driftfleet | (no subject)

[ Hermione shakes her head, cheeks still a little pink. ]

Honestly...

[ But at least she's smiling and, stepping forward, she reaches out to take Caster's hand in her own. ]

I know your real name is important to you and it's important to the contract, too. If you want I can use a spell so I can't hear your true name when you say it?

[There is a huge, beaming smile as Hermione takes Caster's hand, but it becomes more subdued again at the subject matter.]

... No, it is all right. Rather... Continuing to hide my name could have a negative effect on our relationship. Since my name will inevitably be discovered anyway, I would rather be the one to say it.

Then we can talk about it.

[ Hermione wants Caster to be comfortable, and it's obvious from how she holds herself, her smile soft and settled in place. ]

Shall we do this, then?

Let's! ... Ah, although, perhaps we should find a more private place for it?

That's probably a good idea.

[ Not that there are many private places on the fleet, but... ]

You can decide. Where would you like to go?

Then, allow me to lead the way!

[She starts walking, though without letting go of Hermione's hand, tugging her along. They'll end up at one of the empty, unused rooms, the kind with thick walls, no windows, a door to be shut behind them, and honestly not that much space.

And Caster will finally let go of her, to start placing ofuda periodically along the walls.]

There. That should help a little bit!

[ Hermione has never seen an ofuda before and she watches with interest as Caster places them around, curious but not wanting to break the moment. Last time she had formed a contract it had been in the comfort of home with nothing to worry about - not on the middle of a ship in the midst of a fleet of people she barely knew with memories that haunted her.

Still, she smiles, turning back to look at Caster, nodding her head and squeezing her hand, not really wanting to let go and quick to take her hand back as soon as it's free. ]

Perfect.

[ It's the best they're going to get, given their situation. ]

Are you sure you're ready?

I am, whenever you're willing to start! It's a low-rank, temporary version of Territory Creation, but at the very least, it should block scrying or eavesdropping.

[She's not sure how the Atroma watch everyone, but she's hoping her magecraft will disrupt or block it for now in here.]

You can begin whenever!

I think it'll be enough for now. It's as close to completely private as we're going to get here.

[ But now it's time to start, and Hermione breathes out a soft noise. She remembers how she did this with Diarmuid, and it's a little harder here without her shard to guide her - but she does it. She finds the spot of magic inside of her, as present as it ever was, and she reaches out with it, offering it for Caster to take, for their bond to form. She imagines it as something real, an actual rope that Caster can hold onto, and it strikes her for a moment before she tilts her head and closes her eyes.

This is intense, and remarkable, and real, and her fear is mingled up with a delight she can't hide. ]

[Caster is a bit of an oddity among Heroic Spirits. Strictly speaking, she should either be a Divine Spirit or an evil one, but she willingly cut off eight of her tails and lowered herself to a Heroic Spirit state in order to be able to be summoned. And in life, as Tamamo, she was never capable of any magecraft- In fact, she never used magic at all until she realized she was a fox, and that was shortly before she died. And since her fox skills, Shapeshifting and Witchcraft, are mostly sealed off, only allowing for the lowest rank of her Witchcraft, most of her abilities are more akin to a cheat, twisting the rules of the Caster class into a way that is comfortable for her to allow her spells based on her nature as part of Amaterasu.

Due to her unorthodox methods, she doesn't do anything like simply reach out with her own prana to form the connection, or use the ritual's words. Instead, she leans forward, getting on her toes, and touches her hand to Hermione, physically touching the abstract rope of magic, connecting it to herself.

There are a thousand reasons as to why that should not work, and yet she doesn't seem to mind, because it just did work anyway, and she can feel the prana flowing through her. A... rather incredible amount, actually. Isn't this more than Twice and Hakuno put together?]

Complete! Contract established, and all parameters ranked up! You never said you were this strong as a magus!

[Normally, the contract should require a question to confirm Hermione as her Master. But who needs to pay attention to the rules when she can make it work anyway?

Her excitement, and affection, can both be felt strongly through that new bond.]

[ It's vastly different from her bond with Diarmuid; they had given into that one easily and she had ended up falling into his thoughts and memories, sharing something hard and dangerous to look at before they'd settled into each other. It's different but she can feel the aftereffects in a similar way, the bond she now shares with a Servant and the intensity of it, knowing that someone else can pick up on her thoughts and her feelings, knowing that Caster will come to her side if she needs it and vice versa; they're stronger together, even if it's going to take a little bit of time for the two of them to get used to what it means to be bound, to be united as Servant and Master.

Caster's touch is enough to snap Hermione out of her own thoughts and she blinks, rapidly, before she turns her head and looks over at the other woman. It's so, so different but it's good and familiar as well, Hermione breathing out a soft noise before she relaxes and leans back, something soft overcoming her. It's a little awkward because she had expected some things she'd known before, the question and answer and the promises, but if this is how it works for Caster then she isn't going to complain.

It's not as though she's an expert in being a Master, after all. Just... Familiar. ]

I didn't realise I was that strong.

[ No matter what Gilgamesh or Diarmuid said. The burn on her hand is incredibly familiar, though, and Hermione's eyes dart down to look at her Commands with trepidation. Seeing that the markings are the same three familiar bright red spots makes her breathe out and relax and she calms, touching them gently. Even though she is contracted to Caster there's still a hint of her relationship with Diarmuid and she's glad she hasn't lost it. ]

You're... So happy.

You are definitely strong! This is the absolute limit of Tamamo's power as a one-tail! Any more and I'd ascend beyond a Servant!

[She giggles to herself, tail wagging around behind her. She doesn't seem to care about that name she just very casually dropped, and in fact she seems even happier now that she's said it.]

Of course I'm happy. After all, this is Tamamo's wish being granted, like this!

Tamamo. [ That must be her name, and Hermione softens as she hears it. She can see the happiness, feel it through their new bond, and she softens as she reaches out to hold onto her Servant, expression tender. ]

You told me your name. You should hear about mine.

[ Because she isn't just Hermione anymore, and she breathes out. ]

I'm Hermione Granger. I was Marchioness of the White Citadel, a tower of defence against the Unseelie that wanted to attack us. I was Lioness Courant, Sorceress and Protectress of Caer Glaem and Master to Diarmuid ua Duibhne. Anything else you want to know... Well.

[ She lifts her hand, touching her head. ]

It's there, I suppose.

Oh? Oho, my Master is a big shot, hmm? Well, such dramatics are not your humble Tamamo's normal style, but I suppose I must return the favor.

[She has a broad smile, that never wavers, even as she continues. And her happiness doesn't abate at all.]

My name is Tamamo-no-Mae. Though I am a Heroic Spirit, I am classed as an Anti-Hero. If you look at legends, you won't find a single positive anecdote anywhere... Well, the legends passed down are pretty much all falsehoods and exaggerations. But, let's not get into that!

More importantly, in life, I was a courtesan to Emperor Toba. Though I began as the weakest Servant, I am skilled in song, poetry, reading, and telling stories. My dream is to be a good wife, so I hope we'll get along from now on!

I'm not a big shot - it's just who I am.

[ But they're going to get closer to each other, and Hermione brightens as she listens to Tamamo talk, tilting her head up to listen. ]

We'll have to read some poems together, then, and see if there are any books we'd both like, especially if there are any stories you want to share with me.

[ She can't really comment on her being a good wife, though. ]

[She's filing away that lack of comment for later. She's going to have to up her game if she wants to get a reaction out of Hermione, apparently.]

I agree! Though, I doubt the books I read in life can be found here... Unless there's scrolls of the Chinese classics hidden away somewhere. Hm, I wonder if there's a book of legends?

What sort of books do you like to read, Hermione?

[... she is remaining suspiciously silent on any stories she'd like to share, though.]

Honestly, you never know what you're going to find in places like this. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Atroma thought it would be funny to hide things like that around just because they could.

[ Not that she thinks either of them should be too hopeful, but all the same - it's not too much to imagine there might be something worthwhile. ]

I like to read everything, really. The last few years I've spent most of my time reading histories and takes from thousands of years before now, but before that I would read anything I could get my hands on.

Oh, a history-lover! No wonder you like Servants so much. You've come to the right fox if you want to learn more about that!

But, I don't think we'll find anything worthwhile. After all, as far as I can tell, the Atroma are fundamentally sadist-types. It's more likely we'd find one of the books we're looking for, but someone's torn out the last chapter, or something like that.

That would be the case, wouldn't it? I think I saw a few whole books, but I can't really put faith in them being particularly good.

[ Which is frustrating, and it rolls through Hermione like a wave. She had so many books and notes and papers with her, carried on her person all the time, only to have them all ripped away when she arrived here. The Atroma are jerks, and she feels it with a huff of irritation. ]

Maybe a station will have a few good books.

[Well, they don't need to be connected for Caster to notice that frustration, so she just hugs Hermione again, patting her head.]

There, there, it's okay. Your lovely wife will tell you any story you're curious about! I've fought in the Holy Grail War more often than any other Servant, and I've experienced many of those legends first-hand!

[... By those legends, manifesting as Noble Phantasms, being used to kill her. But let's not think about it that way.]

I have stories just as good, and I'm a lot more fun to cuddle than any ratty old book, after all~!

[ The hug is nice, and Hermione softens a little as she leans into the touch, trying not to feel like a child being patronised. ]

That would be interesting. I know some of the legends, of course, but those came from the Servant's point of views. It might be interesting to hear them as stories - other than the Epic of Gilgamesh, of course. I've read that a dozen times.

[ Over and over and over, until she knew it by heart. That's the influence that particular Servant had on her.

(She's ignoring the wife part again). ]

That reminds me, actually - you're going to be alright on another ship, aren't you? There's nothing here that would stop the bond between us being effective because of the distance, is there?

[She does pout a little. She's going to have to redouble her efforts until Hermione acknowledges her! Her determination is overflowing!

... But she is having to stop and take a moment to consider that carefully.]

... I... do not know, actually. The furthest I've been away from my Master before is one floor, while Rani installed the bypass circuit. Normally, a Servant and Master shares a single, absolutely private space granted by the SE.RA.PH, and when the Master leaves, the Servant has to go too, to protect them.

Within the Moon Cell, it wouldn't be a problem, since it's all virtual space and interconnected Reality Marbles, so the distance would be a little meaningless, but in a physical state... Hmmm, I really don't know.

[For a moment, she seems rather troubled by this. She's not used to not knowing these sorts of things, and while her ignorance itself doesn't other her, when she was alive, her pride and her standing in the court was her deep knowledge that could answer any question.

But then a thought occurs to her, and she brightens up.]

Ah! I get it! You're a sly one, aren't you? If you want me to move in with you, then as your wife, of course I will!

[... She probably knows that isn't what Hermione meant at all. Probably.]

[ There might be a slight spark of panic as Hermione begins to think things through; she does know, however, that she and Diarmuid could be hundreds of miles apart from each other and still feel the connection and their bond, still leaving her able to give him strength when he needed it. She's sure it's much the same for Caster, and she relaxes a little - at least until she explains things. ]

I think we should be alright. There's nothing that the Atroma have done that makes me think that the bond or the Contract would be damaged by distance, and it was fine when I was contracted to Diarmuid. I could still hear him and feel him when we were busy miles and miles from each other, so that might be the case for us.

[ They're both a little troubled by it, but there's nothing they can do for now; they'll just have to experiment with the distances and the shuttles to see how far they can push each other before it starts to be more detrimental than anything good. Tamamo keeps going, though, and of course Hermione flusters into embarrassment, putting a hand over her mouth before it drops away.

So like Gilgamesh, but so vastly different. ]

I think that - that being your Master is good, but you should be independent as well. I don't mind if you want to come and share the same ship as me, but don't do it just because you think it's the right thing to do or because I want it. You should live your own life too, Caster, and - this isn't a War. I think we can protect ourselves.

[ NO WIFE HERE. ]

[There's a small huff. Well, it took Hakuno a long time to come around too, so Caster can be patient.

Though, to be honest, what she's feeling right now is mostly just that Hermione is really cute. She's aware she's going to end up infatuated before too long- She knows how she is as a person, and on top of that, as a Servant, she's influenced by her legend and her life, the life of falling in love with the one she served. So, since she already knows how it will turn out, there's no harm in making moves in advance, right?

... But, there's no point if it scares her off. She knows she can be overbearing, and she does actually like Hermione enough to not stay at full-blast aggressive flirting constantly if it makes her uncomfortable. She'll switch modes, allowing her exuberance to fall away to a more quiet earnestness.]

... If it is all right with you, I would like to go to where you are. Even though we are not in a War, my life is still one that was created for the purpose of serving another. Serving another... That is, living my life for another, is the reason I was incarnated. And making that person happy is what makes me happiest, as well.

Um, I realize I've been kind of forceful about this and that up until now, but really! That's all I want. So... If you want me to stay where I am, then I will! But, if you would allow me to be by your side, then that is the greatest favor Tamamo-no-Mae could ask.

[ There's a moment of pause where all Hermione can do is stare and watch Caster, because she is so different from Lancer, from Diarmuid, from Gilgamesh and even from the short-term memories she had of Rider and Saber and Gawain. It's logical, really, because they're all different people, but the way that it makes Hermione feel is sharp and right there, in her heart, blinking back the emotion to breathe out quickly.

She wants to make Caster happy, and that's the one thing that settles in her mind. Caster might be her Servant, Tamamo might be her Servant, but she was a Master. It was her duty to be there for the other woman just as much as Tamamo thought it her duty to serve her, and she wasn't going to ignore that just because it felt like a lot. She knew what she was getting into when she formed the contract; she had been through it before.

Nodding her head, she fights back her emotion before she speaks, voice a little quiet. ]

You can move to the Vanquish if you want, I don't mind. It's a nice ship and the people there will be good to you, I promise, because they've all been good to me. I want to make you happy as well, you know, Tamamo - and I want you to know that you don't... Need to do anything with me you don't want to. I told you that Diarmuid and I were Partners, and it's the same for me and you.

[ Stepping forward, she reaches out and takes Tamamo's hands, holding them in her own. ]

You don't have to ask for favours from me. If there's anything I can do to help you, to make you happy, then I'll do my best, okay? That's what I'm here for.