♕ of the ice

Heart of stone, veins of ice. ♕♕♕ AU!Mitsuru Kirijo; Master affiliated with Guerra Sacra "Come forth! Feel the cold!"

[kirioujo-blog]

♕ prima voce [Open/Intro]

[lastdragoon]

Summoned. One month before this Holy Grail War would begin, he would have the time to acquire a master that would accept the Dragoon as a Servant. The titles were rather off putting as was the knowledge shoved into his brain. There wasn’t even such a place known as Rome in his world, but that was besides the point. Becoming acquainted with the world’s customs and mannerisms wasn’t as difficult as he thought with knowing how speak Italian being very useful. Dawning a casual suit for the occasion as he made his way around the city, he wasn’t worried about revealing his identity. Within Kain’s legend, it was never his face that signified his existence, but his status as a Dragoon.

The faint trace of a servant’s presence or a master’s power could be felt every so often. Right now, allsee he was truly interested in was finding someone worth his allegiance. Finding a Master was his first priority no matter how he had to secure them. On his rounds he would pass The St. Regis Rome on occasion. A rather luxurious abode, he assumed to never find a Master with such standing there. If one could afford to be in such a place, could there really be a wish that couldn’t be granted? The thought made him think of his own wish and his thoughts were soon proven wrong. Not only by his own logic, but by coming face to face with the affluent Master he did not believe in. If anything, bending down to pick up a nugget of gold was a waste of time to her. But he would not hesitate to make his move the moment he knew they weren’t within any individual’s field of vision.

"Hm…come with me."

His single sentence uttered would be accompanied by him grabbing onto the woman’s waist and leaping into the sky. While many servants could leap from building to building almost effortlessly, Kain could soar to the clouds if he so desired. Grabbing people and leaping away tended to be a habit of his. Much like a dragon, he took what he needed to the place where he was most comfortable. Once on the roof of the luxurious building, his spear would appear in his hand and he would point it at the woman who possessed clothing probably worth more than anything he purchased in his previous life.

"You will be my Master."

Wait a second..was that how this worked? Obviously. Yes. A servant was the one who asked. Without even inquiring or making an educated investigation of the individual. Just what was Kain thinking? It obviously wasn’t the extravagant coat or her well endowed chest.

[kirioujo-blog]

♕ Even before she could react to the presence of the servant, she was swooped up by someone, or rather, the exact servant in question.  She was used to taking care in her self defense, being of the elite made it so she always had to be on guard. This sort of abduction could never be accomplished by some sort of assassin or normal hitman.

While she demanded to be unhanded, she spoke naught, for fear of him literally letting her go in mid air. Instead the icy glare she threw up at him would suffice until he safely unhanded her.  When he followed up by pointing his spear at her and making demands she would place her hands on the spear, guiding it to the side.  It was rude to point. From behind scarlet shades it was impossible for him to tell how annoyed she really was; but her voice would do the trick. ♕

"You are a Servant and I do not think you are in a position to be making demands."

♕ Her tone was harsh, commanding, and strictly business. Any hopes of friendly chatter had been demolished when this aggressor had kidnapped her. The spear gave her a good indication of his class, but there was no need to state the obvious. 

The silence gave way to Mitsuru's thoughts...glancing him over she would remove her sunglasses to get a better look. Fixing a few fly away crimson hairs as she came to rest one of her fingertips on her chin in thought.  The most pressing being why he was so insistent that she be his Master. She had to have reminded him of someone from his lifetime...but it would be silly to jump to conclusions. ♕

"I believe it is the Master that summons the Servant. Besides, how do you know what sort of Master I am, what I fight for? I could be some dictator who wishes to erase humanities existence, you would be willing to fight for such a skewed goal?"

[kirioujo-blog]

♕ prima voce [Open/Intro]

[immortalgeass-archive-deactivat]

Ah, so she had noticed him after all. There was a point in her favor, at the very least. Watching her turn down the side street, knowing she would force a face-to-face confrontation, Lelouch let out a quiet chuckle at the prospect. Yes…all this was to him was another performance. Another reason to don the mask, to make the world march to his beat. Ducking into a small alcove near the street, the former Emperor donned the guise of his alter-ego, the masked visage of Zero. It would be best to conceal his face for the time being, if only to ensure that, if the woman was not suitable as his Master, he maintained the element of surprise.

Waiting for a moment when the masses had thinned, Lelouch made his move, striding out of the alcove and almost immediately turning down the side street to face the subject of his observation.

"Good afternoon to you as well, Magus."

[kirioujo-blog]

♕ The slight narrow of her eyes at this concealment of his face would hardly be noticed, as it left as quickly as it had  been placed there.  While she knew the reasoning behind such, not speaking to someone face to face seemed rather. . .rude.  Perhaps that was just her impeccable etiquette that dictated how she felt in conversation.

Either way, she would let it be an oversight. The fact that he understood her French greeting was certainly an indicator of his well coiffed upbringing. Brows raised, being slightly impressed with this one's cultural affluence she would continue to gauge his worth per their conversation. ♕

"First time here in Rome? It is a real cultural experience. However; I suspect that even if you haven't visited Rome, you are well versed in your travels. I hope you don't think me forward, but what other cities appear in your travel repertoire?"

[kirioujo-blog]

♕ prima voce [Open/Intro]

[rinsessive]

What incredible composure. The fact that she’d went along with his request to not cause a scene was slightly worthy of praise, but what truly caught his eye was the fact that she hadn’t flinched in the slightest. Was there no fear in her of the unknown? No, rather than fear, he felt intrigue being directed towards him. Though he’d come here to gauge her worth as a master, she had already chosen to do the same to gauge his worthy as a servant.

Yes.. This may just be what he was looking for after all. He’d have to pry a little deeper though.

"I am. I’ve visited once before, but it was for a brief period of time. Even so, it left a pretty big impact on me. To think, so many wars have been waged here over the years."

Slowly, but surely, Hao began to change the trajectory of his steps. The ideal scenario would be for them to find their was someplace less crowded. Somewhere where they were less likely to raise suspicion of anyone around them. He wouldn’t have bothered for secrecy normally, but the woman was likely taking this war far more seriously. If he wanted to rope her in, he’d have to at least do things her way.

"The first night I spent here I had a dream that I was waging a war of my own. For the sake of my people. Hahaha! Pretty cliche, isn’t it? What about you? What would you fight a war for?”

[kirioujo-blog]

♕ He was light hearted, yet still retained a sort of serious undertone that earned respect from the magus. Pulling her sunglasses down a bit to eye him she would remain silent as she pieced together the answer to his question in her mind.

"The first night I spent here I had a dream that I was waging a war of my own. For the sake of my people. Hahaha! Pretty cliche, isn’t it? What about you? What would you fight a war for?”

There was no shock on her visage at such an inquiry. Nor at his answer that was laced in an anecdote. Her almost ice like facade morphing a bit to offer a half smile.  Removing her sunglasses the rest of the way she would hold them gently in her hand, her other arm coming under her bust and hand resting on her forearm. A slight toss of her hair as she would peer at him with her maroon hues. ♕

"I am sure you expect a more grandiose answer from me, Servant. My appearance would place that stigma on me, but I assure you, my wish is not rooted in the material world."

♕ A pause. Before she would chuckle a bit musically. Everyone sure did like to get to the point, strictly business. She knew the feeling all too well, and it must have been foolish to think she could leave business behind for any length of time. It was just who she was. ♕

"Family."

♕ Came her confident reply to his question. ♕

[akiword-blog]

 haha, Mitsuru is totally enjoying the way this is going ~

[kirioujo-blog]

♕ prima voce [Open/Intro]

[delerametum]

Nanami tapped her index fingers against the wooden table as she saw the redhead walk from the cashier to an empty table for two. She cocked a brow at this. Wasn’t she ordering take-out? The blonde pulled out a packet of sugar from her pocket and ripped the tab open. She then sprinkled the contents into her tea, taking precious care into ensuring that she didn’t put out too much.

Had she been found out? Taking into account that the one before her was a magus (and a powerful one at that), Nanami found that likely. She started weighting her options. Should she make the first move? Or play the ignorant fool? The latter seemed safest to pursue, so she settled on sprinkling more sugar into her tea. 

-Or at least, that was to be her intention before the elegant heiress spoke from behind her. The blonde could barely contain the suppressed yelp which escapes her lips. While successful in trying to regain her composure, she had spilled all the contents of the sugar packet she had into her tea. 

Perfect.

Thanks to the impromptu greeting however, Nanami was finally able to remember who the young woman was. An awkward cough was given, before the blonde spoke up. “Oh yes. I think I’ve already gone on the tour three times. I didn’t think such places would end up being so lovely to look at, even after all this time.” She giggles. “Well its my first time here so-“

Pushing her seat back quietly, Nanami rose and strode towards Mitsuru. Now that her presence had been known, it would be simply rude of her to continue on ignoring the redhead or speaking to her from behind. Besides, the taste of her Darjeeling tea right now leave much to be desired. “ah but this is all nothing new to you is it? I imagine that this would probably be your nth time here in Rome.”

Folding her hands in her lap, a polite bow was given to the other with a calm smile. “I think we’ve met at one of my father’s parties haven’t we? It’s a  pleasure to see you again, Miss Kirijo.”

[kirioujo-blog]

♕ Taking note of the panicked sugar in the tea, Mitsuru felt slightly at fault for the mishap and would have gladly offered to buy Nanami a new cup. A slight frown etched on her visage as her companion moved on to address a different statement. ♕

"Three times? I hope there is more to do here than go on the same tour, repeatedly."

♕ Her stiff, yet well intended humor would hopefully come across as just that, and not as rude jibes.  After all, she knew better than to act like an insufferable brute and certainly to someone whose family were allies of her corporation.  It was true, this was not Mitsuru's first time in Rome, though when coming to Italy she usually spent most of her time in Florence or Venice.

Upon Nanami's rise, Mitsuru would make a graceful sweeping gesture with her hand to the seat across from her.  An invitation to join her, which the blonde took her up on. A soft smile of her own as she returned her own hands to resting, and focused her attention on the girl. There was a sense of camaraderie that Mitsuru felt, knowing that she was at least acquainted with another magus.  It felt reassuring, as the lonely lifestyle was something she was growing quite accustomed too. 

As they had more formally greeted eachother, Mitsuru would simply nod her head softly at the bow, before lifting her hand up as if to pause such formalities. ♕

"No need for that here, and Mitsuru is fine. Is your family well? Your father did throw wonderful parties, I am only apologetic that I stopped attending as many when my parents passed away. I simply did not feel up to the task for awhile." 

[kirioujo-blog]

♕ prima voce [Open/Intro]

[rinsessive]

"Hmm. That one isn’t so bad."

As the days winded down, the date of the grail war drew closer an closer. Though there was still sufficient time to prepare, many servants felt a sense of urgency in trying to find suitable masters. And then, of course, there were those who simply took their time to make sure they found the best possible candidates for victory. Among them was the young man who stood perched atop the roof of a building, using it as a vantage point to scour the area. And this was how he spotted her.

Her heart was filled with confidence, though she was not arrogant. She was smart, cautious.. His powers of Empathy told him that much. Not only that, but his nature as a Shaman allowed him to view people’s spiritual power more clearly than others. And while he couldn’t say she was overwhelmingly impressive in that aspect, she certainly showed much more promise than most he’d seen until now.

'Well then, should we go see if this one's any good?”

He spoke as if addressing someone, or something, though there was nothing to be seen by the naked eye. And soon enough, even his own form seemed to disappear from where it once stood. The streets were full of activity. From automobiles to people on foot, Rome was a very busy place. Well, that worked in favor of those participating in the war. Made it harder to discern who was who. Harder for people who lacked Hao’s skillset, of course. Then again, he wouldn’t be surprised if there was another servant with heightened sensory capabilities like him.

His presence only returned when he found himself walking beside her, his physical form returning to avoid wasting too much prana by staying in his spiritual form. She was likely to take notice of a servant suddenly appearing beside her, so he immediately motioned for her to not make a scene by placing his hands to his lips.

"Ssshh. No need for alarm. Walk with me. There’re some things I’d like to discuss with you."

[kirioujo-blog]

♕ The appearance of such an individual, so rapidly, was a dead give away of just what said individual was.  No human could accomplish such a feat and therefore, it was a servant she was encountering at present. From behind her shades, she acknowledged the subtle gesture to encourage silence; proceeding to not make any sort of scene or even a motion that anything had transpired. 

Straight forward, to the point, she could take stock in this attitude, her brows raised a hair in piqued interest. Designer footsteps slowing to a more cordial pace so that conversation would not be strenuous. ♕

"Rome is rich in culture and history, I trust you are enjoying your stay here?"

♕ Her structured manner of speaking made her sound rather uptight, but such a general topic would indicate to those around them that they were two acquaintances having a discussion.  For those who thought they saw her walking alone, then they would surely be mistaken now. Appearances were everything, as Mitsuru knew, and if she acted like nothing out of the ordinary had happened, then people would be forced to accept it and think their eyes had simply played tricks on them. ♕

[kirioujo-blog]

♕ prima voce [Open/Intro]

[immortalgeass-archive-deactivat]

In his own time, he’d been across the world more times than once, stood in almost every major city, and organized offensives on countless countries. Rome had been spared his wrath, for the most part, but he’d still had plans upon plans for toppling the ancient city should it be required in the grand scheme of things. Of course…this was a different Rome than he had known. A different world than the one he had ruled. The streets were the same, but so much was not. The sights, the scents, the feel of the air itself. Everything screamed at him that this was not his world.

…and yet he know that it was one that he could use. This world, and this war, were something he could use to attain what he desired, to have his wish granted by the artifact called the Holy Grail. So he pushed aside the feelings of being a strange man in a foreign land and strode the streets, discerning eyes hunting through the crowds and marking out Master and Servant alike. The mundane crowds were beneath his notice, he saw through them even more easily now than in life, so it was not by chance that he spotted a woman that, even without having the air of a Master about her, would have stood out from the crowd.

She walked as if she had been born to look down on others from a throne, the steps of a true high-born being. She obviously had means to back her steps as well, the quality of the possessions on her person spoke to that, and she had the dangerous look of intelligence in her eyes, the savvy gaze of a woman who was more comfortable in a board room than her own home. The question was begged, however…was that intellect enough to match up to his own? Was she a worthy Master to take up the task of commanding the former Emperor? He would have to find that out before making any further moves. For the time being, he would follow her, and see if he could make out any further amount of competence from her.

[kirioujo-blog]

♕ There was a rather canny sensation that overtook the queenly natured female. While used to being watched, this felt more scrutinizing, judging, as if being deemed worthy.  This process was no stranger to Mitsuru as she did not slow her stride, her intent in her walk never faltering. To show any sort of hesitation would seem to indicate pause in her resolve, which she certainly did not possess. 

Stepping off onto a side street, her steps finally halted, and she waited for the one tailing her to follow suit. It was then that she would address the individual who had set their sights on the woman. 

Hands placed on her hip with elegant poise as she moved her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose to get a good look at the one before her, without the scarlet color cast. 

This was no magus, and no innocent, this was a servant.  Not her first encounter with one in terms of shared title, but certainly her first meeting with a servant of the Holy Grail War. Assessing him, she seemed aloof, cool about it. Her collection and poise was rivaled by no one, and finally, as not to be rude, she would remove her sunglasses completely, holding them in her right hand. ♕

"Bonne après-midi, Servant."

[kirioujo-blog]

♕ prima voce [Open/Intro]

[delerametum]

A despondent sight escapes the blonde’s lips as she puts down her cup of black Darjeeling tea. She had been in Rome for awhile now, her quotidian routine consisting of walking around town pretending to be a tourist while observing each and every man and woman who passed on by, classifying them whether they were a servant, an innocent or a magus who could be a potential rival.

Thankfully, not one of the people she had met were aware of her little surveillance activity, but as the days passed by it became a little too tedious and humdrum an endeavor to keep up. Glazed purple optics shifted their focus from the cup to the people walking outside the cafe she spent most of her time in, appearing disinterested.

But then, a flash of brilliant burgundy entered her line of sight and effectively captured her attention. She twisted in her seat to get a better view. There a few feet away (with only the cafe’s glass windows dividing them) was a young woman a few years her senior. 

Nanami’s eyebrows scrunched up. The woman seemed familiar. She was not entirely sure but she had that nagging feeling she had seen this woman at one of her father’s grandiose parties before. “Tch…her name’s right at the tip of my tongue…I just can’t remember”

The blonde takes another sip of her tea, chancing glances at the woman out of the corner of her eye. She was trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. Her pride wouldn’t be able to take it if she were to be found staring so adamantly at a stranger.  

[kirioujo-blog]

♕ Parched, the redhead would stop into a small cafe that seemed to be the resting place of some choice individuals. Drawing the sunglasses from her face with a slight toss of her hair; she spoke with the cashier to order herself a drink.  She would be embarrassed to admit her choice was some sort of latte over tea, but the to go cup masked the exact type of drink in question. 

As she replaced her crimson shades over her eyes, it was when she felt it. The gaze of being watched, something she knew all too well. A soft curl of her lips as she made her way to an empty table for two instead of taking her beverage to go. Heels clicked softly on the tiled floor as she passed a blonde, who, while Mitsuru did not know her directly, seemed to be of reputable status. Unspoken respect was passed between the two automatically. 

Sliding into a seat at the table, her back was turned to the blonde's back and moments passed like this until Mitsuru felt the need to seemingly divert her attention to her cellphone.  Checking up on the business going on at home. 

Even while "preoccupied", she remained alert, and finally, from behind the perceptive blonde, the seemingly untouchable heiress would speak. ♕

"Rome is full of interesting sights, would you agree, Miss Nishijou?"

♕ Gloved fingertips traced the top of the plastic lid that was stained red from lipstick, the phone on the table, had been used to get Mitsuru a name on the blonde who had been eyeing her. ♕ 

[kirioujo-blog]

♕ prima voce [Open/Intro]

♕ To claim she had never been to Rome would be a lie, she had been to many countries, cities, on a more business occasion.  While this could likely constitute as business there was a grain of pleasure in this trip with arriving a month before the intended start date of her business. Her departure happened rather quickly, leaving most of her multi-million dollar business decisions and advising to her subordinates and investors who she was confident in, however it never ceased to light up her phone with notifications that she would casually glance at. Although she claimed to be so trusting, there was a part of her that couldnt relinquish all of her investment and responsibilities in her company no matter where on the map she was.

Glancing up, she took note of their proximity to the hotel in which she would be staying for the duration of her stay. The St. Regis Rome, a five star hotel that compounded a total of 14000.00 euros a night for her living arrangements. It hardly seemed like it made a dent in her budget, and the heiress thought nothing of paying the almost $560,000 U.S. dollars it would take to simply stay there for the month before the war even began. After all, it was only money. 

With a soft sigh, she would lock her phone, placing it in her designer tote before she would dawn her sunglasses upon the private town cars stop. A brief exchange with the driver and the bellhop of the hotel, instructing them to take her things to her suite, while she intended to exchange some more currency. 

As she set off, her eyes were alert of the people around her, taking note of them from behind the shield of her sunglasses, remaining on guard now that she was here in Rome. ♕