so, i ask of thee, are you my master?

[anonily]

The HOLY GRAIL WAR Meme

 

Seven Masters, magi of the present day. Seven Servants, heroes of days past.One Holy Grail, granting whomever claims it a wish. Only one team of Master and Servant may claim it.
Who will it be?
For those unfamiliar with Fate/Stay Night or Fate/Zero, you can find a better explanation of the Holy Grail War here. (Note: The Holy Grail War in Fate/EXTRA functions in a dramatically different way, and one not followed for purposes of this meme.)

Instructions
1. Comment with your character. In the subject line, put that character's name, canon, and which role (Master, Servant, or either) you would like them to fulfill. Though not mandatory, it would be preferred that you give a brief summary of your character as they will (most likely) be AU'd into the setting. (NOTE: If your character can fill the role of Servant, I suggest you state which class(es) -- Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, or Berserker -- they fall into.)
2. Reply to others' comments. Pick your character's role (and the other character's if they list "Either" as their preference), then use the RNG to pick a scenario that fits the two characters' roles.
3. Enjoy! Though there might be triggers, depending on how the prompts are interpreted.


TWO MASTERS

1. Battle. Who says that Servants get to have all the fun? After all, most Masters try to kill each other, too. Whatever the circumstances, the two of you are locked in a fight. Neither of you are willing to use your Command Spells just yet, so no Servants here. Just two magi duking it out.

2. Alliance. There's a bigger threat out there. Either one Servant is exceptionally powerful, or the situation has changed and the participants need to take action aginst it. One way or another, you're teamed up with one of your rivals for the Holy Grail. How long will this last before you try to stab each other in the back? Or, will something more develop?

3. Protection. Uh-oh! One of you has lost your Servant! Unfortunately, there's no way you'd get to the church safely on your own, so the other one will help you get there! Or maybe you don't trust the priest presiding over the Holy Grail War and are giving shelter to them yourself? Given their track record, no one would blame you.

4. Death. One or both of you lay dying. It might have been by the other's hand, or by someone else's entirely. How will you spend your last moments in the presence of one of your rivals?

5. You, Too? Surprise! You may have been friends before, but you've just discovered that you're both Masters! How will you handle this revelation?

6. Wild Card. Roll again, pick one of the previous options, or make one up!


MASTER AND SERVANT

1. Are You My Master? The summoning is complete. Whether intentional or not, catalyst or not, a magus has summoned a Servant. What kind of meeting was it? Was everything totally under control, or did a hitch occur? Or maybe it happened in the middle of a life-or-death situation!

2. Identity. Either the Servant has flat out told the Master their identity, or they unleashed their Noble Phantasm. Either way, the cat is out of the bag. How will the Master react, now that they know their Servant's name and legend? Will anything change between the two?

3. Battle Aftermath. A battle has just ended. Who participated? Are either of you hurt? Did the Master have to use a Command Spell? Any number of things could have happened here.

4. Discord. Uh-oh. It looks like the Master and the Servant don't get along. Here come the arguments! Don't do something stupid, like waste a Command Spell over a triviality...

5. Love. And then, there's the opposite. Sometimes Masters and Servants fall in love with each other. How will this affect things?

6. Wild Card. Roll again, pick one of the previous options, or make one up!


TWO SERVANTS

1. Battle. This is what usually happens when two Servants meet -- they duke it out. This probably says enough as it is.

2. Alliance. There's a bigger threat out there. Either one Servant is exceptionally powerful, or the situation has changed and the participants need to take action aginst it. One way or another, you're teamed up with one of your rivals for the Holy Grail. How long will this last before you try to stab each other in the back? Or, will something more develop?

3. The Grail Dialogues. Maybe you're not interested in fighting just yet. Maybe you just want to sit down and talk with the other Servant. Find out what they want, what makes them tick. Get some wine while you're at it -- nothing like good wine to go with good talk!

4. Death. One or both of you lay dying...again. It might have been by the other's hand, or by someone else's entirely. How will you spend your last moments in this War in the presence of one of your rivals?

5. Identity. Congratulations, you've just learned each other's identities! Will this change the situation, or will you press onward?

6. Wild Card. Roll again, pick one of the previous options, or make one up!

Comments

[axeatyourside]

I'm well familiar with handling animals, you know.

[The tone isn't offended - just a gentle reminder.]

But tell me the specifics of greeting him, or else show me by example and I'll follow. No use in fighting on their behalf if I cause them harm.

[leporiphobiac]

...I didn't, actually.

[It might be the first real sign she has let show: she actually does not know who she summoned. The Aoi family had shipped over the relic for the summoning, but the person who delivered it had seemed to expect her to be in the loop and left soon after. For all she knows, he could have been a gladiator and Shishito reminded him of his death.]

It's important to move slowly, at first, and to let him come to you. You can make eye-contact, usually, but if he starts getting aggressive it's important to back off. He's still pretty young, and he's big enough to do... um... major damage to a normal person.

[She flounders towards the end of that sentence, because... well, he isn't a normal person, after all.]

[axeatyourside]

I think that between you and me, we can handle any particular mishap.

[But she didn't. Which makes Rider wonder why he was summoned by someone who doesn't know the story. Gods below, he only was raised on the steppe with other animals.

But for now, Rider lets it be. There'll be time aplenty to delve into the days spent running beside swift footed beasts, swimming beside the fish of the rivers.]

Think offering food might get him and myself off to a good start?

[leporiphobiac]

If I go in with you, yeah. He used to bully the other zookeeper that quit a month or two back when I wasn't looking.

[She winces faintly at the memory. She had always thought he was such a sweetheart... but no, he had definitely made a game out of scaring the young man who had taken the day-shift so Hana could finish her University classes.]

He'll at least play nice if I'm there.

[axeatyourside]

Then I'll follow your lead.

[For a moment, Rider hesitates, but then gently nudges Aoi's shoulder with his own. He doesn't know if the gesture of trust - at least as far as lions go - will translate, but he may as well find out.]

[leporiphobiac]

Oka—ah!

[She stumbles a little, but manages not to go crashing down to the floor. The brief flash of pride across her face might clue him into the fact that her position during their meeting wasn't exactly a one-off.]

Sorry. Um, did you want to meet him now, or see the rest of the zoo?

[axeatyourside]

I admit, I've a fondness for lions that I'm er, containing right now. [Look, there's a desire to leap in and just start belly rubs.] So sooner might put us both at ease.

[That stumble does cause him to raise an eyebrow, and it tells Enkidu that he might well start working on his reaction times to prevent a particularly bad spill.]

[leporiphobiac]

It's only about thirty minutes ahead of feeding time for him; a little bit early, but that might help him warm up to you. Would you like to wait by his enclosure while I go get the food?

[If he liked lions, he'd probably enjoy that more than following her around a meat locker.]

[axeatyourside]

That sounds like a perfect idea.

[leporiphobiac]

I'll be back soon then.

[She offers him a smile and then begins jogging off towards the staff area, narrowly avoiding tripping over a low bench along the way. He'll... probably need those reaction times.

Still, she's much more poised when she returns, her work gloves covering up her Command Seals and heaving a heavy white plastic bucket. There's a thick, knotted rope slung around her shoulders as well.

She has an explanation for that.]

If he warms up to you, I figured you could play with him while I give everybody else their dinner.

[axeatyourside]

That's a fair thing. But that's a lot to carry around.

[Rider's hand reaches over to the bucket, offering to shoulder the weight if he's allowed.]

[leporiphobiac]

I'm used to it, by now.

[She hands off the bucket, though, and brings her arms up, clapping a hand on her bicep like she has something flex-worthy.]

I might not look like it, but I basically run this place these days.

[She moves forward, pulling a thick ring of keys out of her pocket and unlocking the first door. There's a heavy, split plastic curtain after that, and then they're in the lion's territory.

Said beast wastes no time in moseying up to Hana and butting his large head against her stomach affectionately.]

Yes, yes, I missed you since last mealtime too...

[axeatyourside]

[Rider's all set to offer a comment that the bucket only would help gain muscle if more weight is added to it over time, but that's all gone the second the lion pads over to them. There is, instead, a sharp draw of breath, and a giant grin takes over his face.

Addressing the beast directly, the smile is in his words too:]

Well, hello!

[leporiphobiac]

[The lion gives up his attempts to knock Hana down without going up on two paws—a games he has, unfortunately, won many times before—to give this new man an assessing stare.

Hana strokes his mane gently, trying to keep this civil.]

This is our new friend, okay? He's gonna be here for a while. He's got your dinner, so be nice.

[The lion has indeed spotted the bucket now, and slinks towards him.]

[axeatyourside]

[Carefully, Rider reaches into the bucket, pulling out the meat within. It's an unfamiliar cut, and he can only guess at the animal, but he's careful to extend his arm and place the meat in question down on the floor.]

And, gods willing, I'll be bringing breakfast too.

[leporiphobiac]

He eats once a day, actually. Lions don't naturally eat every day, or several times a day, and their metabolisms aren't really suited for multiple small meals. I know some zoos even skip a day and only feed their lions six days a week to keep them healthy.

[She watches carefully as Shishito takes the meat and pops down, tearing into it.]

But if you like, you definitely can feed him tomorrow too.

[axeatyourside]

Please yes.

[It sounds childish, like someone's accepting the responsibility to walk the dog on their own.]

He looked so happy to see you. I haven't seen any animal look at a person like that in a long time.

[leporiphobiac]

Yeah, he's my buddy. I love everybody here, but he and I both arrived here at the same time.

[She smiles at the big cat, shaking her head slightly.]

Chita—our old director wasn't very imaginative when it came to naming the animals—is pretty affectionate too, and I've known Igarashi—our seal—since he was a baby.

[axeatyourside]

You've grown together.

[Rider isn't about to venture an attempt to ruffle that great big beast, but oh, looking at him and his Master interact is truly something that sets his heart alight. There's a familiarity to it, long left to the pages of old books.]

I don't think I ever saw seals back in Uruk.

[leporiphobiac]

Uruk...?

[She's never heard of that place but they can leave that line of questioning for later.]

Think of a cross between a puppy and a fish. You can feed him too, if you like, but you need to make sure you feed him the fish the right way so their scales don't catch in his throat.

[A massive paw comes to rest on Rider's knee. He wants more meat.]

[axeatyourside]

Ah jeez, it's definitely something else these days. Sat on the Euphrates River, which I'm hoping is still around.

[A touchstone from home, at least.]

Puppy-fish does intrigue me, but it sounds like I'd be best off not taking on the feeding responsibility right awa-- oh!

[Rider beams down at the paw on his hand, and reaches into the bucket to pull out more dinner.]

I'm sorry, was I ignoring you, my fine fuzzy friend?

[leporiphobiac]

Euf-Euphri...

[Sorry, she's Japanese.]

I'll be using the Internet a lot after everybody's fed and clean tonight, it seems. If it's a river, yeah it's probably still around. It might have changed shape a little, though.

[She giggles, watching Shishito go after his second helping.]

Yeah, you look like you've got your hands full, for now.

[axeatyourside]

Well, that's the nature of rivers. Although from how you say it, letters have changed just as much as the river beds.

[Rider grins as Shishito continues to chow down, his hand resting atop one of the lion's great paws.]

For now being the key word. I remember lions being rather lazy too. You might find us both napping if you turn away for a second.

[leporiphobiac]

I think it might be a difference of language. I at least know that's nowhere in Japan.

[She brushes her hair out of her eyes.]

I just might. He's pinned me down to join him a few times, the brat.

[axeatyourside]

That'd probably be it. I doubt our language's spoken anymore.

[There's no real reason to expect it survived, given all the Grail's told him.]

Napping with a lion for a pillow is one of the world's true pleasures.