backyardbbq | Fate / AU CMO post

[ 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. ]

[What's that, Inaba? You want a memory while you sleep?

SURE HAVE A MEMORY

---------

"Yo, Atsushi-kun!"

Atsushi looks up from his work desk. He's in an open office, with several other desks and workers doing their own thing that day. Two people are at one desk, looking over a file while one of them types at a typewriter. A third is doing his own work. Another is slacking off and doing nothing but relaxing at his desk. And given the number of desks in the office, it's fair to say maybe four or so more are not present at the moment.

Atsushi's own desk has a typewriter and some papers spread out on it. He seems to be typing up a report on some missing persons, but other than the fact that it is dated for 1938. Next to his desk stands a rather tall man with dark brown hair, who has bandages covering his arms up to his wrists, as well as on his neck.

"Dazai-san?"

The man- Dazai- smiles as he holds up a piece of lined paper that has been written on.

"It seems like we have a break in our 'missing magus' case. Care to investigate with me?"

Atsushi gives the man a hesitant look, but as soon as he takes the paper and looks at it, his eyes go wide. And as he hands back the paper with the drawing of a summoning circle on it, as well as directions on how to make it, he says, "Yes, I would like to."

From there it jumps forward by at least several weeks, if not months. It's nighttime now, and a chill has fallen, given the puffs of air visible as Atsushi breathes. He's running, and he barely makes it around a corner before a burst of fire shoots down the street he had just been on.

"Dazai-san, it's no good! That thing is targeting US, not just the servant!"

Dazai scratches his chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm...Well, that does seem like an effective way to end the fight. Kill the small, squishy master, and the servant will disappear." Given that no command seals are visible on Dazai's hands, it's easy to guess at who is the master here.

Atsushi grits his teeth. "And what are we supposed to do about that?!"

"I'm not going to do anything," Dazai says, correcting Atsushi with the tone that a senpai might use with the person under their care. Then he places his hands on Atsushi's shoulder and turns him around, facing him back in the way he had just come from. "You have magic of your own. Not enough to fight a servant, probably, but you can make the other master regret giving the order to attack you. Show them your beast, Atsushi-kun."

And then he shoves a screaming Atsushi back into the fray.

-------

Hm. What a memory, huh?

Anyway, by the time Inaba wakes up, she'll be able to smell food cooking. Because Atsushi has predicted her awakening, and is making her something to eat.]

[ That. . . sure was a memory, and not one that Inaba necessarily liked, for various amount of reasons. When her eyes flutter open, she just finds herself staring at the ceiling, mulling it all over in her head a little, many questioning thoughts popping up in the back of her mind that she's uncertain to actually ask.

Does she even want to, at this rate?

The smell of food cooking does surprise her, however; enough to make her stir out of bed and change into something more appropriate for the house instead of the outdoor clothes that she collapsed in. Her indoors clothes weren't anything extravagant though; a sweater with a short skirt and thigh highs - something that seemed more cute than what she usually wore, that she usually preferred, as she usually wore pants and a lot of blacks and greys instead of the bright pinks that she had on now.

She doesn't even bother checking what time it is when she walks down the stairs to where the kitchen is. ]

. . .Berserker?

[ Is he still in the kitchen? What's he making? ]

[It's dark out, which means 'evening' or 'some ungodly hour in the morning', but regardless Atsushi seems to be moving about as if this is a totally normal time of day to be cooking. He had actually been humming to himself, prior to Inaba walking in, though he stops when she speaks up.]

Ah, hello! Your food will be ready in a moment.

[He's making omurice, and it seems like he will indeed be done shortly. There is also enough food there for like five people, but given Atsushi's massive appetite it's pretty easy to guess where all of that food will be going.

He's also changed his clothes too, out from his 'summoned' clothes to a long-sleeve shirt and some sweatpants. It seems as though he likes going casual when not out fighting other servants.]

Do you feel rested?

[ Regardless of whatever it is the food does smell good, and she's actually a little relieved that he can cook because, well. Inaba absolutely cannot, although she was definitely willing to live the fast food or alternatively frozen food life. ]

Thanks. . .

[ She really appreciates it, straightening herself out just a little. ]

And yeah, I think I slept okay.

[Admittedly, he only knows a handful of recipes, but the ones he does know he can cook pretty well. So Inaba won't starve in the next few weeks, at least.]

That's good, you were out for a while. I know I should've stayed in spirit form, but I thought you might like something to eat when you woke up.

[He might be fretting a little, though that seems to be his natural state.]

[ That's still better than the zero that Inaba knows. . . but she has a lot of money so it's not as if they have to worry about that. Except for the fact that Inaba is frugal and tends to buy cheap food.

She's not good at this. ]

I did, but you really shouldn't have. Are you sure you're going to be okay, though? I did rest up, but that doesn't mean that you're going to have enough mana for the next battle.

We'll find a way to make it work. But that can come later.

[Look at him, Sir-avoiding-the-topic. He'll just busy himself with serving up a dish for Inaba.]

Food, water, sleep, warmth. You need all four of those to survive. You've got a good house to live in, so 'warmth' is covered, and you just slept. So you need some food and water now.

. . . you're dodging it, aren't you.

[ Just going to blandly call him out on that, she's not stupid. ]

And I know that. I can feed myself? I've been doing my own meals for a while now.

[ They're frozen foods, but it's not like she's had any problems with them before. ]

[Crap, she sees right through him.]

W-well I'm your servant, aren't I? I want to take care of you.

You do realize that's the wrong kind of servant, right?

[ And, again: ] Still dodging it, by the way.

It still counts! I have to protect you. Even...

[Even from emotional damage.]

...

You know what mana transfer means, right?

Of course I know what it means. Just because I'm not some perfect magus that didn't inherit the magic crest, [ she sounds a little bitter there ] doesn't mean that I didn't do my studies. I'm very much aware of what it is.

[ She sighs a little, running a hand through her bangs. ]

And I wouldn't have offered it as a suggestion if I was entirely opposed to the idea. You probably wouldn't want to do it though, right? That's why you've been avoiding talking about it. . . [ That's what she thinks, anyway. Why would anybody want to do that sort of thing with her? ]

Ah...right, sometimes I forget that you're not going into this as blindly as I did.

[Is it story time? It's definitely story time.

But first he's going to pass a plate over to her, and then scoop up a huge mound of food for himself.]

What do you know about the third grail war?

[ "As I did."

Well, that definitely confirms things, even though she already had a guess from the memory she just saw in her dream just then. ]

Not much. How is this relevant?

It happened back in the late 1930s, right before World War 2. As it so happens, one of the Masters involved decided to start killing potential masters before the grail war began, in an effort to thin out the herd of potential masters. Their thought being that, with weaker masters as opponents, they could ensure victory.

Unfortunately for them, their efforts didn't go unnoticed. A senior detective and his trainee managed to figure out that this person was murdering others, and the two went and tried to capture them. But the trainee was, unknowingly, the lost child of a magus family, and thus had the talent needed to summon a servant. Which he subsequently did, at the insistence of his senpai.

Is the plot twist to this story that the trainee that summoned a Servant was you?

You make it really hard to tell a dramatic story, you know.

[But yes, it was him.]

Look, the point is, it's not just about giving mana. It's...really intimate. And can have unintended consequences sometimes.

I wanted you to cut to the chase, Atsushi.

[ JUST

SIGHS ]

If you're saying that, does that mean that you've done it?

Yes, I did. And it really, really complicated things. Archer was a bit of an asshole, and my senpai who was involved in the grail war didn't make things any better.

N-not that I would be an asshole to you, but I just want to make sure that you're sure about this.

First of all: your senpai is an asshole. Second of all... would you really want to do it with someone like me? I lied to you about not having a wish.

[You don't know the half of it.]

It's alright. You had your reasons for lying about it, right? So it's okay. I would want to do it with you if you have no reservations about it, yes.

Though, um...Dazai-san and Archer were both men.

[He. Has never been with a woman, whoops.]

[ SHE SURE FUCKING DOESN'T ]

It's-

[...]

The reasons behind it are just. . . I didn't want you to make fun of me if I told you.

[ Her wish is honestly kind of pitiful. ]

And I don't. [ Have any reservations, she means. She's trying so hard to keep her cool even though she's actually really nervous about the idea, given that she's never done it before. ] Also, I don't take issue with you having been with guys before all of this?

[ Although now her face is kind of burning scarlet at the thought. ]

Edited 2019-01-02 08:31 (UTC)

I wouldn't make fun of you for it. I might get upset, if it is an evil wish, but anything made with good intentions is fine.

And...well. I'm glad you're okay with that, but. Er. I told you because I've only been with men before. S-so this will be. New. To me.

[Oh boy that's awkward to admit to. But it's alright, they can do this.

Maybe.]

It's not evil? Or at least, I don't think it is. It's just that my wish is to "have friends".

[ It's a very lonely wish, and it shows in how awkward her response is. ]

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

I've been waiting since last year, hdu

top ten anime betrayals right here

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