Fate / AU CMO post

[maplepancakes]

Ok so I am trash and want to do fate AUs. Here's what I've got to offer:

Servants:

Rin: Berserker, Saber, Rider, or Caster (last one is for laughs and fire)
Luca: Caster, Assassin
Shiro: Literally any class, fite me
Watanuki: Caster
Others: I can probably come up with something, just let me know if you want someone else. Just look at my muselist if you want someone else.


Literally all of mine work for Masters too, but Watanuki or Shiro would be particularly good choices for fighting/power, and Rin, Satoshi, or Luca would be good choices for heartbreak.

Comments

let's suffer, nii-san

[reflash]

[The winner of the Holy Grail War can make a wish that will be granted by the Grail.

Yukio, of course, has a wish. Just one, just one thing he wishes were different, one moment he wants undone, one mistake that he would kill the world to fix.

But he's weak, he's always been weak, and seeking power--- no, no that's not something he'll ever be able to change about himself, he's always going to be weak and of course the servant he summons is weak as well, because Casters always are. At least she's ambitious, as intelligent as he is and better at forming alliances, which they both sorely need.

Right now, they're out on an investigative mission, tracking down the Berserker and his master, because he's already killed off Saber and gotten into a fight with Rider (who hasn't shared any information with Yukio or Caster).]

Okumura. [Caster says, pulling him out of his thoughts. She'd made it very clear very early that she wasn't going to call him Master, and while he doesn't know her true name (yet) she'd told him a bit about her life, and he's not going to force the issue.] They've tripped the proximity alarms.

[He stands, and looks out the window of the hotel room, hiding himself behind the curtains in a way that lets him see out but won't let their opponents see him from the ground without looking for him.

This won't be a fight, just recon.]

SUFFERING

[flamingprick]

Come on, it's just ice cream. It's not gonna kill you.

[There's Rin, better known nowadays as Berserker, standing outside of the small ice cream parlor with his master. She's absolutely adorable when she's not being an insufferable know-it-all, and watching her drool over sweets is cute up until she abruptly says she can't have any. Something about 'keeping her figure' or whatever. Weird girl stuff. Rin never bothered to pay attention to it before, and he sure as hell isn't now.

Not when he's too busy trying to forget the horrible things he did two days ago.

Saber and her master were dead, and several buildings had been damaged. If it weren't for the fact that the fight had happened late at night, then there might have been more casualties. And then the fight with Rider...It was too much. It still IS too much.

As long as his sword stays in its sheathe, Rin is fine. He's the same goofy teenager he's always been. But the moment he has to fight, the moment he has to draw that sword and fight...that's when he loses it. And he hates it. He hates it so, so much.

But Izumo's wish is an important one, which is why he will fight. She's not some stuck-up mage like most of the losers in this game, she actually cares and has a goal besides power for herself. So even though he hates fighting, he will help her win. He will help her free her family.

That is for future fights, though. Right now it is daytime, and there is ice cream to be had. So he tugs on one of Izumo's pigtails as he keeps goading her.]

Come on, you know you want some. I bet strawberry is your flavor.

"Stop pulling on my hair, you stupid servant!"

Aaah, so grumpy~

[And then he laughs good-naturedly as Izumo scowls at him.

He is entirely unaware of the fact that they are being spied on.]

[reflash]

It isn't...

[That's what Yukio tells himself as he stares out the window and knows exactly who he sees. He knows that face, those gestures, that bright smile. Knows them better than his own features. He knows exactly what Rin's laugh would sound like as he teases the girl he's with.

Yukio can't breathe, the wind knocked out of him by the impossibility of what he's seeing.

Rin looks exactly like Yukio remembers him, and Rin looks so young, and Yukio hadn't realized that four years would make such a difference. But he's older than his big brother now, older than Rin would ever have been, Yukio is twenty and in medical school (because you're so smart, you're going to be a great doctor) and Rin is right there locked at just-turned-sixteen as if he's been pulled straight out of the past. Straight out of a snowy day and the gun in Yukio's hands and the shock on Rin's face and the smell of gunpowder and blood and--]

-mura! Hey, four eyes! [He's away from the window now, with Caster's hands on his shoulders as she shakes him to get his attention. He wishes it worked.]

What the hell just happened?

[He pulls loose, doesn't answer her because what could he possibly say? Nothing, nothing that makes any sense. Except...]

We need to talk to them. [He says, leaving the room and walking straight for the street and the ice cream parlor and a decision that has no thought behind it, just confusion.

Caster is left dumbfounded in the room for a moment, before rushing out after him.]

[flamingprick]

[Rin's teasing would have gone on, except Izumo stops him suddenly. While Rin might be oblivious to their surroundings, Izumo isn't, and she definitely picks up on Yukio and Caster being in the general vicinity. Which means danger, even in broad daylight.

So while Yukio walks towards them, Izumo is grabbing Rin's arm and dragging him away, trying to disappear into the crowd. Rin's big mouth might be enough to follow, though.]

Eh? Izumo, what's wrong.

"Quiet! They're coming."

Who?

"Just stay quiet and stay close!"

[For now, it's possible to pursue and meet up. But it might be a good idea to meet in a secluded place, Rin isn't going to react so well when he sees Yukio.]

[reflash]

Hey, hey! [He voice is sharp and she grabs at him and he twists away and keeps walking (not running, don't run, don't draw attention).]

What the hell's wrong with you, kid?

[Yukio doesn't have an answer. There's so much wrong with him.]

This isn't the plan. [Caster hisses, as if she expects logic to work right now.]

To hell with the plan. [He shoots back, following Rin (but Rin is--- but how?) through the crowd. He has to get them out of the crowd, has to get Rin alone to talk to him, to try and explain, to... apologize, beg for forgiveness, just let Rin take whatever kind of revenge he wants because Yukio can't take another moment of this, can't fight another war against his brother, can't watch him die again.]

[flamingprick]

"Just keep moving. And don't complain about the ice cream! We can get some later. ...hey, are you listening?!"

[Rin is definitely not listening, because he's just heard a very familiar voice, and he's looking behind himself in surprise. He would know that voice anywhere, but it can't possibly be. Out of all the people to randomly come across in this city, so far away from where Rin had lived and died, is too much of a coincidence. It can't be, it has to be Rin hearing something.

But it's not. It takes Rin a second to realize it, because four years has changed Yukio enough to make him recognizable but different at the same time. That train of thought is plainly visible on Rin's face, too. The initial confusion, followed by shock, and then ultimately realization.

It's him. It's Yukio.

It's his brother.]

Yukio...?

[The word is almost whispered, an oddity for Rin, who is normally a loudmouth. He looks like he's seen a ghost, which is ironic considering that the opposite is probably true at this point.

Izumo is there and trying to drag him along, not having seen Yukio in that particular moment. But Rin sees him, and he's frozen in place, unable to do anything. There's so much he wants to say, so much he wants to do, but he can't even move at this point.

'He's bigger than me,' Rin realizes suddenly, and he's abruptly aware of just how much time has passed since his death.]

[reflash]

[It can't be.

That's the thought that sinks in, slices through the shock and starts him breathing again. The raw confused desperation and shock that had been visible on his face vanishes, shoved down under the surge of anger that Yukio feels at falling for such an obvious trick.

It can't be his brother.]

Who are you really? [He asks, not taking his eyes off the person who can't possibly be Rin, even as "Yamada" comes up beside him, fully disguised.]

I know you're not... [not his brother.]

What do you have to gain from looking like this?

[flamingprick]

[At those harsh accusations, Rin's hand immediately jumps up to cover the lower part of his throat. It looks like a habit more than a conscious movement, and both of the girls will not be able to pick up on the significance of it. Yukio should be able to, though. Though there is no scar there now, that's right where one of Yukio's bullets ended up.

For one moment, Rin looks absolutely hurt. His own brother, not believing it's him. He can feel his chest start to ache, the loneliness settling in once more. First he fights with him, then he kills him, and now he's going to deny him?

Rin smiles suddenly, but it's a sad smile. One that's meant to cover up the pain he's feeling, but it just makes that pain all the more visible. When he starts to speak, his voice nearly cracks from the effort of trying to keep the conversation light.]

You're taller than me now.

[Yukio was always taller, but the different is more noticeable now. Rin still looks like a teenage boy, whereas Yukio has clearly grown into a young man. a height difference of a couple centimeters has grown into ten, maybe even more.]

Did you- did you become a doctor?

[reflash]

[One. Head. Two. Throat. Three. Center of the chest. A straight line. Just like target practice.

No.]

I asked you a question! [Yukio snaps, and he can't stay angry enough when he's so hurt. But he's still angry, voice too loud and all traces of "just a recon" gone and forgotten.

It's not Rin. Can't be.]

Stop pretending you're--

You can't be! I'm not falling for this! [Caster has him by the arm, a tight grip on his right wrist like she'll pull him away from this confrontation by force if she has to.]

Just drop the act!

[bladeisme]

[Being a part of the grail war was something that Ichigo never wanted to be part of - he was aware of it, of course, what with Magi going on about it like it was the best thing since sliced bread or cooked rice. 'The winner of the war gets a wish that will be granted by the Grail' - how many times had he heard that from the magus that had kidnapped him when he was just 13, in his cell, watching as they poured over documents in between experiments on him?

Far too many times to count. Enough that he had gotten bored of it, only feeling a faint sense of relief when he realized it meant that he had a small rest from being poked and prodded at.

But now, in this city (far away from the one he wanted to be in, his hometown - where none of his family lived anymore), he can't stop himself from being wrapped up in more magic bullshit, having come across a fight between servants and run from the resulting fallout - just like he had been, ever since he escaped his captor a year ago.]

Shit, Shit -

[He'd been pushed into a corner, about to die, and out of sheer desperation - he reached towards the something infusing this entire situation, the thing that practically pulses with energy in the city around them, using his inexhaustible source of mana ('It's like you were born with a Magic Core instead of Magic Circuits,' the magus had told him once) to reach out a hand towards someone, anyone -

Please, help me. I can't...I can't do this alone.

The Grail made the connection, allowed the summoning. But the catalyst may have been that one desperate plea, quiet and desperate, from someone who'd been forced to be alone for far too long - seeking a kindred spirit.]

[junkyardjesus]

[That 'something' Ichigo had managed to grab for, that took on Ichigo's wish and transformed it into the connection needed to summon a Heroic Spirit? A single dandelion growing out of the cracks in the sidewalk. A testament to Earth's ability to survive despite all odds.

It's fitting that the young man summoned has hair the color of that same dandelion, a yellow-gold that has just started to fade into brown. And, just like that weed, this man didn't look that impressive at a glance. In fact, he probably wouldn't be out of place at a high school. Tall, scrawny, and a bit on the messy side, this guy didn't really look much like the heroic spirits that usually got summoned.

He quickly shows that he belongs, though, by raising a hand and calling up a wall of vines, with himself and Ichigo on one side while the pursuers are on the other. He does this with ease too, without uttering a single word. A testament to the raw power contained within his unimpressive body.

It's only once that particular problem is taken care of that he finally turns his attention to Ichigo.]

I guess you're my master then?

[This doofy, carefree smile is probably out of place, given the danger of this particular moment. But it's there anyway.]

[bladeisme]

[Honestly, he hadn't expected anyone to come and save him - he'd been sure that this would be his end, but he'd still tried out of sheer panic, and was amazed when the summoning circle flared to life under him, even though he hadn't drawn one - his innate magical energy was enough to draw one on it's own, with that dandelion as the catalyst.

So when his new servant appears - and flings up vines without even a word, something he knew that should be impossible - he stares without a word, eyes wide until his new - servant? - speaks.

His mouth feels so very dry, and as he goes to speak, he coughs first before managing to get the words out.]

I-I guess...so.

[This has to be too good to be true, but he can faintly feel his pursuer - Lancer - back off and leave, apparently having been summoned to their master's side.]

I, uh - Who...What-

[A sharp sting on his chest suddenly draws his attention, and he pulls the neck of his shirt down to see his new command seals - a bright red, with lines traveling up on his shoulders, a fancy ring around a solid circle.

Ah. He'd heard that magus talk about this too - he really was in this war now, wasn't he?

Swallowing, he looks up at his servant, shakily getting to his feet. It's clear he hasn't had a decent sleep or meal in months, eyes rimmed with black circles.]

Your - your class is...probably, shit, what was it - Caster, right? Or something like that?

[junkyardjesus]

[The teen chuckles lightly at that.]

I guess it looks like I should be a Caster, huh? But no, I'm a Ruler. And trust me, I know I don't look like much of one.

[He really doesn't look like a Ruler at all. They're always saintly and super-important-looking. This guy looks like a normal teenager. Well, as normal as someone making a wall out of vines can look.]

Ah, but if you know about the classes, then you probably know enough about the Grail War that I don't need to explain it to you, right? That's always the most tedious part. Besides-

[He points back to the vines, which are in the process of being hacked at by the Lancer on the other side.]

We should probably be running anyway. That guy is pretty strong, and you look like you're about to pass out from exhaustion.

Calling out one Shiro-san, Shiro-san to the desk please

[onethousandflowers]

[It's been an odd week. Byakuran didn't exactly spend his life training for this war, to the resentment of his colleagues. Sure, he's the heir to a magical family, and sure, he's got a lot of talent, but he wasn't the intended master, wasn't supposed to have to fight. His father was. Byakuran was just the diviner, his guide to the past and hopefully their future wish.

Of course that all went out the window when his family was wiped out. Not that he lets it bother him, really. He's no longer held down by their wish, by their desires. He can make his own way. He spent a few years getting ready, and one week ago, shortly after his 16th birthday, entered the holy grail war by summoning his servant.

Said servant is... not what he expected. At all. Shiro is stubborn beyond belief. He's not going to waste command seals on pushing him around, but there's still something wrong with this relationship. He asked for a servant, not... a surrogate father.]

AU world history ayyyy

[lionson]

[What, Byakuran didn't expect to get aggressively dad-ed by his servant? Clearly he didn't know Shiro's past that well. Or he didn't know the years that mattered, at least.

Most people who study history for the sake of summoning powerful Heroic Spirits know about Shiro's early years. From age 14 to 34, the story goes largely as one might expect. Parents killed suddenly in an unexpected war, he enlisted young and started training as soon as he could. By 18 he was already a soldier. By 21, he was in a leadership position. One that he held through many battles, ultimately helping his country win the war and protect its people from annihilation.

And then at 34, just two years after the war ended, he disappeared from history. As far as the world cared, Shiro 'lived a quiet life and died in obscurity.' But for Shiro, the years from 34 to 50 are what made him who he is.

'Father' is just one of the words that describes him, but given that Byakuran is in desperate need of an adult who respects and cares about him, it's the one he's using the most right now.]

Oi, be sure to include some vegetables in that.

[Technically he doesn't need to eat, but Byakuran does, so this is for his sake. Eat your veggies, Byakuran.]

[onethousandflowers]

Yeah, I will, dad.

[It's not his preference, but he knows his dietary needs. At least in theory. He's a growing boy, so he needs veggies. Doesn't mean he likes them, or that, on his own initiative, he wouldn't live off desserts.

But he needs to stay healthy for the war, so the leeks and cabbage and mushrooms go into the food. Great.]

Honestly, you worry too much.

[irishfriskey]

...Master?

[Lancer has entered Shiro's office, after completing his earlier order and trying to help him out with whatever he needed. He wanted to be a good, helpful servant, and that's what he was doing here today.

So he looks at his master, moving down to one knee.]

I have completed surveillance for you. There is currently nothing for you to worry about, Master.

For Inaba!

[moonlightbeast]

[As he transforms, fur and fangs giving way to flesh and a more human mouth, he falls. He may have won the battle, eliminating Rider from the war, but at what cost? He's used up nearly all of his strength on that transformation and subsequent battle, and it takes everything he has to keep from completely faceplanting into the ground.

There, on his hands and knees with wreckage around him, he just gasps for air. Each transformation takes a lot out of him, and while the fights are usually hazy whenever he uses his Noble Phantasm, this one had some surprisingly clear moments.

Inaba, standing there in the open, putting herself at risk for his sake.

The enemy Master, seeing Inaba, and resorting to dirty tactics.

The rage that followed as Atsushi barely acted in time, eliminating the Master before he could do anything to her.

And then the fight. The fight with a relieved Rider, happy to not be under that man's thumb anymore.

Well, Rider isn't around anymore either, at least. They're not out of the clear yet, another Servant could show up and finish him off easily. Or her. Not all Masters and Servants play this war game honorably, after all.]

I-Inaba...

[He can barely hold himself up, but he's still looking to her. He's sure he's a mess now, his clothes likely ripped from his transformation, but he cares little. What matters the most right now is his Master, and making sure she is alright.]

Are you okay? They didn't hurt you, did they?

[As long as she is alright, he will be too.]

[dereban]

[ The whole fight was definitely a lot, and while she should have known better not to lower her guard like that or even put herself out like that when she knew that Masters wouldn't always play nicely, but they managed to make it out fine, even if someone died in the process.

But that guy was pretty horrible, so nothing of importance was really lost.

She crouches down, putting her hand out for him to grab if he needs it, even if she is very much aware he could just go back to spirit form it it were necessary. ]

I'm fine. I'm sorry, I was reckless and put you in danger like that. . . Anyway, we need to get you out of here soon, before any of the others catch us. I should be able to get us quickly back home.

[ She might not be extremely athletic but magic makes up for it, to be honest. They should be okay if she does that, since she'll be a blur to any passerby and once they're behind the barrier of her home, it should be safe.

At least, she's fairly certain of that much. ]

[moonlightbeast]

[Fun fact about Atsushi: he's not particularly fond of his spirit form. He likes being solid, being seen, and he usually defaults to just hanging around. Though in times like this, being in spirit form would make much more sense, he concedes.

But still, he takes he hand, and he pulls himself up. He's wobbly on his feet from a lack of energy, but he should be fine. Maybe.]

I'll leave that to you, then.

[Hopefully she doesn't mind him holding onto her hand as they move, though. It's a solid reminder of why he's still here, fighting this fight, even when he feels so worn out that he would like to take a long nap. And by the time they get within the safety of the barriers of Inaba's house, he is going to pretty much collapse onto whatever piece of furniture is closest.

He's face-first on the furniture, but his muffled voice can still be heard:]

Think I could sleep the rest of the grail war away?

[dereban]

[ To be fair, while Inaba doesn't personally mind him being solid from an emotional standpoint, she is very much aware that keeping him like that is actually draining her quite a bit; taking quite a bit of a toll on her. She's fine - at least from what be conceived as from a 'normal human' standpoint, but she was a magus.

Normal left the building the moment she was born.

Sure, she might not have the magic crest due to being the younger sibling in the family, but she was the more competent one of the two of them. Her older brother didn't care about the Grail War, and in fact laughed it off when she wound up being chosen out of the two of them, placing his hand on her shoulder before their family decided to leave the country for greater pastures - "Looks like you'll be getting your wish, Himeko,"

. . . it's true that she knew what she wanted to wish for, but she hadn't even told her own Servant that much, instead hiding it behind a wall of insecurities and slight distrust - it wasn't him, it was her, it was always her - as she smiled and told him that her goal wasn't the wish. It was simply just to win the war.

But that was just a lie that she told herself. To convince herself that was the truth.

However, that wasn't important right now. It's the moment that they're finally inside that she notices it happening and she feels her body almost failing her the moment the door closes behind her and they're both safe inside of her gated (both literally and magically) home, letting out what may be conceived as a sigh of relief as her eyes fix on him practically collapsing onto the nearest couch.

She'll have to drag him upstairs, won't she? ]

If you did that, I might have to join you...

[ Goddamn it, you can practically hear the exhaustion in her voice. The amount of mana that it took to keep him in this world was definitely a lot more than average. Sure, summoning him as a Berserker made it slightly easier in some parts - she had to summon a Berserket due to not having a proper Magic Crest, and her circuits weren't exactly the best, either - but more difficult in others.

The 'difficulty' part being primarily control. It was a given that all Berserkers would get more power due to the Mad Enhancement, but the one she had in front of her, was well... he was like this. The 'Mad Enhancement' part mostly came out in battle, whenever he transformed. But each time that happened, it drained her pretty badly, and this time, she knew that they were way overdue for a mana transfer.

She just did not know how to feel about it, or what would happen if she even dared to bring it up with him. ]

But we can't just do that — I can't, if I want to get my wish. . .

[ And then she realizes what she said and immediately tenses up at the fact that she just said that. She fucked up. She didn't mean to say that, but it wound up coming out anyway. ]

[moonlightbeast]

[Funnily enough, Atsushi instantly figures it all out as soon as he hears those words. Or he figures out as much as he can from the information provided, at least. Inaba had lied about not wanting the wish. She had lied about only wanting to win the war. She did have a wish, and it was one that she couldn't- or wouldn't- share with him.

But he isn't offended by this. He's been around Inaba enough by now to know that's just how she is. She closes herself off and doesn't let others see her 'true self'. So Atsushi doesn't take it personally at all. He knows she has her reasons, and that for her to even share that much must be a sign of how tired she is.

So instead of demanding anything, or looking offended at being lied to, he simply turns his head slightly so he can look at her. And when he sees her, he smiles. It's a smile that tells her 'yes, I heard that slip-up, but I'm not going to ask about it,' and his words a moment later confirm just that.]

Should I go into spirit form for a while? It sounds like you need to rest as well, and in that form I won't be draining as much of your energy.

[He doesn't like being in spirit form. For most masters, he would have been petulant enough to demand they use a command seal to get him to stay in spirit form. But Inaba is a sweet girl, and he won't be like that with her. If she requests it, he will go.

After making sure she makes it up to bed first, of course. Sleeping on a couch is bound to be uncomfortable.]

[dereban]

[ She lets out a rather put out sigh when she sees that smile of his, leaning up against the door because she knows just how exhausted she really is, even if she doesn't want to show that sign of weakness to anyone, especially not to her own Servant. If he did press now, she probably would easily answer him - there'd be no use in lying now that she's managed to crack, even if she feels very aware that the sort of wish she wants is one that is. . . pretty embarrassing.

He might actually make fun of her if she admitted it.

So the fact that he isn't going to ask (right now) is a huge relief off her shoulders. ]

Please. [ She usually doesn't do polite, not like this, and especially not in front of other people. ] I'm going to have to take an eighty-four year nap in the span of a few hours because I know that we'll probably have to do a mana transfer once I wake up. . . which I was hoping to avoid.

[moonlightbeast]

[...ah. And there's the thing he has been avoiding all night.

He does know that it's probably going to be necessary, especially if they're going to win this grail war. He just plain uses too much of her mana to not need one, which is another reason he would have preferred to have been summoned as a Caster instead of a Berserker. But it is what it is, and he's not unfamiliar with the concept of 'mana transfer'. Familiarity doesn't make it any easier, though.]

...er.

[He's actually sitting up now, and he's turning...bashful? It's a strange look on the guy who has been permanently cheerful (or raging) this entire grail war. But he is young, even if he is a heroic spirit. His apparent age might betray just how little experience he has in these matters.]

I'll still go into spirit form, b-but don't feel like you have to do a mana transfer later. Not if you don't want to. I'd rather it be...mmm.

[And because he is a little shit, he goes into spirit form right then instead of explaining himself. Have fun stewing on those words while you rest.]

i can't believe i haven't tagged this back since last year, i could have sworn i did

[dereban]

[ Unfortunately for her, she just did not have the capability for a proper summoning. That's what happens when you're not the first born, when you're not the one to inherit the magic crest of your own family but still get the command seals that marked her as a proper Master. Not her brother, but her. Of course, while that did cause backlash from her family-- disappointment for aniki, disinterest for her, she took nothing of it as the rest of the family made the decision to leave Japan.

They just simply did not care about her in the slightest bit. Whether she won or lost was no skin off their back, as long as their prized son was still alive.

But she wanted to prove them wrong. Of course, that had nothing to do with the wish that she had in mind. And that's why she chose the Berserker route.

Although when she notices his bashfulness, she can't help but look at him with dark, widened eyes, looking surprised at that sort of expression on his face. It's kind of cute, if you ask her, but she won't say that. Not right now, and especially since he immediately went into spirit form leaving her with that. . .

Geez.

She tugs her center bang a little sheepishly before letting out a heavy sigh and attempting to drag herself upstairs and into her room, immediately falling face first onto the bed before muffling the words: ]

You idiot. . .

[ Yeah, just going to take that nap now. She kind of hopes that she doesn't somehow see one of his memories at a time like this, because that would probably suck, especially since it might ruin the fact that she still has to do a mana transfer.

Even if he doesn't want to, if she wants to win, there's no other choice.

And it's not like she's entirely opposed to the idea, either. ]