, her wet hair braided down her back as she came back out in undergarments and a towel. She nodded back at Lady. "This place is secured for now, but I worry about the presence you felt off in the distance. Do you think you check it out without falling into danger?"

Valerie was right to want to investigate the presence, and Lady gave a brief nod of approval. "If it is another servant it will be difficult to tell how they will react to my presence. If they attack, I am more than capable of defending myself, unless you would prefer I return to you and do not engage." In her opinion it was far too early to engage in a fight unless she was forced to do so in defense of her mistress.

"No," Valerie said without hesitation. "Gather what information you can. Then disengage and come back. We're not ready for this yet. I have questions I still need answered." She flopped onto the bed, pulling out her spare money and holding it out towards Lady. "See to your own needs, and perhaps to the car? I would like to visit a certain library tomorrow, if our circumstance allow it. I don't know enough, but I plan on rectifying that. We will not walk into this blind.

"Aye, I will see that it is done, Mistress," she replied, taking the currency, "Should you be in an emergency, and you absolutely must...call on me with with a command seal and I will come." On her way out of the door, she took a glance back at Valerie. She had lost everything in a single day and it was a hard thing to face for anyone. She was all to aware of what it was like to have the things you held dear stripped away. Pushing those sorts of thoughts from her head, Lady started out on her own.

First, she put the car in a space designated for the hotel, though her parking job was less than spectacular, it was within the lines...mostly. After that, she began Shops were opening and cars were passing by as she walked down the avenues. Things were so different, even the air smelled strange. She wandered through shops, simply looking and remembering while she scouted for the presence she had felt in the early hours of the morning. A boy ran past, ignoring his mother's calls for him to slow down, and tripped on the curb. Lady's lunged forward and caught him by a handful of his t-shirt. "Easy," she chuckled. She wasn't about to tell the boy not to run. Life was too short not run and see all there was to see in it. Setting the boy to his feet, she gave him a little smile and kept going along her way.

Scouting and window shopping ate away the hours until the same tickling presence appeared. Was it this servant who was stolen or another of the 7? Her mistress had instructed her to investigate and so she would. Walking toward the source, she followed the feeling as it grew in the back of her mind until she stood outside a small bar. The Silver Field. If it was a servant inside, they would have undoubtedly felt her own presence as well. There was no point in hesitating. Grabbing the handle, Lady pulled open the heavy door and stepped in. The inside appeared like every other tavern she had seen in both the human and her own world, but it was also empty save for a few people. Most of them were sitting at the bar and of those two stood out. A large man with brown hair, and another much smaller to his left. Walking casually over to the bar, she selected a stool to the right of the larger man and climbed it, feeling that there was no move for hostility yet. With a sweep of her honey-colored braid, Lady nodded to the bar keep. "I will have a drink of what this fellow is having," she said quietly, before catching the eye of the servant next to her, "It is a fair day for a drink, even so early, would you not agree?"
 
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The old man had somehow ensconced with another leather jacket and dark tank top big enough to fit over his massive shoulders, and jeans. He grumbled at the mirror, but he had noticed that he was beginning to scare the locals walking around with nothing for a top. His search for the boy, however, had not been fruitful so far. Even the servants had been a scarce presence since his meeting with Archer.

Well, this evening changed that.

His weathered gaze turned towards the presence of not just one servant, but three. "Well.. Guess tha' simplifies things.." He muttered, starting for the direction where they had gathered.
 
Ira gave a contemplative glance at his drink at Mag's question - he'd ordered a tropical and somewhat excessively colourful cocktail, and a small paper umbrella stuck out of it cheerfully along with a slice of pineapple. "It's not bad," he remarked. "Doesn't hold a candle to the stuff from back home, but there's not a Coop everywhere, I guess. He was one hell of a bartender... Amongst other things." A playful smile danced across Ira's face for a moment before his thoughts returned to the present.

He quirked his eyebrow then, glancing over his shoulder in the direction of the door. "Huh, feels like we might have more company pretty soon. Wonder if they'll be as civil as us." He cast a grin back at Mag. "Well, before they show up and potentially crash the party, how're you finding this place? The world, I mean. It seems kinda weird to me. The way things work, the grail, the 'monsters'... it's a lot different to back home, at least for me."

The conversation between Ira and Mag continued for a while after that question, exchanging idle chit chat for the most part without much of significance - seemingly by intent. It wasn't all that long, however, before the third servant joined them.

Ira peered past Mag at the new girl, propping himself up on the bar with one elbow in such a way that his shirt hung open a little to show off (he couldn't help but peacock, it was in his nature!) and nudging the larger man in the side. "Tch, you're stealing the attention of the pretty ladies from me, Mag, that's foul play," he remarked, casting Lady a grin. His unnatural golden eyes twinkled playfully as he raised his drink in a greeting. "A fair day it is," he replied to her. "And it just got a little fairer, I'd say," he added with a wink.
 
Rider preemptively finishes off his whisky as the new heroic spirit, a woman curiously dressed in armour, sat to his right. Idly he wondered if there was some sort of special pull he had, to lure such beings to him when he decided to relax and not when he had been on watch.

Looking down at the woman, he stays silent as Ira spoke to him, analysing her. To see a woman in armour... it brought back old memories. He could count the number of successful female knights of his time on a singlr hand, and for this one to be what she is, she must have succeeded fantastically. A sense of respect welled up inside of him.

After a few seconds of silence after she had posed her question to him, Rider supposed it would be rude not to respond. "Aye, that it is. It's been a while since i've had a drink." He responds, smiling as the bartender simply gave the two of them the rest of the bottle to split between them. Reaching forward, he poured himself a new glass, before silently offering to do the same for the newcomer.

"And what do we call you? I go by Mag, and this is... well, I feel he may want to introduce himself."
 
Lady reached for a glass and noted her armor had returned rather than her travel attire. A slip of her concentration? No. Perhaps she had simply reverted back to what she was nost comfortable in. She did look very much out of place again, however. What did women wear to taverns like this?

She thought of a few of the items she had seen for sale on the way and the armor melted away to a blue, off the shoulder dress accompanied by a pair of simple short boots. Her fingerless gloves still seemed out of place so she let those fade to show only her pale hands and the scars they bore.

It seemed there were not one, but two spirits here, and she could feel the presence of a 4th at the edges of her mind. For as innocuous as this tavern was, it attracted a fair amount of spirit. The first one to address her was the smaller man with golden eyes, but that wasn't all that glinted behind them. A flatterer at the least. Raising her brow at him, she chuckled to him and reached for her glass.

"Aye, I should say so. It has been a very long time since any of us have enjoyed a drink."

The larger of the two offered to pour her a drink and she held up her glass, allowing him to pour the amber coloured liquor into the cup. Mag. Certainly not his full name, and he was well within his right not to give it. Any sort of introduction had surprised her beyond servant class but these two seemed civil for now. Mag spoke as if he was from her own world, which was, in a strange way, nice to hear.

Taking a good swing of her drink, she didn't wince as the liquid burned down her throat. Then with a respectful nod, she replied. "I am known as Lady. I am surprised to see two of our own here in the same place, but am no less pleased to make the acquaintance." Her blue-green eyes shifted from Mag, to the other expectantly to see if he would state his name in return.
 
"Well, we can't all be at each other's throats immediately, that's just crass," Ira remarked, shrugging dismissively. "Personally, I consider myself a lover first and a fighter second, so the longer things stay chummy the better in my books." Grinning, he raised his glass in Lady's direction as an acknowledgement. "The name suits you - first name Fair, perhaps? Or is that laying it on too thick?" Chuckling to himself, Ira shook his head. "In any case... I'm Ira, and the pleasure is all mine... for now, at least."

Leaning back against the bar, the young man tilted his head back to look up at the ceiling and stretched out luxuriously. "Mag and I were just chatting about how different things are here to back where we're each from. I'd guess by the armour this is all kinda strange to you, right? At least, outside of the context of your conveniently grail-implanted knowledge."
 
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