ITP: Takoyaki and the meaning of life

[maybe_a_king]

Who: Arturia, a select few, and an open prompt
Where: Various for the closed prompts; Scorpio for the open one
When: Shortly after the return from Animus; Timeline is flexible otherwise
Summary: In which Arturia finds out more than she bargained for and has a minor existential crisis about it.
Warnings: None at the moment.

[For everyone; Scorpio Ward]
Shirou's cooking was better.

That's all Arturia could think as she sat on a bench in the park, idly popping some takoyaki she bought at a nearby street vendor into her mouth. Ever since she had gotten back from that Tower, her thoughts had been concentrated on home, the Grail War, everything she had found out. Given all that information she knew she should be in the library researching her 'ancestor' to try and find some connection--even if she'd met a version of that ancestor in the Tower itself.

Yet all she could seem to focus on was the takoyaki and how much better Shirou's tasted. She missed home, missed her daily routine with her friends, missed being a semi-normal schoolgirl who happened to be able to walk on water. Now she had to contend with the resurrected spirits of mythological figures fighting to the death over a possibly-corrupted Holy Grail, an interdimensional entity straight out of HP Lovecraft's writings looking to cause trouble for the human race, a city slowly turning against Visitors such as her, and an existential crisis on top of that.

"....Shirou's is better," she said out loud as she ate yet another piece. It was definitely easier to focus on that than anything else at the moment.

[For hadronknight]
A month. A month away from here. Six months since she initially left home.

After everything she'd been through in the last month, Arturia was tired, a weariness that she could feel deep in her bones that made her head spin. Part of her wondered how she hadn't been so homesick before in Hinoto-Ri, but when she entered her apartment, had four cats look up at her with big eyes, and saw one of her uncle's samurai-themed figures on the coffee table, she knew the answer.

Unlike in the Tower of Animus and it's lonely population, she had a home here. Her family had come with her. True, it wasn't home, but at least she wasn't alone.

It appeared her uncle was out. Doing what or when he'd get in she had no idea. She picked up Snapdragon--who was not quite the great fat lumps he once was, but still healthy. She would have to thank her uncle later on. Perhaps see about getting him a gift.

Right now?

Arturia was tired. Her body ached from the fight within Nyarlathotep's maze and her mind still swam with the images she saw in those mirrors of herself with a glowing sword. They had to be illusions of some kind, she supposed, but that was something she would worry about later. For now, there is nothing like being able to sleep in your own bed after a long journey, surrounded by those familiar things that reminded you of home. Arturia gratefully curled up in hers in the tiny apartment she shared with her uncle, feeling safe for the first time since they had been dragged to the Tower.

As she drifted off to sleep she really did recognize the fact that home, indeed, was sweet.

[For gforceinmyfaaaace]

An email Pit would have gotten earlier in the day:

Pit,

I'll be waiting outside Libra Apartments. I talked to my uncle and now I'm ready to talk to you.

--Arturia

It was actually kind of nerve-wracking to wait for Pit, her head still swimming from everything her uncle had told her. Her? A copy of King Arthur himself? And she'd been designed from the beginning to be a Master in the Grail War? It was almost too much to think of at once and she hoped her happy-go-lucky friend would be able to help her make sense of it all.

Arturia hated to admit it sometimes, but it was nice to have a friend who knew nothing of the situation back home. Someone she hadn't spent years keeping secrets from, who she didn't have to worry too much about looking at her differently when she told him her secrets. No, the only thing she'd have to worry about was if Pit would tell someone else. If that happened, Arturia would have to make it clear to him that she wanted to tell people herself. Surely Pit would be understanding of that much.

Still, she waited outside the Libra Apartments like she said she would. Despite the stares she got from the natives now--and, oh, it felt like everyone could see what she now knew she was--she waited. She gave her word and she refused to go back on it for something as trifling as a few whispers in the street.

[For greyerrant]
Somehow, in the last few days, Arturia had fallen back into the routine of training with Garviel in the morning before school. Routine had been good for her nerves, but the thoughts plaguing her mind lately had made her distracted, her form not as sharp as it had been. Normally she could get at least three hits on Garviel during their sessions. Now, when she should have been at her sharpest, she was lucky if she could only get in one.

Garviel said nothing, thankfully. Not until Arturia finally decided to speak up. Who would know better about the matter without being directly involved than Garviel Loken?

"Mr. Loken?" she began after their session that morning as she pulled out the bagels and yogurt she'd brought for their breakfast, "....do you think finding out a secret about your birth make you.... different?"

Comments

[hadronknight]

[The door opened as a certain figure walked in-]

I'm back.

[...It had been a force of habit for him after all those years to even say that to an empty room throughout that whole month; of course, he knew that one way or another it would not be empty again, considering the announcement from his COMP.

...And actually not finding her in the thralls of people looking quite... depressed or even in shock.

Which would be why his worry had spiked up to an all time hi....gh?]

...Arturia?

[...Yeah, he definitely couldn't miss that flash of blond the moment he checked her living area.]

[maybe_a_king]

[Sound asleep. She didn't even bother pulling a blanket over herself and she has a few bumps and bruises on her, but otherwise she appears to be fine. In fact, Petunia and Daisy have crawled onto her bed and are sleeping soundly against her.]

[hadronknight]

[There's a sigh as the male just looked at this sight with a face that showed relief and exasperation at the same time as he moved to cover her sleeping body with her blanket- wouldn't do for her to get a cold first thing after coming back from a long journey after all.]

...Honestly, what am I going to do with you?

[maybe_a_king]

[She stirs a bit as he moves the blanket up and turns a bit to look up at him. She'd been sleeping deeper than she had in the Tower, but she'd always been a light sleeper ever since she was a child.]

....uncle?

[hadronknight]

No, I'm an Oni here to take you away.

[he's saying that with a completely deadpan face.]

[maybe_a_king]

Oh, very funny. [She tosses off the blanket and carefully getting up from bed so as to not disturb her cats. She stares at him for just a moment, before hugging him tight.]

I missed you.

[hadronknight]

[There's a bit of a stunned silence as the gesture was done, but in the end, he hugged her back all the same, pulling her body closer to him, as if to make up for the time they lost together.]

Don't disappear like that again.

[His voice sounded a bit cracked, but no one can't blame him for almost losing his shit when he first found out.]

[maybe_a_king]

I won't. I'll make sure of it. [She holds tight to him for a moment, glad to have her family back, then glimpses the Command Spell on the back of her hand, the source of how awkward things have been between them for months now. She turns her head into his shoulder briefly, then pulls away.]

There's.... there's something I need to tell you. About these. [She holds up her hand so he can see them.] And Rin. She's involved, too.

[hadronknight]

...

[There's silence as he stopped himself short of saying a sarcastic remark as the sort of light tone turned heavy just by a simple sentence she said to him.

"There's something I need to tell you."

...Usually in all the manga he's read, this would be the part that someone tells the protagonist something, and then interrupted by whatever that could happen.

...Checking to make sure NOTHING is going to interrupt this, he then nodded.]

If you are confident of it, then go ahead.

[maybe_a_king]

[Seriously. The only thing that could interrupt at this point is one of the cats who is sleeping soundly on the bed--or the fourth off slinking somewhere in their apartment.

Arturia sighs as he checks, her stomach doing little flips as he finally tells her to go ahead.

Now or never:] ....have you ever heard of something called the Holy Grail War?

[hadronknight]

[All of a sudden, Mordred looked like he's been punched in the nether regions as the question was bluntly asked. He was expecting the sentence to come, but to hear that from herself was still enough of a blow that confirmed to him that.

Yes, Arturia Pendragon was a participant of the Grail War, just like the old men had hoped her to be.]

...I can't say I'm not familiar with it, no.

[There's a sigh from him as he said that.]

[maybe_a_king]

[The look on his face, then what he says has her heart sinking. She had known he knew she was caught up in something. It was why they tended to dance around the subject of what was going on back home, but now.... now they know for sure what's going on and Arturia lowers her hands, clasping them in front of her and schools her face the best she can to keep her emotions in check.]

....how much do I need to explain, then?

[hadronknight]

Your Servant.

[...There's a small bit of silence as he gulped down his saliva in order to not sound shaky.]

What was his class?

[He'd ask how she got into this mess in the first place, but he's known for a fact that this 'niece' of his has a tendency just to walk into any semblance of troubles without a second look.]

[maybe_a_king]

Archer. I know not what hero he is, though.

[She figures that'd be Mordred's next question. What else could it be but the identity of her Servant? She sighs, sitting back down on the bed.]

Rin's Servant is Lancer. I do not know if I should tell you who he is. [But if he asks, she'll answer. She's tired of keeping this from him.]

[hadronknight]

You don't have to.

[He doesn't need to know anything else now that he knew Arturia's Servant is an Archer.

The further away she gets from the conflict, the better, and a ranged type Servant is perfect for that.]

Anything else that you want to tell me, Arturia?

[Before he finally decided to open this can of worms.]

[maybe_a_king]

Shinji is dead.

[There it is, the main thing that's been haunting her since this whole thing began. Rin had explained and explained to her repeatedly that there would be death in the Grail War, that they might need to kill people. Shinji was a bastard, yes. Mordred himself had dealt with him on occasion and Arturia had never cared for him.

But he was Sakura's brother and that's all that mattered to Arturia.]

He.... he had his Servant, Rider, put a barrier up around the school. It was killing everyone and.... Rin and I tried to fight him while Lancer fought off Rider, but Archer.... Archer shot him and....

[Some part of her tells her that she shouldn't feel so guilty about it, that this wasn't like her to get so worked up over someone's death. But it was the first time she had seen death firsthand as far as she knew and she had been sent to Hinoto-Ri before she could even talk to anyone about it.]

I know it was the right thing. I know that, but.... how do I tell Sakura when we get back home? I can't just lie to her about what happened.

[hadronknight]

Shinji was-

[It was true that the kid had not been a paragon of virtue whenever they interacted, but he figured since Shirou befriended him, the boy couldn't have been all that bad.

No, the fact that made him react was the actuality of children being involved within this gruesome war with powerful figures from the time of old.

And to hear that one of his student had left the mortal coil of this Earth just froze him in is tracks.]

...Don't.

[The word left his mouth after a few seconds of silence. It's not her duty to tell Sakura that.

Rather, it's his duty as a teacher to break the news to her, so that Arturia would have less burden on her back.]

I'm sure Ms. Fujimura and I could come up with something.

[maybe_a_king]

Are you sure?

[She's ashamed of the relief in her voice that her uncle will tell her, that Taiga will take care of it. Arturia had never been good with emotions, never been anything but blunt when tact was needed. What needed more tact than telling a friend their sibling was dead?

What needed more tact when trying not to tell a friend in the same breath their brother tried to commit mass murder?]

[hadronknight]

Positive.

[There's a sigh as he fixed his suit, honestly, this is starting to get more stuffy than he usual, but it's probably due to the tension currently within the room.]

...I... think it's time.

['For you to know your heritage'.]

[maybe_a_king]

Time?

[She can guess for what, but this conversation alone has been so surreal part of her doesn't want to hear it. Part of her wants to remain ignorant, leave something to stay the same and yet:

Arturia can't. She knows that. Striving to maintain her ignorance will only make things harder in the long run. Besides, who better to hear the truth from than her uncle?]

If you're sure about it then.... I'm ready.

[As ready as she'll ever be.]

[hadronknight]

...It all began at the end of the Battle of Camlann.

[There's silence as he opened the story with an event that should've happened years ago within their world.]

After Mordred Pendragon fell from his wounds.

Or at least, he was supposed to.

[maybe_a_king]

....supposed to?

[She has a feeling she knows where that bit is going.]

[hadronknight]

...He never perished. Rather, he fell into deep sleep to await the moment his... 'mother' decided to use him again.

[said whispers in his mind were shut in the back of his head as the words were uttered.]

[maybe_a_king]

Given the legend ended with his death.... the Lady Morganna never did have a use for him, did she?

[hadronknight]

She never did. And as he continued to sleep, it was interrupted one day when he woke up to face the Einzbern's family's head.

[...and that's where everything started.]