[closed]

[smallskull]

Who: Kirei and Assassin
What: Kirei adopts an unattended, traumatized child. Aww. Isn't he sweet?
Where: Lochwell, in front of the castle.
When: After this thread.
Warnings: Will update as necessary.

[In her current state, Assassin is not particularly discerning when it comes to the information other people give her. So, she sees absolutely no reason not to meet up with a stranger like this, nor any reason to doubt his desire to help her. It doesn't take her long to reach their designated meeting place. Already, she has done a good job of familiarizing herself with her new surroundings, so she has little problem finding her way around Lochwell.]

[She knows, vaguely, of priests, but not enough to recognize one by sight. It's a good thing he gave her more description than that, then. Sharp-eyed, she looks this way and that, her hair swinging around her shoulders as she does so.]

Comments

He's the sweetest guy, really

[seeyousuffer]

[He has no real plan in mind. He'd only been interested. And someone should take care of a lone child, shouldn't they? It's truly a shame that no one's stepped in to do so already. Kirei has his own children to care for at home, back at the "orphanage", so it's not as if he's inexperienced with caring for children, even if his idea of caring for them is less than conventional.

Kirei had kept to text on his phone, preferring it to video, but he knows to look for an unattended child in front of the castle. He'd promised games. Searching is part of the game. Why not? Like hide and seek without the hiding. Maybe the hiding can come later.

He doesn't have to search long. The crowd thins around the castle. When he arrives, it isn't hard to pick her out, if this is the girl he's searching for. If it isn't, he's suddenly less interested in any other child. He doesn't see her so much as sense her, and it's then that he knows. How could he not know?

He'd thought they were all dead, that Assassin was gone, all the selves obliterated by Rider's Noble Phantasm. Yet she had stayed with Rider, according to the girl herself. From a distance, he stands watching her as she looks this way and that. Yes, it's most likely the child he was conversing with. He still has his Command Seals, and then some, but he doesn't need to use one of them. He begins to walk toward her, then holds out his hand.]

Come here.

[smallskull]

[She's quick to spot him when he starts toward her, but her awareness of his approach is intuitive rather than something she realizes with her eyes or ears. At the sight of him, she starts, though she doesn't quite understand why even as she straightens up and goes still.]

[She remains where she is until he holds out his hand toward her. He's obviously the man she's looking for, but when he tells her to come, moving toward him is more instinctive than a rational decision on her part. Seeing him here feels a bit like a splashing cold water on her face while she's half-asleep. Abruptly, everything seems clearer than before, though she still can't say why.]

[She doesn't speak when she reaches his side, only looking up at him.]

[seeyousuffer]

[He pauses and watches her approach, lowering his hand once she's at his side.]

Hello. I hadn't expected to find you here.

[He smiles.

Odd, how of all the possible faces of Assassin, it's this child he's found. Maybe she's from another world, is another incarnation, as that young Gilgamesh was. Or maybe not. Unlike Gilgamesh, she's still his Servant. He can sense that. So it seems he's not without a Servant here, though she's not one he might have expected to find. She might be small and solitary (presumably), but she's not without her uses.]

Now we can play games, like I promised. Have you been here long?

[smallskull]

[She still doesn't quite understand what's happening now, but somehow, the fact that he recognizes her doesn't come as a surprise. She stays silent as she looks up at him, almost wonderingly.]

[She shakes her head at his question. She only thinks briefly before holding up three fingers. That many days.]

[seeyousuffer]

Not so long, then. I've been here about the same length of time. Now that we're together, we can stay together. Would you like that?

There isn't anyone else you know here, is there? [It would be too much to hope for another Assassin, and the fact that she's alone now, without any others and without her memories, seems to suggest she's the only one. He would rather have more Assassins, or even Archer, but he won't complain about being given this small, unexpected advantage.]

You'll have to tell me what games you like best, Assassin.

[smallskull]

[Automatically, she nods when he asks if she would like to stay with him. But despite understanding of the situation remaining just beyond her grasp, the motion isn't mechanical or thoughtless. Being with him seems natural, so her reply is firm. It is what she wants.]

[His other question, though, is met with a shake of the head. Then, for the first time, she speaks up.] Just you.

[Because she does know him, just like she suddenly knows that Assassin is the name she should answer to.]

Um...! [She thinks.] I want to play games, but I told you. I don't know many. I wasn't allowed to play much. [Yes, that sounds right, even if she's still working out the details.]

[seeyousuffer]

[He's not surprised by her agreement. She is his Servant, after all, so she should agree, but he enjoys asking these questions.]

I thought so. All alone. So we're on our own here. Do you miss the others, or do you even remember them?

If you want to play games, then we'll play games. I can think of games for you to play. Let me see... First, pick a person, any person here.

[smallskull]

Mm-hm. [She's slowly realizing how strange it is to be cut off from the rest of Assassin's personalities, too.] It's weird, but I don't think I miss them. It feels different than that. [Though how to explain it beyond that escapes her.]

[Instead, she tells him:] I have to take some time to remember. It'll be okay, though.

There are a lot of people here. I don't know many of them yet. [...] There was a girl who said a thing like this happened to her before, but I didn't talk to her.

[seeyousuffer]

It's a difference. A lack. It's not the same, but I feel different here, too. We're cut off from our world, from the war.

[His war has ended, but he doesn't mention that.]

It must be more pronounced for you. But you'll adapt, won't you?

That's not what I mean. It doesn't have to be anyone you know, anyone you've spoken to. [He gestures with one hand, taking in the busy district of Lochwell.] Pick any one of these people, here, those that we see around us.

[smallskull]

[She nods again, more emphatically this time.]

I'll be okay! It's weird, and I can't do the same things as them, but I can live without them.

[And, of course, she'll do her very best to serve him with what limited skills she does have.]

Hrm... [When he clarifies, she leans up on her toes slightly, peering around at the people in the area.] Any?

[This would be easier to do if she knew what she was picking for, but he doesn't seem to want to tell her. Maybe that's part of the game, too. Finally, she points. There's nothing particularly noteworthy about her choice.]

[seeyousuffer]

I felt sure that you could.

Yes, any.

[Yes, it's all part of the game.

The chosen person is a young man with no striking characteristics. Dark hair, dark eyes. Not too tall or too short. A seemingly ordinary citizen of Lochwell, out about his daily business.]

Good. That's a fine choice. Now, that's our first person. He's the other player in our game. I want you to keep an eye on him. To watch him. To learn whatever you can about him. But without being seen, of course.

[He moves to follow the lucky winner, at a distance.]

Do you think you can do that?

[smallskull]

[She doesn't exactly smile, but she does brighten somehow when he says he was sure she could. She's pleased that he has confidence in her, of course.]

[She listens closely to his instructions, following with him when he beings to move. That seems simple enough to do, so his question is met with another vigorous nod.]

Of course I can do that! [There's a childishly indignant note to her voice. Gosh, Master, she can conceal her presence just like all her fellows!]

[seeyousuffer]

[He notices her brightening mood. Good, she's very responsive. He hadn't dealt one on one with this face of Assassin before. But the part is like the whole, in many ways.

He speaks in a low voice so he won't be overheard, continuing to follow the target at a distance.]

I thought so. You're very skilled.

Now, the first part of the game is to watch him. Once you've watched him for long enough, you should be able to tell what he values most in his life.

Once you've accomplished that, then you can move on to part three. I want you to take something of his that's precious to him and bring it to me. It doesn't matter what it is so much as the fact that it's something he'll miss.

[smallskull]

[She remains silent as she listens to his instructions, taking note of the quietness of his voice. She decides that this probably means she is officially on the job now, so when she replies, her own tone is hushed as well. She tries to look grave, to prove that she's serious about following his orders, but she can't help the eagerness that leaks into her expression.]

Okay. So that's my objective for now?

[seeyousuffer]

[This "game" could help to make his time here somewhat more entertaining. He'd rather work on his plans back home, but there's no reason he can't start weaving some plans here. This place is full of life, after all. Full of people. Any of them could be made to feel pain.

She seems eager, eager to follow any of his orders. The fact that she's a child (or very like one), and so quick to become part of his game, does amuse him.]

That's right. Once you're done with that, we'll see about moving on to the next part of the game.

[smallskull]

Ok— Understood! [She switches to a more "adult" word midway through, but it doesn't make her seem like less of a child than she is.] I'll do it, and then you can give me another goal.

[She is eager, both to do as he says and to begin. She'll get started right away!]

[seeyousuffer]

[Kirei smiles.] That's right. It'll be fun.

I'm pleased to have such a loyal, capable Servant with me.

[[ooc: do you want to handwave stuff? We can skip ahead to the next step(s) if you want, or end things here. I'm sure this will all end in the unfortunate target's death.]]