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This locket's pretty nifty. [Lancer, poised on the edge of a cliff, leaned his locket against one rock as he fiddled with a cloak and brooch, trying to pin one to the other without ripping it. He kept doing it over and over so he could weather it down and make it more comfortable to wear. When he got into a good little cycle of repetition, he spoke up, again.]

So, hey--I'm curious, has anyone heard about any 'help wanted' situations in Caer Glaem? I'd ask, but I figure this little artifact's got a good reputation is folks're using it so often.

[He continued talking, returning his eyes to the cloak and brooch.]

Let's see--I'm good with a plow, I know my way around horses and spreading seed... [Said nonchalantly, examining his handiwork.]

Pretty good at preparing and serving food. I wouldn't recommend me as the cook, though. I can read and write. [Conveniently, in every language on Earth.]

I'm a really good gardener, too--on top of farming, I mean. If you like flower-arrangement and things like that, you could say I've got a real knack for it.

[Lancer, seemingly content with the work he had done with the cloak and brooch, set both aside and began folding them where they lay. He crossed his arms and grinned back at the locket.]

So, if you folks know anyone who's hiring, put in a good word for me! You can call me [A pause. Lancer definitely stopped at that, thinking through his options.] Lancer. Yeah, I'll stick with that. It's gotten to be a habit, by now.

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[ Hoh? ] It sounds as if you're desperate to do anything.

A shame I don't have any coin to my name. Nothing would entertain me more than seeing your talents for myself.

[ Whatever serious tone she had before is gone in favor of teasing him. ]

Am I really gettin' ridiculed for bein' willing to work for a living? Good lord, I worry for the wait-staff on the Unseelie side.

[Archer, Rin and Saber could brow-beat any staff into spitting into their food, clearly.]

[ Between Saber's insatiable appetite, Archer's elitism when it comes to food, and Rin's general personality? It's true. Fear for those poor Unseelie bastards. ]

I just think it's odd you've been recruited to fight and yet you don't.

It's almost as if your benefactors are unaware of your skill set. I wonder, I wonder.

Ahhhh? [Lancer gave Rin a weird sort of look. He eventually grinned when he figured out what she was hinting towards.]

Oh, no, it's just not time for my mission, yet. Actually, I was personally conscripted by the Seelie's King ahead of time for a pretty dangerous mission.

[Though, he was smart enough not to reveal it, anyway.]

I'm just makin' plans for after my victory, y'know? Knights like me never personally profited from battles, so I don't expect to carry home any treasures.

[ Rin's just under the impression that if any King or Queen discovered they had an army wiping guy with a trigger button at their disposal, they wouldn't just let him waste time arranging flowers. That's all. ]

A dangerous mission, huh? I'm confident you'll be able to succeed without much trouble, but you should be careful. Getting ahead of yourself like that is poor sportsmanship and besides that, you seem to have poor luck from what I understand.

I wouldn't want you to let yourself down too much, Lancer.

[Conchobor could have given Rin 35,000 reasons why that would be a bad idea.]

Really? What's the point of pride if you don't flaunt it, missy? If I fail and die, then I'll have died the loser.

That's the end of it.

There's flaunting one's pride and then there's... this display of whatever it is you're doing.

[ Don't be mad just because she makes being prideful look this elegant and beautiful. ]

Lancer, I know I didn't really get a chance to say it before, but I'm kind of indebted to you. It'd be a shame if you got yourself seriously hurt before I could pay you back.

[Lancer really did love his insane, poorly planned and overly violent pride. It had its own sort of panache.]

Ahh, don't hold yourself to a debt with a stranger. None the less one who didn't actually help you out.

You ought to worry about that other guy who actually did the deed.

A fine young lady is expressing concern for you and you brush it off so heartlessly? Some enchanting fellow you make yourself out to be.

[ Still she worries for him. The thought of him dying is one she can't bear to see repeat in her lifetime even with the knowledge he's a Heroic Spirit. Not only did he die once before he ever came into her life, she prepared most of her life in order to kill him herself.

So she ought to be used to the idea. ]

And just who it is you speak of, Lancer? [ Has he... no, he couldn't possibly have. Archer wouldn't have revealed himself to the public, would he? ]

Hah! And, what kind of low-life rogue would take advantage of a woman's misunderstanding? I'm not interested in a reward for something I never put my hands to.

[Suggestively said, but well-intentioned. The double-edged blade of being someone who could flirt without even realizing it.]

But, I'm being pretty distinct, I'd think. I'm the 'Lancer' of one time and the guy you got friendly with is another branch of a path I didn't take. So, how fair would it be if I got rewarded for a choice I never made, willing or not?

Oh, I understand now. All this time you were misunderstanding me.

While it's true that it'd be unfair for you to reap in the benefits of an alternate self, there's no helping how I feel. You were an ally and so here I offer you the same chance.

[ This sort of thing should be met with a smile or something soft. Rin, on the other hand, is anything but those. So with a serious tone, she finishes with: ]

Will you be my ally?

Hmph. I'm gettin' the impression that even if I did resist, you'd insist on repaying me. I guess I'll just have to strategically flee from any chances you try to take. [Said loftily, if only because he thought it could actually turn out to be funny.]

But, I ought to ask--the situation's a bit different for me than most, I imagine. Alliances are gonna be tough, y'know? That Master is mine is actually the Seelie Queen.

Then I hope you know that I'm capable of keeping up with you just a bit. [ Now that's something to be proud of. ]

Hoh, so your Master is someone of that importance?

[ This poses a more difficult problem for her. If the nobles of this land were taking on Servants, there remains the possibility that Archer, Saber, or Berserker could end up as the Unseelie's leader's Servant. Best to talk this over with her mentor first. ]

Should I be taking this as a threat? If my affections are unwanted, as are my allegiances, you should simply say so.

Ahhh. See, there's the problem. I can't tell you right now if that's really the case--that she'd order me to just fight the Unseelie without giving me a choice.

[The problem with Masters, as usual. Still, he smiled plainly about it all the same.]

I could hope she's a pretty peaceful lady, but she's not easy to read. [Because she's in a coma.]

It only seems fair not to lead you on as an ally, when in the worst situation she could command me to take your head.

You might not know this seeing as events played out differently for you, Lancer, but I'm sort of used to my allies betraying me. If I was any less of a person, I'd hold a grudge for it, but at the end of the day we are all at war. If not for what we believe in, then to protect our very lives. Think of me as a child, but I'm not naive enough to believe that anyone here has my best interests at heart save for me.

I'd like to focus on forging pacts with others that aren't about whose side we're on, but more importantly our common goals. You're looking for work and I have work for you. Shouldn't that be enough to bind us together at least momentarily?

Edited 2014-10-05 20:22 (UTC)

[There was a low hum in Lancer's voice. He wondered what the hell he did for Rin that earned him that sense of esteem. She had seemed like she'd jump out of her skin when he remembered meeting her.]

Alright, alright. Enough tryin' to sneak me past my own words, missy. I know what your intent is, so there's no point in tryin' to talk me through it.

If this 'work' you've got is fair in my mind, I'll take it. Otherwise, I'm not allowin' a bargain that'll cause me to betray my Master. That's all there is to it.

[ He took out Kirei Kotomine after she found out the bastard killed her father and ruined her life, while saving her from Shinji Matou. Come on, that's worth devotion. ]

So now I know you're not desperate enough to consent to work without knowing what it entails. Interesting thing of note.

Very well. You said you can write, can you?

[Yeah, he killed a ton of people. He won't remember some dumb priest... Except he will, because the tofu that guy ate--]

I can. It depends whether or not it's just for notation or if it's got a specific purpose, though. Transcription's easy, but I'm not the best of magi.

You can write and you know your runes well.

[ That statement comes on a little strong as further proof they were allies or that she's at least seen some of his tricks up close. ]

That language.

What was it?

Mmph. Yeah, I know 'em. [A vast understatement. It was also confirmation that Rin had seen him in action quite a bit.]

Problem is, I can't imitate it now. My idiot King and Queen stole it away from me.

[Seriously, guys. Why?]

They were the runes from that old oak tree. The first one, I guess.

[ Letting little things like that slip in will only further her position on their acquaintance. If she can make Lancer understand she views him as a friend and is grateful to him over anything else that in time he may think fondly of her as well. ]

That old oak tree? [ Frowning a bit. ]

Why did they take away your abilities? If they want you to fight, it seems odd that they would remove them.

[Lancer would have been more opening to creating more friendly relationships with outsiders if not for the monarchs and their weird grip on him. He really disliked that kind of needlessly difficult pact.]

Yeah. What'd they call it? The root? The first tree.

Wait-- [It was insane how he could barely remember it. It was because he spent his education staring down the front of Scathach's tunic all day.]

Right, Yggdrassil.

Anyway, as for my abilities, I could hardly guess. They may just be sadists who want to see their champion struggle. To think they even forced a contract on me--!

[ So Yggdrassil taught Lancer how to rune and he's not capable of doing it now. She's missing out on a prime opportunity here, how dare his leadership keep that from her. It's almost tempting to go to war with them for that alone. ]

You know there exists a weapon that could break a pact.

[For all he knew, Scathach was lying and he was just collecting those runes at the Mythical Walmart.]

Ahhh? Really, should I believe my ears? That idea reeks of betrayal. [He was smiling all the same.]

[ Wale-Mart, you mean. You had an opportunity and you didn't take it. ]

Hoh and do you think I'm a master of that? Maybe I know a thing or two of being betrayed or doing the betraying myself.

... alternatively, someone could just kill your Master for you.

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