[video]

[sicharia]

Hello. [The person seated in front of the library terminal is a pale, white-haired woman dressed in something reminiscent of a nun's habit, though there's nothing to cover her head. One of her yellow eyes is covered with an eyepatch. She tries to smile and does about as well as one might expect of a person in her situation, the expression both pinched and weak.] My name is Claudia Kotomine. I've—just arrived.

[There's definitely some uncertainty in her voice about how she should describe the situation, but nonetheless, she carries on.] If there are any other members of the Holy Church here, I'd like to hear from them as soon as possible. Or— Anyone else I'm acquainted with. And, mm, even if there aren't...

[She trails off momentarily, her one visible eye flicking away from the terminal as she considers something. Her lips purse together for a moment, and then she sighs. Well, she doesn't want to be ungrateful—at least she's able to eat—but—]

Ah, it's just that the kitchen seems equipped to do a lot more than it currently is! [She laughs, but the sound is nervous.] Is the food always in the state that it is now? I just thought—if there are better ingredients around anywhere, I could make something nicer. I'm more than willing to share with anyone who helps me with this, so...

...Ah, in any case, thank you for your time. [She forces another slight smile.] If there's anything you would like to ask of me in turn, I'm happy to assist or answer you to the best of my ability.

[For those that would prefer action, immediately after this she can be found browsing the library (and frustrating herself with her inability to find anything of immediate use), and later on she'll be investigating the thirteenth floor/the cathedral.]

Comments

[video]

[doesnotgetit]

Koto... mine?

[Whoa hey that namedrop catches Hakuno's attention pretty quickly. This lady's appearance doesn't ring any bells, but even so...]

Do you know a Kirei Kotomine, by any chance?

[sicharia]

[And Hakuno's namedrop catches Claudia's even quicker, her brow frowning for just a second. She doesn't recognize this girl, either, but she supposes that doesn't necessarily mean anything. In any case, she answers truthfully.]

That was my husband's name. Did you know him?

[doesnotgetit]

[... Wait. What? Her... husband?

... The thought of Kotomine having a wife is a very frightening thought. That someone could like such a horrible man enough to marry him...!]

Not... really well, no. [The hesitation is clear in her voice and face. She's trying not to let the shock get to her, but it's a little hard.] But I ran into him often. Not here though.... back home.

[video]

[fionnuisce]

...Kotomine?

[Hadn't some conversation with Diarmuid brought up that name? Waver cursed his own lapse in diligence as the magus in dark green flipped through a small notebook. That was definitely the name of the Fourth's mediator, but hadn't he mentioned someone else with that name was a Master?]

[Damn. He hadn't written it down and things had been so chaotic since that Waver couldn't clearly recall. He closed the notebook and adjusted the sunglasses on his head, glancing back to the terminal.]

The cafeteria's usually a little better than that. As it stands, one would have better luck hunting on a few floors.

[sicharia]

Yes, Kotomine. Does that mean something to you?

[People recognizing that name... This is a bit strange, to say the least. In any case, she listens to his answer quietly.]

"Hunting"? I doubt I'd have much luck with that, unfortunately.

[Maybe if she had Assassin at her side, but she doesn't.]

[fionnuisce]

It sounded familiar, though I can't recall you and I having met before.

[He had already assumed they were from the same world--probably not the same exact world, but a similar one all the same. The question was how to go about determining specifics when the name 'Kotomine' was setting off the vaguest alarms in his head.]

You're hardly alone in that. I'm not exactly skilled in that department either.

video

[puppy_lancer]

The Church, huh? Been a long time since I've met one of you guys.

[He smiles as he looks at her image on the feed.]

And a beautiful woman to boot. Much better than the priest I ended up saddled with.

[sicharia]

[At first, she blinks, her expression blank. Then, she smiles, but the expression doesn't seem particularly warm.]

Is that so? I'm sorry for your great misfortune.

[puppy_lancer]

He was a creepy ass.

...But I haven't seen him or any other Church people in this place. Nobody actually calling themselves a priest or a nun, anyways.

Text

[scorchedchivalry]

Do you have any relation to Kirei Kotomine?

[sicharia]

Yes. That was my husband's name.

You are the second person to ask.

[scorchedchivalry]

I was unaware he was married. He was a priest.

video

[colonial]

Usually there's different food, but when Jason is in charge then we get bars and it's gross. [America frowns in an exaggerated way--this is clearly the worst thing that could happen.]

[sicharia]

[She can't help herself. When she sees a child, her demeanor immediately softens, more concerned with someone so young having been brought being this situation than herself.]

I see. If I figure out how to get my own ingredients, would you like me to make you something?

[colonial]

[America perks up visibly at the idea of food.] Yes! I don't know if there's anyplace to get ingredients right now unless you grow 'em yourself. I'm working on it but it's hard!

video;

[vermicompost]

[This seems like a nice young woman. Kariya smiles.]

Hello, Ms. Kotomine. Welcome. Though I wish I were welcoming you to somewhere better. I'm Kariya Matou.

Your name's familiar to me. I know a Risei Kotomine. Are you any relation? He's from the church, but I don't think there's anyone from the church here, not that I've met. [Risei's the Kotomine he's most familiar with: the Grail War's supervisor.]

Sometimes the food's better. It changes from month to month. I think I can get some better ingredients for you.

[Or he can send Lancelot to get them, same thing.]

[sicharia]

[She immediately straightens where she's seated at the sight of Kariya. Her face begins to brighten—of the people she knows, he's one of the better ones she could have asked to find here—but that only lasts as long as it takes him to speak. Her brow knits together, and her expression quickly falls into something between confusion and disappointment.]

More than your name is familiar to me. You don't [...] know me?

[She feels faintly ridiculous asking that, but here she is. The other subjects are worth revisiting, but only once she has this matter sorted out.]

video;

[pinnaculum]

Hello. My name is Sephiroth.

What is the Holy Church?

Food can be obtained by hunting or gathering it on certain floors. I can hunt.

[sicharia]

Hello, Sephiroth. It's nice to meet you.

[Oh, another child. Her expression immediately shifts to one that is warmer and more concerned. She figures the name "Holy Church" is self-explanatory enough, but she answers his question regardless when asked.]

It's the religious sect I belong to.

Can you? I'm afraid that isn't something I have much experience with myself. [Though, hm, surely there were books on edible plants in this library?]

video;

[chainsawn]

Are you good at making food? [ Priorities. It's not that Urotsuki's selfish though, it's just that she's really.. weird, mostly. But she'll help out in her own way.

She comes across pretty childish either way, despite looking like she has to be fifteen. ]

I'll help you find stuff if you can make some good food.. ah, but it has to be better than other people's I've tasted. Some people here are really good at making it.

[sicharia]

Ahh, well... I don't know how good I am, but I at least know my way around a kitchen. [Her smile is a little sheepish.] Of course, I would appreciate any help you could give me, miss.

Cathedral

[bowandblade]

[Just how 'blasphemous' was it to hang around in a mockery of a church of a god you did not believe in?

It was a strange floor, but also one that tended to be quiet. He could climb a few stairs and still be within range of the media floor and libraries if he found himself bored. But sometimes the King of Heroes simply needed to be alone, and the dormitories were unfortunately not a place that really allowed that, what with forcing roommates upon him. (Or forcing him upon roommates, but his roommates should consider themselves honored, really.)

He kicks his feet up onto the pew in front of the one he sits in, shutting his eyes as if he intended to sleep. Almost an entire month in this tower now. More time than he had even gotten to spend dedicated to the War -- as "dedicated" as he could be. Culling beasts would only entertain him for so long.]

[sicharia]

[In some ways, Claudia appreciates this floor. It is, after all, the closest thing to a familiar setting that she can find, putting the one-hundredth floor aside. (All that one did was make her want to cry.) In others, though, it aggravates her—what did they mean to do by putting a cathedral in a place like this?]

[Still, she can't find any fault in its actual construction, even if the way sound doesn't carry here unnerves her. She makes her way across the floor with unnaturally hushed footsteps, lingering here and there to examine some detail or another. She very nearly manages to find some kind of peace before she stumbles across a familiar(?) face in the pews. She almost jumps and recoils when she does.]

Archer—?

[She blurts it out without thinking.]

[video]

[canofworms]

[And then there's this guy. His expression is carefully blank, as opposed to the minute and a half of blank surprised look he gave the terminal upon reading the message.]

... Miss Kotomine. I don't know any members of the Church here, but I did back home. You wouldn't be related to a Kirei Kotomine, by any chance?

[Might as well just... take the bull by the horns.]

--The food selection changes by the month. It seems like we're expected to scavenge or hunt this time. I don't, ah, know if you're used to cooking wildlife?

[She doesn't look like she would be, but there's no use judging by appearances, is there?]

[sicharia]

[...Well, this is something. There are differences, but... For a second, she meets him with a blank stare, but then she fixes a polite smile on her face.]

Yes, that was my husband's name. [She ignores the question about what she is used to cooking entirely, instead saying:] Now, since you've inquired about my name, I believe the polite thing to do would be to give me yours.

[Really, she is starting to get fed up with this, even it's coming from what is possibly an alternate universe variant of someone she actually gets along with. How thoughtless are you people?]