[There are rose thorns in her left arm, fangs that constrict and bite at her nerves; her Magic Crest noting an unusual strain, and helping her generate mana faster. You wouldn't be able to tell she's in pain from the look on her face, however. Smiling, Rin shakes her head as if amused by something.
Geez, she thinks privately to herself, untransmitted, if I followed through on "whenever it feels too much" it'd defeat the point now, wouldn't it?]
I'll take you up on that later. [For now she's used to this, in one form or another.] Thank you.
As for that... [Her brow creases, minutely. Hesitation reads there, and some bafflement.] You're asking me?
[ Zaveid stares at her for a moment, trying to place exactly... what that was supposed to read as. ]
A, you seem used to somethin' similar. Yeah, you, might as well, s'not like I [ really have that many other people to ask, a tiny flicker of loneliness making it over. ] know that many people who could wrap their head about it.
B, hell yes I'm asking. It's.. [ How would Lailah put this. Why couldn't Lailah be here? Lailah would solve just about everything, to be honest, she's so much better with people and- ]
It is a burden, bearing a seraph. I dunno if it will be for you like it is for our humans - humans don't have magic on their own, at home, so who knows what all you'll get. [ Actually, he might know. He'll probably make it easier for her to work magic, at least some kinds, if his memory serves right. ]
But ... vessel is accurate. I won't be in your thoughts, but I would be able to see or sense the world as you do, make use of you as a place to rest or be a surprise if there's worry of an ambush or something.
[This feedback reminds her a lot of what Ozuma had done, and she does feel a bit remorseful for it. A peculiarity of attempting this with someone from a foreign world, maybe? She doesn't think Zaveid would trust her enough to share these little tinges of himself purposefully.
Then again, she also hadn't expected this question, despite being the one to propose he find someone. Many people have left lately, she knows (she knows), but there's dozens more where they came from. Surely he'd ask one of them first? Surely...
Rin frowns at him, hands folded to her chest. He's not wrong, that other people wouldn't accept it as simply as she had. More so, he'd be hard pressed to find someone as well suited among the castle residents. Trained since childhood to maintain a Servant, different as Masters and Vessels may be, she was practically born for such roles.
Yes, it's the role she's always meant to play... And that's just the problem. Even without touching them, without looking, Rin is conscious of the stigmata on her right hand; the precious Command Seals.
[It's a fraction of a second, that look of conflict, before she resolves how she must answer. Rin inclines her head, resolved.]
I have no objection to any of that [referencing all he's just implied], but I apologize. I must decline all the same.
I only have enough mana to support myself and one other. In the event my Servant is also summoned to this place, I can't put myself in a position where I'd be unable to maintain them.
Completely understandable. [ Without a trace in tone that he's caught on to her reasons being his own. Well, there is a hint that he has in the tilt of his smile and level of an eyebrow. ]
The shepherd - seraph pact doesn't exchange mana. You're a vessel, that's burden enough.
Yeah. It's a safe place for the seraphim helping the shepherd, which is basically all the seraphim get out of it. The shepherd gets purification out of it, if the prime seraph has it, and you'll probably find an increase in reaction times and strength.
[He already said it was a burden before, so this might sound like she wasn't listening, but she was. Of course it would be a strain for the vessel, anything worth doing has its drawbacks. But coming from a world of mages, everything she knows is based around the idea of equivalent exchange.
So there's anticipation of a catch here, but also mounting excitement. Kind of like finding a sale at your favorite store. It's pretty obvious, anyways, that with her one caveat taken away, she's quite interested.]
Humans who can't see me who'll probably freak out if you pull twisters from nowhere. You might start seeing people as monsters if their hearts are twisted that much. [ He shrugs. ]
And those monsters might be drawn to you. They kinda think seraphim are tasty. [ No big deal, right. ]
Some of those could be boons in the right situation. If you couldn't sense the nature of those things you fought, it could have ended much worse, after all.
[She remarks this, raising a knuckle to her chin and looking off to the side. Certainly they have their drawbacks too, so she considers them carefully.]
Have you encountered monsters like that often in this castle?
It will be a bit of a pain. All you can do is kill them or run, since I can't purify without killing anyway. [ He fishes under his pillow, then against the wall and sets a black and silver gun next to his phone. ]
Uhhh.. one or two. Haven't been chased or gnawed on yet. Always a plus.
[ He thinks for a moment, then snaps like he forgot something. ]
I think I heard something about a fever for a bit. I wasn't Shep's first, more like his fifth, so he kinda didn't react at all.
.. Well, I don't think Lailah'd take a like.. five year old as a shepherd, so you're safe on that. [ Look, she's right on his issues with time. His shepherd is about 17. Not that you'd get that as an answer if you asked him. ]
Think its like... a week? [ Vague shrug. Remember, him and time. ]
Probably less. Humans can't sleep for a week without it being bad, right?
[Somehow, despite being weakened from transferring her mana to him, Rin finds the strength to leap from her seat. Listen Zaveid, you might not know this about humans but:]
If it's a high enough fever to knock them out for several days, it's already bad!
[As bas as having monsters potentially coming after you, though? By comparison, this might seem like a strange thing to focus on when it comes to downsides.]
[ Yeah, it is a bit weird. Given drakes and oroboros and medusae, a couple days of forced bedrest is the problem? ]
Pretty sure the fever wasn't what knocked him on his ass, but was mostly because his prime was fire. Sleeps just an adjustment period - humans and the powers we contain, they don't usually mesh neatly.
[There's several seconds of heavy silence, and then she turns with a huff. Just... Thinking.
If it's an adjustment period... Well, she's been through those before. She weathered each Crest transplant before she was through primary school; she can do this too. She'll have to make preparations, of course, and...]
When you say prime, do you mean elemental affinity? If it goes smoother when both the vessel and your kind are aligned, I have an affinity for all five of the classical elements in my world, wind included. Would that help my situation?
Uhhh. Maybe it'll help, but I really dunno. [ There's a flicker of... pretty much revulsion, as he tries to think on it. Sorry, look, the only person he knew who had magic prior, and he'd been in a pact with, he.... would rather not think about ever again.
Zaveid shakes and throws the thoughts out on the wind. ]
Humans don't exactly have magic now a days, so there's no way to tell.
I mean Prime Lord - that's the seraph who has to have the powers of purification, and the one that connects the shepherd to the other seraphim who hang out with him. Through the prime lord, the sub lords get powers of purification, and the vessel in the shepherd. S'why I'd need two people to get here to get my old pact back - I ain't the prime lord for Sheps, but would be for you.
It helps you, and on top of that it's too good of an opportunity to pass up. If those precautions are in place, I'd have to kick myself not not trying it.
Well, that's definitely one way to look at it. [ Has he been missing his shepherd? Maybe.
Has he been missing Wind Lord? Also just as likely. Sounds like with this human, he might need to take it slow before he asks Ozuma for the artifact of wind, but- ]
You got any you wanna go and do? I'll need you to take off the familiar pact... thing, unless you wanna see if I can break it the same way I'm breaking the sub-lord pact. I kinda just got the "break bonds" option, without any fine touch to it.
[Rin grins in turn. So long as she has a plan, she tells herself, there's no reason to be nervous. That said:]
Give me a few hours. I know you said there's no mana involved, but let's give you a chance to regain some strength before we try it, just in case there's backlash for either of us. I need to make preparations in the meantime anyways.
[Medicine, to start. And she should probably let others know she'll be — well, maybe it's best she doesn't tell all of them she'll be out of commission, but otherwise occupied will do, so no one comes looking for her.]
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Geez, she thinks privately to herself, untransmitted, if I followed through on "whenever it feels too much" it'd defeat the point now, wouldn't it?]
I'll take you up on that later. [For now she's used to this, in one form or another.] Thank you.
As for that... [Her brow creases, minutely. Hesitation reads there, and some bafflement.] You're asking me?
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A, you seem used to somethin' similar. Yeah, you, might as well, s'not like I [ really have that many other people to ask, a tiny flicker of loneliness making it over. ] know that many people who could wrap their head about it.
B, hell yes I'm asking. It's.. [ How would Lailah put this. Why couldn't Lailah be here? Lailah would solve just about everything, to be honest, she's so much better with people and- ]
It is a burden, bearing a seraph. I dunno if it will be for you like it is for our humans - humans don't have magic on their own, at home, so who knows what all you'll get. [ Actually, he might know. He'll probably make it easier for her to work magic, at least some kinds, if his memory serves right. ]
But ... vessel is accurate. I won't be in your thoughts, but I would be able to see or sense the world as you do, make use of you as a place to rest or be a surprise if there's worry of an ambush or something.
1/2
Then again, she also hadn't expected this question, despite being the one to propose he find someone. Many people have left lately, she knows (she knows), but there's dozens more where they came from. Surely he'd ask one of them first? Surely...
Rin frowns at him, hands folded to her chest. He's not wrong, that other people wouldn't accept it as simply as she had. More so, he'd be hard pressed to find someone as well suited among the castle residents. Trained since childhood to maintain a Servant, different as Masters and Vessels may be, she was practically born for such roles.
Yes, it's the role she's always meant to play... And that's just the problem. Even without touching them, without looking, Rin is conscious of the stigmata on her right hand; the precious Command Seals.
Saber. Archer.]
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I have no objection to any of that [referencing all he's just implied], but I apologize. I must decline all the same.
I only have enough mana to support myself and one other. In the event my Servant is also summoned to this place, I can't put myself in a position where I'd be unable to maintain them.
[You know. Because hypocrisy.]
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The shepherd - seraph pact doesn't exchange mana. You're a vessel, that's burden enough.
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...It doesn't?
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[ He hesitates then shrugs. ]
And more power later, if you grow into it.
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[He already said it was a burden before, so this might sound like she wasn't listening, but she was. Of course it would be a strain for the vessel, anything worth doing has its drawbacks. But coming from a world of mages, everything she knows is based around the idea of equivalent exchange.
So there's anticipation of a catch here, but also mounting excitement. Kind of like finding a sale at your favorite store. It's pretty obvious, anyways, that with her one caveat taken away, she's quite interested.]
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And those monsters might be drawn to you. They kinda think seraphim are tasty. [ No big deal, right. ]
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[She remarks this, raising a knuckle to her chin and looking off to the side. Certainly they have their drawbacks too, so she considers them carefully.]
Have you encountered monsters like that often in this castle?
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Uhhh.. one or two. Haven't been chased or gnawed on yet. Always a plus.
[ He thinks for a moment, then snaps like he forgot something. ]
I think I heard something about a fever for a bit. I wasn't Shep's first, more like his fifth, so he kinda didn't react at all.
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A bit? That'd better not be ten years to me and a blink to you.
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Think its like... a week? [ Vague shrug. Remember, him and time. ]
Probably less. Humans can't sleep for a week without it being bad, right?
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[Somehow, despite being weakened from transferring her mana to him, Rin finds the strength to leap from her seat. Listen Zaveid, you might not know this about humans but:]
If it's a high enough fever to knock them out for several days, it's already bad!
[As bas as having monsters potentially coming after you, though? By comparison, this might seem like a strange thing to focus on when it comes to downsides.]
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Pretty sure the fever wasn't what knocked him on his ass, but was mostly because his prime was fire. Sleeps just an adjustment period - humans and the powers we contain, they don't usually mesh neatly.
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If it's an adjustment period... Well, she's been through those before. She weathered each Crest transplant before she was through primary school; she can do this too. She'll have to make preparations, of course, and...]
When you say prime, do you mean elemental affinity? If it goes smoother when both the vessel and your kind are aligned, I have an affinity for all five of the classical elements in my world, wind included. Would that help my situation?
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Zaveid shakes and throws the thoughts out on the wind. ]
Humans don't exactly have magic now a days, so there's no way to tell.
I mean Prime Lord - that's the seraph who has to have the powers of purification, and the one that connects the shepherd to the other seraphim who hang out with him. Through the prime lord, the sub lords get powers of purification, and the vessel in the shepherd. S'why I'd need two people to get here to get my old pact back - I ain't the prime lord for Sheps, but would be for you.
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[Another pause and then she sighs through her teeth, slumping and looking a little dejected as she mutters to herself.]
So this is really a gamble in more than one sense...
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But it's again, really up to you. [ She just had a half-way understanding already... ]
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It helps you, and on top of that it's too good of an opportunity to pass up. If those precautions are in place, I'd have to kick myself not not trying it.
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Well, that's definitely one way to look at it. [ Has he been missing his shepherd? Maybe.
Has he been missing Wind Lord? Also just as likely. Sounds like with this human, he might need to take it slow before he asks Ozuma for the artifact of wind, but- ]
You got any you wanna go and do? I'll need you to take off the familiar pact... thing, unless you wanna see if I can break it the same way I'm breaking the sub-lord pact. I kinda just got the "break bonds" option, without any fine touch to it.
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Give me a few hours. I know you said there's no mana involved, but let's give you a chance to regain some strength before we try it, just in case there's backlash for either of us. I need to make preparations in the meantime anyways.
[Medicine, to start. And she should probably let others know she'll be — well, maybe it's best she doesn't tell all of them she'll be out of commission, but otherwise occupied will do, so no one comes looking for her.]
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[ Because he might as well, right? ]
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[Because she will, no ifs here. Just telling herself that already makes her feel more confident, and perking right back up.]
You don't have a roommate, right? Let's meet up in your room in that case.
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... Yeah, I doubt I could manage to store them well enough that they'd still be tasty.
[ Zaveid tilts his head. ]
... Don't think it's changed, so yep, sounds like a place that'll work.
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