A Master/Slave Meme

[fishbox]

Congratulations! You are now a slave/master.


Master:
What kind of master are you?
What brought you into possession of a slave?
What will you have your slave do for you?


Slave:
Why are you a slave?
How easily will you adjust to this new situation in life? ie, what kind of slave are you?


Run wild and have fun! RNG is not needed~

Comments

[wouldbesavior]

[So the man isn't easily goaded. It's a fact that has its advantages and disadvantages. Goading someone can be useful, but it's possible that if the man was less controlled, there would already have been blood shed. To take on a powerful Magus alone and directly isn't his usual method. Kiritsugu files the information on his captor away. El appears to intend to keep Kiritsugu here, unharmed and unbound, in spite of the clear danger he presents. There's a foolishness in that, but Kiritsugu himself could be said to be foolish for being so direct.

If Argyle had meant for Kiritsugu to kill El, he'd miscalculated. Kiritsugu considers himself no one's attack dog. If he does kill El, it will be for his own reasons, on his own time, once he has a clear idea of the situation and all parties involved. He'd be more likely to kill Argyle at this point, if such an action were within his power. To eliminate the head of the Academy--that would be an accomplishment.]

I believe in many things. I'm sure there are good people in every nation. I find they're not usually the most powerful.

[It's an insult, but it's delivered without much feeling. Kiritsugu is a man with emotions, but he doesn't display them often, especially not in a situation like this. He can turn off his feelings when need be. To miss his family or his home would only make him weaker and less able to return to them.

Left to his own devices--he'll have to scout out the building. He has a great deal to learn, a great deal to plan. He intends to gather as much information as possible. His hands want to move up to pull at the collar at his throat, but he restrains himself.]

I'll do that.

[He's already turning away from the man when he's asked for his name. He turns back.]

Kiritsugu Emiya. [There's no sense hiding his real name, if it's already known to the ones who brought him here. And after all, they have an unspoken agreement to be honest with each other. To an extent.]


[ooc: Sure, I'm fine with timeskipping. To whenever/wherever you think might be interesting. You know the world better, obviously! And I do enjoy shenanigans.]

[truebelief]

Perhaps that is because people with power cannot afford to be nice. [The reply is something of a habitual reflex, something he'd say if he were in the academy having a debate with his students. A thought provoking remark that requires them to think in more than just black and white. The next generation, most desperately of all, cannot afford to think so simply. That is what landed the Magus in this situation in the first place. Still, that's another ideal he doesn't expect Kiritsugu to relate to right now, so he lets it drop.

The fact that he doesn't react to the name is a pretty good giveaway that he already knew in the first place. Argyle, after all, made no secret of the fact that he was being gifted with an assassin. Far from it, actually, the man practically goaded El with the fact. Still, introducing yourself is one of the few basic rights that El would never think to take away from another person. Besides, it's just being polite.

So, he gives the Weapon a courteous, if brief, nod before continuing on his way.] Mind what I said about the third floor. [And he truly expects it to end there, at least for now.]

[The next day, the return of the rest of the household is cause for a bit of fuss when they discover another has joined their ranks. Jolan, reserved and mannerly, Kiryna, headstrong but intelligent and Meridia, excitable and kind, all greet him in their own way. While Jolan is content to arrange things as needed to accommodate Kiritsugu, Meridia gleefully goes out of her way to arrange a welcome dinner. The fact that her hair is a dark auburn when those of the Magus race all have pale blond is probably something worth noting, but nobody says anything about it. The topic of her half-heritage is considered taboo in this household. Not because Meridia seems to mind, but because El won't have anyone making her feel uncomfortable.

Unabashedly dragged from his research under the accusation that he spent the entire time they were gone working (true), El is ordered by his sister to take Kiritsugu out of the house and show him the capital city of Evande. Shopping for supplies, as it were.

"It's snowing, so dress warm." She says, voice a pleased chirp as she tugs a scarf over El's head before offering one to Kiritsugu and in no uncertain terms shoving them out and slamming the door shut before locking it.

Which is how they probably find themselves standing on the street with a shopping list in hand and a basket in the other. El, rather than fight his sister, sighs loudly creating a white puff from his lips and starts walking.]

Don't stray too far from me.

[ooc: I opted with attempted fluff. :|;;]

[wouldbesavior]

[Kiritsugu looks unimpressed with the Magus' remark. There's something in his expression that's almost pitying, as if he considers this a facile interpretation of his own statement. Niceness is all but useless to him, but in all his harshness, there is always a sense of justice.]

You can be good without being nice.

[As far as he's concerned, he's an illustration of this fact.

If he's surprised by El's lack of surprise, he doesn't show it.]

I'll keep it under advisement.

[Not that that necessarily means he'll avoid the third floor...

...but he does, for now. He has time. He has no intention of rushing things. He's a careful planner. He waits his way through the night and the next day, behaving himself. When introduced to the rest of the household, he's polite to all the others without dropping his reserve, though it's clear enough that of them all, he favors Kiryna. He studies them all, seeking strengths and weaknesses, noting how they interact. There's no detail he considers too insignificant.

The last thing he wants to do is to go on an errand, with El of all people, but he can't deny that it will be useful to get a better look at the city, so he doesn't object to Meridia's plans for them, even if he thinks her idea is a foolish one. A welcome dinner. What kind of idiot would think to welcome someone to slavery? Maybe her mixed blood had addled her mind.

In response to El's words, Kiritsugu gives him his usual flat look.]

I don't follow orders.

[Yes, he's going to keep being that difficult. Also, he has enough sense to know not to go far from his "master" in enemy territory. He doesn't need the advice. Nonetheless, he follows. He'd accepted the scarf, but the cold doesn't bother him. Wrapping the cloth around his neck, he covers the collar. Watching his visible breath rise from his mouth, he wishes he had something decent to smoke.]


[ooc: I'm sorry for being so slow, I'm really busy this week! I've really been enjoying our thread. As always, feel free to correct any errors about the world I make.]

[truebelief]

[ooc: I totally understand! These are big tags and IRL can be pretty unforgiving. I'm just super glad I didn't badger you with so much setting that I made the thread awkward. Thank you so much for tagging with me. ;w; And no you're fantastic!!!]

[As long as he doesn't go for it within 24 hours, he beats Belle.

The reactions to Kiritsugu's presence are varied on all fronts. Kiryna regards him with politely masked interest. It's easy to see that she's considering the same things Kiritsugu and El were- unification in order to escape. The enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that. Were it not for Meridia butting in at that moment, the tension would have become palpable. As it is, she cheerfully introduces herself as a Divine, younger half-sister of El and a student of the academy. If she notices Kiritsugu's reserve, she doesn't seem put off by it and instead endeavors to act like there is no difference in station between them at all. Jolan, on the other hand, acts just as reserved as the Weapon. Taciturn and responding only in nods of acknowledgement, he's in his late thirties but carries himself in such a way that says he can hold his own in a fight. His hair, in typical Magus fashion, is pale-blond and swept away from his face. Beyond a simple greeting, he seems content to watch from a distance, his thoughts hidden behind an impeccable poker face.

It's because El starts to sense the growing connection between Kiryna and Kiritsugu that he put up so little fuss when sent shopping. The less time these two spend together, he feels, the longer this tentative peace will last. While it may inevitable that this is going to come crashing down around his ears, he will prolong that for as long as he can. It may be foolish optimism on his part, but just as they have no reason to trust him, he in turn has no reason to put his faith in them to keep his family safe. And why would they when they're of Magus blood? What would motivate them to try and practice the unity Pavao so desires?

... he's just giving himself a headache. Last night's research went late into the night and he did not sleep well, thus making him extremely cranky today. So much so that when Kiritsugu replies with what can only be called attitude, El's response is less than graceful.] Then should I have said "run headfirst into a horse-carriage" instead?

[His exasperation is ill-concealed at this point, even as he immediately sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose after that rather sharp remark. He knows better than to take his bad moods out on others, but he's so used to Jolan's taciturn nods or Meridia's thick skin that he's become spoiled on this matter. Doubtless, it means nothing to Kiritsugu, but it certainly doesn't help to endear him to the other.] ... please, don't stray too far from me.

[It's as close to an apology as he's likely to get.]

[wouldbesavior]

If you had said that, I wouldn't have followed that order, either. [Kiritsugu informs him of this fact mildly.

He doesn't appreciate the term "stray", as if he's a child or a dog who'd stray from its master, but he lets it slide, as that please is conciliatory, in part, and he can recognize that fact.]

I intend to accompany you.

[Leaving El's presence at this point would serve no purpose, so he walks quietly at his side. When not studying his surroundings, he studies the man out of the corner of his eye, noting today's ill temper and sharp tongue. Something is clearly wearing at him, something other than Kiritsugu. A number of things, perhaps. He's a man with much on his mind.

A fact that may be to Kiritsugu's advantage.

He believes he has a good sense of the household now, even though he's been a part of it for such a short time. He knows the kinds of things he needs to know. Kiritsugu thinks it's likely that, considering his training and abilities, he could have successfully killed everyone in the house by now, if he'd chosen to do so. It may be true, but what would that benefit him? He'd still be alone, in the midst of enemy territory. He would have no way of retaliating against those who'd given him to El. More importantly, he has no desire to kill innocents such as Jolan and Meridia seem to be, even if they are of Magus blood. They don't deserve to die. As for whether El should die, he hasn't yet made up his mind.

No, for now, it's best to both focus on the larger picture and build his relationship with Kiryna. As taciturn and unyielding as he is with El, Kiritsugu has it in him to be approachable, even personable. It's a trait that reveals itself for a flicker of an instant as he breaks silence and speaks:]

What's first on the list?

[This is an errand they've been sent on, so he'll carry it out, as scornful as he may be of the "welcome dinner" idea. If he's going to live here, for a time, he doesn't need to be purely antagonistic. As long as El remembers his place, he can relax his manner slightly. Being amenable has its benefits, but he'll only go so far. He won't feign affability, and of course, he won't agree to act as a slave; he addresses the other man as an equal.]

[truebelief]

[ooc: sorry this is delayed. June is kind of hell for me atm.]

[It wouldn't be completely inaccurate to say El has no idea what to expect of Kiritsugu beyond resentment and some cleverness. The man is clearly capable and cunning. Underestimating him would be a severe error on his part. More than that, however, he just... doesn't know. That the man isn't fond of talking is obvious. That he doesn't like being "owned" even more so.

At this point in time, El has very little hopes for the their future amiability or- hell- even cooperation. In that same vein of thought, he also has no delusions about getting to know the man now or ever, especially given Kiritsugu's attitude towards those of Magus blood. It's with that in mind that he fully expects the assassin to treat him like an enemy. To try and plot his escape while bringing everything around him crashing down in the process. How he goes about it or how he intends to carry it out isn't something El can deduce. (Not about someone he's known for less than 24 hours.) And it's for these reasons that he's chosen to err on the side of caution and "advise" the other as such, in case Kiritsugu turns out to be headstrong.

To be fair, Kiryna certainly did.

It's with this pessimistic view in mind that El is proceeding. So when Kiritsugu breaks the mold of silence and actually chooses to initiate a conversation, he gives a slow, uncertain blink. Is he being uncharacteristically social? Or... no, he's impatient. Yes, that must be it.]

A selection of delicacies from the bakery, though I imagine that is best left for last. [El mutters, mostly in thought to himself as he quickly scans the list and frowns at the bottom. There, a small little note is scribbled in ungainly cursive lettering and he can't help the smile that quirks the corners of his lips. Clumsy as she is, her intentions are kind. He highly doubts Kiristugu will enjoy them but for her sake, El hopes he does.] Do you have a type of food you prefer? ["Ask what he likes" indeed.] ... meat or wine, perhaps. [The suggestion comes out a touch awkwardly but is otherwise unremarked upon. It's El's way of trying to encourage this (hopefully not imagined) socializing and to support Meridia's attempts at making him feel a bit better about his situation. If such a thing is possible, anyway.]