House of the Iron Rose

July 7, 2010

It all came from a dream. A strange one, not typical of the young magus’ subconscious. It involved a number of people that in her dream were so familiar, but Sakura knew none of them. What there was, however, was feasting. Feasting and celebration, in some sort of a great hall, one decorated with armor and swords and the artifacts of great quests.

Years had passed since Sakura had shared the dreams of another, but she knew it after waking. It was something from Saber, a sharing that was probably accidental and certainly far more than the stoic woman would ever have allowed normally. Like Rider’s, yet different, it stayed with her, especially the detail.

The celebration was for Saber herself, her knights around the great table partaking in the birthday festivities of the ever-youthful king. And that it was today.

And so the Servant had been shooed away, with a promise to return later – the blonde woman did have her own life. Hopefully it wasn’t too suspicious, but some risks could be taken in a case like this. A few surreptitious phone calls, and the magus got her way to an early start in the kitchen, and a long one.

Of course, an equally surreptitious trip to the store was in order, just in case the Servant was around Fuyuki instead of through the hub somewhere. Besides, it wasn’t as if the Tohsaka food supply typically extended to such things as veal and pork, but some of the recipes that the magus had found were extremely tempting – and not, conceptually, all that different from the kinds of meat buns she’d grown up on.
Even if they were called pies or ‘hattes’ instead.

As things are prepared in the kitchen, she finds herself wishing she’d had a little more time…with so much invested in cooking, and arranging some of Saber’s friends to visit the mansion at the last minute, she’d not been able to find something suitable for a gift. But her Christmas dilemma recurs – even if she’s a friend and role model, what do you get a king for her birthday?

(more…)

Category: Fuyuki City | No Comments »
Tags: Agrias Oaks, Blue Beetle/Jaime Reyes, Fate Harlaown, Sakura Matou, Shane Fitzgerald, Tsubaki Yayoi

June 10, 2010

It’s summer time. A time for fun and relaxation. A time to enjoy the good weather and the company of good friends. A time to enjoy the outdoors and everything it has to offer. This means a good old fashioned cook out.

Shane’s been running around all day putting this thing together, making phone calls, bribing certain individuals or groups, making sure there is enough of well.. /everything/. The IPA Freezers were raided, chunks of dinosaur meat pulled out and thawed before cut up into reasonably sized steaks and thrown into coolers. Burger patties, all beef franks, bratwurst, chicken, veggie burgers and veggie dogs were also purchased and put into appropriately marked coolers. The coolers were put into a small refrigerated truck along with ears of sweet corn and other vegetables good for roasting and delivered to the Relief Society picnicking area.

Also delivered were several grills. Two regular sized grills and two of the monster sized ones generally found by catering services and enough charcoal and wood chips to keep the grills going all night. They’re situated in a semi-circle around the picnic tables and blankets. On the other side of the tables and blankets is the makings for a bonfire. The area was carefully cleared and then wood carefully piled on for maximum efficiency. The fire should burn for a good while when it’s finally lit. And always the man-child that he is, Shane thoughtfully provided the things that one would enjoy around a bonfire. S’more makings, sweet potatoes and apples and enough sharpened and cleaned sticks for everyone.

Two mini fridges are hooked up to a gas generator in the eating area that’s ladened with drinks. Juices and punch are all clearly labeled, including which punches are alcoholic and which aren’t. There are also bottles of water and cans of soda sitting in containers of ice. The fridges have taps on top and there’s a truck nearby to refill the kegerators. There are also empty containers of ice for people to fill up with their own brews if they choose to bring them.

As for entertainment, a giant projection wall was setup on a small stage. Enough for a small band to perform on if they wished. Setup at a good distance but roped off so others wouldn’t interfere is an extremely high quality digital projector and some monitor speakers. Shane went through his promise and bribed the IT guys to supply a sweet setup for Rock Band. The RS playground is also near the picnic area if anyone wants to play on swings, a jungle gym or a sandbox.

There is an inflata-pool is far enough away from the bonfire that the heat won’t blow it up.

(more…)

Category: Relief Society Community Center | No Comments »
Tags: Cathak Lera, Christoph Schmidt, Draco, Duncan Idaho, Kamea Living Rock, Leon Freier, Oliver Eochaid, Ragweed, Ravikiran Srivastava, Sakura Matou, Shane Fitzgerald, Tierine Mayhew

June 10, 2010

If routine was the rust that dulled blades and atrophied warrior’s muscles, Saber had been walking a fine line for quite a while. While the IPA frequently sent her on missions to one of the many worlds beyond the Gates, when left to her own devices she had been shocked to discover a pattern to her day. During her reign as the King of Britain, it was hardly unusual in peacetime, but for the fourteen days she had been summoned as the Servant Saber, every waking hour had been spent in war and preparing for war. She had no need to train because she was expected to be battle-ready the moment she was summoned…as she had been. Yet now, she found herself out shopping for groceries to bring back for dinner. It was something that was now a part of her usual schedule.

A slight frown marred her face as she stopped to peer at the menu of a café along her path, not actually reading it. As much as she enjoyed this feeling of what others might consider dull, could she truly afford to? To her knowledge, Gilgamesh remained at large, though he had not plagued her as of late. But even if his absence signalled that the King of Heroes had somehow become neutralised as a threat, greater issues remained. How could she fight to undo her history if she weakened over time?

She suppressed a sigh, deliberately focusing on the menu. The King of Knights had no shortage of worries, and a cup of tea might clear her head a bit.

(more…)

Category: The Hub | No Comments »
Tags: Agrias Oaks, Tsubaki Yayoi

May 19, 2010

Getting back into a ‘normal’ work schedule after quite literally weeks of not working was harder than Ravi would have suspected. The fleeting, concerned looks from her staff were easy enough to ignore, and with enough time and concentration she could recall what she’d been doing before things had.. gotten strange… and then prioritize what needs to be finished. But she found her concentration difficult to maintain, with worries surfacing like bubbles in champagne, distracting her just often enough to be frustrating.

But, one way or another, she’d made it through the day, and recalling the pot of stress-born curry she’d dropped off in the main breakroom the day prior, the head librarian had gone to retrieve the pot and clean it before taking it home. She’s drying it off now, leaning against the counter running a clean washcloth over the pot’s damp surface, taking all the care in the world for such a simple task– it’s relaxing, in its mindlessness.

(more…)

Category: IPA Headquarters | No Comments »
Tags: Ravikiran Srivastava

May 15, 2010

Evening falls in the city of Fuyuki.

Sunset light stains the skyscrapers and the city buildings crimson, casting long and cutting shadows through the boulevards. People go about their business, closing up shops for the night, and otherwise leading their productive little lives; ignorant of the things that happen in the dark and the dusk and the spaces between.

On the other side of the river, the Tohsaka manor oversees the western-style residental sector like a shepherd overlooking its flock, crouched atop the hill and reveling in the bright sunset light.

For many days, the lady of the house has been elusive; either tucked in her basement practising combat Magecraft, or studying the as-yet remaining mysteries of her blood-infused jewels. She hasn’t been particularly social, though that isn’t saying much — Rin Tohsaka has her moods, and eventually she’ll have enough of living the scholar’s lonely life and emerge from her study.

Tonight is one of those nights, but she’s nowhere to be found inside the house — but rather the parking garage on the side of the house. No doubt this simple little shelter was once a stable, in the days before automobiles; these days, it’s been cleared out and used as both a workshop, storage room, and garage.

All the vehicles used by the odd little Tohsaka family are housed here — Yuzu-kun, Sakura’s hatchback of dubious reliability; the red Vulcan gifted to Rin by Shirou, and the sleek Yamaha belonging to Saber.

Currently, the red Vulcan is out in the drive, and Rin Tohsaka is sitting cross-legged next to it with a rag in her hand. She’s wearing a slightly ratty-looking shirt and slightly ratty-looking blue jeans, mouth twisted to one side in concentration as she rubs determinedly at a speck of dirt on the bright red surface of the fuel tank.

She may have no idea how the innards work; but she can at least keep it clean, right?

(more…)

Category: Fuyuki City | No Comments »
Tags: Rin Tohsaka

April 22, 2010

The King of Knights had, of late, found herself with a decent amount of free time. It had been over a year since she had first stumbled upon a Gate leading to the multiverse, a far cry indeed from the mere fourteen days she had been granted to participate in the Holy Grail War. Not even the need to find a Master to replace Emiya Kiritsugu had been immediate; indeed, months had gone by until Saber had grown to trust the younger Tohsaka enough to form a contract with her. The world she now found herself in was far more forgiving in its natural laws, tolerating her otherwise foreign existence. Even if she had not met the Tohsaka sisters, she could have continued to exist indefinitely, provided she found a reliable prana source.

Saber reflected on the strange, yet fortuitous turn of events that, even within the jaws of certain defeat she had survived and been offered an even greater opportunity to set things right. Though the Holy Grail itself had been destroyed in the only version of Fuyuki that was currently accessible to her, Saber did not despair. Far from it: she realised it might be possible that another, more powerful Grail existed, or at least one free from taint. But she had hardly limited herself to even having to rely on an all-powerful artefact at all; with the possibilities that the Gates presented, she might one day discover a way back to Britain, to a time before she ascended the throne. There would be no need to depend on anything other than her own will and determination! Though she had no idea where to even begin, her dream had never felt as within reach as the present. It was /possible/. And Saber might not even have to summon her sword at all.

Yet, in some ways, it remained a distant goal. She had obligations, and she could not very well leave the multi-verse without dealing with her nemesis once and for all. The tiny swordswoman had also grown quite attached to many she had met since; the honourable Dame Agrias Oaks, the gentle Sakura Tohsaka, the proud Rin Tohsaka, the jovial Shane Fitzgerald, the proper Ravikiran Srivastava…she would greatly miss them all. And she had no reassurances that she would ever see them again if her wish was granted. It was selfish of her to want to simply continue on this way, but a piece of her heart lay with her friends in the present.

Saber suppressed a sigh, seating herself in an empty chair in the bookshop she had found herself in. At the very least, she could allow herself some respite in between her work within the IPA and her pondering.

Plucking a book at random from the plastic bag holding her recent purchases, her sea-green eyes flickered over the label. It appeared to be a book on World War I military campaigns. It had seemed rather interesting, and military history was quite an intriguing subject.

The Once and Future King settled back in her chair with a faint smile. At least relaxing a little could do no harm.

(more…)

Category: The Hub | No Comments »
Tags: Tsubaki Yayoi

March 23, 2010

The Skullstone Archipelago rests in the setting sun of Creation, and dusk is indeed upon the shadowy corner of the world. One of the largest Shadowlands existing, and the largest in the West, it has often served as the pinnacle of what the Underworld can do when it wants. The Silver Prince rules this land with surprising cunning and love, enthralling many of his denizens to actually suicide in the efforts of promoting themselves within his ranks. But not all citizens love the Silver Prince. And not all Deathlords love each other.

The Black Alliance has been dispatched to one of the smaller islands in the shadowland, with the express purpose of making things difficult for the tiny isle, mayhem and murder on the menu, but one particular girl is scheduled to die: a seventeen year-old girl named Petal. The Green Lady warned the Deathlords of an auspicious death, but also informed the Sidereal. The Sidereal set course into motion the warnings to the IPA and the Coalition, as well as letting it slip to the Coalition of an artifact that shall be within the village at this particular time. This golden sphere can, when broken, summon a one-time Gate to Yu-Shan. How did the artifact get there?

The Sidereal put it there, naturally. The more chaos, the more likely this death will continue smoothly.

For now the small village is silent, as Petal and her older sister begin collecting the rest of the firewood needed for the cold night. They are unarmed. Unprepared.

And the BA is unexpected.

(more…)

Category: Skullstone Archipelago | No Comments »
Tags: Adam Arclight, Bleak and Beautiful Nightmare, Caster, Gilgamesh, Kamea Living Rock, Niravhadi, Polly Chandler, Tsubaki Yayoi

March 9, 2010

It’s that time now. Shane’s been pacing about nervously for a little while. He’s entertaining at Ravi’s apartment because one, the apartment has a larger kitchen and two, it’s neater. Three, Ravi actually has china good enough to entertain the King of Knights with. And he’s not actually cooking. He’s heard of Saber’s appetite and he got some first hand experience of that at the pancake and stew dinner thing he threw earlier. So he ordered foods. Lots of food. Things that would go well with tea. Toast and so many different kinds of sandwiches and pastries. He knew Sakura would be bringing scones so he got Nigele to whip up some clotted cream.

Everything’s laid out on the table for when the guests arrive and the tea is brewing. He’s pulled out his best suit, combed out his hair and gave himself a fresh shave. Sure he didn’t need to go /that/ far but when one is entertaining a childhood hero.. well.. Shane is something of a nerd like that. In his suit pocket, he’s got a list of questions he wants to ask and he keeps glancing at his pocket watch as if somehow it will give him the answers to everything.

He continues to pace back and forth waiting for the doorbell. If Ravi were here, he’d say something to put the young man at ease but the Librarian called stating that he was held up at work and didn’t know when he’d be back.

(more…)

Category: Ravi's Flat | No Comments »
Tags: Ravikiran Srivastava, Sakura Matou, Shane Fitzgerald

February 16, 2010

The walls of Castlevania are left, for all intents and purposes, left wide open. The sun has been shining in the villages nearby the past week, with peasants hoping, praying, that day had finally come to Wallachia. But the crosses and garlic stayed on the house walls just the same, and when night fell, none left their homes. The front gate is opened, but no peasants in the nearby Jova dare come near. This may be due to pure reputation, or it may be due to a hanging scroll across the gate.

The words ‘WELCOME HOME HEROES’ are written in blood.

The castle is notoriously rearranging itself, but in Dracula’s death, the courtyard has become….orderly. The landscape is well-manicured, and no manner of undead or even demons can be seen. It is, for all appearances, just another Lord’s court. Except the Clock Tower. The door to the Tower is wide open, and a lone zombie is standing in the doorway, slack-jawed and mouth-breathing, though why it chooses to breathe is a mystery.

Oh, and the zombie is wearing a party hat.

(more…)

Category: Castlevania | No Comments »
Tags: America, Asya Chzov, Bleak and Beautiful Nightmare, Dogi, Dracula, Kevin Graham, Lavan, Maria Tegawa, Polly Chandler, Shane Fitzgerald, Simon Parker, Tepet Tilis Tirana

February 2, 2010

The small island of Nelveska is a cold and uninviting place.

Huddled in the midst of the isle itself is a temple complex of middling size. It was once an impressive structure, but time and neglect have reduced it to crumbling stone ruins. There is little of any worth here, and less of note. Indeed, the only thing to attract attention here is the presence of the Gate, squirreled away into one of the lesser passages.

Here it is that the Captain of the Vanguard Detachment has come, requesting the aid of one of the more trusted women under her command — the Once and Future King, the Servant Saber.

Time and time again, the Crown and Church have locked horns over this land and its singularly extraordinary resource, the Gate. Neither side has quite stepped over the line into war, but day by day the threat looms ever greater.

Agrias Oaks has come to see that this does not come to pass, and to scout the garrisons posted near Nelveska — to see how many soldiers of each are making threats and insults at each other from across the bay.

And above all, not to be identified, if she can help it.

Perhaps that explains why she brought Saber with her — Agrias is a wanted criminal in her own homeland, and the only fate awaiting her if the Church should seize her is a long, slow death of burning at the stake.

Agrias has no illusions that they will hold her in captivity, this time. She’s escaped them once already.

So it is that the Captain of the Vanguard rides at a slow walk through the ruined temple. Today she rides her trained war-bird, Alkoun, the black and yellow chocobo wearing full barding. Water beads on his feathers, causing the long, stiff plumes of his tail and the crest at the back of his head to droop. Agrias herself is wet and uncomfortable, but there’s little to be done about it.

She’s been wet and uncomfortable before.

The sound of thundering waves roars below, rain sluicing against the ruined building, and the patter of water against her armour when it strikes her. Nelveska is not a quiet place, for all its abandonment.

Agrias wears no helmet; her hair is already soaked, but she doesn’t seem to care. Her eyes are forward, checking hallways and archways carefully. “Something ought be done about this temple,” she murmurs, somewhat disdainfully. “Sooner or later these walls are like to collapse. Pity the place is a warzone. Any workmen brought here would be in danger of their lives, I fear…”

Half a glance is cast toward her companion. “How fare you, my lady?” Her smile is mirthless, cold as the rain that leaks through the ruined roof. “My homeland offers little in the way of comfort, I fear. And the weather is like to be the least of our concerns…”

(more…)

Category: Ivalice | No Comments »
Tags: Agrias Oaks