![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pious_assassin) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
genessia2017-07-05 04:23 pm
[Memory/Action] 1 Eye Open
[She was at the end of her life. It all felt so surreal, yet she was cold and detached from it all. Here she was, dead, and the only emotion she could conjure up was a passive acceptance, as if it were a fact as irrelevant to her as the position of the moon in the sky. She had gotten the whole flashing of the life before the eyes, of course. It showed her everything she had done in her life—her accomplishments, her regrets, her loved ones, her enemies, and much more. It all rushed through her head, giving her no time to hold on to any particular memory for too long as her mind hurdled recklessly to the moment of her death. Oblivion loomed on the horizon, and she couldn’t stop it from swallowing her up. But she didn’t care about any of that. She had resigned herself to her fate; her faith had bolstered her against any fear stemming from that destiny. If anything, she yearned for the afterlife, to finally be embraced and brought into the folds of eternity. But right now, all of that was far from her mind.
She was a hero, through and through. She didn’t care what happened to herself; in fact, she wanted to consign her final thoughts with God. But somewhere, in the back of her mind, she couldn’t help but worry. It felt like a fishhook lodged in her brain, steadily reeling her back from the brink. It tore away each and every thought she had on any other subject and rapidly shift her attention to it. She was a hero to her people... so she could never stop worrying about the hearts of her people. These troublesome thoughts caused her no end of guilt. She had always been so courageous, so full of faith in her life. She had railed against those who let themselves be consumed by doubt. So why was she thinking about them instead of the God she served? She couldn’t help herself, though: if they went down a dark path and lost their faith, who then would be around to lift them up? Who would protect them and strengthen their faith when she was gone? What was to become of their very souls?
From this outpouring of concern for others a dying wish arose. It burned with a golden fire and cast out all of the darkness surrounding her. It shone brightly over countless years, only intensifying as she became a legend in her people’s eyes. Soon she was reborn into a being so much powerful than she was before: a Heroic Spirit.
Knowledge poured over her with an overwhelming surge. She not only knew these things but understood them in the very depths of her soul. The Holy Grail War, Magi, Masters, Servants, Noble Phantasms—all of these became second-nature to her, and she could scarcely remember what it was like to know nothing of them. She understood that years must have been passing by her as she grew in strength and wisdom, but the years were like drops of rain to her. In fact, it felt like mere seconds had passed. Now she was being summoned. Had she an eyebrow at the time, she would have raised it in contempt at her soul being forced into a vessel known as Assassin. Sure, she had killed someone in life, but it felt rather tasteless to be branded as such. “Thou shalt not kill”, she mused to herself. But while she had certainly violated that during her life, she wasn’t the sort who did such a thing on a regular basis. This felt like such a terrible fit for a woman of such profound faith. But like before, if she needed to sully her hands in order to safeguard the faith of her people, then she would have to surrender herself to this most peculiar fate. What’s more, she needed to win.
Now it was just a matter of materializing and forming a pact with her Master, whoever that may turn out to be. Her mind flooded with more knowledge, this time telling her everything she needed to know about the culture, history, and technology of the place and age at which she was to be summoned. While this was happening, she felt herself being dragged by her head and heart toward the location of the Holy Grail War. But suddenly, she felt another force tugging her in a completely different direction…]
[action: the bay]
[Her eyes popped open. Had the summoning been completed successfully? She couldn’t tell right away. What’s more, the memories she was supposed to receive were damaged somewhat. Exactly what was broken or missing she couldn’t tell, but she knew she wasn’t working from a complete basis of knowledge. With a sense of urgency, she quickly sat up—only to smash her forehead against the lid of what appeared to be a coffin of sorts. She fell back down and rubbed her head; that was certainly an unpleasant way to awaken. She began to take in her surroundings. Between the silver and silk, it seemed as if no expense had been spared for her funeral. Of course, she mused, that might have been the case if she weren’t a Servant.
He felt a strange weight atop her chest—not particularly heavy, but peculiar in its location. She reached up and felt some sort of box. She couldn’t exactly tell what was inside, seeing how it was pitch-black inside this cocoon. Getting out would be problematic, as well: she didn’t know what the battlefield would be like on the outside of that box. Perhaps a little reconnaissance was in order. She concealed herself from both physical and supernatural senses before slowly working her way out of the cocoon. The bay seemed hauntingly serene, but she couldn’t identify any major threat. She certainly couldn’t sense any other Servants at this time. She breathed a silent sigh of relief and lay back down in the cocoon. She relaxed her concealment and allowed herself to be sensed physically, but she still concealed her aura and magical identity. Until she found her Master and could retreat to safety, none could know she was a Servant.
As the thought of her Master crossed her mind, she sat up and observed once more. She wasn’t the only one present and there certainly were several mages in the surrounding regions, but nobody stood out distinctly as a Master. She didn’t see any summoning circle, either, which made her a little concerned. She wondered who it was that brought her here. The problem was, she couldn’t exactly go up to someone and ask them. This seemed to be a fairly public space, which was even stranger for such an important summoning. So it was entirely possible that enemy Masters or even full-on civilians could be in the area. If she asked the wrong person, it could be quite catastrophic. No; it would be better to wait.
Assassin adjusted her position and pulled her knees in. Now she could better examine the contents of her box. Perhaps her Master had left instructions or desired to operate from a distance. That would make sense given this public venue, but she would still need to confirm the Master/Servant contract. She began pulling things out of the box in search of clues. He instinctively grabbed the necklace and slipped it on; after that, she took the phone and searched its contents. There didn’t appear to be any messages for her, nor were there any contacts stored in it. She bypassed the key, since there didn’t seem to be anything with a lock nearby. The pamphlet, however, held the first answers of the day. So, this place was “Genessia”, huh? She mouthed the words as she read them. She didn’t understand, though: was she supposed to live here? She was given money for food and other supplies, but as a Servant she didn’t need any such things herself. Perhaps this “commonspace” was a hideout or fortification where she might find her Master. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that she might be completely wrong about all of that. She couldn’t make any assumptions just yet.
There were so many questions left unanswered. She was almost dizzy from the buzzing of them. The location of her Master was one; another was what any of this had to do with the Holy Grail War. Many other things occurred to her and bothered her, but eventually she just had to shut them all out of her mind. Until she found more clues, she would have to focus on her surroundings. She noticed that people were exiting their cocoons, and while some left for parts unknown, others stayed. Several people were still milling around; some fiddled with their devices, while others were more in the moment.
In particular, one girl caught her attention. She was so young, and she was bawling her eyes out. Assassin had mixed feelings about displays such as these. She wished that people in general had more faith and could trust God during trying times such as these. As worried as she herself was, she wasn’t about to doubt Him. But at the same time, her heart broke for this young child. Her conscience began to pull her feet forward, and soon she found herself approaching the youth in question. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if, being was she was, she even had the right to do this. But in the end, it wasn’t the hand of a killer but that of a saint that she stretched out to the child. She bent down to the child’s eye level as she began to speak.]
It’s okay, sweet child. You’ve gone through something terrible, haven’t you? It must be scary waking up in a place like this. I’m so sorry for you. Just let it all out, though—you can lean on me if you’re having trouble standing.
[She waited a while and observed the child. The poor dear needed sympathy and the chance to exhaust her tears and sorrow. For now, questions and assistance would have to wait.]
Ah! I didn't see this :D!
Tsumugi-chan wasn't scared.
[she mumbled, still wiping her eyes and not looking up at the woman.]
Re: Ah! I didn't see this :D!
Well, um... all right. But if you ever do get scared, make sure you go find the police right away, okay?
[She hoped that advice was sufficient. She was a woman of action; she was no good at this...]
no subject
Okay...d-do you know where they are, miss?
no subject
I'm sorry, I don't really know. They're probably outside, though; I can't see any in here. I hope you find them all right.
[Action] Ooh, another god-fearer!
A. She's comforting a sprite
[Ted's usual aimless stroll was interrupted by the sounds of a bawling child. It struck him strangely. Why, he wondered, did such things happen? Not metaphysically, of course. He knew the ultimate cause of sorrow. But here, in Genessia. He knew painfully well the sprites had no emotions to speak of. So why did the world feel it necessary to go through the motions? For the sake of authenticity? Or maybe...maybe they did feel, once, and might one day do so again.
Either way, someone was comforting. That was kind of them. Deluded, perhaps, but kind. He checked for a necklace; a reflexive, automatic response on his part. Yep, there it was. A sign of authenticity. Once the trial was reasonably ended, he'd approach and greet.]
"Hello. I, heh, noticed how you tended to sorrow. Very charitable of you. I'm Ted. Are you new to the world? What's your name?"
B. She's comforting Tsumugi or someone equally real
[Gee, what a normal, genuine thing to do that doesn't make him feel philosophically uneasy in any way!]
"Hah, thank you for tending to her, miss. Goodness knows how children manage unsupervised, like some Peter Pan drama. I can see the world must trouble you little if others' troubles trouble you so much more. May I have your name?"
Re: [Action] Ooh, another god-fearer!
[How didn't she sense that man approach her? She must really be off her game. That bothered her, but she tried her best to conceal it. Having been bent over to speak to the child, she straightened up and rose to this newcomer's eye level.]
"'Peter Pan' would be optimistic. We should take care it doesn't become Lord of the Flies. But I digress..."
[She turned to face him now and brushed back her hair with one hand, extending the other toward him. She contemplated how to introduce herself; her True Name was off-limits, and terms such as Servant or Assassin might not go over well with common citizens. Yet calling herself "Assassin" was already such an ingrained habit of hers.]
"I'm As...ahina. Sasame. Ah, reverse the order of those--Sasame Asahina. Sorry.
[OOC: I'm using Western name order here since she's speaking to Ted.]
I suppose you're right, in a sense. I should have been a lot wiser than that. I suppose my head's still all muddled and confused from my awakening. I really need to trust my intuition.
That being said, I'm not sorry I did it. It's what God would have wanted me to do.
Apologies for the rambling. I don't believe I caught your name, either..."
Re: [Action] Ooh, another god-fearer!
[His expression widened with slight humor and shock.] "Hah, I'm sure leaving off mentioning Beelzebub might be a good first step in sanitizing things for them, eh?"
[You said it, not her. He takes her hand amicably anyway.]
"'Sasame Asahina'. Is that Japanese? It has that acoustic air to it. What does it mean?
Hmm? Oh, no need for apologies. Goodness knows I'd like your skill in tending to the miseries of others. I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to genuinely offend later, and I'll happily take your mea culpa's then. Huh! I think you're the first girl to mention God upon first blush. I hope we're talking about the same one. Is he associated, symbolically, with crosses?
Hah, probably because I didn't pitch it. I'm Ted; pleasure to meet you."
Re: [Action] Ooh, another god-fearer!
"Yes, that's right! It means something like 'morning rain', but I'm not sure that's the best translation."
[She hadn't meant much by the comment about God. Sure, it was true, in a sense, but it had felt a lot more automatic than that. But now he was getting into religion. If she revealed her nationality or belief, that could be a clue into her identity. As far as she knew, the Holy Grail War was still going on. She had to be careful.]
"In a sense, I suppose it's the same one. But I've always associated that cross with Jesus rather than God himself. Ah, that may just be a technicality, though. I've never been strong with theology--my belief is more spiritual."
[She eagerly shook the hand.]
"The pleasure is mine, Ted. Tell me, are you spiritual yourself?"
Re: [Action] Ooh, another god-fearer!
"What a beautiful name! Beautiful phenomenon, too. Your parents chose well."
[Oh dear, he hopes she's not one of those "i'm not religious, but I'm *spiritual* types. Then again, there's some precedent for that. Some people, he supposed, were more for St. Francis and his scorn of books than Aquinas and his love of the same.]
"Goodness, my condolences if you've somehow encountered theology that was not spiritual. Matters of spirit are practically all they're about. Almost paradoxically demonic, that.
Haha, well if I'm not I'm tempted to invite you to cut my throat. Even the demons are spiritual, for all the good that does them. Give me some credit!"
[She'll have to get used to Ted's teasing. He can't help himself.]
Re: [Action] Ooh, another god-fearer!
"Wow, you're very knowledgeable about these things. Are you by chance a priest or pastor?"
[The "demon" talk did seem to stand out a bit. She considered asking if he were an exorcist, too. But she didn't really want to dwell on this topic.]
"By the way, do you know much about what's going on here?"
Re: [Action] Ooh, another god-fearer!
"Ahaha, well I suppose Christ did say we were all priests, of a sort. But no, nothing official. I'm but a layman. Still, I'd be remiss to have spent so many hours in Sunday school and not learned anything.
Yes, a little! I'd be equally remiss not to after having lived here nearly three years. Is there something in particular you'd like to know?"
Re: [Action] Ooh, another god-fearer!
In any case, there's something a little more pressing on my mind now. Might you have any idea as to what we're doing here?"
[She paused for a moment before realizing her mistake.]
"Not in a philosophical sense."
[Action]
"I'm afraid that qualification renders the question unintelligible to me. I might say, 'we are having a conversation on a Wednesday in Genessia City, near The Bay.' Something true yet trite, which I doubt would please you very much."