CATHARSIS is a non-canon OC fate/series site, loosely based off of fate/apocrypha. Knowledge of the fate/series canon is helpful, but knowledge of fate/apocrypha isn't needed!
Post by Damayanti Padmanabhan on Aug 7, 2014 5:13:37 GMT
The café was quiet, and Padma was alright with that. Last night had been…interesting, to say the least. All she knew was that she was going to need to rethink her sleeping schedule or else it was all downhill from here. It’s funny how you can do something for years and years, and suddenly it’s new again when you add a new variable. The War was making it a bit difficult to hunt. Before it had started, she’d been a very organized killer. She’d have a kill within minutes of finding a proper hunting ground, be it a forest or a field. She’d then bring it down quickly with her venom, take it apart easily, and have the entire thing reduced to bones by the time the sun came up. A deer hadn’t given her trouble since she was twenty.
At least, she hadn’t been nearly so…sloppy since she was twenty. Sometime in the coming days she’d need to find that thrift store that she’d taken Saber to and get herself a couple of new shirts, because this one was speckled with deer blood. She’d pulled a sweatshirt over it and thrown on some sweatpants and sunglasses for good measure before coming here to this café and requesting that they not be seated near the window. That would be too much of a headache.
You’d think cramming an entire deer into your stomach might keep you full for at least the rest of the day…but then, you’d be underestimating Padma’s metabolism. The table that she and Nakula were at was currently very cluttered up with plates filled with all sorts of breakfast foods. Padma, as clearly sluggish as she was, was in the process of devouring her fifth waffle.
“I’m sorry, hon. You just gotta give me a second.” She said to Saber. “I’m still hungry, is all. Once I eat I’ll be right as rain.”
Pausing for a moment, she picked up the menu. Learning Chinese a few years back had been a good decision. “…You got any idea what a cronut is?
Post by General Meng Tian on Aug 9, 2014 7:34:54 GMT
The day was still young when Tian had deigned it time to leave the confines of the Yggdmilennia headquarters. It had been by design that he wanted to venture out at the crack of dawn, a sad attempt to discourage his father’s chaperoning. There was, after all, hardly any danger at all to be found in the day lit hours of the Holy Grail War, not to mention Meng Tian was an ancient Chinese general who could more than take care of himself. But of course, the large man had still insisted on accompanying him, in spite of the hour.
Thus, the odd pair walked through the town drawing more than a few eyes; Tian himself flitted through the early-bird crowd as though he were on wings, checking every little café and shop window and exchanging polite pleasantries with random passersby. Childish behavior, sure, but he was having a great deal of fun. Occasionally, he glanced at his false Servant with a weak smile, substituting for any words he might have had to share about the incredible wonder of the new world they found themselves in. As a Master, Tian was not supposed to gawk at modern fixtures, at least not so much that others would notice.
A particular café managed to catch the Spirit’s eye, though not for the food advertised on the posted menu. “There are two of our comrades in there. Damayanti Padmanabhan and her Saber,” he spoke in a low voice, addressing Wu but talking mostly for the benefit of himself. “She’s an interesting one, with some kind of demon blood. I read the file Octavian gave us, but I have been meaning to meet her in person.” It was important to become familiar with any and all threats to the Emperor, whether they be enemies or allies. And from what he had gleaned about this Master’s nature, she seemed as though she would make a dangerous enemy or ally. The Saber pair were not to be taken lightly, though Tian’s decision was already made.
“Let’s go inside then!” He pushed through the door, casually making his way through the quaint little restaurant. Purposefully, he angled towards the familiar faces, with hopes that his “Servant” would be close behind.
As he brushed by Saber’s table, he glanced in their direction and stopped, a look of false surprise crossing his expression. If anything, Tian was a fabulous actor. He was just hoping that one of the two would know who he was, or at least remember that he was a part of their faction. “Oh, I recognize you. Damayanti, right? And your partner I take it?” He acknowledged the pair with a nod. “My name is Zuo Tian. And this is my, uh, partner as well. It would be nice to eat in the company of allies; would you mind if we joined you? I'll buy you one of those... cronuts, to sweeten the deal.”
Without waiting for a response, he addressed Wu. “Caster, could you bring us some chairs?”
His master's appetite never ceased to amaze him. Nakula had done his fair share of speculation that his Master must have been an incarnation of Bhima, because nobody else in his life had ever eaten so much as she had. Further review had later disproven such a belief because Bhima actually gained weight and size, albeit almost all muscle, from his ravenous appetite. Padma on the other hand would eat portions far larger than anyone should be able to stomach and yet still remained not only thin, but extremely small. In some ways this actually made her appetite far more impressive than his larger brother's had ever been, while in others it must have been quite a bit more problematic for her.
"It's no trouble, take your time."
He waved his hand dismissively. He'd grown used to his masters odd habits in the days they'd been together so far, enough so that he was hardly troubled by her actions any more. He'd even offered to hunt the deer for her this morning, although she'd refused. Something about preferring to do it herself or some such. Still, in the future he might go about doing so regardless, if only to ease the obvious discomfort she possessed in the morning. It was truly pitiable when someone was sickened by the morning, and not for the obvious "Oh my god 5 more minutes I don't want to get out of bed" reasons.
At her mention of a cronut, he shrugged.
"A croissant based pastry, I believe."
Having an encyclopedia downloaded into his brain by the Grail was actually useful sometimes.
He moved to continue his explanation, but paused as he noticed the faint chime of a bell, signalling the opening of the front door. The Saber's eyes flicked to the door, identifying the two people walking in before flicking back to Padma. He remained silent afterwards as they approached, gaze flicking between Padma and them as a kind of "Hey don't we know those guys?", and a warning of their approach. Had they purposely thought them out or was this just an accidental--
The master of Caster spoke.
Accidental, then.
Nakula released tension he hadn't realized he'd accumulated with a barely noticeable sigh of relief. It seems this was just a conjugal visit then; Not an update of some major happening in the War. If only this War could be as simple as the Kurukshetra one had. Simply one side against another, in a straight battle to the death. Simple. None of this leering around town, trying to stay incognito while gathering information. None of this waiting around and spying on the other side business. Nakula wanted to be in the action, not have to learn of it second hand.
Although the man, Zuo Tian, had referred to his Master, the Saber responded in her stead.
"We'd be honored."
Nakula gestured for the two newcomers to sit. It would be inhospitable to turn them away, even if it was not necessarily "their" table. Hopefully Padma didn't mind, given her groggy condition.
