[Is that what he thinks she was doing? Well, I'm fine with that.
Without missing a beat, her eyes squeeze shut and she scrunches up her nose as if she just caught the scent of something unpleasant. Waving a hand, she speaks dismissively.]
Who would want them to? That crabby doctor gets even crabbier in the middle of the night. It's annoying the way he sits around glaring daggers at me, so I take what I need and go elsewhere.
[Or he could hate her because she's always stealing supplies (or yet a different reason). The world may never know. At any rate, Rin opens one eye to regard the wall. She hadn't been able to see what the strange figure was doing before, so this is her first chance to get a good look. The lines on her face smooth out as she studies the design.
[But fair enough, and there's a faint hint of humor finally edging his voice. Leonardo has never had the context of meeting the man, but he's never been a fan of doctors, himself. He regards her body language, his own arms crossing to mirror her posture. As she studies the wall, he studies her.]
[It's hard to say whether she's noticed his odd, nonhuman shape yet; if so, she isn't reacting to it. Leo could glide further back into the shadows, but given she's made the courtesy of stepping into the light, he supposes that would be rude. Instead he turns his head slightly to the wall as well, still keeping her in his line of sight. Judging by her expression, the sigil interests her.]
But I take it you weren't expecting someone to walk in with an... incantation?
[He says it like he doesn't recognize the word, but it's probably not hard to tell that he's fishing.]
[He's not the strangest looking person she's met in the castle. That said, he's not like Sans either. Unlike that skeleton and the monsters that had once been here from his world, Rin can't sense any magical potential about him. She's not certain (after Shirou and Sakura, she's learned better), but she would still place a sizable that whatever this creature is, he's not a magus, much less a creature that would know magic innately.
Such a thought brings up questions, and a degree of interest. It would be sizable interest, in fact, if not for his tone. Is he trying to play her, or does he really not know what he's doing? Still focused on the sigil with a critical stare, she decides to test the theory.]
An incantation would be less surprising than a magic circle.
[Leo's eye ridge gives a subtle arch. Her pressing the point seems indicative of a skill in magic, which had been his own working theory. Interesting. Seeing no reason to keep playing his cards close to his chest, Leonardo finally reciprocates her gesture by stepping from the shadows, stooping to pick up the stick of abandoned chalk.]
You mean like a mandala.
[The view of the katana crossed over his shell is a deliberate allowance as he retrieves the chalk and slides it back into his belt. He glances to the symbols again, this time with his full attention.]
Nothing so intricate. This one is a... portal, of sorts. Well - when it's working, anyway.
["Nothing so intricate" he says, and Rin has to resist the urge to stomp her foot. Reigning in her temper, she looks away from both it and him.]
A mandala I would accept. [The Mage's Associate and the Magic Foundation of the Middle East have long since agreed their studies are incompatible.] This is precisely more complicated than that. It's like a magic circle turned inside out — which is only half the reason what you're trying isn't going to work.
[He looks a little surprised by that, his gaze switching from the sigil to her and back again. He hadn't realized that this ritual was more complicated than a standard mandala or yantra. Then again, most of his education in this area is highly informal. He doesn't claim to know the ins and out of mysticism in practice. Unlike this girl, apparently.]
[Leo isn't sure why she seems so... vexed, though. He uncrosses one hand to gesture towards the sigil with an open palm.]
[She sighs heavily, facing him again with a flat expression.
He really is an amateur, isn't he? But that fact and Leonardo himself isn't what annoys her. It goes against all of her sensibilities as a magus to see someone practicing such a sophisticated art — a portal, he had said! — without the understanding of the science that makes it function. This reeks of a careless magic user without principle, passing down secrets to outsiders and they to others.
That casual disregard for discretion. Students being taught the steps without learning the process? Rin finds herself instinctively hating the person who must have started all of it for spitting on her values so.]
[But that's hardly fair. She thinks about the stone couches, or Wade's casual admission he can teleport all the time. There are worlds out there that don't follow the same rules as her own, she's come to realize. And it's likely this... person... is from one of them.
...It doesn't make it sting less, but she'll be civil. Rin straightens her shoulders and holds her head high, turning to face the sigil fully.]
Magic circles are used when a caster's own magical energy is insufficient for the ritual they wish to attempt. They use the circle to draw the required energy from the world around them instead. Considering the strangeness of this one, I would surmise yours doesn't even draw upon that, but yet another place. That's Issue #1, but more problematic than that is the result it's designed to produce.
[Arms still crossed, she looks back over to him.] You called it a portal. You meant to use it to travel to another world then, right?
[If there's one thing that doesn't sit well with Leo, it's being made to feel like he's foolish. He can't help the way his eyes narrow through her long sigh, but he holds his tongue and only allows his mouth to pull into a thin line. He did ask.]
[And however he feels about her attitude, this girl is obviously an expert at her trade. His attention is polite and thorough, soaking up as much of her explanation as he can make sense of. It's more sensible than Donatello's technical rambling, anyway. At her question, Leonardo moves to the wall and places a flat palm on it, careful not to smudge the chalk.]
I was hoping to get to a world where I could have gotten help getting home. The Battle Nexus. [Curiously, he glances towards her.] I don't suppose you've heard of it?
No, I can't say I have. [But from the name she can guess what it is, and looks an equal mixture of surprised and impressed.] It's a central hub between worlds, connecting to others?
[Probably more. Leonardo regrets not doing some deeper study into the magical rituals surrounding the Nexus when he'd had the chance. He grimaces at the symbols; truthfully, even before she'd interrupted him, he hadn't been making much progress. Sounds like she has a theory on that, and Leo has nothing right now but time to listen.]
You said the fact that it was a portal makes it a problem. Why?
[Right, she was in the middle of an explanation. Let's not get sidetracked, Rin. Nodding, she continues.]
Like I said, it's not that so much as the intended result.
[She holds a finger aloft in the air.]
The point of your portal is to move through space, but unfortunately the world you're in now is no ordinary starting position. This castle exists outside of time, you see. Therefore to leave it, you would need a portal that allows you to move not just through space, but time and space at once.
Or a tool, like the Daimyo's War Staff. Or the Time Scepter.
[It's mostly Leo talking to himself; he doesn't expect her to know what either of those things are. Not that it matters. If what she's saying is true... a place outside of time is far above his mystical paygrade. Short of Renet popping into this reality with her scepter in hand, he sees no quick solution. Damn. He should have known it wouldn't be that easy.]
[Leonardo stares at the sigil for a few beats longer, his fist resting underneath his chin thoughtfully. He'd have to use the War Staff to get to the Nexus. To get the War Staff, he'd have to go to the Nexus.]
That's one heck of a Catch-22. Guess it's time to come up with a Plan B.
[...again he speaks so casually of something that would be impossible in her world. Any tool that could pull of such a thing would be on the same level as a modern Noble Phantasm; Rin imagines the two he named could be no less powerful than that.
Just what kind of life does he lead? She finds herself envious.
But Plan B, huh.]
Can you fight, or are those muscles just for show?
[His gaze snaps to her quickly, giving her a slightly odd look as if he can't tell whether she's teasing him again or not. After a heartbeat, he turns fully away from the sigil to give her a better view of him. Not a visual given lightly.]
[His face gives her some pause. Startled, her head bobs. Where is his nose? At least Sans's excuse is he doesn't have any flesh to begin with.
Other than this initial surprise and a more thorough glance, she doesn't display any surprise, let alone distress.]
Oh? That's good. You cut a bulky figure in the dark, so I wasn't sure how much of that was toned or flab.
[My, grandma, what big thighs you have. Deadpanning this, she gets over the spectacle quickly.]
At any rate, unless you can pull such a magnificent tool out of your— is that a shell? [She cants her head to the side to see. Huh.] The best Plan B at your disposal is to fight your way through this castle, removing the taint of the Queen.
It's not your war, but only most reliable person here with the power to send you back is the god who brought you in. And he's keeping that reward in his back pocket in exchange for services rendered.
[He notices her falter at the sight of his face, but lets it go. She didn't faint at the sight of him. That's a pretty good start. In fact, Leonardo looks more put off by the implication of fat than anything else; his mouth tightens further and his eyes take on a pinched quality, like someone who's used to being heckled and is dipping into his reserves of patience.]
[But he's listening.]
Ozuma. I got the welcoming speech. [he says with a small, tight nod, and then raises an eye ridge towards her, trying to read her. He's already getting a good idea of the kind of person he's dealing with.]
[On a better day, Rin thinks this person might be fun to tease. His pinched expression reminds her of Issei somewhat, but a bearable Issei. That's a nugget to take away for later, when discussing less important things.
Ozuma, now?]
No. [A blunt answer. Rin pairs it with a finger in the air, as she circles about.] He's a man of good character, and will do his absolute best by you and those in this castle; don't misread me on that matter. But when it comes to ability, he's clumsy.
[Hands on her hips, Rin stops abruptly before two faceless statues, turning back to face him.]
It's not him I trust, but the power he worships as a deity. Think about it! [She points her finger.] Uprooting people from multiple worlds and multiple timelines so flawlessly is no small feat. It only makes sense that whatever can do that should safely be able to do the reverse. And if it were a lie, a warrior like Ozuma wouldn't revere him so.
[So she sees Ozuma as well-intentioned, but ultimately incompetent. True, Leonardo hadn't sensed any ill intent from him upon arriving, but... he's been wrong before. On that topic, there's nothing strictly attesting to this girl's honesty either, and yet Leo has few other options. She reminds him a little bit of a well-spoken version of his brother - blunt, aggressive body language, harsh words that might be indicative of a temper. It's points in her favor.]
[Or maybe Leo is just looking for things that aren't really there.]
[Regardless, she's working with him and he appreciates that. Even if it sounds like a pretty sketchy Plan B at best. He watches her pause in front of the two faceless statues; his gaze lingers there itself, not having noticed them before, but his attention refocuses on her without missing a beat.]
A warrior honor-bound to keep his promise? Sounds simple enough.
[There's doubt in his tone. When is it ever simple enough?]
[She looks over him appraisingly. With a mask and a face only partly resembling a human, he's surprisingly emotive. It's not a wide range of expression that he's showing her now, but his eyes are sharp. By the way he watches her, Rin can tell he's assessing her as critically as she is him.]
You're skeptical. [It's not a question, but an observation. She drops her hand back to her hip.] I think more highly of you, for that.
[Is that mild praise he hears? So much for reminding him of Raph. Despite himself, Leonardo finds it necessary to hide his amusement by turning back to the sigil and swiping his palm roughly through the chalk, smudging it into nothing more than streaks of white dust. No sense in leaving it up for prying eyes. As he turns back to her, clapping the chalky residue free from his palms, his speech is slow and carefully diplomatic.]
Don't get me wrong - I won't doubt a warrior who has sworn by his honor. But none of this tracks right. All of these backgrounds, lack of real leadership, no military structure... [He pauses with a grimace that deepens the frown lines around his mouth.] I don't think anyone on this side knows what they're doing.
[Which, granted, is a pretty rude thing to say about a deity, an avatar, and their chosen warriors.]
That's exactly the problem. It's way too slapdash.
[Leo needn't have spoken so carefully, apparently; Rin agrees with him without hesitation. When he faces her, he'll find her arms folded across her chest again and wearing a frown to match the seriousness of his scolding.]
It's not an elegant solution, or even an ideal one. But unfortunately, it's the best one available. And the simple truth is if more of us showed initiative and moved past those things, we'd be a lot closer to proving if this is the right solution or not by now. Maybe we would even be home.
[Leo's voice is tight. Ideally, he wants to find out where his brothers went, but at least he knows this Battle Nexus portal would work in his home dimension. There's nothing for it, then - he has to fight another war between two factions he has no real attachment to, for reasons more personal than anything else.]
[He crosses his arms and regards the human, mirroring him in both pose and expression. It suddenly strikes him that she looks more like she belongs in school than in a war room. What history shaped this teenage girl into a more competent and driven character than the warrior spirit who brought her here, he wonders?]
[It's none of his business, in the end, so he takes her for what she presents herself as: an ally. Softening his own body language, Leonardo balls one fist and presses it into a palm in front of him. He dips into a cordial bow, his voice flipping some switch into a soft and low tone.]
If this is our only choice, then you have my sword at your side. I am Leonardo.
[Good, he agrees. That's excellent. It appears this newcomer Ozuma brought in has good sense after— wait, why is he bowing?
Leonardo's dignified declaration meets stunned silence from Rin's end, who stares at him with wide eyes and reddening cheeks. The bow is distinctly Japanese, but she feels as if she's standing before a knight from his posture, and the way he speaks to her. It makes her think of Archer, and nostalgia unexpectedly squeezes (painfully) at her heart.]
[Not wanting to doubt a warrior's honor, promising his sword... There's a quiet nobility to him, isn't there? Rin can't help but think Saber would like him as she fidgets side to side, noting for the first time the actual swords on Leonardo's back.
Yes, Saber is a much better comparison. She'd undoubtedly approve. Can such people exist in this day and age?]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Without missing a beat, her eyes squeeze shut and she scrunches up her nose as if she just caught the scent of something unpleasant. Waving a hand, she speaks dismissively.]
Who would want them to? That crabby doctor gets even crabbier in the middle of the night. It's annoying the way he sits around glaring daggers at me, so I take what I need and go elsewhere.
[Or he could hate her because she's always stealing supplies (or yet a different reason). The world may never know. At any rate, Rin opens one eye to regard the wall. She hadn't been able to see what the strange figure was doing before, so this is her first chance to get a good look. The lines on her face smooth out as she studies the design.
Those symbols...]
no subject
[But fair enough, and there's a faint hint of humor finally edging his voice. Leonardo has never had the context of meeting the man, but he's never been a fan of doctors, himself. He regards her body language, his own arms crossing to mirror her posture. As she studies the wall, he studies her.]
[It's hard to say whether she's noticed his odd, nonhuman shape yet; if so, she isn't reacting to it. Leo could glide further back into the shadows, but given she's made the courtesy of stepping into the light, he supposes that would be rude. Instead he turns his head slightly to the wall as well, still keeping her in his line of sight. Judging by her expression, the sigil interests her.]
But I take it you weren't expecting someone to walk in with an... incantation?
[He says it like he doesn't recognize the word, but it's probably not hard to tell that he's fishing.]
no subject
Such a thought brings up questions, and a degree of interest. It would be sizable interest, in fact, if not for his tone. Is he trying to play her, or does he really not know what he's doing? Still focused on the sigil with a critical stare, she decides to test the theory.]
An incantation would be less surprising than a magic circle.
no subject
You mean like a mandala.
[The view of the katana crossed over his shell is a deliberate allowance as he retrieves the chalk and slides it back into his belt. He glances to the symbols again, this time with his full attention.]
Nothing so intricate. This one is a... portal, of sorts. Well - when it's working, anyway.
no subject
A mandala I would accept. [The Mage's Associate and the Magic Foundation of the Middle East have long since agreed their studies are incompatible.] This is precisely more complicated than that. It's like a magic circle turned inside out — which is only half the reason what you're trying isn't going to work.
no subject
[Leo isn't sure why she seems so... vexed, though. He uncrosses one hand to gesture towards the sigil with an open palm.]
It's worked before. Why not now?
1/2
He really is an amateur, isn't he? But that fact and Leonardo himself isn't what annoys her. It goes against all of her sensibilities as a magus to see someone practicing such a sophisticated art — a portal, he had said! — without the understanding of the science that makes it function. This reeks of a careless magic user without principle, passing down secrets to outsiders and they to others.
That casual disregard for discretion. Students being taught the steps without learning the process? Rin finds herself instinctively hating the person who must have started all of it for spitting on her values so.]
no subject
...It doesn't make it sting less, but she'll be civil. Rin straightens her shoulders and holds her head high, turning to face the sigil fully.]
Magic circles are used when a caster's own magical energy is insufficient for the ritual they wish to attempt. They use the circle to draw the required energy from the world around them instead. Considering the strangeness of this one, I would surmise yours doesn't even draw upon that, but yet another place. That's Issue #1, but more problematic than that is the result it's designed to produce.
[Arms still crossed, she looks back over to him.] You called it a portal. You meant to use it to travel to another world then, right?
no subject
[And however he feels about her attitude, this girl is obviously an expert at her trade. His attention is polite and thorough, soaking up as much of her explanation as he can make sense of. It's more sensible than Donatello's technical rambling, anyway. At her question, Leonardo moves to the wall and places a flat palm on it, careful not to smudge the chalk.]
I was hoping to get to a world where I could have gotten help getting home. The Battle Nexus. [Curiously, he glances towards her.] I don't suppose you've heard of it?
no subject
No, I can't say I have. [But from the name she can guess what it is, and looks an equal mixture of surprised and impressed.] It's a central hub between worlds, connecting to others?
no subject
[Probably more. Leonardo regrets not doing some deeper study into the magical rituals surrounding the Nexus when he'd had the chance. He grimaces at the symbols; truthfully, even before she'd interrupted him, he hadn't been making much progress. Sounds like she has a theory on that, and Leo has nothing right now but time to listen.]
You said the fact that it was a portal makes it a problem. Why?
no subject
Like I said, it's not that so much as the intended result.
[She holds a finger aloft in the air.]
The point of your portal is to move through space, but unfortunately the world you're in now is no ordinary starting position. This castle exists outside of time, you see. Therefore to leave it, you would need a portal that allows you to move not just through space, but time and space at once.
no subject
[It's mostly Leo talking to himself; he doesn't expect her to know what either of those things are. Not that it matters. If what she's saying is true... a place outside of time is far above his mystical paygrade. Short of Renet popping into this reality with her scepter in hand, he sees no quick solution. Damn. He should have known it wouldn't be that easy.]
[Leonardo stares at the sigil for a few beats longer, his fist resting underneath his chin thoughtfully. He'd have to use the War Staff to get to the Nexus. To get the War Staff, he'd have to go to the Nexus.]
That's one heck of a Catch-22. Guess it's time to come up with a Plan B.
no subject
Just what kind of life does he lead? She finds herself envious.
But Plan B, huh.]
Can you fight, or are those muscles just for show?
no subject
I can fight.
no subject
Other than this initial surprise and a more thorough glance, she doesn't display any surprise, let alone distress.]
Oh? That's good. You cut a bulky figure in the dark, so I wasn't sure how much of that was toned or flab.
[My, grandma, what big thighs you have. Deadpanning this, she gets over the spectacle quickly.]
At any rate, unless you can pull such a magnificent tool out of your— is that a shell? [She cants her head to the side to see. Huh.] The best Plan B at your disposal is to fight your way through this castle, removing the taint of the Queen.
It's not your war, but only most reliable person here with the power to send you back is the god who brought you in. And he's keeping that reward in his back pocket in exchange for services rendered.
no subject
[But he's listening.]
Ozuma. I got the welcoming speech. [he says with a small, tight nod, and then raises an eye ridge towards her, trying to read her. He's already getting a good idea of the kind of person he's dealing with.]
You think he's legit?
no subject
Ozuma, now?]
No. [A blunt answer. Rin pairs it with a finger in the air, as she circles about.] He's a man of good character, and will do his absolute best by you and those in this castle; don't misread me on that matter. But when it comes to ability, he's clumsy.
[Hands on her hips, Rin stops abruptly before two faceless statues, turning back to face him.]
It's not him I trust, but the power he worships as a deity. Think about it! [She points her finger.] Uprooting people from multiple worlds and multiple timelines so flawlessly is no small feat. It only makes sense that whatever can do that should safely be able to do the reverse. And if it were a lie, a warrior like Ozuma wouldn't revere him so.
no subject
[Or maybe Leo is just looking for things that aren't really there.]
[Regardless, she's working with him and he appreciates that. Even if it sounds like a pretty sketchy Plan B at best. He watches her pause in front of the two faceless statues; his gaze lingers there itself, not having noticed them before, but his attention refocuses on her without missing a beat.]
A warrior honor-bound to keep his promise? Sounds simple enough.
[There's doubt in his tone. When is it ever simple enough?]
no subject
You're skeptical. [It's not a question, but an observation. She drops her hand back to her hip.] I think more highly of you, for that.
no subject
Don't get me wrong - I won't doubt a warrior who has sworn by his honor. But none of this tracks right. All of these backgrounds, lack of real leadership, no military structure... [He pauses with a grimace that deepens the frown lines around his mouth.] I don't think anyone on this side knows what they're doing.
[Which, granted, is a pretty rude thing to say about a deity, an avatar, and their chosen warriors.]
no subject
[Leo needn't have spoken so carefully, apparently; Rin agrees with him without hesitation. When he faces her, he'll find her arms folded across her chest again and wearing a frown to match the seriousness of his scolding.]
It's not an elegant solution, or even an ideal one. But unfortunately, it's the best one available. And the simple truth is if more of us showed initiative and moved past those things, we'd be a lot closer to proving if this is the right solution or not by now. Maybe we would even be home.
no subject
[Leo's voice is tight. Ideally, he wants to find out where his brothers went, but at least he knows this Battle Nexus portal would work in his home dimension. There's nothing for it, then - he has to fight another war between two factions he has no real attachment to, for reasons more personal than anything else.]
[He crosses his arms and regards the human, mirroring him in both pose and expression. It suddenly strikes him that she looks more like she belongs in school than in a war room. What history shaped this teenage girl into a more competent and driven character than the warrior spirit who brought her here, he wonders?]
[It's none of his business, in the end, so he takes her for what she presents herself as: an ally. Softening his own body language, Leonardo balls one fist and presses it into a palm in front of him. He dips into a cordial bow, his voice flipping some switch into a soft and low tone.]
If this is our only choice, then you have my sword at your side. I am Leonardo.
1/3
Leonardo's dignified declaration meets stunned silence from Rin's end, who stares at him with wide eyes and reddening cheeks. The bow is distinctly Japanese, but she feels as if she's standing before a knight from his posture, and the way he speaks to her. It makes her think of Archer, and nostalgia unexpectedly squeezes (painfully) at her heart.]
no subject
Yes, Saber is a much better comparison. She'd undoubtedly approve. Can such people exist in this day and age?]
Done
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
1/2
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)