Video

[puppy_lancer]

[For the most part, Lancer had been avoiding the comms. He knew where to find his friends and Master in person. The language barrier wasn't that much of a problem because both he and Ayaka spoke Japanese, and most of the other Servants should be speaking it too unless they had been caught up in the language switching.]

[However, right now, there was something he really wanted to ask the tower at large. That is, something besides whether or not he could still communicate with his fellow Servants. That morning, he had found a stack of papers in his room. Papers that told him he was now a janitor. He's not quite sure what it means.]

[So now he's standing at a console, papers in hand. He also has a pen which he snatched from one of his roommates, just in case he ran into someone who didn't speak the same languages that he did. He speaks in English first, as slowly and clearly as he can.]

Hey, my name is Lancer. How many of you can still understand me? How many of my kind can still understand me? If you understand what I am saying, contact me back, maybe with video. I have a question I want to ask.

[He repeats the words in Japanese, and then Gaelic on the off-chance that someone can speak that.]

Comments

[puppy_lancer]

[Good luck? Isn't that an oxymoron when it comes to Lancer?]

She arrived just recently. She...she isn't my first Master. She's the other girl I told you about. But her Saber ain't here, and someone needs to protect her. So she's my Master now.

[He still hasn't made any Contracts with her, though.]

Thanks. You stand by your convictions too.

[vermicompost]

[Yes, but Kariya doesn't know that.]

Oh, I see. That's good of you, to protect her. I'm sure you'll be a wonderful Servant to her. She's lucky to have you. [There's that talk of luck again--he should be luckier, since he's Irish. ;3

Kariya smiles. He thinks you're kind of cool, Lancer, protecting all the young women like he'd like to do. Speaking of which...]

I mean to. [He pauses.] There's something I wanted to talk to you about, Lancer.

oh great, keep punching his feels, why don't you?

[puppy_lancer]

[He winces a bit when he hears Kariya say that he would be a wonderful Servant. Yes, he himself will admit that he is a loyal and powerful one, but he's also a failed one. He couldn't save Misaya. The only thing he can do is watch Ayaka closely and make sure the same thing didn't happen to her.]

She would be luckier if her actual Servant was here. But yeah, I won't fail her.

[The difference between Saber and Lancer was that Ayaka actually loved Saber.]

Huh, what is it?

don't mind if i do!

[vermicompost]

I'm sure she's grateful for your help. This is a place where everyone needs protecting. You be careful, too.

[Kariya's smile fades now.]

I heard that you were threatening my niece, Rin.

Re: don't mind if i do!

[puppy_lancer]

...Rin is your niece?

[Oh wait...Rin Matou. Duh. He feels stupid now.]

That's...well...that's a long story. You remember how I talked about my Master, right?

[vermicompost]

Yes.

[Way to put two and two together, Lancer.

Now Kariya is deadly serious.]

I remember the things you've said.

But no matter what, I can't allow anyone to harm Rin. I know she's different, but she's been through a lot. It isn't her fault.

[puppy_lancer]

Well, the thing is...something bad happened to her.

[Just thinking about it churned his stomach.]

She...she bore a lot of Grail corruption after it happened. And to my nose, the Grail mud has a very distinct stench. Rin...she smelt very strongly of it. And from her looks alone, it was like the Grail had made some sort of copy of Misaya. I didn't know who she was or what she was then.

[A pause.]

I thought...it was Misaya come back to haunt me, or the Grail fucking with me. Either way, I wanted to put her to rest.

[He laughs, but not out of amusement. He's just laughing at his own stupidity.]

But that clearly wasn't the case.

[vermicompost]

[He listens, nods. He was sure Lancer wouldn't have been acting out of malice. That didn't sound like him at all.]

I understand. You were trying to do what you thought was right, for your Master.

I'm not angry with you. I thought it was probably a miscommunication. Just--please don't try to hurt Rin again, whatever you do. She's very important to me. I'd do anything to help her. Bad things have happened to her, too.

[puppy_lancer]

[He nods. He's not quite sure what happened to Rin back in her own world, but given her reaction around the other Lancer's grave, she must have been pretty hurt by her Servant's disappearance.]

She has one person who cares for her. That's good. Take care of her and treat her well.

[He almost wants to tell Kariya to protect her, but he knows that Kariya is, sadly, weak.]

[vermicompost]

I care for her very much. I'm her uncle, after all. Family should care for each other, shouldn't they?

[Not that his ever cared for him.]

I'll take good care of her. I promise that. You take care of your Master, too. And be careful.

[Hey, he can sort of fight!]

[puppy_lancer]

...If you've heard, Rider's holding this meeting. Try to keep her from getting too close, will you? Unless you have a Servant who can also watch her. Otherwise...well, I can only see to the safety of my own Master in that volatile place.

[vermicompost]

I heard. You mean she shouldn't go to the meeting? I'm not sure if I can stop her. She's very stubborn.

I don't have a Servant, but I think Ruler would be able to help.

I don't want anything bad to happen to Rin or anyone else. [Except Caster's Master.]

[puppy_lancer]

It's ultimately her call. And yours if you can control her. But...

[If only there was someway to keep this all private.]

She's missing something. In her current condition, it might be dangerous to let her be around my kind. We Servants could easily break into a fight because we think it's a joke. Now imagine if she got caught up in that. In fact, you should probably be wary of that too.

[vermicompost]

I don't think I can control her, but I can try to ask her.

What do you mean? What do you think she's missing? I don't want to let anything happen that might hurt her.

[He's definitely concerned, for Rin's sake, if not so much for his own.]

I'll do whatever I can to help her. [One of Kariya's favorite mantras.]

[puppy_lancer]

Something...something nobody should get tangled up in the matters of a Grail War without.

[That's as much as he can say without outing Rin as a Master that lost her Servant.]

So yeah, just try to keep her away from that meeting.

[vermicompost]

A Servant? I don't have one either. Not here.

[And if he did, he'd be in worse shape, if he had to give Berserker prana. What would Berserker do if he were here?]

Ruler could help her, too.

[puppy_lancer]

[He places a finger above his lips and makes a shushing sound. One never knew who might be listening in.]

That's the problem. She's not talking to Ruler.

[vermicompost]

This isn't the War.

But if I have to, I'll ask Ruler to help her. Or I'll help her myself. I know she's stronger than I am, but I won't let anyone hurt her.

[If it got him killed, so be it.]

[puppy_lancer]

You never know who might be listening or who might be trying to use this against her.

[After all, even without the Grail War, there were still other dangerous people.]

I think you should stick to asking Ruler to help. I'll try watching out for her too, if I can.

[vermicompost]

I'm sorry. I didn't think. I'll be more careful.

And I'll ask her, the next time I see her. It's very important to me that she not be hurt. That's the one thing I can do that matters, take care of Rin and Sakura. [For Aoi's sake.]

[puppy_lancer]

She'll take it better from you than she would from me, in any case.

[And of course Rin would be angry about it. But what was a little anger if this saved her life?]

Sakura...you mean your other niece? Is she over here yet?

[vermicompost]

You mean Ruler? Do you not get along?

[He can't imagine Ruler having difficulties like that with someone. Maybe he meant Rin, instead.

Yes, my other niece. No, she isn't here. I almost don't know if I'd want her here, but where she is now isn't much better. At least I'd be able to look after her here.

[puppy_lancer]

Both of them, actually.

Sakura's still at home with that geezer, right?

[vermicompost]

What did you do to Ruler?

[Because obviously, Lancer must have done something.]

Yes. She's at the Matou Mansion. [There's no disguising the bitterness in Kariya's voice as he says this. Home is a horrible place.]

[puppy_lancer]

Something she'll never forgive me for, but something she doesn't want me talking about either.

[Yep, he guessed it.]

That nasty, huh? What about your sibling? Can't he do anything to protect her?